Dema Parbat

For The Spirits | New Gods AU

Type: fanfiction, lore, & art

Tags: #New Gods AU | #For The Spirits

Fic: AO3

Summary:

Zuko was a child when he met Agni. Then, the spirits started coming to him. Eyes hidden in the hallways, voices pleading for help, for recognition, for remembrance.

Zuko could see Agni. He could see the broken remains of a Great Spirit and the empty smiles of amnesiac ghosts.

And they could see him in return.

¦

Or: Being spirit-touched isn't everything it's cracked up to be.

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Spitfire

Type: fanfiction, lore, & art

Tags: #Spitfire | #Lu Ten II

Fic: AO3

Summary:

It begins with Ursa, with that sparkle of life she vanished to protect. When Zuko finds her, everything changes.

Hope is a tender, fearless thing. Zuko's hope has the shape of a child and the eyes of his mother, and it must be protected.

The Avatar can wait.

.

In which Lu Ten II, Zuko's little brother, takes the world by storm.

¦

Or: Raising his six-year-old brother throws Zuko into an early redemption arc triggered by parenthood. And stress. (And love.)

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Akai Kotou | Kyoshi Warriors AU

Type: fanfiction, lore, & art

Tags: #Akai Kotou | #Kyoshi Warriors AU | #Kyoshi Warrior Ursa AU

Fic: AO3

Summary:

"Akai Kotou," Jian Li says, "means Solitary Red Island. It's the name Rangi gave to her lover's home. It's the name given to Kyoshi Island by the children of Fire."

.

When Aang, Sokka, and Katara arrive at Kyoshi Island, they're only looking for a place to rest for the night. They don't expect to find new allies, soul-deep connections, and a myriad of secrets.

(Sometimes, Zuko forgets that Jian Li isn't his real name. But now it's time to start remembering.)

¦

Or: Ursa took her children and hid them—raised them—in Kyoshi Island. Years later, beautiful and scarred Jian Li joins the Gaang on their travels in hopes of finding his sister (and learning how to bend).

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Imperfect Canvass | Painted Red AU

Type: fanfiction & art

Tag: #Imperfect Canvass

Fic: AO3

Summary:

It's easy to forget, there, in Caldera. So they do everything in their power to remember.

.

The Blue Spirit and the Painted Ghost meet in the city each night, two souls in eternal search for repentance.

Katara tries to find a way to kill the war, whatever it takes. Zuko, the Perfect Prince, offers her the only pieces of him that remain.

¦

Or: Katara becomes the Blue Spirit in an attempt to move on from his death at Lake Laogai. Crown Prince Zuko, inspired by folktales of old, shows the citizens of Hari Bulkan what the Painted Ghost is capable of.

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To Hesitate | Lee & Kya AU

Type: fanfiction, lore, & art

Tags: #Lee & Kya AU | #Lee and Kya From The Tea Shop AU

Fic: AO3

Summary:

As she watches Lee and Kya avoid each other's eyes from across the room, the phrase comes back to her, swift and silent:

"To hesitate is to lose."

.

As Song treats the victim of an unfortunate interaction with a rare poisonous flower, her day takes an unexpected turn when it becomes apparent that the old man's nephew and her assistant have history.

A vivid history.

¦

Or: Traveling through the Earth Kingdom and settling down in Ba Sing Se wasn't in their plans, but destiny has a lovely sense of humor.

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Soundless (Uiscefhuaraithe)

Type: fanfiction & art

Tag: #Soundless AU

Fic: AO3

Summary:

Katara of the Southern Water Tribe has hands scarred by fire and great talent, though no teacher.

Zuko is a mute War Child, a herbalist and healer, and the Blue Spirit. He bears the mark of fire, and the scar of the blade that took away his voice.

The first time they met, the Blue Spirit had just saved her, though not before her hands got burned. The second time they met, his name was Lee, and he was healing her.

They live in war and they will fight, if not for the world, then for themselves.

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Letters To Home | Leave The City AU

Type: fanfiction & art

Tags: #Letters To Home | #Leave The City AU

Fic: AO3

Summary:

"Live," she pleads. "I don't want you to sacrifice yourself for this war—for me. I just need you to come back. Please...please come back to me."

.

Zuko writes the letters whenever he can. During a break from a council meeting, late at night in his chambers, after another training session with Azula—all he does is write to her. Because he needs to let her know that he's alright and their plan is working. She needs to know that he'll come back.

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Hunters AU

Type: lore & art

Tag: #Hunters AU

Summary:

Katara is desperate to end the war that killed her mother and called her father and brother to the battlefield. When Aang, that strange kid she found unconscious out in the snow, is revealed to be the Avatar and flees the South Pole, Katara turns to the Prince who helped the Tribe through the winter months.

The Fire Prince has a plan, and she wants in. For the war to end, he must be crowned, but the only way to reinstate his claim to the throne is by delivering the Avatar to the Fire Lord. Luckily for Aang, nobody said it had to be in chains.

¦

Or: Katara joins Zuko's crew of traitors and spies to destroy the Fire Nation from the inside (and capture the Avatar).

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Tales From The Couch

Type: lore & art

Tag: #Tales From The Couch

Summary:

They're young and stupid, but they're together.

The Gaang's shenanigans in a modern AU. Songs, teasing, bending, and a little bit of love.

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Kintsugi AU

Type: lore & art

Tag: #Kintsugi AU

Summary:

Kintsugi is one of the few cultural practices all the remaining nations have in common. The Water Tribes seal their scars with silver. The Earth Kingdom with bronze. The Fire Nation with gold.

It is a sign of status in the Fire Nation. For one of noble blood to have a natural scar is paramount to disgrace. It's no surprise that Fire Lord Ozai prohibited Zuko's burn to be sealed with Kintsugi after the Agni Kai. Nor that the Prince tried to hide all of his golden scars afterwards.

(After all, it hurts less to pretend you were never worthy.)

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Dandadan AU

Type: lore & art

Tag: #Dandadan AU

Summary:

Yokai, Zuko affirms, are real. Unlike spirits.

Spirits, Katara believes, do exist. Unlike yokai.

As it turns out, they're both right. (And they hate it.)

¦

Or: They make a bet, and it works out just fine. Zuko gets possessed by the Blue Spirit, and Katara is cursed by the Painted Lady, a (reformed) yokai. Oh, the irony.

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Unwilling Hosts AU

Type: art (lore to be shared)

Tag: #Unwilling Hosts AU

Summary:

Sokka's strategy is to infiltrate Prince Jerkbender's ship, play the part of war prisoner, gather as much information on the Fire Nation navy as possible, and leave.

Instead of following the plan—or allowing her brother to ruin it—Katara stomps into the Wani, declares it her permanent-until-I-say-so residence, and proceeds to bully the Prince into an early redemption arc, because he's stupid. Iroh is enjoying the show, Zuko just wants her to go away, and somehow they forget all about the navy's plans. Oops.

¦

Or: A subversion of the Capture trope.

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Marked AU

Cycle in Reverse AU

Type: lore & art

Tag: #Cycle in Reverse AU

Summary:

Once a Prince, Zuko was taken by his Uncle to the Sun Warrior Tribe to heal from his burn and learn the true meaning of fire. Years later, he finds the treasure the Sun Warriors have kept hidden for over a century: a sleeping Avatar.

After waking up the Avatar and running away from the Tribe, Zuko swears to protect Aang, force him to learn all elements if he must, and end the war. Along the way, the Gaang grows to include a sassy sandbender (who's actually a runaway heiress), and two siblings raised in the Foggy Swamp Tribe.

It's all pretty straightforward—until they realize that Aang's century-long coma has greater consequences than they're prepared for.

¦

Or: the title of this AU isn't subtle at all.

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Type: lore & art

Tag: #Marked AU

Summary:

Katara tries to heal the wounds caused by Aang's firebending, but the scars remain. Zuko, who notices the waterbender's marked hands in the midst of battle, thinks he's the one who burned her.

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Halfblood AU

Type: lore & art

Tag: #Halfblood AU

Summary:

Kanna never made it to the South Pole. Instead, she settled down somewhere in the Earth Kingdom.

Katara is a half-child who barely remembers her mother and never met her father. Zuko, an ashkid raised in the Earth Kingdom, is a lone traveler with a single mission in mind: to discover the identity of his father—the man responsible for his mother's death, responsible for Zuko's existence—and murder him.

¦

Or: The road to Ba Sing Se is long, but you're not really alone when the stranger walking besides you understands what it's like to have blood of different elements coursing through your veins.

.

(Inspired by Blue Eye Samurai.)

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Arcane AU

Type: lore & art

Tag: #Arcane AU

Summary:

Enforcer Zuko Kasai has a very simple task: survive in the Undercity long enough to complete his mission, and do so without calling forth Councillor Ozai's wrath. Again. Sounds easy enough, but things get messy when he has zero information about the weapon of massive destruction he's supposed to find and bring back to his father. The things he does to go back home...

The people of Zaun aren't making his job any easier—always getting into trouble he can't sweep under the rug. He sympathizes with their cause, he truly does, but if that Katara girl blows up another factory, Zuko swears he'll jump off a bridge before Father's goons can get to him.

How is he supposed to protect both cities from an unknown danger and reclaim his status as the Kasai Heir in these conditions?

(The solution finds him when a strange kid with a weird connection to the Arcane itself drops almost dead on Katara and Sokka's doorstep.)

(Naturally, it all goes downhill from there.)

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Bloodbound AU

Type: lore & art

Tag: #Blood AU

Summary:

The vampire isn't like others of his kind, she notices. He's strangely gentle, has the self-esteem of a squashed bug, and took care of her injury without succumbing to the temptation of her blood. Without caring that she's a Hunter. But in spite of all his frustrating goodness, the Prince is still a vampire, and he still needs to feast.

Luckily for Zuko, Katara knows of a criminal or two whose blood just begs to be bent (and consumed).

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Dema's AU Kisses

Type: art

Tag: #National Dema AU Kisses Day

Summary:

Sketch requests for kisses and tender moments. Askbox now CLOSED for this event.

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Lyric Comics Series

Type: art

Tag: #Lyric Comics Series

Summary:

A series of comics inspired by my favorite songs and sets of lyrics.

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Dema Answers

Type: askbox

Tag: #Dema Answers

Summary:

All of your questions, and all of my replies.

Credit where credit is due: this is a story that has been taking shape for over a decade, so putting things together can be...a little difficult. To make things simple, I'll be drawing help from this Reddit post, as well as the knowledge I've gathered after years of being an obsessive fan.

I'll also be sharing two official videos narrated by Tyler Joseph (vocalist, lyricist, Clancy), and Josh Dun (drummer, Torchbearer). You can watch them here (I Am Clancy) and here (I Am Torchbearer), in order. These videos give a general overview of the story and explain everything more clearly than I ever could.

(There are also, like, half a million videos on YouTube about the story, in case you want a deep-dive.)

Everything takes place during TØP's albums Blurryface, Trench, Scaled & Icy, Clancy, and Breach. What you'll be reading is a condensed explanation of the story delivered via the Bandito AU.

In summary: I'll be sketching out the Bandito AU with its ATLA characters, but everything I'm describing is, quite literally, what happens in Clancy's story. I'll give further information in case it diverts from the original narrative.

Within the City Walls

The City (known originally as Dema) sits on the continent of Trench. Inescapable and grim, it's surrounded by a large circular wall that, actually, kind of resembles Ba Sing Se. It is, essentially, a prison ruled by nine Bishops—who each represent a different aspect of depression.

The album Blurryface details life in Dema. The City itself is a metaphor for depression, suicidal ideation, and mental health issues.

In the Bandito AU, the Bishops that rule the City are the following characters:

Ozai as Nico: Also known as Blurryface, Ozai represents everything that's wrong with everything. He's the leader of the Bishops and the Big Bad who must be defeated at the end of the story.

In TØP's saga, Nico is the physical manifestation of Clancy's (Tyler's) own fears and insecurities, so the situation is way more complex than just Good vs Evil.

Iroh as Keons: Described as more kind and caring than the other Bishops. He conspires to help Zuko escape. Iroh is eventually found out and killed by Ozai for his betrayal, but not before starting a fire in the City. He represents fear of standing up.

Azula as Listo: The Bishop who represents fear of abandonment. Not much is known about this individual. While rather unimportant in the original lore, Azula will have a much bigger role in this AU. She'll be the one chasing after Zuko and the Banditos, instead of Ozai/Blurryface himself.

Characters such as Zhao, Long Feng, and Generally Evil or Sad People can also be depicted as Bishops. Yes, I am including Ursa on that list (Sacarver, fear of heartbreak).

Welcome to Trench

Sokka, Toph, Suki, and other characters as Banditos: The group of rebels who aim to overthrow the City. They live in camps all across the continent of Trench. Banditos wear yellow because the Bishops are unable to see that color (which is fun when you consider the exact shade of Zuko's eyes).

Katara as Torchbearer: Leader of the Banditos. Katara embodies resilience and is a guide towards freedom and redemption. Torchbearer offers strength and unwavering support, refusing to turn her back on people who need her.

Torchbearer is Josh Dun's character. He represents a constant in your life, something or someone that keeps you going and never gives up on you.

In the Bandito AU, Katara lived in the City for a short period of time after her mother's death. She has few memories of those months. Eventually, she managed to escape and reunite with her family, gaining the Banditos' respect and loyalty. The red details on her outfit are a reminder of what she's been through. This is the reason she connects so deeply with Zuko.

Aang as Ned: A cute little creature living somewhere in Trench. Overall just a tiny and overexcited...thing. His antlers can grow and be removed, allowing whoever they're gifted to the power to bend an element for a brief period of time.

Ned represents Creativity—Tyler uses creativity to fight his struggles, just as Clancy uses Ned to fight Blurryface. Originally, Ned's antlers seize control of a dead body, but this is an ATLA fusion, so...

Hello, Clancy

Clancy is the character played by Tyler Joseph, and the protagonist of the saga. Zuko will play his role because their individual character arcs parallel each other beautifully.

Zuko's backstory in this AU will be different from Clancy's, but his story will play out in pretty much the same way once he leaves the City. Though the finale should also divert from the lore...

Zuko is on his way to becoming a Bishop (probably Reisdro, who represents self-doubt), but he's...bad at it.

Really bad at it.

When he was a child, his mother told him rumours of ‘the outside’ before disappearing. Those stories fueled a shameful desire to see what lies beyond the City. He keeps it silent for years, until the day of his Naming Ceremony arrives.

He sees things. Things that finally open his eyes to what the City does to its citizens. Zuko stands up to his father—their leader—and claims that everything he's been told is a lie, that what they stand for is wrong. Their people offer devotion in exchange for—what? A neon gravestone outside the City? Imprisonment by their own misery? What kind of life is this? What kind of rule?

As punishment, Zuko is burned terribly and confined to the depths of the City. After years of trying, he manages to escape to the continent.

Zuko explores Trench for a long time. Aimless, he eventually runs into a group of Banditos led by Torchbearer. But then Azula finds him and offers him a chance to return home. He refuses and tries to flee, but is recaptured and dragged down the river. Fueled by evidence that freedom is possible, Zuko eventually escapes again on his own.

The following does not happen originally. Faithful depictions of TØP's lore continue once he reaches the camp.

Alone once again, Zuko wanders until exhaustion takes over. He's discovered by a strange little creature who's too busy fluttering around to nurse anyone back to health. Aang, it presents himself as. An Avatar, whatever that is. Luckily for Zuko (or not), Aang is accompanied by the Torchbearer he saw days earlier. The girl is named Katara, and she's younger than he'd thought.

She interrogates Zuko. Asks why he's dressed as a citizen, what he's doing outside the City, why did he run from that other Bishop, etc. He's tired, irritated, and quite a bit angry, so he does the logical thing: tells her to shut up, swears a little, and storms off.

He doesn't make it ten steps before he passes out.

When Zuko wakes up again, Katara is still there.

“I'm taking you back to our camp,” she says. “Anyone who gathers the strength to escape that place is worth my respect.”

And, well, it's not like he has anywhere to be, does he?

Zuko reluctantly allows himself to be kidnapped. The three of them travel together for a few days, eventually reaching the Bandito camp Katara is based in. Her brother Sokka and their...pet...friend...thing (Toph) greet them.

Zuko spends months with them, learning their ways, seeing the extent of the City's cruelty, finally living for the first time. He cuts his hair, wears their colors, and grows closer to their little group...

Until Azula finds them again, and he's recaptured.

Zuko is thrown into prison for months. During this time, he becomes a bit of a legend in the City. The journals he kept during his escape become common knowledge, and Azula decides to use this new development to her advantage. Zuko's influence is turned into a propaganda tool.

He becomes the perfect citizen.

One of the reasons I love Clancy's story so much is because it parallels not only Zuko's path to redemption and his struggles with realizing his own conditioning—it also parallels his backslide. The fall from grace, the return to the evil he's familiar with. The “I am fine, this is who I'm supposed to be” while everything is crumbling inside.

That's important too.

As Zuko fulfills his duty, one of the Bishops prepares to betray the others. Iroh—after seeing how living in Trench has changed his nephew—devises a plan. He helps Zuko fake his death and escape the City once more. Unfortunately, Ozai finds out and kills him.

Despite Azula's attempts to control the flow of information, news of Zuko's escape and Iroh's betrayal spread through the City, inspiring some of the citizens to begin a rebellion of their own. They wear red as a symbol: this is our color, and it's time to reclaim it.

Meanwhile, Zuko washes up on the shore of a small island he discovers to be the homeland of Aang's kind. All other Avatars grant him the knowledge of how to overthrow Ozai and free the City. Aang gives Zuko his antlers and, as a result, the ability to harness an element briefly.

He now holds a weapon to be used in the upcoming final war.

Zuko rejoins the Banditos and is reunited with Katara, who grants him the strength of will to overthrow his father. The Banditos prepare to invade the City. The final battle begins.

As an army led by Azula clashes against Katara and the Banditos outside the city walls, the rebellious citizens provide Zuko with a way up Ozai's tower. Once he faces his father, it's revealed that the Bishops had been intercepting letters between Banditos and knew of the plan against their rule.

Zuko battles Ozai, eventually wielding the antlers gifted to him by Aang. He uses fire against his own father (as was once done to him), but it does little. He's pushed over the edge... And lightning strikes down.

When Katara storms into the tower, she witnesses Zuko donning his father's—Blurryface's—red cape. It's over, in a way.

He now rules the City.

This is a story about cycles, so it begins again, and again, and again... Always with a new Clancy finding himself in the city of Dema, and the previous Clancy now being a new Blurryface. The fight never ends, though it gets a little bit easier each time.

But this is a story about cycles, and Zuko has been heralded as a character for decades because he's a cycle-breaker. He knows abuse and hatred and violence, and decides that is a path he will not follow.

So, yes, it is a cycle. And Clancy may now exist elsewhere in Trench, and Torchbearer may swear to find him and fight Blurryface all over again. But cycles are made to be broken.