#corking118

[lovelyelbowleech]

AMAZING CHAPTER as always, absolutely worth the wait! It's so good. It's SO GOOD. I just started a WG reread because it's so good.

In your end cap note you talked about your brain feeling like soup because of the baby. And since that is extremely relatable to me (lol) I thought I would share a book rec with you. If you haven't read "Matrescence" by Lucy Jones it's absolutely worth your time. She writes about the science of new motherhood, including all the neurological changes that happen in our brains during and after pregnancy. If your brain feels like it works differently now... it's because it literally does.

It was a super validating book to read and helped me understand the struggles I had in those early months, and to feel better about them. Check it out!

Re: War Games-- getting a Dumpling mention in the beginning blurb but then *no other information about her* was a horrible tease, I'm positively livid :D So for the Ask Game can I get "Dumpling" or maybe "hero"?

Thank you! ❤️

And thank you for the recommendation! Having a baby is such a weird experience in so many unexpected ways.  I have bought the book… although I haven't read it yet 😅 

For the ask game, there’s no hero, but you may be in luck regarding Dumpling (there are a number of Dumpling mentions next chapter!)

“Sokka! It's not fine, Sokka!” Zuko hissed at him, in a tone not unlike Dumpling’s. 

I hope you enjoy the next chapter - its finally finished, so not too long to wait now… I hope 😬

[lovelyelbowleech]

Hi LEL! I hope spring has been treating you and your family well. Hopefully the kiddo isn't giving you too much trouble! Excited as always for the next chapter. I'm feeling a family vibe today, so for the Ask Game can we get son/daughter/mother/father? I don't need something for all four so pick whichever one you want :)

Hope things are going well for you and yours too! We are suffering though teething, eczema and being too hot at the moment, so things are a little loud at times  🥲

For the asks:

No daughter, but got the rest of the family.

Son:

He also realised a little belatedly, that Hakoda must know Zuko was a firebender. Did he also know his son was sleeping with him?

Father:

“My father has seen battle, won battles. Remind me, how many has your father actually fought in?”

Mother:

"If he can earthbend as Zuli said, then either his mother is a war bride, or he's a bastard or both."

[lovelyelbowleech]

Here to request my monthly snippet via the Ask Game!

How about "friend" or "enemy"?

Sorry this took me an age... but in good news, the next chapter is finished, and just needs an edit/beta. Its a long one, so my beta reader will hate me 😂

Friend:

He had a feeling that dating Zuko was going to be no less annoying than being friends with him.

Enemy:

If their positions were reversed, Kazuma thought he would have taken a bite out of any enemy hand, apple or no apple.

Thanks for the ask!

[lovelyelbowleech]

It's Friday, which means it's time to start my weekend-long "creep LEL's tumblr to check for WG updates" tradition.

If you're still doing the WIP game can we get "heat" or "hot" please?

Haha soon I promise!

We have both Hot and Heat!

Heat:

He was too close, and he felt he could almost sense the heat coming off him.

Hot:

He leant his hot forehead against the cool stone wall and opened the ties to his trousers.

😬

Thanks for the ask!

[lovelyelbowleech]

The latest WG chapter was amazing and I CANNOT wait to read the reunion of Team Steam (minus Dumpling).

For the neverending Ask Game can I get hug/embrace or betray/betrayal?

Glad you enjoyed! You know Team Steam are going to be a mess verging on disaster while they adjust 😂 They could probably use Dumpling actually, she would have level head in comparison 😬

 Got betray 

He leaned in closer poking a finger into Kazuma's chest and enjoying the way his breathing caught and his eyes went all big and dark. “If you betray us-”

And Hug:

Shen caught him in a hug, holding him tight and allowing Sokka to hide his face in his shirt.

Thanks for the ask! ❤️

[lovelyelbowleech]

(here again because I'm insatiable:)

how about "air" or "Appa"?

Also just as an aside it has been way, way too long since we've checked in with my girl Dumpling. I hope she's ok and bossing around the other birds in Hakoda's camp. (of course she is.) As excited as I am for the boys to reunite with Shen I might be even more excited for them to reunite with Dumpling tbh.

It has been too long without Dumpling! That is a reunion I have a pretty clear Idea of how I want to go down - she deserves some drama.

And for the ask game:

Air:

There was smoke on the air, it wasn't helping the fear.

Appa:

Then he slowly slid down Appa’s side to land in a clumsy heap by one of the bisons forelegs.

Thanks for the ask!

[lovelyelbowleech]

This last chapter was such a doozy, omg!

For the perpetual Ask Game, can I have "kiss"?

Glad you enjoyed! (sorry for the late response 😅)

Kiss:

Sokka was pretty sure she knew they were having a collective meltdown and not kissing, and this was her polite way of making them hurry up without drawing attention to it.

[lovelyelbowleech]

I'm rereading War Games (I spend a lot of my time these days breastfeeding my daughter and what I appreciate about WG is that it's A. fantastic, and B. very long) and just got through the part where Iroh and Katara are discussing how he invented the technique to redirect lightning. He says he can teach it to her, and we know from later chapters that he does because she teaches Zuko. Now, Iroh told her that she can't redirect lightning but might be able to use the technique for something else. I'd forgotten about that. Any hints as to what she might use it for in the future?

I'm so, so excited to see how you change things up from canon in the coming chapters!!

I hope you and your daughter are both doing well!

Haha it is long I will give you that! Glad a reread is giving you some entertainment during long feeds! 

I'm getting close the the point I have to plan out in detail the next series of chapters - I have the next 3 plotted, but then need to start figuring out what ideas fit into the next run of chapters and which I have accidentally written myself out of 😂 so we will have to see if that particular idea pans out - and if it will do soon or later...

Thank you for the ask! Hope you continue to enjoy!