#Sokka being savage

[lovedaisy02]

I think the ATLA fandom and the ATLA comics forget a lot about Katara's character. She's not a 'good girl' type or even a rule follower. I think this concept really comes to life in Book 3 and after Toph joins in Book 2. It's understandable considering Toph is pure chaotic neutral (neutral up for debate but chaotic is an absolute). Compared to Toph even Sokka looks responsible. Aang is also chaotic and often just wants to have fun (just not at the expense of other people), so juxtaposed to those two she does look like a rule follower but it's not true, she's a true rebel.

Katara 1. Stole from pirates, 2. Slaps Pakku with a water whip in the back of the head and starts a physical fight with him. 3. Incites a rebellion on a fire nation prison boat. 4. Yells at Sokka all the time because he's being a jerk 5. Absolutely burns Toph with (what I think is the most savage) insult among so many other instances.

These are not 'follow the rules good girl's characteristics. In the comic Katara and the Pirate Silver, the Gaang refuses to believe that Katara joined a pirate crew as an honorary member. I found this to be really incongruent with all of their characters considering she forced them into a con with pirates and a con in getting arrested and put in a fire nation prison.

I would've believed it more if Aang and Katara were telling their children the story and they didn't believe it since Katara does have a motherly side and I think her children would see her in a more 'good' and 'virtuous' light.

Just because she doesn't want to participate in swindling people of their money by gambling on the street side while in disguise in fire nation territory

Doesn't make her boring or a goody two shoes. It makes her the only voice of reason in their chaotic group.

In fact, I'd posit that Sokka is more of a rule follower than his sister.

[ilikepjo24]

Sokka could have killed Azula if he wanted to, indeed. He could force her to retreat even more, cause I her to fall. He could stab her. He didn't. He retreated and let Zuko throw a fireball at her, one that she managed to avoid.

That says a lot about Sokka and about everyone else on that rooftop as well.

Sokka didn't want to kill Azula. He could. And it would be convenient for him a Team Avatar if he had. But despite her imprisoning his dad and girlfriend, and ruining his dobs plan and killing his best friend and almost harming his sister on multiple occasions, he still doesn't want to kill Azula.

However, I don't think it's about being a good person or anything like that. Sokka was never afraid to do sketchy shit if that's what needed to be done. He invaded the Fire Nation when they were at their weakest. He crashed airships, killing hundreds, without even giving it a second thought. He killed the Combustion man without flinching. He wouldn't be afraid to kill Azula if that's what he thought was necessary.

And yet, he didn't. There could be multiple reasons why. It could be that he feared if the most important person (by FN standards) in the elevator thingy was dead, the guards wouldn't hesitate to cut the line immediately. It could be that he thought they had a chance of capturing her and having a vulnerable hostage, since they had better numbers. It could be for Zuko's sake. As a brother, it's possible he wouldn't be interested in killing a little sister infront of her older brother.

As for Suki and Zuko... They don't hate Azula. Sokka just threw away an opportunity of getting rid of an enemy and none of his allies that saw it were bothered. No one said "wtf are you doing? Why would you do that? You could have saved us so much trouble!". They are not eager to see Azula dead despite her being their enemy. Suki doesn't hate Azula, even after Azula imprisoned her. And Zuko doesn't hate Azula either, so all the fics of him having Azula endure any kind of torture are ooc, and they need to be stopped.

No, seriously, stop it.

When it comes to Ty Lee, I noticed that she didn't react to her friend almost dying? I don't think it because Ty Lee doesn't care for Azula, so it's either that she didn't notice because she was busy, or that she had trust in Azula's abilities to make it out alive.

And Azula is... interesting. She either doesn't value her life, or she values it, but she values her duty more. There's no other option. Because how TF is half your foot touching sweet death, and then you just continue without flinching or being scared or anything? You just move on? Honestly, whether Azula doesn't care about being alive that much, or does care, but would still find it honorable to die on duty, it's still interesting. It creates lot of questions about Azula's mental state at the moment and about her dedication to her father and country. Where does it end?

If it's neither of the two, then Azula was just being an arrogant-ass motherfucker which also creates questions. Is it because she trusted her own abilities a lot? Is it because she believed Zuko wouldn't let her die? Is it because she thought Sokka wouldn't kill her? And why is that? Does she consider him soft, cause he didn't hurt her in the dobs, or does he consider him too weak to kill her? And is that because he's a "water tribe savage" or because he's a nonbender?

Every time Azula is on screen, there are so many things to analyze!!

[1anxiousbeancrying]

Why does no one talk about how big of menaces the members of the water tribe are?. Like I always see "oh the fire nation is the most chaotic/ dangerous because of there anger" or that " the earth kingdom is the most dangerous because there always fighting".

But like the water tribes are just built different, like you would expect the water tribes to be chill and mellow but this just isn't the case at all, and I think it's what makes the so unhinged, and also scary as villains.

Most of korras villains are water benders, korra herself is a water tribe avatar and she's an absolute menace to society, the other water tribe avatar in kuruk was just as bad he was fully fist fighting dark spirits his entire life.

The water tribe made up the majority of the army invading the fire nation and those soldiers put in work. Hakoda got stabbed(I think) and still stayed in the battle.

Don't even get me started on the blood benders, the puppet master episode with hama is usually agreed to be the most frightening avatar episode, with the introduction of the most disturbing bending style and the fact it was forced on katara. Amon had korra hiding from him and yakone made aang go into the avatar state just to break out of his grasp. It is ridiculously over powered and was the first time we saw the dark parts of water bending.

Katara and sokka are in a league of there own I swear, katara robbing pirates, starting prison riot's going again the higher ups in the sister tribe because she didn't agree, taking down zuko and azula at one point, becoming a master and later the greatest water bender of all time, sokka breaking into and out of the most secure prison in the fire nation, destroying the blimps, killing combustion man. And so many other things.

Ming hua is like a giant water spider.

Tonraq throws hands.

Desna and eska are terrifying on the battlefield.

Pakku being a member of the white lotus and helping free the earth kingdom.

The other nations and kingdoms call them savage's but I just think the water tribes are just built different.

[muffinlance]

Cheating at Pai Sho Outtake: Crew Interrogation

Opened up Cheating at Pai Sho and this alternate version was just chilling in my notes. I ended up using the “Sokka goes out drinking with the crew” version instead, but behold, the crew messing with Zhao’s men:

* * *

Sokka was entirely unclear on whether the crew didn't notice him under his newly replaced guard helmet, or just didn't care.

"Look sharp, Ensign Other One," a fellow creepily anonymous skull-mask-guard said, giving Sokka an elbow nudge to the chest plate, and firmly putting an end to the did they know or just not care question. "Hostiles incoming."

"What do we do?"

"Mess with them." The guard lifted his faceplate. Hawker Genji winked at him, then let it drop.  

Heavy boots stomped up the loading ramp, mere minutes after Zuko and the resupply party had left.  

"Attention on deck!" one of the newly arrived armored-but-not-wearing-helmets guys bellowed. None of the crew had any particular reaction to this bellowing, probably because it was a few decibels below what they were used to. The man's lips twisted down. "The port commander has ordered a mission debriefing. You will assemble all crew—"

"Yes," Genji said, and the same time a woman next to him was saying "Agni blight it," and handing over a handful of coins.

The port inspector snapped his head towards them. "What was that, crewmen?"

"Nothing, sir,” said Genji. “Just won a bet. Thanks, by the way."

"Nothing, sir,” said the woman. “Just lost a bet. Thanks, by the way."

A third crewmember snickered, and stifled it as soon as the dock officer whipped around to glare. And suddenly Sokka realized why everyone on the Wani had put on their own helmets: near-complete anonymity.

So began the messing with.

%%%

The crew was, basically, locked in the mess hall. Except for the people who the port officer had hauled off to speak with one-by-one; they, presumably, were being released into the Wani wilds elsewhere, to minimize the getting-their-stories-straight thing.

"Do it," Genji urged Sokka on. "I'll give you a silver if you do."

"He's low-balling you, kid," Assistant-to-the-Doctor-and-Occasional-Pikeswoman Satomi advised.

"What even is a silver worth?" Sokka asked, having grown up in a region largely decoupled from the greater world economy. "I need a baseline for how much this is worth to you."

"A silver is worth about five kilos of rice if they don't know you're from the Wani," Satomi said. "Half that if they do. Hold out for a gold from him, at least. That's ten silvers, or an hour with a really good hooker."

"Sssh," Helmsman Kyo shushed, in a manner most shushily. "I can't hear what they're saying." He had his ear pressed to a metal pipe that connected to another pipe that ran to the room the port officer was doing his interrogations in. "Wait no, I got it. Okay, so we're up to The Avatar appeared before Prince Zuko in a column of light which vanished into the sky, leaving behind the last living airbender. The airbender lives on our roof and helped us fight off the Southern Savages that attacked us from the sky on their snow-white beast. It sounds like they're—yeah, they're finished! Next up!"

The uninterrogated remainder of the crew all assumed their sullen stances, and waited for the the port officers to drag the next of them off. Satomi was picked, and went with some literal dragging of heels. "Oh no, not me."

The Wani crew, as it turned out, tried very hard to be consistent in their ridiculously over-the-top rewrites of the truth.

"We don't get battle stories to brag about," they'd explained to Sokka. "But we do get Avatar Hunt ones."

Kyo pressed his ear to the pipe again, and continued his narration. "Okay. Good, good—she laid out the basics again. And she's adding—oh wow, this is great—'Together with our new airbender, we brought the light of Agni to the frozen heathens, and converted them to our cause. Now they worship graven images of Fire Lord Ozai and leave offerings at the rusted ruins of our ships—'  

Sokka. Knew what he had to do.

%%%

"Sit," the port inspector ordered.

Sokka sat.

"Your fleet commander demands an explanation for this wasteful expenditure of resources to the south," the man snarled. "Tell me the truth of it. Start from when your ship departed this port the last time."

"Well, I'm not going to be able to help you with that," Sokka said. "You see, I was out minding my own business on my culturally inferior ice shelf when the light of Agni shown upon my world. Also, Avatar something-something? I forget what they told me to say. Anyway, long story short, I'm a converted Southern Savage. Hail Fire Lord Zuko's Dad!"

It might just be the sleep deprivation, but the guy's expression was hilarious.

%%%

"How did you all get written up for insubordination?" Zuko shouted. "I was gone for less than two hours! You're not even in the navy!"

"Yeah," the Water Tribe peasant said. "That officer guy got really angry when he thought I was giving him a fake name. Then he heard them calling me 'new guy' and just wrote up Pikesman Kazuto. Sorry, Kazuto."

"He… what?" Kazuto, who was carrying the last sack of rice aboard, paused long enough to look befuddled.

The teenager shrugged; his armor clattered and creaked even worse than Jee's. "What can I say? Just because I'm not part of the navy doesn't mean I'm not part of this crew."

There was. There was so much cheering and backslapping. Zuko had left for less than two hours, and now his crew liked a Water Tribe barbarian more than their prince.

[prying-pandora666]

Consider if you will…

Zuko has nowhere else to put Azula…

They’ve made some semblance of peace and he refuses to put her back in that abusive asylum.

Azula, a barely tolerated ward of the Southern Water Tribe, as she is a wanted enemy of the Earth Kingdom and is too politically controversial in the Fire Nation. Sokka and Katara can’t stand her, but Hakoda—seeing not a monster but a hurt child the same age as his own daughter—insists on treating her as an honored guest.

Bored out of her mind in this frozen land, Azula attends a council meeting and speaks out of turn, calling them snow savages for still being a developing nation. Azula is used to the way things are done at home. This is her first experience with inexperienced heads of state.

Chieftain Hakoda ends the meeting promptly due to the uproar. Azula realizes what she’s done and holds her head up high as she enters Hakoda’s office to submit herself to her punishment: she is many things but not a coward.

Hakoda is surprised and confused. Why would he punish her? If she wishes to apologize to the council members she offended, he would be happy to set up a meeting to facilitate this.

Azula is shocked and practically offended by Hakoda’s reaction! She lectures him for being so soft, insisting the world will never take the SWT seriously if he can’t act like a serious leader! He can’t let her undermine his authority like that! What kind of message is he sending? That he’s an impudent savage?

Hakoda’s saintly patience with her finally expended, he stands up and says in a firm and booming but still controlled voice:

“With all due respect, your highness, from where I’m standing, a nation that burns and banishes their children is the savage one.”

Azula breaks. The pride and identity she’s been stubbornly clinging to like a life raft in this terrifying sea of enemies on all sides finally shatters like a distorted reflection. All she can say is

“You’re right…”

She collapses, crying on her knees.

And only then does she learn the feel of a father gently wrapping his arms around her to say he forgives her. He will help her fix this.

He won’t abandon her for a mistake.

(Check out @book4air)

[iela-0989]

Sokkla - Pet Names🙈 (short-comic)

Someone gotta pull Sokka out of this tense situation😂😂😂 Also, Azula activity to kill time being so random & very unsettling, honing her three-pronged headpiece😆 (tho, I kinda got the design wrong, & it was a late notice🥲)

The original idea was by this post🤭

I think the scenario kinda fit Sokkla~ Though I doubt that Azula would call Sokka 'Honey'😆😆😆

We barely saw interactions between Toph & Azula in the show, or else, Azula would already be honored with a nickname given by Toph, if they did have enough interactions (Not sure in the comics tho🙄) I was kinda curious on what kind of interactions these two savage queens might have😆 I really had fun making this!

[mysticwolfshadows]

Taken - Zutara - Part 11

First / Previous / Next

Katara listens as Zuko explains the events that led to him nearly having his gut ripped out by a catgator, and feels a bit hollow.

If the Avatar was alive, she hoped that he would end the war. She didn't care how, not really. If Ozai suffered, she wouldn't be opposed. Azula may be the same age as her, but the girl was cruel and insane. The majority of the Fire Nation generals and governors were racist and elitist.

But if the Avatar brought his wrath down on the Fire Nation, others would surely be caught in the crossfire. She knew that Iroh had been a general laying siege to Ba Sing Se, and Zuko was their Prince, trained with Fire Nation propaganda, but they weren't like the rest. They cared about the people, they cared about servants and little Water Tribe girls. And the civilians. The maids, once they discovered that Katara wasn't a blood thirsty savage, had been friendly and kind. The soldiers, once they weren't looking at her skin color, respected her talents as a bender.

She wondered, briefly, if the Avatar would kill Zuko if it came to that. Shuddering, she pushed the thought away, and got up.

"I won't try and stop you from leaving," she said, pulling her coat on. "But I'll ask that you at least stay the night. I spent a lot of time healing you, and with your luck, you'd get attacked by a whale-squid as you're leaving." Pausing, she glanced at him. "And I've missed my friend."

Zuko agreed, a pinched expression on his face.

She didn't bring up the Avatar again. Instead, she led Zuko back into the village. The soldiers were more open this time, chatting and trying to make conversation with the tribe. Her father and Iroh were having a few boxes taken into the village. Bolts of fabric, a few boxes of spices, and bags of rice.

Katara showed Zuko her new healers hut, where Sokka was lurking. She thought her brother was being stupid, as older brothers tend to be. Sokka kept asking questions, clearly making Zuko uncomfortable and a bit angry.

"What's with the ponytail? What are you doing here? How do you get into the palace? Are there any secret tunnels in the FIre Nation?"

"Zuko, this is my brother," Katara said, glowering at her brother. "He's a bit of an idiot."

Zuko seemed to be making an effort to hold back his temper, at least trying to get along. Her father was pulled aside by Iroh, learning how to play Pai Sho.

As morning waned, and evening descended, they had another feast. Her mother came to sit with them, shooing Sokka off to ask her own questions. Katara did her best to stay close, but her mother didn't seem to agitate Zuko nearly as much as Sokka had. They are, Zuko growing more and more comfortable amongst the Tribe.

Katara stayed up as long as she could, watching the moon as it rose higher and higher. The night chill would normally be unbearable, but the throng of fire benders so close kept the bonfire burning and the village warm. Finally, she started to droop, and Zuko walked her to her hut.

"Will you be here in the morning?" she asked, an uneasy feeling in her gut. Would he leave without saying goodbye again?

"The plan is to leave at dawn," he confesses. "There's a few places that I need to... revisit. But... But I'll try and wait for you. To say goodbye before I leave. And... I'll be back, in a few months."

Katara nodded, at ease to know, at least, that Zuko had told her when he was leaving. When she lay in her sleeping roll, looking up at the ceiling of her hut, sleep found her easily. Even if she wasn't up in time to see him, he would return. Zuko, no matter what he may be doing, would keep his word.

First / Previous / Next

[meforreal7]

Personally I think if Zuko had ended up with either Katara or Sokka it would’ve been more impactful and interesting. Like if he’d ended up with Katara Zuko would’ve been making a stance against the accusations of water tribe people being “savages” and also obviously being in a mixed bending relationship as such high profile individuals would be powerful too.

Some of the same stuff applies if Zuko and Sokka ended up together with the addition of the fact that Sokka is a nonbender which is considered shameful in the fire nation but also gay relationships were not allowed in the fire nation, as far as I’ve heard, and so this would also be a powerful move.

[shadyruinskryptonite]

ATLA Culture HC

Sorry I have a few notes on this one

A/N Since most of Titan Bending's readership is from AOT, I want to apologize that this doesn't have any reference to that world in it. I just don't have enough personal thoughts to add to the world-building from AOT to do an entire post like this.

A/N Even though there's no mention of AOT in the HC themselves, I still did the same tags for this as my fic because I want anyone that might read my fic to still see these because they are kind of important for upcoming chapters.

A/N I mention different songs and artists throughout this post. Let me know if you’d like me to make playlists for each of the nations. I think that could be fun and might do it anyway.

Idk if this is a headcanon or actual canon but music is super important to all of the cultures in ATLA

I talked about this a bit in my fic Titan Bending, but with English being my first language, I sort of consider that to be a universal language that most people learn in tandem with their native language (that’s how my brain makes sense of what should be language barriers between, well, everyone)

Northern and Southern Watertribe

Their native language would be something like Russian (I’m thinking like the native tribes of Siberia.)

Sokka and Katara speak this native language.

Similar to how a language like Spanish has morphed into different dialects, there are different dialects of the language for the north and the south.

There are a lot of sea shanties that are important to the culture as well as warrior songs. This includes basically anything by SKÁLD.

I also see songs like Savage Daughter being from the Watertribes.

The song Labour by Paris Paloma is a sort of revolutionary cry amongst the women of the Northern Watertribe.

Sokka and Katara are both really good singers

Sokka plays guitar

Again, this might be actual canon and not just in my head but the beads that women wear in their hair directly correlate to how wealthy they are. I’m almost positive I saw this in a video now that I’m typing it, so I’m sorry I can’t give that creator credit, but an example is that Katara’s classic hair loopies and braid are a much more functional hairstyle for daily work than Yue’s extravagant hair.

Fire Nation

So the Fire Nation is obviously based on Imperial Japan, that’s not a headcanon that’s fact. As such, they would speak Japanese.

I listen to a lot of Asian music - Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese. I have found a wide variety of songs that I would sort of characterize as “Fire Nation.” Thus, I HC that each of the Fire Nation colonies have developed thier own languages which is how I reconcile in my noggin all of the different songs I attribute to the Fire Nation

Earth Kingdom

It’s widely known that the Earth Kingdom is very diverse, so with that comes a lot of different cultures melding together.

The Sand Benders definitely speak Arabic. They were clearly designed with a sort of Middle Eastern aesthetic in mind, so I really hope that doesn’t come across as racist in any way, I just speak Arabic and I really want them to.

Side note to this, my HC takes it a step further and I want to believe that they’re Bedouin because I’ve done a lot of research into the Bedouin and when I lived in Jordan I got to experience a lot of their culture and they’re who I know the most about so if I ever write about the Sand Benders, those are most likely the customs I will incorporate

All of the romance languages are present throughout the Earth Kingdom

Ba Sing Se has different districts for the different cultures throughout the Earth Kingdom and there’s a big market with live music in the Inner Ring.

@mochminnie @sseleniaa @naruwitch Tagging you all so you don't miss this, even though it's not directly a part of the story <3

[nyxelestia]

I finally wrote for the first time in months and instead of any of my WIPs…:

Shyu groaned when his old knees slammed onto the deck of Commander Zhao’s ship, but neither Prince Zuko nor Sokka made a sound when the same happened to them.

“Unhand me!” Prince Zuko shouted from Shyu’s right. The teenage prince tried to puff up his chest, but ended up coughing instead; no doubt his lungs were still full of the volcanic ash from the ruins of Roku’s temple. On Shyu’s left, the other boy looked around as soon as the soldier behind him released that water tribe version of a phoenix tail. Sokka’s sharp gaze combed over the deck with a level of scrutiny that Shyu would have been surprised to see if not for the circumstances of their first meeting.

No matter how young this boy was, he was still older than the avatar.

“Or what?” Commander Zhao answered Prince Zuko’s empty demand with a cocky raised eyebrow. “You’ll tell your father about being arrested in fire nation waters, and violating the terms of your banishment?”

That made Sokka’s eyes widened and his head whip around in surprised. Despite the shock written so clearly on his face, he still didn’t say a word.

“What difference does it make if you’re planning on tell him, anyway?” Prince Zuko snarled. Despite his best attempt at bravado, Shyu could read the fear on his face — which meant Commander Zhao could, too.

“Well, I haven’t decided, yet, whether or not I will,” Commander Zhao crooned. “Depending on how much information about the Avatar you have that I can’t extract from the little savage…” The slimy smile he briefly shot towards Sokka sent shivers down Shyu’s spine. “…perhaps you and I can come to an arrangement.”

“Never!” Prince Zuko shouted, trying and failing to yank on the shackles holding his wrists behind his back.

“Ditto,” Sokka quipped…then grimaced. “Much as I hate to be ditto-ing Prince Angry Pants.”

Shyu wanted to swallow his tongue at the blatant antagonism of their captor, but thankfully the commander just rolled his eyes at the youth.

[survivalove]

It's downright 🤡 behavior how ZK shippers will act like they're the only ones who appreciate Katara as a feminist icon and how Zuko's the only guy feminist enough for her and how Mai is "abusive" for shutting his 🤡💩 down, but forget that if Katara ever saw Zuko's sexist behavior towards Mai in "The Beach" she'd be backing Mai up. Katara's had no patience for Sokka and Pakku being sexist, what makes ZK shippers think she'll suddenly be some pick me waifu for Prince BBQ Bitch when he acts possessive and violent over his own gf?🙄🤦‍♀️

because they think farquaad’s abusive behavior is mai’s fault. I’ve actually seen them say this too

“she knows he gets jealous and angry, so why would she talk to some guy right in front of him? she’s soooo insensitive to his feelings. katara would never entertain another guy in front of him. she’d be the perfect girlfriend”

yadda yadda yadda. all their critique of katara coddling aang suddenly goes out of their way when it comes to their ship as they turn into her an actual coddler for a guy that called her and her kind savages and peasants

these are y’all fandom feminist icons tho lolz

[balanceoflightanddark]

ATLA/Kong: Skull Island Crossover Idea

I'd personally like to blame @snoopyflinx for this.

As anyone who's been following me knows, I've been writing an ATLA/Godzilla fic. It should come to no surprise then that eventually I'd have to talk about Godzilla's rival from across the Pacific. I've already talked about King Kong once in the past in a post where I discussed the identity of the original predatory dinosaur that Kong fought in a fight to the death. So I figured it was high time I returned back to the great grandaddy of the kaiju genre.

Now to begin, we need to break down what not only Kong: Skull Island is about, but also the original and the rest of its series so we can come up with an organic combination that taps into both stories. So expect some references and appearances from older entries (since I am a huge lore nerd and like to reference as many entries as I can). And one of the most recurrent themes in both is the charming tappings of...

Part 1: Colonialism

Yeah, as much as I love the original 1933 King Kong, part of the inspiration came from old colonialist texts and stories. You know the ones: hero ventures into an untamed wilderness, sometimes discovering a lost world filled with savage natives and vicious animals to bring something back and thus "conquer" nature. It's a tale as old as time and has tappings into various real-world expeditions where explorers surveyed wild areas for exploitation by foreign powers. Hell, the idea of living dinosaurs is one of these common stories that I've talked about in the past.

Now for anyone who's ever watched ATLA, they should know that the show has a very anti-imperialistic, colonialist message. Mainly that the militaristic, imperial Fire Nation are the bad guys and need to be opposed. Basically the opposite of those old-time adventure stories I mentioned. So to faithfully crossover ATLA with King Kong, we need a message that deals with imperialism.

Kong: Skull Island gives us an edge here. Skull Island, while dangerous, isn't depicted as a hellscape. The fauna are dangerous but aren't as savage as any other real-world animal. And the natives, while wary of outsiders, are accommodating to the heroes and are seen in a dignified, sympathetic light. This goes hand in hand with ATLA since most of the dangerous animals encountered are usually portrayed as just animals, while Katara and Sokka themselves come from the "savage" (in the eyes of the Fire Nation) Southern Water Tribe.

But hey. Let's play around a bit and give our Skull Island a bit of a reputation for being a place where everything is trying to kill you and being the very worst that nature has to throw at outsiders. Which brings us to-

Part 2: Heart of Darkness

The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad is a highly regarded novella that basically takes the piss out of a lot of these colonialist adventure novels. One of the core themes is that it examines whether or not colonials are truly better than the "savages" that they fight. In this case, they aren't. Hell, they're arguably worse since they enslave natives, encourage violence in tribes, and any "savagery" on the part of the natives is a reaction to the violence and carnage the colonials bring.

This comparison is not a coincidence. The Heart of Darkness was a big influence on the Vietnam War film Apocalypse Now, which in of itself was a big inspiration for Kong: Skull Island. So since Heart of Darkness is basically one big anti-imperialist work, something similar (if not so extreme) could work for ATLA if we decide to go the crossover route with Kong.

To begin: let's put our Skull Island somewhere around here-

What I'm thinking is that Skull Island would work on one of these unexplored islands that canon never touched. And we have an impetus for why the Fire Nation would want get involved with this chain since they have a direct route to Ba Sing Se. So there's an impetus for them to do something like establish a naval base on one of the islands to secure this critical invasion route.

Their problems start before they even see the island though.

Skull Island is surrounded by natural defenses in almost all adaptations. In the original and Peter Jackson remake, we have a thick fog which hides the island. Which in the remake becomes disastrous since the S.S. Venture almost capsizes on the very large stone pillars and rocky outcroppings. Kong: Skull Island is even worse since it has a huge storm system which only small pockets offer any safety and any chance of going to and from the island.

I could see a number of ships being disabled before they step foot on the island.

For the natives, I would have them be the more sympathetic version we see in Kong: Skull Island rather than the more racist depictions we've seen in previous films. Not that it would help them much since the Fire Nation has steamrolled through native populations like this such as the Southern Water Tribe. The natives could fight back, but they never did too well in the older films when up against modern weaponry.

No, the absolute hell of Skull Island won't come from the natives.

See...the Fire Nation has had...issues when it comes to giant fauna. They struggled against the serpent in the Book 3 premiere, and that was just a single animal. And while it easy to argue that they exterminated the dragons, that was a single species. We're talking about...well...

One of the recurring elements of Kong films is that Skull Island has an entire ecosystem that seem dead set on killing humans. We're talking giant bugs, huge insects, and massive dinosaurs. And we haven't even gotten into the big heavyweights like the Skullcrawlers and Kong himself. Even if the Fire Nation can handle one or two of them, this is a whole ecosystem.

While I wouldn't have the fauna being murderous like in previous films and be more like Kong: Skull Island, the Fire Nation policy of "burn everything in sight" is going to give them that experience from hell the older films presented.

Oh, and if somehow they do survive all of this...

Kong takes his duties as ruler of Skull Island very damn seriously and basically annihilated a war-hardened army group the moment they raise shit. Cause like in the series, even the most elite of the Fire Nation can't stand up to the forces of nature. Hell, Kong would probably crush any mechanized forces the moment they raised a ruckus, leaving everyone else to the predators of the island.

At most we might see a ruined fortress by the time Team Avatar gets there. Any remains would've been reduced to dino food.

Part 3: Team Avatar Gets There

The reasons for why Team Avatar would arrive at Skull Island would be a bit more varied. Maybe they heard there was an unknown island off the coast of the Earth Kingdom and wanted to see it for themselves. Maybe they were chasing some rogue Fire Nation army group or wanted to investigate just how the hell an entire army just disappeared in the past. Who knows?

Sokka would obviously take charge, seeing that they were effectively in the middle of nowhere. Probably already drawing up plans to find a good position where they can safely land on Appa (within reason of course). Once they actually look around and see that they are basically on the bottom of the food chain, he'd probably be the one who'd suggest NOT enraging any of the big fauna needlessly for no reason lest they find themselves always on the run.

Zuko would be the opposite. He's the hothead and would probably see something like a young Skullcrawler or a Vastatosaurus as some kind of obstacle that needs to be conquered. You know, since he was raised in the militaristic Fire Nation. Of course, he gets some humble pie since these things aren't exactly just big targets to throw fire at. Maybe he even comes across some base ruins or the graves of some Fire Nation soldiers. Make him realize just how out of their element his people were and reevaluate whether or not unrestrained aggression is the appropriate response here.

Toph on the other hand would love Skull Island. She's the chaos gremlin and would probably enjoy seeing all the giant dangerous animals stomping around. I mean she was taught by Badgermoles, so she might be more comfortable around big fauna than most. That and the endless amount of adventures a whole new land would provide.

Katara would connect the most with the natives. Again, they're not that "savage" here and she'd probably connect with their past of being subjugated by the Fire Nation and living on what basically amounts to the frontier. She could probably even admire their stalwart attitude towards the various horrors that Skull Island would provide.

That leaves us with Aang. Knowing him-

That boy is riding the Brontosaurs and nothing anyone says is going to convince me otherwise. Them and the Sker Buffalo. You telling me he won't try to ride a distant relative of Appa?

He'd probably be the best around the animals of the island, recognizing them as animals, not monsters.

But I think his most interesting relationship would be with Kong himself.

Simply put, they're the last of their kind. Aang is the last airbender. Kong is the last of his species. And both of them have been saddled with the enormous responsibility of maintaining a sort of balance on the island. It's why I brought up the force of nature thing earlier since Kong is basically Skull Island's answer to the Avatar. It's a sort of parallel that Aang could see and connect with Kong over. Cause in many ways, Kong also serves as a foil. Aang is carefree and funloving. Kong is more serious and refined. That and both of them technically are kids who were forced to grow up (Kong was described as being a teenager and still growing if I remember the interviews correctly).

Speaking of teenagers being forced to grow up and monsters...

Part 4: Monsters

Yeah, I had to give a portion to Azula. How she ends up on Skull Island might vary. Maybe she shipwrecked there. Maybe she's on the run and headed there cause nobody would be crazy enough to even try. She'd basically be the other side of the coin Zuko was on: being forced to fend for herself on an island full of predators but without a support system.

This could lead to some...pretty interesting scenarios and confrontations she has with the island's animals. Like, her running into a Vastatosaurus, a Skullcrawler, or a Deathrunner would be a pretty fun scene to write. That and depending on her mental health, we could get some interesting scenes with Hallucination!Ursa that expands that aspect of her character.

But I think the big element of Azula's arc is...well, showing that she's not a monster. She's human, and have that reflect on the Skull Island animals. I've mentioned it before, but I wanted to go with the direction Kong: Skull Island took and make the creatures more sympathetic by showing more sides to them rather than vicious predators.

Take the Venatosaurus from the Peter Jackson remake. Fast. Intelligent. Vicious. Just like Azula. But one thing that the film never got a chance to expand on was that they actually live in close-knit family groups. All adults take care of the juveniles together, raising them, feeding them, and protecting them. They never leave the nest unguarded. I think a scene of a pack tending their nest and being sociable would show that if something as vicious as them can have a soft side, why not Azula?

Then there's Kong.

I think Kong could work as a foil to both Aang AND Azula. Kong was the teen forced to become an adult, just like Azula. And like Azula, he has baggage when it comes to his parents (mainly that they died and not because they were abusive or neglectful or anything). As well as having an enormous responsibility on their shoulders (King of Skull Island, Princess of the Fire Nation). Being seen as monsters despiting being more than just mindless killers. And who knows? Maybe Azula could connect to Kong in a similar way that Aang did.

Conclusion:

My thoughts on an ATLA/Kong story goes a few ways. First, it should deconstruct imperialism just like Kong: Skull Island and ATLA did. It should also show that Skull Island isn't just hell on earth and that the animals and people are more than just something to be conquered or destroyed.

All in all, it has a lot of potential. I'm not sure if I'd write it myself since I already have a few ideas down the pipeline. But feel free to take some inspiration if you want to explore the idea yourself.

[highfantasy-soul]

Things I LOVED about NATLA Episode 8 - Legends

[Masterlist of my NATLA thoughts]

The Aang Gaang working together in the fight!!!!

Honestly it felt so natural to have all three of them taking out the Fire Nation ship that I completely forgot it didn't happen like that in the animated show!

In the animated version, Aang took out the ship while Katara and Sokka just stood on the ice wall - showing them in battle together and working with synergy was phenomenal

Aang doing AOE damage, Katara taking out soldiers with precision, and Sokka shouting battle plans and taking out the command center - really great way to SHOW the roles each play in battle

The Gaang complementing each other was soo cuutteee!!

"Lu Ten would have been proud to have you as his father" 😭😭😭

Then the Iroh hug!!! 😭😭😭

"I'd say it's 50/50! …. 60/40 😬"

Lol oh Sokka, you're so bad at optimism

Let's go Katara!!!! Going to even the odds!!!

The war balloon showing up early!!!

The entire battle of the North was sooo intense!

I really felt a lot more of the danger and panic than in the animated version

LOVE that Pakku's change to allow women in battle came here, with Katara and the other women standing up to him

The animated show doesn't even have any women helping at all in the battle - we don't even see them healing the wounded. To me, the live-action actually addressed the systemic issue of the sexism in the North rather than just having Katara be the token woman who wanted to fight

"You KNOW we can make a difference!" "We?"

The shot of all the women standing there in traditional clothing was super powerful to me

I know some people think it's 'virtue signaling' or whatever and complain about the shot of all the women heroes in Endgame or Captain Marvel's 'standing up after being knocked down' montage, but call me a stupid woman, those scenes actually mean a lot to me. Why is animated Katara railing against Sokka because she has to do the laundry seen as the height of feminism and yet a group of indigenous women standing up and backing one of their sisters in her bid to make systemic change actually the opposite of feminism? It makes no sense to me.

I LOVE Yagoda backing Katara!!

Katara isn't some 'outsider coming in to change a culture's savage ways' - she's simply the catalyst for the people WITHIN that culture to stand up and say 'yeah, now is our time, change needs to happen and we've known it for awhile'

Yue wanting to be out there helping her people 😭😭

Her father's talk with her really reminds me of Eowyn and Theoden from The Return of the King - even if you want to help defend your home, if you're in a position of leadership, staying alive so you can lead in a fallen chief's place is an important role to play, too

Sokka and Hahn's ….tension as he promises to take care of Yue 👀

The student calling Katara 'master'!!!! 😭😭😭

In my in-depth analysis, I go into why I think it's a title she's completely earned despite her lack of formal training but suffice it to say that if you have an issue with them calling Katara master, then shut the fuck up

Ooohh adding a time-table for the Fire Nation attack with the Ice Moon caveat!

I like adding to the depth and lore of the world which makes it make a whole lot more sense that the Fire Nation would attack the WATER TRIBE during a full moon

LIONTURTLE REFEREEENNCCEE!!!

I like the Fire Sage actually knowing spiritual stuff and finding value in it - even though he's using it to help Zhao hurt them

Yes, Iroh. Zhao is most definitely planning on tampering with the spirit world 😬

Avatar Kuruk coming to Aang!!!!

I really like that concept - like on the Lionturtle, the past Avatars can appear as a mirage to give warnings

And connecting Kuruk's battle against the evil spirits to the Fire Nation twisting the weapons of defense into a weapon to harm - soooo goooood

"Killing the ocean spirit would deprive people all over the world of their lives!!! I'm not a monster!!" 🙃

Aahhh, twisted logic at its finest: after all, what's the point in ruling the world if there's no one to rule

Oooohhhhh and Kuruk's voice beginning to layer with the other Avatars as he talks about how Zhao can't be allowed to meddle with the primal forces of nature!!

Such a great use of the voice alteration that happens when they go into the Avatar state!

Hero Momo!!!!!

Omg I was SO WORRIED they actually killed Momo!!!!

Sokka and Momo's relationship is so cute how they developed it 😭

I like Yue telling her story this way better than in the animated series

Here, the story is connected to what's happening directly: she's saving Momo's life the same way her life was saved and letting us know the spirit oasis water has healing properties beyond regular healing

Zuko and him fire blasting out from beneath the ice - cool in every adaptation!

"How do you know that?" "Because I helped design the thing" 😔

Love that we're getting a direct tie from the war balloon to Sokka - just like with Kuruk's spirit knife and like Sokka said all the way back in Omashu: the Fire Nation can turn anything into a weapon

Though Iroh won't fully stand against Zhao yet, he's totally stalling as much as he can

Zuzu!!!!

"This is about you and me!" aawww classic Zuko - walking into a massive thing and thinking it's still just about him capturing Aang 😅

We've got bigger fish to fry, buddy - oh, shit. No. Oh god. Why'd I use that turn of phrase?? Too soon! Too soon!

Love the full circle moment here with Katara and Zuko's showdown

Aang is now letting her fight while he goes off to another task, trusting that she'll be ok

"Go easy, enough people have been hurt already." "I don't care. "I wasn't talking to you 😏"

Damn right, Aang! Putting respect on Katara!!!

Also, Zuko's face as he realizes Aang doesn't see him as the most important thing here 😬 that's gotta hurt

KATARA V ZUKO ROUND 2!!!!

Love that they're getting a rematch so we can see just how far Katara has come in her combat/waterbending training!

The bending is GORGEOUS!

You can see every move each of them are making and watch the respective elements respond to their movements perfectly.

"You little peasant!!" Oh Zuko, you silly, angry boi "You've found a master, haven't you?"

"Yes, you're looking at her" - DAMN STRAIGHT!

Despite Pakku not agreeing to train her, she's taught herself. She clawed tooth and nail to learn everything she could from every source she had available - she observed other benders and created a waterbending version of the move, she practiced in every spare moment, she grappled with her emotional and spiritual trauma and came out the other side with a more holistic view of bending despite the world telling her to stop - so yeah, she IS her own master.

While I do love the "You rise with the moon, I rise with the sun" line, I'm ok with the siege lasting only a day instead of several like in the animated series.

Zuko's little field trip with Aang takes an entire day with nothing really going on in the battle, it's just a few minutes of screen time until we can get back to night again so we can see the moon being killed.

Streamlining it and having Aang seek council before the battle starts rather than in the middle of it I think was a good move. We didn't need a cliffhanger mid-episode like we did in the animated series since it's all a single episode.

Zhao's plan revealed is such great character work - he's just as egotistical as the animated version, down to wanting to be declared 'the moon slayer', but there's so much more depth in the live-action version

He's so ambitious that he actually believes he could become Fire Lord and doesn't take Iroh's threats seriously at all - his pride ensuring his downfall.

LOVE that they kept the blood-red moon as the moon spirit is captured!!

Aang trying to talk down his enemies yet again 😞

No matter how clear their antagonistic motives, he truly believes the best in people and always wants to give them the chance to do the right thing

Oof Zhao cutting to Aang's fear without knowing it: Zhao thinks the Avatar doesn't matter on its face - Aang is afraid he's not good enough as an Avatar TO matter

This sets up Aang's decision to give himself to the ocean spirit - he accepts that he isn't good enough - he doesn't matter, but the ocean spirit does

Iroh shot first!!

In the animated show, Iroh only attacks after Zhao kills the moon spirit, here, he's trying to help the Gaang by distracting Zhao enough for them to save the spirit

But they're too late

They kept the black and white shading where only things bathed in fire or the ocean spirit's blue light have any colors!

I think this entire battle sequence was amazingly done

You can FEEL the terror, you can SEE the cost of such an attack

It's not gratuitous violence - it's showing the realities of war without showing gruesome injuries

I love how Hahn and the other Norther Water Tribe Warriors got to have a heroic stand even without waterbending. Despite their best resource being taken from them, they aren't going down without a fight.

Iroh unleashing on the soldiers and Zhao running like a little bitch!!!!

I love Aang's speech here - he's "following" the advice of past Avatars by putting the world's needs above his own, but it's out of despair, not balance

He's surrendering to a power greater than him because he doesn’t feel like he's succeeded in being the Avatar (which unfortunately, through no fault of his own, is true) and so he's willing to fully lose himself to another power to save the world.

MONGO KOI-ZILLA!!!!

It's WILD that this happens only HALFWAY through the episode!! They really let this sequence breathe and gave so much room for all the character moments to happen

Iroh hugging Zuko while he just stares at the giant koi fish 🤣😭

"Uncle, what is that?" "That, that is wrath" - CHILLS

Zuko ready to fight that monster fish to get the Avatar 😭😭😭😭😭

He really is a crazy dude

"He's a small man who's going to meet a small end"

So right you are, Iroh

Zuko v Zhao!!!

LOVE how the live-action made Zhao a cerebral rather than physical antagonist for Zuko

Even though Zuko beats him physically, Zhao destroys Zuko mentally by revealing all the truths about the royal family dynamic

"You were the fire in which her iron was forged"

DDDAAAAMMMMNNNNN 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Love how each adaptation has Zhao die in a different way 🤣

Honestly, I like all the ways ppl have decided to kill him

The ocean spirit taking him, waterbenders drowning him, and now Iroh killing him for attacking Zuko

I do think I like the animated death the best, but Iroh killing him to protect Zuko is also a nice way to end him - Iroh isn't about this 'give them infinite chances', he's a soldier who's not afraid to get his hands bloody.

The entire attack by the ocean spirit is phenomenal - beautifully shot and you can now feel the terror from the fire nation soldiers

Yue getting the agency to realize she can save the moon and sacrificing herself was a good change

"It's worth it to be alive, even just for a night"

"The world needs you. I need you" 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

I think it was a really good choice to move Katara talking Aang down from the Avatar state and telling him they're family to the final episode rather than way at the beginning like it happened in the animated series.

That declaration holds a lot more truth as we've SEEN them become a family

Seeing the actual loss from the battle was heart wrenching, but I think it was really needed

Poor Hahn and the young waterbender

I love that Sokka didn't fight in the big battle - his place was being there to support someone else and provide comfort in a terrifying moment for her. His heart is what was needed in this battle, not his combat skills

And Pakku giving Katara her due - she EMBODIES change and growth, always finding a way no matter how many people tell her no

And she got her spirit water!!

"I'm tired" "Then you should get some rest. A man needs his rest" 😭😭😭😭😭

"How do I do this without causing so much pain?"

Oh Aang, that's a question you're going to be grappling with for awhile.

It's such a wonderful way to sum up his character - he doesn't want to cause pain, even to the point of giving people chances they don't deserve - but that quest to find an answer is the reason the world is saved and Aang cements his own legacy within the Avatar line.

Closing with another lesson from Gyatzo!!!! 😭😭

"Let go of your past, or you'll never have a future" - thesis statement right there

Let's not misinterpret this line to say 'forget the past' - this is a Buddhist version of 'letting go' which is to say 'don't cling to the past so much you cannot take steps into your future'

The Gaang's banter over Sokka always thinking about food!!!! So cute!!

I love the scenes here at the end with the Fire Nation

Ozai still holding out hope that Zuko will surprise them with some 'hidden' reserve of strength, but still willing to let him fall so 'the strong' can rise

Azula taking over Omashu!!!

And the comet!

Makes sense that they didn't give a time-table as kids grow fast and we can't just draw them the same age: Gordon is a growing boy so we need to give some space for how much he grows through the filming process

[ao3feed-zukka]

I'd Swim or Sail on Savage Seas

Read now on Ao3 at https://ift.tt/mYynq4i by EmiAysu Its Two Lovers' day and Sokka is tired of being single with an unrequited crush. He finds out his crush may not be so unrequited after all. Words: 739, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Series: Part 18 of Avatar the Last Airbender 30 minute Prompts Fandoms: Avatar: The Last Airbender (Cartoon 2005) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: F/M, Gen, M/M Characters: Sokka (Avatar), Zuko (Avatar) Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), Aang/Katara (Avatar) Additional Tags: Pre-Relationship, Love Confessions Read it on Ao3 at https://ift.tt/mYynq4i

[ssreeder]

yooooo. queer-ie: i love your work and would die for it (this is the queer part) and i just know there’s gotta be scenes that have been deleted. could you possibly tell us about some of those (this is the -ie part)? no pressure tho!! i’ll be hopelessly devoted to you either way.

eyyyyyy-o.

sorry Ive sat on this ask for a while but it tuurns I doooooo have like 4k of of outtakes from RIA & ITF lol.

so here are a few, i’m not sure if this is what you wanted from this ask lol im doing my best. (also none of these are edited or proof read and im sorry about mistakes and grammar and tense and all that other jaz because these were seriously like - ‘i don’t know if im going to trash this orrrrr…..’ then it never made it in & might not even be applicable to the current story.)

im such a good author I know so many details ummmm here is an insert from some point in RIA (I think this was going to be a POV from Hakoda and his men talking and I decided it was a waste of word count. sorry hakoda)

- - -

“I say we kill him.”

“Don’t you think that is a little… <i>extreme</i> Gilak?”

“Not as extreme as the <i>son</i> of the Fire Lord living and breathing in our camp!”

Hakoda felt the specific vein in his forehead thumping against his wrinkled skin that was trying its best to keep it contained. He could feel a headache coming forward the longer they discussed what to do about the situation that Sokka brought to his attention… and so far, they had not one tangible idea.

“Gilak, I have already told you, we can not kill him.”

“I know sir, your son is buddies with him, and we can’t upset Sokka.”

Hakoda shot the larger man a stern look, and he quickly retracted his words.

“I know why we can’t kill him. I just think it would be the simplest solution in this situation.”

Bato jumped to Hakoda’s defense, like he always did.

“This is not a simple situation, so it will not have a simple solution. I think we should speak to Morrak and see what he learned about the boy before we make any decisions. If we kill the Prince of the Fire Nation while he is severely injured and being non threatening we will look like the savages the rest of the world calls us. We have to handle this delicately, like Hakoda said, Sokka trusted us enough to tell us who he is when he could have easily lied. Which means we need to respect that trust and handle it delicately.”

Hakoda cleared his throat, earning the attention from both his men.

“So it is decided. I will talk to Morrak and once I get more information, I will meet back with you both and we can discuss our options at that point.”

“Yes sir.”

“Yes Chief.”

Hakoda was happy when they left his tent, freeing up the stifled air that seemed to stop moving the moment the conversation began. Hakoda felt an intense guilt building from betraying his son’s trust and sharing his friend's identity with the other men… Haoda knew it was the wisest decision for him to make as the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe, but it wasn’t helping him be the best dad to his son… Something he was still struggling with every passing moment.

Even now… Hakoda left his son alone in the healer’s tent with the boy he just recently discovered was the Prince of the Fire Nation… A boy bred into fire and violence. Sokka seemed to trust him, which gave Hakoda a tiny bit of hope that maybe there was something good in this boy… But that tiny feeling was smothered by the rest of the overwhelming amount of mistrust and worry he had when he looked at the golden eyed boy who glared at him from the moment he opened his eyes.

Hakoda rubbed his forehead, digging his thumb into his temple in an attempt to push back the stress vein. He needed to speak to Morrak, and after that… He would make a decision on what was the best next step he could make. He needed to protect his tribe and his son, that was his main concern right now… and right now… Sokka was tied to this fire bender in a way that made Hakoda nervous.

Turning towards the entrance of his tent, Hakoda decided not to overthink this situation a minute longer and go find Morrak so they could talk…

Each time Hakoda thought about all the things he didn’t know, or wasn’t understanding, he felt the weight of his decision growing heavier and heavier. If Hakoda didn’t figure out what to do soon, he was going to be crushed and then Sokka would be on his own…

Hakoda couldn’t fail his son again, he had to make the right decision

- -

Ok so this one is right before Zuko gave himself up in RIA. I don’t remember how the final scene went down but we all know how it ended :) <3

Psst… Dad.”

Hakoda frowned in his sleep, caught in the middle of a dream and the reality that awaited him on the other side.

“Dad… Wake up.”

Hakoda opened his eyes and saw Sokka staring down at him.

“Son? What are you doing in my tent in the middle of the night? Are you ok?”

Hakoda sat up and rubbed his eyes, trying to see through the darkness he was startled when a tiny flame broke through the void and gave clarity to the room.

Zuko was standing behind Sokka who was kneeling next to Hakoda’s bed, and the Water Tribe man felt a mixture of conflicted feelings. He was instantly happy that Zuko had come back for Sokka, but the dred that followed swallowed any joy he had…. Zuko couldn’t be here. If Quon found him… They would all be in trouble.

“I’m fine… Zuko came back. He… We… Ummm… We are leaving.”

Hakoda thought he would be devastated the day his son told him he was leaving again, so sure that his world would bottom out and Hakoda would feel like he was falling into despair. But when he looked at Sokka, and he thought back to the talk they had about his feelings for the fire bender, Hakoda knew that there was nothing he could say to change his son’s decision.

Just like Hakoda had allowed Katara to leave, he had to do the same with Sokka. His children didn’t belong to him anymore, they were grown and they were bonded to people who they were loyal to… And Hakoda was proud of them. It was a monumental thing to find someone you loved, and staying loyal to them was what kept that relationship strong…. Even if Hakoda didn’t love the idea of Sokka choosing a fire bending boy, he wouldn’t stop him from being loyal to his love.

“I understand, son. Allow me to put on my pants and I will help you two escape.”

Zuko spoke up, “I don’t think that will be necessary. The uhh… The helping us… Not the uhh… The pants.”

Hakoda smirked and Sokka smacked his own forehead. No wonder the boy refrained from using words.

“I would like to make sure you two make it out ok. Is that a problem?”

Zuko seemed to dislike the idea, but Sokka gave him a pleading look that had a splash of assertiveness, which seemed to be their typical dynamic. Now that Hakoda was aware of the romantic nature between the boys it was easier to disfer their interactions.

Hakoda slipped on his pants and slid on his boots, making sure he secured his hunting knife inside. He couldn’t grab any other weapons just in case they were caught, Hakoda couldn’t risk looking like he was prepared for a fight. If they were caught, they would need to make sure that whatever words made up their excuse were good enough to fool whoever found them.

As long as it wasn’t Quon, they might have a chance

- -

RIP Shen, I never realized how fucking funny you and Zuko were until you died. I think this was when they were all sharing intel idk… but Zukos an asshole and I love it. (he and Sokka were sooooo hostile during the SWT arc)

“Nothing… Just…. Fucking drop it. How about Zuko and I switch seats and I will come over and help you with the Fire Nation cruiser information. Bato and Zuko can, I don’t know… Play their tile game or whatever.”

“Fine with me. I fucking love games.” Zuko mumbled as he stood up.

Shen watched with wide eyes, not saying a word, and Hakoda could honestly say he had no words to add to the tension either.

“Good!” Sokka stood up as well and made sure to bump his friend’s shoulder as they switched seats. The fire bender glanced back and Hakoda wondered if he was going to shove Sokka in the back but he didn’t reciprocate the hostile gesture and instead he flopped down next to Bato and crossed his arms with his brow narrowed deep into the center of his face.

Shen leaned back when Sokka came to sit down next to him, and Sokka glanced over at him and scoffed.

“Don’t be dramatic. Let’s just get this thing fucking over with so we can be done here.”

“Whatever you say.” Shen replied as Sokka aggressively organized the parchment and prepared to draw out Shen’s cruiser.

Hakoda watched as Sokka’s anger melted when Shen began to explain what it was like being a soldier stationed on Fire Nation cruiser. He told them about -

- -

TA DAAAAAA idk if this is what you wanted…. but here it is. I don’t have anything from the first book, and only a bit from ITF but I do have more RIA. I rambled a lot in the second book ha but yeah idk what else to say! Thanks for the ask.

[joodeegemstone]

I'm honestly obsessed with the idea of Sokka and Azula eventually being friends. Like, Sokka is the Southern Water Tribe's ambassador in the Fire Nation, and Azula shows up in the embassy, threatening Sokka to get through to Zuko. He is very clear that that isn't going to work and invites her to calm the fuck down and sit down for a drink. She disses the "savage swill" that he offers her and demands proper Fire Nation liquor. He ends up hanging out with Azula every now and then, talking shit over drinks. They end up bonding in a way neither of them expect and basically become each other's begrudgingly chosen siblings.