MfWAT: Firebenders' Den

[darth_animus]

Memories from Western Air Temple
Chapter Title: Firebenders' Den
Characters: Zuko, Katara (main) Toph, Sokka, Aang (minor)
Arc: Unity Arc
Setting: after "Southern Raiders", before "Perfection"
Rating: K+
Warnings: spoilers, angst, shounen-ai
Summary: Zuko engages in the activity called self-reflection and finds new sides to himself.

Comments

[jill_rg]

All right, they're back! This quickly became one of my favorite chapters. I like Zuko's musing about his fate and mixed heritage. And I want to rewatch his final battle with Azula with his thoughts here about himself and his sister in mind.

I LOVE Katara threatening him not to "hurt" Aang again... completely in the context that some (*raises my hand*) saw (for laughs) in her first threat.

I forgot for a minute that the last paragraph refers to what's happened between the boys in this fic series, too, because it would make so much sense in the context of just the show, I think. Beautiful end to a great chapter.

Wish I knew how to edit posts... You didn't like this chapter? Well, that's surprising.

[darth_animus]

Well, I certainly am happy that you found so many good things with this chapter. I don't really like writing Katara, since I'm afraid that she won't be in-character. So I had very mixed personal feelings about this piece.

[alpha2nd2006]

I don't know why you hate it. I love unsure!Zuko! Haha for some reason it seems like Katara's a mother handing her child Aang off to the new man in his life Zuko XD Yay for sentimental Zuko! Keep up the good work!

[darth_animus]

I find Katara difficult to write so I was afraid that she was OOC, not to mention I'm not always sure what to do with Zuko when he gets too thoughtful. :P
Anyway, thanks for the encouragement. I'm glad people seem to like the chapter. :)

[caelum_noctis]

I don't understand what you're talking about... i really liked this chapter and i don't see it as the worst in the bunch! Katara was IC, especially that slap to the face b/c i can totally imagine her doing that. She is so protective of Aang, and knows him like a mother; her reasoning that the Avatar would be devastated by Zuko's death is spot on. Thus, the slap.

[darth_animus]

Well, this chapter was the first time I had to write Katara so explicitly and I always feel a bit hesitant about writing characters that are new to me. And when that was added together with the fatalistic Zuko persona I had put in here, I wasn't sure how the overall result came out. I often dislike all the emotional pieces that I write because I can never tell if there's too much or just enough.

Koneko: Gaaaaah

[anonymous]

I think im going to ESSPLODDDEEEE
Really loved this chapter!! Ur soooo freaking awesomeeeeee
how do you DO that?!
Loved it, you've really opened my eyes about Zuko...
Thank you sooooooooo much!

Re: Koneko: Gaaaaah

[darth_animus]

Thank you. I think about things a lot when watching a show, so I tend to do many insight pieces when writing for the series. (It might actually be possible I think a bit too much. XD)

[quartzteeth]

Aaaw, Zuko and his mommie issues :( and the lilies *choke*
I don't know why you thought this was a bad chapter, both of them were perfectly in-character, and it did a good job of showing Katara's feeling's about Zuko after 'The Southern Raiders' without having to rewrite the whole episode haha. As well as the slow realizations Katara is discovering about Aang's and Zuko's feelings for each other.

[darth_animus]

Zuko has all kinds of issues. Mommy issues, daddy issues, identity issues... The whole reason I started writing this fic was to sort those issues out. That and to get him with Aang. XD
And I suppose the negativity towards this chapter comes simply from the fact that I wasn't quite sure what I was doing when I was writing this. There are some pretty strong emotions floating around in this one, and so I wasn't sure if I handled them correctly. I didn't want to appear too overdramatic.