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#single momtara
comradekatara · 1 year
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They're blind if they don't see that about Sokka! Like. The other three kids would blatantly waste DAYS at a time, despite their very tight time limit, on whatever random bullshit captures their fancy. They literally planned vacations and even he got caught up in it but like......it's absolutely herding cats. You even see this problem in miniature, with Toph having to constantly hound Aang into earthhbending training. They're all flighty n distractible ish and avoidant in their own ways but Aang is very much the worst and yet also the most prioritised member who overrules Sokka regularly "for fun".
yeah I mean i was just so confused by that response bc it was such a bad faith misreading of what I had actually said, and also just a blatantly incorrect reading of the text??? I think a large swath of this fandom has a very surface level interpretation of the show (which is understandable, most people are not as invested in understanding the nuances of this show while still enjoying it, thats perfectly fine) while also just cherry picking the parts they like/latch onto and distorting the parts they found less compelling to suit whatever narrative they’ve crafted for themselves. which I suppose is their prerogative as audience members, but it’s frustrating to me as someone who thinks analytic work should always stem from understanding the text as holistically and completely as possible. normally I try to ignore such misinterpretations, since if I didn’t I would literally get no sleep, and yknow, I have a life. but i could see people’s tags in my activity feed turning this argument into a moral issue in which my very character was attacked (someone literally said “comradekatara and their followers are bs” which makes it sound like im running a cult or smth. yikes) and so I felt the need to clarify and defend myself in a way that I usually don’t when angry zutarapilled weirdos go on and on about how evil I am lmfao
anyway, to your point, sokka is absolutely herding cats. he is constantly trying to get them to be as economical with their time and stay as safe as possible, and they just straight up refuse to listen to him. I see people make arguments that sokka “wasted time on kyoshi island” by training with suki, but a) I don’t think receiving formal training for like the first time in his life is a waste of time and b) aang was clearly the one who insisted on staying there, sokka would’ve left whenever, but aang really liked it there, and considering this was right after he discovered that his entire people had been wiped out, it’s not exactly like sokka and katara can be like “no more fun for you!” the only other instances i can think of of sokka wasting their time is in “the ember island players” when he makes them all go spend two hours watching a play that they absolutely loathe. in fairness, I think sokka and suki should’ve realized that their friends (besides toph) would not enjoy such an event, but the episode would be way less effective if it had been just them watching it, so for metatextual reasons I’ll let it slide. (and fwiw, sokka’s training with piandao took two, three days at most, so it clearly wasn’t smth that interfered with the schedule.)
so yeah, my original point about sokka herding cats seems pretty obvious to me considering how many detours aang and katara constantly insist on taking (and arguably toph too, but she’s generally less resistant to sokka’s ideas). but then that person had to go and act like I said something I didn’t, and then add on a bunch of incorrect analysis to boot. truly, genuinely, weird behavior. the “momtara who does all the work and singlehandedly raised these children including sokka and has never once had fun in her life because she is struggling under the weight of being the most mature & reasonable fourteen year old girl who ever lived (and also that’s why this one spoiled prince who can’t even hammer a single nail would be such a good boyfriend for her because he loves doing dishes and is so emotionally intelligent & articulate)” koolaid is strong I guess.
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tiny-katara · 2 years
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hi cilla! i’d love to know your thoughts on 7 & 30 <3
aahhh hi again <3
7. What's your favorite Zutara moment from the show?
i would say the final agni kai bc it just gets me every single time and i am weak and it makes me sob, but... something about the crystal catacombs is just reaaaallllyyyy good. you can just feel their connection hanging around in the air when you watch it, or i can at least. the way that katara just took that plunge is just crazy??? like girl what are you thinking??? i love it. i also love the way zuko reaches out for once and the fact that katara is on the receiving end??? brilliant.
i know that sokka and katara went through the same thing since they both lost their mom, but i've mentioned before that it's not the literal same thing since their mother died because of katara. at least that's how katara sees it. if katara wasn't a waterbender, her mother would still be alive. sokka lost his mother because of an attack on his village. both are horrible and completely valid, but they would definitely be processing that experience differently. which leads me to claim that zuko's loss of his mother is more similar to katara's than sokka's is to katara. it sounds kind of stupid, but zuko's mother left to protect him and katara's for her. they both fully understand sacrifice as a result (not to say the others don't, but you know what i mean). this all builds up to the final agni kai where zuko sacrifices himself for katara and it's just extra impactful because they've established that they both understand exactly how much a sacrifice costs everyone involved and zuko does it anyway. that's just art.
30. If you could rewrite one episode of A:TLA, which would it be?
this is a tricky one and i think the obvious answer is the final episode but!!! i kind of want to say ember island players.
just as a warning, i am a huge sucker for slice of life episodes. that being said... i would kill for momtara and dadko trying to round up the kids for the play. like the chaos. aang and toph are trying to smuggle snacks in and zuko is trying to desperately convince them not to because "it'll bring attention to us and we have enough pilfered money from my dad to buy them anyway!!!" and sokka gets involved and is like "it's the principle zuko, the principle." katara is also trying to reason with the three and suki is just fighting to keep a straight face. it's a mess and it's beautiful. we can even have a nice little "i am so glad i forgave you/so glad we're friends" zutara moment. everyone wins. except kata*ng but i hate kata*ng so i win.
i would also remove the part where aang gets irritated about being played by a woman bc it's stupid. give me toph making jokes about it and getting more and more desperate as aang laughs along and has 0 issues with it. that's infinitely better.
also the sexualization of katara just bugs me. it's played of a joke rather than concerning. that needs to go. it's so disrespectful to women in general, and especially so to women of color. no one needs that. regular teen katara who just flirts with boys but is still doing her stupid speeches. i find that normalish and acceptable. later she is upset about the speeches and zuko is like "but... they're actually good when you do them" and she blushes or something-- subtle stuff.
sokka is the same. he needs no changing. except!!! he and suki get to actually have a conversation about yue and they come to an understanding and suki is like "wow your type really is women who are sooooo much cooler than you" at the end to lighten the mood and bring them closer :)
zuko and toph get their moment. they deserve it and it's cute.
aang does run off but it's bc he's scared (the thing he really should've been worried about since he low key died in ba sing se lol). he and katara talk and she's like "we're all here for you aang" and they hug-- NO KISS!! the stupid non-con kiss is gone, deleted, non-existent. everyone is happy and if they're not we need to have a long talk about consent.
play ends the same bc propaganda and then we have a similar scene of everyone leaving and complaining. suki gets more lines. it's just what she deserves.
and that's a somewhat outlined idea of my more wholesome ember island players before everything falls apart and the world is ending.
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poeticmoonspirit · 2 years
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Wounds That Run Deep Like Rivers
Day 12: Momtara & Dadko
Momtara and Dadko were a running joke in the Gaang, so it wasn’t anything to take seriously. At least to Zuko. The way Katara resembled a mother scolding her young kids and the way he was always on everyone’s case like a father (Sokka’s words, not his) wasn’t lost on Zuko as he reflected on the dynamic of their dysfunctional group. 
At first he found it slightly amusing but as he began to understand everyone and how they behaved around one another, Zuko saw just how sad the whole situation was. While it was true that Katara could be motherly at times, he saw just how traumatized she was underneath all of that optimism and compassion. After their trip to avenge her mother, he saw just how dark she was. He always knew there was more to her than he saw—even as enemies—but he doubted that anyone else saw it too.
He’ll never forget the pain and anger that settled in her usually gentle expression as she bent the man’s blood on the ship. At first, he was taken aback but after talking to her about her bloodbending abilities, he realized she was just like him. In this sense, though, people always viewed her as virtuous and upright, but when the night came and almost all of their voices were silent, they both stayed up for hours talking about bloodbending and what they thought about the war. 
“The truth is,” she said, bending the water out of the leaves, “I really love bloodbending. And not in the way you’re thinking.” She said, glancing at Zuko’s curious expression, “I love the feeling of complete and utter control. It’s hard to explain but it feels nice considering just how out of control my life’s been for the past two years.”
He could understand that. He could also understand why she never told the rest of their group this little bit of information. He imagined her telling Aang, only for him to ridicule her for feeling the way she felt without a single considerate thought. It made him angry for just a split second before he registered Katara’s hand on his, instantly calming him down. 
In just that moment, he was able to feel an immense amount of love for the waterbender. And someday, maybe he’d tell her. 
Read it here, also!
@zutaramonth
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zelzenik · 3 years
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what you want is what i want
my (newly completed) single parents zk au </3 aka the fic i wrote in three months but technically completed in five due to procrastination and anxiety
Katara isn't alone. She has Bumi and Kya. The three of them are family.
Zuko isn't alone either. He has Izumi. The two of them are family.
But maybe... just maybe, they can all be family together.
click here to read the completed fic on ao3!
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invnciblesummer · 3 years
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Momtara and Dadko Textposts: Part 2
Part 1
+ Bonus Gaang found family tropes
(Image Description:
Image 1: This is a screenshot from "The Boiling Rock, Part 1." Zuko is frowning slightly as he kneels to offer tea from a tray to Aang and Katara, who are sitting on either side of him. Katara is saying something with a frown on her face as she looks at Zuko and takes a cup from the tray. Aang is smiling and watching the interaction. A text box reads, "I’m not a Mom Friend. I’m a Dad Friend. I make jokes and puns while The Mom friend rolls eyes in the background."
Image 2: This is a screenshot from "Sozin's Comet, Part 1: The Phoenix King." Zuko’s mouth is open as he says something to Aang in the Ember Island beach house. A text box reads, "life is easy, son. it’s just like riding a bike that’s on fire and you’re on fire and everything is on fire and you’re in hell."
Image 3: This is a screenshot from "Sozin's Comet, Part 1: The Phoenix King." Katara and Zuko are standing side by side together in the Ember Island beach house, frowning and looking at a point off-screen. Zuko’s hand is on Katara’s shoulder. A text box reads, "oh god but like. the best ships are the ones where they’ve been shown to work great as a team. where the characters balance each other out without eclipsing the other person but, instead, bring out the best in each other to get a job done or fix a problem. if i die young bury me in mutually beneficial partnerships."
Image 4: This is a screenshot from "The Puppetmaster." Sokka is climbing the stairs of Hama’s house with a determined frown on his face. Katara is at the base of the stairs, protesting. Aang and Toph stand behind her. A text box reads, "you’ve heard of mom friends now get ready for: Anti-mom friend. They suggest every single impulsive thought that runs thru their head like ‘hey what if you jumped in that pond in the middle of the night’ to the group while the mom friend begs them to stop." A reblog underneath that reads, "eldest sibling friend."
Image 5: This is a screenshot from "The Chase." Toph is saying something angrily to Katara outside at night. Katara looks at Toph angrily. A text box reads, "no mom i already have a job it’s called being hardcore."
Image 6: This is a screenshot from "The Desert." Katara is holding onto Aang’s staff in the desert as she leads the group onward. Her mouth is open, and she is looking up at the sky in tired exasperation. A text box reads, "it is a Scientifically Proven Fact that once a group of people become friends, the tendency to make really foolish decisions skyrockets.... and from this chaos.... the Mom Friend™ rises, ready to keep everyone alive, armed with exasperation and common sense in spades."
Image 7: This is a screenshot from "Sozin's Comet, Part 1: The Phoenix King." Aang is in the Ember Island beach house. He is saying something angrily to a point off-screen. A text box reads, " ‘Are you kidding me?’ "
Image 8: This is a screenshot from "Sozin's Comet, Part 1: The Phoenix King." This is a continuation of the last text post meme. Katara is in the Ember Island beach house. She is saying something angrily to a point off-screen. A text box reads, " ‘No, im adulting you’ "
Image 9: This is a screenshot from "Sozin's Comet, Part 1: The Phoenix King." Zuko is kneeling on the ground with a grimace of pain on his face after falling from the top floor of the Ember Island beach house. Katara stands behind him and is saying something to him angrily, with Sokka, Toph, Suki, and Aang behind her. A text box reads, "Ok mom friends are great and we would all die without them, but what about the Dad friends? Without the Dad friend’s mildly irresponsible but well intentioned demeanor there would be no balance."
Image 10: This is a screenshot from "Sozin's Comet, Part 1: The Phoenix King." Sokka, Toph, Suki, Aang, Katara, and Zuko are all coming in together for a group hug. A text box reads, "Why is found family such a great trope? It’s literally a bunch of mismatched people who look at each other and say your my family and I love you and there’s just something really special all about that."
End Image Description.)
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a-hams-art · 3 years
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@zutaramonth Zutara Month, Day 1: Momtara and Dadko
im 2 days late, but its the thought that counts i wont be doing every prompt for every single day of zutara month, but i do have some prompts i’ll be doing for the month.
@starry-nights12 and i share custody of the zutara kids lmao
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sokkagatekeeper · 2 years
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@kyoshialone asked: this ask is asking u to make the post about ur thoughts on how the characters ppl stan affect how they view all of atla ? :)
ok so this is in reference to me saying that i've realized that i have a categorization system for atla fans in my head that is based on which character they stan because oh god have i spent too much time reading bad atla takes out of morbid fascination (and yes i have seen every single one of these takes at least once with my own two eyes). this isn't necessarily gonna line up with who someone's favorite character actually is (if the shoe doesn't fit, don't wear it), and it definitely doesn't line up with how much i love each character, but these are sets of beliefs that i associate with people who describe themselves as “stans” of certain characters.
disclaimer that this is (obviously) gonna be reductive and prescriptive. there are many common bad atla takes that i'm leaving out, but. god. i don't hate myself enough to be fully comprehensive with this. & i'm limiting it to atla tumblr, not other places where fandom exists; fortunately i have not observed enough fandom on other sites to have a good sense of how they differ from tumblr (i have blocked the few months i spent on atla tiktok out of my mind. also no one uses tumblr lmfao it's easier to do this with a site that has a small userbase). under the cut because it's time to offend every single atla fan in one post let's do it.
wait one more thing: don't rb this pls and thank u <3 i am genuinely not trying to be mean or start drama; i'm just complaining about bad interpretations to my followers who i assume already at least mostly agree with me. if i were to make a genuine effort to change atla fandom culture i wouldn't go about it like this lmao
sokka stans: the best atla fans no notes 👍 (like i said, this whole thing is kinda prescriptive. the idea of a “sokka stan” in this sense is somewhat defined by having good takes. but still, almost everyone whose atla opinions i fully agree with considers themself a sokka stan, so.)
katara stans: people who (incorrectly) believe that claiming that katara was always responsible, rational, and considerate is a good way of engaging with her character. momtara truthers. zutara shippers who believe that shipping katara with zuko is somehow liberatory for her. also probably think that katara is bi (which isn't inherently bad like the other things, but it is annoying 2 me, and sometimes people talk about katara being bi in ways that set of sirens in my brain.)
zuko stans: “aang critical” people. do i even need to say more. actually i will say more. some of these people's stellar (/s) takes include that: katara should've ended up with zuko because zuko is better than aang; aang was weak/selfish/immature for not wanting to kill ozai; aang was given a deus ex machina solution (because the writers loved him too much to have him grow as a character); in the southern raiders, aang was being immature and trying to force his beliefs onto katara. and more!
suki stans: ok there are two subcategories here. first is people (who usually ship zukka) who “stan” suki by reducing her to a badass amazing bi girl with very little depth, who has a girlfriend with similar amounts of depth. the second is people who are actually interested in exploring and expanding upon suki's character, who usually are actually invested in sukka (as opposed to how everyone else recognizes that sukka is a good ship but don't really care about it). that second group is cool. i am not one of them but they're great.
toph stans: do toph stans....... exist??
aang stans: ok aang stans are honestly the most fascinating group of people in all of atla fandom because they often have very interesting and insightful takes on aang (if i see a good aang take on my dash that wasn't written by someone i follow, 9 times out of 10 it was written by an aang stan) and they generally understand most of the characters (except for sokka they don't understand sokka at all, which makes sense because these people are so invested in aang as the thematic lead of the show that they think that the fact that sokka's philosophy on... basically everything contradicts aang's philosophy means that sokka is wrong, which. in reality, sokka and aang are both correct in different ways. anyway.), but then they'll also say absolutely batshit things like that the more people you ship aang with, even if these people are far too old for him or entirely romantically incompatible with him, the more you love aang. it just baffles me how people say with their whole chests that the 12-year-old and the 16-year-old should kiss. also they (from what i've seen, and also i think this is mostly a reaction to the aforementioned zuko stans) will defend every single writing choice made in atla. i mean, i think atla is a very well-written show but... it does have flaws..... which brings me to:
jet stans: ok like. jet stans have their hearts in the right place. they often have very good ideas. they're rarely, if ever, overtly racist or misogynistic (which is unfortunately more than can be said for most of atla fandom). they care a lot about being critical of atla, which of course is good, except that these (mostly teenagers, not adults tbf) often seem to think that “be critical of the media you consume” means “nitpick and try to find flaws that don't exist, largely for the sake of woke points,” when it really means “critically engage with the text,” something that many of them don't really do. i tend to see well-intentioned but ultimately pretty myopic takes coming from jet stans.
azula stans: where to start.... azula stans usually misunderstand azula's character (in that like... they idealize her in a way that is so contradictory to the themes of her arc. for example, when they say that she's a more powerful firebender than zuko, they're sort of right, but the way that they act as if being a better firebender has moral value is. pretty much exactly the reason why azula had a breakdown lol), minimize her contributions to the fire nation's imperialism (we all remember the pacifist azula essay, and also the way that they often act as if being abused excuses her from responsibility as if ozai turning his daughter into a weapon wasn't itself a form of abuse), misunderstand ty lee's character (by which i mean. the entirety of “tyzula”), act like the concept of “deserving a redemption arc” is a coherent analytical framework (it isn't), refuse to see nuance in ursa, start sentences with “unpopular opinion” (even if the opinion isn't unpopular... like it gets on my nerves more than it should when i see posts like “unpopular opinion: azula wasn't a heartless monster” or “unpopular opinion: zuko was a shitty brother” like... yeah... most people agree with you there....), and misunderstand zuko and azula's relationship (i've literally seen takes about how azula kept trying to mend their relationship and was kind to zuko in ways that he never was to her.... lol. i mean not that zuko was a good brother but. they were both shitty.)
ty lee stans: uhh i don't really see many ty lee stans but if you actually understand ty lee's character i am very likely to trust your opinions on atla in general.
mai stans: people who would make maiko amvs set to mitski's “me and my husband,” because they ship maiko. unfortunately. yes i have in fact seen at least one m&mh maiko edit made in support of maiko. tiktok is a dark place. to be clear, mai stans do actually care about mai, and, unlike most atla fans, understand that mai is an extremely nice & kind person but... they do not show their love for her in good ways. imo.
and again, don't reblog this. as always, good faith criticism is welcome. love and light to you all <3
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stitch1830 · 3 years
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Ok, so I keep seeing your posts and have had more Zutara thoughts because of them (thank you for that, btw 😊) so I was curious if you have read any fics or like the Mom Friend!Katara and Dad Friend!Zuko trope? It’s one of my personal faves.
Some common things I’ve seen with this are:
Zuko noticing Katara does a lot of the work while staying at the Western Air Temple and stepping up to help, but Katara is rightfully wary of him at that point and gets frustrated for varying reasons
Katara getting sick from constantly doing everything for so long and Zuko helping take care of her and the Gaang while she’s down for the count (usually happens after TSR so they’re slightly awkward friends at this point)
Katara and Zuko late night conversations where Katara isn’t just being Zuko’s therapist, or Zuko isn’t just being Katara’s therapist, but they’re giving each other advice and listening to each other in equal measure overall (even if some nights one is feeling more down than the other and they focus on that for just that night)
Katara and Zuko getting some solid cooking together/doing chores together/bending together content
Katara and Zuko getting teased by the Gaang bc they’ve started to call them Mum and Dad when they’re being extra Momtara and Dadko (you know what I mean lol)
Katara and Zuko working to comfort anyone else in the Gaang over relationship problems (usually Sukka stuff here with misinterpreting stuff and overthinking and all that), childhood issues (Toph and her stuff with her parents), not feeling good enough (Aang, the sweet boi son who is so nervous abt all the pressure on his shoulders), or just war trauma stuff (nightmares and cuddles from Momtara and Dadko - is best with Toph imo)
Toph accidentally calling them Mum or Dad while super tired is the wholesome stuff thing
Idk if you’ve got other stuff that you’ve seen or headcannons you’ve got abt this trope, lmk bc I feel like I don’t seen enough of it lol
Hello! Thank you so much for the ask, and I'm glad you are enjoying the HC's. We all deserve to have Zutara live in our minds rent free haha!
I actually don't think I've read a specific fic with that particular trope, sadly. I'm kind of new when it comes to reading Zutara fics and haven't spent too much time exploring ao3 (There's so much I was shook the first time I glanced at it!). I've seen a few fan art comics with this referenced, that's all though. But, I am totally on board with this headcanon and honestly think it's super accurate. It probably should be explored more!
Both Katara and Zuko seem pretty selfless when it comes to their friends and family, so it would make sense to me that they take care of the others first, either individually or together. And then in turn, noticing when the other is struggling and offering support. It's probably an interesting story to see how they navigate the rough waters, because Katara is probably somewhat skeptical of Zuko still, and Zuko just isn't sure how to handle the situation. They're also two of the most mature members of the Gaang, so it makes sense that they take it upon themselves to take care of the group. (Also the cuddle sessions? Talk about uwu).
If I were to add to this list, I think they would often scold the group if they were only using a single braincell between them all.
Zuko probably stays up the latest in the group to watch for any trouble. Sometimes he notices Katara or another member of the Gaang shivering, so he'll give them his blanket.
I can see them when they're alone complaining to each other about the group's shenanigans and finding comfort in being able to relate to each other.
Katara would scold the group for giving Appa too many treats. But then Zuko sneaks one more apple to the sky bison :)
This might not fit the HC, but maybe if Zuko needs to tell Katara something and he's afraid of her reaction (maybe it's bad news and they're all already stressed), he'll practice his speech on a badgerfrog.
Katara and Zuko definitely spar a ton together and they learn each others moves and tendencies well. That's why they're so in sync during their practice battle.
Those are my immediate thoughts on HC's! Also, if you have a fav fic with this trope, feel free to send it my way! Love reading some good stories haha. Thanks again for the ask, and hope you have a nice day! :)
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camlann · 3 years
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Momtara & Dadko
April 1: Pre-Zutara. Some choices are difficult to make. Others, like knowing when to walk away and who to lean on the shoulder of afterwards, are much easier. 
There is a moment where she has to walk away from everything, that her calm demeanor flairs into something cold and sharp, and Zuko lets her go, watching her disappear out the door from the corner of his eye without saying a word. A moment of tension passes before Aang’s shoulders slump, leaving them all a bit at odds with knowing what might be the right thing to do or what’s going on, in general. Thankfully, he’s used to awkward situations and he starts to round up the others in the room, shuffle them into the library so that they can rest from their travels and have more casual conversations. He delegates just a bit of the remaining formalities, murmuring to Suki and Sokka before he makes his excuses and disappears out a different door. After all, a Fire Lord’s job is never done and they expect this from him. Uncle even nods to him as he leaves, taking over the introduction of Hakoda to a few trusted advisors as Zuko closes the door behind him. 
Some of them do not expect the same from her and perhaps that’s why he follows in her footsteps, a shadow of familiarity with the situation settling in his bones from years ago. 
Rushing isn’t necessary, he knows exactly where Katara has gone and he takes his time to get there, stopping here and there to speak with workers around the palace, ensuring they know that the Avatar and his friends have arrived a day before they were scheduled to and to report to the head of staff for instructions when they get a chance. It does no good to send everyone into a panic and so he keeps his pace even, though his strides are long enough now that he makes his way quickly all the same. When he does step into the newly renovated gardens, cherry blossoms bouncing in an early evening wind, he finally comes to a stop when he hears turtleducks chirping. 
It’s a place that’s important to him, a safe harbor in the storm that is palace life, and to see her at ease there makes something in Zuko go soft and warm. Picking his way down the gravel path, he rests against the pillar of the pagoda she’s secluded herself in, taking her in slowly and in a way he hasn’t been able to do since they arrived. 
Her shoulders are slumped and her eyes are far away, staring out across the sand garden and towards a bubbling fountain on the other end of this place. Her fingers are clasped together, white knuckled but not twisting, and when he asks to sit she only nods, a shiver seeming to crawl up her spine as the heat he exudes comes into her space momentarily before he decides to sit across from her. Anyone else might bend under the weight of those eyes upon them, especially since they are currently wet and angry, but he has borne this weight many a time in the last few years and so he’ll do it again until she doesn’t need him to anymore. 
The silence is expected and Zuko finds her hands slipping apart to settle on her knees, an interesting move that makes him think of his morning meditations. There is a purposefulness to the way they are placed instead of it being natural, and he appreciates that she is opening a door here even when it seems difficult for her to do so. 
“I’m pregnant.” 
“I know.” 
Her letters over the past few months had hinted at something like this and he’s smart enough to add two and two to get four without her telling him directly. It had been a subtle shift; after all, she always asked after Izumi, especially since Mai left to pursue a life more aligned with her interests. Instead, it was the thinly veiled probing questions about being a single parent and how he allowed his daughter to savor her childhood over the decorum and lifestyle of being the ‘crown princess’ that had given him pause. Knowing that Katara was struggling with being alone while Aang focused on rebuilding his nation, and the uneven footing her and Aang had been on about where their relationship stood, was something he was fully aware of though and it really didn’t surprise him that this was where they’d ended up. 
Outside of that, Aang had reached out to him for assistance in renovating an island to create a new Air Temple so that his Acolytes had someplace to train that wasn’t in ruins. The Avatar included specific plans for a suite of rooms within a tower that was clearly for a family to reside in, as well as a place for children to be housed and raised, same as they were from his memories when he was growing up. It had been a strange dichotomy, seeing it from both sides and feeling like they were talking to him instead of each other. He did his best to respond and be as supportive as he could to both but, being the father he is, he found himself enjoying his exchanges with Katara more if only because he could air his own struggles with parenthood while emphasizing that it wasn’t all that bad. 
Zuko can’t help but worry that this might have tipped the scales, one way or another. 
“I’m thinking that for these first few months, I’d like to be someplace warm and easy to get around, someplace with hot springs, and was hoping to ask if I could borrow your Ember Island estate before going South before the baby is born. I’d also like to borrow your Uncle to discuss raising children, if you’re able to spare him.” 
“While my Uncle’s presence is up to him, the house is yours, without question.” They both nod once in agreement before going silent again and Zuko tilts his head, as if a physical change of view might help him see better where Katara might need support. “Will you be going immediately after this trip or do you need transport back to the Western Ruins before settling in there?” 
“I brought everything I need with me on Appa,” Katara explains, words slow as if she’s choosing them carefully. “I only need a key, as I have enough money to last me until I want to go home.” 
“The house is stocked, Katara. You won’t need to pay for anything, even things outside the household. It’ll all be taken care of.” 
“I’d like to though. I’d like to go to a play and send Izumi sweets for her birthday next season, and know that I’m the one that did that, myself. I’d like to partake in everything Ember Island has to offer, even if it’s hot and sticky and different.” 
“Different how? You’ve been there before.” 
“I’ve tried talking to him about this, you know. About how I don’t want to live in one place and stay there eternally. I don’t mind settling down, having someplace to go back to, but I can’t pretend that being isolated away, either in an Air Temple or at the South Pole, is where I’m going to be happy anymore. It doesn’t work like that. I’m different now so I want to be someplace different. I want to see more of the Earth Kingdom with Toph and Suki, I want to learn more about the Northern tribe before they really start sending people down south. I want to be here, watch the traditional festivals you’ve started to reestablish, see the fireworks. I want to keep traveling, to learn more about the people than I did during the war, and not have a single focus. He can have that single focus, he’s the Avatar, but I want something. Just. Different.” 
“And how did he take that?” 
“It was like speaking with my brother,” Katara admits, her shoulders slowly unwinding as she cradled her stomach, gaze blinking back to reality and away from wherever she had gone before. “Back when we were still young enough to not understand that we were having ‘grown-up’ conversations and trying to do what’s best for each other by telling the other what to do. We’ve had to learn to communicate but it just seems there’s something always in the way when it comes to Aang. He’ll say this is what is best and I’ll disagree, which leads to him spending a day on the top of the towers where I can’t go. I’ll want to offer a hand to someone, stay awhile in one spot, and he wants to fly off to follow a rumor about a scroll. It’s been a lot of disagreement with Aang recently and this. This didn’t help.” 
“What happened?” He has to ask because it’s starting to feel like they’re talking about many different things without being direct about it. Zuko is good at a lot but following the different threads here is becoming confusing. He can only open the door to conversation though, Katara is still the one that needs to walk through it. “You were pretty upset when you got off Appa this morning.” 
“Aang knows about the baby. He’s already rested all of his hopes and dreams for the Air Nation on their shoulders. He wants them raised exactly like he was but he ‘made an exception’ that I could stay with them. I mentioned they, whoever they are going to be, may not be an airbender and he looked at me like I’d grown another head.” Katara shakes her own head at that, spreading her hand across her stomach and frowning. “I don’t care if they airbend, waterbend, or don't bend at all. He will though. He sees it as destiny, that we’re here to rebuild his nation. I didn’t sign up for that and see it as a choice. I don’t want this child to grow up with the weight of a nation on their shoulders. I saw what it did to him, I saw what it did to Sokka and myself to a lesser extent, and I saw what it did to you. There was good that came out of it but if we can give them a better life than what we had, we should. We can choose to give this baby a childhood, one that honors both our traditions, but also allows them to be a kid. They won’t get that opportunity if he’s immediately pushing them into being the ‘heir of the Air Nation’ when we don’t even know if they’ll be that. And if they’re not--” 
She stops herself but Zuko follows her line of thought easily enough. It’s a habit they’d picked up during the war when conversations had just as much weight for entirely different reasons. They were a good team and it had shown brightly then. It has faded a bit these days but there are moments like these where he knows that it would take nothing at all to be right back into that head space, that ability to collaborate and guide a group of young people into battle. Now, this battle might not require bending or blades this time but it was still a fight, which is why he doesn’t finish the thought out loud but lets it hang between them, finished all the same. 
If they’re not an airbender then what will Aang do? 
It’s a good question and Zuko sighs out, lifting one shoulder in a shrug. Aang was a dear friend and close to him in many ways, but he could not discount his relationship with Katara in the process. They were just as close, understood parts of each other that others didn’t, and now that they were older it had transformed into a respect and reliance on each other to build a path as they were walking it. So far it had been working for them and he wasn’t going to turn around now to walk backwards on his promises to her to always be by her side when she needed him. 
“I hope it doesn’t come to that,” he offers, brow furrowing in thought. “He’s young, we all are, and I’m sure he’ll… grow into it.” 
“That sounds exactly like what my father said,” Katara sighs, catching her cheek on her fist as she leans forward too. “You two are starting to sound very much alike, I hope you know.” 
“Well, we both have strong hearted daughters who we’re trying to keep up with.” Zuko cracks a grin and relief washes over him when Katara returns it. “I can’t say it’s easy. As much as I love Izumi, she is more like me than I care to admit and that has us butting heads more and more the older she gets. But I’ll tell you what I always tell her, alright?” 
Katara’s eyes go bright and her grin widens as he slides off his bench and takes a knee in front of her. It’s rare that the Fire Lord kneels and even rarer that it’s before someone. Zuko can hear the exasperation of the Fire Sages in the back of his head as he does so but it doesn’t stop him. Perhaps it may even make him smile a bit warmer, a bit wider, knowing that what he’s offering is entirely his and not something from his nation. 
“Whatever end it comes to, I’m here,” Zuko murmurs, lowering his voice to impress the gravity of what he’s saying. “If it comes to that and you feel that you really need someone to step in, look to me. I’ll be here, exactly as I always am. Izumi is great with the younger children in her lessons and I am not opposed to spending some time in the South Pole. In fact, I think learning a bit more about the Southern Water Tribe can only benefit me -- so do what you want and need to do, go to Ember Island, and I’ll bring Izumi and Uncle there for her birthday if Uncle isn’t there by your side already.” 
Arms are thrown around his neck and Zuko chuckles, catching Katara easily. 
“I can’t ask you to come with me.” 
“You didn’t ask,” Zuko points out as he readjusts and sits down next to her, allowing her to hang off him just a bit. “That doesn’t mean I’m not going to do it though. Now, do you want to tell Izumi or should I?” 
“I’d like to be the one to tell her, if I can. She deserves to know why I won’t be sparring with her for a little while.” 
“She’ll be devastated, I’m sure,” Zuko teases, leaning away at last and taking Katara’s hand. “Feel better?” 
“Yes. Except…” Biting her lip, Katara looks at him wide-eyed and unsure. Pausing, he tries to assess where the look came from before he finds himself trying to hide a smile at her question. “Do you think I’ll be a good mother?” 
They really are alike, aren’t they? He had much the same question when Mai told him they were going to have a baby -- was he going to be a good father when his own had been the way he had. Katara definitely had better role models in her life and thankfully, he had Uncle, but the question will linger far after the child is born due to the lives they have led, still lead. It did for him, at least. Leaning forward, Zuko kisses her forehead gently and then stands, bringing her with him. Offering her his arm, he starts to lead her back inside, glancing up at the rising moon as he nods. He’ll be there to answer this question again whenever she needs him to. 
“The very best of them.” 
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forthememsdump · 3 years
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Chapters: 5/5 Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar) Characters: Katara (Avatar), Zuko (Avatar), Bumi II (Avatar), Izumi (Avatar), Kya II (Avatar), Iroh (Avatar), Toph Beifong, Sokka (Avatar), Azula (Avatar), Yue (Avatar), Jet (Avatar), Aang (Avatar) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Dadko, Momtara, Single Parents, Divorced Katara, Divorced Zuko, POV Katara (Avatar), POV Zuko (Avatar), Past Aang/Katara (Avatar), Past Mai/Zuko (Avatar), Zuko (Avatar) is a Good Parent, Katara (Avatar) is a Good Parent, Eventual Blended Family, Domestic, Mutual Pining, They Parent Each Other's Kids, They Love Each Other's Kids Like Their Own, They love each other Summary:
Katara isn't alone. She has Bumi and Kya. The three of them are family.
Zuko isn't alone either. He has Izumi. The two of them are family.
But maybe... just maybe, they can all be family together.
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bluelady-atla · 4 years
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Momtara & Dadko Good news and special days
Firelord Zuko’s ears are ringing, heart pounding a mile a minute, breath already becoming labored. He feels like he’s going to faint so he sits down on his bed, drops really, the thick opulent blankets billowing out around him under the force. The bed dips a little to his left and the weight of another settles next to him. He hears a voice calling his name, it sounds distant at first, becoming more clear with each repeat.
“Zuko? Zuko, did you hear what I said?”
A hand grabs his own, offering a gentle squeeze of comfort. Grounding him in the here and now, pulling him out of his panic.
“Zuko? Are you ok? I thought you would be happy. We talked about this. We’ve been trying for months now. Zuko?”
He turns towards the voice. Blue eyes stare back at him, the corners creased with concern and a hint of anxiety.
“I am happy Katara. At least I will be, I’m just… shocked”
He threads their fingers and squeezes back.
“I know we’ve been planning to have a kid” A sly smile draws up the corner of his mouth as he says, “trying very hard to make one.”
Katara shivers ever so slightly at the memory. His smile drops, as he casts his gaze to the floor
“It’s just... now that it’s real, now that you’re pregnant, I’m scared. The firelord doesn’t have a great history as fathers, what if I turn out to be like my father, I don’t know what a good father looks like. I don’t know how to be a father. What if I hurt them?” His voice breaking at the end
“Oh Zuko, you would never hurt them.” Katara cups his face, thumb tracing over the scar. She gives him a moment to lean in, watches his eyes close and the worry pinching his eyebrows melt away as it always does when she cradles his face. Then she tilts his chin so he’s facing her and waits until he opens his eyes holding her gaze.
“Zuko, you already know how to be a father. I’ve seen you. Do you remember, back at the western air temple, during the war. I remember watching you train Aang. You had such patience. Aang was struggling so much in the beginning, he’d refuse to focus, bouncing around like his over energetic self. Or he’d whine and fuss, about ready to give up whenever something was too hard to just get right away. And Yes, you’d get frustrated; I’d see it building in you, your shoulders tense, your first clenched. I watched you closely, expecting you to snap and hurt Aang, but you never did. Everytime you would be near breaking you'd take this deep breath and just let it out. With it your posture would shift and you’d tell Aang to take a break, divert his attention to something new, something that would hold his focus and wouldn’t be so hard for him. You could have snapped and yelled at him, but you were firm and patient instead, when he was struggling you would keep him for being discouraged. When he was bored, you’d find a way to engage him. Zuko, I need you really listen to me, you are already a better dad than you father ever was.”
With a chuckle and mirth in her voice “and that's back when you were an unbearably grumpy teenage still working on his anger issues.”
“You’re right, thanks Katara I really needed to hear that”
“Of course I’m right, I’m always right” she replied with gentle tone before she gives him a sweet kiss. “And don’t you forget it.”
~
Crown Prince Iroh the second, named for the wisest man in the fire nation (at least according to his father, little Iroh always though Grandpa was silly, but he smelled nice like his tea shop and would sneak Little Iroh sweets se he liked his grandpa all the same.) had just snuck away from his matron. Which is something he’s gotten rather good at at the age of 4. Mommy says he’s like his daddy in this way, but Daddy’s only allowed to teach him the very basics until he's 10. At first mommy was completely against it, but in the end it was a group effort of polar puppy dog eyes that swayed her.
Now Little Iroh is putting his lessons to good use.
“Be like a Cat.” That’s what his daddy always says. “See that palace cat over there, it's sitting calmly a prim. It looks like it doesn't care for the world. But if you watch closely, you can see how it watches its surroundings, ears shifting at every sound. The cat may look at peace, but it is always listening, always aware. You have to be aware of your surroundings. Always keep your ears open.”
Now normally he’d try to be good and not sneak around when he should be napping, but little Iroh has been keeping his ears open and he thinks that today is special. Nobody has told him it’s special, but he’s been listening carefully and watching the people around him. And for the past week everyone has been saying “soon” “any day now” “she’s about ready to pop”. Then this morning mommy started making weird noises at breakfast and suddenly everyone was rushing around.
“Oh ho! Looks like its started. Don’t worry little sis, Suki had a much easier time the second time around with Kyo”
“See sweetness, this is why I don’t want to have kids, too much noise right from the start”
Daddy was especially frantic,
“you’re just as bad as you were with little Iroh”
“ha! Agni I hope not”
Then matron showed up out of nowhere like she always does and whisked little Iroh away. So nobody has told him yet, but he’s pretty sure today is the day he becomes a big brother. And he doesn’t want to miss it, uncle Sokka has told him it’s a big responsibility.
So now he’s using daddy's second lesson of the cat, “Today we will watch a cat as it stalks. See how it moves, low to the ground, you’ve already got an advantage there.” Zuko chuckled “It keeps to the shadows, hugging the walls and slipping from hiding place to hiding place. You have to move like a cat try to blend in and keep to the shadows.”
Little Iroh was currently slinking through the hall of firelords past. This way is a shortcut to his parents chambers. He slips from the shadows cast by each statue. Moving carefully when he hears footsteps approaching from the far end of the hall. Quickly he slips into a nook hidden behind the legs of one of his ancestors. Now it’s time for the third lesson of the cat.
“Today you will both learn from the cat and practice at the same time. See how the cat is sitting there quietly, not moving a muscle. You might think it's zoning out, but look at where it's watching. That is a mouse's hole. It is waiting. And today we will wait too. You must be patient, you must be prepared to be quiet and still for a very long time. I know it’s not as fun as sneaking, but it’s just as important.”
So little Iroh waited and listened from his hiding place, he heard the feet approach, then pass him a ways. Now he was just waiting for the sound of the door on the other side. So he waits and he waits and he waits, but the door never creaks. Thinking that he’s waited long enough and just missed the sound of the door, little Iroh slips out from the hiding spot and starts to slink away. Nothing but the little pitter-patter of his tiny feet. The final lesson of the cat is to walk as quietly as a cat. Not make a single sound as he slips along. Little Iroh has memorized all of the boards that squeak in this hall, but he still hasn’t mastered walking completely silently yet. He is still a toddler after all.
“There you are, I thought I’d heard you sneaking around” Fire Lord Zuko did not look much like a fire lord right now, hair slipping out of his top knot, only wearing his casual robes that he had been wearing at breakfast. “Come on, everyone’s been looking for you. It’s time for you to meet someone special.”
“Is it my little sibling?”
“Well looks like someone has had their cat ears on, yes it is. Come on they are with your mom”
Hand in hand Zuko leads Little Iroh into the converted bed chamber. Surrounding the bed is all of their friends and family.
“Oh she has Zuko’s nose” coos Grandpa Iroh
“Yes but she has my eyes, her mother's eyes” counters Gran Gran “Good strong water tribe eyes”
Little Iroh, weaved through the crowd until he was crawling onto the bed kneeling next to his mother. Fire Lady Katara look even less like a Fire Lady, tired and sweaty.
“Come here sweetheart” she says as she sweeps him into the crook of his arm, a place he settles into so well like its been worn down to fit him over the years. “Meet you little sister”
Little Iroh stared at the little wrinkly thing, skin stained pink, sleeping in the crook of his mother's other arm. “Iroh, say hello to your little Sister, Kya”
74 notes · View notes
southrcn · 4 years
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okay okay so notes on s2e1. beware, she’s long. if you read it, feel free to comment on anything. i’m happy to discuss. i want to talk. god, please, talk to me. 
disclaimer: this is how i see the episode and how i think on it. obviously my take isn’t everyone’s take, nor should it be.
do i know that this isn’t toph’s episode? yes. do i know she doesn’t come around for a bit? yes. do i still desperately want to see her? yes.
aang’s reluctance both to learn firebending and to kill ozai is foreshadowed in the first few seconds of this episode. i mean, of course he already said he’d never firebend again, traumatized by the burn he gave katara, but it shows that he genuinely meant it. a version of himself firebending attacks not only sokka and katara, but himself as well. he also has a nightmare of the ocean spirit controlling him. the ocean spirit killed several people while possessing aang. they were all fire nation soldiers, but they were still people. does aang remember being possessed in any capacity? has he repressed it? this small scene shows that, even if he doesn’t remember it, the murders weigh on his conscious. 
katara is a light sleeper. aang gasping himself awake is enough for katara to wake up. this is both a “rise with the moon” thing and a trauma thing. she’s a light sleeper because she has to be. any nighttime stirring is a sign of danger.
pakku giving katara the spirit water is another enormous moment for her. she is honored that pakku thinks she’s become a strong enough bender to control it, and that he believes she should have it. it becomes even more important later, when it saves aang’s life. she credits pakku with that almost entirely. without the spirit water, katara would not have been able to save him, although she would have tried her damnedest.
headcanon on the strengths and limits of spirit water later
“the water has unique properties. don’t lose it.”
pakku continuing to call katara a master, “a real master” ??? it is everything to me
“sokka? take care, son.”
yes, compared to what he said to the others, it is a disappointment. but think about it. pakku has shown that he isn’t one for emotion. hell, even praise is rare from him. he has no wisdom to bestow on sokka that he thinks useful. sokka is already an accomplished warrior. they are all still reeling from yue’s death. some northern tribesmen might even blame sokka. but pakku still calls him “son.” he bestows a familiar title to him that he doesn’t to any of the other characters.
i fuckin love bumi. 
katara’s last words to pakku and the boat heading south are, “say hi to gran gran for me!” she adores her grandmother so much. 
it takes zuko and iroh three weeks to land, and according to iroh they have “no food or water.” but they have firebending! and heat can purify water, if you wait long enough. boil it for long enough and take out the impurities and eventually you have 1) drinkable water and 2) salt. salt is a commodity. maybe it’s how iroh buys the tea shop. there were “sea vultures waiting to pluck out your liver.” sounds like food to me.
zuko baby.................i adore you
iroh is trying dammit. “why would he banish you if he didn’t care?” iroh, uncle, it’s because ozai’s a dick.
azula’s look? fire. azula’s voice? fire. azula’s strict control on sixteen grown soldiers? fire. they’d piss herself if she looked at them wrong. i want that power.
azula baby askin dumb questions. “do the tides command this ship?” yes girl its on the ocean, and the ocean spirit does not play. we saw that last episode.
“mighty katara? i like that.” i love her. she loves having her ego stroked. queen.
immediate fireworks upon their arrival? art.
okay but let’s think about this. the last time they were here, they had to be in hiding. they could not be found out, because zuko was hunting them and the fire nation was on their tail; while they had hand-to-hand combat, against benders it would do little, and katara was still studying her waterbending. they came to omashu, did some fun stupid stuff, and then almost immediately regretted it. the cabbage man was calling for their death and the king looked off his rocker enough to do it, eventually. katara and sokka were trapped in (edible) crystals and for the majority of their trip, they had no idea that they were in an amiable land. bumi later sent them off with well wishes, but their entrance and first few hours/days in the city were uncertain. now they’re being welcomed with open arms, honored titles, and fireworks. they are respected. being respected is entirely new to all three of them. welcomed and even wanted is not new at all, but respected. even in the northern tribe, katara had to fight for the respect she wanted. now they’re already granted it. it has to be a shock. they knew this was real and important before, but it has to hit them fresh now.
the rumors of what happened in the north pole are not well detailed. aang didn’t defeat the fire nation fleet, the ocean spirit did. if omashu thinks aang did it, how much more powerful does the fire nation think he is?
the fire nation is an island nation with presumably active volcanoes on it.
hi i’m only seven minutes and two seconds into this. if you’re reading, i’m sorry.
katara goes momtara at seven oh four. using the avatar state to defeat the fire nation may be a desperate move or a genius one. they’ve been fighting fire nation control for over a hundred years. of course people are going to be impatient and desperate. but where sokka and aang both look (rightfully) shocked and terrified, katara is enraged. there are so many unknowns to that. aang could get lost in the avatar state. his body could be destroyed, especially if he’s leading the fleet. aang’s expressed concerns about controlling himself in the avatar state (just now and earlier when he was talking about his dream to katara). katara will not let any unnecessary harm come to him.
“aang’s pursuing his destiny, his way.” katara understands that learning all the elements will take longer and bring the danger of the fire nation ever closer. but she supports him and whatever he wants to do. he is a person as well as the avatar. doing it his way also keeps him out of (relative) harm’s way for longer, which is a plus in her book.
there are so many amputees. prosthetics and non-bending medical care get better because it needs to, because there is no other choice.
general fong is desperate. he’s not a bad guy. he’s seen soldier after soldier injured and in pain, if they’re lucky enough to come back. he’s lived with this pain for decades. he’s seen hopeful boys turn into broken soldiers. he’s willing to put aang in harm’s way because he sees everyone else in harm’s way. a twelve year old’s life is nothing compared to the thousands and millions they’ve already lost. if lives were currency, the plan is cost effective. he is willing to try anything to stop his people’s suffering. anything at all.
azula bends lightning and is told she’s “almost perfect” because a single strand of hair fell from her topknot. imagine the trauma she’s gone through up til and including now. she is almost good enough. she is almost perfect. she almost made her father proud. she must constantly strive for an impossible ideal. i’m not saying azula isn’t a bad person. she is. she was raised in an imperialist society where good and bad were based entirely on her father’s whims at the time. she killed and destroyed and colonized. but she’s fourteen. she is still a child, and she is traumatized. 
fyi child soldiers are rarely tried as war criminals because they are children. not only can they not consent, by virtue of their age and development, courts assume they do not understand even if they do consent.
azula, frustrated with herself, says, “almost isn’t good enough!”
how many times do you think she’s been told that? how many times before she started to parrot it? to believe it?
when aang says he agreed, katara argues with him. she knows that this isn’t what he wants, and she knows how dangerous it could be for him. there are so many unknowns. she doesn’t want to risk him.
sokka also doesn’t understand what happened. “remember when he took out the fire navy? he was incredible!” aang was in the avatar state, yes, but he was in the avatar state because he was being possessed by a spirit. aang wasn’t incredible. the ocean spirit was incredible.
also, death doesn’t seem to bother either sokka or katara anywhere near as much as it disturbs aang. they’ve accepted that it is part of war. it’s been a part of their lives for a long time. sokka dropped a bomb on a couple hundred (?) fire nation soldiers before. neither of them want to risk innocent lives, but they see that soldiers are not innocent. 
“i don’t have time to do this the right way!” the lives lost every single day to war weigh heavily on aang’s mind. he wants to stop them as quickly as he can. possibly at his own expense. 
hey au where aang does take down ozai but dies in the process
that special tea was just coffee wasn’t it. it was like, black tea times 300.
aang’s never been on a sugar high before has he
momo sokka is pretty adorable tho
they want to join the four elements into one, but isn’t that the avatar himself? he’s the conduit through which the elements are joined. in order to join them, he has to learn all four of them. that is the combination of the four elements. and if he is already the embodiment of the four elements, why would “combining” them help him get into the avatar state?
katara, while openly disapproving, does not ever try to stop aang from going along with his decision. aang, again, is a person as well as the avatar, and while she questions his choices, she respects them. even if they aren’t the choices she would have made herself, she respects them.
anyone who has heard me rant about kataang knows why this is important.
warning: if you like kataang, do not ask me to rant about kataang.
how deeply did iroh tan, dang? how long have they been where they are?
“in my country, we exchange a pleasant hello before asking questions.” azula you didn’t even knock. you just appeared. 
okay okay can we talk about azula’s word choice here? “have you become uncivilized so soon, zuzu?” wherever they are, it can’t be the fire nation, because zuko is banished and azula mentions bringing him home. uncivilized is a colonizer term. cultures people do not understand or want to exploit are often called uncivilized. native peoples were often called uncivilized. savages. azula, i see that colonizer speak in you
azula. please. please stop playing with my boy’s feelings. he doesn’t deserve this. he’s tired. he’s still recovering from zhao’s death. please. please. let him rest.
katara cares so much about aang’s well being. she very openly tells him that the avatar state, right now, is dangerous, since he doesn’t know how to control it, in very simple, understated words. she is also terrified of the avatar state. she’s seen him turn into a completely different person. she wants the best for him, and she wants him to be okay. she wants him to be able to control it.
katara explains her reservations on the avatar state. she tells him why she doesn’t want him to do it. when he says he still has to do it, she decides she doesn’t want to see it. but she doesn’t argue with him over his choice. she still respects it. she is calm and collected.
zuko is so happy i want to cry so much
iroh knows better. iroh always knows better. he wants to talk sense into zuko and make him take things with a grain of salt. he’s ozai’s older brother. he knows who ozai is, better than most people. he doesn’t want to see zuko get hurt.
when iroh says, “in our family, things are not always what they seem,” only half of zuko’s face is in fame. which half? the scar half. the audience knows that zuko has this scar because of a battle with his father. zuko didn’t expect to face off with ozai, he expected to face off with the general. he was allowed to believe this, and was not corrected until the agni kai. things are not always what they seem indeed.
i hurt.
zuko if you don’t apologize to your uncle i swear to god
katara is right. aang keeps having nightmares about the avatar state. she is right to be wary, when he himself is so terrified of it. this nightmare involves zuko. aang is still terrified of hurting zuko, who at this point in the show is still his enemy. how on earth could he kill ozai, who is a pillar of evil but has aang has never seen, when hurting zuko, a boy who has openly and directly inflicted pain, is a nightmare to him?
sokka, too, respects aang’s decisions. aang says he doesn’t think they should try to induce the avatar state and sokka just says, “okay.” sokka was firmly on the side of trying. he thought aang could take ozai down in the avatar state. but aang said no, so sokka won’t push it.
we stan respect
fourteen minute mark
hey i’m crying because zuko is so absolutely thrilled to know that iroh is coming with him. zuko hasn’t been home in three years. his home is completely different from what he remembers, and he’ll be entering it knowing that he didn’t earn the right to return, he didn’t capture the avatar. ozai was just feeling “lenient.” everything is different. iroh has been the only constant for the past three years. going without him would have been terrifying and lonely. of course he’s trilled to see his uncle.
iroh doesn’t trust ozai as far as he can throw him. iroh would never let zuko go alone. he needs to protect zuko, as he couldn’t protect his son, as he couldn’t protect zuko in the agni kai. 
to general fong, aang is the avatar before he is his own person, before he is a literal child. that’s why he doesn’t respect aang’s decisions. but more than that, fong is desperate. everyone is desperate. this war has been going on for a hundred years. this, of course, doesn’t make it right. at the very least it explains it though.
sokka is a skilled fighter. he uses the soldiers’ hold on him to kick them both in the balls. that’s some king shit. he did it so confidently too, didn’t bother to turn back to check if they were following him because aang was in danger.
okay so i take it back. the architecture of the island that zuko and iroh are on is definitely fire nation. but if it were the fire nation proper, iroh wouldn’t have had two strapping young men to massage his back, because he and zuko are banished traitors, and so it would be illegal to serve them. plus, they have to get on a ship to get to ozai and the palace. is this a fire nation colony?
the people wear pink, not red.
iroh is always on guard. king. as he should be. azula’s a cunning little thing.
please stop playing with zuko. he’s only a boy.
iroh was ready. the captain said prisoners and iroh did not hesitate to fuckin kick a bitch. no goddamn mercy. we stan.
momo stays with katara. momo sided with katara. he stayed with her. momo and katara have a bond stronger than anything i’ve ever seen. its so good. momo is katara’s favorite.
sidenote, momo has opposable thumbs and i don’t know how to feel about it.
there’s a literal legion of earth benders and sokka throws a boomerang at one. i love that for him.
god using katara against the aang is old news. i’m so tired of it. she’s a whole strong ass bender. he’s the avatar. her brother is a whole fuckin warrior. pick your battles. you won’t win this one.
hey so like it’s been established that katara can bend water in anything, yeah? plants, people, the air. why doesn’t she choose to bend the water out of the mud and reuse it? she (with an earthbender, maybe?) could bend mud. it’s a creative strategy. bending is as strong as the bender’s talent and practice, yes, but it’s also only as useful as the bender’s imagination. not having been exposed to these creative bending techniques keeps katara from understanding that her bending could be used in that way. she does eventually grow out of this, and starts using her bending in more and more creative ways. it is a pleasure to watch her grow. 
eighteen minutes in.
avatar state is here baby
zuko is already a strong bender. he literally just made daggers out of flames. he’s so creative already.
yo how long are azula’s nails? zuko gets three cuts on his forehead, about the shape and width of scratches. azula baby who is your nail artist? can i get their number?
okay so most previous avatars didn’t have tattoos. only their eyes glow. why do aang’s tattoos glow? is it the ink? is the ink somehow connected to the spirit world, or to the previous avatars? 
are you telling me that no avatar ever has been killed in the avatar state? sounds fake but ok, we can dig it
katara is always the first one to comfort aang. 
fong says “we just have to find out a way to control you,” rather than “we’ll have to figure out a way for you to stay in control.” aang isn’t a person to him. he is the avatar. his generals obviously feel the same, as they helped bring about the avatar state. how many other people feel like this? remember that fisherman who blamed aang for being away one hundred years, despite seeing that he was obviously twelve? this can’t be an uncommon belief. 
zuko still firmly believes in honor. he’s cutting off his topknot. i am. so emotional. iroh does it too, but zuko initiates it. it matters to him so much.
anyway i’m always emo
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stitch1830 · 3 years
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I think the reason why exploring Toph as a parent is so interesting to me is because out of the five main ATLA characters, she's definitely the one whom I think parenting would come the least easily to and the only one I can imagine not really planning on having kids and kind of having it thrust upon her (which is obviously what happened in canon).
Everyone knows that Katara and Zuko are Momtara and Dadko. Sokka has the personality of every single archetypical sitcom dad ever. Although Aang did not turn out to be a great father in canon, I can very easily imagine an AU where he did.
But Toph as a parent? Now there's a story.
Oh my goodness absolutely!
I remember getting back into ATLA and kind of rolling my eyes at fan art that showed her pregnant or the stories that revolved around her becoming a mother because I was like "that probably didn't happen in the story." Like you said, she was the character that was almost expected to choose to not have a family (Cristina Yang from Grey's Anatomy is another that comes to mind and reminds me of Toph).
But then I hear in LOK that she has not one, but two kids, and daughters (I would've guessed they'd have her have two boys or something) and that pulled me in.
That really is a story. Because what they showed was a working single mom to two girls in a position of power trying to juggle two large responsibilities when one of them did not come second nature to her. And while I'm not a fan of the absent mother depiction and the lazy conflict/resolution they showed us in the show (maybe it's just me, but a side hug probably wouldn't stop me from being mad at someone I've had a rift with for 20 years lol), I think it gave us that much more to talk about with Toph and more depth to her complicated character. (And also I'm now a sucker for Mama Toph stories and moments because those are just *chef's kiss*).
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zelzenik · 3 years
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HI i love your fic family portraits and honestly i started reading for zutara but sokkla ain’t looking bad now either because of your fic. anyways i love it a lot KEEP UP THE AMAZING WORK 💞
oh my gosh, thank you so much for your kind words, anon. i’d been feeling a bit down about this fic recently, but this really made my night. in honor of this ask, i’ve dropped chapter 9 of family portraits (with momtara and dadko). click here to read the whole fic on ao3.
His eyes bleary and his body stiff from sleep, Zuko slowly props himself up and adjusts to the darkness as Katara rolls off the bed, softly treading across their room to Ro’s crib. A particularly large crack of thunder causes them both to jolt as their room flashes brightly with lightning. Katara scoops a crying Ro up in her gentle arms, hushing him and rocking him soothingly.
Zuko lifts the covers slightly so that she can slip back under them, nestling into his side as she keeps their baby cradled against her chest. He wraps an arm around her securely as her head drops against his shoulder.
“Of all the times we get thunder,” Katara tries to stifle a yawn. She’s almost succeeded in quieting Ro down when he bursts into tears again, shoving a slobbery first into his mouth. “It’s okay, little one,” she whispers tenderly, lifting a hand up to rub her tired eyes. “Mommy and Daddy are here. We love you very much. You don’t have to be afraid.”
Beyond the walls of their rooms, the wind howls as rain continues to fall, crashing against the exposed tile floors of the open hallways outside. There’s a light draft from the storm, and Katara shivers beside him. Adjusting his body temperature, Zuko calls to his inner fire, comforting both his wife and their son with his natural heat.
Already feeling the effects of being up so late at night, Zuko stretches his free limbs as much as he can in the limited space, knowing that tomorrow morning he’ll be haggard. Katara is similarly exhausted, dark circles beneath her eyes, hair haphazardly piled atop her head in a messy topknot. But they’re both up for Ro’s sake.
Ro’s still sickly despite the best efforts of Katara and the family physician, and in the few weeks that he’s been alive, he hasn’t been guaranteed to remain among them. With that sad understanding, they cherish every single moment they have with him, praying to Agni and Tui and La and Yue that his life will be spared. 
As his limbs begin to go numb, he presses another kiss to Katara’s forehead. Despite her tendencies to stay up late, she’s falling asleep against his shoulder. He leans back further into the pillows propped behind them, almost ready to relinquish his weary consciousness in exchange for a hopefully restful sleep.
But then, a series of frantic knocks resound on their door. 
Grumbling, Zuko shifts on the bed again, “Who is it?” He can’t help the annoyed edge that creeps into his raspy voice.
“Daddy, can we come in?” It’s Izumi.
Swinging his legs over the side of the bed as Katara braces herself against the pillows and bedframe, Zuko walks across the room and opens the door, another bolt of lightning flashing through eerily. He ignores the way tiny shivers crawl up his spine at the sight, a hand unknowingly reaching to find the warped scar tissue on his chest.
Izumi and Kya launch themselves at him, both sobbing into his robes. Without another word, Zuko picks them up, kicking the door closed behind them. 
“Daddy,” Kya whimpers, burying her face in his chest at the sound of more thunder.
He sets them both on the bed, and they immediately burrow beneath the covers as he climbs in after them. He resumes his position beside Katara as Kya settles on his lap and Izumi leans into his other side.
Izumi’s lower lip wobbles, “I don’t like the lightning and the thunder.”
Nodding her head up and down in vigorous agreement, Kya adds, “Scary.”
Katara hushes Ro again, before pressing a light kiss to both the girls’ foreheads. “You both are safe here, with us.” She leans against Zuko, slipping a hand beneath his robe, finding the twisting web of scar tissue. “Daddy will protect us from the lightning.” She looks up at him with so much love in her blue eyes that his heart stutters.
Another clap of thunder reverberates through the room, and the girls shriek again, causing their brother to stir in Katara’s arms.
“Always,” Zuko nods his head in agreement, affectionately threading his fingers through Izumi’s dark curls. “And so will Mommy.” He thinks back to the day of the fateful Agni Kai, when he was forced to fight against his tormented little sister. It’s not a moment he likes to relive – Blue lightning tearing through his chest as his back slammed against the ground. As he convulsed there, raw energy pulsing through his veins, all he could think about had been Katara. She’d been an angel, dark curls wreathing her face as she subdued his sister and leaned over him, working through the scarring skin on his chest, realigning his chi pathways, saving his life. “It’s what she does best, really. We’ll always protect you, little ones.”
At his reassurances and Katara’s soothing touch, both girls seem to calm, still afraid of the lightning but confident in their parents’ abilities to keep them safe. Slowly, they drift back to sleep, and so does Ro.
Katara slumps even further beside him, “I love you, little ones.” Then, she looks up at him, cool hand still pressed to his chest. “Thank you for saving me from the lightning, Zuko.” Her eyes glitter with unshed tears, and he places his free hand atop hers before bringing them both up to his lips. 
“I wouldn’t have changed it for anything,” he murmurs, kissing each fingertip lightly. “I only wish that you’d helped me prepare for my coronation instead of…” His voice trails off. He’s glad Mai’s happy now – He is. He only wishes that they’d realized that they weren’t compatible sooner.
She smiles serenely, glancing down at their sleeping children, “Things still worked out in the end, though, didn’t they?” 
“They did,” he agrees musingly. “And I’m endlessly grateful.” He presses a tender kiss to her lips before shifting Izumi and Kya so that both girls are snuggled between them. “I love you, Katara. So much.”
“I love you, Zuko.” She readjusts her position so that they bookend the children, Ro still lying atop her chest.
Reaching out a hand, Zuko rests on his side, facing her. When her hand finally clasps in his and her eyes grow heavy with sleep, he allows his body to relax, still curled protectively around their little daughters. Despite his own exhaustion, he keeps a careful vigil over them, even after Katara’s expression relaxes with sleep.
The thunder crashes overhead, and the wind weeps achingly, and the lightning still bathes the room in a frightening glow, but none of it matters. His whole world is right here – his precious Katara on the other side of the bed, their precious family curled up in between them.  
As painful as their pasts are, everything that he and Katara have been through eventually led them here.
His heart softens as Izumi throws an arm around Kya. His children will have what he and Katara never could, and that thought sets him at ease. They won’t have to be afraid – not of lightning, not of their parents, not of each other. Warmth fills his soul as he finally drifts off to sleep, Katara’s hand still held in his own.
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