#(there’s also lok but less clear)

[moonmoonthecrabking]

kinda want the netflix writers to spite the homophobes and biphobes and make min ho bi next season

[zukosdualdao]

so, this post was originally born from a post i saw a couple of months ago that was deriding people for criticizing katara’s main role in lok being a healer when that was never all she wanted to do but liking the scene where she heals zuko in sozin's comet. at the time i thought about responding directly and decided against it, but i have since scanned through transcripts of every instance (i could find; it's possible i could be missing something) of katara healing someone in the show and how they respond. (you know, like a normal and well-adjusted individual. lmao.)

anyway, aside from katara explicitly stating that she doesn’t only want to be a healer, another aspect of why people don’t like that this is how her story goes in lok is because of the way healing is treated in the atla narrative.

Katara: Aang, you're burned! Let me help you. [Katara heals the burn on Aang's arm.] Aang: Wow, that's good water. Sokka: When did you learn that? Katara: I guess I always knew. Sokka: [Sarcastically.] Oh ... Well then thanks for all the first aid over the years. Like when I fell into the greaseberry bramble. [Angrily.] Or that time I had two fishhooks in my thumb!

this comes, of course, after aang accidentally burns katara and she learns she can heal through her waterbending by healing her own hands. then (after comforting aang despite being the one who got hurt, not that i'm bitter), she heals aang after he gets burned in his fight with zhao. and like... there's not so much as a cursory thanks in this scene.

to be clear, because i can already hear some responses in my head and i am making a preemptive strike: i'm not saying that when other characters don't thank katara for her healing, they're like, the worst people ever for not doing so or there aren't other ways at different times where they show their appreciation. what i am saying is that it feels like this sets up a long pattern of katara's healing specifically being taken for granted, and it makes me especially uncomfortable when i see her healing as a sort of metaphorical parallel to the emotional labor often expected of her in the show, especially because this and being The Avatar's Girlfriend/Wife is more or less what she's relegated to in post-canon.

also, i have to note sokka's line here. i don't want to come down on him too hard for this, because it's obviously being written humorously (and does genuinely make me laugh, for what it's worth, if just for the inherent ridiculous nature of two fishhooks), but his sarcastically saying thanks for all the help over the years when katara says she always knew (which is supposed to be her saying it just somehow instinctively came to her) does feel like another mark in this pattern. but i also really read this as sokka trying to lighten the mood after a Difficult (TM) day, so i cut both him and the writers some slack for it.

Meanwhile, back at the Outer Wall, Katara attempts to heal a member of the Terra Team. General Sung: What's wrong with him? He doesn't look injured. Katara: His chi is blocked. [Stops healing.] Who did this to you?

i find it interesting that katara has sort of naturally fallen into a token team healer role, to the degree that we don't even see them ask for her help or her agree to it; it's just automatically assumed that she will. and i mean, on the one hand, it's fairly standard to have an Assumed Healer in a fantasy action setting like this, where people will get hurt in combat and therefore the narrative needs someone whose job is to help them. the problem for me is that the show kicked up such a fuss about how women shouldn't just be allowed to be healers, and yet it's still the role no one but katara ever fills. aang is also a waterbender! why couldn't she have taught him healing, too? i genuinely think it would have added a lot to the story, but katara is The Girl (TM), so healing is what she (and only she) does, what's expected of her, and again, with very rare thanks for it.

Katara stares open-mouthed at Jet, her hands hovering near her mouth in shock. Snapping out of it, she withdraws water from her water skin, with which she covers her hands, and it begins to glow as she kneels down next to him. Cut to a shot from over her shoulder, with Jet glancing at her while she rubs her hands over his chest in an attempt to heal him. After rubbing his chest three times, the glow fades, the water stains Jet's clothing, and Katara looks back over her shoulder toward the rest of the group. Katara: This isn't good. Smellerbee: You guys go and find Appa. We'll take care of Jet. Katara: We're not going to leave you. Longshot: There's no time. Just go. We'll take care of him. He's our leader. They stare at Longshot in surprise. Jet: Don't worry, Katara. I'll be fine. [Smiles a little.]

Cut to a closer shot of Katara placing Aang's body on Appa. Katara opens the vial around her neck and uses water healing on Aang's wounded back. The rest of Team Avatar, Kuei, and Bosco all look sadly and in anticipation. The glowing from the spirit water stops, and Katara starts crying, assuming that it was not enough to save Aang. Aang's tattoos glow for a second and Aang groans. Katara, overcome with joy that Aang is alive, looks at him, who smiles a little, and she holds him closer.

writing about these together because i have less to say about them. i'm definitely not going to fault jet for not thanking katara when she tries to heal him as he literally lay dying, or aang for not having the mind to do so after she brings him back. but i am still going to fault the narrative for putting her in a position where healing is just inherently expected from her and yet very rarely allowing her to feel the emotional toll of that or to feel constricted by it. and when she does struggle against the weight of it (not necessarily of being a healer, but of being expected to be kind and good and uncomplicated with no room for other aspects of her identity, which are very tangled up in why she is The Healer) in episodes like the runaway or in the southern raiders, she just... does not receive a lot of support from the people she should be most able to rely on.

Katara: Maybe we should go upstairs. [Helping Aang up.] You need a healing session. Back in Aang's room on the ship. Katara bends some water onto the scar left by Azula's lightning attack. Katara: Tell me where the pain feels most intense. Aang: Mmm, a little higher. Uhhh! Aang briefly flashes back to the battle at Old Ba Sing Se where he rose into the Avatar State, then back to reality. Aang: Wow, you're definitely in the right area there.

not much to say here, it's just another instance where it would have been so easy to slip one thank you in, and the writers just... do not. the reason i think it bothers me so much with aang specifically is because katara is supposed to be both aang's physical healer and his emotional crutch in a way that she's not written as being for, say, toph or sokka. he's sometimes shown appreciation for her emotional support, but he still comes to rely on and expect it in ways that do not always feel healthy, and knowing that, it bothers me that he shows even less appreciation for her healing, because it's just what katara is there for.

A figure resembling the Painted Lady glides over the water on a carpet of fog and enters the village. She steps into a hut where several people are sleeping on the floor, and bends over each of them in turn, healing them with a blue glow. Her last patient is the mother of the little boy seen earlier, her son sleeping at her side. He wakes as the Painted Lady turns to go and silently follows her out the door. Little boy: Thank you, Painted Lady.

this is a genuinely sweet scene in which katara does receive appreciation and genuine thanks for her healing, but i think it's also worth noting that katara is not being recognized as herself here. still, i am genuinely very glad that it's included in the episode because (again, unless i am missing something) it is the first time katara gets thanked for her healing.

The scene cuts to show Appa landing on the edge of the battlefield. Sokka and Katara help Hakoda onto the ground, and Katara starts trying to heal him. Katara: How does that feel, Dad? Hakoda: Ah, a little, better. I need, to get back to the troops. [Attempts to stand but is too weak to.] Ahh! Katara: You're hurt, badly. You can't fight anymore. Hakoda: Everyone's counting on me to lead this mission Katara, I won't let them down. [Attempts to stand again but can't.] Ahh! Sokka: Can't you heal him any faster?

they're in a high intensity situation, and sokka is Stressed because hakoda is supposed to lead the mission, so i, like, Get It, but "can't you heal him any faster?" does strike me as another moment in which katara's healing is being taken for granted. i think it's something that would bother me a lot less if this was an isolated incident in the writing, but *gestures vaguely at whole post*.

Sokka: [Brightening.] Dad! [Rising and approaching the two.] You're on your feet again. Hakoda: [Sitting down; somewhat weakly.] Thanks to your sister.

that being said, in the next hakoda and katara scene, there is this very sweet moment, where hakoda might not be thanking katara directly but is showing a lot of appreciation and admiration for her skill in healing (and though she's not in the dialogue i included, she's around to hear it, which makes me happy.)

Katara: It's gonna take a while for your feet to get better. [Stops healing.] I wish I could have worked on them sooner. Toph: Yeah, me too.

once again, i'm not gonna fault toph for wishing katara could have healed her feet sooner, because she's been in pain all night, but the writers could have very easily (as they could have in any of these scenes!) chosen to include a perfunctory 'thanks' here, and they just didn't. i know this is getting repetitive, but i swear it's because it's largely more me being mad at the writers than the characters, lmao.

there are also a couple of scenes in which katara doesn't heal anyone, but her healing gets brought up by aang.

Aang: He doesn't look sick. You okay, buddy? [Appa groans and Aang pulls out Appa's purple tongue.] His tongue is purple! That can't be good. Katara, can you heal him?

to be fair, aang asks here, and it's not like aang gets defensive or angry when katara says appa needs medicine (and also to be fair, appa's not even actually sick, lmao, katara's being slightly trickstery), but it's another instance where katara is automatically positioned as the person who is and should be responsible for healing.

Aang: [Chuckles.] Well, not over over. I mean there's always Katara and a little Spirit Water action, [Turns to Katara.] am I right? Katara: Actually, I used it all up after Azula shot you. Aang: [Disappointed.] Oh.

i actually don't mind this so much as a writing moment, as i think it's a lot more intentional wrt aang not always conceptualizing the reality of the violence he’s facing. still, it’s another instance of katara’s ability to heal and care for him being taken for granted, and i find it especially notable it’s in of the last significant moments they share together (the other being an argument as katara urges him not to run away from the reality of their situation with ozai) before they spend the rest of the finale separate until they’re kissing without a word at the end.

and then there is the zutara healing scene, where katara heals zuko after he interferes and takes azula’s lightning to the chest when she’s aiming for katara.

Cut to Katara as she rolls Zuko on to his back and begins healing him. Zuko opens his eyes, feeling the pain lessen, and smiles weakly at Katara, who smiles back as she sheds a tear.

Zuko: Thank you, Katara.

Katara: I think I'm the one who should be thanking you.

it seems fair to me to say that one of the reasons the motifs of healing in the zutara are dynamic are so appreciated by their fans is because of how it contrasts to a lot of moments where the work katara does with her healing is under-appreciated. for one thing, it happens as part of a mutual exchange—katara heals zuko after he gets hurt saving her. (this also somewhat calls back to their scenes together in the crystal caves in the tcod, where she offers to heal his scar after they are trapped together and zuko extends her empathy.) it’s based in reciprocity. it’s also, as shown here, one of the few moments of explicit, heartfelt appreciation and thanks given for katara’s healing.

[in-my-loki-feels]

Lokius the beloveds and 💘 for the ask game :D

Thank you for the ask! <3 This one got a little away from me, whooops.

💘 fake relationship / mutual pining / dared to kiss

“He cares for you,” Sylvie said, and then, “Not that it seems to matter, since you’re too chicken to do anything about it.”  “I am not!” Loki said, before realizing his mistake. Sylvie’s smile grew a touch more smug as she closed the trap on him.  “Then prove it.” Loki stared, unable to hear Alioth in the distance over the sound of his own thundering heartbeat. After a very long pause, Sylvie shrugged.  “Or don’t. Live the rest of your life in regret. It’s not like it’ll be a long one, with what we’re up against.” There was carefully constructed nonchalance in her voice, but also the truth. With what they planned, it was very possible there would be no tomorrow for either of them. Did he need yet another regret added to the lifetime’s worth that haunted him? More importantly, could he allow her to be right? The challenge in her eyes made the decision for him.  Loki stood, wiped his suddenly clammy hands on his pants, and strode towards the little building where Mobius and the other Lokis waited. He would go in, take what he wanted like he always had, and force Sylvie to concede. He wouldn’t allow himself to think about what came after.  The mood inside the building was somber, but Mobius looked up as soon as Loki entered, an easy smile softening his features.  “Hey, Lok—” Loki silenced him with a firm press of the lips. It was inelegant, uncomfortable with their witnesses, and awkward due to the angle, but the thrill it sent through him was immeasurable. For one brief second, his heart soared and anything felt possible. Then he forced himself to let go of Mobius’ face and straighten.  The crackle of the fire was the only sound for several long moments. Loki couldn’t look at the others, his breath held as he stared into Mobius’ wide eyes. Now was the time to retreat and inform Sylvie she’d been wrong.  Loki cleared his throat. “Well then—” Mobius yanked him down by the tie. Their second kiss was no less awkward than the first, but far more enjoyable. It led to a third, and then an increasingly urgent fourth, before Loki stopped counting. He let go all thoughts of witnesses, of who was right or wrong, and focused only on the man whose lap he had dropped into, who kissed back with equal fervor. It was, without doubt, the most delightful outcome to a dare he’d ever experienced.

From this ask game.

[the-badger-mole]

Love your posts! Could you go into more depth on how Aang disrespects Katara’s/Watertribe culture?

There isn't much depth to go into, because the show doesn't touch on the Southern Water Tribe culture very much. And why would they, am I right? It's only 40% of their main heroes' culture. But what little they do give us is mostly shown through Aang's perspective, and Aang makes it clear that he isn't a fan of some of the most major components. He's disrespectful about the food and about the artifacts that come from a culture that mostly hunts their food. Bato of the Water Tribe is the most egregious display of his contempt, when he goes into Bato's tent as a guest and is sly and snide about the furs and antlers on display. That honestly bothers me more than Aang's reaction to the sea prunes.

There are a lot of people who defend Aang because he's young (his age as a defense is carrying a lot), but here's the thing. As with so many other things that he does, it's never walked back. We never see him come back to his attitude about the culture the girl he allegedly loves comes from, and think, hm...well, they are different from what I'm used to, but that doesn't make them less worthy of respect. I would not be surprised to hear that at some point in the comics, Aang makes a big show of loving the SWT culture, but first of all, Legend of Korra exists. I've already pointed out how so many things in that series points to Aang playing favorites among his children, and to the Kataang family dynamic being really unhealthy. I've also probably already pointed out how divorced Tenzin is from anything pertaining to his SWT heritage. There is no sign anywhere on Air Bender Island that he's mixed heritage. And why is that? Because his father never embraced his mother's heritage. Secondly, at one point in the comics, Aang is in support of the NWT soft colonizing the SWT in the name of "unifying" the two tribes...even though they sit at literally the opposite ends of the world from each other, so how does that even make sense? Still, even in the main series, he shows a lot more respect for the NWT culture than the SWT (or at the very least, he isn't as blatantly disrespectful). Bryke can do whatever they want to in the comics, it still ends with LoK happening.

[circlique]

Color Theory in ATLA/LOK: Korrasami Bonus Round

Welcome back to Color Theory in ATLA/LOK! Today’s bonus installment is in honor of the person in the redandbluebracket poll who said “korrasami wear red and blue, but aren’t red/blue coded.” Oh, you dear soul. Please watch the show before you drop such a cold take next time (trust me, you’ll thank me, korrasami are a treasure).

In case ATLA/LOK’s base color-coding by nation/bending wasn’t enough for you, please read on to see why Korra and Asami are undoubtedly “red/blue coded!”

From ATLA, there is a clear effort by the show’s creators to color-code characters based on their nations of origin. Fire gets red, air gets orange/yellow, water gets blue, and earth gets green. Since Korra is from the Southern Water Tribe, so she wears blue. Asami is the descendant of Fire Nation colonists, so she wears red. Pretty simple, right? But this is only surface level. Admittedly, ATLA’s color coding was a bit more in-your-face than LOK’s. By LOK, the nations have started to intermingle a bit more, so the color coding is more subtle, less obvious, but still there. Color theory is important, or we wouldn't be here. This is tumblr, after all.

Let's start with Korra. Korra has been a talented bender from a young age. She was just a toddler when she showed a propensity for bending more than one element, cementing her identity as the Avatar. As a result, being the Avatar has been a huge part of her identity nearly as long as she can remember. She was raised in a compound in the Southern Water Tribe, isolated from most of the rest of the world as she completed her training. She was raised with the idea that she was destined to be the Avatar, the world’s hero.

Imagine her surprise when she travels to Republic City, a melting pot of cultures of all four nations, and finds that things aren’t quite hunky dory like she'd imagined. One of her first encounters in the city is with an Equalist, a nonbender demanding equal rights and the end of oppression by benders. Korra has never encountered anything like this before. A person demanding protections against benders? Korra is the Avatar. She’s the bender. She’s never seen bending as a problem. Her identity is being threatened. 

What colors represent the equalists? Gray…and red.

From the moment Korra meets Asami, there’s some tension between them. Some of this is because of the (stupid) love triangle between Korra, Asami, and Mako. Asami wears a lot of black, because Republic City is a melting pot, and as a result of this, many of the characters who live here wear more muted colors (Mako and Bolin, for instance, wear gray, with accents in their respective bending colors).

But Asami also wears red. She’s a nonbender. And later on? Her father is revealed to be supporting the Equalists. Originally, Asami was intended to be an Equalist! But Bryke decided she worked better as an ally than an enemy. Anyway, it just goes to show, as a nonbender represented by the color red, a color also worn by the Equalists, Asami is what Korra could be fighting against. The scene where Hiroshi Sato invites Asami to join him in fighting the benders? Where he holds out the electric glove to her and she takes it?

She could be like them. She could be an enemy.

But she isn’t.

In the end, she sides with Korra, but if we just want to go based on color theory? The tension was there, undoubtedly. At that moment, Asami was very, very red-coded.

Back to Korra. Her self-identity is wrapped up in being the Avatar, and she is suddenly faced with a world that doesn’t need, and in some cases, outright rejects the Avatar. What is she, then?

In western cultures, blue often represents authority and security. In eastern cultures, it often represents spirituality. Both of these are the essence of the Avatar in ATLA/LOK. With time, Korra’s character arc comes to revolve around what it means to be the Avatar, and, in particular, her spirituality as the Avatar. Blue is featured heavily in both ATLA and LOK in scenes involving spirits and spirituality. Some good examples would be Aang joining with the ocean spirit in the Siege of the North, Aang being represented by blue as he tries to overcome Ozai and remove his bending, the Spirit Portal that Korra opens in season 2, spirit projections being represented as blue, and Raava’s colors being white and blue. 

Over time, Korra’s overarching character arc comes to be about finding her place as the Avatar in a world that seems to not need her and becoming the spiritual bridge between worlds. Korra was not a spiritual character in the slightest at the start, so for spirituality and the color blue to be so heavily featured in her character? How can you say she isn’t blue-coded?

In fact, the only time she doesn’t wear blue? It’s during Korra Alone, when she’s undercover in the Earth Kingdom trying to “find herself.” When she’s ready to be the Avatar again, she wears blue.

Back to Asami. We’ve already talked about how she represented the possibility of being the enemy of season 1, in a way. She acted as the bridge between “the enemy” and “the ally” through her color representation. But what else? Red already has some very strong connotations in both western and eastern cultures.

In western cultures, red is excitement and danger. It can be adversarial. This has been represented already in Asami’s somewhat antagonistic casting as the opposing part of a love triangle and her almost-involvement with the Equalists in season 1.

But it can also be love. Even as early as the love triangle days, Korra admitted Asami was pretty and elegant. The seeds were there.

Furthermore, in Eastern cultures, red represents luck and happiness. Where is Korra more happy than when she’s faced with a challenge? Asami presents and encourages these challenges for Korra. She offers Korra a chance to learn to drive, something Korra has never done and is eager to try. Where Mako held Korra back and argued with her, Asami supports and encourages her. She doesn’t shy away from Korra’s intensity or warn her she could get hurt. She stands next to her and asks what she can do.

And their arcs? Mirrored, in a way. While Korra has to learn what in means to be the Avatar, and has to hurt to realize how other people are hurting, Asami practically loses everything. Her company, her father, Korra. While Korra becomes steeped in her blue, Asami becomes steeped in her red.

So, when Korra is at her lowest, she confides in Asami, the only person she feels understands her. The only person who matches and encourages her intensity, her passion, without holding her back. The red to her blue.

No wonder Korra fell for her.

That’s it for now. I hope you’re enjoying these so far! I’m obsessed with colors, and I’m sorry (no I’m not).

[orangepanic]

Why is General Iroh a general? Isn't he baby?

If I headcanon General Iroh as early 20s in LOK book 1, how can he be a general without extreme nepotism? An explanation by request.

The short answer is: he got very lucky

The long answer is:

I adjust the starting age for the United Forces from 18 like it is in the U.S. down to 17. Iroh joins on his birthday. Since I headcanon he turns 24 just after the action in B1 that gives him about seven years.

His extensive training as a firebender, hard work, and natural inclinations for organization and strategy put him at the top of his officer's class, which lead to more responsibility early and harder assignments. Could some of this also be nepotism? Sure. But I also think that Iroh, with the burden of his name and the constant worry that he'll never live up to Zuko, works his absolute ass off.

The United Forces is considerably smaller than any of the U.S. armed forces, which means fewer levels to climb and less competition.

Adapting some of the headcanons of the ever helpful expert @the-hopefulpenguin in An Overview of the United Forces, I use the idea that the United Forces had some controversies and growing pains that led to the mass resignation of a lot of the top brass at a critical time. This massive vacuum of leadership cleared the path for talented younger officers.

Based on what we see in the show, I also think Iroh did some very brave things in a few sticky situations that resulted in fast-tracking his promotions. In the show for the little we see him he's usually out front, drawing fire from the crow's nest or jumping on planes or planning training exercises to thwart Unalaq or standing toe-to-toe with Kuvira, whatever he's commanded to do after. He's a do-what-it-takes kind of guy - a pattern of behavior that probably got him noticed. In the above fic, for example, there's an engagement referenced where Iroh pulls off a win after all the other ranking officers are out of action.

Iroh has an... interesting... relationship with authority. He's never outwardly insubordinate, but he sure seems to think highly of his own strategies and will bend the rules considerably unless given a direct order to the contrary. I think it's possible he might have been promoted at least once to get him out of someone's hair because it was easier than trying to document a flaw in his record.

When we meet him he's a brand new general and hasn't held the title for more than six months. Yue Bay is his first major engagement as general.

[qiphine]

It has been a while since I’ve watched ATLA/LOK, but I’ve wanted to get something out of my mind.

I love how ATLA /LOK explored each element to its (almost) full potential, giving benders different opportunities to use their gift;

Airbenders having the ability to fly, move swiftly, as well spirit bending (ig that’s what it was called)

Waterbenders having the ability to heal, CONTROL people, plants, practically anything fluid

Earthbenders being able to bend metal and lava, more or less anything solid

And firebenders being able to bend lightning.

What I have been thinking about a lot recently, is that firebending hasn’t been explored as much as other elements, so its potential might be underestimated.

The biggest reason behind this is the 100-year war as the soldiers were taught only the basic movements that would be enough for causing destruction, not particularly controlling the fire. Also the advanced technologies that the Fire Nation possesed relieved the work for the soldiers. Compared to the beginning and the end of the war it was clear that The Fire Nation relied on technology much more than firebending. My speculation would be that a lot of techniques were forgotten and firebending became a very simplified craft.

Other benders had to learn new techniques in order to survive the horrid circumstances. Take Hama as an example. If it weren’t for the war, there probably wouldn’t be such thing as bloodbending.

Here are my theories of how firebending could be explored even further;

Manipulation of temperature: raising and lowering temperature of different things, which made me wonder, if something would be heated to a certain temperature, could it be possible to bend it?

Lightning: could be possible to control electricity. Much smaller, more precise strikes of lightning could be a tool for reanimation/medicine or assasination

Anyway this is the end of me rambling, I’d love to discuss this or be reminded of something I missed👍

[mushyposts]

New ocs 👀

Or is just pov and I am confused 🤔

Either way I am so excited to see!!!!!

I also am kinda wondering what are you fire Nation laws?(Everyone has different ones)

not a new OC! Som very special people are getting POV's in the next chapter hehehe... Im not too sure what you mean by laws, so im gonna take it as a general "What are the major laws thatll effect the fic" kind of thing! The Fire Nation has legal banishment for everyone, which I mentioned offhandedly in the fic. You can send a document to the Fire Lord, but usually its seen by his representatives for that area, to get someone you are legally in charge of (your children, adopted or not, anyone ur the legal guardian of, OR if they've committed treason under the military branch ur in control of! although that can sometimes open u up to speculation, why are so many in ur command questioning our great nation??? What are you teaching them?) banished, this can be conditional (like Zuko's was) or it can be permanent. Sexuality isnt spoken about, theres technically no laws around homosexuality as it isnt even given as an OPTION, the only law that mentions it is that any relationship not mentioned by Agni's words, is not permitted and is seen as a crime against Agni, and is punishable by conditional banishment or even death in some spaces. Since Sozin removed any mention of homosexuality, polyamory, or honestly any relationship/gender outside the cishet binary, this means that without even MENTIONING the idea of homosexuality, as they did not want to even give a name to it as name is power, they've made it functionally illegal. Agni Kai MUST be fought between the parties who initiated it. The one who asks, the one who accepts, unless the Fire Lord says otherwise. This includes him taking the place of, or even permitting (read: Forcing) others to take place for either party. This is meant to be used to protect members who may be unable to properly fight, but still need to have their honour protected. It is. NOT used in that way, usually used as a way for two people engaged in an Agni Kai to try get as better fighter as they can OR Ozai may swap strong benders for weaker one where he wishes another party to win. There arent many laws around women or men's roles. Its more so centric around bender or non-bender. If you can bend, you're expected to do military service on the battle grounds. If you cant, then youre expected to do compulsory military service as a desk worker or something of the sorts. very low ranking, but still something. Very rare for non-benders to climb up the ranks, this got more prevalent during Ozai's rule. I think for the most part the Fire Nation would rule through the unsaid, the inexplicit. Propaganda, subtle laws, technicalities. Keeping their nation as in the dark as they can, lack of proper education/severely distorted education (This is displayed in canon too when Aang goes to the fire nation school.) and it was done slowly, subtly over the years of the war, through twisted narratives. I do believe in explicit laws being present, of course, but I also think sometimes the most dangerous of things said, is what is left unsaid. Lack of explicit, direct legislation, also would give Ozai the opportunity to use loopholes, or consistently falling on Agni's word seeing as he is Agni's will on earth, he can do whatever TF he wants. Less explicit, the better for him in the long run. UH! Thats all I can think of at this point hehe. Also to be clear I havent actually watched LOK, nor have I read all the comics, so this is all based on my own world building after years of obsession w ATLA and atp im too attached to it to let the other stuff change my mind i am SORRY... I also just dont have time ot read all the comics and watch LOK.

[aphantpoet]

Queer rep is not a vacuum

There is so much debate over what is and is not queer rep and it seems to change with each new show. For this I’m going to explore four series that I’m personally a fan of and break down their rep individually ;LOK, SPOP, TOH and Arcane. I will do it this way because Queer rep is not a vacuum.

It is first important to understand the perspective I’m coming at from this: so Yaama, if you don’t know me I’m a queer [Enby and Demi sexual lesbian]and indigenous [Australian] writer; I mainly write about queer people for queer people. I also want to say that I am not bashing any of these series, I love them all.

1. Korrasami

Korra and Asami have a slightly rocky relationship when they first meet but they become fast friends. Both characters are confirmed Bisexual and their relationship is far more obvious from a  queer perspective. They are far less explicit than other shows on this list but that is due to studio censorship.

The ship itself is really sweet. Both women are close and support each other with Korra writing to only Asami at one of the roughest times of her life.

This ship, being the first queer rep in Avatar, followed by Kya being confirmed as a lesbian, gets a lot of flack for being too subtle and not built up enough. As much as I do not like Some writers on the Avatar team, I do genuinely believe they were trying their best here.

The ship itself isn’t problematic and came at a time when there was little rep in mainstream media, let alone kids media. While it has it’s issues, it is some of the first rep kids in my generation saw. Sue me, I’ve got nostalgia.

2.SPOP

This is a contentious one but it cannot be denied that SPOP was full of Queer rep. Spinetossa, catradora, None of the princesses were straight and Double Trouble.

SPOP is unashamed of it’s queer rep and as world where no one is straight, no one is homophobic. This provides escapism that we as queer people sometimes need.

While Catradora has it’s criticisms, it’s a beautiful ship that underpins the narrative  and drives the plot. to call it “toxic” or “abusive” ignores the nuance of the story.

Spinetossa is a solid relationship that provides fluff and comedic relief in the darker episodes. they’re background characters but the nature of their relationship is clear from the start. they’re always together, they wear chokers with each other's colours . From the get go, before we even hear the cute nicknames we know they are a unit. 

Double Trouble , while  stemming from a problematic trope, is a solid character with complexities and comedy gold to spare. While the trope of making nonbinary characters non human is dodgy at best in a show where cis characters are also not human they don’t stand out too much so they can have a pass.

3. TOH

TOH is also unashamedly queer, Eda, Raine, Willow’s dads, Lumity, Edric.I’ve also seen commendations on the Neurodivergent rep  but that’s not my place.

Disney was obviously trying to censor things earlier on but around late season two A Dana stopped giving a shit and good for her. We got Edric having a partner, to quote his sister Emira “ After he accidentally sent  a love poem to THEIR mum”. Love that for him. The first Lumity kiss and them getting together and everything after it.

Willows dads’, minor and cliched as they may be do not come of a tokenistic, a nice change from other shows there the Mc’s best friend’s queer parents is often some of the only rep.

And Raine, a nonbinary person, who while not quite human isn’t an alien/robot/demon/spirit. They’re also a prominent character and their relationship with Eda is just a delight.

Cool Aunt Lilith, AroAce queen and all the flags in season three and it’s only the first episode.

there are some issues with Luz dating her friends ex bully but they address it and smooth it over.

4.Arcane

The biggest thing to come out of Arcane was CatVi/Violyn. I’ve seen some people ship Caitlyn and Jayce but that’s a small group.

Both character’s are confirmed as lesbians.While I love Luz I do find that lesbians do often get left behind in representation or claimed as Bi when they aren’t.

there’s not much else in terms of queer rep for Arcane but it’s very clearly a world where homophobia isn’t an issue.

The CatVi relationship is also important to the story and builds up over the first season. the show isn’t concerned with it but it’s nice to see.

All this to say, Queer rep isn’t a vacum, just because one series shows wholesome queer people and another shows messy,complicated queer love does not make either superior to the other. To put wholesome queer relationships over messy ones perpetuates respectability politics. Both can be good queer rep, both can be bad queer rep.

[kataraslove]

I'm so tired of people claiming being a kataang fan just makes you a aang stan first who has zero respect for katara and nor a true katara fan when we aren't purposely ignoring canon of her being the one to suggest kissing and being super affectionate with aang. They ignore katara clearly telling toph she dislikes being viewed as a mom while antis insist momtara is canon

Kataang fans show way more respect for katara than they do they treat enjoying canon as a moral failing and I'm tired of em acting like kataang fans are shallow sexist men when plenty of us happen to be women enjoying canon shouldn't be so controversial

the “kataang stans are primarily aang stans that don’t care about katara” is such a ridiculous take to me because there’s so many kataang fans I’ve met that prefer katara. a lot of us are in fandom spaces creating said kataang content and making kataang defense arguments about katara’s role in the relationship and the many positive ways it benefits her. i would not be shipping kataang as hard as i do if there weren’t clear substantial evidence that katara is crazy about that boy in her own ways, and feels passionate towards him in a way that she doesn’t feel towards other members of the gaang. yet her feelings for him are either categorized as motherly love and affection or her appreciating him only when he’s the avatar and fulfilling avatar duties. I’ve mentioned this before, but to truly appreciate kataang as a ship or even katara & aang’s bond (platonic or romantically), you need to be well-versed in katara’s character. and thankfully, a lot of kataang fans engaging in fandom can understand and write katara really well, even if they prefer aang among the two.

kataang fans have created and/or produced post-atla headcanons such as katara creating hospitals, working clinic rotations, inventing the infrastructure of the public health care system for republic city, establishing republic city alongside aang (which is pretty much canon as per imbalance and avatar legends), chief katara, sitting on the republic city council, opening up waterbending schools, and plenty more. we’ve always been the main ones pushing the “master katara and her husband avatar aang” comments, until it was finally canonized in avatar legends lore. we’ve been the main ones emphasizing that katara is still a child (albeit a very mature one), who still often acts like a child and ought to be treated like one in fandom. we’ve criticized the adultification & hypersexualization of katara by fandom when she’s still a 14 year old kid in the original series. there’s also a very strange fascination towards katara in her fire nation attire over her practical and adorable water tribe outfits by the fandom, which we’ve also critiqued too. notice how there’s a lot less content of katara in our fandom spaces wearing her husband’s colours or clothes? because we also recognize her unique position as a genocide survivor and how important her culture is to her, even well into her adult life. also, the notion that we vehemently defend the writing and neglect of katara in most of the GLY comics and LOK is so laughable. just because we clearly disagree with incorrect labels such as housewife, baby-maker/breeding machine, trophy wife, does NOT mean that we find the writing 100% satisfiable and true to her original character. of course she deserved a statue & her accomplishments to be highlighted. of course she should’ve attended jinora’s airbending ceremony. of course she should’ve been present at her own bloodbending trial. all of these are very valid, fandom-wide criticisms that we have aimed towards the creators as well. if the recent comics written by bryke and other printed media from avatar studios are to provide any indication, i think they have listened to the fandom. and I think that that 2025 gaang movie will provide more nuance to katara’s adult character as a fighter, healer, politician, wife, and maybe as a mother than what we had witnessed in legend of korra a decade ago.

even if the majority of kataang fans prefer aang’s character, why is that necessarily a problem? does that mean that we understand katara less? because let me tell you, a lot of people from other parts of this fandom will willingly call themselves a katara fan, yet blatantly have the most incorrect interpretations about her, or straight up only view the value in her character when she’s beside zuko. they will only be interested in engaging with her character and making content for her character when it pertains to their ship. by comparison, so many kataang fans love and adore katara, view her as their fave character, create content solely about katara, have written some of the best meta about her character out there; yet we get accused of not valuing her character and seeing her only as “aang’s trophy wife.”

[olivetreehugger]

introducing: dispatches from republic city

Hey any and all Bolin fans! I recently rewatched LoK and it reignited my love of this universe. About 10 years ago, I sort of latched onto a side character and shipped her with Bolin, but it never became anything until now. I have started writing this story, "dispatches from republic city" about Bolin and this side character, who I have named Tanana or "Nani" for short. I will place a link below for a separate post regarding this character and why I am shipping her with Bolin.

But for story's sake, I headcanon that Nani sounds like Susan Egan (she played Meg in Hercules and Rose Quartz in Steven Universe! Her singing voice is similar, but I also headcanon that she sounds like Annapantsu on Youtube-she's INCREDIBLE!). In the show, her height isn't well established, in some gifs she's the same height as the other girls, other times she is the same height as Tahno? So I'm dubbing her a solid 5'7, while Bolin started the show at a nice 5'8 and seems to have grown a bit taller? Just look at him compared to Mako in Book 4 and tell me he hasn't gotten taller! In my fic, he's 5'10.

anyways, moving on. This story takes place post-Book 4, but I've made some changes. I've always been a Makorra gal, don't get me wrong we love the gays in this house but frankly I never got the appeal of Korrasami. I won't get into why right now, I just always loved Makorra and that will never change. Oh, and call me bitter but in this world, Zuko and Katara got together *cough*. It really won't be mentioned, but it is my head canon and I'm sticking to it.

in this story, Mako and Korra have recently gotten back together, but the actual narrative doesn't focus on them too much. The story is strictly from Nani's perspective, with only one possible chapter dedicated to Bolin's POV. We'll see how it fleshes out!

See below for chapter one of "dispatches from republic city"!

dispatches from republic city

chapter one: once a wolfbat

rating: M for sex and violence, language and eventual S/A

The sound of the lunch gong split through the air like a cannon, just as Tanana barreled into the kitchen of Mama Chen’s Dumpling Joint. She hurriedly tied her apron around her waist.

She glanced up at the clock and winced. 15 minutes late!

Any minute now, Mama Chen would burst through the swinging door, ranting and raving about her repeated tardiness.

The scent of sizzling pork fat and vegetables wafted through the air, making Tanana’s mouth water. Her stomach growled knowingly. She hadn’t had single thing to eat today.

Slyly, she ducked past the fry cooks and swiped a bun from the platter next to them and stuffed it into her mouth so no one would see. She then glided towards the back of the kitchen, near the freezer, and spent a few quiet moments savoring her stolen meal.

This was now a daily routine. She’d work from noon until midnight—at least, that’s what her timecard would reflect. Tanana, or Nani, as she preferred--was usually at Mama Chen’s from about 12 pm to 2am the next day, spending an extra two hours clearing out the drunks, teenagers and straddlers while simultaneously helping to close for the next day. She would then stuff her bag with whatever leftovers (whatever she could hide, anyways), and walk to The Bookkeeper’s apartment where she stayed. She’d eat, leave the rest of in the ice box for the old lady, and then collapse wherever she could before waking up and starting the day all over.

All for two yuan a day, though if she charmed the right customer, she might get lucky and score a decent tip.

Ever since Kuvira’s mecha-weapon destroyed the downtown area, people moved in droves to the outer neighborhoods, meaning there was less of everything to go around-including work. For many, it was a struggle just to keep their heads above water. For Nani, it was an ice cold wake up call.

As she chewed and swallowed the rest of the salty dough, the brunette wiped a dribble of oil from her chin with the corner of her apron. Without missing another beat, she picked up a tray of discarded dirty dishes and began her work.

The mix of steam, oil, and body odor marinated in Nani’s hair and skin as she worked alongside the other unfortunates around her. She didn’t bother to learn their names, why would she? After all, Nani wasn’t here to make friends. And none of these people were “friend-material”, anyway.

They all seemed to have a silent agreement, though-as long as no one snitched on the other, they all kept to themselves.

Well, some of them did, anyway.

As another invisible fixture of the kitchen, Nani usually got a front row seat to the hushed confessions of the degenerates around her: the ones who cheated on their spouses, the ones who stole money from their parents to buy opium, the ones who got pregnant and left their babies in the woods.

Hearing such tantalizing gossip would leave a person reeling, bursting at the seams as they waited to regurgitate the story to another person, but not Nani.  She’d learned a long time ago that being a snitch was a stupid form of suicide, and she had the scar to prove it.

Her life was otherwise an exhausting blur—what was a little gossip to pass the time? She would be lying if she said it didn’t give her a delightful thrill of power to know what made people stir at night, what made them ache from the inside out. To know that others were awful human beings meant she wasn’t as awful as she thought. And that was nice to believe, if only briefly.

The hours seemed to fly by quickly as Nani scrubbed, wiped and swept every inch of the kitchen. She wiped a few drops of perspiration from her brow as Mama Chen shoved through the doors.

“You!” The older woman pointed angrily at Nani. “Don’t think I didn’t notice your tardiness today. This is the last day you dishonor me. You’re fired!”

Nani felt her face instantly turn red as the other workers turned to stare at her.

She didn’t expect that.

Biting back a nasty response, she tore her apron off and let it fall haphazardly at her feet. She pushed past Mama Chen and ignored her when the older woman screeched something about “making sure she never worked in another restaurant again!”

The cool autumn air slapped Nani harder than Mama Chen’s words, but it was a welcome reprieve from the congested, sweaty air of the kitchen. She sighed and inhaled deeply, her nerves on edge as she suddenly realized that she was once again out of a job.

How could she explain herself when she showed up at the store early and empty-handed?

She started down the block, racking her mind with excuses to tell the Bookkeeper, who would undoubtedly assure Nani she was doing her best and to not worry about a thing. Still, the young brunette knew the elderly woman would have to worry about her next meal and the concerning lack of customers.

Another sudden gust of wind burst forth, smashing a flurry of discarded newspaper and ads into her face.

Nani stumbled back, the wall of stray papers temporarily blinding her. She sputtered as she ripped the sheets from her face, only for one of them to catch her eye.

It was a flashy advertisement, adorned with gaudy colors and symbols, calling hopeful talents to appear on Shiro Shinobi’s new radio channel 54. The advertisement promised the potential winner a chance at hosting their very own show on the channel!

She reread the last sentence over and over, her grayish-green eyes widening at the prospect.

Could it be?

Suddenly, Nani was on a stage, a crowd of mesmerized onlookers chanting her name as she crooned into a microphone for them. The camera flashes caught the glitter of the jewels on her dress so perfectly,  momentarily blinding her, but it didn’t matter.

She was star.

For a moment, Nani dared to dream about a future that seemed impossible just moments ago. This… had to be a sign. This opportunity quite literally slapped her in the face!

Feeling giddy, she hurried back to the shop.

----

Taking one last glance at the mirror, Nani grinned with satisfaction.

She looked good, really good, like that poster of Cherry Wong hanging in Mama Chen’s. She even emulated the famous singer’s makeup, dark red lipstick and sultry cat eyes to bring out the green.

One of the first, and most influential, performers in the United Republic- Cherry Wong wowed audiences with her stunning features and incredible voice. She had a talent that no one had seen in those times. She was known for taking old Earth Kingdom poems and transforming them into melodious harmonies. Her music was enjoyed by both old and young audiences alike.

As a child listening from the partially open windows of the clubs, Nani marveled at her talent and was utterly inspired by her passion. She spent most of her free time practicing her sonnets and ballads, hoping to find her voice like Cherry Wong found hers.

A crash sounded in the room next door, followed by a cry of pain.

Nani jolted, rushing to the sound. In the hallway, a massive grandfather clock had toppled over, pinning the Bookkeeper under its impressive weight. Shards of glass and wood lay scattered around her. Blood trickled from the elderly woman’s mouth.

“Oh…oh…” the woman whimpered, shaking as she struggled under the gargantuan fixture.

Nani gasped, nearly frozen by the grisly sight. She fell to her knees, cradled the woman’s head in her hands and cried, “I’ll call for help!”

She wasn’t sure if the woman was shaking from pain or simply nodding her head, but she spent no time discerning the difference. The brunette gently laid the Bookkeeper’s head down and jumped over the sea of glass shards that littered the floor. She sped outside and flung the door to the store open, shouting for help.

The rest of the morning was a blur of people, police sirens, ambulances and cleaning up glass. Nani breathed shakily as the medics strapped the Bookkeeper into the stretcher. She reached out and squeezed her hand.

“Don’t let them take my shop,” the Bookkeeper moaned, her bandaged face soaked in tears.

Nani couldn’t say anything with the massive lump in her throat, so she mustered a nod and watched as the medics took her away in a flurry of sirens.

The tumultuous morning events had shaken Nani terribly. A jagged feeling of guilt dug into her abdomen as she returned to her room, her gaze fixated on the poster she hung above her bed. She peeled it off the wall and folded it gingerly, setting it on the mattress.

She turned away, prepared to give up this dream once and for all.

Unless…

Nani’s eyes tracked round to the bed where the poster sat. After a moment, she reached for it and unfolded the paper, gazing at it intently.

Guilt be damned. She would be stupid to waste the opportunity.

Betrayal accompanied the sound of the clanging keys as Nani locked up the store and darted up the street, her purse and the poster in her arms. Waving wildly, she was able to flag down a taxi and hurled herself into the backseat.

“To Studio 54, please.”

----

Traffic was actually quite agreeable that morning. When the cab finally reached the studio, Nani tossed what little money she had left into the greasy palm of the cab driver and pounced from the backseat onto the pavement. The sound of the cab speeding away barely registered as the brunette gazed up at the building.

The studio itself had undergone quite a transformation. It used to be a simple office building in Harmony Park, but with Shiro Shinobi’s attention (and money), it quickly became the hub for all radio-based creativity and communications. People from all over the world could be heard from this very building. Their stories, their songs, their lives…spread across soundwaves and flowing indiscriminately to anyone who could turn a dial, only to become a daily, integral part of that person’s life. It was magical, really.

Bright red, towering doors were cast open, inviting Nani inside with their promise of fame and freedom.

When she walked in, she noticed the line for auditions was quite short. Only a handful of people were in the queue. Directly in front of her stood a broad-shouldered individual who was just tall enough to obscure her vision of the ticket desk at the front of the line. Hopping onto her tip toes, Nani got a brief view of the desk and noticed the alarmingly short stack of tickets.

Her stomach turning to stone, the brunette reached up and twirled a strand of curls between her fingers. It was something she’d done since childhood, whenever she was intensely anxious.

With every auditionee, the stack got shorter and shorter. She watched in despair as the ticketer handed over the very last one to the man in front of her. Nani took a defeated step forward, the last glimmer of hope extinguished as the ticketer merely shook his head.

“Sorry, toots. Gotta be quicker next time.”

Her shoulders sank and her eyes stung as the failure dragged her under water. Her gaze traveled to the group of auditionees filing into the audition booth, the forbidden space meant only for the most auspicious, blessed individuals favored by the spirits.

Nani, as usual, was not such a person. The spirits must’ve really gotten a kick outta this one.

She chewed on her ire and hurt as she trudged back to the shop. The stone in her gut had turned into a burning lump of coal. What was worse, the humiliation of being turned away from the one thing she’d always wanted, or the immense guilt of closing the store and setting the Bookkeeper back for a stupid pipedream doomed to flop?

When she reached the decrepit little book store, she hastily let her self in and slammed the door behind her. Her eyes caught the broken grandfather clock, now shoved into a corner where it could no longer fall on frail old ladies. She locked her jaw in indignation.

Marching through the shop, Nani found the tiny radio she shared with her elderly roommate. She tore it from its perch on the counter and chucked into the trash outside. She ripped the poster from her purse and tore it to bits, letting the pieces fall around her like confetti. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror.

There she was, once again in a hapless celebration of her own failures and delusions.

“You’re never gonna learn, are you?”

----

It was an unusually warm autumn morning as Nani walked into the Bookkeeper’s hospital room. Clasped between her fingers was a large bouquet of petunias, the old woman’s favorite flowers.

“What a surprise,” the Bookkeeper murmured, lifting her head from the pillow to see the young woman at the foot of her bed. “Come, come sit.”

A sad smile tugged on Nani’s lips. The Bookkeeper looked so much smaller than she remembered. Her face had become jaunt and skeletal, her eyes barely open slits, her lips cracked and bleeding. Her neck was so weak she could barely lift her head.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” Nani offered.

“What lovely flowers,” the Bookkeeper said, as if not hearing Nani’s apology. “Find a vase for them, and put them in the windowsill. They like the sun.”

The brunette did as she was told and took a seat next to the old woman’s bed.

“I heard the most beautiful lady sing on the radio last night,” the Bookkeeper mused. Her eyes glittered with tears. “What a star she was. Did you hear her?”

Nani clenched her jaw. The audition was last week, so the stinging feeling of disappointment was still fresh. The Bookkeeper had unknowingly thrown salt right into her wounds.

The old woman turned her head weakly to smile at Nani. “I have no idea where she is,” she whispered, her tears falling down the side of her face. “She said she would be back, but I think she got lost.”

Concern set in as Nani watched the Bookkeeper’s face relax into silent, pleasant confusion. Her eyes settled on the ceiling, as though watching clouds in the sky.

It was later revealed that the Bookkeeper had cancer, and it not only ate through her bones, but it was actively chewing through her brain, too. Nani had thought it was simply senility easing its way in, a normal part of aging.

But this wasn’t normal aging. This was dying.

Nani sat at the Bookkeeper’s side for several days, comforting her as she cried out for people who weren’t there, moistening her lips with cool water, and mustering a brave face as she watched the woman who took her in waste away.

As the end drew closer, Nani knew what had to be done.

The woman deserved a proper burial at the very least. To sell the shop felt like betraying her, but what else could Nani do? She had no job, no support, and the shop hadn’t made a sale in months.  

That’s what Nani told herself when she found a buyer. The guy was skeezy, but he paid a decent amount that would cover the Bookkeeper’s funeral and then some. He seemed rather excited to take the shop off of Nani’s hands, and frankly, she was eager to wash her hands of it.

The exchange went well, leaving her with a hefty envelope of cash under her arm and one less guilt trip to carry around.

Still, her eyes filled with tears as she watched the flames flicking at the funeral pyre. The Bookkeeper was kind and generous. She never badgered Nani for rent. She never judged or shamed her when she lost a job. She was just there…a trustworthy, safe fixture that Nani could rely on.

When the last of the flames died and the old woman’s ashes were collected, Nani walked to her grave site and placed the urn in the ground before piling a mound of loose dirt over it. She sighed, wiping her hands on the hem of her dress and sat back on her heels.

The sky was gray as she dipped her head and pressed her palms together, murmuring a final prayer for the old woman’s soul.

“Well, ain’t that a pity,” a male voice drawled behind her.

Nani tensed. She must’ve not heard the footfalls coming up behind her. She used to be good at that.

A disappointed clicking noise left the man’s lips. “Can’t say hi to an old friend?”

Nani’s heart pounded in her chest as sweat began forming on her brow. Reluctantly, she turned her head to see the tanned, curly haired man looming over her. His hands rested on his hips as he stared her down.

“M-ming.”

Her voice betrayed her as it cracked. She didn’t mean to, but the very sight of him had her frozen to the ground where she sat.

The earthbender smirked at her, his soulless gray eyes boring through her body.

“You’re a sight for sore eyes, sweetheart. Tahno had us looking everywhere for you. After a while, we just assumed you died with the other poor souls in the tunnels,” he said, his voice devoid of any concern.

Nani gulped as he lent down  on his knees, meeting her eye to eye.

“Turns out, you’re just good at hiding,” he cooed, reaching out to caress her cheek.

The young woman gasped sharply as she jerked away, glaring at the man with a mix of terror and disgust.

A few moments passed as she tried to compose herself. “W-what are you doing here?” She questioned.

Ming glared at her intensely. “What do you think?” 

A shiver ran down her spine as she digested his question. Wolfbats were known for being possessive of their mates.

Nani’s hands wandered behind her, grabbing fistfuls of grass before finally finding a rock. She swung her arm around, clocking Ming in the jaw with it.

“I’m not going back!” She screamed.

He went down with a loud grunt, and Nani took off. She didn’t dare look behind her as she darted away, lurching over tombstones, urns and dead flowers, desperately running away from the life she left behind last year.

As she zig-zagged through the cemetery, she could hear the sound of heavy stones whooshing past her, some just barely grazing the tips of her hair.

“You chose the wrong place to pick a fight with me, baby!” Ming taunted, his voice echoing not too far behind.

Nani’s heart pounded against her ribcage. Her eyes fixated on the iron gate at the entrance, hoping to clear its threshold before her attacker could reach her. Her legs ached as she pumped forwards, her breathing ragged. With every distressing step, the gate grew closer.

Suddenly, two tombstones came flying from opposite sides, sandwiching Nani between the slabs of rock, slamming her into the ground.

Ming was right. It was stupid to challenge an earth bender in a cemetery.

“Agh!” She cried out, her ribs cracking under the weight.

She could hear the sound of grass being trampled and winced when Ming’s face came into view. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

She squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of seeing her fear.

“You were always such a stubborn broad,” he lamented.

Like an act of mercy, the stones fell away and the pain swiftly disappeared with them. Nani blinked, staring up at her old compatriot.

“Just kill me, then,” she panted. “I’m not going back to Tahno!”

Ming dropped to her level again, this time cruelly yanking her forward by her hair. She yelped in pain.

“You knew that shop was drowning in debt, didn’t you?” He questioned, quiet but threatening. “The bank sent a letter threatening foreclosure four months ago. You let my uncle buy a foreclosed business!”

Nani wasn’t sure how to respond. Since when did Ming have an uncle? Was this not about Tahno?

“I didn’t know!” It was true, she didn’t know just how bad the debt was. All she had were a few bills and the deed to the shop. And, damn, if she’d known San Ho was Ming’s uncle, she would’ve never sold the shop to him. Now, she’d really done herself in.

Ming pulled harder on her hair, and Nani cried out, clawing at his forearm as she squirmed under his grip.

Eventually, he released her. Nani fell back, gasping for breath as she watched Ming, petrified.

He crossed his arms over his chest. “Normally when someone pathetic and nameless crosses San Ho, they get whacked. But, we’re old pals-wouldn’t you agree?”

Nani diverted her gaze from him. ‘Pals’ was a strong word.

Ming flashed her a sinister grin. “When I heard about your little transgression, I had the option to send my uncle’s goons out to find you. But those guys, they aren’t exactly known for their self control, if y’know what I mean.”

Instinctively, Nani pressed her legs together tightly.

“Believe it or not,” the earthbender continued, “I was real down when you left us, Nani. I don’t think Tahno ever gave you credit for how talented you were, but I saw it.”

Drops of rain kissed the top of Nani’s head, soon becoming an overpour. The heavens above seemed to pour out their disfavor of her, thunderously crashing down like a typhoon in the spring. If she even dared to run again, the mud would only make the chase more difficult. Ming would capture her again, and would likely break a few bones to drive home his point.

She’d lost, Nani told herself.  If tears rolled down her cheeks, Ming didn’t see them.

“Once a Wolfbat, always a Wolfbat,” she murmured, echoing Tahno’s words.

Ming shook his head, snickering. Nani snapped her head up to look at him through a curtain of sopping wet curls.

He chuckled at her confusion, replying, “Like I said, Tahno was a fool to ignore your talent.”

Apparently, he had other plans.

Nani would have to sell her body again, but not in the way most girls on the streets did. San Ho, Ming’s very rich and very corrupt uncle, owned a lucrative brewing company as well as a few dozen opium dens throughout the United Republic. He had quite a few connections with the Terra Triad, of which his nephew was an avid participant. His customers were often high-profile businessmen and women who liked getting drunk and high while being, well, serviced. Everyone appreciated good music and dancing, and Nani would provide. It was abnormally merciful, but who was Nani to refuse?

After all, Ming teased, there were worse ways to put her mouth to use.

----

Nani sighed as she picked up the cheap, shimmering silver fabric of the dress laid on the chair of her “dressing room”, i.e. a dimly lit walk-in closet with a futon on the ground coated in mysterious dried fluids.

She slipped out of her old maroon dress, undid her brassiere, and slid the new dress over her head. She shimmied and danced a bit until she was able to get the cloth over her hips. Eventually, the dress was on, and it actually fit pretty well, considering it had belonged to someone else. Nani’s breasts and back were very much exposed , however, leaving very little to the imagination. Even the most salacious lingerie wasn’t this provocative, but Nani knew her “audience” would appreciate it. Even more so, Ming and his uncle would be pleased.

As Nani rummaged through the box of costumes in front of her, she pulled out a feathered, boa-like head piece with a glittery band that matched her dress. She wrapped it around her head, careful not to disturb her curls which she’d smoothed down with gel earlier.

A heavy-handed knock startled her.

“Come on now, let’s see it.” It was Ming.

A deep sigh left her lips as Nani threw open the door. The earthbender was leaning against the frame, his eyes trailing up and down, a stomach-churning grin of satisfaction on his lips as he drank in her appearance.

“You look good enough to eat,” he muttered.

Nani didn’t look him in the eye as she walked past him, the look of disgust apparent on her face. She made her way to the long mirror in the hallway and stared at her reflection. The ridiculous headpiece, the exaggerated makeup, the scandalous outfit.

She was a show girl. An indentured show girl.

A mirthless laugh left her mouth without warning. You want fame? The spirits asked. Here’s your fame.

Ming sauntered into frame and put a cold hand on her shoulder. It took everything in Nani’s being not to recoil from him.

“The madame wants to meet you before you take the stage,” he said.

In another room, one more decadently decorated and much cleaner, sat the Madame. She was a tall, middle aged woman with a heavily powdered face and nails like knives. She was dressed in a silk red and pink kimono and a glossy black wig. She was pouring tea into a small cup.

“Madame Yoshino, I’ve brought your newest act, as promised,” Ming announced, keeping his fingers tightly curled around Nani’s shoulder as he led her into the room.

The exquisite woman stood from her cushion, cup in hand. She approached Nani with narrowed eyes. She barely looked at her before turning away in disgust.

“She’s dark,” she spat.

Nani’s eyes widened at the unexpected jab. Her hands balled into fists, nails digging into her palms.

Ming patted her back, replying confidently, “You’ve got plenty of porcelain dolls, why get another one when you can have a bronze beauty instead?”

Madame Yoshino glowered at Ming for a moment before turning her attention back to the young woman. She raised an inquisitive brow at her. She studied Nani’s figure,  pausing over her chest and then her face, where she lingered for a long time.

Nani gulped as she tried, and failed, not to look the frighteningly intimidating woman in the eyes.

The madame grasped her chin and forcefully jerked her face from side to side.

“Open your mouth,” she demanded.

Nani gave her a hateful stare but complied when Ming slapped her ass with stinging force.

She bit back a yelp and let the Madame inspect her teeth.

“Hm…a few cavities, but overall not bad,” the older woman commented. She tapped Nani’s jaw as if to signal her to close it.

Shrugging, Madame Yoshino took a sip of her tea and settled her gaze on Nani again. “Where are you from, little miss? North or South?”

Nani understood her question, as many had asked the same. And she answered the same as she always did.

“Neither,” she replied boldly. “I’m from Republic City.”

Ming cleared his throat and pinched the back of her arm. Nani squeezed her eyes shut to keep from crying out in pain.

Madame Yoshino set her teacup down, waving her arms in the air with disdain. “No, no, no! That won’t do. From now on, you’re a Northern girl, you see?”

Another slap to her behind from Ming, this time less vicious. “Our little arctic fox,” he teased.

Nani bit her tongue until it bled. Hatred burned in her veins as the two continued to talk about her as though she weren’t in the room. To them, she was just a piece of meat to be devoured later, then regurgitated and devoured again…until she was completely unrecognizable.

Madame Yoshino dug her dagger-like nails into Nani’s arm as she dragged her onstage.

The brunette’s eyes darted around the room. The atmosphere was thick with the familiar scent of opium and sweat. The dim lights were a blood-red hue, blanketing everything in a sort of sensual, dangerous anonymity.

Her gaze turned to the door in the very back of the room. If she tried to make a run for it, Ming could easily block off the exit with his earth bending, or smash a rock into her head with a swipe of his hand.

Madame Yoshino took the microphone and introduced her as a “Northern Snow Princess”.

A stage light shined jarringly in her face, blinding her for a few seconds. As her vision adjusted, Nani took in the environment around her.

Various paintings and portraits of people engaged in lewd sex acts decorated the walls. Well-dressed men, and a few women, sat on various couches and cushions, pipes and sake glasses in their hands as young courtesans fawned over them. Their clothes were still on, but a few had their shirts unbuttoned, dresses turned askew, shoes missing.

This was nothing like her daydreams.

The clientele hummed in surprise and intrigue, a few even clapped. Nani couldn’t stomach looking at them directly, instead focusing on a portrait to the right of her. It was a photograph, blown up on a poster, of a naked woman, her large breasts like two moons shining bright in the night sky, with a green and pink folding fan splayed out between her legs, just barely covering her sex.

Somehow, that woman was using her sexual prowess as a form of power. Somehow, she was able to take hold of the narrative that she’d been sold into. It was in her eyes. Her body was hers, and no one could take that away.

Nani longed to be half as brave as the woman in the photograph.

An upbeat, jazzy tune began playing behind her and her hands trembled as she took the microphone.

Just sing, she told herself. It’s like riding a bicycle.

The words tumbled from her lips on cue as she timed herself to the music. It was a song about falling in love, or something silly like that. It wasn’t the most appropriate song for a brothel, but somehow it got people going.

As the song continued, Nani sashayed her hips to the melody, waving her arms in a rhythmic swaying motion.  

The crowd was pleased, clapping along and cheering. Their enthusiasm would’ve been intoxicating had it not been for the fact that she could see them getting grabby with some of the courtesans.

She did her best to keep singing, to pretend it didn’t bother her. She murmured out a few more notes, humming along and dancing away, but then she saw it:

An older gentleman had his hands around a girl’s throat as he straddled her, his knee forcing its way between her legs. The girl was around Nani’s age, but her face was caked in geisha makeup to make her look older. Her eyes were wide with panic and terror, until they rolled back into her head. Her body went limp in the man’s grasp, but he didn’t let up.

All the while, the cheery cacophony of saxophones, trumpets, bass and drums continued their happy tune as Nani watched this man choke a dead body. Her voice had long been drowned out by the music. Or maybe she’d stopped singing altogether, she didn’t actually recall.

Her eyes were glued to the man’s hands. He just kept going.

The music got louder, the cheers got louder, everything sort of blurring together in the chaos.

It was in that moment that something buried deep inside Nani exploded.

A wordless, enraged shriek tore itself from her throat. She leapt from the stage, grasping the microphone stand in her hands. As she charged at the man, she held the pole over her head and brought it down on his face with a sickening crack.

He crumpled to the floor.

Nani’s hands shook as she dropped the microphone stand. The music came to a screeching halt. The looks of awe and wonder morphed into terror and disgust. Nani could feel Ming and Madame Yoshino’s eyes burning into her back, but all she could do was watch the man stir, trying to push himself up with his hands. Nani brought the pole over her head again.

But before she could deliver another blow, the thick scent of sulfur and ammonia filled the air.

Smoke seemed to pour from every orifice of the building, creating a cloudy miasma that rapidly replaced the oxygen in the room. Panic settled in, screams tearing through the atmosphere as everyone scrambled  to escape.

Nani coughed as she tried to fight the smoke, stumbling over the bodies of the clientele as they dropped like flies around her. Her eyes and lungs burned as the smoke seared into her mucus membranes. She gasped into the crook of her elbow, but the fumes were too much. She staggered towards the exit, when something caught her ankle, causing her to lurch forward.

She was unconscious before she hit the ground.

----

The sound of jingling keys and steel-toed boots woke Nani up. Or maybe it was the raging, fume-induced migraine boring into her skull. She wasn’t quite sure, yet.

“Wake up, miss,” a deep voice beckoned.

Nani groaned as she opened her eyes. She slowly lifted her head, squinting as the figure of a uniformed man came towards her. Behind him, she could see a set of bars. Her mind quickly registered the cuffs around her wrists and ankles.

Eyes snapping open with alarm, Nani jerked away from the officer. She held her arms up to shield herself, but that, unsurprisingly, did nothing to stop him.

“Let’s go,” the officer said, grabbing hold of her arms and pulling her up.

“No, no, no,” she begged. “Please don’t do this!”

She writhed against his iron-grip as he dragged her out of the jail cell and through the halls of the precinct. In her peripheral vision, she saw Ming being carried away by two officers, except his cuffs looked different, like they were wooden—probably so he wouldn’t try to metal bend his way out of them.

Relief washed over her for a second, but only for a second. She then realized she was in a showgirl’s outfit, in a brothel, surrounded by opium, prostitutes and rich people who were above the law.

“I-I don’t belong here!” She said nervously. “You have to believe me.”

The officer scoffed at her. “You know how many times I’ve heard that before?”

She ended up in an interrogation room, sitting across a young detective with enigmatic amber eyes and dark hair.  He had his arms crossed as he leaned back in his chair. He didn’t say anything for a few minutes; he just looked at her.

She covered her chest with her arms, suddenly very self-conscious of her very exposed body.

“I don’t know what you want from me,” Nani finally muttered, her voice hoarse.

The detective leaned forward, his elbows on the desk in front of him, as though eager to hear more. “Well, a statement, for starters,” he responded.

Nani shook her head, her glittering headpiece tilting down to one side. “What is there to say?” She retorted. “You found me in a brothel. I know what you do to women in brothels.”

The man raised one sharp brow at her. “Oh?” He replied, as though inviting her to continue.

A tickle started in Nani’s throat, reminding her that she was quite dehydrated. “Can I have some water?” She asked.

Nodding, the detective left the room. In seconds, he was back with a glass of lukewarm water, but Nani didn’t care. She threw her head back and gulped down the whole thing.

When she was finished, she placed the glass in between herself and the detective.

“I’m not some skirt,” she said flatly.

The detective nodded. “I know.”

“How?”

He swiftly laid out several photographs across the table. Nani leaned forward to examine them. There were photos of San Ho, Madame Yoshino, Ming, and several young women and men she did not recognize. Evidence of drug, alcohol and sexual paraphernalia was wantonly displayed in the images.  There were also images of the brothel and other buildings within the Red Light District. Nani was surprised to see those pictures had been taken some time in the morning. They didn’t look so frightening in broad daylight.

The detective explained, “We’ve been watching this group for years-even had a few of our officers infiltrate their ranks to find information that could help us bring them down. They knew every face that walked into that bordello, except yours.”

Nani glanced at the detective and then back at the photos. She couldn’t stop looking at the faces of the young sex workers.

“We did however hear about an unsavory purchase that San Ho had made,” he continued. “Something about a foreclosed book shop?”

Her knee jerk reaction was to scream, “It wasn’t my fault!” but Nani held her tongue. Instead, she looked away.

“The woman I was staying with died,” she muttered. “She owned the bookstore. On her deathbed she asked me sell it.”

That little lie stung. Nani knew it was wrong, but it was better than the truth. The Bookkeeper had begged her not to let anyone take away the shop. Perhaps in her demented, cancer-ridden brain she knew the bank was going to take everything.

Leaning back in his chair, the detective appeared to take this in.

“Okay,” he started slowly, as though he was working out a puzzle in his mind. “So you sold the deed to San Ho, and then he somehow found out it was foreclosed. Then what?”

Nani sighed loudly. “Do I really have to walk you through every little detail?”

Reaching into his coat, the detective pulled out a yellow notepad with one hand and clicked a pen with the other. “Yes, please,” he responded. “Let’s start with your name.”

“Tanana, my friends call me Nani…at least they would if I had friends.”

“Is there a last name?”

“No.”

“Where are you from?”

“Born in Republic City.”

“Ok. Do you have any family we can contact?”

Curls shook furiously. “No family. Just me.”

The detective nodded. “How old are you?”

Nani bit her lip, hesitant. “I-I’m not 100% sure. Between 20 and 23, I think.”

His eyes flew up to her face, filled with confusion and possibly even concern.

“You grew up on the streets,” he responded, as though filling in the blanks. Despite her not asking him to.

The brunette’s expression was stone-like. After a while, the pity gets old.

Clearing his throat, the detective asked Nani to give her statement as truthfully and clearly as she could.

Eager to be done with it, Nani explained the events in the cemetery and the brothel, up until she met Madame Yoshino.

“I thought I was doing a show,” she explained. “But then I looked around, like really looked around, and I realized where I was.”

As she spoke, the detective scribbled furiously onto his notepad.

“Were you asked to perform any sexual acts?” He asked, his eyes not leaving the pad.

“Oh, no,” she responded nonchalantly. She noticed a dusting of pink on the detective’s face as he paused writing for a second. “But I saw quite a few people getting their rocks off in the audience.”

The writing paused momentarily, and then resumed. Nani watched the detective quietly as he wrote. His features just screamed with familiarity, but for some reason she couldn’t place it.

Seconds later, the man looked up and noticed her watching at him. “…I’m listening,” he prompted.

Nani shrugged, “I don’t have much else, sorry.”

Pursing his lips, the detective clicked his pen before stuffing it and the notepad back into his coat. He scooched his chair back and stood.

“Thank you for your statement,” he said curtly, resuming an air of professionalism. “My officers will be in here shortly to undo your cuffs and bring you your belongings.”

Nani nodded in response, watching him as he turned to leave. She almost let him go, but something nagged at her incessantly.

“Detective?”

He turned his head to look at her. “Yes?”

Rubbing the inside of her palm, Nani stared at the files in his hands. “What happened to that girl? Did she make it?”

A look of recognition flashed across his face, followed by somberness. Nani grimaced knowingly.

“No….she was one of ours,” he admitted soberly.

“Spirits….I’m sorry.”

A few seconds of uncomfortable silence lingered in the air.

“Me too,” he responded, closing the door behind him.

----

Less than thirty minutes later, Nani was freed. She wasted no time fleeing downstairs to the front lobby with her purse in hand, covering her chest. As she made her way down, she noticed a group of officers crowded around a radio, howling with laughter.

 She paused, simultaneously amused and annoyed, wondering what they were listening to that was so funny.

“Turn it up, will ya?” A stout officer exclaimed, shoving one of his companions.

The taller, thinner one obliged, chuckling as he playfully punched the first officer back.

Nani lingered in the lobby of the precinct, her ears perked to the sound of Shiro Shinobi’s voice:

--“AAAANNND welcome back ladies and gentlemen to Channel 54 Radio. I’m your host, Shiro Shinobi, and tonight do we got a program for you!”

“Tonight, I am pleased to announce the premiere of our newest program, ‘Dispatches from Republic City’, hosted by the one, the only…

“MISTER BOOOOOOLIIIIIIN!!!! ALSO KNOWN AS NUKTUK: HERO OF THE SOUTH!”--

Nani’s eyes nearly bulged out of her head. Her mind went back to the day of the audition. The man in front of her….did she ever catch a glimpse of his face? Then she remembered, he’d said his name to the ticketer.

Bolin.

A festive, over-the-top jingle played over the soundwaves as the officers whooped and hollered in front of Nani. A tiny, likely overworked and underpaid intern scrambled behind her, spilling a week’s worth of paper shreds around her like a burst of confetti.

It would’ve been comical...if it weren't absolutely maddening.

Nani didn’t bother to listen to the rest of the program. She stared blankly ahead of her as she marched out of the precinct and into the chilly night air. She was burning with so much rage the cold actually felt good on her skin.

For a few seconds, she watched a slurry of satomobiles pass her by and contemplated walking into traffic. And she might’ve done it if she hadn’t looked up and saw a faded Nuktuk poster plastered on the wall of the building beside her.

No, she told herself. You’re not going out like roadkill.

She glared at the actor’s face, memorizing the face of the man who’d stolen her dream from her. Oh, she knew him. Maybe not personally, but she remembered him from her days with the Wolfbats.

He was a cocky Pro-Bender with a pet rat, big whoop. He got his fame when he starred in the movers, even bigger whoop. Who was he to steal audition spots? Didn’t he get his fifteen minutes?

Nani took one last look at the poster before tearing it down and ripping it to bits. People walked past her in the streets, staring at her like she was crazy, but she couldn’t give a rat’s ass if she tried.

She was furious, mostly at herself for giving up so quickly after the audition but also at the universe for favoring that big, dirt-pushing lug over her when it knew how badly she needed this.

Well, no matter. If the spirits could play tricks….then so could she.

She hurried towards the nearest hotel, intent on getting some decent beauty rest. She’d likely have to dip her fingers in some poor sap’s pockets to fund an outfit change. She wasn’t sure about the hair and makeup, but she would find a way. She always did.

After all, she had to look good if she was going to meet Nuktuk, hero of the South.

[chaosthatsmellsgreen]

Netflix's Avatar The Last Airbender thoughts, part 3/5

about Team Avatar and side characters

Missing adventures: oh yeah, about that. so we had references to The Waterbending Scroll, The Great Divide and The Fortuneteller. basically these episodes are canonical in NATLA, although whatever run-in they had with the pirates was clearly not about a waterbending scroll since Katara already has it. (more on that later) and i'm not saying these are top tier episodes (i'm partial to The Fortuneteller because Sokka is fucking hilarious and also because kataang), but what's important to understand about ATLA is that even their little side adventures are important because they build character and relationships. that's not filler, it's very much the backbone of the original show. in NATLA, there is very little distraction for our heroes, and therefore we get to see less of their everyday lives and their bond

Team Avatar: i think this is an issue between Aang and Sokka as well, but their moments with each other are much better executed, and so it's less noticable, and then of course Katara and Sokka are family in a literal sense, but also get a lot of time to bond and work on their connection. the overall effect of all this is that Team Avatar (which they also call themselves waaaaaay too early for my liking, but eh, i'd look past it) doesn't feel as close and as bonded as the show is saying they are.

KOH. FUCKIN'... KOH. okay so you know how spirits are very neutral and self-serving in ATLA? they don't really give two shits about humans and their problems and just focus on their own goals? yeah so apparently Koh is just Evil (TM). this is the same issue as LoK had with the spirit world was having to make it more black and white than it was in ATLA. Koh... honestly, he wasn't really evil in the OG. he steals faces because that's what he does, that's his place in the universe. (if you read the comics, it's mommy issues, basically, but still that's not evil, that's sad, and clearly this Koh has the same origin story as the comics, because statue.) he's completely fair to Aang, even very, very helpful, as long as Aang plays by his rules. now, obviously we don't know what ATLA Koh would do if Aang's friends followed him to the spirit world, probably the same as he did in NATLA. he was just so much more intriguing in the original show where he was more than "creepy centipede spirit monster"'

Katara: Katara is so... timid. LET MY GIRL YELL!! she's a hothead, and a very passionate person. to be clear, i don't think this is Kiawentiio's fault, i think it's writing and maybe direction. she barely even gets to get mad during the water tribe episodes, a place in the story where in the original she was BIG mad. it's the closest Katara gets to original Katara, but even there she's very reserved and nowhere near as passionate as she should be. like her duel with Pakku was an on the spot, hot headed, unplanned decision, in this, she lets Pakku insult her, walk away, and then she goes off to contemplate whether she should fight him. i also like that she got quite far as a waterbender by herself, but i wish they gave her some time to train with a master and actually earn the title of master, not just be bestowed it after showing basic combat prowess. she was a very talented bender, but her having discipline and being a diligent, hard-working student is just as important a part of her character, and i don't love the "i'm a girlboss so i don't need anyone to teach me" arc. she's also very much idk, i call it perfect-washed in my head? all her flaws are removed (she doesn't steal the water bending scroll, she doesn't lash out at her friends and family when she's frustrated with her waterbending progress, and the whole thing about her not being nearly as angry or loud, too) and all that's left is this perfect, talented, flawless girl. which is, you know, i wanted to see the Katara i knew, and she didn't feel like the same person. if i try to ignore what i wanted to see, and focus on the character they were building, she does seem relatively consistent, i just find her boring because she ends up being pretty much a Mary Sue.

Sokka: i think Sokka is really well done. he's funny, he has depth, despite removing his sexism, he still has some of his rough edges, and so he doesn't suffer from this perfectisation. i'm glad they acknowledge both his humour and his intelligence, i think a lot of what they chose to build NATLA Sokka around is good insight into who Sokka is and why he was an important part of the Gaang. i find it weird that they are eluding to him not actually wanting to be a warrior, that it's something he's pushed to be - but, well, if that's a direction they want to take his story, i don't think it's necessarily bad. the one thing i hate about it is....

Hakoda: i'm so. fucking. bored. of everyone having to have a shitty relationship with their fathers. Sokka always wanted to live up to Hakoda, but Hakoda clearly didn't care if his children were like him. all he ever expected of them was to be good people, and all he ever did was love them. you're trying to tell me that a dad who was characterized as telling his daughter that he missed her and her brother by saying "I missed you so much it would ache" is going to publicly shit-talk his son because he didn't properly pass his coming-of-age ritual at <13 years old? (let's ignore that actually Sokka never even did the ice dodging because he was too young to, before his father left, another reminder that he was still a child when he was left as the oldest man of their whole tribe, and even though NATLA is putting a lot of emphasis on that, they somehow miss the point that Sokka wasn't even of age when this responsibility fell on his shoulders). it just doesn't follow. and yes, this is actually a bit of the story and Sokka's motivations that is technically done just fine, i'm just soooo bored of it. Sokka himself did want to prove himself to Hakoda, but Hakoda never actually needed any proof that Sokka was... idk "worthy"? of being his son. so yeah, i hated all of that, even though it was fine and consistent in execution

Bumi: is literally the same issue. i prefer ATLA Bumi, even though NATLA is probably more realistic in what 100 years of war and constant, impossible decisions would do to a person. i just... i always loved that there is someone, anyone that Aang used to know, one person who's still alive, still there, who knows who Aang is and what the world used to be like in his time. seeing Bumi be so... honestly, downright cruel to him, it just made me really sad. and in fairness, i think it was supposed to make me sad, so it did what it aimed to do. like i said, same issue as Hakoda, this was done alright, it's just too different from the OG for me to enjoy

Oma and Shu: i loved the animation style for the tale of two lovers, i think it was wonderfully done. as for them being F/F, i can take it or leave it, i don't really care. it's one of those Netflix-style token representation things, it makes no difference to me either way. i'm glad it's made a lot of people happy though

Yue: so the fox thing was a little weird? jury is still out on whether i liked that one or not, it might take me a rewatch to decide. other than that, i enjoyed how they fleshed her character out. the whole thing with Hahn was a little strange, but eh, i'm fine with that change. i liked the forbidden romance thing she and Sokka had going, but i think them just having a normal romance is completely fine. i thought their connection was done well, i was overall very happy with her and her relationship with Sokka

PART 3/5

START // NEXT // PREVIOUS

[madrone33]

Every time Aang goes into the the Avatar State in ATLA:

Damn this took a long time to research and write out. I made this mainly just because I wanted to have a comprehensive list of all the times Aang uses the Avatar State, and then use that to see how effective it actually is.

(And also 'cause I wanted to compare it to LoK so I could confirm my hypothesis that by giving Korra complete control over the Avatar State it severely lowered the stakes, and thus they had to drastically diminish the actual power and effectiveness of said Avatar State if they ever wanted to have any sort of tension and suspense ever again. Except this only succeeded in making the Avatar State weak and Korra lose all the time while using it; it's now less "God Mode" and more "slight power up." Kinda getting off topic, soz. If you want to see her chart for comparison I might post it lmao)

Anyway, this was pretty fun to put together, though I might've missed something - I'm just going off of memory and wiki lol. Keep in mind that this is a lot of the time my interpretations of events, since Aang doen't go around just telling the audience what his motivations and triggers are. But the show does a good job showing the main things, so I'm just reading between the lines a bit to get some more concrete numbers.

Uhhh it's really long. And kinda complicated, even for me re-reading this, so. Enjoy my statistics, I guess?

Legend:

SUCCESS = the Avatar State succeeded in resolving what triggered it.

FAILURE = the Avatar State failed to resolve what triggered it.

?[words] = uncertain on whether or not the outcome was a success due to emotional triggers and the real problem being unfixable/out of reach.

[words]. = involuntarily entered.

[words]! = voluntarily entered.

-[words] = entered because of immediate physical danger.

_[words] = entered because of an overwhelming emotional trigger.

'[words] = entered for a reason other than immediate physical danger or immediate emotional trigger.

Timeline:

0 AG:

1. -SUCCESS.

Trigger: Aang and Appa are drowning in the ocean during a storm.

Actions: airbends an air pocket around them that eventually freezes over into an iceberg.

Exits when: they’re freed by Katara 100 years later, and it becomes clear the danger is past.

Winter, 100 AG:

2. -SUCCESS.

Trigger: he’s drowning in the ocean after being attacked by Zuko.

Actions: waterbends a waterspout in the form of a twister and sweeps Zuko and his crew off the deck.

Exits when: Zuko and his crew aren’t in a position to attack, so the danger is past.

3. ?_.

Trigger: overwhelmed by grief and anger from abruptly seeing the skeleton of Monk Gyatso, and being confronted by the realisation that his entire people were murdered while he wasn’t there.

Actions: generates hurricane-force winds.

Exits when: Katara and Sokka help the emotional pain become manageable again.

(Notes: not gonna call it a success, because the Avatar State couldn’t fix anything. It couldn’t bring Gyatso back.)

4. '-SUCCESS!

Trigger: Zhao and his men are waiting in the Fire Temple to hurt Aang and his friends once the Winter Solstice ends.

Actions: channels Roku directly into his body, who frees Katara, Sokka, Shyu, and Zuko, and then erupts the volcano underneath the temple.

Exits when: the Solstice ends, the danger also being passed.

5. ?_. (almost enters)

Trigger: nearly being overwhelmed by anger and betrayal while telling Katara that the monks wanted to separate him and Gyatso.

Actions: starts forming a gale.

Exits when: Katara helps ground him and bring him away from the emotionally painful precipice.

(Notes: the past is the past, and the monks are long gone. The Avatar State can't fix this.)

6. -SUCCESS.

Trigger: they’re all drowning in the ocean during a storm. Again.

Actions: forms an air sphere around everyone and flies Appa out of the ocean and into the storm's eye.

Exits when: the danger is past.

7. 'SUCCESS!

Trigger: people are dying and he needs to ask the Moon and Ocean spirits for help. He watches the koi fish in the Spirit Oasis while meditating to try and cross over into the Spirit World.

Actions: talks to spirits in the Spirit World.

Exits when: Aang has the information he needs, Hei Bai helps him return to the physical realm, and his soul returns to his body.

8. ?_SUCCESS.

Trigger: overwhelming anger and grief after the Moon Spirit, Tui, is murdered and the culprit, Zhao, got away.

Actions: merges with the Ocean Spirit, La, and lays waste to the Fire Nation fleet besieging the city.

Exits when: La releases him after the Moon is returned and the emotional pain becomes manageable again, the Fire Nation fleet no longer being a threat.

(Notes: technically a physical success since they beat back the Fire Nation, but it’s complicated, because the main problem was that Tui was dead, and La couldn’t actually do anything about that. It was Yue who fixed it, not Aang or La.)

Spring, 100 AG:

9. ?_SUCCESS.

Trigger: overwhelmed by grief and rage after General Fong “kills” Katara to force Aang into the Avatar State.

Actions: uses airbending to blast the general away, rises into the air on a tornado, and crashes down to the earth, releasing a powerful earthbending attack on the general, his guards, and his fortress. A small air sphere surrounds him while Roku talks to him in the Spirit World.

Exits when: Katara is safe, the General is no longer a threat, and Roku has finished talking to him.

(Notes: complicated success. The general stopped being a threat, but the problem was that Katara had seemed dead, and Aang hadn’t been able to do anything about that. Not to mention, he fell for the general’s trick, so it doesn’t really feel like a victory.)

10. ?_SUCCESS.

Trigger: overwhelmed by pain and fury at the sandbenders who kidnapped and hurt and sold Appa, and needing answers.

Actions: a large air sphere surrounds him, lifting him up into the air and creating a sandstorm.

Exits when: Katara helps the emotional pain become manageable again. The sandbenders are not a problem.

(Notes: kinda a success? He manages to intimidate the sandbenders into fessing up, but it feels wrong to use the Avatar State this way, and anyway, it doesn’t bring Appa back, and Aang still isn’t any closer to finding him again.)

11. -FAILURE!

Trigger: impending death or capture for himself and Katara while battling Azula, Zuko, and the Dai Li under Ba Sing Se. He decides to let go of his attachments and enter the Avatar State.

Actions: emmits a concussive blast and floats up in a pillar of light, fully in control of the Avatar State.

Exits when: Azula mortally strikes him with lightning.

12. 'SUCCESS. (enters briefly)

Trigger: he's revived by Katara healing him with water from the Spirit Oasis.

Actions: two second glow. He lives, but the Avatar State is locked.

Summer, 100 AG:

13. -SUCCESS.

Trigger: while almost being killed by Ozai, his back hits a rock in the exact spot where Azula struck him with lightning, re-opening his chakra and triggering the Avatar State.

Actions: collects all four elements and compresses them in a sphere around him. Moves at incredible speed, ploughing straight through obstacles whereas Ozai has to dodge said obstacles. The sphere can be used both for offence and defence. Since the sphere contains all four elements, it allows Aang to earthbend and waterbend while away from a natural source.

Exits when: he purposefully stops himself, refusing to kill Ozai.

(Notes: I'm calling it a success because the Avatar State works; it saves his life, and beats Ozai.)

14. 'SUCCESS!

Trigger: Wulong Forest is burning.

Actions: purposefully enters and then exits again, with only a momentary glow of realised control. He pulls in the ocean until all the fire is extinguished, before lowering the tide back again.

Statistics:

4/14 - (28.571%) - enters involuntarily from physical danger.

1/14 - (7.143%) - enters voluntarily from physical danger.

5/14 - (35.714%) - enters involuntarily from emotional pain.

1/14 - (7.143%) - enters involuntarily for a half second glow as he's brought back to life.

1/14 - (7.143%) - enters voluntarily to channel a past life in response to a threat of physical danger.

1/14 - (7.143%) - enters voluntarily to cross into the Spirit World.

1/14 - (7.143%) - enters voluntarily to enhance bending in order to complete a task.

8/14 - (57.143%) - success.

1/14 - (7.143%) - failure.

5/14 - (35.714%) - emotional unknowns.

4/14 - (28.571%) - physical danger success.

1/14 - (7.143%) - physical danger failure.

3/14 - (21.429%) - technically succeeded in fixing the physical danger, but it's an uncertain outcome because of emotional triggers and the real problem being unfixable.

2/14 - (14.286%) - complete emotional uncertainties.

4/14 - (28.571%) - other success.

Conclusion:

Aang has an above average success rate while in the Avatar State.

Almost a third of the time is miscellaneous successes, another almost-third for physical danger only, and a fifth for technical physical successes with complications.

Emotional triggers happen the same amount of times as physical, though they're never resolved cleanly.

Involuntary use happens far more often than voluntarily.

He only outright fails once.

[the-badger-mole]

How do you think the Avatar (either Korra or your own personal OC) after Aang would view him? It's clear from the canon that he had his own disagreements with his own past lives. Do you think they would try to make amends or fix any damage Aang caused?

To me, Korra was enamored with both being the Avatar and really emotionally invested in Tenzin and his family. I don't think as a young woman she it would occur to her to think more critically about her predecessor's legacy. But since she cut ties to the past Avatars, and now had the opportunity to start a brand new legacy, I would hope that she would look back at Aang's life and see all the holes in his time as Avatar, and that she would take time to hear from Kya and Bumi about their experience with him, and understand what an imperfect, neglectful, and arrogant person he was. I don't think she would change her mind about Aang being more or less a good person and successful Avatar, but I'd like to think that she tried to learn from his mistakes.

Mostly, though, I think the problems with Aang and his tenure as Avatar would be things for historians to pick through. I think history would ultimately be the judge of Aang. It would take someone less personally invested in Aang legacy to look at the Acolytes and Aang's lil' fandom and see how weird and gross it was that the Air Nomad culture wasn't the center of their admiration and even worship, and that Aang had built up something like a cult around him. I think history would look at his energybending and be glad that that particular power had died with him. I also think that Aang's attitude about bending and the superiority of the Air Nomad culture would be listed as a contributing factor to the equalist movement. I really do think that LoK missed an opportunity to have an honest conversation about Aang's imperfections and how it affected his family and his time as Avatar. It almost make me want to write a "biography" for him.

[shaftking]

https://www.tumblr.com/godmodebeginswithlesbians/732567688496431104/we-need-less-sanitized-queer-stories-youre-the

I can’t believe the amount of notes this post has of people agreeing with it. I have no idea what The Locked Tomb is so I can’t speak on that, but regarding She-Ra, ever since the finale, I’m one of the people who’s been agreeing with the statement that OP is mocking here. To clarify, though, I’m not a puritanical anti at all- in fact, I’m all for less sanitized LGBT stories (yes, LGBT, not q**r), but I want them to still be well written, make actual sense narratively, and deliver a positive message for a target demographic of children, all which She-Ra failed at.

I read some of the notes and aside from the typical nonsense I’m used to seeing toxic She-Ra fans spew, there are people who reblogged this defending She-Ra while simultaneously admitting that they DIDN’T EVEN WATCH THE SHOW. Ofc they’re not gonna understand or interpret any of the criticism in good faith if they haven’t even watched the damn show. That’s the brainless mob mentality that’s to be expected on this site.

Anyway, as a writer who majored in animation, seeing posts and notes like this is so disheartening. I don’t have much hope for the entertainment industry (especially animation) or the LGBT community. Both have proven that their standards are lower than dirt and that they all have piss poor media literacy and critical thinking skills that lead them to harassing and hating on anyone who dares criticize the media that they blindly worship. It’s insulting as a writer and sets a bad precedent that professionals can just produce poorly written fan fiction with a budget that validates childish NPCs who eat it up as long as it caters to their sensibilities and is under the guise of progressivism for kids so it can be praised as “groundbreaking.” It makes me wanna steer clear of this industry entirely tbh.

I’m also familiar with SPOP but not The Locked Tomb, so I can speak on that. And we all know that I really can’t stand SPOP. I personally view it as one of those shows that was fine and even good at times until it self destructed in the last season and especially the finale with just an astonishing lack of self awareness.

The problem with Catradora, especially compared to the other ships in the show for the most part, is that’s it’s dysfunctional and toxic in a show that is targeted to children that otherwise pushes a lot of life lessons subtexually and textually. This also isn’t just a problem of the relationship itself, it extends to their actions towards other characters, such as the fact that there is no real consequence for Catra literally killing Glimmers mother out of complete selfishness. I think the whole show kind of suffers from sudden character amnesia about other characters past crimes. Because it happened with Hordak and Scorpia and Entrapta as well to varying degrees.

And I think the doublethink the show has about being Mature and Complex vs It’s A Children’s Show So You Can’t Criticize It extends to fan attitudes. And let’s be real, the Catradora kiss was not that revolutionary when SU and LOK already had their representation moments years before. In fact it’s weird and dysfunctional asf to have characters who were implied to have grown up as sisters and raised together (the literal reason why Catra was jealous and over dependent on Adora) just kiss and have all of their problems and past just basically vanish so that they can have a few cute shippy moments before the series finale.

All that aside I personally hate being pandered to and baited. I genuinely want to see stories about people who are LGBT and different races and with different belief systems and backgrounds, but just slapping a label onto a character or story doesn’t make it good, you still have to write good characters and story. You still have to work to make things cohesive and you have to understand that as a writer you will always face criticism. Especially when you market your work so hard as the next big thing.

And as an audience member, at the very least as a teen and onwards into adulthood, you should be capable of media literacy to the extent that you can watch a show about a couple toxic codependent weirdos and recognize that they were toxic codependent weirdos even if you mostly just had fun watching them get up to fucked up shenanigans.

[autistic-katara]

ok finally making that writing post-

hi! i’m Ryan, or Raines_Adopted_Son on AO3. i write fanfic (mainly angst) and my inbox/dms/ao3 comments r always open for requests, here are some guidelines:

fandoms i will write for: (keep in mind i join new fandoms all the time so if theres a fandom u want me to write that isnt here that u think i like just ask, i probably forgot to update it // will say next to the fandom if ive written for it before or not)

Stranger Things (written for it before)

The Spiderverse Movies (written for it before)

The Owl House (written for it before)

Nimona (haven’t written before)

PJO/Riordanverse (including mcga and tkc // written for it before)

ATLA (including lok/the kyoshi novels // written for it before)

Heartstopper/Osemanverse (haven’t written before)

Jackson’s Diary (written for it before)

Bungou Stray Dogs (haven’t written before)

The Dragon Prince (have written but never posted)

Derry Girls (haven’t written before)

Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency (haven’t written before)

Good Omens (haven’t written before)

stuff i enjoy writing/specialise in:

shortish one-shots (1k-2.5k words // i would like to write longer and/or multichapter stuff, this is just my current level)

angst

hurt/comfort

heavier topics relating to mental health stuff (depression, eating disorders, self-harm, suicidal characters, etc.)

queer (specifically trans) stuff

stuff i feel uncomfortable writing/am unsure if i’m able to write it but wanna push my boundaries on: (aka send me requests but theres less of a chance i’ll write it)

nsfw stuff/smut

depictions of abuse (non-romanticised obv)

depictions of SA (specifically just the recovery tho, i am NOT writing non-con)

longer fics

multichapter fics

pure fluff (idk if i’m able to write smthn w/o angst 😭)

stuff i will not write: (do not ask me to write this stuff :))

nsfw/smut of characters under the age of 15 (that being my current age // still kinda iffy abt characters 15-17 but yk)

stuff that romanticises things like SA or abuse

any ships where both a) at least one of the characters is a minor and b) the age gap is canonically 3 years or more (emphasis on canonically, looking at u punkflower antis)

incest

other stuff i wasn’t sure how to fit in:

when it comes to depicting types bigotry or hate or whatever theres some stuff i feel comfortable including and some stuff i dont (obviously in a non-romanticised way as just like part of what a character experiences):

homo/transphobia, i’m fine with including this, i am queer + trans and feel like i could sensitively depict those topics.

racism/xenophobia, i dont rlly feel comfortable writing abt this stuff given that i’m white i rlly dont think id be able to write that stuff properly like at all.

ableism/saneism, depends on the type tbh, maybe subtle ableism to an autistic character (i am autistic) and casual ableism to a chronically ill character (i am chronically ill) but other than that ehhhh

antisemitism, while i am Jewish and have experienced it myself, for personal reasons i’m not comfortable writing stuff including it, even if its subtle and not a big thing (other kinds of religious discrimination i wont write simply cause idk enough about allat and dont wanna be insensitive abt it)

thats all i could think of for that one but next thing: i dont like AUs. its not like i hate them or anything, and if i time traveled to the future and found out i learned to love them i would be ecstatic since thats more fics for me, but for some reason i just don’t enjoy reading/writing them (excluding canon divergence, i wouldn’t mind writing a fic with canon divergence // didn’t wanna put this in the hard-no section cause again its not like they’re smthn i hate or am disgusted by or anything, i just don’t find them appealing)

also if u dont know what i ship/what ships id be ok w/ writing just ask, a couple of them should be clear based on what i rb/post tho lmao (still if u gotta ask, ask)

anyways yeah thats all i could think of for now, i probably forgot smthn important so i might edit this later + lmk if u have any questions srsly id love to answer :)