This Is Exactly How “Nightmares And Daydreams” Would Have Gone Down If Zuko Had Joined The Gaang

so tired of people rushing their relationship. they’re getting back together either way and it’s best for mai and zuko to take their time.

Ashes of the Academy is on point about Mai and Zuko not being back together yet mostly because the comic takes place around a year after Smoke and Shadow. And the writer of Smoke and Shadow did say they will get together again after three years after Smoke and Shadow right? that means 2 years after Ashes of the Academy. I personally loved seeing Mai's development and her chosen career for the future. It sounds cute being Izumi's teacher at the academy and teasing her.

I do want a comic about them getting back together though. Maybe if there is a Zuko movie? or comic it doesn't matter. they do need to conclude the Fire Nation and Azula's arc.

there is a serious lack of discussion about how mai is zuko’s safe space. we see this in their first appearance together (that’s not a flashback). when mai asks him a simple question, “aren’t you cold?” and zuko, who has a hard time opening up and expressing emotions that aren’t anger or angst, freely and openly starts to tell her his worries about going back to the fire nation. and while people love to chastise mai on her reply, “I just asked if you were cold, I didn’t ask for your whole life story”, I think they misunderstand her approach to this. zuko is worrying and overthinking about something he cannot change, something that will only drive him crazy and she tries to distract him with a joke. and it might fall flat, but she realises this and suddenly she is comforting him with her touch. her hand reaching out so casually towards scar like it’s not a big deal, because it’s not. they’ve known each other for a long time, they’ve grown up together and their relationship was a long time coming. and zuko leans into her hand, and her kiss, without thinking twice about it. because mai is familiar, and mai is comfort and that can be seen when you contrast it to song’s attempting at touch his scar, and how quickly he was to stop her. but it’s not only this moment that showcases mai as his safe space, but also when he’s back in the fire nation. when he’s stressed out and going through a tumultuous time, not knowing what’s right and wrong or what he should do next, it’s mai he goes to. we see this in “nightmares and daydreams” when he spends all day at her house, when he can’t stand being in the palace anymore, mai and her house and her bedroom is his safe space. and here we see her trying to comfort him, trying to say the war meeting is stupid, it would be be boring anyway, and shall we go for a ride around town? it’ll be fun… and even though he’s still sad, he goes back to her house on the day of the war meeting and she’s making him tea. and even when he does get invited to the all day war meeting, she goes to the palace with him and waits for him all day, to see if it went well and to comfort him if it didn’t. when he says that it was everything he thought wanted it to be, she’s immediately happy for him, reaching out to touch him with a smile on her face. mai is who zuko feels safe and comfortable around, even in his vulnerable moments and it’s something we should talk about.

Its the best description of antimaiko i have ever seen

AGGHHHH IM ADDICTED TO THEM

i got commissioned to draw my beautiful parents ☆ commissions info here! ☆

i love making these johvocgcgugx

zutara runnn for your life…

this power couple

ok, so we all know that mai is the most apathetic character in atla. conquering ba sing se for her is nothing (“just take the bear”), “victory is boring”, colorfulness “making her nauseous”.

she always complains about how bored she is, hates almost everything/everyone and nothing/no one can make her smile.

and THEN this ‘emotionless-cold-flat-gloomy-whatever’ girl aka ’the most bored/impassive person in the universe’ cuddles around zuko, chuckles and says that would be IMPRESSIVE if he finds a fruit tart for her.

impressive.

freaking fruit tart.

and she looks at him with such fondness as if he’d already given her the whole world and even more.

if that’s not love, then I don’t know what is.

Enjoy the silence. by *viria13

katara: wow, the stars are beautiful tonight.

zuko: yeah, they are.

katara: you want to know who else is beautiful?

*at the same time*

katara: aang

zuko: mai

Oh, this is such a cute copy of my pro-maiko post!

But anyway maiko ended up together, since Zuko's only daughter and heir to the throne is his and Mai's child (even named after a fountain), too bad! I hope you're living well and comfortably in your delulu world.

But now I know that my anti-zutara posts somehow get into your feed (unless you intentionally look for them), and they upset you so much that you go out of your way to make anti-maiko clones of them, not even being able to find the original picture with the SpongeBob. Can't lie, it's very cute🥹