#i wanted to do something like blue spirit and avatar masks but then i was like

[veggiesforpresident]

zukaang week 2023 - day 6 - facial marks

[likealittleheartbeat]

hey! i really enjoy your analysis of aang and zuko's relationship, and i was just wondering if you have any thoughts on this:

when aang considers what he's afraid of the most, he doesn't just see zuko - he sees the blue spirit. why do you think his fear is linked to that mask? zuko was the most amicable towards him when he put that mask on, and was hostile every other time.

Ooooh!! This is such a rich and meaty question!! And it's something I've wondered about but never dove into before.

I guess there are a couple of questions we need to explore. One, do we want to begin to analyze this from Aang's perspective or the series' themes, which, when put together, should offer us the fullest idea of what the intent might be? If we begin with Aang's perspective, then the next question we need to next ask what is Aang's view of Zuko and/or the Blue Spirit at this point in the narrative? My worry about beginning at that intimate level is that we might miss possible connections that a thematic understanding might facilitate and may, like many fandom analyses, leave it at a character level when, in fact, the characters exist to serve larger philosophical purposes, especially in a show like ATLA.

So, we'll return to those questions about Aang after we visit some questions about the broader themes here. We know for a fact that the team did a lot of research into Eastern philosophies that they had to then pack down into 24 minute episodes, preserving a surprising amount of complexity not in the words but in the actions and visuals. The 2 part Crossroads of Destiny episode is probably the most evocative of this practice. The four-way fight scene is celebrated for the way it masterfully shows character development through fight choreography. Then, Aang's crystal chamber he forms to master the Avatar State is a direct reference to a statement about pre-enlightenment in one of the foundational texts about Japanese Zen for American Buddhists, "The Three Pillars of Zen." The rapid explanations of the seven chakras with Guru Pathik might seem like a a skimming of Tantric beliefs based on the brief statements and processing, but it's another prime example the way ATLA suffuses meaning beyond the script.

What more can be said about the Earth (also called the Root or Muladhara) Chakra, then, that the show might reflect without stating it explicitly. Guru Pathik explains that the Earth Chakra "deals with survival." Is there any subject more prescient than that for our protagonist, the single survivor of an otherwise all-encompassing genocide? Other accounts of this chakra that I can find explain that it's at this chakra that one can observe that their base needs are being met--enough food, enough water, etc. There seems to be a subtle witnessing to the effects of PTSD here then. With this chakra untouched, unopened, and out of balance, Aang within his mind has been living in a state of emergency without knowing it, believing himself at a core level beyond his consciousness to still be under immediate threat even in moments of peace like his meditations throughout the opening of his chakras. "Your vision is not real," Guru Pathik points out, not to say that no danger exists for him in the world but to illuminate the immediate reality surrounding his person.

The memories and visions that flash during the sequence hint at how fear conceals deeper realities and thus possibilities. I'll start with the clip of Katara sinking away from the first episode of Book 2, "The Avatar State." The Earth Kingdom General performed this cruelty after many other attempts to force Aang into suffering to gain the Avatar State. Believing he lost another person he loved, the state was triggered despite the actuality that Katara was unharmed. The fear of her loss overwhelmed Aang, and even her safe return could not assuage his traumatic response. The Blue Spirit incident forms a striking parallel to this event, in that case. Aang felt himself helpless and in danger only to discover the opposite: the seemingly malevolent force freed him from danger. Further, that Blue Spirit Mask concealed Zuko who, by the end of the series, will be revealed (to himself and) Aang as an ally and a friend. The shadowy image of Ozai, then, connected with these two fear-inducing semblances, can be seen then as perhaps the ultimate foreshadowing of Aang's ultimate success in pacifying Ozai. Put in the context of this chakra and the other two visions, it frames the Firelord as a facade meant to induce terror and distance, when in reality, life and humanity still lay behind the horrifying megalomania.

Concerning the Blue Spirit element specifically in the series, I want to explore one more factor within the series before getting back to Aang's character relationship in this moment. Blue has a running symbolic theme within the series that seems especially relevant here since it played a huge role in a highly symbolic part of the directly previous episode, "The Earth King." As Zuko rides out his psychogenic fever induced by releasing Aang's bison and abandoning his Blue Spirit mask, he is confronted in his dreams by a blue dragon voiced by Azula and a red dragon voiced by Iroh. I felt really confused by these two would-be shoulder angels for the longest time (literally until I was sorting my thoughts out to write this) because Azula's blue dragon is the one who entreats Zuko to rest, which even in Grey Delisle/Azula's clearly threatening tone--she even ends the temptation by saying "sleep just like mother!"--seemed to be what Zuko needed to do as opposed to the red dragon's exhortations to get out. I could see how sleeping might also refer to accepting his upbringing without thought, but why blue? The layers upon layers of possible meaning overwhelmed me.

I posit that blue in the series, especially when put in relationship to red/orange, as it is in the dream sequence, the dynamic between the water tribe and the fire nation, the fire of zuko and azula (especially the final agni kai), and the energy-bending of Aang over Ozai in the finale, ought to be read as Yin (making red/orange yang). Yin is passive, retractive, and receptive, which makes the invitation to rest by a blue dragon make perfect sense. Yin is also feminine in nature, hence the association with both Azula (whose blue fire and lightning becomes especially interesting to explore under this understanding) and Zuko's mother in the dualistic dragon dream. If you know anything about yin and yang, you know that it's key tenet is ever-changing coordination of yin and yang within one entity and with relationships between entities rather than the privileging of one above another. The two dragons in Zuko's dream, while seemingly in opposition to one another, are actually seeking, like the bumper stickers say, "coexistence" of their dispositions.

Now, back to Aang's vision of fear over the Blue Spirit. The red that overlays everything is specifically a reference to the Earth Chakra, which is symbolized by the color red. But the fact that he has one fear of Katara, the pinnacle of blueness/yin in the series, dying, and another fear of the Blue Spirit, a de-flamed (read: emasculated) Zuko attacking him that are then overlayed by this Earth Chakra red, a color otherwise used to portray yang (masculinity, activeness, expansion, and repulsion) and the fire nation in the series, suggests that his fears are specifically about within holding onto yin nature (symbolized by his grasping for a disappearing Katara) without being entirely overwhelmed by it (in the image of the fear he felt as the Blue Spirit approached his imprisoned body). And all those fears are intensified when living in such a patriarchal, or yang-skewed age and society, which gets depicted through both the final image of Ozai, the ultimate patriarch within this world, and the red coloring.

I promised I would get back to the characters, and after that hopefully illuminating thematic expansion, we can hopefully get at the core of what's going on here for Aang personally and what it might mean for him to be picturing Zuko with the Blue Spirit mask as a fear. I want to put this moment into context with Aang and Zuko's relationship at this specific moment. Aang hasn't seen Zuko since he watched him cry over his uncle in the ghost town after Azula struck him with lightning as a diversion. That was ten episodes prior (and more than 6 months time if you were watching the show in real time as it premiered; May 26th-Dec. 1st). The next time Aang sees Zuko, two episodes later, they are glowering across a crystal prison cell at one another with antipathy as they're embraced (a gesture I can only remember from the fantastic black romance film Love & Basketball, and in a gay context that is clearly referencing that moment in L&B, in the Norwegian teen romance series Skam). Right before this scene, Aang readily agrees to co-rescue Zuko and Katara with Uncle Iroh despite Sokka's protestations. Nothing seems amiss with Aang, no obvious belligerence toward Zuko until he sees him. Zuko has barely seen the airbender this whole season, and the one moment they encountered one another, Zuko was attacking Aang's attacker rather than him. Why is Aang expressing anger toward Zuko in the crystal chamber then? It's a rare expression from Aang even when we look at their more antagonistic interactions from the first season.

Here's where this vision of the blue spirit Aang envisions as he opens his earth chakra might enliven his characterization and his relationship to Zuko. We get two pieces here. His attachment to Katara and the queer implications of his partnership with the Blue Spirit/Zuko. And they are inseparable.

I don't feel that I need to especially dive into the attachment to Katara since it's been a pretty big component of discourse within the fandom, both in general analysis and more specifically relating to the (literally historic) shipping wars between zutara and kataang that emerged after the series came out originally. What I'll say here is that the first vision that Aang has as he addresses his root chakra points to his fear of losing her and what she represents pretty explicitly and, as I suggested earlier, also provides its antidote in the realization that accepting/surrendering the fear of impermanence reveals its simultaneous illusion. Katara wasn't actually harmed and wasn't truly lost when the general subsumed her into the ground. Aang has to let go of her as a permanent fixture that he'll always be able to see and know entirely (not, as many have interpreted it, let go of loving her). He'll also have to let go of saving her and the world of so many others she represents, which is as much a pressure and role Katara and others put on him as Aang yolks himself to.

Part of this acknowledgement of Katara's impermanence as a living being and a romantic possibility is addressing the others in her life who pose both danger and attraction for her. Zuko embodies both of these things simultaneously. The aggressive stare Aang launches at Zuko in "The Crossroads of Destiny" can be understood through this lens. The Eve Sedgwick's concept of the triangulation of male homosocial desire between romantic rivals was one of the foundational ideas of queer theory. It's so well-established as to be a meme among the tumblr crowd. The show even references the history of these literary homosocial tropes in "The Avatar and the Firelord" as Sozin and Roku's tight-knit youthful friendship is slowly rent apart at the event of Roku's heterosexual marriage, which thus begins the imperialism of the Fire nation.

Except that Roku and Sozin aren't romantic rivals. And Zuko's obsession with Aang begins sans Katara. And, as you pointed out, if the romantic threat is Zuko, it ought to be Zuko in the Earth Chakra vision instead of the Blue Spirit? Well, those all exist because ATLA is not a tragedy for homosocial relationships, and it's hard for me to explain how groundbreaking that was.

You see, the show theorizes homosociality differently. If Aang is required to let go of Katara, he has no pivot point, no object (because women shouldn't be objects for male fodder!) to connect with and compete with a rival male, so he has to look directly at the desire of another male for him and, therefore, face the fears that he might have similar desires. I said above that the Blue Spirit is an entirely de-flamed Zuko, which I then paralleled to emasculation. One could even go farther to call it a kind of symbolic castration (Firelord Ozai losing his firebending at the end of the series certainly demands this kind of reading). These aspects ignite fears about lacking masculinity which then cause reactions, which make men avoid accepting any thoughts and behaviors associated with vulnerability and homosexuality invoked within themselves or by others.

I think Aang, in his way, is confronting these fears but not from the angle of someone raised within a homophobic or misogynistic culture. His openness to Zuko and the potential of connection to him is ripe from the first time they meet--"you're just a teenager" connects them without any intermediary. He comes to understand the rigidness of the environment he's in, though. He feels like he's being forced to choose between a yang/masculine role he plays with Katara, who at this point in the series though growing out of it and certainly not a fault of her own making still sees him as her savior and depends on him to save her and the world through metaphysical mastery and the repulsion of evil, and yin/feminine role he plays with Zuko, who finds Aang in and forces him into positions of elusion, surrender, and passivity, while requiring his compassion and forgiveness. When the Blue Spirit comes swinging his swords (read that with all the innuendos you want lol) at a shackled Aang, it's the ultimate expression of Aang's potential for submissiveness because, not only is he entirely helpless but the one who could harm or save him in that scenario is another who is not participating in the expected power of fire/yang/masculinity.

I think everything in the show says this is attractive to Aang--that he remains with Zuko immediately after their escape from the fort, that he reflects on the Blue Spirit as he opens his chakras, that a reference to the conversation that followed their escape that Zuko makes halts him in his tracks when Zuko asks to join the team. Zuko's Blue Spirit persona means a lot to Aang, a scary amount, and my point is that it's this fear of the meaningfulness of their encounter as two men who are not the masculine paragons they are supposed to be which Aang faces as he opens his chakra. As much as he wants Katara, he wants Zuko. He fears he'll lose Katara and he fears he'll lose his life to Zuko. These are the dichotomies he's tackling as he processes the Earth chakra.

Aang eventually opens the chakra, but that's only to say he acknowledges and surrenders his fears to a destiny and understanding beyond his control, not that he necessarily learns how to address and solve all the conundrums contained therein. We know he chooses his attachment to Katara at the end of the episode to obtain power over the Avatar state but perhaps we could've been clued into this choice by noticing he has not chosen Zuko with that initial glare Aang gives him. Aang hasn't found a way in his chakras or his heart to hold both Katara and Zuko at once, so he chooses Katara and expresses a newfound jealousy and rivalry toward Zuko (not that Zuko's at his best behavior at this point, but it's Aang who initiates the exchange).

By the end of this season, Zuko abandons the Blue Spirit mask and Aang loses his life for prioritizing Katara and a yang-centric mastery of the Avatar state. The next season involves all three of the protagonists finding more internal balance between yin and yang for themselves and accepting mutually reciprocal feelings for one another that allow them to escape the kinds of patriarchal tropes that have dominated Anglo- literature for centuries. The ability of this brief sequence to highlight so many of the series' central revolutionary themes speaks to the depth of the show and the way it invites the audience to think about rich subtext rather than pedantically hammer us with morals will just continue to be the gift that keeps giving from this show.

Thanks so much for asking! Didn't know how much I missed doing a deep dive into this kind of stuff.

[highfantasy-soul]

NATLA Episode 6 - Masks (5/5)

[Masterlist of my NATLA thoughts]

An explanation of what I'm doing here and my history with ATLA.

Of course, full spoilers ahead.

<previous/next>

After Zuko's painful flashback, we get the animated series' convo between Aang and Zuko from the Blue Spirit episode - I like closing with this bit as it has built naturally from the conversation earlier. Instead of Aang just randomly telling Zuko he thinks they could have been friends out of the blue, he's built a connection with Zuko - they've humanized themselves to each other, so the comment about friendship actually makes sense.

I think the live-action did a really good job taking great concepts from the animated series and fleshing them out to make them more organic rather than a blunt 'here's the lesson, kids' thesis statement that comes out of the blue and you just need to take on faith because it's a kid's show and you just accept the leap of logic for the sake of the story (Katara claiming she's Aang's 'family' in episode 3 of the animated series vs her telling him that at the end of the live-action season after they've, you know, actually built a familial foundation with each other).

And just like the animated series, Zuko can't take the compassion, the kindness, the nudging toward a softer future, and just blasts with his firebending, pushing Aang away. He knows it won't really hurt Aang, it's not actually a strike to incapacitate, it's a blow to ward off any sign of weakness or 'humanity'.

The follow-up flashback with Ozai talking to Zuko as he's 'recovering' was such a good addition. Ozai GENUINELY believes he's doing a good thing for his son. He GENUINELY thinks he's helping. Again, I love the complexity they're giving Ozai and Zuko's relationship where there actually IS a chance that Zuko could get in his father's good graces - honestly, that makes his turn to join Team Avatar that much more impactful. It's not a 'well I was never going to get the approval from my father anyways' decision, it truly was a 'I could have had it all, but it wasn't right'.

To me, that's what made the OG redemption arc so good: Zuko DID choose to 'get everything he ever wanted' and turned away after he was secure in that - but there was still that little lingering knowledge that Ozai really never would actually accept him - it was all a ploy. The live-action strengthened that thread with making it so that Ozai really could accept him - it's a real thing Zuko would be giving up rather than a shallow imitation of 'acceptance' the animation gave Ozai and Zuko.

Ozai insisting that Zuko needs to be able to give up the weak in order to preserve the strong is such an interesting beat to keep hammering home with Ozai and his world view. He's obsessed with his own version of 'strength' and I honestly think there's a lot of trauma for him around that idea. When Zuko argues that the weak can become strong, I think that it actually shakes Ozai, that's why he lashes out in anger at that comment - just like Zuko does when Aang tells him that he can be better than what the fire nation is right now. Ozai mentions Zuko's mom and I think it terrifies him, the idea that the 'weak' can become strong - I think Ozai has been taught that either you're strong or you're weak, it's innate and unchangeable. He can't imagine he's created a weak child, so Zuko MUST be naturally strong, he's just been too sheltered so it hasn't been able to come out yet.

The idea that what Ozai thought was fundamental could actually change I think shifts Ozai's entire world view. If he accepts that, then it would mean all his 'sacrificing of the weak' would have been incorrect even by his own logic - and I think it could tie back to Ursa, his wife, as well. I hope we get more on her and Ozai's actual dynamic in season 2 as it was something I felt was lacking from the OG show. Ozai, I believe is struggling as to where, actually, to place Ursa on his 'weak' or 'strong' hierarchy and it's destabilizing to him. He has to keep up the idea that the strong are strong the weak are weak and it's just the natural order of the world that the fire nation is on top - because it means they're inherently strong and that cannot change.

AAAHHHHHHH the 41st reveal!!!!!!!!! Just, the genius of that move - the layers, the angst, the connection Zuko and the crew now naturally have - it's just so good. Zuko is surrounded by evidence reminding him of the biggest failure in his father's eyes - the reason he was punished right before him. Of course he's going to harbor resentment, then extra anger when they don't treat him with respect due to his resenting them. Of course he's going to have so many conflicting feelings about being surrounded by the people whose lives he saved - at the cost of his home, his dignity, and his father's love.

He didn't intentionally set out to sacrifice all that to save their lives, but his actions led to that outcome anyways and I think that's such an interesting take to have on a 'sacrifice to save lives' story. Zuko was just doing what he thought was right. He was trying to save people, and he took his actions not having a clue what it would cost him. It's not a cut and dry - I saw something bad happening and willingly took the consequence to save them, it's much more complex than that - a complex story where the one who unwittingly gave the sacrifice learns that it truly was a sacrifice and not a punishment. Someone who was forced into a 'hero' position who has to grow and change in order to fit into that hero mold their actions have already put them in. It's just a really fascinating angle to show a heroic act.

I've seen some issues about the 41st being Zuko's assigned crew, so I wanted to address that: I assumed that all Fire Nation military was the navy. They're an island nation and every single Fire Nation military group we see are on or from ships - and we see presumably the same soldiers operating the ship as we do on the war rhinos when they come ashore. So I didn't think it was odd at all that the battalion that was about to be sacrificed in a land assault was also the one running the ship. I also don't think it 'cheapens' Zuko's sacrifice or makes it so that it was a…idk, story choice that said 'see, it's justified what all happened'. Definitely didn't see Ozai's convo with Zuko after being burned as the writers saying 'see, all this is justified and we should see good logic in Ozai's choice here' - it was very clearly still framed as bad? Yeah, Ozai thinks he's doing the right thing, but like, media literacy y'all.

Ugh, Lieutenant Jee and the rest of the crew showing Zuko the respect a crown prince would usually get right after one of Zuko's greatest 'failures' of a mission. Zuko is confused at Aang's compassion toward him, angry that he's poking holes in his world view, and crawling back on board after having lost the Avatar once again - and being greeted with love and care and respect. "Our prince has returned" - It's not the home Zuko thinks he needs to return to, but it IS the home he and the crew have made for themselves over the past 3 years. It's a place he's being welcomed back to while he's still thinking the goal is to get back to the fire nation. Such a good message that unfortunately, Zuko doesn't see quite yet, but each little step in the right direction counts.

Again, linking the ending monologue back to EVERY character in the show - this time the narrative having drawn so many parallels to how Zuko retains his mask and then showing how his father reacts the same way - showing that Ozai is wearing a mask too, just one that's been welded onto him through many more years. This was truly Zuko's episode - and it's his mask that needs to slip the most - or rather, for him to realize that the Blue Spirit that saved Aang and connected with him wasn't the mask at all, but rather what could be his true face.

I really, really liked the alterations from the animated series they did in this episode. Yes, having Zuko fight his father in the Agni Kai was a HUGE change, having his father be more than a cold and distant disapproving figure was VERY different, but I think this is what the showrunners meant when they said they were taking a more 'mature' and 'GOT' tone with this adaptation: they were adding depth and nuance to the 'villains' and making them more grounded in reality than the heightened villainy of the animated series. Older kids (and adults) can handle seeing a villain have complex interactions - they can understand that even though Ozai BELIEVES he's doing the right thing by Zuko, that he ISN'T ACTUALLY (ok, some of us can see that, others seem to think the show was saying Ozai is good, actually but that's an issue with them and their media literacy, not with the writing of the show that expects the audience to have critical thinking skills).

Anyways, it was a fantastic episode and has provided much content for my essay about live-action Ozai that I'm writing.

[thelargefrye]

Maybe “trials of fire” for the game pleas and thank you

TRIALS OF FIRE

pairing : avatar!hongjoong x non-bender!f!reader genre : atla au, angst, eventual poly relationship warnings : canon atla violence, yn gets burned / is scared of fire

note : not the official chapter two, but more of a teaser for what is to come!

"i think we should head into the town," hongjoong starts as he points towards the sign on the bulletpost outside the nearby fire nation town.

you and yunho immediately look at each other while san and mingi seems just as energetic as hongjoong.

"i-i don't know about this hongjoong," you say, trying to discourage him from wanting to go into fire nation territory.

"but they're having a fire festival, i might be able to see some actual fire benders in action," he argues back and you open your open to say something, but yeosang butts in.

"i think its a good idea," he says, shocking you and yunho.

"you do?" yunho asks, the surprise evident in this tone just as much as his face.

"yeah, i mean it can give hongjoong the opportunity to see some fire benders like he said," yeosang explains and you feel like this is an argument you won't win. so with a heavy sigh you agree in silence.

you feel a sense of nervousness and dread wash over you as you and the others walked into the fire nation town, disguises on.

mingi takes notice your distress and grabs ahold of one of your bandaged hands, his warmth seeping underneath as he gives you an encouraging squeeze.

the six of you had split up with you being paired with mingi. you had taken notice of how many people were wearing mask and in order to blend in more, you both had gotten one. mingi had a smiling spirit that reminded you of the sun while you had gotten a blue dragon one.

"hey look! there's a large crowd over there!" mingi said before pulling you towards the crowd and you immediately found the others who were also attracted to the crowd.

"and for my next trick i will need a volunteer!" the performer on the stage said. san immediately raised his hand along with hongjoong; however, the performer's eyes settled on you. "how about you, young lady!"

you shook your head in quick successions but the performer wasn't taking a no for an answer, "oh, she's shy! everyone, give her some encouragement!"

the crowd suddenly started to cheer as people from the crowd pushed you towards the stage. everything after that happened in such a whirling fire blur and you felt the dread grow bigger in your stomach as fear began to overtake you.

the next thing you knew is hongjoong jumping on stage and ruining whatever trick the performer was doing.

"hey look! its the avatar!" someone from the crowd shouted earning the attention of several guards. hongjoong moved quickly in scooping you up in his arms and jumping away from the fire nation guards.

"y/n... are you okay?" yunho looks at you concerned as you all managed to escape out of the town with the help of a man.

"i-i'm fine," you say finally feeling like you managed to snap out of your fear induced trance. yunho looks at you like he doesn't believe you, and tries to question you but you all land before he gets the chance.

"that guy is fire nation," yeosang points out after you all land. the man jumping down off of tiny's back while you slide off of moni's with the others.

"i know a man who can teach you how to fire bend," the stranger tells hongjoong as you all walk through the forest. "he use to be a great general, but left. he's the first fire bender to every walk away from the fire nation and live," he continues to explain. he goes to tell you all that the former general's name is chen while his own is jihyun.

"will he really teach me?" hongjoong seems amazed at the idea of learning how to fire bend. like the other two elements are not as important.

"hongjoong... are you sure its a good idea to learn fire bending now? i mean, you haven't even learned water or earth," yunho tries to reason with the avatar, but once again hongjoong doesn't listen. his mind is set on learning how to fire bend now.

when hongjoong goes to talk to chen... or master chen, he comes back saying that the general is going to teach him how to fire bend. you know it must have took some convincing at first from hongjoong's side, but it worked.

the next few days, you witness just how impatient hongjoong truly is. master chen often leaving him alone for hours to just... breathe. you can tell master chen doesn't want to teach him while hongjoong is getting tired of learning how to breathe. it was kind of funny when you think about it.

"here, keep this leaf burning for as long as you can, but make sure it doesn't touch the edges," the fire bender tells the avatar as he hands him a small leaf before having to run off. you stand not to far from hongjoong as he complains once more.

"i'm sure he has his reasons for making you do this," you try to reason, but hongjoong refuses to listen. suddenly, the leaf catches on fire surprising you as you step back away from him.

"wow, do you see this, y/n! i can bend fire!" he shouts as he starts to try and juggle the fire like how the performer did.

"hongjoong! be careful!" you shout as you watch him try to create a fire tornado. you hold your hands up in fear, a startled cry as the fire comes dangerous close to you.

you then let out a painful cry as you feel hongjoong's fire burning through your bandages and making contact with your hands. you drop to the ground clutching your hands close to your chest as you feel tears begin to form in your eyes.

the others quickly arrive, probably having heard your cry. yeosang is the first to reach you as he bends down to try and talk to you, but you feel something take over you as you push him away. tears blurring your eyes and fear running through your veins as you get up and dash off into the forest.

"what did you do?" yunho questions, tone filled with anger as he looks at his travel companion.

"i-i-i i didn't mean too! i thought i had it under control!"

"we had warned you about this, but ignored us! now look what you did, you burned y/n!" yunho hisses before dashing off in an attempt to find you.

hongjoong can't help the guilt that washes over him as he watches the others soon disappear in an attempt to find you. yeosang remains though, a guilty expression painting his face as he looks between hongjoong and where you ran off. finally, yeosang turns and runs after you disappearing into the tree line.

"i told you, you weren't ready to learn fire. it is a dangerous element that cannot be controlled," master chen speaks as he appears behind hongjoong.

"i didn't mean too hurt her," he says.

"what's done is done. you and your group must leave now, or be destroyed!" master chen says before disappearing once and leaving hongjoong by himself.

"i'm so sorry..."

tag list : @invuwrld @frankenstein852 @watamotee33 @kawennote09 @mixling-blog @marahleiwhen @kpopnightingale @harry-the-pottypus @rdiamond2727 @sanniesbum @marvelahsobx @voidcupidz @khjcoo @mysticfire0435 @exfolitae @kangskims @cvpitvno @iwannabemyselfff

[sokkastyles]

ATLA LIVE ACTION EP8 THOUGHTS:

I enjoyed seeing the gaang participate in the battle, but where are the NWT forces?

I'm not sure why the decision was made to change the dialogue in the goodbye scene with Zuko and Iroh. I doubt viewers new to the story even remember who Lu Ten was. There's also no particular reason for Zuko to say this here other than that we should have him say something sentimental. It's also just that Zuko at this point in the show, even though we know he loves Iroh, isn't really ready to be that emotionally open, and should not be. That was part of the point in the original scene when Iroh is emotional and Zuko shies away from it. You can still feel the love between the characters but the tragedy is in how Zuko isn't ready to accept it yet, and that mirrors how he's choosing to chase Aang, and by extension his father's love, doing what is basically a suicide mission.

All the waterbending women standing together during the battle is what was missing from the original. Emphasizing that this is not just about Katara but everyone.

And Yue being a waterbender and fighting emphasizes that too. Nice touch.

"Yes, Master Katara!"

What Zhao says implies that only the Northern waterbenders draw power from the moon?

We could have learned about the healing Oasis without the uneccesary violence to Momo.

I was worried that the glimpses in the trailer of the spirit oasis looked less natural, but my fears are put to rest here.

Loved the zutara spirit oasis fight.

Zhao realizing that the koi fish are the spirits feels very "old man yells at cloud." Obnoxious man yells at fish.

"Even Ozai wouldn't want that." Are you really sure? The Phoenix King would disagree.

WHY IS THIS SCENE SO STATIC? Iroh and Zhao are supposed to be in a dire struggle but they just stand there talking to each other. In the original, Iroh takes a fighting stance as he delivers the great line about unleashing tenfold on Zhao if he tries to harm the spirit. Here he just stands and shouts, despite how much easier it is for live action to actually have their characters MOVE.

Is it just me or does the show keep contradicting itself on what Zhao's plan is? Previously he said he didn't want to kill all the waterbenders and now he's saying he does. Which, let's be real, the FN absolutely does want to do. Sozin was willing to kill airbenders just to stop the Avatar. And the logical extension is that they would then have to decimate every other nation until nothing was left.

"Do you understand what that's like?" "Yes, I do."

I have to admit, the battle is pretty impressive. The waterbenders losing their bending is a nice touch.

Missing the Zuko/Aang moments and have mixed feelings about Aang purposefully choosing to meld with the Ocean Spirit but the themes of sacrifice are good and am kind of interested to see where this takes the story.

Zuko/Zhao fight good

"It was all a game." Yeah. And Azula identifying the blue spirit as Zuko, which I kinda predicted! But I still maintain she should have recognized the mask, not the sword. This show has shown its willingness to acknowledge the Search's existence, so it should have been the mask that represents their mother that Azula identified.

Did Iroh just kill Zhao?!?

Love the iceberg imagery with Aang imprisoned in the ocean spirit with Katara calling out to him to come back. And here's the "we are your family" speech. Aang sacrificing himself because he feels like he doesn't belong and Katara wanting him to be part of her world. This is good stuff. I just don't really feel why Katara needs Aang here. Even though I don't like KA, at least I get a sense in the original that they are important to each other. That's missing here. I feel like if I hadn't watched the original I would not get it at all.

"My daughter always made her own choices." Look. OG Yue sacrifices herself because that is what she has done her whole life, a girl who lives for her duty. This Yue sacrifices herself because she chooses to, as a spiritual leader of her tribe who rejected an offer of marriage and made her own choices. It feels much less like fridging this way.

The taking of Omashu is great. Awkward that Ozai is explaining it in exposition to the Fire Sage like he wouldn't already know.

I still don't buy that Ozai would be like "well, let's see if Zuko survives." He would want to keep tabs on what Zuko is doing. Especially now. In the original, Iroh's outright treason was a big plot point. The same thing happens here but Ozai just has nothing to say about it? Iroh fights against the Fire Nation, Zuko is legally made a traitor, they vanish under mysterious circumstances, and Ozai is just like "lol that's chill let's see what happens." Even his reasoning, that if Zuko is strong he'll survive, doesn't make much sense. A Zuko who is left to survive is likely to come back stronger and less loyal. Ozai says the things he does are to make Zuko stronger but Ozai really does not want him to be strong, because that means there's a risk that he might develop independence.

Also this contradicts what Zhao said about how Ozai never wanted Zuko to succeed. So what is Ozai's game? I hear we've been renewed so maybe we'll find out, but honestly I don't think the writing on this show is consistent enough to get my hopes up.

[attackfish]

Hi! Do you have any atla fic recs?

Here are the seventeen best fics in the Avatar fandom, and I swear this list is totally not just the favorites of one person whose choices are completely subjective and entirely based on personal preference. Yeah so these are my personal faves, your milage may vary.

"Who by Fire" by Kaberett: [Link]

There was precedent, of course, for succession in the event of the untimely demise of the incumbent ruler. Between political intrigue, ambition and necessity - and these qualities have never been in short supply within the ruling classes of the Fire Nation - history contains no shortage of examples. Deposal in the absence of bloodshed, however, is another matter entirely: and more so when the Heir Apparent is the banished prince, who has, contrary to every expectation, found the Avatar and brought him home.

"Enslaved" by Sharkflip: [Link]

A triumphant war party returns with an exotic slave, a gift for the ruling house. Multi-chapter, Katara/Zuko

"Eight Principles of Yong" by Psocoptera: [Link]

The pen is mightier than the sword, or how Zuko saves the day via the power of good penmanship.

"Five Ways Toph Created Her Own Family (Whether She Liked It or Not)" by Lady Ganesh [Link]

The title is the summary.

"Tea with Destiny" by @awesomeavocadolove [Link]

After the shock of Lu Ten's death, Iroh makes a fateful journey into the Spirit World. The tea there is exquisite, but the company may give Iroh a run for his money.

"Without a Fight" and "Never Give Up" by @suzukiblu [Link] and [Link]

Thirteen years old and alone in the Earth Kingdom, thrown out of his life and family and destiny with the burn on his face still raw and new, Zuko does not want to go on. Song/Zuko

"Gilded Green" by @caelum-blue [Link]

At the end of Iroh's Siege, the Dai Li decide to test their brainwashing abilities on a Fire Nation soldier. They don't know that their guinea pig-rat happens to be a supposedly-dead prince. Multi-chapter and multi-part

"Til Death Do Us Start" by @loopy777 [Link]

Mai's parents arrange a marriage for her. The first problem is that she's been dead for fifteen years, and the second problem is that her husband isn't who anyone is expecting. Mai/Sokka

"The Airbending Master" by @liz-squids [Link]

Teaching airbenders is not the same as restoring the Air Nomads

"In Which Mai and Toph Are Not Remotely Ladylike" by @liz-squids [Link]

Mai and Toph drink too much, talk too much, engage in petty vandalism. Their mothers would be horrified.

"Drink Some Fucking Tea" by @unjapanologist [Link]

A parody of 'Go the Fuck to Sleep'. During season one, Iroh unloads some frustrations about his beloved nephew that he can't very well voice out loud.

"Red is the Color of the End of the World" by @sholiofic [Link]

Post-series, Katara is adjusting to the new shape of the world. They all are.

"Chromatism" by @glamaphonic [Link]

Ty Lee is soiled and unclean and bursting with color.

"Life Began With Waking Up" by @glamaphonic [Link]

It was a simple truth that Mai had never really thought about her children. Mai/Zuko

"His and Her Circumstances" by Lavanya Six: [Link]

AU. Two years ago, it's believed the Fire Lord exiled Prince Zuko to distance himself from responsibility for his son's subsequent assassination. Five months from now, a boy in an iceberg will awaken. Tonight, Mai runs across a masked criminal. Mai/Zuko

"Escapee" by @liz-squids [Link]

So you're a traitor. Now what? AU from "The Boiling Rock" where Mai and Ty Lee escape with the others. Mai/Zuko

Unnamed ficlet #4 by @liz-squids [Link]

The AU where Azula never found out Zuko and Iroh were in Ba Sing Se, and 16 years later, the Fire Nation has won the war, and Mai is the governor of Ba Sing Se, and she and Zuko have an awkward 30-something reunion. Mai/Zuko, past Jin/Zuko.

[bard-llama]

WiP Wednesday: The Blue Spirit is a Bitch LMAO

This WiP Wednesday brought to you by “wouldn’t it be funny if only Zuko could see the Blue Spirit and they’re just damned annoying?”

So far, I’m working on Chapter 6 of this, so here’s some random scenes that make me laugh and/or cry.

From the very beginning, taking place during/before Zuko Alone.

In Zuko’s defense, if he’d known that the Blue Spirit was real, he never would’ve used their name! In point of fact, the correct name for his mask was the Dark Water Spirit, but that seemed like a technicality that wouldn’t matter to the spirit he’d apparently offended.

You steal my name, my face… the spirit rumbled, something about their voice sending chills down his spine, I will take you up on the offer.

Zuko gulped. He hadn’t meant to offer anything.

Somehow, he didn’t think they cared.

You want to be the Blue Spirit, they said, and the thing in front of Zuko grinned a wide, creepy grin. Wish granted.

Very abruptly, Zuko’s constant headache spiked enough to make his vision white out.

When he blinked back to awareness, he was lying on his back in the grass and the sun had begun to start peeking over the horizon. Perhaps that was what had woken him, because typically, Agni’s rays energized him.

He could use some energizing right now, because he felt like he’d been hit with a fucking airship traveling full speed.

“Ugh,” he groaned, rubbing his head. “What–?”

Oh come now, it’s not that bad, that chilling voice from earlier spoke and Zuko’s eyes snapped open to see that the bizarre creature in front of him – it almost looked human, except for the complete lack of features beyond the freaky smile – was still there, but had also become solid in a way they weren’t before. When he moved, they followed him. You’re stuck with me, they grinned.

Oh Agni, what had Zuko gotten himself into?

Given his complete lack of supplies, heading for the nearest town seemed sensible, but as soon as he grew close enough to hear the bustle of people, he knew it was a mistake. He could see something weird surrounding each person, a kind of colorful haze that – oh. Oh, dammit, had Ty Lee been right about auras this whole time!?

Ugh, if so, he owed her a massive apology, because he’d always dismissed the silly idea.

It was disorienting, but Zuko fixed his eyes on the ground, only glancing up briefly to ensure he was going in the right direction and not going to hit anyone. No one reacted to his new ‘friend’, despite the clearly inhuman appearance of them.

Yeah, no one else can see me, the Blue Spirit said casually, stretching strangely blob-like hands over their head. Ah, it feels good to move around. I’ve been cooped up in that stupid grove for way too long.

Zuko frowned, wondering if he should ask – but the last thing he needed was to draw attention by talking to himself.

Maybe the spirit would go away and it would become a moot point?

He snorted quietly. Yeah, his life was never that kind.

From Ch 2, where The Chase takes place

A few days later, he actually felt fairly stable with the whole seeing auras thing and the spirit that only he could perceive haunting him.

Actually, it was… weirdly kind of nice? To not be alone. Even though the Blue Spirit was creepy, it was nice to have someone during the long trek across the rocky plains.

A flutter of something beige caught his attention and his hand snapped out automatically to grab what turned out to be… hair?

Specifically, bison hair. The Avatar was nearby.

Heart suddenly pounding with hope, Zuko wondered if perhaps this was his chance to change everything. If he could just capture the Avatar, then – then – then what? He was considered a traitor to the Fire Nation with orders to be executed on sight. What could he actually do if he did manage to catch the Avatar?

Which was far from guaranteed. He’d never successfully held the Avatar for more than a few hours before, and even then, he’d had a blizzard to help him.

Huh, the Avatar really is back? The Blue Spirit asked. Where have they fucking been?

“Uh,” Zuko coughed. He wasn’t wholly sure, but… “I think they got frozen or something?”

…you’re kidding, right?

Zuko just shrugged, changing direction to follow the trail of bison fur. Maybe he didn’t know what to do if he caught the Avatar… but he had to try.

He literally had no other purpose in this world now.

Well, I wouldn’t quite say that, the Blue Spirit grinned. He was starting to get used to seeing that grin on a face with no other features, including no eyes, but it was still creepy. You are the Blue Spirit now.

Zuko frowned. “What does that mean?”

Their grin just widened and Zuko tried not to worry too much about it, but his hackles were definitely up when he spotted the abandoned village in the distance. The Avatar had probably gone there, which meant Zuko would be going there.

For three years, his entire purpose had been pursuing the Avatar. He didn’t know how to stop doing that, especially when he had nothing else. So maybe he didn’t have a great chance of capturing Aang (based on all of their past encounters and Zuko’s usual luck), but he had to at least try.

Never give up without a fight. Intriguing concept.

Zuko scowled at the Blue Spirit, stomping towards town.

Then he saw blue fire blossom above one of the buildings and suddenly, he had cause to run. If Azula was here, if Azula was after the Avatar – no. He had to stop her. Without the Avatar, he had no way of ever returning home. He couldn’t let her take that hope from him, even if it was a frail and fading hope.

When Zuko made his appearance on the scene, Azula and Aang were facing off down a street – so he threw a blast of fire between them and jumped down from the neighboring rooftop, landing lightly on his feet.

Concerned primarily with not breaking his legs, Zuko hadn’t really made notice of what his fire looked like. But Azula had.

“White fire? Really, Zuzu? Can you grow anymore freakish?”

He bared his teeth, snarling at her, but part of him was startled to note that she was right. Instead of the usual orange-red, his fire came out white when he struck.

He had no idea what was up with that, but he set it aside. Maybe it was a side effect of the whole spirit possession thing.

What was important was that the white fire was even hotter than Azula’s blue fire, and he could see on her face when she realized it, her calm veneer broken by a frown. Then she moved, darting between buildings, and the chase was on.

The Avatar followed her, too, and Zuko shot a few blasts at them just to keep them out of the way and on their toes. (If some of those blasts happened to cause them to jump out of the way of Azula’s shots, then that was pure coincidence.)

Zuko’s main focus was Azula. As much as he wanted to capture the Avatar, Azula was the more prominent threat.

She laughed. “So you really are a traitor. How delightful. Father will be pleased when I bring back your corpse.”

Zuko flinched.

“What–?” the Avatar started, brow furrowed in confusion, but Zuko couldn’t look at them. He had to stay focused on Azula, or she would take advantage of his distraction.

The fight continued and he wasn’t quite sure when the others showed up, but somehow, six of them ended up backing Azula up against a wall, bending (and boomerang) at the ready.

She held her hands up with calm deliberation. “Well, look at this,” she smirked. “Enemies and traitors, all working together.” She raised her hands in a peaceful gesture, but there was no way she was actually accepting defeat. “I know when I'm beaten. You got me. A princess surrenders with honor.”

“Like fuck,” Zuko couldn’t help but retort, and her eyes narrowed.

“You’ve never known anything about honor,” she responded and he couldn’t help his flinch.

“That is not true,” Uncle said firmly, somehow here beside him along with the Avatar’s group.

Azula smirked slightly. “Do you doubt my royal word?”

“Every word you say is a lie,” Zuko said automatically, because it was true. Azula always lied.

“Oh good,” Azula said casually, “then you know I’m lying when I say that I’ve missed you, dear Brother. The palace just hasn’t been the same without you. So quiet, so tranquil – so much better without you there.”

Again, Zuko couldn’t hide his flinch and Azula’s smirk sharpened.

It was only the Blue Spirit’s warning to block that let him raise a fire wall in front of all of them, unsure of who Azula was aiming for. Her blue fire combined with his white and exploded, sending them all flying back with a wave of heat.

Zuko managed to land on his feet. He was the only one.

A quick assessment of their surroundings showed that the Avatar’s group and Uncle had fallen to the ground, and Azula was nowhere to be seen.

“Fuck,” he swore quietly, moving to help his Uncle up.

“Thank you, Nephew,” Uncle smiled at him as though things were at all normal. “It is good to see you well.”

“...yeah.”

“Azula’s gone,” announced the Avatar’s strategist – the fucker with the damned boomerang. His name was… Suki? Socket? No, that didn’t seem right.

“That doesn’t mean we can let our guards down,” the waterbender said icily, glaring at Zuko.

Which… fair enough, but suddenly, his motivation to fight the Avatar and get blown through walls was waning. He already hurt enough. He really didn’t need to add additional injuries to his collection.

Aang looked at him with innocence and a slight smile, aura bright like sunshine. “Hi, Zuko,” he greeted, as though they weren’t enemies.

Zuko had no idea what to do with that. He pinched the bridge of his nose with a silent groan.

“Who the fuck are you?” the little Earth Kingdom girl that had apparently joined the Avatar’s group asked.

“Who are you?” he asked in return.

She grinned widely and honestly, it was almost on the same level of creepy as the Blue Spirit’s smiles. He swallowed back a shudder.

“I’m Toph Beifong,” she introduced, “I’m the Greatest Earthbender in the World!”

Zuko blinked, staring at her. “Aren’t you like… ten?”

“Twelve,” she corrected. “And if you don’t believe me, I’d be delighted to demonstrate.”

Something told Zuko that this demonstration would be very painful.

“...I’ll take your word for it,” he decided. Mostly, he was too tired to deal with getting beat up, but he could admit – bright blue streaks of confidence dominated in her aura and he figured that probably meant she could back up her claims.

“So… are we fighting?”

Zuko sighed, really wishing he had a better answer than, ‘do I have to?’

Of course he had to. His Father had assigned him the task of capturing the Avatar. He could not fail. Again. He had too many failures on his record as it was.

But also… his ribs were still healing and frankly, getting blown through a building did not sound appealing.

“Was I imagining things or was your fire white?” Aang asked.

Zuko just shrugged, but yeah, it had been, and he had no idea what that was about.

White fire is not achievable by humans, the Blue Spirit said casually, walking around Aang and examining the Avatar. But you are no longer human.

Zuko’s eye widened and he almost choked at the words. What the fuck did that mean?

You’re me now, remember? The Blue Spirit’s grin was feral and Zuko gulped.

“Right,” he muttered.

And a little later:

“I have a proposal,” Uncle began. “We are all tired and worn. Perhaps we can make camp, get some rest, and deal with things later?”

Zuko sent his Uncle a disbelieving glance. No way would they consent to sleeping with him around. Why the fuck would they!? He was their enemy!

“Okay!” Aang agreed instantly.

“Not okay!” exclaimed the strategist – seriously, what was his name? Zuko really should know it. Soup? Socks? No, that was stupid.

…maybe Suki? His mind kept coming back to that, so that had to be it, right?

“Maybe two separate camps?” Toph suggested. “We can take over some of these abandoned buildings. Or I can just make us an earthen camp.”

“Do you think any of these buildings have real beds?” the waterbender asked with something longing and utterly exhausted in her voice.

When was the last time these idiots slept?

“I don’t care,” he decided, choosing a building at random and stomping into it.

As if to specifically spite him, the Blue Spirit lounged on the bed that was in fact there.

He sighed heavily, but called out, “yes on the beds.”

“Dibs on the next house!” Aang cried out immediately, and from the woosh of air Zuko could hear, he’d probably barged right in.

Zuko shook his head. Was this for real? Was he really about to make camp next to the Avatar? Why!?

Oh, I’d say it’s pretty obvious why, the Blue Spirit smirked.

Zuko frowned, confused. “What?”

What’s the Avatar’s name? They asked out of nowhere.

“Uh…” Zuko glanced around, trying to figure out the relevance. “...Aang?”

Mmhm. And what are the others’ names?

“Um,” Zuko flushed. “I mean, there’s Toph. And… Suki?”

“Are you talking to me?” Uncle called, making his way into the house.

Zuko shook his head, flushing.

The Blue Spirit smirked and suddenly he knew he was going to hate whatever was said next.

You have a crush, the Blue Spirit announced.

“What!?” Zuko flushed bright red, sputtering in disbelief. “Do not!”

The Blue Spirit just cackled, that same ghostly laughter that sent shivers down his spine.

“Nephew?” Uncle approached, a look of concern across his face.

Zuko covered his blushing face. “Nevermind,” he muttered.

Uncle’s eyebrow arched, but he let it go. “Are you tired?”

“Uh. Kinda?” He was… but he’d also noticed that he needed a lot less sleep now than he had before.

“Then let us rest,” Uncle smiled. “A man needs his rest. We can speak in the morning.”

After Zuko has a nightmare:

Fortunately, Zuko awoke with the scream trapped in his chest, the memory of his Father’s fist of fire making him shake.

He needed air, so he launched himself out of the chair and stumbled out onto the streets, where the sun was about two hours away from peeking over the horizon. Fortunately, Uncle had taught him to meditate on where the sun wasn’t as much as where it was, so Zuko chose a nice spot and settled down.

Naturally, that was when the Blue Spirit plopped themselves in front of them with – actually, with a strangely serious expression. As much of an expression as one could make with only a mouth.

That’s fucked up, the Blue Spirit opened with.

Zuko blinked. “...what is?”

Your memory.

Zuko’s eye widened. “You can see my memories!?”

Only when you dream. For now.

Well. That wasn’t ominous.

“How long am I stuck with you exactly?”

Oh, you’re never getting rid of me, the Blue Spirit laughed.

Swallowing hard, Zuko decided he couldn’t think too hard about that.

He was wrong, the Blue Spirit said, mouth flattening into a serious line again. You know that, right? Like, I don’t even have human morals and holy fuck, he was super wrong to do that to you.

Zuko frowned. “He was punishing me for disrespect,” he whispered.

Yeah, I’m a spirit of justice, the Blue Spirit said bluntly. There was nothing just about that.

“Yes there was,” Zuko objected. There had to be. Otherwise, how could everyone else have acted like it was okay?

He was always forcing his Father to punish him. It wasn’t that Father wanted to – but Father wanted him to be stronger, to stop being a disappointment.

He deserved everything Father had ever done to him.

That’s bullshit, the Blue Spirit said.

“Well, what do you know of it?” Zuko snapped. “It’s none of your fucking business.”

On the contrary, the Blue Spirit grinned. I am the spirit of vengeful justice. It is entirely my business how my host has been mistreated.

“I haven’t been,” Zuko said, but somehow it felt like a lie.

Yes, the Blue Spirit said simply, you have. But not to worry – you can now take just revenge for each slight!

“There aren’t any slights!”

Really? Not even against the Blue Fire Girl?

Zuko hesitated.

That’s what I thought.

“Ugh,” Zuko groaned. “Just… shut up.” He’d come out here to meditate, not to question everything he’d ever known.

But the thoughts wouldn’t stop circulating around his head when he tried to meditate, so he changed his plans, instead pulling out his swords.

In the prior village, he’d combined his swords and his fire together. And he hadn’t noticed if his fire was white there – more concerned with the whole stone mallet to the chest thing – but it certainly was now.

It was kind of unnerving, so Zuko stuck to playing with his swords only, doing his best to mitigate how much he pulled on his ribs. But he couldn’t afford to be idle while they healed, so he needed to learn how to fight with them.

It wasn’t the first time he’d learned to compensate for an injury limiting his mobility. (In the most memorable previous time, he’d had to figure out how to practice dual dao with one arm in a cast after Father had broken it as punishment for playing with swords when his firebending was a disappointment.)

Again, the Blue Spirit said, that’s fucked up. Like, seriously. No wonder the world has gotten so out of balance if that’s what’s leading the Fire Nation.

Zuko felt like he needed to defend his Father, but he really didn’t know what to say. It was Father. Everything he did was right by definition.

But the Blue Spirit said nothing else and Zuko let it go, shedding his shirt when sweat started to make his skin itch. Then he focused only on moving his swords the way they were supposed to move, filtering out all other input from his senses.

Which is why he jumped about three feet into the air when Aang’s voice asked out of nowhere, “what happened to you!?”

“Fuck!” Zuko swore, pressing a hand to his pounding heart. “Fucking Agni, don’t do that.”

The Avatar just frowned at him, face pinched with what almost looked like concern. “What happened?”

“None of your business,” Zuko snapped, reaching for his shirt and quickly covering his torso – and the very obvious bruises and scars scattered across it.

“Katara’s a healer,” Aang offered.

Katara. Was that the waterbender? He had read that waterbending could sometimes heal. But even if she could do it… “yeah, I don’t think that’s on offer for your enemy,” he said bluntly.

“Everyone deserves healing,” Aang disagreed. “And we won’t know until we ask.”

“Well, I’m not asking,” Zuko snapped.

“But–”

“Fuck off,” Zuko said, turning away from the Avatar. This… was actually the perfect opportunity to attack, with no one else around but them. But right now, Zuko was angry and confused and in pain and he did not have the mental capacity to deal with the Avatar trying to help his enemy. Again.

He spun his swords, moving through the katas Master Piandao had once taught him and paying the Avatar no mind. He kind of figured Aang would go back to his friends – but instead, when he finished the kata, Aang clapped.

Zuko whirled around to stare at him.

“That was really cool!” Aang enthused. “I mean, I knew from before that you were good with swords, but like – wow! You’re really good!”

“...thanks?” Zuko hazarded, uncertain of what to do with the Avatar’s praise.

Cruuuuuuuush, the Blue Spirit’s singsong voice said from way too close, and Zuko jumped again, earning him a surprised look from Aang.

Ugh. He did not have a crush.

You so do, the Blue Spirit responded, clearly amused.

“What do you want?” Zuko demanded, and he honestly didn’t know if he was asking the damned spirit or the Avatar.

Aang shrugged. “We haven’t seen you in a while.”

“...shouldn’t you consider that a good thing?”

“Hmm,” Aang paused to actually think about it. “There are positives to it,” he said eventually, “but there’s something reassuringly familiar about you chasing me.”

“...are you fucking kidding me?”

“Well, I mean, since I woke up from the ice, you and Katara and Sokka have been the most consistent things in my life,” he said, smiling brightly at Zuko.

Zuko… did not know what to do with that.

“Hey, can I ask?” Aang began, “why do you chase me anyway?”

Because the Fire Lord is a sadistic asshole, the Blue Spirit said.

Zuko froze, which apparently worried Aang, because he held his hands out, quick to assure, “you don’t have to tell me! I’m just curious.”

You know, the Blue Spirit observed, if you won’t believe me, maybe you should tell him. I guarantee he will tell you that your Father is seriously fucked up beyond belief.

That made Zuko scowl and Aang winced, leaning back and murmuring an apology.

It was ridiculous that Zuko felt guilty for making him think it was his fault that Zuko was pissed.

He wanted so badly to respond to the Blue Spirit, but there was only so much responding to things no one else could hear that could be excused. So he grit his teeth and bit out, “go away.”

Aang pouted. There was really no other word for the expression. “Aw, c’mon,” he whined. “We can talk about something else!”

“I don’t want to talk to you at all,” Zuko said without thinking and the hurt that crossed Aang’s face made something uncomfortable twist in his chest. He huffed, annoyed with everything about this situation.

“Okay,” Aang said quietly, voice small. Zuko did not feel guilty about that. “But can you at least come see Katara and get healed? It can’t be easy to fight with… all of that.”

It wasn’t, but like hell was Zuko admitting that. “I’m fine.”

“Those bruises looked really deep,” Aang pointed out.

Zuko shrugged. “Nothing broke. Probably.”

“‘Probably’!?”

He sighed, “what do you care?”

Frowning, Aang looked up at him with earnest eyes and said, “no one should be in pain.”

That actually made Zuko laugh, which was horrible for his ribs, but… “I don’t remember what it’s like not to be in pain,” he admitted. “You get used to it.”

Aang’s look of horror just reminded Zuko of how different their lives were. This was an airbender who had grown up in a world without war, in a temple where fun and serenity were considered to be the most important things.

It was such a foreign upbringing that Zuko couldn’t really understand it. His entire life had always been a struggle. He’d never been given anything for free – but the Avatar? They probably got offered free shit all the time.

Shaking his head, Zuko turned away. “Go away, Aang.”

Aang did not go away. In fact, when Zuko headed towards the house Uncle was sleeping in, the Avatar followed him.

“You know my name,” Aang said, surprise in his voice.

Zuko’s face scrunched in confusion, unsure why that mattered. Then he spotted the Blue Spirit’s wide grin parting to say something and he snapped out, “shut up.”

Aang ignored that. “Do you know the others’ names?” he asked curiously, skipping up next to Zuko.

Zuko’s fists clenched and the Blue Spirit laughed.

No, the Blue Spirit said, smugness in their voice. You just know his because you’ve got a crush.

He did not! Desperate to defend himself, he blurted out, “I know Appa and Momo!”

“You… do?” Aang blinked at him in surprise.

Zuko flushed. “Um. Admittedly, not sure which is which.”

That made Aang burst out into giggles. “Appa is my bison,” he said with a grin. “Momo is our lemur.”

And a little later:

“The world has changed so much,” Aang said, voice quiet. “It scares me.”

“I mean,” Zuko heard himself say before he knew he was going to, “even a hundred years ago, your perception of the world was probably pretty different from most people in the other nations.”

“Why?”

“Well, you’re an Air Nomad.”

“...yeah?”

Zuko flushed. “The other nations don’t really have so much emphasis on ‘fun’. Even historically. And I mean, not saying that you were ignorant of the other nations – I’m sure you visited them plenty – but Air Nomads… the other nations aren’t like that.”

“What do you mean?” Aang frowned.

Zuko sucked on his bottom lip, trying to find the right words. “Probably the closest to the Air Nomad lifestyle would be the Water Tribes. They’re communal too – or at least, the South is. I dunno much about the North that’s not eighty years out of date, and as of then, they’d moved away from that a couple thousand years ago. But that makes a pretty significant difference. When you know your needs are provided for… it’s different. But the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom… they’ve never been like that. I mean, I’m sure some places have done it on a local level before, but like, nationally, there’s no guarantee for Fire Nation or Earth Kingdom citizens that they will always have food or shelter or water or–” he spotted the look on Aang’s face and broke off. “Um. Yeah.”

“Really?” Aang whispered. “I mean, I guess I knew that a little bit? Bumi lived on the streets in Omashu a hundred years ago.”

Zuko blinked. “Bumi? As in King Bumi!?”

“Yeah, he became king at some point?” Aang shrugged. “He – he was always good at taking care of himself that I guess I never really realized… how can the Earth King and the Fire Lord not feed all their people?”

“Well, scale is definitely a factor,” Zuko said. “Like, there is a point where a society gets too big to effectively manage. I mean, there were around twenty-nine thousand Air Nomads. The Southern Water Tribes, too, were around twenty thousand at their peak. But the Fire Nation has a hundred-seventy-nine thousand people, and the Earth Kingdom has at least three-point-five million.”

Aang’s eyes were wide. “Whoa.”

“Yeah. So size is a factor. But probably also culture? Like… before the Fire Nation unified into one country, we were a little more like the Southern Water Tribes. Each island had their own clans and good rulers took care of their people. But then we came together as one nation and…” he frowned, horrified by the thought that it all went downhill from there.

“But…” Aang’s face scrunched up in confusion, “I mean, I don’t really get how having a single ruler works, but like… how can they not take care of all their people? Isn’t that the purpose of having a ruler?”

Zuko had no response to that.

He’s got a point, the Blue Spirit pointed out, watching Zuko and Aang like they were the best entertainment they’d seen in years.

…which might actually be the case, but Zuko determinedly did not care.

He scowled at the Blue Spirit, just on principle.

“What are you looking at?” Aang asked curiously, following his gaze – and probably seeing nothing more interesting than the dust-swept ground.

“Nothing,” Zuko muttered, realizing that at some point, he’d stopped walking just to talk to Aang. Frown deepening, he resumed his journey to Uncle.

Aang continued to skip alongside him until they heard Katara’s voice snarling, “where is he!?”

They shared a concerned look and ran.

Katara stood over Uncle, icicles hovering threateningly around him. The only thing that stopped Zuko from attacking was the fact that Uncle appeared entirely calm, sipping a cup of tea.

Where had he even found tea?

“Katara?” Aang called, and she whirled around.

“Aang! Are you okay?” she asked, running up to him and glaring fiercely at Zuko.

“I’m fine,” Aang said easily. “What’s wrong?”

“We woke up and you were gone and then it turned out Zuko was also gone, so…” the Water Tribe boy – Aang had said his name, hadn’t he? What was it? – shrugged, looking bored. There was clear relief on his face, though, and his boomerang was in hand.

Agni, Zuko hated that thing.

Then the boy’s words penetrated his head and he realized that he hadn’t even tried to capture the Avatar. Like, at all.

Was he really so scared of getting his ass kicked that he didn’t even bother to try!?

Yeah, I don’t think that’s the problem, the Blue Spirit said, a smirk on their face. Zuko’s brow knit in confusion and they clarified, do you really want to bring that innocent and gullible Avatar to the man who burned your face off?

Zuko couldn’t help his flinch and it garnered him strange looks, but he tried to ignore it.

What do you think your Father would do to him? the Blue Spirit asked curiously. Which body part do you think he would burn first.

Zuko’s inhale made sharp pain spread through his chest and he winced, pressing a hand to his ribs absently, more focused on the Blue Spirit than the way the Avatar looked at him with obvious concern.

He wanted to tell the Blue Spirit that they were wrong, that Father wouldn’t – wouldn’t–

Would your Father keep him alive, you think? Or let him reincarnate eventually?

“Stop,” Zuko whispered, eye wide as he processed the Blue Spirit’s words.

“Stop what?” Aang asked, standing too close to him and looking curiously between him and the presumably empty patch of street where the Blue Spirit stood. “Are you okay?”

Suddenly unspeakably angry, Zuko grit out, “I’m fine.” Then he turned on his heel and marched away – away from the Avatar, but more importantly, away from the Blue Spirit and the horrible things they said.

They were wrong. They had to be. Father wouldn’t–

But. But he’d never thought Father would burn him so badly either, and what if the Blue Spirit was right!? If – if Father could punish his son so severely… what would he do to the boy who happened to be the Fire Nation’s most wanted enemy?

Zuko had deserved his punishment, but Aang…

No, not Aang. The Avatar. The one being powerful enough to challenge the Fire Lord.

Father would have no mercy. He certainly hadn’t had any for Zuko.

And that was right. That was just.

The problem was, Zuko wasn’t sure he could sentence anyone to worse than what he got. The burn on his face had been deep enough to steal not just his sight on that side, but his hearing, too. It hurt constantly and made his whole head throb.

But he’d deserved it. Right? He’d – he’d spoken out of turn in the Fire Lord’s war room. He’d shown unforgiveable disrespect. That – that was an offense serious enough to warrant such a punishment… wasn’t it?

An hour ago, he wouldn’t have questioned it. But now? Now the Blue Spirit’s complete disapproval of his Father had instilled doubts in him.

Father wouldn’t be happy.

It was fine, though. Zuko wouldn’t succumb. He would always be loyal to his Father, as a good son should be. He wasn’t a good son, Father had made that clear, but he had to try.

So why couldn’t he dismiss the Blue Spirit’s words?

Trying to stop thinking, Zuko dove into a kata that he knew well enough to be comfortable with, but not so well that he didn’t have to pay attention to what he was doing. His fire came out bright white, but he refused to let his mind contemplate that. It didn’t matter what his fire looked like. All that mattered was that he execute the kata correctly.

Next Chapter:

Iroh was used to worrying about Zuko. In general, his nephew excelled in reckless behavior – but now especially, with everything in their life so shaken up, he felt that worry more keenly than ever.

He shouldn’t have let Zuko go alone.

“Uh…” the Earth Kingdom girl coughed, “what the fuck just happened?”

“Got me,” the Water Tribe boy said. “Zuko just started staring into space and freaking out.”

“I don’t think he was staring into space,” the Avatar said, frowning. “It seemed more like he was looking at something.”

“But there’s nothing there.”

Iroh stroked his beard, intrigued. “Nothing we could see. Which does not necessarily mean nothing at all.”

“...are you saying that Zuko’s seeing things?”

“Actually, I was thinking more about the white fire. The spirit fire.”

The Avatar gasped. “You think Zuko saw a spirit? But why couldn’t we?”

“Very few beings can see a spirit’s form without the spirit intending it.” Iroh was actually one of those beings, but he’d seen nothing either. The question was, did that mean there was nothing to see? “Some of it comes down to power – not many spirits are powerful enough to manifest physically unless something serious happens to set them off.”

“Like the fucking Hei Bai spirit,” the Water Tribe boy muttered.

“What,” the Avatar asked hesitantly, “what would it mean, if Zuko sees a spirit?”

“I’m not sure,” Iroh admitted, but now that the thought had occurred, he worried about it. What could the spirits want with his boy?

“He’s injured,” the Avatar’s quiet voice said.

“What? Who?” the waterbender blinked.

“Zuko. He looked pretty badly injured, but he wouldn’t come back to ask you to heal him, so…”

She sniffed, sticking her nose in the air. “I wouldn’t anyway.”

The Avatar frowned sadly. “He guessed that. But – but he could have broken bones, Katara!”

“...he did touch his ribs like he was in pain,” the boomerang kid said reluctantly.

Iroh fretted, but he knew nothing he could say would help this girl decide to heal her enemy, so he stayed quiet.

“So what? He chased us across the world!”

The Avatar chewed on his lip and then admitted, “he also saved me from Zhao once.”

“...what?” Iroh wasn’t the only one to look at him in surprise.

“I – I got captured by Zhao,” the Avatar explained hesitantly. “After that big storm, you remember? Where you guys got super sick? Well, I went looking for medicine and these freaky archers came after me and… Zhao strung me up in this stronghold. And he – I was so scared,” he admitted. “I could barely move. I didn’t know what to do. But then the door opened and–”

The waterbender scoffed. “And Zuko appeared? Yeah right!”

“He did!” the Avatar insisted. “But I didn’t know it was him at first. He wore a mask and used swords instead of fire.”

“...Zuko can use swords?” the Water Tribe boy asked, looking mildly disturbed.

“Yeah! He was practicing with them earlier and wow! He’s really good! I mean, I kinda knew that, because we had to fight a lot of firebenders to escape, but like…” he shrugged.

The waterbender crossed her arms. “Well if he’s so injured, what is he doing practicing?”

The Avatar frowned. “I mentioned that. He just said that nothing was broken. Probably.”

“‘Probably’!?” Iroh couldn’t help but burst out.

“That’s what I said!” The Avatar looked distressed. “He – he said he doesn’t remember what it’s like not to be in pain.”

Iroh winced. It wasn’t that that came as a surprise, exactly, but it was difficult for him to acknowledge the reality that his boy experienced constant pain and there was nothing he could do about it.

He did not like feeling powerless.

“What does that mean?” the Water Tribe boy demanded. His sister’s face was a strange mix of horrified, disbelieving, and sad.

Iroh sighed. “Such deep burns are not without consequence,” he murmured.

“Who–?” the Avatar dared to ask.

Part of Iroh wanted so badly to tell them. Their goal was to face the Fire Lord and stop this war. They should know just how terrible Ozai was.

But… Zuko wouldn’t want his enemies to know. Zuko hadn’t yet come to realize just how unforgivable it was for his Father to do such a horrible thing. It broke Iroh’s heart, but he hoped that one day, Zuko would be ready to acknowledge that his Father was wrong.

Iroh sighed, shaking his head in response to the Avatar’s question.

The Water Tribe boy coughed. “Um. Who are you, anyway? I mean, obviously you’re always following Zuko around, but…”

That made Iroh’s lips twitch. “I am Zuko’s Uncle,” he introduced. “My name is Iroh.”

“His… Uncle?” the boy said with a strange expression on his face. “As in… his Father’s brother?”

“Indeed,” Iroh agreed.

“...younger brother, though, right?”

“Ah,” Iroh clicked his tongue. “No. Ozai is almost twenty years my junior.”

Not me just sharing practically the whole next chapter oops

“Nephew!” Uncle beamed at him, looking up from the Pai Sho board he’d found somewhere. “Would you like some tea?”

Zuko sighed, taking a seat across from Uncle (carefully holding his torso still, because fuck, his ribs hurt). He would not be playing Pai Sho, but he did want to talk to his Uncle.

“What’s on your mind, Nephew?” Uncle asked, inviting him to share.

Zuko wanted to ask. But it was also really hard to get the words to cooperate. In the end, his question was blurted out with a complete lack of tact.

“What do you think Father would do to the Avatar?”

Uncle blinked in surprise, then took a moment to think, looking contemplatively down at the board. “I am not sure I can theorize,” he said.

“He’ll,” Zuko stuttered, “he’ll do worse than he did to me, won’t he?”

“It is highly likely,” Uncle said carefully. Too carefully.

The Blue Spirit’s words ran through his mind again and he had to whisper out the question that scared him more than anything. “Was Father wrong?”

“What?”

“When – when he – I – I deserved it, right?”

“No!” Uncle said with such emphasis that it made Zuko tense. He clearly noticed and calmed himself. “No, Zuko. There is nothing you could do that would deserve such treatment.”

Zuko frowned. How could that be? “But…”

Told you, the Blue Spirit chimed in, and Zuko suddenly noticed them lounging across the moth-eaten couch.

But that didn’t make sense. How could he not deserve it? Why would Father do that if he hadn’t deserved it?

Because he is cruel, the Blue Spirit said simply. But don’t take my word for it. Ask him.

Zuko chewed on his lip, not quite able to look at Uncle. “Why?” he asked quietly. “If – if I didn’t – then why?”

“Zuko,” Uncle began, but Zuko had to finish.

“If – if what he did was wrong, then why didn’t anybody stop him!?”

Uncle set his teacup aside, and when Zuko glanced up, he was looking at Zuko with a serious expression. It made him look sad.

“There is no excuse for cowardice,” Uncle said, and his voice shook in a way it never had before. “But sometimes fear is easier to succumb to than courage.”

Zuko frowned. “What does that mean?”

“It means,” Uncle said, “that not only did Ozai wrong you, but you were failed by all of us who should’ve done something and never did. It is unforgivable, Zuko.” Uncle met his gaze with shiny eyes. “Of everyone there that day, Zuko, you are the only one who did not do something wrong.”

“But–”

“You were right, Zuko,” Uncle said clearly, stopping for a moment to clear his throat, voice thick with emotion. “You were right to speak up for the 41st. You absolutely did not deserve what happened – no one ever could.”

“But how can that be!?” Zuko burst out. “If – if it was so wrong, then how come no one has ever said that before? How come you’ve never said that before!?”

Uncle flinched. “You love your Father,” he said after a moment. “When you love someone, it is difficult to see the ways they are wrong. When others criticize those we love, we rarely believe them. But that does not mean it is not true.” He sniffled and cleared his throat. “I never wanted you to push me away.”

Zuko’s face was scrunched in distress. “But – but even the Earth Kingdom merchants and the gossips in every port and the soldiers everywhere – everyone acted like Father was right. How can that not be the case?”

“Your Father has a great deal of power over the world,” Uncle said slowly. “Not because of his crown, but because of his cruelty. People the world over fear him. Fear makes us cowards, and sometimes it is easier to pretend it’s not there than to admit that we failed. Because if we acknowledge that Ozai is wrong and we do nothing… we are not less guilty than he is.”

“But that doesn’t make any sense!”

“No,” Uncle agreed, voice so very sad. “It doesn’t. The world has become terribly broken, Zuko, and too few remember what it is to act with compassion and love. Our family has brought a century of war on this world and people have become twisted with malice and desperation. That does not make it right. What Ozai did was wrong. And there is no possible way anyone could deserve that.”

Zuko shook his head, not able to accept that. It was ridiculous. If Uncle was right, then the whole world was wrong. That couldn’t be possible.

It made much more sense to think that the problem was Zuko. Maybe… maybe other people wouldn’t deserve it. But Zuko did. Zuko had to have, because otherwise, every single person he’d ever met had been wrong. All those people who sneered at him and laughed at him and made jokes about it and–

It was too many people. Surely they couldn’t all be in the wrong.

No, it had to be that Zuko was the one wrong. It had to be.

Uncle reached out slowly to touch his arm and Zuko couldn’t help his flinch, head spinning with confusion.

It couldn’t be. Uncle had to be incorrect, that was the only thing that made sense.

But… but Uncle looked at him with such guilt and pain and heartbreak and Zuko didn’t know what to do with that and–

“I need air,” he grunted out, scrambling to his feet and bolting.

Unfortunately, while Uncle could be outrun, the Blue Spirit could not be.

He’s right, they said, strolling alongside Zuko.

“Fuck off,” Zuko grit out. “Just – just go away!”

Fine, the Blue Spirit agreed. But he’s still right.

A moment later, they popped out of existence, and Zuko let out a shaky breath, suddenly feeling a hot burning behind his right eye.

They were wrong. They had to be.

Right?

Now Aang’s POV

Aang was floating on cloud nine. He could earthbend! After a horribly long day of failure after failure after failure, he could do it! He could move rock!

Katara left to start dinner and Sokka and Toph had eagerly followed her, but Aang had too much energy to stay in place, so he wandered through the streets, bending pebbles around just because he could.

So when he spotted Zuko stomping down an intersecting street, he raced after the Prince excitedly.

“Hey Zuko, guess what?” He used his airbending to speed ahead and come around to face Zuko, a bright grin on his face. Then he spotted Zuko’s expression and his smile fell. “Are you okay?”

Zuko turned away instantly, sniffling and wiping his right eye. Aang… was pretty sure he’d seen tears on Zuko’s cheek and he didn’t know what to do with that. It had… never really occurred to him that Zuko could cry.

“What happened?” he asked softly.

“Nothing. Go away.” Zuko’s voice lacked any force and he wouldn’t look at Aang, even when Aang circled around him again.

“Is there anything I can do?” Aang asked quietly.

“Yeah, fuck off,” Zuko grunted, twisting on his heel to stomp away from Aang.

Aang chewed on his lip. He – he didn’t want to not respect Zuko’s wishes, but something was very clearly wrong and he couldn’t just leave Zuko to be upset alone.

“I can distract you, if you want?” he offered. If Zuko wouldn’t talk to him, then he could at least help Zuko take his mind off whatever had happened… right?

“Why!?” Zuko demanded, rounding on him. “What do you care!?”

Aang frowned. “Why… wouldn’t I care?”

Zuko sputtered. “Because we’re enemies, maybe!?”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I want you to be unhappy,” Aang pointed out. “I don’t want anyone to be unhappy. So if I can do something about it when someone is…” he shrugged.

Zuko stared in disbelief. The eyelashes of his right eye – the only eye that had eyelashes – were clumped with tears and it was pretty obvious that Zuko had definitely been crying.

Aang hated when people cried. He wanted to give Zuko a hug, but that might be pushing things a little too far. Still, he could at least do something to offer comfort.

“If you don’t wanna talk about it, that’s okay,” he said, voice as gentle as he could make it. “You don’t have to tell me. But that doesn’t mean I can’t take your mind off it.”

“...how?”

“Um,” Aang considered his options. “Oh! Would you like to fly on Appa?”

Zuko’s face made it clear he thought Aang was crazy.

“Flight is amazing!” Aang insisted. “C’mon, I’ve taken a lot of first-time flyers out. It’ll be fun!”

“Fun,” Zuko repeated blankly. “You… I don’t know why I’m surprised,” he huffed.

Aang attempted a smile. “As you know, Air Nomads are big on fun,” he said easily. “Do you wanna go flying?”

There was definite temptation on Zuko’s face, but the frown stayed dominant. “You realize I could just knock you out and fly to the Fire Nation, right?”

“Well, I guess it’s possible,” Aang acknowledged. “But I think Appa would have something to say about that. He can be positively unmoveable when he’s feeling stubborn, you know?”

Zuko blinked slowly, processing that. Then he actually snorted.

“Sky bison were considered to be one of the most willful pack animals in the world,” Zuko muttered.

“Yeah!” Aang nodded, though he was definitely surprised Zuko knew that. But it didn’t really matter. “So… wanna go flying?”

“...fuck it, why not?” Zuko said after a moment.

“Great! C’mon!” Aang positively beamed, grabbing Zuko’s hand and dragging him towards Appa.

Zuko asks the burning question

When Zuko’s eyes opened again, there was a considering look on his face. “Can I ask you something?”

Surprised, Aang nodded. “Sure!”

“In – in the Air Temples,” he began, voice hoarse, “how were you punished if you disrespected the elders?”

Aang tilted his head. “Disrespect how?”

“What do you mean ‘how’?” Zuko frowned. “Disrespect is disrespect.”

“Well, I guess, but like… it kinda depends on how much of a sense of humor you have, you know? Like – like Master Gyatso and I would prank the other elders all the time, and Monk Tashi would get super mad, but Monk Pasang usually found it funny. He’d even give us feedback on how the pies tasted!”

“...pies?”

“Oh yeah, see, Master Gyatso is a great baker. And pies are perfect for throwing at people’s heads.”

Zuko stared at him. “You… threw pies at your elders?” There was clear horror in Zuko’s voice. “What did they do to you? How were you punished?”

“Oh, usually it was just more chores and stuff,” Aang shrugged. “I’m very good at cleaning bison stables.”

Zuko’s stare almost turned gaping.

“What?”

“You,” Zuko’s voice was strangled, “you attacked and humiliated your elders and all you got was more chores!?”

“Uh… yeah?” Aang frowned. “Why? What do you think should’ve happened?”

Zuko clutched at his hair, face distraught. “It’s – that can’t – it’s not – what!?”

Aang wasn’t sure what was troubling Zuko so much, but he reached out with clearly telegraphed movements to touch Zuko’s arm. “What happened?” he asked quietly.

Zuko’s muscles flinched under his fingers, but Zuko didn’t actually pull away. Instead, he sat hunched over, tugging at his own hair.

“Zuko?” Aang shifted closer, hoping to offer what comfort he could. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Zuko shook his head, very obviously focusing on keeping his breathing steady. Even so, each exhale shuddered, and Aang was pretty sure that wasn’t just because of the bruising he’d seen earlier.

“Can I hug you?”

That made Zuko jerk back, gaping at him. “What!?”

“I won’t if you don’t want me to,” Aang said very seriously, “but you seem like you could use a hug. So… can I?”

For some reason, his question seemed to cause Zuko great consternation, but after a long moment, Zuko said, “I… guess?”

“Okay,” Aang smiled. “Just tell me when you want me to let go.” With that said, he shifted so that he could hug Zuko properly, pulling Zuko into him and pressing their chests together.

Zuko was tense in his arms and he kept his touch gentle, not wanting to aggravate the unknown injuries Zuko definitely had.

It was kind of awkward, just sitting in silence, hugging someone who was stiff as a board, but Aang ignored that, focusing on offering whatever comfort he could.

He didn’t know what was wrong or why Zuko was upset, but he did know that he liked Zuko and he didn’t like Zuko being unhappy.

So he held Zuko close and gradually, Zuko’s muscles unwound. At some point, Zuko even tilted his face into Aang’s shoulder, hands coming up to clutch at the back of Aang’s shirt. Aang smiled slightly, leaning his weight into Zuko and slowly rubbing Zuko’s back.

They stayed like that for a long time, just circling in the air above the village their families were in and hugging tightly.

And finally, a fun little distraction

Aside from Uncle, it had been a very long time since anyone had hugged Zuko. And even Uncle didn’t do it often.

It was… kind of nice?

Embarrassing beyond belief that he needed it, but he could admit that after waaaaaaay too long spent hugging Aang, he… did actually feel a little bit better. It hadn’t fixed anything, but he felt sort of like it had grounded him. There was still a typhoon of thought and emotion in his head, but he’d managed to push it down enough that he felt like he could actually breathe.

Unfortunately, that meant that he then had to acknowledge the part where he’d basically just broken down in his enemy’s arms.

He flushed, swallowing uncomfortably and drawing away with a mumbled apology.

“You don’t have to apologize,” Aang said softly. “Are you okay?”

Zuko opened his mouth to respond and then realized that he didn’t have an answer. He… wasn’t entirely sure he knew what it meant to be okay.

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Aang’s smile was compassionate in a way that made Zuko feel exposed like a raw wound.

“No!” he lashed out with a scowl.

“Okay,” Aang said easily. “If you decide you do wanna talk about it, you’re welcome to come to me any time. In the meantime, do you wanna do a barrel roll?”

Zuko’s face was probably a fascinating thing to study as different emotions flashed through his mind.

But honestly, that did sound pretty cool.

“Yeah,” he decided, setting aside all the things he didn’t know how to feel about.

“Great!” Aang grinned. “Hang on to my arm, just in case. Appa knows what he’s doing, but it’s still best to be careful with people who can’t fly.”

The barrel roll was actually completely amazing and Zuko actually felt a smile pulling at his lips. It was an unfamiliar feeling.

[vodkacheesefries]

Okay so I finally watched the Netflix Avatar series and I have thoughts. Overall I actually thought it was okay. The rest of my thoughts are bullet pointed because it's easier for me to organize thoughts and keep them shorter that way.

What I disliked first:

They didn't trust the audience enough to fill in the blanks. The dialogue was really hand hold-y. It was almost like the writers were scared of silence and felt like they had to fill it.

They didn't/couldn't find the right balance between keeping the spirit of the cartoon and making it more serious. This caused the overall mood of the show to feel disjointed and almost like a different show at times.

Some of the wigs/bald caps werrrre...not great. Shoulda hired some drag queens.

I don't like that Mike and Bryan aren't involved. You can feel their touch missing.

I didn't care for the actor who played Sokka. It was partially what he was given to work with, like in the script, but I just...he didn't feel like Sokka. And I'm a Sokka girlie so that was sad.

Some slight changes were made to Aang's avatar state and. Idk. He doesn't even try to water bend this season? Weird choices, didn't care for those.

That was NOT Bumi. I refuse to believe that was actually him.

They needed more than 8 episodes. If they don't want to do a traditional 20+ episodic TV series, they need 10 at the bare minimum, but 12 would have been ideal.

Things that were okay:

Getting kids to act well is difficult, but I did think for the most part they did pretty good. But sometimes it was a little shaky.

Momo and Appa. They looked okay, but I hate it when things are very obviously CGI and have that like. Plastic shiny look to them almost.

They also weren't in the show enough for my liking.

The musical score for the most part, wasn't super memorable. The parts I do remember were the bits they took right from the show. Which is fine, I just wish they would have either done something completely new and WOWed me or utilized even more of the original score and really lean into it.

This could have been caused by the mood rapidly shifting from campy to Dramatic™️ so fast, but it sometimes it felt like an old kung fu movie and I think that saved some of the "worse" acting.

Things I, dare I say, loved:

Without getting too much into spoilers, because I do think the whole scene was pretty dope and you deserve to see it unsullied: Kyoshi.

Just in general, actually, the entirety of episode 2. The Kyoshi warriors were just. PERFECT.

The fight scenes were actually really well done and if they wanted to just film and animate people bending ala those old stick fight videos I'd watch that shit.

Oma and Shu are a win for sapphics everywhere

The avatar state visuals were also dope.

Dallas Liu as Zuko. He did SO well.

The Blue Spirit mask. Holy shit. That whole part of the episode. I love Zuko. So. Much.

While I'm talking about Zuko, because, AGAIN I love him, they made some additions to his backstory that I think worked really well. I can also see how, given they had 8 episodes to the original 20, these changes make it easier for people who didn't watch the original show to start to maybe like Zuko.

Ozai was already scary but he's. SCARY. Like. Daniel Dae Kim is scary in this role and I love what he did.

I did enjoy Azula being in it a little more than she was in the cartoon.

Most importantly: They let Sokka say ass. (Now let Aang say fuck.)

So like. Overall when I weigh what I liked vs didn't like, and how much I liked the things that I did, I'd give it a 3.5/5.

You will be disappointed if you go into it expecting it to be exactly like the cartoon. I do acknowledge I am an easy nerd to please, but just go into it with an "open mind" or whatever. Is it good? Eh. Is it fun? Yes! Will I watch it again? Probably not, but if there's a season 2 I'll watch it. 🤷

[calcliffbas]

So, I know it’s probably been a while for you, but I was recently rereading your White Lotus Zuko series, and I noticed you mentioned being willing to elaborate on your reasons for sticking so close to canon. I’ll admit, the way you stuck close to the events of canon in basically every way was a source of some major frustration when I first read it, and even now, it’s something which unfortunately brings it from a 10/10 to a 9.5/10. Why did you choose to have Zuko’s different choices have ultimately no effect?

Ohhh yikes, I’ve been dreading this ask. The long and the short of it is under the cut:

The simple answer is that the White Lotus Zuko series only really came about because I'm a Zutara shipper who wanted to see what their relationship could have been like if Zuko was a good guy from the start. It really was that simple when I first began writing ‘No Reason You Can’t Do It’.

The longer answer is that I was still (am still?) a very new writer, really not all that confident in my ability to craft a plot and a narrative, and I was more interested in (and had more fun thinking about) the characters and their relationships than the plot. That’s what I liked most about writing Book 1 and Book 2, and one part of Book 3 I really enjoyed writing the climactic scene when Aang unlocks the Avatar State, because that’s when we see how much his friends have helped him on this particular take on his coming-of-age journey.

I could have had the story go differently, yes, but when I was writing this fanfic, I’d just left a job that I hated only to find myself in another job that I hated in the middle of a global pandemic, and I wanted to write something that brought me joy. And like I’ve said before, I didn’t want to write a canon-divergent series so much as a canon-adjacent series; I wrote the story for me, and I enjoyed the fact that sticking close to canon meant that I could try my hand at writing Azula, Mai and Ty Lee. Plus, I was able to bring in more Asian influences such as Zuko’s Japanese poetry or Iroh’s Korean proverbs, which was hands-down my favourite part of 'You Have To Stand Firm’.

I’m sorry to hear that you were frustrated by the way the series went, but I mean, if it’s canon-divergent AUs you want, I wouldn’t say Zuko’s choices had no effect. I wrote a 90k Zuko-centric prequel set in the 18 months between ‘Seventy-two to nil’ and ‘No Reason You Can’t Do It’, and I’m kind of fond of my Mai-centric spin-off, which was set up pretty nicely by the ripple effects of ‘You Have To Stand Firm’ and ‘Who Knows What Happens Next’.

Maybe once I’ve worked on some other stuff and real life slows down a bit, I might go back and write an alternate Book 3 where Zuko fights Azula in the Crystal Catacombs to allow Uncle, Katara and Aang to escape. When they get back to the Wani, Sokka and Suki are fully prepared to go back and break Zuko out. Just before they leave, Iroh hands Sokka a bag to give to Zuko. In full view of everyone, Sokka opens the bag and pulls out a Pai Sho set, a couple of boxes of ginseng, and a Blue Spirit mask. Annnnd that’s how Aang and Katara and the SWT warriors find out that Zuko’s the Blue Spirit. Great job, Sokka.

On the ship’s brig, Azula taunts Zuko by telling him that she’s heard rumours that pirates have sent a mercenary after the Avatar’s waterbender and the Blue Spirit after they sunk their ship. Once Sokka and Suki have broken Zuko out, they decide that it’s too dangerous to risk leading Azula straight back to the Wani, and instead decide to go across the Earth Kingdom as a distraction, a la Sokka and Zuko’s plan in Book 1. Whilst they’re looking for the Kyoshi Warriors, Combustion Man catches up to them - he’s after the Blue Spirit, and he thinks Sokka’s the waterbender!

Cue Aang learning the elements from Katara, Toph and Iroh, the older kids doing White Lotus things, and more ZK pining than ever. But would anyone read it after such a long hiatus? I probably wouldn’t.

[achairwithapandaonit]

For the AU thing: blue spirit zuko but like hes a spirit for real

1) maybe this means that the rest of the royal family are also spirits? or that zuko died when he was young and a spirit took his place in his body. maybe zuko's a spirit that sozin managed to bind to their family, so he's been with them for generations. i think i'll go with that last option

2) the blue spirit mask is an important object for zuko the spirit. without it in his possession and without the reminder he tends to forget exactly who he is/the passage of time. the current firelord always has it under lock and key, but when ursa joins the family and brings along all those masks she has zuko sees them and starts to remember things

3) zuko's aware that ursa isn't his mother and ozai isn't his father and azula isn't his sister. he's also aware that he isn't really human and doesn't act like humans, that he's a spirit. he's very intrigued by ursa when he meets her and then by azula when she's born. ozai gets ordered to kill azula instead of zuko and ursa still goes away. i don't really think that azula would try and tell zuko about this after overhearing about the order to kill her, but i do think it would make her bitter and untrusting towards ozai cause she knows he would have done it

4) i imagine that as a spirit zuko has a lot less morals but that maybe this stint at being forced into a vaguely human life mellows him out a bit and while he doesn't exactly get such a human concept he understands that it's a thing that they have

5) zuko presents as a child for most of his time bound to the fire nation royals but when he meets azula he decides to grow up with her since he's so interested/intrigued by her. maybe she mocks him a little bit for having stuck as a kid for so long (even tho age isn't a big concept to spirits!) and says that she's going to be older than him one day and he gets angry at this 10 year old and ages like 2 years in a second like uH actually i'm gonna be older than you always fuck you

6) aang and zuko have definitely met before, except aang knew him as the blue spirit and zuko knew him as 'that annoying avatar'. aang is delighted to meet the blue spirit again, the blue spirit is less so

7) zuko still gets sent away with iroh. maybe he still ends up disrespecting ozai at court and gets challenged to an agni kai. he's a powerful spirit but he can't fight ozai cause he has his mask. similarly, ozai can't do any damage to him. at least until he tries to set fire to the mask in punishment after being embarrassed by that agni kai. iroh stops him and zuko gets away with a burn scar. maybe ozai thinks this will teach him something? but lmao he just pissed off a spirit good fucking luck

8) the royal family KNOWS they can never let zuko go cause otherwise they'll all (read: just ozai. zuko likes both iroh and azula) die painfully

9) when zuko looks 13 iroh steals the blue spirit mask and runs from the fire nation with zuko. at this point zuko and iroh haven't had much interaction except for when iroh was growing up and neither of them trusts the other. iroh wants his help with restoring balance and is ready to forfeit his own life by holding zuko's mask as a hostage. after iroh saving him from ozai before this is a complete betrayal to zuko and their relationship for a while is very strained, though they do end up bonding and beginning to understand each other

10) iroh possibly gets hurt at some point and zuko has a chance to steal the mask back but doesn't because he's actually worried about this pesky mortal. after this incident iroh gives the mask back, because he finally understands zuko as more than just terrifying angry spirit who will disembowel him given the chance

11) while with iroh zuko forgets that he's meant to be aging to keep ahead of azula. she is delighted when they meet again when she's 14 and he's a year younger

12) zuko definitely joins the gaang early. zuko and iroh's relationship develops into something more than just grudgingly trusting a lot later on i think. so the first time zuko runs into aang (the blue spirit episode, cause it'd be fitting) he decides to join their group

13) sokka and katara are sort of horrified by this new addition to their group who suggests trapping zhao in the spirit world forever after plucking his eyes out as a suitable punishment for what happened in the blue spirit episode. "yes aang, we get that spirits don't have a concept of morals, but THAT'S NOT OKAY"

[flameohotfamily]

How did Mai and Zuko bring up the “I’m the blue spirit” issue for the first time. I believe you told sometime your HC is that she already suspected it, but any idea how the conversation was?

Hi!! Yes, I hc that Mai suspected it here, and also I have this cute headcanon about Mai x the Blue Spirit.

But your ask inspired me, so I wrote a mini-fic. Enjoy!

“Zuko stretched his limbs on the sofa that he ordered to bring to one of the chambers after Mai noticed they have no place for the cuddling in his huge palace. His hands were wrapped around Mai, his palm was drawing circles on her back while he nuzzled into her silky hair. Mai shifted closer and hugged him more tightly. He was sure she was smiling.

"There will be the shooting stars this week," she murmured into his robes.

Mai had mentioned it a few times before their breakup. How being a little girl she read all those legends about the stars falling and how she always wanted to see it with her own eyes; how she sneaked to a balcony every year in attempts to see something beautiful and mighty, provided by spirits, but the lights of the city blinded all the view. And even how she ran away one night to the fields behind of Caldera, but was found and grounded by her parents.

Zuko smiled fondly and kissed the top of her head. It always warmed him that his cool girlfriend had a soft spot for such romantic stuff.

"We can go," he suggested willingly.

"Surrounded by a bunch of your guards? How romantic," she drawled. "No, thanks."

"No, I can...-" Zuko stopped talking, frowning. His friends knew about the Blue Spirit, as well as his uncle, who convinced him to stop it and let it go, but he never talked about it with Mai. How he possibly could start this conversation? Hey, Mai! Funny thing, babe, I'm the Fire Lord but I'm also the most dangerous and wanted criminal in the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom?

Mai got up on her elbow, shooting him a perceptive look. "What? Put a stupid theatrical mask on your face and run into the night?"

Zuko stiffened. "How do you...? Who told you?" He demanded impatiently.

"Mai, I..."

"No one needed to tell me!" She replied, almost snapped back. "There is only one idiot in all the four nations who would invade the most secured stronghold all alone!" She pulled back.

"I hate it! I hated it!" she admitted, her fingers clenched on his robes, her voice dripped with anger and something unexplainable, something which caused Zuko's heart to sting. "Every time when I heard new rumors, every time when someone saw you... I-I prayed to Agni, and spirits... I didn't know if you're dead or alive, or hurt..." She went silent, trembling, squeezed her eyes as if remembering all at once. She rarely lost control over her emotions like that.

"Agni, Mai," he whispered, stunned, and reached to caress her face. He couldn't even guess it. That she knew, that she had cared. Spirits, all this time! "I'm so sorry, Mai."

"Your lame sorry cannot atone all the sleepless nights," she argued, but softer this time, at least allowing him to touch her.

Zuko's thumbs trailed down her jawline. "I'm sorry!" he repeated, insisted, pulling her closer. "You know I should've captured the Avatar. You know how desperate I was."

She shook her head. "You should've been careful! You promised me, Zuko."

"I know... I'm sorry, Mai. I really am."

Heavy silence fell between them. Mai looked him in the eyes for a few long, unbearable moments. Doubt, fear and love - all that she didn't say aloud, all that she'd been hiding all these years he saw in her gaze.

"You're such a dork," she finally sighed, surrendered.

Zuko smirked. "Yeah, I've been told."

"Don't ever do it again!"

"But I...-"

"Zuko!"

He recognized this tone. If all these years of pining and loneliness taught him something, it's that he couldn't lose Mai again.

"Alright," he muttered reluctantly.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Mai nodded and sank once again into his embrace. Zuko closed his eyes and tried to relax, holding her in his arms.

He had almost drifted off, exhausted after the long day filled with politics, and lulled by Mai's warmth and scent, when she made the slightest move and reached to his face. He opened his eyes, Mai looked up at him with a glint in her eyes, a mischievous smile, that one he adored so much, was playing on her lips.

"How would my fiancé react when he found out I cheated on him with a masked criminal?"

Zuko chuckled. "Oh, he would be heart-broken! Totally ruined!"

"Mhm, what a vicious woman I am," Mai continued, amused, "to hurt our poor Fire Lord's feelings like that."

Zuko rolled her onto her back, thus now he was hanging over her. "Indeed, Lady Mai," he whispered, closing the distance between their lips. "That's a treason."

He felt her smile when their lips met. Mai clung to his shoulders, replying willingly, and Zuko melted into a sweet kiss.

"So, does this mean you don't hate Blue Spirit anymore?" He asked after they broke apart.

Mai chuckled softly. "I think it means... I actually kind of like him."”

That's it. Thank you sm for the ask!

[flameohotwife]

Okay, #41 for the fluff prompt!! (I feel so powerful, hahaha!)

41. "Darling, I love you and all but please step out of the kitchen."

This turned... long! And sad-ish in parts, so I'm sorry! Maybe more hurt/comfort? But there is still fluff. I hope you enjoy!

Rated T. 2.2k words.

“Aang? Have you seen the dumpling pan?” Katara was crouched down, head and shoulders deep in the cupboard, looking for the right pan to crisp the dumplings she was planning on making for dinner. Her husband was flitting about, albeit slower than he once could, on the other side of the kitchen with what she assumed were fruit pie ingredients for dessert. The original Team Avatar were travelling to Air Temple Island from all over the world in a few hours to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the war ending, and their 50th anniversary together. They always tried to get together the week they’d met in Ba Sing Se at the Jasmine Dragon to remember what they’d lost, and to see how far they’d come. Though Aang and Katara hadn’t gotten married until several years after the war, they always counted that day on the balcony as their anniversary, as the only thing that had truly changed with their marriage was the world’s recognition of their relationship and its permanence. They were devoted and dedicated from the very beginning. Perhaps even before that.

“Oh, I’ve got it over here, Sweetie,” Aang called back to her. She jumped up, almost bashing her head on the top of the cupboard before wriggling properly out to stand and face him. Even in his old age he still maintained a certain twinkle in his eye when he was up to something, and Katara’s hands flew to her hips when she saw it.

“What are you doing with my dumpling pan?” she asked, warily.

“I thought I’d cook tonight,” Aang replied, though his hand rubbed the tattoo on the back of his neck tellingly. “I wanted to add some Air Nomad dishes to the menu. Sokka will be bringing some Water Tribe food already, Toph and Suki will have Earth Kingdom, and Zuko and Mai will bring Fire Nation… I just thought I’d add something of my own in.”

Katara’s throat caught for a moment, as it always did when she remembered. His loss always felt bigger on anniversaries, though his grief was an ever-present emotion. It rose and fell like the tides, but was always there, under the surface. Most people saw his smiling face and kind, loving spirit and forgot that there were only two airbenders in the world and why. That Aang had actually known and loved so many of the ones Sozin had murdered. He masked his pain well, but took that mask off around Katara from time to time, when he needed to.

“Sweetie,” she began, stepping forward to grasp his wrinkled hands. “Oh Aang, I was going to make Air Nomad food, too. I would never leave you out like that.” Her tone wasn’t defensive, only calm and reassuring, as she rubbed gentle circles on the blue arrows that adorned the backs of his hands with her thumbs. She wanted to remind him with her touch that his grief didn’t have to be his alone to bear. That she would remember his people with him. Just as she had taught their children old Air Nomad fairytales when they were small, and celebrated their holidays with him, and learned to cook their food. Katara was Water Tribe through and through, but her soul was bound to an Air Nomad. Moreover, she was bound to Aang, and she always felt his loss. Even when he hid it well.

Aang melted into her, then. A hug that was so deeply meaningful it was reminiscent of the one they’d shared on Iroh’s balcony, but with all the weight of his pain crushing down on them along with that promise of love and acceptance. It was as though through this hug she was able to share that weight with him, so she held him tighter. Half a century after learning about the deaths of his people, sometimes the wound still felt fresh, and Katara was always the healing balm to whatever ailed him, even when she knew she could never heal it completely.

Katara stroked his back lovingly with one arm as he clung to her. She waited for his breathing to even out, for his muscles to relax. Waited for a sign that she had taken enough of his grief that he could function again. Finally, he moved his head to kiss her sweetly. It was wet, and salty, but his movements were lighter again. She moved her hands to his face, wiping his tears as she pulled him closer, and he deepened the kiss, wrapping his arms fully around her waist and pressing against her.

“Thank you,” he whispered. He knew his grief was never hers to bear, and yet she did so willingly and with so much love. He could never thank her enough for the way she cared for him when he hit his lowest points. He wasn’t sure he could have made it without her. Sometimes the weight on his shoulders was so heavy he felt like he would sink without her unending love and support buoying him up, keeping him afloat.

“You’re not alone, Sweetie. Never.” Katara continued to caress his face as she looked into his sparkling, sad eyes.”Do you want me to help? I can make the dumplings and the butter tea. I never quite mastered the tofu but I could try if you want…”

Aang silenced her with another kiss. “You’re wonderful,” he said, pressing his lips to hers again. “The best wife, partner, and friend in existence.” Yet another kiss. “I think I’ve got it from here. Why don’t you take a break before everyone gets here?”

Katara laughed, not quite knowing what to do with herself. She reluctantly removed her hands from her husband and settled on making herself some tea and sitting at the kitchen table to observe him. Even though he was aging, Katara still enjoyed watching him when she had a moment, whether it was bending practice, or working hard on something, or even something as simple as cooking. She still appreciated the lithe way his body moved, the smooth, airy motions he made, the way his tongue stuck out when he was concentrating…

She sat back in her chair, grinning over her teacup as she watched him chop vegetables and boil water and roll dough. Sometimes observing him do the most trivial things—like cooking dinner for friends, or braiding their daughter’s hair when she was small, or working in the garden—reminded her how lucky she was to have him in her life. He was the Avatar after all. He could have maids and cooks and servants and never lift a domestic finger in his life, but that was never in Aang’s nature. And he could have chosen anyone as his companion, but he had always and only ever chosen her. Over and over. It was somehow both humbling and assuring all at once.

After some time, she rose from her seat, walking behind him to wrap her arms around him, reveling in his warmth. She couldn’t see the smile on Aang’s face, but she knew it was there when he pressed one arm over her interlocking ones, squeezing lightly with his hand.

She leaned up to press a light kiss to the back of his neck.

“You’re awfully distracting, you know,” Aang chided. He turned in her arms to peck her on the nose. “I love you.”

“I love you, too. It’s been a while since I’ve gotten to watch you cook. I forgot how much I enjoy it.” She gave him a very pointed look and he laughed heartily.

“Well, by all means, enjoy the show,” he said, wiggling his hips for her benefit as he extricated himself from her grip to keep working. Katara giggled. She was about to return to her seat when she noticed the clutter Aang was leaving in the kitchen as he worked, and decided to help him by tackling some of that so he could focus on the food.

When Katara cooked, she was very methodical. Every ingredient, pot, pan, and chopstick had its place, and was immediately returned to that place when she had finished with it. She knew if she didn’t keep up with the mess as she worked, it would pile up to the point that she would feel overwhelmed at the end, so she tidied continually. Aang, on the other hand, was much more impulsive in his cooking. He would think of an ingredient to add mid-stir, and leave the remnants on the counter, never quite sure if he might want to add more later. He would wait to clean up all the messes at once.

There was a time in their marriage where this had driven Katara crazy. The kids were still very young at the time, and the extra mess on top of the cacophony of kid-sounds and clutter and Momo swooping around the house would become too much, so she would constantly buzz around him, taking things and washing and putting them away before he was even finished with them. He would turn around for more of an ingredient and find it wrapped up in the icebox. More than once, he had had to take Katara by the shoulders, kiss her gently, and exclaim, “Darling, I love you and all, but please step out of the kitchen.”

Now, much like in other parts of their relationship, she had learned which parts of the mess to let be, and which ones she could handle that would actually help him. She sat up with him at night while he transcribed ancient Air Nomad texts and histories; her presence a comfort as he worked through it all and felt the loss more keenly. Tenzin joined him now, of course, when he was home, but Aang still felt more able to work through his grief when she stayed too. When they were younger, she had sewn Air Nomad clothes for Aang and for the acolytes, and eventually taught the acolytes to make them herself not because Aang couldn’t sew or teach them, but because it was one of the things that they both could do. Something that she could take off of his already over-heaped plate.

They balanced each other. He was her rock on full-moon nights or when she missed her parents or when her emotional storm was raging. He was her center of calm when she was worried about the kids or about the world. But today, Aang needed her. So she washed the used dishes for him to use again if needed, and cleared the wrappings for him, being sure to leave the ingredients on the counter. She made sure to give him gentle touches as they worked; a hand to the small of his back as she passed him, a bump of the hip as they worked side by side. Loving smiles and stolen kisses as the afternoon sun fell lower in the sky.

Eventually their friends would arrive and they would be able to laugh and joke and remember together. There would be group hugs and arm-punches and happy sounds and smells would fill their home as they reminisced. Through all of it, Aang would sneak looks across the table at Katara, with a special smile reserved for her. Fifty years! They’d made it fifty years together, in no small part because of everything they had learned through their struggles as they grew together. Because of the weights and grief they shared with one another instead of bearing them alone.

“I may be old, Twinkletoes, but I can still feel your heartbeat when you look at Sugarqueen like that,” Toph jabbed as Aang snuck another glance at his wife. “How can you two be together for fifty years and still act as disgusting as when we were teenagers? I’m not going to have to pull you out of a linen closet at the official event tomorrow, am I? Because we are all too old for that.”

Knowing that she still sent his heart a-flutter the way he did to her warmed Katara’s old bones from head to toe, and she sent a look of her own towards her husband. Aang’s face reddened.

“Oh, no,” groaned Sokka. “Oogies! I’m out.” He rose from the table, pulling Suki along with him. “Dinner was great guys, and I’d like to keep it in my stomach, thanks. So, we’ll see you all in the morning when the kids get here?”

“Sounds good,” replied Zuko as he and Mai rose to join them. “We should probably turn in anyway. It’s getting late.” Aang and Katara stood as well to accompany their guests to the door before everyone went their separate ways.

“Thanks for a wonderful evening as always, guys,” Suki added as she hugged them both goodbye. “Try not to wear yourselves out too much tonight, hmm? It’s not as easy to recover as it used to be and we have a busy day tomorrow.”

Katara feigned shock at her sister-in-law’s tease but Aang only blushed further as Sokka faked retching and promptly exited with their friends. Aang was always so open about his emotions and intentions when it came to Katara, whether or not he intended to be. She simply smirked back up at him and took him by the hand, waving to everyone one last time before pulling him back to their bedroom. And, maybe they were a little extra tired the next day, but it was worth it. Loving each other through the many ups and downs of a lifetime together would always be worth it. Even when Toph berated them for it outside a linen closet door.

[sokkagatekeeper]

what do you mean when you say that zuko is a pessimistic idealist and sokka is a pessimistic realist? i love your analyses and i’d love to hear more of your thoughts on that!!! (also love how you say sokka and zuko are perfect for each other because they’re both grumps lol)

i do not remember saying that however it does sound like something i would say lmao. i think what i (would) mean with the statement “zuko is a pessimistic idealist” is that he grew up... idk if unappreciated is the exact word, but in the militaristic hypermasculine society that valued traits that he did not have in comparison to azula, zuko was always at a disadvantage and he had to run for it, sometimes make rash decisions as they were the better/only decisions he could make at all in order to be appreciated and most times it did not pay off which resulted in the entire mess that is zuko’s personality. for all of this, zuko has a tendency to see the worst part of the situation he’s in (coming to mind atm ‘it blew up in my face — like everything always does!’ ‘this city is a prison’ more or less?), so in other words he’s grumpy and kinda sour as hell, all the time.

but at the same time, zuko has a certain... idea of the world, a kind and caring heart, a strong sense of justice, an overall vision for a world that’s good. when zuko comes to understand the fire nation is actually actively pushing back this vision, and he practically immediately turns away from its ideals and pursues a philosophy and a group that actually fit his ideas of what’s better for the world. zuko spent three years at sea looking for a myth, in hopes that finding it would finally put an end to his suffering, making him and katara the only people in the world who truly believed the avatar was still out there. zuko is always expecting everything to blow up in his face like it often did throughout his childhood, and he sees the worst part of the situation before anything else but he always pushes back to make it better, or to what he believes would be making it better.

my favorite example of this is during the blue spirit after zuko finds out zhao got the avatar before him, and he gives iroh a speech about how all hope is lost for him and he will never ever have love honor or happiness ever again, and about five hours later he’s behind a theatre mask with two swords against the world rescuing the avatar just so he can capture this avatar himself in the future, while also letting him go afterwards because it’s not honorable to take him in the easy manner he could take him at that precise moment(???) and that was just nuts. therefore pessimistic idealist.

on the other hand there’s sokka.

sokka is a pessimist through and through, a serial complainer, a paranoid neurotic strategist. sokka grew up in disadvantage to the rest of the world and overshadowed by a his little sister — not because katara was a bender and sokka was not, but because katara was the last bender they had left. i’ve talked about this before but basically it’s no wonder katara is a solid optimistic idealist with all the hope and faith and determination in the world while sokka is a pessimistic realist and pragmatic depressed cynical bastard. presumably his village but also sokka put himself at disadvantage. it is safe to assume sokka sacrificed his own uhh. hope? naivetè? innocence? for katara to keep hers and in order to protect her better — after all katara is the last southern waterbender, their collective hero, and you can’t have a hero with no hope, you can’t have a dead hero. and also sokka is an eldest sibling, it’s instinctual.

now don’t get me wrong, sokka has a huge heart full of love and devotion and wonder. he is an inventor, an artist, a scientist. sokka is filled with ideas, but he is always waiting for the lowest blow, he is always waiting for a disaster to happen (and with a good reason!). sokka believes optimists are liars, he thinks destiny and fate is more or less bullshit, he has a pragmatic and careful approach to almost every situation he’s presented with and even though he has a clear sense of morality, he is willing to make certain sacrifices as are the demands of war – where zuko is willing to save zhao without hesitation, who tried to kill him multiple times and whom he had been fighting not one minute ago, for example.

sokka wants the world to be a better place, and at the same time he has little trouble turning away from people who aren’t in any immediate danger even if they are suffering because he has more pressing matters at hand (the painted lady), he obviously would want the avatar to come back and save them, but aang being a complete stranger signaling to a fire nation ship is most definitely a valid justification for sokka to banish him (the boy in the iceberg/the avatar returns i don't remember lol). among many many many other situations in which sokka is technically right, even if it doesn’t fit other characters’ idealistic views or it doesn’t make for a good story, sokka is the realist they all need in order to survive.

also i admit ‘perfect for each other’ can be kind of a stretch and i believe that it being because they’re both grumpy is kinda reductive since that can also be the basis of mai and zuko’s relationship and we all know what i think of those two aksjaks (this is NOT mai slander. # mai deserves better 2k21). however i do think sokka and zuko fit together because they have different types of emotional constipation and they actively push each other to be more balanced in order to reach to the other. sokka wants to believe deep down, and the fact that he is in a story even if he doesn’t really believe it plays its cards sometimes which translates into the universe’s obsession with sokka, and zuko is destiny fan #1 so he can give sokka an overemotional speech once in a while that sokka will ruthlessly dismiss and dismantle verbally but that at the same time will warm his heart and help him loosen up on his scheduled cerebral to a default existence on the long-run; zuko needs grounding once in a while which he usually got from iroh or at the very least iroh made an attempt to get through him, and sokka is intellectually crude enough to give zuko a reality check while making himself understood and because of their shared wavelength he can do this without crushing all of zuko’s hopes and dreams in the process.

they are also two eldest siblings one with depression the other filled with rage and they are the only real ‘pessimists’ in the gaang, so while yes, zuko will take action to solve problems he will also complain about it forever more and he can do that with sokka. together they can yell at god, complain about jocks, complain about prescriptivists, bond over their very niche taste in art that nobody ever understands, and absolutely tear apart everything that doesn’t fit their competence standard (it’s a very high fucking standard, those are two grumpy neurodivergent people) among many other grump-activities that seem to make them miserable but that actually serve both of them to validate their annoyed kind of love for the world and it makes both of them really happy :)

[sokkastyles]

Zutara Month Day 10: Oma and Shu

I’ve seen some people point out that Zutara doesn’t necessarily fit Oma and Shu because the Oma and Shu myth is more Romeo and Juliet than enemies to lovers, and those people are not necessarily wrong. Romeo and Juliet, just like Oma and Shu, were never themselves enemies. They did nothing but love each other, but were forbidden from being together because of the feud. Zutara, in most interpretations, is less a “forbidden” romance and more a transition from enemies to friends to lovers. Most people imagine them growing to love each other after becoming friends, often after Zuko’s redemption and the end of the war. Nonetheless, the Oma and Shu story does share several parallels with Zutara that many fans have picked up on. What I want to do is examine some of these parallels from a meta angle, to look at the Oma and Shu story as it appears in the series and other similar stories that appear in ATLA, and to also compare them to similar stories in the real world, and analyze a bit the popularity of these various tales of forbidden love, why they are popular, and what their purpose is, as well as how Zutara fits into all this.

In universe, the Oma and Shu story, in addition to being a love story, is also an origin myth of sorts for the Earth Kingdom. It explains the creation of the city of Omashu, as well as telling the story of some of the first humans to learn earthbending. The message of the story, in addition to being a tale about love thriving between two unlikely people, and a cautionary tale about what happens when love is prevented from flourishing, is also a message about love being an act of creation and a force of transformation.

Love is brightest in the dark.

This sentence is a paradox, but it fits with the theme of balance that the show comes back to again and again, of breaking down barriers and deconstructing dichotomies to create something new, something more whole than the original. Something mirroring the harmony of yin and yang.

The greatest illusion of this world is the illusion of separation. Things you think are separate and different are actually one and the same. We are all one people, but we live as if divided.

The above quote by Guru Pathik is also similar to Iroh’s philosophy, which he tries to teach Zuko.

It is important to draw wisdom from many different places. If you take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale. Understanding others, the other elements, and the other nations will help you become whole.

Iroh also says something in “The Crossroads of Destiny” that echoes the Oma and Shu story.

Iroh: Perfection and power are overrated. I think you were very wise to choose happiness and love.

Aang: What happens if we can't save anyone and beat Azula? Without the Avatar State, what if I'm not powerful enough?

Iroh: I don't know the answer. Sometimes, life is like this dark tunnel. You can't always see the light at the end of the tunnel, but if you just keep moving, [Aang earthbends the rocks away one last time. Iroh's fire blows out. He smiles.] you will come to a better place.

Iroh says that Aang is wise to choose love over power, while walking through a dark tunnel, and advises Aang to trust in the darkness to bring him to the light. Meanwhile, Zuko and Katara, two people on opposite sides of a war, share a moment of unlikely tenderness in a cave lit by glowing crystals.

Zuko in the crystal catacombs does what Iroh has been trying to teach him to do, to let go of pride and the need for power, and to instead embrace compassion and humility. Which is what he does when he apologizes to Katara. This is also part of what stories like Romeo and Juliet teach us, that pride and petty grievances are destructive, and that only by embracing love do we become whole.

I know the prompt is Oma and Shu, but thinking about that story and its place in the narrative made me think about other mythic stories that appear in the series, so let’s look at another one that has significance for zutara: Love Amongst the Dragons, Ursa’s favorite play that she took young Zuko and Azula to see every year.

The actual story of Love Amongst the Dragons, according to the ATLA wiki, is this:

The play features the Dragon Emperor, bound to mortal form by the Dark Water Spirit, and forced to adopt the alias of Noren. The humble experience results in Noren falling in love with a mortal, and through this love he is able to break free of his curse. The play concludes with Noren defeating the Dark Water Spirit and embracing his mortal girlfriend, revealed to be the Dragon Empress.

What struck me when I found this description was that this is, with some slight changes, pretty much the Chinese myth of the marriage between Dragon and Phoenix, a representation for yin and yang and harmony in marriage, and which I compared in a meta to zutara as well.

Like the Oma and Shu story, it is a story about unlikely love, and about crossing divisions. It also has a lot of similarities with various myths involving shapeshifting love-interests, often referred to as “animal bride/husband” myths (which beauty and the beast is a subset of).

The symbolism of the tale in-universe is in its connection to Ursa, and thus Zuko’s connection to his mother. Zuko’s connection to his mother is contrasted with his connection to his father, which is representative of Zuko’s destructive side. When Zuko was trying to capture the Avatar, he was searching for his father’s approval, to become someone that would earn his father’s love. Ursa, meanwhile, taught Zuko kindness and compassion, and told him that it didn’t matter that he wasn’t the most powerful or strong. That Ursa took Zuko to see this particular play is significant, a play about a godlike being, the Dragon Emperor, being humbled and learning to love.

Only with your glory hidden in false form could you recognize my devotion.

Though different, and originating in a different nation, this is another tale about love shining through the dark, about letting go of pride and choosing compassion. Animal bride/husband myths are often about seeing past what is hidden to see the truth. They are stories of transformation, and like the Oma and Shu story, are about the transformative power of love.

It’s also from this play that Zuko gets his Blue Spirit alter ego, which Zuko uses as an exploration of his own identity apart from being the Fire Nation prince. In this story the same mask is worn by the villainous Dark Water Spirit. It is very interesting that Zuko uses an identity associated with water for this purpose. Also, like the Blue Spirit, the Dark Water Spirit seems to be a bit on the morally ambiguous side. Even though the spirit is defeated at the end of the story, its motivation for transforming the Dragon Emperor seems to be to teach him humility, and this is a message the play seems to promote.

Zuko and Azula’s dialogue from the above comic pages is interesting because it expands on what we already know about both characters. Zuko complains about always having to play the villain, just as he was made a scapegoat by his father and sister, and his adapting of the Blue Spirit identity is essentially him reclaiming that identity that was forced on him while trying to figure out who he really is. Azula sees herself as the Dragon Emperor, but she misunderstands the message of the story completely, and it’s not a coincidence that she talks over the love scene in the comic above and responds angrily and pridefully to the man who tries to shush her. Similar to Ozai when he names himself the Phoenix King, ironically misinterpreting the actual myth. I also think there’s something interesting to say about gender here, as this post points out. Not only does Ozai associate himself with a female figure, but Azula associates herself with the male Dragon Emperor, while Zuko is associated with the more feminine water spirit (water being a feminine element.) However, by the end of the series, Zuko embodies the transformed Dragon Emperor, while Katara I associated before with the Phoenix/Dragon Empress, as she is associated with healing and rebirth. Also notice the red and blue color coding in the comic page above, both with the Water Spirit and Dragon Emperor and in the coloring of the two lovers.

This also brings me to another play present in the series, the play that the gaang goes to see performed by the Ember Island Players. The same players that Zuko says his mother took him to see. The play we see them put on in the series is a Fire Nation propaganda play, promoting Ozai and the war. I actually can’t imagine that Love Amongst the Dragons, a play about a Dragon Emperor learning humility, was very popular during Ozai’s reign. We hear about it being performed before Ozai became Fire Lord, but we can assume that those visits to the theatre stopped after Ursa’s disappearance. The only other time we hear about that particular play being performed is after the end of the war. This leads me to imagine that it was necessary for the Ember Island Players to find a different play to perform while Ozai was in charge. While the play is not necessarily subverting Fire Nation superiority (the villain is a water spirit, after all), it is confrontational enough that I can imagine Ozai’s brand of narcissism seeing it as a challenge to his authority. Ozai who disdained love in favor of power and control.

“The Boy in the Iceberg” contains another love story between two people from opposite sides in their depiction of Zuko and Katara in the crystal catacombs. I wrote before about how I’ve seen interpretations of this that say that the Fire Nation was trying to portray zutara as an “inferior” Water Tribe woman falling for a “superior” Fire Nation man - essentially saying that the play is in favor of zutara as a piece of Fire Nation pro-colonization propaganda - but the problem with this is that that isn’t how zutara is depicted in the play. The play mocks zutara by portraying Zuko as submissive and subservient to Aang, and Zuko is later killed, as he is currently a traitor and threat to the Fire Nation. Thus, the “romance” between Zuko and Katara is not being depicted as supporting the superior masculinity of Fire Nation men, but rather portraying Zuko, who willingly chose to dissasociate himself with the Fire Nation, as emasculated and submissive to other, “lesser” men and aggressive “foreign” women.

This is a complete mockery of the real connection that Zuko and Katara had in the catacombs, the kind of love that is inherently subversive because it requires Zuko humbling himself in front of Katara and admitting that he was wrong, and working for her forgiveness. It is the kind of love that the Fire Nation under Ozai’s rule rejects. The kind of love that is truly transformative, revelatory, and brings light to the darkness. The kind of love that creates rather than destroys, that unifies rather than divides. That is humble and not prideful. That’s the appeal of zutara.

[the-hot-zone]

ATLA Meta: The Components of the Blue Spirit’s Theme

This is the Blue Spirit’s theme. It’s about a minute and ten seconds long, and an incredible amount of stuff goes into that time. I want to look at what we hear and when--and what that means. First, I am going to discuss two major moments of the theme and what they mean for Zuko; then, I will interpret other aspects of the theme and the tone they are meant to convey.

Firstly, from around 0:07-0:13, you hear three distinct, impactful bell sounds. They are loud; they are resounding; they are strong--almost like the stamping of feet. The theme begins with a statement. But what is that statement?

Well, listen to this. These are kagura suzu--a set of twelve bells used during kagura (which I will explain further down). These bells are small and higher in pitch, but if you listen to the lingering bell sound in between “impacts,” the bells in the Blue Spirit’s theme sound remarkably similar to kagura suzu. 

Kagura is a ceremonial dance in the Shinto tradition. It is performed in order to please/pacify kami, which is best translated as “spirits.” Folklore surrounds the origin of kagura:

The epics Kojiki and Nihon Shoki describe a folktale origin for the dances. In these texts, there is a famous legendary tale about the sun goddess Amaterasu, who retreated into a cave, bringing darkness and cold to the world. Ame-no-Uzume, goddess of the dawn and of revelry, led the other gods in a wild dance, and persuaded Amaterasu to emerge to see what the ruckus was all about. Kagura is one of a number of rituals and arts said to derive from this event. Originally called kamukura or kamikura (神座), kagura began as sacred dances performed at the Imperial court by shrine maidens (miko) who were supposedly descendants of Ame-no-Uzume. Kagura, in particular those forms that involve storytelling or reenactment of fables, is also one of the primary influences on the Noh theatre.

There’s a lot going on here--but folklore places kagura’s roots in the goddess of the dawn--which brings a new light and a new day. Additionally, the sound of bells was also thought to get the attention of gods so they would offer protection/wish fulfillment. Also, it's believed that the sound of bells will ward off evil; bells are a symbol of protection--and are associated with luck. 

So, what does this all mean? Why are these bells used in the beginning of the Blue Spirit’s theme? 

They make a statement about how Zuko views his actions during The Blue Spirit: as fate. It is his fate to capture the Avatar; it is his fate to return to the Fire Nation; it is his fate for him to reclaim his role as the Crown Prince and reserve his right to rule. This is his singular obsession that drove him for the past two-ish years because, once again, that is his fate. Thus, when Zhao captures Aang, this is a real obstruction to his spirits-willed path, and Zuko is willing to steal and sneak in order to capture Aang--he is willing to do dishonorable things for a chance to restore his honor. 

This is why the bells are used in the beginning of the theme. Zuko was born unlucky; the bells at the beginning of his theme call upon luck for his task. He is also calling on the spirits for protection--against Zhao. He wishes to capture the Avatar; this is his fate; therefore, the spirits will assist him. This doesn’t mean Zuko is literally invoking spirits in this episode, but the connection of the bells to spirits tell the listener about how Zuko views his actions: as fate, as willed by spirits.

But there’s a contradiction in the bells, too. They’re meant to ward off evil, but the Blue Spirit mask references an antagonistic force. A type of mask in Noh theatre was the Onryō mask, which often portrayed vengeful ghosts. The designs of these masks remind me of the Blue Spirit mask:

[ID: a photo of an Onryō mask used in Japanese theatre. The mask is humanoid, with two eyes, two ears, a nose, and a mouth. It is colored white. Two golden-colored horns sprout from the masks’s forehead, surrounded by wisps of painted-on black hair. The eyes are a dull gold, and the pupils are two circles cut out for the wearer’s eyes. The mask’s brows are drawn together. Its nose is wide, and its mouth is open in a snarl, revealing two rows of dull gold teeth. There are two fangs on the mask’s upper row of teeth, and two fangs on the bottom row. Its expression can be described as an anguished sneer. End ID.]

The Onryō is believed to be capable of causing great harm in the physical world by injuring or killing its enemies. There’s also the connection of kagura to Ame-no-Uzume, the goddess of the dawn. Dawn is associated with new beginnings and new light; The Blue Spirit is one of the first episodes in which the viewer realizes there is more to Zuko than meets the eye. Aang knows this, too: Do you think we could’ve been friends? 

Therefore, the first few seconds of the Blue Spirit’s theme are a contradiction: a representation of treason against the Fire Nation by cheating Zhao (dishonorable), and Zuko’s own desire to be lucky, to succeed in capturing Aang and thus fulfill his fate as the spirits will it (honorable). They make a powerful statement in regards to Zuko’s intentions and thought process. 

That’s the first 13 seconds. I’m not done yet. 

The bells from the beginning blend seamlessly into the sound of a tsungi horn. It decrescendos to almost nothing--then there is another pound of the bell, and another crescendo of the horn, as if they are at war. This is intentional because it’s not just a tsungi horn in this theme--it’s Iroh’s song. Listen here and compare--the melodies are the same. Thus, at the beginning of the theme, the bells and the tsungi horn are at war: Zuko’s belief in his fate is musically pitted against Iroh’s influence. The bells are loud, a clashing statement! but they fade into the tsungi horn. This does not mean, however, that Iroh’s influence has won. Far from it. The notes the horn plays are long, low, and sonorous. They stretch, as though reaching for something. They are a plea, evocative of mourning, perhaps for the son Iroh has already lost, and for the son he fears losing. 

Thus, this part of the theme is blatant foreshadowing. By making Iroh’s theme a part of the Blue Spirit’s theme, it seems as though the writers were wanting to make a statement about the role of the Blue Spirit in Zuko’s journey. 

Those are the two large moments I wanted to talk about meaning-wise. Next, I just want to talk about the sounds and what I think they’re meant to make the listener feel.

As stated above, the notes of the tsungi horn decrescendo and crescendo, giving the listener a feeling of suspense. Around 0:36, a slow, rhythmic strumming of a strings begins, adding to said suspense. Then, the string and tsungi break off at 0:43, and what starts at 0:47 is a light tapping of a chime or bell. These urge the listener to imagine quick, light footsteps, representing the agility of the Blue Spirit--like tiptoeing. This tapping chime ebbs and flows with the tsungi horn, adding more suspense and once again adding to the aesthetic of the Blue Spirit. It’s a fantastic bit of sound that perfectly captures the imagery of blue-tinged shadows, of carefully-placed footsteps. 

Around 1:05, a drum sounds, cutting off all sound. Then, the theme ends with the pounding of a drum that disappears just as quickly as it had appeared. It sounds like a heartbeat, they way it picks up and settles, as though a person has just made a choice. With that drum, the theme tapers away, just as the sound had done so many times throughout the song, leaving the listener with the impression that the Blue Spirit has more work to do: the theme, and thus all of its components, is not done yet.

All in all, I love the Blue Spirit theme. On a surface level, it invokes the perfect tone for the aesthetic of the Blue Spirit. Imo, on a deeper level, it represents Zuko’s view towards his fate and foreshadows his struggle. 

[bard-llama]

Hello! I just wanted to let you know that I love your Zukaang writing and I already read almost all of your stuff about them! You go so deep in their problems and have so much intricate theories. I get so amazed by how well done is all made. I’m still learning how etiquette works here so sorry if this isn’t the proper way :’)

Awww, thank you for this awesome note! Really brightened my day 😊😊😊

I have sooooo many ideas for Zukaang, it's ridiculous lol. I currently have... okay, actually, I'm gonna do a tally of my WiPs that are unpublished lol. (below a cut bc I have way too many WiPs)

Zuko/Aang (29)

Shirtless Sparring: Zuko trains Aang in hand to hand combat and grappling. Naturally, this means frottage

Return to Pohuai: Aang gets to enjoy a fantasy where the Blue Spirit takes him

Our Love Become a Funeral Pyre: Zuko is Kuzon reincarnated and this proves confusing when Aang shows up

Gay Bar: crack fic where Zuko and Aang run into each other in a gay bar in Ba Sing Se

Airbender Blow Jobs: AKA Aang can go down for a long time

Fealty: Aang tries to figure out how to tell Zuko that he wants to pledge himself to him

Aang Approaching Zuko Morning After: after running into each other at Pao's Teashop, Aang goes back to try to talk to Zuko. Unfortunately, Zuko isn't on shift - but his Uncle is.

Dreams/Nightmares: Sokka jokes that he imagines all the villains in his dreams in their underwear. That night, Aang dreams of a very scantily clad Zuko chasing him

Pampering Zuko: Aang convinces Zuko to go to a resort where they can spend time together being soft. All about nonsexual intimacy

Fluff: post-dragons, Zuko retrains himself on how to use love to firebend

“My heart feels like it’s dancing when I look at you.”: Zuko thinks there's something wrong with him. Aang doesn't know how to tell him.

Treasure: sequel to Pearl, Aang has figured out what to do with the black pearl he found.

“I’m in love with your voice.”: Zuko and Aang talk while huddled up in a cave in the North Pole

First Kiss/First Time: Aang panics when Zuko kisses him and runs away to the South Pole. Zuko's wife is the one to come get him and tell him to fix his shit. (everyone is polyam)

Sex Pollen Blue Spirit/Aang: Aang gets dosed with something while in Ba Sing Se. Zuko saves him from some thugs but then has to figure out what to do next

Pao’s Teashop Office Sex: they bone in Pao's office lmao

Rope Burns: different circumstances Aang has experienced rope burn, culminating in him asking Zuko to tie him up

Sexytimes – Voyeurism: Aang ties Zuko up and makes him watch him touch himself

Gossip: Aang can't help but gush to Toph about his new bf

Frottage: Aang pushes Zuko into a closet in the FN Palace to avoid an annoying advisor - and they end up rubbing against each other

Something to Live For: The Avatar is what drives Zuko. Even through unimaginable pain, that goal has kept him going.

Avatar Gossip: the former Avatars watch Aang in the Spirit World and gossip about his life and relationships

PWP Genderbent Aang picks up Zuko without Zuko knowing: what it says on the tin

Blue Spirit x Avatar Aang: The Fire Nation is very invested in the love triangle between Fire Lord Zuko, Avatar Aang, and the Blue Spirit. Zuko is exasperated.

Identity Porn: Aang does not see behind the Blue Spirit mask. He does try to pick up the Blue Spirit when they run into each other in Ba Sing Se. Zuko doesn't know what to think.

“I can’t stop thinking about you. When I wake up, when I’m about to fall asleep…”: Zuko talking to Aang

Soulmate Potential: anyone can be your soulmate, but some people you'll have more resonance with than others. Even if they happen to be your enemy

The Fire Lord and the Avatar: posted the outline here

Airbender Zuko: Zuko first made sparks at 8, but he's been bending air since he was born. How is this possible?

Zuko/Aang/Katara (5)

Inspired by littlegingermochipie's art: Zuko blows Aang while Katara watches. Zuko maintains intense eye contact

Zutaraang: Aang gets hot and bothered watching Zuko and Katara spar

Zutaraang Lap Sex: At the Western Air Temple, Katara decides that the way to make sure they all get what they want is to push Aang into Zuko's lap and then climb into his lap. Aang has no complaints. Zuko is very confused.

“We need to stop dancing around it. All it does is hurt us both!”: Fantasizing about Zuko is safe in a way daydreaming about Katara isn't. Until Zuko joins their side, at least.

Katara and Aang decide to pursue Zuko: Aang talks to Katara about the Air Nomad concept of polyamory

Zuko/Gaang (8)

Retribution: roleplay where the Gaang 'pays Zuko back' for his s1 shit

Crowd Shy: what better way to deal with the trauma of being horrifically burned in front of a crowd than to get fucked in front of a crowd?

"Seduce" you to the good side: Zuko thinks he's dreaming and is very confused

Everyone Wants to Fuck Zuko: Zuko gets to be the Gaang's pet

Consensual Somnophilia: Zuko tells his friends one of his fantasies

“Prisoner” Zuko: Zuko is annoyed with how stupidly his "captors" are debating over taking him, as though he doesn't have a mouth that can be used

Getting Zuko to Sleep: Gaang cuddles with Zuko. If you cuddle up to him, he won't move and can actually fall asleep

Everyone is in love with Zuko and he catches a clue: he's all nervous trying to tell Mai that he's in love with his friends and she's just like "yeah, you have been forever, idiot"

Gen (56)

The Tournament of Kingship: Toph competes to be King of Omashu AKA the Greatest Earthbender in the World

Actions Speak Louder Than Words: Zuko apologizes to the Gaang (and co in Western Air Temple) through actions

Spontaneous Combustion: Ba Sing Se fic where Zuko ends up investigating people bursting into flame

Early s3 AU: After the war council meeting, Zuko panics and runs away to inspect a prison facility in Fire Fountain City. The same prison facility that Combustion Man locks Toph and Katara in a wooden cell in.

Pre-canon AU with Ozai: Ozai is annoyed that his son made friends with some blind girl at a diplomatic conference

Choosing Nonviolence 1: Aang sees Zuko's scars and it challenges his commitment not to harm Ozai. Zuko takes this the wrong way.

Choosing Nonviolence 2: What is forgiveness? It's not easy to forgive and Aang mourns that his friends don't understand that

Truth Serum: Just when the Gaang + Zuko + Iroh back Azula up against a wall, they get hit with pollen that has weird effects

De-aged Zuko: bb!Zuko finds out about the Air Nomad Genocide and has Opinions. Aang does not know how to feel.

Flower Language: Aang weaves a flower crown for Zuko when he's supposed to be training. Zuko gets frustrated and burns what turns out to be Aang's friendship offering. The Duke is the one to point out how he done fucked up.

The Duke Learns to Read: Zuko teaches The Duke how to read at the Western Air Temple

Working Together/Mission Fic: There are thugs abducting benders to sell as slaves in the Fire Nation. It's their great misfortune that they happen to capture both the Avatar and the Fire Prince

Zuko becomes Fire Lord at 13 AU: Zuko fights in the Agni Kai. This changes everything.

Toph Joins S1: she manages to mow through the pirates, and when they're surrounded, Iroh surrenders on both of their behalf. Zuko is not pleased about this.

Muzzled: the Gaang rescues Zuko from Zhao. It isn't pretty.

PAIN: literally an excuse to torture Zuko lol. The Gaang doesn't accept him at the Western Air Temple and he ends up captured, first by the EK, then the FN. They are not friendly captors.

Trusted with Weapon: Zuko realizes that the Gaang trusts him with a weapon

Gifts: the Gaang finds out that it's Aang's birthday on Ember Island. They talk about cultural differences in birthday celebrations

Katara POV Zuko tortured by Fire Lord: What it sounds like lol

Ozai finds out Zuko joined the Avatar: in Ba Sing Se, Zuko chose the Gaang. Now he's with them as they make their way through the Fire Nation. Ozai is displeased about this.

Kanna: Gran Gran's view of Zuko and passing judgement

Gyatso Runs Away With Aang: Aang wakes up from the iceberg with Gyatso next to him

Dad Convo: Zuko asks Hakoda what he would do if Sokka ever disrespected him

Shaking it up down South: Sokka learned his sexism from somewhere. In the post-war rebuilding of their tribes, things come to a head when many of the men are dismissive of the women of the tribe

Earthbender Zuko: Zuko discovers he can earthbend. This changes a lot.

Keeping the Avatar Alive: Zuko realizes he fucked up after Ba Sing Se and dedicates himself to protecting Aang

Pirate Zuko: At the Air Temples, Zuko discovers a philosophy of freedom - and so he decides to embrace it and becomes a pirate who seeks out/salvages Air Nomad artifacts

Self-Harming Zuko: Zuko is not as cautious when fighting with swords as he should be

Haunted Toy: Lu Ten dies... and ends up haunting a toy he once gave Zuko

Animal Transformation: Zuko is a finch-hawk and the Gaang bandages him up when they find him

Time Travel Zuko 2 Electric Boogaloo: future!Zuko goes back in time to tell his s1 self the things he wished someone had told him about how his father sucks ass. s1!Zuko is very confused.

Toph and Zuko’s Life-Changing Field Trip: Toph's parents invite her home and she decides to give them a chance - with backup that turns out to be VERY needed, because her parents invited her back to try to arrange her marriage

Crossdressing Gaang: A conversation about clothes leads to Aang talking about the fun of dressing up - and encouraging everyone to get in on it. They have a contest to see who can walk best in heels (it's Aang)

A Letter from the Dead: I'll be posting this soon, but basically, Gyatso wrote a letter to Aang, in hopes the Avatar would one day read it

Aang loves his friends (probably gen?): Aang misses his friends and arranges a get together for Zuko's 34th bday

Nerd Lords: Zuko sneaks into the Earth Kingdom Royal Library and manages to accidentally make friends with Kuei

Fight Club: Zuko competes in fist fights while they make their way across the Earth Kingdom. Iroh does not approve.

Instinctive Bending: Zuko's always had trouble bending exactly the way his instructors want. But when he lets himself forget that and just move, he's actually pretty good

Zuko's Odyssey: my mashup of the Odyssey and Zuko's years at sea AKA his ship sails the Western Ocean, full of monsters and mayhem (posted some planning here)

Agni's Little Flame: Agni is invested in Zuko's survival

Unyielding: Never Give Up Without A Fight

Zuko adapts other bending techniques: Zuko watches the Gaang spar and train and tries to improve his own bending

Fire Control: Zuko is actually very controlled with his fire - unlike Zhao

Nightmares: Katara hears Zuko having nightmares and tries desperately to ignore the urge to comfort him

Good at Bending: a conversation about bending leads to Zuko sharing how his skill has always been considered disappointing

Healing Fire: Zuko can't heal. It's totally just heat. Heat that makes him heal faster. That's normal, right?

Sibling Rulers: Zuko approaches Azula post-canon and offers a compromise - he needs her help. So he offers for her to be Fire Lady, with equal power to himself. Azula thinks it's a trap, but can't say no.

Azula and her brother: Azula's complex relationship with her brother, who her father has sent her to capture or kill

Crew bonding: First time they see Zuko breathe fire when frustrated. Zhao about shits himself

Katara hating on Zuko: the Gaang learns how he got the scar when Katara implies he deserved it and he agrees.

Thrice Cursed, Once Broken: going to start posting this soon, but Zuko doesn't escape on the Day of Black Sun. After Ozai is defeated, he is crowned - which means he has to deal with the Gaang + Iroh, who are here to end the war

Batman!Zuko: Zuko needs an outlet from being Fire Lord. Vigilantism is just convenient.

Viva la Resistance: Zuko's crew share stories about the Prince across the invasion fleet

Aang in the Iceberg 1: When Zuko dreams, he's in a world where Aang is the only person in existence.

Aang in the Iceberg 2: During his angst coma, Zuko wakes up in a bizarre ice cavern where an Aang who doesn't know who he is is eager to play with him

Punishment: At the Western Air Temple, Zuko expects the Gaang to punish him the way he was accustomed to at the palace. The Gaang is horrified.

Other (6)

Zuko/Ran/Shaw oviposition pwp: what is sounds like

Zuko navigating 10 (billion) relationships: Chore Wheel but it's date nights with Zuko lmao

Sex Pollen Hakoda/Zuko + Kuei/Zuko: a diplomatic conference gets sex pollen'd

A Southern Water Tribe Welcome: The Southern Water Tribe Family x Zuko

Global Leaders Orgy (🚫Arnook🚫): what it sounds like on the tin minus Chief Arnook bc I don't like him

Mai/Zuko + Gaang: Mai ties Zuko up and invites the Gaang to join them

Oh my god, I have way too many WiPs. That adds up to 104 and that's just the ones that are completely unpublished!

Anyway - thank you! I'm really glad you enjoy my writing! Thanks for letting me know! 💖