Zutara Month 2021: A Farewell Kiss of Longing and Good Luck

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Happy Zutara Month! (It’s funny, I was overwhelmed at the idea of Zutara month… like 30 different drawings?! No way… * proceeds to do over 100 panels for an animatic * @-@ )

And for more Zutara month fun, check out @ifyouwereamelodymeg’s Zutara EP Where the Water Flows (updated post with information about saving to spotify here) which I made art for along with @favlie and @doodleladi.

A big thank you to my friend @fictionissocialinquiry for help with the story!

This animatic came to me in a hazy naptime dream a month or so ago, but I finally had time to sit down and finish it recently. I just had a vision of Zuko and Katara in the Southern Water Tribe with Zuko about to head out on a hunting trip with Sokka and Hakoda (a la stories like the-badger-mole’s Traditional Series ), and then Katara sends him off with a giant, warm fur and a goodbye kiss. Ultimately, I wanted an excuse to do some cute domestic SWT Zutara fluff and kissing. God, I want to work on an animated romance show so bad (even though drawing kisses is so flipping hard help). ToT On one hand I wish I had it in me to do more grand animatics, but really, I like making calm fluffy things and I’m alright with that. 

Music:

The Journey to the West - Princess Mononoke (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

No monetary gains are made from these animatics. I make these for free and fun, and I want to keep it that way. They are purely fanart.

PLEASE DO NOT REPOST.

More rants and ramblings below the line

ZK Fanwork Appreciation Week Day 2: Media Monday

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(Mature Content warning for below link. Do not click if under 18 or not into E-rated stories.) Adapted from Chapter 3 of Something Brewing  By @dracosollicitus (Draco_sollicitus on AO3) Rated E - EXPLICIT. (I cannot emphasize enough that while I only adapted the fluffy bits of build up in this chapter, this story is EXPLICIT and NSFW with Adult Zutara. DO NOT INTERACT/READ/REBLOG/LIKE IF UNDER 18 or if it’s not your thing. You have been warned.)

Credits Zuko … Dante Basco Katara … Soopersara 

HUUUUUGE Shoutout to Dante Basco @rufiozuko and @soopersara for being so kind and generous with their time so as to record a few lines of dialog for this. Their participation is NOT an endorsement of the fic so please don’t bother them about that. (Also, just to temper expectations, I was only able to do dialog for one of two animatics, and this one was shorter and more Zuko-heavy so it got picked.) My storyboard does NOT cover the NSFW parts; it is just pining and fluff. At this point in the story, Zuko and Katara have had a passionate kiss in the garden after a lot of yearning and build up to that point (not pictured) but it was interrupted. Katara’s trip to the fire nation is nearing its end. So they have to decide if they tell each other how they feel or leave things unsaid as she is set to leave. ToT Music: All Time Chump - Hercules (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Meg’s Garden - Hercules (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) This is all done with no intention of making money off these animatics; it’s purely fanart. >.> DO NOT REPOST. And if Zutarians are going to screencap some frames, I think it is imperative to also acknowledge Draco_Sollicitus too, because it’s based on their concepts and story. I simply translated it into visuals.

More ramblings below the line 

ZK Fanwork Appreciation Week Day 4: Angst Wednesday

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Based on Chapter 6 of i’m still here By @owedbetter (owedbetter on AO3) Rated T - Teen and Up Audiences

Is this angst? I am not really an angst person myself (Fluff all day, babey) but I knew I had to do owedbetter’s heart healing scene from i’m still here because it made me cry when I read it *sad lol* I just… it made me so saaad. The setup here is that Azula’s lightning that Zuko took for Katara actually did serious damage to Zuko’s heart beyond the power of the single healing session in the actual finale. So, Zuko is basically dying, everyone has returned from their various battles and are saying goodbye. But in i’m still here, Katara’s bloodbending from The Southern Raiders is actually discussed between Zuko and Katara prior, and that reminds Katara to try everything she’s got to save Zuko.  What I really loved about owedbetter’s story is just how powerfully she writes Katara, especially in this scene. Katara is just so cool. I love that she has the power to both end people and also save their freakin’ lives! And you know I gots to have my full moon imagery AGAIN. Apologies, I can’t stop; it’s like the best framing object to work with. I really think I went a bit overboard on the melodrama and effects too, but I just wanted to try to go as full throttle with neat imagery as I could with the time that I had. Katara deserves some spirit magic glowy shit too, dammit! Haha Hope owedbetter specifically likes it.

Line read by Dante Basco (Thank you for the additional line read, @rufiozuko) 

Music: Requim II - Princess Mononoke (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Requim - Princess Mononoke (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) The Legend of Ashitaka Theme - Princess Mononoke (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) This is all done with no intention of making money off these animatics; it’s purely fanart. >.>

DO NOT REPOST. And if Zutarians are going to screencap some frames, I think it is imperative to also acknowledge owedbetter too, because it’s based on their concepts and story. I simply translated it into visuals.

More art rambling and note to owedbetter below the line

The No “I Love You” Animatic In case Tumblr can’t play the video, here’s the Vimeo Link

Link to the AO3 collection So, when @fictionissocialinquiry laid out this challenge, it was mainly for writers; but she included some extra prompts therein, and one was a line from Hozier’s “Shrike”.

I couldn’t whisper when you needed it shouted This led me to listen to “Shrike” on repeat while I feverishly started doodling the thumbnails for the animatic I got in my head (so I hope that some of that emotion from Hozier’s amazing song comes through in the final board, ‘cause I listened to it. A. Lot.). While I think it’s a bit easier for drawings to express “I love you” without any words needed at all. I wanted to try and approach the task by thinking of ways one can confess that they love someone through acts of service and tenderness versus super obvious displays of love, I guess. It came out with a sort of courtly love-ish vibe that I really ended up liking. (Though I suppose reciprocation makes it not courtly love ANYWHO…)

I’m in an Ambassador Katara/Fire Lord Zuko state of mind! I just love any love story with them in these roles. There are so many different ways to play with the set up of them as Ambassador and Fire Lord. In this one, I kind of picture that they haven’t gotten together yet (this is divergent from whatever I did in the Reunion animatics; this is it’s own thing). Perhaps they are on the precipice of realizing they want to be together… I don’t know; it’s open to interpretation. XD but what I hope I portrayed clearly is how one can show that they love another. u.u

Music: The Princess Pleads for Wallace’s Life - Braveheart: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Zutara Week 2020 Continuation: Reunion Part II

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I couldn’t help myself.

Shoutout to @crayolasaurus again and their Zutara - peace AMV. It sparked this image in my head of a continuation of Zuko and Katara’s meeting in the Reunion animatic. It kept me up at night, honestly, so I had to make this! It takes place later in the day following the events of Reunion Part I. Katara is settling in at the palace as the Southern Water Tribe Ambassador and is taking some time to decompress out in a breezeway, and after he had returned to a long day of Fire Lord duties and state business, Zuko follows up with her there. Both stripped of artifice and defenses (he’s in casual wear, she’s without her water pouch)… and they are able to enjoy each other’s company finally… as old friends… and more.

Music used:

Peace by The Track Team for Avatar: The Last Airbender  

Reconciliation by The Track Team for Avatar: The Last Airbender

No reposting the video, please.

Further ramblings below the line

Zutara Week 2020 Day 6: Affirm

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Having second thoughts about this one because it is a bit more niche (I know everyone has their own headcanon for Zuko and Katara’s future together and this is just mine), a bit more indulgent, and SO cheesy; the dragging-a-loved-one-to-a-special-place-while-they-keep-their-eyes-covered-and-then-you- tenderly-tell-them-to-open-their-eyes trope for instance… Leave me alone; I couldn’t help myself. Haha I think we all know that Zuko would not abide Katara not getting an honorary statue if she was his Fire Lady. >.> This animatic gets in and out quickly, since I’m still working full time, and also at the time, I had quite a few prompts left. But now that I’m working on a Reunion Part II, I kind of wish I could have saved this one for later, but oh well, I gotta post for the prompt!

Further explanation below the line

Zutara Week 2020 Day 1: Reunion

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This prompt inspired this whole animatic in my head, and I just HAD to get it out. Dedicated to my best friend from High School and my fellow Zutara comrade, @bekahknotmarley-blog. Also SOUND ON!