#zutara hate recognized but will be ignored

[srirachaz]

i feel like the biggest reason that dimartino and konietzko left live action atla production was bc the show runners wanted to make zutara canon

[ecoterrorist-katara]

love love love ur parentification analysis on sokka and katara especially katara’s section! it puzzles me so when KA’s say ZK’s do not understand the show nor katara when to me it’s so obvious we do 😭

thank you so much anon! I’m so happy that my post resonated with you!

A while back I saw a Tumblr survey about favourite characters and ships. It basically showed that for people whose favourite character is Katara, Zutara is the most popular ship. Obviously the Venn diagram between Zutara shippers and Katara fans isn’t a circle, but I think the overlap contributes to why so many ZKs are passionate about Katara. Also, ZKs who are Katara fans tend to be pretty flexible with Katara ships: many people like Harutara / Jiangtara / Yuetara / Sukitara / Azutara (though most shippers of Azutara tend to be Azula stans first and Katara stans second). What’s really funny and a little sad to me is that non-ZK Katara fans who dislike her canon arc get accused of being ZKs by antis (this happens weirdly often to @sapphic-agent). It’s like some antis can’t comprehend the idea that people might just love Katara without the ship war.

I generally like reading POVs from Katara fans of all ships, but I recently discovered that I tend to disagree with POVs from Zukka shippers. They often try to defend Katara’s “childhood” by pointing out that Katara sometimes goofs off and Sokka also takes responsibility, so she’s not just the “mom friend.” To be clear I’m not disagreeing with those points, but I don’t think downplaying her parentification trauma is defending her childhood, especially since goofing off & being impulsive make her parentification more realistic, not less. It feels kind of disingenuous to accuse the fandom of being the ones to parentify her when The Runaway exists, especially since they downplay Katara’s parentification in order to play up Sokka’s parentification. There’s nothing feminist about ignoring the invisible labour performed by a woman in a cartoon, not when brave women IRL have been agitating to recognize care work for literal decades. I wrote my undergrad thesis on invisible labour performed by women, especially women of colour, in radical activist spaces…so I feel really strongly about this.

I think it’s interesting that a lot of ATLA fans claim Katara shouldn’t be with Zuko on the grounds of her colonial trauma, but refuse to entertain the notion that maybe she shouldn’t be with Aang (a kid who evades responsibility) because of her parentification trauma. The murder of her mother stems from imperialist violence, but her subsequent parentification stems from patriarchal gender norms around divisions of labour and assignations of responsibility. The patriarchy is a thing in ATLA, and it’s canonically something that Katara hates almost as much as the Fire Nation (incidentally, reason 27363729 why the fic Southern Lights is so special to me is how it deftly explores both anger at a colonial apparatus & anger at your own people for their patriarchal oppression).

[longing-for-rain]

Do you think that a lot of the kataang fans behavior has to do with the rise of puriteens online

Yes, I think it's definitely related to a lot of new fans' behavior.

I do want to say though, I really don't love the way "puriteens" are dunked on at times, because I think it is important to acknowledge the reason why this sentiment is so common. These kids are younger gen Z and older gen alpha kids that were raised in the age of social media. Speaking from experience a Zillenniel, I saw the beginnings of this when I was younger and just getting online.

Kids (especially girls, who make up the majority demographic of fandoms) are exposed to some pretty horrific things online from a young age. We are bombarded with sexual content, we are sexualized from a young age, we see ourselves talked about in dehumanizing ways, and when we get upset, we, even as children, are blamed for not "curating our experience" despite it being an open secret that this kind of content/sentiment pretty much unavoidable now. The people spreading it just don't want accountability. So I understand where they're coming from, I really do. They are tired of that kind of treatment, but they lack the maturity to understand the nuance, and that there is no black-and-white solution. There is space to talk about the problems in our culture without completely shutting down discussion of anything negative.

That being said, it's incredibly frustrating when they take it to extremes, especially when they're no longer teens and still act this way into adulthood. No, you can't hide from the world forever and pretend like problems don't exist. If you ignore it, it won't go away.

I see the sentiment a lot among the new wave of kataang fans (and similar groups of fans of other media) that "why does everyone hate the PURE couple" and "they are so sweet and innocent why do you want everything to be DARK instead?" It shows the harm in these kinds of mindsets, because while yes, kataang does have this cutesy aesthetic, it is very much a flawed relationship with challenges that both the show and fans sweep under the rug to maintain the illusion of its purity and cinnamon-roll-ness. The fans want a relationship devoid of conflict, so they pretend like the conflict that is already there and would arise in the relationship simply doesn't exist.

Meanwhile Zutara has an edgier aesthetic to it (despite actually being a sweet and wholesome relationship itself but that's another conversation) and comes with obvious challenges (like the characters beginning their story as enemies), but part of the beauty in that is the way the fans have interrogated those challenges and explored them in a meaningful way. Obviously not all fan content does this, but as someone who has enjoyed Zutara for...how long now? Almost 15 years? ...I generally see a very thoughtful approach to how both characters develop a strong relationship based on respect and understanding. Which is exactly what the show did with Zuko's arc. It's why he's such a loved character; yes, he is imperfect and flawed, but he confronted those flaws meaningfully and became a better person for it. It's what makes his story so memorable and inspiring. Zutara fans just apply the same logic to Zutara, and it's why the relationship is so memorable for us.

So yeah. I can understand where these kids are coming from, but they've got to grow up and recognize that they're only becoming their own worst enemies at this point.

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

Genuine question, what's wrong with "Momtara" and "Dadko" takes? I neither ship nor hate Zutara and haven't been in its fandom, so I'm just curious.

It's part of the habit some Zutarians have of claiming Zuko and Katara are THE most mature of their friend group, to the point that the Gaang sees them as their parents and they see them as their kids as well, so naturally they'd end up becoming a couple (and it is also used to claim ships like Kataang are pedophilia or incest, despite both being kids AND not at all related to each other). People, like me, really dislike that and hate seeing it be pushed as absolute truth because it ignores the facts that:

1 - Even though Katara is the "mom friend", she sort of resents that role a bit and wants to just be a kid like her friends.

2 - The Gaang appreciates and loves her even when she's not playing the role of "mom friend" - in fact, they sometimes like her MORE when she's not doing that.

3 - A lot of Katara's mom "motherly" behavior is a result of them rarely having any adults around, and thus they all had to grow up too fast.

4 - The Gaang's moments of latching onto Katara as a "mother" figure comes from their own traumas regarding their own families.

5 - ALL the members in the Gaang have had moments in which they were the "more mature, smart and responsible" one in the group because, surprise surprise, they've ALSO had to grow up too fast.

6 - Katara has also had plenty of silly, immature, impulsive, childlike moments because, as Aang rightfully points out, she IS a kid, and the fact that he recognized that is one of the reasons why she grew to like him so quickly.

7 - Sokka is the only one who said "When I think of mother, I think of Katara", and even their dynamic usually works more as siblings that are constantly bickering but care about each other a lot - and again, Sokka did have moments in which he was the "mature" one trying to take care of her, like in the Jet episode.

8 - Zuko is NOT the "dad friend" of the group. His whole deal is being the awkward former enemy and the friend that is very dramatic, angsty, and quick to anger. He is not "co-parenting" his friends with Katara, he is joining their support group of "Deeply traumatized children in charge of fixing a mess that adults are too incompetent to deal with."

9 - Even if they WERE co-parenting their friends, that would not automatically mean they'd fall for each other or be a good match, especially once Zuko becomes Fire Lord and Katara is spending half her time home with her family, and the other half traveling around and that dynamic (which I repeat: wasn't even the one they had in the show) would be broken.

"Momtara and Dadko" is just another sad, very specific fanfic trope pushed as canon because Zutarians will use ANY "argument" to try and convince themselves that their ship is the only thing that makes sense (and again, that Kataang is somehow incest/pedophilia).

[bohemian-nights]

People love to reminds Aegon is a rapist but totally ignore that Rhaenyra is a woman clearly illed of Stockolm syndrome cause she end up loving the people who hurt and betray her. Alicent included, i hate Rhaenycent idc sapphic or not, it's toxic, and then she is in love with Daemon and marry him. A man who manipulated her, exploited her, and abused her even after the miscarriage of their own child! Incest is the last of the problems in their relationship...I think Daemyra shippers suffer of the same syndrome cause sees love from Daemon where there isn't. Nyra is terribly naive and they worship her like if she is great ruler or something, but the truth is that she's incapable even of recognize her enemies. How a woman like this can be the rightful heir lmao she's no better than Aegon!

I actually understand liking a little bit of toxicity in a ship. Lol, all of my favorite ships except for one(Olitz, Dramione, Jane Eyre Mr. Rochester, Dettles, and Zutara) have some measure of problematic behavior in them, but when you get to physical abuse and abandonment, I’m out 💃🏽

It’s not even a toxic romance anymore, it’s straight-up abuse.

Rhaenyra has been choked out, abandoned, and her kid's lives have been threatened(which is why I laugh every time I see a Rhaeicent Stan come for Dettles, you guys ship a ship where they want to kill each other's families 🙃)by her love interests but that’s okay. She still wants them and Rhaenyra gets what she wants because she’s the best. They didn’t mean it. Everyone should love her, why don’t you love her 🫠

She really isn’t better than her brother. She’s an overly indulged woman with poor decision-making skills who is constantly putting her safety and that of her children in danger. Then when things don’t work out her way(again she’s constantly putting herself in harm's way) her answer to things is violence🙃

[midnightmah07]

yeah. the legend of korra is nowhere near as good as avatar the last airbender. ignoring the part about katara, toph, etc. the show just kind of makes stuff up to justify adding new mechanics and the main team are in a love square from hell. so not worth it

Yeah I've heard about that💀

Plus a few years ago I watched like the first ep (keep in mind this was before I watched ATLA) out of pure curiosity and like... It was alright? I found Korra a bit annoying tho but idk if it holds up it was very long ago😍

I've heard about the love square and I ✨hate it✨ but tbh other than Sokka and Suki I genuinely think the writers suck at writing romance — this isn't just bc I enjoy zutara and taang, but more because like... I think towards the end they kinda fumbled kataang? Like yeah fine I didn't like them but I recognized they were cute, but for some reason near the ending they just sucked horribly 💀 so yeah, not the biggest fan of how atla writers handled the romance, so I'm not surprised the writers from Lok are awful at this part as well

[khashanakalashtar]

Rules: Pick ten of your fics, scroll to somewhere in the middle, pick a chunk of lines, and share it! Then tag ten people, if you’d like.

I got all the way through this thinking I was pretending I’d been tagged by @theleakypen and then realized that ve didn’t post this verself, ve reblogged it from @shadaras, (which explains why I don’t recognize any of the fics, duh) so I guess I’m pretending I was tagged by shadaras, who will likely never see this bc I can’t tag him. and tagging @the-lincyclopedia, @softanimalgoose, @alasse-irena, @songofsunset, @bookwyrmling, @lemonlushff, @faiasakura, @theflowergirl, @eldritchw1tch, and LUNY AND CLEM WHY CAN’T I TAG YOU so you’re each counting as half a tag. and Puck if you want to play consider yourself tagged. :p it’s so nice to have more than three people to tag in these things.

I tried to get a good distribution of fics from my Check Please days (2018) on. Some of these are Khashana classics, others deserved better. Whether I could find a good clump of lines near the middle heavily factored in as well.

Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach, MDZS, 8k, Wangxian, rated T, written for WWX’s Birthday Gift Exchange Oct 2022

“You look beautiful,” Lan Zhan murmurs. Wei Ying lets out a sob and covers her mouth with one hand. Not quite sure of her welcome, Lan Zhan raises her arms, and Wei Ying flings herself into them. She tries to turn her face away to keep Lan Zhan dry, but Lan Zhan catches her and turns her so her face is nestled into the side of Lan Zhan’s neck.

“I’m getting you all damp, Lan Zhan,” murmurs Wei Ying.

“Let me absorb,” Lan Zhan whispers back, and Wei Ying clings.

Can’t Be Anyone But You, MDZS, 1.8k, Wangxian, rated T, written in early 2022

He had to look away to summon the face to say the last part, but then he chanced a quick glance back at Lan Zhan’s face, which confirmed nothing.

“You love me,” he said, and his voice broke slightly. “You love me, and so it isn’t called ‘Wei Ying, so help me I am going to make you copy the rules for eternity if you don’t shut up.’”

When the Day Met the Night, MDZS, 8k, Wangxian, rated E, written in late 2021

Lan Zhan won’t look at him, face still red, glaring a hole into the opposite wall now Huaisang’s disappeared.

Sucks to be him. Wei Ying is a pro at being annoying and has, as previously established, very little shame.

“Have you been holding out on me, Lan Zhan?” he asks, raising his voice to normal talking-at-a-party level. “Do you bring people home and tie them up in bed? Has he walked in on it? Did I awaken something in you?”

Fragile Lives/Shattered Dreams, ATLA, 11k, rated T, Zutara that turns into Zukka, written for the ATLA 18+ Big Bang 2021

“What do the Water Tribes think of—of men who like men? The way they’re supposed to like women?” He stared at a patch of snow, feeling his cheeks heat and watching Sokka out of the corner of his eye.

Sokka paused and looked up. “I wouldn’t say supposed to,” he said. “But I know what you mean. We celebrate it.”

Zuko’s mouth dropped open. That was one answer he had absolutely not considered. Celebrate? Not hate, not tolerate, not even accept, but celebrate?

Retribution, ATLA, 8k, rated T, gen with minor Jetko and Sukki, written in early 2021

He leaves early for work and sticks his head into Jet’s coffee shop.  

“What’s up, Mr. MCR Reunion Tour?”

Zuko makes the executive decision to ignore that baffling comment entirely and walks up to the counter. Jet arches an eyebrow at him. Zuko fists a hand in his lapels, drags Jet forward over the counter, and kisses him on the lips firmly.

He keeps it quick and chaste, and when he releases Jet, he has the pleasure of seeing him speechless. Zuko smirks at him and leaves before Jet can find his voice again.

(yes this counts as minor Jetko as it’s the sum total of the time it shows up at all in the 8k, lol)

Throw destiny out with the bathwater, I make my own path; Supernatural, 1.2k, rated T, Destiel, post-finale fix-it in late 2020

Besides, Jack isn’t coming.

“Sammy,” he tries again. “What’s the point of free will if he’s just going to come down and save us every time we get in a tight spot?”

“What’s the point of sacrificing myself to save your life if you’re going to get yourself killed days later by accident?” says Cas from somewhere outside Dean’s field of vision.

All My Underdogs, Check, Please!, 16k, rated E, PBJ, written in mid-2020

“How did you get together?”

“Met at the Olympics,” said Kent between bites of grilled cheese. “Bonded over his dad being Bad Bob Zimmermann and my mom being Gina Jackson. Fucked. Then I won the bronze, came out to my mother, announced I was quitting competitive figure skating, and ran away to live with the Zimmermanns for five months.”

“Oh my Lord,” said Bitty, abandoning all pretense of eating. “That is the most extra thing I have ever heard.”

Disrespect, ATLA, 2k, rated T, gen, written in mid-2020

Toph is sitting next to him, on the other side of the couch with her earbuds in, listening to her economics textbook. Zuko sets his laptop on the floor, every motion deliberate and decided, and scoots across the center of the couch. She hears him coming and lifts her arm to let him snuggle up under. With her other hand, she pauses her phone.

“You okay, Sparky?”

He sighs, feeling himself on a precipice. He shakes his head where it’s pressed against her shoulder.

Around him, the quiet of four people studying hardens into actual silence.

Daiquiris and Celtic Knots, Check Please!, 6k, rated M, Kent/Snowy, written for Fandom Trumps Hate 2019

“Did you find parking okay?”

“Oh, I didn’t bother getting a rental. Took an Uber.”

Jakub makes a face at him. “Take a taxi next time.”

“What have you got against Uber?” Kent pulls up a barstool and accepts a glass of wine.

“I’m union,” says Jakub flatly. “So are you. Take a taxi.”

I Need Direction to Perfection (is there room for one more), Check Please!, 28k, rated E, PBJ, written in 2018

“He’s your husband,” said Kent.

“Again, not cheating,” said Jack. He frowned. “Do you not want to say no?”

Kent glanced at him and looked away quickly again, eyes big. He said nothing.

“What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know,” said Kent. “I have no idea what I’m feeling except there’s too fucking much of it.”

[zelzenik]

my take on the infamous kataang kisses

so i just saw this post that spoke highly of Kataang and on how ATLA deals w consent and what's allowed between partners, and i'm... i'm mad, lol.

this has been spoken on before, but since these bad takes are still floating around on the internet, i feel the need to at least vent/give some sort of rebuttal.

i'm not linking or screenshotting this post, but this is word-for-word what was said regarding Kataang (questionable grammar has been transposed as well):

"One of the many things I adore about atla is how the girls are allowed to and do tell their partners off when they cross a line.... Katara gets upset with Aang for kisses her without her consent, and it's never made out to be overly dramatic or unreasonable, it's framed so that the girls are in the right."

HOW does Kataang properly convey this message??

there's a lot to unpack here. like, a lot

just to start off, yes, i'm aware that not all Kataangers believe that the kisses were consensual and can recognize how problematic (and WRONG) they were. but there are some (many) who do not

for the sake of this rebuttal, we're all going to establish and agree on what happened with the Kataang kisses. personally, in the Cave of Two Lovers episode, i don't believe they kissed - if they had kissed, the creators would've made that known in the show; in the Day of the Black Sun episode, it was clear that Katara was NOT pleased w what went down, same with the Ember Island Players episode; the finale kiss was consensual, however, in my opinion, it made absolutely no sense and came out of nowhere.

this is an address to the following various shippers within the ATLA fandom.

to those who DEFEND Aang's actions toward Katara and JUSTIFY these non-consensual kisses:

don't DO this. these portrayals of murky non-con kisses on television are so harmful!! they perpetuate this whole "nice guy" complex where a guy (or anyone) thinks that he (or they) deserve(s) or can take physical affection from others without their consent/mutual feeling. we have such an awful problem in media concerning these sorts of "nice guys" who wind up taking advantage of women simply due to the fact that they know they're nice and feel that they deserve it.

yes, Aang was a child. yes, he was in an iceberg for like 100 years. i work with plenty of preteens from the ages 10-12, and they've all been taught to respect other people's boundaries, especially when it involves romantic (and depending on how old they are, sexual) encounters; it's worth noting that, at least from my experience, guys are significantly less interested in relationships around this age than girls are!

portraying Aang in a light where he simply takes what he wants from Katara multiple times does a disservice both to him as a character and to all who watched the show without having a clear outside understanding of physical boundaries.

to those who claim that the non-con Kataang kisses are good lessons to others on consent

i might have been able to agree with you had the situations been ADDRESSED within the show! but they were NOT.

the non-con Kataang kisses are not a good example of when a girl has been made uncomfortable by a guy or has been touched nonconsensually by one and stands up for herself because we never have a scene where Katara actually stands up for herself!

between the two non-con Kataang kisses that occurred during the show, not even FRACTION of the show was dedicated toward addressing them!

okay, yes, if you rewatch the show as an older teen or an adult with accurate views on consent, then, yes, those non-con kisses can be an example of how pervasive lack of consent is within our past/current culture

but, for the most part, this show is watched by kids. it's a kids' show. ofc it's grown to be much more beyond a kids' show, and there are so many teens/adults who LOVE the ATLA fandom, and that's totally cool! i'm always anti-harassment and anti-bullying-people-for-enjoying-shows-they-love.

for a show that's primarily marketed to children, though, regardless of the time that it was made in (since the 2000's were far less up to date on consent than we are now in the 2020's), if non-con kisses are included, then they should be addressed.

they can only be good lessons if they're addressed, instead of left hanging and teaching children that such non-con kisses are rewarded.

canonizing Kataang, in a way, validated Aang's blatant ignorance of Katara's boundaries which annoys me to no end.

to those who who say that this behavior was FINE because Kataang canonically dated/married

it's not! it's really freakin not!

do you know how many women experience some form of sexual harassment or assault or rape within their lifetime?? 1 in 6!

and do you know how often these women are unable to do anything about it because the person who attacked them is someone that they love or are involved with?

just because one may be in a relationship with another person doesn't simply excuse this type of behavior.

"no" or "i don't think this is a good idea" or "i'm not feeling this" or "maybe later?" or "i don't feel so good" or "we're in the middle of a war right now" or SILENCE -> NOT CONSENT!!

regardless of your relationship with another person, if they do not respect these boundaries, then they have not respected your damn boundaries.

i don't care if they're your boyfriend or your girlfriend or your husband or your wife or your partner. whatever. if they ignore your boundaries, then they are not respecting you, point blank.

closing

it's no secret that i'm a huge anti Kataanger. i first watched the show as a teenager, and while i initially started the show off loving Kataang, as soon as i hit the non-con kisses, i was immediately turned off from the ship and became a huge Zutara shipper (not even knowing which ship was ultimately endgame but especially loving the dynamic between ZK post-Crystal Catacombs scene).

as someone who's survived a relationship with non-con elements present, i cannot in good conscience ship Kataang because of those non-con kisses.

i love both Aang and Katara too much as characters to see them portrayed in such a way. what hurts the most is that all of these issues COULD have been fixed in the show, if there'd been some sort of reconciliation between Aang and Katara, some sort of encounter where Aang recognized that what he did was wrong and Katara learned that it's okay to say no. but this did not happen. so here i am writing a meta/rant/vent about it.

i understand that this post may not be well received, but this is something i really needed to get off my chest (again) because i hate seeing people praising ATLA for its poor examples of consent within relationships. (it literally drives me crazy.)

[firelxdykatara]

Katara hated Zuko. It was a plot point. Sokka never did--and their "friendship" in the show was close to becoming something more--so they were on equal footing and had hinted romance. Zutara is misogynistic--why are you forcing Katara into a relationship with someone she hates? Choose Toph or Suki if you really believe Zuko isn't gay.

there’s so much to unpack here, and i know i should really throw out the whole suitcase, but i just can’t help myself

and please, i beg of you, picture someone laughing so hard that tears are streaming down their face because that’s me right now, reading this ask. i about choked on my eggnog, so thanks for that!

point the first: sokka hated zuko every bit as much as katara did in the first two books. it was a plot point. sokka wanted to leave zuko to die because saving him wouldn’t have been worth the trouble--he was pragmatic and deeply distrustful of anyone who wasn’t in his immediate circle, and that went especially hard for anyone from the fire nation. including the birds!

point the first part two: sokka’s easy acceptance of zuko into the gaang had less to do with any budding friendship or caring for him (since there was none to speak of until the boiling rock episodes), and more to do with a lack of any personal grudge. aka: there was no tension there. nothing to really dig into--no true development of feelings. because aang needed a firebending teacher, zuko was around and willing to take on that role, and also he was a prime roasting target, so sokka was happy enough to let bygones be after he helped them take down combustion man.

which, of course, isn’t to say shipping them isn’t valid. there are plenty of ships that have little to no canon basis but a lot of fandom support, and that’s usually fine....until the fans start getting uppity about it and insisting that there Is Canon Basis Really, and then insisting that the ‘rival’ ship is misogynistic when their alleged ‘canon basis’ requires stripping everything meaningful from the girl’s relationship to the boy and giving it to her brother instead. which is exactly what you’re doing here, but i digress.

point the second: how on earth was sokka and zuko’s ‘friendship’ in the show (and why the scare quotes? were they not actually friends? are you really sitting in my inbox right now devaluing their platonic relationship because you don’t think it exists outside of your belief that they really wanted to fuck the whole time, despite sokka being in a happy relationship with someone else?) ‘close to becoming something more’? when did they ever have a single, solitary conversation that hinted at any ‘deeper’ feelings? sokka spent most of their buddy cop adventure to boiling rock mooning over his girlfriend (heh, get it? mooning? because he- oh, you get the point), to the point where he had literal hearteyes the instant he saw her--and zuko’s purpose there wasn’t to deepen his relationship with sokka so much as it was to reunite sokka and katara with their father, and to see an example of what a healthy paternal relationship actually looks like.

(one of my favorite shots in the show is zuko’s soft smile when sokka and katara are hugging hakoda)

so already your claim that they ‘had hinted romance’ falls incredibly flat, because there was absolutely nothing in the show that was ‘hinting’ they had romantic feelings for one another--in universe or out of it. sokka was happily in love with suki, and even the one scene that i can imagine might make shippers scream--when zuko popped into sokka’s tent late at night--sokka was about to have sex with his girlfriend, and when he asked zuko ‘what’s on your mind’, the first words out of his mouth were your sister.

(and then, as soon as zuko left, sokka was calling for suki again. the next morning, he was making a flower necklace--or a lei. because he got lei’d. it’s amazing the things you pick up when you rewatch the show as an adult lmfao.)

point the third (and this one is really where your argument blows up in your face): your insistence that zutara requires ‘forcing katara into a relationship with someone she hates’ reveals your own ignorance, because it’s demonstrably not true--unless you’re trying to argue that katara hated zuko all the way through to the end of the show, which??? i suppose makes it make more sense that you think zuko and sokka had a hinted romance in the text, because viewing comprehension clearly isn’t your strongsuit.

why are yall so quick to dismiss katara’s own feelings in the name of calling a fictional, noncanon ship ‘misogynistic’? because katara said, in the text, ‘but I am ready to forgive you’--and then she hugged zuko, called him into a group hug with the gaang later, joked (and even flirted) with him on ember island, helped talk him through his anxiety about facing his uncle, and happily agreed to go with him to face his sister, where she saved his life after watching him take a literal bolt of lightning to save hers.

if any of that had happened with sokka, yall would be calling it demonstrable evidence that zuko and sokka are in love. and yet when we use that canonical buildup and the deep bond of friendship and trust zuko and katara have by the end of the series to imagine them getting into a romantic relationship because of feelings developed during these events......you call us misogynistic? really? because we’re ‘forcing’ her into a relationship with someone she ‘hates’....except she didn’t hate him by the end of the series, they were very close friends and had gotten over and had closure from their personal baggage, and that’s the kind of stuff that provides excellent fuel for envisioning a romantic relationship developing!

so what was your argument again?

ETA: i was so busy deconstructing the bulk of your argument that i forgot to address that laughable last line--toph or suki? who had much, MUCH less relationship development with zuko than katara did?? ‘if you really believe zuko isn’t gay’???? im sorry that you can’t recognize a whole bisexual when you see one, but as a bi myself, i know that zuko’s dual-wielding ass couldn’t ‘pick a side’ if his life depended on it. and he had more romantic coding with both jet and katara than he ever had with sokka--that’s just a fact. sorry if the truth hurts, anon!

[daisylovesatla]

very rough draft of the start of a zutara fan fic

AU where Aang and Katara don't end up together cuz it doesn't make sense that it would be written that way but anyway, I wrote some pages about what would happen if Zuko's lightning bolt actually hurt him a lot more than it did...my ADHD brain can't remember where I saw that AU from but when I do I will tag u I promise...anyway it's Katara by herself at the palace healing Zuko and then the rest of the Gaang arrives from the Earth Kingdom, where Aang and Suki and Toph and Sokka were all fighting against the fire nation's ambush, cuz it would take more than like. a week probably to get to the same place as Zuko and Katara. Anyway I hope it makes sense I'm tentatively posting the first chapter in case everyone hates it but it's only 3,000 words I think.

(eta the ao3 link)

Book 4: Reconstruction...:)

Book 4: Reconstruction

I need some fresh air. She sighs to herself, rubbing her sore wrists and rising up from the cushion she was kneeling on. Keeping her eyes closed, afraid of the emotions that would flood through her if she snuck a glance at him while she wasn’t intensely focused on his injury, pouring all of her energy into that one spot, both emotional and physical.

It has been two weeks since the comet, and she has been doing all that she can to support him, to try to do something that could in some small way, return the favor for his sacrifice. As soon as her back is to Zuko’s bed, she opens her eyes, and is confronted suddenly with the bigness of this place. The tall, melodramatic metal doors that weigh way more than they need to, the beds with far away canopies rustling above them. Just the mattresses here are the size of her entire igloo back home, and even though it isn’t the first time she has been surrounded by superfluous opulence like this, something about this place feels particularly daunting.

She can sense his pulse, slow, but steady, consistent, as his blood flows through his veins and with it, water. Even when it isn’t a full moon, Katara is able to feel the water in everything, including the people she is surrounded by. She has yet to decide if it is an advantage, or only makes it harder to navigate through the world.

Her legs feel like lead, and she struggles to ignore the dryness of the room, the fires lit in their mantles 10 feet above them sucking all of the moisture out of this space, the lack of water, of that familiarity, making her feel like she is choking, as her breaths become more and more shallow and her heart continues to beat faster and faster, only worsening whenever the memories of that fateful, final Agni Kai come rushing back to her, making everything feel so much worse.

No, I can’t think about that right now. Katara closes her eyes again, and takes a deep breath, trying to replicate the breathing technique Aang taught her the first time he saw her meditating. In through my nose, out through my mouth, that’s what Aang taught me. She tries not to think much more about Aang than this. Too much has happened. Aang is expecting an answer, she is sure of it, an answer she can’t give him. Yet there is a hope swimming just below the surface in her, that this now or never attitude leading up to his battle with Ozai would no longer be there in him, that fire gone, the flames put out.

I have no answer right now, she decides, as she finally gets her legs to take the final steps towards the door. Yearning for a sense of coolness against her increasingly warm skin, she presses her hand against the door, and lets it ground her as she pushes it open, nearly jumping as it creaks and struggles to with each inch that she can shove it open. What is it with rich people and big doors? She chuckles to herself as she remembers storming Ba Sing Se, when things were so simple and yet not simple at all.

Running her fingers through her thick, curly hair trailing down her back, she sucks in all the air that she can in this hallway with much better circulation, finding it easier to keep her balance and move forward. The war may be over, but she is anticipating many battles are going to be fought in the coming weeks and months, battles over territory, freedom, the right to the throne. She has to heal Zuko so that he can advocate for himself, she determines, as she envisions Ozai’s loyal courtiers’ unfounded complaints with Zuko taking the role of the fire lord. She worries for him and she worries for herself. A water tribe peasant, Azula called her during the Agni Kai. Despite her strong demeanor, her ability to inspire other people to recognize their own worth, it is still difficult for Katara not to internalize this when she knows she is surrounded by enemies, no matter how much Iroh tries to reassure her and the rest of them that this is not the case. She has spent far too much time being attacked and assaulted by members of the Fire Nation to naively assume that with a change in power, a change in attitude amongst the people will quickly follow.

Many citizens are still loyal to Ozai. They still see her and Sokka and the rest of the Water Tribe as peasants, as savages with too much power. They are still afraid of waterbenders altogether, as gossip and rumors spread around the nation about Hama in the weeks following her imprisonment. She feels a pang of guilt for how it turned out with her. A Southern Waterbender, alive after all these years that she feared she was the last one, the only one, the one expected to carry on this legacy all by herself. Finally, somebody who understood her struggles, intrinsically, who had fought for so many years to be free, suddenly imprisoned again by people from the same nation that had stolen her away from her home, because she could not let go of her anger against them, like Jet.

She does not want to think about the revenge Hama tried to take on that people. How misdirected it was. How she never wants to be as full of rage and anger and resentment that she would start to do something as heinous.

It doesn’t change that that is how many people from the Fire Nation see her people. She can’t blame Hama for that, it would be wrong to expect any one person to be a representative for their tribe, their culture. “This is all so complicated,” Katara mutters under her breath, as she struggles to breathe, to let herself be free of these thoughts. Her anger, always there, ready to burst out from inside her in the form of an uncontrollable explosion.

Katara barely notices how far she has walked from Zuko’s room, until suddenly she hears a familiar voice call out to her. Startled, she looks up from the floor where she was mindlessly staring as she strolled and sees Sokka and Suki waving over to her from the other side of the hallway.

“Sokka! Suki!” She cries out, as she runs over to them, as fast as she can. “You’re here! You made it!” As she gets closer, she notices the crutch Sokka is leaning on, and her stomach feels like it is full of sand. “Are you okay? I can try my best to heal it, but I’m pretty worn out right now…” She glances at his bandages on his leg and starts to think up the best method for healing him after so much time has passed since his injury. “I’m sorry, I wish I had gotten to it sooner…” Katara begins, but she is interrupted by Sokka,

“Hey, it’s okay! For most of my life you haven’t been able to heal me when I get hurt, so it’s not like I’m not used to being in pain,” he teases, and then lets go of Suki who he was leaning on, as he goes to embrace Katara.

She can feel hot, somehow still dry, tears flow down her cheeks as she relaxes into this hug. While news had spread quickly from the Earth Kingdom to the Fire Nation about Toph, Sokka, Suki, and Aang’s victory in Ba Sing Se, her stomach had been twisted with worry the entire time they had been apart. A lot of it could have been hearsay, and until she got to hug her friends and brother in person, she could not let go of her unease. Hell, the talk of Caldera City was Zuko’s honorable triumph, but nobody who knew the truth of the aftermath of this battle had let it slip to the public that Zuko was in critical condition right now. Only Iroh, Katara, and some of the servants who were helping take care of meals and other menial tasks knew. It would throw this world into even more chaos if every day citizens knew there was a chance that Zuko wouldn’t…no. I don’t want to think about that future. I simply can’t. The guilt overwhelms Katara, but she pushes these negative feelings away and struggles to focus on the present. Sokka’s voice brings her back to the present, as she can feel his quickening heartbeat against her chest, and his tears dripping onto her robe. “We were so worried about you and Zuko, Katara. I’m glad you’re okay.”

She stammers, as she realizes it’s time to break the news to a few more people, wishing Sokka hadn’t let go of her as quickly as he did. She desperately missed her brother, and they hadn’t ever been apart for this long before, in all their side journeys in the past year, and hunting trips prior to that.

“Yes, I’m ok,” she lets the words spill out of her before she has a chance to choke on them, “But, well. Zuko...Zuko got really hurt.” Immediately, she can see the blood drain from both of their faces, and she grabs their hands, trying to comfort them despite not having the ability to comfort herself. “I’m healing him, but it’s still going to take a while. We have to just wait for him to recover.” She smiles, weakly, and fears it looks more like a grimace. “I’m glad you guys are back, though. It’s just been me and Iroh watching over him since the fight.”

Suki squeezes her hand, and the sadness and sympathy mix together in the look she gives Katara. “I’m really glad you’re okay. We’re here for you guys,” her smile sweet and boring into the deepest parts of Katara as she finishes speaking. Katara is taken aback, as her skin crawls with the thought that Suki understands, already, what happened at that Agni Kai, even if she doesn’t know the full details.

Sokka furrows his brows, and she can feel his warmth and fear as he nods in agreement with Suki. “Toph and Aang are in the courtyard with the Turtleduck pond, can we go see him with them?”

Of course, a practical response from Sokka. She knows better though. He is close with Zuko in different ways than Katara, but this was crushing for him too. She tries her best to smile reassuringly, as she fights back tears that are full of frustration and fear and anger and a deep, hollow grief that she hasn’t felt since Aang was struck by Azula, what feels like years ago but was only 4 months ago. In these four months, so much has changed, including feeling ready to face Aang. That kiss, just up and leaving, wasn’t ok and Katara wasn’t going to accept any excuses about it, just apologies.

He left everyone to go off on their separate missions, never really knowing whether or not those separation missions would be worth the danger they were putting themselves in, and that blind faith she was able to put in him when they first met was starting to get really old.

“So?” Suki chimes, pulling Katara out of her own thoughts.

“Oh, sorry,” she blushes, “I spaced out for a second. Um…” she tries to come up with an excuse for her sudden zoning out. “I’m worried about leaving Zuko by himself for a long time, and it’s been about twenty minutes so, I better get back, but stop by with everyone, sure.”

Suki gives her a quick squeeze of the arm, as they both walk off a few minutes after listening to Katara’s directions. Her chest feels tight, and she turns in the opposite direction as them, going back to Zuko.

They still don’t know how he got hurt. She doesn’t want to tell them, after so many instances of Toph teasing her about Jet and Haru, and well, she doesn’t want to hear it. Especially when Toph can feel her heartbeat. That damn seismic sense, she chuckles to herself, trying to let herself joke around a little bit.

Suddenly she is back in front of the door. She tries to shake off her anxieties and pulls the door open, the cold handle no longer soothing her but sending chills down her spine. This time, she keeps her eyes open as she walks back in, and all of the feelings she had been able to push down while talking to Sokka and Suki started to bubble up to the surface again, her cheeks feeling hot and dry, too dry. She wished she could bend a cloud of mist around herself, but knew that all of her energy had to be devoted to healing Zuko.

His familiar heartbeat suddenly found itself back on her radar, and she tried to hold back her tears and desire to just collapse and give up. But it was her duty to heal him. Her duty to heal him, the Fire Lord, just like it was hers to heal the Avatar. There was no way that any Northern healer would be willing to come down to heal the Fire Lord, nor would they be able to get there in time. So even if there were people more skilled, more capable, she knew that in order to maintain balance, it was her job to keep his heart beating.

[miraculouscontent]

*moon walks in* have you ever written anything for zutara? If not that’s cool *moon walks out*

I’ve written a piece, yes. It’s a what-if on Zuko’s scar getting healed by Katara instead of them getting interrupted after their conversation in the catacombs:

"It's a scar. It can't be healed."

"This is water from the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole. It has special properties, so I've been saving it for something important. I don't know if it would work, but..."

Likewise, Zuko didn't know why he allowed Katara to touch his scar. He'd long grown used to the fact that he had it, but that also didn't mean he let people idly touch it like it were something to gawk and poke at.

And what did he really expect? That his scar would be magically taken away, just like that? His life had never been that easy. He'd struggled all throughout his existence, and any wounds caused along the way were likely there to stay.

This girl was clearly fooling herself, acting as if it'd just be--

"Yeah, I--" Katara summoned forth her spirit water. "--I think this might work."

He gave her a weird look, though given that his neutral expression usually made him come off as sour anyway, she probably couldn't tell. "What?"

She seemed to ignore him, her spirit water bending around her hand. She looked up at him, eyes briefly squinting like she was unsure, then stared down at the spirit water with the same expression. She took a breath, apparently solving whatever mental debate she was having as she raised her hand to touch his scar again.

He flinched, and then hated himself for flinching. The water had been freezing.

"Oh!" she gasped. "Sorry. You're a firebender, so it must be too cold for you."

He was almost suspicious, but the look in her eyes seemed genuine. He had a slew of responses for her, most of which were sarcastic, but he somehow ended up saying, "It's fine. I can handle it," instead.

She tilted her head, concerned, but that just made him more determined to prove her wrong. He forced himself to stand rigidly in place, staring her down like he was ready for a fight.

She snorted - actually snorted - at him! Was she amused? The nerve!

"Alright, hold still," she ordered gently, raising her hand again.

Zuko tried not to look so obviously like he was steeling himself up. Thanfully, if Katara had noticed anything this time, she showed no sign of it, and the water touched his face without issue. He was surprised in a way, as he'd expected her to make the water colder just out of spite.

It was nice to be wrong, he supposed.

The water felt strange against his skin. He couldn't see what she was doing obviously, his left eye closed from the water while his right could see a bit of her hand if he really tried. Katara's gaze, meanwhile, was focused and steady, never wavering from where her hand was.

He was only forced to stop looking when the water began to glow. The temperature of the water suddenly stopped mattering, as he couldn't determine it. Maybe it was numbing him?

He could feel the vibration as the liquid shifted like a calming wave, like it were washing over the left side of his face over and over despite it already being submerged. At first, he didn't understand how it felt like it was seeping into his skin, seeking impurities and washing them away, without hurting him at all.

But water was the opposite of fire. His father's flames had burned him and the heat had dug so deeply as to leave a scar, so it would only make sense if water could reverse it. He'd just never imagined it was possible, and he was more glad than anything else that the light forced him to close his eyes as to avoid Katara seeing any more emotion than he was comfortable sharing.

Could someone's sins really be washed away with something as simple as water?

Suddenly, there was the sound of rocks collapsing nearby, jarring both he and Katara out of their state. Katara staggered forward in surprise, but seemed compelled to keep her hand on the left side of his face. Likewise, he tried not to move, unsure of how interrupting the process would go and not wanting to tempt fate.

His left eye couldn't see beyond the now-faint light of the healing water, while the right could only stare at Katara. She'd averted her gaze, presumably to look at what'd caused the disturbance, and although Zuko couldn't see it himself from where he was at, he knew well enough that she was capable and would say something if anything were wrong.

Katara's eyes widened. "Aang!"

Recognizing the name of the Avatar, Zuko's head twitched on reflex to look, only barely managing to keep the rest of himself still as Katara's hand was still on him. She went through something similar, shifting her body as if to run off before remembering the situation.

She peered up at him, the light intensifying now that her focus had returned. She tilted her head and eyed him critically as she ran her thumb where his scar was. He may've taken the critical gaze personally under normal circumstances, but he supposed it was just the water having an effect on him.

Finally, the light died down, Katara pulling her hand away along with the water. Zuko was immediately hit with the strange sensation of just the left side of his face, covering it with his hand in surprise at the shift in his vision.

Katara had already run off. He straightened, looking over to see her in the middle of hugging Aang, who was currently glaring at him. Iroh was nearby, rushing to Zuko to embrace him. It wasn't that Zuko wasn't happy to see his uncle, but he focused on returning Aang's glare, not sure what the Avatar's motives are.

Given that, he wondered aloud, "Uncle, I don't understand. What are you doing with the Avatar?"

Aang broke away from Katara and replied, as if he'd been asked, "Saving you, that's what."

Needless to say, Zuko didn't appreciate the cheekiness in his tone. He tried to move, ready to fight, but Iroh hugged him tighter to prevent him from going anywhere.

"Zuko, it's time we talked," he said sternly, but quietly. Finally pulling away - allowing Zuko to lower his hand from his face - Iroh turned to face Katara and Aang. "Go help your other friends. We'll catch up with you."

Aang bowed, then ran off for the nearest cave. Katara followed, but kept a slower pace to look back at Zuko.

He saw a slight raise of her brows, then a smile that wasn't directed at the Avatar, but at him. He tried not to show too much of a reaction to it, not matter how bizarre it was, but that didn't stop him from continuing to maintain eye contact until she'd fully disappeared into the cave.

Then, remembering himself and that Iroh had never answered his question, he turned. "Why, Uncle?"

Iroh faced him, looking serious. "You're not the man you used to be, Zuko. You--" He cut himself off, eyes going wide and mouth dropping open in surprise. Apparently, all the seriousness had just drained out of him. "You're really not the man you used to be!"

"What?" Zuko asked, but realized a second later exactly where Iroh was staring. Bringing a hand up to his face, he finally felt along where his scar was.

Or rather, where his scar used to be. His skin was smooth, his vision just as good in his left eye as it was in his right. In fact, the only sign that there'd been a scar at all was his lack of a left eyebrow, though that could grow back with time.

"The... Katara," he began, "she used a type of water she got at a spirit oasis."

"A spirit--of course..." Iroh's expression regained its calmness as he placed a hand on Zuko's shoulder. "Zuko, listen to me. You are stronger and wiser and freer than you have ever been, and now you have come to the crossroads of your destiny."

Zuko raised a brow (well, the only one he had), not sure he understood.

Iroh continued, "It's time for you to choose. It's time for you to choose good."

Zuko opened his mouth, but the conversation was cut off by a sudden earthquake. He managed to keep his balance, but a slew of crystals suddenly burst through the ground, separating him from Iroh and trapping the latter in a crystal prison.

He gaped at the sight, then assumed a fighting position at nothing in particular and readied himself, not showing any emotion even as Azula descended form the sides of the crystal chamber alongside what he presumed to be two earthbenders.

Walking to Zuko and Iroh, Azula kept up her usual demeanor despite his vanished scar. "I expected this kind of treachery from Uncle, but Zuko," she began, "Prince Zuko, you're a lot of things, but you're not a traitor, are you?"

Zuko glared. "Release him immediately!"

"It's not too late for you, Zuko," Azula insisted as she stopped in front of him, not paying his order any mind. "You can still redeem yourself."

Iroh shouted to Zuko from his containment in the crystals, "The kind of redemption she offers is not for you!"

"Why don't you let him decide, Uncle?" Azula challenged. She glanced back at Zuko, voice softening as she continued, "I need you, Zuko. I've plotted every move of this day - " She raised a fist for emphasis. " - this glorious day in Fire Nation history, and the only way we win is together. At the end of this day, you will have your honor back. You will have Father's love. You will have everything you want."

Father's love? Everything he wanted?

"Zuko," Iroh called out gingerly, "I am begging you. Look into your heart and see what it is that you truly want."

Zuko looked back and forth between the two, Azula's eyes unusually gentle while Iroh's were as gentle as they always had been. However, he lowered his gaze, not meeting either.

"You are free to choose," Azula said. She raised a hand, the gesture wordlessly telling her guards to leave the premises. That done, she simply walked off into the cave that Aang and Katara had gone.

Zuko thought back to Iroh, though still not looking at him. I'm begging you, he'd said, and it was familiar because he'd said it before. Zuko had been down this path before, being asked what he wanted and what his "destiny" really was back when he tried to take the Avatar's bison. He remembered it well.

I'm begging you, Prince Zuko! It's time for you to look inward and begin asking yourself the big questions. Who are you, and what do you want?

Prince. Iroh had called him that, even back then. Azula was doing it now as well, but...

Zuko knew deep down that it was one of her tricks. He'd played her games too many times; been played too many times. He wasn't foolish enough to think otherwise, but he also couldn't be sure that Azula would betray him completely.

Already, he could hear a fight ensuing in the the direction that Azula had gone. His feet were itching to move; to do something, but what?

Iroh spoke up, "You said it was water from a spirit oasis."

Zuko glanced over at him, giving him his attention.

Iroh continued, "Zuko, that scar you had was full of suffering and terrible memories. Had you truly wanted to go back to that, I'm sure that you wouldn't have been able to be healed from it." He shook his head, his voice thick with sorrow. "All this time, you've been trying to make up for something I've never held against you."

"What do you mean?"

"Think," Iroh urged. "You spoke up, yes, but against the idea of lives being lost! Are you going to apologize for that?!"

Zuko blinked, eyes wide at the fact that he'd never thought of that.

Iroh's voice softened. "I'm sorry that I let you into that meeting. I had to live with that guilt for the scar you had on your face."

"What? Uncle, no, I'm the one--"

"You were young, but you were already a far better Fire Lord than your father will ever be. You cared about the lives of others even if they weren't for your own benefit. I'm proud of you, and I'm so happy that you have a moment to start over again." He paused, squirming briefly within the crystal restraints. Realizing that he was firmly stuck, he looked back to Zuko, uttering firmly, "Go."

"But, Uncle--"

"Go!"

Zuko's feet finally moved. He dashed past Iroh and into the cave as quickly as he could.

He felt stupid. He felt pathetic. He'd spent all this time torn and twisted between two sides when his heart had made up its mind a long time ago and his body struggled to listen.

"The Fire Nation took my mother away from me."

"I'm sorry. That's something we have in common."

Common. Relating to someone was not something he often did. His father and sister had long since convinced him that he was less than nothing without earning his honor back, but what did honor mean? If he was less than nothing, why could he get so close to the Avatar and his bison with his own efforts?

The only thing he had in common with Ozai and Azula was blood, and it'd been boiling away ever since he'd been banished.

Who are you, and what do you want?

As he made it out of the cave, he jumped, letting out a blast of fire between the ongoing fight that Azula, Katara, and Aang were having. They all stared at him as he landed, his stance ready for action as he looked around at the lot of them. Now that his mind was clear, he could see the almost expectant look in Azula's eyes, along with a hidden threat if he dared to betrayed her.

He was no pawn. Not anymore. He wrote his own destiny.

"I'm Zuko," he declared firmly. "and I want the kind of honor that you and my father could never give me!"

He inhaled, then thrust his arms forward to let out a blast of fire so loud that it drowned his own cry of frustration. Years of pent-up aggression were put into the flames, and he just barely caught the sight of his sister's wide eyes before she almost seemed to become engulfed in it. It wasn't that he thought he'd truly destroy her with it, but finally letting it out gave him a sense of freedom he hadn't felt before.

Aang and Katara flung themselves back due to the heat, despite not being within the flames' particular range. Aang gaped, confused, then glanced at Katara for answers.

But she wasn't looking at Aang. She was meeting Zuko's gaze with her own. For the moment of calm in the battle, they simply stared at one another.

They said nothing, but shared an unspoken promise, held together by the simple commonality they shared.

Let's take down the Fire Nation together.

[princessnijireiki]

every time I remember devery jacobs auditioned for rey in star wars I hate that I can envision the ripple effect of disney + fandom racism it would have caused...

like realistically either oscar isaac or john boyega would not have been cast, though boyega might've gotten to retain his accent vs her adopting an english one. kelly marie tran certainly wouldn't have been cast. they might not have even created the tico sisters if there was no need to drive the white + black leads apart and into other characters' arms...

the whole reylo ship would never have exploded with obnoxious fans the way it did, because of racism, which is annoying because yeah I hate the ship, but it would've been scrapped to brutalize an indigenous rey— rise of skywalker & last jedi would never have been scripted the way they were with a woman of color at the helm— or worse tbh, it would be both more brutal AND still romanticized in-script or by fans (it's no coincidence when you see what other ships people who adored reylo support, and I've been blocked by enough people who got mad I publicly agreed w boyega specifically calling out twitter nerd racism to feel very comfortable talking shit about the distinct media consumption patterns they have in common lmao)... and if her casting meant we've gotten whitefinn, finnlo would be the ship we'd all be hating on in its place.

hell, finnrey might not have even been initially plotted in the first place (ik it was officially scrapped by disney/lf despite the seeds of it being established enough in the initial script it had to be stricken from the tfa novelization, but we might not have even gotten as far as having something TO scrap). or tbh maybe rey would've been sidelined for a whitefinn more... or maybe both would've been sidelined for extra kylo screentime.

it's honestly just all very shades of legend of korra vs avatar the last airbender—

like what are the choices you make with the indigenous female character when she's a love interest? would her brutalization at the hands of the story's "bad boy" be racialized & personalized in a nastier way than said villain's interactions with every other character, as with zutara? would all her accomplishments still be in service of somebody else, her mastery still come behind the person she in fact teaches, because she's not THE hero? does your follow up story leave her in a far more passive role than her male or non-indig counterparts, with far less screentime & influence even in her own family's lives than her romantic partner?

and then you flip it around to korra, and what kinds of torture are you willing to put the indigenous female character through that you weren't willing to do to your LAST main character/hero? what kind of torture will you say she deserves or needs to overcome to be "worthy" of a role someone who came before her didn't have to be physically broken into? what kind of nasty white gaze cultural genocide pro assimilationist subplots will she be turned into a mouthpiece of in-story? what kind of busted ass romances will she be made to test drive without being given an ON SCREEN unambiguous canonical happy ending?

and I'm sorry, but to take all that, which is frankly a HIGH bar compared to some lucasfilm properties, and put it in the hands of... what, people who have made multiple racist projects in a movie universe with multiple racist films already?

and I love the mandalorian tv show, don't get me wrong, but the franchise's best talents have come from star wars tv shows & the eu, and in mando we STILL got a scene of "a group of mandos led by an inexplicable white woman immediately tried to hate crime old ass boba fett because they heard his maori accent"?

admittedly that's one of my biggest mando-specific gripes (vs things I sort of generally hate about the star wars universe), but like, in 20+ years the universe has had ONE... ONE indigenous subplot going with django & boba fett + the clones (longer if you include to ot but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt since we didn't see boba's face until the prequels; I'm also graciously ignoring the tusken raiders narratives, but mostly that's bc it falls under the umbrella of my general sw hates since they are literally the kind of background texture racism you'd see in a john wayne flick and I don't have the energy or sustained interest to unpack all of star wars' racism, it is a neverending chain of clown handkerchiefs). but from the moment we were introduced to django and boba as unmasked people, the franchise hasn't avoided racial fuckups around them even with literal decades of practice to work out the narrative bugs.

like I wish it could've been good, but ultimately, you gotta be honest with yourself & recognize the people running the circus would've found a new way to fuck shit up even if they'd managed to avoid kathleen kennedy's "white english brunettes" hangup, because there's plenty more equally fucked up baggage where that came from, AND fandom is frequently & consistently of the fucking devil. even my own false optimism couldn't sell me that bridge in new york, y'all.

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

I think one of the things that made me go from neutral to hating Zutara was them ignoring Katara's own agency in her attraction to Aang. For all their talk of feminism they choose to forget that Katara CHOSE to kiss him on the cheek, CHOSE to kiss him in the cave, CHOSE to be touchy-feely with him during training, CHOSE to be jealous of On Ji. Not saying Aang was perfect for kissing her during a stressful war time, but towards the end he didn't initiate kisses with her until the very end when she CHOSE to make the first move.

But anon, if they recognize Katara's agency, they won't be aple to ignore her actual choices to project their own fantasies onto! And if they acknowledged the show DID give her agency, it'd completely invalidate their (already stupid) claim that Zutara is the "feminist" ship and that anyone who dislikes it must be sexist by default.

[badlucksav]

evermore chapter 49: a quest for revenge

Prompt 11: revenge

Pairing: Zutara

Zuko sighed into his fire whiskey before he dumped the rest down his throat. He hated parties, but as the Crown Prince, it was obligatory for him to be in attendance. It was frustrating because these lavish balls were mostly a way for his father to stroke his ego. Zuko was just grateful that he could use it as an excuse to get drunk.

“You know, brother, you shouldn't sulk so much,” Azula drawled as she came to stand beside him. “All that frowning causes wrinkles and well, you have enough skin problems as it is.”

He scowled at her from the corner of his eye—his good eye, as his left was mangled by the scar his sister had so kindly pointed out. Scarred by his father for his disrespect.

“Anyway, it’s unbecoming of a prince to brood in the corner at these sorts of events,” she went on, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “You should be out there, dancing with the daughters of noblemen and military leaders, currying favor.”

“That sounds shallow and like a waste of my time,” Zuko grumbled back.

“It’s called networking, darling,” Azula replied as she patted his unscarred cheek. “If you intend to rule the Fire Nation one day, you ought to start doing that now.”

Zuko resisted the urge to roll his eyes. The last thing he wanted to do was put hours of chivalry lessons into use. The daughters of said noblemen and military leaders didn’t care about him. They only cared for his status, coveting the desirable role of future Fire Lady.

A lot of good that did for Mother, he thought bitterly.

“I’d rather drink my weight in fire whiskey,” he said.

Azula huffed out a breath. “Be careful, Zuzu, or you might end up like our fuddy-duddy uncle, too drunk to know what day it is.”

Zuko was about to offer a retort in defense of their uncle when something caught his eye along the far fringe of the room. There was a beautiful woman there, dressed in an elegant red dress trimmed in gold, her dark hair cascading freely over her shoulders. He narrowed his eyes. He didn’t recognize her, but by Agni, she was gorgeous.

“Who is that?” he asked Azula.

“Who?”

He pointed. Azula followed his finger until she spotted the woman, her lips pursing in recognition.

“She’s the daughter of some rich merchant out of the southern provinces,” Azula remarked. “She only arrived a few days ago, here to try her luck for a husband at court.”

“I see.”

Zuko set his empty tumbler down and started towards the woman. He heard Azula’s amused laugh from behind him, but he paid her no attention.

“So, someone has finally caught the eye of the prince, hm?” Azula called teasingly after him, but he ignored her.

Zuko didn’t stop until he had reached the woman. He saw that she had beautiful dusky skin and brilliant blue eyes. Water Tribe traits, he noted. But he didn’t think twice of it. Minister Huang had a wife from the Northern Water Tribe, although no one liked to talk about how that happened.

“Excuse me, my lady,” Zuko said formally as he offered her his hand. “Would you care to dance?”

She offered him a bright smile and a bow. “I would love to, my prince.”

Zuko led her out onto the dance floor. He learned her name—Ahmya. She was so beautiful, and her laughter was like a melody.

They went through three dances before they got something to drink—more fire whiskey for him, and volcanic wine for her. They danced and drank until Zuko could feel the ache in his legs. Apparently, Ahmya felt it too.

“Is there someplace more…quiet where we can rest?” she asked him breathlessly.

“Of course,” Zuko replied. “Come with me, my lady.”

He escorted her out of the ballroom to one of the many private sitting rooms. Ahmya immediately went to the small cabinet with the liquor in it in the corner of the room as Zuko dropped onto a chaise lounge.

“So where are you from, Ahmya?” he asked as she prepared the drinks.

“Jang-Hui, your highness,” she replied. “My father oversees the factory there.”

“I see,” Zuko said.

She carried two tumblers with whiskey in them over to him with a smile. Zuko took the one she offered and tipped it back, polishing it off in one drink. Ahmya sat beside him and sipped her drink.

“Now, how shall we entertain ourselves?” she purred.

Zuko felt heat settle low in his belly as he met her sultry gaze. A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

“I can think of a few things,” he replied.

He leaned over and kissed her. Ahmya kissed him back fervently, and somehow she ended up in his lap.

After a few minutes, Zuko began to feel sleepy. He blinked his eyes to shake off the feeling, but it persisted. His body began to feel heavy, and his hands slipped down her hips as his head dropped onto the back of the chaise.

“Wha’s happenin’?” he slurred as Ahmya pulled back.

There was a glint in her eye as she pressed her hand to his chest. His heart pulled painfully, and Zuko gasped sharply.

“My name is Katara,” she told him as consciousness began to fade in and out, her lip curled back in a snarl. “And I’m here for revenge.”

And then the darkness swallowed him up.

[whattheheehaw]

I’m still a little new to Tumblr and I didn’t realize that when I made a dumb meme 3 weeks ago that I’d still be getting reblogs on it today. And it got me thinking. Why is there such a huge stigma with antis saying people ship Zutara because they see themselves as Katara and have a crush on Zuko? Because some people ship it for that reason and having antis commonly throw that around as an insult is ridiculous. Like, if I saw myself as Katara, then of course I’d want to date Zuko! 

I’d love to be with someone who helps me take care of my friends instead of adding on to the burden of looking out for everyone. I’d love to be with someone who makes tea for everyone and tells bad jokes because dammit I’m tired after making dinner for 8 people and I need something to laugh about. I’d love to be with someone who looks out for my friends’ safety, gains their trust, and becomes comfortable with them. I’d love to be with someone who recognizes how important family is, and be willing to go to prison with my brother to bust out my dad. I’d love to be with someone who prioritzes my safety and save me from falling rocks even though they’re on the other side of the room and somebody else could have easily done the same. I’d love to be with someone who respects my space and when I say “you can get off of me now” they listen. I’d love to be with someone who would do all of the above even though they know that I hate them and don’t trust them because of a mistake they made. I’d love to be with someone who doesn’t ignore my anger and instead validates my emotions. I’d love to be with someone who asks “what can I do to make it up to you?” instead of giving me an empty apology. I’d love to be with someone who goes the extra mile and seeks out my brother to gain more insight on what’s bothering me. I’d love to be with someone who understands and empathizes with my trauma and recognizes that I need closure. I’d love to be with someone who takes me on a journey so I can gain closure and finally start to heal from said trauma. I’d love to be with someone who trusts in my decisions and lets me make them on my own instead of lecturing me on making a certain choice. I’d love to be with someone who sees me at my lowest point and instead of running away stands by my side. I’d love to be with someone who views me as a person instead of a Paragon of Virtue 24/7 because they know damn well that everyone is imperfect. I’d love to be with someone who values my opinion of them and works hard for my forgiveness. I’d love to be with someone who views me as an equal and doesn’t hesitate to ask for my help with fighting his sister, especially since that might be the most emotional, nerve-racking fight of his life. I’d love to be with someone who loves me so selflessly that he’d be willing to lay down his life for me, even when I’m probably expendable and he’s the crown prince of a nation.

tl;dr The next time an anti says you only ship Zutara because you project onto Katara and have a crush on Zuko, take it as a compliment instead of an insult. It means you have standards and want good things for yourself. 

[dottie-wan-kenobi]

A Zutara, Oma&Shu soulmates fic

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“Something’s not right,” Aang told them one night, under a canopy of trees and stars. He didn’t look at either of them, his eyes pointed not at the sky, but through the foliage, like he was seeing through it to something beyond their view.

“With the camp?” Sokka asked. He was in an exceptionally good mood; he’d caught a few fish while hunting. “That’s okay, buddy, we still have a bit of starlight, we can move around if you want to.”

“No, I mean with me. Something feels different. It’s like there’s this hole in my chest.”

Katara and Sokka glanced at each other, concern written over both of their features. “Not, like, a physical hole, right?” Sokka asked nervously.

Aang shook his head. “I think something’s missing,” he said finally. His voice was quiet, distracted, almost… otherworldly in a way. He didn’t look away from the tree-line. “But I don’t know what.”

Katara didn’t know how to help him. It hurt to think that he was in pain and that there was nothing to do about it. She laid down in her bedroll, restless and positive it would take all night to fall asleep. But that wasn’t the case—as soon as she closed her eyes, she was dreaming.

There was a woman there. Dressed in elegant purple, she danced in the light of the moon. She was Water Tribe, but Katara couldn’t tell North or South, the fashion unlike anything she knew. Though Katara had never seen her before—a twinge in the back of her mind said that she had, but Katara was sure she would’ve remembered this woman—she knew her face was usually tense, holding a fear that Katara didn’t understand in the lines of her mouth. In this vision, however, the woman was smiling, at peace. Her brown eyes glittered as sand crunched under their feet.

Sand? Katara wondered. Where were they? She looked around, and found more vaguely familiar landscapes, Earth Kingdom in nature. But why were they there?

“Come on,” she said, pulling Katara out of her thoughts, to her feet and into the dancing circle. Holding hands, Katara looked down at herself and saw she was wearing yellow robes much like the air benders used to wear, warm but not as thick as furs were.

She didn’t have to think as they began moving together. Katara knew the steps instinctively, and never looked away from the woman’s beautiful eyes. The rest of the scene, if there ever had been one, faded away as Katara wrapped herself up in her partner. There was something so captivating about her, like this was right where they were meant to be, together and smiling.

There was a moment, eventually, where they tripped and went crashing to the ground. The woman was under her, dark hair splayed out in the sand, and laughed, lifting her hands to cup Katara’s face.

“My love,” Katara sighed blissfully. It wasn’t her voice, but it didn’t feel wrong to her dreaming self.

The woman began to say something—but then her eyes slid over Katara’s shoulder. The fear returned tenfold. Their bodies flipped as the woman threw herself over Katara, but it was too late. Her hands shaking, she reached for her side, and found an arrow sticking out, turning her yellow dress red.

“No,” the woman gasped. Her arms cradled Katara close, tears suddenly streaming down her beautiful face. “No!”

Katara woke, shaking, the woman’s voice echoing relentlessly through her head. “No, no, no….”

Sokka jerked awake. He crawled towards her, wrapping her up in his arms, and though it reminded her all too sharply of the woman, she accepted the comfort, sobbing into his shoulder. He rocked them back and forth like he always did when they were kids. “What’s wrong? Sis, what’s wrong?”

“My love,” was all she could manage to get out. Her chest felt like it was caving in. One of her hands pressed uselessly against her side, but there was no injury and no blood.

Aang stared at them both, for once not rushing to comfort his friend.

Ancient recognized ancient, you see. And it was then that Aang began to make sense of the sparks on Katara’s soul… and his own.

Zuko hated himself. One interaction with the Water Tribe girl, one glimpse even, and his heart went into overdrive. All of the weird, nonsensical thoughts he’d had his whole life bubbled up to the surface of his mind. The memory of her necklace, how he’d had to have it on him at all times, how it had comforted him to brush his thumb over the ridges on the pendant, it struck him again and again.

He hated to see her go. He hated the way she looked at him, disgusted and angry and rightfully so. Pathetically, he even hated the way she spoke to him. Not because he didn’t want her standing up to him—he knew very well that she wasn’t a weakling, wasn’t one to be pushed around—but because it wasn’t… gods, he could barely admit it even to himself.

Stop being a coward, he spat in the confines of his own mind.

It wasn’t kind. That was the issue. Not that he deserved her kindness, or should even want it. But everything within him rebelled when they said cruel words to each other. He had no idea why he felt like that, why he knew with such conviction that it wasn’t right, but he did. It wasn’t supposed to be that way.

But supposed-to’s, he knew, rarely withstood reality.

And the reality was that they were enemies. As long as she stood between him and his destiny—capturing the Avatar, finally being able to go home and get his honor back—that would never change.

Fighting him at the Spirit Oasis and later on the ice was something Katara would not soon forget.

It was electric, moving in tandem as they shot water and fire at each other. She had never felt so powerful, not even when she fought Pakku, and she reveled in it, used it to her advantage. Zuko was a fool to fight her on her own element, surrounded by it. Some part of her grudgingly could admit that he was talented, that fighting him left her blood singing. Mostly she was just angry and terrified for Aang, for the Northern Water Tribe, for Yue.

There was a small voice in her gut that told her they shouldn’t be fighting each other. That neither should raise a hand or an element against the other like this. But she ignored it—this was no time to be questioning whether he was an enemy or not, or whether it was right to protect Aang from him. Obviously it was right; she couldn’t let him destroy the hope of the world. It was that thought that pounded through her head as she attacked, and that thought only.

Later, when it was all over, Aang laid in Appa’s saddle and looked at her with new eyes. She tried to be brave and meet his gaze, but there was some part of her, some hidden sliver, that shied away from him. Danger, it whispered. He’s dangerous. It’s not time yet.

She didn’t know what it was supposed to mean, but it curled anxiously in her stomach. It’s not time yet was both a comfort and a source of unease. Not time yet for what, she wondered, then shook her head and stuffed it down as far as she could.

More important things filled her thoughts, then. Aang told them about the Spirit World, but she could tell he was holding something back.

Kindly, she reached out a hand to him. He took it, and instead of danger, she felt calm. Unconsciously, she knew that she was safe with him, and him with her. “What is it? You can tell us anything, Aang.”

“I know,” he said, but his smile was strained. He couldn’t quite meet her eye. “I… I found out something about the night I ran away. I could tell the other Avatars weren’t telling me everything, but… maybe that was for the best.”

“You deserve to know what’s going on with you, Aang.”

“Thank you, Katara. It’s just, I found out… that night. My spirit—the Avatar’s spirit—split in half.” He pulled his hand away, curling into himself.

“What?” Katara and Sokka both asked, shocked. Sokka was on the reins but turned his head to face them, uncaring or unaware that his red eyes and wet cheeks were obvious to them both. (Neither of them were going to judge him, but he had always tried to deal with grief on his own. They would be there for him when he was ready to share it.)

“I—I thought that was just an old spirit’s tale,” Sokka said.

“I don’t think it was supposed to happen,” Aang said, looking down at his hands. “But I guess my soul was scared, or sensed I was close to death, or something. It wasn’t explained that much. But it means that… I have to find the other half before we could end the war.”

Sokka asked, “How are we supposed to find it? It’s in the Spirit World right? You can’t just take a trip there—”

“Apparently, the other half was reborn,” Aang interrupted. “They’re somewhere out there. I can feel them, I have ever since I woke up. I just didn’t realize….”

Something about that resonated with her. She remembered the vision she’d had, of standing on the edge of the ice and feeling a call towards the horizon. It’s not time yet. “Where do we look?”

“The Earth Kingdom,” Aang said resolutely. He had that look in his eyes again, like he was seeing through the space around them, pointed in a direction Katara suddenly understood—towards the other half of his soul.

She sighed, and looked behind them. For some reason, she thought of Zuko.

Stop it, she told herself, furious. And then, nonsensically, It’s not time yet.

“You can still bend, though, right?” Sokka asked, glancing across the campsite to where Katara was sleeping. Though he was talking to Aang, he couldn’t help but watch, worried she’d have some nightmare again. “Do you think they can bend like you can?”

Aang shrugged. He knew he could water bend, and had done small things with the earth and fire, but that was it. Spirits, but he hoped things would start to make sense soon.

“Do you want them to?”

Aang tried to imagine that, not being the only person in the world who could wield all the elements. He always felt this inescapable loneliness in the back of his mind, the knowledge that he was the only one left—the only air bender, the only Avatar—weighing heavily on him. It was an easy answer—“Yeah.” But something Roku had told him made him think maybe his soulmate, whoever they were, wouldn’t be able to.

They are their own person, their own body. Together, you are stronger, but your abilities are not lessened or taken away in their absence. Neither shall theirs.

With that in mind, he added, “I won’t mind if they can’t. It would be a lot of fun, but I’ll be happy just to have them. The bending doesn’t matter so much.”

Sokka accepted this with a hum and a nod, his eyes flicking up from the ground to his sister, then to the sky. He wasn’t sure it was his place to ask, but he had to protect her any way he could. Hopefully she wouldn’t be mad. Inhaling deeply, he asked, “Did the spirits say anything about my sister?”

Aang peered at Katara. She was his best friend, and he wanted to protect her too. If he told Sokka what he knew, would that help? Would that make things harder for her?

Really, he knew the answer. None of that mattered, because she would want to know, no matter the risk or the hurt or the confusion it might bring.

“Not exactly,” he hedged. “They said I had powerful allies at my side and more are coming. My destiny is all tangled up with two powerful souls. It seems like there’s a lot going on behind the scenes we don’t know about.”

“And my sister is one of those souls? They said that?”

“No, they didn’t say who. But I think she’s one of them because—”

“Because why?” Sokka demanded, upset, searching his face like the spirits might come out right then and explain what was going on with Katara.

“Because her soul is ancient, Sokka. Maybe even as old as mine.”

“What does that mean? What should we do?”

Aang helplessly shook his head. As much as he wished he did, he had no idea what it all meant. The other Avatars had given him more questions than answers.

Together, they watched Katara smile in her sleep. “Love,” she whispered, and Aang was suddenly reminded of sunshine on a hill, unknown voices speaking unknown words somewhere just out of sight. But he was certain of one thing: Katara was there with him.

The sun beat down harshly as Zuko and Iroh drifted. Even lit by the source of his element, he was exhausted, physically and mentally sick over all that had occurred. There was no relief from the losses they had incurred, bodies floating around their piece of driftwood, salt water stinging in his open wounds. They had nothing now—no ship, no crew, no Avatar. Tui, the great spirit Tui, had died. A girl had died to take his place. Zhao was dead, too, but he couldn’t bring himself to feel grief or joy either way for the man.

Death overwhelmed him even more than thirst or hunger or delusions.

Uncle told him, later, that he was muttering about his old imaginary friend again. His love.

“Why do you think of them now?” Iroh asked curiously. He’d been wondering about this soul Zuko spoke about ever since he first mentioned them. He had an idea about what it could mean, but if it was what he thought, then he knew it was not his place to interfere.

It wasn’t Zuko who said the words, who said, “My love always dies. I can think of nothing but mourning,” but it was his mouth and his voice. His tears that welled up in his eyes as the sun stayed overhead, terrible in its unending shine.

Kya stood there in the Swamp. Her back was turned to Katara, but she would have known her mom anywhere—the wavy brown hair, the furs she wore, even the way she stood with her shoulders back and her feet slightly apart.

“Mom!” She cried, running for her, uncaring about the gross swamp water that splashed all over. “Mom!”

For years, all she’d wanted was to see her mom again. To be held by her, to ask her questions, to hear her voice and feel the warmth of her smile. Katara threw out a hand to reach for her shoulder, but abruptly, the vision faded, her hand falling through air thick with humidity.

The shock of it took a second to settle in before it exploded inside of her. Falling to her knees, she sobbed and sobbed. She lost track of time, but it didn’t matter anyway. Everything was going wrong, they would be stuck there forever, she was lost and her friends were lost too, it wasn’t time yet—and yet it was, because surely they would never leave this horrible, horrible place.

“Get up, my love,” a voice whispered. She whipped her head around, hoping for her mother though she could tell instinctively it wasn’t. There was no one around, not that she could see anyway. Annoyed to have been interrupted in her grief, she scoffed and wiped her cheeks. Stumbling to her feet, she scanned the spot her mother had stood one last time, but no. It was empty.

An invisible touch lingered, suddenly, on her shoulder. Jerking the sensation away and spinning in a circle, she still saw no one. “Come on!” She screamed, furious. “Show yourself!”

The only response she got was an unnatural stillness. There would be no more visions today.

Everything happened so fast that Zuko could barely remember the torture of the ocean anymore. Now, when he closed his eyes, he saw his sister. He saw lightning. He saw his father’s face, that last time they had seen each other—the grim malice in his eyes as he burnt his only son.

Uncle tried to be cheerful, finding good in every miserable day that passed them by. Tea leaves here, a rainbow there, beautiful flowers and weird animals, nature as a whole fascinated him. He pointed new things out with infuriating regularity, and it took everything in Zuko not to blow up and shout at him that he just didn’t care about any of it. How could he? How could he care about anything when this was their life now. They were fugitives. They were both banished. They would never go home, he would never catch the Avatar, they’d be stuck in the Earth Kingdom until they were caught or killed. He couldn’t imagine a future where he lived. There didn’t seem to be a point.

Even without saying any of this out loud, Uncle seemed to be able to tell what he was thinking. He didn’t stop trying to cheer him up, of course. But he let nights be quiet, sipping his tea and gazing at the stars and leaving Zuko be.

Those were his only peaceful moments, but even then, the peace was fragile and tiny and easily overtaken by his other thoughts. Sister. Lightning. Father. Fire. He wasn’t sure if thoughts of Katara, infrequent though he allowed them to be, were a relief or not.

Maybe it was better Uncle never shut up. At least then he didn’t have to hear himself think.

Watching Toph and Aang interact was strangely painful for Katara.

They understood each other better than anyone she had ever seen before. Whole conversations of cut-short sentences and half thoughts were shared, and were apparently completely understandable to them both. At least Sokka was confused too. But he didn’t seem to mind the way Aang and their new friend connected on a level incomprehensible to them both. He threw himself into traveling and training and other things, and didn’t have time to watch them jump feet-first into a friendship. But Katara, who Toph didn’t quite get along with yet, did.

Soulmates were something of a fairy tale back home. No one really believed in them, or at least didn’t believe that anyone they knew would find theirs. Love didn’t have to be destined to be enough, and it could be found anywhere, in anyone. Watching them, though, she could easily see what made the difference between a regular relationship and that of soulmates.

They moved in sync. They got each other’s jokes. When they argued, it wasn’t miscommunication bogging them down, it was their similar personalities finding clashes where they usually found agreement.

She felt, constantly, like she was missing out. She wasn’t jealous of Toph, being Aang’s soulmate. Rather, she was jealous that they had theirs, even though she knew how difficult it was for Aang—for them both, probably—to be without. She was glad they had each other, really, and not just because now Aang could start to learn to earth bend.

When she dreamed, she saw the hills and sprawling city of Omashu. Something felt not-quite-right about it, but she ignored that for now, having some sort of destination in mind. Unsure exactly what it was, she followed her feet to a peak not too far away. Blue robes swished around her feet. She could tell, instinctively, that she was a man, but this didn’t seem odd to her.

There were several peaks nearby, but her eyes went straight to one specific one, where a woman in red was waving her hand. Katara beamed—her love was here.

If there was more after that, she didn’t remember it. When she got up for the day, her chest felt a little lighter, and she went to make breakfast with a smile. Once it was done, she went to poke at Toph, the last of them to get up.

“Go away, Shu,” Toph mumbled, still mostly asleep.

Katara’s heart started to pound immediately. “What did you call me?”

Toph just snored. When she woke up later, pushing Sokka’s hands away from where he’d shook her, she didn’t remember their moment. But Katara couldn’t forget.