as much as i’d love to believe that all of tenzin’s need to rebuild the air nation is self inflicted, i don’t see a universe where aang wouldn’t have, possibly subconsciously, created or fed into that need.
rebuilding the air nation was the most important thing to aang, that was clear to everyone who knew him, especially his son, the only person who could actually help aang realise that dream. while it might never have been said explicitly, tenzin knew from a young age the only way he could have anyone like him other than his father in this world was to have children.
i do not think, in any way, aang (or katara) would have ever told tenzin he had to have children. but, i do think it was in some ways expected from him since he was young.
after tenzin and lin had been together for a while, assuming lin’s aversion to motherhood was known already, i do think aang would have changed his expectations and come to peace with tenzin being potentially the last ever airbender, but that process would have come with a lot of grief. tenzin would have already been two decades deep in the loneliness of being an airbender, and aware his father won’t live forever, and so would likely have always wanted children of his own throughout his relationship with lin.
on a related note, demonising pema for her relationship with tenzin is completely and utterly ridiculous. tenzin was probably telling the truth when he said he and lin’s relationship was spiralling downhill. of course he would find companionship and friendship with an acolyte engrossed in his culture (that he is now the last member of), and find himself drifting from someone he cares deeply for but is not after the same things in life as him. when pema talks to korra about her relationship with tenzin starting, of course she’s not going to bring up lin’s obsession with career, or aangs passing and the grief associated, or tenzin’s unending loneliness in the world, just that she saw tenzin’s relationship was going to end horribly no matter what and she cared about him. (EVERYONE WHO SPENT ANY TIME AROUND LIN AND TENZIN PROBABLY KNEW THEIR TIME WAS UP. THEY ARE BOTH EMOTIONAL PEOPLE. A STRAGGLING RELATIONSHIP AND MUTUAL UNHAPPINESS IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO SPOT).
anyways. it does not make aang a bad parent for hoping tenzin will bring more airbenders into the world. it does not make pema a homewrecker for dating a man after a messy (& very public) breakup.
thank you for coming to my ted talk.
ps. read inheriting the wind by acommondator on ao3 it is beautiful!!!!
gracieabrams
germansingergirl
ellievsbear
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