AU In Which Zuko Is Painfully Aware That His Dad Is An Asshole And Decides To Vibe On His Ship Rather

Whenever they have the chance, Ellie and Joel get matching clothes, usually sweatshirts.

The best places to find new ones are remote gift shops that haven't been picked over yet, but they will take anything they can get their hands on, starting a small collection. It's not clear who had the idea first, but they both love it more than they're willing to admit for exactly the same reason - it makes them look like a family, and, more specifically, the package deal they are. They don't actively coordinate their outfits, but if one of them wears a shirt they both have, the other one races to change as soon as they see it.

Everyone else finds it fucking adorable, not that anyone except Tommy would actually be brave enough to say it to their faces, but the people in Jackson like Joel and Ellie more than they know; it's the way they look at each other, really, the bubble of fondness surrounding them wherever they go.

Identical shirts pose one problem though, mostly for Joel. When they're scattered around their house, left on the couch or in his bed, slung over a kitchen chair, it's hard to see what size it is. Ellie loves wearing Joel's shirts, glowing with something adorably childlike whenever she does, but Joel cannot wear hers, and he has gotten stuck in them while trying to pull them on in a hurry more than once.

He complains to Tommy about it (with the biggest fucking smile, and his brother cannot for the life of him take his annoyance seriously), but he still comes up with a solution. After collecting all of their matching shirts, he commandeers their living room and stitches their initials where the clothing tag should be (Ellie hates them, they're itchy, so she cut them off). His embroidery is great, he even makes sure to use the right color schemes, and numb fingertips are worth the crushing hug Ellie gives him afterwards.

(She still steals Joel's shirts, just because she can.)

**Much time later**

Hunter, to Luz, lying facedown on the bed, regretting everything: And then I called him dad, oh Titan-

Darius, downstairs in the kitchen with Raine and Eber, holding back a tiny smile: And then he called me dad-

Somebody give Ellie a camera rn

ellie finds a polaroid camera

So how does everyone react to the lovey dovey ness that lasted awhile?

cuties being cuties!

also, 30 degrees c is hot, it’s 86 degrees Fahrenheit.

soon after… it get’s dark.

Like other anon said no pressure but like. I love doodles they are so cool. Plz share

LMAO okay, here's another one from some time ago

someone please take sokka’s phone away

Zuko wakes up from his angst coma after releasing Appa as a sane, rational, and emotionally stable human being

So I keep misreading this as “...after REALIZING Appa is a sane, rational, and emotionally stable…” and I. I cannot be held responsible for my actions.

- - -

“Nephew, I do not believe you are quite so well as you think—”

“I’m fine, Uncle,” said his nephew, who was smiling like this was a good-humored statement, instead of scowling like he was the teenager Iroh knew. “Oh, let’s stop here.”

They stopped. His nephew haggled, with minimum yelling, for an assortment of vegetables and fruits. Perhaps it was time to change tack.

“While I am sure the gesture will be appreciated, this may be a bit sudden. Perhaps we could begin with a note? Sent by courier.” Preferably one that would not be able to tell the recipients just where said note had come from. “I do not believe we are quite on unannounced visiting terms…”

“If they didn’t want people coming to their house, they wouldn’t have put their address on a poster,” said his nephew, who was occasionally capable of catastrophically (in)correct logic.

“Still,” Iroh said, “perhaps in light of past, ahem, acquaintanceships, a more delicate approach may be—”

But Iroh had not been paying enough attention to said addresses. As he realized, when his nephew vaulted over a stone wall, into the courtyard of a modestly appointed upper-ring home. 

There was a low rumble, as if of a ten-ton animal pleasantly surprised. 

Then much shouting, as if of several children, who did not find ‘pleasant’ to be applicable. 

Iroh sighed and, not finding a gate, politely knocked on the stone wall itself. 

The Avatar’s earthbender obliged him a moment later, a gap in the wall opening as easily as a shoji door slid. 

“Hey, Uncle,” the girl said, with a smile toothier than most predators. “Did you misplace your nephew again?”

“I also have tea again,” said Iroh, lifting up the conciliatory basket he’d only just had time to pack before chasing his nephew’s upbeat attitude out the door. 

“Score,” said Miss Beifong, stepping aside. 

“Toph!” barked the Water Tribe boy. “We do not double the Fire Nation’s invasion forces!”

Iroh set out a teacup for him, regardless. Miss Beifong helpfully bent a stone table for him to work atop. Overall, this neither lessened nor greatly increased the level of shouting in the courtyard. 

“I’m not here for you,” his nephew was saying, with familiar levels of scorn. “Move aside, Avatar.”

“You can’t have him!” said the young Avatar. “I just got him back!”

“Who do you think got him back?”

Iroh let both tea and confusion steep. 

“Do you like persimmon-oranges?” asked his nephew, much more hesitantly.

“I… guess?” said the Avatar, before over his head, a great tongue licked the fruit from his nephew’s offering hand. Similarly, the rest of the basket. And then the rest of his nephew, who stared down at his dripping clothes with the same befuddlement with which the Avatar’s group were staring at him.

“Did we all get some kind of crazy fever from the lake water? Or from evil cave mold?” asked the Water Tribe boy. “Is that what this is?”

…That would make more sense than a spiritual fever, perhaps.

Universal Truth

In the past three years the Wani crew clung to the few constants in life. Lt. Jee’s armour failing to not creak. Cook Dekku taking the Princess’ side in an argument. General Iroh drinking questionable plants if it had the slightest possibility of being a good tea. Princess Usha making Bad Decisions regarding her safety if it had the slightest possibility of leading her towards the Avatar.

But the biggest constant was that Zhao was The Worst and they had to kill him.

They’re not kidding, well, not anymore.

In the beginning it was just an off handed comment. A response to seeing him push and push and push the buttons of their recently banished commander. A catopus toying with a mouseguppy.

Later, as Usha grew and developed, they became serious. Zhao’s gaze lingered, his smile grew sharper, and his words gained double meaning. And he touched, casual and fleeting, careful enough to seem innocent but with intent.

They never left Usha alone with him. Not after the Hair Incident. If General Iroh wasn’t available then it was Natsuo, who could earthbend, or Hanako, quick and precise with a knife, or Minh, large and stern faced.

...

So when they finally found the Avatar, they knew it was their chance at finally keeping Usha safe.

They pushed down the guilt of chasing after a child. A cackling, baby faced boy who was easily swayed by the smile of a pretty eye patch wearing girl and the promises of sweet cream and cakes.

They pushed further down the guilt of fighting a gangly limbed boy and a fierce faced girl struggling to control her bending.

Usha came first.

(Princess Usha already apologized for the whole ship to ice wall misunderstanding, so they were absolved.)

...

Lips were pressed tight and tongues were bitten when they docked at Zhao’s port. The Avatar was Usha’s to capture and not for the ladder climbing leech that was Zhao.

...

He still found out. You can’t accidentally set Kyoshi Island on Fire and not have the world find out why.

Nice going, Daishi.

...

What kind of asshole challenges a teenager to an Agni Kai?

The same one that gets beat by a teenager who’s still practicing her basics.

...

Normally one would discourage wearing jewelry found on the floor of a prison. But the Princess pulled it off quite well.

...

Natsuo really deserves a promotion or a raise or both. Cause it’s one thing to save General Iroh from a group of Earth Kingdom soldiers, but it’s a completely different thing to save a naked General.

Thank Agni none of them had any Fire Nation ancestry else they might’ve figured out Natsou’s little lava trick.

...

Fuck Zhao. And fuck Roku too, worst ancestor ever.

Who makes a volcano erupt on purpose!?

...

They really needed to talk about Usha’s habit of pinning people to flat surfaces. Poor Waterbender is getting redder than their uniforms.

It’s Minh’s fault to be honest. The moment he showed her how to wrestle larger opponents they had lost the battle.

They could’ve gone without the unexpected ambush by the pirates. But it did give them an excuse to punch people in the face.

They lost the avatar, again. But they did end with a boatload of treasure. So, win?

...

WHY IS THERE AN ARROW ON YOUR SHOULDER!?

...

They’re not getting a Shirshu. No matter how much Usha and Genji beg.

Sure they can afford one now. But they’ll need to train it. And Satomi isn’t very optimistic about General Iroh’s blood pressure if June continues to interact with the Princess.

...

Music night.

Music night was safe and relaxing. Where they could unwind and take a breather. Maybe even have a little drink or two. If they were lucky Usha might even sing.

Nothing can go wrong on music night.

...

Bad news, Zhao was Admiral now.

Worse news, he was commandeering them to be part of an invasion force against the Northern Water Tribe.

Good news, Zhao will now be too busy and too far away to make moves on your still very much underage commander.

Fun news, you get to watch the Princess blow holes in the logic of planning to attack a polar city full of waterbenders during winter.

Weird news, instead of blowing his lid like usual Zhao is instead inviting Usha to be part of the invasion.

Horrible news, she said yes.

Worst news, you later find out that her rooms are close to Zhao’s.

Good news, no one will ever suspect foul play if Zhao dies during the invasion. They just had to keep Usha way from Zhao until they reached the North Pole.

Nothing but smooth swimming from then on.

...

Was gonna write a Drabble but it basically turned into a mini outline. So, yay(?) structure.

I just love the moments when Zuko acts younger than his age due to his severely stunted social skills.  like when he’s acting like a bratty preschooler while being gently bossed around by iroh in ba sing se or when he’s trying to socialize with the gaang for the first time.

I mean, let’s be real: Zuko has been starving for the attention of his peers for years, and once he gets his first dose of social approval and acceptance on his field trip with aang, he ends up going a bit off the rails chasing the high of Friendship.  like he’s trying SO HARD to be Just A Normal Guy here, but he waaaaay overshoots his mark and ends up going all the way back around to “something’s a litttttle off about this dude” again.

I can’t get over how Zuko, when confronted with the mystifying quandary of how to make friends for the first time in his socially-deprived adolescent life, draws an absolute blank and, with no actual hands-on experience to draw from, simply defaults to “imitate Uncle.”

Zuko’s thought process immediately after joining the gaang was clearly: “I really want these people to like me.  Uncle would say that I should just be myself and show them the real me.  but that will never work!!  I’m not likable!!!  …but Uncle is.  everyone likes Uncle.  obvious solution: just be Uncle and everything will be Fine,” and then proceeded to give his best imitation of iroh down to the tea and bad jokes.

Zuko after possibly the world’s worst punchline delivery: “This is great! I’m going to get a good grade in Being Uncle, a thing that is normal to want and possible to achieve!” 

“nailed it”