#day 8: chief katara

[zuko-always-lies]

ATLA Overall Character Stats

One thing I have been wondering for a while is how many lines of dialogue each character has in ATLA. I recently figured out an easy way to calculate it, so here are the stats for the entire series. You can look at the stats for Book 1, Book 2, and Book 3 at those links.

There are 9985 total lines of dialogue in the series. They are divided up as follows:

Aang 1796 lines, 17.99% of total lines Sokka 1635 lines, 16.37% Katara 1433 lines, 14.35%(this increases to 1439 lines and 14.81% when you include "Young Katara") Zuko 776 lines, 7.77% (this increases to 809 lines and 8.10% when you include "Young Zuko) Toph 508 lines, 5.09% Iroh 337 lines, 3.38% Azula 211 lines, 2.11%(this increases to 232 lines and 2.32% when you include "Young Azula") Jet 134 lines, 1.34% Suki 114 lines, 1.14% Zhao 107 lines, 1.07% Mai 82 lines, 0.82%(this increases to 83 lines and 0.83% when you include "Young Mai") Hakoda 77 lines, 0.77% Roku 67 lines, 0.67% Ty Lee 64 lines, 0.64%(this increases to 66 lines and 0.66% when you include "Young Ty Lee) Bumi 55 lines, 0.55% Ozai 55 lines, 0.55% Yue 53 lines, 0.53% Hama 49 lines, 0.49% Long Feng 46 lines, 0.46% Piandao 43 lines, 0.430645969% Mechanist 42, 0.420630946% Kuei 40, 0.400600901% Bato 38, 0.380570856% Pathik 38, 0.380570856% Pakku 37, 0.370555834% Teo 35, 0.350525789% Chong 33, 0330495744% Warden of Boiling Rock 33, 0.330495744% Young Zuko 33, 0.330495744% Jeong Jeong 32, 0.320480721%

More obscure characters below

Guard 29 0.290435653 Haru 29 0.290435653 Joo Dee 29 0.290435653 June 28 0.280420631 Wu 28 0.280420631 Zhang leader 28 0.280420631 Xin Fu 27 0.270405608 Zei 27 0.270405608 Chit Sang 26 0.260390586 Sozin 26 0.260390586 Shyu 25 0.250375563 Gan Jin leader 23 0.230345518 Fong 22 0.220330496 Smellerbee 22 0.220330496 Ursa 22 0.220330496 Young Azula 21 0.210315473 Actress Aang 19 0.190285428 Gyatso 19 0.190285428 Yu 19 0.190285428 Arnook 18 0.180270406 Meng 18 0.180270406 Sun Warrior chief 18 0.180270406 Wan Shi Tong 18 0.180270406 Canyon guide 17 0.170255383 Captain 17 0.170255383 Jin 17 0.170255383 Lee 17 0.170255383 Oyaji 17 0.170255383 Tong 17 0.170255383 Actor Sokka 16 0.160240361 Actress Katara 16 0.160240361 Fisherman 16 0.160240361 King Bumi 16 0.160240361 Li 16 0.160240361 Tho 16 0.160240361 Tyro 16 0.160240361 Warden 16 0.160240361 Yon Rha 16 0.160240361 Bully guard 15 0.150225338 Due 15 0.150225338 Actor Zuko 14 0.140210315 Chey 14 0.140210315 Lao 14 0.140210315 Male guard 14 0.140210315 Pirate captain 14 0.140210315 Chan 13 0.130195293 Dock 13 0.130195293 Herbalist 13 0.130195293 Ghashiun 12 0.12018027 Huu 12 0.12018027 Ticket lady 12 0.12018027 Calm man 11 0.110165248 Female guard 11 0.110165248 Kay-fon 11 0.110165248 Lo 11 0.110165248 Lo and Li 11 0.110165248 Ying 11 0.110165248 Actress Azula 10 0.100150225 Earthbender captain 10 0.100150225 Gan Jin tribesman 10 0.100150225 Great Fire Sage 10 0.100150225 Headmaster 10 0.100150225 Jee 10 0.100150225 Kanna 10 0.100150225 Oh 10 0.100150225 Qin 10 0.100150225 Senlin Village leader 10 0.100150225 Song 10 0.100150225 Yung 10 0.100150225 Dai Li agent 9 0.090135203 Fisherman's wife 9 0.090135203 General Sung 9 0.090135203 Gow 9 0.090135203 Hahn 9 0.090135203 Haru's mother 9 0.090135203 Koh 9 0.090135203 Pipsqueak 9 0.090135203 Shinu 9 0.090135203 Soldier 9 0.090135203 The Boulder 9 0.090135203 The Duke 9 0.090135203 Xu 9 0.090135203 Gansu 8 0.08012018 Kenji 8 0.08012018 Kwan 8 0.08012018 Mother Superior 8 0.08012018 Old man 8 0.08012018 Shuzumu 8 0.08012018 Yagoda 8 0.08012018 Cabbage merchant 7 0.070105158 Fire Sage 7 0.070105158 Fung 7 0.070105158 General How 7 0.070105158 Koko 7 0.070105158 Male student 7 0.070105158 Man 7 0.070105158 Pao 7 0.070105158 Tashi 7 0.070105158 Than 7 0.070105158 Trainer 7 0.070105158 Villager 7 0.070105158 Warden Poon 7 0.070105158 Due to Tumblr limatations on length, I had to put the remaining characters(those with 6 or fewer lines) in a two separate posts .

[burst-of-iridescent]

atla live action thoughts: episodes 7 & 8

SPOILERS AHEAD

tw: opinions

things i liked:

i keep forgetting to say this but i love the stylization of the opening credits it looks so elegant

northern water tribe looks beautiful. the spirit oasis is stunning, this show almost never fails to deliver on visuals

i fucking KNEW they were going to end the season with azula producing lightning for the first time and it looks great i won't lie. can't wait for her blue fire

the pakku v katara fight is not bad actually, though it obviously doesn't hold a candle to the original. glad they kept the ice discs moment in because that was iconic and it does have a nice set-up of her learning it from the earthbenders

i do like that they allow aang to interact with different avatars and that they all give him different perspectives. it highlights the differences in their personalities and how the role of the avatar had to be adapted to the times they lived in

i can't remember exactly what it was but aang's line about how this isn't his world or his time went hard

"i underestimated zhao" "funny i figured that out as i was swimming away from the burning wreckage of my boat" i live for sassy zuko

good decision to take out pakku only deciding to teach katara because she was kanna's granddaughter. that reeked of exceptionalism and never sat right with me, so i appreciate that she at least proves herself and also that she includes the other women in the tribe when pushing him to let them fight

yugoda getting to yell at pakku for being a misogynistic idiot is exactly what she deserves, you tell him queen

KOIZILLA!!

seeing the fall of omashu to azula was an addition that made a lot of sense, and sets up the return to omashu episode in the next season nicely

things i disliked:

yue's wig was atrocious. can't believe i'm saying this but the shyamalan movie did it better. amber midthunder deserved so much better

the misogyny arc was a godforsaken mess. the northern water tribe is still sexist... but no one seems to be sexist except for pakku?? chief arnook seems to be grooming yue to take over as chief, the other male waterbenders are impressed by katara and respect her right away, yue seems to have a lot of autonomy, hahn is respectful and kind, and then pakku himself changes his mind on women fighting pretty much within one day. so what was the point of including it at all?

this show has completely nuked katara's rage. she would not be calmly announcing that she's fighting pakku as though it was a calculated decision because it very much wasn't! it was her sense of righteousness and outrage over injustice taking over and it hurts me deeply that they removed that because it's so important to who she is! i needed to see a LOT more power and fury in her in this scene but instead it felt extremely lukewarm

KATARA AND AANG NEVER. FUCKING. LEARN. WATERBENDING. for a show that marketed itself so heavily with the tagline "master your element" there isn't a lot of mastering going on here?? i'm sorry i don't buy at ALL that katara would be able to become a master with One waterbending scroll and watching some earthbenders. i know she's a prodigy but no one can be THAT prodigious. and it really makes her fight with zuko and subsequently being called master katara fall flat because i don't think i've been shown enough to justify that

also hate that my girl got knocked out halfway through the zutara fight because of the moon wtaf let her kick zuko's ass

a moment of silence for "aren't you a big girl now" and "you rise with the moon, i rise with the sun" you will always be famous

despite knowing the avatar needs to learn waterbending, pakku and arnook just?? walk away?? when they find out he hasn't??? SOMEONE TEACH THIS POOR BOY AN ELEMENT OTHER THAN AIR. ANY ELEMENT, I'M BEGGING

real quick, who had "momo saves a random little girl from falling rock only to be nearly killed and saved by yue and sokka in the spirit oasis" on their live action bingo? no one, that's who, BECAUSE THAT'S FUCKING BONKERS. people are dying all around them but sokka and yue decide this is the time to fuck off to save a lemur?? please be so fr

iroh telling zuko to remember his breath of fire when this show has not once established (at least, iirc) that power in firebending comes from the breath is... something. heavily dislike how little focus was given to the intricacies of learning bending in this series

HATE that they removed zhao dying because of koizilla and gave it to iroh instead. that was such a great moment of karmic justice for zhao and really highlighted how he brought about his own downfall through his pride and arrogance. i know they tried to show zuko's compassion by having him spare zhao and walk away (as a callback to the agni kai i'm guessing) but zuko risking himself to save the life of the man who tried to kill him in the original just hit SO much harder.

the pacing of the north pole arc in general was FAR too rushed. at least in the original animation we got the sense that they'd spent weeks there, but in the show it feels like it's been a couple of days MAX. there had to be much more time to build up the threat of the fire nation and the yue/sokka relationship

the sense of time passing was a problem i anticipated the show would have from the start because 8 episodes just feels shorter than 20, but i wish they'd at least done some montages or something to make it seem like time was passing between episodes. as it is, it felt like every episode picked up right after the previous and so the whole season felt like it happened within a week or two. which is a shame because it weakens the epic scale of their journey in having to cross the entire world

overall rating: 6/10. unfortunately i think these episodes were the weakest of the series both in quality of writing and entertainment value, but still fun to watch for the most part

[shanastoryteller]

Happy Holidays!!!! Zutara dragon fic please!!

a continuation of��1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

"Were you scared?" Yue asks, the first time she manages to be alone with the strange and powerful Southerner. "When the Fire Lord's mother kidnapped you, you must have been scared."

Katara gives her a hard looks that Yue refuses to flinch from. She's younger than her, but she's done so much, has a skill with bending that even Pakku is reluctantly impressed by and a dragon with glittering eyes that walks in her shadow.

She also has a very cute brother. A cute brother that found the avatar and protectd him all the way to the Fire Nation and who Yue thinks could make a good chief to her people. Maybe.

Some of Katara's defensiveness eases and she says, "The flight there was scary. Everything that came after was - less." She hesitates, then says, "I could have been home that same day, if I wanted to. Zuko offered to fly me home, every day. I always said no. I chose this too."

A future of her own choosing.

Yue wants that too.

[thatoneguy56fanfic]

Inspired by this awesome post I decided to try my own version!

Excerpts from The White Lotus Avatar Guide Book (Unofficial)

Or updated protocol concerning Avatar Korra.

1. Get used to the nicknames.

1.1. Avatar Korra does occasionally give multiple nicknames to the same person.

1.2. If you value your life, DO NOT ever call Chief Lin Beifong “Chief Cranky Pants”.

1.3. Avatar Korra is the only one allowed to call General Kuvira “General Eyebrows.”

1.4. Detective Mako asks that you no longer call him “Sharkbrows” no matter how much Avatar Korra does it.

1.5. Please only address Avatar Korra as “Korra”, “Avatar”, or “Avatar Korra” instead of whatever nicknames she tries giving herself.

1.6. No, we cannot address Avatar Korra as “The Most Badass Avatar Who Ever Lived.” Avatar Kyoshi still holds that title.

2. Please try to limit Naga’s treats to only per person.

2.1. Do not try to take away any of Naga’s toys/bones.

2.2. If you have recommendations on how to remove polar-bear-dog hair from clothes please contact the Grand Lotus.

2.3. Naga is permitted at least one hour of play time every day.

3. If you cannot find Avatar Korra search all nearby rooftops. Seaside cliffs and mountains are a good choice as well.

3.1. Checking Avatar Aang Memorial Island is also recommended.

3.2. If she still isn’t found, try asking Master Katara.

3.3. On further consideration, do not ask Master Katara. She can and will mislead you for amusement.

3.4. So will Meelo, Ikki, Rohan, and Jinora.

3.5. Detective Mako and Asami Sato will as well. Bolin most likely doesn’t know where she is, but will insist he does.

3.6. Naga is the best choice. She can track.

3.7. If Naga cannot be found either, contact Chief Tonraq or Senna. Or Master Tenzin.

3.8. If she still cannot be found, contact General Kuvira.

4. DO NOT GIVE AVATAR KORRA CATCUS JUICE.

4.1. Please do not challenge Avatar Korra with dares. She will do them.

4.2. Please do not participate in any drinking games with Avatar Korra. She will win.

4.3. DO NOT GIVE AVATAR KORRA CATCUS JUICE.

4.4. If Avatar Korra goes out in public while drunk, please contact her publicist. Master Tenzin has the number.

4.5. Drunk Avatar Korra can be persuaded to come home by mentioning Naga, or food.

4.6. If that fails call General Kuvira.

4.7. DO NOT GIVE AVATAR KORRA CATCUS JUICE.

4.8. On the rare chance that Avatar Korra gets her hands on cactus juice, please notify the local authorities. As well as General Kuvira, and the Avatar’s publicist.

4.9. After the last incident we’d like to remind everyone NOT to encourage drunk Avatar Korra to go streaking.

5. Under NO circumstances is Avatar Korra allowed to drive any vehicle.

5.1. President Zhu Li banned Avatar Korra from ever getting a driver’s license. Do not believe her if she tries to convince you otherwise.

5.2. Chief Lin Beifong herself promised to arrest anyone who helps Avatar Korra drive.

5.3. After the incident in Ba Sing Se, King Wu has permanently banned Korra from ever having a driver’s license.

5.4. Do not believe Asami Sato when she says she has “special permission” to teach Avatar Korra how to drive.

6. Do not try to interrupt Avatar Korra and Chief Tonraq while they’re listening to Pro-bending on the radio.

6.1. Please don’t encourage Avatar Korra to gamble on Pro-bending matches.

6.2. Please don’t encourage Chief Tonraq to gamble on Pro-bending matches.

7. For the last time, we are not allowed in Avatar Korra’s family home.

7.1. Please do not try to interrupt Avatar Korra’s time with her parents. It will not end well.

7.2. For the love of Agni, DO NOT try to interrupt Avatar Korra’s alone time with General Kuvira.

8. No, Avatar Korra will never stop saying “I’m the Avatar and you have to deal with it.”

8.1. Avatar Korra is also very fond of terrible puns and “dad” jokes.

8.2. Please do not tell Avatar Korra sex jokes. She’ll never stop repeating them.

8.3. Also don’t ask for sex stories unless you’re prepared to hear them.

9. The Avatar Fund is NOT to be used for Avatar Korra’s personal investments.

9.1. After the Varriwash incident, we’d like to remind everyone to carefully screen Avatar Korra’s mail for scams.

10. Avatar Korra would appreciate it if you didn’t mention her PTSD publicly.

10.1. Talking about Avatar Korra to ANY newspaper, radio show, or magazine will result in immediate termination.

[katara-week]

(Header by @fyon-luna-13, showing the prompts for Katara Week and their days overlaid on a wave design. The prompts are: Day 1- Moon/Child/Queerness, Day 2-Grief/Last Waterbender, Day 3-Friendship/Katara and Momo/Katara and Appa, Day 4-Pirates!/Bending Master, Day 5-Spirits/Culture/Disability, Day 6-Chief Katara/Rage/Revolution, Day 7-Free Day!)

Katara Week 2023 - April 17-23

A week for works of any medium centered around our favorite waterbending master 🌊 run by @antimonarchy

timeline

prompt submission form open December 13-20

prompt voting open December 21-January 8

prompts released January 9

event runs from Monday April 17 - Sunday April 23

late submissions taken until May 7th

how to submit

tag this blog in your post

(not required) add writing to this ao3 collection (tba)

guidelines

all content must be similar in rating to atla/lok - around teen (no nsfw, no graphic violence)

any works that whitewash the characters or contain racist tropes will not be accepted

make your work accessible! add IDs for visual content (alt text fine but visible descriptions encouraged - for long descriptions, I recommend a short one in the alt/longer one below the image) and transcripts for audio content - both should be above readmores

additionally if I can do anything to make this blog or event more accessible, please let me know!

[doyouevenshipbr0]

10 strongest earthbenders

i did this with waterbenders a little while ago and while i dont feel AS passionately about earthbending as i do waterbending, i still wanna give my thoughts bc i love atla and i love yapping duhhhh

rules: not including avatars and not including anything from yangchen or kiyoshi (havent read those) and honestlyyyyyy i cant think of a character from the comics in general that would make this list but im not gonna include ppl we meet in the comics either bc to be so honest 1 i havent read the lok comics and 2 i have only read the atla comics once and i read them as they came out so it was years ago. STRICTLY GOING OFF THE SHOWS!

realizing i def shouldve made this list right after my most recent lok rewatch (its been a couple months atp)

ANYWAYS lets go

honorable mentions: tbh the only one i wanna say here is the dai li. they probably could be like number 8/9 but idrk how to rank a whole group of ppl? but the way they use earthbending is super cool. in general, im realizing there are not nearly as many overwhelming earthbending forces as there are in waterbending? so this list starts a little shaky.

10. xin fu/master yu- so like. not sure what to say/how i would even differentiate. they are both masters. duh. we didn’t see much of them but we know they are easily outclassed by the rest of this list soooo… sorry! moving on

9. general fong- alright u might be wondering “who is this” so its the guy in the episode where they try to force aang into the avatar state in the beginning of book 2 to try and make him fight the firelord sooner. literally nothing of interest to note EXCEPT when he does that super baller move where he makes katara sink into the earth?!?!!?!?! logistically i dont think this makes much sense bc how tf did she not get crushed and i think this method would make earthbending kinda super broken lmfao so they literally only ever used it this one time (from what i remember) but it is suchhhh a cool move and it is SCARY! so props to this guy for being the only earthbender we see do this super sick move!

8. wei and wing- HEAR ME OUT!!!!!! they are soooo much more useful than u remember them being. they always are holding their own with their mom and aunt and all the other amazing earthbenders around them. theyre nothing super spectacular and are not given much time to shine since theyre such minor characters, but if u pay attention to the screen time they do have, they are really really good. the fact that they can earthbend so easily alongside their mom and keep up with her is really all u need to know. they WILL pull up!!!!!!!

7. bolin- so like. its tricky right bc he is THEE earth bender in the legend of korra but honestly he really is not THAT great. obviously he is great and that’s why he makes this list but yknow what i mean. he has lavabending!!!!!! which is super sick. he also has tonsssss of raw strength and agility which is probably his biggest strength. but honestly i think what keeps him low is his lack of skill, finesse, and honestly meaningful fight scenes that go in his favor. feels like his character maybe suffers from a littttttle bit of being sidelined bending wise bc he was SUCH the comedic relief. its almost like the writers didnt have time to make him a super fleshed out earthbender because they were too busy trying to make him funny?? idk im rambling but bolin is just a tricky one. still amazing! just not as amazing as the rest of the list.

6. lin- dont fight me istg. i can FULLY admit that my biases are coming into play here but im still gonna defend my point. here are the facts: i kind of cant stand lin and i LOVE su yin. i do understand that realistically, the fact that lin is the chief of police and has dedicated pretty much her entire life to it would make her crazy strong, and it does! shes the chief of republic city police for a reason. she has a fuck ton of combat experience which helps her to be as strong as she is. i just cannot, in good faith, have her any higher. from what i have seen from numbers 5-1, they seem better than lin.

5. su yin- ah su yin. i love su yin. and if im being logical, lin would be a stronger earthbender because she has (from what we know) farrrrrrrrrrr more direct combat experience. but if im being honest, when i look at them earthbend, su yin’s earthbending looks better. its more interesting, she looks like she uses more skill, shes more creative, she seems more resourceful, and she seems more adaptable as well. she killed p’li!!! also she was kicking lin’s ass in their 1 v 1 but it feels wrong to count that bc lin was like on her deathbed lmfao. still, although lin seems like she has more experience and probably a greater battle IQ, su yin just seems better. maybe its the bias! (it def is)

4. ghazan- lava bending. he is the best at it. just everyone in the red lotus is scary strong. i rly dont need to tell u why he’s this high. it is so obvious.

3. bumi- mf took back omashu all by himselffffff. i feel like bumi is by far the earthbender we see across both shows that has the most raw strength. hes also wise and shit!!! absolute beast. i know a handful of people think hes number 1, and i know MOST people think hes at least number 2, but he’s just not in my opinion. obviously still one of the best of the best.

2. kuvira- i just. wow. i feel like on my most recent rewatch i realllllyyyyyy saw how EXCELLENT of an earthbender she is. like ok first of all yes she was the villain of this season so she was definitely going to be strong but she is literally just beating the shit out of everyone for the entire season. like no one, not even korra until the last couple eps, can even compete on the same playing field. (i know korra was dealing with a lot of personal beef but STILL). the amount of skill and precision and effectiveness she has is the best we see in earthbending in legend of korra. she genuinely seems like she isnt even giving it her all in most of her fights and she is still just mopping the floor with everyone. she was a dictator for a reason ok like who is beating my girl?!?!?!? (other than thee mother of all of earthbending ofc).

1. toph- i mean. i dont want to even explain. no earthbender has a better connection, understanding, and natural ability with earth like toph. her bending is an extension of herself to the very fullest. invented metalbending. cultivated metalbending into the martial art it is today. was (kind of) a self taught master by 12. and the stuff that she DID learn she learned when she was practically a toddler from the original benders, the badger moles. i feel like some people try to argue her spot bc she isnt always as flashy as other earthbenders (bumi, ghazan, kuvira) but she is by FAR the most effective. and not just in a day to day basis, but in fights too. hence why shes the strongest. i dont think many would argue this position but yeah. GOAT.

[dawnsiren]

As Empires Fall Chapter 16: End Note

So. My end note got REALLY long. So. I wrote this instead, so I could ramble on to my heart’s content.

****MASSIVE SPOILERS FOR AS EMPIRES FALL CHAPTER 16 BELOW THE CUT*** (Chapter 16 in my chronology, listed as chapter 17 in Ao3′s system)

I’ve mentioned before this chapter has been through a lot of iterations. Famously, I have a cut draft of it posted as part of 2022’s Azula Week. And that was probably the most dramatic variant, but it was definitely not the only one. So let’s go through them. 

2022 edition: The climax of this is as previously mentioned posted as an extra, but essentially the plan was that, in close resemblance to canon, the fish would live and Aang would merge with La while Tui possessed Yue. This was a very early draft that became entirely obsolete once I started working on the Northern arc in earnest. This version also involved Azula’s rampage being triggered by Zhao attacking Zuko and any disturbances to the fish being largely accidental because… idk fam this was like 8 months ago I really don’t know where my head was at. I’m pretty sure this was the most boring version of this chapter where everything went perfectly- Yue fine, fish fine, all is well in the world

Throwback Thursday Fish Edition: I initially had Aang’s communion with Tui and La involving a series of visions of past forms they’d had, including orca-La + wolf-Tui (meant to invoke imagery of the Ahklut, which I also brought up as being engraved on the door of the room Arnook is in when Azula warns them about the invasion), both humans influenced by the mythology of the Māori and related groups (man La in canoe + woman Tui with a water bucket), human woman La + rabbit Tui to invoke Chinese moon rabbit legends, and an armless selkie/mermaid La meant to resemble the Inuit goddess Sedna + A dark skinned & haired feminine figure with silver freckling and one silver eye and one black eye for Tui (they’re lesbians, Harold). This didn’t end up making it in because it didn’t fit with the rhythm of the scene, but I still really love the idea and wanted to share it, so here

Yue Lives Edition (Generic): In the versions where Yue survived as a mortal, I had her staying behind in the North as opposed to joining the Gaang for the rest of the story. Her and Sokka would separate on good terms, as wartime when either of them could die any day isn’t a great time to start a relationship. It wouldn’t be a dedicated ‘I’ll wait for you’ but the consensus would be that they’d reevaluate after the war ends, but if they met someone else in the meantime that was completely fine. Yue would stay to help her people/promote feminism and would also be who Azula addressed DoBS letters to as political shade to Arnook + they’re friends + ‘Princess outranks chief’

Yue Lives Spirit Water Edition: This was the version where Yue’s survival was a result of Magic Spirit Water, because the water Katara was using did come out of the fish pond. But I wasn’t sure of the exact mechanics of Magic Fish Water, so I put it to a vote among a number of my mutuals and the consensus was that Spirit Water Healing, while powerful, is still dependent on the skill of the healer. And Katara is still an apprentice. So this option was dismissed fairly quickly. 

Yue Lives Bloodbending/Divine Intervention Edition: This version had Yue surviving as a result of Katara accidentally learning to bloodbend, with this ability more accessible as a result of proximity to the moon spirit. In some versions this was influenced by La intervening a little to tell her what to do, probably influenced by Yue’s mother’s soul. In this version it was less an easy fix and more bought time for a more experienced healer to arrive and fix things, although it still would have taken time for her to recover.

So how did we get here, to the final version, exactly?

To be honest? I really don’t have a conclusive answer. I started out this story with the intention that Yue would live, and that was the mindset I had all the way up until like halfway through the Northern arc proper. But as things went on I started to waver on that. I literally didn’t know which way I was going to go until I wrote out the first thousand words of this chapter. And at that point… it felt disingenuous not to follow through. It just felt so off to me tonally, to have that scene be that deeply tragic but somehow magically end up fine. Sometimes a story needs tragedy. Things don’t always turn out okay. To win, often something has to be lost. At the end of writing this chapter, I realized that this whole time I’d been heading for this point. So many little moments and tiny details I’d threaded in that could only end one way, and to ignore the groundwork I’d laid would just be bad writing. Could I have gone back and changed it? Maybe. But I kind of like it better this way, even if it hurts. It feels more honest. More meaningful. It’s often tragedy that teaches us something about ourselves. It forces us to reflect, to really look at what we’re feeling. At what we might have done better. To find what needs to change. And maybe we find that there’s nothing that could have been done differently. But at least we can move on knowing that. And maybe, just maybe, we’ll know what can be done the next time.

[sokkastyles]

Zutara Month Day 8: Chief Katara

Hakoda passes in his sleep in the snow hut Katara had built for him. The snowfall is soft and light, the sun reflecting off the white-blanketed ground making everything seem brighter, as if the world were spirit-touched. Perhaps it is, on this day.

Grief in the Southern Water Tribe is a public affair. Her people believe that it is not right to keep these things unexpressed. But Katara is so used to living with grief, that silent companion. There was no room for expressions of grief when her mother died. Just because things are different now doesn’t change the guilt of it, and it seems wrong to her that she should cry for her father in a time of peace, when the sun is shining and reflecting off the snow, at a time when the world should be brighter.

Sokka had gone off to rebuild Kyoshi Island with Suki, and then there were other things to do. Engineering school in the Earth Kingdom, technological wonders to discover forged by the newly allied Earth and Fire. They were going to change the world, her brother said.

It is changed already.

Yet so much is still the same. The same grief sits within her heart, although there is room for much more there, now. More than what that lonely girl could handle, back then. There is joy, and love, and hope.

Zuko never sheds a tear. Whereas Katara’s heart is awash with her grief, the same emotion in Zuko sits like a stone. She can see it in his face, the way he schools his expression, a tactic he’d learned in childhood.

Katara does everything she can to make herself busy, including taking up the mantle that her father’s absence left. There is no time for grief when there is work to be done.

It’s Zuko who visits the stone where her father’s body lies buried, every day of the prescribed mourning period. Her husband who she has never seen cry, whose own father burned and scorned him. She sees him standing on the horizon with the mourners, sometimes kneeling among them, into the day and after the stars come out. From a distance, she hears his voice leading them in prayer for her father’s spirit, performing the rituals as if he were born to them.

He does it for her, she realizes. Not only because he loved Hakoda - for there will always be that part of her husband that clings to a father. She suspects the real reason lies in those moments, when he comes in from the cold to find her in council, or writing letters to the North or the Earth King (bearing her seal, the mark of the brave) to gently kiss her on the forehead and say, with a smile, “How are we going to save the world today, Chief?”

[mesencephaleisole]

chiefin'

day 8

@zutaramonth

[zuko-always-lies]

ATLA Book 3 Character Stats

One thing I have been wondering for a while is how many lines of dialogue each character has in ATLA. I recently figured out an easy way to calculate it, so here are the stats for Book 3. You can look at the stats for Book 1 and Book 2 at those links.

There are 3309 total lines of dialogue in the season. They are divided up as follows:

Sokka 526 lines, 15.90% Aang 486 lines, 14.69% Zuko 433 lines, 13.09% Katara 388 lines, 11.73% Toph 266 lines, 8.04% Azula 119 lines, 3.60% Hakoda 65 lines, 1.96% Suki 58 lines, 1.75% Mai 54 lines, 1.63% Hama 49 lines, 1.48% Roku 47 lines, 1.42% Ozai 46 lines, 1.39% Piandao 43 lines, 1.30% Ty Lee 35 lines, 1.06% Warden 33 lines, 1.00% Iroh 27 lines, 0.82% Chit Sang 26 lines, 0.79% Sozin 26 lines, 0.79%

More obscure characters have their stats below:

Actress Aang 19 lines, 0.57% Sun Warrior chief 18 lines, 0.54% Actor Sokka 16 lines, 0.48% Actress Katara 16 lines, 0.483% Yon Rha 16 lines, 0.48% Bully guard 15 lines, 0.453309157% Actor Zuko 14 lines, 0.423088546% Male guard 14 lines, 0.423088546% Chan 13 lines, 0.392867936% Dock 13 lines, 0.392867936% Li 13 lines, 0.392867936% Female guard 11, 0.332426715% June 10, 0.302206105% Actress Azula 10, 0.302206105% Bumi 10, 0.302206105% Headmaster 10, 0.302206105 Lo and Li 10, 0.302206105 Lo 9, 0.271985494 Xu 9, 0.271985494 Bato 8, 0.241764884 Kwan 8, 0.241764884 Mechanist 7, 0.211544273 Warden Poon 7, 0.211544273 Dealer 6, 0.181323663 Haru 6, 0.181323663 Kya 6, 0.181323663 Pakku 6 ,0.181323663 Ruon-Jian, 6 0.181323663 Shoji 6, 0.181323663 Teo 6, 0.181323663 The Duke 6, 0.181323663 Young Katara 6, 0.181323663 Actor Iroh 5, 0.151103052 Actor Ozai 5, 0.151103052 Banished servant 5, 0.151103052 Head of Dai Li 5, 0.151103052 Hide 5 ,0.151103052 Little boy 5, 0.151103052 Ming 5, 0.151103052 Mung 5, 0.151103052 On Ji 5, 0.151103052 Tyro 5 ,0.151103052 Avatar Roku 4, 0.120882442 Dream Ozai 4, 0.120882442 Ember Island teenager #1 4, 0.120882442 Fat 4, 0.120882442 Fire Navy officer 4, 0.120882442 Guard 4, 0.120882442 Ham Ghao 4, 0.120882442 Lion turtle 4, 0.120882442 Momo 4, 0.120882442 Music teacher 4, 0.120882442 Pipsqueak 4, 0.120882442 Servant 4, 0.120882442 Servant #1 4, 0.120882442 Southern Raiders commander 4, 0.120882442 Town authority 4, 0.120882442 Ursa 4, 0.120882442 Yangchen 4, 0.120882442 Actor Toph 3, 0.090661831 Appa 3, 0.090661831 Ding 3, 0.090661831 Door guard 3, 0.090661831 Due 3, 0.090661831 Ember Island teenager #2 3, 0.090661831 Engineer 3, 0.090661831 Female Fire Nation soldier 3, 0.090661831 Fire Sage 3, 0.090661831 Gondola guard 3, 0.090661831 Male Fire Nation soldier 3, 0.090661831 Male guard #2 3, 0.090661831 Male prisoner #1 3, 0.090661831 Male student #1 3, 0.090661831 Shinu 3, 0.090661831 Tho 3, 0.090661831 Tough prisoner 3, 0.090661831 Villager 3, 0.090661831 Yon Rha's mother 3, 0.090661831 Actor Jet 2, 0.060441221 Bodyguard #2 2, 0.060441221 Class 2, 0.060441221 Dock/Xu 2, 0.060441221 Ember Island teenager #3 2, 0.060441221 Female prisoner 2, 0.060441221 Female student #1 2, 0.060441221 Fire Nation soldier 2, 0.060441221 Fire Nation watchman #1 2, 0.060441221 Huu 2, 0.060441221 Jeong Jeong 2, 0.060441221 Koala sheep 2, 0.060441221 Kyoshi 2, 0.060441221 Male soldier 2, 0.060441221 Male student #2 2, 0.060441221 Qin Lee 2, 0.060441221 Servant #2 2, 0.060441221 Shop owner 2, 0.060441221 The Boulder 2, 0.060441221 Yue 2, 0.060441221 Aang and Sokka 1, 0.03022061 Aang and Zuko 1, 0.03022061 Actor Bumi 1, 0.03022061 Actress Yue 1, 0.03022061 Big Bad Hippo 1, 0.03022061 Blue Spirit 1, 0.03022061 Bodyguard 1, 0.03022061 Bogyguard #2 1, 0.03022061 Crew member 1, 0.03022061 Crowd 1, 0.03022061 Fire Nation Captain 1, 0.03022061 Fire Nation man 1, 0.03022061 Fire Nation watchman #2 1, 0.03022061 Firebender 1, 0.03022061 Gondola guard #2 1, 0.03022061 Gondola guard #3 1, 0.03022061 Gondola guard #4 1, 0.03022061 Gyatso 1, 0.03022061 Katara and Sokka 1, 0.03022061 Kuruk 1, 0.03022061 Male prisoner #2 1, 0.03022061 Male soldier #1 1, 0.03022061 Painted Lady 1, 0.03022061 Pathik 1, 0.03022061 Qin 1, 0.03022061 Soldier 1, 0.03022061 Student 1, 0.03022061 Sun Warrior 1, 0.03022061 Ta Min 1, 0.03022061 Team Avatar 1, 0.03022061 Toph and Sokka 1, 0.03022061 Villager #1 1, 0.03022061 Villager #2 1, 0.03022061 Villager #3 1, 0.03022061 Villager #4 1, 0.03022061 Weapons store shopkeeper 1, 0.03022061 Young boy 1, 0.03022061

[zutaramonth]

Zutara Month 2022 Prompts

Day 1: Fire Lady Katara

Day 2: Cave of Two Lovers

Day 3: Soulmates

Day 4: Southern Water Tribe Zuko

Day 5: Hades & Persephone

Day 6: Dragons

Day 7: Soft Kisses

Day 8: Chief Katara

Day 9: Roommate AU

Day 10: Tui & La

Day 11: Mutual Pining/ldiots in Love

Day 12: Momtara & Dadko

Day 13: In Which Toph Meddles

Day 14: Steam Babies

Day 15: Sharing Cultures

Day 16: Pirates

Day 17: Mulan AU

Day 18: What If

Day 19: Second Chance

Day 20: Pride & Prejudice

Day 21: Ambassador Katara/Zuko

Day 22: Partners in Crime

Day 23: BlueTara/PaintKo

Day 24: Arranged Marriage

Day 25: Modern AU

Day 26: Scars

Day 27: Tea Shop

Day 28: Catching Feelings

Day 29: Avatar Katara/Zuko

Day 30: Denial

[llamalpaca]

@zutaramonth day 8: Chief Katara + day 4: SWT Zuko

only basic shading because i’ve been on two 8-hour planes and a 20 h bus

[zutarabender]

@zutaramonth Day 8: Chief Katara

---

"Katara, I need to talk to you about something."

Had Zuko been anyone else, Katara would have probably reminded him to call her Chief. But they'd once been too close for these sorts of walls. They'd only let each other go because their nations came first, after all. Neither of them had patience to play games and pretend nothing had ever happened.

"I'm listening," she said, even though her eyes were still on the page she'd been reading.

Zuko swallowed. She wasn't making this easy. But he hadn't come to the South Pole just for the annual International Law Summit, and hadn't come to her office at the Government Hall to make small-talk. He needed to let her know.

"I'm abdicating the throne."

Katara's gaze darted to him, fierce and piercing.

"You can't do that," she snapped, rising from her chair.

"You can't stop me." He rose too.

"You know it's dangerous. You could be-"

"I know." Zuko didn't need to hear yet again the fate that could await him for appearing to instigate instability. "A revolution is waiting to happen either way."

He tried not to take it personally. Circumstances had been against him for his entire reign as a Fire Lord. He had been a good leader, just not the one his nation had needed after a war. They were sick of royalty, sick of the monarchy. Or maybe Azula and his father had been right - maybe he was too soft. But he wasn't going to change.

Katara turned her back to him, her voice coming out in a hiss.

"Our peoples have been at peace for too long for you to jeopardize that now, Zuko."

"In the current state of things, I believe we need you more than you need us."

Katara didn't answer. She was right, after all. Zuko was kind to himself, but that didn't take away from the fact that Katara had succeeded where he had failed. 

And for that, he loved her more than ever.

"I'm yours, Katara, if you still want me."

She didn't answer. She didn't look at him. Zuko's chest deflated. Well, of course Katara would do what was best for her tribe. Bringing a former enemy into it probably wasn't it. He knew that. They'd talked about it. He turned to leave, cursing himself for daring to hope-

"Wait."

Katara's voice made him freeze. Slowly, almost painfully, Zuko turned around. He had barely found his balance when Katara threw herself into her arms, the same way she'd hug him when they were still young, before she had the weight of her people on her shoulders. Reveling in the feeling of her warm body against his, all Zuko could do was hold her close, praying for the moment to never end.

"Don't you dare die, Zuko." She finally looked at him, her big blue eyes full of emotion. "I will be waiting."

[ryu-slayer]

Zutara Month 2022: Day 4- Southern Water Tribe Zuko, Day 8- Chief Katara

Hey everyone sorry I didn’t get my piece for Day 2 and 3 up yet, RL kind of left me with little choice, but I will be posting it soon hopefully haha. 😅 But anyway, enjoy my piece for Day 4 and 8. 

[Picture description: Chief Katara and her husband Zuko have just returned from a successful seal hunt and she turned to the left and has found that members of the Tribe are slacking off. *cough cough* Sokka *cough cough* And she is reminding them (nagging them according to Sokka) of their responsibilities. Zuko is just proudly watching his wife thrive in her role as Chief and amongst her element as he hauls their latest kill casually resting his twin Dao swords on his shoulder.]

@zutaramonth

[haitanirindo]

zukka fics that live in my head rent free! 

1. what did you bury before those hands pulled me from the earth (what were you digging) by draco_sollicitus status: complete (18k words) rating: mature pairing(s): sokka/zuko  summary: Sokka is immortal; it's been tested, he knows that he can't die. He's immortal, but he's not quite a god like his sister, Katara. He's immortal, but he's not quite powerful like his friends Aang and Toph. He's just sort of Sokka: good at fixing things, good at playing pranks, good at helping people. When a bet against Toph goes horribly wrong, and an attempt to save him goes even worse, Sokka finds himself the unwilling guest of the Lord of the Underworld. And, strangely enough, every story Sokka's heard about Lord Zuko seems to be ... completely wrong. (Also, he's really handsome. Why does he have to be handsome?)

mythology nerds come get y’all juice. a very good fic. 10/10

2. Where I Want to Be by through-the-stars-to-the-pavement status: WIP (83k words) rating: explicit pairing(s): sokka/zuko summary: "'The fog was where I wanted to be.'" Everything is different. The pitch of his voice, his posture. The auditorium goes silent. No one can take their eyes off of him.… He's amazing.  Zuko had to perfect the art of acting as a child to survive the horrors of his homelife. When he got older, it was only natural to take his talent to the stage for entertainment and escape. Enter Sokka, a craftsman and set designer with a giant heart who is haunted by plenty of ghosts of his own. A tale of trauma, disability, family, creativity, and love. 

this is one of my all time favorite fics. it’s seriously so good and i think about it often

3. Teaching a Heart by @i-write-shakespeare-not-disney status: WIP (114k words) rating: teen and up pairing(s): sokka/zuko summary: Sokka is asked to go to the Fire Nation to teach the crown prince how to sword fight. When he arrives, he's surprised to learn he has to pose as a companion before he can teach the stubborn prince because he rejects every teacher. Far from home and among new customs, Sokka struggles to gain the prince's trust and friendship despite the uncertainties of the customs and dynamics he sees. As he slowly finds answers to his questions, his bond with the prince grows until it becomes something far more ardent than friendship. Doomed as it may be with the prince's approaching wedding ceremony and coronation, Sokka and Zuko find themselves consumed by what they find in each other.

i have no words, i just love this fic and it makes me weep.

4. The Road Between Action and Inaction by @donvex status: complete (17k words) rating: teen and up pairing(s): sokka/zuko summary: Sokka does a shitty k turn in the parking lot across from the bus station, pulls up to the curb where the boy is looking determinedly at his phone, and rolls down the passenger window. “Hey! Which way were you going?” He may die, but at least his conscience will be clear. The guy blinks at him. “Don’t.” Oh, he’s prickly. Or: the hitchhiker au, featuring Sokka and Zuko falling in love without even realizing it.

a classic. roadtrip fics own my ass. 

5. purrfect for eachother by lesmiserablol status: complete (3k words) rating: general audiences pairing(s): sokka/zuko summary: “Let me teach you how to be a cat person,” Zuko says. “Learning from the master himself,” Sokka grins. “Alright, this can’t be too hard. Show me what you got.” (because sometimes, it takes going to a cat café four times to realize you're in love with your best friend)

this whole series is adorable, reading it is self care

6. Ashes Inside When You Finish Your Song by @muncaster status: complete (47k words) rating: teen and up pairing(s): sokka/zuko, aang/katara, mai/ty lee summary: Sokka writes lyrics for his sister’s band. Zuko plays piano and is unnecessarily nice. Fellas, is it gay to write love songs about your friend and his golden eyes? (AKA, a modern band AU featuring The Gaang, crappy software equipment, homoerotic lyrics, and the realization that maybe, if you think about a guy every night before you sleep, you just might be in love with him.)

i think this is the longest one-shot i’ve ever read and it’s so worth it

7. a study in matchmaking by @verdanthoney status: complete (12k words) rating: general audiences pairing(s): sokka/zuko, aang/katara, bato/hakoda summary: Zuko and Sokka try to play matchmaker, but things don't go exactly as planned.

this fic makes me want to scream, in the best way. it’s so cute

8. A Predictable Story by mindbending status: complete (7k words) rating: general audiences pairing(s): sokka/zuko summary: "On this night, you shall share a kiss with a great love of your life!” That lying, scummy Aunt Wu predicts a grand romance for Sokka. To disprove her "fortunetelling" once and for all, Sokka decides to spend the night with least romantic person he knows. Zuko.

again, i have no words. this fic is cute as hell

9. that’s murder, buddy by @bisexual-atla status: WIP (14k words) rating: teen and up pairing(s): sokka/zuko summary: Throughout the streets, on quiet nights, it was rumored the screams of those missing could be heard. Some say the sounds were coming from underground. Where were the young girls? And what was happening to them? Was an evil spirit haunting Gaoling, or something more human? More sinister? My name is Zuko, and you’re tuning into another episode of ‘That’s Murder, Buddy’. Or: Sokka has no idea that his crush is the host of his favorite podcast. (But everyone else knows.)

i love the entire concept of this one, we love oblivious sokka

10. We’ll play hide and seek (to turn this around) by @crosspin status: complete (5k words) rating: general audiences pairing(s): sokka/zuko, bato/hakoda summary: Sokka gave him a sheepish smile. “It’s…well, you see, there’s this boy…” Hakoda sighed and set down the sports section. This was going to take a while. “He works at Barnes & Noble. At the big information desk in the middle. Every Saturday. And I really want to ask him for his number, but it’s super awkward because there’s always this other guy working the information desk at the same time. He’s old, like you. But I have a plan." Sokka’s eyes lit up deviously. “You come with me to Barnes & Noble today when they’re working and distract the old man. And while you have him distracted, I’ll swoop in and get the goods!” Sokka has a plan to ask out the cute boy at the bookstore. Hakoda is a begrudging participant until he meets the boy's beautiful older coworker.

this fic!! this fic! adorable, incredible, magnificent

11. feels like we only go backwards by @oldpotatoe status: WIP (88k words) rating: teen and up pairing(s): sokka/zuko summary: [Time passes oddly. Between one second and the next, Sokka has the Fire Lord pinned to the wall with his hands around the bastard’s throat. Golden eyes (one gold eye, his mind whispers) widen in shock. “Sokka?” he chokes out. And then he smiles. What the fuck? “Sokka, I—” Sokka slams his head against the wall, once, twice, and the smile wipes off his face. Good. “What,” Sokka bites out, “have you done to my sister?”] Or: An injury leaves Sokka with amnesia. His last memory is of the failed invasion, of leaving his father behind in enemy territory on the Day of Black Sun. Of hopelessness. Rage. But then he wakes up, and the war is over. Suddenly, he must come to terms with the fact that years have passed, and that he's somehow the Southern Water Tribe Ambassador to the Fire Nation. He is also supposedly friends with banished-Prince-turned-Fire-Lord Zuko, of all people. Close friends. Yeah, nah.

if you’ve been following me for a while you know this fic fucks me up beyond belief

12. breakable heaven by @fruitysokka status: WIP (43k words) rating: teen and up pairing(s): sokka/zuko summary: With his twenty-first birthday looming just around the corner, the Southern Water Tribe Elders have decided that Sokka, next in line to be Chief, needs to get married. Sokka does not want that, but he does need to get them off his back until he can figure his way out of it. What better way to do that than to pretend to date his best friend (and newly minted Ambassador to the Southern Water Tribe) Zuko? Seriously, this is a foolproof plan. Maybe one of Sokka's best. Absolutely nothing can go wrong.

this just in: sokka and zuko being oblivious makes me want to yell

this turned out a bit longer than i expected but it also doesn’t even cover all my favorites. i had to stop somewhere, or i’d be here forever. maybe i’ll make a part two someday.

anyway, enjoy!

[alfredolover119]

I looooove your zukka rec lists! I recently became Avatar-obsessed, never got a chance to watch it as a kid and only just got through it all! I was wondering if you'd consider doing a specifically angst rec list? I love fluffy zukka everything, but sometimes you just gotta have your heart ripped out of your chest and put back in after being thoroughly blended.

thank you! i relate heavily to “recently became Avatar-obsessed” haha. as for the angst list, i sure can try! warning: all of these have happy endings because im a crybaby who can’t read unhappy endings. also, p much all of the fics in the completed section were featured on my other lists but this is specifically the ANGSTY ones >:^)

angsty zukka wips

first, most obviously, feels like we only go backwards by @oldpotatoe

-currently at 102k with 19/27 chapters posted; rated teen

-the amnesia fic. the amnesia fic. the amnesia fic. you know. i haven’t actually read it yet because, as previously mentioned, i’m a crybaby and am waiting for it to finish up but, from my understanding, this fic will murder you in a dark alleyway with no remorse. if u like zukka angst, you’ve probably already read this, but just in case!

An injury leaves Sokka with amnesia. His last memory is of the failed invasion, of leaving his father behind in enemy territory on the Day of Black Sun. Of hopelessness. Rage. // But then he wakes up, and the war is over. Suddenly, he must come to terms with the fact that years have passed, and that he's somehow the Southern Water Tribe Ambassador to the Fire Nation. He is also supposedly friends with banished-Prince-turned-Fire-Lord Zuko, of all people. Close friends.

Yeah, nah.

and i’ll do anything you say (if you say it with your hands) by @goldrushzukka

-currently 38k with 6/8 chapters posted; rated mature

-holy shit. holy SHIT. modern au based on the “my cat likes my fuckbuddy and i am falling in love” trope(?). maybe it’s just because of how the last chapter ended, but oh my god. this one made me cry. made me want to commit violence. when it’s not angsty as hell, it’s pretty funny, but holy shit. ao3 user nebulastucky please.

It’s supposed to be a one night stand. Pick up some guy at a bar, barely remember his name and never learn anything real about him, send him packing in the morning with a thanks for the ride and a cup of coffee to-go. That’s how it’s supposed to go. // But then it’s the best sex Sokka has ever had, and he thinks he’ll hate himself if he never gets to have it again.

Violet Blossoms and Celestial Objects by @hollypunkers

-currently 15k with 2/? posted. rated teen.

-this is the sequel to blue (an angsty, zukka rewrite of book 2-- go read it if u havent!)! !! this is a book 3 rewrite. only two chapters in and mrs hollypunkers is really abusing the miscommunication tag, as zukka writers seem to enjoy doing. im excited to see how the world and story develops with the changes to the story! you should be too!! its very good! obviously spoilers for blue lmao

Having sided with the Avatar in Ba Sing Se, Zuko not only must navigate his new relationship with Sokka but returning to the Fire Nation as a banished enemy. His own journey of self discovery and personal growth must now coexist alongside the personal struggles of every other member of the Gaang as together they blaze a treacherous path toward an unsure victory against Zuko's own father and nation.

breakable heaven by @fruitysokka

-currently 71k with 9/11 chapters posted. rated teen

-swt ambassador zuko! soon to be chief sokka! fake dating ur best friend to get out of an arranged marriage! what could go wrong!!! i also haven’t read this one ((see: i’m a crybaby who is being hurt by too many zukka wips already)), but it has been hanging out in my marked for later for months. from what i understand, this fic has: angst.

With his twenty-first birthday looming just around the corner, the Southern Water Tribe Elders have decided that Sokka, next in line to be Chief, needs to get married. Sokka does not want that, but he does need to get them off his back until he can figure his way out of it. What better way to do that than to pretend to date his best friend (and newly minted Ambassador to the Southern Water Tribe) Zuko? // Seriously, this is a foolproof plan. Maybe one of Sokka's best. Absolutely nothing can go wrong.

angsty zukka fics (completed!)

(i’ll put these in wc order)

lighthouse beam by @incorrectzukka

-7k, rated g

-a modern college au!! zuko’s inner-monologue is very angsty in this fic. typical zuko. also per usual, theyre both fucking dorks. they sort themselves out in the end, but not before The Angst. zuko is semi-deaf in this fic and also he has a bit of internalized homophobia.

Sokka’s breathtakingly beautiful and he’s smart and makes other people laugh. Zuko has a half-burnt face and a deaf ear. It’s not rocket science. // Or, Zuko falls in love with the boy in his Philosophy class.

This Isn’t My Idea of Fun by @khaleeseas

-9k, explicit

-moon spirit/nwt prince!sokka, no war to be found here! admittedly this isnt THAT angsty but like. the angst IS present. zuko is still the prince. a lovely childhood friends (though they hated each other for a minute haha) to lovers story. 

If you asked Zuko, he and Azula saw far too much of Chief Hakoda of the Northern Water Tribe’s children growing up. It wasn’t until they were older, and Azula pointed out that - duh - their families were trying to set them all up, that he realized why. // He was told by his mother to be polite. These people were their friends and allies, and though their nations were as different as they came, harmony between nations was the most important thing. // It wasn’t his fault the Chief’s children were so annoying.

put your lips close to mine (as long as they don’t touch) by @celestialceci

-9k, teen

-modern au! zuko and sokka are college roommates. zuko goes to spend the summer with sokka. again,, not really that angsty but-- its there!! the detail and feeling of Home in this story make me happy. zuko is insecure as hell here too. if ur into that. 

Zuko hates his home. He likes college alright, but he likes Sokka even better, his assigned roommate turned best friend. Spending the summer with Sokka will be fun, a welcome change of pace he desperately wants. It probably won't awaken anything in him... right?

the thing about dancing by anodymalion

-9k, teen

-yes. this one right here officer. it makes my heart ache. also trans sokka! which is cool. but the zuko angst in this one. hurts me. not so much relationship angst as it is zuko learning he deserves happiness angst. i’m sure u know The Type.

The first time a attendant spills Zuko’s tea and doesn’t immediately fall to her knees, begging the Fire Lord’s forgiveness, it is not anger but a resounding warmth that fills his chest.

i could (never) give you peace by @zukkababey

-10k, mature

-OUCH. OUCH OUCH OUCH. boys please learn to communicate im begging u. also zuko.. zuko, dude. as the tags of the fic say, hes “really going through it” in this one. YOUCH. post-canon.

Zuko almost said it. He almost said the words I think I’m in love with you, but he choked them back down at the last second. // Zuko would never be able to be what Sokka wanted. They might have needed each other during the summer, when two boys with too much weight on their shoulders found comfort in each other in the only way they knew how. // But now Zuko was Fire Lord, and Sokka was leaving.

this love burns so yellow (becoming orange and in its time, exploding) by @meliebee 

-18k, teen, major character death 

-i lied. THIS is the one, officer. found family.. good mai and zuko and toph friendships.. . ozai escapes prison and tries to overthrow zuko. OBVIOUSLY angst ensues. poor boy. he Does heal in this but it gets worse before it gets better. angst angst angst angst.

Ten months after Zuko is crowned at seventeen, he faces his first coup.

Anything for You by beersforqueers

-23k, explicit

-istg. this is probably one of my favorite zukka fics. its PAINFUL. modern au where theyre broken up but sokka hasnt told his family yet so zuko goes home with him for kataang wedding. a bit smutty, but the plot oh my god ohgm y fuvk. made me cry the first time i read it. (see: crybaby!me) insert that one picture of the horse with the caption PAIN. 

In which Sokka and Zuko have broken up but Sokka hasn't told his family yet. So when Katara and Aang's wedding weekend rolls around and he doesn't want to break Gran-Gran's heart, he asks Zuko to pretend to be his boyfriend for one last weekend. // Things don't go as planned.

Moving Mountains by @thefangirlingdead

-64k, mature

-so. when i read this the first time it was in one sitting. soulmate au set within canon era / the comics, to an extent. soulmates can hear each others thoughts. i will happily say this is slowburn, jesus christ. champagne without the cham. 

Soulmates are chosen by the spirits and can hear each other’s thoughts. Sokka thinks it’s cheesy and dumb. Zuko thinks it’s poetic justice that he doesn’t have one because he doesn’t deserve it. Cruel irony is finding out that the prince of the Fire Nation (and the person currently hunting you) is your soulmate.

In the Soft Light by @voidcenturyscholar and @romancedawning

-83k, teen, graphic depictions of violence

-moon spirit!sokka living in the northern water tribe. zuko is sent to the northern water tribe as a cultural liaison. iroh is the fire lord but while he is away taking care of lu ten after his injury ozai steps up. i cannot express how many emotions this fic made me feel. background yuetara. i would almost say found family?? but. anyway. plenty of angst to spare here with a healthy dose of enemies to friends to lovers.

As the newly appointed cultural liaison to Northern Water Tribe, Zuko is the first Fire Nation Citizen to step foot inside the city's walls in nearly a century. He's determined to prove himself—to the Fire Lord and to his father—even if the Water Tribe's spirit-touched prince seems to want nothing to do with him.

That Midnight Sky by @zukkababey

-103k, teen

-now now now. tms... modern college au where sokka agrees to tutor zuko in physics because zuko has to maintain straight a’s and physics is just not doing it for him. so. thats cool but THEN azula moves in, randomly, with zuko. to hide the fact that sokka is tutoring zuko, they fake date! what could go wrong!! the mutual pining in here combined with the angst... wonderful, tasty. everyone read it rn. also SLOWBURN 

In Zuko’s strict family, needing a tutor is just about the worst thing you could do. Failing a class, however, is even worse. The only rational solution? Take up Aang on his offer to find him a physics tutor and have Sokka—beautiful, smart, handsome Sokka—tutor him in secret. // When Azula’s arrival threatens to reveal Zuko’s secret, it’s up to Sokka to convince her this definitely isn’t what it looks like. See, he’s actually… Zuko’s… boyfriend? // Hmm. There’s no way this could get complicated, right?