The Lovers that went Wrong is a Legend of Korra fanfiction that takes place in an Alternate Universe and stars Amon, the healer, and Lieu (the Lieutenant), the prize fighter.
Can be found here
Tropes appearing in this fic include:
- Abusive Parents: Yakone, obviously, but also Hwan's father and Taruk's parents who sold them to brothels.
- After-Action Patch-Up: Amon gives one of these to Lieu shortly after meeting him. He also gives one to a couple of prostitutes.
- Alternate Universe: Amon became a healer in this universe.
- Believing Their Own Lies: Amon and Reza wonder this about Hwan.
- Berserk Button: Don't hurt Reza's prostitutes unless you have a deathwish. Hell, considering how almost everyone tiptoes around him, it's probably better to just not piss him off in general. Hwan considers himself the exception. You know what? Just don't touch Hwan.
- Beyond the Impossible: Amon blood-bending during the day and a waning moon to save a life. Kanna was suitably impressed.
- Body Horror: Reza. He may or may not make Jonah Hex look like a cutie-pie.
- The Boxing Episode: The first chapter at least partly takes place at a boxing match.
- Compliment Backfire: Penna's compliments tend to sound like insults. Lampshaded by Amon.
- Creepy Twins: Thi and Tho. Tho's comments of Amon's grey eyes being like a storm, and "Are you a storm on the horizon, healer?" are especially fitting for the trope, considering what he's becoming (and became in the canon universe).
- Dark Secret: Amon's is being Yakone's son and a bloodbender. Lieu's is a secret only to Amon, it being that he's Zolt's lieutenant.
- Destructive Romance:
- Amon and Lieu are "the lovers that went wrong", after all. Seems they can't get it right in any universe.
- Played straight and for all its horror with Zolt and Shin.
- Disposable Sex Worker: "Disposable" might be overstating it, but prostitutes don't seem to have as many rights as people in other professions. For example if someone commits the same crime against a sex worker as they do (say) a dockworker the person who committed the crime against the dockworker gets in more trouble.
- After the death of Baraz, this is the trope Amon calls on to get Hwan to fight back. In the eyes of the city, this is exactly what Baraz was, and he wants Hwan to see how wrong it is.
- Even Evil Has Standards: While calling him evil might be an overstatement Reza does work for the bad guys. That said, he does not like the idea of parents selling their children to brothels. Reza also appears to have certain standards regarding his own behavior. Plays with the trope, in that he seems aware that even if he does have those standards, he's still Triad, and probably not a good person overall. Confirmed when he burns several people alive without mercy.
- Fingore: A heavily scarred man who seems to be a pimp/bouncer at a whorehouse (Reza) most likely had two of his fingers burnt off.
- Florence Nightingale Effect:
- Played Straight with Amon and Lieu.
- Amon and Hwan seem to have a platonic version of this going on.
- Gayngster:
- Lieu is one.
- Also, at least four of the Triple Threat Triads.
- Healing Hands: Amon, and most of the other waterbenders we meet in the story.
- Hooker with a Heart of Gold: Hwan. Which is not to say that he can't be a brat. Taruk is a more straight example.
- I Am Not My Father: Amon thinks about this to the point of nearly making himself sick. Admittedly, this is a little justified.
- In Spite of a Nail: Noatak will always call himself Amon and revolution will always be a good idea.
- Invulnerable Knuckles: Of all the body parts that Amon healed for Lieu (who, by the way is a boxer), the knuckles were absent from the list. As for the people who come into the clinic where Amon works, knuckles are on the list of body parts treated.
- Meaningful Name: In universe Amon is considered a spirit of secrets.
- Mob War: The Triple Threat Triad has already taken over another Triad, and seems to be trying to start this with the other two.
- Obfuscating Stupidity: Hwan and Taruk. Though it remains to be seen whether Taruk is truly this, or just actually kind of dim, which might not be his fault. Turns out his brief sparks of intelligence are just that. He really is dim.
- Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil:
- A judge in a law book Amon was reading basically said this and then proceeded to question whether or not it would be possible to rape a prostitute. This was apparently based on a real world ruling by a judge in Australia.
- Reza also regards rape as a line he won't cross.
- Sex Equals Love: Part of why Reza refused to sleep with Hwan for so long. He's worried this will happen to him. it's at least happened to Hwan.
- Recursive Fanfiction: Hwan and Reza have become rather popular.
- The Runaway:
- Amon
- In a side-story, it's revealed Taruk once tried to run away when he was thirteen. They branded the bottoms of his feet when they caught him, thus ensuring he wouldn't try again.
- Second-Act Breakup: Amon and Lieu They got better. And then they get much, much worse.
- Shipper on Deck: Lieu's parents ship Amon/Lieu
- Social Services Does Not Exist: Taruk was sold when he was six years old, and confined to the brothel until he was fifteen, when he was traded to Republic City. If they do exist, they suck at their job.
- Sugarand Ice Personality:
- Lieu definitely seems to have this going on. He's the sweet, loving boyfriend with Amon. However, he's also earned a terrifying reputation in the city. And has now proven that the sugar is a lot thinner than the ice.
- Reza is showing signs of this. We see the sweet with Hwan, but it's becoming increasingly obvious he's a lot less nice with everyone else.He's extremely casual about the fact he once electrified two bound and gagged teenagers.
- You Need to Get Laid: Lieu apparently believes this will fix Reza's poor mood. Reza is less sure that sex is the solution.
