#councilwoman katara
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Rewriting the Gaang in LOK
Basically how I would have written the adult Gaang. Pretend the comics as they are don't exist.
Katara: Breaks up with Aang sometime post-finale to do some soul-searching. Travels the world on her own and sees how people are struggling after the war. After talking (beating) some sense into a few government officials, she realizes that the best way to help people post-war is through politics. She becomes an (unofficial) ambassador, helping and negotiating aid for small villages that tend to get overlooked and does this for a number of years. She joins up with Zuko and Aang after they found the United Republic of Nations and becomes Councilwoman Katara, representative of the Southern Water Tribe. She eventually gets voted chairwoman due to her passion to improve the lives of the citizens (and because her fellow council members are too scared to vote against her). She heals on the side when she needs to, but only out of obligation since she can't stand to see people suffer; she puts much more effort into getting raising funds for a hospital full of healers. A few years later, Haru moves to Republic City and is just as awestruck by her as he was the day they met (the pornstache has been removed by divine intervention). They meet up a couple of times; for drinks after work, walks around the city, and they even attend a few galas together. They eventually start dating and get married two years later. They have their first daughter Kya (who's an earthbender), a son- Tyro (who's a nonbender), and another daughter Suma (who's a waterbender). They live a happy, peaceful (if you could call Katara stopping the occasional criminal before the police peaceful) life together where their children are well-loved and as part of the Southern Water Tribe as they are the Earth Kingdom. Aang's death hits their family hard, but they all come together and support each other. Katara personally mentors Korra, even convincing her family move to Republic City so that the Avatar knows the people she's meant to protect (the White Lotus protests, they fail❤️). She teaches Korra Waterbending, but also teaches her empathy and appreciation for other cultures (and that sometimes, selfish world leaders need a good punch to the face, a lesson Korra took to heart even though she absolutely wasn't supposed to see it).
Aang: Is torn up after Katara breaks up with him. He's hurt and confused and doesn't know what to do with himself. He retreats to Ba Sing Se where he talks with Iroh and learns that he unfairly pushed his feelings onto Katara. Wracked with guilt at hurting someone he cares about so much, Aang realizes that he has a lot of growing up to do. He focuses on his job as the Avatar, working closely with Zuko, Kuei, and the other leaders to heal the world after the war. The first time he sees Katara again is when she arrives to help with the United Republic of Nations. He apologizes to her and Katara forgives him, promising they'll always be best friends. His role in Republic City is more or less the same, though at some point he develops feelings for Toph. But he fears doing to her what he had done to Katara, so he tries to ignore them. But Toph, never one to beat around the bush, point-blank asks him if he's ever gonna man-up and confess to her. They start dating, and Lin comes a few months later as a surprise. They have their hiccups- Aang especially needing to reconcile with the fact that there's a chance she might not be an Airbender- but they manage to resolve them. Lin is an Earthender, of course, but Aang loves his little girl to pieces (which is good, because Toph would kill him if she suspected otherwise). Tenzin is born three years later, an Airbender, and Su Yin is born two years after that as an Earthbender. Lastly there's Bumi, a nonbender. There's always the urge to favor Tenzin, but Aang knows he can't. They're all his children and they deserve to be treated as such. So he teaches them all about their culture, takes them all on trips. The kids fight, but Aang is always quick to help resolve it (as it turns out, getting Lin and Su to stop fighting is a lot harder than getting the four nations to get along, go figure). Aang loves his wife and kids and wouldn't trade any of them for the world. He dies peacefully at age 66, surrounded by his children and the love of his life.
Sokka: Fucking hates politics. He'll leave the negotiating and speeches to his sister, thank you very much. If the room of government officials isn't a war room, he wants no part in it. After the war, he spends most of his time in the Southern Water Tribe. He works with his father to rebuild and relearn their culture, and writes frequent letters to his sister. Though, something about his life in the south is unfulfilling. Maybe he misses Suki, but there's something about inventing that calls to him. He can't do much of that in the south pole, so he leaves for the Earth Kingdom, helping villages struggling with heat, agriculture, transportation, etc. In the United Republic of Nations, he becomes lead engineer of the city, utilizing bending to make quick technological advances. He and Suki reunite in Republic City where Suki becomes the police chief. They get back together and have a daughter, Lian. The three of them live a simple life together, until Suki gets gravely injured in the line of duty when Lian is twenty. They decide to retire to the Southern Water Tribe where Sokka takes over for Hakoda as chief and prepares Lian to take over for him.
Toph: When Toph hears that Twinkle Toes and Sparky finally started that fancy new city, she thinks it's the perfect opportunity to cause a little chaos. Closing her metalbending school, she decides to relive her days as the Blind Bandit by founding pro-bending (thanks @ecoterrorist-katara for the idea!). Zuko's a hater and tries to shut it down because "safety," but finds no help in Aang who really, really loves the idea. He goes to every one of her matches and Toph feels both smug pride and... Something else. But she tells herself it would never happen, Twinkle Toes likes girls like Sugar Queen and she was the furthest thing from that. But she isn't totally oblivious, she can feel his heartbeat pick up when he's around her and how he's started to stutter when he's talking to her. So she bites the bullet and they start happily dating. But the arrival of Lin uncovers issues she didn't even know were there. Lin cries loudly and for Toph who relies heavily on her sense of hearing, it's hell. She was also unprepared for how much her body would change. She finds herself not wanting to be around her daughter. But Aang realizes this and urges her to talk to someone. After some arguing, she does. Aang is attentive, so Toph can take breaks when she needs to and Katara and Suki are always ready to get her out of the house when she's overwhelmed. Things with Lin get better and when Tenzin comes around she doesn't suffer nearly as much. Su Yin is similar. It's hard with Bumi because she's older, but Aang and her friends are there to support her. Toph can be distant with her children- her closely monitored childhood always present in her mind- but sees how Aang can be doting and allow their kids freedom. She follows by his example, trying to find a balance between hovering and absence. Aang's death is the worst day of her life- she was there, she felt his heart stop- and she retreats into the swamp for a while to grieve. But she returns to Republic City when Katara begins to mentor the new Avatar. Not to be outdone by Sugar Queen, she becomes Korra's second teacher. It's hard to be around Korra sometimes, but she likes the girl's spunk and attitude, even if she is a brat.
Zuko: Zuko struggles after the war. The obligations of the Fire Lord are crushing and daunting and the fear of turning into his father feels like it's constantly looming over his head. Mai doesn't understand why he's struggling so much and he can't figure out how to explain it to her, so they break up. She goes to Kyoshi Island to spend time with Ty Lee and figure out what she wants in life. Stressed, burnt-out, and heartbroken, Zuko asks Aang to kill him if he ever starts to act like Ozai, but Aang steadfastly refuses, berating him for even suggesting it. Aang assures him that he'll never turn into his father and that he has his friends to rely on. He follows after Aang to Ba Sing Se, working in his uncle's tea shop as a much needed break. He opens up to Iroh about his fears and Iroh affirms that even having these worries proves that he'll never be Ozai. He spends time in Ba Sing Se working in the tea shop and negotiating with the Earth King when he meets Jin again. She's as carefree as she was back then and Zuko is both envious and in awe of it. But he knows he can't have a relationship with her, he can't burden her with his problems. But Jin is gently persistent, lending an ear when he needs one and assuring him that he isn't burdening her. When she asks him if he wants to be with her, he confesses that he does- more than anything- but also admits that he has no idea how it'll work. She tells him that if they want to be together no one should stop them. A year later, they're married and she's crowned Fire Lady Jin. There are some protests to their relationship from traditionalists, but Ambassador Katara (Zuko is so sure that she was never actually given that title, but he can't prove it) is quick to shut them down citing that the Fire Lord marrying an Earth Kingdom girl is a sign of unity. They have their daughter, Izumi, and she's Zuko's entire world. Zuko's greatest fear is that his children will end up like him and Azula, so he refrains from having more kids. Jin respects this, but urges him to talk to Azula. So he does; his sister curses him out, but seems to enjoy his company in her own way. They'll never have a good relationship, but Zuko doesn't want her to feel alone so he makes time at least once a week. It's shortly after Aang's death that Zuko relinquishes the title of Fire Lord to Izumi, his grief over his lifetime friend far too painful. Eventually, though, Katara and Toph bully him into training the new Avatar. It's not a role for a retired Fire Lord, but Zuko knows that the world needs Korra to be strong and it's his responsibility to make that happen as much as he can. And so, he becomes Avatar Korra's third teacher (if you told him 60 years ago that he'd become the Avatar's most sane instructor, he'd think you were high on cactus juice. But with Katara punching dictators in the face and Toph breaking every rule ever written, someone has to be a good influence).
Occupations if you missed them:
Katara: (Unofficial/Self-proclaimed) Ambassador of the Southern Water Tribe, United Republic of Nations Councilwoman and later Chairwoman, Healer (on the side), Waterbending Master to the Avatar
Aang: Avatar, United Republic of Nations Councilman
Sokka: Engineer and Inventor, Chief of the Southern Water Tribe
Toph: Pro-Bender, Manager of the Pro-Bending Arena, Earthbending Master to the Avatar
Zuko: Fire Lord, Firebending Master to the Avatar
Suki: Police Chief of Republic City (I'm sorry I didn't make a detailed background for her I got lazy, I promise I don't love her any less😭)
Defending my ship choices:
Harutara: Come on, y'all know what I'm about at this point. They're my everything, how could I not have them together? Plus, there's something really poetic about Haru falling for her as an adult the way he did as a teenager: watching her inspire those around her. I headcanon that he's enamoured with the sound of her voice because it's the voice that liberated him and his people and he attends all her speeches
Taang: I actually wasn't sure about this one. I'm not an active Taang shipper, but I do think they'd really balance each other out. Toph is the hard ass Aang needs to challenge him and Aang would bring out the softer side in her. Toph would never let Aang favor one kid over the other and Aang wouldn't let Toph neglect their kids. So looking at it like that, I felt them being together would be best for the story
Sukka: It's not as perfect in canon as people make it out to be, but I still love them. I wouldn't want any different for them
Jinko: This one actually made more sense than I would have thought. Jin is very different from Mai, so I can really see her being what Zuko needs considering where he would be mentally. I like Mai, but I feel Maiko really made her way more one dimensional so her living with Ty Lee and finding herself feels like a better end for her (and if they start dating, that's no one's business). And we've already seen Zuko go out of his way to make Jin happy so it's not like we're getting another Kataang situation. I'm happy with this for them
The Kids:
Yes, I purposely made Kya an Earthbender. And yes, Katara still gives her her mother's necklace. Because that's her firstborn daughter no matter what element she does (or doesn't) bend. One thing I hate is that Bryke made the Kataang kids primarily part of the culture that they bend. That's such a slap in the face to biracial kids, not to mention poor Bumi who doesn't seem to belong to either for some reason until he ends up an Airbender. So yeah, all of the Harutara kids are part of the EK and SWT. Suma is a name I made up because it sounded pretty
I know it's weird to think of Lin and Tenzin as siblings, I felt so odd writing it. But I love them both so I couldn't just not write them. I made Bumi the youngest so he could be spoiled because he deserved better in canon. Su and Lin have a better relationship, but they still butt heads because they feel the need to one-up each other due to them both being Earthbenders (and later Metalbenders). Lin still becomes a cop, but their big fight never happened because Su was never neglected to the point of becoming a criminal. All four kids are taught Air Nomad culture and traditions and taken on trips because Aang is a decent father
I named Lian partly after Yue, since Yuèliàng means moon in Chinese. One of my gripes with LOK is that Katara and Sokka's family are meant to be the leaders of the SWT. Kya or Bumi should be the chief in canon, but Bryke just... Didn't do that for some reason. So fuck it, Sokka's daughter is chief now
Nothing really changes about Izumi, although I'd say she's a little friendlier. I contemplated giving Zuko more kids, but I actually think his decision not to have more kids was one of Bryke's better choices. It makes sense, so I didn't feel the need to change it
Other notes:
The Gaang teaching/helping raise baby Korra is something I live for
The Red Lotus is swiftly dealt with by Katara, Toph, Zuko, Suki, and Sokka when Korra is a kid. They never stood a chance. I was actually going to have Sokka still die during the attack in the SWT and Suki kill Zaheer in revenge, but eh I decided not to off Sokka
The Civil War still happens, but differently. I don't have the patience to go into that, just know that Katara is HEAVILY involved
Welp, that's everything in my brain
#katara of the southern watertribe#avatar aang#sokka of the southern water tribe#toph beifong#fire lord zuko#lok rewrite#lok critical#ambassador katara#councilwoman katara#master katara#engineer sokka#pro bender toph#master toph#master zuko#police chief suki#aang critical#harutara#taang#sukka#jinko#anti kataang#anti maiko#katara deserved better#aang deserved better#bumi deserved better#everyone deserves better#avatar korra#tw ppd#tw depression#atla au
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Katara would’ve been such a good diplomat (it’s canon)
everyone rightfully hates on the ATLA comics because the politics are baffling and the characterization is even more so…but if there’s one thing we can take away from the dumpster fire that is The Promise, it’s that Katara was BORN to be a diplomat and an international force for peace, okay? Especially since her besties, the Avatar and the Fire Lord, aren’t actually very good at this.
If you haven’t read The Promise, the Wikipedia summary is pretty good. The TL;DR is that Zuko and Kuei agree that the Fire Nation colonies need to be returned to the Earth Kingdom. The colony of Yu Dao is not happy about this because the people of the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom have been mixing together (under inequitable conditions) for more than a hundred years and “just kick out the Fire Nation” is not as straightforward as it seems, since there are blended families now. Zuko refuses to kick out the Fire Nation people from Yu Dao, Kuei wants to play hardball, and they almost launch another war. Oh and there’s a weird plot about Aang debating whether to put Zuko down like a rabid dog
For all that the Wiki page does a good job of summarizing the events, it forgets some key facts:
It’s Katara who first starts thinking about new solutions after witnessing the situation on the ground, and then comes up with the idea that Zuko and Kuei should meet and talk about the colonies:
It’s Katara who tells Kuei that Zuko has legitimate concerns (without saying that Zuko is right), when Aang tries to hedge and sugarcoat the truth:
And it’s Katara who says to Kuei, wait, what the hell do you mean that you have no idea what your people want, that Yu Dao is just a dot on the map for you? We’re getting you out of this stupid blimp and you’re gonna talk to people before you make a decision that affects their lives, you coward
To recap, Katara demonstrates some pretty freaking key political skills, like:
finding out what people want before making a decision for them
seeing people as people first and foremost, not as fire nation or earth kingdom
encouraging her loved ones, the Avatar and the Fire Lord, to resolve a conflict by beginning negotiations instead of brawling like a couple of drunks at a bar / kids on the playground (both analogies fit btw, 13-17 is a weird combination of ages)
realistically reporting tricky disagreements without sweeping them under the rug
kidnapping a king to the middle of a battlefield to give him a reality check about listening to the people he’s trying to rule
Anyway, Katara is hyper competent at both war AND peace! We see this in the show, with her compassion for the prisoners of the Earth Kingdom (by inciting a prison riot) and the suffering people of the Fire Nation (by committing ecoterrorism), only now that compassion is backed up not only by her fighting prowess and speeches about hope, but actual ability to manipulate the levers of power.
And have I mentioned that she has the ears of both the Avatar and the Fire Lord and her dad is Chief of the Southern Water Tribe? Even if Katara didn’t get a diplomat position based on her skills, or her status as a war hero, she could nepo baby her way in. The fact that she does not pick up a career in international diplomacy is a crime & a colossal oversight from the creators. At minimum you know Katara would’ve established Healers Without Borders or something. She deserves to be yelling at people at ATLA UN and then drafting world-changing resolutions.
And as a bonus, Katara demonstrates her gift for diplomacy by not smacking Zuko up the head for attempting to legitimize colonization through the argument of economic progress…
…and by not smacking Aang up the head for seriously considering anti-miscegenation as a viable political solution:
This patience is a new development because show!Katara did not have this in her, but maybe this is what growing up is all about and not just yet another strike on the “comics are wildly OOC” tally
TL;DR: ATLA boys lost their brain cells post-canon. All hail Katara, Sugar Queen of international diplomacy.
#Katara#Katara deserved better#atla comics#Chief Katara of the Water Tribes#United Republic Councilwoman Katara#Ambassador Katara#I’m not picky which one she becomes I just want her to exert political power as a principled and fair and compassionate representative#She saved the world it’s only fair she gets to run it especially since unlike most nepo babies (ie monarchy) she’s qualified#pro Katara#atla#my meta
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KW 2022: Drunk Kataang
Day 4 of Kataang Week 2022 hosted by @kataang-week with the prompt Drunk Kataang!
Links: AO3 || FF.net
Summary: Do I seriously have to come up with a new one of these every year? Kataang Week 2022 Day 4: Drunk Kataang. While Kataang loved each other sober, they couldn’t help but find each other’s drunk selves equally endearing.
Word Count: 2.7k
The press, particularly the fangirls masquerading as press, had always gotten on Katara’s nerves.
She supposed it was a natural consequence of her and her friends saving the world at such a young age and going on to become world leaders and dignitaries, but did they have to be so freaking insistent? Katara was positive that if she had a yuan for every time she’d caught a journalist or a cameraperson trailing them on the streets of Cranefish Town, soon to be known as Republic City, she would have enough money to buy each and every tabloid company.
She loathed reading all of their over-the-top, greatly exaggerated headlines whenever they went out into the city- “Avatar Aang Cheating On His Wife?!”, “Councilwoman Katara Keeping Secrets From the People!”, “Pregnancy On The Horizon?”- it never seemed to end!
The journalists rarely asked any meaningful questions from her own personal experience, instead sticking to quite… malleable questions, the answers of which they could use to paint you as the four nations’ biggest hero or worst enemy, depending on their mood that day.
Due to all the mess it seemed to cause, Katara rarely paid any mind to what she and Aang would be asked during their weekly errands into the city. However, one day while out shopping for the newest shipment of exotic fruits from the southern Earth Kingdom, a particular question caught her attention.
“What is the other like while drunk?”
The reporter asking her looked quite young, maybe in her mid-20s, with thick brown hair up in a bun and a notepad in hand. Though Katara ignored the girl and would never give her answer to the media themselves, she couldn’t help but muse on the question; the waterbender hadn’t really thought about it before.
Of course, the couple had seen each other drunk many times before. They were only 20 and 22, but that didn’t stop Sokka and Toph from dragging them both to the newest local bar they had found once Aang had turned of age. It would also typically be one of the two benders that was designated the “responsible one” for that night, making sure everyone in their little group got home safely. This made for quite an interesting collection of stories to tell, as both Katara and Aang had very vivid and clear memories of the other’s drunken shenanigans.
Katara grinned just thinking about the last time Aang had gotten drunk as she added another orange to her basket.
What was Aang like while drunk?
“Affectionate,” the waterbender thought, chuckling to herself, “And that was putting it mildly.”
Alcohol tended to amplify traits already present in a person, and Aang was no different. Aang was no lightweight, but Drunk Aang, or Draangk as Sokka (and Katara) liked to call him, never failed to entertain Katara with his flirty and hilariously forgetful self.
“Katara?” Aang had hiccuped once, looking at her with as serious a look as he could muster.
The waterbender raised an eyebrow at him, an amused sparkle in her eyes. “Yes, sweetie?”
“I have something very… hic …important to ask you.” His eyes were wide and grave, cheeks flushed as he swayed a little on the bar stool.
“Go on, Aang.”
“You shouldn’t… hic …you shouldn’t fall from Appa. You should fall… hic …for me instead!!”
Katara looked down very intently at the stone tile of the bar flooring, pressing her hand to her mouth and barely resisting the urge to laugh.
“Sweetie,” she began after clearing her throat and sitting back up, her composure regained. “I already have fallen for you. We’re a couple, remember?”
The waterbender had never really understood what it meant to have a smile that could light up an entire city, but she thought she was getting the idea now. Judging by the look on his face, Katara swore she could’ve told Aang that the whole city was on fire and he wouldn’t have even given it a second thought.
“Really??” Aang asked gleefully, his seat creaking underneath him as he bounced up and down in excitement. “Do you… hic …think we could get married?”
“My love, we got married three years ago.”
The airbender gasped in incredulity before hiccuping again. “No. Way.”
Katara scrunched her nose playfully, a smile finally having made its way to her face. “Yes way. I’m pretty sure I was there, Aang.”
“You’ll never believe this but me… hic …too!!! Gosh, we have so much in… hic …common we must be soulmates or something.”
The airbender gasped again, getting off his chair and taking Katara’s hands in his, his eyes staring deeply into hers.
“Katara.”
“That’s me, sweetie.”
“Will you marry me????”
Katara snorted, both in and at the memory as she snapped back to the present, paying the woman who ran the fruit stand 15 yuan. Aang always knew hot to make her laugh, albeit not always knowingly. It was little moments like those that made her fall in love with him even more. In fact, as if the peak of Aang’s drunken high wasn’t endearing enough, an even sweeter side of him always came out after they had gone home, and it never failed to make Katara’s heart melt.
“Kataraaaaaa- hic -aaaaaaa,” Aang whined later that night from his position lying on the bed. “I miss youuuuuu.”
The waterbender blushed as she pulled her head through the opening of her satin nightgown in front of the mirror, quickly walking over to the bed and accepting the embrace of Aang’s outstretched arms.
“I’m right here, sweetie,” she murmured, her tired muscles relishing in the feeling of her firebending husband holding her so close. “Did you have fun tonight?”
“Yeah… hic, it was fun. I wish I… hic …spent more time with you though, sweetie.”
Katara lifted up her head from Aang’s chest, quirking an eyebrow at the airbender. “We were together all night.”
“I know,” he said simply. “It just… hic …it never feels like enough. I wanna be with you more than… hic …all the time.”
She groaned internally, her heart fully a puddle on the ground as she struggled to find words to express her love for the one underneath her. Where on Earth had she found such an undeniably sweet and perfect person?
“We can spend more time together tomorrow if you’re up for it, sweetie,” she finally said after a few moments of internally squealing. “But for now, I think you’re gonna need a good night’s rest, so let’s try and go to bed okay?”
Aang nodded vigorously and peppered kisses all over the top of Katara’s head and around her face.
“What?” he asked when she gave him an amused look. “If I’m not gonna… hic …be able to kiss you for the next eight hours, I might as well get it in now.”
Katara chuckled, reaching up and pressing a long, sweet kiss to his lips. “I love you so much.”
“More than stewed sea prunes?” Aang asked, his face not containing the slightest hint of humor.
“More than an entire buffet worth of stewed sea prunes.”
“How about a lifetime supply?”
“More than three lifetime supplies,” Katara amended for good measure.
Aang grinned, seemingly satisfied with this answer, before giving the waterbender one last kiss. “I… hic …love you too, Tara. G’night.”
“Goodnight.”
Katara sighed heavily, though not unhappily, back in the present. It had been a while since she and Aang had gotten the chance to go out; those memories seemed like they had taken place ages ago, though they were good memories nevertheless.
“Everything alright, Katara?” she heard a voice ask from behind her.
“Oh, it’s nothing,” she replied, greeting the airbender with a quick kiss. “A reporter just got me reminiscing.”
“A reporter?” Aang raised an eyebrow. “That can’t be good.”
“Nothing that bad, for once,” she said, weaving through the crowd. “Just a question that got me thinking.”
“What was the question?”
Katara looked up at Aang, exaggerating and contorting her facial expressions while speaking in the excited but nasally tone all the reporters seemed to have. “What is the other person like while drunk?”
“Ooh, okay that’s actually not a bad question, especially with all the stories I have about you.”
The waterbender scoffed, lightly pulling on his sleeve to tell him to stop at the grain stand.
“Like what?” she whispered quietly while looking through the different kinds of rice they had.
“Remember the cactus juice incident?” Aang whispered back, patting a sack of barley.
Katara gasped, affronted.
“You swore we would never speak of that again,” she hissed.
“I did no such thing!” Aang said, his voice now an aggressive whisper. “Why in the world would I pass up a chance to share the tales of your shenanigans after thinking Toph’s pitcher of cactus juice and rum was just some odd-tasting apple juice? Who would even bring apple juice, any non-alcoholic drink really, to an informal event hosted by Toph?!”
“I was young,” Katara said dramatically. Aang snickered, earning him a playful glare as she continued. “Too innocent and too naive for such a harsh world.”
“Too drunk and giggly it seemed as well,” he muttered under his breath, gaze turning back to the barley as Katara squinted her eyes at him.
“What?” Aang feigned innocence.
“I heard that,” she said dryly, and then pointed to a bag of jasmine rice and asked the shopkeeper for its price. “We’ll talk later,” she whispered as she passed Aang on her way to the till.
“Oh yes, we will,” Aang said, sticking his tongue out at her, the waterbender returning the gesture. He shook his head once she was out of sight, chuckling to himself.
Ah, the great Cactus Juice Incident of 106 AG.
Katara, like Aang, was by no means a lightweight, and more often than not the more responsible drinker who knew her limits well.
That night however?
That night was an entirely different story.
Aang had turned 18 a few months prior, meaning it was Toph’s turn to finally be of drinking age in the Earth Kingdom, not that the rebellious earthbender hadn’t drank before. Naturally, when her parents gave her a rather large fund to spend on a celebration, Toph went all out. Plain water had been quite the scarcity at her party, leading to a multitude of shenanigans taking place that night by various partygoers, though most of them involved either Toph or Sokka.
It was at this event that Aang saw Katara possibly the drunkest she had ever been or ever would be, and to say he found great amusement in the waterbender’s antics would’ve been a dire understatement.
See, there was one thing Drunk Aang was right about- Katara and Aang were quite similar, and it showed in their drunken personas. Though Drunk Katara was by no means as verbally affectionate as Drunk Aang, she was quite physically affectionate, clinging on to Aang that night like a purple pentapus (not that Aang minded of course).
In her ever motherly and responsible nature, she had also tried her best to be the mature one of the group but instead ended up dissolving into laughter every other minute at the smallest of things.
In addition, due to Katara’s smaller stature in comparison to Aang, she tended to stay drunk longer, still extremely giggly and cheery even after they had already gotten on the ferry back to Air Temple Island.
“Aang?” she had asked him, eyes wide and innocent as he looked into her sea-blue eyes.
“Yes, sweetie?”
“I wanna be closer to you.”
“Sweetie, we’re already hugging,” an amused Aang replied, resting his chin on the top of her head.
“I know,” Katara sighed and buried her head in the fabric of his shirt. “I still wanna be closer to you.”
“How so, my love?”
The waterbender tilted her head up to look at him. “Kiss me.”
Aang chuckled, leaning down to happily oblige her.
“Happy?” he murmured as he pressed another kiss to forehead.
Katara giggled. “Happy is a funny word. It has two p’s but you only say one!”
The airbender snorted at his wife’s revelation. “What about ‘giggled’?”
She gasped, laughing. “‘Giggled’ is an even funnier word!!! It has two g’s, but it also has seven letters and ‘seven’ has two e’s!!!!” Katara went on her tiptoes and pressed a bunch of kisses to Aang’s cheek.
“What was that for?”
“For showing me such a funny word!!!!”
Aang chuckled and pulled her a little closer as a chilly breeze went by. “You are so drunk right now, Katara.”
“Am not!” she huffed. “I am perfectly sober. So sober, in fact, that I can tell you when the next ferry is. It was 2 AM when we left, and it takes us 15 minutes to get from Toph’s house to the docks, so the next ferry should be at 2:30.”
“Sweetie?”
“I’m right, aren’t I?”
“Well, yes, but we’re already on that ferry. In fact, we’ve arrived.”
Katara burst into laughter, tears of joy coming to her eyes in seconds. “‘Ferry’ and ‘arrived’ are wunny fords too! They hoth bave two r’s!!!” She gasped again. “‘Funny’ is a funny word!!!”
Aang stared blankly at the waterbender, vowing to make sure she never drank four cups of cactus juice again. “Yeah, okay, let’s get you to bed, sweetie.”
The airbender quickly turned Katara around and lightly pushed her to walk off the boat, thanking the captain as he disembarked. He quickly picked her up bridal-style, which resulted in Katara having a whole existential crisis on why “style” had a y and not an e, before using his airbending to jump them up to their balcony and enter their bedroom.
“I’m gonna go change. Do you need any help doing the same, sweetie?” he asked her as he closed the balcony door behind him and opened a few windows.
“Nope,” Katara replied, popping the ‘p’. “I’ll be fine.”
Aang quickly walked into his closet and got dressed in his normal sleepwear of a pair of loose cotton pants. He then walked back out and got under the covers of their bed, relishing in the feeling of the soft mattress after standing for the last few hours.
“I’m ready!” Katara giggled as she emerged and joined Aang underneath the blankets.
Aang raised his eyebrow at her, blushing and trying his best to keep his gaze above her neckline. “Sweetie… you’re not wearing anything.”
“I’m wearing my engagement necklace,” she replied matter-of-factly. “‘Sweetie’ is a funny word too.”
“Other than your necklace, I mean.”
The waterbender shrugged, laying her head next to Aang’s as she rested one of her arms on his bare chest and kissed his cheek. “I told you, I wanted to feel close to you.”
Aang blushed and drew her in flush to his body, a grin fighting its way onto his face as he pressed a kiss to her hair. Even drunk out of her mind, at the end of the day, she just wanted him. Aang couldn’t believe she was real sometimes.
“Have I ever told you how lucky I am to have you?” he murmured.
“Not-” Katara yawned. “Not luckier than me,” she mumbled. “Too amazing for that.”
Aang chuckled, lightly resting his head on hers. “I love you, sweetie. Goodnight.”
“‘Sweetie.’” Katara giggled. “Goodnight.”
“What’re you so smiley about?” Katara interrupted his trance, having finally returned from the back of the shop.
Aang shook his head and snapped out of it. “Oh, I was smiling?”
The waterbender rolled her eyes. “Is it safe to say it was related to the cactus juice incident?”
He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “Maybe a little. Any chance we can grab some cactus juice on the way home?”
Katara snorted. “Only if you’re the one drinking it. I quite enjoy being proposed to twice in the span of five minutes by the husband I already married, you know.”
“Awwww, I was hoping we could find some more funny words,” Aang pouted playfully.
“Not a chance,” she laughed and paid the shopkeeper for the barley and rice. “C’mon, we have more errands to run.”
The two left the shop, just as another swarm of reporters found them and started asking questions.
“Avatar Aang- would you and your wife be able to join us for an interview next Tuesday?”
“Master Katara! Have you found any waterbending regiments that correlate with weight loss for our readers?”
“When are you planning to have children? Will the Air Nation be repopulated soon?”
Aang and Katara gave each other a look and laughed together.
Just another day in the life of two of the most powerful benders in the world.
#kataang week#kataang fanfic#kataangtag#kataang#aang x katara#katara x aang#fluff#romance#atla fanfiction#avatar the last airbender#atla#drunk kataang#drunk shenanigans#stan draangk for a better life
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Ten Into The Fog (Part 34)
He can’t explain it, why he is just breaking down now and when things are finally looking up. It simply doesn’t make sense, not even to him. But he supposes that this has been building for a while now. If only he could have waited just a little longer. Just until they could be away from the public and away from the cameras. He has come to know that these sorts of things just simply don’t wait. They come on fast and they come on suddenly.
They come on devastatingly
Azula is sitting right there across from him and acting more like councilwoman Azula than ever and yet there’s an overwhelming sense of loss, an air of it that surrounds her. And maybe that is because he is only seeing loss right now.
He is only hearing last words whispering in his ears alongside the distraught calls of faceless strangers that he has killed.
Nobody talks about that.
They talk about the people that Zuko has killed in battle, the people Toph had taken out. They talk about how Azula had killed Aang but they never talk about his body count. He thinks that everyone just forgets that he has one at all.
They don’t try to reassure him like they reassure Toph. Like they reassure Zuko and Azula that they are not bad people.
And maybe that’s the price of being the funny man. The laidback, carefree, silly guy. The comedian doesn’t have any problems. The comedian cheers everyone else up, not the other way around.
He needs Azula to comfort and soothe him, but as per usual she is staring at him with that dumbstruck look and glancing at everyone around her to see if they will step up so that she doesn’t have to. And as Katara reaches out to offer words of comfort, his anger finally spills over.
He doesn’t mean to yell, he hadn’t even meant to speak out loud. In fact, he didn’t realize that he had until they all collectively flinch. “Dammit! Why can’t you ever help me! I always go out of my way to comfort you and make sure that you’re okay, but you can’t ever do that for me!”
And he has made things worse. Of course she isn’t going to want to comfort him now, he has just shouted at her. And for moments that she can’t even remember. Of course she won’t want to approach him after he has fixed her with such a potent glower.
He is lucky that Zuko has opted to stay home and watch Mai or he would be getting an earful.
Even in the throes of his own distress he finds himself upset that he has ruined Azula’s first good mood in ages.
“Sokka…” Katara says uncertainly. She reaches her hand out and he swats it away. “I just don’t understand. Why can’t anyone ever comfort me. It’s always about Azula and Azula’s problems…or Zuko’s or Aang’s. Everyone’s problems are more important than mine. Fine! Maybe there was no genocide of my people, maybe my parents loved me! But one of them is dead! Everyone I love dies. And no one cares!”
“Sokka, that’s not true.” Katara replies softly.
“We do care.” Aang adds, “It’s just…sometimes it’s hard to tell how you feel.”
“Right. Because it’s so much easier to read Azula.” He jabs his pointer in her direction. The entire sushi shop is staring now. He thinks that some people have entered it just to see what the fuss is.
“You always seem so happy.” Aang replies.
“Azula’s always either grumpy or…” TyLee tilts her head. “She just has this aura, even when she’s got that blank expression.”
“It’s all about her all the time and I’m tired of it!” He should just shut up right now, but his mouth keeps pouring words, even after seeing Azula flinch. Even after seeing the way her hold tightens around Chomp. She doesn’t like when people yell, he recalls. But somehow, instead of coaxing him to take a step back, it makes him angrier. Angry because he realizes that it truly is easier to tell when Azula’s anxious or sad. “I always go out of my way to make sure that she’s okay even when she yelling and saying these awful things about me. And what do I get!?” He gestures to her. “She just stands there and watches me lose it!” He finds himself digging his fingers through his own hairline.
“You know Azula, Sokka.” Katara tries. “She isn’t exactly a cuddly person.”
“Yeah, until she’s breaking down. Then suddenly she loves being held and coddled.” He knows what he is doing and still he can’t stop. He is probably making her feel like she can’t come to him anymore, probably making her feel guilty for letting herself be vulnerable. The rational part of him that is still there, truly hopes that she won’t take any of this to heart.
He wants her help, he is asking for it all while pushing her away. All while giving her a reason to keep standing there, staring at him with this horrid mix of confusion, hurt, and hatred. She taps her fingers upon Chomp’s scales–he knows that he is making her anxious.
He should apologize, but all that comes out is another soft sob. And this time he can’t stop it. This time it takes him over completely because he knows that he is going to lose another person he loves. But this time it will be for the better. If he pushes Azula away then she will be free of his bad luck. She will be safe. If she doesn’t love him then she won’t die the way Yue and Suki did. The way his mom had before them.
It is strange that Katara and Hakoda have managed to escape the fate that everyone else he loved faced.
Just as he had expected, the cameras are here now. They are flashing in his face, capturing his distress for all to gander at for weeks to come. This is where Azula decides to step in. Explicitly and under no uncertain terms, she tells them to fuck off and mind their own buissness.
He hasn’t heard her speak so crassly in a good while. And maybe that is why the cameramen do leave.
Maybe that is why the sushi shop is now vacant save for they and the shop owners. Nobody wants to test an Azula who has dropped the polite princess demeanor.
Nobody but him apparently.
He is set to shout at her again. To ask her why she would rather yell at people than offer him words or gestures of comfort. Why it’s so much easier for her to be cruel and terrifying than it is for her to be loving and consoling.
Before he can she asks, “do you want to hold Chomp?”
He almost yells at her again. Almost shouts that he doesn’t fucking want to hold Chomp, he wants to hold her! Realization settles in first; holding Chomp makes her feel better, holding Chomp makes her feel less anxious. And she is clinging onto that dragon harder than she has in a while. But she is still offering her to him.
He holds his arms out and takes Chomp into them. The dragon gives a little coo and nuzzles her face against his cheek.
With no dragon to occupy her hands, Azula takes to making little shapes with her fire. He doesn’t think that he has seen her do this before but it seems to keep her calm in the absence of Chomp.
“Do you want to go home, Sokka?” TyLee asks.
He shakes his head. He can barely stand, let alone walk. What he wants is understanding! He needs someone to know that he needs to be held just like they hold Azula. But the only one daring enough to get close to him right now is Chomp.
Azula keeps her distance.
He had never kept his distance with her even when she was throwing fire and lightning…
.oOo.
Sometimes Azula thinks that she isn’t allowed to be happy.
Every time she starts to get there, something or someone takes that away from her. Sometimes, she is afraid to be in a good mood, lest it be stolen from her as quickly as it had been today. She is tired of people shouting at her, tired of being the object of everyone’s stress and resentment. And today she can’t say a damn thing about it because it will make things worse.
Sokka tells her to express herself, tells her to ask him for comfort, tells her that it is alright for her to be vulnerable. And now he is angry with her for finally doing just that.
He is expecting things from her that she has never been good with, apparently even at the height of her recovery and progress.
She has lost her memories, she has just been nearly killed, father has just made her feel all kinds of confused, and on top of it all she is pregnant and still feeling terribly awkward about it and unlike herself. And now Sokka is both furious with her and longing for her and she can’t tell which part of him is winning out.
And so she freezes. It is stupid and ridiculous but she can’t bring herself to say or do a damn thing now that she has passed Chomp to Sokka. She continues to watch her fire, she shapes it into a star and an orb. Into a miniature dragon and into a phoenix. Watching the flames shift and morph helps her mute the world around her. Watching that mesmerizing blue dance slows her heartbeat, it empties her mind.
It shields her, to some extent from that heart wrenching sob. Katara is rubbing his back but he is looking at her. The same eyes that had glared at her are pleading with her to come over and say something, do something…anything at all.
And so Azula lets the fire in her palm die and kneels down in front of Sokka.
She holds her hand out and lets him take it. His grip on her hand is tight, almost painfully so, she doesn’t think that he realizes how tightly he is holding.
She wants to ask him if he is angry with her but she supposes that that would be making things about her again. About her problems that she has to set aside at least for a time. It makes her feel queasy and she isn’t sure how to console someone when she can’t even console herself.
It settles in that, that is exactly why Sokka is upset.
He has been doing this for her for probably a decade or so; providing comfort while unable to comfort himself.
At least he is good at it.
She isn’t, all she can do is let him hold her hand as he cries.
She asks him what has been bothering him.
She isn’t sure if she will be able to help him even when he answers.
.oOo.
And it all comes pouring out his guilt, his feelings of inadequacy, his feelings of not being loved as much as he loves everyone else, his dread of losing anyone else, and the repeating voices of those who he has already lost.
Azula looks overwhelmed, completely out of her comfort zone and confused. He has unloaded all of his problems on someone who is terribly under equipped to handle them. More so than he had been to tackle the problems she has brought to him.
But she still lets him hold her hand.
And finally she says, “I won’t die.”
She doesn’t have a choice though. It has become so, so obvious in the last few months that if the universe wants her out of it, it can and will eject her. And yet she is, indeed, still here and talking to him. Twice now she has survived something that she probably shouldn’t have.
“I was born lucky.” She mutters. “That’s what father says.”
“Yeah, and you constantly tell me that you think that your luck has worn out.”
She shakes her head. “I guess that it hasn’t. I think that I would be dead if it has.” She pauses, seeming to think for a moment. Just long enough for Sokka to become peeved again. She is making things about her again. “I have you, that’s lucky, right?” She pauses again before backtracking. “It’s actually about choices rather than luck, I guess. You chose to…deal with me more than once. So I’ll choose to put up with you.”
He doesn’t mean to but he does, he laughs. She is so terrible at this. She is trying her best but she is horrible at it. Somehow, that in itself cheers him up; knowing that she is willing to make herself look awkward to try to make him feel better.
“I guess that I can put up with you and…” she gestures vaguely, “and this as long as you continue to tolerate me and…” another vague gesture to indicate circumstance.
She clears her throat. “Anyways, you don’t have to worry about me dying because I was born lucky and I live lucky too. I think that I would be dead already if I was supposed to be.”
He takes her into his arms and she doesn’t protest. He just needs to be close to her again, like they used to be. He needs to feel her body heat against his, that peculiar type of Fire Nation body heat that is significantly warmer than most. He needs to feel the locks of her hair against his neck and the brush of her cheek against his.
Reluctantly, she puts her arms around him. She brushes her thumb over his semi-new tattoo and he wonders if she remembers the night that he got it. He wonders if she has even a fragment of that night–one of their last nights of peace. One of their last nights of being in love. She traces the ink of the tattoo, her forehead is inches from his. Her lips her close enough to his that he can feel her breath on them. For a moment it feels like nothing has changed. For a moment it feels like things always have. It is enough for him to ignore Chomp’s wiggling.
He waits for her to pull back as this new, regressed Azula tends to. And she does, she pulls back and stares at him. She is thinking about something but it is hard to tell what. She reaches up and sweeps one of his tears away with her thumb. She holds her hand there, cupping his cheek as he had cupped hers.
He thinks that she doesn’t know exactly what to do. That she is simply replicating the things that make her feel better. Things that don’t necessarily work for him but suddenly do just because she is putting in an effort to comfort him.
Katara, Aang, and TyLee are all so quiet, he realizes that they have stepped out to give them some privacy. Perhaps that is what makes it easier for Azula to leave her comfort zone.
“You won’t lose me, Sokka.” She promises. “Not unless you get angry with me and…”
“Don’t ruin it!” He cuts her off. And to his surprise, she chuckles. For a moment he swears that her memories are fully intact. But her hesitant gestures tell a different story. That brief pause she takes before leaning in closer again.
That brief pause before she slightly tilts her head and brings her lips to his.
It is a fleeting moment–a tester, just to see if she likes the sensation.
She draws back just long enough for his heart to flutter, for him to think that she has decided that she didn’t like it.
But then she offers him another, longer kiss.
Spirits he had missed the sensation. Missed the light taste of cinnamon in her mouth. Missed recalling that she has a habit of taking some cinnamon treat with all of her meals. Missed the taste of Azula herself on his tongue. Missed that soft little hum that she always leaves him with after their lips part.
She is a lot gentler today, more uncertain as she had been the first time that they kissed. And he finds that it isn’t so bad, having a second first kiss. It certainly feels like a first kiss with the way it leaves his stomach fluttering and his cheeks flushed. The way it leaves her cheeks flushed.
Chomp isn’t quite as thrilled. In fact, Chomp seemed thoroughly annoyed.
“Do you feel better now, Sokka?”
He nods. There is still a fog in his mind, a lingering dizziness of distress. But for now he has something else to think about. For now he can be happy knowing that Azula is willing to put his problems above her own at least sometimes.
He interlaces her fingers with his own.
“I guess I didn’t do a good job of showing it today but I love you, Azula.” He is going to make himself sad again, “I wish that you could remember what things were like between us.”
“I can’t.” She replies quietly, that low captivating tone of voice that coaxes him to listen. She leans in closer so that her lips nearly touch his ear. “So show me.”
His heart skips a beat or two.
“I don’t have to remember, Sokka.” She says. “As long as I can get some new memories to replace the ones that I lost.”
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YES.
#Councilwoman Katara#that's about the last thing they can do to redeem the comics.#ruins of the empire#RotE spoilers#ruins of the empire pt. 2#katara
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I think it was Sokka ? In something I swear he’s the chief. But honestly Katara should have been on the council or whatever imo and Sokka could have been the chief still. Idk why he got both 😂 I love Sokka but I think katara could’ve been a bad ass councilwoman. That’s what she deserved :’)
I know in Legend of Korra people said Sokka was on the Republic City council and Chief of the SWT at some point, but nobody said Katara wasn’t also the Chief or on the council...so they probably just traded off jobs
#katara#sokka#legend of korra#lok#southern water tribe#chief katara#councilwoman katara#they both have a nice ring to them#Katara deserves anything she wants
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Coming back to earth
Summary: Aang and Katara have to deal with citizens who aren't too happy with their new plan.
Word count: 1,548
Author's note: I felt really conflicted while trying to figure out what to write for this. From what we know so far, Katara was never officially a councilwoman, so it's hard to grasp something. I didn't wanna write an AU, so I only had one option that would fit: the timeline between the end of the war and before the founding of Republic City. Since this is the only time when Katara has been shown to participate in council meetings in the comics. I imagined that the story takes place at the same time as, or after "Imbalance", but since we don't know what's gonna go down there, I'm gonna make some wild guesses.
----------x----------
"Do you really think this is going to work?" Katara wondered as she and Aang exited the temporary building of city hall. Being back in the industrial city wasn't as pleasant as either of them had expected. The airbender entwined their hands and gave it a squeeze.
"I hope so. This is the most reasonable solution we've come up with so far."
There'd been countless conflicts between benders and nonbenders, some of which had turned rather violent. Hence a similar council meeting that was held in Yu Dao, where representatives from each nation were present, had just ended. Almost the entire Team Avatar had attended, except for Fire Lord Zuko, because a Fire Nation representative was already in town.
During the meeting, Aang had proposed a crazy idea, which no longer seemed as crazy once everybody had given it some thought. His plan was to unite all of the villages running along the west coast, where both Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation citizens had already mixed during the past hundred years, and create a fifth nation, where benders and nonbenders from all over the world could live together in peace. Nobody would be looked down on for their ethnicity, their bending abilities or lack of for that matter. Most importantly, if Aang wanted to be able to stay together with Katara, it'd be a perfect place to live in for the two of them. It almost sounded like a dream.
Of course, not everybody saw it as a good thing. Rumours spread around town about the so-called "fifth nation" being formed. Two Earth Kingdom noblemen were sitting on a bench on the main street outside of city hall. From what other pedestrians heard from their loud conversation while passing them, they weren't pleased.
"Can you believe that? This is outrageous! They're just going to rob us of our land!" the bigger guy exclaimed, waving his hands in the air. His plump figure donned upper class Earth Kingdom attire. He'd been living near the booming town decades before the sacred land of the air nomads was overtaken by the refinery. Now his own land was about to be divided into half - one half remaining under Earth Kingdom territory, the other falling under this new nation.
"Those youngsters know nothing about politics. Who even put them in charge of such important roles in the first place?" the second nobleman asked whilst stroking his long grey beard. He was slightly taller and older than his companion. He considered himself an expert in politics due to having good relationships with other noblemen from Ba Sing Se, who kept him informed about the progress of events during the war.
The two noticed how the Avatar and his friend came out of the building where the council meeting was held. The noblemen slowly stood up from the bench, with the older one grabbing his cane so he could walk. The fat one adjusted his belt higher and blew on his shiny golden rings, wiping them clean against his robes before turning to his companion.
"Shall we?"
Receiving a confirming nod, they began heading towards the couple, to show them exactly what they thought of their new plan. Aang and Katara didn't suspect a thing while they continued their walk down the street. As Sokka would say, they were too busy 'oogying' around. As they walked past each other, the shorter nobleman earthbended a small rock right in front of Katara's foot, which forced her to trip.
"Ow!" she yelped and fell on her knees, but luckily managed to put her hands on the ground so she wouldn't fall flat on her face. Aang immediately knelt down beside her.
"Katara! Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm okay.. I don't know what happened there," she said as she sat down and began dusting her tunic. Little did she know that, despite not being able to react fast enough to prevent her from hurting herself, Aang had sensed where the earthbending had come from.
He looked around and noticed the two men responsible walking the other way. They stared back and laughed at them, until they understood that the airbender had spotted them, after which they looked away and pretended like they hadn't seen anything.
"Hey! You two! Who do you think you are? You don't treat girls like that!" Aang shouted to them. He also earned the attention of other passers-by, who first looked at him, then at each other in confusion. The noblemen turned around and slowly approached Aang and Katara. The shorter one pointed a finger at himself.
"Who do we think we are? Shouldn't we be asking you that question? You and your little friends can't just come waltzing in here and divide up our land!"
"We aren't dividing up your land. We're trying to come up with a solution that'd make everybody happy," Aang said as he grabbed Katara's hands and helped her stand up.
"There is only one solution, Avatar. Send those ash-makers back to their homeland. These occupied lands that you're trying to form into this so-called 'fifth nation' are Earth Kingdom territory!" the taller nobleman added, tapping his cane on the ground.
"No, you're wrong. Now they're both Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation territory. This is a whole new world we're looking at. Do you really expect us to order people to leave their homes behind? After they've lived here for the past hundred years?" Katara chimed in.
"Shut your mouth, little girl! I was talking to the Avatar."
"Excuse me!?" Katara exclaimed as Aang took a step forward.
"Hey! That's my girlfriend you're talking to."
"I don't care if she's your girlfriend. She's a simple rube from the south who shouldn't put her nose where it doesn't belong. This is our land and she shouldn't have a say in who gets to live here or not."
"She-"
"Oh, really? And who should have a say, then?" Katara interrupted before Aang could start defending her again, holding him back by laying her hand on his chest. She stepped right in front of the taller nobleman, crossed her arms and glared up at him.
"Only the honest Earth Kingdom citizens, such as ourselves, who've suffered the most because of this war. You southerners had it easy, living on your small iceberg in peace, cut off from the rest of the world. It's not like the Fire Nation came and conquered your land and claimed it as their own. We've had hundreds and thousands of families torn apart, troops killed on the front line. What's your small village done compared to that?"
Katara felt how every inch of her body became filled with rage after every selfish statement. She was so close to snapping because of his ignorance. She took a deep breath and spoke in a low, furious tone.
"You have no idea what my tribe went through during the war. All of our waterbenders were imprisoned. My mother died trying to protect me. Our men journeyed to the Earth Kingdom to help you fight against the Fire Nation. Women and children were left to fend for themselves. My friends had to leave their home behind and come here to make a living. My boyfriend's entire culture was destroyed, every one of his people were killed."
At this point, she raised a finger under his nose.
"Don't you dare compare your kingdom's suffering to ours. Even though my tribe is much smaller, that doesn't mean our suffering was, too."
Katara glanced at Aang, then took a step back and laid a supportive hand on his shoulder. Her gaze remained fixed on his grey eyes, her face softened and she smiled a little.
"We're all in the same boat here."
"I highly doubt it. It's not enough that those ash-makers have stolen our land, our homes and our jobs, now you want to allow your snow savages to come here, too? I suggest you go to the nearest harbour, find yourself a boat and go straight back home to that icy inferno where you belong. You foreigners aren't welcome here," the short nobleman warned her. He spat in front of Katara's shoes before they both turned around to walk away.
She growled, her hand clenched into a fist and ready to bend the water out of her pouch, but Aang put a hand on her shoulder to return the favour. He held her back.
"C'mon, sweetie. Let's go.. those two aren't worth it."
He felt how her stiff body relaxed, her shoulders slumped. She let out a heavy sigh and nodded, allowing Aang to guide her the other way.
"Filthy peasant," the shorter nobleman muttered to his mate. Katara heard it and in a split second she summoned the water from her pouch into a whip and whacked it against the backs of their heads. The men cowered and rubbed at the painful spot, turning around in shock.
"That's for calling me a peasant, insulting my people, and my tribe," Katara said before she spun around and walked away.
"Don't ever talk to my girlfriend like that again!" Aang threatened them one more time, then followed Katara. The noblemen felt disgusted when they saw him give her a soft kiss on her cheek, their hands entwined as they headed their way.
#Kataang Week#councilwoman Katara#Kataangtag#Kataang#Aang#Katara#Imbalance#ATLA#my fanfiction#mine#shards of Kristal
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Ok but zukki/suzukka dynamic
Zuko: hot-headed and depressed firelord (look I know he is agressive and awkward but after all of that "firebending masters" episode I just think he is Zuko but with a slightly better temper)
Sokka: inventor and councilman with ADHD (I need to explain nothing) also artist; autor and all the other good stuff
Suki: Anxiety(x Coffein all the time :D) driven workaholic warrior and bodyguard bitch that skips meals; she also trains the new kyoshi warriors and works out late way to often and long (her heartrate would litherally make Toph go crazy; also I belive she became a councilwoman after some years lmao but still a workaholic maniac)
Zuko has to get forced out of his office six times a month, Suki and Sokka sit with him at the turtleduck pound and they all look at the clouds together and watch the sunset, while cuddling under the trees. He has a tendency of forgetting to drink so they force him to, every day. He thinks it's annoying but cute.
Sokka doesn't have to get dragged, Suki and Zuko always listen to his ideas and also tell him some of theirs, Sokka normal never hyper focuses after 6pm but sometimes when it happened Suki and Zuko just talk him out, then they would walk around with him and fly on druck; sokka is the least problematic one; when it comes to sleep because he can talk endlessly about his newest ideas (he always falls asleep last)
Suki has to get dragged to their room every single day (literally); normally Sokka and Zuko have to physically restrain her from training at like 10pm; they wrap her in blankets until she can't get away; than they feed her if she skipped meals or else they feed her tea and cookes (Suki found out the heard way that eating is in fact something you would want to do if you don't want to black out or collapse :D but beeing in preason and having less to eat changed her diet, so she did nothing wrong...) after that incident Sokka and Zuko make sure she eats at least two meals, snacks and tea; and wait for her to fall asleep first; in the mornings they try to keep the coffein away from her but fail miserablely.
Honorable mention:
Suki is Katara and Toph's favourite in the relationship, cs she's a cool warrior that can beat ass, girlboss, FEMINISM, just their cool big sister. Sokka can't be their favourite because it is just who it is done and Zuko isn't a girl. (don't get me wrong they love all of them... But if they had to choose...)
Aang can't choose and won't choose even if he had to.
#suki#sokka#zuko#suzukki#zukki#aang#katara#toph#sukka#zuki#zukka#kataang#atla#avatar the last airbender#firenation#hc#qwq
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So I had a thought™ today, still debating if it's a good one, but throughout the series we are shown Sokka engaging more in his tribe's traditions like traditional warrior clothes, hairstyles, face paint (dk if that's the correct term sorry), traditional rites of passage, etc. and Katara is shown to want to overthrow and reform and change corrupt systems and help people live better. Not saying Katara doesn't care about her culture and Sokka doesn't want to help people, just that it's not as prominent so... hear me out... chief Sokka and councilwoman Katara.
ok i mean you obviously know i disagree...
look. of course sokka values his culture & his heritage, and obviously katara wants to help people, but katara’s arc is fundamentally tied to her heritage, from beginning to end. just as aang is the last airbender, she is the last southern waterbender. the culmination of aang’s arc is when he fulfills his avatar duty without compromising his cultural values. aang is the avatar, but he also has a responsibility to preserve the legacy of his people and uphold their values, and it would be foolish to say otherwise. same goes for katara. she works so tirelessly at waterbending because it’s so much more important than just honing a skill. mediocrity is a privilege afforded to the surfer dudes of the northern water tribe, but katara is carrying her entire culture on her back, preserving the legacy of her people, of her mother’s sacrifice. it is no wonder that she’s the best waterbender in the world. which is why she’s needed in the south pole, to teach the next generation, to lead the reconstruction of the swt, to continue preserving the legacy of her tribe, and to make her voice heard.
this isn’t to say that sokka doesn’t also do all of those things, because of course he does! he also deeply values his heritage & his home. and i definitely think that he is integral in the proceedings of the tribe in so many ways. but not as chief. katara would thrive as chief, because not only does she value democracy in theory, she also values it in practice. she knows every single person in the south pole and hears out every single one of their grievances and then works tirelessly to find a way to solve all of their problems to the fullest (i think at first her biggest roadblock would be learning how to accept having to make compromises because she just wants everything to be perfect for everyone always and the thought of anybody suffering even a little bit is an outrage). she’s incredibly charming & diplomatic & personable & cares about people, and also she takes no bullshit and is never afraid to speak her mind. she wants what’s best for her people and would never compromise her values, ever. why wouldn’t you want her to be chief?
meanwhile, sokka cannot go a single conversation without implying that the person he is talking to is very stupid, because he hates people and thinks they’re stupid. having to be at the behest of an entire society who expect him to clean up their messes is his worst nightmare. while katara likes helping people in a very direct, personal way, sokka also likes helping people, just without having to actually, yknow, talk to people. that’s also why the decision to put him on the republic city council never made sense to me, but they also gave him a hideous goatee so who tf knows what they were thinking. i think that postwar, sokka sort of just acts as a freelance consultant to every world leader, and then also a white lotus member, inventor, researcher (he’s gonna prove once and for all that the spirit world is just math if it’s the death of him...), small business owner (cactus jamba juice is his venture w/ suki & iroh), architect (he designs the buildings, katara waterbends them according to his vision), and whatever else he feels like doing with his life. but not chief. god no. if he got offered the position of chief he’d be like “....i don’t understand. did katara turn it down?”
#anyway chief katara of the southern water tribe –#asks#katara#sokka#analysis#katara&sokka#katoptris-katoptris#postwargaang
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“You know? He’s actually... kind of a sweetheart!”
My headcanon:
After the war ended, Komodo-Rhinos were no longer needed as war animals, and with Avatar’s Aang’s influence, Fire Lord Zuko decided against leaving them in military bases to spend their days confined. Zuko transported them to an open field in Caldera and built a nursery there, encouraging his people to learn how to ride them to keep the creatures healthy.
During one of her visits as Councilwoman of the Southern Watertribe, Zuko takes her to see the Komodo-Rhinos, and invites her to go Rhino-back riding. Being a bit intimidated by their ferocious-looking faces -- and naturally leaning more towards “fluffy” and cute-looking animals -- Katara hesitates.
Zuko assures it’ll be okay, that it might just take time to build trust with the creatures, and so from then on... every time she visits the Fire Nation, the two of them go Rhino-back riding. And she eventually warms up to the Rhinos.
(art by me)
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Nothing about Ka/taang precludes Katara being Chief of the SWT…
which is why it pisses me off even more that Katara didn’t get to have a role of any political importance whatsoever. It wouldn’t change anything about LOK’s storyline, and it would be fully in line with her character.
There’s a common anti-Zutara argument that Katara wouldn’t want to be Fire Lady, because she would want to rebuild and lead her own culture. I am sympathetic to that. Based on her canon characteristics, she might want to be a United Republic Councilwoman, Chief of the SWT, or just generally the Waterbending Master / Matriarch of the her tribe, which would be easier (though not impossible) if she weren’t married to the sovereign of another nation — I get that.
but the thing is…she didn’t get to do any of that, even though “wife of the Avatar” doesn’t contradict those roles. All the things that would be difficult for her to do if she were married to Zuko, she still didn’t get to do as Aang’s wife. She didn’t get to have a career the way her husband, or her brother, or her friends did.
so it’s extra hypocritical when Ka/taang shippers are like “but being Fire Lady would disempower Katara!” when Ka/taang canonically disempowered her! And KA fans are fine with that: they bend over backwards to justify why Katara doesn’t have a statue, or why she wasn’t there to protect Korra from the Red Lotus, or why she wasn’t at Yakone’s bloodbending trial. Yeah she got to live in the SWT — eventually, I assume, because in the comics she just follows Aang around — but what else did she get to do? Fucking nothing, apparently. Because to some people, the greatest honour for a woman is to be the hero’s wife.
#Kataang fans who don’t defend Katara’s stupid post-ATLA arc are fine#but I don’t think I’ve ever met one so#Katara deserved better#anti kataang shippers#anti bryke#Zutara#pro Zutara#Chief Katara#Fire Lady Katara#my meta
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Master Fic Post
i apologize in advance for how long this is. all of the following are kataang fics (for now)!
Broader-Use Links:
Profiles: FF.net and AO3
Completed Kataang Weeks:
2018 (FF.net | AO3)
2019 (FF.net | AO3)
2020 (FF.net | AO3)
2021 (FF.net | AO3)
2022 (FF.net | AO3)
2023 (FF.net | AO3)
Other Series:
Kataang Valentine’s Bash 2021 (FF.net | AO3)
Multichapter Stories
From Enemies To Lovers and Everything in Between (FF.net | AO3): She's the quiet, smart social outcast whose best friends abandoned her. He's the popular but arrogant jock who is living a lie. Can the two find love when things are not as they seem? Or will they be ripped apart for the sake of a reputation?
TWs/CWs: self-harm, suicide
Modern AU
On hiatus indefinitely (incomplete)
hopefully more to come soon 👀👀
Oneshots (Event-Unrelated)
Not Your Fault, Never Your Fault (FF.net | AO3): "It's not your fault. Never your fault." That's what they always told each other. But oh, what hypocrites they were. Kataangst and how they comfort each other through the ages.
TWs/CWs: miscarriage, genocide
Canon-Compliant
help me remember (the ghosts of my past) (FF.net | AO3): aka "(it's okay to not) remember"; Shortly after The Rift trilogy, Aang comes to the horrifying realization that he is forgetting how it used to be.
TWs/CWs: genocide, cultural loss
Canon-Compliant
We’re... Conserving Water? (FF.net | AO3): Katara and Aang get themselves into an awkward conversation with their children about showers and conserving water. Borderline mature situations and implied... stuff. Cloudbabies fic.
Canon-compliant, post-series
Into the Open Air (FF.net | AO3): Aang takes Katara for a flight on his glider.
Canon-compliant, post-series
Songfic (lyrics edited out on FF.net)
10th Anniversary (FF.net): Katara and Aang reflect on their years together, 4 dating and 6 married. Written for the Kataang/Sozin's Comet Part 4 10th Anniversary: July 19th, 2018.
Canon-compliant, post-series
Forgot this fic existed actually that’s why it’s not on AO3
Reunion (FF.net): Aang has been missing for 3 months. Has something happened? Will Katara forgive him? Will Zuko yell at Aang for calling him Firelord Hotman?
Canon-compliant, post-series
Also forgot this fic existed
Kataang Week 2018
Mythology (FF.net | AO3): Aang tells the cloudbabies a bedtime story.
Canon-compliant, post-series
Ballroom (FF.net | AO3): Katara and Aang are forced to go to one of the Earth King’s elaborate parties.
Canon-compliant, post-series
Family (FF.net | AO3): Katara considers herself to have a big family, but it started out small. How her family and definition of family has shifted and changed over the years.
Canon-compliant, post-series
Affection (FF.net | AO3): The story behind Katara and Aang calling each other "sweetie.”
Canon-compliant, post-series
Councilwoman Katara (FF.net | AO3): Katara attempts to put a ban on bloodbending.
Canon-compliant, post-series
Intertwined (FF.net | AO3): Katara realizes what Gran Gran meant when she said their destinies were intertwined. How her feelings for him evolved over time.
Canon-compliant, in-series
Quirks (FF.net | AO3): Aang notices one of Katara's quirks.
Canon-compliant, post-series
Desire (FF.net | AO3): Katara gets some late-night cravings.
Canon-compliant, post-series
Midnight (FF.net | AO3): Katara and Aang do some midnight waterbending during another full moon.
Canon-compliant, post-series
Sacred (FF.net | AO3): Aang and Katara talk about how they’re going to go about their wedding.
Canon-compliant, post-series
Kataang Week 2019
Storm and Thunder (FF.net | AO3): Bumi wakes up from a storm. Aang comforts him.
Canon-compliant, post-series
Breathe (FF.net | AO3): Different instances of Kataang telling each other to breathe.
Canon-compliant, post-series
Gentle Touches (FF.net | AO3): Aang gives Katara a massage.
Canon-compliant, post-series
Dancing (FF.net | AO3): To many, the word was insignificant and meant nothing. To others, the word was simply a pastime, a hobby, something to be done just for fun. To Katara and Aang, it was the entirety of their relationship summed up in a single, deceptively unassuming word.
Canon-compliant, post-series
Lazy Day/Morning (FF.net | AO3): Aang and Katara spend a lazy day in bed the day after their wedding.
Canon-compliant, post-series
Frustration (FF.net | AO3): Ficlet about why Aang and Katara get frustrated with one another.
Canon-compliant, post-series
Trust (FF.net | AO3): Aang asks Katara to trust him. Katara (reluctantly) agrees.
Canon-compliant, post-series
Kataang Week 2020
Keeping Warm (FF.net | AO3): Katara and Aang sleep next to each other... for survival purposes obviously.
Canon-compliant, post-series
Soft (FF.net | AO3): Katara talks about the softness of Aang’s heart. Aang’s mind goes... elsewhere.
Canon-compliant, post-series
Blood/Wounds (FF.net | AO3): On the field of battle, Aang gets hurt. Katara, naturally, freaks out.
Canon-compliant, post-series
PDA (Public Displays of Affection) (FF.net | AO3): Katara and Aang reflect on each other’s PDA.
Canon-compliant, post-series
Heritage/Responsibilities (FF.net | AO3): The night before their wedding, Katara and Aang reflect on their heritage.
Canon-compliant, post-series
Napping (FF.net | AO3): In a COVID-stricken modern universe, Katara and Aang are understandably quite tired.
Modern AU
The Red Thread of Fate (FF.net | AO3): How the Red Thread of Fate has connected Katara and Aang through their whole lives and beyond.
Canon-compliant, pre, in, and post-series
Kataang Valentine’s Bash 2021
Sun (FF.net | AO3): Katara wakes up early one day and spends some quality time with her husband in the morning sun.
Canon-compliant, post-series
Moon (FF.net | AO3): Aang wakes up in the middle of the night to find his wife out of bed and outside, waterbending in the moonlight. He joins her and the two share a heart to heart about the stars and their relationship.
Canon-compliant, post-series
Yin & Yang (FF.net | AO3): Aang was yin, Katara was yang, and sometimes Katara was yin, and Aang was yang.
Canon-compliant, post-series
Kataang Week 2021
Height Difference (FF.net | AO3): It’s his 14th birthday and Aang is feeling frustrated. Katara wants to help and Aang confides in her about some of his insecurities.
Canon-compliant, post-series
Blending Cultures (FF.net | AO3): Aang and Katara were from two very different cultures, but they made their family work anyways.
Canon-compliant, post-series
Missing Scenes (FF.net | AO3): Bridging the gap between the Ember Island Players and Sozin’s Comet Series Finale.
Canon-compliant, in-series
Role Swap (FF.net | AO3): Expansion upon the Yin/Yang oneshot from KVB 2021. During Katara’s first pregnancy, an interesting change in dynamics occurs.
Canon-compliant, post-series
Healing (FF.net | AO3): Healing and all the ways it incorporated itself into Katara and Aang’s relationship.
Canon-compliant, post-series
Tease (FF.net | AO3): tease (verb): gently pull or comb (tangled wool, hair, etc.) into separate strands. Aka the take on the “tease” prompt that no one (not even me) expected.
Canon-compliant, post-series
The Sea & The Sky (FF.net | AO3): Katara was the sea, Aang was the sky, destined to meet at the horizon where they were bound together for all eternity.
Canon-compliant, in-series
Kataang Week 2022
Admiration (FF.net | AO3): He only sees her from a distance, but Aang can’t help but be besotted with admiration.
Canon-compliant, post-series
“Just Friends” (FF.net | AO3): Katara and Aang had always been close, the closest in fact, but they were just friends… right?
Modern AU
Sneaking Off (FF.net | AO3): Aang's been oddly secretive lately, so a pregnant Katara finally finds out what her dear husband has been up to.
Canon-compliant, post-series
Drunk Kataang (FF.net | AO3): While Kataang loved each other sober, they couldn’t help but find each other’s drunk selves equally endearing.
Canon-compliant, post-series
Power Couple (FF.net | AO3): Katara hated it when people called them a power couple. Aang happened to love it.
Canon-compliant, post-series
Quiet Moments (FF.net | AO3): Sometimes, Katara and Aang didn’t need words.
Canon-compliant, post-series
Wait For Me (FF.net | AO3): Katara and Aang hated waiting. They always had. But for each other? Why, they’d do it till the end of time.
Canon-compliant, pre, in, and post-series
Kataang Week 2023
Wind & Rain (FF.net | AO3): City Hall is under threat of a thunderstorm, and Aang refuses to ask Katara for help. What could possibly happen? Or, the one where Open Forum Day goes horribly wrong.
Canon-compliant, post-series
Injured (FF.net | AO3): Katara gets a paper cut. Aang panics.
Canon-compliant, post-series
Confession/Whisper (FF.net | AO3): “Tell me something you’ve never told anyone before.” Or, the one where Aang and Katara find themselves unable to sleep.
Canon-compliant, post-series
Cultural Exchange (FF.net | AO3): It's Aang and Katara's turn to cook dinner for the temple, and Aang feels like doing something a little different. Or, the one where I do too much research about Tibetan roasted barley snacks. Slight continuation of "help me remember (the ghosts of my past)" but you don't have to read it to understand this.
Canon-compliant, post-series
Rivals to Lovers/Secretly Dating (FF.net | AO3): Aang had always loved watching her from afar. Her movements were fluid, and her eyes sparkled in the light of the setting sun, so much like the water she bent. The only problem? She hated him.
Modern AU
Spirits (FF.net | AO3): Three times Katara took the spirits' names in vain and one time Aang did.
Canon-compliant, post-series
Reunion (FF.net | AO3): "To whomever it may concern: You and a guest of your choice are cordially invited to the Eastern Fire Nation Secondary School's 10-Year Reunion on the 7th day of the 4th month of the year 110 AG in the caves near EFNSS. Join us for a night of dancing, music, and more!" Or, the one where Katara and Aang have some improvements for their Kataango.
Canon-compliant, post-series
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happy ffwf
Let's talk AU's. Any that you've written that you love? Any that you've read? Any that you really WANT to write? Or, what kinds of AU just floats your boat?
Happy (very belated) FFWF, friend!!! Ooooooh AU's! I have not written any AUs, though I would if the right idea struck me. I am, however, beta-reading for @a-d-curtis's AMAZING "Prince Aang" AU, The Hand That Rocks The Cradle, in which the Fire Nation finds Aang in the iceberg and... a lot of dark things happen. It's really an amazing story so far, full of intrigue and twists and even some sweet kataang fluff, although the next few chapters about to be published are full of PAIN.
I also really, really love YOUR AU, foxford!!! I'm really excited to see what you have in store next for Realign :)
A couple modern AUs that I really enjoyed have been The Gaang Takes Ba Sing Se University (unfinished), and Apartment 3E. I love @thinkingisadangerouspastime's boba shop AU, and @penguinsledder's councilwoman Katara and Hamilton AUs. I also ADORED Break Up With Your Girlfriend I'm Bored and Flashbulbs, Fake News, and Fallacies before both authors left the fandom abruptly and unexpectedly (the first was forced out by a stalker, the second I believe was dealing with a lot of things after their mother became ill). OH I'm also loving EGOT at the moment, where Aang is a pop star with hopes of achieving an EGOT and Katara is his Broadway tutor. Basically, I will read Aang and Katara falling in love in any and every universe as long as their characterizations feel right to me. Thanks for the ask!
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You know, when expecting more from Katara I'd understand where someone would come from in assessing that TLOK presented her horribly. I want her to be doing more too than what seems to a lot of people was mourn and passively await her death to see her husband again and nothing else.
However, to say that was the true consensus in how anyone would see her displayed as is false as there's plenty of evidence showcasing she is much more active than that when regarding the retirement period in her life, and even though I admire the emphasis on her incredible healing abilities, it would've helped a lot of doubters in believing it was the same character they grew to admire by giving her a statue or by involving her more into the narrative on numerous occasions - I agree. It's depressing seeing Katara "reduced" to just another vessel for people to ingest information on her spouse from, but, I really do believe she was more than that even by the slightest bit of nudges the narrative gives us to ponder over as to what went down during the timeskip and during the timeline of TLOK. That meaning a lot to me personally.
Her relationship with Aang had nothing to do with how much she'd accomplish for herself post-ATLA. Being a "baby making machine", nothing more than a "housewife", and a renowned healer was a choice she made herself in being...if she truly was any of those things.
Yet again, I understand you when you say that's disappointing.
And I know reading this, you're thinking that Katara's feelings matter too. It's only more proof that this dynamic is unfulfilling and awful. And yes, her feelings absolutely do matter even with how petty they seem to be, which is why in the next dispute they find themselves in the middle of, it's Katara opening up to Aang about how she feels this time and Aang listens.
On the left page, he was able to accurately guess her feelings and was only fully confirmed it in this specific conversation above, which concluded some pages after, as seen on the right page.
Accurately guessing her feelings, just like she did here for him. Katara trusts him.
And then with that trust and synchronization, they were able to come to similar conclusions with their bringing together of Earth King Kuei and Fire Lord Zuko, while simultaneously being depicted as partners and, you guessed it, equals
In the finale, after Aang himself cools his judgements of the fangirls he's accumulated, he becomes much more accepting of them and their intentions, and instills them further into his life in a way, and Katara goes along, content and at peace with it all.
So as far as that Aang gaslights and invalidates Katara out of context comic strip goes when debating the dreadfully unfair nature of Kataang, it's false news as it's just the beginning of a rather important plot point that was resolved quite effectively on screen (and honestly, it wasn't that serious from that point either, as he never truly did either of those things).
How does this relate to The Legend Of Korra?
Well, I'm trying to prove Katara's agency, which she does have in her relationship with Aang.
The thing is however that I find myself agreeing on with these LOK critiques, is that we should've known more about Katara's happenings outside her relationship with Aang. ATLA does well in effectively building Katara up as an independent woman after all, it's not too much of a stretch to think she'd become a very important and active councilwoman all the way into her old age or even better, a Chieftain of the Southern Water Tribe.
It's one of the many ways TLOK didn't live up to the expectations that was placed upon it due to its strong association with its predecessor.
#i wonder if they're triggered by my pfp#since Katara's feeding Aang like a mother to her baby#with all its implications#lok critical#tlok critical#kataang#kataangtag#kataang defense#my posts#context: i got into an argument with zk stans#atla comics#avatar comics
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Happy FFWF! What is the scene you are most proud of, from any of your fics or wips? What in particular about it brings you the most joy/makes it so meaningful?
Happy FFWF hotwife <3
This is hard to answer! It's been a while since I've written (and some of my fics were written even years ago!) so it's also hard to remember.
I'm tbh always proud of look into your eyes and the sky's the limit cuz that fic has been such a long time coming and I can't believe I pulled it off lol. But I talk about it a lot already so I'll talk about smth else!
This fic always puts a smile on my face. It's actually the 2/N chapter of this Councilwoman Katara x Avatar Aang AU I had planned. The title is Whirlwind :)
This 2 part (so far) AU has a special place in my heart because I wrote it during the latter end of my Avatar fandom (and writing) golden days (erm v early 2015 I think, LoK had just ended). I was so in love with BaSingTei's Coming Together, which was a Councilwoman Katara x Avatar Aang AU. And I decided I wanted more of this genre.
This fic just wrote itself lol. I don't remember exerting a lot of effort to get this done (minus the descriptions as always) but the convos? They just happened. And this was also my first attempt at writing flirty young adult Kataang, and it. Was. Such. A. Joy.
If Lucky was training ground for writing pure fluff, then this is LIYEATSTL's ancestor. The prototype. The tension, the flirting, the large international gathering. Getaway dances with interrupted kisses. The completely self-indulgent writing. There was an added sort of tsun tone for Katara here, and it was also super fun to write.
And tbh one reason I feel this practically wrote itself is ... I was sort of flirting with a guy at the time lmao. I'd realized confident charmers who could also flat out tell you sincerely that they liked you could be attractive, and so I wrote that into Aang (who I think would totally have that personality as a young adult, if he was intentionally flirting with someone). Katara as someone prideful who didn't fall easily but was getting flustered ... well, I'll leave you to put two and two together 😂
But ANYWAY lol I'm also proud of it cuz I wrote a story setup. Most of my fics just center around a concept or idea that the characters tackle either through introspection or conversation. Granted it was mostly banter, but it was setup and development banter, yknow? There was a progression in the relationship. And progression (whether in terms of plot or relationship) is not something that comes to me easily, so pretty proud of that!
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Adversity (Chapter 2)
This is a follow-up to the first chapter here. Cross-posted in AO3.
Overview: Lin and Tenzin are both at the height of their respective careers – she with the Metalbending Police and he with the Air Nation. Questions about their future begin to arise and things come to a head when Lin responded to an emergency call. Would her job take them from each other forever? Eventual HEA. Non-canon compliant, AU. (Notes at the end of the post.)
--
Tenzin woke up with a start.
From his vantage on his bed, he could see the soft colors of the sky changing as dawn made itself known.
He swore quietly. He did not mean to fall asleep at the island. If he hurried, he figured he could probably still catch Lin before she left for work.
He tried to sit up; only to be weighed down by a toned arm slumped over him. He rubbed off sleep from his eyes and saw his girlfriend lightly slumbering on his chest. The airbender wondered how did the earthbender end up sleeping in his childhood bedroom at Air Temple Island.
Tenzin recognized that it was not a peaceful sleep, however. There were days that she was tense and there were days that she was relaxed. Today, her unblemished sleeping expression was marred by a small frown.
Tenzin skated his fingers on her forearm. His movements jolted her awake.
“Wha-?”
Without warning, the earthbender shot her arm up - hitting the master airbender on the nose.
"Ow!"
Lin bolted upright. "Tenzin - what- oh!" She turned to her side, seeing her lover of more than a decade clutching his nose and rubbing it. "I am so sorry," Lin reached out to touch his face. "I didn't mean to!"
Certain that there was nothing broken and that there was no blood, Tenzin took Lin's hand and held it to his cheek. Time and time again, he forgot that he should never try to startle this law enforcer in her sleep.
"Ten," The uncharacteristically soft voice of the chief of police whispered. "I'm sorry for missing dinner last night. I'm sorry -I just…" Lin trailed off. "I forgot."
Lin was not one to make excuses. Tenzin loved that about her - she was authentic and honest to a fault. As he looked at her contrite expression, all his annoyances from the previous night faded.
In the light of dawn and in bed, it did not seem so bad.
“It's fine.” He replied, meaning it the first time in the past twenty-four hours, kissing her forehead softly.
----------
After spending a few more quiet moments in each other’s arms, Lin broke the silence. “Were you going to meditate?”
“No, actually, I uh, I planned to get home before you left for the station.” Tenzin rubbed the back of his neck. Then everything came tumbling out. “Honestly, I was really…” He searched for a word to describe his emotions. Annoyed. “Irritated.” He tested it. “At first, at least. Then worried – you didn't even think to let me know you'd be late.”
She motioned to speak but he continued. “I know. I know you said someone from the station would likely get in touch with me if ever – in the event of -.” He did not want to say “an accident” or “death” out loud, being a tad superstitious that way. “And you're Lin Beifong, Chief of the Republic City Metalbending Police. You’re practically indestructible, I know.” He held her tighter. “But to me, you’re Lin Beifong, the woman I love. Take care of yourself.”
“I shouldn’t have worried you, I should have called earlier.” Lin averted her eyes and burrowed in his embrace. She sensed something else was bothering Tenzin. “How was your day yesterday?” She ventured, peeking at his face from her position.
Tenzin shifted uncomfortably then sighed. “The air acolytes do not take me seriously. They were laughing quietly most of the session. They were never like that when dad conducted the session.” He huffed. “They probably don’t think I’m an airbending master.”
“It's just the first session.” Lin had another guess why they were laughing but did not speak up about it just yet. “I’m sure they weren’t laughing at you.”
“Why of course they were – they’d look at me then laugh amongst themselves.” Tenzin looked distraught.
“I don’t think so…”
Lin has seen how some of the younger Air Acolytes looked at the youngest airbender.
At the age of thirty-one, he did strike an intimidating yet appealing figure. While lean, his muscular limbs (and hidden well-formed abs, Lin thought smugly) belied a strength that he had acquired on his rigorous training sessions. Not to mention the upbringing of Katara and Aang turned him into quite an intelligent gentleman.
And obviously, Lin supposed, the prospect being the wife of the son of the Avatar does not hurt his chances with the ladies much either.
Wife? Not pausing to think about where that thought came from, she sought to assure him. “You’re doing great, I’m sure of that, Tenzin. Don’t worry so much – they, the Air Acolytes adore you.” She patted his cheek.
Tenzin rolled his eyes, his good mood restored. “You don’t have to be so sarcastic about it. It’s too early.”
Lin made a non-committal noise as she pushed to put her feet on the floor beside the bed.
“I just said it’s too early,” Tenzin reached over to stop her from standing up. “You’re getting up? You really enjoy contradicting me, don’t you?”
Lin laughed. “Well, I do – but yes, I need to go. I just wanted to make sure I got to you before we started today.”
“Let’s eat before you go – I’m sure Mother had some leftovers set aside from last night.” Seeing the woman’s unmoved expression, he changed his suggestion. “Or at least let me make you tea?”
“Tea would be fine.” Lin conceded as she went to change her clothes.
Tenzin got to the kitchen quicker as he did not need a change in clothes, having fallen asleep in his robes.
Lin followed soon afterwards, barefoot but in her daily uniform, carrying an overnight bag.
“You’re going straight to the station?” Tenzin got some cups out as the tea continued to steep.
“Yes, it’s going to be a long day.” Lin did not look forward to these meetings and public speaking engagements. There was a reason why she did not choose to be a diplomat or a councilwoman. She was a woman of action, like her mother.
She rummaged through the bag, checking that she had everything in place.
“How are you getting back to Republic City?” He poured her a cup tea. “I don’t suppose the ferries are operating now.” He leaned back, tugging at his beard while watching her sip her tea. “Or late last night either. How did you get to Air Temple Island anyway?”
She gave him a crooked smile. “I phoned in a favor.”
“What – how – how?” Tenzin stammered, staring at her. “This isn’t illegal, is it?”
“Of course not, it’s me you’re talking to.” Lin scoffed, finishing her drink. “I once helped a dockmaster catch a couple of smugglers in a case I worked on as a detective a few years ago.” She pulled her metal boots from the doorway. “He said I could borrow a boat or a ship anytime I’ll need it.”
“Good morning, children.” Katara entered the room quietly. Only Katara could get away calling the Gaang’s offspring as children, even if most of them are past their thirties.
“Hello, mother.” Tenzin poured her a cup of tea too.
“Lin,” Katara greeted the woman in the Republic City police uniform. “You’re here.”
Lin leaned over to give her adoptive aunt a hug. “Yes, but I’ll need to head on now.” She saw Katara gesture towards the dining table, indicating breakfast. “Thanks, Aunt, but I’ll need to prep for today.”
The waterbender gave a light laugh seeing Lin make a face, recalling that Toph did not like those kinds of meetings as well. “Well, all right. We’ll see you later?”
Lin gave a non-committal sound as she got up to leave.
“Good luck, sweetie.”
Tenzin moved to give her a quick kiss before she hurried off, the ground reaching to meet her as she bent her way to the docks where her borrowed boat waited.
----------
Tenzin waited inconspicuously at the City Hall lobby. Well, at least as inconspicuous as an airbending master (one of two in the entire world) could be. He fidgeted from the stone bench he was sitting on. He figured he better wait until the council meeting was over. He wanted to take Lin out for an early lunch. If the meeting was good, they can celebrate. If it was particularly challenging (or infuriating, Lin might say), he can help her let off some steam.
He was lost in this reverie when the doors flung open.
There was a lot of commotion as the press started taking photos. Security was able to halt any further movement of the press into the council hall.
The Chief of Police rapidly exited the room, looking ahead and exiting the building; her three metalbenders struggled to catch up. The press followed, her stoic expression not discouraging them from plying her with questions.
It all happened so fast that Tenzin did not even get to call out to get her attention.
His father and uncle came out of the hall soon afterwards, albeit in a slower pace.
“Son!” Aang noticed him looking at the entryway of city hall. “You’ve come to join us?”
“Uh – Lin – I,” Tenzin’s eyes darted from where Lin just passed to his father, standing in askance at him.
“Let’s go, Tenten.” Sokka slapped his back, never mind that the airbender was a couple of inches taller. “If we’re lucky, we’ll find a good spot.”
“Good spot?”
“Yes, we preferred not to go the VIP route. Lin would have hated that.” Aang started to walk out of city hall, pleasantly surprised that all attention went with the young Beifong woman than the avatar.
“Well, she would have given it to us still if we asked for it.” Sokka considered, holding up his hand, trying to look against the sunlight as though searching for someone.
“Always hated attention,” The airbender stood patiently, waiting. “Very un-Beifong of her, I should think.”
“Who is very un-Beifong?” A voice rang from behind them, coming from one of the pillars.
“Toph!” Sokka rushed to give her a hug, which the blind earthbender deflected with a punch to his forearm.
“Hey, Snoozles.” She stepped aside as the Water Tribe chief greeted his wife who had picked her up from the pier. “Thanks for sending these two old ladies to fetch me – no need to do so though.” Toph Beifong sniggered, as she felt Katara and Suki roll their eyes as the Beifong heiress was only a few years younger than them.
“Good to see you, Sifu.” Aang tilted his head in acknowledgment to his earthbending teacher, who positioned her foot subtly then smiled somewhat sadly in return.
Tenzin tensed as he felt the milky green eyes turn to him. “Chief Beifong –.”
“That’s Toph Beifong to you, Junior,” Toph snarked, but accepted his bow. “I don’t see Lin around, you know.”
“Hi Sweetie,” Katara gave Aang quick kiss on the cheek. “Tenzin, there you are. I was looking for you earlier.”
Tenzin was bewildered at the gathering of their family at the steps of Republic City Hall. “Why are you all here?”
Toph slapped Tenzin upside the head. “I know I’m not the perfect goody-goody mother like your mother here. But don’t you think I’d at least try to be there for my child?”
The younger airbender still looked in confused as the group paired off and proceeded to what Tenzin saw as the direction of the police department.
Tenzin and Toph soon outstripped Suki, Sokka, Katara and Aang as Sokka got sidetracked by a street food vendor.
“It’s more difficult for her, you know.” Toph spoke, breaking the comfortable silence between them.
“I’m sorry?”
“Lin is in a more difficult situation now than I was in the police force.”
The tattooed airbender threw his girlfriend’s mother a glance. “Well, I understand there is a difference being the current chief versus being the actual founder of the entire force…” He trailed off.
“That’s not all of it,” Toph leveled the pavement in ahead of them, removing the uneven placement of bricks which were a result of shoddy workmanship. “I know she truly climbed up the ranks on her own. She deserves this position based on her own merit.” She felt Tenzin nod beside her. “It was different when I first resigned – she was a just a detective then. Captain Lee became my successor; he stayed there for seven years or so. I remained as consultant to the force during that same period. And, you know how Lin was mentored as his eventual successor.”
Tenzin was not sure where this discussion was going. He also was not sure why they were all trudging towards the police headquarters.
“Lin is truly on her own now.” Toph paused as they neared their destination. “I wouldn’t be around – I haven’t been around for some time now. It’s all up to her now to keep everyone in line and help make Republic City safer.”
Having reached the Republic City Police headquarters, Tenzin saw that an assembly was about to begin. The press was already positioned at the forecourt and a crowd of citizens have likewise gathered. The police force was also stationed in the area, with the Republic City Police and the Metalbending Police sectioned separately.
He squinted and easily found the Chief of Police at the head of the stairs, beside a podium which was set up for the occasion. She seemed to be barking out instructions to her subordinates.
Tenzin was surprised to notice that while there were other women police in the force, there were none in the elite Metalbending division. No one, at least, except for their leader.
“But you’re a girl too.” Tenzin blurted out without thinking.
Toph raised an eyebrow at him, amused. “Why, thank you for noticing. I figured you must have realized that at some point, given that I gave birth to two kids.” She slapped her foot down, sensing the perimeter to see if there are possible threats to the gathering in front of the police department.
“I mean, you and Lin,” Tenzin turned red, stammering. His brother would laugh at him if he were there. Despite being an eloquent speaker, Tenzin easily gets flustered among family and friends. “Lin is a woman too.”
Satisfied with her perimeter check, Toph turned to the airhead beside her. “I’m sure you’d know that pretty well, eh?” She gave a laugh, enjoying the racing heartrate and heat of embarrassment radiating from the man. “I’m also sure you’ve done due to diligence to confirm that she’s a woman?” She took pity at him. “Well, yes, there would probably be similar experiences between my daughter and myself, but she’s her own person. While she would need reminding sometimes, this is very apparent to the police force.” She flicked a hand to indicate the group of uniformed officers. “It’s challenging enough to get into the academy and get a good position in the force. Just think of all the male egos thinking she got a free ride not knowing she probably had to deal with worse as she was raised by me?”
“It would be hard to make sure they get in line,” Tenzin started to understand.
“Yes,” Toph nodded in appreciation. “Mind you, all the old ones – no problem with that. They all trained with me and Lin. They’ve been around longer.” She shook her head in emphasis. “No, I’m not worried about old-timers – they respect her.”
“The rest are probably terrified of Lin,” Tenzin ventured, recalling work stories about the newer officers that Lin shared as they ate dinner at home.
“Don’t be simplistic – I never felt any of the officers look at me the way they do at Lin.” Lin’s mother responded irritably, not being able to get through the man and so deciding to be as blunt as possible now. “They’re all too terrified of me for them to make a move on her. Times change, junior, and I’m no longer around Republic City as much. The mere threat of my presence used to be enough to deter them, but now,” Toph’s tone hardened, facing the general direction of the police force. “Not even her distant manner and aloof comportment can dampen her appeal.” At the airbender’s sharp intake of breath, Toph knew he finally understood what she was telling him. “I’m not threatening you – far from it. I don’t think Lin would do anything about it if she knew; she’s too attached to you for some reason.” Toph rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “I just thought you should know - keep you on your toes, remind you to appreciate my girl. Otherwise, you might have never known; I think you’re a dense airhead like your father.” Just behind them, she could vaguely hear Suki wheedling some jerky from Sokka to subtly remind him of his healer’s recommendation to lay off salty food. “Or your mother for that matter.” Bending a brick in Sokka’s path so he tripped, tossing the paper bag of jerky in the air. “Definitely from your mother’s side.” The blind woman grinned, opening her palm to catch the paper bag as it fell.
“Hey, that’s mine!”
As his uncle struggled to take the bag from the master metalbender, who cackled as she started to eat the jerky, Tenzin could only watch Lin Beifong from afar, processing all that her mother imparted with him.
The current Chief of Police stood tall and poised amidst the frequent flashing of cameras, consulting a folder on the podium. She was getting ready to begin.
Lin was taller than the average woman from any of the Four Nations. Growing up, she did not feel comfortable about it. Already a bit more athletic than the average Republic City lady in the finishing school that the Beifongs went to, Lin felt her height was an impediment. Tenzin had always appreciated Lin’s height; he used to say that it was the perfect height for him to give her a hug. However, it certainly did not help that Bumi would occasionally tease her that she was possibly taller by a head compared to more than half the men in his regiment. That was until she learned to metalbend and once zipped open his fly while he was chatting up a group of women during one of their parents’ parties. Tenzin smirked in the recollection of Bumi apologizing to the women and to pleading with Toph not to arrest him for indecent exposure.
Watching the woman now, any insecurity seems to have been tamped out as Lin welcomed everyone confidently. Tenzin let her voice wash over him as she gave an introduction and an update regarding the earlier council meeting.
He did not see any reason to doubt the warning the former Chief of Police shared. Scanning over the crowd, he saw everyone listening attentively to her measured statements. He wondered how many of these people (and her people) were harboring romantic (or even less than wholesome and unsavory, he thought darkly) intentions towards his girlfriend.
His girlfriend. It clicked in his mind.
“But I’m her boyfriend. I’m an airbending master.” Tenzin whispered furiously at the oldest Beifong woman. “Shouldn’t I be enough of a deterrent to whatever they might be thinking of doing?”
The blind metalbender let out a snort. “You – not saying this to offend you, junior – are a pacifist. And these,” She nodded towards the sea of metal before them. “Are kick-ass metalbenders off to defend the entire United Republic in any way they can. Do you think they’ll be impressed just because you’re the only Airbender of your generation?” She crossed her arms. “Didn’t think so. Wait a minute – junior, do you even know what we’re doing here?”
“What? Of course, I do.” Tenzin aimed for a blank expression and a steady heartbeat, seeing that Toph had angled herself to face him. He barely caught the tail-end of Lin’s introduction speech.
“And so that is the overview of the achievements of the Republic City Police during the first ninety days of my official term as Chief of Police.” Lin’s voice echoed in the forecourt. “We will now proceed with the details regarding each of these items and how they relate towards the City Council’s performance pillars.”
Tenzin’s eyes widened. He had been too preoccupied with his own concerns that he had failed to check-in on Lin. Today was a milestone day in Lin Beifong’s career as the Chief of the Metalbending and Republic City Police department.
“You forgot – didn’t you?”
The airbender felt the ground gave way below him and then suddenly rise up to launch him to the sky.
“You, airhead! You’re more clueless than Twinkletoes!”
He was vaguely aware of his father trying to calm down Toph and hundreds of people turned to see what the commotion was about. But first, he needed to land.
Using his airbending, Tenzin descended beside the column of earth that Toph had seen fit to eject him from.
He raised a hand and gave a small smile at Lin’s stunned face as she was forced to pause her speech due to the disturbance. The tightening of her lips did not bode too well for him at this point.
Toph stopped arguing with Aang long enough to realize that the forecourt was silent except for them. “What?” She sensed her daughter’s mortification from yards away. “Proud of you, Chief!” She made a fist bump. No one moved a muscle as Lin waved one hand to the side and crossed her other arm to her chest. “Well, fine, let me drag myself and Master Tenzin here to the precinct for disorderly conduct or something.” She bent the ground to attach to Tenzin’s legs and literally dragged him sputtering in indignation, to the side entrance. “Carry on, carry on. See you later!”
Bumi sniggered from beside his mother. “Who would’ve thought it would be Mr Well-Behaved who would be called for a time out today?” He quickly put on his innocent face when Katara glared at him.
Aang smiled brightly at everyone else looking at their corner, waving them to turn their attention to the podium and for Lin to proceed with her speech.
Lin was right: it was going to be a long day and it was not noon yet.
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Notes: Thanks lone reader :) Let me know what you think!
==
Other chapters here:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
#linzin#linzin fanfic#lin beifong#tenzin#lok#legend of korra#toccatina's fanfics#toccatina wip#toccatina adversity
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