#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!

[mal3vol3nt]

Are people like these even really Katara stans?

https://www.tumblr.com/illycanary/744233626924875776/kataras-story-is-a-tragedy-and-its-not-an?source=share

"Katara continues to be the manager of everyone else's emotions while simultaneously punching down her own. The scales finally seem to tip when Zuko joins the group. With Zuko, we see someone working alongside Katara doing the same tasks she is doing around camp for the first time."

bruh what? the way zutaras will literally make shit up and try to pass it off as canon is laughable

first off, katara canonically is not made to do the work around camp alone. there is literally an entire episode after toph joins the group where katara gets onto her because she isn't carrying her weight like everyone else does. she utters these words in book 2 episode 8 "the chase":

Katara: So Toph, usually when setting up camp, we try to divide up the work.

Toph: [Shrugging casually.] Hey, don't worry about me. I'm good to go.

Katara: Well, actually what I'm trying to say is, [Holds arms out in gesture.] some of us might fetch water, while someone else might set up the fire pit, or put up the tent. [Momo flies over to her, dropping several berries he had collected into her hands.] Even Momo does his fair share.

this whole "katara is forced to do all the work around camp like the woman she is" argument that zks have been throwing around is so stupid because it is entirely untrue. i'm assuming this comes from the few times where we see katara cook food, which in the minds of zks is proof that sokka, aang, and even toph all bully katara into being their mommy who feeds them and that katara is in need of a big strong feminist man like a fire nation colonizer prince to rescue her. but what about all the times where we see aang and sokka fend for themselves or even provide the food? in the episode where we meet haru, sokka is the one who went hunting for the food. aang frequently has to find food for himself considering his diet is different from all his friends ("the headband" where aang says he'll find some lettuce in the garbage while his friends head into a meat shop). katara is not the only one who performs manual labor in the gaang i can promise you that

secondly, when are y'all going to let the "katara does all the emotional labor in the gaang" argument die. it is actually such a comically stupid argument considering it is birthed out of the instances where katara makes the conscious decision to console aang while he's in the avatar state. the first instance being where he stumbles upon the decayed body of his mentor and best friend, gyatso, thus proving that the fire nation was in fact there at the temples and did in fact kill his people. this sends aang into an emotionally triggered avatar state. do y'all realize how much he must have been hurting for the avatar state to be forced upon him? it is stated multiple times in the show that the avatar state is a defense mechanism, so imagine how badly he must have been in pain for his body and spirit to go into defense mode. katara made the decision to console him instead of running for her life because she is a kind-hearted person who can relate to the loss of a loved one. in front of her was another genocide survivor finding out that he is completely alone in this world without his people. she was being kind-hearted by telling him that he still has a family with her and sokka and that despite his loss he is not alone. i would not consider that emotional labor considering aang was quite literally experiencing one of the worst things a person can experience: finding out your entire race of people have been exterminated and you are the sole survivor

the second instance of katara reaching out to aang while he's in the avatar state is when he comes face to face with the sandbenders who stole appa. this is the one most zks latch onto because they think it's ridiculous that aang went into a rage over "the loss of a pet", forcing katara to act as his emotional support system once again. you guys lack so much empathy it is insane. appa is not just "a pet" to aang. in fact, he's not even a pet to him. appa is his best and longest friend, the one other being who was alive to see the air nation at its most beautiful and the only other being who possessed the ability to airbend. in the earth kingdom chronicles, aang says it himself that he doesn't feel like the last airbender with appa around. so appa is not just a friend but a literal connection to his lost people and culture. not only that, but appa is aang's animal guide. they have a spiritual connection, so i bet you anything that when appa was lost it felt like a piece of aang's very spirit had gone with him. aang lost so much the moment appa was taken from him that i'm genuinely surprised so many people use "the desert" episode as something against him. again, how much pain do you think he was in to have the avatar state forced upon him? a lot of people seem to forget that aang doesn't purposefully go into the avatar state, something he isn't even capable of doing considering he has yet to master it. he is literally being triggered into it in every single instance before the finale. katara reaching out to him isn't aang being manipulative by forcing her to take care of him. it is literally just her recognizing that her friend has been pushed beyond his limits and deciding to be there for him rather than run from him

aang tries doing this for her in "the southern raiders" when her pain and rage pushes her into behaving a certain way that is unlike her, but y'all brush this off as him not accepting the "real her" so you can keep living in this delusion that katara is only truly understood by zuko and all her friends and her literal brother just don't get her. "Zuko is the only person who never expects anything of her" WRONG. he literally asks her what is wrong with her when she isn't behaving friendly towards him like everyone else, expecting her to do so because all the others have already forgiven him. rewatch this episode again since it's y'alls favorite but try actually paying attention this time

"...and whose emotions she never has to manage because he's actually more emotionally stable and mature than she is by that point."

y'all do not actually like katara. because someone who actually likes katara would not say that a man who literally became physically sick after he did ONE (1) good thing is more emotionally stable and mature than her. zuko's redemption arc is not complete by the end of the story and i need yall to get that through your heads. by the end of the show, he is still racially unaware and insensitive (his comments toward aang) and in order for a former colonizer to be fully redeemed, he has to become aware of his racial insensitivity/prejudices and fix that. just because he switched sides and helped end the war doesn't mean his work is done. he still has a long way to go, and if you consider the comics canon then he actually MAJORLY backtracks on his path to redemption by asking his genocidal maniac of a father for political advice. give me a fucking break. never speak on katara if you genuinely think zuko has a leg up on her in terms of maturity of any sort. this is the same boy who decided to start spitting balls of fire at aang instead of using his big boy voice to communicate the urgency of them continuing to train. and to be fair, no one in the gaang is really all that mature, katara included, but zuko is 100% at the end of the line. the only reason y'all think he is super mature is because he had his worldview changed whereas all the other characters didn't have to go through that to become good people

"For reasons that are never explained or justified, Katara rewards the hero by giving into his romantic advances even though he has invalidated her emotions, violated her boundaries, lashed out at her for slights against him she never committed, idealized a false idol of her then browbeat her when she deviated from his narrative, and forced her to carry his emotions and put herself in danger when he willingly fails to control himself—even though he never apologizes, never learns his lesson, and never shows any inclination to do better." 

the utter delusion

katara does not just "give in" to aang's advances. she returns them herself and we see that throughout the show. aang is the only one she is physically affectionate with (cheek kisses, hand stroking his cheek, holding him against herself, etc.) and the only one who she doesn't have a teasing banter with. he is the only character, other than jet, who makes her blush multiple times. him leaving in "the awakening" left her so upset that the trauma of her dad leaving was of equal levels of hurt. she got jealous of him dancing with another girl in "the headband" which would only make sense if she had feelings for him. zutaras have convinced their selves that katara never had any actual feelings for aang and that is just canonically untrue

the whole "aang sexually assaulted katara" argument needs to die. in atla/tlok, spontaneous kisses are not meant to depict sexual violence/violations. now this is 100% the mistake of the writers for not choosing to go about creating romantic drama in a way that is healthier and more acceptable in the real world, but it is clear that in these universes those kisses are not meant to be actual violations of the characters' autonomy. especially considering that many of the spontaneous kisses we get between characters are well-received with only the few being used to spike drama. this is much the same with aang and katara. aang kissing her before the invasion was spontaneous but well-received as she kissed him back and blushed. the kiss during the play intermission was not well-received and was a mistake on his part. the atla/tlok writers should not have used these kisses to create romantic drama/tension in the shows and should have portrayed better communication between couples to firmly establish consent. now after the ember island play, aang and katara's relationship is put on the backburner as they must focus on ending the war, and when their relationship is picked back up once the war is over it is katara who initiates contact. she follows him outside, hugs him, and then leans in to kiss him. she takes the lead here and he follows her cues

i don't know what this person means when they say aang lashes out at her for slights she never committed because aang rarely ever lashes out at any of his friends. the one instance that immediately comes to mind is, of course, "the desert" where everyone becomes his opp lmao. but i have to ask the question, why are characters like zuko allowed to lash out when they're emotionally suffering but aang isn't? zuko lashes out at iroh so many times during season 3 alone that i'm surprised zuko stans even feel comfortable holding other characters' moments of aggression against them. now if this person is maybe referring to "the southern raiders" where aang tries to keep katara from murdering someone, then i'm still confused. because aang doesn't ever get angry with her during that episode. he isn't happy, obviously, but he's never angry with her nor does he talk down at her or accuse her of committing any kind of act that isn't truthful to the situation. at most, he tells her that she sounds like jet which isn't entirely wrong. jet's trauma turned into rage that overwhelmed his character and became the driving force of his behavior. it led to him not caring if people died, as long as he was able to hurt the people who hurt him in the process. and while the comparison isn't perfect and hearing it didn't help katara, it isn't entirely unsupported. again, not sure what op was getting at here but i'll take a wild guess and assume it's not even based on canon in the first place

aang never idealizes her as a false idol and then browbeats her when she strays from his idea of her. that's just stupid. now i know this is referring to "the southern raiders". aang loves katara's fire. he cheers for her when she fights pakku. he calls her a hero when he finds out she's been lying to help the village in "the painted lady". he even jumps at the opportunity to help her and has the biggest smile on his face while doing so. he absolutely does not think katara is this perfect saint who isn't capable of destruction. if anything, he knows katara has a fire within her and he loves it when it comes out because it usually ends with her helping others in need and changing their environment for the better. the only thing is, he wants to see this fierceness be expressed in healthy ways because he cares about her. when katara wants to murder yon rha, she's in a blind rage. her emotions are haywire and all she can focus on is what she believes will alleviate her of this pain and guilt she feels surrounding her mother's death. it is much similar to what aang went through in "the desert" when he had the chance to get back at the sandbenders. but katara reached out to him, allowing him to let his anger out--to express himself--before calming down. and she didn't do this because she thought aang's rage was wrong but because she knows aang. he'd be so angry with himself if he came out of his rage and saw what he did. "the southern raiders" was katara's "the desert". she had the opportunity to confront yon rha but wanted to kill him. aang (and sokka!!! her literal brother!! the person who has known her her whole life!! and can share a piece of the actual tragedy she's mourning!!!!) tries talking her down from killing the man because he knows she'll regret it when she comes out of her rage. aang isn't against her rage, in fact he tells her to let her anger out. he just doesn't want her to get her hands bloody at 14-years-old. i don't know why this is so controversial, but not wanting your friend to commit murder in cold blood shouldn't make you the devil reincarnated

"and forced her to carry his emotions and put herself in danger when he willingly fails to control himself" you zutaras lack so much empathy it's actually pathetic to witness. "willingly"?? it is stated over and over again how aang does NOT have control of the avatar state and it is a DEFENSE MECHANISM. it is his instinct as the avatar. he can't suppress it nor get out of it until he masters control. katara did not have to reach out to him during those moments. she could have ran away like sokka and toph did. she chose not to though because even when he's in the avatar state she sees him as a human 12-year-old who has literally gone through so much tragedy, has pushed down so much, that it all comes to a head when confronted with his pain full on. she reaches out to him because she cares and wants to keep him from making a mistake. it is not her responsibility to do that, and aang never forces that on her. if anything, it is being forced on him considering he literally cannot control the power of the avatar state yet

and he DOES learn. his mistakes are always addressed by him beating himself up for them, repressing his emotions, and accepting the consequences. in "bato of the water tribe", aang owns up to his mistake and then accepts the consequences. he doesn't try begging sokka and katara for forgiveness or try making them stay. after "the desert", aang feels so bad about his blow up that he literally represses his emotions. he becomes a walking blank slate because he doesn't want to hurt anyone else. in "the serpent's pass", he realizes that it's important for him to still hold onto hope and to not suppress everything he feels. and he literally TALKS TO KATARA AND ADMITS HE WAS WRONG. he tells her that his pain got in the way of his ability to function, but that he has been reminded of the importance of letting yourself have hope and to love. in "the ember island players" he berates himself by saying he was so stupid and banging his head on the banister. he literally always owns up to a mistake and internalizes it by suppressing his actual feelings, accepting the consequences, and berating himself. again, why are characters like zuko allowed to make mistakes, take episodes upon seasons long to realize those mistakes, and then make up for them in the form of "i'm sorry i colonized a part of the world and called you a disgraceful old man" apologies but aang isn't?

"Throughout the comics, Katara makes herself smaller and smaller and forfeits all rights to personal actualization and satisfaction in her relationship. She punches her feelings down when her partner neglects her and cries alone as he shows more affection and concern for literally every other girl’s feelings than hers."

literally huh? are they referring to aang meeting his fanclub and the beginnings of the air acolytes? cause aang doesn't neglect her—is she a puppy or a human girl?

also, katara never suffers in silence and allows aang to do as he pleases even in the shitty comics. she vocalizes herself when she disagrees with him on the harmony movement thing and is the one who gets him to start thinking differently. she doesn't make herself smaller to allow him to be the big and strong man. you zutaras are just stupid as all fuck and want her to become a lesser character so you feel justified in saying that kataang ruined her character

"She becomes cowed by his outbursts and threats of violence. Instead of rising with the moon or resting in the warmth of the sun, she learns to stay in his shadow."

literally pulling shit out your ass. when does aang ever get violent? this is aang we are talking about. the pacifist monk? also, katara is the one who encourages him to accept zuko's promise of killing him if he becomes like ozai. so yeah, sure buddy, aang is the one with the knack for vengeance and katara is his little abused puppy forced to follow his orders or else she won't get her scooby snacks

"She gives up her silly childish dreams of rebuilding her own dying culture’s traditions and advocating for other oppressed groups so that she can fulfill his wishes to rebuild his culture instead—by being his babymaker."

in the comics she helps fight and suppress the budding civil war between the north and southern water tribes. it is canon that she spent a lot of her time going from the water tribes to areas in the earth kingdom that needed her help after the war. her and aang didn't go everywhere together despite their relationship. also, calling her a babymaker is misogynistic. she had 3 children and there is literally nothing to suggest that she did that unwillingly. in fact, we know that katara was excited to have children considering she pestered aunt wu with question after question about who she was gonna marry and how many kids/grandkids she was gonna have. there is nothing to suggest that she never wanted to be a mom. also, becoming a mom doesn't wipe a woman clean of her accomplishments nor does it prohibit her from accumulating more of them. her life did not end when she became a mother and i need y'all to never speak on her if this is your attitude towards motherhood. this girlboss feminism that you zutara stans have is so fucking ridiculous. introduce yourself to intersectionality

"Katara gave up everything she cared about and everything she fought to become for the whims of a man-child who never saw her as a person, only a possession."

again, making shit up and insulting aang for no reason. just because aang, at 12-years-old, behaved childishly doesn't mean that aang, as a grown man, will behave the same exact way. and if you can't see the huge jump in maturity he had from the beginning of the show to the end, then that's you being purposefully obtuse. also, no canon proof that aang ever saw her as a possession considering he fell in love with all aspects of her character and was willing to go to extraordinary lengths to protect her and help her thrive ("why would i choose cosmic energy over katara" and "you're like a secret hero" and the biggest fucking smile a person has ever worn while committing ecoterrorism with his best friend)

"The story’s theme was destiny, remember? But this story’s target audience was little boys. Zuko gets to determine his own destiny as long as he works hard and earns it. Aang gets his destiny no matter what he does or doesn’t do to earn it. And Katara cannot change the destiny she was assigned by gender at birth, no matter how hard she fights for it or how many times over she earns it."

are we forgetting that katara only became a waterbending master, her literal dream, because of HER efforts? pakku turned her away because of her gender but she didn't take that. she made that man fight her. she wasn't going to just sit there and let someone refuse her because she's a girl, and she didn't! she became one of his students and through her OWN hard work became a master. she shaped her future as a waterbending master because she worked hard to ensure it was possible for her. and her talent at waterbending opened her up to new possibilities like healing and bloodbending. her experience with bloodbending was forced upon her and she addressed that by later outlawing bloodbending. she outlawed it. yakone literally namedrops her. but you zutara dumbasses will sit there with your thumb up your ass blabbing about how she was never involved in politics and just became a barefoot housewife for her abusive husband who'd get home and make her give him another baby

"I will never get over it. Because I am Katara. And so are my friends, sisters, daughters, and nieces. But I am not content to live in Bryke's world."

so you admit it? katara is your self insert? you project onto katara and think that because you had a crush on the colonizer that katara should too?

also the white feminism here is insane. again, introduce yourself to intersectionality sometime. it'll radicalize you

"I will never turn my back on people who need me. Including me."

how you felt after saying that

[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.

[wilcze-kudly]

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.

[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 realize 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 bring 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.

[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!

[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 🌷

[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!!!

[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

[djemsostylist]

Zuko/Toph Headcanon: Reflections in a Mirror (are not closer than they appear)

With thanks to @bonesingerofyme-loc for the discord headcanon breakdown over this particular issue

Zuko goes back and forth on his hair for a long time. It's late one evening and he's back from meetings and he's tired and tense and scowling. He catches a glimpse of himself in the mirror, on his unscarred side and all he can see is his father staring back at him. He chops all his hair off with a knife, and his ministers are trying to figure out how to explain it (since it's kind of a big deal culturally of course) and they explain it away as a "training accident" but Zuko can't quite shake the image from his head because he looks more and more like Ozai every day.

When he and Toph meet up it's grown out enough to hang in his eyes a bit, like when he was a teenager, and as time goes on it gets longer and longer.

Toph doesn't mention it, but one evening at camp on the The Field Trip™ she's playing with his hair and mentions that she likes it like this because it's fun to play with and Zuko just like, quietly decides to never cut it again.

(Sokka, of course, remains angry that SOMEONE that wasn't him finally managed to convince Zuko about the proper aesthetics of long hair. Toph is unbearably smug about the whole thing).

At some point on their Field Trip™, sometime after the hair incident, Toph tells him, completely and utterly sincerely, he looks nothing like his father and it's the first time he actually believes it. Toph phrases it about how she sees everyone, but she doesn't really see people in a way that everyone else understands so they kind of just assume she sees the way they see, because just like she can't imagine what they mean when they talk about what someone looks like, she knows they'll never totally understand what she means either. She sees the body, sure, because her sense is strong enough to pick up weight and center of gravity and etc etc, but just as important to all that is everything else like stance, how they hold their weight, how they walk, how they sit, how they move. It's a whole constellation of details about each person, not just the basic physical, and that's why she can say even though she'd only seen Ozai once in her entire life, she knows that Zuko doesn't look anything like him, not at all.

For his part, Zuko is left completely speechless and the only thing he can think to say is "I love you."

It's not the first time he says it (the Gaang say it to each other the way you do, all the time, reflexively the way you do with family) but it's the first time he means it like that.

Toph just responds with a "of course you do" and the requisite punch, but internally she's freaking out because did he mean it the way she thinks he meant it or is it just like it always is, because Toph has massive issues with people caring about her, and also how she views romantic love. She has Aang/Katara and Sokka/Suki as good examples, but they are special and fated and just because it works for them doesn't mean it will work for her, she wasn't lucky enough to meet her soulmate at 12 (which of course she was but...). She can accept exceptions for her friends but not for herself. Childhood trauma doesn't go away, so even with their friends as examples, she still has the reflexive judgement of it from her upbringing, both again, from her parents, and also what they hammered into her about expectations. For her, marriage was always going to be this like, messed up arranged situtationship that came with giving up yourself and expecting nothing and she doesn't know what it means if she loves him. And Zuko is the first person she's ever loved like this, and it's terrifying and exhilarating all at once for her.

(It takes her a while to say it back, not because she doesn't love him (she probably loved him for far longer than a single Field Trip™) but because of the implications of what it all means in the end. Zuko doesn't say it again for a while for her sake and also because he is a little bit afraid of his own daring, but he also says it everyday.)

[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.

[sokkastyles]

Just saw the craziest take. Zuko's redemption arc will be incomplete til he helps his sister heal and he let's go of the sibling rivalry Ozai created. What? Am I missing something? He needs to help his abuser heal?

It's not just the idea that he needs to help his abuser heal that is bad. This idea fails on its very premise. Not to mention that Zuko learning that he did not have to play nice with abusive people or listen to them was a big part of his redemption arc. Which includes Azula because there was that whole thing where he almost joined the gaang in Ba Sing Se until Azula convinced him to join with her, and the climax of his arc was rejecting and atoning for that choice and then defeating Azula in battle in combination with Katara, in a perfect reversal of his choosing Azula over Katara at the end of book 2. Saying NO to Azula was a large part of Zuko's redemption arc.

But the main reason why this take is wrong is that Zuko ALREADY let go of the "sibling rivalry." Which wasn't a sibling rivalry to begin with, because Zuko was never a rival to Azula, he was her Ozai-approved punching bag. Him standing up to her and defeating her was rejecting what Ozai created, which was not a sibling rivalry but a golden child/scapegoat dynamic where Zuko was the scapegoat. Zuko refusing to BE the scapegoat any longer IS letting it go.

Zuko let it go when he told Ozai that Azula lied to him about the Avatar's death. He let it go when he told Ozai that he didn't care about his approval anymore, and therefore has no reason to seek it either from Azula or by fighting her. He doesn't fear being Ozai's scapegoat anymore and he's not cowed by Azula's threats. He chooses to walk away.

And like, I know I keep saying this but I can't stress it enough. What Zuko does in walking away is the thing that abusers fear the most. Believing that you are responsible for "healing" an abusive person is what a lot of abusive people want, because it's another way for them to control the relationship and the narrative. Walking away from an abusive relationship is always a valid choice, and sometimes it's a necessary choice. And sometimes that's what letting go looks like.

And that's sad, but it was never Zuko who couldn't let it go. It's also not Zuko who continues to hold on to it, who challenges his sibling to an agni kai and says it was "always meant to be" even after the other person has chosen to walk away. Zuko left, remember? Azula was the one who came after him in "The Southern Raiders" with the intent to kill him because she couldn't let him walk away and live. Azula is the one who won't back down from a fight and says it was "the showdown that was always meant to be." Zuko came back to face her because he wanted to save the world. Azula is the one who holds onto a personal grudge. Azula is the one who cheats when she realizes she can't win. Azula is the one who almost kills her brother and laughs while he is dying. (Do NOT talk to me about Zuko's expression while she is tied to a grate when Azula had THAT expression after she had struck her brother with lightning.)

Azula is the one who, in the comics, continues to hold onto her hatred, continues to justify Ozai's abusiveness, and rejects Zuko's attempts to reach out to her every single time. Azula is the one who used Zuko's offer of dignity to weasel herself into a position where she could keep their mother's letter from him and force Zuko to take her along and put them all in danger. If anything, I'd say that Zuko's mistake in that comic was believing that she would be helpful to him in the first place and that she wouldn't try to take advantage of him. But the fact that he does continue to try to be kind to her shows how much he has risen above what his family tried to do to him. But he also has every right to be angry at her and distance himself from her completely. Just because he's still hurting doesn't mean he hasn't healed. And Zuko's abusers aren't the ones who get to be the measure of whether he has healed. Especially when they keep trying to hurt him.

I find it interesting that Azula is the one who keeps holding onto the idea that she is Ozai's golden child, and yet I've never, ever, ever seen it suggested that Azula should let it go, even when Zuko has risen above it and Ozai has rejected her. Even while Azula's reluctance to let go of this destructive mindset continues to hurt her as well as those around her. That's what Azula's mother tried to tell her in the mirror at the end of ATLA, that's what Zuko tried to tell her at the end of the "Search," and why she wept when he did. It's also why Ursa offered Azula an apology even when she didn't remember her, because she could see that Azula was holding onto this thing so tenaciously. Azula's mind has been telling her this whole time that she needs to let it go, but she can't. And that's a tragedy, but it's not one that Zuko is responsible for or had any hand in making.