#zukka nation wins again!!

[comradekatara]

hello, I’ve been thinking about Sokka in the finale and was wondering about your take I suppose? Or perhaps I just need to express this.

Sokka being a tactician rather than a warrior is a wonderful way to end his arc. Trusting two women who are, objectively, stronger in combat, while also being a guide & leader wow great love it.

And it’s great how he protects Toph. But I also think about how at the beginning Sokka is primed to die for Katara, and at the end he’s in the same self-sacrificial position. I don’t think this is bad writing but it kinda sucks for him lmao. His most triumphant moment is still one where it’s his job to die first.

It’s also interesting how this mirrors Zuko, who also self-sacrifices as a part of the completion of his arc. The way they’re both so willing to die is part of what makes Zukka compelling to me. But also! I wonder if Sokka would be jealous of Zuko being able to almost die for Katara.

I don’t think Sokka would think of it that way, but I can imagine his self-hate for almost letting Toph die, and then look! He wasn’t even there to die for Katara! Someone else had to do it! And maybe Zuko is a fine option if it’s not Sokka, but I don’t think its would be easy for Sokka to accept.

I don’t think he would know why he was angry, either. He’d just be mixed up with frustration and helplessness and probably concern for Zuko, too, and irritation at how stupid it was for Zuko to challenge Azula to an Agni Kai. God I hope they don’t break up over it.

okay, wow. a lot of interesting points here. i'm gonna try to respond to them in order (and number each paragraph so you can follow each point better).

1 while i would of course say that suki and toph both have unique strengths as fighters, i wouldn't discount sokka's skill either. yes, he is first and foremost a tactician who uses strategic maneuvering to win battles, and learning to prioritize his brains over his brawn is a huge facet of his arc, but crucially, he learns this first from suki, whose technique is all about strategic maneuvering against stronger opponents, and toph's fighting style is also about finding creative uses for her earthbending, instead of relying on feats of strength like the other earthbenders we see throughout the series. i would say that in this sense, toph, sokka, and suki are all quite evenly matched. they each have skills the other does not (arguably toph's skills are the most impressive, but sokka's accuracy with a boomerang and suki's little flippity flips – i.e., her abs of steel – in "the boiling rock" deserve acknowledgment).

of course, it's valuable that sokka trusts toph and suki entirely, and not solely because it reflects his implicit respect for girls as warriors (because like, we covered that at the very beginning of the series), but because it means he can overcome his control freak tendencies to delegate and trust others to be competent and succeed, which also means trusting that if they fail or choose to sacrifice themselves, it's not directly his fault (something he learns in "the boiling rock"). and of course toph and suki are probably the two people (who aren't directly related to him) he trusts, loves, and admires the most, which is what makes their team-up as a trio in the finale so lovely.

2 i actually think there's something really beautiful and poignant about the circularity of sokka's arc. as you say, it's a near-identical situation. sokka is faced down by fire nation soldiers, the only person in a position to fight back, while responsible for the safety and life of his little sister, and even though he puts up a valiant effort, he still must be saved by a third party who swoops in at the very last moment to save him before he bites it. in "the avatar returns," sokka's choice to die a martyr (in his mind) will finally fulfill his existential goal of protecting katara (which, again, in his mind, means doing for her what kya did), whereas now his existential goal is ending the war. either way, he is dying for his cause. the thing is, when aang returns to fight zuko, suddenly a new cause motivates sokka: to help the avatar. but now that the war is over, sokka's goals become less concrete. he must suddenly live past the end of his myth, which as we all know, is a perilous thing.

and as i've talked about before, i think this would motivate him to try and do everything he possibly can, because he no longer has one singular defined path, so to prove that he is worthy of existence he must now exercise control over everyone. as much as he trusts toph and suki and katara and aang and zuko (to an extent), i think his control freak tendencies would nonetheless be exacerbated by the end of the war, because instead of just imposing control on their little group to make sure they stay on schedule etc. etc., he now has the opportunity to impose control over the entire world. postwar sokka is kind of a nightmare i'm afraid.

3 i think it's important to remember that sokka doesn't really get angry, he gets guilty. unlike katara, zuko, or even aang, sokka only really gets angry if he thinks someone is incompetent and/or evil. but mostly, when he internalizes his emotions, he doesn't lash out with rage, he points that anger inwards, feels as if he is the one at fault, even if the situation was not remotely in his control. i don't think sokka would be remotely mad at zuko for what he did. he might think zuko was stupid for what he did ("couldn't katara have just run out of the way?"), but he'd also be infinitely grateful. i think sokka would be furious at zuko had the reverse happened and katara been injured in any way – oh, then he would tear zuko to pieces. but zuko risking his life for katara (although i think in zuko's mind he expected he'd be fine and that he could just redirect the lightning in midair, but he'd never admit that to anyone ever, so.) would only make sokka feel guilty that someone else had to perform his duty.

i think a big problem for sokka after the war would be that now that he has all these different paths to follow, he cannot be in every location at once (being a man means knowing where you're needed the most, but what if you're needed everywhere??? what then???), and he cannot know every single piece of information implicitly. the fact that he had to be at the airship fleet meant that he had to trust that zuko and katara would be successful in their mission. and he clearly does trust them, but i imagine there's also a part of him wracked with fear over their fates the entire time that they're split up, especially because if katara isn't okay, that means that he failed and he wasn't even there. so yeah, i think he'd feel a mix of gratitude and guilt that zuko performed his big brother duties in sokka's place. but i don't think he'd be angry at zuko.

4 sokka's self-hate for almost letting toph die is so real though. yeah "the boiling rock" teaches him to let himself rely on others and not take every single failure so personally, and suki is especially significant in that regard for how she represents someone who is sokka's peer who can rescue him but also be rescued by him. and all that, thematically speaking, is very important and lovely. but he still hates himself for not doing more. which is of course crazy, because he literally used a boomerang and threw his sword with only one working arm and a broken leg while basically hanging off a falling ledge in the sky to kill two men, but sokka is crazy, so there's no way he's satisfied upon being told that he did all he can do. his limits are his failures. and if he can't even protect his best friend, then what is he good for?

i actually think that if toph hadn't been there to ground him, he would have been less concerned with staying alive, that he only held on for so long because he wanted to keep toph alive. when sokka tells toph that "it looks like this is the end," toph, understandably, starts to cry, but sokka only really seems sad at the idea that toph is about to die. he's not crying, why would he be? this is probably how he's always imagined his own death in his wildest fantasies (yes, if katara fantasizes about revenge, sokka fantasizes about dying, you know it's true). if sokka is crucial to helping toph recognize and accept her own vulnerability, toph helps sokka stay grounded to his humanity (and obviously aang and others perform these function for both parties as well, but sokka and toph's friendship is a really beautiful, special thing). and that means that sokka is excited to be saved by suki specifically because it means that she also saved toph. but there must also be a part of sokka after the war that's thinking "in the end, zuko saved katara, suki saved toph, some giant spirit creature saved aang........ what am i even good for?" because if there's one thing sokka's brain loves to do, it's reinforce his own worthlessness.

5 "god i hope they don't break up over it" was pretty funny to me, because i honestly think that if they ever get together (and jury's still out for me on that tbh) it would take a good decade. but also i recognize that the way i "ship zukka" is different from how everyone else feels about/imagines them, so that's not really relevant here.

#would it surprise you that i do in fact think about this all the time #you guys rly love enabling me huh #asks #dejaentends #put it under the cut even though i have way longer posts i didn't add readmores to. im unpredictable im crazy idk #sokka #toph #suki #zuko #katara #katara&sokka #sokka&toph #sokkaxsuki #sokkaxzuko #(kinda) #analysis #GODDDDD..... i love.........psychoanalyzing sokka...... peeling the onion....... he has LAYERS DONKEY!!!!!

[azulasnailtech]

Day Three: Spooning/Bed-Sharing

A continued happy @zukkaweek! I managed to break 1k today, so that’s a win. Canon compliant, Book Three: Fire, Chapter Twenty-One: Sozin’s Comet, Part 4: Avatar Aang. Missing moment, pre-relationship zukka and gaang friendship. Rated G.

“Aang!”

His sister’s voice is perhaps the sweetest sound Sokka has ever heard, because that means she’s gloriously, wonderfully alive. She survived Comet Azula. She won. Would have been nice if she had called his name first, but Aang’s been disappeared longer, and without forewarning. He’ll wait his turn on the hug.

But they’ve been hugging a while now.

Jeez. Get a room, guys.

“What am I, chopped liver?” Sokka finally calls out when it’s been long enough.

“Sokka!” Katara shouts at last, gleeful. She releases Aang, who scrunches his nose at the interruption but smiles, and moves to jump on her brother.

Sokka would have crumpled under the weight if not for Suki’s palms planted between his shoulder blades, pushing him back upright. As it is, he lets out a (very slightly pathetic) keen like an injured kitten-hare.

Katara gasps, instantly looping his arm over her shoulder and taking the weight off his left side. “You got injured too!”

“Too?” Sokka suddenly stills and looks around, notices the last member of their gang is nowhere to be found. “Zuko?”

“He’s okay,” Katara rushes to reassure. “Or he will be okay. He’s stable.”

“That’s not super reassuring…”

“Here, c’mon, let’s all go inside and talk about what we all went through.” She gestures with her free hand for everyone to follow her, and leads Sokka hobbling into the palace proper, but stops short at one of the hallways that splits off in two directions. “Ugh, this place is like a maze.”

“I can hear him,” Toph offers. “I’ll take it from here, Sugar Queen.”

Sokka’s exhausted by the time they make it to what he assumes is not the hospital wing but Zuko’s bedroom, judging by the presence of only one, absolutely massive bed.

“Nice,” he breathes, and with one last burst of energy, he hops the rest of the distance to the bed and flops down on his back, spreading his limbs like a starfish.

Zuko, who had been slumbering lightly, grumbles and blinks awake, followed by a sharp intake of breath. “It’s okay buddy,” Sokka murmurs, scooting across the bed to Zuko’s side before Zuko can switch to fight mode and pop a stitch or whatever by leaping out of bed with flaming fists. “It’s just me.”

“Sokka?” Zuko asks groggily. He turns his head to confirm it and smiles dopily. “Heeeeey, Sokka,” he says, reaching over to pat Sokka’s cheek heavily.

Somewhere behind him, Sokka hears Suki giggle. “What is he on?” She whispers.

“Fire Nation painkillers are strong.” Katara whispers back.

“Do I get some too?” Sokka wonders, peering over his shoulder.

“Why do you need a painkiller?” Zuko asks.

“Messed up my leg sliding down the side of an airship and landing badly on a platform,” Sokka explains matter-of-factly.

Zuko nods in understanding. “I got stuck by lightning.”

“Again? And you couldn’t do the—” Sokka holds the pointer and middle finger of each hand up, waving both hands around haphazardly in a rough approximation of the movement for lightning redirection.

“‘Zula spun around at the last second to aim for Katara. Had to run to get in front of it.”

“Oh man,” Sokka breathes. He tries to imagine Katara struck by lightning, electricity coursing through her veins, stopping her heart and frying her insides, without spirit water or anyone to heal the healer. His mind violently rejects the image.

Instead, Sokka surges forward to wrap his arms around Zuko, hugging him tight as he can without touching the bandages wrapped around chest. “Thank you,” he chokes out.

“Course.” Zuko answers. He wriggles his arm under Sokka’s body so he can hug back. “I’d jump in front of lightning for any of you.”

“I’d jump in front of lightning for you too, man.”

“Why would you jump in front of lightning for me?” Zuko shouts, and he lacks none of his usual volume when high on painkillers, apparently. “I’m much better equipped to handle it than you!”

Sokka laughs. “I’d jump in front of a boomerang for you,” he amends.

“Thank you.” Zuko reaches his free hand up to run up and down Sokka’s forearm. “Those things really hurt.”

“I know we said we’d all talk about how our battles went…” Aang ventures as he climbs onto the bed behind Sokka. “But I think we all deserve a nap.”

“Aang?” Zuko demands, trying and failing to lift himself up to look over Sokka.

“Yeah!” Aang props himself up on an elbow to peer down at him. “Hey, Sifu Hotman!”

“You lived!”

“I did!”

“So you won, right?”

“I won,” Aang confirms.

“He was amazing,” Sokka adds.

“Good job!” Zuko holds his hand up for a high five, which Aang gladly gives him. “Hey, does that mean my dad is dead?” Zuko snorts. “Dad dead. Dead dad. ’S fun to say it together.”

“No, I found a workaround. I meditated myself onto a spiritual journey where I—”

“Nap first,” Suki cuts in.

Aang yawns, nods, and lies back down. Immediately, he plasters himself to Sokka’s back, like he’s the Avatar’s personal body pillow. Sokka huffs but doesn’t complain; he knows the kid must be all tuckered out from delivering the butt-kicking of the century.

“Let me just look over Sokka’s leg first,” Katara mumbles, standing at the foot of the bed.

Suki stops her with a firm hand to the shoulder. “We already set it, and you’re exhausted. It can wait.”

“Yeah, Katara,” Sokka agrees. “And Zuko’s Fire Lord now, right? He can release the war prisoners, so the swampbenders can help you with healing duty.”

“I am the Fire Lord now,” Zuko agrees, puffing his chest out. “I declare all prisoners of war from the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes free!”

“Very well, Your Majesty,” a Fire Sage steps out of a shadowed corner of the room and bows. “I will see it done.”

“Was he there the whole time?” Sokka squawks as the man leaves.

The only response he gets is laughter.

Katara and Suki slide onto the bed beside Aang, and Suki pats the last bit of free space at the edge. “You coming, Toph?”

“Just a sec.” With a heavy stomp, Toph lifts a perfect rectangle of densely packed dirt to be level with the bed, obliterating Zuko’s hardwood floors in the process. She sprawls out sideways, head and chest on the bed while her lower half remains grounded. “Perfect,” she sighs.

Even with five and a half of them piled onto the bed, Zuko still has plenty of space on his other side. He could easily put some distance between himself and Sokka. It would probably be more comfortable for both of them.

He doesn’t.

Sokka sleeps like a baby.

#zukka #zukkaweek2022 #gaang #sokka #zuko #atla #zukka fanfic #pre-relationship #canon compliant #mystuff #mywriting

[zukka-fic-recs]

Zukka WIP Fic Recs

The following fics have all been updated in March 2022, and I am thoroughly enjoying all of them. ❤️

Burning Bright by @erisenyo

Available on Ao3, WIP, Series, Explicit, Canon Divergent, Canon Typical Violence and Child Abuse, Underage Sex, BDSM Undertones, Angst, Hurt/Comfort

Wordcount: 769,467

Zuko and Sokka write letters to one another and form a connection. Doesn't stray extremely far from canon, but enough to keep things interesting. A lot of very sweet moments and also many very hot and steamy ones (guaranteed to make you fan yourself while smiling until your cheeks hurt!). The way the author writes relationships - both romantic and otherwise - is super compelling, and this series is really driven by excellent character development.

All's Fair by @lovelyelbowleech

Available on Ao3, WIP, Series, Mature, Canon Divergent, Canon Typical Violence and Child Abuse, Torture, Zuko/Zhao (Non-con), PTSD

Wordcount: 233,750

Zhao survives the attack on the North and takes Sokka and Zuko as prisoners on his ship. This one is quite dark at times and there's a lot of wump, but the slow build of the relationship between the boys is great and it's not lacking in comfort! A lot of badassery in this one, and there are some great funny moments too - I love the way the author portrays the characters. A great blend of hurt/comfort and extremely well-written!

Chained by blueeyedarcher

Available on Ao3, WIP, Explicit, Canon AU - No Bending, Graphic Depictions of Violence, Allusions to Torture, Allusions to Suicide, Major Character Death (not the GAang - so far)

Wordcount: 358,478

Sokka takes Zuko (a Fire Nation spy) back to the Southern Water Tribe as a PoW. Not quite as dark as the summary and tags might imply. Many sweet moments. There are other AUs of the fic within the series, such as a shapeshifter AU, which is also very good. (Also: Pirate Queen Yue - need I say more?)

I would also recommend this author's other works!

Spirit's Tether by Spheral3

Available on Ao3, WIP, Gen, Canon AU - Soulmates, Slowburn

Wordcount: 259,011

Mostly canon compliant - except Sokka and Zuko are soulmates, which does change some things! Again, many sweet moments (there are themes in what I enjoy reading haha), and it's friends to enemies to lovers!

There's Bound To Be A Ghost At The Back Of Your Closet by anactualforrealadult

Available on Ao3, WIP, Gen, Modern AU, Dadkoda, kid!fic, Trans!Zuko, Allusions to Prostitution (not Zukka)

Wordcount: 31,799

Zuko raises Kiyi, with some help. Starts when Zuko is a teen and progresses from there. I love Dadkoda and Dad!Zukka fics, and this is a wonderful combination of both!

How You See Me by @mysticpandora

Available on Ao3, WIP, Explicit, Canon Divergent, Canon AU - A/B/O Dynamics, MPreg, Slowburn, Major Character Death (not the GAang - so far)

Wordcount: 117,566

Alpha!Sokka and Omega!Zuko. Zuko ends up injured and stuck in the Southern Water Tribe, and is helped by Sokka and his family. There are some very cute pets in this one, and Sokka works hard to make Zuko comfortable and win his affections. I know ABO isn't for everyone, but if it floats your boat then I think you'll enjoy this fic. And the Air Nomads haven't all been wiped out in this fic, which is lovely to see.

While Mighty Oaks Do Fall by @witchofendor

Available on Ao3, WIP, Teen, Fire Sage Zuko, Zuko joins the GAang early, Canon Divergent

Wordcount: 115,020

Ozai sent Zuko to become a fire sage when he was a kid, and now canon events are happening with that backdrop. This is funny and heart-warming, really tugs at my heartstrings. Extremely well-written and the author creates a depth to the world-building that is very compelling to read.

Guidance Extended Universe by jovialJuggernaut / @jovialjuggernaut-draws

Available on Ao3, WIP, Teen, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Canon Divergent

Wordcount: 269,795

This fic doesn't stray extremely far from canon, but Zuko and Sokka were guided by a spirit to one and other when they were kids because they're soulmates. This does change events somewhat. Also, some Jet in this which is fun!

2 Bros on an Island by HawksEyes /@thehawks-eyes

Available on Ao3, WIP, Mature, Slowburn, Canon Divergent, Homophobia, Torture, Drug Use, Allusions to Sexual Assault/Rape/Non-con, Allusions to Prostitution (this does not happen to Zukka)

Wordcount: 134,016

Zuko and Sokka are stranded on a desert island together pre-canon up until canon events. Then canon events progress, with some divergence. Also, Mava the iguana parrot is a hoot!

I have also really been enjoying this author's other works!

hold in, hold on by argentoswan

Available on Ao3, Mature, Modern AU, College/University, Eating Disorder, Minor Character Death

Wordcount: 69,806

Sokka is raising Katara, who is 6 years old in this. He's really struggling, but is starting to accept help from his friends. Quite a bit of angst, but also sweet moments and this author is an excellent writer.

Would recommend this author's other works as well!

Leaving It All Behind by Sreeder

Available on Ao3, WIP, Mature, Canon Divergent, Canon Typical Violence and Child Abuse, Torture, Prison, Zuko/Zhao (Non-con), PTSD

Wordcount: 259,817

Zhao survives the attack on the North and takes Sokka prisoner. Zuko has been Zhao's prisoner since before Sokka was captured. They are both in a prison camp as a result. A lot of angst in this one, but Zuko and Sokka's relationship is so great it makes my heart hurt. Also, Jet is around!

#Zukka #Zukka fic recs #Atla #Zuko #Sokka #This is what I'm reading at the moment #sokka/zuko #zuko/sokka #Zukka fic rec list #WIP #WIPs

[dickpuncher420]

hi ambre my love for writing prompts can i get uhhhhhh fairground ferris wheel zukka

As the Fire Lord, it’s rare that Zuko finds enough time to travel, especially at this time of year. But the spirits must have been feeling especially generous lately, because this is the longest he’s ever gone without an assassination attempt, his council has been uncharacteristically agreeable, and all of his current projects are moving smoothly along, without the need for his supervision—meaning that he’s free to take some time off, for once in his life, and finally experience this Glacier Spirits Festival that Sokka has told him so much about.

Sokka and Izumi have already been down in the Southern Water Tribe for a while, ever since Izumi started suddenly bending the tea out of their cups at breakfast one day, and they’re the first ones to greet him when his airship touches down on the outskirts of town. Izumi makes a face when Sokka pulls him in for a kiss—she’s getting to that age where everything her dads does embarrasses her—but then tugs insistently at Zuko’s robes until he reaches down to pick her up.

“Oof.” Zuko groans as he settles her onto his hip. “You’re getting a bit too big for this, ‘Zumi.”

Izumi pouts at him, her golden eyes big and imploring. “But Daddy does it all the time, and he never says I’m too big.”

“Does he now?” Zuko shoots Sokka a look, and Sokka grins sheepishly and shrugs. They’re going to have a talk about that later—he’s well aware that Izumi has the both of them wrapped around her little finger, but that doesn’t mean they can’t learn to tell her no sometimes.

He sets Izumi down after placing a kiss to the top of her head, and she holds his hand and chatters excitedly the whole way back to the house. Auntie ‘Tara has been teaching her some very basic waterbending control, mostly to keep her from getting into any future accidents—even Azula didn’t start learning actual bending techniques until she was six years old.

With the festival starting tomorrow, booths and attractions have been set up all over the centre of town, and Izumi eagerly points them out as they walk past. Zuko can practically feel the tension easing out of his shoulders by the minute—he doesn’t realize how much the crown weighs him down until he’s finally free of it, and now, with it safely stored in his rooms all the way back in the Fire Nation, he feels lighter than he has in ages.

Dinner is a quiet, simple affair. Sokka nabs the stewed sea prunes that Izumi has pushed to the sides of her bowl, and laughs at the face that Zuko makes when he bites down into one by accident. Even after all these years, he’s never quite been able to get used to the taste; never had to, really, since Sokka would always steal his right out of his bowl whenever he came to visit.

They put Izumi to bed once she starts nodding off in her seat, and then spend a few more hours talking quietly, curled up together next to the hearth. Zuko heats his hands and massages Sokka’s leg without being asked—the break is old and fully healed, but Zuko knows that the cold still gets to it sometimes—and Sokka sinks back into his furs with a grateful groan.

“You’re the best husband ever, you know that?”

“Mhm,” Zuko says, smiling. “You could stand to say it more often, though.”

They’re awoken in the morning—or what passes for the morning, this close to the solstice—by Izumi, who leaps onto their bed, squealing about the festival. She barely gives them time to eat breakfast before she’s ushering them out the door, one hand clasped in each of her fathers’ hands, dragging them along as fast as her little legs will go.

Zuko catches Sokka’s eye as they walk and grins. He can’t help it—Izumi’s excitement is infectious.

She totes them along as they go from booth to booth, trying out the fried eel-squid here, admiring the beadwork of a young vendor there. At one of the game stands, Sokka wins her a stuffed sky bison plushie, which she immediately names Baby Appa—or Bappa, for short. Zuko complains that it sounds too much like Baba, and Sokka just laughs and wins him one too, if only to shut him up.

There’s something comforting about the anonymity of the festival. Here, he’s not the Fire Lord. Here, he’s just a man, enjoying the Glacier Spirits Festival with his family, just like any regular person. He’s not the only foreigner, either: in the years since the end of the war, the festival has expanded enough that people from beyond the Water Tribes have become regular visitors as well. Nobody even spares Zuko, with his pale skin and mottled scar, a second glance—especially not when his hair has been braided back like this, in a traditional Water Tribe style.

Zuko doesn’t often regret being the Fire Lord, at least not anymore. Sure, it’s tedious and tiring and stressful, but he’s always proud of his work, and there isn’t a single person in the world that he would rather have take his place.

It’s at times like this, though—with Sokka’s hand in his, and Izumi bounding ahead to marvel at the ferris wheel that towers over the rest of the town—that he wishes he could leave all the pomp and circumstance behind and just be Zuko.

Izumi waves them over, practically vibrating with excitement, and begs them for a ride on the ferris wheel. Unable to deny her anything, Zuko dutifully hands over a few copper pieces to the operator, and the next thing he knows they’re being strapped into the strange metal contraption, Izumi safely wedged between him and Sokka.

Snowflakes begin to fall as they wait for the rest of the seats to be filled. Izumi kicks her feet excitedly, eyes wide, and sticks her tongue out in an attempt to catch a few. Zuko laughs and joins her, and he’s so intent on his snowflake-catching that the sudden jolt of the ferris wheel kicking into motion catches him off guard, and he yelps and clutches at Sokka’s arm.

“Scared?” Sokka teases, and Zuko gives him a half-hearted smack.

“Are you scared, Baba?” Izumi says, adorably earnest in the way that small children are. “You can hold my hand.” She holds out a small gloved hand, and Zuko smiles at her and takes it, wondering if she can sense the way it feels like his heart is melting in his chest. He can feel people’s inner fire—surely waterbenders must be able to do something similar?

“Thank you, ‘Zumi,” he says, and she beams.

The ferris wheel creaks and groans as it carries them up, and back down, and back up again. Sokka assures them that it’s perfectly safe—he’d looked over the plans and supervised its assembly himself—and Zuko finds himself relaxing into the motion of it, chuckling at the way Izumi’s eyes go wide whenever they reach the top of its cycle.

Eventually, the ferris wheel slows and shudders to a stop—and it’s just their luck that they happen to be sitting at the very top of it when it does. Like this, they have the entire town spread out before them, with all its lights and colours and the crowds of people milling about. It makes Zuko feel strangely small, but small in that way that he likes, in the way that makes him feel like just Zuko.

And maybe it’s only temporary, but—he glances over at Sokka, at Izumi, both staring down at the world below with wonder in their eyes—he thinks he can let himself enjoy being just Zuko, just for a bit.

#zukka #atla #dickpuncherwrites #goldrushzukka #ask #hiiiiii alex beloved this got way out of hand. i hope u like it anyways #zukka dads

[bisexuallsokka]

ik tangled zukka nation is thriving rn but i would eventually like to propose a zukka ella enchanted au

oh HECK YEAH

zuko is the prince that everyone has heart eyes for. he’s able to put on a face in front of the crowds but in reality he’s not this charming heartbreaker that everyone makes him out to be. he’s just. some regular guy. who likes turtleducks and books and doesn’t always know what to say

sokka rolls his eyes whenever people mention prince zuko and he just continues protesting the kingdom’s unfair policies with his sister katara

also, sokka has the “gift” of obedience that he was given as a baby by Aunt Wu. it’s been a pain his whole life but finally, he gets the opportunity to track down aunt wu and get it removed

he sets off on his journey, with katara and aang by his side. oh, aang is katara’s boyfriend who is trapped inside a book. but he helps sokka track down aunt wu

they run into toph in the forest and she joins their party....as does prince zuko himself! sokka refuses to fall for his charms, but once he starts to see the real side of zuko, oh no. yeah he’s in trouble. yeah they’re kissing. whoops.

things are going pretty great, they get to the castle to keep looking for aunt wu, but then.....ozai discovers sokka’s gift of obedience and sees this as the perfect opportunity to get rid of his son, who is to be crowned king the next day. with him out of the way, ozai can continue his reign. he demands that sokka kills zuko that night and doesn’t tell anyone or do anything to try and stop it

(and oh boy does he try. it breaks his heart, but sokka writes zuko a note saying they can never see each other again. he has his friends chain him to a tree. but aunt wu finds him and sends him off to zuko’s coronation ball, dressed to the occasion and everything)

zuko has been sad ever since receiving sokka’s note, but he’s relieved to see sokka show up to the ball. a little confused and angry, sure, but mostly relieved, and also speechless at how beautiful he looks, and he takes them somewhere private 

sokka is stressed the heck out but he can’t explain why, and as zuko comforts him, sokka feels himself lifting up the dagger that ozai gave him to kill zuko. he manages to free himself of the curse just in time, but not before zuko sees the reflection of sokka holding the dagger to his back

now zuko is really hurt and confused, and he’s too shocked to do anything as the guards take sokka away.

but! katara and aang and toph break sokka out and he tells them all about ozai’s plan to kill zuko. they crash the coronation, stop ozai, transform aang back into a human, explain what is going on to zuko in the midst of all the sword fighting, and they win the day.

cue zuko and sokka kissing, zuko becoming king, and everyone dancing to Don’t Go Breaking My Heart

#zukka #zuko #sokka #i have not read the book but i have seen the movie ten thousand times so #here is my offering #ask me stuff #ella #Anonymous

[hello-yue-here]

Yuetara, zukka, and maiko

yuetara

ship

1) its not one of my main ships. i dont rlly read fanfic for them but if i see a cute fanart of them ill enjoy it and i think i first started shipping it because of good fanarts for them.

2) i like yuetara because of how similar they are. theyre both women from the water tribe. they both understand the misogyny that they have faced. and they both said f sexism im gonna be a strong woman. i also love the tui and la parallel. moon spirit and ocean spirit parallel COME ON. YUE IS THE MOON. KATARA IS THE MOST POWERFUL WATERBENDER. THEY ARE THE OCEAN AND THE MOON. the push and pull they could give eachother. that dynamic ftw.

3) i guess if i didnt like something about this ship would be the fact that if i read a fic or see a fanart w yuetara then than means in that particular au i wont get any yuekka and yuekka is probably my second favorite ship. but then again if i get yuetara than i could get a plethora of other sokka ships to go with it so my sadness disappears in like two seconds. gosh shipping is hard sometimes until you remember ‘hey i have like fifty different universes in my head. all ur ships can coexist in ur brain olivia’ other than that i really see no downsides to this ship. maybe i wish it had more content. maybe if it had more content id ship it a lot more but its not one of the more popular ships so the content is kinda few n far between on my feed.

zukka:

SHIPPP

1) my boys. my babies. my loves. i watched this show for the first time when it came out on netflix and when it ended i really didnt ship anything other than kataang. i came onto tumblr to find fun atla content and one of the very first things i saw under the atla tag was zukka content. i was like oh? whats this? zukka? interesting... i was intrigued so i found a list of fic recs and i fell in love with the ship. the rest is history. its probably my number one ship because it was my very first ship here and im nostalgic

2) oh boy there is so much i like about this ship. i relate to a shit ton of characters in atla. but sokka and zuko may be the ones i relate to most. i relate to sokka because i tend to feel second best a lot to my friends. i try to stay positive but things rarely go the way i plan or hope for them too and while im happy for my friends and their achievements i oftentimes find myself thinking why cant that be me? and i see this a lot in sokka especially in sokkas master. i dont feel special a lot and idk seeing sokka feel the same way and then realizing he is special kinda helped me realize that im special too. on the flipside i relate to zuko because i have wild anger issues and difficulty dealing w my emotions a lot as well. i get broody and short tempered and insecure very often and i tend to push people away and i refuse to ask for help (the amount of teachers and adults and therapists who have told me its okay to ask for help ur not any weaker because of it is astounding. do i listen to them? .....im working on it.) and i saw a shit ton of this in zuko. book one and two zuko rarely asks for help as seen in the blue spirit and zuko alone and he pushes away uncle so many times and even when the gaang iffers to help him in i think its the chase he tells them to leave. when he finally has his redemption and joins the gaang and lets them kinda become a better person i was so happy. i want that for myself yk. seeing him finally win the agni kai and overcome his family that always told him he was nothing was such a win. my sister and i get along but when we were children we were very much like zuko and azula. it was extremely competitive all the time and there was so much toxicity and sibling drama to a concerning extent. we get along great now which im very happy about but yeah their sibling relationship hit a lil too on the nose for me. seeing as i relate to these character so much and want them ti be happy i want to live vicariously through them so seeing them together is amazing for me to project into them. i love projecting onto fictional characters and with them i can project onto BOTH so its a winwin. plus so many zukka fics are so well written and heartwarming and heartbreaking and emotional and fluffy anf UGH the talent here us astounding.

3) what do i not like about the ship? again the list is long. oops. mainly the toxic shippers. there are so many toxic zukka stans that sometimes make it hard for me to enjoy this ship but hey! thats what the block button is for:) i despise how often people infantilize zuko and completely ruin his character for the sake of making him a soft weak lil boy who needs protecting. thats just not zuko for me. and ive seen many many accounts even state that this kind of portrayal of zuko is rooted in racist stereotypes about asian men (now i am white so i personally have never experiences racism but i feel the need to bring that up because it is wrong and attention needs to be brought to it because a lot of poc fans have criticised this) and the same for sokka. some ppl rlly skew his character and make him a big strong brute and hypermasculine and once again poc fans have said that this take is rooted in racist stereotypes. again! these are just my opinions! this is my favorite ship! but i think its important to acknowledge some of the bad parts of our ships as well and be critical where criticism is needed :))

maiko

ship

1) I LOVE MAIKO. “i dont hate you” “i dont hate you too” BRUH. my little heart just burst into flames. im sorry guys but maiko is so cute. they hate everything except eachother. BRUH that is one of the cutest tropes. i shipped them the moment i saw them together onscreen and i was so happy when zukos face lit up in the finale when mai came back.

2) “i hate everything but i have a soft spot for you” TAKE MY MONEY I AM A SUCKER FOR THIS. they are so cute together. like zuko is rarely happy in a majority of atla but mai makes him happy and i- 🥺🥺 HE DESERVES IT. and mai is always so supportive of him. when hes stressing out about the war meeting she tries her best to comfort him. and zuko cares about her too. he may not be the best at showing it but oh my god hes TRYING HIS BEST. i think its a very accurate portrayal of teenage relationships because they arent perfect and they do fight but like,, every teenage relationship does that. and even after everything and how he left her in the fire nation she still had his back at boiling rock. she still risked her life against azula to save his butt.

3) the thing i hate about maiko isnt even about maiko. its about antis who think mai is toxic and that zuko deserves better. that has got to be the worst take ive ever heard. they had a fight in ember island. that is NORMAL. they are teenagers. they are not perfect. but underneath all the rough edges and things they need to work out they still care about eachother so freaking much. i genuinelt believe that neither of them would do anything to intentionally hurt the other and i think thats what matters the most. if anything mai is the best girlfriend in the entire world because zuko fucked up like,, quite a few times. he got rlly jealous and dumped her thru a letter and ppl always say that mai was toxic for being mad at him for those two things. umm she had every right to be mad at him for both of those. and while zuko is allowed to feel his emotions and be angry sometimes as well sometimes he needs to think things thru and realize that hey maybe some if this jealousy is unfounded. BUT EVEN THEN. HE RESPECTED HER FEELINGS AND DIDNT TOUCH HER WHEN SHE SAID DONT TOUCH ME. HE RESPECTED HER. so i hate toxic maiko takes because they are literally so wrong in my opinion.

again all of these are just my opinions!! feel free to agree or disagree but please be respectful!! i will respect whatever u think as well because this is all just for fun :)

#atla #avatar the last airbender #zukka #yuetara #maiko #ship game #ask game #long post #wow i wrote a lot #also if anyone wants to talk ships feel free to message me!

[multishippingtrashfire]

zukka soulmate au opinions/headcanons?

I apologize Anon for how long this has sat in my inbox, but soulmate AU’s are really not my forte, so i had to think long and hard. (no sexy pun intended)

Background information

- Soulmate marks sit on the same place on both parties

- They are there their whole life

- I believe in multiple soulmates, so if one soulmate dies, i think another exists (aka, Hakoda and Kya, and then Hakoda and Bato; Kanna and unnamed Grandpa, and the Kanna and Pakku)

Zuko

- Zuko DREADS the notion of soulmates, only because Zuko believes it is also the universe’s divine order to make his life as sucky as possible. So in Zuko’s mind, he’s like the perfect way for the Universe to punish him further would be one of 3 ways:

1. His soulmate would be the Avatar, because of course he’d be on an impossible quest to literally find and surrender his soulmate for death at Ozai’s hands (also a betrayal to his nation) 

2. His soulmate would be a woman, (because I truly canonically believe that Zuko is a gay)

3. He wouldn’t have a soulmate

Of course none of these guesses are correct, he should’ve looked behind door number 4: His soulmate is from another nation and has had the Fire Nation ferociously take everything they’ve loved (aka Sokka)

Fire Nation tradition also dictates that Soulmates are for common people, not for Prince’s, so his soulmate mark (a glistening black sword), is to be covered at all times anyway. He is thankful that his Soulmate mark is non-nation identifiable, which saves him from Ozai’s wrath if it was obviously Water Tribe or Earth Kingdom. Also sucks, because Zuko isnt even sure where to start looking (not that he would), so he just traces the mark with his fingers as bathes sometimes, wondering if his soulmate is doing the same. 

When Zuko first meets Sokka, he doesnt realize it, he just sorta is like “no point in brutally hurting this person, let me just shift him out my way”, which in my opinion is more restraint than most people get from Zuko at that time. 

Zuko doesnt even know Sokka is his Soulmate until he sees the sword after training Aang at the Western Air Temple, and it all just clicks and Zuko wants to throw himself into the Sun because Sokka has Suki and Zuko just wants him to be happy. 

So really, he was right, he will be alone. 

Meanwhile on Sokka’s side

Sokka’s family have always been very supportive of him and soulmates. Katara’s mark is something that looks like a kite (it’s Aang’s staff but they didnt know that before meeting him) and Katara is wishful for her soulmate. She spends nights dreaming up what it could possibly be or mean.

And tbh, Sokka is against the idea because he’s devoted to the idea of being a warrior, of doing what’s right by his people. And his soulmate mark of a what looks like an exploded burn (the lightning strike Zuko takes protecting Katara) doesnt convince him, because only another selfless person/warrior would understand him in his opinion and he knows those are hard to come by. He doesnt care if his soulmate identifies as a guy or girl or in between. 

Then there was Aang, Katara’s necklace wrapped around his ankle as his mark. And Suddenly, Sokka was confronted with the realization that Aang and helping him become the Avatar was apart of Katara’s fulfillment and that his little sister was growing up and Sokka could see the way Aang and Katara looked at each other. He knew they say lifetimes when they looked into each other’s eyes. 

And then Zuko chases them around the world and Sokka totally acknowledges that Zuko is mental and a dick, but he also gets why Zuko does it. In their travels they heard the story of the banished Fire Nation Prince and his impossible assignment to return home and Sokka understands. He knows what it is to have to feel like you have to prove yourself to your father (Sokka thinks he has to prove himself to Hakoda; Zuko literally has to prove himself to Ozai, per Ozai’s words), what it means to be fighting for your nation as something greater than yourself, and Sokka would never admit to Katara but he empathized with Zuko. 

Sokka wonders if it’s Suki, but Suki tells him honestly that her mark is the mark of the Kyoshi Warriors, because she’s dedicated to this, this is what fulfills her. She loves Sokka and loves romance with him, but she knows Sokka is destined for greater love. And she tells Sokka that companionship is something that he shouldnt miss out, just because he thinks its not the ways of the warrior. Wearing a dress and fighting in fans and makeup wasnt his idea of the ways of a warrior either and he learned how that turned out. 

He thinks it may be Yue, but her mark was always the moon.

And then Zuko abandons Ozai and tries to offer himself up to the Gaang. He’s turnt away, and even burns Toph’s feet before coming back again and tries sacrificing himself to stop combustion man. Sokka is at least a little bit impressed that he would continue to offer himself up to berating judgement of their group because he’s decided what’s right. Then Zuko becomes Aang’s firebending teacher and everyone gets hang out with him and Sokka likes the guy even more, although he’s weird around the sword (he blushes everytime he sees it) 

They never really talk about soulmates, and Sokka’s soulmate mark sits on his thigh, so it’s not exactly easy to see unless he’s undressed. 

Then Zuko takes the bolt for Katara and survives and suddenly Zuko has hung the Sun in Sokka’s sky, because he was so selfless, he was willing to die for Katara. He knows the shape sitting on Zuko’s chest anywhere. Zuko is his soulmate. And then Sokka realizes maybe he was late to this party and that was why Zuko was weird.

When he first sees Firelord Zuko alone afterwards, he asks Zuko how long he knew. And Zuko lets him know that it was long enough that Chit Sang, Hakoda AND Suki knew (which meant by then Toph had probably figured it out too). Basically everyone but Sokka, Katara and Aang had been privy to the information. 

Then they unpack some of that pesky childhood trauma they’d been carting around and talk about how they both thought the soulmate thing wasnt for them, but then again both of them were completely unusual and extraordinary people, so maybe they just had a more unusual extraordinary soulmate story to live out. Sokka promises Zuko a lifetime and Zuko promises Sokka everyday in between now and when the Sun goes out. They can see it in each other’s eyes. 

Sokka says that Zuko’s scars are beautiful, something Zuko has felt made him a monster all this time. Sokka is the first person to acknowledge them truly and he tells him how enthralled he is by the stories they depict of Zuko. How he was selfless and did not fear the burn of flames because it was more important to do the right thing. 

 And Zuko says Sokka would have the world in the palm of his hand with his intelligence and that spirits knew giving him bending too would basically just make him the avatar anyway. Sokka has always felt inadequate and Zuko makes him feel like he could win a hundred battles blindfolded. 

Zuko sends a search for Sokka’s sword (and recovers it) and Sokka uses it to ask Zuko to marry him.  

They get married at Sunrise, because Zuko sets the Sun in Sokka’s sky and they celebrate until Sunset/moonrise, because their union blessed by the moon herself. It casts an iridescent glow over the Fire Nation. 

It’s love. 

#Zukka #my writing #prompts #ask nick #ATLA #Zuko #Sokka #headcanons #soulmate au

[carbootsoul]

do you.. have any old man sokka hcs. particularly if they're zukka. because i can't stop thinking about grandpa sokka he lives in my head rent-free

oh my god i’m going to scream i had literally all of this written out and then accidentally typed ctrl+r and reloaded the page :sob: so when this takes me another like day and a half to post that’s why. anyway i love old people hcs bc like.. god i wish that were me. also this is a yue lives au bc i love her too much (and?? suki and sokka lives au i guess????)(also zuko isn’t fire lord.. they’re some kind of democracy) (also also by old man this is like.. 60s i think)

zuko and sokka are those old people who have like seven houses and travel between them with like... minimal notice to their friends, family, and half-dozen government leaders who they unofficially advise. whenever someone has something important to tell them they need to send a half-dozen hawks to every different house. izumi somehow always knows where her dads are

sokka keeps all the paintings he makes in a room in his house in the fire nation and he and katara went through it one day and started crying together about the evolution of his art- both about how his level of skill improved and about how the art showed the rebuilding of the world

sokka and suki and zuko and yue have a secret beach house in the earth kingdom and they all plan to live there together when suki and yue retire. in the meantime they all gather there for a few weekends every year and talk about how they should really all retire. and then they don’t.

(eventually yue finds some young community leader to be the new nwt chief and suki passes the torch of being the leader of the kyoshi warriors off and sokka and zuko just. stop taking earth king kuei’s calls and they do retire to that beach house and spend the rest of their lives lounging around)

@kyoshi-lesbians talked about gay slang in the atla universe and my favorite from that list was calling old gay couples penguin seals and old sokka would LOVE that slang

he first hears it at a white lotus meeting when iroh teases jeong jeong and piandao about how awful their tea is (are you saying that a pair of penguin seals in their fifties can’t make a decent pot of anise tea?) and sokka is like :0 i’m in love with that slang i know me and my husband are both only 27 but i will save this in my brain and once he turns 50 and decides he’s old enough he is THRILLED and never shuts up

the cool grand-uncle to the airbender kids. he always brings them treats from wherever he and zuko travel (they swoop into tenzin’s house and sokka has a box of candies and zuko has like, an investment into tenzin and pema’s retirement fund asjfksldj) so the kids love him. tenzin likes it.. less because the kids are a handful even when they haven’t had a bazillion caramels. he loves his uncles tho and they have good conversations about international relations

sokka’s leg injury starts to act up again when he gets older and so he starts using a cane. at a huge gaang family dinner he shows up with like. a stick he found in the woods. toph is like damn socks i could do better than that and i’m a blind 50 year old and zuko’s like hm well i could do even better than you and it becomes a whole thing with all of sokka’s family. (kya wins because she made hers out of a light enough material that sokka can bonk his sister over the head with it without hurting her)

he also does a lot of work with his sister and yue toward making the two tribes more accessible both to nonbenders and disabled people!! he and zuko also petition the fire nation and earth kingdom about similar initiatives but it’s a lot more slow-going because he’s not like, related to the leaders.

he’s the cool uncle but he is NOT the hip uncle. he could be the hip uncle but he only uses slang from like.. literally before he was born because like half his friends were old when he was young and he is no longer young. also he invented like half the technology currently in use but he still pretends not to understand how to use it just to drive izumi insane

zuko is perpetually graying (he somehow always has dark hair and gray temples) but sokka basically woke up one morning with completely white hair. he loves it bc it makes him look even more like a mad scientist

i hope these r kinda what u were looking for!! ajskldfsjd lok was so wrong and sokka deserved to be an old man

#leo.ask #zukka #atla

[trashmouthnerd]

Just dudes being dudes...

Fandom: Avatar, Zuko x Sokka

Summary: Inspired completely by @firebendcr “Zukka are the gay friends who constantly flirt “as a joke” but would say yes in a heartbeat if the other asked them out” Yes so he is the absolute genius that came up with this. Follow him please :)

A large, drawn out sigh escaped the not so new but still incredibly inexperienced fire lord. He ruled over the entire fire nation with confidence and grace but evidently could not face a social event with even a fraction of the same attitude.

"Relax would ya? The whole gang is going to be back together for the first time in a year. You should be excited" A familiar teasing came from Zuko's bed. Sokka had let himself in earlier this evening, already dressed in his best attire, and dropped theatrically on Zuko's freshly made bed.

"How can I relax? This outfit looks ridiculous Sokka, and what if they don't like me anymore? Spirits this is dreadful, maybe I can call it off-" Zuko rambled, hands patting down the red fabric frantically.

"Alright seriously, chill. They love you and you know it so shut up, and hey that outfit is barley different from your usual"

"It's tighter" Zuko complains. Sokka groans, pulling himself off the bed reluctantly to stand behind Zuko - who was glaring into the mirror as though he were waiting to grow a second head.

"Just shows of your rocking bod more" Sokka winks, slapping Zuko's ass playfully before turning his friend around and flattening the collar properly.

"Shut up, like you know what looking stupid feels like. You look ridiculously hot in anything it isn't fair" Zuko pouts, his head falling in defeat to rest on Sokka’s shoulder.

"Hey, that's just my natural charm, can't blame me for that" Sokka grins, it only widening as his remark earns a groan from Zuko.

"Seriously though, you look great alright? Now stop being such a baby" Sokka said, rolling his eyes when a glare was sent his way. Zuko made his way to the mirror once again, prepared to compulsively check over his appearance when a rather loud knock sounded at his door.

"What is it?" He called, making his way over to the doors, barley keeping himself from tripping over his robes when an excitable Sokka shoved ahead of him.

"Oh ambassador Sokka, please could you inform Fire Lord Zuko that the guests are arriving now" A soft voice came from the doorway and Sokka nodded his head triumphantly.

"You hear that Jerk-lord, party's starting" Sokka winked, grabbing Zuko's hand and dragging him out of the comfort and isolation of his room.

"Fantastic.." He muttered as he allowed himself to be pulled around corners and through hallways.

They reached the main hall moments later and were utterly flabbergasted at the outcome of the last few days. Rows of brightly lit lanterns were hanging from the ceiling, tables of the finest food lined the back walls. It was completely decorated with Fire Nation scrolls and paintings in any areas that might have looked uninviting had they not been there.

It all looked so official Zuko had to take a deep breath.

He never would've hosted a party if Sokka hadn't been so spirit damned adamant about it. But maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all...

Sokka smiled, nudging his friend before taking it all in himself. Crowds of people who were well aquatinted with each other were beginning to form in small circles. All sorts of people, there were friends from past adventures, officials of every kingdom and special guests Zuko had invited from the fire nation villages he'd visited.

"Will uncle be coming?" Zuko turned, his eyes trying to submerge the hope until he received an answer. Sokka smiled sympathetically.

"Not tonight, but in his letter to me he said.. never mind" Sokka stopped, his eyes widening as though he'd said something he wasn't supposed to.

"He said what, Sokka?" Zuko glared, staring ferociously to encourage an answer.

"Oh alright.. he's planning on surprising you this week but I wasn't supposed to say anything.." Sokka frowned, knowing he'd missed the chance to see the light in Zuko's eyes upon Iroh's sudden arrival.

Zuko smiled anyway, thankful he'd see his uncle again soon.

"Oh.. Well good, it's about time the old man visited"

"Sokka! Zuko!" A familiar voice called from the crowd. The pair turned to see three smiling faces running towards them at full speed. Aang got there first, nearly sweeping the two off their feet as he jumped into a sudden hug. Katara following soon after, engulfing them further into the warmth of their friends.

"Guess I'll join in on the sappy reunion too" Toph smirked, her arms wrapping around the group as her cheeks squished against Katara’s back.

"I missed you so much, even if you are a pain" Katara smiled to her brother warmly as Aang told Zuko a long winded tale of his adventures on the way to the fire nation.

"Ha ha, you too sis. Keeping this one in check isn't an easy job" Sokka sighed, punching Zuko in the arm playfully.

"Speaking of which, spirits look at you Zuko..." Katara started, looking him up and down.

"Yeah, tell me about it.. You look so.." Aang trailed off.

"Handsome? Hot? Flaming Hot?" Sokka rambled, doing his duty of helping his friend in finishing his sentence.

"I was going to say fancy" Aang laughed.

"You look the same to me" Toph shrugged. Sokka laughed, touching her arm gently. It felt nice, right, being all together again.

Hours passed and the party was still going strong. Sokka had eaten most of the buffet but everything else had gone according to plan. Zuko had met with a few officials to greet them, doing his absolute best to win them over.

Other than a few short conversations Zuko had spent the entire night in a spare room with his friends, sending Momo every now and then to retrieve some snacks - which never worked in their favour.

"So come on then Zuko, spill the beans" Toph teased but Zuko only raised a brow.

"Oh come on, you're telling me you're the Fire Lord and you haven't gotten any" She went on, her own brows furrowing together in disbelief.

"Huh? Oh no, I guess I haven't" He shrugged, it's not as though he'd really thought about. Yeah there's a few cute boys but he's busy enough ruling the fire nation and rebuilding what Ozai broke to think about dating.

And by a few cute boys he means that one cook that works mornings, the guy he met down the market place once, and his painfully perfect best friend.

"Lame" She finished, stretching her feet out onto the table.

"Why do I need a relationship when I've got hot stuff here to help with me everything anyway" Zuko smirked, eyeing the boy beside him mischievously.

"It's an honour, Fire-Jerk" Sokka smiled, biting his bottom lip suggestively while maintaining eye contact. The two were so absorbed in their teasing they failed to see the confused glances their friends were sharing.

"Get a room!" Katara said, turning her nose up in fake disgust.

"We have one" Sokka winked, Zuko seemed to have found this amusing as he nudged his shoulder against his friend’s, scoffing slightly.

"So have you two been like this since we left or...?" Aang asked, sitting forward as he snatched a carrot from the bowl in front of him. Tilting his head as he awaited the highly anticipated answer.

"What do you mean 'like this'?" Zuko asked, turning to Sokka for some sort of assistance.

"Acting like you're married" Katara provided to the dumbfounded idiots sitting directly ahead of her.

"Dunno what you're talking about sis, this is completely normal bro behaviour" Sokka shrugged, his hand resting on Zuko's thigh. Katara looked at said hand suspiciously and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah.. sure.. friends always flirt with each other non stop" She said sarcastically, eyeing her brother knowingly.

"Flirting? We are not flirting!" Zuko frowned, shoving the hand off of his thigh.

"Yeah! We always act like this!" Sokka added. Raising his hands to drive home his confusion.

"That's completely normal.. just guys being guys.. nothing romantic about it" Aang smiled, looking towards Katara in knowing agreement.

"Exactly!" Zuko shouted. Arms crossing over his chest in realising that touching Sokka right now was off the table, he didn't want his friends to be suspicious about nothing after all.

"So you're saying neither of you would go there with each other?" Toph smirked, knowing her question would give her plenty entertainment.

"Well-" They both said in unison. Sokka's eyes wide and Zuko's cheeks tinted red.

"You go first"

"No you”

"Fine. Well I'm a good friend you know, if my buddy here wanted to do something then who am I to decline the Fire Lord?" Sokka explained, shrugging as though he weren't declaring the tension between them was existent after all.

Zuko's eyes widened at his best friends confession. If he'd known that were the case then for what dumb reason weren't they doing that already?

"Yeah and I mean, have you seen those eyes? I'm not saying no to them" Zuko stated, grabbing Sokka’s chin, tilting it up with his finger as he smirked.

“You wanna go out with me? I wouldn’t mind giving you the pleasure of having such an incredibly good looking boyfriend” Sokka smiled, his eyes glinting as Zuko tilted his chin just a little further to kiss him with a warm smile.

"Idiots, the both of you" Katara shook her head, smiling as she watched Sokka throwing his arms around his totally platonic best friend, planting a soft kiss on his cheek.

#follow op rn #oh and u can follow me too i guess #i wrote this in half an hour and havent slept in a day #so?? i hope its alright #zukka #zuko x sokka #sokka #also i can relate to Sokkas dumbass bi energy too much help #avatar #avatar the last airbender #fire lord zuko #send me zukka prompts #zukka fanfic #my writing #fanfiction

[nazumichi]

Do you have any Zukka headcanons? Or Sukka-nosy anon

DO I

zukka:

- sokka was actually the one who suggested zuko keep his hair down, instead of in a constant topknot. he says it’s because it makes him look really regal, but really, he just likes to touch his hair.

- zuko loves the southern watertribe, especially fishing trips with sokka and hakoda. he teases the two mercilessly, and does everything in his power to embarrass sokka, who constantly apologises to zuko for it. not that he minds, he likes having someone who really accepts him in a way his father never did.

- zuko teaches sokka how to dual wield, which was a big mistake on his part, as sokka can beat him in sparring easier than before.

- sokka, to absolutely no ones surprise, is very much a little spoon. he likes to feel safe and held, he likes having his shoulders lightly kissed, his hair played with. and zuko likes to feel like he’s keeping someone safe and protected, so win win.

sukka:

- sokka often falls asleep when spending a long time on art projects, and suki has to carry him to bed. not that she minds, she thinks he’s an amazing artist and likes taking care of him like this.

- sokka decides to get suki a pair of tiny gold fan earrings for her birthday. he made them himself, and was extremely bashful when giving them to her, insisting that there were so many little mistakes. she loves them and wears them everywhere.

- suki learns of hawky’s departure and makes it her goal to find sokka a new bird. she travels from fire nation town to town, and goes through a lot to find another. sokka names him birdy, and whenever the two are apart, they send birdy to deliver messages to each other.

- once again, sokka is very much a little spoon. suki is a human heatpad, and he falls asleep against her chest no matter the situation. very helpful when in the watertribe.

#ask #raii talks a lot #raiis anons

[snowe-zolynn-rogers]

Avatar Zuko Rewrite

Pairings: Zukka (pre-romantic, unrequited)

Word Count: 1687 Words

Summary: Lee somehow manages to win Sokka's heart without even trying aka he feeds him. Sokka doesn't even know how to process how cute Lee is.

Warnings: Injury Mention, Food Mention, Half Blind Character, let me know if I should tag something else.

Chapter 7

When they finally consoled Aang, they led him back to where Lee was in the Avatar Chamber still. It seemed they’d all left him there to continue with his intrigued study of the statues.

Finding him collapsed in front of the Roku statue was definitely not something they’d anticipated. It looked like some debris had flown here too from Aang’s emotional breakdown. None of it looked to have hit Lee but they all guessed it had somehow hit him in the head and made him collapse with a concussion.

“Hey, Lee. Lee, wake up.” Sokka shook the raven’s shoulder.

He gave a groan, waking up and he held his left hip, apparently that had hit the ground first and taken the most of the brunt of the fall. Lee pushed himself to sit up, other hand holding his head, eyes shut still and refusing to look at them. Finally, his gold eyes opened and he gazed up at them.

“What happened? I’m so sorry if I hurt you, Lee!” Aang hugged him.

“No, it wasn’t you. The spiritual pressure is just really strong in here.” He rubbed his left scalp with soreness from the fall, but thankfully, he didn’t seem too injured.

“Well you are right. It does feel like the pressure is stronger here. Maybe it’s the statues.” Aang told him, helping him up on his left side while Sokka helped his right. Sokka felt protective of the airbender, he was obviously weak and a bit hurt, he needed someone to look after him.

He helped him from the chamber, all four leaving it to let Lee recover. The airbender seemed to be getting better, all but his hip, however. But that just seemed sore too, and was obviously better the more he moved it and used it and wasn’t overstressing the muscle he’d hurt. Aang and Katara played air ball this time, Lee and Sokka sitting on the grass, watching.

“Do you think they’d mind if I looked around?” Lee asked.

“Why?” He asked the airbender.

“Food. You’ve been complaining nonstop, I figure shut your mouth with some food.” Lee told him, smiling broadly but also nervously. He was getting comfortable around people but he wasn't sure how to act.

“Nah, they wouldn’t mind. Just don’t get lost. Come back here after or I'm sure Aang might freak out that I lost you.” The raven nodded and set off the path on the left, slowly retraining the sore but thankfully healthy muscle in his left hip. An hour later, Lee came back with several things in his arms. He threw something round at him and he immediately caught it out of instinct.

“Found the kitchens and the gardens. That’s a pomelo by the way. They grew firebender fruit here. Who would have thought Air Nomads could simulate different climates?” He was smiling.

“What the hell’s a pomelo?” Sokka asked, peeling it curiously.

“A fruit. It’s like an orange but better. Don’t complain. I could have made you eat the durian fruit.” He showed him a large yellow fruit as Sokka took a curious bite of the fruit in his hands.

“Hey, I’m not a quitter. Let me try the other one.”

“Don’t complain to me then, water-boy.” He tossed the yellowy fruit at him. Sokka caught it easily. He used his dagger to cut open the durian fruit to come face to face with the yellow flesh.

“What? Scared?” Lee smirked, eyes smiling and Sokka, to all that knew him, was absolutely not one to back down from a challenge.

If anything, a cute boy staring him down to eat a fruit that intimidated him, yeah that was a challenge. He cut the piece sunk his teeth into the yellow flesh and was met with a bitter, sour taste in his mouth and immediately spit it out, spitting saliva in hopes the taste would go away. Lee took one of the unbitten pieces and bit into it easily.

“I told you. Water Tribe Boys can’t eat durian.” Lee teased.

“Well, Fire Nation Boys can’t eat sudachi.”

“I’m Air Nomad. But just the same. I don’t like Water Tribe food.” Lee finished his demon fruit.

“Smartass.” Sokka mumbled.

“Takes one to know one.” Lee sat back on the grass watching the game going back and forth until Katara and Aang finally both tied in a stalemate.

“Lee found the kitchens and gardens while you two were on your supervised date.” Sokka told them.

“Where are they?” Katara asked, blatantly mad. And then Lee did the unexpected again. He pushed upward with his hands and landed on his feet with only mild difficulty from his hip.

For a second, Sokka was sure that he was becoming a true demon like the fruit Lee had eaten with the way he’d been moving until he realized he was just a showoff. Katara rolled her eyes at the display and Aang snorted laughter at Sokka’s terrified yet shocked expression.

Lee made a small chuckle at his shocked expression too, already him and Aang leading each other to the kitchens and gardens, leaving Katara and Sokka to run to catch up again.

“Oh Gods, the kitchens smell heavenly.” Sokka drooled.

“I figured we’d all be tired and hungry after all that’s happened today. I started dinner before I left. It should be done in a few minutes.”

“Cooking’s a girl thing! You can’t cook!” Sokka protested.

“Eat dinner or go try to make something yourself. The gardens are out the door, to the left, down a bit.” Lee walked away from him into the kitchens from where they were in the mess hall.

Sokka was impressed with how easy he seemed to act naturally around him and the others, like the three years on a Fire Navy ship had never changed his personality to the meek and scared boy he’d seen him the day prior. Though, it occurred to him that Lee could just be scared of his bending being destructive.

“He needs to get a handle on that talk of his!” Katara raged.

“He’s fine. I think he’s just getting comfortable around us.” Sokka told her as much. She growled at him to be quiet.

“I made extra.” And the two big bowls of first pasta then a black and lumpy mix got set on the table. Sokka poked it with his spoon.

“What is that?” He asked.

“Zhajiangmian. Fire nation food. Thankfully the not hot kind. Made vegetarian for our airbender.”

“Waterbenders need meat, Lee.” Sokka complained. Lee raised an eyebrow. He bit his tongue, Spirits dammit, why was that cute!? “But it smells good. I’m eating.” He put some of the noodles into his bowl. He looked at the dark saucey substance oddly as to what he should do with it.

“You put the zhajiang overtop of the noodles and mix them.” Lee spooned the mix over his own noodles, mixing it together with his chopsticks. Sokka mimicked what he’d done and brought a the chopsticks to his mouth, tasting the food.

“That’s pretty good actually.” His mouth was full but he felt the need to say it, wanted to see Lee's reaction. Lee laughed at his face that was obviously covered with the sauce. His heart melted a little bit, Lee laughing made his heart skip. Lee sounded happy.

“Wipe your face. You look like a rabid wolfbat.” He laughed, having to stop eating for a minute. Sokka wiped his mouth clean and continued eating, teeth crunching into what he assumed were vegetables.

“Ya know, that’s a good way to get Sokka to eat vegetables, Lee.” Aang told the other airbender.

“It’s better than him wandering off and maybe getting hurt trying to fend for himself.” Sokka was busy spooning the vegetables from his bowl to his mouth, too satisfied with the food to care much about the conversation.

“Katara, why aren’t you eating?” Aang asked. Indeed, Katara hadn't so much as touched her bowl, let alone fill it and eat anything.

“I won’t eat Fire Nation food.” She told them bluntly, eyes shooting daggers at Lee.

“Technically, this is the Earth Kingdom recipe. It’s not spicy like the Fire Nation makes it and there’s no meat added in.” Aang told her. Lee had folded in on himself when she’d made the comment, he was busy quietly eating, refusing to look up from his bowl. He wasn't going to defend himself, he probably felt he deserved it.

“'Tara, you’ve gotta try this. It’s so good.” Sokka urged her.

“I’m not hungry!” She snapped. Lee flinched at the tone but continued eating, seemingly unwilling to look up at her. Sokka could spot his eyes getting glossy with tears that the airbender was obviously forcing down.

“Katara, you’re being too hard on Lee. He’s not even Fire Nation, he’s an Air Nomad. Don’t you think he’s probably struggling through this war too? This war’s been hard on everyone.” Sokka told her. Lee was staring at him, wide eyed and looking a bit scared on his part.

Was he scared of something happening simply because he was defending him from his sister? Maybe it was justified, his sister was scary and it seemed a feasible fear from what he'd heard Lee say about his father. Being around that abuse so long, he probably learned not to defend himself for fear it would lead to him being beaten.

“Fine, I’ll eat. But you better not be pulling anything, Lee.” Katara told him, finally spooning noodles and zhajiang into her bowl and eating.

“Good, Katara?” Aang asked.

She simply grumbled what sounded like a 'yes’ past her food. Sokka smiled at Lee as the raven continued eating, eyes a bit awestruck toward him. It wasn’t a problem convincing his sister to eat, he would have had to make her eat eventually.

Aang went back for a second bowl, commenting that it was just like Xiu-Mei made it. Sokka had ended up having two and a half bowls while Lee only finished one and Katara finished two. Plus Sokka got to sit next to a cute boy he very much wanted to kiss.

Taglist: @darkrainbow333 @magic-but-its-green @the-lemonade-artist @a-chaotic-being @wasinotwantedatthisexactsecond @lgbtforeverything @brain-deadx0 @everythingisstardust @emoqueerpan @thatoneperson1967

#avatar the last airbender #atla #aang #zuko #sokka #katara #snoweywrites #avatar zuko #avatar zuko au #tw inury mention #tw food mention

[comradekatara]

Hi! I’m kinda new to atla, and came across some of your anti-zutara posts and Im trying to understand sth, if Zuko & Katara’s friendship itself is not problematic or misogynistic then why would a future romance be? I dont interpret their scenes as romantic exactly but I enjoy their pairing bc they do have a solid bond built on respect, understanding and work well as a team, and there’s potential for this to grow in to a romance with an interesting dynamic, esp after a few years of friendship 1/2

Your main anti-argument is the colonizer argument, but you also actively ship Zukka so I’m not sure how that works? Anyway don’t you find that that argument itself takes away from the point of Zuko’s entire arc, and assumes he wouldn’t dismantle the Fire Nations corrupt system? And there’s no reason to assume he would force Katara in to a role she might not be comfortable with or that Katara won’t have full say in how their relationship progresses or takes place. (oh and I’m not white lol) (2/2)

well, there’s a lot to unpack here.

first of all, platonic chemistry doesn’t automatically translate to romantic chemistry! from the little we’ve seen of their actual friendship, I think zuko and katara have something akin to the dynamic zuko could’ve had with azula had they not been forced at each other’s throats. the significance of katara being there for zuko during the final agni kai while azula is completely alone is thus heightened by this interpretation. if you think they have romantic chemistry, who am I to dissuade you? I personally think their similar intensity and flaws would make for a volatile relationship, but would lead to a friendship built on love and understanding, so that’s the interpretation of their dynamic i prefer. also zuko reads as a staunch kinsey 6 to me, but again, that’s a matter of opinion.

that said, i think that if you interpret any of zuko’s actions in trying to win katara’s respect as being because he has feelings for her, well, that framing is kinda creepy. especially the scene where he saves her from falling rubble and refuses to let go of her body. if you think zuko was intentionally trying to cop a feel here, then why exactly would you want him to be with katara, since he clearly doesn’t respect her. and then don’t even get me started on the people who think that time he tied her to a tree was sexy.... like, framing their relationship as romantic just doesn’t sit well with me for that reason. but anyway.

i think people have either gotten genuinely confused or deliberately obfuscated the distinction between criticizing a ship and criticizing a fanbase. my problem with zvtara in a vacuum is just that i think they’re not compatible romantically (despite having a lot of platonic chemistry and being one of the most compelling dynamics in the show!). I feel the same way about sokka and toph, and it’s just a matter of my preference for sibling dynamics over romance when it comes to these pairings! (i also think the age gap between sokka and toph is creepy even as adults because when you meet someone when they’re twelve there’s always gonna be a power imbalance there and there’s no way sokka isn’t aware of that. but i digress.)

to be clear, the reason i have been so vocal about my dislike for the ship is because it exists solely within the fan imagination, and that imagination is viscerally racist. I have said before i do not think shipping zvtara is inherently racist. I know there are black & brown women who ship it, and i’m not gonna act like their lived experiences matter less than a personal preference, but i think when white people advocate for this relationship, it’s really, really easy to fall into racist tropes. you said you’re new to the atla fandom, which means you haven’t been inundated with racist misogynistic bullshit that treats katara like a fetishized object for years the way i have. I don’t hate zvtara in a vacuum, but stuff like “fire lady katara” and pocahontas aus and whitewashed fanart – that shit takes a toll man. I’ve never seen any of that kind of racist bullshit when it comes to kataang fans, and like…. there is a reason for that!

for what it’s worth, if anyone thinks i’ve not been critical of people who ship zvkka falling into similar racist territory, then they must be deliberately turning a blind eye because i complain about zvkka as it exists in the fan imagination constantly. there are certainly racist zvkka fans, but something you need to keep in mind is how few there were until recently. before a couple months ago, when netflix decided to ruin my fucking life, only a handful of people watched atla through anything resembling a queer lens. when the show first aired, the idea that zuko could be interpreted as gay would’ve been absurd to 98% of the fanbase. so i wasn’t inundated with racism from zvkka fans because there were no zvkka fans. now, people on this cursed website watch everything through a gay lens, and it’s a nightmare. because they don’t even care about the characters, they just want an excuse to ship two teenage boys, and it’s deeply obnoxious and kind of concerning. anyway, i could talk all day about zvkka tropes i’ve seen that infuriate me, but that’s not this post.

like i’ve said in the past: I don’t think zvtara is ...inherently racist. what i do think is racist is the way it’s interpreted a majority of the time. if not for the stream of evil bullshit i’ve been inadvertently exposed to regarding this pairing over the years, i would simply say, “eh it’s not for me,” and move the fuck on! but unfortunately, i cannot do that, because i feel a responsibility to condemn racism when i see it??? I know you’re not trying to be deliberately obtuse, but please keep context in mind when it comes to questions like this, instead of getting defensive. I couldn’t care less about anyone’s personal tastes, as long as they’re not promoting things i’m morally opposed to, such as racism or misogyny. it’s possible to enjoy a thing and simultaneously be critical of it & the discussion surrounding it. that’s kind of the whole point of this blog.

#whew. #zvtara #asks #endlesstangents

[anndiscworld-phile]

How abt Zuko/Sokka for the ship thing?

zukka ohmygod!! that’s a ship that needs a lot more love, thank you

alright so

who’s the werewolf and who’s the hunter

see, they could go either way here, but imma say zuko is the werewolf and sokka is the hunter. sokka is a suspicious boy, an earnest hunter in training, and he decides to investigate the odd disappearances that keep happening in this small town. completely by accident, he runs across the town’s local werewolves (iroh and zuko), who were also trying to solve this case

who’s the mermaid and who’s the fisherman

sokka is the mermaid who’s fascinated with human inventions and gadgets. zuko is the exiled prince of an island(s) nation, who decides to give his family the middle finger by becoming a pirate who keeps fucking up the fire nation’s shit. they meet when zuko is scuttling one of the fire nation’s navy ships and spots an enterprising sokka who’s scavenging for parts

who’s the witch and who’s the familiar

sokka is the witch, though he’s not great at it at first. he’s really good at crafting spells, less good at executing them. he meant to summon like a wolf or something for his familiar, and ends up with zuko, a powerful demon prince. shenanigans abound

who’s the barista and who’s the coffee addict

zuko is the overworked barista who keeps getting lots of tips despite never responding to customers’ flirtations. sokka is the customer he keeps kicking out at closing time. they become friends, and zuko slips him the baked goods they were gonna throw away

who’s the professor and who’s the TA

sokka is the slightly older professor. went to college really early and had his first doctorate by like 20. despite not being that far in age from his students, sokka makes it a point to never get involved with them. enter zuko, awkward and as cute as a turtleduck, his new ta 

who’s the knight and who’s the prince(ss)

i’ll flip this and make sokka the prince. him and zuko meet on the battle field, sokka’s side wins, but he loses the sword fight against zuko. it impresses him enough to take zuko prisoner, and things develop from there

who’s the teacher and who’s the single parent

zuko is living the single dad life. him and mai are amicably divorced, but when she moves to another country to advance her career, he’s raising izumi on his own. he thinks he does a mostly decent job, and indeed, he does. it’s just that izumi really likes her teacher sokka and tells him a lot of stories about her dad, like how he dyed all their white clothes pink, and gives her orange juice in coffee cups, and growls at the monsters under her bed…. her stories paint a picture of a very dedicated and dweeby dad, and they do not prepare sokka at all for the hot dude walking in for izumi’s parent-teacher meeting 

who’s the writer and who’s the editor

sokka is the writer who will spend ages on worldbuilding, and zuko is his exasperated editor. sokka and zuko were college roommates, and that’s actually when zuko started editing his work 

zuko: you’re kinda good at writing, maybe you should do it professionally 

sokka: you’re pretty okay at editing my stuff, maybe you should keep doing it

and thus a partnership was born, and when sokka signed onto a publisher for his first book, he brought zuko along. the company was actually pretty impressed with zuko’s editing skills, and offered him a part time position. he worked his way up the latter, while sokka kept knocking out intricate scifi door-stoppers. they are still roommates 

–

all of these feel like really fun AUs and i enjoyed coming up with them! feel free to shoot me another ship, or drop a line about anything i mentioned here

thanks again for the question, and for choosing zukka!! i’m probably going to go and reread a bunch of fic right now…

#seriously what a great ship #zukka #muchos thank yous #les answers #avatar the last airbender #my fic #kinda #atla aus

[thinkingisadangerouspastime]

Zukaang!

001 | ZUKAANG

when I started shipping it if I did: i shipped kataang from day 1 and zukaang really just followed so easily from that since it's so clear how important aang is to zuko and how much aang cares about zuko in return. it's about them being narrative foils!! the connection they've had since the beginning of the series!! (also i've been a follower of @thethiefandtheairbender for a while and all their good zukaang content really just cemented it for me)

my thoughts: i LOVE how much their relationship is rooted in canon! i adore both platonic and romantic zukaang (i picture them getting together romantically after aang is in his late teens usually) so it's the perfect win-win situation. aang was the first person outside of iroh to extend kindness to zuko (multiple times, for that matter) within atla and it's so clear how that kindness has impacted zuko even just by the end of book one. and ahhhh their matching scars!! given by azula and healed by katara!! the parallels between zukaang run deeper than largely any other relationship in the show, and for good reason - zukaang being foils is key to the story, imo, and people who don't understand that are really missing out lmao. and hello!! they build republic city together and that makes me all 🥰 inside. and oml the comparison of sozin/roku (with sozin betraying the avatar and destroying the air nomads) to zuko/aang (with zuko becoming one of aang's closest friends and i firmly believe helping him restore the air temples), e.g. repairing the damage of one's ancestors and healing the cycle of hatred and war!! goddamn!! it's too much for me. basically zukaang is for the cool kids so why y'all still shipping zuko with the water tribe sibs that he probably didn't know the name of for the longest time while he was obsessed with aang 😂

What makes me happy about them: how much they love and care about each other, whether you prefer to see it as strictly platonic or watch it grow into something more romantic 🤧, the mutual trust and respect (especially as zuko matures post-series), iroh himself talking about how important aang is to zuko, the picture of them holding hands for the republic city thing, how aang no doubt makes zuko laugh and smile more than anyone else, how aang probably enjoys getting zuko flustered - okay literally everything about them. they're so in love and i freaking love their love

What makes me sad about them: this is sad in a bittersweet way lol but zuko feeling responsible for what his ancestors did to aang's people and aang not wanting zuko to carry that burden because he doesn't and could never blame him. so much possibility for that good hurt/comfort! also i feel like it would take a while for zuko to grasp the importance of aang's culture to him and would probably accidentally make some callous remarks especially after they first got together (i haven't forgotten that "air temple preschool" bs, zuzu) and i imagine aang would be really hurt and it's something they'd have to talk about and work through together (so again yes kinda sad but it's really about the chance for growth™ haha!)

things done in fanfic that annoys me: i haven't seen it much but i don't like fics that suggest aang would drop katara for zuko. katara would still be very important to aang and he to her even if they weren't together. (again tho i don't think i've seen this more than once or twice)

things I look for in fanfic: aang explaining his culture to zuko, them working on restoration of the air temples together, aang being so bright and positive and zuko just there like "oh my god he's so cute. fuck", zuko's feelings for aang hitting him like a sledgehammer (bonus points if it's him seeing aang after like a year and aang is suddenly almost his height 😂), zuko taking aang to fire nation festivals, tender first kisses that result in them both becoming flustered, blushing messes

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: kataang and maiko for sure! i do think zukka is pretty cute, too, tho (even if it is oversaturating the fandom rn lmfao)

My happily ever after for them: my ULTIMATE happily ever after is zutaraang with aang in the middle (and platonic zutara) but oh man the ot4 of maixzukoxaangxkatara is soooo good, too, and i can't believe im only just getting into it now. but in terms of zukaang specifically - thanks to zuko's help aang is able to restore all the air temples before he dies, both of them being great dads to their kids (zuko probably spoiling them rotten and aang like "babe. babe they don't need another [insert random trinket here]" 😂), zuko working with aang to dismantle fire nation propaganda and to properly educate his people on the air nomads, aang travelling a lot and it being a rare but amazing occurrence when zuko is able to go with him, and literally just them being in love forever tbh. thanks for coming to my tedtalk

who is the big spoon/little spoon: they switch it up but zuko is usually the big spoon and aang the little spoon bc it allows their scars to line up almost perfectly

what is their favorite non-sexual activity: aang totally makes zuko dance with him all the time. zuko pretends to be all begrudging but he secretly loves it.

#amy answers #intezaarlily1 #THANK YOU FOR SENDING THIS I HAD SO MUCH FUN #zukaang #aang #zuko #aanglove #atla #avatar the last airbender #amy writes #kinda? got some headcanons here lol

[hexx-bunny]

if you keep moving, you will come to a better place

zukka, abo, omega!Zuko, alpha!Sokka, slow burn When Zuko presented as an Omega, he knew Ozai would find the worst possible way to get rid of him. He is to be married off to anyone who wins a stupid tournament. Zuko has other plans though, which include escaping and living his life however he wants. But it proves harder than expected. Cue Sokka enters his life, a non-bending Alpha unlike any he ever met. A marriage that may or not happen. And a long, weird roadtrip that shows Zuko the rest of the world is not as cruel as his Father made him believe.

AO3

Chapter 1:

Zuko was ten when he presented. Earlier than expected, and worse than anyone could predict. He still remembered those days vividly. After a visit to the doctor, he was scolted back to his rooms, which he was forbidden to leave. Nobody would look at him. The guards, usually gentle sometimes, avoided him. He could hear his mom and dad screaming at each other from the other side of the Royal Wing. Was he sick? Was he going to die? He didn’t feel like he was dying. He just felt alone, and scared.

When the door finally opened he almost jumped from the bed, waiting to see Uncle Iroh. His uncle never lied to him. But Azula waltzed in with a smile that never brought anything good.

“Guess what I just found out, Zuzu~”

“Go away, Azula. I’m not in the mood.”

Since their last presentation of Firebending progress to their grandfather, she’d been more smug than usual. Azula ignored him, tapping a finger to her lips as she studied him. She knew how to press his buttons.

“What?!” Zuko snapped.

“Hm… nothing. Just, I thought Omegas were prettier. But you still look the same.”

The boy’s heart froze.

Omega. Omega?

“You think it’ll make it harder to marry you off?” she continued, “Since, you know, that’s all you are good for now. Maybe they’ll give you to some old, gross man. Actually, I’m kinda sad. I really wanted to keep seeing you embarrass yourself in front of grandfather, but Omegas aren’t allowed to Firebend and all,” Azula chuckled, “At least it explains why you are so bad at it. Omegas are just… not made for that stu- Hey! I’m not done, come back!”

But Zuko wasn’t listening anymore, he was running before he noticed. Omega. He was an omega. Dad may not like him very much but he wouldn’t… he couldn’t right? Ursa and Ozai’s screams were too close, and before the guards could stop him, Zuko was opening their door.

“Dad!” he cried. He was an Omega. He was crying. He felt like the smallest thing in the world, yet he gathered all his courage for that moment. Zuko’s tiny fingers grabbed the red robes of his dad, his mom was trying to pull him away but he refused to budge, Dad, please! I- I don’t care that I’m just an omega, I promise I’ll try harder. I’ll get better! I’ll… I’ll train more, and master Bending, please, please don’t give me to an old man. Please, I pro-”

That part he remembered in flashes: Ozai’s pure look of disgust. His hand moving. Zuko braced for a slap. The heat, the unforgiving heat, he didn’t expect. It burned. It burned. It burned. Something smelled bad. The bright light died, and as everything went black, he heard his mom crying.

“Look at what you’ve done,” was the first thing Ozai spat when he woke up. The pain almost made it hard to hear. Actually it…  was kinda hard to hear. Why was his face covered up? What had happened? “Do you know how hard it’ll be to find you a mate now? Nobody wants a weak, scarred Omega.”

Ozai didn’t visit him again. Neither did Azula. Those days were spent in silence, in pain, Ursa cradling his body. Zuko wondered which of them was shaking.

He had ten years, still Zuko never got fully used to the scar. The way people turned their faces when they saw it was maybe part of the problem. He knew what they whispered about him, about how ugly it was, nobody would want a mate like that. Any partner he managed to find would certainly be just after his position. Correction: any partner his Father managed to find.

Zuko guessed he would find out in a few hours.

He stared at his reflection. Maids and servants only prepared married Omegas, Prince or not he was supposed to get ready by himself. It didn’t look so bad. His long dark hair half secured on a high ponytail with the Fire Nation symbol. The red robes also fitted him well, even though they were a pain in the ass to walk in. Zuko would gladly kill whoever had decided Omegas needed to wear so many layers of clothing. The most important part, the makeup, was missing. He didn’t exactly despise that part, but he despised how the paint would only bring more attention to his scar. He had angrily scrubbed it all off, better to endure his Father’s anger for one more day than to be mocked for walking around like a half-painted clown.

Mothers were allowed to help their unmarried Omega kids. Ursa probably would’ve managed to paint him well, she would’ve looked over his shoulder to their reflection and said Zuko looked beautiful. But she was gone.

Zuko let his fingers touch the golden earrings. They used to belong to her. That was when the door finally opened.

Uncle Iroh gave him a half-hearted smile.

“Are you ready?”

He had been the only person Zuko could count on for a decade. When he was banished from learning Firebending for being an Omega, Uncle Iroh would sneak him out of the palace late at night and teach him. When Zuko was prohibited from fighting, Uncle Iroh gave him double swords as a secret birthday gift and taught him how to master them. And when Zuko told him he was going to run away after today’s celebrations, it was Uncle Iroh who hugged him tightly and promised to help. Even though it would break his heart, Uncle Iroh always helped.

Zuko often thought his Uncle was probably the only decent Alpha in the world.

“Yes.”

Here is how an ideal life for an Omega would take place in the Palace: they would learn just enough to manage a household and attract a mate. After sixteen, Betas and Alphas would start courting them. By eighteen, it was normal to be married off to a mate that could bring status to the Omega’s family.

Here is what Ozai decided: Zuko would learn enough to manage a household. Nobody wanted to court him, he was too damaged, too much of a black sheep. Instead of marrying him to some foreign Prince or Princess, he decided to host a mating tournment. He invited nobles from all the world to fight for Zuko. Dogs fighting over a scrap of meat.

The marriage wasn’t even going to be officiated in the Fire Nation if a foreigner won. Zuko was theirs, and therefore no longer Ozai’s problem. Azula, who to nobody’s surprise presented as an Alpha at twelve, was his heir and all he cared about. Soon there would be high status Betas and Omegas begging for her hand and Zuko would only be on the way.

As always. Always on the way. A blemish on his plans, reflected by the one on his face.

Ozai didn't even spare him a glance when Zuko arrived at the podium, sitting on the smallest throne right next to Azula. The Palace courtyard was bursting with excitement. It was impossible to figure out which of those people came to fight or to watch. The complete lack of respect for the noble participants was unlike the Fire Lord, who would plan even the tiniest detail, showing there was a hierarchy and his place was at the top. It was just another sign of his disinterest, that tournament was not for him, it was to humiliate Zuko. And now, surely with any high ranking nobles leaving for what they would consider an insult to their status, he was left with…

“The rabble is very interested in your hand, Zuzu.”

He had an escape plan. It was not a question of if, but when. He had it all ready. He could firebend, he could fight, he had the money and supplies Iroh smuggled to him. Still, seeing how many old, terrible Alphas and Betas were in line to mate him was terrifying. Zuko’s biggest fear for years stared back as dozens of eyes: being forcefully mated off, raped and diminished to a baby-making machine until his death.

Happened with his mom, why wouldn’t he have the same fate?

A warm hand gripped his shoulder. Uncle Iroh sat on the last throne.

The drums begin playing, a mimeckry of his heartbeat.

No. No panicking. Zuko was gonna get out. A few hours, and he was out.

“By the way,” Azula whispered by his ear, looking as bored as ever, “Your runaway kit is ridiculous.”

Her hand grabbing his arm was all that stopped him from jumping away. The pit on his stomach grew, it felt about to swallow him whole.

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” he croaked.

“C’mon. You are not that dense,” she relaxed her grip, “Father doesn’t know about it. Yet.”

“What do you want, Azula?”

The first nobles stepped on the makeshift arena. Zuko couldn’t care less.

“A deal. Father just wants to get rid of you, but General Zhao has other plans. He thinks if he wins, you’ll give him some political leverage. He’ll probably try something stupid like killing me and putting one of your… spawn on the throne. I know, a complete idiot. I’ll kill him by the end of the year, I swear he is so boring…”

“What are you talking about,” his throat felt dry. Zhao was never part of any of his plans. Azula clearly knew that.

“Well. He set some of his agents on you," she shrugged, as if those were old news, "Here is what’s gonna happen: If he wins, you are on the heart of the Fire Nation, surrounded by his men and legally mated. There is no way you could escape.”

“Yes, I can,” Zuko gritted his teeth.

One of the contestans was knocked out. People cheered. The second round began.

“Be realistic, Zuzu. Now, if he doesn’t win one of the two things will happen: either some low-level Fire Noble wins. You are still stuck here. And his agents will probably try to make a widow out of you and he'll sweep in, oferring to take you. Daddy will agree, of course, you know it. Or, some Earth Kingdom nobody wins. Zhao is too much of an idiot to know how to infiltrate the Earth Kingdom, but he is set on making his agents follow you to the borders. Maybe he’ll try to make it look like an accident on the road. Who cares. The thing is, you will be out, then you can run. Unless… someone tells daddy dearest of your little plan.”

Zuko’s scar throbbed. He thought he was being so smart. But at every corner, Azula seemed to take pleasure in proving him wrong. He looked angrily at her with his good eye.

“What do you want ? Spit it out.”

If he weren't so immersed in his own desperation, Zuko would’ve been shocked at the way her face changed. Few people could see when her mask of cruelty slipped, and then, for a moment, Azula looked heartbroken. It was gone as soon as it appeared. He briefly wondered if he had imagined it.

“I won’t tell on you if you find Ty Lee for me. She is on Kyoshi Island. Tell her,” she forced the next words out, low and too sincere, and making sure Ozai wasn’t listening, “I wish there was another way.”

Zuko was taken aback.

“But- how would you even know I did it?”

“I know all about your stupid concept or honor. You would do it. And you wouldn’t use it to blackmail me,” Azula faked a yawn “Deal?”

Not like you are giving me a fucking chance here, Zuko thought. Yet, he muttered:

“Deal.”

He stared at the sea of green and red uniforms that made the crowd. Air Nomads would never participate in such a ritual. And the Water Tribes never seemed to care much about their business. The arena was already marked by Earth and Fire bending, each disgusting Alpha trying to out-Alpha the other. For a moment he spotted General Zhao and Zuko forced himself to take a deep breath. He thought he saw a flash of blue clothing, but it was probably a trick of the light.

Those few hours suddenly felt too long to endure. The third round was about to start.

#zukka #zukka fanfic #zukka fic #atla fic #abo zukka #abo #My writing

[read-write-thrive]

A:TLA Marching Band AU

Honestly this is just a way too long and complicated list of characterizations for a Marching Band AU, but I have too many WIPs to write it out fully right now, so hopefully y’all like this format!

Elements/Nations:

Air= Brass

Water= Woodwind

Earth= Percussion

Fire= Guard

Avatar= Director

Characters:

Students:

Aang= Trumpet, Freshman, has to learn all 4 elements/sections before he becomes the new assistant director, that one kid who’s always screwing around during breaks to try and impress others (cough Katara cough)/ “just have fun!!!!!”, is openly panromantic/demisexual, often brings giant dog Appa to practice because “he likes the exercise !! and the music calms him down !!!!” but also because Appa has befriended the local stray cat, whom Aang has named Momo, and Aang is too much of a softie to keep them apart

Katara= Alto Sax, Sophomore, at first timid third chair but easily gets to first once she’s properly trained, still sister of Sokka and bickers with him over how he leads the saxophones, teaches Aang woodwind whenever Pakku (woodwind staff) isn’t at practice - which is honestly most of the time after the first week or so, hates when Zuko “invades” the saxophones but eventually warms to him (especially whenever he rejoins and takes over the color guard), definitely straight but is very supportive

Sokka= Tenor Sax, Junior, was really close with Yue before she quit, section leader but is still his single-braincelled self, eventually admits to Suki that the Pit counts as marching band and only then does she agree to date him, is openly bisexual, tries to match Jet’s level of playboy-ness but honestly just needs to calm down

Toph- Quads/Tenors, Freshman, fantastic at pretty much all percussion, is legally blind but can see well enough in full light to march with the group, (legitimately) teaches Aang percussion, at first seems like a helpless little rich girl but is actually brawdy, tough, can swear like a sailor, and is definitely queer in some capacity but she sees labels as bs

Suki- Vibraphone, Junior, leader of the pit, agrees to date Sokka once he gets over Yue and calms down on the whole tough-guy act, is super fit and takes her role seriously but isn’t as anti-fun as other characters can be (cough Katara again cough), is straight and a very outspoken ally

Zuko- Guard/Baritone Saxophone, Junior, best at sabres, that one guard guy who is actually pretty good but gets judged enough for it that he’s constantly angry about it, switches to (aka is forced by Azula/father to switch to) bari sax and is taught by Piandao, fights with Katara at first but it gets better, he and Sokka suprisingly hit it off (Zukka, anyone?), he gets pretty close with the gaang, eventually takes the guard section back his senior year after complete falling out with father/sister, teaches Aang color guard techniques, is probably bi but comes from a homophobic family so just doesn’t talk about it

Azula- Guard, Sophomore, best at flags, reigning b*tch, lot of coercing and controlling, director threatens to cancel the guard bc of the drama but then she, Mai, and Ty Lee all switch to pit for a few weeks and that’s somehow even worse so director caves, is year below Zuko but forced to quit band altogether her junior year due to father’s outrage at Zuko (he is also technically forbidden, but does it anyway and has his best year there), Azula tries to rejoin her senior year but director has had enough and won’t let her get any of the glory so she quits for good, homophobic but is not against doing performative bisexuality (aka bicurious/heteroflexible) to get attention from guys

Mai- Guard, Sophomore, best at rifles, somehow rehearses in all black when everyone else is dying of heatstroke, dates Zuko on/off, Azula tries to convince her and Ty Lee that band isn’t worth it once she quits/is forced to quit but both of them agree they’d rather be in band and abandon her, her and Zuko don’t exactly work out once he graduates (Mailee anyone?), doesn’t seem to enjoy anything so everyone wonders why she’s even in band, is probably at least a little queer but she honestly doesn’t believe in soulmates/mushy stuff like that so doesn’t think much about it

Ty Lee- Guard, Sophomore, best at batons/gymnastics, often used for features (if Azula isn’t interested/needs a second, etc), becomes head guard her senior year after Azula quits and Zuko graduates, actually gets along with the pit once Azula isn’t around to keep that eternal rivalry going, is openly pan once she cuts ties with Azula

Yue- Clarinet, used to be 1st clarinet but after continued harassment from guards transfers to another school after freshman year, her and Sokka flirted and got close but couldn’t do distance, is very good at the clarinet but is too soft spoken for section leader, definitely straight, constantly has guys after her bc she’s seen as innocent (and is insanely pretty of course) but manages to hold her own 

Jet- Trombone, Senior, token hot guy but definitely a little screwed up in the head, at the very least a smoker, v big straight but still an ally (especially to childhood friend Smellerbee, who is 100% a trans girl and no one can change my mind)

Lu Ten- Drum Major, graduates right before story begins, joins military fresh out of hs

June- Electric guitarist (in the pit), Senior, known for being hot af but ruthless, mostly friends with ppl outside of band, definitely deals

Staff:

Director = Roku

Drill Writer/old Director who still helps on occasion= Kyoshi

Pakku- woodwind trainer, specifically alto sax focused, a little against Katara being section leader/giving her lessons, but she wins him over

Jeong Jeong- Guard trainer, absolutely refuses to take part in the drama as long as everyone learns their sets, constantly harassed by Ozai

Gyatso- Brass trainer, definitely takes a shine to Aang but becomes ill during the middle of the first season and doesn’t come back (Aang is obviously very sad about this, though he’s in denial about him being truly gone at first), very good at brass but doesn’t take anything seriously -including himself and life in general

Bumi- Percussion trainer, kinda crazy, isn’t always the best at actually training but is freakishly good himself, also takes a shining to Aang

Piandao- guest of the director but not an active staff member, can do a bit of everything, helps Zuko learn Bari Sax, takes a liking to Sokka

Other Adults:

Iroh- father of Lu Ten but sticks around for Zuko (no one really minds, he’s beloved by the band), usually helps with refreshments, secretly swole but loves his comfy clothes so no one expects the strength, though its very useful when hauling equipment

Ozai- father of Zuko/Azula, likes to pitch a fit whenever Roku cracks down on Azula/ treats Zuko well, tries to become board president for what would be Zuko’s senior year but is snubbed, demands Zuko/Azula quit, Zuko refuses and takes over guard while Azula obeys and eventually quits for good

Mr./Mrs. Beifong- parents to Toph, biggest financial backers of the band but aren’t actively involved, tried to get Toph all special accommodations in the pit but Toph insisted she could march so director convinced them otherwise

Hakoda- father of Sokka/Katara, usually away for work but tries to come by for the big finales, cheers the loudest in the stands and tries to embarass them both as much as possible

Gran-Gran- maternal grandmother of Sokka/Katara, primary guardian for the two but is constantly busy trying to support them so doesn’t make it to practices often, flirts with Pakku more than Katara/Sokka even know, always shows up to every performance even with packed schedule

(ask for specific characters and I can do more, but these are the ones I definitely had to do! hope you enjoy!)

#atla #avatar the last airbender #avatar #team avatar #atla gaang #au #marching band au #marching band #band #band au #aang #katara #kataang #sokka #sukka #zukka #suki #zuko #maiko #yukka #azula #ty lee #mai #mailee #yue #jetara #atla jet #lu ten #atla june #roku