So the post that I wanted to reblog with commentary was locked (understandably) so I'm making my own dang post lmao!
Ok so! Since this isn't going to be on the original post anymore and since I'm generally not the type to put criticism directly in a tag I'll be sensoring Zvt4rla. I'm all for the ship, but I'm not fond of how fandom has behaved since 2005. With that out of the way,
Here's what I was going to comment on the above:
Just as a simple read of the initial posts: neither was explicitly trashing Zvt4rla.
Criticizing shipping conventions involving Katara, sure, but trashing? Nah.
Like it's completely valid for someone who ships Zvt4rla to view them through a lens where they either get and stay together in an on-again off-again way without marriage or in a temporary and highly passionate way without marriage.
And honestly if you go with the political marriage trope then Toph DOES make much more sense because the Fire Nation doesn't really have claim over the Southern Water Tribe and a marriage to Katara wouldn't realistically secure any political power with the Northern Water Tribe since they split 2 generations before. So a Zvt4rla marriage really wouldn't actually fix much of anything.
Literally if you're going for political intrigue or national healing through marriage then Tophko is the better couple to pick. It gives you WAY more to work with.
I know that chill Zvt4rla shippers that don't demonize Aang and ignore his and Katara's character arcs exist out there. I see them every once in a while, which is cool.
Honestly though, most Zvt4rla shippers spend a bunch of time demonizing Aang with made up bullshit to morally justify their shipping preferences.
Which is ridiculous considering they could just, idk, say they like the visuals and chemistry of Zvt4rla better instead of trying to make Aang into The Literal Devil to defend their ship.
Like hell at this point even though Kataang is my number 1 ship in AtLA I'm heavily into Zukaang as a close second because of all the parallels with Sozin/Roku and the fact that Aang seemed pretty attached to Kuzon pre-canon. Plus the Blue Spirit episodes and the Dancing Dragons and the Totally Normal Dual Monuments Zuko has built to represent his Friendship with Aang in TLOK. It's got a LOT of textual support and a lot of chemistry.
But Zukaang shippers aren't out here demonizing Katara to make Zuko into a better choice for Aang.
You can just let a couple split for unspecified reasons or not get together for minor differences.
You don't have to make the ex-partner into a monster to ship something outside of canon.
ALSO Zuko-Katara-Aang or Katara-Aang-Zuko are always a possibility y'all.
You don't have to break Katara and Aang up to get Zvt4rla to happen.
Aang's an air nomad. Air Nomads seem pretty chill about earthly attachment. And like I said, all 3 seem to like each other an awful lot... I don't think he'd be the type to hold it against Katara.
Now KATARA would probably need to work through 8 layers of possessive fury to get there despite her attraction to Zuko - since she's shown time and again that she takes other people flirting with Aang VERY badly (understandable) - but I believe they could get there eventually.
It might take a few years and lots of reassurance but still, they could work out some sort of relationship between the three of them no matter how you view it whether as permanent or temporary.
Whether that's Zuko and Aang as friends that both love Katara who loves both Zuko and Aang, or as all three in love with each other in different ways for different reasons but with love equally as strong in all directions.
Just because it's an ot3 doesn't mean that all 3 have to be present at all times. You can have moments between 2 partners of the ot3 that are just between them without the 3rd member of the relationship being present.
The Ot3 leaves room for all 3 ships: Kataang, Zvt4rla, and Zukaang
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