#he’s there to remind aang that not every he knew is lost

[angee1011]

The thing is , ATLA live action is like…an approximation of what the story is actually supposed to be.

There are elements that good, even really good, but it leaves you feeling hollow because it’s missing the heart of what ATLA is about. It’s a delicate balancing act between tragedy and comedy, underscored with hope.

The live action is sort of reminiscent of Ember Island players because it’s trying to be as -real- as it can be but doesn’t delve into deeper meaning.

To me, it felt like they wrote the story with thinking about the end too much. They were too wrapped up in how these characters end up, how the story ends. They overlooked how raw, how unpolished it was at the beginning.

[aangarchy]

My friend is watching ATLA for the first time and was complaining about "Katara's many boyfriends." I had to stop and remind her that not only is Katara 13 and going through puberty and hormones, she's also never interacted with a male her age besides her brother. She never really thought romance could be an option for at least a long time, with how small her village is

Ugh, i genuinely have a deep rooted disgust for people who complain about Katara being a normal teenage girl in this show.

I also really wonder where they get the idea that she has many boyfriends, because the only guy she truly had a romantic connection with besides Aang was Jet. I'm assuming for the other "boyfriends" they mean Haru and Teo, both of whom were literally just friends with her and happened to help her with something. It's also not even about "suddenly romance being an option", it's not like she threw herself at every handsome boy she happened to stumble upon after leaving the south?

Haru and Katara bonded over lost parents and Katara did Haru a great service by inspiring him and his dad to get out of prison, and Katara never did any of that because she had a crush on Haru. She did it because she has an incredibly strong sense of justice and hates standing by when people are suffering and families are torn apart. A crush on Haru was never even implied, except for when Haru told Toph that Katara inspired him and his people to break free, and Katara blushed. But even that, she could just be bashful bc Haru gave her such high praise. With Teo, yea he literally just helped her get on a glider for the first time, i do not see a romantic connection whatsoever. Jet was truly the one guy that Katara fell for, because 1) he's older, 2) he saved her from fire nation soldiers and showed up her older brother, and 3) he's a good manipulator that knew Katara found him attractive and used it to his advantage.

It always seems like Katara specifically is being held to such high standards. She's a skank bc she has too many boys around her, she's annoying bc she brings up her mother a few times, she's bossy bc she tells Aang and Sokka not to do anything dangerous, she's overbearing bc she told Toph to help out while setting up camp.

It's misogyny 101. Sokka is allowed to be loud and obnoxious, Zuko is allowed to act out of anger and grieve his mother, but Katara apparently should just sit down and be quiet. People say all of this when Katara is easily one of the most fleshed out female characters of cartoons in the early 2000's, but because they're not used to women being fleshed out suddenly she's "too much".

Sorry for going on such a tangent but ppl like this truly do piss me off lmao.

[the-vast-corner-of-the-galaxy]

KW 2024- Day 8: Free Day

Day 8 of Kataang Week 2024 hosted by @kataang-week

Prompt: Free Day, Monday, August 5

Summary: Korra and Asami have brought Katara too many long lost memories of her beloved.

Word Count: 1.7 K

Rating: General audiences (except for mentions of death)

When Korra first introduced Asami to Katara, she felt an unexplainable and sad feeling in her. It was not anything against Asami since Katara’s own daughter, Kya, liked women, but it was a wave of nostalgia attacking her like a tsunami. 

“Master Katara, I want you to meet my girlfriend, Asami Sato.”

Katara remembered clearly the day Korra properly introduced Asami to her. She remembers her caring gaze and how sweet and polite she was. Asami was great for Katara: she loved her sense of humor, cared for her, teased her, connected so well with her, and placed Korra at ease. Korra also cared for this young woman dearly, probably more than anyone in the world. The way they would gaze at each other’s eyes proved their unwavering bond and love for one another. Every time one of them spoke, the other would gaze at them with a look of eternal love Katara hadn’t seen in a long time. 

It reminded her of the old days, when her beloved Aang was still alive. 

“Aang!” Katara would exclaim. “Stop looking at me with those eyes!” 

“What eyes?” the Avatar would ask playfully, not taking his grey eyes from the Waterbender. They were profound like the mountains, and Katara could sink in them forever. He would look at her as if she were the most precious and beautiful thing on this world, even if she did not feel like it. 

“You always stare at me like that!” Katara would laugh. 

“I just do it because you are the most beautiful, wonderful, smartest, and kindest woman in the world,” Aang would tell her lovingly, making her heart pound. They would laugh wholeheartedly and continue to tease each other. More than a simple romantic couple, Aang and Katara were also best friends. 

But most importantly, they were soulmates. 

The last time Aang looked at Katara with those loving, silver eyes was in his last few days. He was really sick and weak, but still tried to keep his spirits up, even if his energy was fading. 

“Aang, what are you doing?” Katara would ask, sitting next to him. 

“I am just looking at the most gorgeous woman in the world one last time,” he whispered, his misty, silver eyes gazing at her, caressing her face with his weak arm. 

“This won’t be the last time you see me,” Katara would tell him in denial. “I promise that you will get better, and we will keep living in peace.”

Aang’s hand brushed a white strand of hair from Katara’s face. Even if age had wiped off her youthful features, he still thought she was ethereal. She looked wiser, and her eyes were now a darker blue, like the oceans at the South Pole. 

Unfortunately, Aang was right, and only two days after that conversation, Aang passed away. 

Korra always reminded Katara of her beloved Aang, and not just because Aang was Korra’s past life, but because she had his loving and cheerful spirit. She never told Korra how much she reminded her of her late husband, but she was always there for the young Avatar no matter what. 

The day Aang passed away, Katara had to tend to Senna since she was giving birth. It was a complicated labor, and Senna was in a lot of pain. Katara feared that the birth would worsen, but she was not hopeless and knew that Senna and her baby would have a chance in the world. 

“It’s alright Senna,” Katara would say soothfully. “It will be over soon, and you’ll be okay.” The young woman could only grunt in pain, and her hand was glued to Tonraq’s hand, who was doing an amazing job of calming her down. 

“Master Katara!” a young healer entered the hut. “You need to come home quickly! It’s Avatar Aang!”

“What?” she asked, having a bad feeling about what the healer intended. 

“I will cover for you,” volunteered the healer. “Go! He is not doing well.”

Katara rushed to her home with the help of Bumi and Tenzin, and when she got to her home, Aang was clearly not doing well. His body was fading, and his energy was already down to a minimum. Although she did not want to believe it, Katara knew that he only had minutes in this world. 

“Kat…ara,” Aang whispered with a raspy voice. “You have to promise me… train… the new Avatar… They are going to be… Water Tribe.”

“I promise Aang!” Katara cried through tears. “I will train them but please, don’t leave-”

“Not everything is forever,” Aang whispered. “Everything comes… and goes… I knew that my time on this earth would be short after you found me… in the iceberg… but every year of it was worth living it… especially with you by my side…” 

“Aang,” Katara cried, tears streaming down her eyes. She kissed Aang’s forehead, which felt cold to the touch. His breath was starting to slow down, and Katara knew that this was it.

“I… love you,” Aang barely whispered. “I will always, be with you…” After breathing out those last words, he shut his eyes and felt how he slowly sank into the dark. Tears began flowing violently from Katara’s eyes, and she began to sob as her beloved Aang passed into the afterlife. Her children were all crying beside her, and tried comforting her. Some healers came into the room and covered Aang with a large piece of animal fur. Aang was gone, and this time, forever. 

A few hours later, another healer came to Katara and Aang’s residence, and requested to talk to Kya. 

“Senna’s birth was successful, Master Kya,” the healer said. “She gave birth to a healthy baby girl, and Senna sent me to tell you the news and to thank the two of you.”

Katara heard Kya and the healer’s conversation from afar, but she did not say anything, for she was overtaken by the grief of losing Aang. She wanted him to be with her by her side, and she could imagine him talking to the healer instead of Kya. Aang would then go to her and tell her the news, and Katara would smile. 

Even if 20 years passed since Aang’s passing, not a single day would pass when she did not miss him. The spirit of the Avatar could be reincarnated as many times as it wanted, but Aang’s spirit couldn’t. 

One particular day, on one of Korra’s stays at the South Pole, she saw Korra and Asami laughing and playfully teasing each other. 

“Asami!” Korra squealed. Asami was trying to tickle her, and she was behind Korra trying to tickle her waist. Asami was cackling at Korra’s reaction, and she tried to sneak her hands more into her ribs. She playfully kissed all of Korra’s face, making her blush intensely and giggle. 

In a breeze, Korra overpowered Asami and placed her on her shoulder with easiness. “Korra!” Asami laughed. “Put me down!” 

“Not until you admit that I love you more!” Korra smirked.

“No! I love you more!” Asami snapped back teasingly. 

“Oh, no you don’t!” Korra remarked. Asami was trying to get down from Korra’s shoulders, but the Avatar kept her up there. As Korra tried walking with Asami, who was taller than her, she tripped and both of them fell into the snow. They giggled at the incident and gave each other a loving Water Tribe kiss (1). 

“Aang!” Katara would yell from Aang's shoulder. “Put me down now!” 

“Not happening, sweetie!” Aang would tell her playfully. 

“Please!” she would yell, trying to hold back her laughter. 

Aang would spin around, his laughter infectious. “Only if you say the magic words!” he teased.

“Fine! You win, mighty Avatar!” Katara would surrender with a dramatic sigh, only for Aang to gently lower her to the ground, pulling her into a tight embrace.

Katara’s heart ached with the memories of their youthful antics. She would remember everything she lived with Aang when she saw Korra and Asami.

She remembered the days when they would race through the Southern Water Tribe’s icy terrain as teenagers, laughing and shouting. 

“I’m going to get you!” Katara would warn Aang as they were skating through the ice. 

“Oh, no you won’t!” Aang would smirk, getting on his air scooter and skating away. 

“Aang, that’s not fair!” Katara would laugh, catching up to the young Avatar. She tackled him to the ground and was on top of him, both of them giggling hysterically. 

She remembered the quiet nights under the stars, when they would stargaze and spot as many space phenomenon as possible. 

“I’ve never seen that star before,” Katara would point out at the sky. “It’s so beautiful!”

“The Airbenders would say it is extremely far away,” Aang would tell her. “This star is rarely seen in the sky, but Fire Nation legend tells that it is a symbol of eternal love. Whichever couple spots it, will be together for eternity.”

She remembered the warmth of his touch, the way his eyes would light up whenever he looked at her, and the softness of his kisses, filled with all the love in the world.

As she watched the two girls, Katara felt a tear slip down her cheek. She quickly brushed it away, not wanting to interrupt their joy. She knew that Aang would be happy to see the love and laughter that Korra had found, even if he couldn’t be there to witness it himself.

“Master Katara?” Korra turned around and noticed the tears slipping from Katara’s eyes. Asami and her quickly approached her to see how she was. “Is everything okay?”

“Everything is the way it’s supposed to be,” Katara answered, with nostalgia in her voice. (2)

“If you need anything, you know where to find us,” Asami told Katara. The Waterbending master nodded with kindness and let the girls go back to playing in the snow. 

Korra and Asami’s laughter echoed around the snow-covered landscape, a beautiful reminder that love, in all its forms, continues to thrive. Katara felt a sense of peace, knowing that while Aang was gone, his spirit lived on, not just in Korra, but in the love and happiness she shared with those around her.

“Live fully, my dear Korra,” Katara whispered to herself. “Cherish every moment, just as I did with Aang.”

***

Water Tribe Kiss: Reference to the famous Eskimo kiss.

This scene (and story) is heavily based on that one Korrasami comic where Korra and Asami's relationship reminds Katara of how she used to be with Aang. (I couldn't find the creator of this story anywhere, but shoutout to them)

[oneatlatime]

Appa's Lost Days

Dare I hope?

You know, if ten year old me had turned on my TV to watch my weekly dose of Avatar and been greeted with a nearly two minute long uninterrupted sequence of a frightened and distressed animal being mistreated, that TV would have turned right back off again.

I don't buy that a ten tonne bison who has the leverage of his own weight as well as his airbending abilities would succumb to so few people.

Name one other character that Avatar has presented as so thoroughly without any redeeming characteristics. Even Zhao was at least kind of funny. Everything about the chucklehead on the left is rotten to the core. "What's your dad going to do when he finds out we broke his stuff while doing crime?" "Nothing. It's not his stuff; it's previous crime."

I thought beetle-headed was a commentary on their intelligence, but it's actually a description.

I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion that I should have waited to get my hopes up until I came to an episode called Appa's Found Days. Is this whole thing going to be a series of near misses with the Gaang?

You know, if I had a nickel for every time an animal companion on this show has been threatened with a trip to the butcher's, I'd have two nickels. In the space of two episodes.

This is not fun to watch guys.

Not if I break you first asshole.

The way this Nurse Ratched type circus guy says "earn it" is chilling.

Of course the Fire Nation would find a way to turn bending into animal abuse. Of course.

a) that cage is way too small b) who knew cabbage suction could be so cute?

Completely unsubtle parallel with the boy here, right down to the complete disregard they show to the threats thrown their way.

Stubborn and wilful are not adjectives I would use to describe Appa this episode, or ever.

Wind buffalo. Wind Buffalo. Really? Was Fart Cow taken?

That's a very relatable facial expression.

That makeup and costume is awful.

Now that's satisfying.

Is the Fire Nation kid voiced by Aang's voice actor?

Nevermind. THAT'S satisfying.

I was right - this episode is Appa always being a step behind the Gaang.

Baby Appas! This almost makes this episode worth it!

It's funny how a single feature can contribute so much to a character's design. Arrowless Aang is just some kid. Let me rephrase that, since such a big part of Aang's character is the fact that he's just some goofy kid. Arrowless Aang is indistinguishable from other kids for the first time this series, because every other time we've seen him on screen he's either the only child airbender with his arrows, or the only airbender left.

Lady monks. Nuns? I don't think I've seen those before.

Appa and Aang share a dreamscape? That could be useful.

There's dumb, there's really dumb, and then there's 'wake a completely asleep and therefore harmless unknown creature with threats of violence' dumb.

Close call for Iroh. Do you think he's suspected that Appa (and presumably the Avatar) haven been in Ba Sing Se this whole time?

Bipedal Appa is strange. A very effective fighter, but strange to look at.

I'm amazed that giant boar thing walked away from that.

And now they're hitting me with an 'Appa's given Up' montage. Someone who works on this show hates me.

*Heroically refrains from ranting about the impracticality of using white fabric for an active warrior's glove.*

"This could be our most important mission yet." Foreshadowing?

Did Suki and Appa actually meet at any point in the Warriors of Kyoshi episode?

Turns out 'Aang' is a magic word.

Appa kisses!

Appa is apparently legally banned from having anything good for more than five minutes. Although it's good writing that they're using a previously established weakness - Appa's shedding - to bring the danger ladies back in.

I guess they have Azula drop the line about her brother to remind the audience of who she is, but surely Suki's like "Who are you? Who's your brother? Why should I care?"

Azula going after the Kyoshi warriors is completely unnecessary right? The Avatar isn't there. Neither are Zuko and Iroh. It doesn't even net her Appa. She's just looking for someone to beat up.

WOW this is bad writing. Like really bad. My Immortal levels of bad.

Would it be too much to ask for the Kyoshi warriors to do even slightly ok against the Azula ladies? Couldn't they at least get a couple of hits in?

Kudos to Suki for essentially sacrificing herself and her warriors to save Appa. 'Most important mission yet' was a bit on the nose.

Out of options, Appa goes home. Ouch.

Someone explain this to me. Air Bison teething ring?

My what a human sounding cough you have buddy.

This is why you don't use Air Bison as guard dogs.

I like what this Guru is saying. Fear displacing trust but not love feels more accurate than how I usually see the consequences of trauma discussed.

The music playing throughout this sequence fits so well. I think it's some sort of metal thing you hit - I want to say a variation on tubular bells, and maybe something Glockenspiel adjacent? It's unlike anything I've heard in this show before and it fits so well that I'm nerding out a bit.

Disney princess Guru. Aang has Disney princess moments too. Maybe it's an Air Nomad thing?

No wonder the monks built a temple here. Even destroyed, it's gorgeous.

And Appa decides to trust again. I love it when an animal visibly comes to a decision about your trustworthiness.

This energy reading stuff makes sense given that Aang and Appa already share a dreamscape.

He IS a great beast. The best!

OH COME ON

Someone whip up a wanted poster for Long Feng: Cattle Rustler. It had also never occurred to me that he was an earthbender.

That flip move with the earthbending platform must have caused Appa to land on his back. I bet that hurt.

One of the times I am very grateful that the closing credits music is so upbeat.

Final Thoughts

@aboutiroh I see why you recommended I save my chocolate for this episode.

The Tale of Momo was really just a preparatory taste of things to come, huh? Almost a microcosm of this episode.

This is the first episode where I had to take breaks while watching. Especially the circus sequence, I think I got up twice to do things like get a cup of tea and stare randomly out windows at squirrels. I didn't even have to do that with Zuko Alone, despite freaking out a lot about it, because at least that episode took breaks from the child abuse to check in with Aang being miserable. This episode was unrelenting.

If I had seen this episode when I was the age of the target audience, this may well have turned me off the show for good. If my Mom had seen this episode, I would have been banned from watching the show entirely. Not a decision I'd agree with, but my Mom is the type of person who banned her kids from watching Bambi.

To watch through all of that unrelenting animal (at best) unhappiness, and still not get Appa back at the end of the episode? That's a bit much. It's not often that this show ends its episodes without at least a little bit of something positive.

Once again, the music did a lot of heavy lifting this episode. The animal noises weren't quite as emotive as the ones in Momo's Tale, but Appa's face is more expressive, and more was shown through his expression than through Momo's, so I feel like this episode had just as much non-verbal animal communication as Momo's Tale.

I think I'm renaming season 2 "the Suki redemption arc." I really didn't like the Warriors of Kyoshi episode, and I didn't like what her character did in that episode. But every time Suki appears in season 2? She absolutely nails it.

The show since losing Appa has taken to wallowing. Even with bright spots like the poetry bouncer, the overall tone since Appa's appanapping has been ever more dark. If this keeps up for many more episodes, it will no longer be fun to watch.

Somehow I don't think this one is going on my rewatch list.

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

What about the Aang antis who say his trauma is not important because he lost the air nomads a 100 years ago or when they lost Appa?

I swear to God, this fandom is so fucking stupid when it comes to understanding how trauma works, that if Zuko didn't literally have a physical reminder of it on his damn face, fans would claim Ozai did not abuse him (they already to it to Azula after all).

IMAGINE thinking that "You lost everyone you ever knew and loved at once" is something that stops hurting EVER. And while yeah, they died 100 years ago, Aang was frozen during all that time, and only found out about what happened when Katara and Sokka accidentally freed him. He did NOT have 100 years to process what happened, he literally had this massive trauma to deal with while having the new burden of "If you don't master all the elements, something that took every other Avatar years to accomplish, in just a few months, everyone is gonna fucking die."

Seriously, people are constantly giving Aang shit for being immature or acting too much like a kid (spoilers: HE IS ONE, YOU DIPSHITS!), but considering the trauma of, again, LOSING LITERALLY EVERYONE HE KNEW AND LOVED IN A BLINK OF AN EYE, that kid is super well-adjusted. I would have spent a whole week crying, then walk into the ocean because what's the point of anything anymore?

As for the Appa thing, I've said it all once, and I'll say it again.

1 - Appa is literally meant to have a spiritual bond with Aang that cannot be broken even in death (see Roku and his dragon, who not only chose to die with him but also is still helping him out in the spirit world).

2 - Appa is one of the few things Aang did NOT lose. Literally the only other living reminder of his "old life" is Bumi - who was being held prisoner by the Fire Nation at the time.

3 - Appa is one of the few surviving things from the air-nomads. Losing him is a tragedy not just to Aang, but to the whole world.

4 - APPA WAS LITERALLY CAPTURED! Who the hell would be okay with hearing "By the way, someone you love was kidnapped and you might never see them again. In fact, they could be dead right now"

Trying to act like Aang was overreacting when he lost Appa or when he found out about the genocide of his people is pure bad-faith reading. It's like being mad at Zuko for falling for Ozai's trap on the day of the eclipse, like he would not be extremelly vulnerable in such a position - Ozai has been his abuser for years AND Zuko, naturally, was desperate to find out what the hell to his mother.

It's assuming that the characters daring to show EMOTION is a bad thing because "it affects the plot", as if "trauma informs a character's decisions" is not the point in the first place. Nope, the story would totally be much better if Avatar was pure exposition all the time instead of having anyone CARE about anything ever, and we especially can't have the protagonist be emotionally attached to anything and thus be sympathetic to us - just look at how well that worked in the Shyamalam movie!

[wamakai]

Zutara Week Day 2 & 3; Union & Solstice

@zutaraweek (also on fanfiction.net under label "Shades of Tenderness")

Seven long years had gone by since the gaang had been together properly.

Aang had gone on something of a long spiritual journey only stopping by here and there on his travels to catch up with some of his friends. He had grown a bead which he was very proud of. Sokka may have ribbed him once or twice about it, but he was trying to grow one of his own, so perhaps it was more jealousy than anything.

Toph had joined Aang on some of his travels and their bond had seemed to grow – almost evolving into something else. But Toph was not the touchy-feely sharing kind, so she didn’t give any details. If she felt the group should know, she would let them know. Aang, to his credit, seemed to share her feelings, but it must have been difficult to express knowing how Toph would react.

Sokka and Suki didn’t stop by the Fire Nation very often but they did keep in touch. They attended the annual World Summit involving the main leaders of all four nations. Sokka, as new chief of the Southern Water Tribe, was always in attendance. Suki balanced their youngest on her hip as she watched Sokka entertain their two other children with some story about a daring escape or something.

A lot had certainly changed for all of them.

“You seem far away,” said Zuko, settling down beside her and pressing a soft kiss to her temple thus drawing her back to the present.

She smiled up at her husband and then down at their child who beamed back. Long brown hair like hers cascaded down the child’s little shoulders. A few wisps had somehow come loose from her bun obscuring bright and curious amber eyes. She looked quizzically up at her mother who tucked her hair gently behind her ear.

Yen was a beautiful reminder of all they had come to share; all the heartache, sorrow, joy, laughter… she was the culmination of their destinies.

“I was just thinking about the past,” she replied in a wistful voice, “We’ve come a long way to get here, haven’t we?”

Zuko looked out across the banquet table and through the rest of the hall. The Solstice Feast had begun a few short years after Ozai’s defeat as a way to further strengthen the cultural ties of the four nations. Once every summer and winter solstice, everyone came together to celebrate their cultures and to appreciate those of their neighbours. While their friends had been busy travelling across the continents dealing with their own lives and new responsibilities, it was nice to see everyone together again, hale and hearty.

“We have indeed,” he responded and pressed a soft kiss to her lips.

“Ew, get a room you two!” said Toph in a too loud voice. “Even I don’t want to see that.”

That cause a ripple of laughter across the table. The moment was lost, but the celebration wasn’t over. It was a day of celebration for one and all.

The last time everyone had been together, on this day of the Summer Solstice, Zuko and Katara had pledged their lives to one another in tandem with the celebration of the nations coming together. And here they all were, all that time later. It was truly a blessing.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

The feast was finally over. Ot had taken a lot out of the Fire Lord and his lady.

Even Yen was properly tuckered out and sleeping soundly in her cot in the nursery.

Having completed their preparations for the evening, Zuko and Katara sat side by side on their bed appreciating the silence and enjoying each other’s company.

“Seven years,” he said echoing her earlier thoughts.

“Of a lot of things,” she mused and turned to face him.

“Of many, many, many more to come,” he said punctuating each word with a kiss.

She laughed and framed his face with her hands. A soft smile played on her lips as she drew his face to hers and gently rubbed their noses together.

“I love you,” she whispered.

His reply was lost in their consequent kiss. But she knew what he felt. Because when he wasn’t saying it, he was showing it. And he was right. They had many, many more years of love and laughter ahead of them.

[ninacytosis]

For the time lost

Summary: Zuko wants to erase every reminder of his past mistakes, and Katara will take him on a journey to, quite literally, heal both of their scarrings.

Contains: Angst, Fluff, Katara has burns scars from Aang's first attempts to firebend, Katara tries to get over her resentment towards the FN, Zuko doesn't hate Azula.

Dear reader: I hope you enjoy it! <3 Let me know if you want me to continue posting

Find chapter one here and chapter three here.

┊┊┊┊☆┊*🌙*┊☆┊┊┊┊

Chapter Two

Katara thought about her students while folding clothes. A decent amount of people decided to move to the Southern Water Tribe after the war ended, and she knew a lot of families took this as a chance to start over. For now, she was in charge of nurturing the minds of the young benders that arrived. Even though she loved this new job, it was time for her to take a break.

“Hey, what’s with the sunglasses?” her dad asked, taking them off the nightstand and putting them on. “I know it’s summer but we’re still in the South Pole, kid”

Katara smiled. “I’m just packing them for tomorrow”.

His dad offered to help her, but she was almost done when he arrived, so she thought of two plans for her trip instead. Plan A, she would eat at the first rotisserie that appeared on her way to Zuko’s fancy royal mansion/palace/casa. Then, she would go to his house and even though she insisted on staying in a hotel nearby, she would eventually agree to stay. She would get a Fire Nation royalty-style spa day, Zuko’s treat (it’s important to clarify that, at least half of this plan was stolen on Toph’s visits to the Fire Nation. Though it is quite obvious). After all of that, she would ask him (preferably during a beach day) why he is visiting the North Tribe so much. And right before leaving, she would spend a day at Iroh’s shop.

However, it seemed like she had to go with plan B. Sure, it wasn’t a bad plan B, but it definitely involved fewer massages and face masks than the original, and Katara was just a girl who wanted a little self-care. Can anyone blame her?

“I like what you’ve done to the place” Katara stared at the wooden panels on the wall. She was too shy to confess her feelings about fire hazards, she didn’t even know if it was offensive for him.

“I tried to make it a bit retro, you know?” Iroh explained. “Everything is changing so fast, I’m afraid the world forgets its roots. But I guess that’s not a big preoccupation for younger folks”.

The words of Iroh resonated in her head on most occasions, especially since she was aware that he was Azulon’s firstborn. Even if he had spent more than a decade fixing his past actions, it was still weird for her to share the same table as a guy he had resented from the moment she gained consciousness. It’s hard to get used to this new era, and it’s probably the reason she barely went to the Fire Nation, even if it meant fewer hangouts with Zuko. In the last months, Aang helped her a lot to channel her antipathy into different, less draining emotions. Today’s emotion is: curiosity.

“I think I know why you are here, Katara” he offered her a cup.

“Well, we both needed a vacation”, she said. ”Zuko’s told me how busy these last weeks have been for him… plus I missed swimming without the risk of dying of hypothermia”.

“Then you’re certainly going to love the beaches down on Chaisee’s island” Iroh gave her a warm laugh. “Oh, the times I had there when I was your age!”

Katara took a sip on the cup and smiled.

“But be careful, Zuko’s skin might be sensitive after last week”, Katara cautiously nodded, “as a water bender yourself, you know how the healing procedures work”.

Healing procedures? Katara nodded again. Could Iroh tell she was nervous?

“Yeah…. I totally forgot. It’s such a sensitive procedure!” she said, having no idea about this healing thing. “And I wouldn’t want to hurt a Fire Lord, they have a history of heated arguments don’t they?” Apparently, it was impossible for Katara to shut her mouth. “Anyways, promise I won’t interfere in the treatment. Don’t know how I forgot, Zuko told me all about it on my way here… I mean, on a letter of course. He wasn’t on the ship. I guess you know that” shut up shut up shut up.

Iroh widened his eyes and made a frown that immediately told Katara that her attempts to sound unbothered and casual failed, as usual.

“Did I say something I shouldn’t?” Iroh covered his mouth his hand.

Katara tried to comfort him. “Well, he technically told me about his trips to the North Tribe, so it was a matter of time until I figured out what was going on”, honestly, she never even considered the idea of him wanting to get rid of his scar. He hadn't mentioned since he was sixteen. “I have a few questions now, though”

“Maybe you should ask him directly, I’m sure you’re going to notice the change once he arrives. A healing process is slow, and you know Zuko: he wants everything fast”, Iroh sighed, “but in his last letter he told me that this healing session was quite intense”.

He poured the water into two cups.

“The thing is,” he cleared his voice, “Zuko doesn’t understand that there are some parts of a wound that can only be healed by him.”

[kigozula]

Where you are, there I am - Sokkla Saturdays 2022

Day 9: "Blue looks good on you"

You can also read here & here

Sokkla Saturdays 2022 ends! It was fun! Thanks to everyone who organized this event, I enjoy it every year! I've read some very nice and fun stories.

Sokkla Saturdays also give me the opportunity to write more which I am happy about.

My entry today is inspired by Kim Possible Season 3, Episode: Emotion Sickness. I had mixed feelings about this one honestly. Anyway, hope everyone who reads it enjoys it!=)) Thanks for the support!

"This will be one of my riskiest inventions. If one drop comes in contact with fire, the smoke will cause people who breathe it in transient emotion sickness."

The Mechanist put his new invention on the shelf and went to class. The Fire Nation Academy was full of students from all over the world. Since he was an important inventor for the Fire Nation, the Mechanist got a job as teacher.

One of the classes he was heading to was very famous for its different students. No week went by without a fight.

"Hey Azula, mind if I borrow your royal pencil?" Sokka leaned towards Azula.

"What?" she gave him a distasteful look.

"The one Lu Ten gave you. With the gold color."

"Royal ... ugh here just take it." Her best friend had a habit of giving things the weirdest names.

"Thanks!" Sokka patted her back.

This was the school they met for the first time as children. Since then, they were inseparable best friends.

"Good morning children." The teacher entered the room, and everyone stood up to greet him.

"Another boring day." Mai said silently.

"Yeah." Zuko replied. His place was next hers.

"Really Prince Zuzu?" Azula turned around and teased. "Your lover needs entertainment, not your agreement."

Sokka chuckled at Azula's words. Zuko just glared at his sister.

"Shhh, we're in class." Katara warned them.

"Shhh, who are you to remind us?" Azula replied. "You should turn back and entertain your lover too."

Sokka didn't like the word lover when it had a connection with his sister and a guy.

"He is not my! Ughhh!" Katara was annoyed. She never got along well with Azula. They were known for their daily fights.

After the lesson was over the Mechanist asked Azula and Katara to carry some books to his room. Entering the room Azula took notice of Katara's bad mood.

"Seems like someone is frustrated." she said.

Katara just rolled her eyes.

"Did your lover break your heart?" Azula asked.

"I already told you Aang isn't my lover." Katara said.

"Well, we all know how he looks at you. That poor boy fell hard for you." Azula said.

"Well, at least boys like me and have crushes on me. Where are your admirers?" Katara teased.

"I won't settle for something simple. There are no boys that are worth my precious time." Azula said confidently.

Their talk grew heated and one argument lead to another, which resulted in a physical fight. Azula used her firebending and the bottle with the new invention of the Mechanist exploded causing both girls to breath it in. Coughing they left the room.

"Are you two okay?" Jet was walking by and offered his help.

Azula stormed away leaving him alone with Katara on the hallway.

Sokka was sitting on the stairs of the garden chilling away break time. After paying a short visit to the classroom, Azula walked up to him.

"Hey, did you and Katara manage not to fight today?" he asked smiling.

"Where is my pencil?" Azula asked angrily.

"What? Ahh, you mean the royal pencil? I don't have it." Sokka replied. "Did you lose it?"

"Did I lose it? You took it away and never gave it back!"

"I'm sorry, I put it back on your side of the table."

Something snapped in Azula's eyes. Sokka took notice of it. The anger turned into sadness, and it didn't take long for Azula to start crying.

She crossed her arms over her knees next to him on the stairs and cried. Sokka was in complete shock. He knew his best friend since childhood. She would never ever cry because of a lost pencil.

"Hey Azula, don't cry I ... I can search the whole building if need be."

"It was a gift from cousin Lu Ten." she said sobbing.

Sokka gently held her fingers in a soothing motion. He felt bad but had no idea what to do.

Suddenly she stopped crying and stood up. Again, something snapped in her eyes.

"Are you feeling better?" Sokka asked confused.

"Better? I am wonderful! My best friend keeps losing my stuff! How can I not feel better." Azula said sarcastically, her eyebrows furrowed.

"Come now!" she took Sokka by his shirt and pulled him with her inside the academy building. Swearing she went to their locker.

"Woah Azula, do you really need to be this angry?" Sokka asked her.

"Yes!"

"I think you just ripped my shirt." Sokka examined his shirt.

Something snapped in Azula's eyes again. This time she smirked. Her eyes sparked when she looked at Sokka intensely. He was so so attractive. And oh, how handsome he was she thought.

Confusion was overloading Sokka's brain. She neared him and put her fingers on his chin.

"Blue looks good on you Sokka!" she said.

Sokka looked at his shirt. It was red right now. Was Azula hallucinating?

"As much as I enjoy this red, I want you to see in blue this evening when you dance with me at the school party." Azula told him.

"Uhm, okay." Sokka blushed deeply and scratched the back of his neck. What was happening to Azula? She was unusual.

The ring bell in that moment and Azula took his hand.

"Come now boomerang boy, we need to go to class." she said and urged him to walk with her.

Entering the chemistry lab, Azula needed to sperate from him to go to her group.

She put one hand over his chest looking lovingly at Sokka.

"I will miss you!" she said and unlinked their hands.

Mai and Sokka took eye contact just then. Sokka just shrugged his shoulders and Mai shook her head and turned to her work. It was Azula and Sokka after all, they were anything but normal.

After an hour of Azula being all flirting and giggles, she and Sokka walked to their lockers to gain their stuff.

Azula took Sokka's hand and played with his fingers.

"Will you pick me up in the evening Sokka?" she asked him smiling.

"Uhm, sure." he replied. Still not sure if he should ask what's happening with her. Something seemed off with her. Or maybe something was off with him?

Before he could give her behavior more thoughts Azula closed her eyes and pressed her lips to his, surrounding his neck with her arms. Sokka's eyes grew wide, and he gasped.

Azula was kissing him. His childhood friend was pressing her lips to his.

Jet was walking through the hallway in that moment and spitted his drink, when he saw them.

Sokka couldn't help but enjoy the feel of her lips and calmed after a while. Before he could do more, Azula broke the kiss.

"See you in the evening Sokka." she whispered against his lips and went out of the hallway.

"What... what's happening now?!" Jet asked perplexed.

Sokka with a wide smile and starstruck as he was, ignored Jet's shock.

Sokka walked to school before he went to pick up Azula. He forgot his bag in the morning. After Azula kissed him he felt like he was flying the whole day, his mind gone.

"Sokka, what are you doing here early?" Song approached him. She was checking if the plans for the the party that would take place in an hour went fine.

"Forgot my bag." he replied friendly.

"Shouldn't you be meeting Princess Azula?" she asked smiling.

Sokka turned to her. Knowing well what she was asking.

"Alright, maybe it's good you ask, it was eating me the whole day. I don't know who I should talk to honestly. So, Azula has... ehhmm a crush on me?" he explained.

Song raised an eyebrow.

"Don't look at me that way, she was different the whole morning. Flirted with me and took my hand. And then... she kissed me." he smiled at the last part. As weird as everything was right now, he still enjoyed the taste of her lips very much.

"And that's bad?" Song asked.

"I don't know. I mean, we're best friends but it's not like I never thought about it. I mean how could I not, she is... she is the most amazing woman and person!" he said.

"Listen to your heart Sokka and talk with her openly. This is the most important advice I can give you." Song said smiling. "I need to go check the kitchen now. See you guys later."

"Sokka! Sokka!" the Mechanist came rushing to him.

Where is Princess Azula and your sister?" he asked.

"At home." Sokka replied.

"Something horrible happened..." the Mechanist continued.

He explained that he found the glass bottle with his newest invention broken in his room. And that the last two people that were inside were Azula and Katara. After a short panic, he told Sokka to watch out for them both and that the effect should be go away soon.

Sokka was even more confused now. No, he was sad.

Busy as he was with his own thoughts and feelings, he didn't notice much with Katara at home. Though she brought Aang with her and acted very happy. The thought didn't make him feel better.

But Azula? Does that mean she didn't like him the way he thought she did?

"I have no idea what got into me. I was just very angry, then sad and then very happy for no particular reason." Azula told her brother on their way to school. She decided not to wait for Sokka. How must he feel now?

"I can't believe you kissed Sokka! How could you do that and then in the middle of the hallway!" Zuko said angrily.

Mai rolled her eyes and just walked beside the siblings.

"At least you could have told me yourself. If it wouldn't be for Jet to tell Mai, I wouldn't have known." Zuko said.

"Could you maybe shut up! It's enough now!" Azula replied back.

Sokka was walking out of the school building when their ways crossed.

Zuko stopped on his heels and growled at Sokka. Then he just walked past him.

"Sokka, I..." Azula started.

"I know, the Mechanist told me what happened." Sokka said. He explained her everything and Azula wanted to punch the man in the face.

"Well, I'm sorry for acting weird the whole day." she said.

"It's okay." Sokka said smiling. "I..."

"Azula, Sokka what are you waiting, get inside." Ty Lee ran into them and pulled Azula on the school grounds.

Sokka wanted to talk with Azula. But was it a good idea? He always enjoyed his time with her, but right now, after what happened, he felt like he needed to be closer to her than ever.

They got time didn't they? He would give Azula time to regain herself after what happened today. They spend most of their time in each other's company. They got time. He got time...

He watched Azula from afar, smiling. His feet started to move but suddenly he stopped.

Katara! Was she with Aang? How was she feeling.

"Sokka, come now." Azula yelled. "I have bad news for you." she said smirking. He already knew what she was going to tell her. The triumphant smirk on her beautiful face told her, he was about to find out his sister was in a relationship with Aang.

Still, he went to Azula's side and enjoyed his evening next to her. No matter what happened in his life, when he was next to her, everything was better. It's been always like this, and it would stay that way.

[sailorshadzter]

some quick zutara :)

The smoke clears and to his relief (and surprise) they are the ones left standing.  

In the aftermath of the battle, he sinks to his knees, realizing only then that he feels weaker than he’s felt in all of his life. “Zuko!” Her voice is at his ear as she drops to her knees before him, tender hands reaching out to touch the injury that bleeds from his left hand. But she knows as well as him that despite the win, they don’t have the time to heal him. Not there in the open. Not when backup could show at any moment. Zuko looks up into those clear blue eyes and sees then that her mouth is battered, a faint bruise rising up against the curve of her cheek. “Can you walk?” She asks and he nods, knowing that even if he couldn’t, he’d have to try.

The battle had caught them off guard- separated from the others, they had found themselves on the outskirts of the Fire Nation, a rural area just at the base of the mountain range. They had intended on meeting back up with Aang and the others later that night, not once expecting to be ambushed by the Fire Nation soldiers as they had been. Luckily for them it had been a small bunch, but still seven against two had left them severely outnumbered…. But somehow, they managed to come out the winners. Even if they were opposites in every possible way, even Katara had to admit they made a good team when it came to battle. The yin to the others yang, somehow she always knew Zuko’s next move, as if they had planned out everything. 

An arm slung around him, she helps him onto his feet and quick as they can, they make their way from the battlefield, back towards the mountains they had only just come from. She recalls passing a cave or two and she supposes for now, that would have to do. At least within the walls of a cave they could hide and gain back their strength. “In here,” she says, steering him towards the first one they come across. She glances his way and can see his already pale features have lost color, his golden eyes seemingly far too bright for his face. “Careful now,” she steers him over broken rock in the entryway and leads him as far in as they can go, only then allowing him to carefully drop to the ground. “Don’t move,” she commands before she drops to her knees before him, thankful for the water that’s pooled within the cave, runoff from perhaps the storm that had run through only the night before.

“I must be hurt pretty bad if you’re being this nice to me,” he quips and she rolls her eyes, though a faint smile curves on her lips. He was still well enough to make jokes and for that she was still thankful. Her hands reach for his injured side, tearing away what fabric remained, revealing to her the sword wound he’d been given all so he could protect her. Just like the one on his chest, it would leave behind a scar, a testament to the truth of his feelings for her. 

“I’m always nice to you,” she replies back as she draws the water into her palms, the gentle glow of it sending warmth through her own frame. She puts her hand to his side and it takes only a few moments for the wound to close, leaving behind the smallest of scars. There it was, the reminder. “You need rest,” she reminds him before he can move or say a word, for though his wound was healed, she could not heal the fatigue of blood loss. Of battle. And truth was, she felt it too. 

As always, despite the years that have passed, he’s in awe of what she can do. 

Powerful of a warrior as she was, the gentleness of her healing powers was amazing to him, and truth was, he thinks he’s more amazed by that than anything else she could do. “You too,” he reminds her softly, slowly, and she smiles as she nods, scooting from where she kneels before him to instead sit beside him. It takes only another moment or so for her to lean into him, head to his shoulder, her favorite place to be.

His arm comes around her waist, fingers curving around her hip, drawing her in just a little more closely. Her body is warm and soft, there pressed against him, and he’s thankful that after all this time, she was his to hold onto. It took them some time, but they have found one another, and no matter what the future brought, she would always be his. And he would always be hers. 

And so, he tips his head against hers and closes his eyes, allowing sleep to consume him.

[narrativelysignificantturtleduck]

jeong jeong playlist! annotations under the cut:

this is an oddball playlist. there's a song on it from every decade 60s-present, it's got more men than women (unusual for me, and odd given that i headcanon jeong jeong as transfem), and it's very...political. i'm still not sure if it's trivializing and offensive to put these serious protest songs on a character playlist or if it simply makes sense. i mean, i'm looking for songs about a character who leaves the military for ideological reasons. how could it NOT get political, right?

1. i ain't marching anymore - phil ochs

call it peace or call it treason / call it love or call it reason / but i ain't marching anymore

case in point.

2. study war no more (down by the riverside) - pete seeger

i'm gonna talk with the prince of peace / down by the riverside / and study war no more

i mean like. i feel weird about including these songs but also you gotta wonder if maybe historical anti-war movements and songs informed the writing of a character who deserts the military. bc she quite literally is a ex-military pacifist by the riverside talking to her world's religious savior.

3. i was in a cult - teddy geiger

i was a soldier under the despot / born in the summer, all that I wanted / i am a child, I asked for the beating

found this while looking for songs by transfem artists for this playlist and was just kind of blown away. like, jeong jeong was a soldier, summer is the season of fire, and there's no way she had a happy childhood. a firebending prodigy, probably pushed very hard to succeed, plus being queer and autistic? in a country where the head of state abuses his son in front of a crowd? there's no way. it's a song about breaking free from any force telling you to conform, and that's certainly jeong jeong deserting the military.

4. empty square - sarah jarosz

i'm gettin' swallowed up by all my choices / i'll take a dive off your marble stairs / 'cause it's all crumbling down

i think jeong jeong's desertion was incredibly dramatic, bc she knew a high-ranking official loudly denouncing their power and privilege ("taking a dive off your marble stairs") would make a big statement. some random soldier quietly escapes and joins the earth kingdom? we'll track him down and say he died in battle, so tragic. an admiral stands up to give a speech in front of a huge crowd of soldiers and tells them that they're cruel savages and their empire will fall before disappearing in a ball of fire? well that's a fucking PR nightmare.

5. prayer in open d - emmylou harris

and the shadows filling up this land / are the ones i built with my own hand

GUILT. also river imagery. jeong jeong loves river imagery.

6. eve of destruction - barry mcguire

take a look around you, boy / it's bound to scare you, boy / and you tell me / over and over and over again, my friend / how you don't believe / we're on the eve of destruction

learned of this song via todd in the shadows, whose take on it is that it's kinda melodramatic but also totally understandable. like yeah, maybe the world isn't hopeless, but sometimes it sure feels that way. this growly voice singing to some "boy" about how he needs to understand the world is doomed reminds me of jeong jeong talking to aang, warning him of the danger of fire. you get where she's coming from, even if she's overly pessimistic.

7. man in the wilderness - styx

sometimes i feel like a man in the wilderness / i'm a soldier off to war / sent away to die / never quite knowing why

8. i'm on fire - bruce springsteen

this song is maybe a little more clueless than jeong jeong (she knows quite well why she was sent off to war, and she's not really a man) but living in the wilderness feeling lost is definitely fitting.

8. blindness - metric

i was a blindfold, never complained

the wartime imagery, plus this theme of being blind to what's going on. also the lines "i was the one with the world at my feet" and "you gave me a life i never chose" about jeong jeong's high rank and how much he never wanted that path

i got a bad desire / oh, oh, oh / i'm on fire

for jeong jeong this song isn't about lust & desire in the usual sense but about the desire for waterbending and femininity. wanting something to cool the burning feeling inside, that cooling element embodied in a girl whose father left her. a gender envy song, and a song very literally about firebending.

am i reading the song totally in a way it was not intended? yeah probably. do i care? no.

9. my body is a cage - arcade fire

i'm living in an age / whose name I don't know / though the fear keeps me moving / still my heart beats so slow

dysphoria and self-loathing and internalized homophobia and disillusionment with the world oh my

10. arsonist's lullabye - hozier

all you have is your fire / and the place you need to reach / don't you ever tame your demons / but always keep 'em on a leash

i hesitated for a while putting this on here because of the line about "my peace has always depended on all the ashes in my wake" - jeong jeong's firebending does not bring her peace. but if you take that line more metaphorically, you could say that deserting the military was destructive - she burned her old life down, so to speak. and any peace she has comes from those ashes.

the rest of the song is pretty on the nose, with the chorus counseling restraint and the verses indicating a close relationship with fire throughout her life. the wiki says she was a prodigy, which fits with what we see of her. if she had a close connection to fire, if she was praised for talent with it from a young age, the guilt of what she's done with it would hit that much harder.

11. the wolf - the crane wives

'cause I’m no good at being kind to myself / or anyone

very "razor's edge between humanity and savagery", all about this idea of teetering between human and animal because you feel you are inherently a destroyer.

12. ophelia - marika hackman

but did you hear the sun go down? / silent as the child i found / hiding in the midnight of my soul / i am ready now to let her go

trans jeong jeong coming out. the sun, the source of fire, goes down, and she feels her true self can emerge.

13. a burning hill - mitski

and i am the fire and i am the forest and i am the witness watching it

THE song for angsty firebenders trying to embrace peace. that you've been a victim and a perpetrator and a bystander and now you're just going to live a quiet live and love some littler things. zuko 🤝 azula 🤝 jeong jeong - this song.

[absolutelyfizzing]

cruel and spiteful

anon - If you take requests, can I have Zuko X reader, where Zuko tells them about his scar?

description - zuko tells y/n how he got his scar. he also has a very important question to ask her. (established!zuko x reader)

warnings - fluff, some tears, description of violence and abuse (no more vivid than is in the show), no connection to the content after the original series, some kissing, zuko is aged up (probably 20-24 years old)

word count - 1700

a/n - I tried on this one but I make no promises that its good

MASTERLIST

You stayed in peaceful silence next to your boyfriend as you read and he worked. Your leg was draped over one of his so you could have some contact but not enough that either of you would get distracted. You often thought about how thankful you were that you could have moments like this. That you had been together long enough and were comfortable enough with each other that you could spend evenings like this.

Zuko fidgeted a bit in his place and you glanced over at him. He had bags under his eyes and they looked red. You knew that he had been overworking himself lately and not getting enough sleep. Many nights he would come to bed after you had fallen asleep and then leave before you woke up simply because there was so much for him to do. You also knew that you wanted to take care of him and to let him know that his mental well-being was just as important as getting his list of tasks done. At that thought, you closed your book and sat up a bit.

"Zuko?" you asked quietly, not wanting to disturb the peace in the room.

"Hm?" he hummed out but he did not look up from his work.

"Zuko, honey, you have to stop working for a minute." You tried to reason but he just huffed. You didn't say anything else but you slowly moved to take his things off of his lap, giving him time to finish reading the paragraph he was on. He let you slip the papers into your hands and you placed them on his nearby desk. You stood silently and grabbed his hand to pull him up.

He didn't complain or make any indication that he didn't want to get up as you led him to your shared bathroom. You had him brush his teeth and you pulled his hair into a bun for him before you both headed back to bed, this time in your pajamas and with the intent of going to sleep.

"Actually, can you mess with my hair?" he almost whispered. He requested you touch his hair every so often because he loved the feeling of your fingers carding through it.

"Of course, my love," you assured and he smiled at you.

You sat on the bed, your back against the headboard. He laid next to you so his head was on your lap and you were looking down at him. You began to brush through his hair with your fingers, running your nails along his scalp. His eyes closed at the feeling as he sighed. You could tell that the anxiety of the day was leaving him.

After you had been brushing through his hair for some time and his breathing had evened out, you moved to run your fingers over the lines of his face. You just assumed that he was asleep from how calm and still he seemed. Your fingers traced along his brow lines and his eyes. You moved them down towards the shape of his nose and then his jaw. When you moved back up his face, you traced along the edges of his scar. You never asked him about it and you didn't actually know how he got it. You were from the earth kingdom and had never heard any conversation around the palace about it so you assumed that he was in some sort of accident. You knew that he would eventually tell you how it happened if he wanted to. As you were lost in thought you hadn't even noticed that his eyes were open, gazing at you from your lap. When you accidentally met his gaze, you flinched, like you had been caught doing something wrong.

"You can touch it, it's okay." He whispered out to reassure you and you hesitated before tracing it again. "Have you already heard the story?" he questioned. He knew that you hadn't known much about him when you met and that stories around the palace had ceased, mostly because it was old news and he no longer seemed self-conscious about it.

You shook your head shyly.

"Do you want to?"

You made eye contact with him. "If you don't mind telling it." You tried to make sure that he knew he didn't have to. He smiled up at you and sat up from your lap. He moved so that he was sitting in front of you, legs crossed under him to match yours. His knees were touching yours and he pulled your hands onto his lap. He looked up into your eyes and felt anxiety despite your non-judgemental gaze. He paused for a moment.

"My father did it." He started, looking at your face as you gasped a bit but you tried not to react, wanting him to continue uninterrupted. "When I was younger, I think I was thirteen, I sat in on a war meeting with my father and his advisors." His gaze had drifted down towards where your fingers were tangled with his.

"I disagreed with something, I spoke up. One of the generals had recommended sacrificing men as bait for a trap and I felt like I had to say something. It was seen as an act of disrespect so my father told me I would be fighting in an agni kai to settle the matter."

You kept your gaze on his face. You had only seen one agni kai in your time in the fire nation and it was not something you wished to see again. You struggled to believe anyone would expect a thirteen-year-old to fight in such a match.

"When I showed up, I had assumed I would fight the general, that was who I disagreed with. Instead, my father stepped forward to fight me. I knew I couldn't have won but I also didn't want to fight him because he was my father and I didn't want to show him violence. I got on my knees and asked him to forgive me but he saw it as a sign of weakness."

Zuko took a deep breath. He hadn't had to tell this story in a while and remembering the traumatic fight made him feel emotional.

"He burned me for my vulnerability. I was then exiled by my father, my scar a brand to let the kingdom know of my shame, and he sent me on my impossible mission to find the avatar. To find Aang." He finished, looking up to your gaze again. He was a bit surprised to see tears streaming down your face and he immediately cooed at you, shushing you and wiping your tears away.

You let out a broken sob and he brought his hand to the back of your neck to pull you into him so your face rested against his shoulder. Your fingers moved so that they were latched onto his shirt. You cried quietly for a few minutes, Zuko's hand soothing you by rubbing along your back.

"I'm so sorry." You whispered out. Zuko didn't respond immediately, thinking about his answer. For a while he would have said 'it's okay or 'i had it coming' but he now knew that it wasn't true. That it was cruel and he shouldn't have had to go through that.

"I'm okay now." He decided on and you nodded against him. You sat up a bit and moved your hand to cup his jaw on the side of his scar, your thumb just barely grazing over the edge of it.

"You are beautiful." You breathed out and Zuko was surprised by your words but they almost brought tears to his eyes. "Your father was a cruel and spiteful man and for him to have taken his anger out on his own child when you were just a kid is heartbreaking. I'm so sorry you had to go through that and I am so proud of you for having become such an amazing man in spite of your cruel upbringing."

You wiped away the single tear that trailed down his face.

"Will you marry me?" He whispered out, surprising himself a bit. He had of course been planning on proposing to you but he had a plan set up months from now. It was elaborate and romantic but as he sat in front of you, he wanted to be able to say he was your husband as soon as possible. Your face cracked into a smile and you giggled a bit. Zuko wanted to hear that sound for the rest of his life.

"Of course I will, Firelord Zuko." Your words reminded you of your future and your face paled a bit. Zuko was ecstatic that you said yes but worried as your face showed anxiety. "I'm going to be royalty." You choked out, your fear showing. You had, of course, hoped that you would be spending the rest of your life with Zuko, but you had never given your future rank much thought. Zuko let out a laugh at your realization.

"You already are." He added and you quirked your eyebrow in question. "You are the person I care for the most in the world, you are my closest advisor and you help me in all of my decisions, you are under my protection at all times. You are already queen in practice, just not in title. You will rule by my side as an equal as you already do. As you have done for the last 2 years."  

You smiled at his reassurance and leaned forward to pull him into a searing kiss. You hoped that he could feel all of the emotions you were trying to express through it. He hummed against your lips and brought his hand up to rest in your hair. When you both pulled away, out of breath, he leaned his forehead against yours.

"I love you." He mumbled out and you smiled.

"Nowhere near as much as I love you." you replied easily.

[thwispsings]

Atla modern!au headcanons

This is gonna be a long ride so buckle up folks 

Sokka has at least one clothing item with “women want me, fish fear me” (and i’m betting it’s a crop top)

Zuko has to wear a hearing aid on his scarred ear

His vision is also not great on that side

Sokka has a soccer mom car

He also is the type of friend to start screaming “I SWEAR TO TUI AND LA THIS CAR IS NOT GETTING OUT OF THIS GARAGE UNTIL EVERYONE HAS SEATBELTS ON!”

Sokka is just a huge soccer mom friend

While Sokka is the braincell holder of the group, Zuko is their impulse control

Zuko goes to occupational therapy

The white lotus is a tea tasting club, they have discount cards at Iroh’s teashop

Piandao is a master of the blades

Also distinguished gay

Bumi is basically a cryptid, he’s the jersey devil of omashu

Piandao also once got arrested for fighting cops at pride

No cops at pride just Piandao and his blades

Bato and Hakoda are peak Kevin and Holt (everyone’s dads)

Before they came out Sokka and Katara had a bet going on with Gran gran on whether they would realize everyone already knew or not (gran gran won)

Zuko cannot drive to save his life but he’s incredible good with a motorcycle 

Toph basically lives with Iroh and Zuko, they’re her emotional support family figures

They have family game nights but pai sho was banned after the “great table breaking incident of 2018”

Suki is a master of at least three different known martial arts and some not really known ones

She still stutters when talking to pretty girls

Once a pretty girl smiled at Suki and she tripped and almost fell down a flight of stairs

Whenever a girl flirts with her she looses her cool when a guy flirts with her she is always non-impressed

She and Sokka are the best exes, always trolling each other tho

When Zuko and Sokka started dating her first reaction was telling Zuko “honestly you could do better” 

Toph and Zuko convinced Iroh to start selling coffee on the Jasmine Dragon

Once Toph drank seven cans of redbull in a row just for shits and giggles, Iroh still has nightmares about that day

Whenever Zuko pulls all nighters Toph always puts him to bed, no one knows how

If you go for a non bending au then Druk is a bearded dragon or a ferret, i will not accept other animals

Zuko is the only person that Toph let squish her cheeks, she always giggles at it, it’s adorable, on the other hand, Toph is the only person allowed to touch his scar (she likes to map her friends’ faces with her fingers)

Toph also has an inclination to simply plop herself on Zuko’s lap, he’s warm and very comfortable and he always hugs her without saying anything

Toph knows how to braid her and always braids Zuko’s

Sokka is totally a tiktoker and a streamer

Aang watched too many tiktoks with Sokka and spent an entire month referring to Appa as “fluffly boy” only

Aang’s first friend, incredibly, was Zuko

Zuko painted blue arrows on a hoodie to give it to Aang when he complained about waiting for the tattoos

Aang cried

They are the type of friends that make constant references to events no one else knows about besides the two of them

Much similar to the Toph and Zuko situation, Sokka has adopted Aang as his little brother

They both have their daily Sokka&Aang time

Which usually involves laying with Appa and talking 

Sometimes cloud watching, they compete to see who finds the clouds with weirder shapes

Aang gets Katara flowers every year on her birthday

Their first date was at Iroh’s teashop (mostly so Zuko could be there to calm Aang down)

They hold hands whenever Aang feels overwhelmed

Aang made Katara a total of 37 friendship bracelets and 16 bead necklaces

The two go ice skating every two weeks

Katara has at one point convinced each one of her friends to let her do the hair loopies on them at least once

Katara once fought a guy on an Ihop parking lot and she won

The guy was Hahn and she fought him because he called Sokka a wimp

Katara, Sokka and Hakoda cry every time they watch Balto

Katara and Zuko share Ever after as their favorite movie

Katara is a golden medal swimmer 

Yue lost her hair due to chemo so she has a collection of pretty white wigs

Yue deffinetely cosplayed as Mara from She-ra

Piadao knows Zuko ever since he was five years old

He is actually both Zuko’s and Lu Ten’s godfather

One of his most prized possessions is a mug saying “world’s best godfather” that Zuko made on therapy and gave him for fathers day 

Iroh has a matching but with “world’s best uncle” 

Bumi and Aang became friends after Appa almost ran over him at a park, no one understands this friendship

Piandao and Zuko can communicate solely through nods and grunts, and both understand each other perfectly

*At the tea shop*

Piandao: *grunts and nods curtly*

Zuko: he wants the orange and spices tea and a croissant

*at Piandao’s dojo*

Zuko: *huffs and shakes his head*

Piandao: ah yes Zuko thanks for reminding me, i should see that with your uncle as soon as possible, do you think Jeong Jeong will be able to help?

Zuko: *grunts*

Piandao: no, you’re right, that’s a ridiculous idea

And now the crocverse hcs in honor to @nothing-more-than-hot-leaf-juice

Iroh non-ironically loves crocs

Once he said “let me put them on sports mode” before getting out of the house and Zuko was this close to crying

Bumi is a croc enthusiast 

He non-ironically loves the croc gloves

Bumi is the one who told Iroh about “four wheels drive”

The first time Sokka and Iroh quoted the “WHAT ARE THOSE” vine Zuko actually considered running away to live with Piandao

Jeong Jeong hates crocs with all of his being

Piandao dislikes crocs but he feigns ignorance just to watch the chaos unfold and Jeong Jeong get pissed

There’s a bet going on who’s gonna break Jeong Jeong first

Most of the bets are on Bumi

Piandao once wore a pair of crocs only to watch Jeong Jeong squirm and get all huffy

Sokka gave Iroh a teacup with little crocs painted on it for his birthday

Toph says crocs are the best kind of shoes because “they’re open” 

Iroh has almost as many crocs as he has teacups

[the-badger-mole]

Can you write a short story with a jealous Zuko?

PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE

Zuko was used to being overshadowed. By Azula; by Lu Ten; by Avatar Aang. It still often annoyed him to know that the most he could aim for was second best to someone else, no matter where he was. But he never minded when it came to Katara. Give her enough time, Zuko often told himself, and she could bring the entire world to its knees. She'd saved his life in more ways than he could count. She had saved them all, and there would never be enough people singing her praises as far as Zuko was concerned. She stood out no matter where she was. Even in spaces where the Fire Lord should have been the center of attention, Zuko knew he didn't stand a chance when Master Katara entered the room.

It should have annoyed him, Zuko thought, but it didn't. She was sunshine, for all she was a child of Water, and she drew everyone towards her like plants reaching up for Agni's rays. When she laughed, it filled the room- a bit too loud to be polite, but too infectious to really be upset over. She talked with high-ranking nobles with passion, leaving them stunned at her knowledge and convictions- this woman who was barely not a child anymore. She had earned the grudging respect of Zuko's council, which even he hadn't succeeded in doing. He should be jealous, but he watched Katara make her way around the room with pride. Maybe he wasn't as eloquent or magnetic as Katara, but he was her friend. He knew her in a way few- if any- in that room would ever know her.

Someone- Iroh, Zuko guessed- had signaled for the band to start playing. Business was done for the day. Soon the crowd had reshuffled itself, and couples began making their way to the dance floor while everyone else made their way to the buffet tables lining one end of the hall. Katara met Zuko's eyes across the room, and with a warm smile, made her way over to him. She seemed to glow supernaturally. Zuko cast a surreptitious glance to see if some prankster had aimed a spotlight on her. Was it just Zuko? How was no one else being blinded by the way the light reflected off her smile? Her hair? Her skin? Zuko swallowed hard, trying to unstick his tongue from the roof of his suddenly dry mouth.

Katara's smile widened and she opened her mouth to greet him.

"Excuse...um...p-pardon me." Katara turned in surprise to the young man who had approached her. Zuko recognized him vaguely, and he scrambled to place a name. Katara spared him the ordeal of guessing.

"Lord Jee-Soo," she smiled politely at King Kuei's cousin, though Zuko could see an odd tightness in the corners of Katara's eyes. Jee Soo, however, did not notice. His face was tinged pink and he leaned forward in a stiff, formal bow.

"I-I hope I'm not disturbing you," he said. "I was hoping that...that maybe you...er, that is...would you grant me the honor of a dance."

Zuko froze. A shock went down his spine as if someone had walked across a carpet and touched his skin. Katara gaped at him in surprise. Her cheeks flushed a pretty dusky red. Jee Soo smiled at her, nervous and hopeful. She cast a glance at Zuko, trying to communicate... something.

"Oh!" Katara gasped. "Well... I was just going to..." She cast another look at Zuko before she shrugged and smiled at Jee Soo. "Um... sure, I'd love to."

Zuko watched silently as Jee Soo wrapped a clammy-looking hand around Katara's and led her out to the dance floor. His hand squeezed his punch cup dangerously tight as Jee Soo slid his arm around Katara's waist and pulled her as close as propriety would allow. His breath caught in his throat as the young Earth Kingdom noble said something that caused Katara's nose to crinkle in amusement.

"Take care, Fire Lord Zuko," Iroh sidled up to his nephew, with an affable smile and a knowing gleam in his eye. "Someone might think there's trouble between the Fire Nation and Ba Sing Se the way you're glaring at young Lord Jee Soo."

"I'm not glaring!" Zuko insisted hotly. Still, he turned his scowl on his uncle instead.

"She would have danced with you if you'd asked," Iroh told him. "I'm sure she still would."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Zuko grumbled.

"Oh no?" Iroh tried unsuccessfully to hide his amusement. "My mistake. It's been a long time since I was young and in love. Perhaps I don't remember the signs as well as I thought."

"Perhaps not!" Zuko knew he was being peevish, but his uncle was overstepping. Zuko had admitted to having a small crush on Katara years ago, and Iroh had never forgotten, even though Zuko had gotten over her a long time ago. She was dating one of his best friends at the time.

But not anymore.

The traitorous, smug voice in his head sounded annoyingly like his uncle. It was true that Katara had broken up with Aang, but it made no difference. Even if he wasn't over Katara- and he was over her- she and Aang hadn't split on the best of terms. It wouldn't be fair to either of his friends for Zuko to insert himself in the middle of that.

On the dance floor, Jee Soo seemed to have gained some confidence. He twirled and spun Katara with expert ease. If Katara had been hesitant to dance with him before, she seemed happy enough now. Her eyes were bright and her face pink with the exertion of the dance. She was having a good time, and Jee Soo gazed at her as if half in love already.

Zuko could dance. He could dance at least as well as Jee Soo. Others may outshine him in literally every other part of his life, but Zuko's mastery of dance was part of what made the Blue Spirit so deadly. Maybe he could challenge Jee Soo to a friendly competition. Katara could be the judge. Maybe the first prize could be a kiss...

Zuko shook his head. Dangerous territory. She was just coming out of a serious relationship. With one of his best friends. True they had broken up almost a year ago. Also true that Aang hadn't been in close contact with any of them since the breakup. And there was speculation that things had ended because Aang had cheated. But Zuko didn't know that for sure. No one knew for sure except Katara and Aang. Suki probably had more of the story, which Toph probably bullied out of her. And Sokka at least suspected if his coldness towards Aang at the last summit was any indication.

Dangerous territory. Friends don't go after a friend's exes. Even if you happened to have had a thing for said ex before your friend started dating them. Even if that ex was also your best friend.

Jee Soo dipped Katara, causing her to let out a nervous, but giddy laugh. Her hands clutched at Jee Soo tightly, to keep herself steady, but as a result, they were much closer than they started at the beginning of the dance. Jee Soo's face lit up with a grin as he did it again. And again. And again.

Didn't this guy know any other moves? Katara was going to catch on to him, and she would be annoyed. Wouldn't she? Zuko knew she'd been out with a couple of other guys since the breakup. Nothing serious, though, Suki had informed him. No one who lasted more than a month. Still, Zuko wasn't sure what her type was anymore. Jee Soo reminded Zuko a bit of Aang, but just because Katara had dated Aang for three years doesn't mean he was her type. Maybe she was into quieter guys who got way too deep in their own heads and overthought hypothetical situations until they lost entire nights of sleep worrying about problems that didn't actually exist. Yeah...for sure that's what Katara would find attractive.

How long was this song, Zuko wondered. Jee Soo was dipping Katara again, though she seemed to be getting tired of it. Her smile was that polite, tight smile that she'd given him earlier when she wasn't sure she wanted him to interrupt her. Zuko saw her say something to him, probably asking him to keep her upright for a while. Jee Soo laughed and shook his head and said something teasing as he pulled her closer. Katara's smile fell away completely, and Zuko saw she was getting mad. He was halfway across the dance floor before he'd even realized he was going to go over. He was ready to yank Jee Soo away, and if necessary, deck the creep for not respecting Katara's reasonable wish. But before he got to them, Jee Soo had stepped away with a deep, embarrassed blush on his face.

"I'm so sorry," Jee Soo was saying as Zuko got closer. "Honestly, I was just trying to...well, I didn't mean to upset you or offend you."

"It's alright, Jee Soo," Katara said patiently. Her smile was back in place. The song ended, finally, and another one started up.

"Would you...like to dance again?" Jee Soo asked.

"I'm a bit tired," Katara begged off. "But I'll bet Kimiko would love you to ask her. Don't say I told you, but she's been checking you out." That didn't seem to soothe Jee Soo's disappointment, but he accepted the rejection graciously enough.

"Seems like you had fun," Zuko said. Katara sighed tiredly and slipped her arm through his.

"I thought the song would never end!" she groaned. "It was like dancing with Aang. Fun for the first minute, but he was doing way too much. All the dipping gave me vertigo." Zuko heard that with interest.

"I didn't realize you weren't having fun," he tried to keep his voice even as he led them away from the dance floor over to the punch table. "I would have come rescue you if I'd realized. We should come up with some sort of sign when you want me to cut in."

"You never dance at these things," Katara pointed out.

"I'd make an exception for you." Zuko blushed and scrambled to cover. "I mean, I'd do it if it saved you from some over-eager guy who can't take a hint."

"My hero." Katara scrunched her nose up at Zuko and leaned against him. It was adorable! Zuko had to bite the inside of his lip to keep from grinning.

"Actually..." Katara said slowly. "I was coming over to ask you to dance before Jee Soo interrupted."

"Really?" Zuko's voice hit an octave it hadn't hit since he was fourteen and his voice was still dropping. He cleared his throat, trying to ignore the fact that Katara was trying very hard not to laugh.

"Yeah," she nodded her head. "I know you don't really like dancing, but maybe you can preemptively cut in for me? Someone told me that Lord Hino's son wanted to ask me for a dance." Zuko grimaced. Lord Hino was one of his most trusted advisors, but his son was a famous klutz with two left feet. No woman left the dance floor without bruised feet when she danced with him.

"You told Jee Soo you were tired," Zuko reminded her. Why, he yelled internally, would he say that? Fortunately, Katara just shrugged and looked up at him coyly from the corner of her eye.

"I'd make an exception for you," she said quietly. Zuko froze midstep. Katara looked up at him in alarm. There was a spectacular blush rising from her neck towards her hairline, and a panicked retraction already on her lips. Zuko turned to her and took her hand. Then in a move that would have pleased every last one of his etiquette tutors and his uncle, if he was watching, Zuko bowed elegantly and brushed a feathery light kiss on Katara's fingertips. He lifted his gaze with an impish grin.

"I would be honored," he said, "to have this dance." Katara nodded speechlessly and allowed Zuko to lead her out to the dance floor again.

Zuko was used to being overshadowed. He wasn't the most powerful bender, or the most charismatic leader. He wasn't the most handsome man or the most eloquent. But there on the dancefloor, with the most beautiful woman in at the ball in his arms, he knew that no one could match him for dancing. Katara seemed to agree because she accepted his request for another dance. And another. And another...

[the-vast-corner-of-the-galaxy]

KW 2024- Day 1: Cultural Exchange

Here is my short story for Day 1 of Kataang Week hosted by @kataang-week !!

Day 1: Cultural Exchange/Culture Sharing/Revival of Traditions - Monday, July 29th

Summary: Katara has always wondered how the Airbenders’ tattoos would look on her.

Rating: General Audiences

Word Count: 1.7 K

***

Every time Katara saw Aang training, she couldn’t help but look at the Cerulean blue arrow tattoos on his body. There was something about them that she found pleasure in looking at. When she first met him, she did not pay much attention to them, up until she saw the airbender in the Avatar state. She still remembers how the arrows glowed with the white light. They made Aang look way more intimidating than he already was in the Avatar state. 

Katara always had a keen liking to all shades of blue or green, but her favorite color or all time was Cerulean blue. She always thought she looked better in Cerulean blue than in any other color. Besides that, however, this color was personal to her: It reminded her of the oceans she saw while crossing the world with Aang and Sokka; the beaches she visited in the Earth Kingdom; and even of her own mother, whose eyes were a lighter shade of Cerulean blue. All of these were heartwarming memories to her, and now that she was with Aang, the color reminded her of him, of his heartwarming personality, his courage, his endurance, and his kind heart. 

Sometimes, Katara wondered how the Cerulean blue arrows would look on her body. Even if she was not an Airbender, the color was the one thing stuck on her mind for long period of time. Aang had explained to her that the Airbenders who reached the rank of master got the tattoos, or when an airbender invented a new skill with airbending, which was Aang’s case. Of course, Katara knew that there was no way in getting those markings on her body. 

As Katara was trying some waterbending forms in the pond, she constantly thought on how the markings of the airbenders would look on her, making her look disconnected from reality. Aang was practicing his airbending on the other side of the garden, and when he noticed Katara’s inattentiveness, he walked up to her.

“Katara?” asked Aang with a tone of concern. “Is everything alright?” 

“Hey, Aang,” she greeted, looking at the tattoos on his hands. “Everything is okay, I just lost focus for a little while.”

Aang was not very convinced about Katara’s answer, and could easily tell she was feeling uneasy. He always wanted Katara to be alright, for he dearly cared for her. However, sometimes Katara struggled to express her true feelings, so he knew he had to tread carefully in order to let it all out. 

“Um… okay. If you need anything, I am always here!” replied Aang, trying to get back to his airbending training. Katara went back to focusing on her waterbending, but her mind still lingered on the beautiful cerulean blue arrows. She didn’t know how to ask Aang about them, much less getting the tattoos on her body. She felt… embarrassed to ask, even if Aang wasn’t the person to not share his cultural heritage and customs. 

“Hey, Aang?” she called. Aang went up to her, wondering what she wanted to ask. 

“Yes?” he asked. “What is it?”

“I was just thinking about your tattoos,” said Katara hesitantly, holding Aang’s hand, “There is something curious about them…”

Aang raised an eyebrow with confusion, but didn’t let his hand go off Katara’s hands. He loved it when Katara held his hand, and he could stay like that for whoever knows how long. 

“What’s curious about the arrows?” asked Aang, still confused. 

“I… I just really like the color of them. It’s a really nice shade of blue,” Katara lied, still unsure of how to break her question to Aang.

Aang looked at the arrow tattoo on his hands, not exactly sure about what Katara was seeing in them. They were a decent color, but he still preferred shades of yellow and magenta, like a sunset. Aang also liked the color blue, but it wasn’t his favorite, except for Katara’s eyes, which he thought were gorgeous. 

“I… I guess they are nice,” replied Aang, not really sure where this conversation was going. “What do you see that is so special about them?” 

“Well,” said Katara, knowing that there was no escaping the conversation. “This is going to be embarrasing to ask… but…” Katara’s cheeks were turning slightly red, and Aang was still confused about what she was going to even ask. 

“Um… what is it?” asked Aang, gently. That’s when the realization hit him. Katara has recently been staring at the arrows in his head and arms for days, and sometimes, she would ask how he got them, even if she had asked previously a few times. She would sometimes talk about how her favorite color was cerulean blue and how it suited her. Aang realized that Katara wanted the arrows to be painted on her body. 

“You want me to paint the arrows on you, right?” Aang asked, holding Katara’s other hand with his free hand. 

“Well… yes,” Katara finally admitted. “I know you only get them by being an airbending master, but they are intriguing and I just wanted to know how-”

Before Katara finished her sentence, Aang’s excitement bolted to the skies. He loved the idea of painting the tattoos on her body. He’s never painted airbending tattoos on anyone, but he has seen it, and it looked fun, even if the original process was a bit painful. 

“I’ll paint them for you!” Aang exclaimed. “Why didn’t you ask earlier, sweetie?” 

“Well…” Katara replied, “I was… slightly embarrassed since the arrow tattoos belong to the airbending masters, and I am neither an airbender, or an airbending master-”

“Well, technically you are a waterbending master,” Aang interrupted. “But, I will still do them for you! We just need to get body paint somewhere, and a brush!” 

“Really?” Katara asked excitedly. “Thank you so much, sweetie!” She pecked Aang’s lips and gave him a hug. “Let’s go get the bodypaint! We’ll probably find it in one of the makeup stores.”

After some more training, Katara and Aang left the Avatar residence and happily walked together through the streets of the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se. They browsed through different stores that sold all makeup products. It was a slightly hard task to find the right shade of cerulean blue at first. However, after some hours, they found a smaller makeup shop that had all shades of bodypaint displayed on its shelves. 

“Hello, Avatar,” greeted the owner of the shop. The owner was a lady who was probably Iroh’s age, and dressed in traditional Earth kingdom attire. “What can I get for you?”

“Hi! We were just looking for cerulean blue body paint, and makeup brushes,” replied Aang. 

“Oh! I think I might have the shade you are looking for! Let me get it for you.” said the owner, opening a back door behind the counter. After a few minutes, she came with some brushes and a large flask of cerulean blue body paint. It was the exact same shade as Aang’s arrows, but slightly brighter. Katara was marvelled when she saw the color. They paid the owner of the shop and left, returning to the Avatar residence. 

When they got there, Aang and Katara sat down in the main room with the brushes and the paint. Katara cleaned her arms and face so that the body paint stuck to her skin properly, while Aang prepared the paint. 

“Are you ready?” asked Aang, holding the brush in his hand. Katara happily nodded, and Aang got to work on her forehead first. He outlined a large arrow on her forehead with one brush, and filled it with color with another. The paint dried quickly, so Aang got to paint the arrow fairly quickly. He occasionally kissed Katara’s cheeks while doing it, making her giggle. 

Once Aang was finished with the first arrow, he stared at Katara for a bit too long, stunned with her beauty. Her eyes seemed to glisten with the arrow above her forehead, making her look even prettier than before.  

“Aang?” Katara asked, looking at the airbender, who was gaping at the sight. “Are you okay?”

Aang returned to reality, and his cheeks turned a bright pink. “It’s just that… you look beautiful, Katara.” The waterbender blushed and smiled at Aang. Aang then went to her right side to begin painting her arm. Katara rolled the sleeves of her waterbending attire so that Aang could easily paint her arm. The strokes of the brushes relaxed Katara and made her slightly sleepy. 

“You’re falling asleep!” Aang teased dearly.

“It’s really relaxing!” Katara replied. “Weren’t you relaxed when you got your arrows tattooed on your body?”

“Well, no,” Aang said. “The real process uses permanent ink and a few needles. It’s actually quite painful.”

“Oh,” said Katara with unease. Aang must’ve been in extreme pain when he got the tattoos, which explained why he was not a fan of using sharp objects. 

“I still need to do your left arm,” said Aang, returning his focus to Katara. He quickly finished painting the arrow on Katara’s right hand and moved to her left side, cradling her left arm and outlining the design of the arrow. Katara was glad that Aang agreed with painting the arrows on her, and she felt even more connected to him, to his culture. She loved exploring different cultures, and respecting their customs. This was a very special custom to her, especially since it reminded her of the Water Tribe’s markings that would be obtained over the years. 

Once Aang finished her arms, she looked at the arrows painted on them. They were beautifully outlined and illustrated. The color that Aang used was gorgeous, and she was obsessed with it. 

“Aang, they are beautiful!” Katara exclaimed. She went to the nearest mirror in the room and looked at her painted face and arms. Katara never got any significant or large markings on her body ever, but she loved the arrows that were on her arms and face. She felt completely connected to Aang’s culture, even if she was not an airbender herself. 

“I am glad you like them!” Aang chimed in, wrapping his arms around Katara’s waist from behind. She smiled at the image in front of her, and felt how her bond with Aang grew. The airbender also felt his heart become warmer as they both stared at the mirror. 

“Thank you, Aang,” Katara whispered, turning around. “Thank you for everything.” She pressed her lips against Aang’s and kissed him with gentleness and compassion. The Avatar wrapped his arms around her waist and happily took the kiss in, savoring the moment. 

[raewritez]

Still

based on this request: I’m thirsty for a love triangle. Maybe Sokka and Zuko fighting for the reader’s affection. And she chooses ____!

warnings: one swear word right there ⬇️, aangst, simping

It fucking hurt.

Sure, Sokka knew Zuko was good now, and he knew that the two of you had history. But he couldn't have prepared himself for the ache that took place in his chest whenever you would choose to sit by Zuko around the campfire, when you would tease him in that playful tone of yours, when you would smile at him and it seemed like the sun beamed a bit brighter. It hurt because Sokka didn't get that anymore. Or maybe he did, but he was too blinded by jealousy to process the fact that you cared about both of them. In Sokka's mind, your gaze was always on Zuko, on his stupid fluffy hair and his oh-so-perfect stupid face. Your hand was always somewhere on him; on his arm, around his shoulder, on his face when you healed the cuts that resulted from your latest skirmish. He could only clench his jaw, standing and storming off to where he could be alone with his misery. He'd feel your eyes on him as he walked away, probably widened in confusion and your head probably tilted in that stupid, adorable way that made Sokka's heart melt every time. But he'd continue, not sparing you a glance. It's not like you cared, anyway.

You did care.

What was his problem? Things hadn't been this tense between you and Sokka since you first met, since he labeled you as the enemy and scoured you with his glares. But that was months ago. You weren't used to this standoffishness, not used to the way he'd turn on you and leave you in the dust. No, you were used to Sokka, your Sokka. The one that held you when you cried when the Earth Kingdom fell and Zuko sided with his sister, the one that teased you mercilessly with that lopsided grin of his, the one that raced you to the top of mulberry trees to see who could get the best fruit. The one that came to you when his mind was racing, face nuzzled into your neck as your fingers pulled his hair loose from his wolf-tail. That was your Sokka, not the stranger that walked away from you now.

Your concerned gaze was broken by a soft tap on your shoulder.

"Hey, you ok?"

You forced a smile, turning to Zuko. "I'm fine. Just tired. Your story put me to sleep."

He scoffed, bumping you and turning away to hide his grin. "Well, it's actually my Uncle's story. You can blame him."

"I'm sure I'd be more interested if Iroh was telling it," you grinned. "Maybe you're just a bad storyteller."

"I'm a great storyteller. You're just a bad listener."

"Mhm. Sure."

He let out a breathy chuckle, eyes darting to your face. Spirits, he'd missed you. This is what he'd longed for those three years; this closeness. Memories of his childhood ran through his mind - memories of playtime and friendship, of two best friends who had nothing to fear but curfews and monsters under the bed. Zuko had fought and struggled, had chosen right and chosen wrong, but all those choices had led him here. Back to you. And now, his body lit aflame by your touch and his heart skipping by the song of your laughter, he'd never been more certain of anything in his life.

He was thrilled to have you back, but it was different. Before, in the painted halls of the Firenation palace and under the maroon quilts of his mother's bed, he'd had you all to himself. Now, he had to share. It was strange, seeing you laugh so boisterously with Toph or hug Aang so closely, seeing you walk arm in arm with Katara as you went into town for groceries. He was in much better standing with the group now - he knew he was forgiven for his mistakes and was welcome to share in the friendship they so generously provided. He was overwhelmingly grateful, but he cherished the moments he spent with you. And they'd have been better, if not for the other boy in the group.

Zuko had no problem with Sokka. Quite the contrary, he admired him for his leadership and laughed at his jokes, and the time he spent with him was something he enjoyed. But he envied him. Zuko saw the way the Water Tribe boy looked at you; like you were the sun itself and had put all the stars in the sky just for him. He saw the fondness in the other boy's eyes when you spoke, saw the comfortability in his movements as he wrapped an arm around your shoulder. He had to remind himself that the two of you were close - that you'd spent months traveling together while he chased you all over the world. He'd guessed you would be close, but it seemed he'd underestimated the power of your love for your friends and this boy. Because you were brighter when he was around, eyes flickering to him as if on instinct whenever he arrived at the campsite. Your eyes grew tender and your voice soft, and Sokka's affection mirrored your own.

Your eyes locked on his, and he felt like he could drown in them forever. Your lips curved into a grin, and his worries and insecurities were washed away as quickly as they came. You stood up, offering him your hand. "Come on, let's get ready for bed."

He took it eagerly, smiling up at you in a way that made your heart warm. You reached up to ruffle his hair, skipping away and laughing at his indignant "Hey!" before he caught up to you and flicked your forehead. You swatted his hand away, glaring up at him. He only smirked before walking ahead of you.

You grabbed your bedroll, laying it out on the dusty ground. Zuko laid his close by. After putting out the fire and bidding goodnight to your friends, casting a sad look to Sokka's figure which sat idly upon the cliffside, you made your way inside and shut your eyes, Zuko not far behind.

///

Yep. Sokka was annoyed. He thought going for a walk would clear his mind, maybe preoccupy his thoughts with something other than you, but he guesses he was wrong. It was impossible when he could hear your laughter all the way from camp, no doubt directed towards the Firebender. He swallowed roughly, picking up his pace. He couldn't stand it; you and him. Sokka had no problem with Zuko. They were friends! Well, pretty much. Zuko had proved himself to be loyal, and there was no reason for him not to be trusted. He was cool - a little awkward albeit, but hey, Sokka can understand where that would come from after spending three years as an isolated, ponytail-wearing, Avatar-obsessed banished prince. He had no problem with Zuko, really. He guessed that he just...missed you.

Katara said he was jealous, something he promptly waved away, dismissing her with a wave. She'd rolled her eyes and called after him, "You can't ignore it forever, Sokka!" Ok, whatever Katara.

He was not jealous. He didn't care about the time you spent with the fire bender, or the way you seemed happier now that he was around. He didn't care that he hadn't talked to you in two days, and he definitely didn't care that your sleeping bag was sidled up cozily next to Zuko's.

"I'm so stupid," he muttered, lowering himself to the ground. He swung his legs over the cliff, feet dangling in the air. He turned his head, catching glimpse of the dying embers in the campfire, Toph's rock tent and Katara and Aang's sleeping figures, and you, asleep with your arms stretched in Zuko's direction. He held his head in his hands, sighing frustratedly. Yeah, maybe he was a little jealous. But really, why wouldn't he be? He used to sleep next to you, he was the one who made you laugh and woke you up in the middle of the night to sneak a ride on Appa. Now what? It'd been days since the two of you had a real conversation, so different from the constant chattering and jokes that had made his time saving the world so much more bearable. He missed you. So, so much. Spirits, what he would give for a day with you, the ones like you used to have. Where you would do whatever you wanted and usually end up scolded by Katara, but those were the days that made him forget the war and the reality of his unfortunate circumstances, when his heart was light and his worries quenched.

Those days meant everything to him, but he was afraid they were expendable. Because now you spent them with Zuko without so much as a glance his way. Sure, it wasn't like he was making much an effort, but still. You'd told him about Zuko; about the friend you'd lost to banishment who'd come out like his father. He'd thought you were crazy when you said with such conviction that he still had some good in him, but had comforted you nonetheless. He sat with you in his arms and told you the story of the time he got beat up by a penguin back home. He felt proud when he made you laugh.

You meant everything to him, but maybe it was different for you. He knew you loved him, although maybe not in the way he was beginning to question his own love as being, but he knew you loved him. You made sure he knew; in your smiles, in your words, in your touch. But he also knew you loved everyone else - the way you talked with his sister and softened her edges, allowing her to rest from the motherly role she put herself in and taking her under your arm instead. The way Toph latched onto you, teasing you with utter fondness and accepting your help without resistance. The absolute adoration that Aang held for you - resting his head on your shoulder and coming to you with his troubles, always searching for your guidance in his trials and relying on your strength and unwavering faith in him.

But it seemed different with Zuko. With him you were unbearably gentle, reassuring him of his value and rekindling the lost friendship of children ripped apart. It was obvious to everyone; the pure affection you held for this boy. It was obvious to Sokka, and, spirits, it stung. Because had you ever looked at him like that? Had he ever made you laugh as loudly as you did for Zuko, who was seemingly not even trying? He didn't know and it ate away at him, clawing at his chest and leaving it burning. Maybe he was in too deep now, too lost in love and bitterness to see the olive branches you offered him and the way your eyes darkened when he turned them away. It was fine. He was perfectly fine and would continue to be fine, even as Zuko's hand reached out for yours. Even as he felt you slipping away, even as he was alone. So terribly, painfully alone.

———-

part two?👀

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

I've got a good aang take for you;

https://www.tumblr.com/juju-or-anya/744607288172625920/i-ship-zutara-and-i-dont-believe-aang-is-the?source=share

Eh, this is only good to some extent. There's still quite a significant portion of "Zutara Alternate Reality" nonsense.

For starters: Katara's suffering of having to grow up to fast and take on the role of "mom" before she was ready literally only happened BECAUSE of the Fire Nation. Saying she could ever find freedom from oppression by marrying into said nation - one that has way more evidence of sexism than the air-nomads AND Southern Water Tribe, on top of all the freaking racism and literal genocide - is absurd. Just because marrying the Fire Lord would mean living in a palace and having access to luxury, it does NOT mean Katara would feel empowered, respected, and like she's home.

I also completely reject this idea that Aang tried to force her into being anything other than what she actually was and "doesn't get" that she is a fighter and warrior. That boy literally offered to go to the North Pole so SHE could learn to fight. Aang didn't want her to murder Yon Rah because, unlike Zuko, he knew and understood Katara already. She is not a murderer, she does not believe in an eye for an eye - that's why the episode ends with Katara realizing that. Why she didn't go for the kill despite not choosing forgiveness either.

Just because he thought of the girl he repeatedly flirted with and kissed twice as being "his girl", in the sense of "romantically involved with him", it does NOT mean he thought of her as property. A poorly timed kiss that he clearly regreted the second he realized it upset her proves that. Hell, the fact that he ASKED her to tell him how she felt already proves that. A 12-year-old being confused at the notion of "No, I don't think of you as a little brother and I do have feelings for you, but I don't know if I want to date" is not the same as him feeling like he's OWED a relationship with her, or sees her just as a potential girlfriend instead of a person he cares about regardless of that.

And for real, can we stop pretending sexism was ever that relevant in the story? The only two sexist characters in the show were Sokka and Pakku, and both were very short arcs. Katara lost her childhood because of the war Zuko's family imposed on the world, and that he was supporting for a long time. She regained her freedom and joy when she met Aang, because he helped empower her through their journey all over the world AND gave her the chance to be a kid again.

Katara's hope for, and key to, a better life has ALWAYS been Aang - that's why she reminds us of her unwavering faith in him AT THE START OF EVERY SINGLE EPISODE.