#zuko: okay. I don't have an idea then.

[discordiansamba]

zuko's life turns upside-down in the blink of an eye. one minute, he's a fire nation prince. the next he's told he's been removed from the line of succession entirely. fire lord azulon has a different plan in mind for him.

he is taken to an isolated manor on a remote fire nation island. it is impossible to escape from, especially for a mere seven year old child.

zuko does not even try. this is what grandfather wishes for him. he is honor bound to follow it.

(fire lord azulon, he corrects himself. he is not grandfather anymore. they are no longer a family.)

the training that zuko is put through is incredibly harsh, but for once, it's something he thrives at. azulon is pleased. his assessment of the boy's talents was not wrong.

(ozai is pleased. now he has two children that will gain him favor with his father.)

zuko's master has not a single trace of kindness in him. it is not necessary for their line of work. emotions only get in the way.

this lesson is harder for zuko to learn, but he masters it eventually.

(at least until he becomes Li, and things are suddenly much more complicated.)

for as long as there has been a fire lord, there have been assassins at their beck and call. they have no name, but those who know of them speak of them as viper-ravens, for the birds they use to communicate.

zuko's time as Li is the first time he's had the chance to just... be a regular kid in years. it's a strange feeling. he doesn't understand how this 12 year old monk can be the key to defeating the fire nation.

he doesn't mind helping the avatar accomplish his goals, to a degree. he can win small victories all he likes. zuko has his eye on the bigger picture.

in ba sing se, when it comes time to fulfill his final duty, zuko doesn't hesitate. hesitation has been trained out of him.

(once he is out of everyone's sight, he vomits. he swears he can still smell aang's charred flesh clinging to his nose.)

li's betrayal hits everyone hard. it's bad enough to learn that he was never on their side, but learning that he used them like he did? that's even worse. sokka doesn't know how he can face yue again when he helped vouch for the very person who killed her father.

but the fact that after all the time they spent together, he didn't even bat an eye before killing aang? they can't get over that. toph thinks she's going to be sick. she should have known, but she never noticed.

katara is so, so angry.

aang just feels sad. he and li didn't always see eye to eye about everything, sure, but he thought they were friends.

when ursa finds out what ozai and azulon did to her son, she's horrified- but she also doesn't recognize the young man who returns to the palace.

(it doesn't matter. he is still her son. she still reaches out to him.)

(perhaps this is what truly saves zuko in the end.)

ozai might have given zuko his place back in the royal family, but he still expects his son to fulfill his duties as an assassin. when your treasonous sister returns during the invasion- kill her.

(he thinks about how relieved azula was to see him alive. for the first time in his life, zuko's not sure he can.)

[gotticalavera]

Zuko: STAY. AWAY. FROM. MASTER. AANG!!!

Aang: Don't worry! He's very friendly☺️

[Edit with screenshots of the comics "Imbalance" and "Azula in the spirit temple"]

[the-genius-az]

Tuberculosis Au.

The day of the comet.

Azula reluctantly prepared herself, she was subjected to being the Fire Lord, but that was okay, she wasn't going to last long, but she was going to do what she could for her Nation, it was the only thing she had left.

Until Zuko and the waterbender showed up, with their flying bison. And that's where her rage broke out, her girls-no... Mai and Ty Lee left her for stupid Zuko, always him, always him, why? Why do they always have to choose Zuko over her? HAS NO SENSE! WHAT DOES HE HAVE THAT SHE DOESN'T HAVE?

And so he accepted the Agni Kai with his damn brother, he wanted to show that he didn't need anyone but his power.

Everything was almost the same as in the series, until Zuko scoffed, and she prepared to launch a lightning bolt... but stopped when she had a coughing fit, the lightning bolt falls to the ground at Zuko's feet, making him goes flying, and Azula faints.

Katara, in shock, didn't know what to do, help Zuko who had burns on his feet? Or the girl who fainted after spitting up blood? Obviously it was because of Azula, she was mean, but she was her age, how could she refuse to help someone in need? Besides, Zuko was fine, he was still breathing and looking at the sky, he would be fine, he was a firebender, he could take burns.

[chiptrillino]

I'm sorry, just sent in 62 for the ask game because I'd overlooked that it's the amazing scifi thing!

Soooo 63?

(ID in ALT text)

okay so... you know whats really funny here. i think made this while for the first time polls popped up on tumblr. and i had this werid idea of like... "choose your adventure" kind of story telling. but... lets be honest i don't have much... time to draw all the options? but this is still like... a sort of darker AU which is deer to my heart. and till today i don't know if they should have a happy end or not. sokka got shipwrecked. and to make his situation even worse zuko poped up and and took a bite of him.

the whole siren idea is more based on the sinister one. the one drowning and eating seamen. and zuko is now out to eat sokka. i have some plot lines written out. -sokka playing with zuko a game of riddles to buy himself some more time -zuko being unable to stay in the sun so sokka has to decide if he lest him take shelter underneath his make shift raft or lure him out of there to burn him. at the end sokka does get saved and can escape for some time? because zuko did end up biting him. and now sokka cant stop hearing him in his head, and zuko can still follow him. so... watch out sokka! zuko is on his way to eat you up but i still don't know if he means it literally or in a more plessurable way...

[cripplecharacters]

Hi, I have some questions regarding confusion over a certain topic. First off, I have a character with a severe scarring on the upper right side of their body. I've heard in some tumblr ppsts that such appearance shouldn't be fetished. Then I stumbled across some posts, mentioning how the character can be described as 'pretty with it'.

For sure, I'm trying my best to normalize the looks. Because I have a love interest set up for them and while they don't mind the looks, I feel confused on how to convey their appreciation for the character's looks even with the scarring. They like the character as they are and stuff.

Sorry if this is a lot, I tend to get confused on how to handle such scenarios. And this sort of varying opinions is making me go '???'.

It's okay if you take your time to answer! Have a good day ahead of ya!

Hey!

"Fetishization of a disability" and "thinking that a disabled person is pretty" are two very different things. Despite the somewhat similar sound, they're not connected by much.

In the context of scars, fetishization would be what I would call the "Zuko situation" (yes, I love ATLA as much as the next guy, let me explain) - the scar isn't really a scar, it's more make-up than anything else. It's just the color that changes, it's all sharp edges and intricate shapes, the facial structure stays the exact same. There's no physical symptoms. Essentially, it's permanent body paint.

It fetishizes a disability by making it inaccurate, sometimes almost mystical. You don't see anyone fetishizing how real people with facial burns look like because they only like the idea of it. They don't care for us; they don't care for Face Equality or why we are offended by "villain with scar #32482". It's just a fun splotch of color to add to your OC when you're out of ideas.

Another aspect of fetishization is the "a scar is the worst thing in the whole world", the tragedy porn. It's using a disability for cheap drama. Again; it's inaccurate and exploitative. I don't see writers excited to depict my "coming to terms with my facial difference as a teenager, and eventually being proud of it" experience because where's the shock value and pity points? Fetishization, again, is about liking the idea of it, not the real thing.

Describing your character as beautiful, well, isn't any of that.

The point that I tried to make on that post was that a scar is often considered inherently ugly. That it's a stain on someone's beauty, that it would be better if it wasn't there.

"Brown beautiful eyes, thick facial hair, strong cheekbones - he managed to be irresistibly handsome even with that nasty scar going across his nose."

This sucks. It's as if the character's beauty and their disability are contradictory forces that have to fight each other. But in reality, scars and any other visible disabilities are neutral. If the character is pretty, their scar is pretty too. It's a part of them, so how could it not be?

"She was a cute girl; her pastel pink, thinly braided hair framed her face, defying gravity by curling towards her mouth. The burned skin on her lips shifted as she smiled, revealing a tooth gap. She played with her equally pink 'white' cane, holding it between the two fingers she had on her right hand, bopping it against the ground to the rhythm of the song."

This, on the other hand, just states her disability as a part of her person. It's nothing weird or shocking, she's pretty, has a burn on her face, she's blind, she's missing some fingers, she's enjoying the music - it's almost boring when compared to the usual "scar introduction". There's no "even with her horribly burnt face", no "if only she wasn't scarred she would be beautiful", no "poor thing, lost her fingers in a horrific fire" - instead, she is beautiful, and she has scars, and she is having fun. That's it.

This is my best shot at explaining the difference between "fetishization" and "yeah they're pretty :-)" ft. my questionable writing - I hope this makes sense.

I definitely took my time to answer, sorry about that. Thank you for your ask,

mod Sasza

[personinthepalace]

#actually i have more thoughts on this#robert as toph because he's loud#this is his idea of premium acting#so trevor running around doing special effects#annie playing all the minor characters/extras#chris as zuko#trying to play him seriously despite the play#sandra is more like the version of katara in the play#but i think she'd want the cooler lead#so sandra as azula#vanessa would be katara#and at some point it would become painfully obvious she's just copying sandra#causing a fight#max would be sokka#chris would think his happy and silly nature would come in handy for once#but of course something goes wrong anyway#actually max might also play uncle iroh#and then i'm torn when it comes to the rest#if we were faithful to the woman being cast as aang bit#we could put lucy as aang#but that isn't really striking me#if lucy appears at all in the play#i think it would be hilarious for her to play ozai#which leaves either dennis as aang#who is supposed to be the animated main character#who is instead stiff and forgetting his lines#OR jonathan as aang#and have him always kept out of sight by things going wrong with set effects costumes props flying wires etc via @dolphelecat

Ok, but hear me out. Cornley puts on The Boy in the Iceberg by Pu-on Tim and previously performed by the Ember Island Players.

[sokkastyles]

In hindsight, the Lion Turtle ex Machina was a sign of things to come. Energy bending and the idea of taking bending away from people only makes bending into the end all be all, I mean. Yeah, it is a huge part of the identity of each nation, but it's not the sole marker of identity, nor are villains suddenly less dangerous because they don't have it.

That's because the show doesn't tackle the idea of superiority and power that exists behind the ability to bend or not bend.

It's really baffling because there are some scenes that are really really good at acknowledging it. I know people have knee-jerk reactions to the comics for good reason, but those scenes in the Promise where Zuko becomes a shrinking little boy while his father walks all over him from his prison cell even though Zuko is the Fire Lord and Ozai is powerless? Those scenes are so spot on. Ozai used bending to control Zuko for so long and make him believe he was weak, so you would think that Ozai without his bending would not still be able to psychologically dominate Zuko like that, but the reason is because it was never about the bending, but what it represents.

That's why people who insist that Azula is a superior bender and deserved blah blah blah are missing the point. That's why energy bending and Bumi getting airbending to feel more like Aang's son is missing the point. It was never about the bending. It was never about how good a bender Azula was, it was about the entitlement that the idea that she was a superior bender created in her, and if it wasn't about the bending it would be about something else, because entitled people are always going to believe they are entitled to treat other people badly, and the reasons are arbitrary.

In some ways, Ozai having his bending taken away is karmic justice, and what would hurt him the most, as someone who believed his bending made him feel superior. But in other ways, it's just validating the idea that the ability to bend makes you superior. Ozai can say to himself that Aang had to take away his bending because they just resented how powerful he was, and it doesn't address the root issue of believing he's superior in the first place.

There's also this weird undercurrent of the belief in a spiritual right to power that's built into the world building of the show and creates some weird implications. Like, okay, I can buy into the Avatar as being imbued with spiritual power as the protector of the world. Okay, it's a kid's fantasy show. It's moments when the show tries to go deeper that it tends to fumble. The concept that bending can be taken away if used to create spiritual imbalance, okay. But then, isn't the existence of the Avatar a spiritual imbalance? What if the Avatar doesn't have the world's best interests at heart? Who watches the watchmen and all that.

And then you get to the stuff where the air nomads were all benders because they were the most spiritual, except sometimes air nomads have children that aren't entirely genetically air nomad and their genes apparently determine their spirituality because why isn't Bumi a bender? Oops, let's give him bending! Problem fixed! Don't pay attention to what this says about the belief that spirituality is linked to bending or how similar this belief is to the justifications Ozai used to abuse his kids, let alone the justifications the FN uses to commit genocide. The war began because Sozin was trying to eliminate the Avatar, because having someone who could control all elements was a threat to FN superiority. Not just because of the spiritual power of the Avatar, but because of what that power represented, that firebenders were not and could not be the superior benders, that there existed a more powerful bender.

I always circle back to the fact that the show missed an opportunity to use the Avatar as a representation of harmony between bending, which is what it is in its best interpretations. Instead of having Aang use an unbeknownst power given to him by a spiritual being to prove himself the most powerful bender and turn his opponent into the weakest, have him use everything he learned from his friends, the way Zuko did. Prove that it's not about bending or power, it's about love and trust and learning to understand and empathize with other people.

[marymary-diva17]

A marriage for peace and political

zuko x water tibe reader x male mai

This is story had been published on my wattpad, and I decide to bring it over here.

The war of the nations had been going on for 100 years and the fire nation kept on gaining ground and power, all over all the other nations. There had been a time of peace that came in the war and that peace was made through a political marriage or arrange marriage. That marriage was your marriage the second daughter of Hakoda of the southern watertribe you had been given away in marriage. As you were not just marrying the fire lord son, but also another Nobel man that is an ambassador. All the other nations and everyone thought this will be for the best as no wanted anymore war to happen. 

Y/n " dad" 

Hakoda " listen I know you must hate this idea but it need to be done" 

Y/n "......" 

Hakoda " I can't send your brother or sister they are to much of value and importance to all of us ... they are part of avater team we can't lose them" 

Y/n " i know that dad but have you heard about the stories of the fire lord he cruel and scary man ..." 

Hakoda " yes I have heard them y/n but sacrifices have to be made and this is one of them you are one of them" 

Y/n " please father o will do anything for my people but I'm scared" 

Hakoda " think about your people think about all the all other nations and all innocent lives that will be lost of you don't do this .... You can't be selfish" 

Y/n "  father ..." 

Hakoda " leave now I need to speak with my council and elders Wes most think for battle with three other nations, a war will come and war " you wish to say something else but your father had you escorted away from his office once words got to your siblings and their friends it didn't get better. 

Katara " please y/n we need this war to end we can't have aang go he not ready he hasn't master fire yet" 

Y/n " I'm just overwhelmed and scared that all this major decisions" 

Sokka " don't you think we all feel that you haven't been doing anything but stay here and healing, while the rest of us have been risking it all" 

Toph " I can sense many emotions right now" 

Sokka " if we don't have an answer by the end of week the war the fire lord wish for answers" 

Y/n " I ...." 

Aang " y/n I make a promises as an avatar and air bender if anything happen I will come help you, as you have my oath as avatar and all those that came before me" 

Y/n " I just need some time alone" 

Katara " fine go while we stay here and think about a back up plan" you could feel you were not welcome so you had soon taken your leave right away. As you were walking you had been getting cold shoulder from many people as they were all in fear. 

Gran gran " my dear" 

Y/n " hey gran gran" 

Gran " I came to see you I have heard the news" 

Y/n " I want to say yes for my people and everyone else but I'm scared" 

gran gran " it okay to be scared my dear whatever decision you make it will always love you and be with you in personal and spirt" you had hugged your grandmother as your cried, you had made your decision that night. 

Y/n " father I have made my decision" 

Hakoda " what have you decided my father" 

Y/n " I will take the marriage for safety for my family and everyone" everyone was happy about the news a hawk had been sent, and I'm days a fire nation ship had come with your future husbands. 

Iroh " lady y/n I will love to present my nephew prince Zuko and mister mao" 

Y/n " hello it good to meet you both and I hope our lives together will be good" 

Mao " hello it good to meet you"

Zuko " yes what you have done is honor and we hope to show you were are not that bad" this marriage will not be bad after all as you had thought, as the others around were either good and bad. Maybe you should give your future husband a chance and see their true selves. Celebrations had been held in your tribe you had tried to speak with your sibling and friends but they were with everyone else. You had been given the opportunity to get to know some of future family better. That next day you had left your home. 

Y/n " take care everyone I hope to see you soon" 

Katara " we will meet again" 

Y/n " yes and now we have peace life will need to be rebuild" 

Fire nation solider " lady y/n we are rests to leave" 

Y/n " coming goodbye everyone and please take care all of you" you soon got onto the fire nation ship, looking down to everyone and waving goodbye. You soon saw your home getting smaller and smaller as you head toward your new home. 

Iroh " I know you have heard bad stories about the fire nation and my family, and I don't blame you for being scared but we are all not that bad ... my nephew and mao might seem a bit scary but he a good young men and I have raised taught and many other well to be good and not to, follow their parents path"'

Y/n " thank you iroh I'm happy to know I will have friends there for me I, hope I can be a good addition to the royal household and ambassador household as well" 

Iroh " you will be amazing"

Zuko " uncle may I and Mao have some words with our wife" 

Iroh " yes" Iroh soon left the young couple to talk together, knowing it was going to be a long trip home.

Mao " we know you fear what life will be like in the fire nation but we will not be living there"

Y/n " huh why you are royalty and noble born"

Zuko " yes but I made a deal with my dad will be living on ember land it will be good for us all, and we get to know each other and live the lives we want if that fine with you"

Y/n " I'm fine with that if can keep bending and healing, and keep some cultures I have"

Mao " yes it will be good as we all should keep what we love most close to our hearts" this marriage was not going to be bad after all, you had been able to get to know your husbands better and their created famiky good as well. Life is going to be hard away from the water tribe but you know you will adapt to your new life and home.

[the-badger-mole]

I read your Azula redemption post, and I like it. It's kind of sad, but hopeful at the same time. I saw you said you had other ideas for Azula redemptions. Can you give us another? Is there a version you see where she and Zuko are still in each other's lives? One where she maybe still has some power, like as a general or advisor or something?

Thank you! Yeah, it was kind of bittersweet. I think it's also the most complete version of a redemption for Azula that I could think of working for her. The thing about her staying in court with any sort of power is that, to me, it feels kind of like letting a drunk run a bar. The reason I see Azula needing to either be in prison or in exile is because within certain circles, Azula would have a lot of people wanting to put her on the throne in Zuko's place. I think it would take a long time for her to not want to be on the throne in Zuko's place, and well, there goes the whole redemption narrative for her.

As for her having a relationship with Zuko, the version I put in that outline is probably the healthiest one they could have. In a redemption arc where she actually wants a close relationship with Zuko, I don't see her wanting to share him with anyone. At best, she would tolerate his friends and family. Mostly, I think she would resent the fact that he was all she had, but she wasn't all he had. I don't see her being the cool Aunt Azula to his children. She might form a bond with the child that is most like her, if she's allowed the time to spend with them, which I don't see being the case. Obviously, in any of my stories, the mother of Zuko's children is Katara, and I don't see Katara being okay with Azula being around her kids. Especially, unsupervised (completely understandable, btw). I mostly think she wouldn't want to interact with Zuko's kids at all. Her resentment for Zuko having people who love and support him apart from her would color their relationship and cause a lot of tension between them.

The one version of an Azula redemption where I could see her and Zuko having a "normal" relationship where she is actively a part of his life and knows and is known by the people most important to him is an AU story where she never tried to kill him.

The problem I have with most Azula redemption stories is that they don't tend to address the very real harm she did. They just kind of blow past the fact that she was a villain and excuse everything she did because of Ozai's abuse. First of all, canonically, the most abuse we see her get is being Ozai's Golden Child, which yes, I do believe is a form of abuse, but isn't enough to let her off the hook, which a lot of Azula redemption stories do. Second, blaming all of her actions on her abuse completely ignores any agency Azula had, which I think is insulting to her character. Azula was cunning, astute, and ruthless. Let her be those things. She hurt Zuko and made enemies of his friends. Let her have to face the consequences of that, too. An Azula redemption would be messy and inconsistent, and that is not only okay, it's necessary.

[secretly-a-pair-of-pliers]

Okay, so: Voltron in the atla universe

Lance is so Sokka coded, he's such a southern water tribe guy and probably a non-bender, which would exacerbate his inferiority complex. I'm thinking he travels to the earth kingdom to go to a special school in ba sing se, where he meets pidge and Hunk.

Pidge and Hunk are both from the earth kingdom. Pidge is a metal bender and, like her brother, is really good at mechanical engineering and inventing stuff. Hunk is an earthbender, although he is from a colony where he was not allowed to bend, so he's not a very strong bender.

Keith is so obviously Zuko coded, especially if we say that the Galra are the fire nation. Keith was raised as a noble, in the vicinty of the royal family. However, he joins the white lotus, and leaves for ba sing se on a mission for them. He's a pretty really good firebender, but he uses his anger which limits him.

Zarkon and Lotor - Ozai and Azula, need I say more.

If the fire nation are Galra, then the Alteans have to be the air nomads. Allura and Coran escaped their temple before it was destroyed. Allura is the avatar, although coran doesn't tell her for a while. He just tries to raise her with air nomad principles (hes a non-bender), which I imagine don't stick super well.

I'm not quite sure what to do for Shiro. My best idea is that he's also fire nation, and gets drafted in the front lines. His battalion is wiped out but he survives, and after going through war like that, joins the white lotus where he sort of mentors Keith.

Also the war has only been going on for like.. 20ish years

[discordiansamba]

was rotating another thought while making dinner about an idea in which, after being duped by azula at the start of season two, zuko makes a frustrated wish to not be so easily tricked by people's lies... which gets heard by a spirit that's a bit of a trickster.

or: zuko wakes up the next day and realizes he can now hear people's thoughts. this wasn't what he meant, THANKS.

zuko responds to something that iroh didn't say out loud. he just stares at his nephew- and then quietly asks zuko in his mind if he can hear him. zuko stares at his uncle in confusion. of course he can hear him. he isn't completely deaf. what kind of-

uncle why aren't your lips moving.

he cannot for the life of him shut it off. the more crowded an area, the more thoughts he can hear. it's headache inducing.

iroh helps zuko develop a few meditation techniques that help with the constant background noise of other people's thoughts.

he gets a. really rude wake up call when he encounters azula again, and can hear her laughing at him in her head. he knows she didn't even think twice about attacking uncle, because he could hear her think it- and then do it.

but he can also hear the genuine concern and desire to help in katara's thoughts. so when she offers to help heal iroh... he lets her this time.

(also, can they all stop thinking about how he has hair now.)

katara heals iroh. she says he'll probably ideally need at least another session to be certain he's free of any unexpected complications. zuko can hear that she's suspicious of him, but her concern for iroh outweighs it.

zuko tries to avoid them. they try to give zuko space. it's very awkward all around.

toph does not care about any of this. toph cares about the nice old man who gave her tea and good advice. zuko doesn't even need to read her mind to know about her conversation with iroh- she just tells him as much.

...and well. he's been hearing uncle's thoughts for weeks now. he knows beyond a a shadow of a doubt how much he cares about him.

long story short: zuko ends up tentatively joining the gaang here. mostly it's just for his own self-preservation at first. it's obvious azula doesn't care if he dies. he has better odds if he sticks with them. he still tries to keep his distance- but it's hard to do that while on the saddle of a flying bison, while you have mind reading powers.

(he goes with them to wan shi tong's library. he asks one of the knowledge seekers if they have anything about being able to hear people's thoughts. he doesn't really find anything conclusive. great.)

iroh makes the choice to part ways with him at ba sing se. his nephew has a chance to pass through the city unnoticed, but iroh cannot say the same for himself- at least, not if he's in the company of the avatar. zuko can hear for himself just how hard a decision this was to reach.

zuko: also. what's the white lotus.

(iroh sweats)

what's up it's round two of hearing your sister's thoughts. he hates it as much as the first time it happened.

zuko, meet joo dee. there's literally nothing going on in that woman's head. it's freaky.

(BA SING SE IS SO NOISY.)

at least the upper ring is a lot quieter. the gaang just watches zuko constantly get headaches and nod to themselves. yeah, that's zuko. he's just cranky.

how to find the avatar's missing bison: just read long feng's mind.

no need to figure out a way to tell everyone else this. just go get the bison yourself. also uncover a secret brainwashing facility?

toph knows something is up with zuko. she's just not sure what. his heartbeat just randomly went crazy when they were talking to long feng. and then when he comes back with appa and says he overheard the dai li talking? a total lie. spill it sparky. what's UP with you.

zuko: ...I could tell you, but none of you are going to like it.

sokka: try us.

zuko: I can hear everything you're thinking.

sokka: ...okay, yeah. I don't like that actually.

aang: zuko! you should come with me to meet the guru! maybe he can help you with the mind reading thing!

(he cannot, but zuko appreciates the offer.)

time to read your sister's thoughts! part three! she still makes zuko the offer to join her, but this time he can hear all of her underlying thoughts. she needs his help? more like she wants someone she can blame if things go wrong.

(but they don't. things always go right for azula.)

[ihopesocomic]

Okay but like??? "They're old enough to know better" look at how they were raised

They're still KIDS who grew up with parents who murdered people and Edge in particular has a disturbing view of death and how him murdering people isn't that bad because they can come back in a different life

Like do the light siblings genuinely know better???? This is the guy who raised them

And this isn't a defense of bad people with the "Oh they were raised to be racist they didn't know any better" or some bs like that

The light siblings are still kids and no one thinks they're perfect little flawless angels, just that wishing death on kid characters who can still grow and redeem themselves and break free from their parents' horrible teachings is kinda fucked up???

Yeah I have no idea what that person was trying to say "They're old enough to know better so being brutally torn apart is okay" Fade and Radiant still have their spots theyre CHILDREN

BOTH FADE AND BRIGHT TRY TO STOP EDGE FROM TORTURING HOPE TOO???? LIKE DID WE FORGET THAT

By that logic Zuko should've been left to die in the snow and never gotten the chance to redeem himself I'm going to scream

Like at least give them time to develop more we barely know them

I didn't think "children with evil parents don't deserve to be brutally mauled actually" was something to debate on

Got nothing more to say other than yes - all of this?

Like I get that the immediate thought is 'this is just a lion comic: who cares?' but I like to think we've built up enough of a rapport to have y'all realise that irl people share certain circumstances with these characters (i.e. growing up in abusive/dysfunctional families) and that maybe - just maybe - vocalising that you think said characters should die before they have a chance to shake off such influences and forge their own path is going to resonate negatively with said individuals. Hence why we're not going to do it just so y'all can get your kicks. Same goes for Vicious being killed by her abuser.

If you can't grasp that, then you're not remotely mature enough to read this comic. I don't give a shit if you're in your 20s and have a college education: sort out your worldview.

And this is why we didn't publish your ask the first time you sent it a few weeks back, anon. Learn how to take a hint at least if you're not willing to stop and think before you slam your keyboard. lol - RJ

[p0ssywhippedcream]

Hey girlll, it’s me again (at this point file a restraining order LMFAO😭) I quite literally had this idea right now- Zuko, Katara, and Reader (if you need to choose then waterbender?), are fighting Azula together, and reader takes the hit of lightning form Azula instea of Zuko to protect him (they have like A HUGE mutual pining too rn lol).

Later when they won and are at the palace, he visits her and says he wants to talk, and he says he was super scared and wouldn’t know how to live without her and confesses, and she says yes and says similar stuff and like they start dating.

THANK YOU SOO MUCH FOR YOUR WRITINGGGG- TAKE ALL THE TIME YOU NEED, JET LAG SUCKS DUDE, I SLEPT FOR LITERALLY 20 HOURS STRAIGHT ONE TIME LMAO. LOVE YOU GIRLLLL<333

"I'm okay, I swear!" You put your hand over his and it flexes on the bed, "I just need to rest, most of it was deflected by my water bending."

Zuko's thumb crawls out from underneath your palm and gently rubs the top of your hand, "But not all. You- you got hit by lightning, Y/n. You could have died."

You grunt as you shift on the bed, the bandages around your stomach preventing a fully comfortable position. "Yes, but I didn't. You don't have to worry, Zu, I'm not going anywhere."

And something about the way the light from the candle beside your bed catches your expression, casting such beautiful shadows on your reassuring smile, compels a heart-wrenching feeling inside Zuko. He needs you to know, in case he doesn't get a chance to say it again and because his overwhelming gratitude for your kindness towards him needs him to repay your pain with something almost as difficult to do.

"Y/n," He starts and despite the nerves, keeps his fiery gaze locked onto yours, "I- I can't lose you. I wouldn't know what to do."

You're a little taken aback, a rosy blush dancing with the firelight across your cheeks but you remain with that comforting smile of yours, "You'd keep being the good person you are, keep loving."

"I don't know if I could," He confesses with a small shiver down his spine knowing all he can tell you is the truth, "I don't think I can be a person at all without you. I can't live without you."

Your eyes widen, easy grin flattering and Zuko knows that rejection is coming, braces for it like he's in the presence of his father again until your soft hand is pulling his face closer and you're kissing him. You're kissing him slow and gentle, like leaves in a summer breeze but its your lips and it drives him crazy all the same. He presses a little more, molding his mouth against yours when a rushed exhale leaves your nose and he remembers your wound.

He pulls out of your reach, clutching the hand that drew him in as he checks your tummy and makes sure you're alright.

"Zuko," It comes out breathless and accompanied by a laugh, "I'd be more alright if you kiss me again."

So he does. A couple more times actually. And when you ask him to lay next to you in the bed as you sleep, no matter how red the idea makes him, he blows out the candle and tucks you in anyway. He watches your eyelashes flutter as little snores leave the lips that left him speechless and knows that he gets to watch you breathe in and breathe out, everyday for the rest of his life.

He wants to kiss your forehead but you're a light sleeper from your time with the Gaang so instead, he opts to kiss you tomorrow. And the tomorrow after that, and the one after that too. And he gets to kiss you and hold you and watch you breathe for the rest of his life, knowing how deep the love of yours goes as he traces a lighting bolt into the sheet beneath him.

[demaparbat-hp]

I’m sorry, but don’t you feel bad for your fav ship cuz’ like, a lotta Zutara fans are obnoxious and hate Aang and Mai for no reason. It just, kinda ruins your ship and makes it one of most hated ships in the fandom cuz’ of them. You’re the one of the few sane Zutara fans and I’m proud of you. Stay this way through your entire journey.

Oh! Thanks! I, uh, I'm glad you believe me sane 🤭

Honestly, there are terrible people in every fandom, but those are just a loud, small minority. Most of us are just here to share our love for these characters and their world.

The ZK fandom is, sadly, very well versed in ship wars and fandom hate and...well, we all know about it.

That being said—I don't let fandom wars or toxic behaviour from fans on any "side" dictate how I enjoy the og series or ZK.

People have vastly different takes on ATLA. Some may not like Aang as a character, or Mai, or Katara, or Zuko, or Sokka—and that's okay! We all have our own ideas and our own ways to interact with canon and the Fandom.

But things get out of hand when someone sends you death threats using anonymous asks, or calls you horrible slurs, simply because you enjoy something (I am talking through personal experience here).

I support discourse. I support metas and takes and headcanons. I support those who say "Well, I understand why you like this couple/character, and I respect that, but I don't like them because..."

And that's the thing that's sometimes missing—respect.

I know what my stance is regarding ZK, and Kataang, and Maiko, and this senseless hostility. And I will always defend it, but that doesn't mean baseless insults need to be part of my vocabulary.

I can't tell anyone how to engage with fandom—and I'm not trying to! These are my own personal views on this matter, and I hope everyone understands the intention and meaning behind them.

[mantizimus]

Now hear me out on this one, how about a Zuko x Wife! Female! Reader one shot? It's set after he became the fire lord, basically reader met him in s1 and was basically this absolute badass, no filter and brutal girl who always showed clear disgust at the thought of intercourse or pregnancy, while also disliking kids and feeling like she won't be a good mother because she didn't have a good one either, but after a while into the marriage thought it over and at how Zuko needed an heir so one day while they're just doing their things she just randomly say : "You know I thought about it and I may tolerate a kid or two."

I hope I hadn't botched it.

Kids

Zuko

One of the things that Zuko would never forget was the first time he met you. And honestly, who could blame him? You were strong, tough, and fierce, with no filter. He was absolutely fascinated by you, even though he hid it until the last minute, because he knew you could use it. And imagine his surprise when he later found out that you loved him too. During the time you were together, the prince of the Fire Nation had talked to you about your future more than once. For the most part, you were more than happy to discuss it with him, except for one cute little detail. Kids. You had a less than ideal childhood, which left its mark on your psyche. You were afraid that you would be a terrible mother, which is why you decided to never have children. To be honest, Zuko himself had caught himself thinking the same thing a few times, but he preferred to ignore it or push it into the back of his mind. The Firebender knew that sooner or later you would have to discuss this, but unfortunately, he never got the chance to do so. And when he did, he had no idea how to start the conversation. "What are you thinking about?" you asked, breaking him out of his thoughts. "Oh, nothing," the prince began to evade the question, but deflated when he noticed your gaze. "Zuko," you sighed, "You do realize that if the situation requires it, I will always listen to you, right?" "I understand. There is just one topic that I have always wanted to discuss with you, but I do not know how." "Is it kids?" at times like these, Zuko could swear that you could read minds. "Yes," he replied. Without giving you time to say a word, he continued, "Look, I understand that you're nervous about this and afraid of ending up just like your parents," the Firebender pulled you close, "But I promise you, Y/N: I'll do everything in my power to make sure you don't end up like that." "And how do you know it will work?" your voice wavered, but only for a split second, which didn't go unnoticed. "Because I believe it. And that you'll be a good mother," there was silence. A sticky, unnerving silence. "I need to think about it," you muttered, slowly moving away from him. He only nodded in understanding.

---

You didn't bring it up for the rest of the day, but the black-haired man decided to give you as much time as you needed. He didn't want you to make a decision under pressure. However, by the time the two of you went to bed, the thought had completely left his head… but not yours.

You spent the entire day thinking. On the one hand, your phobia kept rearing its ugly head, reminding you of your parents' mistakes. On the other hand, you knew that your husband was telling the truth and that he would help you no matter what. Finally, it was time for bed. Before you fell into the arms of Morpheus, you smiled. The decision was made.

---

"You know, I thought about it, and I may tolerate a kid or two," if your husband had been drinking something at the time, he would have spat it out right away. "What?" Zuko asked you, confused. "I agree," you explained. He looked at you in complete confusion for the first few seconds before remembering your conversation last night. "Okay," he told you. "And thank you." "For what?" "For letting him know you'll always be there for me," and with that, you pulled him in for a kiss.

[woodlaflababab]

Thinking about Zuko's influence on the audience's perception of Aang, specifically in Book 1. I kinda touched on it in this post but that post is pure unsorted rambling in which I didn't get to delve as deep as I wanted. Anyway, the relevent part was:

"With this whole episode, it's just the fact that Zuko is the reason we first get to see just how fucking cool Aang is. It's so easy to be like the others in the show and see Aang for his childish antics and sweet nature, but Zuko is the one that consistently reminds us, “No, this is the Avatar. He's powerful, he's brave, he's fiercely protective, and he deserves respect and acknowledgment for that.”"

Like, I mean, the point is redundant, everyone knows they are foils, so I'm not saying anything ground breaking when I say Zuko is often the one who brings out the best in Aang and encourages him to embrace being the avatar and that a lot of Aang's strongest charater moments are because of Zuko, yada yada, okay, we know, zukaang meta 101, nobody wants to hear it

But also, Zuko's opinion of Aang is so interestingly different from everyone else's. We get a view of Aang from the pov of himself, in which we see his doubts and struggles, the pov of the gaang, through which we see his antics and improvement and flaws. We also understand the opinion of the Fire Nation abt Aang (pure threat that's weirdly small), and we get plenty on the different opinions of the rest of the world.

If you took out Zuko's reactions to Aang, you'd feel like you know pretty much all there is to know about Aang. But to Zuko, Aang is an ever present mystery. The gaang doesn't really question anything abt Aang except what he can do and the rest of their enemies don't care to know things about Aang

But Zuko does. To Zuko, Aang is a source of constant questions, and this is sometimes played as a joke (i.e. "He must be a master of evasive maneuvering." to "You have no idea where we're going, do you?") and sometimes it hits the very core of Zuko's being and changes the course of the plot, (i.e. The Blue Spirit)

Zuko is unique because, to everyone else, Aang is one of two things. A Hero, or An Threat. He is neither to Zuko.

Zuko has no desire to defeat Aang. Aang is not a Threat to him. Hell, as Iroh says, Aang actively gives Zuko hope. But Aang is also not a Hero or ally.

He is neither a protagonist or an antagonist in Zuko's story. He's a goal. And that's such a unique perspective that allows us to question who Aang is from a neutral standpoint. Who is this person who effortlessly escapes trouble while having no idea what he's doing? Who is this person who saves someone they defeated? Who is this person who looks at an enemy and says 'you remind me of my best friend'?

Who else makes us ask these questions?

Through Zuko we, or at least I, see Aang as more than a person, and more than a hero, but as this unconventional conundrum that defies expectation at every turn, baffling and beautiful. Aang is so much more than your conventional hero and nobody sees or shows us that more than Zuko.

My favorite way to look at Aang is through Zuko's eyes.