Avatar:Sujun
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Sujun was a firebender who attended Sunray Academy during the later era of Szeto. Their friend, Adaki, encouraged them to sign up for Karr Lok Island's Regional Bending Tournament after their teacher noticed that the school was missing a fifth-grader team.
History
Early life
Sujun was born on Karr Lok Island of the Fire Nation. Their parents were professional chefs and owners of the Dragon Lotus restaurant. Sujun attended the island's school, Sunray Academy, where they made three friends: Adaki, Aera, and Jiyung.[1][2][3] On Sujun's eleventh birthday, their parents baked pandan cake for the friend group.[1]
Signing up to the regional tournament
About one week after their eleventh birthday, Sujun attended mediation class at Sunray Academy and noticed that Adaki had fallen asleep. After class, Sujun offered sizzle-crisps to their tired friend and expressed concern alongside Jiyung and Aera. However, the group's talk was interrupted by another student who declared that a fight between students was taking place at one of the school's training rooms.[1]
Once Sujun and the others arrived at the training room, the friends witnessed a group of sixteen-year-old students easily defeating a group of six graders. When Jiyung commented on the older students' evident skill, Sujun agreed to this assessment. After the match, the students were surprised when Chuan, the top firebending teacher of their school, appeared on the stage to announce that they were still seeking fifth-graders for a youth team to enter the regional bending tournament. She offered to train any fifth graders who enlisted, despite her students usually being fourteen at the youngest. Sujun reacted with disbelief at Chuan's proposal, commenting that this would pitch any fifth grade volunteers against much older and more powerful students. Much to Sujun's shock, however, Adaki suddenly declared that he and his friends would sign up.[1]
After the next class, the group got a lunch break during which Adaki attempted to convince his friends to actually sign up for the tournament. Sujun noted that Chuan's training could be "life-changing", but also believed that they had no chance to win the competition. The group began talking about what they would do if they won the prize money. Aera shared her desire to meet badgermoles, which Sujun found scary. Afterward, Sujun said they would use their share of the money to fulfill their cooking ambitions like making super spicy soufflé and buying a cast iron wok. Sujun was ultimately convinced to sign up after Jiyung mentioned they could see how the training would go and Adaki's strong persistence in wanting to sign up everyone on their behalf.[2]
First training session
At the first session Sujun was excited, but unsure how everything would play out. After Chuan explained the rules of the tournament and gave inspiration, she taught the first lesson, which involved math, ultimately portraying how firebending launched at specific degree angles had a greater impact. Sujun balked at having to understand these concepts, expressing a strong dislike for math and regretting their choice to join.[4] However, they eventually understood after witnessing Jiyung's frustration at the group's lack of appreciation for math, which she enjoyed. Furthermore, they learned how Avatar Szeto used it to solve problems for their ancestors during the famine.[5] Sujun apologized, admitting how they would not like it if others felt poorly about doing a cooking project, and promised something like this would not happen again after listening to Chuan's words about passion and confidence being the keys to firebending, comparable to what Jiyung had for math.
Sujun's struggles
The following Monday, Sujun and the group ran into the four older students they saw previously who won against the six graders. This group, called Team Undefeated, were sizing up Sujun and the others as the competition. The group's leader Tearan confronted Sujun regarding their cooking abilities while referencing events in their parents' restaurant. Tearan told how he witnessed Sujun in tears running out of the kitchen upon stating they were kicked out because of destroying the dumplings. Nervous, Sujun clarified it was actually because of a cat bat in the restaurant causing havoc. Tearan countered this, however, by repeating the exact words he heard, shocking Sujun's friends, who knew how good they cooked. After Aera defended Sujun, Jiyung insisted Tearan was lying, and Adaki promised they would get them back in the tournament, Sujun remained silent. Sujun's friends attempted to cheer them up by secretly centering the next training lesson on cooking, which caught Sujun by surprise.[6]
After this shock, Sujun still remained silent and was quite pale. Chuan explained how her parents provided the dumplings that would be used for the lesson. Chuan began cooking and elaborated the importance of controlling the fire consistently underneath the pan to ensure the dumpling did not get burned while continually flipping it over. During the exercise, Adaki complimented Sujun, noticing how the dumpling appeared evenly cooked. Sujun retorted it was not perfect, the fire under their pan burning more intensely until it rose over it. Sujun yelled that it was not good enough, smoke engulfing the training hall. The dumpling was sizzled to a crisp. Sujun confessed they were a terrible chef and firebender and had no place on the team. They apologized for wasting everyone's time, storming out of the training hall.[3]
Sujun's friends, as well as Chuan, realized Sujun was facing a lot of pressure. Adaki felt responsible, as he mentioned the dumpling looked good and decided to talk to Sujun. Chuan suggested it would be a good idea and may enable Sujun to open up. Adaki apologized to Sujun, who understood he was trying to be nice. Sujun related to Adaki as he expressed how difficult it was to feel like you have to be perfect, as well as the challenges of focusing so much on doing a good job that it prevented you from actually doing a good job. Adaki experienced the same with fire fishing and wanting to please his dad. Sujun felt better after Adaki mentioned he was also doing the tournament to be on a great team with his friends and not just for his dad. Sujun reflected on how, since they did not judge Adaki for being a perfect fisherman, they should not put pressure on themselves to be a perfect chef. Furthermore, they realized how not only in restaurants but everywhere people work together to combine strengths. This gave Sujun an idea to help the team train by working together to complete the dumpling exercise.[7]
Further training
Throughout the remainder of the week, Sujun and their friends focused on multitasking as Chuan instructed. They also partook in a game of kuai ball for these exercises. Sujun revealed their dream to open their own restaurant someday if the team continued to advance in tournaments with a lot of prize money. Sujun observed Aera attempting to call out to her friend using a fire ribbon technique. Upon a cat bat's arrival, Sujun panicked, wanting to warn Aera, and was relieved when the danger departed.[8]
After receiving news from Chuan that the tournament would happen a week earlier due to a special adviser of Fire Lord Yosor visiting, Sujun was nervous, but Adaki's composure kept everyone in check. Sujun continued to practice many moves to push opponents back and out of the ring, as well as other techniques such as fire waves, low and high fire vortex kicks, and fire pillars. They were especially good at vortex kicks upon practicing a ring of fire throughout the cooking exercises. At final practices, Sujun encouraged Adaki when he was the only one who did not knock anyone off the stage. They also agreed that Aera's fire ribbon would work well as the perfect precision bending technique to lower but not burn a delicate paper lantern which hung high above the ring. Catching this lantern granted automatic victory even if all opponents were not knocked off the stage.[9]
Sujun was shocked to find out Aera's friend was the same cat bat that appeared when she was trying to reach out to her special friend the first time. Sujun was deeply afraid of the creature, hiding behind the others and asking for it to leave. Aera responded that the cat bat was named Buddy, prompting Sujun to question its loyalty. Despite how nervous they were, Sujun ultimately promised to make it up to Aera by giving Buddy a chance after hearing Aera's story of how Buddy protected her from Team Undefeated and their special bond. After seeing Aera's fire ribbon and the way Buddy responded to its movements, Sujun attempted along with the rest of the team to practice it, measured by how Buddy reacted to their own fire ribbons. Despite Sujun failing the first time after reacting too slowly and standing too far away, still afraid of Buddy, they eventually got the technique down after warming up to the situation over time.[10]
Partaking in the tournament
On the day of the tournament, Sujun and the team first faced off against Team Flicker. Sujun's team ran to the center of the stage and continually firebent pillars and waves to keep the opponents pushed back. When one opponent was knocked out by Jiyung, Sujun helped defend Adaki with a fire spinning kick when Adaki was distracted by Jiyung's success. This caused Adaki to produce a weaker fire wave. Sujun kept pressing this opponent with firebending while also advancing toward them. The opponent, not realizing they were near the edge, eventually fell out of the ring.[11] After winning match, Adaki felt he did not contribute as he was the only one who was knocked out. Tearan further labeled him as the weakest link upon watching the match. Adaki ignored Sujun and the team, leaving the arena. After some time, everyone went to give him confidence. Sujun argued that Tearan was not telling the truth and everyone did contribute. Sujun also explained how Adaki's confidence in believing in the team inspired them to believe in everyone. Sujun and the team, under Chuan's inspiration, rallied together.[12]
Sujun and the team advanced automatically to the final round against Team Undefeated, the second-round team having to forfeit because of food poisoning. When the final match began, Sujun and the team were making the same defensive moves as the first match; however, Team Undefeated were doing the same. After some time, Team Undefeated sensed an advantage that Sujun's team would exhaust themselves in this stalemate. Tearan ordered them to charge in. This led to Sujun and everyone mirroring them to avoid being near the edge of the ring. A confrontation of close-range firebending between Sujun and Moriko ensued, Sujun almost knocking Moriko off their feet using fire techniques from the cooking lessons.[13] However, Sujun's battle with Moriko was interrupted when Tearan's aggressive battle style against Adaki, with the desire to charge at him with full speed surrounded by a ring of fire, caused him to bump into Moriko. This led to Moriko falling onto the floor.[14] Moriko and Tearan confronted each other, which Sujun watched. This resulted in Moriko being knocked out of the ring by Tearan himself after he aggressively blocked an attack she used on him. Jiyung and Aera knocked out their respective opponents, who were distracted by the scene. Sujun and the rest of the team now faced Tearan in a four-on-one situation. Tearan proclaimed he would become more aggressive, which led Sujun and the team to realize the match had to end quickly by capturing the lantern before others could get hurt. Sujun and the others began to run to opposite ends of the stage, each creating their own ribbons to go for the lantern simultaneously. The ribbons' unpredictable movements caused Tearan to not keep up. After cutting the lantern rope, Tearan declared that they had made it easier for him to capture the lantern. Sujun and the others ran toward him, but he kept them at bay. This led to Adaki getting an idea to create many weak fireballs to keep Tearan distracted while moving unpredictably. Tearan was unable to land an attack on Adaki, which ultimately allowed Adaki to run behind him and launch off his back to capture the lantern.[14]
Sujun and the rest of the team ran to Adaki to celebrate the victory and acknowledged Chuan's efforts as their teacher. Sujun commented on how impressive it was for Adaki to use Tearan as a launchpad. Afterward, Adaki proposed a great name for the team would be Team Matchsticks, reclaiming a pejorative commonly used toward them. Sujun and everyone else laughed.[14]
