“Prince Zuko, Lt Jee and Ensign Chatri have enough experience to accurately predict the severity of the coming storm, even if we can’t see it just yet,” General Iroh interrupted.
“I can feel it too! I’m not an ignorant idiot either,” Prince Zuko unsurprisingly shouted in offense. “I have more sailing experience than you, Uncle. I’m not denying the storm’s coming. I’m saying we have to take our chances and sail through it! The wind patterns are erratic enough that we could luck out and it’ll break, or maybe avoid it, or-”
“Is it worth the crew’s well-being to take that chance?” Lt Jee cut in as Prince Zuko paused to take a breath. “Prince Zuko, I can sympathize with your plight in regards to Commander Zhao, however-”
“Oh, you sympathize! Do you? Maybe I’d believe that if you were doing more to help with our current plight!”
Although Zuko's crew has finally started warming up to him, Lt Jee remains unmoved... Perhaps we'll finally learn why ;3 Meanwhile, the Gaang runs into a familiar face! Well, for us, this is a first meeting for them~
Before Zuko had this crew, he had his besties, start LTF from the beginning to meet them~~ Or catch up with Tsunamis from chapter one!
“Giving my crew a day or two of rest hardly means I’m being negligent in my quest,” Prince Zuko said with strained evenness. “It’s said that taking time to rest leads to better work in the long run.”
Commander Zhao scoffed. “Said by whom? General Iroh?”
If he were in different company, it was obvious Zhao would not be giving General Iroh the respect of his title nor his name. The condescension dripping from his voice promised several unsavory epithets for the royal general. Seta had heard several horror stories about this man from his friend on Outpost 205, but the gossip had not prepared him for this. And Prince Zuko had been dealing with him for three years?!
“My uncle has lots of words of wisdom,” Prince Zuko said, baring his teeth in a poor attempt at a polite smile. “I’ve only recently matured enough to understand them.”
It's time. It's the Crew 3 chapter(s)! Just what's been going on behind the scenes, and how have recent events changed their perception of their residence young prince?
Catch up with Tsunamis from chapter one~~ or begin Zuko's banishment story with LTF part one ;3
ok so i've seen Waterlouper's pirate au and now i want au's of that au. by which i mean: Zuko with a crew of teens that are only a little older than him. Jee still stays an adult he just has to deal with the teenage division on a ship.
Lieutenant Dad Jee is going to have many headaches. but at least the prince is making friends and recovering faster... he's also considering treason faster but Jee isn't one to talk, why else would he be here?
I know I already put it on Ao3 but just the way the crew in your fic talks about Zuko like some annoying little brother but then also care so deeply for him. 🤌 In the bar when they’re like “LOL U SOUND JUST LIKE THE PRINCE! Pouting pout pout.” is just so refreshing. Ming’s worry for him. They’re a found family in their own way and I love the way you portray that. 🥲
Also, how totally unfair is it you can both write AND draw? 😭 Can you save some talent for the rest of us? 😂🫶
Ah, thanks for all the love! I am so glad you like FTS! I hope you're excited for the next chapter—many great things are coming (clue, the Southern mini-arc begins to unravel!).
The Crew is such a delight to write. I swear, they might be taking over the story, but I don't regret it. You described them perfectly! They're this huge rambunctious found family, and Zuko is their annoying little brother.
In Yoi's (future) words: "The Prince might be an aggravating menace with anger issues, but he's our aggravating menace with anger issues."
Also, pouting pout pout might be the very best thing I have ever read. Just so you know.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 4/4
Words: 33k
Relevant tags: Zuko-centric, dual POV, Time Travel, Lieutenant Jee being a reluctant father figure, many mentions of the Air Nomad genocide.
Summary:
The bath takes care of the sweat. Takes care of the burnt bits of skin and fat that still cling to his palm. Zuko scrubs his body until it’s raw, blushing red; he dunks his head under the hot water and stays there, staring up at the dark, vaulted ceiling of the washroom until his lungs run out of breath to use.
The oil of honeysuckle and opium and cinnamon, sweet and sharp and earthy, does not wash the stench of scorched flesh out of his nose.
Zuko falls asleep on the evening of his official coronation, when he’s twenty-one-years old and has finally reached his majority. Zuko wakes on the morning of the Agni Kai with his father, eight years earlier.
This is annoying for several reasons, like the fact that the War is still ongoing, that he has zero friends, and that Ozai is not in jail.
It’s time to scheme.
Snippet from Ch 4:
If the rest of the crew is to be believed, nothing in the atmosphere has changed—except that, perhaps, it is lighter, easier to breathe through. None cut corners, but none are scared to cut corners either. The sheer empathy the Prince is capable of fosters a comfort that Jee has never once experienced on a warship.
But then, this isn’t a warship, is it? The Wanyi is a floating bucket of rust sailing with the sole purpose of finding the Avatar, of teaching their Crown Prince worldly things. There is no true pressure. Prince Zuko will not find the Avatar, and everybody knows it, and nobody cares about it either.
Jee knows, however, and can read that there is a line of tension strung in the air. Where the others are ignorant of it, Jee’s job is positioned too close to the royals for him not to notice the glances, the nods, the looks between the Prince and his uncle.
“Would you say all crewmembers are trustworthy, Lieutenant?”
Jee pauses in his stretch. Prince Zuko, who had been mirroring him, does not; goes further until his upper thigh is mere inches from the deck.
“In what way, my Prince?” he asks.
“That they are under my command only,” the Prince clarifies. “Not also my father’s.”
Jee does not speak immediately, does not say ‘yes, of course’ as is his knee-jerk response. Because, are they? They likely are, but Ensign Asami’s mother works in the palace; but Seaman Keiji’s little brother is part of the royal guard; but Recruits Kazumi and Ohta are still, as of now, entranced by Fire Nation imperialism rather than disillusioned with all the death and rot.
“I’d say yes,” he says slowly, thoughtfully, “but I cannot be sure they won’t… talk, Your Highness. Things that can filter down—or up, if you will.”
Prince Zuko’s little face furrows in thought and consideration. He nods.
“Thank you for your honesty, Lieutenant,” he says, and then he adds, “it’s always been my favourite thing about you.”
That says so much and so little. Jee is nevertheless flattered, and bows.
“Onto the katas then?”
“Yes.” The Prince smiles at him, cheeks squishing into mochi. Jee kind of wants to ruffle the kid’s neat hair and then kind of wants to slap himself for being so sappy. “Let’s do it.”
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Prince Zuko, who has been chasing a legend for 3 long years whilst honing his skills, finally finds him. In finding the Avatar, Zuko will learn more about himself and the lost art of Firebending he had discovered in his attempt to obtain an advantage over his foes both among Fire Nation enemies and allies.
I usually am the more visual type of artist, but I wanted to try my hand at writing after like 5-6 years of not writing a single thing. More or less I’ve always been very interested in fics where Zuko is able to sense/see a person’s inner flame or been able to heal using chi like waterbenders, and since I am a little pedantic, I wanted to explore Zuko learning and growing with that ability in a lot more detail!
Like I said in the notes of the fic itself, updates will probably be a little sporadic, since I’m writing when I’m able, but I do have a bit written already, so hopefully it won’t be a glacial pace for updates. I’ll do my best at the very least. I hope you all enjoy reading it as I did thinking and writing about it!
