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lizbeeLate on Monday morning I developed a weird obsession with Toph/Azula. Why? Well, I've reached that point in my AU Big Bang where I'm quite close to being done, only there's a big climactic scene to write first. And whenever I reach this stage in a story, my brain starts throwing out completely unrelated ideas that totally have to be written right away. For example, over the weekend I wrote 1000 words of Katara/Zuko fic. And usually that pairing makes me retch.
Anyway, Toph/Azula. Because I was talking about my Big Bang fic withbnharrison last week, and she said something about Toph being almost the only person in the world, other than Katara and possibly Iroh, who is totally a match for Azula. And while any good Azula pairing should start out with "someone she can't kill too easily" I started seeing other ways they work well together, even as their combined ego threatens to destroy the entire world.
So now I'm kind of contemplating a series of ficlets about Toph and Azula fighting crime and letting Zuko pay for the property damage. It needs a better, or at least more appropriate title than "TEAM TOPHZULA, FUCK YEAH!" but I can work on that. I scribbled a 500-word ficlet this afternoon.
Untitled Toph/Azula ficlet
The Earth King opened his eyes and beheld the face of his rescuer.
"Actually," he said muzzily, "on second thought, captivity wasn't so bad."
"Relax," said Azula. "I'm not invading your kingdom this time." She smiled. It was about as reassuring as a sharktopus eyeing its prey.
"Oh. Good."
"You could call it a gesture of international cooperation," she added.
"Could I?"
"Don't tease him, Princess," said another voice. Another woman came into view. The Bei Fong girl. Last time he had seen her, she was fifteen years old, striding through the palace at the side of the Dragon of the West. That had been a few years ago. Last he had heard, she was living in Omashu, being groomed to succeed King Bumi.
Now she was as tall as Azula, though stockier, and her hair was cropped short like a peasant's. Her muscled arms were decorated with metal bands. Kuei had a vague memory of seeing her bend the metal like stone, right before he passed out.
Now he was on an airship. A Bei Fong airship, he realised, recognising the flying boar sigil on the walls. Toph had rescued him. Only not alone.
"Why..."
Toph shrugged. "The Council of Five said you'd been taken by dissident Dai Li agents. I asked myself, who is the one person in the world who took down the Dai Li without breaking a sweat?"
There was probably going to be some kind of diplomatic incident over that, the Earth King thought. He would probably have to do something about it. A sternly-worded letter to the Fire Lord, reminding him that the Earth Kingdom had agreed not to prosecute his sister for war crimes on the condition she never, ever came back.
At that moment, it didn't seem especially important.
One final thought struck him as he fell asleep.
"...Bosco?" he managed.
"Yes," said Azula. "The bear is fine."
"Oh. Good."
*
As they left the airship's little infirmary, Azula said, "You know, Long Feng wanted me to marry the Earth King."
Toph snorted. "Wow. He really did misjudge you."
Azula's grip on her arm tightened. Just a little, a squeeze that was almost affectionate, but for the sharpness of her nails.
"Will you visit your uncle while we're in Ba Sing Se?"
"I'd rather eat my own fingers," said Azula, "or babysit my neices, or go back to the hospital--"
She broke off as they entered the bridge. The pilot bowed to Toph.
"We've just had word," he said, "the waterbender, Katara, is waiting for you at Ba Sing Se. She said she'll meet you at the palace."
Only Toph could have felt Azula's flinch, or understood the reasons for it.
"On second thoughts," Azula said, "some tea and anecdotes might be nice."
Later, as the airship came in to land, Toph said, "Do you think General How wanted that castle left intact?"
"He's an earthbender," said Azula. "Don't you people destroy buildings for the fun of putting them up again?"
"It was eight hundred years old."
"Then it was overdue for refurbishment." Azula leaned against Toph. She didn't quite relax, because she never properly relaxed. But neither did Toph, so that was okay.
Toph pressed a kiss to her temple, savouring the taste of her skin and the smell of her hair, and the metallic scent of lightning.
"Anyway," Azula added, "we just saved the Earth King's life. If they really want to complain, tell them Zuko will pay for the damage."
Toph grinned. "Are you going to warn him about that?"
"No," said Azula, and she sounded happy. "No, I'm not."
end
Tonight, feeling a sad lack of River Song in my life, I watched "Silence in the Library" for the first time since it aired. Tennant's accent isn't very good, is it? I spent much of it going, "WHY AREN'T YOU ELEVENTY? BE ELEVENTY AGAIN!" and also feeling that, while I like Donna okay, I feel like she was hyped up into The Greatest Companion Ever, and I don't actually find her that interesting.
Also I wonder, again, at people saying River is smug in her first appearance, because she spends most of the episode either dealing with plot stuff, or being visibly and increasingly distraught that the Doctor doesn't know her. Either she completely changes in the next episode, or fandom thinks that any woman who is capable of walking and breathing at the same time is getting above herself. GUESS WHICH OPTION I SUSPECT!
Here, have a meme that charms me:
Give me two characters I'm familiar with, and I'll tell you about a time that they kissed.
As usual lately, bonus points for AtLA characters.
Anyway, Toph/Azula. Because I was talking about my Big Bang fic with
bnharrison last week, and she said something about Toph being almost the only person in the world, other than Katara and possibly Iroh, who is totally a match for Azula. And while any good Azula pairing should start out with "someone she can't kill too easily" I started seeing other ways they work well together, even as their combined ego threatens to destroy the entire world. So now I'm kind of contemplating a series of ficlets about Toph and Azula fighting crime and letting Zuko pay for the property damage. It needs a better, or at least more appropriate title than "TEAM TOPHZULA, FUCK YEAH!" but I can work on that. I scribbled a 500-word ficlet this afternoon.
Untitled Toph/Azula ficlet
The Earth King opened his eyes and beheld the face of his rescuer.
"Actually," he said muzzily, "on second thought, captivity wasn't so bad."
"Relax," said Azula. "I'm not invading your kingdom this time." She smiled. It was about as reassuring as a sharktopus eyeing its prey.
"Oh. Good."
"You could call it a gesture of international cooperation," she added.
"Could I?"
"Don't tease him, Princess," said another voice. Another woman came into view. The Bei Fong girl. Last time he had seen her, she was fifteen years old, striding through the palace at the side of the Dragon of the West. That had been a few years ago. Last he had heard, she was living in Omashu, being groomed to succeed King Bumi.
Now she was as tall as Azula, though stockier, and her hair was cropped short like a peasant's. Her muscled arms were decorated with metal bands. Kuei had a vague memory of seeing her bend the metal like stone, right before he passed out.
Now he was on an airship. A Bei Fong airship, he realised, recognising the flying boar sigil on the walls. Toph had rescued him. Only not alone.
"Why..."
Toph shrugged. "The Council of Five said you'd been taken by dissident Dai Li agents. I asked myself, who is the one person in the world who took down the Dai Li without breaking a sweat?"
There was probably going to be some kind of diplomatic incident over that, the Earth King thought. He would probably have to do something about it. A sternly-worded letter to the Fire Lord, reminding him that the Earth Kingdom had agreed not to prosecute his sister for war crimes on the condition she never, ever came back.
At that moment, it didn't seem especially important.
One final thought struck him as he fell asleep.
"...Bosco?" he managed.
"Yes," said Azula. "The bear is fine."
"Oh. Good."
*
As they left the airship's little infirmary, Azula said, "You know, Long Feng wanted me to marry the Earth King."
Toph snorted. "Wow. He really did misjudge you."
Azula's grip on her arm tightened. Just a little, a squeeze that was almost affectionate, but for the sharpness of her nails.
"Will you visit your uncle while we're in Ba Sing Se?"
"I'd rather eat my own fingers," said Azula, "or babysit my neices, or go back to the hospital--"
She broke off as they entered the bridge. The pilot bowed to Toph.
"We've just had word," he said, "the waterbender, Katara, is waiting for you at Ba Sing Se. She said she'll meet you at the palace."
Only Toph could have felt Azula's flinch, or understood the reasons for it.
"On second thoughts," Azula said, "some tea and anecdotes might be nice."
Later, as the airship came in to land, Toph said, "Do you think General How wanted that castle left intact?"
"He's an earthbender," said Azula. "Don't you people destroy buildings for the fun of putting them up again?"
"It was eight hundred years old."
"Then it was overdue for refurbishment." Azula leaned against Toph. She didn't quite relax, because she never properly relaxed. But neither did Toph, so that was okay.
Toph pressed a kiss to her temple, savouring the taste of her skin and the smell of her hair, and the metallic scent of lightning.
"Anyway," Azula added, "we just saved the Earth King's life. If they really want to complain, tell them Zuko will pay for the damage."
Toph grinned. "Are you going to warn him about that?"
"No," said Azula, and she sounded happy. "No, I'm not."
end
Tonight, feeling a sad lack of River Song in my life, I watched "Silence in the Library" for the first time since it aired. Tennant's accent isn't very good, is it? I spent much of it going, "WHY AREN'T YOU ELEVENTY? BE ELEVENTY AGAIN!" and also feeling that, while I like Donna okay, I feel like she was hyped up into The Greatest Companion Ever, and I don't actually find her that interesting.
Also I wonder, again, at people saying River is smug in her first appearance, because she spends most of the episode either dealing with plot stuff, or being visibly and increasingly distraught that the Doctor doesn't know her. Either she completely changes in the next episode, or fandom thinks that any woman who is capable of walking and breathing at the same time is getting above herself. GUESS WHICH OPTION I SUSPECT!
Here, have a meme that charms me:
Give me two characters I'm familiar with, and I'll tell you about a time that they kissed.
As usual lately, bonus points for AtLA characters.
no subject
Date: 2011-04-14 10:40 am (UTC)First kiss... hm. Ozai/Ursa, or Iroh/Ursa.
no subject
Date: 2011-04-14 03:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-17 06:43 am (UTC)It is a great honour to marry the Fire Lord's son. As they await the servant who will escort them to the Hall of Dragons, Ursa's father says, "Remember who you are. Be humble."
Humble. Quiet. Ladylike. She keeps her eyes down and said, "Yes, father."
And she is. She bows to the Fire Lord, and to his two sons, and to his grandson, who will be her nephew. He is almost ten, and she heard from the servants that her father had originally offered her for Lu Ten.
She's relieved that she won't be married to a child, forced to wait for him to come of age. But a little disappointed as well, because Ozai is a man grown, and she is just barely sixteen. His face, when she looks up at last, is handsome but unreadable. She suspects he won't hesitate to laugh if she says something stupid or naive.
Instead she smiles and says very little.
She says nothing at all as Prince Ozai leads her away from the party, into the great hall where the portraits of Fire Lords past stand. They stand before Azulon's picture, and Ozai takes her hand.
"If you don't want this," he says, "I'll make my father change his mind." Mistaking her hesitation he adds, "Don't worry. It won't reflect on you."
Looking back, she would marvel at his certainty in his ability to manipulate Azulon. At that moment, she was struck by the careless way he promised to preserve her honour.
Both were telling signs. She just didn't let them tell her the right things.
"I want this," she says firmly. She looks him in the eye.
He takes her hand. "I'm not a decorative prince," he says. "My brother's away most of the time. When he's gone, I take on his duties, as well as my own."
She says, "Good. People without work are boring."
He throws his head back and laughs, and when he's serious again, he kisses her. Passionately and improperly, under the painted gaze of his father and ancestors.
"My princess," he says, and leads her back into the hall.
no subject
Date: 2011-04-17 08:02 am (UTC)I love this so much - I am hereby making it my person head-canon. Thank you!
(Also now I want to draw the kiss... *ponder*)
no subject
Date: 2011-04-14 10:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-14 11:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-14 12:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-14 12:57 pm (UTC)Mmm, yes. I like her, but I find fandom's obsession with her a bit confusing.
no subject
Date: 2011-04-14 01:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-14 08:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-14 03:01 pm (UTC)And how about Mai/Katara?
no subject
Date: 2011-04-24 04:50 am (UTC)"She's in the office," Iroh says, so Katara makes her way through crowded tables, thinking, everyone here would kill you if they knew who you were.
Mai is hunched over a ledger and an abacus. She doesn't look up as Katara enters.
"I'm not due for another month," she says. "And I'm busy."
"This is a delicate time," says Katara, taking her by the shoulders and pulling her straight.
"I'm about as delicate as a mammoth-whale," Mai sighs, but she permits Katara to press a hand against her belly.
"It's kicking," Katara says.
"It does that."
"Are you sleeping?"
"When I can."
Katara leaves her hands resting on Mai's belly. "Meaning?"
"Meaning that I'm trying to keep control of the refugees here, and not get assassinated by any of the sixteen different groups that want me dead, and Zuko is almost certainly dead, and the baby kicks me in the ribs at night, and I need to pee every hour, and--"
It's more emotion than Katara has ever seen Mai show. She moves her hands to Mai's shoulders, but isn't certain if she should offer more.
All she can say is, "Aang's still searching. No one's given up on Zuko."
"It's been months." Mai is in control again. "When the baby's born, he'll be the new Fire Lord. I'm going to be running a regency government from an Earth Kingdom tea shop." Her voice is flat. Her face is a mask.
"You're not alone," Katara says.
"Aren't I."
Katara kneels to look up at her, taking her hand. "No. I promise."
Mai is tense, but she doesn't pull her hand away. Her gaze is distant as she leans forward and kisses Katara on the lips. Katara freezes, but Mai puts her hand on the back of Katara's head, holding her in place.
So she returns the kiss, letting it deepen. Mai's teeth graze her lips, and Katara exhales in surprise.
"No." Mai stops, pushing her away. Katara stands up. Mai turns back to the desk, hunching forward. "Sorry," she mutters. "I thought -- but I was wrong."
"It's okay," says Katara. "I'm not going anywhere."
no subject
Date: 2011-04-14 04:03 pm (UTC)A sternly-worded letter to the Fire Lord, reminding him that the Earth Kingdom had agreed not to prosecute his sister for war crimes on the condition she never, ever came back.
As for the meme, how about Azula/Ty Lee? (If that won't interfere too much with your current Toph/Azula obsession.)
no subject
Date: 2011-04-17 12:40 am (UTC)"You need to relax," said Ty Lee, and instantly regretted it. Relax wasn't in Azula's vocabulary. "Like you're meditating," she added quickly, "but you need to pay attention to your partner. It's like dancing."
"Dancing."
"Or, um, firebending with someone else. Like this."
She kissed Azula again, and this time, the princess was less rigid, more responsive. She tasted like Ember Island, all salt and warmth.
"Better," Ty Lee said, and there was a gleam of triumph in Azula's eyes.
This was, Ty Lee, exactly how it had been when they were children. She had taught Azula acrobatics, and Mai had taught her how to throw knives, and between them they'd tried to teach her how to be more like a person and less like one of her dad's war machines. And Azula assimilated it all and dedicated herself to the task of being better and smarter and more successful than everyone around her.
In this case, that seemed to be Zuko. Not that Azula would ever admit it, Ty Lee thought, kissing her again, but there it was: Zuko had spent four months living as an anonymous peasant in the Earth Kingdom, now he had a girlfriend. So if Azula couldn't manage to be not-a-princess for a day, and if she couldn't find her own love interest, she would count herself a failure.
Ty Lee understood it, but she didn't like it. Her oldest sister was the same, and the rest of them had to follow along in her shadow.
She should be used to it by now.
She shifted, nuzzling Azula's neck and kissing her earlobe, and was rewarded with an unexpected sigh of pleasure. Ty Lee ran a hand down Azula's chest, following her chi paths as they shifted.
It was so like Azula, she thought, to think this was all about power and never about pleasure. But when Ty Lee pulled away, Azula reached for her and brought her back. Like she needed her. As a person, not a tool or a convenient possessor of desired skills.
It wouldn't last. But it was nice and new, and in Ty Lee's arms, Azula was almost relaxed.
no subject
Date: 2011-04-14 09:13 pm (UTC)For the meme, Toph/Mai?
no subject
Date: 2011-04-15 03:12 am (UTC)cough
while I like Donna okay, I feel like she was hyped up into The Greatest Companion Ever, and I don't actually find her that interesting.
I think the thing about Donna is that Catherine Tate is very good, and also has good chemistry with Tennant. Because, yeah, her character in and of itself doesn't really have all that much going on that grabs me, but my memories of her are generally quite positive. (It also helps that the show wasn't trying to force either True Love or Unrequited Love down my throat with her. Not that I'm at all bitter about that.)
no subject
Date: 2011-04-15 08:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-15 12:51 pm (UTC)Word. Although... I've thought a bit about the River hate, and I've watched her looking for what irks. And I think there's a combination of authority and insecurity about her that may cause the tension. It's like, by almost having the status of - y'know, a non- nonentity - but still being so vulnerable and Not The Doctor, she marks the limits of female possibility. Whereas without her the female audience can just participate in the Doctor's awesomeness (both the doctor and the infantalized companion.)
I'm being very inarticulate - I don't really have the vocabulary for this. I actually did like Tennant in that episode, though. I love Eleventy, but I thought Ten had better chemistry with River, actually.