#when zutara ARE that way in public

[zukosdualdao]

tbh in my headcanon conception of them zutara is not super pda-heavy. they like being near to each other, they can read each other’s expressions really well, they gravitate toward one another almost without thought (even before they get together), and they’re very much the “sit on the same side of the booth” couple and pretty much always know where each other is in a room at a given time.

but those intimate gestures—holding hands, kissing, gently cupping each other’s faces, comforting embraces—are something they largely like to keep private, something just for them.

[sokkastyles]

This is something I've turning around in my mind due to the general discourse around Katara "hating" Zuko, and obviously she doesn't hate him at all after TSR, but do you think she truly even /hated/ him after Ba Sing Se? She was absolutely within her right to be hurt and angry about his choice, and I'm glad the show actually let her hold onto that for awhile b/c so often K has to be the bigger person and manage everyone else's emotions, but being hurt and angry at someone, even lashing out at them b/c of that, isn't the same thing as hating them imo. Like tbh their entire vibe to me from the moment Zuko turns up at the Western Air Temple until TSR is exes after a bad breakup but there's still unresolved feelings there, which was certainly an interesting writing choice for them to go with (only made more so by the textbook romance writing grovelling in TSR.)

Yeah, she isn't mad at him because she hates him, she's mad at him because she cares about him, because she wanted to care about him, and because she thought he cared about her. Even when she tells the gaang that Zuko was "pretending to be a human being" in the catacombs, it gives the impression that she is trying to convince herself that what she's saying is true, that the moment they shared and the vulnerability Zuko showed in that moment wasn't real.

The other thing that gives the lie to the idea that Katara hates Zuko or just sees him as an enemy is that when she confronts him when they are alone, and threatens him, she doesn't react to him like she thinks he's lying about wanting to do the right thing, she confronts him about how "you and I both know you've struggled with doing the right thing in the past." In front of everyone else, she makes it seem like she thinks Zuko is just evil, but when she's alone with him, she makes it clear that she knows he isn't, and that this is really about how she can't trust him, how he broke her trust. It's personal, not just about him being fire nation.

And the fact that she waited to tell him this in private, while denying her feelings in public, is absolutely romantic coded. I've also pointed out before that the framing of the confrontation mirrors the final scene between Zuko and Mai (or rather, that the Zuko and Mai scene, which is explicitly romantically coded, mirrors this one), Katara standing in the doorway to interrupt Zuko's triumphant moment with a reminder that his past isn't so easily moved past, and a reminder of who he's hurt. It absolutely gives vibes of an ex who you still have feelings for.

Which is why it's hilarious that Bryke made that comment about zutara being a relationship you experience before realizing what you really need (with the implication that Katara really needs Aang and Zuko really needs Mai), because what it actually feels like is two people who were immediately drawn to each other, ended up hurting each other, broke it off, but then still had feelings for each other and ended the series closer than they were before. If Bryke really wanted us to think zutara were not good for each other, then there could have been a moment where, when Zuko and Katara get their closure with each other, there's also the G-rated equivalent of "let's just be friends." Maybe have Katara say something like, "I forgive you, but I can't make the choice you want me to make." This is also in an alternate universe where Zuko more explicitly encourages Katara to kill Yon Rah. But none of that happens. The episode does not tell us that Zuko is not good for Katara or vice versa. It has Katara end the episode by explicitly disagreeing with Aang and enthusiastically embracing Zuko without any hesitation at all.

That hug is so meaningful because it's the release of tension that the narrative has been building up since that moment in the catacombs. It's not that Katara hated Zuko but now cares about him, it's that she wanted to care about him way back in the catacombs and now she's able to express that without being afraid that he'll break her trust.

[victimsofyaoipoll]

Round 1

Propaganda under the cut

Mai

she’s constantly pushed aside for the zuko/sokka ship :/ like i’m not a fan of mai/zuko but they always forget her or make her a wingwoman or make her a villain. 

She's a very interesting character who had the misfortune of being the love interest of the series' most popular character, Zuko, which immediately made her public enemy No. 1 in certain parts of the fandom. Tbh I think she's more a victim of zutara (an m/f ship) than zukka (m/m) but zukka also screwed her over so it counts. She's at best sidelined and at worst demonized. There's a whole section of the fandom who'll swear up and down she's abusive for telling Zuko to deal with his mental health issues himself. There's whole essays on it and I'm not exaggerating.

tell me WHY people think she's abusive just because she?? got mad at zuko?? when zuko was being a horrible boyfriend to begin with?? because theyre both teenagers and they were literally Acting Like Teenagers?? anyway no more mai hate the world has moved past the need for mai hate

Suki

she is a kickass warrior and she is so so beautiful and kind and outstanding in every way but gets thrown in the trash frequently because people love the gays (zuko and sokka)(I like them but you cannot remove suki from the equation she is integral)

My girl is a whole fucking badass warrior, who has an equally bad ass warrior boyfriend, who gets completely ignored and disregarded by the Sukka or whatever the Zuko/Sokka fandom is called. They could a done a cool poly thing but nah, fully forget about my girl's existence. Mad disrespectful 

a great warrior and leads a group of women warriors at kyoshi island. intelligent but empathetic. wields a fan. a tough feminist and is ALSO part of the atla GAANG @ fandom and also dear god please stop sidelining/ignoring her/forgetting/killing her @ fandom) and she deserves better in the narrative too.

[atla-fandom-confessions]

I don't like all the atla ships. What do you think of this twist?

I don't like Aang I don't like zutara I don't like kataang maiko and others. You don't have to dislike Aang and still be a zutara shipper.

People don't like Aang for certain reasons.

He doesn't try to. All he has to do is play. He doesn't think about the consequences. He runs away. He sets people up. He is a thief and a liar. He doesn't like the culture of his future wife. Gosh they live in the north where even trees can't grow. They have to make skins to keep from freezing to death. In such cold conditions it is impossible to walk in plant-based clothing. Only a plant-based diet in the cold is death. What can they do to die? Vegetables for swt must be very expensive and as I understand it they had no trade with Eath Kingdom. What did Aang want? That the swt would suddenly become vegetarian and stop following their survival traditions? Some people have an intolerance to certain vegetables. That makes such a diet even worse.

Aang insults his wife's feelings. He compared his mother's death to the loss of a pet. He doesn't seem to understand the value of life well enough. Aang says that the rapist should go unpunished because apparently Aang is a monk. But friends I remind you that in earlier episodes he didn't care that he was beating Zuko. Aang suddenly became a pacifist. Not all monks are pacifists. Aang makes up other people's feelings. The moment in the play was a red flag to me. Aang was willing to pursue a Nazi marriage policy until he realized that it prevented him from marrying Katara. By the way the real air nomads were divided along gender lines. He has no respect for his culture. He only takes from his culture what is acceptable to him. Because of this thing we learned very little about the air nomads. Aang burned Katara. He hurt her. Why is this overlooked?

Aang touches Katara without her consent. Moreover, if atla is the Asian world then such a relationship would be reprehensible. Relationships in Asia are very different. You can't just kiss someone in public or because you want to.

Zutara might be like a brief romance. They have to separate due to certain circumstances and Katara is too stubborn. The most you can get out of them is a political marriage.

Zukka is disgusting. You say Zuko is a colonizer he stops being a colonizer when he comes to Sokka. Amazing transformation. Just amazing. You don't like zutara because of the mix of races but zukka is the same. You are racists even though you like gays. Zuko is not a colonizer by the way. Read what colonization is before you say such a big word.

Maiko are boring. The argument about embarrassment is not accepted. Mai was ready to kill Zuko and went back to him as soon as he got his confession. It was Azula's provocation.

Toph is a child. Aang is also a child. I don't understand why he started sexualizing Katara. It was too fast. Aang doesn't understand the word "no" it sounds like a red flag.

x

[geothewriter]

Zutara Week 2023 - Day 6: Forge

You must look within yourself to save yourself from your other self. Only then will your true self reveal itself.  ~Prince Zuko - Time Ambiguous

One’s self identity will constantly flow and furrow along their life’s pathway. Their sense of self may evolve throughout, affected either by life changing events, or slowly adapt, molded by small pressures. A person’s sense of self may also be forged in fire, molded by immense hammer strikes, deforming their sense of being in mere fractions of time. Most individuals will only have one or two life-forging events in their lifetimes. 

The Fire Lord is not most individuals. His early life was simple, happy even; however, his young adult life was filled with turmoil, torment, and trauma. Forging event after forging event shaped and distorted his entire being time and time again. He journeyed from the side of genocide and evil to its polar opposite. As his formative years ended, he underwent one final forging event, his most dramatic. 

He joined with a group set to overthrow his own father and end the hundred year war. The event that changed everything was one of self discovery, learning who he was and who he could be. It goes to say, that one so volatile and immersed within life’s ever changing tides would be subject to further moments of immense change. The Fire Lord’s malleability was soon brought to an end. The tumultuous forging of his youth was stopped not by constant growth, but by a cooling tempering. 

Not long after rising to his status as Fire Lord, he had found himself under such immense stresses that his body began to buckle under the pressure. He had stopped eating, struggled sleeping, and could barely function. His council nearly removed him from his position due to incompetence, in spite of his early actions. A life-forging event was clearly on the horizon for the young ruler.

A young woman of blue reintroduced herself into his life at this critical point. Her element was opposite his in every way. Where he was volatile, she was calm. Where his consciousness was unfocused, hers was sharp. When he was uncertain, she was definite. She brought balance to him in every way, and he to her. 

The council retracted their proposal for the removal of the Fire Lord shortly after her arrival. He regained his confidence. His vigor for pivotal change in the lands showed through, as it had in his first weeks as ruler. Some say she was the sole driving force that pushed him to be at his best. Others say her presence simply calmed the storm beneath the surface. 

I know them both. I know him, past and present. I know her, her love, mind, and history. To say she calmed the storm would be incredibly wrong. Beneath the surface of who she shows of herself in public, a storm rages unabated. To say he was pushed by her to be his best would be wrong as well. He always wanted the best for himself and others. She showed him that it was acceptable to allow the outside world to witness his hidden almost always-hidden characteristics.

They saved one another. Their opposites created balance. They drove each other to better themselves and those around them. Rulers as they both became, they forged their futures, tempered by their love of the other. Fire Lord Zuko and Fire Lady Katara brought a better future to the world, together. Without their love, I fear the world would have fallen to significant imbalance and become a far, far darker place.

~Excerpt taken from Avatar Aang’s biographic journal outlining the years immediately following Fire Lord Zuko’s rise to power.

If you like my writing, check out my other works over on AO3!

@zutaraweek

[fabdante]

20 Questions For Fic Writers

I was tagged by my dear friend @thevampireauthoress on this post ! I tag all the fic writers who follow me and see this because I want to see what you guys are up to!!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

Five! I write every day but only started posting fan fic a year ago and I have more I'm cleaning up to post!

2. What's your total AO3 word count? 36,380

3. What fandoms do you write for?

A Lot. If post about it odds are I've written something about it in some form or another.

The ones I have public fics for are DmC: Devil May Cry and ATLA. I frequently write for World of Warcraft (mostly ocs) privately though and have been making my way back to TF2, Borderlands, and Bioshock works lately.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Since I have only five I can give the whole rundown asdfghj the Zutara fics are, unsurprisingly, the heavy hitters

An Inexact Science

Detours

Pinky Promise

Crossroads of Catharsis and Contemplation

A Series of Mild Prophesies

Also the stats chart cracks me up:

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I try to! I get to most of them! Sometimes when a fic is older and someone just leaves a short little 'this was nice!' or whatever, I don't respond but other then that I do. I get very excited when anyone likes any of my works asdfghjkl

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Uh...probably Swan Song, which is yet to be posted. Swan Song will definitely probably have the solidly most angst filled ending.

7. What is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Just limiting myself to what's already posted on AO3, anything in the Circumnavigators of Celestial Bodies series so far has had pretty happy endings. It's not tinged with the like dramatic irony of anything in Drafting A Swan and both fic's thus far in Circumnavigators end on fairly positive notes I think

8. Do you get hate on fics?

As of now, no

9. Do you write smut? If so what kind?

I have but I haven't published any of it yet and I'm not sure I will ever. My favorites to write are definitely monsterfucking related, followed by more general kink but like monsterfucking is the best to write.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

I am an avid lover of crossovers, particularly crazy crossovers. I feel like I have several contenders for the most crazy.

First up would be the massive multi fandom high school au my girlfriend and I developed containing like every video game we liked at the time which I still sometimes write because I find the character dynamics fascinating but I doubt, due to the highly niche nature of this crossover, that it'd ever see the light of day (if you ever wanted August Borderlands and Rachel Amber Life Is Strange to talk on the roof of a trailer in the trailer park they both live in though, I am the gal to ask I guess because boy do I have that and I will provide)

Second up would be in a similar vein but like somehow even less attached to any of the serial numbers qualifying it as fan fic. That one is set in a Bioshock AU where Rapture lasted until the 80s somehow under different leadership. It is also a massive multi fandom AU but this time with gang warfare under the sea in a very AU'd version of Rapture. Similarly, it will never see the light of day with the serial numbers attached because it is just so niche as it is that like...I have no idea who would want to read that asdfghjkl I rarely write it anymore despite loving a lot of the concepts and dynamics, and I feel like it'd just be more effective to just rip off the remaining serial numbers and let it be free if I ever wanted to publish it somewhere.

Third craziest is perhaps less crazy but just very weird. But I have an ongoing series of fics where Brigid Tenenbaum from Bioshock 1 and Booker Dewitt from Bioshock Infinite just sort of hang out in this space beyond time and space and just get very cerebral about their oddly parallel lives and similar traumas because a hill I will die on is that they are the parallels of one another between those games, not anyone else. They're very written 'For Fabdante' so they are not very polished and I call them 'Bioshock Void Fics'

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I am aware of

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not that I am aware of

13. Have you ever co-authored a fic?

When I was waaay younger yes! Those are really old and locked away on fanfiction.net though.

14. What is your all time favourite ship?

Vergil and Kat/Verat from DmC: Devil May Cry. They are my everything.

15. What is a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I never want to say never because I do intend to finish these things but here's two:

I have this ATLA fan fic tentatively titled Avatar Champloo which isn't exactly a crossover, more just like an Avatar story featuring the Ba Sing Se kids (Jet, Zuko, and Jin) that plays homage to the vibes and general essence of Samurai Champloo, extrapolating on the already very heavy Samurai Champloo vibes of ATLA. Samurai Champloo is like one of my all time favorite shows so living up to it has been a tall order for me and I fear I will never finish this fic asdfghjk.

I have a few Zelda/Zelgan WIPs that I fear I will never finish. One being a very long one shot based off the idea of a Zelgan romance from the perspective of a bodyguard Link which I'm really fond of, but just have a lot of trouble editing. To give perspective, it was the first fic I ever considered publishing on AO3. And it's still not done to satisfaction for me and thus, not my first fic on AO3.

Obligatory Swan Song (my really long multichapter DmC: Devil May Cry, Verat based, prequel) mention. I don't doubt I'll finish it one day exactly, but when that day will be is far beyond my comprehension asdfghjk

16. What are your writing strengths?

Uh...ngl I have no idea lmaooooo I like how I handle small moments, I guess. Most of what I like to write is small moments between people, and I think I'm pretty ok at that. I'm good at rambling.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Writing multichapter things, I feel. Because I like small moments too much, I struggle to keep things relevant I feel. The biggest issues with Swan Song, I think, are just there being a lot of useless scenes. I struggle a lot with knowing how long scenes should be in something thats more then a one shot and how to transition between those scenes effectively.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in fic?

I don't know any other language confidently enough to write it, so it's not something I ever do nor have an opinion on. I do write a lot of multilingual characters, and when I do I just tend to write the dialogue in italics then notate that the character is now speaking another language in the descriptor so that the reader knows what the italics mean.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Probably ATLA when I was a waaay younger. Writing Circumnavigators has been a return to my roots, I suppose, asdfghjk

20. Favourite fic you've written?

My favorite posted fic is definitely Crossroads of Catharsis and Contemplation. It's got everything for me and is exactly the type of thing I love to write the most.

Unposted? Depending on how it goes, I might have a runner up that is a preboot DMC fic which is a grunge band AU told through excerpts from a biography novel and the interviews within about said grunge band. Similarly, it has everything for me and is exactly the type of thing I love to write asdfghjkl

Thank you again for tagging me!! And once again, I mean it when I say please count yourself as tagged by me if you want to answer these because I really, really would love to see what you guys are writing!!

[doberbutts]

I'm proship, and I'm sorry you've had a bad experience with proshippers. I'm mixed race, and I feel you. Some people take-up a certain ideology because they have a certain interest and only care about how it benefits them. But that doesn't make that person *not* part of the ideology, and those attitudes should be constantly combatted by those in the community rather than saying "Oh but they're ~not really~ proship" and washing their hands of it.

It's why a lot of POC who agree with proship ideology feel disconnected to the label as well, and why instead they're taking up different labels or just generally stepping away from it. I mostly use it because it's a recognizable label but I too feel that disconnect more and more.

I also agree that writing something doesn't mean someone is free from criticism, and there's a fine line between critiquing and harassment in fandom spaces, especially with people who are more reachable than say, a big name author or media company. Emotions fly, friend groups get angry, and people who are being talked about are going to confront the person talking about them, and it gets nasty fast when someone feels they've been insulted. Harassment is bad, but conflict is also not inherently harassment, and I wish more people in every aspect would understand that and would just block people, vent about it in private, and move on rather than making it into a moral crusade and tagging posts about it with the intent to garner more attention to it. And that part doesn't even necessarily apply to shipping discourse but can apply to any community.

Not to be all fandom old, but I really do think part of this is how mainstream fandom has become. Instead of people making and culminating their own communities with like minded people, everyone gets tossed together. I'm not saying it never happened back in the day, but when people with opposing views are now stuck together, it naturally causes tension and conflict to arise, and since again, everything in now in only a select few places that are all easily accessible to anyone with an internet connection, things get nastier faster while being more in public view

Not to BACK IN MY DAY or anything but I so miss the days of thousands of PHPBB forums and IRC rooms for every little niche of fandom and how you could really find your people very easily in that manner. I don't mind that I have a one-stop-shop for the bulk of my blorbo needs but having lost the separate fan spaces I think really changed the way fandom works nowadays.

That and how many fandoms are barely a flash in the pan before people move on to something else. It's natural that things slow down after a while but it feels like people are more willing to hop franchise to franchise rather than stay and curate a space, and so a lot of people demand that these spaces cater to them specifically without actually giving back or putting any effort into making spaces that suit them better.

Not that there wasn't plenty of fandom drama back then, don't get me wrong. But I feel the problem was different- the drama was insular, rather than someone in XYZ fandom saying someone in ABC fandom is inherently a bad person because the source material showed a titty. The Zutara vs Kataang wars of old were nothing compared to this proship antiship nonsense. And we at least recognized it was nonsense.

[arverst-aegnar]

8, 15, 25, 34, 40 for zutara :)

<3

8 - What’s one way their personalities compliment one another?

I can't define it exactly, but their perspectives (i guess??) differ in ways that mostly cover each other's blind spots. They're both "act from the heart" people, but Katara's heart is based on her strong personal sense of morality while Zuko's is more based on his cultural values -- Katara helps the people of Jang Hui because she can't not do something about the problem, while Zuko speaks up for the 41st because of Fire Nation beliefs about loyalty and honor.

15 - Who is more likely to make an impulsive decision and who is the voice of reason?

Both of them. It just depends on the situation.

A Fire Nation councilor makes a derogatory comment about Katara? She prevents Zuko from firing him on the spot and calmly makes a note of it on the list she's compiling of this particular councilor's unprofessional behavior to force him out for good.

War criminal gets off on a technicality? Katara's ready to charge out there and introduce them to her very specific ideas for justice, and Zuko has about fifteen minutes to … well, about the best he can do is convince her to let him come along and do it in a more legal way, or at the very least, more stealthy.

25 - Who’s the most stubborn?

They're both pretty stubborn, but in terms of their relationship, i'm gonna give Katara the prize. Broadly speaking, when it comes to interpersonal relationships, Zuko is more used to giving way. Even as he learns to be more assertive for himself, he can't bring himself to stand in her way for very long.

34 - Do they give each other nicknames?

Katara uses endearments -- honey, sweetie, etc. She doesn't use them excessively, usually in private settings, but also when she's being affectionate or reassuring and wants to give it more force. More specific epithets are used sarcastically or when she's annoyed with him.

Zuko can be very poetic or romantic when the mood takes him, so he has a number of flowery pet names or titles for her. He never uses them in public unless he's certain no one else can hear. The majority of them show up in their personal letters and nowhere else. Katara loves them all.

40 - Who makes the other smile with almost no effort at all?

Katara both smiles more easily, and Zuko is more prone to doing things that result in her smiling without meaning to. The gap between the two narrows over the years, as Zuko is able to relax and feel comfortable showing emotion, and doing things that make him smile becomes something so instinctive Katara doesn't necessarily even need to think about it.

[halfhoursonearth-writes]

Hey! Just wanting to talk to you about fan fic/writing in general. Just curious about your story if you’d like to share. I just started seriously writing in November but I’ve always dabbled in writing random stories and stuff. I have this idea for an original book but I’m working on the world building rn/writing fan fic.

YES. Here are too many words in response so apologies in advance, but always down to chat about fic and original writing and the space between.

The original fiction I've worked on is pretty different than what I've been up to with fic. I'm really not big on the distinctions between literary and genre fiction, at least qualitatively, but if there's such a thing as a traditional literary fiction background, that's where I've wandered here from. Not sure how much more I want to say about this on a public forum (didn't see a way to respond privately; tumblr is confusing lol), but I got pretty tired of the world that surrounds what gets called literary fiction and honestly some of the writing itself (at least a certain type of contemporary American literary fiction). And if I wasn't enjoying reading a lot of it, why was I trying to write it? Why was I writing experimental short stories for what felt like a vanity audience?

I couldn't answer those questions in ways that weren't fundamentally wrapped up in ambition and prestige for me in a way that started to sap out all the joy. I don't think ambition is bad! But divorced from passion it felt hollow. I wanted writing to feel the way it did when I was staying up late to write poems as a teenager. Vital and personal and a way to connect. I lost that thread, and I didn't write for years.

I fell into fic writing literally through the sheer force of Zutara brainrot (lol) during the height of the pandemic, and I felt like it healed me. Here was a space where people were writing and reading voraciously out of passion. There was community and conversation and so much talent and intellectual engagement. I had read fanfic in the past, but had never really taken part in fandom spaces.

I think after I wrap up IAYF I want to try to figure out how to feel this way about original fiction again. And I think writing in the same genre I've been writing in fic in is probably a good way to do it--ya or fantasy--or apply some of the fic formula by approaching/reframing an old folktale or something. I also think I want to keep writing fic because I find it really rewarding! But world-building feels newer to me, something I find both wonderful and daunting! So yeah--if you ever want to chat about the world-building you're doing for your book, let me know!

[the-zk-directory]

Has the Zutara fandom ever analyzed this (x) interview with Aaron Ehasz? ‘Cause I really think we should...

I think it’s the only time he’s ever directly addressed Zutara publicly. And, of course, he doesn’t say much, and certainly doesn’t confirm the rumours -- but I still find this video incredibly interesting, especially within the context of said rumours.

Girl (Ingrid): “Okay so, if you could change one thing in the legend of Aang, what would it be?”

^^Starting off with an interesting exchange because she knows what she’s really asking

^^And he knows what she’s really asking.

AE: Y’know, I’m, *stutters* --- It’s hard, because I’m happy with how it turned out…

                                                           ----x----

AE: I’ll tell you the one thing that comes to mind…

                                                          ----x----

AE: …which is not what you’re expecting and it’s a little bit… petty *proceeds to go into something else which, while interesting, is not at all related to shipping*

                                                          ----x----

AE: I don’t know, that’s probably not the best answer you were hoping for but uhhh… MAYBE that’s the thing that I would change…

                                                          ----x----

AE: but, I respect the choices that the directors made and that Mike and Bryan made, y’know – probably good reasons.

“I respect the choices Mike & Bryan made” does not sound to me like someone who always agreed with the choices Mike & Bryan made.

So, he successfully deflects away from talking about shipping. But then he gets a little bold:

AE: What were you hoping I was going to say, Ingrid? *jump cut* What would you change?

Ingrid: Are you sure you want to know this? Are you sure?

AE: You can tell me. You can trust me. You can tell me. I wanna hear it.

Seems he really wants to hear it. Hmm, why would a writer, who, ~potentially~ had quite a few arguments with the creators of a show in which he advised them about a certain topic (advice which would have evidently been ignored), and who seems ~potentially~ unwilling to speak about the topic directly (but ~potentially~ still harbors a bit of frustration about the whole thing)… be so eager to hear an audience member’s public opinion on said topic?

(Especially when said opinion ~potentially~ validates his side of the ~potential~ argument?)

Just a hypothetical.

Ingrid: I would like Zuko and Katara to be together…

AE: *nods*

Ingrid: [...] because, that scene, where she almost uses the water from the oasis to heal his scar it was, like, so much tension…

AE: …yeahhh

Ingrid: And they seemed like, so in love…

AE: yeah

                                                          ----x----

*jump cut* (I believe)

AE: I will say, I’ve seen some “fake” interviews with me online from time to time in which… I’ve seen fake interviews with me where – where it was not actually me

“fake”

This is interesting; I actually only noticed this as I was working on making this post. Why does he put air quotes around ‘fake’?

Definition of air quotes from idioms.thefreedictionary.com:

A hand gesture done when speaking to draw attention to a particular statement or indicate that it was someone else's words or that one is skeptical or critical of its use (similar to scare quotes in print media). Air quotes are made by curling the index and middle fingers of both hands at the same time in order to mimic the shape of quotation marks.

AE: *proceeds to wheedle out of giving an answer one way or another on ZK vs. KA by just saying that he lets the characters guide him, blah, blah, blah.*

No one brought up the rumours either. He brought them up himself, only showing that he’s well aware of them, but doesn’t want anyone to mistake what was written in that “fake” interview (this one (x)) as something he’s said publicly.

                                                         ----x----

AE: Like the question: Are you Zutara? *jump cut* I try not to root for ships because… I have to stay open minded to what the characters are gonna tell me and what -- what it’s going to tell me and the other writers. So, we try to follow them through on their stories and figure out what’s happening and pay attention to like, the signals that the characters are giving us, and then be open to the natural thing happening right.

I mean, sure, this is what a good writer’s supposed to do.

But like, clearly, as the show was coming to a close, there must have been a pairing that he felt was the more natural thing, right? Which one was that? Did Kataang feel like “the natural thing” to him???

He doesn’t tell us. And if he did feel the canon pairing was a natural ending, I don’t know why he wouldn’t just say that.

If it was a non-canon pairing that felt more natural to him though, well…

(“I respect the choices […] Mike and Bryan made, y’know – probably good reasons.”)

AE: So, if I rooted for it, I would contrive something, and it would feel contrived.

Cue Mike and Bryan (technically just Mike): “we always had a soft spot in our hearts for ‘Kataang.’” (x)

                                                           ----x----

*jump cut*

Last note: I really want to know what was said right before this.

(‘Cause if I was Ingrid, I would have pressed him for a real answer and then just agreed to not put it in the video.)

She’s laughing too. I JUST WANNA KNOW.

[marlasomething]

He compartido 4468 publicaciones este 2022

¡Son 3361 más que en 2021!

100 publicaciones originales (2 %)

4368 reblogueos (98 %)

Estos son los blogs que más he reblogueado:

@khaleesiinatardis

@a-mag-a-day

@little-lamb-lyosha

@trajektoria

@p1nkwitch

He etiquetado 194 publicaciones en 2022

#magnuspod: 62 publicaciones

#fanfic: 59 publicaciones

#the magnus archives: 56 publicaciones

#tma: 52 publicaciones

#writing: 44 publicaciones

#fic: 39 publicaciones

#ao3: 38 publicaciones

#fanfiction: 29 publicaciones

#self-promo: 22 publicaciones

#a mag a day: 22 publicaciones

Longest Tag: 53 characters

#right after i finished a tma episode...it was...weird

Mis publicaciones más populares este 2022:

5

Well, I have finished Dracula ONCE AGAIN...am I crying? Maybe, yeah.

This has been the time I enjoyed most right next to the very first read (because I obviously didn’t expect Dracula to be THAT).

I KNEW, I BLOODY KNEW that the last parragraphs basically put Mina in the status of main hero of the novel and YET, it caught me

21 notas. Fecha de publicación: 7 de noviembre de 2022

4

Zutara Month (Day 23): This Isn't My Idea

Hello there!

As usual, I cannot see a "challenge" and let it go so...Zutara month it is! First time writing for the fandom, I won't be able to do ALL DAYS (today, for example, I wrote this still on the nick of time, but now it is already technically the 25th...eh, sorry @zutaramonth)

I promise to write something Zutara based after this month a bit longer, I swear.

As usual, do please forgive my quick tipper and non-native speaker mistakes, MarlaAllons-y!

Also in AO3

Everyone in every corner of the world agreed: Katara was a Hero, with capital H.

Not only had she helped The Avatar himself to finish off with the worst dictator that humanity had seen in ages, but she was now   sacrificing herself   by marrying off to his son; so the peace with the Fire Nation became even more undeniable and, therefore, unbreakable.

Obviously, everybody knew this was just an arranged marriage for, as much as Prince Zuko (he still insisted he wasn’t ready yet to be   King Zuko  ), he was still the man that once had been every person fighting for freedom’s foe.

Also, she was the best friend of Aang;   it was crystal clear   they ought to have been in love. This was a tale as old as time: best hero-friends always fell in love.

Still, as much as they commented how mad and sad it made them the two heroic figures ending up together, they understood and thanked the now already young woman (no longer a teenager) for taking up such heavy weight over her shoulders.

They just wished Prince Zuko was more as he was trying to be in public lately than the way they all still pictured him in their minds…

~~~~~

As the doors closed behind them, Zuko buried his face in Katara’s shoulder, who just laughed, with relief.

“I guess now we can stop pretending we are just   good friends   without risking demonstrations all around every nation.”

He smirked at her comment and raised his head to look into her eyes. He still remembered the first time those eyes had truly   seen   him, back when they were still rivals and, yet, she had trusted him…

“I guess so…You know, I would have understood, if you hadn’t wanted to keep them. We are still young and now for a lot of people you are going to just be   Zuko’s wife.”  

She punched him in the arm.

“First of all; it is more hat you are going to become   Katara’s husband   and, secondly…I…I mean, we are only in our early twenties, but we have lived so much I feel ready to be a mom…as long as Iroh is around to help.”

Both laughed.

“How could he not be?” he held her hand. “Still…I am sorry so many people are going to think this is just an arranged marriage.”

“Well, I mean, as Toph said…all marriages   need to be   arranged, whatever the reason for said arrangement, that is our personal fucking business.”

                       And theirs was as good as they came.

25 notas. Fecha de publicación: 25 de abril de 2022

3

MARLA’S 2022 AO3 MASTERLIST

Hello there, Marla here!

This year I won’t be as messy as last year with my writing organisation so I am doing a 2022 Masterlist of everything published on AO3 to be updated as new stuff arrives! Yaih! All my nonsense at your disposition!

And, if you want to see what I wrote the previous year, not to worry, here it is my 2021 AO3 Masterlist

Now, with further ado, allons-y!

Long life and prosperity,

Marla

(The) Amelia Project

Amelia Caller: Dawn of the Characters: script I based my phone call recording ON THE AMELIA FEED on

Manage Your Clon-ishgo: Cocoa Challenge 2022 (Day 1)

This Could Be Me: Cocoa Challenge 2022 (Alternative promp)

Last of the Real Ones: Cocoa Challenge 2022 (Day 2)

The Fools Who Dream: Cocoa Challenge 2022 (Day 3)

Louder than the Weather: Cocoa Challenge 2022 (Alternative promp)

Goodbye To My Life: Cocoa Challenge 2022 (Day 4)

It’s the Hitmen’s Life: Cocoa Challenge 2022 (Alternative promp)

Fakenniversary: Cocoa Challenge 2022 (Day 5)

Everything Just Here All At Once: Cocoa Challenge 2022 (Alternative promp)

ATLA

Go Now:  Zutara Month 2022

This Isn’t My Idea: Zutara Month 2022 

Tea Nation: Zutara Month 2022 

...Let Your Heart Decide?: Zutara Month 2022 

Lonely Nation: High-school AU Zuko-centric

(The) Evil Dead

The Sorta Kinda Winding Road: Original Trilogy + 2013 Film crossover-ish

Good Omens

So Unaware Of My Status: A Visit From Miss Crowley Challenge

The Sound Of Leathered Women!: A Visit From Miss Crowley Challenge 

Girl With A Tongue: A Visit From Miss Crowley Challenge 

Descúbrela

43 notas. Fecha de publicación: 5 de enero de 2022

2

Lucy’s (My) Mom

Ok, a lot of people have already commented this, but from the very first time I read Dracula as a teen (right when I was starting to discover ‘sometimes parents do harmful things and even if the intentions are good there is no compulsory reason to automatically forgive them) I just couldn’t help but being extremely UPSET about Lucy’s mom.

It is not only this whole garlic incident, that is the equivalent of, for example, ‘I don’t understand why you keep going to the psycologist if you are not depressed anymore’: it doesn’t matter wether you have all the data or not, if someone is doing something that is ‘out of the usual norm’ and is very clearly related to a Health issue...let it BE or try to understand it, don’t take matters into your own hands and then BE PROUD OF ACTING OUT OF IGNORANCE.

The worst part, though, it’s all the previous behaviour. The whole not letting her sleep with her when it was clearly something HER DAUGHTER NEEDED, her being upset about Lucy’s FRIEND taking care of her (likely bcs she believed she knew better than her own daughter the people around her and their true intentions -again, been there-)...

...so yeah, I dislike her and, even though it is true more could have been communicated to her:

a) it is a horror story, lack of communitacion is almost a must

b) none of her actions should be done, no matter how much you know about the matter

69 notas. Fecha de publicación: 13 de septiembre de 2022

Mi publicación más popular de 2022

About Dracula Daily..

I know I am constantly saying this but...I am in TEARS about how much people are enjoying Dracula for the first time. It is one of my favourite novels of all times, I have read it three times and a half (I am counting Dracula Daily as the Fourth) and I usually having such a hard time trying to convince people about how AMAZING this(these) story(ies) is(are).

Fuck, whoever began Dracula Daily...I owe you my soul (and, please, we should do this with more classical pieces of literature)

Also, for today’s update:  Farewell dear Captain, you will be remembered

247 notas. Fecha de publicación: 4 de agosto de 2022

Descubre tu resumen del 2022 en Tumblr →

[steveandbuckysdaughter]

Hi, I’m Ross! <3

(I will link my Ao3 account here when I’ll start posting there.)

A little more about me

I’m 19

I’m Italian

I’m a straight demisexual

I dream of being a published fantasy author

My tags

Ross rants — my tag for rants of all sorts

Ross writes — my little drabbles of writing

Ross writing — all the author memes/considerations I’ve ever reposted and commented on

Asks — asks of all sorts

Ross reading — book recs or reviews, fic recs or “advertisement” (I don’t like to call that, but I don’t know how else to say it😭)

Ross’ personal life ig — when I overshare my life, this is usually the tag where things end up in

Some fandoms I’m part of (I mostly post about ATLA and Marvel tho)

Marvel

ATLA

Bridgerton

Percy Jackson

Disney

Brooklyn 99

Interview with the vampire

Jane Austen verse (mostly Pride and Prejudice)

Mamma Mia, Hamilton, Heathers (yes I’m a theatre kid)

Taylor Swift

Barbie

And more!

My fav characters

Steve Rogers (MCU)

Bucky Barnes (MCU)

Mai (ATLA)

Zuko (ATLA)

Azula (ATLA)

Raymond Holt (B99)

Kate Sharma (Bridgerton)

Penelope Featherington (Bridgerton)

My OTPs/ships I like

Stucky (MCU) {number one OTP of all time, OTP of MCU}

Maiko (ATLA) {number two OTP of all time, OTP of ATLA}

Kataang (ATLA)

Kanthony (Bridgerton) {OTP of Bridgerton}

Rapunzel x Flynn Rider (Disney)

Mulan x Li Shang (Disney)

Percabeth (PJO)

Sokkla (ATLA) {yes it is a crackship. I am a Sukka fan but Sokkla has completely taken over my brain so there it is}

Bonus: I really like Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce as a couple, but since they are real people I do not feel comfortable with shipping them farther than commenting on how cute they look or innocent considerations. So, they‘re here as a honorable mention

Characters/ships I don’t like

Tony Stark (MCU)

Peggy Carter (MCU)

Kei lo (ATLA)

Steggy (MCU, Steve x Peggy)

Stony (MCU, Steve x Tony)

Zutara (ATLA, Zuko x Katara)

Jinko (ATLA, Jin x Zuko)

Mai Lo (ATLA, Mai x Kei lo)

Any incest ship from any fandom

Eloise Bridgerton (Bridgerton) {yes, controversial, but I am open to change my mind}

Please DNI if

You are racist, homophobic, xenophobic, transphobic, promote animal cruelty, a pedophile, a rapist, a TERF, an Andrew Tate fan, a bully or overall a shitty person

You are under 18. While I do not post overly sexual stuff, I use colorful language.

You can’t ignore the difference in taste regarding characters or ships. If you like Tony or Zutara, that I do not like, or any other thing I listed above you are still welcome here, just know that I am not responsible if you choose to stick around and end up stumbling upon a negative rant over your favs. If you are conscious to lack the needed restraint, please feel free to block me. I’d rather not have hostility under my posts.

You support genocide.

You don’t like Multi fandom blogs and complain if I post something different from the usual

You are a troll of any kind

You don’t like rants/long posts, I tend to write a lot of those

A little warning

Although I try to stay polite with everyone I interact with, I do not take any form of disrespect towards my posts, my time or my thought lightly.

I will not be nice in any way if you are hostile or rude towards me beforehand. If I don’t like your attitude and am not willing to argue with whatever take you have, I will block you. Be prepared for that. If I don’t block you, however, be prepared for my rants against you as well.

I will NOT be kind or polite when the precise general public I am addressing is fundamentally an asshole with no morals, and the reason to address them is to criticize them. If you are a group of ignorant fat shamers (example), I will treat you with the same courtesy you gave to those you fiercely insult, because you do not deserve my respect. I AM petty and I believe in treating people how they deserve to be treated. If you don’t like my take on this, I kindly ask you to get out of my blog and block me.

If you don’t like what I say or how I say it, feel free to block me. If whatever bothers you is not directed to you, then feel free to ignore or block me. I am not willing to put up with your agendas and tantrums because you don’t like a choice of words I’ve used.

If these terms aren’t ok with you then I’m sorry to see you go, if not, stick around on this blog of crazy bitches <3

[updated: 2/4/2024]

[victimsofyaoipoll]

Round 1

Propaganda Under Cut

Mai

she’s constantly pushed aside for the zuko/sokka ship :/ like i’m not a fan of mai/zuko but they always forget her or make her a wingwoman or make her a villain. 

She's a very interesting character who had the misfortune of being the love interest of the series' most popular character, Zuko, which immediately made her public enemy No. 1 in certain parts of the fandom. Tbh I think she's more a victim of zutara (an m/f ship) than zukka (m/m) but zukka also screwed her over so it counts. She's at best sidelined and at worst demonized. There's a whole section of the fandom who'll swear up and down she's abusive for telling Zuko to deal with his mental health issues himself. There's whole essays on it and I'm not exaggerating.

tell me WHY people think she's abusive just because she?? got mad at zuko?? when zuko was being a horrible boyfriend to begin with?? because theyre both teenagers and they were literally Acting Like Teenagers?? anyway no more mai hate the world has moved past the need for mai hate

Elizabeth Midford

She started as just a cutie fiancée trying her best, turns out she's also a swordfighting genius, very under pressure to perform feminity in the Victorian Rose type of way. Fandom crucifies her bc she's Ciel's fiancée and they want him to be with his butler, Sebastian, the demon he sold his soul to for revenge

anime was a shitty canon divergent adaptation that butchered her character down to her "cutesy silly girly" persona, which obviously made the 2008 anime fans hate her with a passion (nothing wrong w being girly I'm just saying the adaptation made her super one dimensional) anyways fujoshis used to treat her as a villain because she's the fiance of Ciel,, who as u might know already was HEAVILY shipped with his butler, Sebastian back then (now it's kinda looked badly upon, nice tbh that ship sucks ass xD) She's a bit similar to Misa Amane from death note in the way she was treated. (Like an obstacle the yaoi ship must overcome rather than a person)

she's my silly little rabbit! i could gush about her character but i'll keep it short and just say that she's really well written and one of the best characters in the series. anyways she's ciel's fiance and she's like, rightfully annoying as any other 13 yr old girl would be but the fanbase fucking crucified her for even existing. she gets demonized for being 'annoying', but then ciel gets yaoishipped with an even more annoying guy. there is 100% an argument that lizzie/ciel is weird bc they're cousins (i personally don't ship it) but that falls flat when her detractors then ship the 13 yr old ciel with an eons old demon who Canonically looks like his father. the anime also never reached her main character development until years after its peak and that was only in a movie, so she really got the bad end of the stick here. not me though i had a giant crush on her when i was 12

[zktop10]

Best NEW Rated M of 2021

Note: Scores represent its place in ALL fics, not just the specific rating

Fics contain adult content so this list is not for minors! Language is clean so no read more needed.

Title: Covered in You Author: evergreenonthehorizon Summary: Zuko can’t keep a Southern Water Tribe ambassador to save his life. Ten years post-war and he’s gone through eight of them. They all keep leaving to get married and start families. The Fire Lord is getting desperate.

——

Written for Zutara Month 2021 Day 2: Ambassador

Rating has changed to M! Please be aware! Score: 10 / 10

Title: rhythm of the rain keeps time Author: tiffaniesblews Summary: After finally confronting and killing her mother's killer, Katara must learn to start trusting Zuko once again.

Except their plans to get back to their friends go awry when a rare thunderstorm hits the Fire Nation, causing Katara and Zuko to become separated from Appa. Together, they must make their way through the Fire Nation, even though Katara is still unsure of her feelings towards Zuko.

As they continue their journey, Katara finds Zuko slowly opening up to her once again, confiding in her the deepest parts of his soul. Soon, Katara finds herself doing the same, baring her soul to Zuko even though the last time she had done so, he turned around and betrayed her. Leaning on each other, they learn to be vulnerable as they work to reunite with their friends.

But is the road to recovery, or even home, ever easy? Score: 9.9 / 10

Title: Love & War Author: seraluci Summary: Katara has escaped her imprisonment in the Fire Nation. Prince Zuko has defected.

Now, they must navigate their muddled relationship while traveling through treacherous enemy territory, and they must find Katara's friends once more if the Fire Lord is to be defeated once and for all.

Sequel to Smoke & Mirrors. Score: 9.8 / 10

Title: The Plan's Gone Up In Smoke Author: FictionIsSocialInquiry @fictionissocialinquiry​ Summary: "It was the next day they saw the posters... They hadn’t seen death announcements before; a new tradition for the Phoenix King to go with his new title."

When their friends fail, and they are the only survivors, what kind of life is left to a traitor prince and a waterbending enemy? How do they pick up the pieces of this life when the plan goes up in smoke? Score: 9.7 / 10

Title: destiny is a funny thing Author: gonnakostya Summary: Katara isn't sure who she is anymore. In her search to rediscover herself, she takes Zuko up on his offer to escort her home to the Southern Water Tribe. *Complete* Score: 9.7 / 10

Title: Sakura Author: seraluci Summary: Zuko has only been Fire Lord for less than a year, but his advisors are already hounding him about marriage and an heir.

He'd agreed to be prepared to properly court someone once his first sakura season as Fire Lord arrived. It had seemed so far away when he'd first ascended to the throne, and then he'd not pursued the matter any further. Thankfully, Katara gets him out of a tight political spot by agreeing to publicly court him. Lovers in public, friends in private.

That shouldn't be a problem at all. Score: 9.6 / 10

Title: Hey Jealousy Author: riathermopolis Summary: “Go with a friend, or better yet, you should bring someone super hot to make Mai jealous.” “I’d rather take you.” Katara cocks her head at that, and sees Zuko panic as he realizes his implication. “Because you’re my friend! Not because you aren’t- I mean, you’re very-” “Relax, dude. I know what you mean.” Katara chuckles at his rambling. “Sure, I’ll go with you.”

---- Katara agrees to be her pal Zuko's date to his sister's wedding and it's totally casual, not a real date, please stop asking about it. Score: 9.5 / 10

Title: Take Care Author: AwakeJuice Summary: Prince Zuko and Heiress Katara have been recently engaged. For Zutara Month 2021.

“No act in my name is without consequence, Prince Zuko.”

The flame in his hand flickers as he stares at her, his breath of fire briefly constricting in his chest. While he dares not to presume that he has her figured out, there is something about the way she moves as she takes a single step toward him, graceful and sure with every shift, that holds his undivided attention. Something about the way her words always hold dual edges that makes him want to find out exactly what it is she means when she says consequences.

“I see,” he says after a long beat. Score: 9.4 / 10

Title: Hide and Seek Author: FireLily_z Summary: The Gaang are camping out at the Western Air Temple after having just accepted Zuko into their group. But Katara still can't stand the bastard and the pair can't help but bait each other at any opportunity.

One evening Aang suggests a game of hide and seek to resolve the building tension around the campfire. But when Zuko and Katara find themselves stuck in the same, cramped hiding space... things get a little heated. Score: 9.3 / 10

Title: The Fear and the Fire and the End of the World Author: nativeportlandian Summary: The avatar was never awakened. Instead, a resistance group from the two remaining kingdoms rise up against the Fire Nation and the so-called “Phoenix King” Ozai. Zuko, deposed and desperate to regain his honor in his family, proposes an idea: he will go undercover and burn them down from the inside. But something changes when he meets the leader of the resistance - the last waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe. Score: 9.3 / 10

[airiustide]

The last few months, I have encountered a lot in the zutara fandom. A lot of which had me contemplating on my own personal issues with it and how often I’ve been silent in serious situations in an effort to keep my bubble safe. Because this fandom is my escapism and I desperately wanted to keep it that way even if it meant sacrificing my voice and just isolating my feelings. After having discussions with others who are in the same position as me and when also mentioning these to people close to me in the fandom, it dawned on me just how severely different some of us are treated. I’ve thought over a lot before proceeding to make this post and I’ve determined that I’m tired of staying quiet.

Im doing my best to rely all this as best as I can, so I ask you all to bear with me. What I want to bring up includes why POC most likely don’t reveal their identities. What I personally went through at the hands of other zutarians who made assumptions about me because they didn’t know my race. How I’m treated when bringing up issues about my race in fandom. The disturbing way white people use POC as shields in discourse. And how I and a few others of my race have been treated in the fandom among POC.

I’m black, which is something I don’t state in my bio. If I happen to mention it publicly, it’s very little. Otherwise only those where I take part in private platforms are aware.

Reasons are:

1.) because I have had racist encounters on tumblr and other public platforms before.

2.) because I’ve often felt isolated in the fandom due to my race

3.) I’ve always feared my opinions or interpretations of fandom being criticized because I’m black.

These were also the reasons why it took me almost 10 years being in the zutara fandom to gain the courage to create content or interact with others.

The good part is, keeping my race private I managed to get tangled in very little discourse or hate. The disgusting part is that in doing so I was placed in situations over the last few months where horrible claims and assumptions were spread about me by certain groups including mutuals that are not in my immediate circle. I was shocked and torn. This forced me to reveal that I am black and reveal my own traumas directly to the persons that started it. Granted they apologized and made corrections on their end after confronting them, the harm was done. This confirms how one sided this fandom always is while not fact checking, and how quickly the fandom I eventually trusted were willing to agree with a white person over verifying these claims first.

After seeing many POC openly interact and actually have a voice and share amazing content over the last few years, I was thrilled. I felt like I could finally be a part of something without worrying about my identity. I could be part of a new side of fandom and actually be heard as a POC. But here’s where my issue also lies; even among POC, black people are still treated differently in the fandom. Now, this isn’t me saying that black people have it worse in fandom than any other POC. This is what I, and a few other black people I’ve spoken to (not just in zutara) have experienced.

It always seems where topics surrounding POC issues are treated as serious discussions, mentioning any issues regarding specifically what black people go through in fandom is ignored. This has always happened to me, especially when mentioning topics like this to any of my non-black fandom friends. I don’t know if it’s because they don’t want to listen or if no one knows how to react but oftentimes I just drop it and begin to feel like subjects like these are treated with exceptions. Which is disappointing after I assumed there was improvement with inclusion for all POC. Years ago when I would express my opinions or disagreements, I would always get a response claiming I was just being a typical angry black woman. I’m not oblivious to the fact that this still goes on- though not as vocally as it used to- it’s clear in how the people around me react to black voices that shows there’s still a long way to go. I don’t think it’s always intentional but that’s something that bothers me. Having these concerns ignored has created this environment where some of us are afraid to openly take part in fandom.

It shouldn’t be like this for me, or anyone for that matter. I’ve also noticed how quick those in the fandom are to defend a white person who says they’re speaking for POC while ignoring actual POC voices when they don’t share the same views. I also noticed how non-black people have way more support when expressing their personal feelings in fandom than the black people I know of in the zutara fandom.

I don’t think I’m asking for much, not when it comes to a fandom that claims how inclusive they are. I would not say any of this if not for hearing other black people out as well (this in itself confirmed I’m not misinterpreting my observations). This isn’t just me venting or feeling disappointed and isolated in the fandom. This is me sharing something I want people to take with them.

And what I want people to take away from this is:

- Don’t pick and choose POC opinions about fandom while simultaneously ignoring other POC’s. You don’t come off as an ally, you come off as a leech who’s only purpose is to use our voices to justify your agendas.

- Stop treating black people in the fandom like our opinions have lesser meaning and actually listen. If you have a black friend within the fandom, make them feel included just as much as any other POC regardless how uncomfortable you are about the issues we present to you.

- Quit making assumptions about blogs that don’t reveal their identity when it comes to discourse. Chances are they are a POC like myself who are afraid of being criticized of their part in the fandom specifically because of their race.

I’ll admit I never felt so small in the fandom until recently and I hope whatever content creators that are POC who come after me have a better and healthier experience than I did.

[krastbannert]

And one more for the ultimate ship meme. Zutara.

Ah, Zutara.

Just kidding - sorry, I couldn't resist. It's my responsibility as a Maiko shipper to regard your heathen lovely ship as my arch-enemy.

(Okay to those people reading this who ship Zutara, and don't know me: I actually am joking. Just having a little fun.)

General:

Rate the Ship - Awful | Ew | No pics pls | I’m not comfortable | Alright | I like it! | Got Pics? | Let’s do it! (I actually do like it; I'll admit that sometimes I get tired of seeing constant ZK content, and I'm much pickier about ZK fics in general, but I like the ship) | Why is this not getting more attention?! | The OTP to rule all other OTPs

How long will they last? - So, the way I normally think about Zutara, it happens in one of two ways: a hard and fast burn with a less-than-stellar ending (I think them being exes-turned-best friends is hilarious), or they get together when they're older, after Aang and Mai are gone, and live out their golden years together. So, in canon, it's either a few months, or in the years until their death. I could see them working well together fairly well in an alternate universe, though. (The other sections of this ask assumes this AU version because fuck it, I can).

How quickly did/will they fall in love? - It took them a hot minute to get there; years post-war. I figure maybe in their early-to-mid 20s. They were best friends for years before that.

How was their first kiss? - Probably frustrated, mostly with each other. They're each dancing around their feelings and one of them just says "fuck it" and plants it on the other.

Wedding:

Who proposed? - Zuko would, eventually. He'd definitely give Katara a beautiful betrothal necklace, and make a lovely proposal under the Southern Lights, or maybe in the Crystal catacombs (first place they saw the good in each other).

Who is the best man/men? - Same answer as I did previously: Sokka, and Aang would be one but he's helping Zuko's former crewman Koji officiate.

Who is the braid’s maid(s)? - Probably Toph, Suki, and Mai (yes, I know this might sound strange, but think about it: Katara and Mai being best friends? Hilarious.)

Who did the most planning? - Probably Katara, she seems like the type to get really into it.

Who stressed the most? - Zuko. He knows that Katara loves him.

How fancy was the ceremony? - Same answer as my Maiko one: I figure they'd have 2, 1 public and 1 private. Back of a pickup truck | 2 | 3 (their friends, Hakoda & Ursa (are they dating? Maybe), Iroh, Gran-Gran & Pakku, and Zuko's old crew) | 4 | Normal Church Wedding | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Kate and William wish they were this big (they're royalty; huge wedding is required)

Who was specifically not invited to the wedding? - Um. Well. Ozai is pretty obvious. Other than that...I really can't think of anyone. Jet, maybe, if Katara and he never make up post-war (although I like to think they would, eventually).

Sex:

Who is on top? - Katara's often on top.

Who is the one to instigate things? - Hmm I feel like it would be Zuko. He can't resist; Katara's just beautiful.

How healthy is their sex life? - Barely touch themselves let alone each other | 2 | 3 | 4 | Once a couple weeks, nothing overboard | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They are humping each other on the couch right now

How kinky are they? - Straight missionary with the lights off | 2 | 3 | 4 | Might try some butt stuff and toys | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 (they like to change things up a lot, keep it fresh, and with two benders...well, they have to put their abilities to use, you know?) | Don’t go into the sex dungeon without a horse’s head

How long do they normally last? - For some reason I get the feeling they'd do a lot of quickies, so that's the norm, but when they want to go all night? They really do go all night.

Do they make sure each person gets an equal amount of orgasms? - Okay, I feel like the answer for all the ATLA guys is the same: yes, they damn well do.

How rough are they in bed? - Softer than a butterfly on the back of a bunny | 2 | 3 | 4 | The bed’s shaking and squeaking every time | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Their dirty talk is so vulgar it’d make Dwayne Johnson blush. Also, the wall’s so weak it could collapse the next time they do it.

How much cuddling/snuggling do they do? - No touching after sex | 2 | 3 | 4 | A little spooning at night, or on the couch, but not in public | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They snuggle and kiss more often than a teen couple on their fifth date to a pillow factory.

Children:

How many children will they have naturally? - I feel like they would have at least two (Izumi, because of course, and I like the common headcanon of Kya being one), and I could see them having 1 more.

How many children will they adopt? - I could maybe see them adopting a kid in a modern AU, but in the canon timeframe I don't think they adopt any.

Who gets stuck with the most diapers? - Zuko might be the Fire Lord, but the wife is still the boss. Zuko's busy but Katara makes sure he does his fair share. (He wants to do his fair share, he just gets lost in the work sometimes.)

Who is the stricter parent? - I feel like Katara would be, publicly, even Zuko's actually the strict one. Katara doesn't mind the kids getting into a little trouble, she just wants them to be safe.

Who stops the kid(s) from doing dangerous stunts after school? - Katara. Zuko's getting in trouble with them because he's doing them, too.

Who remembers to pack the lunch(es)? - Servants do it. Modern AU is probably Katara who does it more often; she's a night owl so she's up, anyways. Zuko does it, too, though, he just has to beat Katara there.

Who is the more loved parent? - Honestly, it's about equal. Katara and Zuko are amazing parents, and their kids know it.

Who is more likely to attend the PTA meetings? - Uh both, honestly.

Who cried the most at graduation? - No matter who you pair him with, it's gonna be Zuko, I swear. He can pretend to be a bad boy all he wants, but he's a softie. (Katara totally cried, too.)

Who is more likely to bail the child(ren) out of trouble with the law? - Zuko's the one who got them into trouble. They don't get caught when it's Katara leading them.

Cooking:

Who does the most cooking? - Probably Katara; she teaches Zuko a lot, but he just can't get Water Tribe food right (he inevitably adds spice to it), and Katara loves her WT food.

Who is the most picky in their food choice? - Katara because she can't quite handle Fire Nation spice. She doesn't mind low-to-medium levels, but Zuko likes the spicy stuff and Katara thinks he's out of his mind. (Azula agrees.)

Who does the grocery shopping? - Well, servants do it in-universe, but in a Modern AU it's probably Katara, and she brings Zuko out whenever she can.

How often do they bake desserts? - Katara has a sweet tooth, especially when pregnant.

Are they more of a meat lover or a salad eater? - Zuko is all about the meat (Sokka really approves of this), and Katara likes salads as a side, but she loves meat, too.

Who is more likely to surprise the other(s) with an anniversary dinner? - Zuko, probably, since he's a sweetheart.

Who is more likely to suggest going out? - Katara. She's not very familiar with the Fire Nation, especially at first, so she really enjoys going out and walking around.

Who is more likely to burn the house down accidentally while cooking? - Considering Katara is a waterbender and can pull water from almost anywhere, it ain't gonna be her. So, Zuko.

Chores:

Who cleans the room? - Servants, most likely, but they both clean when they can.

Who is really against chores? - They're both just kinda used to it, so they don't mind too much.

Who cleans up after the pets? - Servants, probably.

Who is more likely to sweep everything under the rug? - Between them, probably Zuko.

Who stresses the most when guests are coming over? - Katara; she wants to make sure everyone's taken care of. (Zuko's almost as stressed because he's an awkward potato.)

Who found a dollar between the couch cushions while cleaning? - Katara. She invested it. Made an absolute shitload of money. Now she's in charge.

Misc:

Who takes the longer showers/baths? - Hmm I figure it's probably Katara. She likes the water.

Who takes the dog out for a walk? - Katara, same reason as in "more likely to suggest going out".

How often do they decorate the room/house for the holidays? - Katara loves decorating, and she never got much of a chance to as a kid - life was always about survival in her tribe - so she decorates for every single holiday, Water Tribe and Fire Nation.

What are their goals for the relationship? - Grow old. Be happy. The usual.

Who is most likely to sleep till noon? - Katara, the resident night owl.

Who plays the most pranks? - Hmm between them, I get the feeling it would be Zuko.