Pairing Do's and Don'ts
Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar or the characters.
A/N: For the Zutara fanfics.
Zutara Don'ts
I had seated myself in the back of the room for the lesson as Katara stood up and wrote on the board a list. Zuko crossed his arms and rubbed his head, watching the group of students. Some girls were talking, others were batting their eyelashes at him, while the guys were staring at Katara's ass.
"Everyone, shut the hell up for a minute and stop staring at her. This isn't a museum and she's not on display." Zuko barked. Katara thanked him and turned around.
"Here's the list of don'ts for Zutara fanfics. Zuko and I will be your teachers. Read it with me and we'll explain why this isn't a preferred plot." Katara smiled and the class read aloud, drousily one should add, her list.
"1) Zuko/Katara just wakes up and decides they love Katara/Zuko with no reasoning or explanation. Just love.
2) Aang dies.
3) Zuko takes Katara hostage and doesn't chase Aang anymore because he loves her
4) Zuko takes Katara hostage and they fall in love (overused plot, some are good, some are awful)
5) Katara is close to becoming raped by Zhao/Ozai/crew members (whoever) and Zuko comes to her rescue as all she does is cry and not fight back
6) Aang is abusive and Zuko "rescues" Katara from said abusive relationship and they fall in love.
7) Aang and Toph fall in love so naturaly Katara and Zuko follow.
8) Zuko rapes Katara and they somehow fall in love.
9) Katara decides she needs a man and runs off with Zuko.
10) As the Blue Spirit, he rescuse the damsel in distress known as Katara and they fall in love and even after she figures out who he is, she still loves him. (this can be done properly, if Katara feels nervous about knowing she fell in love with Zuko)
11) Katara and Zuko run off being lovey dovey and Aang, Sokka, and Toph are left alone.
12) Katara and Zuko get drunk and have a fun time in a hotel/inn/his quaters on the ship, then she finds out she's pregnant a few days later.
13) Mary Sues/Gary Stus are story killers!
14) High school fanfic/AU are NOT the way to go.
15) Don't twist or use movie plots and apply them to Zutara." Everyone recited. Zuko cleared his throat.
"Number 1; doing that rushes the plot and often kills any momentum for the story. Walk before you can run, or rather have sparks before a bonfire." He told them. "Number 2, killing Aang out of depression or just to push Katara to myself will again, rush the plot and make it go involuntarily."
"Number 3, forcing Zuko to take myself hostage and stop caring about Aang because he loves me is to OOC. Stick to the plot and characters. Number 4, the plot has been overused. Don't get me wrong, there are some great fics, but try and be original and think of a new one. Readers like variation and creativity." Katara instructed. "Number 5, I would not give in without a fight. Plus, it takes away from the storyline. If you're going to do this, don't always make Zuko the hero. Let it be Aang or Iroh or Sokka or even Toph." A student raised their hand.
"But it adds fluff!" She objected.
"But too much fluff destroys the characters. Number 6, this is silly. Aang likes Katara, so he won't just be rude and unkind with out a reason. And I think Katara would run away before letting me just sweep her away. Number 7, if Aang and Toph fall in love, or any girl with Aang for that matter, don't just make Katara and I fall in love next chapter." Zuko replied. "Number 8, this is so absurd, I'm not going to get into it. I'm not going to just rape and fall in love with Katara. Moving on."
Katara crossed her arms and picked up where he left off. "Number 9, I'm not just going to go off with the first man I see. Number 10, again, overused plot. Be original. Number 11, again. Absurd. Zuko and I won't just see each other and start running off to start a family. Number 12, how many of you think I, a 14 year-old, am going to get wasted and then go have sex with Zuko? NO! Enough said." She continued.
"Number 13, Mary Sues/Gary Stus have got to go. There are no firebenders who can also earthbend. You're either a firebender, waterbender, earthbender, airbender (depending on how rock solid your story is), or a non-bender. End of discussion. Number 14, AU's and high school fanfics are highly unpopular among most avid readers. Not only does it take away from the plot Michael Dimartino and Bryan Konietzko have created, but you often destroy the characters and having a high school where kids firebend or waterbend can be too farfetched." Zuko explained. He heard some students moan.
"Finally, twisting and using movie plots to apply them to Zutara is wrong. Using lines are okay as comebacks or something, but reciting the entire movie word for word just sometimes make the person rather watch the movie, then read your fiction." Katara told them.
"Not to mention, is very uncreative. Use your imagination. I can't believe I'm saying this..." Zuko told them, whispering the last sentence.
