Zuko and Iroh as refugees entering the Encanto in search of a refuge - however temporary it is - could definitely mirror Pedro and Alma's own flight for safety; Iroh's redemption arc, while in the tail end already by the time of the series, kicks into fever pitch once book 2 comes in (see: https://fuckyouozai.tumblr.com/post/716220740712726528), and you can even bring in the Order of the White Lotus - once Alma catches Iroh and interrogates him (because she knows he's Azulon's son), he can show her the White Lotus tile to show her he's not a threat, and doesn't intend to be. Especially if you can make Yukio, your OC, part of the White Lotus in life (which could explain why he didn't want to join in the Air Nomad genocide - not only it conflicted with his values as a man and as a member of the White Lotus, but he likely also knew Gyatso, too). Plus some pai sho metaphors are always good.
It would be surprising if Yukio didn't give his son & daughter-in-law his White Lotus tile to help keep them safe imo. Which brings in the element of Pedro likely being politically active, and also would give the Encanto an extra measure of protection; depending on how you want the White Lotus to look after the families of its members, at least Alma has vital information on what's going on in the outside world, giving her much-needed peace of mind when her family leaves the valley to join the Avatar's cause. (Perhaps she goes by Golden Butterfly when dealing with the White Lotus - imagine the icy exchange between Pakku and her: "Well met, butterfly.""Likewise, tiger-seal." She won't even bother addressing him by name, seeing him as lower than the dirt they both walk on.)
There's plenty of room for you to take the White Lotus - you can, and probably should, include characters as badass as Kanna, Gyatso (who I posit as a friend of Yukio's - Roku did say, after all, that some friendships are so strong they transcend lifetimes, and Aang and Alma's bond would be as strong as Gyatso himself would want it - his ward and his close friend's daughter-in-law forming an unbreakable bond), Yugoda, the Herbalist (and Miyuki), Chit Sang (who likely got himself thrown in the Boiling Rock because he spoke out against Zuko's banishment somehow, or was accused of leaking state secrets), even the Cabbage Merchant (who can at least make one appearance in the Encanto just for the laughs of seeing his business get disrupted once more).
Kanna would be interesting in particular - her experiences with war & the FN mirror Alma's in a lot of ways, and Hama mirrors Pedro in a lot of ways - you can't tell me the two weren't lovers or even married at one point. (Inupiaq marriages IRL have zero fanfare to them - honestly, just announce that they're married, prepare to live together and manage a household, and that's it. Simple.) Plus at least Alma has someone who gets it, just like Sokka - only fitting that it be his Gran-Gran, to be honest.
(There are plenty of fics that explore what the Fire Nation felt about Zuko's banishment, and all of them feature the Fire Nation being pissed at the least. This, for instance: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25344355/chapters/61499245. Very easy to make references to another Disney classic - this one involving a banished prince, and very easy to change Zuko's reception at the Boiling Rock, seeing as the people already know how he got banished; princes aren't exactly private property much as Ozai wishes they were. Maybe have Iroh or Piandao (through correspondence) tell Alma just what actually happened to Zuko. She'll be thinking, "no, Azulon's family didn't just kill my father-in-law and husband; no, they'd do the same to their own, too." She does have a heart, after all, and Zuko deserves more elder figures that care, in the form of Alma, her children, and her sons-in-law.)
On Katara, Zuko and Isabela - keep on keeping on with this fic, so that I can see what you do with the Southern Raiders. I can't wait honestly - that was what cemented Katara and Zuko's bond, connecting them over the same thread of losing a mother, an ancestor, to the Fire Nation. Perhaps losing an abuelo may count for Isabela on this one; all of the Family Madrigal is affected very badly by the loss of Pedro as you can see in canon, it's not just Alma. Maybe it's already personal for Isabela - heck, she's to marry Mariano specifically because the guy looks like Pedro. It's to bring a phantom back. If you want it to get darker, you can always kill or disable Agustin or Julieta.
(Plus disabling Julieta will piss off Sokka a lot, and he gets very dangerous when he gets pissed off - it chills you to the bone.)
Even in book 1, there's a chance to compare Katara's bond with Kanna to Isabela's bond with Alma - while Isa has a stormy bond with Alma, and not without good cause, Katara and Kanna consider each other their whole world, to the point that Katara as Kanna's granddaughter (and Kya's daughter) forms a huge part of how she sees herself.
Isabela as a Kyoshi Warrior would be amazing tbh - she's already quite physically strong, and agile to boot, and would have no problem keeping up with the rest if she joins; she's already used to a communal lifestyle, so she does have what it takes to be one of them if she wants. Plus it lets her bond with Suki, too - being under someone like her would be quite the trip, a welcome change after being stifled as Senorita Perfecta. (Good thing she's not tied down to her land of origin, like Katara as Chief of the SWT, Zuko as the Fire Lord, or Mirabel as the Encanto's Matriarch.)
One thing though - Aang and Katara must be a temporary romance that breaks up eventually. Reality is, their relationship is not at all tenable - no matter how close they are, I don't think either of them could be romantically involved with the same person throughout the entirety of their teens & twenties, even if those people are each other. The idea of romance between teenagers, after all, categorically does not last long, unless they're both very mature; while the fact that they are best friends who have crushes on each other is cute, they’re still, y'know, middle schoolers. Even Dolores, a literal adult, needed time to mature too, and she already got her man!
And even if Aang is very mature, especially for his age group, Katara is not. Like, not at all. They both need time, but Aang just outstrips Katara in maturity by far, which is one more reason why it wouldn't last long-term. To quote comrade-katara, again, "if they tried to prolong the romantic element of their relationship out of some desperate need to prove that they are “soulmates” who are “meant 2 be,” it would only hurt their friendship, but i like to think that they haven’t totally imbibed harmful romantic scripts (or if they have, that Toph & Suki help set them straight), and that they would communicate better than that!" More realistic POVs on the nature of their relationship: https://comradekatara.tumblr.com/post/634128842622156800/what-headcanons-do-you-have-for-future-kataang and https://comradekatara.tumblr.com/post/617653727234506752/i-would-love-to-hear-everything-about-modern-au. (Dolores would probably also say a lot to set those two straight, tbh.)
(Which is another reason why Isabela needs Kyoshi Island after the war is done with - she sorely needs Suki to set her straight on that score, I think. And Suki would be more than happy to welcome a Madrigal among their ranks, especially once she hears about what Pedro did.)
Toph and Dolores are both another story altogether - just know that both of them are all about waiting and listening, which they can bond over to some degree, although admittedly the primas-hermanas have more in common with Katara than Toph. Cue Isabela and Dolores (Mirabel, too) running off to Makapu Village with Katara - Sokka's nightmare. Aunt Wu is, after all, Alma's antithesis; the cult leader to her benevolent matriarch, if you will.
Wow, that is actually something similar to what I was gonna go for, but thanks for the ideas. Let's just say there is an interaction between Alma and Pakku (way later on, and she's more than pissed for *redacted for spoilers*), but that would be an interesting twist if they actually knew each other. And it would make sense that Yukio would be part of the Order of the White Lotus; it gives more context for his leaving, and a friendship with Gyatso would make it so that if he were still alive (the death squads can go to hell), he'd probably recognize Aang immediately and ask if he knew Gyatso.
Also, I was wondering why the writers would push a romance between Katara and Aang. It was cute initially, but I didn't see how it could last. I saw more chemistry between her and Zuko (post his joining the group, not before—he was too cruel to her before he wised up and changed) and wondered why they didn't get together. There were more implications in politics and the potential to heal the bond between the Fire Nation and Southern Water Tribe (and thematically, it just made sense). Aang and Toph seemed like a better match, as they were seen as figures and pawns than people, and they both dealt with being alone (plus the same age, if you don't count the hundred years Aang spent in the iceberg).
Also, Zuko's going to find Encanto on his own (similar to Alma) after leaving Iroh, but I can work with Iroh following him in and watching from a distance, explaining Zuko's situation to Alma to appease her, which only gets her more angry at Ozai (which comes in handy in Book 3!) and more protective of Zuko and Azula, as she realizes Azula's probably Ozai's Isabela, just worse! And her involvement in the Order would make it so she's present for the last battle and *also redacted for spoilers*. By the time Book 3 starts, the family's more involved, which makes Ozai wonder how long he has left to live.
Also, I'll check out those fics. It might help with *also redacted for spoilers* and give more nuance to the Fire Nation. (Plus a certain Earth Kingdom town that Zuko visits.)
I think I'll definitely have to reply to this - first off, there are a lot of problems with the Zutara ship, actually. You're right - there's a lot of thematic significance to their friendship, and it'll go a long way in healing the rift the Fire Nation has created with the rest of the world. But is it romantic? No. It's actually perfectly possible to love someone without having sexual chemistry. Zuko gets shipped with everyone, but if Aang or Toph are absurd options for him, so is Katara! At the end of the day, he still regards her as a child. A child whom he loves and respects, but, just like Aang and Toph, a child nonetheless. (It would be a very similar case with Mirabel, too. Why? Because she hasn't yet had her quinceañera, and so if he tries that on her, he's going to be a creep, just like Jet. Because it's creepy. ATLA even goes out of its way to show that.)
(see this post by comrade-katara: https://comradekatara.tumblr.com/post/189502630172/i-asked-this-question-to-another-blog-but-never)
I'll quote her here, for very good reason - "I think this ship is rooted in racism for the simple fact that so much fan-generated content I’ve stumbled across over the years has been deeply, horrifically racist. I think this ship also lends itself to that kind of racism because it is so reminiscent of racist tropes that the majority white fans of the ship, either unaware of the harmful connotations of these tropes, or active fans of these tropes, love to employ uncritically... I’ve seen wildly popular fanart that sexualizes Katara––who, may I repeat, IS FOURTEEN––in disgusting ways. and most of all, I’ve seen the delegitimization of Katara’s anger towards Zuko, as if she is simply supposed to “get over” the harm the Fire Nation has caused her. She is clearly deeply affected by the death of her mother, and Zuko used her love for her mother as leverage: first, with her necklace, and second, when he used his empathy over their shared loss as a means of gaining Katara’s trust. It’s clear that fans (not all, but many I’ve seen, at least those passionate enough to send me an ask with this phrasing) of this ship don’t actually give a shit about Katara’s role as an indigenous woman, or why she would have no desire in dating a colonizer. Sometimes it’s clear that people are actually cognizant of this, and even get off on it. They think it’s sexy. They think the racism is hot."
Point blank - even Luisa would be more age-appropriate for Zuko; even then, if Julieta were to find out that those are Zuko's intentions, she'd boot him out of the valley, and fast. Ditto with Pepa for Dolores. (Also, I don't think Zuko would care for either. He's 100% gay, trust me on this; it's rather tongue-in-cheek just how queer-coded he is in ways that fit with the milieu of the 2000s.)
The unbreakable bond between Katara and Zuko is an indubitable, indisputable fact; they are clear foils, and their relationship is poignant and has great depth - they care for each other very deeply. But, for their own sakes, it's probably best if their relationship remains strictly platonic.
Also, I don't think Aang and Toph are going to date either - with Aang, at the end of the day, his duties to his people & culture come before anything else, which means he has to be nomadic. Also the best thing for him is polygamy to a certain degree - doesn't mean he's going to be a deadbeat dad; he'll make time for his children come what may, but it does mean that he's got to admit eventually that being a parent & a husband can't be his primary responsibilities. (I don't see Toph as being one for romance either - especially at the age she is. She's definitely more of a lesbian to me as she gets older - both she and Isabela may have some long talks in their future.)
On everything else: Azula's probably more Ozai's Julieta than anything else - Julieta was probably a lot like Luisa (and Sokka) in terms of personality at Azula's age. You know which Fire Nation royal shares a lot in personality with Sokka? Azula. The difference here is that while both of them sublimate themselves to their people, Azula does have that "mightier-than-thou" thing going for her because she's the Princess of the Fire Nation, while both Julieta and Luisa were raised to think of themselves as not above anyone.
Bender Mirabel would probably have a very similar predicament to Korra: defaults to firebending first (because that's her mother's native element - while I'm sure Julieta can heal in other ways (see this fic), but her most common is through cooked food, which is impossible without fire; also brings home the point that she's her mama's spitting image), then earthbending (because of the nature of the Miracle, as well as Casita), then waterbending (her tia's native element), and finally airbending. And, like Korra, she'd actually suck at air on her own - air is the element of freedom in ATLA, and Alma's management does not allow for a lot of it. So Aang will probably have a lot to teach her.
On Iroh: maybe seeing Agustin and Felix with their own little ones will give him a sense of deja vu - another piece of punishment for his war crimes. "This is what you had; you threw it all away by choosing the ways of violence, and your son paid for it."
Also give Zuko a connection to the Candle; he's a firebender, and one that does better with external fire than internal fire, so the Candle will likely notice there's something about him. He'll probably look at it with wonder and trepidation; the very existence of something like this goes against everything he's been taught to believe about fire; will give him a firmer, perhaps earlier, nudge into realising that everything the Fire Nation teaches about its native element, since the days of Azulon, is wrong.
He'll have to earn his keep anyway while in the Encanto, so let him manage the cob oven in the kitchen - his face will more than light up once he first comes face to face with the idea that fire doesn't need to be destructive; fire can be life, and healing, and community support too; heck, before Casita's collapse, the Miracle is all fire, and it isn't for nothing. (He'll probably need the dragons for that lesson to sink in; but at least plant the seed. Mirabel's already familiar with that lesson - she is Julieta's kid, after all, and very likely is her mama's sous chef.) Plus it'll be a neat set-up to Ba Sing Se. Zuko learns differently from his sister; it'll be nice to see another fic that takes that into account, particularly with Julieta or Dolores giving him a decent nudge.
("See, Zuko, how she uses fire to heal & help, rather than harm & destroy? Can you see it?" Would add a lot more to Zuko Alone, as well as furthering some of his own arc in Ba Sing Se, and give him a point of connection with Mirabel once they meet each other in the Impenetrable City.)
Thanks for the insights to why Katara and Zuko are better off friends. I didn't quite grip the implications until you spelled it out, but it did feel weird a bit. And yes, I think Zuko would be better off with someone else. But, that's a problem for Book 3.
Also, Zuko in Encanto will be a fun bunch of chapters. I think Julieta would be a better option to explain that fire isn't all destructive to Zuko, as she probably taught that to Mirabel, and Dolores is explaining the need for discipline. And he might even create a bond with the family. After her talk with Iroh, Alma might shift her attitude towards Zuko from "this is someone who's been hunting my nieta, but he's hurt and doesn't seem that bad now" to "this is my new nieto, and I will not let anyone else harm him."
And back to your suggestion that either Agustín or Julieta is hurt, I might incorporate that much later via a certain Fire Lord...it would create a worse situation for Mirabel if her mamá, the town healer, was hurt so badly she couldn't cook her healing food...
I actually think Mirabel would be better at air bending then you think, perhaps even better at it then one of the other elements, Mira’s whole thing in the movie is being free, sure Abuela was suffocating but her not having a gift didn’t put her under the same type of pressure as the others and she wasn’t suffocated as much, she mostly suffocated herself, she was free to explore her own interests, she was free to find out what’s happening with the magic, even if she wasn’t supported in that decision, and she was free in choosing to save the candle during Casitas collapse, and her choosing to leave, and free herself from the situation if not temporarily is part of why she was even able to make up with Alma at the end, I’d say air would be one of her better elements to learn
Comment on Elemental Caterpillar
libresmalls on Chapter 6 Tue 04 Jul 2023 04:47PM UTC
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Lightsabers_and_Casita_13 on Chapter 6 Tue 04 Jul 2023 05:09PM UTC
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libresmalls on Chapter 6 Wed 05 Jul 2023 10:17AM UTC
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Lightsabers_and_Casita_13 on Chapter 6 Wed 05 Jul 2023 02:06PM UTC
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