#cloudfamily

kya born in the SWT, aang keeping a locket of katara and the cloudbabies, kataang legendary love story in atla verse

i’m considering this all canon now 🤭

Like for all we talk about Aang being absent from his family due to his duties as the Avatar and the last Airbender, the discussion centers mainly whether or not he "failed" as a husband to Katara and as a father to his children. And while there certainly is nuance here, and I've discussed the "deadbeat dad Aang" theory in the past, I wanna focus on how Aang's role as the Avatar affected him internally.

Aang had the luck, unlike Korra, of having a mentor that protected him from his title as Avatar and gave him a carefree childhood.

Gyatso: Aang needs to have freedom and fun. He needs to grow up as a normal boy. Tashi: You cannot keep protecting him from his destiny. Pasang: Gyatso, I know you mean well, but you are letting your affection for the boy cloud your judgment. Gyatso: All I want is what is best for him. Pasang : But what we need is what's best for the world. You and Aang must be separated! The Avatar will be sent away to the Eastern Air Temple to complete his training.

And this was a blessing for Aang, as he got to be a normal child, as we see how damaging the lack of this is with Korra, who was raised to be Avatar first, a perskn second. Aang got to grow up as himself, not the Avatar. However, the moment his identity as the Avatar is revealed, he immediately becomes isolated from his peers and treated as other.

Air Nomad boy #1 : Now that you're the Avatar, it's kind of an unfair advantage for whichever team you're on. Aang: But I'm still the same! Nothing's changed! So, what? I can't play? Air Nomad boy #1 : That's the only fair way. Aang: Oh, okay. Air Nomad boy #2: Sorry, Aang.

This isolation is already tough, and its something we see almost all Avatars suffer with, some more, some less. Of course, it is that much harder on Aang, and, as he is just a scared child, being stripped of his identity and othered by his community, he runs away.

The fact that Aang will never know that Gyatso was not going to let him be sent away is my roman empire he will never know how much his parental figure and friend in two lives loved him and im tearing up oh my god

And when he wakes, he is the last airbender, his people, friends, family, dead for a hundred years. And that is a magnitude of loss hard to comprehend, especially from Aang's perspective, where it is both instantaneous and long past.

And yes, while Aang has Katara, Appa and the Gaang, they cannot replace a whole nation. Especially in the Avatar universe, where nationality is so tied to ones identity via bending.

And Aang isn't just the last member of a completely obliverated nation, he's still the Avatar, responsible for the other, still existing nations. Its his responsibility, and it is clearly taking a huge toll on his mental state. Because he is the only one who can stop the Fire Nation. Yes he will have his friends help, but it is his responsibility. Mind you, he is still 12 and currently mourning a whole nation. And we see how he struggles to balance his own comfort with this responsibility to the world.

Aang: I'm really glad you told me that. But I still need to do this. Katara : I don't understand. Aang: No, you don't. Every day, more and more people die. I'm already one hundred years late. Defeating the Fire Lord is the only way to stop this war. I have to try it!

And, yes, while defeating Ozai took a load off his shoulders, the nations still need guidance and peacekeeping. And Aang is expected to handle that too. Alongside trying to rebuild his nation, and resurrect its culture ans traditions. I know many people are upset by Aang hanging out with his fangirls and frankly, it hurt my soul to see Katara go through that. But I also understand Aang's joy at finding a community that embraces his culture and also eagerly participates in it, if not for the most noble of reasons.

Mind you, I absolutely don't think Katara was in the wrong for being upset. I do, however, believe she can empathise with Aang's joy, as she remembers her excitement and possessiveness over the waterbending scroll, her desire to learn waterbending, her immediate bond with Hama and how Aang supported her through these attempts to reconnect with her also damaged culture. And, of course, the Air Nomads cultural heritage, artifacts and community are in an even sorrier state. Because the Southern Water Tribe still has some elders to pass down traditions, and their connection with their sister tribes. Not perfect, by far, and much has been lost. But the Air Nomads only have Aang and whoever volunteers their interest.

And later, Tenzin.

Now, I'll keep this short, because I sound like a broken record at this point. Aang was not a deadbeat. He wasn't a perfect father, but he was a loving one. While Bumi and Kya may have certainly already felt isolated for not being airbenders, we see they struggled with aspects of the culture as well, while excelling at others, both being naturally spiritual and free spirits.

Tenzin, I believe, felt more pressure to conform to his Air Nomad heritage, due to being an airbender himself. How much of this pressure came from Aang, I'm not sure. We see him comfprt Tenzin over "failing his duty" and it is also an appartion of him that convinces Tenzin to embrace his own identity. So I would reckon a good chunk of this pressure was not from Aang, but from their surroundings, and perhaps even from Katara, who also cares deeply about preserving culture.

I do like that comic, but white man Aang scares me who is that man with the piercing sky blue eyes and the brown english teacher beard he looks like belethor from skyrim but bald

And of course Aang would want to support his son as he grows into the leader of a nation that has undergone such hardships. So, he would make sure Tenzin at least had fun during that period. Ergo, Bumi and Kya feeling like they're missing out. This, combined with Aang having to leave on Avatar duties would naturally have Aang more absent than he clearly would've wanted. But I also find it interesting that Kya and Bumi's resentment seemed to lie mainly with Tenzin, rather than Aang himself. Based bcs Tenzin can be a bit of a dick.

But we see Kya and Bumi acknowledge multiple times that Aang was a loving, supportive father with a lot on his plate.

The first time, it was past midnight and he rushed around their house frenzied while she labored. Suki and Sokka came rubbing sleep from their eyes and sat him down by her side with tea and reassurances that everything was ready.

The second time, it was 6 am and the sun was starting to rise when her wails first pierced the world. Her grip around his finger was fierce, she had her mother’s eyes.

The third time, it was 3 am. Her breathing was ragged, he squeezed her hand, kissed her sweaty forehead. The children came in with bed-heads, smiling.

prompt: 3 am

words: 100

flavor: cloud-family fluff

ao3

Author: Unoriginalpoet

Rating: G

Summary: "I can't change what happened, you're right, but there's nothing to say I can't change how tonight ends. And, I just figured.. it would be a shame to let the most beautiful woman I've ever seen go to bed without at least one dance tonight." A small look into a simple moment between Katara and Aang where he asks her to take his hand once more, just like when they were kids.

Character death fics chip away my soul I stg (tho I might just make that fic a coming-home fix since I left Aang’s death kindof dubious👀)

This prompt was a lot more fun than I anticipated lol. I’m still a tad loopy from my fever, so grammar may or may not be optional😅. I hope you enjoy my hot mess madness tho!

(Bestuncle!Sokka? Bestuncle!Sokka😤)

Words: 1,023

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“Sokka.”

“No.”

“Sokka...”

“No.”

“Sokka—!”

“You just had him! It’s my turn! Besides, I’m his favorite.” Sokka bumped his nose with Bumi’s and tickled his tummy with his fingers. Bumi was hardly as big as a loaf of bread, but his laugh was as loud as Appa’s happy-groan-growl. “Isn’t that right, Boom-erang? Yes, it is. Yes, it is~ Ow!”

Bumi didn’t let go of Sokka’s finger even as Sokka stomped his foot and bit his lip to hold back a curse that would have given Katara more than enough reason to end him. Bumi may not have any teeth, but, Spirits, did the kid have some jaw strength.

“That, Snoozles, is called karma.” Toph simultaneously scooped Bumi from under his arms and bumped her hip to Sokka’s; and though the touch seemed light, the Water Tribe warrior left a dent in the wall as he flew from the blow.

look at her. just look.

There’s nothing official about their ages, but to me it looked like Tenzin was maybe 6 months-1 year old, Kya around 4-5, and Bumi maybe 11-13?

i’m actually obsessed with him looking like the baby tenzin prototype