anotheratlablog

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变脸 (Bianlian; "face changing") in Sichuan opera

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they're fighting for the title of retail lord

or my late langa birthday piece 🩵

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anyway so a thing I've noticed is that if a character is popular enough and they wind up paired off with a specific other character (whether or not its shipping related, though it probably will be, but for the purpose of this thought the actual nature of the pairing is irrelevant), those characters and their specific dynamic are almost inevitably completely unrelated to canon and as such, any sufficiently popular characters get bounced around in fandom and take on new traits based solely on fandom interpretations without reference to canon at all, and as such are a kind of community-built OC

one example of this is the post-ATLA rennaisance depictions of Zuko and Sokka. Apart from being paired together to such an extent that Zukka is now one of THE big ships in the fandom, there are a lot of particular elements to their characterizations in fandom that have absolutely no basis in canon. Among other things the depiction of them as virtually being joined at the hip, them being a hyper competent duo who are very close and coordinate as world leaders, fluctating between that hyper competence and being comic relief dumbasses for fun and profit, often being depicted as the true motive force of the protagonist's collective (with Aang, if he's even considered at all, being a spiritual motivator at BEST), Sokka as a super intelligent technical genius and Zuko as a tremendously emotionally intelligent Soft Boy, and so on...

None of that has any actual basis in canon. Zuko and Sokka barely interact throughout the entire series, not even after Zuko joins the group. The excellent dynamic they have in the Boiling Rock double episodes is probably the source of this, for as good as it is, they really don't interact that much; the small interactions they have outside of it aren't substantial but DO present good starting points for fan works, but the point here is that its not actually represented in canon.

So they don't seem to be particularly close friends; they default to what Aang wants to do and trust in him as their guiding force; Sokka might be a creative person but he's not technically skilled enough to actually build any of the machines or devices the fandom credits him with, and Zuko's about as emotionally intelligent as a rock. Or given his association with turtle-ducks, perhaps some kind of snapping turtle-swan; even on his best days he's kind of a temperamental, hyper-aggressive dick that defaults to snapping at people at the slightest pretext (to the point that NOT exploding at mild teasing is a massive sign of character development for him at the end of The Firebending Masters).

But anyway this is some roundabout ways to make the actual point here; that looking at the particulars of fandom-specific characterizations and dynamics might be an excellent way to come up with solid character concepts for your OCs.

Those fandom specific characterizations functionally ARE OCs, with as little relevance as they have to canon; they are community-generated, so to speak, and might be a great source of character inspiration if you're lacking a more solid idea.

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[spoilers for atla]

I don't like (and at the same time I like it very much) how fandom makes Zuko into a Soft Widdle Ducky.

Like, yeah, he's awkward and traumatized. But he is very much a warrior prince at the same time. Look at his confrontation with Ozai: "you're going to listen, or I'm going to cut you in two with my swords".

During the series, Zuko almost never struggles with immediate action and decisions - but he's really terrible at measured, considered action and decisions.

I want to see that side of Zuko in fic. Like, a former war minister gets out of line? "Right. Let's take this outside. Do you want fire or steel." Sure, by the end of the series he's much more mature, grounded and peaceful, but so many fics I read, he just kind of folds when people get aggressive with him, when his more canonically true self would likely just go "yup, that's a threat, first you're going to get your ass beat and then I'm throwing you in jail, I don't really care how influential you are." And I want to see him deal with that.

That being said, I still enjoy all those fics where Zuko's personality is basically 🥺🔥

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Unpopular opinion: UwU Awkward Turtleduck Zuko is boring as fuck.

Canon!Zuko is a lot more entertaining!

Canon!Zuko is ready to throw down at all times. Canon!Zuko probably has high blood pressure at sixteen because he's so angry all the time. Canon!Zuko blows his top at the slightest provocation. Canon!Zuko nearly gets himself killed a whole bunch of times because he doesn't think shit through. Canon!Zuko does not know the words patient, gentle, humble, or forethought. Canon!Zuko shoves when a nudge would do. Canon!Zuko is an enraged moose-lion in a china shop.

Customer service Zuko is hilarious because he's the last motherfucker you want in customer service. Canon!Zuko would yell at customers, fight them, and/or set them on fire.

(Believe it or not, Azula is the peacemaker in the Fire Nation Royal family. She's the one who smooths things over, acts as a distraction, or sublimates her own wants/needs.)

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So many Zuko-centric fics seem to start from the assumption that not only has no other character come close to experiencing anything as bad as he has, but also that no other character has never before like heard of child abuse. I understand the desire to have your blorbo be the Saddest of the Sad, and to have all the other characters flock around and talk about how brave they are for having been So Sad. That’s also what I want. But perhaps the comfort could come from characters commiserating? People could connect over experiences? Other members of the gaang could talk like actual teens instead of licensed therapists who have also never before considered that the kid with a massive facial burn could have trauma? I’m just saying, if you use a little restraint while putting this teen boy through the wringer, you can actually make the wringer hurt way more. It’s about the efficiency of character suffering.

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[anotheratlablog]

they judge u on the battlefield and then laugh about it over tea later

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I really want to know the depths of Iroh's relationship with Lu Ten. As a man within whose family it was normal to, you know, act like a hot mess, fatherhood in the family was another position in the family that hadn't had much of a positive note in a long time.

While Azulon favored Iroh, perhaps that led to a gateway for Iroh to be much softer on Lu Ten than Azulon was towards Ozai, which is undoubtedly the reason Ozai was so harsh on his kids as they grew older.

Yet I can imagine Iroh most likely had his moments where he was strict with Lu Ten. The crown prince and golden child and Dragon of the West may have had his moments, despite how much he loved his only child. Perhaps Lu Ten had a similar view of Iroh as Zuko did with Ozai - he wanted to make his father proud, to which Iroh was blind. He cared about his boy, but most likely shaped him to be the man and prince HE wanted, that Azulon wanted.

Thus Lu Ten enlists in the military, he works to the bone with Iroh, who is so proud, but doesn't see that this is killing his son - even before Ba Sing Se.

Iroh, like Azulon, undoubtedly loved Lu Ten, but much of his grief may come from a place in which he realizes he was not the father Lu Ten deserved.

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I have the probably deeply unpopular headcanon that if Lu Ten had lived he’d be an Iroh who could never EVER (no matter what he saw or went through) see anyone outside the Fire Nation as people.

If he was around during Atla he’d deeply care for both Zuko and Azula and all (kids, they’re just kids! How could Uncle Ozai do that to them!)

But he would see nothing wrong in killing other kids like Aang/Katara/Sokka/Toph etc: to him they are nothing more than vermin. He was the perfect Fire Nation soldier.

In my headcanon he’d be a smiling monster and Azula in fact far more likely to make a turn around and make other nation friends than he ever would. In my head: He’d be terrifying if he suddenly returned from the dead somehow and Iroh (especially Iroh) and Zuko would feel heart broken and deeply disturbed because they’ve moved on in a direction he’d never be able to follow.

Lu Ten to me would be a distorted and disturbing mirror of how Iroh once was. All with a friendly pat on his younger cousins’ head and a smile towards them as he commits the worst crimes man can commit against others. Like an Iroh laughing about Ba Sing Se being burned to the ground. Frozen in a moment. Never moving on.

In canon perhaps Iroh living in Ba Sing Se, as certain things come to light and looks back, has to contend with the fact whichever Earth Kingdom soldier killed his son perhaps did the right thing.

[anotheratlablog]

I have the probably deeply unpopular headcanon that if Lu Ten had lived he’d be an Iroh who could never EVER (no matter what he saw or went through) see anyone outside the Fire Nation as people.

If he was around during Atla he’d deeply care for both Zuko and Azula and all (kids, they’re just kids! How could Uncle Ozai do that to them!)

But he would see nothing wrong in killing other kids like Aang/Katara/Sokka/Toph etc: to him they are nothing more than vermin. He was the perfect Fire Nation soldier.

In my headcanon he’d be a smiling monster and Azula in fact far more likely to make a turn around and make other nation friends than he ever would. In my head: He’d be terrifying if he suddenly returned from the dead somehow and Iroh (especially Iroh) and Zuko would feel heart broken and deeply disturbed because they’ve moved on in a direction he’d never be able to follow.

Lu Ten to me would be a distorted and disturbing mirror of how Iroh once was. All with a friendly pat on his younger cousins’ head and a smile towards them as he commits the worst crimes man can commit against others. Like an Iroh laughing about Ba Sing Se being burned to the ground. Frozen in a moment. Never moving on.

In canon perhaps Iroh living in Ba Sing Se, as certain things come to light and looks back, has to contend with the fact whichever Earth Kingdom soldier killed his son perhaps did the right thing.

[anotheratlablog]

Jetko fic rec list

Feel free to add your own recs, and if you do read any of these and like them, comment something nice on it! If I find anyone hassling authors for updates I will drop ferrets down your chimney!

Modern AU

the things we leave behind - Mai and Ty Lee start a ghost hunting channel; their roommate, Zuko, cannot stand their new cameraman, Jet. Meanwhile, Zuko's sister just moved into their shared house, and forms a reluctant bond with Zuko's friend, Katara. Multiship, rated M, 200k, complete, HIGHLY recommend (also check out the rest of the author's works! She's amazing!)

never believed in meant to be - Zuko gets in-school suspension and meets Jet, who's cool enough they spend the day together. It's their first and last meeting. Rated T, 5k, complete. (Check out the rest of this author's stuff too!)

you're built to fall (beautiful) - in between the struggles of figuring out life as sixteen-year-old caretaker of kids, Jet finds himself falling in love with a handsome merman. rated T, 8k, complete. Amazingly written <3

paint it red, they'll cover it up anyway - Jet and Zuko are both kindergarten teachers, and both dealing with a lot of complications in their life. and in love. Rated T, 34k, in-progress

Ba Sing Se

up in the city (until the stars lost the war) - canon divergent AU where Jet doesn't see Iroh heat the tea, and Zuko's a little more receptive to city life. Absolutely gorgeous series. Rated T, 50k, in-progress

(Dont) Lose yourself into me - another canon divergent AU! Featuring rebel shenanigans, betrayal and angst all laid out beautifully. Check out the author's other works too, there's some really good ones! Rated T, 80k, in-progress

clay kids - after a misunderstanding about Zuko's - or rather, Lee's - parentage, he and Jet form a relationship built on lies of omission. Rated T, 35k, in-progress

a lesson in new beginnings - the author's summary probably says it best: 'zuko has bad coping skills, jet has a hella crush, and war is hell. welcome to ba sing se.' Very sweet with plenty of angst, drama, and misunderstanding. Rated T, 6k, in-progress

Post-canon

Like The Fire In Your Heart - Zuko's carriage is ambushed by thieves, and he finds that his old friend Jet isn't as dead as certain playwrights would have him believe. Rated M, 9k, in-progress

Miscellaneous

learning how to use a weapon (& other such tragedies) - flood-based apocalypse au! Beautifully written, possibly one of the first jetko fics I read when I was first starting to like Jet as a character. Rated G, 11k, complete

heat and sand - by the same author as above, au where a race of winged beings live among humans, and wouldn't you know it, they're not exactly welcomed by the likes of Ozai. Zuko finds himself taken in by Jet and his freedom fighters. Rated G, 16k, two completed fics. Honestly check out the rest of the author's catalogue it's all A+

Hearthfire- Jet is taken prisoner by the Fire Nation after his village burns. Rather than be put to work or executed, he becomes the young Prince Zuko's ward and they form an unlikely relationship. rated T, in-progress, 41k, covers canon books 1-3.

Perpetual - Jet, not quite mid-redemption arc, kills a firebender. Zuko can't actually die. Jet decides to make this his own problem. Rated M, 180k, in-progress <3

the song in the secret room - haha second lesbeanlatte work on here 😈 a modern/time travel au based off of the Disney channel show Secrets of Sulphur Springs, if it were PG-13 and involved gator-related manslaughter. Hilarious and heart-wrenching 💚 Rated M, 280k, complete

This list will probably get updated if I remember any more or read anything new. And not to shamelessly self-promote but I have a variety of jetko works of my own, linked here if you're interested at all. :)

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So You Want To Understand Imperialism: an introductory reading list

This is part 1 of my theory recs; rather than dumping hundreds of titles into a Google doc and releasing it into the wild, I figured it would be less overwhelming to break them down by topic. This list is obviously non-exhaustive, and I might add some links to it at a later date, but it contains what I consider fundamental readings. Some books I was initially going to include here I kept for future posts instead, because they cover intersecting topics like settler colonialism or political economy.

You will be able to find all the recs under this tag. Drop me a message if one of the links is broken and I’ll do my best to replace it. Happy learning!

- National Liberation and Neocolonialism 101, selected writings by Lenin, Nkrumah, Amilcar Cabral, Che Guevara, and Bill Fletcher

- Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism — V. I. Lenin + The Internationalist Lenin: Self-determination and anti-colonialism — Vijay Prashad

- Capital, Volume I, Chapter Thirty-One: Genesis of the Industrial Capitalist — Karl Marx

- How Europe Underdeveloped Africa (audiobook also available) — Walter Rodney + The World Turned Upside Down: Rodney’s 1972 masterpiece — Leo Zeilig

- Divided World, Divided Class — Zak Cope

- Neo-Colonialism, The Last Stage of Imperialism — Kwame Nkrumah

- The Wretched of The Earth — Franz Fanon

- Towards the African Revolution — Franz Fanon

- The African Liberation Reader (Vols. 1 - 3)  

- The Open Veins of Latin America — Eduardo Galeano

- Cuba’s achievments and America’s Wars — Fidel Castro

- Killing Hope — William Blum

- The Jakarta Method: Washington’s Anticommunist Crusade and the Mass Murder Program That Shaped Our World — Vincent Bevins (no free PDF because it was published this year, but I linked an Amazon alternative for purchase)

- NATO’s Secret Armies: Operation Gladio and Terrorism in Western Europe — Daniele Ganser

- The CIA As Organized Crime: How Illegal Operations Corrupt America and the World — Douglas Valentine    

- How to Read Donald Duck — Ariel Dorfman and Armand Mattelart

- Rambo and the Swarthy Hordes — Michael Parenti

- Against Empire — Michael Parenti

- The Face of Imperialism — Michael Parenti

- The Law of Worldwide Value — Samir Amin + Samir Amin at 80: An Introduction and Tribute — John Bellamy Foster

- Discourse on Colonialism — Aimé Césaire

- The Blood Never Dried: A People’s History of the British Empire — John Newsinger

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Are there any books you'd recommend on writing or on the study of literature?

Hmm I’ll try to separate into a few categories – there’s bound to be overlap though!

Writing:

On Writing by Stephen King (the best)The Art of the Novel by Milan KunderaThe Writing Life by Annie Dillard Bird By Bird: Some Instructions on the Writing Life by Anne Lamott Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray BradburyHow Plays Work by David Egdar (for insight into dramatic writing)Concrete by Thomas Bernhard (a novel)The Hours by Michael Cunningham (a novel)Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov (a novel)Bluets by Maggie Nelson (a memoir)Blue Notes: Essays, Interviews, and Commentaries by Yusef Komunyakka The Believer Book of Writers Talking to Writers edited by Vendela VidaBooks about literature:

Mimesis: The Representation of Reality in Western Literature by Erich AuerbachAgainst Interpretation and Other Essays by Susan SontagDoing English: a guide for literature students by Robert EaglestoneMonster Theory, Reading Culture edited by Jeffrey Jerome CohenStrangers, Gods, and Monsters: Interpreting Otherness by Richard KearneyHow Fiction Works by James WoodAbout Time: Narrative, Fiction, and the Philosophy of Time by Mark CurrieDreaming by the Book by Elaine ScarryIntimacies by Leo Bersani and Adam PhillipsOn Being Blue by William H. GassThe Unknown Unknown: Bookshops and the Delight of Not Getting What You Wanted by Mark ForsythHeroines by Kate ZambrenoLiterary Women by Ellen MoersMFA vs. NYC: The Two Cultures of American Fiction edited by Chad Harbach

Literary theory:

An Introduction to Literature, Criticism, and Theory by Andrew Bennett & Nicholas RoyleLiterary Theory by Terry EagletonLiterary Theory: an Anthology edited by Julie Rivkin and Michael RyanThe Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism edited by Cain, Finke, Johnson, McGowan, WilliamsThe Cambridge Companion to Feminist Literary Theory edited by Ellen RooneyBeginning Theory: an Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory by Peter BarryThe Singularity of Literature by Derek AttridgeThe Philosophy of Literature by Peter LamarqueWhat is Literature? edited by Peter Hernadi

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some of my favourite vídeo essays about art history:

whose migrant mother was this? the story of the native american woman who became the face of the 1930s depression (and got almost nothing for it)

bauhaus design is everywhere, but its roots are political how even a simple choice between what font to use can be a political act

edvard munch: what a cigarette means munch + tobacco = art? (yes we’re still on the topic of art as a political weapon)

art that was never finished how great masters sometimes even didn’t finish stuff. also! the history behind the colour aquamarine

fka twigs on mary magdalene (if you like asmr you’re gonna love this)

having a coke with frank ohara (technically not art history but this video is too good for me not to mention)

video postcard: woman at her toilette a quick dive into my favourite painting of woman impressionist berthe morisot

this documentary about georgia o´keeffe (that ive seen about 10 times)

david hockney on vincent van gogh on love of nature, beauty, attention, and the art of looking (essentially a mary oliver poem in interview format!!!!)

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They seem to be really good friends 🖤💗

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okay… i’m cracking… my dash is dead and i need more ppl to follow… rb this if you post atla/lok/kyoshi novels and i’ll check out your blog