#that was two sukka weeks ago!!

[the-power-of-stuff]

Almighty Empress of Sukka! I have a spicy Sukka question for you:

What are some things that Sokka and/or Suki do (unknowingly or otherwise) that get each other in the mood? Like little quirks or habits or clothes they wear or just random everyday stuff that makes the other go 😯🥵🤤? (For example, maybe Suki drinking a milkshake or slurpee with her lips wrapped around the straw is just a bit too much for Sokka to handle. And maybe when Sokka takes his shirt off after a hot, sweaty workout, not matter how awkwardly he does it, Suki gets a little hot and flustered herself.)

Sorry, that was a lot. 😅 But Sukka’s irrepressibly spontaneous love for each other always makes me want to gush! 🥰

And I know you’re busy with Sukka Week right now, so no rush to answer this at all! I’m very patient.

Lord, have I really been sitting on this ask for nearly two years??

I need you to know, Dearest Anon, that it doesn't feel like I've let this ask go for so long because I have actually had it on my mind that entire time, wanting to answer it and waiting until a good enough answer surfaced.

But I think I was going about it the wrong way. I don't really have a lot of headcanons that exist independently of putting a guy in situations. And if I put a guy in enough situations, I might end up repeating similar ideas until they become headcanons (like my headcanon that Suki has a particular fondness for lotus seed buns).

So! It occurred to me that maybe the best way for me to answer this question would be to put these guys in a situation. And now, at long last, we have...Suki getting really turned on by Sokka cooking... 😏

Suki stepped off the back porch of the house, perched the steamer basket full of rice on her cocked hip, and bit her lip. Framed beautifully in her field of view, amidst a glorious backdrop of lush green foliage and the island’s tumbling, sparkling brook, was Sokka, standing over the makeshift grill he’d thrown together from a large cast iron pot and some wire mesh he’d gotten off one of the fishing boats. The air was fragrant with the savory sweet aroma of seared meat, Sokka expertly working the grill in a calculated dance between flame, timing, and seasoning. And Suki’s mouth was watering. 

“Hey there, grill master,” she crooned as she approached, abandoning the rice on the table that housed Sokka’s setup. She ran one hand over his shoulder, down his back, then lower still so she could squeeze a generous handful of ass cheek. 

He yelped before glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, one brow quirked in amusement. “Hungry?”

“Starved,” she said, sidling closer and pressing up against him from behind. Her hands quickly found his hip bones and traced the muscle there before teasing lower by just a few millimeters, and Sokka nearly dropped his tongs. 

“You know Mrs. Kotoji can see us from here…”

Suki turned her head towards her next door neighbor’s house just in time to see the shutters slam shut on one of the windows. “Nothing scandalous for her to see here,” she countered breezily. Then she found the slit in the side of Sokka’s tunic and traced her fingers down his thigh.

“Keep doin’ that and there might be,” he grunted, and Suki chuckled, dropping her forehead between Sokka’s shoulder blades as she laughed. 

“Listen…” she said coyly. With her head still resting against Sokka’s spine, she drew her hands slowly around his hips and up his flanks. “I know you’re still cooking, but once you’re done, you think you could…scandalize me a bit before we eat?”

Something clattered loudly while Sokka fumbled around with the grill, and then suddenly he was whirling around, gripping Suki’s waist and tugging her close. “Tui and La, woman… I will scandalize you so much, you’ll be reading about it in Ba Sing Se next year. In those scandal sheet things. That they circulate in the Upper Ring. Whatever, it made sense in my—” And he cut himself off by closing the distance between his mouth and hers. 

Suki threw her arms around his shoulders, laughing into him as he penguin-stepped them back towards the house. When they collided with one of the porch posts, Sokka used the opportunity to deepen the kiss, slotting one thigh between hers, creating delicious friction for them both. Suki moaned.

“So, you like the way I handle my meat, huh?” Sokka teased, breathy against her lips.

“Oh yeah,” Suki rasped, delighted, sneaking her eager hands back around to Sokka’s backside. “And now it’s my turn.”

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

The Problem With The Southern Raiders

Brynn_Sasha191 asked: And what do you have to say about TSR episode as a whole? And how ZK shippers constantly refer and think of it as 'the Zutara episode'.

***

The episode itself is alright. Katara and Zuko looked cool as hell in their ninja outfits, sneaking around and being menaces. The scene of Katara choosing to bloodbend (and her horror after) were shocking. The moral of the episode ("Unnecessary violence is never the answer, BUT that doesn't mean people who wronged you are entitled to your forgiveness") is pretty good. Zuko looked like he gained some genuine understanding for Katara's situation, as well as respect for her mom, when he was told about how Kya's death happened. Plus the Sukka bit, and Zuko's reaction to it, was one of the funniest moments in the show.

The only thing that REALLY bothers me about it how it is the ONE time the show tried to sweep Zuko's mistakes under the rug. Katara was not mad at him because she was wrongfully "projecting" her grief over her mom, and her anger at the killer, on poor, innocent Zuzu.

She was mad because this entitled prince that had threatened the people of her village, tried to use her mom's necklace to blackmail her and then threatened to burn it, had been chasing her group all around the world, endangering them several times, to kidnap her best friend managed to convince her for five minutes that maybe there was some humanity to him - and then immediately helped his sister essentially win the war for the Fire Nation, and killing Aang. Then after Katara saved him, the same goddamn prince sent an assassin after them.

It doesn't matter that he was never fully evil, that he had understandable reasons to do what he did, that truly changed sides, and that he doesn't intend to ever do something like that again. Katara does NOT have to forgive him, and she sure as hell does not owe him her friendship, and it's not cool how the episode keeps allowing Zuko to act all entitled, without ever calling him out for it - and worse, activelly saying KATARA is the one in the wrong.

Plus, it's kinda fucked up that it's never acknowledged how Zuko, the guy who was disfigured and banished for wanting the soldiers of the Fire Nation to be treated fairly and with any humanity, and saw harming them for daring to OBEY ORDERS as an absolute betrayal, was willing to kill one of these guys for the crime of... following the Fire Lord's orders - which Zuko had also been doing mere WEEKS before.

Don't get me wrong, I can understand Katara being out for blood and not giving a shit about "well, if he didn't obey, he'd be traitor" when what he did traumatized her for life and made her grow up without her mom, but Zuko just seemed a bit hypocritical, and like he was betraying his beliefs there. It just doesn't make sense in my head that he wouldn't be thinking "What that guy did was fucked up, but I nearly got all of my current allies killed just a month ago because they were still enemies and it'd make sure my dad would not disfigure/banish me again or even kill me, it'd not be right of me to act like I can judge this guy"

But this one doesn't bother me as much since the whole point of that episode was for Zuko to unlearn all the awful "lessons" his father taught him by fully normalizing violence to him - and considering the finale showed us he was feeling sorry for Azula (hell, he was already giving off Concerned Big Brother vibes on the opening scene of TSR)  and was willing to spare even Ozai, I think it's safe to say he will never make that kind of mistake again (the comics are not canon, I don't care what anyone says).

So yeah, it's a deeply flawed, but entertaining episode that MOSTLY works - but it's NOT the "zutara" episode, not just because there's no romance there, but also because, if anything, 99% of it just shows how these two have the potential to bring out the absolute worst in each other, and that, at least until he genuinely started bonding with her during their mission) Zuko had no problem with playing the victim whenever Katara dared to be mad at him for doing horrible things that hurt her, the people she cared about, and innocents in general.

Thank God they grew as people AND have other friends that can pull them out of destructive spirals.

[atla-confessions]

I normally dislike a/b/o stuff (mostly because of how it’s usually an au for purely sexual reasons) but to be completely honest my brain has been stuck thinking about a/b/o in ATLA, to the point I’ve made around five plus google documents about it, three being unpublished and rushed fics plus two being rambles. My mind focuses on the weirdest of things. Anyways, since I can’t stop thinking about it, I just wanted to put it down here so that my mind hopefully starts being so focused on actual important things.

NGL, I’m an Omega Sokka and Alpha Katara truther. I just feel like it makes more sense to me than them both being Alphas or both being Omegas or whatever, ya know? I want to explain more but I, unfortunately, would make a fool of myself because it just shows goes to show much I’ve thought about this all if I already have an explanation prepared. But yeah, while I can handle the idea of an Alpha Sokka, whenever I think of him as an Omega my mind is quick to be all ‘Well, it makes sense, considering how he acts in canon, his choices, blah blah blah…’ same with Omega Katara v.s Alpha Katara.

Personally, I think that in ATLA, pups would present some time after they become 12 (can take weeks, months, maybe even a year or two), so for the entirety of ATLA Toph and Aang are unpresented. But in the comics and such, I’d say Aang would be a Beta and Toph either a Beta as well or an Alpha, but I lean more towards the idea of her being an Alpha.

I think Suki could be a Beta or Omega, but I usually see her as a Beta. She could possibly be an Alpha, and I wouldn’t mind hearing what people think she could be, but I mostly assume she isn’t an Alpha because I feel like it wouldn’t make exact sense. Her wariness of men and how she protects and supports girls so much makes me think if a/b/o were a thing, she’d also feel the need to protect Omegas/Betas from bad Alphas… and it would be a little strange to make her an Alpha if she was trying to protect her girls from them, wouldn’t it? I’m not sure. Either way, I think Sukka would still happen; Betas/Omegas can be with Omegas as well, not just Alphas.

I know that with most a/b/o ATLA fics people tend to make Zuko an Omega, but I seriously think he’d be an Alpha. It makes a lot more sense to me than him being an Omega does, but it’s hard to explain myself considering that this has been in my head for around a week or two now and this whole post is just a random thing I made. I’ll try my best though; I feel like he doesn’t embrace his Alpha tendencies much because of how Azula and Ozai (both Alphas) act and treat others, and he’s afraid of becoming like them. Before his redemption he was deadset on trying his best to be like them, but there was always an underlying disgust he felt at trying to fit into shoes that were a size too big for him. But he continued trying to be a manipulative Alpha anyways because he thought his feelings were cowardly and weak. Does that make sense? I want to explain more, I really do, but I already feel so awkward talking about this all. It feels like I’m nervously rambling to a judge who could throw rotten tomatoes at me at any moment and shout, ‘OFF WITH THEIR HEAD!’ for being dumb 🥲.

I’m not gonna give each of Ozai’s Angels a whole paragraph, nor the side characters, so I’ll just put what I think their second gender is here:

Jet, Azula, Ozai, Iroh, Hakoda: Alphas

Mai, Bato, Hama: Betas

Ty Lee, Yue, Kanna plus Kya, she’s important even if she’s passed long ago: Omegas

There’s probably more characters I missed but who cares! Sorry for the ramble and the scattered ideas, and if you guys don’t like a/b/o please don’t throw a tomato at my anonymous face. Still hurts, even if it’s not directly to me. I’ll maybe speak more about it if it interests others? Maybe? 😅 Like I have a whole document ready of stuff that isn’t even close to finished but that I’d still be willing to talk about!! But I don’t know, just like… if you care to know more… I DON’T KNOW!!! Ahhh! Don’t throw tomatoes and boo at me I’m a sensitive little dudeboygirlthing !!!!

X

[primmrot]

ATLA OTP PROMPTS

OKAY- I’m bored so I’m looking at different fluff prompts and I’m going to write how I feel like they’d go down with different ATLA ships...

Person A's mom/dad gives Person A and Person B very cheesy, matching shirts/sweaters/scarfs. Person B does their very best to pretend that they love it.

This is without a doubt Kataang. The two of them have just hit their one year anniversary and Hakoda just wants to adopt Aang into the family and show him that he’s welcome (especially after the whole “Jet Incident”). Both him and Sokka come up with the idea of getting the two matching sweaters AND scarfs. Katara’s absolutely ecstatic. Not because she likes the gifts (they’re absolutely hideous and she hates them) BUT because Sokka and Hakoda are being super supportive and are making an effort. Of course, Aang doesn’t know that Katara thinks the gifts are ugly and he’s trying SO HARD to pretend that he’s in love with the look. Katara figures out what he’s doing fairly quickly but can’t find it in her to tell him it’s fine because it’s both endearing and hilarious. ESPECIALLY since even Hakoda and Sokka know the clothes are ugly.

Bonus: Aang keeps wearing it to different events and since Katara loves him she wears it with him.

Bonus #2: They both end up loving the gifts and now wear them unironically.

Person B making a video 'proving' that Person A is the Illuminati, complete with The X-Files theme.

Zukka, Sukka, OR Zukki all the way. Either way it’s going to be Sokka making that video, “complete with the X-Files theme’. His main piece of evidence? The other being unbelievably perfect and succeeding at everything they do. His boyfriend Zuko? How can he LOOK like that, DRESS like that, and wield swords LIKE THAT? His girlfriend Suki? An absolute master whenever she puts her mind to it. She broke out of prison once and he'll never forget that.

Bonus: Zuko, Suki OR BOTH make a response video detailing how perfect and talented Sokka is which must mean that it’s HIM who’s in the Illuminati.

Person A and Person B watch a horror movie, but neither will admit that the movie scared them.

Not necessarily a ship (but it can be seen like it). This is giving me roommate vibes (during some kind of modern AU where Toph and Sokka share an apartment). Toph is the one who dares Sokka to watch a scary movie with her because she's been hearing about how terrifying it is. Sokka absolutely hates horror movies with a passion but for some reason his stupid lips say yes instead of giving some kind of excuse so he's stuck in a prison of his own making. He figures it'll be over quick/not that bad and dear god is he wrong. By the time they get half way through the movie Sokka is shaking and blaming it on the cold. He's trying to come up with a way to turn the movie off and leave without making it obvious that he's scared. Meanwhile, Toph's been commenting on how the movie sounds beyond boring and that's got to be one of the biggest lies she's ever told because it sounds HORRIFYING. If she has to listen to one more ominious creak or a scream out of nowhere she's going to pee her pants. She'll be damned if she lets that be known though.

Bonus: They end up turning the movie off after they both agree that it's "boring and not worth their time"

Bonus #2: They both sleep in the living room that night, claiming their rooms were "too far" and that they were "too tired/lazy" to get up

Bonus #3: A week later they bond over how they both thought the movie was terrifying and now they're definitely going to recommend the movie to their friends

Person A: guess what Person B: what Person A: i love you Person B: O:

Very much inspired by the @ash-and-starlight “kith” art i reblogged a second ago !!

Zukka again and it's definitely Sokka saying "I love you". It's the first time either of them have used the big "L" word after a year or two of dating and Sokka's been freaking out about it. He isn't sure how to bring it up and he's been overthinking everything so Katara jokingly tells him to just say it as if they've been saying it for months. Sokka takes that to heart and that's exactly what he does. When it comes out, the words are all confident but on the inside he's flipping out and wants to puke into the empty bag of fire flakes beside him. While Sokka's mind is on fire, Zuko just stares at him while his brain reboots.

Bonus: The words come out of nowhere, with no preamble. They were nowhere close to the subject of love. In fact, they were probably talking about robots doing backflips and then Sokka was like "haha speaking of backflips-"

Bonus #2: Sokka steamrolls past it because he doesn't want to hear Zuko's answer so later while Zuko's in the middle of ranting about something or another (once again a topic that has nothing to do with love- like dolphins or smth) he's just like "i love you too" and gets back into the rant like nothing happened and this time it's Sokka's brain that needs to reboot

[sukkameetcute]

As we lead up to Sukka Modern Meet Cute Weekend, we’ll be celebrating the great Sukka meet-cutes out there already!

Today’s spotlight is...

Beer Pong of Love by @badlucksav (rated M)​

​What is it?

Written for ATLA Trifecta Modern AU Week, three bite-sized chapters make this a very manageable multi-chap college AU. Sokka has been admiring Suki from afar, but with a bit of pestering help from Zuko, he may finally get to talk to her since the first time he saw her two years ago.

Why do we love it?

Sokka putting himself out there. Suki fearlessly going after what she wants. Flashbacks to a humorous first meeting from years ago. And a flirty little nickname that’ll set your heart aflutter. 

Summary from AO3

Sokka has been pining over Suki for two years. With a little encouragement from Zuko, he finally shoots his shot.

[sukkasupremacy]

Marry Me? Sukka Week

“Gran Gran?” Suki was in the igloo with Gran Gran learning how to make traditional water tribe food.

“Yes sweetheart what is it?” Gran Gran replied as she ripped some seaweed noodles apart.

“Can I ask you something.” Suki nervously fiddled with something in her coat pocket.

“Of course sweetheart. What is it?” Gran Gran put the seaweed noodles in the pot of boiling water. Suki stepped closer to her go watch what seasonings she put in the soup. The steam from the pot warmed Suki’s reddened face. She loved being in the South Pole with Sokka but the cold was almost unbearable for her tropical body.

“Do you think Sokka would want to marry me?”

Gran Gran jumped and looked at her grandson’s auburn haired warrior girlfriend. She took Suki’s face in her palms, “ Why of course he would!” Gran Gran was overcome with joy.

“But when is the question? I’ve been by his side since forever. We’re almost 20 now...”

Suki stirred the pot as Gran Gran added the seasonings. The igloo filled with scrumptious aromas. As she stirred the pot, Suki couldn’t help but reminisce on when she realized he was it.

They were on a team Avatar vacation in Ember Island. The war had just ended and life was good.

“SUKI!”

“Yes Sokka?”

“Look what I made you!” He gave her that goofy-lopsided smile that she adored and held up a vibrant lei.

“Do you like it?”

Suki was grinning from ear to ear. His gesture touched her deeply.

“Sokka... I love it!” She threw her arms around him and nestled her face into his bare shoulder. She took in his salty beach scent and sighed.

What did I ever do to deserve you?

Sokka brushed her auburn locks away from her face and put the lei around her neck. He took a step back to examine his girlfriend.

Suki gazed at him adoringly. His face was so concentrated and serious she had to giggle.

“What?” His voice squeaked which caused her to to giggle even more.

“You are just too cute. She leaned toward him and locked her lips onto his. He picked her up and spun her around. They laughed and danced the rest of the evening without a care in the world. The stars and waves seemed to dance with them and go Suki the world was in harmony

Suki smiled at the happy memory. Gran Gran looked up at her and smiled.

“Are you thinking of him?”

“Yeah,”Suki sighed, “I’m just...I don’t wanna wait anymore. I wanna spend my whole life with him by my side. I never wanna say goodbye ever again.”

“My dear, “ she put her hand on the young warriors shoulder, “I think if you asked him to marry you he would say yes.” She smiled.

“I thought the water tribe had a tradition of the male asking the girl?”

Gran Gran chuckled and added the fish into the soup, “Suki. Suki.Suki. You of all girls should know that some traditions are meant to be broken!”

Suki was taken aback, “I thought you out of all people would love to stick to the tradition.”

Gran Gran chuckled some more, “Suki, my dear, there’s a lot that you don’t know about me. I myself was an emblem of breaking traditions back in my day.”

Suki looked at the old women curiously, “What did you do?”

“I ran away from a sexist man in the water tribe. I left him because I didn’t love him! We did arranged marriage up there. I came here and found myself.”

Suki was in awe, “Wow, you are so brave.”

Gran Gran took the boiling pot off the fire and set her brittle hand on Suki’s cheek, “And you my dear are even braver.”

————————————————-

After dinner, Sokka went to his dad’s igloo to ask for some advice.

“Hey dad!” The young water tribe boy hit his shoes on the door Gran to get all the snow off.

“Hello son! What brings you here?”

“I need to ask you for advice. It’s about Suki.”

Hakoda’s eyes widened and he gestured for his beloved son to sit by the fire with him, “What’s on your mind Sokka?”

“When did you realize you loved mom?”

Hakoda sighed, “I have loved your mother since we were teenagers, “ smiled remembering his late wife, “ I have always known that I loved her. Every second with your mother was like a dream that I didn’t want to wake up from. The moment I realized I wanted to spend my life with her was when we were about 18 years old. The fire nation attacked our tribe. The first thing I thought of was her. Where she was. If she was safe.”

“Wow dad.” Sokka rested his hand on his father’s shoulder.

“What about you son. When did you realized you were in love with Suki.”

Sokka thought for a moment. “I have always loved her.”

“But when did you realize that she was it for you.”

Sokka closed his eyes and thought for a moment. Then he remembered.

It was a cold winter’s night about two years ago. The snow began to fall in the South Pole.

Suki’s eyes lit up. She ran ahead of Sokka, her auburn hair flowing behind her. She twirled around herself as the snow thickened around her. Her laugh filled the evening with music. Her smile lit up the dark winter of the South Pole.

Sokka was mesmerized by her aura. This girl brought light wherever she went. She brought light into his world. She found joy in things as little as snow. Sokka stared at his beautiful girl friend with stars in his eyes.

“Sokka! It’s snowing!” She shrieked as she fell into the power beneath her. She started to play in it and Sokka laughed.

“Sokka! Come on.” She flashed a smile at him and his heart skipped a beat.

The auburn hair warrior got up and pounced on her boyfriend causing both of them to collapse into the snow. She giggled and brushed his chocolate brown hair away from his face. Sokka looked up at her. Her cheeks and nose were as red as a cherry. It was as if she had been kissed by the snow. Her hair was messy and damp but it still fell in the right places. Her violet eyes shined and pierced their way into Sokka’s loving gaze.

“Hi!” She smiled and nuzzled her nose on his. His stomach clenched and his heart fluttered.

Was this even real? How is she real?

Later that night, Sokka watched her go to sleep. She looked precious wrapped up in those fluffy water tribe blankets and in Sokka’s arm. He watched her body gently rise and fall.

How are you real?

He stroked her hair and she shifted even closer to him. Her arms made their way around Sokka and she cuddled into him.

“I love you.” Sokka’s heart jumped.

Did she just say that?

It was at that moment that he realized she was it.

————————————————

Suki laid on Sokka’s chest and listened to the sound of his heart beat. The fire crackled and filled the room with warmth.

“Sokka?”

“Yes Suki?”

“Can we take a walk? I want to ask you something.”

“I would love that.”

The two warriors rose from their shared bed and put on their winter coats. Suki fiddled with the item in her pocket.

The two of them walked for about an hour, sharing their thoughts, listening to each other, gazing into each other’s eyes, and stealing kisses. It was nights like these that Suki treasured. The world being silent was her favorite thing about being in the South Pole. Well, almost her favorite. Sokka beat the silence.

“I then I was like...WHOOO NOOO.” Sokka flailed his arms in the air. She covered her mouth with her mittened hand.

The two of them stopped at the end of a cliff. The sky was beautiful that night. Lights of blue, green, and purple painted the sky. Suki gazed at it in awe.

“Wow...” she sighed.

Sokka glances over at his girlfriend. She was wrapped in warm clothes from head to toe. You could only see her face. Suki’s eyes fluttered as she gazed at the lights in the sky.

“Hey Suki.”

“Yes Sokka?”

“You know what the best view in the Southern Water tribe is right now?”

“There can’t be anything more beautiful than this Sokka.”

“It’s you!” He blurted. Suki turned her frost bitten face toward him. Her eyes were wide and her cheeks flushed an even darker shade of red.

She ran to him and jumped. Her legs around his torso and her arms did the same around his neck. He steadied her and brought his forehead to hers. She smiled at him and he kissed her sweetly.

“I love you Sokka.” She beamed.

“I love you too Suki.”

She hopped back down. Her face grew small.

“Sokka? I need to ask you something.”

Sokka’s brows knit together. He cocked his head to the side, “What is it Suki?”

The young warrior reached her hand into her coat pocket. When her hand came out she revealed a necklace. It wasn’t just any old necklace, it was a betrothal necklace. On the pendent was carved the joining of a fan and sword.

Sokka covered his mouth. She smiled at him with tears daring to spill out of her eyes.

“Suki...”

“Sokka.... will you be mine forever?” The tears streamed down her beautiful face.

Sokka’s face softened and tears began to spill out of his eyes. He took her hands, “Yes Suki. I will be yours forever.” He began to kiss her all over her face which caused her to snort. She pulled him in for a kiss. Suki lost her footing and stumbled down into the fresh powder bring Sokka down with her.

Sokka gazed into her violet eyes. Just like the lights in the sky, they were beautiful and painted his life with color.

@sukkaweek

[firelxdykatara]

Do you have advice on how to not let the fandoms new hot takes get in your head and ruin the show for you? Such as Iroh is a war criminal that shouldn’t be glorified, Hamma is a racist depiction of natives, shipping Zuko with a water tribe member glorifies colonization, villainizing the Freedom Fighters also does this. I think I managed to get exposed to all these in less than a week and it’s draining me and I’m worried it’ll not let me enjoy the show because these are pretty heavy accusations.

(ok so I rambled a lot in this one, i stuck a tl;dr at the end there if you don’t wanna read the whole thing lmfao)

Honestly, I think the first step is to be able to take a step back from AtLA and realize two things. One: Avatar: the Last Airbender isn’t perfect, no matter how many people will claim it is the be all and end all for Quality Children’s Media. It isn’t, it has it’s faults, and there are aspects to it that simply haven’t aged as well as others, particularly over the last decade.

The second thing? That it’s ok. AtLA can be imperfect and also be an excellent show that did have a lot of quality writing and aspects, for all that it was, ultimately, a pan-asian fantasy epic helmed by two white men with a largely white (largely male) writing staff. There were going to be issues there regardless, and it is absolutely ok to look at this and think “yes, there are issues, the show isn’t perfect, and I still love it anyway.”

There’s a huge difference between acknowledging something has faults and flaws, even occasionally discussing them, and just writing the whole thing off as irredeemable trash because it has problematic elements.

Now, the corollary to that is, of course, that fandom isn’t always right. Particularly whatever latest hot takes are coming out of the depths of tumblr or twitter. Which isn’t to say you should necessarily just disregard everything that is being said, but it is possible for these discussions to have nuance and many of them.....just don’t.

(I’m beginning to think fandom is allergic.)

Calling Iroh a war criminal is just factually inaccurate. War is ugly and it is brutal and he laid siege to Ba Sing Se for nearly two years, but war crimes are an actual classification of behaviors which are inhuman and inexcusable even in times of war. Simply being a general in wartime is not a war crime, and while it’s not impossible that Iroh did things we may classify as war crimes, he did not do them on screen. (Incidentally, though, Azula did. That bit in The Chase where she pretended to surrender in order to get everyone else’s guard down, and then she tried to murder Iroh? That’s technically a war crime.)

People can, of course, talk about the fact that Iroh was a wartime general who was complicit in the Fire Nation’s attempt at expansion and probably oversaw a lot of death and destruction before his heel-face turn, and that because his redemption happened before the series and entirely off-screen, people talk about him as the wise old uncle who could never do anything wrong while ignoring that dark history--but that doesn’t mean he’s a bad character or even a horrible person. He changed, and his is a story that anyone can. Some may not believe his reasons for changing (his son’s death) sufficient, but that’s on them and you don’t have to share that opinion!

It’s also possible to talk about Hama’s and the Freedom Fighters’ (particularly Jet’s) treatments by the narrative, without throwing the baby out with the bathwater. I believe that Hama’s and Jet’s endings were remarkably lacking in empathy, but that doesn’t mean I think the whole story should be thrown out--it is, however, a show that ended twelve years ago, and in that time people in the fandom have created transformative works to fix that narrative. The original show is what it is, flaws and all, and it’s ok to enjoy it while also admitting that there were plot points and characters and even episodes that could have been handled better, or even just written better.

I mean, I’ve talked plenty about how I think the canon romances (except sukka) were terribly handled and ultimately harmful for both Zuko and Katara, and that I wish that if they’d had to be endgame, they’d been written better so at least my favorite characters wouldn’t be treated so badly in follow-up material. But I still love the show, because for all its flaws, there’s still something beautiful in the story that it told, and I can enjoy that while also turning to fandom to fix the things that I didn’t like in the original! And I obviously disagree that shipping zutara or zukka ‘glorifies colonization’, but the people who believe that aren’t gonna want to listen to what I have to say, and I have no obligation to listen to them, either! And neither do you.

TL;DR (i rambled so much i’m sorry): At the end of the day, that’s my advice to you--acknowledge that atla wasn’t perfect and even, in the perspective of over a decade of life passing since it ended, could or should have been handled better, and then turn to the corners of fandom you want to engage in. My happy place is the zutara tag, and the people I follow who have takes with which I agree and which I enjoy seeing. If the takes which have been exhausting you are coming from people you follow, maybe it’s time for an unfollowing spree! Try to find the common tags (because “I recognize this thing has flaws but I don’t want to focus on those, I’d rather focus on the things about it that make me happy” is a valid method of engaging with fandom, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise) that are used for those sorts of opinions (’atla critical’ or ‘anti atla’ for a start) and blacklist them, to cut down on the likelihood of seeing them without warning. Ask the people you still follow if they wouldn’t mind using a tag for salt or discourse if you enjoy most of their other content. For the love of the gods, stay away from twitter, it’s a trashpit and as allergic to nuance as fandom already is, that becomes a thousand times worse when you have a platform with such a tiny character limit. There’s literally no room for nuance on twitter.

I’m sorry that 99% of my advice boils down to ‘curate your experience better so you can stop seeing the sorts of posts that are upsetting you’, but that’s really all I can say, other than accepting that some flaws in the show will be dealbreakers for some people, and if they aren’t for you because you still love the source material, that’s ok.

[creampuffqueen]

Broken Jars - Sukka Week Day 1

hello everyone!!! this is my very first atla fic i’ve ever written, and i’m super excited to share it with y’all!! this is why i didn’t participate in tlc shipweeks lol, i’ve been super busy trying to get stuff for sukka week because these kiddos need more content!!

the prompt for today was post-canon, so i wrote what i write best: a kid fic. rip to whoever said suki died young because that’s not possible. she and sokka got married and live a quiet life on kyoshi island to raise their babies.

anyway, hope y’all enjoy!!

word count: 2,418

~~~~

The house is so silent when Suki walks in, carefully removing her headdress, taking off the thick gloves of her uniform. Silence isn’t something she’s used to anymore. 

It’s later than she normally gets home, the sun high in the sky and sweltering at this time of year. She has to resist swiping a hand over her sweaty brow, lest the face paint rubs off.

She had stayed late at the dojo, after a younger student practically got on her knees and begged for an extra lesson, desperate to keep up with the older girls. Suki couldn’t say no.

Normally when she gets home the house is joyful chaos, the by-product of two four-year-olds fully rested from a good night’s sleep and energetic from their lunch. Now, the only sounds to be heard are the creaking of the floorboards and… is that snoring?

She finds the source a moment later, chuckling softly to herself when she finds her husband asleep on the couch, laundry strewn about in the process of folding, looking for all the world like he just intended to rest his eyes for a moment.

“Sokka,” She croons gently, leaning over his sleeping form to drop a soft kiss on his cheek. Those blue eyes of his flutter open, lips parting into a sleepy smile when he recognizes her.

“Hey,” He grins back, voice slightly hoarse from sleep. “Are you home early?”

She laughs at that, glancing over at the clock hanging over the bedroom doorway. “No, actually. I’m home late. Are the twins napping?”

Sokka lets out a loud groan, sitting up, rubbing his neck. “They should still be. I put them down about an hour ago. After Kolla stole Koda’s stuffed badger-mole and both of them started crying, I knew it was time.”

Suki shakes her head at that. “They both have the same stuffed badger-mole, why does she do that?”

“Your guess is as good as mine. She just likes taking Koda’s stuff.”

Suki sits down on the couch beside him, resting her head on his shoulder with a sigh. “I’m glad they’re both asleep. I always get home before their nap, and then we both have things to do.”

“Well, I have things to do.” Sokka snorts. “Laundry. Somehow they’ve managed to dirty more clothes than when they were babies, and that’s saying something.”

“So there’s nothing else you’d rather be doing?” Suki asks coyly, batting her eyelashes exaggeratedly. She drapes a leg over her husband’s lap, leaning into the couch.

“Absolutely nothing.” Sokka gives her that lopsided grin that makes her heart race, blue eyes full of amusement. 

They stare at each other for only half a moment before Suki sighs, done with playing games, and pulls him down for a kiss.

“You got me.” He smiles against her mouth in a way that makes her heart swell, “I’d much rather do this than the laundry.”

She laughs as he kisses her, quick pecks on her nose, her cheeks, her forehead. Suki leans in to kiss his nose, and his smile increases tenfold. 

It’s then that she notices the red stain on his lips, the white on his nose. And she giggles harder, shaking in his arms as she points it out.

“Great Spirits,” Sokka sighs, “how hot was it out there? Your makeup has never melted before.”

Suki doesn’t answer him, just presses more kisses around her face, laughing in hysterical delight at the red marks she leaves in her wake. Her husband rolls his eyes but lets her have her way, a small grin turning up the side of his mouth.

When the novelty finally wears off, Suki leans her head against his chest, still giggling slightly. “You need a bath.”

“Thanks for that,” He snorts. His fingers shoot to her side, tickling her even through the thick Kyoshi uniform.

Very few things make Suki come undone faster than when he tickles her. As much as she hates it, she is very ticklish, and Sokka uses this to his full advantage.

Even after years of elite training, the Kyoshi warrior is rendered completely helpless as her husband’s fingers dance on her sides and her stomach and underneath her arms, her squeals of laughter echoing off the walls of their home. 

“You’re gonna make me wake them-” Suki manages to get out between the laughter, but Sokka ignores her, yanking off one of her shoes to have access to her sensitive feet. 

She shrieks again, laughing so hard she can barely breathe, when something crashes to the floor in another room, shattering-

Both of them pause, eyes widening, both of their minds racing. Their bedroom, something fell, something broke-

“The twins!” Suki gasps out, frantic, hurling herself off the couch and towards the door, makeup still smeared, one shoe on. Her fans, which she hadn’t removed from her waistband, appear in her hands as she scrambles inside, searching for the intruder; nobody is getting near her babies. She can hear Sokka outside, running for the twins’ bedrooms, ready to gather up the toddlers and get out. 

Even though the world has known peace for years now, the fear still lingers, and even now Suki and Sokka wake up in the middle of the night gasping, visions of fire and death and loss all they can see. 

For Suki, it was so much worse after she had the twins.

Before, her nightmares were awful. Sokka, lifeless in her arms. Her friends, separated and in danger. And her warriors, taken from her, captured by Azula, tortured with lightning running through their bodies. 

After Kolla and Koda were born, their tiny shapes were added to the mix. 

It didn’t help that their birth was so traumatic. She and Sokka had prepared for one baby, had smiled at every little movement and kick they’d felt from the outside. 

She went into labor, and it was long and it was hard and Spirits, it hurt, but in the end little Kolla came screaming her way into the world, waving her tiny fists, a warrior from the start. 

But the pain didn’t stop. And by the time the midwives figured out what was going on, that there was another baby, it’s heartbeat was so, so slow. Koda slipped into the world and he was so, so quiet. And he was so, so small. 

He was still, the tiniest baby Suki had ever seen, a head of brown hair to his twin’s auburn, and he was silent. 

She’d felt her heart break, then. Shatter, like it never had before. That was her baby right there, her son, and he was so tiny and so still and the world was so wrong.

She couldn’t even hear her daughter’s screaming over the sound of her own sobs, the roaring in her ears as the world stood still and moved too fast at the same time.

I’m sorry, the midwife had said, wrapping him up in a towel and passing him so gently into her arms. He didn’t make it. 

Sokka was holding Kolla then, and she cried and cried and cried, like her heart was breaking too, a piece of her that could never be replaced.

Then a miracle happened.

In the dead of night on a summer solstice, the moon was full. It shone through the window, illuminating the tiny face Suki held so carefully in her arms. 

Koda started crying, then. Just like him, it was tiny and small, but every single wail healed another crack in Suki’s ruined heart. A single stripe of his baby-soft hair lightened, turned moon-white, as he continued crying. 

Suki knew then, what had saved her baby. Who had saved her baby. 

Thank you, Yue. 

In the years that passed, Koda was always so much smaller than Kolla. He was shy and quiet and so thoughtful, while his twin was wild with energy, and loud loud loud. 

Even with their differences, they were still best friends. It also helped that Koda was a waterbender- one of the only things he was better at than his sister. Kolla so admired it. 

And all of these thoughts bombard Suki as she runs into the room, fans at the ready, thinking about how hard she’ll fight, what she’ll do to make sure her children are safe-

“Mommy’s home!” Kolla’s sweet voice chirps, and the four-year-old runs into her mother’s arms, not at all bothered by the makeup, the uniform, the fans. 

Suki accepts the hug, just as Sokka runs into the bedroom, shouting for her. “Suki, the kids-”

“Daddy!” And then he, too, is put under the spell of his daughter. 

Suki spots the source of the crash, eyes widening as they settle on Koda, attempting to hide behind the dresser. The boy’s whole face is covered in red and black, and a smashed pot of white face paint is shattered on the wooden floor. 

Suki’s makeup.

She notices, too, that Kolla’s hands have white paint on them, as well as a smear of red on her eyelid, the paint all coming off on Sokka’s shirt as she hugs him. 

“What are you two doing awake? I thought you were napping.” Suki sighs, sheathing the fans back into her waistband. 

“Koda and me wanted to do our faces like Mommy!” Kolla says happily, bubbling with excitement as she shows off how she put the red paint on her face. “But Koko reached too far for the white and now it’s broken!”

“You told me to!” Koda protests, hiding his face behind the dresser. “I said we’d get in trouble.”

“Come here, both of you.” Suki leans down, holding out her hands for her shy baby boy. “I don’t want you two to get hurt on the pot, okay?”

Koda starts crying then, and Suki holds him close, not worried about the face paint. That stuff stays on, and even if it doesn’t, she cares far more about her baby than an easily washable uniform.

“Koko, don’t cry!” Kolla says earnestly, dragging Sokka over to them so she can hug her parents and her twin.

“I’m- I’m sorry, Mommy.” Koda blubbers. 

“Hey, buddy, it was an accident, okay?” Sokka soothes. “We can clean it all up in no time. It’s going to be alright.”

Still, it takes all three of them to calm Koda down, and in the end Suki picks him up and cradles him like a baby while he sucks his thumb, and Sokka cleans up the smashed jar of makeup. 

Koda and Kolla both still have the paint smeared all over, not to mention Sokka’s own red-stained face, and Suki is sure her own is a mess. 

“Koda, would you like it if we all went down to the ocean?” Suki offers, smiling as the toddler instantly perks up. If nothing else could cheer him, the prospect of swimming always did. “We can all get on our swimsuits and wash off the face paint.”

“I wanna go swimming too, Mommy!” Kolla giggles, dancing around her ankles. 

“Then let’s go!” Sokka scoops her up, and Suki follows him into the bathroom, where the twins’ swimsuits are kept. She helps them put them on while Sokka changes in the other room, and then they switch. 

It’s still hot outside, but it helps that they walk together under the trees on the way to the little ocean cove. The area is small and shallow, perfect for little swimmers. 

Kolla runs around excitedly, as always, while Sokka stays behind, smiling at Suki, hand clasped with her own. They walk hand-in-hand to the water, their kids running off to splash in it. 

Relaxing in the warm cove, Suki tugs her husband close, grinning as she washes the makeup from his face with gentle strokes. Kolla squeals in the background as Koda splashes her, the two of them sitting on the sandy bottom and having the time of their lives. 

“Have I ever told you that I love you?” Sokka says cheekily, helping her to rub the face paint off. 

“You may have mentioned it once or twice,” she laughs, thinking back to only this morning, where he pressed sleepy kisses over her body and whispered the words over and over in attempt to convince her to stay in bed. It almost worked. 

“Well, let me mention it again. I love you, Suki.”

She can’t hide the smile and the tug in her heart that he produces. They’ve been together for years, married for a long time, and even have two babies. Still, she can’t help blushing like she did when she was just a teenager, brand new to love and diving into it headfirst. 

“Stop, you’re gonna make me cry,” she sighs, laughter bubbling up. Overhearing their words, Kolla pushes her way in between them with a determined pout.

“Daddy, stop. Don’t make Mommy cry.” She has her hands on her hips in a way that reminds Suki a lot of Katara, but the expression is all Sokka. Koda trails over to see the commotion, draping himself into his father’s lap. 

“It’s okay, sweetheart. I was joking.” She soothes her daughter, and Kolla, satisfied, bounces back into the water to search for shells. 

Sokka starts to clean up Koda’s face while Suki washes her own, then pulls her daughter back to wipe her down as well. 

“I hope this is a lesson, you two.” Sokka chides, gently swiping his fingers over Koda’s cheeks to smooth off the smears of black face paint. “The makeup is for Mommy only.”

“But I’m gonna be a ‘Yoshi warrior too!” Kolla protests, attempting to squirm away from her mother. 

“If you want to be a Kyoshi warrior when you’re older, my love, go ahead.” Suki tells her. “But right now you’re only four years old. You’ve gotta get a little bigger.”

Kolla pouts, but it’s soon forgotten in place of splashing her brother. Koda yelps, scrambling away, throwing out a hand behind him to send the water back at his twin. 

Both kids clean, Suki lets them go free to work out their own differences. A moment later both toddlers are squealing with laughter, splashing water back and forth. 

She glances back over at her husband, at Sokka’s fond look as he takes them in. Years ago, none of this was a possibility, not in a war-torn earth. The idea of a peaceful life, with someone they loved, friends all over the world, and now… two little ones to share it with. 

Suki leans her head on her husband’s shoulder and smiles. 

~~~~

there it is! i hope you all liked it! remember, reblogs >>>>> likes (not that i don’t appreciate likes as well!)

[kawaiichibiart]

I considered it. And fuck it.

Little Mermaid AU. One-sided Yueka and endgame Sukka. The 100 year war ended early, though I'm considering making it a no war AU, in which case, things will be revised to fit.

And no, this isn't based off Disney's The Little Mermaid, Disney's The Little Mermaid can go suck an ass.

The Little Mermaid - Yue

The Prince - Sokka

The Princess - Suki

The sea witch - Zhao

Let's start this off with one thing. Yue will die. If you've read the original story of the Little Mermaid, you know she died.

Yue is the daughter of the Chief of the NWT, a tribe of merfolk who live, well, in the North. Unlike the SWT, where everyone was fully human.

Yue had never once gone to the surface, but on her 18th birthday, she was deemed ready to go. And so, she was prepared.

Going to the surface was a grand occasion for them, as they spent their entire lives underwater.

It was nighttime by the time she was ready. And so, in the dead of the night, she went up to surface. The moon was full and a ship was nearby that she could see it, but not nearby enough that anyone on it could see her.

Yue decides that she wants a closer look and swims over, keeping under the water as to be undetected.

It's then that she sees a young man, not much older than she should be, on the ship. He's smiling and laughing. A young girl pulls him by the arm into a dance of sorts. The two are laughing and enjoying themselves. And Yue yearns for that.

She's an only child.

She doesn't have many friends.

She's...lonely.

And then, the storm hits. And Yue watches as everyone on board runs for the smaller boats attached to the larger ship.

She watches as the younger girl is put into a boat and held back as she screams for the boy.

She watches as he tries to make his way over, only to be thrown over board by a loose pole.

The girl and two men scream the boy's name, Sokka, and the girl holds her hands out.

She's a bender.

But the SWT had no other benders. She didn't have the training. She was trying to use her bending to get the boy out, but she was struggling.

And Yue went under the water, looking around. She could still hear the young girl scream, crying for Tui and La to save the boy, her brother.

And she sees him. His eyes closed and he seems suspended.

She swam over, grabbed him, and pulled him to the surface.

Both tribes enjoyed their travels, and often time, when merfolk were to go to the surface, they would head the island of Kyoshi before returning to the North Pole. Yue heard of the greens of the island, of the legendary Unagi. She heard of the Kyoshi warriors.

And the island was close enough that she could get Sokka there. He would be found and helped and he could send word to his sister that he was okay.

It's nearly dawn by the time she gets to Kyoshi Island. But she gets there and drags Sokka onto the sand and leaves him there. She hides nearby as she sees a young group of girls walking over. One of them spots Sokka and runs over. She's looking over him, and Yue can't hear her, but some of the other girls run off, likely to get help.

And then, he starts to move. Yue watches as the girl helps him up and she and the rest of her group lead him away.

Needless to say, her father isn't happy to hear of this. Even if he was from a Water Tribe. Tui and La must of meant for him to fall overboard.

But Yue can't stop thinking about him. She wanted to know more about Sokka. To have a life on the surface. To see the moon without risking being seen and fearing for her life.

And one day, she meets the Sea Witch, Zhao.

Zhao, who was once an Admiral of the Fire Nation. Dragged into the sea where he was turned into a spirit. He would grant anyone a wish for a price.

She heard that he did it because he was eager to take and to take. That he had tried to kill his own Prince while he was at sea.

She heard that he tried to kill the moon spirit, but someone stopped him. Some say it was the very Prince he tried to kill, some say it was a young airbender. And some say it was La himself.

Either way, Zhao was punished to spend his life underwater, his inner fire struggling.

And knowing the risks, she went to him anyways, and asked him to grant her one wish. To make her human.

And he did, at the price of not just her voice, but her life.

It would be a painful experience, but if she could get Sokka to fall in love with her, she would remain a human. But if he fell for someone else, she would turn into seafoam. In other words, she would die. She had no time limit. Just to make Sokka fall in love with her.

And she accepted his terms.

And she felt it. She felt excruciating pain and swam to the surface. She's struggling to stay up.

And she hears someone call out. She's not sure who, but eventually, a rope is thrown to her. She grabs it and is pulled onto a ship, a blanket thrown over her. Her coughs are silent and she looks up.

He's here.

Sokka is here.

And he's asking if she's okay. She opens her mouth to reply, before remembering and nodding. He seems quick to realize and asks if she can speak, and she shakes her head. He then tells her not to worry, that his sister, Katara, might be able to help. She was a healer after all.

And in the mean time, she could stay with them. They were headed to the Fire Nation. Her surprise must of been obvious, because Sokka laughs and waves it off. Something about a peace treaty being offered by the current leader.

Last Yue heard, Firelord Ozai was a tyrant. Why would he want peace?

But it meant she could spend time with Sokka.

She spends time with both siblings. Katara was unable to help her with her voice, and writing wasn't too common in the NWT, at least, not with ink.

Katara summed it up to some memory loss. Likely a result of whatever lead her to be in the middle of the ocean. And so, she teaches her.

That's how they learn her name.

It's nice to hear them say her name. Both usually filled with joy. She wasn't lonely anymore.

Katara gave her some of her clothes, something Yue was grateful since she didn't have any of her own.

Weeks went by by the time they got to the Fire Nation, where they were welcomed not by Firelord Ozai, but by Firelady Ursa.

Ozai was nowhere in sight.

When asked by the chief, Firelady Ursa said her husband has passed not too long ago, and she decided to take up the throne until her son was old enough. He was technically already crowned Firelord, but he was only 16, and she refused to let him rule a nation while he was still a child.

So, while Ursa lead the men to a meeting room, she asked a servant to take her, Sokka and Katara to the gardens. It was likely there that her son would be. They could keep each other company.

And he was. Katara was the one to speak up first and the Prince stammered as he greeted them. His name was Zuko and Yue found him a bit endearing. He had a scar on his face and he gave her a soft smile when Katara told him she couldn't speak. He admitted he was partially blind and deaf on his scarred side and that he suffered from tremors due to being struck with lightning by his father.

He said it so casually, but it was shocking. How was he alive?

He also warned them about his sister, Azula. He loved her, don't be mistaken, but she got...protective of him after he was struck by lightning. He believed it was due to him constantly being the one to try and protect her, and she wanted to show him that she could protect him and didn't need him to protect her. That she was stronger, and he was weaker, so it was clear who protected who.

Yue stays away from Azula when she's near. She's actually pretty scary.

The Peace Treaty seems to be going well, as members of the Earth Kingdom arrive. And so does an airbender named Aang.

Yue smiled, remembering her first night at the ship. It felt like it here. Men and women talking while children laughed and ran around.

She spotted Azula with two girls.

She saw Aang and Katara dancing together.

She even saw a small girl in green go up to Zuko and punch him. She thought Zuko would get mad, but he laughed and punched her back. She didn't say anything as the two snuck out.

She would later learn her name was Toph Beifong, and she and Zuko were siblings no matter what anyone else said.

Things seemed to go well, she was enjoying herself. And then, Sokka walked over with another girl.

The girl from Kyoshi Island. And he introduced her as the one who saved him.

Her name was Suki.

And she insisted that all she did was find him on the beach and got him medical help. Anyone would of done that.

But he insists that he opened his eyes and saw her, his saviour.

And how he could never forget the girl who not only saved his life, but taught him to respect women and to be a better person.

He loved her. Sokka loved Suki.

And Yue was heartbroken.

Because as much as she said it was nothing, clearly, Suki loved Sokka as well.

The day comes that they have to leave the Fire Nation.

But before they do, Sokka presents Suki with a betrothal necklace. He tells her that it isn't really a tradition in the SWT, but moreso a family tradition. His grandmother started it.

He didn't know it, but Yue heard stories. Of a young mermaid who asked to be human in order to escape. And she was turned into a human.

Only the NWT gave betrothal necklaces.

And she could only hold back her grief as Sokka tied the necklace around Suki's neck.

The two were happy. Congratulations were given to the couple.

That night, while everyone is asleep, Yue stays on deck.

They were headed back to Kyoshi Island, where they would restock before going South.

The moon was bright but brought little comfort to her.

And she heard her name being called. She spotted one of the few friends she had from the NWT.

Her hair was cropped and her arms were burned, but in her hand was a knife.

She had gone to Zhao as well.

She wanted her best friend back.

And in order for that to happen, he had to break their contract. So, he gave her a knife to give to Yue. And Yue was to kill Sokka and have his blood spilt onto her, she would become a mermaid again and no longer have to worry. A wave brings the knife to her. And she looks at it, contemplating.

When she gets to Sokka's and Suki's room, she sees them hugging each other in their sleep.

And she can't do it.

So she runs.

She runs and she runs, ignoring anyone who calls out to her.

She throws the knife into the ocean, where it dissolves, before throwing herself over.

She's sinking, but all she can think of is how she finally felt happy.

She began to turn into foam, when a voice called out to her.

Tui.

Yue had been given a chance to chase happiness, to chase a life not her own, and to give her life, so the one person she loved could be happy.

And so, Tui came with an offer.

For Yue to become the Moon Spirit.

She would have to work for it.

But it meant she wouldn't just become seafoam. She would be able to watch over them. Over him.

And closing her eyes, she accepted it.

If anyone noticed, they didn't say anything, when on the night of Sokka's and Suki's wedding, the moon shone brighter.

.

.

.

.

Some side notes:

1. As much as I like Iroh taking the throne, I wanted Ursa to be the one to take charge of the Fire Nation. She has a better relationship with her kids, and under her disguise of Noriko during her banishment, she wrote to her children.

It's when Azula writes to her telling that Ozai hurt Zuko, that she returns.

She returns to her second eldest hiding in her room. She returns to find her only son locked away, like a criminal. She returns to a man who refuses to let his son heal.

A man who tells his son he was lucky he was just in prison and not dead or banished.

And she is furious. So, she kills him and takes over.

2. I guess, in a way, Azula has a redemption arc? She cares about Zuko, but she honestly does get really protective of him. Especially after what Ozai did to him.

3. Toph Beifong and Zuko are siblings. Nothing else need be said.

4. In the original Little Mermaid story, the mermaid wishes to be a human to get a soul in order to go to heaven. I had it so Yue would gain true happiness. However, due to the nature of her contract with Zhao, she was putting her happiness against Sokka's.

5. The original story has Catholic tones to it, what with God and Heaven and souls going to Heaven and all that jazz. Because this is meant to be an AU for ATLA, I did my best to change things, but chances are I forgot something or will forget something. Rather than have no soul, I thought Yue becoming seafoam would be more of a, she would be never be at peace sort of thing. She would never be reunited with her family or friends when she died.

6. Yue was not born with the moon's blessing. She earned that when she decided Sokka's happiness meant more to her, than her own. She chose to die if it meant he was alive and happy.

[ao3feed-zukka]

Going Home

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3p08h7D

by katarashope

After leaving Republic City without warning two years ago, Katara returns and reunites with her friends and family. Her visit turns bitter sweet when she realizes she should've never left and now has to pick up the pieces, especially with Aang who never got closure for their relationship.

Words: 4714, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Avatar: The Last Airbender, Avatar: Legend of Korra

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M

Characters: The Gaang (Avatar), Aang (Avatar), Katara (Avatar), Sokka (Avatar), Toph Beifong, Suki (Avatar), Zuko (Avatar), Mai (Avatar), Kiyi (Avatar), Appa (Avatar), Hakoda (Avatar), Kuei (Avatar)

Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar)

Additional Tags: Kataang Week, Kataang - Freeform, Zutara, Sukka, AtLA, tlok - Freeform, Republic City

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3p08h7D

[the-power-of-stuff]

11, 15 for the fanfic day meme!

Ooh, lookin’ for some sneak peeks! lol 

Okay, #11 is “What’s a fanfic idea you haven’t done yet?” and omg I have so many... 

One idea I have that I’m super excited about is a post-war recovery sort of story. As in, immediately post-war, starting with Aang, Sokka, Suki, and Toph traveling back to the Fire Nation with Ozai. I really want to give these kids time to process everything that happened and to heal some wounds. And, because it’s me, it’s going to be heavy on the Sukka, exploring how those two navigate their relationship in the wake of everything. 

I’ve started planning this one, but I think it’s gonna be a while! I’m thinking of it as something of a companion piece to count herself among them. It’ll be thematically very different, and from Sokka’s POV, but there will be some minor overlap between the last chapter of count herself among them and the middle chapters of this post-war recovery story, and I’m gonna reprise my Kyoshi Warrior OCs! 

#15 is “Give us a snippet of something from your WiPs!” Here’s an excerpt from that Sukka Week Day 4 fic I keep saying I’m still working on. At this rate, I might have it ready for Sukka Week 2022. 😅

“Okay guys,” Aang was saying to his less-than-captive audience. Sokka made his way over to the pot of jook and scooped more up with his bowl, ignoring the ladle entirely. “For the processional parade, as you know, I’ll be in the back with the Air Acolytes, so you’ll need to do your part without me telling you what needs to happen. Think you can handle that?”

Sokka slid a narrowed glance towards Zuko and gestured to Aang with his thumb. 

“Guy’s gettin’ pretty sassy for someone who’s about to marry my little sister.” Then, to Aang, “I think we can handle walking in a line. Have a little faith in your future brother-in-law.”

Aang had his hands up, palms out in surrender, but there was a smirk on his lips. 

“I don’t even have to walk. You should be asking Appa if he knows what to do,” Sokka added. The bison was going to carry him, Katara, and the rest of their family through the parade route. All Sokka had to do was sit back and relax while they wove their way around Air Temple Island.

“Appa was awake hours ago, and he’s been given very clear instructions. Now, while Sokka’s picking up Katara, Zuko, you and the other dignitaries need to congregate at the pavilion—”

“So we can meet up with our security escorts, I know. We’ve been over this a million times, Aang, it’ll be fine,” Zuko interrupted.

“Okay, but just remember that Suki’s been given all the instructions and everything in case you have any questions—”

Sokka choked on a mouthful of jook, and Zuko’s and Aang’s heads swung around as he coughed.  

“Suki?” he asked, voice strangled.

Shit. Suki. The last time he’d seen her, really seen her, had been…well, it had been a bad day. One of his worst, in fact. He rubbed his fist in the center of his chest; the ache blooming there was more than just the residual pain of breathing jook down the wrong pipe. 

“Yeah, Suki,” Aang reiterated. “All the Kyoshi Warriors will be there— oh…Sokka. I’m sorry, I didn’t think it would be a big deal. I mean, it’s been five years…”

😏

Thank you for the ask~!! 💗

[allywrites360]

Welcome Home

Written for the prompt ‘Dance With Me’ for Sukka Week 2020!!

--

Sokka let out a long sigh through his teeth, “Remind me again why we picked the eighth floor?” he said, annoyance seeping in to highlight his words. He leaned around the two large boxes stacked in his arms to look up at Suki, forcing his aching legs to continue treading up the endless stream of stairs.

She was a few steps ahead of him, but he didn't have to see her face to know she was rolling her eyes at the compliant. “The elevator’ll be fixed next week; walking’s only temporary,” she tossed back over her shoulder.

“Then why couldn't we move in next week!” He used the sleeve of his light blue t-shirt to wipe the sweat off his brow, adjusting his grip slightly as his fingers began to numb. The muscles in his arms ached from this load, and the countless others he’d carried up today.

“Just be glad that Zuko and Toph already brought the couch up.” Their friends had all come by earlier that afternoon to help them; hence why they hadn't bothered hiring a moving crew. Sokka was grateful for that; it had taken them hours anyway even with all the help. He made a mental note to thank them. Whenever he actually managed to find his phone, that is. It had been lost somewhere in the sea of cardboard long ago.

Sokka’s sneaker slipped against the hard tile making up the ground, nearly sending him spiralling backwards. He quickly slammed his shoulder against the wall to steady himself, moving around the weight of the boxes to keep himself from falling.

“You okay?” Suki asked, slowing her trek forward for a moment. The glare Sokka shot her in response was enough to cause her to laugh.

His irritation dripped away at the sound, small smile making its’ way onto his face. All this hassle would be worth it soon enough. He couldn't wait to wake up next to Suki everyday. He continued climbing.

They finally reached the landing marking their floor, small apartment mercifully now only a few metres away. Suki kicked their door open, small golden digits adorning the stained wood reflecting the movement. It had been propped open by a small suitcase; something Sokka was grateful for. He wasn't sure how much longer he'd be able to lug those boxes.

He practically threw them down just inside the door, only half stopping himself when he realized he didn't quite know what was in them. He cracked his back as he stood up, rotating his wrists slightly as he allowed himself to breathe for a moment.

“Is that it?” Suki nodded in response, shoving the pile of things she’d been carrying into the corner.

She sighed slowly, stalling as long as she could. “We have to put all this stuff away now, huh?”

He hummed in reluctant agreement, face betraying the action as his grin grew, eyes dancing around the small apartment. There were boxes and suitcases stacked along every inch of the walls, outlining the large empty space of their living room. The walls were a soft colour that held an air of comfort in it, offsetting the dark blue couch. Light poured in from a window set against half the rooms, painting streaks of the sunset across the wooden floors.

To anyone else, it wouldn't have been especially beautiful. To anyone else. He breathed after a moment, both of them excitedly taking it in.

Suki reached out for his hand, intertwining her fingers with his as they both stood by the door, committing every detail to memory. Imagining the future these walls held.

After a few minutes of slow breaths, Sokka finally spoke up. “Dance with me.”

Suki raised her eyebrow at him, “What?”

He laughed silently, dragging her further into the room. He gently rested his hands on her hips, beginning to sway in an invisible rhythm. She moved her hands to his shoulders, pulling him close as they swayed through the hundreds of memories they had yet to make here.

They would deal with cleaning up later. Sometime tomorrow they'd come up with some sort of order. Right now, as the light cast a burst of energy thrumming between them, all that mattered was the way they moved in tandem with one another.

Neither was a spectacular dancer. But their dance, unplanned as it may have been, just flowed naturally, never hesitating, never stopping. They clicked into place against one another and held on tight. Their heartbeats were the only sounds emanating from the space around them, playing off one another to create the rhythm of their dance.

The door was wide open, but neither of them cared. Their world existed in the small bubble of space they danced in, without music, without caring. Suki’s shoes squeaked against the clean floors as Sokka spun her around, leaving both of them giggling as they drew back together.

Their movements froze in the thick evening air, Suki leaning up to press her lips against his. Everything around Sokka disappeared as the orange sun flared up for the last painted moments of the evening. That was the moment this place started to hint at something more than an empty room, more cluttered than it should've been.

They pulled apart, her violet eyes shining at the start of their future. “Welcome home,” she breathed.

[feckyeswriting]

Chapters: 2/? Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Katara & Zuko (Avatar), Katara & Iroh (Avatar) Characters: Katara (Avatar), Zuko (Avatar), Iroh (Avatar) Additional Tags: Drabble Collection, shortfic collection, Cross-Posted on Tumblr.com, Cross-posted on FF.net, Prompt Fill, varied pov, Potentially cracky concepts, Potentially heartbreaking concepts Summary:

A series of miscellaneous shortfics and drabbles based on prompts. Please see each chapter for tags or concerns. Potential ships: Zutara, Sukka.

I'm planning on using this to hold any of my "Gym" fics for the Pro Bending Circuit, which are prompted or themed pieces.

Hey folks! Consider this to be exactly the same type of situation as “Tales from the Pit” where this is where I’m pushing filled drabble prompts. There’s also a FF equivalent this time as this is giving me a way to get credit for my Gym pieces as the weeks move through in the competition. 

The current two chapters are from prompts a while ago, but as I mentioned earlier, I’m open for more now as well in A:TLA! I’ve got one sitting in my inbox from @nimadge that I’ll be working on once I’ve finished Round 2′s actual submission. The more interesting they are (and thus the longer that they are), the more points I’ll get in the gym! Just a bit of motivation ;)

Cheers!

[myargalargan]

‘author’ self interview

Thanks @krastbannert for the tag! 

Name: Myargalargan, or Myarg is fine, too :)

Fandoms: My primary fandom is Avatar: the Last Airbender (Sukka 4 lyfe). But I’m also semi-active in the Harry Potter Romione fandom. I’ve only written a single one-shot so far, plus the first chapter of a planned out multi-chapter fic, and I haven’t logged on to the Romione discord in months 😰 but I still frequently fangirl over all the other Romione authors out there! lol 

I also slide in and out of the Legend of Zelda, Resident Evil, Raven Cycle, Dragon Prince, and Digimon fandoms, although I don’t write for any of them (anymore... 👀). 

Where do you post: I’m Myargalargan on AO3, and I also promote and sometimes post works here on Tumblr. All my ATLA stuff goes to my Sukka side-blog @the-power-of-stuff. 

Most popular multi-chapter fic: I have but one multi-chapter fic (so far)! It’s count herself among them, which is all about Suki, and her figuring out how to be a good leader, and her relationship with her fellow Kyoshi Warriors, and her pining over having completely rational and normal thoughts about Sokka, and her journey between the moments when we see her in the show. 

Favorite story you’ve written so far: Whenever I’m faced with this question, I always go back and forth between two...

The first is scarcely can speak, which has such a special place in my heart because it draws a lot from my personal experiences. I’m very fond of the premise and the structure and I just...had so much fun writing it. 

The second is between the striking and the fire, which is one of those stories that, when I re-read it, I can’t believe I wrote. I hit on a tone in that one that I don’t think I’ll ever be able to re-create.  

Fic you were nervous to post: Wait, is the implication here that there are fics I wasn’t nervous to post?? Because I get nervous about every single one. 😅 

I was probably most nervous posting my first ATLA fic to AO3, because it had been years since I’d written anything, let alone publicly-posted fic. I was also very nervous about count herself among them because it was my most ambitious fic to date, and because it centered so much around a bunch of OCs that I was convinced no one would care about. And then when people started liking it, I was so afraid they would hate each subsequent chapter, haha. 

How do you choose your titles: I’m one of those people who looks to song lyrics or quotes or lines of poetry for my titles because the idea of trying to come up with an original title on my own paralyzes me. 😳

Do you outline: I do when I’m writing a multi-chapter fic. 

Complete: I won’t post until I’ve written the entire fic. That’s why I only have one multi-chapter fic published so far. 🙃

Do you accept prompts: I would love to! I’ve only ever received one prompt request, but I’m open to it! Probably only for Sukka, though. 

Upcoming story you’re most excited to write about: I am so desperately eager to start sharing the words to keep you (which I started writing almost a year ago for last year’s Sukka Week hah...), but...I gotta finish it first! I’m too much of a coward to start posting while a fic is still in progress, so I have to live with the agony of not getting to share it with anyone yet (except my lovely beta!). 

Stories you’re most excited to read: I am loving (My Heart) Still Beats for You by @smilindesperado and am very excited for the next chapters of that one. I also got a little sneak peek into the fics @boomerangguy wants to write for Sukka Week 2021 and they all sound amazing and I am so stoked! Also @krastbannert is apparently working on a Sukka fic, as well, so I am obviously very much looking forward to that. 😁

I’m also feeling very 👀👀👀 about the next chapters of Camp Wizarding World by @romioneb, The Loft by @be11atrixthestrange, Everything Has Changed by @accio-broom, and all of @voldemorts-tap-shoes’s WIPs.

And that’s not even getting into my Marked for Later list on AO3! 😬 

Tagging: Everyone I mentioned above, if y’all feel like it and you haven’t done this already!

[allywrites360]

Fanfiction Commentary

I’ve seen some people do this is the past, and I thought I’d give it a shot!! So here’s some context/backstory/analyses of my writing! I’ll only be including pieces written over quarantine; starting on march 29th. A lot of these talk about more ideas to expand one shots, so you can always send me an ask if you wanna hear more!!

Calm in the Storm - Inspired by this beautiful piece of fan art by one of my friends. I wrote it as a surprise while we were talking.

Reunited - This was a piece that was originally intended to be the ending of an entire work made up of letter between Cass and Varian. I’d been wanting to write it since the show’s finale, but since I’ve never done a story outside of the more traditional style, I just stuck with this one shot.

City Sounds - Written just after a thunder storm near where I live; and mostly inspired by that.

In this passage, “His vision finally coming into focus, Race was facing the freshly burnt out candle from the night before, topped by a trail of smoke curling up into the early morning air of the lodgehouse until it disappeared. Laying there in the sky’s soft light, Race couldn't help but smile, despite the lack of sleep from the night before. It wasn't often the newsies talked about nights like those, but he knew they meant as much to him as they did his brothers,” the candle is meant to be a metaphor for these brothers creating light for one another, hope, when there seems to be none.

Weightless - Written when I was in the car outside the grocery store. Proof that writing can take place anywhere, if you’re dedicated to making time for it.

Painted Skies - I let this piece be led entirely by emotion rather than a set outcome. I always compared Sokka and Suki’s relationship to the sun; passionate and filled with light, and this was my representation of that.

There was a cut piece of dialogue from this, which I really loved: “Kyoshi Island is my home,” Suki said softly, “And the South Pole is yours. It isn’t fair for either of us to give that up.” -- Sokka smiled softly in response, “But you’re my home too.”

The Game Begins - One of my friends requested I write Zuko, and another mentioned laser tag, and thus, this fic was born. I typed out most of the outline for this fic on a walk to my friend’s house (and yes, I was late, haha). The end is also inspired by conversations my friends and I have had at arcades in the past; 

Hold Me Too Tight - Not really ‘behind the scenes’ per se, but the title is taken from ‘As Long As You’re Mine’ from Wicked. One of the most endearing things in a relationship for me is when one person knows there’s nothing they can say to make the other person feel better, but they support them anyway. And that’s especially reminded me of Sukka; just look at The Boiling Rock.

Fountains - I’d never written for Jin before, nor do I really ship her with Zuko (they were cute, but honestly, single dad Zuko for the win), but my friend really wanted some content of them, so I obliged. Which meant rewatching Tales of Ba Sing Se, and making a list of Jin’s character traits. It was actually kinda fun.

A Million Miles Away - This is definitely part of a longer fic. I have a whole notebook filled, just with rough outlines and details. I was watching another cheesy royalty movie, and while I love royalty stories, I always hated the conventional ending. Royal doesn't want to be a royal, has an arc, then takes the throne. And I wanted a different ending. What if they’re not right for the throne? What if they just can’t take the pressure? What if they run and never look back? And thus, this fic was born. Super passionate about this one.

Summer Nights - This is the longest fic I’ve written so far!! And wow, was it fun. This started out as an idea for a screenplay, but after a day at the lake with my friends, I couldn’t resist writing it out in full, specifically the opening scene with Suki by the ocean. There were a few things I liked/challenged myself with in this fic; the first being ample foreshadowing for Suki’s big reveal at the end, hopefully without making it too obvious. The other was using less page breaks and adding transitions!! I had a lot of fun with the fluff here.

Quiet Nights - Character studying as a fic. And a bit of angst. After so long spent together, I always imagined it’d be hard for the gaang to be alone again. I really loved delving into Sokka’s emotions here. Also, the writing advice to only put in to the frame of your story what tells us something about a character was actually used here!!

“He looked around the room that he had spent so long away from, every detail of it committed to memory. There was the dresser, crafted from long worn wood, that he had carved Water Tribe symbols into years ago that he could trace easily in his mind. The facepaints his dad had made him lay on top of it, and he could tell without walking over there which container held which colour. There was the place he always threw his coat into the corner, never really bothering to hang it up. So why did it feel so strange… unfamiliar now?” The carving shows Sokka’s creative side (as well as more Indigenous crafts), the face paint is symbolic of Sokka trying to live up to the other warriors, and the thrown aside coat shows his more carefree side.

Secret Moments - Another Jin and Zuko fic. My friend asked for a sequel to Fountains, and she had a bad day, so I typed this out really quickly.

Walking in the Rain - I was listening to ‘Walking in the Rain’ from Beautiful: the Carole King Musical, and I got really inspired to write this. I’ve always loved rain; it’s my favourite weather, and I thought it’d be nice to see more positive descriptions of it in fanfics.

Grounded - Rather than the long, flowery prose I usually prefer, I intentionally used short, choppy sentences to convey the spiralling emotion they were feeling. I also used repetition to hammer home the tension, as that’s something that happens when you’re panicking. The emotions here were amazing to write, though. And I was really proud of the ending.

Falling Snow - I’ve been planning this fic since Christmas, yet I finally decided to write it in August. One thing that I purposely did in this fic was juxtapose Suki’s description of the cafe. at first, it’s too hot, and crowded, but after she settles in a bit, and meets everyone’s favourite sword bender, it’s more cozy.

Unfamiliar - This was my first time doing a character study of Suki, and let me tell you, I love her so much more now. I loved exploring her emotions outside of her relationship as well. And I always imagined her as the type to not ‘waste her time’ on someone who wasn’t her soulmate, hence the sentiment ending the first half of the story.

As for the latter half, entering around Sokka, I had always had the head canon that he kept the Kyoshi Warrior face paint on until sundown, holding on to the last fragment of that place as long as he could. Just added a little soulmate flair to it. And also, the parallel of him and Suki both knowing the pressure of being a leader is always amazing.

I’ll See You Around - I’ve always said Hugo is (one of) my favourite characters of all time, but I only now got around to writing him. And let me tell you, it was a blast. Normally it takes me a while to jump into a character’s body language, but for Hugo, it just flowed naturally. Maybe it’s because I’ve spent so much time reading him.

I’d also listened to ‘My Petersburg’ from Anastasia, which is such a Hugo song, by the way, and I think I was subconsciously inspired by the lyric, “Funny when a city is all you know, how even when you hate it, something in you loves it so.”

Home is Where the Heart Is - I wanted to try a different proposal for Sukka Week 2020, and I always imagined them to get married (or at least engaged) soon after the show, so I typed this up. Their relationship is what true love looks like, and I think they both know that the other is it for them. Why wait? Plus, getting married is one of the only ways for them to be together (paraphrased from an interview with Kara Lindsay).

Partners - I was watching Brooklyn Nine Nine, and made a comment about Sukka being pretty similar to Amy and Jake, and decided to type up a rendition of the ending scene from The Bet, but with these two. The ending doesn’t make total sense logically, but it was exciting/interesting to me, so I decided to just go with it.

Closed Distance - Rather than a serious piece for the prompt, ‘Letters’, I opted for the more comedic route. With an angsty characters study of Suki at the beginning, because I’ve fallen in love with her character all over again.

Always Come Back - (Sorry guys, no link yet. It’ll be up September 3rd for Water Sibling Week!!). After a post talking about the symbolism of Sokka’s weapon being a boomerang; something that always came back, when he was left behind more than once, I decided to set this whole fic around that metaphor, including these passages; 

“The weapon came back, but this time Sokka didn’t catch it. It slammed against the tips of his fingers before slipping through, landing beside him on the small cliff. He drew his wrist back, hissing slightly as he shook it out, impact echoing through his arm.”

“He put his arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer to his side. Katara moved her head to rest against his shoulder. Without saying a word, she picked up his boomerang, setting it back into his hand.”

Symbolic of Sokka allowing someone else to take on the role of ‘protector’, if only for a moment. And someone helping by ‘coming back’, when maybe he couldn't make it all the way himself. (Would’ve loved the ending to involve Suki, but I was writing for the water sibling event week, so this ending’ll do).