#hakoda love aang and kya would have loved him as well :(

[queen-morgana91]

Hakoda aka best father in law ❤

[waterfire1848]

AU where Aang wakes up 30 years earlier 🙏🏼🙏🏼

Hello, @kibutsulove !!! Got it!

1. Aang wakes up when Hakoda (oldest but smallest of the group except for Aang) 16, Kya is 15, Bato is 15, Ozai is 16, Ursa is 14, and Zhao is 17. When Aang does wake up, he’s woken up thanks to Zhao attacking the village on his first mission and shooting fireballs at Aang’s iceberg (he leaves before noticing Aang). Hakoda, Kya and Bato grab him and bring him back to the village to rest up. Hakoda loves Appa so much while Kya and Bato are digging their nails into the saddle to stay alive.

2. The journey includes Hakoda, Kya and Bato traveling to the North Pole because Aang comes out of the iceberg a decade after Hama is taken away, so he needs to go there to learn waterbending. Hakoda just flat out tackles Pakku and starts punching him when he finds out who he is (Kanna deserved better). Zhao is on their tail the whole time because he’s trying to show off his skills to Ozai (who is too busy hating his showboating brother). Kya and Zhao have one or two or six sessions where they just talk about liking an idiot.

3. When Zhao fails, Ozai wants to go help him (Ursa kind of comes along because she believes the two will die without her) before Iroh (who is also now after Aang) can capture the Avatar. Let’s just say they aren’t as well oiled a team as Team Azula. Ozai is mission driven, Zhao is jealous because Ursa is betrothed to Ozai, and Ursa really is just doing her (she could not possibly care less about capturing Aang but she does find two of his companions kind of cute (bisexual!Ursa))

4. Iroh tries a baby’s first “siege on Ba Sing Se” while Ozai, Zhao and Ursa slip into the city disguises as Kyoshi Warriors. Aang’s earthbending teacher here would probably be Tyro (16) (who sadly isn’t a little blind girl but he is up for all kinds of chaos). Hakoda, Kya and Bato are living their best nonbender lives and watching Tyro through Aang around. (Aang: Aren’t you guys going to help?! Hakoda: You go this! Kya: We believe in you! Bato: Unbroken bones are overrated. Aang: 😑). Kya manages to confess to Hakoda in Ba Sing Se and the two start dating right before the city is taken over by the three Fire Nationals. Aang wouldn’t be killed here because there’s no way to bring him back to life.

5. Tyro, Hakoda, Kya, Bato and Aang all head to the Fire Nation and infiltrate it. While they’re there, Tyro does a prison break, Hakoda learns how to use a new weapon, Kya and Ursa have a secret girls day, Bato goes into the Fire Nation military for a single day and Aang helps out a town. (Kya: I can’t believe that all only took us two months. Hakoda: Yeah, it seems like the rules of time don’t really exist anymore). Meanwhile, Ozai, Ursa and Zhao return as war heroes with Ozai happily rubbing his success in Iroh’s face (but still not getting much positive attention from Azulon if any attention). Zhao grows even more jealous as Ozai and Ursa have to plan their wedding (which Ursa confessed to Kya she doesn’t want to go through with).

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

In my opinion, one of the worst patterns of the Zutarian fandom is how much they refuse to believe Katara is happy and thriving in her post-canon role. No, she must be neglected, depressed, misunderstood, disempowered until the great Firelord Zuko saves her.

Her relationship with Aang, canonically her best friend? Where they protected each other, laughed and had fun, stood side by side as they faced overwhelming challenges together? Nope, all lies. Aang never understood the real Katara, always neglected her, and she was forced to sacrifice all her dreams and hopes as his love interest.

Her relationship with Sokka , Aang or Toph? Long-suffering Momtara who always did unasked emotional labour that was never reciprocated. They never understood her trauma, pain, or rage; she could never be herself around them.

Especially Aang who she mothered and spoilt; apparently he was a 3-year-old toddler she was forced to take care of against her will.

(even though in literally the 1st episode, Aang sacrifices himself just like Kya did to protect her, and promises to help her achieve her dreams of being a master waterbender.)

Rebuilding the South Pole with Hakoda and her fellow Water Tribe members? She feels trapped and stifled in her role, nobody takes her seriously because she's a woman with opinions.

Then there are the fics where she marries Zuko out of self-sacrificial duty to her tribe.

The fics where she's captured by Zuko as a pawn of war and eventually falls in love with him because he's so brave and honourable.

The fics where she and Zuko start a relationship and Aang is so jealous he stops talking to his canon best friends forever. Toph and Sokka don't care because they never cared about Aang, they were rooting for Zutara from the beginning.

The fics where all her friends and family are so horrified by bloodbending and her dark thoughts that she runs into Zuko's arms where she finally feels understood.

It's so utterly degrading. Why do they hate her so much? Why do they refuse to believe she's happy post-canon? That the only way Katara would ever fall in love with Zuko is because he saves her from a life of utter despair?

WHERE are the fics where Chief Katara of SWT and world diplomat is happy and thriving? And in a decades-long situationship with Zuko because the sex and companionship is good but ew she would never abandon the SWT? And she and Avatar Aang are besties and trade embarrassing stories about Zuko every time he comes to visit?

WHERE are the fics where Kataang break up but remain chill best friends? And Zuko writes Aang 1,000 letters for advice on how to approach Katara because he's an awkward dork? Because Aang is Zuko's best friend as well and a charismatic mf'er who canonically charms people wherever he goes?

WHERE are the fics where Katara feels miserable and trapped in the FN because everyone thinks she's a savage barbarian and she's forced to assimilate in an alien culture? And Mai , Ty Lee, and Azula intimately understand how much pressure she's under; and support her as she decides to leave and travel the world on her own terms?

WHERE are the fics where Zuko and Katara are overwhelmed with their responsibilities and make a wrong decision that ruins people's lives; because they can be stubborn, self-righteous, and quick to anger? And Aang's wisdom, Sokka's pragmatism, and Toph's craftiness bail them out?

I could go on and on. There are so many cool possibilities! Especially since apparenly ONLY Zutarians care about the Real Katara and Zutara is feminist and empowering, and every girl's dream.

But instead, we have this. Cinderella Katara who is rescued from her life of drudgery by the rich, gentle, and kind Zuko Marx. Whisked away to live a FN palace where she'll never be sad again.

Gross.

It also doesn't make their ship look as good as they think it does, since it kind of implies that Katara would only ever have feelings for Zuko if EVERYONE ELSE ON THE PLANET was terrible to her. Zuko might as well be the last man on Earth in these scenarios. This isn't Katara finding her soulmate, this is Katara settling.

If someone only pursues a relationship with you because they believe you're literally the ONLY option left and that they are basically stuck with you anyway so why fight it, instead of because they genuinely like you for who you are, that is going to be a MISERABLE relationship.

[veryace-ficrecs]

ATLA Fic Recs

This list will include all ratings and tags, so read at your own discretion! :)

Shall Yourselves Find Blessing by Haicrescendo - Rated G

Toph becomes one with nature, Aang is the living embodiment of a jingle bell, and Zuko gets more kisses in one day than he has in years. Or, The Christmas fic that nobody asked for.

Turn a Blind Eye to the Rumours by VioletsAreNotBlue - Rated T

When Katara speaks, she somehow says the right and the wrong thing: “Then he’ll forgive you. He will.” Zuko doesn’t know whether to scream or laugh. The noise that he makes is sort of both. “Let’s just say my family isn’t the forgiving type.” *** Zuko assumes that the others knows how he got his scar. Because…well, doesn’t everyone? His friends have travelled all over the world; they must have heard the rumours. It’s just something he’s got to live with. Or, Zuko wildly overestimates how much Team Avatar knows about him, a conversation goes slightly differently, and the gaang plots a murder because that’s what good friends do.

the sundered sea by aloneintherain - Rated G

It was a sight Hakoda never thought he would see: a firebender dressed willingly in fur, cradling an Earth Kingdom girl, the both of them laughing with an Air Nomad. Their thoughtless joy. The easy way they touched each other. Three different benders, laughing in the Southern Water Tribe, as if they belonged there. How could any of it be real? Or: several months after Kya’s death, Hakoda gets a glimpse of the future.

surrender to the sheer force of the sky by achievingelysium - Rated T

Half-turned from the door, Zuko looks up. A scarred eye widens, and Zuko reaches for his shirt, pulling it up across his chest. “Uncle—” he gasps. “You’re here.” It’s too late. As Zuko draws thin fabric over his chest, Iroh catches a glimpse of what he’s trying to hide. A set of bandages—and a healing wound in the shape of lightning.

When the war ends, Iroh has only one concern—to see his nephew. Or: Iroh finds out Zuko was hit with lightning in the last Agni Kai.

turn your face (towards the sun) by youareoldfatherwilliam - Rated T

For most of the flight to wherever-they're-going, Chit Sang watches. He's pretty damned sure that he's looking at the Crown Prince.

Call “Uncle” by JaggedCliffs - Rated G

Zuko and most of the Gaang are oblivious, Toph is having a blast, and Iroh is just enjoying the whole situation. Or, how the Fire Nation officials gave up on calling Iroh anything other than "Uncle".

A Second Chance by araluen_x - Rated G

Aang's energybending fails, and the war is lost. But before the gaang can blink, they wake up in the past, on the day that Katara and Sokka found the Avatar. The war's a lot easier to win when your biggest enemies are on your side from the beginning. Ft. the gaang's antics, loads of dramatic irony, and literally the entire Fire Nation being confused as to why, when, and how the banished prince got happy emotions and friends

suffer the pain of losing your firstborn by TheTartWitch - Rated T

this is what it looks like when your grandfather loves you but your whole family's emotionally constipated. (except for your uncle, but that might just be all the tea he drinks.)

Mountains and Badgermolehills by Glass_Onion - Rated G

After the Blue Spirit frees the Avatar from the Pohuai Stronghold, Admiral Zhao captures Prince Zuko under suspicion of treason. Isolated from his Uncle and his crew, Zuko has only one ally: the chatty prisoner one cell over.

ribs by ohmygodwhy - Rated T

The first thing Zuko tells him during their first lesson after the whole Sun Warrior ruins ordeal, is “Fire comes from the breath.” a lesson in learning, and re-learning.

Treachery of the Highest Order by LoserLife592 - Not Rated

Sometimes life is unfair. Sometimes the universe likes to kick you when you're down. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. But there a still lines that need to be drawn. And this? This is beyond that line. (or, You Think You Know A Guy)

[awkward-txrtle]

fun. x ATLA

Idk if anyone else in the fandom listens to fun., but I'm a big fan of pretty much the whole Some Nights album. I was listening to it last week (yes, even the Some Nights - Intro, which I don't vibe with) because it was speaking to me in terms of ATLA characters (certain songs reminded me of certain characters).

"But Turtle, Nate Reuss wasn't focused on ATLA when he was writing this album"

Ok, and? I'm gonna have some fun with this!

So here's each song and the character I think it fits (not all are exact fits & not every song is included, but most are)

1. Some Nights - Sokka

"This is it, boys, this is war/what are we waiting for?" feels very Sokka to me, especially since he considers himself a warrior and is the protector of Wolf Cove after Hakoda and the other men leave to fight the fire nation. Also "I still see your ghost" could reference Kya, but more likely Yue, since Sokka says that he sees Katara's face when he tries to remember his mother. The line about the martyr reminded me of Suki. Ok also the "miss my mom and dad for this" line?? Come on. Ok BUT "my heart is breaking for my sister and the con she called love/and then I look into my nephew's eyes" is just SCREAMING a Zutara or Kataang fic of some sort. Come on, right?? It's just begging to be written. Overall, this is very existential crisis-Sokka to me.

2. We Are Young - Katara

Ok so I wasn't fully sure what song to give Katara and it just didn't feel right to leave her out so I deadass just gave her this one like 5 minutes ago, but it still works. It would also be AU-based, but hear me out. I'm assuming y'all are most likely to know this song out of all of them. So Katara's at a bar after breaking up with her boyfriend (Aang) and the Gaang's all here. "My seat's been taken by some sunglasses askin' bout a scar" would be Zuko asking about the scars on Katara's hands that she couldn't fully heal after Aang's firebending accident. "But between the drinks and subtle things/the holes in my apologies/you know I'm trying hard to take it back" feels very Aang to me, especially since he's immature. Then right after, I feel like it switches to a more Zutara vibe for most of the song. Also "the moon is on my side/I have no reason to run" with Katara is such a sick combo omg.

3. Carry On - Zuko

The lyrics are very angsty. "You swore and said we are not/we are not shining stars/this I know, I never said we are" feels like a very Zuko & Iroh interaction to me. And also "though I've never been through hell like that/I've closed enough windows to know you can never look back" !!!! Like that feels very Season 3 Zuko to me. Also, no matter what, Zuko is forced to carry on, whether it's with Ozai, Azula, the Gaang... Although don't get me wrong, Zuko does take back his destiny, but I'm referring more to how he can't give up. Also Ursa tells Zuko and he later says how he struggles and fights, even though it's hard. "And we talked and talked about how our parents will die/all our neighbors and wives" Zuko is very familiar with the concept of mortality, he nearly died and he loses his mother at a young age. I'm sure he worries about when Iroh will die, as well as his friends. I feel like Zuko has a line about people leaving him, but I can't find it. Ok next point "and it's nice to know when I was left for dead/I was found and now I don't roam these streets/I am not the ghost you are to me" is very reminiscent of Zuko's relationship (or lack thereof) with Ozai. Also "may your past be the sound of your feet upon the ground" feels like a very Iroh line. Last point, "on our darkest day, when we're miles away/so we'll come and we'll find our way home" is very reminiscent of Zuko's redemption arc and how he returns home and retakes his place in the line of succession and becomes Fire Lord.

4. It Gets Better - Katara?

Honestly the "yes, I know it hurts at first/but it gets better" reminds me a lot of Katara. I also liked the line about fire in the sky and snow on the ground. Not too much else to say.

5. All Alone - Mai

I really encourage you guys to listen to this song, it was really interesting. The lyrics reminded me of Maiko, especially how Mai seems to not care about anything. The girl's voice reminded me a lot of Mai throughout the series, especially her interactions with Zuko. "I gave her to you/I don't need a toy/I thought you might appreciate it/I don't like the way it moves" reminds me of their interaction when Zuko tries to give Mai the shell on Ember Island. "How do you cry with inanimate eyes/you're never gonna smile/with the way that you're wired" also reminded me a lot of Mai's character throughout the series.

(I really like All Alright, but wasn't sure who it would fit well with)

6. One Foot - Toph

"I put one foot in front of the other" is very Toph, she is a fighter first and foremost. "I don't need a new love or a new life" also feels very her, Toph doesn't care as much about the more material things compared to the rest of the Gaang. I'm sure there's more that can be said about this connection, but I didn't really vibe with the song so much. Sorry Toph.

7. Out on the Town - Aang

Okay, Aang fans, I'm asking you to stick with me here. "Cause I know I'll never take the time/to unpack my missteps and call all of our friends" feels very much like season 3 Aang, where he doesn't face consequences for his actions and Bryke kinda places him on this pedestal of sorts. Also, this is a kataang breakup song to me. The chorus really feels like Aang to me, putting his feelings before those of other people, causing a scene, there being consequences (that he somehow gets out of, but that's not today's discussion). "But I'm waiting for the day you come back and say/'hey maybe I should change my mind'" reminds me of the first 2 times Aang kisses Katara and how he expects her to change her mind on how she feels about him. Also the repetition of "open up your heart".

Overall, I found the entire album to be very Zuko-coded.

If you read this far, I appreciate you!

[tapenessa]

YES I WOULD!

also whatchua thinking for it?

AHHAHSHSHSHRJJOFFOFJ HI! THANKS FOR THE ASK!!

i have an idea for a multi chapter fic where the gaang + azula’s group are in high school, and katara has been crushing on azula for a full school year. she noticed her on the first day of high school, and immediately started blushing because oh my god pretty girl. they didn’t have any classes together and katara kept the crush to herself because she knew her friends and brother would never let her hear the end of it if they found out. needless to say, katara has been thinking about azula for, like, months. long time.

…only to learn on the first day of her second year of high school that azula is an ass. she finds this out the hard way; running into azula picking on aang (for what reason i’m not entirely sure yet.) obviously, katara isn’t going to crush on someone who’s mean to one of the people in her life who matters most to her, and she’s not going to sit back and watch it happen— she gets right in azula’s face and tells her to piss off. azula of course just finds this funny and insults katara in a way that leaves the girl stunned, and sashays off. katara’s crush becomes a boiling hatred, which only intensifies when she learns they share almost every class together. cue petty high school rivalry.

katara and azula’s rivalry becomes so intense that it’s well-known across the school— even sokka hears about it, and he’s a full year ahead of her. he initially tells her she’s being ridiculous and should focus on her studies, until he runs into azula, gets clocked, and completely approves of his sister’s actions. also because azula’s older brother is in his class and the guy pisses him off. aang doesn’t like azula, but he doesn’t want katara risking getting in trouble for him, and katara assures him that this rivalry may have started with him, but in the end, she genuinely can’t stand azula as a person. toph just enjoys it because she’s toph.

and, because this rivalry is so infamous, of course the teachers catch wind of it. one of katara and azula’s teachers decide it’s time to put an end to their pettiness and groups them together for a project, telling them to get it together or risk detention. they suck it up because katara doesn’t want her dad stressing out over her, since he’s still recovering from kya’s death, and azula doesn’t know what she’d do if her father heard about her getting a *detention.* they keep their insults and jabs to a minimum, and, of course, katara is reminded of her old crush and can’t help but notice that azula does have some good in her, and azula is just beginning to realize that katara’s face card is lethal. they get to know each other better and katara realizes that azula isn’t an ass for shits and giggles, but that her dad is an awful person, and azula meets hakoda and is genuinely confused on why he seems to love his kids so much when they’re both reckless and loud and wear their hearts on their sleeves, something ozai punishes zuko for on a daily basis. healing and romance ensues.

[levitatingbiscuits]

as a native woman, i do agree with you on how katara is treated, but i can't agree with how you put down other characters you or anon mentioned. my culture was also a victim of genocide, and because of that i cannot fault aang for his reactions to things, just like i absolutely cannot blame katara for how she reacts to things. they have both suffered survivors guilt immensely, and the comics mention aang never got over it- yes, their trauma is different, but you cannot compare who suffered the most when they have both lost and suffered so much to genocide. and as for sokka, i do agree the fandom kind of goes wild with him, but as a water tribe character he also suffers from the genocide cast on the water tribe, like everyone else in the south pole, just in a different way to katara because she is a bender. there's no denying sokka has suffered as well, just because the show doesn't make a big point of it and he mentions he doesn't remember his mother doesn't mean he barely has issues. in fact i think the atla renaissance, whilst making up some stuff, looked into his character on a level i can appreciate because he didnt get a lot of the depth he deserved in the show. and further on fandom treatment of katara, she often gets parentified, which downplays her character so much, and falls into how woc are often painted to only be mothers- dont let yourself do that either. relate to katara a lot, and seeing how the fandom treats her i will always defend her, but i will not put down the characters who have suffered things me and my own people have as well. sorry if this is messy but I do love these characters a lot, because they hold a lot of connection to me

i never faulted aang for his reaction to the genocide of his people, i faulted him for how he reacted to the genocide of katara's people, especially considering that she gave him unconditional love, support, and comfort that he never gave her. and people are always saying katara is a selfish bitch who had it way better than him, so i was pointing out that her survivor's guilt was worse in the show (i haven't read the comics in years) due to the fact that she saw her mother's killer, her mother's fresh corpse, and heard her mother literally trade her life to spare her daughter's. that's why katara is who she is; her arc is defined by her grief and her desire to spare others the pain she went through. aang felt a ton of survivor's guilt too, but his guilt and loss came up a lot less in the show because katara was always there to reassure him. no one ever does that for her, but they sure do scold her for seeking justice for kya's death!

the genocide wasn't targeting the entire southern water tribe, it was specifically targeting southern waterbenders. they started raiding the south when hama was young specifically to capture and intern the benders, not the entire tribe. sokka was never at risk of being murdered by yon rha; katara was. he lost his mom because of the genocide, but she died in katara's place by claiming to be a bender. no nonbenders were put in internment camps with hama. water tribe nonbenders undoubtedly suffered from the raids, but they were not eradicated like the airbenders and the waterbenders, even though the fire nation easily could have killed the entire tribe. in fact, the fire nation pretty much left them alone after the raid that killed kya (the supposed last waterbender); there's a reason hakoda and the warriors had to leave the tribe to go join the war, instead of the fire nation continuing to attack. in fact, it seems like the tribe was totally unprepared for the last raid, implying that the second to last raid was the one that captured hama; so there would have been decades where the southern water tribe was left alone once all the waterbenders were dead. it seems like kya's murder was the catalyst for the southern water tribe warriors joining the war; the warriors would not have left the tribe with only sokka to defend it if the fire nation was still attacking it. sokka never had to fight to defend the tribe until zuko showed up. so the nonbenders suffered from losing their loved ones in the genocide, but they were not the ones getting wiped out. the fire nation was at war with the southern water tribe specifically to kill the waterbenders (presumably to keep the avatar from reincarnating.) After that's done, they attack the north, instead of occupying the south, because they don't really care what the southern tribe does if there are no waterbenders anymore. in fact, it seems like they viewed their southern waterbender genocide as complete, and were gonna try to commit one on the northern waterbenders next.

sokka gets tons of development in the show, but the renaissance often made shit up about him specifically to put down katara. they also made up a ton of aus where he took traits from water tribe girl characters, like the waterbender sokka with hair loopies au or the moon spirit sokka au. we saw a lot in the show about sokka growing into his own as a leader, about his genius, about his romances (he gets two!!), about how much he misses his dad, about his struggle to live up to the standards expected of water tribe men, about how he comes to respect women, about how he struggles being the only nonbender of the group and becomes a formidable swordsman using his wits and ingenuity. yet the renaissance largely ignored all of that really compelling stuff in favor of transplanting katara's struggles on to him--suddenly he's the caretaker of the group and he's the one who hasn't healed from the loss of his mom, even though he said katara helped him move on from kya's death and that she's the one always taking care of him.

i'm not parentifying katara, the show is! sokka straight up says he parentified her after kya's death, and there's a whole episode about how the gaang parentifies her, too. me acknowledging that she is parentified by her older brother and the gaang (and struggles with it, but still does a really good job) isn't me parentifying her. (in fact, i'd argue that the fandom parentifies sokka by saying that he was the one taking care of the gaang and looking after all of them when he really wasn't.) and then katara's canonical sole legacy in lok is being aang's wife and tenzin's mom, according to the creators of the show, so they also reduced her to that parentified role she was always being shoved into and i have a right to be mad about it.

i don't think i'm putting down aang or sokka by saying that katara suffered equally or more, especially considering how the fandom is so viciously cruel and sexist to her and insists she's selfish and suffered the least. trauma is not the same thing as being a good character. it's good that katara helped them both heal! I'm happy that they were able to receive love and support from her and help moving on. I am just pointing out that katara never gets that from them. sokka and aang are both excellent and well-written characters. pointing out that they are further along in the healing process than katara (which is canonically thanks to her love and care) is not putting them down. would it be putting them down if i said that zuko's trauma is also less healed than theirs? would i be putting down toph if i said she suffered the least of the main cast? no, that's ridiculous. trauma is not a value judgement of a character's worth, it's just backstory. characters have different backstories, and that's fine! i never said that katara was a better person than aang or sokka, just that she suffers as much (aang) or more (sokka) than them. (again, it's canon that sokka suffered less thanks to katara looking after him, sokka literally said so.)

i'm very sorry if my post upset you. i should have been nicer about it. however, i stand by what i said, even if i should have been more diplomatic about how i said it. feel free to block me if you disagree, and again, i sincerely apologize for any distress my post caused you. but what i said about aang and sokka is way kinder than the misogynistic vitriol and downplaying of trauma that 70% of the fandom directs at katara, including the creators of the show themselves.

[ill-kidnap-all-the-stars]

Okay, thoughts on season one under the cut since I had so many

Love love looove how we got to see Air Nomad culture elaborated (although watching straight genocide wasn't fun, glad they didn't show Sozin murdering all the kiddies)

The air temple is so pretty also!

They kept Sokka's humour! I thought they'd make him all boring and Netflix-ified

Does Sokka know that Kya gave herself up as the “““last waterbender””” to protect Katara? Did Hakoda tell him? Because that would certainly add a big dollop of mustard to him wanting Katara to keep her bending hidden

WHERE IS AANG'S "WILL YOU GO PENGUIN SLEDDING WITH ME" I HAVE BEEN ROBBED

Zuko being such a nerd with his little Avatar dolls is pristine

Not enjoying the music so much, I feel like I could make a whole post about it

HELP omg I just realised how fucking tiny Aang is, get this lad under a microscope

Sokka's “I am Sokka, son of Hakoda, Lord of Snow and Ice” !! So fucking funny but also great for Sokka's “I'm kinda like a prince back home” to Yue (also, imagine married!Zukka with Zuko teasing Sokka about it)

Oof getting a little heavy with the Aang/Zuko parallels aren't we?

It's starting to feel a little hollow. Like, there are parts that are expanded on (the Air Nomads in particular) and it's so awesome to see the cultures fleshed out with live-action details that you just can't get in cartoon, but there's so much of the actual characters that has been completely cut, and I'm only one episode in

Is it me or is live-action Katara giving ATLOK Katara, like where is her anger? Where is her rage? Where is her wrath?

AHHH THE DETAILS ON SOKKA AND KATARA'S CLOTHES, IM STILL SCREAMING

Oh. Oh, okay, apparently Kya didn't get taken away in this version, she got literally burnt alive and Katara watched

The development of Kyoshi's character is great, the reinforcement of her kindness and generosity when fanon Kyoshi is pretty much all killing machine all the time? Pristine, your honour, I love it

Similarly, the development of Suki? Her curiosity about the outside world? The way she tries to connect with Sokka through fighting, since he said he was a warrior too? I don't know that I love the rush job of their relationship, but I did love this (I also loved seeing them fight together, even if it's two seasons too soon)

On that subject, I'm literally on ep 2 and I'm convinced that Sokka, Katara and even Aang's characters have been completely nerfed. It feels like we're at the end of season three in terms of character development, not the beginning of season one

Like, I know Sokka being sexist and prideful probably isn't going to do well in the age of the woke internet, but that's the point! He has to swallow his pride and unlearn his sexism to ask Suki for help. Who's going to teach him to drink his respect women juice

And why why whyyyy is Katara giving spiritual master vibes, Monk Gyatso style? Okay, I know she becomes one of Aang's teachers, but she's still a hot-headed teen. They're all children, why are they acting like adults! It's just kind of sad to see. Part of Katara's character is that she's had to grow up and become her best approximation of an adult because of the war, but she's still only a child, she doesn't have the skills to manage her temper all the time, or her impulsivity (hello, stealing the water bending scroll???)

On the subject of the water bending scroll, as absolutely thrilled as I was to see Water Tribe writing, Gran Gran shouldn't have given her the scroll. That entire episode shows so much of Katara's character, her impulsivity, her selfishness and her temper, it pretty much firmly establishes the baseline that her character develops from, and I'm kinda really pissed that that was taken

It also shows Sokka's quick thinking, he's not just the funny, butt-of-the-joke character !!!

And then Aang. I'm kinda seething over here, Aang is a kid, he's twelve and he should be acting like it. He comes to Kyoshi to ride the elephant koi, not to learn about the Avatar state. Yes, he wants to save the world, but he primarily wants to have fun, and that's been completely inverted for some reason. The carefree, fun-loving side (again, the primary part of his character in season 1) was completely ignored this episode save for one half-hearted scene. Plus, Aang isn't really afraid of the Avatar state, or his own power. Like, he actively tries to bring it on at the beginning of season two and he literally wants crazy spirit power, not wisdom, to beat the fire benders at the north pole. It's Katara that doesn't like the avatar state

Idk man, I didn't expect or want everything to be exactly the same as the original, but I certainly expected the basic building blocks to still be in place, especially when this adaption is supposed to be more faithful to the original

KEVIN TRAN?! THE PROPHET OF THE LORD WENT UP AGAINST OZAI?!

I haven't got to the credits yet, but whoever this lady is, she's a great Azula

OMG OMASHU LOOKS AMAZING

Loving Danny Pudi as the mechanist, but putting him and Teo in Omashu once again cuts out such an important bit about the preservation of culture, especially of a people who have been genocided to the brink of extinction, plus what now is the mechanist's reason for working for the fire nation?

Ngl I sort of love the Zhao playing Zuko thing

WAIT THAT'S JET?! WTAF IS HE DOING IN OMASHU, WHAT INNOCENT VILLAGE DOES HE TRY TO WIPE OUT?! Jet is such an important lesson in the dangers of charismatic leaders, and a criticism of utilitarianism, you can't take that away too

Okay, Jet's fighting is kinda cool though

“Dad doesn't really pay attention to stuff like this” THEN WHO INVENTED TANGLE MINES?! WHICH TWO WATER TRIBE GENIUSES ESCAPED THE BOILING ROCK?! I WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS HAKODA SLANDER

Bumi lost his nerve, did he? Grew tired and senile? The same Bumi who singlehandedly took back Omashu, who knew exactly what kind of teacher Aang needed? And, tbh remaining consistently kooky kinda implies that he didn't go senile

Oh! Oh ho ho ho! Is Jet attacking Omashu and framing the fire nation spies? I still don't like the way they keep merging episodes together, because it distorts and lightens so many heavy moments, but I'm enjoying charismatic leader Jet

Not loving Ty Lee's outfit so much

The cabbage merchant!

Sokka and Katara's fight, Sokka doesn't need Katara's proof that he's a jerk

I love how Aang's fighting style is still nope!, he's still just doing his best to dodge Zuko

ZUKO GETTING WALLOPED BY THE OLD LADY

one of the things I really loved about the Omashu episode was Aang trying to recapture an element of the world he knew (riding the mail delivery system) and actually learning that there's still something he knew (Bumi) and that's just been completely erased. It's such a sweet and poignant moment when Bumi's identity is revealed

Oh no, Zuko burnt the cabbages

Elizabeth Yu! Her name is Elizabeth Yu!

Okay, so he's keeping Omashu safe by working with the fire nation?

OMG BUMI HAS STATUES OF FLOPSY

I'm so glad Bumi is still wacky and Aang got to know he's still alive

I'm assuming Zuko rescuing Iroh from the Pit is mimicking Zuko rescuing Iroh from the soldiers that took him from the hot spring

Okay, im actually not enjoying this Bumi/Aang dynamic so much

THEY MADE OMA AND SHU LESBIANS BE GAY FOR PEACE YALL

I do NOT need to get secret tunnel stuck in my head again

Ooooh the genemite looks very pretty

Oh no, sweet baby Zuko at Lu Ten's funeral

PLUS THE ORCHESTRAL VERSION OF LEAVES FROM THE VINE I AM CRYING

“The Bumi I know is a fun-loving, happy kid who loves to skip rocks and always thinks about his friends” that's exactly what s1 Aang should be!!!

No no Zuko baby, don't learn that showing mercy is bad :( - Iroh, probably

Bumi has some cool clothes though

Zuko choosing to ignore the Avatar because Iroh's injured? Yes sir

God, they really nerfed Appa and Momo, didn't they

I'm kinda not liking how quickly Katara is getting good at bending, like one of the things I loved was that bending didn't come super naturally to her and she had to work hard at it - Pakku even remarks on that

Okay, so we've had two episodes of air, then two of earth, and now we're on a fire episode, someone explain to me what's happening here

Okay, I admit I actually really do like the recycling of Pippinpaddleopsicopolis III for Sokka making friends with the little girl, that's so cute

Plus, the hanbok! One of my favourite east Asian clothes, so happy to see it

Oh, so Aang magically knows all about the spirit world, does he? I do not like this. Once again, what is there for the characters to learn? How do they develop?

Love how Ozai only cares about Zuko to put him and Azula against each other, that's the Fire Lord I know

The casual mentions of the pirates and the canyon guide

Why are we seeing Wan Shi Tong but not Hei Bai :(

Azula already starting to crack under her father's pressure? Yes

It kind of feels like their spirit forest journeys are mimicking the swamp episode

Oh, Koh's hunting them, goody

NO WHY ARE THEY ANGSTING THE SOKKA HAKODA RELATIONSHIP

Love Gyatso doing an Iroh and living in the spirit world, that's really sweet

Sorry, so Aang's going to talk to Roku to defeat Koh, not learn about the comet? I disagree

NOT THE “WE'LL HAVE MORE TIME WHEN I GET BACK” WHEN HAS RHAT EVER GONE WELL

okay, so I'm getting the vibe that Aang's gonna try to get to Roku's shrine by himself to save Sokka and Katara à la going to the herbalist, and the yuyan archers will get involved

Look at baby Zuko getting ready for his first war meeting, and Iroh helping him prepare! He looks so proud in his uniform, he doesn't know yet! 😭😭😭

Lmao okay Zhao and Aang's conversation was actually hilarious

Zuko the Nerd confirmed!

Also Zuko and Aang bonding, that was so cute

Oh. Oh big yikes. I wasn't to prepared to see the conversation where Ozai banished Zuko, I'm crying again

Also Zuko's crew being the devision he for banished for gives so much extra zing to his short temper with them

I TOLD YOU I FUCKING TOLD YOU JEVER “LETS TALK ABOUT IT WHEN I GET BACK”

Oh

Oh not pirates, Iroh accuses Ozai of killing Zuko

Oh dear

Yes, more of Ozai's terrible parenting, show me how Azula became Azula

Okay, yeah, I get what everyone's been saying about Yue's hair

I'm sorry, the hair loopies/qilliqti are making me so happy, I love Yagoda's

Yes, Katara's skills do lie more in fighting than healing, something ATLOK entirely forgot apparently

Wait, so do lion turtles count as Avatar shrines if Aang can also call upon avatars there?

Kinda enjoying seeing Kuruk fleshed out more ngl

Yue as a water bender and connected to the spirits? I enjoy

Live action Katara has the pretty anger of a Victorian heroine, she should be screaming, biting and tackling people in public

HE'S STILL SO TINY, I NEED A MAGNIFYING GLASS JUST TO SEE AANG

GO YAGODA SMACK THAT OLD FOOL

I'm actually so pissed at how the women in this show don't get to be properly angry, only the pretty kind

Kuruk's blue eyes are kinda scary

MOMO

Oh thank god

Lmao not Aang telling Katara to go easy on Zuko, HE UNDERSTANDS SHE IS A FERAL BEAST

Zuko: you've found a master

Katara: nah, bitch, I am one

See how it's dark and night time, and we can still see what's going on? More shows should be like that

Sorry, if Iroh's left then who's going to tell Yue to become the Moon?

I do really like how much we see Ozai play games with his kids, like yas queen treat your children like you're a 1950s psychiatrist, prove to everyone that you're Literally The Worst

Yue has so much agency in this, I actually love it

Gonna watch the og ATLA and then immediately watch the netflix version, I feel like I'm just setting myself up for disappointment ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

[flameo-fanfic]

Okay, but let’s talk about the Avatar: TLA character names and their meanings because they’re so thoughtful and some of them are so sweet.

Aang: means “peaceful soaring”, was pieced together from Chinese characters meaning “peaceful” and “rise, raise”. Aang also derived from “akang” (from Indonesia) which is a word used to refer to one’s elder brother or one of his peers.

Very sweet, 10/10 I love Aang so much. He really is just a simple monk.

Katara: get ready for this one, her name means “droplet” (!!!) deriving from the Arabic word meaning “water droplet”.

This is so sweet. Katara is baby. I can just imagine Kya or Hakoda using “my little water droplet” as an affectionate name for her UGH. Cutie pie.

Sokka: Sokka’s name comes from the Japanese phrase "So Ka" which means "I Understand."

This suits his character SO WELL. I was imagining his name having to do with water considering he’s from the water tribe but his name being based more on the fact of how intelligent he is is honestly so much better. What a smart king.

Toph: the creators of ATLA actually named their earth bending character Toph because it means “tough”.

I’m joking, or I wish I was. Toph’s name isn’t actually an authentic Chinese name but it was written as 北方拓芙, giving her name the meaning "expanding lotus". I couldn’t find verification but Toph’s name definitely could have just been intended as a pun for the English word “tough”.

The meaning “expanding lotus” is absolutely beautiful and I find the symbolism of Toph being a lotus flower makes so much sense considering how they grow in dirty water or mud but are still considered such a beautiful, breathtaking, and pure thing of nature. This also suits how her parents treated her like some delicate thing even though she was content being in rough and not-so-fragile environments. When you put more thought into it, I think Toph’s name might be one of my favorites, even if it actually was just meant to be a pun.

Azula: We all know that Azula’s name means blue and why she was named Azula. Blue fire..

This isn’t surprising. She’s a manic baddie, I love her and feel so sorry for her. That poor, traumatized child.

Zuko: okay, Zuko’s name makes me laugh and cry because in Chinese the meaning of his name is either “loved one” or “failure”.

I also read this on Avatar Wiki-

“On his wanted poster, his name was written with the characters 祖寇, meaning "ancestor robber". In Ursa's letter to Ikem, Zuko's name was written with the characters 豎髙 meaning "vertical high" with the second character being a variant of "高".”

This is very suiting to his story and how people in his life view him but god does it hurt. I also feel bad for this little baby for his traumatic past, but at least he had people who gave him the chance at feeling loved unlike his sister oop :/

Yue: Her name originates from China and means “moon”.

If you haven’t heard of this one yet, I know, it broke my heart too when I found out. She went too soon. </3 Still a very sweet name for her in context of her destiny.

All in all, I love how much thought was put into this show. To this day I still find little details that add to the story and it would be an understatement to call it impressive.

[that-was-anticlimactic]

Yes hi, I'd love to know more about your tourettes sokka hc if you're up for it 👀 I'm starving for tourettes hcs so 👀

Oh boy oh boy oh boy!! I can talk about this SO MUCH (I will warn now, there will be some Zukka in this) okay so I guess I’ll start at the beginning...

Sokka was six when he started showing symptoms

It started with just some motor tics but everyone kind of just attributed it to this kid has a lot of energy ahhh

It became more noticeable when he kept almost killing himself with weapons because of his tics and slight carelessness

That’s one reason why he loves boomerang so much, none of the other weapons felt right to him and they would always get in the way of his tics, but he could throw boomerang and it would come back to him so he could keep throwing it and it made him feel calm

Then, Sokka started saying stuff that he didn’t mean to say, but again, everyone was just like hyper kid because it’s not like he was doing anything wrong

But they realized something was up when Sokka started yelling “FIRE NATION” without intending to and sending the whole tribe in a panic

So, Hakoda took Sokka to a nearby trustworthy Earth Kingdom village and that’s where Sokka got diagnosed with Tourette’s (and ADHD)

One of the things with Sokka is touch, like, he feels like touch is constricting and restraining sometimes. The problem is, he LOVES touch, he is a touchy person, but when someone touches him without telling him first or asking him, he doesn’t like it.

Sometimes he mentally shuts down when it happens, sometimes he tics more, the reaction depends on his anxiety levels and who touched him and when and where

The only people he gave a pass to was Kya and Katara. He didn’t even like it when Hakoda put a hand on his shoulder.

It was weird, he could feel the difference when Katara and Kya touched him compared to anyone else and he felt bad because he wanted his dad to hug him, but it felt so wrong

So, Sokka loves touch, but he likes to initiate it

So, moving forward, Sokka and Katara meet Aang, he’s the Avatar, they join and you know, there’s Aang the Avatar, Katara the Waterbender, and Sokka the guy with Tourette’s on the team

At least, that’s how they are known amongst the Fire Nation

Going undercover is so fun for Sokka, but he also has to be really conscious of what he’s doing and what he says and trying to suppress

It takes a lot out of him, but he knows he literally has to do it or he could get caught or expose them and Aang or Katara could get caught

On occasion, he has tic attacks (and for those who don’t know, they’re essentially a really bad TS day or moment where your tics are more consistent and seem to hurt more or you just have like an unending moment of tics where you just can’t stop for a little while. They are usually caused by anxiety or overstimulation or something like that, but they differ for everyone with TS)

The first time it happened in front of Aang, the sweet child panicked because he didn’t really understand what was happening and why Sokka was doing that and really what TS was

Katara is an angel, seriously. She is so sweet to Sokka when this happens and she knows exactly how to ground him and help him get through it

(Seriously, Sokka appreciates her so much. She is genuinely the one exception and anytime she wants a hug or any kind of touch she is allowed to do it)

the first time it happens in front of Toph when she joins is in Bitter Work when Sokka was in the hole

Just looking at Sokka in the whole sends my anxiety up because he literally can’t move! So like, imagine being in a hole for like five hours+ and needing to move like physically and you can feel the sensation in your body and it hurts and burns and tingles but you can’t. Sokka is not having a good time

So, Toph drags him out of the hole and is freaked out because she can’t see what’s happening and it’s scary because Sokka is making noises and hyperventilating and his heart rate is through the roof and Aang ran to get Katara and she can’t touch him because when she pulled him out of the hole he shrieked

She’s cool with it after that, she doesn’t think of him any less or anything, but it terrified her the first time because no one told her he had TS because they forgot to mention it and she couldn’t see what was happening

We all know that Sokka loves Suki and the Kyoshi Warriors with his whole entire heart and once they kicked his butt and helped him learn that sexism is bad, they were so fun to work with?? They taught him their style, obviously, but they also helped him incorporate his TS into it and how to use it to his advantage, something he had been struggling with his whole life

One of the things Sokka loved most about Yue is that she never even mentioned his sounds or movements she just let him do it without questioning him and that doesn’t happen a lot

I feel like Sokka having TS would make his time with Piandao even kore meaningful because he really struggles to keep his hands still so sword fighting does not come naturally to him

Piandao loves it though because it just makes Sokka even more clever and resourceful and he takes his time with Sokka, helping him as much as he can and never getting angry or anything when he can’t stand still

He also added more to what Sokka learned from the Kyoshi Warriors about incorporating his TS into his fighting and using it to his advantage

Not only was his sword an extension of his arm, but his TS was an extension as well

Did Toph and Aang help Sokka incorporate his tics into their scams? Yes, yes they did

Zuko joining the team was weird for Sokka because they kind of just clicked and he realized that they both have a weird thing with touch

On the balloon to Boiling Rock, Sokka is just comfortable around Zuko and his tics are like “cool yeah, have a break” and so he doesn’t tic and Zuko just “why aren’t you ticcing?”

and Sokka is ??? “Huh?”

and Zuko “You usually tic but you aren’t now. Why?”

and Sokka essentially explains that TS is weird and random and sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t, but he’s really comfortable and calm so his body is like “ye, let’s chill for now”

and Zuko is like “oh. that’s good. I kinda miss it though”

and Sokka d i e s because what?? Someone likes his tics enough to miss them? Like, they don’t annoy Zuko and he doesn’t tune them out?

and the bender goes on to explain that he likes the noises, they remind him that he is doing the right thing and that he’s here and he didn’t hurt team Avatar and they’re just comfortable / pleasing to the ear

and Sokka DIES

but then Zuko is like mmm maybe you should stay in the balloon and I’ll go to Boiling Rock and Sokka got pissed because he thinks Zuko said it because he’s a nonbender and he starts panicking and ticcing and Zuko panics and kind of just grabs his hand and Sokka... Sokka doesn’t hate it? Like, it feels nice and doesn’t agitate him?

but Zuko was like no I mean because everyone in the Fire Nation guard knows about the guy on team Avatar with TS and I don’t want you to get hurt

At one point in the prison courtyard, Sokka verbally tics really loudly about the moon and some guards hear and head to where they are so Zuko covers for him by screaming about how much he loves the moon

One of the worst moments in Sokka’s life was when Toph was falling and he grabbed her, but he wanted to tic and he knew that if he did, Toph would fall and die and he couldn’t do that, he couldn’t

(he still has nightmares about it happening)

when Sokka becomes an ambassador, some people are pissed because well 1) Watertribe 2) he’s a child 3) they suck 4) they think he’s distracting with his tics and Zuko is not here for it so he will destroy them

Like one time (after they started dating) Zuko overheard some councilors mocking Sokka’s tics and he got PISSED like so pissed and he went off and the found Sokka and hugged him because he is allowed to

oh! Sokka and Zuko’s thing is like hand-holding okay? They both kind of hate it because weird touch stuff, but it’s okay when they do it to each other?? Like, it feels right and like they’re completed and whole and it’s nice

before they start dating, they kind of do it a lot. Like, night before Zuko’s coronation, Sokka finds Zuko and he’s freaking out because what if he ends up like his dad and Sokka kind of just... grabs his hand and they sit there

Sokka is panicking because chronic pain and the cold of home makes it worse and Zuko finds him crying in the library and just... holds his hand

Zuko keeps little things on him all the time like paperclips and paper and writing utensils and things that click and buttons and stuff so if Sokka looks stressed during a meeting he can slip something under the table to him so he can play with it

Sokka also draws a lot during meetings, like, he doesn’t look at anyone throughout the whole meeting, even when he talks. He is able to focus more and pay more attention when he is doing something with his hands so he draws and doodles and sometimes takes notes

Sometimes he just writes the same word or sentence over and over again throughout the whole meeting

Sokka has sensory issues and a lot of noise stresses him out

It’s kind of the opposite of Zuko’s sensory issues? Like, Zuko doesn’t like loud noises and Sokka doesn’t like kind of static-y noises, like... when things sound muffled or muted or people are talking kind of quietly over each other

(Zuko definitely gives Sokka massages when his tics hurt a lot)

Random, but after awhile “yip yip” became a verbal tic of Sokka’s. Sometimes, he would say “you need to yip yip” and then he’d apologize to Appa and tell him that he’s yipping just fine

Toph is kind of like Zuko in how she likes Sokka’s verbal tics

She can’t see-see, but hearing his tics is nice sometimes, especially when she worries

She likes falling asleep to some of his tics

Even though Katara and Zuko are allowed to touch him whenever they want, more often than not they ask first because friendship is magic

Suki is lovely, okay? Like, just her presence is enough to make him feel better and she approaches helping him in a different way, she just talks to him and asks him questions to help him take his mind off of it

Sokka really doesn’t hate his TS, like, yeah, sometimes it pisses him off more than he can even explain, but it’s a part of him and as much as he cherishes when he can sit still, it’s wrong, it’s not him? He sits weirdly in chairs and changes his position every two minutes, he rocks his legs in his sleep, he sometimes even finds his own tics grounding...

Over time and with help from his friends, he learned to not be ashamed and that having TS didn’t make him ant less of a warrior

also, he, Toph, and Zuko are the disabled club✌🏻(and it makes them feel better sometimes in their own little way)

I have a lot more I could say but this is already pretty long, so I’ll end this sweet with Katara is amazing and Sokka’s relationship with her is wonderful and she knows how to help him with his tics in the way that Zuko does and can help center him like no one else and Sokka just loves her so much

Okay! Ah! That was kind of a lot but I hope you like them! Anyone can feel free to add more to this or lemme know if you have any ideas!

Thank you for the ask! I enjoyed writing these:)

[waterfire1848]

- The six know exactly how the DOBS is supposed to turn out and they don’t trust themselves not to get involved or use the wrong kind of bending during the big battle. They head over to the Western Air Temple and wait for their parents to return. When they do though, Sokka demands to know how the six knew they’d be going to the Western Air Temple. The six are at a loss until Zuko shows up. Lin and Suyin get to kill Combustion Man like they killed P’Li which also exposes their metalbending.

- The six are forced to give some kind of explanation to the Gaang about who they are so they tell them the truth about being from the future and being their children. Of course the Gaang freaks out but, at the same time, they don’t have the time to let this stop them. Aang tries to mediate with Kya and Tenzin to get into the spirit world.

- While they’re doing that, the other four talk with the Gaang but they know they can’t say a lot because it could change things more than they already have. Aang, Kya and Tenzin’s attempts to get into the spirit world fail.

- Zuko’s bending would still be weak (the six refuse to tell them why and how to fix it), so he and Aang still go to Sun Warrior island, but this time with Izumi and Kya. Father daughter trip. Izumi is pretty neutral about the whole thing (she knows who the Sun Warriors are and has met Ran and Shaw a hundred times so this isn't anything new) but Kya is loving the time she gets to spend with her family (mainly because she never really had that when she was younger). (Side note but Lin and Suyin are a little concerned that their 4/5 year old mother ran off into a cave alone).

- Bumi and Lin come to the Boiling Rock with Sokka and Zuko. It helps having two actual adults to pose as guards as well and Bumi and Lin are very good at interacting with the guards. Lin and Zuko get captured (Lin because she earthbent trying to protect Zuko and forgot that him getting discovered was supposed to happen). Sokka doesn’t tell Hakoda who Lin and Bumi are but he does tell Suki (who’s kinda sad she and Sokka don’t have a kid). Lin’s metalbending is revealed when they escape on the gondola.

- Tenzin and Suyin accompany Zuko and Katara on their field trip. Tenzin because he believes he can help keep Katara from killing and Suyin because everyone else has gotten a turn and she is all for killing the guy. Katara does snap at Tenzin while they’re on the mission because he keeps trying to persuade her away from killing. She does apologize for it later.

- The six are not in the Ember Island play. They do get a kick out of seeing it though, even if they know it’s all lies. (They’ve never seen this play in person because by the time they were born their parents made sure the Boy in the Iceberg was never shown again). They also take this time to talk about how they’ll get back to their own time. The Gaang decide to spend a little time with their kids. (Aang isn’t as jealous here because Tenzin, Kya and Bumi are walking around so he knows he and Katara end up together).

I’ve seen a few fics where The Gaang is transported into the future and sees Korra’s time but has anyone ever done a fic where Tenzin, Kya, Bumi, Izumi, Lin, and Suyin are transported into the past during the Hundred Year War?

[thethiefandtheairbender]

The air nomads don't get nearly enough love (or discussion) in fandom, so if you wanted to meta about *slides five dollars* I would love you forever. Thanks!

I don’t have a particular about the Air Nomads to haul out that hasn’t been said by people much more talented than me — about how them being underestimated or their (Aang’s) values being derided as weak in fandom reflects the perspective of the imperialist nation that wiped them about; about how their values of peace, fun, freedom, and childhood (even into adulthood) were the first to go in a war; about Aang as a forgotten ideal, etc. — however, as a brief one, perhaps:

We really don’t give Monk Gyatso enough credit. His character always reminds me a little of Gran Gran, in which we learn way more about him than I would ever expect to. (Like, in ATLA even the grandparent has a fleshed out backstory. God tier). Like, he was friends with Avatar Roku and Guru Pathik and tried out new, exciting airbending moves (glider surfing) just like how Aang invented the air scooter. Imagine how touched he was when the baby boy he’d been given to raise turned out to be his old friend in a new lifetime.

Like Monk Gyatso so clearly imparted the best of the monks’ teachings onto his boy and raised/loved Aang as his son, which is something that Aang knows in how he carries the monks teachings with him and has so much respect and love for them, but also how he looks at Zuko in Book One, when Zuko says this:

Z: This staff will make an excellent gift for my father. I suppose you wouldn't know of fathers, being raised by monks. 

Like of all the parental figures in the series, if we’re going by percentages, Gyatso is the most consistently involved and healthiest parental figure for his charge. That’s not to say the other parents in ATLA are bad (except, obviously, for Azulon and Ozai) or that I’m blaming them for their absences/choices/deaths, but it is the truth. Iroh was largely absent in Zuko’s childhood as was Ursa; Toph’s parents abused her as well and were extremely unhealthily controlling & dismissive; Kya died and Hakoda left, leaving both of his children with massive issues about it. 

Comparatively, until Aang woke up from the iceberg (I believe ATLA takes place over nine months in total?) and for 99% of the first 12 years of his life, Gyatso was a loving and active parent. People really tend to undersell Aang’s loss of his people, but I see almost no one ever talk about how he’s the character (outside of Toph) who’s lost a parent most recently, and a singular parent at all. Gyatso filled every main role for him in that way (as some of the other monks did, I’m sure, but Gyatso was number one). He encouraged Aang’s travelling all over the world to friends like Kuzon and Bumi, he was complimentary and good natured, and also fiercely loyal and protective.

He was willing to put his boy above the supposed needs of the world, even when the situation escalated. And while Aang was his old friend reincarnated, Gyatso is someone who always saw Aang first and foremost as Aang, not the Avatar.

Even when the elder monks were applying greater pressure and Aang was socially ostracized from his peers, Gyatso managed to keep his spirits up. He taught him Pai Sho (I will always believe that Aang is Iroh’s favourite person to play Pai Sho with post war, because he knows all the old styles / moves too). He trained him into a master airbender and a very sweet young boy. 

And Aang ran away, not really knowing what he was doing (and certainly not where he would end up), not knowing that Gyatso was going to flat out refuse to let them be separated, because he loved him just as much. And then Gyatso finds out Aang has run away — which, as an Air Nomad with a sky bison, isn’t too terrible but still kinda scary, if only because Aang did so because he was so upset and would have said so in his letter, which must’ve torn Gyatso’s heart in two. First because Aang was so distraught to do something like that, and then Gyatso realizing that Aang thought Gyatso was going to let something like that happen, which is a terrible gut punch, because Gyatso was actively about to stop it. Then, the fear of his kid being out in an awful storm. 

We don’t actually know how much time passed in between Aang running away and the Air Nomad genocide. It could’ve been days, weeks, or months. Did Gyatso go out on his own bison to look? Did he and the monks organize a search party? Did they come back day after day with nothing, and then had to conclude either Aang had successfully gone missing, or drowned at sea?

Did Gyatso cling to the hope that Aang was alive all that time, and as the Temples burned, and as other children died around him? As Gyatso’s own breath gave out?

Like I always get so emotional at this line in “The Storm” because 

A: How could [the monks] do that to me? They wanted to take away everything I knew and everyone I loved!

in the end, the monks didn’t do that. The Fire Nation did.

So like, Aang sticking to his practices? The fun loving way he approaches travelling and his airbending? How Gyatso is always the direct face of Aang’s unimaginable loss? Aang reciting Air Nomad sayings that Monk Gyatso would’ve taught him? How proud Gyatso would’ve been of his son? Aang moving from a child’s Air Nomad’s shawl to a Master’s, complete with the necklace Gyatso wore, and for once entirely at peace with himself the way his father always wanted him to be, while also being safe and happy? That these are the robes he continues to wear even (presumably weeks) later in the Ba Sing Se epilgoue?

Fucking tearbending city, man

Side notes: It also shows that Aang and Gyatso were not afraid to critique the monks or their ways, or even go against them, when the verdicts seemed unfair. As well as Aang and Katara both having necklaces, ultimately, to remember the parent’s demise they discovered when they pushed aside a blue curtain. The importance of Aang’s staff (perhaps Gyatso carved it for him), his arrows, and his ceremonial robes.

They have such a beautiful, loving, tragic, and underrated relationship, and I will love them forever.

[the-badger-mole]

Let's say you're on the writing team for Avatar when it was just an idea Bryke had. They've stepped back, letting the writers do what they do best. While Bryke certainly offer suggestions, they don't try shoehorning in their ideas.

What aspects of canon would you change and keep the same??

Would you have elements of a one-sided Kat@@ng, with Aang learning to let Katara go, or not have it at all??

If you were to write Aang as a character you actually liked, how would you do it??

Oh! I like this ask. Bet! Get a snack, because this is a long one.

In Book 1, I would keep Aang pretty much the same, but I would frame certain things he did the way they should have been framed. Like his whole deal on Kyoshi, leaving Katara to do all the work so he could flirt. That would have much more of an impact on his friendship with her. Subtle at first, but it would be the first blow against Kataang. Katara would gradually over the course of that first season have to confront the fact that she's pinned all her hopes of ending the war on a child. I think that making her face that reality would open the door to more conversations about how he felt about what the world expected him to do, and that would in turn lead to Katara helping Aang to face what happened at the siege on the NWT, and what he was being trained to do honestly.

Book 2 would be where Aang is confronted with his duty as the Avatar and what "ending the war" would mean. By this point, he knows in no uncertain terms that he's expected to kill Ozai at the very least, and his crisis of conscience happens here, and this is where he would start trying to figure out alternatives. At the same time, the people he's meeting talk to Aang and his friends honestly about what they've experienced in the war- famine; disease; loss of homes; seeing loved ones suffer and die brutally.

It all has an effect on Aang, and makes him cling tighter to Katara. Katara interprets it as platonic and doubles down on mothering Aang, even trying to shield him from the worst of the realities of the war as much as she can. When Aang tells his friends once again that he isn't sure if he can kill Ozai, someone snaps at him- Sokka I think- and tells him how the war has affected all of his friends personally, and that they don't have the luxury of feeling bad about Ozai dying, and what did Aang really think the army they were trying to gather was going to do on the battlefield, have a tickle fight (yeah...this feels like a Sokka moment). Here is where Aang finds out about Kya, I think.

Aang still goes to (the much less racist version of) Guru Pathik, and still fails to let go of his attachment to Katara. Zuko and Katara still have that moment in the caves. I haven't decided if Zuko still turns on them- on the one hand, I do think him joining the Gaang here could work. on the other hand, I think he needed to go home and see how much it doesn't fit him anymore. I could go either way. Aang still gets shot by the lightning and Katara still saves him.

As Aang and his friends travel through the Fire Nation, they spend more time with the poorest citizens. They find out how much they've suffered because of the war, and how much they also want it to end. Katara's stint as the Painted Lady lasts much longer, and she becomes a sort of urban legend, which may or may not get back to Caldera. If Zuko is on their side at this point, they start planting the seeds of rebellion on the promise of ending the war (none of the FN citizens know who he is of course). The Footloose episode doesn't happen. It's stupid and adds nothing. Instead, there's more focus on the propaganda and fear the FN leaders are spreading and finding out that there's already a rebellion brewing among certain pockets of the people. Piando plays a much bigger role in this season. He knows who they are, and helps connect them with a growing resistance movement.

Aang is still hung up on Katara, and still hasn't told them that he can't enter the AS or why. On the DoBS, he figures it won't matter since neither he nor Ozai can use firebending anyway. He keeps it too himself, and lies to his friends about being prepared to kill Ozai (well...not so much lying as telling them he's going to do what he has to and letting them assume). He still kisses Katara. They still lose this battle. The adults still sacrifice themselves for the kids to getaway.

When they get to the Air Temple, things get heated with Aang and Katara. Aang tries to run off and go play immediately, but this time, Katara lets him have it. She reminds him that she just lost her father again because he and so many other people surrendered to give them the chance to escape. She lays into him about his laziness and disregard for the people around him and tells him that he needs to shape up, or he'd get everyone killed. She becomes a lot stricter with his training at this point. Not cruel, but she's a lot less likely to tell Toph or Zuko to go easy on him, and she raises her expectations for his waterbending.

Aang gets his feelings hurt and he goes off by himself deep into the temple. He finds writings on AN culture and philosophy and actually begins learning about his people. He learns about airbending techniques he never learned. Some of it is clearly meant for battle. Aang learns that his people's views on the sanctity of life and killing aren't as black and white as he'd believed. This is also where he gets a hint of energy bending.

The Firebending Masters, Boiling Rock, and TSR still happen. Mai does not rescue Zuko and Co- that was something that never made sense to me. But then, most of Mai's characterization after CoD makes no sense to me. She's a character that needs a redo, too.

Katara and Zuko get closer during this time. Same as they do in the show. It's not quite yet a crush on either of their sides, but a lot more focus is given to the development of their friendship. They quickly become each other's go-to person in the group for support and to just hang out. Aang sees this and does not like it. It also makes his reaction to the play make a lot more sense, because he's already starting to suspect there's something between them. He confronts Katara about his feelings for her, her feelings for Zuko, and the kiss they never talk about. Katara says she doesn't really know how she feels about any of it, and she doesn't think this is the time or place to talk about it. Aang kisses her again. It's bad. Katara probably hit him this time. They don't talk alone again.

Aang is once again confronted with the expectation that he's going to kill Ozai. He has to this time, because Ozai is going to be at the height of his power, and won't hesitate to cancel Aang's subscription to Life. His friends finally realize he never actually intended to kill Ozai on DoBS, and demand to know what his plan is now. He still hasn't got one. He still hasn't told his friends about the AN philosophy scrolls he found at the air temple. He still insists that he can't in good conscience kill Ozai. Then his friends point out that millions more people will die if he doesn't. Aang goes off, gets kidnapped by the lionturtle and has the conversation with the past Avatars. They tell him he not only should kill Ozai, but he also has to let Katara go so he can use the Avatar State. Aang doesn't want to do either. Then the lionturtle gives him another way. Energy bending

The lionturle's way has consequences, though, and Aang is informed upfront that energy bending would bind him to whoever he used it on, and that it's influence was corrupting. If Aang wasn't careful, he could become as big a threat to the balance of the world as any Fire Lord had ever been. Aang doesn't understand that warning. He chooses energy bending and goes off to face Ozai.

It does not go well. There is no Rock of Destiny to magically give Aang access to the AS. There is just hyperpowered Ozai- with his decades of experience bending, and Aang, whose firebending is also strengthened, but who can't control his power as well as his opponent. He tries some of the battle techniques he read about in his scrolls. He hasn't got them down either, and some of them just feed Ozai's flames, but he manages to trap Ozai in a ball of air and suffocate him and the fire. He doesn't kill Ozai. He just leaves him disoriented long enough to energy bend him. Battle's over.

Aang brings Ozai back to Caldera, expecting to be hailed as a hero. He isn't at first, but then Iroh, Hakoda and other older and wiser people agree that it's better that Ozai gets to stand trial for his crimes. He ends up being sentenced to die anyway. Aang is furious, and then he discovers that some of his anger is Ozai's. He's bound to Ozai and now Aang has to work really hard not to let that bit of Ozai influence his personality. It's difficult, because Aang is genuinely angry enough that he can't tell what's his feelings and what is Ozai. Aang is now dealing with the fact that despite being the Avatar, people aren't willing to take him seriously, and won't not kill Ozai. He also has still not gotten over his crush on Katara and can't control the AS. On top of that Katara tells him that she doesn't feel the same way about him, and later he finds out that she's fallen for Zuko. Hard. Stupid hard. Like, they've already decided to get married in a few years, hard.

It's a bad time to be Aang. Book 3 would end with him being overwhelmed by his hurt, disappointment, and anger. Roku comes to him and suggests that he go back to Guru Pathik and learn from him. And so the last scene is Aang slipping away without telling anyone he's leaving. Toph may or may not join him. IDK.

[chaoticnerdsstuff]

Do you have any Azutara head-canons or AUs?

Here’s an Au where I completely ignore the comics and Lok LMAOO

YES i do have HC'S (btw these aren’t in order)

Katara would be the one to be most supportive of Azula, and her most frequent visitor when they threw her in the… y’know.

Azula HATED Katara at first, She hated that this was the person to defeat her. She hated the fact that Katara always made time in her busy schedule to visit her. She hated that Katara was being kind to her. She hated that she was so sure that her brother was likely the one to convince katara to do this. But never once did she tell her to go away, did she try to push her away with insults? Yes. Did it work? No.

Katara only chose to help Azula because she witnessed her Mental breakdown, and it didn’t help that she knew of Zuko’s and Azula’s Homelife.

Katara was the first person to realize that Azula lost her bending(Headcanon of mine that Azula lost her bending for a few years after her mental breakdown)

It took them both years to realize they had feelings for each other and a few months to actually act on them.

Katara would often gush about Azula to Zuko, while he braided her hair. While Azula simply told her best friend, who is toph, that Katara was attractive and Toph made crude jokes that made the princess laugh her ass off.

After being released from her cell, Azula lived in the South Pole for a year, to her surprise she wasn’t beaten to death for what she has done to them in the past.

Katara and Azula often can’t sleep well, even before they get together if they are in the same place. They would end in each other’s arms for comfort.

Katara is able to read Azula like an open book, the same is for Azula.

Azula is the most awkward flirt Katara’s ever seen and she absolutely loves that about her. Azula gets flustered with a single compliment out of Katara’s mouth. Toph tried to do what Katara did and gave Azula a simple compliment, but all Azula did was call her a dumbass.

Azula is the most physically affectionate of the two.

Azula isn’t overly protective of Katara knowing what she is capable of but the same could not be said about Katara. If someone just gives them a look, she will take them down with her words, Azula loves it.

Katara is the one to encourage Azula to give her mother a chance.

When Azula and Katara play Pai sho, Azula does not care if the woman is her partner she will destroy her. Katara on the other hand doesn’t understand the game and somehow wins 90% of the time. Since then Azula swears Katara is not only a master in water bending but in strategic skill.

Katara is horrible at making Tea. Azula never tells her, when Iroh went to their house and was offered tea by Katara, he almost spat it out in an instant if it weren’t for Azula who was giving him a death glare. Azula refuses to admit that she loves Tea, just not katara’s.

Azula doesn’t mind if she’s a little or a small spoon, Katara usually prefers being big spoon.

Azula and Katara are both morning people! Even if they usually have all-nighters.

Katara practically babysits every time her girlfriend and Toph are in the same room

When they get arguments they both make each other Tea, sit in silence, then begin talking about what and why the topic upset them.

Azula regains her bending when she is in her late twenties but doesn’t use it unless necessary, Mostly uses it to show off to Katara and ZuZu.

Katara still gets nightmares of Azula screaming out flames, And Azula still gets nightmares of her time in that cell. They don’t talk about it until one of them begins shouting in their nightmares.

Azula asked for the permission of Hakoda and Sokka to marry Katara. Sokka knowing how much the woman changed gladly accepted her into the family. Hakoda and Azula got high together and Azula revealed how much she cared about Katara, and Hakoda gave her his blessing. Unknown to Azula, Katara asked for Zuko’s and Toph’s blessing, obviously, Zuko broke out into tears while Toph punched him and told him to get a hold of himself.

Aang officiated their wedding!! Zuko walked Azula down the Aisle and Hakoda walked Katara down the aisle as well.

Since Azula was the first to get married, Ursa often nagged her about wanting Grandchildren. It usually went like this “Mother I am a lesbian” “You can always adopt!” And they have three kids: Oldest is Lu Ten(Water bender), Youngest is Kya(Fire bender), and Eldest is Mira(Earth bender) :D

Katara and Azula get married in the Southern Water Tribe and just throw a party in the fire nation, much to Ursa’s dismay.

Since Zuko got his own dragon, Azula was jealous, so Katara gifted her a Polar bear dog, which was named Fikhar. Which Azula adored from the beginning

When Azula went to the southern water tribe to visit her girlfriend/wife she offered Hakoda and Sokka advice, which they almost always took.

Azula and Katara raised their kids quite oddly, 6 months in the southern pole and the other six months in the Fire Nation. This went on for ten years before they settled down in the southern Water tribe.

Azula was the cool aunt who gave Izumi all these gifts and candies while Katara was the one who told Izumi not to burn down the courtyard or play with her mother’s knives.

[natequarter]

ok but imagine if aang woke up like... 30 years earlier

elaboration below the cut

- he gets woken up in a fairly similar situation to the original series, but instead of katara and sokka, it's hakoda and kya

- they're just kind of flirting in their canoe because yes there is a War but c'mon!!! they're kids

- they are pretty Surprised that this is, yknow, the avatar. and he is apparently 12? they're also pretty worried about another raid coming so they go to kanna and are like 'hey mom can we steal a canoe and run away to the north?'

- kanna thinks this is a romantic pursuit of lovesick teenagers & then sees they have a twelve-year-old airbender in tow and is just like. 'what the fuck did you do this time'

- she agrees to let them go, giving them exactly one warning: 'if you run into a guy named pakku, punch him'

- hakoda and kya are perfectly happy with this

- when they get to the southern air temple kya makes fun of roku's beard

- the rest of the episode goes similar to how it did in canon

- they stop at kyoshi island at some point and aang Insists they have a break. the kyoshi warriors are cool! it's Fun!

- and then they see a fire nation ship and are just. *internal screaming*

- what they are not expecting is said fire nation ship to have one (1) angry fire nation prince on it

- cue a lot of fire, several boomerangs and the current head of the kyoshi warriors kneeing Prince Jerkface in the dick

- cue teenage ozai yelling 'my father will hear about this!!!'

- at this point aang hakoda and kya are pretty much just 'fuck it i'm out' and leave

- instead of meeting haru aang runs into a younger prisoner and kya 'accidentally' stages a revolution (hakoda in the background: yes you go!!! i love you)

- when they escape one of them agrees to be aang's earthbending teacher

- cue kya & hakoda being like 'wait aren't you meant to learn the elements in order?' and aang going 'well if one of you were a waterbender this wouldn't be an issue'

- they have a pretty good banter by now and earthbending companion (i'll give them a personality at some point) is like 'do you guys hate each other??' no this is just besties arguing over the fate of the world. it's fine

- roku contacts aang meanwhile hakoda is complaining about how warm it is!! what the fuck!! the entire time

- when they eventually reach the north pole they are welcomed by a young man called pakku. kya instinctively punches him and he starts yelling

- she's horrified and immediately apologises

- secretly however she thinks it was funny

- so do hakoda and aang

- iroh takes zhao's place as annoying b1 antagonist

- except he has like 1 jot of respect for the spirits

- he's about 30 here

- various cuts to ozai monologuing about how Terrible his life is

- various canon adventures happen i don't have the energy

- iroh is, uh, A Jerk. not quite as bad as his scheming father who has been hinted at through flashbacks but still hasn't been shown but like... definitely a grade a jerk

- ozai tries to kidnap aang

- this fails and ends up with a confrontation between him, hakoda, kya and iroh

- there's a brief shouting match between the fire bitches. is ozai freezing to death? yes. will he accept help? no

- is the siege of the north failing once aang escapes? yes. will iroh back down? fuck no

- he's finally forced to leave when hakoda, kya and pakku team up to break his nose

- ozai gets hypothermia

- (in a hospital) aang: whew that was a lot!

- pakku: uh YEAH you nearly died kid

- aang, pointing at shivering miserable prince: he seems miserable

- ozai: you would be if you nearly froze to death and got humiliated and upstaged by your brother

- kya: that was your BROTHER? i thought that was your father

- ozai: oh no my father is a git

- aang: your family doesn't seem very... familial

- ozai: i got sent to hunt you down

- aang, hakoda and kya: yeah we guessed that

- ozai: it's all my brother's fault my father will hear about this

- it becomes very evident very quickly that azulon does not give a shit after they send a ransom letter and the response is 'you can keep him lol'

- pakku: okay i'm a jerk and this guy seems... even jerkier

- ozai: my father says iroh was born lucky. can't say the same for me my mother died giving birth to me

- everyone, collectively: ouch

- ozai: it's fine she was a jerk too *runs away before anyone can stop him*

- hakoda: well that was. dark

- kya: yeah after we fix this war can we get that kid therapy?

- hakoda and kya together: aang's paying

- if people are interested i can elaborate more on this later

[starry-nights12]

Momtara and Dadko just hits different when they're happily married and have their own kids

Like:

• Zuko always placing his hand on Katara's stomach before he goes to sleep.

• Sometimes Zuko likes to play a little game where he warms his hand and rubs it over her stomach to see if they'll feel the warmth and kick.

He beams everytime they kick under his hand and kisses her tummy.

• And remember how in The Guru how she ordered her and Momo a table??

She surprises Iroh in The Jasmine Dragon by ordering:

"Table for three please."She said with a smile and her hand on her stomach.

Iroh gasped and had the biggest smile on his face. "Master Katara!"

He put the serving tray on a nearby table then hugged her,being careful of her baby bump.

"Oh,I'm so glad to see you,my dear!Look how big you've grown! Come and sit! You must be awfully tired."He gushed,pulling out a chair for her.

He then served her tea and snacks. The two catch up on how things are going and Katara's pregnancy.

• During her visit in SWT Aang had came bc he wanted to see how his friend was doing.

-Appa gently nugged Katara's belly then licked it

"Aw,Appa. They like you too. You're such a good boy!"She cooed,rubbing his head.

-The twins would n o t stop kicking her that day. Katara had lifted her parka and shirt to use water gloves for her stomach.

She sighed in relief then Momo sat on it.

"Hi,Momo..."She said tiredly.

Momo looked curiously at her new round belly and knocked on it.

He shrieked in surprise when a outline of a small footprint kicked back then ran and hid behind Aang's shoulder.

"Awww! Did my big,bad babies scare you?" She teased, laughing along with Aang.

• She and Hadoka were having lunch then noticed him looking at her.

"What?Is there something on my face."She asked,wiping her mouth.

Hadoka chuckled,shaking his head.

"No,sweetheart. I was just thinking how at fourteen you became a Master waterbender,traveled and fought along the Avatar and defeated Azula,"

"You grew up to be a ambassador,became a queen to a whole nation,and now starting your own family. I'm the most proudest father in world."Hakoda extrolled.

"Your mother would be just as proud of you as I am. "He added with a smile.

Tears welled up in her eyes and she tried to blink them away.

"Thank you,daddy..."

Hakoda held her face in is hands and kissed her forehead.

• The twins,Iroh II and Kya,are born in SWT.

• Katara and Zuko are so pROUD and overjoyed that they're finally here. Like,they are the definition of perfection in their eyes.

Zuko will never understand how his father hated his children while he never felt so much unconditional love for his and will do anything to protect them.

EDIT:Part 2 my dudes