Hello! Yay, let's talk about my "Observations" fic again :D

🎤 Do you think the story was written in your typical voice? Why or why not?

I think, like all my modern fics and headcanons, this one was written in my typical voice for modern setting works. I don't use overly complicated or overly flowery vocabulary in modern fics. I'm trying to keep them simple and balanced. Also, I added many little details, connected to Fire Nation/Zuko's status/the Jasmine Dragon/the show in general, which is a very me-thing haha :3

🏴‍☠️ Were there any points in which your characters tried (or succeeded) to commit mutiny against your planned plot? Where did they most want to rebel?

Not so much as mutiny, but I'm sure Zuko would be so pissed with me for making him be attentive to Jin and her flirting, knowing that it partially ruined his prospects with Mai. Also, let's be real, Mai probably wouldn't waste so much time on talking with Ruon-Jian, and she would make a move on Zuko instead lol.

🔍 What detail(s) in the story are you particularly captivated with? Is there any behind the scenes info or backstory?

Honestly, I like all the details about the educational process in the Academy (like Mai writing lesson plans, grading essays, having observation classes, continuing education webinars) because it shows her work-life, I don't see much of it in the fics. Also, I'm glad I came up with authentic, Fire Nation-connected things that she's been teaching her students (discussions about the dragons in literature, poems and metaphors about fire, Fire Nation love ballads etc). I guess you could see that I really loved Literature classes at school haha.

I also like how I made the tables turn in this one with Mai ogling Zuko, for once. In the majority of fics, it's the other way round, and we read beautiful descriptions of Mai. But in my fic, she feels this attraction to Zuko, and we have beautiful (physical) descriptions of a handsome man. I think it shows normal, healthy attraction that women can feel if they're interested in someone. Mai is not robotic, she has her feelings and desires.

📋 What was your main goal for the story and/or writing experience? Do you think that you achieved it?

The main goal was to write Mai as a teacher, who is also a young person and is trying to combine her professional and personal lives. She battles with loneliness that is so common nowadays, chooses her own path (her career choices), opens up and finds people who care about her. I specifically wanted Mai to work with teenagers (they can be difficult to work with) and nail it each time. In the process of reading, my readers could also see that Mai had learned that the first and even the second impression can be misleading, and that people have many layers to them. Also, Zuko seeing Mai's worth as a teacher and telling her that she's really good at her work is a parallel to comics. I'm sure he's amazed by her in every universe and every setting <3

Hello-hello! :D

💭If you could wish into creation a transformative piece for your story, made by a real human who isn’t you, what would it be? Art, video, sequel, podfic, etc.

Well, I wrote a sequel by myself in the bonus chapter, so I think it would be nice to have an art or a video for "Observations". I think I'd prefer it to be art because I really love them. I always wish I could draw >-<

If anyone gets inspired by this story and wants to write something (a possible sequel or just a fic in this setting), I don't mind as long as you mention me :)

P.S. Sukka fans, that's your chance to write a modern sukka wedding hehe, I'll help with maiko parts ;)

Hello! Ohh, I was so young and naive while writing a marriage of (in)convenience haha. It was one of my very first fics about maiko. I remember I just wanted to write some tooth-rotting fluff about them so much. I made it in such a short period of time, I think one afternoon or something.

🧭 What was the key choice or decision you had to make for this story? If you had chosen differently, what would the story have turned into?

Well, considering that I wanted some silly fluffy escapade, I'm afraid I made them (Mai and Zuko) a bit (or a lot) OOC. Now I have a slightly different view of maiko. For me, Zuko, our favorite yearner™, would never agree to a marriage with someone else, and Mai wouldn't have forgiven him so easily. Maybe Mai would not forgive him at all? It could turn into angst pretty quickly.

I also think Mai was a bit too emotional in this one, I usually portray her more reserved.

But as a silly fluffy fic, I think it's a simple, normal work. That's why I never deleted it lol.

🔎 What detail(s) in the story are you particularly captivated with? Is there any behind the scenes info or backstory?

Oh, I still like how I reused lines from the original show <33 Back then I thought it's so smart, now I think it's just cute.

Also, some little details that I added:

• Zuko saying, “Dragons are pretty cool.” And Mai replying, “Yes, they were.” Because only Zuko and the gaang knew about the dragons' survival.

• Mai drawing using master Piandao’s technique (it's one of my favorite hcs like ever)

• Crack lines like this one: "She didn’t know what exactly she was expecting. Heralds who will shout about his engagement? Articles in papers? Messenger-hawks? Avatar’s flying bison packed with invitations?"

Hello! I'm super excited to talk about "Observations", I've just finished it and I'm still feeling the thrill of finishing a fic haha. Let's see what we've got here:

🥇 What scene were you most excited to write? Did it end up being the one you enjoyed writing the most?

I think there were three scenes that I literally couldn't wait to write:

Mai telling Zuko he's being nosy (I just had it in my mind since the beginning).

Zuko telling Mai she was brilliant (it's just aww and makes me giggle!!).

The bonus chapter where they're so sweet and fluffy, I like showing their pure love, and from what some readers told me, I'm good at portraying them all domestic and married <3

I'm happy with all of these scenes and how they turned out, especially the bonus chapter <33

📖 Could the story have been a different length? What would you have included/removed?

Oh, totally! Believe it or not, this fic was planned as a one-shot for last year's maiko week. Then, when I returned to it last fall, the story evolved and I needed more chapters to show more scenes (especially scenes with Jin, Suki, the whole observation part, Mai ogling Zuko (starting from chapter 3, I got heavily inspired by adult Zuko design *o*), Mai having usual workdays, mentions of Ty Lee/the gaang, etc.)

I don't see it being any way shorter, but it probably could be quite a long fic, if I added more scenes that readers requested: Sokka and Suki's wedding, maiko's first date, Zuko telling the principal about his decision, etc.)

Spoilers below! ⬇

🔮 Have you imagined what happens to [character(s)] in the future? Or does the story only exist to you as a moment in time?

Hello-hello! Thanks for the ask, I love talking about this AU hehe. Let's see what we have here:

🥇 What scene were you most excited to write? Did it end up being the one you enjoyed writing the most?

Oh, since the beginning I had a few scenes in mind that I was really excited to write. Some of them I've already written, some of them are still in my drafts.

I don't quite remember how I was feeling years ago when I was writing the first chapters but from what I recall, the confrontation scene (where Mai approaches Zuko because of the letter) was quite fun to write, I was trying to mimic Lara Jean and Peter from the movie. The chapter with Katara approaching Zuko was also great fun (I did make fun of the Fire/Water, Sun/Moon parallels before that because I was quite fed up with zk fandom back then. I don't feel the same anymore, so don't come for me). And of course, the kissing scene because before that, Zuko goes: "Yep, it's Mai. My Mai. Agni, I love her!" His words just make me squeal and kick my feet, yk. I'm such a hardcore maiko fan <3

From the latest chapters, I think all the maiko interactions turned out quite well (Mai kissing him in front of the gaang or them arguing about kissing). The most exciting scene to write, though, was the contract scene. I've had it in my mind for years, since writing the very first chapter. And even before that, the moment I had come up with the whole idea for this AU when I'd gotten inspired by the original scenes from the movie adaptation. In my head, it fitted in perfectly: Zuko is a drama nerd and wants Mai to watch "Love amongst the Dragons", and she's like, "You have references of an 80 y.o. man". I'm so glad I've already written it and this scene is out there.

Spoiler: I will add some other scenes straight from the movie/book hehehe, stay tuned!

🧭 What was the key choice or decision you had to make for this story? If you had chosen differently, what would the story have turned into?

I think one of the key decisions was me making Lu Ten alive and well, and taking away Ursa and Kiyi. That made Zuko super angsty but gave me an opportunity to write him bonding with Katara over their loss. And it somehow shifted Zuko and Uncle Iroh's dynamic as well, even though Iroh is still caring and supportive towards his nephew. I just really needed one more character to be the eldest kid in that family, well-organized and practical like Margot from the book/movie.

Without Lu Ten and with Ursa there, who knows how it could've turned out. If anyone ever writes another maiko/Zuko "To all the Boys..." AU like this, they can keep Ursa and we shall see haha.

Another hard decision was me hesitating about how much Katara is or is not interested in Zuko, and how she might have reacted. I'm trying to be subtle and not portray her like some emotional cheater (she is dating Aang and it's not like she doesn't love her boyfriend) but she is still a teenage girl, and she's very confused (Zuko is confusing af haha). So yeah, it was not easy because I genuinely love Katara as a character and kataang as the ship :)

I finally finished my Teacher Mai/maiko modern AU fic🖤

In the beginning, I just wanted to expand more the topic of Mai as a teacher (to teenagers). Zuko was a big part of this story, too, but still, it was going to be a Mai-centric fic, where she manages combining her personal and professional lives 🖤 Then, the fic itself turned out to be cute and having rom-com vibes. I cannot say I'm not pleased with it 💚

I'm pinning here two moodboards for it, as well. The horizontal one was made by me, I used the pictures from Pinterest 🖤👩🏻‍🏫

The vertical one is a changed version of the first moodboard, made by @literallyalovelychicken @a-chicken-who-likes-to-write and is suitable for a Kindle cover in case you want to save the fic 💚 (Just look at that Jasmine Dragon seal with Iroh, sooo adorable🍃🐉)

Thank you for being there with me during this journey and stay tuned, because I'm still working on my other works.

my latest news: i finished watching pursuit of jade and i'm lowkey devastated now. i'm saving all the edits with them on my phone <33 loved so many characters and actors are amazing! <3

zhang linghe has such a rizz, i'm planning to watch other series with him where he's a red flag villain lol. i just need more free time.

i'm still obsessed with maiko!! my posts on tiktok get likes and comments, and i'm really surprised because maiko is considered a small fandom. meme posts get more attention than headcanons, obviously. and the algorithms there are just insane, it's frustrating!! there are also haters there. i got so comfortable in my maiko space, i forgot how it's like to interact with maiko haters and self-inserts lol.

and last but not least, i'm writing a new chapter to my fic "observations". i get inspired a lot by adult zuko design, he's sooo handsome and mai is down bad for him hehe.

One more chapter of my modern maiko AU is out there already 🖤💚

Hopefully, you would like it and leave comments🍃