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#don't worry Katara will get him back
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Ember Island Players and Zutara
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Two approaches to analyzing literature are Doylist and Watsonian: Warsonian is about analyzing from an in-universe perspective, Doylist is about analyzing out-of-universe perspective.
For example: Why did the Gaang arrive at the swamp?
Watsonian: Because a hurricane made them crash.
Doylist: Because the writers wanted to explore the world & characters, foreshadow Toph, introduce plant benders, etc.
This analysis will be from a Doylist perspective. Meaning, I don't intend to prove Katara secretly canonically loved Zuko. She is a fictional character, she'll love whoever the writers want her to love. And the writers said she loved 𝖠𝖺𝗇𝗀. What I do intend to do is to show how the writing alluded to Zuko standing in 𝖠𝖺𝗇𝗀's way to being with Katara.
With that out of the way, let's dive right in!
At the beginning of the episode, when they sit down to watch the play, Zuko and 𝖠𝖺𝗇𝗀 share this exchange:
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If you didn't catch that, look at Katara:
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This is a classic romance trope, typically used for female characters, to signify romantic feelings/a crush. But what is it doing here, when Zuko sits next to Katara instead of 𝖠𝖺𝗇𝗀? What is this interaction doing here in the first place?
When an episode aims to explore an aspact of the characters, it will remind the audience of it in the beginning. In The Waterbending Scroll, Katara steals a waterbending scroll and gets insecure about her waterbending. The episode opens with the Katara teaching 𝖠𝖺𝗇𝗀 waterbending and getting insecure. In this instance, they want you to keep in mind the dynamic where... Zuko is in the way of 𝖪𝖺𝗍𝖺𝖺𝗇𝗀? (That's without mentioning what Katara's doing with her hair). That is strange.
Moving on to the play – See the joke about Katara's characterization in the play:
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The point of Ember Island Players is while the play is heavily distorted, it is somewhat based on reality. It's funny and even gets under the character's skin sometimes because it shows them a parody of themselves. (Further evidence).
When we get to the the scene between Zuko and Katara in the Crystal Catacombs, for some reason, it's portrayed as some romantic moment.
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Acknowledge a fan pairing in canon from is always out of the blue/baity from the get-go. I cannot recall a time when another show that did this. Here however, it's under the premise of somewhat founded parody. Which begs the question:
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(Side note: There's been debate over Katara and Zuko moving away from each other. It's common for eventual romantic leads to deny attraction. It could be contextualized that way later and audiences aren't trained to rule out the pairing. The meaning is dereminted by the outcome).
Despite that, Katara and Zuko aren't in love. Everyone knows this, right?
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𝖠𝖺𝗇𝗀 is jealous. Jealous to the point where he gets up and leaves the theater. The thing that kicks off the conflict of 𝖪𝖺𝗍𝖺𝖺𝗇𝗀 is... Zutara?
Speaking of the conflict, I won't dwell on it too much, but the events were the following: 𝖠𝖺𝗇𝗀 adressed the kiss they shared in the invasion, a kiss that went unaddressed for 5 episodes. Katara is unable to commit to an answer. Her lines, isolated:
"𝖠𝖺𝗇𝗀, I don't know" // "This isn't the right time" // "Right now, I'm just a little confused".
Until he kisses her once again.
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And realistically, she doesn't take it well. Many girls use this language to reject gently. This is purposely written to suggest that they might not end up together. All of which is kicked off because of Zutara. Remember the beginning: Zuko is in the way of 𝖪𝖺𝗍𝖺𝖺𝗇𝗀.
When 𝖠𝖺𝗇𝗀 is back in the theater, he's concerned about his future with Katara. It is showcased with this shot:
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𝖠𝖺𝗇𝗀 isn't angry at Zutara here, so why is Zuko in the shot? A director storyboarded this, it was planned. They could have easily leave him out of it and it would convey the message better. Leaving him here implies that he is somehow related to the conflict, That Aang is worried about them, while both of those things aren't true.
𝖠𝖺𝗇𝗀 not being able to sit next to Katara isn't ship baiting. 𝖠𝖺𝗇𝗀 getting angry at actress!Katara not returning his feelings isn't ship baiting. Katara herself being unable to immediately return his feelings isn't ship baiting. What is ship baiting is how all of this is caused by Zuko to a degree.
Zuko stealing 𝖠𝖺𝗇𝗀's seat and Katara giving him a side glance is ship baiting. Zutara being canonically addressed in a play that's vaguely founded is ship baiting. The former causing 𝖠𝖺𝗇𝗀 feeling jealous, leaving, and starting the conflict over it is ship baiting. Zutara is imbedded in the foundations of the episode. Ember Island Players plays out as if there is something between Zuko and Katara, when there isn't. That's ship baiting.
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dreamchasernina · 27 days
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So since the fandom has come back to life and there is not enough Kataang content on this app I will start sharing my two cents. Yay.
I want to start off by saying that as the show was airing, I, as a 10 year old, did kinda ship Zutara. Let’s face it, that scene in the catacombs was a turning point for a lot of shippers. But that was before I saw the final season a couple of years later. When I rewatched the show as a whole, as a teenager I was over Zutara, honestly their interaction kind of felt awkward to me, because they were enemies for so long. So I was all for Kataang. Now, that I’ve rewatched it for like a 1000th time, as a 28 year old, I finally see Kataang for the amazing pairing that it is.
Anyway, I’m not here to hate on anyone, you can ship whoever you like, and I love Zuko so you will not see me slandering his character here. Plus I don't feel the need to hate dump on a character to make my ship feel superior (*cough* unlike some Zutara shippers *cough*).
Ok, so. I feel that when people think of Katara, and her part in the show, they remember her as the responsible one in the group, the "mother" of the group, the sensible and caring one. Yes, when Katara’s mother died she had to step in and take the responsibility of the mother in the family, like Sokka says in the Runaway, and that stayed with her throughout the show. But, I hate that that’s the only thing she’s remembered for, because that’s just the result of her trauma. I feel like most people ignore a very crucial part of her character. Yes, she is the responsible in the group, but when she gets a chance to just be a kid, that's what she is.
People forget about the fun loving side of Katara. The one that goes penguin sledding and remembers how she hasn’t done it in a long time because life hasn’t allowed her to. The side of Katara that gets obsessed with Aunt Wu’s prediction because she is just a regular girl who’s fascinated by her love life, and dreams about what her future husband might be like. The girl that tries flying on the glider with Teo. The girl that relaxes on Appa and lets the hippie girl braid her hair, completely forgetting about the next task in their journey. People forget the side of her that dances in a cave, forgetting about the war and just enjoying life. Let’s not ignore that whenever Katara has a chance, she just enjoys being a kid, not just a badasss waterbender travelling with the Avatar.
And when Katara brings that side out, you know who’s right by her side? Aang. He’s not just by her side, he’s the one initiating those little fun moments. Penguin sledding is his idea, he’s the one to remind her that even though she’s been through a lot, and has a lot of responsibilities, she’s still a kid. He’s the one to organize the dance party, in a middle of a war, in the enemy's terrorory, he still finds a way for them just to be kids. And she’s right there with him, dancing. He’s also taking part in her obsession with Aunt Wu, not belittling or making fun of her faith, but taking part in it. Also sitting right next to her in a flower crown and enjoying the music the hippies play.
You cannot ignore that part of Katara, the part that shines when she’s comfortable, the part that just wants to be a regular kid and have fun. And that’s the part that Aang brings out in her. He’s the Avatar, the weight of the world is literally on his shoulders, but he still finds a way to enjoy life and be a kid, even after going through the worst trauma you can imagine. And he’s there to remind her that even if you’ve experienced the worst, you can still find joy in the little things. She literally says in the first episode - Aang brought something we haven’t had in a long time - fun. And that’s what he brings to her, this light, and that’s why she’s so drawn to him.
Isn’t that what we want for Katara, after the war is over? To just let herself be a kid, not to miss out on that part of her life, now that she doesn’t have to worry about their survival? And the best person to bring this joy and childlike wonder back into her life is Aang. And that’s why I think that Aang is truly the best one Katara could have ended up with.
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burst-of-iridescent · 4 months
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Hey does everyone remember when Aang physically hurt Katara via burning her due to his own negligence with fire because he didn't listen at all to her concerns? But all of Katara's concerns were her being worried for him getting hurt and not herself, and then he hurts her badly, this never gets addressed again in the show, but I remember this vividly.
i actually like this scene on its own.
aang burning katara is a good character building moment because it's a brutal reminder of his own capacity for destruction. he needs to understand that his reckless actions can have horrific repercussions in order to fully realize the weight of his responsibility as both a firebender and the avatar, and it makes the moment where he uses zhao's recklessness against him more impactful. it also sets up the "water = life, fire = death" dichotomy that's part of katara's arc on viewing the world in binaries, which will later be broken down in book 3.
but ultimately the incident is still of greater significance to aang, and he's the one to bring it up in the guru and western air temple episodes, telling both guru pathik and zuko about his guilt over burning katara and his refusal to firebend ever again. this experience is also what leads him to accept zuko as his firebending teacher, and then finally forgive himself when he learns the true meaning of firebending. for the most part, it's a well-sustained arc and one of the few narratives aang has that is actually brought to completion.
do i wish that katara and aang had actually talked about his actions beyond this episode? yes. do i wish the aftermath had been focused a little more on katara instead of showcasing the impact of her physical injuries mostly through aang's continued self-flagellation? yes. but as a one-off incident contained to a single episode, i don't mind it.
what i do mind, however, is that this is not the last time the show is going to use katara as a lynchpin for aang's character development.
in the book 2 premiere, katara is turned into a pawn to propel aang into the avatar state. in the guru, her imprisonment is the reason that aang chooses to go back to ba sing se instead of unlocking his chakras. that is three separate times now that katara has been damselled in order to facilitate key turning points in aang's narrative, but not once does the same apply in reverse. there is never a moment where aang is the only one put in danger solely to drive katara's arc, the way she is in his. the closest we get is katara bringing aang back to life, but even then his death is still the result of his own choices and more integral to his storyline than hers.
now, compare this to the final agni kai.
at first glance, katara being put in danger just to complete zuko's redemption looks like the same tired trope, and had the scene ended at his sacrifice, it would be. but crucially, it's katara who continues the fight. katara who defeats the scion of fire nation destruction at the height of her power. katara who saves zuko just as he saved her.
in proving herself a master waterbender powerful enough to defeat azula and save someone she loves - someone who sacrificed themselves for her - from fire nation aggression, katara brings her own arc full circle. it is in triumphing over azula by saving each other that zuko and katara become the people they were always meant to be, and so their individual arcs are brought to their narrative culmination through bookending the other. the final agni kai works where the kat.aang moments fall short because it is of equal significance to both zuko and katara's narratives.
obviously, this is not to say that it's bad for certain characters to exist just to drive another character's arc. it's inevitable that some will be written solely to fulfill that purpose because a story only has so much narrative space, and it usually can't - and shouldn't - be divided equally amongst every single character.
but if we're talking about two main characters who end up in a lifelong romantic relationship, and it's the female character being repeatedly damselled to drive the male character's storyline within an already imbalanced dynamic... perhaps it's time to rethink a few things.
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oneatlatime · 2 months
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The Crossroads of Destiny
Strap in folks it's finally finale time!
I'm getting a bad feeling from the 'previously on' segment.
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*gasp* Song's bird horse!?!?!
Toph gets some serious speed with that earth tongue walking.
Ty Lee's flattery gets less and less subtle. I get the feeling that a lot of Azula's more worrying tendencies could have been curtailed if someone had stuck her on stage as a child.
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Is Zuko taller?
The cuts between these scenes are getting ridiculous. Some of these scenes are maybe 15 seconds long.
Zuko knows what's up. He and Iroh have teamed up on that particular fire breathing party trick before.
"It's time I face Azula." Buddy. No.
"You're so dramatic." POT. KETTLE. BLACK.
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The last time Iroh and the Aang Gang teamed up, it was also against Azula. She has a way of uniting enemies.
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The longer I stare at this the more I giggle.
"Good inside him isn't enough. Why don't you come back when it's outside him too, ok?" Congratulations to Sokka for articulating one of the fundamental human truths. Intentions can go take a hike when all that's visible are actions.
I love that! Iroh says he brought someone along in a tone that very much implies that he asked for help from a friend! Then you go outside and see he kidnapped a dude! And then they just leave him there!
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I see your fake meditation. No one as rotten inside as this guy actually meditates properly.
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The Dai Li be like
Katara? Why are you ripping into Zuko? Why is Season one bitchy Katara back? I don't want season 1 bitchy Katara to come back.
"No offence." "None taken." Iroh loves his nephew, but Iroh knows his nephew.
The one time Iroh's advice is explicitly solicited is the one time his advice is corny crap. That sucks.
Ba Sing Se is a tel? That's neat.
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Hey Toph? Now would be a great time for that new metal bending trick of yours.
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Avatar inadvertently validating my fear of subway grates.
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I know this is life or death serious and all, but isn't the Sokka and Ty Lee dynamic cute?
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MOMO!
This episode's thesis statement boils down to "what happens when you cancel arts programs and theatre kids don't get a chance to monologue in controlled conditions."
Honest question: Is Azula actually so deluded to believe that Divine Right of Kings crap she just spouted, or is she saying what the Dai Li needs to hear to side with her? Usually I think everything out of Azula's mouth is a calculated statement for manipulating others, but the way the show framed that monologue makes me think she actually believes what she's saying.
This conversation between Katara and Zuko, aside from showing that Katara is as capable as Sokka at sticking her foot in her mouth, is actually showing Zuko's growth well. So many of the things that he waves away with an "it's ok" are things that would have made him explode back in season one. It's about time he redefined that scar of his too.
"Aang! I knew you'd come!" "Uncle! The fuck?" Zuko truly has a way with words.
Hey Iroh maybe save your heart to heart until after you've exited the prison?
Wait so this episode is named after Zuko's arc? It's Zuko's destiny this finale is dealing with? Poor Aang's not even the main character in his eponymous show's season finale? Dang.
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What was I saying about waiting to chat until you're outside the prison?
So every word out of Azula's mouth here is definitely a lie. She doesn't need Zuko at all. She's got a whole army and already has possession of the throne. What does she need with someone she considers to be an inferior firebender?
Father's love? That guy who burns off faces? The audacity.
"You are free to choose." Is it really freedom of choice if choosing the answer Azula doesn't want to hear ends with Zuko in a crystal cage?
Gotta say I'm intrigued by how quiet Zuko's being for this whole episode. Compare it to the volume of his confrontation with Azula at the Spa place at the beginning of the season.
This is so awful. This is so skin crawly. This is so going to end badly.
Toph can turn doors into ping pong balls. I like that. And what does she need Sokka scouting for Dai Li agents for? She can sense people for miles.
I love the line read on the "I'm not leaving without Bosco!" But does this guy really think he's in a position to make demands, after all the stuff he's ruined in the last, what, two days?
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This is a cool move. Full body air bitchslap.
Katara cut her hair! That's kind of like what she did to Pakku with the ice disks.
How has no one been knocked out yet? Everyone in this fight should have at least 5 concussions by now.
I don't know what to make of it, but when Zuko says "I have changed" he sounds more calm and confident than he has all season.
I love the dynamic between Sokka & Toph and Mai & Ty Lee. Everyone involved knows they're second string and no one's really that invested. So they're all kind of chill.
I don't know what's going on in this fight, but Zuko is far too talented and Katara and Aang are both going down too easily.
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And this right here is why this fight is only going to end badly for Aang. As soon as Azula's tired of playing, she'll call in reinforcements. Aang doesn't have those.
I hate Azula so much, which means I'm very annoyed to say that she and Zuko actually make a good fighting team. Did they practice drills together or something back in the day? They way they tag out and back in, and exchange fights, flows so well.
Jesus
Crap ok
She nerfed him in the power up sequence! That's not allowed!
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So help me god if the writers hook these two up after pulling this crap I will riot.
Iroh could have been helpful if he'd been there earlier. Guess it takes a while to break out of crystals. Although I do like the detail that he stops fighting as soon as Aang and Katara are out & safe.
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I was wondering why the magic water was randomly brought up earlier after disappearing for the entire season. I figured it had been lost in the desert with the rest of the stuff on Appa's saddle.
I'm so sorry, but the way Aang's arrow flashes once to confirm that Katara's saved him makes him look like an external USB device confirming successful connection.
I'm loving how immediate the regret from Zuko is. Proof that he has learned over the last two seasons.
"The Earth Kingdom... has fallen." AND WHOSE FAULT IS THAT? This King rubs me the wrong way. Consistently.
I'm fascinated by the fact that they managed to securely transport a bear on Appa's back.
Final Thoughts
Poor Aang has been demoted to secondary character in his own show. This finale was all Fire Nation.
Well done Azula. No matter which way you look at it, she won. If Azula was the main character, this episode would be the crowning glory series finale.
Sokka and Toph spent the whole episode running around putting out fires, only for five more to spring up in their place. I honestly don't know how they and Appa reconnected with the rest of the Gaang to fly out at the end. There's this feeling the whole episode of being consistently one too many steps behind, and I think it's most obvious in their incessant side quests.
Poor Katara went through about seventy billion emotions this episode. I take back my anger at her bitchiness. She deserved a vent session, although I don't think Zuko quite deserved to be the recipient of it. But he took it well.
Congratulations to Zuko for falling backwards into the only right choice for all the wrong reasons. This episode was only going to end with Azula victorious. She recruited an army and successfully executed a coup without breaking a sweat - that is not a level of enemy that Aang and friends has ever faced before, and not one they can realistically win against. Like with Long Feng, this is not a threat you can hit. You can't bend at ideologies and loyalties.
Zuko was going to end this episode siding with the Fire Nation as a free man, or in Fire Nation custody. This way, someone with an actual semi-functioning conscience now has access to the upper levels of the Fire Nation. This could be really interesting.
To be clear, I fully believe that Zuko chose to side with Azula because he swallowed her offer hook, line & sinker. For the guy who invented "Azula always lies" he sure does fall for her lies a lot, especially when she's saying exactly what he wants to hear. I believe Zuko believed her about getting his honour back bla bla bla, chose to follow her because of that belief, and has already realised at least some of what she said was lies by the end of the episode. Which is promising! It looks like there's potential for a Zuko mole next season!
I'm worried for Iroh. Firelords who burn their children's faces off with no shame don't strike me as the type to shy away from executing their brothers.
The Aang fakeout death at the end was not remotely believable unfortunately, mostly because kids' cartoons don't ever pull a Psycho and kill the nominal main character half way through. It probably would have freaked me out if I'd seen this episode as a kid though.
Azula hitting Aang during his power up sequence was inspired. A very well done subversion of expectations, which finally validates my frustrations with the concept of power up sequences in general. Few things bug me more than the mooks politely waiting their turn while the good guy does a quick wardrobe change.
So... is the war over? The Earth Kingdom's fallen, the Southern Water Tribe have been functionally out of the game for a while now. There's only the Northern Water Tribe left, which are only still standing because of a Hail Mary that I very much doubt Aang can pull off twice. So is next season's focus going to be defending the Northern Water Tribe from a final Fire Nation push? I think that's the only place that isn't conquered by the Fire Nation in name at least. On the bright side, this means the Gaang won't be returning to Ba Sing Se. Good riddance. I hate that place.
I've never seen a show with a finale that focuses so intensely on the conflict of someone other than the main character. I don't really know what to make of this episode. I think I liked the one before it better. To be clear, everything that happened made sense - characters were in character, events unfolded as expected (if you handwave an elite force of earthbenders preferring a 14 year old over their seasoned leader), but something about this episode is just a bit boring to me. Maybe they telegraphed it too hard in the previous episodes? I don't know. I'll have to chew on this one a bit.
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the-badger-mole · 28 days
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So, I finally got around to reading the rest of AtLA comics, and I get what you are saying now.
Hadn't really read all of them, just The Promise and The Search a long time ago when they first came out.
Yeah, definitely see a very unhealthy and borderline toxic relationship between Aang, Katara, and his children except for Tenzin. It's ick. It's not something I would stay in for sure.
What frustrates me is it's not at all a surprise to me that that's how they turned out. How Aang ended up in the comics is just what I expected. His worst traits were always there from Book 1, it's just that back then, the writers seemed to be setting up a growth arc for him. Since they decided he was perfect as he was, though, there was no way to make him grow without admitting his biggest stumbling block-his relationship with Katara. What shocks me is how honest the comic writers were about their dynamic. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure they didn't do it on purpose , but changing Katara's character so she's not stepping on Aang's shine mirrors what essentially what happens to a woman in a toxic, abusive relationship (which makes me worry for any of their romantic partners). It's even more disturbing when you consider the fact that Aang seems to be Bryke's proxy character, and they're not even a little bit subtle about it.
Also, I would argue that Aang's relationship with Tenzin was also toxic. He made Tenzin his Golden Child, which is damaging in itself. Just look at Azula.
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yourhighness6 · 1 month
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NATLA Debrief: Episode 3 (by yours truly)
Hi again! If any of ya'll are interested here's episodes 1 and 2. Thank you to those who have been following these deranged, unorganized posts, especially @phoebester (Just an fyi this will be hella long, just like the other two)
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First of all, the way they framed the opening resistence scene was genuinely so cool because I immediately thought back to the cold open for the first episode. The streets are so similar that's where my mind went RIGHT AWAY and if that is not good set design and filming I don't know what is.
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The resistance scene was so powerful for so many reasons besides those small details, too. The concept of a resistance within the FN was never addressed at all within the cartoon and I can't express how glad I am that they added this. It just makes logical sense that some people would resist, especially while so many are dying in war, and it really serves to humanize the FN people in a way that's reminiscent of book 3 ATLA. Perfect way to expand on the source material and introduce core themes earlier in the show (M Nite should be taking notes).
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It was also a perfect way to introduce both Ozai and Azula's characters. Ozai is this menacing figure stepping out of the shadows (quite literally), an almost larger than life villain who seems to have every move planned and everything calculated. He's brutal and efficient and we can see that. Azula is conniving and smart, the kind of girl who can fool anyone and come out on top, but is ultimately still a weapon under her father's control. You can tell from the moment Ozai mentions Zuko that she is the underdog, but she is determined that it will not stay that way, and she seems just terrifying enough to succeed. (also idc what anyone says Elizabeth Yu has mastered Azula's look and general vibe. I feel like the whole 'miscasting' debacle was a mix of fatphobia and being shown the wrong stills before the show came out. She looked sort of sweet and innocent in those but I get absolutely none of that from this scene)
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Ugh the exposition was great and then they have to give us this. What the absolute hell did they do to my Katara? Like there was a whole ass episode in the cartoon devoted to her getting mad because she wasn't progressing as fast as Aang and then in this fucking adaptation the maddest she sounds is when she emotionlessly declares, "I don't get it" to convey mild frustration. I'm sorry Kiawentiio, you're acting is great but the writers clearly have no fucking idea how to put your emotional range to good use. The same problem was present in the last episode and I just don't see them being able to fix it significantly enough at this point, even if they have a desire to. Not to undermine that, but there were a couple good points in this scene: Aang mentions something about bending being "beyond thought" which gives bending a more spiritual aspect that I like, and Katara's PTSD is brought up again in an intelligent way, but still, that doesn't matter if they're going to completely butcher her character. (side note: when is Aang going to learn waterbending? they haven't shown him training at all and I'm getting worried)
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This scene was fine or whatever but what in the absolute fuck is going on with Zuko and Zhao? Are they not going to do the agni kai? Like I know there's still animosity there but they were really just sitting there (semi)-calmly enjoying a cup of tea and demonstrating only mild dislike for each other. All I have to say is if they remove the agni kai altogether I'm gonna be so fucking pissed it'll bug me forever and I'll be fucking insufferable.
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Also Zuko is so mean to Luitenient Jee for no reason. I know it's because his abuse makes him see any kind of comradery as weakness so it's a good detail if that's what they're going for but ngl I also find it a bit funny. Like what did he ever do to you? And Zhao taking three tries to pass his officer exam is so perfect too like what a fucking looser lmao.
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Ba Sing Se looks beautiful. There's something so mystical about it, especially in the way Aang describes it as they walk up to the gate. It's this hub of culture and science and art, but it's also incredibly militaristic and so changed due to war it's almost unrecognizable to someone who was there a hundred years ago. The adaptation of cultures during times of change is something ATLA does so well and I'm glad to see that it's continuing in the LA.
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AHH Katara was so awkward during this whole scene and I loved it. For one thing Sokka's commentary was absolutely hilarious but it's also this reminder that Katara has been relatively isolated from other children her age and her brain is like "cute boy flirt how" and its so fucking funny. It might not be the same Katara as the cartoon who is effortlessly comfortable wherever she goes but this is so much more realistic and if she's going to be a bit different this is probably the best thing for them to change (now keep the awkwardness and give her back her anger Netflix I'm begging you)
I am slightly concerned because it looks to me like they're trying to condense at least four episodes into one and I'm not sure if that's going to be a cohesive plotline or a complete mess or not but if handled carefully I think they might be able to pull it off.
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Ooooh the explosion was super unexpected and totally cray cray thanks for keeping me on my toes. I'm assuming it was Jet that planted the bomb although I cannot for the life of me think why. Anyways Teo was adorable I'm adopting him.
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Also I am so so so happy that they gave him a little more depth beyond just 'happy glider kid' and gave a bit more nuance to his character. Of COURSE kids who grew up in war are going to be desensitized to the bloodshed OF COURSE they're going to be a little vengeful and be thinking about ways to win the war OF COURSE Aang is going to be uncomfortable with that because he didn't grow up with that militaristic mindset even if he did loose everything OF COURSE that's not going to change the fact that kids grow up hearing about death and experiencing loss as extremely young children versus Aang being suddenly thrust into this responsibility and grief because he didn't grow up like that he grew up in peacetime it just makes sense. Good job Netflix this was wonderful this was perfect I loved it.
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Okay don't get me wrong I love the way Aang wears his heart on his sleeve I love how their in-the-face storytelling makes a bit more sense with how open and emotional of a person he is it's just part of his character that was improved upon by the LA in my opinion but this is also just... such a misunderstanding of the group dynamic. Like why isn't Katara seeing these people and thinking "I can help with this I have to help with this" and Aang giving this speech to Sokka jumping on the bandwagon? I would even accept them seeing the destruction together and mutually deciding that they need to help the people there (this would probably be best as it allows us to see both character's compassion) or Aang saying something about it and Katara immediately being like "ur absolutely right" but of course they can't do that all we need is a lengthy speech from the protagonist while Katara stands there like robot girl. My mistake.
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STOP because her mocking face is so fucking perfect I love Elizabeth Yu she's perfect. Anyway, I think that they're kind of... adjusting her trauma a bit? I mentioned earlier how I feel like she's shown as a little more scrappy and an underdog as opposed to perfectly calculating and not a hair out of place, but after this scene I feel the need to expand on that. In the cartoon, Azula's abuse from her father centers around his unattainably high expectations for her that eventually cause her ultimate breakdown and the conclusion to her devastating character arc. But in the LA, they're portraying her as less of a prodigy and more of a hard worker. She still has incredibly high expectations, but in this version, she never meets them all the time. Her brother is almost leveraged against her in a way. Even if she feels like she is the best and has the constant need to prove she is the best to her father, there's always going to be this nagging insecurity that she won't be good enough to measure up to her brother. She's not being told she's worthless like Zuko, but she's not reaching every goal like cartoon Azula, either. This also might explain why she has arrows. In the cartoon, weapons are viewed with disdain by firebenders, making Zuko using them so controversial, but Azula definetely doesn't seem to be hiding her talent for the bow and arrow and even if it was a her-sneaking-away-to-practice sort of situation that's not very in character and I don't think she would do that. I think in this version she probably has them because she's trying to find every possible way to prove herself to her father beyond just firebending, and mastering a weapon is a way to do that. I'm not sure how I feel about these changes but she is clearly a different character in this version than in the cartoon and moving forward I'm going to treat her as such. (I've noticed this a bit with all of the characters except possibly Sokka: they're different people. I think this actually might be intentional. [even so I still don't like their characterization of Katara her trauma hasn't changed very much to my knowledge she should still have the same core drives and character traits])
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As well done as Azula was, there was relatively nothing in the Ty Lee and Mai department. They're just kind of existing, watching her train. Ty Lee is vaguely cheerful (and her costume is great btw) and Mai has one line about exploring the world that gives a bit of insight into her character and has a monotone voice. They're both clearly a little scared of Azula but that's basically it. Hopefully we get more on them soon.
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Back in Ba Sing Se, I noticed a bit of a parallel between Teo and Katara. The Mechanist mentions that they lost his mother due to the war, which reminded me specifically of Katara. Throughout this scene, we see that Teo remembers his mother's philosophy and adopts it into his own mindset far more than his father's. Their situation is different because while Katara is arguing for compassion Teo is arguing for fighting back, but they are both fundamentally saying the same thing. It's not enough just to accept their lot in life and try to survive or fight, it's about the big picture, and about defending the things they love. While Katara and Teo both approach this subject from a very different front, the core idea is the same. It's also telling how they are dismissed initially as idealistic for their values when they are really upholding what their mothers stood for in their eyes: for Teo, a symbol of hope in her retellings of the stories of the avatar, and for Katara, a symbol of kindness in her reminders to remain empathetic despite the horrors of war. Make of this what you will, I just thought it was a nice little parallel.
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Anyway, allow me to have a few words on the whole Jet thing (in bullet points because I don't have enough brain power to do this)
I'm glad Jet got his freedom fighters outfit. I was a bit worried when I saw what he was wearing in the first scene he was in because the fit is iconic, and so are the swords
God he's so fucking dramatic "they call me Jet" while the sun glints off his swords and he turns slightly for affect it was so funny I laughed out loud
He and Kia have no on-screen chemistry I'm sorry. Like even the fight scene was so awkward and every time they speak to each other they sound so stiff. They're good actors independently but whoever was watching their chemistry check (I'm assuming they had one pre-production but judging by this crap I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't) was either asleep or it was their first day because there is NOTHING there
What the hell did they do to the Freedom Fighters? They're so cheesy and the costumes are so bad (especially Smellerbee's). Like seriously that entire fight scene was so awkward idk what the hell happened there but it was nowhere near the quality of the rest of the episode so far
Overall, I'm not a huge fan. Also where is Sokka I'm pretty sure he's supposed to be there somewhere
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Okay here's Sokka finally. Are they just taking him out of the Jet shenanigans entirely? I wouldn't be surprised considering how many episodes they had to condense but still I would have liked to see that. Oh well, I guess they had to have Katara do something in this episode instead of just stand around while her brother and Aang have huge plot points. Anyway, this scene was very interesting to me. Sokka and the Mechanist bonded in the og but not to this extent, and I honestly liked that they did something a bit deeper with it considering they don't have as much screentime to establish Sokka's daddy issues (for lack of a better word). Anywho the Mechanist mentioning that there are other career paths to take besides just being a warrior was super cool and I think we can glean a lot from it about Sokka's future character arc. Maybe in this version he doesn't perfectly live up to his dad's expectations and instead finds his own way? It was nice to see Hakoda proud of him in the original but if they go down this path I definitely won't be mad. It's interesting while staying true to the character, it's just a different direction.
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The scene with Aang and Teo was cute. They're both good actors who play off of each other nicely, and Teo talking about how he doesn't want to follow in his father's footsteps lends a bit of insight to the conversation the Mechanist had with Sokka. He probably mentioned Sokka's dad because he wondered if his parents were engineers too and maybe is looking for a bit of an apprentice since his son doesn't take after him as much. This is also another way Teo conflicts with the Mechanist's way of life and may be more similar to his mother.
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The jetara scenes at the Freedom Fighter camp had a much better dynamic. I think the fight scene was probably just them figuring each other out as actors, it just sucks that it seeped into the final take. I confess I was a bit disappointed that the Freedom Fighters didn't live up in the trees, but I guess that would be a bit difficult to engineer. I also noticed how Jet repeated Teo's "if not us, then who?" statement, which is probably just your basic commentary on how the future generations are our hope blah blah blah. It's a major theme so I shouldn't be as disinterested as I am in it but as it stands I'm still not totally thrilled with the Jet plotline as a whole and I think that may be affecting it. I feel like Sokka should be here to add some variety and spice things up a bit it's kind of boring.
The last jetara scene was definitely the best yet. I can't get over how happy I was to hear Jet say his mother taught him to fight. So often we hear how dads or older brothers are teaching the women in their family to fight but here we have a canonically badass male character saying that an older female relative was the one who taught him. One of the major complaints I have from the cartoon was how for all its talk about women being able to fight and its supposed feminist message, there were no women of the older generation fighting at all except for Jun, who wasn't even a particularly moral character like all these older men. We do have to remember that the cartoon started production over twenty years ago so it is a product of its time, when feminist issues weren't very mainstream. Another factor that might have contributed to the lack of feminism in the original was the generational discrepancies; millennials were the first to have widely accepted equal educational opportunities in the US, and even though educational opportunities are still affected by sexism, college became the norm for both male and female students at that time. This isn't to say women older than millennials didn't go to college, but this is around the time women and men started to become relatively equal as of percentage seeking higher education. Basically, they were the first generation of women expected to have careers, and therefore the writer's minds were probably shaped alongside a similar number of female peers, but primarily by men. This could have contributed to the lack of older women, but as times changed, so to did the amount of older women in professional fields. This line is a reflection of that, and I hope we continue to see more badass older women and older warrior women and women in power as the LA continues.
Other than that, I did take my shipping goggles out during this scene at the "sunrise" bit, and it wasn't about jetara. I heard from other fans in the zutara tag that the "you rise with the moon, I rise with the sun" line was removed but I keep thinking about how Katara is legitimately drawing power from remembering the sun rising, a time when the opposite element, Zuko's element, becomes more powerful. I know I'm reaching, but while I mourn the loss of our beloved "you rise with the moon, I rise with the sun" I have to find a new version. Anyway I think we should call this sunrisegate lol
Also, the way Katara is extremely hesitant to talk about her trauma whereas Jet seems completely fine with being emotional and dumping out exactly what he was feeling may have been a device but it does remind me of something I read about how ppl with PTSD will often react very differently when sharing their trauma and the same is true for many other trauma induced disorders. It was probably unintentional but I still thought it was a nice detail.
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Anyway on a less serious note Iroh and Zuko's dynamic is still top tier. I've seen a lot of people complaining about Iroh's character but I don't see anything wrong up to this point. I might be in for a shock in future episodes but I have genuinely no idea what they find so off putting. He's a great actor and the character has legitimately not changed. The line above was a bit undercut by the fact that he's standing in the middle of an enemy city with a cloth half wrapped around his face to keep part of his face from being seen, but I'm just gonna take it at face value (haha pun). I think the thing Zuko despises most is cowardice, and it affects his perception of the war in a huge way. He calls Aang a coward for escaping from prison because he was running away or whatever and I've never considered Zuko a particularly logical character but it's like... bruh he's outnumbered like fifty to one what he is gonna do? Anyway his definition of cowardice is directly tied to his honor and his perception of it in relation to his trauma and the way he held back in the agni kai and him perceiving that as cowardice maybe... Ya'll got me? This isn't fully formed because I obviously haven't seen this new rendition of the agni kai but I'm guessing the events are basically the same. Do with it what you will.
I skipped over the Azula and Zhao scene because I don't have any groundbreaking commentary except to say that I liked it. It ties Azula into the story nicely and gives Zhao something actually interesting about him (I don't hate him as much as I did in the cartoon so whenever he comes up on screen I just sort of yawn).
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Anyway, it was nice to see Katara get a bit angry. I think this captured the gaang dynamic pretty well. Aang being relatively neutral/ quiet while the siblings argue and Katara gets twice as mad as Sokka. Also he may have had the last word but she had the last laugh:
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Again, the sibling dynamic was really great but I didn't feel like Katara was carrying it as much as in previous episodes. Sokka actually played his part in making it interesting and realistic. I don't think this single argument is enough to redeem Katara's characterization in my eyes but at least we know now there is a little spark there.
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AHH THE SCARF SCENE! Scarfgate was everything I could have asked for and more. Like why does he appear directly behind her like that unless he's trying to fight her? Why does he just let her go by like that? Why does he hold out his hand in the first place? Truly is the Watergate of our time it deserves that name. (also in the same episode as the whole sunrise thing? come on) I'm probably being baited but at least I'm enjoying it.
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So I was right about the bombings! I can't believe all those cute little kids are terrorists but I couldn't believe it in the cartoon either so I guess that checks out. Either way I find the bombing far less forgivable than trying to take out the Mechanist. Innocent civilians were hurt and even though I know there was a real possibility that civilians could have been hurt in the attempted bombing for whatever reason it just seems... more brutal somehow. Like the first one was in the center of town, you know? Anyway terrorism is wrong I hope Jet finds his way.
(I was worried about how they were going to tie all the seemingly unrelated plotlines together but I think they pulled it off. Again my main problems were all concentrated around the Jet plotline but when the Mechanist was tied in it became a lot more interesting)
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When I heard this I was like "son ur about to get ur ass kicked" but the funny part is he was kind of right. Like when neither of them were bending he was winning. I guess in all fairness he is a lot bigger than Aang but I don't feel like that was an accidental detail. Anyway, I think this fight scene was the most entertaining yet and so much better than jetara against the firebenders earlier. Maybe the affects for water are just worse than air and fire (it feels slower somehow) but I'm very partial to this fight. And that's saying something because I usually fast-forward through fight scenes or just kind of tune them out or barely watch, so you know it was really good.
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I think the reason I liked it so much was that it was funny, honestly, not in the same way or to the same degree the cartoon was but I laughed out loud a couple times. For instance Zuko gets hit in the face three times in the span of ten seconds, once with a plate, once with a wicker basket, and once with his own little stick thing. Aang also put a basket over his head and some random ass lady started whacking him with a fan. Kudos to whoever choreographed that it was the best.
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Also I liked how Sokka and Katara saved the day together. Cute sibling bonding excersize. And it ended on a cliffhanger with the characters separated! My favorite kind of cliffhanger! It definitely left me wanting more.
Anyway, to recap, things I didn't like:
No Zuko and Zhao agni kai
Mai and Ty Lee were just sort of there
Katara's characterization is still so-so
Jetara plot line was boring and chemistry was not the best
It was kind of a lot for one episode, even if they managed to do it well
Things I did like:
Opening scene
Azula characterization
Teo
The Mechanist plotline
Teo and Katara parallel
Katara DID actually seem a little bit more firey in this episode
SCARFGATE
Zuko and Aang fight scene
Surprisingly good handling of all those loose ends
Cliffhanger
Overall, I would give it a 9/10. That's the highest score I've given an episode so far and I'm standing by it. I know others might have a very different opinion on it since it was condensed so much and differed a lot from the cartoon, but I agreed with many of the changes they made. One thing I would urge everyone to remember is that these are different characters from the cartoon. They're going to act slightly different and have slightly different journys and that's okay. I think it is worth comparing to the original, as it is an adaptation, but we need to remember that an adaptation is not an exact replica, nor should it be. That in no way means that we should make allowances for anything we found negative or mediocre, but it is going to be different and change in it of itself isn't a bad thing. Anyway thank you guys so much for sticking with me! I'll probably have the next episode's debrief up by tomorrow.
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goldentoshi · 1 year
Text
eight
warnings: cursing, suggestive comments
all of the bonten boys were sitting down in the dinner room after dinner and a meeting. they just got off a zoom call with their manager when sanzu opened his mouth to ask. question.
"when the fuck did you and y/n become a thing?" sanzu asked.
"a few days ago." rindou shrugged, as if it was nothing. he honestly wasn't paying attention, too focused on texting his new 'girlfriend'.
"didn't y'all like dispise each other a few weeks ago." mochi asked.
"things change." rindou chuckled, his entire focus on his phone.
favorite idiot: i changed your name in my phone just in case someone sees you texting me
rinrin <3: yours is favorite idiot and i'm not changing it
favorite idiot: ofc you wouldn't 🙄 we also should probably start texting like a couple…for the same reason..can you come to ikea with me tmmw too?
rinrin <3: does y/n want me to start calling her princess and sweetheart?
rinrin <3: sure, why not. i want a new bed anyways. what time do you want me to get you?"
favorite idiot: how about 1pm? we can get food after
rinrin <3: sounds good to me
favorite idiot: could you just not bring your motorcycle? i've never been on one before
rinrin <3: awww what're you scared?
favorite idiot: ngl, yes
rinrin <3: don't worry princess, you can hold on to me if you need to
favorite idiot: you promise?
"what has you smiling over there, loveboy?" ran asked his brother. when he didn't get a response, he calmly walked over behind him and stood, looking over his shoulder. "oooh your favorite idiot is texting you."
"fuck off ran." rindou said, shying his phone away.
"how did you get a girlfriend before us?" kokonoi asked. "especially one as fine as y/n. that girl would've got all the work."
"dude. don't talk about his girl like that." kakucho said to his friend.
"i'm just saying, y/n is probably the sexiest woman i've ever seen in my fucking life." koko shrugged. “lucky i didn’t get a hold of her. would’ve fucked fucked the life out of-“
"she got any single friends?" takeomi asked, cutting off his much vulgar housemate, “someone who isn’t in a relationship.”
"katara is sing-"
"dibs." ran said before rindou could even finish his sentence.
"what the fuck, no fair!" koko said.
"hey, dibs is dibs." mikey finally spoke before going back to his ramen.
"katara is so fine." mochi said. "two pretty best friends."
"stay off tiktok." takeomi laughed.
rindou quietly walked away as the group continued the conversation. something about koko's words made him...angry. for all everyone know, you were his. "fucking asshole." he muttered before starting grand theft auto 5 on his ps5. "hitting on my girl."
his girl? that made him freeze as the thought crossed his mind. everyone thinks that y/n was his girl. not ran's, not haru's, not even mikey's.
rinrin <3 : come see me baby. i miss you.
hopefully that didn't sound too cheesy. oh god, she's not gonna respond-
favorite idiot: okay rin. i miss you too.
꧁꧂
"you okay?" y/n asked. as soon as she had arrived to the gaming house, rindou practically dragged her to his room before shutting the door.
"yeah." rindou said before the realization of what he did hit him. he tried to hid the blush of embarrassment that grew on his face before he spoke. "i know this isn't exactly apart of our agreement but i just, i dunno, was lonely."
"ypu don't have to say that, rin. you need me , call me. kay?" you reassured him. “we’re still friends right? i mean, you can call me for anything.”
“yeah, okay.” he mumbled, a feeling he’s never felt bubbling in his chest. “sorry for scaring you.”
"it’s okay rin, i swear. wanna play minecraft?"
꧁꧂
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serendipity : a very good coincidence, often leading to something really awesome.
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drpoisonoaky · 3 months
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Who won?
A good summer holiday is the best time of year to sunbathe and/or destroy people who participate in a volleyball tournament. All in Ember Island.
Azula: *Sniff* Do you smell that? Katara: Can you help me set up the umbrella? Aang sunburns easily. Azula: Katara: Okay, fine. What should I be smelling? Azula: My next victory. Katara: Whatever you say, help me first, worry me later. Azula, while setting everything: Do you see those people right there? Katara, while watching Azula do all the work because you need to work smart, not hard: The ones playing volleyball? Azula: Exactly. I’m going to destroy them. Katara, raising an eyebrow: Azula: In a volleyball tournament. ZUZU, LET'S GO. Katara: Wait, do you not want me to go with you? Azula: No? I am going to impress you with my victory. So watch me. Katara: Thanks, La. Sure. Have fun, sweetheart. Zuko: I don’t want- Azula: I DON'T HAVE ALL DAY, DUMB DUMB. 
[Azula starts to drag him across the beach]
Katara: Should I be worried? Ty Lee: The worst that could happen is they make the volleyball net burn or scare every other contestant. Mai: Depends on Azula’s mood of the day. Aang: We should participate; it seems fun. Mai: Don’t. Aang: They wouldn’t scare or burn me. Ty Lee: Did you not hear Azula? She was going to impress Katara. Mai: She won’t kill you, but she will make you cry. Ty Lee: And you will cry hard. Just look at Zuko, and he’s playing with her. 
[Zuko literally sobbing while he’s jumping like a pro-player]
Katara: They really are good. Mai: Wait, is it working with you? Katara: They just won three plays in five minutes. It is impressive. Mai: Meh. Katara: But it’s too easy. Aang: That’s why I want to play against them. Katara: Put on your sunscreen. Ty Lee, let's go. Ty Lee: What?! No! I was sunbathing; I don’t wanna get burned. Katara: Don’t be a coward. C’mon now. Ty Lee: Fine. Mai: Is she becoming more like Azula? Aang: Nah. That's how Katara is. Sometimes they are too similar for their own good. Katara: TY LEE, YOU CAN’T LEAVE THAT PLACE WITHOUT PROTECTION. ARE YOU DUMB?! PLAY LIKE A PERSON. Azula: YOU CANNOT BE THAT SLOW, ZUZU. ARE YOU WEARING ROCKS ON YOUR FEET? HAVE YOU GAINED WEIGHT AS FIRE LORD? Mai: Fascinating. Aang: Can you help me put sunscreen on my back? Mai: No.
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narcissisticmf · 2 years
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heal him | zuko x fem!reader
description: when zuko gets hurt during the agni kai with azula, katara attempts to heal him while y/n fights against the princess.
trigger warnings: graphic violence, blood, gore, description of minor injuries, earthbender!reader, mentions of death, etc. read at your own risk.
word count: <1k
"Katara!" You whisper-yelled as she slipped from your side to move her way onto the battle field between Zuko and Azula. "Stop! What are you doing?" You scolded her as you reached for her wrist to stop her.
"Zuko needs help," Katara pulled her hand back and walked onto the field, standing behind Zuko. You parted your lips and breathed out softly, worried for her safety, along with Zuko's.
Azula's fingertips built up an immense amount of blue lightning as she smirked and turned to see Katara standing behind Zuko. His head turned to see the waterbender standing afar from him.
Before his sister could strike Katara with the lightning that built up between her fingertips, Zuko shouted, "No!" He lunged to the side and blocked the lightning from striking her.
Releasing a sharp breath, you hurried towards Katara and clenched your fist as you saw Zuko groaning in pain, against the ground.
"Heal him, now!" You spoke sternly and walked around her to face Azula yourself. Katara nodded slowly and rushed towards Zuko, kneeling down beside him.
"Ah.. Zu Zu's girlfriend, I've been dying to properly meet you," Azula smirked wickedly as you clenched your jaw. You motioned your hands forward to push the stone up against Azula, but she jumped in retaliation.
"Stop this, Azula.. while you're still alive," You spat as you motioned your hands again to form a stone ball, tossing it towards her, but she sliced it in two with the electricity that ran through her fingers.
"You clearly don't know the rules of an Agni Kai, do you?" She laughed as you breathed heavily through your flared nostrils. You stomped your foot against the stone ground and caused a large pillar to protrude up from beneath the ground, slamming Azula in the face. She stumbled back against the ground.
You took this as your opportunity to swiftly motion your hands, arising several stone pillars from underground that enclosed around her. You lowered your hands and released a soft breath. Azula released an angry cry before summoning lightning from the sky, burning the stone around her.
Azula jumped back up onto her feet and shot blue flames towards you. You lifted a stone wall from the ground and blocked it in front of you, to avoid being struck by the heat flames. You stepped back onto your heel and pushed the stone wall towards her, across the field as it slammed her back against the rail.
You ran towards her and lifted another stone wall, slamming it down against her as she was unconscious against the ground. Swiftly, you pulled the bandanna from your hair, letting it loose, and stood before Azula. You grabbed her wrists and pulled them behind her back, tightly tying them together so that she couldn't move or break free from it.
Sweat dripped down along the sides of your face as you stood over her, watching as her eyes closed, looking almost lifeless. You turned to see Zuko standing up with Katara. He was still weak, you could tell.
You hurried towards them and released a soft breath as Zuko's lips curved into a soft, thankful grin. You wasted no time and wrapped your arms around his torso, burying your face into his chest. He returned the chest and rested his cheek against your head. You could feel Katara squeeze in, making you smile softly.
Once the three of you pulled back, you looked at Katara and released a soft sigh, "Don't ever do anything like that again."
"I'm sorry, I just thought you could use our help," Katara looked from you to Zuko.
"Thank you.. both of you," Zuko offered a soft smile. You pulled your lips into a thin smile before turning to see Azula, waking up. You watched as she struggled to free herself from the knot you tied. You smirked gently and turned back to see Zuko and Katara were also looking at her.
"Come on, we should go," You told them as they obliged.
.
a/n: hi, my loves!! i hope you all liked this! it's my first atla piece so i hope you enjoyed reading it as much as i enjoyed writing it. let me know if you'd like more of these! i'd be happy to write more of them. i love you all, dearly. mwah! much love and treat people with kindness. — angelina.
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chiefesskatara · 7 months
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"Aang never supported Katara…" Book One: Water
An argument that is constantly used against the relationship between Aang & Katara is the lack of support from Aang’s side. “Aang never respected, cared or comforted Katara”, This is blatantly false to the point where it is laughable, we have three seasons of both of them being nothing but supportive to one another.
I'll present all of the moments where Aang was supportive of Katara & how she inspired him to become a better person. This thread series will be divided into three parts: one part for each book. 
(All images on this thread are edited by me. If you do use them please give credit.) 
1.1 – The Boy in the Iceberg
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Aang: Well, if you guys are stuck, Appa and I can give you a lift. [Aang airbends himself onto Appa.] Katara: We'd love a ride! Thanks! [Katara runs to the side of the bison.]
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Aang: But you forget, I have a flying bison. [He happily points at himself.] Appa and I can personally fly you to the North Pole. Katara, we're going to find you a master!
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Katara: [Happily.] I haven't done this since I was a kid! Aang: You still are a kid!
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Katara: Think about it. The War is a century old. You don't know about it because, somehow, you were in there the whole time! [Aang's expression changes to one of comprehension.] Katara: It's the only explanation. [Aang backs away and slumps to floor in shock.] Aang: A hundred years! [Saddened by his new discovery.] I can't believe it. Katara: [Squats beside him.] I'm sorry, Aang. Maybe somehow there's a bright side to all this ...
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Aang: [Cheerfully.] I did get to meet you.
1.2 – The Avatar Returns
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Kanna: [Worriedly.] Katara, you shouldn't have gone on that ship! Now we could all be in danger! Aang: [Sorrowfully.] Don't blame Katara. I brought her there. It's my fault.
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Sokka: Katara! Would you really choose him over your tribe? [Shows shot of the entire Southern Water Tribe.] Your own family? A side-view-shot shows that Katara had stopped in her tracks, right between Appa and her tribe. Close-up of Katara, who looks down sorrowfully as Aang approaches her with a sad look upon his face. Aang: [Understanding.] Katara, I don't want to come between you and your family.
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Aang: If I go with you, [He holds his staff in front of him as an offer, making sure Zuko understands that he does not wish to continue fighting.] will you promise to leave everyone alone? The camera cuts to a side-view of the area, Zuko's men still surrounding him, spears poised. After a brief moment of hesitation, Zuko erects himself and nods in agreement. Aang is apprehended by Zuko's men, who take his staff. Katara runs forward as they lead Aang away. Katara: [Sadly.] No! Aang, don't do this! Aang: [Surprisingly calm.] Don't worry, Katara. It'll be okay. [He gasps when he is shoved on the walkway. Katara's face contorts with sadness and fright.] Take care of Appa for me until I get back.
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Katara: [Brightening a bit.] Well, if we go to the North Pole, you can master waterbending! Aang: [Turning to face her, smiling and brightening up completely.] We can learn it together!
1.6 – Imprisoned
Aang: You must have really inspired him.
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Katara: We can't abandon these people! There has to be a way to help them. Aang: Maybe she's right. What do you say, Sokka?
1.7 – Winter Solstice, Part 1: The Spirit World
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Aang: You're the spirit of this forest! Now I understand. You're upset and angry because your home was burned down. When I saw the forest had burned, I was sad and upset, but my friend gave me hope that the forest would grow back. [He shows it the acorn and leaves it at his feet. The spirit picks it up and reverts to the panda form. It walks away peacefully. As it exits, a series of branches grow, and three villagers and Sokka emerge from it.]
1.9 – The Waterbending Scroll
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Katara: [Surprised.] Wow, I can't believe you got that so quickly. It took me two months to learn that move. Aang: [Shrugs shoulders.] Well, you had to figure it all on your own. I'm lucky enough to have a great teacher. Katara: [Smiles.] Thanks.
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Aang: Hey, you did the water whip! Katara: I couldn't have done it without your help.
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Katara: Aang, this is all my fault. Aang: No Katara, it isn't.
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Sokka: We'd need a team of rhinos to budge this ship. Aang: A team of rhinos, or two waterbenders. Cuts to Aang and Katara pushing and pulling the water until the boat rises up.
1.14 The Fortuneteller
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Aang: [Rises to his feet.] Not tangled. Woven! I made you a necklace, Katara. I thought since you lost your other one ...[He pauses in mid-sentence and displays the necklace, holding it between his hands as he flashes a toothy grin.] Katara: [Smiling and approaching him.] Thanks, Aang. [Takes the necklace.] I love it.
1.15 – Bato of the Water Tribe
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[ Zuko sends him three firebending blasts. Aang jumps to the other side of the well to dodge them. Zuko sends another fire blast at him. Aang ducks and notices Zuko is carrying Katara's necklace.] Aang: You've got something I want.
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Aang: I wish I could give you a little piece of home, Katara. Something to remind you ... Katara: I'll be okay. Aang: Still, just a little trinket. Maybe something like ... [Holds up Katara's necklace.] this? [Closer shot of the necklace.] Katara: [Takes the necklace.] Aang, how'd you get that?
1.16 The Deserter
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[Katara enters the cottage to find Aang sulking.] Aang: Jeong Jeong tried to tell me that I wasn't ready. I wouldn't listen. I'm never going to firebend again. Katara: You'll have to eventually. Aang: No, never again.
1.18 The Waterbending Master
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Pakku: Here, the women learn from Yagoda to use their waterbending to heal. I'm sure she would be happy to take you as her student, despite your bad attitude. Katara: I don't want to heal, I want to fight! Pakku: I can see that. But our tribe has customs, rules. Katara: [Furious.] Well, your rules stink!
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Aang[Also just as angry.]: Yeah, they're not fair! If you won't teach Katara, then ... Pakku: Then what? Aang: Then I won't learn from you! Pakku: Well, have fun teaching yourself! I'm sure you'll do a great job.
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Sokka: No, it's Princess Yue. I don't get it, one minute she wants to go out with me, and the next, she's telling me to get lost. [Changing the topic.] So, how's waterbending training? Aang: Master Poophead won't teach her because she's a girl.
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Aang: [Bending up some water.] Master Pakku said this move is all about sinking and floating. [Sends the water to her.] Katara: [Bending the water.] I got it! [The water suddenly shoots upward.] Aang: That was amazing!
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Katara: [Determined.] You can't knock me down! [Some of the crowd cheers.] Aang: Go, Katara!
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Aang: Good to see you here. Katara: You, too.
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hedgiwithapen · 6 months
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Toph and zuko “I thought we were friends” and “wasn’t I worth a goodbye?”
"Where are you going?" 
Toph can feel the familiar footsteps as Zuko approaches, which is good, considering the way his voice echoes in the open hallway. She doesn't bother to turn around. 
"What does it look like?" she asks, an edge to her voice she's too tired to conceal. 
"Like you're about to walk into a wall," he says, and Toph smirks at the sense of confusion in his voice. 
"Into, through," she shrugs. "Why do you care?"
"Why do I--" Nothing burns, but she can smell the singe anyways. "I thought we were friends. You're sneaking out in the middle of the night--"
"I'm not sneaking," Toph cuts him off. "And it's not my fault you people think the middle of the night is a weird time to be up."
"Did something happen?" she hates the worry in his voice. 
"No. And that's the problem." She frowns. His foot, in a fancy silk slipper, slides backwards on the polished floor, a tiny whisper of noise her bending catches better than her ears. "I can't live like this. There's too many people, and they're all--bustling. Sweeping the floor I'm walking on, acting like I'm going to drown if I so much as step towards your Turtle-duck pond. The Gaang fussing was bad enough till they figured out I'm more competent than any of them, I can't take it another minute of this. Happy?" 
"Why didn't you say something?" Zuko asks, moving to sit. She can hear the silk of his robes brushing against itself in the folds. Someone must have alerted him, and he can running, even though the air was chilly with night. She's determined not to let him pull what his uncle does. But she sits.  The bench is oddly out of place, cooled lavastone, without glaze or polishing to make it seem like something it isn't. She runs her fingers over the lumpy surface. 
"You and everyone else have countries to rebuild," she says. "You've got stuff to deal with. And don't try to say I'm more important than that, because of the two of us, I'm the one who's had parents treat me like the most precious object in the world and it really, really sucks. Also, I'm not an idiot. "
"I wasn't going to say that," Zuko lies. 
"Yeah. So I just figured I'd get out of here for a while. Go explore for real. Who thought I'd miss camping?"
"Toph..."
"And you can't forbid me to go. I don't answer to you, Firelord," she finishes. 
"I wasn't going to. I just.. You were just going to leave? without telling anyone? Wasn't I worth a goodbye, at least?"
"I never say goodbye," Toph says, tapping her bare toes on the polished stone flags. Something's not right with Zuko's heartbeat, with his breathing. It takes a moment for her to place the changes. He's crying. Which...Fuck. "It's not like I'm not coming back. You know that, right?"
"What?" Zuko says, trying to disguise the sound. "I... yes. Of course I do."
That's a lie, too.
"Zuko. I'm not going to flee into the woods forever. I just need some space for a bit. I don't miss camping more than I'd miss you guys. I'll come back. I promise."
"When?"
She sighs. "Couple of days. Okay?"
"...okay. You know Katara's going to kill you."
"Pft, she can try." She grins, and wonders if he could see it. "Thanks,  Zuko. for understanding.  I'll remember for next time."
"I'll see you in a few days," he says, suddenly formal. "Please don't break my palace wall."
"I'll put it back," she says. "Bye, Zuko."
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scrimblewimble · 1 year
Text
• Leap Of Faith •
RedemptionArc!Zuko X Avatar!Reader
• In which the reader comes to Zuko's camp after his rejection from the gaang instead of Toph and they form a bond •
Reader and Zuko are the same age!
- gender neutral reader, suggestive later on, porn (almost/kinda) with plot -
It was, obviously, understandable that your friends were sceptical of the fire Prince's sudden change of heart.
He had hunted you across every nation, determined to cut you journey short and stop you from bringing peace. Every interaction you had with Prince Zuko told you that he was a bad person, but you still very desperately wanted to believe him.
A fire bender willing to teach you showing up just after the invasion failed, when all hope seemed lost? It felt too good to be true, and for it to be Prince Zuko, the boy you hadn't been able to stop thinking about since he saved you as the blue spirit? Turning away a chance like that felt plain wrong.
Which is why you were here, looking around the woods in the middle of the night. It must be 10 minutes of aimlessly wandering before you finally see the light of a campfire through the trees and bushes, thankfully he wasn't far from the air temple.
You have to air bend a fire ball away from your face before you're even halfway through the bushes (you have to admit you did sneak up on him a little), an action which is immediately followed by a panicked collection of apologies.
"I didn't see that it was you!"
"Zuko calm down I'm fine," you can't help but laugh slightly at how different he seems, this reaction is certainly not something you'd imagine from him.
"why am I so bad at being good?" he put his head in his hands, a little overdramaticaly in your opinion.
"It was an accident seriously don't worry about it," you pulled his hands from his face, giving them a reassuring squeeze, "you don't want to know how many times I've accidentally hit Sokka when he's caught me off guard."
"Right," he looks away awkwardly, sighing a little, "right."
There's a moment of slightly uncomfortable silence where it dawns on you that you actually have no idea what to say.
"Do you, uh-" he takes his hand from yours, reminding you that you still hadn't let go of it, "do you want to sit down?"
"yea, sure," you chew the inside of your lip nervously.
You both go to speak at the same time, leading to an awkward exchange of 'you firsts' before Zuko seriously insists that you speak before him.
wow this is awkward.
"I want you to join us- team avatar I mean," he opens his mouth to speak but stops himself, "and I get that the others may not be totally on board but I'm, like, the avatar. So. My decisions are final."
"Do you really think that's a good idea?" he finally makes eye contact with you again, which alleviates a little bit of the tension.
"Well, if your telling the truth, I really couldn't think of a better teacher even if I tried," you laugh, "you're a strong bender, and I feel like we have the potential to get a long!"
"how can you be sure of that when we hardly know eachother?"
"Not sure, I guess I admire how driven you are?" you shrug, "and it didn't hurt my opinion of you when you saved me from Admiral Zhao."
"Right," he turns back to the fire, "that."
There's another few moments of silence, and before he gets the chance to say what's on his mind you got your hand resting on his, "how would you feel about going back to camp with me tonight?"
"I'm not sure that's a great idea."
He makes no move to remove your hand.
"are you worried about Katara?"
"It might be easier if I go back when everyone's awake, I don't want to catch anyone off guard."
"like I did with you?" You laugh, but he doesn't. He actually looks a little ashamed.
"It'll still probably be easier if we go back together."
He's quiet, but you feel like he agrees, or at least understands where your coming from. Is this awkward?
"You could, maybe stay here for tonight, and come with me in the morning?"
You wanted to trust him so badly.
"I would be ok with that."
A leap of faith.
Zuko Smiles awkwardly, looking away again. Neither of you can really think of anything to fill the silence for a while.
"It's crazy that after all this we're sharing a camp alone," he very clearly regrets saying that as soon as the words leave his lips.
A smirk plays on your face for a moment as you look at him hard, his gaze avoiding "I could understand it being weird us camping together, but I'm not totally on board with the alone part."
It was, of course, obviously weird that the two of you be alone together, but his expression at his own words had sparked that mischievous type of curiosity in you.
"I just- y'know, since you have your group and all,"
"Is that," you move forward to see more of his face, "all?"
The Prince is visibily a little uncomfortable, and you could almost swear his face was going a little red, even with him trying his hardest to face away from you. But he still hadn't moved your hand from his. And he made no effort to put any distance between the two of you as you edged slightly closer.
Was this actually happening?
"What's wrong, prince?"
That irritatingly teasing tone of voice is the final straw that pushes the boy next to you over the edge, and you know it's gotten to him because of the way he grabs you by the shirt and kisses you, just once, but deeply.
By the time he pulls away he's breathing heavily, your faces still close together.
His breath is hot against your lips, he smells like burnt caramel, and it occurs to you you've never been close enough to someone to be so sure of how they smelled.
Your the one pulling him in next, moving your hand from his and gently tangling it in his soft black hair, he's very confident considering he couldn't look you in the eye just minutes ago, placing his hands on your waist and pulling your entire body in closer to him.
Before you've even properly processed what's going on, your straddling his legs, and his tongue is grazing your bottom lip, resulting in (much to your embarrassment) a soft moan.
You pull away, warmth spreading across your face with a hand trying to hide it.
"please," his voice is pleading, eyes glued to your lips, "I want you to make that sound again."
The sound of his voice has you like putty in his hands.
---
A/N I've never been that embarrassed writing something before (first time writing anything suggestive) so please enjoy it, because I never want to do that again!! felt downright shameful :/
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burst-of-iridescent · 8 months
Note
Your response to that anon makes it pretty clear they're right lol. Katara did support Aang unconditionally, especially with his trauma as she could empathise as someone who is ALSO a survivor of genocide and the last of their people (water bender and air nomad). But Aang also was supportive of her- when she wanted to free the earthbenders, him and sokka helped, he wanted to refuse to continue teaching from Pakku because he wouldn't teach Katara, he helped her with the Painted Lady, and the Southern Raiders comment is not as condescending as you think. Yes, it was shitty, but you really think they would've turned their back on Katara? They shouldn't have said that to her but him and Sokka know if she kills Yon Rha, it will not bring her closure. And as for her doing all the labour, that's blatantly untrue. In Bitter Work the whole argument between Toph and Katara is that Katara is (rightfully) mad that Toph only wants to do her share, arguing that everyone around camp does their part.There’s multiple episodes in which the gaang help pitch the tent and perform campsite duties. There’s a whole episode dedicated to how katara and sokka are both sick, resulting in aang having to run across the world to retrieve them medicine, and he continued trying to get the frogs for his friends even when captured. There’s an entire episode dedicated to how the gaang cannot get anything done without sokka, who usually manages their schedules and itineraries and helps ensure that they’re on track. There’s plenty of moments in which aang and katara are goofing off, and sokka gets mad at them for not sticking to his carefully curated and meticulous schedule and for putting a wedge in their plans to save communities (see: imprisoned and the painted lady). There’s moments when toph assumes responsibility; there’s moments when aang assumes responsibility. and then there’s moments when none of them have any clue on what to do, when they literally act like children navigating a world that’s constantly trying to kill them. Because they are children, which in episode 1 we see Aang telling Katara she is still a kid. Whether you ship it or not, a big part of their relationship is that they are children. They're a team, they all support each other. Saying she shoulders everything and that Aang is just selfish and callous is a blatant lie. They have helped each other throughout the series a lot. There are moments when they both say and do things that aren't good to eachother, but that doesn't make their relationship instantly toxic. Aang kissing Katara w/o consent was wrong, it's why I don't ship it, but saying Katara was reduced Aangs mother figure, especially when he played a large role in her acting like a kid again, and also grew up communally so the concept of a mother isn't something he would even think about. The constant adultification you insist on of Katara is just weird, there's a reason black and brown women hate it so much, especially when katara has stated she dislikes being seen as motherly
wow that is a whole lot of words you're trying to shove into my mouth, huh? don't worry though; unlike you, i know how to make a good argument, so let's go through this flaming pile of garbage you've dumped in my asks to see exactly what that looks like!
i don't know where you got this idea that i think katara does everything for team avatar while the rest of them sit by and twiddle their thumbs; i have never said that, and i never will. my argument isn't about katara's relationship with the gaang (though for all that she says they divide the chores equally in the chase episode, you will notice that much of the time it is always katara you see in the background cooking, training aang, or doing work around camp - make of that what you will), it is about katara's relationship with aang, and the severe imbalance of emotional labour in that relationship.
let's look at how many times katara supports aang in the show when he's in need of it:
S1:E3, The Southern Air Temple: katara pulls aang out of the avatar state when he's grieving over the loss of his people, then holds and comforts him afterwards.
S1:E12, The Storm: katara listens to aang's regrets over running away, assauges his guilt, encourages him, and ultimately inspires him to move on from his past and start anew.
S2:E3, Return to Omashu: katara listens to aang's worries about bumi and tries to reassure him.
S2:E9, Bitter Work: katara coddles aang when he's sad about not being able to master earthbending, motivating him to keep going and trying to convince toph to give him an easier time.
S2:E10, The Library: katara pulls aang out of the avatar state again, this time actually putting herself in danger (the only one to do so, you might notice) by walking into the middle of a sandstorm while aang is in an highly volatile state of extreme power. keep in mind that katara knows exactly what can happen when aang isn't able to control himself, because of that lovely incident back in book 1 where she was burned thanks to his recklessness, and yet the duty of calming aang down falls to her yet again.
S2:E11, The Desert: aang snaps at katara and then leaves her to take care of herself and the rest of the gaang all on her own in a highly dangerous environment. don't worry though, she'll still find the time to sympathize with him and comfort him, though he certainly isn't going to apologize and will, in fact, have this lovely exchange with her instead:
"What's anyone else doing?! [Pointing his staff at Katara.] What are you doing‌?!"
oh nothing aang, just keeping everyone alive and together, and being the entire reason they survive the desert at all. thanks for the support, though!
S2:E12, Journey to Ba Sing Se Part 1: katara reaches out to aang multiple times in this episode, offering her love and support, and ultimately helping him to snap out of his depression over appa's loss (he still hasn't apologized for his behaviour in the previous episode, in case you were wondering).
S3:E1, The Awakening: katara tries to help aang deal with his feelings of guilt over Ba Sing Se, heals him, brings him food, and even stays behind to look after him (funny you don't see either sokka or toph doing that)... all while dealing with her own sadness and anger over her father. aang does notice this, by the way! though naturally, he does nothing about it.
S3:E9, Nightmares and Daydreams: i'll cut this one a little slack, because sokka and toph do try to help out with aang's anxieties too. note, however, that katara checks on aang five separate times in this episode alone - far more than either of the other two by a clear margin.
S3:E17, The Ember Island Players: katara is the only one to notice aang is upset after the play, goes to see if he's okay and... well, you know how this one ends.
let's do a little tally and... that clocks in at a whopping 10 times that katara offers aang her love, support and comfort, including almost all of his lowest moments.
now let's look at the number of times aang supports katara when she is in need of it:
S1:E9, The Waterbending Scroll: aang encourages katara to waterbend, pushing her to have faith and be confident in herself, allowing her to waterbend successfully and defeat the pirates.
S1:E18, The Waterbending Master: aang defends katara against pakku and cheers for her during her fight; he does also, however, undercut her very real anger at pakku and tries to dissuade her from fighting at all under the impression that it's for him instead of the injustice that's been done to her so... we'll consider this a wash.
S2:E17, Lake Laogai: aang rests a hand on katara's shoulder in wordless support after jet dies.
S3:E8, The Puppetmaster: aang pulls the hand-on-shoulder move again while katara cries after defeating hama... except this time, sokka's on her other side doing the exact same thing so it can't even be counted as an emotional support moment exclusive to aang, the way all of aang's are to katara.
final calculation: 2, 4 if i'm being generous. four against ten, and even if you combined all of them together, aang still doesn't provide even half the depth of support and care that katara does for him in just a single incident.
see how that might be what we call an imbalanced relationship?
They shouldn't have said that to her but him and Sokka know if she kills Yon Rha, it will not bring her closure
except who brought up killing yon rha? aang. who immediately conflated justice with revenge? aang. who pushed his own culture's values of pacifism onto katara? aang. and who was ultimately wrong about blanket forgiveness and inaction being the path to closure for katara? aang.
you don't need to take my word on it. katara corrects aang herself when he inaccurately assumes she did what he wanted her to: "But i didn't forgive him. I'll never forgive him."
if aang had his way, if katara had never confronted yon rha, her rage and grief and resentment would've simply continued to fester inside her. katara made peace with her trauma on her own terms, by finally getting to see yon rha for what he really was: not a nightmarish bogeyman who left her powerless and afraid, but a weak, pathetic, human man who didn't even deserve the mercy of death, and whom she was able to reclaim her power over.
aang doesn't extend to katara even a fraction of the empathy, understanding and faith she always offers him; rather, he instantly jumps to the worst judgements about her intentions, preaches to her about how she should heal from her trauma, and only deepens her stress and anger while she's reliving the worst moment of her life.
that is not support. that is not friendship. that is aang making katara's struggle about himself, just as everything else in their relationship already is.
saying Katara was reduced Aangs mother figure, especially when he played a large role in her acting like a kid again, and also grew up communally so the concept of a mother isn't something he would even think about
buddy, i assure you i'm not the one making katara aang's mother. you can take that up with the writers who made a self-referential joke about katara acting motherly to aang (unless you think "stop rubbing your eye and sit up straight when you talk!" is somehow a romantic thing to say to your future husband), who have katara coddle aang multiple times, who framed katara holding aang's dead body like the virgin mary holding jesus, and who literally had her dress up and pretend to be his mother.
and for your information, katara is a motherly figure - not just to aang, but to every member of team avatar besides zuko (and suki, if you count her). that's not my opinion btw, as you seem to believe. that's canon, confirmed by both sokka and toph in S3:E7, The Runaway:
Sokka: When our mom died, that was the hardest time in my life. Our family was a mess, but Katara? She had so much strength. She stepped up and took on so much responsibility. She helped fill the void that was left by our mom. It really seems like my whole life, Katara's been the one looking out for me. She's always been the one that's there. And now, when I try to remember my mom, Katara's is the only face I can picture. Toph: The truth is sometimes Katara does act motherly, but that's not always a bad thing. She's compassionate and kind, and she actually cares about me. [Wipes away tears from her left eye.] You know, the real me. That's more than my own mom.
so no, anon, i'm not the one "insisting" on katara's adultification. she was adultified the moment her mother died, because she was forced to step into her mother's shoes - and she did it so well that she became a surrogate parent to her own older brother. she is a child who was forced to sacrifice her childhood, and who will never be able to find it again. that is the fundamental tragedy at the heart of katara's character, and an integral part of what makes her who she is.
there's a reason black and brown women hate it so much, especially when katara has stated she dislikes being seen as motherly
really? women of colour hate being pushed into motherly roles, and seeing female characters like themselves being forced to do so? damn, i wonder if there's any way that i, a south asian woman living in southeast asia, would know that?
i don't need you to tell me what brown women think and feel. i understand first-fucking-hand what we go through, because i've seen it in my own female relatives, in my friends, in their families, in every aspect of my society. i've felt the expectations of my culture on my gender since i was a child, and that is just one of the many reasons why i ship zutara: so that at least in a fictional world, some fictional brown girl is able to have an equal relationship with a partner who respects her, admires her, supports her, cares for her, and loves her just as much as she does him.
i'm glad we can both agree that katara hates being seen as motherly. i hate it too, which is why i despise kat.aang, because the last thing that katara needed after losing her childhood being a mother was to lose the rest of her life to it too, stripped of her agency and legacy, forever stuck looking after a man who will always make her do too much labour without once recognizing it, let alone returning it.
now kindly get out of my inbox with your faux progressive concern, and take your subpar media literacy skills with you while you're at it.
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chiptrillino · 1 year
Note
I desperately need to know more about the Tooth AU
i think i have to come out and be honest here and admit that the tooth part is just an subplot in between and mainly its an whole au about sokka still following his father to war. (katara and gran gran none the wiser) and sokka is discovered hiding on the ship, when the Southern Water Tribe Fleet is restocking on kyoshi. and well... technically its not to late to turn back and drop sokka off back home and ground him for the next 10 years. but nope. now sokka with sweet fresh 12 years is on a warship. getting the oportunity to be with his tribe and grow to be a full warrior for the next three years. (don't worry sokka meets suki and she does more then just punch the sexism out of him.) (hakoda adopts his own son au? )
traveling the seas and staying in ports leads to cross path with the fire nation prince jerk that searches for the avatar. they obviously don't get along. even in neutral/mixed ports or grounds the boys can't help but constantly jab and antagonize each other till one day it comes to a brawl where sokka punches zuko in the face and a tooth gets lost. (zuko still wins though. sorry sokka you get later your chance)
and uh well... zukos tooth is found by bato and well they kind of keep it? as trophy? who can say they knocked the prince of the fire nation tooth out and has the proof!!! (that nobody believes, because it could be anyones tooth and the crew is not backing sokka up. TRAITORS ALL OF THEM!) (meanwhile zuko gets his golden one. and his crew wont stop with the pirate jokes. TRAITORS ALL OF THEM)
when i was talking with a friend about it i was always like "the only ship here involved are for transportation" but a few silly headcanons of drunk characters later leads to this sub plot of bato and jee kind of hitting it off behind the boys and their superiors back. sharing their love the wide blue sea and freeing feeling of sailing through her waves. sharing drinks ranting over their brats. jee losing it when he hears that sokka has the princes tooth now as necklace to not lose it. bato having fun pushing jee's buttons to get any reaction out of him (subtly wondering if this counts as bending). they both know they don't have much time to tiptoe around it, when they meet they have to go for it, who knows in what kind of circumstances they could meet the next time. they drink and make a toast to making the best of their time, share a bitter sweet good bye the next morning, hoping the memories last till their next encounter that could also be their last.
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oneatlatime · 2 months
Note
Any predictions for season 3, or are you planning to dive straight in?
You're not the first person who's mentioned s3 predictions, so I'll give it a shot, but I'm really not sure if I have anything to use to make predictions. S2 ended in a very final, end of arc kind of way. Lots of things have been tied up. I don't even know where they're all flying off to. Back to the Southern Water Tribe, since the Earth Kingdom's a bit of a bust? The Fire Nation's out of the question, the Northern Water Tribe probably has mixed feelings about seeing them again, maybe the Eastern Air Temple? Although even that might not be safe, since Aang's travel plans to said temple to meet the Guru were known by various Earth Kingdom generals. And that stupid King.
I think the Fire Nation contingent are going back to the Fire Nation, and I am looking forward to a Zuko with eyes at least somewhat open interacting with FN citizens/nobles/military etc. who are still completely drinking the kool aid. I think it's going to suck for Zuko. Should make for good TV though. Lots of conversations where both people are saying entirely different things while thinking they're talking about the same thing.
I said it before, but I'm worried for Iroh. He's for sure arrested, but is he going to be executed? Obviously I don't want that, but unless Iroh still has enormous popular support, and the Firelord's grasp on power is incredibly shaky, I don't see how permanently eliminating a traitor (from a FN perspective) can be avoided. Then again. Kids' show.
As for the Gaang? In broad strokes, Aang still needs to learn firebending to fully Avatar himself, then he needs to defeat the Fire Lord (who is quite the homebody apparently - seriously, where is this guy?). So next season Aang will shake off his lightning hangover, find a firebending teacher, defeat the firelord. He'll probably have to commute to the Fire Nation to find the Fire Lord first. No idea what he'll do in between those things. Perhaps inadvisable shenanigans? That would be in character. His biggest story arc all series has been learning to accept his status as Avatar, but between his talks with the Guru and opening his last Chakra in the finale, I think he's done it. So all that's left is the main plot and goofiness.
Katara has the same problem she had going into S2 - she's mastered waterbending, so she needs a new conflict/arc. S2 answered this demand by... having her hang around? What did Katara do this season? Bend a bunch, set up camps, tear down camps, wreck Jet, support Aang, be nice to Toph that one time, yell at people. I hope she gets something meatier in S3. I still think she should meet some good FN citizens that challenge her morals.
Sokka was also kind of just there this season, although if I'm being mean I'll say that he was also kind of just there for S1 too, which is why it doesn't feel as odd as Katara's lack of purpose. I loved his stuff with Suki. Suki is officially the glow up of the season. I loved their interactions together, and I love the growth she poked him into doing. I'd like to see more of that. So less a prediction and more of a hope: S3 Sokka develops the ability to rely on/trust others (or maybe realises others can be relied upon/trusted is more accurate), hopefully with Suki somehow involved. And I loved his dad too. I want to see more of that guy, but since a cardinal rule of kids' stories is getting rid of the authority figures asap, it won't happen.
Toph. Honestly I'm stumped. She already broke the universe. Where can she go from there? Unless she's going to devolve into an antagonist, which I absolutely don't want, I don't see how she can top her S2 plot. And Aang's got earthbending down, so I guess she'll be like Katara was this season: tagging along. Not that I'm complaining; I love me some Toph in any form. We have seen that she wants to make peace with her parents, sort of, probably? Or at least give them another shot? But I kind of don't want her within 100 miles of her parents. So I don't know.
Appa & Momo will hopefully be tagalongs in S3 too. I learned my lesson this season about wanting the animals to have character arcs.
I guess the antagonist in S3 will be the Fire Lord, finally. Who else is left? Zhao tried, he died. Azula tried, she won. Unless S3 has an Azula rematch. But would she want that? She's already proven that she won. She can go home and enjoy the spoils of her victory (which may or may not include Zuko - I'm kind of unclear on exactly how much agency Zuko is going to have in the FN, especially since I'm not actually sure that he has permission to be there as a free man - didn't the arrest warrant Azula was executing in episode 1 list both Zuko and Iroh?)
There's nothing left for the Gaang in Ba Sing Se, so I doubt they'll go back there. Frankly it's the FN characters who have roots there. I wonder what will happen to Iroh's tea shop? I wonder if his investors will find out who he is? I wonder if money talks louder than national loyalty? (It's the Earth Kingdom - the answer is yes) Wouldn't it be funny if Iroh busted out of imprisonment and went right back to serving tea? And everyone sent to find him would be thinking "this is the famed tactician the Dragon of the West - he's probably travelling the FN plotting a coup as we speak. That devilish mind of his must have safe houses set up all over the nation." When actually he's right back where he got caught, doing exactly what he was doing when he got caught, to great and not-very-quiet acclaim?
I think S3 might have an overall darker tone too, within the bounds of a kids' show. I don't know what place Ba Sing Se occupied in the mind of the average person in the Avatar universe (although refugees seemed to revere it), but the city's fall to the FN represents a very big FN victory. The Gaang will probably be the most underdoglike in S3. S1 was mostly stalemate, then a big FN defeat. S2 was opened with the FN taking Omashu and closed with them taking Ba Sing Se. The FN have never been in a better position, and I bet the NWT is safe from further invasion only until the FN have built their fleet back up. So even the few free areas could have an expiry date on their freedom.
This is rapidly devolving into rambles, so I'll conclude by saying I have no clue what's going to happen next season, and that's exciting.
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the-badger-mole · 3 months
Text
The Volunteer Part 5
With Ty Lee and Haru there to help, sorting through the clothes was short work. To fill the rest of the time, they amused themselves with tossing teasing jabs at Zuko as they counted down to the end of their shift.
"Knock it off!" Zuko said, tossing a pair of balled up socks at Haru's head. "It's just dinner with a friend."
"There's a thin line between friend and friendlier," Haru snickered.
"You still have a few minutes, Zuko," Ty Lee pointed to the clock on the wall. "Don't you want to run a comb through your hair or something?" Zuko scowled at Ty Lee and reached up to touch his hair self-consciously. Ty Lee exchanged an annoyingly knowing look with Haru before guiding him out of the room.
"We should go," she stage whispered to Haru. "Zuko doesn't want us to know he cares about how he looks for Katara." Zuko found another pair of socks and threw them at Ty Lee. She only laughed harder when they hit her back, as she ushered Haru away. Zuko was still scowling after they were gone. He sniffed indignantly and picked up the socks he'd thrown, tossing them back into the pile of clothes to be washed. Then he went to the bathroom to straighten out his hair. He wore the Hama's Haven tee-shirt with an old, worn and paint spattered pair of jeans with his scuffiest sneakers. Not a great look, admittedly, but since this wasn't a date, it was fine, he thought. He made one final pass over his hair before he hurried out to meet Katara.
She was waiting in front of the building. Zuko skidded to a halt when he saw her. She had taken her hair down from it's usual braid, letting it fall all the way down her back in tumultuous waves. She also wore the light blue volunteer tee-shirt, but tucked into her jeans in a way that accentuated her soft curves. The dying light of twilight cast her in an ethereal glow, making her eyes seem to almost gleam when they landed on him. Zuko's mouth went dry, and he swallowed hard, trying to unstick his tongue from the roof of his mouth. It wasn't fair for her to look this good after hours of working.
"You ready to go?" Katara asked, smiling up at him.
This was not a date.
"Yeah," Zuko managed to say. He led Katara to his car and opened her door for her.
"So gallant," she giggled. Zuko's face burned with embarrassment. He took a deep breath as he walked around to the driver's side and climbed in.
This was not a date.
Zuko was worried he'd have nothing to say for himself, but Katara started the conversation off and intentionally or not, never let it slow down. They spend the drive over talking about their day at the shelter. She asked about his new assignment, and apologized for it not being more exciting. Apologized that the work he was doing as punishment for a crime wasn't more engaging.
"I put you and Ty Lee down for the field trip next week," she told him. "I don't know if you'll find it interesting, but it sure won't be boring."
"When you say it like that it makes me think I should be nervous," Zuko chuckled. He chanced a look over at her and found her grinning wickedly.
"Maybe a little," she said. "But don't worry. The kids don't bite...often."
The noodle shop was a little hole-in-the-wall that Zuko had never heard of. It looked appropriately casual for two friends to have dinner after work. Still, Zuko hurried to Katara's door to open it for her, and he was pleased to see a faint blush on her bronzy cheeks.
"A girl could get used to that," she said. Zuko shrugged sheepishly and shut her door behind her.
"My uncle drilled it into me," he told her. "It's a hard habit to break. It's why I don't usually give rides in my car."
"Well, thanks for making an exception," Katara laughed.
They were seated immediately, and given menus. Katara set hers aside and took a drink from her water glass. Zuko must have looked confused because she winked conspiratorially.
"This is one of my favorite places in town," she said. "I could recite the menu in my sleep." Zuko hurried to make his own choice, and after the waiter had taken their orders, he scrambled for something half-way interesting to say.
"How long have you been volunteering at the shelter?" Zuko asked.
"Years," Katara told him. "My grandmother is one of the founders. It was actually named after a friend of my grandmother's."
"It was?"
"Yeah," Katara sighed and shook her head. "She never got to see it, though. Hama, that is. My grandma knew Hama before she moved here and married my grandfather. Gran-Gran said that she and Hama stayed in touch for a little while, but then...life happened. They reconnected a few years before Hama died, and life had been tough on her. I'll spare you the gory details, but...Hama could've used a place like the shelter. When my grandmother found her again, she was sick and homeless. Gran-Gran brought her here to live with her. After she died, Gran-Gran decided to honor her memory and started the shelter. My mom was a social worker, and she helped Gran-Gran get the shelter off the ground. My brother and I started out playing with the kids there.
"That's incredible," Zuko said. "I've been here long, but I can see how much of an impact the shelter has had. You've got to be proud of how much good your family's done."
"It's not just us," Katara said. "We've had so many volunteers and supporters helping us- helping my grandmother- make Hama's Haven happen. But, you know that. Your uncle's been one of our biggest doners since it opened."
"What?" Zuko sat up.
"Didn't you know?" Katara frowned at that. "I thought you were close. I thought you knew that was why Iroh asked the judge to assign you guys here." Zuko shook his head.
"I...I haven't spoken to my uncle in a while," he admitted. "We were close, and I know he did a lot of work with community outreach, but I never knew the specifics."
"Oh..."Katara bit her lip and looked away awkwardly. "I've met your uncle. He's a nice guy."
"Yeah," Zuko agreed with a mirthless chuckle. "He's great."
"He's really proud of you, you know." Zuko flinched at that. He was certain that Iroh was proud of him. Once.
"I miss him," Zuko admitted. Then to his surprise, Katara reached across the table and squeezed his hands.
"Talk to him," she said. "I don't know what happened, but if you talk to him about it, I'm sure you can work it out." Dumbstruck, all Zuko could do was nod. Fortunately, he was spared having to say a word by the arrival of their food.
This was not a date!
Thankfully the subject changed once the meal had arrived. Zuko learned about Katara's family (like him, she had lost her mother young. Unlike him, she had a wonderful support system in her father and brother); her plans for college (she wanted to continue her grandmother and mother's work in community outreach and social justice); what she liked to do in her free time (she keeps incredibly busy between after school activities and the center, but she was an avid ice skater, hiker and had started taking scuba lessons). Zuko found her fascinating. She was nothing like the stuck up brown noser he and his sister had been certain she was.
She asked about Zuko, too, but aside from school and a couple of extracurriculars, he had little to say about himself. He didn't want to talk about his family, and he was grateful when Katara didn't pry. He was in such a good mood that he offered to cover their meal when the bill came.
"Alright," Katara relented after all her protests had been shot down. "But this means that dessert is on me."
"Dessert?" Zuko repeated.
"There's an ice cream shop around the corner that makes the most amazing flavors," Katara told him. "Things you'd never have even thought of. It's my favorite place in the city." Zuko raised his brow and smirked at her.
"I thought this was your favorite place in the city."
"It's my favorite noodle spot," Katara said, rolling her eyes. "I'm allowed to have more than one favorite spots."
"That's not how favoritism works," Zuko chuckled.
"You have your definition, I have mine," Katara shrugged. She slid out of her seat and tugged at Zuko's arm. "Come on!"
The ice cream shop was a bit further away than Katara had let on. It was nearly half a mile from where Zuko had left his car, but the night was nice. After they'd gotten their ice cream (paid for by Katara at her insistence), they walked back slowly. The ice cream was as good as Katara had promised. Zuko had gotten a cone of spicy mango and chocolate, and Katara had gotten sweet corn and cheesecake, a combination she swore was delicious.
"Here," she said, holding her up towards Zuko. "Try it." Zuko hesitated, but gingerly scraped his spoon down the side. To his surprise, Katara was right.
"Wow!" he said.
"Don't ever doubt me."
"Never again," Zuko swore. When Katara held up her cup again, he took another scoop, before offering her a taste of his.
"Mmm!" Katara said, nodding her head. "I don't usually like spicy, but this is just the right amount of heat."
They sat on a bench halfway back to Zuko's car to finish their treats. Zuko surprised himself by telling a few jokes that actually made Katara laugh. He liked her laugh. He never thought that a laugh could be attractive, but Katara's was. It was a bit wild, like someone who's never been given a reason to be self-conscious about her laugh. Who was used to laughing long and loud. When she laughed hard enough, she snorted, which was Zuko's favorite.
Finally, they finished their ice cream and headed back to Zuko's car. It was late, and Hakoda would expect her home soon. They weren't hurried, though. They took long enough that Zuko had time to work up the nerve to ask something he was certain would ruin the night.
"Was this a date?"
Katara's footsteps faltered, then slowed. She kept her gaze studiously on her feet. Her jaw rolled from side to side, as if she were weighing her next words carefully on her tongue, working out how to let them out in a way that wouldn't kill their nascent friendship. Zuko felt the blood rush to his face, and he started to back track. There had to be a way to take his words back and return to the easy camaraderie they'd found that evening. Katara beat him to the punch, though.
"If I said yes," she said slowly, "would you be okay with that?" Zuko froze mid-step. Katara stopped and looked back at him. The expression on her face was mix of nervousness, shyness and frankness. There was no amusement. No sparkle in her eye to mark what she'd just said as a joke. Zuko managed to wrestle control of his tongue.
"Yeah," he said. "I'd be okay with that." Katara considered him for a moment. Then she smiled at him, and slipped her hand into his. It fit so well, as if it was always meant for him to hold.
"The weather is getting nice," she observed, leaning into him. "We'll be able to start turning the garden soon. Maybe we can put you on that."
"That sounds nice," Zuko murmured. His heart thudded in his chest. He thought that his answer would've been the same even if she'd suggested he clean out the dumpsters behind the building with a toothbrush.
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5
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