sukiies

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Acknowledging that “critical thinking” means “thinking about things in a thorough way from different perspectives” and not “finding every flaw in a thing and fixating on it until all the joy is gone” is so liberating.

It’s supposed to be about intellectual curiosity, not about finding ways to devalue things that aren’t perfect or that we personally dislike.

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Very close

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something i never anticipated in 2024 is mark hoppus acknowledging tomark

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suki {icons}

book 2: earth chapter 12: the serpent’s pass

like/reblog | @spearbinsung

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i'm kind of glad the characters in avatar don't have full names because it always cracks me up for whenever i see a character's full government name 😭

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plushies live very complex lives

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love the short hair girl rep in avatar <3

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that scene where the red lotus tries to kidnap korra and mako hypes bolin up to earthbend at pli......... it's so wholesome im gonna cry

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Who first suggested the book club: Mako or Jinora? And who picks the books?

i think it probably started organically as a natural progression of jinora getting to know mako better. they're on a roadtrip (airtrip?) across the earth kingdom in search of new airbenders and they're both a little bored and irritated. mako has no escape from the budding bestieship of his two gorgeous ex-girlfriends who he fumbled. badly. jinora has no escape from her generally chaotic extended family. they're both introverts who need space that they cannot find on a relatively large but still altogether much too cramped airship. mako walks in on jinora reading a book on the history of ba sing se. he apologizes for interrupting her, but then he's like "is that book interesting?" and before he knows it, jinora is rambling about the history of dai li and the various earth dynasties, and mako is listening intently trying to absorb all of it. normally jinora's interests are shot down as being (ikki and meelo) "too nerdy" or (tenzin and pema) "extraneous to her air nomad studies" (even though, she argues, air nomads have historically been very worldly, and besides, she's part water tribe!) so when mako seems to actually appreciate knowledge for the sake of knowledge, she lends him her book after she's done with it. and for a while, that's how it goes: jinora finishes one of her books, and then she gives it to mako to read, and they discuss it. their conversations primarily focus on their literary pursuits; neither has an interest in discussing the interpersonal drama currently surrounding them.

then, jinora develops a crush on one of the new airbenders. and suddenly jinora regrets befriending this teenage boy who won't stop barraging her with his motherly concern and disapproval. "he's not good enough for you," "he's untrustworthy," etc. etc. everything they read somehow turns into a didactic lesson, even as jinora directs them to books on the most mundane, innocuous topics possible (mako is actually fascinated by the mechanics of the omashu mailchute system, but he still somehow manages to turn it into a moralizing tale about how careless disregard for authority can lead to life-ruining danger). eventually, the red lotus becomes more of a threat than mako's obnoxious presumption that he knows what's best for her, and their attentions are diverted elsewhere. gradually, mako's opinion on kai turns around, and he gives jinora his approval (not that she needed it, he's literally just some guy?), so they can once more go back to reading and discussing literature without any distractions.

jinora is usually the one selecting the books, since she has more free time to read, but mako lends her some books of his own. there is no obligation for it to be a formal thing, since mako is on air temple island frequently enough that they don't need to create an official schedule to plan for their meetings, but for some reason they still do because mako prefers to live a highly structured, ordered life. they meet on the second and sixteenth of every month, and exchange notes on their primary takeaways from each book – what they were most interested to learn, whether the author was convincing in their rhetorical style – and then they deliberate over which book to read next while drinking tea. they have a strict "no 'personal life' talk" rule. occasionally jinora ventures to suggest that they read a work of fiction together next, but mako always swiftly shoots her down. he is here to expand his mind, not to rot it with fluff! jinora would be annoyed if she didn't find it charming being friends with the world's most boring guy. and eventually she does manage to tease out his entire convoluted backstory with korra and asami, as well as some of the least unpalatable details of his childhood, and some of his more exciting moments as a detective. jinora's just like "damn, no wonder you don't read fiction. your life is already five different genres of insanity." and mako's just like "yeah. do you have any more of those plain, unsalted rice crackers? they're my favorite food."

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mai 🤝 mako and fandom mischaracterizing and being willfully ignorant as to why they are emotionally repressed and have issues expressing themselves.

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mako was out here raising a kid when he was just a kid himself. the absolute dedication to bolin, we love to see it hun.

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there’s some commentary in how mako and bolin become friends with those that have a lot of societal and political power after living a significant portion of their lives as poverty stricken and homeless. 

they’re both close, personal friends with asami sato and korra. they’re on good terms with lord zuko, tonraq, tenzin and his family – all world leaders.

bolin is dating a beifong and has a weird bromance with verrick, and in the comics works for zhu li moon who becomes president. 

mako is friends with the earth king himself, protégé of lin beifong and is a well respected member of the republic city police force.

each of them is a hero in their own right. 

like these two really did the dream. social climbing out of poverty. 

but the real  dream is to imagine that post book 4 mako and bolin being all

to all the world leaders he knows about poverty and homelessness. bolin too. 

post book 4 mako and bolin gained more perspective than they had in book 1. they’re in more secure places in the world. book 1 mako was worried about rent and where their next meal was coming from. he didn’t see the world much outside of his immediate circle and bolin is older, a little wiser and he always wants to help and after his massive fuck up with kuvira may direct that desire better. plus now they have political capital. 

imagine mako versus lin beifong about why the gangs never seem to have an endless supply of people. 

the fact verrifck is alive should be a testament to mako being a decent, good natured person because verrick is the prime example of the evil, scumbag capitalist and mako should’ve ate him alive for the shit he pulled. 

made i’m just bitter the show did fuck all about mako and bolin’s backstory. maybe.

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And that’s on trauma✨

(Put Katara OR Mako hate on this post and I’ll eat your teeth ☺️💕)

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“mako has no personality” yeah, 10 years of repressing who you are to be your sibling’s parent and only source of stability while also constantly reliving the trauma of watching both your parents die will do that to you

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reasons Mako is really really great and should be appreciated so much for how he raised Bolin coming from just watching Republic City Hustle:

He made robbing people fun. It was a necessity, and clearly a dangerous way to live but their only choice, so he not only clearly picks a target that isn’t a threat but turns it into a game where Bolin can play the Good Guy and fool around, be a hero, and have fun.

In that same vein, with almost every chance he gets he compliments Bolin (“nice grab little brother” etc. a trait he continues until adulthood with people he cares about, it’s stilted and awkward later but clearly Mako’s trying) this is probably why Bolin’s confidence is basically through the roof.

Bolin recognized Toza and calls him his “hero” indicating he has been to pro-bending matches before, later we see them both working at the match while Mako has to remind Bolin he is working too. Mako also doesnt recognize Toza on sight. I think it’s safe to imply Bolin working with Mako is new (some evidence for that later as well) and Mako would normally work while letting Bolin have a fun night watching the matches.

Bolin is sad to see his hero lose, Mako tries to reiterate a lesson that basically boils down to “they wouldnt help us, why should we care?” It’s a lesson that rings true for Mako, the caretaker, but doesn’t for Bolin because Bolin always had Mako and knows what it’s like to be cared for.

When Shady Shin threatens to send them back to the streets Mako’s first instinct is to give Bolin a reassuring pat on the back and tell him not to worry.

While Bolin is doing his antics we always see Mako just behind him, watching and keeping an eye out. The only time he isn’t is when it is implied Mako was doing some work on his own (after Bolin got mad) and Bolin snuck away, after which Mako immediately finds Bolin the moment he’s in danger to save him.

Bolin wants an adorable pet, Mako immediately tells him “No. The last thing we need is one more mouth to feed.” Again, Mako as the parent having to juggle being the good guy and the bad guy, taking all the responsibility of caring for them on his own shoulders. And he has a point. Mako is clearly struggling just to keep Bolin and himself fed (“We didn’t eat anything yesterday.”) and the last thing they need is a pet.

Bolin begs Mako (typical kid stuff wanting a pet “aw he’s so cute!” “Ple-ease??”) and is suprised it doesn’t work and sad when Mako tells him to toughen up. Bolin begging is interesting because it tells us it often probably works, Mako giving Bolin what he asks for; and in this instance Bolin is very much acting like any normal child while once again Mako is the (reasonable) parent.

From what I inferred earlier where Bolin helping with the work being new, Mako has just started to get Bolin into this criminal world with the Triple Threats and is clearly worried Bolin is too soft for it, while at the same time interestingly never brings up how Bolin is five years older than Mako was when Mako started taking care of them. I think one of the arcs of this series was Mako realizing Bolin, because of who he was and how sheltered he’d been, couldn’t survive in the same environment Mako was. Mako has earned the respect of Shady Shin, meanwhile Bolin can’t even handle this one job. (Mako, a pragmatist, realizes by the end that if Bolin stayed in this work he’d have to become more like Mako, and so Mako takes the out Toza offers.)

Bolin. Is. An. Optimist. Bolin grew up living on the streets, hungry and poor, and he’s an optimist. Why? Just jump back to the scene with Shady Shin where the moment things seems scary Mako immediately reassures Bolin. Mako is hypersensitive to Bolin’s emotions, even when chastizing him he falls back to a kind voice and explains why, so it’s no small leap to say Bolin always thinks things are going to turn out okay because that’s what Mako has told him his whole life.

“Maybe I’m not as mean as you! Maybe I just can’t turn my back on people when they’re down!” Bolin calls Mako mean and uncaring, and Mako.... sighs. He doesn’t respond, just takes it in, lets Bolin have his emotions and even say cruel things to him and just internalizes it and leaves it alone.

Mako weirdly knows exactly how to handle a dangerous snake. I don’t know what this means. Either he has experience or it’s pure Mom Instinct where he sees Bolin in trouble and just wrangles a dangerous snake and flings it back into its cage in seconds.

Mako relents on the Pabu business right after Bolin puts himself in danger to save the animal and Bolin gives him puppy dog eyes (also after Bolin called him mean). Maybe he thinks having a pet can teach Bolin responsibility, or maybe he doesn’t want Bolin to think he’s mean, either way, Mako knows it’s not a great idea to have a pet but still gives up, apparently not able to say no to Bolin twice.

Bolin never apologizes or is asked to apologize for calling Mako mean and uncaring. In fact, considering the sequence of events, Mako is the one who apologizes by letting Bolin keep Pabu even though by all accounts Mako was right not to want a pet. When Mako does admonish Bolin it’s only in ways Bolin needs to act in order to survive, otherwise Mako seems unwilling to defend himself or make Bolin change in any way. (Mako models this type of forgiveness despite being the wronged party which interestingly, Bolin shows later throughout LoK and it is something people love about him, but the origins are here, coming from Mako.)

“You really have a habit of getting in stupid situations” Mako tells Bolin, indicating this type of behavior, Bolin getting in trouble and Mako coming to save him, happens a lot. (Even in the end, Mako finds out Bolin bet all their money on a fixed match, like c’mon Bolin.) Bolin just says “I know” and Mako leaves the conversation at that without rubbing it in. A surprising amount of maturity for a fifteen year old.

Bolin can’t keep his mouth shut and gets them in trouble, shouting and excited during the match; as Mako looks embarrassed and worried, another indication that this, Bolin being present with the Triads, is a recent development and a clear indicator Mako was right telling Bolin to toughen up or he wouldn’t survive, as they instantly find themselves running and fighting for their lives.

“Can we, Mako? Mako, can we? Mako, please!” Mako is so explicitly the parent to Bolin it’s sad. He is fifteen, he’s been on his own with Bolin since he was eight and literally witnessed his parents die, and throughout the series we see him comforting Bolin, suppressing his own emotions, and being a parent over and over again. Meanwhile Bolin acts like a child, who had a normalish childhood, who plays games and laughs and is optimistic and confident and wants a pet, so despite everything they went through, and how hard it was, Mako was clearly a very good parent to Bolin.

Shady Shin miscalculates in the end by telling Mako “don’t go soft on me”, the same thing Mako was telling Bolin; which goes all the way back to my earlier point that Mako knows Bolin won’t last as a Triad and needs something else. “I do have to take care of my brother, and I think this is what’s best for him.” There, explicitly, the only reason they become pro-benders is because Mako thinks it’s right for Bolin, ‘what is right for Bolin’ is the basis of all his choices, what is right for Mako isn’t considered because what Mako wants is for Bolin to be happy.

In conclusion, if you hate Mako and love Bolin, I think you need to take a step back and remember who raised Bolin.

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I’ve been re-watching LoK season 1 for Fic Research Purposes~ and have come to the hilarious realization that Mako WAS FUCKING FERAL in season 1. Why is this not explored more in fandom? This mad lad literally bodily picked up an Equalist and hurled him away from Bolin in what I can only conclude was some kind of mom-lifting-a-car episode of hysterical strength.

He stood up in a moving vehicle, driven by Asami ‘drive it like it’s stolen’ Sato and shot lightning ON A CURVE at some dudes! He grabbed a cable attached to a mech and forced lightning through it! He got into a car with Korra behind the wheel!

He set parking tickets on fire when Bolin suggested they pay them! (Which, yeah, not as cool as the lightning thing, but really underscores a fundamental difference in his and Bolin’s mentalities at this point in their development. Bolin still operates under the assumption that if you follow the rules and do everything ‘right’ maybe life will be fair and reward you, while Mako is 100% in survival mode and has been since age 8, and has fully embraced the mentality of ‘whatever solves problem fastest right now’ because he does NOT believe life is fair, and in fact, is constantly waiting for it punish him.)

This difference in season 1 Mako and Bolin’s attitudes towards life is very apparent when they’re arrested by Tarrlok.

Bolin looks shocked and betrayed while trying to reassure Korra that they’ll be ok:

While Mako says nothing and looks resigned:

There’s just so much character subtext going on with these two and it’s a damn shame the love triangle stuff gets all the attention because, frankly, it’s the least interesting part of the season.

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established by crownedinivy makes me want to chew on glass. [trigger warnings for sexual assault, child abuse and ptsd. read the warnings my friends].

this fic hasn’t left me alone since i read it. this and trust by sharkgirl [wuko; and trigger warnings again, please read the tags]. 

while the show never goes there with his character only poking and prodding at the edges of his trauma one cannot help but wonder. he was involved with the triads, he was taught how to bend lightening at a young age, scams and grifts, stealing but he and bolin were so young and so vulnerable. mako was desperate to meet his and bolin’s basic needs and you know there’s adults who’d take advantage of that desperation and cleverness. mako’s backstory gets real dark really quick when you give yourself five minutes to think about it.

and than i get sad because fandom uses mako as a punching bag and makes terrible jokes about how he’s so bad he made korra and asami lesbians when mako has a lot of unprocessed trauma that results him not being able to navigate and establish positive sexual and romantic relationships immediately. he’s awkward, fumbles a lot and decidedly not-the-fun-brother but he learns to be do better, to be better but it takes failing first. the fact he and bolin are as well adjusted as they are is a win in itself. republic city should count all it’s lucky stars mako has a sense of morality.