#sadly i feel like the world may still blame kyoshi for that but I will make sure baby girl is taken care of!

[sillyfudgemonkeys]

Me approaching Kelsang, Hei-Ran, and Jianzhu asking each of them for their hand in marriage:

"Even Jianzhu????!!!!" Can't a girl play with her "widow of a recently deceased rich guy who died under mysterious circumstances" vibes in peace?!

[fangzeronos]

Fanning the Flames Ch 2

Ch. 1

Over the next three days, Azula waited outside of the healing ward, hoping she’d be allowed to go inside and see Suki. Taking time only to sleep and eat, Azula spent every waking minute outside of the ward, her arms wrapped around herself. She knew that Shei was the reason she was being kept out, and she couldn’t blame Suki’s mother in the least. When she would sleep, the Fire Nation Princess found her dreams filled with Suki, both of them in some compromising positions, sending her already confused mentality about Suki spiraling out of control.

On the morning of the fourth day since Mahu’s attack, Moya walked out of the ward with Shei behind her. “How’s Suki doing?” Azula asked as she stood up, biting her lip nervously.

Moya smiled softly. “Because of her quick thinking, she’s going to be fine. Nothing internally was damaged, she’ll have another new scar to add to a lifetime of fighting, and her shoulder was simply dislocated. It was easy enough to put back in,” the healer said. “She’s asking for you.”

“I don’t approve,” Shei said, folding her arms. “It’s your fault she’s laid in that bed anyway. If you hadn’t come to Kyoshi—”

“If I hadn’t accepted Suki’s offer to come to Kyoshi Island for my own mental health, I’d be laid up in a hospital with healers watching every move I make, analyzing everything I say and do to make sure I’m not going ot hurt anyone,” Azula said. “Ma’am, I have been nothing but respectful since I walked into your home almost a week ago. I have held my tongue, when as little as three years ago I would have burned you where you stood for talking to a Princess of the Fire Nation like you have.” Her hands clenched at her sides, feeling the faintest sparks of fire ebbing over her knuckles, but she quickly tamped the anger down.

Taking a deep breath, Azula continued. “Consider us both lucky that I am making the effort to change my ways, Shei. Suki is laid in that bed because she pushed me out of the way. If she hadn’t, I would be dead because do you know how many people look at me like I’m a leper? Nobody would have come to my aid if Mahu had stabbed me or used that club of his on my skull. Suki took an attack for a friend, something I don’t know that I’ll ever have the strength to repay if situations are reversed.” She sighed, shaking her softly. “You may not like me, Shei, and that’s fine. I’ll add your name to the list of people that would like to see me hanged or locked away for the rest of my life. Right now, if you’ll excuse me, my friend is asking to see me.” She stepped past Shei, heading into the hospital.

Moya looked at Shei, the slightly younger woman looking like she’d been slapped by a badger-mole. “Shei…you had that coming, my dear,” she said, patting the other woman’s arm before walking in behind Azula. “Nicely said, Princess.”

“I didn’t want to start any trouble,” Azula said softly. “Ever since I stepped foot off of the airship, everyone’s treated me horribly. Except Suki and the other Warriors. I know my past is what’s known more, but I really am trying to be better than that. I don’t want to be that girl anymore. I want to change to be someone that Zuko can be proud of, someone my mother will love, and….someone that Suki can be proud of.”

Moya nodded, smiling softly before putting her hand on Azula’s shoulder. “Standing up for yourself and not incinerating Shei where she stood was a good start,” she said. “Come on. She’s this way.” She led Azula down the hall, knocking on Suki’s door and opening it. “Captain.”

Suki looked up, sitting up slowly with a wince. “Moya,” she said. She looked past the healer and smiled. “Azula.”

Azula walked over, sitting beside the bed, smiling sadly. “I’m sorry, Suki.”

“Don’t be. If it were anyone else, I’d have done the same thing. Any of my Warriors, Zuko, Aang, Katara. Any of them. I’d do it again if I had to,” Suki said, reaching over and putting her hand on Azula’s arm. “Are you ok?”

“I don’t know. I feel bad that you’re in here because of me. Your mother hates me because you’re in here, and I still can’t go anywhere without being treated like I did something wrong,” Azula said. “I know it’ll take time for everyone to see me as anything but the “crazed Fire Nation heiress”, but…until that happens, I can’t stand the looks I get.”

Suki nodded, biting her lip as she thought. “I know you can Firebend like nobody’s business, but how well can you defend yourself in hand-to-hand?” she asked.

“Fairly well. I was trained by Piandao and several prominent Fire Nation masters,” Azula said. “Why?”

Suki smiled. “After I’m out of here, I’m going to train you. As a Kyoshi Warrior.”

“What?!”

“Yeah. Why not? You’re here, we’re supposed to be training anyway, even on vacation, and it’ll be a way to get people to see you as more than a crazy person,” Suki said. “Besides, you’ve already been in the uniform and makeup once.”

Azula smiled a bit and nodded. “True. When we kicked your asses and disguised ourselves to get into Ba Sing Se,” she said.

Suki smiled, sitting up and wincing as she held her stomach. “Oh, damn…” She sighed, shaking her head softly. “I’m sorry about my mother. She’s adamant that this is your fault and that your being here is only going to cause more problems. She even told me “If that upstart little bitch of a princess so much as breathes at the wrong time, I’m cutting her throat.” That set Moya off. Didn’t do me any favors. I told her to shove it up her ass,” she said.

Azula sighed softly, shaking her head. “I understand why she doesn’t like me. There’s nothing I can do about it. Thankfully, some of the other people around the Island have been more welcoming then your mom,” she said. “Rahin’s been nice to me, and his wife has helped me a couple of times while you’ve been in here.”

“Yeah, Kyorah’s a good woman,” Suki said. “She used to be a Warrior.”

“Really?” Azula asked. “Well, I guess that makes sense. She’s got one of those fans above the mantle.” She sighed softly, rubbing her arms. “I wish you were out of here.”

“Me too,” Suki said with a small smile. “Give it a couple of days and I’ll be back home to stop Mom from giving you trouble. Just…ignore most of her comments. She’s just mad I got hurt and she couldn’t break the man responsible. She’s always been like that. Just give it time and she’ll come around.”

Later that afternoon, Azula finally left Suki in the hospital, returning back to Suki’s house. She could hear Shei in the workshop off the side, and she bit her lip, heading straight for the door.

“Azula,” Shei called, walking out with her apron and face covered in soot and ash, a headed billet of metal in her gloved hand. “Come in here. I want to talk.”

Azula bit her lip, nodding and following Shei into the workshop. She looked around, seeing Kyoshi Warrior fans, swords, and shields hanging on the walls, molds for casting weapons and various bits of metal for guards and pommels laying around the benches. She smiled a bit as she had flashbacks to Piandao’s workshop in the Fire Nation, having visited with Zuko and Iroh a couple of times.

Shei tucked the cooling billet back into the forge, pumping the bellows to get the fire hotter again. “I’m sorry,” she said after a few minutes of silence. Taking her tongs, she pulled the billet and put it in on the anvil, grabbing a hammer and starting to bash it into the glowing metal.

“What?” Azula asked. “Why?”

Shei sighed to herself, the sound of the hammer on the anvil ringing in the silence. “For how I’ve been treating you since you came to Kyoshi. Suki’s putting her faith in you that you’ll keep your calm and there won’t be a fiery explosion if you lose your temper, and all I wanted to see was the psychopath princess who wanted to watch the world burn. I wanted to hate you,” she said, tucking the billet back into the fire. “I wanted to hate you and let that hatred spill into others, running you from the Island. But…listening to what Rahin, Moya, and Suki all said, how she pushed you out of the way of Mahu’s attack…I realized I was the one in the wrong.”

Azula nodded softly. “I can understand why you’d hate me, Shei,” she said. “I’m Fire Nation, I tried to burn the Earth Kingdom down, I took over Ba Sing Se, and I almost killed my brother and his friends a thousand times. The last time the Fire Nation was on Kyoshi Island, Zuzu burned the place down. I understand why you hate me. Honestly, I hate myself.”

She watched Shei try and get her fire going again, seeing the forge wasn’t responding. “Let me try.” She walked over, rubbing her hands together, wisps of fire blossoming to life on her hands before using her firebending, reigniting the forge with blue fire. “It’ll burn a little hotter, so your billet will come up to temperature a bit faster but be easier to forge.”

Shei tilted her head and smiled softly. “Thank you, Azula,” she said, putting the billet back in the fire. “How did you know what to do?”

“Zuko and I spent a weekend with my uncle Iroh when he visited Master Piandao. He taught us how to forge, how to work the machines, the hammers, everything. It’s something I haven’t done since I was, Spirits….seven or eight years old. It’s been a long time.”

Later that night, after becoming exhausted from working with Shei, something Azula didn’t realize she’d enjoy, the Princess laid back on her bed, sighing as her eyes drooped closed. Her mind wandered to Suki, her dreams taking on a rather different tone that night.

Azula sighed as she felt one of Suki’s hands sliding up her stomach, her back arching as she felt the captain’s tongue against her clit, whimpering softly. Her hands tangled in Suki’s hair, biting her lip. “Suki…please…”

   Suki giggled as she reached her destination, squeezing Azula’s tits, playfully tugging on her nipples. “What, Azula? You want me to stop teasing?” she asked, pushing her fingers into the squirming girl under her. “Maybe. I just want you to feel good.” She lifted herself up and dug her fingers further into Azula’s depths, leaning down and kissing her. “Don’t you want to feel good?”

   “Yes…but you’re teasing….please…” Azula begged, her hips rolling against Suki’s fingers. “Baby, please…” She moaned as she felt Suki’s lips against her neck, her back arching slightly. “Suki…”

   Suki nipped Azula’s throat, curling her fingers inside of Azula as the heel of her hand ground against her girlfriend’s clit. “I love when you beg. It makes you get off so much harder,” she said, adding a third finger inside of Azula.

“Ahh! Spirits, Suki!” she whined. “Please, Suki…please…let me cum…” Her hips pushed against Suki’s hand, hearing her girlfriend laughing above her. “Suki…don’t be mean!”

   Suki smiled, kissing Azula again as her thumb started rubbing against her clit. “Then cum for me, baby,” she said, her voice low and seductive.

   Azula screamed as she felt Suki’s fingers digging against her, her entire body arching as she hit her peak. She sank to the bed, her eyes fluttering in a post-orgasmic bliss. “Holy…”

   Suki gently removed her fingers from Azula, bringing them to her lips and licking them clean. She heard Azula groan under her before she laid beside her girlfriend, kissing her softly. “Better, love?”

   “Mmmhmm…” Azula whispered. “You are so mean. Why do you always tease me?”

   “Because it’s fun,” Suki said with a smile, resting her head against Suki’s shoulder. “Besides, if I didn’t tease, you wouldn’t have as much fun.”

   Azula laughed and smiled sleepily, running her hand in Suki’s hair. “That’s true,” she said. “I love you, Suki.”

   “I love you, Azula,” Suki said, looking up at her and smiling.

Azula’s eyes popped open, whimpering as she pulled her hands out of her underwear, feeling the slick on her hand. “What…in the hell was that?” she muttered. “Oh, no. No, no, no. Azula, no….” As much as she wanted to deny it, the nagging in the back of her head was cheering “Azula yes!” as she got up and cleaned herself up. “How can I face her now?”

A few days later, after helping Shei with some new weapons for the Warriors, Azula stood in her room at the house, tightening the straps down for her new Kyoshi Warrior uniform. She sighed as she applied the make up, biting her lip as she set the brush down. A knock on the door sounded, breaking Azula out of her thoughts as she looked behind her.

“Hey,” Suki said, walking into the room. Her arm was still in a sling, and she was a little slow, but otherwise she was back up and going. “You look good, Azula.” She walked over, putting her hand on the other girl’s arm. “What’s wrong?”

Azula’s face heated up, her mind flashing back to the dream from a few nights before. She hadn’t been able to look Suki in the eyes for longer than a couple of minutes, and she hated lying to her friend. “I just feel…off wearing this,” Azula admitted. “Like a fraud who doesn’t belong.”

“You’ll be fine,” Suki said, squeezing Azula’s arm softly. “You just have to remember not to use your Firebending. I know it’ll be hard, but this is a good chance to learn, Azula. Phuong, Kim-Li, Kikki, and the others are going to be able to help you.”

Azula sighed softly, looking down. “I wish Ty Lee were here.” She wrapped her arms around herself, shaking her head. “I don’t think I can do this.”

“Yes, you can,” Suki said, putting her hand on Azula’s cheek. “You’re going to be fine. I won’t let anything happen to you. The girls are going to love you. You’ve seen how protective they are already. Remember when we stopped in Omashu? When one of the merchants tried to attack you? What happened?”

“Phuong jumped in and stopped him, breaking his arm and threatening anyone else,” Azula said with a light smile.

“Exactly. If that doesn’t prove the other Warriors are already on your side, then I don’t know what will,” Suki said. She pulled her hand back, Azula swearing that she felt heat on her face from Suki’s touch. “Come on. Let’s get you to the training yard and we’ll see what you can do.”

Azula walked out with Suki, heading down toward the training yard. She saw a couple of older women stop and stare at her, but she decided to ignore them, holding herself a little straighter as she made her way down. The pair walked into the training yard, Azula seeing the other Warriors chatting and having fun, Phuong redoing Kim-Li’s hair while Kikki sharpened her blade.

“Alright, ladies,” Suki said, clapping her hands together. “Let’s gather around. We’ve got a new recruit.”

The Warriors gathered in front of Suki, Phuong smiling. “Azula!” she said.

“Yes,” Suki said with a smile. “I offered her the chance to join us, give her something special to belong to. I expect you all to treat her with the same respect and admiration you’d show any woman of the Earth Kingdom who joins the Warriors. Just because she’s Fire Nation doesn’t mean she gets treated unfairly.” She looked at the Warriors with a cocked eyebrow. “Understand?”

“Yes, Captain!” the group of warrior women sounded.

“And that means no itching powder in her robes, Kikki,” Suki said, looking at her friend.

Kikki sighed dramatically and smiled. “Alright. I’ll behave.”

“Good,” Suki said. “Azula, stand in beside Phuong and we’ll get started. We’re going to start with the basics again, ladies. Always good to have a refresher while showing new Warriors the standards we uphold.”

Azula stood beside Phuong, the other girl giving Azula a smile. She stood and waited for Suki’s instructions, watching the other girls strip off their weapons, setting them aside before moving back into formation.

As the day progressed, Azula found herself struggling to keep up even with the basics of combat. She was doing her best to resist her Firebending, knowing it wouldn’t be good and she didn’t want to hurt anyone. Despite managing to keep up with Kikki and Phuong at various times, she fell to the mat more times then she’d have liked. When Suki called time for the last spar of the day, Phuong helped her up.

“You did good, Azula,” Phuong said with a smile. “You’ll get the hang of it the more you train and practice. It doesn’t come easy at first but give it time.”

Azula nodded, tugging at the skirt of the robes. “I think my problem is I’m used to doing all of my fighting in pants. The robes are throwing a wrench into my usual styles. And it’s so damned difficult not to use my Bending. I don’t want to hurt anyone, and I’m afraid that’s what I’d do if I lose control.”

Phuong gave Azula’s arm a squeeze, a reassuring smile on her face. “You’ll be fine. When you start feeling like you can’t do it, take a break and back up. Suki’d understand, and so would the rest of us. Slow and steady, right?”

“Yeah, slow and steady,” Azula said, looking over at Suki as she talked with Kikki and Kim-Li, the two backing up to join the others a few seconds later. She saw Suki look at her, a smile on her face, and Azula felt like every drop of blood rushed to her face, and a maddening heat pooled in her core, her mind flashing back to the dream again.

Phuong looked at Azula and then over to Suki, giggling as she saw how red Azula’s face was under the makeup. “Azula, you’ve got a crush,” she said.

“Shut up. No, I don’t,” Azula said, shoving Phuong and folding her arms. “Just shut up.”

Phuong grinned and smiled, hooking her arm around Azula’s neck. “Awww…it’s adorable.”

“I will ignite you,” Azula said, narrowing her eyes. “Shut up, Phuong.”

“Alright, gather up!” Suki called, the Warriors standing in their rank and file lines in front of the Captain. “You all did good again today. You welcomed Azula with open arms, and some of you took to training her yourselves. You’re living up to Avatar Kyoshi’s standards, and that’s something I’m happy to see. We’ll meet again tomorrow morning. Dismissed.”

The Warriors all gathered their things and walked out, Phuong catching up to Kikki and Kim-Li. Azula sighed as she sat on a bench, pressing her hands to her eyes and shaking her head. She felt Suki sit next to her, and she looked down.

“You alright?” Suki asked, putting her hand on Azula’s back. “Azula?”

“I’m fine,” Azula lied, biting her lip. “Just tired. I was on my back more today then I have been in a long time.” She stopped and sighed, shaking her head. “Not remotely how I meant it…”

Suki giggled and smiled. “It’s fine. I’ve probably heard worse innuendo out of Sokka,” she said. She walked out with Azula, locking the training yard behind her.

“What happened between the two of you?” Azula asked, following Suki home.

“Conflict of interest. He was working on Republic City with Aang and Zuko, and I was guarding Zuko all the time, and we never had a chance to meet up. If we did, it was for a few hours and then we were gone again,” Suki said. “And, y’know, him housing a crush on Toph and me sleeping with Zuko didn’t really help anything.”

Azula blinked. “You slept with Zuko?” she asked. “How did that happen?”

Suki chuckled, shaking her head. “Assassin tried to kill him in his suite. I killed the assassin, doing my job as his bodyguard, and the next thing I knew after Lei Fei and the others took the body away, Zuko had me pinned against the wall kissing me. Next thing I remember was waking up with his arms around me, marks on my neck, and my hips sore as hell from, apparently, nine or ten climaxes.”

“Spirits,” Azula said. “Can’t say I’ve ever had that with anyone.”

Suki hooked her arm around Azula’s, giving her a squeeze. “You’ll find someone. Maybe not on Kyoshi, but you’ll find someone someday.”

Azula bit her lip, patting Suki’s hand softly. “Maybe,” she said. “Maybe…”

“The problem is, I already did. But it’s not like you’ll ever see me that way, Suki. I’ll have to suffer because you’ll never see me the way I want to see you,” she thought.

[araeph]

Also, if you wrote out everything Katara has ever wanted and planned to do, Aang has always been supportive. Emotionally present and supportive. Distracting her from bad feelings!

Uh … sure he has.Say, it’s time for a new Katara essay called:

The Tip of the Iceberg

It’s a well-knownfacet of Katara’s personality that she pretends everything is fine when it’sreally not, even denying when things are wrong in order to play the role of theperfect sister, mother, and friend. But she is only human, and when thepressure gets to be too much, she blows up at everyone, even people who aretrying to help.

A helpful diagram.

So let’s take alook at the times when those inner emotions rise to the surface and ask:

Does Aαng recognize the underlying cause of her outburst?

Does Aαng succeed in helping her with the underlying cause?

If Aαng does not help her, who does?

Tip of the Iceberg #1: The Iceberg

Katara: You arethe most sexist, immature, nut brained… Ugh, I’m embarrassed to be related toyou! Ever since Mom died I’ve been doing all the work around camp while you’vebeen off playing soldier!Sokka: Uh… Katara?Katara: I even wash all the clothes! Have you ever smelled your dirtysocks? Let me tell you, NOT PLEASANT!Sokka: Katara! Settle down!Katara: No, that’s it. I’m done helping you. From now on, you’re on yourown!

Katara blows up forthe first time at Sokka because of the life she’s been leading up until now. She’sconstrained by her circumstances and unable to develop her gift the way that shewants because the war has depleted and isolated the Southern Water Tribe.

But wait, is iteven fair to bring Aαng into this incident? After all, Aαng is still in theiceberg at this point. To which I say: yes, it is fair to mention Aαng, because his not having been there for thepast 100 years of war is a character flaw that he will struggle with throughoutthe show. In fact, the first thing Katara ever says about Aαng is:

“But when the world needed him most – hevanished.”

Still, once Aαng doesshow up, he offers to take Katara to the North Pole with him on Appa so thatshe can learn waterbending, too. So because he makes an effort to rectify thisbehavior, we’ll call it a wash.

Tip of the Iceberg #2: The Waterbending Scroll

Katara: Will you PLEASEshut your air hole! Believe it or not, your infinite wisdom gets a little oldsometimes. Why don’t we just throw the scroll away since you’re so naturallygifted! 

Aαng is veryconsiderate toward a Katara who is seething with jealousy in this episode. She hasworked so hard to achieve the few moves she knows, only to see her “pupil” rushthrough them in a few humiliating minutes. I imagine it’s much like what Zukowould feel, watching a young Azula. She lashes out at Aαng, who recoils,but who quickly accepts her apology and even tells her it isn’t her fault lateron, when they get captured. He encourages her by calling her a fellowwaterbender and relying on her talents to help move the boat and make theirescape. Katara apologizes again and all is well.

But ���

There’s more tothis outburst than simple jealousy. On Kyoshi Island, admiring fangirls attractAαng’s attention very quickly, leaving Katara in the dust, but Katara doesn’treact so strongly about that. No, this is about Katara having the burden on hershoulders of being the only waterbenderof her tribe. And unlike Aαng, she is not a master of her element. If Kataradoesn’t learn these techniques, if Katara is not the best she can be, inKatara’s mind she is failing not only herself, but her people. So although Aαnghelps with the symptoms of Katara’sfeelings, that deep well of anger and longing for mastery is still there and isnever addressed. This particular iceberg will continue to grow until it cracksopen again.

Tip of the Iceberg #3: The Waterbending Master

Katara: No! No wayam I apologizing to a sour old man like you! Aαng: Uh, Katara… Katara: I’ll be outside – if you’re man enough to fightme! Aαng: I’m sure she didn’t mean that. Sokka: Yeah, I think she did. 

Again, Aαng doeswell by Katara as a friend when he discovers that Master Pakku won’t teach herbecause she’s a girl. He initially refuses to learn from Pakku if the latterwon’t teach Katara, and then volunteers to tutor Katara himself,when Pakku’s not around.

But once their ployis discovered and Katara is made to apologize, Aαng plays peacemaker in a waythat glosses right over Iceberg Katara. First of all, when Pakku demands anapology from Katara, Aαng should have asked to be treated as equally guilty,since he was the one who was actually doing the teaching. Second, he shouldhave pointed out that Pakku has no monopoly on Aαng’s culture, so he has noright to dictate who Aαng can and cannot teach waterbending to once he learnsit. Third, Aαng tries to pretend that Katara doesn’t mean what she so obviouslydoes. He is willing to downplay Katara’s righteous anger and ignore aninjustice so the people around him stop being angry.

Aαngis just not seeing the big picture here. Katara is the last waterbender of the Southern Tribe; her cultural heritage ofwaterbending has been all but wiped out whilethe North did absolutely nothing. And now that the population of southernwaterbenders has been reduced to 1 due in part to the North’s inaction, they arewilling to let combat bending in the South die out just because they don’t wantto teach a woman.

Remember in the“Northern Air Temple”, when Aαng wavered between angry and devastated at thecultural destruction that the Mechanist was wreaking on the temple? I’msurprised, as the last of his kind, that he didn’t take this challenge toKatara’s mastery more personally. But setting aside personal feelings, as theAvatar, it is Aαng’s job to protect the culture of a sovereign nation frombeing extinguished in order to maintain balance in the world. He had the authorityto intervene on Katara’s behalf, and he should have.

Tip of the Iceberg #4: The Chase

Katara: How canyou be so infuriating! Aαng: Should we… do something?Sokka: Hey, I’m just enjoying the show. Aαng: Okay, okay, you both need to calm down.Katara: Both?  I’m completely calm!

Points to Aαng forat least trying to intervene herewhile Sokka does the equivalent of eating popcorn. There is a squabble that’saffecting group dynamics, and he gives it his best. But just like before, Aαngdoesn’t get to the root of the problem; he just wants everyone to stop beingangry so things can carry on the way they always have … even if the way thingshave been isn’t optimal.

Like it or not,there are problems with the current situation. Toph’s refusal to be part of thegroup activities is harmful to the GAαng as a unit, whatever she may thinkabout being independent. And really, it should not have been left up to Katarato address this alone—but she knows that no one else will step up until shedoes. It’s a sign of Katara doing more thanjust pulling her own weight. As I’ve pointed out before, countless times inA:TLA we see her in the background doing some thankless chore so these kidshave hole-free pants and hot meals every day. This is a major burden that’s onKatara’s shoulders continuously; she helps ease Aαng’s burden as the Avatar onmultiple occasions, but sadly, Aαng never does the same for her.

Tip of the Iceberg #5: The Awakening

Hakoda: What’swrong Katara? Katara: He left. Hakoda: What? Katara:  Aαng. He just took his glider and disappeared. He has thisridiculous notion that he has to save the world alone. That it’s all hisresponsibility. Hakoda: Maybe that’s his way of being brave. Katara: It’s not brave. It’s selfish and stupid. We could behelping him. And I know the world needs him, but doesn’t he know how much thatwe need him too? How could he just leave us behind? 

This time, Aαng does more than notresolve the underlying problem; he exacerbates and in some ways causes it. Idid an essay before on Katara’s issues with abandonment; basically, losing her mother and her father to the war, albeit indifferent ways, leaves her very vulnerable to people running off on her. In“The Awakening”, Aαng shuts her out and flies away, still injured, and may verywell have perished were it not for Avatar Roku. This worrying over her friend’ssafety is the last thing Katara needs while she is still dealing withresentment over being left parentless for several of her formative years.Katara even knows that she’s being unfair to Hakoda in blaming him for leaving,but she’s simply unable to cope with the emotions she’s stored up inside whilehe was away. Aαng returns from his unsuccessful solo venture, but never makesit up to Katara or helps her with this longstanding issue.

Tip of the Iceberg #6: The Painted Lady

Sokka:  Didyou even think this through? The army’s gonna blame the villagers. They’reheaded there right now to get revenge. Katara: Well, what was I supposed to do? Sokka: Leave! Do nothing! Katara:  No. I will never, ever turn my back onpeople who need me.  I’m going down to the village, and I am gonna dowhatever I can. Sokka: Wait. I’m coming too. Katara: I thought you didn’t want to help. Sokka: You need me, and I will never turn my backon you. 

Just like in “The Waterbending Master”, it’s all fun andgames for Aαng when he’s helping Katara break the rules, but acceptingresponsibility? Not so much. He knows as well as Katara that Sokka, their planguy, has a strict schedule that they are adhering to in the hopes of making itto the invasion point on time. When he finds out that Katara has been delayingtheir mission to help the people of the town, he volunteers to help—not help asin learning healing from Katara, but help as in blowing up a munitions factory.And at first, it’s nice that he thinks Katara is a superhero, but when they’rediscovered, Aαng is quick to dodge the blame:

Sokka: Katara, what you did put our whole mission in jeopardy. We’re leaving rightnow. (He turns to Aαng.) And how long did you knowabout this? Aαng: Hey, I just found out this morning. 

Yes, if by “just found out” you mean “was an enthusiastic participant in the deed most responsible for attracting the enemy’s attention”.In the dialogue that follows, he leaves Katara alone to defend herself, just likehe did in “The Waterbending Master”.

But worst of all, the same thing is happening here that hashappened in the last several outbursts: Aαng understands that Katara wants todo something in the moment, but thereis no epiphany where he gets just why that is. Whyis Katara so compelled to help everyone who needs it, regardless of far-offconsequences? What is the underlying cause of her determination? Aαng neverreally finds out, so once again Katara’s overprotectiveness will rear its heada few episodes down the line.

Tip of the Iceberg #7: The Runaway

Katara: Fine!It’s a lie. But you’ve been so out of control lately, I knew something was up.I knew you were hiding something, and you were.  Don’t you walk away fromme while I’m talking to you! Toph: Oh, really, Mom? Or what are you going to do?Send me to my room? Katara: I wish I could. Toph: Well, you can’t. Because you’re not my mom, andyou’re not their mom. Katara: I never said I was! Toph: No, but you certainly act like it. You thinkit’s your job to boss everyone around, but it’s not. You’re just a regular kidlike the rest of us, so stop acting like you can tell me what to do. I can dowhatever I want! 

Katara and Toph areat each other’s throats again in an extension of the problem they had in “TheChase”. This time, Aαng doesn’t even do as much as he did there, where he toldeveryone to calm down. He doesn’t tell Katara how much he appreciates all shedoes for him; he doesn’t take Toph aside ask if she really thinks these schemesare a good idea. Katara is going overboard with her role as Team Mom, a rolethat she is paradoxically becoming fed up with. We learn in this episode thatKatara has been taking on the burden of keeping her family together since she wasjust a little kid, and after all this time, she doesn’t know how to let go ofit. But we don’t learn this from Aαng, and Aαng isn’t even around when we hearabout it. And Katara mothers him just as much as anyone in this episode.

Tip of the Iceberg #8: The Western Air Temple

Katara:  Youmight have everyone else here buying your “transformation”. Butyou and I both know you’ve struggled with doing the right thing in thepast.  So let me tell you something right now. You make one step backward,one slip-up, give me one reason to think you might hurt Aαng… and you won’thave to worry about your destiny anymore. Because I’ll make sure your destinyends right then and there… permanently. 

Wait a minute … wecan’t blame Aαng for not helping Katara with this one, can we? He wasn’t evenin the room when she threatened Zuko! Anyway, it was Zuko who betrayed hertrust at Ba Sing Se, and Zuko who has to earn her forgiveness, right?

Well, yes and no.Zuko siding with Azula against the GAαng in “The Crossroads of Destiny” was ablack mark in Katara’s book that he had to make up for, all the more so because he had confided in her and made her believe he had changed. Butremember, this is about how Aαng recognizes and responds to Katara’s moments ofemotional turmoil. And the fact that she confronts Zuko in private afterpublicly going along with what Aαng wants is a red flag that she doesn’t want Aαngto see how huge the Katara Iceberg is.

Besides, let’s notforget just how obvious Katara’sanger at Zuko was to the entire GAαng. She sniped at him in public episode after episode—even “The Firebending Masters”, which barely featured her. There’s absolutely no way Aαng didn’t notice this, or how much Zuko’spresence was upsetting her. Did he do anything, even something small like helpher with the chores? Did he try to talk to her or Zuko at all about what theirproblems were? Did he let Katara know that her feelings of betrayal were valid,and that he would help her understand what he saw in Zuko?

Maybe they shouldn’t have just kept flying over“The Great Divide”, because Aαng sure could have used those negotiation skillsin this situation.

Tip of the Iceberg #9: The Southern Raiders

Katara:We’re going to find the man who took my Mother from me. Zuko: Sokka told me the story of what happened. I know who did it. And Iknow how to find him. Aαng: Umm… and what exactly do you think this would accomplish? Katara: I knew you wouldn’t understand. Aαng: Wait, stop, I do understand. You’re feeling unbelievable pain andrage. How do you think I felt about the sandbenders when they stole Appa? Howdo you think I felt about the Fire Nation when I found out what happened to mypeople?Zuko: She needs this, Aαng. This is about getting closure andjustice. Aαng: I don’t think so. I think it’s about getting revenge. Katara: Fine! Maybe it is. Maybe that’s what I need. Maybe that’s whathe deserves. Aαng: Katara, you sound like Jet. Katara: It’s not the same. Jet attacked the innocent. This man, he’s amonster. 

Wow, did Aαng bungle this one.First, Katara knew he wouldn’t understand—thatright there is a big blow to the notion that Aαng is there for Kataraemotionally. Second, Aαng tries to tell Katara he does understand by using acompletely inappropriate example. Aαng’s pain and rage on seeing Appa stolencan’t hold a candle to Katara’s mother getting murdered, nor is the Air Nomadgenocide  comparable because Aαng didn’t personally witness the perpetrators, andall of the people who carried out the massacre are already dead. Third, hejumps to conclusions that this is about revenge before Katara even says itis—the way she says, “Fine! Maybe it is; maybe that’s what he deserves” makes it seemlike she’s mulling the idea over in real time as it occurs to her. It’s possiblethat Aαng’s premature suggestion actually plantedthe idea of killing Yon Rha in Katara’s head, where before she just had anebulous idea of confronting him. And as if that weren’t bad enough, Aαng thencompares Katara to Jet, who took revenge for his village’s destruction on anentire town of innocent Earth Kingdom civilians. 

Aαng tries to drumthe idea of forgiveness into Katara’s head fourtimes in this one episode, an idea that she repeatedly and finally rejects,even at the episode’s end. This is a huge clue that Aαng wasn’t letting Katarado what she needed to do to getclosure, but kept trying to pressure her into doing what Aαng personally wantedher to do to maintain his own Air Nomad ideals. He made her pain all abouthimself and the wisdom of the monks, the least helpful thing he could havedone. And let’s remember that, like with Katara and Zuko’s long détente, Aαnghad plenty of times throughout the series to ask about Katara’s mother andwhat happened, possibly helping her to heal by sharing his own experiences. Buthe never, not once, sympathizes with her or even seems to realize how huge awound she still has—not until it stands a chance of violating his personal precepts.

So let’s take stockof all of these situations where Katara’s anger was a sign of dire emotional distress. How many times did Aαng recognize and respond to Katara’sanger in a way that got at the source of the problem? “The Waterbending Scroll”is the only time he comes close, and arguably, each of his attempts at diffusingKatara’s anger is worse than the one before it. By no means do I think Aαngshould have solved Katara’s problems for her, or that he should have had thematurity of his technical age. But think of all of the people who step in anddisplay genuine, helpful understanding to Katara in these moments: Hakoda,telling Katara how much he missed her and how he hated being without hischildren. Sokka, telling Katara he’ll never turn his back on her. Toph, tellingKatara that she can be fun, too. Zuko, helping Katara find the man who murderedher mother. Considering how Katara and Aαng are held up as soulmates in theshow, it’s quite depressing how few moments of helpful understanding Kataraactually gets from him, not to mention how often she has to hide her emotions in fear of being judged for her angry reactions. And yes, there’s a good chance that Aαngis simply not mature enough to do more than skid along the surface of Iceberg Katara.But if that’s the case, the last thing he should do is make himself a permanent resident.