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Korrasami is canon. You can celebrate it, embrace it, accept it, get over it, or whatever you feel the need to do, but there is no denying it. That is the official story. We received some wonderful press in the wake of the series finale at the end of last week, and just about every piece I read got it right: Korra and Asami fell in love. Were they friends? Yes, and they still are, but they also grew to have romantic feelings for each other. Was Korrasami “endgame,” meaning, did we plan it from the start of the series? No, but nothing other than Korra’s spiritual arc was. Asami was a duplicitous spy when Mike and I first conceived her character. Then we liked her too much so we reworked the story to keep her in the dark regarding her father’s villainous activities. Varrick and Zhu Li weren’t originally planned to end up as a couple either, but that’s where we took the story/where the story took us. That’s how writing works the vast majority of the time. You give these characters life and then they tell you what they want to do. I have bragging rights as the first Korrasami shipper (I win!). As we wrote Book 1, before the audience had ever laid eyes on Korra and Asami, it was an idea I would kick around the writers’ room. At first we didn’t give it much weight, not because we think same-sex relationships are a joke, but because we never assumed it was something we would ever get away with depicting on an animated show for a kids network in this day and age, or at least in 2010. Makorra was only “endgame” as far as the end of Book 1. Once we got into Book 2 we knew we were going to have them break up, and we never planned on getting them back together. Sorry, friends. I like Mako too, and I am sure he will be just fine in the romance department. He grew up and learned about himself through his relationships with Asami and Korra, and he’s a better person for it, and he’ll be a better partner for whomever he ends up with. Once Mako and Korra were through, we focused on developing Korra and Asami’s relationship. Originally, it was primarily intended to be a strong friendship. Frankly, we wanted to set most of the romance business aside for the last two seasons. Personally, at that point I didn’t want Korra to have to end up with someone at the end of series. We obviously did it in Avatar, but even that felt a bit forced to me. I’m usually rolling my eyes when that happens in virtually every action film, “Here we go again…” It was probably around that time that I came across this quote from Hayao Miyazaki: “I’ve become skeptical of the unwritten rule that just because a boy and girl appear in the same feature, a romance must ensue. Rather, I want to portray a slightly different relationship, one where the two mutually inspire each other to live - if I’m able to, then perhaps I’ll be closer to portraying a true expression of love.” I agree with him wholeheartedly, especially since the majority of the examples in media portray a female character that is little more than a trophy to be won by the male lead for his derring-do. So Mako and Korra break the typical pattern and end up respecting, admiring, and inspiring each other. That is a resolution I am proud of. However, I think there needs to be a counterpart to Miyazaki’s sentiment: Just because two characters of the same sex appear in the same story, it should not preclude the possibility of a romance between them. No, not everyone is queer, but the other side of that coin is that not everyone is straight. The more Korra and Asami’s relationship progressed, the more the idea of a romance between them organically blossomed for us. However, we still operated under this notion, another “unwritten rule,” that we would not be allowed to depict that in our show. So we alluded to it throughout the second half of the series, working in the idea that their trajectory could be heading towards a romance. But as we got close to finishing the finale, the thought struck me: How do I know we can’t openly depict that? No one ever explicitly said so. It was just another assumption based on a paradigm that marginalizes non-heterosexual people. If we want to see that paradigm evolve, we need to take a stand against it. And I didn’t want to look back in 20 years and think, “Man, we could have fought harder for that.” Mike and I talked it over and decided it was important to be unambiguous about the intended relationship. We approached the network and while they were supportive there was a limit to how far we could go with it, as just about every article I read accurately deduced. It was originally written in the script over a year ago that Korra and Asami held hands as they walked into the spirit portal. We went back and forth on it in the storyboards, but later in the retake process I staged a revision where they turned towards each other, clasping both hands in a reverential manner, in a direct reference to Varrick and Zhu Li’s nuptial pose from a few minutes prior. We asked Jeremy Zuckerman to make the music tender and romantic, and he fulfilled the assignment with a sublime score. I think the entire last two-minute sequence with Korra and Asami turned out beautiful, and again, it is a resolution of which I am very proud. I love how their relationship arc took its time, through kindness and caring. If it seems out of the blue to you, I think a second viewing of the last two seasons would show that perhaps you were looking at it only through a hetero lens. Was it a slam-dunk victory for queer representation? I think it falls short of that, but hopefully it is a somewhat significant inching forward. It has been encouraging how well the media and the bulk of the fans have embraced it. Sadly and unsurprisingly, there are also plenty of people who have lashed out with homophobic vitriol and nonsense. It has been my experience that by and large this kind of mindset is a result of a lack of exposure to people whose lives and struggles are different from one’s own, and due to a deficiency in empathy––the latter being a key theme in Book 4. (Despite what you might have heard, bisexual people are real!) I have held plenty of stupid notions throughout my life that were planted there in any number of ways, or even grown out of my own ignorance and flawed personality. Yet through getting to know people from all walks of life, listening to the stories of their experiences, and employing some empathy to try to imagine what it might be like to walk in their shoes, I have been able to shed many hurtful mindsets. I still have a long way to go, and I still have a lot to learn. It is a humbling process and hard work, but nothing on the scale of what anyone who has been marginalized has experienced. It is a worthwhile, lifelong endeavor to try to understand where people are coming from. There is the inevitable reaction, “Mike and Bryan just caved in to the fans.” Well, which fans? There were plenty of Makorra shippers out there, so if we had gone back on our decision and gotten those characters back together, would that have meant we caved in to those fans instead? Either direction we went, there would inevitably be a faction that was elated and another that was devastated. Trust me, I remember Kataang vs. Zutara. But one of those directions is going to be the one that feels right to us, and Mike and I have always made both Avatar and Korra for us, first and foremost. We are lucky that so many other people around the world connect with these series as well. Tahno playing trombone––now that was us caving in to the fans! But this particular decision wasn’t only done for us. We did it for all our queer friends, family, and colleagues. It is long overdue that our media (including children’s media) stops treating non-heterosexual people as nonexistent, or as something merely to be mocked. I’m only sorry it took us so long to have this kind of representation in one of our stories. I’ll wrap this up with some incredible words that Mike and I received in a message from a former Korra crew member. He is a deeply religious person who devotes much of his time and energy not only to his faith, but also to helping young people. He and I may have starkly different belief systems, but it is heartwarming and encouraging that on this issue we are aligned in a positive, progressive direction: “I’ve read enough reviews to get a sense of how it affected people. One very well-written article in Vanity Fair called it subversive (in a good way, of course)… I would say a better word might be “healing.” I think your finale was healing for a lot of people who feel outside or on the fringes, or that their love and their journey is somehow less real or valuable than someone else’s… That it’s somehow less valid. I know quite a few people in that position, who have a lifetime of that on their shoulders, and in one episode of television you both relieved and validated them. That’s healing in my book.” Love, Bryan

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for hakoda/bato prompts i'd love a cute little domestic scene, maybe just an evening of relaxing after a long day of politics or something?

For @dilf-cember, "Old Friends to Lovers" -

"How's your shoulder?"

Hakoda quickly un-hunches his back at the reminder, grunting a little as he straightens. "Fine."

Bato huffs an amused, knowing breath, steps familiar as he pads over the furs to drop down behind Hakoda. "That good, huh?"

"Fabulous." Bato's long, strong fingers settle on either side of the knot under his shoulder blade. "Great." Light, testing pressure that has Hakoda's breath catching in anticipation of relief. "I could take an entire destroyer by myself."

"I can tell," Bato says dryly. A gentle squeeze makes Hakoda twitch. "Good day, then?"

"Long day," Hakoda sighs, bowing his head to stretch the tight muscles, suddenly feeling the stiffness all down his spine. "You?"

"Long day," Bato agrees, wry. Hakoda makes a mental note to make sure Bato does his stretches later. He probably had his shoulders at his ears all day. "Kinok thought the proposal went well, at least."

Hakoda hums as Bato works slow, steady circles over his shoulder, satisfaction warm in his chest. "It did. Sinaaq's going to support."

Bato makes a pleased little noise. "There's a steal." He spreads his hands wide, encouraging Hakoda to lean back into him, to meet the pressure of his hands with the weight of his body. "Purmik's back to just wanting to build a second harbor."

Hakoda snorts, thoughts already heavy and hazy enough that he can't work up the energy to be annoyed about it. "We can set Sokka on him again." Bato chuckles, a warm puff against his neck, and Hakoda bites back a smiles, tilting his head in silent encouragement. "Or Danrade, if we want to be nice about it."

Another breath of laughter just before Bato’s lips brush the spot where neck meets shoulder. "Kanna threatened to push Ahivak into the harbor, if he didn't stop getting Purmik worked up about it."

Ahivak's going to be mad about that tomorrow, and probably half the Northern Representatives with him, but, "If Ma threatened it, he deserved it," he murmurs, demonstrating the unstiffness of his ahoulder by reaching back to tangle his hand in Bato’s hair.

Bato snorts at the blatant falsehood, hand sliding from the bottom of Hakoda's shoulder blade, slipping around his ribs. "Trouble for tomorrow, then?"

"Hm." Hakoda covers Bato’s hand with his own, tangling their fingers together. "Trouble for tomorrow," he agrees, guiding Bato’s hand downward, ready for a different kind of trouble tonight.

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hold the baby

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Winner of round 1: Zuko

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women in male-dominated industries (evil adn scheming advisor to the king)

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happy december 10 — the international holiday wherein we celebrate dante basco getting beat w a candy cane <3

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Some Bato/Hakoda for @dilf-cember, anyone? Featuring longing for a dilf and also despairing at his obtuseness? Technically late for Week 1, Old Scars/War Wounds, but I'm still counting it:

Bato's bedroll smacks against the ground, jerking Hakoda's gaze up from his oh-so-studious examination of the rather-pungent jar of salve to find Bato staring at him, mouth happen open.

"What...did you think I'd say to that?" Bato finally asks, slow.

"I..." Hakoda hadn't really gotten that far, to realize there was anything to think over. "Yes?"

Bato snorts softly, kneeling to straighten out his bedding. "Does that work for you, usually?" A sideways glance through his lashes as he stretches to flatten the blanket. "Does everyone strip just because you ask them to?"

 "I--what--I mean, no! But--or, yes, rather, or--" Hakoda snaps his mouth shut, flustered by his own...fluster. And by the fact that he doesn't want to say no. Traditionally the answer is yes, and traditionally Hakoda would never ask unless he already knows its a yes, but also, "I just asked you to take your shirt off."

Bato somehow raises an eyebrow at him and eyes him askance through his lashes at the same time, pointed.

"Your scar," Hakoda defends himself, waving the salve at...something. "In the weather--and burns can tighten up, and..."

"And you wanted to feel up my chest?" Bato cuts in, teasing and kneeling up to make a show of flexing like one of those ridiculous wrestling posters they find all over the Earth Kingdom ports for the Earth Racket or whatever its called. "You know you just had to ask, 'Koda."

Hakoda sputters wordlessly in his own defense, mortified to realize he's blushing as he suddenly thinks about it, which--what. He and Bato have been friends since before they could walk. They've swum and sweated and bathed together, bunked down and huddled up. Since when does the idea of Bato's chest--

"'Koda." Hakoda starts, bobbling the salve and clutching it to his chest, his heart pounding from the near-miss as he looks back at Bato's suddenly serious face. "You only ever have to ask."

I know, Hakoda almost says, except that feels too serious somehow, and also like maybe that thing is happening where he gets all caught up in the wrong things.

"Yeah, well," he says inanely instead, fumbling for what to say next. Ship and spear, he's being weird. He can tell he's being weird. He needs to stop being weird, so Bato doesn't think he finds his burn scar off putting or shameful or-- "Just looking out for my bud. Gotta keep that right hand mobile, right?" he teases weakly, mustering a grin. "That's what friends do."

Bato stares at him a long moment, still in a way Hakoda doesn't know how to read, and Hakoda is suddenly achingly aware of that fact, and the weird buzzing feeling in his chest, and also that his grin his going to edge into grimace territory in a few more--

"Right," Bato says, finally turning back to finish laying out his bedroll on the opposite wall of their little tent from Hakoda's. "Right. That's what friends do."

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I love characters with tunnel vision. False dichotomies. The sunk cost fallacy. Characters who are convinced of their utmost rationality and can even lay out their entire philosophy in logical, impersonal terms and convince others even though the whole of their actions, rationalised to hell and back though they may be, are spurred on by something entirely emotional (and this doesn't stop them from being right on the money about some things). Characters who are at once the most and least self-aware people ever. Characters who know the ins and outs of their psyche like a map they've memorised but can barely tell when they're experiencing a feeling.

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the world's most obnoxious friend group

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I have a weird question: Is chiefdom hereditary in Inuit communities? In the Northern Water Tribe, we know that Desna and Eska inherited their chief position from Unalaq- but I’m unsure about the Southern Water Tribe, maybe Sokka inherited the position from Hakkoda and then when Sokka died without issue, they held elections and chose Tonraq? Or maybe Sokka was democratically elected as well?

I’m sorry if I ended up rambling. It’s just that seeing Desna and Eska inherit their chiefdom really confused me because I always thought that it was an elected position

Traditionally, leadership in Inuit culture was determined by consensus, so basically a democratic election. Usually, the qualities that led people to choose you as a leader were your survival skills.

I've mentioned before that the Northern Water Tribe has more non-Inuit cultural influences than the Southern Water Tribe, so I've always just chalked up their hereditary leadership to being another example of that. Considering their proximity to Ba Sing Se, their emphasis on a strict hereditary chiefdom might be for the sake of projecting an image of centralized power, to help ward off their imperialistic neighbors to the south.

As for the Southern Water Tribe, I think they're actually a collection of small independent villages, with each one having its own leader that's democratically elected; this is how they're portrayed in the "North and South" Avatar comics. This would explain why Katara mocked Sokka when he tried to claim he was a prince to Yue; it would be like the son of a small-town mayor declaring himself a prince. Plus, if leadership were hereditary, princedom would have been an internal struggle for Sokka, similar to Zuko. But Sokka's insecurity is never framed as not being worthy of being chief, but as simply lacking traditionally masculine skills.

I think Sokka eventually becoming the Southern Water Tribe Chieftain had more to do with his status as a prominent war hero than to his connection to his father.

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show is good. i like the show

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Friends to lovers eats EVERY. TIME.

the baseline of respect, understanding, and loyalty built upon months, even years of friendship

the effortless banter and teasing flirts between them

the slow budding of feelings from "I enjoy their company" to "oh gosh I want them, want them"

the mini crisis of "oh no they're hot," and "if I say anything, what then?"

yearning. pining. tension.

friends to lovers, you will always be loved by me

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the black mold told me to draw this

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There was a longer, better article about this, but it's interesting that virtually all fantasy is reactionary in the sense that the heroes are questing (almost, of course there are exceptions) to turn things back to what they were. Either stopping a great evil that is going to destroy the current world which is Fine As It Is, or living in a dystopian evil empire and try to return the Old Kingdom or the Old Republic which was good and nostalgic. It's always "the Old Days were better" or "we must preserve our current way of life", never "we will build a better future beyond our current society".

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“you construct intricate rituals to touch the skin of other girls” but the intricate ritual in question is just ty lee pretending to be a ditzy oblivious idiot so that she can hug mai whenever she wants without azula getting jealous 🫢

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Aprovechando que ATLA es tendencia, comparto el primer fanart que le dediqué a este viejo hermoso.9