#aang and Kya ii

[thinky-think-brainblast]

Aang was destined to be a girl dad and the writers just didn’t deliver.

[kataangoogie]

Day 3: Parenthood 🎏

[queen-morgana91]

Damn Kya stole all her parents' pretty genes 😭 😂

Also i love how Kya got Aang's personality while Tenzin got Katara's personality!

[izze-art]

the kids all grown up!! (or aged down if we think about tlok?? idk)

[zukkaart]

Headcanon that the gaangs kids learn about Zuko’s misguided quest to capture the avatar and subsequently make a game out of it.

Bumi steals an air nomad necklace from his dad and whoever wears it becomes the “avatar” for the duration of the game. The “avatar” is given 100 seconds to hide.

When they “capture the avatar” the winner must shout “I have restored my honor!”

Zuko is mortified, everyone else thinks it’s endlessly hilarious.

[beifong-brainrot]

Thinking about this panel of comics in tandem with the fact that Aang's Avatar duties kept him away from his family.

Like for all we talk about Aang being absent from his family due to his duties as the Avatar and the last Airbender, the discussion centers mainly whether or not he "failed" as a husband to Katara and as a father to his children. And while there certainly is nuance here, and I've discussed the "deadbeat dad Aang" theory in the past, I wanna focus on how Aang's role as the Avatar affected him internally.

Aang had the luck, unlike Korra, of having a mentor that protected him from his title as Avatar and gave him a carefree childhood.

Gyatso: Aang needs to have freedom and fun. He needs to grow up as a normal boy. Tashi: You cannot keep protecting him from his destiny. Pasang: Gyatso, I know you mean well, but you are letting your affection for the boy cloud your judgment. Gyatso: All I want is what is best for him. Pasang : But what we need is what's best for the world. You and Aang must be separated! The Avatar will be sent away to the Eastern Air Temple to complete his training.

And this was a blessing for Aang, as he got to be a normal child, as we see how damaging the lack of this is with Korra, who was raised to be Avatar first, a perskn second. Aang got to grow up as himself, not the Avatar. However, the moment his identity as the Avatar is revealed, he immediately becomes isolated from his peers and treated as other.

Air Nomad boy #1 : Now that you're the Avatar, it's kind of an unfair advantage for whichever team you're on. Aang: But I'm still the same! Nothing's changed! So, what? I can't play? Air Nomad boy #1 : That's the only fair way. Aang: Oh, okay. Air Nomad boy #2: Sorry, Aang.

This isolation is already tough, and its something we see almost all Avatars suffer with, some more, some less. Of course, it is that much harder on Aang, and, as he is just a scared child, being stripped of his identity and othered by his community, he runs away.

The fact that Aang will never know that Gyatso was not going to let him be sent away is my roman empire he will never know how much his parental figure and friend in two lives loved him and im tearing up oh my god

And when he wakes, he is the last airbender, his people, friends, family, dead for a hundred years. And that is a magnitude of loss hard to comprehend, especially from Aang's perspective, where it is both instantaneous and long past.

And yes, while Aang has Katara, Appa and the Gaang, they cannot replace a whole nation. Especially in the Avatar universe, where nationality is so tied to ones identity via bending.

And Aang isn't just the last member of a completely obliverated nation, he's still the Avatar, responsible for the other, still existing nations. Its his responsibility, and it is clearly taking a huge toll on his mental state. Because he is the only one who can stop the Fire Nation. Yes he will have his friends help, but it is his responsibility. Mind you, he is still 12 and currently mourning a whole nation. And we see how he struggles to balance his own comfort with this responsibility to the world.

Aang: I'm really glad you told me that. But I still need to do this. Katara : I don't understand. Aang: No, you don't. Every day, more and more people die. I'm already one hundred years late. Defeating the Fire Lord is the only way to stop this war. I have to try it!

And, yes, while defeating Ozai took a load off his shoulders, the nations still need guidance and peacekeeping. And Aang is expected to handle that too. Alongside trying to rebuild his nation, and resurrect its culture ans traditions. I know many people are upset by Aang hanging out with his fangirls and frankly, it hurt my soul to see Katara go through that. But I also understand Aang's joy at finding a community that embraces his culture and also eagerly participates in it, if not for the most noble of reasons.

Mind you, I absolutely don't think Katara was in the wrong for being upset. I do, however, believe she can empathise with Aang's joy, as she remembers her excitement and possessiveness over the waterbending scroll, her desire to learn waterbending, her immediate bond with Hama and how Aang supported her through these attempts to reconnect with her also damaged culture. And, of course, the Air Nomads cultural heritage, artifacts and community are in an even sorrier state. Because the Southern Water Tribe still has some elders to pass down traditions, and their connection with their sister tribes. Not perfect, by far, and much has been lost. But the Air Nomads only have Aang and whoever volunteers their interest.

And later, Tenzin.

Now, I'll keep this short, because I sound like a broken record at this point. Aang was not a deadbeat. He wasn't a perfect father, but he was a loving one. While Bumi and Kya may have certainly already felt isolated for not being airbenders, we see they struggled with aspects of the culture as well, while excelling at others, both being naturally spiritual and free spirits.

Tenzin, I believe, felt more pressure to conform to his Air Nomad heritage, due to being an airbender himself. How much of this pressure came from Aang, I'm not sure. We see him comfprt Tenzin over "failing his duty" and it is also an appartion of him that convinces Tenzin to embrace his own identity. So I would reckon a good chunk of this pressure was not from Aang, but from their surroundings, and perhaps even from Katara, who also cares deeply about preserving culture.

I do like that comic, but white man Aang scares me who is that man with the piercing sky blue eyes and the brown english teacher beard he looks like belethor from skyrim but bald

And of course Aang would want to support his son as he grows into the leader of a nation that has undergone such hardships. So, he would make sure Tenzin at least had fun during that period. Ergo, Bumi and Kya feeling like they're missing out. This, combined with Aang having to leave on Avatar duties would naturally have Aang more absent than he clearly would've wanted. But I also find it interesting that Kya and Bumi's resentment seemed to lie mainly with Tenzin, rather than Aang himself. Based bcs Tenzin can be a bit of a dick.

But we see Kya and Bumi acknowledge multiple times that Aang was a loving, supportive father with a lot on his plate.

I just can't help but find Aang an inherently lonely and tragic character. One that, frankly, had every right to turn bitter, angsty and hateful but remained so filled with love and care, who met the world with open arms. The Avatars all experinece some level of isolation and "othering", perhaps because they are not entirely human. But Aang, of course, had his home and family torn from him, in an instant in his eyes, and he spent the rest of his life trying to rebuild it. Yet he also had to manage the rest of the world's problems. And yet he loved. His friends, his wife, his children. He loved them but he will always be, to some degree apart from them. And it just fucking hurts to think about.

[mesapies]

Over 70% of ppl said that kya would have brown hair like katara on the poll I did the other day, but I rlly do like the idea of kya having black hair like aang. Idk it just feels right to me.

[zukosfate]

The Cloud babies first adventure ☁️

[nelamint]

Young Kyalin<3

Sketch🌀

[dejectedduck]

when they’re making a new series but that means my literal wife is dead

[punkeropercyjackson]

The awnser to who's more of a feminist king between Sokka and Zuko is neither Sokka nor Zuko but a secret third thing:they're both equally misogynistic.If any Atla dude is a standup woman worshipping legend,it's Aang-He not only never had a random sexist phrases phase but fell in love with Katara for her brown girl swag onsight and fell harder as he found out she's also a punk brown girl specifically,never complained about Toph's girly ass nickname for him even though it was meant to be taunting and looked up to her earthbending skills and take no shit tomboy attitude from the start,respects Yangchen and Kyoshi even when he disagrees with them on fundamental things,supported Kya as his lesbian daughter no problem when she came out to him and had Korra's back when so many dudes were giving her a hard time.Crazy how this is a legit debate considering Aang's literally the protagonist of Atla so we get to see him the most but y'all would rather focus on his nonexistent worst moments Zutradras made up🫰🏼

[firelxdykatara]

I have a weird question: When I talk about kya and bumi’s childhoods, I’ve had a lot of people saying to me “Aang tried SO hard to teach his culture to Kya and Bumi but they weren’t interested and ignored him”

Is there any episode of TLOK that I’ve missed where that’s stated? I’m so confused

No, there isn't. It's purely headcanon, in an attempt to make it seem like Aang was portrayed as less of a neglectful father to his non-airbending children, which wouldn't necessarily be such a huge problem.... except that a) Aang fans are extremely invested in making it out as if this is somehow canon to the text of the show, and b) it requires ignoring things that are actually stated in the show itself.

Such as Aang taking Tenzin--and only Tenzin--on fun vacations to places that have no Air Nomad or airbending significance, but do in fact have great significance to the gaang as a whole. What, exactly, was he teaching Tenzin about airbending, or even Air Nomad culture, when he took him alone to Kyoshi Island to ride the elephant koi, or to Ember Island to build sandcastles?

Kya says it herself:

"Bumi and I weren't on those great vacations. It was always just you and Dad."

In fact, Bumi says they never saw the place, meaning that it isn't even a case of "Well, Tenzin was the youngest, so maybe they got taken on vacations of their own and by the time he was old enough to go they had other fun things to do."

Imagine, never taking fully two thirds of your children to Ember Island, because... what, it never occurred to him that maybe his wife might like to reminisce about the past with him and their children?

Because that's the other implication here: he never took Kya or Bumi on these great vacations, they were left home with their mother, who presumably had to figure out how to explain to them why their father didn't think to take them to fun places as a family that didn't involve telling them outright that they just weren't as important to him because they couldn't bend air. (Now, yes, that is editorializing on my part--but the difference between this and 'but he tried to teach Kya and Bumi about their Air Nomad heritage, they just weren't interested!' is that my supposition fits perfectly within canon, while their attempted justification is contradicted by the show.)

And if that weren't enough, we also get explicit textual confirmation that Aang never even talked about having other children to the people whose entire purpose in life was to idolize the Avatar and attempt to revive his nearly extinct culture. The Air Acolytes assume that Kya and Bumi are Tenzin's servants at first! And they are shocked to discover the Avatar had other children--and then disappointed when they realize those other children were not airbenders. And Bumi himself has to tell a statue of his dead father that he hopes he's finally proud of him... because he was granted airbending, entirely outside of his control, not because of any of his actual accomplishments, which we have no indication Aang gave a shit about.

There's just really not a lot of room in there for 'the kids were just a little jealous that Tenzin got extra airbending teaching but he wasn't that bad' when the actual text of the show gives us this.

Now, I don't know if the comics tried to retcon it with some nonsense like that, but even if they did, it is not remotely indicated in the show. And given how bad the comics are right now about trying to like, retroactively fix things because of criticism, I am not particularly inclined to give canon grace here.

[chriscdcase95]

Aang: “Avatar Kyoshi’s, I seek your advice-”

Kyoshi: (spirit manifests) “End that motherfuckers life!”

(We cut to see it’s an adult Aang with a teenaged Kya standing beside him. Both look taken aback, and bewildered.)

Aang: “Actually, I was hoping to speak to you on my daughters behalf…”

(Jump cuts to Kyoshi, projecting herself through Aang whilst sitting at a table, across from Kyla. Kyoshi is listening expectantly to Kya.)

Kya: (sheepishly rubbing the back of her neck, a blush on her face) “Okay, so there’s this girl at the Academy…”

Kyoshi: (nodding) Yes, yes, Go on…”

[queen-morgana91]

oh I love them

[prickly-paprikash]

Since the discourse has reared its ugly head once more, the simple answer is no.

Aang was not a deadbeat, unsupportive, absentee father.

He loved all three of his children and was supportive of them. When Kya came out in the comics, she mentioned straight up that Aang was nothing but supportive of her and who she was. Aang made mistakes in parenting, but he was also stuck in one of the worst situations possible for him.

For one thing, it's been stated that Airbending culture has different views when it comes to family dynamics. Never once does Aang mention his parents, and it's clear that Air Nomads did not put emphasis on the standard nuclear family organization that other nations did. From context clues alone, and many have inferred in the past that Air Nomads were communal, so it stands to reason that their parenting was communal. Monks, Nuns, Masters—all of them were most likely parents to every single child. The responsibility of raising and educating a child was shared amongst the nomads, and that there was no real difference between biological and adoptive parents. Airbenders shared nearly everything, and that meant family as well.

Imagine you're Aang, spending twelve years of life being raised by every adult in the temple. Sure, he was exposed to nuclear family dynamics when visiting other nations and befriending Bumi and Kuzon, but his exposure to their culture was most likely limited. Now, not only is he a father to three beautiful children, but he must raise them in a way foreign to him. There are no other Monks to raise his children—it's just him and Katara. I've no doubt that Sokka and Toph chipped in whenever they could to ease the burden of parenthood, but they were leaders and figures of great importance as well. Not to mention that Toph had her own daughters to take care of.

Aang is also the Avatar, the central spiritual figure amongst the four nations. His presence would always be demanded in other nations. Peace Summits. Negotiations. Ceremony. Dealing with splintered Fire Nation cells and loyalists. Aang had to lead the people of all four nations back into balance, and he was in the unique and unenviable position to heal the scars of a 100 year war due to the absence of the Avatar.

Finally, the dude is also the Very Last Airbender. Of course he'd show favoritism to Tenzin. Bumi was a non-bender and Kya was a waterbender already taking after her mother. Aang was a war hero, a political figure, a man out of time and history, the Avatar, and the Only Living Airbender. The weight of his culture and people all rested on his shoulders, and so he passed on that responsibility and hope to the only other living Airbender at the time. Aang needed to spend time with Tenzin because only through Tenzin could the practices of the Air Nomads survive.

Aang was basically having to transition from a communal family mindset to a nuclear family's; he had to balance romance, fatherhood, and being the Avatar in a Wartorn World; and he had an obligation to every Airbender in history—millions of souls and their memories, passed on from one very flawed father to his newborn son. Every part of Aang's life as a father was met with trials and tribulations, and his family still came out loving him, albeit with some resentment underneath.

No parent is perfect, and Aang could have done so much better when it came to communicating with his children.

But none of his mistakes ever meant he was an abusive, cold, distant father.

He was overworked, acclimating to a style of family not his own, and desperately reviving a century-long dead culture all by himself. The fact that every single one of his kids still loved him and cherished him only solidified the fact that Aang was a father who did his very best.

Being the child of the Avatar would always mean living in his shadow. That resentment, of Aang being needed by the world while his children sought him out, would always be there. Doubly so for Tenzin, who grew up with the Avatar as his father and continued his life-long work of breathing life back into the Air Nomads. Say what you will, but at least Bumi and Kya had the freedom to choose who they wanted to be. Tenzin, no matter what, would always grow up to be the Airbending Master because no one else could.

Aang loved his children. Aang loved his wife. And they in turn loved him. But just like every family, complications rose up and planted the seeds of bitterness and resentment. The only thing that stopped these from blossoming into actual dislike of their family was that Aang's love and respect for his children was always genuine, and that Katara stood firm in making sure their children knew they were beloved.

Aang and Katara's family would never have been ideal in the first place, but they did their best.

And their best was certainly enough.

[hadesisqueer]

We talk a lot about the insanity of Kuruk and Kyoshi's companions and their relations but tbh Roku/Aang/Korra aren't any better like what is this

This isn't even all of it, I ran out of proper space for Sozin, Gyatso or Iroh. And thank god the whole deal with Mako and Zuko's granddaughter was scrapped solely because I would cry trying to fit her in.