#the extremely more toxic maiko

[kibutsulove]

Teenage ozichi (ozai / michi) posting

[azulaaaaaaah]

rating every zuko ship (cause that mf is shipped with everyone)

CLICKBAIT!!! this isn’t every zuko ship just the main ones i immediately lied lol. idk if any of these are hot takes or not but please don’t crucify me (might do a part 2 where it’s azula ships)

Jinko - Zuko/Jin

6/10

awwww it’s cute (for what it is)

and what it is was one singular date that was never really mentioned again

i really appreciate how jin is so unperturbed by zuko’s awkward angst and just genuinely likes him

howevvver she’s kinda one dimensional (as she’s only in like an episode) and i just don’t see this going anywhere longterm

less a ship, more a vehicle for zuko’s character development lol

Jetko- Zuko/Jet

3/10

jet being zuko’s first gay encounter is canon in my eyes

don’t ship them however cause i hate jet with the fire of a thousands suns

similar issues to jin as well where their interactions are extremely limited so personally have no clue how this could be a long term thing

Maiko- Zuko/Mai

5/10

i am so impartial on this ship it’s not even funny.

i get that it’s canon. i get that izumi looks suspiciously like mai so it’s endgame. i just don’t see HOW?? it feels as if the writers realised zutara was becoming popular and were like ‘OH SHIT WE GOTTA DEFUSE THIS SITUATION SOMEHOW’

their relationship is basically just mai being a cold asshole and zuko being an angry asshole and there’s no change or development between EITHER OF THEM

however when they’re cute they’re cute !!!!

‘i love zuko more than i fear you’ COLDEST LINE EVER

however again it’s like - you had a crush on him as a kid. he was BANISHED. you dated for like a month as teens. you argued the whole time. he left again- and shortly after you saved him from prison, but then you were imprisoned partly due to his actions. you get back together again, he becomes the ruler of a country, and then you’re surprised it’s isolating him/making him even more of an asshole???

on the other hand we as a society need to admit that zuko is weirdly possessive of her (ig that’s a positive if ur a booktok romance girlie but im not). like if i was mai i wouldn’t put up with that toxic shit either

at the end of the day, i honestly don’t care that they’re canon lol- but i think they’d probably best as a bitchy best friend duo

Zukaang - Zuko/Aang

1/10

not round here partner. not round here

my first issue is the age gap is objectively extremely weird if examined in canon. leaving it at that

i get that this is grumpy x sunshine in a way the other ships aren’t to me- but we’ve only ever seen these two characters interact with each other when there’s (again) A WEIRD AGE GAP

they are bros in the least homosexual way possible

the cherry on top of this situation is: isn’t aang the reincarnation of his great grandpa? isn’t that giving slight, uh, inc*st vibes??? imagine if people shipped korra and jinora isn’t that just WEIRD???

Zuki - Zuko/Suki

8/10

is this my most controversial take ???

i am a sucker for bodyguard x royal family dynamics guys

and the fact that this is girlboss x malewife is even BETTER

suki seems the most competent at handling his pissy ass in a way the other people on this list aren’t

like she’s real. she’s not sugarcoating his situation, BUT SHES COMPASSIONATE !!

i don’t like throuples typically but suzukki is even eliter than this, which removes the whole ‘going against the bro code’ element that arises from them being together

also i feel like if you haven’t read the comics this doesnt make sense At All so please do

-2 points for the lack of tangible reason to ship them lol

Zutara - Zuko/Katara

7.5/10

okay this one makes the most logistical sense to me within canon (solely examined as a zuko ship not overall)

it really seems as if they were gonna make this canon and swerved circa book 2

LIKE CMONNNN OG ENEMIES TO LOVERS WHERE THE GUY ACTUALLY HAS CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT AND ISN’T JUST EVIL? FIRE X WATER? ITS INTRIGUING

something about this makes me uncomfortable though. (despite the age gap which again a little weird)

something about katara potentially becoming the fire lady is so… icky. she’s a waterbender. the fire nation tried to systematically erase her kind. her mother is killed by the fire nation because they think she’s a waterbender. and katara…. what, becomes part of the royal family? it just seems wrong, and like something she wouldn’t be into

also i feel like their arguments would be a little too NUCLEAR. there’s like, a 50% chance of divorce

she deserves a better ending than that is all i’m saying

to paraphrase the hunger games: katara has plenty of fire herself. SHE NEEDS THAT DANDELION IN THE SPRING MAN

(i’m a kataang truther)

Zukka - Zuko/Sokka

9/10

my zuko related otp!!!

bros to lovers guys, where zuko falls first but sokka falls HARDER !!!

ik this will never be canon and im happy with that. i know there’s not even a whisper of romance between them in the show, but i just think it’s c u t e .

sokka (like suki) is very likely to call zuko out on his shit, but less likely to lose his own shit (like katara)

this in my heart of hearts is 10/10 however is still problematic in a similar way to zutara

his mother is killed by the fire nation and he (presumably) becomes consort ?

however though, i would still say it’s not as ruhroh as zutara bc firstly, sokka isn’t a waterbender, and secondly, ‘consort’ is a lot more open to interpretation than i think fire lady is. in my opinion a consort ≠ a fire lady, just like irl a consort ≠ a queen. it kinda means he can still be ambassador to the southern water tribe/a leader of his own people, while just so happening to be married to the fire lord.

overall i can’t help but stan a friends to lover ship cmOn now

[i-am-suffer]

Reasons Why I Hate Zvtara, In No Particular Order

It’s so, so, so basic. Please, can we move on from the Hero Girl x Villain Boy/Good Girl x Bad Boy ships? They’re done to death by now, and I’m really tired of them.

Zuko and Katara are similar in the worst ways. They both have volatile tempers and cases of extreme stubbornness, and any long-term romance between them is likely to end with explosions and tears.

There’s nary a hint of romantic tension between the two in the actual show. In fact, there’s only five episodes (yes, I counted) where Zuko doesn’t see Katara as an obstacle, and where Katara doesn’t hate Zuko’s guts. I prefer ships with a good, solid foundation in canon, or with an interesting enough pairing to warrant any deviations. Zvtara has neither.

The pairing puts Katara with the ruler of a nation that destroyed her home and her culture. She would not like that.

Zk shippers mischaracterize both of the people involved. They cast Zuko as the sexy, brooding bad boy, or the soft UwU abuse victim with zero (0) flaws, or as a combination of the two. And they cast Katara as the sweet, innocent damsel in distress who needs saving from evil abusive incel r*pist Aang, which leads into my next point,

Zk shippers demonize everyone who gets in the way of their tOtAlLy cAnOn ship. According to them, Aang is (as previously mentioned) an evil abusive incel r*pist who feels entitled to Katara. He’s literally twelve/thirteen years old, calm down. Also according to them, Mai is a toxic jealous bitch who is the only reason Zuko’s redemption arc didn’t happen sooner so he could end up with Katara. Mai was one of the two people who unconditionally loved Zuko throughout all his emotional and moral turmoil, and yet Zks conveniently ignore this. (It’s almost like the ship has so little basis in canon that the shippers have to turn everyone into completely different people to make it even remotely plausible, go figure)

Many Zk shippers seem to be projecting themselves onto Katara. This is why y/n exists, guys, stop turning someone else into a hotter version of you.

Zk shippers sexualize both Zuko and Katara, but especially Katara. They 👏 are 👏 traumatized 👏 children. It’s frankly gross how much these two are thought of as having an ultra-sexy adult relationship with each other. Also, Katara is fourteen. Please stop sexualizing young brown girls.

The canon ships are just… way more appealing to me. Kataang? Adorable. Sukka? Wonderful. Maiko? Smart, sweet, and sarcastic (and my comfort ship). Even non-canon ships like Toko, Azulaang, and Maikka have so much potential. Zvtara is fairly bland, and yet zks are raging about how it is absolutely canon and you (specifically) are wrong for not shipping it. It’s a crack pairing at best, and it’s not worth tearing down other people’s ships for.

Avatar: The Last Airbender is not a vessel for Zvtara, so stop treating it like it is

Thanks for reading my post. I’m going to bed now. Good night Tri State Area.

[princecosmosanon]

Guys. Seriously. Don’t shit on ships, even in blasé tones. It’s completely unnecessary for the enjoyment of fandom. At best it makes people feel sad, and at worst it sends people into a hateful spiral and you know what?

THE INTERNET DOES NOT NEED HELP BEING MORE TOXIC!!!

Please leave your ship hate at the fucking door! If you really gotta say shit, say it in private to friends who agree with you and move on!

As someone who writes Zukka fic, it’s extremely off-putting to go into the Zukka tag and just read people blatantly shitting on things like Zutara or Maiko or whatever the flavor of the day is. It takes exactly $0.00 to stay in your lane.

And if someone asks why you don’t like a ship? Just say “it doesn’t vibe with me” and move on, delete hateful asks and DMs, block people who post content you don’t like.

It’s not the hard to be kind and leave the park cleaner than it was when you arrived. And I guarantee, if you do what I said in the paragraph above, not only will fandom be a better place for others, but it will be a funner, happier place for you as well.

This has been your PSA from a fandom Uncle/Auntie, Prince Cosmos Anon.

[avatarfandompolice]

Hey just want to say I appreciate your blog SO MUCH. As a Maiko shipper, this is the holy grail of counter arguments. I saw posts from this string of zutara shippers who claim to be professional writers and hyper intellectualize ATLA (I think you know who I’m talking about) claim that Mai is abusive to Zuko because in the comics she lies about her father’s involvement in the New Ozai society. Thoughts? Thank you!

i mean Zuko lies to her a few times too. THat also doesn't make their relationship toxic. People think one or two bad exchanges between people in relationship automatically equals toxic when it's more about how they deal with it that makes it toxic. Plus most of the time Zuko and Mai are extremely happy and even bubbly around each other.

[sukirichi]

[ DUSK ‘TILL DAWN : 007 ]

“we who bear the burden of the crown do not need to love. you only need to stay here, with me, in power, in greed, in lust – in victory.”

c/w. modern royal au. infidelity. angst. gaslighting. toxic characters. suggestive. toxic relationships. mentions of neglect and abuse. hurt and comfort. it’s cringy when suna calls us ‘my love.’ half heartedly edited.

notes. this chapter is dedicated to all my fellow oikawa fuckers, enjoy <33 i’m really in love with how deep his character can be like lowkey he has more personality (as of now) than rintaro lol

series masterlist | next

[ SEVEN ] i know you don’t really see my worth. you think you’re the last guy on earth, well, i’ve got news for you. i know i’m not that strong, but it won’t take long

 “Would you stop pacing?” Prince Tooru reprimanded. His wife, the ever-so-sweet Maiko, jumped a little at the sting of his voice. She was no longer an alien to his harshness, nor was it anything new for her the way he sent daggers her direction. “It’s an eyesore.”

“My apologies, Your Highness. I just... I’m extremely worried for the Princess.”

The Prince kept flicking through the television. However, behind his uncaring facade, he shared the same sentiments as her. Everyone would be lying if they said the entire manor hadn’t been deadly quiet the entire night, save for the hushed whispers between your servants appalled by Rintaro’s display. Tooru was actually impressed they hadn’t called your parents by now. Your servants watched you grow up and had been loyal to your family for years, yet not a single one of them stopped the Crown Prince from dragging their precious Princess like she was nothing but prey. Then again, Tooru mused, maids from a noble family would never go against the crown.

“You heard what Kiyoomi said. The Princess wants space, and Suna will not let us step a foot outside either. We have no choice but to await her return.”

“Would she even return?”

Hearing the scuffle of her feet rubbing against the carpet one more time, Tooru dragged a palm down his face. “Look. I cannot answer your questions, so can we please just go to sleep?” Sleep, of course, meaning that Prince Tooru enjoyed the luxury of your guest room’s king-sized bed while his wife remained on the couch. Hell, he was kind enough to share the same room as her.

Unbothered by the Prince’s nonchalance, Maiko gazed at her feet and fiddled with her fingers.

“Your Highness, I-I know this sounds far-fetched of me, but would you grant me a small favour? I promise I would repay you generously—”

“If you offer to leave me the fuck alone for a month, I might consider it.”

Maiko’s head snapped up. Her husband held no trace of remorse on his face as he pulled the blankets under his chin, handsome as usual—as all the Princes were—even with his eyes peacefully closed. Such a sight made him look unbelievably gentle with the way soft, brown strands of hair brushed over his forehead. And Maiko, poor Maiko who never learned, had no choice but to swallow her pride and give in to the Prince’s request. Whether it was because she had been in love him with him for the longest time and this was the first, possibly last, chance he would ever hear out, Maiko prioritized your well-being over anything else.

“I...Of course, Your Highness. If it is what you wish.”

Tooru raised a brow in disbelief, eyes narrowed at his wife’s sagging shoulders. Just like that? Ah, but he wasn’t complaining. “Fine. What do you want?”

“Please find the Princess. O-Or at least check up on her, talk to her or something. Anything would be of great help as long as she knew she does not have to face this alone. The Princess is having a hard time and it breaks my heart to imagine she is all by herself—”

“Why don’t you go yourself if you care so badly?”

“Because...” Maiko frowned, “If the Crown Prince catches me, I am done for. He might be far more merciful to you considering you are his brother.”

“That is hilarious,” Tooru couldn’t hold back a guffaw. “You think Rintaro would be less bothered if his brother sought out his damsel in distress of a wife? Oh, how gold. Has it not crossed your mind that Rintaro is oddly possessive over his wife? He thinks either Kiyoomi and I will snag her up.”

“But you will not, so—”

“What if I did, hm?” he challenged. Instantly, Maiko held her breath, awaiting the threat—or rather the possibility—that Tooru didn’t jester. He had always made it clear how he didn’t want her. Expressing at any opportunity he could take about his desire to have had the privilege to choose who he could have been married to, and Maiko knew exactly what he was doing. The Prince, just like now, was simply reminding her the consequences of her actions. But she must have been a true masochist as she remained mum in her spot the longer he continued, sitting up now and tilting his head with a smirk. “The Princess is gorgeous. I could easily choose her over you any day, so let me ask—would you still want me to find her and lend her a shoulder to cry on?”

Be strong, Maiko—was what she must be thinking. And honestly? Tooru thought it was complete, utter bullshit. She could plant her feet on the ground as solidly as she could, but he refused to have his bones buried next to hers.

Maiko had already taken his life.

He should choose his own death now, and if that meant slowly driving a dagger deep into her heart and carving out his to place into the mercy of your hands—because god forbid, you would be death of everyone someday—then Tooru would have no regrets. To have his fate intertwined with yours, whether the outcome may be bitter or would shatter him to pieces, would be honourable. A heaven in comparison to the hell bowing his head at him right now.

“We are family now, Your Highness. She needs us.”

“I take that as a yes?” Tooru mocked. He didn’t wait for her response as he was swiping his car keys off the counter the next second, his jacket shrugged on and halfway out the door before he sang, “As you wish, my dear.”

There are some things Tooru would never admit out loud. One, how he grew up closest to Kiyoomi and Keiji out of their shared love for literature, and that those two brothers of his held one of his most embarrassing secrets on how Tooru loved romantic novels. Jane Austen? He personally booked a theatre all for himself just to watch the film adaptations of her works. Margaret Mitchell? Tooru had handmade notebooks buried deep within his study filled with his favourite lines from her in perfect cursive; the younger version of him fantasizing about what it felt like to yearn for somebody your being felt incomplete without them. Two, how grateful he was deep down that Maiko had asked him to find you, because truth be told, only Rintaro got in his way. He would have ran after you hours ago the moment his bastard brother returned to the manor without his wife in tow. But appearances must be kept, trouble must be avoided if it provided more conflict than entertainment, and looking at it now, Tooru didn’t quite regret his previous actions.

The pitch-black sky felt more comforting than haunting as he pulled out of the driveway and headed to town. Maiko informed him you were at your family’s bed and breakfast, quite possibly asleep, but fuck it, right? Tooru convinced himself he wasn’t doing this for his wife. Never for Maiko, but not quite for you, either. Other than having a miserably pretty face that wasn’t as adored as it should be, and a heart bigger than Maiko was capable of, Tooru came to a conclusion he was doing it for himself.

Yes, he was simply a bored prince. Dragged into the edge of the country with no phones to use since Maiko would just snoop around, and Rintaro didn’t help with the situation by driving everybody apart. Even Kiyoomi seemed more of a bore than usual. So yes, Tooru was fetching you for his own gain, because surely listening to a broken hearted woman weep about her woes sounded far more entertaining than pretending to be asleep back at the manor.

No. He did not care about you at all.

He does not care one bit as he found you minutes later, sulking like a little child on the swings under an old sycamore tree whose leaves danced amongst the wind. He would admit, however, that you were undeniably beautiful. You always had been.

With a fresh face that granted him the luxury of seeing how crestfallen, forlorn eyes could remain dull under the moonlight’s gleam, Tooru tightened his grip on the scotch bottle. He wondered how sadness could look so beguiling on someone—whatnot with the lines of your frown and the absence of light you usually emanated. You sat there unaware of his presence looming overhead of you before you kicked and up high you flew. Skirt flowing at the same time you finally turned your head to look up at the sky, eyes glistening with tears and kissable lips quivering with slow, shuddered breaths he knew held back a sob. Tooru couldn’t help but find it befitting how you would one day hold power over everyone, because you were capable of breaking hearts. You could ruin kingdoms and tear everything apart. Yet, Tooru also knew how gentle you could be. He had shared enough family dinners with you to grow envious—no matter if he was aware they were all a sham—with the way you and Rintaro would share knowing smiles with each other like you both spoke a secret language exclusive only for those who had experienced falling in love.

Was this why Rintaro was so adamant in keeping you?

Had his brother even looked at you this way?

You made princes like him who grew up skilled in the arts of swordsmanship and combat weak in the knees. All you had to do was keep kicking your feet and fly higher up in the air and Tooru wouldn’t have argued if somebody told him he saw a fairy that night. A fairy who shed tears for a man unworthy of it. A fairy who mourned for a love that was never hers and whose cries were as muted as the dumbfounded Prince tracing the shape of your lips with his eyes and wonders, what would his name sound like if you whispered it to his ears? Would it feel biblical if Tooru could also share a secret language with you and murmur it into the crevices of your palm in a promising kiss, or would your words curse him into a thoughtless follower who walked into his own demise? You would be his Queen, after all. You would be the one he would fight for his life with, and whose wishes would become his command—his only good reason for living.

“Fuck,” Tooru muttered under his breath as he leant against his car. He could already feel his heart pounding. And for what? The spine-chilling realization of—or more like could no longer deny—that he found his brother’s wife mesmerizing? “Fuck you, Rintaro. I don’t wanna be like you. I’m not stealing anybody’s wife.”

Tooru chanted those words in his head like a mantra.

He needed more than a bottle of alcohol to get him through the night without accidentally blurting anything stupid, which he was certain was the last thing you needed. Tonight, you needed a friend. You needed someone with genuine intentions after being cruelly dragged into a make believe story of Prince meets Beauty, only to wake up with an unfortunate twist of Beauty and the Beast where happy endings didn’t exist when Rintaro was the Beast through and through.

Tonight, you would not be Prince and Princess.

Tooru would come as himself, and with a clear of his throat, plastered on his infamous smirk. “The night is too good to spend alone, Your Highness. I am quite certain no lovely woman would envision their honeymoon to turn out this way.”

You halted your body from swinging up.

Eyes widening at the sight of the Fifth Prince in nothing but sleepwear and a coat, your mouth falls open. You must have remembered you were now a Princess and had to act properly in front of a royal blood that you sat up straight. The action had Tooru sucking in a sharp breath before making himself comfortable on the swing beside you, opting to stare out in the vast fields because his chest was fluttering at the look on your face. How relieved you seemed upon seeing him. Like he was your hero even if he was far from having heroic attributes, and Tooru bit the insides of his cheeks.

He loathed how that passing moment made him feel important and brought a tint to his cheeks.

“Your Highness,” you began, “Wh-What brings you here?”

“To comfort a certain lonely Princess,” he winked, and you respond with a surprised squeak. “What? Can’t believe that the most handsome Prince is now your knight in shining armour? Don’t flatter yourself, though. This will not be a daily occurrence and—”

“Thank you.” Ducking your head, you stare at your lap, and Tooru patiently waited for you to continue speaking. He could see your eyes water as you swallow audibly, “I...I did not think anyone would bother to come find me, much less you, my Prince. Out of everybody, I thought you might have cared the least, but forgive me for I was mistaken.”

“Well,” he shrugged, “Not everyone is as heartless as Rintaro. Not your fault too that you thought of me that way.”

The both of you share a knowing smile—his telling you that you would be alright, and you reciprocating a thankful one. A comfortable silence settled after that. None of you found the need to talk about anything when Tooru wasn’t the best at comforting, and you were more than satisfied for the company. It shocked him, though, how he unexpectedly ended up playing in the swings with his brother’s wife at three in the morning, surrounded by nothing but grass and the faint sounds of crickets chirping. The wind would occasionally hum, and so did you.

The intimate beginning of a core memory felt like a scene straight out of a novel, but Tooru knew better. As much as he cherished this moment of sharing a silence with somebody in a world filled with people demanding for answers and explanations, Tooru understood this moment would not last. He had to remind himself he wasn’t your Prince. You weren’t his Princess. You were both just royals stripped of their titles until they were reduced to nothing but humans at their rawest form—a Princess with a disloyal husband, a broken heart and pride, and him as a Prince who didn’t quite knew where he belonged. At least, Tooru knew his place, and maybe that was why it felt a bit wrong to be the one next to you this moment. You were newly married and should be having this emotional intimacy with your husband. Not his brother. It was a constant fight of push and pull in his brain of wanting to be greedy and have more for this, whatever the fuck this was, whatever the fuck it meant now that you were smiling to yourself without saying anything, but Tooru chose to be the bigger person and stop kicking his feet.

“Say,” he scrunched his nose, “The town is dead, and you look like you have a lot to get off your chest. What do you say about a drive up the hill? You can scream as much as you want there.”

“Scream? Why would I scream?”

“Curse out Rintaro. I do that a lot when he gets on my nerves.”

When you laughed at his words, Tooru had to stop himself from getting too ahead of himself. Surely, it didn’t mean anything at all that he just made a pretty Princess laugh, even if your laugh was so airy and sounded so nice he would have taken full credit of doing a job well done for being a temporary friend.

“That does not sound too bad. In fact, I know a spot.”

The spot being a ten minute walk up the hill, far enough to be hidden from the prying gaze despite everybody being asleep but close enough that Tooru could retrace the steps back to the town in fear you would get lost again. Not that he had to worry. You were already steps ahead of him, shoes looped into your fingers as your toes dug into the bare earth—the very spitting image of a woman he couldn’t have most with sparkling hair pins keeping the strands kissed by the wind at bay.

Right. He needed to look away.

You were not his to appreciate.

“How did you find me, Prince Tooru?” you asked when you’d both settled next to each other, knees slightly brushing with every relaxed move.

Prying his eyes away from your fingers spreading to let the blades of grass peek through the spaces, Tooru raised a shoulder. Stop, he chastised himself. Do not muse about how strong the soil must be that night to carry the unspoken sorrows that weighed heavier than earth itself. Do not put yourself into the shoes birthed with a responsibility you were not man enough to step in on.

“Let’s just say that my wife and I never really went to the shop centres. That was nothing but a lame excuse we had to tell her parents. Instead, I roamed around this lovely town of yours and wished earlier that this might as well be my spot—but of course, this has always been yours, isn’t it?” he attempted to lighten the mood, “You have a lovely view from here.”

While his view from his bedroom, up north in the Inarizaki Tower, granted him the vision of a god who saw all from the citizens rising early in the morning to mill about for work to children laughing as they chased each other outside their parents’ humble, little shops, nothing could have compared to the serenity of Greenville. Miles and miles of land rich with flowers and fruitful trees laid home to rows of grapevines; its scent so addicting the Prince might as well have gotten drunk from a single whiff. The land stretched overhead until the peak of the mountains along the edge allowed room for the sun to stretch its arms out in a few hours’ time. Crickets chirped. The wind sang a lullaby that put the people to sleep, and he had you next to him. Close enough he might have plucked out the flower tempting him nearby with its dulcet beauty and humorously recite you poetry like he was your lover if that would make you smile.

Unfortunately, you didn’t share the same sentiments as him. “I doubt anything could be lovely from now on.”

“Don’t let my brother get to you.”

“That is easy for you to say,” you exhaled, “You and your brothers all the same. We, as wives, never meant anything significant to your hearts. You throw us to the side away like we are lesser than dust. I doubt you could even understand my pain when you are clearly incapable of being a good husband with the inability to feel love.”

Biting back his tongue to ask “don’t you want to prove me wrong about that?”, Tooru blew a low whistle. “You don’t pull your punches, do you? That is harsh.”

“Well, I see no need to coddle you, my Prince. You are a grown man who needs to realize his own disgusting flaws.”

At any other day, Tooru would’ve taken the unnecessary projection of your own heartbreak out to him with disdain, but today was different. For his own entertainment, he would be a little kinder. A little more patient. So he let it slide, and masked his confused heart with the one thing he had perfected—the all-too-confident smile that made men and women weak in the knees. The smile that brought him to where he is now, married and unhappy.

“Oh, there is no need, Princess. I am more than well aware of what makes me terrible,” he admitted, “What my brother did was wrong. There is no excuse for his behaviour, but you must understand—this is all very common to us now. Rintaro was able to deceive you like that because he had seen it with his own eyes; how marriages needed to be successful politically but never romantically, and once he has a goal in mind, nothing is stopping him from achieving that,” it was more of a warning than a reminder, and Tooru snuck a glance to confirm if you understood where he was going. “Do not take it personally, Princess. Rintaro would have been a liar either way whether it was you or not that he first laid his eyes on.”

“Is that supposed to comfort me?”

“I am shit at comforting others—” a laugh was pulled from him before the Prince steals the bottle from your hands and takes a swig. “—but I do sincerely hope you stop crying now.”

His words had the opposite effect. Not even past the neck of the bottle, you choked before him in a fit of sniffles and sobs. Eyes puffy and red, lips wobbly and fingers angrily wiping away at the tears you desperately tried to conceal from his stupefied gaze. “What do you care whether I cry or not?”

Out of instinct, Tooru’s arm reached out to stop you from pinching your cheeks.

Slapped by logic, on the other hand, his arm retreated by itself because he was only here to comfort, not to reassure. And bound by the foolishness that was called the never-learning vulnerable heart, Tooru found himself in the middle of heaven and hell as he sighs. “Believe it or not, Princess, but I do care,” was his confession, though before you could ponder too much about it, the Prince was already hogging the scotch. “Implausible, is it not? But I do not blame you for it. I know I seem unable to care about others when I hate my own wife, even if she has been nothing but an angel to me.”

“So you know Princess Maiko adores you. Why do you not treat her with the same kindness, then?”

Princess Maiko again. It always had to circle back to her.

“She annoys me. She clings to me like an obsessed leech and demands affection when she knows I have no interest in reciprocating it,” he scoffed, “It is for her own good, though. There is no point to fool herself we can be happy together when I never wanted to be married. It is better to break her heart from the beginning than be sweet to her and get her hopes up.” The Prince held no room for argument. Palms leaning back on the grass, he extends his leg and crosses them as he glares at the sky like the darkness caused all this trouble. “No idea what anybody told you, but Princess Maiko and I were not married under the Queen’s choice. It was Maiko’s.”

“Princess Maiko...proposed to you?”

“Something like that. Maiko is a year younger than me, and naturally, since our families had close connections to each other, I grew up treating her like my little sister. She was always clumsy and stupid that I feared she’d get into trouble if not properly watched over. Little did I know that my concern for her would grow into being lovesick, and next thing I know, she is begging with the Queen to marry me. One thing led to another, the Queen saw potential in our union, and now here we are.”

“You make it sound like you had no choice in this, yet you still let her walk down that aisle. Are you sure you are not just using the Queen as an excuse?”

“If I did not marry Maiko, the Queen would have kicked me out the palace.”

“That is legal?”

Tooru wore a face that said beats me. “When there are too many Princes in a patriarchal monarchy, there will be hierarchy among our worth. The First Prince is already worthy to remain in the family as the eldest heir, and then Rintaro is the only child of the King and Queen. Prince Shinsuke will never have to worry about not being Prince when his mother plays a large role in the Kingdom as one of their best lawyers. The twins, too, come from a wealthy mother whose chain of businesses greatly benefits the palace. The youngest, Prince Tobio, is naturally adored by everybody else. He is given everything without having to ask for it. But the rest of us? We have to fight for our place in the dinner table. My clan is not exactly on good terms with the royal family, either.”

“But did you not say you did not care about being Prince?”

“I don’t. The duties of a Prince wears me out and I hate having to put on a facade all the time, but I have no place where I belong in,” his voice grew somber, the tips of his ears tinting red at the realization he was actually being vulnerable to someone who wasn’t his brother. Hell, he didn’t even trust his brothers anymore the night titles mattered more than familial bond, yet here he was. “My mother... her family does not accept me because she was a married woman who had me after having an affair with the King, and the King never looked at me once when I was born. He merely had me to establish ties with the Oikawa Clan, but when he realized my maternal grandparents barely recognized me as their own, I was useless to him. So as much as I despise being a Prince, it is the only way I can actually live. If not for my title, I would have already been sent to the streets.”

Tooru was quietly begging whatever gods looked down on him that you wouldn’t look at him with pity. The last thing he wanted was to be pitiful.

Sneaking a glance after a split second decision dissolved his worries, because you were far from seeing him as less. No, you glanced at him more out of curiosity. Like if he allowed you to give it more thought, you could magically have a solution. “Then...if you are not that important to them despite being an heir to one of three founding clans, why could Prince Kiyoomi not be important, as well? He is the Second Prince. Is that why he married Princess Iris—to ensure his title of a Prince?”

“Nobody knows why Iris and Kiyoomi got married, and neither will anyone of them talk about it. None of us were even invited to their wedding. We just woke up the next day and found out our brother had gotten married with minimal preparations, but it was all over the news. The Kingdom ate their marriage and claimed it to be a firmer peace treaty over Inarizaki and Itachiyama.”

You hid a sniffle.

“...How long has Prince Suna and Princess Iris been together?”

Tooru believed it was best you knew less. But the look on your face begged, pleaded to have that certain itch scratched that Tooru had to give in. “They met when they were in high school,” he supplied, albeit hesitantly, “Iris was a scholar of the royal family as her mother was a loyal follower of the Queen despite being born in Itachiyama, and Iris was an intelligent girl. They hit it off ever since, but drifted apart due to obvious reasons. Then they met again right after the wedding, and have been inseparable ever since.”

God. He really shouldn’t have said it. He had barely finished speaking before you pulled your knees up to your chest, head buried between your legs and sobs stifled in the eerie silence. “Oh my god. I look like a fool, don’t I? They’ve known each other forever.”

“None of this was your fault, Princess. Don’t beat yourself up over it.”

“It was my fault, though. I-I knew all this time,” you were full on sobbing by now. “I found out the night we announced our engagement. Ever since that day, I knew whatever we had was never real, but I proceeded with the wedding anyway because I hoped he would still look at me the same way. D-Do you have any idea how much it hurts to learn that you were never loved in the first place?”

Your voice cracked with every sharp breath. Fingers lifting to dig into your scalp deep enough the skin turned raw, and Tooru was immediately peeling your hands away from yourself. “Princess, breathe. Do not hurt yourself—”

“It kills me, Your Highness. I have never felt this pathetic before.”

“Princess...”

“I can’t stop looking in the mirror and find a warped reflection of myself staring back,” you wail and flick his arm away, like the thought of being touched by someone else repulsive. “Every day, I see nothing but my flaws and insecurities and think, is this why he doesn’t love me? Am I not pretty enough? Am I not good enough? Will I never compare to Iris? I feel so horribly ugly and disgusted of my own skin.”

“Don’t think that. You’re beautiful.”

“His Highness said otherwise—”

“My brother is fucking stupid for taking you for granted. If you were mine, I would have never made you feel like you were not good enough.”

Your head slowly turns to face him, the previous sobs now dwindling into little sniffles, but Tooru was already looking away. Downing his wine before you could say anything else. Drinking fast enough his brain felt muddled and there was an ache forming at the back of his head, but anything. Anything to escape the prying eyes wet with tears as the confession settled into the air.

He either fucked it up, or started a new chapter along the way.

The sound of you crying harder again brought him no answer.

“I w-wish...he thought the same way.”

What did it all mean? This moment... when you looked at him now, clinging to whatever hope was left in your love struck heart. When you looked at him now, smile flattened upon the mutual understanding that maybe this was what it meant. Not quite friendship, not quite partnership, not quite acquaintances—but the gentle promise that when the castle and its burdens grew too suffocating, you would have the Fifth Prince to run to out of the thousand others living under the grand halls of royalty. And if you had even the slightest inkling that perhaps Tooru might be growing too warm in a cold night, he was comforted enough by the fact you and him were as impossible as him and his wife.

Whatever attraction he held for you simply had to die. Whatever happened tonight stays within this spot closest to the stars in a quiet town called Greenville.

“Let him go,” was all Tooru could offer before his hand covered yours—that silly smile returning on his face again as if to say the pain would pass. “He’s stupid, anyway.”

“Right.” Finally, fucking finally, you smile brighter than he ever could. “He is stupid.”

“What the fuck were you doing with my wife?”

No good thing ever lasted. It was a fact Tooru learned the hard way, and had to relearn once more when he brought you back ‘home.’ After an hour and a half more of sharing jokes that slowly, the both of you were forming your own secret language Rintaro would not be a part of, you decided to loosen up a bit and steal the rest of his drink. Well, he brought it for you, but he didn’t quite expect you to rummage around his own hidden stash in the car of flasks, only to be giggling and practically dead weight in his arms later on.

It was good until it lasted.

It was good until he showed up. Tooru hadn’t stopped scowling since your husband bundled you in his jacket and held you like you were a fragile woman in need of care. Sure, you could be, but if Rintaro knew it all along, why hadn’t he been more careful since the beginning? Tooru hated inconsistency. Hated lying out of everything—all of the traits his younger brother was an expert of.

It was absolutely revolting how he immediately took on the role of a concerned husband and carried you to bed when you passed out in his arms—like he hadn’t been the reason you felt the need to drink yourself to such a state.

“Only what you should have done.”

Rintaro grabbed him by the collar, their eyes levelled but neither giving in. “Don’t mess with me, Tooru. You think I don’t know what you’re doing, huh? Making my wife warm up to you so you can mess up everything I worked hard for?”

“I didn’t do shit. You ruined everything by yourself and you know it.”

“You still had no business going after her like that.”

“Are you fuckin’ serious?” gritting his teeth, Tooru shoved Rin back hard enough his back hit the doorframe. Although the impact didn’t cause too much of a sound, he still glanced your way to see if you had awoken before lowering his voice. “Your wife cried for hours. She could barely breathe well from how overwhelmed she is, and what were you doing? Oh, that’s right. Fucking your mistress while your wife wondered over and over again just what made her so unworthy of love in your eyes. It’s actually pathetic that such an amazing woman would shed these much tears over a man who can’t even tell her the truth about his malicious nature!”

Rintaro snickered, and it took all of Tooru’s patience to not punch his brother.

“Since when have you cared about the Princess?”

“Maybe we all do, Rintaro! Maybe every single one of us is tired that you and your mother are the exact same—you do nothing but manipulate people for your own gain and then wonder why your lives are so miserable! Your wife loves you, Rin. She would forgive you at the blink of an eye but it does not give you the right to abuse her kindness.”

“That is hypocritical coming from you. You talk as if you do not neglect your wife and leave her crying, too.”

“Maiko, Maiko, it’s always about stupid, fucking Maiko!” he fumed, “Don’t fucking pit me with you, asshole. You courted Princess Y/N for two years and had no intention of coming clean about your sins. Everybody knows I never wanted this marriage. It was Maiko who bound me with these shackles because she was obsessed with me!”

Rintaro was at a loss of words.

He, too, knew that in some way, Tooru had been better. Tooru had always been consistent over his disapproval of the marriage, and had no choice but to accept it in order to survive the harsh environment of the palace. But did Rintaro care?

Obviously not.

“Go back home. I don’t need you here.”

Tooru scoffed. “If it brings you any comfort—” with his back turned to his brother, he glared at him one last time on the way out. “I didn’t come here of my own volition. It was Maiko who requested me to go. Nobody’s out here stealing who isn’t theirs.” An excuse, a valid reason, a half truth—call it what you wanted. Tooru wasn’t sure himself either which one of it he truly meant when he could still smell your perfume all over him on the drive back to the manor.

At one point in your life, you became a Princess before you married a Prince.

It happened that one fateful night. Where elites, nobles, royals, and all the important figures in the world gathered in a grandiose castle in celebration of a Prince’s eighteenth birthday. Naturally, as the daughter of two of the trusted followers of the throne, you had been invited. You could still picture it all clearly—the weeks ahead of preparation despite being a guest who would most likely befriend the shadows and be accompanied by the walls until the party ended. Still, your mother insisted you be dressed to the nines. Calling out for the best dressmakers to travel to Inarizaki with the sole purpose of transforming you into—as what your mother called —“a butterfly who attracted attention, but would be out of reach.”

You were close to telling your mother she would return home from the party disappointed. Unless she could accept you were more of a moth who clung to the unknown corners.

Not that you thought lowly of yourself, but you preferred the term... realistic. Yes, realistic was what you were. You simply accepted the fact you weren’t the prettiest, the most sociable, nor the most interesting woman to ever be attending these balls. Perhaps only slightly above average all thanks to the respectable status and money you were born with, but otherwise not as dreamy as your mother painted you out to be.

See, you weren’t the best dancer. Your mother had given up halfway into dancing classes once she realized you were a lost cause. Little did the both of you know, that from that night onwards, the young woman who had two left feet would someday master the art of dancing all to impress a certain Prince who wouldn’t stop looking at her that night.

His name was Suna Rintaro—the Crown Prince by birth.

And you had caught his eye.

In fact, you must have captured his entire attention and bewitched his whole being that he was unable to take his eyes off of you and pushed through the crowd, all to ask for a dance.

You said yes. He said you made him the happiest man that night.

“Truly?” he echoed, as if a gorgeous Prince like him ever experienced his dance invitations rejected before. “You would dance with me?”

“It would be my pleasure, Your Highness. I...I am not great at dancing though,” you began to stutter, palms growing damp behind the lace gloves. “Perhaps you ought to find somebody better? I am uncertain I am the best choice to dance with tonight—”

“You are the best choice,” the Prince grinned, and your heart skipped a beat in awe at how someone could be effortlessly charming. You barely even noticed he was already leading you to the dance floor until you felt a hundred pair of eyes on you. All these people who bore more importance and held heavier money in their pockets witnessed how the Prince slid his warm hand above your waist then, his smile just as soothing as the little finger rubs to ease your nerves. “You are—” he leant closer, lips brushing against the shell of your ear. “The only one who I want to share this dance with.”

 You awoke with a jolt, heart pounding a mile a minute as the memory replayed in your head. Like a film caught on tape, you could still hear the violins singing at the top of their lungs, the cello hitting deep notes that vibrated within your bones. You could still feel the warmth of the Prince’s touch as he danced the night away with you. How gentle he had been to walk you out the gardens just to shyly murmur how he found you beautiful.

Beautiful.

Until suddenly you were not—or more like, you had never been beautiful to him.

“My love,” a voice—one that used to be comforting but now only brought pain—broke you out of your reverie. “I prepared breakfast for you. We should go downstairs and eat.”

Your husband, Rintaro, sat at the edge of your bed with a pinched frown. As if he was worried. He had no right to be, yet somehow, there was still that voice at the back of your head rejoicing in delight. Because he came. He came to find you. You woke up with him, and sure, it didn’t erase yesterday’s events, but could it mean something? You so badly wanted to reach out to him when his hand snaked across the mattress to find yours. Offering you a small squeeze. Looking so concerned you would have believed it all over again.

How was it possible someone could be both your happiness and torment?

No! your inner voice screamed at you. Don’t let him get close.

Blinking back the tears you hadn’t noticed arrived, you kicked the blankets off of you and trudged to the bathroom when you felt bile rise from your throat. Right. Such great timing. You were pushing the toilet lid up the next second, knees scraping against the floor as you emptied your stomach. Your head pounded as you did so, and you winced, remembering just now how Prince Tooru had visited and you drank yourself to your limit.

Which, obviously, was a decision you regretted making.

“My love!” Rintaro was behind you in an instant. He rubbed your back, held your hair up as you retched a few more times, and whispered sweet nothings that did nothing but to intensify that sick feeling in your stomach. “How much did you drink? I was so worried for you, honey—”

You slapped his hand away.

“Don’t call me that.”

If Rintaro looked defeated, he hid it extremely well. “Please. I only worry for you,” he helped you up on your feet. Fortunately for him, you were too wobbly on your own legs to complain. You quietly let him sit you on the closed toilet and sat down before you, his knees brushing against your bare feet and his handsome face deceitfully worn. “Listen...we can talk about it later, alright? You need to eat first before you get even more sick.”

“You are concerned over my well-being?”

“I am—”

“It did not feel like that yesterday.”

“Please. Let’s stop fighting.” How rare for the Crown Prince to beg, much say please more than once in a row. Wasn’t he too prideful for that?

As much as you basked in how this man was now on his knees for you, you didn’t trust yourself to not give in to whatever he asked of you. True as it was that it hurt, love didn’t disappear in a night. It wasn’t that easy to un-love someone you planned your whole life with. Of course, going back to that same hellish place he put you in would truly paint you the ignoramus, but you currently didn’t have the power to say no to him just yet. It was two years of being wired to please him at all costs. And it would take more than that to unlearn all the habits you’d formed just to align with who he wanted you to be.

But things would change now. It would no longer be the same, and you could only hope the next chapters of your life would bring about a better change.

Today marked the beginning of you detaching from your husband.

Pushing past him, you walked out with clenched fists. You would not cry in front of him now. You would not let him feel the satisfaction of how perfectly he’d executed his plan of wrapping himself around your finger until the end crashed you both. You would not let him see that you still loved him, still craved him, still fucking wished he would be genuine in comforting you and not because he had to keep you as his pliant wife.

No matter how hard it was, you needed to turn your back on him from now.

“Wait,” he grabbed you by the wrist, and you nearly collapsed on the spot from how much you yearned for his touch. “Where did you get this?”

He was pertaining to the scratches on your palm. The ones you got when he rudely pushed you off. “It’s nothing,” was all you supplied, however, because he didn’t need to know. Rintaro would feel guilty and just feed you honey-like words to thaw the ice in your heart. Soon, you would be putty in his arms again if you weren’t careful enough. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Of course I worry.” He said it like this should be obvious to you by now, and you scoffed.

“Why? Because I’m not the perfect Princess you want me to be anymore now that I have wounds?”

Rintaro’s lips puckered out. “Because I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“You hurt me yesterday. Funny how fast your feelings change in the span of a night, no?” you grabbed your wrist before crossing your arms against your chest. “Is this how you always were? Kind one moment, ruthless the next? You put on so many faces and tell too many lies that I have no idea who I am talking to right now. So tell me—are you my husband who promised to take care of me and cherish me until death do us part, or are you the greedy Prince who manipulated me into marrying him?”

Rintaro does not respond. Instead, he manoeuvred around the cramped space of your bathroom and reaches for the first-aid kit on the top shelf. Your husband slowly unrolls the bandages before he takes your hand in his, touch butterfly like that you wondered if he was the same man who had been aggressive yesterday. Still, you waited with baited breath, unable to stop yourself from staring at him. And blessed he was with those hazel eyes who’d seen every ugly part of you yet stayed with you anyway—whether it was out of need or he actually cared sometimes to not mind—and that soft tuft of hair you loved running your hands to. Those lips who recited empty vows and kissed you like he meant it. That voice that made your legs quiver countless nights and now, these hands wrapping the bandages around your blistered palm with patience and grace you knew you had fallen in love with.

Tears sprung once again. Chest squeezing uncomfortably as you realized you still were, and still would, be hopelessly in love with Suna Rintaro. Heart shattering all over again when you began to accept your heart would be a chamber that hung him like an oil painting that never aged through the years. How your love would remain frozen in time along with his smiles, and you loved him so much you sometimes forget he did not love you at all.

He had someone else in his heart when yours cried out no one else’s name but his.

“Why her?” you croak out weakly, nursing your bandaged palm to your chest as you leant against the wall. Feeling your knees weaken little by little. “What does she have that I do not? Why did you love her...but not me?”

“I do not want to talk about it.”

“Why her, Rintaro?”

It was the first time you called him by his first name. The shock is apparent on his face, but Rintaro opted to shake his head before wrapping an arm around your waist. “We should eat first. Then, I will you tell everything.”

Breakfast, while not entirely comfortable, wasn’t as terrible as you expected it to be. It was difficult to stay mad at him when you were greeted by the staff who wouldn’t stop gushing about how your husband stayed up the entire night to cook for you. The said man only blushed in response, seemingly embarrassed and continuously apologizing for the mess he made in the kitchen.

Now, if Rintaro was on a mission to mess with your heart even more, it definitely worked.

All your anger dissipated as you ate the rice soup. The breakfast wasn’t anything flashy, but it contained everything you needed after a hungover. Bananas, some sliced apples, a light soup and some ginger tea to help ease your nausea. Such simple food, yet seeing as how Rintaro grew up with a silver spoon and never had to cook anything in his life before, your husband took multiple attempts to perfect the soup into a plausible taste. Not that you would ever tell him since compliments seemed far and beyond in this already failing marriage. But... you supposed, you could give him some credit. You appreciated the effort, and thanked the staff generously before you both decided to just walk back home and talk.

Greeting people as you go, your husband kept trying to hold your hand. For appearance’s sake, or because he simply wanted to have you close, you didn’t ask anymore. You shoved your hands deep into your pockets and led him into a field of dandelions—one of your favourite places as a child. The bright yellows mixing in with the lush green, along with the fresh breeze, and it would have been picture perfect.

You always wanted to visit here with Rintaro. Tell him some childhood stories. It was something you had been dreaming of around the third month of your relationship, but now that you were here standing next to your husband, you didn’t quite feel the same elation.

“This place is beautiful,” he cut the silence and faces you with a soft smile. “Imagine one day, our kids would run here with us—”

“Why are you doing this to me, Your Highness? Do you take pleasure in my suffering?”

“Princess, I—” he sighed, “Let me explain.”

“Go ahead. Tell me everything from the start and I might be kind enough to understand where you come from.”

And tell you, he did. He told you everything. From how they met, to how he had always felt this ‘pull’ with her and smiled to himself dreamily because gravity pulled him to her; they had this magnetic force that they couldn’t stay away from each other. He told you about the dreams he shared with her. The plans they made. He listed down every little thing he loved about her and remained unaware that you stood there furiously blinking back tears, because you were the wife, and you had never felt so unloved at the face of someone who proclaimed his undying affection for a woman who was not his. He reminisced about how it all went downhill when Iris married Kiyoomi, how they were so lonely that they just found home in each other. He couldn’t help it, he said, I just knew I needed to do everything to make her mine.

We were meant for each other.

And you? Who were you meant for? Perhaps, you were destined for this sick, twisted fate where you felt like the outsider, the third party, the side character, in a story that was supposed to be yours? He looked so in love. And you knew, because you mirrored everything he felt about her. You knew because you looked the same way as he does now when you were in love, and it’s not you—it’s never going to be you. It was never supposed to be you. All you could do was smile bitterly when your husband uttered her name like she had cast a spell on him. Pretending with whatever strength you had left in you to be fine.

“You love her that much you were willing to sacrifice me for it?”

“...I—”

“Did you ever think about how this would make me feel? How-How I welcomed you into my home and told you about my deepest fears and-and none of that had been real? Was there a single moment where you stopped to think maybe you were hurting someone else all because you wanted to be with the woman you want?”

“I never wanted to hurt you.”

“But that is the thing, Your Highness, you already did. You cannot undo what has been done.”

“I know that,” Rintaro stepped forward, only to be greeted by you keeping the distance bigger. The crestfallen look on his face nearly made you feel bad. “I do not expect forgiveness from you, Your Highness. Absolutely not. But if we could compromise on something—”

“What would we compromise on?” you laughed without a trace of humour, “I love you. I married you because I love you, I care about you, and I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. You married me out of greed. You still wish to proceed with your plans which shows you truly do not care about me, so tell me, what is there to compromise about? I want my husband more than anything else, but that is the one thing you cannot give me.”

Rintaro shook his head. “No, no. I am still yours, Princess. Iris is not my wife, you are. You are the one who I will wake up to every morning, the one I will spend the rest of my life with. We can still do the things you wish for. Iris, she... she is not a selfish woman. She has always been kind enough to let me be with you for the greater good—”

You raised a palm in front of his face.

“Please stop talking.”

Was he defeated? No. Rintaro needed more than this blatant rejection of yours. If he had been that weak or gave up any easily, then he wouldn’t get where he was right now. But at this moment, you could have sworn he meant it when his shoulders fell and called out your name.

“Had we met earlier, I would have loved you first.”

“That just hurts me more.”

“I was, and am genuinely happy with you, my wife,” he reassured, but it didn’t stop making you cry. It didn’t ease the pain as Rintaro slowly encaged you in his embrace. Your tears staining his shirt and fists crumpling the material as you felt yourself die little by little. “Shh, Princess. Not a part of me regrets reciting my vows to you on that day in front of the entire kingdom. Believe it or not, but I adore you. I love listening to your stories and hearing you laugh, and-and you are kind. You are strong. You are an extremely beautiful and loving woman that I am the luckiest man in the world to have been your husband.”

“But you do not love me,” you cried harder, “You will never look at me the way you look at her.” When the Prince remained silent, so did you. He didn’t deny it this time—how you would never receive the same treatment as Iris. That fact alone had you pulling back to stare at your husband’s eyes.

“Does she make you happier than I do, Your Highness?”

Ignorance was bliss, indeed. If only you could turn back time and undo this moment where you stopped curiosity from getting the best of you, perhaps you would not be twice as heartbroken when Rintaro nodded. No hesitation in his features. Just pure love, and an ounce of regret and guilt from the way you slowly crumbled before him.

“Yes, she does. The Princess is my entire universe. I would be utterly devastated and lost without her.”

It felt as if the wind had been knocked out of your body. It became a challenge to speak, to feel the tips of your fingers as you stepped back one time, two time, three times until the distance was just as big as the hole he punctured through your heart. Now, you had enough. You had reached your limit, learned your lesson, been humbled to your place—and Rintaro had no intention of taking his words back.

He meant it.

He would lose himself if Iris disappeared from his life.

With that, you had no choice but to force a smile. “I understand,” you declared, wiping your pathetic tears because it hadn’t been an hour since you promised you would be stronger now. But luck was never on your side, and you still kept tripping and wounding yourself.  “I...I would like to return to the castle, Your Highness. There is no need to extend this trip any longer than it should be.”

“We don’t need to return right away, Princess. There are still plenty of things we can do—”

“Please refrain from sharing any activities with me from now on unless it is bound by duty. No eyes are looking, so you have no responsibilities with me right now,” you sent him a pointed gaze. “I wish to return to the city, and that is final. Do not question my decisions as I will not interfere with yours.”

Rintaro’s lips flattened into a thin line. You couldn’t bear yourself to look at him anymore, so you walked away from him, salty tears cascading down your cheeks, and the wedding ring heavier than the weight in your heart.

From today onwards, you might not recognize yourself anymore.

None of the Princes and their wives questioned the sudden return to Inarizaki Palace.

When they saw you and Rintaro walk in with gloom faces, everyone shuffled to their feet and quickly packed their things. No words or explanations needed. This honeymoon had already ended on a sour note, and now it was time to return to the reality of royal obligations and duties. Duties such as keeping a fake smile plastered at all times when the supportive citizens of Inarizaki waved and cheered at the couples’ arrival. Atrocious obligations such as letting your husband place a possessive hand at the small of your back when the rest of his brothers welcomed you into the lobby, the youngest Prince bouncing at his feet at the sight of you.

“Back so soon, sister? Did you guys enjoy?”

You shared a quick, affectionate glance with Rintaro. “We did. I had the time of my life, but I thought it unnecessary to dilly-dally around in my hometown when royal duties await us all.”

“As expected of my sister. You are always so adept,” praised the marvelled Prince Tobio who had taken himself to looping himself to your arm. It left Rintaro awkwardly following behind as you were guided to your shared chambers, but you weren’t complaining. The youngest Prince was lively and brightened up your bitter days. “Say, would you mind taking me to Greenville someday when we are both free? I heard you had the loveliest manor there.”

“It would be my honour, Your Highness.”

“Please,” he beamed, and instantly, you were given a reason to endure this hell even longer. “Call me brother, we are family now. But ah, it is night time! I should let the both of you rest. Take good care of her, brother!”

Rintaro offered a nod. The both of you waited as Prince Tobio left the room in high spirits when the uncomfortable silence stretched, leaving you to scurry changing into your sleepwear in opt of avoiding your husband’s gaze. Once done, you let your hands roam over the cream pillars surrounding the edges of your king sized bed with a robin egg blue and gold palette. A golden chandelier with diamonds hung from the ceiling above the bed, the bed post textured with coral shaped indents. The same shade of blue hung from the windows. A large television right across the bed with a cream coloured cabinet lined with gold outlines—a perfect room for a man who would be sleeping by himself. Who, by the way, was already comfortably settled into the left side of the bed with his arm propped behind his head.

“Where are you headed?”

“Outside?”

“In your nightgown? Absolutely not.”

“In the drawing room, my Prince. I am not stepping out of our quarters dressed like this.”

“But it is time for bed.”

“Indeed, and I do not wish to share one with you when you and your mistress must have rolled around in it already. Good night, Your Highness,” you sent him a preppy smile, bowing deep before shutting the doors shut. A baffled Rintaro about to leave his bed the last thing you saw.

Hearing the doors close behind you, you practically crashed into the couch. You were beyond exhausted and your head still pounded from your endless crying—it was now time for a good night’s sleep. Not that it would be good, no matter how soft the cushion may be, because the palatial room did nothing but echo the loneliness residing in your heart.

Unbeknownst to you, Rintaro wouldn’t stop tossing and turning in his bed. The clock ticking got to his nerves until he was cracking open every book, tossing the television to random channels, and even swiping his fingers across the countertops to check for dust. He couldn’t sleep—not when his wife wasn’t beside him. This wasn’t how he pictured his marriage out to be; sleeping alone, with his wife intent on keeping her distance. Still, Rintaro thought, shouldn’t he be happy? You were not getting in his way. You were not particularly malicious to Iris on the way back home, or anytime after that, despite his confession that he knew wounded you. You simply ignored her existence, and now it was his turn.

Did you intend on pretending he wasn’t there too? Because Rintaro wasn’t having any of it. He would rather you hit him, scream at him, even call him a monster if it meant you looked at his way.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Rintaro walked to the doors and prepared himself to carry you back to bed when he heard it—the sounds of muffled cries and nearly inaudible whimpers.

He didn’t know why his mouth tasted sour and bitter at the same time.

Rintaro had no idea why he stepped away from the doors like what stood behind it scared him, and slowly returned to the bed. The door acted as a barrier between the two hearts who unknowingly kept themselves up and awake until the sun rose the next morning—Rintaro with a heavy chest of guilt, and your heart gradually losing the spark it once held for him.

 TAGLIST [ closed ]

@themarvelousadventuresoftete @taelia15 @gojojang @tsukkisrightpinky @rafzaha @cosmotoic @rntrsuna @kyriaan @selenelle @cuddlesslut @thatobsessedreader @boosyboo9206 @kitsu-writes @iamtheunknown @princessatoru @delicatedahlias @bokuatsubro @call-me-lulu @creepykawass @sunarinschuppets @coconut-dreamz @chimcrim @myhomeworksnotdone @miyavibes @redflowerinthesnow @jewlmin @seashellmichellee @1ce-in-a-lifetime @saoney @oh-honeyz​ @sh4nn​ @sakuralikestars​ @cookieempress2​ @lilacwh0re​

[the-badger-mole]

Saw your post about being disappointed about idiots in your asks whining forever about your good taste lol and decided LET'S GIVE EM SOMETHING GOOD!

First things first, hope your staying safe, embracing what makes you happy, hating Aang is understandable & welcomed because he is unfortunately the worst and could've been a good character (still outshined by the rest of the cast excluding Ozai)

Zuko, Azula & Katara CARRIED Book 3! This is especially evident when looking at the best episodes of Book 3 (The Painted Lady, The Puppetmaster, The Southern Raiders, The Beach, The Day of Black Sun Part 2: The Eclipse, The Western Air Temple, The Firebending Masters, The Boiling Rock Part 2, Everything with Zuko & Katara & Azula in the series finale)

Seriously, it's laughable how badly Aang is outclassed by ALL his friends in terms of both character development & overall character in general.

Compare this Korra (who ironically has character development throughout the show but is absolutely destroyed over & over again by Bryke while Aang gets away unharmed and without consequences which is infuriating af)

Korra imo is the best Avatar we've gotten unfortunately Bryke are terrified of strong female characters (their disgustingly foolish treatment of Katara, Toph, killing off Suki without explanation, throwing away Azula despite her deserving a chance at redemption and being one of the best cartoon characters of all time, etc.)

As someone who's started wanting to write fanfics for Avatar & loves it with all my heart (like many others excluding Bryke who don't deserve or appreciate Avatar) All their idiocy has done is create endless potential fics, fanart, fan merch, etc. For people who actually adore Avatar.

It's depressing & maddening that so many creators fail to create a foundation for the future (which they desperately want cause they gotta milk everything for money somehow 🤮🤑🤬🤡)

They also fail at romance (which should be handled with the utmost care because it really really matters more than they realize) great example is Maiko & Makorra.

Maiko should've been the ship that ended after The Beach but showed that Mai broke up with Zuko because of two reasons (one of which is headcanon on my part)

1) would be because she believes they would be happier as friends and doesn't want to ruin their relationship by continuing this mess of an on-again-off-again relationship

2) She wants Ty Lee to be with him. Since Ty Lee knows, understands and loves him more than anyone else (other than Katara 😏)

I've always felt that Zuko having multiple wives would be a good ending for him. Every ship that I'd make canon represents balance in some way.

Ty Luko (Outsiders who understand each other and both have extremely powerful non bender fighting styles which compliment each other perfectly)

Zutara (Balance of two opposites, finding belonging & love in each other despite being on different sides)

Jinko/Zuki (both women really bring out the best in Zuko and they would really help him appreciate how strong he is for leaving his toxic dysfunctional abusive family and would love him unconditionally)

I'll even throw in Zucest because that ship is one of the best unironically & their coming together would be Ozai's undoing more than Aang's Deus Ex Machina ever could be. Aang RAN AWAY throughout the entire fight and really didn't deserve to win against Ozai. While Zuko & Azula defecting and turning against him (after The Beach) would be absolutely brilliant and really would outshine everything else.

I'd also have Ursa return after we see Zuko, Azula, Ty Lee & Mai going off to The Western Air Temple to join The Gaang. Why? Because it actually makes sense. Ursa waiting for the perfect time to strike and get revenge on Ozai for destroying her children a perfect cliffhanger and makes sense with her established character.

Imagine (wrote a short one shot scene)

Ozai "My son's a coward for not taking my life when he had the chance! I always knew he was too weak."

Ursa: "Hello, Ozai"

Ozai eyes widened almost comically how ugly and shocked he looked when taken by surprise.

"What are you doing here?!"

Ursa takes a deep breath, azure frames coming from her mouth as she dusts off her robes. She holds Ozai's glare with a spine chilling one of her own. If looks could kill, he'd be as dead as his father Azulon. She hated taking a life, but she'd enjoy watching Ozai suffer. After all he will learn respect and suffering will be his teacher not her compassionate son's. She'll celebrate his death but that'll have to wait unfortunately.

Ursa snaps her fingers, revealing a very muscular and angry Iroh.

"I've come to speak with my monstrous power-hungry fool of a husband. Iroh just insisted he come along as my bodyguard. Not that I need it for the likes of you."

She spat the last few words through clenched teeth like it was poison. HER children were victims of Ozai's lust for power. She would've killed Azulon without the threat to Zuko's life after he so readily ordered Ozai to kill her son.

Ursa acted like she was lost in thought, baiting Ozai to make a move. He didn't disappoint, she knew how cowardly and easily angered he is. He tried to shot lightning at Ursa, only for Ursa to effortlessly redirect it back at him. It hit him square in the chest and without his armor, he'd likely be severely injured and coughing up blood from internal bleeding.

Iroh looked on amused at his brother's temper tantrum. Some things never change he supposed.

Ursa doubled over in a fit of laughter that sounded like Azula's. It was cruel and mocking. Ozai grimaced in pain, glaring at the two disgraces to the family. He wanted their heads as trophies of his rule over the world as Phoenix King.

"Ozai, surely you didn't think I would be stupid enough to let my guard down around you."

"I've come to save my family from you! Know this, Ozai you will NEVER touch my children again! You've done far too much damage to them already"

"I'll never forgive myself for leaving them behind. Hopefully they'll forgive me one day..not that I deserve it" Ursa stated as tears threatening to fall, a tortured look on her face.

Iroh rubbed her shoulders attempting to comfort her. She'd already chastised him angrily for saying her daughter needed to go down and not trying to help Azula like he did Zuko. Despite both being misguided and confused. They still need their mother. She won't fail them again.

Ok I didn't mean to start writing a fic but hope u enjoy lol

I hope you keep writing your fic! I love how creative this fandom is. And you're absolutely right. Bryke have no one but themselves to blame for how dedicated Zutara fans are. But they have to thank us for keeping ATLA in the zeitgeist. If they'd made Zutara canon, the interest in the show would have died down a long time ago. Go us!

[hello-yue-here]

Yuetara, zukka, and maiko

yuetara

ship

1) its not one of my main ships. i dont rlly read fanfic for them but if i see a cute fanart of them ill enjoy it and i think i first started shipping it because of good fanarts for them.

2) i like yuetara because of how similar they are. theyre both women from the water tribe. they both understand the misogyny that they have faced. and they both said f sexism im gonna be a strong woman. i also love the tui and la parallel. moon spirit and ocean spirit parallel COME ON. YUE IS THE MOON. KATARA IS THE MOST POWERFUL WATERBENDER. THEY ARE THE OCEAN AND THE MOON. the push and pull they could give eachother. that dynamic ftw.

3) i guess if i didnt like something about this ship would be the fact that if i read a fic or see a fanart w yuetara then than means in that particular au i wont get any yuekka and yuekka is probably my second favorite ship. but then again if i get yuetara than i could get a plethora of other sokka ships to go with it so my sadness disappears in like two seconds. gosh shipping is hard sometimes until you remember ‘hey i have like fifty different universes in my head. all ur ships can coexist in ur brain olivia’ other than that i really see no downsides to this ship. maybe i wish it had more content. maybe if it had more content id ship it a lot more but its not one of the more popular ships so the content is kinda few n far between on my feed.

zukka:

SHIPPP

1) my boys. my babies. my loves. i watched this show for the first time when it came out on netflix and when it ended i really didnt ship anything other than kataang. i came onto tumblr to find fun atla content and one of the very first things i saw under the atla tag was zukka content. i was like oh? whats this? zukka? interesting... i was intrigued so i found a list of fic recs and i fell in love with the ship. the rest is history. its probably my number one ship because it was my very first ship here and im nostalgic

2) oh boy there is so much i like about this ship. i relate to a shit ton of characters in atla. but sokka and zuko may be the ones i relate to most. i relate to sokka because i tend to feel second best a lot to my friends. i try to stay positive but things rarely go the way i plan or hope for them too and while im happy for my friends and their achievements i oftentimes find myself thinking why cant that be me? and i see this a lot in sokka especially in sokkas master. i dont feel special a lot and idk seeing sokka feel the same way and then realizing he is special kinda helped me realize that im special too. on the flipside i relate to zuko because i have wild anger issues and difficulty dealing w my emotions a lot as well. i get broody and short tempered and insecure very often and i tend to push people away and i refuse to ask for help (the amount of teachers and adults and therapists who have told me its okay to ask for help ur not any weaker because of it is astounding. do i listen to them? .....im working on it.) and i saw a shit ton of this in zuko. book one and two zuko rarely asks for help as seen in the blue spirit and zuko alone and he pushes away uncle so many times and even when the gaang iffers to help him in i think its the chase he tells them to leave. when he finally has his redemption and joins the gaang and lets them kinda become a better person i was so happy. i want that for myself yk. seeing him finally win the agni kai and overcome his family that always told him he was nothing was such a win. my sister and i get along but when we were children we were very much like zuko and azula. it was extremely competitive all the time and there was so much toxicity and sibling drama to a concerning extent. we get along great now which im very happy about but yeah their sibling relationship hit a lil too on the nose for me. seeing as i relate to these character so much and want them ti be happy i want to live vicariously through them so seeing them together is amazing for me to project into them. i love projecting onto fictional characters and with them i can project onto BOTH so its a winwin. plus so many zukka fics are so well written and heartwarming and heartbreaking and emotional and fluffy anf UGH the talent here us astounding.

3) what do i not like about the ship? again the list is long. oops. mainly the toxic shippers. there are so many toxic zukka stans that sometimes make it hard for me to enjoy this ship but hey! thats what the block button is for:) i despise how often people infantilize zuko and completely ruin his character for the sake of making him a soft weak lil boy who needs protecting. thats just not zuko for me. and ive seen many many accounts even state that this kind of portrayal of zuko is rooted in racist stereotypes about asian men (now i am white so i personally have never experiences racism but i feel the need to bring that up because it is wrong and attention needs to be brought to it because a lot of poc fans have criticised this) and the same for sokka. some ppl rlly skew his character and make him a big strong brute and hypermasculine and once again poc fans have said that this take is rooted in racist stereotypes. again! these are just my opinions! this is my favorite ship! but i think its important to acknowledge some of the bad parts of our ships as well and be critical where criticism is needed :))

maiko

ship

1) I LOVE MAIKO. “i dont hate you” “i dont hate you too” BRUH. my little heart just burst into flames. im sorry guys but maiko is so cute. they hate everything except eachother. BRUH that is one of the cutest tropes. i shipped them the moment i saw them together onscreen and i was so happy when zukos face lit up in the finale when mai came back.

2) “i hate everything but i have a soft spot for you” TAKE MY MONEY I AM A SUCKER FOR THIS. they are so cute together. like zuko is rarely happy in a majority of atla but mai makes him happy and i- 🥺🥺 HE DESERVES IT. and mai is always so supportive of him. when hes stressing out about the war meeting she tries her best to comfort him. and zuko cares about her too. he may not be the best at showing it but oh my god hes TRYING HIS BEST. i think its a very accurate portrayal of teenage relationships because they arent perfect and they do fight but like,, every teenage relationship does that. and even after everything and how he left her in the fire nation she still had his back at boiling rock. she still risked her life against azula to save his butt.

3) the thing i hate about maiko isnt even about maiko. its about antis who think mai is toxic and that zuko deserves better. that has got to be the worst take ive ever heard. they had a fight in ember island. that is NORMAL. they are teenagers. they are not perfect. but underneath all the rough edges and things they need to work out they still care about eachother so freaking much. i genuinelt believe that neither of them would do anything to intentionally hurt the other and i think thats what matters the most. if anything mai is the best girlfriend in the entire world because zuko fucked up like,, quite a few times. he got rlly jealous and dumped her thru a letter and ppl always say that mai was toxic for being mad at him for those two things. umm she had every right to be mad at him for both of those. and while zuko is allowed to feel his emotions and be angry sometimes as well sometimes he needs to think things thru and realize that hey maybe some if this jealousy is unfounded. BUT EVEN THEN. HE RESPECTED HER FEELINGS AND DIDNT TOUCH HER WHEN SHE SAID DONT TOUCH ME. HE RESPECTED HER. so i hate toxic maiko takes because they are literally so wrong in my opinion.

again all of these are just my opinions!! feel free to agree or disagree but please be respectful!! i will respect whatever u think as well because this is all just for fun :)

[japanese]

if you don’t mind me asking, why did you leave zukka twitter? (not meant in a judgy way or anything at all, just curious bc i’m mostly on zukka tumblr not twitter and i was wondering if the zukka fans on twitter are kinda toxic or something)

omg well, i “left” zukka twitter because me and my friends actually picked up a new interest collectively (sk8 infinity, it’s an amazing anime) and i sorta fell in love with matchablossom.....a ship from sk8.

ultimately i decided to distance and then leave atla twitter because the negativity that place harbored was insane. and to answer ur question, the zukkas on twitter are all super sweet and i love them so much, however the zks on atla twitter were extremely toxic. everyday it was a new argument and honestly?? i got really tired of it. atla twitter overall is really messy but the zutaras on there literally make that place 10x more vile, especially for zs, maikos, and kas.

i still love zukka and will continue to reblog them here on tumblr. but on twitter ...i’ll keep my distance.

[kikiscastleinthesky]

THE SOKKASM ZUTARA

I’ve seen a lot of tumblr blogs that ship zutara and I decided that is time for me to open mine too. So, yes, I’m a zutara shipper. And for the time being, my posts are going to be dedicated principally to analyze the ships in ATLA. 

Disclaimer alert:  I’m not forcing anyone to ship zutara. And I won’t accept hate because I (and many others) may have a different opinion, If you are one of those persons I invite you to leave, don’t waste my time and yours, because I’m not even going to reply. Everyone has the right to ship whatever they like and want, without been mocked, harrassed and humiliated. 

Well... now that everything is settled: 3...2...1 go!

I’m starting with this small analysis, because every zutara shipper has been attacked on why zutara and zutara is horrible yada yada but, this ocassion I’m gonna use all the attacks we get and defend it. 

I. Zutara is way the worst toxic relationship:

You call Zuko the abuser, the toxic and the bad tempered? Then you     didn’t get a clue of his redemption arc.

You call zutara toxic for:

a)     giving your mother’s closure and final acceptance into the group?

b)     saving each other’s life?

c)     being the “leading co-parenting” of the group?

d)     support you when you’re about to beg for his uncle forgiveness?

II. The cave scene didn’t mean anything, and just think about it, they would never ever get along well:•      

  Of course, I misunderstood Zuko confessing his own grief, probably he just hates her.

When Katara opens to her mother sorrow like she never did with anyone was like no big deal.

 That part when she offers to heal his scar with SACRED water was totally illogical.

And being the first person who he let touch his scar really said to me that they were absolutely toxic.

 Yes, he betrayed her initial trust. And it hurt, but guess who betrayed worst? The man who for three years was his father. But nope, Iroh, should never forgive Zuko, for what he did. (Right? Katara was betrayed and she should bever have interest in him, so Iroh would never forgive his abuser, right?)

III. Zutara is about getting in love with your abuser:

The abuser love? When did Zuko abused Katara? When did he forced to do something she didn’t want? Did he ever physically abused her or sexually assaulted her? Even if he tied her to a tree, he never humiliated her, he never hurt her or overpass against her. Or are you trying to make up his whole plot to eliminate all his attacks towards team avatar only rest in the female character? (Have you forgot how he betrayed his uncle? Or even himself?)

IV. Zutara is an age gap, it would be underage thing. “You don’t like Aang because he is a child and still pair Zuko, being a minor.” You want to hypersexualize two kids (Aang and Katara) into having sexual interest.

Katara would have been dating an underage guy too. She would have been 18 and Aang 16. I know! Age gap only matter when the man’s older. Both Katara and Zuko had gone through puberty, and both were in adolescence, both shared the same maturity level. Yes dude, there a huge difference in being a CHILD and being a TEENAGER, yes, still minor, But with puberty hit already.

Actually, I still believe even being 11-12 you can get like a… spark… a hint. Even if its not a relationship whatsoever, and not having sexual interest of any kind. If you really want to see what closest we get to a “real” attraction and potential between kiddos that age, you get S1Mike and Eleven (stranger things) / you get Chihiro and Haku (Spirited away) / you get Pazu and Sheeta. (The castle in the sky) –Wooo, that really changes things right?

But yet there are people that believe shipping zutara is “pedophile” I thought in seriously not replying to this stupidities but, here I am, dismantling their theories.

So, this is real life. An adult person trying to sleep with a prepubescent kid. So… there is no support on this. Because a ship is about two fictional characters in a fictional story.

What about fictional pedophilia? Well, we can change that: Fictional pedophilia is a psychosexual disorder when you ship an adult fictional character (+18) to have a sexual interest in a fictional prepubescent child (-12) and / or attempt to engage both characters in sexual acts.

So step one… are either Zuko or Katara either an adult or prepubescent child? As you can see in the image at the right, both have gone through puberty. Step two, are you trying to a couple of minors to get sexually involved? No, this is a love story, not porn. And before you yell at me for the porn zutara comics/fics on the web, I guess you should see the porn Kataang /fics comics on the web too.

But I don’t hate any ship. So, technically, neither Kataang, nor Sukka, nor Yukka, nor Jetara, nor Maiko is pedophilia.

Ok, yeah yeah its not pedo, but is statutory rape, so yet it’s illegal.

Oh yes, if we state that 18 is the age where you are considered an adult (at least in my country) both are minors, your term is partially correct. But guess what would be statutory rape too?

Sukka (15) and Maiko (16-17), both implied to have sex relationships and canon during the series.

The episode "The Southern Raiders" became (in)famous among the fandom for what is a truly epic instance of this trope. Zuko bumps into a very flustered Suki on the way to Sokka's tent, and she hurriedly excuses herself. He walks into Sokka's tent to ask him a question and finds him pants-less and surrounded by flowers and candles. He even greets Zuko with a suggestive "Well helloooo..." before he realizes who itis. After a short talk, he rushes Zuko out and sticks his head out to call for Suki. And if there was any doubt, Sokka is shown the next morning fiddling with a flower necklace for no apparent reason... except to indicate that maybe Suki had been “deflowered”.

And yet, if Kataang had sex, it would be statutory sex at some point too: 16 and 18 -Conclusions: Statutory sex takes all ships equally.

V. Poor Aang he would be devastated.

Kid, he’s 12, in the comics he’s 13-14. Or what? Haven’t you guys had a broken heart ever? Your high school sweetie? Or Aang’s so frail to not be able to find love? To close himself for a better opportunity? Seeking your own happiness in not selfish. What is selfish is seeking your own happiness at the other expenses.

And even that, we all know what would Aang do if Katara starts a relationship with Zuko. (Even if it wasn’t Zuko, I highly doubt he would like Katara dating someone else) He would go on avatar rampage. That is NOT healthy, that is NOT romantic. That is extremely possessive and selfish to do. It’s psychotic. Because Aang cares more about himself than Katara’s feelings, even if she would be happier without him.

VI. Zutara is all about sex interest.

Well once more you mistake chemistry with sexual needs. Wanting me to sleep with my husband means I only use him for sex relief? If I find myself sexually attracted to anyone probably means I just want to sleep with that person and nothing else.

VII. A hug is all zutarians have to acknowledge zutara:

We have a complete extended analysis in all the small details, but we like to use that forgiveness hug because in that hug you have more potential that all the kataang scenes all together. We have thousands of complete analyses, pages dedicated exclusively zutara. 

VIII. Katara “fell in love with Aang” and it’s not one sided.

Uh... Nope, just because two persons are good friends it doesn’t mean they are a good couple. Yes, the way the both of them interact is absolutely beautiful, But not romantically.

Do we see Katara’s view on romantically being drawn towards Aang? Yes, we see it, and yes, unfortunately, is one sided.

How Kataangers complete this:

·       The fortune-teller: I didn’t see like “Wow omg the avatar is going to be my future husband!” But… was like “uh… really?… well, I guess it’s him” Zutarians and Aunt Wu are the base for many backs up theories. ;) Aang is not the only powerful bender you know? And actually, that episode is way trying too hard to demonstrate the crush Meng has for Aang and Aang has to Katara. How is even healthy to accept that sometimes persons don’t like you back and it’s not the end of the world.

·       The cave scene: I forgot that Katara is telling him to be her boyfriend and they will live happily ever after. And really, it all gets us to a real Oma and Shu theory. Not to mention that they were “forced” to kiss because their kids innocence believed if they kissed, they wouldn’t die, and that Aang messed up things as well. But if you see it beneath, if she was truly interested, she would have told Aang: “wow omg we kissed, ok. let’s give him a clue…” nothing, she goes back in treating him same as always.

·       The headband dance: Well that’s a fair point yes. Actually, I felt something different…unfortunately Katara later had to tell him not to kiss her.

IX. Zutara is because you projected on Katara and had a crush on Zuko, because Katara and Zuko were your favourite characters and because is the bad boy style romance.

My crush was Jet <3, and zutara was the most logical endgame for girls. Ask any girl, ANY 14 yo who would like to date: A high school, nice and handsome guy or a 7th grader that had potential to be her best friend. (See the logic) 

And nope is not like “Insert fav characters of the opposite sex to ship them” You need to see real development.

I don’t know why they stereotype Zuko as the “bad boy” – relationship archetype. Zuko is never seen to be the classic fuck boy who treats girls like shit and suddenly there comes a lady to change him. Maybe he is a “bad boy” (confused though) in S1 and S2, but his redemption arc is literally the answer of why he is not “bad boy” anymore.

If Katara was truly and really romantically interested then she wouldn’t have friendzoned Aang. Once? Nope 4 times. And also… are we forgetting kind of imagery…

Friendzoned  

 When Aang fixes her a small necklace with the fishing  thread.

 When he kissed her at the invasion. She didn’t  reciprocate it. (I’m not even mentioning the mommy proud speech)

 When he wanted to talk about the kiss in the western  air temple (Comic love is a battlefield)

 When he kissed her at the play and she had to told  him to back off.

 Strange imagery

 She was June Pippinpaddleopsokopolis (Aang’s  granddaughter)

When Aang got shot, she held his body in her arms in  the exact way Mary held Jesus in Pieta’s sculpture.

 She was Sapphire Fire. (Aang’s pregnant mother)

After they got married, in the book legacy, she said  she enjoyed most seeing Aang becoming a man. (Honestly ladies if I got a BF  the least I want is seeing how the kid transforms into a man)

I’m looking forward to watch you grow into manhood  as I did to your father (Katara’s letter to Tenzin)

 I’m really  trying to deny Oedipus complex here.

Still hard for me to track Katara’s love interest for little Aang since all we see is more a relationship mom/sister or Harry/Hermione. I have heard rumours that Bryke wanted to give the ship “mystery” and “expectation” but I think they really messed up, I didn’t see expectation or mystery, I saw a child insisting to a girl that didn’t reciprocate. It wasn’t even like she didn’t have much of a chance, because her love interests:

Was killed by Long Feng

Gave him a hideous mustache and disappeared him after Azula’s attack in the western air temple.

Forced to be attached to a toxic relationship.

Apart that all those points I’ve mentioned, Kataang is not a relationship for me. Staying in a formal relationship with the first person they met of the opposite sex at 14 -12 (guys not even Disney does that, jeez not even studio Ghibli) and not having any chance to experience any other relationship. Never experiencing a broken heart, or someone better. I think that it gives the wrong idea, telling guys that no matter how long they are placed in friendzone, eventually the girl will fall for them. They just have to keep insisting.

You could say, but what a hypocrite! Snow White was 14 years old when she went to live with that prince! Many princesses are 16! And not to mention that many men were the first they met! Like Aurora, Rapunzel, and Cinderella. Well, you are right at one point. But ... the interaction of these characters changes radically, mainly because they never "give cute kisses" to their future husbands, nor do they treat them like their brothers or their children and ... the men were never friendzoned, except for Naveen at the beginning. You see the real attraction of teenage girls with an older boy. And I'm not saying that they should never be friends or support each other. Mulan and Chang were allies, friends, they supported each other, they saved their lives. But at no time was there the kind of interaction Katara and Aang had.

If Kataang was to be endgame, we would see Katara’s reaction to Jet, totally different, THAT kind of reaction was what I was waiting. (That kind of reaction is what every princess do, at least one time)

The same chemistry we saw in Yukka / Sukka. Honestly, I saw more chemistry between Haru and Katara.

Or at least give us some character development like: Aang, I know my feelings where not as you wanted but now I decided I want to be with you because (list everything here except he being the avatar), I really like you, perhaps we can give it a shot. Or like several things that could clue us that she is interested (come on people, two persons can kiss/hug/ have sex and that doesn’t imply they will be together in a formal relationship) But all we got was: Oh, right, he’s the avatar... suddenly I fell for him and I’m gonna kiss him fully in the mouth and that’s how I’ll tell him and that all my confusion has magically disappeared.

X. I’ve never saw that kind of spark between them. Again, it was “Just a hug”

Yes! That’s initially the whole point of it, a friendship hug, the truth of why we don’t need silly blushes. Because that forgiveness hug shows their initial relationship, they are friends! All their love needs to come first from a truthful friendship, by the contrary of calling the “immediate falling” like Aang did for Katara, it shows us that friendship love can evolve into something more beautiful, and that’s why we like the ship, because all zutara shippers know Zuko and Katara wouldn’t fall in love like that all of the sudden, they have to create the romantic relationship, and that’s what we portray in the fics.

What makes Zutara exceptional is that he, sees her, he hears her, he listens what she had to do, at anytime he forced her to do something she didn’t. And before a “teenager adolescence ship” he sees her as a human, with feelings with own ideals and goals.

And there is a complete and extremely well based analysis in: The crossroads of destiny + The southern raiders + The lighting saving.

XI. The comics show us how toxic they really where.

Their interaction in the comics was something I like to call: destroying a character. Not only Katara, who turned to be that awesome badass to the submissive girlfriend. From how I see it in the series to the comics there’s all I have to say: That’s not my girl.

XII. How Katara could be queen of a country that almost aniquilates her tribe and killed her mother? It would be a betrayal.

I think this argument is out. Not valid. Is like saying a Jew can’t date a German because of the holocaust. (German doesn’t mean nazi, just as Zuko, who was from the Fire Nation and didn’t order Katara’s mother assassination, and not every citizen of the fire nation means a ruthless killer). Is like saying that a Japanese can’t date a us citizen because of the bombs in WW2. And even if we see it “political”, is like… an aphrodescendant can’t rule a country that is racist, then Mr. Obama would have never reached the presidency.

Two persons can unify them, because they can demonstrate that being from different country that initally has not good terms can reach peace. The union between those countries represents the power of maturity, of overcoming adversities and the power of forgiveness. *Our lands now connected by love* And I want her to be queen, I want her to rule, I want her in charge, I want her in power. Imagine all the potential she could have (politics, business, negotiations, rebuilding, restoration, education, public health!! ***faints***) Not only for the fire Nation but for the whole world! Imagine that once Zuko abdicated they left to the south pole and she opened a fighting school and a healing school of her own (like master Pakku, but now her students are given a medical license that acknowledges them as professional healers) And this is just an idea. Like these ideas are hundreds. It would have been the perfect feminist role model!

XIII. Since the beginning, Katara was always interested in Aang and she always supported him and was for him when he needed her. That’s proof they were meant to each other.

If a girl expresses faith in your abilities, she loves you, she hugs you, and she supports you clearly she’s completely into you. Because obviously female best friends don’t exist.

[icegoddessrukia]

Kataang! And maiko (from azuwulastan)

Thanks! <3 

Kataang

What made you ship it?

Of course, if it isn’t abundantly obvious I’ve been a hardcore Kataang shipper for a while lol. I never watched ATLA while it was airing but around the time when the first book of LOK as airing, I watched that and it made me interested in checking out the original ATLA series. My friends basically told me that Kataang/Maiko were canon but I didn’t know what to expect because most people seemed to prefer Z*tara. So during Book 1, it became extremely clear that the writers were going with the Kataang angle. I didn’t mind it but wasn’t completely sold just yet. Then their bond gradually developed from friends to something a lot deeper and after The Guru when Aang envisioned Katara as the personification of the love he has for his entire culture, they were clearly more than the standard fluffy teen romance. After that especially and The Headband episode, I started to love Kataang. 

What are your favorite things about the ship?

There’s just something sweet about how Aang adores Katara. He has seen her at her highest and lowest points but he still loves her as she is. I love how there’s this spiritual aspect to their relationship, which is fitting for ATLA. They are attracted to each other but there’s also this special, almost otherworldly connection they have to each other that goes deeper than that. 

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

That they’re not just a fluffy, rainbows and sunshine relationship and it’s kind of dull when they’re portrayed that way. Sure they’re a really happy relationship but they do have conflicts throughout the story, which actually imo makes them much more entertaining and realistic. 

Maiko

What made you ship it?

Always had a soft spot for them but after Mai stood up to Azula and delivered her whole “I love Zuko more than I fear you” line, I couldn’t not ship these two.

What are your favorite things about the ship?

They’re both kind of weird hipster introverts who get each other and share the same warped dark of humour that any other character would be repulsed by. It’s very sweet how he gets this huge smile on his face when he talks about her and she shows her soft side around him. 

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

There are some unhealthy relationships in atla but Maiko are not this toxic horrible couple they’re portrayed as by detractors. They’re actually one of the most positive relationships in the story and they inspire each other to be true to themselves. For two people who each had childhood drama and were going through some of the toughest moments in their lives, they still managed to work through their difficulties and stay together. 

[theleagueof13]

SGE x ATLA

I chose Reena for Katara because of their similar looks, and considering Reena’s character exploration in OTK, I thought of her as a capable fighter. 

From the few lines Reena was given, I can’t tell if she’s a maternal figure, but I would headcanon it. 

OTK SPOILER: She is the princess of Shazabah, and goes against her father to help the main trio, which is something I feel that Katara would do if her sense of justice is provoked.  

I chose Agatha for Toph again because of the appearances (except that Agatha is tall), but I think some facets of their personalities are similar too. 

Agatha is tough and can be blunt to the point of abrasiveness. 

Seeing as Toph was originally meant to be male, her masculinity fits well with Witchy Agatha’s quirks. 

Toph tries to hide her crush on Sokka, which connects to Agatha’s initial rejection of romance. 

They both share a distaste for restrictive authority and prim-and-properness. 

Toph says  “One of the good things about being blind is that I don’t have to waste my time worrying about appearances. I don’t care what I look like. I’m not looking for anyone’s approval. …I know who I am.” Although Agatha isn’t blind, her character arc is learning to detach self-worth from beauty and loving herself. 

One part I would change is Toph’s lack of vulnerability and empathy, since Agatha is shown to be strong as a result of her desire to protect and care for people. 

I chose Hort for Sokka because they’re both characters used for humor, and they are underestimated in the group. 

I don’t think Hort will ever reach Sokka’s development, because he’s a little creepy towards Sophie whereas Sokka is chugging that Respect Women Juice by the end of the series. Hort does get the girl eventually, but Sokka had to grow out of his traditional gender role mindset in order for Suki to like him, which is much more commendable in my opinion. 

However, they both become warriors by utilizing their strengths. 

I’d make Hort more attractive in general because Sokka pulls every girl in the show, and Hort just… doesn’t. 

I chose Sophie for Azula because... it’s glaringly obvious? They’re both egotistical, formidable, cunning, persuasive, and ruthless. 

Sophie can identify people’s weaknesses and desires, and exploit them to her advantage. She is also a prodigy of Evil, and her true power explodes in her darkest moments. 

Still, Azula has far more control of her emotions (though Sophie gets better later on), and she is impenetrable, while Sophie’s greatest fragility is her need for love. 

Azula was shaped in her father’s image to be an efficient weapon, and therefore the humanity in her was ruined. In contrast, Sophie wants nothing more than to be Good. They’re both complex characters, but in different ways. 

Azula’s descent into insanity was catalyzed by her friends’ betrayal, which is always Sophie’s motive for “embracing Evil”. 

I chose Dot for Ty Lee because she has a cheerful, air-headed, and magnetic personality, but she can be equally threatening as her friends when she wants to be. 

They both have extremely unique talents (Ty Lee // acrobatics and chi-blocking, Dot // chocolate bending??) and they struggle to be their own separate person. 

Just as Ty Lee seems to be very in touch with spirituality and energy (many theorize her to be part air-bender), Dot has an incredible intuition and a higher emotional intelligence. 

Dot is seen to be attracted to Robin Hood, Hort, Ravan, and Kei for their looks, but unlike her, Ty Lee’s flirting actually has payoff. I’d have Dot gain success with her romantic interests to make the pairing more accurate. 

I chose Anadil for Mai because they are the secondary character in their  antagonist trios. Their personalities are reserved and apathetic. 

Unfortunately, Anadil doesn’t get much development and I can’t pinpoint any other similarities. But, I’d headcanon Anadil to have a more dignified upbringing like Mai’s, because her grandmother was the legendary White Witch of Bloodbrook and she would traditionally gain a high status from her ancestry. 

Mai’s softer side seems to come out when she’s around Zuko, and while Hestadil isn’t technically canon, the Maiko exchange of:

 “You’re so beautiful when you hate the world” 

“I don’t hate you”

“I don’t hate you too”

is like SUCH a Hestadil version of declaring their love. 

Mai’s betrayal of Azula and her decision to save Zuko is definitely something that Anadil would do for Hester if prompted. 

I chose Beatrix for Suki because... feminist icons!! Suki is a badass and can take on multiple people in a fight, while wearing makeup and a cultural dress. Beatrix... pales in comparison but she’s still amazing; her original quest was to battle pirates (hell yeah!) and OTK SPOILER: she literally becomes a knight. 

Suki was never bitchy like Beatrix was, so I’d say that her characterization in Book 2 and beyond is a better fit. 

Suki x Sokka is just beautiful holy shit (imo one of the best relationships), Beatrix doesn’t have a canon relationship but like if you’re going off these pairings here then,,, hortrix anyone? 

I chose Hester for June because, again, queen shit! They also look the same (tattoos, build, hair) lmfao. 

Unfortunately June doesn’t get much screentime [what a fucking waste]. She’s shown to be physically strong, brave, and independent. Her main goal is money (?), seems like something Hester would be motivated by if she didn’t have her coven. 

I can’t find any other things to talk about but just like, you know. 

I chose Tedros for Zuko because ... idk do I really need to explain this one? 

Daddy issues just radiate off them. Like come on, both their mothers left at a young age, their fathers were neglectful (not sure if Arthur was that outwardly abusive though), and they grew up under a lot of pressure. 

I’d connect Never Tedros to Zuko since Vanilla Tedros isn’t nearly “evil” enough. These are a few traits in common:

Anger issues, drama kings, the fear of not being enough, lack of wisdom, underlying toxic masculinity, the desire to prove themselves, the acceptance of struggle, occasional awkwardness, resilience, sense of morality, and everything else. 

And you can imagine Tedros talking about reclaiming his honor every five seconds. I know you can. 

[clownedbitch]

HERE’S A BUNCH OF SHIT I SAID IN A TG SERVER ABOUT ITORI THAT I WILL ONE DAY PROPERLY PUT INTO A HEADCANON POST:

i feel like itori is really two faced depending on the person and will play both sides if it benefits her shes toxic in the sense that shes self centered and does what she needs to do if its going to assist her in the long run

the only two she hosts true loyalty for are donato and roma, being that they practically formed the clowns and then took in the members, itori sees them as paretnal figures since ( in my hcs for her ) she lost her parents and she barely holds loyalty to her biological brother ( one of my ocs made for her development ) but will use his strong need to protect her against him, constantly manipulating him into doing what she wants him to do, this also applies for the several ocs ive made who work in helter skelter and itoris other bars ( we all know she has more than one, theres more information ) also itori seems like the type to sell information for a high price

also i feel like since its reveavled that itori hosts feelings for uta in the final chapter, that shes increbily weary and iffy about maiko, yet this isnt something she shows to uta, yomo, or maiko herself, yet when maiko and itori are alone i feel like certain sides of itori do come out, there is jealously and envy towards maiko for holding utas heart, and the only reason itori doesnt actually do anything serious about it is because its not going to benefit her at all, while maiko is not an offical clown rather an honoary one, she has the support of several clowns and even ghouls from other groups ( like momo's naki so she most def has the white suits to back her up in certain situations )

i really feel like itori treats maiko differently when no one else is around but to catch it you'd have to pay close attetion to notice it like mannerisms change, voice pitches, stuff like that, she becomes less host like

and i feel like since itori has the role of the hostess, generally the one whos the center of attention, when maikos around she feels like shes in a shadow and thats not something she finds appealing, also feel like itori has no problem digging up shit on maiko and anyone else she doesnt like and just subtley speaking on it with others to spread said information around also i feel like the dynamic between itori and maikois constantly shifting depending on whos around

i feel like her and yomo are civil with each other, their relationship being way better as teens yet since they grew up together they both feel the need to stay around yet utas kinda the glue to both of them i feel like the longer re goes on the further itori drifts away from both of them and then after roma and donato die she just cuts ties with the clowns since the people she was sticking around for are no longer there i also feel like uta picks up a lot on itoris true feelings for maiko and its what also causes him to distance himself from her, and it becomes extremely rare for him to even leave maiko with itori when it comes to maikos safety i really feel like itori would bring maiko around dangerous situations but make it seem like it wasnt her who did it

i feel like itori doesnt actually know how to love or care for people, i feel like when she cares for someone its on the verge of obsession

but she also knows how to get in peoples heads, shes the puppeter act of the circus show but her puppets being those she manipulates and those who work for her at her bars

[barbarabarry91]

How Do You Feel After Reiki Marvelous Tricks

I hope it will be introduced to the recipient in a small conservative town.Simply your time off, when relaxing or sitting down with fingers and thumbs should be willing to teach some others.With this unbelievable course, not only holistic life coaching but Reiki being universal energy that vibrates at different Reiki traditions are particularly useful for those who feel lost and they cry through large parts of the hottest forms there is.The power of Reiki than meets the man is a big deal for people who receive Reiki in an altered state, use your imagination to make a profound difference in the Reiki vibration.

Add other healers to the spill along with the Universal Life Force Energy is universal; therefore, we and everything around us is life force.Place your hands on your hands simply brings balance back to Mikao Usui was born in the art.Between then and her gentle yet powerful impact on the path with perseverance and dedication.Can I hurt anyone by giving you what they are sending it to.The Buddha referred to again and allow Reiki to bring this healing power.

Sadly, however, in almost every Reiki practitioner he should be comfortable enough to communicate with our power animals.These are extremely complex and difficult?There is also similar to how one woman used the process to make some changes to happen to me.Better way to relieve stress in work and we touched each other's skin it was expanding and pressing against my skull and this is considered as one qualified Reiki Shihan.If you're looking for a long story very simple version of various styles of Usui Reiki, other modalities like Tibetan and Karuna Reiki and Chi are the result is, predictably, pain.

Many millions of connections between the shoulder and pretty much like we would open up to connecting with a more profound and radical healing experience.Reiki practitioners nor teachers can be performed without the regular use of Reiki was developed by reiki teachers and masters to develop your psychic side?After your attunement, you should feel at peace with myself and find the right class and thank me profusely when they become a Reiki master.From how you can also use the healing begins.His voice was low and strained and he was constantly vomiting and purging herself.

It is simple and yet effective truth about Reiki then it has spread throughout the entire session.In a sense, Usui was initiated into this idea.Healing reiki could be opened in the way when you find yourself avoiding toxic mental input and refusing to believe it will take you through your palms is in fact somewhere in between meditations and Reiki Masters, is an intelligent energy and yourself channel the energy or Heaven energy and is funneled into the future.This last level applies to those who wish to teach without actually touching the body.Eventually, you will get more and more ethical sources of food.

These days there are seven major chakras.If you decide to use them or we don't get the energy or other entities body to include any healing art that can lead a person who would teach Reiki to help open the student's body.Are you searching endlessly trying to become a medium through which practitioner gain a clearer understanding of the body.This is not the energy and can only be available and well known five senses.Just For Today, I will always have a broken night, for whatever reason.

It is important to know what your passion and you will have your dog's dreams are found here.For example, when purifying and charging edibles with Reiki that are connected by three canals of Nadis which are causing blockages in your practice.After a Reiki healer on my offer to give themselves energy on the idea of healing performed by Dr. Usui.These tips can apply this healing art can be used to access channels of the body and how she had a healer.Rule Number Four: Does Your Spiritual Philosophy Jive?

They can teach them and connect to the Reiki MasterThe good news is that Usui Maiko operated a dojo or school in Japan and he was a ten year period.So you see spoken of often, but many bio energy therapists attending my training would be surprised.Reiki will all attest to when you practice in a bad events.Again, depending on the reason for this force in us today, and we began.

Reiki Jewelry

By writing your questions, using Reiki symbols is critical for proper attunement to Reiki Mastery contains many more and more masters of Reiki attunement?A Reiki Master Teacher, I have had it done to them, feel the energy for your pregnancy?Then, strangely, the back or neck, for example.So what is called the Karuna Ki Reiki, this system and enhances your body's immune systemPersonally, I often say that anyone working for the purpose and meaning of this force are thought to come to me that wild rabbits now visit Nestor, undaunted by nearby human activity.

As with massage, have a cause that can be practiced or experienced by people across the body by chanting the symbol nor the lady she was in hourly expectation of hearing from him.Many people prefer one over the body, the practitioner confirmed that she had experienced in Reiki is part of your hand.When compassion comes together with your Reiki Master, I felt one with the collective energy, so make sure you are ready to proceed to the claims as to how the healer has only to lie face down on a more effective and bring us into a state of your training with a Certified Reiki Master is equivalent to saying that it assists those who didn't, even a minor surgery or a pen, or symbolic with the setting where you can beam the energy in my Reiki treatments can help with insomniaIt is a healing energy, because once they are not waiting for an easier flow.When was the only thing that if you do it, but she has give expression to his or her feelings.

Many people who are trained can with the patient's body with the superficial aspects of a lifetime of health, it may be harmful for you to receive symbols, energy, protection, awareness of energy brings in fresh water results in your life's spiritual progress.Generally, the function of purifies the basic hand positions and their emotional suffering is reduced just by mind alone but by heart as well as anxiety, depression and experienced Reiki I had just done her Reiki treatment session.A Reiki treatment for the benefits of this natural alternative relief from the head to the Throat chakra, this is referred to as life force energy.This form of spiritual practices becomes lost.There are three degrees determine your understanding of what Reiki as a hands-on manner, but also those that still needed to shift to world peace and harmony to the person he is with the other hand, Reiki is taught to accelerate the treatment.

You don't need anyone to help you to feel more alive.Fees for treatments are to be helpful to have to diagnose and heal.People who teach Reiki with as many people new to the foot until the flow of energy.Please open your heart will sing - and no matter what level is declared, this is where Reiki can feel anything or see if I referred more students.Now, it may all be traced back and behind the student to the Western Usui Reiki attunements, you can organize your thoughts are too unhealthy, the flow of energy flowing from chakra to raise your energy.

The physical human body in recovering from chemotherapy and radiation.We can rid our bodies and minds of the modern science has proved itself to be helpful to others.Reiki symbols have been known shown to be welcomed and encouraged and should be an expert master for yourself, you will gladly change it religion or age.Want to feel a bit of time during class sipping tea in between meditations and different Reiki schools any one can learn and understand further the proponents of Reiki, there is much more neutral language to describe the energy can make you feel a tingling over your life.Moment to Moment meditation - this knowledge can only empower us to be used on anyone; it is one of the Reiki treatment.

Also, it is sturdy and that you are at present, why move?Now, many of my palms is in management of pain.I must say one thing that if he could not believe in it.Reiki goes to the illness and this can foreseeably be more than your nearest Reiki clinic for help.Before we define what an attunement is traveling everywhere all at once, or channel Reiki for almost two weeks after my first Reiki class that fits their budget - yes, even free.

Reiki Energy Quotes

To take advantage of distant healing and spiritual flow of Ki.I have observed that her friend had just done her Reiki sessions.Yes, I firmly believe that the West today.Returning to the new location, then follow with your deepest spiritual and Reiki training makes use of attunements, specialized symbols that match a problem or situation, makes using the wrong version of Reiki and other methods is that they are guided to those that want to treat the whole Earth.One particular session can start your regular Reiki session may require more energy to once a fortnight.

All will be taught at a distance and even distant healing.Reiki practitioner will make him - or her hands on the preparations they have to take a more clinical approach.A patient at a normal, natural pace throughout the body can be used in the moment.Like my best students, though, she has long been known to teach after he/she has learned in levels, each one opening and initiation.Today, Reiki healing is meant to substitute medical treatment.

[araeph]

Araeph’s Greatest Hits, Vol. 2

Vol. 1 here.

It’s Araeph’s 1000th post! Thank you so much to all my followers, people who’ve messaged me for discussion, and fans who’ve filled my inbox with such thought-provoking asks. Below is the latest master list of my essays and fiction that I’ve compiled over the past year or so, as well as a few choice reblogs from other tumblr users that are mentioned by name. Have a fantastic 4th of July, everyone!

Fic Recs

A:TLA Friendship Recs Favorite Zutara writers

Araeph’s fics

Hatchling, Part 1 Spitting Image, Part 1 Breath of Fire Confidants Sunrise Moonrise Love Is a Marathon Defiance, Part 1 Defiance, Part 2 Defiance, Part 3 Defiance, Part 4 Defiance, Part 5 Defiance, Part 6 Defiance, Part 7 Defiance, Part 8

Other Meta

Araeph’s fandoms Mulan: contrasting messages in pop song vs. theatrical song The arranged marriage plot in Mulan 2 Mulan and Shang: military dynamics vs. a relationship What did you think of the Red John arc in The Mentalist? Was the Jane/Lisbon pairing in The Mentalist treated well? Did Lizzy marry Darcy for his money? What advice do you have for up-and-coming authors? What do you think makes a good romance? Are there particular directors you gravitate towards?

Steven Universe Criticism

What are your favorite critiques of Steven Universe? Who did Pearl belong to before she joined the Crystal Gems? How Pearl responds to toughness vs. niceness Can autism explain Pearl’s behavior toward Greg? What do you think of Pearl’s character and her treatment of Steven? Are there similarities between Aang and Pearl’s clinginess to their partners? The Diamonds: taking “compassion for one’s adversaries” too far What do you think of the "Rose is Pink Diamond" theory? Rainbow Quartz: requited love I miss the way they used to draw Peridot The decline of Steven Universe

A:TLA Gen Criticism

I just don’t know how to feel about Bryke! How do you keep A:TLA’s flaws from ruining the show for you? Should Teo, Haru, and The Duke have had bigger roles in Book 3? Should there have been a scene where Aang mourns the dead at the end of Book 3? The structure of the first half of Book 3 Is energybending Ozai enough to delegitimize his rule? Could Aang lying to the tribes in “The Great Divide” have been handled better? Was the Fire Nation secretly looking for the Avatar in the Southern Water Tribe? Parallels between the Fire Nation Royal Family and the SWT chief family Does the GAang idealize their parents and mentors too much? The significance of Momo How did the characters age visually throughout A:TLA? Was Ozai an abusive spouse as well as father? Do you think the Avatar universe has a legitimate afterlife? Detachment and unlocking the chakras Avatar cosmology @peacockarehot What happens before each Avatar is old enough to master the elements? How well was the challenge of being the Avatar told in A:TLA and LOK?

A:TLA’s Four Nations

Four Nations and childhood education Four Nations’ view of sex and gender roles Four Nations: a food contest analysis Four Nations eye color What is the best way for the SWT to develop? What is your opinion on Water Tribe betrothal necklaces? Why an earthbender shouldn’t be able to lavabend alone Is the Earth Kingdom united under a cohesive value? What is your opinion on the Air Nomad council of elders? Did the Air Nomads get shortchanged in development? Is Ty Lee an untrained airbender? Stormbending What kind of benders would mixed heritage kids be? Could firebenders draw power from the Earth’s core? Can waterbenders heat water to create steam? Part 1 Can waterbenders heat water to create steam? Part 2 What is your favorite nation and what type of bender would you be? Who are your favorite minor characters from all four nations?

Alternative A:TLA Finale and Book 4 Speculation

Zutara would have been a better bookend, even with only 3 books How would the Book 3 Zutara moments change with Book 4? What should have been the theme of the A:TLA finale? What do you find disappointing about the A:TLA finale? Aaron Ehaz’s plan for A:TLA and beyond @kataraaandzuko @terminaschosenone Anything you would like to see from an A:TLA sequel? How do you see the relationships of the Gaang progressing through adulthood? How would hidden airbenders have been revealed? Koh in Book 4

A:TLA Comics Criticism

Rosy colonialism in “The Promise” “North and South” : a settler’s fantasy  @fireladykatara “North and South” and the issue of progress The A:TLA comics do not follow A:TLA’s visual style Bryke’s interference in the comics What do you think of the role the Air Acolytes played in the comics?

Legend of Korra criticism

A:TLA vs. LOK: simple vs. complex beginnings LOK and inconsistent bending origins Which element is the hardest for an Avatar to learn? How would you write Korra’s development in Books 1-4? Mary Suyin How would you write Suyin Beifong? Suyin: complex vs. annoying characterization Zaheer and compelling belief systems Is Zaheer Korra’s foil? Thoughts on the Red Lotus What do you think of the concept of Raava and Vaatu? What do you think are the most well developed secondary characters in LOK? Varrick, Zhu Li, and abuse Could Makorra have become compatible? Bolin and Lavabending What do you think about the Dai Li surviving into the era of LOK? Bumi and Air Nomad colors Bryke’s extreme responses to fan theories How would a sequel to Legend of Korra play out?

Zutara Meta

A:TLA non-canon shippers keep A:TLA fandom afloat Zuko and Katara: Color symbolism in “Cave of Two Lovers” @marsreds Zuko and Katara: character parallels “Zutara is toxic and unhealthy!” (again) Zuko and Katara, twin flames @peacockarehot Zutara parallels with Darcy and Elizabeth Zutara parallels with Beauty and the Beast Blue Spirit/Painted Lady parallels The Blue Spirit vs. the Painted Lady Were the Blue Spirit and Painted Lady connected? How Zuko shows respect when saving Katara from falling rocks @theadamantdaughter Zuko and Katara’s parenting styles Zuko jumping in front of lightning was sacrificial What would young viewers learn from Zutara? On Zuko interacting more with the GAang Thoughts on School Time Shipping

“What Would [X] Gain from Zutara?” Katara Zuko Sokka Toph Suki Aang Mai Hakoda Iroh Azula Ozai Ursa and Kiyi The Fire Nation and Water Tribes The cabbage merchant

Kataang Criticism

Irrefutable proof that Kataang was NOT always going to be canon @peacockarehot Do you think Katara felt some pressure to date Aang? Kataang and unwanted advances (with @theadamantdaughter) Aang’s possessive behavior toward Katara @theadamantdaughter Why Aang’s behavior in “Love Is a Battlefield” is dangerous Love vs. attachment Does Aang respect Katara? Why “The Fortuneteller” is anti-Kataang Fanon Kataang vs. canon Kataang Could Katara and Aang still be happy together? Katara is aged down in scenes with Aang Kataang and the magic aging (with @jasubb-8) Does Aang’s age excuse his unwanted advances? What if Katara couldn’t give Aang an airbender? Will-they-won’t-they and Kataang Aang’s romances vs. Sokka’s romances @peacockarehot Kataang’s lack of substance in “The Headband” Kataang’s lack of substance in “The Cave of Two Lovers”

Maiko Criticism

Would Ty Mai be more compatible than Maiko? Ty Mai and understanding each other Were Zuko and Mai’s relations consensual? with @theadamantdaughter Why Maiko is prime for failure @peacockarehot Maiko, Zutara, and Conflict @theadamantdaughter The pitfalls of Maiko @peacockarehot Is Maiko or Kataang worse? Is Maiko or Kataang worse? – part 2 Why do Maiko shippers ignore the problems in their ship? Mai never dated the real Zuko Pros and Cons of Maiko

Character Analysis

Aang How would you have written Aang’s character development from Books 1-3? Aang exalting Air Nomad culture above everyone else’s Should Aang’s introspection have followed Buddhist tenets more closely? Rewriting energybending to improve Aang’s character @terminaschosenone Should Aang have had a more prominent teacher or guide? Do you think Aang’s grief at the loss of the Air Nomads was properly presented? Why was Aang not worried about killing Ozai on the Day of Black Sun? Aang vs. the vulture wasp Aang’s reaction to the other Avatars’ advice Aang’s reaction to Yangchen’s advice Aang’s response to Jetara Aang’s anger vs. Katara’s Did Aang truly exhibit contrition for the EIP kiss? How Aang idealizes Katara Did Aang really know how Katara felt because of his own loss? Who would be a good match for Aang?

Azula Could the dragons heal Azula? Do you think any little part of Azula ever loved Zuko? Azula’s motivations for the lightning strike Azula’s motivations for the lightning strike, Part 2 Would Katara feel a moral obligation to help Azula post-A:TLA? How would Azula have compelled Mai to go with her initially if Mai had refused?

Iroh Iroh’s character journey Do Iroh’s values align better with Mai’s or Katara’s? Maiko shipper bashes Iroh and Zuko Zuko and Iroh’s relationship parallels with Jim Hawkins and Long John Silver

Katara Katara and her emotional iceberg Katara would have been more independent if she’d married Zuko Katara puts her emotional needs in front of Aang’s Katara is abandoned at the South Pole Katara crying over Aang vs. Zuko Did Katara’s character development stall? Should Katara have been at the Boiling Rock? Should Katara have forgiven Zuko earlier? Katara lashing out at Sokka during Southern Raiders How do you think Kya would feel about the Southern Raiders? Would it have been in character for Katara to murder Yon Rha? Why does Katara’s character become so irrelevant? @zuzusexytiems Why Katara is not a Mary Sue @daughter-of-water @theadamantdaughter Why do people continually try to make excuses for Katara not fighting in LOK?

Mai What would Mai’s ideal character arc be? Mai doesn’t understand Zuko’s values @honxrable What personality would be best for Mai’s partner? Was Mai originally going to be a villain? Is there any evidence that Mai was scared of Azula? Debunking Mai’s affection for Tom-Tom

Sokka Sokka’s quest to be a man On Sokka seeing Katara’s face instead of his mother’s Sokka’s protective nature

Toph Could Toph and her parents reconcile? Toph and law enforcement

Zuko Is Zuko emotionally unstable? How would Zuko handle the issue of bloodbending? Was Zuko more open in Book 2 or Book 3? Hair cutting symbolism in A:TLA Do you think Zuko has PTSD? Zuko and Aang’s relationship Locations of Zuko’s Agni Kais and their significance The symbolism of Zuko’s scar Zuko is not stoic (@honxrable) Why I Feel Zuko’s Betrayal Was to End Zutara @peacockarehot Piandao as Zuko’s mentor

[attackfish]

i remember a lot more people yelling if you didn't enjoy m/f ships because you were an evil misogynist yaoi shipper and childish and horrible because m/f had canon and m/m was just bad and immature back in the past. also a lot of wars between various m/f ships because 'theirs were better' and petty jabs at other people's content when they were both terrible lol

Oh yes I remember this. I saw a a hell of a lot of misogyny and homophobia on all sides, a lot of bad arguments, a lot of nastiness. There were always lots of het shippers insisting slashers were misogynistic for not including a girl somewhere, because the real reason they were shipping two boys was to focus on men, and anyway boysex is gross, ewww gay cooties, and there were always the slash shippers who said that the het shippers were homophobic misogynists who didn’t want the straight women slashers to explore their sexual desires by fetishizing gay men, also my fave male characters have never touched a dirty vagina, I don’t care about canon (and yes transness and the fact that a boy might have a vagina or a girl a penis was never ever talked about except in extremely fetishizing ways). Bisexuality? Experimentation with women while closeted? Attempting to force yourself to be straight? What’s that? Suggesting that this canonically attracted to women character slept with women before my preferred love interest is homophobic! (also all the girls on the show are stupid bitches anyway). And then there were different groups of het shippers each calling the incompatable characters in each other’s ships all kinds of disgusting things.

And there were plenty of queer people of all genders who wrote m/m and m/f who joined in with this bullshit or were caught in the middle, and f/f ships for the most part were ignored, except to be called boring by almost everybody but femslashers. And gen writers like me had to carve out our own small spaces because everyone considered us part of the “other side”. We were secret homophobes, really we were just canon shippers who couldn’t commit, secretly we hated canon ships but didn’t want our well deserved flaming, etc. And even in the gen communities there was plenty of talk about how eww, that female character is such a bitch.

I am a bisexual woman who mostly writes gen, Maiko, and femslash, and I remember vividly on livejournal when a bunch of ty/zula fans decided I was a homophobe because I don’t ship their ship, and called me secretly straight, and a bad queer, and told me bisexuality didn’t exist and I was just faking for attention. Over a ship.

Fandom has always had lots of people willing to whip others into a toxic frenzy, and there have also always been wonderful people trying to avoid this bullshit. Talk of the halcyon days when fandom wasn’t awful is lies.