How conscious do you think Katara of Sokka's pile of neurosis surrounding her safety, their father, or the tribe in general?
Basically, how well do you think Katara understands her brother?
[thinks about my own incredibly weird, callous, prodigious, neurotic brother] does anyone truly understand their brother?
just kidding. sort of. i mean, this is a really difficult question to answer, because as i've already stated, sokka doesn't actually understand himself. and katara doesn't really understand other people very well in general. she has a deep, presiding love for humanity that accords her warmth and nobility, but she also has a pretty rigid way of conceptualizing any sort of moral quandary (she is in the eighth grade) and often misinterprets people's motivations and subconscious desires. (very dorothea brooke core)
for example, in "the painted lady," when katara says, "oh, sokka, you really do have a heart!" she's only partially joking, right? like she genuinely doesn't understand how he can be so "cold" and callous." she doesn't understand his point of view at all, she thinks he just doesn't care. and sokka could probably do a better job of explaining his point of view, granted, but i also understand why he's given up trying to reason with her, because she does not listen to him unless they are in grave danger (at which point she forgets that he is her stupid annoying brother and places all her faith in him lol).
so we, as an attentive audience, know that sokka cares about the wellbeing of impoverished villages destroyed by the fire nation, because we remember the first couple episodes wherein he was prepared to die defending his impoverished village that was destroyed by the fire nation, and we also remember his promise to prioritize katara's safety over the war at large, so we are not surprised when he says, "you need me and i'll never turn my back on you" (the sokka thesis statement). but katara doesn't really understand how much she means to sokka, or how sokka thinks, or how sokka sees himself, or how sokka sees their father, or anything beyond what sokka is willing to show her regarding his psyche, which is ultimately very little.
and it's not katara's fault, to be clear. katara is not a bad sister for not attempting to plumb the depths of sokka's twisted mind. even if she wanted to (which, who would tbh. don't look at me) sokka does not let her. being vulnerable with her (truly vulnerable, not just "i can't make things fly around woe is me") would go against sokka's core programming. protecting katara doesn't just mean protecting her physically (dying for her, attacking anyone who hurts her even if it's aang and he really didn't mean to, etc.) but also emotionally – protecting her innocence, her naïveté, her idealism.
like he'll say shit like "optimism and wonder are cringe and you're a loser for having love in your heart," but it's still so flippant, it's clear that he doesn't consider "provoking/annoying her" and "protecting her" to be mutually exclusive (frankly, anyone who doesn't succumb to the urge to provoke their siblings is simply not human and cannot be trusted) and has no problem criticizing her when he thinks that she's wrong for whatever reason, but he also avoids being vulnerable with her and uses flippancy and deflection to mask his more honest feelings most of the time.
notice how he basically completely shuts down in "the southern raiders," how even though he is standing there the entire time katara and aang are arguing, he says exactly one sentence and lets aang say literally everything else. notice how in the pilot he calls her a freak for waterbending instead of communicating either jealousy that she can do something he can't or fear that her ability will get her killed (again, it's probably a combination of both, but does he even understand that? probably not. because he refuses to introspect). which is why "you need me and i'll never turn my back on you" or even his admission in "sokka's master" that he feels insecure about being a nonbender shocks her so much.
katara and sokka's codependency is mutual, and they love each other a lot. while sokka isn't katara's first priority and entire identity the way katara is for sokka, when sokka is spirited away in "the winter solstice," katara basically shuts down, clings to his boomerang with a blanket around her shoulders and refuses to move from the spot he was taken until he gets back, and when sokka is gone for the day in "sokka's master," she spends the whole day waiting for him to return. and like, both of these take place in the span of no longer than a single day. but as much as they love and need each other, they also do not really understand each other, or themselves.
i would say that sokka understands katara better than katara understands sokka, but sokka also just understands people better than katara does, so that's not really surprising. for example, he knows that she would not benefit from killing yon rha before katara realizes it (and unlike aang, he is not a pacifist). but he does have some blindspots, like how he doesn't understand why she wouldn't want to see hakoda in ba sing se (he interprets it as a purely selfless act, which it just isn't), but again, that's more of a daddy issues blindspot than a sister issues blindspot. they also just have very different worldviews. katara primarily cares about individuals whereas sokka primarily sees systems (with the necessary caveat that he still prioritizes his family), katara sees the best in people whereas sokka sees the worst in people, katara misses the forest for the trees whereas sokka misses the trees for the forest yada yada.
but what's important to understand fundamentally is that katara and sokka have both been dehumanized by the fn imperialist project (true of every atla character, btw) and so their lack of self-knowledge stems from the formative trauma of cultural genocide. those gaps in understanding originate from the roles they have been forced to inhabit, and since sokka's entire identity revolves around what he can and must sacrifice for katara, it's understandable that katara would be unable to acknowledge or even recognize that.
and then again, even beyond the inherent tragedy of their situation, no fourteen year old little sister really understands the neuroses and contradictions and lamentations of her older brother. even if he wore his heart on his sleeve she wouldn't understand him, because katara does encounter plenty of people who are far more obvious about their intentions and she doesn't really understand them either. but she means well. and that's what matters <3
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Gorgon!Gaz for the #tactax mwii creatures au
Unlike the myths a gorgon can't turn a being to literal stone, but their unprotected gaze will induce a stunned state in most species, though how, effectiveness, and duration vary by species, indivudal susceptibility, and the level of focus a gorgon is putting into freezing their target.
This also applies at reduced effectiveness to recordings and remote viewing. Glasses and mirrors offer no protection. (For example, Humans tend to get stunned by a fear response for minutes to hours. Alb may become hypnotised by the dream-like colorshift of the eyes for as long as they maintain eyecontact.)
To protect those around them specialised glasses and contactlenses have been developed, though minor responses to those easily susceptible are still common.
A gorgon can freely choose the snakes that accompany them which influences their bodies skin, scale pattern and color. These snakes move indepentently from the gorgon, but can be suggested. A gorgon cannot directly access the snakes' senses, but the snakes' observations are intuitively known to the gorgon, giving them a vast amount of information about their surroundings, and a reputation for having 'eyes in the back of their heads'.
Gaz chooses drab, venomous snakes on missions, but prefers snakes with high iridicense otherwise.
Gorgons have exceptional and directional sense of smell (forked tongue + jacobson's organ), sense of vibration, good vision, and hooked teeth or fangs. Gorgons are naturally crepuscular, obligate carnivores (but may snack and supplement as preferred/needed), and cannot thermoregulate for extended amount of times in extreme conditions without assistance. They do not have hair, only skin and scales. Most needs and 'fine tuning' is influenced by the snakes chosen.
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ONE DATE WITH LUXIEM
If we went on a date, where would we go?
WARNING: Please remember that I am writing about Luxiem based on their characters online and not of the people behind their vtuber avatars, thank you!
EXTRA NOTES: this is the most delusional i'll ever be and then i'll crawl into a hole and disintegrate into dust ♡
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GENERAL ; setting the stage
Established relationship with the luxiem members (albiet the beginning of one)
first dates !!! fluff !!!
i only know what romance is via otome game, i've never been on a date myself lmao
who proofread lmao (def not me)
MORE UNDER THE CUT!
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IKE EVELAND
Classic bookstore/coffee date
what can i say? he's a classy guy
he stayed up all night planning what to do for a date and even called vox of all people for what to do on a first date
"NO! I'm not inviting them to my house on the first date - that's too... ris- hey, I know you're laughing at me!"
he figured that the date wouldn't be enjoyable if he couldn't take you someplace that he also enjoyed, so he settled with an article of top 10 dating spots in your city; thankfully, it included a cafe bookstore that ike is a regular at.
he takes you to his favourite rustic/vintage styled cafe and even gives you his Top 10 List Of Coffees He Would Die For
bonus if the cafe was also a book-lover's heaven ; those bookstore/cafes are so neat (i don't know the actual name for those lmao)
the date ends nicely - a pleasant time together just chatting and drinking coffee together, giving each other book recommendations (ike says it's good insight for a novel that he'd like to dedicate to you at one point) and so on. you both decided to go on another date to find more cafes like this together.
LUCA KANESHIRO
A thrilling amusement park/arcade date !!!
It's like having to walk a dog with a leash except the dog is luca running around the park grounds and pointing excitedly at different roller coasters
"C'mon Y/N! It'll be fine ! Look, I'll even hold your hand at the big drop, can we pleeease go on that one?"
Backtracking into the night prior, luca is the type to call everyone he knows so that way he could hype himself up for tomorrow
and to ask for fashion advice - it's surprising to hear something like this from luca, the man of fashion himself
also he just wanted to share with everyone that he finally scored a date with someone he likes
luca takes you to many different rides - thriller rides, fun rides, rides he's never been on, you name it!
luckily for you, the amusement park also had a small arcade too - luca took it upon himself to win you every prize imaginable even if some of the things he did made him look silly
the date ends off at a romantic ferris wheel ride because vox told him it'll be romantic AND he's seen it in anime before (of course anime would be correct, they are very accurate with the love-story telling for sure!)
the date is a success! luca scored another date - perhaps next time, things will be a little more calmer.
MYSTA RIAS
the ever so classic movie date - but he's the one who suggests to watch a horror movie (even though you do know he's a little cowardly at times, you follow along with his plan)
it was either vox or luca who actually suggested the horror movie - much to mysta's dismay, but !! he's willing to do so for you !!
"a horror movie? are you sure?"
mysta would like to think he's THE shit, the smoothest person on earth who is about to woo YOU
date plan (brought to you by mysta): suggest horror film for your first date with him, watches you get scared and comforts you while putting on a brave face so that way he would look cool and epic in your eyes, fall in love (SUCCESS)
he could've suggested a rom-com, but he wanted to seem so alpha sigma male and not some beta male (cue the eye roll) in your eyes that he completely forgets to pick a movie that was enjoyable for the both of you
he also fails to realize his own fears and instead cowers behind you while watching the scary movie together (bonus points if he is legitimately hiding his face in the crook of your neck or something so he doesn't watch the film lmao)
after leaving the theater, he starts becoming sulky and pouty about looking cowardly in front of you that it literally takes your entire being and a half to practice self control - whatever you do, don't tease him !!! he's trying his best !!! even though he's so cute and all ;;;
you can believe that he instantly started jumping for joy when you suggested to watch a movie together again
SUCCESS! i hope
SHU YAMINO
a trip to the aquarium is to die for when going on a date with shu
shu instantly thought of bringing you to an aquarium after winning tickets for 2 at a local supermarket for one of their events
the night before the date, shu spent time watching different aquatic documentaries so he could impress you with his knowledge of the fish in the aquariums (yes he watched wild kratz yes it was to impress you)
nerdge shu (REAL) - while you both are touring around the aquarium, he starts to tell you random facts about the fish you see
"oh yeah? that's a clownfish.... best well known for their role in finding nemo..."
lots of photos !!! the cutest couple aquarium photos to ever exist !!!
the walks under the tunnel area felt a bit too romantic - walking hand in hand with shu, watching him ramble off about the sharks that swam peacefully and the lighting.
dear god the lighting
surprisingly enough, the blue and green hues of the aquatic tanks made shu's whole appearance feel otherworldly ; if you can disregard the flames that follow him around ever-so often. it was mesmerizing (he knows you were staring and he's a little glad that the aquarium lights were able to hide his flustered face)
the date ends off well ; shu had a blast and you gained the important knowledge that he truly is a nerd even though he denies it - well, at least he is your nerd.
best believe from now on, every anniversary or important event will be celebrated at the local aquarium.
VOX AKUMA
an art museum and dinner date, how fancy
another very classy man who had to call everyone he knows because ' holy shit this is THE Y/N he's taking on a date with and his heart is about to combust '
yes we're back with the wiki-how articles on how to impress your date on the first ever date; shu was the one who sent him a link and he thought maaybe it's good for a little light reading
"Shu... you're a genius! they would love this!"
"Vox, it's just a wiki-how article, you don't have to take it to hea-"
"SHUBERT I OWE YOU ONE."
he eventually settles on a nearby art museum as they were having an event for an artist you once mentioned - perfect!
that definitely displays that he was listening to your conversations with him and he remembers - how sentimental!
as for dinner, he decided to show off his culinary prowess and impress you with a restaurant quality dinner created by yours truly!
he's about to become the man of sex the man who is going to sweep you off your feet!
well at least that's what he hoped.
the art museum was boring - the two of you only toured around the small exhibit and left quickly THEN went to a fast food chain of all places before you could try vox's cuisine.
it made him pouty on the way home that the date didn't go according to plan, but you noticed how much effort he made in order to make it fun for you, and to be honest - knowing this was a lot better than the actual date itself.
so the date ends off surprisingly well - a little kiss on the cheek for goodbye and another scheduled date where the two of you get to laze around all day is set; vox couldn't be anymore happier than that.
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