#that's the kanut and zuko hug

[hella1975]

i think taob zuko deserves to just be insufferably clingy. like the moment he gets over his issues with touch and gets confident in his place in the group i think he should become the clingiest bitch ever. sokka is not the needy member of zukka. i do think one day zuko is going to try and hug kanut

[purrincesskittens]

Some pure indulgent fluff in my dragons atla universe slightly inspired by @muffinlance Scaled Over writing out how Bato comes into the possession of a little scaly Zuko still but I just had to get this fluff out first. Sorry for tagging you so often muffin you have inspired me to write again and actually finish something for once.

Zuko's scar isn't as bad over his eye it's larger though it covers more of the left side of his face and down his neck and across his shoulder. It's not as bad though it's second to third degree and will scar but not nearly as bad as it looks in canon like this but on a small child

......................................................................

Bato was drifting between wakefulness and sleep wanting to go back to sleep unsure as to what woke him. His hammock rocked with the ship he was comfortable under his furs and blankets. They were almost home and just in time to beat the late season storm coming their way. He was almost asleep again when the baby in his arms sat up on his chest. After a moment of squirming little hands patted his face gently and cautiously to wake him. Giving a yawn and stretch Bato opened his eyes to look at the little one he held.

"Sorry." The 3 year old little boy whispers so softly Bato wouldn't have heard if he hadn't been holding the little one so close. "What's wrong buddy?" Bato asks as the kid squirmed again. "Umm." The little one grabbed at his front as he squirms in a matter Bato recognizes from Sokka who had just started potty training. "Need to go?" Bato sat up holding the boy to his chest as he did before unburrying them so he could swing his legs out of the hammock and set the boy down.

He knew what woke him now. The boy had been squirming for a while before waking Bato. The child was still very cautious about everything he did which angered Bato. The boy was barely 3 and was surprisingly very good about potty breaks although he did have accidents that caused him to break down in tears. Bato would love to murder the child's father. Not only was the man responsible for the large burn that covered the left side of the child's face and down his neck and shoulder but the man didn't seem to understand children. Didn't want the child to make loud noises and apparently yelled at every little thing the boy did.

Bato wasn't even a father but he was a damn proud uncle to Hakoda's kids and understood children were noisy and messy. He didn't have a high opinion of any servants hired to care for the boy either. None seemed to have had the patience for a young child struggling to be more mature then their age while still being a toddler. Standing up he guided the kid to use the bathroom yawning as he did. The boy finished with only a slight mishap at first not a big deal, he watched Sokka for Hakoda and Kya before he knew this could happen.

The boy looked at him like he expected to be hit or yelled at. "I missed." The boy whispered looking down at his bare feet. "Sorry." Bato had to close his eyes and count to ten silently so as not to show he was upset. Not at the little one but at the man the boy calls father. Kneeling he hugs the tiny thing to him before murmuring reassuringly. "It's okay accidents happen. You'll get better with time." He stood cleaning up the mess and then cleaned the child and himself up, using a clean wet cloth to whipe the boys face after to remove snot and tears.

Scooping him up he nuzzled the child's soft black hair with his nose. "Let's get a snack and then back to bed okay?" He got a nod in response as the little one tucked his head against his neck. Hakoda intercepted them after they had grabbed a few sea prunes yawning as he ruffled the child's hair causing the boy to squeak and hide his face against Bato's skin. "Midnight snack?" He questions his friend nodding to the half eaten prune in the toddlers hand. "Bathrrom visit first then snack as a reward for doing so good now back to bed." Bato explains bouncing the child in his arms gently to reassure him.

"I missed." Came the response from the half asleep bundle in the tribesman's arms. "That's okay Sokka, my son, misses alot too. It happens." The chief reassures the tiny thing who peaks at him with sleepy gold eyes. They eventually got back to bed with Bato settling the toddler in his arms under the furs and blankets.

The next day brought them into colder waters and icebergs appeared. The child stared with wide eyes from his place at the railing of the ship under the watchful eyes of the crew. As they traveled further south the more the ice grew bigger. It was early spring so the waters were barely safe enough to traverse meaning they had to slow down and take it easy. This also meant the icebergs appeared to be closer to the ship. Almost within touching distance it would seem. Or at least it seemed so to a tiny tot who had never seen icebergs before. One second he was standing by the railing, the next he's climbed up on the railing, and the second after that a little black dragon is launching himself across the distance little wings incapable of true flight, beating the air in an attempt at keeping him alight.

The ship lurched and a large blue dragon is grabbing the baby dragon in his teeth scuffing them and hauling them back on board the ship ignoring their whines of protest despite being a limp noodle hanging from Bato's jaws as he settles back in the middle of the deck depositing the little creature in front of them caging him with his claws so the little one can't scamper off.

The rest of the day is spent with a shaky noodle hiding in Bato's parka half because he got scolded for trying to jump off the ship to touch an iceberg half because he was cold. Aake's mutter suggestion about wing breaking had been overheard and the little one was terrified of him now. Bato hadn't liked that suggestion even if Aake wasn't completely serious.

"You need a name boy." Kustaa informs the child as he changes the bandages that cover half the boys face, neck and shoulder. "He has a name." Bato comments as he holds the boy still. "But he hasn't said what it is yet now has he? If he is staying he needs a name. We can't keep calling him boy now can we?" Cool salve is applied to the burn with gentle steady hands. Bato hums in response but thinks on what the healer said.

"If you don't want to tell me your name that's fine but since your starting a new life with us how about a proper water tribe name?" Bato asks the child as he carefully runs a brush through the boys hair. The little one practically purred in his lap as he pulled the brush through his thick black hair. "What do you think of Kanut? It means white polar bear goose." The boy scrunched up his nose and shook his head. "Yeah polar bear goose doesn’t suit you does it? Hmm how about Nanook?"

A little sneeze greeted this suggestion drawing a chuckle from the man. "No? Let's see then something that would suit you." Bato ran the brush once more through the toddlers hair before tying it up in a warriors wolf tail. "I know how about Tulugaq? For your raven hair." This last name earned a bright eye look. "Tulugaq it is then." Bato chuckles wrapping his arms around the newly dubbed Tulugaq giving him a hug.

Kustaa held Tulugaq in his arms as the crew ran around getting the ship ready as they drew closer to the South Pole and their village. Once they docked the ships would be unloaded and sleds packed up with supplies to be distributed among the various tribes and villages that made up the Southern Water Tribe enough to last the tribes to the summer when the traders came. Tulugaq only liked Kustaa and Bato primarily although he was growing used to the chief. Hakoda had been spending time with Bato while the little one hide under Bato's clothes or clung to him.

Bato had been named the boys guardian and new dad in everything but name. It had been agreed upon that if his mother came looking for him and proved to be trust worthy she would be welcomed by the tribe or allowed to take her son, the boys father would never get him back and would never lay another hand on the boy. Finally Bato came over scooping his new son up into his arms. "Welcome to the Southern Water Tribe, Tulugaq."

[theormostat-terminator]

ME AS I REACT TO TAOB NEW CHAP AND DYING

@hella1975 :)

The whole Tovah POV gave very good characterization AND I LOVE IT! Also I will forever be baffled as to HOW LUNG CANCER AND THE OTHER TOE DUDE AND FONG JUST SNUCK ZUKO INTO THE PRISON WITHOUT HER KNOWLEDGE!?!?!?!??!?!? 

Also just a side note; I fucking hate Fong

-

And now, to the next POV;

“This was fine”

That is just the epitome of the “this is fine” *sits in the middle of a burning building* meme

Istg i was so scared in the invasion scene that you were gonna kill someone off CUZ IF YOU’D DONE THAT TO MY BABIES-

When he said;

 “you two will go with them on Appa”  

TO TELL YOU THE JOY I FELT!!

But also I just feel for Tomkin and Nanook like, in the Water Tribes family and friends is everything, meaning being loyal af, and then just, having to be forced to leave your family to go get imprisoned to some Fire Nation prison. They can’t help, but they won’t even know where they’re going and if all of them will be alive when, and if, they ever find them. It’s just like Zuko all over again.  Poor Tom-Nook :( 

And esp with Tomkin, cuz he was unable to save his parents, Zuko and now his crew. Like... I’m in feels... 

“All I’m saying is there can’t be two of us; I’VE NEVER SEEN TWO PRETTY-” 

WHEN I TELL YOU I SCREAMED-

-

“Can we play Fire Lord” 

That sentence was not one i was expecting to open a Zuko POV but go off.

ZI SE IS BREAKING MY HEART LIKE BRO HE’S SO SMALL HE SHOULDN’T HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS SHIT!!!!!

ALSO I CALLED THE “ZUKO DISTRACTING ZI SE BY PLAYING GAMES WITH HIM” 

AIDOAIJDLAFHLHFL 

AND NOW ZUKO IS DRAGGING ME BACK TO THE FEELS HOLE ADJLFLHFFJ AAAAAAAAAA- (*that is me falling into the hole*)

THESE MF’S JUST DESERVE LOVE AND HUGS PLEASE HELLA!!!

NATIONAL HOLIDAY FOR TURTLEDUCKS YES THAT NEEDS TO MAKE A COMEBACK WHEN THEY’RE OUT OF THE PRISON!!!!

YES! Finally someone decked Fong in the FACE I LOVE YOU KANUT OMFG.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-

OKAY I’M AT THE PART WHERE THEY’RE TAKING KANUT SEPARATELY, ISTG IF YOU HURT, OR DEAR GOD KILL HIM I WILL CRY.

-

FUCKING FINALLY SPIDER IS GETTING KILLED OKJADHLADJK-

I didn’t like Chan at all, but now I just feel so sad for him. He was broken so badly by the prison that even if he got out I don’t think he would’ve ever been able to blend in with the rest of society. :( 

AND IS ZUKO AND ZI SE FINALLY OUT OUT?!?!??!?

LIKE ARE THEY OUT OF THAT HELL HOLE PLEASE TELL ME THEY ARE?!?!?!?

Okay so in conclusion I have emotions, and you, Ms. Hella, have broken all of them. I am slowly dying because I HAVE TO WAIT ANOTHER WEEK?!??!?!?!?!

But really, good job on this chapter! 

(even though I’m in shambles now)

OH AND QUESTIONS:

   - What was the name of the toenail fungus who was with lung cancer?      I for the life of me cannot remember.

   - Is this gonna be canon time-line, or are you gonna stretch it out more and           perhaps develop Zukka relationship more than just a few week etc. Basically,       is it gonna be the few weeks or is there more time in your canon?

   - Is the Zukka gonna be slow-burn oooooooor-

   - Are we ever gonna see Uncle Iroh :’[ plz

   - Do we like or dislike Tovah? Obviously she’s amazing, but like, is she a bad         bad person or is she gonna be like, a character we will love cuz she                     redeems her bad actions ooooooor? 

   - @hella1975 do you actually enjoy writing this, or are we more pressuring             you into writing it?

That’s it for now!

[theartofpodcasting]

hello :)) i’m so late to listening to this ah (ahaha quirky low motivation tings 🤪✌️) but chapter 8 is honestly probably in my top 3 favorites and !!! i loved this episode sm!! this is widely just my stream of consciousness because yeah why not

FIRST OF ALL THOUGH !!!!! UM !!!!! WHAT THE FUCK !!!!!! WHY ARE YALL SO NICE IM- not you guys hyping me up in the beginning this was the sweetest fucking thing ever and just !!!!! ily all 🥲💙🫂

AHHH I DIDNT EVEN NOTICE THE RED BEFORE and!!! the kanut is future zuko part, that’s such a cool take

the art of suffering indeed

the podcast really said aput rights and that’s so valid

i feel like nanook is kind of the quite rock of the group, he’s a really steady person

zuko hyping himself up to talk to people is so relatable djhfjjggh

ugh this chapter, but especially the wasted relationship part is probably still the one of the hardest hitting parts of the fic, and i loved how you touched on the differences in the way zuko and azula’s relationship was wasted versus the way that kanut and yutu’s relationship was.

and this: “kanut was trying to have a relationship with someone who could never reciprocate in the way he needed”

i just find that specific statement really powerful. and thinking about it more, it honestly made some things click in WHY the zuko-azula vs kanut-yutu (and further, zuko-ozai) relationships could be so different and yet both wasted all the same. i’ve got a lot of thoughts here but no idea how to articulate them ahhh anyways

AHHH kanut’s freezing (with a burning feeling) versus zuko’s burning (with a freezing feeling) it feels like it should’ve been obvious to me but i love that so much. part 2677854433567 of hella being a genius (and yall being able to understand the genius)

aroace kanut ahhhh yeah he really is so empathetic and i liked how you pointed all this out

CHILD ISSUES SHJGJDGGJ and. ah!! did Not notice the lightning foreshadowing what the fuck that’s so cool

when you cry at the chapter AND at the podcast commentary for the chapter 😤😏👊 i’m just hot like that

hugs for all of you, your self talk is horrible but i think you’re all super cool people anyways 🫂🫂🫂💙💙💙

hello :)) thank you for sending in your thoughts and chapter 8 is up there as one of my favorites too 

you deserve all the hype, we love ya 💙

we did say aput rights! we did also say tulok rights but editor boom cut that out cause they thought we were trying to stick to short episodes, but then we decided to just make episodes longer so now i look like a fool (....where’s my prince?)

nanook and toph are gonna be good friends cause they’re rocks? (that’s definitely not the joke but i feel like there should be a joke there)

me: hypes myself up for a minimum of 15 minutes to walk into a cafe and go “pick up order for boom”

also me: haha zuko has to hype himself up to talk to people who technically kidnapped him. he’s so lame 

the difference between a wasted relationship cause you don’t see eye-to-eye and a wasted relationship cause one person is an abuser is very important

i exist solely to explain hella’s genius to the world. i shall be simping over here and letting you appreciate her forever

i’m glad you liked my aroace kanut rant cause i felt like i didn’t articulate it very well

WE MADE YOU CRY?? AFGDNKJGDFHJG

hugs for you too (no comment on the self talk) 🫂🫂🫂💙💙💙

-boom

[hella1975]

I was so wrapped up in the joy of zuko finally going to meet up with everyone at the air temple that I forgot about the fact that the literal next event in the timeline is everyone being separated again at the beginning of the southern raiders episode

(Unless this is a canon divergence point 😳 and we get plenty of downtime with dadkoda hugs 😳 and zuko getting to heal with kanut and tomnook and zi se 😳 and becoming friends with the gaang 😳 and maybe developing a totally no homo broship with sokka 😳)

NO NO NO NO LISTEN OKAY THIS IS ACTUALLY ONE TIME WHERE YOU GUYS EXPECT SOMETHING BAD AND I GIVE YOU SOMETHING GOOD INSTEAD OF THE OTHER WAY AROUND

so you know the south pole chapters only spanned 3 days and still wound up being a whole seven chapter event?? yeah we’re gonna see that kind of thing at the western air temple. except i’m planning them to be at the western air temple for like 2 weeks. lots of healing and fun times. literally as soon as everyone’s back together there’s gonna be a massive fuckarse fluff break because we ALL need it (i am KNACKERED)

[hella1975]

I'm starting The Art of Burning and :'0 I'm gonna cry aren't i. "A battle was not something you got used to, and this crew had said goodbye to one another a thousand times" fuckkkkkk

(i’m literally gonna do a massive fuck off accumulation of all your asks here because you all exist for my entertainment and what i say goes and i say that this has been the funniest gradual review i’ve ever gotten)

(also if anything is in bold that is me doing little comments in my teacher marking a paper way of mine. welcome to the blog)

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2. "Ruination was a song the Fire Nation knew well, a song whose lyrics curled from their tongues in infancy, a song whose harmonies lay in their skeletons." I'M SCREAMINGGGGG

3. I would literally die for Kanut, Nanook, and Tomkin in a heartbeat 😌😌 - tom nook would die for you, kanut would tell you to get fucked <3

4. I am WEEPING, Kanut is sjakdhkjfhs I just, I would DIE for him - see above

5. "Every word was another stick of kindling and Zuko was building his own pyre." dAMN, HOW DID YOU MANAGE TO WRITE POETRY LIKE THIS - i am perhaps blushing rn

6. not really from the story but "alexa stream heather by conan gray" what a MOOD - ANOTHER CONAN FAN? PLS?

7. "Hey mom" I dont know why THIS is what almost made me cry, but damnnnn I went 🥺 so fast- 

8. I would fucking die and/or kill for Tomkin. Fuck. My. Heart. I love him

9. “So he stood there, a Water Tribe boy clinging to his shirt, and instead of pushing him away, Zuko desperately tried to remember how to hug someone back." BREAK MY FUCKING HEART WHY DON'T YA-

10. hHHHHHhHhHH :')))) just read the 'prick' 'arrogant bastard' 'arrogant motherfucker' conversation and- I know I've said it before, but it bears repeating- I. WOULD. DIE. FOR. KANUT. - i cannot say it again

11. "Golden eyes didn't change the humanity of a life." so maybe I love Tulok too even though I wanted to cry when Lee died 🥺🤍 - everyone was SO mean to tulok when i posted that first chapter i hope you all feel horrible for your behaviour

12. I got through that without crying -how the fuck I did it I don't know- but now I'm going to FUCKING scream, and “And then I said; No, Fire Lord Ozai, your earrings are on backwards.”“Tomkin, I am literally begging you to shut the fuck up. Please, just shut the fuck up." is NOT FUCKING HELPING OKAY

13. "Arrogant motherfucker" (affectionate) - IUGSHIUSHGIUS

14. I know I've given you a lot of shit (v sorry abt blowing ur notifs up too- jk, not sorry luv <3) but my skin is fucking CLEARED and your writing is fucking *chef's kiss* damned EXQUISITE and INCREDIBLE and knowing that I'm gonna get to read even MORE AND GET ZUKKA- Fuck man, I'm BLESSED as FUCK. (just finished chapter 10, and holyyyy SHITTT, that was a ride times a fucking thousand) anways, thank you for your damned IMMACULATE writing, I will send more asks soon <3 - i definitely do not love you and i definitely did not smile at this shut up

15. I am TREMBLING in my freaking CLOSET at 3:47 in the fucking MORNING OKAY, zuko is such a dumbass and hakoda is just like, you crazy bastard 'not very good' my ASS, youre the FOURTH BEST FIREBENDER IN THE WHOLE DAMN FIRE NATION and zuko is just like O_O :// are you sure tho?? like, are you REALLY sure abt that???? - zuko really went ‘shut up non-bender’ and ignored him

16. *in the storm* Lightning: what if I uh 😏😌 y'know 👀😏 fucking obliterated you mast? huh, what then? 👀😌 Zuko: what if you fucking didn't :) *yEET*

17. you are SPOILING me you rotten buggy-boi, I'll be getting dadkoda, zukka, AND a fucking azula redemption??? I am BLESSED and my skin is CLEARED nd my hotel is TRIVAGO 😌 (the only thing that could possibly make this better is bato/hakoda bc HHHH but I am already so spoiled with this fic-) (I would call this fic my guilty pleasure, but tbh I feel anything but guilty when reading this. I think it's my comfort fic now <3) - the comfort fic is about to experience some war crimes, please hold (also BUGGY-BOI??? USIHGIUSHGIU)

18. tomkin is such a fucking dumbass and I adore him (blue spirit mask part)

19. "you are not my father" this is my last ask for a bit bc its 4:42 am and my laptop is almost dead, but I wanted to say, from the bottom of my grimy little dirtbag heart, fuck you <3

20. (I lied) TOPHHHHH???????????????? :D

21. IF ZUKO GETS FUCKING KIDNAPPED OR SOME SHIT TO WHERE HE CAN'T GO BACK TO HAKODA AND THE SWT, I WILL SKINNNN YOUUUUU <3 - :)))))

22. Bato!!!! :D (and also, from the bottom of my heart, FUCK YOU <3)

23. Hey Hella, :) what :) do :) you :) mean :) zuko :) doesn't :) fucking :) have :) any :) fire :)) - funny story actually-

24. But I LIKED renmin :0

25. "But it didn’t matter, because at the time, it felt like they were three boys holding up the sky together. At the time, they were immovable." DAMMIT HELLA, MY HEART IS NOT OKAY AND IT DIDN'T NEED YOU TO GIVE ME A BATO & KANUT & HAKODA FRIENDSHIP OKAY

26. “Get fucked.” Said Toph,' ksjhadksahfd *screams* I would die for herrr

27. Tomkin was gonna say 'i aint never seen two pretty best friends' and WHAT A LAD

28. Me, just chilling: :) toab: zuko's fire was blue Me: WAIT, FUCK- 

29. GIMME MY FUCKING HAKODA AND ZUKO REUNION DAMMIT, AND IROH, AND KANUT, YOU ASSHOLE I'M SADDDD 

30. Tulok and Aneko: 😌🥺🤍🥰😌🤍🤍✨ Kayda and Chena: *chaos gremlin bastards* and that's v sexy of all of them - you don’t understand i’m obsessed with them

31. “We were cellmates.” Kanut offered with a shit-eating grin, like he knew how much he was messing with Sokka’s already fragile peace of mind.“Tui and La, they were cellmates.” Sokka whispered,' HELLA I'M SCREAMINGGG 

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honestly i’m surprised you read it all that fucking quickly. this was so funny to just gradually watch unfold and i appreciate it even though you are stiLL VERY MUCH MY ENEMY YES I DO NOT LIKE YOU AHEM

[hella1975]

I know that a lot of stuff went down in the last chapter, even if it wasn't anything super crazy, but can we talk about that scene where Sokka was like "lol how weird and impossible would that be?? Zuko?? With the southern water tribe??? lol, it couldn't possibly have happened, I mean Chena would definitely kill him" and like yes, Sokka will be utterly surprised when he finds out Zuko spent a month with his tribe, but can you also imagine Sokka watching Zuko reunite with everyone else and Chena is nice to Zuko- maybe even gives him a bone-crushing bear hug?? Listen, maybe I am treading into semi-unrealistic territory but I just want good things for Chena. I mean, Kanut and Hakoda got to hurt Fong, and I just think that Chena should deliver the final blow as a✨treat✨

obsessed with you sending this before ch27 and me turning around with ‘he doesn’t beat up fong but he DOES adopt another feral teenager and get a prison tattoo so that’s something’

(but it is so so valid that you want good things for chena. he deserves all the attention)

[hella1975]

Okay but, regarding that question about who gets to hug Zuko first, and going all the way back to the thing of Chena pushing people out of the way to hug Zuko first... all I can imagine is Hakoda getting shoved aside so hard it actually hurts his ribs (not seriously, just some brusing) but Kanut takes full advantage of it to forbid Hakoda from giving hugs for a week or so (So Kanut gets more Zuko hugs). probably not how it'd happen but the image of pouting Hakoda made me laugh so...

POUTING HAKODA I-

and also this would work because Kanut would absolutely refuse to go in for a proper hug even though internally he wants to rugby tackle zuko, but with Hakoda pouting, Kanut can pretend to hug zuko only to taunt hakoda

kanut: hahe hey hakoda look at me hugging zuko are you jealous

zuko: he’s not even there you can let go

kanut: absolutely not

[hella1975]

I just read a fic where Gay #1 and Gay #2 were awkward and kinda together but not really but definitely something and when asked about it, Gay #2 panicked and said "Hes my love interest"

And I think that's what Zuko would say when the crew catches him kissing Sokka. Actually, I can see Sokka saying that, too. Whoever gets a chance to say it first, I suppose. Actually, I dont even care about the love interest thing. I want the Water Tribe's first meeting with Zuko after months to be walking in on him kissing Sokka. Would they stand there awkwardly? Would Chena grab Sokka and yeet him to the side to hug Zuko? This is so funny and I need answers.

you’re right they’re both definitely dumb enough to say this. and also the water tribe being awkward? never in a million years. MAYBE tulok would a bit but that’s only because he’s the only one born with actual manners. the rest would be hooligans; chena in particular.

kanut, however, is canonically quite prude. he’d be the only one to get awkward and would just sort of. pat zuko’s shoulder. 

[theartofpodcasting]

Not to answer my own question 🙊 but my favorite OC? Obviously Kanut. He is my ACE KING. Makes me feel so validated 🥰. The way he uses sarcasm and nicknames as a touch coverup for his soft interior? Makes me 🥺 and I just want to give him a hug (if he’d let me) for hours

KANUT my man is truly the only one that Truly understood zuko, love him lots <3 <3

- mod ashla