#zutara argues like a married couple

[daintyzutara]

Zutara arguing

Katara: I WANT A DIVORCE!

Zuko: we’re not even married..?

Katara: and WHOSE FAULT IS THAT

Zuko pouting: mine..

[blackbullet99]

Zutara’s Fake @$$ Feminism

Okay so @kidcaroline brought up this weird-@$$ take where this braindead dude says Zutara is a purely female fantasy and an expression of unapologetic female desire. And who’s the nutcase who said this.

Of course only someone as delusional as longing-for-rain could say something as stupid as this. Love or hate Zutara, it being a purely female fantasy is objectively wrong, there are a lot of men who actually like Zutara, one guy on YouTube made tons of videos about them, there were some writers in A:TLA who shipped it, Dante Basco the proclaimed Captain of Zutara ships it. One person who shipped Zutara actually argued that a lot of men ship it and the ship shouldn’t be limited to just women, so naturally longing-for-(acid)rain personally attacked them because they’re a man. Misandrist much?

Let’s look at the reasons why Zutara is such a profoundly feminist ship, shall we…

Okay, so skimming over the fact that Zutara literally started when Zuko captured Katara in “The Waterbending Scroll” and wanting better for Katara is wanting her to end with someone who relentlessly pursued her and attacked her for most of the show. Literally all of these points that supposedly support Zutara literally make no sense and many of which could easily apply to Kataang.

Katara never caved into Aang out of guilt, that’s never suggested at all in the narrative, she was never uncomfortable with Aang, the average ZK might be, but Katara wasn’t.

Where was the passion in Zuko and Katara’s relationship, seriously what passion are they talking about, does OP think constantly fighting each other is passion because “muh enemies to lovers”, do they Katara touching Zuko’s scar because she was going to heal him at one point is passion. How TF is that considered “passion”, it just comes across like you have a kink. You want passion…

THIS is passion.

Ignoring the fact that Zuko never had feelings for Katara. Aang literally loves Katara no matter what. If they’re referring to “The Southern Raiders” Aang never stopped loving Katara, he understood her pain, he was just concerned that killing a guy would take a strain on her mental state. But that obviously means he didn’t care about the “real” Katara, what a jerk, right guys.

When did Katara ever have to change for Aang? Y’all are aware that Katara would have to change quite significantly if she married into The Fire Nation, right?

Aang objectively did support Katara. That’s all there is to it really. He did throughout the whole show.

Katara was never Aang’s babysitter. Darn Bryce for mentioning weird romantic tropes that have nothing to do with Kataang and desperate ZKs taking them out of context. Aang was a kid just like Katara, the latter of whom was often the voice of reason, but she never had to actively take care of Aang. He’s 12, he’s not a baby.

Okay, but like, Katara is attracted to Aang. Not to get all weird on y’all but objectively speaking she is attracted to him (see “The Cave of Two Lovers” or the Kataang images above). Which makes sense because they’re only a couple of years apart. This comment, and really this whole post is just OP admitting that they’re self-inserting onto Katara, they don’t care about what she wants, so they twist the narrative of the show and act like Katara should be attracted to Zuko and not Aang because these 20-something women are attracted to Zuko and not Aang. They use Katara as a self-insert because 99% of the time these b!tches wanna f*ck Zuko and use Katara as vessel to live out their weird sexual desires. Ew.

This final comment, just screams, “White Tumblr So-Called Feminism”. OP seriously thinks saying “I like Zutara” is advocating for women’s rights. She cannot be this stupid and delusional, for real? There’s nothing wrong with Zutara as a ship, there’s nothing wrong with most of the women who ship Zutara. But at the end of the day it’s a fictional pairing between two fictional characters, people who don’t like the ship aren’t attacking women, people who don’t like Zutara just don’t like the ship for whatever reasons. I don’t like the ship because not only is Kataang superior, seeing as they start of a close friends who mutually trust, support and admire each other and gradually develop feelings for one another (slow-burn friends-to-lovers is peak), but also because Zuko and Katara were enemies throughout most of the show, they only become friends near the very end of the show, great friends who do support and value each other, but let’s be real, their relationship isn’t profoundly different from Katara’s other relationships with The Gaang, and going from friends for 5 episodes to making out in the last episode is just crazy-forced.

Additionally there are plenty of men who ship Zutara as a pointed out, but also plenty of women who ship Kataang because these women genuinely like their relationship and acknowledge the love and positive aspects in Aang and Katara’s relationship. But of course longing-for-(sh!t)rain dismisses and invalidates these women by calling them “BoyMoms” (whatever that means) because they don’t share the seem POV as OP. Which leads to the fact that longing-for-sh!tstain really doesn’t care about women and what they want, they’re going out of their way to make Kataang look problematic and Zutara the epitome of female desire, but the only people who would actually believe that are fanfic obsessed idiots who have never left their computer and have no understanding of any real-world issues, in other words dumb b!tches just saying “eXaCtLy” to each other. Really whining-for-rain only cares about what they themselves desire and think their opinion is the only one that matters, hence they attack anyone who even slightly disagree’s with them. Just check the original post and you’ll see.

The only “feminism” they care about is in their weird Wattpad middle-school ship. She don’t care about the real Katara or her feelings if it doesn’t fit her self-insert narrative.

She writes torture-porn r@pe fics about Katara.

She called an actually real-life indigenous women racist because said women hates the idea of Katara marrying into the nation the colonized her tribe, killed her mom and would make Ozai her father in-law, just so Katara, Sokka and Hakoda could essentially be trophies for Zuko. This @$$hole thinks supporting a crackship is supporting women’s rights, but will invalidate the feelings of a real-life indigenous women who doesn’t agree with said crackship.

In conclusion, f*ck you longing-for-fascist and f*ck your fake-@$$ feminist, you objectively don’t care about A:TLA, or Katara or even women, if anything you’re nothing but an insult to women.

[the-badger-mole]

As shippers we often talk about what makes Zutara work well together, but no relationship is perfect. So what do you think would be a potential problem in Zuko and Katara’s relationship if it turned romantic, do you think there’d be anything they disagree on, and how would they work through it and overcome it together?

Oh, there'd be plenty. Katara and Zuko are two very passionate people with a strong sense of justice. There would be clashes. I just really believe that they would take the time to work it out.

I don't know what they would fight about specifically, but I don't think that really matters as much as how they fight. Katara has a tendency to just say what's on her mind, or at the very least, she won't hide how she's feeling. While I think that would mostly be a relief to Zuko after dealing with his father and sister, it would also lead to tension because Katara doesn't always consider the feelings of the person she's arguing with when she's angry. On the flip side, Zuko would probably just retreat in the face of her anger instead of trying to engage Katara. That would make her feel dismissed and disrespected, and make her even angrier. She wouldn't know how to separate and cool down, so she would probably follow Zuko, determined to be heard. Then Zuko, feeling cornered, would snap back with something hurtful. I think they would need help communicating for the first few fights- Katara might turn to Sokka for advice (I know, I shudder, too, but honestly, I think he'd give solid advice. And who knows her better? Maybe Gran Gran? But if Gran Gran isn't available, then I think she'd turn to Sokka. Hakoda would have amazing advice stored up, but I think Katara would be more comfortable going to Sokka for something like this. Anyway...tangent). Zuko would obviously turn to Iroh.

The thing that I think would make them keep pushing to be together isn't a lack of conflict, it's that they love each other too much to give up without a fight. I think once they learn how to communicate effectively, and they build enough trust to be completely vulnerable, their fights would be less intense. I'm basing this off of couples I know IRL (some who have been married longer than I've been alive. One couple has been together almost 60 years) and how they've told me they deal with foundation rocking conflict, so I know that it isn't unrealistic. I don't think Katara and Zuko's relationship wouldn't have bumps, but I don't think they'd have a lot of relationship threatening fights. Especially not after the first few years when they've gotten to know each other's idiosyncrasies intimately . But heaven help you if you disrespect one in the presence of the other, even decades in.

[omg-kawaiikitty]

Apparently I have a type when it comes to enemies to lovers trope. For me if the ship isn’t too toxic then I would be into it.

1.Dasey-Canadian tv show about 2 step siblings who couldn’t stand each other but have sweet moments and show that they become closer as series progress. They were literally enemies (not really but Derek likes to prank her and she would get annoyed and try to get back to him to piss him off) to friends to lovers trope. They have such a strong chemistry and we all wanted them together growing up. Truman was literally Derek 2.0 but toxic. The fandom is still growing strong to the point we have a spin off movie and hoping it becomes a TV series because there’s so many unanswered questions. Like Casey is obviously sick of her husband and seemed burnt out AF plus I want to see him be uncomfortable and a third wheel in front of Dasey since everytime they have a love interest they automatically become a third wheel aside from Sally (she was an amazing love interest) plus I just want Dasey to act more like a married couple.

2.Zutara-Zuko and Katara were enemies to friends. I was really hoping for them to be lovers by the end of the series and was so disappointed. They have so many things in common with parallels that they would be each other ying Yang. They both lost their mothers, both are stubborn when they get mad, he rises with the sun, she rises with the moon, water and fire are polar opposites. He was the blue spirit and she was the painted lady alter egos. She was the first one to trust him and he betrayed that but also tried really hard to make up for it. He was the only one who gave her closure to find her mother’s killer and let her decide on what she wants to do and they became good friends from that mission. The Ember Island play showing us that Zuko and Katara were into each other but also making fun of Zutara. June always calling Katara Zuko’s gf whenever she makes an appearance. Then the battle between Zuko vs Azula and how he saved Katara from lightning and almost died in the process, that was a powerful scene I have ever seen in a child’s cartoon. Plus if they were a couple Katara would make an amazing fire lady since she already has the skills from travelling with the Avatar and solving problems whenever they travel, Zuko would see her as an equal plus it would show that the fire nation is serious about ending the war by marrying a waterbender and show a balance to the rest of the world. Plus if they were parents they wouldn’t Favorite one or the other and treat their kids as equals since Zuko knows how to fight without his fire bending and could teach his son/daughter and Katara has Sokka. I’m still bitter on how it ended and even to this day Zutara is a pretty popular ship.

3.Chilumi-Ever since Childe came over and said “Hey Girlie hold still” comment or even the Japanese dub. Many people ship them as a couple since they are enemies but he’s so kind towards her and even after their fight he is still kind. It gives off enemies to lovers and if it was an anime where Lumine is the main character and Aether wasn’t a main character, then the writers would 100% make Chilumi a thing and probably just kill him off by saving her. It’s one of the most popular ships in Genshin.

4.Catwoman and Batman-Enemies to lovers but Catwoman is more of an antihero, yes she is a criminal but if it’s to save Batman from another enemy or he needs her help, she would do it since she loves him plus they can hook up afterwards. They even get married afterwards in the comics.

5.Martin and Diana from Martin Mysterh. Not really enemies but they also like to fight alot but then have their nice moments. In the cartoons they are opposites and would argue but when it comes to saving one or the other they would in a heartbeat and have sweet moments plus in the comics they are literally a married couple and never were step siblings…

6. Flash and Killer frost. In comics they were enemies but in TV series Killer Frost is Caitlin Snow. During the TV series they have a really amazing friendship and have many things in common and I thought the writers would pair them together since that’s what it feels like during S1 and how so many villains would kidnap her and he had to save her. Even in another dimension when he was fighting Killer Frost he told her he doesn’t want to hurt her. When Caitlin frost became killer frost again he didn’t want to hurt her and she worked with Evil Barry (Savitar) now Killer frost and the flash work together when it comes to fighting. I really dislike WA because WA was the toxic ship I have ever seen and the fandom were so toxic and I stopped watching The flash.

7.Maou and Emi from The devil is a part timer. They were enemies since he’s a devil and she’s a hero. She defeated the demon king Satan but wanted to make sure he was defeated so she followed him to the human world. During the human world Maou would show Emi kindness while she was hostile towards him. In one scene he saved her by treating to her wounds. They became frenemies, he apologized but she still doesn’t 100% forgive him from his past but is willing to understand and become a friend to him. They even became parents which made them closer into having a family bond.

8.Nick and Adalind from Grimm. They were enemies and became lovers because she got pregnant while pretending to be his ex gf. They gotten closer and Nick was willing to protect her to make sure their baby is safe and they became a couple in the end.

9.Caroline and Tyler. Not really enemies but since Caroline is a vampire and Tyler is a werewolf…it makes sense that they would not like each other plus before they became occults. Tyler thought she was selfish and spoiled, Caroline thought he was hot headed and temperamental. They became a couple later on in the series and broke up…I stopped watching Vampire Diaries when she got with Klaus and Elena got with Damon.

10. Aerrow and Cyclonis-Stormhawks was a Canadian cartoon and I loved it as a kid. Whenever I seen Aerrow and Cyclonis fighting I was just thinking dang I wish they were an enemies to lovers couple. Idk why I thought that but apparently some people agreed with me since there’s fanfiction.

[beautifulsnake2162020]

Same. Like it is great if that is what you get from Zutara but also don't yuck on other people's yum.

And also for majority of healthy romantic relationships in real life, you need to be friends first with the person (or persons for polyamorous peeps) you want to have a romantic relationship with. And I'm not sure if the OP has noticed but plenty of ships that do involve enemies-lovers (whether canon or not) have an obligatory "friendship" stage as a necessary bridge from enemies to lovers.

Canon examples:

1.) Lizzie Bennet and Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice: One of the most popular ships of all time for a good reason. If they didn't have that friendship arc when Lizzie went to Pemberly where they actually got to know each other beyond their preconceived versions they have of each other in their heads, these two would have been stuck in the mutually pining infatuation stage after Mr. Darcy's letter. And while you may argue that there was feelings there already they were friends first before becoming a couple at the very end of the story;

2.) Belle and the Beast from Disney's Beauty and the Beast: If these two didn't become friends after the Beast rescued Belle from the wolves, they wouldn't have become a couple at the very end of the story and would have just probably remained distantly civil;

3.) Altaïr Ibn La'ahad and Maria Thorpe from the Assassin's Creed franchise: They started becoming friends after Maria (a templar) began assisting Altaïr (someone from a rival organization, the assassins) in their adventure in Cyprus. It is here they began getting to know each other more including why Maria who wasn't born into the templar organization joined the templars. After this (though we don't know how long the friendship period was) two years later they got married. Once again, they wouldn't have become a couple if they didn't begin actually getting to know each other in that critical Cyprus trip.

And these are just the canon examples (so sorry for no queer ships, I don't know that many canon queer ships under this trope and I don't know enough about Catradora to use it as an argument for the necessity of friendship before they become lovers. And the one that I know is from an adaptation of Pride and Prejudice so it's just redundant).

If we open up the pool to fandom examples you'll also notice that there is still a necessary period of friendship before the romance begins (for me at least - some people could also just love the potential of passionate hate sex):

1.) Lawlight (L and Light Yagami from Death Note) - One of the most famous enemies to potential lovers ships. Not only are they each other's equal and they obsess over each other but it's really saying something that there are many fanfics of them becoming a couple during or after the Yotsuba arc (the arc where they were canonically friends, or at least the closest to it as two calculating geniuses could get);

2.) Sherliam (Sherlock Holmes and William James Moriarty from Moriarty the Patriot): On the surface many may at first think of this as "another version of Lawlight" which is not the case. One of the distinguishing things about Sherliam is that unlike Lawlight, in the MTP manga Sherlock and Liam genuinely love and care for each other and their friendship turned eventual sort of canon romance is one of their main appeals. It is because of this friendship that Sherlock was able to look beyond William's Lord of Crime persona and be one of the few people who sees Liam as a person and not a tragic messiah figure that Liam had been forming himself to be. And it is because of this friendship that Liam tells Sherlock not to risk his life in his pursuit of the Lord of Crime during the chapter when Sherlock didn't know Liam and the Lord of Crime were the same person (*Although plenty of the Sherliam fans myself included have believed them to have recently become canon. I'm still putting them under the fanon category because of the lack of definitive say from any of the creators that they have become a couple. Although if you read the subtext of the "Moving in together" scene they are definitely canon); and finally for the sake of this discussion (and because I'm a sucker for the rule of 3s)

3.) Zukaang *Though I do not personally ship this ship, I'm using it in this discussion.* - Aka the ultimate enemies to lovers ship that would repel Bryke. You can't tell me that they didn't have a period of friendship first before the series ended. As a matter of fact, I would argue that it should be this ship that has the title of the ultimate enemies to lovers because of their personal actions towards each other. Zuko personally went on a quest to hunt down Aang and plenty of Aang's actions was to avoid capture from the fire nation that Zuko as the early antagonist personified. Aang never stopped extending the friendship token to Zuko. Heck when Aang discovered that it's Zuko who rescued him in the persona of the Blue Spirit, he didn't hestitate to ask if there was a chance for them to be friends. And on Zuko's part Zuko I would argue is one of Aang's most relentless mentors who both knows enough to push him further because he knows what Aang could do, yet at the same time learn more about fire bending which I would argue is a very intimate platonic journey.

In conclusion aka TL: DR, the friendship period is a necessary bridge period for enemies to become lovers and most of the time in the enemies to lovers trope, a friendship is built in to that trope because it is the bridge. Relationships in real life most if not always require a period of friendship first before it turns into romance. While it's okay and up to your taste to choose to interpret Zutara as platonic friendship, there is no need to invalidate why other zutara fans love to ship them romantically.

Thank you for coming to my Ted talk.

I think one of the reasons I dislike zutara as a ship so much is because their friendship is so beautiful on its own without romance and such a huge sign of growth and character development. zuko and katara were one of the first m/f relationships I saw in media where the characters weren’t related or love interests. and while there are several other m/f friendships katara was my favorite character when I first saw the show and as such their friendship was (and still is) very dear to me. 

also, I know everyone loves a good enemies-to-lovers, and I do too, but y’all are sleeping on the criminally underused trope of enemies-to-friends. in almost every enemies-to-lovers story I’ve read the reason that they get from enemies to lovers is because of some undeniable and immutable attraction. but what if we didn’t have that? what if you didn’t haunt my dreams at night? what if it wasn’t a struggle to pull my eyes away from you? what if I had every reason to hate you and all you had to give me was a late apology and a promise to do better? what if forgiving you was a choice I didn’t have to make? then what? I’d have to know you on purpose. you’d have to trust me when I forgive you because I’ve thought of every reason not to. 

and I hear some of you saying “oh but that could be a great enemies-to-lovers story too” and maybe it could, but you’re missing the point. the reason zuko and katara hits so hard for me is because they didn’t have to be friends. they both had other friends and other family and they both would have had happy and full lives. but they got past it anyways. and it didn’t have anything to do with romance or love. it was purely growth and self-improvement. zuko didn’t apologize because of a crush on a cute girl, he apologized because he regretted what he did and was maturing into a better and kinder and more thoughtful person. katara didn’t forgive him because he was hot, she forgave him because she understood that her anger and hate was poisoning her and she wanted to move on. 

tl;dr: the beauty of zutara’s friendship is that they became friends because of growth and maturity that had nothing to do with romance and throwing in that they were attracted to or in love with each other cheapens the significance of their character development and shows that romantic love is the only way to overcome personal challenges.

[stitch1830]

do you have any taang headcannons

Hi Anon, thank you for the ask, and your patience! I've been neglecting my asks, but not today! lol

I do have some Taang headcanons! Believe it or not, they were my OTP back in the day, and they still have a special place in my heart :) But enough chatting. Let's talk about headcanons!

I like to think of Toph and Aang as the people in the Gaang that get together last, but they somehow end up married first (that is, in a Zutara/Sukka/Taang universe lol). They deny their feelings for quite a while because they're best friends, but then they can't ignore it anymore and they start to date! And then a month or so later, they end up married (kind of a What Happens in Vegas vibe haha!) But Toph and Aang are rather chill about this, and they just move on as a married couple LOL.

They settle in Republic City, mostly because they like the area and because they are prominent figures in getting the city up on its feet.

I like to HC that they have four oops kiddos haha! All were happy accidents, and the dunebaby names are Lin, Gyatso, Suyin, and Kenji. The girls are earthbenders, and the boys are airbenders. The babies are pretty spread out, but I like to think that Lin and Su are still born in 120 AG and 126 AG respectively. Helps me keep track of the timelines haha!

The Beifongs have a very busy and hectic life, but Toph and Aang always find the time to be with their family and to travel around the world. As the kids get older, they take them on Avatar business trips more often than not. But when they were little, Toph and Aang typically left them with their grandparents. They liked having their work trips and family trips separate as much as possible in the beginning.

Aang and Toph aren't big on PDA, but I like to think Toph's love language is touch, so she'll often stand close to Aang so their arms touch, or she'll pat his hand or lean her head on his chest for a second. Aang definitely likes to prolong these moments lol.

Aang is an early riser, and Toph isn't. But she's a light sleeper, so even though Twinkletoes gets out of bed quietly, she knows that he's awake and she finds it hard to fall back asleep without Aang there. So she's usually up with him, albeit a lil grumpy lmao.

Aang and Toph are the fun uncle and aunt. They like to wreak a bit of havoc and convince the steambabies or bladebabies that breaking the rules is okay LOL. The other members of the Gaang get a bit of a headache whenever Auntie Toph and Uncle Twinkletoes visit, but they are grateful for a bit of parenting reprieve.

They don't argue with each other much. Well, they do, but it's typically about things that aren't that important. They did argue a bit early on with some of Aang's responsibilities and him splitting his time at home and out working, and it's typically a battle for Aang to have Toph open up to him, but over the years they've been able to figure out a pretty good way to communicate with one another and talk through these issues.

Aang loves to cook, and Toph loves to eat! But whenever she has a hankering for meat, they agree to go out to eat. Sometimes, Aang will cook the main dish and Toph orders a side of meat from some nearby restaurant lmao. That, or Sokka's in town and he cooks the meat while Aang cooks the veggies haha!

Okay! I think those are the main ones I have right now! If you have specific questions about Taang or the dunebabies, feel free to ask another question and I'm happy to elaborate :)

Thanks again for the ask, Anon, and I hope you have a great day!

......

Send me asks about ATLA, LOK, or anything, really! :D

[waywardavatarenthusiast]

The Problems With the Avatar Fandom

Yes, I just made a post about the atla fandom. Now here’s another one. 

The enforcement of headcanons: Azula is a lesbian, Tyzula was canon, Suki died young, Sokka is the father of Toph’s kids or grandchildren, etc. These are totally cool and completely okay. For your headcanon. It gets incredibly annoying watching people argue with me and try to convince me of something that isn’t true. 

I’m a Sokkla shipper, but I think lesbian!Azula is a great concept that could make lots of sense. I actually like Ty Lee and Azula but in canon it takes all of Ty Lee’s fears and makes them into a melodramatic love hate crush. It also totally washes the Beach episode. Azula couldn’t flirt because she has absolutely no social skills. Also she is fourteen. The boys weren’t into Azula because Bryke isn’t over the mean girl never giving him a chance in highschool she was powerful and intimidating. She’s jealous because all her amazing skills are of no use when it’s time to be a kid and have fun. Take it however you like, but I feel like it’s a disservice to the episode to say Azula was just being comphet and jealous of the boys flirting with Ty Lee.

There is literally zero evidence that Suki died young. Or died.

I don’t understand. Because a couple characters have dark skin and two have his haircut, Sokka and Toph had a child?? Why on earth would someone willingly want to make Sokka an absent father. Why would fandom agree to it?

The conversion of canon to fit ships: It’s a terrible chain- Zutara takes Kataang and Maiko content and twists it for themselves then calls it original. Zukka does the same with Zutara. Please stop.

The accusations flown at eachother: “Zutara shippers are all in abusive or toxic relationships!” “Shipping the Fire Nation and the Water Tribe is racist!” “Azula is a lesbian and you’re homophobic if you disagree!” What? 

If Azula is a lesbian, which she very much could be looking back on how she talked about Suki on DOBS, she would never in her life know that she was. Azula is the perfect princess and perfectly aligned with her country and its ways. Homosexuality is banned because Firelord Sozin said so because his boyfriend got married. In the Legend of Korra comics, the law still seems to be in effect. As someone in the limelight, and knowing the Fire Nation and how vicious it can be, imagine the danger. Imagine her losing everything. This stuff does happen in real life. But the thing is this: people want ships like Tyzula, but how? Do you want to see bits of Tyzula fluff, because me too. But I don’t want to see bits of Tyzula fluff when the government anti LGBT law isn’t addressed and neither is the way that law has been implemented for a century. I don’t want an episode where the country changes it’s mind. Because that kind of thing doesn’t happen in an episode. It happens over decades. And between acting like the oppression isn’t there and watching a kids show in which the lesbian couple is constantly oppressed when that isn’t the plot, I’ll take another ship.

Actually I’m tired of complaining about this fandom. Let me go back to being a loyal soldier and acting like there’s nothing wrong with the franchise or its fans :D

[wakatoshine]

forever girl (atsumu x reader drabble)

summary: over the years you have been in a relationship with miya atsumu, you have noticed almost all of his little habits. one of them being choosing a new show every month to be entirely obsessed with. this month’s pick? avatar the last airbender. (fluff ~600 prob)

“come on babe, just one more!” atsumu whined, running his hands through your hair.

you look up at the man (or toddler, as you should say) and playfully roll your eyes.

“it’s two in the morning and i have class tomorrow,” you say, trying to stand from your spot on the couch.

your attempt to stand was futile, and you find yourself getting tugged right back into atsumu’s arms.

“yer not going anywhere y/n,” atsumu coos, nuzzling his head into your shoulder.

you sigh and hide a smile from your ever doting boyfriend. you ultimately gave into his pleas, not being able to ignore your massive soft spot for the blonde.

“one more tsumu, but that’s it okay! no more.” you say sternly, only turning back to face the TV after you see him nod in response to you.

about five minutes into the episode you feel atsumu’s lips press up against the back of your head.

“yes tsumu?” you say, looking up into his brown eyes. you know by now that atsumu tends to get physically affectionate when he wants attention.

“do you think we’re like aang and katara?” he asks.

you laugh. atsumu pouts. sometimes it really does feel like you’re dating a twelve year old.

“tsumu i’m not gonna lie to ya. i definitely like the idea of zuko and katara together, but i’ll be yer katara.” you answer, leaning back into his chest.

atsumu gasps, “how could you ship zutara when kataang is right there!”

“i’m not gonna argue about this with you again tsumu. i know you’ll never accept it,” you tease, poking his nose.

atsumu pushes you away and you pretend to be offended.

“admit that kataang is the better ship or yer not getting kisses for a week,” he says, crossing his arms.

you laugh at him. you know that he wouldn’t be able to keep himself from kissing you for a whole week. atsumu’s love language was definitely physical touch. the two of you could be found cuddling or holding hands more often than not.

“you know ya can’t hold yerself back from kissin me for a week tsumu, don’t kid yerself.” you tease.

atsumu scowls before pulling you back onto his lap and kissing your cheeks. there. point proven, you think to yourself with a smug smile.

“i cant believe my own girlfriend ships zutara. i feel so betrayed,” he complains.

“no need to be so pressed about it,” you say and proceed to kiss him on the nose.

the two of you share a smile before atsumu pulls you in for a gentle kiss. your hands lace behind his neck and you feel your whole body gradually relax into his touch.

it really was the little moments, like this one, that made you feel most grateful to have miya atsumu in your life.

“you know why i wanted ya to be the katara to my aang?” atsumu asks you after he pulls away.

“why?” you ask, tilting your head back to meet his eyes.

“‘cuz baby yer my forever girl,” atsumu says with a smirk.

you snort and half heartedly punch his arm.

“did ya really initiate an argument to use a fictional child’s pick-up line?” you say, poking his flushed cheeks.

“and so what if i did?” atsumu snaps back, “it was a good line.”

you snuggle up closer to him, “i think yer just mad that a twelve year old has better game than you.”

atsumu gasps, “i’m gonna break up with ya right here and now.”

you snicker, “what happened to me bein yer forever girl?”

atsumu shakes his head, but the sheer amount of adoration in his eyes as he looks at you gives him away. you know he’s not really mad at you.

“if ya really wanna be a fictional couple, i’ll be the zhu li to yer varrick,” you say with a smile, “zhu li’s much more badass.”

“i’ll settle for varrick. he’s no avatar but at least they get married at the end,” atsumu says while squeezing you tightly.

you give him another kiss on the cheek (the fifth one of the night? you weren’t too sure at this point).

“is this yer way of proposin’” you ask atsumu jokingly, enjoying the way he immediately gets completely flushed.

“woah woah woah y/n slow down there, we’re still young,” he stutters out.

“i know tsumu, i was just kiddin!” you pause, “but now that i think about it, i’ll be yer forever girl.”

atsumu flashes you a bright smile, the same smile that you fell in love with all those years ago back at inarizaki.

“this is why i love ya so much, y/n” atsumu says, “ya always give in eventually,” he adds a wink to the last part, not missing the innuendo.

you shove him gently and he only laughs.

“i love ya too,” you say, “even though yer the biggest dork i know,”

just a short one for today! i’ll get back to updating kita soon, but this headcanon came to my head today and it was too much to ignore!

general tag list (mssg me or send an ask to be added!) @cadenceh2o

[my-bated-breath]

Some people against Zutara argue that the EIP episode showed that Zuko and Katara had a sibling relationship by comparing the way Katara teases Zuko to the way she teases Sokka. What do you think about that argument? Great Zutara and ATLA metas btw!

Hey anon! Since royaltealovingkookiness’ meta here and my answer to this other ask here already describe how the romantic subtext in Zuko and Katara’s relationship - both in EIP and in other episodes - disproves the sibling argument in thorough detail, I’ll be taking a different angle to this question this time. Still, I highly recommend you read those other two metas (or at least read @royaltealovingkookiness’ meta because their metas are amazing).

Anyways, to regulate teasing to a sibling relationship ignores how teasing/banter is very prevalent in many fictional romances, including Han and Leia from Star Wars, Hiccup and Astrid from How to Train Your Dragon, Anna and Kristoff from Frozen, Rapunzel and Eugene from Tangled, and so much more. Sometimes, the bickering between two couples even manages to fit the “Like an Old Married Couple” trope, which the TVtropes page describes as such:

Two characters who seem very comfortable with each other to the point that it seems like they have been married for a long time, though obviously it doesn't apply to couples who actually have been together for a long time. Usually it is done through constant arguments with each other, as only people who are so closely bonded can have such open communication between them (whether they will admit it or not)...

The two bickering characters in question do not have to be romantically involved with each other as the trope can apply to any two individuals such as best friends, siblings, military comrades, and a couple of strangers...

Although Zutara doesn’t quite fit the “Old Married Couple” trope, considering their arguments (in canon at least) never quite descend into that level of scathing (yet not hurtful) heat, many of the same principles apply. In EIP, Katara is comfortable enough with Zuko to the point where she is able to banter with him in a way that implies that they’ve been close for a very long time. Additionally, their communication in this episode is open in both a lighthearted and heavier sense.

Of course, we can always assert that the way Katara teases Zuko is much too similar to how she teases Sokka, but those similarities also speak more about Katara’s personality and sense of humor (and, in a relationship-sense, the degree to which she is comfortable/open she is with the other party) rather the platonic/romantic nature of her relationship. After all, if the same bickering that can apply to Old Married Couple tropes can describe “two individuals such as best friends, siblings, military comrades, and a couple of strangers,” then we can also say that the way Katara teases Sokka, her sibling, can apply to how she teases a possible romantic interest.

Thank you for your ask anon, and thank you to @rideboldlyride and @firelxdykatara for your examples of romances that feature a healthy dose of banter :)

[kittenshift-17]

Sorry i'm back again. Maybe angsty, maybe sickly sweet. 92 “I want you to be happy.” for Zutara.

**credit to the original artist for the aesthetic. I can’t find the source, only a Pinterest post.

Marry Me

“What do you want, Katara?” Fire Lord Zuko snarled as he stormed down the corridor with an annoying Waterbender trailing along in his wake.

She huffed.

“I want you to be happy, Zuko!” she hissed. “Can’t you see that?”

“Katara,” he growled, glaring over his shoulder but not stopping on the way to his office, needing to get out of the corridor and into a hallway before anyone could see them arguing. Again.

“Am I wrong in thinking you’re not happy?” she demanded, stomping behind him and slamming the door when he stalked into his office with her right on his tail.

“You’re being ridiculous,” he growled, rounding his desk and pouring himself a healthy glass of whiskey.

“If you’re really, truly happy, Zuko, then tell me now, and I’ll walk out that door and never bring it up again,” Katara declared, leaning her hands on his desk from the far side of it, ever his adversary, always pushing him when she should leave things be.

Zuko downed his whiskey in one and poured another glass.

“I’m perfectly comfortable,” he told her, refusing to meet her eyes.

“That’s not what I asked you,” she smirked because damn it all, she knew he wasn’t happy. Of course, he wasn’t. He wanted her and instead, he was being forced into a betrothal with another woman because custom and tradition demanded it.

“Drop it, Katara,” he warned her.

“I won’t,” she shook her head. “You’re letting these pompous old windbags force you into a life you don’t want with a woman you can’t stand and I will not stand idly by and just let that happen, Zuko. Fire Lord or not.”

“What choice do I have?” he demanded. “I have to marry, Katara. Within the year, or they’ll take my crown.”

“So marry,” she shrugged.

“That was the plan,” he rolled his eyes. “Hence... the betrothal.”

She scowled at him, breathing hard and there it was, gaping between them like so much empty air and fizzing with all the things they’d never dared say to one another. Zuko wondered if she would dare speak into that void. He wondered if she was brave enough. He wondered if he was. Narrowing her eyes, she huffed at him in fury.

“Marry me, Zuko,” she demanded quietly.

And there is was. The thing they hadn’t dared to say to one another since the law about the Fire Lord taking a bride within a year of the coronation in order to keep his crown finally spewed into the space keeping them apart.

“You didn’t want to be Fire Lady,” he reminded her. “What use is making me happy in marriage if you won’t be?”

Her eyes widened in surprise.

“That’s why you haven’t asked me?” she asked incredulously. “Because I... Zuko, I said that months and months ago.”

“You said that you couldn’t think of a worse fate than being Fire Lady and that you wouldn’t have blamed my mother for whatever crimes she’d committed to escape my father and her responsibilities as his wife,” he hissed.

She simply stared at him, a little dumbfounded.

“You... I said that specifically referring to your mother and father’s scenario, you idiot!” she exclaimed. “As in, were I in your mother shoes and forced into a marriage with someone as evil as your father, I’d have done anything to flee. Not as in, I never want to be Fire Lady ever in my life, like say, maybe when a new, better, kind Fire Lord in the shape of my best friend comes forth.”

Zuko’s brow furrowed.

“But I want you to be happy,” he said. “You wouldn’t be happy as Fire Lady, Katara. It’s all meetings and high teas and political galas with the other Fire Nation royals and ambassadors.”

Katara raised her eyebrows.

“Are you saying you wouldn’t be happy with me, Zuko?” she demanded.

“I’m saying you’d suffer if you were forced into that role, and I won’t do that to you,” he said stubbornly.

“So... you don’t want to marry me?” she said, and here her voice grew small and fragile with the sting of rejection.

“I didn’t say that,” he sighed, eyeing her over the rim of his whiskey glass. “I said I don’t want to force you to be Fire Lady.”

Her eyes widened.

“So... were you not Fire Lord...” she began leadingly.

“I’d have already bungled a proposal that you probably would have turned down on principle for how bad it would undoubtedly have been,” he answered honestly.

Katara looked at the floor, her fingers playing with the cap on her water-pouch like she was thinking about bending at him. Her shoulders were tight and Zuko feared he’d offended her, or maybe disgusted her. They weren’t and had never actually been a couple, no matter his idle fantasies.

“You really are an idiot, you know?” she said to the carpet in front of his desk.

“Excuse me?” 

She looked up at him, the corners of her mouth twitching like she wanted to laugh.

“Don’t you think that if I didn’t think I’d be happy with you, forced to play Fire Lady or not, I’d have left the Fire Nation months ago?” she asked him. “Don’t you think... don’t you know after everything we’ve been through that as long as you’re next to me, I’ll be happy? Have you not figured that out yet?”

Zuko stared at her, his heart pounding inside his chest, because agni, this had to be a dream, didn’t it? She didn’t feel for him what he felt for her. She never had. If she had, she would’ve said something when he suggested Mai as his wife even though the gloomy girl hadn’t been his girlfriend in ages and hadn’t enjoyed being it when she was.

“You... want to be Fire Lady?” he asked her quietly. “With the crown and the stares and the responsibilities and forever being in the spotlight and the boring meetings and the fancy, dull dinners?”

“I want you, Zuko,” she answered quietly. “Even if all those things come along with whatever I have to do to get you... to keep you. I... please don’t marry Mai, Zuko. Marry me. Please?”

Zuko thought his heart might explode.

“Aren’t I supposed to ask you?” he said. “Isn’t that customary?”

She rolled her eyes.

“Like you wouldn’t have made it the most awkward thing ever?” she challenged, smirking.

Zuko’s lips twitched. Yeah. He really needed to work on being less awkward.

“You really want to marry me?” he asked, rounding his desk slowly and setting down his empty glass as he went.

“Even if I have to dance naked in a barrel of ungai singing the Ode to the Fire Nation song,” Katara nodded, her eyes filling. 

“How did you find out about the ceremony specifics?” he teased, laughing as he reached her, his hands lifting to cup her cheeks.

Katara laughed as the first tears of happiness slid down her cheeks and Zuko claimed her lips for their first delirious kiss, already planning to make sure he never had to kiss any other woman ever again.

[punkinroses]

Alright! Round two of the next generation(s) for the Zutara au I eventually want to write. The last post detailed Zuko and Kataras kids and grandkids. So, I feel it fitting to address the next batch of them with the

Sukka Kids

Yue: The eldest daughter of Sokka and Suki, she has risen to become the current elected chief of the Southern Water Tribe. Charismatic, strong willed and kind, she lives up not only to the legacy of her parents, but also her namesake. She's someone who has been doing the best she can for her people and the growth of their Tribe and has been currently been in meetings to figure out which is the best route for her people, fully uniting with their Northern sister tribe or to gain full independence, or if their current compromise is beneficial to her people. The biggest shock of her parents life came when she showed to be a Waterbender, something that was much to the delight of her Aunt Katara. Yue has many of her aunts softer features, but has her fathers dark brown hair, blue eyes and darker skin. She keeps her long hair braided back in a thick plait and has it kept with a blue band with a Water Tribe charm attached to it.

Her husbands name is Kenai. He is the son of one of the council Elders who fell head over heels for Yue when they were just teenagers and was constantly trying to win her affections. She soon found herself falling for him and after a long, grueling grilling from Sokka, the two would be married. He's an equal partner and counselor to her over political matters and he also runs his own restaurant that serves traditional Southern Water Tribe cuisine, along with occasional specialties he's picked up from his Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation in laws. He's got long, dark brown hair, and greyish blue eyes and has been growing out his stubble as of late.

Their eldest child is their son Haku. He, like his mother, is very charismatic and strong willed, and he's also a social butterfly. He's focused on making strong connections with others as a show of leadership, and maybe flirting with the men and women of the Water Tribe he finds attractive. His parents are very determined to teach him leadership qualities while also letting him enjoy his youth while he can. He has dark brown hair done in a warriors wolf tail, much like his Grandpa Sokkas, bright blue eyes and he finds it quite funny that hes taller than his parents. He also has a tattoo on his upper left arm and wears Sokkas necklace.

Their middle child is their daughter, Eira. Eira was born deaf and uses sign language to speak, though she also knows how to read lips, and has also learned how to express herself through her waterbending. She actually wants to be a waterbending instructor for the younger generation, while also making art from her ice sculptors. She loves really stupid jokes and is a self proclaimed Penguin sledding champion. She also has recently gotten very into photography and is always taking pictures at family get togethers. Her hair actually hangs down freely and she has a couple strands done in her familys signature "hair loopies" and her eyes shine brightly and she loves the new dresses and jewelry her Aunt Kaguya brings her from her travels.

Their youngest children are the twins Kallik and Kari. The twins are quite frankly polar opposites. Kallik is very much a social butterfly like his brother and never knows a stranger. He wants to always run head first into adventure and be a great warrior and adventurer like his grandfather. Kari, on the other hand, likes to be kept to her own devices and is quite sarcastic, but she loves to read and invent. She wants her inventions to make a difference in the world, she just has to learn how to get them on a grander scale. Kalliks hair is always done up in a man bun, and Karis is done into pigtails with her bangs falling over one eye. They also have birthmarks on the opposite shoulder for each of them.

Aylin: The second born daughter, she has the heart of a true warrior. Aylin has trained hard to become not only just a Kyoshi Warrior, but one to lead her elite group and become a head guard to the President of Republic City, while also helping her younger sister run the training school. She's what she claims to be the most "sensible and logical" out of her sisters and believes there's reason behind everything and that anyone can rise up to be as strong and as capable as they put the effort into. She's also got every bit of her father's sarcastic personality. And with it all comes a strong sense of justice and a lot of influence from the story of Avatar Kyoshi. Like her parents, she's a nonbender but is heavily proficient in her fans, hand to hand combat and sword fighting, though she relies mostly on her fans. She has dark reddish brown hair kept in short, blue eyes and a slightly lighter complexion than Yue and is actually the shortest of her sisters.

Aylin has a girlfriend who is a metalbender named Ikue. Ikue, like her girlfriend, has a strong sense of justice and wanting to see a better world. She also uses that to her advantage when she wants to bring home stray animals by saying "It's the right thing to do to give them a home." Ikue works at a library in Republic City and believes knowledge is a great and essential tool in making a good world. She's also just waiting for the time to pop the question to Aylin or for her to do it, wanting to truly settle down.

Mahina: The third born daughter, she, like Aylin, followed their mothers footsteps into becoming a Kyoshi Warrior and is the head teacher at the dojo in Sukis home village on Kyoshi Island. She loves being a teacher more than anything, as she's able to guide the next generation of young women to being the best warriors they can be. And she loves telling horrible jokes to them to keep the smiles on their face and moral high when they feel like they're hitting a slump. She's a very playful and big hearted person, but can also prove to be just as deadly a warrior as Aylin and Suki. Her preferred weapon is the sword but she also was passed down her fathers beloved boomerang that she will frequently use. She's got a light olive complexion, a more muscular build, short brown hair and brown eyes, as well as her fathers cheekbones.

Mahina has only been married to her husband, Jian, for a year and they have recently announced they're expecting their first child. Jian is a hardworking soul and works as a merchant in their small town, selling not only custom jewelry, but very detailed and well made swords, knives and the works. They first met because of his work and for them it was love at first sight. He's very dedicated to his growing family and is very proud. He is a bit clumsy and socially awkward however.

Kaguya: The youngest daughter, Kaguya was always her fathers baby in a sense (though he loved all of the girls equally). She chose a different road than her sisters, and instead decided to follow her passion of poetry and music. Kaguya has become a famous singer and pipa player across the world and loves spreading her passion. She's very famous for her own spin on Don't Fall in Love with the Travelling Girl, Leaves From the Vine, and the revival of a shanty from Avatars Kyoshis time simply titled Work Shanty. She also has her own original works that have become very popular amongst the people. She's the most softspoken out of her sisters, and they argue she's the most spoiled, and she likes indulging in the life she's worked hard to gain. She dresses in the latest fashions and loves representing both her heritages with blues and greens. She's got long reddish brown hair, blue eyes and a slightly darker complexion than Mahina.

Kaguya claims she has no desire nor time for ever settling down with someone, and considers her nieces and nephews to be like her own children. She has actually discovered she is infertile after a particular couple of scares from flings but she is quite fine with that. It just means she can focus more on her real baby, music!

[cleverheroine]

As a hardcore Zutaran, Tophaang is growing on me.

I never had a particularly strong stance on the ship. Like, neither for or against it. I could see how it could work but I was never like ‘that should have happened’.  But now I’m feeling like it should have?  I don’t know, just now, whether there was as much evidence pointing to Tophaang as there was to Zutara but I’d be open to hearing any that you Tophaang shippers have. 

Here are just a couple I’ve thought of:  In the episode where Team Avatar end up in a mysterious swamp and each of them have visions, they have visions of people who are important to them. For Katara that was her mother, a person she loved.

For Sokka that was Yue, a person he loved. 

For Aang it was a vision of Toph, who he had not met yet. But it was accepted she’d be someone important to him. However through the remainder of the show, besides teaching him earthbending, she was never significantly more important to him than anyone else. 

If, however, this was hinting that Toph was going to be someone Aang loved -- as it was with Katara and Sokka -- it would make sense. A lot of the reason that Zutara shippers are so hardcore for Katara and Zuko is the show’s theme of balance. Of Yin and Yang. 

In the same episode that Aang has this vision of Toph, they meet Huu, the man who can use waterbending to control seaweed. He says that the division between the nations is an illusion, that they are all connected. 

The fact that Katara and Zuko’s elements are opposites, but that they compliment each other, that they are connected could also apply to Toph and Aang. Particularly because it’s in the episode where Aang first receives this vision of Toph that he’s told they’re connected, that she’ll be important to him. 

Other evidence that supports Zutara can also support Toph and Aang. 

In the fortune teller episode, Katara is simply told she’d marry a powerful bender -- the ending hints that it couldbe Aang, because Sokka comments he’s a powerful bender, but it’s purposefully vague. Zuko is also a powerful bender. Katara, up until the last five minutes of the show- where her entire personality and character and conviction is erased, was never romantically attracted to Aang. 

In the same episode that Katara has her romantic destiny vaguely hinted at to her, Aang receives a vague hint as well. One that purposefully breaks away from what the fortune teller actually saw was meant for him. She told him, basically, that he could determine that destiny by following his heart. 

She didn’t say that any specifics about who his romantic interest could be. Pair this with the fact his vision -- again, allegedly of someone important to him, and as compared to Katara and Sokka having visions of loved ones -- was of Toph. It could be argued that his heart was trying to lead him to Toph instead. 

I think, too, that Toph was more instrumental in his growth into the Avatar he needed to be to end the war. Where Katara was a passive teacher, encouraging and positive, with gentle nudges. That was for an element he was already able to control. Not as well as airbending, of course. But it came easily to him. 

Earth was his opposite. Aang needed to learn to stop avoiding problems, to stop ducking and diving and approaching things from a different angle-- to face problems head on. Toph taught Aang to stand strong in his convictions. 

Also, frankly, I don’t think it was an accident that Toph was the only character in the team that was the same age as Aang. 

Is there any other evidence that could suggest Tophaang was meant to be end game, the way Zutara was?

[allaboardtheloonyexpress]

5 Reasons Zutara would be a Disaster waiting to happen...

So I have noticed that several of my mutuals and followers ship “Zutara”, saying Zuko should have ended up with Katara. I am here to argue five reasons that would be a horrible idea.

TL:DR; Three words: Remember ROBB STARK!

Reason #5- Marrying Katara brings no benefit to Zuko-

Not to be completely cold, but Zuko needs to marry a woman who helps him politically, not the woman he loves. So we have to ask what does Katara bring to the table? The answer is, not much. For example, political marriages are often about bringing together major powers, securing an alliance. If Zuko married Katara, he would be marrying all this...

It’s not much. And keep in mind, Katara does not have the same power over her people that Zuko has over his people. So really she brings nothing to the table politically. I know that means nothing to some people, “love conquers all” and all that. However, one has to keep in mind the many costs marrying Katara would bring as a wife...

Reason #4- His people would HATE her-

So, Katara. There are a lot of things to love about her. She is smart, funny, guided by a strong moral compass. Unfortunately, none of these traits are important in Fire Nation politics.

What will matter is that she will lose the support of the nation in five minutes. The nobility will hate her for her rough, tribal manners. Not to mention she will undoubtedly rub the Fire Nation military the wrong way. Remember, her people were ravaged by this military. Do you think she has any love for them? In contrast, her best friend Aang massacred their fleet in the North!

Not even the people will like her! They likely lost family in the war. If Katara at any point indicates that she bears a grudge towards any Fire Nation war criminals (re: probably most high-ranking Fire Nation officers), one could expect the people to take it in the worst possible way. And don’t expect the people to think “Zuko likes her, that’s good enough for me”, because...

Reason #3- Zuko’s on thin ice as it is...

I’ve written about this already, but here’s the TL:DR version: Zuko would be coming to the throne without much in the way of reasons for the people to like him. He threw away an easy victory, and all the benefits that would come with it (cheap colonial land, plunder, etc.) In contrast, he has no major benefits to bring to the country. The Fire Nation has no major internal problems for him to solve. There is no rampant poverty that Ozai can be accused of ignoring. The only major enemy of the Fire Nation (the Avatar) is not only his best friend, but also defeated them with Zuko’s help.

The Nazis were able to take over Germany because the people just believed the Weimar Republic had stabbed them in the back! How is Zuko supposed to hold onto power when he actually did that? Who is his support base in the Fire Nation? Who in the Fire Nation has something to lose if he is overthrown? No one. Who has something to gain by overthrowing him? Everyone. So he needs to avoid any controversial marriages to stay in charge. And that’s important because...

Reason #2- Romance does not matter. Politics are everything-

So, many people who are reading this list may have noticed that absolutely none of my posts have anything to do with Katara and Zuko as a romantic couple. Instead, I have focused on how Katara would make Zuko even more unpopular with his people. My reasons for this are simple. ZUKO IS THE ONLY THING KEEPING PEACE ALIVE!!!

I apologize for my overdramatic presentation, but it is fact. Keep in mind, the Fire Nation was not subjected to the sort of devastation suffered by say, the Axis Powers during World War II. But the Earth Kingdom was, meaning there is no meaningful counterbalance to deter Fire Nation warmongering. The only reason that the Fire Nation military has ceased its rampage across the world is that the current Fire Lord (Zuko) has called them off. If Zuko is overthrown, there is no one to stop the Fire Nation from going right back to business as usual. (At least, business as Sozin intended.) And that will mean the deaths of thousands. Not to mention, Aang would likely have no puppet ruler to put on the Fire Nation throne this time, meaning he would have to obliterate the Fire Nation this time! So if you want Zuko to go Robb Stark, just remember what happened to him...

You also may have noticed I have one more reason to keep Zuko and Katara apart. Well...

Reason #1- What about Mai?

Finally, you would leave poor Mai alone? How can you do that, you monsters?

[redrobin-detective]

Not trying to get into the shipping war but I didn't get into Avatar TLA fandom until post S2 and it had never occured to me to ship Katara/Zuko. They were enemies who fought over Aang. They had the worst relationship w/each other until post TSR ep (which for a number of reasons I thought was the most anti romantic Zuko/Katara ep that also pushed why Aang was more compatible). I personally find their platonic dynamic, be it as enemies or friends, much more fascinating/better for each other.

(Just want to take a moment to say thank you anon, I’ve been looking for an opportunity to rant about Zutara when I see this in my ask. Thank you for giving me the chance to rant about something that’s bothered me for 10 years)

People are allowed to ship what they want, I can’t stop them and I generally don’t care but Zutara has bugged me since I decided to watch ATLA (the Day of Black Sun was the first live episode I watched). If you like Zutara, go ahead and please enjoy it. I strongly dislike it and I’m going to explain why. If you don’t want to see it, don’t read under the cut. I will be discussing why I dislike Zutara and why I support Maiko and Kataang (with caveats).

I think Zutara was the first, really big ship I encountered in fandom. I was blown away by how mean and intense some people were into shipping fictional characters (still am tbh). This is also probably the first real time I was exposed to the ‘Opposites Attract’ trope of shipping which. I. Utterly. Despise. Everyone was all 'oh fire and water, opposites coming together in love uwu’ and I’m like ??? Even 13 year old me who’s terrible with people and was still icked out by the idea of guys knew that opposites attract is a complete fallacy in a relationship.

People don’t fall in love with their opposite! Or maybe they feel strong attraction but to have a stable, respectful relationship you simply can’t work with someone who you can’t find common ground with. Now I know this isn’t completely true even as I type this, there are exceptions to everything but in most cases, opposites don’t work for romance. Let’s also kill the 'Oh these people hate each other, it must be sexual tension’ trope while we’re at it. Sometimes you just gotta let people hate each other.

You may argue that Katara and Zuko aren’t complete opposites and I would agree, they actually have a decent amount in common. The main problem I see with them is their complimentary traits don’t suit each other and as a couple they wouldn’t achieve a healthy, happy relationship.

- Both Katara and Zuko have unresolved anger relating to their childhoods and respective traumas. We see in TSR that Zuko is trying to reach out to her by feeding her anger and Katara very nearly does something she would have regretted later, something opposed to her basic traits while Zuko is having his father’s teaching on hatred and revenge justified to an extent. This is not a healthy thing.

- Both Katara and Zuko are compassionate and protective almost to the point of jealousy and rage. Again, that sort of personality wouldn’t promote respect but become confining. Zuko has shown that he struggles with romantic jealousy (though most of that incident was born out self-hatred, it’s still there just better controlled) and Katara has a desire to mother and protect. Those two instinct would war with each and make the relationship troubled from the start.

- Both Katara and Zuko are fiercely loyal to their people. I have never been more confused than I was by a text post saying Zutara should have been endgame because Katara “wouldn’t have had her cultural identity erased to become Aang’s baby momma” like??? Aang, for all his faults, loved Katara as she was and she maintained her Water Tribe roots even as his wife. If Katara married Zuko, she’d have been Fire Lady, loyal to the Fire Nation first and forced to live in a Palace. Katara would HATE that level of confinement and while she mightbe better with the Fire Nation now, I doubt she’d be totally cool spending the restof her life amongst the people who murdered her Mother.

Not tomention the whole animosity they had literally throughout the entire series. Ofcourse, Zuko proved himself in TSR but I don’t think Katara really accepted himuntil Sozin’s Comet. And before you cry your tears about how Zuko saved Katarafrom Azula’s lightening, I’m 100% certain given Zuko’s character that he wouldhave done that for anyone. Azula knows her brother is softhearted and we’veseen Zuko protect literal strangers when he didn’t need to. That could havebeen Old Man Li and Azula would have shot that lightening and Zuko would havethrown his stupid ass in the way.

I can see Katara and Zuko growing to begood, close friends. Because we all have those friends that we care and rely onbecause they’re different from us,think differently and bring something unique. Zuko probably relied on Katarafor counsel, advice on how to be a kind but strong ruler while Katara wouldseek him out on political manners and how best to handle Aang. Zuko is a partof the Gaang, now and forever more, he and Katara are the mature ones of thegroup, there to bring order and peace and pave the way for the new world. Butas a romantic couple, they’re simply not complementary in personality andlifestyle to have a truly happy relationship.

Whichbrings me, briefly I promise, to the relationships the two characters are in:Maiko and Kataang. I love Maiko, it’s my favorite of the ATLA ships (aside fromSokki) because I feel they do work and complement each other. I’ll start by gettingthis right out of the way; yes it’s kind of ridiculous that Mai and Zuko hadthat cute lil kiddie crush and then, 5 minutes after Zuko’s back in the FireLord’s favor, Mai makes a move. I’d have preferred if they showed more build-upto the relationship but I guess there wasn’t enough time. But I don’t get allthese accusations of Maiko being abusive. Becauselet me tell you, just because someone messes up in a relationship, makes amistake for the right reasons, that does not mean they’re abusive.

To me, Maiand Zuko are products of the same environment: emotionally stunting/abusive,rigid, accepting nothing less than perfection but they handled it differently.Zuko chose to become angry and emotional over his circumstances (I thinkbecause it’s the only way he could fuel his bending) and Mai chose to bury herfeelings. Healthy? No, Realistic? Yes. Mai liked Zuko because he was genuinelynice guy, he was expressive and open when no one else around her was andencouraged her to be more open. Zuko liked Mai because she was cool and calmbut also a bit nurturing when he needed someone to soothe his flames.

Twodamaged kids helping to repair each other’s faults, what’s better than that?Mai makes mistakes with Zuko, she doesn’t know how to handle his troubles in the Fire Nation and, frankly, she couldn’t. Zuko needed that time to self-reflect and understand that what was happening was wrong. Zuko likewise behaved badly in a few episodes when his anger and self-hatred were making him explode. They both worked through this to improve like, gee, a normal healthy relationship.

Plus Mai would make a good Fire Lady. The Fire Nation needed stability afterthe war and Mai was nothing if not stable. She comes from a good, noble family(to soothe traditionalists) and she’s experienced in keeping firebenderscontrolled (for those worried about Zuko’s youth) and experienced in the waysof the world like Zuko so he can bounce ideas off of her and have her give backa more well-rounded perspective. It’s not perfect but when the series endedthey were 16/15, they have time to learn and grow together. (also I’m ignoringthe comics after The Promise because everything after has sucked)

Kataang I’ma lot less invested in but I can still understand it. Like Zuko and Mai, Aangand Katara have a lot in common and provide a good balance for one another.They really bring out the best in each other, Aang’s encouragements and naturalcheer brighten Katara’s inner sadness/anger and Katara gives Aang a sense oflove and purpose while also gently nudging him the way he needs to go. Peoplecomplain that Kataang was pushed from the start and it was, but man if Aangdoesn’t love the hell out of Katara. He respects her and relies on her andadores her but is still able to push back when she’s out of line. My main thingwith Kataang, which will eventually resolve itself, is the ages. Aang is 12when he’s freed from the iceberg, Katara 14. Aang’s love was a kiddie puppycrush on a calming maternal figure which made me feel a bit icky during the finalepisode.

Because earlyAang did love Katara but he also needed her as a guide and a mother figurewhile Katara was nurturing Aang and making sure he’s safe and happy when hereally needed to be facing the consequences of some of his actions. I see whythe characters did what they did but it makes a romance then kind of ug. I’dhave preferred if the series ended with hints and then skipped to LOK where wesee they married and junk. Because given a few years, I can see Aang and Katarabeing a good healthy couple (with no *shudders* sweeties to be seen).

Aang has just changed the world, he needstime to settle himself as the Avatar and to help Zuko and other leaders repairthe damage done by the 100 year war. Katara needs to figure out what she’sgoing to do, go home? Travel? A romance isn’t advised, especially since they’reso young. But when they’re a few years older, Aang is more mature and iswilling to see Katara as a partner and not someone to mother him and Kataragrows into her potential and decides what she wants, yeah then they’d be happy.

TL;DR: Istrongly dislike Zutara (along with the ‘opposites attract’ and ‘animosity =sexual tension’ tropes it embodies) because it’s not a healthy, compatible shipwhile the canon ships: Maiko and Kataang are much more in line with thecharacters and their goals and have the chance to be long-lasting and happy.

[perfectlypanda]

This should have been tagged “anti Zutara” not “Zutara”. However, since you decided to disrupt our tag - making any comparisons between post-AtLA K*taang and post-AtLA Zutara in an attempt to criticize the idea of Zutara is an exercise in futility because you’re comparing established fact with a hypothetical scenario.

If you accept the comics and LoK as canon, then we know how Aang and Katara turned out as a married couple, and as parents. With K*taang there is no wiggle room, because we’ve been shown how their story goes. Being the canon ship becomes a double edged sword in this regard.

There is no canon married Zuko and Katara material to cite as evidence. You cannot definitively argue about how something would turn out in a Zutara endgame because it’s not real. Which means that we can pretend that Zuko and Katara’s lives post-AtLA turn out however we would like them to.

You say “don’t for a moment pretend that a Zutara dynamic would’ve been any different”, but any ideas for how Zuko and Katara would turn out as a married couple and as parents are pure head canon. Some may agree with your grim assessment of how things would be, but a quick glance at our tag would show that most Zutarians envision an egalitarian marriage where Master Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, Queen Consort of the Fire Nation plays an equal role in world politics with her husband Zuko, and where her and Zuko’s children grow up with an appreciation for both their Water Tribe and Fire Nation heritage.

I won’t bother to engage your final point, because broadly criticizing any group of people and claiming they all share the exact same opinion is ridiculous. Much like your insistence that we only discuss Katara’s character because we care about her relationship status.

I’ve been trying to put my finger on why it makes me really uncomfortable when I see Zutara shippers using the claim that by ending up with Aang, Katara became a trophy wife, to support the idea that she should’ve ended with Zuko and I think I’ve figured it out

Firstly to me it’s such bullshit that a relationship with Zuko wouldn’t also be prone to falling into a power husband/trophy wife dynamic when you think of all the things that Aang and Zuko have in common:

Both have massively, globally significant leadership roles

Both believe those roles to be linked to their destinies and the core of their purpose in this life

Both roles would’ve drawn them away from their families in either distance or time or both, leaving their spouses with childcare

Both feel unwaveringly bound to their duty in these roles and would ultimately place them before most other things

Both come from cultures vastly different to Katara’s (which I’ve seen given as reasoning for Aang to become distant from her, as if Zuko’s culture couldn’t be any more disimilar).

But I digress, this isn’t what makes me uncomfortable.

Now by all means please, critique Katara’s character development throughout the comics and LoK if you believe she was done dirty and lost agency, power, and dimension, or that she became second-to her love interest but do me two favours here:

1) don’t for a moment pretend that a Zutara dynamic would’ve been any different

2) and this is the big one. stop framing the discussion of her character post-war, in the context of “who she ended up with”, because she is so more than that. But more importantly, piggybacking off a legitimate critique of what could be considered sexist writing of a female character JUST to support your ship without actually addressing or engaging in the issue behind the critique AT ALL just tells me that you don’t give two shits that she ended up being written as a trophy wife, you just believe she ended up a trophy wife to the wrong man.

[whatshesays-goes]

I don’t really ship Zutara but look at them looking like an old married couple arguing about their children and shit <3

Oh, everyone trusts you now? I was the first person to trust you, remember? Back in Ba Sing Se. And you turned around and betrayed me. Betrayed all of us.