Okay, NATLA, since you were so comfortable stealing from my middle school Zutara fanfiction, you now have to listen to my recommendations for S3:
1) The "I don't deserve it./ You will." exchange needs to haunt the majority of Zuko's character arc. Start when he's in the Fire Nation by having various characters bring up what Zuko 'deserves' in a flattering, indulgent way. I.e have Ozai tell Zuko he 'deserves' to be home for with all the privilages of being the Crown Prince. Then, after he joins Team Avatar, he asks Katara what he can do to earn her forgiveness only for her to reply that he doesn't deserve it. Zuko then decides to himself that, "I will." Finally, after the Southern Raiders' equivalent happens and Katara forgives Zuko, he thanks her, and she tells him he "deserves it."
2) While in the Fire Nation, Zuko should be having surreal, slightly nightmarish dreams about Katara. Have them start as memories (the Scarf Scene, their vigilante nights, the talk in the cell, and the betrayal in the catacombs) to turn into surreal and symbolic. I really liked the puppet show motiff of S2, so maybe do something like that here. I also think it should be slightly sensual. Every 16/17yo boy I've ever met has been caught in a pepetual state of either horniness or existential crisis. Let Zuko do both.
3) Since the show decided to taunt us with a hinted connection between the Painted Lady & the Blue Spirit, they need to elaborate on that. Maybe through Zuko going to see another play/puppet show? If they want to be REALLY mean, they'll have it so that the BS and the PL had a Courtly Love/Lady and her Knight type dynamic were the Blue Spirit loyally loved and protected the Painted Lady but she was always too devoted to her duty to properly love him back.
4) Have Zuko keep some painted lady flowers in his room in the palace.
5) I've got nothing much to say about Mai here (aside from that her poor actress deserves to stab her stylist with a seam ripper) since she and Ty Lee are one of the biggest sacrifices to the narrative reshuffling. A lot of the little subtleties that made them interesting side characters are lost. We know Mai likes Zuko, but there has so far been no indication of interest on Zuko's part since younger Mai isn't part of Zuko's memories. Considering it looks like the Day of Black Sun will be happening as early as episode 2, I don't think they'll have time to convince us of a Maiko relationship. At most, I think we'll see them try to go on a date and it fall flat. Still, I hope we still get Mai and Ty Lee betraying Azula, even under different circumstances, since it's a great scene and important to Azula's mental deterioration.
Now we get to the good stuff: Zuko joining Team Avatar.
6) Perhaps Zuko decides, in his awkward turtleduck brain, that it would be best to approach Katara while she's alone first. They have a history of working together, after all. It doesn't go well...
7) We're going to need some of Zutara doing a bit of mutual body admiring. I want full Kanthony vibes. And I think it should be done during bending practice. As in having Toph call out Zuko for staring while Katara practices waterbending, and have him cover it up by claiming she was only "studying her form". Then have Katara eat some eye candy while she watches Zuko (shirtless, if possible) train Aang. And it has to be early on so Katara can be angry with herself when she realizes what she is doing.
8) I think Toph should mutually bust their balls a bit. Like, have her drill Katara about what happened with Zuko in Ba Sing Se. Have her offer to drop a boulder on Zuko's head. Have her ask, at dinner, if Zuko was the guy she was sneaking out at night to see.
9) There should be some acknowledgments of the Painted Lady and the Blue Spirit team-ups, if only to clear up whether it was JUST those two times or if they teamed up more. Again, it would be fun if they had to explain this to the other members of the team. I would also like Zuko to refer to himself as Katara's sidekick. Also, somehow work in the line: "You know we work well together."
10) Zuko should try to help Katara with camp chores, only to be either brushed off or stuck with the worst chore. This could turn into a more serious, heated discussion or be used comedically.
11) I mentioned in an earlier post that I think they might combine The Puppetmaster and The Southern Raider, then set it after Zuko joins so I won't repeat it here. However, I think Zuko should get caught and bloodbended by Hama. Maybe she wants to make Zuko cut off his own head or something. Also, in the extremely unlikely chance they want to sneak in a kiss, this is a good place to do it.
12) When Zuko tackles Katara away from the falling rocks, instead of him landing back-to-chest while over top of her, I want them to land with him on top and the pair chest-to-chest. Then they can do the whole, 'our faces are inches away, we're breathing each other's breath, and staring into each other's eyes.
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