#gyatku

[yiyayaya]

I always think it's kinda subtle to specifically emphasize that the ink for Gyatso's tattoo was heated by Roku...🤨🤔😋

It's like they're trying to highlight that their relationship was special🤤🤤🤤

After the special emphasis, it kinda gives me the feeling that this is some sort of mark from Roku to Gyatso (?)

Does anyone get what I'm saying 🥺?

[zeno-zero]

im sorry that I failed you Roku Weekend 2026 😢😢😢 anyways. I adored Gyatku a lot after reading "The Avatar and the Fire Prince" fanfiction like AAA it's all I ever could think about ❤️❤️❤️

[biconickyoshi]

(I just realized I left this whole rant/meta in my drafts after writing it a couple weeks ago, so I’m actually posting it now lol)

I finally finished reading The Reckoning of Roku. I had originally started back when it first came out but didn’t finish it, and I’m about to adapt the events of “The Avatar and the Fire Lord” into The Avatar and the Fire Prince, and with the episode literally being the inspiration for the name of the fic, I felt like I finally needed to dive into RoR to see if there’s anything relevant that I can incorporate into the plot.

Now, as many of you may know, in TAatFP, I always try my best to adhere to the major canon lore and events that have occurred prior to the beginning of the fic (when the canon-divergent event of Zuko finding Aang in the iceberg at age 13 occurs). So far I’ve included lore from LoK, the comics, the Chronicles of the Avatar novels, and even the TTRPG, mainly to just flesh the world out more and make it feel more cohesive. If I do add something to the lore that is not canon, I try to do so in small ways that aren’t *technically* incompatible with what canon we already know (like Wan x Raava lol).

As I’m sure is the case for many of you, I have always been a fan of the theory that Sozin was secretly in love with Roku (and maybe vice versa). What we see in the original “The Avatar and the Fire Lord” episode has frankly, to me, always been enough for that to be plausible. We see that Roku and Sozin were genuinely close, and Sozin genuinely cared about Roku. They were close nearly all their lives, with Sozin even being Roku’s best man at his wedding, and that closeness only ended when Roku caught Sozin colonizing for the first time. Even in that one episode, Sozin felt like a nuanced character.

However, I have to say that I was quite disappointed with Sozin’s characterization in RoR. Because, as it turns out… I guess Sozin was just a racist, sexist asshole the whole entire time and was never actually a good person, except for the brief moments where he kiiinda feels bad about manipulating his supposed best friend and killing people!! 🤪

It’s just frustrating, because I thought that most everyone else in the novel was well characterized, particularly Gyatso. And what’s really fascinating to me is that I felt that Roku and Gyatso had wayyyy more chemistry together than Roku and Sozin did at any point in the novel.

Even in the scenes before Roku leaves to go to the Southern Air Temple, there’s this weird tension/distance between them. On top of this, the fact that Sozin was closer with Yasu before the latter died (another addition that I did not like nor understand, like why did Roku need to have a twin brother who died tragically??) makes their friendship just feel cheapened, like Sozin only stayed friends with Roku because he felt bad that Yasu had died. And don’t even get me started on the whole viewing each other as “brothers” thing 🙄 Any time that happens in a piece of media between two characters (often of the same gender) who are very close, it feels like it’s done on purpose to deter shippers.

Time and time again it felt like the novel had to slap the reader across the face with a reminder that Sozin is a shitty person. Like the scene where Sozin gives Roku the Crown Prince’s headpiece, seemingly a very genuine and tender moment where Sozin is thoughtfully gifting something very important to his best friend? Actually, Fire Lord Taiso told Sozin to give it to Roku as a manipulation tactic! Or when Sozin offers Roku’s childhood journal to Wan Shi Tong, and you think he has it because they’re best friends? Nope, he had one of his lackeys bust into Roku’s parents’ house and straight up steal it! Oh and we can’t forget about how he sent a fake earthbender assassin after Roku who literally almost actually killed him in order to manipulate him to go to Lambak Island!

Sozin just did not feel like a nuanced character in this book. He honestly felt almost *cartoonishly* shitty. It felt like his brief moments of humanity (feeling bad about doing shitty things) were only added to make Sozin feel at least a little bit like the version we saw in “The Avatar and the Fire Lord”. The whole point of that episode, as Aang says, is not that people are born bad or are always bad, everyone has the capacity for great good or evil. I’m not saying that Sozin shouldn’t have had any negative qualities, but I definitely don’t think they should have been amplified as much as they were in RoR.

Anyway. Back to Gyatso and Roku. They were the best part of this novel by a longshot, and I totally came out of RoR a Gyatku shipper now lol. They really remind me of Zukaang. I honestly wish that there had been some sort of romantic implication between them, because I saw so many opportunities for it - Gyatso saying he’s particularly attuned and drawn to Roku’s “vibrations”, their playful banter, their reluctant allies to close friends arc, their tender moments together - especially at the end where they sit with their foreheads pressed together while Gyatso grieves Malaya 😭 Idk. I’m glad there’s still strong background queer rep in these novels, but I feel like it’s a bummer that we still haven’t gotten any major MLM rep in the Avatar Legends universe. At least we’re getting Jae in Seven Havens lol.

I’ve officially decided to mostly ignore this version of Sozin’s existence for TAatFP, which pains me to say because I do not like majorly changing established lore. But at the end of the day, my fic literally exists to be my own version of the Avatar Legends world, and has given me an opportunity to flesh out and improve upon things that I didn’t agree with from the OG show. This is just one of those things lol.

If you’ve read the most recent TAatFP chapter, I’ve decided to keep some things from the novels, such as Yasu’s existence (even though I don’t like it lmao), but I’m really taking the reins and doing what I wanna do with the Roku and Sozin story.

I’m very much looking forward to adapting part 2 of this chapter, as it’s where we really get into adapting the meat of the original episode.

[phantomirage]

What if the reason Makittuq would disappear every now and then was because she thought Gyatso and Roku were a couple? She wanted to give them some privacy, so she was surprised when she saw Roku with Ta Min? (I secretly ship Makittuq with Ta Min)

[yiyayaya]

Is such a heavy declaration really not just a confession (?)

I feel like Makittuq's brain is about to short-circuit trying to analyze this sentence lol

[yiyayaya]

The sparring moves of Bagua Zhang seem so flirty 🥲...

It's like doing the tango, kinda feeling out the other person bit by bit❤️🧡

[yiyayaya]

[zeno-zero]

Your top 5 ATLA ships?

Glad you ask!

These are my top 5 ATLA ships !!

1. Gyatku (Roku/Gyatso) & Rozin (Roku/Sozin)

I've shipped Rozin for the longest time even before learning about the RPG lore, and reading TRoR thanks to the surviving fanarts, great headcanons about them and likable fanfictions about them. But lately, I've been thinking about Gyatso and Roku too. Everything somehow reminds me of them after reading some parts of their moments in TRoR even though I initially disliked their dynamic in the very beginning. Gyatku is a pairing I would find myself just dreaming, and smile fondly at how they obviously care and love each other. Rozin on the other hand is also a pairing that I would find myself analysing, and making up alternative universes that they're either extremely happy with each other or just plain toxicity lmao. It's a perfect mix of balance. Both Gyatso and Sozin love Roku as they both know that he's a person as well as an Avatar.

2. Zukaang (Zuko/Aang)

Oh gosh okay,,, hear me out,,, "The Avatar and the Fire Prince" written by biconickyoshi in AO3 is what made me start liking Zukaang a lot more than I should be. Though I am a bit skeptical about it because of the age gap between the two, so I heavily prefer it when they're somewhat around the same age in a different universe (while still keeping their personalities and dynamics) OR when they're both fully grown adults having feelings for each other and just . fumbling it LOLS they're like an opposite version of Rozin, and share similar dynamics to Gyatku if you think really hard on it. Besides that, they have the best symbolism and parallels that are present in the show and comics like it's so crazy that they have so much chemistry with each other. They literally held hands together when they didn't have to when they announced they're gonna make Republic City 😭😭😭 kinda gay don't you think /silly

3. Zutara (Zuko/Katara)

I enjoyed Zutara unironically,,, When everyone is trying to label the pairing between them both just "awful, plain awful" I tend to do the most mature thing by either blocking them, not give a genuine fuck about it or complain about it to a close friend of me. Like with Zukaang, great symbolisms, great parallels and I'd love the idea of them getting together when they're adults too. Even though I do love to laugh at some jokes on the pairing, I kinda wish it didn't have to overshadow how in the show Katara warms up to him eventually and how Zuko greatly appreciates not only her wisdom, her help, but for her as well. There are a lot of scenes that can be easily interpreted as romantic but sadly, they only do that to ship-bait Zutara enjoyers.

4. Taang (Aang/Toph)

Even though I prefer Toph being on the broad spectrum of AroAce, I like to pair her up with Aang sometimes. I've grown a liking to it because of lilbadgermole's dissection and analysis of their relationship. I suggest checking her blog to understand where I'm coming from ;) I think the most integral part of their relationship is that Toph helps Aang to be tough, and stand on his ground whereas Aang brings the vulnerability and softness out of her. It's very sweet. Although I like it when it's comical, I don't mind the seriousness.

5. Azuki (Azula/Suki)

One of my friends actually introduced me to this pairing, and my gods, I love it so much. They're both leaders in their own groups, they're compelling, they're intelligent, they're combative and overall just so badass in their own way. They may not be perfect for each other, and probably leans more towards toxicity than anything but I love it so much. Though I am not the best person to ramble about Azuki really, I'm only familiar with the surface levels more than anything else. But I enjoy the ship itself very nicely, it's always in the back of my head. I made content about them three times on different platforms!

Honourable mentions: Urzai, Ilahzulon, Jinko, Ro Min, Jetko, Kataang, Dangerous Ladies, Sukitara, Jetara, Zuharu, Harukka and Katoph.