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(Never) Forget Who You Are by mindbending for MuffinLance
Fandoms: Avatar: The Last Airbender
04 Jan 2021
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Summary
“Hello, my name is Joo Lee,” says a young man in cheery spring green, his smile stretched to the point of pain. “I have been given the great honor of showing the Avatar around Ba Sing Se.”
“Zuko?!”
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This. Is. So. Good.
Excerpt:
[When Joo Lee wakes in the morning, he is already dressed in spring green. He isn’t hungry. He’s never hungry.(Better than before, he thinks treacherously. His brain pounces to pluck the thought out. Still for a stolen moment he asks himself, before what?)
His hands rise to his head for a moment, to gather his hair back- for a ponytail, perhaps, or a top-knot. He finds his hair’s far too short for either. Shame curdles in his stomach again, though he doesn’t spend time trying to guess why.
He’s not certain when his hair was cut, or if it was ever long. He’s not certain where he is. He’s not certain of anything since leaving the Avatar safe in his designated house, with the door crashing shut.]
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The name Zuko is unrecognisable and holds no meaning to him. Not anymore. Not ever for as long as he can remember. Joo Lee was born and raised in Ba Sing Se, he's always lived here, he's always been protected by the Dai Li. He smiles because he wants to. And he has relaxing trips to Lake Laogai every night, and whenever he messes up. He is so grateful for the great Earth King. So when Joo Lee was tasked to welcome Avatar Aang and his group and show them around Ba Sing Se, the safest city in the world, he doesn't understand why they called him that name. Who is Zuko? He doesn't know. The four children seem to become more and more confused and frustrated over the tour, but then their stares - always staring at him like they expect something from him, but he can't understand the instructions - turn from wariness and confusion to pity and sadness, but the frustration remains. They ask him strange question, call him by the wrong name, show him strangely familiar objects, like a blue theatre mask, give him tea that he can't drink because it's making his head explode, try waterbending healing around his head, discuss a 'war' - what war? there is no war in Ba Sing Se - and the Avatar keeps asking him about firebending. How would Joo Lee know anything about firebending? He is not a firebender, he is a loyal Earth Kingdom citizen - nothing more, nothing less. He keeps getting strange dreams at night, a man dressed in green and one in red. They never agree on anything, except that Joo Lee isn't destined for anything but carrying out orders for them. Aang, Sokka, Katara and Toph tell him they won't leave him behind, but he knows they're lying. They don't know, not yet. Joo Lee is disrespectful and as a consequence he is left in a locked room with only a candle in Lake Laogai. And then water starts flooding in through the cracks and the gaps. Of course Joo Lee isn't a firebender, it's not firebending, but suddenly lightning shoots out of his fingertips and wall before him breaks. A wave crashes over him. He doesn't care. He makes it up to the surface just to find the rest of Lake Laogai has sunken, and red banners replace green ones. Joo L- No. He doesn't know who he is anymore, but it's not Joo Lee. Who is he? Why does he long for a taste of tea that no one seems to be able to give him? He doesn't know. He's never let in on secrets.