featuring: katara, yue, toph, suki, azula, ty lee, mai.
content warnings: obsession, manipulation, and possessiveness. references to captivity, implied violence and physical harm. all characters intended to be read as of age (postwar, prior to tlok).
divider source: @uzmacchiato.
tlok edition.
KATARA is smothering.
she cares a lot. it’s a good quality, on its own, and a difficult one to complain about without sounding like a heartless, selfish, spoiled child. shouldn’t it please you to not be alone anymore? to have somebody out there who’d share your joys and sorrows, weathering with you the stillness and the storms? somebody who’d look out for you, provide for you, speak up for you? shouldn’t it please you to be so obviously loved? and sure. it should. it would have, if not for the feeling that you are getting smaller. whatever edge you might have had before meeting katara is eroded, restless tides lapping up at the borders, and it’s gentle—she always is—yet insistent, inescapable. you do not notice the change until it’s too late—until she’s everything, everywhere, all the time, as though by inviting her into your life you’d invited her into you, and now you can’t get one out without destroying the other. not that she’d let you try that either: her hands are soft; her temper isn’t. once the simmering reaches the boiling point, you might have to learn the hard way just how much she cares about you. it’s lucky, then, that there’s so little she cannot mend. that, like it or not, as long as you are in her arms, you’ll be taken care of.
YUE is selfish.
were she not so selfless a person, she wouldn’t have to be so selfish a lover. alas, yue is the dutiful daughter, the dutiful wife, and the dutiful mother, so there’s never been anything she wouldn’t share—any part of herself she wouldn’t give up for the greater good. and, to her credit, she wishes to be selfless with you, too, for selflessness is the virtue she’s been weaned on, the one thing she must nobly hold on to, but there’s only so much you can give away before there’s nothing left, and even she is not so self-sacrificial. even she knows better than to resign herself to the silence of solitude. all that this means, however, is that you are the one paying the price. you are the one who can’t be the daughter, the wife, or the mother, because what you must be first is her companion—a witness to the icy prison and the icy princess in it. don’t be fooled by the sweetness of her voice, the sincerity of the tears brimming in her startling eyes: if she pushes you away, it’s only to pull you back in. you are as close as anything has come to being hers, and so she cannot let go of you, however unkind of her that may be.
TOPH is ruthless.
it’s not that she is above sentimentality—she is plenty sentimental when it comes to you; it’s just that there’s very little she isn’t willing to give up for a good enough prize, and you happen to be a good enough prize that, should promises—or bones—need to be broken, then broken they will be. hers, yours, theirs. whatever. as long she gets what she needs, she loses no sleep over it. you might be tempted to write this off as cruelty, but cruelty it is not: toph doesn’t delight in hurting others. the taunting and the jabbing she enjoys quite a bit, sure. the lies and the theatrics? undeniably, yes. harm for the sake of harm, however, holds no appeal to her. pain, if caused by her, is the byproduct of her getting what she needs, and what she needs is love. the kind of love that’s vulnerable enough to satisfy the craving for it, yet not so vulnerable as to make her soft, and pliant, and weak; a tamed love and a safe love; a love she’d always have an upper hand in. that’s what she’s willing to give anything up for. unfortunately for you, that’s not something she can get without breaking you in.
SUKI is zealous.
she’s quick on her feet: she’s got no time to dawdle—not with her sisters by her side and not with the safety of her community at stake, so she’s used to assessing the situation quickly. size up your opponent, find their weak spot, exploit it. an easy enough strategy, in theory. in practice, a fight can rarely be won without a sacrifice: perhaps, you overlook a detail you should have honed in on; perhaps, you insist on engaging an opponent that should have been avoided. perhaps, perhaps, perhaps. there are plenty of them, those “perhaps”, but get stuck on any one, and you lose. the thought fatigue gets you well before the enemy. thus, suki’s not one to hesitate. she knows what she wants; she gives it a shot. if that shot lands poorly, she does her best to soothe the sore spot. she apologizes. she makes up for it. then, she goes back to the basics: to knowing what she wants, to reaching out to get it. and it’s never malicious, and it’s never so cruel as to alarm her good-spirited self to the possibility of her imposing on you, but it is exhausting. she wears you down until you, too, learn to make your decisions quickly. until you learn better than to keep saying “no”.
AZULA is scared.
not of you, of course, but of what you are to her. of the weight your existence holds, in its presence and its absence. she wishes she’d never met you. then she wouldn’t have to know what it’s like to have you, and she wouldn’t have to care about losing you. instead she can only hope that there might be a threat great enough to dangle over your head, or a good enough tool for her to mold herself into for your use. instead she can only fear and be repulsed by that fear: by herself, dependent on you, an uncertain variable; and by you, oblivious to your own volatility, content enough to keep passing her tests and jumping through her hoops. you aren’t smart enough to know that this is a road into nothing, a proverbial cul-de-sac in the noisy neighborhood of her mind, but she is. she knows that sooner or later this will come to an end. the fire will eat, and once it’s had its fill, there’ll be nothing but ashes. it’s not easy for her—living with that much fear, so don’t be surprised if her love is indistinguishable from hatred. you may not be having a good time with azula, but whatever she’s going through because of you is much, much worse.
TY LEE is manipulative.
she’s a liar. that’s all there is to it. there isn’t a shape she won’t contort herself into to be loved by you, and there isn’t a weak point she won’t exploit to get you to stay. she cares not about dignity; she knows not shame. what she wants is your undivided attention, and she’s getting it, one way or another. her bonelessness is selective: tie herself into knots though she may, when push comes to shove, she does have a spine, and, devastatingly enough, its steeliness is not to your benefit. veer too far away from the course, and the illusion of her eating out of your hand shatters, replaced instead with the much less ego-stroking truth of having been locked in the grasp of her palm. a delicate, if calloused, palm; a palm that’s so skilled at twirling you around that the routine ty lee is leading you in could easily pass for a pleasant, mutual dance. she leaves you little to do, other than tremble and twitch, limbs struggling to twist up in a move she won’t know to turn against you. you won’t. obviously. she’s too good—she has to be. after all, she’s got no safety net to catch you in, should you manage to slip.
MAI is devoted.
it’s easy enough to miss. she’s spent most of her life in shadowy corners and dusty attics, so hiding from you comes naturally: she puts no special effort into masking her feelings, because she’s never not masking. the insults she throws at you might be unusually sharp, too specific to have come from under the shroud of apathy she wraps herself in, but that’s all the more reason to surmise a dislike of you—a mai-specific brand of revulsion. not infatuation and certainly not love. you infer that, in her mind, you are somewhere between “annoying idiot number ten” and “annoying idiot number twelve”, and you do your best not to piss her off some more. you aren’t eager to learn what she’s got in her arsenal for an annoying idiot number eleven. that’s why a flash of raw emotionality, come and gone on a random day during a mundane interaction, catches you off guard: to notice something where you expect to see nothing is alarming. gaining awareness of the depth of her feelings, threatening to crawl out from under the ground they’ve been buried in, turns out to be about as startling as learning that the town you’ve lived in for years has been nestled in the crater of a dormant volcano all along. the realization is gut-wrenching, panic-inducing, and futile. if you are close enough to see it, it’s already too late.
Firelord!Zuko x ambassador gn!reader x Fire empress!Mai
Life as an ambassador is a constant cycle of paperwork, duty, and more paperwork. Yet, there is no resentment only pride and honor. The trust placed by both husband and wife is sacred, and it is the ambassador’s solemn duty to restore the Fire Nation to its former glory. Every document signed, every treaty written, every historical record restored is a step toward redemption. Ink stains mark the hands like badges of service, each stroke of the brush helping to rebuild the Earth Kingdom and mend the wounds left by old the Fire Lord’s reign.
Sleep could wait. The warmth of the bed, the comfort of beloved arms, the soft touch of gentle fingers all of it called like a siren’s song. Zuko’s strong arms could easily pull anyone into a peaceful slumber, his body radiating heat like a living furnace. Mai’s delicate fingers could soothe away any lingering tension, her quiet presence both calming and commanding. But duty came first. The nation came first. Love could wait until the ink dried.
“Firefly, how long will you keep us waiting?” Zuko’s soft, husky voice broke through the haze of concentration. “Please come to bed. It’s cold without you,” he murmured, his tone carrying a hint of playful complaint. The sight of his tousled black hair and tired golden eyes almost made you falter. Almost.
“Just a couple more documents to sign, beloved,” came the weary reply, a hand raised dismissively toward the king.
Then swoosh! A dagger sliced through the air, embedding itself in the wall mere inches from your hand. The ink jar trembled. The ambassador froze.
“My dear ambassador,” came Mai’s cold, firm voice, “it is an official order from your Empress to come to bed.”
You didn't dare turn around. Zuko sighed, attempting to defuse the tension. “Mai-flower, don’t you think that’s a little cruel?”
But Mai’s mind was made up. “I won’t call you again, Ambassador. Next time, I will not miss.”
A gulp. A quick extinguishing of the lantern. “Yes, my beloved,” came the shaky response. Terrifying, yes but also utterly captivating.
Robes slipped away as you climbed into bed, settling between the two of them right where you belonged. Zuko’s arms wrapped around you both, his warmth enveloping you and Mai completely. Mai’s fingers found their way into your hair, her touch softer now, though her eyes still glinted with mischief.
“How come you listen to her and not me?” Zuko grumbled, his lips pressed together in an almost pout.
“Because you’re far too soft,” Mai replied smoothly. “A delicate hand is no match for a sharp blade.”
Zuko chuckled, pressing a kiss to your temple. “At least stop trying to murder our love.”
Mai only stuck out her tongue playfully. “They’re into it.”
☆ Yuji is someone who struggles with particularly difficult dreams and hard thoughts at night. It is only when you fall asleep that he can finally rest easy, as he views you as "protected" by him. Often with an arm around you, maybe if he feels particularly affectionate he'd envelop you whole in his body; his only goal is to make you feel safe, though that is really more for himself than anything.
Megumi
☆ Much to your usual dismay, Megumi does not like hugs at all. Physical affection with him is something rare, and it's something he takes special care with when he shows it and how. When lying in bed, however, he might lend his arm for you to embrace, or he might just glare at you in silence, and even if his mind is racing with thoughts that drive him insane, it's only in his eyes and their gaze that you could truly realize how much love he had.
Nobara
☆ Unlike her peers, Nobara is someone who loves to demonstrate, and when it came to you, it was absolutely no exception. There was no time at all when you two wouldn't be seen at least holding hands in some capacity. You woke up tangled together in a mess of hair and yawns, and you fell asleep with intertwined arms, legs, and everything in between.
Yuta
☆ At first, Yuta was deeply embarrassed by any type of physical affection, to the point it would be seriously difficult for him to even ask for handholding, but as time went on, he would start to do these things naturally, not even noticing it at first. He'd feel like something was missing if he wasn't holding you in any way, and when it came to sleeping together, he'd get to a point where he couldn't quite sleep right if he wasn't holding you close at all.
Maki
☆ Maki, surprisingly enough, is someone that's very shy about these types of things. You could always get out of her an Eep! A flushed face or a quick side glance whenever you showed any type of public affection, even in a long-standing relationship. In private, however, Maki was more prone to slightly shuffling herself into a very awkward position to be close to you. Of course, she never spoke it out loud, she never acknowledged it, and if you did point it out, she'd act like you were insane. She did really love when you slept on top of her chest, though; it filled her constant worry of your safety.
Mai
☆ To Mai, you were the most precious jewel she could ever blatantly shove in everyone's faces, and she took the opportunity every time she could. She'd very dramatically kiss you in public, hug you just barely in everyone's view, smile ear to ear in front of those she disliked whenever she was with you, or just interrupt your casual conversations with someone to hug you suddenly. As bothersome as it could be for some, it was her own way to showcase that you were the most beautiful thing in her life, and in those nights where no one was near, she'd fall into your arms to live comfortably in your warmth.
Miwa
☆ As clueless as Miwa was, she'd fall to her knees whenever you even dared to breathe in her general direction. Such was her own admiration for you that even the slightest form of affection was a reward she cherished with her entire heart. During work, she'd often find her mind wandering off into you, imagining your embrace later on that night. Then she'd get scolded, only for it to start all over again.
Mechamaru
☆ Having to spend an eternity imagining how your skin felt and how the warmth of your body would react to his own had shaped Mechamaru into someone that simply couldn't remove himself from you. He went wherever you did, he stayed where you did, and he'd follow you if anything changed. His entire life had been spent dreaming of moments like these, and to sleep in your arms, to hold you in his own, was a paradise he thought he could never have.
Choso
☆ For Choso, such strong emotional stimulus warranted responses that he did not know. As such, he took his time to slowly get used to your grade of affection, from observing to gradually letting himself loose until he could not separate himself from your arms. Since he had basically no concept of shame, he'd ask you for affection anywhere and everywhere he could; it was his little addiction. Since he had no real necessity to sleep, he took his time to observe every single part of you at night, every single glance filled with a love he never thought he had.
Kirara
☆ Kirara would just cling to you anytime she wished to; if you complained about it, she'd double down until you yielded. At work, at rest, eating, or basically doing anything, she'd always have at least one arm to cover you with, and her entire day would be spent preparing to release her full affection at night when you had very little protest left.
Gojo
☆ His affection is almost purely in a teasing manner, to incite a reaction from you, to see what you'd say, and to see what others would say. He poked at you, hugged you from behind, messed with your hair, and just did everything in his power to annoy you in a way you could not fight back with. Only at night did he truly cuddle with you, often by just letting you sleep on his chest or anywhere where he could keep a constant eye on you.
Geto
☆ To him, affection was a very intimate thing. It was a way to make you feel special, loved, and unique; as such, he'd leave it for very precise moments where he wished to convey certain feelings. They always consisted of soft, gentle movements all over your body with kisses to decorate it all. You were special to him in a way he had a hard time to convey, but he tried his best.
Shoko
☆ Due to Shoko's busy nature, you two rarely had time to properly develop your feelings; instead, every time you had the opportunity to switch glances, Shoko would often play with your fingers or your hair, doing small circular motions as you talked along. Only at night did she release her tension with you, embracing you with a strength none could match at all.
༉‧₊˚. fire lord zuko and fire lady mai. powerful. undisputed. respected. they balance their love with their duty well, in a way that might appear as distant and sometimes stiff, but to those closest to them, can almost be described as soft. zuko oversees domestic territories and interal palace affairs, whilst mai, with her upbringing that gave her the knowledge of how to handle court, often travels to foreign places for treaties or negotations.
they are a well-oiled machine, but with the birth of princess izumi, that machine comes to a bit of a grinding halt. it's hard to govern a nation when a baby is taking all their attention. don't get them wrong, they'd burn down the world for that chubby-cheeked face, but they need help. zuko scoffs at the idea. mai knows it's because he fears that a nanny might be some spy who slipped through their nets to hurt his darling girl. in the end, mai gets the ultimate vote. they're getting a nanny. end of story.
most would expect mai, sharp-tongued and almost surgical in her analysis of someone, to frighten off the nannies they interview. but it's zuko who sits there, brimming with suspicion, steam occasionally curling out of his mouth when a nanny says something about discipline that seems a little too harsh, or about being too lenient. mai almost gives up when the last of the options comes in. you, with those soft eyes and gentle mouth, describing your experience as first a babysitter for your village, then as a nurse for a group of sick children, then going for real training as a palace nanny.
mai likes you from the start. after years of recognising patterns in people's character, nothing in you unsettles her. she gives zuko a glance, and whilst he trusts his wife's judgement, he's still a bit hesistant. so they bring out izumi, who notoriously wails when anyone but her parents coddle her. in your arms, all she does is babble, tug at your hair, before dozing off. the warmth of the affection in your gaze, like you already love the little princess, is finally what makes zuko relent.
they monitor you for the first few days, of course. can't be too careful. you don't mind, carrying on the routine. feed, swaddle, play, bathe, nap. all in perfect rhythm. izumi takes to you with the delight that all infants have, as you do to her. every morning and every night, you report to either zuko or mai on the day. sometimes they join you for bathes or play time, and you get to observe the powerful monarchs turn into cooing parents. mai often speaks to you, or just watches, as you clean up the room when she nurses a hungry izumi. you try not to feel the intensity of her gaze that follows you around, especially when you bend over to pick something up.
over time they begin to ask more about you when you report to them. how was your day? you've been running around all day, do you feel any pain? did you eat? winter is nearly here, are you warm enough? you dismiss the questions as the concerns of employers making sure their nanny is in the condition to do her work, though when they both appear at the reporting times, listening so intently to your replies, you get a bit nervous.
what has been a job that solely focused on izumi now includes the parents a lot more, who you assumed would be too busy to always stick around. especially considering they hired you because they had duties to attend. mai even asks if you've ever considered having kids yourself. zuko passed a comment of him wondering if more heirs would be a good idea-- for the nation, of course.
day by day, you grow more alert to their glances and movements. the question of why keeps you up at night in your modest room, but a new one pops into your head as winter approaches.
why is my bed always heated before i get in it? and why does it smell like them? ⍣ ೋ
A/N: Hi, hope you are doing well. The current heatwave is taking it's toll on me. I'm feeling so hot, I don't even want to touch my phone, not to think my laptop. Hope you can be forgiving for me being so inactive. But I come bearing gifts, this is something that came to my mind yesterday evening when sleep evaded me. Not proofread or anything and might be a bit crack-ish. Hope you enjoy <3
"No."
The word was spoken firmly, a unspoken threat looming beneath them.
"Don't you dare take even one more step towards me."
Zuko watched with poorly concealed amusement, his eyes lazily tracked her wagging finger pointing towards him.
"The Fire Lord commands affection," his words were, of course, nothing more but jest. He'd rather bathe in lava than actually address himself like this. His want for affection was there nevertheless and she was the goal. A very unwilling and grumpy goal.
Zuko's eyes wandered to the side, straying not far to find Mai lazing on a futon with a fan in her hand, sluggishly fanning herself. Here in the royal quarters they'd stripped of any unnecessarily piece of clothing. It reminded him of the beach on Ember Island.
"Don't look at me. I won't help you." Her words feigned boredom but the twitch of her lips told him the opposite.
For a few silent moments Zuko considered it, seriously. In the end he decided to ignore the warning, taking a step further. He was rewarded with the wet splat as the dampened fabric landed square in his face. It left behind a moist and cool sensation as the fabric slipped off and landed by his feet in another wet squelch.
"You may hug this my lord."
His eyebrow rose in surprise. She had chucked the thing straight at him in - he had to admit - an impressive throw.
"Why don't you let me hug you?" he whined, almost like a little boy. She had that effect on him lately. His council would have a stroke if only they knew that his lady general commanded the fire lord in the confines of his private quarters.
Said general of his sat on the bed, only one calf now wrapped in the cooling racks that was the latest trial in cooling her down. She looked regal in all her sweaty, annoyed mess. He couldn't fault her entirely. This heatwave was getting to everyone. Let alone a heavily pregnant woman, whose body was now fueled by two fires instead of just one.
But that didn't stop Zuko from wanting to sidle up to her, to wrap himself around her back and let his hands and perhaps also his lips trace the curvature of her belly. Over the course of the last days this had become their game. He hadn't won once yet.
Holding his hands high in the air in an attempt to appear more innocent Zuko trailed over to the edge of the bed and sank down. His robe was quickly discarded until all that remained was the flowly pants, slung low on his hips.
"Then a kiss at least?" was his plea of truce.
He watched her consider it, brows furrowed. She didn't seem pleased but in the end, with a sigh, she accepted with a nod.
"One and you stay away."
"So feisty," he murmured, already slowly crawling across the soft and cool silks of the bedding. She huffed, but there was an amused glint in her eyes now.
"I'd like to see you handling this." Gesturing towards her rounded abdomen, her fingers briefly trailed towards him. It was as if despite her fiery protests she was still craving his closeness just as much as he was.
"I couldn't. Not as well as you do at least." That made both of his ladies laugh.
"I fear I am barely handling it as it is. I will never do this again in the height of the summer"
Zuko finally reached her side, neck stretched as far as he could. He was determined to get this kiss at least and he wouldn't let anything come between.
The meeting of their lips was the sweetest treat after such a hot and exhausting day. When they parted once more, her more than him, he was tempted to lean back in and steal another one. Then her words registered and his heart soared.
"You are already planning to do this again?"
Sheepishly she looked at him and then at May, "Not really. But I'm simply saying, if that is something you'd like, something you decide to want and ask of me again. I won't do it in the summer. At least not in a capital that sits in the crater of an old volcano."
"That can be arranged," Mai promised, watching them from her futon. The next moment she rose, striding slowly towards the bed. Kneeing on the soft mattress Mai too pressed a kiss to their lovely generals lips.
She possessed far greater composure than Zuko, retreating once more after the kiss ended. There was only one of them playing with fire today.
Seeing his chance in the momentary distraction, the fire lord leaned forward once more. His lips connected with her rounded stomach. And because he was especially brave his hands descended on it a mere moment after.
"Zuko!" The protest was instant, his hands warm against her soft skin. As quickly as he delivered, he pulled away, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"I couldn't resist." He never could when it came to her.
₊✦Limbus Company | Female!Side Characters x gn!reader | Potential spoilers!✦₊
"What? A worm?" Xichun scowled. Was this one of your attempts to tease her again? Because if so, she certainly wasn't going to let you win so easily!
“Why would I love a worm? Don’t be ridiculous.” Besides, what did you even mean by your question? That you’d take some bolus that eventually turned you into a worm or one where you turned into an actual worm?
In the first scenario, she doubted she’d be able to keep loving you no matter how much she tried. Dealing with one person who wasted his life away was painful enough, she doubted that she’d be able to deal with it again, let alone with someone just as important to her. In the second scenario… she supposed that if you just looked like a worm but were capable of talking or interacting with her — and most importantly, you still had a consciousness because she certainly wouldn’t love an actual worm — then she’d love you still.
Not that she was going to tell you that, though. It’s what you get for trying to tease her!
The corner of Alfonso’s lips quirked up into a smile. “Of course, dear. What you are won’t change how much I love you.”
If she didn’t already have something in mind, then your question certainly would’ve given her the perfect idea to keep you by her side for however long she wanted. Though, you being a worm would be boring since she wouldn’t get to enjoy the affection you gave her as a human, so it’s highly unlikely she’ll turn you into a worm even if she had not other choice.
Well, not permanently at least. The moment she figured out a better method to make you stay with her, she’d turn you back into a human.
"...What?" Caiman blinked. How would she even begin to answer a question like this? Was this just a hypothetical question or were you looking for reassurance of some sort?
“That depends on what exactly you mean by turning into a worm,” she continued. “Do you still have your consciousness as a worm? Do I know that the worm is you? Did you get some elaborate body modification or prosthetics or were you turned into a tiny worm against your will?”
…or maybe she was overthinking this?
She turned away from you, as she was flustered... and she probably was. Strict as she was when it come to her work, you always managed to confuse or fluster her whenever the two of you were alone.
"...Yes, I'd love you if you were a worm.”
"Why not?" Mai answered softly. "I doubt you'd stay a worm for long here in T Corp, but I'll love you all the same.”
"What if I was stuck as a worm forever then?" you questioned her.
She hummed in thought. Given her position as a Class 5 employee as well as her rather close friendship with Herbert, it was highly unlikely — if not straight up impossible — that you'd stay as a worm. She had enough resources and wealth to provide you a new, maybe human, body.
However, considering your insistence on the question, she doubted that you'd be satisfied with that answer. "Then I'd take care of you forever," she chose to say with a gentle smile. "How you look like won't change the fact that I love you. If you need me to take care of you, then I will.”
<- Back to the masterlist?
Jia Xichun | Alfonso | Caiman | Mai
