Zukka Essential Reading

Zukka Essential Reading

Transference by The_Quartermasters

In a modern AU, Zuko has to deal with settling in a new school after expulsion, dealing with an angry ex and an abusive father. Maybe his new found friendships and growing closeness with Sokka will help him make it through.

Borderlines by The_Quartermasters

Three years after the war, the work still isn’t quite done and the Gaang is scattered across the continents in their efforts to help the world recover. When Aang and Katara pay visit to the Fire Nation where Zuko is Fire Lord and Sokka acts as Ambassador for the Water Tribe, sparks fly between the siblings over Sokka’s life choices.

Basic by squirrellysemantics

A modern military AU retelling of the events in Avatar: The Last Airbender. As infantrymen, Sokka and Zuko must make it through basic training and a deployment in Afghanistan.

(and mine)

To My Favorite Fire Lord by apairofglasses

Dear Sokka,

You never fail to surprise me, you know that? And that is one of the things I appreciate about you—you and your reckless bravery.

You’re also quite handsome. (Though I don’t mean to insinuate that I keep you around only for the view). The castle is boring without you.

Sokka, I can’t stop thinking about it. You’re on my mind all the time and then at night I am victim to fantasies I can’t even escape in my dreams.

Thinking of you,

Zuko

P.s. I’m sulking so much that everyone has had enough of me, including my uncle.

—

Ambassador Sokka and Fire Lord Zuko exchange letters after a good-bye kiss opens the floodgates of unresolved sexual tension.

“Or perhaps in Slytherin, you’ll make your real friends…”

Aaron Minyard is a dick yes but he’s a dick because he’s a scared ex-addict kid who’s desperately clawing at anything he can to be “normal” and not a Fox™.

Date the sweet cheerleader who also wants to be a doctor, get the 4.0 gpa, become a surgeon, Stay Away From The Foxes because association means he’s damaged and he’s Not Damaged anymore and definitely don’t talk to the therapist because that means he needs help which he Does Not Need. Keep the appearance of the “normal Minyard”.

He grew up in an abusive home with an addict mother who made him into an addict. Keeping up the normal appearance has been the name of the game his entire life, it’s second nature. Don’t let anyone suspect anything. Being apart of the Foxes comes with a reputation and that scares Aaron, it threatens a rickety appearance he’s oh so carefully built to protect himself from others (and mostly himself tbh).

Being an asshole and outwardly a dick is his trauma response. It’s the result of his refusal to process and come to terms with his past. He’s a dick to others because he’s the biggest dick to himself.

(Me personally, I also think his homophobia comes from a place of internalized shame and homophobia. Once again, he grew up with it drilled into him that he Needs to be “normal” and put together and I assume he probably also grew up religious ((his uncles a homophobic pastor who boarder line hates his own son)). Aaron grew up seeing how Nicky was treated for being openly gay. If he started having any thoughts about being anything other than straight, his first response would be anger and shame that’s expressed outwardly.)

His response to his internal shame and anger is to lash outwards at others rather than process it. (which isn’t an excuse, I just don’t think he’s an asshole because he’s an asshole at his core but because he carries a lot of shame.)

I think him rooming with Matt is what would really help him improve his ability to process his shit. (Along with more joint therapy with Bee and Andrew). Seeing Matt, another ex addict, who is fiercely kind and protective of the Foxes, who’s unashamed of his past and how it affects him now would be an eye opener for Aaron. His past doesn’t define him but it’s not something he can deny either.

Matt helps him see the Foxes as a group who has overcome their struggles. Who are helping eachother continue to over come their struggles. And he slowly starts to realize he can let them in and he can accept his past and still be successful and have the life he wants. And start to process and change the way he reacts the way he does.

(And process his not straight thoughts bc bi Aaron is real in my heart)

🖤

🤲

A bit of Andreil character design from earlier today because why not 🦊

when they're bored with the press, the foxes will try to stir up the most outrageous rumors about each other during press affairs. in interviews they make it a sort of game to try and steer the conversation as far away from exy as they can get away with. this drives wymack insane but the rumors all overlap and cancel each other out to the point where none of the public really knows what is true or not. some of the best ones are:

Renee is Irish and actually has a strong irish accent but covers it up

kevin's hair is the same color as neils but he dyes it

aaron is so short because he accidentally drank a mouthful of weed repellent when he was a child. Andrew, on the other hand, is just short

kevin is a dance major

Andrew is a massive little mix fan. (this backfired on allison when the media response caused him to look into them and actually become a lm stan)

nicky and allison are dating

Neil and allison are dating

matt and aaron are dating

matt and neil are dating

dan and allison and renee are dating

matt and neil and allison are dating

nicky and matt are dating

all separately and simultaneously

Kevin has a secret nicky hemmick stan account (this created a frenzy on Twitter trying to find it, thanks dan)

matt and neil are biological brothers (said completely seriously by a 5'3 auburn haired neil sat next to a 6'4 black matt boyd)

dan has a secret love child with benedict cumberbatch

the best one tho, the one that all the foxes grudgingly give the "best bullshitter award" (real thing) to, is when Allison looked a reporter dead in the eye and convinced them that Aaron and Andrew are not related