#I could add sokka in there too

[ki-flor]

For me it's all about the soulmatism. Zuko's soulmates were easily Aang and Katara.

[demaparbat-hp]

Hi Dema!! Your art is fantastic and even the lineart is awesome! Solid and confident in where it's thick and where thin. I really like how your style has characters look more realistic and they have specific consistent features. Your blog has a pleasant atmosphere, and you're skilled in weaving AUs! There's a lot of details and structure, and I'd like to ask if any of them have a full story arc? Could you do a list of all of the AUs? Is there a motif that you especially like that repeats in any of the AUs? And whenever you add comments to my stuff in the tags I literally smile, it makes me want to keep at my plan to create everything I have in mind. So I'd like to spread this joy! I hope you have a nice day! (from late-draft ^^)

Hello, Late-Draft! I wasn't expecting this ask at all but I'm so glad to have received it!

First of all—I'll try to hold myself back from giggling like a schoolgirl. I'm having a sempai noticed me moment over here and that's just embarrassing. So give me a second to compose myself, if that's alright?

Okay, I'm back.

Now, on to business.

Character design, especially when it comes to facial features and how they're unique to each person, has always been a passion of mine. I always try to have a solid design for each character. I choose which features feel like the character in question, which face feels natural to draw, and go along with it. I love drawing Katara as much as I love drawing Zuko. Meanwhile, I seem to be on a never-ending battle against Sokka's features. Woes of an artist, I suppose.

Character design is actually one of the reasons I love your work so much, in case you hadn't noticed. I'm currently experimenting a bit with a different style... Hopefully it won't be long before the artwork is done and I can share it over here. I'm so excited for everyone to see it!

Now it's time for the reason we're all here.

I have said it before and shall say it once more: AUs are my lifeblood.

I love them so much! Building them, daydreaming the scenes, thinking of the characters and how they differ from their canon versions. The arcs and the themes and the worldbuilding. Building AUs is my passion, and I have so many of them!

There are a lot of motifs and themes that tend to repeat themselves in several of my AUs, I believe.

You'll notice that most of my stories are Zuko-centric, with a heavy emphasis on grief and humanity. There's the question of what makes us human and how to move forward when the whole world seems to push you back. I put a lot of stock in metaphors and symbolism within the narrative itself. I'm especially interested in the nuance of war and how it affects people emotionally, physically, and psychologically

I also tend to reutilize some elements of the lore and/or worldbuilding! Such as the Painted Lady's backstory, or the existence of War Children within the ATLA universe.

Now, the list!

I think I'll start with my current project, if that's okay :)

For the Spirits (New Gods AU)

Zuko was a child when he met Agni. Then, the spirits started coming to him. Eyes hidden in the hallways, voices pleading for help, for recognition, for remembrance.

Zuko could see Agni. He could see the broken remains of a Great Spirit and the empty smiles of amnesiac ghosts.

And they could see him in return.

I've been working on this AU for a long time, but only now did I get the chance to start writing the fic (linked up there!). I'm extremely excited about FTS and where the story will lead us in the future, but I'll try not to spoil too much.

It's a Zuko-centric story, with a heavy emphasis on Spirits and humanity. I'd like to add a warning for depression/mental health issues.

To Hesitate (Lee & Kya AU)

As she watches Lee and Kya avoid each other's eyes from across the room, the phrase comes back to her, swift and silent:

"To hesitate is to lose."

.

As Song treats the victim of an unfortunate interaction with a rare poisonous flower, her day takes an unexpected turn when it becomes apparent that the old man's nephew and her assistant have history.

A vivid history.

The Lee & Kya AU is a vibe, a feeling. It's probably one of my oldest AUs out there as well as one of my dearest.

A classical Lee and Kya From The Tea Shop AU, full with wholesome fandom tropes such as: fake (but not really) dating, fake identities, Ba Sing Se shenanigans, vigilante stuff, White Lotus missions, Iroh is a great Uncle, Zuko is an awkward turtleduck, and, of course, the fluffiest fluff you'll ever see.

Other than that, Lee & Kya is probably one of the less plot-focused AUs I have. However, that doesn't mean that there aren't scenes I can't wait to write or a canon divergence or two where Zuko is concerned.

(I have another fic posted but I'll leave that one to the end. You asked for a full story arc and, oh boy, does Soundless deliver.)

Kintsugi AU

Closer to being canon-adjacent than canon-divergent, Kintsugi is yet another Zuko-centric AU (and are we not noticing a pattern over here?).

I'd love to explain it in depth, but I believe the caption of the artwork linked above does a better job at explaining than I ever will.

Kintsugi is the art of decorating your scars with pieces of Agni.

In the Fire Nation, the amount of golden marks are a sign of status. Only the Royal Family can afford to seal every single wound with Kintsugi. Such is the weight of this tradition that, among the ones with Agni's blood, it is the highest mark of dishonor to have a natural scar, for it proves you aren't worthy of the privilege.

After the Agni Kai, Ozai forbid Zuko's scar to be sealed with Kintsugi. The boy wasn't worth his title, his traditions or his pride. Zuko would be broken, but he wouldn't be beautiful. Not anymore.

(And sometimes it's easier to pretend he never was)

Kyoshi Warriors AU

One of my absolute favorites!

In this AU, Ursa took Zuko and Azula with her when she was banished, so they could start anew. With help from Iroh and the White Lotus, she managed to relocate her freshly burned eight-year-old child and her crying daughter to Kyoshi Island.

Years later, when Avatar Aang and his companions first arrive at Kyoshi Island, they're met by the Kyoshi Warriors and their leader, Noriko of pale skin and warm brown eyes.

The Gaang leave Kyoshi Island many weeks later with a new companion. And if Jian Li, with his war paint and his scar and his dual dao, gives the island that he has called home for so long one final, longing glance as they fly away on Appa, they pretend not to notice.

Hunters AU

We're starting to dwelve deep into dangerous waters!

This is a Katara Joins Zuko In His Quest To Find The Avatar AU, with a twist!

This AU was born as a writing experiment. What if we take Katara's character, and change one of her core characteristics? Katara, who looked up to the Avatar as a saviour figure, now blames him for leaving and allowing the Fire Nation to wage war on the world.

Then comes Zuko, a banished Prince with a crew full of traitors and his own agenda. Zuko wishes for nothing more than to dethrone his father and end the war. He is a White Lotus member, an honorable, driven young man, and he has a plan.

The catch? He needs to take the Avatar to his father if he wishes to regain his title and be able to rightfully take the throne. Oh, and he will deliver the Avatar to the Fire Lord—but nobody said it had to be in chains.

Halfblood AU

I watched Blue Eye Samurai a few months ago and it destroyed me. The idea of a half-blooded child dead set on getting revenge for their very existence stuck with me, and this AU was born.

Kanna made a life for herself in the Earth Kingdom after leaving the North. Katara was raised by her grandmother in a small village, being taught to hide her bending if she wanted to live peacefully in a place she was only half of. Her mother had died in childbirth. Her father, a nameless warrior from the Southern Water Tribe who had loved Kya and left her behind, didn't know of Katara's existence.

Katara took over Kanna's clinic after she passed away. Always taking care of others. Always suppressing her need to bend. Always wishing for more.

One day, he arrived. A half-child, just like her. But while she was of Water, he was a son of Agni. He was searching for the man who brought him to this world. The man who scarred him. The man whose face he couldn't recall, whose name he did not know. The man whose specter had chased his mother to her grave. The man who would die at his hand.

The answers were hidden in a small teashop deep within Ba Sing Se. Lee offered her a way out, and Katara took it.

Soundless (Uiscefhuaraithe)

Katara of the Southern Water Tribe has hands scarred by fire and great talent, though no teacher.

Zuko is a mute War Child, a herbalist and healer, and the Blue Spirit. He bears the mark of fire, and the scar of the blade that took away his voice.

The first time they met, the Blue Spirit had just saved her, tough not before her hands got burned. The second time they met, his name was Lee, and he was healing her.

They live in war and they will fight, if not for the world, then for themselves.

You asked for a full storyline, and I shall deliver!

Soundless is probably the only AU I have fully planned. Three-books, Azula redemption arc, role-reversals and all.

This AU has everything. From travelling through the Earth Kingdom together, to odd character team-ups that somehow manage to work, and a major goal/conflict to resolve.

Zuko and Katara must find their way to Omashu in an Earth Kingdom ravaged by war as they also grow to understand each other, themselves, and the world around them. They meet with new and old alliances, keep their ears open for rumors of the Avatar (They say he is an airbender, Lee. Do you truly belive that?), and do their best to always be two steps ahead of their pasts.

Meanwhile, both the Northern and Southern Water Tribes are searching for the runaway heiress, Aang must find his way alone on this new, hostile world, and Azula must face the revelation that, despite what her father has stated for the last two years (liar, he lied at her! Her! He lied he liedliedliedlied), her brother might just be alive.

I'm sorry for making this such a long answer! I just get very excited about these subjects and don't know when to stop. If you made it all the way down here: thank you again.

I hope you have a good day ❤️

[erisenyo]

“Oh fuck oh FUCK” + Zukka please!

For this prompt game! (And also this one!) (And this one too lol)

Zuko isn’t sure what posses him to actually say yes when the last hotel calls back to regretfully confirm that there will be no vacancies tonight and the cute mechanic lets up the truly over-the-top flirting to half-shyly offer Zuko a place to stay that night—

“Well, not my house,” Sokka—not Hakoda, going by the wince when Zuko had called him that, even though that’s what’s embroidered over his pocket—says, tugging on his wolf tail, “It’s my dad’s house. But he’s away!” Sokka says, excited and quickly tacking on when he seems to hear himself, “He’s helping out my Gran Gran! So I’m house-sitting! And keeping this place going—”

He waves a hand around the auto shop, making Zuko intensely curious about what Sokka does if not this all the time. He looks good in those overalls...

Not that Zuko has the chance to ask.

“—and so don’t worry, there’s plenty of space. I’m not suggesting you stay in my room—or, well, actually it is my room, but from when I was a kid, not you know, my room. I don’t live there anymore—”

Zuko wonders where he does live, if it’s close to the band’s recording studio, or any of their homes, and Ty Lee is always renting apartments all over the place maybe Zuko could—

“—but it’s still a totally good room still, like quiet but not creepily so, you know? And you can stay there. Or not! Absolutely no pressure, like obviously if you want to keep calling hotels or I mean I guess we could make up the couch in the office, though I wouldn’t recommend it," Sokka adds, frowning at the couch in question. "You end up with this really weird crick in your—”

“Yes,” Zuko interrupts, "Yes, a place to say would be great," he says, putting Sokka out of his misery. Even though he’s been enjoying the rambling train of Sokka’s thoughts all day, and he really shouldn’t impose, and Zuko might feel comfortable after so many hours of Sokka trying to figure out Zuko’s car but he doesn’t actually know the guy, and—

Sokka breaks into a grin, wide and pleased and clearly delighted and Zuko’s stomach flips the way it’s been doing all day and right. Right. That. That’s why Zuko said yes, even though he knows it’s stupid, even though it would be easier to just ask for the guy’s number even if as a rule Zuko doesn’t give out his own. Even though Mai would take one look at Sokka and give Zuko one of those knowing looks of hers and he hates being so predictable but shit, this guy is such his type.

Which means he’s not disappointed when Sokka says, “Awesome, dude! We can grab burritos on the way back!”

Dude.

And burritos.

But Zuko’s not disappointed, he’s not. He’s…relieved. To have a place to stay tonight that’s not a dubious-looking couch, or the back of his own barely-fits-two-people car. And to not be recognized—not that he ever is—because the last thing he needs on top of his car breaking down in the middle of nowhere, meaning he’s absolutely going to miss his flight—shit, Uncle is going to be so disappointed…—is to be dealing with fans.

Pestering him for info about the rest of the Dangerous Ladies, or trying to sniff out rumors about the relationships they’re all convinced are happening within the band, or hating him for breaking Mai’s heart as if it wasn’t mutual and years ago anyway. and they’re still in the band so clearly it’s fine, Mai didn’t even write that song, and—

And it’s fine. Zuko doesn’t even know what he was worried about in the first place. For someone with a massive facial scar, he's proven shockingly unrecognizable without a flaming guitar in his hands. Which is fine. Exactly how he likes it.

So what if he almost never gets his own posters of magazine covers? So what if he's tucked off to the side or in the back of all the official merch and the band has a running collection of all the albums and magazine covers and t-shirts that inexplicably end up with a price sticker over his and only his face?

It’s better than getting mobbed every time he leaves the house like Azula and getting pelted with rumors like Ty Lee and having his every expression scrutinized like Mai. It's better than having every outfit analyzed and every tilt of his head breathlessly redescribed and every photo and appearance and sighting on the street turned into screenshots and phone backgrounds and gif sets and spank bank material, better than everyone he meets tripping to fall into his bed and—

Really. It’s better.

“Here it is, the humble abode!” Sokka gives Zuko an uncertain flash of a smile as holds open the door, like he thinks someone who drives a Porsche so tricked out Sokka had had to psych himself up to actually touch it is going to judge a well-loved ranch house, which…well. Maybe isn’t such a bad assumption.

Zuko hastily makes sure his expression is set into something attentive and interested, his June is talking face, as Azula calls it.

“You’ve got your kitchen here,” Sokka says, flicking on a light to show the worn, comfortable-looking space. “Glasses are over the sink, snacks are in the fridge and in the tall cabinet if you need anything. There’s some leftovers in the freezer you can reheat, too, if you want. Oven, microwave, all the good stuff, you just, you know. Hit the buttons, and—”

And Sokka is clearly back to nervous rambling, because Zuko doesn’t think he’s going to need to eat for the rest of the week after finishing that burrito. A fucking burrito. Ugh, if there’s ever a less sexy food, and then to eat so much of it nervously pacing Sokka that Zuko actually contemplated whether he could subtly unbutton his jeans in the car…

“…and the bedrooms are this way, and the bathroom—it’s shared, sorry,” Sokka adds, glancing back to give Zuko an apologetic look. Zuko hastily jerks his eyes up off Sokka’s ass. “Probably not what you’re used to, I know. But it’s just you and me, so it won’t be too bad!”

“It’s perfect,” Zuko says, trying for a smile and blinking when Sokka just coughs, a blush staining his cheeks as he quickly gets back to his tour.

“Extra blankets and stuff are here,” Sokka says, rapping on a closed door. “Towels, pillows, the works. There should be some extra shampoo and soap and stuff in there too, if you need it.”

“Sounds like you have everything covered,” Zuko says, hearing the awkward edge of his words but still trying to reach for some of the joking, playful easiness of earlier today. “Quite the full-service auto shop you’re running.”

“Uh…yeah.” Sokka freezes a little, eyes wide, which…great. Zuko isn’t surprised he missed the mark, but still. He thought he’s at least better these days than when Azula firmly told him he was no longer allowed to speak in interviews until he could be sure he wasn’t going to end up in another bloopers reel.

“Anyway!” Sokka finally says, shaking himself, his voice coming out suddenly squeaky, which— “Here’s your room, have a good night, make yourself comfy I’ll seeyoutomorrow!”

Zuko blinks again, nonplussed. Did Sokka just...run away? In his own home?

"That's that then," Zuko sighs ruefully—the flirting had been so outrageous that Zuko couldn’t quite believe it was actually real, so—giving the closed door Sokka had disappeared behind one last look before slipping into his room.

Which is very much a teenager’s room, holy—Zuko nearly laughs as he realizes why Sokka was so quick to make that clear. And a well-lived in one, at that, LEGOs on the shelves and cheap trophies for science fairs lined up across the dresser, half-faded posters and clipped-out pictures tacked over the walls and old art supplies still scattered over the desk.

It's cluttered and eclectic and...cute. Cute in the same way Sokka is cute, and he’d probably hate being called that which just makes Zuko want to do it even more, Zuko’s lips curled again into the little smile he feels like he's been wearing all day as he sprawls back on the neatly-made twin bed and immediately makes eye contact with himself.

On the ceiling.

Shirtless.

Life-sized.

Zuko’s mind immediately supplies the details—that Rolling Stones cover shoot for their third album, right before Zuko had turned twenty, when he was still somehow managing to keep up his martial arts training because who needed sleep, definitely not him. He and Ty Lee had been goofing off while Mai and Azula got their makeup finished, flexing their muscles and trying to out-flexible each other and the photographer had loved it and had them run with it, who could pose the most creatively with the most outrageously flexed muscles and —

Zuko slowly closes his mouth and rapidly reconsiders that whole ‘not recognized’ thing...

--

Sokka is giving his teeth the most thorough, most frustrated brush of his life—ugh, burritos. Why did he suggest burritos—when he nearly chokes on his toothpaste as he suddenly realizes that he just put Zuko Hua in his— “Oh fuck. Oh fuck.”

Oh…fuck.

Katara is never going to let him live this down.

He is so, so fucked.

[writtenbyaperson]

"Touch Base" Zuko x Reader

Summary: You get to touch Zuko's hair and it means a lot more to him than he expected. Word Count: 872 Genre: Fluff, F!Reader

"Wow, soft."

Zuko's hair slides between your fingers. Your wish is being granted by him today. A lucky indulgent day.

"I expected the texture to be…" you form a claw and rake through his brown hair like a school nurse inspecting for lice "like Appa."

"…"

He's offended.

"Like Appa." Zuko repeats with a flat tone. Appa grunts, responding to his name.

"She means that in a good way, buddy." Aang says. Always the mediator.

"Don't make me regret this." Zuko says.

He crosses his arms. If he had eyes on the back of his head they would be staring at you pointedly.

"Sssorry" You whisper faintly. You shut up as to not cut this moment short with your marathon runner of a mouth.

Gingerly you pet and rub the new hair growing on Zuko's scalp with your finger pads. The strands are surprisingly healthy and thick. Does he take care of his hair? Your hands brush from the roots to the ends to even out the hair oil. Occasionally scratching down the back of Zuko's neck. The tension in his neck eases. His whole head even bending to the side a little as you pull back his sideburns with fingernails. Zuko closes his eyes, subdued by the massage. Be damned with how he looks. Every vibration cascades from apex of his skull to the base of his spine. He can't ever remember being given treatment like this at all. "Maybe I could braid-"

"T-that's enough hair touching." Zuko waves your hands off his head. A light pink colors his cheeks. You smile and apologize. At least he was nice enough to entertain you.

"Why don't you ever let me touch your hair?" Katara asks Aang. He mocks a laugh as he cracks walnuts into a bowl.

"You did have hair for a while there, Aang." You say.

"Yeah… it didn't feel right." Aang rubs the back of his head with a bashful toothy smile. Probably trying to forget about what lead up to that hair growth.

--

Cricketfish sit on the lillies in the lakes. Filling the night with incessant chirping. Zuko tosses and turns. It's stupidly loud for a peaceful building. Plus the bed roll fibers prick him at every angle. He grunts. Giving up, he gets out of bed. Screw sleeping again. The gaang already had dibs on the bedrooms that didn't cave in from being abandoned. So he was left with the depressing children's play room. Sokka made sure to take a jab at him when they gave him the room. There's no way to check the time, so he'll have to wait out the sunrise. Quietly as he can, Zuko leaves the room.

The straw door is permanently pried open. Walking out into the hallway he can see walls lined with rounded windows and the view is extravagant, he never noticed it before. Being too caught up in pointless chases. Tall mountainous islands covered in verdant moss peak through dreamy clouds. Rushing water and peaceful creatures add music to the background. A thin lining of trees surround the building.

"Zuko."

Zuko turns his head, his heart switching gears at being caught up roaming the temple. He calls your name thinking he recognizes the tone. There is no response. Maybe he misheard.

The southern part of the temple was coaxing him, he follows, despite resistance pulling at his stomach. On the way, carvings of Airbenders being jovial and participating in ceremonies lay in the weathered stone. Whimsical imagery by day is haunting at night. Laughing monks mock him as he lights a small flame in his hand to guide him the rest of the way.

He's closer to the source of what called him. Curiosity licks. "Hello?" Zuko whispers.

He pauses.

All of the noise disappears, he could only hear his breaths and the crackle of fire. The south end of the temple bleeds out into a balcony that overlooks the land. The rails thick and crumbling. A blanket is folded up off to the side. He lets the fire go out and goes to the edge.

The sun should come up in a few hours. Fresh moon light glazes the edges of leaves on the trees underneath. Dewy fog coats everything.

Zuko looks at the blanket. Unlike the architecture, it looks fairly new. Plush.

The past month dragged on too long, treacherously tiresome. After pleading his case to the group, the guilt still ate at him. If he didn't get any sleep he'll get sick just like last time.

Zuko's not sure if he would admit it to you, but when you brushed out his hair and massaged his head, he felt peace. A stillness from the turmoil inside him. Each breath was clear and refreshing. The tightness capturing his body let him go for that fleeting moment.

Zuko isn't one for conversation. You were so delicate with him. He'd been touched by people before but even when you were just gratifying your want of touching his hair, you were still so attentive to him. The care you gave satiated a hunger he ignored.

Moving to the middle of the balcony, he sits cross legged. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. He manages a smile.

"Thank you."

[livrere-green]

ATLA x Omegaverse AU

Part 1 | Part 2

I've been thinking about an omegaverse atla au a lot recently, so I'm gonna vent about it cuz it's getting tiring just to have it spiralling in my head ngl

So, the only thing that I need to mention now it's that the standard age at which someone presents is around 13 to 14 years old. Knowing that, lets talk about the main characters.

Aang (12) would be unpresented by the time of the show. Also, I don't believe that being the avatar makes him an alpha perse. I mean, there's a possibility he presents as one (but he could also be a beta), and it wouldn't have anything to do with his avatar status (historically there could be a higher rate of avatars being alphas/betas, but there are some important exceptions... iykwim). Well, I think he'd present at age 13 almost 14.

Katara (14) is one of the characters that confuses me the most in this aspect, but just to add fuel to her fury and her personality, I'll make her an omega, not the kind that rejects her nature but the kind that embraces it and doesn't see it as something that makes her inferior or helpless. Katara would fight against the life society wants to impose on her in the same way she does in canon, maybe even more. She would resent the people who doesn't respect her because of her gender and at some point, she'd get frustrated about it, but she would think that hating herself would mean letting her oppressors win. About her presentation, there's two option: 1. She presented some months before they found Aang, 2. She presented during the first months they were traveling to the NWT (in this case, I think the ideal place would've been Kyoshi Island, because there's people able to take care of her there).

Sokka (15) would be an alpha, he probably presented after Hakoda left (14), he fits the type and the stereotypical personality at the beginning of the show. But I think he would get over it sooner rather than later, because the why he acts has to do more with his perception of himself and the expectations set upon his shoulders than with unshakeable beliefs about the ability of betas and omegas. He would learnt to respect and don't underestimate them quickly. Also, I think that Sokka would scent the Gaang to protect them and particularly to cover Katara's scent as they travel or run away from trouble.

Toph (12) would be unpresented by the time of the show. She'd present as an alpha some time after the end of the war (13). There's not a lot to explain here (talking about her at that age, except for the fact that even during her time with the Gaang, she probably hated Sokka's essence, just as an early hint about her gender). I consider that there's a lot to discuss about her as an adult and how she managed her relationships, but that's a discussion for another time.

Zuko (16) would be an omega, and also a late bloomer, probably presented a couple of years after his banishment (15).. Zuko would be determined to hide his true nature under any circumstances, letting only his Uncle know about it. Ozai would've been informed that his son is a beta, which was already a disappointment for the Royal Family (historically alphas), but it wasn't nearly as negative as being reduced to be treated as an omega. Zuko would end up causing himself a lot of damage in order to disguise as a beta, either by using too many suppressants or other medications, or even hurting himself. He would stop hiding after joining the Gaang but It'll be complicated, since he'd be distressed all the time and even Aang and Toph would be able to notice (their senses are not totally develop, so it'll be kinda alarming).

Suki (15) would be a beta, presented at 14. In her case, the characteristics of its gender would be especially helpful to mediate conflict or get out of it. The scent of a beta has calming effects in both alphas and omegas, so she would use it with her friends, or even in battle, to make her opponents lose focus, particularly if they are driven by rage. The fans are particularly helpful for that.

Azula (14) would present early as an alpha (12/13). At that age, one of the traits she would manifest the most is assuming the position of head of the pact with her friends, she'd probably scent them with the intention of establishing superiority and control over them. In this context, Mai would be a beta and Ty Lee an omega or a beta as well.

That's all for now, I still have some things in mind for this, but I'll share that later, and if you have questions, I'll be happy to answer!

[bunthebreadboy]

i saw a fanart on pinterest when i decided to change my entire phone theme and i can’t get it out of my head.

the art was just after the zuko and ozai agni kai. zuko was knocked out, iroh was getting ready to take him and leave, and azula just came in and said “i took care of it”. if anyone knows what i’m talking about and has it saved or knows the og artist pls lmk!!

anyways. it got me thinking about an expansion of this au (that i will never write because i have neither the patience nor the time to do that) that (unsurprisingly) results in disasterlesbian!azula

so hear me out on this one. there would need to be an entire plot. like. what’s aang going to do??

azula killed ozai by electrocuting him. it’s the first time she discovers her lightning bending. it looks like he had a heart attack in his sleep. (don’t get too wrapped up in the details. azula’s a prodigy she can be overpowered for a bit)

why did she kill her dad? she’ll swear up and down that it was because “he really should have picked on someone with a better fighting ability than zuzu. honestly, it’s stupid he didn’t lose his honor after frying my pathetic firebender of a brother to a crisp.” it’s actually because she kind of sort of loves zuko. she will NEVER admit that.

iroh becomes fire lord, albeit a bit reluctantly. he spends the next three years attempting to end the war, stop the spread of propaganda in the fire nation, and deal with his niece and nephew bickering all the time.

so aang comes out of the iceberg. meets katara and sokka. katara convinces him to take her to the north pole because he’s the avatar, he still should probably master all four elements war or not. all of the traveling is the same (except zuko chasing them) until they get to omashu and king bumi is like “what’s up my dude, welcome back. we’re recovering from a war, so you should probably learn politics and how to not offend anyone while you master the elements!!”

(“there was a WAR?!?!!!” -aang, probably)

so now aang does a deep dive into all of the nation’s politics while also training. katara doesn’t really attend his meetings, but sokka’s a total nerd and is sat for every single one. first is waterbending at the north pole. insert canon things but add in a meeting with arnook.

this is where we introduce the REAL enemy, because the enemy can’t be the gaang attempting to learn international law at 12, 14, and 15 years old. during the full moon someone assassinates the moon spirit! (sorry yue, i love you but you still die in this au…)

so after mastering waterbending the gaang heads to the earth kingdom. they meet toph and she joins. they head to ba sing se, which, after trying to talk politics with the king, they realize is still completely unaware of the war. while in the earth kingdom, we get a name for the big bad. the dai li. after realizing that ba sing se is basically a military dictatorship, the gaang escapes and head to the fire nation.

that’s where zuko, azula, and iroh get reintroduced. aang and sokka consistently come back from meetings with the royals complaining about “oh my god, the princess is such a bitch. seriously, how is she allowed to help run this country??”

katara eventually goes with the boys to a meeting to get them to shut up. toph makes fun of her for being a people pleaser, but katara will do literally anything to get her brother and best friend to stop yapping about the same topic at her every. single. day.

azula (disaster lesbian) doesn’t say a single word throughout the entire meeting. sokka and aang walk out feeling like they were in the twilight zone. katara shows up to more and more meetings. why? definitely not cause the princess is sort of kind of somewhat cute intriguing.

insert azula’s gay awakening crisis here. she eventually starts talking at the meetings, but she’s only ever nice to katara lmao. katara does realize that azula’s an actual genius, though. she decides that the two of them could probably like, take over the entirety of ba sing se in a day if they tried hard enough. but of course that is purely hypothetical.

so one day a meeting gets interrupted by a literal dai li assassin trying to kill aang. he barely escapes the resulting fight.

so the dai li send more assassins. and even more assassins. until finally zuko gets fed up and is just like “alright i’m tired of dealing with these guys. can we please go kick their leader’s ass??”

that is how azula and zuko end up joining the gaang. and how azula can eventually lay siege over ba sing se (even if she reluctantly gives it back when katara tells her to).

—

other misc key points:

- azula and katara get together right before they fight with long feng. it happens cause katara notices that azula is nervous (nobody else would be able to tell) and so she’s like “zula. you’ve got this. we’ve got this” and kisses her lmao

- toph and azula are best friends, to katara’s obvious dismay

- the second azula calls zuko “zuzu” in front of sokka he immediately starts rolling on the floor and laughing. katara has to make sure his lungs are okay afterwards

- zuko: “im literally not gay??” sokka: “yeah, and toph can see”

- toph regularly comes back to wherever the gaang is staying with bags of money. she knows how to find every single illegal fighting ring in the world.

- this is a loooooong term plot. since there’s no reason to worry about the comet it can take place over many years. which also means that katara and azula literally pine for each other until they’re like 20 and everyone around them, especially (and surprisingly) aang, is like “oh my god make it stop”

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

Noticed something about zutarians: for people who claim to be "THE femist ship" they spend too much time praising Zuko for doing chores, being empathetic, supporting women and other stuff he didn't really do in canon all that much.

Like, feminists would consider these a basic level that any normal person, man or woman, should do for their own's sake without any praise. Oohing and aahing "look, he spends time with his own child!", "oh, you washed the dishes, my hero!", "where would I have been if you didn't do the laundry, my knight in shining armor, you really are a savior!" is... very sexist, actually! And zutarians do just that. It’s not enough for them to write him doing chores, they have to emphasize this, compare him to Aang/Sokka/anyone else who of course doesn’t do chores (because no one except Katara and Zuko ever does anything chorelike in these fics it seems), or just outright praise him for that.

Of course, zutara never was a feminist ship, so my observation doesn't add anything new. I understand that zutara kinda fits "female gaze" or whatever, though, it's a women's dream about a perfect partner, which is totally fine by itself – it just has nothing to do with Zuko (and, dare I say, Katara – I doubt she would be so ecstatic about a guy doing "women's chores", she is used to dividing the work around camp and takes it for granted). And that's why I cannot read even relatively harmless zutara fluff – it very often is very focused on this exact subject. I like Zuko for who he is and the truth is 1) he's flawed even after his redemption and 2) a huge part of how he sees himself is his prince title. Nothing of it matches zutara fantasy of a male housewife, so they have a whole other character named Zuko to fit into their imagination land, and I just have no interest in that.

I'm still impressed by that one fic (not in English) where Fantara was 100% sure that Fanfic-Firelord-Zuko will never ever "force any hapless woman" to take care of his newborn daughter (as opposed to her awful, awful husband, Fanfic-Aang who can't even feed his son, who's still eating only breast milk, for several days while Fantara decided to be away). Sure, girl, he's a fucking ruler, he has a whole country to think about, tons of very important shit to do every single day, a full palace of servants, of course he will always personally change diapers, no doubt. I bet he'll even do all the breastfeeding by himself, since his wife died at childbirth and forcing other women is out of the question.

I'm bitter now, and maybe taking it too far but what if – just "what if" – there are very few people who actually ship Katara and Zuko? Because it seems that most content creators in zutara fandom actually ship their two OCs who are very loosely based on these two characters (but don't I dare tell it to their faces, haha, they are under impression that their image of Zuko and Katara is somehow the only correct one).

Just one little disagreement: Zutara doesn't fit the Female Gaze because there's no such thing in the first place. There's not a single trope, way to direct a scene, or romance formula that universally appeals to women, and the same thing can appeal to different women for radically different reasons.

"Male Gaze" and "Female Gaze" were supposed to be a way to point out sexism (and sometimes straight up abuse) in film-making, but it honest God became some bullshit gender-essentialism nonsense REALLY fast. We gotta let that "That is for boys, this is for girls" mentality die.

Aang does chores with Katara. That is completely irrelevant to me shipping Kataang. Aang is not sexist. That doesn't even reach my top 50 reasons to love him as a character. Aang does a lot of things that don't match the idea I was raised to have of a "manly man" and I could not give less of fuck about it. It doesn't bother me, but doesn't particularly appeal to me either.

But for lots of people that is HUGE and some of the main reasons why they love his character and his romance with Katara. And notice I said people, not women.

I like plenty of enemies-to-lovers ships - I don't relate to a single meta/analysis I've ever seen of "Why women like bad boys/enemies to lovers/redeemed villains so much." It all rang hollow to me. But to plenty of women it hits the nail right on the head.

Hell, 50 Shades of Grey is a "romance/erotica" full of accidental misogyny, abuse-apologism, and slut-shaming yet the fanbase is 90% women from all kinds of demographics, and the main thing they praise about these goddamn books/movies is that it did NOT make them feel like they should be ashamed of wanting to have kinky sex with a hot guy.

The Female Gaze isn't real.

[zukosdualdao]

through all of the shadowy corners of me

zutara month, day three: (re)meet ugly/meet cute. @zutaramonth

summary: as katara's plans on the anniversay of her mother's murder fall apart, she ducks into a teashop to wait out the storm and finds herself familiar with the rude tea server she comes face to face with and promptly bursts into tears. because of-fucking-course.

warnings: grief, nightmares, references to kya's murder (and ursa's disappearance, though that is less explicit), and references to ableism wrt facial differences. also, just, some lightly gratuitous swearing, on behalf of katara's no good very bad day. she deserves it.

other notes: title taken from landon piggs’ falling in love at a coffeeteashop. because i am basic in that way.

Katara’s pretty sure the universe is conspiring against her.

First, it was the fucking felt-tip markers being all dried up—damn it Sokka—she needed for the posters for the protest she was supposed to head.

(She tries not to think about how really, first, it was the dream she woke up from, that she wakes up from often, but especially on this day, the dream with fearful eyes and the ominous drip of blood and the feeling of too late too late too late. The dream that is also a memory.)

Someone had to make the posters—because seriously, why was the school shutting down the campus food bank when a third of the student population was food-insecure?— so she missed her first class of the day to get new ones from the closest craft store, over half an hour way with traffic. There was supposed to be a quiz, too, and the professor is notoriously stubborn about absences and make-ups. 

And then there was this huge storm, so they couldn’t even have the protest today like they’d planned.

Now, as Katara ducks out of the rain and into the tiny little hole-in-the-wall ambient tea shop—The Jasmine Dragon, the sign had said—which is all warm lighting and soft ringing laughter from the bare few patrons inside, she figures she can at least get a cup of something hot to drink. It’s been a truly horrible day, and she can’t wait to get back home, sleep for ten hours straight, and wipe it from the record of her memory, but right now, this is her one saving grace.

So, when she gets to the second place in line, very patiently waiting as the server at the front snipes at the man in front of her, part of her wants to reel up to confront him. Sure, she knows customer service can be a day-in, day-out nightmare—she didn’t spend her first two semesters waiting tables because it was fun—but really, he could at least try to be a little nicer. The man wasn’t doing anything wrong, as far as she could see.

When she gets to the front, Katara opens her mouth to say—something, she doesn’t know what—and is caught off-guard to find that she recognizes him faintly. With his eyes the color of amber, swoopy, dark hair, and a shiny, painful-looking burn scar set against the left side of his face, on her right—yes, he was a boy who was in Sokka’s class back in high school. And he was a total jerk, barely speaking a word to anyone except to get into arguments, whether with teachers or other kids. She didn’t know him all that well herself, but she’d never liked him from the stories Sokka told or for the way he seemed to bristle at everyone and everything as she watched from a morbidly curious distance.

Zuko. Yes, she remembers him.

“Can I help you?” he asks, his voice almost a snarl when she spends a beat too long taking in his features, though he’s not looking at her, instead glancing down at his scratchpad. “I’m supposed to tell all of the customers we’re out of the oolong,” he adds in a rough voice, without looking up.

Katara wants to rage, wants to scream, why does he think he gets to treat people like that, god, at least have the decency to look me in the eye and treat me like a person when you’re being a dick—but instead, she bursts into tears. 

Very loud, messy tears. It’s been a long day.

And, well. He certainly looks up then. 

“Um,” Zuko says in lieu of an actual reaction, his right eye wide. His expression has softened considerably, his mouth shaped in surprise, his browline furrowed. “We have jasmine?” he tries.

Well, she thinks as he stands there stiffly, the perfect image of a deer in headlights, before reaching over the counter to push the napkin dispenser toward her, this is humiliating.

At least it’s not terribly busy in here. There’s no one standing beside her, and she only feels one or two worried glances from the tables, the shop mostly empty.

“Sorry,” Katara says through her tears. “God, I’m sorry. I just—I’m having awful day,” she says, motioning to her face as a way of explanation before yanking a napkin out from the dispenser to dry her face.

Zuko’s lip curls in what she thinks might be sympathy. 

“Me, too,” he admits on a sigh. “Sorry. What can I get for you?”

“Um,” she says, shaking her head and smiling through still teary eyes. God. “A cup of jasmine tea would actually be nice.”

“Sure.” 

She pays quickly and tries to ignore his eyes as they follow her over to the tiny round table she chooses in the corner. One cup, she thinks. She’ll drink one cup of tea and be out of here quicker than even the lightning flaring outside, before anyone can say anything about it, and then head back to her apartment and think through every turn in life that got her there, sobbing in line at a tea shop as a mean boy she knew from high school tried not to call her on it.

But he has other plans, because when he brings her order to her, he doesn’t just leave like he’s supposed to, standing there for several awkward moments that feel as though they’re spanning lifetimes.

Yeah. The universe is definitely conspiring against her.

“So… you’re… good now?”

Katara stares at him blankly for a moment, feeling her jaw grow a little slack.

“Are you… checking on me?”

A beat. “I’m just very committed to customer service,” Zuko deadpans, and Katara can’t help but laugh.

“Right,” she says. “Yeah. I’m… good. Thank you.” He nods—just once, a rigid jerk of his head—and starts to turn on his heel to leave.

But for some reason, she suddenly doesn’t want that. He’s being… almost kind of sweet, and it’s so incongruous with the memory she has of him that it kindles a new kind of curiosity.  “We went to school together, you know,” she says quickly, before he can fully turn around. He pauses in his tracks. “You probably don’t remember, but—”

“I remember you,” Zuko says before she can even finish. She frowns, intrigued. “You always wore your hair up in a braid and those loops. And once, even though we barely knew each other,” he adds with the faint traces of a smile, “you told off that kid when he was… uh…” The smile fades.

Katara remembers suddenly. It was an overcast day, not unlike the way this one had started, and Zuko had been sitting alone in the courtyard, not bothering anyone (for once) as Katara made her way to lunch when she saw some other kid go up to him to start needling him, saying horrible things about his scar. Very loudly.

Katara hadn’t liked that, so she’d marched right over and told the kid so. Also very loudly.

She’s pretty sure that’s the only time she and Zuko even tangentially interacted, and even then, they hadn’t spoken any actual words to each other. Everything else she knew about him came from stories and distant observation.

“When he was being a dick,” she finishes for him.

“Yeah,” Zuko says. Peering through his eyelashes, he adds more quietly, “I’ve always remembered that.”

“Really?”

A shrug of his shoulders. “You didn’t have to do that, but you did anyway.”

“I don’t like cruel people.” He nods, hands in his pockets, eyes suddenly downcast and looking almost a little ashamed. It makes her sort of sad. “Do you have time to sit?” Katara asks suddenly.

He looks surprised as he glances back at up her. “What?”

“I mean, I know you’re working, so don’t worry about it if not,” she adds in a hurry, tripping over he words. “I just thought maybe…”

“My shift’s actually over,” he answers, and suddenly, there’s a soft, sort-of-shy smile playing on his lips. “I—I could sit.”

He pulls the chair out and sits while Katara sips at her tea. It really is quite good.

“This is almost making up for the rest of my day,” she laughs, and his face scrunches up, maybe almost amused.

But then, the expression morphs. “Why was your day so bad, Katara?”

She’s surprised to find he ever knew her name, let alone remembers it now. He really is full of surprises. 

She could tell him the simple version, the actual events without the why she was taking it so hard, without divulging what it was really about… but, well…

He seems sincere enough in asking, at any rate.

“I just… I lost my mother when I was really young,” she begins to explain, feeling sort of choked-up and tight in her chest again, but no tears threaten to fall right now.

“I’m sorry,” he says softly, and she looks up to meet his gaze, swimming with undeniable sympathy. “That’s something we have in common.”

She looks at him for a long moment, surprised. This is something they share, then. Something they can understand about each other. “I’m sorry, too. It’s awful. And… today is the anniversary. I usually just try to keep busy, but…”

“But everything went wrong?”

Katara hums.

“That’s the fucking worst,” he says bluntly, and Katara laughs then. He has very little tact, it seems, but also, yeah. It is. And it’s nice for someone to be able to… just say it. To feel it with her.

“It is the fucking worst,” she agrees. “But… I really am doing better now.”

“I’m glad,” he says, but he frowns, staring down at his hands, which are splayed on the table. “I really shouldn’t keep you from your day."

“I mean… the rest of my plans for the day have sort of fallen apart, and I should probably wait out the rain anyway, so I might, uh,” she says, feeling suddenly shy and hesitant. “I might stick around for a while. Get one more of these,” she nods down to her cup, warm and solid in her hands. “You know.” She takes another sip.

His smile glints, but it’s soft, too, definitely as shy as she feels. “I could do with a cup.”

Katara’s own smile grows wider.

The kindly older man who runs the shop—Zuko's uncle, Katara learns quickly—brings them out another round of jasmine, two cups this time, and Zuko slowly raises his in a cheers motions motion, a little awkward and a lot funny.

“To awful days?” he says with a raise of his brow.

“And to perfect storms,” she adds in agreement, laughter bubbling in her chest.

They clink their teacups together.

[ash-and-starlight]

Would you have any thoughts about the Gaang in a modern au (either with or without bending), especially jobs? I legit love how there’s never been a consensus of how they’d live, especially job wise, in the fandom — except for Katara, she is absolutely a doctor, surgeon, ER badass. Personally, I love the thought of Zuko as a child protective agent, and Sokka as a high school teacher, not just for the dramatic Zukka potential lol haha either way, I’d love to hear your thoughts!

aaa ok i love and adore to see how their roles get translated in modern au’s in such clever ways, i loveee your ideas for zukka workplace drama that’s so 🥺 ok i’ll list some of my faves but feel free to add

-doctor katara SO TRUE and activist katara also so true either way she’s helping people and giving all she’s got

-aang also activist monk-turned *insert job that has to do with flying?? or meteorology??* AND i love the silly little headcanon he and zuko are lion dance partners dkfjdj

-toph wwe champion. without question

- jet could also work with kids tbh as either a child protective agent too or teaching martial arts classes for kids as some sort of social program he zuko and toph have an underground fight club every tuesday he and iroh have a wholesome breaking bad situationship going on with banger edibles

- zuko the guy with 294737 job options tbh either as jasmine dragon clerk, firefighter, historian / khon expert and standing authority on the ramakien, parkour guy, sword guy, guy who goes to business school just to learn how to efficiently dismantle dad’s financial empire, and i am extremely partial on muai thay champion-instructor zuko who has like a post-injury gym program just for the zukka of it all of him helping sokka with his leg during rehab 😌

- sokka also guy that can do anything tbh wether working as inventor or in tech/mechanic fixing things, working at a science museum (hi robin), marine biologist (hi kath) working as an astronomer or at the planetarium bc he’s always been fascinated by the night sky and the moon, artist, poet, mythbuster, sword guy as well, all of these at once. most importantly he has an insanely popular food blog on the side

- suki kendo captain of an all-girl club

- florist mai. (specifically ikebana artist) which is comic canon and in context made little sense but i love it it’s beautiful bc it brings me to

- tattoo artist ty-lee 💕

- and azula uhhh nepobaby electrician

[gotticalavera]

Hey, everybody~! This post will have several headcanons that I have about Aang, Zuko and the ZukAang (or those that I can remember). I would also like to add some Au's and previous posts (can also include links to fanfics I wrote... the fanfics are in Spanish).

The Air Nomads are the tallest of the four nations, which is why Aang ended up taller than Zuko.

Zuko feels more relaxed when he's in Aang's company.

Aang doesn't like spicy food, but he accompanies Zuko to eat super spicy noodles or curry because he knows he loves it.

Zuko is more tolerant of alcohol than Aang.

Aang is the kind of drunk who gets into dancing and flirting, but he's also too prone to causing a lot of disasters (it's better to have the Avatar sober).

Zuko is the kind of drunk who gets sentimental and clingy.

In the world of ATLA they communicate through a common language and each nation has its own language. Aang is the only native who speaks Air Language.

Aang is a polyglot.

Aang, due to the way he speaks, expresses himself and uses certain words, speaks as an old man in all languages, except the Water Language, due to his coexistence with Katara and Sokka.

The first time Zuko heard Aang speak Fire Language, he was so surprised that Aang's voice could be heard so good~.

Zuko has tried to learn Air Language to surprise Aang, but it's very difficult, especially because Air Language sounds like whistling.

Zuko once tried to pay Aang a compliment in Air Language, ended up saying something else and Aang was laughing until he fell off his chair.

Aang is quite skilled at playing Pai Sho, much more so than Iroh.

Zuko is not a beginner, but he is not very good at playing Pai Sho either.

The only people who have beaten Aang in pai shou are: Gyatso and Zuko, but because Zuko knows how to unfocus him to cheat.

Aang suffers from insomnia when he is stressed, and even more so during stormy season. He is still a little afraid of sleeping and waking up at another time.

Aang often helps Zuko with paperwork when he can't sleep.

Zuko and Aang share dreams, literally, interacting between dreams when they are away from each other.

Zuko knows when something is stressing or making Aang anxious in dreams, because Aang appears with hair in dreams [& fanfic]

Zuko has an agreement with Appa, and it's to feign fatigue around the Fire Nation so Aang can take a break.

When Zuko is the one who is stressed/tired, Aang pets his head and combs his hair. He sometimes helps him with work, but Zuko prefers Aang to have his full attention on him.

There are two notable characteristics within the Fire Nation royal family; golden eyes and the canine teeth are quite noticeable, which look like dragon fangs. Zuko has these two characteristics.

Zuko doesn't usually smile with his teeth because he is embarrassed to show his fangs due to comments that Azula, Ozai, and others have said about them. He very rarely smiles with his teeth.

Aang upon learning about Zuko's fangs, began trying to make him laugh out loud to see them. He likes his fangs.

The palace councilors were scandalized the first time they saw Avatar Aang playing and combing the Fire Lord Zuko's hair [reaction]

Aang sings very well, but in his own language he is out of tune. He likes more playing instruments and is an excellent dancer.

In his education as a prince, Zuko learned various arts: he loved learning to draw, paint, and play. The arts that involve music are not his strong suit, unless they are applied with theater.

Zuko was banished before having a society presentation. So Aang was the first person to ask him to dance.

Aang always asks Zuko to dance when they are at a party.

The palace servants had become accustomed to finding Fire Lord Zuko and Avatar Aang sleeping together with various documents in front of them.

Aang and Zuko have escaped from the palace to go to the festival disguised as Kuzon and Lee.

Zuko has drawings of Aang in his notebook, including a drawing where Aang fell asleep under the tree where the pond is and the duck-turtles started playing on top of him.

Aang very rarely cries.

Aang is the only foreign Avatar with symbolic representation in the Fire Nation.

Zuko, Aang and rainbow fire.

Aang has pet names for Zuko.

Zuko prefers silver over gold, because it reminds him of Aang's eyes.

This part is from several AUs (especially Modern and High School), What if…? and other ideas. [I may also mention other ships in some posts, but because I like to shipping Aang a lot]

Modern/HighSchool

Aang moved from his village to the city when he was 12 years old. He lives with the daughter of a friend of Gyatso; her name is Kyoshi and she lives together with her partner, Rangi.

To make documentation easier, Aang adopted the Rangi's last name.

Rangi saw potential in Aang, so Aang knows differents martial arts.

Aang met Katara and Sokka on one of his explorations around the city (he got lost).

Aang has few of his own clothes, the rest of his wardrobe was clothes that Gyatso and his friends wore when they were young and lived for a while in the city, so he has different styles of clothing from the 70's and 80's.

Aang has been to the police station so many times that he knows every cop in the station.

The last time he got into big trouble, Rangi punished him and transferred him to an academy with Fire Nation-style discipline.

Zuko at age 11 and the following years experienced difficult situations, from the death of a cousin, Uncle Iroh distancing himself from the family, his parents' divorce and Ozai taking custody.

Zuko has an accident and ends up with a burn on his face.

Due to the accident, the issue of custody is reopened, but since Ursa doesn't have the necessary resources to keep Zuko and Azula, Iroh offers to keep them for a while in what has better stability.

Azula refuses this agreement, shortly after ending up at her aunts' house. Zuko and Azula spend the weekend with different parents, Zuko with Ursa and Azula with Ozai.

Although his situation is more stable, the scar is a reminder of problems, so Zuko became a more isolated person.

When Ursa managed to achieve financial stability, Zuko decided to continue living in his uncle's house.

Zuko works part time at his uncle's tea shop.

Zuko and Azula continue to maintain contact, especially when they have to spend a few weeks together with one of their parents.

Zuko and Aang had had short encounters before Aang transferred to Zuko's school.

Despite being the only Air Temple boy, Aang quickly won over most of the students.

For school reasons, Aang has to wear long sleeves and a bandana to cover his tattoos.

Zuko thinks Aang is the typical airheaded popular guy.

Due to some situations, they end up living together more and little by little they get to know each other better.

Aang is in the dance club and Zuko is in the drama club. Zuko asks Aang for help with his play.

Aang, Zuko and bonfire.

Valentine's Day

Ozai is still a terrible father, but...

_____

Fan x Ex-Actor!AU

Student Council!AU

Tattoo-Artist!Aang

Teacher!Aang

Aang, Zuko and the hot air

Age-Swap!ZukAang [1] [2]

Demon Spirit!AU

Zuko x Fem!Aang

Fem!Aang & Bumi II

[mysticwolfshadows]

Taken - Zutara - Part 49

First / Previous / Next / Masterpost

They make it to the Fire Nation with very little fanfare. It was shockingly easy, given how difficult it had been to get past the barricade when they went to Roku's temple. But there they were, landing harmlessly in a cave on one of the outer islands.

While Sokka lamented about how this was their life now, hopping from cave to cave, until the invasion began.

Zuko rolled his eyes, and shared a look with Katara and Suki. One of them had to talk sense into Sokka.

"We could try finding some new clothes?" Suki suggested, glancing at Katara.

"Zuko and I know how to blend in with the Fire Nation."

Aang was quick to jump in. "Yeah! Blending in is better than hiding out. Wouldn't having Fire Nation disguises be just as safe as hiding in a cave?"

"Plus, we can get real food out there." Toph punches a wall, making cave hoppers jump out, Momo diving after them. "Unless you'd rather eat cave hoppers in the dirt."

Sokka purses his lips, looking at Zuko as his last hope.

Zuko rose a brow, arms crossed. "We need to conserve as much of our supplies as we can. If we keep using our reserves when we don't have to, we'll run out before we reach the Black Cliffs."

Finally, Sokka caved. "Fiiiine."

They start by finding the nearest farm. There was a series of clothes lines, which they studied carefully for a moment. Aang wondered about the ethics of stealing for a moment, before Katara rushed forwards to snag a silk robe. Suki and Toph weren't far behind, and the boys soon followed.

They returned to the cave to get changed, Toph putting up walls to give them some semblance of privacy, while Sokka and Zuko scrounged together a wig for Aang to wear to hide his tattoos.

"What about your scar?" Aang whinged, as they tied the headband(?) around the wig to help keep it in place. "It's distinctive!"

"Burn scars are common in the Fire Nation," Katara said, as she stepped out. "While they aren't usually on the face, you'll probably see a lot of them, especially in outer islands with fewer resources and physicians like this one."

Zuko turned to say... He couldn't remember. As soon as his eyes landed on Katara, his mouth went dry and his head empty. She looked...

"You look great!" Aang said, beaming.

"Thanks, Aang," she said, moving to get a look at their handy work. "It looks good. Should hold for a day." She glanced at Zuko, and her own smile tugged at her lips. "You look nice."

He swallowed. "You... You too."

Over Katara's shoulder, Zuko could see Sokka making a gagging motion, as Aang watched on in confusion.

"So!" Toph called, as she stepped out of the barrier with Suki. "Where are we going for lunch?"

Heading into town, Katara and Zuko took lead, pointing out different kinds of shops. Katara hadn't had much time to explore the city when she'd been in the city before, but the signage was enough for her to give recommendations. Zuko was more straight forward with his answers, and helping steer them away from the more niche establishments.

Katara was so excited to be eating fresh and authentic Fire Nation cuisine again, she barely noticed Aang wondering off. She made sure to order something more mild for the others, giving a smile to the frowning waiteress.

"We just moved from the colonies," Katara explained, before gesturing to Zuko and herself. "We spent a good amount of our childhood her on the islands, though. We've missed it. If you could hold the spice on theirs, but maybe add a little to ours...?"

The waitress hummed, but made a note on her pad. Then she was off, and Katara felt herself begining to relax. The smells of the Fire Nation filled her. The warm ocean spray and the spices of cooking food. The feel of Agni on her skin, filling her with a pleasant warmth she hadn't felt in so long...

They ate in comfort, giving simple conversation and enjoying the food. She listened to other patrons, hearing about how lucky they were that the draft hadn't reached their island yet. Apparently, in the wake of Prince Zuko's 'death', the draft had been instated but not entirely enforced on outer islands. More prominent families, like Mai's, were voluntarily enlisting their sons as 'officers'. There was speculation, with only Azula as heir and there having never been a female Fire Lord, that the Fire Princess would need to marry, and her spouse become Fire Lord in her stead. Others thought that Azula would be skipped over, with Ozai being fairly young for a Fire Lord, and that her first son would become the true heir instead. Of course, Katara knew that Ozai would never pass on his throne willingly, much as Sozin and Azulon had before him, and that Azula would never let herself be forced to marry, much less be skipped over in succession.

As they were wrapping up their lunch that they heard about the local academy. A pair of mothers, talking about how the headmaster was cracking down on students behavior, as they passed by to their table. One was worried, as the school was so strict already, and her daughter On Ji was such a sweet and gentle girl, who had such a creative mind, and was worried that innovative thinking might get her in trouble. The other woman wondered if perhaps it was a good thing for her own son, Hide. He was becoming rather unruly and disrespectful at home, with his father gone on the warfront. Perhaps the headmaster's stricter rules would bring Hide into line.

A faint memory, of a young Zuko in a boys uniform, more militaristic than academic, tickled the back of her mind. But the FIre Nation was know for their similarities in uniforms. In the military, the main difference between a foot soldier and a captain was the more angled and spiked shoulders, with more gold accents. And Aang...

"Zuko," Katara whispered, as they were walking back to the cave. He blinked at her, inclining his head to show she had his full attention. "Do you remember what Fire Nation school uniforms look like? I only saw the Royal Fire Academy uniforms, but..."

For a moment, Zuko blinked. Then, his brow scrunched, and he cursed so venomously under his breath that a lick of flame was spat from his lips. Reaching out, he grasped her elbow, squeezing it.

"Make sure the others know we might have to run," he said, turning to look back down the road towards town. "I'll find him and bring him back. If his cover is blown, we'll need to leave immediately."

"Be careful," she said, as he let go. They shared a look, the air tense around them, before turning away from each other and rushing off.

First / Previous / Next / Masterpost

[tzilatza]

NATLA Review - spoilers

Woke up today still feeling annoyed after finished the Netflix ATLA remake last night, and I think I've figured out the core reason.

It's the fact that: If they had held truer to the original source material, we could have had a truly great show. I disagree with those calling it a complete disaster. The acting was good, great in some cases. The effects were very well done, the bending looked about as good as it can in a live action media. The scenery was lovely.

But what happened in the writer's room?! The way they just reveal all the back stories up front EVERY TIME is honestly insulting to the audience. It's like they're so terrified that smartphone culture has made the public so accustomed to instant gratification that they have no faith we will stick around and keep watching if they make us wait for anything.

They're also clearly terrified of complexity. One of my biggest gripes with this remake is Jet's story. They completely took out his plans to murder a whole town of innocents in order to get a few enemy soldiers. Now, Jet isn't my favorite character, but his story is so important. Because it is real. The world is full of people who have been so brought down by injustice that they lose their sense of right and wrong, and we need to see that on screen. If Jet is too complex for them, how will they handle Ba Sing Se in the second season.

This goes along the same lines as removing Sokka's sexist moments. They felt they had to do it to make him more 'likable.' Yet the writers themselves went full sexist on Katara's character. They've taken out so much of her spark, her righteous and justified anger, and they've done it because even in 2024, people expect women to be more passive to be palatable. Enough people have already commented on them removing Aang's choice to run away. Heaven forbid the main character not be an absolute paragon. Did y'all notice that they even made Hahn likable? Hahn?! What reason do you have for making Hahn likable Netflix?! His role in the narrative is to be an example of toxic masculinity that is clearly the bad choice compared to Sokka who has learned and grown out of his own.

Don't even get me started with what they're doing with the fire nation family, I'm not ready to tackle that. In general, I have no problem with Azula getting a little more backstory and humanizing, but why season 1? Throwing in all these extra scenes just sacrifices screen-time where they could've actually fleshed out the real season one plots instead of rushing through things at breakneck pace. (ex: Aang escaping Zuko's ship in about 2 minutes flat)

At the end of the day, the scenes I most enjoyed were those that held true to the original like the Blue Spirit sequences. They could've easily done more of this, held onto the important plot points and even more important character complexity, while maturing it for an adult audience. I'm not disagreeing with every change they made. Go ahead and take out the silly Nickelodeon gags, add cussing and more realistic violence to get your mainstream viewers. Go ahead. They could've easily made a darker more mature version of the show and still held onto all the old fans in my opinion. But claiming that you're making a 'more mature' version and then removing the complexity and subtlety because they didn't think viewers could handle it...

What makes me most sad is that there are a lot of people who will experience ATLA for the first time through this show. There are a lot of adults who are not willing to watch original ATLA because they refuse to acknowledge an animated series can be anything other than a kid's show. Those people will watch this and think it's the real deal, and that just makes me sad.

If you've read this far, a very sincere thank you for listening to my rant. If you're an OG fan who enjoyed it, I have no problem with you. It was a fun watch, I was just hoping for more. If you are a new viewer who has never seen ATLA before, I sincerely want to hear your opinions. Is it a great show to someone who isn't holding it against the context of the original? And do you plan to watch the original now?

[oneatlatime]

Let's look back at my season 2 predictions!

When I got to the halfway point of season 2, I made a post detailing my predictions for where the rest of the season was going. They were delightfully subjective and conformed more to my hopes than to any legitimate foreshadowing.

I made 9 predictions (one per main character), and then I predicted three ways that the finale could go. I went into some detail in some of my predictions, so I'd recommend checking out the linked post. Keep in mind that I made these predictions before the Ba Sing Se arc started, and it shows.

For Azula, I predicted that she would be the finale's big bad, that she would be defeated, and that the Fire Lord would be introduced as next season's big bad. I'm giving myself one third of a point for this one. Azula was indeed the big bad.

For Toph, I predicted that she would get a subplot that revolved around either something she excelled at being challenged by an external force like those wrestling idiots, or something that she needed to work on that tied into her noble background. Once again giving myself a third of a point, because those wrestling idiots were involved and she did meet an obstacle that she beat by inventing metalbending. I correctly predicted the pieces involved but I got them in completely the wrong configuration.

For Appa, I predicted that he would come back after having many adventures and running into other sky bison. (What's the plural of sky bison? Devastated to say that I've never had to use it) I was right that Appa came back; I was wrong that he ran into remnants of sky bison(s?), but he did end up running into remnants of the Air Nomads, and dreaming about other sky bison(s?), so I'm giving myself three quarters of a point.

For Zuko, I predicted that he would be coaxed/dragged into being decent via a swordbending girlfriend, and that he would be redeemed by the end of Season 2. Hilariously, my prediction smashed Jin and Jet together, which breaks my brain a little. Also, he did the polar opposite of being redeemed by the end of the season. I'm going to give myself a quarter point, for getting the sword bit and the girl bit.

I predicted that Sokka would split from the rest of the Gaang and go on a multi-episode Appa hunting arc that focused heavily on his ties to his family. I was 100% wrong with this one. No point for me. Which is too bad, because I really liked the idea I came up with.

I predicted that Momo would do aerial reconnaissance for the Appa hunt with Sokka. I'm giving myself a full point for this one, because what was he doing in the Tale of Momo? Flying around looking for Appa. Admittedly Sokka wasn't there, but whatever, I need this point.

For Katara, I predicted some sort of moral crisis. Something to add some nuance to her world view. A good yet unapologetically patriotic firebender, or a downright evil waterbender. I was completely wrong on this one too, unless you count being talked into listening to Jet. No points for me.

I predicted that Aang would have to do some type of Avataring that involved delegating tasks to his friends, or putting his status as avatar first, probably due to unrest in the spirit world. This was by far my most broad prediction ("hey maybe the avatar will have to avatar it up" is a very safe statement), so no points for that. I was wrong about spirit world involvement, although I was right that his Avatar duties would conflict with his personal convictions. I'll give myself one quarter point.

For Iroh, I predicted that he would call on old resources to get himself and Zuko into a better situation. I got this one almost completely right, except two bits: I thought he would use blackmail or intimidation, when he actually used something more like the power of friendship, and I also thought that particular plot point would last longer than a single B-plot in a single episode. But what the hell, I'm giving myself the point.

All three of my predictions for how the finale was going to go were incorrect. There was no strike against the Fire Nation, there was no immediate dismissal of the eclipse as a possible time of attack, and there was no relegation of the eclipse to a single episode plot point. No point for me.

So, out of a grand total of 12 predictions, I scored:

3.91!

Ouch.

I'm going to be generous and round it up to 4, which is a third correct. Still ouch. I am less reliable than a coin toss.

But! I actually had a lot of fun both coming up with predictions and reviewing them. So I'm still counting this exercise as a win.

[erisenyo]

ooh, “you already know how this will end.” for the prompts? 🤩🍿

For this prompt game! (And also this one!)

(NSFW AHEAD)

“You already know how this will end,” Sokka mumbles as he lets Zuko back him through the door, “Right?”

“Mhm,” Zuko says, eyes intent on his lips.

“We’re gonna—we're gonna get divorced,” Sokka says as Zuko kicks the door shut behind them.

“After years of long distance,” Zuko agrees, fingers skimming up Sokka’s sides.

“And a secret relationship for the most of it,” Sokka says, running his palms up Zuko’s chest.  

“Because it would be ridiculous,” Zuko murmurs, just above his lips, “The Fire Lord and the Southern Water Tribe ambassador trying to be together.”

Sokka pauses, fingers tangled in Zuko’s collar. “Chief,” he says, tugging lightly. “I think you mean Southern Water Tribe Chief.”

Zuko’s eyebrow ticks up. “Tell that to Katara.”

“…Fine,” Sokka huffs after a moment, reaching up to pluck the headpiece out of Zuko’s hair. “I’ll allow it.”

“And inventor?” Zuko offers, hand coming up to cradle Sokka’s head, thumb running along his jaw. “And poet, too?”

“That’s more like it,” Sokka breathes, tugging Zuko in again.  

“Because either way, it would still be crazy,” Zuko murmurs above his lips, body brushing against his.  

“There’s no way it could last,” Sokka nods, stepping in the last inch to press them together, shivering a little because this is so, so not like training. “The political situation alone.

“Questions of improper influences.”

“Accusations of backdoor alliances,” Sokka says, Zuko huffing a surprised laugh and Sokka can’t help but finally lean up toward the sound, lips already parted as Zuko sways in to meet him.

“Accusations we couldn’t deny,” Zuko finally whispers against his lips as they come up for air.  

“All that tension,” Sokka sighs, head lolling back.

“Add in the pressure—” Wet kisses along his jaw, down his throat. “—of needing an heir.”

“And my inevitable hurt,” Sokka mumbles, eyes fluttering, “That I’ll try to conceal under a cheerful exterior.”  

“The way nothing I say will make you stop being jealous.” Zuko tonguing along his choker now.  

“And I’ll hate that I feel it.” Sokka sinks his hands into Zuko’s hair. “But I won’t be able to stop.”

“The same way I’d hate always having to put the Fire Nation first,” Zuko murmurs against his pulse point, fingers beginning to tug at the tie of Sokka’s tunic, “And you second.”

“The way I could never imagine living in one place,” Sokka sighs, shivering at the breath of Zuko’s loose hair against his skin.

“We’ll steal time together at political events,” Zuko says, licking along the V of Sokka’s tunic as he opens it one catch at a time. “And pretend no one knows.”

“And when they inevitably do find out—” Sokka shrugs out of his tunic the minute the last catch slips open, “We’ll pretend we all don’t know it’s foolish.”  

“No one will bring it up,” Zuko says, the look in his eyes almost more than Sokka can deal with as he runs reverent, careful hands over Sokka’s chest, like he’s never seen it before.

“But we’ll all know,” Sokka says, skin shivering and prickling under Zuko’s touch. “We just won’t say it.”

“Like we won’t tell anyone when we break up, either,” Zuko says, dropping to his knees. “Not at first.”

“We won’t be able to bear anyone saying they knew it was coming,” Sokka says, shaky as Zuko licks down the trail of hair disappearing into his waistband, and then along the waistband too. “We’ll just endure months of them thinking we’re still together.”

“Because we won’t want anyone to feel like they have to take sides,” Zuko whispers, hands running slow up Sokka’s thighs, gripping and squeezing.

“Your best friend is my brother-in-law,” Sokka agrees, sinking his fingers into Zuko’s hair again to steady himself.

“And your best friend is my bodyguard.” Zuko’s fingers stop just below Sokka’s ass, flexing there as he breathes suddenly hot against the bulge in Sokka’s pants, “That we both have an ongoing flirtation with,” he whispers, lips moving against Sokka’s cock and fuck, but Sokka’s pants have never felt so thin before, and so completely in the way, “That we both pretend we don’t find threatening.”

“And my dad would have taken you ice dodging,” Sokka says, uneven, wanting to rock forward but also wanting to touch.

“And my dad—” He pauses, pointed, Sokka letting out a startled laugh and yanking Zuko up, the need to touch winning out at the sight of Zuko’s flashing grin. “My sword master,” Zuko corrects as Sokka takes him in, already flushed and mussed and gold eyes molten, “Would have taught you all his special moves.”

“Because everything can see that we make each other so happy, is the thing,” Sokka murmurs, finally reaching for Zuko’s sash, fumbling at his own boldness like he never has before.

“The happiest,” Zuko agrees, breaths going uneven as Sokka shoves off his over robe.

Sokka shoves off the sheer under robe, too, much as he’d love to linger to look at it. “Until the secret divorce.”

“Which is after the secret marriage.” Zuko bites his lip as Sokka ghosts his fingers along Zuko’s waistband.

“Which is after the secret dating,” Sokka says, pausing with his fingers hooked just into Zuko’s pants, transfixed by the sight.

“Where we can’t stop smiling because we’re so happy,” Zuko whispers, brushing his fingers over Sokka’s knuckles where they’re resting light against his stomach.

“All the shopping sprees,” Sokka says, beginning to back toward the bed.

“The puns.” Zuko gives him a little push around a chaise.

“Staying up all night talking.”

“The food.”

“The secret glances we exchange during meetings.”

“The pet names you didn’t know you wanted.”

“The late nights working together.”

“These shoulders,” Zuko says, hands running appreciatively over them before he uses them to push Sokka back onto the bed.

“Oh, definitely the shoulders,” Sokka murmurs, low, eyes lingering over Zuko’s as he catches himself on his elbows.

Zuko catches his eye, planting a knee on the mattress between Sokka’s legs. “The sex.”

“Oh,” Sokka grins, slow, running his heel up the back of Zuko’s leg, “Definitely the sex.”

“We’ll keep having it before we admit we’re actually dating,” Zuko says, leaning forward to brace himself over him.

“Because it’ll be so good we can’t stop,” Sokka says, leaning up to kiss him filthy and slow, “Even though we know we’re about to catch feelings.”

“We’ll keep telling ourselves we won’t,” Zuko rasps, grabbing Sokka by the hip to shove him up the bed, crawling up after him. “That one more time won’t hurt.”

“But we’ll know it’s not true,” Sokka says, hand shaking as he reaches for the tie of his pants.

“Because we’ve already been having them,” Zuko sighs, pausing on hands and knees to watch.

“And we’ll take—” Sokka rips open his fly. “—any bit we can get—” he shoves up his hips. “—of what we’ve been imagining,” the words barely out of his mouth before Zuko is grabbing onto his pants.

“Even though we know it’s an awful idea,” Zuko breathes as he tugs Sokka’s pants off.

“The worst,” Sokka whispers, shivering as Zuko stills, staring at Sokka bare and hard before him. 

“After all,” Zuko finally says, hands finding Sokka’s calves, his knees, his thighs, “There’s a reason it hasn’t happened yet.”

“Two best friends?” Sokka lets his legs fall open.

“Two world leaders?” Zuko’s thumbs dig into the crease of his groin.

“From separate countries?” Sokka digs his fingers into the sheets as Zuko shifts up between his legs, spreading him wider.

“From different sides of the war?” Zuko looks at him reverent, hungry.

“And that time you attacked my home,” Sokka says, jerking up a knee to stop Zuko as he leans in and giving his still-on pants a pointed look.  

“And that time you tried to kill my dad,” Zuko agrees, reaching for his waistband.

“You did too,” Sokka points out, want hot in his gut as he watches the casual, efficient way Zuko strips.

A shrug, Zuko’s pants tossed to the side. “It’s the principle of it, probably.”

“You hunted us,” Sokka points out, planting his foot against Zuko’s chest this time so he can fully admire him, all strong thighs and hard cock and arousal flushed skin.

“You left me for dead.” Zuko leans into his foot, hungry, testing.

“And I have too many projects these days,” Sokka says, biting his lip as Zuko grabs onto his ankle.

“And I have too many responsibilities,” Zuko says, tugging Sokka’s foot out to the side.

“And there’s no way we’d have time for each other, anyway,” Sokka says, words cracking as Zuko settles into the cradle of his thighs.

“None,” Zuko sighs, hips sinking against him.

“So it’d be awful, really,” Sokka groans like praise.  

“Ridiculous,” Zuko rasps, low.

“We’d have to be a pair of idiots,” Sokka says, running his hands down Zuko’s back to cup his ass, “To think it would work.”

“Delusional,” Zuko agrees, rocking against him.

“Not to realize how quick it will burn out,” Sokka gasps, hands tugging, encouraging Zuko to do it again.

“Fast and bright,” Zuko says, breath hitching. “Before it fizzles and dies.”

“And all the longing and agony after,” Sokka pants, shifting to chase the friction, the angle, the glancing rub of Zuko’s cock against his own.

“Cause we’d still love each other,” Zuko says, leaning up onto a forearm enough to be able to watch them, both of them letting out a punch of air as the shift grinds their cocks together. “Even after the divorce.”

“We wouldn’t break up because we didn’t anymore,” Sokka agrees, entranced by the sight of them like this. “We’d do it because we were trying to do what was best for each other.”

“And we wouldn’t realize the other felt the same,” Zuko says, taking them both in hand.

“And we wouldn’t want to show how much it hurt,” Sokka says, tight, rolling up into Zuko’s grip.

“Or make the other feel bad,” Zuko says, stroking slow, hips moving with it, the sight of him savoring the feel of them pressed together—

“So we’d pretend it was fine, that we didn’t care,” Sokka says, shaky as he hooks his thigh over Zuko’s, urging him on.

“Even though we still do,” Zuko says, settling into a rhythm with his hand and hips, not enough, now with the way they both can’t stop watching to get the angle or the leverage for Spirits, Sokka can’t imagine looking away.

“We’d be self-sacrificing,” Sokka says, hips jerking because it’s too dry and too slow but it’s still so, so good.

“A bad idea, two people like that getting together,” Zuko pants, glancing around the bed.

“All that yearning,” Sokka says, reaching up under the pillow because he knows Zuko, he does. “All that longing, like it was the start of it all over again.”

“The crazy lengths we’d go to, if we thought it would make the other happy,” Zuko says, grabbing the oil out of Sokka’s hand.

“Like no one’s ever done for us before,” Sokka says, coming up onto his elbows to watch as Zuko sits back, spilling oil over his hand in his haste, reaching for his cock and then stilling, reaching for Sokka instead.

“Like we’ve always wanted to do for someone,” Zuko whispers, fingers running slow and questioning just behind Sokka’s balls, “But haven’t known how.”

“Not without being too much,” Sokka agrees, shivering as he lets his legs fall wider in invitation.

“Except we’d be so hungry for it,” Zuko says, low, eyes intent as he circles around Sokka’s hole.

“To be picked first,” Sokka gasps, grabbing onto the sheets again.

Zuko’s finger pressing against him. “Even if we were just pretending we could, in the moment.”

“It would be crazy,” Sokka moans, head dropping back as Zuko finally pushes into him, “To start something. Knowing all that.”

“Foolish,” Zuko whispers, gentle as he eases out, then in again.

“Ridiculous.” Fuck, Sokka is so hungry for it, for more, so hungry after so long spent starving.

“Self-indulgent,” Zuko sighs, stroking deeper this time.

“Short-sighted,” Sokak pants, rocking back onto it.

“Purposefully blind,” Zuko says, eyes flicking up before giving him another finger.

“Willfully ignorant,” Sokka moans, melting into the burn-pressure-friction-full of it.

“The worst, really,” Zuko murmurs, like he’s drunk on it, moving carefully, then faster as Sokka makes an impatient noise.

“Awful, so awful,” Sokka says like praise, finally shoving up onto his elbows, needing, reaching for the oil and Zuko’s cock.

“Because we already know how this is going to end,” Zuko says as he keeps working Sokka, the words shaky and tight and his eyes wide.

“Because we know right from the start that it’s a bad idea,” Sokka says, slicking Zuko up and then lingering to stroke, to feel the weight of Zuko in his hand for the first time.

“A bad idea like breaking into Boiling Rock,” Zuko pants, rocking into Sokka’s hand even as he his fingers twist, seeking.

“Like trying to steal from a spirit library,” Sokka moans as Zuko hits that perfect spot inside him.

“Like following seals beneath the ice,” Zuko groans as Sokka thumbs over his slit.

“Like trying to crash a warship into another airship,” Sokka says, tugging Zuko back over him, “And hoping you come out okay.”

“Like hunting the Avatar to make your father love you,” Zuko says, lining them up.

“Like following your sister around the world because you don’t know how to be left behind,” Sokka says, hitching his legs up around Zuko’s waist.

“Good thing,” Zuko says, gaze lifting to Sokka’s face, “That we never do bad ideas.”

“Yeah,” Sokka moans as Zuko finally pushes inside, twining his arms around Zuko’s neck to tug him in closer. “Good thing.”

[victimsofyaoipoll]

Round 2

Propaganda Under Cut

Elizabeth Midford

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

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

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

Katara

Katara is constantly mistreated by the fans in favor of the Zukka ship (Zuko × Sokka.) They make her out to be mean, homophobic, and completely out of character just to add drama to the Zukka ship. In reality, Katara is very compassionate, and would never act that way toward anyone. 

Zutara was a popular ship but when zukka got popular over covid during the atla renaissance there were a million posts about how zutara was problematic while zukka was perfect usually for racist reasons. Meanwhile katara and sokka are siblings so it didn't even make sense. They did not have to be so illogically rude to her to ship zukka and it was weird

Katara is FANTASTIC I fucking love her to pieces she is so cool and yet the entirety of the ATLA fandom treats her like garbage because she “talks about her mom dying too much” (even though she BARELY does & also was parentified from a young age due to her mother’s death) and, of course, because she’s a more feminine women when compared to her counterparts. Even in the show itself she’s mistreated: she’s ALWAYS shown cooking for the rest of the gaang, doing their laundry, any ‘womanly’ task. She ends up with the guy who kissed her twice without her consent & who she never showed any real attraction to and apparently (despite being a badass warrior-doctor!!!) after the show ended she just… settled down in the South Pole and had a bunch of kids and never did anything else. She didn’t even get a statue :( Anyways during the ATLA renaissance, despite Zutara actually not being canon, people felt that Katara threatened the sanctity of the new almost entirely baseless yaoi ship, Zukka. Unfortunately for them, due to the fact that Katara and Sokka are siblings, the usual anti-Zutara arguments didn’t work as well. So they resorted to just… slaughtering her character. If she was lucky, they’d just make Katara a background character, wingwoman, &or throw her together with her canon love interest. If she was unlucky they’d do anything from make her homophobic (??) to killing her off! Fuck’s sake, she never even got a token spare-the-pairs wlw ship! Sorry for getting so heated, that whole debacle made me FUMING MAD.

[ok-boomerang]

6 for Zutara please!

“Is there a reason you’re naked in my bed?”

Zuko was feeling good. Really good. Like float-in-the-sky, firecracker-bursting good. He’d been with his friends, whom he loved, and he wasn’t ashamed of loving them, and they loved him back, which was sometimes kinda wild to think about. Because, and this was so funny, it made him laugh sometimes—he once tried to capture them, he was once chasing them around the world. So funny.

In fact, he was laughing right now about it, leaning against the wall of a hallway in the Fire Palace on his way to his bedroom. It was late and no one else was around, just his soft chuckles echoing back at him.

His friends were going back to their rooms too—they were so funny, Sokka was so funny and Suki was so cool. And Aang was so nice and Toph was kind of a jerk. And Katara was so smart and pretty and funny and sometimes he just liked looking at her face. Agni, his friends were great.

After they all had gotten too tired to keep hanging out, Sokka wanted to make sure Zuko could make it back to his room okay, because he was nice and he cared. Sokka was all, “Bro, are you good?” and then he laughed a lot and took a deep breath to compose himself, and then kept giggling.

“I am so good,” Zuko had replied, and then he was giggling too. Because not only was he good, it was so easy to be good! He was not, actually, bad at being good.

Zuko pushes through the door to his bedroom and sighs upon entering, suddenly very tired. He shrugs out of his tunic and trousers but is too tired to put on pajamas. He can’t remember where he keeps his pajamas anyway. He snorts a little at the thought of sleeping naked, but it was his right, because he was feeling so. good.

They’d had some alcohol tonight, so much plum wine, it just kept flowing, and maybe some other stuff too that he can’t quite remember. Pipeweed maybe? But even if so, that’s not why he feels good; it’s his friends and his home and being a human firecracker. All those things are so good.

He shimmies under the sheets, which feel nice on his bare skin and also smell really good, kind of like fire lilies after a summer storm. His mother grew fire lilies in her garden. His mom would have liked his friends.

Zuko vaguely hears a door creak open, and footsteps glide toward him. Which is weird. But not unwelcome. Because he loves people so much. He loves the whole world. He is really tired.

The person who owns the footsteps shimmies themselves into bed, and Zuko vaguely wonders if he has a roommate and he simply forgot.

The person sighs, a tired sound, and he recognizes it as a sound belonging to Katara.

Katara’s here! He loves Katara. What a good friend. It’s too bad it’s dark, because he loves looking at her face. But he’s pretty tired anyway.

“G’night Katara,” he says, sleep in his voice.

“G’night Zuko,” she answers. “You were really funny tonight,” she adds, and her words slur together a bit for some reason.

“You were funny tonight!” he says, shifting toward her.

“Noooo, not like you,” she says, scooting closer as she hiccups. “Remember when—you chased us?”

Zuko laughs, loud and free, and Katara’s joining him soon after.

It’s not a minute later that they’re both snoring.

—

The next morning, Zuko wakes with the sun.

He feels the fire in his chest begin to simmer, to rise as the star in the sky rises. He feels his breath, notices his breathing, a meditation practice he likes to keep. He feels—a pounding headache on the left side of his head. And also the right side. And also—something soft against his backside—his bare backside.

Zuko blinks away, blinks into the ray of sun cascading across his bed.

That is not the only thing cascading across his bed.

There is also dark, wavy, and long, impossibly long, hair, seemingly all around him.

He is blanketed by Katara’s hair.

Which means—

Zuko blinks when he realizes the softness on his bare butt is Katara’s bare butt.

He is in bed, butt to butt with Katara.

“Um, Katara—“ he tries, but she doesn’t respond, her face so peaceful in sleep.

He sits up just a little and pushes one of her shoulders.

Her eyes blink bearily open. “Zuko, let me sleep,” she says, before closing her eyes again. “Damn firebender,” she says under her breath with a small smirk.

Zuko waits a beat.

And then Katara’s eyes open again and slowly move over to him. “Zuko?” she asks.

“I’m not sure—“ he starts, but Katara doesn’t wait for him to finish. She scrambles backwards, grabbing the blanket covering them, and frantically pushes out of the bed to cover herself with it.

It is at this point Zuko realizes that Katara is—was—buck naked. And so is he. Unfortunately, Katara just pulled the blanket off him.

So he is buck naked, and completely exposed to the world.

He fumbles with a pillow to cover his bits as he yelps “Why are you naked in my bed?!” just as Katara yells, “Is there a reason you’re naked in my bed?!”

They stare at each other, Katara having already expertly fashioned a dress with the blanket and Zuko still only shielding his privates with a pillow.

“Your bed?” Zuko asks while Katara nods vigorously. “This is the Crown Prince’s bedroom! Look,” he says, pointing to a portrait of himself on the wall. Which was kinda weird actually. Strange art choice by the designers, a portrait of himself in his own room.

“You’d hang a portrait of yourself in your room?” Katara asks, smirking, panic forgotten.

“It wasn’t my design choice! It’s just my room!” he says.

“Zuko,” Katara says with the air of someone saying I told you so. Which isn’t a good sign, because Katara loves being right. “You aren’t the Crown Prince—that’s not a portrait of the Crown Prince.”

Zuko frowns at her, because that’s kind of uncharacteristically mean. One banishment and you’re suddenly not even good enough for your birthright…

“You are a naked Fire Lord!” Katara shouts, before throwing her own pillow at him.

Oh. Shit.

He was Fire Lord, wasn’t he?

He stumbles out of bed to try to dodge the onslaught of pillows as Katara continues to pummel him—why are there so many pillows? His pillow shield has long fallen away. She’s just abusing a naked Fire Lord now!

“I’m—sorry!” he says, but Katara’s laughing maniacally and clutching her stomach in mirth as she finally shoves him into the hallway and slams the door.

And then he hears her lock it.

Well, he did say she was funny.

He turns to four pairs of eyes staring in his direction.

There’s a good five seconds of silence, and Zuko notes that everyone except Toph has now seen him naked. But judging by her smirk, she can sense his nakedness.

It’s good that he’s worked on his self-esteem.

“Do we want to know?” Suki finally asks, breaking the silence.

Zuko shakes his head.

Sokka wordlessly hands him his cloak.

And Zuko covers his bits again, and runs down the hall toward the Fire Lord Suite.