#* post war.

[fyrbends]

@kakushiha ( akuma ) continued from here !

ember eyes look over the man carefully. he's been warned about toeing the line since he gained control of the fire nation. how all of his abrupt takes and reconstructing had caused cataclysmic turmoil within all the lands of the fire nation. it was one of the many reasons he was constantly on the affront of assassination attempts. but he didn't care. this stuff mattered. and if zuko were being honest, the theatre mattered the most to him. it was his first love. his first true memory with his mother that hadn't been tainted by his father or azula. the arts sparked something deep in his heart he could never really shake. and he knew that if anything could get through to fire nation civilians, it was this.

❛ i'm sure you're aware of all of the propaganda changes i've made regarding the fire nation and our... legacy. ❜ the last word comes out forced, like acid on his tongue. he can't be proud of it yet but maybe, with his help, he could be. ❛ i want to remove all the plays that support my father's vision for the fire nation. the arts need to go back to how they were before the thought that the fire nation is all glory and god. ❜ he smiles finally, chest puffing slightly. ❛ i think you're the man that can help that. ❜

[fyrbends]

@kakiaktok : one of the downsides to being the avatar's date was that everyone at these parties always wanted to talk to them. well, talk to him. katara was just ... there. she's polite to the dignitaries and ambassadors and nobles with far too much wealth, that swarm around them every few minutes, but her eyes are always wandering, searching the crowd. looking for any means of escape. it's only when one middle-aged man behind her offers a strangely high pitched m'lord that she turns around, her arm still wound with aang's. as soon as she sees them, the tension in her shoulders lessens.

❛ fire lord zuko. lady mai. a pleasure, as always. ❜ she greets with all the heightened propriety expected, mischief in her smile. ❛ you two certainly look like you're having fun. ❜

random inbox interactions always accepting !

he always dreaded these type of things. the formality of everything. the robes, the hair, the speaking all of it had to be perfect. he had to be perfect. most of the time he wasn't and it fell to mai to smooth things over and make him look less like an idiot. he always felt like he was one sentence away from a misstep, to bringing down the fire nation again, until he saw her.

they were always invited. everyone was and having any of his friends at these type of things always eased the tension in his shoulders but he would be lying if he didn't say katara brought a certain calm that no one else could. he saw the crowd of people, the excited conversation and he knew that the avatar was in the certain of all of it. a small exhale of relief that the focus of the party, of every party, always seemed to be on him rather than zuko and his recent policies. a welcome distraction amongst the crowd but his eyes searched instinctually for her. ember eyes found the blue of her dress in the huddled mass, saw the way her hair flowed around her shoulders and face like water, and he couldn't help wonder why no one was talking to her.

he's pushing forward, dragging mai on his arm towards the crowd when they part just enough to let them through. his lungs fill with air, a smile on his face at her words and he almost lets go of mai just to hug her. almost. he stops himself nodding at her words before rolling his eyes. fire lord zuko. it always sounded strange coming from any of them and the full title was usually reserved for when they wanted to annoy him. sokka and toph usually taking the helm on that subject. ❛ please. ❜ he says finally, almost laughing at her. ❛ don't start, it's too early, and your brother and toph aren't here to help. it's just zuko for you. ❜ he offers her a smile, mischief in his eyes that mirrors hers.

[fyrbends]

@seismictoph : ❛ i'm having fun, i promise. ❜

prompts no longer accepting !

his brow goes up at her words before he smiles. ❛ you might want to tell your face that. ❜ he looks around at what she's built up since the war ended and how she's made a name for herself. to say what she's done is impressive would be an understatement. he knows the time and effort that goes into making anything of note so this wasn't just an afterthought of toph. this was a labor of love. or it at least started out that way. ❛ what's wrong ? ❜

[fyrbends]

@seismictoph continued from here !

❛ oh ! ❜ he says suddenly and part of him wants to melt away into nothingness. sometimes, he hates to admit, he took her ability to see for granted. her confidence, reassurance, and ability to tell even when he was lying would sometimes trick him into forgetting that occasionally, toph did not have all the answers. times like now where the visual aspect of his gift is just as important as the texture of it. and he knows what it's like. for people to forget that there's a gap, something missing that's so vital it's taken for granted.

he reaches over, grabbing one hand carefully to avoid dropping the cup. fingers move to follow the curve of the engraving on the porcelain. ❛ these are tails that form at the ends of clouds sometimes after it rains. ❜ he smiles as he guides her fingers to follow the tendril until it reaches the main focus of the design. he stops finally, letting go of her hand with a smile. ❛ and this is a cloud. ❜ his head tilts at the teacup before looking at her. ❛ and the teacup is green to match you. i thought you'd like it. ❜

[fyrbends]

@kakushiha ( mai ) continued from here.

❛ the end goal is to bring the fire nation into good standing with the rest of the world. to rebuild what my family has ruined for generations. nothing more. ❜ he knows when he says it from the look on her face, that she doesn't buy it. katara was more than just an ambassador to him, more than a friend, and he knew from the way the heat rose in his body and the nail marks on his arm that mai knew that too. but what was he to say that he hadn't said countless times before ? what was she going to chastise him for that she hadn't already. rumors, gossip, assassination attempts they were his normal day - to - day, why was this any different ?

he lets out a big, dramatic sigh as he sinks into a chair. hand rakes across his face for added dramatics before he looks over at her. ❛ just yell at me, we both know where this is going. ❜ he stares at her and he bites back the venom that fills his mouth. the words that always threaten to spill out every time they have an argument about rumors and appearances and her. he always wants to know why mai hasn't done the thing he's sure she wants to do. why haven't you dumped me yet ? the words are always on the tip of his tongue, begging to spill and stop the charade they've both been putting on for years but he doesn't. he can't. he hurt her once before in an attempt to stop his father and save the world and he can't do it again. he couldn't allow himself to be so shortsighted that he dumped her over an argument that went no where. she would have to. it's the promise he made all those years ago at seventeen and it's the promise he keeps now. he'd never dump her again.

so here they sit, arguing the same argument for the millionth time and all he can think about is how bored the fire sages must be hearing it again. do they even eavesdrop anymore ? he presses his lips into a thin line as he looks down at his feet, ember eyes tracing the pattern of his shoes before he speaks. ❛ she's just a friend. she's with the avatar. when will you let this go ? ❜

[fyrbends]

@kakiaktok : she isn't even pretending to read the scroll in front of her anymore, gaze focused intently on the hair currently spilling over his shoulder. the urge to comb her fingers through the silken strands is practically burning under her skin. she knows she shouldn't, knows how sacred hair can be in the fire nation, but she truly can't help but blurt out ❛ can i braid you hair ? ❜

random inbox interactions always accepting !

his eyes are fixated on the scroll in front of him, brow furrowed in deep thought. he was hunched over, legs crossed in front of him as he tried to focus on what felt like the millionth scroll that he's come across. he knew that repairing the fire nation would take a lot of time, effort, and sacrifice but he had vastly underestimated the amount of reading into the night he'd be doing. he'd grown used to having to adopt a morning stretch regimen that he had originally dismissed as more uncle iroh nonsense but had found that his body needed it. he'd learned to time out extending his legs and wiggling his toes to prevent them from falling asleep. all of this to say that his hair had become a long, unruly mess. some things needed to be neglected.

his hair falls past his shoulder, covering the words he was reading at her words almost on cue. he looks up at her, smiling at how eager she looks to braid his hair. he's sure that if he were to deny her, the look on her face would certainly crush him, and if he was being honest about it, he needed the break. shoulders roll back as he straightens up, hair falling back into place. ❛ that bad huh ? ❜ he smiles at her before pushing himself away from the table in front of them, body facing the open window as he displays his back and hair to her. an open invitation to let her do what she wants. ❛ we have a gala tomorrow so... i guess i should look presentable. ❜ he moves his head from side to side slowly, his hair swaying in rhythm and he can't remember the last time it was this long or the last time someone cared for it besides him. maybe never.

[fyrbends]

@kakiaktok : ❛ is this thoughtful silence, or worried silence ? ❜

prompts for catching up / checking in currently accepting !

he's staring out the window at the garden. ember eyes transfixed on the moonlit fire lilies and the way the turtle ducks sleepily moved about the pond. his thoughts were a million miles away until he heard her voice. he turns slightly, smiling as he looks her over, before the question makes him frown. how could he form the words ? ember eyes stare at her, bathed in the moonlight streaming in the window and somehow she was more ethereal than before. her hair, normally carefully braided was loose and fell around her carefully. her eyes, the deepest ocean blue that he couldn't look away from. and her smile made him inhale slightly. her smile reminded him that she was warm and compassionate and if it was anyone he could confide in, it was her.

❛ both ? ❜ he finally offered, his shoulders sagging as he exhaled the breath in his lungs he hadn't realized he was holding in. she had that effect on him. fire lord zuko crumbling at the sight of a southern water tribe woman. the only woman he loved. his gaze broke hers and he looked down at the floor, eyes going over the pattern. how could he tell her what uncle iroh had helped him realize ? what mai had told him years before and what was struggling to come out now. but he felt the squeeze on his heart tighten at the thought that crept into his head. what would she do once she found out he loved her ? or the nagging thought that almost made him collapse right then was what if she didn't love him back ?

❛ katara, i ❜ his voice was barely above a whisper, his vision suddenly blurry with tears. his throat felt hot and scratchy and it took everything in him not to reach for her hand. he looked up finally, ember eyes staring at cerulean and he managed to get out one sentence. ❛ i'm so sorry about these past few days. ❜