Ocean's Calling [A:TLA au]

epigraph + summary

"When the ocean of love
met the whirlpool of pain
a stormy love story happened again."
—shirsty sinha

"The ocean is everything I
want to be. Beautiful, mysterious,
wild, and free."
—unknown

————

Denji came from a dangerous family. Her mother, a former Fire Nation assassin; her father, a notorious pirate; her big sister, a lethal bounty hunter with an equally lethal bounty hunter girlfriend. Denji herself was no exception. At just fifteen, she had Leiko's steely gaze and June's air of danger, had a lethal with anything resembling a sword thanks for Takumi, and inherited Keahi's internal fire. Of course, she also had things that were strictly her own: a flare of impulsivity, flirtatious quips, nonchalance, and showing no mercy against the vile men she found herself fighting for young kids and women. With two twin daggers as long as her forearms and dark flames at her finger tips, the youngest daughter of Captain Takumi and the Black Dragon was a force to be reckoned with.

That of course contrasted greatly with her animated love for the ocean, and the excitement that spilled off of her as she was taught how to do anything and everything on her father's ship. Fifteen and happy and free, Denji adored being a pirate. She considered the man's crew a second family of sorts, and the men and women aboard adored her just as much. When she missed her mother, who died when she was young, or her sister, who left to be a bounty hunter, one of the women of the ship offered shoulders to cry on or helped her plan another message to send via messenger bird to Leiko. The danger that was Denji also contrasted to the Denji who hoped to one day find a girl to love her like her mother loved her father, like how Leiko and June loved one another.

For now though, Denji was content and happy being a pirate. At least, until the Fire Nation got word that their former famed assassin didn't die two and a half decades ago, but rather nine years ago. They also learned that the Black Dragon had a daughter who inherited her flames. They weren't exactly happy about that piece of knowledge. The Nation wanted the flame tamed and used to their own desires. Too bad Denji hated the mere idea of being stuck to one form. She may be a firebender, but she knew she was meant to be as free as the ocean her father's ship sailed on.

And with that, Denji had to leave behind the merry crew and her father, and ventured into the Earth Kingdom. There, she stayed with Leiko and June until the Prince of the Fire Nation and his former general of an uncle showed up. Denji, once again, had to leave, just to be on the safe side.

It wasn't long after that when a group of Earth Kingdom soldiers found her. Worried and sympathetic to a girl traveling on her own, they offered her a job at the Full Moon Bay as a guard. Denji was hesitant to accept, but there she would be near water, at least, and what better way to hide from the Fire Nation than at a place where they ferried refugees day in and day out? She didn't expect much to come out of it. So when a group who called themselves the Kyoshi Warriors volunteered as more guards, Denji first planned on avoiding the girls – and then her eyes landed on Suki.

Instantly, Denji's enamored by the Kyoshi Warrior leader. She planned on holding nothing back, turning up her flirty antics to a possibly annoyed level. Eventually, somehow, it shockingly enough works. But then news bread through that her father's crew wants her back while simultaneously the Fire Nation might be on her trail.

Denji's now faced with a tough decision to make: leave behind someone great once again and be on the run, follow the call back home, or stay with a girl she feels herself falling for?

————

A/N— "Be gay, do crimes" – Leiko and Denji

Honestly? I was never going to post this and just leave Denji as a minor character in both Lost Arrow and Molten Ice – but THEN my brain brought up the idea of giving June a gf, and I didn't want to come up with an entire plot about her, so here I am making Leiko a minor oc and June's gf because why fucking not. So, yeah, in the past few hours I revamped this plot just to have Leiko fit in plot-wise lmao. Also, there are like no Suki fics?? Which I find crazy tbfh, so here I am. Posting a Suki fic. It's a very gay story, if you haven't caught onto that yet.

Also this will be more 'mature' than the LA & MI, I guess?? I mean, Denji and her dad are pirates, her sister is a bounty hunter, and her mom was an assassin, so like. There's nothing innocent about her life. (Don't worry tho, nothing sexual happens at all in this, they're minors!!)

Also x2 idk if the black fire thing has been done yet in a fic and I hope to GOD that it hasn't, because I've got some plans up my sleeves. (And if you didn't catch this yet: this is connected to Lost Arrow and Molten Ice!) Anyway yeah, that's all, hope you enjoy!

DEDICATION(S)— to all the a:tla lovers, any of my mutuals who love it

WARNING(S)— violence, death, gore, sexism, typical A:TLA shenanigans, war
[if needed, I will add onto this as well as up a warning at the beginning of the chapter if necessary]

DISCLAIMER— I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender nor the plot of the show. The characters and stories rightfully belong to the creators, and whoever else helped make the show. I only own this story's plot and my original characters.

started — 2.29.2020
posted — 6.29.2020
finished — TBA