FOR HONOR.

zuko from avatar : the last airbender.

[fyrbends]

FYRBENDS independent and private writing blog for zuko from avatar : the last airbender. canon divergent as influenced heavily by the animated series and personal headcanons. default verse takes place after the events of the series. written by nikki.

affiliated : @kakiaktok, @kakushiha. main : @seismictoph.

A STUDY IN : honor, atlas complex, trauma, familial bonds, self - sabotage, isolation, abandonment, choosing kindness, torment, daddy issues, reluctant successor, duty, body dysmorphia, infamy, and loyalty.

01. carrd. 02. canon divergence. 03. headcanons. 04. metas.

blogroll : azula, commissions blog.

[fyrbends]

boop this to plot ?

[fyrbends]

thinking about zuko and the gaang. him and sokka best friends and brother in laws. together they share one brain cell but can be vulnerable and talk about such intense feelings like someone's girlfriend turning into the moon. but also arguing about the existence of aliens. but also zuko relying on how actually smart sokka is and making sure his inventions make it to all areas of the newly reunited world and that people know what he's capable of but also them sword fighting for fun and also training. and also both getting drunk and just being the i looooove you man so much kinda drunks that the rest of the gaang just babysits while they're both blubbering into each other's arms. and then they can have real conversations about expectations and family and becoming fathers and uncles and duty and honor. and just the best.

zuko and toph just absolute sibling dynamic. the little sister he didn't want because she's mean to him and rough on him but he needs it. he needs someone telling him his outfit is dumb. or he's stupid cause he obviously has a crush on katara. and invading his personal space. and coming over because he's been working too much or boredom and they're going to watch movies or go out for dinner or do something. oh and she's spending the night, days, weeks over and no she didn't ask but that's okay because she's family. and she's a little blunt and rough around the edges but he can be vulnerable around her and she'll listen and then give him the brutally honest truth that maybe he doesn't appreciate cause it's mean but yes he does cause it's what he needs to here.

zuko and aang are the duo that balances each other out but also have no sense between them. they argue and butt heads over things because they each have their own way of viewing things but once they get out of the way, it's the same end goal. aang can bring out that child - like wonder out of zuko and zuko can ground aang in the seriousness of what needs to be done. they can also go weeks and months of not talking and then pick up as if they've been talking every minute of every day.

zuko and suki are just true blue besties. he can tell her anything and know that she'll keep it close to her heart. they have late night talks and share weird food combinations that somehow work. she has no problem treating him like zuko rather than the fire lord and he loves that.

[fyrbends]

@kitsunae ( ria ) : ❛ you both deserved so much better. ❜

prompts currently accepting !

there's something unexpected that hits him at her words. he's enjoyed getting to know her. azula's time in the northern water tribe hasn't been just for healing. he's seen her become a different person. someone outside of their father. someone soft. and it's in the friends that she's made in her recovery that he sees her growth. she's not as aggressive as she used to be. she's not as hurt. ria could see that. ria knew. and somehow, zuko had forgotten that both him and azula shared this trauma. zuko was just as much a victim of their upbringing as azula. he has the mark to prove it.

and it's the way she speaks the words that catch him off guard. they're soft spoken, matter of fact, without the hint of pity or sorrow. she says the words the same way someone orders tea. it's a given. they deserved better. and he can't think of any words to say that won't have the tears that suddenly spring in his eye to overflow. his throat feels scratchy, a lump forming that he can't swallow, and he feels something in his legs that threaten to buckle underneath him. the wind has been knocked out of him just from her kindness. he takes in a shaky, unsteady breath as he nods. blinking away any tears that may have formed and trying to steady himself. ❛ maybe. ❜ he says finally, focusing on their surroundings rather than her. maybe. ❛ but i wouldn't be who i am despite our father so maybe not. ❜

[fyrbends]

THE MESS™

a summary of plot points that are integral to zuko's canon divergence and affiliation with katara ( @kakiaktok ) and mai ( @kakushiha ). when there's a mention of either of these two characters, these are the blogs that are referenced. these are also plot points that are important to the narrative of who these characters are and how they relate to each other in a post war world. more will be added as it is developed with them and other neighboring characters as it fits.

mai and zuko date after the war and following his coronation. following prompting from fire nation chamberlains and in combination with how long they've been together, they become engaged.

katara and aang also date following the war.

katara is an ambassador of the southern water tribe and helps shape policies within the fire nation.

mai and zuko have many fights within the palace walls about katara specifically his feelings for her, which he denies, as he's engaged to mai and katara is with aang.

after a gala, katara and zuko drink too much wine and expose harbored feelings they've been avoiding for years. zuko is still engaged to mai and katara is still with aang during this night.

after their interaction with the southern raiders, in the heat of the moment, they shared a kiss. they never speak of it again until they're adults.

mai and zuko do eventually break up for the betterment of each other. she's able to explore her identity away from zuko and he is able to come to terms with his life and feelings.

katara and aang eventually break up. after spending time with her family and traveling to focus on herself, she ends up spending time in the fire nation full time as zuko's ambassador.

zuko dates others out of obligation since his break up from mai but none compare to katara.

zuko and katara eventually end up together and have five children.

mai becomes a very important confidant for zuko post break up. they are much better as friends.

zuko and azula have been writing letters in her travels and during her recovery when he couldn't visit. he doesn't confide this information in anyone besides iroh.

[kpfun]

AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER (2005-2008)

[kakiaktok]

the instant his lips press against her palm, a surge of electricity pierces her skin. it tingles. the sensation lingers in her veins, traveling along the length of her wrist & into her forearm. katara can almost feel the sensation in the rush of heat that rises to her cheeks, darkening her wine-blush with something far more ambiguous. instinctively, her gaze lingers on the space where his skin meets hers. it is as though she were warming herself by the gentlest hearth, the same comforting heat coaxing every muscle in her body to relax, to melt, to let her sink into the presence of him. slowly, as though any movement may shatter the fragile intimacy of the night, katara leans into his orbit, a wave of loose curls cascading over her shoulder with the shift. it tickles her skin & leaves air catching briefly in her throat.

❝ you are making it really, really hard to say no. ❞ she confesses in a breathless whisper. she knows if she did, if she were firm in her convictions, that they were both more than capable of simply burying this night & all of its temptations deep inside themselves. they could seal every treacherous thought they had away, bound by lock & key, & stand in mutual agreement to simply let it stay lost with every other late night conversation or too vulnerable letter. another secret that didn't have to mean anything. they were just two friends, two close friends. & anything that implied otherwise wasn't a reality that they could ever possibly live in. not with the obligations on their shoulders, the vows they'd made. this was how things were supposed to be.

yet in this moment, made bold & stupid by the moonlight & the wine, katara wants to tell him. she wants to stare deep into the molten gold of his gaze & tell him that he lingers always in the periphery of her mind. that her heart jumps every time she finds herself along his shores, anticipation making her fingers twitch to bring her closer, move her faster, to see him sooner. how she can still taste rainwater & grief & him on the edge of her lips when she lets her memory wander too far in moments of stillness. how desperately she wants to close the little space that remains between them & rediscover that flavor again.

but she can't tell him. she can't hold him. she can't kiss him.

this is how things are supposed to be.

that simple truth strains as katara gently rests her forehead against zuko's. her gaze takes shelter from the intensity of his as she allows herself to close her eyes & bask in the strange tenderness of this moment. she knows she shouldn't. but she's tired of only doing what she should. the least she deserves is this, stolen though it may be. ❝ -- until the candle burns out. ❞ she promises, asserts, yields. ❝ i can ... stay until the candle burns out. but then i have to go. ❞ it wasn't much, but it would let them continue to pretend. even for just a little bit longer.

[fyrbends]

he's hoping that she has more strength than him. that she'll pull both of them back from the brink of something he's been dreaming of since he was seventeen. he's hoping that, like always, she'll be the voice of reason where his heart is a jumbled mess. but she doesn't. and he can feel his heart stop at the same time he becomes aware of everything. her forehead touches his and he can almost feel the thing they're both too afraid to say. he knows that this isn't his life. she's not his life. that she belongs to another forever and he'll always be stuck wishing and wanting more. but now, thanks to the cover of the night, maybe they can have just a little bit more. the courage of the wine allows them to partake in their more vulnerable, never spoken out loud desires and he's happy for once that she's just as irrational as him.

he can feel her eyes close as her forehead touches his and he wills himself to stay still. his breath hitches, the same way you're careful when you see a wild animal in the hopes you can bask in its beauty just a stolen moment longer. he can almost taste the sweetness of the wine coming off her tongue as she breathes, the sourness of the small gleams of sweat on both of their skin from the heat and proximity of something hushed. he can feel how her body leans into his for this stolen moment and he knows that for once, she's indulging in something she wants. in something, perhaps, she's been thinking about since they were foolish kids confronting fire nation assassins. maybe, he hopes, he's not the only one yearning.

he lets out a small breath when she speaks, not wanting to ruin the moment. to hold her here longer for even a minute would be another lifetime for him to dream about. and then he hears it. until the candle burns out. and there's a smile that spreads from the depths of his heart to his face. he can feel the warmth radiating from him and he knows that even if the sun comes up before the candle burns out she'll have to leave. have to resume the real world and her responsibilities. but for the time being, he holds her time and that's all that matters. ❛ then i'll make sure they don't. ❜ he says finally, his voice barely above a whisper as he presses his forehead against hers in earnest. one hand reaches up carefully and rests on her cheek, cupping her face gently. his thumb grazes her skin softly, stopping just at her jawline, and he wants to steal another moment. another secret for the both of them to share. another reason to dream at night and wonder about in the day. but he doesn't. because just this, both intertwined amongst countless floor pillows and too much wine, was enough for him. her forehead on his, her hand on his face, her hushed voice ; all of it was enough to sustain him until his last breath.

and he could be like this forever. he knows that he could. and he's resolved himself to be happy in their moments no matter how intimate or how innocent. he's told himself countless times that he's fine just having her as an ambassador, or at a gala, or at a family dinner. he's told himself he's fine watching her leave with him. be with him. eventually have his children and grow old with him. but in this moment, her body inches from him and their desires laid out before them. he doesn't think he can bare to live the lie he's been telling himself since he was seventeen. he can feel his resolve, the little strength he was holding onto fail him and it happens before he has a chance to think better of it. before he can lie to himself and convince himself that it's not worth it. that she doesn't feel the same way. before he can undo the night's events he follows his heart deeper into woods. and his words are soft, only for her ears alone when he says the one thing he's been wanting to say for years. ❛ i love you, katara. ❜

[fyrbends]

@healbent : ❛ you had a moment back there. ❜

prompts currently accepting !

he's staring at the picture when he hears her. there's a sudden wave of embarrassment as he tries to hide the picture only for him to give up just as quickly. he holds up the picture of his father, the one that she had mistaken for him, before sighing. ❛ i was just looking at how normal my father looks. ❜ his eyes leave hers in favor of the picture before he places it on steps to his right. ❛ how did he turn into the fire lord we have now that spreads fear and violence ? i can't remember a time when my father looked like this picture. ❜

the question that's on his mind, on the tip of his tongue, is there. was he born like this or did he become it ? but he's too afraid to speak the words out loud. what if his father had been born evil and violent, part of zuko was him. what if zuko was capable of all the monstrous things his father was doing and it was only a matter of time before he changed too. there's a part of him that worries that he's just a decision away from azula and his father and the thought terrifies him.

[fyrbends]

@healbent : ❛ i didn't mean to word vomit. ❜

prompts currently accepting !

he shakes his head at her, a small smile on his face. ❛ you never have to apologize to me. ❜ and he means it. he could listen to katara talk for hours because unlike some people he knew, she always had purpose even when she thought she didn't. his head tilts towards his right side, to get a better look at her. ember eyes scan her face and hope that he can see something besides the hint of embarrassment that her words suggest. ❛ you can always talk to me about anything. ❜

[kpfun]

AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER (2005-2008)

[kakiaktok]

@fyrbends sent: i thought i might stay over tonight.

barbie prompts ! / no longer accepting.

❝ oh ! uh - ❞ it wouldn't be a problem, not really. & it isn't as though he would be the only one. many of their other friends had been wise enough to call it quits at least two hours ago, before the shots & the crushed cans made them too leaden to stand. based on the snores coming from the couch in the living room, that wasn't true for everyone. normally, katara probably would have already started the process of cleaning up by now, relaxing as the evening started to wind down naturally.

but it had been so effortless to simply talk with zuko. she hadn't even considered the late hour, too caught up in laughing at the way he recounted an absolutely abysmal debate from his class that morning, or telling him about her anxieties as she considered quitting the events' board in an effort to claim just a little more time for herself. the conversation flowed with ease, & the water she'd shoved into their hands helped ease their sobering stomachs.

❝ sure ! sure, you can - you're more than welcome to stay the night. it's late anyways. ❞ katara answers despite the sudden knot of embarrassment threatening to tangle itself around her tongue. almost immediately, she's standing from the floor, the movement fluid & sure. yet still just tipsy enough to sway at her full height, slamming a hand against the bed to try & steady herself. ❝ oh, sorry, sorry - ❞ she is not going to fall on him. she would never forgive herself if she did.

[fyrbends]

talking with her was easy. there wasn't anything he felt that he needed to hold back from katara no matter the subject. school, art, and even his family the two had spent the better part of the night just laughing and talking and it wasn't until a yawn escaped him that his eyes glance towards his watch. three o'clock. his words stumble out as he pushes himself off the ground. it's second nature, the thought that he'd sleep just a couple of hours on a chair or the sofa until day broke. but it's her hushed words and stumbled reply that has him second guessing himself.

he reaches for her instinctively, hand on her waist to steady herself before he sighs. ❛ sorry, i... shouldn't have assumed. i can leave. ❜ his voice is soft, almost like a whisper as he looks at her. his hand rests just on her hip, ember eyes looking over every feature on her face and the only real thought in his head is how much he wants to kiss her. but he can't. they're both tipsy and it's late, or early, and he doesn't want to ruin the moment they've shared up until now. there will be plenty of opportunities to kiss her. he think and that's why he offers a smile. please let me stay rests on his tongue, threatening to come out but instead he manages something less pathetic. ❛ i just meant, if you don't mind, i can sleep until sunrise. ❜

[kakushiha]

the governor hummed as he flicked through various scrolls, all featuring old paintings of posters long since passed, kyoshi at the gravepost, the oni of caldara, the spirit and the triad and of course love amongst the dragons. akuma at this scoffed. "oh that one? that one was so corny, so many different acting troupes tried that performance and they always sucked according to the island elders." plucking the scroll from the box, akuma unfurled it over his desk, studying the scroll intensely he craned his head to the young fire lord. "i do agree with your position, we need to find good stories, classic stories. the people of this nation have forgotten their past so anything pre sozin would be best" a hand reached to idly scratch at the five day old stubble that grew on the ex assassin's face. "hell we could even rewrite the boy in the iceberg." "so other than love amongst the dragons as a personal request, are there any other plays you would suggest to bring back?" he questions with a playful quirk of his brow. as he thumbed through a few scrolls he chuckled. "there's gotta be better plays than love amongst the dragons y'know that right?" akuma would tease.

[fyrbends]

❛ they did always butcher it. ❜ he admits, eyes on the plays in hand rather than the governor. maybe the other was right. maybe it was the material of the play rather than the ember island players that were its downfall. zuko wants to blame the troupe rather than his mother's favorite play. a bit of nostalgia clinging to his insides. he stares at all of the plays in front of them and his brow knits at the thought of the play.

❛ is the boy in the iceberg considered a classic now ? ❜ he doesn't want to think that he's so old that the play is now considered a classic. truthfully, zuko had only seen it once and that was enough for him. he didn't need a replay of his toughest time before his time as fire lord and he couldn't imagine how a rewrite wouldn't be propaganda for him. he stares at the scrolls before looking back at the governor. ❛ i think you should have the final say of what's put on. i don't want people to think the fire lord is hand picking all of the plays here. ❜

[kakiaktok]

despite herself & the gravity of this moment, katara cannot help the dry, breathless hint of laughter that shakes her shoulders. ❝ both, i think ? ❞ the uncertainty stings, a combination of honesty & the realization that some of those memories had already started the awful, awful process of fading from her mind, slipping through her fingers like sand. she wanted to remember every detail of her mother for the rest of her life. the knowledge that she couldn't, no matter how hard she tried, felt suffocating.

❝ she was amazing. ❞ the words are harder now, desperately trying to not catch in her throat. she pushes through, forcing her gaze to remain fixated on the stars above. if she looked at zuko now, she isn't convinced she could finish her thoughts. seeing such familiar grief reflecting back at her when she was trying to give voice to a ghost would simply be too much.

❝ kind and gentle ... she was always there. she knew the perfect remedy for everything. if we were sick, or hurt - ❞ tears form in the corners of her eyes, trails that flow down the sides of her face. the hands resting over her midsection press harder against her stomach, determined to hold together the grieving parts of her, less she crumble into the beach itself. ❝ she always just ... knew exactly what we needed. ❞

there's so much more she wants to say. details & fragments of the person kya was, of the stories she would tell, the meals she would prepare, even the way she would greet the villagers of wolf cove as if each was a member of her own family. as if by sharing every piece of her, katara could recreate the most accurate picture of her mother possible - share all the wonder & astonishment that she'd once contained.

❝ i hope i can become even half of the woman that my mother was. ❞ she finishes, quiet & small.

[fyrbends]

❛ i think she'd be proud of who you've become. ❜ he says quietly, an answer to her wish she hadn't asked for. he knew it wasn't his place, or that he didn't know her mother, but he knew katara. he knew how strong and passioante she was. how she balanced making sure everyone was working towards the same goal but didn't stop herself from enjoying the little things. he knew that any mother would be proud to call katara her daughter.

he takes a deep breath as he thinks about the person his family has taken away from katara. the person he was robbed of as well. he thinks about all of the children without mothers because his family needed to spread their glory through violence and domination. his fingers press into his stomach, a plea to ease the turmoil that's within him. what would his mother think of the person he's becoming without her. of turning his back on his uncle, on joining the avatar, on his new mission to bring peace to the world. would his mother be proud or would she be ashamed of the road that he'd taken to get there.

❛ i don't know if my mother would be proud of me. ❜ he says finally, his voice barely above a whisper. a shameful secret he rests between them both. he closes his eyes and tries to remember her face, her laugh, her smile, but it's faded. all of his memories are him trying to cling to the mist. a memory of a memory told by a child. but maybe that's for the best. maybe his inability to remember his mother clearly is better. maybe, he thinks, if he can't remember her character than it cannot judge the man he's becoming despite her. ❛ i can't imagine her now. what she'd think of me and what i've done but i don't think... ❜ he lets his voice trail off and shakes his head. ❛ maybe the memory is better sometimes. ❜

[kakushiha]

for a moment, mai was convinced she misheard zuko, surely he had to have been joking. hell since growing up and actually recognising how terrible the academy was, mai had hated that institution deeply. yet the way that zuko was looking at her made her concerned. concerned that zuko was making a stupid decision.

"spirits you're actually serious aren't you?" mai mumbled in disbelief. "do you really think i'm fit to teach a bunch of kids? especially fire academy kids?" the thought of her as a headmistress made the noble recoil, but not out of some delicate constituion like her peers would claim to get out of any form of work. mai didn't like kids, hell she barely tolerated her little brother.

[fyrbends]

❛ i think you're the perfect person for the job. ❜ he says with a small smile on his face. he knew that she didn't particularly like kids, he'd seen her interact with her brother, but he knew that being headmistress was more about the politics and getting things done than that. the headmistress dealt with paperwork and staff, how often would she really be around any children.

❛ i don't see anyone saying no to you and ❜ he says as he takes a step closer. ❛ you're the only person i trust to make sure the curriculum is changed for the better of the fire nation and its citizens. ❜ he takes her hand gently and offers a smile. he knew he was asking a lot of her, of anyone in that position, but he knew that mai could handle it. she always did.

[fyrbends]

zuko finds out about raised lettering in books on one of his many travels to the earth kingdom. fascinated, and also due to his visual impairment, he starts to learn how to read in his way. eventually, he starts incorporating this into all writings in the fire nation. slowly, he rolls out initiatives that incorporate this tactile writing in all books, scrolls, and anything that contains writing. soon, there is nothing within the walls of the palace that doesn't have this type of writing and eventually the whole of the fire nation takes to this as well.

[fyrbends]

@warreor : ❛ you’re angry. tell me why. ❜

prompts currently accepting !

he's absently pushing the noodles around his bowl lost in thought when the other's words cut through. angry. he stops playing with his food before looking over at sokka. zuko didn't have a word for what he had been feeling until the other had said something. now, it seemed obvious.

❛ i'm just... getting a lot of push back from my council about... everything. ❜ he sighs before pushing the bowl away from him entirely and leaning back in his chair. he didn't know what he had expected as fire lord but he had hoped that within his own palace walls there wouldn't be so much resistance. ❛ i thought after the war that people would want change and welcome it. but... i'm either doing too much or not enough and the most resistance i feel is coming from inside my walls. ❜ he's looking down at the table, eyes tracing the carvings on the edge before he finally looks up at the other. he can't imagine sokka understood. he always came up with plans and had ideas that people just followed.

❛ i thought i was just disappointed or maybe upset but you're right. i'm angry and i don't know how to fix it without... ❜ without sounding like my father. the words are on the edge of his tongue but he can't bring himself to say it. he wants to clean house. to get rid of everyone from his father's time and start anew but he's worried about how that looks. how it'll feel to wield that much power. and the last thing he wants is to be his father. so he let's the sentence trail off, shoulders shrugging in defeat.

[fyrbends]

also friendly reminder i have an azula sideblog if anyone ever wants to plot and work through dynamics with her : @azuheir