#katara: *the only one to actually laugh*

[melzula]

Ok hear me out. Reader and Zuko go on a run for supplies .Reader makes a mistakes and almost gets seriously hurt/ near death experience. Zuko gets pissed at reader, maybe yells at her. Reader laughs it off and acts like she doesn’t gaf. Zuko later finds reader all shaken up and crying by herself. Love if you don’t, love if you do!

a/n: ty for requesting and hope you enjoy anon !

summary: zuko apologizes and receives something in return

What was meant to be a simple trip into town for supplies had quickly turned into a disaster, and Zuko believed it was your recklessness to blame.

You’d been too preoccupied in admiring a local merchant’s vast collection of sea shells to notice the Fire Nation soldier creeping up behind you, and if not for Zuko shoving you out of the way to take on the man himself you surely would have been burnt alive. Your failure to stay aware of your surroundings and lackadaisical attitude had almost gotten you killed, and the Prince made sure to point this out to you afterward.

“Are you trying to get yourself killed?!” He scolds you after dragging you out of the marketplace by the arm and back towards camp.

“I was looking at shells, actually, before you so rudely interrupted,” you correct with an impatient roll of your eyes, but the act only seems to annoy him further.

“This isn’t a game, y/n! We didn’t come here to mess around, we came to quickly get more food and go, and we couldn’t even do that because you were too busy looking at stupid shells to notice your surroundings! You could have been hurt or worse!”

“Relax, ‘your highness,’” you dismiss him defensively, harshly yanking your arm away from his grasp. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not dead. I’m fine. You need to stop overreacting and leave me alone!”

Zuko watches with a scowl as you stomp away from him and towards your tent, ignoring the quizzical looks your friends send your way as you shut the flaps closed.

“What’s her problem?” Toph asks with a raised brow from her spot beside the campfire.

“What did you do?” Katara snaps at the boy with an accusatory glare.

“I didn’t do anything!” Zuko exclaims defensively. “As a matter of fact, I just saved her life and now she’s mad at me!”

“Saved her life? What happened out there?” Aang questions with a worried frown. “Was anyone hurt?”

“A Fire Nation soldier snuck up on her while she was distracted and was about to strike before I pushed y/n out of the way and fought him myself.”

“So… what you’re saying is you guys didn’t get any food?” Sokka notes dejectedly only to receive a scolding smack upside the head from his sister.

“If you saved her life, then why is she so upset?”

“I may have been a bit harsh with her after,” Zuko admits reluctantly, awkwardly grasping at the back of his neck. “I didn’t mean to snap at her, but I was just frustrated that she wasn’t taking her own safety seriously.”

“Look, that’s just how y/n is sometimes. She’s too trusting of her surroundings sometimes, but you have to gently remind her to be careful,” Sokka explains to his friend. “Maybe if you hadn’t yelled at her she would have taken you seriously.”

“Just give her some time to cool off and apologize later,” Katara advises the fire bender. “She just needs her space.”

Frustrated, Zuko lets out a long sigh before ultimately relenting. Katara is right. He just needs to give you some space to process before bothering you again.

By nightfall the moon has risen in the sky and the rest of your group has called it a day, retreating to their tents to sleep and rest for whatever tomorrow may bring. You still haven’t set foot out of yours since Zuko yelled at you, and the Prince has spent the better half of his day groveling outside waiting for you to emerge. He’s beginning to grow impatient, but he’s also extremely worried. You missed dinner, and no one has been able to get you to come out.

Deciding enough is enough, Zuko takes it upon himself to barge into your tent and check on you. Better you be mad at him for invading your space without permission than for something to be wrong with you without anyone knowing.

When he enters your tent the last thing he expects to find is your figure curled up in your sleeping bag crying. Your body trembles under the blankets and your quiet sniffles are the only sound in the space. If you notice his presence you don’t acknowledge it, and Zuko hesitates before carefully sitting himself beside you.

“Y/n?” He calls out softly, gently pulling the covers back to get a look at your face. Water marks line across your cheeks from tears that had managed to dry off your skin, and it takes you a moment to finally meet his gaze.

“I’m sorry for making you mad,” you whisper meekly, voice cracking with effort after hours of minimal use.

“No, you don’t have to apologize. I should be apologizing for how I acted,” he assures you sincerely, carefully wiping away your remaining tears. “I shouldn’t have snapped at you. I was just worried about your safety- I’m not sure what I would have done if something bad had happened to you.”

“You really mean that?” You sniffle, looking up at him with doubt clear in your eyes.

“Of course I do. I know it probably didn’t seem that way when I was yelling at you, but I’ve come to care a lot for you, and I’d hate to see you get hurt.”

“I didn’t know…” you murmur quietly as you carefully sit up from your sleeping bag to reach eye level with the Prince. “I always figured you just saw me as some annoying girl you had to babysit.”

“Well, maybe at first,” he admits with a sheepish chuckle only to immediately stop when he catches your unamused glare, “but now I look forward to being sent to the market with you. I enjoy your company even if it means having to be more vigilant of our surroundings on your behalf. Can you just promise me that next time you’ll be a little more careful?”

“I promise,” you nod earnestly and, much to Zuko’s surprise, pull him in for a tight hug. He stiffens at first, unsure how to react to the close contact, but eventually he’s able to allow himself a chance to enjoy your warmth and reciprocate your embrace.

Only you could have the grumpy Prince wrapped so tightly around your finger.

| zuko tags: @ilovespideyyy @yiyibetch @eridanuswave @lammello @a-monsters-love @taeeemin @livelaughlovekuni @lovialy

[overtail]

Sick - Sokka x Reader 🔞

🪃💢

Summary: Sokka gets hurt after (Y/N) distracts him during a battle, setting off an argument. They make up in an... unusual way..

Reader Info: Female, Non bender, competitive

Warning: NSFW, Cursing, slight sexism, rough sex, underage, oral, fingering, both subs because they're teens for gods sake

A/N: This is my first time writing smut......

...

(Y/N) sat next to Katara as the light from the campfire reflected onto her face, creating a warm glow against her skin. She picked a piece off of her cod flounder, throwing it in her mouth and chewing quietly.

Aang and Katara were chatting, Toph Joining in every few seconds. They were talking about something aimless -- a conversation they wont remember in a week's time.

The air was uncomfortable, especially with Sokka's glaring. Every so often, (Y/N) would glance across the way, only to see Sokka giving her a nasty side eye.

She was getting tired of it -- she wasn't one to take disrespect like that. Sokka may think that he was some big, strong, scary man, but (Y/N) could make him cower with one yell.

"Right, (Y/N)?"

Katara elbowed her, bringing (Y/N) out of her brooding.

"What?"

She looked to the ground with embarrassment from the lack of listening. Katara isn't one to care, but there was still the shame.

"Oh, me and Aang were just-"

She began, looking down at my slumped over figure. Before she could finish, she was interrupted.

"She's probably thinking about how to sabotage me again."

(Y/N) looked up at Sokka as was barking out the rude comment, rolling his blue eyes. Katara crooked her neck to glance at him too, raising a brow at his remark. (Y/N)'s eyebrows furrowed, head tilting to the side teasingly.

"What did you just say to me Sokka?"

She knew damn well what he said. She just wanted to know if he had the balls to repeat himself. Sokka stood up walking, a bit closer to the log that (Y/N) and Katara were sat.

"I said.."

(Y/N) got up, making her way over to Sokka.

"You're probably thinking about how you're going to sabotage me again."

(Y/N) scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"Sabotage you? Why can't you just accept that you suck at fighting?"

She barked back, leaning closer to him. She poked his chest, pushing him back a little bit. (Y/N) looked at the black eye he had gained from the 'sabotage'.

"Oh no, no, no. Do you find joy in my pain?"

Sokka avoided the question, turning his head to the side. (Y/N) shook her head in disbelief, looking at her feet and back up at Sokka again.

She pushed him back, emiling angrily.

"At this point, i really do. Your face looks better with that black eye."

(Y/N) teased, pointing at his purple bruise. Sokka just scoffed, pushing her back. He didn't care one bit that she was a girl -- that was clearly established when she said she was better than him.

"You're just jealous. Jealous you're a horrible person, sick girl who doesn't know how to get better."

(Y/N) was actually taken aback by this, like she was being stabbed in the back by his words. She heard a gasp from Katara, and a light giggle from Toph. (Y/N) grinned. She began to laugh, looking at Katara and to Aang. Sokka looked at her cautiously, watching as she laughed like a crazy person, tears running down her red cheeks.

"Jealous? Me? Jealous of you? I'd have to be the most pathetic person to want to be like you, Sokka."

(Y/N) walked past him, into the wall of trees that was behind him. She kept on laughing, shaking her head in disbelief at the words. She didn't quite know how to feel, but she just wanted to be left alone. To cry and scream in her faraway tent, to drown in her emotions.

But of course, Sokka had to always get the last word in.

She heard his footsteps getting louder and louder as her laughing faded into soft cries, her legs shaking as she tried to get to her tent as fast as possible. She needed to hide away, and she didn't want Sokka out of all people to see her broken heart.

"(Y/N), this isn't over!"

Somka said, grabbing onto her bicep. She ripped her arm from his grasp, avoiding talking to him. Tent. Get to your tent.

"(Y/N)! Come on-"

She tried to ignore his calling as much as she could, reaching out to the entrance of her tent. Before she could unclasp the buttons, she was whipped around, coming face to face -- well, face to chest -- with Sokka.

She looked up to his face, face full of rage. Somka had never seen her like this before, even while fighting the people she hated most.

"What could you possibly need to say that is so important you need to follow me to my fucking tent!"

(Y/N) yelled, her eyes shutting tightly. A few furious tears escaped her glossy eyes, falling onto the dirt in front of her feet.

"You know, you're a real piece of work (Y/N).."

"Guess what? You make me SICK Sokka!"

"Can you just shut up already?"

She scoffed, pushing Sokka once again. He stepped closer to her, reaching behind her neck and bringing her close.

"I'll give you another black eye-"

"Just shut up!"

Before she could react, before she could say the next rude comment, Sokka's warm lips crashed into her's. She didn't even have time to react, only instinctively leaning into his touch.

(Y/N) felt Sokka's hands fall from the tape of her neck to her lower back, bringing their flush bodies together.

She reached up to grab his shoulders, bringing him down so he was pushing against her even more. Before they both ran out of air, Sokka broke the connection, quickly leaning back and his face growing red.

"I'm so sorry (Y/N)-"

(Y/N) reached up, gracing her fingers across her lips in surprise. She wasn't even looking at him, just at her chest rising up and down slowly. She glanced up, watched as Sokka stammered out an apology.

"It's.. It's fine."

She was also red, smiling nervously at his gaze.

"I mean if it wasn't.. i wouldn't have kissed back."

(Y/N) looked to the ground bashfully, which was such a strange sight for Sokka. She was abrasive, aloof, and very strong hearted -- but this, this was different. And he didnt quite know how to feel about it.

Sokka stepped forward slowly, reaching up to place his palm on her face. He brought her chin up, looking to the ground on his left. God, he was nervous. What was he doing?

(Y/N) looked at him, smirking slightly. She was back, and Sokka felt a flutter in his stomach.

This time, the kiss was soft, slow, and tender. It was much more calm, which was good for both of them.

"Do you want to go inside my tent?"

(Y/N) said in a semi whisper, raising both of her brows. Sokka nodded, not quite knowing where this would go. (Y/N) let go of him, turning to unclasp the entrance of the tent behind them. She crouched down, stepping into the flaps and disappearing into the tent. Sokka stood there for a moment, trying to process what was really going on. This was something from his dreams; the nights he stayed up with his hands in his pants, whimpering her name as images flashed through his mind.

Sokka got on his knees, shuffling into the tent. As he glanced into the warmly lit place, he was surprised to see (Y/N) shrugging her shirt off, her shoulder exposed as well as her bra.

"Oh- sorry-"

(Y/N) laughed, turning around to grab his hand before he laughed.

"I'm doing this so you can see, stupid."

Sokka blushed, nodding his head cautiously. He sat on the felt that lined the floor of the tent. Rubbing his hands over the familiar feeling over the cloth, his attention was caught by a cold hand on his shoulder. He looked up, only to see (Y/N) nervously sitting on her knees in front of him in her undergarments.

"Oh.. oh spirits.."

He said, drinking in her body. His eyes glanced over every curve, every perfect imperfection, every freckles and every mole. He smiled, looking at her onxe again before giving her a deep kiss.

The two leaned back onto the make-ship bed, his hands caressing her sides. (Y/N) tugged at his shirt, causing him to break the kiss.

"You okay?"

Sokka didn't really know what he was doing. Hes only kissed a few girls before, like Suki or Yue, even girls back at home, but anything past that was untouched territory.

"You think you should take your clothes off? At least the over clothes."

(Y/N) suggested nervously, smiling softly. Somka let out a quick 'oh yeah', before leaning back and taking his shirt off. He kicked off his boots, taking his pants off. He shuffled his shirt off.

When he looked back down at (Y/N) he saw that she wasn't quite staring at his face, or even his chest. It was just a quick glare, but he knew what she was looking at.

"Oh, yeah, sorry about that.."

The painful warmth in his crotch only grew more at the sight of her looking at his erection. She just laughed slightly, rolling her eyes.

"It's a good thing, Sokka."

Sokka smiled, shuffling over to where (Y/N) laid. He dipped down, his lips being placed against hers in an instant. He gripped her waist, dragging her closer to his hips.

The kisses were messy, sloppy with spit and their tongues lapping the sides of each others mouths. Both Sokka and (Y/N) wanted more; no, needed more.

"Sokka, can we try something?"

(Y/N) whispered against his lips, and was only greeted with an eager nod. She grabbed one of his hands that was on her waist, bringing it over to her crotch. He placed it on her underwear, not quite knowing what to do.

She grabbed the side of her panties, moving it to the side to expose her. Sokka's eyes widened at the sight, it being the opposite of what he expected. He looked over the folds, the bud at the top, and of course, the inviting entrance. She swallowed hard, trying to focus on the task at hand.

"Okay so.."

(Y/N) grabbed his hand, making a fist with his fingers. She grabbed his ring finger, showing it to him.

"You want to put this in there."

She gestures to her hole, which was wet with her slick.

"O-okay."

Sokka stuttered out. (Y/N) let go of his hand, and he took a deep breath. The tip of his finger grazed the entrance, before quickly delving into her. He eyes widened, thighs almost closing at the intrusion.

"So, you're gonna want to curl-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Sokka curled his finger, his long digit reaching the right spot. (Y/N) let out an unexpected moan, slapping her hand over her face. Sokka grew harder at the sight, and then did it again. She was more quiet this time, but the sound still made him feel amazing. After a few minutes, she was a squealing mess. Without asking, Sokka added his middle finger, causing (Y/N) to moan aggressively.

The sound was amazing, like something you could listen to over and over again and never get tired of it. He repeated the motions, eliciting groans from her sweet mouth.

(Y/N) began to grow aware of Sokka's painful erection, and no matter how good this felt, she knew this would feel better. She grabbed his wrist, which woke him up from his trance.

"Do you want to.."

She said, looking at his member. Sokka blushed, nodding quickly. He removed his fingers from her, glancing up before grabbing the band of his boxers. He slipped them off, and felt the relief of the cold air on him.

(Y/N) was staring. Staring hard. Was he too small? Did he not look right? Was there something wrong?

"Holy.."

Sokka had a good 6 inches on him, which was great for a teenager. (Y/N) was pulsing at the sight of him, her slick dripping down her ass.

"Okay, so.."

(Y/N) sat up, moving so she was on her hands and knees and her ass was facing Sokka.

"I think this is how you do it."

Sokka nodded. This was the most quiet shes ever heard him be, a whole new side of the boy.

He shuffled forward, grabbing his dick with his hand and lining himself up with her.

"Now, don't put it in my- augh!'

Her sentence was interrupted with a moan as he shoved himself in aggressively. He whimpered audibly, not used to the new feeling.

"Oh my spirits.."

He groaned, pulling himself out before sliding back in. (Y/N) moaned again, gripping the felts beneath her hands. Sokka repeated the motion, speeding up every time. Soon, you could hear the sound of skin slapping against skin, (Y/N) letting out small 'ah, ah, ah's. Sokka was letting a stream of curses fall from his lips, a familiar knot in his stomach forming.

"(Y/N).."

He moaned, grabbing onto her soft waist.

"I need to tell you- AUGH- something.."

(Y/N) tightened around Sokka, which only made his growing orgasm arrive sooner.

"You can be rude to me- ah- later!"

She said in a strained voice. Everything felt so otherworldly, like they were the only teeo people in the universe.

"Not that."

He said with a grunt, his hands tracing over her ass as he grinded harder and harder.

"Im-"

He began but realized he was about to cum. He jolted forward, trying to hold it back. That single movement pushed (Y/N) over the edge, shaking and moaning with her orgasm.

"I'm in love with-"

As the words slipped out, so did his arrival. She grabbed her waist tight, enough to bruise, and pushed into her.

"-youaughhh.."

His words were mixed with moans, his white liquid coating the inside of her. He pulled himself out, and saw his cum dripping from her pussy. He asshole was pulsating, her legs quivering, and her waist had tiny fingerprints from his grasp.

(Y/N) flopped down onto her bed, not caring about cleaning up. On the other hand, Sokka was trying to grab a hand towel as fast as he could. He reached over, softly wiping the white liquid from her and her bed. She sighed, rolling over onto her back. Sokka tossed the towel to the side, looking at her panting body from above.

"I'm not a virgin anymore."

He spat out with a toothy grin, making her roll her eyes.

"We're on the same page here."

...

EXTRA!!

Katara rubbed her eyes, stepping out of her tent and into the bright morning light. She had gotten absolutely no sleep last night. Unlike Toph and Aang who could sleep through a tornado, she was kept up all night by (Y/N) and Sokka's 'make up sex'.

She glanced over to the campfire, which occupied Sokka roasted a frog. She stomped over, punching him right in the jaw so he fell over on his side.

"What was that for?"

He asked, looking at Katara like she was insane.

"For keeping me up all night! You deserve two black eyes you little-"

Sokka scrambled up, running into the forest as Katara ran after him.

[dukeofdelirium]

????? creepy…? Aang didn’t view Katara as a mother or mother figure within his life, lol. Like, ever. Show me when and where Aang ever thought of her in this way?

Y’all are invalidating the love Aang had for his father Gyatso who actually raised him from the time he was a baby. Aang viewed Gyatso as his parent. He loved Gyatso as his parent. He proudly states to Katara and Sokka that Gyatso “taught me everything I know.” Stop erasing Aang’s bond with his actual parental figure in canon. Aang’s love for Gyatso and grief over losing him is what everything else in the story revolves around. The disrespect you idiots show to this relationship is ridiculous. We need to start gatekeeping this show I’m so serious

The first thing Aang did when he met Katara was to ask her to go play with him as the children they are. He then reminded her that she was still a child, too. Aang always viewed Katara as his peer and equal, his best friend—NEVER his parent.

If Aang viewed Katara as his parent, that means he would view her as having authority over him. Which he doesn’t. That also means he would expect her to care for him, which he very much doesn’t.

In fact, the exact opposite is depicted. Aang actually canonically struggles with and rejects Katara’s affections toward him, multiple times. It is portrayed as difficult for him to allow her to show him love, something he has to get over as the show continues. Aang never asks Katara for anything, and he doesn’t expect her to do things for him. She does all of these things of her own free will. Katara also hates that Toph views her as motherly. The only time Katara even speaks on this is when she is arguing with Sokka and Toph. Guess who isn’t a part of this in regards to viewing Katara as motherly? Aang. He doesn’t speak on any of this and the episode doesn’t focus on his and Katara’s relationship because they don’t treat one another the way Katara treats Toph and Sokka. The only time Katara ever acts “motherly” toward Aang is in that very episode, and it’s played for laughs… because she isn’t his mom lol

Also, the EIP episode wasn’t “insane” 😂 and it definitely wasn’t proof that Katara didn’t love Aang. If anything, she’s verbally affirming she does love him romantically. She just set a boundary, because she was afraid he might die and she would be unable to revive him like she had in the book 2 finale. It’s really not that difficult to understand…

Also.. if Aang getting broken out of the ice is a metaphor for …. Childbirth…. Then did Katara birth Appa too ? 😭😂 help it’s sending me

[the-badger-mole]

Walk Around In Circles

Katara couldn't explain it. the sense of deja vu she got around Zuko. The moment he stepped off the boat and his eyes clashed with her furious glare, it felt familiar. Like she'd been waiting her entire life for this confrontation. But if Zuko felt it, he didn't let on. His focus arrow sharp on Aang.

The next time she felt it, she'd been tied to a tree. That part was new. What felt familiar was his pleas for understanding, and her ire at his audacity. The nerve of him! Still putting his pride and his country's valor over what was right.

Still?

Katara's anger was forgotten in that instant. What did still mean? The question was promptly chased away from her mind when he dangled her dearest treasure, her mother's necklace before her face. She had never been here before. She didn't recognize the uncertainty behind Zuko's bravado. She did not want to take his hand and lead him away from his foolish pursuit. She just wanted her mother's necklace back, and if she had to pry it from his cold dead fingers, she would.

Two times, a cave sent her reeling. The first time, was when she heard about them. Oma and Shu. Two lovers divided by the animosity of their people. What had they been fighting about, Katara had wondered. What was so important that Shu had to die before it could be resolved? Was was so unimportant that Oma and Shu thought their love could thrive in spite of it. The second time, Zuko had landed at her feet. Had anyone asked her about it later, she wouldn't have been able to explain her sense of betrayal. She'd let Zuko in. She had actually thought the part of her that recognized something in him had been telling her that she was seeing the good in him. But he'd made her look and feel more foolish than she'd ever felt in her life. From then on she was determined to squelch any sense of familiarity she felt towards him.

When he arrived, begging to even be their prisoner, Katara felt a type of rage she didn't have a name for. That was new. There were so many things in her life that enraged her, and she knew the feeling well, but this particular flavor of rage was new. It made her want to throw Zuko off of the cliff. It made her want to pummel his chest until it caved under her bare fists. It made her want to claw at him demanding to know why he betrayed her. How he could do it after everything.

After everything.

That gave Katara pause again. There was no everything. There was only a stupid girl who thought she saw something in a dark cave that wasn't really there. So when she went to Zuko that night, when she threatened his life, she was shutting a door. Building a stone wall. He would never get that close to her again.

He held her. They had left her mother's murderer alive, and she felt too many things to call it any one emotion, but it came out in tears, and Zuko didn't complain once as she sobbed into his shoulder. He held her and murmured soothing words that only made her cry harder. Promises that she did what was right for her. That her mother would be proud. That he was proud. That there was nothing wrong with what she chose. That Yon Rah was the most pathetic creature on the planet, and if she changed her mind, he would gladly take her back to put him out of everyone's misery. That made Katara laugh, even through the tears. It was just the sort of half joke he would make.

She didn't know that. She didn't know him well enough to know that. But...she did know that. As certainly as she knew the desert was hot and water was wet.

After that. She knew more. She knew his sense of humor (which no one else but Toph understood), and how to read when the tension in his shoulders was just annoyance and when it was actually something he needed to talk about. She knew when he needed space from everyone (though he never seemed to mind her presence). She knew his crooked smile (he only ever seemed to let her see it). She knew his scent (because she did his laundry with everyone else's, of course...). She knew that he liked having his scalp scratched, even though she had never actually done it himself.

She knew that he would die for her.

The despair she felt seeing him fall to Azula's lightning hurt the more for the familiarity. She would not let him die. Not this time.

There was no time for her to question that. This time. This was the first time he'd risked his life for her. They hadn't been friends that long. Still, when she beat Azula, there was nothing on Katara's mind except getting to Zuko's side. She could help him (this time she could help him). And when his flesh came together under her hands, and he took a deep breath, and Katara felt like she could breath again, too, it felt like she had been able to right a deep wrong.

It had been a long time since she'd stopped being bothered by the sense of deja vu. She didn't know how to explain it, but she felt as if she'd known Zuko forever. When they kissed for the first time, though...oh, it felt like coming home. Katara sank into his embrace and she fit in his arms so well. When she leaned in to kiss him again, and she didn't question the rightness of it. There was no thought in her mind at all except one.

Oh! How I've missed you, my love.

[k8lynjoy]

I genuinely want to know what show the people who say that Aang never respected Katara are watching. "Aang never let Katara feel anything other than what he wanted her to feel" "He idealized her" "He didn't care about her feelings" "He didn't support her the way she supported him". WHERE ARE YOU GETTING THIS FROM??? That's a rhetorical question because I already know what episodes/moments they're using to make those assertions (The Southern Raiders and the kiss in Ember Island Players), and even then, THEY'RE WRONG.

Let's start with TSR. This episode gets so misinterpreted it's not even funny. First off, Aang was never even upset with Katara in this episode, he's just warning her against killing someone??? He never gets mad at her or berates her. He just talks to her with a level head??? He openly acknowledges that he knows and understands how much rage and pain Katara is in, and he never tells her that she shouldn't feel it, he just advises her not to act rashly because of it??? Where is the lack of respect? Where is he ignoring her feelings or getting upset with her for not acting the way he wants her to? He lets her take Appa and even tells her that he understands that this is a journey she needs to take and supports her doing so, he just doesn't want her to kill someone. Honestly Aang shows more respect for Katara by knowing who she is as a person and not enabling her in her revenge than Zuko who is only going on this trip with her so that she'll forgive him, not because he actually cares that she's upset over the death of her mother (and this is not Zuko slander before people take it as such, I love Zuko, but it's not even subtext that his motivations in this episode are selfish and not about Katara).

As for the kiss in EIP, yes, it was not okay. Yes, it was a mistake. Yes, he shouldn't have done it after Katara laid a clear boundary, but he recognizes that immediately. After Katara- rightfully- gets upset with him, he gets upset with himself. We also see that he never repeats that mistake again and is fully okay with letting Katara lead after that. Which is why it's Katara who initiates the final kiss on the balcony. And if you still don't think he learned anything from it, he starts to ask for her consent in the comics before kissing her, showing that he absolutely DID grow from that mistake. So, we're really going to let one moment where a 12-year-old boy made a mistake dictate the entire show and negate everything that came before it??? That's coocoo banana's behavior.

I also think that those assertions are completely baseless because when does Aang idealize Katara? When does he hate her rage? When does he not support her? Is it when he laughed with her after she stole from pirates? Or in that same episode where he constantly reaffirms her skills as a waterbender- first by saying that he's able to pick it up so easily because she's a great teacher and then later when he refers to her as a waterbender which makes her so fucking happy? Is it when he gets so upset that Pakku refuses to teach Katara how to waterbend that he tries to walk away from his own waterbending training? Is it when he goes behind Pakku's back to teach her anyway? Or when he stands by actively cheering her on when she's raging against the patriarchy and fights Pakku? Is it when he calls her Sifu Katara because she expressed that he referred to Toph that way but not her? Is it when he helped her commit ecoterrorism and told her she was a hero for helping the people in that Fire Nation village? Is it when he holds her after she breaks down because she learned how to bloodbend? Is it when he comforts her after Jet's death? Is it... you get the point, don't you?

Aang recognizing Katara as someone who is strong and capable is not him idealizing her. Him not enabling her committing murder is not him hating when she feels rage. Aang actively supports Katara's rage on multiple occasions, he just doesn't enable her when he knows she's acting out of character. If you don't ship Kataang, that's fine, but please don't make up baseless accusations to try and tear them down just because you're mad that a ship that had no basis in canon (potential is not evidence) wasn't canon.

[akiizayoi4869]

So was I like. The only one to laugh at this part.

I've seen waaay too many people on Reddit say that they actually started crying at this scene (or almost started to) and well. Maybe I'm built differently or something cause I laugh every time I watch this scene. Katara was so valid for doing this.

[botherkupo]

I swore to myself i wasn’t going to dip my toes back into the trash fire that is the atla fandom, but it is insanely funny to me how worked up ppl are getting over Sokka’s “toned down” sexism

You guys realise it makes waaaaaaay more sense for Sokka to not be super misogynistic in order to make the northern water tribe “Katara can only learn healing” issue more impactful, right?

Why would Kanna run from one overly sexist place to another? Why would Sokka, a boy who is basically being raised by women and must have known there were warrior female waterbenders before they all got wiped out, think that girls are weak, useless, and only good for certain things? It makes no sense, because it was clearly never thought that deeply about. They just wanted to throw in the cartoonish misogyny for cheap laughs — because that’s how we were actually supposed to react. It wasn’t to learn a lesson, it was to laugh at Katara’s angry reactions, Sokka’s dumb attitude, and laugh at Suki later handing his arse to him because he thinks girls can’t fight.

So yeah, I don’t see what the big deal is. Something that gets resolved (if you can even call it that) in a few episodes is not that important to an overall character arc. Adaptation is exactly what it is: an adaptation. Changes will be made to hit different notes and emotions. This is also a live show and they cannot waste time on stuff that honestly doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things.

Also, they never said they were removing his misogynistic views — just toning them down, because, like I said, what we saw in the show was the typical cartoonish crap for cheap laughs.

Anyway, all this said, if you think Sokka getting his arse handed to him so he’s not so sexist is gonna revolutionize the world and is the only way to show all the little boys how not to be dicks, idk what to tell you. I just know I didn’t watch atla to be wowed by Sokka’s short-lived stint at being yet another “girls need to stay in their lane” dude.

[longing-for-rain]

Playing Soldier: How Sokka’s Arc is Misunderstood

Katara: Ever since Mom died, I’ve been doing all the work around camp while you’ve been off playing soldier!

There seems to be this idea among certain fans that Sokka acted as a “father” or “older brother” figure throughout the series, but this is a very shallow read that neglects Sokka’s arc and the intricacies of it.

While yes, on the surface, Sokka is literally the older brother of Katara, I think her description of his role at the beginning of the series as “playing soldier” is spot-on accurate. I also think it’s significant that this is said directly after the audience is introduced to Sokka’s misogyny, another key part of his mindset at the beginning of his arc. These things are very much related, and I don’t think this gets discussed enough. Misogyny isn’t a minor character flaw; it’s a toxic mindset that influences how a person acts.

You see, much like the fans who perceive Sokka as the authority figure of the group, Sokka himself perceives his role this way. He holds himself as the protector and leader of his tribe, despite doing hardly any of the real, tangible, day-to-day work to support the tribe in comparison to Katara. He’s the man, so in his mind, this means he holds the authority and that his ideas and tasks are inherently more important. We even see this in the opening scene—he ignores the fact that Katara has pretty much already caught a fish using her waterbending because his way is correct, he’s more important, he’s the man, then he messes up and disrupts Katara in the process. And then, promptly jumps into a sexist rant against her blaming her for ruining his moment.

Before someone jumps on my back about bashing, I’m not. I’m addressing how Sokka’s canon character was in the beginning. There cannot be growth without a suboptimal starting point. I’m addressing the fact that initially, Sokka has a misogynistic attitude which fuels his idea that he’s the leader and the most important person despite…not doing a lot.

What we do see Sokka doing is very much what I would describe as playing soldier—just like Katara accused him. He ultimately is just a kid, he has no idea how to actually lead, so he’s emulating behaviors he’s observed.

This is pretty blatant in the show. His “soldiers” and “watchtower” are a bunch of kids and a snow fort. He quite literally is playing. It seems silly at first, but we see the tragedy in this when a real threat actually arrives.

This is Sokka’s moment. His first real test. He dresses up in full regalia, prepared to fight and defend his tribe as the great protector he’s professed himself to be. And then…he gets effortlessly swatted aside by Zuko. He’s so little of a threat that Zuko doesn’t even need to firebend to defeat him.

Because, at this point, all Sokka had ever done was play soldier. He hadn’t faced a real threat, and as a result, could do absolutely nothing when one arrived. He’s fortunate that Zuko lacked the cruelty of other Fire Nation commanders like Zhao and kept his word that he cared about finding the Avatar only. If it was Zhao? Sokka and many of the villagers would have been killed.

However, despite this initial humiliation, Sokka clings to this idea that he is the “leader” and should be listened to by virtue of being the oldest…and being male.

I do like the Kyoshi Warriors arc and believe it’s significant, but “Suki beat the sexism out of Sokka, he’s all better now!” is far too simplistic. It’s not realistic at all for a deep seated attitude like that to change, and it continues coming up throughout the series.

There are many incidents of this throughout the series. For example, in B1E10: Jet, where Sokka demands that the group travel on foot because he’s the “leader”…and promptly leads them straight into a Fire Nation army camp. It’s the same theme of the very beginning—Sokka puts himself into a role he isn’t prepared for, and makes a blunder. He’s still playing soldier.

While, again, often played for laughs, this behavior is fairly consistent with Sokka. He has his moments, but more often than not, we see him trying and comically failing at his supposed role of protector and provider.

Meanwhile, as I’ve discussed in much more detail before, it is Katara who is truly carrying the group, despite Sokka generally having a dismissive attitude towards her and the work she does for others.

However, on some level, even Sokka himself recognizes that Katara is truly the one serving the parental role.

Sokka: I'm not sure I can remember what my mother looked like. It really seems like my whole life, Katara's been the one looking out for me. She's always been the one that's there. And now, when I try to remember my mom, Katara's is the only face I can picture. (B3E7: The Runaway)

This is closer to the end as well, and even though it isn’t particularly explicit, I do believe that Sokka gradually learning humility gave him a compelling arc to become the person he was at the end in comparison to the insecure misogynist in the making he began as.

It’s gradual, but I think the best representation of it is in the Sokka episode: Sokka’s Master.

Sokka: And I know one thing for sure: I have a lot to learn.

This is what ultimately convinces Piandao to accept Sokka as his student, and narratively it is significant to Sokka’s character. In order to truly grow and develop true skill, Sokka has to acknowledge that he isn’t the person he has been holding himself to be. He has to acknowledge that he isn’t his father. He has to acknowledge he’s been…playing soldier.

And that’s the beauty of Sokka’s arc, to me. Because he wasn’t a father figure, despite the fact that he was very clearly trying to emulate his father. He was forced to grow up too fast, but he wasn’t parentified like Katara. He tried and failed to assume that role and this made him insecure.

Sokka’s arc isn’t about parentification, and it’s certainly not meant to show that he actually was a father figure. No; Sokka’s arc is learning that he has his own worth because of who he is, not from trying to measure up to someone else. He finds his own unique identity and skill set in a world of magic and benders. That’s an insightful and interesting arc, and feeding into Book 1 Sokka’s delusions that he truly was a father figure looking out for everyone else really overlooks that.

[myfckingnameisnuwanda]

Seal-Shark Jerky (Zukka)

Chief!Sokka, ExiledPirate!Zuko AU

Sokka stays behind in the village to help his people and only Katara and Aang go away.

In the Tribe it's common knowledge that Sokka loves seal-shark jerky. It's his favorite food. Everyone, including Zuko, a pirate known by the name Blue Spirit, feared in the Four Seas by every Fire Nation stamped ship and revered by any outcast, who likes to spend the crews breaks and recoveries in the lands of the young Chief.

Or so he thought, until...

"I hate jerky" admitted Sokka in the silence of the night, Zuko to be the only ear in miles "I've never said that outloud before..." he laughed shakily "when I first started taking care of the Tribe, when I was around ten-... Oh, by La, I was so young" a hand in his mouth, incredulous.

Zuko couldn't even imagine the pressure, the fear.

"A-anyways, back then, the food started depleting, because all the hunters had gone to war and nobody knew how to hunt. At least not well enough. Later on, people learned"

Sokka shifted, avoiding his eyes, but unable to stop himself.

"Everyone, the children more than anyone else, hated jerky, which was the most abundant source of nutrients, and almost the only one, for a while" a sigh, reminiscent "I knew that I, being the closest to their age, excluding Katara, and having been left in charge by the Chief, my father, that they had begun to see me even more as their role model" he closed his eyes, a small smile touching his lips "So I used that to my advantage"

Zuko couldn't take his eyes away from the young Chief. Even if he had wanted to, which he didn't.

"So I started telling everyone how jerky was the best thing ever invented, salty and impossible to chew as it is. That winter was the first, and the only one, in which jerky almost went out" a soft laugh, Zuko blushes, and bullshits himself into believing it's because of the cold air "The next winter, there was more variety of food, but the Tribe wholeheartedly believed I went crazy over jerky, and gave me their jerky rations all the time, until jerky was the only thing I ate for a while"

A rush of cold air goes through, and Sokka closes the gap between them completely. Zuko is the warmest thing in the entire continent, at that moment.

"And so, they ate other things, and left the jerky to me. I think eating so much jerky may be the only reason why my fangs are so sharp" He laughed, from deep in his belly, this time. He wasn't sad anymore "Now, when I eat it, I'm happy, because it means someone else is eating something better. So yes, jerky is my favorite food, and I hate the taste of it"

Could Zuko actually fall more in love with that idiot?

It seemed like he could.

[sokkastyles]

Hi there, here’s a dumb take of the day I’d like to hear your thoughts on:

“Zuko is an asshole for fighting a 14 year old girl who was having a mental breakdown by the end of the finale. It was messed up of him and what makes his arc fall flat at the end. He has to prove himself more than ending the war so he goes for a vulnerable 14 year old!”

My mutual was sending me bad takes in DMs and I found this. ☠️ Thoughts on it?

Thank you for reading, have a great day.

People like this always twist the actual narrative to make Azula look like the victim and it's honestly hilarious.

The person who actually is trying to prove themselves by fighting is Azula:

Zuko isn't picking a fight with her. She is participating in a genocide and needs to be stopped. She responds to this by challenging her brother one on one and gleefully talking about how their fight was "meant to be."

She's also not vulnerable and just because she is having a mental breakdown doesn't mean she isn't capable of causing serious harm and doesn't need to be stopped. If anything, it increases the need for her to be stopped while she's in such a destructive frame of mind.

She also almost kills him and laughs about it so it's ridiculous to act like he somehow took advantage of her.

The thing that really puts the lie to the idea that Zuko just wanted to prove himself by picking on someone vulnerable is that Zuko sacrifices everything to save Katara. He throws himself in front of Azula's lighting and completely risks not only losing the battle and his title as firelord, but his life.

And he's able to do that because he no longer has a need to "prove himself." He does it to save a life and completely humbles himself in the process.

Azula, meanwhile, is so desperate to win that she DOES attack someone vulnerable, she cheats and aims her lightning at Katara. Azula challenges her brother to a duel and then when she realizes she can't win the fight she started, cheats. She is not a victim here.

[mal3vol3nt]

I don't mean to bombard you with asks or anything like that, but are there any noncanon ships you really like? Or even ones you really hate, aside from Zvtara?

when it comes to non-canon ships there are very very few i actually fuck with or can even see the vision behind. i guess to put it simply, if i can’t see it happening in canon then i can’t find it in me to ship them, and even for the ships where i can see it happening, i don’t actively seek out content for them

non-canon ships i like

katara x jiang -> katara likes em bald and pretty idk what else to tell yall. i am fully convinced they had a lil thing for each other but there was a heist going on so they didn’t have time to worry about that

kuzaang -> i can totally see pre-iceberg aang and kuzon having an innocent early childhood crush on each other. the kind where holding hands is like legendary stuff

tyzula -> azula just gives off repressed lesbian energy and i can’t help but interpret their lil conversation in the beach episode as two gay girls who kinda like each other but dont realize it’s romantic and who also don’t wanna pass off their flirting as flirting so it’s all disguised as straight girl talk. “omg you’re like soooo pretty” and “omg you should totally ask him (me) out! you could be with anybody in this room cause you’re soooo pretty (i’m including me in that).” not to mention the way ty lee getting so much male attention hits azula close to home. i think two things can be true at once where azula is both perplexed she hasn’t had the same luck and is upset that ty lee specifically is getting attention (cause lesbian)

teoaang -> more so in the sense i could see teo maybe having a lil crush on aang

non-canon ships i don’t like (other than zutara)

(also i’m talking explicitly about how i feel about the ships, not the shippers. i don’t care if you ship them)

azutara -> just no please

sokka x azula -> i have to look away

azulaang -> it’s getting painful (really good fan art tho i must admit)

zukka -> this one doesn’t bother me as much and i can consume fanfics where they are a background pair, but i mean very very background. like they’re only ever mentioned and they contribute nothing to the story 😭

zukaang -> i made a joke once about how this ship has potential in a tier list, so this may seem hypocritical, but i made that tier list (along with every tier list posted on this acc) with an irl who got really into atla after the netflix version came out, and we died laughing putting zukaang in a tier of their own. idk it was funny as fuck in the moment and we were kinda greening out, so every time i look back at that list i giggle a lil bit. and i kind of have this ship to thank for that memory so i can’t bring myself to hate it hate it just because it makes me laugh so much and reminisce on that moment. also, great fan art. there’s this one artist who drew aang and zuko so adorably for their au and it is admittedly one of my favorite atla fanarts. but, overall, i don’t ship them together like at all

taang -> the most sibling coded pair to ever sibling code. i absolutely can’t with this one. like this is genuinely in the top worst atla ships of all time

katoph -> this just feels like taang 2.0 to me

[the-badger-mole]

Aang was a kid who was the sole survivor of a genocide. Why doesn't that factor in your opinion of him?

I've talked about this before, but his age and tragic backstory are irrelevant. ALL of the main characters are children with tragic backstories, and they are more empathetic, have more growth, and their tragic backstories...actually matter.

Listen, for all people whine about how often Katara talks about her mom (which isn't really that often), it's clear how her mother's death shaped her as a character. It's clear how witnessing her mother's death formed her worldview, and Kya sacrificing herself for Katara made a mark (she never turns her back on people who need her? COME ON! That is obviously her trying to save people the way she couldn't save her mother). Even her wanting to learn how to fight and not heal (which is an insane battle advantage, btw) speaks to her trauma around not being able to defend her mom.

Even Sokka's trauma around the loss of his father and not being deemed old enough (big enough/ strong enough/ smart enough) to go with Hakoda and the other warriors come through in his recurring need to prove himself (coming up with the big battle plan for DoBS, breaking his father out of prison, learning swordplay, etc.). It's woven so neatly into the narrative. His trauma matters to his story.

Toph is the least developed of the Gaang, and her issues with her parents have more impact on character than the destruction of the Air Nomads have on Aang. Heck, Zuko's entire arc hinges on compound traumas.

Meanwhile, Aang's trauma....? What trauma? Yes, the loss of the Air Nomads is a tragedy, but we, the audience, only know it's a tragedy because we have real world knowledge telling us so. Personally, I was in 3rd or 4th grade when I began learning about the Trail of Tears, and in kindergarten when I began learning about slavery (I was born in Harlem. The kindergarten I went to taught us accordingly). When I saw ATLA, I had a frame of reference for the genocide of the Air Nomads. But it didn't really seem to bother Aang all that much. Oh, sure, it did come up when it was convenient to the plot, but it mostly seemed to be a way for Aang to expound on the superiority of Air Nomad philosophy and society to whoever he's talking to. Aside from that, and his first rush of feeling when he found out what happened to them, the loss of the Air Nomads doesn't seem to effect Aang all that much. If he doesn't care about his tragic loss, why should I?

Aang is a fictional character. I don't have to extend the same pathos to him that I would to a real life person. It is the writers' duty to make me feel for him, and they did not. The way he's framed is the issue. And here is where I really start retreading things I've said before, but I think it needs to be repeated (again and again and again). Aang is not framed as someone who has a lot of growing up and learning to do. I could give him a pass on his worst traits because he's a child and still growing, but the show doesn't frame him that way. The show wants me to see him as a precocious imp who's wise-beyond-his-years but still has a cheeky lil' mischievous streak. It's not trying to frame his lying to the quarreling tribes in The Great Divide as a bump in his journey to becoming an effective leader bridging different people together. It wants the audience to laugh at him getting one over on the foolish tribes who absolutely went back to fighting as soon as Appa was out of sight. The show isn't framing his desperation to get the village in Avatar Day to like him as a foolish pursuit he needs to get over if he wants to be strong in the face of adversity. It wants us, the audience, to feel bad for him because his charm isn't immediately bringing the people over to his side. It wants us to be indignant that the villagers don't see how important Aang is and wont' support him. The show isn't framing Aang's non-con kisses with Katara as bad because it hurt her. It isn't making a point to that Aang needs to care about her feelings. It wants the audience to feel bad for Aang and hope for Katara to come around because he's A Nice Guy™️©️®️. Aang is never shown to be a particularly good friend to any of the Gaang, let alone him being kind to strangers just because that's his heart. All of that I would allow to be just him being a dumb kid with growing to do if the show hadn't made it clear that Aang was perfect and didn't have to change, and in fact the world should change for him.

Aang's age and tragic backstory are irrelevant because the show made them irrelevant. All they left us with was a Gary Stu character who hides his selfishness under a thin veneer of cheerfulness. It's not good enough.

[whatifitookalilnap]

Die With A Smile

Chapter 1: I Could Be A Good Avatar, If I Could Get Out Of This Place

(Pairing: Korra x Asami)

(EQUALIST ASAMI AU IS FINALLY HERE!!!! I combined this with a slightly revamped version of my corrupt White Lotus concept. Also just me in general doing a whole ass LOK rewrite because why not? Asami and Korra’s antics WILL be ridiculous up in here. Prepare yourselves for a LONG fic. Feedback and comments are always welcome! The ao3 link is posted right before this!)

“Oh yeah! Hit him where it hurts, Korra!” Delak yelled as Korra managed to bend fire right at her opponent’s chest with her fist.

“FLAY THAT SUCKER! ARE YOU OLD CRONES SEEING THIS?!?! THAT’S MY GIRL KICKING ASS OUT THERE!” Kyuka hollered.

Korra bit back a laugh as Rakin scolded them for her best friends’ vulgar cheering tactics. She was very quickly snapped back to reality when her opponent threw fire at her face. Thankfully, Korra managed to dodge in the flames in the nick of time. Better actually pay attention to the fight now.

In her defense, the fight is basically over. Her opponent was breathing heavily, there was a slight shaking in his legs, and his movements were much more erratic and much less precise. After one well timed kick, Korra had won the battle.

"Haha! Yes! Finally!" Korra excitedly cheered.

Then she took a quick glance at the unamused faces of the White Lotus members and quickly straightened out.

"I mean, thank you all for believing in me," Korra said respectfully while bowing.

Kyuka dragged Delak by the arm and rushed down from the bleachers to meet Korra. Almost immediately crushed in a bear hug by her two best friends.

Also, her only friends, but the point still stands.

"Don't get ahead of yourself Korra. We haven't decided if you've actually completed your firebending training yet," Rakin warned her.

Korra took in a deep breath in an attempt to not totally flip her lid. These old crones have been putting off her completion of firebending for weeks. Every time they claim something will be the final test, they say something along the lines of 'oh, just kidding, you will be training even longer'! It's driving her insane! Just let her airbend already, damn it!

"You can't be serious, you've been saying that for ages! I mean how much is enough-" Kyuka glared before Delak nudged her harshly.

While Korra did appreciate Kyuka riding for her so passionately, it really wouldn't do much to help her case.

"Look, the reality of it is that Korra may be excelling in the physical aspects of being the Avatar, but she's completely ignored the spiritual side," Rakin glared.

"Well, yes, airbending is when I learn about spirituality. When I start my airbending training, I will actually have the opportunity to get into the whole spirit situation," Korra deadpanned.

There's no way she had to actually spell it out for these old guys. Sometimes it seems like they purposefully drag out her training. Ugh, but that doesn't even make any sense. They'd have no purpose for doing that.

She just needs to remind herself that this is what Avatar Aang wanted. Who knows more about being the Avatar than the one right before her?

"Korra's ready. If anyone can teach her about the spirits, it's Tenzin," Katara smiled.

The four White Lotus members did not seem to appreciate that statement. If Korra wasn't a super composed and mature adult, she would be jumping with joy right now.

Okay, fine, she's bouncing on the balls of her feet just a little.

"Maybe we should discuss this further," Rakin started before thankfully getting cut off by Katara.

"There's no need. Kyuka does have a point, you've been holding out on the poor girl for weeks. Korra's completed every task you've thrown at her with grace and precision. She's earned her title of firebending master," Katara nodded.

Korra smiled excitedly at her mentor's words. No one can argue with Katara.

"Well, I suppose that's that. We will collaborate with Master Tenzin in order to begin her airbending training," Tala relented.

Did any of the White Lotus members look particularly happy about Katara's verdict? No. Did Korra have the decency to care now that she's finally a firebending master? Also no.

"Yes! Finally! Oh, we have got to celebrate! Dinner's on me tonight!" Kyuka exclaimed while linking arms with Korra and Delak.

"You know the rules," Rakin told the trio with narrowed eyes.

"Yes, Korra will be back before sundown. I can assure you no harm will fall upon the Avatar while she's with us," Delak sighed.

"Kids these days," Rakin sighed as his way of letting them go.

Before Kyuka could yank Korra away, the Avatar rushed up to lightly hug Katara. The older woman laughed before hugging back.

"No need to thank me. Go have fun with your friends," Katara grinned once Korra pulled away.

Korra beamed at her waterbending master before hurrying over to where Kyuka and Delak stood. They'd need to get out of here as fast as possible if she wants to make the most of this day. After all, the Avatar has a curfew.

********************

Korra is so past curfew right now. She blames her stupid friends.

Thankfully, by the time the Avatar returned to the compound, the White Lotus weren't waiting for her like the stalkers they are. Instead, the man in charge of opening and closing the gate merely gave her a scolding look before letting her back inside.

Once the Avatar awkwardly started shuffling back into the compound, she heard several voices speak in the conference room and none of them sounded pleased. When she glanced into the window, she saw the White Lotus speaking to Tenzin and some woman Korra's never met before.

Now Korra's mind is racing a mile a minute. How in spirit's name did Tenzin get here so quickly? And why was he by himself? He usually brought his wife and kids when he visits the Southern Water Tribe. Did he know that Korra's training would soon come to an end? Is it a mere coincidence? Just what is going on here?

Well, Korra should probably just quietly get to her room, she was sure she would have been called if she was needed.

"-and that is why we seriously need the Avatar's help," the unknown woman stated.

Korra's jaw dropped at the admission. She thought about what to do next for a moment before simply deciding the best course of action was to eavesdrop. Hey, she's not a perfect person.

"I appreciate the, complexities, of your situation, but I must decline your request of bringing out the Avatar," Rakin firmly stated.

Both Tenzin and the unknown woman seemed shocked by the response. The unknown woman grit her teeth and curled her hand into a fist. In her defense, the way she looks is exactly how Korra feels whenever she has to talk to Rakin.

"I am the chief of police in Republic City. I was raised by Toph Beifong. If you could not tell by those two facts alone, I am not a woman who is willing to ask for help. But my city needs their Avatar," the Beifong woman insisted.

"Please, Rakin, the situation is only getting worse by the day. Besides, Korra needs to go to Republic City to learn airbending anyways," Tenzin added.

"Korra should not be dealing with such a major crisis until she is a fully realized Avatar. You need to find another way to solve this issue," Rakin trold them.

"My father was twelve years old when he ended the Hundred Year War, surely Korra-," Tenzin began.

The airbending master was very quickly cut off by Rakin slamming his fist down on the table. It surprised Korra greatly. In all her years of knowing him, he never once broke his cool exterior.

"No, the Avatar must stay here. Her airbending training will be postponed until this little incident is taken care of," Rakin spat.

"Lin, we did what we could, but their decision is final," Tenzin told the scowling woman.

Despite Tenzin admitting defeat, even he didn't seem to love Rakin's decision. He looked irritated, but he's significantly more composed than the chief.

"I don't really see the point in having an Avatar if she can't actually leave her home!" the woman Korra could now identify as Lin huffed.

"Korra's just barely turned eighteen, give her some time. I can assure you-" Rakin began, but Lin was already leaving.

Korra yelped and immediately started running, knowing she'd certainly get caught if someone walked through those doors. Korra did not slow down until she was safely tucked away in her room.

The Avatar's brain was going a mile a minute. There are dozens of questions going through her mind, but only two seemed to really matter. What is going on in Republic City? And why exactly is Rakin so against Korra doing her literal job by helping them?

Something told Korra she wouldn't get any answers from Rakin. Tenzin and Lin didn't seem to be in the mood to talk either. There's only one person Korra can think of that would be able to help her in these trying Avatar times.

After very quickly escaping the White Lotus compound, Korra used her waterbending to get to Katara's door home at lightning speed. The Avatar didn't even need to knock before her waterbending master opened the door.

"I was wondering when you would make your great escape," Katara grinned.

"Katara, I need some serious old lady wisdom right now," Korra admitted.

"I'll make tea. Talk to me," Katara told her.

Once Korra explained to Katara the whole situation, the older woman looked troubled. That is not a good sign. When she mentioned the Lin Beifong woman, Katara's jaw dropped.

"I'm sorry, did you just say that Lin Beifong came to the Southern Water Tribe to ask for the Avatar's assistance?" Katara asked.

"Yes, that's correct," Korra confirmed.

"Oh, you need to leave immediately," Katara confirmed.

"Is it really that bad?" Korra grimaced.

"If Lin 'I'll stitch my own stab wound with no healer' Beifong is asking for help, then she really needs help," Katara nodded.

Korra's entire body slumped in pure relief at Katara's approval. This woman is her idol. Korra wants to make her proud so badly the pressure of it all almost consumes her.

"I'm glad I at least have you on my side. I want to be the kind of Avatar people want to come to for help. I want to make sure the era of peace Aang brought to this world stays intact," Korra insisted.

Katara gave Korra a soft smile. She took Korra's hands into her own and squeezed them tight.

"Aang's era is over. My brother and many of my friends are gone. It's time for you and your generation to take on maintaining balance in this crazy world. There is no doubt in my mind that you will be an excellent Avatar, Korra," Katara smiled.

The younger woman quickly drew her into a hug, partly to hide her tears. She's really doing this. Korra is really going to go to Republic City.

...wait a damn minute.

"Katara, super quick question for you. How does one, ehem, get to Republic City at such an hour?"

********************

Once Korra called Delak and Kyuka from Katara's house to explain the situation, she decided she had to stop at her parents place in person before she left. Though they were reluctant to let her go, their worries eased significantly when they learned Katara signed off on it.

"Really? You're going to let me go? Just like that?" Korra asked hopefully.

"We always knew you'd have to go to Republic City eventually. We also knew that it would be a good chance we couldn't come with you," Senna told her.

"Not only are you the Avatar, but you're also an adult. I'm glad that you're taking charge of your own life," her father kindly stated.

At once, Korra swelled up with emotion. For the first time in her life, she was going to go off and learn to bend a new element without her parents by her side.

The Avatar quickly squeezed her parents into a tight hug. She felt two pairs of arms wrap around her. She stood there to simply bask in the presence of her parents for a moment. Oh, she is going to miss them terribly.

"Uh, before I forget, could I, oh gee I don't know, have some money?" Korra asked hopefully.

Tonraq sighed a very tired, fatherly sigh. He then looked rather dramatically off into the distance.

"The day I've been dreading for the past eighteen years has finally come. My daughter is going to run my wallet dry. How I mourn you, gold coins," Tonraq said, feigning sadness.

"Oh for spirits sake, you'll be fine old man. Give me a moment Korra, I'll get you some money," Senna told her. Korra's mother then quickly left the room to find the satchel with the coins.

"I don't know why you're looking so sad, Pops, no one has ever once said that having a daughter is cheap," Korra smirked.

"Let a man grieve in peace, Korra," Tonraq immediately countered.

Korra's eyes rolled so far back into her head that she's pretty sure she could see her own brain. Senna then walked back into the room with a full coin purse. The Avatar made her final goodbyes with her parents and then she was ushering Naga to start running at the speed of light.

From what Katara said, Beifong tends to travel by boat and there should only be one docked right now. Korra is hoping and praying that the chief is still there. It'd really suck if her sudden rebellion was all for nothing.

The spirits must be on her side because Korra saw the chief's silhouette walking up to the boat.

"Hey! Chief Beifong! Wait up!" Korra yelled.

The chief paused and turned around with a raised eyebrow. Yikes, this woman is incredibly intimidating.

"So sorry to bother you, it's just that I'm the Avatar and word on the street is that you need my help," Korra said.

The chief looked Korra up and down, then crossed her arms. She did not seem amused.

"Given the fact that I literally just spoke to the White Lotus and they told me they wouldn't be sending the Avatar out, I find your claim a little hard to believe," the woman scowled.

Ah, that explains the odd look she gave Korra. Well, this is an easily solvable situation.

Korra waterbent a sphere right above her left hand. Then, she tilted her head back and breathed fire from her mouth.

Lin Beifong's eyes widened a bit and her lips ever so slightly parted in shock. Korra assumes this is the most extreme emotion she'll get from this woman.

"I can assure you I'm no fake," Korra smiled.

"How on Earth did you manage to get out here then? The White Lotus seemed very set on not letting you off your leash," Beifong asked once she recovered from the unexpected surprise.

"Yeah, I actually talked to them! They, uh, had a change of heart," Korra ever so slightly lied.

Lin narrowed her eyes at Korra's words. If she found Korra's words to be suspicious, she ultimately didn't comment.

"In that case, let's get a move on. If we don't get on that boat right now, we don't leave the Southern Water Tribe," Lin said.

Korra nodded and quickly followed behind Lin to board the boat. They were quickly ushered onto the ship and shown to the room they'd be staying.

"So, what is the situation with Republic City that needs an Avatar's help?" Korra decided to ask once they got settled.

"I'll give you a more detailed run down when we get to the station. It's easier to absorb certain information with all the documents right in front of you. The condensed version of the issue is that there's an up and coming movement for nonbenders. They call themselves Equalists. They're a bunch of nonbenders that are pissed off over being treated unfairly in comparison to benders," Lin explained.

"I mean, that doesn't sound so bad. If there's really an issue of nonbenders getting the short end of the stick, shouldn't it get addressed?" Korra questioned.

"The issue isn't so much the Equalist cause itself, more of who's the face of it. His name's Amon and he's an extremist psychopath. Unfortunately, the desperation of nonbenders is so bad that they don't particularly care about how Amon goes about spreading equality, they just want results," Lin told her.

"So he's making benders out to be the enemy?" Korra guessed.

"Correct. He's twisting a movement that could be used to inspire actual change and is instead making it a hate campaign against benders. It's been getting rapidly worse these past few months," Lin confirmed.

Korra cringed at the concept of benders and nonbenders turning on each other. Kind of makes her wonder who would even win. Sure, benders had some pretty crazy power since they manipulate an element, but there's much more nonbenders out in the world. Plus, with all the new machines in this day and age, Korra imagines it'd be a pretty fair fight.

Seriously, why is she even thinking about this? The whole point of her presence is to stop the Equalist issue from getting to that point.

"Well, this is certainly one way to start off my thrilling Avatar career," Korra sighed.

Okay, nonbenders are naturally upset that they are treated lesser than in comparison to benders. Nonbenders follow Amon despite his radical views because he actually causes change. Korra needs to step in and find a middle ground so that everyone goes home happy.

Now how the fuck is she gonna do that?

"Out of morbid curiosity, how did you manage to convince the White Lotus to let you run off to Republic City? I've spent months trying to convince them to get you there," Beifong inquired, effectively snapping the Avatar out of her thoughts.

Korra kind of forgot about the fact that she's basically a runaway right now. Oopsie daisy.

"So, uh, you're going to laugh when I tell you this," Korra nervously started.

"Oh, what the flameo did you do?" Beifong glared.

Spirits, this woman is terrifying when she glares.

"So the White Lotus don't actually, how do you say, know that I left," Korra weakly told her.

Lin stared at Korra for five seconds straight. Then, she took in a deep breath.

"Are you telling me that I just, for all intents and purposes, kidnapped the fucking Avatar?" Lin eerily asked her.

"No I am not! I turned eighteen last week, so I'm an adult leaving a place on my own volition! Plus, it's not like they're going to think I just vanished! I told my parents and Katara I was leaving! They'll be the ones to let the White Lotus know what's going on tomorrow," Korra frantically told her.

Chief Beifong took in a deep breath while she rubbed her eyes. She seemed to be thinking for a moment before she let out a long, drawn out sigh.

“You know what? I don’t think I care about those old hags anymore. Your parents will deal with the aftermath. No one would bother going against Katara's judgment. The White Lotus completely fell apart when Iroh died anyways,” Lin huffed.

Korra pursed her lips at the comment but ignored it. The White Lotus has been getting a lot of jabs lately. Sure, they're stuck up jerks and sometimes their methods make absolutely zero sense, but that doesn't make them terrible people or anything.

"Wait, do you happen to know where I'll be staying when we actually get there? I kind of forgot about sleeping arrangements. I was in a bit of a rush to meet you," Korra said in an attempt to change the subject.

Also, she really does need a place to stay.

"You'll be bunking with Tenzin and his family. You need to stay there to learn airbending anyways, it was always the plan from what I've heard," Lin stated.

"I figured as much. Never hurts to check," Korra said.

Once those words left her mouth, Naga decided this was the perfect time for the all powerful Avatar to become a chair. Naga proceeded to lay her entire body on Korra. Helpless to stop this obvious attack, all Korra could do was accept her fate as she was smothered in fur.

"You alive down there Avatar? I can't have you suffocating until after you've fixed my city's problems," Lin said.

For the first time since Korra's seen her, the chief of police actually sounds amused. So suffering is what makes Lin Beifong have a light laugh.

Honestly? It checks out.

"Yeah, I'm good. It would appear Naga thinks she's still a puppy," Korra managed to get out.

"Get comfortable inhaling all that polar bear dog fur, it'll be a while before we get to Republic City," Lin said in such a way that it was obvious she's smirking right now.

Naga must be encouraged by Lin's words because she put even more of her weight on Korra. That's just perfect. It looks like Korra's first time in Republic City she'd be sporting a couple of cracked ribs.

No one ever said being the Avatar would be easy.

********************

Korra may have once been Avatar Aang about eighteen years ago, but she does not have her previous life's patience. She was practically jumping off the walls by the time they docked at Republic City at midday.

"It's about damn time. If you asked my one more question about Republic City, I was going to throw you overboard," Beifong scowled.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize it was a crime to be curious about my home for the foreseeable future," Korra pouted.

"I should make it one. Tenzin's going to be in a council meeting that'll last pretty much all day. I'll call him when he gets out. I've got to make up for the time I missed at work so I'll be unreachable for at least the next couple days. Feel free to roam the city. Be back here at sundown, Tenzin should be here by then. Don't do stupid shit. I swear if you get into trouble," Beifong warned.

"What? Trouble? Me? I'm the pinnacle of good behavior," Korra indignantly stated.

"Somehow I don't buy it. We'll discuss the Equalist issue at a later time, I need to get back to the station. Again, do not do anything stupid," Lin sternly told her while walking away.

"Pinnacle of good behavior! That's what I am!" Korra yelled after.

Either Beifong didn't hear the Avatar or she simply did not care. It doesn't really matter because now, Korra is standing alone in front of a major city she's never been to.

Well, Korra has approximately four hours until she has to be back at the port. While she contemplated what to do, her stomach decided to give her an answer by loudly growling. She's pretty confident in the fact Naga is probably hungry now too. Okay, food it is.

As began her journey through this gigantic city, Korra's eyes were like crazy to see as much as possible. All the buildings she could see were miles tall. Cars were streaming right past her, people were bustling around trying to get to their destination, and there was some type of loud sound coming from every which way.

To put it bluntly, Republic City is a tad overwhelming.

As Korra continued her very scenic view of the city, a loud feminine voice caught her attention. She glanced over her shoulder to look at the source of the volume only to see a swarm of people crowding a girl on a stage. The megaphone the girl held accounted for the shockingly loud voice. It would appear the Avatar accidentally walked right into one of those Equalist rallies the chief talked about. Korra considered her options for a moment before deciding to get in closer. She may as well scope the scenery out.

Besides, as an Avatar, it would be in her best interest to understand both sides of the issue. She has a pretty solid idea what the benders think of the whole Equalist movement, so maybe this speaker will give Korra some perspective on the nonbender side. Despite the hunger ever brewing in Korra's stomach, she walked to the rally.

The closer Korra got to the Equalist rally, the prettier the speaker on stage began to look. Once the Korra made it to the edge of the Equalist gathering, she decided this speaker might just be the most beautiful woman she's ever seen.

She had long, flowing black hair that went right down to her waist. Her hair was secured in a top knot above her head as an ode to her Fire Nation heritage. The gold band and pin in her hair looked very elegant on her. Her purple eyeshadow made her bright green eyes stand out in the most wonderful way possible. Even her voice is soothing to listen to, even if it's amped up the megaphone.

Due to the fact that Korra is a very disastrous bisexual, she had a hard time focusing on the speaker's words due to how gorgeous she is. Because of course the first person Korra acknowledges as super attractive in this city happens to be an Equalist. Ugh, whatever, it's not like Korra ever needs to do more than listen to her.

Thankfully, Korra started to really pay attention to the woman's words and can honestly see where the Equalist movement is coming from. The Avatar honestly wanted to hear more, but Naga began nudging her shoulder. Her poor girl was probably starving.

Naturally, Naga ended up attracting a bit of attention as a polar bear dog in a place where they are not typically seen. A few people were glancing over their shoulder and began wearily eyeing Korra's massive companion. The Equalist speaker just so happened to be one of the people that became interested in Naga's appearance.

Yikes, it is so time for Korra to get up out of here. She ended up making eye contact with the speaker. Korra, unsure of what to do, simply smiled at the woman before guiding Naga away from the rally. This dog needed to eat, and fast.

Korra made it down to the end of the block before she realized she did not, in fact, know where she was going. It probably would've been smart to ask Beifong for a map. Or at least ask for the directions to get one. Oh boy.

"You alright? You look a little bit lost," a very pretty voice asked her.

Korra turned to see the woman who was talking to her was the speaker at the Equalist rally. This is certainly an unexpected development. Deciding to ignore the fact that this girl is even more stunning up close, Korra told her the truth.

"It's my first time in the city and I have zero clue where I'm going. I can't even find a map," the Avatar unfortunately admitted.

Equalist girl laughed at her very honest response, and Korra felt a little bit proud she got this girl to laugh. Only a little bit though. She has to maintain a small amount of self respect, after all.

"Oh, you poor thing. It's not easy to navigate this city by yourself, especially without any prior knowledge. Where are you trying to go? I was born and raised here, I'm sure I could help," the woman smiled.

It's genuinely embarrassing how Korra's stomach flipped at the 'poor thing' comment. Yeah, she needs to get her shit together if she has any hope of being a competent Avatar.

"I just need to find a decent place to eat. Preferably a place with a lot of raw meat. My polar bear dog has a big appetite," Korra explained.

"What a coincidence, I was on my way to get lunch too! There's a bunch of little vendors with the best food down the street. You can just follow my lead if you like," the woman offered.

This is genuinely incredibly convenient. Maybe the spirits are on Korra's side today.

"Thank you, I really appreciate the help," Korra sighed in relief.

"No problem. My name's Asami. And what is the name of the girl I'm dragging around Republic City?" the taller woman asked.

Damn it, her name is as pretty as she is.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Korra. And this polar bear dog who I swear is friendly, is Naga. I understand the teeth can be a bit intimidating, but she's a total sweetheart," the Avatar replied.

"Naga is pretty cute. Just like her owner," Asami casually stated.

What. Like. What. Who. How. What.

"So, uh, what kind of food do these vendors serve?" Korra asked in what she hoped was a normal way.

Maybe Korra just imagined the compliment. Yeah, that's probably it. She's hungry, auditory hallucinations are perfectly plausible. Right?

"Oh they've got pretty much everything down there. My personal favorite are these dumplings specifically from one of the Earth Kingdom vendors. I swear they're magic," Asami told her.

"Dumplings do sound pretty good right about now," Korra noted.

Thankfully for her, she did not need to wait much longer. Her nose was hit with some of the most delightful smells she has ever experienced. Asami must have sensed her very strong desire to eat because she led Korra directly to the vendor with the most amazing looking dumplings on this planet.

"Miss Sato! Back for me I see!" the man cheerily exclaimed upon seeing Asami.

"Of course, your food is simply too delicious. We'll take two of the number five, please," Asami smiled.

"Coming right up!" the man happily agreed.

In a split second, there was two bowls of dumplings right in front of them. It only processed in Korra's mind that Asami was paying for her food when she handed one of her bowls to Korra. Oh spirits, did she think Korra is like, broke and homeless or something? That would be so embarrassing.

"Oh, I can pay, I have money on me," the Avatar insisted.

"Don't worry about it, it's my treat. Think of it as a welcome to Republic City," the very pretty woman smiled.

"That's very generous of you, thank you," Korra said.

"Of course. What does Naga eat? I'm sure she's jealous we've already got lunch," Asami asked.

Korra, who is currently very flustered, practically jumped at the chance to keep moving to distract herself. Asami paid yet again for Naga's meal even when Korra fully pulled out her coins, so that was another nice gesture. The two girls, three if you count Naga, sat down on a bench near the vendors and dug in.

"Sweet spirits you were not kidding about these dumplings. I think my life has been changed forever," Korra muttered in awe after just one bite.

"I told you I know what I'm talking about. Say, while I've got you here, what did you think of the rally I put on? I like getting opinions from the crowd. Strike a chord? Make you feel all hyped up? I'm also more than open to constructive criticism," Asami questioned.

Now this is something Korra was unsure of how to answer. Given that she doesn't know a lot about the Equalist issue yet, she would like more information before she can give any form of criticism, that's for sure. It's best to keep it broad for now.

"I didn't get to listen to much of it, but from what little I gathered it seemed to go really well. You're an eloquent public speaker and you certainly looked like you knew what you were talking about. Although, I don’t think I qualify as your target audience," Korra admitted.

The woman's brows furrowed in confusion for a moment before a certain realization came across her face.

"Would it happen to be because you're a bender?" Asami with a small grin.

Given the fact that she's not detecting any major hostility from the woman in front of her, Korra sheepishly nodded her head yes.

"I realize my opinions are rather controversial, but I believe the Equalist message is for everyone. We need benders to realize that it is unfair nonbenders get treated the way we do, especially since so many benders are in positions of power that can actually make change," Asami explained.

"That is a very good point," Korra agreed.

Well, it looks like this particular Equalist doesn't align with the extremist agenda, which is something.

"Would it be correct of me to assume you're a waterbender?" Asami asked.

That feels like a bit of an abrupt change in topic, but alright then. Even though this girl is perfectly receptive to the fact that Korra's a bender, she's not eager to find out about Asami's reaction to learning Korra's the Avatar.

"Yeah, I'm a waterbender," is all Korra decides to say.

"Makes sense. Your eyes are the most beautiful shade of blue I've ever seen. They remind me of the lake near my house," Asami smiled.

Korra's cheeks immediately burned at the compliment. The Avatar is not used to...whatever in spirits name is going on right now. In Korra's defense, the White Lotus did not prepare her for this kind of situation.

"Thank you. You have very pretty eyes too," Korra said before hastily taking another bite of her dumpling.

She is way too bisexual for this shit. Korra just needs to calm the fuck down. This Asami chick probably just has a bit of a flirty personality. It's not uncommon for girls to be naturally kind like this.

"You're very sweet, just like that smile of yours. It's infectious really. Your smile is so pretty I couldn't help but smile back up on stage," Asami giggled while resting her chin on her right hand.

This is fine. Asami is just a very nice girl. This is fine. Korra is going to ignore how red her face definitely is right now. This is fine.

"Hmm, you don't say? So what other food places do you recommend? Clearly I can trust your tastes," Korra said in an awkward attempt to change the topic.

Thankfully for her, Asami seemed to let it happen.

"I know a really nice restaurant a few blocks north of here. A bunch of Water Tribe cuisine there that I'm sure you and Naga would love," Asami told her.

Just when Korra was about to ask the name of said restaurant, she heard a pained cry that sounded awfully human. She frowned and stood up to see what the issue was. It was a bit difficult to see with the vendors blocking her sight of the street, but she managed to see who let out that cry.

Some poor older man looked absolutely terrified of the three other men surrounding him. It could very well be nothing, but that older man looks like death is knocking on his door. It's best to swing by to be safe.

"Hey, I've got to head out, places to go, people to see, all that. It was nice meeting you!" Korra said over her shoulder.

Beckoning Naga forward, Korra lightly jogged over to the block where the poor old man is. The situation did not look any better up close.

"Ah, Mr. Chen! My good man. Tell me, do you have this month's rent? I hope the answer's yes! If not, then I may be unable to protect this fine establishment," one of the three men said with feigned kindness.

A rather scary looking man with a scar on his face used firebending to light up his palm. Sweet spirits, they wanted to burn that man's place to the ground.

"Please, business has been slow, I do not have any money right now," Mr. Chen begged.

Korra paused for a moment, unsure of how to approach the situation. She could fight the guys and claim it to be self defense. But then again, Lin did say not to get into trouble. Something tells Korra that the literal chief of police is not someone to cross. Maybe she can help in a more discreet way other than an outright brawl.

The Avatar looked around to see if anyone was watching before she used her earthbending to encase those three jackasses in earth. The earth's encasements went up to their chin so they can't bend anymore. Suckers.

Mr. Chen, knowing a good thing when he sees it, hightails out of there with his merchandise still intact.

The three men were yelling and screaming about how someone was going to pay for this, blah blah blah. They couldn't even see Korra was the one who did it, the damn morons.

The Avatar then went into the nearest shop and in the most polite voice, said the words, "do you mind if I use your phone? I need to call the police."

********************

Korra is beat. After she made sure those trio of jerks got taken away in cuffs, she simply roamed around the city until the sun began to set. Now she's just sitting on the docs and is considering the day's events.

Republic City is...well...a lot. That is to be expected, of course, but it's certainly different experiencing the city firsthand than just anticipating how it really is. Equalist rallies, overly kind women, run in with a bunch of stupid benders that though they were above the law, all around a pretty exciting day.

Korra's contemplations were cut short when she saw Tenzin and his kids approach them. She hastily stood up in order to greet them. Yikes, he did not look happy. The kids, on the other hand, seemed utterly ecstatic to see her. Hopefully Korra can work with that.

"KORRA!" the three airbending kids exclaimed as they launched themselves onto her.

Jinora was clinging to her back, Ikki was placed comfortably on her left side while Meelo was on her right. Man, she missed these kids.

"Korra I learned this super cool new airbending trick! Check it out!" Meelo exclaimed.

"It's been forever since we've seen you! Are you really going to live with us? Are you finally going to learn airbending? How will you-," Ikki rambled.

It was never boring with Ikki and Meelo around, that's for sure.

"Please tell me you're staying, these people are driving me insane!" Jinora hopelessly whispered into her air.

Korra laughed at Jinora's desperation. The Avatar can see how it might be a tad exhausting being constantly surrounded by two people much younger than you as your only form of social life.

"So are we going to talk about why you, the Avatar, decided to frolic to Republic City without telling the White Lotus? You know, the people that my father decided would take on the responsibility of your care?" Tenzin glared.

At once, the three children released their grip on Korra and floated right back on the ground. They knew that Korra is in some serious trouble. A small, weak part of her wanted to purposefully hide behind Tenzin's kids in hopes their father will loosen up.

"Do I acknowledge the fact that maybe running away from home was not the best plan of action? Yes, yes I do. But I would like to remind you that Avatar Aang ran away from home and what do you know! He stopped the Hundred Year War! Yay running away from home!" Korra cheered.

"Must you bring my father into this?" Tenzin sighed.

"If that's what it takes to convince you to let me stay, then yes," Korra nodded.

"The White Lotus are not pleased," Tenzin warned.

"I can deal with Rakin and his hissy fits. I'm not worried about him. What I am worried about is the state that Republic City is in. I can't just turn my back on people who need me," Korra confidently told him.

Tenzin let out a very long, very tired sigh. Then, he turned around and started walking to his air bison.

"Come along then, Pema should be finished with dinner. The White Lotus will be expecting a call from you before you go to sleep," Tenzin informed her.

Korra's relief of being able to stay was nothing compared to the excitement of Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo. The Avatar simply smiled and nodded as the children kept rambling on about all the fun stuff they can do together while she's on the island. At least some people are happy to see her in Republic City.

Once they got to Air Temple Island, Korra practically inhaled her dinner. Pema knows how to cook, that's for damn sure. Korrra figures that she may as well call Rakin now that she's eaten. No point in prolonging her own torture.

Admittedly, Korra is not listening to Rakin scolding her. She's tired, alright?

"-do not think for one second this action will not have consequences, young lady! You must remember your duty as the Avatar," Rakin snapped.

"I know who I am. I plan to live and die for the Four Nations, just as you've been telling me for years. I may as well have those words etched on my skin with how many times I've said it," Korra huffed with a roll of her eyes.

"You exhaust me," Rakin simply stated.

"Walking fifteen steps exhausts you, old man. On that note, I gotta hit the hay. Later hater!" Korra smiled.

Despite Rakin's yelling over the phone, she still hung up on him. It's really funny making him mad. Now Korra's going to call people that don't give her a migraine. Most of the time.

It only took one ring for Kyuka to answer her call. To Korra's convenience, Delak was already with her. Upon Kyuka's request, Korra told them every detail she could think of about her brief time in Republic City.

"Spirits Korra, that's an insane first day," Delak muttered on the other end of the line.

"You're telling me," Korra sighed as she tugged the phone cord.

"So. The Equalist girl was hot," Kyuka said into the phone.

"Seriously? I have a run in with a trio of bending freaks and you focus on the fact that I chatted with some girl?" Korra scoffed.

"You literally just said she was hot, she kept complimenting you, and she paid for your food. She's totally into you. Besides, this is the definition of a forbidden love story! On opposite sides of the same war, will love prevail?! Stay tuned to find out more!" the waterbender teased.

"Delak, do not let her watch anmore drama plays while I'm gone. She's confusing fantasy with reality," Korra snorted.

"Duly noted," Delak chuckled.

"You two are no fun, I swear! Is it so wrong to want Korra to have a thrilling star crossed romance? My life is so boring with just Delak for company, I need to live vicariously through you!" Kyuka whined. Both girls very pointedly ignored Delak's indignant 'hey!'.

"Uka, I love you, I really do, but I beg of you to be realistic. Asami's just a random woman I met and had a small conversation with. I know nothing about her but her name. Believe it or not, Republic City is huge. I genuinely don't think I'm ever going to see her again," Korra scoffed.

"You wanna bet on it?" Kyuka asked with a mischievous tone in her voice.

Korra genuinely had to laugh at her friend's words. Did Kyuka really think that Korra was just going to bump into the same woman twice in a place packed with tens of thousands of people?

"Can I get in on this too? To be so clear, I'm on Korra's side," Delak chimed in.

That was in his best interest. Korra can not remember the last time Kyuka has won one of their friendly wagers.

"Deal. Okay, mom's birthday is in six months, so I'll definitely be coming back home for that. Delak and I bet you ten gold pieces each that I won't see the Equalist girl again until at least after I visit on my mom's birthday," Korra boldly declared.

"Oh you are so on!" Kyuka laughed.

The Avatar went to bed that night under the assumption that she would be ten gold coins richer in six months. If only Korra knew just how fast she would lose that bet. If only Korra knew.

[burntsecrets]

Echoes of Winged Rebellion

Pairing: Zuko x Katara

Word Count: 731

Prompt: For Zutara Week 2024 | Day 3: Echoes @zutaraweek

Warnings: Humor, lighthearted banter, playful teasing, mild romantic tension, mentions of past near-drowning (in a comedic context), absurd situations (turtle ducks organizing), non-serious hostage situation (gardener held by turtle ducks)

The morning air was crisp in the Fire Nation palace, but the halls were anything but silent. Katara sighed as the sound of her voice—well, an incredibly dramatic mimicry of her voice—bounced off the grand walls.

“ZUKO!” The shout reverberated through the grand corridor, carried by an equally over-the-top stomp.

Katara stopped mid-step, narrowing her eyes at the figure down the hallway. Zuko stood there, arms crossed, lips twitching as he barely restrained his grin.

"How could you do this to me?!" he mimicked, waving his arms wildly, a smirk tugging at his lips as he continued his over-the-top reenactment of one of their more infamous squabbles.

Katara’s hand went to her hip. “Zuko, for the last time, that’s not how it happened."

Zuko tilted his head, his golden eyes alight with mischief, one eyebrow arching as his smirk broke free. “Really? Because I remember it exactly like this.” Clearing his throat, he dropped his voice in an exaggerated growl. "Actually, Katara, I think we should fight the Dai Li by walking into their trap because that’s clearly a GREAT IDEA." His arms flailed again for emphasis.

"I do not sound like that!"

"Are you sure? Because the echo says otherwise." Zuko gestured to the empty hallway as if it were on his side.

Despite herself, a snort escaped Katara’s lips, and she quickly clamped a hand over her mouth. “You’re the worst.”

“Oh no, I’m the Fire Lord.” Zuko strode toward her, his boots clicking against the polished floor, his expression one of pure, insufferable glee. 

Katara crossed her arms, but her mock-glare faltered as a laugh bubbled up. "Oh, you think you're so clever, don’t you? Don’t forget what happened to you at the Western Air Temple."

"You mean the second time you tried to drown me?" he shot back, his smirk widening.

“First of all, I didn’t try to drown you,” Katara shot back, stepping closer until they were nose to nose. “Second, you deserved it.”

His smirk softened into something warmer, and he reached up, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Sure I did,” he murmured. “And you forgave me, remember?”

“I regret that every single day,” she deadpanned, though her lips betrayed her with a smile.

"Sure you do," Zuko replied, his voice softer now. He reached out and tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear.

Katara sighed, her cheeks warming. "Okay, fine. I guess it’s funny… but only a little!"

"A little?" Zuko echoed mockingly again, but this time there was a genuine warmth in his voice. "You’re laughing, aren’t you?"

Katara rolled her eyes but let herself smile. "Fine, you win this one. But don’t think I’m letting you off that easily."

"Oh, I wouldn’t dare," Zuko said, his smirk now full-blown.

Suddenly, the sound of scampering feet interrupted their moment. A young boy, breathless and wide-eyed, skidded to a halt in front of them.

“Fire Lord Zuko! Lady Katara!” The boy gulped, his words spilling out in a rush. “There’s—uh—there’s a situation in the courtyard.”

Zuko frowned, glancing at Katara, who arched a questioning brow. “What kind of situation?” she asked.

The boy fidgeted. "It’s… the turtle ducks. They’ve organized."

Zuko blinked. "Organized? Into what?"

"An army, sir," the boy said, dead serious. "They’ve formed ranks around the pond and seem very upset about… something." He glanced nervously at Katara.

Katara’s eyes widened in realization. "Oh, no. Zuko, did you forget to feed them again?"

Zuko hesitated, his golden eyes darting away, "Uh… maybe?"

Katara gave him a long, exasperated look. "You’re Fire Lord, and you can’t remember to feed turtle ducks?"

“It’s not like they’d actually do anything,” he muttered defensively, but his voice faltered under her glare.

“They’ve taken the gardener hostage,” the boy interrupted, looking like he’d rather be anywhere else.

Katara blinked. “They’ve what?”

“They’re demanding food… and reparations.” The boy's voice wavered.

Zuko groaned, dragging a hand down his face. “Great. I’ll be the first Fire Lord in history to lose the throne to turtle ducks.”

Katara’s lips twitched. “If the turtle ducks overthrow the Fire Nation, it’ll be entirely your fault.”

“Oh, you’re loving this, aren’t you?” Zuko grumbled, though his faint smirk returned as he reached for her hand.

Katara squeezed it, her laugh echoing through the halls as they strode toward the courtyard, ready to face the feathered rebellion.

[zukosdualdao]

one single thread of gold tied me to you

zutara month, day 15: scarf, @zutaramonth

summary: when zuko and the rest of the gaang arrive in the south pole for the winter solstice festival, katara notices something strange: zuko's flush with cold, even though he could easily firebend to avoid it.

other notes: title taken from invisible string by taylor swift.

Katara’s used to the frigid air of her home, the flurries and full-blown storms of wind and snow, the ice that can crystallize against one's skin if they're not careful, the grey skies in the deeps of winter, the crunch of her footfalls against the ice and snow.

In a way, she’s missed it. The cold caresses her like an old friend she grew up with and that welcomes her back with open arms.

It’s a little strange but mostly funny to see the way their other friends react to it, though, as they arrive for the winter solstice festival that their tribe is celebrating this year—a way of marking the newly-ended war.

Aang, of course, has been here before—when they first met and many times in recent months, regaling Katara and Sokka with stories of his travels. Toph’s teeth chatter, yet she refuses to wear more than the basic parka she’s offered, though she’ll gladly accept a hot cup of tea—and has tried to accept mulled wine before Katara pulled it away from her—and hold it close to her chest. Suki doesn’t complain, though that may have more to do with how she can simply huddle closer to Sokka whenever she starts shivering.

Most of them have been by already once or twice since the end of the war. Zuko, though, committed as he is to his new role of Fire Lord, has only been here once before—and things between were decidedly different then.

As they make their way to walk down the iced-over river to release glowing lanterns, Katara glances to her side—Zuko has been gravitating near to her ever since he arrived, which makes her smile—and sees that his nose is darkly flushed and his arms are crossed over his chest and tucked into his sides as he tries not to so obviously shiver, which makes her frown.

Like Aang, she knows he could ward off the cold—though she thinks it may take more intention with firebending, the other elements are fascinating but sometimes still mysterious to her—or use his breath of fire to warm himself up, so why isn’t he?

Looking ahead, she sees their other friends, Toph with an arm slung around Aang’s shoulders and making some loud, obnoxious joke, Sokka and Suki snickering, and beyond them, her father, and Gran Gran, Bato, and the children of the tribe.

Zuko’s trying not to firebend in front of them. It’s… sweet, actually, and probably smart for his first visit here—but she doesn’t want him to suffer for no reason.

Katara pauses and pulls him aside as the group marches on. Sokka turns back briefly to check on her, and then to make aggravating kissy faces when he sees who she’s pulled aside—he’s certainly noticed and commented on the letters they’ve been exchanging back and forth—but she only waves him off.

“Are you cold?” she asks, and she can’t help laughing as he mock-glowers at her.

“No,” Zuko insists. Katara raises a brow at him, amused, and waits. “...Maybe.”

Giggling before setting her lantern in the snow, Katara then unwraps her own scarf from her neck and casts it over his head, circling it around his neck and moving a step closer to tie it for him. His flush darkens. This near, she can hear Zuko gulp, his heart stutter. 

“Better?” she smiles up at him.

“Yeah,” he smiles back, and then offers her a gloved hand, the one not holding his lantern. "Thank you." Katara takes it, picking up her own lantern from her other side, and joined in hand, they walk briskly together to meet again with the group.

[jasminedragonart]

As someone who watched the show as a kid and then again a few years ago I don't understand when people say Toph isn't feminine at all. Toph likes girly things. She does. Saying she doesn'tdoesn't not erase the fact that she canonically does like girly things.

She didn't hate wearing a dress or makeup when her and Katara spent their day together. The only thing she hated was that she was laughed at. Toph likes boys. Toph wants to be pretty. She just also likes being herself. Also, I think people forget that her upbringing is very juxtaposed like her personality.

She grew up wearing dresses and playing in mud both, only one of those things she was probably told off for. I think, now she's with the gaang, she prefers being comfortable than keeping up appearances. Her lack of shoes is a practicality issue, she can't see if she's not barefoot. she's comfortable in mud because she's an earth bender and she probably slept with the badger moles in a lot of the contraptions she makes herself to sleep in on the series. That being said her clothes are actually more reminiscent of Kataras than Aang or Sokkas. She wears her outer robe (the long green and pale outerwear) long like Katara rather than short like Sokka or even Zuko. She has a headpiece like Suki. She wears feminine clothes and, I don't know, it's just kind of frustrating when a lot of people try and push Toph in this heavily masculine box when she's actually a very feminine figure.