#IROH who explained it to aang and everyone else BECAUSE we as the audience is under the impression hes with the 'bad guys'

[puppyeared]

Atla live action 😐

[zuko-always-lies]

What exactly were everyone's character arcs supposed to be?

This is an interesting question for ATLA, and one sometimes without a clear answer. Some characters have reasonably complete character arcs, and others simply don't, to a degree which is often not acknowledged today. A few are in-between. This not necessarily a function of screen time. Jet and Yue have reasonably complete character arcs despite only briefly appearing, while others with far more screen time do not.

Without further ado, I'll go through the characters one by one and try to give an answer:

Yue, as I said, has a story which feels complete with a beginning, middle, and end. She's a very duty bound person committed a political marriage to help her tribe, a person who was saved by the holy symbols of it in the first place. Then she falls in love with Sokka but refuses to break off her engagement out of duty. And finally she sacrifices her life out of duty to save everyone.

Jet also feels like he has an arc. You can take issue with how it was written and how it plays out, since he really got the short straw, but it's an arc. From being orphaned by the Iroh-aligned Rough Rhinos, to fighting the Fire Nation and going "too far," to trying to make a new start in Ba Sing Se, to correctly getting suspicious about Zuko and Iroh, to being brainwashed by the Dai Li, to dying fighting against Long Feng. It's not nearly as coherent as Yue's arc, but it's something.

Suki, by contrast, doesn't have much of an arc. I've heard before the concept of "character arc" being defined as "either the character changes or the audience's perception of them changes." Neither of those things ever happen with Suki. She remains unchanged, and we learn nothing really about her. The only meaningful character change which happens is that she and Sokka fall in love.

Aang quite obviously has an arc: grow into the position of Avatar, defeat the Firelord, befriend Zuko, and the end the war. And, of course, get together with Katara.

Zuko also has an arc, which the show probably spends more time on than with anyone else: change sides, become friends with the Gaang(although that bit was very poorly written), and reject his abusive father and instead start worshipping his uncle. And I suppose grow strong enough to beat the crap out of his sister, like he's always wanted to do.

Iroh, by contrast, couldn't have less of an arc. Any attempt to read an arc into the mess of extremely incoherent writing he was would require extreme charity. In the end, we're supposed to both accept he "changed" offscreen before the show(that his arc was already mostly complete?) but also that he was "always good" anyways.

Toph doesn't have an arc. 90% of her character development, such as it was, is confined to her first two appearances. After that, she's merely a hanger on to the Gaang. As much as people love her, there is so little to her story. Her character is better defined than Suki, but her story isn't.

Azula is supposed to have an arc. It's supposed to be about falling apart, going insane, and being lain low. But it was extremely rushed and shoved unconvincingly into the last few episodes, and the writers were uninterested in explaining what actually happened to make her fall apart, so I struggle to say she has anything resembling a coherent arc.

Ty Lee also doesn't have an arc. Her arc, such as it was imagined, was supposed to "betray Azula." Yet none of the character development she gets over the series leads in that direction, and we have every reason to believe she would have acted the same at the beginning of the series as she did at the end. And of course there was no "redemption" aside from switching sides for her.

Mai has slightly more of an arc than Ty Lee, but that's only because it involves her getting together with Zuko and eventually sacrificing herself to protect him. Otherwise, it's about as coherent as Ty Lee's arc.

Sokka's arc is an interesting one. I would say that there are four things they experiment with as the basis for his arc. First, there is his distrust for Aang, which is rapidly resolved. Second is his sexism, which is equally rapidly resolved. Third is unease over being a nonbender, but that's only rarely referenced over the course of the series, and is fully "resolved" in the truly awful episode "Sokka's Master" early in Book 3. Finally, there is the issue of his daddy issues and his desire to prove himself as a warrior. That is something his story keeps coming back to over and over again. However, it is almost entirely resolved in the Day of Black Sun episodes, where Sokka leads the SWT in battle, despite a couple weird later references in the Boiling Rock episodes. Thus, I would Sokka has an arc, but it's resolved well before the series ends.

Finally, we reach Katara. I don't think Katara really has much of a coherent arc in the series. In Book 1, it was all about her trying to become a master waterbender, but she achieves that by the end of the Book. After that, her character lacks clear direction. What's her story supposed to be about after that? Getting together with Aang? "Forgiving Zuko"? The daddy issues which show up for exactly one episode? The conflict with Toph which shows up for two? "Accepting that ordinary Fire Nation people are people too," even though she was always shown to be compassionate to ordinary Fire Nation people not actively engaged in genocide? The "mommy issues" which she often brings up but which are rarely taken seriously by the show, and are ultimately used to get her to forgive Zuko (two separate times!)? All of these seem completely unworthy of hanging her arc on, and I have to say, I don't think Katara has much of a coherent arc past Book 1.

If we had to order these characters in terms of coherence of arc from most to least, it would probably go something like: Aang, Zuko, Yue, Jet, Sokka, Katara, Azula, Mai, Ty Lee, Iroh, Toph, Suki.

[heliianth]

re: the lion-turtle - that's about my opinion as well. but you went on to explain that energy and lightning are metaphors for themes in ATLA, i don't have a good enough understanding of this so i feel as if i missed a point you made on fixing the plot of sozin's comet. thx for answering!

okay, so first of all. this is going to be long

this is what i said:

“energybending and lightningbending are both very thematically entrenched and metaphorically dense practices within the show, but the former needs groundwork, because all we have in the show is the conclusion of what it represents and not what its trying to say about aang as a person.”

and yk what, i kind of take back the descriptors “entrenched” and “dense” being applied to energybending, because its not exactly clear to me what it is supposed to mean other than “unbreakable spirit,” which is said during exposition. my conclusion may not even occur to someone else, whereas lightningbending is very clearly used as a narrative device and metaphorical tool and its meaning can be easily recognized by any viewer paying attention

im going to address this by way of talking about lightningbending specifically, because i feel like if i illustrate why that is a good metaphor, it might be easier to see what i wanted from energybending, because i simply cannot address both in the way id prefer when limited by a tumblr ask.

lightningbending has 6 significant thematic moments from what i can remember, all of which center around control and/or abuse. thats my “thesis”, i guess.

1

2x1; azula is practicing it on her ship

azula, as everyone whose dipped toes into atla can understand, is a character who is centered around the 2 ideas i mentioned: control and abuse, both of which inform the other. azula seeks control in almost every situation she's put in because abuse has conditioned her into obsessive perfectionism and this causes her to abuse others, illustrating a clear cycle of violence which she buckles under later. introducing lightningbending not only using her character but directly following it up with this moment:

sets up a thematic relation that is elaborated on in every instance i'll go onto mention. and it always involves members of the fn royal family, which is explicitly written as an abusive dynamic.

2

2x10, where iroh is attempting to coach zuko so he can use it himself. here we are told the following:

this is my interpretation, but whereas the introduction with azula is framed emphasizing control (considering a first-time audience would be unaware of how azula relates to the cycle of abuse at that point), the way lightning is described here is all about the former theme, abuse. words like cold-blooded give an apathetic or even sadistic tint to it as a practice and even the process of creating it—forcibly separating energies and bringing them back together in a violent collision, the direction of which the bender controls—is one that invokes a certain type of imagery.

zuko’s subsequent inability to lightningbend, instead resulting in explosions, is linked inherently to his own trauma in a way that iroh recognizes. instead, he teaches zuko lightning redirection:

notably, a technique learned by being considerate and appreciative of waterbending—discovered by an open mind*

lightning redirection, thematically, is the “freedom and healing” juxtaposition to lightningbending’s “control and abuse”.

after zuko gets a hang of it, he asks iroh to shoot lightning at him so he can practice, and iroh refuses based on the danger.

now, itd be perfectly reasonable to say i’m overexaggerating here, but to me this scene reads as an extension of zuko’s near-suicidal disregard of his own well being in favor of progress. whereas azula’s abuse has conditioned her into seeking control, zuko’s has taught him that achievement is necessarily sandwiched between and synonymous with pain. suffering has been his teacher, if you will.

meaning “hurt me so i can learn from it!”

and iroh denies him this. he says:

meaning “you do not have to hurt right now, or at all”

but zuko is not lucky, he is obviously still deeply stuck within his own ideas of struggle and pain, which is why he seeks it out himself when iroh will not provide it to him:

if previously lightning has not been illustrated as a tool of abuse, it is cemented here on the mountain

where zuko screams at the world (and, commonly considered, his father at some subconscious level) that it’s never held back, and to just hit him because he can take it now. that he is strong because he has been abused, and he is weak because he has been hurt by it. and he breaks down because it will not give him what he thinks will prove himself (which is, again, suffering)

3

chronologically, the third moment is in 2x20 when aang is shot by azula with lightning:

though i feel like 3x1 addresses the consequences of this if lightningbending is indeed representative of what i say it is. i’ll keep this brief because i dont want to narrate the premise of a whole episode, but aang being killed by azula’s lightning causes both zuko to return to an abusive situation and relinquish control over his own destiny back into the hands of azula and ozai, it also causes AANG to seek control and lose faith in himself as well as his friends’ ability to help him*. which is appropriate for what lightningbending has been set up as thematically

4

the direct thematic followup to the second one, in 3x11, the day of black sun ii—

when zuko confronts ozai, he is not seeking validation or repentance. it is for his sound of mind solely. hes spent the whole series dogmatically hanging onto propaganda, toxicity, and anger as a way to cognitively distance himself from his own victimization. but now hes realized “what an amazing lie that was”, and he can begin restructuring himself as someone who is free from all of it, and then can try helping the world restructure itself as an extension (because zuko unlearning the fn’s imperialism has always been deeply intertwined with him processing and acknowledging his own trauma/abuse) . but ozai cannot resist hurting him one last time by weaponizing ursa in order to trick zuko into lingering after the eclipse

and the audience, despite experiencing such a dramatic relapse after s2 and many smaller relapses before then, knows zuko’s growth is true because he redirects it. ozai’s lightning, his abuse and conditioning and manipulations, are rendered ineffective:

--> “you cannot hurt me anymore” 

5

we return to azula in 3x20. during the final agni kai, zuko provokes azula into “ending it” by shooting lightning, intending to redirect it.

and azula, who has since then lost the control she desperately needs for self-recognition and esteem, aims at katara standing behind zuko, instead.

(interestingly, this second shot of azula is EXTREMELY similar to the closeup in 2x1)

ive seen quite a few interpretations of this scene, but to be on-topic, i think this is supposed to (literally) illuminate how azula copes with her own abuse, which is to seek her own victims. historically this has been zuko, sometimes mai and ty lee at other intervals. but mai and ty lee are gone, and zuko is no longer someone she can hurt without consequence, so she does what she always does: aims it at someone uninvolved. she perpetuates the cycle of abuse because she does not know how to do anything else to make herself stop hurting.

then, obviously, this:

this scene has a lot of thematic density and im unsure how to unpack my feelings on it. despite the focus of this analysis being on the action of lightninbending and redirecting it, i think the important thing is not that zuko is hit by the lightning, its that he selflessly jumps in front of it, partially redirects it,  then is healed by a friend, and turns out okay*. the last three parts are the key, there, imo (and obviously this is also really important for katara as a character but this analysis would get soooooo long and unfocused if i talked about every character’s arcs in every scene ive mentioned)

6

the last lightningbending moment i want to point out (which actually happens earlier than the one in the final agni kai, oops) is another one during 3x20, where aang catches ozai’s lightning:

—hesitates—

—and redirects it into the air.

this represents aang simultaneously denying ozai’s power AND aang also refusing fatal retribution as an extension of ozai’s (and ozai’s ancestors’) beliefs—it is not a statement of healing from ozai’s abuse in the way zuko’s relationship to lightning has always been, but rejecting his control over aang’s narrative and the future of the world. ozai has created a world, “[his] world!”, where anything he cruelly considers weakness is criminal and justice is violence; he wants the avatar to play by these rules, and by not killing him with the tool he has created, thematically aang rejects his world too.

ozai later says (paraphrased) “your people did not deserve to live in this world” and aang proves him wrong from this scene onwards.

the 2 final scenes i talk abt, i think, are important to understanding lightningbending as a narrative device. the last times we see it are its hurt being healed (with the power of love and friendship, ofc) in 5, and then what it represents being rejected on principle in 6. lightningbending is not only used as a badass action setup, it also acts as a tool for a specific idea to be introduced and advanced in tandem with and informing the related characters’ development. then, its final uses appropriately say things about two of the most important characters in the series (zuko with 5 and aang with 6) and the resolution of their arcs.

hopefully this made my point easier to understand, and now its more clear that energybending Both introduced a good idea by hearkening back to “separation is illusory” (which is one of the more poignant themes in atla, imo) and is unfortunately not as strong metaphorically as lightningbending, which is very similar but is much more rich

[mountain-man-cumeth]

What Went Wrong: An In-Depth Analysis of Muriel's Route

*Youtuber voice*

Below are the opinions of an uneducated individual on what could’ve left the majority of The Arcana audience dissatisfied. I will explore the plot, tropes, themes and morals of the Muriel route and try to explain what may have gone wrong. I will be treating the game as a novel since it's advertised as one.

1. Consistency. If you are unfamiliar with the chekhov's gun; it's a story writing principle that dictates each element you introduce should come into play (foreshadowing). Now let's start with a few story beats that were later abandoned or concluded in an underwhelming manner:

Muriel's blanket

Muriel's magic mark (on his back)

Forest spirit (spirits in general)

Lucio's upbringing

Circumstances of MC's death

Figurines/whittling/charms

Muriel's blanket is teased to be a tapestry, which would tie in with his later fascination with them later on, as it had been the only thing he had left from his past. MC neither sees nor comments on the blanket, we only know it exists thanks to other playthroughs and short stories.

Magic marks are an important point in the game. Every main route emphasises on how it affects the chosen LI. It's reveal is important in a way that it serves as a passage to a new act where the reader explores magic and Arcana pantheon as they are a monumental part of the overall worldbuilding. This exact point applies to the Heart of the Forest and how spirits interact with the world around them as well.

Whittling and Charm making are the only hobbies we get from Muriel's isolated life, their introduction helps the reader humanise the character by giving us a crumb of his everyday life. It's never mentioned again after the scene where MC asks him what he does. He doesn't idly whittle during their journey and charms only come to play in an offhanded reference during reversed ending.

The other two are also ignored but I will touch on Lucio later on.

Why do these matter? A few abandoned plot points don't make or break the story but on a grander level it hinders the audience investment. When we read, we like to think the details we notice will come to play eventually, we like recognizing references that were introduced earlier. I'm sure I don't need to give examples on this one, I don't think anyone will disagree.

2. Themes. Thematic influences this story utilized are all over the place, and it seems to me like it stems from the improper application of certain tropes;

The Hero's Journey

Home Sweet Home

Shell-Shocked Vet

Last of His Kind

etc.

Some of these tropes tackle themes such as;

Slavery

PTSD

Survivor's Guilt

Genocide

I'm not going to try to explain How to Write any of these topics. I'm not remotely qualified. I think it's better if I just give examples from popular media because whether you know how to write it or not, you can still understand when it's written well;

AtLA deals with genocide and survivor's guilt. It's in the name; The Last Airbender. Aang is the sole survivor of a culture he'd only had an opportunity to engage in for a handful of years. He left them with a childish tantrum and now they're gone forever. I can't think of another mainstream series that shows the gruesome reality of war and genocide better than this one.

When Muriel realizes his true heritage and loses Khamgalai is the point of the story where Luke sees his family's farm burned down, Aang goes back to the air temple, Treebeard walks in on the demolished part of the forest. (The inciting incident)

(Could also have been forest spirit’s death but it was too early in the story so I don’t consider it a missed opportunity.)

Up until this point the hero has their doubts, they're going through the motions but they are either underestimating the enemy or they're a passive protagonist. Either way, this is the point where the hero has to take the reins of the story. What purpose does this serve in Muriel's route instead? It simply validates Muriel's beliefs. He's useless, he isn't strong enough. We as the reader need a point to see where the hero takes a step to drive the story forward or whoever takes that step will steal the spotlight, it will be their story. As it is, this is the point where it ceases to be Muriel’s story.

PTSD got the worst end of the deal. Since Dragon Age fandom has a huge overlap with the Arcana I will use Fenris as an example; for those who are unfamiliar with the character, Fenris is an escaped slave. After the sex scene he vividly describes an experience that most people can easily identify as a flashback. The game never tells us that he was abused, it doesn’t show us him having a panic attack but it shows us that whatever transpired between him and the player character clearly triggered an unpleasant memory.

Arcana tries and initially succeeds to do something similar. We see that the character is untrustworthy, sensitive to touch, easily agitated, can’t sleep outside of his perceived safe environment… It introduces us the cause later on and the story has two options, each will drastically change the moral of the story:

Remember these as they will be important later on

Portray Muriel fighting as a bad thing; You can’t fight violence with violence angle or the fact that the villain’s forcing him into a situation where he’ll have to fight again makes the villain all the more intimidating.

Portray Muriel fighting as a good thing; He has the means to defeat the villain and he just needs encouragement. With great power comes great responsibility. By not fighting he willingly condemns everyone to an awful fate and that he is selfish.

I’d like to take a second to explore the 1. Option, I feel like the game may have intended to implement that idea but failed because of the implementation of Morga and choices presented for the player character: Morga is an Old-Soldier, these characters are often push the hero out of their comfort zone in an aggressive way towards complacency, they are a narrative foil to the mentor. For the first option to work the story had to show Khamgalai acting as a mentor and having the protagonists challenge Morga’s teachings(see Ozai-Iroh). As it is, Morga’s actions are never put under scrutiny (narratively) and her death feels hollow as a result. She didn’t sacrifice herself for the heroes due to her guilt, she died because she felt a moment of sympathy for her son which wasn’t explored before, she showed no intention to change nor any doubt.

It is clear the game choose 2. Option, it is a controversial choice given Muriel’s mental condition and the game is acutely aware of this, which is likely why Muriel’s PTSD will get carefully scraped from the story from here on out. (I won’t address other instances where his trauma wasn’t taken into account, I feel like this explanation should cover them as well.)

3. Morals. Every story, whether the author intends it or not, has a moral. The Villain most often acts against that moral and in turn can change the hero's perspective. Morals are not ideals; the morality of Killmonger isn’t that marginalised people should fight for their rights, it is that vengeance is just. Whether it’s right or wrong can be debated but what makes an ideal the moral of the story is in the portrayal. How the narrator depicts the events, how people around the heroes react... all are a part of portrayal.

The story choosing “Muriel fighting is a good thing” earlier puts in the foundation of a moral. The story tells us Muriel has to fight, it’s the right thing to do. He has to be brave for the people he loves.

This choice affects how his past actions will be perceived; now, him escaping the arena to save himself is cowardly, abandoning Morga is cowardly.

The story tells us it wasn’t, but shows us that it was. This is the end of the midpoint of the story, at this point we need to have a good grasp on what we should perceive as wrong or right for us to feel invested. If we zig-zag between the morals we won’t know which actions we should root for. But more than that, the conclusion will not feel cathartic as it will inevitably demonstrate the opposing ideals clashing at its climax.

Villain doesn't necessarily have to be sympathetic and Muriel's route makes no effort to make him as such, but they need to be understandable. What danger does Lucio pose to the status quo, what makes him a compelling villain? Whether he conquers Vesuvia or not doesn’t drastically affect Muriel’s way of life, he’s been in hiding for years. He doesn’t threaten to steal MC’s body, Muriel is not compelled to pick up arms to save his beloved. He wants to protect the people from going through what he’s been through, right? That is what the story wants us to think. But what has he been through? Fighting was his choice, Lucio tricked him into it. Lucio later tricked Morga, his own mother, to save his own hide. This tells us that Lucio is a manipulator, but he doesn’t manipulate his way into Vesuvia, he barges in with deus ex machina monsters. He doesn’t demonstrate his skills as a tactician by making deals with neighbouring kingdoms to get their armies. We don’t know his strengths therefore we don’t know his weaknesses. If he seems to be losing he can just conjure a giant dragon to burn everything down, we just can’t know. That is why the application of deus ex machina is highly taboo, the victories don’t feel earned and defeats feel unfair.

4. Tone. Playing with the genre is not uncommon and a game such as Arcana has many opportunities to do so. It is a romance story, everything else is the back-drop. The tone works best when its overall consistent but tonal changes act as shock for the audience to keep them engaged and keeping one tone indefinitely gets us desensitized. We can’t feel constant misery if we are not made to feel tinges of hope in between. Good examples of dramatic tonal change (that I can think of): Mulan - arriving at the decimated village, La Vita e Bella - the father’s death, M*A*S*H - death of Hawkeye’s friend. Two of these examples are mostly comedy which is why this tonal shift affects us so, it was all fun and games until we are slapped in the face with the war going on. There are no one liners in those scenes, the story takes a moment to show appropriate respect to the dead, it gives its characters time to digest and come to terms with loss. Bad examples are the majority of Marvel movies.

In Muriel’s route there’s never such a thing, Muriel has a panic attack and MC kisses him. This unintentionally tells us, the genre being romance, that the panic attack only served to further MC’s advances. It tells us that he’s never had the control of his life and it’s yet again stripped from him by the decisions of player character. This is not the only instance this happens. The story shoe-horns in multiple cuddle sessions between important plot beats. And it does the exact opposite during a moment where he is having a heart-to-heart with the person he loves by having the ghost of Morga appear to give an ominous warning/advice.

When he runs off during masquerade it’s built up to be an important plot point. Muriel will finally face his past, he’s been running away from it all along, and he will have an opportunity to be accepted back in. MC is supportive but ultimately, it’s meant to be Muriel's moment. But as I mentioned above this is not his story anymore so he’s not given any time to address his problems, instead a ghost appears to tell him what he needs to do, again. Because we need to wrap the story up, we don’t have time.

Remember how I said the 2 Options will be important later on, well here we are at the very end. Upright and reversed.

“Portray Muriel fighting as a bad thing”

This suggests that the triumph of Muriel won’t be through violence. Maybe he will outsmart Lucio in a different way, he won’t play his games anymore. This option suggests that Lucio will not be beaten by his own terms.

“Portray Muriel fighting as a good thing”

This option concludes with Muriel finally overcoming his reservations on violence and doing what's right to save the people he loves. And bringing justice to people who Lucio hurt.

If you are wondering why the upright ending feels random, this is likely why. The ending plays out as if the story was building on the 1st option while we spent chapters upon chapters playing out the 2nd one. It is unearned.

(The reversed ending, being reversed, also uses Option 1 path but in which Muriel can’t achieve his narrative conclusion)

The Coliseum is filled with people who are on their side against Lucio’s shadow goons. Because we can’t have people being on Lucio’s side without addressing the duality of human nature, even though it’s an important part of Muriel’s story. The people who watched and enjoyed Lucio’s bloodsport are no more, they are all new and enlightened offscreen. We completely skipped the part where Vesuvia comes to terms with its own complacency and Muriel simply feels at ease because the crowd is cheering on him now. This is what happens when you give the character a chance to challenge those who have been complicit in his abuse (masquerade scene) and completely skip it to move the story along.

Muriel doesn't get justice, ever. The people only love him now because he's fighting for them instead of his own survival. Morga or her clan doesn't answer for the massacre of Kokhuri, Vesuvia doesn't answer for the sick entertainment they indulged in and Lucio doesn't answer for Muriel's enslavement. It is not even acknowledged, nowhere in the story (except the very end of reversed ending, and even then it almost gets him killed so its clearly the wrong thing to do on his part) is a choice presented where Muriel has an opportunity to get any sort of compensation where he instead chooses to move on.

I don’t intend to straw man anyone but this is a sentiment I’ve seen a lot; “It’s a short story, a dating-sim, what do you expect?”

I expect nothing, I’m simply explaining why some people feel how they feel. It is a short dating-sim but it seems to me like it was aiming to be something more by borrowing elements that were clearly far above their weight range to tease something more and under deliver. It is okay to feel content with the story, and it’s okay to feel let down. If we had a unanimous decision on literature we would never be inclined to write our own stories.

[beifongsss]

love amongst the dragons [zuko]

Pairing: Zuko x reader

Requested?: Yes! By an outstanding anon!: “hiya there I saw that you’re open for request and i’ve read all of your Zuko fics and they are incredible! I want to request a Zuko x reader too please in which it’s several years after his coronation and he’s back on vacation to Ember Island with the Gaang and Uncle Iroh, as it happens his favorite play “Love amongst the Dragons” is being performed and Zuko dragged them all to the theater, just for him to become mesmerized by the leading female performer which is the reader :) thanks xx”

i changed the request just a bit i’m sorry anon :(

Summary: When Iroh dragged everyone to the theatre while vacationing on Ember Island, Zuko did not expect to be so entranced by the lead play.

.masterlist.

~

Surprisingly, it hadn’t been Sokka’s idea this time.

Instead, it had been Iroh who had suggested that they go see “Love Amongst the Dragons” as soon as they got to Ember Island. It had been a few years since the Gaang had been on Ember Island but the stress of being Fire Lord was getting to Zuko so Iroh had written to all of his friends, inviting them to a week long retreat at the famed island. They had all accepted of course, especially when Iroh promised to bring them some of his favorite tea leaves.

Aang was undoubtedly the most excited, agreeing with Iroh’s idea almost immediately. Everyone else was a little hesitant, remembering the last time they had gone to see the Ember Island Players.

“C’mon Zuko,” Aang said, walking up to the older boy with a pleading look on his face. “Didn’t you say that it was your favorite play when you were a kid?”

“No,” Zuko snapped, looking away from Aang. “It was my mother’s favorite.”

The conversation had ended there, or so Zuko had thought. Halfway through the week, he had agreed to let Katara plan out a day’s schedule. He hadn’t expected her to give in to Aang’s request so easily although looking back on it now, he wondered how he expected her to deny her boyfriend anything. Especially when he had those big, sparkling eyes.

And so Fire Lord Zuko found himself being dragged into the theater by Toph, who was the only one he was scared of disobeying.

“C’mon Sparky Pants,” Toph said, tugging Zuko along as she made her way to the front row. “We got good seats this time so I can actually see what’s going on.”

Zuko huffed and rolled his eyes as he sat next to the small earthbender, Sokka sitting on his other side. Suki filled in the end of the row while Iroh, Aang, and Katara filled the second row. Toph turned to talk to Iroh, who was sitting directly behind Zuko, about the play and proceeded to ask him various questions. Zuko tried to ignore the girl, pouting as he realized that he was going to have to watch another butchered play.

After a few minutes, the lights dimmed and the theater’s manager stepped out on stage. His eyes quickly flickered to where the Gaang was sitting and Zuko sunk in his seat as he realized what was coming.

“Good evening everybody,” the man spoke, a wide smile now on his face “Thank you for joining us tonight for a very special showing of “Love Amongst the Dragons”. Tonight, we have our very own Fire Lord and the Avatar joining us. Please enjoy the show.”

The audience applauded as they all shifted their gazes to where Zuko was sitting. After receiving an encouraging kick from Iroh, he straightened up and forced a smile onto his face as he looked around and waved. Once the lights fully went out, he slumped in his seat, letting out a loud sigh as Toph snickered. 

He elbowed her softly, the two of them bickering quietly before Sokka suddenly began to repeatedly slap Zuko’s arm.

“Shh! It’s starting. Look!” Sokka was already invested in the play even though there wasn’t anything remotely interesting happening. Zuko let out another angst-filled sigh as he focused on the play, barely paying attention as the Dragon Emperor took the stage and the play began. Zuko couldn’t deny that the play wasn’t as bad as he remembered it being, but that still didn’t mean he was enjoying it.

Zuko’s eyelids were drooping as the play continued, the young Fire Lord barely paying attention as the Dragon Emperor was bound to the mortal world by the Dark Water Spirit and forced to take the name Noren. In fact, Zuko was about to give in and sleep through the play when his attention was caught by a loud, clear voice. He jolted up, his eyes landing on the actress who had just appeared on stage.

The entire theater went silent as you emerged, speaking your lines so smoothly that it seemed as though you were merely having a conversation and not acting. You were wearing a gorgeous blue dress, the hem swaying as you walked forwards. Your steps were swift but gentle, making it seem as though you were gliding across the stage.

Zuko was so entranced by you acting that he didn’t look away from you once, not even when you subtly looked over to the area where they had told you that the Fire Lord and his friends were sitting in. Your eyes swept across the audience as you spoke, and you had to take a deep breath when you accidentally made eye contact with a pair of piercing golden eyes. You mentally thanked the makeup artist, glad that your blush wasn’t visible.

Back in the audience, Zuko’s jaw dropped slightly as his eyes met yours and he mentally thanked the spirits that Toph had gotten front row seats. You were gorgeous, ethereal. Your (H/C) hair was styled perfectly and your eyes were sparkling. Zuko felt a bit breathless.

“So,” Toph whispered, leaning in towards Zuko. “I take it the leading actress is hot?”

Zuko stayed silent, looking at Toph with a panicked expression as he wondered how she knew that if she was blind. Snorting, Toph explained. “Your heart rate shot up when she came out Sparky. You’re not the most subtle.”

A scowl formed on Zuko’s face but before he could reply, Sokka did it for him.

“Hey Zuko, buddy,” Sokka said, looking at the boy. “Maybe you should close your mouth before you catch any flies. Not that I blame you, she’s beautiful.”

“Who is?” Suki asked, leaning in close so that she wasn’t too loud. Zuko stuttered for a moment before Sokka once again spoke.

“The lead!”

“Oh yeah, she’s gorgeous,” Suki agreed, leaning back in her seat.

“If only I were single,” Sokka and Suki sighed in unison, giving each other slightly offended looks before dissolving into a fit of giggles. Zuko rolled his eyes at their antics before focusing on the play once again.

The rest of the play passed flawlessly, and Zuko found his attention captured by you every single second you were onstage. For once, he didn’t feel bored. It wasn’t only because you were attractive (he had given up denying that statement after Sokka had elbowed him for the fiftieth time), it was because after years he was finally seeing his mother’s favorite play being performed the way it was meant to be.

Even on stage you didn’t remain oblivious to the gaze that followed you around. Sure, you had whole audiences who watched you, but the stare that the Fire Lord was giving you was intense and you began to wonder if he wasn’t enjoying the play. Your fellow actors had noticed as well, and during the intermission you found yourself being teased about your new “admirer”.

It was also during the intermission that the manager slipped backstage and informed the cast that the Fire Lord and his friends would be coming backstage after the show. The cast all slipped into a panic as you tried to clean up the space as best as you could. The rest of the play passed by in a blur, everyone anxious for what was to come. Even with the nervousness, you never messed up once and Zuko’s eyes stayed on you the whole time.

On stage, Noren managed to defeat the Dark Water Spirit and reunite with your character, who ended up being the Dragon Empress. In Zuko’s opinion, the play ended way too quickly. He found himself clapping a little too loudly, causing Sokka to give him a sly glance as he stretched slightly and began to make his way out of the row. He didn’t get too far before Iroh gently grabbed his arm, causing him to stop and look at the older male in confusion.

“We are not leaving yet Zuko,” Iroh said, a suspicious glimmer in his eyes as he smiled at the boy. “The theater manager is an old Pai Sho buddy of mine and he agreed to give us a tour backstage.”

“You mean we’ll get to meet the actors?” Aang asked, exchanging excited glances with Sokka. Iroh nodded. The group began to walk towards the stage, Toph staying behind slightly as she noticed that Zuko hadn’t moved from his spot.

“Try not to embarrass yourself Sparky,” she teased, punching his arm as she walked past him. Grumbling, Zuko followed the small girl backstage and came to a stop next to Sokka.

“Ah, Sotar!” Iroh exclaimed, embracing the theater manager. The two men laughed and greeted each other before he turned and bowed to Zuko.

“Fire Lord Zuko,” Sotar said before turning and bowing to Aang. “Avatar Aang. It is an honor to have you here. I hope the play was to your liking.”

“It was awesome!” Aang replied, bringing a smile to Sotar’s face. He turned to Zuko but before he could answer, someone bumped into him. Zuko turned to face the person, coming face to face with the lead actor.

“Forgive me, Fire Lord Zuko,” the actor said, bowing deeply after regaining his balance. “I lost my balance.”

“It’s alright,” Zuko replied quietly, shifting closer to Sokka. “Your performance was great.”

“Jenor is the finest actor we have,” Sotar boasted, smiling proudly at the actor. “We are truly lucky to have him.”

The actor, Jenor, blushed lightly at the praise before speaking. “Thank you, but I’m afraid the real star of the show is (Y/N). I wonder where she is.”

“I’m right here.”

The group turned around as a quiet voice spoke. Zuko’s breath caught in his throat as his eyes landed on you. Spirits, you were prettier up close.

“Um, thanks,” you said, the blush dusting your cheeks visible now that you had taken off your makeup. You ignored Jenor’s gaze as you remembered the teasing from earlier.

Zuko’s eyes widened in embarrassment as he realized that he had spoken out loud. He immediately avoided your gaze, instead shooting a glare at Sokka as the boy tried not to choke on his laughter.

“Good going Sparky,” Toph whispered, a smirk playing at the edge of her lips. Zuko rolled his eyes at the younger girl before focusing on you as you walked up to him.

“Fire Lord Zuko,” you said, dropping into a dramatic bow. You proceeded to do the same thing to Aang before giving slightly smaller bows to everybody else. “I am (Y/N) (L/N), lead actress of “Love Amongst the Dragons”. It is truly an honor to be in your presence. I hope you enjoyed the show.”

Zuko didn’t trust himself to speak without embarrassing himself again and instead chose to stay silent, merely bowing his head in response.

“Zuko, where are your manners?!” Iroh spoke, coming up behind his nephew. “My apologies Miss (Y/N), my nephew greatly enjoyed the performance. He was so impressed by it that his eyes didn’t leave you for a single second!”

This time, Sokka couldn’t hold back his laughter, resulting in Suki grabbing his hand and pulling him away from the group. “We’re gonna go look at the ummm, at the costumes!”

Aang engaged in a conversation with Jenor, and the two of them began to walk away slowly, trying to escape the awkward situation created by Iroh. Zuko stood in Iroh’s grasp, trying his best not to shoot a glare at his uncle as Katara stared as him.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” you finally said, smiling softly at the retired general’s words. “We all put in a lot of work.”

“It was most impressive indeed,” Iroh said, straightening up and looking around. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have quite a bit of catching up to do with Sotar.”

You gave Iroh one last bow before he hurried off, trying to locate his old friend. It was silent for a few seconds before Toph finally spoke up. “Hey Katara? Where did Aang go? He promised me he was going to be my guide for the night!”

Katara smirked slightly at Toph’s words, knowing that the girl didn’t need a guide. She reached over and grabbed the girl’s hands before looking at you and Zuko apologetically. “I’m sorry, we really have to go find Aang. It was nice to meet you (Y/N), you are an amazing actress.”

You thanked the Water Tribe girl as she walked away before facing Zuko, who was currently struggling as he tried to figure out what to say.

“So,” he finally spoke, losing his train of thought as he noticed the small smile on your face. “You like acting?”

The smile on your face widened at his words. “Yes I do, Fire Lord Zuko.”

Zuko’s face scrunched up at the use of his title, not liking how formal you were being. “You don’t have to call me ‘Fire Lord’. Just Zuko is fine.”

You nodded silently before speaking again. “Alright Zuko. If you don’t mind me asking, why did you choose to come watch the play? I’m certain that as the Fire Lord, you have more exciting things to do.”

Zuko smiled at your teasing tone, relaxing slightly as he realized that you were treating him as normally as you could. “We’re on vacation. My uncle remembered that this was my mother’s favorite play and Aang insisted on watching it.”

“Oh?” you asked mildly surprised. You vaguely remembered Fire Lady Ursa and you felt your heart ache slightly for the Fire Lord. “It was?”

“Yeah,” Zuko nodded, still not meeting your eyes for fear of freezing up. “She would make us watch it every year when we came here on vacation. I always begged her to leave me at home.”

“Why?”

“Because the Ember Island Players always butchered the play,” Zuko said immediately, his eyes widening when he realized what he had said. He glanced up to meet your eyes, prepared to apologize for offending you.

Instead, he was met with eyes full of mirth and his panic subsided faintly as you began to chuckle.

“I-I’m sorry,” Zuko said, trying to take his words back. “I didn’t mean t-”

“No, no,” you cut him off, sending him an apologetic smile. “You’re absolutely right. Not to sound rude or anything, but I think that was partly due to the fact that the previous lead actress was so hard to work with. I think that the play has become somewhat better since then.”

“Definitely,” Zuko said, chuckling along with you. “They certainly made the right choice when casting the lead actress. You did an amazing job.”

It was your turn to blush as Zuko kept speaking.

“You’re very talented, (Y/N). You have such a powerful stage presence and the delivery of your lines is flawless. You truly stole the show. I think that the audience was more focused on you than they were on Jenor and you managed to keep everyone captivated.”

“Including you, my Lord?” you asked, a flirtatious lilt to your voice as you spoke. Zuko’s next words faltered as his eyes met yours and you felt yourself smirk lightly as a deep blush spread across his cheeks.

“Especially him!” Toph’s loud voice rang as she leaned against Zuko’s shoulder. You burst into laughter at the young girl’s words and Zuko found himself speechless at your laugh. Apparently everything about you was beautiful.

“I thought you were going to find Aang,” Zuko said through gritted teeth, pushing Toph off of him.

“I was but Iroh sent me to tell you it’s time to go,” Toph said, a wide grin on her face. “Oh, and he also told me to tell (Y/N) that he’d love it if you joined Zuko here for a cup of tea at the Jasmine Dragon next time you’re free.”

Zuko groaned at her words and shot a glare at his uncle, not wanting to meet your eyes for fear of rejection.

“I’d be honored to,” came your reply. Zuko’s head whipped around and he stared at you as you grinned at him. “That is, if it’s okay with the Fire Lord.”

A little starstruck, Zuko simply nodded. You stepped closer to him, leaning up to press a kiss to his cheek. “It’s a date then.”

Zuko grinned dazedly as he was pulled away by Toph, a teasing smile on her face as she led him to the rest of the group. You looked after them for a few seconds before walking away, only pausing to laugh at their conversation.

“I can’t believe your uncle has to set up your dates for you.”

“Shut up!”

~

taglist!

@musicalkeys, @mywigglybaby​, @bubblebars​, @iguessthefloorislava​, @dekahg​, @boxofteenageideas​, @bottledcostcowater, @butterflycore​, @coldlilheart​, @the-firebender-girl​

[immaturityofthomasastruc]

#13: Return of the “Toxic” Chloe Fans

The very first post I made on this blog (barring the introduction) was about Astruc's uncomfortably strong feelings against Chloe and why she's supposedly “irredeemable”.

Unsurprisingly, I wasn't the only one to hate this explanation that only wasted time on the show that could have easily been spent on literally anything else, like a story or character arc that actually goes anywhere. So the hashtag #JusticeForChloeB started up, and a few months after “Garbage Fire” “Miracle Queen” aired, Astruc found out and naturally had a few problems with some fans “harassing” him.

Yes, there have been a lot of people who have sent negative messages to Astruc, insulting him and his family, and I have talked about that in some of my other posts. The thing is that a lot of the people Astruc replied to had relatively calm arguments, and refrained from personally insulting Astruc. Unfortunately, he still saw them the same way he sees the actual toxic people who attack him.

First off, I love how Astruc phrased that last tweet. “I know you all love a character that I created, but you don't have to be mean to me about it.” Same kind of humility that we all love about him.

Second, the disappointment that everyone felt when Chloe betrayed Ladybug is nothing like what Ladybug went through. The plot of the episode was so fast-paced, she didn't get any time to really scold Chloe for her actions other than a single line. If you wanted to show how crushing her betrayal was, have the characters actually react to it other than treating it like their kid stole a cookie before dinner.

In fact, I know this is like comparing Othello to Shrek: The Musical, but a good example of a show that really highlighted how painful a character's betrayal was is Avatar: The Last Airbender. Like Chloe, Zuko had gotten a fair share of episodes during the second season that made it seem like he was going to turn a new leaf. He was still conflicted, but it felt like he was still making progress. And much like how Hawkmoth manipulated Chloe to betray Ladybug and Cat Noir so she would recognize how great of a superhero she was, Azula manipulated Zuko to betray Aang and Iroh so he could finally reclaim his honor.

The difference? When Zuko betrayed the heroes, it had a far bigger impact on the characters and the audience.

We saw how disappointed Iroh was in his nephew, with just his look saying a thousand words, and because of his actions, Aang barely escaped with his life. Even in the next season, Zuko still felt conflicted about his choice, until he finally started to start anew and turn on his father.

It's fairly obvious that Chloe isn't going to do any kind of thinking like that next season, especially given how much Astruc has complained that people actually like her. Though it wouldn't surprise me if Astruc pulled a 180 and tried to redeem Chloe next season just to appease the fans while claiming that this was obviously part of his plan all along.

So Astruc continues to reply to anyone who simply acknowledges that they just wanted to see Chloe get better, or that he's being a little rude to his followers, and sees them as the enemy.

I understand that there are people who are willing to personally attack Astruc, and those people go too far. The difference is that this has had a negative effect on him, causing him to see anyone who disagrees with him as “toxic” or “spamming”.

There have also been people who have called out those who use the #JusticeForChloeB hashtag to attack Astruc, even if they still want Chloe to get redemption or not. Hell, one person tried to explain to Astruc that those people don't really represent what the point of the hashtag is. Guess how he responded?

Do you think you'll ever give us a citation on those surveys, Astruc? Believe it or not, it's kind of hard to buy that a survey was made when you don't show the results of said survey other that saying “Uh, yeah. These kids totally agree with what I believe in”. Seriously, he sounds like one of those parents who posts online about things their kid didn't actually say just to get brownie points on social media.

And last, we have my personal favorite argument Astruc made on this thread.

Oh, so you don't like arguments made purely from someone's own judgment instead of citing the work to back up said argument, Astruc? Okay, good, I just wanted to be sure. It's a good thing you've never done anything like that when responding to criticism, like that time you said a character design wasn't racist because you hired a Chinese actor to coach the rest of the voice cast without citing anything from the episode to explain your point.

Or that time you claimed that there was character development in your show based solely off of the fandom's reaction to two specific characters without citing anything from the show to explain your point.

Or that time you brushed off someone's concerns that the comic based off your show might be racist because it had characters named Public Enemy and Ghetto Blaster in it without citing anything from said comic to explain your point.

Or that time you called fans sexist for wanting Adrien to get more focus while claiming that Ladybug was the leader without citing anything from the show to explain your point.

It's a good thing you've always backed up your arguments without letting any of your personal judgment write your responses, Astruc.

But we're not done with this user yet, as they continue their argument, poking holes in the show's writing, all while being completely respectful to Astruc as a person.

How does Astruc respond? With another one of his go-to rebuttals.

If arguments like “You don't understand what X represents.” or “Children understand this according to this survey that may or may not have been conducted.” don't work, Astruc will simply break out the old “You haven't seen the whole thing yet so you can't judge it!” argument.

People can still judge a story in progress or at least critique how it's going so far. Even if a story ends, history can make its reputation even worse when people think about the way the story went.

When The Force Awakens came out, everyone loved it and were looking forward to seeing what  was alluded to in the sequels, like the mystery of Rey's parents. After The Rise of Skywalker came out, many Star Wars fans, even those who liked the divisive entry, The Last Jedi, lambasted the entire sequel trilogy because of how pointless most of the plot threads set up went nowhere.

Maybe Chloe goes through some major development in Season 4, but again, given everything Astruc has said about her, I highly doubt it. This is just another excuse for him to brush off criticism, and it is just ridiculous, utterly ridiculous.

[thinkingisadangerouspastime]

hi! random question that you’re not obligated to answer (i just love your ka metas): do you think that aang acted like he was entitled to katara’s affection? sorry for the bother if this is a question you’ve gotten before, i’m just curious about your thoughts

Hi anon! It’s always lovely to hear people like my metas 💛 And you’re in luck - I have not gotten this specific question before, though I have answered similar questions, and as such I will probably link those posts throughout.

Forewarning: I use the general you very liberally in this post, so like. It’s not directed at you, anon djhskdjsajs I don’t want you think my sarcasm is in response to your ask (your ask was very lovely!! 💕)

Okay. Let’s get started! The funniest thing about the (nonsensical) claim that Aang acted “entitled” to Katara’s affection is that there is no canon evidence to support it. Opponents more often than not can only bring up one (1) episode as an example of supposed “entitlement” because no other Kataang interactions in the series demonstrate entitlement from either end! Like, wow. Talk about scraping the bottom of the barrel. And I’m sure we all know what episode opponents love to propagate, don’t we?

Yep, you guessed it: “The Ember Island Players.”

From the get-go, the fact that people who vigorously oppose Kataang essentially only appeal to the contents of one episode for Aang’s supposed “entitlement” is a major indicator that, in fact, the entitlement is not truly there, and that those opponents are actually misconstruing the entire episode. I mean, if you are trying to make an argument about something but you only have one piece of “evidence” to support your claim, then a) any half-decent teacher/professor would fail you, rip and b) that’s a sign that maybe your claim doesn’t hold water. If you can’t find evidence to support it, then you’re probably looking at your case from the wrong angle. Analysis 101.

As such, I find the “entitlement” claim particularly ridiculous because opponents repeat the same faulty rhetoric over and over! The only people that might be convinced are those with confirmation bias. I’m sure that’s their audience, of course, but it’s still hilarious dfjaksdasks.

Anyways. Here’s the excerpt from the EIP transcript that opponents l o v e to spotlight with their “entitlement” claims:

Aang: Katara, did you really mean what you said in there?

Katara: In where? What are you talking about?

Aang: On stage, when you said I was just like a… brother to you, and you didn’t have feelings for me.

Katara: I didn’t say that. An actor said that.

Aang: But it’s true, isn’t it? We kissed at the Invasion, and I thought we were gonna be together. But we’re not.

Katara: Aang, I don’t know.

Aang: Why don’t you know?

Katara: Because, we’re in the middle of a war, and we have other things to worry about. This isn’t the right time.

Aang: Well, when is the right time?

Katara: Aang, I’m sorry, but right now I’m just a little confused.

Aang tries to kiss Katara.

Katara: I just said I was confused! I’m going inside. [Exits the balcony.]

Aang: Ugh, I’m such an idiot! [Puts down his head on the balcony railing.]

Opponents claim Aang’s behavior is “entitled” here for two reasons:

1) He asks Katara several questions about their relationship status.

2) He kisses her.

Before I get too far into this, we have to consider the context of the episode. Katara and Aang have this conversation after just watching 95% of “The Boy in the Iceberg,” aka Fire Nation propaganda. I have talked about the specifics of the play being imperialist propaganda here, but the gist of it is that this play is meant to demean the Gaang, to portray them as lesser and weaker than the Fire Nation. The fact that the play ends with Ozai’s victory is a stark reminder of this mentality. So: Katara and Aang have just watched this play that preys upon their insecurities and paints them as awful caricatures of their true selves. It is only natural that they would be more tense than usual. The reason I bring this up is solely to inform their conversation on the balcony, however; I don’t think their frustration solely defines what they say/do, but it’s worth keeping in mind, “Hey, they’re stressed and upset, of course this conversation might not go perfectly.”

Now, I have talked about the infamous EIP kiss before and approached all the rhetoric surrounding it like Snopes Fact Checker in this post, lmao. I did discuss in there why the kiss is wrong, which no one has ever argued against, but also why the kiss is simply a mistake: not sexual assault, not entitlement, not an unforgivable decision. I’ve copied and pasted specifically my notes on the “entitlement” claim below regarding the kiss, but if you have time, I definitely recommend the whole post jksdhjasdka (I’m quite proud of it). Anyways! Here’s the excerpt:

Claim: Aang acted entitled to Katara and her affection.

Status: False.

I’ve briefly addressed this already, but Aang backing off when Katara pushed him away is the exact opposite of entitlement. An impromptu kiss is not always indicative of entitlement. It can be, especially if the person being kissed has never expressed any interest in the person kissing them, but Katara and Aang were mutually interested in each other. They’d mutually kissed twice already by that point: in CoTL and during DoBS. The EIP kiss was inappropriate. NO ONE HAS EVER SUGGESTED OTHERWISE. But when you’re 12 and you’re already kind of in this semi-relationship with a girl you’ve been through hell and high water with (who has kissed you twice on the lips and on the cheek multiple times, not to mention it is only you she ever expresses such affection towards), it is not fucking “entitlement” to make a move on her, even when the timing is off. IT’S JUST A MISTAKE. A POOR DECISION. NOT ENTITLEMENT. NOT MANIPULATION. NOT SEXUAL ASSAULT. Full stop.

Also, these EIP people love to call Aang entitled for this kiss, but there isn’t a single peep heard from them about Zuko’s line in TSR where he demands to know what’s “wrong” with Katara, since she hasn’t forgiven him yet when everyone else has. And look. I think Zuko was just frustrated here, and that he, too, made a mistake and is obviously not irredeemable for it, but. If you’re going to argue that Aang was entitled in EIP, you’d better be ready to acknowledge the argument that Zuko was acting entitled in TSR, too. And hell, let’s take it a step further! Call Aang entitled for EIP. Call Zuko entitled for TSR. Call Sokka entitled for choosing to stay at Boiling Rock on the off chance his father would arrive, thus making Suki and Zuko feel obligated to stay behind with him, effectively putting all of them in danger. What an entitled decision, risking his friends’ lives on the 0.01% chance Hakoda would be one of the many, many possible war prisoners arriving at Boiling Rock!

Damn. That sounds ridiculous as fuck, doesn’t it?

And guess what. That’s exactly how the “Aang was entitled” arguments come across. Hate to break it to you. Trust me when I say to do yourself a favor and stop perpetuating that faulty rhetoric!

So that is what I have already assessed, lol.

To be frank, the most frustrating thing I see perpetuated is that the EIP kiss somehow ruined Aang and Katara’s relationship. But when it comes to assessing weighty issues like the notion of “entitlement” in a relationship, the fact of the matter is that you have to look at both the relationship as a whole and the context in which it is situated. Opponents never want to do that, because doing so debunks their entire (baseless) argument, lmao. Katara and Aang are best friends. And by EIP, they have both expressed romantic interest in each other multiple times. (Here is a post explaining the development of Katara’s feelings for Aang, just to put out that fire before anyone sets it lmao.)

So why, why do opponents think Katara would never find it in herself to forgive Aang for a mistaken kiss? Katara is shown over and over again throughout the series to have one of the biggest hearts. She wants to see the good in people. That’s why she gives Jet a second chance (even though a person could argue he did not “deserve” one); that’s why she helps the Fire Nation village in “The Painted Lady”; that’s why she forgives Pakku (once she sees he’s willing to change); that’s why she is the second person in the entire show (excluding Iroh) to offer Zuko a hand of kindness (in CoD)! That’s why she eventually forgives Zuko, even after all he has done to the Gaang (e.g. sending an assassin after them, being complicit in Aang’s death, attacking her and kidnapping Aang at the NWT, manipulating her with her mother’s necklace, to name a few, lmao. bless his heart, but like Jet, someone could easily argue Zuko doesn’t “deserve” another chance - and yet Katara still gave him [and Jet] one. in fact, she gave Zuko multiple).

In other words, Katara is almost always willing to extend friendship and compassion and forgiveness to others - why would she revoke that privilege from Aang after a single error that is comparatively lesser to all the other horrible things she’s experienced in the war? Again, I’m not downplaying how terrible of a decision Aang made. It’s inexcusable. But it’s not the end of the world, and considering the context of the show (e.g. Aang and Katara liked each other and they both knew it), it’s… not some heinous crime. Compared to, oh, how about attempted murder? lmaoo

Even beyond Katara’s innate kindness, Aang is Katara’s best friend. She loves him. The show portrays it as romantic through the seasons, but even if someone isn’t into shipping (which is super valid), Katara and Aang’s connection is one of the primary lynchpins of the show! (The other being Aang and Zuko, the greatest foils of all time.) Katara and Aang epitomize several of A:TLA’s thematics (and aesthetics) because they are complementary: yin and yang, push and pull, Tui and La, moon and ocean, blue and orange, water and air. This gifset and related commentary beautifully demonstrate how even when Katara and Aang disagree, they respect the other’s the decision. So after 60~ episodes depicting Aang and Katara as having mutual respect and love for each other in every form as well as emphasizing Katara’s natural inclination towards kindness/giving people the benefit of the doubt, opponents still think Katara wouldn’t forgive Aang because of one mistimed, inappropriate kiss? What?? Make it make sense, lmao.

In sum, the kiss was a mistake, not an act of entitlement, and it’s absurd to think Katara would hold that against Aang for the rest of his life.

To backtrack a bit, opponents also love to use the fact that Aang asked Katara several questions about their relationship status as examples of his “entitlement.” Just typing that out highlights the ridiculous nature of this assertion, lmao! Let me rephrase it for maximum hilarity:

“Aang was unsure about where their relationship stood? Well, how dare he ask numerous questions to resolve his confusion!”

Like, what was the alternative jskfajksdas if you are in relationship limbo with someone, it is far better to ask them ‘too many’ questions for clarification than to simply assume one way or the other! Kissing Katara was wrong, flat-out, but asking her questions to better understand where they were in their relationship was like. exactly the right decision, lmao. I genuinely don’t see how that could be indicative of entitlement? Especially because, once again, Aang and Katara both like each other and they both know that by this point in the show. That’s why Aang doesn’t ask if Katara likes him - he knows she does. That’s why Katara doesn’t negate her feelings - she knows she’s interested in him, and the blockade between them is not a lack of reciprocation, but the fact that they’re “in the middle of a war” and consequently it’s not “the right time” for them to begin a relationship. Katara has seen Aang die before! She knows he’s facing a near-impossible victory! I can’t blame her for not wanting to start a relationship with him at that point. It would hurt twice as much to lose him again if they were together in a romantic fashion (amatonormativity, am I right?). Again, Aang’s kiss was entirely inappropriate, but him asking her questions about their relationship is a) an example of fostering healthy communication and b) what any therapist would encourage, lol.

Oh, but I’m “forgetting” something, aren’t I? Right. This line:

Katara: Aang, I’m sorry, but right now I’m just a little confused.

If we want to talk about parallels, which I know the A:TLA fandom adores, this line sounds suspiciously like:

Yue: … but I like you [Sokka] too much and it’s too confusing to be around you.

Yue and Katara are actually in similar situations here. Outside forces are interfering with their relationships; for Yue, there is her arranged marriage, and for Katara, it’s the life-or-death nature of the war itself. They aren’t confused about their feelings, as Yue knows she likes Sokka and Katara knows she likes Aang, but they are confused about how to reconcile those feelings with their external circumstances. And can you blame them for that? They are facing impossible decisions (the fate of their nation and the fate of the world respectively). I would be confused, too! So Katara’s response isn’t a reaction to any so-called “entitlement” from Aang; she is experiencing genuine confusion about how to approach her own feelings for him in the midst of a war.

In sum, Aang asking questions about their relationship was a logical step to take resolving his confusion and is in no way related to “entitlement.” Katara’s confusion was not “letting Aang down easy” and interpreting it as such requires disregarding every preceding line of the conversation and its context.

As you can see, Aang’s actions in EIP are not at all “entitled.” His questions were understandable. While his kiss was inappropriate and inexcusable, it was also a mistake, and there is no canon evidence to support the conclusion Katara would never be able to forgive him (her literal best friend!) for it.

Before I end, I’ll touch briefly upon the DotBS kiss, because it is also occasionally used as an example of Aang’s “entitlement” towards Katara’s feelings. Whether you like the trope or not, this moment falls under what is called the “Now or Never Kiss.” TV Tropes actually lists Kataang/DotBS as an example under the Western Animation tab:

“Avatar: The Last Airbender: The fact that he’s finally going to face the dreaded Firelord, and possibility that he might not come back alive from that battle, gives Aang enough motivation to kiss Katara.”

Again, whether you like the trope or not, it involves reciprocation from both parties:

“The Not-A-Couple [i.e. both parties] don’t want to go out without revealing how they [i.e. both parties] really feel. It’s now or never. They kiss.”

Katara and Aang both like each other. When Aang initiates the DotBS kiss, Katara kisses him back. Her lips are still puckered when he pulls away. Furthermore, Katara had initiated a kiss with Aang prior to this incident, in CoTL. Katara was also the one to initiate every cheek kiss with Aang (who is the only character she ever demonstrated such affection towards). So Aang kissing Katara during DotBS follows an established precedent of Katara initiating different kisses, romantically inclined, with Aang. It’s not entitlement; it’s him knowing they mutually like each other and him realizing this might be the last time he ever sees her. Again, you can hate the trope, but don’t blatantly misconstrue its meaning. You’ll sound like Fire Nation propaganda, lmao. (For clarification, jic: the general you. not anon!)

Here is a fantastic post by @imreallyhereforkataang explaining the DotBS kiss in more detail as well as discussing why Kataang’s progression in the second half of Book 3 was, in fact, well-developed, and how Katara and Aang are best friends above all else and know that (which was the core of their relationship from the start).

And a bonus fun fact: in the original storyboard (link takes you to storyboarder Giancarlo Volpe’s DeviantArt with said storyboard), it is noted that Katara smiles after Aang kisses her. Why? Because she likes him as much as he likes her! It was changed by a “higher authority,” according to Volpe, probably to add more realism to the romance (i.e. Katara likes Aang, yes, but as she herself points out in EIP - there’s a war going on, and love is always terrifying to reconcile with war).

(Seriously, though, do read Volpe’s description on the storyboard. Takes you a second to scroll down and maybe a minute to read. Short yet informative, discussing how you can see on the storyboard itself that someone revised the image so Katara isn’t smiling after the kiss.)

Anyways! Opponents’ argument that Katara wasn’t interested in Aang therefore is and has always been entirely inapplicable.

To conclude: the entitlement assertion is laughable. There is no canon evidence to support it. As such, I encourage you to laugh whenever you see it! Pull an Azula, for that matter:

[ID: Gif from “The Beach” episode of A:TLA. Ty Lee, mimicking a guy, asks Azula, “Hey there sweet sugar cakes. How ya likin’ this party?” Azula proceeds to burst into exaggerated laughter, earning stares from everyone else at the party. End ID.]

Thank you for the great ask, anon! Hopefully my response was satisfactory 💛

[comradekatara]

i dont know if you had already talked about it, but can you explain why you think sokka and mai would understand each other?

oh thank you so much for giving me an excuse to talk about the glorious potential that would be their postwar dynamic. i see a lot of people misinterpret what their friendship would be like because they either don’t understand sokka, or mai, or in most cases, usually neither. 

first of all, let’s get one thing straight: sokka doesn’t crack jokes because he wants people to revel in his comedy. sokka makes goofy puns (and what have you) to ease the tension, the same way that ty lee will start talking about auras to pacify a suspicious azula, or iroh will ramble to an enraged zuko about pai sho. they’re using a distraction to keep the peace. 

on the other hand, mai will voice her (often witty, sarcastic) observations aloud because she’s bored out of her mind and trying to keep herself entertained. she has a wry, detached, kinda morbid sense of humor, and since she knows no one actually pays attention to her, she sees no issue in kinda just making comments to no one in particular. of course, we as the audience are privy to her commentary, but that’s not the same thing as azula actually listening to her (which she clearly doesn’t). mai fancies herself jim from the office, or daria from daria, just quietly observing the chaos around her with utter contempt like, “do y’all see this shit?” and, oh, you know who does the exact same thing? sokka. 

mai and sokka are both depressed, cynical bastards. other than the few and far between moments in which sokka is actually given an opportunity to relax, he is always on edge and anticipating (what he considers to be) his inevitable demise. it’s vastly different from mai’s brand of cynicism & depression, in which she would leap at the opportunity to be given a project to occupy her mind, and longs for the sweet release of death. that said, just because sokka is anxious about everything (because he has everything to lose) and mai is anxious about nothing (because she has nothing to lose), doesn’t mean they’re not on the exact same wavelength. 

once the war is over, mai meets the gaang, and sokka kicks her ass in pai sho, so mai decides maybe he isn’t so heinous after all, (a consensus she came to at around the exact same time ty lee first expressed interest in him,) and they get to talking. sokka asks her about her hobbies, other than knives of course, and to sokka this is normal smalltalk, but to mai this is a deeply personal question and he may as well be asking her how old she was when she got her first period. so she says, “yknow....... the cold, unyielding embrace of the void,” in a complete monotone, and to her surprise, sokka laughs, not at her, but with her. because she’s funny! 

the more they get to know each other, the more they realize they actually have a lot in common, despite, on the surface, having nothing in common. for one thing, they both taught themselves how to throw blades with perfect precision, a skill that requires a deft knowledge of physics. they’re both really smart, and overwhelmingly kind but also kind of mean, and like i’ve established, their senses of humor are very compatible. 

i don’t think mai would be offput by the things sokka is easily excited by, like some people claim, because for one thing, she loves ty lee, so, like... but for another, when mai expresses disdain for zuko’s pretty seashell, he yells “forget it!” and flings it across the beach. if sokka (who is apparently a shell nerd) tried to show mai a perfectly preserved conch shell he found and she said, “who the fuck cares about a stupid shell,” sokka would roll his eyes and patiently explain to her why if she cares about math, she should find shells beautiful, because sokka has infinitely more patience than zuko for these things, especially after knowing katara, toph, and aang for as long as he has. and then, since mai no longer feels demeaned by the fact that someone is simply giving her beach trash as some expected token of affection, but trying to share something he finds interesting with her because he expects her to take an interest in it too, she’s just open-minded enough to admit that yeah, okay, maybe conch shells are pretty cool, actually. 

mai never needed a boyfriend. (especially not a boyfriend who was never attentive to her needs and tried to just. give her things instead of actually like. asking her how her day was??) what mai always needed was real friends. and while she and ty lee definitely love each other, being under azula’s thumb definitely got in the way of complete emotional honesty. a lot of the time, they speak in some form of code that clues us into the fact that there’s a lot more under the surface. for example, take their first ever interaction: “i thought you ran off and joined the circus. you said it was your calling.” mai is concerned to see ty lee because she assumed she was able to escape and pursue her passion. mai is also revealing that she and ty lee corresponded, likely without azula’s knowledge, indicating that their friendship exists outside of azula’s bounds. “well, azula called a little louder!” haha, says ty lee, a huge smile plastered upon her face. you know azula! you know what she’s like! she tried to set me on fire, obviously! let’s not discuss this ever again, thaaaaaanks :)

now that azula is out of the picture, mai and ty lee do have a chance to be completely honest with each other. mai also has a chance to be honest with zuko, because he has finally become honest with himself. and, mai has a chance to meet all of zuko’s cool new friends, now that she is no longer on the mission (under threat of electrocution) to attack them at every opportunity. so she can meet aang, who she’ll undoubtedly like simply because aang is impossible to dislike; and suki, who is awesome; and toph, whom she’ll adore because they have so much in common; and katara, whom she loathes (and loathes her in return) because they have absolutely nothing in common; and of course, sokka. 

if people think mai wouldn’t laugh out loud at sokka’s jokes, these people have unfortunately never made a famously-deadpan person laugh. this is very sad for them, as they are freely admitting that they are neither cool nor funny. especially because it’s not actually hard to do. (i speak from experience as a famously deadpan person who just lost her entire shit watching this on a loop.) (okay, that’s not fair. that’s the funniest scene from any movie of all time.) 

mai and sokka are constantly laughing at each other’s jokes, because that’s just what happens when two funny people with dry, slightly morbid senses of humor are put in a room together and also maybe it’s 3 am and they’re kinda tipsy and playing pai sho while also discussing the new tax plan they’re in the midst of proposing to zuko (who will approve it the second they hand it to him, because he trusts them unconditionally and doesn’t know shit about math) in a way that involves a lot of mocking every single one of zuko’s advisors, and due to all these factors someone (probably suki) finds them with tears streaming down both their faces because of something absolutely scathing they said about the shape of the minister of agriculture’s head and every time he opens his mouth from then on they exchange a look and have to hold back peals of laughter. usually sokka breaks first, but on the rare occasion that it’s mai, everyone else in the room suddenly becomes very concerned that she is terribly ill, and nothing she says can prevent them from making her soup and herbal tea and demanding that she rest until her affliction is healed. and sokka, bastard that he is, encourages them. 

and that’s the crux of their profound, lifelong friendship. 

[whentheynameyoujoy]

So the ATLA Movie Is... Good, Actually?

Just kidding, of course it’s not, it’s so bad it sucked the paint off my walls. But after ten years of people pointing out its glaring flaws, why would anyone bother talking about this garbage heap if not to go the other direction? So here’s a very brief and very superficial list of things the movie does get kinda... not atrociously wrong.

And they won’t be fake hipster pokes, like “It’s fun to laugh at”, “The Rifftrax for this is OK”, or “Kudos to the actress for managing to say we believe in our beliefs as much as they believe in theirs with a straight face”.

(though now that I mentioned it, it is fun to laugh at, the Rifftrax for this is OK, and massive props indeed.)

Rasta Iroh

Yes, I know it’s not exactly the aesthetic of the real Iroh or that it makes no cultural sense for him to sport this do when no one else in the racebended Indian “OMFG what were you thinking Shyamalan” Nation does but goddamn, long-haired dudes are my one mortal weakness and I will ogle the hell out of him.

Jesus is that a man bun I see that’s it mum I’ve been deaded

Yue’s hair

No.

Now we’re talking. Yue’s hair turned white when the Moon spirit gave her life, so it makes sense for it to go black again when she sacrifices herself to revive the koi fish. It’s a neat detail I find myself expecting whenever I rewatch the scene in the show. Yes, I realize it’d be a pointless hassle to animate since she, unlike in the movie, immediately goes on to become the Moon herself but still. I like.

The Blue Spirit’s mop

Zuko, hun, what’s with the dance-off?

First of all, I want to imagine that Zuko the Theatre Nerd was about to leave his ship with just the mask like in the show but then stuck his head into the cleaning cupboard and went, “Yeah, more coverage might be good, even though it do seem mighty fried to shit”.

Which makes me giggle. I like to giggle.

And secondly, the hair’s movement is what makes the static mess of the Blue Spirit’s solo fight scene appear at least bit more dynamic because God knows the cinematography isn’t doing it.

Any particular reason why it’s at the edge of the action, shot all boring-like?

Now, I get why circular shots would be reserved for Aang while he’s in the practice area and then used once the two join forces. What I don’t get is why Aang’s part of the action scene has a defined visual style while Zuko’s delegated to a few stationary wide shots from afar as though he’s a tertiary goon, meaning that when the time comes to combine the respective pieces of cinema language and visually convey collaboration, there’s not really much to combine.

But as long as Zuko is stuck in this static mess, it’s that awesome disaster on his head flopping about that draws the eye, helping me understand that something even is going on over there.

It also prevents me from paying much attention to how the extras are mostly just staying put and a lot of the hits don’t land, so that’s good.

The music slaps

James Newton Howard is too good for this.

Pls ignore that the word “gods” is used in the ATLA universe

I can’t be the only one who constantly uses this piece to daydream about writing specific fanfic scenes instead of, you know, actually sitting down and writing them. It’s just so good at communicating a sense of sorrow while speaking of rebirth that I find myself getting misty-eyed whenever I listen to it. Unfailingly, the soundtrack as a whole manages to break through the mile-thick crust of horrible acting, confusing writing, and uninspired cinematography and make me feel things. And considering how everything on screen is working against it, that’s no small feat.

Imagine what a powerful experience it would be if the score was used in service of an actual movie.

Dev Patel

No wonder since he’s the only one in the film occupying that crucial intersection between “is a good actor” and “was given something to work with”. It also doesn’t hurt that he breaks with the trend of actors starring in martial arts flicks despite never having done any martial art.

And all EIP-jokes about “stiff and humorless” aside, he’s a pretty decent Zuko considering how abridged this version of the character is. A while ago, I remember hearing a reviewer say that with his comedic chops, Patel should have been cast as Sokka. And on one hand, yes, god, absolutely, I need to see that asap. But on the other? He captures all layers of Book 1!Zuko, the desperate obsession, rage, and self-loathing, and at the same time gives you a peek at the soft momma’s boy dork that’s buried underneath. For Christ sakes, he exudes intensity and ambivalence even when acting against an emotionless hunk of wood that’s giving him nothing in return.

Oh, and I guess there’s a tree in the frame.

Ba dum tss

What can I say, the guy’s good.

Showing vs telling

OK, so this movie is all tell and no show, except for one single moment. And it’s the exact moment where the original goes in the other direction in terms of how information is conveyed.

See, I never liked this. The revelation is preceded by Iroh giving advice to Zuko who scolds him for nagging. Iroh then apologizes, moves in to say the line above, and is interrupted by Zuko who seems rather uncomfortable with Iroh laying his feelings out like this. And once they’re out, Zuko verbally confirms that he knew already and Iroh didn’t need to bother.

All this extraneous information and pussyfooting ends up weakening what should be a profound scene that reveals to us, the viewers, how deep the relationship between these two in fact runs.

Compare to the movie where Dadroh acts like a parent by fussing and worrying, with Sonion needing a single look to tell him and us that he understands what it’s all really about.

It’s genuinely efficient and just good.

No Cataang

Fine, a bit mean-girl bitchy from me since I only start minding the ship in Book 3. And probably unintentional on the part of the creators since there are moments where I think they’re trying to set the romance up? There’s a, well, an attempt to recreate the famous introductory shot of fateful meaningful destiny of meaningness, there’s some slight note of saving each other’s bacon going on, I’m pretty sure they’re the only ones in the film who smile, and oh, right, Katara’s shoved into her post-canon useless role where she doesn’t ever do anything, and is all about Aang right from the get go.

Yes, I will blame the “executive producers” because a) I’m incredibly petty, and b) it’s perfectly in line with their vision of the character so why the hell not.

Hilariously, none of it reads on screen because the actors are just... yeah. These poor kids are struggling so much with delivering their own lines and portraying their own characters they don’t seem to have any strength left to create something between them. To be fair, the bare-bones shot-reverse shot style of their scenes doesn’t exactly lend itself to the idea they occupy the same universe, let alone are friends or each other’s crushes.

And I enjoy this immensely because it allows me to forget the depressing horror show Katara’s life turns into post ATLA.

Yes Zutara

I need to delve into this because it’s fucking hilarious. So in a movie which fails to establish the original’s central romance so spectacularly that if Aang got lost in a crowd I don’t believe Katara would notice, SomEOnE thought it’d be a good idea to add an utterly unnecessary non-canon moment where Zuko for some reason feels the need to pause his character-defining hunt for the Avatar which otherwise has him ignore everything and snap at everyone, and explain his central conflict to an unconscious peasant he doesn’t know, complete with gently pushing the hair from the pretty girl’s the soulmate’s the Water Tribe Ambassador’s the Fire Lady’s the love of his life’s her face away, AFTER his uncle nagged him twice to find a girl and settle down.

I just wanted to make sure we’re all on the same page and this is what we really saw.

Celibate Avatars

I have no idea why the decision was made, if TPTB thought expecting viewers to understand the story through the lens of Buddhism would be too much, or if the “executive producers” already worked their retconny magic. What I do know, however, is that there’s a big shift in worldbuilding and Aang’s struggle with his role as the Avatar stops being a personal conflict defined by a) his grief for Air Nomads, b) his notion of being robbed of the loved ones in his life, and c) the selfish attachment to Katara he confuses with true love. Instead, what he has a difficulty to accept is apparently a general notion of who Avatars are supposed to be, i.e. a fantasy version of Catholic monks, no family and worldly relations, period.

I guess either someone understood the original’s portrayal of de/attachment as “hermit no freaky”, or thought the audience would so why not go there outright.

Now, do I like this on its own? No, God no, it makes the world infinitely poorer and changes the story from an exploration of ideas which aren’t all that ingrained in the West, to a cliché tropester about a Catholic priest going Protestant so that he could be with a girl.

At least I assume that’s where they were going to take this eventually.

I mean, I think the direction was “look conflicted, this isn’t the final stage of your journey”?

But consider this—the show went there, it built on the concepts of Eastern philosophy and touched upon the ideas of spiritual awakening, only to swerve in the end and strongly imply they’re bullshit and Aang should have never wasted his time with them.

So honestly, I much prefer scanty worldbuilding to an insulting retcon by a damn rock.

Multiracial Air Nomads

Probably the most substantial “no hint of irony” point on this list and a genuinely good addition to the universe’s worldbuilding.

See, the notion of the elemental nations being perfectly separate and never mingling before Sozin has always been sketchy but it’s especially ridiculous in the case of airbenders. It never made sense to me for all airbenders to be Air Nomads and for all Air Nomads to be monks and for all monks to be chilling at the temples all the time to facilitate a quick everyone-dies genocide should an imperialistic warlord ever decide to commit one.

Because committing everyone to a single way of life at a handful of places kinda goes against the central philosophy behind airbending. Like the freedom and nomadism part.

Instead, there should be more variety to the airbending culture, with some staying at the temples as monks, hermits, and teachers while others live as nomads, travelling the world and creating more airbenders, with the resulting children in turn being influenced by the non-airbending cultures they grew up in.

And thus, not only should airbenders not be modeled after a single culture to create a one-size-fits-all lifestyle, but they should have the most diverse and dynamic culture out of the four nations.

And it’d be precisely this diversity which would pave way for an eventual reveal that some of them survived, that their complete extermination is impossible.

Because they’re everywhere.

You know.

Like air.

[sarcastic-pun-master]

*popcorns* please go on your rant king

fuck it lets go

you can’t compare zuko’s redemption to catra’s because their characters and their journies are completely different

zuko’s character was parallel with aang’s (if you watch the series from the beginning and pretend zuko is the main protagonist, it makes more sense)

catra’s character is more paralleled with glimmer’s. they both just want a chance to prove themselves, glimmer to angella, and catra to shadow weaver

zuko was literally never the main antagonist. Ever. season 1 was Zhao, season 2 was azula/the dai li and long feng, season 3 was fire lord ozai. zuko may have been a pain in the ass for the gang, but he was never their main problem. remember how in book 3 toph was more open to him joining bc she didn’t even know he was like, an enemy?

everyone was always rooting for zuko. he was an asshole, sure, but he was never the guy we hated. there’s a post abt his redemption somewhere that explains this more in detail, if I find it I’ll link it

catra, on the other hand, has always been the antagonist. there was never a time where we wanted her to win because she was being a little shit. she was genuinely a fucked up person and she hurt a lot of ppl bc of her own issues 

in her case, we always felt either sympathy or anger. 

the characters are different so their redemption is also fucking different

zuko had a lot of moments where he could have done something wrong, and he chose to do right instead, proving to the audience that he was a good guy, he just did bad things (saving his uncle instead of chasing aang, letting appa go, also when he simped for that gir in ba sing se)

catra did not have moments like those. her journey over the show, all the betrayals she felt from adora, SW, scorpia, and even DT, they pushed her to do things out of anger. she was the fucking antagonist, the main enemy of our hero. 

I will say that they were similar in this way: they both finally got what they thought they wanted, and then they realized that those things did not give them the satisfaction they were looking for.

zuko was always all about honou, he thought he could get it from his father, and realized at the end his honour could only be given to him by doing the right thing, which was helping the Avatar.

catra tells herself she wants to rule the horde, and she goes off and conquers the horde, when all she actually wanted is adora, but she tells herself that adora doesn’t want her like that (“you made your decision, now live with it!”).

and then when catra is at the fucking top, she’s beloved in horde prime’s sight, she realizes that she doesn’t care about anything else, she just cares about adora, she always has, so she saves glimmer - by extension saving adora. 

catra doesn’t go looking for redemption. she thinks she’s beyond it. she saves glimmer and resigns herself to her fate, which is to die by horde prime’s hand.

zuko leaves his father and actually tries to redeem himself, he goes to free his uncle iroh and then offers to teach aang firebending

what i’m trying to say is - zuko’s redemption was always expected, we knew this guy had a good heart. catra’s redemption wasn’t expected, even by herself. it was a spur of the moment decision. her doing the right thing at the last minute - her redemption began in season 5, zuko’s always been on that path.

you can’t fucking compare zuko’s three-season journey to catra’s few episodes doing the right thing!!! 

zuko always had the right morals, catra didn’t. once he realized how fucked the fire nation was, he left to go help take them down, like who? like adora.

a lot of y’all forget adora was technically also a war criminal. she was gonna be made force captain y’all. she was a sweetheart who made “pew pew” noises and stole a skiff bc her friend was upset. and when she saw the damage the horde was doing to civilians, she joined the rebellion. when zuko spent like three years out of the fire nation, meeting people who’s lives had been affected by the fire nation and realized they were really fucked, he joined the gaang.  

catra knew what the horde was doing was wrong but she didnt care! as long as she had adora she didnt care about anyone else. and then she didnt have adora so she stopped caring about anyone. she just wanted to win. she wins and what does she realize? winning fucking sucks when ur alone. and then she has some self-contemplation moments (im assuming on horde primes ship) and a few deep conversations with glimmer, comes to terms with the fact that the only thing she really wants is adora. and when she gets rescued (she wasn’t expecting to be alive by then) she tries being a good guy for adora. 

anyways this post is incomprehensible!!!!! but here ya go. 

[theowriteswhatever]

Zuko Story With No Title Part 12

“Guys! Guys! We have to go see this play!” Sokka and Suki came running up to us with a poster that had a few familiar faces on it. We all perked up as Sokka began to excitedly explain that it was a play based off of our adventures. 

I immediately didn’t want to go. I didn’t really want to relive everything we had gone through and if they were accurate about my part of the story, I would have to explain a few things afterwards. They still had no idea I saved Zuko’s life in the North Pole, or that I got to know him as Leeane in Ba Sing Se, or that I kissed him in the catacombs, or that I’ve kissed him multiple times since then. This could be really bad.

“It’s settled then! We’re going!” I heard Sokka declare at which I immediately panicked. I didn’t say anything or let anyone catch on to how I really felt, but I sat there fearing for what would happen tonight.

At one point later that day, I decided to pull Katara aside and confess. If anyone would be pissed off at me after the play, it would be her.

“What is it?” She asked worriedly. I braced myself for the word vomit that was about to come out of my mouth and just decided to rip it off like a bandaid.

“So you remember when I would dress weird in Ba Sing Se?” She nodded slowly like it was a dumb question. Which it probably was. “Well the truth is that I was visiting the tea shop that Zuko and Iroh worked at dressed as someone else.” I said, bracing myself for a lecture.

“Why would you do that?” She asked, but surprisingly she didn’t sound angry. Just bewildered.

“At first I just wanted to go to a regular tea shop, but then I saw them. Zuko and I got to talking and I learned he just needed a friend so I decided to be one for him.” She smiled slightly at my statement which was not the answer that I expected.

“That was sweet of you. But why are you telling me now?” 

“Because I didn’t want you to be mad in case it was in the play tonight.” I admitted sheepishly. She laughed a little bit and this was going so well that it kinda scared me.

“I wouldn’t be mad at you for that.” She said with a chuckle. “It’s fine, (Y/N). Don’t worry about it.” She assured me before walking away to join the group. 

It wasn’t long before we had to go to see the play. I was still extremely nervous about what would happen and Zuko could tell. Since we were walking in the back of the group, he could grab my hand without anyone noticing. He looked down at me and gave my hand a reassuring squeeze at which I returned a small nervous smile.

We eventually made it to the building and sat at the back of the theatre so no one could see us. Toph and Sokka sat on either side of Katara, much to Aang’s dismay. Suki sat next to Sokka and Zuko, Aang, and I sat in the back row. The second we sat down, the curtain raised. 

Katara’s character was crying, Sokka’s character was laughing, and my character just sat there.

“Sokka, my only brother! We constantly roam these icy South Pole seas, and yet never do we find anything fulfilling!” Katara’s actress said solemnly with the back of her right hand held dramatically to her forehead. “And (Y/N), my closest friend, aren’t you tired of this same routine? But don’t worry! I have hope for a better future for all of us! Together!”

Toph and Sokka laughed, but Sokka’s expression immediately dropped when his joke started to make “inaccurate” jokes about his hunger. The audience loved it, but I could tell he was highly offended. I mean, this was obviously dramaticized. What else did we expect? They really shouldn’t take it so seriously.

“I will just sit here and do nothing as I am too afraid to give my opinion.” The actress playing me said. “I would hate to ever offend anyone so I simply won’t speak.” 

That bitch! Screw dramaticized. This was. . .harassment! I would have some serious words with the writer after this. 

And it only got worse. They made fun of Zuko by saying honor every other word which seemed kinda accurate to me honestly. Half of Sokka’s lines were about food. Katara only cried about hope. And Aang was a freaking girl. And my character just stood there. Like literally just watched things happen. 

We had gotten past me saving Zuko in the North Pole just fine, no one seemed too upset. And at least Toph loved her character when he was introduced. And everyone was quiet and understanding through Leeane’s part. They were a little surprised, but not too bad. But then it came to the catacombs. My character sat there alone just like I remembered until Zuko’s character rolled into the scene. 

“Oh Zuko! If only I would actually voice an opinion, then I would admit my dying love for you!” My character yelled dramatically which drew gasps from the crowd.

“(Y/N), I can’t believe you lied to me! But I forgive you, because I love you too!” The characters then kissed and all our friends turned to look at us. Except Toph who looked a little too far to the left. They then saw our hands touching and Sokka literally gasped. We quickly let go and scooted away from each other, but it was too late. Sokka pointed at me and then at Zuko and then at me and then at Zuko until Katara eventually had to slap his hand down. Aang leaned over to Zuko and whispered “Is it true?” to which Zuko responded “I’ll tell you later.” 

The play continued and once we finally got to intermission, we immediately went to the lobby. Aang had stormed off due to character Katara calling him a little brother and Katara went after him to make sure he was ok. Sokka and Suki snuck backstage to give character Sokka some pointers. And it was just Toph, Zuko, and I.

“It was time the secret was out anyways.” Toph said out of the blue. We both looked at her and she shrugged. “I can feel when you guys kiss, you know?” She asked us.

We looked at each other awkwardly before I eventually decided that we had to say something. “Well thanks for keeping it a secret, Toph.” I said shyly. 

Soon enough Katara came storming in and grabbed my wrist to drag me with her to the bathroom. “What is it?” 

“Aang kissed me!” She yelled angrily. My eyes went wide and I had no idea what to say. “I told him I wasn’t sure if I liked him like that and then he kissed me!” She paused and waited for me to give her a response. “Well?” She demanded an answer out of me.

“I’m sorry that happened.” Is all I could think of to say.

“And even worse, my best friend got a boyfriend and didn’t tell me!” She said as she crossed her arms and raised one eyebrow.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. And he wasn’t my boyfriend back then.”

“But you kissed, didn’t you?” I sheepishly nodded and she grunted in annoyance. “Why didn’t you tell me?” 

“We weren’t ready for you guys to know yet.” I admitted. I was literally fearing for my life at his point.

“You should always tell your best friend. That’s what they’re there for!” 

“I’m sorry. I’ll start telling you about this stuff when it happens.” I conceded.

“Good! And you will tell me everything I missed when we get back to camp, agreed?” She aggressively asked. I nodded and she nodded once to confirm. She then grabbed me again and dragged me back out to the lobby where Sokka and Aang were supposedly asking Zuko about us. 

“Zuko!” She yelled, probably too loud considering we were trying to stay undercover. She stomped over to him and he looked just as scared as I did. She let go and I hid behind her so he couldn’t look at me to save him. “You’re cool and we’re friends now, but you hurt (Y/N), and I will not have forgiveness or mercy. Even Aang will not be able to stop me, capiche?” He nodded quickly with fear and everyone laughed a little bit before she turned to look at them. Once she made eye contact, they shut up and nodded too. She then humphed and walked back into the theater. 

The rest of the play went well, except for Katara sending Zuko the stink-eye every time our characters came remotely close to each other. 

By the end of the night, the moment had passed and Katara was back to her happy self. But from the feel of Zuko’s sweaty hand, he was still incredibly scared. I wouldn’t be surprised if he flinched every time she came close to him for weeks. 

@vintageroses1014516 @aphrodites-perfume @akariblue @leslieanahid @expecto-patroni @shephard17895 @sweet-dolans @duh-dobrik @rintheemolion

[swishandflickwit]

free falling (into your arms) — 1/1

Summary: She longs for purchase and in this slippery turmoil, it is him who grounds her.

Him who is her anchor in this howling monsoon.

following the events of the southern raiders, katara & zuko steal a bit of time together before they reunite with the rest of their friends.

Rating: General Audiences

Words: 7.4k

Warnings:  unbeta'd, i wrote this instead of sleeping, missing scene post-tsr, touchy-feely katara so don't read if that bothers you?, rambly iroh-channeling zuko, katara and zuko talk about bloodbending

AN: for zutara week 2020 day 5 - hesitancy

(maybe. idk. if you squint? i started this before i knew about zutara week then didn't have time to write for any of the other prompts so i just sorta... made it... work? lol)

you know what gets me about tsr every time? its when katara and zuko hug and it was like they'd done it a million times before and after that, touches between them became not frequent exactly but easy and maybe being almost murder buddies does that too but idk, she wanted to murder him .02 seconds ago and now they're co-parenting everyone else and i was like, something more had to have happened right? in the journey between whale tail island and ember island and from when zuko left katara to pick up the rest of the gaang something deeper had to have happened??? i cannot fathom it otherwise. i simply refuse. and so, this mess was born lmao. also we saw katara giving zuko a very tasteful peptalk, i wanted him to give her one too, one first? but like, make it cute and rambly.

Song Inspirations: title and lyrics (and fic inspired by) from Away From The Current by Keiko Necesario (such a zutara song, honestly), my tears ricochet by Taylor Swift

Also on: ff.net | AO3

Other writing

little by little i'm falling, deeper than the sea

maybe you can swim with me

 They are gone before Yon Rha ever opens his eyes.

They dash away with a speed that leaves her breathless, everything around her a blur made even murkier given the deluge upon them.

(they run faster still yet never farther it seems, and she hates, hates, hates until the feeling chokes her, consumes her, although she doesn't know at what whom, and she hates that she hates at all)  

And she cannot recall how her hand finds its way into Zuko's but she is grateful anyway—grateful because his grip is warm, pleasantly so even if they hadn't already been entrenched in the growing cold of the rain. The heat of him keeps her shivering at bay, the calluses that shape his palm slot in the grooves of her own lifelines and hold her aloft when her feet tangle in the flood and cobblestone.

She is grateful because as they race towards sanctuary his grasp—skin surprisingly rougher than how she imagines a prince's touch would be—becomes the only thing preventing her from greeting the dirt like an old friend. She is grateful, for if their fingers hadn't been twined—however clumsily—then nothing would stop her from floating away with the torrent of her element. There is smog shrouding her until both her vision and her brain is clouded. She longs for purchase and in this slippery turmoil, it is him who grounds her.

Him who is her anchor in this howling monsoon.

The thought is wild; even incomprehensible just a day ago when he was clearly the embodiment of her torment—the spawn of a tyrant, the heir of the destruction that brought about her mother's demise. His is the face of the Enemy, yet she does nothing to stop the proclamation from sharpening in her fogged-up mind.

Not now when the line between who he was and who he is grows more indistinct with every second she spends with him, not now when they have come so far with just each other to rely on. Not now when she’s lost count of how many times she nearly tumbles, her name tearing from his lips in a frayed yet concerned hiss that she knows she has not earned. And most definitely not now—not when he has witnessed her at her most cruel, engaging in an act so vile she swore never to utilize it and yet and yet and yet. She brands the word hypocrite onto her soul as penance but it is a feckless measure because she knows, even if it sickens her, that she does not—she does not—

(she might as well add coward there too, since she does not, cannot, finish this line of reasoning)

(it is quite possible though that she is being too harsh on herself, like she always is. after all, she remembers how zuko's eyes had merely widened as he understood what her bending had done, what she had done, yet he had not so much as flinched.

he simply carried on.

her guilt however, prevents her from truly conceiving this and she buries the brief awe that had sparked in the prince's gaze, then, and juxtaposes it with the terror she had expected—that which she truly deserves)

The sight of Appa has her knees weakening so that she is collapsing into the shelter of Zuko's arms. It’s as if her body likens the presence of the bison to safety, granting her permission to crumple, to break.

Not that Zuko allows her to, not really, not in the way she expects.

Appa wields the pair of them upright as Zuko braces against the bison and she against the firebender. It allows him to clutch at her with a desperation that borders on painful. With the entirety of her weight supported by him, she finds that he is just as calescent as the tenure of his hold suggests. It would console her, strange as the source of it is, were it not for the sheer, cold fright that arrests his otherwise golden orbs. The consolation does come however, when she discerns that it is not her he is frightened of, no. But he is frightened.

He is frightened for her, and the strangeness, too, evinces when she is humbled by the realization.

"Katara," he gasps when she clamps staunchly at his biceps.

"G-get me out of here," she stutters, no longer able to temper the tremble in her voice nor the shaking of her limbs, though the chilly outpour has far to do with either instance. "Get me out of here now."

He nods, the haze of distress aborting from his stare. But before he can board them both onto Appa, she transfers her clench from his arms to the collar of his drenched, ebony tunic and says, "Don't."

Don't take me back to them, she means to relay. Don't let them see me like this, she silently begs. Not yet not yet not yet, please not yet.

But the words are frozen in her throat, weighed by dark, dark things—things like shame and disgust and panic and a numbing cold—so only one word escapes her in a whisper, an aborted sob, that she does not expect him to hear. But stranger still (or, at this point she is coming to learn, maybe not so) is the increasing understanding that continues to dawn on his expression, and which manifests itself in an assertive nod.

He is scooping her into a bridal carry when a renewed hysteria grips her, her wicked musings seeing fit to torture her in her fatigue. What if he misunderstood? What if he brings me to the others? What if he tells them?

(a smaller, but no less clamorous, part of her adds, what if they hate you—what if he hates you?)

(not that she could bare the others' judgement any easier but the prospect of his hatred being directed at her in addition to theirs just grates and she feels like shattering)

With the dregs of her dwindling vigor, her digits tighten on the cloth around his neck—the movement not to harm when it comes to him for once, but a bid to further explain herself. Zuko is unfazed by the storm brewing within her, ever a growing paragon of sympathy.

"I know a place," he vouches gently—surefooted in a way that is becoming familiar to her when the early morning light comes, loathe as she is to admit it before (strengthen your root, aang)—and equally soft in her ear, "Trust me."

I do, she longs to vow, but the ice inside her grows and the promise is taken with the rushing wind as he grabs the reins and takes off.

The loss of him is jarring.

It should befuddle her. Given their less than stellar past, Zuko and proximity had always been in the context of situations she would rather forget—on battlegrounds, and glowing prisons, and more recently, safe houses with separate rooms and large common areas, along with the very saddle they sit on. Before that, it had been open fields upon which they would assemble their singular tents. They meet and they share spaces, but hardly do they ever touch.

(and while ba sing se is a memory she is coming to terms with, it is one that still slightly smarts and therefore, one she does not count)

Up until recently she was more than fine with this arrangement. They gave each other a wide berth, and everyone was, if not happy, content for it.

But in this new and mystifying After, when she falls like liquid and he is the only solid thing to catch her (and cup her and hold her and keep her together), the previous avoidance feels petty, stupid and childish—never mind that they are children.

(not that she's felt that way recently, if she ever felt that way at all)

In the After, the switch from her frigid distance to his succoring cradle, while abrupt, is the furthest thing from unwelcome.

So, she whimpers when he motions to settle her atop the bed of the saddle. The way he carries her has them the nearest they've ever been to each other—her every downy curve pressed against the hard lines of his lithe yet lean figure. She wants to lose herself in the embers of his gaze. She wants to melt into his skin. She wants to burrow in his inner warmth and never come out, anything to thaw the glacial stalactites that have snared her insides.

Later, she will acknowledge that her sudden attachment to his fire has less to do with his actual ability to provide heat so much as it has to do with her need to cauterize the atrocity that mars her soul. Now though, in this tenuous yet bright After, with him as her only source of light in the darkness that suffocates her—he seems both close and not close enough. It's any wonder then, that the moment they both touch down from Appa, she clings to him.

Though it is her who slumps into his arms again, she knows she catches him off guard. She can tell by the way his breath stutters and tension suddenly seizes his every muscle, while his heart beats a staccato rhythm in his chest. She gets the fleeting impression he is a stranger to affection despite the love he so blatantly harbors for his uncle when he speaks about him. Katara, nurturing by nature, determines right then and there to rectify this post-haste. So, cling she does, like a newborn panda-koala to its mother. 

At some point in their journey, the rain abates. The air is sweltering in this Fire Nation island he has taken her to, and still, she clings some more. She is unyielding yet tender in her embrace, until she senses the incredulity dissipating from his aura, until the tautness dissolves from his bones and sinews, until his heart slows in repose, until the glaciers that make up her blood—not melt, precisely but—soften enough that she can feel beyond her trepidation, until the incalescence of him steams the water from their clothes and seeps into her skin.

It is as much awkward as it is dulcifying, but neither is inclined to let go. For the first time since they had embarked on the mission, perhaps even so far as the first time since they met… they can both finally, properly breathe.

He holds her and she holds him, until the sun from which he channels his own energy draws towards the horizon, the effulgent curves of the inflamed heavenly body sinking to kiss the sea. The cold creeps ever closer yet never over her.

How could they be so bold? When Katara falls asleep in the arms of the firebender prince.

-//////-

The moon is high when she awakens next.

Yue is full, beautiful and blinding against the inky sky and yet, she is alone.

A new bout of dread rushes through her, the ice in her veins solidifying with terrible alacrity to accompany the tumult of her insecurities.

He left, of course he left, he knows what you can do, snarls and spits the cloying thing residing within her that which she fatuously assumed had been temporary. He knows who you are, what you are, and he fears you.

He is right to do so.

A twig snaps and her head swivels towards the sound. With a shudder of relief, she alights upon the vision of Zuko appearing from the tree line that borders the inner edge of the beach, Appa not far behind him. There are offcuts of leaves in the bison's gargantuan mouth and a pile of firewood in the prince's arms. Her eyes dart briefly at the bonfire dancing sedately a few paces from where she lies, but mostly they drink him in.

Zuko had been muttering quietly to Appa but at her scrutiny, he stops. When he locks onto her, he offers a pallid smile (though with the shadows playing at his visage, the turn of his lips is more grimace than anything) and a similarly tentative, "Hey."

"You—" she murmurs, stilted and rigid as she works to swallow the residues of her panic. "Don't—" and there's that awful word again although this time, she manages to get the rest of the request, demand, plea sentence out. "Don't leave."

(the words me and again are unspoken yet heard just as loudly and acutely as if they had been shouted)

"I won't," he is quick to reply. Still, she is not assuaged, even must fight to prevent her hands from reaching for him. It makes her feel pathetic. Katara has always been free with her affections and in turn has never been in want for touch. So, to crave Zuko's—of all people—warmth is an occurrence she never could have foreseen, insatiable avarice warring against her leaden contrition especially now that she knows, with incontestable surety, how they fit together. Her rapacity presses for victory, so much so that she resorts to sitting on her hands to further quell the urge to wrap herself around him.

Assurances made, Zuko resumes tending to the fire while Katara distracts herself by ruminating on her newfound regard for the prince.

(conclusions are drawn but the significance of them has her repelling the revelations just as rapidly as they are made—to be dissected and inspected by the katara of later)

For once, she is static as Zuko navigates the tedium that comes with setting up camp. With the fire done, he unfurls their sleeping bags at a respectable distance. He follows this with a careful inventory of their provisions, and when the stock is accounted for, he dishes out the appropriate rations (seal jerky being the sole menu as they had neither time nor patience to scrounge for anything more the night they left). He even goes so far as to pet Appa and confirm the bison's comfort, a palpable if subtle bond there that she allows herself to recognize at last. There is a naturality to his gestures that would fascinate her had she happened upon it any other night. As it is, she is still a tad too miffed—her head swimming in agitation from having woken up thinking she was alone—to fully appreciate his initiative.

She reaches for her bundle of jerky when she notices the state of her hands. As a result of sheltering them amongst the fine grains of the ground, they have surfaced dusted with sand. Zuko notes this at the same time she does with a startled, "Oh!"

She is about to voice her puzzlement at his reaction or even dismiss the mess as an inconvenience easily solutioned when he jogs to the shallow depths of the sea. There he shreds parts of the bottom of his tunic before dousing them into the ocean. Upon his return he kneels before her and, with a consideration that mesmerizes her, wipes her palms with the waterlogged strips.

She novels at the various means with which he astonishes her, and might continue to astonish her, during their—now indefinitely extended—period together.

He dabs cautiously at the grime and scrapes clinging stubbornly at her flesh, something rusty yet accustomed in his body language—like the intimation is a fragment of his past, however long forgotten.

Distantly, she registers that Zuko is an older sibling. Maybe not exactly like Sokka, but a big brother all the same. She tries to picture Azula—not as the elegant, cunning, dangerous princess she knows now—but younger… softer… before power and bloodlust planted its insidious roots and sprouted weeds. Was there a time her eyes shined with fondness instead of anger? Where she had whispered sweet words, not to manipulate but, to share in her mirth? Did she ever come to Zuko like this, dirty and bleeding, certain he would know what to do to soothe her hurts away?

She tries to conjure it and fails miserably. If anything, she is more disturbed at the prospect that Zuko might view her as something like a sister. Though a part of Katara knows how irrational it is to fixate on such an inconsequential surmise, an even bigger part of her bristles.

She feels it then.

The frost that she so adamantly hoped was chased away by Zuko's fire, surges with renewed vigor inside her. It twists into that something dark and ugly, something that has been haunting her all night—one Katara knows but is reluctant, afraid, to name.

Zuko is blissfully unaware that he is the subject of her grisly musings. He runs the cloth over her palms with the same intensity he seems to tackle his every circumstance, his swipes relentless in their bid to rid her skin of impurities. Then again, she expects no less from the firebender who persistently chased them across the world only to just as doggedly proclaim his loyalty to their cause. What throws her off however, is the determined patience he exhibits so as to avoid her open cuts, for no other reason she can think of than to prevent the inevitably harsh sting of the saltwater on the wounds—never mind that the scratches are no larger than a fingernail at best and as long as that of her thumb at worst—his cleaning caress focused yet light.

The purposeful care would endear him to her, if the thought that he might see her as a sister-figure didn't enduringly unsettle her so.

He is close to finishing when the dark thing inside her rattles to make itself known.

"I can do it myself."

But the whispered grievance lacks the vehemence with which such a statement is usually made. Perhaps that is why Zuko doesn't completely halt so much as slows. His clasp on her hands grows even looser, the miniscule shift in his hold telling her that she may breakaway at her leisure.

"Right," he breathes when she doesn’t pull away. "Waterbender."

The title chafes her, glass shards piercing at her chest in a way that simultaneously encourages her rabidness and makes her want to crawl out of her body. Again, the inclination to fuse herself onto Zuko and his feverishness becomes an unbearable need. Now that she has gotten a little more than a couple of hours of sleep, she has enough sense to be embarrassed for her rather enthusiastic tenacity to adhere herself to him earlier. She should be loathe to so much as breathe the same air as him, yet here she is again, just as eager and willing to meld into his incandescence with nary a thought to his convenience.

(it’s situations like these that she cannot deny her relation to sokka—much to her chagrin—because clearly, she is an idiot)

But her pride and common sense impede her impulse for now so, on somewhat imperceptibly wobbly legs she walks to the shoreline, hoping the proximity to her element will infuse her with tranquility.

(or in this case, what little is left of her sanity)

Shoes tossed aside and her ankles deep in the water, Katara moves into her stances with an almost paralleled elegance to her element. The exhaustion that has latched onto every inch of her, down to the very marrow of her bones, hardly strains her when the moon imparts her with the strength she necessitates to go through the entirety of her bending repertoire. More than anything, she is further compelled by the prospect that the familiar maneuvers will dispel the slithering sickness that pervades her.

Except… she can feel him, his breath, his blood, his stare. He is watching, just watching, and it unnerves her so much that she loses her instinctual fluidity the more complicated her katas become, no matter that as a master she could easily do them in her sleep.

Just then, a particularly exuberant tide slams into her knees and disquiets her balance just as she is approaching the pinnacle of her most complex stance. And although she wavers only a little, her toes immediately hasping onto the seabed, it's as if a dam inside her caves. The profundity of the night's events crashes into her so it is less like she had stumbled and more like she had capsized as a ship does from the enormity of a storm—turbulent and impuissant against the raging current.

What have I done? she sobs in her mind, even as her power—exorbitant from the fullness of Yue's grace—crests in response to her distress. It thrums like wildfire through her veins, yet she has never felt further from calidity.

No, it is not a fever that grabs hold of her.

What have I done? she asks again when it is the deadly frost of winter that bites at her soul. From the ocean of her anguish, her grief, ascends a tempestuous tide that shapes into that of her repulsiveness. Everything about herself that she abhors, every repugnant crack that splinters at her perfection, at her supposed goodness, all the jagged pieces she runs herself ragged to keep smooth and hidden, boils to the surface in choppy torrents of her bending.

With the endless expanse of the sea at her disposal, Katara crimps her fingers until she traps herself in a barricade of ice. The structure is flawless, her reflection undisturbed and perfect.

How she hates and hates and hates.

With a scream, Katara raises her arms above her head, the roughness of her motility entirely contrary to her element. The ice around her begins to fracture then, her image fragmenting so that the ugliness carefully concealed in her interior is mirrored upon her exterior, free from the shadows at last.

This, she decides, this is what I have done.

A swelter licks at her back but it barely warrants her contemplation. The entirety of her attention is fixated on how the fissures distorting her glass shadow paint her in harsh, unflattering angles, and yet she has never felt more right.

She wonders what that says about herself… how she very well knows even as she asks it, and what scares her isn’t that she is afraid of the answer but that she is not.

“Enough.”

His command, soft and gentle as the steam it is carried on so it is less edict and more entreaty, pierces the condensation she hadn’t heeded was gathering at her feet until it is right in front of her. She should be vexed, maybe even surprised.

But Zuko always did have a way of making himself seen—of making himself known.

“That’s enough,” his rasp is even deeper, seared as it is by his concern of which she is still unused to receiving. His fingers on her shoulder are preternaturally warm this time, but it takes all of her not to lean into it regardless. “You’ll hurt yourself!”

“Isn’t that what I deserve?” she growls, tearing away from his grasp only to turn towards him so that he bears the omneity of her depravity.

The time for hiding, at least when it comes to the prince, has long since come to an end.

His eyes widen, and she almost smiles at his predictable fear—except he is reaching for her once more, a mixture of confusion and vehemence dripping from his inflection instead when he exclaims, “Of course not! What are you talking about?”

Something like hurt flashes across his eyes when she jerks from him again, her back thudding forcefully against her ice wall. His perplexity echoes throughout her so that she retorts, just as stridently, “What am I talking about? What are you?”

The question in his eyes is genuine and unfading, and Katara wants to fall into him all over again just for that. But she holds on to her anger, coats it around her like she would glazed armor to defend against the sheer magnitude of him.

“Y-you saw what I did,” she hisses but when he shakes his head again, she falters against the smooth, rime palisade. Who knew all it took to defeat her was a pair of amber eyes molten with sincerity? And that it would hurt her if when the seafret weight of it—cozy like a blanket made from her Gran-Gran’s hand as opposed to the armor she sheaths herself in—slips from her fingers like vapor, gone as quickly as she had it, if she ever had it at all?

She wonders why she cares.

(except she knows the answer to that, too)

“You know what I am,” she mumbles dejectedly.

“And what is that?” he whispers, equally muted.

It is only when she stills at the question that she notices she was quivering in the first place. She closes her eyes, like the act might suppress the truth despite how fully aware she is of its inevitability.

She stalls. A step, a pulse, a blink, and then—

“Monster,” she breathes.

She convinces herself that she is not petrified of what she will see when she meets his gaze, so she forces herself to look.

To her surprise, he isn’t looking at her at all and it confounds her so much she forgets to be relieved.

It is their sorry encampment he is facing when he says, “Come by the fire,” and he doesn’t check if she follows but he does incline his head over his shoulder enough to add, “I don’t want you to freeze any more than you already have.”

She wants to tell him that should be the least of his worries, that ice would be the furthest breach to her downfall. But the quip sounds paltry even in her head, and the fact that he still worries silences her just as effectively.

She doesn’t know what to do with herself when he sits but the nonchalance in his demeanor—legs held loosely in the lotus position, his arms propped lazily behind him, and his head tipped placidly at the sky—presents an invitation. Even if it isn’t, his propinquity tempts her.

He is gravity and, as she has well proven, she is helpless against his pull.

“Say something,” she implores from beside him, the bonfire void when nothing but a foot separates them, the emanating heat she siphons from his skin is more than adequate to fend off the brisk, night air.

“Yon Rha is alive.”

“Death would have been too kind for a spineless vermin like him,” she blazes through gritted teeth, before the fight leaves her altogether. “But that’s not—” she sighs. “He’s not why.”

“You’re talking about the soldier on the ship.”

“I swore,” her speech is warbled even in susurration, “I swore I would never call upon my power that way. I promised, with my brother and my best friends as my witnesses, but the first opportunity away from them presents itself and what do I do?” Her eyes are red-rimmed and crusty from the volume of tears she had shed the previous night, and yet a fountain must reside within her for tiny rivulets of them stream down her cheeks anyway—the more she wipes them away, the faster they fall. It is her turn to shake her head. “You must think I’m a monster too.”

His scrutiny is scorching when he abandons his seemingly languid perch to render the plenitude of his attention on her.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” he responds evenly.

“I don’t? How dare you!” the resuscitation of a still embittered memory has her erupting from her position and kicking up sand as she abruptly rises to her feet. That he remains seated, countenance so calculatingly neutral his resemblance to his sister has never seemed more evident, only fuels her ire. “I took this man’s will. I reached into his blood, his life source, and I commanded it as my own. I corrupted my bending and nearly defiled him for it. And maybe he wasn’t innocent, but he was innocent to me. Who knows what I would have done if I hadn’t realized he was the wrong man? Would you have stopped me then? I can’t imagine you would have when you just stood by as I almost murdered another man in cold blood! What then?” her chest is heaving with her fervency, but her declamation is a mellifluous contrast to her beginning parlance. “What then?" she sags back down to the ground in a boneless heap, rubbing at her wet cheeks in vain, and she is so tired of crying. "It was monstrous. I’m monstrous.”

“Maybe you did do a monstrous thing,” he starts solemnly, “but that doesn’t make you a monster,” his inflection is just as subdued as hers, and it doesn’t escape her that this entire night he has matched—if not capitulated to—her, motion by motion, tone for tone; that he ducks low when she aims high, is cool when she runs hot, and spirited when she falls into despair. It’s like he views them on equal footing, like he never intends to be above her, only with her. She finds that she is moved by this revelation, something emotive and electric pulsing rapturously at her fingertips. But before she can further delve on it, he continues, and the poignancy scatters like ashes in the wind in the wake of the sorrow on his tongue.

“I should know, I grew up around them,” he laughs but it is the sound of broken glass, so pained and humorless it scrapes against the cusped contours of her own smattered heart. “There are days when even I can’t distinguish myself from them. So, believe me,” his fingers ghosting his scar. “There are worse things a monster can do than grant mercy.”

“I’m sorry,” she conveys staunchly, and she means it. They have danced this dance before, so she is no stranger to the ridges that separate smooth skin from marred one when her digits trace the worn pathways. “I’m sorry,” she repeats.

“Don’t,” he gives her hand a squeeze when he slips it from beneath hers, before placing it on her knee with some semblance of propriety, remnants from his days of royalty she supposes.

(she refuses to entertain the more conceivable possibility that it is a repeated unaccustomedness to touch, lest she track down the firelord and prematurely end this war, avatar or not)

“Don't be. Not for me, not for tonight, not for anything.”

She doesn’t know why she protests but she does. Is this not what she wants to hear? Does she not want this vindication?

“But the bloodbending—”

“Is just another part of you.”

“A bad part,” she mutters, demeaningly.

His cautious veneer ruptures at this, the sneer contorting his mouth so evocative of the days when he was her adversary that she almost summons a spear of ice out of habit. But the ardor in his aurelian orbs and the passion in his smoke-encased voice arrests her in the present, so that there is no mistaking the reproach in his homily, yes, but the acceptance too.

“Could the nomads not command the very air that passes through your lungs? Had the Dai Li not thought twice about burying you alive?  Wouldn’t you be able to drown a foe just as easily as you could conjure your healing water to save them? Is destruction all there is to fire, when it can also warm you and cook your food?” he snarls and as if in demonstration, the roaring pit before them blazes for a fraction of a second before resuming its indolent conflagration. “Every element has their strengths and their weaknesses, every person their good and bad side,” he stares at his hands, elbows propped limply upon his bent knees, and something despondent and regretful dulling the sparkling tinder in his eyes. “Some bad sides, stronger than others,” he finishes quietly.

“I don’t regret it,” she confesses, and she should be humiliated by this admission that has been clawing at her chest and choking at her throat. But all she is is unbothered, unbound—more airbender than water for the first time in her life, and is this how Aang constantly feels? Is this what propelled him to leave the day his destiny was revealed to him? Not that she did then but how could she ever blame him now, when this liberation was so exhilarating?

“Still doesn’t make you a monster, though.”

“But does it make me a good person?”

He sighs, rubbing at his nose in a pantomime so boyish, it disarms her. For a moment she forgets who he is and who she is and who they are to each other.

And what is that exactly?

“I think it just means you’re trying,” he shrugs. “We've all got the potential for darkness and lightness within us, our powers just as capable of tipping towards either side. But I guess the question for every moment is, to which side are you going to choose to be a vessel for? Or—or maybe it isn't so clean cut. Maybe it's just about finding the in-between, the…” he trails off, appearing lost in thought as his gaze trains on the skyline, like he might find the wayward reverie there.

She thinks back to the aftermath of the siege of the North, remembers Aang orating similar advice.

Push and pull… he had imparted, yin and yang…

“Balance,” she hums.

He gives her an appreciative glance that she perceives all the way to her bones.

“Yes,” he agrees. She can almost sense the connections cultivating in his brain and she lets it, not daring to interrupt him when she is so enchanted by this scarce sight of an artless but enthusiastic Zuko. “No one is wholly good or evil, but it’s the choices you make in seeking your inner balance that will ultimately define you, right? And I know what you’re gonna ask—did you make the right choices last night? Honestly, I couldn’t say. I think you’re the only one who can really answer that.” He takes a deep breath, biting at his lips before venturing gingerly, “Far be it from me to pass judgement, but I need you to know that I could never… see you like that. You’re scary, sure, and I think you like that,” she hides a satisfied smile at that, at how he reads her. “But a monster? Spirits, never.” He runs a hand through his hair, before rubbing at the nape of his neck. “You didn’t have to spare that—that—asshole, but you did.” There’s a blush to his cheeks that she only understands when he remarks, “And not that my opinion really matters to you but, you’re seriously one of the strongest people I know.”

And something inside her clicks into place as the validation she didn’t know she was seeking washes over her in gentle eddies. She doesn’t feel strong just then, the total opposite, in fact. But his unyielding support sedates the foreboding mass of algid tenebrosity inside her, if only for a little while, so that she resembles something a little like solid.

“Actually,” she gibes, however feebly. “I was gonna ask how a hothead like you got so wise.”

The little gust of wind that escapes him is not exactly a laugh, but she counts it as a victory all the same. “My uncle would have better insight for you. I mean, it would probably be wrapped in an enigma tied in a tea-related metaphor, but no less helpful.”

"I don't know," she drawls, though not unkindly, as she bumps her shoulder amiably against his. She relishes the contact when he doesn’t shift away. "You're not so bad."

"I'm not?"

The vulnerability in his resonance tells her his inquiry goes beyond his ability to provide advice, and after everything he's given her this night alone, it is only fitting that she is more than willing to reciprocate.

“No, no I don’t think that at all. I dare say,” she smiles, sinking into his side. “You, Prince Zuko, are good.”

“Good,” he mouths disbelievingly, as if he never thought the word could be tethered to him, like no one’s ever called him that. Maybe they haven’t, which saddens her because she may as well have been one of the reasons for that. It's just another thing to add to her growing list of what she hopes to do for the fire prince who has not received enough warmth and kindness in his life, as she is gradually discovering. “Never really been good at being… good,” the upturn of his lips is self-deprecating but the candor of it lends a light to his face that makes its former absence even starker, but no less stunning in its rarity. “You know that more than anyone, and for that I’m sorry. Truly, I am.”

“You’re trying,” she parrots, and his smile widens minutely, but it is enough. She akins it to the sun, peeking from the horizon after days sequestered forlornly behind storm clouds, and she is esurient for the homeliness his warmth is sure to supply. She doesn’t know it, but it will be a long time before she sees even a glimmer of it again. For now, she basks in his glow, until the ice strangling her core melts into liquid into mist except before she can evaporate, he is there to moor her to the safety of port.

Her fingers drift within reach of his scar and this close to him, breaths mingling and noses a hairsbreadth apart, she can make out the misshapen shape of a hand. There is a story there, a tragic one, no doubt. And she hopes he trusts her the same way she unequivocally does him (for how can she not after what they have been through and what they have exchanged? and she will tell him, she will) to one day divulge, but not tonight. She does not want to taint the effulgence of this moment with any more talk of darkness.

She only wants his charming guilelessness, no matter how unintentional, and his graceless chatter. She wants the domesticity of his hands and the honor of his brand of protection. And if you had asked her two days ago, her answer would have been completely different but now, now she revels in his mercurial temper as much as she values his ardent humility.

She just wants to be present as he continues to try, and what more could she desire from a friend?

It shouldn’t, but it hits her like a riptide; he’s her friend. And it’s been inclement waters seeing as they had to maneuver all the way from opposite sides of the battlefield to a necessary alliance to a revenge-driven field trip. And it shouldn’t be the most peculiar thought of the night, certainly not the most astounding, but it is. It is.

After so long chasing each other across the world, he is here. He is here and he is her friend, one who is privy to a side of her she had kept shackled and secreted, even from herself and still he understands, still—

He stays.

“I know I’ve asked so much of you already, but can I ask just once more?”

He doesn’t hesitate. He’s her friend and she is his and it is nothing like she has ever known before. It is hard-earned and precious and marvelous.

It is everything.

“Anything you need, Katara,” he avers most earnestly, eyes burning with companionship and hands outstretched in pillars of support. “Anything I can give and it’s yours.”

(and, if the buoyant churning in her gut is any indication, maybe even more and oh, Tui and La, but she is in trouble—)

She follows the elongated indents of his left palm, tracking the lines there that had aligned so exquisitely with hers as he banished every reluctancy and held her hand even then, and is overtaken by a flashback—to a village bordered by a volcano, a similar position but in reverse, a powerful bender suddenly thunderous in her head.

(—not that she’s ever buckled from a challenge before)

Yue’s brilliance is kind on him, coloring his pale skin ethereal so that it shimmers otherworldly against her own sun-kissed flesh. The nobility of his lineage is subtle, found mostly in the sharp slant of his nose, his jaw and his cheekbones. But his beauty and his potency lies in the abstruse, the unseen. It is in the way he makes awful tea and shares jokes of which he only knows the punchline because he knows it is the best way to honor the person he loves most in this world. It is in his pursuit to make amends even when the road to redemption is shabby and difficult, or that redemption means cleansing the grime from the hands of a slip of a girl who once hated him. It’s his tenacity to get up no matter how many times he is beaten down.

“I don’t need anything,” she reassures him, her cadence shy when she requests, “I would like it if we stayed here though.” Her timidity, so inimical from her former gusto, almost paralyzes her now but she braves cupping his left cheek anyway, fingers cosseting the edge of his mark. “The two of us, just a little longer.”

“We’ll stay as long as you want,” he accedes. This time, he isn’t a spectator to the affection, nor does he recede from it. To her delight, he leans into it, to her, going so far as to envelope her hand with his so that her touch becomes a halcyon balm upon his scored side. “Anything, and it’s yours,” he recurs with quiet insistence.

He is the sun, unfailing and true, and it is from his radiance that she allows the yearning to bloom.

And you? her heart is a riot beneath her ribcage, but—in the aftermath of so much struggling, both of the internal and external kind—her smile is miraculous in its serenity. What if it’s you that I want?

“Good,” she says instead, wishing with all her might that he hears the veracity behind her hushed yet no less steely declaration. “So very good.”

The way those pools of gold soften, his other hand brushing delicately at the last of her errant tears, tells her he does… that he might just believe.

-//////-

As much as she wants to suspend time, war stops for no one and she can no longer ignore the suffering that rages on beyond them.

She knows who to blame for the impetuous loss of her innocence, that it is the cowardice of power-hungry despots that have forced children like her to the frontlines of this hundred-year persecution. She knows the futility of this knowledge because justice is not hers to serve in this case, it is a burden she shares with thousands upon thousands of others. And when judgement comes for the depraved likes of Yon Rha, Zhao, and Ozai, she will have to contend with the bile that bubbles in the back of her throat and the sin splicing her soul because for them, she has no forgiveness to spare.

But Zuko…

I’m sorry. Truly, I am.

“I am ready to forgive you.”

After, the last of her abiding hesitancy to accept him bleeds into purpose-filled promise when she throws her arms around him—her head at his shoulder, cheek nestled at the hollow of his throat, his breath hot on her neck, and his hands large and comforting at the small of her back—it is as natural as breathing and as prevailing as her heartbeat. This is how she breaks—a tundra seizing her lungs and a storm in her mind that threatens to drown out the light until the inferno in his touch razes the darkness and reminds her to breathe, to reach out, to stand tall, stand steady, and this is how she mends, too—her waters fresh against his raging anger, cool and calm and healing the burns that have pained him, mind and heart, body and soul. It is pieces of her latching onto the pieces of him, until they are in adept symmetry, crowning harmony.

A perfect balance.

And although it is him seeking forgiveness, she cannot help but feel that it is her who finds absolution.

Right in the circle of his arms.

in the cold, i feel your warmth

i’m free falling into your arms

AN: first zutara fic asdfghjkl hope you enjoyed it!

lets cry about zutara together sksksksk so pls come say hi to me!

[jeremys-blogs]

Avatar: Complexities in War

Avatar: The Last Airbender is rightly regarded as one of the greatest works of modern animation. Having debuted back in 2005, it quickly gained a following that spread into a worldwide audience that fell utterly in love with its action, its characters, it setting and its story. And even now, over a decade since it left our screens, it's still looked back to with reverence and respect. But without question the thing that received the most praise from audiences and critics alike was its handling of complicated themes surrounding the issues of war. This was, after all, a show where children are forced into a life-or-death battle for the fate of the world, and as such it was always going to have to face and answer difficult questions. Who do you side with? What is the best way to fight? What kind of damage is done, not only to those who fight but to their families? All these ideas and more were shown at one point or another and all of them were handled expertly. With war as both a setting and a framing device, the show was free to explore all of these issues in a way that was less restrictive than the likes of more serialized animations, and to this day people are still talking and discussing those themes, serving as a testament to just how powerful this story's legacy is.

Now, I could talk all day about all the things I love about this show, but for right now what I want to focus on is something that, maybe more than anything else, I truly appreciate about the central conflict that they present. And that's their willingness to blur the lines between good and evil. Because if you're a kid who has grown up on animated works that present rigid good guy vs bad guy stories with factions and the like, it can be easy to assume, especially with the show's opening, that sorting out friends and enemies will be immediate in Avatar. The now-famous line of "everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked" will prime audiences for thinking of that nation as a group of irredeemable villains who must be stopped at all costs, while those nations it fights are the righteous heroes who are above reproach. But as time goes on and we get into the wider world of Avatar, we're slowly shown that this initial impression is inaccurate. That our notions of who is good and who is evil might not be as clear-cut as we first assumed. Throughout its three seasons, Avatar showed us that this war, as in all wars, has its grey areas, and that no nation was free of ambiguity.

The Water Tribe, as our first example, is the first of the four nations we're introduced to, and they're presented to us as the friendly starter village that our hero Aang must set out from. Two of his closest friends are from this group and our first encounter with them is both ordinary village life and being near-victims of a Fire Nation attack. The show sets us up to think of the Water Tribe as entirely benevolent, and as Katara and Sokka are largely the only members we see for the majority of the season, they're a nation with a lot of goodwill built up by the time we get close to the season finale. But that all gets twisted when we get to the North, where it's revealed that the nation is so entrenched in tradition that women are prohibited from learning waterbending, something we've been wanting to see katara succeed at all season. So rigid are they that the women of the tribe don't even have a say in who they wed, as shown with Yue. And later we find that the Water Tribe produced Hama, a waterbender who, while initially starting out as a defender of her people, eventually twisted into one who sought to torture innocent Fire Nation civilians, even going to far as to create bloodbending, a technique which I think we can all agree is a violation at best.

The Earth Kingdom is, by far, the nation we spend the most time with in this series, and as such we've been given plenty of examples of people within it cracking the pedestal that we might imagine for the Fire Nation's chief rival in the war. Military leaders like General Fong, who turned on Aang and endangered his friends if it meant being able to use him as a weapon. Vigilantes like Jet who, like Hama, were willing to risk innocent civilians over their personal quest for revenge. Lynch-mob-happy crowds like those seen in Avatar Day, who showed a deeply corrupt idea of law and justice. All of these put the Earth Kingdom in a bad light, but the biggest strike against them was the dark heart that is their capital, Ba Sing Se. Though told to us throughout the first two books as a safe haven, we eventually discover that it is more akin to a police state, ruled over by shadowy agents who are willing to go so far as to kidnap and brainwash their own people, all while the actual King, admittedly through no fault of his own, was so oblivious to the suffering of his people that he didn't even know the war existed. And of course, the willingness of those aforementioned agents to effectively hand their city over to the Fire Nation certainly doesn't help their image.

The Fire Nation, as the show's central antagonistic force, has a lot going against it. The crimes it has committed cannot be ignored and the fact that it has spent an entire century trying to dominate everyone else makes it difficult to see it in any kind of sympathetic light. Yet we are often shown goodness and decency within that nation, most notably in two of the show's most important characters, Zuko and Iroh, with the latter especially being perhaps the nicest person in the entire cast. But it doesn't just stop with them, as we get numerous examples of likeable people from that nation, like the kids in the Headband, or the villagers from the Painted Lady. People who, like those in other nations, are being harmed in one way or another by the Fire Nation leadership. Even firebending itself, the very tool so often used for world conquest in this story, is explained to not be an inherently evil power, as Aang himself first believed, but a source of warmth, light and energy. Much like Zuko himself, the Fire Nation is an entity with many different sides, often in conflict with itself, and though the negative is certainly pronounced, it doesn't wash away all of the good that it has to show.

The Air Nomads, you'd rightly suspect, would be difficult to characterise as anything other than good, since our only real exposure to them over the course of the show was Aang. But in the few times we see life in the Air Temples, specifically during the flashback segments of the Storm, we see a few troubling signs from that particular group. Namely the decision of the leaders to push Aang's training as Avatar ahead of what was deemed proper. A decision which ultimately led to him running away. It was an action that showed that they were putting his capacity as the Avatar ahead of his personal well-being, gearing him up to be a child soldier, which is not a good sign. Additionally, we're given hints that the Air Nomads are, by and large, unconcerned with the world beyond, intervening only when there is an Avatar among their number. That might not seem like a particularly bad thing, but if it means, as I suspect, that they would have been willing to sit back and do nothing as the Fire Nation ravaged their allies, then it makes them come across as, at best, aloof when it comes to the world. Peace and spirituality are all well and good, but if their stance is to avoid conflict at a time when a fight must be fought, when others like the Water Tribe would go to help the Earth Kingdom, it's hard to justify.

Now, please don't misunderstand me when I write all this. Because I am not attempting to say that the Fire Nation should be absolved of their actions, or that the other nations should be seen as worse than they are. After all, the Fire Nation was guilty of genocide, a crime that cannot ever be forgiven, and I would never suggest otherwise. But when you look at the show as a whole, at all the places and peoples we see, it becomes apparent that the binary good-vs-evil ideas that an audience might have from other animated shows simply doesn't apply as well to this story. There is evil, tremendous evil, to be sure, and the show in no way tries to say that the Fire Nation shouldn't be fought or stopped from what they're doing. But at the same time they make it clear that, just as in real-world conflicts, there's nuance and flexibility to the various groupings of enemies and allies. It's a lesson that good and evil can come from any place and any person, just as it is in real life, and it's one more of the many reasons why this show was so ahead of its time, and still a standard by which even modern cartoons should be judged

[flameohs-blog]

Can you do a meta for Zuko on his Uncle Iroh, and the most significant lessons / pieces of wisdom that he learned from him?

META    ↪ ACCEPTING / @proditeur​​

ohh boyyy… i’m gonna have to do yet another rewatch to answer this to the fullest. i honestly don’t have the time to do that right now but i do want to answer this question since my muse for atla seems to be really strong these days. i’m gonna start by splitting this into different sections because i feel like there’s A Lot i could say. i hope everything flows and ya’ll can understand my ramblings lol

zuko & uncle iroh’s relationship

obviously when we’re introduced to the series, one of the first relationships we see is the one between zuko and iroh. u can tell right off the bat that they care about one another a lot, mostly u can tell from iroh more than zuko in the beginning until that changes later on. it’s def one of the strongest relationships we see throughout the series. i don’t rmr if the series explained why iroh had left with zuko after his banishment like whether that was thru iroh’s own volition or if he was driven out by ozai as well. either way, we all know that iroh thinks of zuko as a son after his own died.

i think that’s because zuko and iroh share similarities and iroh sees that. iroh sees the potential zuko has. in the beginning, zuko is an angry individual. he gets mad easily. he gets upset easily. he gets frustrated. we do see other parts of his personality and eventually we do see him change and he becomes more like iroh in a way. here’s the thing, though. while i do believe that zuko learned a lot from his uncle…

i’m going to argue that zuko learned a lot from everyone he ever interacted with as well. not saying that his relationship with his uncle isn’t important because, i mean, it IS. their relationship was introduced to us from the very beginning so of course it’s important. the thing i’m trying to get at is that although it was iroh who was there to guide zuko in a way on his journey, it was actually zuko who helped himself. iroh never rlly told zuko what to do with his life, it was zuko who figured it out on his own. it was zuko who realized his mistakes and learned from them and grew as a person.

zuko as an individual

i’ve written this on my other blog and i’ll say it again: zuko’s redemption arc works because he was never truly a bad guy despite his mistakes with the gaang in s1-2. zuko is written as the initial villain but that’s only cos he’s hunting the avatar who has been established as the protagonist of our series. he treats aang & co as his enemies BUT he treats other people just fine for the most part. and we see that from the very beginning like in the very first episode where he promises to leave the water tribe alone if aang goes with him or in a few episodes later where he foregoes chasing appa (+ aang) bc the most important  task at hand is getting his ship and his crew out of the bad weather and into safety. 

the only reason he’s chasing the avatar is bc in his mind that’s what’s gonna gain his father’s approval. and zuko in the first 2 seasons wants nothing more than his father’s love & acceptance & approval esp since his mother is no longer in the picture. and, you know, i’m sure zuko knows from an early age that his father isn’t the best person and nor is he the best parent but… all that is put aside simply bc of the fact that ozai is his father. they are blood related. and ppl can pretend like that doesn’t matter but when you’re young, when that’s all you have, it fucking matters. i can’t explain it well atm but children want the love & acceptance & approval from their parents. it’s normal. toph is another example of this, she wants those things but doesn’t have them. their situations in a way are similar yet manifests in different outcomes.

zuko’s drive to find the avatar and take him to the fire nation is only because of his desire for his father’s approval. but the thing is that zuko was always torn between his allegiance to his father and, idk, his allegiance to be himself. zuko is not like ozai or sozin or azulon. he isn’t like azula either. he doesn’t rlly share the same ideals they do in regards to the fire nation being #1 in the world or superior to other nations or however u wanna describe it. even if he didn’t get banished, i rlly don’t believe he’d turn into the type of person the previous generations of firelords were. i think ozai saw this in zuko and that’s why he favored azula over him. it was azula who possessed the traits ozai thought was important, not zuko. but what ozai considers weakness in zuko turns out to be his greatest strengths.

underneath all that anger in the beginning, zuko was always… kind in his own ways. and he learns to be open to change and growth. in season 2 when we see him free appa from underground and throw away his blue spirit mask, it’s supposed to symbolize this awakening/change in him. but in the end of season 2, he chooses to side with azula again because like i’ve said before his desire for his father’s approval is greater than his desire for… idk… whatever else. he’s still confused. as much as i wanted zuko to join the gaang earlier, it wasn’t time for him to. we had to wait until literally halfway thru book 3 to see that and it was a lil annoying cos i would have loved to see him join earlier so they could have all had more interactions but!!!!!! i truly don’t believe that zuko throwing away the blue spirit mask was enough, hence the betrayal at the end of s2. someone could be there to guide you or influence you but ultimately your decisions in life are your own. 

lessons zuko has learned on his journey 

a) episode 2x09 - bitter work

there’s a scene where iroh is explaining all four elements to zuko and how each element contributes to different nations’ idk personalities or culture or whatever. and i always thought that scene was beautiful bc iroh isn’t insulting other nations, he’s describing their strengths. and then iroh says: 

“it is important to draw wisdom from many different places. if you take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale. understand others–the other elements–and the other nations will help you become whole.”

like i honestly think zuko kinda already knew that but it was never worded to him that way. we see him also learn it on his own when he parts ways with his uncle and he’s off traveling on his own. zuko has also traveled the world for years after his banishment. there’s no way he’s out there thinking the fire nation’s beliefs are the only ones that matter. he’s learned a lot from his travels imo. about himself and about others. 

this is also the episode where iroh teaches zuko how to redirect lightning so, yanno, there’s that. in one of the earlier episodes, iroh reminds zuko about the breath and how that could save his life in the cold and also another time where he instructs zuko to break zhao’s root during a duel or whatever. so def iroh not only offers advice/wisdom thru words but also thru teaching zuko firebending.

b) episode 2x17 - lake laogai

imo this episode was Wild to me mostly cos of the confrontation between zuko and his uncle. zuko’s still thinking of capturing the avatar even though at this point he and iroh are fire nation fugitives and on the wanted list. zuko is still confused and torn between being true to himself and being the son his father wants him to be. it’s iroh’s words that honestly hit a lil too close to home for me too lmao. zuko says smth about how he knows his destiny and iroh says:

“is it your own destiny or is it a destiny someone else has tried to force on you? it is time for you to look inward and begin asking yourself the big questions: WHO are you and what do YOU want?”

like i’ve said before, zuko isn’t thinking about what he wants. or maybe he has but it’s not rlly a priority for him. his priority is still pleasing his father and the only way he knows how is to capture aang. he thinks that’s what’s gonna make him happy but…

c) episode 3x06 - the avatar and the firelord

obviously zuko isn’t happy. at this point he’s returned to the fire nation and finally has what he’s wanted for years: ozai’s approval. i’m not gonna say love cos i don’t believe for one second that ozai loved his son lmfao! and nor did he love azula but that’s another story for another day. anyways, zuko thought that “killing” the avatar would make him happy and being back home would make him happy but uh. he’s changed over the years. he’s still confused about what he wants vs what his father wants. 

it’s hard for people to break away from their families, man. it rlly truly is. we as the audience know that that’s what zuko has to do but honestlyyy how many of us irl are kind of in similar positions???? it’s hard to breakaway from family (the ppl who r supposed to support u) when you don’t have other strong connections and lbr zuko doesn’t. he had his uncle and he fucked it up. but anyway this entire episode was WILD and i loved every moment of it. it goes thru the story of avatar roku and his friend sozin. but the plot twist is that roku is zuko’s great grandfather which, tbh, i was not expecting at all LMFAO. maybe it was obvious to every1 else but, man, was i in shock lol. 

the lesson in this episode is that everyone is capable of being good or evil (as aang learns) but the other lesson is that this is kind of what finally pushes zuko to change. i mean he was never truly evil as we’ve seen in the past and he’s made bad decisions but it’s this moment that drives him to come to the goddamn epiphany that, no, he isn’t happy in the fire nation. 

d) episodes 3x10 & 3x11 - the day of black sun

zuko isn’t happy in the fire nation.his father needs to be stopped cos what he’s doing is wrong. and it’s a big fckn risk to defy the firelord and leave the comfort of your home behind… like what if the avatar & co don’t accept zuko into the group? it’s a risk but zuko knows what he has to do and has probably known it for a long time. it’s hard to BREAK AWAY BUT ZUKO FINALLY DID IT. and you know what!!!!!! when zuko stood up to his father and told ozai that now it’s his (ozai’s) turn to listen to zuko……… it was literally the BEST thing ever lmfao. here’s a part of what zuko says:

“i’ve come to an even more important decision. i’m going to join the avatar and i’m going to help him defeat you.”

zuko says “I’VE come to the decision” and i think that’s important cos he came to the decision on his own. like ya his uncle was there for him but honestly like… no one told him to do any of that!!!!! underneath that anger, this is who he is: a kind, compassionate person????? now i don’t even know what i’m trying to get at anymore but i guess just the way he says “but i’ve come to an even more important decision” just gets to me like. it’s important that he made his own choice and wasn’t coerced into it bc that makes his choices more real and genuine. if zuko wasn’t a good person underneath all that anger and bitterness then would he have done this? no, lol. the audience loves zuko’s redemption arc because he never truly bad on the inside, he made mistakes, realized them, made the active decision to do better and be better for others, and does that continuously thru s3 and we can assume after the series ends as well. zuko in s3 isn’t the zuko in s1 and we SEE that and that’s what we love abt his arc.

e) tea

isn’t zuko seen serving tea to every1 in the finale at the very end. like i’m sure iroh taught him how to brew the right cup of tea lmfao!!!!! idk much about diff types of tea but uh there’s diff temperatures u heat the water and how long u steep it and idk guess it’s an art huh

[beifongsss]

playing with fire pt. 6 [sokka]

Pairing: Sokka x reader

Summary: You’re a Fire Nation citizen who saves Sokka and Katara from some angry villagers. Aang “convinces” you to come along with them, finding your knowledge of the nation useful. Not everything is smooth sailing though as both Water Tribe siblings have their doubts about you.

this will be a series :D this is a filler tbh

w.c.~2.9k

prologue. one. two. three. four. five.

.masterlist.

~

They reacted instantaneously.

In unison, Aang and Katara gasped, their jaws hanging as they stared at you. Sokka’s eyes widened as he took multiple steps back, trying to put as much distance as possible between the two of you. Your heart dropped slightly at their reactions, noticing the distrust that was beginning to creep into their eyes. 

Toph was the only one who didn’t react.

“You mean you dunderheads didn’t know?” she cried out, a disbelieving expression on her face. You all turned to her, curious expressions on your face. Even though she couldn’t see you, she knew you were all staring at her confusedly.

“You did?” Aang asked, looking at Toph suspiciously.

“Yes! Why else would my parents get all weird and proper around her?” Toph replied. “Besides, the name (Y/N) isn’t exactly the most common. I knew she had to be the Princess. Why do you think I’ve been calling her ‘Princess’?! Haven’t you ever seen a portrait of the royal family?”

Silence ensued as the Gaang realized that they had, in fact, never seen a picture of the Fire Nation royal family. In Aang’s defense, he had been gone for an exceptionally long time and there were no pictures of the family down in the South Pole. They all shifted their gazes back to you, now a little more curious than distrustful. 

“So you’re a princess?” Aang asked, trying to wrap his head around the news. You nodded silently. “Then why are you here with us?”

“It’s a long story,” you whispered, looking back down at the ground.

“Well we have time so start talking,” Katara said brusquely. You sighed softly, motioning for everyone to sit with you. Katara looked at you weirdly, crossing her arms stubbornly before gaping as Aang and Sokka took seats near you. 

“Aw loosen up, Sugar Queen,” Toph said, smirking as she took a seat next to you. “If she tries anything it's four against one. Let’s hear her out first.”

Begrudgingly, Katara sat down, making sure she was right in front of you just in case. Her eyes narrowed before she tilted her head, silently telling you to start talking. “I was born in 83 AG to Fire Lord Ozai and Princess Ursa. My mom used to tell me it was a blessed day because she was gifted with not one but two angels. Me and Zuko.”

Sokka let out a choked gasp at your words, looking at you in disbelief. “Y-You mean you and Zuko are t-twins?”

You nodded softly. “I was born twenty minutes before him, making me the crown princess. Two years later, Azula was born and our family was complete. For the first few years of my life, we were a happy family. And then we got our firebending.”

Aang’s eyebrows furrowed at your words. “You got your firebending?”

“Yes,” you replied, nodding again. “I was the first one to show the signs of being able to firebend. My first display of fire terrified everyone. Fire Lord Azulon declared me a prodigy and I immediately began training with both my fire and a sword. When Zuko showed signs of firebending, he joined me but it was clear that he wasn’t a prodigy and so Ozai separated us, claiming that he’d only be a distraction for me. Zuko and I had always been very close but that definitely messed us up.”

“Fire Lord Azulon?” Toph asked, snorting lightly. “Why don’t you just call him ‘grandfather’?”

You shook your head, forgetting that she couldn’t see it. “That man wasn’t my grandfather; at least he never acted like it. The only reason he liked me is because I was talented. He didn’t even like Ozai. He always preferred Uncle Iroh.”

“Iroh?” Aang asked. “What do you mean?”

“I’m not supposed to be crown princess. Iroh was the original crown prince, not Ozai,” you explained. “When I was young, we received a letter from Uncle Iroh. Back then, he was still a general and his goal was to take over the city of Ba Sing Se. He told us about how his son, my cousin, Lu Ten was killed in battle. Overcome with grief, Uncle Iroh ceased his 600 day siege and left. He traveled around, not ready to come back to the Fire Nation or return to battle. It was during this time that Ozai requested an audience with Fire Lord Azulon to make an impossible request.”

Katara looked at you, a little concerned at the expression that had made its way onto your face. 

“It started off normally. He had Azula and I show off how far we had gone with our bending. Fire Lord Azulon eventually dismissed us all except for Ozai,” you took a soft breath before continuing. “Azula and I hid behind the curtains, curious about what Ozai wanted to say. He- He asked Fire Lord Azulon for the throne, claiming that since Uncle Iroh had lost his only son, he needed someone with an heir in charge. Azulon was furious and told Ozai that he would never betray his first born who in turn had just lost his first born. He told Ozai that he needed to feel Uncle Iroh’s pain and commanded him to kill his first born.”

Shocked gasps rang from the group. Even Toph couldn’t hold back her surprise.

“He ordered your father to kill you?” Katara asked, sadness creeping into her eyes. You nodded. 

“Azula and I ran out of there and she immediately began to terrorize Zuko, knowing that there was no way that Ozai would kill me,” you continued. “I was his pride and joy, a ruthless firebender. Unfortunately, Zuko wasn’t. He was soft and sweet and so, so pure. In Ozai’s eyes, he was weak. It wasn’t until a few years later that I learned that Ozai thought about a ‘loophole’, asking Fire Lord Azulon if it mattered which of his first borns met their end. Azulon waved him off, stating that he didn’t care for either of us. The next night, Fire Lord Azulon died in his sleep and our mother disappeared.”

The silence was almost unbearable and you looked up to meet Aang and Katara’s pity-filled eyes. Toph was abnormally serious and Sokka wasn’t meeting your eyes. You continued to speak, wanting to fill the silence. 

“Ozai took the throne, claiming that Fire Lord Azulon’s last wish was for Iroh to be stripped of his title. That’s how I became crown princess.” You paused for a bit, sighing heavily. It felt good to finally tell someone about everything. “To this day, we still don’t know what happened to our mother. Zuko took it the hardest, of course. He spent the most time with her. Azula, well she was a different story. She was convinced that our mother never loved her. I tried my best to be there for both of them but we all changed. Azula and I threw ourselves into our firebending lessons and Zuko took it upon himself to start learning about our military forces. By thirteen, I was already working on bending lightning. I was one of the youngest firebenders to ever do that but losing my mother had made me more reckless and aggressive and firebending was the perfect outlet. I was the perfect weapon and Ozai knew it.”

You paused for a few seconds, wondering if you should continue. Sighing yet again, you continued to speak. “When Zuko and I were thirteen, everything just got worse.  By this point, I rarely saw him. Azula was getting more and more aggressive as time went on and honestly, so was I. I had mastered almost all aspects of firebending, except for lightning, and I had mastered sword fighting. And then Zuko got challenged to an Agni Kai.”

Everyone except for Aang seemed confused, prompting you to explain.

“An Agni Kai is a firebending duel. It stops once someone gets burned,” you said somberly. “It turns out that in one of the war meetings, a general proposed a plan to take over an Earth Kingdom town that would result in the deaths of an untrained Fire Nation battalion. Zuko said that leading them to death was wrong. The very own nation that they loved would be leading them straight to the slaughter. He called the general out on his tactics and accepted the Agni Kai when the general challenged him.”

“Zuko did that?” Sokka asked skeptically. “He tried to save the soldiers?”

“He wasn’t always mean,” you replied, chuckling humorlessly. “During the Agni Kai, I was sitting between Azula and Uncle Iroh. We were all watching anxiously as Zuko approached his opponent. You can only imagine the shock we felt when his opponent was revealed to be Ozai, not the general.”

“No!” Katara gasped, her hands coming up to cover her mouth. You didn’t meet her gaze. 

“When he noticed it was...our father, Zuko threw himself to the ground, begging for mercy and forgiveness and stating that he would not fight Ozai.” You shook your head, trying to blink back the tears that had welled up. “Ozai said he had to learn respect. He said that by speaking out of turn, he had insulted him as a parent. When Zuko refused, he said he was dishonorable and that he was going to teach him a lesson. That’s how he got his scar. He was immediately banished, sent on a quest to find the Avatar and capture him. Only then could he regain his honor and reclaim his title as prince.”

“But the Avatar had been missing for nearly one hundred years!” Katara said, looking at you in confusion.

“I know,” you replied. “He wasn’t supposed to find Aang. Ever. Zuko left and Uncle Iroh joined him in his banishment. I didn’t do anything.”

“What do you mean?” Aang asked.

“I mean I didn’t do anything!” you shouted, a tear spilling out of your eye. “I’m his older sister. I’m supposed to protect him! And I didn’t do anything. Spirits, you should’ve seen Azula’s face during the Agni Kai. She had the biggest smile on her face. Uncle Iroh looked away but I… I just couldn’t. I couldn’t move. I froze. And I couldn’t save him.”

“Ozai would’ve burned you too,” Aang said softly, his eyes wide. “You can’t blame yourself for what happened.”

You sniffled, wiping your nose with your sleeve and ignoring Aang’s words. “After his banishment, I lost my bending.”

“How does one just lose their bending?” Toph asked loudly, earning an elbow to the stomach from Katara.

“I don’t know,” you replied quietly, hugging your knees to your chest. “Seeing Zuko getting hurt was rough for me. It didn’t matter that we were separated from a young age. We would always sneak out to the kitchens together to steal snacks and stay up late just playing around. He was my best friend. I just woke up the next morning and my spark was gone. I haven’t been able to bend in three years.”

Aang looked at you sadly. You were his friend and your sadness was so overwhelming that he couldn’t help but feel sad as well.

“Ozai was furious when he found out,” you whispered, rolling up your pant leg to show an ugly scar on your calf. “He did this and then he made me focus on my fighting, giving everyone some bullshit excuse about how I wanted to prove that I was just as capable at fighting without my fire. Azula never found out.”

You raised your head slightly, ignoring everyone’s horror-filled glances as you met Sokka’s bright blue eyes. “Not everything I told you was a lie. When Ozai thought I was old enough, he sent me into battle. He didn’t care if I lived or died. To him it was a win-win situation. Without my bending, he didn’t really see any use for me but if I survived, he still had an heir. I was sent to a small Earth Kingdom battle, led by the same general who had challenged Zuko to an Agni Kai. I took the chance to escape during battle.”

Sokka looked away from you, his jaw clenched and his expression hard. 

“I ran when I was fourteen. I searched for my brother, always getting their trail but never being able to catch up to them. Eventually I just stopped.” You stretched your legs, looking back down at the ground. “I settled into a small Fire Nation colony, doing little errands for the old ladies who lived there. When I gained their trust, they vouched for me and I was able to live there peacefully. No one argued with them because they respected them too much. After a few months, you guys came crashing in and the rest is history.

The Gaang exchanged unreadable looks before Katara turned back to face you. “How do we know we can truly trust you?”

You pondered on her question for a few seconds, opening your mouth to speak before you were beaten to the punch by Aang. 

“I trust her.”

The group went completely silent at the Air Nomad’s words. Sokka kept his gaze down as Katara gave Aang an incredulous look.

“But she’s Fire Nation!” Katara cried out. “She’s Fire Nation royalty and she’s been hiding that from us. For all we know she’s trying to capture you to help her brother!”

“She already had so many chances to do that, Katara,” Aang said patiently, shooting you a soft smile. “She’s proven time and time again that she’s on our side. She even fought both Zuko and Azula! She’s saved your life multiple times as well! So yes, she has my complete trust.”

Tears welled up in your eyes at Aang’s words and you smiled through the tears when Aang got up and gave you a hug. 

“I want her to stay with us,” Aang said. “Besides, you’re right. She’s from the Fire Nation which means that she has insider knowledge.”

You chuckled at his words, nodding along as you glanced at Katara. The Water Tribe girl bit her lip before speaking, knowing that Aang was right. “Alright, Aang. I trust you. But if she does anything that I find weird, I won’t hesitate to bring her down.”

Aang frowned at her words before looking at you. You nodded in agreement, silently assuring the Air Nomad that Katara’s words were reasonable. The tense atmosphere was broken when Toph yawned loudly, stretching before speaking. “Okay now that we all know about Princess over here, can we please get some sleep?”

The rest of the group nodded in agreement and you helped set up the tent and sleeping bags, smiling lightly when you noticed Toph and Katara settle in next to each other. You noticed that Sokka was still sitting a little bit aways and you walked over to him slowly, trying to ignore the curious glances from Aang and Katara.

“Hey,” you said softly, standing next to him. Sokka didn’t reply. “We have the tent all s-”

“Were you ever gonna tell me?” Sokka asked roughly, standing up quickly. His sudden movement took you by surprise, causing you to stumble back a bit.

“S-Sokka, I-”

“Or was I just supposed to be happy with the lies you were telling me?” he snapped, cutting your words off. “Because it seems to me like you weren’t planning on telling us the truth anytime soon.”

You stood silently as Sokka spoke, your mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. Aang looked away from the two of you as Katara swallowed nervously. Sokka was being a little too rough with you. 

“We were perfectly fine before you came alone, Your Highness,” Sokka sneered, giving you a steely gaze. “We didn’t need you.”

You reached out, softly placing your hand on Sokka’s arm. “I’m sorry, Sokka. I really am, but you have to understand that-”

“Understand what?” Sokka yelled, pushing your hand off of his arm. He underestimated his strength, pushing you harder than he meant to and knocking you down. You could hear a soft gasp from Aang. “Just leave us alone.”

“Sokka, stop!” Katara cried out, rushing over to help you up. Sokka’s gaze softened for a fraction of a second as he noticed your distraught face.

“No, it’s okay,” you whispered, gently brushing off Katara’s help and standing on your own. The silence was almost overwhelming as everyone watched you walk over to the large pile of rocks. You climbed to the top, sitting before turning to address Aang. “You all go to sleep. I’ll take the first watch.”

Aang opened his mouth to argue and state that you all needed the rest before noticing the way Katara shook her head. There was a new kind of tension in the air, namely between you and Sokka. Katara was the first to fall asleep, closely followed by Toph and Sokka. Aang laid on the hard ground as quietly as he could, trying to ignore the sniffles that were coming from your direction because he knew you just wanted to be left alone. 

And just like that, the blooming romance between you and Sokka had been crushed before it ever began. 

~

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