Avatar: The Last Airbender/The Legend of Korra AU meme

[lifescratched]

Earth, Fire, Air, Water.

Welcome to the World of Avatar, which your characters is now in — whether AU, or dragged through the magic of time and space. Is your character from any of the four nations? Are they a bender, or not? Are they an able chi-blocking artist, or do they sell cabbages out in the streets of the Fire Nation, Ba Sing Se, or even in the South Pole? Do they have to ride the large naval ships of the Fire Nation to get across, or do they have access via beautiful steampunk-inspired ships...?

It's your story.

▶ ERA
1. BSC — Anytime before Avatar Aang was born. Have you met Chin the Conqueror, or Fire Lord Sozin?
2. ASC — Avatar Aang's era. There's no such thing as Air Nomads anymore.
3. ASC, 70 years later — Avatar Korra's era. We're on the road to Republic City!
4. ASC, After Korra's era — Welcome to the future!

▶ SCENARIO SUGGESTIONS
1. Welcome, Avatar — You are the Avatar. Enjoy learning all four kinds of bending! And, perhaps, the secret fifth one.
2. Cactus Juice — Thirsty in the Si Wong Desert, or wherever you happen to be? Not a problem, open up a cactus and enjoy the juice, or buy it from the establishment nearby. It's trippy.
3. Fight Fight Fight! — You're challenged to a duel, or an Agni Kai — save your honor! Or disrupt it, whatever sets you on fire.
4. Pro-bending — We hope you know the rules. If you're the Avatar, please stick to one element or you're disqualified. Don't you want to win?
5. Chi-blocked — Suddenly, your bending abilities were taken away! Or were you the one that blocked their skills?
6. There is no war in Ba Sing Se — Get ready to escape Lake Laogai, if you can, or are you there to save someone?
7. Underground Library — The Knowledge Spirit has allowed you to read.
8. I'm ready, Sifu — Are you a bender, a humble fighter, or a beginner? Either way, your training starts now! Impress your masters, have fun with your classmates.
9. Is that a Polar bear-dog? — One animal plus one animal makes a crazy combination! Ready to ride a sky bison, or are you ready to run from a pack of armadillo lions?
10. The Cave of Two Lovers — Were you bothered by a band of hippies, and ended up here? Good luck finding your way out. Maybe the riddle they told you would be useful right now. ("Love is brightest in the dark.")
11. Cart riding in Omashu — Using the delivery system as your personal slide. Don't crash into too many houses, now.
12. Kyoshi Island — Want to ride the large Elephant Koi, or the Unagi? Or are you exploring, or a protector of the Island?
13. Wildcard — Lost in a swamp, losing yourself in the Avatar state, or did you drink the wrong tea? The choice is yours!

(Original meme lifted from bakerstreet.)

Comments

Zuko | Avatar: The Last Airbender

[restorehonour]

[obv not AU, but totally up for non-canon AU shenanigans! can come in Book 1, Book 3, or Legend of Korra varieties, just let me know which you'd prefer.]

[hairkink]

[ maybe it's a fire nation thing to stay up until ridiculous hours in the night. or maybe it's just the opportune brooding hour for dark-haired, scarred up individuals with dead moms. either way, koujaku has decided to give up on trying to sleep, and ends up flopping down beside zuko because he's up, koujaku's up, clearly time to bond. ]

Couldn't sleep, huh?

[restorehonour]

[Zuko's no stranger to insomnia: he'd spent many a sleepless night pursuing the Avatar, and almost as many in the Earth Kingdom, he himself being hunted down as a fugitive. It's only since he joined Aang and the others that he's found inner peace for the first time in years enough to be able to sleep soundly. Even now, though, there are worries that plague his thoughts and his conscience. And even knowing his destiny, now, the weight of it can sometimes become heavy on his mind.

From where Zuko sits cross-legged at the edge of their camp, he looks at Koujaku for a long moment, then looks away.]

Something like that. You too?

[hairkink]

Something like that. [ he parrots back with a soft chuckle. koujaku is no stranger to nightmares and worrying thoughts plaguing him in the middle of the night. ]

Y'wanna talk about it? Or should we just sit here in awkward silence for a bit longer?

[restorehonour]

You know, silences only get awkward whenever someone says they're awkward.

[He shrugs. He's not as hesitant in confiding in people as he use to be, but he still doesn't find it easy.]

I have a lot on my mind, that's all. When Aang defeats my father, I'll have to become Fire Lord in his place. I just hope I'm ready to lead the Fire Nation to a better future when the time comes. And I'm worried about my uncle... Wherever he is, I hope he's okay.

[Even if he never forgives Zuko for Ba Sing Se, knowing he's safe would be enough.]

zuko book 3; life-changing field trip *for* an angry prince Zuko on Ember Island

[raavashing]

[The fire from the burning house could be seen across the island. There was mostly panic, but four people walked away from it with smiles on their faces. Three people kept those smiles as they headed in for bed. The fourth was the one that drew Wan's spirit as he got up two hours before dawn and headed out to the beach. It wasn't often that he found himself pulled away from his spiritual descendants by the call of another soul. But this one, this boy... no, young man, was related to him. In his case, that was enough.

Wan was dressed in clothes that were better suited for winter weather and he was clearly not wealthy. The rips and stains said that easily. But he approached Zuko like he belonged on the island of with all the other rich families.]

You look like you could use someone to talk to.

[Maybe he was a servant?]


((if this is an okay setup?))

sure, the setup works for me! (aaa Wan <3)

[restorehonour]

[After kissing Mai goodnight as she left with Azula and Ty Lee to sleep, Zuko decided to linger on the beach a little longer to sift through his conflicted thoughts, standing on the shore, with nothing but the sound of the waves for company. Lo and Li's prediction had come true; he did feel like he had shown a side of himself tonight that he rarely exposed to anyone, least of all Azula. At the same time, he still wasn't happy, and as soon as he was alone again, the brief satisfaction that wrecking Chan's party brought was superseded by that single undercurrent of emotion he felt so keenly lately -- anger.

When he's approached by the stranger, Zuko doesn't look at him with the disdain anyone else on the island might have given the shabby-looking man, even if he does look incredibly out of place. Zuko just shakes his head.]

I've talked enough for tonight.

[Zuko then looks over to the beach house, debating if he should just head back for the night. He isn't interested in being harassed by random people.]

[raavashing]

[Wan tilted his head to the side and oh-so-obviously moved around Zuko to stand in his line of sight to the beach house. He smiled brightly in a genuinely friendly - though likely annoying - manner.]

Are you sure? People don't usually stare out at the ocean like that when they've done enough talking. They usually stare out like that when all they can think about is talking and how they don't have anyone to talk to.

[A beat.]

I can be talked to.

[restorehonour]

Or maybe they stare out at it because they want to think in peace and quiet. Alone.

[Zuko narrows his eyes. Who is this guy? Did Chan put him up to this? He didn't see him at the party, though, and Zuko's not sure sure he's a servant, given the way he approached him like this.]

Look, I don't know who you are, but you have the wrong idea. Go find someone else to talk at you. [He shoulders roughly past him and heads to the beach house. Not that there's much he can do if the man does choose to follow him -- there's no royal guard here -- but maybe if he acts prickly enough he'll get the hint. Ugh.]

[raavashing]

[Wan rolled with the motion of Zuko pushing him out of the way, but somehow his foot caught on one of Zuko's ankles in the process. Totally accidentally attempting to trip the prince and make him fall on his face. Totally.]

Oops. Sorry.

[restorehonour]

[Sure enough, Zuko goes down with a complete lack of dignity and an 'oof!'. He immediately rolls onto his back and glares up at Wan.]

What's your problem?! Looking for a fight, is that it?

[raavashing]

[For Wan's part, he doesn't look at all sorry. He's still smiling, a bit too innocently.]

No. Of course not. I just want to help you.

[restorehonour]

Listen closely, because I'm not going to say it again: I don't need your help.

[He gets back to his feet, glaring at him pointedly, then turns and carries on back toward the beach house. He's seriously not in the mood to play along with this stupid game, whatever it is. He's lost his temper enough for one night without this guy making things worse.]

[raavashing]

If you didn't need my help, you wouldn't have called me here.

[Wan doesn't follow this time, letting his words hang in the air.]

[restorehonour]

[That gives Zuko pause, and he glances back at him.]

You're crazy. I've never met you before in my entire life.

[raavashing]

That depends on how you look at things.

[He put a hand on his hip and shrugged.]

For both the crazy and the never meeting. But neither changes the fact that you're the one who called me.

[Wan started toward Zuko again and if the prince was being observant, he may notice that there weren't any footprints in Wan's wake. In fact, the only footprints around were the one's Zuko had made.]

You really don't like sharing your feelings much, do you?

[restorehonour]

[Zuko turns to face him again, and he does notice the lack of footprints in the sand. Is that a trick of the light? He's not sure. The man's annoying persistence foremost of his concerns, though.]

Are you expecting me to have a heart-to-heart with a complete stranger? Forget it.

[raavashing]

It's better than fighting all the time.

[Wan stopped when he was standing in front of Zuko. He was taller by a few inches and though Zuko was still growing, for the moment Wan had to be looked up to. His eyes were clearly the amber of a firebender and they may have seemed just a little bit brighter than they should have in the dark of the night.]

But if fighting is what you'd prefer, I am willing to allow it.

[restorehonour]

You're "willing to allow it". [He lets out a low, humourless laugh.] What makes you think you're the one calling the shots around here?

[Even with the height difference, Zuko is squaring up to him until their faces are inches apart. He's taken on an older, much taller firebender before in an Agni Kai and won, he's sure he can take this guy. ...Even if there is something a little weird about him.]

In case you didn't recognise me, I'm Zuko, Crown Prince of the Fire Nation and heir to the throne. You don't get to allow or disallow me to do anything.

[raavashing]

You focus so much on those titles. On what you are. But it isn't what you are that makes you who you are. It's what you do. What have you done, Zuko, Crown Prince of the Fire Nation and heir to throne? Fight? Yell? Burn a house down? What do those actions make you? Is that who you want to be?

[He didn't back down. He didn't seem intimidated or even at all to care about the threat and titles being thrown around. Just quietly asserting that he was in control of the encounter and there was nothing Zuko could do about it.]

That's what's bothering you right now. You don't know who you are and everything you do feels wrong.

[restorehonour]

[Zuko's good eye widens, and he looks stung, knowing there's truth in the man's words. It's like he can see right through him... But how?]

I know who I am! I have my right to the throne, and my honour. I have everything I ever wanted!

[raavashing]

[His eyes softened and though it wasn't meant to be pitying look, it could easily be interpreted as one.]

Having what you want and being who you want, aren't the same thing. Thinking they are will only force you to keep tormenting yourself.

[restorehonour]

So what? I can't just change who I am. [He turns away, looking to sea, and crosses his arms.] I tried starting a new life in the Earth Kingdom. I was even happy for a while. But eventually my past caught up with me. It always does. How wouldn't it, when it stares me in the face every time I look in the mirror?

[The memory of Ba Sing Se brings with it a fresh wave of confusion and anger, and his hands drop to his sides, clenching into fists. The Avatar is still alive, which means Zuko's days as the so-called hero who slew him are numbered. And what leaves him more angry and frustrated than anything is that for all his father's approval, now his uncle despises him, can't even stand the sight of him.

He tried to make the right choice, but in the end, he's unhappier than ever.]

[raavashing]

You define who you are with your actions. If you don't like who you are, then stop taking the actions that make you this way.

[He stepped up behind Zuko, very close but not touching him.]

Take the actions that you feel to be right in your heart. They will lead you to the Avatar, to your honor, and to who you really are.

[restorehonour]

[Zuko shakes his head, weary.] I don't care about the Avatar any more. He's as good as dead.

[Once that assassin is through with him, anyway. Which would mean his honour in the eyes of his father would be secured... even if it was gotten through less than honourable means.]