* 𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚.

[ another nameless kyoshi warrior sacrificed to the fire nation. ]

she realizes, just fast enough, that saying any of it aloud would make her sound like a child.

" i wouldn't have chosen this. " she isn't fast enough to hide the quirk in her lips that betrays her answer. " why do you even care ? i can carry out my responsibilities whether or not i hate you. i answer to suki as much as i do you. "

a flying kick sent flame in one direction, a spin with a raised fist to the other. as he regained his breath, choosing to simmer down from the moment, he'd caught sight of his appointed warrior on the sidelines. her expression always spoke volumes what her words would not. he stood there, watching her for a few moments -- only when he rose a hand to swipe against his temple to stop the perspiration from traveling down the side of his face did he speak. asking her a question he very well knew the answer to.

❝ don’t joke about murder ,  zuko ❞           expression is steady ,  sincere.    if aang is joking …   it doesn’t show.          ❝ i was murdered once and that’s offensive. ❞

They’re going to start a war!

We’ll be prepared for your attack.

My sights are set higher.

Which is why we have to kill them all.

His first step is to eliminate the one person who could stand in his way.

What? I was just enjoying the view.

You skipped training again!

It’s all the same drills. You know I already know all this stuff.

You may be more advanced than the others, but there’s much you have to learn.

We don’t have the luxury of waiting for the right time.

Are comet festivals always this much work?

Well, the last one was a hundred years ago, and believe it or not.

Remember the last time I brought you here?

Their actions threaten to throw the world out of balance.

The world needs you, [insert name].

You’re strong and kind and generous.

Always remember who you are because I can’t imagine a better person to have been given this power.

Can’t I just keep pretending that I’m your friend?

Monks don’t even trust me to feed the baby bison, and I’m supposed to save the world?

I don’t want the responsibility.

I’m scared of my power.

I just need to go up where things always make more sense.

Remember, no survivors.

That’s it. Stay quiet. You’ll be safe in there.

You may have prevailed on another night.

Just proves if you want something done right, gotta do it yourself.

They don’t appreciate your incredible leadership skills.

Not everything is about preparing to fight.

Keeping ourselves alive is our duty.

Sulk later, paddle now.

Oh! Nice. Nice. We’re not gonna die.

I don’t like this, but why listen to me?

For three years, I’ve chased down every hint, every rumor, every whisper of [insert name/thing], and I’ll keep doing it for another three years if I have to.

All I’m saying is, it’s hard to see you get your hopes up every time you see a… a sign.

Perhaps it’s time to consider that the throne isn’t everything.

What are you thinking? Have you forgotten your training?

What’d I say about keeping your guard up? He could be the enemy.

I’m not the enemy.

Repeating it doesn’t help.

But when the world needed him most, he vanished.

How come his omens never take us somewhere with hot springs, huh?

We will prove ourselves worthy, and we will see our homes and families again… or we will die trying.

Believe me, I know how hard it is to lose the people you love.

They destroyed everything in their path.

We’re never really ready until we have to be.

I need to be at my best when I face the world’s ultimate warrior.

Now, how about a nice cup of jasmine tea?

I’m a warrior. I should be able to do more for our people.

We merely seek someone who does not belong here.

Turn him over now, or I’ll burn this place to the ground.

I know how hard this responsibility has been for you, but there’s more to being a leader than just catching fish.

You have to give people something to live for.

If this is the path you’ve chosen, then so be it.

Let’s settle this between us! Leader to leader. You really need an army?

Well, where’s the glory in that?

Enough games. Burn the whole place to the ground.

I’ll go with you. Just leave them alone.

No one has ever fought for me before.

I think you’re the bravest person I’ve ever met.

I saw real sloppiness out there today.

There are many who never imagined this day would ever come, myself included.

Some people say it is within our nature to expand and consume like fire itself.

But peace comes from respecting life, not killing and destroying.

It only matters how it can end.

It’s time we showed those flameheads they can’t step on us.

It would put everyone in danger.

They made the ultimate sacrifice for me. I need to make sure their deaths weren’t in vain. I need to follow through on what they wanted me to do.

This was my home, and now it’s gone.

getting  out  of  her  own  thoughts,  bending  down  to  the  level  of  the  bed,  a  soft  hand  reached  up  to  brush  his  hair  back,  soft  smile  still  staying  on  her  face.  wishing  she  could  just  frame  this  moment.  before  nudging  him  gently  with  her  hand. ❝ wake  up,  my  little  prince.  we're  going  to  miss  the  best  time  to  visit  the  turtleducks.  ❞  coos  softly  but  still  loud  for  him  to  (  hopefully  )  hear. 

zuko was right about that. suki knew it may not have been her business to pester him about this -- but she knew neither sokka nor aang would notice, toph would not bother to ask, and katara, well... katara might take it a step too far.

no, suki was the best one for the job, that was for sure. partially because she had noticed. zuko was slower in their sparring, sloppier. he had dark circles under his eyes that were getting worse. she could hear him tossing and turning in his bedroll at night while she counted the stars. he wasn't sleeping.

when he should be pushing aang to train, he finds himself sitting off along from the group. can't even bring himself to scold everyone and remind them they have pressing matters at hand. how can he teach when he's barely a shell of the firebender he had once been?