Avatar: The Last Airbender Darkfic Comment Meme

[attackfish]

So I just finished writing something so impossibly sweet that I swear all my teeth just rotted in my head from it.  And since I have to write floranna's fic for help_haiti  (and her request is full of lovely angst) I need to get myself in a darker writing groove.  To further this goal, I’m watching Criminal Minds, and I’m asking you guys to send me your darkest, most angst producing prompts for Avatar: The Last Airbender.  Comment with up to five, and I’ll guarantee you at least one commentfic.  I’ll probably answer with more, knowing me.  weirdlet  and floranna  get seven requests and a guarantee of two fics, because I spawned a wild AU in weirdlet ’s head, that she has been writing delightfully twisted installments for, and because I delayed writing floranna’s promised fic to work on my novel.

Please no rape or sexually explicit requests.  I’m a big believer that there needs to be more gen darkfic in fandom.

Ganked from avocado_love .


Meme Closed and Finished

Despite the fact that I asked for no requests involving rape or sexually explicit requests, my brain decided to take me there all on its own in two instances.  I've done my best to warn as accurately as I can in both in a way that the warnings themselves are non-triggery.  I'd also like to put up a blanket warning for violence.

Fics:

for florannahelp_haiti :
Azula's lightning strike on Zuko has some far more serious consequences
Zuko hurt his leg on the run and it won’t heal:  Part One l Part Two l Part Three l Part Four l Part Five l Part Six l Part Seven
*Warning for heavily implied Rape by Coercion and Sexually Abusive Dialogue* Bonus: AU of “Sun Child”, Zura’s pregnant with Zhao’s child continued from Zhao: Wedded and bedded (AU of Sun Child), both of which are AUs of weirdlet 's Sun Child AU

for[Bad username or site: � animikii @ livejournal.com] :
Suki’s just as calmly insane as Azula is. She just hides it better

for weirdlet :
Zhao: Wedded and bedded (AU of Sun Child)  continued in Bonus: AU of “Sun Child”, Zura’s pregnant with Zhao’s child, (*Warning for heavily implied Rape by Coercion and Sexually Abusive Dialogue*) both of which are AUs of weirdlet 's Sun Child AU
Koh's eggs
Eric Bogle’s “And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda”
I sometimes imagine Jet's hiding a set of stripes under his shirt- how'd he come to experience such a flogging?

for blue_lacquer :
Zhao helps his chances of being promoted by getting rid of his competition
What Chit Sang did to end up in the Boiling Rock
Zhao destroying part of Wan Shi Tong’s library
The Omashu Earth Kingdom resistance succeeds in killing Mai’s family (but not her)

for avocado_love :
Why exactly the turtle-ducks fear Azula so much
Lao Bei Fong will do anything to keep his daughter safe, even from herself
Zuko: Directly after the Agni Kai
Bonus: some fluffy Toph/Zuko, all grown up (not dark)

for clockwerkchaos :
At the North Pole something goes wrong with La, and the Fire Nation sinks beneath the sea

for yma2 :
The story of Lu Ten’s death
Zuko finds his mother (or more accurately, Ursa finds him)
Aang isn’t rescued by the Blue Spirit and is imprisoned for a long time Part One l Part Two

for beboots :
S2, Iroh dies, leaving Zuko without his influence continued in Zuko breaks down in front of the Gaang and further continued in The Gaang in Ba Sing Se
Jet decides NOT to gather proof that Mushi and Lee are firebenders before he acts

Comments

[avocado-love.livejournal.com]

YEA! :D

Let's see... let's see...

Why exactly do those turtle-ducks fear Azula so much?

Lao Bei Fong will do anything to keep his daughter safe, even from herself.

Zuko - Directly after the Agni Kai

Sokka - In canon, Smellerbee and Pipsqueak were really going to kill him at that 'long walk'. What would have happened to Katara and Aang if they succeeded?

(This may not be a dark!fic prompt, but I thought I would try anyway.) Sokka is supposed to be the next chief of the SWT. Suki can't give up her position of leader as a Kyoshi Warrior, and one day it will come to a head.

Why exactly the turtle-ducks fear Azula so much

[attackfish.livejournal.com]

You want me to write gratuitous animal cruelty? You sick puppy.


Azula was a wonderful princess.

It wasn’t hard to be better than Zuzu, but even without her brother around to make her look better, she was something truly spectacular.

She was so dutiful that here she was practicing firebending even with her teacher sick and no one around to make her.

She was so talented that she could already bend lightning.

The energies separated-

And she shot it straight into the turtle-duck pond.

She smiled.

Re: Why exactly the turtle-ducks fear Azula so much

[avocado-love.livejournal.com]

OMG. YES.

That could be almost canon, you know. Having lightening shot down at you would make a turtleduck remember and run for their little lives every time she came close. haha!

Re: Why exactly the turtle-ducks fear Azula so much

[attackfish.livejournal.com]

Perhaps she traumatized them enough that over a few generations they evolved some sort of genetic memory that told them to stay away from the crazy lightning kid?

Re: Why exactly the turtle-ducks fear Azula so much

[avocado-love.livejournal.com]

LOL. At night the turtle-duck parents tell their little ducklings about the day the girl with the great lightening bolt... :D

Re: Why exactly the turtle-ducks fear Azula so much

[attackfish.livejournal.com]

This is far more likely.

Lao Bei Fong will do anything to keep his daughter safe, even from herself

[attackfish.livejournal.com]

“I know you two are very different, but I believe you have a common interest.”

He laid the chest on the table and opened it to display the gold inside.

She didn’t get it. It wasn’t her fault she wanted freedom; anyone would if they didn’t know... He kept telling her how fragile she was. It didn’t matter how good she was. If fire hit her, she’d burn. She’d die. He wasn’t going to lose her because a bunch of kids thought they could save the world. They couldn’t. She didn’t understand. If he could just make her understand-

His baby girl just didn’t know how dangerous the world really was; how could she when he had kept her from it?

“The Avatar has kidnapped my daughter.” It was a polite fiction. He could see the disbelief on their faces, just behind the greed. He was paying them. They wouldn’t hurt her if he was the one paying them. “I want you to do whatever it takes to bring her home.”

Toph was going to hate him.

It didn’t matter. At least she’d be alive.

Re: Lao Bei Fong will do anything to keep his daughter safe, even from herself

[avocado-love.livejournal.com]

Yes. Yes, this is exactly what I could imagine Canon Lao thinking in his head. It totally justifies the situation... and I love the term "polite fiction". lol!

Re: Lao Bei Fong will do anything to keep his daughter safe, even from herself

[attackfish.livejournal.com]

My parents do this to me sometimes. Not... have me kidnapped, but freak out because the world's more dangerous for me and what I can't do is sometimes a lot more obvious than what I can to them. Sometimes it's hard to remember they're honestly worried.

And if I had a twelve-year-old, blind or not who wanted to run off and join people who got armies attacking them all the time, I'd lock her in her room until she came to her senses.

Me too! I have no idea where it came from, but it's a great phrase.

Zuko: Directly after the Agni Kai

[attackfish.livejournal.com]

Really it’s more Iroh and Ozai, bit Zuko’s in the room...

Ozai visited. Iroh wished he hadn’t.

That man’s son tossed and turned on the bed, and somewhere through the haze of pain and herbs to make him sleep, Iroh hoped he felt the sheet being pulled up around him, something, anything. Zuko shivered. “Mom?”

“No, Prince Zuko.” Iroh bathed his forehead with cool water, careful not to drip any on the bandage.

“Your mother’s gone,” Ozai snapped.

Whimpering, Zuko turned towards his father’s voice and curled in on himself. Iroh wanted to set his brother on fire. “Do you have to be here?”

“I came to inform my son of his sentence.” His face didn’t move when he spoke.

“Are you out of your mind?”

“Careful, General Iroh.” Brushing what little hair his nephew had left out of his eyes, Iroh glared at his brother, but the glare wore itself away, until the expression left was just tired. “He is banished, until he can find and capture the Avatar.”

Iroh sighed and swallowed the fire that wanted to come out with that sigh. “I need to go pack.”

“What are you talking about?” Ozai narrowed his eyes.

“I am going with him.”

“Are you.”

“Someone should!” Zuko whimpered a little and thrashed, and Iroh did his best to soothe his nephew. “We’ll take my ship.”

“You are not permitted to deprive the Fire Nation navy of the services of that ship!” Ozai raged, advancing on his brother and the bed.

“Then how do you expect him to search for the Avatar?” he demanded, leaping to his feet.

“I’m not unreasonable,” his brother sneered. “I’ve already provided a ship and crew.”

“C-cold,” Zuko shuddered, burying ineffectively into the blankets. Iroh bowed his head.

Ozai smiled and Iroh could see his brother’s thoughts on his face and decided he was a fool. “Yes. You may accompany Zuko. He could use someone to teach him acquiescence.”

“I’m honored.” Iroh waited until his brother turned his back to answer with his own joyless smile.

By the time his nephew could tell the difference, they were already on the ship.

[attackfish.livejournal.com]

Remember how you made me think of Guru Pathik as Edward? I couldn't resist. (http://s1002.photobucket.com/albums/af149/attackfishscales/?action=view&current=bishiesparckle.gif)

Appa/Zuko/Momo/Guru Pathik OTP4!

[avocado-love.livejournal.com]

That icon terrifies me... and makes me think of a scenario where Pathik climbs into Zuko's bedroom every night just to "watch him sleep". LOL.

[attackfish.livejournal.com]

Stalker Pathik is going to give me nightmares now. He also likes the way Zuko smells.

[weirdlet.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much, now I'm going to go scrub out my brain with a wire brush...

[attackfish.livejournal.com]

IT"S ALL AVOCADO_LOVE"S FAULT!!!

What do you mean you don't believe me?

Bonus: some fluffy Toph/Zuko, all grown up (not dark)

[attackfish.livejournal.com]

“Bumi’s dead, they want to make me queen of Omashu.”

“You knew that was coming.” Zuko ran his fingers through her hair. “Greatest earthbender in the world.”

“Yeah yeah yeah.” The fire in the hearth popped and crackled in front of them as she nuzzled into the crook of his arm. “Not ready to settle down yet.”

Zuko laughed quietly, almost worried that anything louder would shatter the mood into sharp pieces.

“What about you, Hot Stuff, they still after you to get married again?”

He nodded, and then remembered. “Yeah, the position’s still open.”

Toph jabbed her fingers into his topknot and started twisting his hair out of place. “Hey, didn’t I just say I wasn’t ready to settle down?”

“Yeah.” He let her. “But that’s what you were asking, right?”

“Whoa boy,” she snickered. “What’s it been, seven years? That’s determined.”

Zuko shrugged. “Six and a half.”

As the caps of the scroll Zuko was holding clicked against the floor, Toph decided it was definitely time to change the subject. “So what’re you reading?”

Zuko put the scroll down self-consciously. “I thought you didn’t like scrolls.”

“I like ‘em fine when they’re read to me.” She stretched out her arms and looped one of them around his shoulders.

He looked away. “It’s just a budget report from the education minister,” he apologized.

“Augh, and that’s the other reason I’ll never be queen of Omashu.” She felt around for his nose before giving it a solid flick. “Or Firelady.”

That was one reason. The other was that his court would murder him in his sleep, but he didn’t say that. “That’s the great thing about being Firelady. You wouldn’t have to deal with any of that if you didn’t want to.”

“Nah, I’d just have to deal with you after you deal with it. Which I guess I already do...” She gasped as he sucked on the hollow of her throat and smirked. “When I’m around.”

“Haha.”

“You wouldn’t be asking if you actually thought I’d say yes.”

“Yeah,” he mumbled, “But you like to be asked.”

“The servants hate it when you drag the blankets and pillows off the bed.”

They pulled their hands off each other. Zuko tried not to cringe as he twisted around. They couldn’t have looked guiltier if they’d planned it. “Baby girl!”

“Leishang!” Toph smiled. “You’re getting so big! How old are you now?”

Zuko’s daughter folded her arms. “You can’t even see me.”

“Heheh, right.”

“Twelve.” Zuko let his head fall into his hands. “You wanted to see me?”

Leishang stared at the floor shyly. “My teacher says I’m ready to start learning the next firebending form. I- I just wanted you to know.”

As soon as he had untangled his legs from the blankets, he launched himself to his feet and wrapped her in a quick hug. “That’s great!”

“Yeah.” Her voice was muffled against his chest. “Yeah, I’ll just... go... now...”

Zuko kissed his daughter’s head. “It’s okay.”

“No, no,” she broke away and ran.

Sighing, Zuko closed the doors behind her and burrowed back into the blankets with Toph.

“She gone yet?”

“Yeah,” he breathed into her ear.

“You know I hate these floors, Hot Stuff.” Toph pushed herself up in his arms and kissed her way up to his lips before finishing. “Wood. Might stay longer if you switched ‘em.”

“How long are you staying this time?” he asked, hiding his wistfulness as best he could.

“Dunno,” she murmured, but she ended with a wicked grin. “But I’m not going anywhere tomorrow.”
~*~


Okay, so I can’t write anything ever without injecting angst into it. Be patient; it’s my first romance!fic; I’ve got to start slow. This wound up being shorter than I thought it would be, so I made it into a commentfic. To make up for it, I made you an icon. It’s not Toko, but it’s a (to my mind) essential ship that you don’t have any icons for. (http://s1002.photobucket.com/albums/af149/attackfishscales/?action=view&current=crackship.gif) I don’t expect you to actually use it (what would you use it FOR?) I just hoped it would cheer you up.

Re: Bonus: some fluffy Toph/Zuko, all grown up (not dark)

[avocado-love.livejournal.com]

Re: Icon. OMG, well I'm sure I'll make use of this cracky crackship somehow!!!!

Anyway, thank you SO MUCH for writing this story. Yes there was some angst, but I really enjoy how you had three running elements in it. Toph, who may or may not become Queen of Omashu, but doesn't want the responsibility. Zuko, who is in need of a firelady, but is aware that an earthbender won't be easily accepted by his court, and who seems to love Toph anyway. And Zuko's daughter (love the name) who is terribly uncomfortable by her daddy's choice of lady-friend's. All in all, I really enjoyed this ficlit. Thank you!

Re: Bonus: some fluffy Toph/Zuko, all grown up (not dark)

[attackfish.livejournal.com]

I was watching School Time Shipping for Valentine's Day and got to that part and went "There needs to be an icon of that".

This was originally going to be much sillier and happier. I blame Zuko. Of course Toph's not just any earthbender, say a nice, sweet, rather passive one. No, she's Toph, who would positively delight in driving Zuko's whole court up walls. If I ever want silly Toko, I'll write her as Firelady. It would involve disaster.

Leishang just thinks it's all rather sordid. The two of them pretty much accept that their relationship is never going to include nuptials. Zuko's regretful, Toph... not so much. At least all the problems here are outside of the two lovers. The bond between them's strong. *pets them* it really is one of my favorite ships, and there isn't nearly enough of it.