#AND THATS WHERE I STARTED LIKING ZUKO AND KATARA AS A THING.

[aether-link]

.

[bisexuallsokka]

ok hello i have found that i have no choice but to introduce you to my "divorced zukka but slightly to the left" headcanon for a modern au. basically, a pre-transitioned zuko and sokka have a one night stand at the end of their senior year of high school, and never speak again. roughly six years later, sokka is starting his job at an elementary school (not a classroom teacher, like technology or something) and meets izumi, who is so sweet and cute and i swear thats the face katara makes when she's annoyed, and one day happens to see her dad pick up and huh he looks and AWFUL lot like that person i went to high school with and OH GOD some quick math brings an idea to mind.

So sokka attempts to confront zuko who is very much NOPE DO NOT TALK TO ME, but finally breaks down after a series of shenanigans that def do not involve mild stalking. but only to admit that yes, izumi is sokka's biological daughter, and would like to leave their interactions at that, except sokka has NO interest in SIMPLY leaving it at that because!!! he has a kid!!! that he knew nothing about!!! for six years!!!

zuko very much would like to continue living his life without sokka bc being a single young parent is hard enough but he has a good routine and good relationship with his daughter and he doesnt need this, this, SPERM DONOR to just come in here and mess everything up! the guy hasnt been there the last six years, there is absolutely no reason for his to get involved now!! BUT sokka absolutely would have been there if zuko had only TOLD HIM, but how was ZUKO supposed to know that, and did zuko really think so little of him?? except it was a one night stand and zuko didnt even realize he was a boy until right after and he originally wasnt even planning to keep izumi, and HOW could he have just given up their CHILD without ever even telling sokka about her and given him a CHANCE to take her, and WE WERE JUST KIDS AND HE WAS SCARED-

its complicated. and involves a lot of trying not to shout around izumi, who is just over the moon that her dad and her favorite teacher know each other outside of school. and there's a lot of heartache over sokka having to come to terms with the fact that yeah, hes not izumis parent, and there's only so much he can do without stepping on zuko's toes, and he only wants what is best for izumi, and zuko seeing that maybe sokka really does want to be all in for izumi even if zuko thinks sokka really doesnt fully understand what that means, and would it be such a bad thing? not that either of them are going to admit this to the other.

so it starts with small things, like sokka being allowed to pay child support (which hes been begging to do since day one), and maybe it turns out that zukos new coworker is sokkas friend and they end up at the same party where they can really see each other interact with izumi, and a chunk zuko's summer child care plans for the summer fall apart so sokka offers to babysit since his summer job is remote which feels BIG but also reallyyyyy too convenient to reject,

and then something bigger happens where izumi gets hurt at school and while sokka is blaming himself he's also panicking bc the hospital wont let him stay with her bc hes not an emergency contact so he steels himself and later tells zuko he wants to make his relationship to izumi legal. hes not going to have a custody fight, he would never ask for that, but he wants his name on her birth certificate and wants his name on her list of emergency contacts, and its the first time zuko understand that sokka 100% knows what he's getting into here and is willing to be in this 100%.

So maybe sokka moves into this "uncle sokka" role, because zuko still refuses to tell izumi that sokka is her other dad, and yeah that hurts, but sokka would rather have part of izumi's life if he can't have all of it. and sokka gets a better look inside their lives and discovers that its HARD being a young single parent, why would zuko have risked everything he worked for to mix in some guy he barely knew who might decide that zuko wasn't good enough and take izumi away? and zuko sees the pain sokka has from missing out on so many key moments of izumi's young life, and the more sokka is proving himself as a second parent, the more guilty zuko feels. they go through some shit together and its more and more evident that sokka doesnt just want to be that fun uncle, but he's ready more than willing to be a PARENT even when it means being the bad guy.

and maybe they start falling for each other a little, because they are starting to have this LIFE together and its not just about izumi anymore its the way zuko rolls his eyes and gets the new fancy ice pack out of the freezer when a limping sokka brings izumi back from the park, and its the way sokka makes zuko genuinely laugh after a long day at work, and its like their lives are getting fully intertwined-

except that they arent. and they couldn't. because if sokka decides its too much. because if zukos good favor runs out. if it didnt work out between them. they couldnt do that to izumi. what they have is good, its fine, (even if its not enough) they dont want to risk anything that could disrupt izumi's life. shes the priority. and sure, she's already asking questions about the two of them, but what if they don't work right in a real relationship? the way things are now, either of them could back out, and everyone would eventually be ok. maybe. except every time they think about the possibility, it seems like they are already too intertwined, and either of them trying to untangle would just be a disaster, so imagine if they HAD to untangle, and-

so they just end up in an awkward stage of sad pining. because theres no way it would actually work out. because it would hurt all of them. and their life has never been better, but it's never hurt this much either.

ok so i didnt realize i could still write this long in an ask, but essentially i am not a masochist like you, and they do figure it out in the end. this could happen a number of ways, such as izumi just announcing that yeah this is my dad and his boyfriend, or zukka doing the "pining make outs that we never talk about until one of us snaps and we decide to let ourselves be fucking happy", or a very funny "we both snap and bone for one wonderful night to get it out of our system and then we dont talk about it" which leads to an accidental second baby where sokka and zuko both laugh and say whelp it must be fate lets do this the right way this time.

the most important thing is that they both forget to tell izumi that sokka is her biological father, so teenage izumi is very shocked and upset that shes just had to learn this from something totally mundane like applying for a passport, and sokka and zuko do the spider man finger pointing of "i thought you told her" "no, you were supposed to tell her" "did we really not tell her?" and its absolutely disgusting how cute they are

thanks for coming to my tedtalk

i love every single thing about this! sokka wanting to be a part of izumi's life and help zuko out....zuko being reluctant to accept but eventually seeing how sokka is proving himself.....the limbo period where they are both afraid it could end any moment....TOO GOOD! i love every single option for how they could get together for real like this is my favorite take on modern au divorced zukka by far!!!! <3 <3

[lilchaos-demon]

i dont know how they managaed to fuck up the live action remake of ATLA again…

There is a plethora of things wrong the remake but here are a few that really ticked me off:

WHERE IS KATARA’S FIREY SPIRIT?! She is stubborn, tough, fierce, caring, and NOT afraid of confrontation. The remake frames her as so passive and not assertive and I hate it.

Zuko is the villan of book 1 but he is relieved of all blame and villainy from the gate! His back story and character arc isnt as impactful if he isn’t shown as a dislikeable character first

Aang should have BEEN learning waterbending before they made it to the Northern Water Tribe- Katara took up the role of being Aang’s first teacher and they become closer as they both learn water bending!

HOW ARE YOU GOING TO OVERLAP DIFFERENT KEY PLOT POINTS IN ONE EPISODE?! The visions Katara and Sokka have in the Spirit World were supposed to be had in the Swamp- After they visit the Northern Water Trine and Aang starts his search for an earthbending teacher. But you blend it with the Heibai episode?

While I enjoy hearing from the other previous Avatar’s in the Cycle, they really under played the importance of Roku being Aang’s guide in all things Avatar- Especially considering that Roku was the witness to the start of the Fire Nations war.

YOU HURT MOMO! THATS A CRIME!

AANG HAS YET TO LEARN ANY WATERBENDING BY THE LAST EPISODE OF THE SERIES SO FAR!

Where is Sokka’s leadership and sexism arc? Those are two fundamental aspect of Sokka’s character in the original show. Especially in the Kyoshi episode, Sokka gains a new respect for women when he trains with Suki and the other Kyoshi warriors. But in the live action they focus on the romantic sub-plot instead. We know that Sokka and Suki end up together but they did not have to lean so heavily into it. It should have been spent building out Sokka’s character and evolution!

Admiral Zhao… oh brother. He is cocky but not in a good way. Zhao was more sinister and scheming. But not secretive! Zhao has always been upfront about his rivalry with Zuko and want for power. He is taunting, smart, manipulative but not a gaslighter

And these are just a few things that really grind my gear about the remake. There are some things I like about it like deeper back stories and new perspectives but dear god please. I think the series would have come out better if they had stretched the series out a bit longer and took more time to actually flesh out the characters. All this being said- They better follow through with the rest of the series because if I have another incomplete remake of the series im going to be so mad. Is the remake everything I wanted? No. Was it ever going to hold a match to the original series? Never! But i want to see if they improve and can actually tell this story.

[its-callum-everybody]

I CANNOT DRAW. Thats how I’ve started every single part of this series and it’s how I’m going to end it. Hi. I’m Cal. In case you’ve never seen this before lemme explain. I can’t draw. But I really wanna show off my twst OC. So, I decided to make a 4 part series of me making her in-depth character analysis.

Part 1 — Basic Character Information / Relationships

Part 2 — Everything about her Unique Magic

Part 3 — Lore

Part 4 — Appearance

Part 4 ➤

Appearance!

A character’s appearance is incredibly important, even if their like invisible and you can see straight through them because there’s some type of reason or lore as to why they’re invisible!

It’s a whole bunch of things to consider; how are they built? What are their facial features? How is their hair styled? Is it clean? What color is their eyes? Is there any reason they dress a certain style?

All important questions, all things I had to ask while trying to curate Cyrielle. So let’s break down on what I decided to do with her appearance, shall we?

Hair

A characters hair is often used to symbolize their development. One great example of this in ATLA where Zuko’s hair gradually gets longer and longer the more he heals from his trauma as well as his growth as a person. It’s also symbolic in Sokka’s sides growing out and Katara’s hair getting fuller, softer. You’ve also probably seem the trope of a girl cutting her hair to make a statement, maybe she’s running away or trying to prove herself.

Well, for Cyrielle’s hair I wanted to play on the phrase ‘hair holds memories’ because she has amnesia. Cyrielle’s hair is going to start out short but as each Book and Chapter goes by it gets gradually longer to symbolize her getting back her memories. It also will help because, just like with Zuko, I want it to symbolize her growth.

NRC is a place full of villain kids, most of which have their own traumatic past or quells their trying to deal with like Cyrielle who is trying to break away from the villainous past of her grandfather entirely. So as Cyrielle’s hair grows she’s coming to realize the world is less black and white. Yes. These kids are messed up, but so is she in some context and if anything she should help them try to move on with her. It symbolizes passion for the future, for moving forward.

But for now, in book one, it’s short.

Eyes

Eyes. There almost a whole different story from hair. Almost. Eye colors can mostly be framed around genetics, but if your characters have special colored eyes theres usually a reason for it. Something which can easily be tied into their lore. Same with abnormal pupil shapes like stars or hearts.

Luckily, I’m not doing anything crazy for Cyrielle’s eye color. We’re sticking with gray. However, I will be focusing on eye shape.

For Cyrielle’s eyes I want them to sort of narrow, kind of almond shaped. As most characters with those type of eyes can be perceived as calm natured. Perhaps even stoic. Also, it gives her a masculine touch. As its to be noted maturer, mainly masculine presenting characteristics in most media. Especially anime. Have narrower eye shapes. While girls have bigger, rounder eyes.

They also need to be narrow to represent something I just mentioned; maturity. Most Kids have small, but usually bright and rounder eyes in media representation because it helps give them a feel of childhood innocence and whimsy. Something which Cyrielle never really got the chance of having. Go read the lore part to understand why.

Body

Body shape and type! These are very important, especially if you want diverse characters. After all, you can represent someone with different backgrounds and cultures but those people will look different. Say if they didn’t eat a lot growing up, have some medical disabilities, had or have a healthy diet, maybe they were encouraged to work out, experienced or are experiencing a change in their body.

It’s all very natural and it’s awesome when properly represented so make sure to research first kids!

Now, lets examine what Cyrielle is right? Well she stands at 5 foot 8 inches tall and weighs 146 lbs. I want most of that weight to come from muscle but she of course is still going to have a little bit of fat because girl is not a work out monster. She is more like a pilates princess who occasionally lifts weights.

So thats going to give her a thicker, rounder structure. Which will be good because if she was all skin and bones she wouldn’t have much muscle, so she would be physically weaker which isn’t something she wants.

Her Scar

Now, given her unique magic she can’t really get or sustain injury as 99.9 percent of the time she’ll be able to just heal it herself without leaving behind a scar at all.

So whats so special about this one? Well, it’s the one scar she’ll never be able to get rid of. The one where it seemed as though she had been pierced through the heart with a sword.

Outfits

Character outfits! Now, in most shows and such characters will be primarily seen in the same outfits except for maybe the occasional change. These are often true for most anime and cartoons especially. Something which I don’t want. But its best for practically in this sense.

And TWST and other games like it do it so well. Especially with special cards and events. Plus, we’re also given, dorm outfits, school outfits, gym outfits. Its *chefs kiss* perfect. Sadly, we won’t be talking about any of her event outfits for today. Just the basic ones plus a few extra just for funsies.

Dorm Uniform —

The dorm uniform is fun because Ramshackle doesn’t have one so you can do whatever you want with it! Of course, I’m going to tie in on the ghostly, victorian sort of vibe. Because who would I be if I didn’t?

For starters! I think it is well established that Ramshackle is inspired by the Haunted Mansion. Something which I already liked to incorporate into Cyrielle’s fashion alongside academia and fantasia sort of themes.

Now, once more, I can’t draw. So I had two options, Pinterest until I can Pinterest no longer. Or Picrew.

So you can obviously tell which I chose. Credits to @seep_999 of course. Now. None of her main features were featured in this picture. Just the outfit.

School Uniform —

Her school uniform is fully black as Ramshackle isn’t given much of an official school color. Though later on it would be established as a sort of Blue Yonder shade.

Which would change the color of her vest.

The actual component of her uniform consist of the regular vest; regular over coat; a white shirt with a ruffle neck; a black & white striped bow tie; black tights; and low black heels.

Sprite

Now, as I mentioned I cannot draw. So. I have resorted to a common method I’ve found, which is this lovely picrew made by @lxnya728.

And here she is! Cyrielle is completed at long last. Of course, I’ll be doing more works and drabbles with her later on. Maybe even dive into some event lore and outfits, but for now here she is!

[asthesunrisessolow]

How Could You?

Warnings: Fluff, Angst-Fluff, Mean-ish Sokka, Katara mothering as usual, Aang not reading the room, toph being a bad friend, and awkward Zuko, Sokka x reader fluff

Description: When Sokka accompanies Zuko to the boiling rock reader thing it’s a bad idea and when they get back the reader lashes out at sokka for being so reckless

You never expected to hear that. Even from Sokka it hurt. How could he say that.

~Flashback~

" I MEAN EVEN TOPH CAN SEE HOW STUPID THAT IS!!" Sokka yelled viciously as he got off from Appa's saddle.

"SAYS THE ONE WHO CAN'T READ A MAP" I yelled back as I jumped down from the saddle.

I could see Sokka getting angrier by the minute so I stormed off to avoid any more trouble but before I could reach Zuko's abandon vacation house I heard Sokka yell "THATS WHY NOBODY CAN LOVE YOU, I MEAN LOOK WHERE THAT ZUKO AND YOUR DAD-" before he could continue ripping into me Katara stepped in. "SOKKA WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU, HOW COULD YOU EVEN SAY THAT, YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED WITH HER FAMILY AND-". At that point i completely checked out, I never expected for Sokka to bring up such a personal moment. I mean how could he. It hurt so bad, like a pang right to the heart. I just stood in the sand staring into the distance of the island before Zuko came and grabbed my arm gently leading me to the steps up to the house. My vision began to cloud as I froze in front of the steps. "Y/N, Y/N," Zuko repeatedly called my name but it felt like my ears were gonna combust.

~Present~

“You know Sokka earlier, he didn’t mean it like th-“

“Do Not Defend Him!!” I yelled at the top of my lungs.

“I’m not and I’m sorry you thought that but I just don’t think he understands the impact his words have.” He calmly explained as he hovered over the stove making sure the tea was ready. I silently got up and walked out to the broken piece of the balcony and sighed lightly. I slowly sat on the edge looking into the dusky sky.

“Here you go.” Zuko softly smiled and handed me my tea and sat down with me.

“Im sorry.” I said as I slowly gazed into his eyes.

“I understand, your father is a touchy subject for you considering what happened.” He said as he looked down at his tea towards the end of his sentence. Our silence was interrupted when I heard someone clear their throat behind me. “Can we talk?” Sokka looked down at me. Zuko looked at me for reassurance and I nodded, he then got up and patted Sokka on the shoulder before leaving us to talk. Sokka sat down in Zukos place before starting to talk. “ I’m so so sorry and I never should’ve said anything about your . . . family and it’s just wasn’t fair and I really just need to say I’m so-“ I interrupted Sokka before he could continue his rant. “ I appreciate your apology and I shouldn't have been so worried.” I said as I gazed into his eyes. He looked relieved before leaning in and hugging me. I slowly hugged him back until I heard Aang and Toph. “OOOoooouuUu” I heard both of them saw. I laughed lightly and then got up with Sokka and joined Zuko, Katara, and Aang around the fire place while Toph brought over more tea.

Never knew writing took so much time😓 but here yall go and this is my ATTEMPT at writing lmk how I can get better and pls be nice yall😭

[mysticwolfshadows]

Honestly, I think is because it's canon, so they feel like they're right and everyone else is wrong. Canon kinda protrays Kataang as destiny and inevitable. Aang, as a loveable and goofy main character, 'deserves' to have his happily ever after, and its protrayed as if Katara is that happily ever after.

Kataang fans also seem to be really into LoK, which I didn't like because, like, tf they do to Katara. We see Zuko and Toph still up and doing stuff, riding dragons and fighting dictators. But Katara is just... in the South Pole. Really only shows up when healing needs doing. And I freaking hate it! Zuko is literally riding a dragon around and Toph is kicking it in the swamp and taking no prisoners. But Katara is quiet and FRAIL and doesn't do jack! But Kataang shippers are usually fine with it, because thats what you would EXPECT from an MCs love interest. You expect whoever Aang ends up with to be quiet and in the background, a caregiver not a fighter, because Aang is the Avatar and the last Airbender, so he has to fight for the world and also revive the Air Nomads. So his wife needs to be waiting at home with the kids.

I can not tell you how many fics I've read that litterally start with Katara being at an Air Temple where Aang is training Air Acolytes, and she finally snaps and ollie outies, because she freaking hates being 'Katara, the Avatars Girlfriend' instead of 'Master Katara, Defender of the World'. Its not even just a Zutara thing!!! I read a fic where Katara just kicks butt and takes names, no ships involved. And I loved is SO MUCH.

This became way more of a rant that I meant it to. Kataang people are just so entitled and feel like they're the only right ones, probably because it's canon.

oh my god I have never started hating a ship so fast. Why are they (Kataang shippers) so aggressive???

[gaysparring]

ok so this obviously isnt like. NEW to anyone and its not even news to me either but the southern water tribes chief hakoda and his family are narrative foils Literally Metaphorically Subtextually Blatantly Like Its Right THERE in your FACE to the fire nation royal family.

this occured to me starting with kya, and her death, and the immediate effect it had on her family. the family grieve, they have to share the load emotionally and physically, the void left behind is visible in the way we see katara's attitude toward sokka's ambivalent one about her role. obviously she mends and heals, cooks, cleans. shes a girl! right? so Obviously shed know these things sooner or later! right? and sokka being the hunter, the tracker, the map reader those should be obvious traits too as well, duh! right?

to me it instead shows that before eventually leaving to join the war, hakoda had Been there for his children. he was by no means a distant figure, he was there and active in their lives. the chief of their tribe! yes katara steps up, and she takes on more than she shouldve had to chew, but so does sokka. how was his tribe being fed? hes training the tribes children as well, and yes hes shown to be the comedian of the gaang early on, but he doesnt just. HAVE his skillset from nowhere he didnt whip out all his talent from nowhere!

the northern water tribe has many cultural differences, but it still has a chief. and chief arnooks daughter, yue, is referred to as Princess. thats her TITLE thats her INHERITANCE. and we dont think anything of it over the course of the show, why would we? this is a fantasy setting we meet princes and princesses and DRAGONS not to mention the lore within the spirit world and the avatar to begin with.

culturally, doesnt that make sokka and katara... the equivalent of their tribes prince and princess? so where does this leave our family dynamic for them. two leaders of their tribe, and one dead. their family loss leaving a chief, a prince, a princess, and Grangran who gives the two children guidance and wisdom should they accept it. their father leaves on a journey, physical distance.

another family, royalty. two leaders of their nation, and one dead. their family loss leaving a lord, a prince, a princess, and Uncle Iroh who gives the two children guidance and wisdom should they accept it. their father is always nearby, emotional distance. for the prince, this would become a physical distance as well, marked with a scar.

katara and azula have their parallels in aces one hit after another. LITERALLY and tangibly foils. katara and sokka become closer, they bicker and squabble, they trust eachother and have each others back.

what is it zuko says about his sister? "azula always lies" and what is it that azula says? "my mother always thought i was a monster. she was right of course, but it still hurt"

azula always lies.

i forgot where i was going with this. perhaps given much different circumstances, these two families wouldve ended up resembling each other, becoming a very different story.

[ly0nstea]

Azula and Zuko Co-Fire Lord

This is a slight follow up for an idea of zuko not being the firelord (even tho he's still firelord) in my previous post, while also being an azula redemption

So, in this idea, Azula is allowed to be the fire lord for some time, seen as ozai promotes her a while before sozins comet, but it still comes with the whole being left behind as ozai leaves to make a solid plan for invasion before the comet, during this time azula realises how terribly unprepared she was for this position. Her manic episode on coronation day calms down but she isn't totally there yet. She's paranoid, distrustful, still has occasional visions of her mother in the corner of her eye and has night terrors more often than not.

The whole thing has her at her wit's end, only worsening her mental state as she has to increasingly rely on advisors she's certain are plotting to betray her, all while she convinces herself that she's failing her father by not being as good as him at being the Fire Lord.

Sozin's Comet comes, Aang and ozai's fight goes the same as the show's, maybe a bit more dramatic due to ozai's preparation, but the Final Agni Kai goes very differently. Azula is exhausted, she's low on sleep, her ears are filled with conflicting advisors, she's reaching the same breaking point as she did on Coronation Day, until Zuko and Katara run up to the doorway of the palace. She sees a way out, maybe she could throw? Maybe she could just surrender? The fight starts, but Azula didn't have the time to throw, when she tried to throw her first punch she collapsed, exerting herself too hard and passing out as she hit the floor.

Now zuko doesnt know what to think, but he's pretty sure he won? And looking at his exhausted, passed out sister puts her in a hospital with the royal doctor to fix her up while he settles in.

However, Zuko runs into the exact same problems azula did. He's not ready, he can't handle the pressure, and quickly puts 2 and 2 together to realise thats why azula passed out the moment she threw a punch, so, similar to how he went to ozai to find his mother, he goes to azula to ask how she handled being fire lord.

These visits start being regular, as azula is slowly healed from how badly she treated her body for weeks. We do know from the beach that they can be more than civil in an isolated environment, so I think that as long as he didn't come all dressed up basically gloating (though I dont think he would)

They would slowly grow closer, perhaps to the point where Zuko asks the doctors not to dismiss her for a little longer because he doesn't want the visits to end, but eventually azula realises shes not getting any better, adn they let her out, with zuko cautiously (and very condtionally) invites her to the palace.

They would eventually grow closer and closer, as being the firelord starts taking more and more of a toll on zukos mind and body. Zuko gives azula a small responsibility, something he doesnt have time for like assigning schedules to the maids, or checking up on the royal guards armour and weapons.

As their trust grows, azula gets some more responsibility, and decision making power after a few months she's basically a de facto Fire Lord 2, but it's not until something big happens, like Azula saving Zuko from some Ozai loyalists, or peacefully solving a difficult situation in the colonies she gets a promotion, and as time goes on, they become equals, sharing the burden that once crippled them both, and being as close as they can be in spite of ozai efforts.

[atlabeth]

transferred part 20 - atla smau

part 19 | masterlist | epilogue

summary: trying to run from your past is hard, but falling for your brother’s roommate is even harder. little do you know that he’s falling for you as well.

a/n: me when i have to write more than 5 words in a series thats supposed to be a smau

anywho! basically the last chapter?? which is crazy?? filled with heartfelt emotions and the moment that you've all been waiting for, it's a wild ride. so strap in and enjoy. the epilogue will be posted later today so i can finally wrap this series up!! and dont worry theres a super long sappy authors note on the epilogue. LETS GET INTO IT

wc: 2.3k

warning(s): cursing, mentions of alcohol, hurt/comfort, one suggestive comment, mentions of toxic relationships, reader talking about her self sabotaging behavior and burnout, Bad Coping Methods (dont disappear kids)

-

“You haven’t seen her?” Zuko sighed as the same words he had heard on repeat for the past hour played through his ears again. “It’s alright, thank you. Have a good night.”

He shook his head at his friends, their defeated expressions mirroring his own as he leaned against the kitchen island. He ran an exhausted hand through his hair, and he couldn’t help but think of the countless times you had done it for him.

“Your sister doesn’t play when it comes to theatrics,” Aang lamented as he plopped on the couch next to Sokka.

“Tell me about it,” he muttered. “I mean, she doesn’t pull stuff like this. Sometimes she went over the top when she was younger, staying out a little too late or doing something stupid, but she never just… she never just tried to disappear like this. I.. I guess she was too worried about Katara and me to do anything like that, but still.” He knocked back the rest of the seltzer and tossed the can on the table — alcohol was tempting, but none of them wanted to be any less than completely aware tonight.

“We all knew she was hurting,” Sokka continued. “Not even she could be fine after everything that happened with Hahn, especially the day after, but I— I guess I thought that she would open up before just dropping off the radar completely!

“No news from the girls,” Aang announced, prompting a collective sigh from the other two boys. “I gotta give it to her, she’s been very thorough with this.”

“Of course she has. It’s classic Y/N — she can disappear without a trace, sure, but she can’t put enough effort into picking up some supplies for my project on her way home.” It was a lame attempt to lighten the mood, and though he got a weak chuckle out of Aang, it was radio silence on Zuko’s part.

“Hey, buddy.” It didn’t snap him out of his reverie, and Sokka seriously contemplated throwing his empty soda can at him. “You okay?”

“She didn’t even say anything to me,” he finally murmured, eyes trained on his phone screen. “She said she would tell me if she was having a hard time, but she didn’t say anything to me. Just suffered in silence until it got so bad she just up and left. She just… left. Without a single word to anyone. To me.”

Aang’s eyes softened and he let out a loose exhale. “Zuko, she didn’t mean to hurt you — I know that much. She’s just been under a lot of stress lately, and… I guess it didn’t manifest in the best way.”

“Stress...” he muttered, trying to piece it together. There was something nagging at the back of his skull, something on the tip of his tongue, but he just couldn’t get it. “And you guys are sure she hasn’t put anything anywhere? No texts that you missed, nothing?”

“Believe me,” Sokka said. “I’ve refreshed her pages a thousand times by now. It’s radio silence on her side. God, I wish I was more invasive and put like, a tracking device on her car or something! For all we know, she could be back to Kyoshi.”

Kyoshi. Stress. This whole thing, your disappearing act.

And suddenly, it clicked.

Zuko stood up abruptly, nearly knocking over the stool in the process and warranting puzzled looks from both of his friends as he grabbed his keys off the table and practically ran to the door.

“Zuko, where are you going?” Aang questioned.

He tugged the door open and shot a glance back at them, tension having noticeably dissolved from his shoulders.

“I know where she is.”

-

Zuko tapped idly against the steering wheel, once again glancing down at his phone screen but to no avail. His relationship with you had become infinitely more complicated since the kiss through fault of both of them — he supposed that was what happened when two people who didn’t know how to talk about their emotions caught feelings for each other. Zuko was very skilled at sticking his foot in his mouth whenever he tried to talk about anything like this, and

But you had accepted his offer to talk on the way home, so that meant something.

He had originally suggested just talking on the way home like he had proposed earlier, but you had a different idea. ‘Trust me,’ you had told him. ‘It has a good track record with making people feel better.’

Your proposition was a wildflower field on the outskirts of the city, just out of the way that someone would go en route to the university. Far enough from the city to emanate an aura of peace, but close enough to be a feasible trip.

“I found this place when I was missing home,” you smiled as he parked the car. “I love it here, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes I just feel homesick for Kyoshi. You passed a field like this on the way into town, and when I stumbled here, it just kinda felt like fate. So now whenever I’m stressed, or overwhelmed, or just need a break, I come out here. And I think this is the perfect place to talk about… well, whatever’s going on with us.”

“Sounds good.” He returned the sentiment then cleared his throat. “As long as we don’t go in there. I can admire it from afar, but just looking at that field is making my skin itch.”

You laughed and nodded amiably. “Deal.”

-

One hand was splayed against your chest, the other trailing lazy circles with the pads of your fingers against the metal as you gazed up at the sky. You had the best and only seat of the view, the flora drifting softly in the night breeze as the stars twinkled from above.

You didn’t know what you were thinking, being here. The past couple of weeks had just been… crushing you. It was like your heart was stuck in a vice and no matter what you did, it just got tighter and tighter.

You had been treating everyone you knew horribly, but you couldn’t stop. It felt like a game — how terribly could you act towards them until they snapped too? Until your friends, your siblings, Zuko, recognized that they had made a mistake by trying to help you?

And you didn’t know what it was about today, but… something inside of you just broke after that morning with your roommates. So you did what you were best at, and you ran. Skipped class, skipped work, just drove around aimlessly until even that was starting to feel like too much of a trap.

And then you ended up here.

It would’ve been laughable if you weren’t on the verge of breaking down.

You had been here, just laying on the hood of your car parked a few feet away from the field on an off road path, for the better part of an hour. If you were going to drown underneath the weight of your thoughts, it was better to do it alone.

But as you heard the crunching of gravel underneath car tires, your eyes instinctively shot towards the noise — so much for being alone — and you sat up. Your brows furrowed in recognition, you knew that car, and it felt like your heart was going to beat out of your chest when Zuko stepped out.

“You remembered,” you breathed after a moment of silence. “You’re here.”

“Always.” He said it so obviously, so easily — why wouldn’t he remember? Why wouldn’t he be here?

You scooted over to make space on the hood and patted the space next to you softly, pulling your knees up to your chest in a moment of shame as he walked around to the front and pushed himself up next to you. What were you going to say to him? What could you say?

“I’m sorry,” you said out of the blue, your words pouring out of you like an emotional waterfall. “I’m sorry for just— for just leaving, I know it was stupid and I know they’re all probably worried out of their minds, but I couldn’t do it, Zuko. I-it was like I was trapped, and I know it was irrational, but I had to get out of there—”

“You didn’t have to,” he said quietly, effectively stopping your rant. “If you really had to get out, you could’ve at least said something to one of us. I don’t know what things were like back at Kyoshi, but here— here, you can’t throw yourself back onto the knife every time something goes wrong, because— you just can’t do that anymore.”

“I’m not mad, believe me, I’m relieved that you’re okay. I just..” he sighed and glanced up at the night sky, the light of the moon illuminating his features as he faced you once more. “I know you’ve felt alone before, but you’re not. You have Katara, and Sokka, Suki, Toph— you have me, Y/N! And I’m not going anywhere, trust me, but— but you can’t keep doing this to yourself, because they care about you, and I care about you.”

You swallowed the lump in your throat and chose to concentrate on the hood of the car, tapping your fingers against the metal as a way to use up your nervous energy. “You’re… you’re right,” you said after a long moment of silence, the beginnings of a mirthless smile on your lips.

“After that night at the party, I just— I couldn’t stop thinking about what happened. There was a part of me that just wanted to lock myself in my room and never come out, but I— I told myself I was better than that, and I refused to let myself fall back onto any of it. So I worked. I took extra shifts, I helped out my professors, I did anything and everything I could to try and keep my mind off of Hahn. But I wasn’t helping anything, I was just… I was destroying myself. It was just like you said. I was a candle burning at both ends but still convinced that I was doing the right thing, and eventually.. I just couldn’t take it anymore. So I ran.”

“And— there’s always been this… this voice in my head that pops up after things in my life are going good, and it tells me that something is going to go wrong. A-and it tells me that if I’m the one that ruins it, then I don’t have to ask myself what I did wrong, if I could’ve stopped it from happening— if it’s inevitable, then I should be the one to ruin it. It’s how most of my relationships ended, and— well, the only thing it’s succeeded in is making me miserable.”

You don’t even notice your hands are shaking until you feel Zuko placing his own over yours — a simple gesture asking an unsaid question, one you answer by intertwining his fingers with your own.

“That same voice popped up again once I started getting close to you,” you admitted quietly. “And this whole time, I’ve been so terrified of falling that I never considered you would catch me. But I’m tired, Zuko. I’m tired of constantly looking over the edge.”

As you turned your head to meet his eyes again, your breath caught in your throat at his close proximity. You were sure that no matter how much time you spent with him, your heart would never stop beating out of your chest for Zuko.

“I will always be there to catch you,” he affirmed softly. “And I’m not going anywhere.”

And just like before, he brought his hand to the side of your face and tenderly brushed a loose strand of hair behind your ear. His hand, slightly calloused but emanating comfort all the same, lingered on your cheek for a moment before he posed the question.

“Can I kiss you?”

You nodded, and his lips captured your own immediately. You reciprocated with an almost desperate fervor and— and it just felt so right. You had grown so accustomed to the constant warmth he carried with him that it had become a part of you, he had become a part of you, and now a life without Zuko was just unimaginable.

He was right — he already was there to catch you, each and every time. Giving you endless rides when your car broke down, sitting through the world’s most boring anthro projects, letting you bare your soul to him, telling you it was all going to be okay when nothing felt okay, and managing to find you when you had gone out of your way to not be found. And all of it— it all made you realize.

You didn’t want to keep running. And you didn’t have to. Not anymore.

Zuko pulled away and pressed his forehead to yours, breathing slightly labored as the two of you sat in comfortable silence. That is, until you broke it.

“So,” you started, a nervous chuckle following. “Are we… are we a thing now?”

You could tell that caught him by surprise by the laugh that escaped him, a sound of unfiltered joy. “I’d say that we are.”

You could feel the heat rushing to your cheeks once more as he slid off of the hood of the car and held out his hand, an offering you took happily. “We should get home,” he said, somewhat reluctantly. “It’s past midnight, and—” Zuko glanced at his phone and grimaced. “They’re all still worried out of their minds.”

“Right,” you muttered. “I’m gonna get the lecture of my life from Sokka and Katara.”

“Probably,” he chuckled. “But they’re just doing their job as concerned siblings.” He pressed a chaste kiss to your forehead and glanced back at his own car. “I’ll see you back at the apartment?”

You nodded, an uncontrollable smile pulling at your lips. “Thank you, Zuko. For this, and— for everything.”

He returned the sentiment, golden eyes filled with adoration.

“Always.”

-

if your name is crossed out it means i can’t tag you!

perm taglist: @dv0412 @siriuslyslyslytherin

transferred: @ourbestfriend-mishacollins @lil-lex1 @xxshad0wxb1rdxx @zuko-is-the-sun @akiris @irohs-teapot @thatarthistorynerd @charlenasaxen @minninugget @marvel-ousnesss @count-thotticus @what-ye-egg @furblrwurblr @thesstuff @mariachiii @ietss @dizzy-miss-lizzieeeeee @xbarrjallenx @tommy-braccoli @dreamsluvrr @floofybread @thelovelylolly @lin-biefong-is-my-life @tiffanyy-21 @sistheselenophile @theincredibledeadlyviper @bakugouswh0r3 @loganrwebb @mikaslilworld @matsunshine @iris-suoh @aizameow @h3llbun @kozuelle

atla: @marianne1806

[umbrum77]

I would argue in the OG show that after season 1 they went out of there way to give as much credit to the fire nation as they could. Zuko is actually a nice guy. Iroh is the important wise one. Hama is the real villain not her captures. The poor citizens of the fire nation are just as much victims of industrialization as everyone else. meanwhile the first time we see the earth kingdom they are either the villans (when they capture Iroh and zuko, its from the Irohs and zukos POV so they are the good guys there) or already defeated slaves working in a ship yard. Which need out side help to do anything But wait what about the kyoshi warriors? arnt hey earth kingdom? Well kinda? its unclear. The whole political structure of the earth kindom is confusing which is why i want to learn more about it. The first show did want to show that every nations had its issues but 2 things. The earth kingdom never really had any one that repersented them in the main cast. Suki? From a island thats not really part of the earth kingdom? (AND YES IM COUNTING SUKI AS THE MAIN CAST :p) Then we have toph who's entire thing is going rouge so its hard to say she represents the earth kingdom. Vs Zuko who becomes fire lord Aang the last airbender Katara/Sokka who are are windom into the story and the water tribe (at least south) and kids of the leader of the southern water tribe. Ive never liked that they tried to show each nation is filled with good and bad people. Sure the earth kingdom has some bad peolpe The water tribe had sexist jerks THE FIRE NATION STARTED A WAR OF ANNIHILATION STARTING WITH GENOCIDE AND INCLUDED EXTERMINATION CAMPS AND SLAVERY Theses things are not the same. if Lok. yeah i agree they needed someone new to be the enamy. They even did the water tribe in the (terrible) season 2 But they also brought back the dai li and made sure that when the earth queen was killed by the villains we where ok with it.

[zutaraplatter]

Avatar: The Last Airbender Critique

There are already a million of posts like this one, and I might be saying things that’ve already been said a million times but I’ve recently become reheated about the ATLA ending and wanted to let it out -_- No one asked, this is true, and this may or may not be a way to stall from this final project I still have to complete, but here’s 10 things I didn't like and/or would change about the show that likely shouldn’t need changing because they should have been done in the first place.

1. Katara should have apologized to Sokka after TSR

It should have happened and it didn't. In my canon-avoiding mind, Katara and Sokka have a heartfelt conversation where she apologizes for the awful things she said, Sokka says he forgives her and he's sorry if he wasn't as there for her as much as he should have been, which he follows up with "but I'm happy you listened to Aang and took his advice," leading into my next point

2. Katara should have said that not killing Yon Rha was her choice

And thats why it was the right one. Not because Aang already said it was wrong. No no. It was the right choice because that's what she chose. I love my mom to death and can't imagine losing her in any way, let alone the way Katara did. And I can't say for sure that if I was in her shoes that I know what I would have done f that yes I do I would have killed that motherfucker. But I also know that if Katara decided not to kill him, then that was one of two correct choices because they were Katara's choices to make. Not Aang's or anyone else's and this should have been clarified. I know it's a kids show but I said what I said. Next point.

3. Katara should have said more after telling Aang she was unsure at the Ember Island Players

Katara hasn't had any trouble saying how she feels, especially when it comes to helping others and making them feel better, whether she was right or wrong. But she holds back or overly softens blows and seems to even shrivel up at times when it comes to Aang. And me no likey. I had a boyfriend who I adored and admired and just genuinely looked up to. I'm also a shy and anxious person who hates confrontation, but because I loved him, I never refrained from telling him when he was wrong. I might have been a little shaky about it but I did it tho because when you want to be with someone you walk through the grass and stomp through the mud. And I personally feel like either in that moment or later on in an added scene that Katara should have voiced to Aang how unheard and disrespected she felt about his words before TSR and his actions on the balcony. I hate being uncomfortable and my secondhand embarrassment is toxic but I would love to see a scene of this. I always imagined Katara saying stuff like "But I'm not you Aang, and I'm not an Air Nomad," or "Zuko could understand why I needed to go, and I'd hoped you would too," or...I'm out of ideas but you get the idea. And you know what, I know I'm a hard Zutara shipper, but them having this conversation would honestly make me respect their relationship a whole lot more should it be believably written to end on a good note (I don't see how it could be but hey I'm an open minded person and I did think they were cute together once upon a time). Basically, all I'm saying is that Katara is no small voice and she should have been written that way when with Aang. Boyfriends can make you shy but should never make you weak. Period. Next point.

4. No rock! ONLY GROWTH!!!!!!!!!!!

I still squint my eyes whenever I remember that rock that unblocked Aang's chakra. What even was that? The laziest writing possible in my opinion. That's what. And Aang deserved better. What should have happened should have been that Aang started to lose to Ozai. And then as Ozai's about to deliver the finishing blow, Aang has flashbacks of everyone he's trying to save and honor, ending with a very prominent flashback of Katara with the guru's disembodied voice reminding Aang to let go of his attachments to become all he needs to be...then BOOM! Baby boy is back on his feet, chakra unblocked, he kicks Ozai's ass, I'm crying hysterically on the floor, as are the rest of us, and he wins. Then at the end of the series, instead of a kiss, he gives Katara an apology. She accepts, everyone else comes to join them on the balcony, cinematic group hug, camera pan into the sun. I don't know lol. Basically what I'm saying is that Aang did not deserve some deus ex machina. He deserved to grow and become his best self like everyone else got to.

5. Aang should have heard differently in The Storm

Katara is a very fate-minded person and this is when I saw potential for her to become a toxic character in regards to Aang. When he admits that he ran away from home 100 years ago, Katara tells him that that was basically a good thing because he was meant to be here and now. Like...no? What Aang did, though understandable for someone so young, was still wrong. Yes he would have maybe been killed but I'm like 10000000% sure they had a plan to protect and evacuate the literal avatar. And what was technically "meant to be" was a new avatar. But hey, what's done is done and kicking Aang while he's down is a no-no in this household. But that doesn't change the fact that Aang needed and deserved honesty. Maybe the fisherman could have said this, I don't know, but I feel like Aang should have been told by someone that although running away was wrong, it's a blessing he and Appa were able to survive and be able to help save the world now with his amazing friends found-family. Maybe this is too harsh, and maybe even outright wrong, but I felt like Aang deserved a truer answer here to support and comfort him.

6. MAILEE!!!!

Do I even need to go into detail?

7. Spiritual sigh*

Don't make me go into detail -_- I will say though that although Aang and Katara are both amazing individuals capable of earth shattering things, they were not a healthy fit for one another. This is evident in the original series and especially in their children from LOK. They both deserved the best but better than one another.

8. ZUTARAAAAAAA

This is a Zutara blog you KNEW this was coming, as it should. There's just too much. There's too damn much. I would give a real paragraph to this too, but, I mean, there's already so much proving that this was the pair. Fics, metas, rants, this site. Scroll through my blog or any of the ATLA related blogs I follow and...dude. These two were meant to be together and I'll mourn the narrative brilliance WASTED for no good reason every day for the rest of my life. No reason these two shouldn't be married with three kids. sob. I will take this part to say thank you to the amazing fic writers that gave Katara, Zuko, Mai, and Aang what they deserved that the writers didn't have the guts to give them themselves. Next point tho.

9. AANG AND ONJI

Good God almighty. Why not this? WHY NOT THIS? I'm putting on my bullet proof vest and I'm going to say this; Aanji is cuter than Zutara. Now before you scorn me or whatever, let me explain. Zutara for me is like steak. No. Chicken parmesan. I like chicken parmesan better. The point though is that Zutara is savory. You know? I don't see them as cute, I see them as Obviously. Aanji on the other hand is like a bag of my favorite candy. They are like a brownie. A cookie. Girl Scout Samoas!...I don't know what words are anymore. This post got way out of hand. I guess what I'm saying is that for Zutara, I scream, but for Aanji, I squeal. I hope that makes sense. But here's the main point I want to make. Onji never knew who Aang really was. And Aang was always, at his core, himself. She very obviously had a crush on Aang for his personality and that was crazy cute and frankly preferable to Katara's "I...guess he is." (you know exactly what I'm talking about) Anyway, I kept wanting more of them together. I wish all the time that we'd gotten to see her again, with a more fleshed out character and all. And in the way that I imagine the show should have gone, she could have been the perfect love interest for Aang, during this episode or way later, even in the comics! Another WASTED opportunity for greatness and I will, again, never recover T-T

10. Iroh get your ass back here

Maybe this is a misguided critique but I hated that Iroh just left Zuko alone in the fire nation at the end of the series. Baby was in trouble in every sense of the word and Iroh was just like "See ya! You got this nephew." I'm expected to believe that? I'm expected to accept that? No no no. He should have at least stayed for a few years to help Zuko stay upright and, you know, alive. And by "upright" I don't mean "good." I just mean been there to support him because Lord knows he needed it, at least in the beginning of his reign. It was cute that Iroh was able to settle down with his own teashop after all those years of violence and mourning and running and this and that. I was more than happy for him for being able to have that peace finally. But I still think it could have waited a little while longer so he could support Zuko.

That's it I guess. I know not everything I've said makes the most sense in one way or another, but I enjoyed putting it together all the same. Thank you for reading and have a great day. I'll go finish my final now.

(Edited for a typo)

[azucanela]

Could you do another Sokka with the fire nation reader and maybe something domestic? Something after the war potentially? Please and thank you!!!

SERENE SHORES | SOKKA X READER

SUMMARY: after years of chaos, Y/N can’t help but feel weird when everything is peaceful. but hey, weird can be nice. especially when weird is with sokka.

WORD COUNT: 2.5k

WARNINGS: kissing, soft, pretty basic.

A/N: this is gonna be the least heartbreaking thing i’ll ever write super domestic 10/10 soft. also it feels wrong to not write something thats like 10k words of pining askhdkjsah also this is weirdest title ever im sorry

The sun poured into the room, indicating that Sokka had in fact, awoken, and opened the curtains, much to Y/N’s dismay. They were on vacation and yet he still insisted on waking up at the most ungodly of hours to work. Y/N had no doubt that he’d heard the whispers in the Southern Water Tribe, he’d done so much for the small nation that Y/N wasn’t shocked when rumors of Sokka potentially becoming the next chief came about. He was still young, but that didn’t stop people from talking, and maybe thats why he was putting so much pressure on himself.

But it was vacation, on Ember Island, alongside the rest of their friends. They’d agreed to head out later in the day together, to the beach to catch up with one another. Regardless, Y/N couldn’t help but groan, running a hand through her hair when she realized Sokka had gotten up early for no reason. Y/N had searched him prior to their departure to the island, ensuring he had no work at all, and yet here they were.

Sitting up in the bed, she stretched out her arms, allowing the sun to hit her face. Y/N squinted at the sudden brightness as she moved to stand, a wave of dizziness washed over her momentarily, causing her legs to wobble as she took her first few steps of the day. Y/N quickly recovered as she made her way outside of the room, bringing a hand to her forehead as she sighed. The Ember Island rooms were like small homes at this point, so Y/N wasn’t shocked to find Sokka in the kitchen, cutting up some fruits into the bowl. 

He looks up at her, a smile on his face as he put the knife down and tries his best to lean against the counter alluringly, only for his elbow to miss the edge of the counter. Sokka stumbles slightly, causing Y/N to laugh as she greets him, “hi there.”

“Hey, beautiful.” Sokka greets, recovering from his fall as he jogs over to press a kiss to her cheek, wrapping his arm around her waist to pull her closer.

Y/N hums in response, wrapping her arms around his torso, “why are you out of bed?” She presses a kiss to his jaw before resting her head on his chest.

“I was making breakfast, per usual.” Comes his reply. Y/N had found that Sokka was actually a great roommate, he tended to wake up early to handle his duties in the Southern Water Tribe. Which meant he’d cook breakfast for the two of them, and get his fair share of cleaning done. 

Y/N is pulling herself away from him to grab his hand and pull him towards the bedroom, “let’s go back to bed.” It was vacation, and they could probably order some sort of room service seeing as Ember Island was practically a resort.

“We have to meet the others later.” Sokka reasoned, resisting her aggressive yanks at his arm, feet remaining firmly planted on the floor.

Y/N playfully glares at him, “yeah, later. Not now, we have time. I don’t know why you woke up so early.” She’s scolding him, mostly because he’s been having trouble sleeping lately, and refuses to drink the tea she offered him. Iroh had kindly taught her how to make a ‘proper’ cup of tea, as he’d put it. 

“It’s midday.” He points out, causing Y/N’s eyes to widen a fraction, her eyes flickering over to the windows momentarily as she tries to understand how she managed to sleep well into the middle of the day.

Her mouth opens and closes for a moment, brows furrowing in confusion as she looks to Sokka, “are you serious?”

Sokka blinks once before throwing his head back in laughter, “yes!” 

With a rather aggressive tug at Sokka’s arm, Y/N pulled him closer bringing her free hand to his cheek as she pulled him in for a kiss. Sokka melted into it, bringing both his arms to hand loosely around her waist

It was peaceful. Watching him look so happy, the way the sunlight gleamed on his face as Y/N practically tackled him onto the bed, the bright smile on his face lit up the room more than the sun ever could. It wasn’t the first time she’d seen these things and she certainly hoped it wouldn’t be the last. And given how few threats of war and death and chaos there had been lately, Y/N had a feeling that she wouldn’t have to worry about losing Sokka to some insane enemy anytime soon. 

Y/N hated how weird it felt. Being able to relax for once because there’s no threat of impending doom, no need to be alert despite the habit she’d developed to always have a hand ready to grab the knife at her side. Y/N hated that she couldn’t allow herself a moment of peace even though there was nothing to worry about. 

Even when the war had ended, Y/N had to be on her toes for all the riots that started across the world. She and the rest of Team Avatar weren’t necessarily prepared for all the diplomatic work that had to be done to repair all the damage that had been done to the world during the 100 years of war. Aang had a lot of other issues to handle as the Avatar, Katara and Sokka had to work on rebuilding the Southern Water Tribe, Toph had to handle her parents though she had favored spreading the wonders of metalbending instead. Zuko was rebuilding the Fire Nation was simultaneously tearing down the century’s worth of brainwashing. And as for Y/N, she was just trying to figure out where she fit in to all this.

For the first time in a long time, nothing was going on. Y/N didn’t need to bring her weapons, and she didn’t need to look over her shoulder ever moment for potential enemies. And it felt weird.

They’d returned to Ember Island for a vacation, a reward to themselves for everything they’d done. And it had been a while since they’d been able to actually catch up, Y/N wouldn’t deny it, though they saw each other fairly frequently when it seemed the world was about to end, time to talk was rare. And now that they could talk, she didn’t know what to say.

Yeah, it felt weird.

Sokka’s arm had wrapped around her waist, and Y/N found herself watching as he threw his head back in laughter at something Toph had said. The girl in question seemed pretty pleased with herself, Zuko on the other hand was looking rather embarrassed. Not that Y/N was really paying attention to the conversation. They had gotten to the beach not too long ago, and Y/N had a feeling they would stay awhile, but she was a little busy getting lost in her own thoughts. 

Was it wrong of her to wonder what happened next now that they had entered what would —hopefully— be an era of peace? The only person who could probably remember such a time was Aang, seeing as he was born before the war started, officially started that is. 

Pushing away those thoughts, Y/N returned her attention to the conversation at hand, “you know what, the rest of you never grew up with Sokka’s whining in the mornings— Y/N knows what I mean, right?”

Y/N found herself straightening beside Sokka, “actually, Sokka cooks me breakfast in the mornings, and he’s surprisingly neat, so I have no complaints.” She lets out a small laugh, and Y/N can feel Sokka’s eyes on her figure as everyone else laughs once more.

“Thank you Y/N, see I can be a fantastic roommate.” Sokka asserted, throwing a playful glare to Katara as he squeezed Y/N’s side gently. She and Sokka had gotten together shortly after the war, and they’d been living together for a while. Seeing as they travelled together for over a year, there wasn’t really much of an adjustment period if Y/N was honest, and Sokka was a model roommate. 

Sokka sits up suddenly, causing Y/N to raise a brow at him as she shifts in her seat, only for him to extend a hand to her, “I’m going for a walk, wanna come?”

She takes his hand, offering him a smile as she sits up as well, “yes.” 

From the corner of her eye, Y/N can see Aang move to speak, only for Toph to swat at his chest when he tries to stand, and Katara to glare harshly. Zuko simply watches the interaction in confusion, brow furrowing as Katara beams up at the couple, “have fun!”

Sokka fought the urge to roll his eyes as he took Y/N by the hand and began to drag her away from the campsite. He’d noticed her behavior, something was bothering her. Of course, Katara was reading into things again, she and Gran Gran had grown a little obsessed in regards to his relationship with Y/N. Mostly because Gran Gran insisted that she had to live to see the wedding.

Oh god, Katara must’ve thought he intended to propose—

Y/N had gathered that much as well, it wasn’t something the two had discussed yet, mostly because they’d never had time. When they officially got together, everything was so chaotic they just never had the time, and now that they had the time, well neither of them had tried to broach the topic. Katara on the other hand seemed to continue her meddlesome ways, trying to put the idea into Y/N’s head time and time again during their conversations.

Y/N did not approve.

The pair walked silently across the coast line, water washing up against their bare feet as Sokka comically swung their hands back and forth, earning a small laugh from Y/N. She came to the realization that as badly as she wanted to avoid this conversation, it was necessary. Looking up at him, her brows furrowed as she spoke, “don’t let Katara... pressure you into anything, okay?”

Sokka frowned, pausing as he walked, “don’t tell me she’s been talking to you about-”

“Marriage.” They both muttered, simultaneously. The pair burst into laughter, and Sokka simply shook his head. Katara had obviously been discussing the subject with the both of them.

Sokka simply facepalms, and Y/N finds herself smiling as she watches him, “I’m sorry that she’s been bothering you about that, even though I told her not to.” He turns back to look at the camp, that’s still visible in the distance, Katara is giving him a thumbs up alongside Toph, though the young girl is facing the wrong direction. A show of support as he attempts to ‘propose’ to Y/N, though he didn’t intend to, not today at least. 

Y/N offers him a nervous smile, pulling his attention away from their friends as they continued to walk, “it’s fine.” Another silence consumes them, and Y/N finds herself biting her lip as her gaze returns to Sokka, “have you thought about it though?” 

“Marriage?” Sokka asks, looking to her with wide eyes, “of course, I have. But we’re still young...” He trails off, tilting his head at Y/N as he mumbles, “have you?”

She shrugs, looking to the horizon, where the sun is slowly disappearing and the night sky begins to reveal itself, “honestly? Not really, no.” Y/N can practically feel Sokka deflate beside her, and quickly continues, “not because I don’t want to marry you. I just... I don’t know I never had...”

“Time. To think about it?” Sokka offered when she trailed off. He understood, in a way. They weren’t able to think much of the future while on the run, mostly because the future was a luxury that they were unsure they’d ever get. 

Y/N simply looks to him, nodding slowly she can feel her cheeks warm as she exhales deeply. “I want to though.” Her voice is quiet, probably because its the first time she admitting it to herself, that she does want to marry Sokka. There was always a small part of her that wondered what that would be like, and maybe moving in with him solidified the idea in her mind. Y/N didn’t know.

Maybe it was cliché but Sokka had known since they’d met. 

“I’ve thought about it for a while.” He mumbles, fidgeting with her hand. 

A smile graces Y/N’s face as she raises a brow, “what have you thought about?” She can’t help but feel curious, she’s well aware of how meticulously he plans things, and if he’s thought about their potential wedding it means he not only sees her in his future, but he also likely spent a lot of time considering minor details about the wedding. 

Sokka’s eyes are glued to her hands as he responds, “you would look really pretty in a wedding dress.” If Sokka was honest, she looked pretty in everything, but the idea of marrying her? It had crossed his mind in the past, several times.

She’s never seen him this shy and subdued before, and Y/N can’t help but feel shocked at how soft his voice sounds when he speaks. So, she finds herself considering what this imaginary wedding would be like. Yet all she manages to say is, “I was thinking about how I would never get married on a beach.” 

A small laugh escapes Sokka, “you hate sand.” They’d learnt that the hard way the last time they were at Ember Island, just before the end of the war. Sokka had spent about an hour convincing Y/N to come down to the beach despite her hatred of sand. She ended up agreeing— more accurately being forced to head down to the beach seeing as Sokka practically threw her over his shoulder and carried her there. Y/N vividly recalled the violent words she’d yelled at him when he threw her into the ice cold water.

Y/N is laughing alongside him, nodding,  “I do.”

She’d be saying those words again, not too far in the future. And maybe this possibility is why Y/N decides that she likes this whole peace thing, standing on the serene shores of Ember Island. Life is good when you aren’t worried about impending doom all the time, and its even better with Sokka in it. Y/N wouldn’t mind spending the rest of her life with him.

“Let’s prank Katara into thinking you proposed.” She suggested, grinning at Sokka. If the girl was so insistent on meddling with their relationship, then why not get a little revenge?

Sokka seemed to like this idea, as his eyes iit up at her words, “I love you, so much.” He exclaimed, grabbing Y/N’s face with both hands and pulling her into a kiss. 

Y/N finds herself smiling into the kiss, pulling away to say, “I know.”

“You’re supposed to say it back.” Sokka is pouting now, trapping her in his arms as he awaits the response he wants. 

Y/N hummed in reply, a pensive look on her face as she pretended to consider his words, “I guess I love you too.”

“You guess?!”

Hopefully their honeymoon would be far less chaotic, and further away from sand. 

A/N: lol writing something happy when you are sad is not it so im sorry that this is bad but i tried 🥺

​

[madara-fate]

Hey Maddy to give us all a break from all thats going on in the world and your usual asks i wanted to send a fun question ask.

1. Whats your favorite anime of all time?

Mine has to be naruto because it was when i started to really get into anime and its nostalgic.

2. What anime was so hyped up to you but you ended up not liking at all?

Mine was One Piece ( dont crucify me lol) i just found the art style meh and its just too goofy for me overall i couldn't take it serious😭 ( almost stopped watching fairytail for this reason until it stepped up and if it didn't make me laugh).

3. What's your favorite canon otp (s)

My favs are sasusaku, ichihime, gajevy.

4. What a pairing you were kinda pissed never happened?

I was seething when they didn't make roy x riza a thing.. I mean that chemistry though..

5. Do u have a pairing you hate?

For some reason i didnt care for Mine falling in love with tatsumi in akame ga kill it felt random.

6. If you could bring one anime back that's ended which would it be?

I kinda wish they did Tokyo Ghoul again and end it different.

7. Whats your number 1 most hated trope in anime and fandoms?

I cant stand in anime when the main character is always some child of prophesy or later finds out is a god or something.. And in the fandom i hate when ppl give a pass for one character (even in a separate anime) but condemns another for the same things.

Im curious to see your answers🙂

1. What's your favorite anime of all time?

Code Geass. I don't think it's as rewatchable as many other of my favourites, but my god for that first time watching... No other anime had made me feel so much, so deeply, and so quickly. "The Zero Requiem", to this day, is still one of the best endings I've ever seen.

2. What anime was so hyped up to you but you ended up not liking at all?

I don't think I've ever had an anime that was really hyped that I didn't like at all, but there was one that certainly didn't live up to the overwhelming amount of hype and praise that it had received, and for me, that anime was Steins;Gate. I mean I liked it, but my goodness it just isn't as good as most people say it is.

3. What's your favorite canon otp (s)

I gave a list of my top 30 ships ranked during this post ^_^

4. What's a pairing you were kinda pissed never happened?

Honestly, I don't think I've ever been angry that a ship never happened. I've been disappointed, but not really angry. Examples include Zuko and Katara (Avatar: TLA), and a whole load of other ships where they weren't explicitly confirmed, Like Roy and Riza, and Armin and Annie (their mutual feelings were canonically confirmed, but they weren't explicitly shown to be in a relationship).

5. Do u have a pairing you hate?

Not really, I have pairings that I'd prefer, not really pairings that I hate.

6. If you could bring one anime back that's ended which would it be?

I can't choose, but my first thought was to redo Naruto with a different studio, one that wouldn't let their personal preferences seep into their work as often as Studio Pierrot did.

7. What's your number 1 most hated trope in anime and fandoms?

This is a tie between damsels in distress, and violent tsundere girls who physically abuse the male protagonist for no justifiable reason, and suffer no consequences or comeuppance, because female on male physical abuse is apparently "funny". It makes my skin crawl.

[help-i-need-a-cool-username]

Recently saw a tiktok that was like "if you ship [toph and zuko] than you have issues or you see something galaxy brained that i havent" and stumbled upon the concept of aroace Zuko and i concocted this idea ages ago so im posting it now: the epic Toph x Zuko Marriage of Convenience 

Okay what you are all thinking of is book 3 Toph and Zuko, which totally dont have romantic chemistry and with the added age difference is prob why no one ever considers this ship. Four years when you're a teenager is a big difference. Four years when you're in your twenties and beyond isnt that big a deal. So they're adults and they've been friends for years at this point.

You also gotta sit back and look at what they are. Toph is the only child to a very rich and very well known Earth Kingdom family. Her family name in general is huge and carries a lot of weight but you also got her own accomplishments: Master Earthbender, the Creator of Metalbending, the Avatar's Earthbending teacher, and shes a war hero. Thats big. And then you got Zuko, who at this point is the Fire Lord. Zuko himself comes from a prominent Fire Nation family, seeing as he's royalty. He's also descended from a Avatar, but i dont think thats all that well known. Zuko is a Master Firebender, the Avatar's Firebending Teacher, and a war hero. On top of being famous both these people have credibility to fall back on.

So what im leaning into here is not exactly a marriage alliance seeing as the Earth Kingdom has its own royalty but its definitely a political move

Anyways Zuko has a lot on his plate, dismantling his dad's empire and all that. When he's nearing 30 the council is all like "you need to find a bride". Zuko writes up his ex-girlfriends and finds out they're either married or he just cant bring himself to trap someone into a marriage with him after knowing how it destroyed his mom. So he's stuck with no one of his own choosing so the council and high up nobles are trying to fix him up and not-so-subtly set him up with their daughters. Half of Team Avatar comes and visits (lets say Toph, Aang, and Sokka) and witness the behind the scenes of all this. They're having tea with Zuko and two people come in at different times and try to casually talk about the marriage thing. Toph can hear things that happen in the hallways too. Zuko is all "noooooooo guys why is this happening to me" and Sokka probably finds it funny but also a little sucky, and Aang probably hates it because "Zuko should marry for love!". And Toph is all "I know right" because she can totally relate. Her parents were looking for matches for her since she was born, and now that shes visiting again they've started back up again. Her and Zuko start swapping match-making stories ("so i come home and this boy and his father are there and my mom is all like 'Toph have you met __'" "I'm in the throne room for a meeting on road construction and this guy derails the whole thing so he can introduce his niece to me"). Later on after Toph has been listening in on the palace for a few days now and shes starting to really feel sorry for Zuko. Sokka just keeps making jokes until Toph snaps at him. Aang is pretty oblivious and probably spends all day at the market looking for souvenirs to bring home for Katara. And one night while Zuko is up late doing paperwork by candle light Toph stops by because her body cant sleep at night sometimes and they get to talking and Toph jokingly throws out "what if we just married each other? Then everyone will get off both our backs!" and they're laughing and after they've calmed down Zuko has a light bulb moment and he's like "wait, that might not be a bad idea". They spend all night working out the details to their hypothetical wedding and a day later decide to actually go through with it. Theres uproar from the council of course because Zuko didnt choose their pick Toph isnt Fire Nation nobility. And then Zuko starts listing all her family's importance and stuff and the council is forced to admit to themselves its not actually a bad idea. Plus marrying Earth Kingdom would make the Fire Lord more relatable to the colonies where theyre having a lot of problems with people of mixed heritage right now. Sokka and Aang hear rumblings of this because palace servants gossip and they're debating wether or not to believe these rumors when they run into Toph and just ask her and shes all like "yeah we're talking about it" and they boys flip out. Aang still maintains that everyone should marry for love but Toph and Zuko won't budge.

Over in the Earth Kingdom Toph's parents are ecstatic because the only better option Toph could marry was Earth Kingdom royalty. They completely endorse it and only argue to not seem like pushovers and when topics revolving money come up (ex. dowery). The Earth King gets in on this because its too good a opportunity to not capitalize on it. The Earth Kingdom is abuzz because a foreign King is marrying one of their own. Everyone is hyped and Team Avatar are the only ones who find the whole situation weird because to them its not a fairytale its their actual friends.

All-in-all they get married in the Fire Nation and the guest list was awful to make but people from all over the world are there. Toph's mother freaks out the whole time because "what if Toph falls down all those steps!" The wedding is mostly all Fire Nation tradition but Toph wears a Earth Kingdom wedding dress because everything is political now. Toph and Zuko have a relatively fun night and Sokka has the time of his life. And their marriage actually really works out for them because they're friends. They make fun of fancy people and rant to each other in the evenings. Toph is still running metal bending schools but either now they have to come to her or she gets stuck with a Fire Nation security team for like 3 months of the year she spends in the Earth Kingdom and she gets flashbacks to her childhood. And Zuko is sometimes all "i miss my wife" and the servants are all "awwww they're so in love" but the truth is he wants to talk sh*t with her and because shes blind he always has to write letters with the interpreter's opinion/gossip in mind. Toph still sneaks out all the time because shes not giving up her independence willy-nilly and is not above pulling the blind card to get out of things, which irritates Zuko sometimes because that means he has to deal with boring meetings by himself. They gaang visits all the time and by the time Republic City rolls around Toph manages to get herself sent as a "ambassador" (her and Sokka have some fun their shared meetings) and then to stay on to help set up the police force, which is a little dicy since shes representing the Fire Nation but also shes teaching only metalbending so its a controversial thing. This also gives Zuko a excuse to visit Republic City more often so he can see everyone since they settled down there.

[is-that-another-soulmate-au]

Okay so. I touched on this a while ago. But I'm gonna expand

Soulmate AU where the most important thing to your soulmate is written on your arm. And it appears at age 15.

We know that Sokka loves meat and is fairly sarcastic, but that isn't what he's passionate about that food and a personality. He's passionate about family and protecting that family.

So Zuko has Family written on the back of his right hand. When he sees it he freezes, which makes Iroh take a look at it just before Zuko falls to the floor of his bedroom on the ship, he cries that day. His soulmate clearly has a strong bond with his family that Zuko will never know. Its in this moment that he starts to realize that his dad might not be the greatest.

Now, Zuko, while we could all joke around about honor and sure hes obsessed with it. He's not Passionate about it. What is it that he's passionate about? Well, we manage to see what he's passionate about when he's younger and during Ba Sing Se. It could be family, but he doesn't really feel passion for his whole family. Companionship. Thats something he's passionate about. Take a look at the storm episode, you get an EVEN clearer imagery of his companionship. Sure he's a jerk, and he says absolutely nasty things to his crew. But when he knew one of them was in danger, he was the first to climb on that ladder and put himself in harms way to save the helmsman. He caught his companion with one hand and carefully guided him into the hold of the man beneath him so he would be safe. Once he knew that the storm could easily hurt someone else he made sure to get the ship to safety. So no. Sokka doesn't have Honor written on his wrist. He has Companionship.

One more thing I'd like to say, while the ink writing on their arm is black, each time they meet a small part of it turns the color of their eyes. (Yes im gonna use this again, no i will not stop, it's cute okay.... sue me)

Anyways, the story goes as normal, Sokka's writing slowly turning gold and Zuko's slowly turning blue.

By the time they meet at the air temple its almost full, and immediately after sitting down by the fire with Zuko to his left he notices the writing filling with blue and his own filling with gold

"He Zuko, can i see your eyes?"

"What? Why?"

"Well if their gold we got a situation"

"Uh... they are? What situation"

Katara, upon noticing "no way! You're passion is companionship? I figured it'd be honor"

Toph popping in on the conversation "from what you've told me, thats an obsession, very different from a passion"

"Whats going on, what are you talking about?" Zuko being completely confused until Sokka lifts his arm

"Gold and blue Zuko"

"Woah..."

"Yeah," sokka laughs "weird right?"

"Your eyes are pretty"

"Wait what?"

"Aawwww Zuzu thinks your eyes are pretty"

"Hey! Don't call me that!"

[frenchphobic]

long fucking post on why a c!dream is a shitty person and probably should not have a redemption because it is unpog

honestly i just want to refute dream apologists thats why im making this post. i think that dream as a villain is interesting but i think that trying to make him out to be secretly a good guy is just bad ngl. also /roleplay and all

tw for abuse and mentions of suicide

dream as a villain

dream is a villain. he is chaotic evil according to wilbur, deliberately does not stream to appear less sympathetic (and yet), and is set up as an antagonist to tommy who bears the title ‘hero’. dream is not a good person, no matter how you look at it or try to justify his actions.

‘but he wants to unite everyone to be a big family :((’ the ends dont justify the means believe it or not. having a vaguely positive goal does not excuse the actions you’ve done. it also goes hand and hand with saying dream is correct for punishing tommy the way he did because he acted up. if i socked you across the face and then suddenly said ‘sorry there was a roach on ur face’ does that make it okay? probably not i still punched you, enacting an unnecessary amount of violence. thats a very simple analogy i will admit and there are more complex comparisons. another example off the top of my head is say a child just scribbled all over you walls with crayons. would hitting them be a justified answer? if u said hes thats really fucked of u go seek help u loon. violence as a punishment is very toxic, just because it gets the job done does not mean it is okay. at the end of the day, you still committed this act and the harm you caused is real, having a good motive doesnt suddenly make it okay.

‘but tommy causes all of the conflict’ the disk war wasnt even caused by tommy, it was sapnap and then tommy got involved. and the reason why tommy even caused conflict was because of the discs, because he wanted them back. and most of the time there was a level of antagonism from another party, such as schlatt exiling him, dream taking the disks in the first place, dream threatening l’manberg. and if dream wanted to end the conflict so badly, why didnt he just give tommy back his disks? tommy upfront said everything started with the disks, so he wants them back so he could end the conflict. notice how after tommy got his disks back he has been staying out of conflict, apologizing to everyone, and the only bad thing hes done is try to scam people but everyone does that. this would have been the most peaceful option, yet dream chose the path that would further antagonize tommy which then draws everyone else into conflict. why did dream need to have leverage over tommy so badly? why did he want to hold power over tommy so badly? its because of control, and that’s ultimately dreams end goal. sure he wants a big server family, but would said family have a free will?

‘but dream is sad’ the thing is dream is completely at fault for everything that happened to him. he pushed away sapnap (and george ig). he tried to take control over the server and their possessions. literally everything that happened to tommy. literally everything involving ranboo. villains can be sympathetic, i am not arguing against that. but it does not mean that they should be left off the hook. that doesnt mean u should ignore the shit theyve done because ‘oh no theyre sad’ because it doesnt make anything better. dream had this shit coming for him.

now people also skirt around calling dream an abuser. which is fair ig, its a very loaded word. its much easier to say manipulated. that being said, dream can classify as abusive. and no, tommy is not abusive. abuse is about control and a power imbalance. dream has power over tommy, but tommy does not have power over dream, at least not in the way dream does. he’s taking back power to stand up for himself, dream uses power to control.

the reasons i listed for why dream is from the Domestic Abuse Intervention Project so if u want a source on that, there you go.

using coercion or threats: dream often threatened tommy, such as the pit thing and often employed violence on him. while normally this could be attributed to Normal Minecraft Player Go Smack. minecraft mechanics cannot always translate to real world since violence is pretty normal in minecraft however we also need to consider the context of the scene. dream gave an order, tommy refused, dream applies violence, tommy submitted. thats why its a threat, it has tangible effects that can correlate to real life.

using intimidation: dream blew up logsteadshire as a punishment. dream also destroyed tommys items anytime he visited. dream also hit tommy with his axe i believe. he killed mushroom henry, one of tommys pets.

Using Emotional Abuse: dream guiltripped the shit out of tommy for just hiding things and pinning the blame on tommy for just wanting his own private items. he definitely played mind games on tommy, pretending to be his friend. honestly i probably dont even need to go as in depth because it was so obvious.

Using Isolation: putting him in exile in the first place. destroying the bether portal so no one could visit tommy anymore. i really dont think i need to expand upon that.

Minimizing, Denying, and Blaming: dream in tommys stream when he got trapped said that exile wasnt that bad. he does shift the blame onto tommy for logsteadshire being blown up, even though dreams reaction was entirely unjustified for not listening and hiding.

Using Economic Abuse: see this is where i attempt to parallel minecraft mechanics to real life. obviously, there is no monetary system in place, so when i mean economic, i will use valuables such as armor, food, etc in place of currency. the idea behind economic abuse is to limit the victim’s resources so that they are dependent on the abuser and cannot escape. dream only really allowed tommy to have the armor he gave him while not giving access to armor so he does not regain a sense of power, and in the prison stream, dream holds all the potatoes which puts him in a position of power over tommy. this argument is more ambiguous i feel cause the whole minecraft mechanics thing is kinda weird so u don’t necessarily have to take this part in.

i feel like i need to emphasize this very strongly because dream is not a good person. abuse cannot and should not be a response to someone. its an awful mentality to have. i just want to prove the point that dream is not a good person, his reasons absolutely do not justify his actions.

what makes a good redemption

redemption arcs are tricky. when done right they are great. when done poorly, its a slap in the face. rn im going to establish a formula to what makes a good redemption with an example.

the most well known example of a good redemption is zuko from atla. first, its the magnitude of what theyve done and why. zuko did commit some shitty actions, since he was in a position of power in the fire nation but its because he is a child being abused and wanted to regain honor. zukos real awful acts was season 1 and the whole betrayal thing. thats not to say that zukos actions suddenly are okay, he did shitty things. but its something that can be traced to a higher entity or seem less malicious then the other villains. the thing also about the magnitude of actions is that there is a certain point of atrocities that there is no redemption. some people simply cannot be redeemed because the actions they commit are so ingrained in their character or the action itself has serious moral issues that it would just be wrong.

the next is acknowleding what they did was wrong. a genuine reflection on the self and analyzing what they did and why it was not okay. zuko realized what he did to uncle iroh was bad for example. he turned his back on his father, realizing he didnt and shouldnt seek acknowledgment from someone as heinous as him. its pointing out your actions and going ‘hey, this wasnt right i should not have done this’ and not even excusing ur actions. its also going straight for the root of the problem and figuring out to stamp it from the source. just because a character is sad does not mean they are reflecting, sometimes they are attempting to garner pity. it has to be direct and clear acknowledgement of the injustice.

and finally, an important part about redemption arcs is the actual redemption part. its when you make amends. zuko made amends with katara by trying to help her get revenge, he fought against the fire nation and tried to make things more peaceful in his rule. he apologized to iroh. an important part of the amends section is that it does have to be a genuine desire to change and become a better person, not to change a person’s perception of you. the thing is u cant expect a person youve hurt to forgive you. you cant expect people to be sympathetic towards you nor should u attempt to make urself sympathetic. u shouldnt be expecting a pat on the back or an award. redemption is about internal and character change.

why dream should not be redeemed

ive already established the key points to a good redemption (imo) but heres where dream falls short. his actions are extremely heavy so redemption may not even really be possible. abuse is not something you can wave off so it does cross to the point of fucked up. acknowledgement of what he did was wrong? all he said was that he changed, yet never explained why he changed or was too vague. he needed to label specifically what he did and bring it up. attempting to make amends? he’s been doing the exact opposite in fact he continues to manipulate tommy and ranboo. its not a genuine change. he is still repeating the cycle and has given no indication of ceasing. at the moment he does not have any signs of redemption.

and the thing is most of the attention around a dream redemption comes from either justifying his motives (which i do want to emphasize does not make anything suddenly okay) and because he is sad in prison sad face. these are not good reasons. its gonna pain me severely to bring this up but snape from harry potter does have some form of sad character ig yet he very much abused his authority to bully children as old as 11 just because he said ‘aight gonna die’ doesnt suddenly make his general bigotry and abuse suddenly okay there is a threshold. again im so sorry for using harry potter as an example none were coming to mind and i needed a popular one i do not like harry potter please dont say i do i would pass away.

and the last thing to consider is the audience. keep in mind that the audience is composed of minors and while yes there are adults, minors are the main component of the fandom. keep in mind that there are quite a few people who can relate to tommys character because they might be in the same position or have gone through his experiences. tell me what kind of message does it send to that audience that abusers can be redeemed. this is not a narrative u should push to this audience in these situations and the writers are seemingly aware of it. remember how in exile tommy spiraled into a suicidal mentality? consider how fucked of a message it would be if he just committed suicide instead of escaping abuse and attempting to recover from his experiences. tommy did an excellent job in not going that route and having a message of ‘it will not get better’. its the same thing here. victims are not obligated to care for or forgive their abuser, and portraying an abuser as sympathetic might fuck with the message a lot, even change their perception in that ‘oh, maybe my abuser was right, maybe they had a reason for treating me the way they did’. this is not to say that every victim watching this will internalize this message, but people also look up to these characters. there can be a degree of influence from the story onto oneself and thats the dangerous part.

conclusion

all in all dream is a shitbag asshole and probably shouldnt get a redemption because it would not be pog thanks for coming to my ted talk.