#zuko doesn’t understand technology

[hypnoticsphere]

i think zuko would be horrible at texting. like genuinely just so awful

sokka sends him a good morning text and zuko sends this in return

[mimzy-writing-online]

Writing Toph Beifong, Advice from a Blind Writer

I’m Mimzy, an actual visually impaired writer and blogger who talks a lot about writing blind characters accurately and sensitively. A while back someone sent me an anon asking how to write Toph more accurately and sensitively.

Anonymous asked: Hi there! Your blog has been super-helpful already - I thought I knew a bit about writing with blind characters, but it turns out there was a lot to learn - but this is more specific. I'm writing a The Last Airbender fanfiction, and one of the characters is Toph. I think the fandom has done a fairly good job of respecting her blindness, but what are some things you'd like to see when people write her? I want to represent the character as best as possible; thanks in advance!

It’s taken a while for me to answer because I have a lot of thoughts about it as both a blind writer and someone who has read a lot of atla fanfiction. So here we go:

Before we get started, I want to mention some things: 

One: I have an entire series for writing blind characters that continues to grow with time and the most up-to-date version can be found pinned as the top post on my blog. There will be a time-stamp for when the post was last edited and a long series of links to all relevant posts on the subject.

Here’s a quick link to that post, but again, all you have to do is click my blog url and you’ll find it immediately.

Two: I’ve noticed something amazing about the atla fandom and I would like to thank you for it. I’ve noticed a lot of bloggers have taken to writing image descriptions for both the fanart and memes you post in the fandom, whether it’s OP including the description or another blogger adding it themselves. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a fandom so consistently doing this and that’s incredible. Realizing how many different blogs were picking up this habit has warmed my heart.

I’d like to see writers use her other senses. There’s soooo so much more to her O&M (Orientation and Mobility) than earth sense. 

Beyond sight and earth bending, there’s hearing, touch, smell, taste, sense of direction, hot vs cold, sense of pain, sense of where your body parts are in relation to the rest of you, sense of internal well-being, etc. Before Toph had mastery of her earth bending, she had to have mastery of those too.

Toph also must have very strong opinions about certain smells, sounds, tastes, and textures. Toph is opinionated about everything, and when so much of your understanding of the world depends on senses that most people are ignoring in favor of some other sense you don’t have, it gets frustrating. I’m sure that tree looks pretty but the smell is terrible. Who cares if this fabric looks pretty, it’s scratchy, do. not. like. at. all.

But also in positive ways too. Oh, that flower arrangement looks bland and monochromatic? Who cares, it smells sweet and honey-like. Weird dark cavern with high ceiling and no light? The harmonics are awesome.

Every character probably has a certain sight or image they’re particularly fond of: Katara watching snow fall, or Aang enjoying how small the world looks from up on Appa, or Zuko enjoying the sunrise every morning during meditation. In that line, Toph must have some things personal to her that she enjoys.

I imagine she likes the taste of foods familiar to her childhood, the smell of whatever flowers grew around her home, and the texture of certain kinds of dirt Example: loose dirt probably isn’t the best for seeing, but I think she would enjoy how it feels to run her fingers through it or maybe enjoy the way it softens her perception of the world the same way sighted people like to see colorful, bright lights reflecting off puddles in the middle of rain.

If you struggle with this, that’s okay. I recommend taking some time to think about it for yourself, to find what tastes and smells and textures and sounds you enjoy the most, what makes you feel safe and at home, what brings you comfort, and relate that back to Toph.

In a Modern AU, I want to see Toph have a cane. Even in a Modern AU with bending included in the world building, I think Toph would benefit from having a cane.

The cane has a lot more function than bumping into things. A big part is that it signals to others that you are very obviously blind. Which is a big deal because sighted people are really, really bad at spotting the blind person.

(psst, please stop saying ‘the blank look in her eyes’ because I swear to god it’s been killing me inside for years.)

Also, even in an AU with bending, I think Toph would like the advantage of tapping her cane to create a stronger, more distinct vibration than a small shifting of her weight on her feet. It would have more control.

You could give Toph a guide animal, buuuuuuut, um, Toph is not a guide dog person. Like, there are some people who definitely prefer a guide dog, and some people who definitely prefer a cane, and some who definitely prefer no mobility device at all. Toph does not have the vibes of someone who wants to be both responsible and reliant on an animal when she’s so insistent that she can take care of herself on her own. Toph likes animals, but not that much.

Although, yeah, only 10% of the blind community use mobility devices, so cane and guide dog users are the minority of the blind community, but I stand by the vibe that Toph would love the independence of a cane. Also, it’s almost never ever done. Modern AUs never seem to touch much on Toph’s O&M skills with canes or guide dogs.

I wrote a whole post on everything you need to know about canes, what orientation and mobility is, how you learn O&M, what kind of canes exist, how to use them, how to describe the sensory input a cane gives you, and everything I know about guide dogs from past research.

Honestly, you could give Toph (or any blind character) a cane in any AU, because I fully stand by the theory that canes are a piece of technology that has been invented, lost, and reinvented again and again.

I wrote “I found a piece of lost blindness history” a few months ago after a visit to see my grandparents. My grandmother told me how her blind aunt found a way to write letters by hand to send to my grandmother when she was a child. I speculated on how the long cane has probably been invented and then lost and then reinvented over and over again in history, as well as giving a little history on the growing popularity of guide dogs in the 20th century following World War 1.

About the “blank look in her eyes,” I have a theory to the exact cause and nature of Toph’s blindness.

I know it’s common to think that the milky green color of her eyes is why she’s blind, though I’m not sure how many realize that milky green color is caused by severe cataracts. At least, cataracts is what I assume to be the reason for the color of her eyes. However, people with cataracts still have some remaining sense of light and shadow perception.

Only 9% of the blind community is completely blind, seeing absolutely nothing. The rest have some remaining vision, even if that’s only light and shadow perception or the perception of vague movement.

The percentage of people born completely blind is even smaller.

Toph says that she’s never been able to see, which would lead me to guess that the initial cause of her blindness was a defect with the visual processing part of her brain. I also theorize that the cataracts developed slowly over her very formative years and that she likely wasn’t born with them. For that reason, I think it would have taken a few weeks or months for her parents to realize there was something wrong with her eyes.

Here is a post about the developmental years of blind children and how their life would differ from both sighted children and from someone who went blind as an adult.

What is it like to see nothing?

It’s a concept that sighted people struggle with and I completely understand. I myself didn’t understand the concept of “nothing” until someone explained it as this:

“Imagine trying to see out the back of your head.”

Which, genuinely, imagine that. Try that. Because here’s what I found. There’s no part of my body that can help perceive that. I don’t have eyes there, nor do I have a part of my brain that can process that. Because of this, there is no sense of light or dark, no shape or shadow or movement or depth that I can perceive. There is nothing.

And honestly, it gives me a headache trying to think too much about it.

Toph doesn’t see black, doesn’t have a mental image of it. When people talk about light and dark, Toph has nothing to base the concept on. The closest relation she has to that is silence versus sound, or her earth sense when she’s in the air on Appa versus when she’s on solid ground. But it’s not the same.

I would like to examine the way the show tried to describe Toph’s earth sense, that black void with ripples of white stretching from her feet and outwards. Television is a visual medium so of course their explanation of Toph’s earth sense would be visual, but that’s not what it’s actually like in her head. More accurately, it’s like touching the back of your head to something and feeling what’s solid behind it and what has more give. A wall versus a pillow for example. Slamming your hand on a flimsy table and feeling it rattle under your palm. And for someone so adept at using that sense, she feels not just the table surface under her palm, but the individual rattles down the four legs, how uneven those rattles are because the legs are carved decoratively instead of solid planks, and how the foot of each leg bumps against the ground, and how the floor vibrates in response to the impact, which she feels in both her feet and hand. 

About Toph’s Relationship with Her Parents

It’s not something I see touched on much. There’s been a lot of focus on Zuko and Azula’s relationship with their parents and the abuse, as well as exploration of Sokka and Katara’s trauma with losing their mother, and Sokka looking up to his warrior father while Katara struggles with her abandonment issues.

Please don’t take this as a critique, because there are a few valid reasons for this and I would like to give you some insight on how to explore Toph’s relationship with her parents.

For starters, the show had a lot more reason to focus on Zuko and Azula’s parents, with Fire Lord Ozai being the primary villain and Zuko’s greatest abuser, and Azula’s dependent worship of her father in response to Ursa’s neglect and favoritism of Zuko, which was likely Ursa’s response to Ozai’s favoritism of Azula. Their parents are huge driving motivators for why Zuko and Azula make the decisions and mistakes they do, why they are at one point in the show the villains themselves. (And why I think Azula should get a redemption arc and some healing.)

Katara’s trauma of losing her mother and blaming herself is a huge factor in both her response to the war, her relationship with her bending, and her motherly nature with her friends. The show has to explore that. Just as it has to explore Sokka’s problems with toxic masculinity in response to being the man of his village, and his desire to be a great warrior and leader like the father he idolizes. 

The show needs to explore that to make the plot move forward, and it benefits from these being two sibling sets with different responses to their upbringing and different sibling dynamics, setting them up as foils for each other.

The show also wouldn’t benefit by giving Lao and Poppy Beifong more screen time. Their established character were two nobles who kept as far out of the war as possible and prospered monetarily for it. Poppy was polite and demure and Lao liked to lead the conversation. Unless the gAang decided to return to Toph’s home, those characters had no reason to pop up anywhere in the show. And if they did, they would be a hinder to Toph and her part in the plot as both Aang’s earth bending teacher and as the greatest earth bender in the world, tossing Fire Nation soldiers eight ways to Sunday. 

So truly, I understand that there’s not a whole lot of canon material (comparatively) to go off of when developing this, but I will offer some insight on what is there in canon.

Toph’s relationship with her parents is explored in that it maps out why Toph doesn’t want to be mothered by Katara, why she wants to prove how independent she is, but there’s very little on screen interaction between Toph and her parents.

Toph deeply loves her parents. I think that plays into why she doesn’t want Katara mothering her, because she has a wonderful mother at home who she loves and wants to better understand her, but she had no friends growing up and no older sister, which are the roles she needs and wants Katara to fill. If Toph wanted a mother figure, she would have latched onto Katara. Look at how Zuko never sought out another mother figure but did find a father figure in Iroh as he began to heal from his childhood trauma and separate his self image from his father’s acceptance.

Toph is in a complicated situation, she loves her parents but the way they’re raising her is hurting her in the long run. But Toph can see that their actions are because of their immense love for her. She can see how they would do anything for her. While she never had any examples of how other noble children were treated by their parents, who might have been distant or disinterested or always away for their social and work lives, she was remarkably loved by her parents. Her father put careful thought into her tutors and checked in on her progress. Her mother feared for Toph’s emotional state when she was kidnapped (even if she was incorrect about how Toph would respond), showing genuine empathy for her daughter.

I think their over protective nature became the love language Toph best understood them by, and part of her reasoning for not revealing how capable she was, was because she wanted to keep experiencing that love and care for as long as she could. But it’s not a love language she would put up with from anyone else.

I would like to point out Toph’s genuine excitement to see her mom again in the season finale of Book Two, how badly Toph wants her mom to understand and accept her for who she is.

My thoughts on what Toph can’t do: read, swim, see in the sand, fight things mid-air.

For how incredibly powerful the show makes Toph with her earth bending and the O&M she taught herself through it, they do touch on some of her weaknesses when they come up and find a useful way to showcase them.

The Serpent’s Pass was an excellent example of Toph’s vulnerability in water. From her fear of not being able to see on Katara’s ice bridge to not being able to swim and needing Suki to save her, Toph’s weaknesses putting her in danger added to the excitement and “sitting on the edge of your seat” feeling while watching the episode without turning her into someone who was helpless. She was just in a position where her normal defenses were useless.

Just like the earth benders in the metal prison in the ocean, or Katara having little water in the middle of a desert where her friends needed that water to survive more than she needed it to fight, making her vulnerable later in the show when the insect-wasp things attacked. Just like fire benders being weaker at night, or powerless during a solar eclipse, or a sighted person being lost in the dark. Those were just situations in which the tools you were accustomed to relying on could no longer help you or were taken away.

The show was clever in that it didn’t make her inability to read a direct threat to her safety, but rather as a clever plot device for her to be alone when the sand banders attacked and have to choose between fighting them to save Appa, or holding back an entire fricking building by the tiniest spire on its very top from falling into a void leading to the spirit world. It also showed her weakness to not being able to see or fight as well in sand. Which the show later made an effort to show how she’d improved on that problem in Book Three when she was surrounded by nothing but sand at Ember Island.

Like improving her ability to see in the sand, I would like to see a character teach Toph to swim, or at least float, so that she never feels helpless again. If she took the initiative to improve her sand bending so much, I’m sure she would have learn to swim eventually.

And on the note of reading, I’ve seen some speculation on how Toph could learn to read, whether it’s through using ink that has some percentage of earth mixed in, or developing the sensitivity to feel out the different weight, consistency, and texture of ink on paper. 

I would like to bring your attention to Louis Braille, the blind Frenchman who invented Braille while studying at  the Institut National des Jeunes Aveugles, the world’s very first school for the blind in Paris France (established 1785). Previously Louis was learning to read through a method in which each letter was pressed into the paper to leave an imprint that someone could feel out with just their fingers.

Louis Braille concluded that raised lettering was impractical because-

1.       It is difficult to read, the letters had to be printed in huge font to be fully felt out and printed on thick paper.

2.       Thick paper means higher quality, more expensive. Larger font means more paper is needed for a single text.

3.       This made it inaccessible due to expense and the sheer volume of a text.

4.       If today’s Braille books are hard to access and giant compared to traditional books, I can’t imagine how inaccessible those raised letter books really were.

The subject of Braille, the start and controversial near downfall to  Institut National des Jeunes Aveugles were discussed in a post about writing a blind character during the Victorian Era.

I’ve heard others complain in the past about fantasy universes in which a sighted person invents a solution to allow the blind to read, when the most effective and longest lived method was invented by a blindman over two hundred years ago and is the standard taught in schools today.

And while I couldn’t easily explain it or how it works because I can neither read Braille nor speak Chinese, I can tell you that Chinese Braille exists and works only slightly differently from the Braille western languages use. So, again, modern AUs especially would benefit from enabling Toph to read Braille and use a computer and phone with screen reader.

But just as easily you could choose not to have her learn to read but rather have sighted people read things aloud to her. Whether it’s in a professional setting as an adult having an assistant who reads and writes for her, or as a cute, fluffy little moment between Toph and another character. Both are just as genuine to the blindness experience.

Blind Jokes

If you ever get around to reading my post about blind jokes, I’d like you to remember that it’s primarily written for people writing original characters and that Toph canonically makes blind jokes, so to take away from that would not be true to her character.

Does Toph’s Earth Sense Negate her Blindness?

It’s a question I’ve seen raised before and discussed by both abled, disabled, and blind people. There are multiple perspectives on it, but my own take on it is that Toph’s earth bending does not negate her blindness, but rather functions very much like the process of learning to use a cane.

She had a tool, a teacher, and she learned to use that tool. Instead of a cane, it was seismic perception and her teacher were blind badger-moles. She spent years learning to earth bend as they do and then continued to take it to new heights as she explored fighting with it on her terms against sighted fighters.

Come to think about it, I would love to see Toph teach another visually impaired or blind earth bender who to see and bend as she does.

Is Toph Good Blindness Representation?

This question was posed to me in the comments of my master post, and my answer was something like this: “Toph is good representation, but she can't be the only type of representation we get. She's the best we had 15 years ago, but there are a million ways to nuance the blindness experiences. Toph's experience being born blind, having very over protective parents, being a small girl in a patriarical and wealth influenced society, having no friends growing up. Those are all great aspects of blindness to show, but there is so much more to explore. As for her blindness and whether or not that's negated, that's also nuanced. She has limits, she's not all-powerful, but she is the best earth bender hands down. More or less, I love Toph, she's a great character, give me like a million more blind characters who are completely different from her.”

I want to see accurate and well-written blind characters become much more common in modern media, and that’s why I started this blog. So if you decide you want to write your own blind character from scratch, feel free to come back and look at some of my other stuff.

End Notes:

I want to thank the anon who sent the original question because it never occurred to me how much the atla fandom would benefit from a post like this. 

You should follow my blog. Along with advice about writing blind characters, I write general writing advice and answer questions about writing, college, plot development, character analysis, and living with blindness. I curate writing advice from fellow writeblrs, write my own image descriptions for writing memes, post about mental health and working/living with ADHD, disabilities outside of blindness, and LGBTQA+ topics. 

[mdhwrites]

What if Hunter’s Disability Mattered

So... this is effectively just me discussing another direction the show could have taken. Am I saying it would have been better or that they should have? Not really. I get to use what they presented as a base for this and I’ll even talk about some of the issues at the end with the plans they possibly had for Hunter. But how cool would it have been if his lack of magic actually mattered to his character? Instead of being something that was brought up twice and then cured? That it was maybe a real component in getting to understand him, his desperation to work with his uncle, etc. like that. So the big in on this, the big change, is that... His staff is Magi-tech. Belos just has access to that. And in Hunter’s second appearance, Belos gains the abomatons, which is more magi-tech. Magi-tech that, even after falling from grace with Belos, is Kiki’s domain... for some reason. Despite her having magic. What if the abomatons weren’t introduced so quickly? What if Hunter was a true threat for the Owl Family to begin with. He shows how technology could benefit them at a time when magic seems to have failed them but getting that tech would mean aligning with Belos. So while Eda works on her potioncraft and Luz works on glyphs, Hunter is harassing and hunting them. Actually doing what his name would make you expect. And while they keep losing and scrambling away, like Aang versus Zuko where it’s hard to often call Aang getting away a flat out win for the good guys, we’re learning more and that knowledge is also letting the Owl Family fight him better. And what is causing them to constantly be in conflict? The same thing that did it in Eclipse Lake: A hunt for what’s needed to make a portal. Make that a larger part of the story and you have a reason for Luz, Eda, Lilith, etc. to go on journeys that Hunter is going on as well since Belos would already know what’s needed. Then comes the mid-season finale. A crucial component, potentially one of a kind, makes Luz surprise Hunter by not running or using tricks or holding back to try and not actually hurt another person. The spell comes out, aimed at his throat in her frustration and pain that’s been growing all season, and knocks his staff away as he reflexively tries to block it. This would be the first time we’ve seen Hunter without the staff. And rather than go for the ingredient, Luz in her anger grabs the staff and goes to slap a fire glyph on it to get rid of the tool once and for all. That’s when Hunter, his confidence truly shaken for the first time, pleas for her not to. That whatever she do, she just not break that. It could take months for his uncle to gather the ingredients to make another and until then... “Until then, I’m nothing. Less than a witch. Less than a demon. Less than the very dirt because I can’t do magic without it so please, PLEASE just don’t break it.” A long pause. A hold on Hunter’s face before the sound of something snapping. He looks up immediately to see Luz’s shoe on a stick. And then his staff in front of his eyes. “Take it. Just... take it.” “L-Let me guess,” Hunter says, even as he reaches for it, hesitantly though as he’s afraid of this being some wild witch trick, “in exchange for the object, right? That’s the deal?” “No.” Luz lets go the moment Hunter takes it before walking towards the object. Hunter, stunned, doesn’t stop her, especially as she keeps speaking. “There are times I’ve felt like that. Less than human. When the bullies make things I care about seem like nothing. But...” She says as tears come down her face. “You’re always better than that. Always a person. Always worth the right to a little kindness.” She forgets to take the object as she turns around, mcguffin in hand, trying hard not to sob as she finishes with, “And that staff or books whether you have them or not... They don’t change that fact. Just like my mom would always say. And that’s why I need to get back to her, okay?” Hunter stares at Luz, silent, not even speaking as Luz runs past him. We then get a shot of him looking down at the staff and just whispering, “Still a person... even without this?” S2B would start with Hunter gaining a new edge against the Owl Family: The abomaton. But the abomaton isn’t simply for a power up for him or a big monster to constantly have around for action scenes. We get scenes of others praising the abomaton. How it’s better than witches with how it can do magic and fight better than most of them. Kiki could in fact even do a lot of this as she mocks Hunter. But he also can’t refuse the order from his uncle to use them, nor deny their effectiveness. Now the fights take a more personal element to them. There’s more anger and pain between Luz and Hunter now as the internal conflicts brought up before flare up every time they see each other. Luz’s desperation versus Hunter’s confusion. Quickly though, the confusion wins out when Belos holds Hunter back. It’s because he’s realized the abomatons are the ones winning... So why bother sending Hunter. Belos tries to claim it’s for his safety, that without the staff, he’d be defenseless, let alone without the abominations, and Hunter loses it. Screams at his uncle about not needing them, even throwing the staff on the ground hard enough to crack it. And Belos simply says no. Without them, Hunter is useless to him. So pick up the staff, apologize, and go to his room like a good little nephew. Which Hunter does... until flying out to find Luz. He’s finally willing to listen to what she has to say about his uncle being evil. How can a good man tell him something like that after all, and an evil wild witch make him feel more cared about than his uncle ever did? And so Hunter is redeemed in time to tell the Owl Family about the Day of Unity and progress forward. So... First the big things that would make this just... not happen. 1: The shortening would FUCK this plan because while I claim it could be done in one season, it likely would rather have two so the portal hunt is more the first season with Hunter’s turn happening at the end of it and it becomes more about fighting Belos for the ingredients he has in Season 2. This also brings problem 2: This would require way more focus and serialization than TOH wants. Fitting Lumity into this would be difficult if compressed to one season (though I don’t know, maybe let the two actually go on an adventure together? Multiple of them even as Amity becomes concerned for Luz’s safety against Hunter?) and Willow and Gus questionably struggle to find as much of a place here. It would require TOH to be willing to choose one of its identities and we know that would never happen since even in S3 it STILL won’t drop the school. It also requires letting Hunter be a bastard for longer. To be more dyed in the cloth of the EC. The show goes so quickly out of its way to be like “No, this isn’t him. He isn’t a bigot like his uncle” that they wouldn’t do this either. They only let him be ‘The Golden Guard’ for like... ten minutes of screen time. Then he’s a sad but mad boy. Actually being willing to wait on that reveal, foreshadow his better nature instead? That’s just not how the show does its character arcs. Not even with Amity, who they had the time to do so with. There’s also the shipping problem. This show obviously loves its ships and this would A: make it so people might expect a Lunter ship even though I made Avatar references for a reason and Aang and Zuko do genuinely work well just staying friends. More so though B: you don’t really get Huntlow with this unless Willow of all people is showing up for a lot these missions... And more likely, Hunter, especially before the turn, would get MAD about Willow’s trouble early on with magic, despite her being so powerful and finding it effortless now, being compared to him literally not having magic. It’s like telling a depressed person “Oh, yeah, I know what it’s like needing two alarms to get out of bed because I just don’t want to go to work, but I manage it every day,” when they haven’t been able to work for a month because their anxiety and depression is so severe that feeding themselves is a struggle. They’re not the same issue. The show actually is smart enough to (if I’m remembering right) never have Willow try to say the two are the same and it’s more incidental that she makes a connection with him over it. And while I don’t care about that ship, someone on the creative team clearly does so *shrug*. And I’m not saying this is perfect. While I am personally disabled, I’m not willing to speak for all disabled people. It also is possibly too harsh on the mechanisms that allow a disabled person to do more than they are physically capable of but that could actually be addressed by Hunter never getting rid of the staff. Maybe even Eda talking to him about how she’d love to not need her potions but her potions also help her feel safe and in control and she’d possibly miss them if her curse were ever cured. Then Hunter could have a a healthy relationship with his staff, even repairing the cracks made when he threw it away. But I do think it would solve a problem with TOH. The series very much so feels like it runs on a logic of “If we present deep and nuanced concepts, we don’t have to actually do anything with them to still be praised for them.” And that’s how you have Amity clearly being emotionally abused by her family but that never reflected in her actions, especially after she decides she likes Luz. That’s how you get Willow talking about her and Amity not being real friends and then not doing anything with it for so long that when it is addressed it feels almost comical that they aren’t past this and focused on more important things. And it’s how you have someone disabled, disconnected from the rest of their society simply from being born differently... and that being more for lore purposes than actually being about the character.

[adhd-bisexual-pink]

I'm so sick of Azula haters. Like seriously find someone else to attack (maybe the man who left his 11-year-old niece with her physically abusive father for 3 years just a suggestion).

There is all this hate for a 14-year-old girl who is heavily brainwashed and hasn't even done much wrong (in the specific circumstances).

The major things Azula did in the show were: try to kill Aang, Zuko, and Katara (and I guess the rest of the gaang), imprison Suki and take over Ba Sing Se. I'm gonna talk about these all individually for a moment. Because people seem to forget they were at war.

Attempting to kill any member of the gaang (including her brother) is just war, would you call any person who fought for either side of a war in history massively evil for doing it. I don't think so. The fact that she never actually succeeded in doing this on top of that. Why does she get hate for this? Please remember that for a while the gaang were actively trying to kill her father (excluding Aang) and Aang only refused because of air nation principles. Everyone else was still massively for it.

Suki's and the rest of the Kyoshi warrior's imprisonment. Absolutely justifiable. Once again they were at war. We don't even get a mention of them being physically harmed or tortured here (that could be because it's a kids show though). But still imprisoning someone on the opposite side of a war to you is absolutely justifiable - in fact, expected.

The take over of Ba Sing Se especially was a bloodless coup. That means that the only person who was harmed in this entire takeover was Aang, one person, and Azula managed to take an entire city. This isn't just a war tactic this is actively non-violent. Iroh spent years at the siege of Ba Sing Se and was actively violent (his son wasn't the first soldier to die on the field I can assure you).

Basically, Azula's actions can all be justified as classic war maneuvers that were relatively non-violent (especially for the fire nation). The only time she was violent was when people were actively attacking her as well - she didn't harm random innocent people for fun.

There are a lot of people who are like Azula's mental health issues don't excuse her actions. No, they don't, what excuses her actions is the fact that she was at war. And none of her actions are particularly cruel or unexpected.

I fully agree that Azula is on the wrong side of the war. But if she had done this against the fire nation. No one would have a problem with any of her actions. And the reason she was on the wrong side of the war is that she has been fed propaganda since she was a child.

She grew up believing in the superiority of the fire nation - this was never challenged from her perspective. She likely hadn't left the fire nation until the show started and we see that in fire nation schools they believe that their colonisation of the world is to share their greatness and technology.

Azula isn't inherently a bad person, she has been taught (read brainwashed) into thinking that what she is doing is the best thing for the world.

Azula deserves redemption because she isn't inherently evil. But rather has just been fighting for a cause that she believes is correct when it isn't. All this girl needs is some love, some psychological help, and someone to show her why the fire nation is in the wrong.

I believe that Azula truly cares for her people and just wants what is best for the fire nation and its people. She just doesn't understand why what she is doing is wrong currently because no one ever taught her that.

Zuko had Ursa and Iroh to guide him and his morals but neither of them paid any attention to Azula. She gathered her morals and her ruthlessness of Ozai.

I'm gonna put in a comparison to Zoya Nazyalensky here (Spoilers for Shadow and Bone if you haven't read it). Very similar characters in my eyes. Ruthless, determined, initially led wrong. If Zoya had stayed with the Darkling she probably would have ended up the way Azula did in the show. And I think that if Azula got the healing and teaching and love that she needs that she can end up like Zoya.

Basically, I think it's ridiculous that people are so hateful of a 14-year-old, who was brainwashed from birth, for committing actions that any person actively involved in a war would commit.

[caelum-in-the-avatarverse]

If I'm understanding this right Ozai desires to be Fire Lord, and to that end follows in the family tradition of molding his kids into perfectly apathetic Killing Machines who work to intimidate the nobility, sending them out to the front to better the war effort. LT dies and OZ shows them off to AZ, in hopes of being named the heir by appealing to his dad's logic, but AZ insists that Iroh will remain heir, bcuz Ozai is lazy, has no eye for basic strategy and wants the throne for pure kicks.

Yeah, that pretty much sums up my headcanon.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Tho I don’t think that it’s a FN Royal Family tradition to mold your kids into “perfectly apathetic killing machines.” Pretty sure that was all Ozai. Iroh was apparently Azulon’s favored child, and while he was good at killing, he had a lot of other traits and interests too, even before his heel-face turn. Lu Ten seemed to have a cheerful childhood per that flashback dream. Azulon can come across as apathetic and you could argue that Sozin raised him to be a killing machine, but I figure Azulon is just old and tired of Ozai’s BS and Sozin, being 82 and preoccupied with world conquest at the time of his birth, didn’t have much hand in raising him.

Sure, they’re a family of genocidal maniacs, but I think Ozai was the only one who actually abused and purposely traumatized his kids. And the reason he wanted Zuko and Azula to be perfectly apathetic killing machines is because if they were anything else, anything that might allow them their own likes and goals and interests, it might distract them from what Ozai saw as his children’s true purpose, which is to make him look good and be his political tools.

And yeah, that’s exactly how he was using them in the Zuko Alone flashback, and no, Azulon didn’t appreciate it.

I like to think Ozai is, objectively, the worst leader out of the three wartime Fire Lords. Like, politically. He’s the big bad of the series, but history will remember him as an embarrassing six-year blip of a ruler who didn’t do much and got his butt kicked by a 13-year-old. In Fire Nation history textbooks, he’s a brief paragraph bridging Azulon’s assassination and Zuko’s banishment and subsequent victory. Sozin had a vision and set it in motion, Azulon spent the better part of a century leading the war, heck even Iroh was off conquering stuff, and Ozai......I mean you could argue Ozai did something in the military as a prince, but I don’t see it. Everything Ozai does in the series, he does by lying and tricking and getting other people to do it for him - Ursa killed Azulon, Azula conquered Ba Sing Se, and even War Minister Qing was the person obtaining all the Fire Nation’s war technology. When he actually does do something himself, it’s, like, burning off the face of a defenseless 13-year-old who can’t fight back. Wow, what an accomplishment. He didn’t even face Aang during the eclipse. He got his fourteen year old daughter to do it instead. And despite his bravado by sending away the guards when Zuko came to face him, he pretty obviously considered Zuko a threat once the swords were drawn, because loserlord never bothered to put any effort into obtaining any skills beyond burning stuff indiscriminately.

I see Ozai as, like, that guy whose rich parents paid for him to go to college, and now he’s graduated and doesn’t have a job and isn’t interested in getting one or in moving out of the house, or doing anything really, but acts like he’s the universe’s gift to humanity and like he knows everything and can do anything but until destiny comes calling he’s just gonna chill on his parents’ couch and watch TV. He’s happy to coast on his royal status and all the respect that comes with it. Power is great, but responsibility sounds annoying. Then he gets annoyed that Iroh has more power than him just because Iroh has more responsibilities. That is so not fair. And yeah, he basically wants the throne for kicks, he wants it because he wants it, and if you say “but dude doesn’t responsibility give you hives?” he’ll laugh because being the Fire Lord means you get to be powerful, not necessarily responsible.

I wanna take a minute to say that I love coming up with FN Royal Family headcanons that deepens them as people and shows how awful they are and how ruthless and cunning and determined and intelligent they are, too. I try to write them as intriguing characters and terrible people. But with Ozai, I like to just have him be terrible, with no likeable or redeeming qualities, just as the show portrayed him. Ozai is what you get after a century of war, genocide, and Fire Nation supremacy, the natural culmination of his forefathers’ legacy. My Sozin and Azulon are evil, but also good leaders. My Ozai is evil, but a terrible leader due to his extreme self-centeredness.

Ozai certainly did think he was appealing to his dad’s logic in the throne room. Problem is, Ozai is a narcissist who thinks he’s the center of the universe, and thus he assumes all logic revolves around him. He can’t conceive a reality where what he wants isn’t relevant to the situation. In his eyes, Iroh couldn’t be the next Fire Lord, not after showing such weakness and not having any more heirs, and therefore Ozai was the only logical choice to take the throne. Surely Azulon could see that?

That’s Desperate Narcissistic Ozai Logic. Real World Logic works something more like this: Azulon knows exactly what kind of a brat his annoying secondborn is and doesn’t want him anywhere near the throne, Iroh has an impressive resume as a great leader and Azulon has always planned for him to be his successor, and if Iroh doesn’t have his own kid anymore he is still fully capable of naming his niece or nephew as his heir once he’s had time to grieve. The world doesn’t revolve around you, Ozai; you are indeed irrelevant to the line of succession if I decide you are.

Ozai, of course, didn’t take that too well. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[crashingmeteorz]

post-war ba sing se bimbo headcanons

so zuko becomes the firelord, and jin and jet think it’s hilarious. he’s so good at it. he’s so charismatic. they’re like “who the hell is this guy? when did he get mature and responsible???” and song’s like “when zuko wasn’t doing stupid shit, he was stopping you two from doing stupid shit, i saw this coming a mile away.”

jin joins the kyoshi warriors, and is overwhelmed by all the pretty girls she’s working with, but for the most part it becomes a sisterhood. she will forever and always have a severe crush on suki, however, and really, can you blame her? so when suki reciprocates, jin writes song a four-page essay about it.

anyway, when zuko asks the warriors to come to the capital, obviously jin’s there, too. jet and song show up almost immediately after jin does.

“what, you two are hanging out without us now?” song asks them accusatorily. “it’s not fair that only you get to see jin, zuko.”

“yeah,” jet says. “and i used to see zuko shirtless a few times a week. and i thought i was lucky! now jin’s a kyoshi warrior and she gets to see it every day?”

“she does not!” says zuko. “yeah,” says jin, while shaking her head the opposite.

attempts on zuko’s life are about as common as rain showers, so song starts testing basically everything he eats with some of her chemicals. every time she finds something insidious, she tracks down every link in the chain that got the food to him, and finds a way to rectify the situation. she doesn’t trouble zuko with this, because he’s got enough going on. also, he probably maybe wouldn’t approve of her methods.

(song is not inherently violent, but when it comes to her family, she’s downright vicious).

jet wants to get in on the action, but between song’s disarming sweetness and the kyoshi warrior’s intimidation, zuko’s basically protected. what he isn’t, is good with people.

zuko can make grand dramatic speeches all day long, but when it comes to the council, or local government officials, or merchants, or literally even jet, he’s the same awkward kid jet met on the boat to ba sing se.

“you are never going to make it as firelord.” jet tells him from the couch he’s lounging on while he watches zuko practice a very basic interaction in the mirror.

“okay, fuck you, too.” zuko says miserably.

“sorry, i wasn’t clear,” jet says, standing beside zuko. “you are never going to make it as firelord without me.”

jet tries in vain to get zuko to lie better, to present himself differently, to deceive just a little bit, but it just isn’t happening. zuko doesn’t even want to lie, he doesn’t want to be like his father and azula, so they take a different approach.

instead, jet teaches him how to spot liars, and how to play the game. it’s basic stuff, like let silence linger because they’ll want to fill it if they’re afraid you don’t believe them. ask them bizarre questions so they overcorrect. if they’re complimenting you too much, they’re trying to deceive you.

to jet, it’s survival. to zuko, it’s like a whole world has opened up he never knew about. he hangs on to jet’s every word, and at the end, he asks that jet join him in council meetings, naming him an ambassador from the earth kingdom.

this is how jet discovers that he’s AMAZING at politics. he can’t believe how easy it is. he considers taking it up as a hobby when he gets back to the earth kingdom.

“you can’t do politics as a hobby,” zuko says.

“why not?” jet says. “it’s just fun. it’s not what i’m meant to be doing forever though.”

“do you have a mysterious job back in the earth kingdom none of us know about?” asks jin.

“yes,” says song, irritable from today’s batch of poison discoveries, “he’s working full-time as a little bitch.”

the more meetings jet attends, the more he wonders if politics really is for what he’s meant. arguing and debating delights him and, unlike the exhausted zuko, he leaves the debates feeling energized. but it just feels so bureaucratic, so useless compared to what he did during the war.

he’s so torn about it that he finally asks song for advice.

“i don’t know anything about politics,” she says tiredly. he’s playing idly with her hair after she’s had a long day of Keeping Zuko Alive. “why are you asking me?”

“because you don’t hold back,” jet tells her. “because you let me know when i’ve gone too far.”

song’s glad it’s dark in the lounge, because she can’t believe she’s blushing.

“well,” she says finally. “what would you be in it for?”

“what do you mean?” he says. “i just like it.”

“do you like the attention?” song asks. “are you just interested in the drama of it all? or do you want to make a difference?”

“i want to make a difference,” he says confidently. “i want to help the earth kingdom.”

“well, then, there’s your answer,” song says.

“yeah,” jet agrees. “no politics for me.”

“wait, what?” song asks him, because how did he reach that conclusion?

“it’s just smooth talking and paperwork. it’s not gonna help the earth kingdom,” jet tells her. “i’m not selling out.”

“is that what you think zuko’s doing?” she asks.

“of course not,” jet says, rolling his eyes. “but he’s also the firelord. that’s different.”

“and he’s your best friend,” she reminds him. “and you also happen to be on good terms with the avatar and the leaders of the southern water tribe, so you know you have influential people who will hear you out. if you want to make a difference, this is probably the best way.”

he’s quiet for a while. he almost looks disappointed.

“not every battle is on the battlefield, jet,” song says gently. “it’s not as glamorous, or as dangerous. it’s tedious and difficult and boring. but it’s what’s left, after the war.”

“i guess that’s the thing,” jet says sadly. “i don’t know who i am without the war.”

“i do,” song says with so much sincerity jet almost blushes. almost. he’s still, like, cool.

if they fall into a routine where song fixes his hair into something presentable for council meetings and jet forces her to take a break and enjoy the sunshine once in a while, zuko and jin don’t feel it’s necessary to comment.

for like three days.

“you stole my boyfriend,” zuko accuses song after catching her and jet kissing. the fact that sokka’s napping with his head in zuko’s lap as he says so doesn’t seem to faze him.

“you stole my ostrich horse,” she says, for the last time ever, “so now we’re even.”

“what’s with you and guys with weird facial hair?” jin asks as she stuffs her face with fire flakes, her new favorite treat. “first haru and now jet?”

“haru?” jet squeaks.

“i liked haru’s moustache,” song says thoughtfully. “i thought it made him look mature.”

“at least if jet grew a moustache i’d understand what everyone sees in him,” sokka says sleepily. “no offense.”

“you’re just mad i kissed zuko first,” huffs jet.

jet stops shaving that week. everyone notices.

when song and jet finally prepare to go back to the earth kingdom, jet privately asks zuko if it’s true that he and aang are considering founding a city that unites the nations. zuko tells him it is.

“well, i want in. whenever that is,” he says, and jet and zuko hug.

song and her mother open up a hospital and sanctuary that specifically caters to displaced families. jet reunites with longshot and smellerbee, and they drift around but tend to come back to the sanctuary. they often go out on missions to try and reunite families. it’s not quite fighting, and it’s not quite peace, so it’s a good transition for jet and his freedom fighters.

eventually, things slow down and so does jet. he starts walking around the village they’re located in without his weapons. a child asks song where she got the scars on her leg, and when she explains it was a firebender, the child says “oh, did he get in trouble?” song laughs and laughs, because for the first time in years, there are children who don’t know war.

jin doesn’t stay as a kyoshi warrior forever, but she does decide to settle down on kyoshi. she never really wanted the dangerous life, she just wanted some adventure and sort of stumbled into the chaos of jet and song and zuko. the quiet island is perfect for her. she still stirs up trouble once in a while though.

“COME GET YOUR IDIOT SHE TRIED TO RIDE THE UNAGI.” suki writes in two identical letters, one to jet and song and one to zuko.

“okay, whatever suki tells you, i want you to know she’s lying. i DID ride the unagi and it was SICK. sokka was here recently and said someone invented an image-capture thing is that true? because if it is i want you to bring one and come here ASAP so i can do it AGAIN.” says the fervent letter from jin that arrived three days after suki’s.

jet and song arrive promptly, song laden with medical supplies and a sternly-worded letter from her mother to jin. jet brings a camera.

zuko shows up a few days later with the latest in camera technology and a photographer, as well as his one-year-old daughter. he goes all-out because this is his and izumi’s first trip together. jet grumbles about being one-upped.

“you’re the firelord, you’re gonna encourage this?” song asks him, eyes furious but voice sweet as she plays with izumi. “excuse me, song, but the war is over, i have no jurisdiction here. if an earth kingdom citizen wants to exercise her right to be a dumbass she’s more than welcome to,” says zuko in his most diplomatic voice.

“and,” he adds more gently, “i missed you guys.” song still thinks he’s being ridiculous, but she gives him a big hug anyway.

zuko has to firebend at the unagi to stop it from eating jin and song is left to mend jin’s broken arm. jet takes pictures throughout the entire thing, from her climbing onto the creature, to getting thrown, to being bandaged up and laughs the whole time. song produces a second letter written by her mother which she was instructed only to give to jin in the event she rode the unagi.

all it says in neat hand-writing is, “i told you so. now come home so i can feed you, you ridiculous child.”

“i’m 24,” pouts jin, but since she’s the youngest, the group agrees heartily with song’s mother.

the five of them go to the sanctuary, where iroh is drinking tea with song’s mother and trading stories about their new respective lives.

zuko has to return to the capital in three days, iroh’s got his tea shop to run, and jin isn’t planning on staying long because her “super hot girlfriend is doing something extremely sexy” and she has to get back soon.

“jin, please, just talk normal for once in your life,” zuko begs her, bouncing izumi on his lap. “fine,” she says, “she’s being voted in as the leader of the island and i want to be there for the ceremony.”

jet realizes it’s not often he’ll have all the people he loves in one place, and quietly asks song something important.

they get married the night before zuko and jin leave, in front of jet’s freedom fighters and song’s mother and iroh. jin and zuko stand as their maid of honor and best man. zuko cries.

for the first time in almost two decades, all of them start to feel at peace.

ty so much for this au @azenkii writing about it is one of the most enjoyable experiences haha. is this update softer than usual? yes, of course, it’s what they deserve.

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[sokkas-ass]

Gaang Among Us Headcanons

aang loves to be the imposter but is terrible at it. he doesn't realize he can vent and doesn't pretend to do tasks.

for some reason, sokka is usually the one he kills. sokka hates him for it.

everybody mains in their respective colors (aang: orange, katara: blue, toph: light green, etc.) except sokka, who mains as red solely to piss zuko off. this leaves zuko to main as the next best thing: pink.

suki kicks absolute ass, both as a crewmate and imposter. adding her to the games made things a hell of a lot more interesting.

whenever katara is the imposter, she immediately quits the game. she says it's too stressful.

this, however, is a bluff. it's so she's always ruled out as sus and will kick their asses when the day finally comes.

zuko wears the wet floor sign on his head. sorry, i don't make the rules.

y'all know that video where abhi self-reports and is like "where did he die??" even though he reported it? sokka.

toph, obviously, doesn't play, but sometimes during discussions she'll randomly blurt out "dunno guys sokka seems kinda sus" and the gaang falls for it. every. single. time.

despite all of this, sokka is actually a really good player. works in tandem with suki. really good at figuring out who the imposter is, and has killed everybody a good amount of times.

he will always, always, kill katara first.

if suki is hosting the game, she always sets the kill cooldown timer to the lowest possible setting and sets crewmate vision super low. those are always the most interesting ones.

zuko is an absolute noob. doesn't understand technology, let alone a game about betrayal and death in SPACE of all places.

he definitely didn't know that the imposter could sabotage. he also hates killing any of his friends because he's always like "they don't deserve it" and "i'm betraying you guys."

suki always looks at him and is like "yes that's the nAME OF THE FUCKING GAME, ZUKO"

lastly, make it zukka:

since zuko doesn't know what the fuck is going on, he privately asks sokka if he'll teach him what he's supposed to do. sokka obliges without hesitation. zuko learns how to play and the bros continue to hang out one on one because they have fun together. always gang up on everybody if one of them is the imposter.

eventually they both realize this is more than a bro thing. it turns into a mutual pining fic type cliché katara calls them out on their bullshit.

when they finally get married, they make it known to everyone that among us is the reason they got together.

[raeynbowboi]

BnHA Crossover Class 1-A

I saw a post this morning about the Teen Titans in UA, and it got me thinking about the quirks that would be found with other characters, so I cobbled together a class of 20 students from popular media, and tried to either turn their existing powers into quirks, or gave them quirks. It was a lot of fun, and I’m thinking of doing a class 1-B as well.

Name: Dick Grayson Hero Alias: Robin Quirk: Deductive Reasoning When Dick touches things, he can deduce their origins. He can tell the sort of gun that made bullet holes, whether something was written with the right or left hand, the way a knife was held while attacking a victim, or the height and weight of a culprit by finding their footprint. This makes Dick an expert in criminal profiling.

Name: Koriand’r (Corey Anders) Hero Alias: Starfire Quirk: Heartfelt Koriand’r’s quirk relies heavily on her emotions. She must be feeling a certain way to make use of her quirk, and cannot summon her powers unless she feels that way. To fly, she must think happy thoughts. For super strength, she needs boundless confidence. And for her starbolts, she must have a righteous fury.

Name: Garfield Logan Hero Name: Beast Boy Quirk: Animal Kingdom Garfield can turn into any animal he has seen before, but he can only copy the features of the animal that he knows about. This can include extinct and fictitious animals, but in order to become those, he must understand their biology and genetic make-up. Creating wings is pointless if he doesn’t know how to make them aerodynamic. This also means he can’t produce a dragon’s fire breath unless he can figure out a biological process to achieve this. Due to a mutation quirk he inherited, Garfield and any animal he becomes are permanently green.

Name: Rachel Roth Hero Alias: Raven Quirk: Psychic Soul Rachel’s soul is a semi-conscious entity within her. It is highly sensitive to the presence and emotions of others, and due to its link to Rachel, allows her to feel these sensations through her soul. This means she can tell how many people are in an area, and what they’re feeling. She can send pieces of her soul out into objects, allowing her to lift them with her mind, giving her telekinetic powers, or she can project the soul itself to create platforms, forcefields, or a bird-shaped battering ram. She can even use her telekinesis to lift herself, floating through the air, or envelop herself in her own soul and pass through solid objects. She requires daily meditation to focus and sharpen her mind, or risk letting her psychic powers become destructive and untamed.

Name: Victor Stone Hero Alias: Cyborg Quirk: Mechanical Infusion Vic has the ability to fuse technology into his body, a quirk which saved his life after his sports team bus had an accident and he was almost a casualty. The hospital technology infused with his body, and kept him alive. Since then, he’s focused on upgrading and improving his cybernetic enhancements, with a wide variety of technological detachments and gadgets built into his body. But his pride and joy is the sonic cannon he designed himself. While he can infuse any machine into his body, he’d be a horrible mechanical blob if he didn’t know how to compartmentalize. He maintains his humanoid appearance by understanding how to fold and store things inside of himself to fit as much in without overstuffing himself.

Name: Ruby Rose Hero Alias: Black Rose Quirk: Petal Storm Ruby’s quirk allows her to turn her body into a scattering of rose petals that move at a windswept speed. The petals can separate to move around objects, but must come back together for her to take human form again.

Name: Weiss Schnee Hero Alias: Ice Queen Quirk: Fairydust Weiss’ body naturally produces Dust, primarily in the form of powder. She has outfitted her revolver rapier to turn this dust into a variety of magical attacks. With enough dust, she can even create glyphs, a stationary magical property whose effect varries by the kind of dust she uses.

Blake Belladonna Hero Alias: Noir Quirk: Copycat Blake can leave a shadow duplicate of herself to take a hit for her. She can launch herself off the clones as well. However, the clones are not solid and cannot hit enemies for her. Instead they disappear after being hit by anything.

Yang Xiao Long Hero Alias: Dragonfire Quirk: Burn When Yang takes damage, it builds up in her muscles, allowing her to retaliate with tremendous strength. Her quirk causes her body to produce flames when angry, and she can shoot these flames with her punches, but not her kicks.

Name: Steven Universe Hero Alias: Pink Diamond Quirk: Gemstone Steven has a gemstone in his belly, which allows him to summon a shield made of hard light, and lets him give sentience to plants, as well as heal injuries and repair inorganic material. He can even merge himself with another person, creating a hybrid that shares a combination of their quirks.

Name: Aang Hero Alias: Avatar Aang Quirk: Force of Nature Aang has the ability to manipulate air, water, fire, or rocks within his vascinity. He has the greatest control over Air, but can manipulate the others as well. When he bends all four at once, Aang becomes able to tap into the raw power of nature itself, and awakens his full power, but becomes destructive and uncontrollable when he does so.

Name: Katara Hero Alias: Arctic Fox Quirk: Waterbending Katara can manipulate water, snow, and ice near her. Her body is highly acclimated to the cold, and with practice she can even create water by drawing moisture from the air and plants. She can even control the water inside of living things, but she doesn’t like using this unless she feels she has to.

Name: Sokka Hero Alias: White Wolf Quirk: Pack Tactics Sokka’s natural senses are hightened to the skill of a wolf’s, especially his hearing and smelling. This natural mutation quirk he inherited from his father makes him a master tracker. Sokka’s physical abilities improve when he’s around other people. As such, Sokka tends to avoid one-on-one fights if he can help it.

Name: Toph Beifong Hero Alias: Blind Bandit Quirk: Earthbending Toph can manipulate the earth underfoot, and bend it to her will. Her connection to Earth has become so finetuned that Toph can feel the vibrations of things in the ground and relay those signals to the entirety of her body. Because of this, she can see in 360 degrees, and detect small details others easily overlook.

Name: Zuko Hero Alias: Blue Spirit Quirk: Firebending Zuko can produce flames from his body when he uses proper martial arts form. However, he is highly disciplined in combat that doesn’t use his quirk, being a master in stealth and infiltration tactics. He is trained in the use of twin dao swords. His family is a prominent superpowered mafia, with his father being a notorious crime lord kingpin. Zuko applied to UA in secret, and covers for his absence by claiming to be undercover.

Name: Lance McClain Hero Name: Sharpshooter Quirk: Eagle Eye Lance’s quirk gives him extremely focused ocular perception, which makes his use of a stun gun highly effective. Lance’s gun has a built in freeze ray that turns his bullets into ice pellets. He has some skill with a sword and carries one in case he needs it, but due to his focus on ranged combat, he’s at a disadvantage once melee combatants get within close range of him.

Name: Keith Kogane Hero Alias: Yurak Quirk: Galran Keith’s appearance becomes more animalistic as he becoems angry, turning purple and developing feline-like traits. This includes the growth of fangs, claws, and animalistic eyes. This form is faster and stronger than his base human form. Keith is also very adept with a sword, carrying one into battle.

Name: Katie Holt Hero Alias: Pidge Quirk: Hacker Any technology Katie comes into contact with, she can rewire and reprogram. Because of this, Katie always has a stash of robotic drones to aid her in her field work. She had a promising future in the Support course, but she insisted on pursuing the hero course at UA.

Name: Hunk Garrett Alias: Gourmand Quirk: Iron Stomach Hunk is a walking tank whose body can dampen the damage he takes. This natural defense is increased when he eats. Especially when he eats good food. Certain spices and flavors also give him other temporary bonus features, such as spicy food dampening heat and fire damage, or mixed drinks letting him breathe underwater for a short time. He can even store energy in his stomach and fire it like a projectile, but this tires him out and makes him hungry.

Name: Allura Hero Name: Supernova Quirk: Alchemy Allura has a number of magical abilities she can perform, such as healing, creating blasts of magic, and other such magical things. Allura is skilled with a bo staff and primarily uses a segmented whip-sword. Her father was killed by a supervillain, and Allura swore she would become a hero in order to avenge his death.

[thepictureofsdr]

I JUST REALIZED UF WE PLAY OUR CARDS RIGHT CORDELIA CAN BE THE AVATAR

Also Christopher and Mathew where are they in all this

Were paralleling James to zuko which I love

And i think Lucie is just like an iroh presence

Are we fitting Christopher in through Thomas?

Maybe he can be a non bender????

Mathew i REALLY dont know

OKAY YES THIS IS VERY POSSIBLE HERE IS MY PROPOSED TIMELINE

1. firelord belial comes into power, begins war propaganda

2. tessa is born

3. if we’re going w ATLA canon the airbender genocide would happen around here, bc its after tessas birth and we could say it was so no airbender could try to have claim to the throne

4. marriage to will

5. raids on the southern tribe begin (I THINK CALLING THE PREVIOUS AVATAR VERLAC JUST FITS), the avatar begins to interfere

6. elias lands in the south and defects, meets sona

7. year or so later, alastair is born, then james

8. death of the avatar

9. birth of cordelia then lucie

10. years later, raids continue and elias leaves

11. around the same time, will is assassinated and tessa flees the palace with no chance to safely get her children away, finds jem

this way cordelias birth coincides with the death of the avatar and the passing on of ravaa and it has the parents in the right place at the right time

part of me wants to say jem could have an iroh presence, the calming albeit badass uncle, but the idea of him being tessas first love and her running back to him to have mina (IF ANYONE RANDOM IS SEEING THIS IM NOT SAYING TESSA DIDNT LOVE BOTH AT ONCE THIS IS A DIRECT REFERENCE AND INTENDED PARALLEL TO THE POST SHOW ATLA COMICS NOT A COMMENTARY ON THE CANON TID MATERIAL) is just too good, i can 100% see lucie w that, lucie committed the ghost equivalent of violating the geneva convention and iroh is a war criminal so,,, IT FITS

okay so for christopher, you remember those earth bender scientists whose goal was to better the world through technology? BAM i feel like it fits, also we could say that gideon and gabriel are earth bender siblings, explaining both cousins being earth benders? non bender or not i think he’d still be part of the earth kingdom scientists, give me opinions

MATTHEW IS SUCH A WILD CARD I GENUINELY DONT KNOW?

okay wait an idea JUST CAME TO ME AS I TYPED THIS WAIT

Okay so in the comics there was this colonized earth bender area that over the course of the war, actually merged with the fire nations culture, so after the 100 years, this town was run by earth and fire members (remember kids innocent and brainwashed civilians aren’t evil), there was a specific export of this colony, a substance that could only be created by fire and earth benders working together

so what if henry was one of the earth scientists working in the colony and charlotte was the leader of the colony, a fire nation noble who was sent to lead it and does her best to keep them out of the war, and they have two children, the older one who likes politics and everyone hates bc he’s sucking up to powerful war supporters, and a younger one who doesn’t care much for politics and ends up following the banished prince. james hates him at first bc he would give anything to have a stable loving family and he can’t believe matthew would just flounce off and leave them behind but eventually they understand each other, cue a dramatic speech about lack of opportunities in a colony

as for the fairchild brothers bending i still don’t know but i feel like fire and earth decently fit charlotte and henry but i think the career part definitely fits, apologies for the multi part essay but THOUGHTS?

[writebecauseyoucannotbreathe]

The only manual labor Azula is willing to do around the house is the electrical stuff. Aang to this day has zero clue how to work it and he will be forever thankful.

So many puns I could make about Azula being shockingly good at electrical.

I think at first it will be a pride thing, like with Zuko, where manual labor seems like an insult upon her honor. Eventually it changes from "this is beneath me" to "I will still do it perfectly"

In a canon version I'd like to imagine the change would happen most evidently with the restoration of the Air Temples where it's only her and Aang and she keeps glancing at him for approval.

There was a lovely comment, I think on one of my fanfics, about how the reader now understands the appeal to Azulaang because Azula is untamed like lightning and Aang has a fondness for wild things (something poetic like that) and I'd like Azula to slowly relax and to realize she doesn't need to have a lie or a backup plan in case of failure because she'll always have Aang.

Aang in my modern AUs varies between being incompetent or incompatible with technology/electrical stuff because either he gets too excited about the new gadget and tries to learn by messing around with it instead of reading the manual, or because he doesn't like how the new tech is so different from what he's used to and thus avoids it.

I started rambling but I hope you get an idea of how I'd imagine them doing manual labor around the house.

[thevictorianghost]

thank you so much for calling out fellow white shippers for their racism. as a southeast asian, it’s the bare minimum, yet so many white bnf blogs have stayed quiet. there’s this fear, by some white fans, of speaking over bipoc voices which definitely happens. however, if white fans are for being in solidarity with bipoc, you must call out the behavior of fellow white shippers that bipoc have deemed problematic and yes, it includes your friends. no one is going to cancel you, we just want you to improve your behavior so other shippers feel safer. i also observe that some white shippers are hiding behind only a few poc that they will only agree with, not acknowledging the valid points that the other argument has made. they also will block blogs run by bipoc bc they rightfully criticized their behavior. i also don’t want ppl to think this is just fandom drama bc this is really a discussion about racism, from the white shippers’ treatment towards shippers of color to the way zuko and katara are portrayed in fanfiction. if you feel personally attacked, i’m asking that you take the time off from online to reevaluate yourself and ask what behaviors am i perpetuating that makes fellow shippers uncomfortable? why do i feel attacked? thank you again for your call out post bc so many poc like me have been disappointed by the silence of so many white bnfs.

TW racism

I appreciate you thanking me. I did it because it was the right thing to do. I wasn’t going to say anything at first because, again, I didn’t feel like I could add anything to this conversation about fandom racism, but then I saw someone (I’m on mobile, I can’t look up the post, sorry) saying they were leaving the Zutara fandom because of a slur used by (presumably) that anon and they were rightfully calling out White people for staying too quiet about this. So I knew I had to make that post.

I’m so sorry people (you or others, I’m not quite sure) have been silenced on this issue. People have every right to talk about the racism they’ve suffered from. And yet they’ve gone unheard by people who didn’t want to grow. I know it doesn’t mean much, but I’m sorry. The thing about conversations is that there’s many sides. Many opinions, many points of views. Unless it’s, idk, right-wing rhetoric for example, you should listen to all sides of a conversation. It’s only fair, especially about an issue as complex as racism.

I know this may feel like a tangent, but I studied History and Art History. One thing I learned is that there will always be something new to discover. Yes, many events or time periods are very well documented, but we’ll never understand them 100%. We’ll always find something new that will change our way of looking at things. New allegories on a painting, new languages on ancient scrolls, or new writings on the walls of temples. These all give us more insight into a given time period. Archaeologists consciously leave dig sites before they’re done because they know in the future, new technology will manage to dig deeper, to find better, and to cause even less damage in the process. The future is always full of possibilities - even about the past!

All of that said, what you learn in History is to keep an open mind. You learn to shut up and listen to multiple points of views. You learn to try and understand the multitudes of people who lived millenniae ago. And it’s a valuable skill you can apply to your every day life.

That’s what I’m trying to do.

(Btw. What does “White bnf blogs” mean? I’m unfamiliar with that term)

[catie-does-things]

Urzai Pack of Brats Bending Abilities and Personalities: Go. (And is the 7th Child also a boy?)

Zuko and Azula we know, with the only real difference being Zuko feels a sense of responsibility for all his younger brothers and Azula...primarily relates to them all according to her own ranking of how much of a threat she thinks they pose to her position as Dad’s Favorite.

Azar is a nonbender, which makes him Ozai’s actual unfavorite, though he’s more ignored/dismissed because Ozai doesn’t think he has any potential at all, whereas Zuko is harshly criticized because Ozai thinks he should be better than he is. Azar and Azula are “Irish twins” (Yes, I am pondering what the AtLA world equivalent of that idiom would be) so he was closest with her out of all the siblings. Azula sees him as the least threatening of her brothers, and he is very smart and observant, so she comes to rely on him as a minion in many of her machinations. Azar himself is always trying to prove his worth by being the best at the things he can do (strategy, knowledge of military technology, archery) but of course none of it really impresses Ozai. He was very close with Ursa before she left.

Shinzo is a very talented firebender and the brother Azula sees as the biggest threat to her - but he’s significantly younger than her and not actually in a position to challenge her in any real way. He doesn’t really understand why Azula is so mean to him, but he resents her for it. Ozai sees him as the spare/second favorite and is generally pleased with him, though he remains firmly in Azula’s shadow in his mind. Though he has the potential to rival Azula in terms of power, he’s less ambitious and more interested in playing pranks on his siblings.

Raizu is the elder of the two fraternal twins but in many ways acts like the baby of the family. He’s a firebender of average ability and a shy, quiet child who is desperate for affection. Azula sees him as only a minor threat. He has only vague memories of Ursa, since he was just two years old when she left, and is pretty wary of Zuko at first when he comes back for similar reasons.

Denzu is the younger fraternal twin of Raizu, but far more outgoing and competitive than him. He always wants to tag along with the older kids and ends up roped into a lot of Shinzo’s antics. Also a firebender of modest skill, Azula sees him as potentially being more of a threat than Raizu or Azar, someday when he’s older. Unlike Raizu, Denzu doesn’t remember Ursa at all.

Ozai has very little regard for the twins - they’re just kind of there as far as he’s concerned, he has trouble telling them apart even though they don’t actually look all that similar, and he’s mostly annoyed by whichever one it is that keeps trying to hug him (it’s Raizu).

The mystery seventh child...is a mystery.

[guymaito]

been thinking about singing headcannons ever since i made the ozai singing you'll be back from hamilton so i decided to make atla headcannons about their vocal ranges (well more like voice types like alto/baritone/tenor) and which types of songs they like singing

under the cut <3

Fire Hazard Family

Zuko is a baritone, usually sings slow songs, sometimes even slow love songs or slowed down versions of upbeat dance songs

Azula is a alto and like Zuko, usually sings slow songs and slowed down versions of upbeat dance songs, also sings a lot of Latin and Thai songs 

Ursa is a mezzo-soprano and likes singing upbeat songs and love songs

Ozai is a baritone and usually sings songs like You’ll Be Back from Hamilton and, like Azula, a lot of Latin and Chinese songs

Iroh is either or a bass or a baritone, likes sings funny songs and upbeat songs, sometimes slow paced Japanese 

Lu Ten is a tenor, usually sings slow songs and upbeat songs, sometimes upbeat Thai and Chinese songs

Izumi is a counteralto and usually sings slow songs and Thai and Japanese songs

Iroh II is a baritone, doesn’t have a favorite type of song genre to sing but finds himself singing a lot of Thai and Latin songs

Snow Fall Family and Cloud Family (+pema)

Kanna can sing and does Inuit throat singing and often does so with Katara and both Kyas

Hakoda is a baritone and sings sea shanties and cheerful/upbeat songs 

Bato is a bass and also sings sea shanties and does Mongolian throat singing

Kya is a counteratlo does Inuit throat singing and sings slow paced songs

Sokka is a tenor and likes making and singing songs about his close friends and family

Katara is a alto and sings opera songs and she Inuit throat sings

Aang is a tenor and sings a lot of upbeat Tibetan songs

Bumi II is a baritone and likes singing funny and overall outrageous songs, likes singing sea shanties as well, knows a few opera songs cause of Katara

Kya II is either a counteralto like her namesake or a soprano, likes singing sea shanties and does Tibetan throat singing

Tenzin is a baritone and usually sings more calming songs and lullabies, knows Tibetan throat singing (yes i know that’s a woman shut up)

Pema is a soprano and usually sings cheery songs and lullabies but will occasionally sing more slower and laidback songs

Jinora is a alto and sings a lot of Tibetan songs and some sea shanties

Ikki is a soprano, likes fast paced and upbeat songs, especially songs where the lyrics go so fast you can’t really understand them, also knows some sea shanties from Aunt Kya and Uncle Bumi

Meelo doesn’t sing :/

Rohan is like, 5 maybe 6 or 7

Dust Cloud Family and Sandstorm Family

Lao is a tenor, sings songs about living on a farm with farm animals and sings Chinese songs

Poppy is a mezzo-soprano, usually sings Chinese folk songs but will sometimes sing Chinese lullabies her own mother sung to her

Toph is a counteralto and sings Chinese Rock, sometimes Chinese Punk Rock

Lin is a alto and usually sings Chinese Rock songs but will sometimes will be found singing those Chinese lullabies her grandmother sung

Suyin is a soprano and sings Chinese Pop and Chinese lullabies 

Bataar Sr is a bass and usually sings Thai songs but will sometimes sing Chinese songs

Bataar Jr is a bass-baritone and sings slow songs and Chinese songs 

Opal is a alto and likes singing upbeat songs and Chinese songs

Huan is a baritone and sings Chinese Punk Rock and Chinese Rock Songs

Wei and Wing are both baritones but Wei likes singing more upbeat Chinese songs while Wing sings Chinese Pop Rock

Spirit Water Family

Tonraq is a bass and sings sea shanties, slow songs and will sometimes sing slow love songs he hears Senna sing

Senna is a alto and likes singing upbeat songs and slow love songs

Unalaq is a tenor and doesn’t have a specific type of music he sings

Korra is a counteralto and often sings upbeat songs and slow songs

Eska doesn’t seem like the type to sing to me for whatever reason

Desna is a baritone, usually sings creepy songs or those songs you would hear in those terrible horror movies

Bending Brothers + family

Bolin can’t sing </3, he makes it up for enthusiasm though, sings upbeat Thai songs and Chinese love songs

Mako is a baritone and usually sings whatever he hears in the radio

Tu doesn’t know how to sing either </3 but that doesn’t mean that’ll stop him from singing, doesn’t sing a specific genre

San can’t sing either, still likes doing it though so there’s that <3, likes singing upbeat Thai songs

Naoki is a alto and usually sings slow Thai songs and upbeat Thai songs

Yin can’t sing </3

Technological Family

Hiroshi is a bass and likes singing those slow songs you would hear during a wedding and 70s Japanese Rock

Asami is a soprano and sings 90s/00s Japanese Pop and upbeat songs, maybe even some slower songs

Asami’s mom can’t sing </3

The White Lotus

Piandao is a baritone and doesn’t sing often

Pakku can’t sing ://

Jeong Jeong refuses to

Bumi can’t sing </3

Avatars + their S/O’s (at least, not the ones i already mentioned)

Roku is a baritone, usually sings songs from the plays he saw and lullabies from his childhood but will sometimes sing Japanese love songs he heard Ta Min sung

Kuruk is a bass-baritone, usually sings sea shanties and love songs he heard Ummi sung but will sometimes sing songs from his childhood and random poems he made

Kyoshi is a counteralto and usually sing the poems that Kuruk made but will sometimes sing songs like Lost Boy by Ruth B

Yangchan is a soprano knows how to do Tibetan throat chanting

Szeto is a baritone, doesn’t sing a specific genre

Salai is a baritone and again, doesn’t sing a specific genre

Wan can’t sing ://

Ummi is a alto and usually sings love songs and does Inuit throat singing

Ta Min is a alto and sings Japanese love songs and Thai dance songs

Rangi is a alto and sings Indian rock and Thai jazz

People who I wanted to add but didn’t fit into the other categories

Varrick can’t sing </3

Zhu Li is an alto and sings just whatever she hears on the radio

Aiwei is a baritone and can sing, but refuses too

Hama doesn’t sing

Jet can’t sing

Hahn is a baritone and can sing, doesn’t do it often though

[toxxicsushi]

Why LOK Is Not As Widely Accepted As Atla

(What went wrong?)

- Love triangle: the first two seasons focus too much on love. ATLA did have aspects of love in it. There was even an episode dedicated to love! However, this plot device felt so...cringey. It was not cute— just very annoying. It really brought out the worst of the first season, which would have been fine without it. I believe the need for this love triangle also made Korra’s character inconsistent.

- Season Two: this season had some good moments. It was not all bad. Avatar Wan’s backstory was amazing and the coolest concept in the world. However, the civil war was...eh. It did not feel very impactful or important to me. Not to mention, the fight with the “dark avatar” turning into a giant Vaatu felt...meh. It didn’t feel like it had a place in the Avatar world. It felt more like a Superhero story than something that would happen in Aang’s universe.

- Raava: I actually like this spirit. However, the one thing that boggles me about her...is why is she just now making herself known? If she is part of the Avatar I feel like Aang should have been educated on who she was. Who /he/ was. (One could argue Raava doesn’t console the Avatar unless she feels she needs to...but I feel like that’s just an excuse.) I just feel like Raava’s sudden presence doesn’t not make sense with Korra’s predecessors. I think a great way for this to make sense would...perhaps the more lives that are born that Raava merges with...the less the spirit becomes its own entity. So this would explain, perhaps, why she could give earlier Avatars counsel and not the recent ones. I just felt it was weird how she never spoke to Aang! Aang was only a boy and honestly, he could have used a friendly spirit’s guidance!

- Kuvira: I did not like Kuvira one bit. After the Red Lotus, she was just...such a bore for a final villain. Her design was boring. Her personality was boring. It felt like she didn’t even have one. She was like a budget Ozai.

- Robots and science. Now, I know the avatar world has geniuses but...the story’s advancements were way too fast. I mean...the final fight was against a giant robot?! With lasers?!! The laser part— I can honestly somehow believe in Avatar’s lore. I mean, magical lasers make sense to me. So that isn’t a big deal. However, the giant robot was...a bit much. Not to mention, the mech soldiers. I mean the hundred year war had to be forty to sixty years ago. It’s just...odd...how fast technology advanced.

- Korra’s personality in Season One and Two. As mentioned before, her personality felt somewhat inconsistent. She was a prodigy but also sucked at pro bending. She cared about love when she seems more like Kuvira— more obsessed with proving herself. I just don’t like Korra’s early personality, I felt like the writers didn’t know who she was yet.

- Unaloq. Didn’t like him. Bland villain.

- Eska X Bolin. What was the point of this ship? They were both obsessed with each other at separate points. I don’t understand.

- Korrasami. As much as I’d like to say I loved this ship— rewatching LOK I realized...it’s actually ass. It felt so...forced? CatrAdora (She-Ra) had a very slow and beautiful climb to its finale and true reveal. However, this felt like it was tossed in last minute? Perhaps for the shock factor and to end Korra with someone? I actually feel like Korra not finding love...would have been okay! And I mean, just because we didn’t see her find love does not mean she /didn’t./ I mean, Toph has two daughters. (Even if she didn’t stay with the men, she must have liked them at some point.)

- The lack of flow. This could not really be helped by the writers. Nickelodeon was so off and on with this show. But the stories didn’t feel as if they flowed into each other, obviously. I also think the lack of an Overarching Villain hurt the story too. Ozai was so powerful because of how afraid of him we were meant to be...Azula and Zuko made him all the more exciting.

- Korra’s past lives not returning. This is an EXTREME opinion. I don’t think the show did “wrong” by not allowing this back. However, it really broke my heart! I wanted to hear from the past Avatars more. I do wish they could have came back. I don’t really see why they had to stay destroyed...unless to open up something for another Avatar?

- No training episodes! One thing I loved about ATLA was watching the characters grow into themselves. Become masters and learn their forms. Mako never really felt like a Firebending Master, despite being in pro bending. Bolin, however, /did/ feel like a powerful bender. Although, it took until Season Three for him to catch up with Korra...I also feel like Aang’s group were all equally as powerful as him. In my opinion, /I/ think his friends were /BETTER/ at their respective elements. I mean, they were /real/ masters! You never get this feeling from Mako or Bolin. (Until Bolin hits Season Three.) Korra feels as if she outscales them greatly.

- Red Lotus being only one season. (Best villains of the series. Amon was amazing too but cut short because his season sucked.)

[jackel-gull]

Zuko is the better imperialist

Ok so, the Sozin Comet plan on the part of Ozai and Azula makes sense form their characters and the ideology they were raised in, but no one ever seems to bring up it was terrible from an imperialist standpoint. 

Like ok, so, imperialism rests on the proposition that you have to extract the most revenue possible from your territory at the least amount of cost. Occupation has to be sustainable and profitable. Resistance is expensive. This is why Gandhi’s non-violent resistance was so effective - it raised the cost of occupation for the British and meant that keeping India would require violence at a scale that was literally impossible for the British Raj, as well as reducing the resources that could be extracted from India in terms of money and manpower

So from this framework, what would burning down the Earth Kingdom accomplish? Well, it’d lose the Fire Nation the war. Sozin’s Comet wouldn’t be able to kill every last Earth Kingdom citizen, especially in the countryside where the earth kingdom rebels are probably most strongly concentrated (it’s easier to control cities and monitor them for dissent then the countryside after all). Like, even if they don’t know about Sozin’s Comet, the rebels probably have underground bunkers. The people who weren’t rebels before certainly are going to be now. Like in the Algerian war, one of the reasons the Algerian public got behind the cause of independence so strongly is because France so greatly escalated retaliatory violence it spurred otherwise neutral Algerians to join the resistance because the French were literally conducting mass executions and bombings on Algerian villages basically at random. In response to the Setif riots and subsequent violence that left 103 Europeans dead , France killed over 1000 Algerians in response. This sort of 10 to 1 response was a fairly consistent theme in the French response (no literally the French called their policy “comb over” after the fact they combed through cities murdering anyone they could find) and was responsible for helping the FLN gain support and recruits from the Algerian population. This raised the cost for France, both politically and financially, for continuing the occupation. Azula and Ozai believed, like France, that extreme collective punishment would decrease the cost of occupation, but it is in fact the opposite, as one of the most valuable resources an imperialist regime could have is native collaborators and institutions. 

So on the cost side we have an increase in the cost of oppression, as resistance hardens. We also have to consider the effects of burning so much infrastructure on Fire Nation ability to govern. Imperialists don’t build railroads to be nice, they build them because it helps them govern. Same with institutions like the police. Security enables an imperialist regime to extract resources. The British didn’t like to create new institutions because that’s expensive, which is why in Egypt they worked through the khedive, and then the sultan while pulling the strings - it is easier and cheaper to collaborate with native institutions (and coerce, it wasn’t like these institutions and individuals were doing this completely of their own free will with no other pressures brought to bear) to get what you want then set up your own regime. So the fire nation would’ve destroyed whatever native institutions they had managed to coerce as well as whatever physical infrastructure helped ensure the orderly flow of goods and money to the Fire Nation.

Now that we’ve established that the Sozin’s comet plan would’ve raised the cost of occupation considerably, would it have increased revenue to make up for those costs? Lol, no. Dead people don’t work and don’t produce economic activity. Overall the plan reduces revenue, raises cost, and would’ve made the war unwinnable. I’d go as far as to say the war was unwinnable from the start. 

Which is why Zuko is the better imperialist. Like think about it. He understands the war is unwinnable, “peace with honor” is a nice honorable sounding framing for it to help everyone swallow the bitter pill of what they all know. And what did his peace mean? Like if we look forward at Legend of Korra, Republic City seems to have enjoyed alot of capital investment from the Fire Nation. The Fire Nation probably made bank off of investing in its technology and industry. It’s a continuous flow of profit without having to do much, and any earth kingdom that rises from the ashes under an earth king, well the earth king as an institution is very weak, and would probably need Fire Nation support to reestablish itself after occupation (which explains why the earth king was amenable to allowing the former colonies to become a separate state). The end result is the former colonies become a state with strong ties to the Fire Nation and an Earth Kingdom propped up by the Fire Nation. Not a bad result

No wonder everyone cheered when he defeated Azula and Ozai. They were probably glad they no longer had to commit to a plan and a war everyone knew was unwinnable but couldn’t see a way out of. Related to this I have a headcanon where Ozai is assassinated during the day of the Black Sun by one of his advisors (or son of advisor if we want to keep the show’s focus on teenaged characters going). Zuko goes to confront his father, finds him dead. An advisor near him pretends not to know who did it, and then advises Zuko to burn the body and pretend he killed him in Agni Kai, and the advisor will pretend to have witnessed the duel, and if Zuko doesn’t do it and claim the firelord title, well, he’d be suspect #1 for poisoning the old fire lord and Azula would definitely become Fire Lord and murder him. Because let’s be honest palace coups have happened over less. So Zuko does as the advisors says, and because of the fact the advisor spread the story so quickly, Azula can’t move to take the throne before Zuko. She wants to challenge him to Agni Kai for it, but is quietly forced into exile so she can’t raise too much of a fuss, but this probably isn’t the last we’ll see of Azula

[jaxsteamblog]

Without

Click here to read the full fic on AO3

Katara sat perfectly still at the table, listening to the raised voices. Across from her, Zuko mirrored her posture. He held his tension in his eyes and Katara could see the tiny lines around the right one. Katara held hers in her shoulders, and she could feel her muscles seize as she continued to hold the pose.

Every single minor king and Kuei’s representative was at the table, with the Air Nomad Council and Rohan representing Urban Dust. Thuy was overwhelmed and sat next to Hakoda, her shoulders hunched and her eyes darting around. A woman from the Swamp Tribe sat on Thuy’s other side and was making a point of not looking at Katara.

Most of the people yelling were angry about Katara’s upcoming nuptials. She had invited them to a summit at the South Pole to talk about it. Instead, it was a bunch of angry old people trying to tell her what to do.

“My esteemed guests,” Katara said, raising her voice to be heard over the din. “I suggest you take your seats.”

The people arguing paused and begrudgingly sat down, but one of the Earth Kingdom kings immediately spoke up.

“We demand an explanation for the recent trade agreement between the Fire Nation and the Water Tribes.” He said, slamming his fist down on the table. It was made out of ice, so whatever effect he was going for, his flesh only thumped lamely against the surface.

“What is there to explain? It’s a forthright document.” Katara asked.

“You’re giving them equitable drilling rights for oil in the south western sea.” The king said.

Katara blinked at him, feeling the numbness of anger begin to form in her mind.

“And? Those waters are completely within our boundaries.” She replied.

“The Southern Air Temple shares those borders, yet they were given nothing!” The man said.

Katara closed her eyes and counted to three before opening them again.

“Why would I consult with the Air Nomad council over trade that involves my water, my oil, and my borders?” She asked. Unfortunately, she wanted to ask why an Earth Kingdom king would be so interested in Air Nomad trade.

“What if they wanted to drill?” The man asked petulantly.

“Then they can come to me the same way the Fire Nation minister of trade did.” Katara seethed.

“We don’t even have the industry.” Rohan added then rubbed their eyes and continued. “We don’t even care about oil, we use renewable energy.”

“By the way, I’ve been meaning to have my energy minister talk to you about that.” Zuko said, reaching his hand across the table toward Rohan.

“This is exactly the problem!” A queen shouted. “All of the Avatar’s instructors are cavorting about and making deals outside of their official positions.”

“It’s favoritism.” A third person added.

“I met with the trade minister in Republic City! How is that favoritism?” Katara demanded.

“Katara.” Hakoda said gently and Katara forced out a deep breath.

“I know exactly what the problem is, and unfortunately for all of you, I’m not politic enough to beat around the bush.” Katara said and looked around the table. “More of my people voluntarily came to the Earth Kingdom’s aid than the Air Nomads. The Earth Kingdom kings and queens were more interested in fighting each other over the centuries that your navy was laughable. My people sent ships. They sent food and literally ended droughts for you. And you never sent anything back. You didn’t even send my mother’s body back.”

Sliding her chair back from the table, Katara stood and ran her hands over her abdomen. She would never get used to the touch of finer clothing, and it shocked her enough to lighten her mood.

“The Earth Kingdom was fine seeing us go without for so long. We would never rise up to threaten you if we couldn’t even feed ourselves.” Katara said.

“No see here-” The first man to speak tried to stand up but Katara pulled his chair back in with the barest flick of her wrist.

“My people will not continue to go without any longer. The Fire Nation has produced most of the technological marvels of this age, and only requires the most minimal amount of oil in their production of plastic. I can sell a sustainable amount of oil for a good price and invest that money in my tribes. It has nothing to do with the fact that I will be marrying the Fire Lord.” She finished.

“But won’t you be the Fire Lady?” Thuy asked. Katara turned and the others murmured behind her.

“Won’t the Fire Nation be your people too?” Thuy continued.

Katara held her breath to keep herself from visually reacting. Thuy had just managed to undo weeks of work in a question. All because of teenage romantic ideals.

“One kingdom acting with two hands makes it a lot easier to manipulate things.” A queen remarked and Katara’s upper back seized.

Katara whirled on the Earth Kingdom contingent and barely repressed a snarl.

“I am one kingdom with three hands already.” She stated. Taking in and releasing a shaky breath, Katara retook her seat.

“Katara will be Fire Lady,” Zuko said calmly. “But she won’t have any power in the Fire Nation. They never do. She’d be just as subject to flattery and manipulation as any other person in that position would be. And many rulers have been controlled by their spouses.”

He turned to smile down at the Earth Kingdom side of the table. Many of the sovereigns looked away.

“The spouse of the King or Queen of the Water Tribes doesn’t even get a title.” Katara said. Then, looking at Thuy’s pained face, went on. “I try to do my best for everyone when I’m in a situation. Outside of, you know, war.”

“You did fight in the war, didn’t you?” Zuko said brightly. “What did you do again?”

“Hmm, you know, I think I sank the entire Fire Nation navy. Sorry about that by the way.” Katara said, genuinely apologizing at the end.

“That’s okay. You see, I actually fought on your side as well.” Zuko replied.

“You mean for the Earth Kingdom liberation?” Katara put her hands to her cheeks in mock surprise. “I had forgotten!”

“This chincery is extremely rude.” A king muttered.

“But extremely funny.” Rohan said.

“Rohan!” Tenzin whispered sharply.

“We understand what you’re doing, Queen Katara.” The king said.

“Do you?” Katara asked and leisurely turned to address him. “Because I don’t understand why you’re sitting here having a hissy fit if you did.”

“Katara.” Hakoda said and Katara shook her head.

“I think a lot of people made a lot of money during the war, and they want to continue to tiptoe through peace whispering about shadows to keep people afraid. Either we are committed to this peace and we go on with our lives, or we openly admit to suspecting each other and see if those whispers come true.” She said.

“I am marrying Katara for love, not for power.” Zuko said.

“That’s easy to say, young Fire Lord.” Tenzin said. Zuko looked at Katara and she nodded.

“Yes, we’re young, but we’re not foolish. My uncle says that wisdom comes from survival, and I have survived more in my young life than many of you.” He said and then composed himself. “So on the new year, after my marriage, I will be formally announcing the Fire Nation’s transition to a constitutional monarchy.”

“Our marriage will be a symbol of unification, but the power will belong to the citizens of the Fire Nation.” Katara said and smiled lovingly at Zuko.

“Ahhhh, I get it now.” The Swamp Tribe representative said.

“What?” A queen demanded.

“As I am now the Avatar’s master, I understand the importance of having different perspectives. So the Water Tribe will be ruled by a triumvirate. And as neither Sokka nor myself are Chief Hakoda’s heir, eventually things will settle out to be more equitable.” Katara clarified.

“And where is the Earth Kingdom left in all of this?” A king sputtered and now the entire other half of the table glared at them.

“What business does the Earth Kingdom have in the rulers of foreign nations?” One of the monks asked.

Shamefaced, the king lowered his head.

Glancing to her side, Katara caught Thuy’s eye and smiled. Still looking overwhelmed, Thuy nodded curtly and gave her a watery grin in return.

The four nations were going to live in harmony again, whether they liked it or not.

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