This is my Ao3 page for anyone interested in my writing. It’s mainly Sansa Stark centric stories. Unless stated otherwise, all incomplete fics are NOT abandoned. Sometimes I burn out from the story and need time away, which can be months. But I do plan to finish them.
Also, my works tag on here is: my writing
I do take prompts depending on the topic and my mood. So hit me up with any ideas you may have!
about a month ago, my uncle asked if I had a significant other. I appreciate his gender inclusivity, of course.
I’m used to the question. it’s not like it’s something outrageous that he’s asking. so I simply said no, that’s not for me.
he looked at me and said “well, someday.” not someday maybe, just…. someday.
of course I’m not quick to anger, but there’s a part of me that’s a little more defensive about my aroace identity. so I jumped to my defense.
my uncle isn’t a bad guy, he’s quite nice and tries his best to be respectful in the current political shit storm by supporting queer people. but apparently that does exclude me, an aroace.
I reiterated that I’m just not interested in a romantic or sexual partnership, and I really do not ever see that changing.
and he said something to the effect of “it’s okay if you don’t want that now.”
and I said, “no, it’s just okay that I don’t want that.”
and he said that I was pessimistic. as if I was secretly searching for a relationship or a partner, but was rejecting love because I could not find one.
I calmly (with all the rage in my veins) told him “no, a life without love or sex is something optimistic for me.”
he had the gall to look horrified.
I’m sick of aroace people not being seen as normal human people when they don’t want the outcome of their life to look like everyone else’s. I’m sick of the white picket fence, I’m sick of the assumption that everyone has another half out there.
Saw a reddit post today about a girl who was upset that her childhood best friend replaced a photo of the two of them in his wallet with one of him and his girlfriend. And while yeah, she was being unreasonable with a lot of what she was saying, I totally understand the sadness of a friend “replacing” you with someone they have romantic feelings for. Makes it worse when the top comment is this
Every single comment on this post is about how family and romantic relationships always take precedence over friendships. I don’t have anything more to say to this aside from the fact that… this is why it’s hard for aroaces to imagine futures for themselves. Society drills it into your head that you’re going to live in a world where you are no one’s priority if you don’t have romantic relationships and it fucking sucks
I gotta talk about this moment even though it’s been discussed a million times
Zuko, opening up to someone about his scar for the first time (from what we’ve seen in the show at least, but we can reasonably assume he hasn’t spoken about it like this since he got it) and explicitly stating that whilst he’s always associated it with with failures (‘the mark of the banished prince’), he’s finally ready to take control and change his life for the better. And whilst he has accepted that he can never change his scar, it’s ok because he still has the power to change his destiny.
And despite this assurance, Katara, the healer, still jumps in and offers to heal it anyway, understanding that this is still a burden she could lift from him - 'What if you could be free of it?’
She knows it won’t change his life in the same way taking control of his own destiny will, but still, it’s like she can’t help but try to ease his pain. Even if it’s a pain that’s long since become a permanent part of him, something that might seem surface level or cosmetic to others - 'It’s a scar, it can’t be healed.’
And then we have this
'I’ve been saving it for something important.’
This. Healing Zuko’s scar. A wound that has, for all intents and purposes already healed and is not longer a threat to his life, but still burdens him emotionally. That has come to represent all of his trauma. This Katara considers important enough to use her limited and precious supply of spirit oasis water. In the middle of a war. In the middle of a dangerous journey to save the world in which she and her friends might be seriously injured at any time (including in this scene, where Ba sing se is literally under attack as they speak).
And if that weren’t enough
'I don’t know if it would work’
Now, I don’t know the mechanics of spirit water in the atla universe, but it seems to be pretty heavily implied later in the episode when she uses the water to heal Aang, and for a moment thinks that it hasn’t worked, that it’s sort of a one-time deal.
Which means that she’s willing to potentially wastethe spirit water just on the off-chance that it might remove the scar. Which in the context of the wider story seems utterly insane.
But Katara thinks it’s worth the risk.
And presented with this opportunity, this beautiful, selfless offer to ease his suffering, even on a purely physical, surface level, Zuko wordlessly submits, and lets her touch his scar.
Now, Katara doesn’t know quite how significant this touch is (although she’s very emotionally intuitive so I’m sure she has some inkling of the gravity of this action) but we do. We know that Zuko doesn’t let anyone touch his scar, ever. So what this communicates to us as an audience is that Zuko is allowing himself, for the first time, to put his complete trust in someone. To be completely, 100% vulnerable with them.
And the moment of touch is all the more significant because, in many ways, it isn’t even strictly necessary.
Katara’s hands are empty, she isn’t putting the spirit water to his face, to attempting to heal it here. And while I’d argue this touch could be a practical one - assessing the damage of the scar with her hands to see how to proceed before she uses the water - the moment after, right before they are interrupted, isn’t one of practical, medical assessment, but of intimacy.
The way Zuko waits, patiently, eyes closed, and the way Katara pauses, just for a moment, doing what I can only describe as gazing at him, and that slow blink in the middle- Again, not examining his scar or reaching for the spirit water to begin, but just taking it all in.
It’s so breathtakingly intimate and vulnerable - a point of connection between these two people who are supposedly so completely different but are, here, somehow so alike in their openness and understanding of one another.
That Katara offers to heal Zuko’s scar even when he’s said moments before that he’s made his peace with the fact that he’s never be free of it. And the way he accepts her offer without words because she’s right, part of him does want to be free of it.
It’s just an absolute masterclass in creating an immediate and powerful connection and bond between two characters in an incredibly short space of time from a start point of complete opposition without rushing it or making it seem implausible.
