#i do also think suki is really the person who increases his general happiness levels the most tbh

[comradekatara]

a really defining moment of aang and sokka’s relationship is that sokka literally lets himself get beat up for aang’s amusement and entertainment like a day into knowing him. like he is literally letting aang drop him onto the ground from a not insignificant height over and over again just to see aang smile and laugh. he is putting his own safety and physical wellbeing at risk because it makes aang happy. and there’s a lot we could get into here about how sokka fundamentally views himself and his body as a vessel through which to provide services to others instead of a whole human being in his own right, but what matters for the purposes of this post is that it’s very immediately established that sokka will do anything to see aang enjoy himself, to the point that he will quite literally put up with physical abuse without complaint to make aang happy. so when people are like “it’s crazy how sokka is so smart and yet loses all his braincells whenever he’s around aang,” it’s like yeah, teenage boy adhd2adhd communication will do that, but also a large part of it is sokka contorting himself into an image that he thinks aang will appreciate, because he knows just how valuable preserving aang’s childhood joy and laughter is.

and what’s beautiful is that through actively becoming this person for aang’s benefit, he also actually starts to internalize the sentiment. through the process of letting himself be silly and goofy for the sake of making aang happy, he also absorbs some of that sillygoofy happiness and regains some of his own childhood joy and laughter and sense of wonder he truly thought he had lost forever. he’s not just helping aang retain his childhood, but aang is also helping sokka regain his sense of humanity. the sokka of book 3 is someone who enjoys “wacky, time wasting nonsense” and throws beach parties, a far cry from the sokka of book 1 who thought fun and joy were luxuries no one could afford. his selfless love for aang is also self-affirming, helps him to embrace aang’s point of view, to love himself slightly more than he otherwise would have. because to love aang is to necessarily let kindness into your life; it’s to learn how to be free.

[backhurtyy]

so what would it take to convince you to share your thoughts on the atla star wars au 👀👀

OMG.... very little is the answer.... i have so many thoughts, so i’m just happy someone wants to read them! anyways, this got really long- like REALLY LONG- so i’m putting it down below the cut. prepare yourself for some nonsensical rambling, far too much thought into lightsaber forms, and a lot of thought about Zuko and the Force 💖

Set post Great Jedi Purge- the Empire has taken over, with Sith Lord Ozai as the Emperor and having orchestrated the entire war as Supreme Chancellor

Azula is Ozai's apprentice; Zuko was supposed to be his apprentice, however he was never as strong or as good at using the Force as Azula was. He’s still powerful, but more in how he uses the Force to help him in a fight and to find things, rather than Azula, who can use Force lightning, excels at mind tricks, etc.

So instead of taking him as his apprentice, Ozai assigns Zuko to the position of Grand Inquisitor and tasks him with leading the Inquisitiorious Program to track down the Jedi that managed to escape the purge.

He uses Jar’Kai, with dual blood red blades…. This ended up becoming the form he used because when he was young, he could never get the hang of fighting with just one lightsaber and always used a reverse grip that left him far too open and vulnerable. Piandao, who was a darksider rather than a full Sith Lord, decided to teach him Jar'Kai to see if it would work better for him, and it did. Anyways, we’re gonna come back to his lightsabers later cause I’m very into them lmao

Aang was the Padawan of Grand Master Gyatso, raised at the Jedi Temple, and uses a Saberstaff with Soresu as his primary form (I think the defensive style and analytical approach to combat translates really well to Aang’s personality and airbending as a whole... also it's Obi-Wan's primary form, and I think they'd be friends)

Anyways, Aang and Master Gyatso were on a mission when Order 66 went out. Gyatso knew Aang was the galaxy’s only chance, always believing him to be the Chosen One who was destined to bring balance to the Force, and so he told him to run. Aang didn’t want to leave him, but Gyatso used the Force to send Aang to their ship and ordered their BD unit, MO-2, to get them out of there

Aang didn’t see Gyatso fall to the troopers, but he felt it in the Force, and swore that he would do what he could to defeat the Empire

He scoured the galaxy for other Jedi and rebels for a long time, trying to hide his identity and the beginnings of the arrow tattoos that marked him as a Jedi Padawan learner all the while he’s running from the Inquisition (I imagine him as a near humanoid species, who have tattoos rather than Padawan braids or silica beads. As they become Padawans, Knights, and Masters, the level of detail on the tattoo is increased)

One day, the Grand Inquisitor catches up to Aang and shoots his ship down over an ice planet in the Outer Rim

Okay now to Sokka and Katara-

Katara and her family has known that she was gifted with the Force since she was a baby making her toys fly throughout their home on Carlac, but being able to use the Force in the Outer Rim is dangerous. They're not often found by the Jedi Order since it’s too far out, but bounty hunters, pirates, and the criminal rings in the Outer Rim have no such limitations, and Jedi are valuable

Following ATLA, someone heard about a Force user on their planet and sent pirates/bounty hunters after her when she was little, and Kya sacrificed herself to save her daughter

Basically, Katara has had to hide her abilities her entire life even though all she wanted to be was a Jedi, and it’s only gotten more dangerous since news of the purge reached them. Sokka and Hakoda would do anything to protect her, but they knew it was only a matter of time before the Inquisition found her, especially since she has very little training in terms of shielding and what not. So, they pack up and leave to join the rebellion, where they hope to find a Jedi who can train her, and end up on Hoth

They quickly settle into the rebellion, with Hakoda becoming one of its leaders and Sokka and Katara two of its best strategists, pilots, and fighters

Sokka also gets Mandalorian armor and a vibroblade because I say so

They’re out on patrol when they see Aang’s ship go down in the tundra, and Katara feels something in the Force. She knows whoever is in that ship can help her become a Jedi, and before Sokka can stop her, she’s already running towards it

Basically they bring Aang back to base and he promises to teach Katara how to use the Force- just one thing, one of his kyber crystals is broken, so he needs to go to Ilum and get a new one. Katara asks to go with him, and he agrees

Back to Zuko- he didn’t trust that shooting Aang down was enough, so he flies down to the surface to catch him, and there’s a fight between the rebels and the forces Zuko brought with him. Aang and Zuko have a Maul/Qui-Gon esque fight, and eventually Aang manages to get away

He, Sokka, and Katara all leave together, and basically they fly across the galaxy in their transport, APPA, and make it to Ilum to get both Aang and Katara kyber crystals

Katara gets a blue crystal, and Aang teaches her Shien as her lightsaber form (it’s quick, fluid, and alternates between defense and all out attacks, just like her waterbending). They spend a lot of time meditating and going through saber forms and lifting stuff around the ship with the Force and generally being a pain in Sokka's ass because when things fall to the ground, they always manage to land on his foot

(Sokka's proud of his sister and thinks it's cool she's got magic powers, but do things always have to land on his foot??? He wasn't even on the same side of the room as them!!!!)

Basically along the way they meet Suki, another rebel who’s deadly with a blaster, and the Kyoshi Warriors. I also think it would be super cool if the Kyoshi Warriors were from Naboo and were the Queen’s Handmaidens- they look harmless, but these girls are warriors and can FIGHT

Zuko’s chasing them the entire time too

They find Toph along the way too, a super powerful Force user who uses it to “see” and is also a very talented psychometric. I think she’d use Ataru as her lightsaber form since it uses the Force to enhance movements (also the psychometry is for no specific reason other than I think it would be neat and also she and Vos have similar personalities lmao)

Anyways the plot of the show continues until at some point, Azula is sent after Zuko since he’s taking too long to capture the Gaang, and they team up to stop them. Azula uses Force lightning on Aang, but Katara manages to get them out of there before the siblings can capture them. She’s a very powerful Force healer, so she manages to save Aang

Okay this is the part that I think about nonstop, which is that Zuko goes back to the Empire after that fight, but he just feels wrong. The Force doesn’t feel the same anymore, he's cold all the time, his crystals scream at him and burn his hands when he tries to use them, his eyes are aching, everything his father says makes his head pound and the Force curl around him unpleasantly, and he has no clue why (he does, he's just too scared to admit that there's always been a little more light in him than his father wants there to be)

Basically he finds out something about how his great grandfather Sozin used to be a Jedi, until Sozin Fell and killed his best friend Roku, another Jedi and also Zuko’s mother’s grandfather, and he realizes there really always has been light in him. He finally admits to himself that he doesn’t actually want to be a part of the Empire, or a darksider

While he’s on the run, he spends a lot of time meditating and finding himself in the light side of the Force and stuff, and one day he opens up his sabers and purifies his crystals

I like to think that Zuko exists as sort of a Grey Jedi, who isn’t a darksider, but will never follow the Jedi Code or use the Force the way Aang does. So when he purifies his crystals, they turn a blinding white, to show how his destiny is in his own hands now. Also, I think one of his eyes stays Sith gold, while the other is dark brown, a color he hadn’t seen since before his mother died and his father began his training

Anyways, the Gaang saves the day; Aang fulfills the prophecy of the Chosen One and brings balance to the Force by defeating Ozai. Zuko and Katara fight Azula, and in typical Star Wars/ATLA fashion, Zuko gets Force Lightning’d. And up in the skies, Sokka, Toph, and Suki wreak havoc on the Empire’s Star Destroyers, and Sokka ends up breaking his leg because someone shoots the jetpack on his armor while he's trying to escape with Toph

[bejeweled-2000]

InaTodo daughters

 I’ve been thinking about child oc’s bc that’s what I do and I’m really fond of the ones I’ve come up with for InaTodo. So, there are four girls; Todoroki and Inasa are both varying levels of happy about this (Todoroki is warmly content with four daughters and Inasa is Estatic). 

The oldest girl is Namine. She’s 19 currently and is a sidekick hero at Inasa’s hero agency; her hero name is Hurricane. She got his wind quirk and Inasa was positively Jubilant when she manifested her quirk. She chose to go to hero school at Shiketsu High, which also made Inasa insanely happy and also made him cry. Inasa would be appalled if you asked him who his favorite daughter is and he’d never admit it out loud but it’s Namine. She has his dark hair and his dark eyes but her eyes are wider like Todoroki’s and her hair is straight like his too. Her personality is also very similar to Todoroki’s: she’s quiet and smart and seems stoic. But she’s also very caring and intense and has loves to make people smile and laugh. She will absolutely do the stupidest things to try and make you happy. She loves her family more than anything and has three huge soft spots for her younger sisters.

Obviously, I have twins for the boy with a half and half quirk. I physically could not help myself. The oldest twin (by 2 minutes) is Takara. Her and her sister are both 15 and are in their first year of hero school at Shiketsu High (Inasa, again cried). Her quirk is called Icy Winds: she can control winds but only cold winds. She can change how cold the winds are but they can only get so warm. She can train to increase the how cold the winds can get but they’ll only ever get so warm. Fittingly, she chose the hero name Blizzard. She was partly inspired by her sister and father and wanted to keep the storm imagery going. Her hair is white like her grandmothers and streaked with the Inasa’s dark, dark brown. She likes to keep it short and not in her way. Her eyes look exactly like Inasa’s, shape, color, and all. She’s a bit of a wild child, and really wants to be a hero. She has volume control issues like her father and is even less aware of it, if that’s even possible. She makes friends very fast and loves very easily and freely. Her emotions are large and on her sleeve; she feels a lot.

Next is the younger twin, Suki. Also a first year at the Shiketsu High hero course, is 15, and made Inasa cry. Her quirk is called Solar Winds and is the exact same as Takara’s but replace cold with hot. She can make her winds super hot but can only cool them to a certain point before the level out and wont’t get colder. Wanting to keep the disaster theme going, her hero name is Heat Wave. Her hair is red like Enji’s while also having streaks of dark Inasa hair. It’s a bit longer than Takara’s, enough to put it in pigtails. Her eyes are also like Inasa’s in shape but are Enji blue instead of Inasa dark. She’s also quite wild but not as wild as Takara. She has a bit more common sense and is a bit more intelligent and observant. She’s also quite a bit nastier than her sister and is a lot more prone to revenge and pettiness. She doesn’t trust as easily as Takara but she feels just as largely and will let you know if you’re doing something bad or wrong. She will also cut you if you hurt the people she cares about.

And last but not least, is the baby sister, the sister who the three older ones would all kill and die for: Reimu. She is currently 5 years old and is the most precious thing that exists in her family’s lives. She has the exact same quirk as her grandmother, Rei, and was also obviously named after her. She also looks like a little, tiny version of Rei with snow white hair and gray eyes. Ten years in the future, Reimu decides she wants to break tradition and go to UA instead of Shiketsu. Inasa is a bit disappointed but is still excited for his youngest. The hero name she chooses is Snow Queen. Reimu is a quiet but affectionate child who likes to cling to people. She loves being held and climbing on people and holding hands and just physical contact in general. Todoroki is a little less appalled at being asked who his favorite daughter is but, depending on who asks, he might admit to you that Reimu is his favorite.

[socialattractionuk]

Coming out in the coronavirus pandemic

When you think back to the start of the new decade – yes, it was only four months ago – there was a collective expectation that 2020 offered something different from the sheer tomfoolery of 2019.

Then 2020 asked us to hold its beer.

As it stands, some of us have been in some variation of lockdown for two months and each day presents a new challenge, whether that’s learning how to cook from scratch with the rejected leftover ingredients from the Big Hoarding, or simply getting out of bed in the morning.

As lockdown progresses big life events will be put on hold across the board. The reality of this will hit us all at different times, simply because big life events don’t happen every day – and the most formative are even rarer.

Schoolchildren have taken a fast pass to the end of their academic year, others have had their prom postponed indefinitely. Weddings, unless you were happy to consign the guest list to oblivion, are a goner, too.

One big life event intrinsically linked to freedom is coming out. Coming out about your sexuality or gender identity can be a moment of liberation.

Visit our live blog for the latest updates: Coronavirus news live

But right now, with the social-distancing measures in place across the world, many find ourselves in an environment that doesn’t naturally lend itself to freedom or liberation.

I came out as gay in February of this year, as the Covid-19 outbreak was hurtling towards its peak in China. It really felt like a big life event and I intended to make this the gayest year of my life. I planned to throw myself into dating, attend Pride, and generally find ways to own my sexuality.

As a result of the lockdown, I’m mourning a year that can’t be. My social calendar is surprisingly empty. I feel static just when my life was gathering momentum.

Coming out and heading straight into quarantine is not an isolated (pun unintended) scenario.

Ellis, 18, from Hertfordshire, echoes my own feelings. He tells us: ‘Coronavirus has seriously ruined my first ‘out’ summer.

‘I had plans with my friends to go to pride for the first time this year.

Ellis, who identifies as pansexual, now feels like he has entered a situation where he’s surrounded by people who aren’t aware of his sexuality and a significant part of his identity: ‘I feel like I’m not myself and I don’t want to hide who I am.’

Rae, 21, from Illinois, feels this too. She identifies as a lesbian, and while she describes her mum as ‘open and accepting’, her dad is ‘not so much’.

‘I feel like I’m in the closet again,’ says Rae. ‘I feel stuck at home [and] unable to live the life I was living.’

This highlights a challenge in lockdown for the LGBT+ community: being in close quarters with the looming spectre of an unaccepting family unit.

AKT, a charity that supports young LGBT+ people in the UK facing homelessness or who live in hostile environments, says: ‘Not being able to escape to see friends, take part in community activities or even visit queer spaces can further increase isolation.’

Online communities are hugely valuable (Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

Sam*, 18, who is bisexual, is struggling with being unable to share a space with someone he’s out to.

‘Yes there’s messages and FaceTime but it isn’t the same as having that physical support I so desperately want,’ Sam explains.

Hannah*, who identifies as lesbian, meanwhile, has found that time with her family has expedited her coming out.

‘I had planned to tell them after I had finished my A-Levels,’ she says. ‘With the exams being cancelled, I was faced with having to stay at home for weeks. I knew this would be bad for my mental health, so I decided to come out to my family.

‘Despite my fears, their reactions have all been lovely and being in lockdown has forced us as a family to talk it over.

‘I feel like I’m getting to a stage where I feel ready to share this with my family.’

I was excited to see a viral post at the beginning of lockdown from a dad on Reddit, throwralovemygayson who sought advice on how to tell his son, who was isolating with him, that he was welcome to stay with his (assumed) boyfriend.

I feel like I’m in the closet again

The post read: ‘How do I let my son and his boyfriend know that I’m okay with them being a couple [in my house]? I want them to be comfortable here and I want them to know I support them both no matter what.’

Did I cry reading this? Maybe.

Like me, Jo, 20 Australia, came out to her family shortly before quarantine, and is finding small victories in her day-to-day.

‘When we’re watching a movie or something I can actually mention when one of the actresses is cute or something,’ she notes.

I have to agree – I’ve found Avengers is much more satisfying when you’re able to verbally declare your lust for Chris Hemsworth.

As hospitals are postponing non-urgent elective surgeries, Noah, who is transgender, gives insight into how Covid-19 is affecting long-awaited medical procedures.

‘I was supposed to be getting top surgery next month, which I’ve been on a waiting list for about three to four years now – it’s not happening and has been postponed,’ Noah explains. ‘Being safe inside and everything being postponed to manage the pandemic is much more important, but it is still a bit crap.’

The pandemic and ensuing lockdown has put a dampener on big plans (Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

As an online creator, I see the support that LGBT+ teenagers find in the digital space. It was part of the reason I felt so safe coming out online, a decision vindicated by the outpouring of love I received.

It was encouraging, then, to hear Ben, 26, from Australia, is using the internet as a tool to stoke the flames of a blossoming romance: ‘We’re lucky in that we both play online games so there are ways to interact without going out, but it’s really hard.’

Rae echoes a similar frustration having met a potential match at work.

‘I’m a dog trainer, I had met this beautiful and kind woman and we were kind of hitting it off,’ she says. ‘Then corona hit.’

It’s unsurprising that Bumble has seen a 21% increase in its video call function in lockdown. Match Group (the owner of Tinder) has announced that video calling will make its way to the dating app later this year.

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Dating IRL has been cancelled until further notice. Tinder has seen conversation length grow by 25% and hinge has seen 30% increase in messages through the pandemic, as users seek human connection.

Personally, Covid-19 has been great for my dating life; I have found it so much easier to strike up a meaningful conversation, I’ve even progressed to a video date or two (or four).

Forming a connection with someone in the fog of this endless lockdown is a double-edged sword, however. It’s incredibly exciting to punctuate my week with a video call, but it makes the wait for the end of social distancing drag on longer.

Coming out is never one-size-fits-all. Coming out in lockdown means a different set of challenges.

There is a glimmer within these stories that offered resilience, fortitude or adaptability. These LGBT+ individuals are evolving to meet the restrictions of their environment and whilst there’s a universal feeling of having their lives put on pause, there was also the sense of being poised to take on the world again.

After these conversations, I don’t feel as cut loose at sea after all – and I’m reminded that there’s a community to be found online if you open yourself up to it.

*Some names have been changed.

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

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