"Exactly. It's way too easy to push responsibilities toward music, TV, games and so on." I think that people just find it easier to blame anyone but themselves for certain things. "So many other aspects in life are taking much more influence on a child, like parents, family members, friends, people you met at school and so many many more." Exactly, I think that a lot of the time kids seek out songs that they relate to and sometimes those songs simply intensify what they already feel. "But I also think it's good to keep in mind, that you may reach people put there." That's fair, because some kids are just that impressionable. BUT, I feel like it's also the parent's responsibility to monitor what their kids watch/teach kids not to imitate everything they see. I guess a lot of my opinions on this/my hatred of censorship comes from my parents letting me watch and listen to whatever I wanted. I watched my first horror movie with boobies in it at around five or six years old lol. "That's why I really liked this scene. Great writing, because it's up to the reader to use its mind and to chose for him-/herself." Thank you. Tbh it's one of my peeves when an author blatantly forces his/her opinion in there. I read a book called Life As We Knew It; I loved the premise but it was basically a soapbox for the author to call all religious people crazy and evil. And that kind of ruined the story because not even a hint of the opposition was suggested.

"That this time a night on the couch hasn't eased the issues between Kuriva and Baatar." Nah, he's still kinda mad. And her priorities are a little conflicted. I'm trying to emulate the vibe from the canon episode, 'Kuvira's Gambit.' "I like the way you have entered Zaheer and another heavy background for one of the characters." Thank you, that image was actually brought to this fic by another one of my reviewers on Ao3. Initally I wasn't going to mention Zaheer, but someone was curious as to why he isn't in the band. "Being left alone being pregnant and without any kind of support, or the feeling to have no support, she has decided to go for an abortion." Yeah, you got it correct. "She hadn't dared to speak with Kuriva about it, beacuse she wasn't sure if she would find support or only harsh words for risikking the career of the band." Yeah, she was scared to tell Kuvira because Kuvira's parents clearly didn't want her and so things like abortion are a touchy subject for Kuvira. "I like this kind of heavy background. It has add some weight on Kuriva." Same, that and it gives P'Li some more depth. "But Kuriva has an idea what she is about to loose, because this time it seems, that Baatar is about to stand his ground against her." Indeed, and this worries her a lot. She just has a lot of conflicting interests at the moment.

They arrive on Ember Island at precisely noon, it is as Azula has planned. The sun beats down with the fury Azula enjoys. On a balmy breeze the scent of mango and pineapple is carried. From a smoothie stall wafts even more fruity fragrances. It is nice to be on Ember Island again, it is one of the few corners of the world left untouched by the rapid industrialization. Not that they will have time to enjoy themselves. They are there only to shoot their video. Still, the change of scenery does her well and she hopes that a few hours under the island sun will but a tan on her skin.

As she steps off of the ship, it still runs through her mind, the intrusion on her bath. It vexes her, she can't afford to have her focus divided. But, since the encounter, she can't put it out of her mind that people believe that she truly loves her brother. Somehow...there has to be some way of doing at least a little damage control. She pushes her mind to come up with something.

Anything.

She can kiss Mai or TyLee. But then she'd be a whore. She supposes that she doesn't want to play with TyLee like that either, Agni forbid she returned the feelings. She can have Zuko flaunt his relationship with Mai more. But he already does that…

Oh Agni, did they think that he was some kind of slut?

Does it matter? Since when did it matter how others saw her? It did now that she had a career to think of and her sanity to keep. Where is a good plan when she needs it. She flops down onto a lawn chair, mulling it over as the camera crew set up.

"Hey, Azula!" TyLee shouts cheerfully, "while they set up do you want to take a walk by the water?"

Azula sighs, she doesn't particularly want that, but TyLee's eyes are so bright and sparkling that she can't bring herself to say no. Perhaps a seaside breeze will help clear some of the stress whirring within her mind.

"It's so nice to be back here." TyLee declares.

Azula shrugs. "I suppose that it is." She watches TyLee dig around in the sand for shells. She pulls a teeny one out and hands it to the former princess. "Now just what am I supposed to do with this?"

"Hmmm…" TyLee hums. A delighted grin lights up her face and she sntaches the shell back. She scampers the beach for more of them and fashions her finds to the ends of Azula's hair. "There you go! Very pretty."

"I'm not sure that they suit the aesthetic of our music mover, Ty."

"I can paint them black." TyLee beams.

Azula rolls her eyes, she supposes that it can't hurt the mover too much to wear the silly shells, at least for the scenes that they are shooting on the beach and in the jungle. It is the least she can do for TyLee; the girl has been handling the scandals and the sometimes not quite savory sleeping conditions without even a ghost of a complaint. Of course she will take them out when they start filming on the rim of the volcano. They will undergo an entire costume change for that bit.

She watches TyLee dive into the water. Azula sighs, hoping that the girl would not be sopping wet when it came time to shoot the video. Her friend beckons her to come into the water but Azula waves her off. As TyLee makes use of the ocean water, Azula's mind wanders.

She thinks that she knows how to approach the scandal. It is a risk, but if done right, they might be able to save some face. They will just have to weather an image twice as poor for a while. But it should work in the long run. Lately she hasn't been thinking of the long term, it is what has gotten her into this mess and she chides herself for it in the same way she used to chide Zuko for it. For his impulsiveness.

Now all she has to do is decide how to work her plan into an already thematically experimental album.

"They're all set up, Azula." Zuko interrupts her thoughts.

"TyLee!" Azula shouts. The girl looks up and comes bolting to the shore. "Dry off, we're about to start." She'd tell them of her plan after they finish shooting. She doesn't want to raise tensions before the first shot nor between sets.

Dressed in full Sun Warrior attire they bring a sound Azula is certain no one has ever produced before. She has heard various types of folk and metal hybrids. But she doesn't recall ever hearing a band try to combine tribal instruments with the metal scene. Especially a style of metal that is so wildly heavy.

It will be the first of its kind.

It will be memorable.

They need to be memorable.

And for something worth being remembered.

Halfway through shooting on the beach, Azula finds herself thankful for the plethora of shells in her hair. The clicking of them when she tosses her head back, adds something to the performance.

Somehow it feels more primitive. More in tune with the show she is trying to put on.

It is interesting to see TyLee working with tribal drums instead of her usual drum set. But the girl's practice has paid off. She is as natural with them as Azula is with her fire-which she uses generously when they move from the beach to the jungle.

Space is tighter between the trees and she has to look out for low hanging palm fronds when tossing her blue flames about. This is the first time she has truly used her firebending for entertainment purposes. Up until then she left the pyrotechs to Zuko, deciding that the warm hue of his flames suited their shows better. For the deep jungle part of the video though, she wanted a cooler mystical aura. The kind that her flames crafted well.

Mai seems to have the easiest time, mostly her job is to headbang in the background, with a guitar in hand. Mai played the part of the silent shaman. Her guitar had a costume of its own; it would pose as her shaman's staff. All Mai had to do was stand at the center of the circle of incense burners and play.

.oOo.

As she had planned, they begin shooting on the volcano's rim at sundown. And if she has things timed exactly right, they will finish when the sky is a deep indigo, not yet night but far from day.

The volcano is billowing smoke, just active enough for the lava to churn and bubble below. But passive enough to allow for a safe shooting. It is the atmosphere she desires. As close to it as she can get anyhow, without running the risk of being roasted alive for her music mover. Agni knows how adamant Zuko had been about not needing anymore of his body and face charred. At least her brother is trying to make light of his own misfortunes, it is better than she can say for herself.

TyLee does not join them on the rim of the volcano, its surface is too narrow, jagged, and bumpy for their drummer to be even remotely safe up there. Despite TyLee insisting that she is quick and balanced enough to be safe, Azula can't say the same of the her equipment. They can't afford new drums either, especially since she had TyLee's set custom and handmade by Ember Island natives-more specifically the descendants of the original Sun Warriors.

It is the very reason for their tight music mover budget. Azula refuses to let that money burn away in a flare of hissing lava.

So TyLee's shots take place near the base of the volcano, where the rocks jut out with just enough space to form a ledge for her to safely play on. Azula will find a way to splice those clips in once their filming has been accomplished.

For the first time in a long while, Azula comes out satisfied with her performance. With all of their performances. Based upon the lively chatter of their camera and set crew, she'd say that they agreed.

Pehpas if they had the funding they'd be drinking smoothies with a shot of fire whisky on the beach. The sky wears a full cloak of black and glowing silver by the time they arrive back on the beach. The tides are high and Azula can hear the native folk making their own steel drum music.

"Can we check them out Azula?" TyLee asks batting those big brown-grey eyes. "Please."

Azula gives a soft sigh. "I suppose you all worked hard today..."

With a grin, TyLee is darting in the direction of the band before Azula can even finish. Mai takes Zuko's hand as they follow along. Azula figures that it will be nice to watch a show instead of preform in it, even if the music isn't quite her taste. They have worked hard and it will do her well to have this before she drops the news that they will be prolonging their stay to shoot another video on Ember Island.