#I think Zuko needs some growth before he can have a truly healthy relationship

[halfhoursonearth-writes]

As I write through the timeline of Sozin's Comet in my current fic, I'm having a fresh bout of finale feels. In particular, I've been ruminating on how Aang and Katara's romantic ending unfolds in a way that undermines Katara's character arc. (And this rumination has grown into a wall of text. Truly, who let me on this platform?)

I'm not even thinking about the kiss. I've been stuck on that scene at Zuko's coronation where the shot pans around Aang then Katara, gazing dreamily up at the Avatar. You know the one. The moment when we the viewers are suddenly made to understand that she's admiring Aang anew, romantically.

Prior to this, the last time we see Katara and Aang interact is before the Avatar disappears. More specifically, we see Aang huff off after getting frustrated at Katara for trying to help when she doesn't fully appreciate the moral quandary he's grappling with.

For Katara, who has carried the wounds of her father leaving her behind for war most of her life, it is hard to imagine Aang's departure could fail to stir up feelings of abandonment, even if she doesn't believe he intended to disappear. But, like Zuko says to her as Aang first walks away, the Avatar does need time to figure out his way forward alone.

To find a path to victory that does not compromise his ethical framework is a solo undertaking for the Avatar, one his friends have demonstrated they cannot be part of, not even Katara, who has always been there to lift him up before. That he didn't need to rely on his steadiest supporter for this marks important character growth for Aang; we already have been told that letting go of some level of his earthly attachment to Katara is built into his character journey. And the need to uphold his peoples' legacy is an essential character motivation for Aang. There is something powerful about the notion that, as the last airbender, he must seek out the right approach to this last task on his own.

But what about Katara's essential character motivations? As we're told and shown, she will never turn her back on the people that need her. It's one of her great virtues, and we're given no reason to think otherwise. Helping people who need her is where we see Katara find her greatest fulfillment. For most of ATLA, helping Aang is at the heart of this.

But at the coronation? Aang has just come back after appearing to abandon Katara to be celebrated for a victory he didn't need her help to achieve.

And standing next to Aang is Zuko, who acknowledged that he needed Katara's help to embrace his destiny, and who in turn, granted her the opportunity to embrace hers.

I think it's worth pausing on the fact that the show gives Katara a tremendous arc. She transforms from a child whose life has been upended by war—gifted with a power that she can't harness, and burdened with grief and hurt she can't let go of—into a catalyst for global change, one of the greatest-ever masters of her element, and a person capable of offering world-changing forgiveness where it is earned. When Katara was a child, the Fire Nation came uninvited into the heart of her community and upended her life, and in the finale, she arrives in the heart of the Fire Nation to upend the same order that ravaged her home in the name of peace—an achievement that is made possible by both her hard work (bending mastery) and her compassion (extending empathy, forgiveness and life-saving assistance to Zuko).

In the finale, Katara affirms that by helping the people who need her, she can change the world.

In the finale, Aang affirms that singular conviction to his ideals can guide his way, even if it is a path he must walk alone.

Can these visions of self and purpose be reconciled in a healthy partnership? Certainly. In fact, I can see how Aang letting go of Katara's constant help—and Katara letting go of an Aang-centric identity—supports a healthy future romantic relationship for the two of them, where their dynamic finds a balance it never has during ATLA. But Katara and Aang haven't worked through any of that yet. If they have spoken at all before the coronation—if he has, for instance, apologized for disappearing—it was not deemed essential content for the viewer.

And what marks Katara's epiphany of love? The moment when Aang is celebrated as "the real hero" for what he has achieved in her absence. For this to ring emotionally true, for this to be the moment she knows she loves him, she must subsume her character arc and motivations (which are inherently collaborative) to Aang's individual journey. His story, his desires, they come first. It's his show, after all.

And none of this is news, of course. It's barely boot-scuffs on well-trodden ground. The abandonment of Katara's hero arc is canon; where the hell is her statue? etc.

But still, I'm stuck on Katara watching proudly from the crowd. If that moment doesn't feel quite right—it never has for me—maybe you want more for Katara. I'd put her on the dais, but I'll settle for something subtler.

Just for a moment, after she looks up proudly at Aang, let's nudge her admiring gaze a little to the right. Who does she see? Someone who has come to deserve his honorable destiny because he would cast it aside to save a life—her life, the life of a girl he once betrayed to lay claim to that purported honor. Jumping in front of that lightning, Zuko shows he will choose humans over concepts and that, at any cost, he will be there for the people that need him. That's what will make him a good leader. He and Katara, over long-woven arcs, affirmed this truth together.

She looks on admiringly. She made this possible.

She should be proud. Of both of her friends, but more importantly, of herself.

Is this an argument for Zutara over Kataang in the finale? I don't think so. That's probably a different accidental essay.

This is merely a longwinded observation that Avatar the Last Airbender built powerful, beautiful, arcs. But in the very end, it didn't tend them all the same. And after all this time, it still rankles.

#not me getting steamed about this in literally 2023 #truly for why #zutara #zutara meta #sozin's comet #in this essay i will

[zuko-always-lies]

Bad news to Zukka and Zutara shippers: from how canon 16 year old Zuko mistreats and behaves toxically toward Mai, it’s very likely that he would also mistreat or behave toxically toward Sokka or Katara if he was in a relationship with them.

#Zuko #Katara #Sokka #I think Zuko needs some growth before he can have a truly healthy relationship

[theemptyskies]

Real talk.

Note that this is all my own opinion.

In an Azula Redemption fic, in my opinion, she would not have to apologize for anything she did during the war to anyone. Not Aang for shooting him with lightning. Not Mai or Ty lee for imprisoning them. Not the Gaang for chasing them. The only one I might concede is targeting Katara during an Agni Kai.

What she probably should do, is apologize for the way she treated Mai, Ty lee and Zuko when they were children. If it takes place post smoke and shadow then she should apologize for what happened then as well.

She does not owe Ursa anything. While Ursa did love her, she very much neglected Azula which left her feeling that something was wrong with her. She has every right to never let Ursa in her life again. There is no argument that can be made against it. Azula's feelings are valid. She was neglected by her mother. Ursa's personal feelings don't matter. She may have loved her but I don't recall any instance where she actually told Azula that, or spent time with her, or showed even close to the same level of affection. Ursa did kiss her on the cheek the night she left, however I will point out that she woke up Zuko and made sure the last thing she said to him was basically I love you while she left Azula unconscious, unaware of the action. We never even see a scene where Ursa says "I love you" to her.

It's what makes the hallucinations so tragic at the end of season three. Those scenes can be read in a multitude of different ways. My reading of them, examining Ursa's relationship with Azula, noting that every interaction they had was shown to be confrontational, referencing "The Beach" where she did show that Ursa's relationship and abandonment did hurt her deeply, implying that she did want her affection, is this.

Ursa's neglect of Azula throughout her childhood caused Azula to develop feelings of inadequacy. This feeling pushed her to try as hard as possible to earn Ozai's affection, where she succeeded until he left her behind before the final attack in the Earth Kingdom. Coupled with Mai and Ty Lee's betrayal, this caused her feelings of inadequacy to resurface stronger than before. Everyone left her behind. Her mind conjured the image of Ursa, the origin of her feeling, saying "I love you Azula, I really do.", things we never saw her say.

I read these scenes as the hallucination saying things Azula always craved to hear. Affections that were always withheld from her, hammering away at her already fragile psyche. Reminding her repeatedly that she was never good enough for either of her parents.

So no. I don't think Azula ever needs to forgive Ursa or give her a chance and there isn't an argument that could be made to convince me. At most, I think Azula should confront her as the core of a majority of her trauma, similar to how Katara did with Yon Rah.

For me, an Azula redemption is about her coming to terms with her trauma. It's about her finding her place in a post war world. Her rebuilding her relationship with Zuko, the only family she was ever truly close with. It's about her seeing through the lies and manipulations implanted by Ozai from a young age. It's about her gaining a good, healthy support system that won't give up in her.

It's about her, in the end, finally finding peace, whatever that happens to mean for her in your particular fic. If it involves romance, that's great. A lot of people who make "shipping tier lists" rank almost every ship with Azula at the bottom, often saying things like "nobody deserves to deal with a relationship with Azula" which, as someone who grew up in an abusive household who also relates a lot to Azula, I gotta say it kind of hurts hearing people say those things. Everyone deserves love.

If your fic doesn't include romance and focuses on her familial relationships then that's also great. She definitely has a lot on her plate and building that healthy support system is an amazing route to take your fic, leading to a great heartfelt ending.

Please note, Azula's misdeeds should not be overlooked. Anyone you want to have her connect with, she will have to earn it. But I feel like it's important to understand why some people behave the way that they do. Not excuse thier actions, but to help map out how they can make up for them. That's why we were shown Zuko's tragic past while also seeing him burn down a village and threaten defenseless elderly people.

With the way she's portrayed, it easy to forget this powerful, intimidating character, is just a child. She's just 14 years old. It's something I think a lot of people who write off her character as irredeemable don't account for. Whenever I dig past her surface level "bad guy" traits with this in mind, admittedly, I'm often brought to tears. She's very much a product of her environment. It's because of that, that I think she can learn to be a better person.

To recap, an Azula redemption in no way shape or form NEEDS to include Azula trying to make the Gaang like her. It was war and every one of her actions during it have no bearing on her, from her perspective. If you want her to connect with them then you can, just don't be someone who talks bad about a redemption fic because she doesn't. 🙂

She did treat Zuko, Mai, and Ty lee very poorly as a friend and sibling. So she does owe them an apology and they are also under no obligation to give her another chance.

Ursa does not need to be forgiven, nor should it be portrayed that Ursa did nothing wrong. Azula's feelings are valid.

The core of a redemption fic (for me) is character growth, in this case for Azula.

Romance is ok in an Azula redemption fic. I personally enjoy Azutara fics where she helps Azula through her mental health recovery and trauma. Citadel is an interesting fic that takes place several years into Azula's stay in a mental institution. Here's a link if you wanna check it out. Keep in mind, it's nine years old so comic events aren't a thing 🙂 https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6939866/1/5

Not having romance is equally ok. There are a multitude of great fics both post canon and AU that follow this route. Here is a fic recommendations for it. This one is an AU taking place during the war.

Her actions should not be excused because her story is a tragedy. She still did bad things.

Hopefully you all enjoyed my little ramble that I also hope is understandable. I tend to go off on tangents a lot. Considering it's 6:30 am where I'm at and I still haven't slept, this probably has horrible grammar and is likely riddled with typos. So I'm sorry about that bit lol 😅

#princess azula #azula deserves a happy ending #azula redemption #azula #this feels a bit ranty

[writtenbyhappynerds]

FF102, Unit 7: That Good Emotional Shit

Some tropes and cliches work for fanfiction. Some don’t. You’ll see lists on Tumblr and Pinterest of whump prompts or cliches to use. Some of them are not worth your time. Others, that we will discuss, are. We’re going to rapid-fire this chapter. We’ll take a trope/prompt/cliche and explain why it works and in what context it works best.

          A good cliche or good trope allows the audience to see the growth and development of a character. We have talked negatively of twin OCs and evil twins because those characters are always the exact same as their cast counterpart, just louder. A good cliche or trope will push your characters into development. An evil twin doesn’t do anything for your OC. An OC who’s been written as calm and in-control finally losing it and snapping? That shows the audience the OC has been pushed over the emotional edge. If the cliche can develop a character, it’s a cliche or trope worth using.

          Angst and angst-fics are so popular because they are pure character development. They are a character coming to terms with themselves and getting past an event that continuously haunts and guilts them. It’s all character development, and we as an audience like to see that kind of journey. There’s nothing wrong with angst fics, and light angst in your own stories is good because it shows not only development for the character but more realistic consequences for a character’s actions. We’ve talked about realism before, and fanfics that aren’t rooted in reality will let horrors, trauma, and death roll off the back of their OC like it’s a Tuesday at Wendy’s. Life isn’t like that, and angst fics lean heavily into the recovery and grieving of loss. It’s what makes them compelling because we see how damaged a person can become, and how strong they are to heal themselves.

          Fluff tropes or whump prompts work especially well if the character has been penned as someone who doesn’t trust others or struggles with being vulnerable. Seeing two people dance drunk in their kitchen, sick prompts, and scenes where one character has to be vulnerable works when that character isn’t comfortable there. It creates inner conflict with the character having to trust other people, and having to rely on others. It creates an exterior conflict where the character is incapacitated or becoming open with others. These fluff prompts can work when they’re placed later in the story. They can appear more organically if they’re used as a tool for character development and not an AU in a piece that is already fanfiction.

          The Editor is a big fan of opposites attract. We’ll also combine this with enemies to friends to lovers prompts, which are popular for a reason. They are filled with character development. Being able to look past your hatred and find the beauty in someone you previously despised is a major representative of growth. It shows us how a character can mature and learn to let go of the past and be open to the future. Brooklyn 99’s Jake and Amy is a great example of friends to lovers, but beyond romantic interest, this works for companionship and friends as well. Look at Zuko and Aang’s relationship in Avatar: The Last Airbender. The growth and maturity from these two characters were monumental; it showed the ability to forgive and to be kind and to take the traumas of your past and not let them define you. Zuko is a fantastic example of character growth, and his entire arc can speak for the development that comes from being an enemy to a friend.

          The Editor also likes slow burns. I do too, primarily for the realism they present. To quote Frozen, “You can’t marry a guy you just met!” Love takes time and effort and work. It takes so long for feelings to fester and grow and blossom into something more, that stories, where two characters fall in love in a matter of days, seem unrealistic. Not only that but in the real-world relationships like this are unhealthy and create characters that are co-dependent. Slow burns don’t have to go from hatred to love either. It can just start at indifference. If you look at Percy Jackson, Percy and Annabeth didn’t even kiss until the end of the Last Olympian. They had a friendship for 4 years before that, and in that time were able to figure themselves out before figuring out a relationship. That really represents the pinnacle of slow burns: we don’t want a character’s entire story or history to be tied to some other person. Slow burn fanfic lets the character blossom as a healthy individual and figure out who they want to be, before merging their ideals and their life with someone else. It’s realistic, and the time it takes for two characters to come together only lets your heart grow fonder. Your audience will feel more emotionally connected to these characters because they will have seen them go through so many personal struggles. There’s nothing wrong with taking your time. We want to see it.

          I am a slut for hospital prompts. The hurt/injury cliches, where the character collapses and ends up in the hospital for an extended period of time. It’s sometimes not realistic but that’s some good shit right there. What can make these prompts especially juicy, is if the character is written as a strong or capable character. Seeing Sam or Dean Winchester end up hospitalized hurt the audience more because we know those characters A) don’t get hurt that bad that often and B) Have never relied on hospitals unless it’s really serious. So, when they did turn up in the hospital we knew that the stakes were increased and that the situation was dire. It offers tension, and it can show you how human even your strongest characters are. You can’t re-set a broken leg on your own. You can’t fix a bullet wound by yourself. So seeing these characters have to acknowledge that they don’t have all the answers and can’t fix themselves. It shows the audience how false a character’s confidence or competence can be.

          I personally like little-kid prompts or genius little-kid tropes. That isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and it has to do with little children being poorly written. Usually, this trope is used so the writer doesn’t have to stress about writing a realistic child. If they make the child a genius they can have it brought up to the same speed as the adults. However, writing children is easier than you think (See unit 5) and a super-genius child can be smart, but not wise. What I mean is that a genius child needs to pick a struggle and commit to it. They can’t be both book smart and street smart because they still don’t have the life experience that adults have. So you can have a genius mathematician child, but that kid isn’t going to be of much help in your detective fanfic where your OCs are supposed to be busting drug rings, because what child knows about that? Now, you could have a child know about the criminal underground because maybe they’ve grown up in it and worked as a mule, but that child isn’t going to be a mathematician like the other kid. You need to pick a side of the line, and there are so many ways for a person or a child to be a genius. What makes it realistic is picking just one. Look at Damian Wayne. He was a child prodigy in combat. He was gifted because he had tutors and masters who taught him for his entire life. But he knew so little about the outside world and how it worked. He was gifted but sheltered. Jason Todd is the opposite. He was a street rat, who had an innate knowledge of the criminal underground but didn’t have as much of an opportunity to learn through academic outlets. He knew the streets but didn’t get to learn the books until much much later. Each picked a struggle to start out with. That’s not to say that you can’t expand their range of knowledge later on, but it comes with time is the key note: if your character starts out knowing everything there’s nowhere for them to go.

          Speaking of little kids, the outcast/weird kid making a ton of friends is often used, and it’s an oldie that’s been around since The Lightning Thief. What this prompt represents is the ability of a person who doesn’t fit traditional molds to find their place and their happiness in the world. We all like content that makes us feel less alone, and prompts like this can even be cathartic for the reader to remind them that they themselves are not alone. Your writing should mean something to someone up to and including you, and these prompts warm us up and make us feel like somewhere there’s a place for us. No one likes to be alone.

          What you should take away from this unit is that predictability is okay as long as it’s done well. Cliches are not going to kill your narrative. Tropes and whump prompts are not bad, they just need to be executed in a way that makes us feel like it’s genuine character development and not an out-of-body experience. We want to see development and growth because that truly shows progression not just of time but of a person, and if you can execute it well, you can pull off just about anything.

          Next week we’re discussing research, and diving deeper into how you should be researching your settings, flaws, and how you should study your own field of work. We apologize for the delay. Unforeseen circumstances came up that life never prepares you for, and the Big Sad came over me for a while. We’ll see you next week!

Xoxo, Gossip Girl

#Fanfiction #ff102 #fanfiction102 #wrtiing #my writing #OC #Original Works #self-insert #fanfic #Harry Potter #Supernatural #Sherlock #Doctor Who #Twilight #Marvel #Avengers #Batman #DC #Batfam #percy jackon and the olympians #Percy Jackson #Daredevil #avatar the last airbender #ATLA