#markedmage

Pairing: Zutara

Rating: T

Summary: “You love the ones with scars because they earned it with nothing to gain and everything to lose.” She tells him. "You love the ones with scars because they showed that they fought, and they won, because the people they protected are still here. The people you protected are still here Zuko. Your scar protected people Zuko. That's who you are. That's who you've always been."

Notes: Hi everyone, Mage is back! With the recent resurgence of ATLA, I got a little motivation to begin writing again, so of course I gotta start off again with another monster. Honestly I don't even really know what this fic is, I started it like 3 years ago, forgot it, and then finished it over the past couple weeks in like a dreamscape if I'm being honest. If you guys are confused at all by the flow or just in general, please, join the fam. But either way, enjoy!

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/54856117

(Excerpt below the cut)

Over in the Spicy Zutara discord, we’re doing a Fic Swap! For one month, we’re buddied up with another fic writer and we get the privilege of reading as many of that writer’s fics as we can!

Lucky me: I got paired with the incredibly talented @markedmage and I thought to myself… why don’t I share a wee fic review as I make my way through her stuff so you, good people of tumblr, can find some new juicy zutara fics too??

Without further ado, here are my top five favourites of MM’s fics, listed in no particular order.

a little like love

Chapters: One Shot

Words: 1,000

Summary: "I don't deserve your kindness, nor your heart, as much as I might want it. I just don't, Katara."

"You do. And I'm going to make sure you never forget it."

Written for the Zutara Fluff Exchnage, this fic should be renamed Soft because holy shit Zuko is so so SO soft in this. Despite the strict word limit, Mage seamlessly sets up a scene of the Gaang at the Western Air Temple. And you feel like you’re watching just another scene of the show. For reals, her writing is so evocative, and I feel like its only going to get better with every new story she posts!

 i count to five (and life passes by)

Chapters: One Shot

Words: 497

Summary: Five heartbeats.

Prepare your body for tears because there will be multitudes. There will be legions. But, in the midst of the weeping— possibly while you’re in the foetal position— you will marvel at how anyone could do SO MUCH with so few words. For real, people, this is one of the best instances of “less is more” I’ve seen in fic <3

MarkedMage is a lady and a scholar and we stan her (and forgive her for the angst) because this little ficlet is beautiful from start to finish! It’s literary and moving and I’ve read it three or four times now just to appreciate the incredible way she has with storytelling. There isn’t one line, metaphor or piece of dialogue that feels out of place.

 In Another Life

Chapters: One Shot

Words: 2,642

Summary: Maybe the world wasn't ready for them.

I want you to know that MarkedMage is master craftswoman and her craft of choice is angst. This is a beautiful, bittersweet little story that tracks the “what if” of zutara. The conflict of the story isn’t them fighting or not suiting each other or some external plot point, instead it’s like this vast, cosmic “not the right time/lifetime” thing that is so much more painful because you can’t even fight that. It’s fate, destiny. Not meant to be. Throughout the story, they continually acknowledge their pull towards one another at the same time they acknowledge it wouldn’t work out. Like I said: Master Angst Bender.

  And Maybe We're Like Fire and Ice

Chapters: One Shot

Words: 4,522

Summary: It's an easy kind of love, the way Zuko loves her, and the way she loves him. It's simple in the way a turtleduck needs a pond to swim, the way a dragon needs fire to breathe. How the airbenders rely on the wind to carry them to the highest turrets on the temples, how the blood in the human body needs the heart to live. It's simple in the way fire ignites the world, and water soothes the burn. Like yin and yang, push and pull, hot and cold, ice and fire.

(NSFW)

I’m trying to put my finger on what MarkedMage does that makes her writing stand out in this story and I think (the baseline fantastic writing aside) it’s because she often adds these little throwaway details that give the characters more depth and life. Like “the way he laces his fingers through hers as he thrusts.” Just little moments that make the story more alive. There’s a lot of humour in this, not to mention 70% of it is Zuko pining like the absolute idiot that he is. We stan MarkedMage in this house.

 Things We Lost to the Flames

Chapters: Can be read as a one shot but also part of a series

Words: 11,688

Summary: Love is a weakness, her father tells her. Katara is here to prove him wrong.

Select moments set after chapter three of 'make sense of all my broken parts', told in Azula's POV.

Here we are a week late

MarkedMage (on Tumblr as @markedmage​ ) is next up on our feature list. 

I normally hide ~saucy~ fics under the cut but that kinda defeats the purpose so here is my message for minors:

This list includes fanfics that are not suitable for minors. Please recognize that adult content is contained within some of the links and they are not meant for you. This is merely done to showcase the work of one author. Reader discretion is advised.

For the rest of us, please check out the fics and share the love!

Title: And Maybe We're Like Fire and Ice Rated: M Summary: It's an easy kind of love, the way Zuko loves her, and the way she loves him. It's simple in the way a turtleduck needs a pond to swim, the way a dragon needs fire to breathe. How the airbenders rely on the wind to carry them to the highest turrets on the temples, how the blood in the human body needs the heart to live. It's simple in the way fire ignites the world, and water soothes the burn. Like yin and yang, push and pull, hot and cold, ice and fire. Score: 8.8 / 10 Rated M One Shots: 5.3 / 10 Tags: One Shot, Smut, Alternate Universe, Canon Divergence, Post Canon

Title: With Calloused Hands (I Tasted the Softness of the Moon) Rated: T Summary: They stay there in silence for a moment, a ragtag group of people from all corners of the world, pulled together to save it. Two Water Tribe siblings, one a strategic genius and the other master waterbender; a Kyoshi Warrior, fierce and beautiful like her namesake; the world’s greatest earthbender, and the Avatar, the last airbender. Katara opens her eyes and looks down at the one person who has brought them together in Caldera city. Her burning boy, her brilliant flame, the Fire Prince who took lightning for her.

Katara and Zuko, and what comes after. Score: 8.4 / 10 Rated T One Shots: 8.5 / 10 Tags: One Shot, Alternate Universe, Canon Divergence, Post Canon

Title: A Quiet Collision of Destinies Rated: M Summary: Later she’ll touch her lips and realize that kissing Zuko is like watching a new constellation form; awe inspiring and breathtaking, igniting a fire within her belly and making the stars dance in her eyes.

Zutara week, day one: Reunion

Part 1 of The Moon and All Her Stars Score: 8.2 / 10 Rated  One Shots: 3.4 / 10 Tags: One Shot, Zutara Week, Series, Alternate Universe, Canon Divergence, Smut

Title: Ten Truths Rated: T Summary: Something pushes at the edges of Zuko’s consciousness. He remembers all those moments with Katara, the moments of shared silence where she waited, patiently, until he was ready to talk. He remembers how she pulled each little truth from his lips with just her gentle gaze and her willingness to listen without judgment. He remembers how they learned to trust again, in the simple breaths where truth became reality, where he talked and she listened. He looks at her again, sees the gentleness in her eyes, and knows it is time. He’s ready. Score: 8.1 / 10 Rated M One Shot: 8.0 / 10 Tags: One Shot, Alternate Universe, Canon Divergence, Zutara Month

Title: i can feel it in my bones Rated: E Summary: Zuko's not planning to get drunk tonight. However, his demise comes in the form of tantalizing brown skin and deep blue eyes, and well, he's never been good at keeping promises.

Zutara week, day three: Fuse

Part 3 of The Moon and All Her Stars Part 2 of Modern dorks Score: 7.5 / 10 Rated E One Shots: 0.8 / 10 Tags: One Shot, Zutara Week, Alternate Universe, Modern Setting, Series

Title: i've been so many places (but you're the one i run home to) Rated: T Summary: “You have the greatest love story ever told,” Yue says. “You have been able to love the same person across two different lifetimes. It’s a love that exceeds time, lasting longer than tomorrow and farther than eternity. The love Oma and Shu held for each other carried on to this lifetime, but it is the love between you, Katara, and Zuko, that keeps it going.”

This is the tale of Oma and Shu. This is the tale of Katara and Zuko.

Zutara week, day seven: Rebirth

Part 7 of The Moon and All Her Stars Score: 7.4 / 10 Rated T One Shots: 7.2 / 10 Tags: One Shot, Alternate Universe, Canon Divergence, Zutara Week, Reincarnation, Series

Title: just relax (the world isn't watching) Rated: E Summary: Katara's first time. Someone's a little nervous.

(Hint: and it ain't Katara.)

Zutara week, day five: Hesitancy

Part 5 of The Moon and All Her Stars Score: 7.3 / 10 Rated E One Shots: 0.7 / 10 Tags: Alternate Universe, Canon Divergence, Zutara Week, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, Post Canon, Smut, Series

Title: Urano Metria Rated: T Summary: "You gave me the stars."

Zutara week, day four: Celestial

Part 4 of The Moon and All Her Stars Score: 6.9 / 10 Rated T One Shot: 6.6 / 10 Tags: One Shot, Zutara Week, Alternate Universe, Canon Divergence, Post Canon, Proposal, Series

Title: You Never Walk Alone Rated: T Summary: "To me, you're my world, but to the world, I wanted you to be seen as you are, my equal."

Zutara Week, day two: Counterpart

Part 2 of The Moon and All Her Stars Score: 6.4 / 10 Rated T One Shot: 6.1 / 10 Tags: One Shot, Zutara Week, Alternate Universe, Canon Divergence, Post Canon, Series

Title: and you can have this heart to hold Rated: T Summary: "You got me a wolf."

"I did."

She searches his gaze, blue boring into gold. "Why?" She asks, voice soft like starlight.

He cups her cheek, and she leans in, eyes closing. When she opens them again, he's got a fond look on his face, a gentle, crooked smile, reserved only for her, touching his lips, and he strokes his thumb along the noble arch of her cheekbone.

"You know why," he murmurs, and leans in to kiss her again.

Zutara week, day six: Affirm

I’m sorry for the late response. honestly, I haven’t gotten around to new fics at the time i had gotten this ask, and with some life changing events going on it had only been recent since I’ve caught up with any, with the exception of one in this list that i’ve always adored. i have posted one of each of these authors’ works, but i do encourage you to check out their other amazing fics. 

as for forever young, forever you. im so glad you’ve enjoyed it, it’s definitely reassuring to hear people like my work at all and it is most appreciated. 

***

 Violent Reflections by antarcticas - Rated M- (ongoing) a dark fic in which the author takes us through Katara’s mind while she is captured. It also taps into Zuko’s inability to see his wrongs, not just towards Katara, and how selfishly he takes advantage of her in her saddened state. A tragic yet beautiful story that’s heartbreaking and captivating. 

This Might As Well Happen by owedbetter - Rated T- (ongoing) Katara is stranded in a foreign country during a pandemic and Zuko, after overhearing Katara’s predicament, invites her to stay with him. A modern au.

The Summer Of The Switching Sickness by fictionissocialinquiry- Rated E- (completed...maybe) He sighs. Loudly. ‘Here’s what’s going to happen.’ Katara peeks at him through her fingers. ‘First, we’re going to agree right now that we will never tell any of our friends about this. Ever. Especially Sokka and Toph. Deal?’ Katara nods fervently. ‘Deal.’-The summer of the Switching Sickness puts a strain on relations between the Fire Nation and Southern Water Tribe... It's probably better for everyone involved if no one else finds out why.

Make Sense Of All My Broken Parts by markedmage- Rated E- In the beginning, they were enemies, pitted against each other in order to save the world. They fought, mended hearts at Ba Sing Se, and found betrayal under the moon. They reunited, fought again, and helped the Avatar save the world. Somewhere, along the way, Katara unwittingly allowed Zuko into her soul, taking up residence and finding peace within all her broken pieces. Somewhere, along the way, she gave him her heart, and she knows she can never, will never, want it back.

Hey everyone! We hope you’re all excited for ZFAW, and to honor (ha!) ZFAW’s commitment to supporting and celebrating fan content creators in the Zutara fandom, we’re going to be rolling out a series of interviews with well-known and widely-beloved content creators over the next few weeks. We’ve got artists and fanfiction authors, some names you recognize as well as a few phenomenal up-and-coming talents, and we can’t wait for you to meet them all!

I know I got super behind with these, but I can’t wait to bring you the next interview with the lovely @markedmage! You can find her fanfiction HERE: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarkedMage/pseuds/MarkedMage 

Tell us about how you came to ship zutara. What does this ship mean to you?

 I first watched Avatar when it first came out and didn't pay too much attention to the ships at first, I remember seeing the final Kataang kiss and not really liking it. A few years later I rewatched the whole series and saw the chemistry and the strength of the bond between Katara and Zuko and it all just kind of went downhill from there. The pirate scene? Iconic. And I think I kinda knew, at the moment of CoD, that I was well and truly doomed. This ship means a lot to me, especially on a personal level, because I had a really tough year and a lot of hardships, and writing for Zutara was one of the things that got me through it.

 What inspires you to create Zutara fanworks? 

 I don't know if there's any particular thing that inspires me to write zutara, I just really love the bond and I love the respect and the love the two of them clearly hold for each other. They're beautiful, well written characters clearly meant for each other, and I just want to do them the justice that the original creators denied them so. I guess, if I had to narrow it down to any singular point of inspiration, it would probably just be the resurgence of ATLA on Netflix as well as reading a bunch of zutara fics that inspired me to write my own.

 Be selfish if you could request one fan work based on your art / fanfic what would it be? 

What would you absolutely love to see someone create? God I don't even know. I mean, my two favorite works of mine are make sense of all my broken parts and A Quiet Collision of Destinies, so if someone did any sort of fan appreciation for those two I would be floored. But honestly anything would be amazing- I know how laborious it can be to make content, so anything zk related (not even my works) is enough for me.

Any words for people who are new to the fandom and / or nervous about sharing their work for the first time?

 I mean if Zutara makes you happy, and writing/drawing them makes you happy, then you should do it. Because at the end of the day, this is the stuff that makes you happy and that matters more than comments and kudos on a page. That's the way I see it, that writing for Zutara makes me happy, and it's a bonus if it makes other people happy, but I'm writing for me first and foremost. I know there has been a lot of negativity towards Zutara supporters as of late, but I hope that doesn't deter any new writers/artists from doing what they love. At the end of the day, it's your content, and it's what makes you happy. And don't compare yourself to others! I know there's a whole mindset of comparing yourself to some of the big monster fics out there, like OATS and such, but in my opinion there is no real definition of what makes content good. Writing is in itself subjective, and people will either like it or they won't. So please don't compare yourself, and if you feel the need to, just remember that writing grows as you grow, so even if you think you're bad (which you're not!), Your writing voice will develop the more you do it. The same goes for drawing too!

What's an idea for a fan work that you have but haven't gotten around to making? 

Ahhhhhhh thank you so much!!! -insert string of cwying emojis here-

i love your blog as well, and you’re an excellent writer!!! (everyone go look her stuff up on ao3, it’s top notch and some day im gonna read through all of them, all the feels and also the explicit fics are very good)

i’m glad you like my metas and rambles!!! sometimes i go off on massive tangents but hey that’s the price of loving fictional characters and their relationships lmfao

18 days later...

@all-thewaydown, @markedmage I’m not late, not at all *cue nervous laughter*

9. Talk about a major theme in the narrative and how that theme is developed throughout. Why is this theme important? How does it influence the narrative?

As one of the most well-developed characters in all of television, Zuko embodies many important themes that resonate both with his arc and the entire show, one of which is the concept of power. After all, all of the FN’s motivations can be traced back to the pursuit of power, power which is drawn from fear. Ruthless, cunning, and cruel - those are qualities that are valued in Fire Nation royalty, and so Zuko attempts to suppress his compassion and model himself after Ozai’s image. He wants to earn his father’s love, and so he believes that the heart of love is fear - but it’s not. The heart of love is love. It’s the gaang laughing with him, it’s his uncle brewing him a cup of tea, it’s his mother sitting with him at the turtleduck pond. Love is more powerful than fear, and thus Zuko can sever his legacy of war and destruction to bring forth an era of peace and compassion.