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there’s a little detail that i didn’t notice about “the blue spirit” when i first watched it.  when zuko returns to his ship after his misadventures at ponhuai, avatar-less and honorless and still puzzling over aang’s speech and having made an enemy of zhao and probably severely concussed, iroh is there on deck.  

music night happened the previous night.  and yet it’s morning when zuko returns, and iroh is still playing the tsungi horn on deck.  

iroh waited up all night for zuko to come back.  

it’s such a small detail, but speaks volumes about their relationship.  iroh not only allows zuko to sneak out in order to free the avatar in order to preserve his chance at regaining his honor, iroh actually subtly encorages zuko to free aang from ponhuai, even though he clearly knows that there’s every possibilty that zuko will be caught by zhao and iroh will not be able to save him.  

as the guardian of a teenager, iroh’s influence over zuko is limited.  iroh must allow zuko the freedom to chase after the destiny he thinks he wants, iroh cannot always protect zuko or keep him out of danger, iroh cannot even demonstrate affection to zuko in the way he would clearly like to because zuko is too hurt and guarded to be able to accept it from him - 

- but iroh can wait up for him.  

iroh can sit up all night, just to make sure that zuko gets home safely.  

and it is such a striking element of their relationship, because I waited up all night for you becomes the unspoken love language by which they communicate caring and affection for each other.  

iroh waits all night for zuko to return safely from ponhuai stronghold. iroh stays up while zuko sleeps on the ferry and waits up for zuko to return home from his date with jin. iroh sits up all night watching over zuko when he is sick and feverish.  

and it’s not one-sided, because zuko waits up for iroh.  

zuko waits up all night watching over an injured iroh after azula blasts him with blue fire.  zuko sits up all night waiting for iroh to wake up when they reunite at the white lotus camp.

and this gesture becomes so important to zuko that it even becomes the way he demonstrates caring and concern for the members of the gaang.  zuko waits up all night in appa’s saddle, knowing that sokka is planning a rescue mission.  zuko waits up all night for katara to wake, knowing she needs to confront her own deeply-felt anger before she can understand and let go of it.  

and this even is the gesture by which aang first demonstrates friendship to zuko.  after zuko is knocked out by an arrow to his blue spirit mask, aang sits up with zuko for the rest of the night until zuko wakes up, just to make sure zuko is all right.

and the concept of sitting up all night for you is such a poignant contrast to zuko’s memory of his mother, who vanished out his life in the middle of the night, waking him up for a last goodbye.  

it’s pretty clear that iroh sitting up all night with a sick child was far from an unusual occasion.   i think it was probably really important for zuko to be shown, again and again and again, that he has someone who will be there when morning comes.  

one parent left zuko in the night - but one parent will always wait up for him to come home.  

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Firestarter

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dude is not having it

#the sai content we need but don't deserve

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His ass does not pay attention enough to know all of their genders. Toph wears baggy clothes, he squinted at her and went “yeah that’s a boy. Or boy adjacent. Probably.” and moved on. Ally???

#non binary toph w

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Moon spirit sokka is still sokka

At first I wanted to draw him in like gorgeous clothing with extra accessories then I realized he is sokka going on an adventure

Bonus

Live zuko reaction:

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peace at last.

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Do you believe in life after love? I can feel something inside me say I really don't think you're strong enough, no

From Believe by Cher

#zuko #best served cold #and lonely #and miserable #enjoy! #atla #avatar the last airbender #firelord zuko #mai #atla mai #atla zuko #atla comics #the promise #atla fanart #fanart #art #digital art #illustration #adult zuko #firelord #atla maiko #maiko #umossu

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ROMANCE DAWN TRIO

#so cool

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Sasuke isn't mad about liking men he's mad about liking Naruto. Similarly Naruto isn't mad about liking Sasuke he's mad about liking men

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#blue period anime #digital art #illustration #anime #anime fanart #umossu #art #fanart #blue period #blue period manga #yaguchi yatora #yatora yaguchi #yatora

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zukka comm 🌊🔥🤍

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ATLA (zukka….) au where everything is mostly the same except that the phrase “friend of the Avatar” is a euphemism for being gay, a la the phrase friend of Dorothy

(the phrase started towards the start of the 100 year war because in this universe Avatar Roku was some flavor of gay, then Sozin canonically banned gay marriage after their situationship went downhill. so people had to be more subtle about communicating their identities, something something something, the phrase became semi-commonplace throughout the fire nation and later the earth kingdom. maybe it started even earlier because of bi queen kyoshi. who knows!)

miscommunication and self-discovery ensues throughout the events of ATLA:

early on into his banishment and search for the avatar, Zuko runs into someone who casually mentions that they’re a “friend of the Avatar” and he’s immediately like “THE AVATAR IS ALIVE? WHERE ARE THEY. TELL ME”

…he learns a new phrase that day! perhaps he didn’t even know gay people existed until that awkward encounter (bc sheltered fire nation royal.) maybe he does some self reflection at this point, or perhaps he puts off his sexuality crisis in favor of his avatar hunting mission. who’s to say?

(the next time he hears someone say they’re “a friend of the avatar” he asks if they’re gay or if they actually know the avatar. you know, just in case they actually do.

….and the next time after that, too.

but after that he catches on pretty quickly that, no, it’s REALLY just a turn of phrase, and he does not repeat the mistake again.)

+ early into the series events sokka runs into some confusion when he mentions to a stranger that he’s a friend of the avatar while aang isn’t around—

sokka: hey so uhh i’m actually a friend of the avatar… think i can get a discount for that??

kindly ally shopkeeper: oh! i love that for you!! you know, i have a cousin who’s gay, real swell guy. anyways about the discount—

book one sokka, canonically sexist and with perhaps a fragile masculinity: what wait a sec, IM NOT GAY??????

shopkeeper: oh that’s okay, you don’t have to explain yourself or put a label on it to me (:

(sokka does in fact get a discount.)

he walks back to katara who was waiting for him and overheard the whole conversation, and she says “you know, sokka, it’s fine if you like boys.” sokka responds as you’d expect he would at this time.

(some amount of time later, sokka comes up to katara and aang very nervously and says “hey guys. i think i might. um. be a friend of the Avatar.”

and aang, confused but enthusiastic, goes “aww buddy, we’re already friends!!!!”)

at some point they’re fighting Zuko and during a back-and-forth exchange, Sokka proclaims “i won’t let you hurt him, the Avatar is my friend!” or something to that effect

Zuko, who has learned from his past mistakes in misconstruing this phrase, says “love is love. but your sexuality will not stop me from capturing the Avatar”

#later: firelord zuko changing the law and announcing that he's a friend of the avatar #the crowd goes wild

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Alone Time 🌿🎑

Team Avatar had been travelling through the Earth Kingdom for weeks, in search of adventure. Zuko and Sokka had faced many challenges together, and now they walked through the dense forest, feeling a sense of peace wash over them finally. As they hiked, they approached a small stream flowing through the woods, and they let themselves be guided by the dancing leaves that raced ahead of them until they stumbled upon a secluded hot spring nestled among the trees.

The steam rose around them, and they shared a knowing smile before slowly undressing weeks of adventure, their soft gazes never leaving each other.

The warmth of the water embraced them, and they felt their bodies relax with each other's soothing touch. Sokka reached out and tenderly ran his fingers through Zuko's ebony hair, feeling the warmth of the spring mingling with the heat of their exposed intimacy like fuel to a fire. Zuko leaned into the gentle touch, his eyes closing briefly as he savoured the closeness of the moment and allowed himself to sink. They moved closer together, their bodies fitting perfectly, sharing soft, slow kisses, the water embracing them like a cocoon of love.

They bided their time,

In the quiet of the forest, surrounded only by the beauty of nature, Zuko and Sokka let go of the worries of the world, basking in the simple joy of being alone together. With each touch and whispered word, their connection deepened, binding them together in a love that transcended time and space. As they lost themselves in each other's embrace, they knew that at this moment, they were exactly where they wanted to be – together.

The sound of the forest and the gentle touch of the water made them feel like they were in a world of their own, where nothing else mattered. They felt their hearts beating in unison, and they knew that they had found something special in each other. It was a moment that they would never forget, a moment that would stay with them forever.

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It’s suki!

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Underrated Zuko faces

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Actually, the second drawing dealt me emotional damage now that I look at it

#zuko: when my sister was born my father said she was his exact photocopy #he said I was a bad photocopy of his photocopy #my whole life I've had to fight...

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unpopular opinion; ponytail Zuko is op

Day 3 

1, 2, 3, 4

#PONYTAIL ZUKO W