AtLA number-matching meme
Drabble meme ganked from suzukiblu, because I don't have the brainpower to work on anything more focused tonight. (It will be so awesome to have working brains again. So, so awesome.)
1. Write down the names of ten characters.
2. Write a fic of fifteen words or more for every prompt, using the characters determined by the numbers. Do not read the prompts before you do step one.
01) Ozai
02) Long Feng
03) Zhao
04) Ursa
05) Iroh
06) Lu Ten
07) General How
08) Pakku
09) Piandao
10) Jeong Jeong
First Time, 4 and 6 (Ursa and Lu Ten)
Ozai is away, and their bed is cold and empty. Lu Ten invites himself in, though, with a smile and a wink. He is warm and male, but Ursa finds that's not enough. His hair is too short, his body not quite right. He's not Ozai, she can't pretend he's Ozai.
(Does she need to? Is it adultery when they have been lovers with her husband present?)
When he slides into her, Ursa wonders when Ozai will come home.
Angst, 7 (General How)
General How has no idea why he's still in Ba Sing Se. Some days he has no idea why he's alive, much less why he's retained his position. Some days he wants to leave and never come back.
Some days Long Feng pauses to listen when he speaks, and How knows it would be so much worse if he were not there to speak at all.
AU, 1 and 8 (Ozai and Pakku) {Surprisingly, I already have an AU for this}
"They say you're a master waterbender."
Pakku looks at the man who has fallen into step beside him. Raven-hair, snow-skin, sun-eyes; Chief Arnook's pet Fire prince. Arnook's gift.
Pakku has never liked the way the chiefs have dealt with the Fire Nation, and the manner of Ozai's gifting has only made it worse. The Fire Nation made one of their princes into property, but the diamond chains are binding the Water Tribe now.
A prince is never a slave when his people have the greater ships.
"I am," Pakku allows at last.
The corners of Ozai's mouth turn up. "We should dance sometime."
Threesome, 3, 6, and 9 (Zhao, Lu Ten, and Piandao)
Lu Ten is drunk. He's just drunk enough not to mind, either, especially not when the good captain is pushing up his shirt and applying his hot mouth much more usefully than he had been earlier. Especially, especially not when Piandao's got that smug smile on his face as he works on Zhao's belt, one hand kneading the other man's ass.
Lu Ten has heard things about Piandao's stamina.
Hurt/Comfort, 5 and 10 (Iroh and Jeong Jeong)
There is tea at his elbow, and Iroh is not very certain of where it came from. It smells clear and fresh, green Earth Kingdom tea rather than the blacks of the Fire Nation. He stares at it and wonders how it came to be here when the servants were all gone home and Zolena-
He chokes. He picks up the teacup in his hands and refuses to look at the lovely horsehair pot near the fireplace, by the artist Zolena had patronized all her life and made especial-
A warm hand settles on his shoulder. "Iroh?" Jeong Jeong says tentatively. "Did- did I make the tea wrong?"
Crack, 1 (Ozai) {Yeah, I've been here before, too}
Ozai wakes up one morning with a tail.
He hasn't done that since his early twenties, and he stares at the brown-furred monkey tail in perplexity for several long moments. But it is his tail, and if his balance is a little off for the first day afterwards, it's more perfect than it's been in years for all the weeks afterwards.
Then the astronomers report Sozin's Comet will arrive in conjunction with a full moon in that part of the Earth Kingdom, and Ozai goes to find a very sharp blade.
Horror, 10 (Jeong Jeong)
Sozin's Comet sings in his blood. It sings and sings and sings, and he remembers how much he loves flame and the smell of burning flesh.
Baby!fic, 5 and 9 (Iroh and Piandao)
The party is in full swing, bright and cheerful and rather too merry if the Water Tribesmen avoiding the public tea is any signal. Iroh pours himself a cup from the pot, and the scent of rum hits like a hammer.
Well.
He takes the tea back into the Jasmine Dragon's kitchen where Ozai should be pretending everyone else doesn't exist. Ozai is, but there is someone else back here with his brother. Piandao stands as far from the boisterousness of the party as he can, an infant in his arms and an utterly serene expression on his face.
Iroh cannot help his curiosity and he saunters over to look.
The child has bright blue eyes and soft auburn hair.
Dark, 2 and 8 (Long Feng and Pakku)
The earthbender is younger than Pakku, and that's all he can tell about the man. Well, he can tell the earthbender shaves his forehead and has features just subtly distinct from many of those in the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se.
But this is not the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se.
They are in the Agrarian Zone, and the earthbender is bleeding. Pakku can feel every drop under the full moon, feel them flow down chest and leg and arm. Feel the hammer-beat of the earthbender's heart. It tells the lie of the earthbender's calm voice, like the blood dripping to earth tells the lie of the earthbender's claim that nothing has happened out here.
But the ice-spear protruding from his shoulder tells that for a lie, too.
"Katara told me about you," Pakku says.
Romance, 4 and 7 (Ursa and General How)
A woman in the Lower Ring catches his eye, and General How thinks 'Fire Nation' before he takes note of the green. Soft green jeogori over emerald chima; she wears hanbok like the Dai Li Commander's daughter does. Refugee. Maybe.
He stops by an herbalist's shop on the way back from the Wall one evening, head threatening to split open. The Fire Nation woman is behind the counter, her hanbok all greens again. She offers him willowbark tea for his pain, and he is very careful not to touch her skin.
It would be improper, of course.
(Her eyes burn and what would he do if her skin did too?)
It becomes a habit to stop by for tea to soothe the pain, and he learns her name is Lei and she comes from lands now occupied by the Fire Nation. He learns she likes lotus tea, and she plays pai sho well but shogi better. He learns she does not come from the Hanguk province, despite her clothes, but she spent much time there.
He does not learn if her skin burns, no matter the temptation of her in his lap.
Deathfic, 2 and 3 (Long Feng and Zhao)
The Ocean has Yue. The Ocean also has someone else, someone who has no name and needs no name and wants no name. Someone who is as close as a brother, close as a mother, close as a lover. There is no space between them.
He senses the change, the subtle shift in darkness and stone and green-bone jade.
The eyes that look back at him are that color too.
1. Write down the names of ten characters.
2. Write a fic of fifteen words or more for every prompt, using the characters determined by the numbers. Do not read the prompts before you do step one.
01) Ozai
02) Long Feng
03) Zhao
04) Ursa
05) Iroh
06) Lu Ten
07) General How
08) Pakku
09) Piandao
10) Jeong Jeong
First Time, 4 and 6 (Ursa and Lu Ten)
Ozai is away, and their bed is cold and empty. Lu Ten invites himself in, though, with a smile and a wink. He is warm and male, but Ursa finds that's not enough. His hair is too short, his body not quite right. He's not Ozai, she can't pretend he's Ozai.
(Does she need to? Is it adultery when they have been lovers with her husband present?)
When he slides into her, Ursa wonders when Ozai will come home.
Angst, 7 (General How)
General How has no idea why he's still in Ba Sing Se. Some days he has no idea why he's alive, much less why he's retained his position. Some days he wants to leave and never come back.
Some days Long Feng pauses to listen when he speaks, and How knows it would be so much worse if he were not there to speak at all.
AU, 1 and 8 (Ozai and Pakku) {Surprisingly, I already have an AU for this}
"They say you're a master waterbender."
Pakku looks at the man who has fallen into step beside him. Raven-hair, snow-skin, sun-eyes; Chief Arnook's pet Fire prince. Arnook's gift.
Pakku has never liked the way the chiefs have dealt with the Fire Nation, and the manner of Ozai's gifting has only made it worse. The Fire Nation made one of their princes into property, but the diamond chains are binding the Water Tribe now.
A prince is never a slave when his people have the greater ships.
"I am," Pakku allows at last.
The corners of Ozai's mouth turn up. "We should dance sometime."
Threesome, 3, 6, and 9 (Zhao, Lu Ten, and Piandao)
Lu Ten is drunk. He's just drunk enough not to mind, either, especially not when the good captain is pushing up his shirt and applying his hot mouth much more usefully than he had been earlier. Especially, especially not when Piandao's got that smug smile on his face as he works on Zhao's belt, one hand kneading the other man's ass.
Lu Ten has heard things about Piandao's stamina.
Hurt/Comfort, 5 and 10 (Iroh and Jeong Jeong)
There is tea at his elbow, and Iroh is not very certain of where it came from. It smells clear and fresh, green Earth Kingdom tea rather than the blacks of the Fire Nation. He stares at it and wonders how it came to be here when the servants were all gone home and Zolena-
He chokes. He picks up the teacup in his hands and refuses to look at the lovely horsehair pot near the fireplace, by the artist Zolena had patronized all her life and made especial-
A warm hand settles on his shoulder. "Iroh?" Jeong Jeong says tentatively. "Did- did I make the tea wrong?"
Crack, 1 (Ozai) {Yeah, I've been here before, too}
Ozai wakes up one morning with a tail.
He hasn't done that since his early twenties, and he stares at the brown-furred monkey tail in perplexity for several long moments. But it is his tail, and if his balance is a little off for the first day afterwards, it's more perfect than it's been in years for all the weeks afterwards.
Then the astronomers report Sozin's Comet will arrive in conjunction with a full moon in that part of the Earth Kingdom, and Ozai goes to find a very sharp blade.
Horror, 10 (Jeong Jeong)
Sozin's Comet sings in his blood. It sings and sings and sings, and he remembers how much he loves flame and the smell of burning flesh.
Baby!fic, 5 and 9 (Iroh and Piandao)
The party is in full swing, bright and cheerful and rather too merry if the Water Tribesmen avoiding the public tea is any signal. Iroh pours himself a cup from the pot, and the scent of rum hits like a hammer.
Well.
He takes the tea back into the Jasmine Dragon's kitchen where Ozai should be pretending everyone else doesn't exist. Ozai is, but there is someone else back here with his brother. Piandao stands as far from the boisterousness of the party as he can, an infant in his arms and an utterly serene expression on his face.
Iroh cannot help his curiosity and he saunters over to look.
The child has bright blue eyes and soft auburn hair.
Dark, 2 and 8 (Long Feng and Pakku)
The earthbender is younger than Pakku, and that's all he can tell about the man. Well, he can tell the earthbender shaves his forehead and has features just subtly distinct from many of those in the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se.
But this is not the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se.
They are in the Agrarian Zone, and the earthbender is bleeding. Pakku can feel every drop under the full moon, feel them flow down chest and leg and arm. Feel the hammer-beat of the earthbender's heart. It tells the lie of the earthbender's calm voice, like the blood dripping to earth tells the lie of the earthbender's claim that nothing has happened out here.
But the ice-spear protruding from his shoulder tells that for a lie, too.
"Katara told me about you," Pakku says.
Romance, 4 and 7 (Ursa and General How)
A woman in the Lower Ring catches his eye, and General How thinks 'Fire Nation' before he takes note of the green. Soft green jeogori over emerald chima; she wears hanbok like the Dai Li Commander's daughter does. Refugee. Maybe.
He stops by an herbalist's shop on the way back from the Wall one evening, head threatening to split open. The Fire Nation woman is behind the counter, her hanbok all greens again. She offers him willowbark tea for his pain, and he is very careful not to touch her skin.
It would be improper, of course.
(Her eyes burn and what would he do if her skin did too?)
It becomes a habit to stop by for tea to soothe the pain, and he learns her name is Lei and she comes from lands now occupied by the Fire Nation. He learns she likes lotus tea, and she plays pai sho well but shogi better. He learns she does not come from the Hanguk province, despite her clothes, but she spent much time there.
He does not learn if her skin burns, no matter the temptation of her in his lap.
Deathfic, 2 and 3 (Long Feng and Zhao)
The Ocean has Yue. The Ocean also has someone else, someone who has no name and needs no name and wants no name. Someone who is as close as a brother, close as a mother, close as a lover. There is no space between them.
He senses the change, the subtle shift in darkness and stone and green-bone jade.
The eyes that look back at him are that color too.