#but iroh and zuko are my fav thing in this so far

[lolabearwrites]

Half way through the live action and I have to say, there is a lot of potential in this. The actors are pretty good, the effects as well. There are genuinely funny/sad moments. You can tell they are actually trying to bring Avatar to life.

I think the biggest problem this show has is telling instead of showing. And clunky dialogue. If they tweak stuff I feel like this show could go from mediocre to genuinely decent.

[starboysbrainrot]

Since it’s jetko week, do you any hc about jetko ? Any hot takes about jetko ? Any specific thoughts ?

hey anon !

i think that my fav hc jetko would have to be either Jet becoming his personal bodyguard, first as an attempt to “keep the new Firelord in check” and then in an attempt to just protect Zuko when he sees how often Zuko’s life is threatened by him being the new Firelord.

or Jet & Zuko living together far from any big cities, with a big family, after abolishing the FN monarchy. it’s probably the least realistic one but it’s I think the one where both get that they deserve : a peaceful life, filled with love and happiness.

now if we’re speaking about hot takes, i posted this thread on x bc anon inspired me to put my thoughts on paper so I’m just gonna copy past it here

it’s not specifically jetko thoughts but I do think that the fandom tends to be too harsh on Jet & Zuko in one specific episode. and for me that’s City of Walls and Secret.

now don’t get me wrong. yes, Zuko was lying about his identity, yes Jet was stalking two people and started a fight, but that’s really, textually, not that bad. Jet is traumatised, paranoid and stressed so when he has the slightest hint that maybe Iroh might be a firbender he’s TERRIFIED literally and every single part of his brain that might think rationally just doesn’t work anymore. and that’s perfectly understandable given what happened to him.

that’s doesn’t make it 100% ok since, yeah they are so many EK citizens that might come from colonies, with mixed heritage, or with fn ancestry that might make them a firebender without being fire nation, and Jet had no way of being sure about this. but as I said his reaction is textually completely understandable.

now for Zuko, he would be in mortal danger if his identity was revealed (which people tend to forget) and he cannot afford to give up on his secret identity for a boy he barely knows. I know y’all like to make it big by saying he kind of betrayed jet’s trust, but jetko, as much as I love it spent max a few days together on the ferry, and that’s it. that’s literally it.

zuko even declines Jet’s offer because he cannot afford being close to someone when he is hiding his identity. cuz it would be risky, it would be even more lying, etc. it’s perfectly understandable and sincerely it funny that out of all the horrible things Zuko did it’s often that one that people will point out. I know that canon divergent jetko au might use that angst potential with Zuko lying to Jet but in canon it’s really not that deep. if he doesn’t lie = he dies/or gets imprisoned at BEST. if he does lie, he gets a chance at surviving both the EK and the FN. and that’s basically it.

as much as it is a popular trope to make Zuko or Jet guilty in jetko fics, I really don’t like it because canon jetko and fanon jetko are really two different things. canon jetko isn’t about betrayal. it’s more about how two severely flawed and traumatised teenagers start to form somehow a friendship because of how similar they are, but the instance of war, trauma and the sick need of survival get between them and tore them apart before they start to remotely form a meaningful relationship.

like in canon these two boys owe each other NOTHING. and I mean it. no Jet doesn’t owe Zuko his trust and no Zuko doesn’t owe Jet his honesty. not in that specific context. and that’s something that a lot of people don’t get about these two in canon

people even fail to realise that Jet’s lack of trust and hostility towards even the slightest hint of firebending & zuko trying to survive, burying his honesty to do so, are wonderful parallels that could be exploited in fics. not necessarily the “you lied/you attacked me” but just the “I had no other choice, I’m sorry” which is so much more tragic.

I would add that this specific trope of “Zuko earning Jet’s forgiveness” when it one sided doesn’t work for me. it works for ships like maiko or zukka, and especially zutara, but not really jetko. at least not if it isn’t reciprocated. like both guys did horrible things but none of these “horrible things” were directed towards eachother.

what happened in BSS is ultimately tragic because both didn’t had another choice. both were clinging on the idea of surviving. both were terrified by what could happen to them. DO YOU SEE HOW TRAGIC THAT IS 😔

[botherkupo]

Woo finished all 8 episodes of atla live action show. So here are my final thoughts:

Show had its weaknesses but overall was very enjoyable. Would watch again

I loved everything they did with Zuko, Azula, and Ozai. I’ve rambled about this a few times now so won’t add anything more. Just want to emphasize that all extra scenes/changes etc were very satisfying for me and made me excited for the future seasons

I wasn’t sold on Iroh in that first episode but he grew on me quickly and the use of Leaves From the Vine still makes me heart ache. Perfect emotional touch. (Also Zuko saying Lu Ten would be proud to have Iroh as a father before the NWT battle was so sweet)

Aang was wonderful. Some parts with the Avatars being like” bro get your act together” felt repetitive at times, but I also like we got to see all the last 3 avatars. (Also Kuruk focusing on spirit battles was cool. Thank you for giving him more substance and explaining why Koh may have targeted him through Umi)

One thing I really appreciate about Aang here is that yes he didn’t technically “run away” and get trapped in the iceberg. He left to calm down because he was feeling so overwhelmed, then all that stuff happens, and then 100 years passes and he’s stuck not knowing how to be the Avatar — especially in a world so different from his own. The part where he said he didn’t belong in the world was just 😭😭😭🥺🥺🥺

Anyway I like that Aang is trying even though he’s so uncertain and lost. He has his flaws and he has his strengths and at the end of the day his role will be to fight for peace and try bring back the world he knew — when ppl could have fun and be friends with other nations. Also yeah the whole direction they went with the Ocean Spirit was awesome. Aang knew what was going to happen but he did it anyway because he thought that was all he could do, even if it meant he would be lost. I was very emotional lol

In terms of Sokka and Katara, this show definitely feels like it has placed Zuko and Aang as the leads. So yeah, in some ways Katara has stepped back a bit this season compared to what we saw in the cartoon. I honestly wasn’t happy with all the ways she was handled but overall I am still happy with her in the show. Her fight with Pakku was awesome, I love she rounded up the female waterbenders to fight, and I cried when she was calling out to Aang as he was lost to the Ocean Spirit. I think she will be even better in season 2, since her story in this season was about overcoming her trauma and not holding herself back for anyone

On that note, the 8 episode limit definitely made the show suffer in terms of pacing for those last few episodes. I would have loved to have seen Katara do more to fully accept she IS a master. I also didn’t feel much for Sokka and Yue since I felt he had better chemistry with Suki. They definitely could have done with more episodes to build that relationship up. I did like Yue though and how her sacrifice felt less like a destined thing the Moon Soieit had always intended her to do and more like something she chose to do freely.

Also can I just say the horrified screech I made when Momo got hit. I was going noooo momo the whole time until he got healed. (Show needed more Momo. Also Appa. Budget probably made their appearances few snd far between but still. Momo is my fav and I missed him)

It was interesting how they completely changed Hahn but also quite refreshing. One of things I do like about this live action (and I’m probably in the minority) is that they made complete changes sometimes. We all know the story, but it was cool to see unexpected stuff, especially since I could appreciate the changes. Like Yue actively choosing not to marry Hahn (even more so because natla Hahn is not a dickhead) is more satisfying to me than her feeling all sad about a betrothal she doesn’t want. (Also meant we got to see Katara earn Pakku’s strength all on her own instead of because he used to have the hots for Gran Gran)

I thought the show also did well combining omashu, Jet stuff, and Mechanist together. I’m actually happy we didn’t have to deal with The temple being taken over by the mechanist etc because it never sat well with me anyway. Also the episode limit meant they had to focus on ways to condense season 1 into a satisfying story — I think they did good with what they had. We have to remember the cartoon had heaps of episodes to work with, and animation is a different medium with a lot of strengths when it comes to fantasy etc

Anyway, this is getting super long. I will wrap it up by again saying the live action is not perfect but it is a good show that hits all the right emotional beats. I really hope it will get renewed and we’ll get the full story

[seasideoranges]

❤: Which character do you think is the most egregiously mischaracterized by the fandom?

❤: Which character do you think is the most egregiously mischaracterized by the fandom?

Ask Game! OKAY SO I know this is asking for one specific character, buuuut I'm going to go through more than one character haha. To start;

Toph!

I was just talking about Toph in a server a couple of days ago, and I feel like people mischaracterize her a lot, but I kinda don't blame them! Toph is kind of a tricky character to write! But I read so many fics that just boil her down to "tough girl who doesn't take shit and bullies everyone" and like, yes, there is some truth to that, but she is also so much more! She's soft, she listens, she's genuinely a kind, good friend, despite her rough demeanor! There's a reason Sokka opens up for the first time about his mother with Toph.

Azula!

I adore Azula to bits, I love her, I want to see her get better and get another chance, but man, I hate how people lately have been woobifying the crap out of her lately (this happens to Iroh and Zuko too!!). I seen an argument on TikTok that Azula had a right to mortally wound Aang because it was SELF DEFENSE?! I thought OP was joking, but uh, nope, they were completely serious haha. You can't say you love 'problematic' characters only to try and make them 'unproblematic' as possible!

Aang!

I noticed that there's some people that hate Aang with a passion, so much so, that they'll try to paint him out as this sexist, abusive person/partner/father, and it bugs the hell out of me. Kind of makes me laugh a little too, seeing how powerful the haterism is towards this fictional 12 year old boy. This discourse especially gets worse when TLOK gets thrown into the mix and people try to paint him as a 'deadbeat' father, and some even try to compare him to Ozai?? It grosses me out, and the 'deadbeat' part is far from the truth! Words have meaning and weight to them, people!

Sokka!

Had to throw my fav in here of course. Here's the thing, people will either characterize Sokka as being nothing more than a dumb jokester, or they'll acknowledge that he's smart, but completely forget that he's incredibly grump, sarcastic, and skeptical which can lead him to be borderline cynical, especially in S1! There's also the whole "Sokka didn't really love his mom" discourse and, not to sound dramatic, but it makes me want to rip my hair out LMAO. I personally think that Sokka is one of the most interesting characters in ATLA and it kinda sucks seeing people gloss over him so much.

URSA!

Now this might be my most controversial take lmao. Before I start, I'm not saying Ursa was a perfect parent, and I wont be talking about the comics in this part, just strictly the show. But at this point, I almost feel like an Ursa defender because people greatly misinterpret her character and try to paint her to be just as bad as Ozai, especially when Azula is thrown into the mix. I'm sorry y'all, but I don't agree with the "Ursa was a 'boy' mom and favorited Zuko and abused Azula" takes. I don't think this was the case at all, and her relationship with Azula is so much more complex than that. People tend to forget that A) This was all Ozai's doing, he saw Azula as a weapon and put a wedge between her and the rest of her family (specifically Zuko and Ursa) and B) Ursa was also abused. She was an abused woman, trapped in a horrible situation, and wasn't left with a lot of great options or freedom.

Anyways I could talk about this all day with pretty much the rest of the Gaang, but I'll try and keep this from getting too long haha! AND AS ALWAYS, I don't want any discourse! I am always open for discussion! I love reading other peoples takes and I am always willing to change my views!

[tuiyla]

NATLA Ep. 4 "Into the Dark" initial thoughts

Okay wow, I think this is my fav so far in terms of changes they've made. The best ep so far is probs Warriors but this was quite bold in the changes it's made and you know what, the first episode made me fear they'd be too timid to actually lean into their changes but no. Just like Danny Pudi put his whole Pudissy into his role, this episode committed to its direction and I can respect that even in places where I don't agree with the changes. The only exception is Bumi's tests, a lot of the dialogue and other aspects lifted straight from ATLA didn't work because it felt more forced in this context than anything. And overall I think Bumi is my least favourite part of the episode and its adaptation.

I was glad to see Jet in this episode, too, even if it was brief. I'm still lacking stronger emotions and a stronger presence from Katara but I'm glad for this goodbye with Jet and how it sets up exactly what it needs to. We did lose Jet being a foil to Sokka and there was a major missed opportunity in having Jet actually interact with Sai but ah well, can't have everything.

Instead of Sokka foiling it out with Jet there's the surprise inclusion of basically Book 2 Chapter 2 which I did not expect but am pleasantly surprised by. This ep went hard on the music taken straight from ATLA between the nomads' songs and Leaves From the Vine playing over the Iroh flashback. And! And!! Oma and Shu are lesbians!!! This is not a drill, Oma and Shu are lesbians in love. If there was one thing I hoped for in terms of the live action show it was casual queer representation and I got it in the most unexpected but pleasant place. Love it.

And!! On top of the surprising but not unwelcome inclusion of The Cave of Two Lovers, the story is recentered entirely on Sokka and Katara. I'll share more thoughts on this later but suffice to say I always love me some Water Sibs appreciation and this was much needed in this version. I still take issue with essentially erasing Katara's mothering of Sokka but it's clear the impact Hakoda leaving had on them is the same and, most probably in lieu of Bato of the Water Tribe, we get this storyline with them. The fact that love being the answer was reframed as the love between these two siblings is honestly a galaxy brain change and decision and I respect the hell out of it. There's still much lacking in terms of really fleshing out our cast but I will never, ever say no to more Water Sibs content. If we were gonna spend so much time in Omashu and put so many familiar faces in there, makes sense to also do the Omashu backstory AND utilize it to shine some light on the sibling dynamic that otherwise doesn't have much room to breathe in the live action. This is the kind of bold new direction that they have to take and own to make this show work.

I also enjoyed the Zuko and Iroh stuff and that's some interesting inclusion of more Book 2 things as well. The way even their plot from the Winter Solstice part one ep was integrated here is quite clever and I enjoyed both the past and present Iroh scenes. We'll see how they handle the actual Zuko backstory and I do think this version of Iroh needs a bit more, how should I put it, softness, but there's much to like here. Especially giving Zuko the option to pursue Aang instead and having him choose to rescue Iroh. Similar to a choice he made in the above mentioned Spirit World ep but honestly, lowkey more poignant here.

That's it for me for today but I'll watch the second half of the season tomorrow. I have to say, so far it has at least provided some interesting new takes worth taking a deeper critical look at, and I don't agree with those who dismiss the show entirely. It has merit even if, halfway through the first season, it's yet to convince me it can justify its own existence.

[ididgettomeetyou]

azula stan rant ahead.. cause i got em blocked em here and not on my other accounts so im gonna rant here.. my issue with azula stans is they do the same thing zutara/zuko fans do. Ignore Canon in favor of woobfying.

Azula shoots fire at iroh/knocks him out cold: Injures his shoulder

zuko asks about making peace

Iroh: no she's crazy and needs to go down

stans Why would iroh say this? terrible uncle:CANCELLED.

me: Well im sure its cause.. she knocked him out/injured his shoulder/trying to capture zuko to throw in prison or sumthin like that..

stans: nah iroh is jut a terrible uncle..

Azula is a pacifist cause she didn't kill anyone in the earth kingdom, aang don't count cause he comes back

me: Unhuh.. sure jan. what about the people there aren't they traumatized? aang /katara def are..

Fandom: iroh is worse he caused more death/ azula did nothing wrong you just hate kids (I was really called a child hater for bringing up.. aang died)

Azula talks about how her grandpa azulon should die and that someone will take his place soon

ursa: What is wrong with that child?

stans: EVIL mother

Like is it nice to say no, is azula parroting ozai, probably.. but man Hank says: That boy ain't right in KOT all the time and i have no doubt he loves Bobby still.. and the way azula spoke of her grandpa as terrible as he was is .. alarming.. i dont think kids go around gloating about grandpa deaths...

Azula brought zuko home cause she loves him/is a good sister

azula tells Ozai that Zuko killed the avatar knowing if the avatar lived zuko would get in trouble so zuko telling ozai later is just... really a revenge move.. it is a nic thing to do no but azula was not a good sister.. she had zero good intentions zuko was suppose to be an escape goat.

Azula is a victim of Ozais abuse/ I can agree on her redeeming herself after all i like azulaang for a reason of aang seeing a secret good in azula.. but man she gets far to woobified

stans that don't do this have my respect but i see far to many hating zuko and i aint here for that.. i can't stand tearing down characters to prop up favs. its why i defend both aang/zuko here..

azula i can agree that shouldn't be thrown into an aslyum those places dont help anyone..

but outside of comics show wise.. i dont think zuko/iroh owed her anything

[visd3stele]

i have only watched the first two episodes, but i have to write this down before i forget it

SPOILERS AHEAD

i'm so upset you people made it seem so much worse!! i'm talking about ATLA live action show, of course. all i saw about it is criticism, harsh, angry criticism. which is valid, to each their own, but it's not that bad!! it's actually quite good. for people who haven't seen the original it should be gold. their new fav fantasy series.

yeah, the plot is moving FAST. faster than it should and thus eliminates so many things. like, getting to see Aang's backstory so soon, whitout showing how happy he was before finding out he's the avatar and how the other kids pushed him away once the news got out, gyatso being told to stay away too being the final drop, causing him to leave and despise being the avatar. in the show he just fears the responsability. which is in tune with his character. it's valid. it's just far less complex and complicated.

Aang's still childish and likes to play and goof around, he just accepts his role faster. fear of hurting others, a very important characterization of him that appears in the original show as well, plays a huge role still, he just becomes responsible and stops running from who he is faster.

Katara and Sokka are really well written. Sokka's sexism isn't out and open, it's not obvious and it's watered down a lot, but it exists. harder to catch on, easy to brush away, but it's there. and Katara is motherly, the only thing i was upset about was her not mentioning her mother. it was made up for with the flashbacks, but still.

Zukko didn't mention his honor once!! whyyy??? i mean, i know it's a running joke in the fandom, but all humor aside, it plays an important part in his character. throughout the series he learns how to be an actual honorable person, he learns he's the only one who can give himself this value, he can't receive it from – or have it taken away by – Ozai. other than that, though, he's a really good Zukko. he has the entitled prince patience – or lack of it more likely. he has the anger, the need to succeed driving him over his limits. he's rude with those he sees beneath him. i have faith his growth will be well handled.

SUKI!!! other than the fact she has an immediate crush on Sokka, she's also good. her and Sokka still train, she still beats him and shows him how to fight better. he still tries to show off in her face and is ashamed to lose to a girl. he's ashamed to ask for her help. but he comes around real quick. it's two seasons worth of character development and relationship development crammed in one episode. but they have to do that to catch your attention. the average public has lost their patience to watch a slowly developing, complex character arc. and they don't want the show to be cancelled.

Uncle Iroh is on par with who he is in the original. nothing to comment here.

there are major chances, like Aang channeling Kyoshi and entering the spirit realm so early in his journey. but the channeling other avatars in their temples is an interesting addition in my opinion. i personally like it and am ready to see more of it.

Katara is learning a bit fast, but she still can't fight Zuko on her own, so they didn't, thankfully, make her a prodigy mary sue. it's fine by me. she still has to work to achieve her powers and it actually reminds me of how fast she learns when she has a teacher, so they did rush her, but the struggle is still there.

they leave so many things unadressed because they don't have time to write them in, but they do touch the important main events. so i'll take it.

the costumes are SPLENDID!!

all in all, i like it. it's nostalgic and i can see my childhood show come to life. nothing could replace it, but it's a beautiful addition.

[marlasomething]

Zutara Month (Day 27): Tea Nation

Hello there!

As usual, I cannot see a "challenge" and let it go so...Zutara month it is! First time writing for the fandom, I won't be able to do ALL DAYS (this one was a must, though, thanks to @zutaramonth for putting in there one of my fav promps)

As usual, do please forgive my quick tipper and non-native speaker mistakes,

Marla

Allons-y!

Also in AO3

Among all the things Iroh regretted in his life, leaving Azula behind was topping almost all of them. Albeit, he had been just a man; a tired, scared, run with sadness deeper than the ocean and more anxiety than a threatened wild animal.

He had risked enough taking Zuko out of the palace, all while the kid cried and kicked him; thinking the rest of his family ought to be in danger. He was still too young to understand that they were the ones he should have been running from.

Now, a decade had gone by and he tried not to listen in too detail to the late atrocities committed by the Fire Nation as he served his clients in the tea shop he had been a proud owner of for…well, a bit less than the decade he and  his son  had been proud members of the community.

 “Poor people, they didn’t stand a chance…”  

 “They said Azula was laughing  while she melted alive the parents of the kids that run away with the Avatar…”

  “Poor children…I hope they are ok and far, very far from here. I wouldn’t help them, you know? I like my skin smooth…as Zuko’s.”

After this particular comment, the girl who had been talking giggled and winked at the teen, who was caught by surprise and blushed while accidentally heating the tea cup he had been cleaning up; all ceramics now spared through the floor.

Iroh sighed.

“Kid, please, clean it.”

He grunted something but, then, headed to the broom’s room for his tools.

~~~~~

Zuko was still traumatised by the news. He knew he was a firebender. He was conscious of his own abilities just as much as he had made the point of learning how to defend himself using his own body exclusively (and a sword,  of course he had a sword  -and mask). Not so much because of thinking there was something wrong with firebending (that was stupid; his uncle was the greatest person on creation and, as much as he had learned about the Fire Nation since he was, well,  kidnaped  by his uncle a decade ago, he knew no collective was just one thing -not even one individual-), but because he wanted a quiet life, he wanted Iroh to don’t have any trouble, to one day find a boy, or a girl, or none of the above and fall in love…

…just a quiet, peaceful life.

As he thought about this and took the broom to clean up his mess (why did girls keep being  so ridiculous  around him? They didn’t use to be that way…), he allowed himself to create a small flame in his palm and…

…got attacked.

By the dirty water in the buckle kept next to the tool he had picked up.

“Don’t you  fucking dare move.”  

He was being attacked by an angel.

Well, if angels were fifteen year-old girls with light brown skin and murderous icy blue eyes.

“Do…do I know you?” he stuttered.

“Katara! He might be able to help!” a small kid had spoken. He looked ten or eleven but he might be just a bit too short and skinny for his age.

And he had an arrow in his…

“Shit, you are  him”  his surprise was so genuine the girl let him go.

 Great. I loved this apron.

“So…you are telling the truth…You are not with the Fire Nation.”

“I was, before. As a kid…”

“They recruit children too?!” the new voice belonged to a boy that shared some looks with the Katara girl.

She sighed.

“Sokka, please, I am sure he was the son of some general or something…”

“I was the prince” and, of course, the total mistrust from the girl made its appearance again.

He raised his hands, apologetically.

“Look, if you don’t believe me, do come in and I’ll tell my uncle to come in. He would be able to help and make you trust us, I  know.”

The two boys complied, though still keeping guard; but the girl stayed behind.

Once they were gone, she gave him a sly smile.

“Thank you for helping out the other day. Your mask still needs work, but it is a good beginning and it is great that you are trying to make things even a little bit better. Oh! And thanks for the signal. I needed them to trust you in opposition to me; you know, they can be a bit hot headed…”

He laughed quietly, making sure the other two couldn’t hear, remembering how he had found Katara a couple of weeks ago, trying to fight off in her own four earthbenders trying to… do things  to a girl only a couple of years older than Zuko was.

“Only them?” she punched him in the arm, a little bit harder than necessary. “Ouch!”

“Don’t be a baby” she turned her expression to her previous frown. “Ready to hate my guts again?”

“Only for a little bit.”

[theclockworkmonk]

Author Self-Interview

tagged by @cats-and-metersticks

Name: There might be a day where I answer that, but not today.

Where do you post: AO3 and fanfiction.net. I've also tried to make an account on SIYE, but it always glitches out. I don't really see a reason to not post to multiple sites, so if there are other fanfic sites I should get an account on let me know.

Most popular multi-chapter fic:

My multi-chapter with the highest number of Kudos/favs is The Morning After, my "hangover episode" of ATLA that I started back in 2013 and only finished last year. (Tokka, Kataang, Maiko)

My multi-chapter with the highest ratio of kudos to hits is The One with the Photograph, my first ever HP fic, so I guess I peaked early. I originally wrote it as a one-shot, but that spiraled into three follow-up chapters connected to the central idea. (Hinny)

Most popular one-shot:

By number of Kudos/favs, it's Desire and Will, in which Zuko, trying to get Aang to let loose with his firebending, asks the seemingly random question "Have you ever kissed a girl?" Most of the story is Katara's rambling, panicking internal monologue. (Kataang)

By ratio of kudos to hits, it's actually Fool in the Rain, which is pretty funny and probably just highlights that this isn't a great metric. It's a short songfic I through out one afternoon back in 2014, both as a way to try out songfics (I haven't done another one since), and to fix one of the MANY things I hated about The Promise (I've since accepted that the Gene Yang comics are beyond saving with fix-it fics so instead I just ignore them). (Maiko)

Favourite story you’ve written so far: "The Morning After" will always be special to me, just because it's the longest, so it proves to myself that I'm capable of finishing a project of that scope, even if I did drop it for six years, and that's a good source of inspiration to my ADHD brain.

I also really like "The Other Runaway," simply because I think it's unique. With the show being done for 13 years, basically everything that could be written about it has been written, multiple times. But I had never seen anyone make that connection between Aang and Toph, how they're kindred spirits in a way. (Kataang, Aang/Toph friendship)

Fic you were nervous to post: .....I don't think any of them? I haven't ever really written about anything serious enough to warrant people getting upset. There's no heavy topics. I mostly write comedy, so even if people hate it, there's not really material for them to leave a long, scathing comment about WHY they hate it. They either find it funny, or they don't.

How do you choose your titles: I don't think about it too hard, to be honest. I usually pick it immediately before posting, just picking a word or phrase that appears in the text that's emblematic of what the work is about.

Do you outline: The only time I've written a full, structured outline is for "The Morning After." I had to, it's a murder mystery so you need to plan out the planting and payoff of the clues. With everything else, I make notes, but nothing as organized as an actual outline.

Complete fics: All of them except three:

"Out of the Mouths of Babes," an ongoing fic that spiraled from a prompt from @clarensjoy's Hinny Fic Fest last May. The penultimate chapter is written and being beta'd

There's also two works that I posted one chapter of in 2014 and then immediately abandoned, "Baby Brother," which was supposed to be a series about Ozai and Iroh's childhood, and "The Siren," an HTTYD fic that has kind of been rendered obsolete by now.

Do you accept prompts: I'll take part in prompt events if they pull me in, but I won't force it if nothing comes to me. And I have WAY too many ideas that I'll probably never be able to get to to accept random prompts on tumblr

Upcoming story you’re most excited to write: I've been meaning to revisit "Baby Brother," and there's more thematically connected multi-chapters in the same vein as "The One with the Photograph" and "Overprotective" I have ideas for

Stories you’re most excited to read: Most of the stories I've been into are on long hiatuses right now, so I won't post about them to put pressure on the writers. I have been meaning to read "Not from Others" by @floreatcastellumposts, but I know that once I start I likely won't be able to stop until I finish the whole thing in one day, so I've hesitated taking that plunge lol

Thanks for the tag! tagging @a-d-curtis, @theresthesnitch, @flameohotwife, @starlingflight, @shameaboutthedilettantism, @f0xfordcomma, @northerngoshawk

[limit-list]

ATLA AO3 Fic Recs!

idk about how y’all are handling the state of the world rn, but i have retreated into the “consume every available fanfic ever” phase!! for anyone else who wants to read lots of Avatar: The Last Airbender fanfiction, i’ve gathered a list of some of my favs so far!! i’ve split it into gen series, zukka series, gen fics, and zukka fics because those are the types of fics i thrive in. they’re not in any particular order other than that.

i will say that a funny trend i recognized was that Haicrescendo on AO3 (@sword-and-stars on here) made it on to every single list because everything they write is amazing hahaha, feel free to do as i did and just read all of their atla fics. anyway!! here goes, hopes this helps people, ill prolly add onto it at some point haha.

GEN SERIES:

What We’re Given by Haicrescendo

The premise of the story is that Zuko, Iroh, and the crew set out when Zuko was banished, found out that the Sky Bisons never died out, turn their ship into the Jasmine Dragon (a tea shop on a boat!!!), and never hunted the Avatar. This series is so good, it’s currently updating every Friday I think and I love it so much.

Dragon of the Yuyan by 00AwkwardPenguin00

Summary is: “In which Zuko is fostered/adopted/raised/recruited by the Yuyan Archers of Pouhai Stronghold, and destiny hiccups.” Y’all I adore this series so much, I receive so much serotonin every time this updates. The plot develops really really nicely, the OC’s are my fav people ever, and the way the author uses the signing is just perfection. It’s currently updating every Saturday I think.

kintsugi by discordiansamba

Summary is: “au in which a banished for good zuko ends up being hired by the beifongs to watch over their daughter- or, zuko and toph never took that field trip in canon so now she gets to hog him for three whole years”. If y’all know me, y’all know I love some Zuko and Toph friendship. This story is PEAK bonding, it makes me so happy.

ZUKKA SERIES:

Quarantine and Chill 2020 by Haicrescendo

Literally what it says on the tin haha. Series about roommates Sokka and Zuko as they’re stuck in quarantine, first two are explicit, there’s four total so far, and I love them all. The characterization is immaculate, the banter had me cackling, and all in all just a great series!

Carry On For You by Haicrescendo

Summary is: “Not the Pokémon AU you asked for but the one you’re getting anyway. Featuring: full time gym leader and local cryptid Zuko, badge challenger Sokka, and Katara who can only look at so many memes before she flips.” Yall I know nothing about Pokémon but this series!!! It brings me SO much serotonin. I adore this series so much, we get Zuko interacting with animals at the same time as Zukka develops and Iroh is there and I just love it.

the best laid intentions by alittleduck

Post-show fics for the most part. Summary is: “Centers around members of the Gaang coming out to their well meaning but woefully unprepared friends. Part one is centered around Zuko coming out as gay, the second one is centered around Toph coming out as a lesbian and the third one is centered around Sokka coming to terms with his bisexuality.” I love this series a lot, it’s super cute and I thrive on LGBTQ+ gaang fics. We got gay Zuko, lesbian Toph, and bi Sokka and they make me so happy.

GEN FICS:

Embers by Vathara

Ooo boy, this is a long fic, but it is my absolute favorite fanfic in possibly any fandom I’ve been in. The summary for this fic is: “Dragon's fire is not so easily extinguished; when Zuko rediscovers a lost firebending technique, shifting flames can shift the world...” I dunno how to put it any better than that without spoilers!! It rewrites canon from I think Zuko and Iroh getting into Ba Sing Se on. Expect politics, interpersonal tension, several plot lines overlapping and weaving their ways through the story, amazingly developed OC’s, and just incredible writing overall. Definitely a must read.

For Hearth and Home by Haicrescendo

Post-show fic in which Zuko hangs out with a baby all day while everyone falls in love with him. Summary is: “In which Fire Lord Zuko is a total mess and somehow people manage to love him for it anyway.” Honestly I think that sums up the plot, this is just such a pure story, it cheers me up like instantly haha! This is one of the cutest and most relaxing fics I’ve read.

The Family You Choose by TunaFishChris

Show rewrite soulmate fic with the Gaang as family! Summary is: “Some people are born with soulmarks. Zuko has them, but his grandfather burned them off because they ‘make you weak.’ Team Avatar has a few things to say about that.” No spoilers, but I love a good soulmate fic and I’ve never seen a concept quite like this one!! I think I’ve read this two or three times at this point. Amazing.

Unwanted Friends by FoiblePNoteworthy

This was inspired by The Family You Choose by TunaFishChris (see previous), and I love it so much. It’s the same concept, but minus Suki and told from the other’s perspective at an earlier place in the timeline! If y’all end up liking The Family You Choose, you’ll like this one too!!

Perfection is Overrated by Jagged Cliffs

Post-show fic. If you’re like me and have a soft spot for fics where Fire Lord Zuko is an absolute sweetheart to the palace staff, then you have to read this. One of my all time favorite fanfics. Everything about this story makes me happy.

Another Brother by AvocadoLove

Show rewrite. This is a WIP, I’m actually still reading it rn but it’s really good!! It’s about if Hakoda found Zuko as an 8 year old injured on a Fire Nation ship and brought him home to the Water Tribe. No spoilers here, but it’s a really good pure story and I love it so much so far.

Salvage by MuffinLance

Show AU WIP. Ooo goodness I love this story! Summary is: “Mid-Season-One Zuko is held ransom by Chief Hakoda. Ozai's replies to the Water Tribe's demands are A+ Parenting. Hakoda is… deeply concerned, for this son that isn't his, and who might be safer among enemies than with his own father.” Zuko is an angsts bby whomst I adore, Hakoda is my favorite ever, and the OC’s are legit the best. MuffinLance is another author where every fic is amazing! This fic in particular tore me to shreds and then makes up for it in absolute amazingness.

OUTLINE: Amnesia!Zuko Joins the Earth Army by MuffinLance

Show rewrite, I can’t remember from what point exactly, but it’s before Ba Sing Se. Summary is: “Zuko loses his memory and becomes an Earth Kingdom war hero. His father is going to LOVE this.” Written in outline/concept form, I adore this so so much. This fic is why I post concepts of stories I’ll never write, cause this story made me realize people enjoy reading them!! And this is sooo enjoyable, I fuckin love this fic.

ZUKKA FICS:

The Good Vanilla by Haicrescendo

Show AU-ish from the Western Air Temple I think. I think this is the fic that made me fall in love with Zukka actually omg. A beautiful fanfic that shows how Zuko and Sokka slowly fall in love, no spoilers here, there is lots of cooking.

Quit your life and come train Pokemon. (orphaned)

Modern Day AU. Another one of my starter Zukka fics!! Sokka kinda maybe falls in love with Aang’s roommate Zuko. There is nerdiness and awkward situations and ~emotions~. It makes me happy, definitely one of my favs.

by the stars above, i knew we were in love by theycallmesuperboy

Post-show fic. This one tore me to shreds!! It’s a fic about Zuko working his way up to proposing to Sokka. No spoilers, just saying that this story hurt me in all the best ways. Amazing story.

Unchained Melody by AvocadoLove

Show rewrite from Hei Bai’s Forest episode, WIP. Basic premise is that Sokka turns into a ghost, and Zuko is the only one who can see him. The dynamic between Zuko and Sokka is just explored so well here, and the banter is perfection. There are so many things I could say about different parts of the story, but I don’t wanna spoil a thing, so go read it!! Love this fic.

Sea Cranes by Druddigonite

Show AU. Summary is: “Between chasing the Avatar and dealing with his disgrace, Zuko begins to cough up flowers.” It’s a really interesting concept which I’d never heard of before, but I loved this fic! Just enough angst to tear my heart up and then mend it back together.

Hotman by callmecaramleh

Set during the Western Air Temple Arc. Summary is: “Toph decides she needs to know who in the gaang is hot. This leads to quite a bit of trouble for Sokka.” I love this fic so much. It’s so clear that they’re awkward teenagers here, and as an awkward teenager I love the dynamic!!! I just adore these boys so much.

Something Good Can Work by beersforqueers

Bookstore AU!!! I live for a good bookstore AU, as well as library and café AUs. Anyway, summary is: “Bookstore AU! In which Sokka tries to not-so-subtly pick up the cute boy working in the bookstore, and the cute boy is totally oblivious. Because the cute boy is Zuko.” They’re adorable and flustered. It’s precious, another fic that brings me outta a bad mood in like a minute flat. I love this!

[the-hot-zone]

@agentcalliope THE REVIEW GOT TOO LONG FOR AO3′S REVIEW BOX AND WOULDN’T LET ME POST IT SO HERE IT IS. I’M SORRY IT’S SO LONG BUT I REALLY LIKE YOUR FIC SDKSDK

I mean firstly, the only thing I can say after reading this is, wow. Wow. Holy shit, wow. They way everything builds--the capitalization, the punctuation, the epithets, the prose--to demonstrate on both a subconscious and conscious level how Azula develops. The reader is comprehending these words, but also they’re registering the way you use spacing, punctuation, and capitalization, forcing the reader to slow down/stop/keep reading at certain parts, which creates a flow that a) sounds like Azula b) portrays her mental state and c) shows her development. It’s like a crescendo of writing conventions that never stops moving, and god I just. I’m fangirling a lil bit over your writing. There’s not a wasted line, space, italicization, quotation mark, period, comma, or word in this fic. Everything serves a purpose, and the way it builds--just. Wow. I can see the work you put into editing and revising this, and I want you to know that you’ve communicated your point extremely well. I’m moved. As a reader, I’m in tears. As a writer, I’m floored (and I’m taking notes.) God, okay, time to get specific.

The stylization. This is one of my fav writing styles--the blend of poetry and narration--that I don’t get to see a whole lot, and it’s hard to pull off. I really feel like you’ve used that style to its full potential; in your hands, it feels like that style was made to tell Azula’s story. I really, really like this, so I hope you don’t mind if I talk about why? Which means analyzing; analyzing is my love language, and I love your fic, truly.

In the beginning of the fic, she is “the girl;” she is “a princess,” not “Azula.” This shows how, with her defeat, Azula has lost herself completely (”someone is screaming who is screaming”). Ozai built her for a role she no longer has, so she has lost her identity, her sense of self. So, when she accepts the identity of monster, that is something she must unlearn through Iroh and for herself.

The first time the reader reads Azula’s name (as “azula), it’s isolated by a line break and positioned right after a long, run-on thought from Azula (”he doesn’t look quite...”) and before “the boy says.” This shows how Azula’s name, her identity, is separate from a) her inner monologue and thus her sense of self and b) how she perceives the world around her (outside of dialogue). And this further illustrates the importance of dialogue in this fic; dialogue is the connection from her inner monologue to how she perceives the world. Thus, later in the fic, when Iroh speaks the first line of quotation-mark-surrounded dialogue, it shows how he gets through to her. AH THE WAY YOU BUILD EVERYTHING UP.  Also, her description of Ozai in this scene as “the person she knows to love” has so much meaning. It’s like a lesson she’s learned, a fact she’s been taught: to love Ozai. The way you inject so much meaning into line breaks, and the layers of depth you add to single lines. Immaculate. I can really describe it as masterful.

Azula finally refers to herself as “azula” once Zuko says “I will never give up on you” Not only that, however, but the first time she refers to him as “zuko” instead of “the boy” is also when he says “I will never give up on you.” Also, that same piece of dialogue contains “uncle never gave up on me,” which shows how Uncle’s patience connects both Azula and Zuko in their respective healing journeys. Which, oh my god, I love Uncle’s role in Azula’s healing in this fic. His remorse for leaving her with Ozai is so tangible and painful to read. I love how you portray his characters; he comes off the page as Uncle Iroh; his characterization is so strong.

But the scene after Azula finally refers to herself as “azula,” Suki comes in. For one, “zuko and katara beat you or did you forget?” is written with a question mark, showing the significant of that line and how it affects Azula, shown in “azula screams.” Azula connects the person who is screaming with herself; she is still fracturing due to her loss. (Because her loss of the Agni Kai is symbolic of like, her failing everything Ozai built her up to be: the opposite of Zuko.)

The scene where Aang comes is where punctuation in Azula’s inner monologue first appears:  “the avatar’s gray eyes are soft and full of sympathy and it makes her angry.” I feel like this is her echoing Ozai’s sentiments, especially with “a princess is not pathetic.” Patheticness was something Azula had always associated with Zuko, so these lines sound a lot like Ozai to me. But “not made to be pitied” is next, without any punctuation. This is because pity is a new emotion for her to face, and she does not associate it with “a princess,” seen in the later lines “now the girl sees not pity but weakness” What’s important here is that Azula is “a girl” again. Aang’s pity is the antithesis to Ozai; peace where he sees bloodshed and war, and it blindsides her. Bro I just, the way you communicate Ozai’s presence so subtly yet so strongly... the talent.

Also: “it makes me feel sad for you the avatar answers“ Stop making me cry!!! THAT LINE WAS HEARTBREAKING. The snippets of Aang in this fic were lovely to read.

iirc, the first full line we get, capitalized, with punctuation, is when Toph is talking to Azula: “I just wanted to tell you that I know what it's like to have Expectations to have parents that expect certain things of you. It sucks. but you suck too. no wonder everyone hates you.”

THE LAYERS OF MEANING:

a) Expectations is capitalized, showing the significance of expectations to Azula; her mind latches onto it. (I love the significance of expectations throughout this fic and how the play into Azula’s sense of identity and healing jdkfkfAHH like with the TEA.)

b) This is where Azula’s “new” sense of self as “monster” begins to develop. “but you suck too. no wonder everyone hates you.” Both are short and with periods, showing the weight of Toph’s words.

When Katara sees Azula, iirc, we get the longest string of sentences with periods so far. Periods are becoming more common, showing how Azula’s identity is beginning to come together, but it’s an identity as monster: “your own brother. you’re disgusting. you’re a monster.” The repetitiveness and switch between your and you’re is almost like a rhythm, pounding “you’re a monster” into Azula’s head. After Katara leaves, we get the first full sentence Azula says: “I’ve never pretended to be anything else.”

Azula sees herself as a monster; she’s seeing the weight of her past actions.

When Iroh arrives, we get the longest string of sentences WITH capitalization in this point of the fic (I think): “It’s sweet. You have always loved sweet tea, my niece. A fascinating contrast.” And a new identity is introduced: my niece.

When Azula asks for Uncle after the nightmare, we get the first time a name is capitalized in the fic: Uncle. Not even Ozai has “father” capitalized. This shows Iroh’s significance in her healing journey. Not only that, but Uncle is the one that comes to her, not Ozai. This contrast between Ozai’s absence and Uncle’s presence is what begins to allow Azula to heal--and what ultimately helps her truly stay on the path of healing. I love how you build up the notion of Ozai not being there for Azula, not coming to get her. The way it culminates in the end feels like such strong, real development because of your build-up.

Once Uncle begins to visit regularly, your writing becomes more abundant with “proper” sentences. This is one of my fav examples of this:

“Uncle continues to bring her sweet tea. He talks to her. He sits next to her as she leans against the wall and speaks many tales of spirits and beautiful women. azula almost looks forward to his visits. Almost.”

Every sentence except the one that begins with “azula’ is capitalized. She’s not there yet, with her identity, but Uncle is there. And when Azula says “but I am a monster,” the fic gets its first line of quotation-enclosed dialogue:

“Oh, my dear. My beautiful niece. I don’t believe that.”

And then, right after that, we get “Princess Azula.” This is the first time Azula is capitalized, and Uncle says it. But Azula is the one perceiving the dialogue; she is accepting “Princess Azula.” Sure enough, right after that, we get this:

“Azula narrows her eyes suspiciously.”

The first time Azula refers to herself in her inner monologue as Azula. FINALLY. FUCK. This is one of the most satisfying developments in this fic, when Azula finally sees herself as “Azula,” even if she’s not all the way there yet. Your build-up makes this moment feel amazing.

Another thing I loved was how Azula is obsessed with getting the tea perfect; the tea is a reflection of herself; “She will make his jasmine tea, and she will make it precisely the way it is expected to be.”

HIS jasmine tea. Not HER jasmine tea. This shows that she’s trying to fit a mold she thinks Iroh has for her; she will make the tea as it is expected to be; SHE will be exactly as she is expected to be.

But when she fails, Iroh simply says “Let’s try it again.” When Azula fails to be “perfect,” pain and fear isn’t waiting for her. Iroh is. So when Iroh says,

“I am just an old man looking forward to trying his niece’s cup of tea, which she has worked hard on.”

This is so important. It is HIS NIECE’S (Azula’s) cup of tea, which SHE has worked hard on. In other words, it is Azula’s healed identity that she has worked hard on, and it is “one of the best teas I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing in my life.” Just. The symbolism. Fuck. So good. 

Then, in the next scene, she tells Zuko to tell Aang she’s sorry. This brings back Sokka’s earlier words, “you won't ever apologize for what you’ve done or bear responsibility for your actions and we both know it.” BUT AZULA IS UNLEARNING, and that is tangible development, babey. In a way, Sokka was right, because the “you” he was talking to wasn’t the Azula that’s now wanting to apologize to Aang. Azula as “Azula” didn’t exist then; now she does. I can’t this fucking fic I am STUNNED. The way you introduce and maintain concepts to develop Azula’s journey... It’s amazing AH

“Azula cradles her own cup in her hands and breathes in the steam, letting it cling to her face.“ Bro I just wanted to say that this line gave me brilliant imagery. You perfectly described how it feels to hold a mug of something warm and breathe it in, like ahhh the sensory imagery was so VIVID.

“Zuko tears off a piece of bread, and places it on her palm. She looks down at it, her hand without crackling cackling blue fire. The only blue is the water, beautiful and clear.” Thinking bout the contrast, and how the color blue used to separate her from the world; now it joins her to it (turtleducks.) YOUR LAYERS. Another contrast I love was the one between “red drapes that used to block out the sun when it rises every morning” and “basking in Agni’s light.” This reminds me of the Sun Warriors and Zuko learning the true meaning of fire, as something full of life and light, not something that only burns. That was my favorite contrast throughout the fic, and the most meaningful to me. 

Azula saying “Why not?” to Sokka was everything I need in life.

“Azula brings herself out of the palace, and back into the prison.“ Ozai is her prison. The wording. THE WORDING SAYS SO MUCH. The way she comes to Ozai--but. He never came for her. Uncle did. She has new experiences and a new sense of self; she’s not the Azula she was, and she’s not the Azula Ozai is expecting. So when you write

“Because he has made Azula into Azula, and he has done it well.”

and she walks away, it’s a defiance of everything she’s been, everything she was forced to be. Azula made Azula into Azula, and she understands this.

“This is not what she was made for.” is a recognition that Ozai forced her into a role that was never for kindness, for love, for acceptance, for change. As she learns and unlearns, unmakes her identity as a monster, she’s understanding that Ozai never intended for Azula to be her own Azula. And this means she sees the world through her own eyes, not Ozai’s:

“his eyes not wounded and sad but fierce and soft and she knows what he’s saying isn’t a lie.”

JUST. The way you built this fic. You saw more than words as your tools, and I am honestly in awe of the way you used writing conventions. This fic is so strong because you literally made everything about Azula; Azula is this fic. THE ARTISTRY. I really, really hope you’re proud of the story you’ve built. Thank you for writing.

(ALSO TOPH WAS EVERYTHING I NEEDED AND MORE.)

[guymaito]

For the ask thing :3:

Top 5 animals? Top 5 fav/comfort movies? Top 5 fav cartoons/shows?

I’m honestly glad to know theres other people including you who actually like Pakku and his character :3 Yes he was a completely asshole at the start but he did change, it’s just that it was so subtle that not everyone saw it

Also random song associations with characters:

Fighter by Jack Stauber reminds me very well of Piandao, Pakku, and Jeong Jeong as their younger selves during the war.

Why do I associate Grace by Lewis Capaldi with Bumi? (the music video tho would give more context to why it might make sense)

Oh Klahoma by Jack Stauber reminds me of Piandao and his overall anxieties for his partners.

Consider some of these songs as sorta song recs? Idk but still :3

1. Giraffes!! the reason why their tongues look like That is cause of extra melanin and to prevent sunburn!!

2. Seals!! there are 33 different kinds of pinnipeds and there over 50 extinct pinnipeds

3. Dogs!! they can only see in shades of blue and yellow, so bright red roses look yellowish brown and lively green grass look dehydrated and dead

4. Crows!! a group of them are called a murder

5. Cows!! they’re actually colorblind, they can’t see red specifically, so male cows, bulls aren’t getting mad at the color, they’re getting angry at the movement

1. The Losers movie from 2010, it’s a action mystery movie about Clay and his team that are a part of an elite US Special Forces Unit and are approached by a mysterious woman to exact revenge on their handler, Max, who betrayed them and just,,,the characters, CHRIS EVANS, jake jensen and all of his kinda weird glory, THE ELEVATOR SCENE, also cougar!!

2. Captain America and The Winter Soldier movie, it’s a action movie, which makes me realize that a lot of my faves are prolly gonna be action something, but anyways, it’s about Steve Rogers, who now lives in the nation's capital as he tries to adjust to modern times. An attack on a S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague throws Rogers into a web of intrigue that places the whole world at risk. Joining forces with the Black Widow, Natasha Romanov, and a new ally, Sam Wilson, Steve struggles to expose an ever-widening conspiracy, but he and his team soon come up against an unexpected enemy. oh my god,,,just,,,the fight scenes, the running scene at the beginning of the movie, steve meeting sam that way, just everything!! this was also my introduction to marvel so in my mind no other marvel movie can live up to this (other than spiderman away from home)

3. Spiderman Far from Home, again, it’s a action movie, i’m not gonna explain this cause the post is getting long, but!! mj and peter!! just,,,all of their scenes!! also jake gyllenhaal!! the fight scenes!! the soundtrack!! everything about it is amazing!!

4. Thunderforce, again, i’m not gonna explain, it’s an action adventure and comedy movie (ofc it is look at the other 3 🙄 /s), the relationship between lydia and emily!! the relationship between lydia and emily’s daughter!! the humor!! the fight scenes!! the soundtrack!!,,,,just everything about is good despite the bad ratings

that’s more like a top 4 than a top 5 but that’s like,,,,all the movies i genuinely like and will rewatch if given the chance and for that where’s a honorable mention: Hamilton (the movie version on disney+ that came out i think nearly a year ago), the soundtrack is amazing, the characters are better, got some funny moments and is mostly historically accurate, like yeah angelica did forget her name cause at the time of her meeting alex ham, she was married to a man named john church (or something church idk) so her last name was church but she introduced herself to alexander as angelica schuyler, not angelica church, so in satisfied she was telling the truth about forgetting her own name, but in the same song she said that her father had no sons even though the real angelica had 3 brothers.

1. Avatar the last Airbender, ofc or else i would have a blog (mostly) centered around it and it’s sequel /s but fr though?? it’s such a good show!! zuko’s redemption arc, iroh’s redemption arc (even though his more subtle than zuko’s) , aang!! love him and his character so much, especially when he gets to be a sassy little shit, sokka and his shit humor and brains, katara, toph, hakoda and HIS shit humor, the fight scene with hakoda (he fights kinda like a waterbender, using his opponent’s momentum against them), bato and his lovely, lovely voice, piandao, aang going ‘how about he get on YOUR back and you can fly us to the south pole’ or something like that to sokka after he complained about appa not flying higher, the boiling rock episodes, hakoda apparently being a good dad but a shitty prison riot starter (love that for him), just!! atla is such a good ass show, im not changing my mind. also!! i like the way they introduced ozai, not showing his face but still presenting him as not only a shit dad, but a shit person as well, like up until book three, we only saw him like, the neck down and in like, a flashback or two (i don’t really remember how many flashbacks ozai was in actually cause it’s nearly been a full year since i last watched it) and that’s it, so it made seeing his face for the first time all the more better cause you was already like ‘what the hell does this shitbag look like’ and then you see him and now ur like ‘oh!! THATS what he looks like!!’

2. The Legend of Korra, again, ofc or else i wouldn’t have a blog (mostly) centered around it and it’s prequel, just,,,,korra’s arc from being hot headed to calm is fantastic but also sad considering the way she went from that to this, korra’s book 1 character!! for whatever reason i really like b1 korra, just,,her design, her hair style (even though she had it for nearly the entire series) just!!! book 1 korra <3, also the entirety of book 1!! just amon posing as a anti bender nonbender despite being a waterbender himself, the scene where tenzin and his kids nearly lost their bending, which would’ve meant that, if tenzin did lose his bending but his kids didn’t, that would’ve meant the strongest airbender would’ve been his 11 year old daughter, the gruesome way to end the season finale episode by doing a murder suicide which was dark as fuck for what?? a kids show??, also the villains in this show!! their good as hell!! the backstory of the red lotus and how and why they were created?? amon and his anti bending?? kuvira and her plan to basically rule the earth kingdom (idk i haven’t finished book 4), unalaq and his spiritual stuff and wanting to become a dark avatar and fusing with vaatu?? also!! the other disturbing scene of korra basically getting tortured near the end of book 3, i mean?? it deadass left her hella traumatized and unable to walk, again hella dark for a fucking kids show

3. The Walking Dead, even though i haven’t finished it or watched in like, 4-5 months, i just,,,the way the presented negan!! practically foreshadowing him the entirety of season 6!! him appearing at the very end of the season 6 finale and pretty much having an entire episode dedicated to him in the very beginning of season 7 (which is why some fans argue he was introduced in s7 not s6 cause of the fact that he didn’t show up until the very end of the s6 finale but had an entire episode with him in it in s7, while others say vice versa cause the very the first time we see him was in s6 not s7), the fact that the walking dead logo was getting progressively more and more decayed as the series go on?? the fact that the WALKERS (the zombies) are getting more and more decayed as the series go on?? dale’s death scene?? shane’s death scene?? negan’s relationship with rick’s daughter?? the fact that this show also has what?? 11, 12 seasons?? which reminds me that i’m still on season 9 of twd

4. Sabrina the Teenage Witch, just,,,salem and his sarcasm?? sabrina’s aunts?? sabrina herself?? just!! everyone is just so fucking funny in this show it’s unreal, specially salem!! a lot of my favorite scenes have salem in them, the ‘are you on a women’s chat room again?’ (or something like that) and salem saying ‘i like the attention’ in response, that one harvey and salem scene that i don’t know how to describe without turning this into a giant paragraph like the ones before this one

5. blue’s clues, it was my favorite childhood show and i love the reboot of it so much!! especially p for pride moment in that song i don’t remember the name of, blue themself!! steve leaving which was sad but getting an equally amazing host in the process?? amazing!! the scene where salt and pepper introduced their baby, paprika?? just,,,it’s such good show and i loved it when i was younger and i still love it now!!

[coveredinsun]

thinking about how mako’s arc could have been something similar to aang’s arc with firebending ......... albeit their reasons for being hesitant with firebending are wildly different, it’s all about realizing & accepting that firebending isn’t inherently destructive.

mako had to learn firebending on the streets from gangs and criminals just to survive after his parents were killed by a firebender. and he was, what, eight years old? i don’t think it’s far fetched to say that a part of him associated firebending with violence, especially when he was so young and had no one to convince him otherwise.

and so, as a little kid stuck with the same ability that claimed the lives of his parents, it felt wrong to firebend. he would get frustrated that he wasn’t a good little earthbender like his brother, angry that he had to live with this; this manifested as a lack of control over his fire. he couldn’t risk hurting anyone (agni forbid he ever hurt bolin) so the only solution he could think of was to push these emotions even further down than they already were.

bolin knew about these feelings. of course he did. (as much as mako liked to brood and act mysterious and keep in his feelings, bolin knew his brother.) as children, mako’s hesitance caused a lot of petty bickering that mainly confused six-year-old bolin. as they got older, bolin realized what was going on through the few things mako would share on slow nights.

bolin never fully understood why it was so hard for his brother to forgive himself for the times he accidentally burned him as kids, and eventually the earthbender realized he probably never would.

bolin tried to not bring it up, but sometimes it just came up. again and again and again he would remind his brother that no, firebending isn’t inherently violent, and being a firebender doesn’t make you a destructive person. bolin could say this a thousand times, but mako would never actually accept it.

aang had zuko, and zuko had iroh, and they all had the dragons to teach them that firebending isn’t a destructive force in itself. they had that guidance.

but mako never had any positive influence like that. he knew that fire took away buildings, monuments, lives, entire civilizations, and his parents. for the longest time he didn’t want his firebending, plain and simple. but he had it, so might as well use it.

so mako just... didn’t firebend often; he never lived by that whole ‘inner flame’ bullshit anyway. he only used his bending for necessities like cooking, keeping warm in the winter, etc. and the more he distanced himself from the gangs of republic city, the less he used it outside of probending.

and so that’s just how it is with his bending. before s1, he had grown as “used to it” as he could get, but it would still bother him. UNTIL....

KORRA SHOWS UP!!!!!!

platonic makorra is my fav thing in the world. i think korra helping mako to accept that firebending is a part of him and that’s not a bad thing would strengthen their bond so much. because what mako needed all along was another firebender! someone who understood how easily the element could fall out of your control! who understood how easy it is to accidentally hurt someone! who knows thay firebending is not only violence and destruction! and korra is that person.

thank you for coming to my ted talk. this whole post is the very long expansion of a short twitter thread of mine if u wanna go check that out

[limit-list]

ellie’s master taglist

sooo i’ve always used a bunch of tags, and it recently occurred to me that i should explain my basic tagging system! so here we go, i tend to generally rant in the tags of course, but i have some common ones that i use for organization. tags will be split up by me-specific tags, general atla tags, character tags, tags for stuff in real life, fandom tags that aren’t specifically atla, and my person specific tags

Me-Specific Tags

me tho: anything that relates to me

ellie posts: posts that i’ve made

ellie writes: my writing, these are my concepts and my actual writing

working title: wow he’s hot: this is my ficblogging for “pull my world apart”

concept: my fic concepts that i need other people to write

ellie answers: these are my answers to any asks i get

ellie’s thoughts: my thoughts on random shit

not ellie being sappy: contrary to the title, this is my sappy tag

ellie draws: any art i do goes here, there’s like two posts so far haha

ficblogging: snippets of my fics before they’re posted

im an art nerd: my art nerdiness

ask games :): whenever i do ask games i use this tag

thanks for the ask!!: i’m not consistent with this tag lmao but i use it sometimes

im in this post and i dont like it: exactly what it says on the tin

personal: personal stuff, don’t use this much anymore i dont think

okay im ranting in the tags: not a consistent tag, sometimes i’ll put this in

never have i ever had this many followers on tumblr: i use this tag every time i hit another milestone on here!

General Atla Tags

atla: just anything atla related

atla analysis: includes meta and any speculation or analysis of the atla universe or characters

momo and appa discourse: my fear the lemurs stuff. not a complete list, just everything i reblogged

atla fanart/op is talentbending/everyone say thank you op: atla fanart in general. op is talentbending is my tag for amazing work in general, and everyone say thank you op is my tag for my favorite fan works

atla fic recs: fics i love and want other people to love as well

atla blog recs: blogs that i think everyone should follow

atla aus: general aus

atla headcanons: headcanons

incorrect atla: incorrect atla quotes, funniest things

atla discourse: i keep forgetting to use this tag, but ideally its for general discourse in the fandom. of which there is lots, as you all know hahah

cabbage man conspiracy: my headcanon about the cabbage men, it’d take forever to explain, just check out the tag

long post: long posts of all kinds

Character Specific Tags

zuko bby: zuko

i fuckin love sokka: sokka

zukka: self explanatory

bakoda: self explanatory

uncle of the fire nation: uncle iroh

toph the hbic: toph

aang is a precious bean: aang

fuckin jet: jet

sunflower come get your mans: also a jet tag, but used less frequently as fuckin jet

his royal majestiy sir momo: momo

hakoda(d): hakoda

someone let me punch ozai: ozai

queen suki/suki: suki

fire lord zuko: specifically relating to fire lord zuko

ambassador sokka: specifically relating to ambassador sokka

yo motherofturtleducks: one of my turtleduck tags

katara, yue, gaang, appa, turtleducks, bato, other various characters might just be their names

Real Life Tags

real life: anything that isn’t fandom stuff

lgbtq+: lgbtq+ issues or awareness or anything specific

happy pride!!!!: all pride posts

activism: activism

human rights: general awareness posts or anything with human rights

advice: general advice

reminder: reminders that i sometimes need about life

politics: anything political

shit do i have adhd: things about adhd

Fandom Tags

not atla: anything that isn’t related to atla

writing: writing tips and stuff calling writers out

fic culture: anything relating to fanfic in general

hp: harry potter

httyd: how to train your dragon

kingsman: anything about kingsman. i also have character specific tags, but seeing as i don’t post much about kingsman anymore i don’t think they’re relevant

marvel: anything marvel. i also have character, actor, and pairing specific tags, but seeing as i don’t post much about marvel anymore i don’t think they’re relevant

doctor who: doctor who, not much here cause im a closet stan but it’ll happen

Person/Blog Specific Tags

just me stanning visit ba sing se

hiya vbss :)

hot leaf juice is precious

uncle of the blogsquad

birthdaytoast is my fav

blogsquad antics/extremely fuckin atla: these are both tags for blogsquad stuff. extremely fuckin atla was my blogsquad tag before the blogsquad was founded, and post founding i use blogsquad antics

heyo smartass anon

we love motherofturtleducks in this household

thank ya sifu

it really do be zukka time

hey sunflower :)

momo ily bud

uh... that was really long but i think that’s most of them? i’m likely forgetting something, but this is so long that i’ll just hope i covered everything haha. time to go link them in somehow when i figure out how tumblr works