korielle-writing-fanfics

[korielle-writing-fanfics]

Chapters: 3/7 Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender (Cartoon 2005) Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar) Characters: Zuko (Avatar), Katara (Avatar), Fire Nation Citizen(s) (Avatar) Additional Tags: Zutara Week, Zutara Week 2024, crest but its literal, Some beta reading, Post-Episode: s03e16 The Southern Raiders (Last Airbender), dusk but its a metaphor for letting go, katara gets a statue Series: Part 2 of Echoes of Balance, Part 1 of Echoes of Balance One Shots Summary:

Zuko crafts a crown for Katara blending Fire Nation and Water Tribe traditions as a symbol of her influence and their bond.

[korielle-writing-fanfics]

everyone keeps asking about her titles in my ZK week i address them (though in my actual fic i’ll show how she gets them it’s not just zuko being biased )

fire lady katara ❌

i am master katara, daughter of kya and hakoda of the southern water tribe, lady of the moon and tides, fire lady of the fire nation, guardian of the southern waters, keeper of balance, healer of nations, daughter of the sea and spirit ✅

[korielle-writing-fanfics]

Chapters: 2/7 Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender (Cartoon 2005) Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar) Characters: Zuko (Avatar), Katara (Avatar), Fire Nation Citizen(s) (Avatar) Additional Tags: Zutara Week, Zutara Week 2024, crest but its literal, Some beta reading, Post-Episode: s03e16 The Southern Raiders (Last Airbender), dusk but its a metaphor for letting go Series: Part 2 of Echoes of Balance, Part 1 of Echoes of Balance One Shots Summary:

Zuko crafts a crown for Katara blending Fire Nation and Water Tribe traditions as a symbol of her influence and their bond.

[korielle-writing-fanfics]

I understand that atla is a show that reflects liberal sentiments in many ways, even if the narrative ostensibly centers anti-imperialist revolutionaries, but that doesn’t make the manner in which this fandom frames the fire nation – both implicitly and explicitly, in an uncomfortable majority of discussions – any less appalling. as someone who first watched and loved this show as a child, I accept that the target demographic is not primed to understand the nuances of dialectical materialism, but a) the majority of active atla fans today are either around my age or older, and b) it should still be taken a given that an attentive audience pays attention to the basic, surface-level themes depicted in the text itself.

I want to cite a post I happened across this morning, not because I think it’s the most egregious example of the phenomenon I’m referencing, but because I consider it microcosmic of this particular discourse, and I see value in properly unpacking it and dissecting the underlying implications of a seemingly innocuous joke. (and this goes without saying, of course, but I am intentionally obscuring the poster’s url, so please do not attempt to track them down and harass them in any capacity. I want to discuss the contents of the post itself, not the motives behind the specific person who wrote it.)

for context, if anyone is somehow unfamiliar with this meme, it’s a reference to the cult classic nbc (and yahoo screen) show community, in which the tragically un-self-aware white feminist britta proudly proclaims, “I can excuse racism, but I draw the line at animal cruelty!” to which her friend shirley (a black woman) responds, “you can excuse racism??” and britta realizes her mistake moments later, horrified by what she just said. it’s good joke within the show because it reflects britta’s well-meaning obtuseness. she does not generally consider herself someone who tolerates racism (despite the fact that she is often obliviously racist herself), but like most white progressives, she does nonetheless consider animal cruelty more egregious than racism, and in that moment, she unthinkingly admits it. it’s no wonder that this moment has become so widely memed. after all, it is a genuinely insightful and well-crafted joke. but by generating “incorrect quotes” that bastardize the source of the joke entirely, it no longer lands.

now, it should be obvious to anyone that not a single component of this repurposed quote actually works within this particular context. not a single piece of context that has been replaced here accurately reflects the circumstances presented in atla. for one thing, the fire nation does not “draw the line at misogyny." for another, the fire nation does not simply “excuse” genocide. and moreover, there are plenty of people elsewhere in their world who do.

the fire nation is a violently patriarchal state. every prominent character depicted from the fire nation, whether man or woman, boy or girl, reflects this ingrained patriarchal logic in their behavior. this fact should be obvious to anyone who understands how patriarchy functions beyond buzzfeed-style liberal feminism that equates women inhabiting traditionally masculine roles ("girlbosses," if you will) with actual liberation from patriarchy. but it’s not merely that so many people are incapable of recognizing and critiquing explicitly patriarchal systems, but that by falsely attributing the fire nation with being a more progressive and liberating state for women than the peoples they have colonized, it plays into a harmful narrative that is perpetuated beyond the realm of fiction, that attempts to justify imperialism in the real world through the rhetoric that foreign intervention and/or colonization is necessary as a liberating force. it is the very logic that so often enables imperialism – such as in the case of mccarthyist fearmongering (see: the necessity to “liberate” countries from their communist regimes) or homonationalism (see: justifying genocide by citing the notorious homophobia of the targeted population). and it is especially egregious in this instance, because the work of fiction that portrays this society does not even attempt to sanitize the fire nation in this capacity. it is made apparent to the audience time and time again that the fire nation is patriarchal, that the fire nation is not remotely egalitarian by any metric. yes, the issue of sexism in the water tribes is more pronounced within the narrative, but that does not mean that the fire nation is somehow less oppressive, not only in its blatantly harmful imperialist foreign policy, but domestically as well.

which brings me to my next point: saying that the fire nation merely “excuses” genocide is obviously incorrect. britta’s claim that she “excuses racism” is funny specifically because she considers herself someone who doesn’t. but the fire nation doesn’t merely “excuse genocide,” it enacts it. it perpetrates it, and then justifies it. diminishing the intention with which they carried out these horrific acts plays into the rhetoric that genocide is merely an unfortunate byproduct of a larger national project, rather than a deliberate tactic to maintain and exert power in a violent disregard and/or explicit antipathy for human life. if you live in the imperial core, you should consider it your moral responsibility to care about the genocide your tax dollars are currently funding. this isn’t up for debate. perhaps you are not the one directly supplying (e.g.) israel with weapons, but you are complicit by virtue of your position in the world, and if you avert your gaze to this reality, then you are, in fact, “excusing genocide.” do you understand the distinction?

finally, it is simply untrue that “literally everyone else” in the world of atla finds it appalling that the fire nation ostensibly “excuses genocide.” shirley is appalled by britta’s claim because britta is her friend, and hearing someone you trust claim that they can excuse violence at your expense is legitimately upsetting, even if shirley isn’t exactly surprised by britta’s hypocrisy at this point in their friendship. but it’s untrue that everyone else in the atla world considers genocide inexcusable. the ruling classes in the northern water tribe and earth kingdom do turn a blind eye to the violence of fire nation imperialism until it is too late. the northern water tribe remains stubbornly isolationist and refuses to send aid to their southern brothers and sisters until the siege forces them to experience a fraction of the suffering the south has faced for the past century. the aristocracy in ba sing se maintains the lie that their city is a perfect haven even as countless refugees escape occupation to live in abject poverty behind the illusion of safety their walls maintain. the earth king not only ignores the genocide of the air nomads and southern water tribe and the occupation of much of his own territory, but is entirely ignorant to the fact of fire nation imperialism whatsoever. the ruling class is more interested in maintaining a facade of power than it is in confronting the violence their own kingdom is facing. even kyoshi island remains largely isolationist and uninvolved in the war until the fire nation arrives at their shores and forces their hand. atla presents this grim reality explicitly, particularly with long feng. while oppressed peoples across every nation have no choice but to fight (nothing to lose but their chains, one might say), the ruling classes consider themselves safe in their bubbles of precarious safety, and do, in fact, ignore the reality of this global conflict for the sake of preserving their own personal comfort. it’s easy to ignore this fact if you lack class consciousness, as so many of you obviously do, but the text itself does not. so all I ask, truly the bare minimum here, is to pay attention to the facts of the plot as depicted in the show. I really don’t think following the political nuances of a Y-7 nickelodeon cartoon should be this difficult.

and yet...

I know this post is more aggressive and hostile than most of my posts on this blog. and I certainly don’t want anyone to think that this singular post is what sparked my entire rant. it’s the accumulation of fire nation excusing, trivializing, and even romanticizing discourse I’ve seen over the many many years I’ve been engaged in this fandom, as well as the accumulation of real-world discourses of liberalism that I can no longer engage with in good faith. if you consider this post overly harsh, I ask you to reflect on why you may be personally offended by my arguments. and if you can spare it (which I’m sure many of you can), please donate to the sameer project, which is a donations-based aid initiative led by palestinians to supply emergency shelter to families in gaza. it is more difficult to dismantle empires in real life than it is in children’s cartoons, but the least you can do is not turn a blind eye to your fellow human beings in their unfathomable suffering. do not, as they say, excuse genocide.

[korielle-writing-fanfics]

Zutara Week

Day 1: Crest

Zuko crafts a crown for Katara blending Fire Nation and Water Tribe traditions as a symbol of her influence and their bond.

[korielle-writing-fanfics]

A sudden realisation I had.

[korielle-writing-fanfics]

I just have earrings and am not planning on getting more, but what about you? Are you happy with the amount of piercings you have or would you like more? Tell all in the tags

And while you're here, please share and donate if you can to help out a woman widowed by genocide and her 2 small children. Winter makes everything more dangerous and expensive.

flyers (printable in English and Español) + vet

[korielle-writing-fanfics]

atla kids

i don’t’ have art for my steambabies or dune babies or sokka but when i draw them it’s over !!

ZK kids:

Izumi ( Water bender) & Kya (Fire bender) twins Lu Ten II (Fire bender) Mikazuki (Non-bender ) Meha (Water Bender) & Iroh II ( non-bender) twins Sedna (water or fire bender still not sure)

Taang Kids:

Nyima (Air bender and she’s blind) Fang (Earth bender)

Sukka Kids:

Kai (Water bender) Niko ( Non-Bender) Rina (Non- Bender) Rannori (Water bender)

[korielle-writing-fanfics]

fire lady katara ❌

i am master katara, daughter of kya and hakoda of the southern water tribe, lady of the moon and tides, fire lady of the fire nation, guardian of the southern waters, keeper of balance, healer of nations, daughter of the sea and spirit ✅

[korielle-writing-fanfics]

Always???

Just because there's a fanart of Zutara with Fire Nation culture, doesn't mean Zutara with Water Tribe culture never existed at all.

In one fanart, Zuko and Katara share cultures. Katara tries spicy Fire Nation food. Then, Zuko wears a parka and experiencing life in the pole.

Katara has to wear FN clothing!

Zutara shipper once made Zutara's wedding with Southern Water Tribe culture in South Pole. I don't see 'Katara has to wear Fire Nation clothing' there.

Zuko doesn't have to make an effort with her culture!

The same Zutara shipper made a fanart of Zuko joins Water Tribe hunting culture with his father-in-law and brother-in-law. He uses a parka, water tribe braids, and a water tribe spear.

This is one of my favourite Zutara SWT fanart. Zuko tries to learn Katara's culture, but it's turn out Gran-grand pranks him!

And there's no need to worry about Katara's heritage because there are also Zutara and steambabies fanarts with Water Tribe culture.

Look! Zuko is playing snowballs with steambaby. So adorable! What's the 'Katara has to wear FN clothing' thing?? I don't see it here, except for the fire symbol on Zuko's parka, that's all.

Also there are a lot, literally a lot of Zutara in Water Tribe clothing fanarts. I can't put them all, but, here some of them.

Oh, Netflix ATLA also gave us Zutara Water Tribe crumbs!! 😍😍

Zutara fanarts are very diverse, they usually wear red and blue, sometimes FN or SWT clothes, or sometimes Earth Kingdom clothes, or sometimes Painted Lady and Blue Spirit clothes.

So, 'Katara has to wear FN clothing' is ridiculous comment. Please, at least do a little research first before commenting.

Ship what you want but surely a relationship should be balance with both wanting to learn about the other's heritage.

Exactly!

But, to be able to learn and accept other cultures as part of ourselves, at least there is no culture that clash with our own principles, right?

For example, when someone have a vegan culture, meanwhile hunting animals, eating meat, and making clothes from fur are his gf's cultures, how can he blend in with that? Would he comfortable with all those??

Also, if he learns and accept most of his gf's culture - comfortable or not - then wouldn't he disrespect his own cultures and principles? So, how to make the relationship balance?

*hmm, well, I'm just saying. It's not like I take an example from canon

The good news is that Zuko's culture does not clash with Katara's. Their cultures are different, but them learn each other's culture will not disrespect their own principles (not like the example above).

He could hunting the animals, eats meat, wears parka, and wouldn't mind with the pelts. All fine!

Sokka [in the Fire Nation city] : Come on, Aang, everyone here eats meat. Even the meat! 

Bruh, even in canon Zuko willingly pretending to be water bender and using water bending move (he learns the move from Katara), so what are you complaining about?? 😭😭

[korielle-writing-fanfics]

zuko & jet: character arc parallels

it’s fairly obvious that jet and zuko are parallels – they’re obstinate teenage boys with lofty goals and a penchant for dual swords. towards the end of book 2, both jet and zuko’s plot threads often run parallel. one is quite literally brainwashed by the dai li, the other is, in another sense, brainwashed by his own upbringing. these parallels are most notable around “lake laogai”, but extend to the episodes around it. here’s a closer reading of these arcs, though:

these screencaps show visual similarity. zuko, in “lake laogai”, undergoes a relapse back into his avatar-hunting ways, which parallels how jet relapsed into his hatred against the fire nation when he first entered ba sing se. both relapses lead them to lake laogai. under the lake, jet becomes brainwashed, and loses grasp on his own identity. zuko, likewise, has an identity crisis under the lake in front of appa. iroh pressures him to reconsider his own values, his brainwashing. he breaks free of his brainwashing to set appa free, just as jet breaks free of his brainwashing to attack long feng – both in aid of the avatar.

the visual parallels are clear here, in these pictures. in this scene, iroh and long feng are authorities that push zuko and jet towards a decision – one benevolent, and the other, not. frustrated, both zuko and jet let out a cry and throw their blades. one throws his aside, following his uncle, and the other throws his towards his controller.

afterwards, zuko drops his blue spirit mask into the lake. one way to interpret this is that he’s finally starting to let go of the lies he told himself and the beliefs he’s had about his upbringing. a moment of clarity, similar to how jet was clearheaded as he lead the gaang into lake laogai. water, in this episode and towards the end of s2, is symbolic of clarity – it tears away falsehoods and exposes the truth. when jet first snapped out of his brainwashing, it was because katara used waterhealing to stimulate his real memories. furthermore, when zuko dropped his mask into the lake, the lakewater served a similar purpose – it stripped him of his false identity and left him with nothing but himself and truths he had to contend with.

to take this even further, in “the earth king”, zuko collapsed when he finally got back to his and iroh’s apartment. while jet died physically, zuko underwent a metaphorical death. during these deaths, both were tended to by their closest loved ones. the symbolic water is also at play here. when katara arrives, she attempts to heal jet with water, before realizing he’s going to die. while zuko is laying sick, iroh gives him water, which zuko grabs and drinks fervently. in both cases, water is once again clarity. for jet, katara’s prognosis verifies his death, no matter how nonchalant he acts. for zuko, he drinks the water as a ward against his own hallucinatory dreams, as a method to push back against his own confusion.

however, this is where their paths diverge. jet dies under lake laogai, semi-redeemed. zuko lives, and proceeds to betray his uncle. water, again, symbolizes clarity – katara offered to heal his scar in “the crossroads of destiny”, which would untether zuko from his last painful ties to his father, and possibly help him realize his true destiny. they’re interrupted by iroh and aang, and more importantly, azula. if water (represented by katara) symbolizes clarity, then fire (represented by azula) symbolizes illusion, at least in this aspect of the story. after all, when the dai li first brainwashed jet, they did so using fire. along the same vein, azula plays the same role towards zuko. she entices him back into the fold, and it’s almost as effective as an “invitation to lake laogai". and like how jet left smellerbee and longshot behind him to follow a new directive, zuko left his uncle behind. they betrayed not only their loved ones in doing so, but themselves.

one last note: both zuko and jet are shown to be torn. jet is very specifically torn between his brainwashing and his allegiance to the freedom fighters and their cause – the two authorities that “control” him are long feng and his own personality, history, and friendships. the latter clearly wins out for him. for zuko, he’s torn three ways – by iroh (and the line of roku), by azula (and the line of sozin), and by himself and his own desires.

for zuko, the last one doesn’t win out, because he can’t even begin to clarify what he wants. that’s the prime difference between jet and zuko. jet knows who he is – he’s a warchild and a rebel and a fighter and a leader. zuko can’t even begin to comprehend who he is or what he wants. and this lack of, once again, clarity, is what ultimately subjugates him to azula’s lies (illusions) again.

[korielle-writing-fanfics]

Here i bring you my version of this scena from Princess Mononokr with my BABIES TOPH AND AANG.

YOUR HONOR, THEY ARE SOULMATESS‼️‼️‼️ /hit table

more draws on ig: @nalgasde_hao

[korielle-writing-fanfics]

Zuko and Katara’s POVs in [Season 3, Episode 21]

[korielle-writing-fanfics]

My fave might actually be disco, but from these I'll say pop 🎉

And while we're here, please share and donate if you can to help provide for a woman widowed from genocide and her 2 young kids. The winter is harsh, and they live in a tent on the beach.

Printable flyers (eng + es) + vetting

[korielle-writing-fanfics]

he gets his first gray hair in his early twenties

#Zutara headcanon:

Zuko goes gray early from all the stress and trauma in his life (plus dark hair is more prone to early greying).

Katara loves to tease him about it and calls him a silver fox.

She thinks he’s devilishly handsome as ever.

🩶🦊🩶🦊🩶🦊

[korielle-writing-fanfics]

hello! so shutitdown4palestine is doing a fundraiser this month with the middle east childrens alliance, who even now is providing life-saving, on-the-ground assistance to families in gaza. the goal is $1 million, and they are currently at $214k. ive donated $50 - please give what you can. i really think we can make it to one million this month. thank you i love you

[korielle-writing-fanfics]

Damage.

Quote by @desertbcrnnobody