what are you’re fav fics atm? 🥰 need some more stuff to read!
Ooooh I have a LOT of favorites. I had a hard time selecting but I’ll leave it with my top ten (+one lol). There are so many more I really enjoyed, but these are my favorites of my favorites:
Choices, Chances, Changes (the whole you are my life series tbh)
Red Dress
Fall before we rise
Soul
So happy together
Silence of the Sound
Still falling for you
Warrior raging
What’s in a word (it’s a whole series but let’s ignore that ok)
Kazuo-verse (also a whole series, don’t come for me lol)
I had a really fun time with this. I tried a few new things here, and I think they ended up alright. But idk! Tell me what yall think. Have a great day!!
Special thanks to @homeagainrose for asking about FFF and lighting the spark that got this written!
He wasn’t quite sure when he noticed that she only said his name when she was referring to him in conversation with other people. She once had told Raiko (something like), “You’re thinking of Mako. He’s one of my best officers.”
After dinner one night, he heard her teasing Asami and Korra. “Mako is a good cook. Since neither of you kept him long enough to learn, maybe you can pay him for lessons.”
He was just returning to the hospital room when he heard her say, “Mako will be a great uncle. He did a fine job with you, Bolin.”
The day he had sworn his oath to uphold the law, she had referred to him as ‘officer’ more times than he could count. She just had never used his name.
She had given orders with his name on them. She had assigned him to task forces, work crews, and even sparring partners using his name.
But when she looked at and spoke to him, somehow she never used his name.
So he took that under advisement, and maintained his emotional distance. He only used ‘Beifong’ for her when speaking to others. He would only call her “Chief” to her face.
Even after he resigned his position to work for the pro-bending league, she stayed “Chief.” None of the coaches (other than Bolin) gave it much thought, since he was the liaison for police security. They figured he was just being respectful.
But once he started working with Wing and Wei on their Flying Disk Leagues, things got decidedly weird. The twins came to town routinely to play a few rounds in both the power disk and the flying disk divisions and to hang out with their sister and the baby.
Which meant they were also around their aunt rather frequently.
And since he was also an uncle to baby Yuting, he was around her mother’s aunt rather frequently.
Mako arrived for the family pre-game dinner at the beginning of the championships, Yuting’s bag over his shoulder, and his little neice’s hand in his own. She was babbling about all the animals they had seen at the zoo, pulling his hand to go faster so she could see more uncles.
They opened up the family’s suite in the arena, but it was nearly empty.
Yuting gasped dramatically and shouted, “Aunty Lin!” before dropping his hand and charging over to the only person in the room. It took a bit of whining before the requested pick-up was accomplished.
Once the child was secure, the aunt turned to the uncle, nodded, and just said “Hello.”
Gritting his teeth just a little, he replied, “Chief.”
What she had once taught him about observing a suspect in custody came through for him when he noticed her pinch her forehead oh, so briefly. He turned and deposited the child’s bag and returned to speak to them again.
He clapped his hands and took his niece, setting her on her feet. From a crouched position, he said,“Yuting, how about you go find your dad? I think he’s -” He pointed to one set of doors that led into an office space at the back of the suite.
Helpfully, she charged away, yelling for her parents.
He brushed his hands over his knees, and stood up.
“You’re just as good with her as I thought you would be,” came her voice from just behind him.
He looked over his shoulder to see her smiling up at him. He let himself smile just a little, and decided to try something.
“Thank you, Lin.”
Her eyes met his, and her smile… deepened. It was an odd thought, but it was the only word that made sense. It wasn’t brighter, or wider, or lighter. But it was more profound, somehow.
“Thank the spirits. I was worried you’d never bring yourself to say my name.”
He scoffed in surprise. “I thought you didn’t want me to. You never say mine.”
She stepped a little closer, pulled down on his near shoulder before leaning in close to speak into his ear.
“I’ll say it any way you like, Mako.”
When Yuting returned, pulling her father’s hand, she was confused why Aunty Lin and Uncle Mako were not where she had left them.
Would you write Lin with someone you haven't shipped her with next? Surprise us!
I feel like there’s nobody left that I haven’t shipped Lin with💀 but I like the challenge. I guess I’ll surprise myself too!
I started writing this about a year ago and but something about it wasn't quite sticking- I still don't think it's perfect but oh well. I also have @wishingforatypewriter to thank- you gave me some motivation.
The metal city of Zaofu was deemed to be paradise for all metal benders. But for some reason, the place felt far from that to Lin Beifong- the very legacy of metal bending.
Obviously, it had less to do with the element and everything to do with estranged, toxic familial relations, but over the years, Lin had to learn to make her peace with it. It helped having Opal living in Republic City to bridge the gap between the two sisters/cities, but physically being in Zaofu always took Lin back to that awful acupuncture experience. Sure, she felt better after the needles, but this place brought back all the memories as to why she had to get acupuncture in the first place.
As if already being disconcerted wasn’t enough, the added social element of five children, a yapper of a sister and an awkward brother-in-law amongst all the staff didn’t help.
After a rather trying dinner, her social energy drained, Lin was happy to be in the quiet of her assigned bedroom. The food was good as always, the kids- rambunctious, Suyin chattering, but the one person who was off that evening was Bataar Senior.
As a more reticent person herself, Lin could easily pinpoint how Bataar wasn’t his usual kind of reserved. He seemed more ill at ease than normal. Lin thought about checking in on him, but decided that his wife will probably notice once she shut that trap of hers she called a mouth.
The second Lin’s head hit the pillow, she realized she was thirsty. Two helpings of a chickpea salad will do that to anyone. She debated sleeping with a parched mouth until she realized everyone was likely in their rooms and she would have to give in to quench her thirst sooner or later.
So she ventured out to the kitchen.
Everyone was indeed in their beds- the lights were out and the silence was deafening. Pure bliss.
The large kitchen doors creaked softly when she stepped inside, but the sound of someone shuffling in there was louder. She felt an erratic heartbeat- her opening the door had definitely spooked whoever was in there- but it was still too dark to identify who it was.
She brisk walked towards the heartbeat and before she knew it, a pair of hands grabbed her waist and pulled her close to their body.
“Hey there,”
It was a man’s voice.
But before she could nail down whom it belonged to, the man’s lips were on hers. It wasn’t until she realized she was kissing him back- which wasn’t too long into the kiss- did she push him away.
“Bataar?” She cried softly.
“Su..?” He said in a meek voice.
Lin scrammed to the side of the room and turned on the light. Thankfully Bataar looked just as aghast as she had hoped.
“I’m so sorry- I- I told Suyin to come to the kitchen and I assumed it was her and- Lin, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to ambush—”
“It’s fine, it’s fine!” She said, unable to look at his pitiful face. “I mean, it’s not fine but I know you didn’t mean to kiss me.”
“It’s just that- Su’s mad at me and I don’t—”
“— don’t want to know!” Lin said louder.
“Actually I could use your advice- was that a good kiss? Was it the right amount of spontaneous and romantic?”
Lin cringed, pressing the bridge of her nose. “Why are you putting me in this position?”
“We got into a whole fight over this- she thinks I’m a sack of nothing and that really hurt my feelings.”
“Well, being hurtful comes with the Beifong genes. Don’t take it so personally.”
“Sure,” he said. “But that doesn’t help my case. I get that being married can become mundane even when you’re married to someone as extraordinary as Suyin. I can see how she would want some kind of excitement so I told her I had a surprise for her in the kitchen and—”
“And she isn’t going to come in because now you’re doing it because she asked and not because you want to.”
“Oh,” Bataar realized.
“Look, you know my sister better than I do,” Lin said, finally picking up a glass to fill with water. “Just take her out to a show tomorrow. Or a dinner. Or just give her some kind of importance- that woman thrives on attention- especially if it’s coming from someone she loves.”
“That- that’s actually really good advice,” he confessed.
Lin swallowed the last of her water before refilling the glass. “Great. Good luck with that. I’m going to bring this glass to my bedroom in case I need it at night.”
“Lin,” he called, stopping her in her step. “For what it’s worth you’re a great kisser and any man would be lucky to have you.”
The metalbender grimaced.
“And you’re beautiful, strong, independent and smart. You should let more people in and allow them to get to know the wonderful person that you are.”
“That’s all right,” she mumbled. “Save some of that for Suyin.”
“If I wasn’t married, I would have fallen for you in a heartbeat.”
“That’s so good to know,” she retorted sarcastically.
“Really,” he said in earnest. “I'm certain we'd be just as compatible.”
Lin wanted to throw up in her mouth. She could not tolerate another word from him.
“Why are you still going on?”
The architect shrugged awkwardly. He knew he should have stopped talking about eight sentences ago- this was why he preferred staying silent altogether.
“I'm not sure. I should probably go back to bed.”
“Yes!” Finally, Lin thought.
“Sleep well,” Bataar said, moving towards the door.
That night, with her thirst finally quenched, Lin slept surprisingly well. It probably had more to do with the excitement of returning to Republic City the next morning, but even in the deepest crevices of her mind she wouldn't admit that it felt nice to be held and kissed- and if it felt as good coming from someone like Bataar, how much better would it be coming from someone she actually cared for and was attracted to? Maybe there was some potential waiting for her back at Republic City. And maybe that was in part why she was excited to go home.
But it wasn't going to be an easy journey back. Not when Lin woke up to her sister standing over her bed, heaving.
“YOU AND BATAAR!?”
Lin was never making it back to Republic City at this rate. Not if her sister was going to throw her in the dungeons of Zaofu.
“It was an accident—”
“He told me everything!”
Lin gaped at her sister. Clearly, if he told her everything, she wouldn't have smoke piping out her ears.
“But he also told me how you rejected him. Why don't you think my Bataar is hot, Lin? Or do you just like them bald and boring?”
The Chief huffed. She was going to need another visit from the acupuncturist to erase this memory entirely.
Today my hyperfocus is consuming me…After finishing posting Chapter 8 of THE PLACE WE RETURN TO, I couldn't do anything else, so here are my almost five hours very well spent afterwards illustrating the end of the chapter.
And I'm gonna go ahead and say the quiet part out loud. The reason some of y'all are okay with how Tenzin treated Lin is because you don't believe child free women are deserving of long-term committed partnership. Somewhere in your conscious or subconscious mind, you think that adult men in relationships with adult women are owed children and if a woman doesn't give a man a child—especially if that's the case because she doesn't fucking want to—the relationship was inherently unserious and she deserves to be left. The triangulation of Lin and Pema with respect to Tenzin was a misogynistic narrative choice on the part of the show's creators and you can like whatever ship or character you want and still acknowledge that.
Pls share a snippet of soc’s next chapter if you are not updating soon🥺 we need some linzuo fluff
Okay, but keep in mind parts of this may change by the time I publish! I’ll put it below!
Hopefully I do publish soon! Sorry for the constant delays, I hope this helps!
Breathing hard and grinning like a fool, Lin covered her face with one hand. If her pale skin hadn’t already been flushed from exertion she would have most certainly been blushing from the giddiness the bubbled from inside as Kaz rolled off her with a satisfied sigh. He lay down beside her, stretching one arm out to rest along her stomach, which trembled with the threat of laughter.
Kaz glanced at his shaking hand and back up at Lin’s covered face, “What?”
And then it came, like a wave cresting over the shore of her mouth- a case of giggles she hadn’t experienced in living memory. The laughter bubbled from her mouth- a breathy note that reached a silent peak as she continued to shake.
Kaz propped himself up on one elbow, watching her face redden with each passing moment, “What? What are you laughing about?”
Lin shook her head, indicating her ignorance at the source of her sudden fit, pressing her hand against eyes that began losing tears at either side.
“What is so funny?” Kazuo asked again with chuckle, coming down with her same affliction.
After a few heaving gasps of air she managed to choke out a strangled, “I don’t know” before devolving back into laughter. With nothing else to go on, Kazuo wrapped his arms around her tightly, burying his face in her neck, laughing right alongside as they rode out the storm together.
The act of catching her breath was a slow one, filled with lamentations of “oh my stomach hurts” and recurrences of the giggles, but eventually she wiped her eyes on last time and laid her hands at her side.
“Okay…” she breathed tentatively.
“Okay?” Kaz repeated, daring to look her in the eye, “what was that?”
Lin shrugged her shoulders; smile dangerously large, “I have no idea-“
“Because,” Kaz interrupted, “one of my fantasies is to have a woman laugh hysterically after having sex with me, so thanks. That was good.”
Lin shook her head, giggling lightly, “No, it’s not like that.” Her hand reached up to cup the side of face delicately, “I think…I think I’m just happy.”
Her words were honest, perhaps a little more honest than she meant to convey and her hand dropped quickly to her side.
Literally! If Pema were so confident that she and Tenzin were soulmates, as she claimed to Korra, she wouldn't feel insecure every time they interacted. And it's truly petty and disrespectful to foist her child on her like that, knowing full well that Lin never wanted to take care of a child in her life. It's like she's marking her territory and reminding everyone why Lin and Tenzin aren't together anymore. Again, the issue of children. And please, stop trying to justify her behavior with excuses like that.
Pema's behavior stems from a dynamic that has existed for years. It has nothing to do with her being pregnant. I'm fed up with people making excuses for her childish behavior.
Hello RisingSoleil, do you think you can write the shock Lin was in when she found out she was pregnant with Jin when Meilin was only 8 months old 🤣🤣🤣
Hello! Of course~
Lin found out she was pregnant again Meilin's first birthday. She and Katara were in the kitchen while Tenzin, Aang, and Kya were setting up and playing with baby. Certain smells were making Lin nauseous, so Katara was taking the lead.
Eventually, Lin went into the pantry and took out moon peach and ginger. Slicing away and eating at it while she was cutting, Lin muttered to herself, "Don't know why I feel like eating this...last time I ate this was when..."
The knife stops and Lin's eyes grow wide.
"Lin?"
She swallows and puts on a forced smile to her mother-in-law. "Yes?"
"Are you alright?"
"Of course," Lin says too quickly. She realigns the moon peaches and ginger. "I just can't believe Mei is a year old now. I don't know where time went."
Katara smiles. "I know. I feel the same way when I see you and Tenzin. I remember when you were still learning to walk. And now you two have a family of your own." She stirs the pot and smiles wistfully. "Time moves as quickly as sand falling out your palm."
Lin bites her lip and nods.
Suddenly, they hear joyful cries and whooping from the other room. Then, the tumbling footsteps traveling to the kitchen.
"Lin! Katara!"
"What? What is it? Is something wrong?" Katara asks as Aang bursts in with baby Meilin in his arms, with Tenzin behind.
"No. Meilin is an earthbender!"
A delighted Mei screeches and grins as Aang tosses her in the air and catches her with airbending.
Lin cannot hear the story of how Aang and Tenzin learned about this. Nor does she feel Tenzin's excited and supportive kisses when he pulls her in for a hug. Tenzin brings Mei into Lin's arms and Lin smiles at her sweet face.
"She's going to be just like her mommy," Tenzin says with excitement. "Our girl is an earthbender, Lin!"
Lin brushes her nose against Mei's. "You're an earthbender baby?"
Baby babbles answer back.
Lin kisses her cheeks and holds her close.
Meilin pushes her face into Lin's chest and pulls at Lin's shirt.
"I'll be right back." Lin holds her close. "We can...celebrate when we come back out."
Lin retreats before anyone can catch on to the faltering emotions stirring within her. She goes to her bedroom and latches Mei on to her.
The suckling sounds are shared in the intimate space between Lin and Meilin. Lin adjusts her embrace as her daughter searches around the room and stares up at her. She strokes the back of Mei's hair and allows her fingers to dance through the growing black locks.
Lin closed her eyes and raised her foot to stomp down, but she stopped. A whimper escaped Lin.
Knock. Knock.
"Lin. It's me. Can I come in?" Katara's voice came from the other side.
"Yes."
The door slid open and Katara closed it gently behind her. The new noises enhanced Meilin's curiosity and sky blue eyes searched around the room. She craned her neck to see, but Lin forced her to stay in place to avoid getting her nipple pulled and tugged in different directions.
Katara avoided Mei's limited line of sight, but gently touched the baby arm before pulling a seat across from Lin.
"You okay?"
Lin's lip quivered and tears welled in her eyes. her lips twisted. "I think I'm pregnant..." Despite her best efforts to control her crying, the emotions won over and the tears freely fell. "I-I just haven't confirmed because I'm afraid it's real."
"Oh, Lin..."
"Katara, we just had her! She's still a baby and I'm supposed to have another one?! How is that fair to her? I feel so disappointed in myself and Tenzin that-that we..."
Katara sat beside Lin and wrapped an arm around her.
"And she's an earthbender," Lin spoke quietly, sniffling.
"Do you love her any less?"
Lin shook her head furiously. "No. Never."
"Then that's all." A low hmph made Katara smile. But a moment later, it fell softly. "Would you like me to check for you?"
Lin pulled away from the embrace and wiped her tears. Meilin peered up at her mommy and reached for her face. Lin smiled painfully and grasped the baby hand, kissing her knuckles and nuzzling her cheek there.
She swallowed. "Let's get it over with."
Using her free hand, she gently lifted her shirt and Katara guided water over Lin's exposed abdomen.
A minute later, the water safely retreated into the pouch.
Lin avoided the waterbender's gaze. "Well?"
A sigh. "You're pregnant."
"We didn't even get that much time with her alone. I thought it would at least be a couple of years until Tenzin and I were ready for another child," Lin confessed. "What if Tenzin begins to love this child more than Mei because they could be an airbender?"
"Lin, he would ne--"
"Or if this next child isn't an airbender, he might love us less."
"Tenzin would never love you conditionally."
Lin remained silent and shifted Mei to the other breast. Katara did not add anything more, but did stay at Lin's side until Aang asked her about the food.
As Katara stood, Lin reached for her hand.
"I'm not upset she's an earthbender...I know I may not look it, but I'm happy my baby girl is an earthbender."
