#Sokkas so grumpy

[luriuan]

My favorite brand of avatar screenshots

[petricorah]

quick screencap redraws [ids in alt]

[comradekatara]

can i be real with you guys for a second. do i have permission to speak my truth without being flayed alive. just for a moment. the way many of you talk about zuka makes me think you guys don’t actually enjoy their relationship. people will be like “oh i love how it’s grumpy x sunshine because zuko is a little grouchy grouch and sokka is funny and flirty and bubbly” and i’m just like……. in what world?????????? i don’t think you guys ship zuck actually i think you guys just wish you could ship zukang without being perceived as weird for age gap reasons. but in no world is zucchini a ship wherein sokka is emotionally uplifting zuko thru the power of love and friendship. they’re literally both suicidal freaks. and yet people love making them not only as boring as possible, but also giving sokka a personality transplant (aang’s personality, to be specific) because they hate the source material or they just see conventionally attractive teenage boys and black out or who knows what. but it’s okay you guys can just ship zukang if that’s really what you want out of their dynamic. i won’t judge

[luzho]

zukka acting normal... the real zukka ;D

when i saw the top left photos of this magazine spread, i was instantly reminded me of them because... that IS them! so, in order to adapt them to a photobooth in a contemporary au, i used @peachieflame’s tattoo artist/skater boy zukka designs... which are an absolute beloved classic for the zukka nation that i was recently reminded of <3 i will never get over them!

[ID: These are two digital drawings of Sokka and Zuko, drawn in warm colors against a pink background. In the first one, a serious Zuko (sporting a sweater with a flame design in the sleeves, two piercings in his lower lip and a mullet) hugs a smirking Sokka (wearing, apart from his traditional necklace and wolf tailr, a blue tank top and light blue earrings), who is giving him bunny ears behind his back. In the second image, Zuko is sticking his tongue out while giving a noogie to a laughing Sokka. End ID]

[valiah-posts]

Me watching the avatar live action was full of:

“He wouldn’t do that— huh?? HE WOULDNT SAY THAT”

“Why did they start like that? Though, it’s pretty to see more of the Air Nomads :3”

“Why is Sokka so SERIOUS, he’s literally supposed to be the comic relief with lore :((“

*tense moment that’s actually good* “:OOOO”

*frustrated that Zuko didn’t talk about honor yet*

“I miss Sokka shdhbshd”

“Aang’s voice is actually so similar to the original!! :D”

[mozart-the-meerkitten]

POV: You're the Gaang just now finding out that the whole time he's been chasing you Zuko has also been looking after a baby... lizard kitten?

This is the other funny Avatar/The SOS Chronicles (my original story) crossover idea I had. Sometime during season 1 or shortly before it Zuko finds 5-year-old orphan Silvie and adopts her. Silvie at this point is largely non-speaking due to both trauma and being autistic so it's unclear when exactly he finds out she's fully sentient but he learns it eventually just by paying attention to her and her actions/reactions.

Silvie and Zuko are a lot alike actually! Their moms both disappeared when they were young, they're outcasts that most people dislike, they have anger issues and tend to act before they think, and their dads were both horrible people! :)

Baby Silvie is very clingy- literally. Baby Aguithans like to climb their caregivers and cling to them like baby koalas. By season 3 Zuko's used to it- and probably using it to his advantage to try and win the Gaang over. He tries to keep baby Silvie out of his fights and stuff as much as he can but the Gaang has likely seen her around some, especially during season 2 since Zuko no longer had a ship to hide her on. But they kind of assumed she was just a pet like Momo.

Taking care of a smol creature is good for Zuko and makes him much more responsible and thoughtful earlier on because he has to think of the BABY. Iroh is very amused and delighted by the affect Silvie has on his nephew.

Despite trying to keep her out of trouble, Silvie is not helpless and proves it whenever she has the smallest opportunity. She's very defensive and protective of Zuko! If he gets attacked and Silvie is around she's likely trying to tear the face off of one of his assailants with her very sharp claws and teeth. She's nervous in the picture, but you'll see she's got her tail wrapped around Zuko a bit- that's a protective gesture! She's telling the Gaang, 'I might be scared of you, but if you hurt my dad I'll gouge out your eyes.' or something like that, anyway. She's a very fierce little kitten.

Silvie does not trust most people but she trusts Zuko very quickly. Everyone else takes much longer, but she eventually trusts Iroh and the whole Gaang. While Zuko's taking members of the Gaang out on their life changing field trips, the rest of the group is trying desperately to befriend his weird alien child. Silvie does NOT make it easy for them. She does like Appa tho, and will often climb him and hide in his fur. She befriends Toph first because Toph's personality is similar to Zuko's and Toph is trying less than everyone else. Aang is next because while he's trying waaay too hard he's also very nice and good with animals. She holds out distrust for Katara and Sokka longer but eventually after they make friends with Zuko they win her over.

Alright, I'll stop now, but I love this silly little AU so if you want to hear more about it feel free to ask!

[ssreeder]

Rasu and Hakoda should totally bromance about their love for older women.

can they gossip about their gay besties too?

[ultfreakme]

there is no fixed “mom” or “dad” figure in gaang because every member thinks the other person is the “parent”. Ask Aang, and Sokka’s the dad. Ask Sokka and Katara’s the little sister and mom and pain in the ass + Aang’s the grandpa and little brother. Ask Katara and Sokka’s the pain in the ass dad and older brother. Toph is big sister and little sister and grumpy aunt and possibly little brother They’re all taking care of each other in different ways and play different roles.

[hastalavistabyebye]

I've talked about the sunshine characters and my takes on what it could mean. So here's about the grumpy characters.

First of all why is this trope named like that ? It's so different from the sunshine one, it's not at all the opposite it's supposed to be. It should be the rain clouds character or something I don't know.

But anyway. So first, yeah it's not the opposite of the sunshine trope. Being grumpy doesn't mean they can't be the sun too. It just mean globally that the character is jaded, doesn't have much hope or doesn't want to hope to protect themselves, is a good old pessimist, or just doesn't have energy to waste on people (they can be very tiring indeed). A grumpy character can be all of that, or just some of that. It's not who they are, it's just an aspect of their personality, of their behavior.

It can be a mask, an act to protect themselves and to show to the rest of the world. Something they've learned or as good as instinctual, born of fear or exhaustion or experience. Because it's easy or safe or both.

Or it can just be how they are. How they react to things. Not a shield at all, just an indifferent coldness or because sometimes people just are pessimistic as a default, or too tired to deal with other people's shit (who can be very stupid indeed). They also can simply be antisocial motherfuckers.

But even then, they can still be the fluffiest concentrate of love. Because the reason they're grumpy can be because of trauma response, because they're having a bad day (or several), they don't like the people they're with, because they can (and they will) be grumpy, or they're simply not very an open-display-of-affection kind of person. Being a grump is not what their soul, their core are. It's not a finality at all. It really is just an aspect of their behavior.

And I know I'm not saying anything revolutionary here. But please, please give me grumpy characters that are as such because of how they act and NOT necessarily because of who they are. Use that trope on very diverse characters, on very diverse situations. It doesn't define the character so don't make it so. Make them the most trusting and loyal or so full of love they became the softest person of the entire story. Make them laugh easily and smile often. Let them cry and feel and express all of their feelings. They won't be less jaded and rude if you give them as many and vivid colors as you want. You'll just be giving them more life.

[percyramblesaboutatla]

Zuko and Sokka - also known as the grumpers<3

[seasideoranges]

A lot of people put Zuko and Sokka in the 'grumpy x sunshine duo', and while I initially get why some people do this, Sokka is a goofball and a jokester, and can help unwind the group and raise spirits, don't forget that the boy can also be just as grumpy! He's sarcastic, he tends to approach a lot of things with skepticism, which can lead to him being cynical, and he's kind of a party pooper sometimes! Both Zuko and Sokka have their moment when they say "I'm never happy" which is hilarious.

Basically, both boys are different flavors of grumpy and dramatic, and I really love that. So I personally don't think the grumpy and sunshine trope fit those two. This isn't the "black cat and golden retriever" trope, this is "black cat and orange cat". They're both assholes.

[bouncybongfairy]

Freezer Burn

Prince Zuko x Fem Reader Smut

Summary: Tensions are running high which causes a argument between Zuko and yourself. He bruises the confidence you have in your hunting abilities and reaffirms your fear of being a burden. Wanting to prove otherwise, you go out in the cold to hunt. Feeling guilty about how he treated you, he goes out to find you. The two of you find some innovative ways to keep warm.

Word Count: 2.0k+

<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3

Everyone was having a rough day of travel, even Appa was reaching his limit. It was freezing and the optimism of finding a warm place to sleep was fading in everyone. Anng found a small cave that would work for the night. It was on a small mountain and overlooked an even smaller village. Zuko started making a fire while Katara and yourself set up the tents. Yang and Sokka were already asleep, curled into Appa’s thick fur. You were hungry but so was everyone else. 

“Are we going to be able to hunt for food soon? Or get some water?” you asked. 

“We could but I don’t think the cold would allow us to be out there for long. Not to mention there wouldn’t be any animals out, it's just too cold,” she said. 

“Not to mention you’d barely come home with anything in good weather,” Zuko grumbled, poking at the fire. He’d been making cracks at you all day, at first you could ignore him. Excusing his behavior on fatigue and hunger pains, but now you were taking it personally. 

“You’re not a prince among us, so stop acting like it” you say in hopes of lowering his ego.

“I am the best fighter and hunter, the past two battles you’ve only slowed us down. Maybe if we had a successful kill earlier we wouldn’t be hungry now,” he said. 

“Zuko don’t say that!” Katara snapped. 

All day you’d been beating yourself up over that mistake. Deep down you knew the rest of the group was irritated about you costing them the meal earlier. It just reaffirmed your insecurity. Grabbing your bow and arrows, you start putting your clothes back on while preparing for a hunt. 

“We’re all really tired and yes we may be hungry but you’re not the sole reason for that. Zuko is obviously just grumpy, don’t let his outburst get to you,” she says, grabbing your arm. 

Deep down you wanted to listen and calm down, rest for a while. Your pride however wouldn’t allow you to stop yourself. As you left, you could hear Katara yelling at Zuko to apologize. The feeling of dread bubbled in your stomach, you didn’t want to make anyone worry but your ego was clouding your judgment. Everyone in the group had their own ways of helping and at times you did feel like a burden. Extra weight that Appa had to carry on his back. It wasn’t that you were mad about what Zuko said, you were more frustrated that it was true. At this point it felt like you’d been walking for hours. The snow was coming down hard, without any signs of lightning. Not eating and your lack of rest was starting to get to you. Your stomach felt like it was eating away at itself. Eyes burning and muscles starting to stiffen from the cold penetrating your clothes. You tried not to go too far, knowing you couldn’t carry an animal in the cold that far. But you had to get some distance between you and the cave in order to find any wild game. Finally spotting a young Moose Lion, looking lost and confused, you almost hesitated when readying your bow. After successfully hitting the animal, your body floods with adrenaline. This quickly fades as you realize you’ll have to drag the thing home. Seemingly underestimating the size which caused a struggle when walking back. Even though it was freezing, you’d broken into a sweat. Starting to feel lightheaded, you took a moment to catch your breath. 

Katara was pacing at the entrance of the cave, anxious for your arrival. He wouldn’t admit it, but Zuko was feeling his own regret about how he’d spoken to you. He didn’t mean to let his anger get the best of him, it just sort of happened. 

“I think I should go out to look for her, she could be freezing to death,” she said, starting to get dressed.

“You can’t, it’s a full blown blizzard,” Zuko said, standing up. 

“Well we can’t just leave her to die out there!” Katara snaps, upset that he would even suggest stopping her from leaving. 

“I know, but only a fire bender would have the resources to survive such severe weather. I’ll go,” he said, making the fire sustainable for the time he’d be gone for. 

“Just be careful,” Katara said as he walked into the cold.

Once he felt just how bad it was outside, his guilt intensified. It wasn’t true what he said about you being a burden. He was just feeling insecure about his own place in the group. Simply projecting his inner turmoil onto you. Knowing it pushed you this far was getting to him. He took a deep breath and started following the faint track you left. Even though a fresh layer of snow was now covering the foot prints, it was still enough to follow. At times Zuko would use his fire for warmth and light. Getting desperate, he began calling your name out. Fatigue was starting to affect him as well. He finally thought he saw you, laying against the animal. He assumed you were just pulling the arrow out but when he got closer he noticed you were passed out. He immediately started assessing you, looking around knowing he had to find shelter that was closer than the rest of the group. Using his fire, he melts a coating of snow and ice, covering a small cave. The animal luckily kept you warm while he wasn’t there but he was still worried about your fingers. They had practically no color and your lips were tinted blue. Once he got you inside the cave, next to the fire he created, he brought the animal in. Impressed that you shot it right through the chest. Taking off his outer layers and bundling you up in them. He was relieved to see the color coming back to your fingertips and cheeks. Checking every once in a while to make sure you were getting too close and burning yourself. 

The two of you wouldn’t be able to make the trip back any time soon, so Zuko began skinning and sectioning off the meat. Washing his hands with melted snow he was slowly collecting. As he roasted the meat, he couldn’t help but admire your beauty. Your eyelashes were long and the light from the fire was illuminating your face. Sleeping with your lips slightly parted, hair completely unraveled from the tight bun it once was in. After a couple hours, you slowly began to come too. Sitting up rubbing your eyes, Zuko rushes over to you.

“Are you okay?” he asks, brushing the hair out of your face. He grabbed a bowl of water, bringing it to your lips,

“Sit closer to the fire,” he said, helping you sit up fully. Still weak, you were wobbling while you sat criss-crossed. Still shivering a bit because your back was cold, not able to feel the heat from the fire. Zuko notices this and comes to sit behind you, stabilizing and warming you up. He was using a stick to roast the meat he’d prepared from the animal. It smelt really good, and was the only reason you were keeping your eyes open. He brought the stick to your lips but you were too weak to rip a piece off. Trying to bite a small chunk but not having the strength to actually get a bite. He laughs at your attempt and rips a small piece off, bringing it to your mouth. He repeated this a couple times, giving you sips of water in between. Letting you digest, he rests his chin on top of your head and keeps cooking. After eating, you could feel yourself gaining strength and energy. Becoming more aware of your surroundings.

“What happened?” you asked, looking around and noticing it was only you and Zuko. 

“You went out to hunt and passed out. I came looking for you but the storm was too powerful to travel back to camp with you and the kill. So we're camping here for the night,” he explained, adding more wood to the fire. 

That was when you slowly started putting the pieces of your memory back together. You were grateful to be sheltered now, definitely counting your blessings. Noticing that Zuko wasn’t wearing a shirt, you took off what he gave you. He accepted it but didn’t put it on right away, instead just laying it on his neck like a scarf. 

“I’m sorry for egging you on like that, and for not stopping you from leaving,” he said, moving his chin from your head to your collarbone. 

“It was my decision, I knew it wasn’t a good idea. It was my stubbornness that put both of us at risk,” you said. 

“I like that you're stubborn, that you don’t listen to people who underestimate you,” he said.

“I thought you hated me,” you chuckle. 

“I know that’s what I show but it couldn’t be further than the truth,” he spoke softly. 

“Oh yeah? Why’s that?” you asked, moving your back closer against his chest. 

“As mean as I’ve been, you always are so nice and understanding. Even when I don’t deserve it,” he said. 

“Zuko you always deserve it, you’re easy to love,” you say, turning to face him. 

His face was bright red and for the first time you were seeing his vulnerability. Just slightly, like he didn’t want to give too much away. You move his hair out of the way and look at his scar. Although he looked a little embarrassed, he tilted his head so you could get a full look. Without thinking, you started kissing the skin around his eye. He ended up catching your lips with his. Immediately you move so that you’re straddling his lap. His back was pressed against the wall of the cave, your back was facing the fire. Running your fingers through his hair, admiring how soft the strands were. He moaned into your mouth as you pulled and tugged. Rocking your hips against crotch, your stomach tightening after feeling him get hard. You take in a sharp intake of breath and narrow down, focusing on rubbing against his shaft. Zuko’s hips began to buck involuntarily, which led to his taking his pants off. You follow his lead and do the same, also removing your top. Using his hands to rock your hips against his. Partly because he liked spreading your wetness along himself but also enjoying watching your chest bounce. He takes one of your nipples into his mouth, you let out a strangled moan. The pleasure was so intense the rocking of your hips was becoming erratic. Seeing you react so intensely to his touch made him go somewhat feral. 

Flipping you over so your back is against the cold ground. He was feverishly kissing your neck and chest, at times making you giggle. He smiled down at you, taking in how beautiful your eyes were in the soft glow of the fire. Your entire body felt like it was burning down to your core. Pulling your knees to your chest, taking the hint he sat up. He was now towering above you, his member laying on your front. Leaking pre-cum onto your lower stomach. He grabs himself, slapping his dick on your pussy. Enjoying the moans and whines coming from your mouth every time he rubbed his tip against your clit. He enjoyed watching you beneath him, desperate for his touch. A relief only he could provide you. Unable to take any more foreplay, he presses into you. Muttering curses as he is overwhelmed by your heat. How tight you felt around him and your moans matching up with his movement made him feel overstimulated. Like he couldn’t slow his heart rate down. Watching as your tits bounced with every thrust, how braindead you were from pleasure. He presses his hands down on your stomach so he could feel this cock pounding in and out of you. The sudden pressure was enough to send you over the edge. Pulling Zuko down and raking your nails down his back, 

“Fuck!” he said it loud, right in your ear. 

His thrusts were unrelenting as he chased his orgasm. Groaning and moaning into your shoulder as he finally came. Rutting into you as he came inside you, pressing himself as close as he could be to you. Petting his hair and whispering encouraging things into his hair. He laid down beside you, pulling you into his chest before covering the two of you with a woven quilt. Giving the fire one last hit before drifting off to sleep with you.

[thief-of-eggs]

When you break down their character stereotypes, Sokka and Zuko actually make perfect sense together.

Like- Sokka is the comedic one. The one known to lighten every mood.

And Zuko is the moody, strung up one. The one who is always serious, never laughs, never lightens up.

So of course they’d work well together. Sokka would help loosen Zuko up, and Zuko would help ground Sokka. These stereotypes are paired together in media all the time. (aka grumpy x sunshine one)

Literally, if one of them was a woman… they would’ve been canon.

[bisexuallsokka]

grumpy snarky sokka is so so important to me. he’s more than a character he is my friend.

[luzho]

it’s them, the winners of the best atla ship twitter tournament 2022: zuko and sokka!! i literally got possessed by these two sarcastic grumps and i drew this in an instant last night... zukka nation we keep winning!

(based on the poses of this photo and That chibi doodle made by bryan konietzko, which i have been dying to redraw ever since i first saw it)

[ID: This is a digital drawing of Sokka and Zuko, drawn in warm colors against a blank background. Pressed cheek to cheek and looking at each other, Sokka furrows his brows and smirks while telling a terrible pun, as Zuko lifts one judging eyebrow while trying to keep his cool and not laugh. End ID]

[narrativelysignificantturtleduck]

something that makes sokka extremely adhd relatable is that he's constantly looking for his Thing, the one Thing he's good at or useful for that makes up for any failings or flaws or ways he just can't measure up to others. at the beginning of the show he defines himself by being the oldest boy in the village & best warrior, but then he gets his ass kicked by zuko and suki and sees aang's raw power and he can't exactly think fighting is his special skill anymore. but he still thinks he has to be defined by fighting ('man of the house' daddy issues) so he calls himself the guy with the boomerang bc that's turned out to be his most useful and versatile and unique weapon, the one that other people can't outclass him at (after all, it's his most successful attack in his fight with zuko). when he loses it in "avatar day" he explicitly says it's like losing a key part of his identity and the moment katara goes "hey you're good at solving mysteries" he's like "yeah! i'm a detective! that's my new thing! and gets a new set of objects to signify it ("i believe in the power of stuff"). but detective sokka doesn't last bc throughout the entire episode he and katara are pretty equally matched in detective skills and he gets his boomerang back anyway. failed experiment.

and throughout all of this, he's figured out that people find his insistance on getting them fed & his grumpy comments funny and so he begins defining himself as the meat and sarcasm guy, and when he's a tough spot in "bitter work", bargaining with the universe to get him help, he offers that up as all he's got to give. it's obviously a Joke that he immediately asks for meat after telling the universe he'll give it up but it's also pretty indicative of how much he clings to these identities. it's all he's got (he thinks), of COURSE he can't actually give it up. they stuck that boy in a hole for 22 minutes and it revealed so much about how he sees himself.

at some point (likely around "the library" when he takes initiative to come up with a fire nation invasion plan) he also becomes the plan guy, the idea guy, and the gaang find themselves looking to him for leadership. this is perhaps the closest to fully encompassing sokka that any of his "[blank] guy" labels get, since coming up with plans involves planning when and how to fight (boomerang guy) & how to get everyone fed (meat), and people not following his plans is a major source of frustration (sarcasm).

this all culminates in "sokka's master", where the show finally names the underlying insecurity driving this quest - that he's a nonbender. katara being the last waterbender meant she was in danger and that keeping her safe was top priority, and even though hakoda and kya wouldn't have played favorites sokka probably felt a little like the unfavorite child for not being special like her. he lacks an ability, and believes his life has less value bc of it. almost like somebody with a disability and internalized ableism

(interesting, one of the people who most consistently mocks sokka for being a nonbender is toph, early on. toph has a lot of internalized ableism herself, a fear of vulnerability bc she doesn't want to perceived as weak like her parents thought she was. her bending is her disability aid, the thing that allows her to be stronger than people think, so she dismisses a nonbender until she learns better.)

piandao's response to sokka's lack of self-worth is not to train him to be great at one thing, but to introduce him to a variety of different arts, show him that his value lies not in having any one skill but in his capacity to learn and grow. there's no single thing that makes him worthy. it isn't even the combination of all of them that makes him worthy. he simply is worthy.

and i don't know if this is a unique narrative in fiction or anything but it really means a lot to me that sokka doesn't have One Thing that "makes up" for him not being a bender. he's of course extremely skilled and prodigious at many things he does in the show but there's no one savant talent that "justifies" him being in the group and i feel like so many disability narratives - especially for kids - go that route and i really appreciate that atla doesn't and simply says people are valuable because they are valuable, not because of their special abilities