The one about the air duct and the cat made me giggle; all the others made me wince in pain. This is poetry.

Katar's TELL ME speech was so passionate (and so important!) I got goosebumps. And the ending … tragic, but somehow terribly true. (Wasn't Arc III supposed to make me want to NOT - I quote - set fire to your cat?)

"Like thinking the moon was never coming back." You want to talk about torture? THIS felt like being punched in the ear. His speech about fate was heartfelt and dramatic and very Zuko, and then what he thought - a mistake, a dream, a chance that'll never pass again, this could be worth it all - picture me falling backward, in slow motion, over a dark precipice, the light fading from my eyes.

t

It's you, a confession. Find me shattered on the floor, trying to piece my heart back together.

The one about permission slips only made me think of that one moment in Parks & Rec where someone says "Not to worry, I have a permit," and holds up a piece of paper that says "I can do what I want." In fact, most of these are just him trying to boss around Katara / hold her shenanigans in check, aren't they?

Okay. I'm on to the second half. These rules are definitely to try and hold Katara's shenanigans in check. The whole list made me laugh many times - you're creative (hot potato!) and every single one of these give me a delightful sense of mischief. )Upon reading 7, I immediately thought HMMMM, and then you lampshaded it with 8. So, you covered that. Good.)

"The tea tastes so vile that it must be fantastically healthy." "Zuko wonders how many people he's going to have to throw overboard." Have I mentioned to you how much I love your writing style?

I rather liked your fairy tale. Zuko's responses were in-character, as I see it - when did you write this, anyway? During which season of atla? staaaaaars I am so late to this party all I see are tumbleweeds

I live for this kind of thing. But still, you pulled it off so well (how her bitter jab led to an offer, an okay, and a comforting), and this chapter was so lovely.

Your writing style rolls so smoothly, and the olden/fairytale/game-of-thrones/decidedly-not-casual-modern-au word choice somehow isn't pretentious at all. I enjoyed all your turns of phrase, such as the needle stabbed at everything within testing range and giving a "fairly convincing impression of having more wits than hair." Zuko taking the bundles from her is a very in-character concession and speaks volumes.

"Hell would obey her." I love the mental image of the door slamming shut and the shouting from behind it.

REVENGE REVENGE REVENGE REVENGE

child banter is the best. it is so fluffy and so sweet and it made me smile. thank you for that 3

this whole chapter was a gem. you understand? a GEM.
of course my fanfic loving heart is delighted by proud zuko, with a possessive streak (my honour! my destiny! the avatar! my throne! etc. etc. etc.) asking for katara to be closer to him, but for friendship. and, of course, "I would never put her there!" - and Iroh wondering if that will last past sixteen. cough cough.

But then - then you come out with straight-up wisdom. "the guilty charge that stretches invisibly between warden and prisoner, conqueror and refugee; the Fire Nation's fortune is Katara's sorrow as much as it is Zuko's birthright …" how did you manage to capture such a thing - a universal/historical situation such as this - in so many fitting words? the guilty charge. fortune, birthright, sorrow. I will fall asleep tonight with these words swimming around in my head, I just know it.

there is nothing more wonderful than watching them work together - one very prickly and the other who takes no shit, together they are determined and hardworking and so, so focused.