#i love zuko and toph friendship so much | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

vrisrezis · 1 year

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Gaang having a crush (bcuz I miss atla) also warning ? Me trying my hardest not to curse in these and making it kid friendly LOL

Aang is kinda obvious, given how young you guys are it makes sense though. It’s definitely his first time having a crush, but he comes to the realization he likes you more than friends rather quickly. After all, he has so many friends, he’d know the difference even if he never liked somebody like that before. While aang is generally speaking a nice guy, I see him doing extra nice gestures for you that he wouldn’t really think of doing for other people. He’s made you a “friendship” bracelet and a necklace as well. Boy or not, there’s nothing wrong with a boy wearing a necklace or bracelet anyway! He blushes around you a lot, this is typically when you are in close proximity to him. And while aang has no problem being physically affectionate around friends, he shy’s away from doing it with you. However, if you’re physically affectionate with him he will very awkwardly reciprocate. His shyness might do him more harm than good if he accidentally hurts your feelings by not being very physically affectionate with you in comparison to the rest of the gaang. Aang is very clumsy around you, and that’s not just falling on his face, he tends to mess up his words around you due to nervousness. However despite his lack of physical affection, he’s a very clingy dude with you and always loves to spend his time with you, and literally laughs at all your jokes no matter how bad they are. In turn, he also always makes jokes and tries to make you laugh literally all the time. Aang is also extremely patient with you, he’d have to be in a very bad mood to ever get angry with you, lol. (The only time I could think of is while aang lost appa, like literally the only time I think he’d be driven to the point of yelling and being angry with you). Even if he was mad at you for other reasons, I can’t see him yelling at you or even being mad for long. He also tends to be very protective, especially if you can’t bend or can’t bend very well. However, because of how caring and overbearing he can be, he may make you feel like you’re weak sometimes. So you two tend to have a lot of conversations about him not being so overly protective when it comes to danger. He can’t help it sometimes, especially when he gets nightmares about you getting hurt. He loves being goofy and dumb around you, and totally tries to impress you with his bending LOL. If there’s something you don’t know or understand, he tries to impress you with his 100 years of knowledge, lol.

Katara can be a bit of a mom when it comes to you at times, only because she worries for you. She’ll be darned if she lets anyone hurt the person she loves the most, she is protecting you through and through. Strong or not, she sees you as somebody worth protecting. She’s not as bad as aang is, but she definitely blushes quite a bit around you. She often tries to get your approval on things, whether that’s taking her side whenever she has an argument with toph or getting your approval on her new clothes. Or perhaps even her hair but .. shrug. She also loves teasing you, kinda like how she teases zuko honestly but she won’t get on your case as much and it’s all in good fun. She’s not funny, but still tries to make you laugh. She may end up embarrassing herself most of the time, but it’s worth it if she gets a little giggle out of you. If you’re a water bender, she’s more than happy to teach you. Probably doesn’t want you learning about blood bending though, so she doesn’t really mention it to you lol. It’s not like she doesn’t trust you, she just can’t imagine somebody she adores doing knowing how to bend in such a frightening way. She keeps you far away from it, as a means to protect you and your innocence. Because boy, she sees you as somebody that could do no wrong. Seriously, it’s kinda annoying to the rest of the gaang if you were ever in the wrong about something because she will defend you to heck and back. Although her crush is obvious, most of the gaang find her crush on you to be sweet (most of the time). She does not tolerate anyone yelling at you, or even being angry at you. She never gets angry at you as well, because again, in her eyes you could do no wrong. Maybeee have a talk with her about the fact you’re not a completely innocent goody two shoes, or not… up to you. Katara is surprisingly forward with you, often going out her way to hug you, to hold your hand, and when you accomplish something amazing, she gives you a kiss on the cheek. You’d have to be really dense to not notice her affections towards you.

Sokka is very obvious, he’s never been the type to hide his feelings so he really doesn’t even bother. However, how he approaches your relationship really depends on how long he’s known you. If you’ve only just met and are starting to become friends he tries to be extremely forward with you about his feelings, and flirts with you. Albeit, very poorly. He’s not as suave as he likes to act like he is. In reality he’s a big dork with a stupid crush. However, if you two have known eachother for years and have been friends for a long period of time, he wouldn’t even know how to approach the situation. Normally, he may try to act cool, like he doesn’t care about you. But in a situation like this, he can’t just do that. It hurts him to even think about pretending not to care about you. He struggles for awhile on how to approach these feelings once they’re realized, but honestly if you’ve been friends for YEARS he’s probably figured it out by now and treats you like always but there’s some slight changes. He’s always been protective but you’ll find that with you it’s to the max, he’s not even this protective of his own sister. Hes even more paranoid around newcomers when you’re apart of the equation. Always says something along the lines of “y/n! Step back! They could be dangerous!” and the others just make fun of him for it lol. He’s always trying to find ways to impress you, with his fighting skills and all. Happy to teach you to ;) but if you’re a bender he finds himself trying extra hard to show you just how cool he can be. He doesn’t blush nearly as much as katara and aang would, but it happens on occasion. This is typically if you said something along the lines of “sokka! Thank you for saving me :))) you’re so strong and amazing and blah blah” or if you were being extremely flirtatious LOL. Low key very clingy and follows you around a lot, but tries to act like he’s just bored and your the best option he has to cure the boredom lol he ain’t as slick as he thinks he is. Is the kinda guy who chooses to always sit next to you, fight alongside you, etc. gets angry whenever there’s a avatar plan and he isn’t with you/separated from you lol. Also suki loves you and thinks you’re great for sokka, if only man’s could just confess already.

Toph is not used to having crushes, she’s never had one. However, that doesn’t mean she’s stupid. She realizes her emotions very well but she does not know what to do with them. She’s not used to having a soft spot for anyone, either. She shows her affection by constantly punching you in the arm. However, if you happen to be very affectionate, she doesn’t pull away. So feel free to grab her hand, hug her, etc. you’ll find she has no qualms with you wanting to be there and helping her, either. Even if it can be a sore subject at times to accept help, wanting to be tough all the time, she appreciates that you don’t see her as a weak blind girl and as a strong person that can take care of herself if needed. She appreciates any reminders you want to help not because you think she’s weak but rather because you care for her. Toph shows she cares, though it’s rare and often is not shown through words. She shows it by protecting you. However she is not overly protective, knowing how bad she feels when people are overly protective of her. She loves to tease you, often being her form of affection. She even likes to train and spar with you. If your often physically affectionate, she expects you to stay that way and may think somethings wrong if you aren’t. In which case, she threatens to beat up whoever wronged you. If it’s not a someone, well, she’s always willing to listen. She’s good at doing that anyway. Because she would be used to your affections she would also start to initiate them. She blushes a bit around you, and you’ll even find she’s brave enough to kiss you on the cheek if you were to save her life or protect her. When toph is sleepy, she likes to lean on you and use you as her head rest. She always likes when you go on about random stuff, and she can just fall asleep to the sound of your voice. She is also kinda obvious sometimes about her crush. Normally, you wouldn’t have any idea, but she has small moments where she makes it obvious. A slip of the tongue gives herself away more often than not. “Nobody cares about my weird toy collection!” “I care… I mean! Psh! Yeah why would anyone care about t something so stupid anyway.” she has her moments.

Zuko is just .. painful. All of the gaang get second hand embarrassment from how awfully obvious he is about his crush. From the constant red cheeks to the nervous stuttering over his words to accidentally fire bending just because he’s so nervous around you.. it’s hard to believe he’s even trying to hide it. He doesn’t even know how obvious he’s being until sokka says something to him about being cooler about you. “Wait.. if you think I’m obvious do you think they know?” “Nah.. they’re totally oblivious.” “Oh… that’s… good…” “what do you mean good?!” but in all seriousness, he acts completely different around you in comparison to everyone else. Even if we’re talking book 1 and 2 zuko, he’s a lot more patient with you (not saying much though cuz boy still has a big temper). He tries really hard to be nice, forced awkward smile and all. He is told that it makes him more … approachable. Though if you’re childhood friends (or have been friends for a long time) he kinda drops that rather quickly. If not though, he tries to actually keep it up. However you’ll find he’s quick to apologize if he blows up on you. Unless it’s in an especially bad mood (by that I mean sadder, rather than madder) but he will come around when he’s feeling better. Gets embarrassed easily around you, like if you tease him his entire face goes red. He just cannot deal lol. Pretty protective, but isn’t overly protective… unless azula is involved because bro will be worse than sokka if she’s involved at all LOL. Is willing to do anything with you, which says a lot. Not a fan typically of “fun” events such as festivals or parties but is willing to go with you without much fuss, he can deal if you’re having a fun time. He gets very jealous though, even when you two aren’t dating. He just doesn’t know how to handle the idea of somebody else liking you, or even worse, you ending up with them. He doesn’t handle jealousy very well, very willing to fight the individual as a means to “protect” you, or whatever excuse he can come up with. Out of all of the gaang, he’s the least ready the confess his feelings. He fears rejection, he fears ruining what you two have together.

Suki doesn’t like to mess around, no bulls, so she’s very bold and very open about the fact she likes you. It’s up to you to take your relationship to the next level if that’s what you desire. She does not hesitate to kiss you on the cheek before a tough battle, a battle she isn’t sure she’d come back from, or one she isn’t sure you’d come back from. If you asked, she’d tell you “it’s cause I like you, silly.” It’s up to you to take it further with her if it’s what you desire. However; she has no qualms with you wanting to be friends for awhile first before anything else. She understands that sometimes people need more time and more trust before building a proper relationship. As a result, suki is very understanding of you as well as your boundaries and never holds these things against you and furthermore doesn’t take this as something she should feel bad about either. For the most part, even she can’t help insecurities. So long as you have good communication, she will not feel as though she’s gross or not good enough for you or something along the lines. She may help you train, if your not a good fighter and just need to learn some basics. She doesn’t mind being the one to protect you, but she’d like you to know how to at least defend yourself even if it’s the bare minimum. She knows fighting helps with her self confidence so she wants you to be able to have that for yourself too. Though I will say, she already treats you like her s/o, even if you aren’t a couple. What can I say? She’s just straight forward and doesn’t like to play around. Suki is very trusting of you, so I can’t say that even when you two do start dating she’s the jealous type, but she can be protective. She likes being the one to keep you safe. She loves to tease and poke fun at you a lot, in a purely affectionate way. You’ll also find she thinks the world of you and finds you, no matter what, to be endearing and special to her. For a strong Kyoshi warrior she has quite the soft spot for you and treats you like an angel from the heavens. She likes grabbing your hand a lot in random moments, almost like a sign to other people that maybeeeee are interested in you, that you’re taken. She may flirt with you from time to time, and it’s rare but you can make her blush:0 all you have to do is beat her in a training match, or be very forward with her and flirt. However it will only work if you’re not normally forward, lol.

#zuko x reader #sokka x reader #aang x reader #toph x reader #katara x reader #suki x reader #atla x reader #avatar the last airbender x reader

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prying-pandora666 · 2 months

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Who is Izumi’s Mom? Copium Edition

So we all know that Bryke have refused to confirm who Izumi’s mother is. Even when they released family trees, the conspicuously left Izumi’s mom blank.

So incredibly frustrating!

So since Bryke insists on baiting us and not giving us closure, here’s a dose of copium for all shippers.

First off! Izumi’s name means “spring fountain”. Remember that.

Secondly, she looks like this:

REASONS WHY YOUR SHIP OF CHOICE COULD STILL MAKE SENSE!

Mai - She looks the most like Izumi. She canonically dated Zuko (until they broke up AGAIN). The former comics’ writer believes they will make up. She and Zuko have a history surrounding fountains. Even with all the drama, she remains the most likely candidate.

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Katara - It should be self explanatory why a child named “fountain”, as in water, may be a reference to the one water bender Zuko dueled with most. The two of them clearly developed a connection by the end of the show, and Katara once even offered to heal Zuko’s scar. This one is all but debunked due to Kataang being canon, but it’s still nice to dream! And no one can deny they look great together.

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Jin - Zuko and Jin shared lovely chemistry on their one date. Zuko was even willing to risk getting outed as a firebender in the Earth Kingdom and imprisoned, just to make her smile. This scene is also significant because it involved a fountain. Considering the bulk of Zuko’s redemption happened in the EK and the plot continued into the comics dealing with the blended FN/EK colonies, I can see why this would be a good thematic choice.

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Toph - A rarer pair but one that one storyboard artist snuck in a reference for! Toph and Zuko have a lot in common. They both come from families of status that abused them for their failure to conform. Toph was born blind while Zuko has a disfiguring facial scar that realistically should affect both his vision and his hearing to an extent. Toph also has a friendship with uncle Iroh and was the first member of the Gaang to successfully understand and comfort Zuko as well as she did. Some point out that Zuko’s daughter Izumi has vision problems (like Toph) while Toph’s daughter Lin has a facial scar (like Zuko). The name Kanto, the alleged father of Lin, can also be written with the characters for “crown capital” so some speculate it’s an alias for Zuko. Spring fountain could be a reference both to the Earth element’s season of spring as well as to a volcano, which is like a fountain combining fire and earth. This scene is the most telling, with two doves representing Zuko and Toph. When Zuko walks away from Toph, the two doves kiss, signifying that perhaps a romance between them is destined for the future. Luckily, Toph knows how to listen and wait. Everything that applies to Jin about making peace with the EK applies even more to Toph since she’s actually from a noble house.

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Suki - A bit of a wild card since she’s dating Sokka! But the comics showed Zuko and Suki getting much closer. When no one else was on Zuko’s side during the conflict in the colonies, and even Mai dumped him over his desperate visits to Ozai, Suki stayed by Zuko’s side. She never lost faith in him and tried her best to be there for him. The two have clearly developed a close friendship and bond of trust. Some even see it as romantic, which spells bad news for our boy Sokka. However, seeing as the book Legacy implies Sokka and Suki broke up, perhaps Zuki shippers have more evidence to stand on than originally thought! Everything that applies to Jin about making peace with the EK would also apply, since Suki is also from the EK. Perhaps she could fan the flames of his passion?

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Sokka - Okay we all know it’s not going to happen but they’re really cute and I get it. The fountain claim applies to Sokka same as it does Katara! Hey there’s always a chance! Korrasami proved that!

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Ty Lee - Not a lot to go off here but it’s undeniable that the two have a weird, unspoken tension. Why is Zuko quietly beefing with his sister’s bff? It’s never explained. Something is definitely going on there! We just don’t know what it is. In the comics, Zuko does lament not playing with Ty Lee and the other girls more as a kid.

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Azula - I mean… okay I get it. The features that Izumi has in common with Mai, she also has in common with Zuko. So it’s not impossible to see why some would think she looks like Azula too. But can we please not make ATLA into Game of Thrones? This certainly isn’t helping:

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Jet - He’s dead now so it’s not possible. But did Jet actually have a thing for Zuko? You know… it was really unclear.

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#atla #avatar the last airbender #avatar #Zuko #maiko #zutara #toko #zutoph #Jinko #zukka #Zuki #ty zuko #Jetko

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comradekatara · 25 days

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How much do I need to pay for some more aang and suki shenanigans?

same girl!!! their friendship (that is almost entirely hypothetical and mostly exists in my head) is soo important to me i just know they’re best friends. like obviously the fact that suki is close with appa and momo already signifies a lot about the nature of their relationship, but they barely interact throughout the show, which makes sense considering that suki is mostly there to supplement sokka’s character and all her other interactions with the gaang are fairly limited (katara and suki friendship though….. also deeply important. to me). but as the most emotionally healthy, stable, self-possessed, and just straight up cool members of the gaang, i just know they’d get along like a house on fire.

i think suki would pretty quickly come to see aang as a little brother figure the same way sokka does, and suki would be the big sister he never had in return. and they definitely get into all kinds of little adventures together after the war, like aang telling suki about the cactus juice incident and suki immediately being like “omg we NEED to try that (don’t tell sokka and katara)”, or going around helping rebuild villages and relocate displaced peoples together, or pranking each other in increasingly crazier ways.

oh yes the aang and suki prank war is very real (toph and katara have a concurrent prank war going on of course; zuko who is far too sensitive & gullible, and sokka who is far too anxious, refuse to be caught in the crosshairs of either of these conflicts). it starts at the western air temple and ends when both of them are dead. everyone on kyoshi island genuinely worships aang like a god and so they think suki is absolutely fucking insane for putting cactus juice in his smoothie right before he’s supposed to deliver a big speech, but she’s just like “no it’s gonna be so fucking funny, just trust me.” (and it is.)

the “putting a “snake” in your sleeping bag and humiliating you in front of your almost boyfriend and his hot dad -> reading katara a really bad poem and then claiming that aang wrote it for her -> loosening the bedframe in your bedroom on ember island so that it crashes during sex (the point at which aang learned NEVER to make sokka collateral damage in these escapades) -> making the whole gaang sit through a colonialist propaganda play just because you know it’ll piss aang off -> putting hot sauce in your red face paint so that it stings and burns your eyelids so bad throughout the entirety of zuko’s coronation day -> nearly causing an international incident because you straight up endangered the life of the avatar” pipeline is so fucking real you guys.

and for what it’s worth, a lot of people assume that aang and suki actually hate each other, and that’s why they’re so invested in this prank war. but they love each other deeply, and that’s evident whenever they’re not in the middle of concocting a nefarious revenge plot, like when they go for long walks together, or just sit and chill outside, or cook together, or any other one of the many other activities they enjoy in each other’s company. they don’t hold grudges either. the pranking is fun for them because they’re both secure enough in themselves to understand that it’s being done out a shared sense of joy and whimsy, and not out of any desire to genuinely antagonize the other. to be fair, sometimes their pranks do actually go too far in various ways, but again, no hard feelings. it’s just a testament to the skill of the pranker, and an invitation for the other to step up their game.

#professordino #asks #aang #suki #aang&suki #go thru that tag for more aang&suki shenaningans. btw #they are so important to me #as are all big sister little brother relationships…… for no reason in particular . of course

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rifari2037 · 2 months

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6. Do you consider the comics/LoK canon?

I prefer to pretend that comics and TLOK aren't canon.

ATLA is enough for me, even though the love story isn't good written. It's weird and rushed except for Sokka and Suki. I'm a Zutara shipper, but I wouldn't expect them to end up together either if the better story is ended with friendship.

Why I don't consider comics as canon?

I probably can't give to much criticism because I don't read the comics yet and I'm not interested to do so because I've read many criticisms about it before, this is one of them that I found recently.

There are other criticisms about it, most of them about the plot and how is Katara's role reduce, from Katara we all know to not more than Avatar's girlfriend. Those makes me less interested, though.

Plus, I probably can't stand reading Aang and Katara calling each other 'Sweetie' all the time. It wasn't romantic but cheesy to me.

Why I don't consider TLOK as canon?

Don't get me wrong, I quite enjoyed TLOK since Bolin exist, but I don't think it's as well written as ATLA. The conflicts, the arcs, the complexity. I have a lot of thoughts on some aspects that make TLOK no more special than ATLA, but I will only explain the most disappointing for me - and a lot of fans - here, which is how Katara is written.

Bryke always tells fans that Kat/Ang are perfect pairing. Since they became canon in ATLA, Bryke has many chances in TLOK to convince fans (especially Zutara stand) of what Bryke said.

But what we get are – Katara's role simply as the wife and mother of the Avatar's children. Like, having 3 kids doesn't make them perfect couple. And if Katara's role replaced by another character, would the main story change? No, not at all.

Zuko still the one who knew Aang more than anyone else, not Katara.

It doesn't matter if Katara only end up being a healer in her old age even though she wanted to fight when she was young. I mean, Toph also lives in the swamp and Zuko chooses to retire as Fire Lord.

But where was she when she was young? Where was she when Sokka was a leader, Toph was a police chief, Zuko was a Fire Lord, and Aang was the avatar? Where is her statue, while even cabbage man has it?

Not only that, Bryke also thought it's a brilliant idea to make Aang as a bad father. Unbelievable!

Bryke ignores all the opportunities of Zutara. But seeing how Bryke's favourite pairing is written, it's better that Zutara don't end up together. I'm afraid Bryke would destroy Zutara more than Kat/Ang.

#pro zutara #zutara #anti anti zutara #anti kataang #anti bryke #antikataang #atla zutara #zuko x katara #zuko and katara #katara x zuko #tlok critical

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gladerwolfstarkimagines · 2 years

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Imagine teasing Sokka and Suki for being embarassingly romantic and them getting revenge when they realise you like Zuko

Sokka and Suki were a great couple, their only flaw however was the sickening things they said to each other publically. You were travelling to Ba Sing Sei and ran into Suki who waited precisely 5 minutes before flirting with Sokka. “Look at you sleeveless guy, been working out?” Suki asked Sokka. You gagged loudly drawing Suki’s attention but Sokka didn’t seem to hear you. “I’ll grab a tree branch and do a few chin touches every now and then” he bragged and you snorted “more like a twig, you couldn’t lift a tree branch if you were a wood bender”. Sokka and Suki shot you a look but Katara and Toph laughed. You hated romance and anytime someone was sweet or soppy you couldn’t be in the vicinity. Unfortunately Sokka and Suki (mainly Sokka) turned into lovey-dovey messes around each other every single time.

The rest of the gang all thought you were being dramatic apart from Toph but that wasn’t much consolation considering her feelings were driven by her crush on Sokka. You tried to tolerate as much as you could but sometimes they were just downright sickening. You thought you were the only person who hated romance and then Zuko arrived. Apparently you were just from the wrong nation. Zuko quickly explained how affection and love ballads weren’t a thing in the fire nation. People expressed themselves but usually in more subtle and private ways which suited you perfectly. So reassured you weren’t crazy you relaxed and became eager to find out how suited to the fire nation you actually were. To do this you spent time with Zuko learning about his nation. You were fascinated by everything he told you and absorbed everything he told you about his culture.

“I’m moving to the fire nation after all this” you announced one evening when Zuko told you dancing also wasn’t a thing in the fire nation. “It turns out they’re my people so why waste any time? After this invasion business is wrapped up I’ll be moving into a fancy house right by the palace, right Zuko?”. Zuko smirked slightly at your tone and nodded “I promise once this is all over if you want to move to the fire nation I can arrange that, fancy house and all”. Zuko then excused himself to make some tea and you smiled watching him. “Man it’s good being friends with the prince” you smiled leaning back on your arms and Sokka rolled his eyes. “Sure friends...” he smirked and you frowned “we are friends, just because Zuko hates most things doesn’t mean he hasn’t warmed up to me”. “Ow I’m not doubting he’s warmed up to you, i’m merely suggesting that’s not all”. You sat up, getting angrier by the second at Sokka’s tone and sighed “just say whatever you’re hinting at, I know you’re dying to”. Sokka laughed “you and Zuko...you like each other romantically”. You laughed in response “no we don’t! Where did you get that idea from?”. This time Sokka laughed “ow I don’t know maybe by how you stay up late together by the campfire trading stories or how you stare at him transfixed when he tells you about the fire nation”. “Because i’m interested in other cultures!” you cried and Sokka smirked “nice try y/n but we all know you’re interested in more than Zuko’s culture” Sokka said suggestively and you blushed vividly making him laugh loudly. “You had no idea what you’re talking about!” you cried and stormed away.

Although you denied Sokka’s accusations they planted a seed in your head and you began wondering if your feelings for Zuko were more than a friendship. It had surprised you how well the two of you got along and you did find yourself drawn to him more and more. Maybe Sokka, shockingly, was right.

You couldn’t sleep, Sokka’s words were still in your head so you went for a stroll. From your vantage point you spotted movement. It was Zuko and he was climbing up on Appa. You frowned and part of you wondered if Zuko was trying to steal him but only a small part. You thought it much more likely something else was going on so crept your way to Appa and waited. Not long after Sokka appeared. Zuko scared him making him fall hard. “Well that was dramatic” you commented from your hiding place and Zuko jumped following Sokka on his fall to the ground. You grinned seeing both of them rubbing their heads staring up at you and jumped down “so what’s going on?”. Sokka soon explained his plan to save his dad from prison and you and Zuko managed to convince him to let you come. You left a more convincing note for the others explaining your absence than Sokka’s “went fishing” idea and took off.

You and Sokka decided to nap seeing as you wouldn’t arrive till morning and Zuko agreed to keep watch. You woke a few hours later to see Zuko still stood in the same position staring out at the scenery. “Hey” you smiled “you okay?”. “Yeah i’m fine” Zuko said softly and you raised an eyebrow. “Really? Because you haven’t moved from that position in hours”. Zuko turned to face you fully “don’t worry I’m fine, just keeping watch that’s all”. You nodded and looked out at the sunrise. “So how are you feeling about heading back into the fire nation?” you asked. Zuko shrugged “indifferent to be honest, the idea doesn’t really bother me. I just hope we all get in and out safely”. You nodded but Zuko hadn’t quietened your worry “aren’t you concerned about someone recognising you? What if we see someone you know...maybe this is too dangerous for you?”. “I’ll be fine y/n” Zuko said simply and went to move away again when he paused “but thanks for your concern for me”. You locked eyes and panicked over what to say. “Err no problem” you blushed “just don’t die”. Zuko chuckled “I’ll try not to” and turned back to manning the ship. You stared after him blushing when Sokka appeared suddenly “what time is it, did I miss much? Wait why are you...”. “Nothing shut up” you cried and went inside the cabin so Sokka couldn’t see the vivid blush on your face.

You landed the ship and soon snuck into the prison. You couldn’t find Hakoda but you did manage to find someone else. “It’s Suki!” Sokka cried and you sighed “ow god...get ready for it” you whispered to Zuko who frowned “ready for what? Who’s Suki?”. “Only the most amazing beautiful wonderful girls in the world!” Sokka yelled and you shot Zuko a look “that”.

Once you found Suki everything fell into place. Hakoda arrived and you’d worked out an escape plan and not a moment too soon as Azula, Ty lee and Mai arrived. Azula and Ty lee were hot in pursuit and you managed to dodge most of their attacks but all it took was one. Azula sent a large attack at you and there was nowhere to dodge it on the narrow platform. You winced as Azula’s flame pushed you hard into the wall and heard Sokka yell your name. Zuko reached you first and you groaned trying to move your arm “somethings wrong with it”. “Can you move it?”. You shook your head and Zuko frowned “I think it’s dislocated”. “Dislocated?” Sokka cried “what do we do?”. “I can fix it we just have to get her to the barge, y/n can you stand?”. You nodded but groaned as your arm moved. Zuko grabbed onto you and placed your good arm around his shoulder “is this alright or do you need me to carry you?”. “This is fine” you blushed and Zuko nodded helping you get to the barge. Once inside Zuko started working on your shoulder, talking you through what he was going to do softly.

“It's gonna hurt but just try and focus on something else okay?”. You nodded and honestly it wasn’t difficult. Zuko was staring at you, filled with concern, as he tried to gently fix your shoulder. You were more focused on not blushing than your shoulder and it didn’t help that the others were watching everything. Sokka seemed to have a smug smile despite the circumstance and you reminded yourself to kill him later.

After Zuko set your shoulder you drifted off to sleep and awoke back at the temple where Katara was overseeing Zuko’s work. When they realised you were awake they both rushed to you but Zuko got to you first. “You’re awake!” he cried “how are you feeling?”. “Okay...” you replied tenderly “my shoulder feels a bit sore”. Katara nodded “that’s to be expected, i’d rest it for at least a week and make sure you don’t do any heavy lifting with it okay?”. You nodded and Katara excused herself with a smile. “You’re really okay?” Zuko asked and you nodded “yeah, sorry I guess I wasn’t much help in the final fight, did everything go okay?”. Zuko shook his head “don’t be silly you were hurt! We were all just worried about you more than anything. We got away fine with some help and all made it back in one piece”. “Wow that almost sounds too good to be true, we got lucky”. Zuko nodded “we really did” before he smirked mischievously. “And to think after all that warning about it being too dangerous for me, you’re the one who tried to take on my sister alone” Zuko smirked teasing you and you struggled not to blush. “Yeah well you are the prince of the fire nation remember, I just have really bad luck”. Zuko smiled “sure you do, either way be more careful next time okay?”. “Only if you are” you retorted and Zuko nodded “deal” gripping your hand in promise. His gaze lingered on you for a few seconds too long and he abruptly stepped back “erm I’ll leave to let you get changed and freshen up, I’ll come visit you later. Get well soon”. You nodded and searched for something to say back. “Thanks you too!” you cried before realising that didn’t make sense at all. “Wait I didn’t mean that, you don’t have to get well because you’re fine...I don’t know why I said that”. Zuko chuckled as your face reddened and he smiled softly “don’t worry it was funny” and he walked away. You breathed in a deep breath before you heard laughing. “Who’s there!” you cried and Sokka and Suki stepped inside the tent from the opposite doorway, laughing hard. “What’s so funny?” you asked and they both smiled widely. “Nothing....we just find it ironic that’s all” Suki smirked and you frowned “what?”. “Well you’ve spent this entire time acting like you were better than us because romance is for losers and then Zuko shows up and you’re the one blushing and laughing at his jokes. “WHAT” you cried “I am not...we’re just friends, we have the same sense of humour and we’re both the eldest so of course we’d gravitate towards one another”. “Sure and that has nothing to do with you finding him attractive? Just a coincidence?” Suki asked. “I don’t find him attractive why would you even say that?”. “Huh guess we were wrong” Suki shrugged “see you around y/n” and they sauntered away.

After the air temple’s position became compromised you moved to a house Zuko’s family-owned and you were greatly enjoying home comforts as opposed to bare caves and temples. So you let your guard down and didn’t see the attack heading straight for you.

“Y/n come quick! Aang’s in trouble!” Suki yelled. You dropped what you were holding and ran as fast as you could into the courtyard. You shot around the corner and narrowly missed getting hit by a jet of fire.You blinked ready to counter the attack when you saw Zuko and Aang staring at you confused. “Y/n? What’s wrong why did you do that I could have hurt you!” Zuko cried and you blinked “Suki said...” you glanced around and saw Suki and Sokka sat on a bench across the yard smirking at you. You were confused why they seemed so smug, all they’d done was made you embarrass yourself in front of everyone, then you realised Zuko wasn’t wearing a shirt. “Suki what was that?” Zuko asked coming to stand in front of you and you looked away “nothing it was just a prank” you cut in hoping Zuko would drop it. Zuko seemed confused but he shrugged much to your relief...then he carried on coming closer. “It's not a funny prank if you get hurt, I didn’t burn you did i?” he asked reaching out for your arm. You moved your arm out of his grasp immediately your cheeks flushing “no i’m fine! Not a scratch on me”. “Are you sure because burns need treating right away or they’ll...”. “I’m fine Zuko” you said sharply and he paused at the harshness of your voice. You immediately felt guilty as Zuko stepped back “okay”. An awkward silence fell and you were getting ready to retreat but Sokka and Suki weren’t done yet. “Hey Zuko didn’t you say you wanted to show y/n how to fight a fire bender given what happened at the prison?” Sokka called. Zuko nodded “I do but i’m training Aang this morning”. “Yeah but maybe we could end it there for today? Honestly I’m exhausted and could use a break” Aang sighed. Zuko frowned looking up at you “well okay but if now doesn’t work for you we could do another time?” Zuko asked timidly and you again felt awful for snapping at him. “Now’s great” you smiled softly and Zuko smiled back making you blush vividly and you heard Sokka and Suki laugh. “Let me know when you’re ready” Zuko told you grabbing a bottle of water and drinking deeply. You watched as some water spilt over and ran down his neck. “You okay there y/n?” Suki asked and you glared going bright red. You marched over to them furiously “you two think you’re so clever but I know exactly what you’re trying to do and it won’t work!”. “Won’t it?” Sokka asked “you’re pretty red y/n, sure you can handle shirtless Zuko?”. You blushed at his word choice making them before erupting into laughter again. “Y/n?” Zuko called and you paused “yeah?”. “We should probably get started soon that way we can get an hour in before the sun becomes too intnese. You nodded and with a last glare came to stand across from Zuko. “So I think the reason Azula’s attack was so successful is because you fought it head on rather than manouvering it, fire is life, it isn’t solid like a rock so you can be more flexible with it, how is your flexibility?”. “My flexibility?” you asked blushing as you heard Sokka break out laughing. “Yeah...” Zuko said confused looking from you to Sokka “good hip and foot movement can really help you dodge attacks”. “Yeah y/n how’s your hip movement?” Sokka called and you glared at him before turning back to Zuko “okay I think...”. Zuko nodded “okay well try dodging some attacks and I’ll give you some tips?”. You nodded and focused on Zuko. You dodged his attacks and Zuko nodded “good but try being lighter on your feet and guard your centre more”. “My centre?”. “Yeah, so you place your arms beside your body but try moving them infront, that way if you need to dodge it’ll be easier”. When you moved your arms confused Zuko smiled “here like this” and he helped place them correctly. You blushed as he reached around you and both Sokka and Suki smirked widely. “Got it?” Zuko asked and you nodded staring straight ahead, pointedly not looking at him “yep”. “And maybe loosen up a bit, you seem tense”. “I wonder why” Suki muttered and you broke stance “okay that’s it...” when Sokka stood up. “Don’t worry we’re going, it seems like you two need some privacy anyway” Sokka smirked “that way you can train more intimately”. “Have fun” Suki grinned “although not too much y/n” she cried winking at you. The door closed and Zuko turned to you “not too much fun?”. “Erm Suki just knows I love training that’s all she meant...shall we begin?”.

You spent most of the day training with Zuko and while it got a lot better when there was no audience, the minute you stopped all your shyness returned. You could barely look at Zuko and just wished he’d for the love of god put on some clothes.

You just finished training as the others returned and they all shot you smirks as they walked past you into the house. Sokka and Suki seemed very smug and you seriously doubted they’d actually gone into the house. You glanced around the yard wondering where they’d think to hide when you realised Zuko was also staring at the house with a frown. You immediately grew worried that he’d gotten suspicious of all their teasing but luckily that wasn’t the case. “Damn I was hoping to sort out all this training stuff before they got back” Zuko said gesturing to the training equipment around you “Sokka really hogs the shower”. You laughed very familiar with Sokka’s intense pamper regime. “Well why don’t I sort all of this?” you asked. Zuko paused “no I can’t make you pack all of this away on your own”. “It’s fine honestly” you assured him “plus if you don’t move now Sokka will be in there for like an hour”. Zuko nodded “that is true...okay, thanks y/n you’re the best”. You smiled blushing slightly “no problem...”. Zuko smiled back “thanks again and good work today” Zuko added before rushing inside.

The second he was gone Sokka and Suki emerged from a hiding spot just like you figured they would. Before they could speak you held up a hand “Don’t even speak”. “What we weren’t going to say anything” Suki smiled “just you look a little red that’s all”. “Yeah good session?” Sokka asked “or did Zuko work you too hard?”. Suki laughed and you glared. “That’s it! If you two won’t quit then fine I admit it! I like Zuko! He’s stubborn and dramatic and has a short temper which are all things I shouldn’t like but I do because I’m the exact same! But he can also be sweet and shy which makes him adorable considering he’s literally royalty. He’s also really funny in his own way and I love how awkward he is. Not to mention how incredibly attractive he is! His hair alone makes me weak but seeing him shirtless and sweaty today...I barely got through training without passing out so are you both happy now? You’ve driven me to insanity with all your teasing! I like Zuko, I’ll admit it because I can’t think of anything else but him!”. Silence settled and Suki went to talk when a small voice asked “you do?”. You turned to see Zuko stood in the doorway with a very confused look on his face. “Zuko....did you hear all of that?”. Zuko nodded “I forgot my shirt so I came back...you like me?”. You blushed “kind of...” but when Zuko frowned you sighed “I mean yes, I like you...but I don’t expect anything in return I mean you’ve got so much on your plate right now and I know you just saw Mai...”. Zuko didn’t talk or even react to what you said he just stared down at the floor thinking. “Zuko?” you asked after the most uncomfortable seconds of your life passed “please say something”. Zuko sighed “I don’t know what to say...I mean we get along well and you’re all of those things you said about me and more but I think I need time to work out how I feel, is that okay?”. “That’s totally fine take as long as you need” you nodded and Zuko nodded “thanks y/n” and walked away. Zuko left and Sokka and Suki looked at you “Y/n we’re so sorry!” they both burst. “We didn’t plan that at all we just wanted to tease you a little bit we promise” Suki cried. “Exactly! I’ll go explain it all to Zuko about how we pushed you to say all that” Sokka offered and you sighed. “No it’s okay...I mean he was bound to figure it out eventually, it’s probably better he knows I guess”. “Y/n we’re really sorry is there anything we can do?” Suki asked and you shook your head. “It wasn’t your fault and actually all this teasing has made me think. I was rude and cruel to both of you before so i’m the one who should apologise to you. I made fun of you just because I have a different idea of what a relationship looks like but that doesn’t make yours any less valid. I should never have teased you guys for showing affection just because I’m not like that. I’ve been an awful friend...can you ever forgive me?”. “Of course we can!” Sokka cried and Suki nodded “we knew you never meant any harm”. “I know but actions matter more than intentions so I’m really sorry”. “Hey if you can forgive us for outing you to your crush then we can forgive you for teasing us” Sokka said hugging you and Suki joined in “what are friends for?”. You still felt utterly humiliated but at least you had your friends to comfort you.

As time passed and Zuko never mentioned that day to you again you figured his silence spoke louder than any words. He didn’t return your feelings and that was fine. You understood Zuko didn’t have to like you back or want anything more with you just because you got on well. You respected his friendship enough to not be bitter or rude to him for his choice. All you wanted was for him to be happy and if that was with Mai or another person then you were happy.

You put everything in the past and managed to win the war. Aang defeated Ozai and Zuko, with Katara’s considerable help, defeated Azula becoming Firelord. You were so proud of all your friends and stayed in the fire nation for a while to celebrate. Things had been awkward between you and Zuko at first but now they were back to normal and you were pleased your friendship had survived. You hoped to remain good friends with Zuko and thought that seemed likely even with your encroaching departure.

One day before you were due to leave Zuko found you in a spot in the palace you liked to read in. “Zuko” you said surprised “what brings you in here? I thought you had Firelord things all day?”. “I did but I heard you were leaving and I need to speak to you, can we talk?”. You were instantly confused and nervous but nodded standing up “okay...”. Zuko led you to an empty study and closed the door. He was breathing very quickly and was playing with his hands nervously. “Zuko are you okay...” you started when he cut you off. “I like you” Zuko said suddenly and you froze “you do...but it’s been so long since...are you sure? If it took you this long to come to the realisation maybe you’re just feeling pressured? Zuko I won’t be angry if you don’t like me”. “No that’s not why it took so long” Zuko assured you “I knew I liked you the day I heard you say all those things about me”. “You did?” you asked and Zuko nodded “well really I knew long ago but after hearing you say it I thought about it and realised I liked you too. But y/n we were living in as fugitives with the odds stacked against us. Any of us could have died or been captured, our future was so uncertain that I didn’t want to start anything in such an unstable situation. So i waited, I thought I’d wait until after the war and see what happened. By some miracle we all won and I became Firelord” he said as if the very idea was still hard for him to get used to. “As soon as the war was over I wanted to tell you but I barely got a second alone with you so I kept putting it off for the perfect moment. I didn’t want it to be rushed or forced but I took too long and so when I heard you were leaving tomorrow I knew I had to tell you. Please tell me it’s not too late and I haven’t ruined everything?”. You shook your head “no Zuko, you haven’t ruined anything”. “So...you still like me?” he asked cautiously and you rolled your eyes. “I may not be overly affectionate but don’t let that fool you, everything I said about you is still true”. “Really?” Zuko said blushing “because you said a lot of stuff i’m sure other people wouldn’t think”. “Well it’s their loss” you smiled and Zuko smiled too “and my gain I guess” taking your hand. “I’d like to think so yes” you agreed and Zuko chuckled before touching your cheek softly. He leant in to kiss you and you closed your eyes. You kissed him back and separated after a few seconds. You laughed softly under your breath and shook your head. “What is it?” Zuko asked “laughing isn’t usually a good response after a first kiss”. “No it’s not you, it’s just Sokka and Suki are going to be so smug after this”. Zuko laughed “let them” and leant in to kiss you again.

Sokka and Suki were indeed smug but you didn’t care. Zuko was more than enough compensation.

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zvtara-was-never-canon · 13 days

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So you've mentioned before that Zuko doesn't show any sexist behaviors but I'd like to point out a few scene just to see how you feel about them.

"You have quite the appitite for a girl." A very tropey sexist statement (which, yes, is played for laughs and I don't think he meant it as an insult but it does show that he has an idea of how girls either should be or usually are)

"Nice try Avatar, but these little girls can't save you." I can't really recall him ever saying anything similar about male warriors? I know there aren't really a lot of examples of male warriors that Zuko fights, but it still feels very,,, pointed and focused on the girls part.

"I'll save you from the pirates." "Looks like somebody found herself a master." These are both very patronizing lines that he says toward Katara, but he never says anything similar to Sokka or Aang (Aang I can dismiss bc he's just a prize, not an 'enemy', plus, Zuko tends to go for racist comments instead) or like, any other male, ever?

"I thought girls liked these kinds of things." Once again, is played for laughs at social ineptitude but again, shows a 'all girls are the same' mindset

Him picking at Ty Lee also felt very misogynistic to me? Like he was looking down of feminine behavior.

"What is with you?" As he is frusterated that Katara hasn't automatically forgiven him, yet to Aang he is very humble and genuinely tries to prove himself as well as accepting the lack of forgiveness as just due and offering himself as prisoner. Again, he just doesn't show the same amount of respect to Katara as he does to Aang or Sokka.

Like, any of these on their own, I could dismiss for one reason or another, but when the examples pile up it shows itself as a pattern of viewing women as intrinsically different from men, expectant of 'womanly behavior', dismissive of feminimity, and dismissive of female threats.

I love Zuko, but I definitely see this as one of his flaws and something he's got to get over along with the rest of the bullshit he was indoctrinated with. (Which is one reason I love his and Katara's friendship because like, if there was anyone who's Not Gonna Stand For That Shit, it's Katara ksbdjdnd)

Let me split the difference here

Not sexist, just an asshole

Zuko picked on Ty Lee because, much like IROH, she was a cheery person that was trying to get Zuko to lighten up or at least stop with all the unnecessary rage, angst and aggressiveness. We also see him get pissed at ALL OF HIS FRIENDS and physically attacking Aang in the finale because they're goofing around instead worrying about the war like he is.

When Zuko thinks happiness is not acceptable, he lashes out at any living thing. Boy literally snapped at a frog for not indulging in his angst to confront his current/former enemies and apologize to them. It's really not fair to act like he was picking on Ty Lee in particular, and that the ONLY reason for it was "girly girl" - especially when "The Beach" literally has Zuko himself reach the conclusion that he is lashing out at everyone else to deal with the fact that he's angry at HIMSELF, HIS actions, HIS doubts, HIS conflicting feelings. This is not about Ty Lee at all.

The same can be said about his entitlement to Katara's forgiveness. He offered to be the prisoner of ALL OF THEM when he was trying to make amends, and when they all rejected him, Katara very much included, he accept it.

Then Toph, Aang and Sokka all came around, forgived and befriended him. Everyone was chill with him. Everyone, except Katara. She was the odd one out, the constant reminder that it was not gonna be that easy to let the past stay in the past.

Zuko was trying his best to be a better person, but old habits die hard, and there was a person not doing what was more convenient for him, so he threw a tantrum. There is nothing special about that person being Katara, or any girl.

"Looks like somebody found herself a master" was also not at all about gender. Zuko mocked Aang for being "just a child" and for not having a father. He also humiliated Sokka in the first episode. OF COURSE he'd try to taunt Katara during fights.

And she DID get a master. We saw it happen. Aang was already a master of air (the element he used the most in fights), Sokka only got one in book 3. Their power-level remained the same, Katara's changed, right after she reached the North Pole, specifically to look for a waterbending master - for Aang, sure, but it's her element too, and Zuko KNOWS that she stole a scroll and used to teach herself. Zuko connecting the dots is not him assuming that a woman can only improve if she has the help of a man, it's just him having a brain.

He isn't mocking her for being a girl that needed to be taught by a man, he is mocking her for thinking she could defeat him, even after a power up - typical battle taunt, that Zuko engages in ALL the time, with basically every foe he goes up against.

And that also ties into:

Not sexist, just "Villain Talk"

Taunts like calling the Kyoshi Warriors "little girls" that can't protect the Avatar, or mocking Katara for finding herself in a situation of "damsel in distress" with the pirates, COULD reveal that Zuko is sexist and, much like Sokka and Pakku, didn't believe women could be competent fighters... if we didn't know him.

Zuko literally grew up with AZULA, someone who, in his own words, is a prodigy that is good at everything, does stuff with ease, and can be compared to the freaking Avatar. He and Iroh literally agree that it's less dangerous to risk it all traveling through the Earth Kingdom than risking being captured by her.

He never has any issue or doubt regarding Azula, Mai and Ty Lee as fighters. He doesn't throw a tantrum over needing June's help with his new plan to capture Aang. He SAYS he doesn't respect Katara as a fighter, but he's constantly in battle mode whenever he's around the any member of the Gaang, yes, even Katara, by herself.

Zuko, as a villain, says shit he doesn't mean ALL THE TIME. We see him use Ozai's line of "I'll teach you respect" against a member of his own crew, and say that the safety of said crew doesn't matter - and then go and save the guy's life. He says he'll give Zhao a scar, and doesn't do it even after Zhao tells him to AND calls him a coward.

Zuko thinks he needs to be aggressive, piss people off, and even be downright cruel, because that's what he was taught - but deep down that's not what he wants to be, nor what he already is. The same applies to his lines that imply he doesn't think women can be competent fighters. He knows that's not true, but he thinks he needs to act like that, to "play that role" because he literally was disfigured for NOT being cruel, for NOT treating people as disposable, for NOT wanting to fight, for NOT posturing as "macho", for NOT acting like he was better than everyone.

Sexist VS Sixteen/Clueless

"You have quite the appitite for a girl" and "I thought girls liked these kinds of things" feel, to me, like more of a result of Zuko being VERY clueless about social interactions and kind of relying on "tried and tested" stuff that most people around him tend to say/expect.

If you want to count that as being sexist instead of just said something sexist without meaning to, fine - but then it's time to revoke Katara's crown of "feminist queen." She was super happy when Toph joined the Gaang because she wanted someone to agree with her that some of Sokka and Aang's jokes/behaviors were immature and/or gross. TOPH. The character that is very clearly not all that feminine when she has a say on the matter and is the time to literally spit during a fight to show her disdain for the oponent, something Katara was already supposed to have learned two episoddes before.

And while you didn't mention that line, in the finale, when Zuko asks Katara to help him "put Azula in her place", Katara doesn't snap at him for supposedly being sexist (and I personally don't think this was about gender, just about their bitter rivalry and that idea that he can only truly succeed if she fails, and vice-versa) but a lot of the "Zuko is sexist" uses that as evidence, yet they never seem to care that, according to that interpretation of the scene, Katara is being complicit in Zuko's sexism towards his sister.

Oh, and Sokka, who was supposed to have unlearned sexism after the Kyoshi episode, told Aang not to answer to "twikle toes" because it wasn't manly. He also told him that, to win a girl over, you can't be too nice. It's played off for jokes and meant to make him look clueless, just like Zuko's scene with Jin.

If we're gonna call Zuko sexist for passing comments that are nowhere near as relevant as the way he is shown to consistently not treat women differently than he treats men, we're gonna have to do the same to every character - and reach the conclusion that even Katara is sexist.

Now, onto the inevitable question of:

"Does that mean the show itself is sexist?"

As some of you might have noticed, I tend to place "said something that can be taken as sexist" in a different category to "legitimately has sexist beliefs/behaviors on a very constant basis." I know that's not how everyone looks at these things, but I genuinely think it's the most accurate way to describe the nuances of it all.

I'd say Avatar is a show that has MOMENTS that could be seen as a little sexist, but overall it very clearly, and proudly, took the stance of "women deserve as much respect as men", and fully expected the audience to see the characters as equals, with the things like their genders not mattering to how one thinks of them. For that, I'd say it's unfair to label it as sexist just because of the odd questionable scene. It's taking the exceptions and trying to pass them off as the rule.

And I think the same logic applies to Zuko as a character. He has moments in which he might demonstrate some light sexism (or even intentionally fake sexism to piss someone off), but if you look at the real context and pattern, it's clear that even as a villain he never actually seem to treat women differently from men - it just so happens that when he was a bad guy he, naturally, wasn't used to treat people well. He was a jerk, but he was a jerk to EVERYBODY, all the time, no distinction made.

#zuko #sexism #atla #avatar

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eponastory · 13 days

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I keep being all up in your inbox, but I just gotta ask you another question about Zutara. So, based on everything we know about the show and the characters, how do you think Aang would react to Zutara if it was canon? Maybe at first we would be jealous and mopey about it, but when he pieces together that Zuko is a good partner because of how much he loves, respects, and helps Katara as an equal, Aang realizes that he treated his friendship with Katara too childishly and THAT'S why Katara wasn't so happy about their kisses on the Black Sun and on Ember Island. Aang realizes that Katara doesn't want him because he was too immature and it was unfair. But Aang swallows the hard pill of reality, and uses self-reflection to grow up and be a better person. Also, what do you think about Aang being with Toph? I've read an analysis that Toph would've been a better partner for Aang because Toph is much more likely to put her foot down at Aang's foolerly, and that Toph doesn't glorify Aang with the rose-tinted lens of him being the Avatar.

This could go a few ways.

But seeing as Aang has selfish tendencies and the writers are idiots when it comes to writing romance, I'm gonna go with Aang being jealous.

Let's pretend that Aang is a real kid for this instance. He is 12. He is going through puberty and has a crush on the first girl he has ever seen (you know because the Air Nomads were sexually segregated and there is a reason for that). It's just... eww. He gives me stalker vibes and then expects Katara just to be with him because he says he loves her. Then on top of all that, her choice to have any relationship is limited to Aang because of a fortune teller. Honestly, it's a horrible thing.

Aangs world view is that everything revolves around him, yet he doesn't want to take responsibility for it. He never does either. I honestly think Katara (if she were a real person) is pressured into 'loving' Aang. The problem is, he's doing the pressuring. I've seen this brought up in countless fics I've read, and we all seem to be on the same page. If they were real people, this relationship would absolutely be on the toxic side. So, yeah, I don't think Aang would let it go if Katara left him for Zuko. He wouldn't be happy because it changes all of his 'plans' for reviving the Air Nomad culture. That's a lot to put on Katara, too.

Now since these are fictional characters, I'd put my money on Bryke causing Aang to go into the Avatar state (which has happened before in one of Aangs childish tantrums) which is not good for anyone. I hate that they characterize him this way because it leaves a really bad taste in my mouth. Like calm the fuck down dude, you're supposed to be following Air Nomad culture... oh wait, you know Jack shit about it because you only learned the basics. Like ffs... the writing is all over the place with that.

But no I don't think fiction Aang would be okay with Katara and Zuko. He'd probably grin and bear it, but inside he's just one step away from Avatar state because Katara was supposed to be his forever girl.

If Aang was truly written to be wise and forgiving, (which he isnt) maybe he would let it go, but no. That's not what we got. He's... a very very flawed character.

#im just gonna say it... the antis can fuck off 😤#its not my fault that is how bryke wrote him #zutara #anti bryke #asks

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jasmine-tea-latte · 3 months

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JTL's long but not as long as it could've been review of Netflix's ATLA

So.

I’ve finished watching the Netflix adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender and I have a lot of thoughts. Because despite some of the more questionable changes, I overall enjoyed this as an adaptation.

I wish I could say that I was surprised by the criticisms I'm seen so far, but unfortunately, I’m not. As much as I adore the OG series for being one of the greatest animated shows (or television shows, period), it’s been placed on a pedestal over the years and any adaptation of it will always be held to an impossibly high standard. And for better or for worse, a lot of fans have their nostalgia glasses on when it comes to the show, so any deviation from the source material is going to receive some form of backlash. I say this as someone who clearly still loves the show 19 years later, otherwise I wouldn't be here writing about it, ya know?

Anyways, if I had to give it a grade compared to the OG series, I’d give it a B- or a C+. If I’m grading it as its own thing, I’d bump that up to a B+ or A-. There are some elements (pun not intended) that definitely should have been kept in, and some changes that I thought were done well.

TL;DR – I had fun watching it even during the parts that made me cry, and the parts that made me say “… well that was a decision.” I’d love to see the last two books be adapted as well, if for no other reason than to meet Toph Mothereffing Bei Fong and see all of Team Avatar together.

(Also because I’d LOVE to see The Ember Island Players, especially if they managed to work in a few fun cameos. Can't you picture Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as Play!Toph and thee Dante Basco as Play!Zuko, hamming it up for all it’s worth? Shut up and take my money!)

(And of course, the Last Agni Kai for obvious reasons)

So I’d recommend at least checking it out if you’re interested. I’d also like to recommend that if you do, watch it from a pragmatic standpoint that it’s a condensed adaptation, not a shot-for-shot remake.

Some things that I liked, and some that I didn’t are below the cut:

(SPOILERS, obvs)

Aang – I really liked this version of him, and though his actor’s still young, I thought he embodied the upbeat, playful side well. I also liked that they removed his one-sided crush on Katara, and – don’t shoot me for this – if they went with Kat@ang later based on how they did their characters in this first season, I wouldn’t be entirely opposed if it’s built on actual friendship and not an unrequited crush. (Still Team Zutara for life, but I don’t think that I’d *hate* it if the show went in this direction.)

Katara – I thought her actress did great when it came to portraying the nurturing, sensitive side. What I didn’t like was them removing nearly all of her feminine rage. Let her be angry! Let her lose her temper and be hot-headed! This post sums it up nicely. That being said, I do think she did well enough with the direction she was given. Here’s hoping we’ll see our girl eff some stuff up if we get Seasons 2 and 3.

Sokka – Fantastic and sarcastic. I really liked his actor’s interpretation of him, and it definitely felt more in line with the character we all fell in love with during the OG show.

Zuko – out of the main cast, I think his performance was the best. He had to step into a major role, taking over from a beloved performance that is still hailed as one of the greatest redemption arcs in modern media with a lot of expectations riding on his shoulders, and I think that his actor knocked it out of the park. It’s different from Dante Basco’s interpretation, obviously. But as I watched each episode, I kept thinking, “there’s our grumpy fire boy.” The scene where he’s throwing the temper tantrum over losing his journal, while Iroh’s standing back and watching? I thought to myself, “this boy is the worst, he’s perfect.” Plus the flashbacks to his life before scarring were done well, and even though I knew what was coming re: the Agni Kai against his father and subsequent banishment, I still got emotional.

Also, regarding the Agni Kai – on one hand, I feel like his absolute refusal to fight back was such an integral part of that scene and understanding who he is as a character. That being said, I didn’t *hate* that in this version he was pushed into defending himself, albeit by holding back. That one shot where he hesitates to attack Ozai, only for his father to use that same move against him moments later… oof.

My ONLY complaint with this version of Zuko is that he didn't say "honor" once.

Other thoughts I had:

🟣 I really liked that we got to see more of the Air Nomads and life at the Southern Air Temple prior to Sozin’s attack. I also liked the explanation the show gave of having all the Air Nomads gathered together for a festival celebrating the comet, which makes more sense if they’re all (allegedly) under one roof.

Additionally, witnessing the genocide itself… I was crying. Especially during the final showdown between Gyatso and Sozin, and the realization that we were witnessing Roku’s (former) best friend slaughter one of his other closest friends.

But why wouldn't they send the children out on the flying bison to escape instead of having them all cornered?!

🟣 I really enjoyed getting to see interactions between Ozai and Iroh, which was one of the biggest missed opportunities in the OG show.

🟣 MY GIRL JUNE. That is all.

The part where she flirts with Iroh was also a nice flip on what happened in the OG show, with his covert pervert crush and all. Plus Zuko’s face when she calls his “dad” cute? Peak Zuzu. Also, poor Iroh hahaha.

🟣 Suki! I really liked the Kyoshi Island episode, plus her awkward flirting with Sokka by kicking his ass.

🟣 I really wish the whole subplot of Kya’s necklace hadn’t been cut, tbh. The flashbacks involving her were good, and as devastating as it was actually seeing her death, it does hammer home the point what a horrifying experience that was (side-eyeing you, everyone making the jokes about Katara always bringing up her dead mother.)

🟣 THE SCARF SCENE. Nice try, Netflix, but I know better than to get my hopes up again from 5 seconds of slow-mo. Did I still screech when it happened, though? Ofc I did!

🟣 The twist with the 41st Division was bittersweet and I may have (okay, definitely) cried.

🟣 Combining Jet’s subplots with the Mechanist’s and putting them in Omashu wasn’t too bad. I do wish the message of “not everyone in the FN is evil” from Jet’s episode had made it into this version, tbh.

🟣 Overall, I liked Jet + the Freedom Fighters. Also, props to his actor for capturing the pretty boy / f*ckboi attitude well.

🟣 Loved Chong and the hippies, of course (SECRET, SECRET, SECRET TUNNEL, YEAH!) and I don’t mind that they were included this early.

🟣 I loved the change to the Cave of Two Lovers and having Oma and Shu be lesbians.

🟣 I feel like if the show’s renewed for a second season and we come back to Omashu, there’s a chance they could revisit the COTL with Katara and Aang this time around.

🟣 The random lady smacking Zuzu with a broom – “how dare you hit that child?!” – was hilarious, and Dallas Liu’s facial expressions of “wtf” and “fml” were a thing of beauty (starts at 1:40 in the video below)

youtube

🟣 CABBAGE MAN! I just love that they got the original voice actor, hamming it up and screaming at the sky.

🟣 I LOVED the Blue Spirit episode, and all of the flashbacks, plus the voiceover about masks and seeing past!Zuko contrasted to present!Zuko, as presented in this gifset? RIP my heart.

🟣 The flashback to Lu Ten’s funeral and showing Zuko being the only person to join his uncle, sharing a sweet memory of his cousin while Leaves from the Vine plays? Beautiful. Ditto to the flashbacks of Iroh standing up for his nephew prior to the Agni Kai and the scenes of them getting ready to set sail to search for the Avatar. “I don’t need a babysitter.” “How about a friend?” how about excuse you I did not ask for these emotions how dare you.

🟣 I actually liked the inclusion of Ozai and Azula + Mai and Ty Lee. I also loved the opening of Ep. 3, showing how she was able to infiltrate the team of rebels. RIP to Kevin Tran (in advanced placement), though.

🟣 I loved that Katara rallied the women waterbenders and they were able to help during the Siege of the North. I also liked her reaction when she's talking with Yugoda in the healing huts and realizes why she's been sent there. It gave us a glimpse of the fiestier / headstrong Katara we all know and love, and if the show gets renewed I hope we'll get to see more.

🟣 I really enjoyed them giving Aang and Zuko a few minutes to talk / form a connection after he was unmasked as the Blue Spirit. That was nicely done.

and finally...

Nothing else to add, just chef's kiss.

(gif source)

Anyways! I might make a more extensive list of my personal pros and cons, but for now, I’d still recommend giving it a shot.

#long post #avatar the last airbender #netflix atla

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somewhereincairparavel · 9 days

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Atla episode reaction part 6: OKAY OKAY I watched episodes 8-13 today and omggg Zuko finally joins the gaang! I have so many thoughts rn OMG. Zuko standing up to ozai?? Zuko doing everything he could to earn the gaangs trust? Him doing impersonations of azula and iroh? Him going "why am I so bad at being good?"

This season is Zuko's season OMG. I love the dragon dancing episode? It was so cool!! I also like that toph was the first person to give Zuko a chance yknow? Defending him and stuff.

She understood the impact of inconsiderate family environment because she's been through the same. She had to run away from her parents aswell. I love the whole segment of katara going "we should give him a medal, the 'not as much of a jerk as you could've been' award 💀😭 hilarious

I love how aang is just a lil bro to Zuko almost immediately :( the seeds of their friendship was easily planted during season 1 when aang asked if they had met before they'd be friends.

ALSO KATARA CAN BLOODBEND. SHE CAN BLOODBEND YALL. HOLY FUCK.

Ugh only 8 more episodes :(( I'm sad the series is coming to an end so damn quickly, I'm still trying to watch it as slowly as possible to stall and extend my watch lol but today I crossed my episode limit (I have this unspoken rule that I should only watch 3/4 episodes a day but I watched 5 today). It just got way too interesting for me to NOT watch c'mon.

#Ugh 10/10 episodes #Literally none of the atla episodes have disappointed me so far #That's a rarity in shows omg I'm so glad I found this show. It's never too late right?#Even the filler episodes are good #atla #avatar the last airbender #aang #zuko #the gaang #katara #atla zuko #atla sokka #atla iroh #atla toph #atla azula #toph beifong #sokka #atla gaang

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ceruleanwhore · 8 months

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Aang As a Father, in Response to LoK

⚠️CAUTION⚠️

This post is full of Aang and kataang hate. If you like Aang and/or ship kataang in any capacity, scroll on for the sake of your mental and emotional wellbeing. Thank you!

When Avatar: Legend of Korra came out, I remember there being tons of discussion around how much Aang sucked as a father and how surprised everyone was, even some of us who never really liked him as a character. However, I’ve been thinking about it today, and the conclusion I’ve reached is that not only is it not surprising that Aang was not a very good parent, but it was inevitable. The one thing I disagree on that I’ll get to at some point in here is how he sucked at parenting in canon as opposed to how I think he was set up to fail at it given the direction he was headed with his canon characterization.

I’d like to start by getting into that characterization and discussing some of the elements of Aang’s canon personality that I think are relevant. In the series, yes, as we all know and as Aang stans love to point out ad nauseum, he’s just a mere bitty child, but we can also see some of his flaws that, even in his 12-year-old self, have some serious consequences at times. Canon Aang is a messy cocktail of toxic positivity, selfishness, avoidant tendencies, impulsivity, and a dangerous lack of emotional control. He does things like casually throw away the fate of the whole world over his god-given right to have a crush on a girl and then, in the next season, compare that same girl’s experience of losing her mother to his radically different experience of losing his pet for a couple weeks as he tells her to get over it. He also has a tendency to go into the freaking avatar state when he’s upset about something and cause serious damage to everything around him until Mommy calms him down. Even when he doesn’t go into the avatar state, he does things like verbally abuse his friends and abandon them in the desert when Appa goes missing.

All of this is completely relevant to who a hypothetical adult Aang would be and what he’d be like because, all throughout the series, there is never any accountability from Aang. He literally never takes responsibility for the things he does and makes amends or even just apologizes in a meaningful way because he never has to — the narrative makes sure of that. That’s the key part of Aang’s flaws, that Bryke genuinely thought they made a perfect good guy and had nary a crumb of self awareness that they accidentally made him a raging asshole who is constantly being rewarded for his shitty behavior. Even when he’s clearly in the wrong, like with the Bato situation in s1, they somehow turn it around so yeah, I guess he fesses up and apologizes but, at the end of the episode, Sokka and Katara are apologizing to him and there’s no lasting consequences for the shitty thing he did. Because of this crucial element of the story and Aang’s character, it is very likely that he’d go his whole life being a dickhead while continuing to never have consequences for that and somehow managing to maintain his friendships and relationship with Katara.

I want to kind of go through these one at a time, starting with the lack of accountability. Since Aang is the avatar, literally no one in the whole world of atla actually has authority over him, at least once he’s an adult. His peers are his equals but, even though Katara, Toph, and Zuko taught him his bending, they don’t really have any tangible authority over him as his teachers. Combine that with the fact that none of Aang’s friends really ever criticize him or hold him accountable for his actions and it becomes very clear that, as a father, he will never actually be held accountable for being a bad parent. What goes with this is that he also won’t be open to advice because he assumes he always knows best and the narrative also supports and rewards that. Between the two, he’s set up so that when he inevitably turns out to be a lousy father, there will be nothing anyone can say (assuming they would even say anything at all) to help him improve.

With this in mind, let’s start into the actual character flaws that, as concluded above, won’t be corrected at any point, starting with the toxic positivity. One of Aang’s most recognizable characteristics is his bright, cheery disposition which can be a good thing but also leads to him being very dismissive of anyone else’s problems or negative emotions. As a parent, he would never take his children’s problems seriously and would simply brush them off and tell his kids to practice detachment and just let go of whatever is bothering them, regardless of how serious the issue is or how much it matters to the kid. This will teach the kids both not to even try to bring their problems to at least one of their parents and also that any problem they have is actually inconsequential, so even when they do have really big, serious issues in life, they won’t be able to recognize it as such and get whatever help they might need. It also will convey to them that their own father just doesn’t really care about them, at least not enough to engage with them in any capacity about anything serious.

Next up is Aang’s selfishness. Throughout atla, we see time and time again that Aang struggles greatly with prioritizing literally anyone else over his own comfort and desires. He was more than willing to sacrifice the whole world for his ability to avoid having to engage in conflict and then, in season 2, he showed that he was 100% willing to sacrifice the whole world for his crush on Katara. It’s not just that he tends to thoughtlessly give into his impulses and desires without giving thought to how it affects others, it’s also that, because of who he is, that has the potential to cause immense damage and he still doesn’t care. As a father, he would always put himself before his wife and his children. He would treat Katara at least as badly and unfairly as he did in canon and his children would have the lovely experience of watching that and also growing up in a household where their wants and needs don’t really matter to their own father.

Another key factor when it comes to Aang’s personality is his avoidant tendencies. We see multiple times throughout the series just how far he’ll go to avoid doing things he doesn’t want to do, like preventing the world from complete destruction. In his household, I imagine he’d want no part of any of the real, ‘messy’ aspects of parenthood and would just have Katara do all those things. Anything to do with the mess of child care (changing diapers, cleaning up spit up, any sort of wound care for scraped knees, etc.), conflict resolution between quarreling siblings, or correction of misbehavior would fall to her. He, like plenty of real men, would only want to do the cute, fun parts of parenthood, like taking the kids to Disney, while making Mom the ‘bad guy’ who has to do all the real work.

Then there’s also the impulsivity. Aang tends to get these ideas of things he wants to do and then, without any further thought, just goes and does them. This can be pretty harmless when it’s something like wanting to go penguin sledding and then going off and doing it but, as we’ve seen, there’s plenty of times where it isn’t, like when he hides Hakoda’s correspondence from Katara and Sokka in s1 because he’s feeling pissy. In parenthood, I think this is where we ended up with the unfair treatment showed in LoK because it’s his impulsivity driving it, but I don’t actually think he’d be out here treating his kids differently based on bending abilities, I think they’d all be pretty equally getting the short end of the stick from him.

The way I see his impulsivity coming out with his family is either with grabbing the kids to go do something on a whim (like riding the elephant koi) or going off on his own or with Katara on some spur of the moment trip that leaves their kids alone or drags them away from home for weeks at a time with no notice. If they’d leave the kids alone while going off without them, that could lead to trauma around neglect and abandonment while, if they take the kids with them, the kids get stuck being dragged along and then ignored while Aang goes off to do all the stuff he’s there for that the kids weren’t really ever supposed to actually be part of. I think that, with stuff like this, the avoidance, and the toxic positivity, he’d think that he’s setting himself up to be the cool, fun dad with Katara being made out to be the ‘bad guy’ when, in truth, he’s out here fucking up his children and they’re going to know and hate him for it in the end.

The last part is the matter of his inability to regulate his emotions. It’s bad enough for anyone to have to sit there and watch as the same toxic positivity dickhead then struggles with anger issues he never even so much as apologizes for, but for his kids, I’m sure it’s unbearable. My dad has struggled with anger issues my whole life, as have I, but we take responsibility and we’ve both spent over two decades working on ourselves, trying to get better. Aang would never do that in any capacity. For his children, they’d get this environment where they can never be upset at all because it bothers Dad but then Dad can fly off into the fucking avatar state as soon as he’s even mildly inconvenienced. This model of ‘you being upset is just a little inconvenience you need to get over but when Dad’s upset it’s a huge deal and he’s actually allowed to be upset’ would be downright infuriating to live with and would definitely contribute to their children’s childhood trauma. It’s not just that you’re not allowed to be upset, it’s also that you always have to be walking on eggshells trying not to set this guy off.

Another thing I would add to this last point is something I learned from my family that I think is relevant here. My dad genuinely thought he was totally normal and didn’t have any anger issues until my brother and I were born, and he also was always really great with other people’s kids and never had problems there until he was working on the railroad with two babies at home. Yes, we’ve already seen Aang’s anger issues in canon, but I would also speculate that his mood and stuff would get worse once Tenzin’s born. This could either lead to him being absent for most of the kids’ early childhoods as he’d just avoid being around them if they’re triggering him or his anger issues could get worse and more prevalent once there’s kids in the mix. Either would be detrimental to his children’s mental health.

So I guess my point here is that LoK having it so Aang’s whole issue with fatherhood is that he treated his kids unequally doesn’t really cover the ways in which he’s set up to be a terrible father. I really don’t think favortism would even be an issue (I think all 3 kids would get dragged around to air nomad stuff, not just Tenzin) but Lord knows there’s other issues to be considered here. As a father, Aang would be selfish, impulsive, dismissive, thoughtless, and hypocritical as well as probably struggling with completely unchecked anger issues. His children would have trauma because of him and they would hate him, but not because he would leave two behind while dragging the eldest around on vacations. The cherry on top of the shit sundae of Aang’s fatherhood is that he would have no self awareness whatsoever as all of this would go unchecked by his wife and friends, so he would genuinely believe that he’s a good, fun, loving father all the way up to the moment of his death.

#anti aang #aang critical #aang slander #aang salt #atla #avatar #avatar the last airbender #avatar: the last airbender #a:tla #avatar meta #atla meta

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ilikepjo24 · 7 months

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There's a post going around Tumblr about the color palette of your name (I saw @prodogg do it) and I tried it but my name has a very boring color palette so I did Atla characters instead.

Aang:

Okay! All of them are very bright colors that represent Aang's bright attitude and there's a dark shade at the top row which brings to mind the flaws of his character. Personally, I feel like that dark brown represents the guilt Aang feels for leaving. We also have some yellow and soft red, which are the colours of his outfit. There's some light grey that reminds me of his eyes and pretty light blue and beige, breezy light his element. We have some blue, some yellow, some green and some red. True Avatar core right there.

Katara:

Ohhh~ So many pretty blues! Blue eyes, blue clothes, blue nation, blue element and so on. Once again, I feel like the dark color in the third row represents the more bitter parts of Katara personality. Her small moments of jealousy, spite and harness. I also like how all the blues are different shades, some coming close to grey, others close to green and some being pure blue. The variety of shades really shows what I well rounded character she is.

Sokka:

Oh my... That's unexpected... There's only one shade of blue! But I can see some pretty browns and greys in there that are in his colour palette. I wonder why there are so many greens... Probably because he's one of the only characters that are grounded to earth 😂 maybe even a bit too much, seeing how he's always suspicious and doubtful. There are also some snow-like colours in here, which is fitting, seeing as he's from the Water Tribe 😎.

Suki:

That's a very interesting palette... The brown colours remind me of the Earth Kingdom, but there's a snowy white in there, probably because of how close Kyoshi Island is to the Southern Water Tribe. There's also a bit of green in there, even if it's greyish, and I couldn't help but notice those dark shades of red... Is it because she relocated in the Fire Nation after the war, and is currently working as Zuko's bodyguard? I also see a few really dark shades in those top corners, although I'm not surprised. Suki is a warrior through and through, and sometimes warriors have to do some ugly things to protect their homes.

Toph:

No surprises here! I like how Toph has more dark shades than other characters, since she's more in touch with her "dark side" after participating in secret wrestling matches and pulling all those scams. Many shades of green and brown, like her element and her country. But there's also some very light greens in there, so light that they could pass as white or grey, which is unlike the usual Earth Kingdom greens. I wonder if it's because she uses her bending in a much different way that all the other earthbenders, which makes her special. Or it could be because that's the color of her eyes.

Zuko:

That palette is an interesting one for sure. There are so many dark colours in here! And as we all know, the Prince of the Fire Nation didn't have a very happy life, or a very bright attitude. There's a dark brown-red in here and a dark blackish green, along with some blues and greys and a brownish gold. I wonder if it's because of his travels to all the four nations during his search for the Avatar. And I'm loving the references to the Blue Spirit with all those blues in there. Zuko's second, secret persona is a big deal for his character, since all the times we've seen him wear that mask, we've also gotten hints for his future redemption and friendships.

Azula:

Ah, there we go. My favorite girl! Right of the top we have some dark shades, fitting for s true vigilante. There's some brown-ish gold abd black, which brings her hair and eyes to mind. A pretty shade of red, for a true Fire Nation Princess. The lack of blue surprises me, seeing as her fire and her lighting are both blue... I guess the website must believe that she is much more than her bending. And there's quite a lot of green I see... Probably because her peak as a strategist and warrior was conquering Ba Sing Se and bringing the Earth Kingdom to its knees, all while wearing the iconic green Kyoshi Warrior uniform and the even more iconic green Earth Queen outfit.

#atla #character analysis #colors #aang #katara #sokka #suki #toph #zuko #azula

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iamthemain-character · 2 years

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Welcome to the Family

zuko x reader, sokka & katara x sibling!reader

gender neutral pronouns

TW: none

inspiration post by @ilovegirlsgeneration | this is a tumblr post but this post gave me the idea to write reader as sokka and katara’s sibling :)

Avatar Masterlist

To say that you forgave Zuko and saw who he really was far more quickly than the rest of the gaang was an understatement. You had a gift for reading people, but everyone else wasn’t so convinced in the beginning.

Your siblings, Katara and Sokka, for example. And in all reality, you couldn’t really blame them, considering Zuko had tried to kill them and the entire gaang multiple times.

And that his father was responsible for your mother’s death.

And that he sent Combustion Man after Aang.

So overall Zuko’s chances of joining Team Avatar were, understandably, not great. But between Toph’s intuition and Aang desperately needing a fire bending teacher, you all decided to make it work.

You were the most friendly towards Zuko in the group, and so naturally he gravitated towards you. Before either of you realized, you were basically attached at the hip; nights spent around the campfire next to each other, often going to accomplish chores with each other. And with time, you got to know Zuko, the real Zuko. You began to understand how his family had impacted his life so deeply, and how for so long he had been chasing a destiny that wasn’t his. And Zuko came to understand that without a mother or father around, Sokka and Katara became over protective of their each other and their family, and he realized how much you loved them too. Within a short time, your friendship with Zuko ran deep, and your fondness for him only grew.

Naturally, somewhere along the way, both of you fell in love. For Zuko, you made him feel safe and enough just as he was, and in return he treated you like you were the most important person in the world. But despite both of you obviously having a close connection, there wasn’t a really easy way to admit feelings. At almost every moment you and Zuko were surrounded by the gaang, or at least someone. Even Appa and Momo seemed to be watching at all times.

Then, in the very early hours of the morning, before the sun was even awake, you woke. Unable to fall asleep again, you left your tent; to your surprise, you weren’t the only one awake. Zuko sat around a low-burning fire, his hair messily laying against his head.

As you came to sit next to Zuko, he turned his head towards you. A small smile graced his face as he saw his friend, and he shifted so that you would have more room. Gently he reached his arm around your shoulders, and you leaned into his warm touch.

“Couldn’t sleep?” Zuko’s voice rumbled in his chest against your ear.

“Mm, no, my body just decided to wake up before it was supposed to.” You half laughed. “How about you?”

Zuko didn’t reply, so you pulled yourself from his grasp to get a good look at his face. His eyebrows were furrowed, and the light from the fire reflected on his scar.

“What is it Zuko?”

Briefly he looked at you, and seeing the genuine concern in your eyes, he let out a sigh before speaking. “I’m just really worried; we don’t have much time, but Aang needs to defeat my father to save the world. And I know Toph and Katara are doing everything they can, but what about me? What if I can’t teach him enough? What if we fail? What if-“

“Hey, hey now, don’t do that.” Carefully you cupped his face in the palm of your hand, and his hand came up to rest on top of yours. “You are doing everything you can, and Aang is progressing wonderfully. We are going to succeed, and even if we don’t, you’re not alone. You’ll never be alone again.”

Zuko’s eyes were intense as he met your gaze, and when he smiled, your heart felt like it skipped a beat. Something in your conversation had shifted, and slowly to your heads had leaned toward each other.

As your eyes fluttered closed, you felt Zuko’s lips press against your own. It was a sweet kiss, full of newness and anticipation, but your heart flooded your body with warmth at his touch.

“EXCUSE ME???” Katara’s voice sounded, loud and angry, making you and zuko jump apart.

As you both looked back, you saw the whole Gaang looking back at you; Katara was angry, Sokka and Suki seemed unsure of what to do, but thankfully Aang and Toph seemed almost amused at the situation.

Zuko helped you get up on your feet, and you clutched tightly to his hand, intertwining your fingers. You watched as Katara stormed up to you, but you didn’t back down.

“What are you doing kissing…. HIM?!” Katara exclaimed when emphasizing’him’ with a vague hand gesture.

“I happen to like Zuko a lot Katara-“

“And I like Y/n a lot.”

Gratefully you smiled at Zuko, and his cheeks flushed pink. “I know you don’t like him, and I understand that, but I need you to trust that I know him, and I know what I’m doing. Please Katara.”

For a moment Katara didn’t move, her eyes fixed on you, considering your words. Then with a sigh, her face softened and she nodded her head. “Fine, I do trust you. But you, on the other hand-“ with this Katara turned to Zuko, eyes narrowed, “hurt them, and you’re over.”

Zuko nodded, his eyes wide. Satisfied, Katara went back to the group, and they all started to prepare for the day. Smiling, you turned back to Zuko, wrapping your arms around his shoulders. He returned the gesture, his hands resting against your lower back. Gently he leaned down and kissed you again, a silent promise of dedication.

No matter what the future brought, in that moment, everything was going to be okay.

#zuko #prince zuko #zuko x reader #prince zuko x reader #avatar #avatar the last airbender #atla #atla zuko #sokka #katara

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