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ecoterrorist-katara · 1 month

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Katara would’ve been such a good diplomat (it’s canon)

everyone rightfully hates on the ATLA comics because the politics are baffling and the characterization is even more so…but if there’s one thing we can take away from the dumpster fire that is The Promise, it’s that Katara was BORN to be a diplomat and an international force for peace, okay? Especially since her besties, the Avatar and the Fire Lord, aren’t actually very good at this.

If you haven’t read The Promise, the Wikipedia summary is pretty good. The TL;DR is that Zuko and Kuei agree that the Fire Nation colonies need to be returned to the Earth Kingdom. The colony of Yu Dao is not happy about this because the people of the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom have been mixing together (under inequitable conditions) for more than a hundred years and “just kick out the Fire Nation” is not as straightforward as it seems, since there are blended families now. Zuko refuses to kick out the Fire Nation people from Yu Dao, Kuei wants to play hardball, and they almost launch another war. Oh and there’s a weird plot about Aang debating whether to put Zuko down like a rabid dog

For all that the Wiki page does a good job of summarizing the events, it forgets some key facts:

It’s Katara who first starts thinking about new solutions after witnessing the situation on the ground, and then comes up with the idea that Zuko and Kuei should meet and talk about the colonies:

It’s Katara who tells Kuei that Zuko has legitimate concerns (without saying that Zuko is right), when Aang tries to hedge and sugarcoat the truth:

And it’s Katara who says to Kuei, wait, what the hell do you mean that you have no idea what your people want, that Yu Dao is just a dot on the map for you? We’re getting you out of this stupid blimp and you’re gonna talk to people before you make a decision that affects their lives, you coward

To recap, Katara demonstrates some pretty freaking key political skills, like:

finding out what people want before making a decision for them

seeing people as people first and foremost, not as fire nation or earth kingdom

encouraging her loved ones, the Avatar and the Fire Lord, to resolve a conflict by beginning negotiations instead of brawling like a couple of drunks at a bar / kids on the playground (both analogies fit btw, 13-17 is a weird combination of ages)

realistically reporting tricky disagreements without sweeping them under the rug

kidnapping a king to the middle of a battlefield to give him a reality check about listening to the people he’s trying to rule

Anyway, Katara is hyper competent at both war AND peace! We see this in the show, with her compassion for the prisoners of the Earth Kingdom (by inciting a prison riot) and the suffering people of the Fire Nation (by committing ecoterrorism), only now that compassion is backed up not only by her fighting prowess and speeches about hope, but actual ability to manipulate the levers of power.

And have I mentioned that she has the ears of both the Avatar and the Fire Lord and her dad is Chief of the Southern Water Tribe? Even if Katara didn’t get a diplomat position based on her skills, or her status as a war hero, she could nepo baby her way in. The fact that she does not pick up a career in international diplomacy is a crime & a colossal oversight from the creators. At minimum you know Katara would’ve established Healers Without Borders or something. She deserves to be yelling at people at ATLA UN and then drafting world-changing resolutions.

And as a bonus, Katara demonstrates her gift for diplomacy by not smacking Zuko up the head for attempting to legitimize colonization through the argument of economic progress…

…and by not smacking Aang up the head for seriously considering anti-miscegenation as a viable political solution:

This patience is a new development because show!Katara did not have this in her, but maybe this is what growing up is all about and not just yet another strike on the “comics are wildly OOC” tally

TL;DR: ATLA boys lost their brain cells post-canon. All hail Katara, Sugar Queen of international diplomacy.

#Katara #Katara deserved better #atla comics #Chief Katara of the Water Tribes #United Republic Councilwoman Katara #Ambassador Katara #I’m not picky which one she becomes I just want her to exert political power as a principled and fair and compassionate representative #She saved the world it’s only fair she gets to run it especially since unlike most nepo babies (ie monarchy) she’s qualified #pro Katara #atla #my meta

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sapphic-agent · 15 days

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Rewriting the Gaang in LOK

Basically how I would have written the adult Gaang. Pretend the comics as they are don't exist.

Katara: Breaks up with Aang sometime post-finale to do some soul-searching. Travels the world on her own and sees how people are struggling after the war. After talking (beating) some sense into a few government officials, she realizes that the best way to help people post-war is through politics. She becomes an (unofficial) ambassador, helping and negotiating aid for small villages that tend to get overlooked and does this for a number of years. She joins up with Zuko and Aang after they found the United Republic of Nations and becomes Councilwoman Katara, representative of the Southern Water Tribe. She eventually gets voted chairwoman due to her passion to improve the lives of the citizens (and because her fellow council members are too scared to vote against her). She heals on the side when she needs to, but only out of obligation since she can't stand to see people suffer; she puts much more effort into getting raising funds for a hospital full of healers. A few years later, Haru moves to Republic City and is just as awestruck by her as he was the day they met (the pornstache has been removed by divine intervention). They meet up a couple of times; for drinks after work, walks around the city, and they even attend a few galas together. They eventually start dating and get married two years later. They have their first daughter Kya (who's an earthbender), a son- Tyro (who's a nonbender), and another daughter Suma (who's a waterbender). They live a happy, peaceful (if you could call Katara stopping the occasional criminal before the police peaceful) life together where their children are well-loved and as part of the Southern Water Tribe as they are the Earth Kingdom. Aang's death hits their family hard, but they all come together and support each other. Katara personally mentors Korra, even convincing her family move to Republic City so that the Avatar knows the people she's meant to protect (the White Lotus protests, they fail❤️). She teaches Korra Waterbending, but also teaches her empathy and appreciation for other cultures (and that sometimes, selfish world leaders need a good punch to the face, a lesson Korra took to heart even though she absolutely wasn't supposed to see it).

Aang: Is torn up after Katara breaks up with him. He's hurt and confused and doesn't know what to do with himself. He retreats to Ba Sing Se where he talks with Iroh and learns that he unfairly pushed his feelings onto Katara. Wracked with guilt at hurting someone he cares about so much, Aang realizes that he has a lot of growing up to do. He focuses on his job as the Avatar, working closely with Zuko, Kuei, and the other leaders to heal the world after the war. The first time he sees Katara again is when she arrives to help with the United Republic of Nations. He apologizes to her and Katara forgives him, promising they'll always be best friends. His role in Republic City is more or less the same, though at some point he develops feelings for Toph. But he fears doing to her what he had done to Katara, so he tries to ignore them. But Toph, never one to beat around the bush, point-blank asks him if he's ever gonna man-up and confess to her. They start dating, and Lin comes a few months later as a surprise. They have their hiccups- Aang especially needing to reconcile with the fact that there's a chance she might not be an Airbender- but they manage to resolve them. Lin is an Earthender, of course, but Aang loves his little girl to pieces (which is good, because Toph would kill him if she suspected otherwise). Tenzin is born three years later, an Airbender, and Su Yin is born two years after that as an Earthbender. Lastly there's Bumi, a nonbender. There's always the urge to favor Tenzin, but Aang knows he can't. They're all his children and they deserve to be treated as such. So he teaches them all about their culture, takes them all on trips. The kids fight, but Aang is always quick to help resolve it (as it turns out, getting Lin and Su to stop fighting is a lot harder than getting the four nations to get along, go figure). Aang loves his wife and kids and wouldn't trade any of them for the world. He dies peacefully at age 66, surrounded by his children and the love of his life.

Sokka: Fucking hates politics. He'll leave the negotiating and speeches to his sister, thank you very much. If the room of government officials isn't a war room, he wants no part in it. After the war, he spends most of his time in the Southern Water Tribe. He works with his father to rebuild and relearn their culture, and writes frequent letters to his sister. Though, something about his life in the south is unfulfilling. Maybe he misses Suki, but there's something about inventing that calls to him. He can't do much of that in the south pole, so he leaves for the Earth Kingdom, helping villages struggling with heat, agriculture, transportation, etc. In the United Republic of Nations, he becomes lead engineer of the city, utilizing bending to make quick technological advances. He and Suki reunite in Republic City where Suki becomes the police chief. They get back together and have a daughter, Lian. The three of them live a simple life together, until Suki gets gravely injured in the line of duty when Lian is twenty. They decide to retire to the Southern Water Tribe where Sokka takes over for Hakoda as chief and prepares Lian to take over for him.

Toph: When Toph hears that Twinkle Toes and Sparky finally started that fancy new city, she thinks it's the perfect opportunity to cause a little chaos. Closing her metalbending school, she decides to relive her days as the Blind Bandit by founding pro-bending (thanks @ecoterrorist-katara for the idea!). Zuko's a hater and tries to shut it down because "safety," but finds no help in Aang who really, really loves the idea. He goes to every one of her matches and Toph feels both smug pride and... Something else. But she tells herself it would never happen, Twinkle Toes likes girls like Sugar Queen and she was the furthest thing from that. But she isn't totally oblivious, she can feel his heartbeat pick up when he's around her and how he's started to stutter when he's talking to her. So she bites the bullet and they start happily dating. But the arrival of Lin uncovers issues she didn't even know were there. Lin cries loudly and for Toph who relies heavily on her sense of hearing, it's hell. She was also unprepared for how much her body would change. She finds herself not wanting to be around her daughter. But Aang realizes this and urges her to talk to someone. After some arguing, she does. Aang is attentive, so Toph can take breaks when she needs to and Katara and Suki are always ready to get her out of the house when she's overwhelmed. Things with Lin get better and when Tenzin comes around she doesn't suffer nearly as much. Su Yin is similar. It's hard with Bumi because she's older, but Aang and her friends are there to support her. Toph can be distant with her children- her closely monitored childhood always present in her mind- but sees how Aang can be doting and allow their kids freedom. She follows by his example, trying to find a balance between hovering and absence. Aang's death is the worst day of her life- she was there, she felt his heart stop- and she retreats into the swamp for a while to grieve. But she returns to Republic City when Katara begins to mentor the new Avatar. Not to be outdone by Sugar Queen, she becomes Korra's second teacher. It's hard to be around Korra sometimes, but she likes the girl's spunk and attitude, even if she is a brat.

Zuko: Zuko struggles after the war. The obligations of the Fire Lord are crushing and daunting and the fear of turning into his father feels like it's constantly looming over his head. Mai doesn't understand why he's struggling so much and he can't figure out how to explain it to her, so they break up. She goes to Kyoshi Island to spend time with Ty Lee and figure out what she wants in life. Stressed, burnt-out, and heartbroken, Zuko asks Aang to kill him if he ever starts to act like Ozai, but Aang steadfastly refuses, berating him for even suggesting it. Aang assures him that he'll never turn into his father and that he has his friends to rely on. He follows after Aang to Ba Sing Se, working in his uncle's tea shop as a much needed break. He opens up to Iroh about his fears and Iroh affirms that even having these worries proves that he'll never be Ozai. He spends time in Ba Sing Se working in the tea shop and negotiating with the Earth King when he meets Jin again. She's as carefree as she was back then and Zuko is both envious and in awe of it. But he knows he can't have a relationship with her, he can't burden her with his problems. But Jin is gently persistent, lending an ear when he needs one and assuring him that he isn't burdening her. When she asks him if he wants to be with her, he confesses that he does- more than anything- but also admits that he has no idea how it'll work. She tells him that if they want to be together no one should stop them. A year later, they're married and she's crowned Fire Lady Jin. There are some protests to their relationship from traditionalists, but Ambassador Katara (Zuko is so sure that she was never actually given that title, but he can't prove it) is quick to shut them down citing that the Fire Lord marrying an Earth Kingdom girl is a sign of unity. They have their daughter, Izumi, and she's Zuko's entire world. Zuko's greatest fear is that his children will end up like him and Azula, so he refrains from having more kids. Jin respects this, but urges him to talk to Azula. So he does; his sister curses him out, but seems to enjoy his company in her own way. They'll never have a good relationship, but Zuko doesn't want her to feel alone so he makes time at least once a week. It's shortly after Aang's death that Zuko relinquishes the title of Fire Lord to Izumi, his grief over his lifetime friend far too painful. Eventually, though, Katara and Toph bully him into training the new Avatar. It's not a role for a retired Fire Lord, but Zuko knows that the world needs Korra to be strong and it's his responsibility to make that happen as much as he can. And so, he becomes Avatar Korra's third teacher (if you told him 60 years ago that he'd become the Avatar's most sane instructor, he'd think you were high on cactus juice. But with Katara punching dictators in the face and Toph breaking every rule ever written, someone has to be a good influence).

Occupations if you missed them:

Katara: (Unofficial/Self-proclaimed) Ambassador of the Southern Water Tribe, United Republic of Nations Councilwoman and later Chairwoman, Healer (on the side), Waterbending Master to the Avatar

Aang: Avatar, United Republic of Nations Councilman

Sokka: Engineer and Inventor, Chief of the Southern Water Tribe

Toph: Pro-Bender, Manager of the Pro-Bending Arena, Earthbending Master to the Avatar

Zuko: Fire Lord, Firebending Master to the Avatar

Suki: Police Chief of Republic City (I'm sorry I didn't make a detailed background for her I got lazy, I promise I don't love her any less😭)

Defending my ship choices:

Harutara: Come on, y'all know what I'm about at this point. They're my everything, how could I not have them together? Plus, there's something really poetic about Haru falling for her as an adult the way he did as a teenager: watching her inspire those around her. I headcanon that he's enamoured with the sound of her voice because it's the voice that liberated him and his people and he attends all her speeches

Taang: I actually wasn't sure about this one. I'm not an active Taang shipper, but I do think they'd really balance each other out. Toph is the hard ass Aang needs to challenge him and Aang would bring out the softer side in her. Toph would never let Aang favor one kid over the other and Aang wouldn't let Toph neglect their kids. So looking at it like that, I felt them being together would be best for the story

Sukka: It's not as perfect in canon as people make it out to be, but I still love them. I wouldn't want any different for them

Jinko: This one actually made more sense than I would have thought. Jin is very different from Mai, so I can really see her being what Zuko needs considering where he would be mentally. I like Mai, but I feel Maiko really made her way more one dimensional so her living with Ty Lee and finding herself feels like a better end for her (and if they start dating, that's no one's business). And we've already seen Zuko go out of his way to make Jin happy so it's not like we're getting another Kataang situation. I'm happy with this for them

The Kids:

Yes, I purposely made Kya an Earthbender. And yes, Katara still gives her her mother's necklace. Because that's her firstborn daughter no matter what element she does (or doesn't) bend. One thing I hate is that Bryke made the Kataang kids primarily part of the culture that they bend. That's such a slap in the face to biracial kids, not to mention poor Bumi who doesn't seem to belong to either for some reason until he ends up an Airbender. So yeah, all of the Harutara kids are part of the EK and SWT. Suma is a name I made up because it sounded pretty

I know it's weird to think of Lin and Tenzin as siblings, I felt so odd writing it. But I love them both so I couldn't just not write them. I made Bumi the youngest so he could be spoiled because he deserved better in canon. Su and Lin have a better relationship, but they still butt heads because they feel the need to one-up each other due to them both being Earthbenders (and later Metalbenders). Lin still becomes a cop, but their big fight never happened because Su was never neglected to the point of becoming a criminal. All four kids are taught Air Nomad culture and traditions and taken on trips because Aang is a decent father

I named Lian partly after Yue, since Yuèliàng means moon in Chinese. One of my gripes with LOK is that Katara and Sokka's family are meant to be the leaders of the SWT. Kya or Bumi should be the chief in canon, but Bryke just... Didn't do that for some reason. So fuck it, Sokka's daughter is chief now

Nothing really changes about Izumi, although I'd say she's a little friendlier. I contemplated giving Zuko more kids, but I actually think his decision not to have more kids was one of Bryke's better choices. It makes sense, so I didn't feel the need to change it

Other notes:

The Gaang teaching/helping raise baby Korra is something I live for

The Red Lotus is swiftly dealt with by Katara, Toph, Zuko, Suki, and Sokka when Korra is a kid. They never stood a chance. I was actually going to have Sokka still die during the attack in the SWT and Suki kill Zaheer in revenge, but eh I decided not to off Sokka

The Civil War still happens, but differently. I don't have the patience to go into that, just know that Katara is HEAVILY involved

Welp, that's everything in my brain

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eilishy · 2 years

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Zutara Week 2022 - Day 4: Meeting

Fire Lord Zuko and Ambassador Katara are exchanging some lovey-dovey glances at a meeting hehe ;)

***Please DON’T use my art without my permission. *** DON’T repost my art

#zutara week 2022 #zutara week #zutara #zutaraweek2022 #zutaraweek #katara #zuko #fire lord zuko #ambassador Katara #zutara fanart #atla fanart #atla #avatar the last airbender #zuko x katara #katara x zuko #digital art #digital fanart

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pink-concorde · 1 year

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I’ve always liked the headcanon that hair is really important in the Fire Nation, and that it’s very intimate to have another person touch one’s hair. I also headcanon that Katara is very tactile with people she is close to and thus braiding Zuko’s hair becomes a thing that she does. Does Fire Lord Zuko ever inform the Southern Water Tribe Ambassador about the Fire Nation’s customs about hair touching? No of course not, because then she might stop.

This inevitably leads to the day when Katara casually starts braiding Zuko’s hair in full view of his advisors resulting in shock and literal pearl clutching.

#zutara #Ambassador Katara #Pinks Art #zutara headcanon #zuko x katara #katara x zuko

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starlight-bread-blog · 2 months

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Katara made it very clear that she never ever wants to see Yon Rah again and most of the Zutara fandom supports that decision of hers.

So I guess the possible downside of Katara choosing to marry Zuko means sharing Zuko's burden of reforming and rehabilitating depraved war criminals like Yon Rha and all those who are even worse than him.

Then there's this whole thing with Aaron Ehasz imagining Zuko being Azula's Iroh and she reforms in that way along with my and a few other's ideas of Aang showing her how open and master her own chakras. Speaking of Iroh, does anyone remember his ruthless and brutal 600-day siege anymore? There's no way he'd avoid dropping bodies that whole time.

Looks like Katara will ironically be taking Aang's advice about forgiveness after all but I don't think it'll be necessary for Katara to look for Yon Rah again and say so.

What do you think?

Tw: War crimes, genocide and nazism.

Disclaimer: I don't know what actually happened post canon. I tried to look on internet forums and it seems as the topic wasn't addressed in the comics. For this answer, I'm going under this assumption.

Sorry for not getting to this sooner, life got busy and I didn't want to give some half assed answer to such a delicate topic. There's a lot to comment on so I'll break this down step by step.

"Katara choosing to marry Zuko means sharing Zuko's burden of reforming and rehabilitating depraved war criminals"...

The fire nation commited atrocious war crimes, leaving them with with many war criminals. War crimes are more than punishable. If it were real life, neither Katara or Zuko would have to reform and rehabilitate any of them.

An example of this would be the Nuremberg trials after WW2. Even recently, in 2022, Irmgard Furchner (an 98 year old women) faced a trial for being a secretary of a concentration camp (to put it lightly, she was very much a murderer). No one is getting away with their actions.

I read the relevant section from a Red Cross's document titled "Analysis of the punishments applicable to international crimes (war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide) in domestic law and practice". (The section being "States’ obligations under IHL to prosecute and punish international crimes").

I found something interesting. (ID in alt text).

*Grave breaches are more serious, vile violations of humananitarian law. Everything above applies to "genocide and crimes against humanity".

If Katara were in a position of power in the Fire Nation, not only would she not have to reform anyone, she also might get to help with the trials for them.

"Then there's this whole thing with Aaron Ehasz imagining Zuko being Azula's Iroh"

I don't know about his plans for Aang's other ideas, so I can't comment on them. What I did find was a short thread of his. And after reading it, I maintain that – like most ideas – his vision can work with sensitive execution.

Azula was still very much a 14 year old victim of grooming when the series took place. Her brother can help her through her redemption under one condition – the desire to be better should come from her.

He shouldn't sit through any mistreatment whatsoever. He'll guide her through a path he already went through, but she has to walk with him. Azula needs to be safe for Zuko. Only then, redemption would be possible.

"does anyone remember [Iroh's] ruthless and brutal 600-day siege anymore?"

The difference between Iroh and Yon Rah is what they're up to now. In the present Yon Rah is just some guy living with his mother. Meanwhile Iroh took back Ba Sing Se from Fire Nation colonizers.

Yon Rah isn't out here fixing his mistakes, he just got off scot-free. On the other hand, Iroh is a changed man and took action to correct his past on the same scale.

At the end of the day redemtion isn't Aang's idea. It's one of the major themes of Atla. It wants to show that people can change and grow. So it does. Zuko changes, Mai changes, Ty Lee changes, and Iroh is their future.

He tried to conquer Ba Sing Se, and now he took it back from conquerors. He was the worst of them all, and now he's unrecognizable. He's warm, wise and sweet. There's a meaning to it.

That doesn't mean that war criminals in the current day, scums who made no affort, will get away with their crimes. That doesn't mean Katara would have to go through the mental torture of reforming her colonizers.

That is it! I hope I didn't come off as aggressive, I didn't mean to. Thank you for the ask, sorry for taking me forever to write this, and have a lovely day!

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timdrakegf · 2 months

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do you like enemies to lovers? or did you just ship zutara as a kid?

#zuko #katara #zutara #avatar the last airbender #prince zuko #fire lord zuko #ambassador katara #waterbending #firebending #ship #enemies to lovers #enemies to friends to lovers

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whatpistachio · 2 months

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I wrote this fic after I saw the ✨spectacular✨ art of @mayskalih 💜 (check out her Blue spirit x Painted lady fan art!!)

My imagination jumped and… there it is:

🧵 Labyrinth of Night Secrets 🌌

Summary: After several assaults and fighting side by side for years, that night something will change the secret deal between the Painted Lady and the Blue Spirit, marking them in body and soul. That night will awaken something they had always kept silent.

So, let the moon rise and the spirits begin to live in the forest, until dawn.

Couple: zutara/ Blue spirit x Painted lady

Language: English

Words: 3,009

One Shot

Tag: Post-Canon, Post-War, Ambassador Katara, tension!!

They are in their 20s

Taylor Swift song: Labyrinth

Thanks to the zutara renaissance! 🥹 💜

Hope u enjoy it! ✨

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/54428260

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parkiebearr · 2 years

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“lover, hunter, friend and enemy

you will always be every one of these”

—Love and War by Fleurie

ZUTARA’S SONG THIS IS ZUTARA’S SONG RIGHT HERE!!!! (click for better quality)

(here are the individual pics)

#zutara #zutara fanart #zuko x katara #zuko and katara #prince zuko #katara #ambassador katara #fire lord zuko #zutara forever #they’re in love your honor

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stardust948 · 11 months

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The Awkward Lord and Master Katara

Day 24: Blush

@zutaramonth

Inspired by this Huntlow screenshot

#atla #zutara #zutara month #zutara month 2023 #zuko #firelord zuko #katara #ambassador katara #colored sketch #star's art

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serpentinearchitect17 · 1 year

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Just a short scene I wrote because Zutara has been occupying about 90% of my thoughts lately 😅

Side Note: This scene diverges from canon after the end of the war because damn it, Zuko and Katara will always end up together in whatever context, scene, or story I write. I’m also still working on my full fledged fanfic! I don’t want to give away too many details, but it is a Modern-Day AU with Lunar New Year celebrations, and an extreme amount of fluff and pining. I can’t wait to finally share it! I’m hoping for a late spring/early summer release on AO3, but that may be optimistic because I write about as fast as a snail-sloth.

Anyway, without further ado…

*****

~Zuko’s Favorite Color~

Three years after the end of the 100 Year War, the Gaang meets on Ember Island to spend the week together. Before leaving, Zuko asked Iroh to take over his Fire Lord duties for the time being, just so he could spend his holiday relaxing and enjoying his time with his friends.

They’re all lounging on the beach at the night, drinking tea around a fire.

After slurping her tea and setting the empty cup aside, Toph turns to the group.

“Let’s play a game,” she suggests. “The rules are simple. All you have to do is guess Sparky’s favorite color. The winner gets to have all of their meals paid for by him tomorrow.” She slaps Zuko, who’s sitting next to her, on the back. With a wicked grin, she continues, “And the loser has to plant one on him tonight, with his consent, of course.”

Zuko chokes on his tea. “Hey, wait a minute! None of that is even remotely fair,” he protests, gesturing wildly. He glares at the world’s greatest Earthbender with a scowl. “Either I have to dole out money or I have to give out a kiss. How does any of that benefit me? And why in Agni’s name would we play a game where you all guess my favorite color? It makes so sense!”

Sokka laughs. “Dude, you’re just afraid I’m gonna win and you’re gonna have buy me food. You’ve seen the way I eat - you’ll be out of money by the end of tomorrow!

Snorting, Zuko shakes his head. “Buddy, I think you’re afraid that you’re gonna lose and have to kiss me.”

“Psh, you’d be lucky to kiss me! I’m a real catch, aren’t I, Suki?”

Suki kisses her boyfriend’s cheek and coos, “You sure are.”

Impatiently, Toph sighs. “Are you in or not, Fire Lord? C’mon, you’re among friends. No one’s gonna hurt you. You can back out if you wanna, but I think it’ll be fun.”

Zuko knows she’s right. It’s all in good fun. These are his friends - the ones he’s trusted time and time again. No one would be cruel. Plus, if he’s being honest, he’s hoping that he’ll get to kiss a certain someone tonight. Someone he’s had a crush on for a long time.

“Fine,” Zuko mutters. “Go ahead.”

Toph gleefully rubs her hands together. “Excellent. Does everyone consent to the rules of the game?”

A chorus of ‘yeahs’, ‘yeses’, and ‘yeps’ goes around.

“Sweet,” Toph says. “I’ll go first. Sparky’s favorite color is…blue.”

Sokka nods sagely. “Yep, it’s 100% blue, no doubt about it.”

Suki chimes in with, “I agree. It’s totally blue.”

Aang hums, stroking his chin. “I think blue would be the correct answer here.”

It’s Katara’s turn. She furrows her brows and frowns. “Why are you all saying blue? His favorite color is obviously red! It’s the color of his homeland, and every article of clothing he owns has some shade of red in it!”

Zuko’s cheeks flush to a deep crimson. He feels himself sinking further into the sand. “Um…” he trails off, scrubbing his hands over his face. He’s not even sure how to respond.

Everyone looks at him expectantly.

Toph smirks. “So, Sparky, what is your favorite color?”

He knows he can’t lie. He’s never been able to, and he doesn’t think he could start now. He decides to give in, resigned to his fate.

Peeking between his fingers, he mumbles, “It’s…um…blue.”

Toph laughs uproariously. “Called it! And we all know why! See, you love blue because everything about it reminds you of Sugar Queen.”

Sokka makes a gagging sound, but offers his own explanation. “Blue is the color of her eyes, which you’re constantly drawn to, by the way. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.”

Suki smiles. “Blue is the color of the clothing that she wears.”

Finally, Aang wraps up the conversation with, “Blue is the color of water, which is the element that she bends.”

Katara has been silent this whole time, her entire face highlighted in a lovely, rosy hue. She only has eyes for Zuko right now.

Quietly, she stands from her spot and crosses over to him, sitting down beside him. “Is any of this true?” she asks him softly, an unreadable expression on her face.

A shaky breath leaves his lips, and he nods. “Yeah, all of it,” he answers honestly, feeling his heart thump wildly.

Then, to his complete dismay, she gives him breathtaking smile.

Her ocean blue eyes never leave his as she murmurs, “Now might be a good time to tell you my favorite two colors.” She pauses, leaning over to brush the hair out of his eyes. “Red and gold because they’ll always be a part of you, Zuko. Every time I see those colors, I immediately think of you.”

His gasp is low, but an enormous grin overtakes his face. “Really?”

“Really.” She turns back to the group, who’s been watching with rapt attention. With a gentle smirk, she shrugs. “Guess I lost the game. And I’m nothing if not a gracious loser.”

Zuko hears Sokka snort, but only focuses on Katara.

“Do you really want to kiss me?” he asks nervously, hands clenching the bottom of his tunic to keep them from shaking. “Because I want to kiss you. Spirits, do I ever want to. But, your comfort comes first to me, always. So, we can forget this whole thing if it makes you uncomfortable.”

“I want to,” she sighs dreamily. “I’ve been waiting three years. Don’t make me wait any more.”

With that, they both lean and their lips touch. Finally.

As they continue to kiss, Zuko vaguely registers the sounds of claps, hollers, and an indignant whine of, “Dude, that’s my sister!” in the background.

Eventually, Katara pulls back to catch her breath, leaving Zuko in a dazed state.

She giggles, presses a light kiss to his scarred cheek, and says, “I think you may need to tap into the Fire Nation’s budget tomorrow. Your personal finances aren’t going to look so good with all of those mouths to feed.”

His eyes widen and dart to his friends, who all wave back at him smugly.

Groaning, he wraps his arm around her waist to pull her closer.

He addresses the group. “You’re all the worst. But…” he trails off to kiss the top of Katara’s head. “This stupid game was worth it.”

#avatar the last airbender #atla #zutara #zuko x katara #zuko and katara #zuko #katara #the gaang #the whole Gaang ships Zutara #fire lord zuko #ambassador katara #ember island

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konggodzuko · 1 year

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For the first time in a while, I wrote and published a new fic! In this one, taking place a few years post-war, Katara discovers one of teenaged Zuko's secrets and teases him for it

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The pirate’s blade halted not a hands-breadth from Trang’s face with a sharp noise. There was a grunt from over her shoulder and her attacker was shoved away. He didn’t even need to speak for Trang to know who it was.

Captain Wong stepped in front of her, a smirk evident in his voice, “I’ll save you from the pirates.”

“Wait, what?” Katara yelled, lurching forwards in her seat to put her face closer to the book. The smell of river water suddenly arose from her memory, as she remembered a pair of callused hands catching her wrists and a raspy voice saying the same words that Captain Wong just had. It had to be a coincidence, right? But then… something itched at her brain, and she began flipping back through the story.

Katara, age twenty, had been serving as the Southern Water Tribe’s ambassador to the Fire Nation for the past two years. It was the sort of work she found fulfilling. Officially she negotiated on behalf of her people and provided aid to the few Tribespeople living in the Fire Nation. Unofficially, she was also one of Zuko’s closest advisors and participated in meetings with his cabinet.

In this capacity, she spearheaded multiple programs under Zuko’s “New Nation” policy that endeavored to entirely remake Fire Nation society into something far more equitable, and far less likely to be suckered into imperialistic fervor. (Her personal favorite, though perhaps not the most impactful, was the Public Art Project, which replaced public statues and murals of Ozai, Azulon, and Sozin with art depicting far kinder historical figures as well as important spirits).

As much as she found her work satisfying, she had to take a break sometimes, and she’d taken up reading as a hobby, usually raiding Zuko’s private library (he always acted exasperated at her stealing his books, but never really did anything to prevent it). This particular book, The Pirate, had captivated her for the last few days. It was the story of a young noblewoman getting shipwrecked, only to be rescued by a charming-yet-dangerous pirate captain. They initially bounced off each other, her finding him villainous, he finding her stuck up, but now two-thirds of the way through they were giving into their feelings for each other.

But all thought of plot had shot out of her head upon reading “I’ll save you from the pirates.” She suddenly didn’t care at all whether or not the leads would end up together, she just needed to find an earlier page—

“No way!” She gasped, finally locating the part.

Captain Wong sighed, and gently touched her chin, “Try to understand. I need to find the island to restore something I've lost. Perhaps in exchange I can restore something you've lost,” and with a flick of his wrist he was suddenly holding her hair comb.

Gaping surprise gave way to a wild and wicked smile. Oh. Oh. This was too good.

With the practiced ease of a seasoned multitasker, Zuko dipped his dumpling in soy sauce and took a bite all while studying a proposal for a bridge between Cherry Blossom Island and Black Sand Island (why Black Sand was named that he didn’t know, most sand in the Fire Nation was black). It made a lot of sense, they were really close together, the towns on them traded and traveled all the time. A bridge, one not even a half mile long at that could be —

His office door suddenly slammed open and Zuko dropped half a soy-sauce-covered-dumpling all over his paper, “Shoot! Who- K-Katara?” She was standing in his doorway, looking frazzled yet excited, breathing a bit heavy.

He dropped the paper and stood up to rush to her, “Are you okay, why—?”

She suddenly flipped open a book she’d had tucked under her arm, and Zuko’s heart nearly stopped as he recognized what book she was holding.

Oh no. Oh, no.

“‘Captain Wong sighed, and gently touched her chin,“Try to understand. I need to find the island to restore something I've lost. Perhaps in exchange I can restore something you've lost,”’” she then flipped forwards a few dozen pages, “‘Captain Wong stepped in front of her, a smirk evident in his voice, ‘I’ll save you from the pirates.’”” Her blue eyes, normally enchanting to Zuko, but now filled with mischief, met his, “Something you want to tell me, ‘Captain?’”

“Augh,” was all that Zuko could say, putting his hands over his face.

“Aww, Zuko,” Katara’s voice was teasing, and getting close, “You’re a nerd!”

“Augh!”

“I thought I was a big fan of this book, but I wouldn’t have quoted it at someone in the middle of a fight.”

“I was a teenager! I thought I was being cool!” He groaned through his hands, “I thought you were…” his voice dropped off, and the last few words were muffled by his palms.

“I was…?” “Ugh. I thought you were my…” he let out a long, tortured sigh, “my, uh, fated rival. I saw a bender of the opposite element standing in my way and I’d spent the last few years reading books and plays in between the nothing of my search for ‘The Avatar’ so I was convinced you existed to oppose me, and I didn’t want to look silly so I…” he dragged a hand over his face, “I would practice lines from those stories to try and… look cool.”

“O-oh,” Katara’s eyes widened and she suddenly looked away, tugging on one of her braids, “I mean… it kinda worked.”

He blinked. Then blinked again. “What?”

“Well I kinda hated you but, you were kind of um, suave and I…” she trailed off and they stared at each other for a few long seconds, then she spun around and shuffled out, “Oh, um, I have to go uhhhh find something!”

“Yeah um, I have to… tax people, so uh bye!” “Yep, bye!” and she darted out the door.

Zuko lurched back to his chair and slumped into it. He was flushed, embarrassed, overwhelmed… but also smiling. His eyes trailed over to his bookshelf. Maybe… he could find some new lines.

#Zutara #avatar: the last airbender #zuko #katara #zuko is a nerd #ambassador katara #pre-relationship

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