#yangchen *will* have someone by her side

[sillyfudgemonkeys]

Yangchen and Aang: *trying to hold onto what Air Nation qualities they have while still performing their duties* Disha, to Roku: You are a spirit of NO Nation. Me: ??????

[a-chuffed-floating-panda]

Unexpected chapter 2: Bittersweet

She didn’t say anything about the hidden hatred in Jetsun’s eyes and simply handed her a freshly steamed momo and a cup of tea.

“Here,” she said, almost shoving them into her hands and turning around. “I will leave now.”

The tea was laced with sleep-inducing herbs and Sister Jamyang had helped her fill the momo almost to its breaking point. It would be a good meal.

----

!!Spoilers for the second novel!!

My brain will not shut up:) Have this second chapter of this previous one shot that's now a two shot because I have zero impulse control :)

[hadesisqueer]

Which Avatar do you think is the strongest??

Honestly? No idea.

You gotta remember, to measure which Avatar is 'stronger' you'd have to put them all in exact equal conditions, which is complicated because each Avatar was in very different situations and learnt at different rythms or ages. I cannot speak for Yangchen because I haven't read her novels yet, but for example, if you put 18yo Roku against 18yo Korra or 18yo Aang, they both would mop the floor with him because Roku hadn't probably even finished mastering his second element while Aang and Korra were already fully realized Avatars by that time, having mastered the four elements and with complete control of the Avatar State; Roku didn't become a fully realized Avatar til he was 28.

You can't put 13yo Korra against 13yo Aang because even though Korra is even more of a bending prodigy than he is and had already mastered two elements by that age and was starting the third, Aang was already more experienced than her, had mastery over air and was decent (not a master, though, that probably took him longer) in the other elements and he had control over the Avatar State while Korra didn't. But if you put them against each other as 12yos (Book 1 Aang for example), Korra wins because, again, she is even more of a bending prodigy than he was and while Aang had just become an Airbending master, Korra had already mastered water and was almost finished with earth.

If you put 17/18yo Kyoshi against 17/18yo Korra —and I'm saying this as someone whose favorite Avatar is literally Kyoshi—, Kyoshi would lose because even though she has a lot of raw power and was getting good at being the Avatar and perfecting her skills, Korra was a bending prodigy from a young age and in Book 3 as an 18yo she was already a fully realized Avatar with mastery over the four elements and control over the Avatar State, so as strong as Kyoshi was, you can't compare, just like you can't compare 18yo Korra to Prime Kyoshi with many more years of experience. 17yo Aang would beat 17/18 Kyoshi, too. 18yo Kyoshi, however, could probably beat 18yo Roku.

This is what I mean, all of them were very different, with different situations, one didn't bend a pebble til she was 16 but had a lot of raw power, another one was very spiritual mastered the Avatar State when he was like 12 but was less skilled with some elements, another one was a bending prodigy from a young age but started off struggling a lot with her spiritual side, one started off later than them-- like I said, it's difficult and often unfair to compare.

In order to truly prove how strong was each one you'd have to put them all in their prime. And the thing is, we barely saw any of them on their primes. Aang we saw him just as a kid and a teen in the show and the comics, and of his prime we only saw him dealing with Yakone with the Avatar State. Kyoshi we saw her as a teenager as well, and of her later years we know that she could create an island—with the AS as well. Of Roku's prime we only saw that he didn't break a sweat dealing with Sozin before he even used the AS, but that's about it. And of Korra's prime-- nothing, because we've only seen her as a teenager and as a young adult and she hasn't hit her peak yet as Aang, Kyoshi or Roku did. So comparing Young Adult Korra to Prime Kyoshi, Prime Aang or Prime Roku would not be entirely fair, either. So, it's difficult to know.

[junipernight]

Yangvik Week 2024 - Days 2 and 4

Prompts: Touch Starved, Family, and Hair

___________________________________________

Balm

“Alright, I’m ready,” said Yangchen, stepping out from behind the finned-caribou hide that partitioned the tent.

Kavik squinted at her. She was dressed in the blue furs of the water tribe, in a knee-length parka with a moon motif on the front panel. Her hair had been swept up and folded into a bun, with two strands on either side of her face hanging in braids and adorned with bone beads. Her arrows were completely covered by the warm mittens on her hands and the thick fringe over her forehead.

She looked every inch a Northern Water Tribe girl - even her eyes, normally a dark gray, seemed to have taken on a slightly icy hue, as if they were reflecting the arctic world around them—but there was something off about the disguise.

Kavik snapped his fingers as he figured it out. “You look like my gran-gran!” he said. Then his thoughts caught up with his mouth, and he said, “Wait, that didn’t come out right.”

Luckily, Yangchen seemed more amused than offended. “How was it supposed to come out, then?”

Kavik poked the bun at the nape of her neck. “Your hair. No one younger than my gran-gran wears their hair like that.”

Yangchen frowned. This had been her favorite way to do her hair, in one past life or another. She hadn’t even thought about it before tying her hair up—her fingers had remembered all on their own.

Thinking back on her time training in Agna Qel’a, however, she realized Kavik was right. She would stick out if she wore her hair like this, and it was very important that she blend in for the sake of the mission: Today, she was meeting Kavik’s extended family in Long Stretch.

And if everything went well, they would never suspect that “Ilagik” was the Avatar. 

Yangchen  peeked out the tent flap: the tundra greeted her, wide open and vibrant and abuzz with the frenetic energy of late summer. The sun was obscured by a light mist, but she could make out a bright spot low on the eastern horizon. “We have some time before we have to leave,” she said. “I can try again.”

“Let me help you,” Kavik offered.

Yangchen raised a skeptical eyebrow at him.

“My cousin taught me how to braid when I was little,” he said defensively, as if he were offended that she doubted him.

Yangchen shrugged, and flounced onto the nearest bedroll. “Ok then. You do it.”

Kavik took off his mittens and sat behind her. He pulled out the beads, untied the ribbons, and unpinned the fake fringe. Then he began to comb her hair. He started at the bottom, gently running his fingers through the strands and gently teasing apart tangles. Gradually he worked his way up to the roots of her hair.

Without meaning to, Yangchen leaned back into his touch, her eyes drifting shut. Having her hair brushed felt nice, nicer than she would have expected. It wasn’t an experience she was accustomed to; the last time someone had brushed her hair would have been back at the Western Air Temple. The older Air Nomad girls taught the younger ones how to deal with hair after they turned old enough; growing one’s hair out was an important marker of growing up. Yangchen didn’t remember whose hands had brushed her hair and taught her how to hold the comb, only that it hadn’t been Jetsun.

Yangchen winced. 

“Sorry,” said Kavik, thinking the motion had been in response to something he did.

Yangchen suddenly noticed that there wasn’t much braiding going on. “Are you playing with my hair?”

Kavik paused guiltily, “... maybe.”

“Keep doing it, it feels nice.”

Kavik was happy to oblige. He ran his hands through her hair some more, watching the silky strands slip through his fingers.

“Tell me about your cousin,” she said. “The one who taught you how to braid.”

Kavik began to separate her hair into sections. “I have a lot of cousins, but my favorite is Yuka. Every year, we used to see each other at fish camp, and we’d all go everywhere together like a pack of porcupine seals. Yuka is the oldest, and Kalyann and I used to think that cloudberries sprouted wherever she walked. She’s really smart, and she always had the best ideas for games.

“One summer, she was teaching my girl cousins how to braid their hair, and I cried until she let me learn too.”

Yangchen grinned as she imagined Kavik, baby-cheeked and innocent and tearful about being excluded.

“Real tears?” she inquired. “Or were you a master liar even then?”

“Very real tears,” Kavik assured her solemnly. . “I would never lie to Yuka.” 

Yangchen snorted, not believing him for a minute. “Will I get to meet Yuka?”

“I hope so. I heard she’s married now; hopefully she didn’t move away.”

“Do you mind if I use a little hair grease?” Kavik asked, holding up a small jar. 

“Umm...” Yangchen was willing to eat meat, if that was what was available. She was aware that the clothes she wore and the tent they were sheltered in were made from the hides of dead animals… hides which had been carefully waterproofed with the same animal fat Kavik now held up, no doubt. And yet, it still made her uncomfortable, the idea of rubbing cooked animal remains directly on her person.

She was about to say yes anyway, for the disguise and because it wasn’t really a big deal, when Kavik surprised her.

“It’s from Taku,” he said, twisting open the lid. Instead of the stench of animal fat, a fruity and sweet aroma filled the air, taking her by surprise. “I think it’s some kind of fruit oil.”

Yangchen’s shoulders relaxed. “Sure.”

Kavik rubbed the grease onto his hands and began to massage it into her hair. Whatever fruit it was, it was familiar. The scent called her back to some other place, in some other lifetime, but Yangchen resisted, focusing on the soft patter of rain on the tent and the gentle tugging of her companion’s hands through her hair; he was massaging her scalp now, digging his fingers into the roots of her hair; this was even better than the brushing.

No one touched Yangchen anymore, outside of occasional bouts of physical combat. In the western air temple, she had grown up in close proximity to dozens of girls, with whom she’d had very little physical boundaries. Her sisters and she had piled on the same beds, and huddled for warmth during festivals at the northern temple, and tackled each other both on and off the air ball court. And of course Jetsun had always been her greatest source of comfort, holding her close and anchoring her to the present when she was wracked by the grief and anguish of a thousand past lives. After Jetsun had died and Yangchen had left the temple, she’d been left with almost no one. Just a lonely figure at the top of an air spout, suspended in front of  an audience.

(Except for Nu Jian, when she still had him. Nu Jian couldn’t hug her, but at least she could hug Nu Jian.)

When had Kavik become the exception to her isolation? When had Kavik become the one that casually lifted her up and spun her around?

She was almost sad when he finally began braiding her hair, but they did have somewhere to be, and a long ride ahead of them. 

Kavik froze a thin sheet of ice, and held it up to her when he was done.

“What do you think?” He asked.

Kavik had braided the bulk of her hair into one long braid and pulled it into a loop that dangled from the crown of her head. He’d also redone the face-framing qilliqti that she had tried to do before. Yangchen had struggled to thread the thin braids through the beads, and her earlier attempt had been frizzy because of it. The hair grease combined with Kavik's skill had made the braids sleek and elegant.

Yangchen turned to thank him, and then immediately dodged a greasy finger aimed right for her nose. Another greasy hand came at her, and she grabbed Kavik’s wrists.

“Stop that!” She laughed.

“But you like my hands,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows.

“I’m trying to give you a hug!”

“Oh!” It was Kavik’s turn to be surprised. “Okay.”

She hugged him. And then she directed his greasy hands back at his face.

“Hey!”

.

.

.

(They were slightly late to dinner with Kavik’s parents.)

[creampuffqueen]

Breakfast and a Braid

Yangvik Week Day 4: Hair

Summary: Kavik helps Yangchen get ready for a meeting after she accidentally oversleeps.

Word Count: 1506

(something short and fluffy to apologize for yesterday lol. will be posted on ao3 later)

~~~~

The amazing, fearsome, all-powerful Avatar Yangchen fell asleep at her desk again. 

A knock on her bedroom door startles her awake, papers flying up as her flailing arms accidentally summon a gust of wind. Her head is pounding, her neck is aching, and she can feel the crust on her face from a line of long-dried drool snaking down her chin. 

And to make matters worse, the great gong of Jonduri begins to ring, alerting her as to why someone is knocking at her door: she’s going to be late. 

The door opens before she fully has her bearings, and she nearly shouts at the impudence of the intruder before she realizes who it is: just Kavik, already awake and far more put-together than she. 

His eyes widen as he takes in the scene, eyebrows nearly disappearing into his hairline. “Did you just wake up?” 

Yangchen scrubs at her chin with one of her sleeves, a sheepish grimace creeping onto her face. “Maybe.”

Kavik dips halfway out the door, bending to grab something placed on the floor. Still rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Yangchen cranes her neck to see what he’s getting. He stands up again with a tray clutched in his hands and a look of concerned disappointment on his face. “You didn’t eat your breakfast.”

“I didn’t realize it had been delivered,” Yangchen replies honestly. Standing from her desk, she gets to work gathering up the scattered papers. “I don’t have time for it now, anyway.”

The tray is laid on top of her growing stack of paper. “You can’t go to the meeting without eating something.”

Yangchen ignores him, pushing the tray aside to grab at her papers. In doing so, she gets a glimpse of her reflection in the now-cold cup of tea. A glimpse that makes her sigh in frustration. Her hair is a mess.

Stomping over to the mirror on the other side of the room, Yangchen combs her fingers quickly through her hair, lips pursed in frustration. She’d taken it from its braid the night before, and somehow in her restless sleep managed to tangle it nearly beyond belief. Her finger snags on a knot that makes her yelp in surprise, and Kavik appears in the mirror over her shoulder, frowning deeply. 

She yanks her hand from where it’s caught, nearly managing to smack Kavik in the face. The waterbender intercepts her, grabbing her by the wrist and holding tight. “Yangchen, please eat something. The meeting won’t break until lunchtime.”

Yangchen tugs at her arm, attempting to break free, but the motion is futile. “Kavik, I’m already going to be late as it is; I can’t show up with my hair looking like Pik and Pak made it into a nest overnight. I don’t have time for breakfast as well. I’ll be fine.”

“Go eat breakfast. I can take care of your hair.”

Yangchen searches his face for signs of a lie, but Kavik looks as serious as ever. 

“Come on, you’ll be more late if you keep standing there gaping.”

Unfortunately, Kavik is correct. Yangchen sighs and trudges back to the desk, plopping herself into the chair and starting on the breakfast tray. She downs the cup of freezing cold tea in one gulp as Kavik fishes in one of the drawers for her hairbrush.

They work in tandem: Yangchen shoveling congee and steamed eggs into her mouth as fast as possible, and Kavik working through the tangles in her hair with a surprisingly gentle touch. He has to tug at her head occasionally for the more stubborn knots, but for the most part he manages to keep from jerking her away from her meal as she eats. 

Despite herself, Yangchen finds that she’s enjoying this. It’s been a long time since she’s had someone do her hair for her. Kavik’s nimble fingers caress her scalp and lets out a tiny sigh without even realizing it. 

It’s been a long week. She’s missed him.

They don’t advertise their relationship in public. It’s just easier that way; not having to explain something that, in all honesty, neither of them has felt the need to define. However, this means that on official business, they don’t get to share a room. 

It’s been a long week without him by her side at all times, so, ignoring the urgency in the back of her mind that’s insisting she be on time for the meeting, Yangchen slows down the pace at which she’s eating to let Kavik draw out his hair combing for just a little bit longer. 

Tangles removed, Kavik draws his hands smoothly through her thick tresses. Yangchen nearly arches into his hand, like a cat-goose getting its back scratched. If she could purr she’d probably be doing it.

“Much better.” Kavik seems pleased with himself - and with the amount of food Yangchen has eaten. “I could braid it, if you’d like.”

They’re going to be so late. There’s work to be done. People will talk. 

Yangchen ignores all of those thoughts to nod her head in agreement. “I’d like that.”

Kavik bunches up her hair in one hand, then splits it into three neat sections with the other. He begins to twist the strands together as Yangchen finishes off her meal. The braid is much tighter than she usually gives herself, but not tight enough to be unpleasant. 

She’s so focused on the soothing motion he’s creating that she can almost ignore the way he’s muttering under his breath. Almost.

“What are you saying?”

“Oh!” There’s no mirror at her desk, so can’t see behind her, but Yangchen can clearly picture the blush on his face from the embarrassed squeak he lets out. “Sorry, force of habit.”

“What habit?”

“You’re just full of questions, aren’t you?” Kavik keeps twisting her hair, round and round and round. “It’s something my mother would do for me and Kalyaan. When we were little she used to keep our hair long enough to braid.”

He pauses for a second, and his hands fall still as well. Yangchen lets him gather his words, curiosity thoroughly piqued. 

“She always said that when she touched our hair, she made sure to only think good thoughts. She’d pray over us while she braided, to make sure we’d have a good day and be protected. Like she was giving us… little blessings to keep with us with every new twist. I haven’t kept my hair long enough to braid for a while, but that sort of stuck with me, I guess.” 

Carefully, so as to not tug her half-braided hair from his hands, Yangchen turns her head to look Kavik in the eye. Sure enough, red tinges both of his cheeks. He meets her gaze with a sheepish smile and Yangchen’s heart swells. “That’s really sweet, Kavik.”

He tries to brush it off with a nonchalant shrug. “I mean, you probably need all the blessings and good luck charms you can get.”

Smiling, Yangchen settles back into her seat. “That’s true. I need this meeting to go well.”

Kavik takes this as his cue to finish up the braid. Her hair is long enough that, even braided, it still falls at her waist. This time, he says his blessings aloud, a new one with each twist of her hair.

A prayer for focus. A prayer for stamina. A prayer for strength in her convictions. 

“And,” Kavik finishes with a silly flourish as he ties the end of the braid, “A blessing for a good night’s sleep and a real meal this evening. A prayer that the Avatar actually takes care of herself for once while we’re on this trip.”

Yangchen wants to shoot back a snarky retort, but the words die in her throat when Kavik leans forward to kiss her hairline. Fine. You win.

Still, she can’t resist reaching behind her to grab at his collar, dragging Kavik towards her for a proper kiss. He puts up no resistance, grinning softly as Yangchen presses their lips together. 

“Thank you,” She whispers against his mouth, unable to stop a silly grin of her own from breaking out. They’re going to be terribly late to the meeting, but at least she’ll look fully put together. And as much as she hates to say it, having something on her stomach other than tea has vastly improved her mood. 

Kavik kisses her again, then trails his lips upwards, covering the point of her arrow, then the shaved portion of her hairline in tiny, loving pecks. “Of course. That’s what I’m here for.”

They head to the meeting after that, taking care to separate once more. Yangchen will be presiding while Kavik does the sums and speaks up when needed. They’ll be apart for most of the day. 

Yangchen brings her braid over her shoulder, running her fingers along the smooth twist of hair as a hint of a smile works its way onto her face. At least she’ll have a piece of him to stay by her side while they work. 

[waterfire1848]

Theory(and this is a theory please don’t attack me): If you don't like NATLA for being dark...blame Korra

I don't know if I'm the first person to think this or if this is totally wrong, but it's just my random opinion. NATLA was dark because Korra told them it was okay.

In my opinion, Korra and ATLA are differing in how they handle darker themes in that ATLA had darker moments but they were pushed off to the side a little more. Like this:

That's not even a major point in the episode (and doesn’t even touch on the genocide that occurs in the show) and yet it's so dark when you think about it. Meanwhile, Korra is more in your face about how dark it is. By this I mean their death scenes are on screen and Korra's struggle is very visible to viewers regardless of age. I'm certainly not the first person to say this, but Korra definitely had a change in tone from the cartoonish nature of ATLA, especially in the later seasons.

What came out right after Korra (which was getting attention from fans for being dark)? The Dark Horse comics. I'm going more so off of what people have told me since I wasn't in the fandom at this time, but from what they have said, people didn't have a big issue with the comics being dark (their problem was more so with the way the characters were treated and the plot). So, after Korra got positive attention for it's darker moments and the comics darker scenes were (at best) tolerated, what came next?

Yup. The Kyoshi novels. Once again, I'm doing by what people have told me since I need to finish the novels. These things are dark though! From what I've heard (and I've only read a couple chapters) characters are confirmed to have been buried alive, taken hostage, one character (a hero) killed her own family member for essentially nothing, another hero character drowned people and a final character (turned villain) cut someone's head off. Mind you, I don't think I'm even 25% done with the first novel.

And were the books a success? Yup! And once again, not a lot of people really raised any big concerns (to my knowledge) about the novels being dark. In fact, I'm pretty sure people liked this. So much so that (again to my knowledge) no one raised any major concerns about the Yangchen novels being dark either or dealing with darker topics that ATLA never would have talked about.

I know there's a big difference between a novel and a TV show on Nickelodeon in terms of stuff you can get away with. ATLA NEVER would have gotten approval to have someone get decapitated in the show. However, I do think this set a precedent. The Yangchen novels wrapped up in 2023 (less than a year before the NATLA came out) and Korra started in 2012.

So, imagine you're writing a live action show for ATLA and you want to try something different? You look back at the last decade of work in this fandom and find that most of it is pretty dark. Why wouldn't you try your hand at that?

[yell0wsalt]

consider: bi kavik + ace yangchen

Yup, yup I am here for this!

Now this could go several ways, depending on how one imagines their relationship long-term being exceptionally romantic or platonic:

Yangchen being on the ace spectrum, having experienced little to no sexual attraction to other people in her life before Kavik. Over the course of their time together and getting closer, Yangchen comes to a realization how he could be different. She wants more with him. She wants him to stay with her and be by her side long-term.

Kavik being attracted to Yangchen, but she rejects his confession for not seeing him that way. They instead build on their connection platonically and during their time together, Kavik develops a crush on someone else. She "helps" him get that guy/girl, which strongly implies her teasing him to filth and embarrassing him. His crush finds it charming, so it works out in the end.

[commehter]

In Blue and White - Avatar the Last Airbender Fanfic

Rating: 16+ Genre: Coming of Age, Awkward Romcom(?) Pairings: (One-sided?) Zuko/Fem!Aang Characters: Zuko, Aang Summary: Aang is born female. It doesn't change all that much, until it does. What twelve-year-old girl wouldn't instantly develop a crush on the masked dual-sword-wielding bad boy that busted her out of Avatar jail?

Zuko's dignity suffers.

~.~.~.~.~

A story in which Aang accidentally humanizes herself to Zuko far earlier than her canon counterpart by the simple virtue of being a girl with an awkward crush. Well, Aang is the one with the crush. The awkward part is all Zuko.

~.~.~.~.~

Chapter 1: A Girl Named Aang, Part 1

Zuko awakes with a groan and refuses to open his eyes.

What happened?

It feels like his entire skull is threatening to split in two.

A gentle hand touches his cheek. "Are you awake?" asks a high, childish voice.

That definitely isn't Uncle or one of the crew.

Zuko's eyes fly open and he finds himself staring up at the Avatar.

What? The last thing he remembers is...

Zhao.

Pohuai.

Yuyan.

...It isn't night anymore, judging by the sunlight shining through the branches and leaves filling out his vision past the Avatar's head. They must be somewhere in the forest that surrounds the stronghold now.

How did they get out?

"Zuko?" the Avatar says with an upside-down frown.

Belatedly, Zuko realizes he's resting in the girl's lap. With his face completely revealed. He freezes.

When he doesn't say anything, the girl carries on chattering, "I don't really know if I'm doing this right. Most of the bruising cleared up but I think there might be a fracture beneath it." The hand cupping his cheek firms and water flows slowly across his forehead.

It tingles oddly but some of the pain ebbs away.

Zuko catches the wrist of the hand at his cheek and makes a blind fumble for the one above his head. 

"Hey!" The Avatar manages to elude one out of two grabs, left hand held high and sheathed in a strange mitten of glowing water.

"Avatar," he rasps, "what are you doing?"

"Healing," she answers, "Or trying to. I haven't done this before, but I really think it's working!"

"No, what are you doing?" Zuko growls, "We're enemies."

"Oh." The girl deflates. She really shouldn't need a reminder. "Well... You saved me. It didn't seem fair to leave you behind. And then you weren't waking up and I got worried. There wasn't anyone else to ask for help, so I tried meditating to talk with the past Avatars.

"Kyoshi said -- something not very nice, but Yangchen gave me some memories that helped when I couldn't understand what she was trying to te--"

Zuko covers the Avatar's mouth with his free hand. She glares at him and retaliates by slapping her water-mitted-hand back on his forehead. Zuko flinches as spots bloom across his vision. They clear as the tingling feeling resumes and more of the lingering pain fades.

The Avatar is still glaring at him.

Good.

That's how an enemy should look.

Now if only she'd stop muddying the waters by trying to fix his head injury, maybe the world would stop spinning in ways he doesn't know how to compensate for. He can deal with a concussion. He doesn't have the first clue what to do with an enemy set on healing him.

"I wasn't saving you."

The Avatar rolls her gray eyes and fingers tap along his jaw.

Zuko scowls back at her. "I'm serious. I was capturing you for myself."

The girl shakes her head free of his hand. Zuko allows it. "I had figured that out," the Avatar snaps, "I'm not stupid. But you still helped me get away from Zhao, so helping you was fair."

It's irritating because, from a certain, stupid angle, the Avatar's words make sense.

Water drips and then streams past his temples, soaking into the orange skirts still pillowing his head. The girl's hand doesn't move. Either of them. When was the last time he let someone touch his face, never mind as long as the Avatar has been? Zuko drops his remaining hold on the girl. The Avatar fails to withdraw.

Zuko snarls. He pushes himself up and away from the Avatar to sit on the forest floor. He doesn't turn to look at her. She won't attack him now, not with how much work she must have put in to get him away from Zhao in one piece.

"Fine! I got you away from Zhao. You got me away from Zhao. All debts repaid. We're even. The next time I see you, I will capture you," he warns.

"Fine! Even!" The Avatar stomps around to put herself directly in front of him. "In that case, I have two messages for you before everything goes back to normal!

"First, Roku says 'hello.' Do you know why?"

"I -- What? No!" Zuko retorts, "Why would any of your past lives have anything to say to me? They all lived over a hundred years ago!"

The Avatar leans close, examining his face with narrowed eyes. Finally, the girl sighs and relents. "I don't know, but Kyoshi and Roku aren't subtle and you're what they argue over most. Not that either will explain why." She looks away and tucks a too-short lock of hair behind her ear only for it to slip forward again.

He doesn't know what to do with the information that two dead Avatars are wasting their afterlives arguing about him. "What's the second Avatar message?" he asks.

"Oh, well, it's just from me, but I guess that counts as an 'Avatar message'?"

"Avatar," Zuko growls in warning as his patience frays, "what is the message?"

"Sorry," the girl says with a little self-conscious shrug, "I know I talk a lot." It's the only warning she gives him before foreign lips brush his own. She withdraws before he can process what's happening, cheeks flushed. "Thanks for saving me, Zuko."

And then the Avatar flees, jumping through the forest canopy like she was made to live amongst the treetops. Zuko stares after her dumbly until she disappears from sight.

A twelve-year-old just kissed him.

It was barely a kiss.

The Avatar just kissed him.

What is he supposed to do with that?

...

That doesn't count as his first kiss, does it?

No. Innocent, childish infatuation can't count. He refuses to think it ever could.

The Avatar is a foolish little girl that saves her enemies.

It definitely doesn't count.

For either of them.

He doesn't notice the Air Nomad bracelet she'd slipped on his wrist at some point until he tries to change back into his uniform.

~.~.~.~.~

The bracelet is a loop of beads made out of various seeds and nuts along with two small tassels, one orange and the other yellow. He's noticed it wrapped several times around the Avatar's skinny wrist before, but on Zuko it is only long enough to complete four circuits before it becomes too tight to slip over his hand for a fifth.

It's called a lineage tie, typically given to monks by nuns during the spring dances of the Air Nomads' yearly fertility festivals, but sometimes exchanged among Air Nomads too young to participate as a pact for the future. If the Air Nomads had practiced lifelong monogamy like all the other nations, it would be the equivalent of initiating negotiations for a marriage proposal.

Practically speaking, it's an honest to spirits proposition.

From a twelve-year-old.

Zuko restrains himself from setting the scroll in his hands on fire.

So much for innocent.

At least the Water Tribe betrothal necklace locked away in the same drawer hadn't been given to him with equal intention. If anything, he's not convinced the waterbender knows that she wears an engagement gift. That, or she's just decided that its value as an heirloom is more important than any of the traditions tied to it. Either way, picking up lost jewelry on a prison barge has been proven preferable to unwittingly accepting gifts from the Avatar.

~.~.~.~.~

The bounty hunter has a beast that can literally sniff out the Avatar.

Zuko has the airbender's bracelet in hand and is almost back out the door of his quarters when a terrible, horrifying thought occurs to him. What if Uncle asks how he got possession of the Avatar's bracelet? Worse, what if Uncle somehow recognizes the lineage tie for what it is? It would be just his luck if Uncle Iroh knew what the collection of strung seeds and nuts represents, and Zuko doesn't trust his lying skills to be sufficient in shutting down the nosy old man's curiosity.

Worst of all, he can't be sure how Uncle would react to the situation. The only thing more awful than Uncle Iroh's disapproval would be his active and far too enthusiastic approval. Uncle's marriage had been fully negotiated and arranged by the time he was eight years old. Father had only been six, though that initial engagement was broken before the wedding could take place for reasons Zuko has never learned, and Father had instead wed Mother a year later. Zuko's own match had been arranged by Mother when he was all of nine years. ...Mai's parents probably dissolved the arrangement after he got himself banished.

...

He hasn't thought about Mai in years. He wonders if he should feel bad about that.

All he can picture at the thought of his once-intended is the sullen eleven-year-old girl he'd last seen before his banishment. He doesn't have the first clue how she might have grown and changed over the intervening three years. Is she still being dragged around by his psychotic little sister and bored with life in general?

...He'd never actually asked her opinion on their engagement. Had she been as apathetic about him and their future marriage as she was about everything else?

Not that he would expect her to still want the match, even if she had before his banishment, but...

The idea of being someone's undesired intended is somehow even less appealing than the Avatar's inappropriate proposition.

At least with the Avatar, he can be sure the girl involved favors the match.

He can't imagine why, but he knows that she does.

Zuko scowls and pushes the unwanted thoughts away. He's wasting time!

Without any winding the lineage tie is just long enough that he can pull it over his head and wear it as a long necklace. Zuko tucks the string beneath his armor and allows it to slide out of view as he doubles back for the waterbender's betrothal necklace. If the shirshu picks up on both scents, so much the better, but one piece of jewelry is clearly safer for open display than the other.

Uncle's meddling as a match-maker is the last thing he needs during his hunt for the Avatar.

~.~.~.~.~

It's just as well the Avatar stole back her friend's necklace. It hadn't worked as a bribe and the shirshu debacle isn't one he's looking to repeat. Ever. Zuko has had enough of the beasts to last a lifetime.

Any frustration he feels is only because the Avatar has eluded capture. Again.

...

Girls make no sense no matter what nation they hail from.

~.~.~.~.~

You can read the rest of the story on AO3.

3 Chapters (WIP)

5K Words (and counting)

Posted 06/08/2024

Happy reading!

[wilcze-kudly]

I've seen your AU posts about Bolin as the Avatar, but here is another interesting thought experiment for you: what if Suyin was the Avatar?

[Disclaimer: Not making up a new timeline, so let's roll with some AU where the current Suyin we know is simply discovered as the Avatar at a really late age.] So, some of what often defines an Avatar are these common prerequisites: the world tour, learning the elements, spirituality, and approach/practicality. I'll give my thoughts on how I feel Suyin would fare and/or adapt in these categories, but everything said here is really just for fun discussion and is always up for your and everyone's own interpretation. World Tour: Suyin already has one foot in on this side of things as she's already been noted on traveling some parts of the world, seems relatively well-traveled, and has met a variety of people in her travels.

As the Avatar, I don't believe this aspect would be very hard for her. However, I could see her wrestling with the difficulty of hardly ever having the opportunity to enjoy any private time in her home for the sake of ushering peace and stability in the world. It's possible she could have someone act as an interim matriarch over Zaofu or possibly even step down permanently. Oh, who are we kidding? We all know she's a certified workaholic and will collapse trying to do them both at once. Learning the Elements: I also believe this should come easier to her as well. Her fighting style, for starters, is already very reminiscent of airbender movements in how nimble and mindful of her surroundings she is than most other earthbenders. Or, as Aang would say, "being quick or clever"

However, she thinks like a waterbender; how she redirects metal and earth thrown at her and redirect them to her opponent is a sight to behold. The one element I could see having an issue with as the Avatar is fire as it requires a mind of inner peace and tranquility (and she has definitely had some lingering issues in her past). She is also reasonably emotional (under the right circumstances) and impulsive which can cause lapses in her judgment or behavior. Lightning is a possibility as a skill, I suppose, but I definitely see her redirecting it more than generating it much. Oh, and traveling to find masters? Screw that. Nope, they're all getting an extended deluxe stay at Zaofu until she's mastered all the elements. Non-negotiable.

Spirituality: This is the shortest one as we don't know much of what Suyin thinks of spirits, the spirit world, or even how spiritual she actually is. She comes off as a bit materialistic, though, so that might affect how she interacts in those kinds of such matters but it's all very vague, to say the least.

Approach & Practicality: I think this aspect is the most interesting because I think it really hinges on how charitable one wants to be to Suyin's character. For all I've mentioned, she could very well be a Szeto-type of Avatar that mainly prioritizes the progression and safety of only Zaofu and any surrounding territories under their banner. There's enough precedent for that mentality given her response to the Earth Kingdom situation in Book 4. On the flip side, I could also see her acting with a sort of dual persona. One, that operates as sort of a "mother hen" kind of figure that over-compensates for the world's needs, albeit in her own fussy and systematic way with the best of maternal intentions. The other persona is more discreet and handles problems behind the scenes. Given that she had someone like Aiwei in her ranks and wasn't afraid to assassinate Kuvira in the dead of night, this is another possibility of how she would operate as the Avatar. Honestly, I envision her as a slightly more domineering Yangchen, with occasional flashes of Kyoshi if things REALLY hit the fan. But, hey, who is gonna piss off the cool mom, right? ....Right?

Oh my god I love this idea! I think a show following an older, more established Avatar would be very interesting.

One can actually put forth a theory that Suyin's travels have already kinda lead her through all three elements to some extent.

She spent time sailing on a pirate's ship, surrounded by water. That's waterbending down.

The circus she performed in looks incredibly similar to the one Ty Lee had performed in. This can also be backed up that Suyin also has a painted lady doll, a dragon mask, and some other thing (perhaps a flute? Or a pin?) With a dragon motif. So that's firebending also down.

Her connection to Airbending is a little bit less pronounced, but she did spend a lot of time in a sandbender commune. Now, while sandbenders are earthbenders, their bending methods are incredibly similar to airbending, to the point where they can propel their sandgliders with it. The commune could also be similar to Air Nomads and their communal lifestyles.

I can see her connecting very strongly with the healing aspects of waterbending. She seems to have a bit of medicinal knowledge, or at least enough of an instinct to get most of the metal out of Korra's bloodstream. We really don't talk about that enough man that was cool as fuck.

I could sort of see Suyin making Zaofu a bit of her home and "base of operations" like Aang seemed to fo with Air Temple Island. Also the idea that instead of a traditional Team Avatar, she has her gaggle of feral ninja children is really funny to me.

The more I think about Suyin as an Avatar, the more wonderful symbolism I can see there.

The Earth Kingdom is still probably suffering massively after the damage done to it by the Fire Nation. And who better to herald it's rebirth than the metalbender Avatar daughter of a renowned war hero.

Suyin is all about progress and people growing. And I can certainly see her wanting to spread that to others. As the Avatar, doing so wouldn't be seen as her subjugating others (which was one of her main reasons to not help during the whole earth empire thing) but by acting as a Spiritual Guide to others.

So yeah this is an amazing concept. Honestly i need to gather my thoughts on it but I may revisit this concept.

[kyoshi-lesbians]

More atla gen & sapphic fic recs

ft. water sibling centric fic, aang & zuko friendship, OCs, suki centric fic, mailee, yueki, and rangshi

Gen

morning, an interlude by idleoaths

“Sokka glanced at Katara with a quick smile, turning back to calmly watch the horizon above the gentle waves that faded along the Ember Island shore. They were seated under the shaded eaves on the veranda, sitting comfortably with the quiet fluttering of dragonfly hummingbird wings. Behind them, the soft oceanside wind made a low whistle that kept pushing the slatted bamboo blinds against the edges of the trim.

For a long, peaceful moment, the two of them simply sat side-by-side on the warped floorboards, watching the morning sun.”

in the loving memory by sokkaesque

“[(When Kya died, Katara asked for her necklace. “I am going to be the best waterbender in the world,” she told Sokka, whispering — like a secret, like a promise.)

Sokka sighs. He doesn’t know how to put it in words. Softer than before, he tells her, “You know, you don’t– you don’t need to be a hero all the time. Maybe someone else is already on their way to defeat the Fire Nation. There are many, many waterbenders, out there.”

Then Katara sighs.

She just says, “Not from the South.”]

Or, Kya’s, Sokka’s, and most importantly Katara’s understanding of her identity as the last southern waterbender.”

the three of us by sokkaesque

“[Appa looks at Zuko pointedly, as if knowing what he’s thinking.

Zuko sighs, and follows his own resolution.

“Does it ever get lonely?” he asks, and then kicks himself mentally over it. That was not an apology.

Aang yelps as the crab manages to grab one of his toes, clashing onto the sand and shaking his foot to get rid of the damn thing. He says, “Sometimes!”]

Or, Zuko apologises to Aang. Aang plays with a crab. Appa is there, for emotional support.”

Typical Evening Practice by flerkenkiddingme

“The newly realized Avatar Yangchen arrives to the Southern Water Tribe and stumbles upon a new friend willing to give her a crash course in waterbending and help her feel at home.”

suki centric (/+ sukka)

bruise belies the break by eleonorastay

"In which Suki learns the heroine and the healing can be one in the same."

a brutally soft woman by rolandtowen

“Suki knows this for certain. Being a woman feels like a beautiful kimono, one that she wants to hold out in front of her, but never put on. She's scared she'll fall down and get mud on the fabric that had been pristine her entire life.

That's fine, Suki thinks. She would rather wear armor instead.

-

a character study on the intersection of femininity and war; for day 2 of ATLA gen week, Kyoshi Warriors”

when the moon peach blossoms bloom by idleoaths

“Suki and her Warriors, growing up in the last years of the war.”

Mailee

The World Falls Away For You by ayyna

"A trip through (and before) canon from the switching perspectives of Mai and Ty Lee"

'Cause I could never set you free by aureshadow

“And suddenly Ty Lee was clinging to her and Mai held her as her sobs slowly subsisted. Mother wouldn’t like this, Mai thought. At least for this moment, Ty Lee has fallen out of favor. The smart thing would be to side with the Princess, to take advantage of my competitor’s misfortune and help the Princess against her.

(Mai was eight.)”

Yueki

i have this breath (and i hold it tight) by leoperidot

"“We’re using each other’s strength to hold ourselves up,” Suki explains. “Without you, I would fall, and vice versa.”

Then, all of a sudden, Suki tugs hard, and the two of them almost crash together.

Yue lets out a panicked yelp, but Suki just giggles, tossing an arm around Yue’s shoulders to steady her. “See? I told you I wasn’t gonna drop you.”

or, what happens when Yue outlives her destiny.”

The Courage of Stars by hella1975

“Chief Arnook had always coddled Yue since her precarious start to life. He tiptoed around her like she was a fragile children’s toy, and if Yue had found it insufferable during her teenage years then she had no idea how bad it would get after that night at the Spirit Oasis. Her father realised that Yue wasn’t as safe as he’d hoped here, that if a single teenage boy could swim into their ranks without conflict, then what was stopping Yue from being hurt again?

Changes were made, the Kyoshi Warriors were moved to the Northern Water Tribe, and she lost the last bit of freedom she had left.

Yue thought the Head of the Kyoshi Warriors was rude and invasive. Suki thought the princess was arrogant and stiff.

And then one day, Yue found a poem on her bed.”

Rangshi

addressed only for you and me by thecenterstaysthesame

“For when I visit your family back in the Fire Nation,” Kyoshi says. “You said you’d take me there one day. Teach me how to say hello.”

Rangi stays silent. Kyoshi doesn’t understand why she’s so hesitant to teach her one simple phrase, and for a moment, Kyoshi wonders if she’s done something wrong. If she’s crossed a boundary, that Hwajae is only for Rangi and her mother, for Rangi and the other Fire Islanders but certainly not Kyoshi, dirty worthless Kyoshi from the Southern Earth Kingdom. She props her arm up, lifts herself up and begins to twist to apologize and to backtrack, and then Rangi answers.

“Saranghae,” Rangi says, her tone weirdly detached and strangled, voice breaking on the last syllable. “Sa-saranghae.”

(Childhood AU. Rangi spends the night at Kyoshi's.)"

[poeticmoonspirit]

These Things I've Done - Part III

Title is based off this song. (You can listen to it while you read if you want lmao, I'm just having fun with this.)

Part I Part II Part IIII Part V Part VI

It had been a few hours since Aang had fled, leaving his comrades in bitter resentment. They all knew they had to train him, to beat the Fire Lord and end the war. But if they were being honest with themselves, they didn't want to anymore.

Aang had shown his true colors, unmasking a selfish and irresponsible boy who didn't understand what accountability was and never hoped to. Whether he apologized wouldn't matter because regardless of his intentions, he still hurt them deeply.

The airbender made his way back to Ember Island on his trusty glider before perching on a nearby rock, searching for the rest of the group. The sun was setting, yet he didn't see anyone.

Where were they?

He knew they'd be furious when they saw him return. He knew that. He left them in a spout of anger and bitterness, leaving them to tend to their wounds he inflicted. All of this was his fault, after all. After he left them the day before, his past lives were so upset with him that they made sure he knew it. Their voices rang in his head, clammering about until he couldn't take it anymore and caved in.

"What do you guys want? I'm not really into the mood to talk right now." Avatar Kuruk scoffed.

"You've got some nerve—!"

He was cut off. "Avatar Aang, you are most disgraceful. You have much to learn about the world, but especially about yourself," said Avatar Kyoshi.

"I thought I was doing the right thing! Katara killed someone! And if it hadn't been for Zuko—"

"When will you stop judging others for what you see as a wrongful deed? Look within yourself to find the problem!" Roku snapped. Finally, Avatar Yangchen came forward, her expression tainted with disappointment and shame.

"Aang, our people have long since been gone from this world. I understand that you want to preserve the ideals of your ancestors, but you cannot expect others to feel and believe as you do. What you believe is right may not be someone else's belief of righteousness, but that doesn't make them wrong either."

"Your views of our teachings have been skewed, Avatar. As an Air Nomad, I thought you would understand this, but it is clear you do not." Aang stuttered, not believing what she was saying.

"Before you respond, have you ever stopped to consider what your friends were feeling? Their stories? Their experiences? They experienced this war much longer than you have and have seen far worse than you. I think it is you who needs to learn from them, rather than them learning from you."

Aang stopped to think despite his unwavering irritation at them. He knew Katara's and Sokka's mother died because of the man Katara killed, he also thought about the abuse and mistreatment Zuko endured at the hands of his cruel and twisted father. With the exception of him, they had all been through the war for more than a decade, something Aang never experienced. He hung his head low in shame.

He'd never been so disappointed in himself before. And he's even more ashamed that it took this to make him realize just how warped his views on righteousness were.

All of the past lives faded away in a wisp, but not before Yangchen said one last thing that made Aang freeze in his spot.

"As a punishment for your actions, your new abilities to take away bending have been severed. You will find your own way to end the war, or you will not at all."

"Wait! Come back! I need those powers!"

But it was too late, Yangchen then disappeared with a satisfying smirk, one that Aang had never seen on her before.

Perhaps this was karma's way of restoring the balance. Aang sighed.

He was about to summon up the courage to make his way inside the house until he heard footsteps from the side of it. Curious, he glanced in his peripheral and saw Toph crossing her arms, her milky eyes glaring at him.

Venom laced her words. "Well, well, well. Look who decided to finally show up."

Aang hung his head low, unable to meet his earthbending teacher's eyes.

"Toph, I'm really sorry." she narrowed her eyes in suspicion. Aang stepped closer. "I am."

She huffed, turning around and making her way back to the doorway, but not before stopping to say something.

"You really hurt Katara and Zuko today, Aang. They're the ones you should be apologizing to."

The airbender stood there, shame filling his entire being. His nerves frazzled.

•~•~•

Katara sat on her bed, twirling her fingers in circles, bending a puddle of water to calm her nerves. They were depending on Aang to end this war. A child that only came to know about the world of war a few months ago. She was tired of leaving her fate at the hands of others. She'd kill the Fire Lord himself if Aang wasn't going to do it. And she refused to leave that option to Zuko. He'd been through enough with the man. It was evening time and although it wasn't completely nighttime yet, she could still feel its power running through her veins.

She was about to wash up when she heard a sudden knock on the door.

With an annoyed sigh, she yelled, "Come in!"

A wave of relief washed over here when she saw Zuko's shaggy black hair, his amber eyes peeking through the crack. "Are you sure? I can come back later."

She nodded, patting the spot next to her. "I won't bite." He came all the way in, holding a bowl of food and a small cup of some kind of juice.

"What's that?"

"Watermelon juice. Made it myself. Wanna try?"

Katara took a look at the dark pink liquid. The aroma was sweet-smelling and refreshing. She picked up the cup, taking a small sip. Her thirst got the better of her as she gulped the rest of it down, unaware of the playful smirk that graced the prince's lips.

"Someone's thirsty." Katara wiped her mouth with her hand, picking up the bowl of rice and grilled fish. "Yeah well, I haven't been drinking much water lately. This is as close as it gets."

Zuko frowned. Katara hadn't left her room all day, claiming she needed to be left alone to think. He hated leaving her alone with her thoughts, as they sometimes led to awful mental breakdowns. But he respected her privacy and trusted that she'd be okay. At least for now.

"You wanna talk about it?"

She shook her head, groaning at the headache she now had. He noticed, carefully making his way behind her so that he could softly rub her temples and massage the knots in her back. She almost moaned at the feeling when suddenly the door bursted open, pausing the firebender's ministrations. Katara narrowed her eyes at the person in the doorway.

It was Aang.

[sillyfudgemonkeys]

Kirima's Heritage Theory (Yangchen Novels spoilers)

Ok ok ok ok. I know I (half) joked (half hc'd) that Atuat (and Amak) were grandkids/great-grandkids of Kavik and Yangchen. (reasons being nothing more than Atuat and Yangchen having great healing abilities, and Amak being assassin/up people's business reminding me of the political shenanigans Kavik/Yangchen get up to. Not a lot to stand on other than "it would be funny.")

But I woke up in a cold sweat today and realized "What if Kirima was actually Chaisee and Kaylaan's great-grand/great-great-grandkid? O_O

Tbh I've always just headcanoned her as someone who came from the Swamp Bending community (and ran away from it). But the more I think about the Chaisee/Kaylaan thing.....the more it might kinda works jskljf TT0TT Like both with what context we have on the chars (like it's plausible) AND in a satisfying narrative sense.

Chaisee/Kaylaan have to go into hiding with their son after the events of Legacy. Always on the move. Chaisee, though her land is in the Fire Nation territory, her heritage is a mystery (iirc) with no bending lineage. Then you have Kaylaan, who provides the waterbending for this theory. Their child is of mix heritage, and Kirima is most likely mixed as well (considering Kyoshi and Jingsu are, and Xu is hinted to be, and Kirima wears EK clothing except for a pelt, it's possible Kirima has at least some EK mixed into her because of how often it comes up in Yee's novels, tho genetic wise her WT side appears to be the dominant gene).

Anyway, the important thing I wanna focus on is, genetic wise it lines up and their situation lines up as well.

This is what Kirima states when Xu comes back:

Chaisee/Kaylaan would've been on the move running from the Earth King for the rest of their lives. I can see their kids and grandkids maybe even adopting a similar stance. Wouldn't be surprised if she joined Jesa's gang partially cause it was easier to stay on the move.

Combine that with, the entire reason Yangchen let them go on the run in the first place, it'd keep them from gaining power and status. Which would possibly make the family poor/not in good standing. Which is a big reason why a lot of (normal/general) daofei exist:

Narratively it'd be kinda satisfying imo. An action caused by Yangchen over a hundred years ago, aka "Showing mercy to her villain" only for it to come back and HELP a future Avatar? Usually we have a trickle down of Avatar's actions harming their successor, but this would flip that on it's head.

It would've been such a balm, such a shining light from all the BS Yangchen hand to go through and the problems she caused. (because, her actions did lead to Kyoshi's circumstances, because how Kuruk had to address Yangchen issues first, yes we know these issues started with Szeto and probs started with his predecessor before him and yadda yadda). But it would've been just SO GREAT for the girlie to get a win for Kyoshi. TT0TT

And if that's not enough to convince you. Consider this. Kirima telling Rangi "Hey yeah I'm also part Fire National, did you know?" and Rangi just fucking losing it. Just the absolute shock and horror of it all would be worth it. Just for the comedy jfdksalfjd TT0TT

Like, I know it's probs not the case. A lot of these can be explained away imo. Kirima could just be wearing EK clothes because she lives there/wants to blend in. The whole "on the run" move probs is because of Jesa and Air Nomads with their negative jing. But what if....fun? It's just a fun silly idea? jaskfjda

[a-chuffed-floating-panda]

I just finished a Sonam one shot that’s lived rent free in my mind and another one shot about bby yangchen and oc that’s also lived rent free in my mind ever since I first read the novels.

I expect them to be posted sometime today after I’ve slept for a bit:)

[zuko-always-lies]

Aang VS. Zuko on Handling Enemies

Aang:

“Sozin’s Comet, Part II”:

Avatar Yangchen: I am Avatar Yangchen, (Cut to a close up sideview of the air nomad Avatar) young airbender. Aang: (off screen) Avatar Yangchen, the monks always (Cut to a close up of Aang who raises his shoulders and looks at the surrounding trees) taught me that all life is sacred. Even the life of the tiniest spider-fly caught in its own web. Avatar Yangchen: (Cut to Yangchen who nods in agreement reluctantly) Yes, all life is sacred. Aang: (Cut to Aang who appears optimistic since someone finally shares his views) I know, I'm (points to self) even a vegetarian. I've always tried to solve my problems by being quick or clever and I've only had to use violence for necessary defence and I've certainly (shakes his head) never used it to take a life. Avatar Yangchen: (off screen) Avatar Aang, (Cut to an area behind Aang's head as camera pans up to show Yangchen talking to him) I know that you're a gentle spirit and the monks have taught you well. But this isn't about you, (Cut to a close up side view of a Aang in disbelief) this is about the World. Aang: But the monks taught me that I had to detach myself from the World so my spirit could be free. Avatar Yangchen: (Camera pans across the sideview of the 2 airbenders) Many great and wise air nomads have detached themselves and achieved spiritual enlightenment but the Avatar (Cut to a frontal shot of Yangchen) can never do it because your sole duty is to the World. Here is my wisdom for you, (Cut to a frontal shot of a shocked Aang) selfless duty (Camera slowly zooms out) calls you to sacrifice your own spiritual needs and do whatever (Camera pauses behind Yangchen's back as she begins to dissipate) it takes to protect the World.

“Sozin’s Comet Part III”:

Ozai: (off screen) After generations of Fire Lords failed to find you, now the Universe delivers you to me as an act of providence. Aang: Please listen to me. We don't have to fight. You have the power to end it here and stop what you're doing. Ozai: You are right. I do have the power. I have all the power in the World!

Aang doesn’t want to seriously harm or kill Ozai, despite knowing Ozai is an absolutely awful person, and even tries to reason with one of the most unreasonable people on the planet to avoid having to fight him.

Zuko:

“Sozin’s Comet Part II”:

Zuko: You're right. (He looks up) Katara, (Cut to an area behind Zuko looking at Katara as she raises her head up) how would you like to help me put Azula in her place?

“Sozin’s Comet Part III”:

Zuko: Sorry, but you're not going to become Fire Lord today. (jumps off Appa) I am. Azula: (laughs) You're hilarious. Katara: (standing beside Zuko) And you're going down. (The fire sage motions to crown Azula, but she raises her hand, signalling him to stop.) Azula: Wait. You want to be Fire Lord Fine. Let's settle this. Just you and me, brother. The showdown that was always meant to be. Agni Kai! Zuko: You're on. (Katara turns to Zuko, surprised. Cut to a close up of Azula's lips as the curls into a smile. Cut back to Katara and Zuko.) Katara: What are you doing? She's playing you. She knows she can't take us both so she is trying to separate us. Zuko: I know. But I can take her this time. Katara: But even you admitted to your Uncle that you would need help facing Azula. Zuko: There's something off about her, I can't explain it but she's slipping. And this way, no one else has to get hurt. (Fade to a shot of the courtyard from the side. The camera pans from Zuko kneeling on the right end to Azula kneeling on the left end. Cut to a shot of Zuko rising and turning around, then cut to a shot of Azula rising. Each can be seen behind the other. Cut to a shot of Azula from the front turning and removing the Fire Lord robes.) Azula: I'm sorry it has to end this way, brother. Zuko: (in his stance) No, you're not.

Azula is Zuko’s sister, not a ten-thousandth as bad a person as Ozai,  and very clearly demonstrates she cares about him several times, but Zuko still badly wants to hurt her because he blames her for Ozai’s abuse and because he can’t stand her being better than him and is deeply jealous of her for it.

Moreover, he not only makes zero effort to avoid having to engage in likely lethal combat with his sister, but expresses zero regret at having to do so.

Ironically, Sozin’s Comet creates a very strong contrast between Aang and Zuko, and, on a moral level, Aang comes off looking far better than Zuko.

[junipernight]

I'm really curious about the "Yangchen fanfic I'd like to see" :) may all your WIPs eventually come to fruition to your liking! 🩵💛

That's my general brainstorm document! There are lots of little snippets that might become their own stories, but I think most of them are coalescing into two bigger stories. One of the stories exists to fill in the gaps in LoY—it's about the things that must have happened at some point, off-page—while the other takes place immediately after the books and is a sea-faring, secret-sharing, found-family-forming voyage called Accompaniment.

I've already shared an excerpt from Accompaniment, so here's an excerpt from Untitled Gap-Filling Story: _________________________________________________________

It wasn’t necessary to cover their tracks; she had no real connection to the apothecary they’d used for their plan, it had simply been conveniently closed for the week.

Yangchen was tired, and Kavik was limping. They walked only as far as the nearest thoroughfare before hailing the first cab that passed.

The cab driver looked weary of picking up the two teenagers—one covered in dust and dirt, and the other in blood—but his ostrich horses took a keen interest in Yangchen, nuzzling their beaks into Yangchen’s hair. The two clambered into the seat before the driver could get away.

When she got back to her official lodgings in the mansion, Yangchen briefly debated taking a long, hot bath, but in the end, her exhaustion outweighed all else. She pulled off her outer robes, washed her face and hands in the wash basin in the corner of the room, and was about to climb into the bed when she noticed that Kavik was still in the room with her. 

She sighed. She would deal with this one final thing, whatever it was, and then she could sleep. 

“What is it?”

“Is it alright if I keep watch tonight?” He asked.

“Do you think Kalyaan would give up his chance to escape to safety with his family?”

Kavik winced at her phrasing, but answered without hesitation.

“No, I don’t think he would. But that doesn’t mean someone else from Chaisee’s association won’t try something.”

Yangchen shrugged. “If it makes you feel better,” she said through a yawn.

���It would.”

“Okay then. Good night.” She crawled into bed, and was asleep before her head hit the pillows.



***



Yangchen awoke to early morning sunlight streaming over her face. The light was dappled, broken up by the latticework screen that shielded the bed from the rest of the room, offering privacy from any watchful eyes that might wait in the room beyond. She turned her head away from the offending light, and nuzzled into the pillows.

Suddenly she leapt out of bed. “Flying hog monkeys, I forgot to heal you!!!” she cried.

Kavik was still sitting at the desk where he’d spent their first night in Taku, and he was still very much awake.

“Good morning to you too,” Kavik grunted in pain. Or possibly amusement. He was wearing his usual cocky smirk, although today it looked more like a grimace.

“Lie on the bed,” she ordered.

“Wow, are you this forward with all of your pretend lovers?” He joked, but he must have been genuinely suffering, because he did as he was told and gingerly got on the mattress. Then he sat there, and stared at her expectantly.

Yangchen cleared her throat. “You’re going to have to take off your tunic,” she said.

“Yeah, I know, but I wasn’t going to until you said something.” 

“Why?” 

“It’d be weird! Do you mind turning around?”

Yangchen made an exasperated sound, and turned away. Behind her she heard the soft rustling of clothes, and then a tiny gasp of pain.

She turned around in time to catch him as he struggled to lay down on his own.

Her experienced healer's eyes took in the bruises(minor), the ribs (all in their correct places), and the stab wound in his side (previously and inexpertly treated, but in need of a fresh bandage).

She drew clean water out of a pitcher on the nightstand and held it suspended overhead with one hand while she undid the gauze wrappings.

Kavik sucked in a breath when the cold water touched his skin. Yangchen’s hands remained steady, passing back and forth as she ran through the diagnostic tests. The puncture wound was neat; Jujinta had managed to create a wound that looked bad, but avoided all organs and arteries. He was that good with a blade. She preferred not to think about how he must have acquired the skill.

Kavik relaxed once the water began to glow. She pushed and pulled the water in and around him, redirecting energy pathways, unblocking qi, weaving tissue back together.

“The knife cut through your abdominal muscles,” she said. “I won’t be able to heal you in one sitting. You should avoid lifting anything heavy for a while.”

“‘kay.”

They were both quiet for a while. The only sound was the swish of water bending, and Kavik’s labored breathing.

“Bandages,” Yangchen muttered to herself. “I need fresh bandages.”

“There’s some in my kuspuk,” said Kavik. “I grabbed extra from the apothecary.”

Yangchen transferred the bloody water back into the pitcher, and went to rummage through the pocket of his kuspuk. Her hands brushed past a few coins, a pocket knife, and a pencil, before closing around a roll of cloth.

That’s when someone knocked at the door.

[bookloveravenue]

The Dawn of Yangchen by F.C. Yee

From the New York Times bestselling author of Avatar, the Last Airbender: The Rise of Kyoshi and Avatar, the Last Airbender: The Shadow of Kyoshi comes a thrilling new chapter in the Chronicles of the Avatar series

Yangchen’s inexperience may prove to be her greatest asset . . .

Plagued by the voices of Avatars before her for as long as she can remember, Yangchen has not yet earned the respect felt for Avatar Szeto, her predecessor. In an era where loyalty is bought rather than earned, she has little reason to trust her counsel. When Yangchen travels to Bin-Er in the Earth Kingdom on political business, a chance encounter with an informant named Kavik leads to a wary partnership. Bin-Er is a city ruled by corrupt shang merchants who have become resentful of the mercurial Earth King and his whims. To extract themselves from his influence, the shangs have one solution in mind: a mysterious weapon of mass destruction that would place power squarely in their hands. As Yangchen and Kavik seek to thwart the shangs’ plan, their unlikely friendship deepens. But for Yangchen to chart her course as a singularly powerful Avatar, she must learn to rely on her own wisdom above all else.

This propulsive third installment in the Chronicles of the Avatar series illuminates Avatar Yangchen’s journey from uncertain young woman to revered leader.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58667490-the-dawn-of-yangchen?ref=bk_bet_out

********

July 25, 2022

My Review: 5/5 Stars

When we meet Avatar Yangchen back in Aang's story in Avatar the Last Airbender, Aang is seeking Yangchen's advice as a fellow airbender Avatar on how to follow your Air Nomad teachings even as the Avatar. And Avatar Yangchen says, "Selfless duty calls you to sacrifice your own spiritual needs and do whatever it takes to protect the world." I kept thinking about this quote and how Yangchen truly believed this based on her actions in this story. So let me back up. The beginning of this story shows glimpses of a young Yangchen. Fellow Avatar fans know, that an Avatar learns of their identity when they are sixteen. Typically. But we know that isn't always true. Aang overheard the monks and learned when he twelve who he was and ran away that night. While Korra had the affinity of almost all the elements when she was about four and knew exactly what that meant. For Yangchen, it wasn't so simple. She had something we haven't seen. Her past lives are constantly in her mind. Talking and talking and talking to the point where as a child, it was the most painful experience for her and she had no idea what was happening. All their experiences coming at her and the only way to stop the voices was for someone to figure out which Avatar was currently talking and find the works of companions or something she was muttering under her breath to bring her back to reality. Yangchen also has more of an affinity when dealing with the spirits and the Spirit World. She may not have realized who she was when she was a child right away, but the incidents lead her to learning early. This shaped who she becomes.

In this book, Yangchen is seventeen and has already dealt with some issues and is proving to be a powerful Avatar even at a young age. But there is always work to be done. And her current work is about helping the city Bin-Er before some sort of weapon arrives. It means recruiting Kavik, a waterbender who has no side and revealing that this Avatar knows what it means to play the game she hates. How to build a network and have spies and be one herself. So back to her quote to Aang. She realizes that she cannot be this true Air Nomad. Her teachings and sense of identity as an Air Nomad can go only so far since she is the Avatar. She will learn that to achieve your goals and find the peace you wish to bring, will require sacrifice and you can only take so much of the brunt.

I really enjoyed this story! Yangchen was a surprise despite knowing that one quote from her. I didn't expect her to be so sneaky and intelligent in that world of deception. But she is strong and brave and loyal and willing to help others no matter the cost to her own life. And then we have Kavik. He was another great character though you can see his struggle of being basically forced to be Yangchen's spy. He wants to help his family and he'll make his own sacrifices before truly realizing who he is. Great story overall. Lots of twists and turns. And even more head nods to many, many things we have seen in the Avatar world. It's fun to see things we know from Aang's time and realize it goes very far back. That these things existed even then. I couldn't put the book down. And with that bit of a cliffhanger at the end of this story, I am definitely looking forward to more of Avatar Yangchen and her companions.