Atla Zukka - Tumblr Posts
so I’m new to the ATLA fandom (like less than a week new) and i was pondering on the bus yesterday if anyone had done anything with the concept of Zuko accidentally firebending or something in his fight with Jet in Ba Sing Se and being taken away to Lake Laogai and being hypnotised instead of (alongside?) Jet. and then I’m scrolling through AO3, looking up zukka fics (haven’t fully decided how I feel about Zuko ships in general but in terms of silly shenanigans and already-compiled-fics, it makes the search for something to read much faster) and on the first profile I click onto, the very first fic is about this concept.
in related terms PLEASE tell me if there’s any more like it out there it’s so silly to me and I’d like to see more :]
(is this so i can justify not having to write anything myself? maybe) (actually on that note i saw a tumblr post a while back before i joined the fandom where Zuko was the Avatar but also blissfully completely oblivious and that also sounds funny so if something like that exists please lmk as well)
uhm zukka/zuko/sokka enjoyers would you guys be interested if I were potentially to start posting a fic (on Ao3) I’ve been chipping away at. asking here because I haven’t actually posted on Ao3 before and idk what it’s like over there.
anyway it’s a Zuko centric (but with much Sokka, and appearances from the Gaang (including Suki) and naturally Iroh) hero/villain/vigilante slash modern college au that follows the two boys when they accidentally end up roommates in the same dorm sometime in the equivalent of Season 2 Ba Sing Se and decide to go with it because they both think they can get information from the other. meanwhile in the wacky world of vigilantism Sokka ends up tailing a mysterious vigilante he’s heard is called The Blue Spirit because the guy seems to be active in the area, supposedly saved Aang’s life once, and if he’s a good guy, he could be a useful ally to take down Ozai, corrupt super-powered politician and secret lead of the city’s crime underworld.
Sokka has no powers/bending, Zuko swears up and down that he does (even if he can’t firebend, not like his sister or father or anyone else, even if he can’t really prove it right this second), and I’m working on a superpower system that is largely based on the Avatar spirit world. It’s a relatively slow burn, but we’ll get there, and I will be doing my best to give theatre kid Zuko justice. I’m working on main themes rn but I also hope to dip into sub-themes exploring disability, sexuality, and healing, and there will be an eclipse.
I have the plot outline and various details of the whole story, I’m most (probably?) of the way through Chapter 1 (4000 words and counting), and I’d probably start posting once I finished up the chapter and also decided on a title.
Kataang will also feature relatively canon compliantly :3 and also major character death. mostly temporary but i might change my mind
currently working on the chapter layout and it’s looking like it’s going to be around 40 chapters split into two Acts of 20 chapters or so each. STILL trying to think of a good title but have been drawing some pictures and figuring out some subplots.
also spent a little while creating a playlist to listen to while i write >:]
next stages are to figure out the AO3 tagging system and THINK OF A TITLE CMON
uhm zukka/zuko/sokka enjoyers would you guys be interested if I were potentially to start posting a fic (on Ao3) I’ve been chipping away at. asking here because I haven’t actually posted on Ao3 before and idk what it’s like over there.
anyway it’s a Zuko centric (but with much Sokka, and appearances from the Gaang (including Suki) and naturally Iroh) hero/villain/vigilante slash modern college au that follows the two boys when they accidentally end up roommates in the same dorm sometime in the equivalent of Season 2 Ba Sing Se and decide to go with it because they both think they can get information from the other. meanwhile in the wacky world of vigilantism Sokka ends up tailing a mysterious vigilante he’s heard is called The Blue Spirit because the guy seems to be active in the area, supposedly saved Aang’s life once, and if he’s a good guy, he could be a useful ally to take down Ozai, corrupt super-powered politician and secret lead of the city’s crime underworld.
Sokka has no powers/bending, Zuko swears up and down that he does (even if he can’t firebend, not like his sister or father or anyone else, even if he can’t really prove it right this second), and I’m working on a superpower system that is largely based on the Avatar spirit world. It’s a relatively slow burn, but we’ll get there, and I will be doing my best to give theatre kid Zuko justice. I’m working on main themes rn but I also hope to dip into sub-themes exploring disability, sexuality, and healing, and there will be an eclipse.
I have the plot outline and various details of the whole story, I’m most (probably?) of the way through Chapter 1 (4000 words and counting), and I’d probably start posting once I finished up the chapter and also decided on a title.
Kataang will also feature relatively canon compliantly :3 and also major character death. mostly temporary but i might change my mind
zuko and katara have genuinely SUCH an interesting dynamic and relationship to explore when you don’t have a bitch in your ear trying to tell you they should kiss.
like there’s nothing objectively wrong with shipping zut4ra but i CANNOT find any proper duo content of them that isn’t romantic or romantically implied and it annoys me. no i don’t think they would work. no i don’t think Katara would give up her man for that guy of all people. no I don’t think Zuko would be romantically interested in Katara. yes i do think that reducing all of their feelings towards each other into ‘romance’ oversimplifies and undermines the depth of the platonic relationship that they actually do have in established canon. yes whatever I’m sure there’s something sweet about a boy trying to get a girl to forgive him by helping her get revenge on the guy that killed her mom but don’t you think that it’s actually much more profound if there are no romantic ulterior motives whatsoever and it’s actually just a demonstration of the lengths Zuko will go to because he cares deeply about his friends and their feelings and what they think about him and he wants Katara to like him and he’s genuinely sorry that he broke her trust by warming up to her slightly before betraying them and to make sure she knows that he was being sincere and he actually was touched by what she said he tries to find a way for her to heal a wound that he knows tears her apart and it’s a wound he wishes he could heal in himself. and he does it because he’s trying to earn her forgiveness, not her love. he’s trying to earn himself the right to look her in the eye, not to hold her hand. he’s trying to amend for the mistakes of his people for nothing but the better of others.
and when Katara offers to heal him in the cave, it’s not because she’s fallen head over heels at all, or even in the slightest. she’s the first to see the light in him, and she sees a boy who’s been hurt by the fire nation in a similar way to her. she recognises that if she can convince him to come with her now, the gaang is up by a firebending teacher and a friend at best, and down an enemy at least at worst. for a moment she sees him for who he is and what he’s been through and it’s not because she likes him. the thought doesn’t even cross her mind, it’s just in her nature as a person to be caring and understanding and she has the help she can tell he needs, so she extends a hand.
and when they face Azula together? Katara was the first to reach out when it was almost the right time, and she’s the one who’ll be there to help him see it through. When he takes a bolt for her, isn’t it more profound that he jumps in front of the bolt not out of romantic love, but because Zuko is the kind of person who would put himself in mortal danger for anyone he cared about? Because his heart’s too big and because he’s seen those he love get hurt too many times to stand there and let them take it?
anyway I’ve spent too much of this post refuting romance but not actually expressing what it is i do like about their platonic dynamic but it’s late and i don’t have the words. so i’ll just say it’s such in that it would be really funny if Zuko instead dated Katara’s brother. and they yap together and she gives him a list of interests and he tells her embarrassing date stories. they also yap a lot about Aang because like. Zuko’s bff and Katara’s bf he’d probably come up a lot. also Maiko’s platonic shit-talking exes/close friends dynamic solos their romantic dynamic but that’s a discussion for another day ^-^
ship name censored because I don’t intend for any negativity to actually intrude upon certain shipping spaces lmao. i’m rarely opinionated but i don’t really care tbh i just wish there was more platonic stuff out there or i saw less romantic stuff el oh el
coming to the end of the school year and hoping that after exams i will be inclined to actually dig my nails into this and start writing/posting. if anyone wants to help that would be appreciated but I’m not sure exactly how that would work out.
anyway i have not given up on this! it’s definitely my biggest project as so many of my other fics/ideas are largely canon compliant/canon rewrites which are easy because it’s just ‘what if this episode except this happened as well’ in which case the biggest issues i have are keeping things concise and making sure enough of the word count is actually the new stuff I’ve added and not just an in depth exploration of the canon moments and my thoughts and feelings on them el oh el. but this one throws the actual episodic structure of ATLA out the window and does its own thing (the prompt is basically ‘what if Zuko and Sokka were forcibly sidelined from the main plot and left alone together?’) with the only exceptions of big overarching story and necessary character moments. but honestly those are my personal favourite fics to read anyway because there’s less of them and it makes the moments where the main canon ties back in all that much sweeter.
anyway, on top of this, the other ficlets i am writing to keep myself busy include: two seperate dragon zuko aus (taken two seperate ways), a ghost zuko au (cursed, not dead), more on strifentines’ swap au (mostly my take on the Agni Kai, i have Ideas), platonic soulmate zuko & aang au in the style of the double life smp where they share pain, zuko firelord as a result of the eclipse au, lu ten survives au, zuko and azula both blessed in ways that the other’s mere existence messes up au, zuko hamlet au, etc
yes there is a blatantly common denominator there but if it gets me to actually write something, nobody is allowed to complain. but yeah again just hoping my motivation kicks in soon and i can be bothered actually taking the risk and posting on ao3
uhm zukka/zuko/sokka enjoyers would you guys be interested if I were potentially to start posting a fic (on Ao3) I’ve been chipping away at. asking here because I haven’t actually posted on Ao3 before and idk what it’s like over there.
anyway it’s a Zuko centric (but with much Sokka, and appearances from the Gaang (including Suki) and naturally Iroh) hero/villain/vigilante slash modern college au that follows the two boys when they accidentally end up roommates in the same dorm sometime in the equivalent of Season 2 Ba Sing Se and decide to go with it because they both think they can get information from the other. meanwhile in the wacky world of vigilantism Sokka ends up tailing a mysterious vigilante he’s heard is called The Blue Spirit because the guy seems to be active in the area, supposedly saved Aang’s life once, and if he’s a good guy, he could be a useful ally to take down Ozai, corrupt super-powered politician and secret lead of the city’s crime underworld.
Sokka has no powers/bending, Zuko swears up and down that he does (even if he can’t firebend, not like his sister or father or anyone else, even if he can’t really prove it right this second), and I’m working on a superpower system that is largely based on the Avatar spirit world. It’s a relatively slow burn, but we’ll get there, and I will be doing my best to give theatre kid Zuko justice. I’m working on main themes rn but I also hope to dip into sub-themes exploring disability, sexuality, and healing, and there will be an eclipse.
I have the plot outline and various details of the whole story, I’m most (probably?) of the way through Chapter 1 (4000 words and counting), and I’d probably start posting once I finished up the chapter and also decided on a title.
Kataang will also feature relatively canon compliantly :3 and also major character death. mostly temporary but i might change my mind
[ID: A digital painting of Zuko and Sokka, Sokka is standing in the front with his head to the side, smiling with one eye closed. Zuko is standing behind him with his left arm wrapped around Sokka’s neck. With his eyes closed, he is kissing Sokka on the chick. Sokka’s hand is on Zuko’s arm. Sokka is wearing his necklace and disheveled, water tribe colored robe. Zuko is wearing a fire nation colored one. The painting is cut out mid-chest. End Id]
I don’t know why, but it’s Zukka week for me, follow Miles-East for more of your boys ✌️
Day 2
1, 2, 3, 4
Zuko: I want you
Zuko: that wasn't me
Zuko: sorry
Sokka: who was it then
Zuko: my demons
Someone please help me I need to find this zukka fic where they start casually hooking up but then they both catch feelings. They meet in a bar called the flying bison and Suki works there and she's also Sokka's roommate. I've been searchimg all mornimg to no avail please send help🙏🙏🙏
this has been a work in progress for like three weeks but i finally finished it!!! some cute zukka shit
Don't go camping on dragon grounds🐉🐉
Please consider:
Lots of Zuko's friends treat them (him? Or is this trans Zuko-) differently after the transition. Katara tries to do "girls night" (kind of like when she took Toph to a spa!) and Toph asks weird questions about how it feels (terrible, obviously, but Toph wants to know what the physical difference is like and answering honestly feels invasive). Aang is polite and mostly the same, though he does ask if Zuko prefers she/her pronouns now, too (and what his opinion is on starting a family,,, like this. Which is just ANOTHER thing to worry about, having an heir for the throne. Yay.)
Everyone acts differently. Not negatively, but differently. And all of it makes Zuko feel wrong, question who he is, and what he's suppose to do now.
Except Sokka.
Sokka doesn't ask invasive questions (I mean c'mon,,,, he had a little sister, trust me he knows a decent amount about what Zuko is going through). Sokka doesn't push Zuko into ruts where he worries about his body, or his future, or being good enough. By now Sokka has chugged tons of Respecting Women Juice, he knows that Zuko's body doesn't define him or what he can do.
Zuko is more than his body.
Sokka knows this. He isn't shy about asking Zuko if he's alright, he doesn't get weirded out when Zuko gets stressed or rants about all the things weighing on his mind. (If anything he encourages Zuko talking about it!) Zuko is only human and this is such a weird situation and even if he doesn't get it, he gets it.
And Zuko always knew Sokka was smart, that he was strong in his own ways.
But now Sokka is someone Zuko leans on, someone he confides in. Now Zuko asks Sokka for advice, now Sokka is strong for Zuko. It not only reminds Zuko of all of Sokka's good qualities, it reinforces them.
Sokka is kind behind closed doors, when there's no one but him and Zuko. Sokka is kind for no reason other than he wants to be.
Sokka notices things about Zuko that Zuko didn't even realize, and he talks to Zuko about it. He's attentive and doesn't avoid things just because it won't benefit him.
And Zuko doesn't like Sokka because "he's a girl now". He likes Sokka because when Zuko was vulnerable, Sokka was the only person that made him feel like him again. (And,,, well, Sokka liked Zuko regardless of gender, not that he'd admit that to anyone else.)
(Sorry it's OOC, I just like the idea of angst and someone appreciating how reliable Sokka is!!! :'3)
dumb fanfic idea: post atla zuko pisses off a spirit and gets turned into a girl for a while. the crew never thought he could have a worse temper
There's no shortage of noblemen and noblewomen vying for Zuko's attention—be it in search of power, prestige, or otherwise.
After hearing about his nephew's (niece's?) predicament, Iroh comes back to the Fire Nation.
Because, now, he has to protect Zuko's honor.
Exhausted
Hakoda knows that Sokka is exhausted.
They all were, all the time, his son even saying that tired was now apart of his personality.
“That’s me,” he would joke, “the meat, sarcasm and perpetually tired guy.”
Hakoda was tired, too. The war had been over for a few years now, and the Northern and Southern Water Tribes were working on rebuilding their relations as well as their cities. Hakoda, Bato and Sokka were the only ones as representatives for their small tribe of only 40, while the Northern had thousands, and had sent over 50 representatives.
They had decided to convene in Omashu, where King Bumi had been gracious enough to let them host, after the Northern Water Tribe realized that traveling from pole to pole was not an easy feat for the southerners (them, too, but they would never admit that).
Getting a chance to speak was difficult, the formal language used was difficult, getting the representatives to understand just how different their tribes were was difficult, even finding a seat had been difficult.
The door to the apartment they were staying in opened abruptly and then slammed a moment later, and Hakoda’s heart started to race. Sokka was home, and that meant that he…had to tell Sokka. Hakoda took a deep breath as his son entered the room.
“S-“
“Not now,” Sokka practically growled, and if he had been a fire bender, he certainly would have let out a huff of fire, “I’m really not in the mood for anything right now. I’m hungry, exhausted and this place is horrible. The people here are all jerks.”
“Sokka, I think you should—“
“Why do they care that we’re using one of the fifteen conference rooms? Bumi said it was fine!”
“Sokka, you should—“
“They weren’t even politicians! They were damn delivery drivers!” Sokka pinched the bridge of his nose. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”
“should—“
“Dad, I literally just said I didn’t want to talk!”
“read—“
“Ugh!” Sokka threw his hands in the air, frustration pouring out of him. “Goodnight, dad. Don’t wake me in the morning, unless something catastrophic happens. Actually, scratch that, even if the world ends, don’t wake me up. La knows it would be an improvement.”
The door slammed, and Hakoda stood. He couldn’t remember how long he stood, how long he stared at the door, before the reality of the situation hit him all at once.
He covered his mouth with his left palm, an attempt to keep from sobbing, silent tears beginning to slide down his face, hands shaking, the crinkling parchment of the Fire Nation missive heavy in his hand.
To whomever it may concern:
Fire Lord Zuko, First of his Name, Protector of the Dragon Throne, and Master of Dragon Fire, has been assassinated by poisoned arrow on the date of the 17th, Late Sun. Lord Zuko was struck in the left shoulder by a lone arrow while presenting a speech to the Council of Education, and died a few hours later from his wounds, as the weapon was laced with belladonna.
He leaves behind a grieving mother, sister, uncle, and nation.
No successor has been named as of yet, however Prince Iroh is currently acting as reagent.
Princess Azula is no longer in line for the Dragon Throne.
Funeral rites were preformed shortly after death, and the body cremated, as it tradition. Only the Fire Lord’s mother, step father, half sister and Fire Sages had been present, as Prince Iroh was in Ba Sing Se at the time of Fire Lord Zuko’s death.
May his flame burn bright forever.
Councilmen of the Court of Flames
They fell once…
