Please continue! This is amazing!

I respect yoru reasoning for Katara's choice to sleep with Jet in the previous chapter. Honestly, I didn't find it out of character much. She's impulsive, was blinded by attraction for what was probably the first time, and she truly wanted to see the world in a black and white way for a good while.

Yikes! Zuko's crew was in a sticky situation, huh? Being caught is the worst, even if they arguably have it coming for tormenting a kid when they're grown men. Alternatively, sometimes we all need to vent.

Cheung is fortunate and unlucky all in one go. Feel bad about his hands shaking, although it was funny to read too.

Teiji gets a nursery! That's adorable and shows he's becoming one of the crew himself in a way. And then he walks and calls Zuko Dada, and it just makes me grin like an idiot.

So many good moments in this chapter! Katara is more herself, Zuko plays the tsungi horn,Cheung makes amends, and Iroh is getting a portrait. These little things make the story come to life.

Aang being glad of Zuko saving a baby was heartwarming. Aang really does wanna believe the best in people.

I’m afraid I can’t guess as to the inspiration behind Sil Jon, but it’s a neat addition to ATLA lore giving pirates their own subculture.

Iroh correctly guessing how Teiji needed to be angry some place he felt safe enough to do so was spot on. Without going too much into my personal life, things at home we’re bad at one point, and it was years after they got better that I was really pissed, because I finally believed it was okay to get upset. That bit of realism is one of my favorite aspects of this story. And thankfully, little Teiji doesn’t feel the need for anger for too long.

The wake was a great scene! It was good of Zuko to request honors for Hūn, and it went a long way towards getting the crew to warm up to him too. Wonderful!

Zuko apologizing to Iroh was amazing. Iroh is my favorite character, and this did my heart good. I can’t even say how much.

Jet’s a piece of work, though. I never liked him much, and I definitely don’t like the way he treats Katara in this chapter. Poor kid.

Oh, the miscommunications! Started out funny, until poor Hūn died.

Kunio is mean spirited, which concerns me and also makes me want to blame the entire thing on him. But the blame rests a little on everyone’s shoulders I suppose.

Hūn is too literal, Zuko is too eager to begin his search, Jee is too rushed, and the next thing they know, the baby is on this dangerous mission.

Katara and Zuko’s interaction was cool. People tend to seem to forget how judgmental she can be. I don’t hate her for it, because sometimes snap judgements are necessary for survival, but it should be included more often in her characterization, because it’s a big part of who she is. The flaw is part of what makes her well realistic and interesting.

Zuko’s berserker mode was handled incredibly well, not glorifying the kills but also not shying away from what he’s done.

And then there’s Hūn. He was so brave, and when I first read this, I was getting attached to his character. The hope that he would make it did a number on my emotions when he didn’t.

Mark of a good writer in my opinion, to make people feel for someone who is only shown briefly.

I like the new reasons for the crew stopping at a port. It's not just about a lotus tile anymore, but also for Teiji, and the changes in Zuko's reaction to the delay fits well with the narrative.

The idea that Zuko's ship had a mutiny at one point is brilliant and makes so much sense! It adds another reason why he doesn't want to get close to his crew, in addition to the strict hierarchy, past trauma, and mission-oriented obsession.

The viewpoint of Aang "invading" the Fire Nation, not just trying to get info from his past life, is interesting. I adore seeing things from the perspective of the "bad guys" who are often just regular people on the opposite side of the "good guys". Although, a lot of what the Fire Nation stood for was indeed wrong, and I'm not trying to dispute that. I'm just saying the complexities of people and sides can get dicey, as the show itself sought to portray.

Rambling aside, my point is, it's neat to see them think of the avatar as an invader. The show touches on it, but it's still through the lens of, "they fear him because they're bad and wanna continue to do bad things". And it may be hypocritical of the Fire Nation, but this offers insight into their fears about the rest of the world. They have not been kind to the other kingdoms, and they know everyone wouldn't mind them meeting the same fate as the Air Nomads.

It was hilarious the way Zuko found the smiles of strangers towards him and Teiji freaky. Sad too, since it speaks to how unused he is to kindness, or politeness at the very least.

Finally, enter pirates and cue dramatic music.

Zuko's thoughts about how the spirits like to mess with him made me laugh, and at the same time it's a good way to showcase how much he's overcome, even at this early stage in his development. And then Zuko's picturing the baby as older and being supported by his father instead of abused and knocked down, and my heart melted.

I also like your characterization of Jee. I wish there was more information on him and really appreciate it when fics flesh him out a bit.

Zuko being overprotective with the baby and chewing out Tadao was interesting, and not just because it illustrates Zuko's attachment. I think it also does a good job of exploring the idea of folk tales crossing nations, which gives rise to shared superstitions and suggests, elements aside, the nations may not be as different as they like to think.

And the whole cold baths part was a nice look into Zuko's childhood, not to mention it implies that the rivalry between Azula and Zuko was largely manufactured by Ozai, and Ursa to a degree as well, even if her part was unintentional.

The naming of the baby was very sweet, and the anxious discussion of what to call him was realistic. I love Iroh saying that naming the child Teiji is like a promise to him as well as a name, and I imagine you put a lot of thought into what Teiji would be called.

I've read through this fic a few times by now, and I'm just blown away by how great it is. The starting point is perfect. In this episode, Zuko has already given in to sentimentality by choosing to save his uncle over continuing his hunt for the Avatar. To me, it means his heart is already more open than usual, like when he's on his ship and thinks being loud and angry is the way to get respect from his crew.

At the same time, Zuko is by no means out of character. He's still rather selfish in his pursuit for the Avatar, as shown by Iroh's thoughts when he's wishing they could've gone to the ship first and gotten him some clothes. And while he stops to find the baby and takes measures to protect him, Zuko also wants to chase Aang again right away, no matter that there's small child in his care now, and he is resistant to the responsibility of becoming a father.

Love it!

I love the story and hope its continued, though I understand life interrupting. with atla on Netflix now, I'm feeling rejuvenated myself with ny own ff and hoping to write again soon. I have a 2 year old and see soo many similarities between your little guy and mine. love it and wanting more. thank you

This story is really incredibly amazing !
I discovered it just yesterday and couldn't stop myself to read all the chapters in a row.
I know last update was years ago, but I'll still follow this story in hope that maybe you'll update it someday.

Peace !

oh my gosh, YES! lol

Honestly, I CAN see this happening in canon. Bloody hell, now I can't unsee it

Please update. This is a amazing story u made. Keep going.

i love this story. it's a cool, fresh take so early on in their adventures, so I can't wait to see how much this'll impact future events. great work!

Please, please update! This story is absolutely amazing and I would love to see more of it! Your portrayal of Zuko was, in my opinion, perfect for his character while still giving you enough wiggle room for the story! All in all I adored you writing and hope to see more of it!

Ahhhhh! This story was amazing! Everyone was in character and Zuko being a father was AWESOME! Really great concept, beautifully written, loved the description and detail you put into the culture and really brought the world to life. Left me wanting for more, but I’m glad I got to read it. You’re a really talented writer! Thank you for writing this story and I hope you have a great day!