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kidnappedbycartoons · 2 years

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Kataang could’ve been better

Kataang could’ve been better. I personally feel like romance had no place in the show, especially since the main character is twelve years old. And I’m also more of a Zutara fan than a Kataang fan. But the reason for that is because of reasons that I listed in another post. But I do feel that Kataang could’ve worked out better if things worked out a bit better.

1: Katara’s feelings for Aang

Throughout the sixty-one episode show, I can only think of two times where it was hinted that Katara has feelings for Aang and that’s the Cave of Two Lovers episode and The Headband episode. Besides that, there’s really not that many hints that she shares the same feelings that Aang does. I think that if they showed Katara feeling the same way towards Aang sometimes, it would help to make the relationship seem more balanced. Because it just feels like throughout the show, people are rooting for Aang to get the girl instead of for the two to get together because they both want to be together. Moments where Katara blushes a bit or is a bit flirtatious with him spread throughout the show could help to make it seem like she actually has feelings for him.

2: Development

There is none. They are stagnant for most of the show and when Aang finally makes his feelings for Katara known, the two are at odds most of the time. After he kisses her (Without her consent) in Day of Black Sun, the kiss is not brought up for seven episodes. During the Southern Raiders episode, he is telling her what to do and what to choose instead of letting the decision be Katara’s. During the Ember Island Players, he gets jealous over what an actress said, pushes for an answer out of Katara who clearly doesn’t want to have the conversation, and then kisses her again without her consent, which causes her to run off. And in the first part of the series finale, he storms off after yelling at her while she yells at him not to run away from this (This being his internal conflict of whether or not he can defeat Ozai without compromising his beliefs). That’s the least scene of them together before they kiss in the finale. It just feels so strange because the development is off.

So I feel like they could’ve really worked on showing their relationship taking a more romantic route in Book 2, specifically after the Cave of Two Lovers episode. Because even after they kiss (I do believe they did), they don’t act like anything changed. They still act the same as they did before. That’s not development. I would’ve liked it if they showed Katara and Aang becoming a bit more shy around each other following the kiss. Show Katara opening up to Aang about her mother’s death because when have we ever seen Katara being emotionally vulnerable with Aang that way? Show Aang being there for her like she’s always been there for him. And then when the Day of Black Sun happens and they kiss, it feels like it was earned for both of them because both of them have been pining for the other.

And don’t have any of that bullshit after it. I’d rather they talk about the kiss when they’re at the Western Air Temple instead of the Ember Island Players. Instead of having Aang kiss her without her consent, have him understand that they have other things to worry about, but hint that this conversation isn’t over and they’ll discuss it after. Don’t have Aang pushing his beliefs onto Katara, but just have him let her go with a worried expression because, yeah, he does want her to choose forgiveness, but it’s not his decision to make. And when she doesn’t kill the bastard, don’t have Aang say that he’s proud of her, but just have him ask if she’s okay.

I just feel like their relationship could’ve worked better if it was developed better.

3: Aang’s image of Katara

Aang has an idealized image of Katara as this sweet, caring, motherly figure that is always there for him. And when Katara steps out of this image and shows parts of herself that don’t line up with it, like when she gets verbally vicious sometimes, he attempts to clean up her image by saying that she didn’t mean it or tries to find another reason for why she would act this way. He does this when Katara lashes out at Pakku for refusing to teach her due to her sexist belief, saying that she didn’t mean it. When she challenges Pakku, he tells her that she doesn’t have to do this for him, even though she has made it clear up to that point that this is for her. When she and Toph are arguing during the chase, Aang tries to say that Katara isn’t blaming Toph, even though she says that she is.

He only does this with her and no one else in the gaang. So here’s my thing. Don’t have him do it. Instead, have him see these moments in her and see her as a complete human being. Don’t have him only see the good things in her, but also the less-than-perfect moments in her. Have him dislike the moments where she gets angry and hurts other people’s feelings, but understand that she isn’t a perfect human being. And most of all, MOST OF ALL! Have him let go of his attachment to her.

I don’t like how he was angry about having to do so and chose not to. You can say it was romantic how he chose her over ultimate power. But Roku was able to master the Avatar State and had a whole wife and kids. I think if he let go of his attachment to her and opened his seventh chakra, it could give another layer to their relationship. Does he actually love her for who she is or is he just attached to her because she’s the first person he saw after coming out of the iceberg and is someone he could rely on after his entire race got wiped out? It could have Aang feeling guilty because his feelings for Katara have changed, but it’s not a bad thing. He would be falling for Katara for who she is and not seeing her with rose-tinted glasses. His feelings would go from the butterflies phase to a more comforting feeling as he truly loves her.

4: Katara’s motherly actions to Aang

Let’s face it. She does act like a mother to him. She speaks up for him, she coddles him, and scolds him like one. Now, it’s easy to understand why Katara would act motherly in general. She has been forced to mature quickly due to the war and losing her mother at a young age and her father leaving for the war. She’s naturally taken on that role. The thing is, she acts this way the most with Aang. And I feel like it gives their romantic relationship a weird balance.

So, I wouldn’t change Katara having motherly instincts. What I would change is Aang allowing her to act more like a kid. He does this in the first few episodes, but it doesn’t really happen again after that until The Headband. I would like if Aang would allow her space to be a kid and not have to be in her maternal role all the time. I would like it if he offered to help out with some of her duties. It would show Aang taking notice of her and wanting to help her out. When you have a crush on someone, wouldn’t you want to help them out? Take the load off their shoulders? Use it as time to spend together, just the two of you? It could give them a chance to talk about things besides the war and defeating Ozai. It would put them more on equal footing because there wouldn’t be so many instances of Katara mothering him.

Final Thoughts:

Kataang could’ve been better (To me) if they were developed better. We didn’t get many instances of Katara sharing Aang’s feelings, Katara is very motherly towards him, Aang is too attached to her, and they were pretty stagnant for most of the show. That’s personally why I don’t really ship them, but I do think they could’ve worked better. They are both the last benders of their people and have been affected by this war in different ways. There is immense pressure put on Aang at such a young age and Katara has been forced to mature at such a young age. There’s something there. There is a way for them to understand each other. But it’s not really shown in the show. If they were better developed, I might’ve been a Kataang shipper.

#atla #avatar: the last airbender #atla meta #atla katara #atla aang #maybe not so kataang friendly #maybe it is

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lovebecomeshim · 3 years

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hello! your zutara posting today has finally motivated me to ask this question because I came to atla very late(last year, to be specific) and I Love It Very Much but am 1000% out of the loop as far as why what remains of fandom (at least that I've seen among my friends) is so very strongly zutara. I'm not opposed to it per se I just don't really know what has driven it to apparently be such a popular ship? can you help me understand and maybe convert me a little bit?

Hey!! Your ICON! :D I can try but I’m not sure how coherent I’ll be; however I AM sure someone a lot more competent will be willing to add to this. Either way, I’m glad you asked because my plan was to drag down as many people as possible with me.

*smacks the hood of zutara* this baby can fit so much mutual love and support!

This got so long, I’m so sorry. I don’t know how to put it under a cut on mobile and it already got deleted once so I’m scared to mess with it lol. Moving on.

I’m gonna start this with a disclaimer that im on mobile so formatting is tricky and I’m also really new to atla in that I only completed my first watch through in like 2019??? So some of my info is all just based on what I’ve picked up from Discourse 👀 so anyway the sparknotes version: zutara was wildly popular from the beginning. To the point where the atla crew internally disagreed on which ship should be endgame. (Ex. Bryke [showrunners] asked the writers to rewrite The Southern Raiders to make Zuko seem less ideal for Katara than Aang [which failed, depending on who you ask]; the animation team purposefully created a visual parrallel between Oma and Shu in the Cave of Two Lovers and Zuko and Katara in the catacombs under Ba Sing Se in the Crossroads of Destiny; etc.)

The ship was popular enough that Bryke actually chose to display zk fanart at a con for the sole purpose of mocking the fans, but that’s neither here nor there. The entire episode Ember Island Players, while a love letter to/parody of the whole show, was an opportunity to address zutara’s viability as a canon pairing (while, again, mocking zutaras for romanticizing that catacombs scene). Point is! It’s always been popular but with it not being endgame, there’s got to be something that’s given it staying power.

And that’s honestly got to do with three things: their dynamic, thematic cohesion, and potential.

(You know what... you know what, it’s four things. The fourth is they’re so aesthetically pleasing together and individually. Like, they’re just good looking people [specifically when they’re grown but they’re also cute kids] and that absolutely doesn’t hurt) (but it’s not the Point, it’s just nice to point out sometimes)

The dynamic is hard to get into without also looking at the canon pairings, but I think I can do that without unnecessary bashing. It’s just that part of the magic of zutara is really highlighted by what they give to each other that their other relationships don’t.

First off, it’s classic enemies to (would be) lovers. The absolute truest form of it. It’s not too different from how CS started out: a rogue antagonist with a job to do—but no personal vendetta against the future love interest—who is deeply and emotionally invested in his personal storyline (revenge/redemption) with little regard for how it effects other people after his entire life and genuine good nature are marred by suffering, and a fierce warrior girl with a strong moral compass and her own personal investment in stopping him (protect her family and save the world doing it). Obviously frustration and animosity grew between them by the nature of them being on opposing sides, but that just lends itself to the sweetness of their later reconciliation.

The thing is that while they’re wildly different on the surface (he’s a hot-headed prince of a fascist regime who is trying to capture the Avatar to please his father; she’s a nurturing daughter of the chief who is trying to protect and train the Avatar in order to topple his father’s throne) they find out that they have so much more in common both in their experiences and their personalities.

(What follows is an excessive use of the word “both” and I’m sorry about that)(I can edit it. I can do that. That IS an option............)

They both have an innate sense of justice that they are determined to see done (zuko, at the war meeting, sticking up for the Earth Kingdom kid when the guards torment his family, choosing not to steal from the pregnant couple despite his circumstances, abiding by his word to leave the SWT should Aang come willingly, etc.; katara, literally.... at any point). They both have pretty one-track minds at accomplishing certain goals once they’ve put their mind to it, regardless of a lack of support in that endeavor (it goes without saying I guess, but zuko’s entire hunt; katara’s determination to get the earth benders to fight back, her determination to absolutely destroy Pakku until he agrees to teach her, etc.). They both lost their mothers at young ages. Their worlds are war-torn and traumatizing to them both, if in different ways, but that ultimately forces them to grow up too quickly to be wholly independent individuals. They both have issues with their fathers (for WILDLY different reasons, but). They both hold extreme prejudices that they need to learn to overcome (which ties into thematic cohesion)(bit like Lizzie and Darcy in that way but magnified by a million). They’re both extremely emotional and empathetic—which can and often does result in loud outbursts. Katara’s a bit better adjusted and can temper her anger for longer than S1 Zuko can, but they both feel that anger deeply and have no compunctions expressing it (Katara is, usually, more justified, particularly in S1. Again, S1 Zuko is severely maladjusted but at the point when they could’ve feasibly become a couple, he’s so much better off with the way he carries himself). They both struggle with feelings of inferiority in their bending abilities when confronted with prodigal benders like Aang and Azula, but have the work ethic required to double down and become two of the most powerful benders in the three remaining nations. This is a little more minor but it is a parrallel that appeals to some shippers that they both have these alter egos in the Painted Lady (notably fire nation coded) and the Blue Spirit (water tribe coded) that are pretty different from who they are day-to-day and are useful in accomplishing a purpose that they as themselves cannot.

(I’m.... I just realized that this could potentially get very long. Should I have made a slide show with bullet points??????)

Anyway, similar. I know there’s more but there’s literally so much to love about zutara that I’ll drive myself a little crazy trying to compile all the ways they’re similar. (Just gonna say that at this exact moment I went back to add more similarities.... so okay then)

Once they’ve reconciled, we see how all of these things only lend themselves to a deeper intimacy together than they share with literally anyone else. There’s a steady partnership that positions them as the mom/dad of the gaang, while also providing the support necessary to allow the other to not have to carry so much responsibility. A lot of zutaras will point out how zuko is actually depicted doing the more domestic chores that are normally relegated to Katara once he joins the gaang, since the others in the group are two 12-year-olds and sokka. The one that sticks out the most is how he makes tea for the group and then serves them, while Katara is able to just relax with her friends around the fire. Fanon expands upon this a lot to Zuko helping with the laundry or the cooking or whatever else needs doing since he, as a once-refugee, is used to doing his own domestic tasks. Before Zuko joined, Katara was the one mothering everyone, sewing for them, cooking for them, etc. She’s always tending to the needs of the group, and that includes emotionally. She does the emotional labor for the gaang 99% of the time, but when she’s the one falling apart, she’s usually doing it alone and without the comfort that she normally provides for others. Until Zuko. And that’s before they’re even friends.

Which is WHY people romanticize the catacombs of Ba Sing Se so much. Katara is verbally attacking Zuko out of her own righteous anger but also her own prejudice when Zuko, surprisingly, chooses to be vulnerable with her. He’s been on a journey that’s opened his eyes a bit, but he’s never actively chosen to expose the rawest parts of his past to anyone. But for some reason he chooses to do that with Katara of all people. While she’s yelling at him. He sees her humanity, and for once can look past his prejudice and empathize with her. And this time, when she breaks down, she gets to be comforted. Katara normally talks about her mother when she’s trying to explain to someone else that she sees and understands they’re pain, as a form of comfort to them. Here, Zuko uses the exact same tactic. He sees her and he understands. And for zuko? He’s not being shut down. He’s allowed to articulate his pain regarding his mother without being ignored and made to internalize it, and he’s allowed to process how he feels about his scar out loud without being told that he deserved it. And then he lets her touch his scar, something we’ve seen him actively avoid before. He’s completely open to her and she’s completely open to him and all it took was one five minute conversation. She was about to use the little bit of Spirit water that she had, that she was saving for something Important, to heal the scar that still daily causes him pain just because they had, somehow, connected.

Plus there’s the whole parallel to the star-crossed lovers forbidden from one another, a war divides their people—

And then zuko messes up, he regresses, he gets what he wants and he HATES it. And the sense of justice he had as a child has been restored to him against his will and he can’t think of anything he wants to do more than the Right Thing, so he joins team avatar. Before he does that though, we get to see his relationship with Mai, which is where comparison really comes in. And what we see is Zuko, fresh off of his encounter with Katara in the catacombs, trying to be emotionally honest with Mai... and getting shut down and dismissed. Which is just how Mai is and it’s fine, but not for Zuko. Still, he keeps trying, and he keeps getting ignored or scoffed at or yelled at. Which is really a larger symbol for how he doesn’t fit in his old life anymore, but again that’s about thematic cohesion. He tries to articulate his anxieties about returning home, he tries to make romantic gestures, he tries to explain how morally conflicted he’s feeling—and Mai diverts to some kind of physical affection to shut him up and a parting comment that is pretty much always, in essence, “I don’t wanna talk about this.” So they don’t. On the other hand, once zuko and Katara are friends, we see him again emotionally distraught and caught up in his anxieties about facing Iroh, and it’s Katara who comes to him and listens to him and comforts and encourages him.

Similarly, we have Aang clamming up and getting uncomfortable whenever Katara shows any negative emotion, usually resulting in him making excuses or running away. Or, in the case of the Southern Raiders, lecturing her on how she needs to just let go of her anger about her mother’s murder. People have talked this episode to death and usually better than I ever could, so imma... keep it brief. There’s a serious disconnect between Aang and Katara in his ability to empathize with Katara and her needs that has her tamping down her vulnerability and amping up her anger. He tells her that he was able to forgive his people’s genocide and appa’s kidnapping (petnapping? Theft??), which is blatantly not true but also not an entirely equal parrallel to Katara’s situation, and continues making these little remarks throughout the episode. But it’s Zuko that Katara opens up to. It’s with him that she’s able to talk about the most traumatic day of her life, and it’s with him that she’s able to get the closure she needs, cementing their bond as friends and partners. This disagreement between Aang and Katara is then... never resolved. They just never bring it up and hear what the other is saying.

There’s a fic called The Portraits of Ember Island that has a line that so completely sums up the heart of the matter for why people love their dynamic. For context, zuko has woken up early to help Katara with the cooking and they spend the whole time just letting one another talk, and zuko stops to ask why she always just lets him talk. And so she stops to ask why he’s always helping, and it goes as follows:

There’s just... so much mutual support! Trust! Intimacy!! And it just continues like that from the Southern Raiders on, listening to each other, advising each other, watching each other’s backs! And then! Literally saving each other’s lives!! I will never be over the last Agni kai. Not ever. Zuko may have been willing to jump in front of lightning for anyone, but he actually did it for Katara. And in a show, that’s the thing that really matters. It’s a fulfilled trope usually exclusively applied to romantic pairings, and it ended up applying to Zuko and Katara. And then she ran out into the middle of a fight with tunnel vision just to get to him.

Also!! Also Zuko pushing Katara out of the way of the falling rocks at the Western Air Temple!! And Katara catching him as he fell from the war balloon that he fought Azula on!! Before they’re even getting along, they’re the ones reaching for each other. They come to this place of equal ground, as partners, who watch each other’s backs, call each other out but still listen attentively and understand, and provide the support that the other has been sorely lacking up until they knew each other (whether that be from lack of effort or lack of understanding from others, or an unwillingness to accept it for themselves).

Then, trailing along under the surface of this, we see the themes of the show totally embodied by Zuko and Katara as individuals and in their relationship to one another. There’s a YouTuber, sneezyreviews, who has a, like, 2-hour explanation on why she not only loves zutara but also believes that their endgame would’ve actually elevated the writing of atla to new levels particularly because of thematic cohesion and resolved character arcs. It’s the zutara dissertation I never knew I needed, and it’s funny and eloquent and effective, so I’m just going to sum up her section on thematic cohesion to the best of my abilities and then link it for whenever you have the time. And I HIGHLY recommend it, especially if you want a full understanding of what makes zutara so great and gives it such longevity.

Guru pathik has a line that goes something like this: separation is an illusion; things that seem different are just two parts of the same whole. Iroh also tells Zuko something similar: balance and strength are achieved when the different nations come together and influence one another and celebrate what makes them each unique. And this lesson is a massive central arc that both Zuko and Katara go through, moving past a black-and-white, good guys-vs-bad guys, us-vs-them mentality and into a greyer, more nuanced view of the world. Zuko sees the fire nation from an entirely new perspective and while he still loves and hopes for his nations future, he surrenders his blind loyalty to them in exchange for an unflinching loyalty to peace and love. Katara too had to come to terms with the fact that cruel people exist in the earth kingdom and water tribes, while some fire nation citizens are just regular, kind people who also need and deserve to have someone speak on their behalf. And this is honed in directly on how they view each other. They grow in their individual journeys to be open to the humanity in the other and then, once they’ve found that, they’re able to grow more in compassion for others in a beautiful feedback loop. And this is all matched in the symbolism repeatedly and intentionally associated with them in canon: sun and moon, fire and water, yin and yang, Oma and Shu who found love despite their warring nations. Their individual arcs are completed in each other and complement the themes of atla beautifully.

The canon pairs... just don’t. Which, again, is fine. But the very things that give atla longevity and popularity are anchored in zutara. Kat@ang doesn’t accomplish this. They’re... nice. Sweet. Especially when you erase a good portion of their interactions in S3. It could’ve been just a sweet love story. (Personally, the dynamic between toph and aang accomplish the same thing that zutara does, with complementary personalities that fulfill the theme of opposites blending in harmony) M@iko, on the other hand, is less sweet but I think wasn’t even supposed to last. Zuko’s relationship with Mai seems to represent his relationship with his old life as a whole. He can’t be emotionally vulnerable, he’s goaded into abusing his privileges, his agency and opinions aren’t respected. They just don’t have common ground with which to discuss anything that matters, so they don’t. As far as themes, the relationship doesn’t fit with atla. It’s zuko returning to and sticking with what is (on the surface) like him, what’s expected. Fire nation with fire nation. Fluid water bender with the flexible air bender. Like with like, separated from what is different and challenging and complementary.

And all of these things combined of course lead to the potential for the ship. I don’t know how familiar you are with the post-atla canon but... well, miss “I will never turn my back on people who need me”, miss “I don’t want to heal! I want to fight!” ends up living quietly in the SWT as a designated healer who turns a blind eye to the water tribe civil war happening right outside her front door. Which can be fine! People change! Some people just wanna stay inside. I just wanna stay inside! But the potential future for zutara is so much more satisfying, with Katara becoming the most unconventional Fire Lady the uppity old cads who are stuck on the old ways have ever seen. Fanon has her serving as a voice for the other nations within a kingdom at the point of its biggest political upheaval, as a confidante to Zuko who can actually help him while he’s trying to figure out how to move forward and make reparations. They have the opportunity, together, to accomplish what they both have set on their hearts to fight for: positive change that lends itself to harmony and balance. And the steambabies! A popular headcanon is that their firstborn daughter, the crown princess, is actually a waterbender, which causes such an uproar among the people who are adamantly clinging to the old ways. It’s just a future full of potential to be forces for good together, full of trust, intimacy, joy. The exact era of peace and love and balance that zuko announces that he intends to ring in with the start of his reign as Fire Lord is, again, magnified by the very personal zutara relationship. And we love to see it.

tl;dr zutara isn’t for everyone. Some people just don’t vibe with it. Some are nostalgic. Some love the canon they grew up with. Some have been disappointed for years. Some just see themselves in other characters and want their happiness instead. Whatever the reason, that’s fine. But for me, I love the way these two, from the moment they give each other a fair chance, are able to lower their walls and prejudices to see the other for the kindred spirits they are. They see each other’s humanity, and their response is to pour out love and support and compassion. I love that they’re a power couple in battle. I love the symbolism and, honestly, soulmatism that colors their every interaction. I love that they embody the whole storyline of atla in their relationship and how it develops, which is notably why their seasonal arcs always culminate in each finale with how they relate to one another. I love that zuko adopting a waterbending move is what actually saves his life and then katara’s. I love the chemistry! And I love the future they could’ve had, instead of the ones they were given.

So, in conclusion: I just think they’re neat and I hope you do too, at least a little bit. Even if it’s just respectfully from a disinterested distance cause you do you. And now here is the video I mentioned. I’m sorry this post got so long and then I gave you an even longer homework assignment, but I can’t recommend it enough. She says it all better than I can.

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#zutara #atla #zutara rant #like really the way the canon relationships were written throughout s3 #it would’ve been more believable for zutara to happen #or at least be hinted at #all of the major issues presented in those relationship were dug up extensively and then... never resolved #and then they just slapped some kisses on a screen and said ‘there all better’#and we just kinda had to say ‘oh ok guess it’s all better then’#this got long I’m sorry #I wrote it all out and then tumblr ate 2/3 of it #which is why it took so long #and what I’ve written now doesn’t even match what I had before #because there’s too much to say about why I love zutara #and the stuff I left out the first time is what came out this time #rip to my original thoughts but this post is different #anyway that’s why this took so long #and I should’ve just made a PowerPoint...#I can do that too if you’d rather not read all of this lol #I won’t be offended #this is incoherent #Alia rambles uselessly #also hoping this doesn’t end up in any wrong tags because I don’t wanna step on toes lol #it’s not anti!! it’s just critical #in a compare/contrast way #I can pinpoint the moment when I started trying to rewrite my points from memory #because everything gets shorter and more succinct #like... I really said all that??? sounds fake and I don’t remember it anyway so here’s the condensed version #with no!! smooth!!! transitions!!!!#also why am I so lazy with proper grammar over text

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linnoya-writes · 3 years

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ZUTARA - the Trials and Tribulations that come with finding “The One”

I don’t think it was a coincidence that the two most mature kids in ATLA had various potential “suitors” throughout the show—people they were officially “together” with, people they went on dates with, people they connected with, and people they fell smitten over-- and yet, those feelings would always fall short of that “once-in-a-lifetime” romantic, magical element.

It really made me believe that ATLA was setting up a wonderful example to young viewers about the real-life hardship of finding “true love,” demonstrating that sometimes... it takes a lot of trial and error and experience to eventually get to that person who’s deemed The One.

Zuko and Katara were two characters who had to mature to an outstanding degree in a time of war, and we notice them trying to make connections with people all around them. We also notice how, in spite of the many “potential suitors” they have in their own individual story arcs, the two of them always seemed to “bump into each other” along the way, noticing each other’s character development every single time.

In the show, they build connections with people, but never seem to find someone who carries all that they need for a partner. I could also say that they never find someone who “sees” them in their fullest, complex selves... until it’s the two of them!

Let’s review the suitors for Katara:

1) Haru-- While fans like to speculate that Katara may have had a “thing” for Haru, I personally think she saw him as someone she connected with easily because of his bending ability… in the same way she immediately connected with Aang the moment she found out Aang was a bender. Katara didn’t grow up around other benders, and so it would make sense that she would cherish the idea of bonding with other benders. Haru and Katara had their connection with bending, but it’s pretty clear that Haru’s shy nature and his sensitive personality wasn’t something Katara was looking for in a love interest.

2) Jet-- We do know that Katara falls very smitten with Jet, and here we get to see the kind of person she tends to cling to: someone who’s a strong capable leader, courageous, tall, athletic, someone who makes her feel like she can use her talents and brains, and who supports fighting for justice. Of course, Jet also carries his sense of justice too far with his cruelty and malice, which Katara immediately says she will not support in a partner.

3) Aang-- Yes, we see Katara having a long-term connection with Aang in the show, and this relationship turns from a motherly/child relationship gradually into something that could become a romantic partnership. We also know from the beginning that Aang has deep feelings for Katara, and he tries really hard to get her to see him as a potential boyfriend.

However, there are various “hints” throughout the show that Katara wasn’t completely “taken” with the idea of being with Aang (ie. her behavior in the episode “The Ember Island Players”) and based on what we know about the two characters… there would be problems with their relationship down the road: Katara is a proud meat-eating Watertribe girl and the last Waterbender of the SWT determined to bring back her culture/heritage after the War. Being with Aang-- a proud vegetarian who can’t really handle Watertribe food and customs—might make her have to decide if she is willing to give up part of her heritage for her partner. She would also have to give up her own individual goals in the post-war in order to be at Aang’s side, as his voice of reason. There are many instances in the show where Katara had to be the mature one and set aside her own emotional needs in order to tend to Aang’s needs, and this imbalance would eventually make her realize how she needs a partner who can see her as a complex human being, rather than just a “coddler”… a partner who can be the pillar that she can lean on whenever she needs to let out her emotions and rage.

Now, let’s look at all of Zuko’s suitors:

1) Mai-- With Zuko, we learn he had a childhood crush on a girl, and that crush is returned, but after 3 years being banished… there’s no real evidence that either of them “ached” for the other during that time and distance apart. Zuko and Mai did have their moments together when he returned to the Fire Nation, and while Mai does care about him, the relationship was emotionally lacking, and it’s clear that Zuko cannot be with Mai in his fullest, most open self.

2) Song-- During his time as a fugitive, you begin to see just how self-conscious Zuko is around kids his age. Of course, the last thing on his mind is finding a girlfriend, but he demonstrates how awkward he is as a teenager (and I don’t just mean because he’s a Fire Nation fugitive in Earth Kingdom territory).

When he meets Song, his focus is only to get his Uncle healed, not paying mind to the hospitality this family has given them. He acknowledges Song’s kindness and her family’s suffering because of the Fire Nation, and it emotionally hits him when he finds out she’s been hurt. And yet, despite her being a healer, Zuko doesn’t let Song touch his scar. Zuko isn’t thinking about relationships. He’s on the run with his Uncle and is only thinking about survival. Song wasn’t necessarily a “love interest” for Zuko, but this is the first time we as viewers see a kind, sweet girl try to have a connection with him, and how Zuko—perhaps in any other circumstance—may have developed feelings for her.

3) Jin-- When Zuko and Iroh make it Ba Sing Se, there’s plenty of time to “lay low” without feeling like anyone is after them, and we have another chance at seeing Zuko making a connection with a girl. With Jin, there is a definitely crush from the girl to Zuko, and she doesn’t even acknowledge the boy’s scar. Zuko is awkward, almost uncomfortable trying to be a normal teenager when it’s clear his life has been so different. He still does a sweet gesture to try and make Jin happy (risking his own safety as a Fire Nation fugitive), but it isn’t enough to have Zuko say that he wants to see Jin again after that date. However… we do learn that Zuko likes dating, of having a connection with someone, even if that connection is not meant to last more than one date.

**My personal take with Song and Jin and is that these two girls had that sweet, nurturing, caring trait that Zuko desired, but they still lacked a certain type of passionate, fierce attentiveness that Zuko also needed in a partner to really “reach” him fully as a person.**

So, with all of these potential suitors... why Zutara?

The ironic thing here is that Zuko and Katara had run-ins with each other since the start of the show. They were on opposite sides of the war, fought each other, saw their bending abilities develop more powerfully each time, had a chance to talk and have a mutual connection… and also went on a private mission that nobody else wanted them to do. Zuko and Katara had opportunities throughout the show to really “see” each other as complex characters… but the beautiful thing was that this was all happening *without* any romantic implications.

With their minds preoccupied on bigger things through the war, Zuko and Katara’s interactions were forming the foundation to a life-long understanding and friendship, and... had the show continued… had the two of them finally had a chance to set aside some time in their lives to start dating people in the Post-War… it wouldn’t have surprised me if, one day, they would’ve just exchanged a glance as Fire Lord and Master Katara, and realized… “woah.”

And it really does bring together the dreams and the realities of a good romance: Sometimes it just takes a lot of patience, and time, meeting a lot of “potential suitors,” before you discover the person who’s meant to be The One.

#zutara #zutara meta #relationship meta #zuko x katara #zuko #katara #avatar the last airbender

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zelzenik · 3 years

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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.)

#nice guy #this isn't proofread #but #anti kataang #pro katara #anti anti aang #i love both aang and katara #and they were both done so dirty in b3 #i genuinely love both #i would've given kataang a chance had those non-con kisses not happened #despite shipping zutara #i would've j multishipped or smth #but w the way b3 turned out?#hell no #get that away from me #aang needed to grow the hell up and learn #katara needed to stand up for herself and recognize she needs a partner who's an equal #and they could've been that for each other #or #they could've found other people better suited for each other #cough zutara cough taang #but yeah stop praising bryke for giving good lessons on consent cuz all they did is perpetuate the mentality #by validating and rewarding non-con gestures thru kataang's canonity #long post #sorry #i could write abt why i'm anti kataang all day #despite loving them both so much #zel meta

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zutarabender · 3 years

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The Spirit's Call

Zutara Week - Day 6: Spirits

Legends say that the Spirit of the Southern Lights will grant a blessing to whoever finds them. Katara, against all logic, wants to go. Zuko yearns to know why.

2.6k words | No content warnings | Read on AO3

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Zuko had heard about the Southern Lights, but nothing could have prepared him for the swirling, colorful shapes dancing overhead. It was an unbelievable display, one that would remain engraved in his brain for years to come. Had the two of them been alone, he would've turned to Katara and kissed her. But Sokka and Aang had followed them to the rooftop of the recently-built State House, so Zuko would have to content himself with holding Katara's hand surreptitiously as they all took in the scenery.

"It's your first time seeing the lights, isn't it?" Katara asked him. He just nodded, too entranced to do anything else.

"Really?" Sokka said. "How did that happen?"

Katara gave Zuko's hand one last squeeze, and let go a split second before attention turned to them.

"I don't know." Zuko's eyes were firmly on the dancing lights, steadying himself to conceal his reaction to the sudden cold. "It's not like I get to choose."

If he'd had a choice, he truly would be in the South Pole more, and for longer. He only got to visit on official matters, as he had now, and his stays were as long as he could make them. But those impossibilities of time and place were one of the reasons why he and Katara had chosen secrecy, to give themselves some space from the others, to figure things out. And Zuko wanted nothing more than to figure things out, and quickly. So far so good, for the first first few months, but it was a matter of time before they crashed and burned if they couldn't find a way to truly be together.

Sokka patted him on the back, grinning.

"Welcome to the finest show that the South Pole has to offer, then. Brought together especially for the Fire Lord."

"You might be right." Katara laughed. "The lights are the domain of a spirit that gets their power from the sun, so..."

"The lights aren't caused by a spirit. Every one of our settlements has its own legend, and we can't all be right."

"Well, since you're such a genius, do you know why they happen?"

It took Sokka a few seconds to answer.

"Nobody knows," he begrudgingly admitted, "and it is thought to be related to the sun..."

"Why would a spirit of daytime come here?" Zuko asked, before the argument could devolve any further.

"Nobody knows that either," Katara said. "No one has ever asked them. We know where they are, though."

She pointed at a particular green flare of light in its sky and traced its shape, which ended in a pointy tip. Now that Katara mentioned it, Zuko could see that it vaguely looked like an arrow, the sort of distorted image that was hard to find but couldn't be unseen.

"They hide right where that ray of light points, and legends say that they will grant a blessing to anyone who finds them."

"Not everyone believes the part about the blessing," Sokka added. "If they're trying to lure people in, it has to be a trap."

"I don't think they want to be bothered," Aang said. He'd been so quiet, that everyone turned to him as he spoke. But Katara was shaking her head.

"How can you still think that after all this time? There's a giant arrow in the sky that's always in the same place when the lights appear. You've seen it. Nothing says 'this way' like a giant arrow in the sky."

"I don't know... you've said that these are the coldest nights of the year, and that everyone who has come too close to their hiding place has disappeared, or the weather suddenly turned bad, or something like that. It sounds to me like a spirit that doesn't want to be found."

"Well, maybe they like a challenge." Aang seemed ready to rebuke Katara's words, but she pointedly turned to Sokka. "Or maybe you're right, and it's a trap. Either way, I still think the spirit is calling."

"Didn't you try to go to them once, when we were little?"

Katara froze. It was almost unnoticeable, but her silence was telling enough. Sokka was smiling, and Zuko exchanged a glance with Aang that betrayed a similar thought. Every time they heard a story of Katara and Sokka's childhood, it was somehow more extreme than they would have thought fitting. They often said they were two bored and lonely kids with little to do for fun in the South Pole, but following an unknown spirit's call into the thick cover of ice made that assertion appear like an understatement.

"What happened?" Aang got there first, as Zuko couldn't find his voice.

"Katara went missing after dark and the whole village had to go out on a rescue operation. She never told you?"

"I was never in any danger," Katara retorted, "and it was not the whole village."

"I had to carry you home!"

"You couldn't have possibly carried me home. We were too little."

"How did you get home, then?" When Katara didn't answer, Sokka rolled his eyes. "Of course you don't remember. We had to go look for you. Maybe not the whole village, but you sure had us worried."

"If you had wanted to come with me—"

"You never asked."

"Oh, that's a lie." Katara's voice trembled as she spoke, her eyes turning to narrow slits.

"Why did you want to find the Spirit of the Lights, anyway?"

"I don't know. I was six. Why do children do anything they do?"

No one answered that. As everyone's attention went back to the lights, Zuko had to look at their faces and wonder whether he was the only one who noticed that Katara was lying through her teeth, or at least, the only one who had a bad feeling about whatever she was hiding.

Silence hovered over them for a few minutes. Sokka was the first one to declare being too cold to stay outside, and too used to the Southern Lights for it to be worth the pain. Minutes later, Momo's clattering teeth convinced Aang that he would be just fine watching the now-fading lights from a window. And it dawned on Zuko that Katara knew exactly what she was doing when she'd led them all to the rooftop of the State House. It was risky. Katara's family was still around, after all. But there, shielded by the height, the cold, and their own strong will, they had a bubble of precious seconds that belonged only to them. And that would have to do.

He'd wanted to kiss her earlier, but just then, something was off. Katara was quiet, withdrawn, and reaching her seemed impossible. All he could do was, as she'd done earlier, slide his hand into hers and wonder how to say the things that needed to be said.

"We should probably go back in." Katara sighed, tugging at him lightly so he'd follow her. But Zuko was planted firmly in place.

"No, I..." His voice cracked, and words refused to come out. But he didn't move, and Katara shook her head.

"Zuko, we're not being exactly discrete. Even Sokka said something about how happy I've been looking lately." Zuko's heart jumped, and it must've shown on his face, because Katara rolled her eyes and tried to suppress a smile. "Oh, shut up. You know how I feel."

"Still love to hear it." He squeezed her hand. "You make me happy, too."

Her smile grew, but it didn't quite brighten her composure as it usually did.

"Come on, Zuko. Let's go in."

"Katara, I... No. I wanted to talk to you about something."

She let him go immediately, narrowing her eyes and taking a step back.

"Is this like, 'we need to talk', or...?"

"N-no, it's not like that." He stepped toward her. He would never find the words, so he would have to express his thought as it was simmering in his brain. "I want to know why you lied just now."

Katara bit her lip, turning away from him so suddenly that for a brief moment, Zuko was sure she would lash out. But then, her shoulders fell and her words came out in a whisper.

"I didn't want to talk about it."

"Do you want to talk about it now?"

"What do you want to know?"

"I asked first."

She was still not looking at him, but this time, her silence was welcome. She wasn't telling him it was none of his business, or that she didn't want to open up to him. She was as still and silent as the night after the Southern Lights, and after a few seconds, she finally spoke.

"I just... I don't really know what to say."

To Zuko's surprise, it was the truth. He could see it in her face, the helplessness he knew so well from experience, that dejection that came with lacking the words to let it all out.

"Why did you want to find the Spirit?" He asked as gently as he could.

"Well, I... When I was little, I was always told that the Spirits of the Land were old and wise and powerful and I needed wisdom." She ran a hand through her hair. "I was the only waterbender around. I guess I thought that maybe they could offer guidance."

"So you just went?"

"I was six, Zuko," she retorted defensively. "It didn't occur to me to think more than five seconds ahead, and I didn't make it too far before having to stop and rest anyway."

"You fell asleep, didn't you?"

Zuko didn't know whether he was relieved or horrified when Katara didn't try to deny it, even if she didn't answer. But he'd pushed enough, and he wouldn't know how to push further even if it were a good idea. Not for the first time, Zuko wished he were better with words. There was so much he could say, so much he wanted to ask her.... but instead, he gently drew her to him. She took the cue, wrapping her arms around him and letting her head fall on his shoulder. The unease that had gripped her seemed to fade, little by little, the longer they held each other.

Zuko could've spent an eternity like that, but after a few minutes, Katara pulled back and searched for his gaze.

"What do you think, Zuko? About... all of this?"

He frowned. It hadn't occurred to him to even begin forming an opinion. None of them could pretend they knew what the spirits wanted, not even the Avatar, who was still only human. Those conjectures were still just conjectures, but Katara's experiences were still much too real. And in the end, that's what truly mattered.

"I'm sorry you went through that."

"That wasn't the question," she muttered, but there was no real bite to her voice.

"It's the only answer I have." But now that Katara's anxiety had settled down, his own questions were bubbling to the surface. "Why is this still so important to you?"

There was no denying it was important, and Katara didn't even try. On the contrary, there was a resolve in her expression that he knew too well.

"It's our history," she said, as if it were obvious. "We don't have that many spirits of the land and we've lost our connection with most of them. I think... I think we might have known everything there is to know about the Spirit of the Lights once, but the knowledge was lost. In the worst days of the war, though, seeing the lights felt like someone was looking out for us." Katara paused, but now that she was finally getting to the heart of things, nothing could have prompted Zuko to interrupt. "Sokka has a point. And Aang could be right, you know, spirits are his thing and all, but I... I still want to go. I want to find the Spirit of the Lights. I know it's silly but even now... too much was lost in the war, and with how quickly things are changing, it sometimes feels like we're losing our way. We need our spirits."

Zuko had always been in awe of Katara, but that awe still managed to take him over by surprise all over again. Just then, he was insignificant next to her tenacious, hopeful heart. Katara could make the impossible happen. He'd seen it countless times. The answers she was looking for were well within reach, and that lonely dejection she was feeling wasn't new to him.

He'd seen it before. Back then it had been more raw, more desperate, and he'd been the chief target of the storm that had ensued, but he would never miss the signs again. The long-lasting call of the Spirit of the Lights, whether real or not, was too persistent for dissuasion to be possible. Katara would go, sooner or later, and Zuko wasn't going to wait to find out what happened if she waited too long.

"I don't think it's silly," he finally said, and looked straight into her eyes as he added, "I'll go with you."

Katara scoffed.

"You can't. It's too dangerous." He could only gape at her, until she let out a sad, guilty smile. "The lights aren't something you can predict, Zuko, and you have a country to run."

"If you think this spirit can help your people, then it's part of my duty."

"Everything going on in this world is part of your royal duties if you squint hard enough. That doesn't make it right."

Katara was right, of course. And he hated it. Because he couldn't just leave everything behind as he tended to a matter far away from home. He couldn't possibly be there for her in the way she deserved. That was, after all, the biggest reason why they were an impossibility.

Then again, Katara was known for subverting impossibilities, and Zuko would try until there was nothing left to lose. The only other option was failure, and that was unacceptable. It was true that Zuko couldn't choose where he was headed, but much like Katara, he could choose the path he wanted to walk on.

And he would choose her. Every single time.

"Nothing about this is easy, but that's no reason to give up." He didn't know whether he was talking about finding the Spirit of the Lights or their own relationship. A little bit of both, maybe. "We need a good plan, and we will turn around if it becomes too dangerous. Does that sound good?"

Katara opened her mouth to answer, but said nothing. At first, it seemed like she was going to oppose him again. But then she cocked her head to the side.

"I can't stop you, can I?"

"I can't stop you either.."

Katara's eyes softened, and they were so full of affection that it made his heart flutter. After many minutes wishing he could kiss her, she was the one to do it. Impulsive, unexpected, but oh so very welcome. He held her as closely as he could, relishing the sensation of her warm lips against his in the cold night. These moments were so few and far between that, no matter how reckless it was, he could never hold back. He only pulled away because she was grinning between kisses, and her eyes were equally amused when he found her gaze.

"Another field trip, then?" she asked, and Zuko knew right then that, for once, he'd made all the right choices.

"Sounds like it." He laughed softly, pressing his forehead against hers. "We better get back for now, though."

And this time, Katara was the one who refused to move.

#zutara week #zutara week 2021 #zutara #zutara fanfiction #zuko x katara #zuko #katara #my stuff #yes i love keiino thanks for asking

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notasiren21 · 3 years

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bless us with your thoughts on zutara

Honestly babe, Zutara makes more sense than what we were given.

Zutara was basically an act of fan baiting and some teasing, leading many to believe that there was no way they wouldn’t end up together.

Their dynamic is better than any other in the show. They are foils as well as compliments to each other as well.

Both have lost their mothers and the maternal care they once had. Both have siblings they feel the need to reign in -let’s be real tho, Zuko was given a shit deal even if I kinda wish Azula was given a redemption arc. And both are at an emotional maturity that suits the other.

This also goes in with my theory and debate of: what’s worse: to wake up after a coma of x amount of years or to wake up after being cryogenically frozen into a new world?

And surprisingly, I’ve gotten a lot of siding to the coma one which is what I associate Zuko with.

Zuko was that coma patient who was living asleep with only rage and a need to redeem himself keeping him alive and functioning. His awakening was brief when he and Katara had that one moment before it was interrupted and then he was coaxed back to sleep by Azula. Iroh was by his side through it all when no one else came.

Zuko’s awakening leaves him without those few years he lost out on and now he’s like 16 and has to forget everything to be his age, be mature, act as it. Zuko is left almost defenseless and without help besides one person when he lets go of his demanding rage. He’s left with the child he once was in a close to young adult’s body, someone who needs to help take down the man that abused his trust, loyalty and love.

Katara manages to be this warmth he’s missing -ironically lmao- and once she moves past her hurt and his betrayal, she sees he is weak like the rest of them but trying. There’s a certain comfort they can get in one another and respect they don’t hide for each other.

I’m willing to bet this extends in a desperate need to have the other alive.

(Yea to anyone who is gonna argue, cryo freezing would suck too and poor Aang, I do feel bad but consider this:

Coma you lose out on years of your life -literally. Everyone has grown up around you and dealt without you in a mask if you basically being dead.

Aang wakes up to his world destroyed and literally nothing to hold him back -I stg I put this more eloquently in my post about this.

Basically, Aang can’t dwell on his past because his past literally looks like ruins or doesn’t exist, it’s not what he once knew. For some reason, he’s able to mourn then cope with it far easier than Zuko is for being a person who has had to live in those years of exile and judgement.

Aang also lives with the constant surrounding that he is of the utmost importance to their world and survival. And he’s young. Despite being an air bender he lets it go to his head multiple times and has a war between arrogance and humbleness, sometimes his love for praise and childish desire to be seen doing stuff overrides what someone needs of humility and grounding.

(Not to mention I guess he’s a shit father in LoK but that’s another time)

Aang sorta believes him and Katara are meant to be since she and Sokka have been the only constant in his life. Since they are the only things he’s known in this new world to him. It would only “make sense” that he and Katara end up together because she’s always been there, he loves her, she’s always willing to do what he needs.

But I believe Katara lives in blindness because she’s also in the state of mind of doing what Aang wants and needs, not necessarily what she wants. It’s like misguided maternal affection -something Katara has been giving out to her tribe since she was old enough and picked up the slack, even managing Sokka.

I think Zuko to her is like a breath of fresh air and a huge comfort- and not like brother and sister sense.

Honestly believe that they would confide in one another about anything and everything, stuff they could never say to the others. These two act as the parents of the group and constantly have to reign them in, aging their emotional and just maturity in general.

I think Zuko holds back because he also just assumes she’ll end up with Aang. Zuko also have next to no confidence for shit like loving himself. So I think Zuko wouldn’t go after Katara because of 1) Aang and 2) because he doesn’t think he deserves her, he probably thinks he’s lucky enough to be her friend.

Their hug had more chemistry than any kiss I’ve seen between Kataang, and it was a hug.

Also there’s the lovers, Oma and Shu, that I believe they are the reincarnation of -I believe that theory so hard. I think Zutara are the basic example of soulmates and they always find their way back to each other even if they don’t necessarily end up together.

Because it seems that in the end, the most important person in their life, their person and other half, is each other. Even if they don’t act on their feelings.

I think had they ended up together, it would’ve been a happy and love filled marriage, that a child would’ve known the love of two parents and seen true love in their eyes.

Both are willing to die for one another, not necessarily the cause if it’s for Aang.

Ifk what the fuck happened and it this was consistent oh well

#atla #zutara #atla Zutara #Zuko x Katara #katara x Zuko #atla Zuko x Katara #atla katara x Zuko #avatar last airbender #avatar katara #avatar zuko #avatar Zuko x katara #avatar katara x Zuko #avatar the last airbender Zuko x katara #avatar the last airbender katara x Zuko #Oma x shu #asks #thoughts

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bidisasterforzutara · 3 years

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Because I’ve Said it a Million Times Before (And Because Zk Big Bang is Starting)

Zutara. Is. Canon.

Period. End of story. They don’t need to happen in the original show for them to be canon. They simply don’t. That’s the equivalent of saying bryke and the antis won, when that couldn’t be further from the truth

Zutara Big Bang begins today. Are you saying that all these works are invalid? Of course not. They’re canon. Zutara is canon. Do. Not. Let. Bryke. Win

Instead of saying that’s it’s a blessing that they “aren’t canon”, say that it’s a blessing that we’ve got countless content creators that make them canon for us in ways bryke would’ve royally sucked at

Can I also ask: why does canon have to be one single interpretation? Can we not create our own canon? Are there any arbitrary rules saying we can’t?

If you want onscreen confirmation, we’ve already got that. The wonderful Hayley foster along with so many artists have given us that. Why do they need to become official in the original show for them to be canon? Aren’t they just pixels on a screen?

Yes they are. Meaning canon is what we make of it. Because these are FICTIONAL characters.

So I’m begging all zutara content creators during this Big Bang and in general: please DO NOT think that your work is fake, invalid, and non canon. Don’t listen to the antis or bryke, or anyone who says canon is only one interpretation . There are COUNTLESS interpretations and stories that we consider canon. It’s literally impossible to have been “robbed” because of creators like you. Have pride in your work. Because there are so many people in this fandom that DO consider it canon, and that’s absolutely beautiful.

@analynasi once made a beautiful post about zutara being canon in fan works, and I couldn’t agree more. Canon is really what we make of it, and please don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

The sooner we realize this, the happier I believe all of our fandom experiences will be

#zutara #avatar #zutara is canon #I’m a broken record #I just love them so much #zk big bang #zutara big bang #canon is transformative #anti bryke

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themoonslayer · 4 years

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Every single Zutara moment can be disputed by the plot AND/OR a Kataang moment and I have PROOF

#1 All moments before his redemption: NULL and VOID toxic trash he would’ve killed her to get to Aang and she would’ve done the same to him in order to protect Aang NEXT.

#2 The cave scene in Ba Sing Se: Katara starts out mad at Zuko because his nation is the reason her mother is dead. He tells her he related because he lost his mother due to the fire nation as well. Katara, being the compassionate person she is, decides to try and heal Zuko’s scar in hopes that he has actually changed. Katara’s scar from the fire nation was the death of her mother which can never be healed so she sought that out by almost healing Zuko’s scar. It was also included so Zuko would know there’s a possibility the avatar was still alive. THAT IS ALL. Because like 10 minutes later he completely betrays her by fighting alongside Azula, dismantling the attack that could’ve taken Azula down.

#3 The Western Air Temple: A lot of people love to forget at the end of this episode Katara literally threatens Zuko with DEATH over Aang like no one ever talks about that.

#4 The Southern Raiders: In every episode before this Katara continually puts Zuko down and makes fun of him until he offers to help her find her mothers killer. And we all know the significance of this to her. So she seeks out revenge completely disses Sokka and Aang saying they won’t understand even though Aang lost ALL OF HIS PEOPLE and Sokka had THE SAME MOTHER - But I I digress. Aang says no to her taking appa because he doesn’t want Katara to get revenge. She is about to take Appa anyway when Aang tells her to let her anger out and then let it go. To this Zuko replies “ok we’ll be sure to do that guru goody-goody” Katara ends up listening to Aang and not getting revenge which is what he knew she would end up doing because they have that much trust in eachother. Zuko doesn’t know her like that. He will never know her like that. ZUKO EVEN ACKNOWLEDGES THAT AANG WAS RIGHT. And people love to use their one hug as a defining Zutara moment even though it was crucial to the rest of the team that they learned how to be friends. That was it. They didn’t need to be anything more than that for the plot to work.

#5 The Ember Island players: Zuko and Katara sit next to each other. That was literally put in to create Kataang tension. It wasn’t gonna be Sokka cuz he was sitting with Suki and Toph went first. When they’re romanticized in the play they move apart. That’s all.

#6 Sozin’s comet part 1-4: He chooses to bring Katara to help him fight Azula. COMET POWERED CRAZY AZULA. His choices were: Suki a badass non bender but Sokka’s girlfriend who Zuko had little to no connection to. Sokka: A smart but not very skilled swordsman who also cannot bend. And Toph A BADASS earthbending master who could unfortunately not see Azula’s overpowered lighting strikes or fire blasts. AND katara the youngest and first female water bending MASTER who could bloodbend (Zuko didn’t know she could do that without the moon) so obviously he picked her. You don’t bring rocks to a fire fight. You bring WATER. (this is in no way shade to any of the other characters they’re all badass and have contributed in many other ways but could not take down Azula at that time)

#7 Sozin’s comet part 4: Zuko takes a lightening bolt for Katara. Sweet but Aang DIED FOR HER. like literally if he had let her go he would’ve been able to access the avatar state and probably would’ve killed everyone in that cave. Also I genuinely believe he would’ve done it for anyone on team avatar because he was that genuine and loyal to them. It’s was the final piece of his redemption. Taking one for the team. It just happened to be Katara.

And in conclusion they had no on screen chemistry

#avatar the last airbender #kataang #katara #zukka #zuko #anti zutara

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atomicpeache · 3 years

Note

19, 15 and 10 for the Zutara asks :)

10. Do you have any other A:TLA ships?

Sukka is a very close second to Zutara, i love them so much!

I also really like Mailee, I just feel like they would be so cute together, and more recently I've started shipping Taang. They just work so well together and balance each other out so well.

I also love Yuetara! Oh and Bakoda. Those dads have my whole entire heart.

15. What do you think would have happened if Katara and Zuko hadn’t been interrupted in the Catacombs?

Hmmm... this is tricky. I think if they'd been there together for a couple more hours, Katara would've ended up healing him eventually (or trying), but it would've taken some time to get to that point.

I think Zuko would initially have agreed to it, and then he would've hesitated and stopped her. He is still very conflicted about his scar and whether he deserved it or not, and, by extension, whether he still wants or deserves his father's love and approval. That is, after all, why he ends up betraying her in canon.

So he hesitates, as she's about to start the process, and turns away. She gently presses him and asks him what's wrong. And he sees the look of genuine concern and patience on her face, and he's shocked at the amount of support his enemy is showing him. So he talks. He tells her a little about how he got his scar, no details, but gives her the gist. He tells her about his banishment, and his quest to hunt the avatar, and the whole time he's thinking, "why the hell am i telling her all this? I don't even know her." And Katara listens and empathizes as she did with Jet, and Haru, and Aang, and all the others, and she is horrified on his behalf.

She tells him, "it's not your fault."

And he looks at her like she's lost it because "what do you mean it's not my fault, i did horrible things to you and your friends."

And so she clarifies, "it's not your fault for getting that scar. No 13 year old boy should have to go through that."

And they sit in silence for a long time. Zuko ponders what she has said, compares it with all of iroh's comforting and supportive words over the years, and then contrasting them with ozai's words, with azula's. Katara sits in her own thoughts, trying to reconcile the zuko sitting before her with the spoiled prince she's fought countless times, and she can hardly believe they're the same person.

Finally, zuko concedes. So katara takes the spirit water out of its vial and she tries to heal him.

Nothing happens. The special properties of the spirit water have been used up, but zuko's scar is still there. When he realizes this, he jerks away from her and sits down.

"I'm sorry, Zuko."

"It doesn't matter," he snaps back, a hint of his old self, but it's half-hearted. "It was a stupid idea anyway." He falls silent, glaring at the ground, cursing himself inwardly.

Katara understands that he doesn't want to talk anymore. She doesn't really know what she would say anyway. She sits down on the other side of the cave, and stares at the vial of spirit water, wondering if she's just made a huge mistake.

There's a long stretch of silence again.

And then, "Thank you, Katara."

Katara just smiles.

When Iroh and Aang find them later, they are still sitting on opposite sides of the cave, but they are facing each other.

And when Zuko comes to his crossroads of destiny, he can't bring himself to betray Katara, or his uncle, the way he does in canon. When Iroh talks to him after Katara leaves with Aang, and before Azula arrives, Zuko remembers what Katara said, about how it wasn't his fault. So even though he still doesn't quite believe it, when Azula shows up with her offer to bring him back to their father as a hero, he can't quite bring himself to believe that either. He cannot prove to himself, beyond a reasonable doubt, that his father will accept him, now that even his (former?)enemy has expressed concern for his situation.

So he chooses his uncle, and helps the Gaang.

I have way more thoughts on this but this is already way too long than it ever needed to be, so i apologize lol.

TL;DR Zuko would have agreed to being healed, it wouldn't have worked, but he still would have switched sides, to some extent.

19. What do you think would have happened if A:TLA got a Book 4?

Part of me thinks it would've just been the plot of the comics, like the Promise and the Search, but with the Ehaszs in the writer's room it probably would've looked a little different.

For example, the characters would've been... in character. We would've gotten to see Zuko struggle with becoming Fire Lord and stabilizing the country, and a lot of that would've involved him struggling with the baggage of his ancestors, and his own issues with not wanting to become like his father, but i think that, unlike in the comics, the Gaang would've helped support him. I'm not even going to get into what they did to Katara in the comics... i pretend i do not see.

I've heard rumours that, had a fourth season occurred, Aang would've found a community of descendents of Air Nomads in the Fire Nation. I have no idea how much truth there is to this notion, but I'm just gonna roll with it.

So because Aang and Zuko are deutarogonists of the story, I'm imagining that, along with their mutual efforts to balance the world as Fire Lord and Avatar, Zuko's search for his mother and Aang's search for the remnants of his people would be tied together as the main sort of overarching plot of the season.

There are so many interesting things to be done with this: Aang would have to properly face the trauma of the genocide of the Air Nomads, without the tight deadline of the Comet as a distraction; Zuko would be grappling with his fear of becoming like his father, while being piled on with the stress of being the leader of a divided and wartorn country, while also desperate to find out what happened to his mother; I feel like a lot of the "filler" episodes would be about Aang and the gaang dealing with on-the-ground type rebuilding and peacemaking.

As for the rest of the gaang (and this has been pulled straight out of my ass - it's just stuff I would want to happen tbh): Katara and Sokka would go back to the SWT and fight against the NWT's heavy influence on the rebuilding efforts; Toph would put off going back to her parents for as long as possible until she can't anymore; Suki would get a backstory!!!!!!!! And it would be kickass.

Finally, the canon ships would (hopefully) get more development. Katara would have agency in her own love story, and she and Aang would actually talk about their feelings and what a relationship really means! Mai and Zuko would probably still fight a lot tbh. They still don't really understand each other at the end of season 3, and they would have to grapple with that.

Suki and Sokka are just chilling though. They would probably continue being healthy and communicative. Yknow, like they are in canon. Although, i do think there is some potential for conflict left over from EIP, of Sokka still deeply wounded from Yue's sacrifice, and having to properly heal from that. Actually, while he's at it, there are a couple of other things he could do with properly processing...

Okayyy i'm gonna stop it there because I've rambled for far too long already. If anyone's read all the way to this point, thank you so much. I probably wouldn't have lmao

And thank you so much for the ask @phatprog !! I had wayy too much fun writing this in case you hadn't noticed 😭 i just needed an excuse to rant for a bit

#zutara #zutara asks #anti maiko #anti kataang #tagging those for safety #long post #not me tempted to write an entire 20 episode long season of a cartoon that ended 12 years ago #i don't have time for this

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themoonandhersun · 3 years

Note

12!!! 16 and 19 for the zk asks 🥰

sim!!! :D thank you for sending these in!!! <333 i’ll message you back soon!

12. what are your steambaby headcanons?

let’s keep it short! :’)

kya and izumi are one year apart; kya was born first, and is a master waterbender (both healing and combative! she insisted on wanting to be exactly like katara because she adores katara that much).

also, katara had an intense cold while pregnant with her—not even zuko sharing his body heat was enough to keep her warm for long 😭

izumi is a non bender, but she masters sword fighting, kyoshi style fighting, chi blocking, etc etc. and while she is a nonbender, she moves fluidly like a waterbender, and her stances are similar to that of a firebender’s.

hmm...i wonder why?

iroh is a firebender. katara had an intense fever while pregnant with him, and zuko just knew. but when he was born, just to make sure, zuko held a ball of tinder underneath iroh’s nose—and...yep. iroh is a firebender. he learns from the dragons the way zuko did, and thrives while doing so.

iroh is two years younger than izumi and three years younger than kya.

(maybe they have one or two more steambabies, but i like to think they have three for now, take a break, and then try for more later on.) (also, as the youngest kid out of three kids, two older siblings is definitely enough, okay? shit. i wouldn’t be able to handle two younger kids bugging me)

also, katara and zuko are really patient with their steambabies; zuko is really relieved that he’s nothing like ozai. he and a therapist helped katara with her abandonment issues so when the steambabies want to leave and travel the world, she’ll be okay with it. :’))

but when the steambabies do leave and travel, they write letters to zuko and katara like crazy :’))) they always say they miss them and that they miss home and stuff like that, and always send zuko and katara lil gifts from wherever they’re visiting from.

so sweet :’)))

i like to think that they would all travel the world together, all three of them. they get on each other’s nerves, yeah, but they love each other. that’s what’s important.

16. do you think zuko and katara feelings for each other in canon or post canon?

yes and yes.

let me explain.

they definitely have feelings for each other in canon, but just didn’t realize it until post-canon.

i mean—zuko lets katara touch his scar. he closes his eyes, and lets her do it. that, in itself, is a big fucking deal, and i never thought of them as just ‘platonic’ after that. watching the crossroads of destiny for the first time—it’s hard to believe that they didn’t end up being canon in the show.

like, here, you have zuko, and zuko is known for pushing people away, and not opening up to others—but he does it with katara.

and here, you have katara, who is known for being compassionate and selfless even to her own detriment, who is yelling at zuko and openly cries when she talks about losing her mother.

here, you have two characters who have been changing since the series began. they’ve been interacting through most of it as enemies, but then, surrounded by glowing crystals—they make a connection, and there’s trust that’s made as a result.

(and then zuko betrays her...but that’s why zk fics starting from cod, where zuko chooses the gang, are always so good.)

imo, it’s completely possible that non platonic feelings could have been formed in the crystal catacombs, and they just didn’t realize it for a long time because there was always so much going on, you know? they had a lot to deal with during canon. not to say they didn’t have a lot to deal with post canon, but you get my point.

i just think they would’ve realized their feelings for each other post canon because they would be able to talk more—especially since katara would have to check on zuko a lot for his lightning wound. imo, in atla, lightning wounds would be rare, because bending lightning is rare (right?...i could be wrong about that tbh), so katara would have to be close to zuko at all times...and would probably have to think about why zuko sacrificing himself for her was so terrifying.

(they definitely liked each other after tsr though. i know that much!!!)

19. what do you think would have happened if atla got a book 4?

listen, sim. listen.

what i would think would have happened is—i think it would’ve been a lot like the comics, seeing as how br*ke created the comics as continuations of atla...like, br*ke would’ve taken over a lot just to make sure that no one would think zutara is a thing.

they would have a lot of m*iko and k*taang moments that they think are cute but are actually toxic, and they would do azula dirty. in fact, they would do a lot of characters dirty (considering the fact that they thought tsr was about aang being the angel on katara’s shoulder...yeah no doubt they would fuck things up for a lot of characters. aang’s development in b3 was...not good. i feel like they would attempt to give mai an episode, but they would butcher it).

they, br*ke, would fuck up b4 phenomenally. of course, they would try to have funny filler episodes, but...it just wouldn’t have worked out with them in charge. i mean, whenever they changed things in the episodes from b3, it wasn’t good at all. they aren’t good at writing as people praise them to be, that’s for damn sure.

what i would want is elizabeth welch (i think that’s her name? she was in charge of all the good episodes like zuko alone and the southern raiders) to be charge of writing atla book four, and man...that shit would be good. it would be golden.

she would handle zutara right, i know she would. 😌😌😌

#honeymilkchai #zutara #zutara asks #this got long #i didn’t want this to be so long #i feel like my saltiness towards br*ke rlly came out #my bad #😭😭#i hope....these make sense!!!!#i just kept typing and typing and typing #and then i was like ‘i should stop’#so i did #i’m such a mess!!!!#but also yes zk is canon #we’ve always known #😌

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fakeikemen · 4 years

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Anti-Kat/aang rant:

I had some leftover doubts since I recently joined the fandom, about if Kat/aangers had any points worth mentioning about why Kat/aang is a good ship or why Zutara is a bad ship. And the YouTube comment section of the soon-to-be-premiered video of Zutara relationship progression on the official ATLA Yt channel has convinced me that— No, they don't have any points at all. They actually invent excuses to hate on Zutara. And ridiculous excuses at that:

"Katara and Zuko have no chemistry. They are like siblings. Katara is the sister that Zuko never had."

Like I would've actually considered this theory if Zuko and Katara weren't so obviously romantically framed in the scenes they shared starting from "Crossroads of Destiny".

Somebody in the comments accepted that Zutara scenes were romantically framed but that didn't mean anything.

And I'm like: ?!?

This is animation we're talking about? Like anything that happens onscreen is because it was 100% intentionally put there, because it is drawn, coloured and animated. Even for a second worth of screen time, multiple frames have to be created.

Why would they put in that much hard work into making something if nothing was to come of it? Why would they frame those scenes romantically if Zuko and Katara were supposed to be siblings?!

Argument: Null and void.

"Zutara could never happen because Katara already had A/ang loving her and because Zuko had already M/ai as a lover."

Oh so fictional characters are strictly supposed to have only one possible love interest because anything else is illegal?? That's some bullshit right there.

And while we're at it, they talk about M/ai like she was perfect for Zuko but she was not? She treated him like trash? And Zuko literally forgot about her until she showed up in the last few minutes. Yeah, that's true love right there.

Argument: Null and void.

"Katara and A/ang have always been in love with each other from the start. Katara was ready to leave her village for A/ang after 5 mins of meeting him, obviously she was whipped. She was one who suggested that they kiss in Cave of two lovers and she blushed. She kissed A/ang on his cheek many times!! It's true love!! You're blind if you don't see that!!"

I—? Like, its clearly stated in canon that she wants to go with A/ang because this is her only shot at learning waterbending? They really think Katara exists as a character only to be A/ang's love interest, huh? That's sad.

She suggested that they kiss because they were trapped in a cave with no way out. There was a sculpture of two people kissing with ominous scriptures like: "Love will lead the way in the dark" (I don't exactly remember). This was evidently a "kiss or die" situation? Like it just shows that there is no other way Katara would've thought of kissing A/ang?? Seriously this is minus points for Kat/aang Idk why they even use this argument.

And why do they think the innocent cheek kisses are proof of Katara "not keeping her hands to herself"? Ugh. And if these kisses are romantic, why are we always shown that A/ang likes it but not the other way around, i.e.: Katara blushing after kissing A/ang's cheek?

Like Kat/aang's so called development is a joke. There are no two ways about it.

Argument: Null and void.

"Katara hated Zuko for 90% of the show and was kinda okay with him for the last few episodes."

Katara definitely didn't hate Zuko in Book 1 and 2. She was angry at him, yes, but she didn't outright hate him? Like if she did she wouldn't have bothered to offer to heal Iroh. She wouldn't have reached back to Zuko in the catacombs either. And she definitely wouldn't have offered to heal his scar.Her grudge against Zuko became personal only after Zuko betrayed her in Ba Sing Se.

For which he earned forgiveness from Katara fair and square and Katara forgave him at her own volition. No one forced Katara to forgive him.

And after being forgiven, Zuko and Katara were practically glued to each other. They really act like the episodes after TSR don't exist, huh?

Argument: Null and void.

"Zuko is abusive. He hurt Katara many times. He tortured Katara and her friends and tried to kill them."

Where? Seriously, where? Definitely not in canon.

Like, the narrative takes so much time to establish the fact that Zuko doesn't hurt people fatally under any circumstances. He is a victim of abuse: not an abuser himself. When did he hurt Katara? He pretty much saved her from a much, much worse fate in "The Waterbending Scroll" i.e.; the Pirates. He only knocks her unconscious at the North Pole and Katara returns the favour the next time she sees him. Combat is not physical abuse. Where did he torture them? He barely caught hold of them long enough to even actually say anything. Zuko literally got his face burned off for trying to prevent some soldiers from dying. This character would try to kill a 12 yo and his friends? Bullshit. He never tried to kill them. Other than the time he hired Combustion Man which was sooooo evidently wildly OOC for Zuko The worst of Zuko's behaviour paints him mostly as a brat and sometimes as a rude assh*le.

Saying that he was anything more is pretty much gross mis-characterization of Zuko. Like, its literally making up things that didn't happened.

Throwing around heavy words to make the opposing ship look bad is not woke at all.

Argument: Null and void.

"Zutara never kissed on the show, Kat/aang had 4-5 kisses."

Yes this is a real argument from their side.

Like yeah man, kisses = true love; why didn't I think of that before?

This is a new low.

Their first kiss is "kiss or die", the next kiss was in a daydream, the next two kisses were non-consensual and the last kiss featured an extremely OOC Katara.

The fact that Zutara has equal, if not more shippers even without any kisses just makes Zutara more powerful.

Argument: Null and void.

"Zutara makes no sense."

Oh but it does. It makes an awful lot of sense. A lot more sense than their ship.

Like their personal character arcs are so beautifully intertwined? They literally complete each others arcs? Them getting together would reinforce the main message of the show: healing and growth? They are both so alike yet different; they balance each other so perfectly? Zuko actively works toward improving Katara's mental health? Katara offers him endless support? They are so beautiful: I cry.

Argument: Null and void.

"Kat/aang is cAnOn!!!"

Do they have a better argument: No.

Like yeah, we know. We know that Kat/aang is canon. But we also know that the Zutara fanon is much better. And they know it too. That is literally why they feel the need to attack Zutara whenever they can. They can't even state valid points in their defense? And when you state logical points, they just— ignore it? It's almost like they harp about canon to remind themselves about it.

Argument: Even the arguer doesn't believe it.

Yes these are comments I saw with my own two eyes in the comments section. Is it just me or do Kat/aang shippers chose to remain wilfully ignorant about the context of the show?

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sol-tinyrayofsun · 4 years

Text

Zutara Week Day 3 - Fuse: Healing Treatment

Alright, this prompt kept running through my head until this came out of it. Though I'm pretty pleased with the results. Well, I'll let you get right into it. Enjoy! And thank you for reading! A03

Title: Healing Treatment

Rating: G

Summary: Two days after the Agni Kai, Katara and Zuko´s healing sessions are already part of their routines. But talking about what he did for her is not as easy as teasing each other. Some intricate truths are hiding behind their lighthearted attitude. Perhaps those moments when it’s just the two of them will end up bringing a little more amelioration than initially expected.

------ “Why are you being so stubborn?” Katara asked, placing a hand on his shoulder to stop him from getting up.

He was not acting in such way. Maybe just a little anxious. Being injured made him feel powerless, paralyzed, like something that needed to be taken care of. And Katara had embraced that task very seriously. Twice a day since the Agni Kai, which had somehow been barely two days ago, she would chase him all over the palace to get him to make time for their healing sessions. It wasn’t that he disliked her attention, not in the slightest, he just wanted to have everything ready for his upcoming coronation.

“I'm not stubborn,” Zuko replied, letting out an exasperated sigh as he sat back on the bed. “You know I have an endless amount of work to do.”

“Zuko, I’m aware of the fact that you haven’t even been crowned yet and you’re already on the verge of becoming a workaholic,” she said as she rolled her eyes. “But you need to be able to walk without feeling constant pain if you want to be a decent Fire Lord.”

“Fine. Do your thing, but please hurry,” he complied.

Katara raised a brow. “Are you trying to tell me how to do my job?”

“Oh, so now it’s your job to heal me?” Zuko made a playful smirk, a strain of nervousness detectable in his voice. “I’m not that big of a deal.”

“Not that big of a deal?” She threw her hands up in the air. “Shut up and let me heal you already. Unless you want to be even later for all that work you seem so desperate to get done.”

The soon to be crowned Fire Lord nodded in response, wondering if she could tell just how on edge he was. Work was getting in his nerves, sure. But Katara caring so much about his injury had put him in an unusual position. After all, he did jump in front of a lightning bolt for her. Almost dying in the process. Saving her, only to have her save him a few minutes later.

After undoing his robe, he laid on his back, heavily breathing. There was an unspoken intimacy to that moment. It wasn’t the first time Katara had seen him shirtless, and Agni knew it wouldn’t be the last one since his injury was taking its sweet time to heal, but with each second the air seemed to become heavier around them.

Session after session, Zuko has found himself feeling more and more lost for words. It was the time of their day to be alone together. During the remaining hours, there was always someone else with them, or they just weren’t together at all, each of them busy with someone else from the team. After all they had gone through, he was somehow the most nervous about that part of their routine. Unbelievable. And somewhat unexpected.

“You know, if you would just listen to me and stopped running around all day, this would heal much faster,” Katara reprimanded him.

“Just get me to be healthy enough in time for the coronation, alright?” he pleaded, crossing his arms under his head.

“For such a whiner, you look pretty comfortable,” she said as she straightened on the bed, sitting next to him. She made sure to be close enough to do her work, but she left a cautious distance between them.

Katara then leaned onto him and placed her hands over his bare torso as her fingers summoned the water from the small bowl she had brought to his room. She held the liquid over his chest, creating a soft, vibrant glow. Her fingertips brushed his skin in the most gentle way possible.

“Auch, careful there,” he groaned, allowing a little frown to take over his face.

“Here?” She caressed the spot right beneath his upper left rib.

He flinched at the added pressure on his wound. “Yeah.”

“Sorry, the damage’s still recent.” A concerned look appeared in her eyes.

“Sorry? Don’t be silly, you saved me.” He made a light smile. “It’s doesn’t hurt that bad anymore.”

“But you’re still weak, Zuko,” she insisted. “You know, we never really talked about it.”

“Talk about what?” he asked, fearing the direction the conversation was about to take. “There’s not much to say about it if that’s what you’re thinking.”

He tried to sit up, causing Katara to grasp his shoulders and gently push him back down.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she exclaimed, eyes wide open. “I’m not done yet.”

“Nothing - I... I don’t know.” He fought a stutter as he said this. “I’m sorry.”

Their eyes met again, sharing an intense glance. There seemed to be a lot of unsaid things between them. Katara looked like she had something else to state, but remained quiet. Time seemed to slow down. It was only them, in an empty room, vaguely illuminated by the dying light of the afternoon’s sun.

The waterbender continued treating him, allowing her skilled hands to press down the water onto his chest. Zuko felt her fingertips melting into his skin, already used to the contrast of the cold liquid against his body. Softly breathing in and out, he closed his eyes, easing into the moment. He felt safe under her care, even more, he felt loved. Jumping into a lightning bolt for the girl caressing his bare skin in that exact moment had been the easiest decision he’d ever made. Truth was, he felt weak, exhausted just from even sitting straight during the multiple councils he had to attend. But he couldn't complain. In fact, he would do it all over again. For her.

The sound of her voice caused him to open back his eyes. Much to his delight, he found her staring. Her blue eyes were glistening, inviting him to get lost into its ocean. The tenderest of smiles framed her face.

“I was just trying to say…” Katara mumbled. “Thank you. A million times over. What you did was… It meant everything to me. I know you don’t want to talk about it but still, from every bit of my heart, thank you.”

Zuko blinked, words falling through him, failing to react. He had tried to avoid talking about it. It was because he knew there would be no turning back if he allowed his feelings to come to light. Saving her had been like saving a part of himself. In a split second, he had chosen to give it all up for her. It frightened him even, to recognize such intense emotions racing through him. His willingness to do anything because, Agni, he needed to see her happy with every fiber of his being. It scared him in a way he couldn’t quite put into words. Warm yet nerve-racking at the same time.

“Zuko?” Katara asked, noticing his silence. “You alright?”

In what could only be described as a sheer impulse, he placed his hand over hers, gently brushing his fingers through the water.

“Katara, it’s not that I don’t want to talk about it. It’s just - It’s done. You saved me, I saved you… I would do it again. We’re even now. We can move forward.”

“Still, I’m not about to just forget about it.” There was a strain of earnestness in her voice.

“Great, because I wouldn’t want you to stop treating this annoying injury. I’m not sure if I would make it without your help.”

She raised a brow, making a soft smirk. “Is the mighty Fire Lord admitting he needs me?”

“Well,” he started to say, his hand still pressing onto hers. “I thought that little secret was out already.”

Katara took a good look at him before tilting her head to stare at his new scar. A mark on his chest he had received to protect her. She seemed surprised at his words, a bit unsure of their meaning. Maybe the implications of the sacrifice they had made for each other frightened her too. After all, neither of them would be there without one another.

Zuko stood still, allowing her to take all the time she needed. The water was still flowing through his bare torso, carefully repairing the damage that had been inflicted on him. Agni, he wanted to say something, anything. He wanted her to know every thought that was running through his mind at that very moment. But, how? How to explain everything she meant to him when he barely understood it himself? Still, he was sure it would kill him if she didn’t know a part of him was complete with pieces of her.

She finally looked back at him, a little misty-eyed. “Zuko, I - I could’ve lost you.”

He frowned, surprised by her sudden statement. “And I could’ve lost you, Katara. But we didn’t.”

“I swear if something happened to you… I don’t think I would’ve been able to get past it.” Her eyes shifted to the window as her voice started to shake.

“Hey, look at me.” He extended his free hand to softly cup her cheek, calling for her attention. “I’m not going anywhere, alright? I’ll even let you add a third daily session to my schedule if that helps you feel better. Who cares about work, I don't ever want to see you sad.”

His fingers caressed her skin, both on her cheek and the back of her hand. Amid the coldness from the water and the heat of their bodies, their eyes found each other. Zuko felt a wave of relief flooding right through him as Katara made a soft yet tender smile.

“I think I’ll take the extra healing session. You need to be in shape for your coronation,” she said, chuckling.

He tugged her hair behind her ear, hesitating about what to say next. He could barely believe what was happening. The familiarity of the situation, the way they had gotten so used to such proximity between them. That closeness took his breath away. She took his breath away. The girl he had jumped in front of a lightning bolt for. The same girl that had risked everything to be able to save him. She was everything.

“Katara, I…” His voice trailed off.

Why was it so hard to confess his feelings?

“Yeah?” she asked, leaning closer and closer to him. “What is it?”

“Um, nothing important,” he mumbled. “Just - Just that it means a lot that you take the time to do this and…”

Without even realizing it, he had been getting closer as well. They were just centimeters away now, their noses almost touching, her hands pressing down on his chest. His fingers still brushing her skin, bringing her warmth.

“And?” A strain of eagerness was detectable in her voice.

Oh, screw it. The time was now. Right there and then. Together.

“And I’m dying to kiss you,” he blurted out, fighting a stutter. “I mean, as long as that’s okay with you.”

Katara’s eyes widened, a welcoming expression taking over. Then, she kissed him. It was a soft kiss, almost timid. But Zuko could feel himself melting on the spot. He had never been so flustered, yet the water resting on his chest offered a refreshing polarity to the rising temperature of the room. Even the air that surrounded them seemed heavier. His lips pressed onto hers as if he was clinging to dear life. But the rest of his body laid flat in the bed, frozen, melted, in complete awe of the situation.

When she finally pulled apart, the brightest of smiles framed her face.

“So what do you say?” she teased. “You think it’s okay with me?”

He let out a soft laugh, still trying to believe his luck. What did he do to deserve her?

“Let me tell you what,” he replied with a playful smirk. “Try again and I’ll get back to you on it.”

“I think I can work with that. But first, let me get this out of the way.” With a simple movement of her wrist, she returned the water to the bowl resting on top of the nightstand. “I think you’ve had enough healing for today.”

“Yes ma’am. Whatever you say.” He laughed as he moved over, leaving extra room for her next to him.

Katara giggled, burying her hands into his hair as she leaned over him even closer than before. “I’m taking note of how relaxed you suddenly seem about all that work you claimed to have.”

Zuko didn’t even have time to respond because she rapidly proceeded to kiss him again, this time with more intensity. He didn’t care though, all that mattered to him was right there. He ran his fingers through her hair, her cheeks, her neck, everything about her made his heart skip a hundred beats.

They had finally allowed their feelings to come to the surface. It had only taken a lightning bolt, multiple healing sessions, and an elliptical conversation. After saving one another, that simple kiss could be translated into a thousand different words. Truths that would be said at the right time. But at that moment, melting away into each other seemed more than enough

----- I hope you enjoyed this! Remember that feedback is always appreciated. Happy Zutara Week everyone! <3 @zutaraweek

#zutara #zutara week 2020 #zutara fanfiction #zuko x katara #every week is zutara week baby #atla

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pinky13427 · 4 years

Text

For zutara week: Day 1 Reunion

Katara's P.O.V

It has been two long years since the end of the 100 year war. Two years have passed since Aang and I tried to have a relationship, but it didn't work out. Two years have passed since Zuko and I kissed after he got injured by Azula's lightning that was meant for me. Two years have passed since Zuko became Fire Lord. The last I heard from him was two years ago, when he told me that Mai and him were going to try dating. Two years have passed since I last saw him face to face. Two years have passed since I realized that I was completely, and utterly in love with Zuko.

The same Zuko that hunted Aang all over the world. The same Zuko who saved me from the pirates. The same Zuko who eventually joined us in defeating his father. The same Zuko who helped me face my mother's killer. The same Zuko who held me as I cried after I faced said killer. The same Zuko who I had forgiven after that trip to face that evil man.

Even now, I think about what could've happened between us, had we decided not to date Aang and Mai respectively. I wonder if he ever thinks about me. About the passionate and relieved kiss we shared. I wonder if Zuko and Mai are still together. I hope they aren't, then maybe I can tell Zuko my true feelings. I am on my way to the Fire Nation right now because I needed to get away from the freezing cold that was the Southern Watertribe. When we were travelling around the world, I found myself wanting to make a permanent home in the Fire Nation. I love the climate it has. Plus, I absolutely adored the fashion of the Fire Nation people. And, I would be closer to Zuko. So I have decided to move here. I left Sokka to lead our tribe. He understands that I couldn't live in such a secluded place anymore. Now, I can only hope that Zuko won't mind me living in the palace until I can find a place to call my own. I make my way up to the palace doors where a guard is waiting to escort me to see Fire Lord Zuko.

Zuko's P.O.V

I'm sitting on my throne waiting for any news about anything really. Being Fire Lord is not what I expected. It's actually quite boring. Since the end of the war there have only been minor inconveniences. Such as a few of my father's old supporters trying to start another war. But we quickly took care of them. They're now in prison alongside my father. My ambassadors keep trying to find me a wife. But I only have one female in mind. And that's Katara. Ever since Mai and I broke up, Katara hasn't left my mind. I don't think she ever left.

Not since that kiss we shared. After Azula struck me with her lightning, I thought I was definitely a goner. But Katara saved my life. Me, the person who has caused her and her friends so much pain, was saved by Katara. After she healed me up a bit, we kissed. And what a wonderful kiss it was. I never wanted it to end. I wanted Katara to be by my side for the rest of our lives. But we had to make sure that the war was finished. And it was. But then I got coronated and we went our separate ways. Without even talking about the kiss.

When I jumped in front of the lightning to save Katara, I had realized that I was completely in love with her. And have been since I saved her from the pirates. I wish I could've told her before I became Fire Lord. But everything happened so fast. And before I knew it, she was heading back to the Southern Watertribe with Sokka, Suki, and Aang. When they left, Katara and Aang we're dating. But she didn't look that happy. Neither of them really did. I think it was just an end of war thing. However, I'm not sure if they're still dating or not.

I haven't heard from Katara in those two years since the end of the war. And I've been too busy to write. Well, not really. Maybe I just didn't know how to put my feelings into words. That's something that I still struggle with. I really hope she finds time to visit me soon. Just so I can see her gorgeous cerulean eyes one more time. I really do miss her.

I told myself that if I ever see her again, that I would tell her my true feelings. Regardless if she returns them or not. I'm roused out of my thoughts when a guard enters the throne room. "What is the meaning of this interruption?" I'm not actually angry. I just didn't want to be interrupted while I was thinking about Katara. Or Kat, as I had started calling her towards the end of the war. I was not expecting the voice I heard next.

"Oh come on your majesty. Even I know that you weren't doing much." Katara says suddenly.

"Kat! Why didn't you tell me you were coming to visit. I would've prepared a special dinner and everything. Is anyone else with you? Where's Aang?" I couldn't help the jealousy that slipped out with my words as I said Aang's name.

Katara's P.O.V

I hide a snicker at his jealousy towards Aang. "Well, Zuko. I came here by myself. Because I've decided to move to the Fire Nation permanently. I've always loved the weather here. As well as the fashion. So I left Sokka to lead our tribe. And Aang and I broke up shortly after we started dating. We decided that we're better off as friends. Plus I love somebody else. And I hope that he returns my feelings." I look up hopefully at Zuko. "Can I stay inside the palace for awhile, until I can save up enough money to get my own house? It would be much appreciated."

I look up and see a strange look on his face. I don't know if it's from what I said about Aang and I not being together. Or if it was me telling him that I'm moving to the Fire Nation. Or if it was from me asking him if I could stay in the palace for awhile. However, his eyes show me that he's most intrigued about what I said about being in love with someone else. I really hope he returns my feelings. I look back to the guards in the room. "Can you guys give the Fire Lord and I a few minutes alone? He and I really need to talk about some things. Please and thank you." They nod and leave us. Soon it's just Zuko and I. Just like it was two years ago.

"So mister Fire Lord Zuko sir. Can I have a hug? I did just travel hundreds of miles to visit." I smile as he races towards me with a big grin on his face.

Zuko's P.O.V

Wait. I had so many thoughts going through my brain all at once. She's moving to the Fire Nation? She's not dating Aang anymore? She loves somebody else? She wants to stay in the palace for awhile? I don't know what question to ask her first. But right now I just need to focus on hugging her tightly. I run up to her and take her into my arms. Hugging her tightly, I also spun her in a little circle. "Kat! I can't believe you're here. Why didn't you write and tell me that you were coming?" After I hug her, I place her back on the ground before leading her up to the thrones. I sit her down in the one to my left and I sit in my personal throne. "We have much to discuss. But first things first. You're moving here? Forever? Cool. Now we won't be far apart. We'll be able to have our talks like we used to." I look down and see her looking a bit scared.

"Katara? What's wrong? You know you can tell me anything right? I know I haven't written these past two years. But I never knew what to say. I've never been good at explaining my feelings and thoughts to others."

She looks at me and asks, "Where's Mai? I thought you two would still be together."

I frown slightly. "She and I decided that we're better off as friends. She's found a lovely soldier to marry. I couldn't be any happier for her. Plus, I love somebody else." She looks a bit sad at that. I wonder why. Unless... "Kat? I want to try something really quick. Just trust me okay?"

She says breathlessly, "Of course I trust you Zuko but what..." before she can even get out her full response I lean my head down and kiss her fully on the lips. She freezes at first, but then she melts into the kiss just like she did two years ago. We kiss for what seems like forever, but we pull away in order to breathe. "Kat. You're the one I love. I've loved you ever since I saved you from the pirates. And I was so angry at myself when I betrayed your trust in Ba Sing Se. I let Azula's manipulations overrule what I really wanted. Which was you. I am so sorry."

Katara's P.O.V

Did he just... Did he just kiss me? I have been waiting for that moment for two years now. I couldn't be any happier. He also just said that he loves me. I can't help the blush that rises to my cheeks. And now he's apologizing again for what he did in Ba Sing Se. "Zuko... you don't need to apologize for that anymore. I forgave you a long time ago. I have a confession to make. I love you too Zuko. I have since you took me to face my mother's murderer. I didn't write to you either, because I didn't know how to express my feelings. So I've just been drowning myself in my work these past two years. Now that I've decided to move here, maybe we could try and make a relationship work."

I blush again, looking down. I feel his warm fingers lift my chin up to face him again.

Zuko's P.O.V

I look at Katara directly in her gorgeous cerulean eyes. "I would love it if you would become my girlfriend Kat. Don't worry about paying for a house. You can live here in the palace with me. And I know you don't like servants, so I won't assign you any if that is what you wish. I love you with all my heart. And I'm sorry it took me this long to tell you."

I kiss her softly one more time before hugging her gently. "This is some reunion isn't it?" I couldn't help but let out a chuckle. "I love you Katara."

Katara's P.O.V

I smile again. So glad that I made the trip over here. "I would love to live with you. Thank you for respecting my views on servants. But I wouldn't mind having one girl to talk to if I need help getting ready in the morning."

I lean my forehead on his shoulder. "Some reunion is right. And I love you Zuko."

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ladylynse · 5 years

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For @zutara-dumpster-hours (since I’m assuming this is the relevant blog). Happy birthday, Tali! You wanted to see something in the ATLA role reversal AU with Sokka trying to join the Gaang, so here you go.

Sokka wants to make up for his past actions, to join the Gaang, and Azula is having none of it.

Also on FF and the AO3.

-|-

“We’re not alone,” Toph said, stopping in her tracks and nearly causing Zuko to bowl into her.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Azula said sharply, and Toph pointed a finger at the wall of rock ahead of them. Azula had thought they were safely within the Earth Nation, far from any patrols the Water Tribe might have sent out. They were walking now to give Appa a break from flying, but they weren’t on known trade routes; they were specifically avoiding the paths on any map she’d ever seen. As far as she could tell, they were a day’s walk from the nearest village, but—

“There’s someone in there.”

“Inside the cliff?”

“We’re in the Earth Kingdom. It’s not just a cliff. Someone built rooms inside. I’d guess it’s an old bunker if we weren’t so far from the old front lines.”

“So someone’s home? Whoever built this place?”

“Maybe. Or maybe it’s abandoned and we’re not the only visitors.”

Azula looked at Aang. “We can’t risk the Water Tribe finding you. Zuko can check it out.”

“Hey!”

“Don’t hey me,” Azula shot back. “If they’ve sent that crazy old blood bender after us again, you’re going to need my lightning to neutralize her. Unless you’ve suddenly figured out how to do it?”

“Crazy old blood bender?” Toph repeated. “What happened to you guys?”

“It’s…kinda a long story,” Aang said, the apology in his tone, but Zuko snorted and contradicted him.

“It’s really not. Her name’s Hama, and we think she’s the one who taught Katara to blood bend. It’s exactly what it sounds like. She can turn you into a living puppet. We’re lucky she didn’t kill us all the first time.”

“Uh, guys?” Toph interjected, but Azula wasn’t going to let Zuko leave it at that.

She sniffed. “I wasn’t with Zuko and Aang when she ambushed us, which gave me the opportunity to catch her by surprise, and the old hag is as susceptible to lightning as everyone else.” She turned back to Zuko. “Which is why you need to investigate.”

“Because I’m suddenly the most disposable?”

“Guys!” Toph stamped her foot, and the rock in front of them split. She pointed ahead of them again.

Azula followed her finger, and her heart jumped into her throat. She moved in front of Aang, knew Zuko was doing the same to guard his other flank, and both of them readied themselves to fight.

“It’s okay,” Aang said. “He’s alone. Right, Toph?”

“Right.”

“I’m not here to hurt you,” Sokka said, sounding remarkably put together for someone who’d just fallen through a window that had once been a wall of rock. Azula supposed it said something about his composure, about his upbringing, the way he simply stood up and dusted himself off as if it were nothing, but she hated him for it. And I’m not here to hurt you? Azula nearly sent a lightning bolt at him for daring to presume that they’d fall for a trick like that after everything they’d been through.

“Sure,” she bit out. “Of course you aren’t. Because you’ve never tried to kill or capture us before. That was someone else, like your crazy sister.”

“Katara’s not…. Well, she wasn’t always. But I’m not here to make excuses for her or for me. I’m sorry for everything I’ve done, and I want to make up for it.” He hesitated. Another acting job. She kept her anger under control, ready to let it lash out all at once. “I…I came to join you, if you’ll have me.”

“We won’t,” Zuko said flatly before she could open her mouth. “Now how did you find us?”

“Consider it a show of good faith,” Azula snarled when Sokka didn’t immediately volunteer the answer.

“I was guessing,” Sokka started, and she sent a small burst of flame past his shoulder—a warning shot, and it was with some satisfaction that he flinched away.

“Try again,” she ground out.

“Look, I…. I know what you’re doing. I know you’re trying to get in touch with sympathizers in the Earth Kingdom to get enough supplies for the next leg of your journey. I know you’re making your way to the southernmost peninsula before you set off over the water—”

“So that’s where your sister plans to ambush us?”

“Azula,” Aang said quietly, “let him talk.” He glanced at Toph and added, “There still isn’t anyone else around, Toph?”

“Just us. He really did come alone. I think he fell in through the chimney, too.” A grin grew across her face. “Unless you got yourself stuck inside on purpose?”

Sokka’s answering smile was sheepish, and Azula didn’t trust it for a second. “I was rigging something up. I would’ve gotten out soon.”

More likely, he was strategizing and trying to catch them unawares. She still couldn’t believe he’d found them. They’d been so careful not to leave a trail. It’s another reason they weren’t flying everywhere they could, even though they’d be able to cover more ground that way. So what wasn’t he telling them?

Before Azula could say any of this, Aang had stepped forward and was gently nudging her and Zuko to the side. “Why do you want to join us?”

Sokka picked at the wrapping around his left wrist for a few seconds, not meeting their gaze, before finally whispering, “Because I don’t think I’m on the right side of things.”

“Well, you aren’t,” Azula spat.

Aang put a hand on her arm, and she bristled but quieted. “Go on,” he prompted.

“Life was always…hard,” Sokka said, ignoring Azula’s snort and Zuko’s bark of laughter. Instead, he raised his eyes to meet Aang’s. “Katara is strong, the strongest water bender in our tribe to be born for generations, but the expectations placed on us, her especially, are unachievable. She’s never seen to be as good as she needs to be, so she keeps working, and she gets better. You won’t be able to beat her without help. Especially not if you come to fight her on her own turf.”

Azula couldn’t keep quiet anymore. Did he think they were idiots, that their planning was for nothing? She wasn’t about to tell him their plan, of course, but he really didn’t think anything of them if he thought they were going into this without any sort of plan. “Because she’ll just turn us into puppets and kill Aang when he can’t move to defend himself?”

“Katara can only blood bend under the full moon. She’s good, but she still needs to be at her strongest to do that.”

Azula blinked. They hadn’t realized that. Sure, Hama had ambushed them at night, and it had been a full moon then, but they’d assumed she’d struck at night to try to catch them off guard. They’d assumed she’d wanted the moonlight not just for the strength it gave her but for the light it would give her to move around. If she hadn’t had that argument with Zuko, if she’d been in camp with the rest of them….

“I can help you,” insisted Sokka. “Aang, you still need to learn how to water bend, don’t you?”

“You’re a non bender,” Zuko said. “How can you teach water bending?”

Sokka crossed his arms. “I know the forms.”

“Bending is about more than just forms,” Azula snapped. “Not that I’d expect you to know that. It’s about feeling and intention as much as it is form.”

“And I sat through the same classes as Katara when we were younger,” Sokka countered, “and watched more even after it was clear I wasn’t a water bender. I can teach Aang if he’ll have me.”

“You should give him a chance,” Toph said quietly. “You need a water bending teacher, and we can’t afford to be picky.”

“We can’t afford to trust him, either,” grumbled Azula, “after what he’s done to us.”

“I don’t expect you to trust me,” Sokka said. “I’m only asking that you give me a chance to atone. How much do you really know about the Water Tribes? Do you know anything about our strategies? Our weaknesses? You don’t even look like you could make it through our defences. You don’t need to worry about Katara if you can’t make it that far.”

“We’re not telling you what we know,” Zuko said. “How stupid do you think we are? We’re not going to—”

“We don’t need to tell him our plans before we find out everything he has to offer,” Toph interrupted, “but you two don’t need to keep shutting him down before we—or at least Aang—hears him out. This isn’t an ambush. I’d know. He’s alone. And if he found us this time, he could find us again even if we try to leave him behind.”

“I can’t believe you’re going along with this!” Azula exclaimed, throwing up her hands and hoping Toph had half an idea of how much she was glaring at her right now.

“I’d say I can’t believe you’re not letting Aang have a say in this when he’s the Avatar, but you’re you, so that would be a lie.”

“Toph!”

“Toph’s right, Azula,” Aang said. “I need a water bending teacher.”

“Your water bending teacher should actually be a water bender.” Azula saw Sokka flinch at her words, but she didn’t care. So what if that was a sore point for him? It was the truth.

And for a non bender, he was dangerous.

Something Toph and Aang seemed to be forgetting.

That boomerang of his wasn’t just for show. He could use it and use it well, potentially incapacitating a bender who didn’t see his attack. She had never let him get close enough to get into any hand to hand, but she didn’t doubt his combat skills on that front, either. For all she knew, he was as good as Ty Lee, or nearly so.

And trusting him just seemed to be such a phenomenally bad idea.

Aang was too soft, too trusting, and she couldn’t let him make this mistake. She turned her head slightly to find Zuko already looking at her. He gave a slight nod, his lips pressed tight in an expression with which she was painfully familiar. He was ready to fight, just as she was.

They’d have to separate Sokka from that boomerang of his first. She didn’t want to doubt Toph’s skills after what she’d seen her do, but Azula wasn’t going to risk Sokka taking out their earth bender. Aang was pretty good now, but Toph was far better. Azula didn’t plan to sacrifice any of her friends, but the truth of the matter was, she and Zuko were more expendable than Toph. There were two of them, and if they had to, one of them could see Aang through this. He didn’t have to have two fire benders by his side.

She shifted her weight to adjust her form and saw Zuko mirroring her. Sokka noticed but was too late to react. And by the time the cry of protest left Aang’s lips, fire and lighting were already racing towards the relentless hunter who’d dogged their steps for so long.

If he wanted to come along, well, he could do that as their prisoner—their hostage—instead of as their friend.

It might have worked if the earth hadn’t suddenly closed around Sokka, protecting him, while simultaneously swallowing her and Zuko until they were up to their armpits in sand.

“I’m calling a time out,” Toph said as the earth around Sokka shifted, freeing his face but still trapping the rest of him. “Aang, you can let these guys out once you have your answers. I’m going to get some water. See if you can figure this out while I’m gone.”

Struggling got her nowhere. “Toph! This isn’t funny!”

“Neither is frying people we need on principle.” Toph raised one hand in a wave as she walked past. “Have fun.”

“Aang, are you going to get us out of here?”

Aang shifted on his feet. “Um, soon, but maybe, ah, Toph has a point. About talking. And I really do need a water bending teacher.”

“I can’t believe this,” Azula muttered, except that wasn’t true. She could believe it. This was Aang, after all. Even after everything Sokka had done to them, Aang would be willing to give him another chance. That’s just the way he was.

Whether she liked it or not, Sokka was going to be Aang’s water bending teacher. And she and Zuko might not trust Sokka as far as they could throw him, but if he was going to join them, at least she could count on her brother to have her back—and have an extra of eyes on Aang’s, just in case.

(see more fics | part 2)

#atla #atla au #role reversal au #aang #azula #sokka #zuko #toph beifong #fanfiction #atla fanfiction #my writing #ladylynse #snippets #atla snippet #happy birthday Tali!

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thelonehepburnette · 4 years

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I've recently gotten into A:TLA. And I have to say, I didn't expect myself to ship Zutara.

I really didn't. It took me by surprise.

For this particular post, I'm not following a particular outline. These are just a messy string of thoughts and feelings, bared and written down.

Let's cut to the chase shall we?

I knew how things end in the show, one of them being Kataang. Back then, I just accepted it. I was young and believed in the trope that the hero gets the girl in the end. I didn't think much about it. Now all grown up, I thought I'd naturally ship Kataang once I've gotten into the show. But I didn't. Maybe I would've if I've seen all three seasons as a child, but I've only seen some eps here and there.

With A:TLA on Netflix, I got to watch it completely for the first time, but with a more mature perception.

I DON'T think Kataang shouldn't have happened. It's definitely a valid ship. There's friendship, loyalty, trust, and affection between Aang and Katara. Those aspects in their bond serve as valid foundations for romance to bloom. It was obvious from the start. Bryke dropped the hints and I could tell. Despite all the foundations, the way they had Aang and Katara's romance develop was rather lackluster.

I know, I know. A:TLA is a kids show and romance isn't a major theme. If I was a kid now, I might've believed in Aang and Katara's romance.

For the most part, Katara has been acting all motherly/sisterly towards Aang. While Aang's feelings for Katara were portrayed as juvenile. Just a normal kid with a crush. They definitely have a strong bond, but it's quite difficult to see them as something more than friends at their age. In book 3, things between Aang and Katara do get more serious, but the development up to that kiss in the last episode just wasn't believable.

For me at least, things would've been better if Aang's feelings for Katara were further challenged. That way, he gets to see through the ideal image he has of Katara and accept the darker parts of her personality in a more difficult and intimate manner. It also would've been better off if they didn't kiss in the finale. BUT, there would be a scene between Aang and Katara that would allude to a promise of something more... something romantic. This way, I would've believed and rooted for Kataang.

As for Zutara, why do I ship it?

I'm not trying to say that Zutara deserved to be canon. I'm not trying to say that they shouldn't be canon either. I didn't see Zuko and Katara's interactions as romantic. We have a few of them, and they're all platonic at best. But what I really like about the pairing is their development. From enemies to allies who understand, believe, and risk for each other. Not only that, but the symbolism and parallels put together throughout the three books... The sun and the moon. The eclipse. The blue spirit and the painted lady. Oma and Shu, star-crossed lovers from two feuding villages. Fire and Water/Ice. Tui and La. Yin and Yang. If romance was in the cards for them, Zutara would have been the ultimate symbol for forgiveness and unity between two nations that shared so much bad blood.

I don't wish that right after Katara forgives Zuko that they'd immediately get all romantic and kiss by the end, considering the very few episodes that are left and the direction of the show's plot. But if the show had more episodes and Zuko had more time to develop a bond with each member of Team Avatar before the big fight, I'm not against some romantic progression between Zuko and Katara or the promise of something more.

Based on what we have, they definitely had potential. They could work, both thematically and narratively. For me, more so than Kataang.

Despite the few interactions, they all have been very powerful and vital. They all contributed to Zuko and Katara's characterizations and their development. With Katara, Zuko finally finds someone with similar experiences and knows just the right way to understand and speak when his thoughts and feelings are bared. With Zuko, Katara didn't have to put herself in that motherly/sisterly role and just shows those dark parts of herself she tried to hide from everyone. Despite their differences, they appear more like equals, compared to the other characters. All their moments lead to a bond forged from understanding and forgiveness, and it's a powerful one.

Zutara is a ship full of potential and possibility. They might not be canon, but I root for it and I'll continue doing so. I also feel the frustation like a lot of you shippers, knowing a ship had so much potential but it was not further explored. Dwelling on what could have been of Zutara if there were more episodes or if Zuko turned to Team Avatar earlier on. I would've loved to see Katara and Zuko's bond grow if those were the case, even if they weren't innately romantic.

Kataang and Zutara are valid ships to root for. They both have their merits. You can ship either, both, or another pairing. When it comes to shipping, it's a ride or die situation. And I'll definitely ride and die for Zutara.

#the last airbender #atla #avatar the last airbender #zutara #zuko x katara #zuko and katara #prince zuko #katara #kataang #aang the last airbender #avatar aang

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