Anonymous asked: I feel like every time I reread The Song of Achilles my brain tells me I won’t cry again, and yet, here on read through number 34, I am sobbing. Again. Goddammit
Here’s my full piece for the @foundfamilyzine featuring this beautiful (and sadly tragic) mythological found family =)
You can still grab a copy (physical or PDF!) until the 27th of november if your interested and/or if you missed the preorders:
foundfamilyzine.tumblr.com/store !
They are siblings in all but blood. That it! You cannot convince me otherwise.
Toph claims herself Zuko’s most favorite badass little sister of all time and would fight anyone who disagrees (even Azula. especially Azula)
Toph has her own room in the palace. It must be the one nearest to Zuko’s chamber and the very first thing she did when entering the room is creating a door connected directly to Zuko’s one. (“For emergency!” She said, and Zuko can’t change her mind)
When Toph has nothing to do (or doesn’t want to do anything in particular), she spends her time hanging around Zuko wherever he is: in his office, in his training ground, in the middle of a meeting (“i’m just gonna lie here on your Fire Lord’s lap doing nothing, don’t mind me, keep go on”) or even when he’s having a bath (“stop sceaming, geez, it not like i can see anything!”).
Zuko sometime visit Toph’s metalbending school. Toph’s lily livers still haven’t figure out what that fancy Fire Nation friend of their master’s name is yet. (“i told you, it’s Sparky!” “who on earth named their child Sparky?” “I think it’s Sunshine!” “Last time I heard, she called him Fieriness!”)
Toph hates people touching her feet. But she doesn’t mind Zuko massaging them from time to time.
Zuko is the person who taught Toph how to write. It took a lot of time and arguing and mud (especially mud!!), but when Toph can finally get their names right, she start writing (translate: carving) the letters on whichever wall she can get her hand on.
The first time Toph accompanied Zuko to Ozai’s cell, she almost killed the batard. Zuko was both amazed and scared at the little earthbender he comes to call his sister.
The Beifong sometime send Zuko messages demanding him (politely, of course, they wouldn’t want to anger the Fire Lord) to return their daughter. Zuko refuses to let them anywhere near Toph until they start seeing her for who she really is.
After the fisrt (almost suceeded) attempt at Zuko’s life. Toph made it her life mission to triple-check every and all the Fire Lord’s personal guards in the palace (even the Kyoshi Warriors excepts Suki) before they’re allowed anywhere near Zuko.
Aang
Aang sends Zuko (and Toph, since she literally lives with him) a lotttttttt of updates on his adventure. Even something as trivial as “i tripped over a tree root today”. The messenger hawk might or might not be planning his murder right now with how many times they has to fly across the world in one day.
Aang always greets Zuko with “Flameo, Sifu Hotman!” and a hug whenever he visits the Fire Palace. Zuko doesn’t even know he is more embarrassed with the hugs or annoyed with the nicknames anymore.
Awkward as he is, Zuko can never understand why he is always the first person Aang would seek out whenever he has romantic-related problems. Ever.
Zuko and Aang are the sole reason the turtleducks in the Royal Palace are all overweight.
Aang once confessed to Zuko that he’s scared to even think of learning lightning bending, and Zuko in turn confessed that he didn’t want to teach Aang the technique that was aimed for his life by his own family members, twice.
As the Avatar and the fact that he travels a lot, Aang makes sure to spread as many nice words about both the Fire Lord and the Fire Nation around the world as possible.
Aang always asks Zuko to dance with him at every balls or parties he attended, and he never takes no for the answer much to Zuko’s dismay.
Since Aang discovered that Roku was Zuko’s great-grandfather, he always pulls that card whenever he couldn’t come up with a good enough retort in their arguments. (“Well at least… Ughh… At least listen to your great-grandfather!” “You can’t just say that!!” “Yes I can!”)
When Druk is old enough to start their first flying trip, Aang was invited to be the first person to test it with Zuko. The airbender is absolutely ecstatic to receive the honor.
The first (almost suceeded) attempt at Zuko’s life happens when Aang was half the continent away from Fire Nation. On hearing the news, he flew almost non-stop to the Palace as fast as Appa could go and spent the next 3 days clinging desperately to Zuko and wouldn’t let go. (“I cannot lose you, too! I cannot lose any of you, too!” He cried, and Zuko can only pat his back constantly for comfort).
Sokka
Sokka always brings Zuko gifts whenever he visit the Fire Nation (most of which are ridiculous should Toph tells you) and Zuko always hoards them in his chamber like some sort of treasures (which is disgusting should Toph tells you).
Sokka is Zuko’s best boyfriend and he would fight anyone who says otherwise.
Zuko is the one who found Sokka’s space sword. (Because he is just that good at finding things/people/animals and you can’t change my mind)
Sokka knows literally every secret tunnels/rooms in the palace and is always excited to show them to Zuko, some of which Zuko didn’t even know exist until then.
They have swords fight (or swordbending training as Sokka phrased it) almost every day during Sokka’s visit.
Whenver Zuko visits the South Pole, Sokka insists that they go hunting and fishing together for the purpose of “bonding”. Zuko is terrible at both, but he tried his best.
Whenever Sokka believes that Zuko is overworking himself, he would sit in the Fire Lord’s office and rambles non-stop until it annoys Zuko enough to make him give in and get the hell out of that boring room.
Sokka is 1000% ready to fight whoever questions Zuko’s position as the Fire Lord or even dare to insult him because “he’s the greatest and most devoted Fire Lord to ever exist, you dunderheads!”.
Zuko always has the cook prepared mountains of sea prunes and other marine foods whenever Sokka pay him a visit. That’s why he is always Sokka’s best bro.
After the first assasin going for Zuko’s life was captured, Sokka might or might not gave them the trauma of their entire life.
Katara
Their friendship is the kind of relationship that doesn’t even talk with each other for months but can still get on the same page right the moment they start talking as if there is no time gap in between at all.
Katara is the person who insisted her father to adopt Zuko (which he agrees right away) and of course Zuko has no saying in this.
Sometime, when she gets into a fight with Sokka, she would walk off shouting “Zuko is now officially my big brother!” which of course leads to another fight between her and Toph because “back off Sugar Queen, Sparky is my big brother!” while Sokka just wails to the bewildered Fire Lord either about “Stop stealing my sister!” (when he’s not too mad) or “You can keep yoursister away from me now!” (when he’s… well… absolutely very mad)
Zuko is the only person Katara allows to play with her hair because who could’ve guess the Fire Lord of all people know how to braid!? (Beside, his hands are really warm, they help her relax)
Zuko finds that he never has enough time to work during Katara’s visit, mostly because she always forces him to “take a break, wouldn’t you?” or “go eat something before you starve yourself to dead, idiot!” or “it’s time to sleep, Your Majesty. Now get out of that chair and go to bed before I knock you out and do that myself!”. (Zuko is kind of surprise he doesn’t mind it as much as he thought)
Katara likes teaching Zuko some domestic stuffs like sewing or knitting (whether he likes it or not). Zuko is not an artist, but he is not half bad.
After witnessing two people she cares about being hit by lightning and almost die, Katara sometime has nightmares, and it can be even worse when she’s in the Fire Nation. Nights like these, Zuko would let her sleep on his bed while holding her hand throughout the night. Katara always wakes up with Zuko sitting in very awkward and definitely uncomfortable positions beside her, looking like he refuses to leave her side until he’s sure she is finally awake. Though she thinks it’s very sweet and considerate, she always scolds him for not taking care of himself. Her speech always doesn’t hold too much (if any) heat in it, and he never seems to mind.
Zuko can never hide any new scars from Katara. It’s like she has magic eyes or something. She can detect even the smallest cuts in just a few minutes. (To be fair, after the third fail to hide them, Zuko never actually tries again)
When Zuko gets uncomfortable in a crowd, he tends to stick to Katara. And the waterbender somehow could easily shield him from the world. (And if this uncomfort comes from a particular person, she could also make sure said person feels twice as uncomfortable as Zuko does).
The first (almost suceeded) assassination attempt happens during Katara’s visit and she wouldn’t allow anyone except herself to heal Zuko because she cannot trust anyone with his life right that moment.
Suki
Suki likes to have hand-to-hand spars with Zuko the most because his skill is almost on the same level with her, and he never holds back on her nor ever gives up either.
Suki always accopanies Zuko when he visits Azula and is always there for him when he himself has a mental breakdown afterward.
Suki rarely have fight with Sokka, but when she does, it’s always Zuko she goes to. Again, Zuko can never understand why.
When Zuko needs to rant about all the political and financial issues or even typical “Fire Lord-ish” issues, he would always goes to Suki.
Zuko hates playing the tsungi horn however talented Uncle said he is with the instrument. But he never refuses when Suki asks him to play.
Suki would roundhouse punch any generals in the meeting room if they ever dare to dishonor or hurt Zuko in any ways. (Hint: no one dare after the first and only time, good for them.)
Suki doesn’t pay too much attention to gossips around the palace, but if one of those blethers upsets Zuko, she makes sure those words would never be repeated again. Ever.
Suki taught Zuko how to do Kyoshi-make-up in his relaxing time, and even let him put make-up on her, once. (She can’t stop laughing at how ridiculous Zuko made her looked, but still wore it the whole day)
On hearing about the first assassination attempt on Zuko, Suki decided she would become the Fire Lord’s personal guard herself because Kyoshi if that isn’t the most teriffying news she ever heard in her life. (And “protest as you like, Zuko but I’m not leaving!”)
Sometime, when the whole “Fire Lord” things is too much for Zuko, he would sneak out for a walk or escape to Uncle’s tea shop. While he keeps it a secret to all the guards, Zuko always brings Suki with him.
Azula (maybe post-redemption?)
After years spending separated from her big brother, Azula is more than terrified to learn that her Zuzu has adopted (or has been adopted?) a bunch of little sisters (and brothers). Yea, she is absolutely jealous!
She demands the exact same treatment Zuko gives the other girls (which of course, includes of hair braiding and foot massaging). Zuko never complains, just does whatever she wanted with the amount of love so copious it disgusts her (actually, it makes her stomach all flutter, what is this feeling called again?)
Azula almost constantly gets into a fight with this blind earthbender because “I’m the only one allowed to bully Sparky/Zuzu!!” - both of them scream at the top of their lungs.
Zuko tells Azula he loves her everyday, even back when she was in the asylum. He said that he was glad she was back and as much as she want to believe it’s just a lie, she always knows it’s not (Zuzu has always been a bad liar!). And even though Azula often scoffs at that, she feels like she would cry.
Azula has nightmare every night. She wouldn’t admit out loud but she is scared of sleeping. Zuko discovers that (quicker than she wants to acknowledge) and offer her to sleep in his room. She scoffed at that, too. But she hasn’t sleep that peacefully since forever. Zuko never said anything when she came back the next night and the night after…
The first assassination attempt on Zuko Azula ever witnessed left her shaken to the core. No damage was done but something in her is on the verse of breaking. It shouldn’t affect her this much but it does. Azula spend that whole night burying deep in Zuko’s warm and safe and alive arms. And she felt like she knew what’s going on inside her.
Azula curses the Avatar and his friends many times for teaching Zuko how to hug. It makes her feel vulnerable and soft and loved and so right in her big brother’s arms like this. She thinks she might never want him to let go again. (And Agni that thought scares her. But somehow she doesn’t mind, not anymore.)
Azula learns to be nice by watching her big brother. She tries to listen to him when he told her what is not right. She tries asking him if what she is doing is wrong or not. The once hot-headed Zuzu she knew is suddenly so patient and encouraging with her now. He never ceases to surprise her everyday. Somehow, she knows it’s a good kind of surprise.
She learns to get along with Zuzu’s new found family, too. It was hard, very very hard at first. But they warms up eventually. And throughout the process, Zuko helps. He always does.
P/S: after that one (1) assassination attempt Azula witnessed, there was no attempt on Zuko’s life again, ever. (It was the last wrong decision she made, but she believed it was right.)
Yea, Azula’s part was actually a story I’m working on :))
when i first saw that picture of eddie with his cast all i could think about was eddie coming back from the store with that written on his cast to richie. and richie noticing a tiny tear running down eddies cheek. richie rushing to him, kissing his nose and wiping it away while mumbling various curse words about “that fucking asshole” who drew on eddies cast. Richie then noticing a red marker on the floor, grabbing it and drawing a big red v over the s. eddie would then just sit there beat red and smiling like a dummy resisting the urge to lean over and kiss richie right then and there
when i first saw that picture of eddie with his cast all i could think about was eddie coming back from the store with that written on his cast to richie. and richie noticing a tiny tear running down eddies cheek. richie rushing to him, kissing his nose and wiping it away while mumbling various curse words about “that fucking asshole” who drew on eddies cast. Richie then noticing a red marker on the floor, grabbing it and drawing a big red v over the s. eddie would then just sit there beat red and smiling like a dummy resisting the urge to lean over and kiss richie right then and there
We all agree that Mike Wheeler would perpetually carry around tissues in his pockets for El and her nosebleeds.
But can we all also agree that El starts carrying around a little bundle of tissues every spring when Mike, who has terrible seasonal allergies, can’t stop sneezing?
