#wolf dog Hakoda

[purrincesskittens]

My neice just finished watching ATLA, so I introduced her to Salvage, and she is demanding more Hakoda adopts Zuko because Ozai is an asshole who deserves to be cucked. She helped come up with the idea of wolf dog Hakoda adopting Zuko.

His pup now.

His very big pup. Zuko is a wolf among big cats.

Lion Iroh is a bit confused as to how to handle agnsty teenage wolf while tiger Ozai was all too happy to get rid of his disgrace of a son who should have been a cat.

Until he finds out the SWT adopted him and their first thought upon seeing adolescent puppy Zuko was okay who slept with the Fire Lady? They mistook him as a wolf dog until they fed him and he grew. Pup is now bigger than his adoptive father.

Ozai protests the rumor about him getting cucked.

(Neice may have dove into the deep end reading through almost everything you have posted @muffinlance, and I may or may not have encouraged it before handing her back to her mother. Sorry, not sorry)

[bakodads]

A List of Completely Random Bakoda Headcannons In No Order Whatsoever

(these are so cute asdkjh I love all of them, thanks for submitting!- Evan)

Hakoda can't stand tea. Bato loves it.

Bato always has the braincell all the time.

Hakoda loves dogs. Hakoda gets a dog. Bato is a cat person who watches judgementally from the couch while petting Snowball the fluffy black cat as Hakoda just spends an entire fucking morning rolling around in the snow with the dog. He's ridiculously happy but he looks like an idiot and Bato just spends the whole time making sure he doesn't get hypothermia and internally going "really? This guy? This is the one Sokka looks up to?"

Coffeeshop AU absolutely features Hakoda as a barista who actually likes his job and Bato as the guy in nice jeans who's like "you live like this?"

Hakoda sprawls. And snores. And kicks.

Hakoda is a Griffindor. Bato is a Slytherin.

Bato has spent the entire 'only person who kisses Hakoda' portion of his life beating everyone else off with a stick he swears he's on an archnemesis basis with half the planet as a result.

Hakoda would NEVER let anything bad happen to him. He would die for Bato. Bato knows this and spends every day of the war and some of the days after terrified that Hakoda will.

Every so often they're lying in bed at night and Hakoda's just like "we have six children" and Bato goes "yeah. Why did we do that again?" "Two were mine to begin with, and two had crap parents, and the last two didn't have any parents, and we couldn't just let them die because Sokka would do that kicked puppy thing." "Oh. I hate it when you're right."

If you hurt their kids I hope you're ready to face the wrath of an Absolute Unit Of A Power Couple.

Bato picks up the rich people 'talk shit without openly talking shit' thing TERRIFYINGLY quickly and has subsequently put the fear of Tui and La into half of Zuko's advisors (Iroh got the rest).

Hakoda initially did not learn from his son's mistakes when meeting the Kiyoshi Warriors. Bato looked at them and decided that anyone willing to fight in a dress had his undying respect.

Anyone who messes with Hakoda will be met with Bato, looming, giving them that cool, measured 'I'm going to kill you for this when you least expect me to' expression, from over Hakoda's shoulder so his husband doesn't worry.

Anyone who messes with Bato will be met with the tip of Hakoda's spear and a face so full of rage that some people have fainted on the spot.

The only person who's surprised to learn that they're married is actually Katara. Toph could hear their heartbeats, Aang found out when it was Bato and not Hakoda who shovel talked him about dating Katara, Zuko grew up believing that daily physical affection was the equivalent of screaming 'I LOVE THIS PERSON THEY ARE MY SOULMATE MY LIFE MY REASON TO EXIST', Suki learned during Hakoda's introduction to the Kiyoshi Warriors (when Bato said 'no you can't fight in a dress I like my husbands with intact necks'), and Sokka caught on during all the planning sessions when those two just. Gravitated towards each other. He was content to let it ride, though. They were happy. Katara, once she found out, smacked Sokka for not telling her and then demanded they have a second wedding so their kids could attend.

Hakoda, the giant nerd, lets Zuko talk his ear off about dragons as much as he likes. Bato will never admit to listening in, if only to see the young Firelord smiling.

Appa loves Bato. Bato has problems with this.

Bato and Aang discuss philosophy. Like, deep 'whats your take on death' type stuff, and both of them find it... Rather refreshing.

Toph likes Bato just as much as she likes Hakoda, even though Hakoda is the one who all-but-legally adopted her. The tall man never tells them they can't do something because they're 'just children', even though Toph can feel his heartbeat go a mile a minute whenever one of them is in danger.

Momo also likes Bato. Bato has a problem with this as well.

Bato absolutely lets Wolf!Sokka curl up on his lap and the same goes for Dragon!Zuko.

[vickyvicarious]

thinkin’ bout an ATLA daemon AU, and I think daemons would probably all be real-world animals, similar to the spirits, since there’s something of a link there. Your daemon is your own personal spirit/soul, after all.

Some headcanons on this line:

Iroh - A very rare case of a daemon changing shape as an adult. He previously had a hawk; when he returned from his travels after Lu Ten’s death, he was accompanied by a... I wanna say maybe capybara (nurturing herd animal, intelligent, selective with which leaves they eat, scandalously semi-aquatic for a FN royal). There’s speculation in the FN that a spirit did it to him, but it really was just a result of his own internal change. This actually comes in very handy when he has to enter Ba Sing Se as a refugee later on, and just in general in staying under the radar.

Hakoda - A sea otter; not an unusual daemon for SWT. He fairly well exemplifies the clever, playful, family-driven yet still powerful opponent when riled.

Kya - A penguin. Very at home in the water, a doting parent willing to make extreme sacrifices for their young.

Bato - A wolf. Another common WT daemon for its social nature, pack-based life and hunting style, and associated often with excellent warriors of the tribe.

Bumi - A duck-billed platypus. Despite never seeing it as a ‘normal’ animal in the wild, people are often suspicious it’s not his real daemon because it sure doesn’t look like one pure spirit the way most of them do. Mole-like which fits with his bending but also definitely weird and not a typical mole just as he isn’t a typical earthbender.

Ozai - Black mamba. Snakes and lizards are common/well regarded in the FN as being linked closely to dragons and thus a sign of Agni’s favor. His aggressive, deadly daemon reflects his belief in his superiority and inherent greater right to rule than his older brother. Azulon also had a snake, a comparison which he always took pride in.

Ursa - Cliche says bear but I actually want to go with meerkat or mongoose. Both are social animals that actually hunt venomous snakes and take an active role in raising and teaching their children, which seems fitting for her.

Azula - tries not to change often, and lots of people believe she’s actually already Settled as a snake, but if they paid attention they’d notice changes in species every so often. Remains unsettled throughout the series, though she heavily favors snakes and spiders. I like to imagine her one day Settling as a saltwater crocodile just for the images but honestly it’s a long way off for her to Settle.

Mai - Unsettled but favors very small daemons that can remain hidden in her clothes such as small insects, lizards or snakes. Very rarely ever shows itself to anyone, let alone for any length of time.

Ty Lee - Settled when she was in the circus; something that Azula resents slightly and so she tries never to draw attention to. Her daemon is probably some form of smallish monkey though I’m not sure exactly which; very cute and quite intelligent as well as surprisingly nasty when angered.

Sokka - Unsettled for a long time, though often in the form of sea otter like Hakoda, or a wolf. Eventually starts adopting more variety the longer they travel, particularly in order not to stand out too much (or to try and stand out, depending) and by the end of the show Settles as a raven. Very intelligent, curious, problem-solver with a bit of a penchant for mischief and a long memory.

Katara - Almost always stays in an aquatic or arctic animal in stubborn loyalty to her culture and identity as the last waterbender of the SWT, notably often becoming a leopard seal or polar bear during combat. She still hasn’t Settled by the end of the series but has been tending strongly towards arctic fox. Sokka has secretly always taken comfort in her not Settling yet despite the motherly role she’s taken on. In fact, before Aang arrived he’d begun to worry because she had stayed a penguin for several months straight... but Aang brought out her youthful side and her daemon changes more around him.

Aang - the Avatar is linked to the spirit world so completely that I want to say they don’t have a daemon. Instead they often tend to bond with an animal guide of their native element. Obviously this changes how they learn they’re the Avatar but I think it makes sense. When trying to be incognito, he pretends Momo is his daemon, and mostly gets away with it due to not many people recognizing his species, but (not super) secretly he feels that Appa is practically the same as his daemon.

Toph - her daemon is blind just like her and switches all the time. Tends to favor either large ferocious beasts, moles, or lizards. Absolutely never a bird, although one time they do try out being a bat. She has shown no signs of even considering Settling by the end of the show, and in fact has recently been switching between hippo and cricket a lot.

Zuko - doesn’t Settle until the Day of Black Sun. He also tended to switch around a lot as a kid but became extremely frustrated with himself and ashamed of still ‘being a child’ during his time in exile. He became convinced he’d Settle when he regained his honor and remaining Unsettled after returning home increased his deep sense of shame/lack of satisfaction. When confronting his father his daemon takes the form of a large cat... I wanna say jaguar. They don’t even realize they’re Settled until later at the Air Temple.

Yue - Already Settled by the time we meet her. A malamute dog, her daemon shows not only loyalty and a strong work ethic/duty, but also a more down-to-earth and sometimes playful side that she rarely gets to openly express. Her and Sokka’s daemons get along famously, a lot of cheerful wrestling in wolf form.

Suki - I kind of want to say she Settles as a horse. Can’t quite articulate why for some reason but I like the idea a lot. That or a tiger.

Hama - An octopus. Very intelligent, sensitive, adaptable predator skilled at hiding in plain sight.

That one healer lady - Everyone thinks her daemon is Miyuki the cat, but no, Miyuki is an actual spirit. Her daemon is a frog.

Cabbage Man - A fainting goat, probably.

[shortkingzuko]

title: burned words

relationship: bato/hakoda

for @bakodafleetweek prompt: interuppted

warnings: light angst, mention of canon injuries

summary: all that Bato can think is I love you I love you I love you I love you. The words burn his tongue worse than any of the strange spices they’ve encountered since they’ve left the South Pole. 

read under the cut or on AO3 for full list of tags

Bato doesn’t try to tell Hakoda that he loves him anymore, not that it really matters, in the grand scheme of things. When he was younger, he had tried - tried to get the words to form properly on his lips, but something always got in the way. Whether it was the sudden realization that the words would affect Kya - and eventually Sokka and Katara - or the sudden feeling of cowardice after he tried so hard to get Hakoda alone, or because he thought better in the face of his dearest friend, forever mourning the loss of his wife and with the whole world on his shoulders. The war won’t stop for love, or grief, or for the chance of the big what if that’s been haunting him for nearly all his life. Bato knows this all too well; Hakoda knows this too. It used to be something that Bato thought weighted him down, something that made him dead weight, but instead, it’s only made him that much more loyal, that much more trusted, that much more important to Hakoda, even if he doesn’t know the true reasons behind his devotion. The feeling still sits heavy in his chest, pressing against his ribs so hard sometimes Bato swears they’ll snap. They never do. Bato takes his vow of silence on the matter seriously; Hakoda has his children, their tribe, and the war to worry about. He doesn’t need to worry about his lifelong friend’s pining feelings too. 

Still, sometimes Bato will look at Hakoda and the light will be hitting him just right, or the spray of the sea will gather in droplets just above his brow, or sometimes he’ll just be hunched over a scroll, hand propping his head up, eyes stern and focused, and the words will just claw their way out of his chest, like crabs escaping a net, fighting each other to get out first. At least, they try to.

Sometimes part of the confession will slip out, a raspy, “Hakoda, I-” will bubble out of his lips before he can beat it back down. Either Hakoda will be too busy or surrounded by too much noise to hear, or he’ll look up from his task, face tense with stress but eyes softening as he looks towards his friend, and Bato will have to come up with an excuse as to why he drew his attention away. Often it’s as easy as clearing his throat of the lovesick tone and saying, “Hakoda, I think you need a break.”

Hakoda rarely listens to Bato’s pleas for him to take greater care of himself, saying that the other tribe members or the war effort need him. Bato has to work so hard to not say, I need you too.

Other times it’s the good grace of the spirits that keep Bato’s confessions away from Hakoda’s ears. A quiet moment sitting around the evening fire, sparks illuminating Hakoda’s face in a warm glow, hair falling out of its wolf tail and hanging around his face, and all that Bato can think is I love you I love you I love you I love you. The words burn his tongue worse than any of the strange spices they’ve encountered since they’ve left the South Pole. 

Voice so soft that only the spirits can hear, Bato will start to say, “I lo-”

“Chief!” Someone will always call, and Hakoda will always turn to look towards them, always willing to help. It happens more times than Bato would care to admit, that he’s saved from his own inability to keep his feelings to himself, only because one of their tribe members need help settling a minor dispute.

The feeling of relief that he feels when he’s saved of a confession is secondary to the feeling of regret. His love for Hakoda paces around in his heart, like a caged sabre-tooth moose-lion, antsy and yearning for escape. More than anything Bato wants Hakoda to know how he feels, to know that despite all his flaws, all his mistakes, all of his perceived failures, he wants him to know that Bato still loves him despite, or maybe because, all that. He wants to kiss his stress bitten lips and to smooth his slowly greying hair. He wants to hold his friend close at night, to speak with him about his children, to return to their home and move in together and die old and grey next to his side. 

More than anything, Bato wants Hakoda to know that he won’t leave him and that he won’t let Hakoda leave him either. 

But those are promises that can’t, and shouldn’t, be made. Bato knows, rationally, that he might not be able to keep them, and his devotion to Hakoda means that he’s never been able to lie outright to him. So instead he dances around the subject, he tries to get Hakoda to rest when he’s been working too much, tries to make sure he always gets a slightly bigger serving of food (even though when Hakoda notices, he’ll switch bowls with whoever is the most injured), tries to tell him without telling him that he is loved, and cared for and that without him, Bato fears that he’ll never be complete. 

It’s when his arm is burned, when his skin red and melted, tissue exposed and damp, when every beat of his heart shutters and every breath is pained and hard, and his eyes keep shutting for minutes at a time before shooting back open with pained groans, that he feels drops of water falling on his face. For a moment Bato thinks it might be raining, and wouldn’t that be a nice relief on his scorched skin, except he feels a quaking all around him, and he realizes that it’s not rain or an earthquake, but Hakoda. And he realizes that Hakoda is carrying him, his strong arms around his waist and holding his leg, his undamaged arm has been positioned around Hakoda’s shoulders, and Hakoda is carrying him with such strength and tenderness that Bato doesn’t know how to react. And then he feels - doesn’t hear, the blood pumping in his ears makes it almost impossible to hear anything - Hakoda sob, soul racking and aggressive, as he continues his trek… wherever they’re headed. 

In his semi-conscious state, Bato mumbles, “Hakoda…”

All the name earns is another cry, as the man looks down at Bato’s ash-smudged and bloodied face. He says something, but Bato is already drifting off, only aware of the shaking of Hakoda’s chest and the pain of his left side. 

The only thing he can think is I love you, but he doesn’t know if his mouth moves as quickly as his thoughts.

When they get to the abbey, Bato is only awake for moments at a time, only aware of the Sisters pouring frigid water over his wounds, the sensation of thick salves, and then suffocating bandages wrapped tightly around his arm and torso. He can vaguely hear Hakoda speaking to one of the Sisters, but it’s fuzzy. Everything is fuzzy, from his hearing to his eyesight, to the feeling of everything around him.

Bato opens his eyes, unaware that he closed them in the first place, to see smudges of blue walking away, and the sight of Hakoda holding his unbandaged hand, eye closed and forehead pressed against Bato’s. 

Bato tries to greet him, but all that comes out in a garbled whine. Hakoda opens his eyes slowly, lifts his head and looks down at him.

“Hey, Bato.” His voice is choked and comes out heavy, over-enunciated. “The Sisters said you might not remember a whole bunch, but I wanted to tell you that… we have to leave. The tribe and I. We need to keep heading to the safe point, and we…. We have to leave you here.”

Another whine escaped from Bato’s throat, and he tries to push himself up, but before Hakoda can push him down, he collapses back onto the medical cot. Instead, he holds Hakoda’s hand even tighter. 

“I’m sorry, Bato, spirits, I’m so fucking sorry.” Tears flow down Hakoda’s face. “We can’t take care of you, and the Sisters here already said that you’ll probably get an infection and if we can’t take care of you, you’ll die, and you can’t die on me, Bato.”

Bato slowly, carefully, pulls Hakoda back down so that their foreheads are pressed together again. He feels the heat of Hakoda’s laboured breaths against his face. He closes his eyes, focusing on the pleasant warmth instead of the painful burn.

“We’ll send for you as soon as we’re safe so that you can follow, I swear it.” Hakoda cries, not quite freely, but as freely as he can. The warm tears stream down his face, onto Bato’s lips and into his tongue. 

And Bato believes that; he believes and trusts in Hakoda more than anything, more than he believes in himself or that this gods forsaken war will ever end. But he doesn’t trust his own erratically beating heart, or the pain in his arm, or the light-headedness that he feels.

“Hakoda,” he chokes out, throat scratchy and dry. He wants to be speaking confidently, loudly, with his usual voice of order and straightforwardness, but instead, his voice is quiet, raspy, and broken. “Hakoda, I love-”

“Chief Hakoda,” A voice calls out from the doorway. Bato can’t recognize it right now, but it booms and echos in his ears. “We need to leave. If we stay any longer, we may get caught by the next patrol.”

Slowly, Hakoda nods, and says, “Alright. Get everyone ready to leave. I’ll be out in a minute.”

There’s a shuffling and Bato assumes that whoever was speaking has left, and he’s left just staring into Hakoda’s eyes, blue like the ice caves that polar dogs dig, and suddenly Bato, for the first time, wonders if all his love could maybe be returned. 

Hakoda squeezes Bato’s hand, pressing Bato’s knuckles into his scratchy cheek, and holds it there.

Bato closes his eyes, wanting nothing more than to hold Hakoda’s hand forever. 

“I’ll send for you,” Hakoda whispers, one more time. “I’m not leaving you here forever.”

And Bato wants to say I know, I know, I know you’d never leave me, not in a hundred years, not for all the stars in the sky, not for all the warmth in the South Pole, but all that comes out in a sob that he didn’t realize was building in his throat. Hakoda wipes away the tears with his thumb.

“Bato, I-” And another cry blooms out of Bato’s mouth. Hakoda shushes him. “Bato, Bato, none of that now. You’ll be back with me soon, okay?” 

Bato nods, eyes still streaming, as Hakoda finally releases his hand. He runs a hand over Bato’s knotted hair.

“We’ll be back together soon.”

And as Bato watches his retreating figure, he wants to say I know, I love you, I know, I love you, I know. But all he can do is let out a sigh, as his emotional outburst ends, leaving him exhausted. His eyes close as he hears Hakoda giving orders outside the curtain of his door, and the only words in his mind are love you love you love you.

[entity9silvergen]

(OLD) Masterlist of entity9silvergen’s Fanfiction

My accounts for Archive of Our Own, Fanfiction.net, Twitter, and ATLA Twitter.  I have more fics in more fandoms on Ao3 and FFN. My Sanders Sides Incorrect Quotes and memes are posted on my Twitter and my ATLA Incorrect Quotes are posted on the atla twitter account. All Incorrect Quotes are also posted on Ao3. Status updates are posted on entityupdates.

Sanders Sides

Why Don’t You Play Me One of Your Songs?

Summary: Logan professes his love for Patton through song.

Fandom: Sanders Sides

Characters: Logan, Patton

Relationships: Logan/ Patton

Other Tags: Valentines Day, Band, Music, Song fic, BoJack Horseman

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1500

Chapter Count: 1 (Oneshot)

Written 2021

Oblique

Summary: Unable to experience romantic attraction, Remus feels incomplete. Unable to feel sexual attraction, Roman feels less than. Maybe as the King, they decide, they will feel whole again. Their partners and friends, however, know this isn’t the solution and seek to help them realize there’s nothing broken about them before it’s too late.

Fandom: Sanders Sides

Characters: Logan, Patton, Roman, Virgil, Nate, Remy, Emile, Seth, Toby, Janus, Remus, Unnamed Orange Side, Romulus, Dragon Witch 

Relationships: Logan/ Patton, Virgil/ Roman, Janus/ Remus, Remy/ Emile, Toby/ Seth, Nate/ Orange Side

Other Tags: AroWriMo, Aromantic Remus, Asexual Roman, Spider Virgil, Snake Janus, Orange Side, 7th Side, Additional Sides, No OCs, Short Vid Characters

Warnings: Mentions of Sex, Internalized Arophobia, Internalized Aphobia, Violence, Fighting, Minor Swearing 

Word Count: 11.5K

Chapter Count: 3

Written 2021 

ATLA

The World Was Made By Gran Gran’s Face

Summary: In the Southern Water Tribe, elders were the heart of family. There is no paper or books to record history, songs, culture, and the knowledge of the world so memory and skill of tongue were everything. Those with the longest memories were guides when it came to traversing the terrain, understanding the paths of prey, and the way of the spirits. Elders were the ones who shaped the worldview of the younger generation. They told the tribe what was and what wasn’t. Or, Zuko grabs Gran Gran and Sokka loses hope for the world.

Characters: Sokka, Gran Gran, Gaang, Hakoda

Relationships: Sokka & Gran Gran, Sokka & Gaang, Sokka & Hakoda, Referenced Sokka/ Yue, Referenced Sokka/ Suki

Other Tags: Drabble Series, No Dialogue, Canon Setting

Warnings: Minor Violence

Word Count: 9K

Chapter Count: 10 (in progress of posting)

Written 2020-2021 

We Dance To Fast Music

Summary: Zuko didn’t like to dance. Neither did Mai. But Ty Lee did and they’d do it for her. Fortunately for them, Ty Lee cared about how they felt and wanted to show them just how wonderful music could be. All Zuko and Mai knew were slow dances, the things of ballrooms and romance. Ty Lee only knew the dances of friendship, freedom, and fun.

Fandom: ATLA

Characters: Zuko, Mai, Ty Lee, Sokka, Suki, Aang, Katara, Toph

Relationships: Ambiguous relationships, Katara/ Aang, Zuko & Mai & Ty Lee, Gaang & Mai & Ty Lee, Zuko & Mai & Ty Lee & Suki &Sokka

Other Tags: Ambiguous Relationships, AroWriMo, Dancing, Dancing Dragon, Tsungi Horn, Wedding, Platonic Relationships, Music

Warnings: None

Word Count: 8K

Chapter Count: 1 (Oneshot)

Written 2021 

He Is Mild And He Is Meek

Summary:  He is mild and he is meek, he is Momo and he is what I seek. Suki always wanted three things in life. One was to become a professional soccer player. The second was to live in a cute apartment filled with succulents. The third was to get a cat. Momo probably wasn’t anyone’s first pick as a pet but Suki was determined to get this cat to love her as much as she loved him. If only he’d accept he had a home now.

Fandom: Avatar The Last Airbender

Characters: Suki, Momo, Sokka, Aang

Relationships: Suki & Momo, Suki & Sokka, Momo & Aang, Mentioned Aang/ Katara, Past Suki/ Toph

Other Tags: AroWriMo, Oneshot, Modern Setting, Modern AU, Transgender Character, Aromantic Character, Trans Suki, Aromantic Suki, Lesbian Suki, Aro Trans Lesbian Suki, Trans Aang, Bi Sokka, Queer Toph, Cat Momo, Dog Appa, Pet Adoption 

Warnings: Brief Mentions of Sex, Minor Swearing

Word Count: 6.7K

Chapter Count: 1 (Oneshot)

Written 2021

The Spirits Threw Down Their Spears and Watered Heaven With Their Tears

Summary: Weak at birth, Tui asked Agni and the Blue Spirit to give the Fire Nation’s prince life. A few months later, she asked La and Tienhai to do the same for the Northern Water Tribe’s princess. She hoped they would live normal lives. She didn’t expect them to gain the power of transformation. | A dragon and a sea serpent, they don’t have much of a place in human society but all the loneliness was worth the wait to find each other and people who would accept them.

Fandom: ATLA

Characters: Zuko, Yue, Pakku, Arnook, Tui, Agni, La, Wolf Spirit

Relationships: Zuko & Yue, Zuko/ Yue (Ambiguous), Tui/ La, Tui & Agni, Zuko & Arnook, Zuko & Pakku, Agni & Blue Spirit, Blue Spirit & Zuko

Other Tags: Dragon Zuko, Sea Serpent Yue, spirits, Weredragon Zuko, Wereserpent Yue, spirit pov, Northern Water Tribe, Water Tribe Zuko, Northern Water Tribe Zuko, Blue Spirit Zuko, references to the comics

Warnings: Major Character Death, Canon Character Death, injury, canon injury

Word Count: 27K

Chapter Count: 8 (In progress of posting)

Written 2021

Naruto

Thought Cupid Shot Me With Love But It Was Only An Aro

Summary: Soulmates were supposed to be the other half of your soul. Your one true love. Ino always dreamed of finding her soulmate. Sai never wanted one. Still, they cared for each other so they were going to make it work. Somehow.

Relationships: Sai & Ino, Sai/ Ino, Sai & Team Kakashi, Sai & Team Asuma, Sai & Shin, Referenced Naruto/ Hinata, Referenced Sasuke/ Sakura, Referenced Kakashi/ Guy, Referenced Shikamaru/ Temari, Referenced Choji/ Karui

Characters: Sai, Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi, Shin, Kakashi

Warnings: Minor aphobia

Other: AroWriMo 2021, Soulmate AU, Aroace Sai, Aro/ Allo Relationship, Aromantic Writer, Queer Themes, QPRs

Word Count: 10K

Chapter Count: 1 (Oneshot)

Written 2021

Disenchantment 

Mosaic

Summary: We are just mosaics of everyone we love and that mosaic shows everyone we love how beautiful they are. Bean doesn’t think she can love like everyone else but maybe that’s okay.

Fandom: Disenchantment

Characters: Bean

Relationships: Bean/ Mora, Mentioned Bean & Everyone, Mentioned Odval/ Sorcerio, Mentioned Zog/ Oona, Mentioned Zog/ Dagmar

Warnings: Internalized arophobia, first person pov, some self-deprecation, sex mention, drug mention, mention of interspecies relationships in fantasy setting

Other Tags: F/F, Mentioned F/F QPR, Reflection/ Self-Reflection/ Internal Thoughts, No Dialogue, Queerplatonic, Aromantic Character, Aromantic Homosexual Character, Arospec Character, Queer Themes, Unreliable Narrarator, S3E6, Oneshot,

Word Count: 2K

Chapter Count: 1 (Oneshot)

Written 2021

Events And Series

AroWriMo 2021

[lykegenia]

The Things We Hide - Epilogue

Early morning sunlight streamed through the open hallways of the royal palace of the Fire Nation, the soft breeze bringing with it the rich scent of fire lilies and the trill of birdsong. Katara liked these times best; the worst of the rains had passed, leaving the hillsides verdant and rich with life. She had been three years in the palace now, first as the Water Tribe ambassador’s chief aide and then as the ambassador herself once Bato had mustered the courage to confess himself to Ursa. She missed the South Pole from time to time, but not even the remote blue beauty of the vast and empty icefields could compare to the jewel-bright comfort of her adopted home. Her clothes these days were all Fire Nation silk, dyed in Southern blue but tailored with inspiration from both nations, beading made from glass instead of bone, and in her hair, a string of Kyoshi Island pearls braided in place of the sea-wolf teeth she had passed along to Linara.

She paused briefly to watch a fledgling jadebird beg food from its parent. The turtleducks would be hatching soon, completing the tableau of new life that inhabited the Fire Lord’s garden, and Zuko himself would be at the feeders, refilling them with seed and fruit and honey so he could watch the flit of finches and hummingbees from his office window. Often, she watched with him. They shared tea as they pored over trade agreements or read the latest letter from Azula at the monastery. In those moments, their relationship didn’t have to bow to the strictures of Fire Nation nobility, and every day she looked forward to being able reach out and touch him, or lay her head on his shoulder, without the dark mutterings of the sages who all thought the Fire Lord too smitten for his own good. There was less bite to the grumbles than there had been, but for the sake of politics, she and Zuko tried hard to keep their affairs private.

The birds hopped away and Katara heard the tread of a guard headed in her direction. She nodded politely to him when he stopped in his tracks and bowed to her.

“Master Katara, I was asked to fetch you. His Majesty awaits you in his study.”

“Thank you, Jeran,” she answered, smiling at the faint blush that stained the guard’s cheeks. Even after three years, some of them were still surprised that she bothered to learn their names.

Curious about what Zuko could have to say to her so early, she turned and followed the familiar path to the Fire Lord’s rooms. Now that his mother had retired permanently to Ember Island, he lived in the royal wing all by himself. He often complained about the isolation, and used it almost every day as an excuse to get away from his duties and join her in the ambassadorial suite, or tempt her out to the market – whatever the other changes he had been trying to enact to end the war, he was making an effort to actually talk to his people, and it made her proud to see.

Somebody was already in the room with him. She knocked on the doorframe and waited for the invitation to come in. When he saw her, his face warmed like sunrise, but her gaze slid to the other person in the room, a man who had only arrived in the capital the day before, a full two weeks ahead of the ceremony that would mark the third anniversary of the peace accords.

“Dad?”

Hakoda rose from the tatami and wrapped his daughter in a bear-dog hug. “I don’t think I’ve ever known you be awake so early, Snowball.”

“What are you up to?” she asked with narrowed eyes.

“Me? I’m not up to anything. You should ask your Fire Lord over there.”

She frowned. “Zuko?”

“I…”

“I’ll see myself out.”

“Uh, yes… thank you, Chief Hakoda,” Zuko replied, falling back on his manners when his initiative deserted him. Did he look… guilty? Nervous, certainly, Katara decided, as she glanced between the two of them.

“Let me know how it goes.” The Southern Water Tribe chief grinned, and turned to his daughter with one hand still on the door. “See you at lunch?”

Once he was gone, taking his smug expression with him, Katara folded her arms and rounded a glare on Zuko. The Fire Lord had the decency to shift his weight on his feet, but the rapidly growing scarlet in his face made her too suspicious. Soon, the end of his sleeve would start smoking.

“And what was that about?” she asked, when it became obvious the conversation wouldn’t start with him.

With an uneasy rub of his neck, Zuko crossed to the cabinet at the edge of the room where he kept all his most important possessions. “I asked for his advice on a… culturally sensitive matter,” he said. “He was happy to help.”

“‘Culturally sensitive’?” she repeated, hurt creasing between her eyes. “Why didn’t you come to me? I am the ambassador for my people.”

“Because it concerns you.” He returned to his desk and laid a small object on the smooth surface. It was wrapped in embroidered red silk and fit into the palm of his hand. Curious, Katara seated herself across from him, her gaze darting between his face and his hands. The past three years had aged him well. His shoulders had broadened beneath his robes and the angles of his cheeks were sharper, but it was the quiet self-assurance in his movements that made his people love him. After the first reprisals against his profiteering ministers, even his political enemies had settled under his rule as the nation’s industries turned towards creation rather than destruction, and if he still feared those who wished to supplant him, Ozai’s death had left them a distant worry.  

“This is for you,” Zuko said. “If you want it.

Her fingers brushed his as she took the wrapped object. The quilted silk rubbed softly against her skin, the corners of the fabric falling open easily to reveal a glint of gold nestled within. She didn’t dare believe what she saw, not until the last fold had been smoothed away and the gift lay fully revealed before her. The first object was a delicate triple string of alternating carnelian and blue lapis beads, bound and linked with filigreed gold. The three chains attached in the middle to a flat golden disc bordered by two embossed dragons that twined around the edge, also made of gold, carved with such fine detail she could make out every individual scale on the creatures’ snarling mouths. She had received many gifts since taking up her official position, from people trying to bribe or woo or impress, but few had struck such a balance between elegance and intricacy.

Considering Zuko’s gifts tended more towards the personal, she might have wondered about the reason he decided to give it to her, except she recognised the other item sitting in the parcel. The gold-pronged headpiece of the Fire Lady glinted at her, like it was waiting for something.

Yours, if you want it.

“The pendant has a clasp,” Zuko explained nervously. “I didn’t want to replace your mother’s necklace, so I thought I could… give it a new setting. The medallion should fit, but I can get it resized if it doesn’t – and I realise the tradition in the Water Tribes is to carve the, uh, betrothal gift yourself but –”

“Zuko…”

“The ministers would never approve of the Fire Lady wearing something that crude, and you deserve better than that anyway so I designed it and took it to the smiths. They’re really the ones who –”

“Zuko.”

“Huh?”

“I love it.” She smiled. “And I love you.”

He blushed again. “You – you do?”

“It’s not the first time I’ve said it,” she teased.

“Well no,” he agreed slowly. “But… if you do like it, does that mean you’ll… uh…”

“Does it mean I’ll what?”

“Lady Katara.”  He let out a curse and shoved his hand back through his hair, so his carefully placed topknot fell awry. “Would you honour me by taking my hand as…” Another huff as he tried to get the words out, and a twinge of pity lodged itself like a splinter beneath her amusement. “Katara., I…”

“Zuko…”

“Will you marry me?”

She had expected the words, known what she would say as soon as she saw the crown laid out on his desk. Knowing, however, did nothing to still the flutter of the entire herd of sky bison that seemed to have settled in her stomach. He actually looked afraid, desperate, so much like a lost moose-lion cub that she had to stifle a laugh. Smiling, she picked her way around the edge of his desk, focussed entirely on those same golden eyes that had first captivated her a lifetime ago, and reached to take his hands in hers.