it probably says something about me as a fanfic writer that i am the most delighted by comments expressing that they think the base concept is way too out there, or is very bland, or has been overdone, or is just nonsensical, or usually is something they hate, or should not work, or is otherwise unsuitable

BUT

B U T

THAT I'VE DONE IT IN A WAY THEY ARE ENJOYING IMMENSELY

oh man

those are my favourite fanfic comments ever

tbh i feel like most of what that says about me is that it reveals one of my main motivations for writing fanfic is.... frustration, lol

like, an idea might be popular, commonplace, or even canon! but i feel like so much meat has been left on the bone that i have to get in there and ACTUALLY CARVE UP THOSE TASTY BITS for people to dine on

for example - yeah i like zutara but i like it mainly as a "the gaang does their own thing for a decade, then zuko and katara meet up and have a big mutual OH FUCK WHEN DID YOU GET HOT moment"

also the political aspect of zutara rarely gets addressed - how does the fire nation take to this? (how does it work with the rebuilt southern water tribe?)

also also what are the ramifications of the fire nation spending 100 years as a colonial war economy and then having that Abruptly Halt

@wigglytuffitout I dunno if I go for the same specifics but I am 1000% on board for zutara as "excrutiatingly slow-burn where neither of them realize it's happening for literal years"

@wigglytuffitout zutara where they both are kind of into the other person but can't admit it to each other or themselves because they're fire and water nation

zutara where they don't realize they're into each other but then for Some Reason I Haven't Thought Through, the two nations decide a political alliance through marriage would be the way to go and For Some Other Reason I Also Haven't Thought Through it's Katara

@wigglytuffitout my god imagine Katara actually being like an empress though

@InspectorCaracal a lot of "well this is awkward"

"katara did you forget you're literally the chief's daughter. you're like a princess"

"YEAH, OF LIKE, FIVE PEOPLE, AANG! I THINK MORE THAN FIVE PEOPLE LIVE IN THE FIRE NATION!"

bonus points if she comes prepared for everyone to hate her but it turns out the vast majority of the fire nation love her a la Princess Diana and she's just like "oh my god this is so much worse actually"