#platonic zukaang

[starboysbrainrot]

I’m rewatching atla for the seventh time since June (blame the hyperfixation ok) and I’ve noticed something in the fifteenth episode of season 1 when Zuko arrives at Aunt Wu’s village

in season 1, every villagers, every citizens he encounters are always (rightfully) scared of him and his firebenders

every single one

except Aunt Wu

and since she read Aang’s future one episode prior to that, I always wonder if maybe Aunt Wu saw Zuko in Aang’s future, given how she was capable of seeing exactly how his destiny would look like (and we know how Aang and Zuko’s destiny are interlinked)

you can see that Aunt Wu is not even worried about Zuko’s presence in her village, she’s not even shocked. she just pensively looks at him, without saying anything.

and I think that it would so damn cool if she knew that their destiny are interlinked and that could explain why she wasn’t worried about his presence in her village.

Aang & Zuko never beating the platonic soulmates allegations I’m afraid.

[robstarsupremacy]

zuko and aang

(not a ship post) i love those two sm

[awesome-normal-heroes]

Thanks for giving Zuko all those chances, Avatar Aang! : r/TheLastAirbender (reddit.com)

[my-cabbages-gorl]

Mercy and Lightning- tiny lil zukaang ficlet by @my-cabbages-gorl

General Audiences, hurt/comfort, zukaang

inspired by this post from @that-boomerang-guy

~

Sun-warmed moisture wrapped its relentless arms around their weary bodies. The damp air clung to their skin, even on the shaded side of the courtyard. With only a few days until the comet, they were bone-tired from training; body and spirit. 

“I’m sorry- I need a break. We’ve been at this for hours,” Aang huffed between breaths. He turned his back to walk toward the steps to sit down. The sight of pinkish boiled flesh in the center of his back stabbed Zuko with an uncomfortable urgency. Before Aang could take his next step, he felt a hand close tightly around his wrist. “Zuko, wh--”  

“You need to master this technique,” the command of his teaching voice faded, replaced now only with pleading. “Please, Aang. We don’t have much time for rest.”  

“Even if you think I’m ready,” he didn’t pull his wrist from Zuko's grasp as he looked up into his golden eyes, “how can we be sure I can do it if we don’t even have lightning to redirect?” he sounded exhausted, “Is there any way to make sure that I can do it? That I don’t- ” his voice pitched in exasperation before his gaze fell to the stone floor.     Die, again? Is what he wanted to say. But, he couldn’t ask that. Not to the person who watched his limp body convulsing with electricity, gasping for his last breath. The same person who sent an assassin to make sure he stayed dead.  

In the way Aang’s wrist slumped in Zuko’s hand, he could feel the memory washing over him; as if it was flowing into his skin with every heartbeat fluttering in the veins under his fingertips. He wanted to wrap Aang in his arms, promise he’d protect him; that he’d do everything in his power to keep him safe; beg him to master this because he couldn’t afford to lose him, the only person who showed him mercy and believed in who he really was. He wanted to crush his palms against Aang’s jaw, drag him close and say next time, I’ll kill for you; next time, I’ll die for you. 

Instead, he said, “I should have stopped her, but I didn’t,” their hands still tethering them together.  

Aang turned to face him, the stern set of his narrowed eyes meeting Zuko’s. “But, you didn’t,” he tilted his face away, seeing a dragonfly-hummingbird flitting between the trees lining the courtyard. As he noticed the scales of it’s wings glinting in the sunlight, Zuko watched the lines of his face soften.  

“Aang, I’m so, so-” his grip slackening as he spoke. 

“Zuko, it’s...” okay? But, it wasn’t. Not yet, at least. But somehow, somewhere between the feeling of Zuko's fingers on his wrist and the tenderness in his amber eyes, Aang knew it would be okay. He shook his head, the corner of his mouth lifting from a frown into a hard line. “Let’s go over the forms again," their eyes locking with a nod, "sifu.” 

Breaking apart, they bowed to one another in the hallowed air. Their feet slid across the sun-warmed stone as they assumed fighting positions. As the hours wore on, Aang watched in silence as Zuko shifted, mirroring his body with his own. When the sun had sagged down behind the horizon, Aang lit a fire so he could keep following Zuko's movements in the fading light. They moved together through their stances into the night; dancing to the charged, mysterious harmony of death and rebirth.

~

[hererafjastori]

I got inspired by @captainkirkk 's writer!Zuko AU, so have a thing:

The premise would require Aang to know about Zuko moonlighting as an author.

I imagine Zuko coming up to Aang one day and going: “Hey Aang, I … have a proposal. I know this might seem insensitive, and you have every right to shut this idea down but…” “Just tell me.” “I was thinking that I want to write a book about the fate of the Airnomads.” “Go on” “You know that in my search for you I researched a lot about what happened to your people, and I learned a lot about your culture. And having that knowledge I can’t stand to see the way the last 100 years of propaganda have mischaracterized your people and twisted their teachings. I am in the unique position of knowing a lot about the happenings back then, having the resources to learn more, and in Dante’s fans the assurance that this story will have a large platform. I want to portray your people in an accurate, sympathetic light and reach readers in a way no museum will be able to replicate. I want to tell a story that accurately portrays not just your people’s suffering, but also the rich culture, philosophies and traditions. I want to raise awareness both of the horrifying betrayal at the hands of the fire nation, but also for the Airnomads as a distinct people, beyond ‘those who’s genocide marks the official start of the war’! But I am also well aware that as Fire Lord and descendant of Sozin, I might be the last person who should tell that story. So I have two questions: 1) Are you ok with the concept of me writing this, and 2) if you are, if you would be willing to advice me in writing it. Because this is your story more than anyone else’s, and I am not writing a single line without explicit consent. What do you say?” “Let me think about it?” “Of course.”

Aang does some thinking, and comes to the conclusion, that Zuko knows his stuff better than most others, that this is a great chance to educate about his lost culture, and that Zuko is very aware of the responsibility he has in writing this and treat it accordingly. He will ask, Aang, rather than making assumptions, taking “creative liberties” or filling in the gaps with misinformation. He will respect the subjects of his writing.

And so, he says yes. So Aang and Zuko start meeting regularly, and Aang tells him stories lost to time. Of holidays and sacred days nobody remembers to celebrate. Of a culture build around communal life, change and an active separation of one’s roots no other nation is able to understand with their respective cultural upbringing. Of the philosophies of airbending and the typical schooling a monk would go through. Of elders who led those communities, and the faces they made when hit with a well aimed fruit pie. Of games played in the courtyard, bison bonding, typical topics of the gossips interest. Of both, the official order of things and the actual social dynamics of his people. Of the various ways people reacted to him being a prodigy and the avatar. Of music, and dancing, and stories, and legends, and crafts, and recipes, and colloquialisms and proverbs. Of whistle tongue, a language spoken purely through whistling, that was impossible to reproduce for non-airbenders, that would sound through the Temples at all times of the day. Of being able to travel freely between the nations, and being encouraged to learn other cultures and their perspectives. About befriending the prince of Omashu. Of traditional southern waterbending dances he can’t remember in detail and Katara never got the Chance to learn. Of being shown hospitality in the earth kingdom, and being seen as a good omen. Of Dragons and of Kuzon’s parents being shunned for housing a *insert slur against airbenders* because the propaganda machine had been working for a while. Of tsungi-horns and the camelafant strut. From both the Airnomads and the other nations, the good, the bad, the ugly, the mundane and everything else that was lost to war.

And Zuko sits, asks, writes, and most importantly: listens. On top of that, the whole Gaang regularly meets to go through all the stolen stuff stored in the fire palace like it’s the British museum and working to bring everything back to it’s original owner. While they do this, they all explain the cultural significance behind each item, so that everyone gets a better grasp of each others culture.

Afterwards Zuko begins to write, with Aang as a sensitivity reader. He tells the story of an average Airnomad called Sanna, about 7 years older than Aang. They grow up in the southern Airtemple. He writes about philosophical debates, schoolyard games and quarrels, important holidays, traditional foods, common jokes, and Airnomad humor. About wise teachings, annoying teachers, cultural norms, traditions, pets, language and writing. But all of that is in the background, given enough explanation that ignorant readers can follow, but the narrative treats it as the everyday life of the protagonist, seamlessly interwoven with the story that it doesn’t feel like a textbook or lecture, but simply like it actually takes place there. Because the reader learning the Airnomad alphabet and gaining a better understanding of Airnomad culture is goal, but the heart of the story is the protagonist growing up into this increasingly hostile world.

Of the Sanna being faced with more and more adversity, the farther they venture from the temple, the more aware they grow of negative sentiments against them, the more vicious the propaganda becomes. Of the night of Sozin’s comet and Sanna trying desperately to survive afterwards. Of the inner conflict between the Airnomad’s teachings and doing what they have to do to survive. Of dealing with being uprooted in a way that never should have happened. And of all the friendship, betrayal, small kindnesses, prejudice, companionship, trauma and precious memories made, lived and suffered along the way. A lot of it is drawn from Aang’s dealing with the destruction of his culture and his confrontation with Ozai, but a lot of the feelings of displacement and flitting through a world that is unwelcoming towards you, are taken from Zuko’s banishment.

When Basco’s book is published the dedication reads: “To my friend

, your advice in creating this was invaluable, and without you I never would have dared to write something like this. May this live up to your hopes and expectations.” Once the readers of the book have gained a vague understanding of the airnomad Alphabet, and learn that

translates to Aang, pandemonium breaks loose. Aang claims that he and Dante only corresponded through letters and he doesn’t know his identity, but that he got to fact check everything, and that every mention of airnomad culture is accurate. This book goes on to define the widespread understanding of pre-war Airnomad culture, and even scholars sometimes relying on Aang’s assurance of the accuracy of this book to gain a better understanding of culture and context of their topics of research.

[northerngoshawk]

would you ever write a zutaraang fic? (- thinkingisadangerouspastime)

thanks for the ask @thinkingisadangerouspastime! i would have to say unfortunately no, i'm very removed from atla fandom at this point in time and i've gotten to the point where i view a lot of ships through a neutral lens, even kataang - as much as i still love it. probably from the burn-out of fandom lol.

would i be open to writing one if i ever come back to atla? mayhaps, mayhaps. the closest i think i will ever get is writing both kataang and platonic zukaang, but ya never know 🤷‍♀️

LET’S PLAY WRITER’S WOULD YOU EVER

[atla-confessions]

Hello! I'm actually one of the "wanted to read zutara but couldn't bc anti Aang" and I was a little disspointed when no one rose to suggest any safe ones, but I just stumbled across one! I was actually looking for jetaang, but found this fic and it's very cute.

heyy! I'm the original OP who wanted to read believable post-canon Zutara with platonic Kataang / Zukaang / Maiko best friendship scenes and zero anti stuff!

As I said, I gave up when no one recced anything. But this fic was super cute! Thanks!

It's really funny to me that an active ship war is going on here, and here we are just collecting fic 😂 To return the favour -

Not Zutara but here's a super cute fic I found: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26933116

It's a Kataang meet-cute in a coffee shop with platonic Zutara and Zukaang besties. It's adorable. It also has a lil Jet teasing, but nothing bad. Hope you like it!

X

[awesome-normal-heroes]

Aang believed in Zuko before Katara did...

[my-cabbages-gorl]

fave zukaang moment from the show? or top 3?

WOOO I am so sorry it took me forever to get to this, veggie!!!! but hiii thank you for this ask I will take any excuse I can get to talk about these two.

There are SO many haunting, gorgeous moments of connection between these two in the show I could choose! There are the obvious ones; fighting to protect each other's lives in the Blue Spirit episode, the "do you think we could have been friends?" moment, all the times Aang chose to spare Zuko's life, or when Zuko begs Aang to let him join their group and says "you know I have good in me" (that one is.. just ouch it's so gut-wrenching). But, I live for the moments when their irrevocable entanglement gets hit with a spotlight.

There are so many little scenes throughout the show that highlight how they are fated to be in relationship with one another. They're circling each other like Tui and La. Whether people ship them or not, their platonic relationship is arguably the core of the show. In the Seige of the North, Part 2- I think it's so symbolic that Koh the face stealer delivers his monologue about the moon and ocean spirit while in the real world, Aang (the incarnation of hope and good) is literally in bondage as Zuko (the physical manifestation of the war between good and evil) is choosing evil and risking the fate of the whole world just to save whatever shred of his own ego he has left.

When Aang asks about the moon and ocean spirits, Koh says: "Their spirit names are Tui and La, push and pull. And that has been the nature of their relationship for all time." Then later in the conversation he continues, "Tui and La, your moon and ocean, have always circled each other in an eternal dance. They balance each other, push and pull, life and death, good and evil, yin and yang." The fact that Zhao is attempting to capture and kill the moon spirit in order to make a name for himself, the same way that Zuko tries to kidnap Aang to deliver him to death (or at least torture and captivity) at the hands of his father to try and make a name for himself is a really nice parallel for what's being explored in their dynamic. It feels so clear (at least to me) that Aang and Zuko are a spiritual metaphor for this eternal dance- their past lives and ancestors disrupted the balance of harmony because of their broken relationship. And, now they're circling one another, mirroring one another, chasing one another in order to redeem the arc of their history- which the future of the world has always depended on. And, only when they enter into balance and harmony with one another will there be any hope for righting the world. That was SUCH a long winded way to talk about one of my favorite moments lol. And, I get that it might be a stretch but I live for the deep, convoluted metaphors of story. And Zukaang has plentyyyy of content for that sort of thing. Which is probably why I can never get over them hahaha. Honorable mention: in the final battle when Aang, the "enemy" that Ozai and his predecessors fought so hard to eradicate, spares Ozai's life when he redirects his lightning. It's so symbolic because he's using the technique that his OWN son- whom he abused and betrayed for choosing to nurture the shred of good in him- had a hand in bringing him down in the way that embodies the ultimate, humiliating antithesis to his character; 1) deep relationship and intimacy with the Avatar (the personification of good and hope) and 2) mercy.

[northerngoshawk]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love 💗

thank you @dearestpartnerofgreatness! i've done this before, but it doesn't hurt to do it again hahaha (and with more background info lol)

The Dishonored Blade - an ATLA x League of Legends AU, in which on the Winter Solstice during the Fire Nation Spirit Festival, Zuko must reckon with the sins of his past. this fic was the first niche au/wholly indulgent fic i've ever written for myself, and i consider it my best writing to date. just,,, the themes and lessons weave themselves in so naturally that i can hardly believe myself when i read it back and... i think people should read it, especially since this is probably one of my best depictions of the platonic zukaang relationship.

i don't know who i am (but i won't stop trying) - my Katara-centric fic series that deals with colonialism, cultural appropriation, and cultural genocide. technically a series of two fics, but it serves to view the canon ATLA series through the lens of cultural genocide, a lens that i seldom see within larger fandom. and as self-deprecating i am, i do think that those themes really shine in this series, and it's clearly touched many people who have felt these things personally. overall a great series that should be read altogether!

dreamless dreams - a platonic zukaang fic in which Zuko grapples with the guilt of contributing to the imperialism of the FIre Nation and Aang shows him how to heal from it. i have not seen many fics that truly delve deep into Zuko's guilt and shame and have him grapple with those feelings - a lot of Zuko-favorable fics tend to absolve him of his guilt and it's like eeeee. so this was my first truly in-canon introspection of Zuko's character, and i think i did it well

these sleepless nights we spend (waiting to come home) - my Hakoda Adopts Aang fic, because yes Aang deserves all the good things. i just loved developing their relationship (which we barely see in the series) and drawing parallels between them. overall, a fic well-done!

leaves let go (to fall from the vine) - an underrated one, but an Iroh & Lu Ten fic in which Iroh meets Lu Ten one last time and learns to let go of his grief. this fic was written as an angst starter sentence prompt from @itsmoonpeaches, and as intimidated as i was, i really did enjoy writing their relationship, the parallels between the past of Iroh's & Lu Ten's and the present and future of Iroh's & Zuko's relationship. also this let me write out a small hc i had about Lu Ten, so... can't complain lol.

[metellastella]

I despise how people use the word ‘yapping’ nowadays but all the art and the rest is cute.

underrated duo 😔👊 were watching season 3 with my mom and guys the firebending masters-episode is SO GOOD

[bluespiritshonour]

I thought it fits Aang and Zuko.

[woodlaflababab]

Iroh says Aang gives Zuko hope and like, 10/10, love that

But I feel like the mirror of this is overlooked alot, or at least I don't see a lot of talk abt it.

Zuko is Aang's hope.

Zuko is the representation of the enemy, but Aang knows he's also just a kid, or teenager, like Aang, and he's someone who reminds Aang of Kuzon, one of his best friends. To Aang, Zuko is everything the fire nation is to him, something familiar and dear to his heart that's been twisted almost beyond recognition.

If Aang can see good in Zuko, if Aang can bring the good out from Zuko, then there is hope for the rest of the firenation. In his day, the fire nation people were friends, and in the modern day, they are enemies. If he can be friends with Zuko, that means there's hope that he can have just a piece of his old world back, even if it looks a little different.

Aang can never go back. He can never get his old family back, he can't truely revive what was lost, only preserve it with hopes it can be revived in the future. He can't undo geological changes, he can't rewrite history, but there's one thing of his old world he hopes he can still have, and that is friendship that trancends borders and cultures.

Nobody represents that more than Zuko, the person who Aang wants to be friends with like the old days, but cannot because of the war. Being friends with Zuko, a blatent act of defiance against the war and all it has changed and damaged, is the biggest connection Aang gets to the world he once knew since he got frozen in the iceberg.

Aang gives Zuko hope, but Zuko is Aang's hope.

[starboysbrainrot]

“Mystery of lack,

Stabbing stars through my back,

Forwards, beckon, rebound.”

- Adrianne Lenker.

[captlok]

The humble cinnamon roll who supposedly emotionally neglected his kids, everyone.

The comics are not perfect, but scenes like this are.....🥹❤

[wilcze-kudly]

Aang is great because almost every ship you can put him in instantly becomes top-tier.

Like:

Kataang- they literally make me cry every single time I think of them. Their love story is wonderful and genuinely heartwarming. It symbolises healing and peace for both of them and the literal world. He showed her the world and he's her biggest supporter and she always defends him and they find solace in each other because they understand what it's like to be the last of their respective kind. And they're each other's hope and just... ahhh. They're so much more than the vanilla hero gets the girl ship people paint it as. Haters stay mad or smth.

Zukaang- the symbolism? They're the actual Ying and Yang of the show! The Rozin parallels? Them standing in a vortex of rainbow fire as two dragons (the blue one like Aang's tatoos facing zuko and the other one, red like Zuko's general colour scheme facing Aang) forming a heart shape around them? Zuko was literally searching for Aang and found his redemption in Aang and Aang made him a better person and Aang is literally the only person who genuinely experienced Fire Nation culture before the war and he clearly values it and he's helping Zuko bring peace to the world and the nation...

Taang- The og tomboy x soft boy dynamic. He's literally the person that helped her free herself from her parents and Air is the element of freedom? And she teaches him when to stand firm like the Earth? And I love when they do synchronised earthbending it's so satisfying and they work so well together. Toph having lost her face in one of Aang's nightmares is also a nice parallel to Ummi and Kuruk. (One caveat though: i hate taang being used as a "get Aang out of the way" side ship to Zutara)

Sokaang- they kinda come out of left field for me but the more I think about them the more obsessed I become. It's all about a teenage boy who has been forced into a role that demanded way too much of him finally learning to trust and rely on others. It's about Sokka finally living out the childhood that he was forced to grow out of. Sokka also has such a cute bond with Momo and more importantly, Appa, Aang's animal soulmate. The fics write themselves.

Sukaang- ok, I know Suki and Aang barely interacted in the show but like Hear me out.Suki is so connected to one of Aang's past lives. And she saved Appa, which would totally bond her and Aang (genuinely distressed that this was never discussed in canon). And they both value a sense of community so much, and Aang was one of the people who inspired Suki to leave Kyoshi to help others. Plus, there could be some amazing Rangshi parallels if Suki became Aang's bodyguard instead of Zuko's, which could be very plausible.

Azulaang- I adore this ship because I genuinely think Aang could really help Azula find her redemption. Hell, he was so nice to her in The Search and she literally killed him. Plus I've already laughed about how it would absolutely kill Ozai. The mental crisis Azula would go through due to fallingin love with Aang would be hilarious, and also the guilt over everything she's done, as Aang's kindness makes her realsie she was on the wrong side this whole time. He's one of the only people who can beat her at her prime and he doesn't seem to fear her at all, which is rare for her. Aang could give her the unconditional love she so desperately craves and needs.

Maiaang- genuinely adorable to me. Other than the obvious grumpy x sunshine trope, Maiaang has a lot of potential. Mai seems to genuinely like Aang in the comics, which is really cute. I also think Aang would be able to help Mai express her more positive emotions, other than just anger. Also something about the girl who was forced to remain silent and passive her whole life learning to finally let go and allow herself to just live with the help of probably one of the most active and expressive characters of the show has me by the throat. Plus, he got along great with her lil bro!

Tyaang- They're so similar and cute and bubbly! They'd have tons of fun together and I just know Ty Lee would teach Aang some gymnastics and he really enjoy it! I think he can also find Ty Lee's chiblocking very cool, since it is essentially a great way to deal with a conflict without causing permanent damage. Very airbendery. Speaking of which, Ty Lee is also very airbendry herself. I can genuinely see her finding herself in Air Nomad culture and be excited to help revive it.

Onjaang- i just find this ship so funny because imagine being a random schoolgirl in the fire nation and not only rizzing up a demigod but rizzing that demigod up successfully. This ship can also go so many ways depending on On Ji's reaction to that random cute guy who threw a cool dance party is actually the Avatar, so it's certainly interesting.

Yuaang- the ultimate cinnamon roll x cinnamon roll ship. But more than that, there's of course the Yue becoming the Moon Spirit and Aang getting lowkey possessed by the grieving Ocean Spirit. There's Yue appearing when Aang needed her most, while he's stranded in the middle of the ocean and helping him. They both understand sacrifice and responsibility, and maybe they could comfort each other through it. Also Aang being the bridge between the spirit worlds and Yue being a Spirit could lead to a very interesting romance, depending on how much the Avatar could interact with the Moon Spirit.

Jetaang- ok, Aang was just as infatuated with Jet as Katara was, right? And I think Aang was heavily affected by Jet's actions and behaviour. Also Aang really not wanting to hurt Jet while fighting him (twice!) was really cute. And Aang helping Jet snap out of the Dai Li brainwashing could be a really cool ship moment the more you think anout it.

Teoaang- Honestly their little one sided rivalry at the beginning of the episode was really cute. And I think there could be some interesting symbolism between them. Aang symbolising the old and Teo symbolising the new. They compliment each other like that. Teo comforting Aang by showing him that the critters of the temple are still alive and well is also sweet. And Aang admitting that Teo has the spirit of an airbender is so sweet.

Kuzaang- they're adorable. I loved the comic about them. Aang calling Kuzon "Hotman" is really funny. Aang helping Kuzon make a bigger flame with airbending is also really sweet. I especially like this ship in combination with Zukaang. It's such tasty symbolism.

Aang may just be the most shippable charater of this franchise, argue with the wall. He's so filled with love I have no choice but to multiship.