#ocean spirit sokka

[sunshineface]

Hear me out: northern prince ocean spirit sokka and blue spirit assassin(?) Zuko secret identity shenanigans. (Btw the blue spirit outfit is supposed to be a mix of blue spirit and Zuko’s white North Pole outfit) So basically AU layer cake ft tending wounds trope.

[teratocore]

In my mind ocean spirit Sokka is mostly the same except different color hair (so deeply black that it almost looks blue) and slightly more willingness to believe in the existence of spirits. Otherwise, meat and sarcasm guy shiny edition. (Ignore the vast seemingly bottomless turmoil beneath the surface. It’s fine.)

[die-auster]

The moment I saw that wooden fish on @chiptrillino's moon-Yue redesigns (she is soooooo talented!!!!!!) I wanted to draw this comic strip.

Id in ALT

[burst-of-iridescent]

not to beat the "sokka's misogyny" disk horse even further into the ground, but while i agree with the take that sokka being sexist logically doesn't make sense, i would go further to say that the water tribes themselves being sexist is both illogical and thematically contradictory.

the flaws of each nation in atla have always been linked to their element, and specifically what those elements represent. fire is the element of power; power, left unchecked, leads to imperialism and authoritarianism. earth is the element of substance and stability; stability, prioritized too highly, creates and justifies the rigid class system and rampant corruption of ba sing se. air is the element of freedom; freedom, taken too far, becomes irresponsibility and abandonment.

meanwhile, water is the element of change... therefore the water tribes cling to antiquated ideas about gender roles instead of adapting with the times (especially when the times involve a fucking war going on).

not only is this unrealistic, it also breaks the thematic pattern of the nations' flaws being virtues taken to extremes, and how this dovetails into the show's overall message about the importance of balance. if we're keeping with the pattern of virtue and vice being two sides of the same coin, then the flaw of the water tribes has to be related to change. and here is where some of the (badly executed) ideas in the comics and legend of korra could have come into play: change, left uncontrolled, can lead to progress... but at the cost of tradition and spirituality.

(imagine a nwt cut off from the world and forced to rely solely on itself, ingenuity and creativity flourishing out of sheer, desperate need. imagine a nwt where waterbending is nothing more than a tool, used to build and defend and maintain a fortress always at risk, its spiritual origins slowly lost to time. imagine a nwt more military than community, whose architecture and technology far exceed anything the world has ever seen, who look down upon their less advanced sister tribe, and see no need for the avatar - after all, where was he when they had no one but themselves for the last 100 years?

when warned that the fire nation is coming, they show no fear; they have held strong on their own for the last century, bolstered by their weapons and wits, and will continue to do so. you need the spirits, aang implores, and is met with derision, for there is no place for spirits in a society always chasing more, greater, better. the spirits have not helped us before, avatar. why would they now? we are all we need.

when the moon spirit falls, unprotected and forgotten in an abandoned, rundown spirit oasis - so do they.)

not only would this fit better thematically, it would also ensure that the nwt's flaw plays a role in its own downfall. where the fire nation's warmongering resulted in the poverty and suffering of its own people, and the earth kingdom's corruption led - at least in part - to the fall of ba sing se, the misogyny of the water tribes is never shown to negatively impact them in any way. the north isn't defeated by the fire nation because they relegated half the population to healing. the south doesn't suffer raids or lose their waterbenders because they (supposedly) didn't let women fight. this lack of narrative punishment means that - outside of a few girlboss moments for katara - the sexism of the nwt isn't significant to the overall story whatsoever.

furthermore, while the ba sing se arc last almosts half a season, and the fire nation's actions drive the entire show, this supposed systemic oppression of women shows up for one episode in the first season before disappearing entirely. pakku is reminded of his lost love, magically turns into a feminist, and somehow the entire tribe follows suit? no one else protests, not even the other students or the chief?

and yet, though there are still no female waterbenders other than katara, or agency for kanna in her relationship, or any indication that women stopped being forcibly betrothed - the entire issue is simply swept under the rug and never brought up ever again in the show. i understand this was a children's cartoon made in 2005, and that even having female characters openly speak about and challenge misogyny was a radical feat for the time and genre, but the reality of patriarchy is that it's structural, sustained and immensely difficult to resist - if the show was going to depict that resistance, it should have done so with greater depth and nuance, as it did for many of the other difficult topics it tackled.

ultimately, handwaving misogyny away like it never existed is far more disrespectful to katara's character, her fight against injustice, and the girls who saw themselves in her, than simply toning it down or removing it could ever be.

[saffiroll]

So...Moon Spirit Sokka Au huh?

(Also Ocean Spirit Yue bc i can)

[beach-boyzz]

Another set of designs for my "May the Spirits Guide You" AU. Katara and Sokka are gravely injured from a raid as children, but were blessed by the moon and ocean spirits to save their lives. Katara was saved by the ocean spirit and given black hair, while Sokka was saved by the moon spirit and given white hair. Sokka is able to enhance the waterbending of any waterbender, while Katara's bending has also been enhanced by her spirit blessing.

they are the first teachers Aang meets that fit the description of his vision of being helped by others blessed by the spirits/original benders

The idea of a moon spirit Sokka was inspired by @peachieflame (as well as this au, because I would not have gotten this idea for all of the other characters in this au without seeing moon spirit Sokka)

[prince-sokka]

A scene from my Avatar Sokka AU I’m working on. (Fic not posted yet)

Merging with the ocean spirit is one way to learn your the Avatar. 

[robinthisbank]

Y’know what gets my fucking goat? What pisses me off? When people say “well if Aang is a pacifist, why did he do [names something he did in the Avatar State]?”

Aang loses control over himself when he is in that state. In fact, Aang is TERRIFIED of the Avatar State. He has active nightmares about it OFTEN. Part of his character is learning to embrace the sides of himself that he fears make him evil or a bad monk. He hates the fact he wants to hurt and destroy things, he more so hates the fact he can.

When he looks back at what he did during the Northern Siege, he feels fear, and hurt, and regret. He is a pacifist, he’s terrified of himself. He hates the Avatar State, he hates firebending. He has to learn to embrace these sides of himself, to love them, so that they can be harnessed for good.

He learns the Avatar State is a beautiful part of himself that connects him to the universe, to his past. He learns that fire isn’t just destruction but life and warmth. Only then is he a realized Avatar.

So yes, Aang is capable of killing, and hurting, but those are the times he despises himself the most. But he’s disgusted by what he can do, what he finds himself wanting to do while in that state.

Aang is a pacifist, but he was also a child who’d lost everything in a war he missed 100 years of. He has to learn to understand his pain, to love it. And when he knows he doesn’t have to kill or injure, he doesn’t. Because he’s a pacifist, he believes in the sanctity of all life

[teammightypen]

adding op’s tags

Absolutely no offense to Sokka/Suki, but I think there should be AU content where Yue becomes the Moon but then she and Sokka just... keep dating. She uses her spirit powers to hang out with him somehow and, well, the one benefit of having given your life for your people is that at least you don't have to give up your love life for them now, right? Sokka adapts easily enough to having a spirit girlfriend, because it is frankly not the weirdest thing that's happened to him.

Potential futures, ranked from most to least angsty:

Sokka being the Moon's Husband until he dies, bringing the inevitable, tragic yet beautiful until-the-end-of-time parting that ends mortal/immortal relationships.

Avatar-world variant: Sokka dies but reincarnates, and the Moon shines more brightly on every one of his future selves, whether he knows why or not. (Sometimes he does.)

Sokka also ascends to spirithood at some point by virtue of Being The Moon's Husband, and basically becomes the Knowledge Owl Guy's nemesis because he A) is very involved in the mortal world and B) thinks that information should be free.

Variant: Sokka replaces the Ocean Spirit through some convoluted turn of events, making him and Yue the new yin-yang of Water.

Related, but different: Sokka just gets a nice house in a corner of the Spirit World where Yue stays between moonset and moonrise. If Iroh can, why not Sokka?

Anyway, this way you get the wholesomeness of these two finding happiness and love together even after everything; the comedy of Sokka actually DATING THE MOON and probably being very chill about the weirdness; and the incredible potential of an immortal spirit Sokka.

[bambino1294]

Literally cannot let myself watch the live action ATLA yet because I need to finish the oneshot I’m working on before I throw myself head first into maybe getting fixated on ATLA again 😭😭

[aangarchy]

Incredibly specific moments in atla i think about ALL the time (i am Not normal)

Zuko's eyes slightly widening when witnessing Katara's bloodbending for the first time

Aang and Katara just missing each other looking back at the other after their argument in The Warriors of Kyoshi

Toph holding onto Sokka's arm once on Appa when he didn't have a saddle and once on the boat bringing them to the lake town

The moon being in full view as Suki tries to kiss Sokka in the Serpent's Pass, and the shadow returning as Sokka leaves

The "four seasons four loves" motif coming back throughout the episodes of the Northern Watertribe and specifically as Sokka gives himself up to serve in the battle against Zhao's seige and Yue turns away and quietly cries as she watches him walk off

Longshot talking for the first time ever as Jet lay dying

In that same breath, the way Toph says "he's lying" as they walk away from Jet knowing that he's going to die

Aang looking back at the Southern Airtemple ruins along with Momo as they fly away from it, seeing it disappear behind the clouds (this one specifically makes me cry so much)

The chants as Aang gets summoned by the Lion Turtle in book 3 being the SAME as the chants when Aang fuses with the ocean spirit in book 1 (there's other moments with these chants i think but i can't remember them off the top of my head)

Aang taking down Ozai's airship in the finale as his first attack and Sokka cheering him on like a proud older brother

Katara immediately without a shadow of a doubt responding "Aang won't lose" when Zuko questions if he'll be able to take on Ozai

Aang knowing Zuko was gonna fire at him in the crystal catacombs as soon as Zuko laid eyes on him (he gasped before Zuko even made a move) when even Azula wasn't sure what Zuko was gonna do in that scenario

[blu3berrydraws]

--- Sokka as the ocean spirit La. Of course all of that moves like a shimmering, calm ocean when he's feeling just fine, but becomes stormy and dark when you've upset him.

You get it, you get the vision

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

Can you give examples of Aang showing Empathy? Oh wait, you can't.

Actually, I can - because unlike you, I base my opinion of the characters on the actual stuff that happened in the story, not the bad faith takes dumb people on the internet come up with.

Zuko literally only survived past book 1 because Aang was the ONLY person amongst the heroes that gave a single fuck about his well-being. Aang offered to be FRIENDS with him as early as episode 13, even though this dude is trying to kidnap him.

In the first damn episode we see him realize and try to remedy Katara's struggle with no longer being able to act like a kid and have fun. He wants to travel with her so SHE gets to learn waterbending. He willingly lets Zuko take him into his ship because he understood that a conflict could lead to the people of the water tribe getting hurt or killed.

In Warriors of Kyoshi he apologizes to Katara for letting all the praise and admiration go to this head. He makes sure to put out the fires Zuko and his crew started in Suki's village.

He tries to help remedy the Hei-Bai situation, even though he is unsure of himself and even scared, because he knows he is the only one that has any chance of helping - and the thing that allows him to connect with Hei-Bai is the fact that he is ALSO upset about the destruction the Fire Nation has caused AND hopeful that the world would eventually heal.

He thinks Jet is awesome because he wants to help people that are being oppressed by the Fire Nation - and then is horrified when he finds out his intension is to "free" them by killing everyone

He wants to help the two rival groups not only safely cross the Great Divide, but also stop hating each other.

He confesses that he hid the map to Hakoda because Bato, Katara and Sokka are showing how much they appreciate and trust him and he feels unworthy of it after what he did because he knows it'd hurt him if the roles were reversed.

He is so devastated by the fact that he ACCIDENTALLY hurt Katara that he swears to never firebend again. He is also able to recognize the same principle behind his mistake in Zhao's fighting style, allowing him to win the battle against the bastard.

He accepts the fact that the Northern Air Temple is now occupied by people who not only don't belong to his culture but also don't understand it and unknowingly destroyed something sacred to him (and that one of them had been forced to make weapons for the Fire Nation) because these people have nowhere else to go and he doesn't want them to suffer.

He is furious at Pakku for refusing to teach Katara waterbending, because he knows how much it'd mean to her and how unfair it is that she can't learn it just because of her gender.

He is so devastated by the death of the Moon Spirit that the Ocean Spirit latches onto him to avenge it and save the day - and the leve of destruction it causes haunts Aang, even though the violence was against his enemies. And still, he tries to go into the Avatar state again because people are dying and he can't accept that.

After the fall of Omashu, he wants to rescue Bumi, not because he needs a teacher, but because they're friends.

He felt empathy for Toph when she was explaining to her parents how lonely and unappriacted their over-protection made her feel.

He and Katara both feel bad for snapping at Toph during "The Chase" and wanted to apologize for not understanding that being part of a group was a radical change to her, even though she had refused to even try. He also didn't have a problem with fighting alongside Zuko and Iroh against Azula, AND he looked concerned when Iroh was injured.

After Katara comments on the fact he called Toph Sifu but not her, he calls her Sifu while bowing, to show that he respects her both as his master and friend.

The hopelessness and downright depression he was feeling after Appa was stolen only starts healing because he saw a couple being happy with their newborn baby - the same couple he decided to help cross the Serpent's Pass, even though he and his friends had just been allowed to take a much safer route to Ba Sing Se.

His understanding and sympathy towards Jet, even after everything the guy did, was so strong that it freed him from literal brainwashing.

He doesn't want to push his love for Katara aside to gain power because he cares about her too much - and then does it anyway because, even though not making her his main focus 24/7 offers the risk of her being hurt, him neglecting his mission guarantees she'll get hurt.

He is devastated to learn that the world thinks he is dead because he knows he was everyone's last hope - and yet in the end he still accepts the burden of failure because he understood that, at that moment, everyone would be safer if no one else knew he was still alive.

He goes to a Fire Nation school and bonds with the kids, wanting to give them a taste of freedom and joy, as well as trying to understand what the war is like from their perspective. The same episode also has him pull Katara for a dance because he noticed she was feeling left out.

The boy felt empathy for, and understood the mistakes of, both Ruko and Sozin. SOZIN. Aang could see the humanity in the monster that is responsible for him losing his entire culture and everyone he loved.

When Zuko spoke about wanting to control his impulses so he wouldn't accidentally hurt anyone, Aang explicitly connected with that struggle and saw them being teacher and student as fate, and Zuko agreed because that's how deep their connection was.

Aang is not happy about Katara wanting to murder a man, but he still lets her take Appa on her mission and is not disapproving when she ultimately spares the guy but does not forgive him and makes it clear she never will.

He feels empathy for freaking Ozai, to the point that refuses to kill the guy - even as he has the balls to say that Aang's family, his people, deserved to die. He spared that guy - but only after he had a way to do that without it meaning the death of more innocents. Aang, the pacifist, was going to turn his back on everything he believed in just to avoid more human suffering.

So yeah, miss me with your bullshit and don't come back until your brain is developed enough to understand a cartoon aimed at kindergarterners.

[atlaculture]

Cultural Architecture: NWT Totem Poles - The Specifics Pt. 2

Among most of the totem poles we see throughout the Northern Water Tribe (NWT), four representations appear consistently throughout. For this post, I will be covering the final two.

Koi Fish

The third totem is clearly a koi fish with long whiskers and a marking on its forehead. In other words, it's a reference to the physical forms of the moon and ocean spirit. I can't help but wonder if Aang's realization of Tui and La's true forms was unconsciously informed by the all the koi head totems omnipresent throughout the NWT.

Culturally, koi fish are yet another example of the Chinese influence in the NWT. In Chinese culture, koi represent fame, family harmony and wealth. There's also a famous Chinese folktale about koi fish and other carp:

Along the Yellow River, there is a legendary waterfall that cascades from a magical mountain top known as Longmen (登龍門), meaning the Dragon's Gate. If a carp can swim upstream against the currents and hop over the waterfall into Longmen, the fish will transform into a dragon.

Thus, koi fish can also represent determination, courage, and perseverance. The connection between koi and dragons also strengthens the fan theory that the dragons Ran and Shaw might be the Fire Nation's equivalent to Tui and La. Perhaps the dragons are the spirit of Sun and Fire respectively?

Wolf

The totem beneath the koi depicts a wolf. The wolf head totem also bares a striking resemblance to the headdress that Sokka wears in "Day of the Black Sun" (Season 3, Episode 11). Wolves are prominent figures in the mythologies of many Indigenous American cultures, particularly those whose societies were oriented around hunting.

Within different Inuit groups, wolves are called amarok (multiple groups), amagok (Inuvialuit), and amaguk (Inupiat). These names refer both to normal wolves and to the gigantic, supernatural wolf of Inuit religion. There are two Amarok-focused tales that I'd like to detail in this post:

A persecuted and physically stunted boy seeks to increase his strength. When he calls out to the lord of strength, Amarok appears and wrestles him to the ground with its tail. This causes a number of small bones to fall from the boy's body. The Amarok tells the boy that the bones had prevented his growth; he instructs the boy to return daily in order to develop his strength. After several days of wrestling with the Amarok, the boy is strong enough to overcome three large bears, thus gaining him the esteem of his village.

The land was once full of caribou; the people lived well and were happy. But the hunters only killed those caribou that were big and strong. Soon all that was left were the weak and the sick. The people began to starve. And so they called upon Amorak, the spirit of the wolf, to winnow out the weak and the sick, so that the herd would once again be strong. The people realized that the caribou and the wolf were one, for although the caribou feeds the wolf, it is the wolf that keeps the caribou strong.

From these two stories, we get quite a nuanced conception of what the wolf represents in Inuit culture. While wolves represent strength in many cultures, these tales really emphasize the wolf as a creature that strengthens those around it. Through this worldview, we understand strength not as an innate or individualistic quality, but one that's nurtured through mentorship and interdependence.

This makes Sokka's adoption of wolf imagery during "Day of Black Sun" all the more appropriate. Sokka is certainly not the most powerful character in the show, but his role as the leader strengthens the group as a whole.

[zzukowo]

Zuko’s little secret <3 (5th October)

Zuko x Reader

Prompt! Gaang gets curious about where zuko sneaks off to every night

The sun dipped low on the horizon, casting a golden hue across the icy expanse of the Northern Water Tribe.

The Gaang had made their way north to visit the tranquil village, eager to regroup with their allies and recharge after their last battle. Zuko, now a trusted member of the group, had been a part of their team for some time, his fiery temperament mellowing under the warmth of friendship.

As evening fell, Zuko found himself slipping away from the warm glow of the warriors’ gathering hall. His heart raced with excitement, but he couldn’t help but feel a tinge of guilt. He was on his way to meet Y/N, the stunning waterbending princess of the Northern Water Tribe. Their secret rendezvous had become a cherished escape from the weight of his past, a place where he could be just Zuko and not the exiled prince of the Fire Nation.

Zuko made his way through the glimmering streets, his mind focused on the evening ahead. Y/N was enchanting, with a spirit as free as the ocean waves. They often met by a secluded spot near the coast, a hidden alcove surrounded by rocks and softly illuminated by the moonlight. Their conversations flowed as freely as the water, and every moment spent with her felt like a breath of fresh air.

Meanwhile, back at the hall, Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph gathered around the fire, their chatter filled with laughter and stories from their travels. Sokka leaned back, eyeing Zuko’s empty seat across from him.

“Where do you think Zuko keeps disappearing to every night?” he asked, suspicion lacing his tone.

Aang shrugged, his curiosity piqued. “He’s been really dedicated to training lately. Maybe he’s just taking some time to himself.”

“Or maybe he’s off brooding about something,” Toph smirked, her eyes glinting with mischief.

Katara crossed her arms, her brows furrowing. “I don’t know… It’s a little odd, don’t you think? He’s been leaving right after dinner every night.”

Sokka nodded, his expression serious. “We should follow him. If he’s up to something, I want to know what it is. It could be dangerous.”

Toph rolled her eyes, clearly amused. “Are you sure it’s not just a crush? You know how moody he gets. He probably just wants to be alone.”

“Yeah, well, I’d rather see it for myself,” Sokka said, determination in his voice. “We’ll follow him tonight.”

As night fell, Zuko met Y/N at their secret spot, the sound of the waves providing a soothing backdrop to their soft laughter. They talked about everything and nothing, sharing stories and dreams as they watched the stars twinkle above.

“Do you think they’ll ever accept you?” Y/N asked gently, her eyes reflecting concern.

Zuko sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I hope so. But my past… it’s a heavy burden. Sometimes I feel like I don’t deserve happiness.”

Y/N reached for his hand, intertwining her fingers with his. “You deserve it, Zuko. You’re not the same person you were. You’re trying to change, and that’s what matters.”

Just then, a rustling noise broke through their moment. Zuko’s heart raced, instinctively looking around. “Did you hear that?”

Before he could react, Sokka, Aang, and Katara emerged from the shadows, their expressions a mix of surprise and triumph. Toph followed behind, her trademark smirk plastered on her face.

“Zuko!” Sokka called, pointing an accusatory finger. “What’s going on here?”

Y/N quickly pulled her hand away, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. Zuko felt a surge of anger and embarrassment as he faced his friends.

“Guys, this isn’t what it looks like,” Zuko stammered, his usual composure slipping.

“Looks like a date to me,” Sokka teased, trying to mask his surprise with bravado.

Katara’s eyes widened as she turned to Y/N, who stood frozen, her expression a mix of surprise and apprehension. “You’re… you’re Princess Y/N?”

“I… uh…” Y/N stammered, unsure of how to respond.

“Zuko’s been keeping secrets!” Aang chimed in, grinning. “And here we thought he was just brooding alone!”

Zuko glared at his friends, a mixture of frustration and embarrassment coursing through him. “I didn’t want to hide this. I just wanted to keep it special.”

“Special?” Sokka raised an eyebrow, a teasing grin on his face. “This is epic!”

“Yeah, what’s the deal?” Toph chimed in, crossing her arms. “You two should’ve just told us. We would have supported you!”

Y/N finally found her voice, a hint of laughter breaking through her initial surprise. “I didn’t think it would be this complicated!”

Zuko took a deep breath, his heart racing as he turned to face Y/N. “I wanted to tell you, but I didn’t know how. You mean a lot to me, and I didn’t want to put pressure on us.”

Y/N smiled softly, her eyes shimmering under the moonlight. “I feel the same way, Zuko. I didn’t want to rush things either.”

“Okay, so are you guys dating or what?” Sokka interrupted, his curiosity piqued.

“Yes,” Zuko admitted, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. “We are.”

A cheer erupted from the group, laughter and teasing filling the air. Katara stepped forward, beaming at Y/N. “You’re perfect for him. Just know that if he hurts you, I’ll have to kick his butt!”

“I wouldn’t dare,” Zuko promised, his gaze steady on Y/N. “I care about her too much.”

As the group embraced the new dynamic, Zuko felt a warmth spread through him, a sense of acceptance he had longed for. In that moment, surrounded by his friends and Y/N, he realized that perhaps he truly was on the path to redemption. And as he intertwined his fingers with Y/N once more, he knew their love would only grow stronger in the light of honesty and friendship.

[discordiansamba]

zuko is not accepting his fate without a fight. he's actively searching for a way to return to being human, which is... easier said than done when he can't go on land.

yue agrees to be his legs, when he confesses he used to be human. she's not as surprised as Zuko feels she should be... at least, until he tells her that her own life was saved by the moon spirit. she thinks she understands, at least a little.

zuko doesn't know how he feels about his uncle joining the Avatar. he's glad he saved Yue, though. he didn't expect to become friends with... well, anyone, given his current predicament, but she's... nice.

zuko also doesn't know how he feels about the fire nation losing the war. he guesses it doesn't really matter to him anymore, though.

zuko makes yue agree to not tell the Avatar about him. she accepts.

(yue isn't stupid. she's heard about prince zuko. she's made the connection to her once-human friend. but she'll keep his secrets.)

zuko travels the world- as much as he can, when he's confined to the water. still, he can get pretty far. nothing in the ocean or the rivers of the world seems to be inclined to hurt him- including the giant sea serpent he meets in ba sing se's waters.

he accidentally befriends toph. panics just a little when it turns out she's Aang's earthbending teacher. pointedly refuses to tell her his name. considers himself lucky that she's blind.

he befriends a girl named Kiyi while traveling in the Fire Nation, after she saves him after he washes up on a beach after a storm.

discovers first-hand the effects the factories the Fire Nation army built have on the rivers of his nation. he's disgusted. they're so filthy, they might as well be unpassable.

the gaang when they hear the ocean spirit has a large red mark on the left half of their face, and gold eyes: huh.

the gaang when they hear the ocean spirit is a firebender: UHHHHHHH

if tracking the ocean spirit was just curiosity on Aang's part before, he really wants to meet them now.

toph doesn't even know she's met the ocean spirit. she just thinks her new friend really enjoys swimming.

zuko voice: if i meet the avatar i'm just going to kill myself.

zuko salvages anything that catches his interest from the ocean floor. he's acquiring quite the collection of stuff in the underwater cave he's started to call home. hey, it's a hobby.

starts talking more to people the more comfortable he gets with his body. it's kind of lonely, living in the ocean by himself. the fish can't talk.

(but they are delicious. he's a carnivore now? which is weird, but not even like, in the top ten weird things about his life these days.)

had a very sleepless night last night due to hurricane helene (only a tropical storm when it reached us, thankfully) so of course what else was my brain to do but wander into semi-nonsense territory.

or: zuko dies when his ship blows up, but La takes mercy on him. local firebender wakes up as a merman. what the fuck.

everyone thinks he's dead. he can't leave the water because he has a whole entire fish tail where his legs used to be. he has no idea what to do with himself because suddenly his only goal in life has been taken away from him. he's stubborn as hell, but even he has to admit that he can't... really capture the Avatar in this state, and it's even more unlikely that if he somehow managed, his father would restore his honor. when he's half fish. what the fuck.

zuko cuts his hair, salvages his belongings from his ship and hides them in this underwater cave he found. spends a lot of time hanging out underneath docks and lapping up gossip. trying to figure out how this whole merman thing works. follows gossip and rumors about the Avatar anyways, because what else is he supposed to do with himself?

ends up in the north pole. he's still a firebender, which feels like a dumb joke but at least it keeps him warm. ends up befriending princess yue (iroh joined the avatar and saved the moon spirit). learns his sister was defeated at ba sing se. learned his father was defeated during the eclipse. his uncle became fire lord.

becomes a cryptid. keeps accidentally befriending small children. saves a few people? people think he's some kind of ocean spirit. he's offended but maybe they're right. gets used to subsisting on a diet of raw fish (except when yue sneaks him some smoked fish). and then, to add insult to injury...

...the Avatar starts looking for him.

(Aang has heard stories about a humanoid ocean spirit. They seem friendly! They've even saved a few sailors. Trying to track them down seems like a great way to not have to think about Ozai's impending execution. He spared his life, but it didn't even matter in the end.)