#gene yang could never

[comradekatara]

the thing about the adult gaang movie is even if it’s somehow done really well, i don’t wanna see aang and katara as adults, that will actually make me really sad. whereas if sokka is the protagonist that’s fine because i already think everyone should heal and find fulfillment after the war except for sokka. i think sokka should get worse. i think sokka should continue collecting mental illnesses like they’re pokemans creatures. a qing dynasty court intrigue film with sokka navigating ba sing se politics (and iroh can feature as he dispenses occasional wisdom. but sokka is just like “call your son”), or a xai bau spy thriller (except tbh this one would work better as a novel), or even just. a mai and sokka roadtrip movie in the style of an early 2000s stoner comedy (this one would have no artistic merit but it’s also probably the best idea ive ever had). these are but a few examples of the many ideas i have for movies that put my favorite guy through hours of suffering without having to depict my other favorite guys as anything other than the precious babies i know and love.

[maikingsenseofit]

Came back to my TL and saw discourse on how the comics permanently ruined Maiko/ highlighted why they were incompatible all along/ Mai and Zuko can never reconcile again after them.

This is an unpopular opinion BUT As much as I detest Gene Luen Yang in this context (by the way American born Chinese is AMAZING) - I think he didn’t fuck up Maiko entirely or put them in a state where they have no conceivable future. In his mangling of Mai’s character he actually ended up giving her more dimension and agency than we could derive purely from the show. And even at the height of his butchered portrayal of Mai and Zuko’s relationship as something that could be conceived as incompatible or “toxic” (both of which I staunchly disagree on) - he still wrote very salient scenes where Mai and Zuko confide in each other, help each other cope with loss/dysfunctional family relationships, and are clearly head over heels for each other. I’ll go into this another time.

There’s little wonder as to why a majority of the fandom and general public still ship them. Maiko won a poll of 700,000 votes with a 67% majority. There’s a reason why Mai and Zuko shippers were never really deterred by the comics and continue to support them. There will always be a group of folks who use the comics (despite how EVERY character and relationship was written horribly) as their fuel for why Mai and Zuko NEVER worked. But those are the loud minority - and I’m glad the rest and the authors themselves have realized that there is a viable path forward for them.

But also THERES a huge chunk of people who have never heard of the comics in the first place.

[zeno-zero]

Avatar Roku rant/rambles:

I love him, I love him in such an insane amount. Had me on chokehold since 10 years old like goodness me! What the fuck H-E-🏑🏑 !!

Nobody understood his character and that would've been greatly fine with me but the amount of mischaracterizations, misinterepations, and wishes that he's more like Kyoshi has always made me upset. Roku is a good man whose position as an avatar is poor in terms of writing and expanding his story further.

Roku outside of being Aang's mentor and guide - he was nothing more than just being kindhearted, wise, and pleasant while also acknowledging his indecisiveness, and faults. He even has a flawed perspective on the four nations, that the four nations should always be remained seperated, and still. Yet, I still continue to adore him a LOT. He have so much potential, there are rooms that people could always explore his character than just on the surface/visual level. His airbending and waterbending teachers weren't even named in the late 2010's until some informations were finally out !!

The gene yang comics are not my cup of tea but Roku telling Aang that he should end Zuko's life because he couldn't bare the thought of seeing Sozin? WOW. His friendship with Sozin has always mean something to Roku - so much so, he trusted him to the point it was his downfall. The thought of Sozin's redemption after he left him with the rubble is definitely what Roku had in his mind. But we're talking about the conflict between the Avatar and the Fire Lord, never Roku and Sozin.

His bending abilities are fucking awesome too !! Destroyed an entire palace with airbending + avatar state alone? Created a massive wave in one single move that sent his teacher flying up all the way on top of the chief's palace? He can even be quiet and and silently burrow to the ground to suprise attack enemies with earthbending? Lets not forget that the entire island that Roku was in used to be a huge one until he cut it into a cresent island !! There used to be two super volcanoes !! There's only one remaining !! His firebending shown on the show is also interesting! His fire made Zhao's crew literally run away while incinerating thd metal chains that Katara, Sokka, Shyu, and Zuko were wrapped around with,, unharmed. Him simultaneously bending all four elements at once without the use of the avatar state? Gosh,, people underestimate him sooooo much !!

"But Roku died to a volcano! He should've evacuated-" He was minimizing the effects of it! He died as a hero in that night because no other people held power his power just like he has. The citizens and his wife would've died if it weren't for him, because while it isn't explicitly explained in his wiki and show -  Lava entering the ocean creates a distinctive set of hazards that have seriously injured or killed unsuspecting people eager to see up close the interaction of hot lava and cool seawater. As hot lava boils cool seawater, a series of chemical and physical reactions create a mixture of condensed, acidic steam, hydrochloric acid gas, and tiny shards of volcanic glass. Blown by wind, this plume creates a noticeable downwind haze, known as "laze" (short for lava haze) <- [From "Lava entering ocean" | U.S Geological Survey - USGS.gov] ||And to also answer the dragon part that died with him? I have no answer for that other than the plot has to move on /or the dragon relies on his orders, and to Roku's dying breath, he would rather stay with him.

And nobody talks about how painful and traumatizing Roku's death is - pyroclastic flow is apart of volcano, he either died burning alive, suffocated, or even buried alive! On the margins of pyroclastic flows, death and serious injury to people and animals may result from burns and inhalation of hot ash and gases. Archaeologists have found that some people perished in a pyroclastic surge, a wave of superheated gas and hot ash that literally boiled their blood and caused their skulls to explode, reports Neel V. Patel at Popular Science. <- [Pyroclastic Flows move fast and destroying everything in their path" | U.S Geological survey] AND ["Mount Vesuvius Boiled Its Victims’ Blood and Caused Their Skulls to Explode" by Jason Delay]

But in a summary, I love Roku and I would die to honor his name. Thank you for reading through all of this. Love you guys !! /platonically 

[negrowhat]

Hi Eboni!!

Top 5 most frustrating moments in any bl series for you

Hi Tyler! I feel like we haven't talked in a long time!!!

Top 5 Most Frustrating BL Moments. These are the ones right off the top of my head.

Kay shooting his shot with Gui in Oxygen the Series. He just would not fucking go away. Even when it was clear that Gui was not interested in him. He was a nuisance.

Yang breaking Phumjai's heart into pieces because he didn't want to tell him about his debt in Love in Translation. Because why tf would he hurt my sweet boy like that??? Yang is a sad boy and I get it but like it annoyed me so much.

Tita Susan bringing her homophobic vibes to Gav's house and triggering him in the process from Gameboys the Movie/Gameboys 2. She really walked her crusty ass into that man's house with her lil garden gnome and made Gav feel like an unloved child and then she dropped some info on him to purposely hurt him. Old bitch. I'll never never over that shit.

The NubsibAoey stans making Gene feel like he had to break up with Nubsib in Lovely Writer. Those hater ass stans had #GeneIsNotTheDriver trending while they exposed Gene and Sib's relationship and Gene felt like the best thing to do was to break up. Which was annoying because Nubsib only agreed to do the series so he could reunite with Gene. He didn't give a fuck about that show.

Yeonseok chasing boy Jeong Hayeon after hurting his feelings, kissing him, and then saying it was a mistake in First Love Again. Personally I would've slapped the taste out of his mouth. He was really doing Ha Yeon's sweet face dirty with his wishy-washy ass.

[goldenamaranthe-blog]

Happy Village Trail

After the battle of Vacuo and pushing Salem's forces back, everyone is taking a much needed rest to recover before going back to Vale to (hopefully) end the war. Blake is helping Kali in the kitchen making breakfast when she realizes that the knives are all dull.

Blake: (sharpening knives) Mom, how did you let these get so dull?

Kali: I'm sorry, dear. In case you haven't noticed, things have been pretty hectic here.

Blake: You could just let me use Gambol Shroud to-

Kali: You are not using your weapon, that you use to disembowel Grimm, on any of the food I am preparing for breakfast.

Blake: (rolls eyes and finishes sharpening the first knife) Fine, here. This one should be fine. (flips knife to Kali)

Yang: (pops out of nowhere and catches knife with a smirk) Never would have thought I'd be the one saying this, but no knife throwing in the house.

Blake: Good morning, Sleepy Head. Sleep well? (notices Yang's only wearing a sports bra and jeans, the elastic of her boxers is poking out from the waistband) Pants were an afterthought, huh?

Yang: (blushes) What do you mean?

Blake: Those are Sun's jeans.

Yang: Huh... I thought these felt different. How did a pair of Sun's pants get in our house?

Blake: He lost them during the after battle party, remember? (stares appreciatively) Not going to lie, you fill them out better than he does.

Yang: (puffs her chest proudly) Of course I do! Have you seen these legs and ass?

Blake: And everything in between~ (squints when she notices tufts of dark blonde hair trailing from Yang's bellybutton into her jeans) Yang... have you always had that?

Yang: (checking the knife's sharpness by shaving her arm hairs) Had what? Arm hair?

Blake: No- well...now that you mention it, yes. But I was talking about the village trail.

Yang: (looks down and scratches the back of her head with an awkward chuckle) You mean my happy trail? Yeah, I've, uh, I've got my dad's body hair genes. Ever since I got more control over my semblance in the Ever After, I've noticed that I haven't been burning off all my extra body hair. I take it you're not a fan?

Blake: (eyes dilating as she drags a nail through the soft wisps of hair) Oh...the exact opposite...

Kali: If you're going to act like horny teenagers, can you not do it where I'm making breakfast? We eat at that table.

Yang: (under her breath) That's not what Willow and Ghira were saying the other night.

Kali: (throws dull knife passed Yang's shoulder and lodges it in the wall) What was that, dear?

Yang: Nothing, Ma'am!

[toytle]

Anon who was trying to get into superman, back again! I took your suggestion and watched the 1978 movie, it was so fun! “Nonhuman character whose best quality is how human they are” is such a good trope 😊 (Foo fighters flashbacks haha) I do wish Clark before he goes to metropolis was a little more like his Clark Kent act, made me a little sad to remember it was just a bit 😔 I think it would be nice if his “real self” was sort of in the middle of his two lives.

I also read Gene Luen Yang’s Superman Smashes the Klan graphic novel and enjoyed it a lot. Do you have any thoughts on My Adventures with Superman? It looks very cute though I haven’t had the chance to see it yet.

Oh also, wanted to share this with you, the only thing I could picture after the 1978 movie. https://imgur.com/a/7P6tjIO

[response to this ask]

i’m so glad you liked it!! non-human characters defined by their humanity is one of my fav tropes, i knew i liked ff for a reason (said the fake jojo fan who never finished part 6 😓)

i agree, it would’ve been nice to see clark’s personal life feel more connected, but they paced it out rly well for a movie, esp an origin story! i think he exaggerates his clark kent persona fs, but i don’t think it was totally a bit either, esp w the 2nd movie—tho the sequel was also much more ridiculous, so i think everything got amped up in general. personally, i loved younger clark! to think of this gentle giant as having a bit of an arrogant personality, well… we all had our awkward teen years, right? i don’t think they’re mutually exclusive, but it is an interesting comparison

as for MAwS, i only got as far as ep6, but i don’t think it’s my thing. someone who’s further ahead can correct me, but it’s pretty much what you’d expect on the tin: superman for a she-ra or voltron audience (cartoonified anime style, interpersonal melodrama, fanfic scenarios, etc). def not a bad thing, but it just didn’t hit any of my personal interests when it comes to superman, and also anime boy-fied slade wilson was so fucking strange that i’m still reeling. i think i only ended up caring abt jimmy last i watched; lois frustrated me and clark felt empty, which are not rly opinions i’ve had for either of them before

that’s not to say that i didn’t have any fun! but i don’t think the fun moments were enough to motivate me to finish. i do hope ppl are enjoying it tho, i hope it’s a fun intro for new fans or a refreshing take for longtime ones (it has a lot of deep-cut references apparently!). maybe i should finish it some time before i rly make up my mind on anyone

and ty SO much for this image btw. so so real

in exchange, have some live reactions from my most recent donner superman rewatch:

(proof that fanfic scenarios are not inherently bad)

[davidtheab8]

Zuko Is OVERRATED

I'll admit, I used to like him a lot, but he was never really favorite character of the series, no, that award goes to Aang, he has a very charismatic personality, he is very altruistic, and honestly has a much better arc than Zuko, but as I dived into the fandom a lot more, I realized something, Zuko has gotta have the most toxic, immature, idiotic fanbase in the world, it's even worse than Katara's misandrist Mary Sue fans, and that's saying a lot! It's because of his insane popularity that makes me question why does everything in the fandom have to be about him nowadays, his popularity should have faded away over a decade ago, but for some reason, his fans keep popping up and keep ranting about his arc being "one of the best in all media", but what does Aang get? Nothing but slander about his flaws, despite the fact that flaws are what makes a person and/or character: human, Aang constantly is treated like some sort of dumb idiot, just because "DuRr He SmilEs AlOt", When he's honestly the more realistic character out of the two, while Aang may smile a lot, that doesn't mean he smiles all the time, he also feels other emotions, like sadness, fear, empathy, and even anger, which baffles me as to why many people interpret Aang as smiling like an idiot all the time, but Zuko on the other hand frowns most of the time and spends his time whining, when he hasn't gone through anything that Team Avatar or the Gaang have experienced, and that's not very relatable, and while I do see how some people can relate to Zuko, WHY DOES EVERYONE RELATE TO HIM!?!?!? I haven't met anyone that has gone a day without smiling, but Zuko just seems to frown all the time. And the elephant in the room: his character arc. His arc could be somewhat interesting, though a bit too melodramatic, but because he frowns most of the time (as mentioned above), his development feels non-existent, because even after he got what he wanted this whole time, he's still the same melodramatic, obnoxious, pretentious, whiny emo he was in the series "DuRr BuT gEnE lUeN yAnG rUiNeD eVeRyThInG iN tHe CoMiCs, AnD bRyKe StOpPeD cArInG aFtEr ThE fIrSt AvAtAr". WHEN HE WAS LIKE THIS THE WHOLE DAMN TIME!!! And although I never watched legend of Korra, I bet you a million bucks he's still whining about his past like a huge crybaby, (and I do like the Gene Luen Yang Comics, but can people please stop saying it ruined the franchise, sure the writing wasn't as strong as the series' but I didn't mind it because I never put the original series on a pedestal like most people and found them to have an excellent art style, decent writing, the humor is pretty neat, and the characters are still as lovable, I consider them a serviceable sequel to the series and they aren't as bad as people say they are) but can people stop making a series called "AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER" all about this emo please stop, it's annoying.

[justanotherthrowaway1950]

Why I Headcanon Azula Suffering from Mental Illness, Pre-Sozin's Comet

Note: To make it super clear, I have no relevant training when it comes to mental health, or in psychology in general. I am just a fan sharing my headcanon based on what I think would lead into interesting storytelling. So if you have any problems (ex. you think I engaged in ableism) with my characterization and/or diagnosis of Azula, please let me know in the comments.

One of the more contentious arguments in the ATLA fandom is whether or not Azula has any mental disorder(s), and if so, what they are. 

Some fans think Azula suffered from some combination of antisocial personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, and/or bi-polar personality disorder, and so all the events of the back half of Season 3 did was make her actively psychotic. 

Meanwhile, there are other fans who believe that Azula’s problem was being a poorly socialized kid who was raised to be the perfect conqueror and tyrant, and so her mental breakdown during Sozin’s Comet was a temporary stress-based breakdown caused by her life falling apart.

And while the comics could have provided a clear answer, they unfortunately haven’t as of the time of this post. 

This is because while Azula suffered from constant delusions and hallucinations for at least a year, they can be easily explained by her less than ideal treatment in her asylum.

(Yes, apparently it is canon that there is systemic abuse present in the Fire Nation’s asylum system, and that it played a major role in not only Azula’s worsened mental state in the comics, but also why the Fire Warriors willingly joined Azula’s side as well.)

Moreover, despite her and Zuko claiming that she appears to mentally better off in Smoke and Shadow, with Azula claiming that she no longer sees or hears “Ursa”, she occasionally is drawn in the same fashion as an actively psychotic Azula is in The Search.

Which suggests that her escaping the asylum and finding a new purpose in life, turning Zuko into a tyrant or retaking the throne for herself, is just a temporary fix.

In addition, at least in the post-Sozin’s Comet comics written by Gene Luen Yang, Azula is supposed to be suffering from a split personality disorder. 

Yet I am pretty sure that a significant portion of fandom would agree with me when I say that did not appear to be the case in those comics considering Azula never appears to switch between her normal personality and any alters.

Therefore, considering the franchise refuses to give a clear answer on what, if any, mental illness(es) Azula has, what, if any, mental illness(es) Azula has is the realm of headcanons for now.

So, what mental illness(es), if any, do I headcanon Azula suffering from?

Well, I headcanon that Azula has (childhood) schizoaffective disorder plus complex post-trauma stress disorder (C-PTSD) caused by the fact that Ursa did manage to teach her morals, but she had to consciously disregard them to be her father's perfect heir. 

And that the first time she hallucinated Ursa was after her father made her do something heinous, like torturing an agitator in a prison at his command, or after she smiled after Zuko's burning, thinking that deserved it, even though deep down she knew it was wrong.

I also headcanon that she went to great lengths to hide her hallucinations and avoid triggering herself by doing things like avoiding mirrors to the point that no one other than Lo and Li suspected there was anything wrong with her.

But as Zuko, Ty Lee, and Mai “abandon” her before the events of the show occur, she starts to fall apart.

Hence why she seeks out Ty Lee and Mai, even though there are better fighters available like Combustion Man, and why she allows Zuko to "redeem" himself.

That and "Ursa" telling her that she has been a bad sister for trying to imprison or kill her own brother, and that he deserves to come back home, not in chains or in a coffin, but by her side as their father’s rightful heir once again. 

So, with her brother and friends back in her life, combined with the fact that she has succeeded in securing her father’s love by essentially winning the war as far as she is concerned, Azula is able to keep “Ursa” for the most part suppressed.

Hence why Azula appears to be happy and even somewhat normal during the first part of Season 3.

This, even though “Ursa” keeps telling her from time to time that it is wrong to blackmail her brother about the Avatar’s potential survival, and that it is a matter of time before Mai and Ty Lee stop tolerating her after everything she has done to them, especially Ty Lee.

So it’s no surprise that after Zuko, Mai, Ty Lee, and Ozai's "betrayals", especially considering the nature of their “betrayals” and how they all occurred within a short timeframe, that she becomes actively psychotic, with her condition then worsening due to the abusive asylum she was placed in, as well as the fact no one came to visit her until Zuko needed her to find Ursa.

But after Noriko apologizes for not loving her enough, plus Zuko affirming that he will always love her, she stops being actively psychotic due to a combination of no longer being in the asylum and her realizing her purpose in life is to "help" Zuko.

However, Azula hasn’t really healed, since her actions in Smoke and Shadow were essentially having a manic episode due to having a new purpose in life, no longer being in the asylum, and having new friends in the form of the Fire Warriors.

Moreover, her trying to turn Zuko into a tyrant, or if that fails, retaking the throne for herself, is a giant coping mechanism since actively coming to terms with the fact her trying to be her father’s perfect heir alienated her from everyone who she cared about would be too much for her psyche.

Especially since there doesn’t seem any way to redeem herself, let alone get her brother, Mai, and/or Ty Lee’s forgiveness and companionship again.

And why do I headcanon Azula suffering from (childhood) schizoaffective disorder alongside C-PTSD?

Well, initially, before rewatching ATLA, I used to think that Azula’s breakdown was a temporary, stress-induced breakdown caused by her life falling apart.

But after rewatching ATLA, or more specifically, the mirror scene, I picked on something very peculiar: Azula doesn’t appear to be shocked by the presence of “Ursa”, even though as far as she is concerned, Ursa has been gone for over five years at this point.

___________________________________________________________

Azula: “All right hair, it's time to face your doom.”

Azula grabs the bangs hanging in front of her face. She lifts them in the air and cuts them, with them falling near her feet. Her reflection in the mirror shows her grinning, with her hair a mess, but she stops grinning as she notices Ursa appears in the reflection, behind Azula.

Ursa: “What a shame, you always had such beautiful hair.”

Azula: “What are you doing here‌?”

Ursa: “I didn't want to miss my own daughter's coronation.”

Azula: “Don't pretend to act proud. I know what you really think of me. You think I'm a monster.

Ursa: [Cuts to shot of Azula looking at her reflection in the mirror, clearly angered; off-camera.] “I think you're confused. All your life you used fear to control people, like your friends Mai and Ty Lee.”

Azula: [Closes her eyes before turning around sharply to face her mother.] “Well what choice do I have?! [Cuts to shot of her standing in the room, her back to the mirror which still shows the reflection of her mother.] Trust is for fools. Fear is the only reliable way. Even you fear me.”

Ursa: [Sincerely.] “No. I love you, Azula. I do.”

Cuts to close-up of Azula as she bends over slightly, tears in her eyes, and her hair hanging down in messy locks. Cuts to shot of her hand gripped around a hairbrush on the table. The camera shifts as the enraged princess lets out a shout and hurls the brush at the mirror. The resulting impact shatters a large portion of the mirror, including where Ursa's reflection was seen. Cuts to overhead shot of the room as Azula kneels over and begins bitterly crying. The room is devoid of any other people, showing that Ursa's reflection was a mere hallucination.

___________________________________________________________

So, after reading the comics and learning that not only did Azula continue to suffer from hallucinations and delusions, but also that her “recovery” wasn’t really a recovery at all, I came to the conclusion that you can tell a compelling story of Azula suffering from (childhood) schizoaffective disorder plus C-PTSD.

Or more specifically, you can tell a compelling story of Azula constantly struggling to suppress her conscience after Ursa left and she got molded into Ozai's perfect weapon, with her symptoms worsening as her friends and brother slowly but surely leave her life, only getting better after she forcibly brings them back into her life.

But after Zuko, Mai, Ty Lee, and Ozai “betray” her one by one, making her (subconsciously) realize that all the people she had hurt and pushed away in pursuit of Ozai’s "love" was all for nothing, and that she was wrong to ignore to “Ursa”, she can no longer keep her symptoms under check.

And that her behavior from Sozin’s Comet onward can be explained due a combination of the asylum worsening her condition, her going through periods of mania and depression, and her trying to avoid consciously admitting that Ozai’s abuse and her own choices led her to lose everything that mattered to her since doing so might break her for good.

So to conclude, I headcanon Azula suffering from (childhood) schizoaffective disorder plus C-PTSD, even pre-Sozin’s Comet, partially because Azula was not surprised at the presence of “Ursa” during the mirror scene, and partially because she continued to be suffering from delusions and hallucinations long after Sozin’s Comet.

And while I wish the writers for the franchise would do more research before trying to depict Azula suffering from such disorders, I do think with has already be depicted and said that there is enough present already to tell a compelling story involving Azula trying to deal with and overcome such disorders, regardless if she actually does succeed in overcoming them, or at least learn how to manage them.

[kataraslove]

i’ll admit, it took me a long time to understand what hakoda (and gene luen yang) could possibly have meant by this panel. because as far as i’m concerned, there are two instances in which aang has sacrificed himself/his duties for katara:

when he offers to give himself up to the fire nation to protect her in the first episode

when he gives up learning cosmic energy for her

for both instances, i doubt hakoda has heard about directly from aang. maybe the first one from sokka and katara. but as far as the second one goes, i read somewhere that aaron ehasz had confirmed that aang would never tell katara about how he gave up completing his training to protect her - that would make her feel even worse about his death.

so what could hakoda possibly be referencing by his statement regarding sacrificial love? and no, he’s not talking about the time her fanon love interest took lightening for her in these sets of panels lmao. especially not when the boy that she’s actually in love with literally appears around the corner in the next panel.

interestingly, the reason why gene luen yang started having katara and aang call each other sweetie in his comics in the first place is because katara’s mother originally called her sweetie in the series. and given that there’s clear distinct parallels between aang sacrificing himself to the fire nation to protect katara in the second episode & kya sacrificing herself to the fire nation to protect katara in the southern raiders….

Aang: If I go with you, will you promise to leave everyone alone? (B1EP2: The Avatar Returns)

Kya I: If I tell you, do you promise to leave the rest of the village alone? (B3EP16: The Southern Raiders)

…. it makes sense then that hakoda is more or less echoing the words that the guru had advised aang, but this time to his daughter. “love is a form of energy and it swirls all around us.”

the real, sacrificial love that he’s talking about, the one that kya had for katara - the most important type of love that katara held on for years and years - has indeed not left the world. it is instead reborn into the form of new love - the love that aang has for katara and the love that she has for him in return.

and this is so important for katara to hear, because her entire arc in north and south is learning to find a balance between staying true to her traditions and cultures while embracing the changes of the future. katara needed to hear that her love for her mother could never die out, because love, as a form of energy, has remained the same - instead reincarnating into her love for aang and their shared future together.

thus, the promise of new but old love becomes the hope and encouragement that katara seeks in order to embrace the changes that start to come to herself, her family, and to her tribe in the post-war era.

[t0ast-ghost]

S2 episode 23 (The Omega Glory)… I’ve been on the internet too long to read that fucking title.

Anyway:

- Immediate Sulu content is a good sign

- damn having that redshirt beam over with them is basically an execution

- THEY GOT TURNED TO SALT?!?

- I shouldn’t skip the opening more often. Deep Space Nine instilled bad habits

- The colours are so dulled this episode

- Kirk looking at all the empty shirts on the bridge (specifically blue) like that could be Spock or McCoy

- I get to have a little laugh at how they look just standing while being transported. Imagine getting transported mid sneeze, like a bad picture but you’re face is just frozen like that for a bit

- What is happening, why am I watching a beheading? Star Trek?

- “We’re never leaving this planet” wait for the end of this episode, when Kirk, helped by his boyfriends (McCoy and Spock) somehow defies the laws of nature

- “It seems impossible, a star captains most solemn oath is that he will give his life, even his entire crew, rather than violate the prime directive.” First of all, there’s no way Kirk hasn’t broken the prime directive. Second, Kirk would not fucking sacrifice his crew. Like ever. Third, Kirk says Prime Directive

- Smooth

- DANG! They killed the redshirt so suddenly and unnecessarily

- Kirk deliberately steps in front of Spock and McCoy to protect them from the potential phaser fire. Tracy then walks around for a clear shot of them anyway but if you watch the scene Kirk continues going in front of them a bit

- SULU IN CHARGE OF THE ENTERPRISE YEAH

- Even tied up, faced down, and presumed unconscious, Kirk can fight a bitch

- Kirk’s ass in the fight scene with Tracy is insanely highlighted

- Spock looks so worried for Jim when he gets put in with the Yangs

- The change in sound here is crazy

- McCoy trying to be sneaky. Foiled.

- “No point in repeating that it’s illogical, Spock. I’m quite aware of it.” Spock can’t help him with words here :((

- “Pity you can’t teach me that [nerve pinch].” “I have tried, Captain.” KISSALREADY

- McCoy is so focused on his task he doesn’t even consider eating. Relatable.

- “Keep talking, don’t let me doze off.” I do not think Spock’s voice is the best to keep one awake. It’s so soothing.

- Spock is so worried when Kirk stops speaking to him (he got knocked out), his panic levels are through the roof

- Kirk is ultra concussed rn

- McCoy isn’t even surprised to see them (Kirk and Spock), he knew they’d fuck around and find him

- Wow! This guy’s awful!

- Kirk hit his breaking point when Spock got injured

- Threatening Spock and McCoy is TOO FAR… also killing thousands

- The fucking click of the

- I lost the plot. Why is the American flag here?

- WHY DOES KIRK KNOW THE PLEDGE?!? Also funny that Shatner (he’s Canadian) had to learn that

- It’s funny when people are like “Spock is super tall.” Which is true but McCoy isn’t that much shorter

- Spock has a heart! Leave him alone! (McCoy is on my side here)

- “If we should kill the good, the evil would be among us.” I’m not even gonna say it

- Spock’s facial expressions in this one are gold

- “Spock, I found that evil usually triumphs, unless good is very, very careful.” McCoy can only hope his idiot boyfriend doesn’t get stabbed

- I would be the, “Spock, we’ve got to do something!” To your, “I am open to suggestions, Doctor.”

- James “don’t break the prime directive” Kirk breaking the prime directive

- Spock was fucking dying, where’s that go?

What

Masterpost

Episode written by Gene Roddenberry

[comradekatara]

i’m such a huge katara fan she’s everything and i’ve always defended her rage about her mom because even if it might be overused it’s still her fucking MOM and also makes her a more complex character. girls should be allowed to show anger and passion and that feels like the bare minimum. i refuse to watch the show if katara was giving us nothing.

also as much as i wish azula’s storyline was handled better in the show (as in getting a real conclusion and giving her help) they did NOT do it the right way.

right like I’ll never deny that katara is flawed (it’s what makes her. a good character) but the notion that her grief and rage over her MOTHER who SACRIFICED HER LIFE to SAVE HER is somehow TOO MUCH is INSANE. like, if anything, katara’s “too muchness” is what makes her so wonderful, but also, there are plenty of moments where she behaves unreasonably or irrationally or her good intentions are nonetheless executed poorly (she is a child btw) and her grieving her murdered mother is never one of those moments. even when she says that to sokka in “the southern raiders” it’s obviously hurtful but it’s also coming from a place of genuine feeling and resentment and she’s not wrong to feel like she and sokka grieved her differently, even if she phrases it in a pretty callous way. there are some things she says and does that are inexcusable (eg, making fun of a girl you just met for being blind and then never actually apologizing) but the depth of her rage, just like, in general is not only incredibly valid (literally just put yourself in her shoes for a second. would you not be filled with rage every minute of every day?) but also beautiful and inspirational. stripping her of her flaws, her agency, her passion, and her depth of feeling (not only wrt natla but also the comics, lok, and of course, the fandom) is honestly criminal. she is the girl of all time and yet everyone’s trying to reduce her to a prop, an object, a site of projection, a blank canvas. natla katara, for example, isn’t even even the girl of the hour the minute the second…… look at how they’re massacring my beautiful girl. actually don’t look. avert your eyes in fact. alas.

as for azula, i really don’t think that her arc is handled poorly in the show at all. the comics are certainly another matter, and what they do to her there is appalling (specifically what gene yang does to her), but the way her arc concludes in the show is good i think. in the immortal words of fiona apple, “nothing wrong when a song ends in a minor key.” it would actually be strange if they somehow speedran her breakdown and then “redeemed”/healed her so that she could get a happy ending. it simply wouldn’t cohere. azula’s downfall is very deliberate and heartbreaking and i wouldn’t trade the impact of her arc for a more facile and shallow resolution. some people simply cannot appreciate the value of a tragedy i guess.

[manzkageking]

I wanna talk more about my DC x Naruto AU, so here's nothing.

•Jason, Cass, and Damian are the only members in the Batfam that can mold chakra.

•Jason is a descendant of the Uchihas from his father's side and Cass is a descendant of the Hyugas from her mom's side.

•Jason can use fire, water, lightning, and earth nature releases.

•Damian can use all five nature releases and yang release. He likes to use lightning release the most.

•Jason unlocked his Mangekyō Sharingan moments before his death.

•Once Jason came back to life, he swore to never use his MS abilities (until he found a way to get his EMS), due to him not wanting to go blind.

•Damian knows how to do the mystical palm technique. He told his mother that it was just in case he was in a dire situation, but in reality it was just in case he came across a wounded animal.

•When Jason was Robin, he tried to learn the mystical palm technique, but he just never got it right. He also tried again when he came back as Red Hood, but he still wasn't good at it.

•Anyone with a meta-gene, can do magic, or an aliens cannot mold chakra.

•Jason later gets his EMS from his father after he dies.

•Jason's right eye ability is a genjutsu called Kangiten, and his left eye is a lightning style ninjutsu called Raijin.

•The majority of people who know medical jutsu, usually become doctors or vets.

•Jason's susanoo is red.

•Cass doesn't use the eight trigrams, she could if she wanted, but she doesn't.

•Before Jason unlocked his MS, Bruce was resistant to his genjutsu.

[hulijingemperor2]

Qin Su: these are such lovely paintings of us, Yao Huangdi.

Yao: definitely. They have captured Huanghou perfectly.

Qin Su: *smiles* what about you?

Anyways, who could ever capture all your beauty.

Yao: oh darling, don't flatter me. *opens fan and extended his hand for her to hold.

Qin Su: such a Huangdi, heehee. *holds hand*

Yao: hmm. So where shall we go?

Qin Su: anywhere..

Yao: ooo, anywhere?

Qin su: how about we check up on team dimple. They must be dying to see you.

Yao: I think they're stalking me right now. Around the corner.

Qin Su: oh my goodness.

Yao: ah, team dimple things.

Qin Su: *pokes* Huangdi.

I'm so embarrassed to ask you this. Forgive me.

Yao: haha, why are you embarrassed?

Qin Su: because it's shameless.

Yao: pfft.....not for my wife.

Qin su: *blushing* tonight.....

Yao: tonight??

Qin Su: can we spend some imtimite time.

Yao: of course. Why do you have to ask?

Qin su: yea Huangdi, but I want to see your savage side. You look really hot.

Team dimple had experienced it. *pouts*

Yao: *laughing daintily* what savage side, A-Su?

Team dimple: *peeping out*

Xue yang: come on Jiggylicious. When you are a smoking hot hulijing.

Su she: with the magnificent glowing eyes, like the sun. And that majestic posture. Looking like a god.

Mo xuanyu: a well sculpted hulijing god. Enslaving team dimple with the flick of your wrist.

Qin Su: see what i mean.

Yao: told you that team d were eavesdropping on us.

Su she: we could never, huangdi. We were just observing.

Yao: hmmm.

Qin Su: Yao Huangdi!

Yao: ahahaha, well if you wish.

But I don't take advantage of women, so I won't be rough.

Qin Su: I know my Huangdi is delicate as a flower.

*blushing*

Yao: I'll have you as my queen while team dimple belly dances for us.

Team dimple: *wiping their nosebleed*

Su she: you...want....us....to...belly dance? *turning red*

Mo xuanyu: ahhhhhhh, Yao gege! *blush* Yao gege that's my dream come true.

Xue yang: of course, Jiggy. My master.

Yao: lovely. Would you like that?

Qin su: sounds perfect.

Yao: *opens fan again* let's go feed the koi darling.

Team d, wipe up your nosebleed and come with us.

Team dimple: *speaking gibberish*

Xue yang: you're so hot.

Su she: mo xuanyu, he said to wipe your nosebleed!

Mo xuanyu: wipe yours first!

Su she: *wipes*

Mo xuanyu: *does the same* Yao gege is so drunkening

Xue yang: Jiggy can I just lick your dimples once?!

Yao: soon.

Xue yang: oh my goodness.

Su she: Huangdi, I will forever please you.

Yao: I know dear.

Su she: *kisses his hand*

Yao: team d. I was showing A-Su our imperial portrait I have commissioned.

It came out so lovely.

Su she: you both are more gorgeous in real life.

Xue yang: like too gorgeous.

Mo xuanyu: it should be illegal to be so hot.

Yao: Huangdi is above the law.

Su she: gosh that's right.

Yao: aw team dimple!! I plan on putting the portrait up in the imperial hall.

Su she: as you wish, Huangdi.

~~~

That night, A-Yao was reclining while drinking one of the most expensive wines in his empire. His eyes were glowing gold and his hulijing features were out. Attendants stood by grooming his nine tails.

Meng Yao Huangdi is already very gorgeous, but as a full hulijing, he looks more hot~ like a work of art.

Afterwards, Qin Su entered~ also with her floof out. Unfortunately for her, she only has one tail, yet she's still beautiful.

Now we know why Rusong is so good-looking. As he has both Meng and Qin genes.

Qin Su: *mesmerized by A-Yao, whose gaze was fixated on his cup.

She bows politely.*

Attendants: greetin~

Qin Su: *puts her finger on her lips, for them to stay quiet.

Then she dismisses them*

Huangdi, should we leave?

Yao: *smiling* certainly. But hang around.

Yes Huangdi. Sorry for ruining the surprise.

Yao: I knew Huanghou arrived already.

*lifted gaze*

Qin Su: how? *blushing*

Greetings Yao huangdi.

Yao: hello dear. I got an instinct when you entered quietly.

Qin Su: walks behind his couch and rested her floof on his shoulder.

Yao: *caresses it lovingly, until she pulls it away*

Qin Su: you forgot that I'm a hulijing too.

Yao: never.

Qin Su: mmm, good to know.

Is there a day when you don't look sexy and powerful? *kneels by his side*

Yao: *sips wine* *chuckles daintily* I doubt.

Qin Su: all the beauty of the Jianghu comes for you, surely.

Yao: that's when you run it, darling.

Qin su: I see.

Now my Huangdi lord is drinking wine?

Yao: yes. It's made from rare flowers. Also it doesn't have a harsh taste and aroma, hence my breath will smell of flowers instead of alcohol.

Qin Su: quite smart.

Yao: mn. Now tell me why. *lifts chin* why is my Huanghou kneeling?

Qin Su: before Huangdi. The lord of all hulijings, Kitsunes, Gumihos and the Jianghu.

Yao: *sits up and raises her* sit next to me. *kisses hands* that's where you belong.

Qin Su: *turning red* Huangdi!

Yao: what's mine is yours. Darling, have some wine.

*pours*

Qin Su: *sips* ah, so delicious. Yao huangdi always have the nicest things.

Yao: fit for us, and our status.

Qin Su: you're right.

Yao: *puts her in his arms*

Qin Su: *smiling* Huangdi I really do miss everything. And I'm happy I'm with you again.

Yao: *joking* you missed spending my money?

Qin Su: no! Maybe yes.

Yao Huangdi, I miss you mostly.

I don't care about wealth. You'll always be majestic.

Yao: aww A-Su.

Qin Su: remember when we first met. You weren't even in the Jin sect yet.

Yao: how could I forget.

Qin Su: you were so confusing.

Yao: haha, confusing? How was I confusing?

Qin Su: firstly, when you saved me from being kidnapped by Wen Chao, I thought that you were a rouge cultivator or a mortal. You weren't affiliated with any of the five great clans, and neither the minor ones.

I don't know how would I make out as that evil man's concubine. It still disgusts me.

Do you see how he disrespected Wang Lingjiao.

Yao: yes, I'm glad you were safe. I know how it is when a woman is taken advantage of.

It leaves scars on their soul as well.

Qin Su: that's when I fell for you. I couldn't forget your face. And those dimples!

*sigh* I was head over heels.

You were truly a hero, saving me, especially without him noticing who you are.

Then bam! I saw you as a Nie.

Yao: yea, I became a Nie right after leaving Yunping.

I was Nie Mingjue's right hand man.

Qin Su: ah, so I have heard.

Once again you confused me by changing clans. As you became a Wen now.

How could you be a Wen? Wens and Nies are enemies.

Now that's the second time you saved me from almost getting stabbed.

Yao: as a spy I earned the trust of Wen Ruohan, hence I got power too.

They held you at ransom, and wished to stab you, but I saved you and executed them instead.

Afterwards I told Wen Ruohan that they were doing a move that would cause the destruction of his sect. Politically.

Qin Su: that's when I fell deeply in love.

Huangdi you're too genius for them!

Yao: same. I fancied you a lot.

Qin Su: I wanted to marry you and only you! And when I found out your name. I walked up to my parents and told them, I want to marry Meng Yao, who later became Jin guangyao.

A-niang was elated, but A-Die refused.

Because they know that you're the young hulijing Huangdi. A-niang, being a hulijing herself was glad that I had royal tastes. And I was already rich and well mannered. Perfect for the Huangdi.

Then A-Die was worrying about me being a concubine or an ill fated empress.

As A-niang told her about taihou running for her life, and hiding in a brothel. Afterwards working as a prostitute to earn a living.

Qin Su: then I came of age to be married off. I was really sad, and no one really carried about my sadness.

A-Die went to Jinlintai to congratulate guangshan, despite hating him. As his "long lost son" has been accepted into the Jin sect.

And his name is Jin guangyao. Jin guangyao was the one I was going to marry.

I didn't want to marry him, or even see him. Not knowing that Meng Yao and Jin guangyao were the same person.

If I knew, I would have come to Jinlintai to meet him.

Yao: oh dear.

Qin Su: *nudges* you keep changing identities!

Yao: ahaha. Well it was necessary at the time, A-Su. *caresses face* you find it attractive?

Qin Su: too attractive!

Later on, I met this Jin guangyao, and I felt so delighted to fund out thar he was the same person!

Yao: gosh, remembered our private times?

Qin su: the best times of my life.

And you're so charming as well as regal.

Yao: and you are so pleasant and simple. You carry about yourself with poise.

Certainly I enjoyed our private time.

Qin su: *giggles* Huangdi. That's when I became pregnant with Rusong.

Yao: well.

Qin su: I was the happiest.

Marrying you and having your child.

Yao: Meng Yao's or Jin Guangyao's?

Qin Su: both! *laughing* you're something else, Huangdi.

Yao: *kisses* look at you know.

You're my Huanghou. *kisses*

Qin Su: and I'm very happy. *kisses*

Yao: *caresses her back and strokes her hair*

Qin Su: *doing the same* I want to be devoted to you forever!

Yao: I'll forever keep you close.

*lifts her up in his arms*

Qin Su: *buries her head in his chest*

Yao: *elegantly rests her on the bed and laid next to her, rubbing her face with love.

Qin su: you're a dream. *smiling*

Yao: I see.

Qin Su: Yao Huangdi. Hide those dimples.

Do you want to give Rusong and Jingyi another sibling?

Yao: *kisses her forehead* if fate allows.

Or if my empress allows.

Qin Su: aww.

*snuggles in his arms*

Yao: I believe that you need a little entertainment. *claps twice, then team dimple entered*

Xue yang: hey Jiggylicious.

Su she: how do we look?

Mo xuanyu: we'll start belly dancing.

Yao: ah go ahead. You look lovely.

Team dimple: *blushing, then started to blush. 

Yao: absolutely lovely. 

Qin Su: *grinning*

Yao: A-Su. I got a gift for you, as well as team dimple.

Qin Su: *blush* really, huangdi?

Yao: *goes, and comes back with a jewel box. Then adorned her hands with golden bracelets*

Qin Su: how exquisite!

Yao: I got you a few fans too, dear.

Qin Su: I love you, Huangdi. I mean, A-Yao.

Yao: *hugs* love you too.

A-Yao.

Mo xuanyu: you have gifts for us???

Yao: yes darlings.

For your beautiful dancing.

Come.

Team dimple: *walks forward, then kneels*

Yao: *gives Minshan one of his robes* for you shrine*

Su she: this is the most precious thing. Thank you so much, Huangdi. *hugs the robe*

Yao: *gives mo xuanyu two golden combs, all studded with gems.

Mo xuanyu: omg! Thank you, Yao gege! This is so pretty!

Yao: *gives xue yang some ruby jewelry, and a ruby studded dagger.*

Xue yang: what hot gifts you give me! *kisses his face* thanks Jiggy.

Mo xuanyu: *kisses*

Su she: *kisses his hand*

Yao: you're very welcome, team dimple.

I must give you guys gifts.

Qin Su: *kisses A-Yao*

[sokkastyles]

I know how you, and many others, have talked about extensive about how lightning redirection is a metaphor for Zuko letting Ozai and Azula's abuse flow out of him. And so I wonder if you think there is any symbolic importance behind Azula learning how to redirect lightning, especially against Zuko out of all people.

Cause my instincts say that Bryke and Gene Yang wanted Azula to freely spam her lightning without it easily getting countered by Zuko, Aang, and/or Iroh. But I really liked the symbolic importance behind lightning redirection, and so I wonder if there is any way to salvage it? Or is lightning redirection just another fantasy technique like the kamehameha wave, where its symbolic importance has long been stripped?

I haven't read this comic so I can't say for sure, but my guess is that yes, just like in Korra, the writers forgot their own symbolism and established meaning and are just using it as another cool fighting technique and a way to up the stakes.

But think about when Zuko gets hit at the end of the series. He nearly died, and probably would have if Katara was not there. In this comic he apparently takes a direct hit, but I'm guessing it doesn't incapacitate him nearly as much.

Other than the symbolic meaning of Zuko learning to redirect his family's violence away from him and others, and Iroh teaching Zuko how to heal rather than directing lightning at him, the other reason Azula should not be able to learn it is because it is derived from a waterbending technique, and Azula would never learn something that comes from a people she thinks in inferior. I don't see her doing that even if she realizes this is an advantage Zuko has over her, because she can't admit that Zuko or anyone from a nation she considers lesser could be better than her at anything.

I also want to reiterate that the symbolic meaning of Zuko redirecting Azula's lightning is different from him redirecting it from Ozai. With Ozai, Zuko is successfully able to redirect it, unharmed, and send it right back at his father's feet, which symbolizes his break from his father and his choice not to continue the cycle of violence.

With Azula, he makes the same choice, but it nearly kills him, and I feel like this symbolizes the emotional toll this takes on Zuko. Because Azula is his sister and someone he clearly wishes he had a relationship with, and a victim of the same abuser. He can redirect the lightning, but he can't let it pass through him without it reaching his heart, and that will always leave a scar even if he chooses not to continue that cycle of violence anymore.

[loopy777]

Always love your headcanons :) now that we have official news of the new ATLA movie in 2025, what are your predictions?

Thank you!

To summarize what we know, here's a list of everything I've seen:

Teaser Image

Character Descriptions

Timeline Placement

Unfortunately, the source for all of this is Avatar News, which sometimes jumps to conclusions too quickly and presents them as probable facts. However, this is all very basic information, so I feel safe speculating on it.

The big question is what this movie is about, both in terms of plot and theme. The plot could be anything, but the image has some buildings in the background that look more 'classical' than the Republic City architecture, so my guess is that the gAang are on the move again, as they should be. It raises the question of what is drawing the whole gAang back together if not their pet city. I can see Toph joining just for some excitement, but if Zuko is involved, it must be some big, nation-spanning concern. So it's probably going to be suitably epic for a theatrical release movie.

I'm leaning towards Spirit Troubles of some kind, but given my pedigree, that's probably not a surprise. I'm leaning away from a threat that could start/restart a war, especially involving the Earth Kingdom, as that was the plot of several of the Gene Yang comics, and I think those highlighted how poorly suited the gAang cast is for that kind of thing. Going after bandits or a warlord or something doesn't really feel like it would merit Zuko's direct involvement, even if they pull in Long Feng as a renewed threat to clean up that dangling plot point.

The only non-Spirity thing I can think of that would be both epic and pull in all these characters is something involving the Order of the White Lotus. The Red Lotus was the best plot in LoK, and having a rogue OWL member or faction might somehow pose a threat to international stability, but trying to limit knowledge of the OWL (if that's still a thing at this point in time?) could lead to Zuko getting involved directly rather than sending subordinates.

Of course, the big question is who else is going to get involved with our main cast of characters. With Zuko in the movie, will we see something with Mai? I've pointed out how conspicuously absent she's been from any media that might finally resolve The Dread Breakup Subplot, and it was recently pointed out to me that she's been getting some non-story attention lately. Could that be build-up to an appearance and subplot in this movie? I think it's hard to say. Mai isn't listed in the cast profiles, but it could be they already have an actress in mind for the character, or maybe she's just a very minor character only making a glorified cameo. But if so, why is she being held back in other media? Perhaps simply because she'll be prominent in tie-in material to the movie, rather than the movie itself- you know, a prequel comic that reveals how she and Zuko get together, putting a foundation beneath her appearing as Zuko's fiance for one scene or something.

Suki and Ty Lee, sadly, are less likely to appear. Sokka's love life was never elaborated upon in LoK, so it's wide open for them to do anything with it in this movie, but I think they'll lean towards either continuing to say nothing about it or just mention Suki without showing her. Leaving Mai out of the adventure is easier if she needs to hold things down in the Fire Nation, but it would take a lot more explaining for why the Kyoshi Warriors don't help out if they appear in the movie. Having too many characters running around is a common writing pitfall, and while it can be made to work, it's easier to keep extraneous characters out of sight and out of mind.

But how can we be sure if Suki and Ty Lee are extraneous if we don't know the main theme of the movie? Well, the focus is on Aang and Katara. And I'm predicting that they're being pulled away from Republic City, their home and base. And, if this is going to be a movie released into theaters, I'd hope that it would be more than just An Adventure Aang Has As An Adult. This is America, not Japan, and for better or for worse we don't make theatrical features out of what are essentially extended random episodes of a long-running cartoon. So I'm thinking it has to a turning point for Aang, at least emotionally.

And I'm guessing it's this specific turning point.

(And check out that reply beating me to this prediction months ago. XD)

But yeah, I feel like the only big thing left for Aang -- at least in terms of a bankable cinematic adventure -- is to restore or rediscover enough Air Nomad culture enough to really get the Air Acolytes off the ground. It can leave the origin in the comics alone (basically, random culturally insensitive kids who form an Aang Fan Club and then pressure him into creating a cult they join) and just jump into the idea that there are existing people called to Air Nomad culture and Aang's leadership, but he doesn't have much to offer them beyond internships while he does Avatar stuff. But the movie's plot kicks off and Aang discovers that it's tied to some repository of Air Nomad culture or knowledge or just a herd of sky bison or lemurs, and so he has to act to save some of the last vestiges of his culture, and in doing so he finds the inspiration to create the Air Acolytes we see in LoK, including a reclamation of the Temples. Perhaps the threat even involves the Northern Air Temple in some way, caused by them messing around with stuff they shouldn't have.

You could even swing it so that this is why Zuko is personally tagging along, that the Fire Lord helping to restore this bit of the Air Nomads is importantly symbolic. The importance of this to Aang could also be why Toph is on the quest (in her cool new cape), since the comics have established that she doesn't go on all his adventures anymore now that she has responsibilities. If desired, this could even be tied into a "Is it time for us to expand our family?" subplot for Kataang.

That's about as much as I can speculate based on what we know. I'm sure this is 99% likely to be all completely wrong, and it's possible that teaser image is nothing but some concept art that doesn't even reflect the final product. But the main thing I'm looking for with this movie is its justification for existing, since the backstory between AtLA and LoK actually feels pretty boring, and AtLA made its Coming Of Age arcs so epic that it's hard to imagine these characters not feeling like their lives peaked before they even hit adulthood. So that's what my speculation has tried to cover.

I'd probably also be satisfied with a random adventure, though, as long as the story is good and the movie looks amazing. I've seen two of the My Hero Academia movies in theaters, after all.

[argentumcor]

Uldwyn, Uldren, Crow, and Father Figures

One of the things that stands about the Sov siblings is that they don’t have a dad. They just have Osana, who is not a very good mother, being uninvolved and not affectionate (the fact Osana is not the mother kestrel in the story is another essay, but she isn’t). Considering the tech and how matriarchal the Yang Liwei seems to have been, given it adapted a monarchal matriarchy right quick in the Distributary, they might not have ever had a father outside the most bare biological sense. Osana might have opted for test tube twins. At any rate, no father is mentioned in any entry for the Sov twins. Not even a father figure.

I don’t think this was good for either of them, but I think it hit Uldwyn the worst. I spent a lot of time around young men in my time in the Army. The ones who didn’t have dads involved were obvious. They and a certain flavor of aimlessness and desire to prove themselves, a bad combo. Of course, men with involved fathers can have these problems, but it has a different feel to it.

We see this pretty plainly on display from Uldwyn when we’re introduced to him, all those years and a whole universe ago on the Yang Liwei:

Uldwyn grins messily at Mara over his opponent's shoulder. He's fighting a big, brutal woman from Gravity Ops, a woman who's had her myostatin genes knocked out so she can swell up into a giant plug of brawn. Uldwyn doesn't have a chance. He took the fight for the same reason he wanted to join the Amrita expedition—he measures himself by the bravery of his losses. By what he can survive losing. (Brephos II)

This is not a recipe for a stable young man. My uncle once told my mom “what a man wants most is for his father to tell him that he is proud of him.” You can argue that point if you want, but it is hard to deny the intensity of father-son relationships or the way in which they affect men as they grow from boyhood.

Uldwyn, and as such Uldren, had no such relationship. He didn’t even have a vague hint of it from what we can tell. Osana’s apathetic form of motherhood left him with Mara, who played a dual role of sister and mother- and filled in for some of the father relationship, badly. It’s too much pressure on Mara, I think, and it was really only a matter of time that their relationship became the ugly thing it did. Even if there had never been the cosmic powers and great wars, it would have gone wrong.

Whether this mess is just a function of their screwed up family or coming at least in part from the hyper-matriarchy of the Yang Liwei/Distributary isn’t clear to me. It was, at any rate, never going to be alleviated because of the Sov twins’ contrary independence and, later, the way Mara bound Uldwyn/Uldren to her when he struggled to become Awoken.

I imagine this made it all worse for Uldwyn by this...not really friendly to men environment in the Distributary:

...that the women should hold care and protection of the men and the others until more could be born. (Ecstasiate III)

It seems, based on this and the fact every single Distributary character we get a name for is female, that men were not allowed to hold any authority. How far this second-class citizen status extended is your guess. Interestingly, while men don’t seem to be inclined to hold authority in the Reef, it doesn’t seem they are blocked from it (Uldren is a prince, a title that isn’t mentioned in the Distributary, and holds authority as spymaster, while we have male cryptarchs, which are probably equivalent to Distributary eutechs, predecessors for the all-female techeuns) while they explicitly are in the Distributary. Could this have been a major appeal for them following Mara? Which would have posed a problem to those who didn’t want to leave, maybe not out necessity but at least culturally if men were...commodified to some degree.

So Uldren was living as a second-class citizen. He seems not to care overmuch when we do see him, being an independent sort who’d rather be in the wilderness (Hunter gonna Hunter), but we know he wants respect. He revels in praise. Mara’s in particular, but anyone’s will do. In the Distributary’s system, he wouldn’t get a lot, or if he did, it would be of the ‘dog walking on its hind legs’ sort. None of this helps his issues. No one has taken the time to teach Uldren the hard lessons, either, such as Saladin’s bitter lesson about mercy. He’s just sort of left to flail.

The rest is nearer history. Mara’s great destiny unfolded before her and he tried to tag along, win her attention and praise in increasingly insane ways, while she went her own way and grew colder. The Black Garden drives people insane and it exacerbated all of Uldren’s already existing issues. Things go wrong.

Then he becomes Crow. Crow, unlike Uldwyn/Uldren, is tossed a succession of potential father figures. First, we have the bad ones: Spider- he is getting off too easy for what he did- and then “Osiris”. “Osiris” behaves in a motherly fashion to him, and it’s what sold me on the rumor that this was actually Savathun.

It’s interesting to me that the mother figure Crow gets is a toxic one, but in a way opposite uninvolved Osana. Savathun finds herself caring about him, maybe a little out of the fact that she can’t actually love any of her real children (I wrote a one-shot about this whole dynamic). But she is a broken creature and a monster as well, and so her care for Crow is twisted, like every other mother figure in Uldwyn/Uldren’s life.

At any rate, enter Zavala and Saladin, positive father figures for Crow. Zavala, well, we all know how paternal he is. Saladin is harder and it’s a hardness Uldwyn/Uldren/Crow needed in his life. He tells Crow that it is not wise, or useful, to measure oneself by the bravery of one’s losses. He tells him mercy is a complicated beast. He demands self-discipline. He grants him authority and praises, soberly, his accomplishments for their practicality and contribution to the goal. After a long road of his own, he ends up sacrificing himself for Crow (yeah, maybe not much of a sacrifice it turns out, but it didn’t seem that way at the time).

No one, in Uldwyn/Uldren/Crow’s life, has put themselves between him and pain or danger before that point. It’s what a father should do, but no one has done it for him ever before.

So a lot of our boy’s life is influenced by the lack of father figures, and it is a major part of his current relationships and development. Would a lot of the trips we have seen with his story gone better if this theme had been kept in mind? Yes, but it is there, if unintentionally; it takes some doing to seize a story entirely for yourself, they are their own things, and better when you give them just the right amount of rein. The saga of Uldwyn/Uldren and the influence the lack of father figures had on him, and how that plays out for Crow, is an interesting story to tell and one that is well worth telling in this world of ours, frankly.