A Tomozuha Folktale

A Tomozuha Folktale

Inspired by: Erutan's "The Willow Maid"

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In the years Raiden Makoto still breathed, her sister and kagemusha, Raiden Ei, heard the singing of a young man as she patrolled Yashiori. A mortal, Tomo, sat beneath a uniquely-shaped maple that loomed over the rest on the island, and she found herself charmed. With a face that befitted his voice, she decided then that she would have him. She was gently refused, however, and he replied that he couldn't leave this ancient maple ("Kazuha," he called it) to which he was married. If Ei had sensed its spirit or taken note of its semblance to a mortal, she didn't show it and simply left.

She would return two more times to beckon Tomo to leave with her, but his stance was firm. He reasserted his place at Kazuha's side, and as emphasis, a boyish beauty emerged from the maple's base, clinging to his arm. Unfortunately, his presence did not faze her.

On Raiden Ei's third and final visit, she brandished her lightning and struck Kazuha down, declaring Tomo hers now that his "so-called wife" was slain. She forced him away from the blackened, smoking husk, triumph on her face until he collapsed after a mere few steps. A soulmate following his other half, Tomo took his dying breath before his form faded into a singular lycoris. It bloomed on that night and that night only. Thus, Ei returned to Narukami alone.

So far, I have one (1) idea and one idea only for Moriarty the Patriot:

Hogwarts AU where all three Moriarty bros are placed in Gryffindor House, but everyone knows them as "the Hydra in the Lion's Den." You can thwart one brother's scheme, but someone else always pops outta the woodwork to finish the job.

So, I got this vague idea inspired by pirate- and spirit-blessed!Zuko AU's where Agni basically transforms the scarred side of our boi's face. Like, the skin there becomes covered in deep crimson scales. The ear sorta reforms into something more pointed. His damaged eye becomes bright with a slit pupil, starkly visible even in total darkness.

I wanna say that such a drastic change in his appearance would absolutely demoralize him because so what if he captures the Avatar? He looks like a monster! He's been cursed by the spirits or something for his weakness, and he's on the brink of losing it completely. Maybe not even the crew he set sail with initially can tolerate him because he looks like such an omen, and that's what pushes him over the edge.

I don't know how he'd begin his career in piracy exactly, or if he'd involve himself in some other form of illegal activity, but I know his notoriety earns him monikers like "Dragoneye" and "Scaleface."

Many years ago, I read a fic where Claude was Sebastian’s child with William. I still subscribe to that fic idea to this very day, and I came up with—what I believe to be—the greatest line,

“So, the child wants to eat from his mother’s plate instead of his own, does he?”

for when Sebastian’s talking about Claude’s intent to steal Ciel’s soul from him. Claude’s response,

“Well, I’m sure you’ve heard that there’s nothing quite like a loving mother’s home-cooked meal.”

Tea shop owners!Zuko and Iroh are basically the Cabbage Man if the Cabbage Man was actually an important character. Like, Zuko abandoned his so-called "mission" once he came to the realization that his father is just hateful and all that jazz.

The ship is where they live still, but they acquire or build a transportable stall they take into (mostly port) towns to sell Iroh's magnificent blends. They eventually settle on something like "the Popup Tea Shop" as a name. (Hehehe. It rhymes.) True to their canon forms, they introduce themselves as Li and Mushi versus Zuko and Iroh to anyone who asks.

The Gaang's first encounter with them happens while the uncle-nephew duo are in search of a rare plant for a new summer special they've been concocting that can only be found in the South Pole. There's a conflict, of course, between the parties, but there's no time for it when the Southern Raiders appear to investigate the big-ass beam of light that lit up the sky. Everybody works together to defeat the Raiders, mutual understanding is reached, and they go their separate ways. Unfortunately, news of the Avatar's return escapes into the world still.

The Jasmine Dragon appears after the Siege of the North Pole; Zuko's ship is destroyed by Zhao because Zuko remains the Blue Spirit who frees Aang from Pohuai Stronghold. The pair can't just show their faces anywhere they want now and build a new life in Ba Sing Se until that investor gives them the opportunity to run a new shop of their own. Then, Azula ruins everything by infiltrating the city, and Zuko joins the Gaang officially in the Crystal Catacombs.

ABO AU where ghost!Tomo watches Kazuha raise their pup, become a grandmom to their pup’s pups, and so on. He shrinks to an even smaller size and goes senile, but he’s surrounded by a large family. When Kazuha’s time’s up, he’s resting in his favorite rocking chair, and milky eyes look directly at Tomo for the first time in ages. Then, the little widow holds out his wrinkled hand.

“Finally here to sweep me off my feet and fly me to Eternity?”

Tomo smiles and bows like a gent.

"Sorry for the wait, Princess."