#oh and they said that zutara was never even supposed to be a thing | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

kittenshift-17 · 5 months

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Congrats on finishing!

Prompt - Zutara & a flower made of glass

Thank you! I'm very proud of myself and loved the feeling of vulnerability and relief and achievement when it was finally done so I'm probably addicted and will hopefully, finally, be able to chase down that feeling on the rest of my WIPs 😅🥰

"Uhhh, what is that you're holding?" Katara frowned at the object Zuko was gingerly clutching.

"A flower," he answered shortly, avoiding eye contact.

"A..." Katara frowned, stepping closer to try and examine what he held. "Are you sure? It... looks..."

"It's made of glass."

"Oh!" Katara's eyebrows shot up. "Can I see it?"

"No."

She huffed a laugh at the shortness of his answer.

"No?"

"It's a gift for someone," he side-eyed her. "Why are you here, anyway?"

"I'm waiting for someone."

"Here?" Zuko frowned.

"Yes, I have a date," Katara smiled, blushing prettily. "A blind date, actually. One of Suki's Kyoshi Warrior friends set us up. Actually, can you go somewhere else with your glass flower? The guy I'm waiting on is late, but maybe he's here and doesn't know I'm who he's meeting because you're here."

"Oh, for...." Zuko cursed, his head dropping back while he breathed out a small puff of steam.

Katara flinched when he extended his arm in her direction, offering her the glass flower.

"You just said this was a gift," she scoffed, though she took it anyway to examine the fine blown glass petals, admiring the rich colours infused within.

"It's a gift for the girl I'm meeting. For a blind date. Setup by Ty Lee," Zuko scowled, his eyes back on her, waiting for her to get it.

"You... you're who I'm...? Oh, for crying out loud," Katara started to laugh. "They set us up?"

"Evidently."

"I bet they're nearby, giggling about it too," Katara complained. "We both need better friends."

Zuko didn't say anything, only scowled deeper.

"Well... shall we?" Katara waved an indicative hand to the cafe across the street where the date was supposed to take place.

"They're already inside," Zuko shook his head. "I just saw a flash of one of them. They'll be watching."

"So? Do you not want to have tea with me?" Katara smirked since they’d never even considered dating in all the times they’d known each other.

"You want to go on a date with me?" Zuko frowned, his voice full of sneer.

"Well.... I mean, I'm already dressed," she waved to the nice dress she wore.

Zuko's eyes dropped down, trailing over her slowly.

"You look nice," he conceded quietly, his cheeks turning a bit pink.

"So do you," Katara smiled. "We could... what if instead of tea, we had dinner? I know a place a few blocks away where our friends won't be spying and laughing, if you still want to see the date through."

"Aren't you supposed to go on dates to get to know people?" Zuko frowned. "It's why I hate them. Getting to know someone over tea in a noisy shop is stupid."

Katara started to laugh at his disgruntled expression, reaching to ruffle his combed hair out of its attempted style because it looked ridiculous.

"Good thing you already know me then, isn't it?" She teased, giving a little tug to the front of his shirt as she started to turn, planning to lead his to the restaurant. "Come on. Let's get dinner, and you can tell me why you brought a glass flower instead of a real one."

Zuko pouted, but after a few seconds, he followed her, easily falling into step beside her, the two of them walking close enough that their shoulders occasionally bumped.

"Real one always wilt," he confessed quietly when they were seated at the restaurant. "I get nervous and my hands heat up and then live flowers wilt and go soggy. But uncle says you have to bring flowers on dates.... it's stupid."

He reached, trying to take the pretty glass flower back but Katara moved it out of reach, instead sliding her free hand into his and giving it a gentle squeeze.

"It's not stupid," she said softly when Zuko's eyes dropped to their entwined hands. "It's a clever solution. And besides, real flowers only last a few days... a week if you're lucky. This one will last forever."

She smiled, admiring it happily as her cheeks turned pink.

"I think it's nicer to give something with permanence," she murmured. "The point of dating is to find love, after all, and I would think it should be a goal in the search for love to find one that will be permanent."

When she looked up, Zuko was staring at her intently, his cheeks a soft pink and his eyes guarded as though he was waiting for the punchline. Katara only smiled and set the flower gently on her lap before reaching for the menu without releasing Zuko's hand.

"Should we get some tea?" She checked. "Oh, they have so many options! Iroh would spend days here sampling them all. Look!"

Katara slid her chair quickly around the table, slotting herself in close beside Zuko rather than remaining across from him, pointing at the tea list on the menu excitedly. Distracted as she was, she didn't see the guarded gleam in Zuko's gaze melt away into something soft and impossibly fond before he leaned in closer, silently believing dates were definitely nicer if you already knew you loved the person you were meeting.

#kittenshift17 #fanfiction #zutara #send anons #anonymous #writing prompt #prince zuko #katara

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sokkastyles · 2 months

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Some of the bingo card thingys caught my eyes with the dissonance

1) I'm sorry "mai and ty lee secretly hate and fear her" uhm the fear is quite explicit in Ty Lee's end, did y'all forget her introduction?? and Mai wasn't handled that well but she also explicitly says that she feared her.

2) "sibling disagreements are abuse" what disagreements? to have a disagreement you have to be on equal terms, and Zuko is never in equal terms with anyone as long as he is in the palace, they are also literally threats, not discussions, is Zuko just supposed to sit and take Azula's threats?

3) "seductress! Azula" what even is this, is it talking about that weird manipulation tactic where they circle around someone that she and sometimes zuko used that was clearly them trying to copy Ozai?

4) "Ursa made zero mistakes" I mean I've never seen anyone say this actually, Ursa wasn't a perfect mother, but she did try to do the best she could in the situation she was in, being with an abuser that also happened to be her king (people often seem to forget that part) while being a non-bender.

idk this only tells me 4 things, 1. Azula stans don't remember the episodes they don't wanna remember, 2. They either fell for Azula's act or don't understand that power dynamics between siblings are a thing that exist, 3. They seem to shift Ozai's blame into other characters or just, make it dissappear? (oh no, she wasn't using her brother as a scapegoat like she learned to do from her father, she was actually being a good sister 😌😌) and 4. They generalize and strawman and recontextualize so much they turn their claims into lies.

Yeah, it's not a secret. And as I said in another ask I just responded to, you can love someone and still fear them. It's weird, especially, for Azula stans, to not get that, considering that she both loves and fears her father.

Sibling disagreements are not abuse, but framing Azula manipulating, tormenting, and literally trying to kill her brother as "sibling disagreements" is abuse apologism.

Yeah, and I think the reason people do this is for the same reasons people sometimes act weird about zutara. Like, I'm sorry the bad guy made you feel some kinda way in your loins and now you gotta repent for your sins, sounds like a you problem!

Even saying Ursa "wasn't a perfect mother" makes me itchy because we barely saw her in the series, and her choices were so limited that she gets criticized more for what she didn't do or what she might have done more than anything. I've never claimed she was perfect but the second I hear people talking about her "flaws" which are actually entirely invented and exist offscreen and in the mind of a literal abuser, you better believe I'm gonna be like "actually she was an amazing mom." She "wasn't a perfect mother" because she once reacted with shock at seeing her eight year old child wish death on someone??? I'm gonna reiterate what I said before, the one talking point that I see get mentioned, when she said "what is wrong with that child," which wasn't even said to Azula, is actually for the audience's benefit more than anything. Which means that we're blaming Ursa for thought crimes here. For the purpose of excusing and minimizing Azula's actual crimes, and in many cases Ozai's as well, by insisting that Ursa was actually just like him because she tried to tell her daughter no a couple times.

#azula #ursa #ozai #zuko

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rinstrumental · 1 year

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all the wrong places

zutara

# not proofread, mutually pining idiots, part 1 here

part 2 - giveaway

“Zuko loved parties.

“They were few and far in between, thanks to his father’s natural aversion to… any kind of fun. So when they happened, nobody was more excited than the little prince. He would run around the palace grounds, already in his evening attire hours before the guests were due to arrive. As his teacher, I’d reprimand him and remind him he had homework to finish… but as his auntie, I did love seeing him happy.”

Tai Lu was a distant relative of Zuko’s who had moved to the palace many years ago to become his governess. She continued working there in the library after his banishment, and now Zuko was back for good, she couldn’t help but dote on him every second of the day.

It had been two weeks since his return, and today Tai Lu had invited Katara and Zuko for tea. The former listened attentively to the older woman’s anecdotes while the latter sipped on his tea quietly, pink from embarrassment.

“He was terrible!” Tai Lu cried. “Always stealing sweets from the kitchen and not studying for his spelling tests, and he could hardly lie about it. His ears would go pink, and he would be looking everywhere. So naughty.”

She turned to Zuko, who was perched awkwardly on the edge of his chair. She leaned over and shook his shoulder. “But I could never stay angry at you. You were so cute, and now you’ve gotten so tall and handsome. You and Katara make a beautiful couple!”

Katara’s heart lurched. Zuko choked on his tea. She wanted so badly to snatch a look at the expression on his face, but she didn’t dare. She laughed awkwardly, waving her hands as if to clear the misunderstanding out of the air. “Oh, no, Auntie, you’ve got it all wrong. Zuko is dating Mai.”

“Yes. I’m dating Mai. Mai is my girlfriend,” Zuko spluttered, recovering from the burning hot tea that had scalded his throat. “Not Katara.”

Tai Lu looked surprised. “Mai… Azula’s friend? The one whose uncle is the warden at the Boiling Rock?”

“Yes, we’ve been… on and off.” He was flustered, unsure of the right thing to say to his inquisitive amd perspective aunt. “But we’re doing well now.”

Tai Lu hummed wistfully. “Of course.”

“Okay, Auntie, I think we should go get ready for the ball now,” Zuko spluttered, standing up abruptly. “Come on, Katara.”

The older woman got up from her seat to look out the window. “Yes, it’s almost sunset! Time flies. I will see you both tomorrow at the ceremony.” She exchanged a grin with Katara, then reached over to pinch Zuko on the cheek for the last time.

“You coming?” Katara was already at the doorway when she threw a look over her shoulder at Zuko, who was still lingering by his auntie.

“Yeah, go ahead, I’ll catch up,” he said.

She left the room.

“I’m glad you remember our little code,” Tai Lu said fondly.

“Mostly because it usually meant I was in trouble…” Zuko mumbled, rubbing his neck. “What is it that you want to tell me?”

“Why is it that I had no clue about you and Mai until five minutes ago?”

Zuko’s eyes widened in surprise at her sharp tone. “I… suppose I didn’t think my love life was that important.”

“You didn’t think it was ‘that important’? Zuko, you are going to be crowned as Fire Lord tomorrow. You do realize that both your private and public life is going to be the concern of the entire nation, don’t you?” She held her hand up to cut off his protests, already knowing what he was going to say. “Even if it’s none of their business.”

He was at a loss for words. With one sentence, Tai Lu had brought the crushing weight of reality down on him. He knew that, but he didn’t realize it. He remembered the countless scandals of his father’s advisors, the journalists crowding near the palace gates, the not-so-discreet gossip amongst the servants.

“It’s not just that. How restrictive have you been keeping this relationship to the point that nobody has heard of it? You know what it’s like here - everybody knows everything. Secrets don’t exist here.”

“I know, I know. And the relationship’s not… restrictive,” Zuko said flatly. “That is a strange way to describe it. We just keep it very private.”

“And that’s what she wants?”

“We both agreed it’s for the best.”

Tai Lu stared disdainfully at him, not convinced. “When was the last time you were intimate with her in any way?”

Zuko cringed at the bluntness of her question, but answered it anyway. “When I returned to the Fire Nation. Two weeks ago. It’s normal, she- we’re just not that affectionate.”

“Zuko, I don’t think Mai is right for you. She’s not the one your heart lies with.”

He looked away, feeling stupid. Like a little boy who got caught up in a fib. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he snapped. “I love Mai. We are happy together. Thank you for your concern, Auntie, but I have to go get ready for the party now. Excuse me.”

Zuko walked swiftly out of the room, face warm. He walked out of the workers’ quarters, out into the garden, and continued pacing around the pond. He needed to take a cold shower. He needed water. He needed to tell someone to get his clothes ready. He needed to calm down. He couldn’t help but wonder where Katara was.

“You look hot.”

He’d never turned around so fast. Katara was sitting by a tree, already regretting her choice of words.

“What?”

“Temperature-wise. Sorry.”

“Yeah, I am. Fuck.” Zuko rubbed his temples and shut his eyes, trying to slow his racing heart. “I need to take a bath. You should be getting ready too, I told you to go ahead.”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I’m sorry for making you wait,” he mumbled, eyes darting between the family of turtleducks sitting by the pond, to the flowering bushes, to the sky. Anywhere but Katara. “I’ll see you at the party. Thanks for spending the afternoon with me.”

As he hurriedly walked past her to leave, Katara noticed the bright blush on the tips of Zuko’s ears.

He’s a bad liar.

#zutara #zutara fanfiction #zutara fluff #zuko fanfic #zuko x katara #katara #katara x zuko

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fakeikemen · 4 years

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The "Cave of Two Lovers" foreshadows the Zutara interactions in "Crossroads of Destiny"

[And maybe after that too; (yeah this part will be purely based on speculation)]

(See also: A meta that everybody has already written but I haven't because I was living under a rock and watched Avatar very recently)

Like seriously, it is so obvious? I see people try to interpret "The Legend Of Oma and Shu" in so many other ways; like yeah, you're free to interpret it however you want but— most people try to make sense of it while thinking that the tale is just a random occurrence? But it's not.

And here's why:

(I'm so sorry, I tried to add the "keep reading" link here because this gets kinda long but it just won't work) (Also click on the pictures if you want better resolution).

The tale of Oma and Shu is about two lovers who belonged to villages that were at war against each other. To continue meeting each other, they learnt earthbending to create caves in the mountain that divides the two villages. But one day Shu didn't come to the caves. He'd died in the war. So Oma unleashed a terrifying display of her power. And then when people were willing to listen to her, she called off the war and strived for peace between both the villages. As a result the city of Omashu was created— as a monument in remembrance of their love.

So in comparison:

1. Two people belonging to the opposite sides of the war

(Other than the 100 year old war that has been going on, Zuko and Katara are involved in a very fundamental conflict: Capture the Avatar Vs. Protect the Avatar.)

2. With the same colour scheme:

3. Share intimate moments in a cave lit by green crystals:

A popular argument for this comparison is that; Oma and Shu had a positive impressions of each other when they first met. Unlike Zuko and Katara where Katara's first impression of Zuko was pretty negative because he invaded her village.

Zuko and Katara's first proper conversation happens in "Crossroads of Destiny" i.e.; the scene I'm talking about here. After this interaction that they have, I think it's safe to say that they did have positive impressions of each other. (Until Zuko made the wrong choice.)

Other than that, about the colour scheme being a coincidence: Here and here are posts by @marsreds about how the colours are definitely not a coincidence.

But seriously guys? Oma and Shu were the FIRST EARTHBENDERS and yet, instead of greens and yellows they were designed with RED and BLUE?!? (I'll take about Oma's green dress below.)

And on that note, why were Zuko and Katara the only ones who were thrown into the catacombs when everybody else was being held at the dungeons? The dungeons wouldn't have been easy to escape, neither for Zuko nor for Katara.

It's because Zuko and Katara were meant to share an intimate moment in a cave that was supposed to jog our visual memory to remind us of the caves built by Oma and Shu.

(Seriously though, I wasn't really paying attention during CoTL and thought that the Omashu legend was just put in to consume screen time, so I missed the red/blue thing. But then I watched CoD and saw the catacombs and I was like: "Isn't this like that cave made by the lovers?" And then I proceeded to have an oh shit moment because, I knew that Zutara was not canon so I never even considered the possibility of the narrative hinting at anything between them but then this happened. I mean, it's pretty darn obvious).

The colour of the crystals being the same in both caves is no coincidence either— if they just wanted two random caves with crystals, then they could've used a different colour because crystals of different colours exist:

Moving on,

The Visual Cues:

According to the colour coding Zuko = Oma (red) and Katara = Shu (blue).

So,

EXHIBIT A:

I feel like this one speaks for itself.

(I personally think that in this parallel Oma is in red because Katara at this point still sees Zuko as the face of the Fire Nation.)

EXHIBIT B:

This sequence of frames show Oma (dressed in green, like Zuko was in the catacombs) and Shu (dressed in his usual blue), standing on neutral territory and reaching out to each other and then being torn apart by the war.

Pretty much like:

The first time they are in each other's presence without the cause of their conflict (i.e. the Avatar), Zuko and Katara reach out to each other empathetically and attain bone deep understanding of each other within a matter of minutes. This whole encounter is in Ba Sing Se, which counts for the neutral territory because it hadn't been completely taken over by Fire Nation at that point.

And honestly? The raw vulnerability and intimacy of this scene and the high emotional energy of their powerful dynamic is just— wow. (I put off my binging spree for a whole day because I didn't have the heart to see Zutara not become canon after all of this.)

And soon after, Zuko and Katara face each other in battle, their tentative friendship torn apart, as they fight from their respective sides of the war.

EXHIBIT C:

Whenever Oma and Shu appear in the same frame during the visualization of the legend, Oma is always on the left half of the frame and Shu is on the right.

Similarly, throughout all their interactions in the Catacombs, whenever the frame exclusively includes Zuko and Katara, Zuko (like Oma) is on the left half of the frame and Katara (like Shu) is on the right.

The parallels (or foils rather):

In CoTL, we see Song who is a healer (cures Iroh of his poisoning). She mentions that she hasn't seen her father since a Fire Nation raid took place in her village. Zuko empathises with her and says that he too hasn't seen his father in a long while. But then he refuses to say anything else about it.

Later Song tries to reach out to Zuko and tries to touch his scar— which Zuko prevents her from. She shows Zuko her own scars to show that she understood him.

And yet, Zuko doesn't open up to her.

After a while of life-changing and eye-opening experiences, in CoD, when Katara has her meltdown and cries while saying that her mother was snatched away from her by the Fire Nation; Zuko sees an opening to offer an olive branch and he takes it, he empathises with her and tells her that how his mother was snatched away by the Fire Nation as well.

Then Zuko opens up to Katara in a show of complete vulnerability. He openly talks about his scar and what he feels about it. In response, Katara offers to heal his scar and then Zuko lets her touch his scar.

It was nothing but a deliberate choice to make Song slightly parallel Katara (a healer, lost a parent because of the war) and then making Zuko not open up to her and not let her touch the scar, only for Katara to be the one he opened up to and allowed to touch the scar.

After being trapped with Aang in the cave in CoTL and sharing an intimate moment with him, as soon as they find their way out, Katara runs straight ahead without looking back.

But after her time with Zuko, trapped in the Catacombs in CoD, while leaving she turns back to look at Zuko.

Judging by the amount of time the animation puts into showing us Aang's disappointment at Katara running off and into making it clear that Katara did look back at Zuko and that Zuko looked right back at her, to me, it feels like the choice to show this was pretty deliberate.

(Turning back to look at a person while leaving is a romantic trope that has been overused to death? Or is it just bollywood?)

Also I wouldn't have paid this much attention to this small detail if not for the fact that just a hint of the Omashu legend theme is played here?

No, I swear I'm not making it up.

The Omashu legend theme is used in CoD:

The Omashu legend theme is largely dominated by the music of a stringed instrument (forgive me, I don't know what it's called) alongwith a steady melody playing in the background.

In CoD, when Katara and Zuko start conversing for real, (i.e.; when Katara says: "I'm sorry I yelled at you.") what sounds like a variation of the background melody in the Omashu legend theme, starts its subtle ascent as the background score, but sans the music of the stringed instrument.

It is when Katara says: "Maybe you could be free of it." [About Zuko's scar], when then first hint of the stringed instrument is heard. It is only a single note of the strings but it's there. And this "single note" sound keeps on repeating at regular intervals with the melody building up until Aang and Iroh burst into the catacombs.

But then, when Katara is leaving with Aang and she turns back to look at Zuko, this time the music that plays for a few seconds at best, is dominated by the stringed instrument again and this time it's unmistakable.

Also I don't think this music is used anywhere else in the course of the whole show? So it can't really be a coincidence? But I don't really know. I'm saying this on the basis of as far as my memory can reach.

And this is as far as canon stands testimony to what I am trying to say here.

But what about the second half of the story yk, the dying thing, you say?

Well this is where the speculations come in.

Speculation Time:

As a thumb rule, a romance foreshadowed by a tragic tale is meant to have a happy ending.

So this time when Katara's (Shu) life is in danger (Azula's lightning bolt), Zuko (Oma) steps in at the nick of time to save her life (by jumping infront of Katara to intercept the lightning).

(Since I have crossed the limit of images in a post, here is a post by @araeph which illustrates this point.)

Yes, I am completely aware that Zuko taking the lightning bolt for Katara is not his declaration of love for her. What I mean to say is that the whole scene was so very painfully obviously romantically framed (the immediate change in music when Zuko realises where the lightning bolt was headed, both of their expressions, Zuko's agonized "Nooooo", the slow-mo throughout the shot).

I am also aware that Zuko would've taken the lightning bolt for anyone. But it is the narrative that demands that Zuko take the lightning bolt for Katara and Katara only. Because this has atleast 10 different payoffs (a direct callback to the Book 2 finale where Azula had shot Aang with the lightning; the grief of which was for Katara to bear but this time Zuko himself stands between the lightning and Katara instead of being the silent spectator, the culmination of both Zuko and Katara's personal character arcs, Zuko's scar would parallel Aang's: Aang got it because he chose Katara over the world and Zuko got it because he was willing to give up the world to save Katara, etc, etc).

Tl;dr: The lightning scene wouldn't hold all that much weight if it wasn't Zuko taking the hit for Katara because the narrative literally demands it.

This is where we start wading into really murky waters.

From mucking around on Tumblr due to Zutara feels™, I came across this post where some of the ideas for Book 4 were written:

• The Southern Water Tribe experienced the longest series of attacks from the Fire Nation. Zuko and Katara become political partners and work together to help end the animosity and repair relations between their two nations.

• Just like how Zuko learned to appreciate the Earth Kingdom, he would learn to appreciate the Water Tribes. Katara also learns to respect the complexity of Fire Nation culture. There is no such thing as an “evil” nation.

And that basically means that Zuko and Katara would've been working together to de-escalate the hostility between their respective nations and improve the relations between the two nations, while learning about each other's cultures simultaneously as the world would be in the process of being rebuilt after the war and they would be major role-players in shaping the new world.

Which is quite similar to how Oma strived for peace between the two villages and then as a result of the improved relations between the villages, the city of Omashu was built as a monument to the love story of Oma and Shu; which might just be symbolic of building a new world where both the villages could live in peace due to the initiative taken by Oma on behalf of herself and Shu.

The story would've come a full circle; that's all I'm saying.

If you've stuck around for this long, thank you for taking the time to read this long ass post with points that you may already have read ♥️

#i just have a lot of feelings about zutara #i mean this was being built up so perfectly but then bryke ruined it by not making canon #oh and they said that zutara was never even supposed to be a thing #i mean everything was just there in the context #atla #zutara meta #atla meta #meta analysis #oma and shu #oma and shu parallels #cave of two lovers #crossroads of destiny #into the inferno #avatar #anti bryke #zutara #ira's posts

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thevictorianghost · 3 years

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You said in your finnrey/zutara post that studio meddling was involved for both. I knew that this was the case for finnrey because of racist cowards. But I never knew that was the case for zutara? Tbh I just assumed from the get-go that aang and katara were the main ship and I thought it was cute for them to end up together in the end. Though it is really interesting to learn that zuko and katara could’ve also been a serious thing and I think they could also work together rather nicely. What happened behind the scenes that caused it not to happen? Was aang originally gonna be set up with toph or have no love interest?

Oh hello! Hi! My first anon. Welcome :)

Before we start: I’m going to write Kat/aang, A/ang and Bry/ke like that so it doesn’t appear in the tags and I’ll bold some sections for emphasis.

I don’t think the writers even considered Toph as a love interest for A/ang. It was always about Kat/aang vs Zutara.

It’s no secret at this point that Dante Basco and Mae Whitman, who voiced Zuko and Katara respectively, ship Zutara. Dante Basco is known as the “captain of the Zutara ship”. They’ve written multiple times about Zutara on Twitter and Dante Basco said in an interview that he really thought, at one point, that Zuko and Katara were going to end up together, that he thought it was going that way, and that he loved the idea of fire and water together.

As for the writers, it’s a bit more difficult to find information, since the show ended 15 years ago. But Aaron Ehasz, head writer of ATLA, has come out and said there was supposed to be a fourth season and it was dropped in favor of the movie. He said it on Twitter on April 1rst, 2019 (while also saying sorry for picking that date, it wasn’t an April Fools!). He said that M Night Shyamalan wanted them to focus on Book 4, but Bry/ke (Bryan Konietsko and Mike DiMartino) “wanted to focus on the movie”. You can find those tweets here. Not about Zutara per se, but it does show not everyone was on board with how the show was going to end behind the scenes.

Speaking of the movie, when asked about The Last Airbender, M Night Shyamalan also gave his input on the situation. He talked about how, by the time Book 3 came around, he wasn’t sure if the series was supposed to end there or if there was going to be a Book 4. He said to Bry/ke: ““Dudes, I gotta know this. This is critical! This has to end. This has to end. If it doesn’t end, I’m not on board. But if you don’t want to end it - it’s all good.” They were like “no, we saw it as three seasons for each element that he has to learn.” And I said “great.”” This is where it gets interesting, though: “At that time they hadn’t even decided where things were going to end, even like who Katara was going to end up with. All of that stuff hadn’t been figured out yet.”

It’s interesting to me how he mentions this is who Katara will end up with. Not A/ang, not Zuko. It’s always about Katara.

Someone who interned on ATLA has been quoted as saying that “If you check out the I.P. Bible then you’ll see a Kat/aang endgame was never planned from the start, it was supposed to remain a one-sided crush throughout the whole show.“ and that “The actual decision to make them a couple came about much later at Bry/ke’s request, largely because they were frustrated at the popularity of Zutara.“ Of course, not everyone in the production was full on one side or the other, as the post says some were neutral about it. “Some of the crew liked Kat/aang, I know Joaquim [Dos Santos] was a big Kat/aang supporter but more of them were neutral about it, Ehasz was not fond of Kat/aang but he didn’t mind too much since he’s a mature adult and all that.”

Avatar Extras (special events on Nicktoons where episodes of ATLA were shown with fun facts) were released where it was said that Zuko was supposed to be Katara’s love interest. It was said two times at least. I’ve only ever found screencaps of these, but I found these here on Tumblr.

When asked about these in the Avatar Extras, Bry/ke said that it was just a joke and that Kat/aang was always in the DNA of the show. But if you’re here to tell fun facts to your audience about your show, maybe put a disclaimer that says some things might not be as truthful as they think they will be?

And the intern mentioned earlier also said that “No one was having full-on ship wars in the writer’s room but we did joke about it, and we toyed with the idea of Zuko and Katara falling in love a couple of times.“ So that goes well with the Avatar Extras.

Meanwhile, other writers, like John O’Bryan, have been quoted talking against Zutara in favor of Kat/aang. EDIT: Thank you to @exhaustedhope for giving me a source for this quote! This link also has a few images for the quote, so I’ll add them here.

Thank you again! And also the use of Zutara fanart to badmouth the ship in favor of Kat/aang? Dude.

If this was the way people behind the scenes were thinking of Katara and A/ang’s and Katara and Zuko’s relationships... well that doesn’t really make me think “Kat/aang was in the DNA of the show” either, huh? Zuko was never officially her love interest, Katara never actually “went after that guy”. But the thought that she might made them uneasy.

(Btw, let’s not forget Zuko actually does care about Katara, enough to put his life on the line for her in Book 3, so that mischaracterizes Zuko.)

This comment by John O’Bryan fits with this vision of Zutara Bry/ke has, where Zuko is nothing but a broody, emo “bad boy” who doesn’t care about Katara at all. It’s shown pretty well in their dreadful “joke” made at Comic Con in 2007. You can find the video here. Here, Katara ends up with A/ang and “should have never doubted the will of Mike and Bryan!” (yuck). So Kat/aang was always the “right” way for them to end the show, right?

But then! Even Bry/ke themselves have said that Kat/aang was forced. They said it in 2014 when Korrasami became canon in Legend of Korra. On Korrasami and Kat/aang, they said this: “Originally, [Korrasami] was primarily intended to be a strong friendship. Frankly, we wanted to set most of the romance business aside for the last two seasons. Personally, at that point I didn’t want Korra to have to end up with someone at the end of series. We obviously did it in Avatar, but even that felt a bit forced to me.“

So they admitted that Kat/aang was forced. They even mention the ATLA ship wars in the post. “Either direction we went [about Korrasami or Makorra], there would inevitably be a faction that was elated and another that was devastated. Trust me, I remember Kat/aang vs. Zutara. But one of those directions is going to be the one that feels right to us, and Mike and I have always made both Avatar and Korra for us, first and foremost.”

Okay. So what’s real about the behind the scenes of ATLA and what isn’t? Was Kat/aang in the DNA of the show, or did they go back and forth between Kat/aang and Zutara like they did with Korrasami and Makorra?

There have been conflicting informations scattered across the Internet over the years. Some people say one thing and others react, saying the opposite and that the first thing was false. Some people lied, or joked, to mess with the audience and toy with Zutara - or not, or maybe, or perhaps... What I think, though, is that not everything was set in stone. Some people were for Zutara and some people were for Kat/aang. And even after all of that, the big takeaway for me was: the end result that Bryke wanted so badly was lackluster in and of itself.

#zutara #anti-bryke #anti-kataang #atla salt

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allnewalldifferentwildspider · 3 years

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Zuko & Katara's Relationship Dynamic

This is like the third or fourth time I've tried to write up this post so please bare with me.

Oh wow. That video. Hopefully everyone has seen it now. Not only did it articulate arguments I've been making for years, but it also brought up ideas I had never thought of or noticed before. Watching that and watching the second half of Book 3 again (because it's my favorite) made me want to redo my zutara dynamic post.

I'm going to be using the tiny bits and pieces the show gave us to see how Zuko and Katara's relationship looks and how it would look if they gave us more because...Bryke really fucking hated zutara. I mean, I guess they did.

Katara is compassionate; Zuko is empathetic

A lot of anti-zutara arguments have said that Zuko and Katara could never be together because they would constantly fight and hate each other and it end sooner than later. Not only does this actually describe maiko, but that argument would need to ignore the characters' actual character.

One of Katara's biggest character traits is how compassionate she is. She has a drive to help others and ease their pain. Whether it's getting Aang out of the iceberg or healing a Fire Nation fishing village, Katara will go out of her way to help someone in need.

Katara: No. I will never ever turn my back on people who need me.

Zuko is very emotional and passionate person. As much as he tried to hide it to appease his father, Zuko does want to open up and connect with people. Unfortunately, aside from his uncle, most of the other people he knows are like Zhao and Azula. Not the most understanding of crowds. But because of this he can pick up what people are really thinking and feeling. Think of it as a defense mechanism he developed growing up around people like Azula.

Get these two kinds of people together and you get the crystal catacombs scene. Katara lashes out at Zuko until she breaks down. When she does Zuko opens up with empathy since they have something in common. This creates the beginning of an understanding between the two. Zuko uses that to finally open up to someone who isn't his uncle and Katara listens and reaches out to help. Contrast to the first episode of Book 3 when Zuko tries to voice his thoughts and concerns to Mai and she...doesn't really care.

Something similar happens during The Southern Raiders. Zuko figures out that Katara is taking out her anger of being separated from her father by The Fire Nation onto him and even connecting her mother's death to him.

It's not the first time Zuko has done this either. He easily figured out that Sokka was planning on going to The Boiling Rock. He does it again during Sozin's Comet when he tells Katara that Aang needs to figure out what to do about Ozai by himself.

There's a noticeable pattern of behavior by the time Sozin's Comet arrives. Zuko voices his concerns about meeting his uncle again and Katara is right there to help him through it.

Zuko's empathy combined with Katara's compassion creates almost a cycle of understanding and emotional vulnerability that the two can't really get with anyone else. One notices the other having concerns or problems and goes to give comfort by words or by actions.

Zuko still has a temper but so does Katara

Even after Zuko's fever dream character change thing, even after The Day of Black Sun, he still has it in him to yell at anyone who commits even the slightest transgressions against him:

Aang: That one felt kinda hot. Zuko: Don't patronize me. You know what it's supposed to look like. Aang: Sorry, sifu hotman. Zuko: And stop calling me that!

Sokka: So all we have to do is make Zuko angry. Easy enough. *pokes him with his sword* *annoying laugh* Zuko: All right! Cut it out!

Maybe it's the firebender in him or maybe he really is just like that. Basically if you annoy him, he'll let you know. What people sometimes overlook is that while it takes Katara a bit longer, she also gets worked up when people upset her.

Toph: What's the matter? Can't handle some dirt, Madame Fussy Britches? Katara: Oh, sorry, did I splash you, mud slug?

And remember, it was Katara getting angry at Sokka that even broke the iceberg that revealed Aang.

Katara: Ugh, I'm embarrassed to be related to you! Ever since Mom died I've been doing all the work around camp while you've been off playing soldier! Sokka: Uh... Katara? Katara: I even wash all the clothes! Have you ever smelled your dirty socks? Let me tell you, NOT PLEASANT! Sokka: Katara! Settle down! Katara: No, that's it. I'm done helping you. From now on, you're on your own!

The point is that it is both Zuko and Katara that are very passionate and emotional people. One of them isn't emotionally dominating the other because they both wear their emotions on their sleeves.

This also comes in to play when they set goals for themselves. When Zuko sets a goal, he puts everything into it. Katara is the same way. The difference is that Zuko's drive sometimes gives him a one-track mind while Katara is more flexible. Like for example Zuko being so focused on finding Aang before Sozin's Comet that he ignores Toph's story about her childhood versus Katara wanting to go to the North Pole but taking time to stop and help whoever they come across.

This passion also fuels their values and how strongly they stand by their beliefs. I already put The Painted Lady quote up above but Zuko's morality is what is making him so angry at himself during The Beach. He knows what he did was wrong, but he couldn't face it yet.

Sometimes their emotions get the better of them, but it's only because they are passionate about what they're doing.

Their natural teamwork is amazing

I can't provide a lot of clues in this bit because it's more of a visual thing. Just consider how flawlessly their plans worked during their attack on The Southern Raiders. Especially when you consider that it was a stealth mission so they barely even said anything to each other during and it still went incredibly well.

You could see it again during their mock battle with The Melon Lord. Sokka must have noticed because he paired them together to deliver some "liquidy-hot offence." And they pulled it off, again, without having to say anything.

They've only been a team for a few weeks(?), days(?) but they act as if they've been doing it for years.

They trust each other's judgment

Piggybacking of the previous point, Zuko and Katara have only been a team for a while but there seems to be a level of understanding in terms of judgement. They both know that whatever the other chooses is going to be a well-thought out decision. Maybe it's because they see each other as the mature members of the group even though Sokka is the same age as Zuko? I don't know.

Aang disappears right before they embark on their fight against the Fire Lord, and out of nowhere, Katara puts Zuko in charge.

Zuko: Get out of the bison's mouth, Sokka. We have a real problem here. Aang is nowhere to be found and the comet is only two days away. Katara: What should we do Zuko? Zuko: I don't know. Why are you all looking at me? Katara: Well, you are kind of the expert on tracking Aang.

and that wasn't the first time in that episode that she went along with one of Zuko's decisions

Katara: Aang, don't walk away from this. *She begins to walk towards him as a hand touches her shoulder to stop her from doing so.* Zuko: Let him go. He needs time to sort it out by himself.

As a lot of people have pointed out during the entirety of The Southern Raiders, Zuko never gives a suggestion on what he thinks Katara should do. Aside from making it a stealth mission, he follows her lead the entire way.

Katara teases Zuko (and he lets her)

The fun one. This one has two parts: pre and post The Southern Raiders.

Before The Southern Raiders, Katara was tolerating Zuko. She was still angry with him about the betrayal at Ba Sing Se. Getting little jabs at him was the only thing that was really helping her from loosing her cool around him.

Katara: I'm sorry. I'm just laughing at the irony. You know... how it would have been nice for us if you lost your firebending a long time ago? Zuko: Well it's not lost. It's just weaker for some reason. Katara: Maybe you're just not as good as you think you are. Toph: Ouch.

He just finished yelling at Aang and Sokka but all he does is glare at Katara. She does it again, but to be fair, he kind of set himself up for it.

Zuko: It's a sacred form that happens to be thousands of years old! Katara: Oh yeah? What's your little form called? Zuko: ...The Dancing Dragon.

Then comes post The Southern Raiders and...yeah, she's still picking on him and he still lets her. Granted it's a lot more playful this time around.

Zuko: They make me totally stiff and humorless. Katara: Actually, I think that actor's pretty spot on. Zuko: How could you say that? Actor Uncle: Let's forget about the Avatar and get massages. Actor Zuko: How could you say that?! (Cut back to Katara wearing a satisfied grin on her face and she looks to an expressionless Zuko as he slouches in his seat.)

I love pointing it out every time. She teases him and he does nothing about it.

Katara: Er, no. I was looking for cooking pots in the attic and I found this. Look at baby Zuko! Isn't he cute? Oh lighten up, I was just teasing.

And she admits it!

So what can we take away from this? From what little time they were given together (thanks, Bryke) it seems that Zuko and Katara really understand each other on an intimate emotional level. They can sense when the other is distressed and offer comfort. They're both passionate in and out of combat, for better or for worse. They're comfortable with each other as if they've known each other for years even though it's such a short time. Katara also likes to add a little bit of playfulness in there with Zuko letting her have her fun, again, showing how comfortable they are with each other.

I do think their relationship could have gone to romantic sooner than later if you would have given it a bit more time. Like first half of a hypothetical Book 4.

To me, at least.

#zutara #zuko #katara #anti kataang #anti bryke

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stitch1830 · 2 years

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Promises

Remember when I used to post Mondangst like, every week?

Well, here's some Mondangst :) This is a continuation for my one Kantoph story, but this part is focusing on Zutara. Thanks for reading!

......

Traveling back home was a quiet and long trek, something Katara both enjoyed and resented about the distance between the Fire Nation and Republic City. On one hand, the time gave her an opportunity to reflect on her projects or feelings or anything at all. On the other hand, she sat there twiddling her thumbs, reflecting on things that perhaps she didn’t want to think about on her ride home.

Lately, there were always things on her mind.

Katara just… she wished she could help Toph. To physically pull her out of her grief, to make Toph find joy once again. But there wasn’t anything she could do, not really. Toph’s partner was gone, and Katara had no way of relating to her situation. Truthfully, she never wanted to relate to it. To lose Zuko would be—

No. She wasn’t going to go there. Katara closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to clear her mind of these thoughts for the remainder of the trip. Slow, even breaths escaped her mouth as she attempted to empty her mind. Empty them of the thoughts of Toph suffering, Lin fatherless, of Kanto dead—

She paused. Breathe in, breathe out.

Stop thinking about Toph refusing to open up about her grief, about Lin crying out for her father at night, about how pale Kanto was when she had to identify him at the morgue—

Okay, this wasn’t working.

Katara sighed as she let her mind race through a million different thoughts and the remainder of the trip passed slowly.

……

Returning home and the act of settling back into a routine was always a blur, a second occurred between stepping off the vehicle to unloading her luggage to listening to the children’s adventures while Katara was away. A whirlwind of tasks and conversations, but once she was immersed in her familiar life, it felt simple and easy.

The end of the day came quickly, and before she knew it, Katara was getting ready for bed with her husband, a part of their routine she enjoyed immensely. Well, most of the time. Tonight, they loosened the covers of their bed, making small talk as they did so.

“How was the trip?” he asked.

“Oh, fine,” she sighed. “I’m exhausted though. I always think going to the city will be a nice break from our projects but then…” Katara paused, biting her lip. She didn’t really want to talk about it, but it seemed to be top of mind for everyone, Katara included. “But then it never is.”

“I can imagine,” Zuko whispered. He climbed into his side of the bed and held out his hand for Katara to join him. She took it gladly, and settled comfortably on her pillows next to her husband.

And despite stating her exhaustion earlier, Katara didn’t feel tired. Her mind began to race as she thought of her weekend with Toph. What went well, what went wrong, and what they just couldn’t get to.

Katara huffed, because her mind felt restless now. She repositioned herself and turned toward Zuko to see him. He held his head in his hand and looked back at Katara, as if he knew she wanted to talk.

So she did. She tossed her head back on her pillow and looked up at the ceiling as she rambled.

“She just won’t talk about him. It’s been years, and we were so close to a breakthrough.” It bothered Katara that she couldn’t help Toph, but it wasn’t just because she couldn’t relate to her grief. She couldn’t help because Toph wouldn’t talk about it. About any of it. How was Katara supposed to provide guidance and support if Toph didn’t tell her how she was feeling?

“I just… I can’t help Toph if she won’t talk to me about him. And she’ll be sad forever.”

Zuko remained silent for a moment, then said, “But we haven’t even talked about it.”

Katara turned to Zuko, and looked at him curiously. “What do you mean?”

“Well, we’ve never really talked about Kanto,” he replied.

“Yes we have,” she argued. “We talked after the funeral and everything.”

“Yeah, once, and then we went straight into helping Toph. Which is good, because it’s been a long road to get here, and an even longer road ahead for all of us.

“But you and I… we don’t talk about him.” His voice fell low and quiet with the last sentence, and it sent chills down Katara’s spine.

Zuko was still hurting from the loss of their friend, and if she was honest with herself, so was Katara.

She sat up, let out a shaky breath, and grabbed his hand. “We can talk about it now, if that’s okay. Do you still miss him?”

“Yes,” he replied immediately. “He—he was so good with the girls.”

“Yeah, he was.” Katara was already wiping away tears. “Whenever they visited, we’d sneak away to go to the kitchens and taste test the dinner plates before they were served. He liked trying to guess what was in everything.”

“I remember hating his guts at first, and then we saw him and Toph being so infatuated with each other,” Zuko quietly chuckled, then his smile faded. “We always gave them crap for it.”

Silence filled the air, both Katara and Zuko feeling remorseful for teasing their friends. Had they known what would’ve happened just a few years later… Perhaps they would’ve admired their friends and their unwavering love for one another.

“He asked me so many baby-related questions after they told us they were pregnant,” Zuko commented after a while. “We spent two hours going over some of the basics, he even asked to change Izumi’s diaper.”

Katara laughed through her tears. “Really? That’s such a Kanto thing.”

Zuko began to laugh with Katara. “Yes! And this was when she was having bowel issues, and I asked him like five times if he really wanted to change her diaper.”

“Oh spirits, did she—”

“Remember when we came back to the drawing room and he had on a different shirt?”

The two burst into fits of giggles, laughing at the expense of their dear friend who found himself on the wrong end of the changing table years ago. They held their bellies and wiped away the remaining tears and attempted to catch their breath on multiple occasions. Even then, it took them a while for them to come down from their laughing fit.

Katara heard Zuko breathe out a final chuckle, then commented, “He took it like a champ, though. I’m surprised ‘Zumi didn’t scar him for life with that.”

“Me too. And I think he almost always changed Lin’s diapers until…” Katara couldn’t finish her thought.

“Kanto just…” he sighed, and she could see his demeanor deflate. “He was a really good dad. A good man.”

A small nod let him know that Katara was still listening, but Katara and Zuko grew quiet once again, lost in thought.

They weren’t so different from Toph and Kanto, she thought to herself. For a time, they were the ones in stable relationships, the ones going on double dates, the ones having kids, and both Toph and Katara found men that treated them as equals and loved them unconditionally. Their partners challenged them, comforted them, and supported them, perfectly imperfect, growing and developing together as time went on.

The thought would’ve been comforting if this was still the case.

“Sometimes…” Katara looked up at Zuko when he spoke, his eyes filled with grief. “Sometimes I wonder what would’ve happened if it were me instead—”

“Zuko—”

“You’d be strong, I know. Strong like Toph, but I… I want you to find love and happiness if I go before you.”

“Zuko please—”

“It could’ve been us instead of Toph, and I don’t want us to be thrown into a circumstance we weren’t ever prepared for.

“We’ve talked about money and the logistics of our deaths, but if I die, I want you to find love and joy again, without me.”

She blinked, unsure if she heard her husband correctly. “What?”

“Please, Katara.” His voice faltered as he spoke, but then Zuko took a deep breath to compose himself, then grabbed her hand once again. “Promise me, that if I die tomorrow, you’d be open to accepting love and happiness and joy whenever it’s in front of you, okay?”

Katara hated that they even had to talk about this. That their lives and the lives of their friends forced them to think the unthinkable, to think about moving on from a love that felt like it only came around once in a lifetime.

And yet, there they were, sitting in the bed they shared, talking about joys of the past, thinking of their gloomy present, and preparing for the ‘worst-case scenario’ future.

So she kissed Zuko lovingly, tenderly. Because if the past two years taught her anything, it was that time was fleeting, and they needed to take advantage of every moment they had together. Only time knew when it would be their last kiss.

They parted, and she held his head in her hands, memorizing the feeling of his skin. “I promise to try, but if the roles were reversed, you must do the same.”

“Katara—”

“Promise you’ll do the same,” she begged. She needed to hear it too.

He was blurry through her teary eyes, but she never looked away. She couldn’t look away.

Zuko placed his hands over hers, and rubbed his thumbs over the back of them. He never took his stunningly golden eyes off her as he nodded slowly, solemnly. “I promise.”

They breathed out sighs of relief after their conversation, because any lingering fear or worry was communicated. Promises were made to one another, and that lifted a weight off their shoulders.

But how they wished Toph and Kanto had the chance to talk about this. How different things may have been had they discussed the unthinkable. Instead, Kanto was gone, and Toph was left with questions unanswered and a future without the love of her life. And it was times like this that left Katara speechless, because she truly did not know how Toph was managing the emotional toll of it all.

#kantoph #zutara #toph #toph beifong #kanto #zuko #katara #atla #lok #writing #kantoph mondangst #the long winding road to you #the chief and dep series #i finally figured out what i want to do with this story #so now i'm writing for it again lmao

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firelxdykatara · 3 years

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Katara hated Zuko. It was a plot point. Sokka never did--and their "friendship" in the show was close to becoming something more--so they were on equal footing and had hinted romance. Zutara is misogynistic--why are you forcing Katara into a relationship with someone she hates? Choose Toph or Suki if you really believe Zuko isn't gay.

there’s so much to unpack here, and i know i should really throw out the whole suitcase, but i just can’t help myself

and please, i beg of you, picture someone laughing so hard that tears are streaming down their face because that’s me right now, reading this ask. i about choked on my eggnog, so thanks for that!

point the first: sokka hated zuko every bit as much as katara did in the first two books. it was a plot point. sokka wanted to leave zuko to die because saving him wouldn’t have been worth the trouble--he was pragmatic and deeply distrustful of anyone who wasn’t in his immediate circle, and that went especially hard for anyone from the fire nation. including the birds!

point the first part two: sokka’s easy acceptance of zuko into the gaang had less to do with any budding friendship or caring for him (since there was none to speak of until the boiling rock episodes), and more to do with a lack of any personal grudge. aka: there was no tension there. nothing to really dig into--no true development of feelings. because aang needed a firebending teacher, zuko was around and willing to take on that role, and also he was a prime roasting target, so sokka was happy enough to let bygones be after he helped them take down combustion man.

which, of course, isn’t to say shipping them isn’t valid. there are plenty of ships that have little to no canon basis but a lot of fandom support, and that’s usually fine....until the fans start getting uppity about it and insisting that there Is Canon Basis Really, and then insisting that the ‘rival’ ship is misogynistic when their alleged ‘canon basis’ requires stripping everything meaningful from the girl’s relationship to the boy and giving it to her brother instead. which is exactly what you’re doing here, but i digress.

point the second: how on earth was sokka and zuko’s ‘friendship’ in the show (and why the scare quotes? were they not actually friends? are you really sitting in my inbox right now devaluing their platonic relationship because you don’t think it exists outside of your belief that they really wanted to fuck the whole time, despite sokka being in a happy relationship with someone else?) ‘close to becoming something more’? when did they ever have a single, solitary conversation that hinted at any ‘deeper’ feelings? sokka spent most of their buddy cop adventure to boiling rock mooning over his girlfriend (heh, get it? mooning? because he- oh, you get the point), to the point where he had literal hearteyes the instant he saw her--and zuko’s purpose there wasn’t to deepen his relationship with sokka so much as it was to reunite sokka and katara with their father, and to see an example of what a healthy paternal relationship actually looks like.

(one of my favorite shots in the show is zuko’s soft smile when sokka and katara are hugging hakoda)

so already your claim that they ‘had hinted romance’ falls incredibly flat, because there was absolutely nothing in the show that was ‘hinting’ they had romantic feelings for one another--in universe or out of it. sokka was happily in love with suki, and even the one scene that i can imagine might make shippers scream--when zuko popped into sokka’s tent late at night--sokka was about to have sex with his girlfriend, and when he asked zuko ‘what’s on your mind’, the first words out of his mouth were your sister.

(and then, as soon as zuko left, sokka was calling for suki again. the next morning, he was making a flower necklace--or a lei. because he got lei’d. it’s amazing the things you pick up when you rewatch the show as an adult lmfao.)

point the third (and this one is really where your argument blows up in your face): your insistence that zutara requires ‘forcing katara into a relationship with someone she hates’ reveals your own ignorance, because it’s demonstrably not true--unless you’re trying to argue that katara hated zuko all the way through to the end of the show, which??? i suppose makes it make more sense that you think zuko and sokka had a hinted romance in the text, because viewing comprehension clearly isn’t your strongsuit.

why are yall so quick to dismiss katara’s own feelings in the name of calling a fictional, noncanon ship ‘misogynistic’? because katara said, in the text, ‘but I am ready to forgive you’--and then she hugged zuko, called him into a group hug with the gaang later, joked (and even flirted) with him on ember island, helped talk him through his anxiety about facing his uncle, and happily agreed to go with him to face his sister, where she saved his life after watching him take a literal bolt of lightning to save hers.

if any of that had happened with sokka, yall would be calling it demonstrable evidence that zuko and sokka are in love. and yet when we use that canonical buildup and the deep bond of friendship and trust zuko and katara have by the end of the series to imagine them getting into a romantic relationship because of feelings developed during these events......you call us misogynistic? really? because we’re ‘forcing’ her into a relationship with someone she ‘hates’....except she didn’t hate him by the end of the series, they were very close friends and had gotten over and had closure from their personal baggage, and that’s the kind of stuff that provides excellent fuel for envisioning a romantic relationship developing!

so what was your argument again?

ETA: i was so busy deconstructing the bulk of your argument that i forgot to address that laughable last line--toph or suki? who had much, MUCH less relationship development with zuko than katara did?? ‘if you really believe zuko isn’t gay’???? im sorry that you can’t recognize a whole bisexual when you see one, but as a bi myself, i know that zuko’s dual-wielding ass couldn’t ‘pick a side’ if his life depended on it. and he had more romantic coding with both jet and katara than he ever had with sokka--that’s just a fact. sorry if the truth hurts, anon!

#atla #zutara #zuko #katara #zukka salt #zukka fandom salt #just covering my bases #sokka #salt for ts #asked #Anonymous

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sasuhinasno1fan · 3 years

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The way you had your hair reminds me- Zutara Week Day 1

My second Zutara Week though I hope I can actually finish it this time. I decided I really wanted to do something with Katara doing rhythmic gymnastics so I decided that since most of the prompts fit, I’ll do a sort of Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo AU. It’s a good kdrama if you’ve never heard of it. trying to fit 16 hour long episodes into 7 days is gonna be interesting. I’ll warn you now and let you know there will be onesided LuTara but for like a day maybe. I haven’t written that day yet so we’ll see. This will end in Zutara happieness, I promise. Anyway, enjoy. Hair

Zuko crawled carefully as he wiped down the windows. Most of his classmates didn’t want him anywhere near an open area, especially with his limited vision but he’d just gotten his bandaged taken off and he wasn’t about to let it hinder him.

Without them on, he didn’t see Mom flinch at the sight of them, though the massive burn wasn’t any better. The fights between his parents weren’t either and Azula’s teasing was starting to be hurtful more than playful. He wanted it all to stop. If he pretended that things were ok, maybe they would be eventually.

“Hey scarface!” Zuko looked over, 3 of his school bullies storming over. He tried not to flinch, already knowing what they were going to yell at him about. They’d been doing it all day. “We lost the race thanks to you!”

Zuko used to be more confident. But after the burns, a few harsh words and he’d start retreating back down into himself. These bullies took advantage of it. During their Sports Day yesterday, Zuko had dropped the baton in the relay race and ran in the opposite direction, away from the bullies yelling at him.

“Mr. Reversal, can’t believe you’re so stupid.”

“You need a walking stick, scarface? Huh?”

Zuko felt one of them shove him and he expected to hit the window frame. Instead, he went flying out the open window. Years later, Zuko would mostly remember him being caught by an older man with darker skin, most likely from one of the Water Tribes, with kind blue eyes, who held him as he burst into tears and two younger children. The boy patted his back, telling him not to worry because his sister would take care of it and the girl screaming up at the bullies from the ground floor. Her long braid swung back and forth as she shook her fists and threatened to do violent things to them. her eyes seemed bluer than her families, like the clearest ocean.

He didn’t know they’d slip back into his life years later. That the little girl who threatened bullies for a boy she didn’t know, would become so much more important to him.

________________

Zuko unlocked his bike, trying not to feel discouraged. It was hard not to when he’d been disqualified from another competition for having a panic attack. Every time he walked onto the mat, his hearing would go wonky and he’d start seeing double, not to mention his heart beating like it was trying to escape his chest. As a result, he’d always forget to sault his opponent and the referee.

Along with being propositioned to train an up-and-coming fencer to get onto the national Olympic team – which he refused because how was he supposed to help someone when he could even finish a match – all he wanted to do was collapse onto his bed. He could already tell that during training tomorrow, he’d have to deal with snide remarks from Jett. How that guy became captain, he’d never know. He knew if he just beat him in training like always, it would piss him off even more and with the school’s Sports Day coming up, he was not in the mood to do the worst event for the Fencing Department.

He climbed on his bike, adjusting his kit sitting on its place but stopping himself from peddling back to campus when his phone rang.

“What Sokka?”

“So, the results of the match went up. Jett wants to talk to you; says he’s got the prefect thing for you to do to make up for your loss. The rice lifting challenge.”

Zuko had to bite his lip to keep from screaming. The idea of the lifting challenge was to carry as many bags of rice and the industrial size, like the one the school cafeteria ordered and hold it for as long as possible. Usually, the Karate Department would be the one to win, fencing never even coming close.

“I’m not going.” Zuko said, making up his mind.

“What?”

“I’ll hang out at Lu Ten’s office or something, but I’m not going. Not to the crapshot of a meeting or to Sports Day. I don’t care what he threatens me with. I’m only coming back to drop my kit off.”

“Um, well I actually heard Mai was back. Didn’t make it past the preliminaries for the national team I hear.”

This day couldn’t get any worse.

“Screw it, I’m not coming back for the next few days. I’ll be with my uncle if you need me.”

“Wait! Ask Toph to do your event for you. it would put the Weightlifting Department in danger of losing but most of those guys don’t like her anyway. She’d love a chance to get back at them. come back to campus and ask her and then I’ll take you out for lunch. At my dad’s restaurant. You love his marinated salmon.” Sokka said, trying to entice his roommate.

Zuko sighed. “I want two orders. And you’re paying.”

“Done! Get here soon.”

Zuko didn’t bother answering, stowing his phone away and pushing off, heading towards Republic City Sports University.

______________________

Effortlessly, Katara grabbed her back leg and straightened it as she did her pivot. She kept her balance as she came out of it and continued to twirl her ribbon. Her coach nodded.

“Very good. You’ve been practising. Your balance is better. Now I want to see if your fouettés have improved as well. If you want a chance at placing first and getting noticed by our sponsor and qualifying for the national team preliminaries, your routine can’t have any mistakes. Ty Lee, pay attention. I’m testing your fouettés as well.”

Katara looked over at the girl dressed in pink, who was pouting down at her matching hoop, Suki patting her on the shoulder. While Katara and Ty Lee weren’t friends, it was hard to not bond over being singled out by their coach.

Katara stood at the ready, twirling her ribbon as she readied herself when the door burst open.

“Azula!” Ty Lee cried.

Azula Lung was the student with the most sway in the whole school. Her father was the Prime Minister of the Fire Nation and while he didn’t hold much power in Republic City, since all powers were equal, that didn’t mean much at the University. She got the best room, private transport to competitions and rules didn’t apply to her. She could boss around any coach, even though she was in the Karate Department. There’d been rumours that her place was bought, until her first competition where she creamed everyone. She was her department’s ace. In fact, she managed to take the Weightlifting Department’s old gym for the Karate Department, which started a massive feud between them. she was rude and arrogant and somehow, one of Ty Lee’s best friends.

Katara noticed a girl standing next to her. She was dressed in all black, the only colour being the red of her nails. She looked incredibly bored and only looked annoyed when Ty Lee launched herself at her.

“Mai, you’re back!”

“Mai has returned from her qualifying competition for the national team. We’ll be taking Ty Lee with us. Problem?” Azula announced.

“No of course not. Except, Ty Lee, you were supposed to show me your routine for Sports Day? Since you’re our department’s cheerleader.”

Azula scoffed. “Sports Day, waste of time. She won’t be attending. You, blue peasant.” Katara balked at that and narrowed her eyes. “You’ll be taking her place. Problem?”

Katara opened her mouth to say, yes big problem, but all the girls of the Rhythmic Gymnastics Department crowded around her, suffocating her with their hands.

“None at all.”

“Thanks Katara!” Ty Lee said, scooping up her bag and dashing off, Mai following and with a raised eyebrow that spoke of her superiority, Azula leaving as well.

“You can’t argue with her Katara.”

“She’d have you removed from the school. I heard she got a person’s whole family business shut down for pissing her off. Do you want that for your dad?”

“Her dad might be the Prime Minister, but he’s practically a mafia boss.”

Comments like this floated over her head, as well as ones telling her they’d help with making a routine for Sports Day, which was in a few days. All Katara could think about was how completely unfair this all was.

And she let it out too once training was concluded for the day.

“It’s completely insane how she can just lord over them like that!” she said, harshly untangling her hair from its bun.

“Easy, you’re gonna rip your hair out.” Suki said, stopping her from tugging at it more and helping to pull half of it into a bun like she usually wore it.

“She’s a student. A sophomore at that. Where does she get off acting like she’s the greatest thing in the world? Just cause her dad is a Prime Minister? So is mine!”

“I thought Water Tribe issues fell under Yue’s dad’s jurisdiction?” Toph, a member of the Weightlifting Department asked, her hand holding on tightly to her guide dog’s harness. She was just as well known as Azula, due to the fact that she was blind but was still one of the highest climbing Weightlifting competitors at the school. She beat all the senior’s bests within her first month.

“Yeah, only because the South is smaller. That’s not the point! The point is, she does whatever she wants and doesn’t get in trouble for it and it extends to her friends too. I have a competition coming up soon and instead of working on my routines for that, I’m going to be learning choreo for a routine for one of the dumbest traditions of Sports Day.”

“Oh,” Toph said, a massively mischievous smile on her face, “well you won’t think it’s stupid when you hear what I heard. Wanna take a guess as to who’s the Fencing Department’s cheerleader?”

Katara looked over at Toph, who’s smile was growing maniacal. Usually that meant someone was going to get embarrassed as hell. It usually tended to be Sokka.

“Wouldn’t it be one of the girls?”

“Nope.” Toph shook her head, popping her p.

“Is it-?”

“Katara, watch out!”

A guy on his bike and panicked look as he turned the corner, thankfully started the veer off course at the sight of her. She still stumbled over her feet and fell to the floor, her hands pricking in pain as they were scratched. Thankfully though, her jacket took most of the damage. The guy on the other hand, had to shove his bike off his feet, rubbing at his shin.

She took in the pale skin, paler than Toph’s and dark hair surrounding his face. It didn’t stop her from noticing the large burn surrounding his right eye. she noticed that his school jacket was the same one Sokka wore, meaning he was in the Fencing Department.

“You should be more careful.” She meant for it to come out a bit nicer, but the anger from dealing with Azula slipped in.

clearly the guy didn’t enjoy being yelled at as he snapped back. “I didn’t see you.” he seemed to rethink his anger and continued in a calmer voice. “Are you ok?”

ok, now she felt bad about snapping at him. “I’m fine.”

“Oh, what up Sparky?” Toph asked, seeming to brighten as she figured out who almost crashed into them. her guide dog Badger, lead his owner over and with surprising accuracy, Toph punch the guy on the arm.

It was a little scary how well she could do that.

“Stop calling me that.”

“Hey, tell me. Seen his skirt yet? I know he doesn’t shave his legs so please tell me he’s going all out for this.”

The guy sighed. “Thought Sokka told you not to tell anyone.”

“Sokka? He’s the Fencing cheerleader? That’s why he’s been borrowing my hair pins? Those things are expensive.” Katara interrupted.

Toph burst into laughter, clearly enjoying herself while Suki looked thoughtful.

“So that’s why he asked for makeup advice. Suddenly Sports Day is looking a lot more fun.”

“Speaking of which, I’m going back to my room before Jett finds me to let me know my event. Oh, Toph wanna annoying your department?”

“Always.”

“Take my spot for the Rice Lifting event. I’ve dealt with way too much to even put up with Jett today.”

Katara furrowed her brow, wanting to say something about the fact this guy wasn’t going to participate but then she noticed Toph’s smile dropped a little and her punch was definitely softer the second time she hit him.

“Done deal Sparky. Tell your old man I’ll see him later.”

“So who was that?” Suki asked as the guy finally took off.

“Zuko Lung, not related to the royal brat. I go to his old man’s tea house sometimes. He’s Sokka’s roommate apparently.”

“Oh yeah, he’s a pretty good fencer from what I hear. Weird though, I haven’t seen his name in the announcement of students placing.” Suki said.

She had a point. Katara never remembered seeing anything either. She also found it a bit strange Sokka never dragged his roommate to meet the rest of them. there was something about Zuko though that seemed familiar. It was on the tip of her tongue but nothing came to mind. Oh well, for another day then.

“Hey, let’s go find Sokka. Maybe if we catch him off guard, we can get him to agree to let us wax his legs.”

__________________

“I hate you.” Sokka mumbled, hiking his cheerleading skirt up. Katara bit her lip to keep from laughing at the crop top he was in. apparently, he pissed off their department captain by telling him that Zuko wasn’t participating and Toph was taking his place, so his new uniform was worse than his last.

She tossed her braid behind her, trying not to think about how young she must have looked. She had her hair like this when she was younger since it was much easier to put it into a bun. Her own uniform was rather pink for her taste, but Ty Lee basically guilt tripped her into wearing it since it already been bought. She was still annoyed at this, even more so when she found out her new roommate was Mai. The dark and depressing girl was apparently in the Archery Department and Sokka, who’d been in that Department before transferring to fencing, said she was undefeated. Yet she didn’t get past the first round of preliminaries to get onto the national team.

“Hey Sokka!” Aang, a member of the Track and Field Department came bounding over, his own skirt floating around his legs. “Katara, you never told me how much fun a skirt can be. Took me a while to find boxers that weren’t too long but still.”

“I’m glad your having fun Aang. At least someone is.” She said, smirking at Sokka.

“You deal with 3 hours of having your hair ripped out and then come talk to me.” Sokka snapped. “Ugg, I’m gonna kill Zuko. This is all his fault.”

“Wow.” A familiar voice said. Zuko was in casual clothes, carrying a cooler. Next to him was a man, with a squarish face, the same gold eyes and dark hair as Zuko, though his hair was pulled back into a top knot. “See if I bring you anything ever again.”

“You know Jett will kill you if he sees you.”

“He can’t do anything. My uncle called to pull me out for the afternoon. This is work, we’re delivering ice tea for the Fencing and Track and Field Departments. Aang, next time, don’t put your order late at night.”

Aang looked embarrassed. “Sorry. You were already gone when I got back from training. I was going to order for the Rhythmic Gymnastics department, but I know how conscious your coach is about sugars and such.” He said, looking at Katara.

“It’s ok. I’m stealing one though, I deserve the extra sugar for being in this outfit.” She said, walking over to Zuko and opening the lid on the cooler. She noticed he was staring intently at her face.

“What elementary school did you go to?” he asked suddenly.

“Huh?”

“Did you go to Ba Sing Se Preparatory?” he asked.

“Yes?”

“You screamed at those bullies.”

Bullies? Wait. It hit her like a thunderbolt, why he looked so familiar. His burn was a bit more faded but she couldn’t believe he forgot him. He’d been pushed out the window by bullies and her dad, would come to drop off lunch for her and Sokka, managed to catch him before he hurt himself and she’d screamed at the bullies from the floor.

“Holy crap. That was you!” Sokka said, “you had like no hair then!”

“Sokka!” he’d disappeared from class for a few weeks and when he came back his hair was cut so far back that it made his bandages stick out more.

“Yours was in a braid then.”

She was confused for a moment when she realised, he was talking to her. Yesterday her hair had been out but now it was in the same style she had it in as a child.

She’d always wondered what happened to him when Zuko suddenly disappeared for good one day. She’d didn’t think she’d find out now.

#zutara week #zutara week 2021 #weightlifting fairy kim bok joo #AU #rhythmic gymnasit katara #fencer zuko #fencer sokka #weightlifter toph #runner aang

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comradekatara · 3 years

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with zukka, it's so weird because i got into the fandom and left about half a year before the renaissance and. damn. it was so quiet before??? and barely anyone really liked sokka and most fics were focused on other characters. at the time i was like huh. weird. hes a similar trope to most popular characters so i would think hed be popular but nope! then atla got popular again and then yeah. he got popular along with zukka . (i feel like fanon mai rlly got the short stick. first with zutara and then zukka. pls some of the bashing ive seen,,,)

yeah....... the good ol days........... significantly better times....... and it is rly crazy how neglected sokka was by fans considering he is such an amazing character, but also i feel like most ppl who claim to love him don’t actually understand him?? then again, that’s true of like, most atla fans when it comes to pretty much every character, because none of the atla characters can actually be whittled down into easy tropes to categorize them into, which ppl w Terminal Fandom Brain looove to do! and the idea that sokka only became widely-appreciated as a “replacement” for katara to ship with zuko is just. awful. bc ppl rly do think they can’t be racist if it’s gay and acting like sokka would move to the fire nation and m*rry (oh god i cant even say it).... like. no. just. no. (conversely, i have also seen ppl say that zvkka is zvtara for ppl who hate women which is just lmfaooooooo WHAT. dkjhjhkjfnkjvkdj what a hilariously stupid take. that said, ppl do seem to think that katara & sokka are interchangeable, bc i’m convinced that 98% of atla fans have never actually watched the show. fml amirite.) and to your last point, and the one i perhaps feel strongest about, mai/zuko is a garbage ship, but people who act as if mai is the one to blame for this......baffle me. zuko clearly is the one who wronged her??? like, i also just think they’re incompatible romantically for a number of reasons, but if we’re talking about who was the asshole in that relationship it was clearly him. mai was too nice, if anything! and even outside of braindead shipping discourse, even ppl who do claim to love mai don’t understand her at all. no one understands mai, actually. yet another thing she and sokka have in common, i suppose.

#i know i say all of these things all the time but still. ya lol #asks #hot takes #dulharpa

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zvtara-was-never-canon · 7 months

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ZKs say the final Agni Kai was a romantic battle couple moment for their ship but forget that Zuko chose Katara only for strategy reasons because water/healing is the best counter against Azula's fire. Also Zuko took that lightning because he got cocky during his fight with Azula and did it to atone for siding with Azula before, who killed Aang right in front of Katara. Katara's and Zuko's victory isn't some romantic fairy tale; it's a family tragedy hence the sad music and Zuko and Katara watching Azula cry at the end. I just hate ppl trivializing the lightning scene as a true love thing Zuko only would do for Katara because that's ooc of Zuko.

Yeah, that one pisses me off because, sure, it's nice that Zuko is willing to give his own life to save his friend and said friend then saves him, but COME ON, the focus is very clearly on Zuko's dynamic with AZULA!

All the tragedy of two kids, two siblings, fighting each other, potentially to death. Azula saying "I'm sorry it has to end this way, brother" after we just saw the start of mental colapse, with her wanting her dad not to shut her out, bitter that her friends no longer want anything to do with her, crying for a mother she is convinced never loved her. Zuko not being able to believe her words are in any way genuine because too much has happened, and Azula herself probably not even realizing some tiny part of her DID mean it.

The inversion of their usual dynamic, with Zuko being the calm, colected one, saving his energy and keeping himself focused, while Azula is being controlled by her emotions and making mistakes she'd never would have otherwise made. Azula knowing just how to catch Zuko off guard after all of this because she can read her brother like a book. The music going NUTS!

Zuko nearly dying at the hand of his own sibling and getting ANOTHER scar from one of his relatives... and then STILL feeling pity for Azula as he sees her finally defeated, something he had always thought he wanted and now that he actually got it, it unsettles him because Azula no longer looks like a dangerous enemy, but like a vulnerable, scared, deeply traumatized girl with no one to turn to. His friend having to comfort him because even after all of that, Azula is still Zuko's little sister, and he doesn't know how to fix things because he's just a kid too and they should have never been dragged into this awful conflict that started almost 80 years before either of them was even born...

ALL of that gets ignored in favor "Oh my god, Zutara moment!" and I fucking hate it. Be happy that they are interacting, but don't pretend this about them and their supposed "romance" and that Zuko wouldn't have taken that lightining for literally everyone else in the Gaang too.

(Can you tell which dynamic I'm actually invested in, will ship until the end of my days, and then continue to ship it in hell? XD )

#anti zutara #zucest

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forever--rain · 3 years

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*hops up and down excitedly* EVER I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO BE ON HERE RN BUT FHDJKSFHA I CAME OUT OF MY CAVE TO SAY SUKKA PLAYLIST!!! DO IT DO IT DO IT I THINK WE ONLY HAVE ONE? ON SPOTIFY WHICH IS A TRAVESTY MAKE ONE PLEASE

BLUE, YOU ARE LITERALLY MY FAVORITE PERSON IN THIS FANDOM. YOU AND YOUR BEAUTIFUL BRAIN. I'M NEVER GOING TO GET OVER THIS ASK.

Footage of me creating this playlist:

Look. You guys know that I love Zutara. But I don't think you all realize that I love Sukka just as much. Their love is so pure and their vibe as a couple is just... *sigh* 💙💚💙💚💙💚 So putting together this playlist was so much fun. I'll put all explanations of songs below the cut because this reply is already long without what comes next (but you should read them because you'll get the full effect of this playlist).

All The Small Things by blink-182

Cross Me (feat. Chance the Rapper & PnB Rock) by Ed Sheeran

I Think He Knows by Taylor Swift

I Like Me Better (Spotify Studios Version) by Lauv

Ho Hey by The Lumineers

Jackie and Wilson by Hozier

Passenger Seat by Death Cab For Cutie

Stand By Me by Florence + The Machine

The Bones - with Hozier by Maren Morris

Yours - Wedding Edition by Russell Dickerson

Send me a playlist title and I’ll give you 5-10 songs I think would go on it!

All The Small Things

She left me roses by the stairs/Surprises let me know she cares

First of all, Suki would. Second of all, I firmly believe that Sokka and Suki would constantly be doing little things to show each other that they care. Sokka would send Suki his drawings and things he's carved for her. Suki would send Sokka little gadgets and pick up fun little accessories for him at the market. They'd leave out snacks for one another. And they would always, always be there to support one another 100% of the time.

Cross Me

Just know, if you cross her, then you cross me

"WHERE. IS. SUKI?"

I rest my case.

I Think He Knows

He's so obsessed with me, and boy I understand/Boy I understand

I love this song for Sokka and Suki because we all know that Sokka throws off major "THAT'S MY WIFE" vibes in regard to Suki. As he should. But if you think that badass, super cool Suki isn't also low-key super into Sokka in the same way you are wrong. She's the type of girl to totally get why he's into her. (Why wouldn't he be? DUH.) But she would also 100% be like, "Check out this hot, goofy genius! HE'S MINE. I LANDED HIM! THAT'S MY HUSBAND!!"

I Like Me Better

To not know who I am but still know that I'm good long as you're here with me//Damn, I like me better when I'm with you

I picked this song because of the influence Suki had on Sokka's character. Their interactions on Kyoshi Island really did change him for the better. Sokka spent so much of the series lost and feeling as though he didn't belong, but Suki brought out the best in him and helped his character evolve. He saw her, this incredible warrior with a heart of gold who wouldn't take his misogynist crap, and started working to be a better person. And I think we can all agree it was awesome to see him come into his own as a strategist and warrior. A large part of that is thanks to Suki. And Sokka would acknowledge that.

Ho Hey

I belong with you, you belong with me/You're my sweetheart

I don't think this choice needs much of an explanation. Just... They belong together, you guys.

Jackie and Wilson

She blows outta nowhere, roman candle of the wild/Laughing away through my feeble disguise/No other version of me I would rather be tonight/And, Lord, she found me just in time//She's gonna save me/Call me "baby"/Run her hands through my hair

Again, I'd like to point back to Sokka and Suki's first meeting. She comes out of nowhere, sees right through him, and it's thanks to her that Sokka changes his views on women (it takes time, of course, and loss, but he gets there). Also, the loss that Sokka experiences with Yue clearly affects his relationship with Suki in Book 2. He has to learn to be comfortable with the fact that Suki can save herself as well as him. And by the time Book 3 rolls around, we see them working together as a seamless team. He knows she has his back and she knows he has hers.

Passenger Seat

When you feel embarrassed/Then I'll be your pride/When you need directions/Then I'll be the guide/For all time

Oh, this song is so subtly Sukka. I hear these specific lines and think of Toph and Aang laughing at Sokka's Suki sand sculpture and Suki being proud of the fact that he even tried. I think of them being each other's compass, guiding light, and level head in stressful situations. They are so steady for and so true to one another. And I'm not crying, you're crying.

Stand By Me

If the sky that we look upon/Should tumble and fall/Or the mountains should crumble to the sea/I won't cry, I won't cry/No, I won't shed a tear/Just as long as you stand, stand by me

I chose this song because of how Sokka and Suki make one another stronger. They bolster each other. They face down certain death in the knowledge that their partner has their back and that's a beautiful thing. (Also, Florence Welch's voice on this track is incredibly emotive and intensifies the Sukka feels.)

The Bones

When there ain't a crack in the foundation/Baby, I know any storm we're facing/Will blow right over while we stay put/The house don't fall when the bones are good

This is my quintessential Sukka song. I always think of them older, maybe ten years after the war, when I hear this song. The two of them are as unshakeable as they've ever been. Was their first meeting great? No. But they grew together and formed something solid and real. I'm not one to advocate for childhood sweethearts or high school sweethearts (which is what they would've been in a "normal" storyline), but my god. These two would've been the teenage sweethearts who made it. They'd still be super into one another at 85 and just as in love as they'd ever been. If they had trials, they would've only pulled through stronger. These are two people who are capable of seeing past first impressions and loving one another for their true selves and... UGH. I LOVE them, okay?

Yours

I was one in a hundred billion/A burned out star in a galaxy/Just lost in the sky, wonderin' why/Everyone else shines out but me//But I came to life when I first kissed you/The best me has his arms around you/You make me better than I was before/Thank God I'm yours

Sokka said it himself: Compared to the others in the group, he didn't feel special because they could all bend and he couldn't. He lost his boomerang and had an identity crisis. That's the boy Suki met on Kyoshi Island--the boy who felt inferior to his little sister and to the Avatar; the boy who had to put on a false facade of bravado because he was scared... The boy who thought that it was a man's job to be the protector. The boy who thought a girl couldn't kick his ass purely because she was a girl.

Our girl ignited that change in him. Sokka knows full well what Suki's influence has done for him and he adores her for it. He's grateful for her impact on his life and he's obviously blown away by the fact that she loves him. You can tell it's the kind of relationship where he realized that if he was going to be worthy of her, he needed to prove it to her because she knew her worth. She wouldn't settle for a guy who thought she was inferior to him--she wanted someone who would see her as an equal. By the end of the series, she's his partner in every respect. He proves to her that he trusts her to have his back, that he trusts her judgement, that he trusts her in general.

Sokka knows that he's the best version of himself with Suki. He would 100% spend the rest of his life in awe of the fact that she loves him and that he's landed this miracle of a woman who has always seen him as an equal--even when he didn't feel equal to anyone else because he couldn't bend.

#ask evergreen #evergreen answers #playlist asks #thebluesunflower44 #sukka #really #read the explanations for each song you guys #get the full Sukka Feels effect #their love makes me so happy #THANK YOU BLUE FOR REQUESTING THIS PLAYLIST #blue and her big beautiful brain #when I got this ask I lost my mind #and I'm still not over it #*cries in sukka*#sukka my beloved

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miraculouscontent · 3 years

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*moon walks in* have you ever written anything for zutara? If not that’s cool *moon walks out*

I’ve written a piece, yes. It’s a what-if on Zuko’s scar getting healed by Katara instead of them getting interrupted after their conversation in the catacombs:

"It's a scar. It can't be healed."

"This is water from the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole. It has special properties, so I've been saving it for something important. I don't know if it would work, but..."

Likewise, Zuko didn't know why he allowed Katara to touch his scar. He'd long grown used to the fact that he had it, but that also didn't mean he let people idly touch it like it were something to gawk and poke at.

And what did he really expect? That his scar would be magically taken away, just like that? His life had never been that easy. He'd struggled all throughout his existence, and any wounds caused along the way were likely there to stay.

This girl was clearly fooling herself, acting as if it'd just be--

"Yeah, I--" Katara summoned forth her spirit water. "--I think this might work."

He gave her a weird look, though given that his neutral expression usually made him come off as sour anyway, she probably couldn't tell. "What?"

She seemed to ignore him, her spirit water bending around her hand. She looked up at him, eyes briefly squinting like she was unsure, then stared down at the spirit water with the same expression. She took a breath, apparently solving whatever mental debate she was having as she raised her hand to touch his scar again.

He flinched, and then hated himself for flinching. The water had been freezing.

"Oh!" she gasped. "Sorry. You're a firebender, so it must be too cold for you."

He was almost suspicious, but the look in her eyes seemed genuine. He had a slew of responses for her, most of which were sarcastic, but he somehow ended up saying, "It's fine. I can handle it," instead.

She tilted her head, concerned, but that just made him more determined to prove her wrong. He forced himself to stand rigidly in place, staring her down like he was ready for a fight.

She snorted - actually snorted - at him! Was she amused? The nerve!

"Alright, hold still," she ordered gently, raising her hand again.

Zuko tried not to look so obviously like he was steeling himself up. Thanfully, if Katara had noticed anything this time, she showed no sign of it, and the water touched his face without issue. He was surprised in a way, as he'd expected her to make the water colder just out of spite.

It was nice to be wrong, he supposed.

The water felt strange against his skin. He couldn't see what she was doing obviously, his left eye closed from the water while his right could see a bit of her hand if he really tried. Katara's gaze, meanwhile, was focused and steady, never wavering from where her hand was.

He was only forced to stop looking when the water began to glow. The temperature of the water suddenly stopped mattering, as he couldn't determine it. Maybe it was numbing him?

He could feel the vibration as the liquid shifted like a calming wave, like it were washing over the left side of his face over and over despite it already being submerged. At first, he didn't understand how it felt like it was seeping into his skin, seeking impurities and washing them away, without hurting him at all.

But water was the opposite of fire. His father's flames had burned him and the heat had dug so deeply as to leave a scar, so it would only make sense if water could reverse it. He'd just never imagined it was possible, and he was more glad than anything else that the light forced him to close his eyes as to avoid Katara seeing any more emotion than he was comfortable sharing.

Could someone's sins really be washed away with something as simple as water?

Suddenly, there was the sound of rocks collapsing nearby, jarring both he and Katara out of their state. Katara staggered forward in surprise, but seemed compelled to keep her hand on the left side of his face. Likewise, he tried not to move, unsure of how interrupting the process would go and not wanting to tempt fate.

His left eye couldn't see beyond the now-faint light of the healing water, while the right could only stare at Katara. She'd averted her gaze, presumably to look at what'd caused the disturbance, and although Zuko couldn't see it himself from where he was at, he knew well enough that she was capable and would say something if anything were wrong.

Katara's eyes widened. "Aang!"

Recognizing the name of the Avatar, Zuko's head twitched on reflex to look, only barely managing to keep the rest of himself still as Katara's hand was still on him. She went through something similar, shifting her body as if to run off before remembering the situation.

She peered up at him, the light intensifying now that her focus had returned. She tilted her head and eyed him critically as she ran her thumb where his scar was. He may've taken the critical gaze personally under normal circumstances, but he supposed it was just the water having an effect on him.

Finally, the light died down, Katara pulling her hand away along with the water. Zuko was immediately hit with the strange sensation of just the left side of his face, covering it with his hand in surprise at the shift in his vision.

Katara had already run off. He straightened, looking over to see her in the middle of hugging Aang, who was currently glaring at him. Iroh was nearby, rushing to Zuko to embrace him. It wasn't that Zuko wasn't happy to see his uncle, but he focused on returning Aang's glare, not sure what the Avatar's motives are.

Given that, he wondered aloud, "Uncle, I don't understand. What are you doing with the Avatar?"

Aang broke away from Katara and replied, as if he'd been asked, "Saving you, that's what."

Needless to say, Zuko didn't appreciate the cheekiness in his tone. He tried to move, ready to fight, but Iroh hugged him tighter to prevent him from going anywhere.

"Zuko, it's time we talked," he said sternly, but quietly. Finally pulling away - allowing Zuko to lower his hand from his face - Iroh turned to face Katara and Aang. "Go help your other friends. We'll catch up with you."

Aang bowed, then ran off for the nearest cave. Katara followed, but kept a slower pace to look back at Zuko.

He saw a slight raise of her brows, then a smile that wasn't directed at the Avatar, but at him. He tried not to show too much of a reaction to it, not matter how bizarre it was, but that didn't stop him from continuing to maintain eye contact until she'd fully disappeared into the cave.

Then, remembering himself and that Iroh had never answered his question, he turned. "Why, Uncle?"

Iroh faced him, looking serious. "You're not the man you used to be, Zuko. You--" He cut himself off, eyes going wide and mouth dropping open in surprise. Apparently, all the seriousness had just drained out of him. "You're really not the man you used to be!"

"What?" Zuko asked, but realized a second later exactly where Iroh was staring. Bringing a hand up to his face, he finally felt along where his scar was.

Or rather, where his scar used to be. His skin was smooth, his vision just as good in his left eye as it was in his right. In fact, the only sign that there'd been a scar at all was his lack of a left eyebrow, though that could grow back with time.

"The... Katara," he began, "she used a type of water she got at a spirit oasis."

"A spirit--of course..." Iroh's expression regained its calmness as he placed a hand on Zuko's shoulder. "Zuko, listen to me. You are stronger and wiser and freer than you have ever been, and now you have come to the crossroads of your destiny."

Zuko raised a brow (well, the only one he had), not sure he understood.

Iroh continued, "It's time for you to choose. It's time for you to choose good."

Zuko opened his mouth, but the conversation was cut off by a sudden earthquake. He managed to keep his balance, but a slew of crystals suddenly burst through the ground, separating him from Iroh and trapping the latter in a crystal prison.

He gaped at the sight, then assumed a fighting position at nothing in particular and readied himself, not showing any emotion even as Azula descended form the sides of the crystal chamber alongside what he presumed to be two earthbenders.

Walking to Zuko and Iroh, Azula kept up her usual demeanor despite his vanished scar. "I expected this kind of treachery from Uncle, but Zuko," she began, "Prince Zuko, you're a lot of things, but you're not a traitor, are you?"

Zuko glared. "Release him immediately!"

"It's not too late for you, Zuko," Azula insisted as she stopped in front of him, not paying his order any mind. "You can still redeem yourself."

Iroh shouted to Zuko from his containment in the crystals, "The kind of redemption she offers is not for you!"

"Why don't you let him decide, Uncle?" Azula challenged. She glanced back at Zuko, voice softening as she continued, "I need you, Zuko. I've plotted every move of this day - " She raised a fist for emphasis. " - this glorious day in Fire Nation history, and the only way we win is together. At the end of this day, you will have your honor back. You will have Father's love. You will have everything you want."

Father's love? Everything he wanted?

"Zuko," Iroh called out gingerly, "I am begging you. Look into your heart and see what it is that you truly want."

Zuko looked back and forth between the two, Azula's eyes unusually gentle while Iroh's were as gentle as they always had been. However, he lowered his gaze, not meeting either.

"You are free to choose," Azula said. She raised a hand, the gesture wordlessly telling her guards to leave the premises. That done, she simply walked off into the cave that Aang and Katara had gone.

Zuko thought back to Iroh, though still not looking at him. I'm begging you, he'd said, and it was familiar because he'd said it before. Zuko had been down this path before, being asked what he wanted and what his "destiny" really was back when he tried to take the Avatar's bison. He remembered it well.

I'm begging you, Prince Zuko! It's time for you to look inward and begin asking yourself the big questions. Who are you, and what do you want?

Prince. Iroh had called him that, even back then. Azula was doing it now as well, but...

Zuko knew deep down that it was one of her tricks. He'd played her games too many times; been played too many times. He wasn't foolish enough to think otherwise, but he also couldn't be sure that Azula would betray him completely.

Already, he could hear a fight ensuing in the the direction that Azula had gone. His feet were itching to move; to do something, but what?

Iroh spoke up, "You said it was water from a spirit oasis."

Zuko glanced over at him, giving him his attention.

Iroh continued, "Zuko, that scar you had was full of suffering and terrible memories. Had you truly wanted to go back to that, I'm sure that you wouldn't have been able to be healed from it." He shook his head, his voice thick with sorrow. "All this time, you've been trying to make up for something I've never held against you."

"What do you mean?"

"Think," Iroh urged. "You spoke up, yes, but against the idea of lives being lost! Are you going to apologize for that?!"

Zuko blinked, eyes wide at the fact that he'd never thought of that.

Iroh's voice softened. "I'm sorry that I let you into that meeting. I had to live with that guilt for the scar you had on your face."

"What? Uncle, no, I'm the one--"

"You were young, but you were already a far better Fire Lord than your father will ever be. You cared about the lives of others even if they weren't for your own benefit. I'm proud of you, and I'm so happy that you have a moment to start over again." He paused, squirming briefly within the crystal restraints. Realizing that he was firmly stuck, he looked back to Zuko, uttering firmly, "Go."

"But, Uncle--"

"Go!"

Zuko's feet finally moved. He dashed past Iroh and into the cave as quickly as he could.

He felt stupid. He felt pathetic. He'd spent all this time torn and twisted between two sides when his heart had made up its mind a long time ago and his body struggled to listen.

"The Fire Nation took my mother away from me."

"I'm sorry. That's something we have in common."

Common. Relating to someone was not something he often did. His father and sister had long since convinced him that he was less than nothing without earning his honor back, but what did honor mean? If he was less than nothing, why could he get so close to the Avatar and his bison with his own efforts?

The only thing he had in common with Ozai and Azula was blood, and it'd been boiling away ever since he'd been banished.

Who are you, and what do you want?

As he made it out of the cave, he jumped, letting out a blast of fire between the ongoing fight that Azula, Katara, and Aang were having. They all stared at him as he landed, his stance ready for action as he looked around at the lot of them. Now that his mind was clear, he could see the almost expectant look in Azula's eyes, along with a hidden threat if he dared to betrayed her.

He was no pawn. Not anymore. He wrote his own destiny.

"I'm Zuko," he declared firmly. "and I want the kind of honor that you and my father could never give me!"

He inhaled, then thrust his arms forward to let out a blast of fire so loud that it drowned his own cry of frustration. Years of pent-up aggression were put into the flames, and he just barely caught the sight of his sister's wide eyes before she almost seemed to become engulfed in it. It wasn't that he thought he'd truly destroy her with it, but finally letting it out gave him a sense of freedom he hadn't felt before.

Aang and Katara flung themselves back due to the heat, despite not being within the flames' particular range. Aang gaped, confused, then glanced at Katara for answers.

But she wasn't looking at Aang. She was meeting Zuko's gaze with her own. For the moment of calm in the battle, they simply stared at one another.

They said nothing, but shared an unspoken promise, held together by the simple commonality they shared.

Let's take down the Fire Nation together.

#other: non ml talk #((Could've sworn that I'd posted this a long time ago. Sorry about that!))#Zutara

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theotherace · 3 years

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Fic Recs: Taang

I’ve made two or three rec lists over the past few months, but I thought I’d make a proper, comprehensive one that’s easy to add to in the future. Not all of these are exclusively Taang, but they all feature the ship to some degree. I will only recommend one or two stories per author, but some profiles are definitely worth checking out further. So! Here goes.

Multi-Chapter, Complete

Whisper Into the Sky by damagectrl – Toph has two choices: Go home and get married or have the family fortune and her inheritance given to a stranger. Her problem: She wants to keep her ties to her family, but is quite content traveling with Aang. Her solution: Fight her way through suitors for her freedom. Literally. | General

The Slow Path by Tazmainian Devil – Eight years after the fall of Ozai, Aang returns to the friends he left behind. | T

A Matter of Honor by Adridere – Almost 4 years after the war. Aang is engaged to Katara and is up to Zuko to teach him the facts of life. Yep, the bees and the birds. Crazy kings, bananas and the ultimate contest for the hand of a reluctant maiden. | M

Roommates by breeeliss – An unlikely tale of two unlikely people being forced to live together under unlikely circumstances.| Modern AU | T

Fall of the White Lotus by Boo-82 – Three years after the war Zuko is living a life of duty while Katara reluctantly travels the world with Aang. So, when General Iroh orders them to find Zuko’s mother and save his Order they seize the opportunity with both hands. It’s the beginning of an adventurous journey of discovery, but as time runs out a rising threat puts their bond to the test. | T

Half Asleep by The Crushinator – Five years after the Hundred-Year War, Fire Lord Zuko is hit with an assassin’s dart, and falls into a coma from which he cannot wake. A week passes, and his prognosis is grim. But Katara could swear she hears him in her dreams… | T

Yaaburnee by aviatordame – Avatars aren't meant to belong – that's as much as Aang can fathom. | M

Getting Lucky by roca-dos – Crazy things happen in college every day. | Modern AU | T

All Fall Down by DJNS – Aang copes with a tragic loss and finds renewed hope in an unexpected place. | M | Warning for Major Character Death

The Princess & the Badger-Cat by panaili – In a land never torn apart by the Hundred Year War, the sixteen-year-old Avatar Aang is trying his best to keep the balance between the four nations, including the increasingly antagonistic Fire Nation, which, despite his friendship with the Crown Prince Zuko, refuses to acknowledge him. Elsewhere, Sokka and Katara have been separated on their quest to find their missing father, and Sokka, pursued by the same bandits who kidnapped his sister, finds himself on the balcony of some rich girl’s house in Gaoling. Oh, and a sorcerer has turned him into a badger-cat. It’s just one of those days. | Teen and Up

Reborn by Jakia – Life. Death. Rebirth. This is the cycle that all spirits must abide to, even the Avatar. Aang and Toph face death and the reincarnation cycle. | T

New Girl by tiffaniesblews – After coming home early from a business trip, all Katara wanted to do was surprise her boyfriend, Jet. Imagine her surprise when she got home and Jet was in bed with another woman. Not wanting to live with her ex, and unable to live with her best friend, Suki, Katara takes her brother Sokka's offer to move into his loft with his two roommates. Aang is perky and sweet, the owner of a st. Bernard and a cat, who's often confused about his direction in life. Zuko, on the other hand, is a closed-off bartender, who takes some time opening up to others.The four could not be more different, and yet? They work out perfectly. Even if Katara's feelings for Zuko get a bit more complicated as time goes on. | Modern AU | Mature

The Ties That Bind series by LdyKirin – An exploration of the ties that bind for good and ill. Toph and Zuko are both shaped by the family they were born to and the family they choose. Lots of found family feels. | T

What Happens In Kyoshi by BlackVelvetBand – Prince Zuko, and the GAang take a vacation on Kyoshi Island. Flirting, fighting, and embarrasment ensue as Sokka takes it upon himself to defend Katara's virtue...in a dress? A short,chaptered fic featuring Zutara, Sokki, and Taang. | T

Under the Night Sky by mycomfortblanket – Aang hears the chattering of teeth during a cold night. Was an AU that I found on tumblr that I made fit into this story. Orginal prompt: "We have to go camping together and share a sleeping bag even though we are complete strangers | General

On The Precipice by JoyDragon – They’re just best friends. Or maybe they’re teetering on the edge of being something more. | General

Oneshots, Complete

Air and Stone by Wolvenfire86 – A few Taang stories munched together. My first submissions. I hope everyone likes them. Please review, it makes me feel special. | K+

Taang Week 2020 series by teabagginses | Teen and Up & Mature

Our Little Secret by IrisPlumeria – Toph and Aang, sat next to one another dressed in their finest under paper lanterns and surrounded by copious amounts of food and friends, cringed at the disgusting noises coming out of Sokka’s nostrils as he blew his nose into Suki’s handkerchief. “I can’t believe two of my best friends are finally married!” Sokka sobbed, earning a supportive pat on the back from Suki, who didn’t flinch at the snot coming out of his nose. “I’m so happy for you guys!” Toph and Aang's family are happy for their nuptials, but will they be able to survive their wedding party without letting slip a big secret?Written for Taang Week 2020 - Tradition. | General

All Roads Lead To Ba Sing Se by irisbleufic – "I was thinking," [Mai] said, tucking her last remaining dagger into her belt as she strode to meet him, "that it's about time I let Fire Lord Zuko know that I quit." When Kuei smiled at her, she could see the sunshine at which she once cringed."Notice that's six years overdue is better than none at all." "Indeed," said the Earth Queen, and grinned at him. | Teen And Up

Lady Fu’s Fortune Telling by Lady Cleo – Katara and Toph visit the local fortuneteller to get their fortunes told. Added a part two with Zuko and Aang. | T

The Perfect Companion by Morna – Aang seeks comfort outside of the arms of his wife, Katara. Taang, slightly lemony. | T

Box by JoeMerl – Written for Taang Week, one-shot. Toph ticks off Bumi, but Aang is willing to fight his old friend tooth and nail to get her out of trouble. Humor, light romance. | K+

2 am by shmulia – Whoever set off the fire alarm at 2 in the morning is on Katara's shit list. Even if he is hot and shirtless. | Modern AU | K

And its sequel, 11:45 – House parties aren't Katara's thing. Sokka's drunk, Suki's on a mission to set her up, and Toph is... well, Toph. But for every cloud there's a silver lining, and for Katara it comes in the form of a second chance with her neighbour... | Modern AU | T

Treat by PsychEmpress – She felt the corners of her own lips quirk as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. “Consider this my treat,” he said and Toph allowed a smile to break out. OR In which Toph is a stressed architecture student who gets a free cup of coffee from the handsome waiter after she helps his friend. Taang. Mentions of Sukka. | Modern AU | T

Sawaru by metacognitive – This love is simple. Non-Korra compliant. | K+

Newlyweds (and basically everything else) by PandaCookie – Everyone’s a bit hopeless right after they’ve been married. | K+

Rhythms by xcgirl08– For now, though, her child’s heartbeat was hers to contemplate. | K

Tenderness by Adridere – He wanted to keep her, even though he was not supposed to. He promised her freedom, and she promised him sanity in his own household. She kept her part of the bargain, but he found a way not to keep his. | M

Holy Matrimony by Loopy – After their marriage, Zuko and Katara deal with conflicting religious beliefs, and look to the friends for advice. Between the Zutara and the religious satire, every single person who reads this should feel offended. | General

Blind Maiden’s Grace by Adara_Rose – You can learn a lot of things from a flower… | Not Rated (I’d say General)

Etched in the Earth by Dance_Elle_Dance – She knows the feel of Aang’s footprints better than her own, and that reality scares her. | Teen and Up

No One Asks About The Scars by voleuse – Write about how you learned to curse in order not to be cursed. | General

When in Rome by dtmars – She wasn’t stupid. She knew what she was doing and what she was getting herself into. They both did. | Modern AU. | Explicit

Like Real People Do by DerAndere – The moon is full and bright when he falls out of bed, awake, asleep, inside a dream, and starts walking, driven by the feeling he does not understand, tugging on him relentlessly, and he is Aang, and he is not, and the world is cold. | General | Full Disclosure: This is my story.

Meet Me Under The Table by avatarfan16 – A story of how Toph and Aang find love, in the most unusual of places. TAANG | K+

Aftermath by Zaram'delar – In any celebration, there's always one or two people with a habit of disappearing. Taang drabbleish series. | T

I Choose Dare by for_darkness_shows_the_stars – An ode to how Aang, under the power of a mighty temptress, was forced to grow a beard. Oh, and the birth of his first child, too, he supposes. | General Audiences

Multi-Chapter, In Progress

Heartbeat by AngelicBee – Avatar Aang's soulmate probably died 100 years before, but he can't help but feel she's closer than he thinks. | Teen and Up

a mighty ocean (or a gentle kiss) by poweradequeen – no, the title doesn’t make sense but i don’t care. i couldn’t think of one so now you’re stuck with a cheesy line from two by sleeping at last.it’s a taang fine arts university au. because i said so. | Teen and Up

Neither is Love a Cage by cali-chan – Love is the freedom of flying accompanied. It is letting be without possessing. PG-13 (possibly M later on), drama/romance/angst, Zuko/Katara + Aang/Toph, post-finale but diverges before LoK canon.

Operation: Zutara (REVAMPED) by dtmars – Everyone could see that those two were in love with each other. Everyone except for them. So Toph takes the initiative and fills in for Cupid to give them a little push, while Aang just tags along for the ride. | Teen and Up

Taang One Shots by stitch1830 – A collection of short stories about Toph and Aang that I've had saved in my notes for a few months. Stories are in the ATLA/LOK universe (not canon compliant), and typically revolve around their relationship and family. | Teen and Up

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lynnieloopie · 3 years

Text

Zutara what happened after.

The Southern raiders

The lighting cracked and brightened the sky the thunder clapped again. Katara towered over the sniveling old man death looming in her eyes.

"She lied to you she was protecting the last water bender"

"What who?" He gasped weakly staring up at her.

"ME!!" Katara yelled this and she turned sharply putting her arms out to her sides. The rain drops suspended instantly and began to form a large dome. Zuko looked up watching the dome forming and pulled his mask down.

With a battle cry and without a second of hesitation Katara bent the water from the dome into a blob that became ice spikes. She launched them at them still screaming.

The coward attempted shielded his face and body from the spikes ripping through the air past him. A few sunk into the ground around him. Katara suddenly froze and the ice spikes hung in the air inches from his face.

The worm had suffered one cut on his upper arm.

"I know I did a bad thing, so why don't you take my mother that would be fair" he tried to bribe her in a most shameful manor.

"I've always wondered what kind of person could do such a thing, but now that I see you I think I understand. There's just nothing inside you. Nothing at all. You're pathetic and sad and empty."

"Please spar me" he pleaded while shaking on the ground

"But as much as I hate you." Katara shut her eyes tightly and heavy tears ran down her cheeks. "I just can't do it"

Katara turned her back on the waste of life and started back down the path she and Zuko came up.

He seemed relieved he'd got to keep his pathetic life. Zuko glared down at him with all the hate and anger he'd ever known in his life and then turned away and followed Katara.

She kept walking faster and faster until she was all out running away from there. She just needed to get away from that man she couldn't bare to look at his face any longer. Every step away felt better. Why couldn't she do it, he doesn't deserve life, he would even give up his own mother to keep his wretched excuse of a life. So why couldn't she just end him, the world would be better off without him.

Katara saw Appa up ahead trying to hide from the pouring rain. She ran right up to him and bent another dome over him. Appa was happy to shake off and see them coming back.

Zuko had finally caught back up now and came under the dome.

"You can't keep that stance all night long. We have to get out of this" Zuko looked concerned when he came under the dome to talk to her

"I'm fine" Katara protested looking away from him.

"You'll need some rest tonight.,so will Appa we can't even fly in this" he tried to reason with her.

"Where are we supposed to go?" She looked all around.

"I saw a little tavern and stable on our way in Appa can stay there and warm up too" he told her.

"Alright fine" she reluctantly agreed knowing they couldn't fly in this weather as well.

They set off down the shore line and reached the small tavern and stable within ten minutes.

Zuko and Katara walked inside the warm and dimly light stable. Appa found a large space and curlrd up. Zuko tossed a few bales of hay for Appa to enjoy over the night.

Katara pat his head and hugged him.

" I'll come out later on and check on you" she pat his head again and ran back outside with Zuko and into the small tavern.

They walked in and the place was a bit bigger then it looked from the outside. It was warm and the chill on their skin was beginning to melt away.

"Checking in?" A little man asked from behind a counter.

"Well not really, we don't have money for a room, could we warm up by the fire until the storm passes" Zuko asked the little man.

"That'd be just fine, I don't see many people come through here as it is"

Katara and Zuko walked closer to the purring fire a few small cushions and a little table sat infront of the fireplace. Katara took one of the small cushions and tucked it close to the fireplace. Zuko sat on the edge of the mantle across from her.

" If there is anything I could get you" the little man asked "tea perhaps?"

"That actually sounds really nice right now" Katara spoke up.

"Right away I'll just go start some water" he scurried off to the kitchen the door swung behind him as he went through.

They sat there quietly watching the flames dance around until the little man came back out.

"The water is warming I can brew anything you'd like"

"Chai please" Katara said

"And for you?" The little man asked Zuko

"I'll have the same" he said simply.

The man ran off again very delighted to be making tea for his guests.

Katara hugged her arms tightly and kept her eyes locked in the flames. She must have slipped away for a little while because the little man came out and served them their tea.

"If you need anything else I'll be in my office, paperwork to sort out" he made a face and walked off to the door way he gestured to.

Katara picked up her cup and sipped her tea carefully. Over several minutes she sat silently sipping her tea until Zuko spoke up through all the quiet.

"Katara?" He said grabbing her attention.

She looked up and then at him.

"For what it's worth I think you where really brave to do this"

Katara laughed once doubting his words.

"I'm not brave , I couldn't do it, I'm sure you regret even bothering to take me on this field trip" she said looking away. Assured he'd be disappointed and make her feel weak for choosing to let him live.

"I don't regret any of this Katara" he made sure he caught her eye for a moment so she knew he was serious. She doesn't look at him often and never right in the eyes.

" You're brave because you faced something dark in you" Zuko looked down or a moment then back at her again. "You didn't bury it, or mask it with fake emotions, I know you'll never be able to forgive him either but you still faced him, you're brave Katara just like your mother" Zuko meant these words and she knew it.

Katara let out one sob

"Thank you" she said touching her necklace her words were small.

Another few moments passed before she said anything.

"I used to bury it" Katara admitted "not that she'd died but rather my."dark side"" she used the air quotes when she said that. She went quiet again for a moment

" I shouldn't have yelled at them." She signed

"They didn't understand" Zuko reasoned.

"Still though, maybe they don't quite understand this need I had to face him, to end him...even though I couldn't do it...I still shouldn't have said those things especially to Sokka." She hugged her arms again. Maybe she could squeeze out this darkness inside.

Zuko threw another few logs on the fire. He kept his hands up warming them.

" I guess I just wish he'd stop some times you know, like I get it but sometimes he's just I don't.."

"Who Sokka?"

"No...Aang, I just mean even when he's right about something he has to preach about and make you feel so small and stupid for even feeling what you feel. Like I'll never measure up to his infinite wisdom or whatever" Katara immediately bit her tongue.

Zuko gave her a surprised, quizzitive look raising his one eye brow.

"I shouldn't talk like that" she scolded herself inwardly.

"So what he's a kid, he pisses you off sometimes" Zuko shrugged

" He's a hero, he's the avatar he deserves our respect" Katara snapped

" I respect the kid, he's talented, and yeah the avatar but he's still just a person too, and sometimes people piss each other off"

"I guess..." She trailed off still conflicted in thoughts.

"You know the kid is in love with you" Zuko blurted out oh whoops was that crossing the line he thought. "I mean" he tried to retract his words.

"I know" Katara sighed.

"Sorry I'm still not so good with this whole talking thing" Zuko frown a bit embarrassed.

"No it's fine, I've known pretty much all along" Katara looked away somewhere far off.

"The truth is I'm not really sure what I feel not really" Katara admitted. Zuko was just sitting there listening this time instead of starting awkward conversations. Though apparently she needed to unload some thoughts anyway.

" I mean I think I'm supposed to...I don't know it's silly" she trailed off.

"Supposed to what?" Zuko asked further

"It's just silly but a fortune teller told me I'd marry a powerful bender and he is the avatar after all..." She kept looking away.

Zuko cracked a smile and chuckled.

" What's funny" Katara asked

"Azula is a powerful bender too" he said still laughing a little.

Katara laughed once and smiled sadly. She took a sharp breath.

" I just don't give him or us that much thought. I guess I feel guilty in a way" she kept hugging herself tighter.

" Guilty?" His eye brow went up again.

"It's stupid but I feel like I owe it to him to try" she didn't even like her own words but she said them. All this was just coming out at once probably because she's never really gotten to sit down and really think about or even talk about it with anyone.

Zuko out of all them was the last person she thought she'd be dumping her thoughts on.

"Sometimes I feel like I'm suffocating around him" she looked sad when she said this her head dropped low and hung there.

"Maybe tell him you need space to figure things out" Zuko suggested to her. Katara looked away.

" I just don't know how to say it guess" she huffed and released all her tension falling backwards onto the floor.

She closed her eyes for what felt like a moment.

She woke up some time later with a soft blanket on her. The room was dimly light now and she could still hear the rain pelting the window outside. Katara looked over and saw Zuko sleeping just across from her.

Katara sat up and stood running her fingers through her hair she walked to the window. Katara look out at the stable where Appa was.

"Appa is still sleeping happily if you're worried" Zuko said. Katara turned around and saw he'd also gotten up. He grabbed a few logs and tossed them on the fire.

"It's still pouring" Katara said coming back to the fireplace. Her body felt heavy and her eyes felt like sand.

She grabbed her cup of tea and sipped it, it's was cold and gross but it helped her dry throat.

She must have made a face because Zuko looked at her with a funny smile.

"Want me to warm it? uncle hates cold tea too"

Katara handed him the cup Zuko took it in his hands snd slowly steam started to rise from the cup again.

Katara smiled when he handed it back to her.

She sipped it and relaxed a little.

" I never got to thank you Zuko, for every thing you've done for me, so thank you Zuko, and even though I'll never forgive that man, I forgive you Zuko" she reached out and placed her hand on his shoulder. She held her hand there and a weight was suddenly lifted from her, a dark vail fizzled away.

After he betrayed her she couldn't look at him anymore but now she could finally look in his eyes again and she did this time.

" You know it's kind of peaceful here isn't it" she said

"Yeah it is" Zuko agreed throwing another log on the fireplace. They sat down the space between them growing smaller.

"Maybe it will just keep raining"

"Not forever" Zuko said with a hint of sadness.

"But maybe for a while longer" she wished.

This new calm was all she needed right now. After all she'd been through today sitting here with no one else around is perfect.

Anyone one else would just be a crowd. For another long time they sat watching the fire, listening to the rain and in this serene moment Zuko ended up fixating on Katara longer the he'd realized. Zuko broke his gaze embarrassed thankful she hadn't noticed, well hopefully he thought. He stretched out and laid back closing his eyes drifting away with the rain.

The rain had finally cleared by late morning and they had packed up their things for the trip back to camp.

They thanked the little man for his hospitality and bowed on their way out the door.

"Come back anytime" he waved

Mostly the ride home was quiet that was okay though Katara preferred the silence right now. She really appreciated these serene types of moments they remind her of a still lake at dawn the fog still hovering over the waters. Small ripples in the water could be heard it's was so calm and quiet small ripples could be heard now too.

It was sunset by the time they finally arrived back at camp. Zuko landed Appa and they climbed down. He grabbed his things and gave Katara a kind smile and walked back to his tent without any words. She smiled to herself as he turned away.

Katara walked down the dock and sat down dangling her feet into the water. She could hear the waves lapping on the dock and her mind drifted away her mind began to slowly quiet along with the gentle lapping of the current.

CLOMP! CLOMP! CLOMP! CLOMP!

"Katara!!" He shattered the peaceful quiet. "Are you okay Zuko told me what you did or what you didn't do.. I'm proud of you" Aang said standing right behind her. Zuko had came over and stood back at the end of the dock.

"I wanted to do it, I wanted to take out all my hate and rage at him, but I couldn't, and I don't know if it's because I'm to weak to do it, or if I'm strong enough not to." She said standing up now walking past Aang

"You did the right thing forgiveness is the first step to begin healing"

Katara stopped and looked at him.

"But I didn't forgive him I'll never forgive him, but I am ready to forgive you." Katara said softening her face.

She stopped infront Zuko. She threw herself into his arms, leaning all her weight against him, closing her eyes trying to feel all she could possibly feel.

"You already forgave me" he whispered to her.

"I know" she whispered back hugging him tighter now. She released her arms and kept a hand on his shoulder as she walk by him keeping his eyes with hers just for a moment.

Zuko with a somber gaze he watched her walk away.

#zuko x katara #zutara #avatar: tla

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