whatsaweekend

[whatsaweekend]

Hey bestie any zutara fic recs. I feel like I’ve read all the classics.

Hello anon! Oh boy have you come to the right place because I have read several million words of these two dorks falling in love and though I plan to read several million more, I am always down to screech about talented fanfic writers!!! Here are most of my faves, some of which you’ve probably read but my enthusiasm simply needs an outlet. No WIPs to minimize heartbreak.

In the spirit of not recommending too many classics, I’m not including anything from the first page of the Katara/Zuko tag on AO3 sorted by kudos, with one exception. Same rule does not apply to FF.net because nobody visits that site anymore, yet we mustn’t forget our roots!!! 

TL;DR of my Zutara Fic Recs: 

Half Asleep for a Miyazaki-esque adventure romance 

Southern Lights for a sweeping epic where A Song of Ice and Fire meets Middlemarch

Refraction for a swoon-worthy post-war political romance ft. Katara learning how to politick in a patriarchal world 

Stormbenders for a fun undercover romance that is a ZK classic for a very good reason 

Another Word for Alchemy and The Slow Path for hilarious yet emotionally compelling adventures with found family themes 

The Undying Fire for world-building, more Gaang shenanigans, and super satisfying slow canon divergence 

Katara Alone for our fave girl’s post-war Bildungsroman/travelogue/heroic tour

Simple Misunderstanding for a hilarious rendition of Ponytail Zuko capturing Katara and trying to not be a creep

Clothe Me in Seasons, Dress Me in Snow for a mostly canon-compliant (so, v angsty) story about the different ways that love can evolve 

And some one-shots and modern AUs I feel like deserve some more love 

Summaries, reviews, and general fangirling under the cut because holy shit this post is long lmao 

Long fics / series: 

Half Asleep, by crushinator | Rating: T | Word Count: 82,335

Summary: Five years after the Hundred-Year War, Fire Lord Zuko is hit with an assassin's dart, and falls into a coma from which he cannot wake. A week passes, and his prognosis is grim. But Katara could swear she hears him in her dreams.

My thoughts: this fic, in many ways, is novel quality. The pacing? Immaculate. The action scenes? Exciting and interesting yet super easy to visualize. The characterization? On point. Katara is peak Miyazaki heroine in this, setting out on a quest to the Spirit World to save her boy (who’s not really her boy) from whichever Eldritch horror has him in its clutches. I love the little glimpses we have of the mutual pining between Katara and Zuko, and there are no words to describe how much I love the resolution of Katara and Aang’s relationship in this story. And oh boy, is the climax of the fic super romantic. This is just a really well written, emotionally compelling, tight fic. Deserves to be a fandom classic. 

Southern Lights, by colourwhirled | Rating: M | Word Count: 769,274

Summary: A world where the Avatar has disappeared from memory. Where Sozin’s Conquest was successful. Where the unsteady order of the empire is threatened as members of the royal family are picked off one by one and lines are slowly drawn in the sand One last chance for peace forces an unlikely alliance between a homesick waterbender, a carefree Air Nomad, a runaway Earth Kingdom heiress, and the fire lord's inscrutable son. Together they must learn to shed old enmities and become the balance they seek to restore to the world.

OR:

The avatar has four heads.

My thoughts: Is it a Bildungsroman? Is it a war story? Is it a politics story? Is it a love story? Is it a friendship story? Is it a story about colonial violence and well-meaning complicity and finding justice in a world where it simply doesn’t seem to exist? Yes to all of the above, because at 700k+ words YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL. You know how Virginia Woolf once said that Middlemarch is one of the few novels written for grownups? Well, Southern Lights feels adult, not because of violence or sex or general grimness (looking at you, HBO), but because it’s fundamentally about having the courage to make choices, live with the consequences, and make more choices, and repeat that over and over again. If Katara is a Miyazaki heroine in Half Asleep, she is full on Daenarys (pre-character assassination) in Southern Lights, a heroine who gets put through her paces yet retains her unwavering resilience to find her place in the world. Katara can be pretty frustrating in this and I know a lot of the commenters on this fic wanted to smack her up the head halfway through, but I support women’s rights and women’s wrongs and her decisions make sense to me even when I also want to smack her for them, and isn’t that a symptom of good writing? I count my lucky stars that I joined the ATLA fandom after this fic is finished (which was only last year!) because I got to binge it in a few days and I have not been the same person since. Deserves classic status. 

Refraction, by caroe3725 | Rating: E | Word Count: 215,249

Summary: Making choices after the war was supposed to be the easy part. Her future decided and neatly packaged based on what everyone else wanted for her, what she should want, too. But Katara’s destiny had a funny way of being exactly what she wanted to run from. (As if anyone needed another Zutara post-finale slow burn after 15 years.)

My thoughts: YES WE DEFINITELY NEEDED ANOTHER POST-WAR ZK SLOWBURN OF SUCH IMMACULATE QUALITY. Both Katara and Zuko’s internal monologues are excellent in this, but I particularly love Zuko’s. The writer is so good at capturing his resolve, his earnestness, and his awkwardness. This is a very restrained fic — no great histrionics — but also incredibly romantic. The first kiss scene made me want to both sigh and screech. I’m also just a huge sucker for “Katara learns politics” which this fic has in spades, with a bonus of very thoughtful gender dynamics. Anyway, if you liked AJ Lenoire’s The Summit or andromeda13’s such selfish prayers, you’d probably like Refraction. Zuko and Katara are very much dumb teens in the beginning portions of this fic, which I personally like because it makes me nostalgic. Oh, and Katara is low key chaotic good in this, which is super in-character and hilarious.

Stormbenders, by Fandomme | Rating: T | Word Count: 171,000+ 

Summary: S3 AU from FBM. Deep in the Fire Nation jungle, the Gaang meets a group of rogue water ninja who send Zuko and Katara on a mission to retrieve Ozai's secret battle plans.

My thoughts: I’m aware that if you asked the average ZK shipper ten years ago what the ship classics are, the answers are probably Stormbenders, His Majesty Prefers Blue, and the Sparrowkeet series. The other classics are good (classics for a reason!), but Stormbenders remains my favourite. It’s funny. It’s exciting. It’s WELL PACED. The ZK relationship grows so organically, which is a huge feat considering this fic was started before we even got The Southern Raiders. The events are a little more adult than the show, but the tone remains very ATLA. There’s a lovely little animatic of the beginning of the scene on YouTube to show you exactly what I mean about the tone and the humour. I am always weak for a well-structured adventure romance, and Stormbenders stands the test of time because it’s just such a well-written fic. 

The Undying Fire, by Boogum | Rating: T | Word Count: 534,665

Summary: "He has the eyes, Princess Ursa." They were half-forgotten words, a whisper of fears never explained. Zuko had dismissed it all as nothing to worry about—until he somehow healed the Avatar. Fire healers weren't meant to exist, except he did. He'd saved the kid's life. Naturally, he wanted answers. Too bad finding them wasn't so simple...

My thoughts: This fic is mostly Gen, and Zutara shows up in the latter half of the series. Despite being a ZK shipper I like plenty of Gen fics too, and The Undying Fire gives me the best of both worlds. I love the world building, the humour, and the slow ramp up of the Gaang friendships. I absolutely love how the canon divergence is so subtle at first and gradually unfurls into something super different, yet retains much of its ATLA charm. Boogum’s written some other bangers too, and I have to give honorable mention to Zuko’s Tiny Dilemma (where a spirit transforms ponytail Zuko into his six-year-old self, and Uncle into a teapot, and somehow it becomes an emotionally compelling 100k word saga) and Following Blue (season 2 canon divergent Bluetara with a bigger focus on romance). 

Katara Alone & associated fics by cablesscutie | Rating: T | Word Count: 86,890

Summary: The war is over, and with it goes the only life she has ever known. In this era of love and peace, the world is becoming new, and Katara is unsure of her place in it. That's okay though. Katara has rebuilt her life from scratch before, and she will do it again.

My thoughts: I love post-war “Katara sets out to find herself and also finds Zuko” fics. Katara Alone is a fabulous coming-of-age story with some good old fashioned letter flirting during Katara’s solo travels. The sequel, Lady of the Tides, has some very thoughtful depictions of Katara’s place within the post-war Fire Nation, and the accompanying story from Zuko’s POV, The Fire Lord at Home, hits all my buttons. Like…Zuko is Fire Lord Good Boy! He passes legislation! There is political optimism! Swoon. 

Another Word for Alchemy, by FanPanda 13 | Rating: T | Word Count: 108,000+ 

Summary: Five years have passed since the Avatar defeated Fire Lord Ozai, and the members of the Gaang have all gone in their own direction. But when Aang invites them all to a Peace Summit at the North Pole and tells them of his new project, for which he will need their support, the group comes together again for adventure, fun and romance. AU. Zutara. COMPLETE.

My thoughts: Now this is a fic that thoroughly crept up on me. The first 3/4 is good old fashioned fluffy, funny, fourth wall-breaking Gaang shenanigans with plenty of Zutara. But the last quarter? Oh boy does it come right at you and slam you in the solar plexus with the platonic love and found family feels and the complexities of those feelings when you’re a teenager. The impact of Aang’s loss of the Air Nomads is treated very thoughtfully here, way more so than in the show. 

The Slow Path, by TazmainianDevil | Rating: T | Word Count: 125,723 

Summary: Eight years after the fall of Ozai, Aang returns to the friends he left behind.

My thoughts: This is actually a Taang story with a great ZK subplot. But what I love about it is that the whole Gaang (including Suki ALWAYS INCLUDING SUKI) is superbly characterized. The ZK banter is top notch. I could actually hear their voices in my head in some of the scenes. Their relationship is playful but has plenty of emotional heft. And the plot is exciting and well-developed. My favourite thing, though, is how the author treats Toph’s POV: it’s very thoughtfully written, with consideration towards how she perceives the world.

Simple Misunderstanding, by ShamelessLiar | Rating: T | Word Count: 80,965 

Summary: Katara was captured by Zuko, but there was a lapse in communication. Takes place after The Fortuneteller. Fierce Katara, honorable Zuko, and meddlesome Iroh. Also, music night

My thoughts: Generally I don’t love fics where Katara gets captured, especially by Zuko (just a personal preference, not here to judge). But! I love this one, because…well, the circumstances of Katara’s capture by Ponytail Zuko are simply hilarious. Katara is suspicious and stubborn; Zuko has a one-track mind and doesn’t understand why Iroh is treating his prisoner so nicely; oh, and Aang gets into an amazing side quest with some spiritual animals. The only thing about this story is that it ends a little abruptly since the author was considering a sequel, but it still reads as a standalone fic. The author also wrote His Majesty Prefers Blue and Call Me Katto, two ZK classics, but Simple Misunderstanding is far and away my favourite work. 

Clothe Me in Seasons, Dress Me in Snow, by sadladybug | Rating: T | Word Count: 62,026

Summary: It is not the memorial she deserves, nor the one she would want. But it can't be helped. He owns no property in the other nations, and he needed to keep her close. Closer than she was in life, anyway. Zuko's reflections on a life lived and a life that could have been.

Review: sadladybug lives up to the username by creating a sadness so contagious that I have yet to recover from it, and I cope by recommending this fic to other Zutara shippers so that more may suffer like I did. (Stop the cycle? No.) Look — I think there’s something extremely beautiful and poetic about a love that changes in nature and form and expression, but not in intensity and devotion, and that’s what this fic is about. Loved it. Never reading it again. 

One shots: 

There’s a category of canon-compliant Zutara one-shots that are all extremely painful, and I cannot get enough of them: in the next life by we-were-angels, taking place right before Katara’s wedding to Aang; water can heal, water can break by crazyache, about why Katara didn’t attend Yakone’s trial. 

To combat the above, here’s a few funny, fluffy ones that make me cackle: i am older now by ama (who wrote the banger that is The Blackfish and the Dragon), an old!ZK fic that I read to counteract the emotional damage inflicted by psychedelic_aya’s we hold our hearts in silence; all good things start with tea by yodalorian, where Zuko’s hapless Disney sidekick-esque advisors try to get him a wife; And Half at One Another’s Throats by songofhopeandhonor (whose account is deleted), about Zuko’s harebrained proposals to Katara; The Dragon of the West’s Guide to Flirting by bluesunflower44, which is exactly what it says on the tin and the awkward disaster you’d expect. Waiting on a Steady Sun, by nire, is a long version of my favourite tropes: fake marriage + idiots to lovers ft. pining for your spouse. 

I generally don’t love modern AUs, but akaiiko’s talk is cheap (and i’ve got expensive taste), where Katara meets Zuko at a frat party, is a whole damn delight; my old aches become new again by jamesstruttingpotter is a wonderfully indulgent modern AU based on Our Beloved Summer. 

And finally, some season 3 character studies: don’t tell me how to feel by paintingcranes, ft Katara at the Western Air Temple being increasingly incensed at both Zuko trying to be helpful and how other people react to his helpfulness; the other side of mercy by crazyache, where Sokka calls Katara “high-strung and crazy” and that really makes Zuko think; The Silent Garden by romilley (whose WIP The Horizon is also fabulous), where Katara and Zuko avoid their feelings through a reluctant-allies-with-benefits arrangement (ft a way of depicting intimacy and sex that makes me think of Normal People); a deep delight of the blood by eruthros, where Zuko asks Katara to practice bloodbending on him out of pragmatism but also a little bit of guilt (it’s unrated, but that “Kink Without Sex” tag is there for a reason). 

Thank you for asking me for my recs, anon, because I needed an outlet to rave about fanfiction and my irl friends have heard enough. Feel free to ask me questions about specific fics that aren’t on this list: I always love talking to people about fic and I’m always looking for new ones to read!

[whatsaweekend]

Making a male character that Katara is canonically close friends with (cough Zuko cough) her "found sibling" is in no way fighting amatonormativity, it is reinforcing the idea that you don't believe men and women can just be friends. Especially if you ship Katara and Aang.

And I will say again, there is one relationship in the show where a male character says that having Katara's friendship is not enough for him and is treated as an insult to his masculinity, and it's not zutara.

[whatsaweekend]

Art by polluxery on twitter

[whatsaweekend]

also im looking at my ao3 bookmarks because i forgot it was even a thing but there's something a little heartbreaking about seeing a bookmark from 4-5 years ago that says "this work has been deleted, sorry!" who were you. what were we together

[whatsaweekend]

the biggest problem with writing fantasy in english is that there's really no alternate universe phrasing that carries the exact tone and context to the reader as "jesus fucking christ"

[whatsaweekend]

Did you know that you can waste your free time by not knowing which activity to do so you do none of them

[whatsaweekend]

It is true that I have not yet begun my Nightly Persuasion Screaming, I mean evening reading, but I am still just haunted by the mental image that Jane Austen has given us of the scene in the aftermath of Louisa’s accident. Everyone is horror-stricken; Mary is screaming; Henrietta is half-fainting between Anne and Benwick. And Captain Wentworth, for the first time at a loss, holds Louisa and cries “Is there no one to help me?” And Anne can’t go to him. And therein we get some of the strongest proofs we have of what there is still between them. Anne, always so capable, always so eager to do right, cannot and will not go to him as if they were bound only by the friendship that links the members of the group. And Anne, always so hesitant in asserting herself, gets one of her few directly-reported lines: “Go to him, go to him, for heaven’s sake go to him.” I cannot and will not be normal about this.

[whatsaweekend]

Tbh the problem with ship wars is that everyone tries to find a moral high ground to prove their ship is superior when actually shipping should be about making two characters kiss like a kid playing with barbie dolls

[whatsaweekend]

zuzu practice

[whatsaweekend]

ooooh I’m on my Zutara bullshit again lemme get through this post ATLA slowburn fic immediately

[whatsaweekend]

F.R.I.E.N.D.S (1994–2004) 6X14 « The One Where Chandler Can’t Cry »

[whatsaweekend]

EMMA (2020) costume appreciation: 35/∞ (costume design by Alexandra Byrne)

[whatsaweekend]

shoutout to kitty and lydia bennet for being a rare female example of Those Two Idiots

not just one cringefail losergirl but TWO of em. austen truly was ahead of her time

[whatsaweekend]

Okay TMI BUT it’s just us on this app so! I saw this tweet, and now I’m curious. What do y’all do?

[whatsaweekend]

To your knowledge, is "doing a Fitzwilliam" seen as a sign of honour to the mother or deference to her family's higher rank? Or a personal value, depends on circumstance? Because I am contemplating the existence of an Elliot Wentworth. But while Frederick would honour his amazing wife in such a fashion in the blink of an eye, I doubt he would do it if it would be more seen as a way to suck up to sir Walter.

It was fairly common and, as far as I understand, not only done with sons of a high status mother. In Wives & Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell, the firstborn son of Squire Hamley has his mother's last name as a first name and at one point the Squire says the mother "couldn't tell her great-grandfather from Adam" implying that her family is not significant. (He does have a very inflated sense of self-worth though so take what he says with a grain of salt). (Is it possible that Hareton is named after his mother's last name in Wuthering Heights? Where did that name come from?)

Jane Austen herself only does the first-name from mother's last-name once. This is why I favour a Walter Wentworth, which both John Dashwood and John Knightley have done with their firstborn sons. Mary Musgrove also named her second child Walter. So maybe the second Wentworth boy would be named for Anne's father and the first would be Frederick.

If you ever want to learn more or explore the way that Jane Austen uses names, a full list of every named character in all six novels can be found here.

[whatsaweekend]

hi, I'm the emma-knightley age gap anon.

I just watched Emma 2020 today, and despite the actors having a similar age gap on paper to Emma and Mr K themselves, I quite literally wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't read their ages on ur blog.

After you pointed it out, I did notice how they treat eachother as equals, with neither having any power over the other. Even when Mr K scolded her over her treatment of Miss Bates, it was nothing like a parent or teacher. So thx for helping me get over my qualms with it :P

Idk, I suppose 37 just sounds old to me so I was a bit weirded out abt it.

Do you have any reccs for books like Emma? Everywhere I look it's only Jane Eyre, wuthering heights, or Rebecca getting recced but I've read the first 2 and they're nothing like Emma (absolutely hated WH). Thx in advance!!!

Also, do you happen to know if kissing before marriage, like in the film, would've been scandalous in those times?

Sorry for the long ask, and ty <3

Hello! I'm glad I could help.

Lol, Wuthering Heights!?!? The only thing those two books have in common is isolation and two families intermarrying. I have a whole rant about how people always recommend Charlotte & Emily Brontë to Jane Austen lovers and how it is so very wrong. Rebecca is also nothing like Emma. Emma is tricky, because I think the genre is more Coming of Age and Slice of Life than romance or anything else. Not very much happens, it's all the going-ons of a small town. It's also friends-to-lovers.

Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell might work, it's about a small town, very slice of life, but without an Emma figure who is messing with stuff. It's kind of like a town full of Miss and Mrs. Bates, going about their lives. Maybe Wives & Daughters too, though it's more like Mansfield Park (kind of does have an Emma though in Lady Harriet).

Otherwise, I don't know, maybe Little Women or Anne of Green Gables? It's been a while since I read either of those though, any suggestions for Anon?

Edit: I forgot to answer the kissing question. Humans have always been humans, and humans are really sneaky when they are horny. Birth records indicate that lots of couples had sex before their marriage (as in babies were born in 7 months and somehow magically survived without modern medicine). I'm sure kissing happened often. Jane and Bingley walked out alone to avoid Lady Catherine...

[whatsaweekend]

“he hadn’t a really handsome feature in his face, except his beautiful teeth”

“his beautiful teeth—his only beautiful feature—breaking out with a white gleam upon the red-brown countenance”

Jo March describing Friedrich Bhaer // Molly Gibson’s assessment of Roger Hamley