#and that’s big because the gaang is his family

[queen-morgana91]

This episode is so underrated

Aang wakes up from a coma and he discovers that the world thinks he's dead. He freaks out, because he knows the value of what the Avatar represents to the people. He had an entire episode where he had a breakdown and where he almost drowned in the sea AGAIN because he was feeling so sure that he had failed the world

He had to be literally dragged to physical safety by the Moon Spirit and some semblance of emotional stability by his past life or he would have died

Aang was gone for 100 years and he blamed himself for the war. He knows he's the symbol of hope

He never wanted to be the Avatar (at least before the genocide), but the people’s suffering in the world is one of the reasons he fully accepted his role

[the-badger-mole]

What is your NUMBER ONE headcannon for each person in the Gaang (Katara, Zuko, Aang, Toph, Sokka, Suki [and Appa and Momo if you feel so inclined])

Katara: After the war, she goes back to the NWT to train with Yugoda and becomes a master healer as well as a master of the NWT fighting style. From there, she goes back to the Foggy Swamp Tribe and masters their bending style, too. With the help of Sokka, Zuko, and (in some headcanons) Hama, she also rediscovers SWT waterbending and not only masters it, but teaches it to the new benders in the SWT. By the time she leaves the SWT, there has been a school established where all bending styles are available for study. She's one of the few who actually has mastered them all, though.

Sokka: He is eager to return home after the war. He throws himself into infrastructure and policy revamps, and he almost singlehandedly staves off the soft colonization attempts of the NWT. Under his efforts, the SWT rebuilds and reestablishes parts of its culture that had been lost during the war. With the discovery of oil on SWT land, he is also instrumental in establishing eco minded extraction techniques, and in trade ties with the rest of the world (although he is very much helped by his sister's deep ties with the Fire Lord). It's a surprise to no one when he's chosen to lead the SWT after Hakoda retires.

Toph: She does not become a cop. Instead, she goes back home and takes over the Earth Rumble, taking it from an underground even to a world wide phenomenon. She eventually allows benders of other elements to join, and the Earth Rumble becomes pro bending. She does also establish a metal bending school. In the end, she is wealthier than her parents, but because she couldn't really care less about money, she keeps enough to live at the standard she wants, and gives the rest away to causes that interest her...like the guy who wanted to set the record for the biggest bao bun ever, and needed funding for an oven big enough to cook it. She also establishes a halfway house for runaway teens.

Zuko: During his tenure as Fire Lord, he establishes a robust social services program that includes subsidized healthcare, education, and housing for the lowest income families. Under his reign, the Fire Nation becomes home to some of the earliest pioneers of mental health. At his wife's advice, he also makes paid maternity leave standard across the nation, and includes several programs to help single parents stay afloat. Taking inspiration from the SWT, Zuko makes some changes to how his advisory staff is selected. Instead of choosing from among the nobility, Zuko has the different provinces elect a representative to speak on their behalf. A lot of the nobles hate this, blaming his wife's influence, but the people adore their monarchs and despite their best efforts, there's little the nobles can do except start campaigning in their home provinces. It's not a perfect system, but it does open the door for the Fire Nation to end the monarchy within a couple of generations.

Suki: She continues to lead the Kyoshi Warriors for a few years after the war. She also helps train troops around the world as they pivot from active war service to more local work. She helps establish something like the coast guards for several different countries. Eventually she retires from that to help her husband run the SWT. She and Sokka make a wonderful team as he handles the domestic policies and she handles foreign affairs. She often jokes with her sister in law, Fire Lady Katara that they ended up with the same job.

Aang: I'll go with my most optimistic headcanon for him. He's an okay Avatar. Not great. Not the worst. After the war, he tries to take part in rebuilding efforts around the world, but he finds his help isn't needed much. He turns his attention back to salvaging what's left of the Air Nomad legacy, and discovers that there are actually airbenders still around. A few of them are even interested in learning to live like the Air Nomads. Many of them aren't, though, and after learning how to actually use their powers, they go off and do their own thing. To Aang's shock and dismay, eating meat has no effect on the strength of their bending, He does learn to deal with it and enjoy his time with the air benders who embrace the Air Nomad culture. He does go on to have kids, and he still favors the benders over the nonbenders. Ultimately, his legacy as Avatar boils down to taking Ozai's bending, and that's it.

[old-people-like-avatar]

Netflix Avatar the Last Airbender S1 - Overall Thoughts [SPOILERS]

I am a longtime fan of Avatar the Last Airbender. I did not watch it in its original 2005 run, but I discovered it in around 2010 after my good friend R.S. recommended it to me. It's been my #1 favorite TV show ever since and I have rewatched it more times than I can count. I was cautiously optimistic about NATLA.

Now, having watched the whole first season of NATLA, and looking at the season as a whole, I think the best word to describe it is uneven. I can't say that I loved it, and I can't say that I hated it. But there were things I really liked about it and things that really did not work for me. Overall, I enjoyed watching it -- if only to dissect what did and did not work about the adaptation -- and would want to watch more.

WHAT WORKED

Everything to do with Zuko and Iroh. I found myself going back through just to rewatch all of the Zuko and Iroh-related scenes. I thought Dallas Liu really nailed Zuko -- from tantrums about his journal being stolen to incredible action sequences to the boyish vulnerability of worrying about the laces on his gauntlets. He took an iconic character and made him his own. NATLA added some incredible scenes and lines to my favorite duo: Lu Ten's funeral (coupled with orchestral version of "Leaves from the Vine"); Zuko's first war council; Iroh choosing to go with Zuko on the boat; the 41st Division; Iroh putting a blanket on Zuko. And I liked that NATLA emphasized that Iroh needed Zuko in the wake of Lu Ten's death as much as Zuko needed Iroh after his mother left.

Daniel Dae Kim's interpretation of Ozai. Ozai in ATLA is kind of one-dimensional. Daniel Dae Kim's Ozai adds a deeper layer to him in that he genuinely seems to think he's doing legitimate parenting -- even going so far as to visit Zuko after burning his face and remarking, glibly, that he'll recover ("but he'll never heal," says Iroh). It adds an even more monstrous angle to his cruelty because Kim's Ozai seems to think he's doing it for his children's own good. This post perfectly encapsulates my feelings about why I thought the agni kai between Ozai and Zuko was an excellent addition to NATLA.

Zuko/Aang. These two bonding over goat hair brushes was the scene I never knew I needed. The way Aang managed to wrest a little smile out of Zuko in that scene before Zuko blew up at him for criticizing the Fire Lord? And the way that tied into the "Compassion is a sign of weakness" scene from the agni kai? Great character work.

WHAT DID NOT WORK

Dialogue. I already observed at length my dissatisfaction with the clunky, exposition-dumping dialogue in my episode-by-episode writeups. It certainly wasn't as bad as the Movie-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named, but . . . there was no art or subtlety to it, and no trust in the audience. A disappointment.

The GAang did not feel like family. The lack of breathing room in the 8-episode season meant that all of the "filler" episodes that fleshed out the relationships between Aang, Katara, and Sokka were sacrificed. I am not saying NATLA needed to recapture each of the filler episodes. But they needed to build the foundational bonds between the main trio with showing not telling and they really didn't. They separated them for big chunks of 2 episodes. And, really, they just felt like traveling companions. That took all of the emotional heft out of, well, everything related to Aang, Katara, and Sokka. I mean, frankly, the kid actors did a better job establishing the "family" dynamic just by being themselves in their press interviews than the show did with the characters.

Aang did not run away from responsibility. I am not one of those people that's just mad that the show wasn't exactly like the cartoon. No. What I mean is, even putting aside the cartoon, even if you just look at NATLA itself: their own themes were undercut by never showing Aang actually running away from responsibility. Each avatar seemed to be berating Aang for doing something he was never actually shown to be doing.

Katara. I really don't think this one is on the actress. Katara felt like a fundamentally different character from ATLA's Katara. It's not to say an adaption is not allowed to have their own interpretation of a character, but... I just did not understand NATLA Katara. There was no passion, no rage, no overbearing nurturing. She was... I don't know what she was. Traumatized, yes, but nothing grew out of that trauma? Meek, until the plot demanded that she suddenly become a waterbending master without any guidance other than a waterbending scroll? The "younger sister"? More than any of the main characters, I'm not sure what NATLA was trying to say about Katara at all. And, as a result, I'm afraid the word to describe it might be uninteresting. And given that she is the heart and soul of Team Avatar, this one was really tough.

Despite the fact that a lot of NATLA did not work for me, I still enjoyed it because the things that did work for me, well, really worked. So. I'm here for all of the Zuko/Iroh scenes!

[risingsoleil]

can we get hc on teen parents (17-18) linzin and the gaang's reaction?

Lin feels like a failure and is terrified. She has no idea what Tenzin will say, but she knows that this child could be an airbender, so she should keep baby....

When she tells Tenzin, he's definitely shocked. But he asks very softly and innocently, "We're gonna be a family?" And something about that question makes Lin feel like she chose the right guy to have a kid with.

Telling Tenzin was fine, but now what about their family?

Immediately, Lin can feel the dread from the acolytes and the press.

Against her headstrong nature, Lin holds Tenzin's hand and says, "Let's go someplace else."

"Where?"

"Anywhere. But not here. I...I don't want anyone else to know. We could go to my grandparents."

Tenzin is a bt confused because they will be fine in RC. His parents are here, plus his mom is the best healer ever. So Lin would be in very safe hands. But Lin points at an acolyte walking by and Tenzin understands.

And so, Tenzin tells his family Lin wants to visit her grandparents and he'll go with her. They don't give much other explanation, besides they will leave in the next few days and will write/call when they can.

Katara and Aang dont see a problem with it, but find it a bit odd.

When they get to Gaoling, Poppy immediately senses something is up. It takes a couple weeks until Lin privately tells her about the pregnancy and that she doesn't want anyone knowing. Not even Toph right now. She wanted to have space from the city so that she, Tenzin, and baby aren't stressed.

Poppy is a bit disappointed and upset, she supports and loves Lin very much. at least Tenzin is showing that he wants to be part of their lives and will be there for them. Unlike the men Toph got involved with.

Everything goes great for Linzin. Lao almost wanted Tenzin murdered, but he's calmed down a bit after they had a man-to-man talk. Tenzin told him that he will marry Lin, but doesn't want to ask immediately bc Lin will think it's only bc of baby. He tells him that he has a betrothal necklace in the works and that he'll give it to Lin at the right time.

Lao and Poppy bring in the best healers in Gaoling to monitor Lin's pregnancy.

Baby is growing well and it's in the 6 month of pregnancy, that Katara, Aang, and Toph visit Gaoling.

They're in for a hella big surprise when they see pregnant Lin.

Kataang hounds Tenzin.

Toph interrogates and grills both of them.

"How long have you known?! How far along are you?!"

"...Just past 6 months..."

"Did you get knocked up here or before?"

"Before."

Katara and Aang go into some long lecture that Lin is not really listening to. Toph is going insane listening to them prattle on, so she just imprisons Tenzin's body with earth.

"Alright loverboy, since you got my kid knocked up, what are you gonna do about it? If you give the wrong answer, you get an early funeral and your parents go to jail."

Katara glares at her. "Why do we go to jail?"

"For offing your son. Then you try to kill me, but I beat both of your asses anyway. So you go to jail for being losers."

"That doesn't make any sense, Toph! And it's not ethical!"

"So what? Proves that I'm still better than you two."

Linzin is just trying to get out of this conversation. When everyone finally calms down, Lin is like "I wanted to leave because I didn't want to be around the press and acolytes. Gaoling felt safe for me and our baby. So I did what was best for us and Tenzin supported me. Sorry we didn't tell you the truth, but we wanted to face this on our own."

All's well, and they do try to come to terms that they'll become grandparents. They love that it's between Lin and Tenzin, but just so shocked at their ages. But they do support them as much as they can. Giving advice, Katara taking over to monitor Lin's pregnancy, Aang guiding Tenzin on fatherhood + air nation culture, etc. Toph and her parents clash a bit bc they think she parented poorly for Lin to be a teen mom.

The convo between Toph and her parents gives her some perspective on how she hasn't been present for both of her girls. Suyin has been acting up and Toph is learning that she needs to be more involved.

Aang can't stay all the time bc Avatar duties, but he does write and visit when he can. Kya and Bumi also come down at different times to bully Tenzin lol

"It was that good, huh?" Bumi jeered, slapping Tenzin on the back.

"Go awayyy."

Kya punches his arm next. "Now remember, you hurt Lin, we break your bones."

"Yeah I got it. Why would I ever hurt her?"

"Because no girl would take you. You should be thankful Lin has a heart and wants to be with you. So if you fuck it up with her, we fuck you up."

Tenzin is so annoyed with them and just huffs and pouts, while wind blows in their faces.

Sokka and Suki manage to visit them, and they;re not judgmental. But they do try to give solid life advice to Tenzin. They feel like Lin is gonna be okay mostly and she's got things handled. But I think they want Tenzin to be a good man to Lin and a good father to baby. Hakoda fought in the war, so never intentionally abandoned him and Katara, but being a present father is the idea that Sokka drives into Tenzin.

Aang grew up with a different concept of family, so his advice to Tenzin about parenting has different content from Sokka's messages.

Izumi comes down to visit too, and she brings all kinds of snacks and gifts for Lin and baby. Iroh is probably already born around this time? So she can bring him too for Linzin to practice lol

Suyin doesn't want to visit Lin during the pregnancy at all because her sister is taking up Toph's attention. And she's pissed about it. She doesn't meet her new niece until Linzin returns to RC.

Tenzin was with Lin during the birth because he couldn't stand not being there. Katara delivered her granddaughter, and the delivery went smoothly.

The whole family is there (minus Suyin, Sokka, and Suki) and everyone is absolutely enamored with the baby.

Lin feels like she has to wait 30 mins until she can hold her own baby for more than 10 mins.

Katara shoos them out so that Lin and Tenzin can rest with their baby. But she stays close by, along with a few other trusted servants, to assist Lin and baby.

Lin and Tenzin have no idea what they're doing, but they know everythin will be okay.

[yukaro353]

I love your recent arts about young Izumi and the rest of the Gaang kids! Do you have any headcanons for us about their dynamics at that age?

Hi~ I'm glad you liked it, it's a dynamic I wanted to exploit for a long time 🤭

I have a lot of loose ideas here and there about the Gaang Children, so I'll go in parts so that all the children are covered.

🌜Kya🌛

- She was very spoiled as a child, a tantrum-laden girl who always wanted to be the center of attention.

- She had a hatred towards Tenzin when she was born because he "took the crown" of being the youngest of the family, but she got over it a few months later.

- Her favorite cousin was Suyin for a long time, she didn't have to share her with anyone and she could use her as a doll, she passed on to her enthusiasm for dance and traveling.

- She used to cry when Izumi came to visit because that meant Bumi wouldn't spend as much time with her (they both included her in their plans but she was a drama girl).

- When Lin was born he completely lost his mind, now he not only had to compete against "the ugly baby Tenzin" but also with "the little princess Beifong", they were difficult times for his ego.

⚔️Bumi⚔️

- He loved spending time with his uncle Sokka because amazing (and dangerous) things always happened to them that he could later tell his brothers about.

- He always wish he had a LOT of brothers, he joked about starting my own army (although really if something endangered the others Bumi would do everything in his power to prevent them from having to fight).

- If Izumi had to present something at his academy, Bumi would steal Appa and show up. If Lin or Suyin had a school or dance event, Bumi would do a flip and show up. He wanted him to be present at all of his important moments.

- He loves Tenzin and presumed him as his right-hand man until he showed his inclination for the air, that raised a wound in Bumi that will haunt him until his adulthood.

- His favorite cousin is Lin, when the adults took Tenzin away because "he had to learn and prepare to be a master" Bumi would pick up the little heiress Beifong in his arms, no one would take her away from him.

🎐Tenzin🎐

- Tenzin spent more time with the adults than with his brothers or the other girls of the Gaang Jr., so their ties were always the most distant, making him feel isolated and lonely, so as he grew up he was always looking for a way to be with them (Even if that meant skipping classes or running away from Aang).

- He really enjoyed visiting the Fire Nation because Uncle Zuko spoiled him a lot (Plus Izumi had a ton of pets and Tenzin LOVES big animals).

- Tenzin would get stressed easily during his assignments (like that air panel test Korra fails in the show) and his spirits would be restored by the other kids who would join in trying to complete the assignments with him (most of them did poorly, Lin and Kya were Tenzin's real rivals in those activities).

- Tenzin was not good at reading the mood when his siblings were angry with him so he took refuge in Lin a lot, to the point of fighting with Suyin for her attention (this would become a problem as they grew up).

🌿Lin Beifong🌿

- She was very quiet, extremely quiet, so they used to lose her easily, Izumi and Bumi got gray hairs on every trip trying to keep her close.

- It took her a long time to learn to speak so a little Tenzin used to "translate" what she "thought" (the other kids found it funny so they played along)

- She really liked receiving compliments from his elders, so she was very obedient to Kya, Izumi and Bumi, any bit of recognition would be appreciated by Lin.

- She loved spending time with Suyin, it made her feel accompanied and that's why she started spending more time at home, taking care of her felt like playing mother and, at least at the beginning, Lin enjoyed it a lot.

- Did Lin have a favorite? Initially it was Izumi, because people who didn't recognize them thought they were sisters and Lin loved that idea, over time Tenzin would take that place.

🌱Suyin Beifong🌱

- The eternal baby of the group, she loved being with everyone but the age gap was such that she never felt fully integrated.

- She didn't like being in the Island Temple because of the acolytes so he used to do everything to drag the activities into the city.

- Her specialty was stealing mounts, whether it was Appa, Oogie, Izumi's lizard (or rhino), Uncle Sokka's hoofed animal, or even Unagi, Suyin nearly gave everyone a heart attack with her antics.

- There was a trip to Ba Sing Se to celebrate one of her birthdays where everyone attended, there was food, dancing and no one from Gaang Jr got bored of her or tried to leave her behind, it was her favorite birthday.

- Her favorite is Kya because she always had time to listen to her and she would braid her hair, help her improve her dancing and bring her gifts from her travels.

🔥Izumi🔥

- Despite the friends he had in his country, he preferred Gaang Jr a thousand times over, he felt that somehow their friendship was deeper, more "destined".

- Her eternal battle against Bumi to be the favorite older brother was fun, Izumi had no trouble impressing the little ones with gifts or things that only a princess had (she was a bit of a show-off).

- She would pester Zuko for months to be taken to Republic City, and once there she could stay for another good couple of months because, honestly, who wouldn't want to spend time with their little siblings?

- She loved taking care of the girls in the group, she really enjoyed when she came across Beifong at the Ba Sing Se gatherings and she could take them to a spa or something to have some girl time.

- His favorite was Lin because she was the closest he ever felt to having a sister, he liked to read her stories about his nation or comb her hair like hers, he even taught her his combat style (which closely resembles a dance).

And that would be a little glimpse for now (?) if I start to describe scenarios I would never finish and I don't want to bore you jsjs 🌷

[sokkastyles]

I was thinking about the Gaang post-war and I felt sadness for Aang. He was 12/13 at the end of the show, not even a proper teen yet. Who's going to teach him to be a man? Who does Aang go to for emotional support? I mean he has his friends but sometimes the comfort of a loving parental figure can't compare to the love from friends. Where's his home? When he has problems with his romance with Katara, who is his father figure?

It's pretty depressing. At least the Gaang have homes and communities to go home to.

I see Zuko and Aang being very close post-series, and I think Aang would go to Zuko for a lot of the "big brother" stuff, especially since Zuko learned from Iroh how to be a man. I also think Aang goes to Zuko for advice about Katara, since Zuko is both older and been through his own struggles with toxic masculinity, and since Zuko knows Katara really well and connects with a side of Katara that Aang often does not understand. Which I really think is an under-explored zutaraang dynamic, btw.

I also like to imagine that Aang post-series lives a nomadic lifestyle (something the series never actually shows), especially because his Avatar duties take him all over the world, and sometimes he takes his friends along with him. The air nomads are irreplaceable, but Aang also has homes all over the world, and his friends are his family, something I wish the comics had emphasized more with both Aang and Zuko, who also should not be living alone and isolated in the location of his abusive childhood. I think Aang and Zuko go on a lot of trips together and Aang just drops into the palace from time to time, so Zuko always keeps a window open.

[discordiansamba]

anyways some more thoughts about the zuko jet roleswap au because it's apparently A Thing now:

zuko's father was an earth kingdom soldier who infiltrated the fire nation royal palace in an attempt to kill fire lord azulon. it obviously did not work.

zuko's mom truly was just like. I have a strong suspicion that everything I've been fed since childhood is a pack of lies and you just tried to kill my father. let's talk. I'm sure this won't lead to anything more complicated down the line.

(spoilers: it did)

princess ran is ozai's older twin sister, making him originally third in line of the throne- and then fourth, after lu ten was born. he viewed her supposed untimely demise as a blessing.

ran never spoke of her life in the fire nation to zuko. she doesn't want to complicate his life with the knowledge that he's a prince by birthright. she put that life behind her when she helped her future husband escape and fled to the earth kingdom herself.

the soldiers who raided zuko's village did not recognize the supposedly dead princess. they just saw she was clearly fire nation, and a firebender as well. she tried to fight back, but was quickly overwhelmed and killed as a traitor.

zuko's father died in the same attack.

zuko was taken in by distant relatives on his father's side of the family for awhile, but it was obvious they were always uncomfortable with his presence. he learned to hide his firebending quickly.

when he was thirteen, he decided he'd set out on his own- and no one stopped him.

the orphan acquisition started with, of course, The Duke. shortly thereafter, he befriended Pipsqueak. pipsqueak ended up bringing the second orphan kid into the group and it just kind of snowballed from there. by the time the gaang meets him, his little gaggle is eight orphans strong, excluding himself and pipsqueak.

zuko needed something other than his firebending to defend himself with, so he taught himself the dual dao. which he stole. he is no stranger to petty crime if it keeps himself and his kids fed, though he tries to be smart about who he targets.

(the blue spirit is famous for his hit and runs on fire nation supply convoys. they don't know he's taking what he steals back to his kids.)

he actually doesn't mean for the blue spirit to be A Thing. it's just a way to hide his face in case things go wrong. he doesn't realize people are going to end up making a big deal out of it.

when the moon abruptly turns red, zuko decides its time to bite the proverbial bullet and take the kids to ba sing se.

jet vs zuko swordfight in the catacombs of ba sing se.

azula forges an alliance with jet and even gives him the credit for killing the avatar. jet is instantly suspicious of this. there's no way the princess would do that... unless she has some kind of game.

maybe the avatar isn't actually dead. he asks longshot and smellerbee to make absolutely sure he is.

zuko follows the gaang into the fire nation, while pipsqueak and the duke stay behind with hakoda to help gather invasion forces.

[beifong-brainrot]

Is Toph the only character in the Avatar gang and series to have a last name?

She is the only gaang member to have an explicitly mentioned last name, to my knowledge. However I think last names are more common in the atlaverse than most people assume.

Most aliases the Gaang use have surnames (the fire family and the Pippinpaddleopsicopolis family). I also don't think it's an "only rich people have surnames" type of thing, since Hiroshi Sato and Varrick both came from humble beginnings. Zhu Li also has a surname. Jargala Omo, a criminal, also has a surname.

I could imagine Aang and the Water Tribe siblings not having surnames not using their potential surnames since their names carry no weight in the Earth Kingdom. Also Aang's entire culture got wiped out, his full legal identification probably doesn't matter that much anymore. Similarly, Suki comes from a rather isolated village. Unlike Toph where her family line directly influences the plot several times. As for Zuko, I can see his family line having a surname but being widely known by their royal titles, as we don't always refer to for example irl british royalty by their surnames.

I have a few headcanons for Mako and Bolin's surname because I needed it for a wip I'm writing. My assumption is that they hadn't gone by their family's last name in a long time and may not fully identify with it, ergo them not introducing themselves with it.

Asami's family name is important due to their wealth and resources and, similairly to Toph, her family name is a big part of the plot.

Korra's the goddamn Avatar, so who gives a fuck abot last names here, she's pretty damn recognisable.

[purple-astronaut]

I came up with an urzai AU, where they had 8 kids, but ozai did not become Fire Lord.

Iroh became fire lord, and when that happened, ursa and ozai got out of the capital and moved to a small village in the fire nation with 6 of their kids and azula and zuko staying in capital (After everyone had to convince ursa). After/during the war, ozai and ursa adopted children whose parents had died no matter where they were from.

In this AU, I was thinking that there was one airbender (besides aang) who survived and feld to the earth kingdom and had kids. Their blood line somehow got to the fire nation, and someone gave birth to a baby who had a lot of airbender features, so they left the baby on the beach in a basket, ursa finds the baby and tells ozai they are taking her in and she won't take no for an answer.

And ozai finds two water tribe babies when he is on a mission with Lu ten (they wash up on the shore). They take the babies back and try to figure out what to do with them, but ursa saw them and takes them in. Then, some of Lu Ten's soldiers found an earth kingdom toddler, so Lu ten gave him to ursa.

All of the kids and their ages:

Zuko, 15

Azula, 14

Ming (earth kingdom), 12, earthbender

Kam (water tribe), 10, waterbender

Koalro (water tribe), 10, waterbender

Jamma (air nomad/ mixed heritage), 6, airbender

Kiyi, 4

Ozai ll (fire nation/ adopted), 3, non-bender (in the future)

They moved out of the capital to protect their children and because they were done with political issues and all that stuff. They moved into a big house with a big backyard, so all of their kids could train and run around.

Zuko takes the gaang to meet his siblings, and aang is super excited to meet zuko's airbending sister. Azula was already there to zuko's surprise. Kam and koalro were very happy to meet people from the water tribes and a master waterbender. the same goes for ming with toph. The whole gaang was so confused with their family dynamic, but it worked for them.

Ozai and Ursa love all of their kids, so zuko doesn't get burnt, and azula is ok (because I say so). They do their best to introduce all of their kids to their cultures (with the gaang's help if they were willing to help and the kids want to learn). They gave their kids names from their cultures.

Ursa did not want to name their last child ozai II, but ozai managed to convince her by saying he would change the baby's diapers till he stopped wearing them, ursa never touched a diaper again.

Im gonna work more on this AU

[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.

[ecoterrorist-katara]

hello hello! can i just say, i love your takes so much. it feels like you’ve read my mind on how katara would actually react in certain situations. currently myself, im rewriting the structure of the show in a way that makes more sense (aka, getting rid of kataang altogether and focusing on actual growth for each character including aang!) and im struggling a bit on aang actually!

we know how brykke basically stunted aang’s growth because of their weirdness. but what if aang never had a crush on katara? what if he sees katara as the big sister he always wanted instead, making their relationship more wholesome than weird? i think he’s such a centralized character, but when i develop the others beyond the show, aang feels like he’s left behind.

maybe that’s part of it too! he is a boy out of time, and now more of a concept than a person as far as anyone else outside of his immediate group knows. in this au where i intend to age everyone up, i’m just curious to see what kind of man aang would grow up into if his motivations for katara was never there. i see him as trying to hold onto his lost childhood and then having to come to terms with the fact he can’t. but i’d love to hear your thoughts. who is aang outside of that? his journey has the opportunity to be so fascinating, but brykke kind of said hey! let’s not get into that! let’s make him a creepy god boy who gets whatever he wants!

(also to note, this version of aang is meant to be with azula and while i love the meta ive seen about taang i do personally hc her as a lesbian but i do like them but yeah!)

also sorry if this is too rambly i’m just very excited!

hi! This is such a nice message, and please never apologize for rambling! My blog is a safe space for all ramblers. Your fic sounds like a very exciting project!

I definitely agree with you that he’d try to hold onto his childhood & have a hard time with his grief; coming to terms with the depth of his loss would be an exceptionally interesting arc. His people were victims of genocide: his culture and his loved ones were brutally murdered. Nobody can replace that community, not even his chosen family of the Gaang, and certainly not a romantic partner.

But Aang certainly is somebody outside of all that tragedy too. I think his cheerfulness and optimism, his playfulness, his resilience, his reluctance to assume responsibility, and his prodigiousness are all important facets of his personality.

Here's my piping hot take: Aang is James Potter with a more tragic backstory and less of a cruel streak. Think about it: mischievous, funny, adventurous, brave, enjoys attention, popular, devoted to friends, prodigious, entitled when it comes to love interests, morally inflexible, dedicated to Good, can be too arrogant to recognize his own faults. We hear that James became a pretty decent guy, so there's plenty of potential for growth for Aang, especially if he doesn't get his forever girl at age twelve.

Aang has a big heart and stringent morals, but is still a bit of a trickster. Not in a malicious way, but in a “I have a zest for life way” that gives him a little bit of an edge beyond just being a sunshine boy. You can see this even in ep 1, when he sacrifices himself so that the village would be left alone, only to haul ass out of the Fire Nation ship as soon as they’re safe. You can also see it in The Great Divide, where he straight up just fabricates history lmao. Lying is not an issue for him at all, which indicates it’s not really part of his moral code.

On the other hand, he obviously feels very strongly about taking life, which indicates a black and white approach towards morality that is not uncommon in kids. I could see an older, more mature Aang being led to question his own approach to morality, particularly by someone like Zuko, who probably finds violence a lot more palatable than lying. I think there are very interesting cultural differences that can be explored here, which doesn’t necessarily mean that Aang will change his opinions, only that he’ll have greater respect for how other cultures see right and wrong, and that he can keep Air Nomad culture alive without taking on the burden of being the manifestation of that culture. He has the innate impulse to try to see the best in people, which is at odds with his black and white morals sometimes. Related to that, he really struggles with morally grey characteristics in his friends. I think that if he had a fleshed out opportunity to properly disagree with his friends, he may not necessarily change his own mind, but he might grow to value his friends' freedom of choice over imposing his own values on them, since one of the cornerstones of Air Nomad philosophy is apparently about freedom. I think his pacifist voice is an important contribution to their ragtag group of overpowered pre-teens and teens and I love it when that aspect is explored in fics.

I've seen some really good depictions of Aang-not-obsessed-with-Katara in fanfiction (Southern Lights has my favourite one; in fact it's my fave characterization of basically everyone except for Mai). I see most of his flaws as things he can grow out of, but only if he encounters difficult situations and learns to grow. Have fun with your fic, and please do share in any relevant tags once you start posting!

[waterfire1848]

Ohh I just had another AU-Idea for the headcanon ask :) How about Azula being a combustionbender like P'Li or Combustion-Man. Don't know if it could be Azutara or Sokkla :D

Hello, @subterraneanwatcher !!! (Thanks for the second ask!!😁)

1. When Azula is born, she isn’t born as the same strong bender we know her as in canon. She’s a good bender, but not a prodigy. For the most part, she grows up pretty much the same alongside Zuko but the Fire Sages start to notice something about her. She’s constantly complaining of headaches, says her head feels stuffy and she once sneezed a small blast came from her forehead. The Fire Sages discover what’s going on and, one day, while Ursa and Ozai are away, the sages take a five year old Azula and tattoo the third eye onto her forehead. Upon returning, Ursa is instantly greeted by her crying child who now has a third eye on her forehead and says the Fire Sages did it. Needless to say, even with their explanation, Ozai and Ursa aren’t happy. However, the truth is now out there: Azula is a combustion bender.

2. Azula covers her third eye constantly in school because she doesn’t want anyone to know. Her father says it's a rare talent but Azula can't help but feel like a freak. No one else in the royal family has a third eye and no one in her school does either. The one time she didn't wear her covering out into town, some kids made fun of her and called her a monster. Azula meets Mai and Ty Lee when she's six and accidentally bumps into them causing her to lose her covering. While she's trying to shield her eye, Ty Lee hands her back her covering and says her eye looks cool. (Ty Lee: You look amazing! That eye is so cool! Can you do stuff with it? Does it blink? Does it need sunglasses? Mai: Ty, she can only answer so many questions. Ty Lee: Right. Sorry....but I still want to know and then I have so many more!! *Happy jumping*) Azula doesn't wear her covering anymore in front of them after that (she never wore it at home anyways but now she can take it off at lunch and stuff)

3. Since there aren't any real combustion benders that are known enough to teach Azula, she learns on her own. She usually goes away from the palace (sometimes with Ty Lee, Mai and Zuko) and trains herself. On day, while she and Ty Lee are away from the city and training. Azula accidentally fires an incredibly big blast that neither of them were expecting. Ty Lee was too close to the blast and is caught up in it. When Azula finds Ty Lee, the girl is hardly breathing and can't really move. Azula gets her to a healer but it's too late. In grief, anger and heartbreak, Azula runs away. She runs as far as she can possibly go: into the Earth Kingdom city of Omashu to be precise. Of course covering her third eye. (I'd like to add on that Azula is 9 when she runs away)

4. Years later, Azula encounters the Avatar and his team in Omashu but doesn't interact with them much. The Avatar being back doesn't mean that much to Azula, who doesn't really care about the war one way or another. It's when the FN overtakes the city and Team Avatar returns that she starts to take notice. She sees them fight Fire Nation soldiers for Bumi and, in a split second decision, decides to help, sending a blast at the soldiers. (Aang: THAT WAS AWESOME! I'm Aang! What's your name! Azula: Azula. Aang: Wow! Are you a combustion bender!? I've read about that but I've never seen it! That's so cool! Katara: Aang. I think you're freaking her out a little. Azula: No. It's okay. I just...No one's been that excited about my third eye in a long, long time). Azula agrees to go with the Gaang and help eventually teach Aang firebending.

5. While they make their way through the EK, desert, and Ba Sing Se, Azula and Katara start to grow closer and closer. Katara tells Azula about the South Pole and what their group has been doing so far and Azula tells her about the Fire Nation (she might have forgotten to mention the whole princess element though). While in Ba Sing Se, after Long Feng wins, the man reveals to the Gaang that Azula is the missing princess of the Fire Nation. Azula doesn't really care what anyone else thinks except for Katara, who's mostly just pissed Azula didn't tell her. Aang doesn't die in this but the Gaang does flee to Hakoda's ships where there is clear tensions between Azula and Katara. Katara finally goes to talk to Azula and tells her that she's angry she didn't think she deserved to know but before she can finish Azula asks her to leave if she's going to leave (Azula: I...I can't lose another person in some long drawn out way, so if you want me to go or you want to leave please just go. Katara, pushing Azula's face towards hers: I don't want to go and I don't want you to go. I want you to tell me the truth. Azula: I...Okay) That's the night Azula and Katara officially get together.

[lilbagdermole]

Hello! It's always great to meet another Taang shipper!

What do you love most about Taang?

I hope you have a great day!!!

Hey!!

Oh, it's so nice to see that Taang is still loved by so many people (and it's always really nice to see active blogs about them ^^)

What do I love most about Taang?

I love their dynamics. They bounce off each other almost harmoniously, because they are opposites in so many aspects of their lives: beliefs and morals, elements, backgrounds and childhoods. They clash and struggle and are far from perfect, yet, no matter how big the storm, how complex the disagreement - they always reconcile, they always listen to one another, they always learn and grow and strive to become better people. They respect one another so much to work around their oppositions and thus balance and understand one another in ways that no other member of the ATLA cast can replicate (with Aang and Toph).

And though they are natural opposites, they still have so much in common if you delve deeper. Aang and Toph are the youngest in the Gaang - and share the same love for teasing and joking; they share a very deep connection with the the original benders of their respective elements (Toph with the Badgermoles and Aang with Appa); they both runaway from their homes at a young age because of paramount expectations; both are masters of their bending - even inventing a new form/bending style at 12 years-old (air scooter and metalbending).

Aang represented all Toph needed in her life - freedom, loyalty, companionship and a friend. He saw her beyond her perceived weakness and never underestimated her capabilities as an earthbender and his potential master. He taught her to trust and confide, understood her when no other person did and soften the hard edges that she'd constructed to protect herself from her suffocating reality. In a sense, Aang was a breath of fresh air in her life.

Toph, on the other hand, represented all Aang needed - stability, confidence, strength. Aang, being the Avatar, had been coddled and protected by almost everyone - Katara, Sokka, admirers, etc. He wasn't Aang, he was a symbol - a symbol of hope and peace. But Toph didn't care about his divine-like power, didn't care that everyone around him praised the very ground he stepped on - in Toph's perspective, Aang was Aang. A kid just like her and she treated him as equals; never afraid of pushing him to further his growth; she taught him to stand his ground, face his enemies head on, become a stronger, confident bender. She was the ground that anchored him to the mortal world and made him feel normal.

It's also poetic, in the finale - Toph is in the air whilst Aang is mostly on Earth. And, may I add, that at the end, whilst Zuko and Katara ultimately did teach him plenty so he could face the Firelord, Aang's preferred bending style, that was not his own, was Earthbending. The element that had once stumped him, frustrated him; the hardest element to master, his opposite... and now, he used it to protect himself, to shield and fight. He used every technique Toph taught him - rock armor, crushing earth, even seismic sense... Toph ultimately saved Aang during the Finale.

I can go on and on about them, but I'm in the midst of writing a dissertation on Toph and Aang's development and potential in ATLA - so I'll save most of my thoughts for that whenever I get to completing it.

And... let's be honest. Aang and Toph together just look so beautiful. They would be the IT COUPLE in ATLA - their canonical height difference should be reason enough to stan Taang. Avatar and The World's Greatest Earthbender... come on now! And it would just fit right - Aang as an adult would have to travel the world and Toph would gladly travel alongside him since she doesn't have a "home" (Aang is her home); and, as adults they could built Republic City from the ground up whilst also balancing raising a family... UGH! IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SO GOOD!!!

[quokkaholic]

SKZ x ATLA Headcanon

(idk what the overlap between these two fandoms is like, but I stan both)

This who I think would be each Skz members’ fav Avatar the Last Airbender characters.

Gaang : Side: Obscure

𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹 𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹 𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹 𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹 𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹 𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹 𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹

Bang Chan

Katara: Iroh Appa: The mechanist

I think Chan would see himself in Katara’s caring and parental nature. He would try to chose Iroh as his favorite side character, but all the members love Iroh so much (like us all) that they would start fighting over him, so he changes to Appa due to his major but understated roll in the story. Similar to why he loves Katara, Chan admires the mechanists willingness to do anything and everything to protect his people and family even at the expense of his morality.

Lee know

Aang: Azula: Won Shi Tong

I think Lee know likes the way Aang remains connected to his culture and traditions even though he is practically the last one in the world that follows them. He also likes that Aang clings to his goofy nature even when the literal fate of the world is up to him. Lee know loves Azula's wit and cunning and drive to do whatever it takes to get what she wants. Idk why but Lee know gives Won Shi Tong big time especially when he is putting on his more like kamidere/arrogant persona. Lee know would like Won Shi Tong's no bullshit attitude and unsettling presentation.

Changbin

Toph: Ty Lee: The boulder/ Jeong jeong (the deserter)

These felt so obvious to me. Changbin loves Toph's self assuredness and confidence. Even though Changbin is definitely more humble, I think he likes that Toph truly is the best and isn't afraid to say it. He likes how bubbly and sweet Ty Lee is, as well as the fact that she is often overlooked because of it but doesn't change. He likes that even despite her struggles she is able to maintain her cutesy personality. The boulder is so self explanatory. When it comes to Jeong jeong, Binnie admires Jeong jeong's acknowledgement of the dangers of his own power and reluctance to teach the avatar because of it.

Hyunjin

Zuko: Princess Yue: Jin (the girl Zuko goes on a date with)

I think Hyunjin really identifies with Zuko's inner turmoil, flipping back and forth on what is “right”. Hyunjin LOVES Princess Yue. He loves the way she shows immense strength along side her beauty and fragility rather than despite it. He also loves the tragic love story. I thought of Jin when thinking of Hyunjin. I think he likes the lovestruck teen archetype, but rather than just her as a character, he really likes her relationship with Zuko. I think he loves the scenes of Zuko attempting to be a normal teen but no matter how hard he tries, Zuko can't fit in. I think Jinnie would resonate with that.

Han

Sokka: Mai/Jet: Huu (swamp bender that controls the vine monster)

Again, these felt very obvious to me. I think Han likes the comic relief that Sokka provides, but what he really likes is Sokka's ingenuity and ability to make the most of what he was given. I think he also resonates with Sokka feeling like an outsider. I had to include Mai bc Han also would relate to Mai's angsty teen ways, but I think he likes Jet more. Han would like that Jet's story shows that the drive to right others wrongs can, and often does, lead to you committing wrongs yourself. Han likes Huu because he reminds him of Lee know: silly but enigmatic and profoundly wise.

Felix

Katara: Suki: Hama

I think Felix has a thing for strong female characters (who doesn't?). He loves Katara's determination and passion for water bending and willingness to break rules and norms in order to become a master. He loves Suki's strength, again her smashing societal expectations by not only being a bad ass warrior woman but also a nonbender. Hama does some messed up stuff, but I think Felix would empathize with her past and admire her staunch determination to survive and persist in a land of people who hate her and people like her.

Seungmin

Zuko: June: Aunt Wu (the fortune teller)/ The cabbage man

I think Seungmin would connect with the destiny aspect of Zuko's story. That Zuko was so concerned with what he thought should be or what he wanted his destiny to be, that he couldn't see what he was truly meant to do, Seungmin finds really moving. If you have eyes, you should be in love with June. Like Iroh, I think she is a well loved character among the members. He likes her badass aura and don't need no man attitude. I think Seungmin would really like Aunt Wu's ruse as well as the fact that even though she is lying to town she has become a pillar of the community and keeps up the act to appease the townspeople. Cabbage man is self explanatory

I.N

Toph: King Bumi/ Momo: Chong (secret tunnel guy)

I think I.N would like her confidence like Changbin, but really admire her independence. As the maknae, I think I.N might, like Toph, be hyper-independent in order to try to prove something. I.N would like Bumi's quiet brilliance, allowing everyone around him to think he's a senile old man while truly being a strategic mastermind who is also insane. It would remind him of himself: often silent but brain always buzzing. It may just be the fennec fox aspect of Momo's design, but I.N has a soft spot for the flying lemur. Chong is again self explanatory but I think I.N likes Chong’s go with the flow disposition.

𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹 𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹 𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹 𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹 𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹 𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹 𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹

A.n- This is my first headcanon. I'll probably do what benders I think they are next or maybe which LOK characters they like. Let me know if you agree with these or have other thoughts!

-mo💨🌊🪨🔥

Masterlist

[stitch1830]

I would like to ask several questions regarding Taang, which would be much appreciated.

First, what would be the headcanon for the Dunebabies once all of them reach adulthood?

Second, what would be the headcanon for each member of the family (Toph and the Dunebabies) in regard to their interaction with the new Avatar?

Thank you in advance.

Hi Anon, thank you for the ask! It’s been a while since I’ve thought about my Taang headcanons, so hopefully these will be suitable haha!

For context, my Dunebabies are Lin, Gyatso, Suyin, and Kenji. Boys are airbenders, girls are earthbenders.

Okie dokie! Let’s get into the question.

I haven’t really thought too much about the Dunebabies as adults. My favorite parts of ATLA to explore are the mysterious years between ATLA and LOK when the Gaang are in their prime. Still, it’s hard not to think about the next gen becoming adults, starting their own families, etc.!

For Lin, I typically have her becoming the Chief of Police for Republic City. It’s an emotional day for the Beifongs, but Toph and Aang are very proud of all of Lin’s accomplishments. Not sure about who she’d end up with, but I imagine that she’s in a happy relationship, perhaps with a kiddo or two 0-0. Lin’s got a more lighthearted personality than in the show, but she’s still relatively stoic. Aang jokes that she gets it from the monks lol.

For Gyatso, he really falls into the role of being the airbending master after Aang. He manages the Air Temples, works closely with the Air Acolytes, and is a free spirit that’s flying around all the time. I’d imagine it would take him the longest to settle down with anyone, but it’s a possibility! He’s an absolute sweetie so he’s a catch <3

For Suyin, I see her being this adventurous, city building matriarch. Not sure I headcanon that she’s with Baatar, but never say never with my AU LOL. She definitely gets started on having a family the earliest, from the start she wanted a big, loud, rambunctious family (kind of like the one she grew up with). She loves bossing people around and being a leader/trailblazer, so I think establishing Zhaofu is a great career for her haha!

For Kenji, he’s a bit of a mystery for me. Very similar to his parents, he has trouble staying in one place for long. But since he leans more into his Earth Kingdom heritage/earthbending tendencies more than the Air Nation/airbending tendencies, I think he tries to fight the thought of being this figurehead for rebuilding the Air Nation. He wants to create his own path, and so for a while, he’s out there trying to compete in pro bending tournaments, Earth Rumble events, creating new fighting techniques and all that. Kenji is very close with Toph, so I think he’d turn to her for help/advice, and when Aang dies, he’s always returning home to check in on Toph. Like Gyatso, he wouldn’t settle down quickly, but I can see it happening if he finds the right person!

Tbh, I think all the Beifong kiddos could have their own families, especially because they grew up in a very close family.

When it comes to meeting the new Avatar, I think they all spend a few moments with the Avatar Korra, but they find it so strange because they see/notice bits and pieces of Aang in this little kid. They still miss their dad so much, so noticing these details makes them a little emotional. But, they’re glad that Aang’s spirit lives on in Korra, and they want to honor him by doing what they can to make sure she gets the proper training and is ready to take on the role and responsibility.

Toph knows this is the new Avatar because she can feel all the similarities, particularly with her heartbeat. I think if Toph was emotionally available/able to help with the Avatar search, she would've found Korra pretty quickly just based on the heartbeat.

It's a bittersweet feeling for Toph, and she takes some time to come to terms with it because she misses him so much, but I think when the time came, she would find Korra and train her in earthbending. Partly because she wants to, and partly because she knows it's what Aang would've wanted.

Plus, she'd get to yell at Twinkle Toes again, and she never minds doing that haha!

Okay! I think that's all I got for these questions. Thanks again for the ask, Anon! If I missed anything, feel free to stop by with some more questions. Hope you have a great day :D

......

Send me asks about ATLA, LOK, or anything, really! :D

[yikes-kachowski]

Hiii! I dropped by on accident and found out your avatar headcanons and OCs so so nice

I gotta ask a few curiosities of mine if that's cool? *takes out a notebook and a pen*

- since katara and zuko are a thing, did it make their friendship with aang weird or was he cool with it instantly? And how did it even began for them? Did it followed the show's events? Did Aang even got a crush on Katara?

- What happens to Azula?

- How does all these next gen kids react when Korra shows up? Is it weird, is it fine, is it all the same? I mean, they all knew the previous avatar and he was pretty much their family and all. Tho I think them having their own lives also mean it's not that much of a deal?

- Is Katara still one of Korra's teaching masters?

- Sokka's kids get along?

- Does Tenzin and Bumi eventually get okay with each other?

- Korra still loses her connection to the past avatars and therefore Aang? Do they even talk, like he did to Roku and all?

- do you have any other headcanon or change of other characters from tlok or tloa that you mind sharing? like, a plot from tlok that you think it could be better improved or discarded, or something that happens on your universe and you haven't talked about yet?

Sorry for this such a big of an ask, i really REALLY liked these ideas you had (and your art is also amazing and so awesome and pretty too 💞).

heyyyy anon! sorry for the late reply, i hope you still see this.

First of all, thank you! I love genuine interest in my stuff I never expect it. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy and clever. ALSO thanks for complimenting my art! i'm a slow artist so my blood sweat and tears (mostly tears) are in every drawing !!!

onto answering your questions to the best of my ability:

1) Aang is completely cool with Katara and Zuko's relationship. He's basically their biggest shipper :) He did have a crush on Katara (and Zuko tbh), but he was able to let it go pretty quickly. As the Avatar, after the war he was almost too busy to even be sad about it. Overwhelmingly, he was just happy for his friends

Also, Katara and Zuko get together after the war, when Katara's about 17 and he's about 19. Katara goes to the South Pole and they fall for each other through letters and short visits.

Most show events aren't really taken out for me. Just really the kiss right at the end.

2) Azula has a redemption arc. I like to think of it as being a redemption arc she herself is hardly aware of. She just thinks she's really in the long haul of fooling the gaang into liking her. Her redemption arc starts immediately after the war because Zuko keeps her safe in the palace.

Aang becomes her friend first and encourages everyone else to give her a chance. Sokka provides an outlet for all of her older brother issues, since she and Zuko have an awkward relationship. And Katara is tutored by Azula in Fire Nation etiquette and history so she's better equipped to be Fire Lady.

sorry if this is confusing, but believe it or not this rambling all makes sense to me.

3) Korra is very important to the next gen kids, aang's kids and the zk especially. Her arrival is in the middle of great political conflict that never would have happened if Aang wasn't murdered, so they're eager to get her in on the Avatar business.

My idea with Aang dying so young, is that all of his business is half finished. His kids didn't get real closure for their relationship. So Bumi, Yelaan, Palkyi and Tenzin all have complex feelings toward her. Bumi's in particular are very intense.

Being around Korra FEELS like being in his father's presence, which is hard for him. He doesn't want aang to have been a good person or a good father because then he'd really have to miss and mourn everything he was gone for. but this is a lot and hard for me to say so

the steambabies also need Korra and consider her central. They watched their parents' reactions when Aang died (particularly Zuko), and that has affected them deeply. Sakari has been advised to always follow the avatar, so she's happy to have guidance. Besides, she hopes the Avatar will restore and era of peace since she worries for Bumi and Akiak.

Akiak has changed since Aang died, a lot. In ways he's not always proud of. Facing Korra is somewhat hard for him for that reason. Especially since sometimes she opposes some of his methods. He thinks her way of bringing peace is naive.

Tophs kids (and Tenzin to some extent) are the same :)

4) Yes! Katara is one of her waterbending masters. I feel like when you're an Avatar's Master, that's your role for life. She already knows how to train the Avatar. She, Zuko, and Toph taught Korra in the right order, and are old friends with her. Korra has already met the whole Gaang even if she doesn't see Toph or Zuko as often as she'd like

5) I usually choose not to give Sokka kids. I feel like he doesn't want to be a father (even though he'd definitely be the best at it). He and Suki work too hard and have agreed they just aren't super interested in kids. He and Suki are full time Aunt and Uncle to all of the Next Gen. Now, ive made some OCs for asks and I'd say that they do get along :)

6) Bumi and Tenzin's relationship is ROUGH in this story, but yes, they do. It takes a while but eventually they're only mildly hostile with each other. Tenzin helps Bumi reconnect with Air Nomad culture, and Bumi helps him commune with the spirits better. This is jumpstarted by Korra.

7) Korra does keep communication with her past lives! But her path to being a fully realized Avatar is much more difficult. The decision to raise her in a compound was a mistake, and so her growth as an avatar is severely set back. This means, she speaks to her past lives when they reach out to her (and she's in tune enough to listen). Aang is not easy for her to talk to, but eventually she masters it. She doesn't really tell anyone because she's scared everyone will then only want to talk to aang, not her.

8) First of all: for atla, i write very particular cultures and geographies to expand the universe. They affect things in only minor ways for the most part in atla. Also, Aang is trans. I love it too much for it to not be true (if youre wondering how he had kids he made deals with spirits)

Now for tlok. In my opinion, it's very necessary for the different conflicts to not have clear starts and ends. These should all be interweaving conflicts that everyone's caught in the middle of. Not only does this facilitate a lot more character interactions, but it also builds stress and feels realistic.

Mako and Bolin are former triad members and pro athletes, they should be rougher around the edges. Also, Mako would NEVER EVER become a cop after seeing the direct damage they cause marginalized communities. I think that perspective would be very important for korra as an avatar.

Season two plotlines should just be a civil war between north and south. Tbh, I'm not digging all of the subtle ways the north takes over the south, and I imagine the south isn't either. They separated from the north for a reason, and then during the war, the north didn't even help them. The tensions were rising and Aang never came up with a good long term solution when he was alive, and that affects Korra.

Season three's plotline can mostly stay the same except there is no harmonic convergence that introduces new airbenders. The airbenders are the group that they are. They're travelling the earth kingdoms doing peace talks since much of the earth kingdoms don't want to be under ba sing se. Particularly the Si Wong Desert. Aang was in active peace talks when died and was never able to come up with a long term solution.

Season four is also mostly the same except no mechs or spirit nukes.

All the while the equalists are raging on at home.

ANYWAY. thanks for the ask! I hope you see this after i posted it SOOOO late.

See the pattern? Korra must fill aang's shoes while also dealing with all of his unfinished business. Every character serves a unique perspective that helps inform korras decisions.

I dont think these ideas are perfect and the only way to write Korra, but I think they make sense. They help tell a story Im more interested in.