#what's in a name

[atlaculture]

What's in a Name: Fake Name Edition

I thought it'd be be fun to cover the silly pseudonyms that the characters have used in the show.

Bonzu Pippinpaddleopsicopolis - Buddhist Monk (房主) in Medieval Japanese... Pippinpaddleopsicopolis. Very subtle, Aang. ;)

Hua Mei - Beautiful flower (花美) in Mandarin Chinese. The name becomes hilarious when you consider that Katara chose the word Dung for Toph's pseudonym right afterwards.

Wang Fire - Literally the most common surname in China (王)... Fire.

Lee - Literally the second most common surname in China (李).

Mushi - Bug in Japanese (虫). Poor Iroh.

All in all, Katara and Zuko are both terrible at naming people on the spot.

[pahtoosh]

what's in a name

[image ID: a gif of steve and bucky smiling. /.end ID]

masterlist

18+

wc: 960 words

warnings: drama with a wasp, steve picks you up

a/n: shakespeare says names don't matter but in this case I say they do!!

pairing: stucky x gn!little!reader

summary: the first time you called Bucky "Baba" and Steve "Dada"

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆ ⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆ ⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ

It came out by accident. You found yourself dozing off in Bucky’s arms while watching a movie. The whole day, Steve and Bucky had been doting on you, making you feel safe enough to slip into littlespace. It was your first experience with slipping in front of them for a long period. You felt so light. The fuzziness of your mind had you lifting off your toes and into the arms of your protector. 

Steve had been called for a meeting, so it was just you and Bucky cuddling on the couch. 

Bucky shifted a bit to get more comfortable. He wasn’t planning on getting up, but you didn’t know that. You furrowed your brow and held onto him tighter. Your next words tumbled out of your mouth like marbles down a staircase. 

“Baba, don’t go.”

Your words were slurred. Your cheek was smushed against Bucky’s chest and your sleepiness stopped your mouth from properly forming the words. Bucky heard you perfectly, though. 

His heart skipped a beat. His mind raced. He didn’t want to wake you up though, so he just kissed the top of your head and soothed you by rubbing his hand over your back. 

“I’m not going anywhere, baby.” Baba’s not going anywhere.

When you woke up from your nap, you remembered your little slip-up. Your face grew hot with embarrassment. 

“Hey there, sunshine.” Bucky cooed. “Are you waking up?”

You nodded and then slowly removed yourself from his embrace, still clinging to his shirt with one hand. 

“Do you wanna get up?”

You nodded, then shook your head and nodded again. 

“Is something wrong? Did you have a bad dream?”

You shook your head.

“What’s got you all shy?”

“Sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize, I just wish I knew what was going on so I could help you,” Bucky said as he rubbed your back.

“I- I called you Baba.”

“That’s nothing to be shy about.”

You shook your head, still avoiding eye contact. 

“Can I tell you a secret?”

You nodded.

“I liked it.”

You peeked out from your hiding place against his chest, allowing your soft eyes to ask a wordless question.

“I love takin’ care of you, honey. And if you love it too, enough to give me a special name, my only business is to keep going. I’ll show you how much I like being called your Baba.”

Ever so gently, you leaned in to kiss the tip of his nose. You got comfortable in the crook of his neck before softly speaking. 

“Baba. My Baba.”

𓏲 ࣪₊♡

It was nearly dinner time when Steve returned. The three of you decided to hang out on the balcony while waiting for the food to be delivered. You sat on the outdoor rug, playing with toys while Steve and Bucky sat on the bench, chatting about their days and looking much like the love-struck Brooklyn boys from the past. Only now they had a precious little one whom their gaze often turned to. 

Your mind was utterly blank. Any train of thought drifted away as you lost yourself in the colorful blocks. You reached out to grab another piece when a large wasp landed in front of you. Startled, you pulled your hand back, accidentally knocking over the little tower you had worked so hard on. The wasp must’ve been startled too, as it began flying in frenzied circles by the fallen blocks. 

Your whimper caught the attention of the two super soldiers. Being the closest one to you, Steve leaped into action. He swiftly picked you up and carried you to the other side of the balcony. 

“It’s okay, baby. You’re okay. I’ve gotcha.” Steve did his best to soothe your trembling figure. He bounced you in his arms, holding you tight. 

You took in a shaky breath, trying to shake the fear from your thoughts. 

“Scared.”

“I know, honey. Let’s go inside, hm? Bucky’s picking up your toys for you.” Steve carried you through the sliding door, making sure no other little creatures were around as he pushed the glass aside.

He sat on the living room’s armchair with you. Steve ran his hands up and down your arms, making you feel safe. It was as if he was slowing down time just for you. You felt much calmer by the time Bucky came back inside. He gently set down your crate of toys before kneeling by the armchair. 

“You okay, pumpkin? I’m sorry that happened to ya.”

“I’m okay, thank you.”

Bucky breathed a small sigh of relief. “I gave that little punk a good talking to. No more stingers are coming around here to scare my baby, ya hear? I’ll have Tony set some nets up to be sure of it.”

You giggled, loving how his accent came out with a twinge of sass. 

“It’s okay. Dada saved me.” You punctuated your sentence with a kiss on Steve’s cheek. The blonde super soldier’s heart swelled to three times its size.

He failed miserably at keeping a dopey smile off his face. He didn’t want to scare you off by making it a big deal, though. Play it cool, Steve. Play it cool.

“I-is that me?” He coughed to clear his throat, “Am I your Dada?” 

You nodded proudly and pointed at Bucky. “And he’s my Baba.” 

The next few moments were a blur. Steve pulled Bucky onto the chair, making his partner shout before chuckling in surprise. Both of them simultaneously decided that you needed to be peppered with kisses. You decided to get them back by holding one of their faces still while you returned the favor. The three of you were a giggling mess, squished on the too-small chair: the perfect start to your precious little family.

[omagpies]

three little guys in my pocket keeping me humble

[loretta-dont-you-oppress-me]

Names and pronouns

[hpdabbles]

In the Fae!Harry AU, we saw in the sorting ceremony that Harry is the only fae in his year, but I have a question: are the Potters the only fae in the magical world or are there other families like them? "Muggle-born" who are fae too? Any other characters in the saga besides James?

In his Au, other Fae are running around, but most stay away from Humans unless they want to mess with them. They have their own kingdoms, islands, and cultures. They guard their borders with wards that repeal humans. The only ones who interact with humans are the ones who seek them out.

They popped in and out of the human at random, maybe every third or fourth generation, but rarely did they set roots in the Human world.

Many centuries ago, the Potters visited the human side of their world because they thought it was funny—they liked pranks—and simply never left.

This is why Ron says, "I know I'm not supposed to call you cute," as he knows they exist at a distance. Fae is a lot like Veela; some even use Fae hair to make wands because Fae magic is powerful.

Only one other Fae family besides the Potters has attended Hogwarts for generations: the Slytherins. The founder, Salazar Slytherin, came over after a whirlwind love affair with Godric Gryffindor. Still, when their romantic feelings ended, he chose to stay because he liked the little humans with magic.

Because of him, Fae is more accepted and respected than other magical creatures. Over time, his Fae blood got lost as his descendants married humans, and eventually, the human blood took over.

Potters, on the other hand, never married humans. They often vanished after Hogwarts in the Otherworld and came back with either a spouse or their children wanting to attend Hogwarts right up until James' time.

James was the first Potter to choose a human wife, so Harry is a half-blood in more ways than one.

There have been Muggle-Born Fae, but most of them were like Harry, half-breeds who sometimes knew their Fae parents and sometimes didn't. Those kinds of fae are much rarer, and the last known fae before James and Harry was a strange kid named Tom Riddle who didn't seem to understand humans.

It was discovered he was a Fae after he graduated, which explained his brilliance, but Riddle vanished before anyone could scramble to marry him into the family.

Having a Fae bless your household usually meant the next generation would be advanced magic, some even unlocking lost bloodlines like the Blacks and their metamorphmagus. While the Potters hadn't married humans, other Fae families did, and humans wanted that powerful magic.

Rumor had it that Riddle found his Fae mother in the Otherworld and was living there now.

As of 1991, only one Fae is attending Hogwarts: Harry Potter. But there will be more Half-Faes joining him in the following years. After all, isn't it strange that Colin and Dennis turned out to have magic? Muggle-borns usually don't have magical siblings unless they have strong magic.

[as-long-as-there-is-thinking]

A&TT

gettyimages.com, rollingstone.com

Thanks and credit to the gif-maker and people who flagged posts and pics.

[fuck-u-maga]

You know what get's me. The radical right who like to cry 'well nazi stands for National Socialist German Workers' Party so it's the socialists/left who are the nazis!!' like the nazis didn't intentionally name themselves that so they could get the support of the socialist party who were popular at that time.

It's like how conservatives say they are all about family values and stoping pedos cause who would be against that, when they purposely hurt families and just elected a pedo.

[waffle-sorter]

Cosmere folks (and others, if you're so inclined), a question: what would you name a hypothetical hybrid of the Shards Preservation and Dominion? The only thing I've come up with is Stasis, which doesn't really feel like it works as an Intent.

[minlout3heathlegs3ruffthrokfan]

Minlout Headcanon 17: Snotlout and Minden's Razorwhip seem to have a mutual understanding after their man-flight against the Flyers that day (Chain of Command), and even though Razorwhip babies aren't supposed to have names, Snotlout calls him "Whiplout" and the name just sticks. (Whiplout still enjoys taking Snotlout's helmet.)

[wouldtheybecomeafearavatar]

Would a guy named Dave be a manifestation of the vast

I say cast because when you think of someone named Dave, they don’t seem all that special. In fact you could probably see them in a crowd of people and never notice that they were there and that’s what they are. One of the many infinite people in a crowd that goes unnoticed.

[atlaculture]

Hii! I was wondering if you could make a post about the etymology of the name Druk (Zuko’s dragon)? I googled it but the result was kinda confusing 😭

What's in a Name: Druk

According to the Korra artbook, Druk is the offspring of Ran and Shaw, the dragons that taught Zuko and Aang the Dancing Dragon forms. Meaning the golden egg that Aang and Zuko found was probably baby Druk.

I bring this up because Zuko's dragon is actually named after the thunder dragons of Tibetan and Bhutanese mythology. Druk is also the Tibetan/Bhutanese word for thunder; this is due to thunder being attributed to a dragon's roar in Tibetan/Bhutanese folklore. In fact, a more literal translation of the word druk would be "cloud voice". Considering the cultural inspiration for the Air Nomads, it's likely that Aang had a hand in naming Druk.

In general, Druk's name creates a lot of interesting cultural and thematic connections:

Zuko's Blue Spirit mask is a "Dragon King" mask. The Dragon King is a rain dragon who can conjure up storms. Since Zuko's alter ego embodies a dragon of rain, it's fitting that he would name his animal companion after a dragon of thunder. Zuko clearly likes weather dragons.

Until Korra's time, lightning bending was a skill reserved only for the Fire Nation's royal family. Since there can't be thunder without lightning, Druk's name also alludes to his connection to Fire Nation royalty. It's even possible that Druk is also capable of lightning bending; after all, dragons are the original firebenders.

While Chinese culture attributes dragons to the cardinal direction of east, Tibetan culture attributes dragons to the cardinal direction of west. Druk's name is a subtle nod to Iroh's "Dragon of the West" legacy.

The name Druk is also significant in Vajrayana (Tibetan) Buddhism. Drukpa or "Thunder Dragon Lineage", is a school of thought in Vajrayana Buddhism. Also, the name Vajrayana literally means "The Thunderbolt Way" in Sanskrit, in which lightning is used as a metaphor for the "jolting" nature of enlightenment. Considering that Druk is the offspring of Ran and Shaw, who "enlightened" Aang and Zuko on the true nature of firebending, his name is quite fitting.

All in all, Druk is probably one of the best named characters in the entire ATLA franchise.

Like what I’m doing? Tips always appreciated, never expected. ^_^

https://ko-fi.com/atlaculture

[haveyoureadthisfanfic]

Summary: What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet OR The voices are scattered and slowly reuniting. If only our local cheated voice knew what to call himself...

Author: @IrusanW4

[usamifriends]

Yotsuba Tamaki: The Clover Amidst Chaos

The number four is often seen as a bad omen in East Asian cultures because it sounds like the word death. I don't think it's a coincidence that the character with a deceased parent, Tamaki, represents number four.

Tamaki didn't have an easy life growing up. His father is probably an abusive alcoholic. His mother passed away from an illness when Tamaki was still young. What's more, he was separated from his little sister Aya, the only family member he had left, when she got adopted. His past situation seems to fit the idea of number four being unlucky; however, his name provides an interesting contrast.

Tamaki's full name is 四葉環 (Yotsuba Tamaki). His family name, Yotsuba, comes from the four-leafed clover, a symbol of luck. It is also the part of Tamaki's name with his representative number. By doing this, the writers turn the number four from a bad omen to a symbol of good luck. The story beautifully reiterates this reversal during IDOLiSH7's first local TV broadcast. When the local TV broadcast LIVE X LIVE offered to broadcast 5 minutes of IDOLiSH7's outdoor concert, the weather unfortunately hindered them. If bad weather isn't enough, lightning strikes down their sound equipment. The studio almost cancel their live broadcast because of the situation, but Tamaki steps up and starts dancing on his own. The other members support him by clapping, and the audience joins in. Because of Tamaki, IDOLiSH7 could keep its live broadcast and smoothly transition back to the song after losing sound. He and Sogo garner a lot of attention because of this specific moment, even the attention of President Yaotome. Tamaki, the group's number four, became IDOLiSH7's lucky four-leafed clover.

Tamaki (環) means a ring or loop to surround or encircle. These words remind me of connections and harmony. Perhaps his mother gave him this name in the hopes that he would grow up to be someone who could get along with anyone and form lots of connections. The meaning of his given name goes very well with the two side stories in Part 1 Chapter 3 where Tamaki struggles with conforming to rules that don't make sense to him. Iori tells him that if he wants to be with people, he has to learn to compromise. Agreeing with Iori, Tamaki thinks being completely free means being alone. Later on, Tamaki asks Sogo and Yamato if they think true freedom requires solitude. While it is true that living with other people requires us to compromise at times, Sogo and Yamato assure Tamaki that he does not have to be alone to feel free. From the way he cares for the members and the way he broke the dancing ban because other people wanted to see him dance, we know that while Tamaki is a free-spirit who feels suffocated by rules, he also wants to be around people and loves people deeply. The tension between freedom and the need to compromise in human relations is a central theme of Tamaki's growth; it is a question Tamaki continues to face even until Part 6.

Treat him to some King's Pudding if you see him this week!

[hpdabbles]

I don't know if you also accept writing requests on this blog, but if so, could you please write more about fae! Harry? I really loved the concept and keep rereading this post again and again. Thank you so much in advance.

Harry's sorting is a little different from the rest of the school. Professor Feline, a stern woman with a lovely Scottish accent, made him wait in the hallway while the rest of the first years were taken inside.

At first, he had grown frightful that she wouldn't allow him to attend school, but his nerves were settled when Belle had leaned in to whisper that all Potters weren't allowed in areas where attendance was made.

It was to protect the students' real names.

Once every last first year was sorted, and the Headmaster explained why they could not say their names in his presence to the muggle-raised children, Professor Feline would come back for him and sort him. Harry figured the woman hadn't given her real name because her identity didn't wrap around him like all the muggles he'd met.

And wasn't that a shock? After Belle had explained everything she knew about the Potter Family, Harry realized something.

Apparently, someone giving him their name was the magical equivalent of giving him control over their person. It was a binding that only his people- the Fae- could do. If he commanded it, the person who give away their name, must do anything he desired. He could have them become his servant, command them to walk off a cliff or break into song, or even kill others in his name.

These people were called the Unname because Harry was given their names. Even if it wasn't their full name, as most didn't introduce themselves with their middle names, for example, if their identity was attached to the part Harry had heard, he had some control over them.

If Harry practices enough, he could influence their thoughts and emotions. Apparently, there was a Potter who enjoyed taking away the sensation of fear from people so they would never be afraid again - which sounds nice on the surface.

A lot of those Unname ended up dead because they lost the feeling of fear. They were not afraid to insult people they shouldn't, they were not scared of taking risks they shouldn't, and most of them had not been afraid of death itself, so none of them were careful.

Belle had pointed out that people did stupid things without fear, and his ancestor wasn't nice.

Pearl had jumped in, explaining that Fae and human ideas of kindness were slightly different because Fae tended to have a more mischievous mindset and never thought things through. This didn't mean they were evil or trying to be cruel.

It just meant they saw the world differently. Of course, there were some Fae who were cruel and evil, the kind that liked stealing humans and keeping them as toys. The ones all those myths the muggles kept alive of the creatures spoke of.

But Nick empathized that it was the same with humans. Not all of the human race were murderers, but there were some rotten apples hidden in societies.

All that because names had power. The kind Harry had never known he could control. It made sense now why his aunt tried so hard to never introduce Harry.

She was trying to protect the other humans, but she failed, as she wanted to appear normal, and you don't usually avoid a name in conversations. He owed a lot of muggles, as all of them were free with their identities in his presence.

For once, since finding out he was a wizard, Harry was excited to go back to the Durselys. He wanted to check and see if he had made them Unnamed, and if he had, then there would be some big changes at Number 4 Private Drive.

"Mr. Potter." Professor Feline called, opening the door. "It is time for your sorting. Come along, child, we need you to sit at the stole as quickly as possible."

Harry straightened up, feeling his hair lift in excitement. This was it. He was going to become a full-fledged wizard! He stepped around the woman, thanking her softly, only to freeze as every pair of eyes in the large dining hall zeroed in on him.

Their stars pin him in place, making it impossible for Harry to move. He becomes painfully conscious of his flying hair, how the clothes hang on his frame and the position of his arms.

Reaching to flatten his hair, he feels his face burn in mortification as whispers and mutters break across the room. He wishes he could sink into the ground and never be seen again

Four long tables were covered with children of various ages, all wearing the same robes as Harry's, but his were pure black, while everyone else had different coloring lines in their outfits.

"Go on, Mr. Potter," Professor Feline urges, pressing her hand to the top of Harry's back when Harry just stands there. He allows himself to be led to the front, feeling the children's eyes on him like a cold mist on his skin. Aunt Petunia made him wake early those winter mornings and shovel the driveway without gloves and a too-large jacket.

He passes by the blue table where one of the teenagers presses himself far away from Harry. He crosses himself three times, holding a rosary in front of him like a shield.

A girl in yellow was doing something similar further down the tables- closer to the stole that the professor was leading him to- but she held up bread and a clad of metal staring him down as if daring him to try her.

Harry wasn't entirely sure what all that was about, so he ducked his head and avoided her eyes. He did notice that Pearl was sitting at the green table while Nick, Belle, and Herb (the chubby boy from the train who lost his toad) were all at the red table.

He offers them waves, beaming when they wave back. When Harry gets to steal, and a hat is placed on his head, Harry realizes something important.

He had been so focused on explaining his family during the train ride that he had forgotten to ask about the houses. When Pearl and Nick talked about the school, they skipped over that part and went straight into some kind of sports game.

He had been so busy trying to learn everything he could about his own kind. He had no idea which house best fit him.

But I do. A voice whispered in his mind, causing Harry to jump. I know the perfect place for a curious Fae like you. Since you have no preferences, I'll place you in the ideal place.

"RAVENCLAW!" The hat thunders over Harry's head. He practically leaps out of his skin when it does, but it's removed from his head just as suddenly.

The blue table erupts in screams and shouts as they start chanting, "We got Potter! We got Potter!". Harry feels a beaming smile forming on his face as he scurries to the table, his black robes shifting to the blue lining.

This is going to be a great year.

[firthbetterorfirthworse]

You know what I love thinking about, Pride and Prejudice wise? The fact that, for most everyone outside of Darcy and Elizabeth (with the exception of Charlotte and the Gardiners) the main happy ending comes COMPLETELY out of left field.

At the end of the book, her own sister Kitty doesn't even remember Mr Darcy's NAME. He was just that dude that visited for a few weeks and was rude to Lizzy, and then showed up a year later and practically the next day got engaged to her.

Elizabeth just can't go on vacation anywhere without running into Darcy