#never made aang and katara but maybe i'll try this year

[0hpotato]

old atla fanart from 2020 hihi

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[a-may-w]

My Thoughts On MHA Ending and Bakudeku

*MHA SPOILERS AHEAD*

This post is mainly gonna be me rambling but I wanted to get it out of my head before it consumes me whole. I cannot believe the ending we got. For multiple reasons. Deku being a teacher, Shigarki never being redeemed, but, most shockingly of all to me, the near complete victory Bakudeku shippers got---let me explain. For YEARS the main argument against Bakudeku was that Uraka/Deku was endgame and that, despite how much people shipped Bakudeku, it would NEVER be real. But then. But then, Hirokoshi didn't make Uraka/Deku cannon. Correct me if I'm wrong (please actually do if I am I kinda speed-read the last chapters in a haze) but Uraka and Deku were never confirmed to be dating. They were never confirmed to have dated. They were never confirmed to even have expressed feelings to each other and they sure as hell were never confirmed to have kissed---looking back on it, I don't know if ANYBODY kissed in the MHA manga, but, thats besides the point---Deku and Uraka were never confirmed to have been romantically involved. Which, just, blew my mind when I read that. Not because I was a super huge Uraka/Deku shipper but because I thought it was destined. Deku is the main male character, Uraka the main female one, and with hints at their relationship from the start that's just how super popular, mainstream stories go. Just like Aang and Katara from ATLA, but NOPE. Even more, he made Toga/Uraka cannon?!?! I'll be honest when I first saw Hirokoshi hinting at them being sexual towards one another I thought it was just fanservice and him being a creepy dude sexualizing lesbians (which I mean...he is doing) but their is WAY too much plot relevance and WAY too much actual romance for it to not be considered a real relationship. Both of them had unrequited feelings for Deku that they bonded over and formed an intense, but ultimately kinda beautiful relationship about. Hell, the last time Uraka and Deku interact in the manga it's just Deku comforting her about Toga dying. And yeah, you can argue their relationship grew with Uraka making that speech at UA and both of them being similar in their ultimate pursuit to save people, but, I feel like Toga/Uraka really throws a wrench in the whole possibility of their relationship. To me Uraka loving Toga felt like she was her moving on from Deku. So, already Bakudeku shippers have gained a major victory with the ambiguity of Uraka/Deku, but now it times to talk about the relationship of Bakudeku itself. Listen. I'm not really Bakudeku shipper. I never really read the manga for ANY ships, I was mainly just interested in the OFA/AFO lore. But. I have fucking eyes. And holy shit do they see a lot. You know the meme where its like "If you've been rivals for more than seven years you're no longer rivals, you're just gay?" Yeah. Yeah. Bakugo's redemption arc, him nearly dying several times to save Deku, him calling Deku "Izuku", him calling himself "Kacchan", Bakugo CONSTANTLY talking about "catching up to" Izuku, thinking about him and Dekus shared love for All Might while he dies, and, most damning of all I think, him crying because Deku lost his quirk and they "Can't be rivals forever/a while anymore" and then laughing with him bittersweetly. Like, holy shit. And then, the epilogue (which, I do have issues with the epilogue but that's besides the point) he mainly funded a, most likely very expensive super-suit, so Deku could be a hero again and they could continue being rivals. Like...????? Jesus christ dude. Like I don't know maybe I have gay glasses glued to my eyes but I don't know how else to read this. But, the argument I'm trying to make isn't that Bakudeku is cannon, or that their soulmates, my argument is that Bakudeku shippers have essentially won. Bakugo and Deku being friends and eternal rivals with neither of them having any canonical female love interests to Bakudeku shippers, who were shipping these two when they really shouldn't have, is victory. The ending of MHA is essentially victory for Bakudeku shippers. And that is WAY closer than I EVER thought Bakudeku shippers would get.

[jade-of-mourning]

hey! it’s your hopefully favorite anon again. genuinely thank you so much for responding to my asks and stuff. it’s so eloquently written and it feels like it’s actually mako’s grief in text form. that doesn’t really make sense but. reading that little cat blurb actually made me feel better. I cried. like. heavily. 😭

im glad you liked my goofy insane mentor-that-needs-a-mentor korra idea, even if you’re not going to use it. I actually had the thought while watching a video comparing korra and zuko. it’s not exactly a niche thought that ‘korra is aang’s successor and Zuko’s spiritual successor’ but then it struck me. zuko was the oldest member of the gaang (just a bit older than sokka, the former eldest) but he is still absolutely batshit reckless and insane so,,, what if i Korra’d it.

also,, triple threats,,, since I’ve already revealed that I like to fuck around with canon in every possible aspect. consider: au where bolin dies (this one came to me after seeing a video saying mako would probably… yk, himself, if Bo died) but instead of giving up or chasing whatever criminals got him/dedicating his life to helping other orphans/etc. he just. replaces zolt. and maybe he would have a zuko style redemption arc?? I’ve been listening to Brutus by The Buttress on loop too which has not been helping me escape. yk what would make the takeover even better? zolt has bolin killed to try and get a more firm grip on his chosen protégé (maybe even around the end of the events of republic city hustle) and mako finds out and just,,, absolutely bodies him. like some scraggly 15 y/o just fucking cold blood murders a crime syndicate boss and takes over and?? everyone’s like well ig he was bound to get there eventually. and there would be attempted takeovers obviously but this little fucker is like. nuh uh. you can have this as soon as I get bro back (never)

sorry I’ll stop going insane now. I think you should really listen to Brutus btw it is SO fire

-🐌

hi snailon! (i'm going to call you that. snail + anon mashed together!) you're my only anon so you're my favorite by default,,, but you'd be my favorite even if you weren't! and it's lovely to hear that my writing has helped you <33 also sorry this took a day to respond to whoops

(cont)

okay on the mentor!korra part — it is such a big brain idea that i might have to one day write an au on my au just for that alone LOL okay but korra is so zuko the same way mako is so katara!!! one day i'll talk about it i swear. the classic comparison of mako = zuko is just so Off and it bugs me haha it's really korra and it always has been. bryke is out there spreading false propaganda about their own show like wtf man

second, on the triple threats! see i was reading this and i was reminded of deerstalkerdeathfrisbee's the only thing we've ever organized is crime! (which is a BRILLIANT fic even if i don't really like wuko), except then your train of thought veered divergent so promptly that i was like. woah. woahhhh. i've always been partial for terrifying mobster boss!mako since reading this one a few years back and i wholeheartedly believe that if it weren't for bolin, mako could have very quickly devolved down a really bad path. i've seen it float around a lot of older posts, but to sum it up most succintly, mako made sure bolin survived and bolin made sure mako lived. and if bolin is gone? mako would not give two shits about trying to be a better person, and if bolin's death was of a tangible human person's doing… well. it would not end well for that person, let's say. that person being zolt would abolutely lead to mako promptly desecrating the man, and even if it wasn't a grab for power, i can totally see it proceeding to him actually becoming the teenage mob boss of the triple threats.

(ALSO STOP "this little fucker is like. nuh uh. you can have this as soon as I get bro back (never)" WHY ARE YOU SO FUNNY this is so sad i'm laughing so hard)

but really; mako is just such a guy of asinine stubborness to survive, with the single-minded goal to protect bolin. if there's no one left to protect, and if bolin didn't just succumb to the horrors of their circumstance but was rather brutally murdered as an attempt to control mako himself, that asinine stubborness to survive could very easily translate into cold-blooded violence, and would come with an unnerving facade of quiet apathy while he's really simmering on the edge of a really bad breakdown at any given moment. the guilt would also be endless, and mako would probably project the personal villain so hard on every single member of the triple threats in his general vicinity. working under this angry/guilty/repressed/violent teenager would actually be the most terrifying thing ever.

continuing your ask from last time because i realized i never addresssed this part —

I just had another brain worm sorry. so remember how I was talking about korra potentially being a guiding adult-ish figure in the avatar mako au. what if baby bending brothers. and either lin/tenzin/whoever or them and the other 2 krew members,, taking care of little gang monster and his brother,, and addressing some of the insane trauma and helping him heal and build a stable life,,,

i do love child acquisition, but for tiny feral children! mako and bolin really could've been the most unhinged trauma children of all time and i don't think that any adult on the show would actually be able to handle them as they were except probably pema. tenzin would try his best but i think that he would very easily get overwhelmed and a certain phase of mako would probably incessantly insult him with the deliberate intention to rile him up — and admittedly, tenzin has more of a temper than he'd like to admit, so i just think they'd be at odds a lot to an almost dangerous amount. (but ig i'm exploring that in the actual fic lol) i think mako as a kid would be considerably more abrasive than his is now and far more distrusting and paranoid, to an extent that i don't think that there are a lot of adults in lok that would be well equipped to handle that. (maybe kya? i could see both of them taking to kya actually. that would be funny. maybe i'll write kya into this au.) i do think that bolin could easily get all of them wrapped around his finger, lin grudgingly (and i think she'd be the sort to hold a reluctant affection for prickly loser boy mako).

also idk how i missed it initially but throwing teenaged korrasami into the mix makes it funny though. they would manage the pair of them so badly. (i'm sorry it is cute but i personally don't believe in babysitter!korra and definitely not babysitter!asami.) korra would be in a physical brawling session with mako the little punk ass bitch if asami looks away for one minute because bolin will not stop crying and mako is now trying to bite her head off because that's his little brother. bolin just thinks these two cool older girls are super neat and not at all demanding of his respect so he just incessantly says the most batshit insane things at them while mako is just like. hmm wealthy girl. i am full of anger at life i think i will project that onto you because to me you represent everything i hate about society, i've decided. meanwhile asami is just so confused because she's literally just being her sweet self and this random mobster street kid pema found won't stop giving her a look like he wants to fillet her

sorry none of this post makes any sense at all my head is OVERFLOWING i am UNHINGED thank you for enabling me once again <333 you'll never be a bother also yes i will go listen!

[nalgasde-hao]

(Deciding if I should put this as anonymous or show my avatar...I just don't want anyone coming after me when I ask or say this stuff. They're just questions and I like to hear your answers...ah, screw it, I'm just gonna show my avatar. XP )

I got two questions and one opinion. Here's my opinion: I hate how they made Aang in Korra. People say that he was a bad dad, and I feel like he was written that way on the show, which wasn't intentional, but it looked like it was...by the creators themselves. It would seem the creators are in denial of how they made Aang, cause he's their fave character or something. Don't get me wrong, I like Aang too, but...the creators are really unaware of how they made him into a bad dad in Korra. ^^;

Now for the two questions:

Let's just agree that ATLA is the superior show, and Korra is...eh. Now, Kataang happened on that show, which is fine. HOWEVER, do you think if Taang happened, the events in Korra would've been a WHOLE LOT different and maybe a whole lot...better? Cause Aang's kids' Bumi and Kya in Korra felt unwanted by him in a way and Katara would've said something(which I honest-to-goodness think the whole Kataang hooking up 3 months later after the war in ATLA thing is poor writing. Like let us SEE what happened after that!), whereas Toph would've been like "Twinkles, no, get your priorities straight." And honestly, the Aang WE know would cherish those kids either way, it wouldn't matter if they weren't airbenders. I guess what I'm saying is, do you think Aang and Toph would've been the most awesome and take-in-charge power couple ever and that it would affect the story in Korra in general? Think deeply on that.

Do you think Kataang was necessary for the story of ATLA? I mean, I'm kind of being honest, I don't think anything would've changed if it wasn't included. However, I honestly do believe that Taang would've changed and affected Korra a lot more, whereas people would say Zutara would've affected ATLA. Course, I'm a big Taang fan, and I like Zutara a bit, but I'm mostly Team Taang. XD I just also think it would've made sense for Aang to not be so hooked up on Katara and actually start finding other girls attractive(cough, like Toph, cough) as he grows. It's just...I feel like the whole last part of ATLA was just bad writing. ^^; What are your thoughts?

Wow, first of all, thanks for taking the time to write to me! i really appreciate it ( ͡👁️ ͜ʖ ͡👁️)

Regarding your opinion, I COMPLETELY AGREE. I get that Aang only had Gyatso as a father figure until he was 12 y/o, so he's a bit screwed on that front, but I am CONVINCED that what they did with his paternity was an aberration. I mean yes, surely he had to be absent due to his duties as the avatar, but I REFUSE to believe that he would have taken ONLY to Tenzin on a trip to learn the customs of the air nomads. If there is something that ATLA made clear to us, it is that no matter what nationality you come from, Aang is always going to want to make you smile and show you the fun that can be had, so yes, it doesn't make ANY SENSE to me that he wouldn't have brought to ALL their children to their trips. On the other hand, even though it might have happened a few times (because Aang is a bit of a dork pff lmao), Katara would have NEVER let that happend. Aang would have noticed and would have done ANYTHING to make up for the lost time with his two other children, so yeah, totally agree with you there.

I got excited so I'll try to be more brief with the questions ( ͡눈 ﹏ ͡눈)

Well, there are several comics after the Hundred Years War that more or less show Katara and Aang's relationship (and I'm not going to lie to you, even though I love Taang, Kataang are such a cuties). And regarding Taang as parents, I once read a post from @stitch1830 in response to something similar, and I couldn't agree more. More than opposites, both complement each other perfectly, and I think that in the same way that they do it romantically, they would also do it as parents. Toph, grounding expert that she is, would have been stern if she had noticed that Aang had preferential treatment with any of their children. Similarly, we know the flaws in Toph's motherhood, and I feel like Aang would have managed to balance the excessive freedom she gave her daughters, giving them more structure to their lives and a respect for traditions. On the other hand, I'm VERY SURE Toph was terrified growing up of her daughters being alone (of course, she's too stubborn to even show it), I guess afraid that she might be a terrible mother like her parents were to her. No doubt Aang would have calmed all those worries. AAGH I LOVE THEM SO MUCH (╥︣﹏᷅╥)

2. While Kataang wasn't necessary (it certainly wouldn't have affected the plot too much if it hadn't happened), I think it was a natural fit between the two. Extremely stressed and full of traumas from the war, Katara was the safe, maternal and familiar place that he needed so much, while for Katara, Aang was the hope to cling to, the calm she needed from all the anger contained by the war with the fire nation. Let's say that both of them were attracted to each other for those reasons, because they needed each other.

But you're right, for me, the love that Aang felt for Katara was something platonic, something that had to pass as his first love, after all, she was the first girl he met and who technically saved him from the iceberg. As you say, it would have been much more interesting if both of them grew up to realize that they were each other's support in times of war, and eventually broke up to meet other people (i mean, they met at 12 y/o and 14 y/o, and you say they were together ever since for the rest of their lives? I don't think it's realistic. I guess Aang's world travels and Katara's desire to work in the southern tribe would have also driven them apart over time.

My Taang headcanon is that their relationship started because, first, Aang has to continue to travel the world for his avatar duties, and on the other hand, because Toph hates being stuck in one place, loves freedom, and traveling the world is what connected her the most with it when they were at war. That way she would have joined his travels and little by little they would have begun to fall in love. It would have been entertaining to watch Aang and Toph go through the conflict of realizing that they find each other attractive. (Aang like: "Since when is my sifu so cute? If I fall in love with her she'll kick my ass!, Toph by her side would have been like: "Me? In love with twinkle toes? That skinny? (who is no longer so skinny cofcof) i prefer to be dead before!)

Yeah, I said I was going to keep it short- but FUCK, I really wanted to be able to express everything I was thinking. Thanks again for asking! I'll always be on the lookout and ready to continue talking about a thousand years of Taang and why I think they work so well, cheers!

[theneongreen]

At this point, it seems like people are just regurgitating the same statement that one person made and haven't actually seen the animation nor the live action.

I never viewed sokka as sexist, if anything, he was about as opinionated on gender roles as the average human, men and women alike. He wasn't some sexist pos that needed schooling, he was just a himbo that thought "boy hunt. girl cook. keep sister and tribe safe." There wasn't hatred behind his thoughts, which is very much needed for sexism. He was a thirteen year old boy who was put in charge of the safety of ALL his friends and family, which happen right after the death of his friggin mom. Of COURSE, he went overboard protecting his baby sister, who was what...11 ish? when he had to become her parental figure and the tribe leader. Of COURSE, he wanted to suppress her water bending because if anyone found out, not only would she have been culled, but the entire tribe would have been decimated too. He didn't want a repeat event to happen.

*Plus, is everyone really ignoring that his type is strong, powerful women? Come. On.*

So, can't we celebrate what the series is doing right rather than hating it just because we can? They hired the ACTUAL CABBAGE MAN. That's so cool! And I really, really, REALLY hope they change some ships. Aang and Katara together gives me the ick. They were found family/siblings and putting them together was out of character for katara imo. She had an obvious type too...cough cough bad boy cough cough zuko cough

Maybe I'll rewatch the animated series after watching the live action series to try and see what y'all are saying, but I think you guys need to rewatch it from another perspective too.

Pro tip: don't re-read/watch the og piece before the adaptation comes out. You'll get more annoyed and biased if you do. Appreciate both for what they are because there's no point in adapting something if it's going to be the same exact thing as the original. Cause you know, growth is important.

The core of Sokkas character is that he is a 16-year-old boy who grew up trying to be a man because that is what his tribe needed after his father left for war. In that attempt, as someone immature and unguided, he had sexist attitudes, only to later mature and become a real man.

His character development is very special because it teaches little boys the true meaning of being a man. The fact that they remove his sexism in the live action speaks to the fact that they did not understand his character

With no flaws there can't be any grow

[the-badger-mole]

Hallmarks of the Season: Part 4

The next morning, Katara was up early again, to her chagrin. Fortunately it wasn't a school day, so she was the only one awake in her family of early risers. She checked her phone for any missed messages, then she decided to work off some of her excess energy with a morning run.

Katara headed for the downtown area, intending to reward herself at the end of her run with a cup of coffee and a pastry. The two miles between her family's home and the middle of town was sparsely populated this early in the morning, and a light snow was beginning to fall, muting even the sound of her feet on the pavement. It was like running in a dream. The coffee shop had just opened, and Katara had her pick of fresh baked goods. She chose a crispy guo kui for herself, and some fruit tarts for the rest of her family, and a tall cup of spiced dark tea to sip on her leisurely walk home. Once her breakfast was done, she pulled out her phone to check for messages. There was one from Sokka informing her that Sesi had a dentist appointment that day, and another from her father asking if she felt like going out to dinner that night. Katara sighed, and put her phone away.

She spotted Aang first, this time. He was wrestling with the key to one of the shop fronts, and he nearly dropped the ring when he heard Katara call his name.

"Hey, Katara!" he greeted her brightly. "Wow, I'm amazed! You're never up this early."

"Jetlag," Katara shrugged and rolled her eyes. "By the time I'm over it, it'll be time to go home."

"It's so weird hearing you call someplace home and not mean here," Aang chuckled and shook his head. Finally, he was able to get the key to turn and he held the door open for Katara to come in.

"So this is the shop?" Katara looked around and tried not to react. The shop was dingy, even before Aang turned on the lights. The slight odor of wet animal permeated the air, and it was smaller than Katara would have guessed.

"Pretty great, isn't it?" Aang held his arms out and grinned. "It needs a new coat of paint, but this is just where I start. Once it takes off, I'll be able to get a bigger place, too. Eventually, I want to take over the old Highwater barn. To give the animals space to run and stuff. Maybe even turn it into short term pet boarding." Katara cast a look around the shop again, and this time her smile wasn't forced.

"I'm really happy for you," she told him. "It sounds like a wonderful plan." Aang's cheeks flushed slightly and preened.

"You don't think I'm a failure for not making it through vet school?" he asked. "I'll probably never get rich off of this."

"You probably wouldn't have gotten rich off being a vet," Katara joked. "But that doesn't matter. You've found something that makes you happy, and I think that's worth all the wealth in the world."

"Really?" Aang's smile widened. "That's not what I was expecting to hear from you."

"Oh?" Katara's face turned inward in confusion. "Why not?"

"Well..." It seemed like Aang was trying to find a delicate way to say what was on his mind. He rocked on his feet nervously and gestured at Katara. "You know...I've...we've all kept up with you, you know. The small town girl who made good in the big city. You're marrying some rich guy-"

"None of that means I'd put money ahead of my happiness," Katara was unaccountably annoyed. "And how do you know how much money Zuko has?"

"I don't mean to be rude," Aang waved his hands, backpedaling quickly. "I was curious when I found out you were engaged. I didn't get a chance to ask you about it yesterday, so I peeked at your social media. Zuko Kaji is...well...I don't think his wealth is any secret." Katara rolled her eyes.

"Yes, fine, he does have money," she admitted. "But that's not why I love him."

"I didn't mean to imply that," Aang swore. "I just...when I saw you at the store yesterday...It's just, you seem so different now. I haven't seen you in almost ten years, and now it's like you're a completely different person." Katara tapped her finger against her cup thoughtfully.

"I am a different person," she said. "Aang, you can't base what you know about me on who I was when I was in high school. I'm not that person anymore. None of us is exactly who we were ten years ago. That's what happens. I'm living a different life than I saw for myself back then, but it's a good life, and I'm happy."

"Good!" Aang turned and started fiddling with the cash register. "I'm glad to hear it. It's nice to know that fabulous wealth doesn't hinder happiness." Katara eyed him for a moment, but then laughed weakly.

"It's not as bad as the movies make it look," she said. She glanced at her screen for any text notifications.

"Hey, Katara?" Aang cleared his throat nervously.

"Yeah?" she looked up expectantly.

"You're in marketing, right?"

"I am," Katara answered slowly. Aang lifted his arms and gestured around the shop.

"Obviously, I'm going to need some more customers if I'm ever going to make it to the Highwater barn, but I'm kind of lost on the whole marketing thing. Do you think I could pick your brain? I mean if you have time."

"Sure, Aang. I actually have some time today. I can swing back around this afternoon and we can talk strategy. Yeah?"

"That'd be awesome!"

Katara gathered her bag of treats and her now ice cold tea and headed for home. Hakoda was on his way out to work, but he gratefully accepted a custard tart on his way out the door. Sesi couldn't have any sweets before her appointment, and Sokka refrained out of solidarity, but he made Katara promise not to eat his while he was gone.

"As if I was the one with that problem," Katara scoffed. "Bottomless pit." Kanna was visiting a sick friend, so that left Katara on her own for the better part of the day. After she showered, changed and checked her messages, Katara headed back out for Aang's shop.

It was busier than it had been that morning, but only just. Aang was at the large tub sink rigorously scrubbing down something large, fluffy and white with a towel. He glanced over his shoulder to see who'd come in, and his face lit up when he saw her. Katara felt heat rise to her cheeks unexpectedly.

"Who is that?" she asked, motioning towards Aang's client.

"Indrani," he told her. "This is Mr. Saki's best friend. Or so he says. She's a friendly ol' furball." Indrani turned and licked Aang's cheek.

"She certainly likes you," Katara giggled. "She's pretty. Even without her blowout."

"Second prettiest she in the place," Aang shot Katara rakish grin, and there was another rush of heat to her cheeks. She cleared her throat and took a seat in the waiting area.

"I'll be over here when you're ready." Aang and Indrani moved over to the drying station, and the sound of the pet dryer made conversation impossible, so Katara took her phone out to occupy herself. She'd muted her work emails, and now had to resist the urge to open them to see how things were going at the company. There was nothing she could do to make the money from the investors clear faster, anyway. She opened her personal email instead. There was nothing in her inbox but some coupons for the makeup brand she wore and an announcement for a sale at a store she hadn't shopped at in years. She navigated back to the home screen and hovered over the text message icon for a moment before opening her video app and putting in her earbuds.

She was halfway through an hourlong video on the history of Ba Sing Se's surprisingly shady cabbage trade when she was brought back to the present by a tap on her shoulder. Aang stood over her, waving and grinning as if he'd been calling her for a while. Katara glanced around and realized that Indrani was no longer there. She had been taken to a kennel in the back of the shop, Katara would learn later.

"I didn't realize I had it up so high," Katara said as she put away her headphones and phone.

"No worries." Aang switched the sign on the door to closed and motioned for Katara to follow him. "Step into my office."

Aang's office was a supply closet with a desk. there was no window and it was cramped, but Katara was impressed that the shop had anything resembling office space at all. There was a pile of boxes in front of the desk, so both chairs had to be put on the same side of the desk. Aang let Katara take her seat first and settled in beside her.

"So..." Katara took a notepad and pen from her purse, and leaned against the wall behind her. "Why don't we start with the basics? How often are you posting on social media?"

"Um..." Aang blinked in surprise. "Social media? I haven't really been on any of my accounts in a while."

"Okay, and what about you socials for the shop?" Katara pressed.

"I...don't have any?" Aang replied sheepishly. Katara wrote that down on her notepad.

"Social media presence is really important," she explained. "Especially with a business like yours. It's a really effective way to keep in touch with existing customers and connect with new ones. And you have an immediate hook. Everyone loves pictures of cute pets."

"That's so much work, though!" Aang complained. "The whole reason I stopped using social media was because of all the time it took up."

"You don't have to spend a ton of time," Katara told him. "Most sites will let you preschedule your post. I'd recommend setting them up a week in advance. It shouldn't take you more than a couple of hours a week. It's also a really good way to announce sales and specials and stuff like that."

"If you think it'll work..." Aang seemed uncertain.

"Trust me!" Katara said. "You'll want to ask all your customers to like and follow the page. And every so often- like say, once a month to start- you'll want to announce a special. Just to keep them engaged." At the word engaged, Aang's eyes drifted to the ring on Katara's finger. It glittered beautifully, even in the florescent light of the office. Katara was too busy scribbling down monthly special ideas to notice Aang's scrutiny.

"Are you running any holiday specials?" Katara asked, startling Aang from his thoughts.

"Er...no," he said. Katara's lips drew down in a quick frown.

"Tell you what," she said. "I'm going to work on a few things for you. A couple of flyers, a loyalty card, and a couple of post for your social media. And I'll make a plan for your next quarter. What do you think?" Aang scrambled for a response.

"Wow, that sounds like so much," he said. "Do you think you'll be able to do that all before you go?"

"It won't take me more than a few hours," Katara said. "Small business campaigns are really easy, but if you stick with the plan, it's going to bring in so much business you'll have to move to the barn!"

"That would be amazing, Katara! I don't know what I'd do without you. I've been open for three months and I still only have three regular clients. It's been...scary."

"The first year of business is always the scariest," Katara reached out and squeezed Aang's hand. "You're going to be fine." Aang looked at her hand on his. The ring, with it's giant stone glittered and twinkled at him. He placed his other hand on top of Katara's and squeezed it.

"How did you get so good at this?" he asked.

"It's what I do," Katara said. "I'm the head of the marketing team at Zuko's company." That caught Aang's attention.

"You're marrying your boss?" He made a poorly concealed face at that. Katara's cheeks went pink and she shrugged.

"He's not actually my boss," she said. "I mean, I don't answer to him directly. We didn't even realize we work at the same place until our second date." Katara chuckled at the memory.

"How did that happen?" Aang asked. "You didn't know the CEO of your company? Isn't it like...number one on the list of interview advice to look up the CEO of the company?"

"Nah," Katara shrugged. "You want to know enough about the company to be able to talk about why you want to work there, but no one actually cares if you know who works in the C-Suite. I met Zuko at a coffee shop about month into working at the company, and he asked me out. We promised not to talk about work on our first date, and we weren't supposed to talk about it on our second date either, but then we both got an alert from work about an ad campaign falling through because the company we were partnering with didn't like the layout. We ended up both having to go in at the same time. It was like finding out each other's alter-egos.

Katara laughed as she recounted the look of shock on Zuko's face. He was worried that HR would have a problem with them dating, but since Katara was both high enough in the company and far enough removed, it hadn't been an issue, though they still kept it secret for another year.

"You really like him, huh?" Aang asked.

"Very much," Katara sighed. She idly flipped her phone over and checked for notifications.

"Are you expecting a call or something?" Aang asked.

"Sort of," Katara turned her phone back over and pushed it slightly away. "I sent Zuko a message yesterday, and I haven't heard back."

"Oh?" Aang leaned forward, his brow drawing down in concern. "Is that unusual for him?"

"Kind of," Katara said. "He's in the middle of work crisis. He can be very single minded when he's working. He usually takes the time to text, though." Aang regarded her quietly for a moment. He put his hand over hers again, tracing lazy circles around her ring.

"You know...they say that engagement is the time when couples are supposed to be attached at the hip," he observed.

"Yeah, this whole investor fiasco is really cutting into our gross engaged couple time," Katara snorted. "But I knew going in that running this company was going to take a lot of his time. It's a fairly new company. You know how much work it takes to get a business off the ground."

"That's true," Aang conceded. "Still, if I had someone like you, I'd drop everything for a text." Katara blushed and slowly withdrew her hand from Aang's.

"It's not that simple," she said. "Especially with what's happening now. He has a lot more people than just me to take care of. I'm proud of him and how much he cares. I just...I miss him."

"Good thing he's coming soon, then," Aang sat back in his chair, arms folded and eyes directed away from Katara. She paused before she answered.

"Yeah..." she said, tucking her phone into her purse. "Good thing." Then she stood up and gathered her things. "I should get going. If I get home fast enough, I can knock out one of these flyers before dinner."

Aang stood up and walked Katara back to the front of the shop. He caught her hand before she left the shop. Katara looked from their hands back up to Aang's soulful grey eyes.

"You deserve to be cared for the most," he said. Katara nodded dumbly and hurried out of the shop into the chilly winter air. It was sharp after being in the heated office for so long. Katara felt like she was waking suddenly.

As Katara turned down the block to her father's house, her phone buzzed. Zuko's name flashed across the screen, alerting her that he had finally, finally answered her text.

I'm sorry I took so long to get back to you.

I know I said I'd be there in four days, but something's come up with the investors. I have to change my plans. I'll talk to you soon.

Love you and miss you

Katara took several deep breaths. She wouldn't cry. She had acknowledged this possibility privately before. It wasn't Zuko's fault. And despite what impression this was leaving on her family and friends, she knew that Zuko did truly care and would be there if he could. She just wished that it was in his power to put her ahead of his company more often.

One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six

[fakeikemen]

The "Cave of Two Lovers" foreshadows the Zutara interactions in "Crossroads of Destiny"

[And maybe after that too; (yeah this part will be purely based on speculation)]

(See also: A meta that everybody has already written but I haven't because I was living under a rock and watched Avatar very recently)

Like seriously, it is so obvious? I see people try to interpret "The Legend Of Oma and Shu" in so many other ways; like yeah, you're free to interpret it however you want but— most people try to make sense of it while thinking that the tale is just a random occurrence? But it's not.

And here's why:

(I'm so sorry, I tried to add the "keep reading" link here because this gets kinda long but it just won't work) (Also click on the pictures if you want better resolution).

The tale of Oma and Shu is about two lovers who belonged to villages that were at war against each other. To continue meeting each other, they learnt earthbending to create caves in the mountain that divides the two villages. But one day Shu didn't come to the caves. He'd died in the war. So Oma unleashed a terrifying display of her power. And then when people were willing to listen to her, she called off the war and strived for peace between both the villages. As a result the city of Omashu was created— as a monument in remembrance of their love.

So in comparison:

1. Two people belonging to the opposite sides of the war

(Other than the 100 year old war that has been going on, Zuko and Katara are involved in a very fundamental conflict: Capture the Avatar Vs. Protect the Avatar.)

2. With the same colour scheme:

3. Share intimate moments in a cave lit by green crystals:

A popular argument for this comparison is that; Oma and Shu had a positive impressions of each other when they first met. Unlike Zuko and Katara where Katara's first impression of Zuko was pretty negative because he invaded her village.

Zuko and Katara's first proper conversation happens in "Crossroads of Destiny" i.e.; the scene I'm talking about here. After this interaction that they have, I think it's safe to say that they did have positive impressions of each other. (Until Zuko made the wrong choice.)

Other than that, about the colour scheme being a coincidence: Here and here are posts by @marsreds about how the colours are definitely not a coincidence.

But seriously guys? Oma and Shu were the FIRST EARTHBENDERS and yet, instead of greens and yellows they were designed with RED and BLUE?!? (I'll take about Oma's green dress below.)

And on that note, why were Zuko and Katara the only ones who were thrown into the catacombs when everybody else was being held at the dungeons? The dungeons wouldn't have been easy to escape, neither for Zuko nor for Katara.

It's because Zuko and Katara were meant to share an intimate moment in a cave that was supposed to jog our visual memory to remind us of the caves built by Oma and Shu.

(Seriously though, I wasn't really paying attention during CoTL and thought that the Omashu legend was just put in to consume screen time, so I missed the red/blue thing. But then I watched CoD and saw the catacombs and I was like: "Isn't this like that cave made by the lovers?" And then I proceeded to have an oh shit moment because, I knew that Zutara was not canon so I never even considered the possibility of the narrative hinting at anything between them but then this happened. I mean, it's pretty darn obvious).

The colour of the crystals being the same in both caves is no coincidence either— if they just wanted two random caves with crystals, then they could've used a different colour because crystals of different colours exist:

Moving on,

The Visual Cues:

According to the colour coding Zuko = Oma (red) and Katara = Shu (blue).

So,

EXHIBIT A:

I feel like this one speaks for itself.

(I personally think that in this parallel Oma is in red because Katara at this point still sees Zuko as the face of the Fire Nation.)

EXHIBIT B:

This sequence of frames show Oma (dressed in green, like Zuko was in the catacombs) and Shu (dressed in his usual blue), standing on neutral territory and reaching out to each other and then being torn apart by the war.

Pretty much like:

The first time they are in each other's presence without the cause of their conflict (i.e. the Avatar), Zuko and Katara reach out to each other empathetically and attain bone deep understanding of each other within a matter of minutes. This whole encounter is in Ba Sing Se, which counts for the neutral territory because it hadn't been completely taken over by Fire Nation at that point.

And honestly? The raw vulnerability and intimacy of this scene and the high emotional energy of their powerful dynamic is just— wow. (I put off my binging spree for a whole day because I didn't have the heart to see Zutara not become canon after all of this.)

And soon after, Zuko and Katara face each other in battle, their tentative friendship torn apart, as they fight from their respective sides of the war.

EXHIBIT C:

Whenever Oma and Shu appear in the same frame during the visualization of the legend, Oma is always on the left half of the frame and Shu is on the right.

Similarly, throughout all their interactions in the Catacombs, whenever the frame exclusively includes Zuko and Katara, Zuko (like Oma) is on the left half of the frame and Katara (like Shu) is on the right.

The parallels (or foils rather):

#1

In CoTL, we see Song who is a healer (cures Iroh of his poisoning). She mentions that she hasn't seen her father since a Fire Nation raid took place in her village. Zuko empathises with her and says that he too hasn't seen his father in a long while. But then he refuses to say anything else about it.

Later Song tries to reach out to Zuko and tries to touch his scar— which Zuko prevents her from. She shows Zuko her own scars to show that she understood him.

And yet, Zuko doesn't open up to her.

After a while of life-changing and eye-opening experiences, in CoD, when Katara has her meltdown and cries while saying that her mother was snatched away from her by the Fire Nation; Zuko sees an opening to offer an olive branch and he takes it, he empathises with her and tells her that how his mother was snatched away by the Fire Nation as well.

Then Zuko opens up to Katara in a show of complete vulnerability. He openly talks about his scar and what he feels about it. In response, Katara offers to heal his scar and then Zuko lets her touch his scar.

It was nothing but a deliberate choice to make Song slightly parallel Katara (a healer, lost a parent because of the war) and then making Zuko not open up to her and not let her touch the scar, only for Katara to be the one he opened up to and allowed to touch the scar.

#2

After being trapped with Aang in the cave in CoTL and sharing an intimate moment with him, as soon as they find their way out, Katara runs straight ahead without looking back.

But after her time with Zuko, trapped in the Catacombs in CoD, while leaving she turns back to look at Zuko.

Judging by the amount of time the animation puts into showing us Aang's disappointment at Katara running off and into making it clear that Katara did look back at Zuko and that Zuko looked right back at her, to me, it feels like the choice to show this was pretty deliberate.

(Turning back to look at a person while leaving is a romantic trope that has been overused to death? Or is it just bollywood?)

Also I wouldn't have paid this much attention to this small detail if not for the fact that just a hint of the Omashu legend theme is played here?

No, I swear I'm not making it up.

The Omashu legend theme is used in CoD:

The Omashu legend theme is largely dominated by the music of a stringed instrument (forgive me, I don't know what it's called) alongwith a steady melody playing in the background.

In CoD, when Katara and Zuko start conversing for real, (i.e.; when Katara says: "I'm sorry I yelled at you.") what sounds like a variation of the background melody in the Omashu legend theme, starts its subtle ascent as the background score, but sans the music of the stringed instrument.

It is when Katara says: "Maybe you could be free of it." [About Zuko's scar], when then first hint of the stringed instrument is heard. It is only a single note of the strings but it's there. And this "single note" sound keeps on repeating at regular intervals with the melody building up until Aang and Iroh burst into the catacombs.

But then, when Katara is leaving with Aang and she turns back to look at Zuko, this time the music that plays for a few seconds at best, is dominated by the stringed instrument again and this time it's unmistakable.

Also I don't think this music is used anywhere else in the course of the whole show? So it can't really be a coincidence? But I don't really know. I'm saying this on the basis of as far as my memory can reach.

And this is as far as canon stands testimony to what I am trying to say here.

But what about the second half of the story yk, the dying thing, you say?

Well this is where the speculations come in.

Speculation Time:

#1

As a thumb rule, a romance foreshadowed by a tragic tale is meant to have a happy ending.

So this time when Katara's (Shu) life is in danger (Azula's lightning bolt), Zuko (Oma) steps in at the nick of time to save her life (by jumping infront of Katara to intercept the lightning).

(Since I have crossed the limit of images in a post, here is a post by @araeph which illustrates this point.)

Yes, I am completely aware that Zuko taking the lightning bolt for Katara is not his declaration of love for her. What I mean to say is that the whole scene was so very painfully obviously romantically framed (the immediate change in music when Zuko realises where the lightning bolt was headed, both of their expressions, Zuko's agonized "Nooooo", the slow-mo throughout the shot).

I am also aware that Zuko would've taken the lightning bolt for anyone. But it is the narrative that demands that Zuko take the lightning bolt for Katara and Katara only. Because this has atleast 10 different payoffs (a direct callback to the Book 2 finale where Azula had shot Aang with the lightning; the grief of which was for Katara to bear but this time Zuko himself stands between the lightning and Katara instead of being the silent spectator, the culmination of both Zuko and Katara's personal character arcs, Zuko's scar would parallel Aang's: Aang got it because he chose Katara over the world and Zuko got it because he was willing to give up the world to save Katara, etc, etc).

Tl;dr: The lightning scene wouldn't hold all that much weight if it wasn't Zuko taking the hit for Katara because the narrative literally demands it.

#2

This is where we start wading into really murky waters.

From mucking around on Tumblr due to Zutara feels™, I came across this post where some of the ideas for Book 4 were written:

• The Southern Water Tribe experienced the longest series of attacks from the Fire Nation. Zuko and Katara become political partners and work together to help end the animosity and repair relations between their two nations.

• Just like how Zuko learned to appreciate the Earth Kingdom, he would learn to appreciate the Water Tribes. Katara also learns to respect the complexity of Fire Nation culture. There is no such thing as an “evil” nation.

And that basically means that Zuko and Katara would've been working together to de-escalate the hostility between their respective nations and improve the relations between the two nations, while learning about each other's cultures simultaneously as the world would be in the process of being rebuilt after the war and they would be major role-players in shaping the new world.

Which is quite similar to how Oma strived for peace between the two villages and then as a result of the improved relations between the villages, the city of Omashu was built as a monument to the love story of Oma and Shu; which might just be symbolic of building a new world where both the villages could live in peace due to the initiative taken by Oma on behalf of herself and Shu.

The story would've come a full circle; that's all I'm saying.

If you've stuck around for this long, thank you for taking the time to read this long ass post with points that you may already have read ♥️

[flameohotwife]

For the prompt thing, maybe 40 or 43? Maybe a combo of both?? I'll let you decide!!

40. "You are crushing me right now."

43. "You're an idiot" (which I kind of combined with 7. "You're an idiot." "But you love me." because why not)

From this fluff prompt list. Rated G-Tish. 1k words.

Katara was pacing back and forth in the tiny Middle Ring apartment she and Aang shared when they visited Ba Sing Se. King Kuei had tried to insist on an extravagant house in the Upper Ring, but they had both refused, partially due to Aang’s minimalist nature and partially because Katara spent most of these visits working at clinics in the Lower Ring, so their apartment was perfectly situated for them both to get to their jobs easily.

Katara stopped at the window and observed the darkening sky. Stars were just beginning to twinkle to life up above, and the rising full moon was making her antsier than normal. It wasn’t necessarily unusual for Aang to be out this late, but on her way home from the clinic today she had heard about an incident at the palace. Nobody seemed to know the details, but each story she overheard became wilder and deadlier than the last, and the uncertainty was causing her heart to race. She had rushed home only to find emptiness. Empty rooms. Empty tea cups leftover from breakfast, still sitting on the table. Empty apartment. Empty pit in her stomach.

Her nervous energy finally bubbled out and she couldn’t stop moving; first clearing the table and washing the dishes, then arranging their belongings and scrubbing the counters, then sweeping the floors, then pacing. She trusted Aang to come home to her every day. This was all part of being the Avatar’s girlfriend (the Avatar’s partner, really--they were everything to each other. It was only the world who saw her only as his girlfriend, as they were not yet betrothed). He would always have duties to the world. Sometimes she could be by his side, but sometimes she would have to let him take care of things on his own, and she always trusted him to make the right choices both for the world and for them. But it didn’t stop the worry.

She was just gathering her things to leave their now-spotless apartment--thinking she could head to the palace herself to see if they needed a healer--when the door swung open and Aang appeared. His robes were disheveled and maybe a little singed, but he was walking on his own and she couldn’t see any blood. There was a clatter as she dropped her bag and keys to the floor and rushed to him, relief coursing through her.

“Hey, Sweetie--OOF!” Katara clung to him like a spidermonkey. She could feel the exhaustion in his muscles, even as his heart still raced with energy. It was the weariness of continuing to fight battle after battle, either physically or in the meeting room. Her heart ached at his lost childhood. He shouldn’t even know he was the Avatar yet; his sixteenth birthday was still months off, and yet he spent his days (and many of his nights) cleaning up the messes of a century-long war. Katara knew that despite the progress he’d made with his chakras, he still held some guilt over his prolonged absence from the world, and that he attempted to atone by being everywhere at once. An impossible task. She squeezed him tighter.

“Katara,” he gasped, trying to wriggle free from her vice-like grip. “You are crushing me right now.”

“Oh,” she said. “Sorry.” She smoothed her dress and discretely inspected his appearance for injury. “What happened, Sweetie? I heard so many rumors…”

“Everything’s okay.” Aang ran his hands down her shoulders and arms as he spoke, trying to relieve some of the tension there. “Some rogue Ozai supporters thought they’d try to assassinate the Earth King and take over Ba Sing Se, but they were subdued pretty easily. Just some minor damage to the palace but nothing too terrible. Kuei is a little shaken, but fine. Nobody was injured. Well… maybe a couple firebenders got hurt by the rock shackles. And their pride. That was definitely hurt.” He smirked down at her. He had only outgrown her in height in the last few months, and she was still getting used to having to look up at him when they were this close.

“You’re an idiot,” she joked, rolling her eyes. She would never admit it out loud, but that cocky little attitude of his that he always had after a win made her heart flutter. She could tell he was still riding the adrenaline rush from the battle and needed an outlet. She needed one, too, frayed as her nerves were from worry, so she snaked her arms up his chest and around his neck, pulling him down to her.

“But you love me.” His eyes twinkled with something mischievous and he dipped to kiss her deeply, threading his fingers into her hair and pressing her against him once more with a hand on her back. Katara caressed the tattoo down his neck, arching into him when he shuddered.

“You’re right,” she said breathily when they finally parted. “I do love you.” She pulled him back down for a chaste kiss on the cheek, and he blushed, melting her heart all over again. She couldn’t stop smiling. They’d been together for years now but his face still reddened every time she did that, like he couldn’t quite believe it.

“I’ll always come back to you,” he said quietly, reading her subconscious worry. He leaned his forehead against hers gently, and the air was thick with their love as they stood in the entryway, door still open and forgotten. “I know it’s scary sometimes with all the attacks, but I want you to know that the thought of you keeps me going and will bring me back every time. I couldn’t do any of this without you. You’re my anchor to the world and to this life, Katara. I love you so much.”

“Aang,” she whimpered, and leaned up to kiss him again, pulling him impossibly closer. Both their faces were wet, but their hearts were full. They would always come back to each other. They were each other’s home in a world that had destroyed theirs. Each other’s tether in a life that was constantly threatened. They could find safety and comfort in that knowledge, and in each other. She pulled him fully into the apartment and shut the door, determined to take refuge from the outside world in his strong arms for a moment. An hour. A lifetime. Just them.

[discordiansamba]

if you asked sokka a year ago where he thought he'd be in a year's time, he probably never would have given the answer of 'living in the fire lord's personal family villa on ember island in the fire nation with my sister and a brainwashed prince zuko'. never in a million years. not a chance.

that's where sokka is.

his sister has, for whatever reason, decided that they need to let zuko come to them. sokka loves his sister, but he also thinks she's insane. did she miss the part where zuko was brainwashed? he's spent the past half year meeting and interacting with an endless parade of people from his past, and it hasn't so much as cracked.

he lived with his sister as her servant for months, katara! months! you're not going to convince him he's been brainwashed!

but katara is stubborn. she's not backing down on this. zuko's condition is bad. like. really bad. she's going to need all the help she can get to bring him back. which means zuko needs to work with them, and not against them. which means they have to gain lee's trust. they have to make him understand his entire life is a lie.

great. he's sure that'll be easy peasy.

...living with lee is probably the strangest experience sokka has had in his life- and he's including the time he was kidnapped by a spirit. he wasn't kidding about being able to cook. he doesn't trust them, so he makes all of his own food. it actually smells good. he and katara can't help but spy on him whenever he cooks.

(eventually, he gets frustrated enough by this and tells them to sit down. i'll make you one meal if you stop spying on me. sokka gives him his most solemn vow and instantly comes to regret it. it's delicious.)

those first few days, they let him do whatever he wants. sokka's pretty sure zuko gets lost in his own home. he stares at his childhood portrait a lot. at mirrors. he pointedly ignores him and katara. he's so bristly and standoffish that it actually feels a little like zuko's back already, until sokka realizes they've just... never seen lee upset before.

katara talks to him whenever he'll let her, which isn't often. sokka feels like he's going to tear out his hair. they're not getting anywhere. katara's the one who said that zuko was at risk of becoming lee permanently. shouldn't she be trying to speed things along? plus azula might come knocking on their door to get her tea server back.

toph and aang drop by once a week to bring supplies. they kind of have to. katara and sokka are just as trapped in the villa as zuko is. they ask if they've made progress. the answer is always no. they deliver a letter from iroh. he's pretty sure the old man is starting to get pretty antsy.

all this for someone sokka doesn't even like.

three weeks in, toph and aang bring a surprise visitor. it's maybe not the last person sokka expects to see, but she's pretty high up there. the gloomy girl who sighs a lot looks down at them-

-and tells them she wants to help.

katara finds zuko tucked away in the corner of the villa, curled up in on himself. he's clutching his head, and visibly flinches when she draws closer. katara stops in her tracks, even backing up a few steps.

he's terrified of her- and she can't even blame him.

they should have known azula would have tried something like this. that she would lie to him. she just doesn't understand how she could do this. she tries to think about sokka becoming a different person, and it makes her shudder. she can't imagine asking for it herself. and then making him become her servant?

she doesn't think she'll ever understand azula.

"lee," katara keeps her voice quiet, "-i'm not going to hurt you."

zuko shakes his head. he doesn't look at her.

katara sighs, and sits down. zuko somehow manages to force himself more into the corner. it was beyond surreal to see him like this. it had been beyond surreal the entire time. she'd really rather he go back to yelling at her and calling her a water tribe peasant. she could deal with that.

"listen," katara says, "-I know this is scary, and I know what Azula told you, but none if it's true. the only thing I want to do is help you."

zuko looks up at her. he asks her why they've locked him up here if that's really true. why keep me prisoner if all you want to do is help me? katara bites her lip. he has a point, but... he's made it obvious that he'll run if he gets the chance. she can't blame him for that either. he doesn't know any better.

zuko is completely convinced he's lee. he's spent two years caught in a web of lies, enforced as much by innocent bystanders who have only ever known him as lee as it was by lan-wei. he'd built a life for himself in ba sing se as lee. he'd been... genuinely happy there, she thinks. and it's enough to almost, almost make her try and convince iroh to just let him live like this. to just be lee.

she doesn't think zuko was ever happy.

it's funny. she's spent so long resenting him for his betrayal at ba sing se. but these past few months, and getting to know him as lee... she thinks she's ended up with a better understanding of zuko than she's ever had before. she doesn't think he deserves to endure azula's constant mockery of him, but... a nice, peaceful life at the ba sing se tea shop.

but it wouldn't be right.

katara took the chance while he was unconscious to check out his brain. she'd spent weeks after the war, systematically freeing the brainwashed joo dees. it had been a struggle at first, but once she'd found the rhythm, she'd practically been able to do it in her sleep. she'd already known lee would be different, but...

...it had been worse than she'd thought. so much worse.

they were so, so lucky she'd found zuko when she did. a year or two from now? she didn't even know if water from the spirit oasis would be enough to save him. there wouldn't be a zuko anymore. he'd just... become lee. completely and utterly. he already was lee, completely and utterly... but they still had a chance.

the window of opportunity was very much closing.

"please, katara," zuko says, "-I just want to go home."

he doesn't even know this villa belongs to his family. iroh told her that they had many happy memories in this place- memories that zuko has forgotten entirely. no, not forgotten. just... locked away. inaccessible. she sighs.

"lee," she says, "-i know this isn't going to be easy to hear. but you need to the truth. all i'm asking is that you listen."

"what?" lee spits. "you're going to tell me I'm brainwashed again? I know who I am, katara."

"no," katara says, "-you don't."

[flawlesslyzuko]

Firebending Training Part 2

Zuko clears his throat so he can regain your attention again.

Zuko: hey, you OK? Looks like I lost you there for a second.

You realize that you body has gone totally rigid and that you'd let go of his hand. Your fists are clenched hard at your sides. You take a deep breath to relax your muscles and look over at zuko. He's got that worried look on his face that he seems to get often. You tentatively smile, trying to lighten the mood. Her wanted to tell you something..

Yn: yeah, just reminiscing I guess. The sunset is so beautiful and..*deep breath* yeah.

Zuko doesn't respond right away, but doesn't look away as he studies your face.

Zuko: I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable bringing you over here to talk to you. It's been a long day and I can understand if you're tired. I'll leave you alone if you need me to.

Yn: no, no its fine. It's just weird being here since for so long I was stuck on that island. I don't even know who I am or what I'm supposed to do.

Zuko chuckles slightly. You glare at him teasingly and he stops, clearing his throat with a sheepish grin.

Zuko: hey! I'm sorry okay. I just... I can understand that. I wasn't always the son that planned to turn traitor to my father and run away and teach the avatar firebending. I was also second best when it came to my sister azula. Even now I'm unsure since it seems like so many people don't want me as firelord. All these attempts on my life really make me think. Maybe I'm not where I'm meant to be.

You're shocked at this sudden truth moment with Zuko. Ever since you've decided to come with Zuko, he has been guarded about what he shares with you. Always kind, but never letting down those walls he has put up with all the years of trauma and mistrust.

You take a moment to think on what be has told you and then remember that he took your hand earlier and lead you here to the water. You blush and try to hide it, but zuko sees the sudden warmth in your cheeks.

You cough slightly in an attempt to distract him.

Yn: I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you..I don't know. I guess I never really thought about everything you've must've gone through. I'm just some girl who...I don't know. Showed up I guess.

Zuko: you're not just some girl. I promise.

Zuko reaches out again and takes both of your hands in his. You're not sure what to do so you stay where you are, seeing what's going to happen next.

Zuko: when aang and I decided to leave the firenation and travel south for..something to find an answer to my problem, we were surprised to find you. I know I'm not making sense but ever since we got into that battle with resistance against me down there, I can't help but see that... you saved me y/n.

Yn: wait. Me. Saved you?

Zuko: yeah. It reminded me of when I fought my sister for the throne during the comet and Katara healed me.

Zuko takes one of his back and puts it to his stomach.

Zuko: that day changed everything. But it was different when I met you. You didn't even know me and yet, you did everything you could to make sure I made it out alive.

Yn: i...I... don't know what to say.

He waits for you to think about what he said. Then ,with the hand he placed on his stomach, he strokes the right side of your face softly. Again, you notice how warm it is.

By now, the sun is almost down and the red dance is slowing down around you.

Zuko: y/n , I know one of your reasons for coming with me is so I can teach you firebending. We've been alone ever since but we've never really talked since.

You can't help but agree silently. You know there is more than just firebending training between you, but you don't know what to do about it.

[biqherosix]

fireproof - one shot

fluff, chaos/crack

(avatar: the last airbender — romantic! zuko x fem! reader)

as kiyi finally gets to have a relaxing day with her big brother and his girlfriend, they think they’re finally going to have the break they deserve. little do they know that she’s schemed a fireproof plan to make this makeshift family date, one you’ll never forget

cw / none

a/n — y’all i actually hate this one but i have to at least try and like it,,, but really stop liking this 😡 i hope you enjoy my lovely firebender simps !!

if anyone asked zuko why he loved you, truthfully there was no set answer. he always responded differently every time one had asked. whether it be your smile, your kindness, or your empathy. the fire lord knew one thing for sure; he wanted to marry you. the thought had been in his head since his coronation almost four years ago.

of course, it had been a quiet realization. he didn't want to freak any of his friends out (mainly sokka who would most likely pass out from the news) and accidently let the secret out in front of you. unbeknownst to zuko, as he left his room, a stealthy seven year old had found out the secret herself when he left the ring in plain sight. not able to contain her excitement, her little mind immediately came up with a plan.

the morning after her realization, you woke up to a pressure on your calf. looking up, you came face to face with a bouncing kiyi.

"y/n! y/n! can we please go out into the city?" she pleaded with you, bunching up your blanket. you sighed at her excitement, knowing you had duties to fulfil and people to talk to.

"sorry sweetie, zuko and i have a lot to do. maybe next time? we can have just as much fun here in the palace than if we were to leave." you pointed out, trying to let her down gently. she groaned, falling to your bed.

"can't your royal duties wait? i miss playing with you and zuzu." she pointed out, pouting. you grimaced, shaking your head.

"i know you do, but i'll go talk to your brother. today is just too important." you pulled her close to you, causing her to giggle.

"is it because you're seeing your friends?!" she bounced, and you nodded. booping her nose, you smiled.

"mhm! and i'm sure if you ask sokka nicely, he can sneak you some food from the kitchens." you whispered in her ear, giving her stomach a tickle. her giggly shrieks filled the room and she gave you a hug. getting off the bed, she waved.

"you're the best y/n! i'm gonna go find zuzu!" she called out before leaving you to get ready. so far, so good.

a week later, you were surprised to hear how easy it had been to convince zuko to spend some alone time with you and kiyi. you felt immensely guilty leaving your friends in the palace alone, but sokka waved you off with a simple, "y/n! don't worry about it! if you're worried about your upcoming fire lady duties, leave it to sokka! now go have fun." that definitely didn't help your guilt. instead it made you more nervous to leave sokka alone in the fire palace. eyeing sokka suspiciously, aang's soft words were much more assuring after an elbow to sokka's stomach.

“go on, we'll be okay. and that's an avatar promise, y/n. go be free of worldly duties! we'll be right here when you get back." he waved you off. zuko took your hand, and you both looked back to your friends before walking out. once they knew you were out of earshot, the group immediately shook sokka.

"ow! what was that for?" he rubbed his arms for comfort. katara shook her head, crossing her arms.

"fire lady duties? are you just trying to spoil the surprise, sokka?!"

"leave it to sokka to ruin an engagement for his best friend." toph deadpanned and the nonbender held a hand dramatically to his chest. pointing to the earthbender, he sighed.

"okay, now that one just hurt. i would never! i'm just excited." he responded, and aang raised an eyebrow.

"wait, i thought i was your best friend!"

"you are! see toph, look at what you started!?" sokka screamed.

“sokka, i’m blind!” katara sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. it's only for a few hours, y/n and zuko will be back engaged and it'll all be worth it.

and as soon as you immersed yourself in the bustling streets, kiyi grabbed your hand as well, ensuring she wouldn't get lost. she tugged on your arms, dragging you to the food stands. she stood in front you you, holding stars in her eyes as she looked at all the fire nation delicacies.

"y/n, may i have some fire flakes please?" you looked to zuko, who shook his head. you pouted, pushing her hair behind her ears.

"you haven't eaten anything yet. why don't we find something else and we can go back to the fire flakes?" you compromised, pointing to a restaurant a few feet away from you. she nodded.

"okay! you're such a good sister y/n." she spoke nonchalantly, guiding you through the crowds. she didn't notice your tense shoulders and zuko's wide eyes.

"since when has kiyi referred to you as a sister?" zuko asked honestly, placing a hand on your shoulder. your eyebrows furrowed.

"just now, how odd. it's probably something she picked up from sokka." you deducted, and he nodded. you smiled at him, pressing a kiss to his cheek when he frowned slightly. first, he couldn't find your ring after kiyi dropped off a few of her drawings. now she was referring to you as her sister?

"don't worry, it's not like i could ever take you from her. she adores you way too much." you joked, patting his cheek. he smiled, leaning into your warm embrace. as you walked into the restaurant, he just hoped his gut feeling was wrong.

just like that. you, kiyi, and zuko had so much fun that you didn't even realize the cloudless blue skies of the fire nation had slowly transitioned into pinks and oranges. you had never felt more relaxed as you cuddled zuko under a tree in your secret garden near the palace. keeping an eye on kiyi, you snuck in a few kisses in between your babysitting, you sighed in content. you never wanted this day to end. you knew that as soon as you got back to the actual palace, your duties would be thrusted upon you once again. well, at least you had zuko. and he was more than enough to keep you going as a royal ambassador.

when kiyi came back with a handful of fire lilies, you pulled away from zuko with a smile. making her way over to you, she handed them over to you gently.

"y/n, can we make flower crowns please? and wear them until we get back home?" she asked, holding her hands up in anticipation. you smiled, cradling the small bouquet.

"of course we can, but these aren't enough flowers. can you go get more, please?" with that, she nodded. running off, a small box slipped out of her pocket, but none of you noticed. zuko tilted your head towards his, placing a light kiss on your lips. you smiled as you pulled away.

"you're so good with her." he pointed out, and you pushed a strand of hair behind your ear.

"well, she had a nice family to grow up with. it's what she deserves." you poked his stomach. glancing forward, you noticed the brown box that stood out in the green grass. removing zuko's arm from your shoulder and placing the flowers on the ground. you picked it up, examining the object.

"kiyi? i think you dropped something!" you called out. immediately, she ran up to you with more flowers and a suspicious glint in her eye.

"is this yours?" you asked, kneeling to see eye to eye with her. she shook her head, grabbing the box from you. zuko, who caught a glimpse of the scene, panicked on the inside. he tried to get to you, but his limbs felt frozen. so, i was right! but that's not the point oh spirits she's going to hate me for this. this is it, she's about to reject me.

"actually, it's yours, y/n!" kiyi exclaimed, opening the box to reveal a gorgeous ring with swirls of red. you gasped, but tilted your head.

"sweetie, where did you get this? it looks really expensive and it's definitely not mine." you shook your head, and zuko finally managed to get up, but his breath hitched when she jumped, giving you a look as if you didn't know anything.

"no silly, zuzu bought it! i found it on his bed and i remember mommy telling me what it meant. if you put it on, it means you get to be my sister! and i really want that to happen. please?" she pouted, holding the box in your hand. there were tears in your eyes at this point, and you looked to the boy you loved so much. you held your arms open for her, and she gave you a hug. you then stood up, hoisting her legs onto your waist.

“it would be my absolute honor to be your sister, kiyi." you choked out, kissing her forehead. she hugged you tightly, the young girl beckoned her brother over. doing so, he looked at you with wide eyes. she handed the box over to him, and with a nod, he placed the beautiful ring on your finger. pulling the front of his robes, you kissed him eagerly. kiyi squealed in your ear, causing you to break apart. zuko was still close enough you could feel his breath on your lips.

"so, we're really doing this? this isn't just for show?" he muttered against your lips, and you smiled.

"'course not. i love you." you said, and the three words made his heart burst.

"come on, let's go home. we can go tell our friends! we have to make sure they haven't destroyed the palace while we were gone." you said to kiyi, bouncing her. she clapped.

"oh! and we can have dinner."

kiyi had opened the doors to the fire palace dining hall. though you expected a more chaotic dinner than normal with the gaang around, you definitely didn't expect to walk in on sokka's guffaws and toph's laughter. iroh immediately stood from his chair, engulfing you in a hug.

"congratulations, young ones." he smiled, and you nodded in thanks. frankly, you were too distracted by the chaos of your friends to pay attention to anything else. looking to your fiance, he shrugged. kiyi was already at katara's side, trying to comfort sokka, which only made toph laugh harder. walking over to them, katara wrapped her arms around you. you hugged her back eagerly.

"thanks for taking care of the palace while we were gone. i take it went well?" you laughed, patting sokka's head. katara let go with a smile, only to grab your hands.

"mhm, everything is a-okay!" she laughed, and sokka glared at his sister.

"sometimes i wonder if you really love me when you say things like that." he huffed, and katara rolled her eyes. she then turned her attention back to you.

“oh y/n, congratulations! come on, sit down. how was it? tell us everything!"

"you knew?"

"of course we did, kiyi told us zuko was proposing! i don't know why he didn't tell us firsthand though. we would have said yes to watching the palace right away if he had told us what was going on."

"wait, kiyi? i didn't tell her anything. i didn't even think she knew what i was going to do until she showed y/n the ring." zuko butted in, which caused you to gape.

"hold on, let's backtrack. so, you didn't even plan on proposing to me today?"

"uh no, but looking back at how it happened, that was actually a pretty good idea."

"so, if we were told you'd be engaged by the end of today, and zuko didn't plan on proposing, then that means..." katara trailed off, and the three of you looked to the young girl. she smiled sheepishly before standing up.

"suddenly i’m not so hungry anymore. do you hear that? i think that's mom calling me. mom? yeah, i hear you. i'm coming!" she rambled, before exiting. you snorted.

"i don't know what i expected upon finding out i had another sister, but i definitely didn't expect that." he pointed out.

"hey, she may outsmarted you this time around, but you wouldn't have it any other way. i know i don't. today was absolutely perfect." you assured, caressing his cheek.

"i know. now, you wanna strategize a sneak attack on her after dinner?" he asked, taking your hand, smoothing his finger across the ring with a smile.

"oh, she won't know what hit her!" as you gazed at your friends, you couldn't wait to officially be a part of this family if it meant going through crazy adventures such as this one. but it didn't hurt to relish in the light before becoming a part of the fire family if it meant messing with sokka as much as you could. you wouldn't have it any other way.

[thatsgay-writes]

Azula x Reader

Summary: You join Azula and help take over Ba Sing Se, plus some added fluff.

Warnings: Light cursing?

(You are a female.)

You never agreed with the Fire Nations beliefs. You didn't think they deserved to rule the world. You were Admiral Zhao's kid and were meant to take his spot when he died. Because of your dads high rank and age similarity with Azula, you two trained together. And maybe that's why you couldn't leave... God knows you wanted to and you had so many chances to do so. But you had grown up with Azula, seen what she had gone through. All she ever wanted was at least a sliver of the love her mom had given Zuko. When your dad disappeared you took over his role as Admiral. Azula was annoyed that you were now being shipped out with a bunch of soldiers to do her fathers dirty work. So she pulled you in to one final mission with her and her friends.

Dressed up as a Kyoshi warrior was weird. You wondered how they even fought in these ridiculous get ups. You also felt that the make up was a little over the top. But they must be doing something right too, because Azula could not stop staring at you. Yeah she used to stare at you before, but when you would look at her she would just smirk and look away. Now though, when you looked, she would blatantly check you out, looking you up and down, before biting her lip and looking away. And if your blush had been bad before you were sure it was worse now, not even the make up could hide it. You had always felt something more towards the princess than friendship but kept it to yourself not wanting to get on the Fire Lords bad side or even Azula's. But these past few days have you thinking that maybe, just maybe, she felt the same.

You watched in shock as Aang, the avatar, rose up in his avatar state. You looked around frantically for Azula in case you needed to make a quick get away. When you finally saw her, she was standing behind the avatar, you watched in shock again as she sent lightning right into the avatars back. You cringed as the lightning shocked him and caused him to smoke as he fell to the ground. Then you hear yelling come from behind you to see a giant wave come up from behind and wash everyone away. When you got hit by the wave you panicked for a moment trying to find something to grab onto before you felt yourself get pulled up. You put your arms around the neck of whoever pulled you up, as they put there arms around your waist and pulled you closer to them. When you looked up, you were surprised to see that Azula was the one holding you. She was sporting a huge grin while watching Katara take Aang out and away from the battlefield. When she finally looked down and saw you looking at her, her smile softened a bit before taking a hand from your waist and using it to move the hair out of your face. You blushed at the action before hearing people moving behind you. You hastily pulled away from Azula at the noise, knowing that she wouldn't want to be caught in a compromising position.

Azula stood in front of the earth kings throne as she and Long Feng had a stare off. You stood next to the throne, a little nervous. You believed in Azula fully but Long Feng was a wild card and you didn't like wild cards. However, you relaxed when you watched Azula sit on the throne and Long Feng bow. She ordered them all to leave before she grabbed your hand and made you stand in front of the throne and her. You looked at her questioningly before she pulled you into her lap, causing you to blush and look down. Azula chuckled at the action before putting her finger under your chin and lifting it. "Now that I've captured Ba Sing Se, I feel as if I deserve a reward." You looked at her in confusion causing her to scoff. "Don't look so confused. You act as if I haven't caught you staring or let you catch me staring. Honestly, waiting for you to make the first move has been such a bore." Your eyes widen in shock as your realize that she felt the same way, you honestly thought her and Ty Lee and a thing going on. When Azula realized that you weren't going to move, she took matters into her own hands and gripped your chin harder before pulling you into a kiss. When your lips connected you lost your breath. You had imagined kissing Azula many times but none were as good as this. You had expected her lips to be chapped but your surprise they were smooth and had a light taste of cherry. You don't think you could every look at cherries the same way again.

"Ahem." You heard from your right, causing you and Azula to pull away. You eyes widen at the sight of Zuko standings there, arms crossed in front of his chest. "I need to speak to Azula... alone." He stated barely giving you a second glance. Azula sighed before standing up, with you now being carried on her front. "You always were a cock block, weren't you Zuzu." She said rolling her eyes as she placed you down in on the throne. "I'll be right back to celebrate and get more of my reward." She winked before turning around to walk away with Zuko. Leaving you a blushing mess sitting in the throne.

Before heading back to the fire nation Azula decided to take you on a date. You and her hadn't really talked about your relationship status since your first kiss but you had started sleeping in her room since that day. She decided to take you to the newer zoo in the putter ring. (The one that Aang made in that episode with all those short stories) To say you were excited was an understatement, you loved animals. Of course you never told anyone this, not wanting it to make you seem weak. But Azula knew all about your secret obsession, she may or may not have read your journal/diary. Azula made sure that she had guards blocking the entrance/exit to the zoo to not let anyone in. As much as she enjoyed keeping of the façade of a cold hearted bitch, not that it was hard, she wanted to truly relax and be herself. Azula truly trusted you and knew you would never leave if betray her. So she spent the whole day being herself with you. When you would get excited and start practically jumping up and down, she'd hold your hand in hope to calm you down. When you'd lean on the half wall to try and see the animals better she'd come up behind you, wrap her arms around your waist and lean her chin on your shoulder. You loved this side of Azula and you knew that when your back in public it would all end. So you spent the day holding her hand, cuddling in to her as you walked, kissing her. Anything you knew would become scarce once you were back in the real world.

Sadly, everything come to an end. You didn't want the day to be over. You were having so much fun. As you walking towards the exit of the zoo Azula stopped suddenly. You turned around to look at her in confusion. "Azula is everything..." "Be mine." Azula interrupts you. You know she meant it as a question but it came out as more of a command. You raised an eyebrow at her in response. "I... don't do that to me... you know what I meant" she rolls her eyes before trying again, "Will you be mine?" This time you smiled happily before pulling her into a kiss. You tried to kiss her as long as possible but you couldn't stop smiling. "Of course."

*Time Skip*

Zuko barged into Azula's room, letting shock wash over his face as he noticed you laying next to her. Zuko opens his mouth to yell before seeing Azula put up a hand to stop him. She slowly and as carefully as possible, untangled herself from you before walking out into the hall and closing the door behind Zuko. "What do you want?" She asked already annoyed with Zuko interruption. Zuko wanted to ask about what was going on between you and his sister but refrained, seeing as Azula was already so pissed. "You told dad I killed the avatar. Why? What do you gain from this?" Azula smirked at her older brother. "You've been trying to get into dads good graces again. You've returned home a hero. You have been going after the avatar for all these years. You might as well be the one claim his death. Besides what does it matter the avatar is dead now anyways. If he wasn't though... dad wouldn't be happy." Azula ends her sentence with a cheeky smile. Zuko tried to suppress his emotions. He sent Azula a glare before opening his mouth to respond. But before he could they both heard the door next to them creek open. "Azula?" You mumbled out, trying to wipe the sleep out of your eyes. "The bed got cold. I looked around and... oh" you said ending your sentence, just now noticing Zuko standing across from Azula. Azula smiled at you before turning back to Zuko, "As much as I'm enjoying our little... conversation, I am needed elsewhere." Azula turned away from Zuko, not even letting him respond, before picking you up, walking into her room and closing the door behind you. She laid you back on to the bed before going around to her side and climbing in. Almost immediately you latch on to her and fall right back asleep. Azula spend a few minutes admiring you as you sleep before closing her eyes with a smile on her face, hoping to dream about a future with you.

[fox-bright]

Finally getting around to the WIP meme you tagged me in and I'm going to cheat because I can. Tell me about Birdmother, whisper bowl, and the AtLA fic? :D

I already talked about the Birdmother one for @battlemastershepard; I'll reblog and tag you.

Sana looked up as a shadow fell over her. “They don’t bother you, girl?” it was an old woman, white hair braided with blue beads, face seamed and stern.

Sana blinked. “They’re only talking about flowers.” she said.

Whisper bowl is a weird little thing, probably not something that can be finished, but I hold on to the scraps. The idea was, if I were trying to tell a ghost story nobody else had told before, what could make it different? And the idea that oh-god-twenty-years-ago-Gen came up with was, what if everybody could see them, all the time?

It's set in some small agrarian culture, and the perspective character is apprentice to the local healer. She was apprenticed because while everyone can see the ghosts that stand around their homes and in the roads, the ghosts don't seem to be able to see almost anyone. One or two people out of a thousand, maybe. But they've obviously noticed her since she was an infant, turning their heads to watch her go and so on, so she was given over to the priests.

I had a couple of different ways things could have gone, but really there's only one choice to make; either she gets angry at the state of things and changes it (in my notes that would involve making the ghosts invisible to everyone), or she accepts the state of things and becomes another healer priest. Both have their merits.

IN THE SPRING WHEN THE SUN NEVER SETS

In the spring when the sun never sets

And when calm glassy waters roamed the morning seas,

Oh, those were the happy times.

When the birds and seals

Lived only for playing,

Oh, those were the happy times.

When we would stay up all night,

Looking for birds' nests,

Oh, those were the happy times.

When the sun began to warm the morning air

And my sister could no longer keep eyes open,

Oh, those were the happy times.

When I too fought the coming of sleep,

But my dreams would win in the end,

Oh, those were the happy times.

--Inuit Traditional What was normally a fifteen-minute ride to the docks took nearly half an hour, for all the trouble that it took to get through the crowd.  Even the Chieftain and his family were less impressive than the great Fire Nation ship that was only minutes away.  Still, they were more than in time, and Sokka had the leisure to look around him as he waited.  Yue had never been to the Southern Water Tribe, since all of the deliberations had taken place in Ba Sing Se, at the last Conference two years ago. Wondering what she would see made everything seem new to him.  While the North was much more densely populated, and its city a hundred times more grand, still there was plenty to be proud of here.  The walls were tall, and the several hundred houses beautiful in a subtle way.  The great steps that led up to his family greathouse shone, carved with flowers and whale-crows.

The ships sliding into the bay were massive, and Sokka felt a momentary chill.  For a moment their grim iron forms seemed threatening, more like invaders than bright visitors.  He shook himself, wondering.  He'd been on that flagship, he knew General Zhao's men were honorable, so why the odd reservations?

But then he saw a white-haired and shining form leaning on the railing on the high deck, and all fear drained from him.  She was hardly the only person who stood waving, but he barely saw the Fire Nation generals and royalty scattered around her, or the monks with their eerily calm smiles.  Beside him, Katara took in a sudden sharp breath.  "That's the Avatar." she said.  "That's Master Aang."

Sokka glanced down at her.  "Which one? There's like, six  of them up there." He followed her glance, and saw that indeed, one of the air nomads seemed to be looking right at them.  Right at Katara, in fact.  "That old guy in the middle?"

Katara elbowed him.  "The Avatar is not an 'old guy!' He's mastered every bending art.  Imagine what I could learn from him!"

Sokka shrugged.  "Looks like an old guy to me.  I mean, he's got to be like a hundred, right?"

[littlenightingale98]

The people in the notes on this frustrate me. Zuko was a kid too, okay? He made some major mistakes, yes. He did. But he CAME BACK FROM THAT. Are all of you just forgetting the poor boy's come to Jesus meeting? All of the struggles he went through to try to make things right? And saying that ZUKO was Katara's OPPRESSOR.... Are you from mother fucking Mars? That boy, once he got his head out of his ass, treated her like an EQUAL. He never once told her she couldn't do something or tried to stop her. Saying he was responsible for her mother's death?! Now you sound like Katara before SHE grew up a little. Both of them were KIDS that had been HURT. Both of them had to learn to grow up and forgive.

They could have been something great if given a chance. They both had damage that they needed help with. That's not always the best way to start out a relationship, I will admit that. But they could have helped each other in the sense that they could have been there for one another. Zuko needed somebody who is understanding, who will LISTEN instead of blowing his concerns off like they don't matter. They BOTH needed that. Aang blew Katara off all the time. She kept a lot of her emotions bottled up. Zuko would have brought that out in her, hell, he DID. She made her feelings known to him more than anybody else. Katara would have been able to help him control his anger more, so maybe he wouldn't lash out as often. You see that in Ba Seng Se. Yeah, Zuko was already starting to calm down, but he got even more calm in her presence. There's just something about their dynamic that you KNOW would have worked. It may have taken YEARS of friendship, or earning her trust back, but it could have happened. It should have happened. If the original plan had stayed in place, it WOULD have. Don't you think there's a reason for that? We are missing a whole lot of backstory that was supposed to lead up to that moment. A whole ENTIRE SEASON OR MORE.

Most importantly, I think Zuko fell in love with Katara, but not because of her LOOKS. With Aang, it was *BOOM, I WANT THE FIRST GIRL I'VE LAID EYES ON IN GOD KNOWS WHEN*. With Zuko, I think it was about her personality, her strength, how resilient she was even in the darkest times. How, despite what his people had done to her and her people, she FOUGHT BACK and she MOTHER FUCKING WON. I think she inspired him. She's not the reason for his redemption arc, that's not what mean so don't even go there. I just think that seeing her that way made him realize that he could do more than just roll over and take Ozai's dick just like the rest of the world.

And because of that, Zuko would have wanted Katara to STAY Katara. She wouldn't have been stuck at home while he traveled. If there was a war going on, he would want his partner there with him. They would have already fought together several times, and I'll he DAMNED if that wasn't fucking AMAZING. They're DEADLY together. And I mean DO NOT WANNA MEET THESE GUYS ALONE IN A DARK ALLEY DEADLY. Katara was just stripped of that deadliness. Like where the fuck did it go? COTTON EYE JOE? Did it just flutter away like a butterfly? Did we IMAGINE her busting her ass to get to that point? Did we ever THINK she would give all that up for a MAN? WHAT IS THIS?!

If they had children, Zuko would love each of them the same, unconditionally. He would have brought them along if they traveled as well. Both Zuko and Katara had abandonment issues from their parents. Neither deserved to get stuck with that in their adult years, but Katara did.

The way Katara was done just doesn't seem right to me. She deserved more than abandonment. She deserved more than going from a badass waterbender that could kill your ass dead in two seconds flat, to a woman who was only a healer. No. If she had been with Zuko she would have been so much more because he would have made sure she didn't give up on what she wanted just to satisfy him. He did anything he could to try to make Mai happy. He would have done the same for Katara.

My main point being ZUKO WAS NOT ALL BAD. NOT EVERYTHING BAD THAT HAPPENED TO KATARA WAS HIS FAULT. SHE REALIZED THIS, SHE'S NOT STUPID, SHE'S A BIG GIRL.

My other main point being KATARA DESERVED BETTER THAN WHAT SHE GOT. They turned a badass feminist woman into a housewife who was just okay with rolling over to her husband's wishes like she didn't fight for the same world he did, right by his side. Like, okay bitch. You just did all that character development on her to turn her into your definition of what she should be like. How does that even make sense. IT MAKES NONE. ZERO. NADA. ZILCH. That woman is NOT the Katara we know. Sorry. She's not.

I love the show and respect the writers but there’s no way in hell a 14 year old girl is gonna turn down a hot powerful angsty 16 year old firelord prince for a 12 year old monk

[thatsgay-writes]

Suki x Reader x Ty Lee

Summary: You were part of the Gaang and dating Suki. You join them to cross Serpent’s pass after reuniting with your girlfriend. Things happen and you decide you can’t stay.

Warning: Light cursing? Cheating which is nasty, don’t do it.

Changes: The eclipse and Sozin’s comet happen in 10 years and on the same day, like first the eclipse and then right after is the comet.

You couldn't believe you eyes. Suki, your girlfriend, and Sokka, a guy you saw as your brother, were kissing each other under the moonlight. You were still awake when Sokka had gotten up to go sit on rock and watch the moon and stars. You were gonna go after him to see if he was okay but saw Suki go after him. You had known about the feelings the to had shared when on Kyoshi Island but thought of it as more of infatuation since he had only been there for a week, while you and Suki had been together for almost a year. Still you couldn't help but feel a little jealous and insecure when he was around. After a few minutes you decided to go check on them, thinking they had been gone a little too long. You quietly tip toed around the rock that had been blocking them from the camps view and had to use all your might to not gasp out loud at the scene before you. You had never thought that Suki was the cheating type, you always thought that if she caught feelings for another she would end it with you first. You stood there not knowing what to do, you couldn't tell if you wanted to go back to camp to curl into a ball and cry or go on a screaming rampage at the two for breaking your heart. As you decided to do the first option and head back to bed, the two broke apart. You had hoped that maybe, just maybe, the two had come back to their sense and realize what they had done was wrong. "I love you." "I love you too." Was all they said before going back to kissing. If your heart wasn't already broken by then, it was now shattered. You thought that sentence was reserved for you, that those lips were reserved for you. How wrong could you have been.

You attempted to act normal the next day to see if either of them would come clean. But both acted like nothing had happened, however now you noticed subtle looks the two were giving each other. When night came again you couldn't sleep. How could they act like they didn't betray you the night before, how could they act as if they did nothing wrong. You were about to fall asleep when you heard movement. You opened your eyes a little, enough to see but enough to make it seemed like your eyes were closed. You eyes widen shock as you watched the back is Sokka and Suki leave the camp, holding hands. You didn't even attempt to follow them, knowing exactly what they were doing already.

The next three days you didn't even attempt to act normal. You were quiet, only talking when someone spoke to you and even then you were would answer with short, curt sentences. You made sure to stay 10 paces in front of the group so you wouldn't have to look at Sokka or Suki. You had already made up your mind that after you got through Serpents Pass that you would go off on your own. Of course, that wasn't an easy decision to make, you still loved Katara, Aang, and Toph as family but you couldn't stand to look at Sokka or Suki. When you finally got to the end you let out a sigh of relief, This is it, you thought, time to say goodbye. However, before you could go you had to help deliver a baby. After that hectic situation was over you started packing a bag for yourself taking a little food to tide you over til you found more. "What are you doing?" Suki asked coming up behind you. Her question caused the rest of the Gaang to look over at you. "I'm leaving." You said simply before putting your bag over one shoulder. "What do you mean your leaving? We need to get to Ba Sing Se." You smiled sadly at Katara, who looked at you in worry, you still weren't acting like yourself.

You walked over to her before hugging her, then Aang, and then Toph. Purposely not hugging or looking at Sokka or Suki. "I just need some time." You said giving a small sad smile before turning around to go walk away through the woods, no destination in mind. Before you could fully step into the woods you felt someone grab onto your hand. You turned around and ripped your hand out the persons grasp, as if they had burned you. Suki looked up at you in shock at your reaction. "Come on y/n don't go, what about us?" She said hoping that would get you to want to stay. You just shook your head before giving a look of disgust to her and Sokka. "There is no us, not anymore." As you turned to walk away you watched as Suki fell to her knees, just now realizing why you had been acting so distant the past few days, she had been caught. Everyone, except for Sokka who looked angry, looked between the two of you in confusion. No more than three days ago you and Suki had been acting like the most love sick couple in the world. But now you didn't even let her touch you."Hey! What's the big idea!?" Sokka shouted angrily at you, "We're a week away from going to the Ba Sing Se and getting help for the invasion in ten years and you suddenly decide you don't want to help us anymore!? And you break Suki's heart in the process!" Sokka was walking towards you in anger, getting all up in your face. Suki kept shaking her head trying to get him to stop, already knowing they had been caught. You chuckled with no humor, "I'm the one breaking her heart? I'm sure it's the other way around. The only reason I'm not punching you right now is cause I still see Katara as a little sister and know she doesn't like seeing you hurt." Everyone looked between the two of you in confusion, you looked calm and collected while Sokka was seething with rage. You shook your head before turning around to leave, knowing that if you exposed them now the team dynamic would be messed up and that couldn't happen while trying to plan an invasion. This time no one stopped you from walking away.

"I'll see you around."

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