#or does toph say I’m not related to you so just call me aunt? or the chinese term for it?

[tragedykery]

would it barely have effect on the fic? yes. am I thinking about how kataang’s kids would call their aunts & uncles (and especially which language they would use) in this au instead of actually writing said au? also yes

[secretlyatargaryen]

I’ve seen some posts about Toph’s “internalized misogyny” and zero acknowledgements that Toph is a disabled girl and that that entirely informs her performance of gender. Toph’s relationship to femininity is also informed by her parents’ emotional abuse, because as a wealthy girl whose parents saw her as helpless because of her disability, she was expected to be delicate and feminine and a “lady” and seen as capable of little else. She specifically says that she chose to leave polite society and “proper” behavior behind, not because she thinks being a girl is weak or stupid but because she was stifled by the life her parents wanted her to lead, a life where she had no say. She does clash with Katara, one of the most feminine characters, and often seems more comfortable with the boys in the group, but her conflict with Katara is over her difficulty in accepting help from others more than anything, not about a disdain for femininity. She chafes at Katara’s mothering behavior but also clearly misses her own mother, and wishes that her mother, in particular, could see and appreciate her for who she truly is.

If we want to see how Toph views femininity, the best place to look is in the episode “Tales of Ba Sing Se.” Katara and Toph’s segment is short and exists mostly as a fun little filler, but it does tell us some very interesting things about how Toph views herself as a disabled girl. This segment spoke to me in particular as a woman with a visual impairment who struggled similarly with performative femininity as a girl. My aunt also went blind young and I see a lot of her in Toph as well.

The segment begins by poking fun at Toph as a “one of the boys” type of girl who doesn’t think she needs to clean herself up, and Katara is positioned as the “girly girl” whose idea of fun is a spa day. Toph doesn’t think that sounds like fun and it’s easy to dismiss this as internalized misogyny, but putting aside the fact that disliking things associated with compulsory femininity is not the same thing as disliking women - women (and girls) should be allowed to not want to do certain things without being accused of internalized misogyny - Toph’s objection to this becomes less about the fact that it’s feminine when you actually pay attention to what she says.

Toph: The Fancy Lady Day Spa? [Sarcastically.] Sounds like my kinda place.

Katara: Are you ready for some serious pampering?

Toph: Sure, Katara, whatever you say. As long as they don't touch my feet.

The very next scene is Toph looking incredibly uncomfortable as the spa attendants touch her feet. This is played for laughs, because Toph is a girl who doesn’t care about getting her feet dirty, but remember that Toph’s feet are her way of interacting with the world. She specifically said that she didn’t want her feet touched, and was ignored. I’m not saying that Katara or anyone is awful for forcing this on her, I’m saying that this is simply just not something she is going to enjoy. She consents to it anyway because Katara is her friend, and she does genuinely end up enjoying the rest of the spa day and makes an effort because Katara wants her to.

Toph: Well, that wasn't so bad. I'm not usually into that stuff but I actually feel ... girly.

Katara: I'm glad. It's about time we did something fun together.

Cut to a shot of the two crossing a bridge over a creek. As they do, they pass three girls going the other direction. Shot cuts to Katara and Toph from behind the girls.

Girl with umbrella: Wow, great make-up.

Toph: Thanks.

Girl with umbrella: For a clown!

The three girls laugh, Toph's smile is replaced by a frown as she and Katara stop walking. Katara puts her arm over Toph's shoulder, attempting to console her.

This scene actually made me go still when I watched it because I don’t think I’ve ever seen my experience with makeup addressed in a show like this. Toph admits that this is not something she is used to but she does enjoy feeling “girly” for once, and she also enjoys being complemented on her appearance, until she realizes that she’s being made fun of. This is when we see a side of Toph that we are rarely privy to, the more vulnerable side of her who can be hurt by the words of others. Specifically, a group of older girls. This tells us that despite Toph’s choice to discard compulsory femininity, underneath there is a deep insecurity at her ability to measure up.

And maybe you can’t realize this unless you actually have lived with a visual impairment, but what this scene highlights is that Toph can’t actually see what she looks like, with or without makeup. Being made up like this is a privilege for her, and one she can only experience through other people. So she can be happy about it when she’s with her friend, or when other girls compliment her, but when other girls insult her, she feels deeply the rejection. She can’t feel empowered the way that I see people talk about makeup culture being empowering, because she can only view herself through the eyes of others. I’m not saying that people with visual impairments can’t ever enjoy makeup or can’t wear it for themselves, and I myself enjoy makeup, but I also specifically relate to Toph’s feelings about it and how hard it is for her.

Katara: Don't listen to them, let's just keep walking.

Shot cuts to the face of Star, who is one of the three girls.

Star: I think she looks cute. Like that time we put a sweater on your pet poodle monkey.

Third girl: Good one, Star.

Katara: [Angrily.] Let's go, Toph.

This is just...so awfully dehumanizing. Anyone who sees Toph can immediately tell that she is visibly disabled, that she’s different. She can’t pass as able bodied and her performance of femininity reflects that. Even when she is made up and looking hyper-feminine, it’s obvious that this isn’t how she looks all the time. It’s also obvious that she didn’t do her own makeup as she has a very “professionally done” look in this scene. The girls who pick on Toph do so because she’s a very obvious target, a disabled girl who is clearly uncertain about her performance of femininity.

Katara: Those girls don't know what they're talking about.

Toph: It's okay. One of the good things about being blind is I don't have to waste my time worrying about appearance. [Cut to a close-up of Toph's face.] I don't care what I look like. I'm not looking for anyone's approval. I know who I am. [She stops walking, and she cries a bit.]

Katara: That's what I really admire about you, Toph. You're so strong, and confident, and self-assured. [Toph sniffs.] And I know it doesn't matter, but ... [Keeps her palm on Toph's shoulder.] You're really pretty.

Toph: [Turning to Katara, smiling.] I am?

Katara: Yeah, you are.

Toph: I'd return the compliment, but I have no idea what you look like. [Katara laughs.] Thank you, Katara.

The segment ends not with Toph rejecting the spa day or femininity, but an acknowledgment of both her strength in choosing to be her own person and her vulnerability because Toph is, at the end of the day, a girl, who has lived all her life with the pressures of compulsory femininity, pressures that for most of her life were imposed upon her without any say, because her parents treated her like she had no say in her own life. Toph also is happy to be called pretty by Katara, and makes a joke about not being able to return the compliment, a reminder that “pretty” is something that can’t mean the same thing to Toph as it does to other people because she can’t see. Toph isn’t going to experience being a girl the same way that other people do. And that’s okay.

[stitch1830]

That version of Kantoph where Kanto acts as Suyin’s father but isn’t her biological father but they didn’t tell her that he wasn’t until she figured it out herself made me think of a Tokka headcanon;

I like to think that Sokka was there for Lin and acted like a father to her from the very start. So when she learnt how to talk and started calling him “daddy,” who were they to correct her? They didn’t want to tell her that he wasn’t her biological dad. It was so much easier to just let her think that he was, because her biological father would never be in her life. Besides, he acted like her dad anyways. She never really questioned it. Sokka acted like her dad, so he must be her dad. But then Suyin is born and it starts dawning on her how much she looks like him and how much she doesn’t. So she confronts her parents about it and asks them why she doesn’t look like Sokka and they’re kind of like “oh shit” because they were hoping to put off this conversation for as long as possible because she’s still so young and they were afraid the news would confuse or worse crush her but I guess they underestimated her observational skills. So Toph starts laughing nervously and she’s like “Well you look pretty similar to me!” But Lin’s just like “Mama be serious.” And internally Toph is like “fuckfuckfuckfuck I’m not gonna be able to get out of this one, am I?” So they very gently tell her the truth and Lin is like “Oh… okay.” And tries to act nonchalant but her bottom lip is trembling and she can’t help bursting into tears which obviously breaks their hearts so Sokka pulls her into a hug and she cries into his shirt that “It’s okay, you don’t have to pretend to love me anymore. You’re not my real daddy, you’re just pretending to be because my real daddy didn’t want me. And Su is only half my sister, so she doesn’t have to pretend to love me either anymore!” And oh gosh, their hearts can’t take this so they sit her down and talk to her about how “Blood doesn’t make a family, baby girl. Love makes a family, love does.” But she doesn’t feel completely better until she talks to her Uncle Zuko about it and he tells her about how he chose Iroh as his father because he was always there for him when his biological father wasn’t, just like how Sokka was always there for her, and how even though her and Su don’t share a father she still is her biological sister since they share a mom, however that doesn’t even matter because “Your Mom isn’t blood related to me at all, and I still chose her as my baby sister.” “Baby sister? Watch it, Sparky. I could kick your ass any day of the week.”

Ope this looks like a HC you could write :D I love it! Part of me goes back and forth in wondering if them telling Lin that Sokka isn't her father would be a big deal, only because they've grown up in a very close-knit 'found family' dynamic since they were practically kids. So the idea that family is blood never really meant a whole lot, especially if we consider/HC that the Gaang and their kids called their friends aunt and uncle. But yeah if there is a conversation that Toph and Sokka have with Lin, I totally see her brushing off her parents and their thoughts on the matter and thinking that they're just saying that because they have to. Then when she visits Uncle Zuko, he has a nice conversation with her over tea about it all, and that's when she understands and sees what her parents were saying earlier. Sometimes a kid just needs to have another adult that they look up to for them to fully accept a concept, even if Zuko said the exact same thing Toph and Sokka said lol. It would definitely be a precious moment for Lin to go to her 'aunts' and 'uncles' to hear their perspective and for her to learn about found family through them, though! Like, at first she thinks she's a spare kid because "my real daddy didn't want me" but then, she hears stories and realizes that blood relations don't really matter at all in their family. Such a heartwarming moment for our little Linny!

[sad3girl]

I have this idea stuck in my head for a canon divergent fic where Aang and Katara get divorced when Tenzin is around 7-8 years old, and since I couldn't find the year Bumi and Kya were born (if any of you know please tell me) I'll just say Kya's around 11 and Bumi's 14(?). They stay friends and co-parents, but they just weren't working out and they knew it, Bumi gets it because he's a little older and he realized his parents weren't happy, Kya doesn't totally get it at first but then she comes to terms with it and Tenzin doesn't understand at first, and when he does he absolutely hates everything about it and just wants his parents back together.

They have joint custody and Katara lives in Republic City, wanting to expand her horizons and try new things, and even getting a job as a healer because I know that she wouldn't want to just be a housewife. Meanwhile Aang stays in Air Temple Island, going over to Republic City a lot though, and still travelling around the world when needed of course.

I don't really know how but I would see Katara and a reformed Azula kind of starting a flirtationship, before actually starting dating, simply because I really got into that pairing recently but I also think that the concept of parent Katara starting to date socially inept Azula is just amazing (I had a couple of ideas like maybe Katara was already helping Azula adapt to Republic City as a favor to Zuko, and she realizes how much she’s changed and how fun she is to be around, or maybe they run into each other at the hospital, or at a coffee chop and have a ‘meet cute’ though not really because they already know each other, or maybe at a party and at first they’re still antagonistic towards each other, and they keep running into each other so they slowly start becoming friends and then girlfriends, I don’t know, I’m just not sure yet)

As they're still friends Katara would talk to Aang about it, because as we learned from the comics in the Southern Water Tribe same sex couples were not really talked about, and that was in 173 (?) AG (correct me if I’m wrong). And of course, we know that Aang would be totally chill about it since he’s a monk, he would probably be more concerned about the fact it was Azula and tell her so, encouraging her to follow her heart because he trust her judgement, but telling not to be careless.

A couple of months after that starts happening and Azula and Katara have gotten serious she introduces her to the kids. Bumi loves Azula instantly because she’s badass and she doesn't really know how to handle it (though honestly she doesn't really know how to handle any of her girlfriend’s children), Kya is skeptical but she thinks Azula is pretty and cool so by the end of the dinner she likes her well enough, but Tenzin is difficult as always. Now, we know Tenzin has a temper but I don't know if child Tenzin would be prone to temper tantrums and if he would be outwardly malicious to someone he just met, but he definitely wouldn’t be chummy with Azula, probably even glaring at her a lot, and Katara would be able to tell he didn't like her (though he just doesn't like her on principle because even though she's kind of weird he thinks she's cool, but he wants his parents together). Both Katara and Aang would try to talk to him about it and try to get him to give Azula a chance but it wouldn’t really change his mind at first.

Sokka would be incredibly suspicious of Azula, because he's Sokka, but Suki would keep him in check when they visit and are inevitably forced by Katara into a double date (which Zuko and Mai had warned them about, apparently Katara loved double dating since the divorce, even before Azula. Once, she forced Aang to go on a double blind date which ended in disaster, but became a very funny story after a while). With time he would lose his suspicions and actually come to like Azula, because of how happy she made Katara mostly, but he would never admit it to her face, their relationship mainly consisting of empty insults to one another, despite actually coming to care for each other.

I feel like the divorce would sort of give Aang a reality check and make him spend some more time with his kids, though I may be totally off base. But he would hang around Republic City as much as he could, because he already only gets to see his kids half the time (I picture them trying to divide their time with the kids as evenly as possible, even though ultimately due to work Aang spends less time with them). And by being in the city a lot it would give him more time to hang out with Toph when the kids were at Katara's.

Then their friendship would flourish into something more, but you know slowly. Aang would have lunch with her when the kids were at school, they would just hang around her house, with Lin and baby Suyin (because Su would be around 1-2 years old at that point), Aang would try to help the police force after hearing more of Toph's stories and realizing a lot of what he does lately are just meetings and wanting to help, but she would mostly be annoyed at him when he tried to help, like with Yakone, only sometimes letting him tag along.

Their feelings and attraction grow with time and they both know the other feels it too, but both of them don't really know if it's a good idea so it remains unspoken for a while. 'Uncle' Aang becoming a regular at the Beifong house during the week, unless it was one of his days with the children, or he had work. And 'Aunt' Toph and the girls sometimes tagging along on weekends at Air Temple Island. First time there Toph calls Aang out for spending too much time with just Tenzin and telling him to let him and Lin play in the mud for a while and to spend time with his other children. Which he does. After that they have a deep, long, conversation about parenting. I picture Katara and Azula also going to Air Temple Island on some weekends, just like I see Aang having dinner at Katara's on some nights when he doesn't have the children. Tenzin still doesn't totally warm up to Azula as his mom’s girlfriend, no matter how many times Katara or Aang talk to him about it, but he starts liking her more as an individual after some time.

Lin and Tenzin weren't really friends yet before, but with their parents spending a lot of time together they become best friends, becoming practically attached to the hip despite Lin being about a year younger than Tenzin. Though Tenzin sometimes gets jealous that Lin and Su get to see his dad when he doesn’t because he's at his mom's.

After getting a reality check from Toph, Aang starts analyzing his relationship with his children and realizes he probably has been neglecting Kya and Bumi quite a bit, even if unintentionally. Though at this time I don't think it was quite as bad, since he hasn't started travelling all around with Tenzin and leaving them in the dust. He starts to spend more time with his kids, not just all three of them or even just Kya and Bumi, but also time with each of his children one-on-one. Having a daddy-daughter day with Kya, and taking Bumi to watch his first pro-bending match, letting Kya paint his nails, going to Bumi's school events, teaching him non bending defensive fighting styles, playing with Kya with Waterbending, and of course always still paying attention to Tenzin and spending time with him as he always did. And just overall spending more time with all of them, bonding, even if they're doing nothing.

One night Toph and him get into an argument, because he got involved in some gang related investigation and he tries to 'protect' her, but she can protect herself and she doesn't need him to do anything for her, he of course knows this but watching the woman he's grown to love in danger didn't let him think straight in the moment, of course the realization that he was actually in love with Toph now doesn't come out of his lips. They fight it out with words, and they get pretty loud, they hope that the girls can't hear them since they're at Toph's house, but the fighting just gets worse and worse. And then he just kisses her and she kisses back and then, before they can do something they can’t take back, they break apart, knowing they're being stupid and impulsive and deciding to continue their conversation the next day.

They don't continue their conversation the next day, however, because Toph avoids Aang all day while he tried at every available moment to reach her, failing time and time again. That afternoon he has to pick up his kids so he decides to continue his attempts the next day.

He only manages to reach her at night, in her house, once the girls are already asleep. She still tries to deflect the conversation, and calling him names. But eventually they do talk it out, and they finally let out their feelings, being honest with each other. Toph says that they're too different to actually work, being blunt and cynical as always, telling him that he couldn't even stay married to his dream girl so why would they ever last. And Aang, ever the optimist, tells her that while there is no guarantee for the future, that he knows how he feels, and that it isn't the same childlike love he felt for Katara, that was too much, too soon, too idealistic and coddling and way too much like familial love and most of all just not what either of them needed. That their differences are what makes him believe they can work, because he feels free to get angry around her and he's not scared when she gets angry at him, he doesn't like it exactly but he knows it's because she cares. That she’s honest with him, and that he’s never kept anything from her. That despite not being the most emotional person, she’s the one he goes to when he’s feeling down, not because she fixes him, but because she is there for him and knows he doesn’t need encouraging words, but just someone to listen. He lists every reason why he loves her. Eventually, even Toph can't keep listing reasons why they're bad for each other, she knows realistically that they not. That they're actually a perfect match. So instead of arguing she kisses him, and he spends the night.

Nothing really changes, their routine is the same. Only that when he comes over to the Beifong residence he doesn't leave after dark, he stays the night and the next day he makes breakfast. And when the Beifongs join him and the kids at Air Temple Island, she stays in his bedroom instead of one of the guest bedrooms. They both let Katara know immediately, and she is delighted. She forces them to have a double date with her and Azula about a week after they start dating and only after do they realize that now, for the rest of their lives they have to live with the knowledge that Azula was at their first date, and it wasn't awful (double dates with Azula and Katara become an almost monthly thing after that). For some reason, I think reformed Azula, along with redirecting her energy into planning events (she's totally the event planner of the century) also redirects it into being a huge gossip, so within two more weeks all their other friends are informed of the new relationship.

They decide to tell all the kids after about seven or eight months, not wanting to rush anything and not seeing any reason for it either. They decide to break the news during Sunday lunch at Air Temple Island. Once they do, Lin is unimpressed saying she already knew, Bumi suspected but he's really happy for both of them, especially because he loves Toph already and always has, since she's family either way, Kya is completely shocked but happy regardless, Suyin doesn't really understand anything going on but Tenzin just flips and walks off. It's been a while since his parents got divorced but he's still young and he's hurt that someone he considers family is 'coming between his parents'.

Aang tries to talk to him but he won't even open the door. His siblings try as well, taking some time off of teasing him to try to talk to him but he won't budge. So, Toph volunteers to give it a shot. Aang is reluctant, knowing how blunt Toph can be and not being sure if that's the best idea but she convinces him. Surprisingly, she actually manages to break through to him a little. Not enough he's magically okay with it all, but enough he comes out of his bedroom and has dinner with everyone.

Toph won't tell Aang what she said or what Tenzin said, and neither will Tenzin. But, she does tell him that he and Katara should look into a therapist for him so he can actually start working through all his stuff, as clearly time alone hasn't helped.

Things aren't perfect, Toph and Aang argue and bicker a lot. About pretty much anything they could argue about; grocery shopping, work, spending more time with the kids, giving the kids more rules, being more affectionate with the kids, not coddling the kids so much, where they're going to live full time, if they're going to travel together or not, just, a lot of things. That’s just how communication and relationships work. Katara does get involved a lot in the fights about the kids, not only the ones about hers with Aang's but in the ones about Toph's girls as well, because Katara wouldn't let Toph be such a relaxed parent as she was in LoK, but let's be honest neither would Aang.

Azula moves in with Katara after Tenzin starts actually dealing with his feelings about the divorce, which helps him to finally start accepting the changes to his family, slowly, but he’s trying his best and he's getting there. And him and Azula start getting along better, she always tells off his siblings when they bother him, she likes reading books with him and she teaches him how to cheat in Pai Sho to beat Bumi. She also makes surprisingly good brownies which everyone loves (and when Sokka comes to visit he always asks if she poisoned them before eating them). She gets along great with Bumi because he loves hearing stories about her adventures and she always helps him with school. And Kya just adores her because she teaches her how to act like a princess. Azula is actually a really good step mom to all the kids, and it really warms Katara's heart to see them all getting along and playing board games, playing with dolls, reading, baking together, or in one particular instance plotting revenge against some girl who pushed Kya (which she had to intervene, but she thought it was cute nonetheless).

Toph herself is also a great sort of step mom, having already known the kids all their life and being their favorite ‘Aunt’, the only real change was she got to spend more time with them and further along she had to help educate them (which she hated doing). They all love her and think she’s the coolest because come on, she’s Toph. Tenzin still has trouble with her dating his dad, but just like with Azula it gets better after a while. It certainly helps that she teaches him and Lin how to prank his siblings. Kya especially loves having step sisters, even if Lin won’t let her play with her hair or do her make up. And Bumi always wants to know what cases she’s working on. Aang as a step dad is basically the same as he is as a dad after the divorce, Lin always loved him because he was incredibly fun to be around, and as a step dad who’s trying his best to be a good dad he’s always there for her even if she just wants someone to play with because Tenzin is at Katara’s and she’s bored. Su takes to him like a moth to a flame, being so young she loves playing dolls with him and being carried in his shoulders.

Toph and Aang (officially) move in together two months after Katara and Azula. They decide to live in Republic City during the week and go to Air Temple Island on the weekends since it's easier considering their jobs and the kids' school. Since Suyin was so young when they started dating, shortly after they start living together she starts calling Aang daddy. The first time it happened Toph didn't even realize it, since Aang wasn't even around and Kya had said it, so she just deduced she was parroting the older girl. The second time it happened with Aang, he had finished reading her a bedtime story and told her goodnight when she said 'goodnight daddy'. He assumed they were both just tired and it meant nothing but he couldn't help but feel extremely happy at the thought that that's what Su saw him as (because if you don't love your partners' children as your own then idk what to tell you), he decided against telling Toph though, thinking it was most likely a fluke and she'd be back to calling him Aang or her preferred nickname for him 'Toes'. The third time it happened Toph freaked out, she had just picked up Su from her school when the little girl told her 'I have a present for you and daddy'. Of course, she didn't let it show and just followed along with Su's conversation, but inside she was completely losing it worrying about what Aang was going to do if she said that in front of him. She didn't have much more time to worry about it or even tell him, because as soon as he got home she called him over with that very moniker. They both just went along with it, both knowing the other was tense and stressed and not knowing what to do about it. Toph was stressed about Aang's reaction, and Aang was stressed about Toph's reaction, but neither of them minded, if anything it filled their hearts with happiness. At night they talk about it and both realize with relief that they're both actually thrilled about it.

Not even a week after, the whole Gaang meets, Katara and Azula already knowing about the whole ordeal. Not even five minutes pass before Azula tells everyone else and Katara's already chastising her.

Azula and Toph become unlikely friends and give each other heads ups when one of the kids is in a particularly bad mood, and they just bond over being step moms and their conflicting relationships with their respective parents (Azula and her mom still have a very rocky relationship though it does improve more and more with time, especially after Ursa sees how good Azula is with the kids, in her own way. And Toph is getting along with her parents better, but I just can't see them being very content with her having children out of wedlock, being high society and all so they're also still working out a lot of things).

Aang still travels for work, but he tries his best to leave his long trips for summer, unless they are emergencies, that way he can take the family in a bit of a family trip even if he still has to work some. During the summer he and Katara make a schedule, letting him have the kids for the first month and a half while he goes in Avatar and/or diplomatic missions, at the end of which they will meet in Ember Island where she will he staying with Azula, Aang and Toph and the girls stay there for two weeks with the whole family, actually vacationing for once. Zuko, Mai and Sokka and Suki also make an appearance with their own kids during the last week Aang and Toph are staying and it is an absolute mess but also a blast. During the trip Toph suspects she's pregnant and doesn't know how to tell Aang, and is worried that the kids aren't going to be too receptive of the information.

She tells Katara first, as soon as she is in Ember Island and she is able to confirm Toph's suspicions. She tries to comfort her and tell her that it's all going to be fine and that Aang and the children are going to be ecstatic, but Toph isn't so sure. She knows Aang will probably be happy, but she's mostly worried about Tenzin and Su's reactions. That night she tells Aang and he's over the moon. They decide to tell all their friends before telling the kids, or Azula, knowing how she can be, so they wait one week for everyone to get there.

Zuko and Sokka tease Aang endlessly (like they did when they first found out they were dating), Mai and Suki are very happy for the couple and Azula claims her 'rightful role' as the child's godmother (which scares Aang a little but just makes Toph laugh). After getting that out of the way they tell all their kids together, and are pleasantly surprised to find out that even Tenzin is excited for a sibling, saying he wishes it's an Airbender like him. Kya just wants it to be another girl, Bumi wants it to be another boy claiming there are too many girls in the family and that the 'men' are outnumbered, Lin is sure it's going to be a girl and that she's going to be an Earthbender too, and Su just wants a baby sister to play with.

That's as far as my idea got, I may get more later but so far I'm not sure if I want the baby to be a girl or a boy, an Airbender or a non-bender or and Earthbender. Just, no clue. But I do know that a while after the baby is born Azula and Katara adopt a 3 year-old Firebender, both of them loving being parents and wanting one more kid (though I feel they could also later become foster parents because Katara definitely has the right gentleness to be a foster mother, and they both just care about these kids in bad homes so much). I really fell in love with this idea what can I say, I could actually go on and on until everyone in the Gaang is a grandparent but I'll just leave it here to (maybe) continue later.

[baegarrick]

ZUKKA ADVICE COLUMNIST AU! EITHER sokka as the columnist with a large readership/listenership bc of his elaborate plans to address typical relationship/work problems & zuko asking questions about social situations/making new friends when you've had a troubled childhood & your best friend is your uncle. OR: zuko as the thoroughly unqualified advice columnist (THAT'S ROUGH BUDDY)

yes 👏🏻

idk if it was inspired by this post or not, but if you haven’t seen it you should

finally got this done I'm the slowest actually

as much as I love “thoroughly unqualified zuko” (he’s my favorite dummy), I’m kinda so here for a “sokka’s elaborate plans” au

I’m thinking a little “you’ve got mail” and that post mixed in

so: Sokka is an advice columnist in the college paper. (this is a college au now sorry)

Zuko is one of his roommates (with like, Aang and Haru or something)

Sokka’s column is one of those “ask auntie” anonymous columns, and the name he’s forced to pen under is.... Aunt Wu. Katara and Aang both know he writes for the paper in the column, bc Katara’s his sister and Aang is their oldest friend and he figured it out (the kid is smart), but most of their friends don’t know, mostly bc the paper wants to keep it as anonymous as possible, and also he really didn't plan on staying this long. it was supposed to be one of those easy jobs for a semester until he got an internship in the robotics department, but it’s three semesters and one robotics internship later and he still!! has a job!! (partially because they told him if he quit they would do something unspeakably horrible to him, and also bc he’s..... popular??)

it started out as just a job, but Sokka’s an overthinker. he’s bright as hell, and maybe it’s his engineering brain, but he sometimes misses the obvious sometimes. Half his plans for “how do I deal with this guy who I’m dating who says either the fish goes or he does?” start out “dump him!!!” and then end with “.... actually wait, first of all it’s really shitty he wants you to get rid of a fish??? its a FISH???? it doesn’t even do anything????” and then three paragraphs of both a personal experience (sokka surprisingly has a lot of personal stories that Relate) and an elaborate plan for dumping this guy and then signing him up for like 12 free fish magazines.

He gets really popular, and while some of the questions he gets are weird and kinda over the top (”aunt wu, I’m blind but want to join the wrestling team, how do i tell my parents I’m both gay and stronger than them?”) some are just kinda sad (”aunt wu, my uncle is my best friend, how do I make friends?”). They’re all asked anonymously, sometimes with funny names attached. The latter is from a guy calling himself, “Blue Spirit.”

Anyway. Three semesters into writing this column, he lives with Aang, Zuko, and Haru. He picked Aang, the other two just came with the place (Suki, Katara, Yue, and Toph said “under absolutely no circumstances will we be splitting up so good LUCK boys we’re out.”)

He starts getting questions like, “How do I break the ice with my roommates?”, from the “Blue Spirit” guy, which prompts Sokka to get his roommates involved. He’s not against crowdsourcing. (only aang knows about the job, he tells the others its for school.) Sokka doesn’t really know Haru and Zuko, but like, this is a great way to get to know them, right?

Haru’s chill off the bat, but Zuko’s awkward and fumbling, and a little shy (though Sokka has heard him getting in a shouting match with the TV on more than one occasion), but after they get into it, throwing out ideas, Sokka thinks, you know, this was a good way to make friends with roommates. (he doesn’t write that, exactly, he’s got a reputation to uphold, but he includes “tricking them into hanging out with you by asking about a homework assignment” in the article) Zuko’s in the living room a lot more often after that, and even asked for Sokka’s help on a physics assignment once (ya know, bc Sokka’s super smart), so he thinks the method is tried and true.

A couple weeks of other mundane questions, he gets one that makes him pause. “What do I do if I have a crush on my roommate?” (Blue Spirit). and he thinks, “oh no, the ice breaker worked TOO WELL.” (but, of course, he doesn’t know what to do about this. He’s never had a crush on a roommate before. Aang’s like his little brother, Jet was a creep, and Hahn was the WORST. So he outsources again.)

[”Hey Aang,” Sokka says, hanging half upside down off the couch, “would you date your roommate?”

“Sorry Sokka, I’m flattered, but you know that Katara has captured my heart-- hey!” Sokka throws the remote at him.

“Not me! Just like, in general. Would you date someone you’re living with?”

“Oh, is this advice for your...... thing?” His eyes twinkle, “Or.... do you have a crush on someone I should know about????” (Aang is wildly unhelpful. He says he would date his roommate, no questions asked, but Sokka thinks he’s just thinking about Katara.)

He asks Zuko, next, the first person to come through the door.

“Would you date your roommate, Zuko?” Sokka asks. Zuko looks like he’s a deer caught in the headlights. “I’m asking for a friend,” Sokka says, whenever they ask. This was what had gotten him in trouble with Aang, but so far no one else had noticed Aunt Wu answering the same questions in the paper a week later.

Zuko relaxes, but he doesn’t look much better. “Uhhhh.”

“I mean, not like, us,” Sokka said, “I don’t know if you’re into dudes--”

“Definitely into dudes,” Zuko rushes to say, his cheeks pink all over again, and it’s cute. Sokka can see why dating him might be appealing. Oh no. That’s a thought for later. “Definitely gay.” And then, “I mean.... would you?”

“I don’t know,” Sokka says thoughtfully, looking Zuko over. Before he can think over it, Haru comes out of the bathroom, freshly showered.

Haru just shrugs. “I mean, isn’t your spouse just like your permanent roommate? It’s just like making a commitment really really early.”]

He publishes this in the paper: “What do you want to do about it?”

When he’s typing it up, he thinks about it. There are really two options for having a crush on your roommate. One, you can tell them you like them, or two, suffer in silence. He thinks about it. If he had a crush on someone-- his thoughts wandering to Zuko far more often than he likes-- he would probably do something about it. That’s what he did with Yue, that’s what Suki did with him. He details an elaborate plan with anecdotes about what he did with Yue, leaving out the part that they broke up. Giving her gifts, making her laugh, showing up at her workplace just to hang out for a little while. He details a 12-step plan that involves defeating your rival in hand-to-hand combat.

Of course, none of that would work with Zuko. They once got into an argument over how loud the TV was when neither of them were watching it, so he definitely wouldn’t want Sokka fighting his battles for him.

And then, oh no.

(He publishes the article. He tries not to feel like a hypocrite when he doesn’t immediately ask Zuko out, thinking about what Haru says. It’s a lot of commitment for an early relationship. He’s always the responsible one. For once in his life, he doesn’t go after what he wants.)

A couple months of this, living with these dudes, one of whim he now has a crush on!! thanks ANONYMOUS BLUE SPIRIT, the girl running the horoscopes segment of the paper quits and leaves that segment without an author. cue Sokka, reluctant horoscope writer. (He doesn’t even believe in this stuff!! but does he really believe half the stuff he writes in Aunt Wu?)

He half-asses it the first week. He looks up some bullshit guide to what everything means, listens to Toph describe what she thinks they mean over drinks at the tea place, and then sends it off to be published. He finds Zuko sulking in the living room two days later.

[”My horoscope said I’m going to make everyone around me miserable this week!” Zuko falls back on the couch, dramatically, like it’s a fainting sofa. “With my physics exam next week, I know it’s because I’m going to fail and drag you all down with me!”

“Oh,” Sokka says, stopping in the doorway. “You read those? ...and believe them?”

“Yes?” Zuko says, face a flushed red.

“Oh,” Sokka says, mind going a million miles per hour. “I have to, uh, go do my homework now.”]

The next week, Scorpio gets a nice horoscope about how everything is going to go right in the world and all that other sappy bullshit. Zuko looks better before his exam, and he’s happier. Sokka keeps that in mind whenever he seems Zuko looking a little down.

It’s not until the week before Winter Break that Sokka is forced to confront his feelings, in the dumbest of ways. His laptop breaks, and he asks Zuko to borrow his so he can finish the second-to-final Aunt Wu column. Zuko tosses his laptop over without thinking, from the other side of the couch, and he goes to open a document when he sees one already open.

It’s an early draft of a letter addressed to Aunt Wu, and it’s signed off with, “Blue Spirit.” He looks over at Zuko, who seems to realize what he left open at the same time, and suddenly--

[Zuko pounces, practically leaping into Sokka’s lap to slam the laptop shut. Sokka looks down at him, surprised. The only thing he can think of saying is, “You’re the Blue Spirit?”

Zuko looks more like he’s ready to die than ever, cheeks a furious red, “You read Aunt Wu?”

“Of course not,” Sokka says without thinking. “I write it.”

“Oh,” Zuko says, “that’s so much worse.”

Finally the implication catches up to Sokka, and this time, he feels his face heat, Zuko still sprawled across his lap. “You.... have a crush on your roommate?” Zuko doesn’t say anything. For once, Sokka’s mouth works properly. “Dude, I really hope your crush is on me because otherwise this is gonna be really awkward.”

“Wha--” Zuko tries to say, but Sokka’s leaning down to kiss him. When he pulls back, Zuko looks a little starstruck. “Oh. Yeah. It was definitely on you.”]

(Sokka doesn’t tell him about the horoscopes. He’ll tell him when he graduates, but for now, he likes making Zuko smile.)

[jaxsteamblog]

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It was weird having other people pack her things. Granted, Katara had absolutely no free time, but it was still odd to be in the middle of a meeting and know that other people were sorting through her clothes and packing up her books.

For the fall, she was going to stay at the Avatar’s residence in Republic City with Thuy’s instructors. While Thuy was still firmly entrenched in her earthbending training, it had been common practice that all of the instructors would live together to oversee all aspects of the Avatar’s training.

Having spoken directly to Kyoshi, Thuy understood that Kuruk’s companions had been very close, so at first she had enjoyed living with them. Katara was optimistic about the situation, since she was at the very least friendly with everyone that would be there.

She was less excited about Thuy’s animal guide though. A giant catgator was not ideal to keep around.

When everything was packed and ready to go, Katara met with Rohan in the library. They still had their head shaved, but wore normal clothes. It was odd to see the blue tattoo run up the back of their head, but mostly it was due to the climate and less to do with their fashion.

“Are you ready to go?” Katara asked. Rohan turned, holding up a heavy tome.

“Can I take this?” They asked.

“Sure. But what is it?” She replied.

“A philosophy book. I think Meelo would like it.”

“Meelo?”

“Hey, me and my siblings are all complex and nuanced.” Rohan tucked the book under their arm with a smile. “Let’s head out.”

Since riding on Dawa months ago, Katara actually preferred it to normal flight travel if she was the only passenger. There weren’t a lot of flights in or out of the Poles, so the environmental cost was hefty each time. So when she could, Katara often asked Rohan for a ride. It helped since they were going in the same direction and Rohan had been staying in the Northern Air Temple.

As they walked out of the palace, Katara watched them in silence for a moment.

“Rohan?”

“Hmm?”

“Did you ever get to meet Aang?”

Rohan’s eyebrows shot up but they still looked forward.

“Well yeah. I was seven when Pop-Pop died.” They answered.

“Is it weird, being around Thuy?” Katara asked.

Rohan sighed and tilted their head from side to side.

“Sometimes. Like at her birthday party and seeing Pop sad. But he was my grandfather, you know? And he was busy with the war. Well, so was Pop. But anyway, my mom says I’m a lot like Pop-Pop so mostly I’m just glad that Thuy likes me.” They explained.

“Does Thuy talk to him?”

“Yeah, but we don’t ask.” Rohan said with a laugh. “That’s just a little too much.”

They then sighed again and rubbed the back of their head.

“Honestly, I miss my aunt Yangzom. She idolized Avatar Kyoshi and married a Kyoshi Warrior, using the excuse of protecting her spouse as a way to wriggle around her monastic vows. She kicked serious Fire Nation butt.” They said.

“Did she?” Katara asked.

“Yeah, she and aunt Jun died when the Fire Nation was taking a mining town.” Rohan cleared their throat before continuing. “Jun’s fans had been wrapped in orange robes.”

“I’m sorry Rohan.” Katara said softly.

Rohan finally turned to her and smiled. “It’s fine. It’s good to speak of the dead. It lets them know we still love and honor them.”

Katara touched her necklace and smiled back.

“Did I tell you that I think Suki and I are related because of aunt Jun?” Rohan asked excitedly. Katara laughed and shook her head.

Rohan talked about their family for the whole trip, and it was interesting to hear. They definitely had a different perspective on the Air Nomads than Tenzin, and it amused Katara to think of the future council meetings.

When they arrived at Avatar Island, Thuy was there to meet them. She had grown since her party and was as tall as Katara now. As they hugged, Katara could smell the dirt in Thuy’s hair. But as she smiled she heard a threatening hiss from the ground.

“Oh stop that.” Thuy turned and put her hands on her hips, glaring down at the catgator. “You’re old friends by now.”

“Mister Whiskers.” Katara greeted with a flat tone.

“Avatar Roku’s dragon was named Fang.” Rohan remarked playfully. “Very intimidating.”

Thuy rolled her eyes and held out her arms as she faced them.

“I was four, okay? And I didn’t have any fancy Fire Nation pride or fun Air Nomad names.” She stated. “She has whiskers and she’s dignified. Her name is Mister Whiskers.”

“How on earth did a toddler befriend a catgator?” Katara questioned.

“Let’s just say if I wasn’t the Avatar and Mister Whiskers was a regular catgator, then she would’ve gotten me and not just Uncle Farid’s arm.” Thuy replied.

“This is bizarre.” Rohan said. Thuy pouted and knelt on the ground, wrapping her arms around Mister Whiskers’ flat head.

“Hey, Mister Whiskers ate two Fire Nation soldiers for me!” She said. Both Rohan and Katara held up their hands.

“Fair enough.” Rohan said.

“Katara!” Zuko called and Katara lifted her head.

Of course she knew that her priority was in handling Thuy’s affairs, but she had been looking forward to this most of all.

“Zuko!” Rohan yelled and ran to intercept him. Katara and Thuy laughed as Rohan launched themself skyward, only to have Zuko crabwalk to make sure he caught them. Landing lightly, Rohan put their arms around Zuko and said something. Zuko only shook his head and continued walking, still carrying Rohan.

“Pop-Pop would’ve really liked you.” Rohan stated when they were all together.

“The Avatar?” Zuko asked, dipping down to let Rohan free.

“I already do like him.” Thuy said and then stuck out her tongue as Rohan rolled their eyes.

“Shouldn’t you be training?” Katara asked.

“Sifu Toph is still asleep.” Thuy said.

“We all know that’s not a real answer.” Zuko countered. Thuy stood still, trying to maintain her bluff, but finally let out a breath and ran off. Mister Whiskers moved frighteningly fast after her.

“That thing terrifies me.” Katara announced.

“Oh yeah. You do not want to run into Mister Whiskers in the middle of the night.” Zuko said and shuddered.

Their days were spent in a leisurely routine. Toph dominated most of Thuy’s time with rigorous training. Earthbenders usually split their time between strengthening their bodies and controlling their bending. Toph, a stout but slender woman, definitely had Thuy lifting weights, but spent more of her time teaching Thuy how to see with her feet.

That was what made Toph an extraordinary Bender, more so than the metalbending. She was so completely in tune with her element that she didn’t need to be a bulk of muscles to do impressive feats of strength. Thuy excelled very quickly and was excited by the prospect of being able to see in the dark.

Zuko still hovered during a lot of those training sessions as he argued with Toph about chi and specific points in the feet and hands that were important to Firebenders. As Thuy ran around without shoes, Zuko worried that she was blocking off part of her chi circulation. Toph argued that Thuy couldn’t continuously have tenderfeet, as that would lead to more injuries. Katara, always having to step in as a mediator, created a simple compromise; after every training session, Thuy had to go to undergo acupressure.

Oddly enough, the best practitioner Zuko could find was one of Azula’s former friends, and there was a bit of awkwardness when Ty Lee arrived. Luckily, she, Thuy, and Rohan were all kindred spirits and she assimilated quickly.

Ty Lee and Rohan got on remarkably well in fact. When they started to disappear, Katara tried not to ask questions.

Katara’s role hadn’t changed much from the duties she had as a queen. Instead of managing the finances and policies of the three tribes, she instead was taking a break to manage the finances and schedule of the Avatar. Gifts had to be sorted, invitations answered, and documents proofread. In the evenings, she, Zuko, and Thuy would sit together and go over various things.

Every single city-kingdom within the Earth Kingdom was upset by this arrangement. Having two heads of state directly advise the Avatar was a terrible concept on paper. And Katara would admit that there were times that she wished she could always act in the best interests of her people instead of constantly being diplomatic. But that was what always rose to the top, for both Katara and Zuko; they wanted to guide Thuy into being the best Avatar she could be.

In this rare time of peace, it was the best opportunity, and they both felt like they had earned this from their time in the war.

Also, the only thing that made Thuy actually sit and listen for the whole time was their promising to talk about their wedding plans with her.

At night, Zuko and Katara had to go their separate ways. Their unification could be a euphemism but was always a very real, tangible thing. If they were going to sleep together, it had to be approved by their people, as it would - on the stage of global politics - be two kingdoms that went to bed.

It took Katara longer and longer to fall asleep the longer she stayed on the island. When the fall ended, she would be taking Thuy on her political visits while Zuko went back to the Fire Nation. Katara would have to visit the Swamp Tribe and leave Thuy there with Toph while she continued onto the South Pole. Then, before the spring equinox, she would have to return to the North Pole.

Never would it feel like going home.

With Katara’s new position, Sokka felt more comfortable closing the shop. It was actually preferable as his business had exploded; many wealthy patrons were obviously trying to buy access to the Avatar but Sokka was smart. He and Suki had visited a handful of times already and brought piles of gifts for Thuy; all of which had been distributed to various organizations or charities and the presenters had been sent a lovely thank you note from Thuy.

Still, all in all the palace was a lonely place. It made Sokka feel weird and he made a point of avoiding the Spirit Oasis. But at the South Pole, everyone treated her differently. Katara had wanted what Sokka had, a quiet life doing enjoyable work. Instead, she ruled a kingdom split over three continents.

With a heavy sigh, Katara threw off her blanket and got out of bed. The light of the full moon trickled in from her blinds and light enough of a path for her to make it to her door.

The hallway felt the same way her body did; dry, warm, and in need of a tall glass of water. But as she made her way down to the kitchens, she heard someone clattering around.

Expecting to find Rohan rummaging through the pantry, Katara leaped into the doorway with a yell.

Zuko dropped a teapot and swore colorfully.

“Oh no! I’m sorry, I thought you were Rohan.” Katara said and rushed into the kitchen. Zuko knelt down and picked up the pieces of the teapot.

“It’s okay. I know how to repair this.” He said and stood up, holding the large pieces in his hands. He looked at them, tilting his hands slightly to catch the light in the outer glaze.

“What I love about Kintsugi is that the beauty comes from the fixing, not from the damage itself.” Zuko looked up at her and Katara suddenly felt embarrassed.

“So, want some tea?” He asked as he walked over to the counter.

“Sure, but why are you up so late?” Katara replied and followed him.

“Couldn’t sleep.”

Katara pushed herself up onto the counter and watched Zuko make tea. There was an electric kettle with settings for different types of tea, but Zuko chose a metal kettle and heated it himself. It was a slow process and Katara flicked her gaze from his face to his hands.

“Why do you bend like that?” She questioned. Zuko looked up at her, confused.

“Like what?”

“Like you’re not a Firebender. You don’t do a lot of, you know,” Katara paused to make quick, jabbing punches in the air. “Firebender stuff.”

“I absolutely still do a lot of that.” Zuko retorted, clearly offended. “I am and will always be a true Firebender.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant, you’re very,” Katara struggled to find the right word and strained over it. “Adaptable?”

Zuko looked down at the kettle, staring at it intensely. After a moment, he decided the water was hot enough and set it on the stove to prepare a new teapot.

“I am going to tell you something I have never told anyone.” He said as he opened up a cupboard.

Gripping the edge of the counter, Katara stayed quiet. Zuko rummaged through the cupboard and pulled out a tea tin, examining its label before replacing it.

“I met Avatar Aang.” He said.

Katara still stayed quiet and Zuko pulled out another tea tin, approving of its label and prying open the lid.

“It was just before he died. He came to the palace to speak to my grandfather. I was nine, so obviously I wasn’t allowed to officially meet him since he was trying to persuade my grandfather to stop the war.” Zuko scoffed and scooped tea into the teapot’s strainer. “I was only the son of the second born prince of the Fire Lord. I was a nobody.”

“And now you’re the Fire Lord, making his own tea in the Avatar’s house.” Katara interjected. Zuko chuckled and pointed the tea scoop at her.

“A vast improvement to be sure.” He said. He then continued making the tea and with his story.

“I snuck out that night while they were all at dinner. I remember my main reason for doing so was because we had to eat vegetarian since Aang was and I didn’t know what that meant.” Zuko poured water into the teapot and slid on the lid.

“Well, they had all been arguing and suddenly out comes this really old guy. I mean, he looked better than my grandfather, but ancient was ancient. He looked really angry and I wasn’t supposed to be out of bed, so I was terrified. I thought he was going to drag me into the dining hall or something.” Zuko shook his head and leaned against the counter next to where Katara sat, crossing his arms over his chest. “But instead, when he saw me, he just smiled. He knelt down and introduced himself to me, looking very interested in what a nine-year-old nobody had to say. And then, I’ll never forget this, he put his hand on my shoulder and looked directly at me and said, ‘Zuko, be better than them.’ And then he got up and walked away.”

Zuko paused for a moment, staring off into space, and then turned around to pour the tea. He spoke as he handed Katara her cup.

“He sent me a gift for my tenth birthday a few weeks later. Aang had written on the inside of the wrapping paper, saying he hoped I’d be friends with the next Avatar. He had died while the gift was in transit.” He concluded.

“How did that impact your bending?” Katara asked, rolling the teacup gently between her hands.

“Azula was always a better Firebender than me. But I could be a better Bender. I could be like the Avatar and respect all of the elements and use their teachings to live a more harmonious life.” Zuko brought his teacup to his lips but hesitated, suddenly laughing. “I mean, as a kid it was all because I thought I had some grand destiny and was a self important idiot. But during the war, my uncle really helped me get my head sorted and I was able to put it together.”

They drank their tea and Katara sighed in contentment.

“What are you going to do when you go home?” She asked.

“What do you mean? I am home.” Zuko replied. He set down his teacup and held Katara’s hand as she set hers down before sliding off the counter.

“I’ve put out the fire wall in the throne room, dismantled statues, and closed up other manors. I have the palace, and I have you. One for work, and one for home.” He continued softly, holding onto her chin. He kissed her and Katara’s breath fluttered in her chest.

A door opened nearby and Katara jumped, making them both laugh even as voices approached. Rohan and Ty Lee walked into the kitchen and stared.

“It’s about time you two got back.” Katara snapped. Ty Lee looked mortified while Rohan just laughed.

“What are you old farts doing up so late? It’s way past your bedtime.” They retorted.

“You’re three years younger than me.” Zuko said.

“And yet you act like my Pop.” Rohan clicked their tongue while shaking their head. “What a waste of youth.”

“Did you want any tea?” Katara asked.

“Sure!” Ty Lee chirped. Rohan went around to rummage through the pantry and found a bag of cookies, turning the quiet moment into a midnight tea party. That woke up Thuy and Toph, making the whole thing an event. They laughed and chatted, mostly about a new video game Rohan and Thuy were playing. At one point, Zuko took Katara’s hand and squeezed it. A gentle reminder that they were home.

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