#since he also dies in her arms and like yue is part spirit

[comradekatara]

wait. if haru is katara’s suki (her ek counterpart who is in a similar position, complements and tempers her personality, they first meet in book 1 but don’t have the time to start a real relationship, but then reunite during the western air temple arc and properly get together) does that make…. jet katara’s yue (her “first love” who died in her arms). yue sweetie i am so sorry………

[thegoldenavenger]

Avatar the Last Airbender Fic!! Rated T for TEENAGE ANGST Canon typical violence! It's Zuko so also implied Canon child abuse sorry

CONVICTION (what's in a name)

Part One Sokka + Katara

___

"What can I do to prove to you I've changed?" He rasps, frustratingly desperate, hands almost clawed into the stone of the temple dias.

Katara sneers and draws her water whip to ready, like she can erase even the memory of Zuko kneeling here in this temporary haven. "Nothing!" She yells.

But Sokka raises his hand to his chin and thinks, quickly. There's not much less that he wants than Zuko in their space, helping them. But, here's the thing, Zuko has followed them doggedly, faithfully, since the South Pole. Zuko has found them even now, must have resources to have gotten here, knowledge to have found them. Zuko is the prince of the nation they're fighting... it stands to reason he has intelligence about them as well.

"Then take me prisoner," Zuko starts saying, unfurling his fingers from the stone and offering them.

"We don't want you!" Katara yells and splashes Zuko with enough force he rocks backwards.

Steam rises from Zuko's shoulders, his eye wide as his hair drips in his face, before he steels himself. To try and entice them again, to pick himself up and turn away for once, Sokka doesn't know. He interrupts Katara's next words.

"Give us your soul name," Sokka says.

The silence that follows is deep.

"Sokka?" Aang asks, stepping to see Sokka's face.

"It doesn't matter then, if you have changed or not. We'll have your name if you try to betray us." He tilts his head towards Aang, towards Katara but his eyes don't leave Zuko.

"That's--that's too much," Aang is saying, shaking his head, but Katara considers it. Her mouth is a straight line and her eyes are harder than Sokka has seen them.

Toph says nothing, has said nothing besides her first entreaty to consider Zuko's offer. Sokka doesn't turn to look at her reaction.

Zuko's is enough to look at on its own. His shoulders stiff, his skin pale, there is the smallest rainbow refracted from a bead of water on his sunlit cheek. He's surprised, shocked, maybe even afraid, Sokka has never seen Zuko afraid before just angry, but now, Sokka wonders if Zuko's anger and his fear are two sides of the same coin.

Sokka remembers Zuko crouched over his Uncle, feral almost in his anger--his fear, Sokka thinks now. And who wouldn't be afraid in this moment? To give a peice of your soul away and trust someone with it.  Sokka can count the soul names he knows on one hand; his sister, his father, his mother, Yue.

He's only wanted to share his soul name with Yue, before. He remembers the fear and excitement. He hadn't had to share his name with his parents or Katara, they knew him when he was a kid, when that part of your soul is open and effortless, but he wanted to give that part of himself to Yue. She beat him to it.

Even now, her name lives curled inside him, like a gentle-sleeping thing. A perfect reflection of the moon on the surface of ink-black water, icy wind against the back of your neck, and resettling your hood to keep warm. The knowledge that something deep, and beautiful, and so, so kind lies beneath the water, but not daring to break the surface tension.

And Sokka watches Zuko close his eyes. When he opens them it is with resolve.

"Okay," he says. "Okay."

Zuko gets back to his knees, back straight and hands lifted as if in supplication. He keeps his unsettling yellow eyes on Sokka. 

It was his plan, so Sokka makes himself step forward. He feels Aang's hand reach out to him, but Aang doesn't stop him so he keeps stepping forward until he stands over Zuko.

It takes him a moment, but he puts his hand in Zuko's and asks for his name.

He feels a rush of heat, and he thinks they should have prepared for if Zuko tried burning them in this moment--but no, it's just. It's just Zuko's name.

Fever-warm--of course, fire bender, Sokka thinks--but also the spray of salt water, which is surprising. The smell of iron, Fire Nation Steel, like the forge at Master Piandao's but thicker in the air. Sokka hears sliding, like silk over silk and the weight of something bearing down, like the gemimite that had crept up Sokka's arms until he couldn't move. And even though Zuko is all firebender heat and steel the feeling of eyes on his back makes Sokka think nothing more than of standing in the middle of the ice fields, knowing an Orcawolf is watching you but not knowing where it is.

It's knowing there is shelter a thousand steps ahead of you and also knowing the moment you step forward the Orcawolf will chase. Zuko's name is taking that step anyways.

Sokka steps back away from Zuko and blinks and blinks. Zuko looks exactly the same, it's only Sokka's understanding that has changed.

Zuko's eyes are predator-yellow, orcawolf-gold, Sokka thinks.

"Zuko," he says to test it. He lets the feeling of fever and forge heated sword steel rise and he says it again. "Zuko."

Something in Zuko's jaw clenches, his eyes sharpen and Sokka feels that lonely ice field again, but Zuko nods. "I think we can say that worked," Sokka announces and turns away from Zuko. He shoves Zuko's name back down, tries to find somewhere that isn't next to his family's names to store it.

______

Sokka leaves first, then Toph with a disgruntled noise. Katara and Aang stand where they're left, with Zuko still... there. Waiting.

Katara looks at Aang and finds him unaccountably sad, his wide grey eyes distressed. To her ears, Zuko's name had sounded the same, flat as ever, from her brother's mouth. But you know when someone speaks with power, it's just that the only name she knows for Zuko is the one her experiences with him have given her so she can't understand yet.

Or ever. She thinks of Zuko and she thinks of fear, she thinks of shadows of violence flickering on the walls of homes, of ice melting as red, red, red licks up and devours entire families. She doesn't want that living inside of her, hates that Sokka is carrying that now.

"I'm going to check on Sokka--Aang. Keep an eye on him." She orders and turns. Of course now they have to keep him, they have his soul name, that changes things. He can teach Aang Firebending and then they can drop him off somewhere he won't be able to bother them anymore, but for now at least they have to keep him.

"Yeah, uh--come on," she hears Aang say, to Zuko she guesses. "No more names today," he says. Katara stomps away.

She keeps her resolve for a couple days. Sokka bounces back, Toph is quieter than usual, Aang dutifully keeps his lessons for Earth and Waterbending and half-heartedly asks for Firebending lessons. Katara puts her foot down. No Firebending lessons until she can be sure Zuko isn't going to fry Aang when they aren't looking.

Sokka is her brother and she loves him, but he shouldn't have to be Zuko's keeper by himself. He'd taken Zuko with him to find their dad, and he had to take Zuko, he wouldn't leave Zuko alone with them. They weren't defenseless but Sokka takes responsibility hard, the same way he had taken protecting their village.

It's the same way he will stay up at night, redrafting their schedule and Katara will have to physically unclench his hand from his vine of charcoal and wheedle, drawing his name from her chest, telling him, please Sokka, it's time for bed everyone is tired.

Sokka doesn't use her name very often. The last time had been at the South Pole when he didn't trust Aang. Before that, he hadn't used her name since their mother had died.

Katara uses his name a lot. She loves Sokka's name. Her mother's name is too sharp a memory, it flutters behind her breastbone like it might escape if she speaks it. Her father's name is tucked in her core, as if she can curl around it and keep him safe from the dangers he faces away from them by keeping it quiet. But Sokka's name lives in her lungs.

She uses it when she scolds him, when she hugs him, when she is afraid for him. She won't let him forget that she's right by his side, and that she won't leave him, not like mom left, or dad left, or Yue left.

Every time Katara says Sokka's name she shades it with her understanding of him. Ice walls sheltering from howling bitter winds and the sturdy foundation of a home. The peircing howl of an orcawolf as the spirit lights dance in the night sky, and polardogs pressed together sharing strength and warmth. Sokka's name is understanding you are part of something more than you, part of a family, and Katara will remind him that he's stuck with her for as long as she lives.

And, well. There's something in her that wants to know Zuko. She wants to taste ash on her tongue. She is sure Zuko's name is fire and violence, but if she knows it then she can keep him in his place. She can make sure Aang is safe, from this threat at least. If she knows Zuko's name, then she finally knows who he is.  No more tricks in Crystal cities, he won't be able to prey on her weaknesses anymore.

So when he comes to her, and says, "I know who killed your mother," Katara has already decided what to do.

She says, "Give me your name." And she holds out her hand.

She's vindicated, seeing his eyes widen, the scar pulling around his left side. He inhales, then nods sharply his breath releasing in a cloud of steam. The night is cold, even Katara's breath puffs small clouds in the air, but that doesn't stop herself from thinking he should have more control than this.

He puts his hand in hers and his fingers are shockingly warm, surprisingly callused for a prince. Katara remembers Yue's hands, smooth and fine and elegant.  The Earth King's hands as well were soft and weak. That is what she expected, she realizes. Hands that have never seen work in their life.

Zuko's hands are scarred and rough in places, if well kept.

He tells her his name.

Heat at first, of course. Like a burn from the sun, making your skin tight and red, then the cool-sting of salt water making Katara think, ridiculously of spending too much time at a beach. Then blood, biting your cheek on accident, the pain negligible but the metallic tang overwhelming, that's what she expected. Hearing someone or something shift behind you, heart beating panic-fast and then getting wrapped up tight, and squeezed until your bones creak, like when her dad swings her around and around because he missed her. No, Katara thinks, it's getting wrapped up like ice spears, the cold burning as much as fire, and being unable to wrench free. It's remembering how Master Pakku looked at her, knowing she was good enough but refusing her anyways.

Zuko's name is someone, everyone saying no, and then doing it anyways.

Katara takes her hand back. Of course, that's the Fire Nation through-and-through, she thinks. "Take me to him, Zuko," she says. She orders. The copper tang that tints his name isn't ash, but it's close enough.

Katara never needed Zuko's name to show him she was a threat. She's a Master Waterbender under the full-moon, a healer who knows the secrets of the body, she can stop the rain if she has to. And she does.

Zuko doesn't flinch.

He doesn't overstep, he accepts her lead, stays quiet unless he needs to speak up. He's not cowed, he doesn't wait for her permission to speak if he sees something or notices something. He's just.

Respectful, Katara realizes. This is about her, she realizes. She knows this is about her. It's about Zuko trying to prove himself too, but it's like Zuko has forgotten that, in the moment. That helping Katara find justice--or revenge--is all that he's after.

It would be ironic, Katara thinks. Zuko has terrorized her home, he knows she wants justice--revenge?--from him too. Here he is, watching her ready to kill a man for crimes Zuko could be accused of as well and he stands there like this is right.

Like he hadn't knelt in front of her, hands offered, and asked her--them--to sentence him.

She sees him out of the corner of her eye, sees the same calm as when he'd knelt. When she stops the rain she sees the same surprise, the same acceptance as when Sokka had demanded his soul name in answer.

Something heavy settles in her stomach, when she realizes that perhaps, this isn't ironic.  That if she had said, I need you to die for your crimes, he would have said okay, okay, in the same exact way.  She lets it rain, again.

She says this, half to Zuko half to herself, on the way back. "If I had said you needed to die, for us to trust you instead of Sokka asking for your name. What would your answer have been?"

Zuko blinks at her, wary. "Really?" He asks. She doesn't elaborate, and he falls quiet again.

She starts to think he won't answer when he finally does. "I came to you--to the Avatar, I mean--to... atone. To stop my father and my family, to make things better. I, uh, Uncle says, said, I don't think things through," here he laughs, bitter. "I guess I forgot that I'm my father's son."

Katara sees his face shutter and she turns away, not wanting to see whatever expression he puts on his face. "My father cannot be allowed to continue as he has been. My family cannot be allowed to continue as they have been. I have been complicit in their crimes." He says. "If death is the answer to my father, then for the years as his loyal son I should share it."

Katara narrows her eyes and looks back at him. Zuko is considering his knee, his fingers worrying at a loose thread. Katara knows Zuko now, knows by the cadence of his words Zuko was not calling himself Fire Lord Ozai's loyal son. There was a breadth of history in that phrase she didn't understand.

"But..." he says and looks at her. "I'm done letting my father dictate my destiny. I want to help fix what my family has broken. I don't know what I would have said back then. But I am going to help where my family has only hurt before. I can't do that if I'm dead."

Katara only hums in response, and watches as Zuko's shoulders find their way to his ears. He turns red and looks away from her and mumbles an apology.

Zuko's name is sun burned skin and bitten lips and, Katara is realizing, standing up when no one else will. Not because you're the only one who can, but because if not you, than who?

Something settles in her, and she relaxes. She isn't ready to forget--not Yuan Ran, not the Fire Nation's crimes--but maybe this one boy. This one boy she can try to forgive.

[impossiblycolorfulpanda]

Avatar: the last airbender book 4 air ending.

Here’s my ending of ATLA based on an AU where there’s a season 4: air. But Aang’s year is the 10,000th year and harmonic convergence happens on Aang’s time. I’d like your feedback. Feel free to repost/reblog as well.

 Aang: “The avatar spirit has returned but it has evolved. Right when Raava and I fused once again, I used my Raava empowered energy bending to retrieve Vaatu’s dark power but replaces Vaatu’s consciousness with that of Raava’s, allowing her to embody darkness/chaos as well as light/peace, ergo the eternal conflict between Raava and Vaatu has finally come to a permanent end and I can feel the influence from both the light and darkness.”

 Zuko: “I don’t even know what to say.”

 Katara: “You were incredible!”

 Azula: “And the way you turned all gigantic like that, wow! Yes, you did it, you did the thing!”

 Aang: (To Sokka) “I’m sorry about Yue but after my past lives were severed, the elemental sprits and their physical manifestations...including Appa…have faded away with them. So, to regain balance and control, Raava had to become the primal source of all sources, the keystone of all existence, elements, energies and even non-existence. I’m sorry I still couldn’t save her.”

 Sokka: “You did everything you could Aang, Yue would have done anything to protect what she loved. I just hope where ever Yue is now, she’s finally found some peace.”

 Suki holds on to Sokka’s arm and rest her head on his shoulder. Cut to Aang and Azula at the northern portal.

 Azula: “Now that you’ve reclaimed your avatar mojo, have you also regained your past lives?”

 Aang: “No. Avatar Wan told me before he disappeared that my link to him will be gone forever. I am now the first Avatar in a new line of Avatar's and no Avatar from my cycle will be able to contact with an Avatar from the previous one. We’ll only have Raava.”

 Azula: “Wow, I see. At least our weird spirit bond of ours has become stronger than before. Let’s just close the portals and call it a day.

 Aang: (Reaches for the portal but stops and hesitates) “Maybe I shouldn’t.”

 Azula: “Is there a problem?”

 Aang: “What if Vaatu was right when he said the Avatar shouldn't be a bridge between the two worlds? What if Wan made a mistake when he closed the portals? What if humans and spirits were never meant to live apart? Sure, Vaatu tricked me into opening the portals by having me remove his firebending during Sozin’s comet which led to the Banyan Grove tree and the tree of time which created another portal, Vaatu then ended up gaining all elements for his rise as a dark avatar. But look at the positive parts since the spirit portals opened. The souls of the extinct dragons, sky bison, coy fish, badger moles and lion turtles returned. The sky bison sprits gave Ty lee and many other non-benders from all over the world their airbending, the air nation is now returning and the cycle has been fixed. I can still sense Appa’s spirit, I can still see him again. Iroh’s spirit is here too. Spirits and myself are now all the benders have left.”

 Azula: “Right, let’s recap on how the portals being closed worked out. Wan did it so no one could physically enter the spirit world and release him. But during every solstice, the physical and spiritual boundary becomes temporarily blurred. Vaatu was able to use that to his advantage. He spoke to my great-grandfather Sozin in his dreams, tricking him into betraying my other great-grandfather, Roku, wipe out the original air nomads and kick start a century worth of warfare. Vaatu then tricked my grandmother Ilah into freeing him by fusing with her spirit after she SPIRITUALLY entered inside his prison, which lead to her barring an imposter second son, she died giving birth of said imposter and was coincidently named Ozai. So that all that was basically for nothing. That said, what do you think you should do? You’re the avatar, this is your type of gig, whatever the decision is, I’ll be backing you.”

 Aang smiles and looks at the portal. Cut to the Fire Nation Coronation Plaza, people from all over the world have congregated for the coronation of the new Fire Lord, among which several familiar faces: The Duke hugs Toph, and she reciprocates as Pipsqueak, Sokka and Katara watch. Cut to inside the Royal Palace, where Aang, now wearing the robes and necklace of an airbending master next to Ty lee who is wearing a hood, opens his eyes from his meditation as Zuko approaches.

 Zuko: I can't believe a year ago me and my sister’s purposes in life were competing against each other and hunting you down. And now...

 Aang: And now we're all getting along.

 Zuko: Yeah…we are.

 Aang: I can't believe a year ago I was still frozen in a block of ice. The world's so different now.

 Zuko: (Puts a hand on Aang's shoulder.) “And it's gonna be even more different. We'll rebuild it together.”

 Azula: “Come on Zuzu! Let’s go! Everyone’s getting antsy to hear your sappy speech about world peace and other mushy junk.”

 Zuko: “My speeches are not sappy!”

 Azula: “Whatever you say, be seeing you in the crowd sappy lord.” (Takes off)

 Zuko groans in annoyance while Aang quietly chuckles.

 Aang: “Everything ok Ty?”

 Ty lee: “I’m just super nervous. I stood in front of a crowd before but this…”

 Aang: “It’ll be ok. You’ve earned your place.”

 Ty lee nods. The three go outside. Cut to outside the palace with people from the Fire Nation, the Water Tribe, the Earth Kingdom and the air bender acolytes all outside. Cut to a side-view as Zuko walks past while a gong is struck. Cut to an overhead view of the crowd with Zuko approaching. The crowd cheers. Front view of Zuko as he raises his hand.

 Zuko: “Please. The real hero is the Avatar.”

Aang and Ty lee walk next to Zuko. Crowd cheers again.

 Zuko: “This war and harmonic convergence are finally over! I promised my uncle that I would restore the honor of the Fire Nation. And I will. The road ahead of us is challenging. A hundred years of fighting has left the world scarred and divided. The dark avatar managed to wipe half of the worlds population but what kept him destroying all of us was our refusal to give up and we removed our illusion of division and stood our ground long enough for the avatar to save us all. Now, with the Avatar's help, we can get it back on the right path and begin a new era of love and peace. We shall start by welcoming the first airbending master in a new generation. Thanks to her leadership, I see a very bright future for the Air Nation. Of course, there would be no Air Nation without Avatar Aang. The Air Nation will reclaim its nomadic roots and roam the earth. But unlike their ancestors, they will also serve people of all nations, working wherever there is corruption and discord to restore balance and peace. We've realized that even though we should learn from those who came before us, we must also forge our own path. So that is why the avatar decided to keep the portals open. Humans can now physically enter the Spirit World, and spirits will be free to roam our world. I will no longer be the bridge. Humans and spirits must learn to live together. My mission will always be to use Raava's light spirit to guide the world toward peace and balance. Harmonic Convergence has caused a shift in the planet's energy. I can feel it. Things will never be the same again. We're entering a New Age.”

 Ty lee removes her hood and coat, revealing her air bender tattoos. Zuko kneels down, preparing to be crowned Fire Lord. A Fire Sage approaches with the Fire Lord headpiece and places it in Zuko’s top knot. The everyone cheers again after Zuko rises. Pan to the sky, which is filled with the spirits of sky bison, badger moles, dragons, coy fish, lion turtles and various other spirits. Appa’s spirit flies in closer before flying off again.

 In Ba sing se, inside The Jasmine Dragon. Zuko is serving Team Avatar tea. Aang and Ty lee are playing with Momo with their airbending. Sokka is painting a picture.

 Sokka: “Will you all stop moving around?! I'm trying to capture the moment. I wanted to do a painting, so we always remember the good times together.

 Katara: “That's very thoughtful of you, Sokka. Wait, why did you give me Momo's ears?

 Sokka: “Those are your hair loopies!”

 Zuko: “At least you don't look like a boar-q-pine! My hair is not that spiky!”

 Mai: “I look like a man.”

 Ty lee: “Did you give me two tornados for hands while having me stand on a tight-rope?”

 Suki: “And why did you paint me firebending?”

 Sokka: “I thought it looked more exciting that way.”

 Azula: (scoffs and laughs) Wow, and I thought Zuzu’s poor hand-drawings needed an update.”

 Sokka: “Oh, you think you can do a better job, Azula?”

 Azula: “Well…not to brag or anything but I had a fair share of art classes which gave me a rather mean art streak.”

 Toph: “Well I think you all look perfect.”

 Everyone laughs while Aang goes outside. he moves to watch the sun set. Azula approaches from behind with a smile on her face and turns to Aang. Aang turns to look at her and he smiles back.

 Azula: “Well here we are, the moment of truth. Ya know I wasn’t sure how you’d do but I gotta say, you crushed it! Well…WE crushed it. We make an amazing team. We oughta do this more often.”

 Aang: “You shoulda been up there with me. It was you who inspired me to never give up even when all hope was lost, you came up with a plan that saved the world.”

Azula: “Yeah well, I thought it be better if it went that way. Ya know, giving you the glory for perfectly executing my super awesome amazing plan. Ya girl still got it. You know I have some big experience in going in dark places after I lost my mind. But you and my Zuzu helped me understand why I had to go through all that. I needed to understand what true suffering was so I could be more compassionate to others while that could also be considered me getting what was coming to me for all my atrocities. I also understood that I couldn’t avoid and evade my fears and demons forever. I had to face them head on and that no matter what I do, I’ll never be perfect. No one will. Thanks to my painful but worthwhile journey, I couldn’t let my mother and uncle’s sacrifices be in vain.”

 Aang: “I’m so sorry for what happened.” (They hug)

 Azula: “Thanks, I’m just grateful they were able to forgive me.” (They let go)

 Aang: “So, what now? Back to the tea party?”

 Azula: “I kinda had my fill with tea. Honestly, after all the crazy that’s happened this entire year. I could use a vacation.”

 Aang: “Let's do it! Let's go on a vacation, just the two of us. Anywhere you want.”

 Azula: “Wow, for real? Ok, uh, for this particular place, I know we been there before but it was under urgent circumstances but now that things have cooled down now. I’d like to see more of the spirit world. Whaddya say Avatar?”

 Aang: “Sounds perfect. You know you don’t have to call me that now, we’ve grown enough on each other.”

 Azula: “Fair enough. Aang.”

 Aang and Azula ride on Appa’s spirit, he disappears after they jump off him. They walk up to the new portal. Both are back in their normal attire, carrying travel equipment. Stopping for a moment a few meters short of the portal, they turn their heads and smile at each other. They join hands with fingers interlocking and walk into the portal, where they turn to face each other closely, gazing into each other's eyes.

[jaxsteamblog]

Hidden

Click here to read the full fic on AO3

In the morning, Katara walked into the kitchen to see Suki draped on Sokka as he cooked something at the stove. Her arms were around his waist and her chin perched on his shoulder. They swayed together and then there was a pop before a streak of Sokka’s swearing.

“You’re at least wearing a shirt while making bacon right?” Katara asked as she sat on one of the stools at the small island. Suki turned around and smiled at her, letting Katara see that her brother was appropriately attired.

“Want some coffee?” She asked and Katara nodded.

“So that was a lot.” Suki said as she poured coffee into two mugs. Still swaying around the kitchen, she opened the fridge with her foot, held onto the mugs by their handles in one hand, and grabbed a container of creamer with the other. Using her hip to close the door, Suki hummed a little bit before putting everything down next to Katara.

“You’re in a good mood.” Katara remarked and Suki beamed at her before turning again to open a drawer. Sokka turned into her place, depositing strips of bacon onto a plate padded with paper towels.

“A lot is happening.” Suki said cheerfully, returning with small spoons. They started to make their coffee while Sokka returned to the stove, swiftly cracking eggs into a bowl.

“Too much.” Sokka added gruffly and Suki rolled her eyes as she leaned over the island, holding her mug up in her hands. She still drank hers black, as they all had when running through war zones, but Katara liked the extravagance of cream and sugar. She sometimes took it a step further and splurged on flavored creamer.

“So, the Blue Spirit huh?” Suki asked over the rim of her mug, raising her eyebrows before taking a sip. Katara scoffed but took a drink as well.

“It’s not a big deal.” She replied.

“I don’t know, I remember you being awfully reluctant to talk about the help you got at the river factory.” Suki said.

“That was years ago and doesn’t matter any more.” Katara replied.

“Do you think he still has the mask?” Suki asked.

“SUKI!” Both Sokka and Katara yelled in unison.

“What? I do.” Zuko interjected.

Katara groaned, slapping her palm to her face as he took a seat next to her.

“It was my mother’s. I wasn’t going to get rid of it.” Zuko continued.

“You absolutely should have. That is going to be the thing that ignites a coup you know, when someone like your sister finds it.” Sokka said, bringing over a platter of scrambled eggs.

“I’m not worried. But hey, it makes sense now why you’re always thinking about that kind of stuff. I guess you’re a prince like me now, huh?” Zuko remarked. Katara looked up to see Sokka give him a withering look.

“I don’t like talking about that.” He said firmly, almost angrily.

Katara turned her face away, but still saw Suki go to him, putting a hand on Sokka’s back before leaning her head onto his shoulder.

Sokka was a lot like their father and fell in love quickly. And it was hard enough for anyone not to have fallen in love with the radiant light that filled Yue.

“And the royal family isn’t really going to work like that anymore. Apparently, Arnook is going to invoke some ancient law that says only a Waterbender can inherit the throne. If Katara doesn’t have a magic water baby, I get nothing.” Sokka said, sounding calmer.

“What if you have a magic water baby?” Zuko asked.

Sokka and Suki looked at each other; he chuckled while Suki smiled.

“Two non-Benders? One of whom is from a long line of people living in Kyoshi?” Suki replied.

“Doesn’t the Fire Nation have something like that though?” Katara asked.

“Sort of. It’s a mix of bending ability and bloodline. If I were to have a non-Bender heir, it might still work out considering I’m the descendent of Avatar Roku.” Zuko answered.

“Excuse me? You’re what?” Katara asked.

“Are you serious? You still haven’t looked up anything about me?” Zuko asked.

“There’s a whole HummFeed Unsolved about the disappearance of his mother.” Sokka said. Zuko winced.

“And I don’t like talking about that.” He said, then sighed. “Plus, that episode is banned in the Fire Nation. She wouldn’t be able to watch it here anyway.”

“Okay, let’s just air everything out. No more secrets, no more hidden knowledge.” Katara said and turned to Zuko. “Give me the rundown.”

“Ah, okay. Um.” He stammered and ran a hand through his hair. “My father is the Fire Lord, I’m his heir, but I was also the vigilante known as the Blue Spirit that tried to disrupt imperial forces. After the war, I went to college under a fake name to study, met Sokka, we survived an assassination attempt when I was discovered, and so my uncle paid for his store in thanks for his saving my life.”

“WHAT? YOU SURVIVED A WHAT?” Katara faced her brother who, holding a forkful of eggs, shrugged and continued eating.

“What about you?” Zuko asked as Katara vigorously rubbed her face.

“Sokka and I left home to find our parents and we quickly got tagged by the Fire Nation navy when they found us on the wrong side of a blockade. We escaped with the help of the Kyoshi Warriors, but they trailed us to the North Pole thinking that I was,” Katara drifted and Sokka stood rigid.

“Kat, you don’t have to-” He started but she held up a hand.

“Fair is fair.” She replied.

“They thought I was the Avatar.” Katara continued. “So when they attacked the North Pole and Zhao, did what he did, I made a pact with the ocean spirit and dragged him down into a canal to drown him.”

“What.” Sokka croaked.

Tears fell down her cheeks but she smiled, her breathing hitched and ragged.

“Afterward, not finding either of our parents, we went from prison to prison to find them. Along the way we met up with Suki and her people. Suki got arrested and ended up in the same prison as my father, so two birds, one stone. Then we got into another prison and found my mother. And Hama.” Katara stared into her coffee, stirring the liquid slowly. “I learned things that still haunt me, my mother died, and now that I’m saying all of this out loud, I probably have PTSD.”

“Katara, you burned eight prisons to the ground and you’re a Waterbender.” Sokka said. “Yeah, I think you might have a little PTSD.”

Katara laughed but they all very quickly fell silent. Sniffling, Katara wiped her eyes and slapped her hands on the island counter top.

“But none of that is going to get fixed today so I’d like some breakfast and more beach time.” She said.

“I’m down.” Suki said.

“I don’t feel like that’s the healthiest course of action.” Zuko said weakly.

“Oh yeah? You got a Ph.D. in psychology to help out with that? Or did you study PoliSci?” Sokka retorted.

Zuko and Sokka started to bicker while Suki got plates for everyone, handing one to Katara and giving her a one armed hug. Kissing Katara’s cheek, Suki leaned her head against hers.

“You okay Tara?” She asked. Katara shrugged and pressed her head back toward Suki’s.

“Yeah. I’ll talk to someone when I get home though.” She replied.

“Good.” Suki said and dumped a large scoop of eggs onto Katara’s plate, making it tip away from her. “I know a good veteran’s group in Ba Sing Se.”

After breakfast, Katara got her wish and they started packing up for the beach. This time, Suki unearthed an instant camera from her suitcase. She started to take pictures, shaking the wobbly film as she avoided Sokka in the hall. Her laughing shrieks made Katara relax but she was still surprised when Suki thrust the camera into her hands.

“I need you to be in charge of this for awhile.” Suki said and winked before lowering a pair of sunglasses on her face.

Right as they were about to head down, Katara stood in the back sunroom. Zuko stood on just the other side of the screen, looking down into the cooler. Slowly lifting the camera, Katara took a picture of his peering thoughtfully down into the ice. At the snap, Zuko looked up and smiled.

“You look awfully contemplative.” Katara remarked.

“One always has to consider the most effective way to move supplies.” Zuko said.

“You guys ready?” Sokka asked, tossing a towel at Katara before pushing open the screen door.

This beach day was much calmer. Katara swam while the others stayed in the shallows. Suki moved through the water, her pants rolled up as she bent over picking up shells.

As Katara waded up through the water, Suki gestured with her head and winked. Confused, Katara wrung out her hair as she walked to the towels. As she sat down, Zuko came and sat beside her.

“I got kicked out.” He said and Katara looked down at Sokka and Suki. They were standing close together and Suki was pulling shells out of her bucket.

“Hand me the camera.” Katara said. Quiet, Zuko fumbled through their bag and handed Katara the camera.

As she raised it, she saw Suki look up and toward her.

Katara took a picture of Suki showing Sokka the bucket. She handed Zuko the picture. She took a picture as Suki pulled out a shell. She handed the undeveloped picture to Zuko. She took a picture as Suki knelt in the sand. She took a picture of Sokka putting his hands in his hair. She took a picture as Sokka fell on Suki.

“Did she just…?” Zuko asked. Katara lowered the camera and nodded.

Zuko started to laugh and Katara smiled as Sokka and Suki got back onto their feet. When the two came up to the towels, Katara could see her brother shaking.

“Congratulations!” Zuko said and Sokka fell onto his knees before plopping facedown on his towel.

“Since we were getting everything out in the air.” Suki said and sat down, rubbing circles on Sokka’s back.

“Let me see.” Katara said, poking Sokka in the ribs. He flopped out his arm and Katara picked up his hand. The band was titanium with a Water Tribe motif carved around the ring in the middle.

“That’s amazing.” Katara said and then looked over at Suki. “Sorry for making your morning so depressing.”

Suki let out a breathy laugh.

“That’s what it always was though right? Falling in love with the world falling apart?” She said and looked down at Sokka. “We take the good with the bad. Pain is a part of life.”

Sokka turned his head to lay on his cheek, looking up at Suki.

“Well isn’t this just adorable.” A chilled woman’s voice said. Zuko’s eyes widened and Katara turned to look.

Azula, Mai, and another woman stood, looking back.

“Still taking the good with the bad?” Sokka groaned.

“This world likes to test me.” Suki said.

Their beach day was cut short and Zuko closed himself in an office with Azula. The rest of the group could hear them shouting, but Mai looked bored. The third woman had introduced herself as Ty Lee and looked strained enough for two people.

“So why are you all here?” Sokka asked.

“Azula found out Zuko was here and decided to drop in.” Ty Lee said with a massive dose of forced cheer.

“It was mostly that she found out he was here with you.” Mai said, looking pointedly at Katara.

“And how’d she find that out?” Katara retorted.

“I’m allowed to talk about where my boyfriend is.” Mai said.

Katara put her hands on the back of a chair and ice formed around her fingers. Noticing the chill, she took a deep breath and pried her fingers free.

“I’m not going to be here for this.” She stated. Pushing the chair away, Katara marched toward the front door.

“Katara.” Sokka called out.

“I need some space.” She said gently. “I’m sorry I keep walking away.”

Suki held onto Sokka’s arm and he held her hands.

“We’ll be okay.” Suki said.

Katara walked out of the beach house and into the wide cul-de-sac. The other beach houses were spread out, quietly ignoring each other to create the illusion of isolated privacy. Sand soaked the lawns and covered sidewalks, making Katara’s flip flops slip over the surface and spray grit up the back of her legs.

Taking a walk wasn’t exactly what she had in mind. It wasn’t what drew her, and she quickly abandoned her route. Taking a wide berth around the house, Katara skidded down the sand dunes and walked to their part of the beach. Hiding behind a dune, she shed her clothes and darted to the water.

Here she could think.

Katara spent a few hours in the water, her thoughts slowly floating through her mind. Nothing really came from it, except that she realized she needed to think more about a few things. It felt like she kept trying to walk away from a lot.

As the sun started to inch toward the horizon, Katara got out of the water. With her bending, she dried herself and pulled on her clothes. While not damp, they were still covered in sand and she grimaced.

Heading up the stairs, Katara sighed but froze as she heard voices.

“Why are you talking to me about this?” Mai asked.

“Right, I should definitely talk to Sokka about my feelings toward his sister.” Zuko said.

Katara looked around, hearing the voices advance, and she darted into the outdoor shower. She pulled the curtain closed as the porch door creaked open.

“Well you absolutely shouldn’t be talking to your girlfriend about your feelings toward another woman.” Mai remarked.

Leaning against one wall, Katara peered out of the gap from the weathered curtain. Mai and Zuko sat on the small steps leading down to the sandy space before the dunes.

Zuko looked uncomfortable and Mai sighed.

“No, I get it. I do.” She insisted and pushed Zuko’s shoulder. “I used to have a crush on Sokka.”

Katara covered her mouth and nose, stopping her attempt to gasp. Zuko looked just as stunned.

“What?” He asked.

Mai blushed a bit, turning her face away and tucking her hair behind an ear.

“It was when you started college. I always liked the idea of being with someone,” Her blush deepened and she kept her hand at her ear, slightly shielding her face. “Silly.”

“Silly?” Zuko repeated in absolute shock.

Mai covered her face and actually made a strangled noise that sounded like amusement.

“It’s just, I never experience life like that!” She said and opened her hands. “People like him and Ty Lee make everything more colorful.”

“And I’m not silly?” Zuko asked.

Mai leaned her head back, looking at him from an angle.

“Zuko, you’re awkward and soft. Our relationship has made me feel like I’m swimming in pudding.” Mai said and turned in her seat.

“Ouch.” Zuko replied and winced.

“Katara is dramatic, strong-willed, and, from what I’ve been hearing, she’s kind. You don’t need someone that’s your opposite, you need someone that compliments you.” Mai laid her hands down on her lap, palms up. “We were put together because of politics and I know I can be happy with you. But will you be happy with me?”

Zuko looked down at her hands and slowly put his on top of hers.

“I don’t think I can.” He said softly.

“But you’ll do the honorable thing and marry me anyway. Forever miserable but never straying to make sure you don’t make me lose face.” Mai said. Zuko sighed and his shoulders sagged.

“I don’t really know what to do here.” He said.

“I can’t make any choices for you. But I’m your friend Zuko. I’ll help you figure it out, no matter what you choose.” She laughed and looked down at their hands. “It’s not like I haven’t stood up to my parents before.”

“Thank you Mai.” Zuko said.

“You can thank me after you actually made a decision. Which, knowing you, will take a stupidly long time since you’re-”

“-soft and awkward. Yeah, I got it.”

They laughed and Katara felt her chest tighten.

“I’m going to go back inside and get your sister to leave.” Mai said and leaned in, kissing Zuko’s cheek. “Try not to burn anything down.”

“One time!” Zuko remarked as Mai stood up.

Katara pressed her back against the wall of the shower and stared up at the open sky above her. Water dripped slowly from the shower head, hitting the sandy floor with heavy splats.

It did feel a little bit like she was walking through pudding.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

[badanimereviews]

summer 2019 anime sum-up

lmao i realized i never did this and posted the fall season b4 this.... oops

kimetsu no yaiba: tbh started out kinda meh. and now it’s turned into one of the new big shounens. i was not expecting that. nearing the end got rly good and i was rly looking forward to more episodes! tanjiro gets cooler and cooler! animation is rly nice (thanks ufotable) and the way tanjiro’s water is animated. like. aesthetic asf. it’s so good. i love black-haired emo dude and zenitsu (my spirit animal) and ofc nezuko she is adorable im c r y. side note: the hashira? i think they’re called? some of the ugliest fkn characters i’ve seen in ages like flame boy? stone boy? i HATE them. and the gem dude too like man get a new tattoo artist on god.... he needs it.,,,,,,and inosuke is so pretty it’s unfair

dr stone: ok man dr stone rly went off. tbh. i’ve always been a whore for chemistry since reading the flavia de luce series (btw, i want more books of) and watching this just tickles my noodle brain in a good way... who needs prozac when i get a shitton of serotonin from watching senku dick around....  (btw what is going on with what’s his face and the girl. yuzuriha????? i can’t remember. i love senku don’t get me wrong but i need their perspective too... bc i hate lion dude... so much.... dick....) again i will repeat that i am a whore for chemistry so i get oFF on this. backgrounds are amazing/ animation so nice n clean (most o the time lmao). i thought i would hate the black n white haired trickster boi and ms yellow ponytail and suika but no! dr stone is such a good show that they are now great, loveable characters. also i am senku and chrome’s whore so jfc. man, i love the explanations of all the chemistry shabang, but some things i think would be better if explained! like senku doing physical labour at the beginning- ex. making all those pots and building that shit by hisself. i know he weak af. yes he smart but like. construction? difficult. pottery? even for me the artist . difficult. and that shed of his was filled to the brim. HOW. anyways, i love this so much i am crying constantly

just realized i didnt need to write about dr stone. oh well. 

danmachi 2: wtf yo. haruhime is so pretty but not a fan of her personality! bell still cute af and still don’t rly like aiz! animation good as always, and my god i shit myself whenever the argonaut theme starts up bc that is ? one of the best pieces of non-sawano hiroyuki pieces i’ve ever heard? addicted to it. and the opening! love the dynamics, the brief ‘rain’ scenes like when mikoto slashes the raindrops and just her motion basically? as an animator that is what i aspire to accomplish because i just love that. tiny little scene. 

arifureta: this would have been so much better had they dragged out mc’s op-ifying process! made him suffer more! i explained this briefly in my ‘first thoughts’ post for this season, but story-wise and pacing-wise his power-up could have been so much more deserved and gratifying. think shield hero- loser suffers, gets angry, slowly builds up power in an epic payoff! would have been so epic too. and also if they’d made his gained powers less.... crazy nerfed. again: HE SHOULD HAVE SUFFERED MORE AND THIS WOULD HAVE MADE A BETTER SHOW. harem thoughts: yue- meh. sucky char honestly. shea- my fav girl, she is a great character don’t judge- sexy and love her personality and love her character design and love how much fanservice she gets lol. panty flash ftw. dragon girl- discount darkness honestly , tho nice design. and mermaid girl- yuck, annoying,  DO NOT like the ‘papa’ trope! (ahem sao.) it’s gross. also just fuck mc’s classmates honestly- paladin dude sucks ass, healer girl OOF that last episode ruined her, samurai girl is ok i guess. hate ai-sensei too like shut UPP annoying ass HOEEEEE (postscript: opening=very epic too)

kanata no astra: plot twist? check. trillion well-done plot twists? check. this was done very well. i am so happy. all those plot twists and turns would usually suck in any regular anime- but this was written with GODLIKE ability. thank you, lerche. legit, this was such an enjoyable ride, i eagerly awaited each new ep! typically i hate space-related stuff but like! survival stuff gets my goat.... like this was good- (tho maybe more technical-stuff in the survival theme would make it so cooler) what shocked me the most: (spoilers alert) didn’t end up hating quitterie or funi. (tho the puppet made me want to strangle smth) luca’s gender had rly confused me but i’d decided on him being a boy- so basically that reveal left me like WHOA. i died. did luca rly have to show emo boy their tity tho... kanata losing his arm gave me the yeeeks, charce being the traitor was made sO WELL into a surprise even tho i’d kinda already suspected him<- like that was just fucking amazing writing there. gj. and ares the princess! ok man! shocked! AND also the whole clone thing, just fucked me right up. up the ass. like there are probably more plot twist layers in this than a fkn ogre has.... anyway shrek aside, yun?’s character arc was very pleasing, i think that was done very well! and the ending made me UwU like BRO? goals tbh. yeah this is a hidden gem and is just so good, so well-written overall. 

cop craft: didn’t have high expectations. i am now,,, quite,,, shocked &,,, blown away. sweetheart this is a good fucking show. so why @ livechart.me DOES IT HAVE 7.40 STARS WHEN FKN ARIFURETA HAS 7.72. can someone explain this to me? i’m outraged. LIVID.  matoba and tilarna were amazing characters btw! loved their dynamic! briefly i thought it might get romantic! nope, it didn’t, so it’s all good. actions scenes were epic, tilarna’s design and outfits were so much nicer than i thought they’d be like. she is so cute. and the op- man, if that is not such a bopper vibe then idk what is. i could watch it forever. it deserves so much more than what it’s got rn.

naka no hito genome: (serious question: is this considered some sort of isekai?) genome gave me btooom vibes honestly but like- this is SO much better than btooom and most game/trap/ kinda shows. fkn BOP of an op, especially the sequence at the end with short clips of each character in action (nutt). paka-san was a good boy and he deserves irl merch. i fell in LOve with all the characters (bubble boy= hot, akatsuki= ok meh actually kinda boring, karin= hot and i want her to punch me, ruromori= beautiful 12/10 would let her stalk me, sleepy eyes boy= baby + dazai vibes and hot af, twin boy= also hot, onigasaki= hot and love him so much, and loli girl= her light grenades got annoying but nice char design) anyways yeah more of this would be epic. i wanna see sakura and her twin reunite, and how they get out basically! also animation quality was very good which is surprising considering it’s a silver link anime.

kono yo no hate de koi wo utau shoujo yu-no: i include the whole title bc this is a good anime. (also livechart.me why 7.27 stars i will fuck you up) only meh part of this is the return to earth from dela granto bc that was like a culture shock and honestly at that point i’d forgotten a lot about what had happened on earth and didn’t care as much. btw, f ayumi and f the other brown-haired oneesan. mio and kanna ftw. obvs i didn’t understand the sayless x takuya thing like dumbass horny teenager . why u gotta creampie the worst girl. u have mio. bruh. (tho mio x ‘oyabi!’ boy is a great ship) also, takuya’s mom? keiko-san? idk if you’ve noticed but that’s literally my name so yeah just glad to finally have some keiko representation. altogether goodass anime. the time travel/ rezero esque reset thing almost got me but this was done well. so no problems. both ops very good. first song was bae, second also bae (just realized it’s by konomi suzuki, one of my waifu idols, so yea nice) and ed2 also so pretty! also yu-no’s design was rly pretty, the outfit colours, and her pigtails rly suited her :)

granbelm: sorry this is the last one lol this was a long ass post! other than the fact i dont rly like mecha this was good.... action, CHARACTER designs aesthetic asf, honestly rly pretty ok. i liked the cast, very diverse and more depth than most shows of this ilk. op was nicely choreographed- especially the part where the girls’ faces are contorted by their gems, showing their magical girl side. nicely done. mangetsu didn’t end up being that bad a char, and honestly? suigetsu is best girl and deserved better. and the ending too- like, bro, that made me kinda sad. some off points: anna’s mom was a little unrealistic as a mom like woman- please learn to control your child, and, white-haired girl’s sister should have played a bigger part, based on how her parts in the opening were emphasized! (quick note- blue girl, love her, great bad guy, when she dumped anna made me so happy honestly, she is beautiful, and i couldn’t actually decide who i wanted to win between her and suigetsu....)

hope u enjoyed this bad review. pls share ur opinions w/ me on some of of these more controversial shows. thank. 

[atypicalkataangist]

Bestowing Honour

Type: Oneshot [Angst]

Summary: One year after Aang’s death, his family returns to the place of his funeral to bestow honour on the late Avatar.

Word count: 2241

Author’s note: Hey guys. Today’s oneshot is actually something special for me. I used it as a vent for many emotions that were boiling up inside of me for the last while. I began writing this Oneshot about two weeks ago; It was the first anniversary of my Dad’s untimely death, who had died of pancreatic cancer last year. We visited my Dad’s grave and so many emotions were bottling up inside of me that I had to release them somewhere, and since something similar happened to the Avatar’s family, I couldn’t pass up the chance to weave my own thoughts, memories and words together with those of the characters in the story.

By the way, AtLA was pretty much the first thing i could really enjoy after everything that happened last year, and I’m very thankful for all the beautiful moments it could give me despite everything else.

So please enjoy this, and even if you don’t I understand, all I wanted to do is to write down my most intimate emotions, and I’m glad I did. This is enough sad stuff for the next while though, I’m looking forward to write about something fluffy finally again! But as you might have noticed by now, updates take a while.

Don’t forget to think positive, whatever may happen, guys; because remember what a wise man once said:

“When we hit our lowest point, we’re open to the greatest change.”

~ Dedicated to my Dad ~

The wind blew strongly at the southern cliff of yue bay. The sun hid behind a thick layer of clouds, the sky was coloured in a deep grey most of the time, only interrupted by brief seconds when the sun was given the opportunity to shine through the almost inpenetrable wall. After a short moment of sunshine however, it would go back into hiding, never to be seen again.

Neither of them had been looking forward to this day, but they all knew that it had to be done. One year ago, on this exact date, the Avatar had died. Avatar Aang, the last airbender, the bringer of piece, had met his demise after a long period of serious sickness. Even though the whole world seemed to be disconsolate about the great man's demise, his family of course was hit hardest. The last year had been an incredibly difficult time for the Avatar's wife and three adult kids; whereas the world seemed to overheap the late hero with honors like planning to build a gigantic statue of him in yue bay, or establishing an "Avatar-Aang-Memorial-Day", his family could only think about the person behind the Avatar, behind the politician, the bringer of peace.

The Avatar's burial had been a huge event, with hundreds of famous people from all around the world giving speeches, sometimes more personal and heartwarming like the one held by the Avatar's trusted friend and ally, Fire Lord Zuko, or sometimes more political and impersonal like the speech held by a nobleman from the earth kingdom, of whom Katara wasn't sure if he had actually been in the same room together with Aang just once while he was alive. According to his beliefs as an Air Nomad, his remains were cremated and his ashes handed over to the winds of yue bay, on the far end of a cliff not far from his lifelong home on air temple island. It had been a terrifying day for Katara. Even though hundreds, if not thousands of people expressed their more or less honest condolences to her, offering their help whenever she would need it, her inner instincts were just telling her to run. Run as far away as her legs would carry her. It had all been too much, way too much, and without the support of her children, she would have probably left, not bearing to witness the act of hundreds of people crying in remorse over someone they barely knew.

She had known him, better than all of them . She had loved him every day of her life. She had cared for him when he wasn't well, and she was by his side, she didn't leave him in his final days, holding his hand, watching the final bit of life leaving his frail body until his suffering came to an end. She had cried until there were no more tears to shed. She had loved him more than she had loved anything else, perhaps except for her children. She had spent her whole life at his side, going through ups and downs, highlights and crises together. They had saved the world together. They had rebuilt a culture. They raised three children together. They had been married for well over forty-five years. And they had endured ravage, destruction, wars, Appa's death, Iroh's death, rebellion, and so much more.

And all of that should've come to an end now? Because the universe decided that the world needed a new Avatar? A fresh start? With him, almost everything she cared about was taken from her, a part of her dying together with him. A part of her wished to die as well, to be reunited with him in the spirit world, to spend eternity at his side. But another part reminded her of her children, her first grandchild that was on the way, the fate of her husband's air nomad culture that lived on through the air acolytes and her son Tenzin. She secretly knew that her time had not come yet.

After his death, she didn't dare to return to their old home on air temple island. They had spent their whole lives together in that house, and there was nothing that didn't remind her of him. She needed to get out of there and never return. Many begged her to join them, like Zuko, who was more than willing to help one of his dearest and oldest friends with an apartment in the royal palace, or the ancient earth king who had always appreciated and cared for the Avatar and his family.

Nonetheless everybody knew where she was going. The day after his funeral, she took the first ship towards the south pole, her home, the only place where she had lived for longer than a few months without him by her side. Her birthplace. The place of her family, her culture, her ancestors. Her daughter Kya joined her, putting her life on pause, postponing the wedding with her fiancee. She couldn't let her mother alone in a time like that, so she cared for her for the next hard months. The late Avatar's wife barely spoke, sunken in dreams and memories, yet she appreciated her daughter's company. Her sons came to visit every now and then, at least relieved to know that she would be in good hands with Kya, but their lives kept them busy most of the time, Bumi being a general in the united forces and Tenzin being the head of a culture that had yet to be reborn. Of course Katara didn't hold a grudge against her sons. Whenever they asked if they should stay, she reminded them to get back to their duties, not to worry about their old mother.

The only positive thing, the only glimmer of hope and the only thing that finally caused her to leave the south pole once in the next year, was the birth of Tenzin's first child, Aang's and her first grandchild, a little girl named Jinora, who quickly turned out to be an airbender. It was the first time she felt something like hope again since the death of the Avatar. Yet again she felt incredibly remorseful that her husband was not there with her and his son to share this beautiful moment together, the birth of their first grandchild, the second air bender in the world.

The next months she spent at the south pole, at least returning to her usual behaviour prior to the traumatic experience. She didn't stop to teach her daughter expert water bending techniques, also training some younger waterbenders from the southern, as well as the northern water tribe. She began to slowly return to life again, regaining a purpose. Kya even caught her mother laughing from time to time, and that sound she hadn't heard for way too long was like music in her ears.

Nonetheless no day went by without Katara thinking about the love of her life. At night she often went for long walks, looking up to the sky, searching for symbols or signs as a piece of evidence for his presence, but there was nothing. Sometimes she even went out to ice fields where she had found him in the iceberg. On the day that changed her life. Where she held him in her arms for the first time. Where they exchanged their first words. Where they went penguin sledding together. She couldn't think back at this moment without tears immediately shooting up to her eyes. How much she missed him... It felt unbearable.

And now, one year after the worst day of her life, she had to return, only to be confronted again with the terrible place near the coast, where she had to scatter his ashes. At least no one else was present now, except for her children and her brother. She wanted to keep it in the family. It would be hard enough as it was.

The skies didn't seem to approve of their endeavor. Maybe it was Aang, desperately trying to let them know that he was still there; or maybe the spirits were raging again. In the end, it didn't matter anyway. It was right after noon when all of them had finally made their way to the small edge of the cliff , where nothing but a small memorial stone and a bronze plaque which simply said "Avatar Aang - 12 BG - 153 AG" gave an indication of a memorial for a great man.

They stood there in silence; Katara in the center, opposite to the memorial stone, framed by her brother and her daughter, with Bumi at Sokka's and Tenzin at Kya's other side. The wind didn't allow them to have the peace they deserved, howling and messing up their clothes and hair. By now Katara could even feel tiny raindrops against her skin. Without even realizing it, she bend the whole rain around them away, leaving them dry.

She watched her husband's memorial with hurt, painful eyes. She was the first and only one to talk. "Aang...", she barely uttered with a shaky voice, while her whole body began to tremble from grief, "we...we've been doing okay so far... but we miss you" She began to cry heartbreakingly,"...so ...so much..." Her family, her brother, her children instantly offered their support, barely capable to hold back their tears as well. She wasn't ready to be helped right now. Nobody could comfort her. Powerless, she dropped on her knees, the wind joining in to her howling, breezing through her greyish hair. She wasn't even strong enough to bend the rainwater away anymore. Her brother dropped right next to her, very gently holding her back while his tear-dimmed eyes tried to meet his sister's, gently drawing her into an intimate hug. Her crying became louder against her trusted brother's shoulder, turning into nerve-splitting howling as all the good and bad memories came back into her mind. "I... I can't do this...", she cried, repeating it over and over again.

Kya felt dizzy from the pain she felt and she could see within her mother. She felt helpless. Not even she could heal her mother's pain. Guilt, anger and pain rose up inside of her, causing her to tremble. A wave of tears broke out of her despite her efforts to hold it in. She was about to lose equilibrium, about to hit the ground, when her little brother noticed her dizziness and held her firm, pressing his grief-stricken sister against his shoulder, sniffing away tears of his own.

The only one standing alone was Bumi. Even though they didn't always come along greatly, he had loved his father very much, and he was in mourning for him after his death. He didn't want his family to notice, but now, after a whole year had passed, with so much happening in his own life, he had felt simply nothing when he came back to the place of his funeral. He knew that his father was sitting there somewhere, watching him and hopefully be proud of his son. But when his mother started to cry again, like on the same day a year back, heartshattering and nervewrecking, he couldn't help but feel somewhat angry. Maybe it was his soldier-like attitude that he had to learn while being in the forces; whatever you do, don't show weakness. Or perhaps he was angry at her, because she became so dependent on her husband being there for her, that now that he was gone, her whole life began to crumble and fall apart.

Though perhaps he was angry at himself for all those missed opportunities, perhaps for taking so much for granted in the past; for forgetting so many beautiful memories to make coping with the pain easier. For putting his own life about his mother's, leaving her and his sister alone, only to fulfill his own dreams, to live his own life.

Finally, a tear slipped out of his eye, the only thing indicating the turmoil inside of him. He stood there in silence as he tried to bring his thoughts in order, watching the memorial as he somehow tried to share his thoughts with his Dad, telling him about his deepest feelings.

He snapped out of his trance after feeling a hand touching his shoulder. It was his uncle who looked at him with weary eyes, trying to figure out if his favourite little nephew was alright inside. Not coming to a clear conclusion, he still decided to hug him.

Bumi closed his eyes. His hero's touch felt good, it reminded him of how his Dad showed his appreciation whenever he heard of his sons accomplishments in making the world a safer place. He missed moments like these. When he opened his eyes again, he saw his mother was back at her senses now, sitting in the wet grass. She looked almost childlike, despite being an older woman by now. The way she was sitting there, wiping away the last few tears with her wirstbone, not daring to raise her eyes to meet what was in front of her. Kya and Tenzin were sitting on her left; he decided to take place on her right, putting his arm around her back, gently rubbing her back in small, circular patterns. She leaned into his touch, and when he heard her calmly breathing again, he knew that one day they would be alright.

[lulusoblue]

Do you think apritello will be canon is season 5? :\ People are saying it will become canon because of the Ice Cream Kitty music video. I honestly hope nickelodeon dies if that's true (sorry for the saltiness) Also I was watching season 4 again, since season 5 completely failed to keep me interested, and I noticed something: When Raph shouts "Remember Donnie!" to April and she has flashbacks of him....Casey is in one of those flashbacks. Maybe...Just maybe...That means something?

I’ll segment my potential bias for Capril ( @onthespectrumwriting shaddup) until the end of this answer but wow I was actually opening this expecting hate or someone saying karai and shini are like sisters

Right, so, the thing about the ICK video is that it very much looks like an outside-of-canon dream sequence from Mikey’s POV. Because, thing is, where in the hell would they get a massive stage with a bunch of lights behind them, for starters. That joke make-out animation I believe is confirmed to not be part of the official video. I can get getting hype for a hint of a ship, but if a bonus video was so strongly linked to the canon then Katara would have hooked up with the Blue Spirit and we would have had Yue VS Suki before Aang VS Ozai.

And I’ll be frank, as I have been before, Apr*tello hints as of late just feel like bait to keep hold of the viewers who aren’t young boys buying Playmates’ toys. Most of their hints are just… confused? Like “oh we’ll have Donnie give off heart eyes and a nervous giggle here as a lil somethin’ for those shippers there”. They don’t really give off the impression of “we’re actually building to something here” because it feels one-sided. (just a note I haven’t watched anything beyond the Demodragon arc in S5 so any other hints I will not have seen yet. i’m like you, anon, S5 just doesn’t catch my interest)

And, yeah, watching The Power Inside Her didn’t give me anything that was hinting at how April may feel towards Donnie. If Ciro is aiming for Apr*tello he could’ve used the biggest ship tease he had up his sleeve with that kiss from the episode that still makes my eye twitch uncontrollably. But he doesn’t? Like? of all the April/Donnie exclusive moments in the same shot he chooses a quick hug from an ep with Casey also in the shot? If Ciro is trying to Apr*tello he is not Apr*telloing very well as all. It’s another reason why I don’t want it to be canon, because if this ship was end game they haven’t done it well at ALL. They’ve half-assed it.

This show came from one of the people behind Teen Titans, and the relationship between Robin and Starfire was built up, shown to be mutual, and the characters’ interactions and relationship was written respectfully enough that their kiss and subsequent confirmation of them becoming a couple felt earned. And then Ciro worked on TMNT and wtf happened there.

And now I bring up the elephant in the room: Casey. They keep putting in all these little interactions and nods to them being close as though they’re saying “hey look we haven’t forgotten we kept teasing these guys before as well” since they supposedly dropped the love triangle bull near the end of the Farmhouse arc. They bothered to animate April and Casey’s look at each other before awkwardly looking away and April giving that smile. They put the time, effort, and money to have Casey make an unvoiced 10-second cameo in City at War to give April a lil reassuring nod and cut back to her relaxing and smiling back. And while it is not exclusively a romantic gesture especially given what’s going on at the time, they had the two of them on two separate occasions - at the end of Requiem and at the farmhouse in Owari - standing together with Casey’s arm around April’s shoulders. They put the time and effort and money putting these shots into the show knowing full well how fans/children viewing the show might take it. So what the hell is going on?

It just feels like the writers are pulling our legs, anon. It was originally RAPH who was going to have the crush on April, but then it was switched to Donnie. In that light, it feels more like they aren’t/weren’t committed to April having a legit romantic relationship with a turtle as they were to the idea of April manoeuvring around the awkward shenanigans of a giant mutant turtle’s first experience with girls and hormones.

I am hoping and legit praying that Apr*tello doesn’t become canon because I just don’t think the writers actually care anymore. From the looks of it the last of their passion was squeezed out into the Usagi arc and from here on out it’s just gonna be “write this paycheck done”. Much as I loathe this ship even I will say it deserves better than the half-arsed baity treatment it’s been getting.

It also doesn’t help that 2012 Donatello is like watching Friends 10 years later and realising how much of an inflexible rigid ass Ross Gellar actually is.

[comradekatara]

The gaang + Mai, Ty Lee, and Azula, (including Suki in the gaang) and also Yue, do they have a favorite comfort item from childhood that they still have or remember fondly?

katara: she keeps her mother’s memory and her grandmother’s legacy around her neck wherever she goes, and it grounds her and drives her, fuels her and reminds her what it’s all for.

aang: he doesn’t have many possessions from his pre-iceberg childhood, but he does still have his old best friends appa and bumi with him, does that count?

sokka: his boomerang was one of his favorite toys as a child. (he loved the feeling of launching it and having it return to his hands when nothing else did.) all too quickly, it became his most reliable weapon.

toph: she was never the sentimental type, not one to keep materialistic little mementos, far too grounded and pragmatic for that nonsense. that is, until sokka gives her a chunk of meteorite he kept specifically to give to her, so she could practice her metalbending with it, a chance to bend “space earth.” she keeps it around her arm every day until she dies.

zuko: his blue spirit mask reminds him of his mother; after all, he first learned of the character of the blue spirit from the opera she took him to go see. (azula all but fell asleep with her eyes open, but zuko was enthralled by the production. he wouldn’t stop rambling about it for weeks after, and ursa entertained all his questions and theories and nitpicks.) when he dons his mask and unsheathes his dao, he acutely remembers her.

suki: she keeps her first set of training fans, given to her by the previous leader of the kyoshi warriors, in a drawer in her nightstand at home. they’re just paper, and she knows she should recycle them for new recruits, but she just can’t bear to part with them. they remind her of how far she’s come.

yue: the northern water tribe royal family has been kind of pai sho obsessed ever since the era of kuruk. she played a lot as a child, especially with her mother. she keeps a pai sho set with her on (in?) the moon. it can be lonely, sometimes, having no one here to play her, but it’s a comfort just knowing it’s there.

mai: she was a kid who often read as if to escape into other worlds (the further from her own, the better), and she’ll often reread books she enjoyed in childhood to see if they hold up. they usually do.

ty lee: when they were still little babies in the royal fire academy for girls, mai wrote ty lee a haiku and gave it to her when no one was looking. mai denies ever writing it, but ty lee still keeps the evidence, and will never let it go. (“I like your hair loose / falling around your shoulders / like rich, deep sea waves.”)

azula: after ursa disappeared with little warning, azula decided it might be better off to simply pretend as if she never existed. nonetheless, she stood in ursa’s abandoned closet when no one was looking, and stole a few keepsakes. none of her tacky jewelry, or gaudy robes, but perhaps a jade comb her mother was fond of. she doesn’t need to brush her own hair—she has servants for that—but when she uses that comb to untangle her locks, she can, for a moment, pretend her mother is there doing it for her.

[comradekatara]

omg amazing do you have Thao songs you would assign to the gaang+?

instead of answering this ask like i did, for example, the fiona apple one, i’m gonna answer it like i did this ask, focusing on a singular album and the feelings it evokes. i’ve been listening to temple a lot lately so i felt that it made sense to focus on, especially considering its overarching themes. 

temple is about intergenerational trauma, specifically between a mother and daughter, and the pressure of the daughter to live out the dreams her mother could not due to the ruination of war. therefore, i feel like it applies to katara in multiple ways: living out the dreams of her mother, grandmother, hama, and other waterbenders and/or women whose lives were lost to genocide, imperialist warfare, and even arranged marriages. but also, as a victim of that war herself, and reconstructing the southern water tribe as the only southern waterbender left, passing on that legacy to her daughter, and to korra, (and her other waterbending pupils, i would imagine,) knowing that they got to have the childhood free of war she had always longed for. i believe that korra would feel that mantle of responsibility strongly, as an extremely privileged kid growing up in a society that was on the brink of extinction less than a lifetime ago, and being mentored by someone who was exposed to the worst horrors of the war firsthand when she was only a child, and spent the rest of her lifetime trying to repair the damage. katara and korra’s relationship just means a lot to me okay.... 

phenom okay this song can definitely apply to lots of different characters: katara (”when the scorched of the earth / come back by sea”), toph (i know she’s extremely upper class but she’s also a disabled woman and as we see that puts her in an extremely tentative position that forces her into a position of docility and humiliation that she staunchly resists), mai & ty lee (irt their relationship to azula, their families, and the fire nation at large), but it first & foremost reminds me of hama, her overwhelming power, and her unquenchable thirst for revenge after the horrors the fire nation put her through. 

lion on the hunt reminds me of azula’s rage & despair when she realizes that ozai doesn’t care about her and was only using her for his own ends, taking credit for all her (evil imperialist conquest) hard work while he just sat on his throne basking in the glory of having finally taken ba sing se. obviously the original context of the song itself is nothing so insidious, but the lyrics “they said I polish and astonish, and so why not me? / and then they said it's complicated and some wah, wah, wah / I made the map and you put you on it, pay me handsomely” really does remind me of that scene in “sozin’s comet” when we see azula’s reaction to ozai discarding her. 

pure cinema this song is absolutely fuel for my “mai and sokka become best friends after the war” agenda because it totally resonates with both of them! they both feel like hollow shells driven by fear, a mere fraction of a person, just one incomplete piece of a puzzle. crucially, the difference lies in sokka’s eventual growth, later helping toph and zuko with those same feelings of displacement from their families by finding a new one. despite having loving and supportive biological family members, sokka is a depressed cynic with a fear of vulnerability, and it is the fact that he reaches out to them from a place of understanding that solidifies their respective places in this new family (suki too but she’s a far less developed character). concurrent to sokka, toph, and zuko’s ingratiation into the group, mai continues to feel alienated by azula’s insincerity and fear-stoking, and it is only at the end of her arc that she is able to stand up to azula and act authentically, but once she does, she is finally able to realize that she had true love all along.   

marauders reminds me of the tension established in sokka’s relationship with suki in “the serpent’s pass:” how his guilt and trauma over losing yue makes him push suki away out of fear that he won’t be able to protect her. but by promising to protect him in turn, she proves to him that their relationship can be an equal partnership devoid of obligation––that their romance is not doomed despite his misgivings.  

how could i makes me think of sokka’s guilt complex when it comes to not being able to protect the people he loves. katara was present for kya’s final moments, but sokka was on the other side of the village when she was murdered, and didn’t know what had happened until it was too late. and then, he considers it his fault that yue sacrificed herself for the moon spirit, because arnook explicitly told him to protect her. her physical body literally died in his arms. and as we see later, in moments such as in “the swamp” or “the serpent’s pass,” even though it was the fire nation’s fault (yon rha & zhao specifically) that kya & yue were forced to sacrifice themselves, he is still plagued by guilt. 

disclaim evokes iroh’s legacy with his son(s), the guilt of realizing too late the devastation and atrocities for which he is responsible, and how he considers it his responsibility to shape zuko into the man he iroh should have been, and lu ten could have been. of course, the line “I was once an honorable man” is both incisive & ironic, since honor is an arbitrary construct, and iroh is no longer considered honorable because he developed morals. “I don't believe it's your destiny / to always chase my memory / how could it be insincere / to very clearly disappear” is interesting in this context because iroh clearly wants zuko to assume the throne and redeem the legacy of the fire nation, but in book 2, he’s also perfectly content to open a teashop and close himself off to the world outside the walls of ba sing se, along with his nephew. he knows that he and zuko have a duty to redeem the sins of their family, but there is a very large part of him that would be perfectly content with ignoring the outside world in favor of letting zuko heal. iroh is a complex character, but his love for zuko is never in doubt. 

rational animal reminds me of toph’s arc: abandoning her oppressive environment (specifically, her abusive father) and choosing to live authentically: not conforming to society’s standards and limitations for her as a disabled girl (who also rejects femininity). the bridge of “i believe my own eyes” becomes even more powerful due to the fact that toph’s experiences are constantly invalidated by authority figures due to her disability. she is keenly perceptive and empathetic––and not despite her blindness, but, in large part, because of it. 

i’ve got something is an extremely zuko song tbh. having the humanity & compassion stamped out of you to fulfill an imperialist agenda only to resist it due to your capacity for caring & overwhelming sensitivity that is impossible to ignore––that’s what it’s all about babey!!! 

marrow is actually about all of them because they are all children of war who are capable of being loved and of loving in return! but aang and katara’s genocide trauma and their unbreakable bond over their shared grief and desire for understanding, companionship, and happiness is especially potent, as always.