#soft zutara

[zukosdualdao]

everytime i see antis imply that katara somehow secretly still hates zuko by the end of the show, i'm like

... "yup. that's exactly how i look at people i hate."

#zutara #whether you interpret it platonically or romantically i truly don't care but she likes him! by the end of the show! #the different expressions are so too cute too #before tsr hug is like. fondly seeing someone in a new light #second one is friend enjoying teasing another friend #third one is like. soft and comforting but also almost admiring #fourth is literally weeping with joy that he's okay #like. in what world does she hate him by the end of this show lmao #also katara has very expressive eyebrows and i love that for her #atla #zuko #katara

[pineapple-frenzy]

Ahaha I missed zutara week again this year :'> I was way busier this week than I thought I would be. Thank god my prof moved the deadline cause ain't no way can I finish an animation by tonight ajskaidlsk anyways, since the deadline got moved I decided to take a break from it and draw some zk :>> happy zutara week!!

#zutara #zuko #katara #atla #zutara week 2023 #my art #i drew them in my softer style cause i am soft for them :'>> #i think they always look a bit older and more mature in this style even tho i only really change the brushes i use when i draw in this styl #it's just different brushes but the look and feel to it is different from how i draw now with different brushes i think #or maybe i'm just tripping and my art looks the same regardless of what brushes i use aidlajdlajsk #anyways yeah happy zk week!! sorry for missing it again this year :'>> #thank you to my classmate who talked to our prof for an extension akdjlakdkak #i couldn't have drawn this today and would have been cramming right now :'>> #i'm gonna rb some old zk art later to make up for missing this year's zk week djaldjlaksk

[sevrinve]

bedtime

#zutara #steambabies #Zuko #fire lord zuko #Zutara fanart #Zuko fanart #atla #avatar the last airbender #dadko #fanart #my art #they have the exact same bed hair #this is kya #Zuko has a real soft spot for her #I headcannon he used to pace with her in meetings strapped to his chest with those baby wraps #and now whenever he holds her for a bit she falls asleep on him immediately #also she hates the cold and frowns exactly like zuko lmao #but she is so like Katara in most other ways #especially her stubbornness #anyways I’ll stop yapping now

[hanadoesstuffwrong]

Sokka: This is getting out of hand, now there are two of them

Kiyi is the only addition from the comics that I'm willing to acknowledge, however, I will happily ignore everything else abt her story. Instead she is Ozai's daughter and protecting her was what kept Ursa in hiding, at least until a year after the war when Zuko and Katara show up for The Southern Raiders pt 2: Electric Boogaloo.

#zuko's redesign stems from my headcanon that after trying to be like his predecessors for a hot minute #he ultimately realises that another Sozin/Azulon/Ozai is not the answer so he kinda de-militarises his royal outfits to represent that #(also all i can think abt when i see comic zuko is him going sideways to get through doorways) #so bye bye big military-style shoulderpads and hello soft flowing robes #also no more bangs because what were they thinking #i have a fic idea where zutara find Ursa and Kiyi with prisoner Azula's help only for a landslide to seperate them right after reuniting #zk and Ursa on one side and Azula and Kiyi on the other #so Azula is faced with a LOT #does she escape? does she take revenge on Ursa by leaving Kiyi defenseless? #she has a whole crisis but ultimately protects Kiyi and returns her to Ursa even though it sacrifices her only chance at freedom #this action doesn't redeem her or spare her the consequences of her past actions but it does start her on that journey #zuko #kiyi #my posts #atla #atla fanart #my art #gonna add zutara cos this does allude to a zutara au i have in mind even though it isn't strictly speaking abt zk themselves #zutara

[burst-of-iridescent]

Adding to the fluff pile.

But what do you think Katara's engadgement necklace would be?

I like the idea of a turtleduck pendant made of black glass from Ember Island with a blue ribbon :3

aww that's super cute! i'm more of a "zuko gives katara a crown to symbolize their engagement" person (i like having him carve necklaces just for angst usually lmao) but i'm also a big fan of the ember island pendant. something about zuko wanting to use the place where they first became friends and put their past behind them to create a symbolic representation of their future just makes my little heart warm.

thank you for this fluffy ask! <3

#zutara #zutara headcanons #i'm simply luxuriating in this soft pile of fluff everyone's putting in my inbox ily guys

[gemgirl28]

Prompt: "I shouldn't have come here." Zutara, please?

Have a great day, Gem! ^.^

Hello my dear! Thanks for the prompt! On a whole its been a rather chill Friday. I hope you have a great weekend!

I shouldn't have come here.

Zuko didn't realize his feet had carried him to Katara's door until he nearly walked into it. He froze, hand raised to knock, and seriously questioned what he was about to say.

Sorry it's the middle of the night. No, I know you were probably up, waterbender and all, but anyways... I just read Aang's letter and... Katara, why didn't you tell me?

Shaking his head, Zuko willed himself to walk away, to curl up in his bed, to sleep on it and discuss it with her in the morning.

But something deep within him refused, and he watched his hand softly knock on her door without his permission.

"Shit, shit, shit," he muttered under his breath, praying she was asleep, that he could still walk away and try again in the-

"Zuko?" She asked, rubbing her eyes. "What are you doing up so late?"

"I- I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come here so late," he said, willing his body to get back under his control.

"It's okay, I was having a hard time sleeping anyways." She frowned, likely noticing the bags under his eyes and the way he fidgeted with the sleeves of his robes. "Is something wrong?"

No.

Yes.

I'm not sure.

Anyone of these would have been an acceptable answer. Instead, what came out was, "Why didn't you tell me you broke up with Aang?"

She winced, and he immediately regretted it. It wasn't his business to prod and poke, no matter how much it stung that she'd arrived at the palace four days ago and yet he had to find out that his two best friends had broken up from a letter.

"I- I was working my way up to it," she said awkwardly. His brow furrowed, hands reaching for hers.

"I'm sorry I pushed but... Katara you can tell me anything. Anything. I'm sorry if I've done or said something to lead you to believe otherwise, but there is nothing you could say that would make me think less of you."

To his horror, tears started streaming down her cheeks. Realizing they were still in the hallway where a servant or guard could pass by, Zuko gently pulled her into her room and onto the couch in front of the fire.

"I'm sorry," he said, holding her and running his hand up and down her back. She laughed.

"You don't have anything to be sorry for, I do," she said. Katara looked up at him with her beautiful eyes, even red-rimmed with tears. "Do you mean it? I could tell you anything and.. you wouldn't think less of me?"

"I swear," Zuko swiftly said. Katara swallowed and took a deep breath.

"I broke up with Aang."

"I got that much, yes."

"He thinks its because I'm tired of the way people treat me like his trophy first and a person second."

"He failed to mention that," Zuko said, voice dropping.

"That's only part of the reason, though."

"Oh?"

"The truth is... I'm in love with someone else. Even if Aang wasn't gone over half the year, even if he didn't put me on a damn pedestal, I still wouldn't feel right being with him anymore."

"I- I see," Zuko said, his heart breaking in two.

"And the reason-" she barreled on, "-that I had to work my way up to telling you any of this is- its you. I'm in love with you." A fresh wave of tears poured down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry."

It took him longer than he cared to admit to fully register her words. "Sor- Katara what could you possibly have to be sorry for?"

"I'm sorry I kept the news from you and I'm sorry for ruining our friendship with my stupid feelings."

Zuko couldn't help but laugh, even as she glared at him. "Your feelings aren't stupid. I'm terribly in love with you myself."

"You- you are?!"

He laughed again at her astonishment, as if he could have done anything but fallen in love with her. "Yes, I- mphf."

Her kiss was salty from her tears, but he thought it fitting for the daughter of the ocean. He kissed her gently, pulling her close, winding his fingers in her loose hair.

When he woke in the morning, too early, in her bed, with Katara laid across him, he decided it was a good thing he came to her room last night after all.

Send me a prompt and a pairing!

#you know what #I think this is one of my faves I've done #I'm also on a “Katara admits first” kick lately #thanks so much for the prompt dear! #wingchunwaterbender #my writing #zutara #zutara ficlet #send me a prompt #soft angst prompt

[stargirl-judooz]

#zutara #zuko #katara #juldooz art #zutara fanart #on ember island #soft ember island times #sweet prince #bamf katara #midnight chats

[deliciouspirateangel]

Not to revert to my 8th grade rabid fangirl ship wars self or anything buuut. How come any anti Kataang post I see is literally the worst thing I’ve ever read 🫥🫥 Literally I don’t think these people understood. Anything. About the show. Who are these characters they’re talking about?? The mind boggles

#avatar the last airbender #atla #aang #katara #kataang #kataang shipped platinum them zutaras is shipping wood #anti zutara #my thoughts #anyway we just watched the fortune teller I was crying #cloud baby origins #just like #how dreamy and sweet it is just for them to make a foreboding skull and save a town from a volcano #it’s incredible #if kataang bad then why soft

[raidergamerspice]

I would like to start this particular post off by saying that I do not want to be dragged into Kataang vs. Zutara discourse. I didn't wanna be part of it back then, and I don't wanna be part of it now. It's exhausting enough to be caught up in discourse for Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy 7 lmao. Thanks.

Anyway, I love to revisit Xiran Jay Zhao's Avatar videos because they're fun to watch, and I loved learning everything they had to say about the Chinese influences in the show and whatnot. Right now, the way they closed off the Ember Island Players discussion is weighing on my mind: in that they said that Team Avatar decided to forget about the play at the end, just like how the Avatar fandom wanted to forget...you-know-what. And this got me thinking...

Would it be wrong to interpret EIP as non-canon to the rest of the show?

I mean, having an episode where the characters watch their own story play back to them while in a theater? This is literally the plot for all those "characters watch their own story" fanfics, except in this case it's dialed up to 11 because their story is highly exaggerated with obvious bias from the Fire Nation. And in those fanfics, it's usually common practice to send the characters back into their respective worlds with their memories of watching their story erased, especially if they were pulled from the middle of their story to see their "future". That's basically this episode: Team Avatar got a break from being in their story just to watch a recap of their adventures capped off with a glimpse of a possible future (again, highly exaggerated with Fire Nation bias). And when it was over, they seemingly forgot about it and went back to the main story (I mean, I might need to look at the comics again to check and see if they actually mentioned the play in any of them, but for the sake of this post, let's assume they never did). I did always find it strange that these Fire Nation play writers somehow got enough information on Team Avatar to semi-accurately recreate some of their adventures with several creative liberties, even with the listed sources on the poster. I mean, "surprisingly knowledgeable merchant of cabbage"? Just how surprisingly knowledgeable was he, exactly? What did he know? 🤨

Now, the main reason I'm proposing this brings me back to the first part of this post. Xiran did point out that the way Aang reacted to the Kataang vs Zutara satire in the play gave off the impression that Aang was pressuring Katara, and as a Kataang, that is hurtful to the ship. But I'm not disagreeing with their point, that was a bad move on Aang's part, even though he was at least aware of his actions by the end.

But hear me out: if we're gonna consider this episode non-canon, that would mean we could also interpret Aang's actions as out of character for him. I mean, I kinda always did, even though I wasn't able to put it into words until now. Because, this was really the only time in the whole show that Aang was jealous over Katara having a moment with another guy. Like, he didn't have anything to say about Katara desperately wanting to help Haru - he did want to help her - nor did he say anything about Katara's obvious crush on Jet (though there was that small line about him saying that Sokka's idea that Katara should kiss Jet to jog his memory in Lake Laogai was a bad idea, but I'm choosing to let that slide because again, it was just a small line). And I'm pretty sure him glaring at Zuko as he and Iroh broke into the Crystal Catacombs had less to do with him possibly feeling jealous over finding Katara and Zuko standing close to each other, and more to do with the fact that...well, Zuko was still the enemy, and he just didn't want Katara hurt. Iroh had won him over, but not Zuko. Yet.

Hell, even Aang making a big deal over wanting to sit next to Katara in the theater seemed strangely out of character, because Aang was acting very maturely in just the previous episode, only for him to whine about not getting to sit next to Katara in the very next.

And you wanna know something else? Considering that Aang and Katara left their conversation at the theater both feeling very uncomfortable and tense with what their relationship currently is, it's rather sus that Sozin's Comet Part 1 opened with them acting like it never happened, right? Like, Katara offered him a drink with a smile, and he ran toward her to get it eagerly, with no sign at all of their tense feelings. And even before Aang blowing up at her and the rest of the Gaang near the end, they talked to each other calmly like nothing's wrong. You could argue that they reached a silent agreement to not talk about it for a while, but...you could also argue that there was nothing for them to talk about because it never actually happened. Because that episode wasn't actually canon. 😉

I don't know, maybe I'm just rambling for the sake of another lengthy post lmao. What do you guys think? Is it okay to interpret EIP as non-canon, or should we still look at it as a rough experience for Kataang shippers among meta commentary? I mean, I did always find it strange that Book 3 had 21 episodes while the previous two had exactly 20, so another reason to write EIP off as non-canon would mean that Book 3 would have 20 episodes, right? 😂

#avatar the last airbender #I've always been a Kataang and that might not ever change #but I have grown a soft spot for Zutara in recent years #so don't think of me as a hater lol

[zukosdualdao]

i will never understand when people act like zutara shippers are reaching when we say the crystal catacombs scene is intensely romantically coded because like... ignoring literally all other context (which does have other hallmarks of romantic coding, but literally pretend you don't know anything about the show or scene for a second)... what would you think happened in this picture?

would it .... would it maybe be an interrupted almost-kiss

#zutara #even ignoring all other context (such as katara gently touching his scar with her THUMB on his LIPS?? the soft glowy lighting and the music #look at that moment outside of the context and tell me that's not what you would think #i think part of the sentiment comes from people thinking romance coding inherently means the two characters are written as canonically #having feelings for each other #and that's not necessarily true. #it's about the narrative framework the dynamic is presented in consistently using tropes and imagery that are commonly used in romance #stories #atla #zuko #katara #anyway. i am so normal about this #the crossroads of destiny #i was gonna wait to post until i got here in my rewatch but. i changed my mind

[alildrifter]

A Zutara fic idea I probably will never write:

An AU where Zuko becomes the Fire Lord by killing his father (idk what to do about Azula?) after finding out that his mother was in fact dead (trauma lol) at his father’s command.

So it’s a Zuko that’s a lot more cold, a little more cunning/calculating— but here’s kind of why I wouldn’t write this in to a full fledged fic, I want to tie this Zuko with canon!Zuko somehow.

He’ll get flashes of canon!Zuko’s life— will see moments in between fitful hours at night, will see a red sky and hear his sister’s blood curdling screams— he’ll feel the shadow’s of a wound to a chest he doesn’t have and the warmth of someone’s thumb caressing his lips.

It’s maddening, but it affects his rule in a beneficial way? Like he doesn’t stop the war, he doesn’t have the proper backing (I don’t know enough about politics in a monarchy) but he does pause it. His council calls him the Fire Lord without honor (due to him keeping his hair shaven) but the people are grateful, and see things differently.

(He’s buff btw, like not Iroh busting out of prison buff but close— he also gets a tattoo in the center of his chest, but with the design as a center point to his other tattoos. He has a fair amount of them…)

Enter what makes this a Zutara idea 👉🏼

Katara is wary of the pause in the war— one could say she was even downright suspicious of the new Fire Lord and waiting for the other shoe to drop.

It drops when a ship docks itself on their small community, a letter and a sneer on hand; an invitation to the Fire Nation.

Blah blah blah, a certain amount of details later— Katara’s in the Fire Nation, in the Fire Lords home and it’s a complete mistake when on her first night there away from her family and her home she encounters an intruder (it’s Zuko btw) in a mask of a legend and bleeding profusely on her temporary floor.

That’s about as far as I got before I was like, yeah I’m probably not fleshing this out.

#katara’s mom is still 🪦 #but she never found the Avatar with sokka #and that means the only training she gets in the North Pole is in her dreams #she trains as much as she can on her own #but she isn’t a master when they meet #👀 doesn’t mean she can’t be tho #I wanted this to be a zutara fic with a colder Zuko #but then I was like he would treat her like a queen #so colder to his council and soft for katara #also of course he’d still be the blue spirit #gotta handle the corruption somehow #and he’s already got blood on his hands #atla #zuko #katara #avatar the last airbender #zutarra

[butterfirefly]

I hope I can see my baby cousin in person again soon.

#read through some of our email exchanges and got so soft uwu #we used to address each other with ridiculous inside jokes and one of my favorites of hers was “dear zutara shipper whom I am related to” 😂 #really missing her right now but the last time we've video called was a year ago and trying to do it now would make it feel awkward #so I hope we meet somewhere in person so we can hopefully rekindle our friendship #goodness my uterus is doing a number on me #bff.txt

[zutaralover94]

For kinktober... The last fic I will do... does dr au (like a chiropractor or maybe a therapist ((not directly their therapist)) or like do I just do random little prompts like I used to do way back in the day??

#what do you think #where do i poll that #why is first time such a popular kink #yall that thirsty for soft times #kinktober 2023 #zutara kinktober

[burst-of-iridescent]

we’re all aware that zuko is a huge simp for katara but can we just talk about how katara is a huge simp for zuko too?? like, she was the only one in the gaang to notice that he must be nervous and came to ask if he was okay and reassured him with the gentlest, tenderest smile & now she’s looking at him like he hung all the stars in the sky and it’s so fucking soft and pure and wholesome and i just can’t how can you not ship them

#zutara #SHE LOVES HIM SO MUCH #no one touch me this scene is so pure and soft #i love they

[atlabeth]

honestly oh my gosh !! like he’s a kid please sit down and reconnect with reality.

for real??? i was just looking thru some atla fics on ao3 and i was shocked at how many people are throwing this small innocent child under the bus, demonizing him and making him out to be some horrible person all because they want zuko to be able to swoop in and be katara’s savior??? it’s the reason ive started to hate zutara and zutara shippers so strongly like LEAVE AANG ALONE 2022-FOREVER PLS AND THANK YOU❤️❤️

#zutarians be like aang was confused about his feelings as a 12 y/o and made some mistakes he is irredeemable and wrong for katara. #she should be with zuko instead. (ignores everything he’s ever done and all the traits that make him zuko in favor of making him a soft boy) #ugh. i might just need to actively become an aang defender bc i’m annoyed lol #thank you for giving me this chance to rant misia LOL #misia<3 #the sweetest mutuals #sadie answers #anti zutara

[gemgirl28]

"How did you get this scar?" prompt for Zutara please

Hello dear!! 💜Thank you for the prompt.

Instead of going for the obvious here, let's roll with the headcanon of Katara's hands being scarred even after she heals them when Aang burns her, cool?

How did you get this scar?

The dying embers of the campfire crackled and popped, barely discernible over the crash of the waves. It was late, far too late for a firebender to be awake, but Zuko refused to go to bed until everyone else had.

And something was keeping Katara up tonight.

Everyone else had wandered back up to the Summer Palace an hour ago, but she still sat, knees drawn to her chest, eyes glazed over and fixed on some imaginary point over the fire.

Zuko tried to be patient, tried to fight back all the burning questions rising within him, but one slipped out.

"How did you get that scar?"

The worst question possible.

Katara's focus snapped to him. "Sorry?"

He gestured to the thin line on her right cheek, nearly invisible and faded with age. "That scar, what's it from?"

Katara studied him, her features carefully neutral save for her flitting gaze. "When we were little, Sokka got a little enthusiastic with a fishing hook."

"Ah." He clears his throat, opens his mouth, but nothing comes out, so he closes it. Katara stares at him meaningfully for another minute before abruptly standing and coming to sit beside him.

She hesitated a moment before taking his right hand in hers. He swallowed thickly.

"And this one?" He traced his left finger along her arm, where another thin jagged line marred her skin. "How did you get this scar?"

She shivered and scooted closer to him.

"Earning my right to learn to waterbend."

A million more questions jumped to the tip of his tongue at her cryptic answer, but what came out instead was, "And the scars on your hands?"

The air around them became thick with her silence. At last, she shrugged.

"The first time Aang tried to learn firebending, he didn't exercise control or restraint." She gave him another full look. "He's learned so much from you."

Zuko shook his head. "But he should have-"

"It's fine, Zuko." She smiled. "That was when I learned I had healing abilities."

"Oh. So... they don't hurt anymore?"

She shook her head. Slowly, so she could still pull away if she wished, he kissed each of the scars on the back of her hands, delicately turning them over to kiss the marks on her palms.

"You could ask me about mine," he said.

"Do you want me to ask?"

"No," he huffed. "But I would tell you."

She smiled and cupped his cheek. "I want to hear it when you're ready to tell me without asking."

"It could be a long time before I'm ready for that."

"That's okay." She kissed his marred cheek, just along the seam of the scar. "I'm hoping you'll be in my life a long time, anyways."

Send me a prompt and a pairing!

#I really love the headcanon of Katara having hand scars #And lets be real #growing up with Sokka #they'd both have a few more too #Thanks for the prompt dear! #stardust948 #my writing #zutara #zutara ficlet #soft angst prompt #send me a prompt