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nalalunaart · 2 years ago

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KW 2022: "Just Friends"

Day 2 for Kataang Week 2022 hosted by @kataang-week with the prompt "Just Friends"!

Links: AO3 || FF.net (both of which have notes explaining some of the US terms used in this story)

Summary: Do I seriously have to come up with a new one of these every year? Kataang Week 2022 Day 2: "Just Friends". Katara and Aang had always been close, the closest in fact, but they were just friends… right?

Word Count: 3.3k

The first time Katara and Aang had met was in the second grade.

It had been the first day back from winter break when the teacher, Ms. Ursa, introduced a new student to the class.

“Okay everyone, listen up,” she had said after the bell rang. “This is Aang. He just moved here over the holidays, and he’s a little younger than all of you too, so let’s all try and make him feel welcome, alright?”

“Yes, Ms. Ursa,” the classroom chorused.

“Wonderful! Now Aang, your seat is right there near Katara. Katara, would you raise your hand please?”

The girl did so dutifully, not looking up from her worksheet as the cheerful airbender sat at the table behind her. She didn’t think much of him at first- after all, he was just your average peppy second-grader, but little did she know how that would soon change.

Later, it was time for recess, every kid’s favorite part of the day. Second graders and third graders always had recess together, so Katara would normally play with her brother, and today was no different. The week off had given snow plenty of time to accumulate on the school grounds, and the two just had to take full advantage of it.

“Gotcha, Sokka!” Katara laughed, pelting her brother with another snowball.

“Kataraaaaaa! I’m trying to focus here! You ruined my watchtower!” her brother yelled back.

Katara rolled her eyes. “That isn’t a watchtower, that’s a snow lump with a hole in it,” nevertheless backing off and walking the other way to practice her waterbending on snow.

“Ow!” she exclaimed as she bumped into a rather large ball of snow, even taller than her. “Who putted this here and just left it?”

She shook the snow off her pants and started walking again towards the corner of the field when she heard a small voice from the snow.

“They did.”

She whipped around, running back over to the ball and kneeling next to it.

“Is there someone in here?” She knocked on it, surprised to feel something hard underneath rather than soft snow.

“Yeah,” the voice responded meekly. “I think they freezed me in here. It feels icy and I don’t know how to get out.”

Katara frowned. “Those bullies. What’s your name? I’ll go get a teacher.”

“No, please don’t,” the voice said. “My name is Aang. My dad’s already worried about me starting public school, I don’t want him to worry about this too. Do you think you can get me out? You’re Katara, right? A waterbender?”

“Yeah, this is Katara, and I’m a waterbender. I’m not very good though.”

“You can do it! I know you can! You’re probably amazing.”

“Okay, I’ll try.”

Katara scrunched up her eyes, dedicating all her concentration to breaking the ice.

“Kataraaaaa, where are you? Come see my watchtower!”

“Not now, Sokka!”

“C’mon! I’ll even let you do some magic ice water stuff with it if you’re nice!”

“Not now! I’m busy!”

“What are you even doing? What could be more important than my amazing watchtower?!”

Katara huffed, spinning around and opening her eyes to glare at her brother.

“I said not now, Sokka! I get that you think all my waterbending is stupid magic stuff but there’s someone who really needs it right now and you’re not letting me help him!” she yelled.

Sokka’s eyes went wide as he pointed to the large crack in the ice behind his sister. “I think you just did.”

Katara turned around sharply, tugging at the crack in the ice wall until it became an opening wide enough to let Aang crawl through.

“Are you okay?” she asked worriedly, seeing the boy rub the snow off his hair and what looked like a few tears from his eyes.

He gave her a big smile. “I’m okay, thanks to you! I’m Aang!”

Katara laughed. “I know. You told me! But I’m Katara! It’s a closure to meet you.”

“Pleasure,” Sokka deadpanned. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Do you wanna be friends?” Aang asked, ignoring Sokka’s comment and making puppy dog eyes at the waterbender.

Katara giggled, giving him a hug. “I’d love to be.”

And the rest was history. Katara and Aang quickly became close friends, the closest in fact, in the months and years following. They knew each other better than anyone, told each other everything. They would always be just friends… right?

--------

The first time Aang had thought of Katara as anything more than a friend had been in the seventh grade.

It was Valentine’s Day, and they decided to have a sleepover afterward like they did most Fridays. (Being next-door neighbors made this arrangement quite convenient.)

Unlike the last few years, this year Katara had gotten a real Valentine.

Not just one of those generic bought-at-Target Valentine’s Day kits that you’d give to the whole class, no no, but a pop-up card slipped through the slits in her locker before she had gotten to school, complete with heart candies and a piece of chocolate.

Aang knew he should’ve just been happy for his best friend, and he was to an extent, but something about it all rubbed him the wrong way. He knew it didn’t make sense- Haru was a nice guy! But then why was he still obsessing over a silly Valentine’s card hours later when they were supposed to be asleep?

Aang sighed heavily, turning onto his side in an attempt to get comfortable. Maybe he just needed to forget about it and get his rest. Maybe then his head would be a little clearer.

“Aang?” Katara’s whispering voice next to him interrupted his thoughts. “Are you still up?”

“Yeah, I’m up. Everything okay?”

“Yeah, I’m just thinking.”

“About Haru?” Aang muttered, mentally preparing for Katara to talk about how sweet his gesture was.

“Yeah, actually. How’d you know?”

“Lucky guess. What’s up, Tara?”

Katara frowned. “He asked me if I wanted to hang out sometime.”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing, I guess. I just- I don’t think I like him like that. He’s just a friend to me, you know? Like you.”

“Then tell him that. I’m sure he’d still be happy to be friends with someone as awesome as you. Anyone would.”

Katara sighed, quickly pressing a kiss to Aang’s cheek.

“Thanks, Aang. You always know how to make me feel better. I’m going to try and sleep now though. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

Never had Aang been so grateful for his dad getting those blackout curtains because he was certain that if Katara could see his face right now, she’d think that there was a tomato lying next to her. A tomato with an oddly warm, fuzzy feeling in its stomach, that is.

“Maybe this is for the best then after all,” Aang thought. “Katara won’t hang out with Haru, he’ll move on, and next year I can be the one giving her a Valentine.”

He frowned. “Wait what? You’re just friends, Aang, calm down. She just said that, like, five minutes ago. We’ve known each other forever, how could we be anything more? Why would you even want to be anything more? We’re just friends… right?”

--------

The first time Katara had thought of Aang as anything more than a friend had been the summer after eighth grade.

They had recently gotten into the habit of sneaking out from their Friday night sleepovers. The first few times they had just taken a walk around their neighborhood, relishing the cool night air, but eventually, they settled on going to the nearby playground to stargaze.

Aang laid back in wonder, marveling at the remarkably clear sky of that night. There must have been at least 1000 stars scattered against the dark background of space, in addition to a faint strip of celestial dust from the edges of their galaxy.

“It’s beautiful tonight,” he murmured, catching a quick glance at the girl next to him, equally enthralled by the view.

“It really is,” she replied softly. Katara then pointed up. “What’s that constellation, Aang?”

Aang squinted up at the region she had gestured to. “Gyatso calls that one ‘Sari’; I think the Western equivalent is Bootes? He was a son of Demeter, goddess of agriculture, and the ancient Greeks believed he invented the plow which got him eternal recognition as a constellation.”

“How about that one?”

“That’s ‘Ji Shin,’ aka Lyra. It represents the first lyre ever, and has something to do with the whole Orpheus and Eurydice thing if you know that myth.”

“The one where the guy has to not look back or he’ll lose his wife but he looks back and loses his wife anyways?”

“That’s the one.”

“What constellation is that star?”

Aang frowned at the shining object she’d pointed to. “Tara, I don’t think that’s a star. I think that’s just Venus.”

“Oh. I knew that.” She blushed as they both laughed.

Suddenly, a strong, cold breeze swept by them, making Katara instinctively scoot closer to Aang.

“Cold?”

She nodded. “Is this okay?”

Aang smiled and put his arm around her shoulder to draw her in a little closer. “How about I point to constellations this time?”

Katara giggled. “Sounds like a plan.”

The airbender started rambling on about the 28 core Tibetan constellations and their Western equivalents and myths, but Katara found herself unable to focus. Here she was, nestled in the crook of Aang’s arm, close enough to smell a faint hint of woodsy incense on him, all while he was talking passionately about something he very obviously loved and wanted to share with her. It seemed so… perfect, almost romantic, and Katara was enjoying it. She felt like she could do this forever, like she wanted to do this forever.

But that just couldn’t be. They were just friends… right?

--------

The first time Aang had found himself attracted to his best friend had been the first day of sophomore year.

The two hadn’t seen each other all summer- Aang’s dad, Gyatso, decided to take them on a journey back to visit Tibet, as well as do a little sightseeing along the way. They had gone to Europe, Africa, Asia, and even saw a bit of Australia and New Zealand, but by the time August rolled around, Aang was ready to go home already.

They had gotten back the night before the first day, barely enough time to go shopping for school supplies and get Aang’s schedule, but the next day, Aang was certain nothing would’ve prepared him for what he saw.

At first, he didn’t even recognize her.

She no longer had the long, blue dresses she’d wear in middle school and freshman year, but rather was wearing black leggings and a loose, periwinkle, off-the-shoulder blouse. She still had the same necklace but the rest of her was adorned with glass earrings that looked like water droplets, a few cord and beaded bracelets, as well as a few silver rings on her hands.

Most shockingly of all?

Her hair.

Gone was the braid she’d sported for as long as Aang could remember. Instead, her hair was half down, half up in a bun, the iconic loopies of course still in, much to Aang’s relief.

“Aang! When did you get back?” Katara waving him over snapped the airbender out of his trance.

“Hey Katara!” he jogged over to her with a crooked grin on his face. “It’s been ages.”

“That’s what happens when you leave for an entire summer,” she smiled back, taking a moment to mentally note all the differences she saw in him.

“Miss me?” Aang teased.

“More than you know, Mr. World Traveler. Spirits, I barely even recognize you anymore.”

The airbender laughed. “I could say the same. You look so different.”

“Do I still look okay?” she asked nervously.

“You look amazing, Tara,” Aang replied, trying his hardest not to stare.

Katara blushed. “You do too. C’mon, let’s get to first period.”

And thus Aang was dragged to their government class. Katara never seemed to question why Aang tended to do worse in the classes they had together, something he was eternally grateful for. How awkward would it be to explain that he was more focused on the way she had done her eyeliner and hair that day instead of the different kinds of democracy? After all, they were just friends… right?

--------

The first time Katara had found herself attracted to her best friend had been homecoming of their sophomore year.

She had been quite taken by surprise when she saw Aang that first day back from summer- well and truly towering over her in height, not to mention with a full head of hair.

Ugh, his hair.

Katara had seen Aang with hair in years, not since he got his tattoos back in the 7th grade, but when she saw the way it had grown back? She just hoped her dark skin had hidden the blush she felt creep to her cheeks.

And then there was homecoming.

Just when Katara thought the year was going to run smoothly and predictably, Aang had to show up to homecoming in a suit.

Most guys, she figured, were just going to wear a button-down with some nice pants. In fact, that had been Sokka’s plan before he got a date and decided to take Suki.

Katara herself had been asked to homecoming a few times, but she decided to just go with Aang as friends. It’d be more fun that way. She’d dress up a little after some homecoming shopping with Toph, he’d look nice too, and they’d all have a good time.

What she didn’t think was going to happen was Aang showing up at her house in a suit with a bouquet of roses in his hands. Much less did she think his shoulders would look that good in a suit jacket.

“I know we’re just going as friends, but Gyatso insisted,” Aang said sheepishly as he hopped up the steps to her door, holding out the flowers.

Katara nodded blankly, unable to take her eyes off of him.

“Katara? You’re staring. Is something wrong? Do I look okay?”

“What? Oh!” she squeaked. “No, you look amazing. Let me just go put these in some water.”

She grabbed the flowers and ran inside, facepalming herself.

“Control yourself, Katara! This is Aang, you’ve known him forever! You can’t think like that about him! You’re just friends… right?”

--------

The first time Aang had felt well and truly jealous of someone had been the summer before their junior year.

He had always known Katara was popular. How could she not be? She was beautiful, talented, smart, kind, and just about everything positive thing you could think about a person. There was no denying it.

So then why was he so shocked when Katara finally got a boyfriend?

No, maybe shocked wasn’t the right word. He was jealous.

He hated the feeling, mostly because he knew he had no right to feel it. Jealousy implied some kind of claim or ownership over her, but Katara was her own person! She had the right to do whatever she wanted with her relationships and her body.

And yet it seemed that every time she’d mention “Jet this” or “Jet that,” that inexplicably disgusting and wrong feeling would well up in his stomach again, no matter how much he tried to ignore it.

“Am I a horrible person?” Aang wondered. “I try my best not to show my jealousy, but I shouldn’t even be jealous in the first place! I’ve known Katara ages- I should just be happy for her because she’s happy. With Jet. And not me.”

He groaned, mentally berating himself. “Stop that, Aang! You can’t think like that. You’re just friends… right?”

--------

The first time Katara had felt well and truly jealous of someone had been in the fall of their junior year.

While most of their grade entered the year at 16 to turn 17 at some point following, Aang was a year younger and turned 16 that November, which meant by fall break, a few weeks after she had broken up with Jet, the whole world knew he was the Avatar. Katara had known for some time before, ever since she saw him waterbending in his backyard from her bedroom window, but she didn’t expect how much things would change after everyone knew.

Aang, being Aang, naturally remained as humble and down-to-earth as ever with the extra attention. The changes in behavior from their classmates weren’t even all that obvious usually, just some whispers here and there and the occasional signature request.

That was until the fangirls started.

Suddenly, it seemed that no matter where they went- school, a walk around their neighborhood, the mall, the grocery store, they had an entourage following them around. They could barely walk for five minutes without some girl complimenting Aang’s muscles or his tattoos or even the way he held his chopsticks once.

The airbender never seemed to mind, but Katara couldn’t shake the hot, angry feeling in her chest.

“What are you even getting jealous about? So what if Aang is getting a few more compliments than he did before? He deserves to know how amazing he is!”

“Ugh,” Katara groaned at the thought as Aang quickly made up an excuse to get away from the fangirls and continue on their walk.

“Everything alright?” He quirked an eyebrow up at her.

“Yeah,” she sighed. “I just can’t stand all those fangirls.”

“Why? Jealous?” Aang teased.

“Of course not! They just- I don’t know. They frustrate me.”

“Worry not, my dear Tara, you’re the only girl I enjoy listening to ramble about how hot I am,” he winked.

Katara laughed and rolled her eyes, lightly shoving him as they turned around the corner.

He hadn’t said it, but Aang’s unspoken sentiment was right. She probably shouldn’t be taking them as seriously as she did. Besides, why did they even matter? She was Aang’s best friend and if he was okay with it, she should be too. Katara couldn’t dictate who could call him hot and who couldn’t. Because they were just friends… right?

--------

The first time Aang had kissed Katara had been the summer before their senior year.

Coincidentally, the first time Katara had kissed Aang had also been the summer before their senior year.

It hadn’t been a long kiss, nor a planned one. It was spontaneous, just short and sweet in the heat of the moment as they sat on the jungle gym just like old times. It was one of those kisses that left their lips tingling and their hearts aflutter, one that made them excited and nervous and spread goosebumps all around.

“Did that really just happen?” Katara murmured, unable to take her eyes off him.

Aang’s face fell. “Did you not want it to?”

Her eyes widened as she vehemently shook her head. “No, no, of course I wanted it to happen. I’ve just, I’ve dreamed about this moment for a while now, and I guess I can’t believe it’s really happening.”

Aang smirked. “You dream about me?”

“From time to time you show up, yes,” Katara blushed, avoiding his gaze.

The airbender chuckled, tilting her head back up at him gently, and pressed their foreheads together.

“I’m not mocking you, Tara. I just find it funny. All this time, I’ve been thinking my feelings were one-sided and that you didn’t think of me as anything more than a ‘sweet little guy, like Momo.’”

“That was one time!”

Aang laughed and pressed a quick kiss to her lips and then another to her forehead before enveloping her in an embrace which she happily returned. He then whispered something so quietly that Katara was barely able to make out the words.

“Turns out we weren’t ‘just friends’ after all.”

#This is simply adorable #I loved it

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nalalunaart · 4 years ago

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Throughout the show, we see Aang struggle with the idea of obtaining unlimited power, while simultaneously staying true to who he is - a fun loving, accepting, sweet boy. Aang never wished to be the Avatar, but he is, and he cannot neglect his responsibility to the world. To us, we might see the Avatar State as some awesome godlike power, and in some ways it is, but the show diverges what we would expect by having Aang fear it. Aang’s victory at the Northern Water Tribe with the help of the ocean spirit is not treated as an amazing accomplishment, but rather, something that haunts Aang throughout the second and even third season. He often has nightmares about it, and about the destruction he is capable of. He does not enjoy the fact that his body can be used as a vessel for all of the previous Avatar’s, rendering him as more or less an empty shell that will do their bidding. Through out season two, the question becomes: is it better to use your unlimited power to end the war, or to try and stay true to the things which make you human?

Aang faces these questions head on, much like the element of the season: Earth. He is pressured in the first episode of seaosn two to use the Avatar State to his advantage, even if it means going against the person he is. Katara says, “I’m not saying the Avatar State doesn’t have incredible, and helpful power... but you have to understand... for the people that love you, watching you be in that much rage and pain is really scary.”

In the episode The Desert, we see Aang’s grief over the loss of Appa, yet another sacrifice he unwillingly makes to the world, force him again into the Avatar State.

As Aang battles internally with whether to choose emotion vs. power, toward the finale of season two, he is asked to make another sacrfice, and asks a very valid and important question:

Aang’s decision at first glance might seem like a foolish one to make, to choose attachment rather than godlike power, but his choice is affirmed by Iroh. “Perfection and power are overrated. I think you are very wise to choose happiness and love.” Aang, a character who has been forced to sacrifice everything he has for the rest of the world, is now being asked to give up one of the biggest attachments he feels, and asks with good reason as to why he should have to. How is it fair for him to have to sacrifice everything for everyone else? This plays out on an even bigger scale in season three, as Aang is pressured to give up his own morality and cultural views for the rest of the world. Sadly, his wish to not give up his love for Katara does not last, because Aang is not allowed to have a choice. He is forced in his battle with Azula, Zuko, and the Dai Li to let go of his earthly attachments, and his love for Katara, forced to choose power over emotion.

This moment is not painted as a positive thing, but as a tragedy. Aang is a boy who has experienced unimaginable loss, sacrificing his culture, his entire sense of belonging, and now finally the love which he feels in order to try and rise to the responsibility of saving the world. It is only seconds after he makes this sacrifice that he is killed by Azula. Typically, we would see a main character, or any character really, gaining power to defeat an enemy as something good or as something to celebrate, but not in Avatar. This moment is heart breaking, and his death that follows moments after is even more so.

Aang being forced to strip himself of all that he is is not treated as a good thing, and he is for lack of better words, punished for being forced to choose power over love. One of the reasons this specific battle is so emotionally driven isn’t only because Aang dies, but because Katara is present. Aang might have felt that it were in his best interest and in hers to let her go to reach his full potential of the Avatar State, and he does accomplish this, but it is Katara who does not let him go. Devestated, she creates a giant wave as she rushes to catch him as he plummets to the ground, not even caring if she were to drown the Dai Li, Zuko, or Azula in the process.

Katara tries to heal him, and it seems as if he truly is dead as she sobs over his body, before he comes back to life. Aang is saved not because he is somehow lucky, or because Katara is simply an amazing healer, but because Aang has someone in the world who loves him deeply.

Aang is given a second chance at life because Katara gives it to him. It is Katara’s unwavering belief, support, and love in Aang which not only broke him out of the iceberg, bringing the Avatar and the symbol of hope back to the world, but that also brings his soul back to his body at the end of season two, launching his character into his last and final arc of the show: staying true to his beliefs and emotions despite the demand to assert unlimited power where compassion and forgiveness should be.

In the first episode of season three, Katara and Aang exchange a short moment of dialogue that is very powerful in meaning, both for each character and also for a huge theme of the show:

Aang: I went down. I didn’t just get hurt, did I? It was worse than that. I was gone, but you brought me back.

Katara: I just used the spirit water from the North Pole. I don’t know what I did, exactly.

Aang: you saved me.

Aang’s character development has always been interesting to me, specifically in the way it tackled the theme of having unlimited power. He is very much a character that sacrifices, and then sacrifices some more, but is never really rewarded for doing so. The contrast between the Crossroads of Destiny, season two episode 20, and Avatar Aang, season three episode 21, will always fascinate me. Zuko comes to a crossroad in the finale of season two, but Aang does as well. Both Zuko and Aang make the wrong choice, Zuko siding with Azula, and Aang trading a part of himself to obtain power.

Contrast the Crossroads of Destiny to Avatar Aang, where Aang goes from having a decision made for him to making his own decision and standing by it. He is first forced to choose power, which ultimately gets him killed. But by the end of the show, Aang has learned that no one can make his decisions for him, nor do they have the right to. Aang is pressured by everyone excluding Katara, to make the choice to kill Firelord Ozai, which would be his ultimate sacrifice - giving away his own morals for the world. But Aang has learned better by now, and refuses.

By standing strong on his decision to stay true to his own beliefs and morals, he is finally rewarded with the knowledge of energy bending, a skill no previous avatar had encountered. Aang demanded a third option repeatedly, refusing to cave to what others expected of him; for him to use unlimited power to end the war. To end violence with more violence, something Aang feared and avoided as much as possible. Aang is told by Ozai that he is weak regardless of being the avatar, but Ozai is a man who has let power consume him, completely erasing whatever morals he may have had prior. Aang, however, is a character that strikes me as so strong not because he is the avatar, but because of his spirit.

"The true mind can weather all the lies and illusions without being lost. The true heart can tough the poison of hatred without being harmed. Since beginning-less time, darkness thrives in the void, but always yields to purifying light. To bend another’s energy, your own spirit must be unbendable, or you will be corrupted, and destroyed.”

Aang, through trial and error, finally develops into a fully realized avatar, mastering the Avatar State and the power he possesses, while refusing to let it change any aspect of who he is.

We end the show with this being one of the last moments of Avatar Aang we see, as he has this moment of true peace. He affirms to us that sometimes, holding tight to the things that you love and believe in, and that make you who you are, are the most powerful actions you can take in life. That the world cannot take the things that you believe in, that it cannot take away your spirit so long as you do not let it.

#this is do freaking awesome

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