#//did a few edits for tenzin

[airteacher]

Mun v Muse

Tagged by: @avaetar Tagging: you!

[lis-muerta]

“You tried and that’s what counts.”

Sorry, this took so long! I didn't know what to write and decided to play with an idea, again and idea I just like writing what-ifs. I didn't edit as much so I'm sorry if it's hard to read also.

The evening sky bled into shades of deep purple and mauve pink, casting a somber glow over Republic City. Lin stood alone on the balcony of her high-rise apartment, overlooking the sprawling urban landscape that buzzed beneath her. The city lights flickered like distant stars, a stark contrast to the turmoil brewing within her.

Lin's hands gripped the cold, metal railing, her knuckles turning white. She had always been a pillar, an inflexible protector of the city, but tonight, she felt the weight of her own world pressing down on her shoulders. The decision had been made decades ago, yet the heaviness of its reality was just beginning to sink in.

Inside, the soft sounds of Yun's laughter filtered through the open door. He was listening to the radio shows while painting the new spirit portal, his youthful mind blissfully unaware of the complexities that clouded his mother's heart. Lin watched him for a moment, her heart swelling with love yet aching with a silent grief. Yun, who could barely walk on his own, relaxing in the living room, his hands moving skillfully over the canvas, his laughter a balm to her weary soul. She had chosen this path for him, for her, believing it was the only way to balance the scales of her ambitions and her responsibilities. But at what cost?

A cool breeze whispered through the air, carrying with it the faint echoes of Aang's wisdom, reminding her of conversations long past. Lin closed her eyes, letting the wind caress her face, as if seeking counsel from the spirits that seemed to murmur just out of reach. She remembered Aang's gentle warning about the sacrifices leadership entailed, about the delicate balance between personal desires and the greater good. How right he had been, and how naive she had felt now, thinking she could escape the inevitable.

—

Lin recalled the early days of her relationship with Tenzin, filled with laughter and stolen moments between their responsibilities. They had walked through the parks of Republic City, hand in hand, dreaming of their future together now that they were married .Those memories were tinged with the golden light of young love, so stark against the complexities they faced now.

Life at the air temple had grown increasingly chaotic over the past few years. Between Su's troubles and Toph's abrupt retirement, Lin found herself caught in a whirlwind of change. The new police chief was more accommodating of Lin's dual responsibilities, but even that small mercy did little to ease the strain. Her body was betraying her.

Then there was Yun an, the thirteen-year-old legs kept giving out, a frequent agony he was in, that they slowly realized he would never become a master despite his extensive knowledge and strong spirit.The image of her son, grappling with tasks that other children found effortless, weighed heavily on her heart.

Lin was late. She hoped it was just the stress, the relentless pace of her life as a protector and a mother. Tenzin had shared his concerns with her, mentioning how Katara had seen Aang struggling with Yun. Avatar Aang was getting weaker and more ill . The fact Aang wouldn't live forever caused her to tremble with fear.

One particularly trying day, Lin found herself donned in an acolyte's uniform, leading a meditation circle because there was no one else available. As she attempted to guide the acolytes, her mind raced with doubts. Could she truly embrace this life of spiritual leadership? Was she destined to be the island mother, leaving her fate to the universe? The session ended disastrously, a wave of nausea overwhelming her, a battle she had been staving off until that moment.

The realization hit her hard. If she were pregnant again, it would jeopardize her chance at a promotion. How could she manage a newborn when Yun already required so much of her attention? It would be unfair to bring another child into this chaos, potentially replicating the strained relationship she had with Su. Each day brought sickness, a relentless reminder of her predicament. She had tried to see if she could fit into the role of a spiritual leader, but her heart longed for the action and command of police work.

Lin curled into a ball, tears streaming down her face after another bout of sickness. She knew she had to make a choice. She had only decided to have Yun because it aligned with her goals; she could stay home, finish school, and still ascend to police chief back then. But with Aang's life spinning down the drain and Tenzin's expectations of expanding their family, she felt trapped between her aspirations and her responsibilities.

—

the day she told Tenzin she couldn't walk the path he envisioned, filled with more children and spiritual duties. She loved him, yes, but she loved her career and herself too. "I won’t forgive myself if I toss my dreams for yours," she had said, her voice steady but her heart breaking. Tenzin had looked at her, his expression a mix of understanding and sorrow, a silent acknowledgment of the diverging roads before them. Lin left the rest to fate, silently hoping he would bend for her as she had for him, but instead their home turned into a battlefield and Tenzin made his decision when his father died and he abandoned her to figure it out. Leaving her with a huge mess and later a messy divorce. That he decided he didn't need or want them anymore was how she felt when he walked down the aisle with a girl half his age, who saw him like a all powerful being and not her loser she had loved endlessly.

—

Opening her eyes, Lin looked out towards the horizon where the ocean met the sky, the dark waters reflecting the last light of the dying day. She thought of Tenzin, his dreams of a family intertwined with the spiritual duties of his heritage. She loved him deeply, profoundly, yet knew in her heart that their paths demanded different sacrifices. She couldn't be the partner he needed, not while her own dreams pulsed so fervently within her.

The realization was a quiet wraith in the twilight, a shadow that no amount of city light could dispel. Lin knew she was choosing a path filled with what-ifs and might-have-beens. The thought of failing Yun in some unforeseen way, of not being there when he needed her most, gnawed at her. Yet, surrendering her aspirations, her very essence, would be a different kind of failure altogether—one she wasn't prepared to face.

"You tried, and that’s what counts," she whispered to herself, a mantra to soothe the storm inside. But the words felt hollow in the cool evening air, a feeble shield against the tide of doubt and regret.

As night fell over Republic City, Lin remained on the balcony, a solitary figure etched against the backdrop of a world she vowed to protect. The future was a landscape shrouded in mist, paths uncertain and fraught with shadows. But Lin was no stranger to hard choices. With a final, lingering look at the new spirt portal, she turned back inside, to the life she had chosen, to the son who she loved more than she loved herself, ready to face whatever storms might come now that the world has changed again.

[goodluckclove]

migration patterns - scott/edgar intimacy: sad child edition

i'm sad so here's a scene i've been thinking about for a week and finally got to write. enjoy. it's a major rough draft so excuse any pronoun fuckups or name inconsistencies.

“Can I tell you something else I want to do?” Edgar asked him, still uncertain – but markedly less so.

Anything. I love you. Talk to me forever. I will do anything you ask of me. You are so safe and good I will shift the orbit of the earth if it would ensure your security. I love you, I love you, I love you.

Scott nodded, without a word. Edgar hummed happily and leaned down again, pressing his chest against Scott’s as he whispered

“I had a funny dream last night, Lark.”

Scott turned in their bed with the covers drawn up to their chin. From beside him on the mattress, Eddie’s wavering golden form sparkled serenely like sunlight over the ocean. He was smiling one of his smiles that were sweet, yet weighed down heavily by weariness and anxiety. Eddie always seemed to smile like new mothers smiled, or older witches who tried to mask how much pain they were in.

“I like dreams,” Scott told his dearest companion. “Sometimes I have dreams that I’m not even in. It’s weird – isn’t that weird?”

Eddie nodded knowingly. He was very smart. Still, he seemed nervous. “It was funny,” he continued, “because you were there. Like – really there. With me.”

Scott grinned and felt warmth seep into their chest. What a wonderful dream that must’ve been!

“It was also funny, because…” Eddie darted his eyes away from Scott and pressed his lips into a straight, hesitant line. “Because in my dream, I kissed you.”

He paused and twisted his face in a cringe. Scott didn’t understand the reaction. Maybe it was from something he was seeing or feeling in his part of the world. Still, the same thought echoed in their heart: what a wonderful dream that must’ve been!

“That sounds nice,” Scott said, their smile softening.

Eddie looked like he wanted to say something, but then he didn’t. He looked up at Scott and teetered on the edge of a frown. “Boys aren’t supposed to kiss boys,” he said.

This was new information to Scott.

“I’m not a boy,” Scott told him.

“But you said you might be in the future.”

“Yeah, but I might not be. I haven’t figured it out yet. I might be a girl, or I might be – something else,” they widened their eyes slightly as they remembered what he confessed to them a few months before. “You said you might be something else too, right?”

Even though their friend was only visible in slightly differing shades of gold, Scott was now able to recognize the glimmer of amber that appeared whenever Eddie blushed. “Uh-huh,” he murmured into his hands. “I think so.”

Scott tried not to look too victorious. “Right! So it’s different. And even if it wasn’t, I think whoever told you that was confused. Boys kiss boys all the time.”

“Sure, but you aren’t supposed to.”

“Why not?”

Eddie didn’t answer. He looked confused. He looked like how Scott felt whenever he watched most of Tenzin’s favorite movies. Eventually he sat up and just stared ahead at something Scott was unable to see.

“You can kiss whoever you want if you really love them,” Scott sat up too, thinking. “Sometimes people do it to people they don’t love. Like in movies! Except I think even then the good ones at least like each other.”

“It’s different for me,” Eddie said, suddenly very serious.

He did that sometimes. He was like a little boat bobbing along, very sweet and light – only occasionally some stronger, menacing force would rise up from the depths and drag him under for a few moments of immense despair.

“Nobody loves me like that,” he said to the empty space ahead of him. “That’s probably the funniest part of all.”

Scott took a moment to remember the speed at which they were directed to blink. The way Eddie said that, the certainty in his voice, made Scott’s stomach churn and ache. Still, they tried to smile.

“I do, Eddie,” they told him.

Eddie looked across at them. There was no specific expression on his face. Scott found that one of the most impressive parts of his faraway friend.

Finally, he furrowed his brow. “That doesn’t make sense.”

“Because I might be a boy?”

“Because you don’t know me.”

Scott fidgeted his hands very gently, mostly to have something to do. “I know you’re nice. You’re really smart. I feel happy when I talk to you,” he cast Eddie a smile, “I could probably lie in bed and just look at you and never go to sleep again, so I figured it would make the most sense to love you.”

The amber returned to Eddie’s cheeks. If a moth landed in the luminescent mist that made up his body it would be frozen in time for eons and eons.

“I didn’t know that’s what it meant,” Eddie said, a little vaguely. “You know, to love somebody like that.”

“I think it could be. I think it can mean all kinds of things!”

Eddie shifted his body, and Scott mimicked the motion until they were sitting face to face. “Do you think..?” Eddie chewed on his bottom lip, eyes grazing the ceiling. “Do you think that, if you look forward to seeing a person. And you think about – that person – even when you aren’t talking to them. And you wish that you could be around them whenever you wanted,” he paused to draw in a much-needed breath. “Do you think that means you love them?”

Now it was Scott’s turn to feel their face grow hot. “Um,” they said. “I think if you want it to be.”

“What if I do? What if I really, really do?”

“Then I think it is,” Scott murmured with a smile.

The two of them stared at each other for a short while of silence. Only there was something in the silence, a soft buzz of excitement and a sparkle of confusion.

“You know,” Scott said, trying for the first time in their life to be casual, “if you want, you could try doing what you did in your dream.”

It was always when Eddie widened his eyes that Scott was reminded that his friend was a birthright too. A wave of motion passed through his body – not so much a recoil as a sudden swell of life.

“You don’t –” Eddie grinned, mostly out of panic. “I can’t even touch you.”

“We haven’t tried,” Scott reminded him. “Not really.”

Scott was staring down at the wrinkles of the quilt serving as their bedspread. Their mind went someplace wistful, someplace sad and dusty. It would’ve stayed there too if not for this sudden pinprick of comfort and contentment that pierced them on the cheek in a burst of sensation and rapidly filled their small body with light. They shot their head up just as Eddie quickly pulled back his hand.

“I’m sorry!” He said. “Did I hurt you?”

The light of Eddie’s body felt like his touch. Scott’s mind felt a little dreamy and he felt like the heat in his face might now actually have a real, tangible glow.

“No,” Scott said. “It felt. I – I felt it, and it...was really nice.”

Eddie smiled. He looked proud. Then he wasn’t, and then he no longer smiled. His eyes lost focus slightly and he just stared, frozen in place.

Now it was Scott’s turn for movement. They leaned forward slightly and reached out a hand, moving carefully to brush against the glow of his companion’s form without diving straight into it. Immediately there was a reaction. Eddie’s face twisted and his eyes clenched shut. It was a response so close to pain that Scott moved away and waited, suddenly afraid for the both of them.

Eventually, Edgar relaxed. After that, the slightest shape of a smile touched his lips. In some innate part of Scott’s very being they knew this was a good thing that was happening. Some instinct that was forged from materials foreign to Scott’s being told them to move forward. Asked them to touch their palm again to the outskirts of Eddie’s light. Begged Scott to press their face over the sad, golden boy's, right where their lips would touch if they were two physical bodies in the same room.

The feeling was like connecting two wires and lighting up an an entire house – no, a whole city. Scott wanted to stay in it forever. They wanted to surround themselves in the amber glow until any concept of any darkness at all was nothing more than a silly, distant dream.

Eventually Scott pulled away. Eddie did not move this entire time, but when their vision adjusted to the dark of their bedroom again Scott saw he was smiling.

He was smiling, and he was weeping.

“What are you thinking about?” Scott asked.

Eddie swallowed hard and wiped his eyes. “I’m thinking...I-I’m thinking that you just gave me the best feeling I’ll ever have, and I have nothing to give you in return.”

Grief wracked Scott harder than someone of their age and size was fully capable of handling. Tears sprung to their eyes, but for some reason they found themselves starting to laugh.

“Eddie,” they said, struggling to keep their voice calm, “you give me everything in the world every time I see your face.”

“Everything?” Eddie wiped his eyes with the ball of his hands. “What do you mean?”

“Feelings. Thoughts. The moon. Every bird. Warm stew –”

“I love you,” Eddie paused, blushing again, but broke out in another weepy smile. “I-I would really like to be in love with you please, if you don’t mind.”

Scott took what felt like the very first breath anyone had ever taken before. “I would like that very much,” they spoke happily.

They exchanged a mutual grin and another deeply-felt silence. This time, though, what broke it was Eddie touching his ethereal hand to Scott’s. The golden glow fully bathed over the entirety of Scott’s hand, rushing into their bloodstream and staining every inch of them with dusk.

“Do you think we could do that again?” Eddie whispered to them. “Maybe...I start this time?”

Scott met his eyes. Their mind felt fully lucid yet fully eased with calm. They nodded.

[a-chuffed-floating-panda]

A love in the eye of the hurricane ch41

(Originally posted 21 February 2023. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. slightly better edited chapter

Shaohao had the masculine urge to coo at them. “Why did you set off a month to date, anyway? Dates are normal in relationships.”

“I’m not joking when I said I’ve never dated anyone. I’ve kissed, and I’ve slept with someone, never dated. Dating is a foreign topic for me. Having a trial period isn’t bad.”

He ran-whoever said he skipped was lying- back down where he came and stumbled into Yara. He put his hands on her shoulders and looked at her. Really looked at her and then began wildly gesturing over his shoulder.

Yara gasped. “What did you see?”

“Congratulations,” Jamyang startled, too deep in thought to notice Sister Tsering leaning against the wall at the corner turn; a curved black sword hilt peeked over her belt. She smirked. “You’re more like Yutso than you think.”

Jamyang’s mouth pulled down at the corners as she gave her an exasperated look. Not her, too. “Ugh, what?”

“She liked Rinzen for months when she was younger, but she wasn’t aware that it was an option until someone put it in front of her.” She said to her. “And you,” she poked her shoulder. “Exhibited much of the same behaviour, if a bit more self aware.” Jamyang blinked. Self aware? “I honestly believed if Gyalwo didn’t say anything back then, they wouldn’t have gotten together. And I thought you would’ve caught on to your feelings when you started painting each other.” 

Yara said something similar.

“You know that painting each other and, most of all, smiling and paying as much attention to details as you’ve done isn’t exactly…. platonic.”

“Were you also one of those that ‘predicted’ us getting together?” She’d gotten a few of those. Sister Tsering laughed. “Almost everyone who’s interacted with the two of you could tell.”

Jamyang had the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose. How come everyone could tell, but she couldn’t? Feelings were complex sometimes, and she understood that, but she wasn’t that bad. 

Sister Tsering nudged her. “Hey,” she pulled her into a loose hug. “I’m happy for you, okay?” Jamyang hugged her back, grateful for everything in her life.

Gawa quietly snuck into the room while the children were playing. They’re adorable. Tashi and Chesa were trying to see who’d jump higher. Dorje was spinning around in a circle and dancing all elegantly, like the dances he’d seen at the Eastern temple- he was trying too, at least. Sort of coordinated, but also not coordinated toddler feet made his movements a little clumsy.

Gaden was trying to use a damaru drum with some success as Tenzin spun in circles to the beat. 

Jamyang didn’t remember doing something like that when she was younger. The idea of endlessly spinning in circles for the sake of spinning in circles made her nauseous. Was this common for children? Did every child do this? She experienced a bit of a culture shock since she’d started taking care of them.

Gawa sat down beside her with a scroll and an old book in her lap- was that a letter sticking out of the pages in that book? “I think I figured out why people shave the front part of their heads here.” Oh? Interesting. She flipped to a page and handed it to her. “It allegedly comes from the sun warriors.” The first page was covered in ancient runes and simplistic red paintings of people in ponytails. 

“Really?” She looked at the second page where a snippet of history was written. Some of it was already familiar to her because of her air nomad upbringing and knowing other teachings. Which… she didn’t expect that. Her eyes drifted over the words.

‘The crown of the head is sacred and mustn’t be touched without permission and is the only hair men may keep. Women, because of their stronger spirituality, may keep more.’ She raised a brow at the usage of ‘spirituality,’ and continued. ‘They can do as they wish with their hair, and others will respect their choice and never disparage them…’ her eyes quickly scanned the rest of the paragraph.

“This… this reads a lot like a dakini’s teachings.”

“I know I didn’t make people do that.” Gawa giggled when Jamyang nudged her. “Oh, shut up. Your fourth name might be Khandro, but you’re far from their spiritual enlightenment.” Well, she’s not really sure about that. Gawa often proved her wrong.

Jamyang missed Dorje, momentarily slowing down his dance during their interaction and watching them.

Gawa turned over a page and pointed to another painting. A close up of a woman. The front part of her head shaved clean, just like they did here, and her hair was in a ponytail, a little farther back than the crown of the head.

“And look at this quote.” Gawa pointed to the words beneath the painting. Her eyes followed, and she read the words. “I will honour my ancestors by taking care of life wherever the wind takes me.”

She blinked.  “… huh.”

“I know. Interesting, right?”

“It is.”

“And because of this, I’m more inclined to believe that the tribe I spoke of started here, became nomadic at some point in time, started breaking off and traveled to other temples or potentially established them.” Jamyang looked up at her and she met her gaze head on. “There are old runes like those at Kinkaku-ji and Wat Phra Singh.” And she offhandedly followed up with. “Those at Wat Phra Singh are practically identical to those here and at the Sun warrior site.”

“How do you know that?”

“I took my glider and checked.” She opened her scroll and showed her two rows of runes drawn in ink. Gawa pointed to the upper row. “This is from the Sun warrior site.” And then she pointed to the row under. The runes were remarkably similar. Jamyang only picked up slight differences. “And this is from old stones in the caves underneath Wat Phra Singh.”

“How come I didn’t know that?”

“That’s because you don’t travel to the other islands.” The familiar sense of déjà vu washed over her. “It’s simple, you’re not there.” Gawa sputtered, and she reddened all the way down to her neck and she slapped her shoulder.

The reaction pleased Jamyang’s ego.

“Shut up.” She laughed, embarrassed. “I’ll take you with me on my next study trip, okay?”

“Sounds great.” Jamyang leaned in to nudge her nose against her cheek and-

“Ewww!” Dorje cried, both of his hands cupping the lower half of his face. His creased eyes failed him when he tried to show disgust. “D’ey are fli’ting!” Cue the other children screaming and running around. 

Regardless if Dorje and the other children screamed louder, Jamyang gave Gawa a kiss, anyway.

"What's in the letter?"

"Oh," Gawa looked down, "It's Tora laughing at me. Like literary." She opened the letter and showed it to her. Jamyang giggled when all she saw was "Hahahahahahahahahahaha..." 

"It's the whole letter, just laughing at me. I swear..."

Before they went to the library- it was Chesa’s turn to pick a book this time- Tenzin with Gaden in tow tugged at her robe.

“Yes?”

Tenzin looked back at Gawa, who was helping Tashi tie her robe and back at her. “A’we you an’ Gawa gwilfwiends?”

“Um, yeah. We are.”

“Oh…” he looked back at Gawa again.

“Yeah, can you keep it a secret for a bit first?”

He turned back to her, his brows furrowed. “Why?”

“Just,” this was embarrassing to say. “I want to have time one on one first.” It might not matter since so many already knew, but still. Quality time was quality time.

“Oh, okay.” He turned back to Gawa one more time and looked back at her. “Is ‘at why you weah- werve- were,‘’ his little grin of triumph was adorable. “So wei’d?”

“Weird? What do you mean, we were weird?” He frowned and started tapping his fingers against her leg. “Your chi was like d’is. All bubbly an’ happy. Your face got wed a lot.”

Oh.

Gaden chimed up at that with wide, innocent eyes. “Yeah, like weally wed.” Jamyang looked off to the side, ignoring the urge to crawl back into a hole. “Um, yeah, that’s why I got all red.” She didn’t remember blushing a lot, but children she’d come to learn, picked up more than adults took credit for.

Chesa counted out loud as she tapped the back of each book. Something Jamyang used to do when she was younger. Chesa’s limit was ten at the moment.

“… shi, nga, thru, uh,” she paused and Jamyang patiently waited until she turned to her for help. “What’s d’e next numbe’? I fo’got.”

“Tun.” Seven.

She brightened up and continued. “Tun, kyä, ku, cu!” Chesa picked the book and handed it to her. “D’is one Chi’ter Jamyang!” She skipped along with her as they walked back to the others.

Shaohao never saw himself getting included on a so-called ‘girls’ night’ as a man. Ever. And certainly not with nuns. Wasn’t that like, against the girl code?

Nyima said he was one of the few exceptions they were willing to make. She’d reassured him. “It’s a good thing, I promise. Take it as a compliment.”

Ghamo said he was like that gay best friend people had and the others present agreed. “Men and other male representing individuals who are like that are often an exception to the ‘No boys’ rule.” Which… he had made out with a guy once and enjoyed the experience. So kind of true (?) Chiaki-chan burst out laughing when he told her that.

“So,” Jaya took out a scroll, an inkwell and a brush. “What’s the most romantic beach in the fire nation?” They’d discussed potential dates when they visited the palace last time. Well, they came to him for advice and discussed potential dates together and he sort of got dragged along.

“Uh,” Ngawang was braiding his hair. “There’s some on Shushon island. There’s a big one on Bhanti island. Umm, Jonduri is mostly cliffs. Ma’inka and Natsuo island are the least romantic places out of all the islands. And there’s always the one on Ember island.” Jaya had been writing everything he said so far. “If I had to choose, I’d go for either Bhanti island or Ember island.” The Bhanti lived cut off from the world, but they didn’t oppose visitors. He’d visited a couple of times and they’d always been kind. They had a library too, and he spent a lot of time there.

Ember island was his go to. Everyone loved Ember island.

“Okay,” she looked up. “Is there anything to do on Bhanti island?”

He tilted his head and shrugged his shoulders. “Depends on who’s visiting.” He told her. “It’s mostly a secluded island and sages live there. They have an extensive library, though.”

“Ooh, Jamyang would love that.” Jaya muttered as she wrote and looked up at him again. “What about Ember island?”

“It’s the most popular tourist spot. There are a lot of beautiful sights, delicious food and there are many street games. And oh, there’s a theater there.” He grimaced. “The plays aren’t so great, though. The playwrights always get things wrong.”

Oh, Jaya was grinning. That was either good or you were in serious danger.

“Okay, I think I have a course of action here that goes well with the dates we planned on our earlier visit…”

“Has anyone asked about becoming a caretaker for the children?” Gawa asked when they walked back to the temple.

The children toddled ahead of them.

“There’s been a few, but,” she frowned as she thought back to the interactions the children had with the potential caretakers.

“But?”

“There’s two I don’t like.” The skin on her neck prickled when she saw them, a monk and a nun. The overwhelming kindness and compassion they had shown her struck her as not quite genuine. She could tell they tried, but it fell flat.

Yara had given the two the side eye from when she was out dancing; Their training as spirit guides from Jiming Linggu kicked in both of them.

The Jiming Temple elder’s voices had murmured in the back of her head as she watched the monk and nun interact with the children. “… The spirit guides protect the rinpoche’s self that’s been put in their care. Rid their life of corruption so they can become someone other than their past lives….” Her gut pinged those two as possible ’corruption.’ A broad term for anyone that could harm a spiritually vulnerable rinpoche.

Apa was the one that told them about the order of the white lotus and its popularity at the four big temples. “I am not against it. Knowledge is good and to keep it alive across nations is great, but I advise you to not trust those in it. Be cautious and guard your secrets. They tend to overstep and think of themselves as exceptions to consequences…”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” she nodded. “You know the feeling you get around Sister Dagmola and Tsering from the library?” Many others at the temple also incited a similar reaction, just not as strong as theirs. Gawa made a face. “Ugh.”

“I’m hesitating because of that.” She moved closer and grabbed her hand. “I don’t know if I’m overthinking it or not, but I fear they want to get close to me because they saw me walking around with Ngodup. A spiritually enlightened rinpoche from a temple like Jiming Linggu rarely steps onto the four temple grounds out in the open.” And that’s mostly because of past actions of previous lotus members and their actions blowing up and causing repercussions for everyone in the individual's vicinity.

Gawa offered a helpful solution. “You could always ask if someone at the Druk’s nest wants to take them in.” She hadn’t thought of that. “There’s always someone that’s willing to take care of another child. I know of a few.” Jamyang hummed. “I will think of it.”

Jamyang saw something she’d never thought she’d see. Like, ever. It’s shocking enough to stop her in her tracks. Gawa looked back at her, curious about what was up. The children, too, huddled around her legs and looked up at her with wide eyes.

Ngodup stood in front of Elder Yeshe, his brows furrowed as he stared at the threngwa around her neck.

“What do you want?” Elder Yeshe’s tone was neutral. There’s none of the usual fire or spite in her voice. For a moment, Jamyang thought she’d experienced an out-of-body experience. She’d never heard Elder Yeshe sound like that before.

Ngodup pointed to her threngwa. “I had a threngwa like that once.” He said. “But I don’t remember where I put it.” Ngodup patted at his robes, frowning. “Someone important gave it to me. I can’t believe I lost it.”

And then- and then. 

Her mouth dropped as she watched Elder Yeshe take her threngwa off and hand it to him. “You can have mine. I’m sure they won’t be too upset with you rinpoche-la.” 

Holy spirits of the heavens! Elder Yeshe was capable of something other than fire and spite.

Ngodup grabbed it and bowed. “Thank you, thank you!” He even hugged her and- was that a smile? 

“Let’s just,” Jamyang backtracked, unsure if what she was seeing was true or not. “Take another way.”

“Do you have a spy network?” Elder Sonam looked up from her scroll and blinked at her, surprised by the question. “Well, tashi delek to you as well.” She said as Jamyang sat down in front of her. “But um, to answer your question, it’s more of a practise spy network for individuals in training.” ‘Practise spy network?’ Was that a Kushi thing? She’d never heard of the term. “It’s still a network, though. What do you need?”

“Is Sister Tsewang from the Eastern temple and Monk Wagdak from the Southern temple members of the lotus order?” Just to soothe her worries. Was she right about them trying to get close to her because of Ngodup? 

“Tsewang is. She’s been ever since she was twenty.” Elder Sonam said, and Jamyang breathed a sigh of relief. She was right about her, at least. “I am unsure of Wagdak, but it won’t surprise me if he is.”

“Why?”

“There’s a grand lotus from the Southern temple.” Jamyang didn’t know that. “You know Monk Tobden? The old one with the large beard?”

“Him?” The quirky one? How??

Elder Sonam nodded, amused at her reaction. “Yeah, so it won’t surprise me if Wagdak is a member. Do you have any concerns?”

“I don’t know if I’m overthinking it, but I fear they’re trying to get closer to me and Ngodup,” or any other potential rinpoche she might end up helping, now that she thought about it. “through the children I take care of. Ama caught three people spying on him during the last days of the spring festival.”

Elder Sonam hummed, and her brows pinched. “Well, that is concerning. I can look into it if you want to?”

Ama always said to ‘Never let your worries rule you.’ Gawa, with her foresight, never let the feelings she got before missions or about individuals rule her. But Jamyang couldn’t shake this. “I would like that.”

Elder Sonam approached her a week later with a letter in hand.

Gawa and Yara were trying to teach the children how to play air ball. A toddler safe version on the ground.

“Here, I’ve already read it.” She handed her the letter. “The answers are here. I think you had a right to be worried.”

Curious, Jamyang opened the letter and started reading.

“To Namthöse; The Ghost, esteemed Elder protector and guardian: I, the Fenghuang, am writing this letter as a follow up regarding the concerns about dharma Sister Chime Tsewang and dharma brother Wagdak Mida. The silver kitsune and I have shadowed them for the last week and have reason to believe that the jizo spirit’s concerns were correct.” Jamyang raised a brow? Was that her? ‘Jizo spirit?’ Her old childhood nickname? Regardless, she continued.

“Dharma Sister Tsewang, as a lotus member, acted on the behalf of her order. Though I believe she was genuinely fond of the child she approached, and was reluctant to do as instructed through a letter we intercepted. She knows of Kushidera and Jiming Linggu’s history with the order and the repercussions that happened when someone tried to mould a spiritually vulnerable rinpoche to get what they wanted. She wrote of the jizo spirit and firecrackers suspicion.” Jamyang chuckled. Yara was as much of a firecracker now as she was as a child.

“She wished to never repeat such bloodshed like when Haru rinpoche almost razed Kushidera to the ground. Or how Xin rinpoche’s rage after finding corruption around him shifted the red mountains around Jiming and almost caused a rockslide. She’s curious about the spiritual rinpoches, that she admitted. And she wished to learn more about them, but was aware that they would never allow her to approach one alone, if ever. At the end of her letter she wrote she would never indoctrinate them into the order or use them for the sake of the world. She ended her letter with this ‘Looking to the past never solves the problems of the present, the chance of things worsening always outweighs the small possibilities and is never worth risking. I know that your rigid worldview and pride might have problems in understanding that.’”

“Oh… well.” She didn’t expect that from someone at the Eastern temple. Jamyang respects her a bit more now. 

“I know,” Elder Sonam chucked. “I didn’t expect that either.”

“Regarding dharma brother Wagdak Mida, he is not a member of the order. He acts on the behalf of the nomadic member Dudjom, otherwise known as White Jade, and the grand lotus of the Southern temple, Monk Tobden.”

“Nomadic members are a thing?” She knew members of the other nations traveled often to meet up, but nomadic air nomad members? Wouldn’t that make them more vulnerable if they’re holding onto something valuable? “Yes, I was just as surprised as you when I found out. Dudjom was a leak on a mission when I was still doing them.” Huh…

“He is less hesitant, but he fears the jizo spirit or the firecracker might do something to him after hearing about what the poisonous lotus did to Rose.” Poisonous lotus? Was that ama?

“The silver kitsune listened in on a meeting between the grand lotus and White Jade and believes that he will try again, knowing the jizo spirits’s connection to the spiritually enlightened rinpoche. They urged him to, for the reason, that ‘wisdom from spiritually enlightened rinpoche’s was more than anything in the universe.’ The silver kitsune believes the grand lotus might turn corrupt because of his willingness to risk Wagdak’s fate at the hands of the jizo spirit, the firecracker or any other of us who protect the rinpoches from the shadows. And it’s because of this that we urge that the spiritually enlightened rinpoche be protected from the dharma brothers from the southern temple as long as grand lotus Tobden is there. There are some monks that are safe, but we are unsure if they would stand up to Monk Tobden or, much less, believe that he is corrupt because of his rank at the temple. We believe the risk isn’t worth it. Protect the rinpoches at all costs. Namu ichijō myōhō renge kyō, amida buddha’s compassion is endless- grateful students, ‘Fenghuang and the silver kitsune.’”

Jamyang sighed. This was a lot. 

“The choice is ultimately yours.” She thought over the rules of no violence at the temple. Could she… accidentally punch him? 

“I’m going to punch him if he ever comes here and tries it again.” She didn’t know what to think when it came to Sister Tsewang. Children blurted things out without really thinking. Was risking it worth it?

Elder Sonam laughed.

“I’m serious.”

“I know you are. Yutso said the same thing when she was in your situation.” Jamyang smiled as she folded the letter.

“If I may ask, who is Namthöse?” The name was even rarer than Yara around the four temples. “It’s the name of a famous philosopher from Kushidera who achieved flight.” 

“Really?” Jamyang only knew of Guru Laghima, but there were more?? “You’re not joking?”

“No, I’m not. The other temples keep those achievements a secret. I studied his philosophy in my teenage years and he showed himself to me in a dream, so the alias came naturally.”

Jamyang looked at her, made sure to really look at her. “You’re not joking, right?”

“No, I’m not.” She said, “I can get you access to Kushi so that you can see the paintings in person, if you want.” ‘Access.’ Right. Ama mentioned something about going through a trial to be able to go to Kushi without apa or any other individual from Jiming. Jamyang went with him and the other monks last time, so that allowed her access, but she remembered being watched closely.

“I’d like that.”

Three days later, in the middle of the week, while she was watching the children play, Gawa asked her a question.

“How does desire work for you?” She asked, and Jamyang turned to her, confused at the sudden question. Was it even the right time to ask that? There were kids nearby. Out of earshot, but still. “Like do you feel it at all, or is it something that is gradual? Or conditional?”

“I, uh,” how does she answer? “I do feel desire. It’s just not immediate, I guess.” She thought back to the times she spent with Sonam before Jangbu was born. It was nice at first, comforting. Then the desire kicked in somewhere in the middle of the act. 

“Why are you asking?”

“Curious, since you’ve never talked about it. Desire and all that is a part of a relationship, too.” “Are you asking if I desire you?”… yes, a total yes. 

“I- well, yes. I guess I am.” she admitted, looking away from her. “Is that something you’d like to act on further down the path?”

Jamyang blinked. “… what?”

“I mean, since you said at the Eastern temple that you sort of, but also kind of not lack sexual desire for others and so I wondered if that’s something you wanted in a relationship.”

Ah.

She moved closer and grabbed her hand. “It’s easier to say that I lack it simply because I’ve never had other experiences outside of Sonam and you. I’m content with being by myself, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to be with someone in that way.” She said. “Although if you were someone else, and I didn’t like them as much as I did you, then I’d probably do it because, well, it feels nice.” Nice, mentally stimulating, comforting and maybe desire would pop in somewhere in there.

Gawa turned to her. “… So you wouldn’t be opposed to it?” Jamyang grabbed her and moved her into her lap. “No, I wouldn’t, just not now.” She said and nuzzled into her shoulder. “I want to have more of this first. Anything like that comes later when it’s just us.” She pressed a kiss to her neck, happy at the goosebumps that spread across her skin.

“Ewww!” Why was Dorje always the one speaking up about them? “D’ey a’we being gwoss!”

Dorje’s smiling. He’s having fun at their expense. Ugh. 

“Eww!”

“Gwoss!” 

“Blegh!” Gaden and Tenzin were the only ones laughing.

Gawa carved them wooden figurines as a payment from dealing with them. She even carved Chi and Ngodup figurines when they came around.

Jamyang got one too, a cute red panda cub. She kissed Gawa’s cheek when no one was looking.

Notes:

Bøø! I got done with eighty precent of this on Monday and had a music break which then turned into a two hour music break.... So I am then posting this at 2:35 in the morning instead of at a more reasonable time. I think I would've gotten this done earlier had I not been caught up in writing a childhood story about how Elder Sonam met her friends and how she lost them. I'm also thinking of turning 'the regrets of a monk' into a two shot instead because I drew two panels about how he found the currently unknown lotus member out and maybe had him killed or something like that. Haven't thought that far yet. For the childhood Sonam story I expect to start posting it later this week or next week. I think it'll be six chapters, currently on the third. And I also have the insane urge to make a podfic out of that fic, but I hesitate because I'm not English. I tried to read the first chapter in American English, but it's not for me. I turn British when I read and it's the most comfortable for me. I want to do it just so I can say that I have done it, but idk... Jaya dragged Nyima on a 'trip' some chapters back and they visited Shaohao at the palace and Chiaki is his crush, they're not together yet. It's still a work in progress. I'd like to imagine- since I don't plan on writing it- that they had to ask avatar szeto and Bhuti, if he was there, about how a good date was supposed to go. Jamyang and Gawa are being adults here and talking about things in their relationship. I checked the messages my friend sent me that put this story in gear and I laughed at how much I deviated from the original idea. I still absolutely love what I have now, but still. I really took the idea and ran with it. Words: damaru drum: Otherwise known as a chöd dum. It's used during chöd dakini: or khandro in tibetan, means sky dancer and is the most sacred aspect of feminine principle in Tibetan buddhism shi, nga, thru, tun, kyä, ku, cu: four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten in tibetan threngwa: mala Tashi delek: hello in tibetan Fenghuang: Chinese phoenix kitsune: fox rinpoche: reincarnated teacher la: honorific suffix Namu ichijō myōhō renge kyō: glory to the dharma of the lotus sutra

[low-budget-korra]

Realistic Portraits of The Legend of Korra characters

So i was bored and decided to visit the Artbreeder - you know, the site where some fans are doing those cool realistic portraits of Avatar characters-  and  i decided to do my own Realistis Portraits of some characters from Book 1 of The legend of Korra.

Ps: When i said  that i mix or search for “asian” or “native” when looking for templates im not generalizing those groups of people, it just that when i put those words to look at , appeared more templates than when i put “japanese” or “inuit” per exemple. 

Ps2: Have in mind that it aint that simple as say that FireNation is Japan and Earth Kingdom is China. The world of Avatar is a mix of Asian and Native cultures. And im saying this based on comments ive read about this, comments made by people from that background. And we can see that in the show, for example, we have parts of the Fire Nation - the sun warriors -  that according to Avatar Wiki was inspired by civilizations from ancient pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, including the Aztec, Incan and Mayan.

With all that said, here we go:

Korra: Just as i did with my Resident Evil fancast, when i was making this Korra, i was looking for the “right eyes”. And i also did this when making the others. 

Sadly theres just a few templates when i search for “inuit” to make the mix so i also search for “native“(that have lots of tamplates) and did the mix trying to  respect the people that - as far as i know - was the main inspiration for the Watertribe and also try to make a portrait that has resemblace the character we saw in the show. So basically: inuit + native + my crap  photoshop for the eyes colour and we have Korra.

Asami: For Asami i search for “japanese” since is know in the fandom that the Fire Nation in The Last Airbender is inspired by WWII Japan and i also search for “Asian”, not only for get more templates but also because Republic City is possibly the most miscegenated city in the avatar world, and i think at least half of the population there is a mix between the 3 nations. According to Avatar Wiki,  The lineage of the Sato family can be traced back to the first Fire Nation colonist, so she can have someone from earth kingdom in her background as a granpa or granma and this would explain her green eyes - a characteristic from earth kingdom people. So basically japanese + asian + my crap photoshop for the eyes colour and makeup and we have Asami

Mako: Basically the same i did with Asami but with male templates instead. I also choose to make him more Fire Nation since his brother Bolin is more Earth Kingdom, and both of them are a example of the miscegenation that was happening in Republic City. So basically japanese + asian + my crap photoshop for the eyes

Bolin: The same thing with Asami and Mako but i search for some “chinese” templates since his father is from Ba Sing Se and we know that Ba Sing Se took  tons of inspiration in China. So basically chinese + asian + my crap photoshop for the eyes colour

Lin : No much to say, I was trying to make Asami when i accidentaly made Lin. And i add the scar on photoshop

Tenzin: I tried search for “monks’ and ‘tibetan” but i didnt have much results so i simple just search for “old man” and “asian”. I know, this isnt the best. And i have to try to hide the hair and put Tenzin goatee and the blue arrow on photoshop. The result? Sadly aint that good

Tarrlok and Amon: Basicaly the same work i did with Korra.

with Amon i struggle because in the show we see that his skin tone is lighter- basicaly he could pass as white man - and while during the mixes i try mix with a white man because of that, but the result was bad so i did keep only inuit and native templates

And we are done. 

I know those portraits arent perfect but it was fun to make them

Edit1: one person pointed in a reblog that some anti miscegenation use the word "miscegenation" like if it was bad thing. I don't know if in US or in others countries it is like this but here we Brazil we just used a lot because our country is this mix of people from all over the world, so here is just like another word we use when talk about your people. Anyway, just to clarify because internet is wild and i don't wanna receive some hate calling me something I'm not. Thank you @nymeria-rhoynar for the observation

Edit2: Im really happy that so many people liked ❤️

Edit3: I've saw @ahhhsami and @jellolegos reblogs with their edits(seriously go check it out). I wish I had those photoshop skills. Damn those edits are amazing.

[pastel-peach-writes]

Hello Peach! I just found your blog and have to admit that Im in love in your korra and newest shera fics! Could you maybe write another Korra x reader where the reader is one of the new Airbenders from S3 and trains together with Korra? Tysm for opening your requests :)

My first request! Thank you so much for the compliments and yes, I would love to write this for you! Happy to hear you're enjoying my stories🥰🥰

WAYS OF THE WIND | KORRA X READER

(BRO THIS FREAKING GIF IM––ABSKNFCJSKE)

PLOT: Up above! WARNINGS: None!

Airbending. Supposedly the most peaceful bending technique out there. Learning the ways of the wind, meditating to become one with the bending craft, and becoming vegetarian to truly understand the Earth and all of its glory. If it was so peaceful, why did it have to take Y/n by storm? They didn’t ask to be a bender. They were fine working in their parent’s bakery in the Earth Kingdom.

Finding out the Queen was taking benders hostages thanks to the Avatar and her Krew with the sad edition of hearing of the Queen’s death, Y/n’s parents decided it would be best for them to take upon Korra’s offer. Air bending training camp… that’s what Y/n likes to call it anyways.

Much like most new air benders, they were not pleased with the way Tenzin was teaching and the importance of airbending as a whole. They wanted to learn tricks, find different ways to use their new skill, and get back home as soon as possible. Mediation, learning the history, and hard-core training was not a part of their agenda.

However, Y/n began to take down some of their walls as time went on. Training got easier, they got out of shaving their head, and initiated a relationship with the Avatar. They trained once a week, bi-weekly, and hung out often outside of training. Y/n wouldn’t say they had a crush on the Avatar, but with looks and a personality like that, it was hard not to.

“Y/n!” Korra’s voice called from across the field. “You ready to get your butt kicked again?” Y/n looked up from their laced shoes and up at the Avatar. They were sitting on a rock bench awaiting the Avatar’s arrival. As usual, she was late. “Oh I don’t know, Korra,” Y/n started as they got up from their seat. “When are you ever going to be on time?”

Korra let out a wry chuckle. “Ha ha,” She stated, finally meeting up with the Airbender. “You know me and time aren’t exactly the best of buddies.” Y/n let out a soft hum, crossing their arms over their chest. “Yet me and beating the Avatar are~” Sucking her teeth slightly, Korra placed her water and small towel by Y/n’s.

“You’re on.”

The two began to combat each other with their airbending skills. Despite being new to airbending, Y/n was quite the pro and kept Korra on her toes. Y/n combined a few of their moves with some Earthbending techniques they learned as a kid in an Earth Bending For Non-Benders class. Even though earth and airbending are on the complete opposite sides of the spectrum, they found that their moves threw their opponent off guard.. usually.

Korra has been training with Y/n for a couple of months so she had time to analyze how they fight. While the combination of the two skills is cute, it slows Y/n down in the end. Air is flowy, light, and unpredictable. Earth elements are heavy, concentrated, and dense. Trying to be grounded while trying to use air techniques isn’t a smart move in the end.

Quicker than usual, Korra took down Y/n. They sat on the grass in shock, looking up at the Native girl. “You- You beat me.” Korra shrugged and shook her head. “I didn’t beat you, I simply acknowledged the way you fight and found a weakness.” The Avatar gagged mentally. She sounded like Tenzin.

Huffing and puffing, Y/n looked away from her. They chewed on their lower lip in thought, feeling the mud underneath the surface of the grass. Looking back at the Avatar, they smirked. “So, you’ve been thinking of me?” Korra stared blankly at them. Her bright eyes piercing into the airbenders soul. Y/n swallowed the lump in their throat. Did they say something bad?

Before they could open their mouth to ask Korra what was wrong, she laughed. She laughed and laughed and laughed with her hands on her abdomen and her back hunched over. Slightly relieved and confused, Y/n got up to face the Avatar directly. Korra looked strangely… attractive laughing the way she was. Her smile was crazy infectious and her laughter was music to their ears.

Calming down from her hysterical laughs, Korra wiped some tears from the corners of her eyes and stood up straight. “You’re flirting with me now? Is that how Last/Name’s react to defeat?” She teased, looking into their eyes. Puffing their cheeks like a hamster, Y/n playfully used airbending to make Korra stumble.

“Whoa!” Korra laughs, stumbling as Y/n intended. “You know, I was gonna ask you out for some cold refreshments, but if you’re going to be so mean about it, maybe I won’t.” Korra poked, walking past them to get a swig of water. “Yeah, that’s not going to work on me, Avatar.” They followed, grabbing their water as well. “But I will take you on that offer.”

“But I didn’t offer anything.” “Didn’t you?”

“No, I just said I was.” “Oh, so you don’t want to go out with me~”

“y/N, THAT’S NOT WHAT I SAID!”

WC: 844

[p34rl34rring]

um no nuance november: atla edition?

this was all over tiktok and ive seen some people do it here so...here we go...some of these are probably hot takes, you have been warned.

most of the fandom seems to forget that katara is a young girl with deep-seated trauma that she never truly dealt with. cut the racism and misogyny. shes not the “token straight,” shes not annoying, shes not technically the “mom friend,” she deserves a better life (and life partner) than she was given in canon.

katara’s comment to sokka during the southern raiders was harsh don’t get me wrong, but it was justified 

most of my issues with characters fall on their writing...not the characters themselves if that makes any sense

bakoda should have been canon

why didn’t katara, toph and zuko reunite in korra (they’re literally my three faves i was robbed, plus they all just seem sad...)

mako is hot

if we are talking combat, earth is the strongest element...toph can genuinely just drop a rock on someone and its over

republic city is absolutely unnecessary and frankly, stupid. capitalist propaganda :) why would you american-ize this series? im baffled

i just hope that azula got therapy and some love...her actions were outrageous but as far as we know she was conditioned by ozai to just be a pawn

katoph = best duo (friendship and fighting) in the whole show

katara is not a sister to zuko...that role is for toph

(as much as i love firelord zuko) zuko should have waited at least a few years to actually assume the position but even then i truly think he would hate it and institute a democracy

the humor did not land in for me in lok (list of tried and failed for me is meelo, bumi, bolin, varrick, eska...)

i truly did not feel any strong emotional attachment to any lok character (causing me to be pretty indifferent to most of the entirely new editions to the show)

(i think the large cast did not allow for much development for really anyone, save for korra tenzin and maybe lin?, leaving them all to be pretty two dimensional.)

more rambling under the cut (its more shippy you have been warned...)

the fanon portrayal of aang is a glorified version of the canon (you can criticize your faves!)

aang being a “bad” father in canon fits his (poorly written) character 

TAANG IS GENIUS (it makes me like aang more :)

i dont think maiko is healthy...at all (same for bolin and eska and zhu li and varrick) - bottom line: bryke cant write relationships

building on that it felt weird for zuko to change throughout book 3 for him only to revert back to his old life in the finale by staying with mai

sokka and suki are the only valid canon couple

also why is everyone so quick to be “oh suki is bi!!” but so much of this fandom feels the need to say “no, katara is the token straight she can’t be bi...” it seems so silly to say but katara hatred is so normalized in this fandom and it makes me so upset. literally everyone would be fucking dead if it werent for her i love my queen fuck y’all

kanna would not have gone back to pakku

MAILEE BITCHES

why are most zukka shippers women...food for thought

peace by taylor swift is a zutara song...zukkas dont even try to claim that

zutara works...it just seems like antis forget that these two characters (even if it is not explicitly romantic in atla) have such a strong bond. they listen, care, and look out for one another...and bottom line they see each other as equals. (also watch the second half of tsr again...they play off each other and work so well together)

this fandom demonizes zutara shippers for absolutely no reason while completely disregarding actual problematic issues that occur throughout the rest of the fandom

suki in the comics is practically a katara stand in

makorra felt like an attempt to appease the zutara shippers (it failed immensely)

should we love kuvira as much as we do? should we be shipping her with korra...?

in canon it does make sense that sokka could have been suyin’s father, but where did suki go? were they hinting that zuko and suki had izumi, meaning that sokka and suki broke up? but WHY? they were literally perfect with absolutely no complication in canon...tldr: post-atla is so ridiculous

i think this feels salty...and i went on for too long...i needed to get that out...um...

[thetierdslytherin]

The Avatar’s sister

Bolin x reader(korra’s sister)

2k words and it’s kinda poorly edited 

a/n there’s some cuss words and some violence?

“We were just looking for the bathroom and we got lost!”

“Ah the old I had to pee excuse you know i'm sick and tired…” I don’t catch the rest of what he's saying because I see a teenage boy dressed in pro bending gear or as I like to call him our way out of this situation. I motion for him to come over praying to the spirits that he can read the room.

          “There you two are, I've been looking everywhere for you two! It's alright Toza there with me” Up close I can see that it's actually Bolin the earth bender for the fire ferrets. Spirits can my day get any better. I've seen a few pro bending matches before and listened to even more. One of the few perks of being the avatar’s sister. While she spends her days training on air temple island I spend my days wandering the city my favorite pastime being watching pro bending matches.Spirits he looks even better up close 

          “Yeah were with him” I say flashing the man a million watt smile and he responds with 

           “so you see we’re together” Oh I like where this is going. Before I can respond Korra replies

            “well not together together” speak for yourself Korra. I'm more than happy to be together together with him. He starts to stammer embarrassed by Korra words so I try to save all of us 

            “You see Toza Bolin and I are together and my sister was just tagging along with us.” Please let this work, if not Tenzin is going to kill me for letting korra go out with me.

           “Ah I don't care I got work to do” the man begins to walk away and I pull the stammering duo out of the room before either of them could blow our cover. I turn around to see a blushing Bolin and a confused looking Korra, I really need to teach her how to pick up on social cues 

           “I’m y/n, a big fan of yours, so Bolin why don't you show the two of us around” I say while grabbing his bicep motioning for him to lead. Bolin showed us around for a while before leading us into an area overlooking the arena “So what do you think best seats in the house huh?” It really is you can see the whole arena from up here and it's much less crowded than the seats in the stadium plus there isn't a guy as easy on the eyes as Bolin down there. 

           “Oh absolutely the view just keeps getting better and better” it's not often that I get to meet people as just y/n, not the avatar's sister, or korra's younger sister. It's nice to be myself around someone knowing that they're not using me to get to the avatar. Besides from what I've seen Bolin is too sweet and innocent to do that anyways.

          “Unbelievable this place is even more amazing than I imagined” I let out a small chuckle at Korra's words. It's nice to see her getting excited at the smallest things, it shows me that she can still be a kid and not burdened by the weight of the world. It makes sneaking out and a possible chewing out from Tenzin worth it “Names Bolin by the way”

“Korra” “I know” they both look at me waiting for an explanation “well i'm just a huge fan of yours” I pause “well the fire ferrets in general” 

“Psst Bolin”

“Yeah” 

“I told you you have to stop bringing your crazy fangirls in here before the matches get them out of here” His older brother Mako whispers this to him Korra and I both hear due to the fact that they suck at whispering. It almost hurts my feelings that we aren't the only ones he brought back here but then again he's not the first guy i've flirted with here. Though he is the first guy i've flirted with that seems so...innocent.

          “Aw c'mon Mako I kinda promised them that they could stay but I got a good feeling about them there's something special about the two of them. I know it” Well he's half right there. I wonder why he lied to his brother so we could stay. He never promised us we could stay back here. Some part of me hopes it's because he's interested in me too. “Come here I want you to meet my brother Mako” he says eagerly pulling me towards him 

          “Mako! Wow I heard you play on the radio” oh boy she's totally fangirling. I personally don’t see what's so interesting about Mako or his brooding douchebag act “cmon Bolin we’re up” Mako says completely ignoring Korra walking past her, see brooding douchebag. Korra not taking the hint turns to Bolin “or I could meet him later”

           “yeah he gets real focused before a match anyways wish me luck” his comment makes me laugh. Something about the positive energy he radiates is infectious. He jogs away, I yell “good luck Bolin” followed by “good luck knock em out” from Korra 

         “So do i have to be the one to say mako is bad news or i have to let you figure it out yourself” I cross my arms giving her my best ‘i know better than you’ look. While Korra may be the older sister, only by 11 months might I add, she doesn't act it. I blame all of her teachers and instructors for never letting her live when she was younger. Now that she's basically an adult seeing the world for the first time she's very sheltered.

          “He is not bad news y/n you heard bolin he was just focused for the match! Besides, did you see him?” let her figure it out for herself it is.

          “Yes and i also saw you drooling at him” I tease 

          “Oh please like you were any better with Bolin you were practically throwing yourself at him” these are the best moments when we can just goof off.

“First off I do not throw myself at anyone, he's just sweet and insanely hot. Secondly which one of us actually has experience with boys” she opens her mouth to defend herself before quickly shutting it. Got her there. “Exactly now pay attention the match is starting” We both turn and lean on the balcony watching the start of the match.

           “The rookie ferrets came out of nowhere and made it further than anyone expected this season but tonight they face their toughest test yet folks” we watch the two teams trading back and forth blows until the fire ferrets ultimately win with Mako knocking all 3 members of the opposing team into the water. I turn to Korra to ask how her first ever pro bending match was but stopping when I see her and Mako holding each other's gazes.

          “Yes! Whoo did you see that one more win and were in the championship tournament!” Bolin yells running into the room skidding to a halt in front of me “so what'd you think y/n?” he looks down at me trying to conceal his excitement waiting for me to answer him looking happier than i've ever seen him-if that's possible. 

           “You guys were amazing Bolin!” I practically yell pulling him into a quick hug.

           “Bolins got some moves huh?” 

          “You could say that again” Before Bolin can say that again Korra grabs him by his shirt pulling him towards her 

          “That was amazing” then korra promlety pushed him away as Mako and Hasook approach arguing about the last match

          “You did more harm than good out there, you almost cost us the match!”

          “We won didn't we?”

          “Barely” 

          “Get off my case pal” Hasook yells before storming out of the room.This doesn't put a damper on korra's mood though as she addresses Mako “You guys were amazing out there especially you mr hat trick” Mako yet again walks right past her him barely paying her any attention to her half heartly saying “oh your still here”

          “What gives you the right to be such an ass mr hat trick?” I say coming to my sister's defence. Pro bender or not it doesn't give him the right to be a jerk. I even bet I could beat him sparring. He's not even good enough to be this much of a jerk.

          “Your good do you think you could show me some tricks?” no no no korra that wasn't the deal I sneak you out we watch one pro bending match and we go back to air temple island.

          “Yeah sure absolutely i'm just not sure how my earth bending might translate to your water bending but we'll figure it out” This cant get any worse if she lets them know she's the avatar we're toast. No ones supposed to know the avatars in republic city

          “Won't be a problem-”

          “korra's right it won't be a problem because we really have to go-” 

           “because i'm an earth bender” great this is j ust great.

          “Im sorry no no i didn't mean to assume ya know cause i was just figuring since well with your water tribe getup that you two were well water bender” 

          “Korras just messing with you of course were both water-” 

          “You're right, I'm a water bender too and fire bender” social. Cues. Korra. 

         “Hmm hmm i'm very confused right now” Bolin 

         “Your the avatar and i'm an idiot” Mako 

         “Both are true” Korra. I throw myself into the nearest chair running my hands through my y/h/c hair.I wonder if I beg for forgiveness if Tenzin will still ground us for the rest of forever 

          “I need a drink” I say, completely ignoring Bolin’s freak out about Korra being the avatar I've heard it all before. Just like that my chances with Bolin have gone out the window no one has ever liked me more than my sister she's the avatar I can't compete with that .I never will be able to. 

          Nonetheless I follow the brothers into the training room and sit on the stairs looking as happy to be there as Mako does. I don't pay much attention to Bolin and Korra training “so mr hat trick is there any reason why you're so prickly or are you always like this?”

          He scoffs “no i just don’t appreciate the two of you showing up like that besides your sister is a piece of work”           “No kidding hat trick don't you know being the avatar comes with a hero complex?” Okay so he's not as bad as I thought.

          “Well it's getting late so i'm going to turn in but you kids have fun”

          “Speaking of Korra we really do need to be going” I speak in a tone to let her know it wasn't an option.I stand up brushing my water tribe robes off “it really was great seeing you Bolin but we have to go”

          “Sorry my sister is being such a wet blanke-” “now Korra” 

          “Hey um y/n could you hang back for a second” here it goes. Is your sister single? Can you set me up? 

          “What do you need Bolin?” 

         “You mean other than you in my life” we both cringe after he says that.

          “That has to be the worst pick up line i've ever heard” 

         He scratches the back of his neck awkwardly “heh yeah it wasn't really my A material but the real reason i wanted to talk to you was well i was mostly just wondering well we have a match next”

          “Bolin spit it out i'm sure it isn't that bad”

          “Do you want to come to our match tomorrow then get some food after” he looks at the ground playing with his fingers. Where was the confident Bolin I met earlier? 

          “Yes”

          “Well it was a stupid idea anyways I shoul- wait yes? Really! I uh I mean of course you would want to get food with me” maybe he's more insecure than I initially thought. But then again people do have layers.

       I kiss him on the cheek turning away from him and walking to the door so he couldn't see the blush on my face “I'll see you tomorrow Bolin”

[guiltysecretpasttime]

Adversity - 13-B

Labelling this as ‘chapter 13-B’ in tumblr .

Edit: Ended up as part of chapter 13 in A03.

---

Adversity details

Multi-chapter, work in progress, AU, pre-LoK,

Latest status: up to Chapter 12 uploaded in A03

Blurb: Lin and Tenzin are both at the height of their respective     careers – she with the Metalbending Police and he with the Air Nation.     Questions about their future begin to arise and things come to a head when     Lin responded to an emergency call. Would her job take them from each     other forever? Eventual happy ending. Alternatively: The one where Lin and     Tenzin had to go through adversity like Lin’s dangerous job, a near-death     experience, temporary separation and memory loss, unplanned pregnancy and     Tenzin’s responsibilities before they end up with a family.

Tumblr chapters 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | go to AO3 for chapters in between | 13

Ao3 link |   Ff.net link

---

Adversity – 13-B

There were muffled voices outside of the room and before they could even react, the door was shoved open.

"Chief!"

"Aunt!"

Tenzin usually felt that Toph Beifong was larger than life; never mind her blindness or stature. Today was no exception.

“I received this note at the Jasmine Dragon and I thought - this I have to ‘see’ for myself.”  The earthbender entered the room unceremoniously, fingers forming air-quotations to explain her presence. "And lo and behold, you're in bed with Airhead Junior already, so I guess you're doing just fine."

“I’m not in bed – she’s – we’re not -!” Tenzin sputtered, leaning back hurriedly to disguise the fact that half of his body was actually on the bed.

Lin rolled her eyes. “I don’t care that you’re the chief but don’t you ever knock?”

“Were the chief. That’s the past.” Toph perched herself at the end of Lin’s bed. “I’m here as your mother.” She tilted her head. “Surely that’s gotta hold some weight to you?”

“Not a lot, but sure.” Lin tossed, unaffected.

Well-versed in how Beifongs conduct themselves, the airbender knew that both were affected by this meeting under the veneer of snark and nonchalance.

Tenzin sought to make himself scarce. “I -uh – I can leave the two of you alone for now. I think I’ll check if the others have returned from their tour.” He gently extricated his hand from Lin’s grip, squeezing it once and receiving a squeeze back.

He pretended not to see the tears fall from their eyes as the two Beifong women hugged each other when he closed the door behind him.

“Hey Badge.”

“Mom.”

This was private for them.

He breathed.

She’ll be okay.

 ---

It was a trigger, they confirmed.

Katara explained from Lin’s medical files that Lin was likely submerged in water for quite some time before she was rescued. The sudden sea spray and saltwater must have triggered the memory.

While Lin’s blood pressure was recommended to be monitored closely, the vitals of both mother and child are strong, to everyone’s relief (especially Tenzin’s).

Upon arriving from their tour, Katara immediately went straight to Lin’s room upon hearing of the panic attack. After the routine check-up, the waterbender left the Beifongs alone. There remained to be a strain between Toph and the rest. The last time they had all been together was during Lin’s memorial months back – after she had accused everyone of not trying their best in locating Lin.

***

Toph has been with her daughter for hours now. Su had joined them at some point as well (even if it was with a lot of hesitation).

Everyone was pleased with this development. It was evident in the lightness that was not there before; a lightness that will be there at least until the three Beifongs would rejoin them.

Lin, Su and Toph talking for hours hints of a reconciliation among them. Su had confided in Kya a few nights ago that she had been worrying about her tentative reconnection with her sister. It may seem well and good now but what if Lin regains her memories and decides to retain to original stance regarding Su?

If Tenzin were to be honest with himself, he had been toying with the same fear as well. The spirits know that they definitely had not parted well before The Accident. He had been about to try to salvage their relationship but as far as Lin knew, he was a selfish jerk who was about to discard her for an air acolyte.

“You besotted sap, what are you frowning about now?”

Tenzin turned to his side, where Bumi seated himself on the steps, a teasing smile on his face. He had been absent-mindedly playing with Junior and Huan as they build things in the sand. He was instructed by the boys to throw around the occasional airball to test the strength of their structures or to flatten the sand so they can play more.

At the moment, the boys were attempting to replicate what Zaofu looked like on the sand and so were ignoring him until he needed to do some clean up.

Tenzin’s own brother then nudged his shoulder. “Anything I can do for ya?”

He shook his head no, still lost in thought.

The airbender is happy for Lin, truly. He could not imagine how she might have been feeling the past months – alone, injured, pregnant and with lost memories to boot. He should not and cannot even find it in himself to even be remotely selfish.

And yet…

He wanted Lin.

The laughter of the two Beifong boys drew his attention.

Rather, a family with Lin, he amended to himself. Tenzin sighed.

---

“That was one deep breath.” Bumi continued to observe, patient and knowing his brother well enough that he will speak when ready.

After a few more minutes, Huan managed to use earthbending to create a crevice in the middle of sand Zaofu. Both of them cheered the kids on.

“Uncle, where is Mommy?” Junior spoke up, green eyes darting around. “Can you call her? I think she would like to see what Huan was able to do.” The boy was proud of his brother despite not being able to bend himself.

Bumi grinned, the kid kind of reminded himself of well…himself. Back when Tenzin managed to make his first air wheel.

“Well, kid, I’m sure your mommy would be proud of both of you.” He pointed to the fairly complicated and detailed sand city on the ground. “But I think Su is busy right now.”

“She’s with your Aunt Lin and Grandma.” Tenzin added.

“Grandma’s here?!”

Both kids quickly rushed towards Tenzin and Bumi, grasping Tenzin’s robes in their hands, asking to be led inside to greet their grandmother.

“Is this a good idea?” Bumi whispered to Tenzin, leaning to his side so as to not to be overheard by the excited children, who were running ahead to the rest house.

The airbender simply shrugged. There was obviously something bothering him.

“They’ve been in the room for how long now?” Bumi tried to make light of the situation. “Are you sure they aren’t throwing hands or something?”

“We’ll probably feel the earth rumble if that were the case.”

That was true. Their childhood has been literally punctuated by mini earthquakes whenever the Beifong sisters squabbled.

Bumi played with his beard. “What if the new baby Beifong turns out to be another earthbender? Imagine the chaos.”

Huan and Baatar Junior were shifting their weight from one leg to the other, practically bouncing with excitement as they arrived at Lin’s door ahead of the adults.

Bumi snorted. Figures that Suyin’s spawn were behaved enough to not burst into rooms but could be quite tactless with their words.

Tenzin stiffened as they reach the door to Lin’s room.

Bumi nodded. “Arn’t you going to go in?” At the airbender’s head shake, he took the initiative to open the door. “Knock-knock! Good afternoon, Beifongs!” He was surprised to see Su and Toph flanking Lin from both sides of the bed.

Before he could even remark or tease Lin about it, twin squeals shattered his eardrums and in went Junior and Huan.

“Boys! Don’t jump on your aunt!”

Cute. With the surfeit of Beifongs in the room, Bumi waved at them and exited quietly. He will catch up with Toph later instead.

Still grinning, Bumi turned to Tenzin and noticed he was still awkwardly standing at the corridor. His smile softened, placing an arm around Tenzin’s shoulder. “Do you want to talk about it now?”

---

Before long Tenzin’s worries, fears, and insecurities tumbled out and into his older brother’s ear.

It was quite cathartic, to be truthful.

It was different opening up to his father (the Avatar) or even his mother (who was bound to be as protective as she was judgmental – less so compared to her younger years but still).

Bumi heard him and was not bound to judge him.

Neither did he invalidate his feelings nor did he downplay the airbender’s perceived consequences of the situation.

It certainly also helped that Bumi had been away from Republic City and was able to listen with fresh perspective.

---

“Don’t cancel your dinner. You’ve prepared a lot for it.”

“No…” His voice trailed off. “I’d rather not intrude in their family time.”

“Aren’t you her family, Ten?”

---

“Ah there you are Junior!”

…

“What on earth are you doing in the kitchen? Last I heard this was Lin’s domain.”

“Uh – tonight’s dinner for Lin – I  was -.”

“Don’t you dare say you’re postponing it?” It really was discomfiting when Toph Beifong is able to stare at you in the eye. “She had been talking about it, and was particularly excited too.”

“Oh.”

“Oh – indeed.” A beat. “Don’t disappoint her, Junior.” She passed by him to exit the room. And in a lowered voice muttered. “I’m still rooting for you, despite everything.”

----

---

Note: We are getting there~ thanks for the patience and for still reading this. 

Been through some tough times the past few days (ironically, after I had thought I could probably write a little bit more). Not quite good yet but better than the past days. Hopefully. Anyhow - let me know what you think :)

[the-last-cuddlebender]

Since when young Tenzin is underloved? His dad loved him the best and treated him as the special one and his mom adores him and maybe his siblings would give him shit when they were kids because they were jealous but he had Lin as a good friend and then he cheated on her with a 20yrs younger woman. The guy gets as much loved as he deserves

Hi, anon! So there’s a few things to unpack here, so I’ll try to be as concise as I can. This is pretty much what I think Tenzin’s childhood was really like and why he should be appreciated just as much as Bumi and Kya. Also with Kataang TLOK parenting thrown in. I’m pretty tired and don’t wanna edit an essay, so I apologize if it rambles.

Also, I’m not gonna touch the whole Tenzin cheating point. I’m fairly certain that that’s just objectively wrong. Everything else I’m more than happy to discuss, though:D

To be clear, when I say I feel like Tenzin is under-loved, I mean by the fandom (and by TLOK, but to a smaller degree). Under-appreciated might be a better word. Or under-explored? Idk. I just know that Tenzin’s childhood—just his—doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Outside of Tenzin having some angsty one-on-one’s with Aang (which I love, make no mistake!), I don’t see a lot fleshing out his childhood. Bumi and Kya get a lot of it, though (or the kids as a whole, but nothing that’s just Tenzin’s).

I don’t subscribe to the idea that Aang treated Tenzin as “the special one.” Bumi and Kya being jealous—in the way that seems to be the majority consensus—of Tenzin when they were kids is a bit hard for me to imagine, too. I try to stick to canon as much as I can, but, for some things, I have to draw the line. There has to be evidence, not just anecdote, otherwise I hc it into oblivion. I’m not saying their feelings in TLOK aren’t valid. They absolutely are, and Aang would never want those feelings to be invalidated. Children just retain things differently. A traumatic accident could have no effect on them but falling in the shower and bumping their head might. Developing brains are weird. 

I can see Kya and Bumi giving Tenzin some shit when they were kids (Tenzin does admit that Kya picked on him), but I highly doubt that was any more/less than normal sibling rivalry and Cain Instinct. Sure, Aang might have given Tenzin attention for being an airbender, but he gave Kya and Bumi attention for being a waterbender and a non-bender, too. To me, it’s like having siblings who play different sports. Just because dad went to every one of my sister’s soccer games doesn’t mean he didn’t attend every one of my basketball games. The hyperfixation on airbending in TLOK makes it sound like that was all Aang cared about, but even in ATLA we can see that that isn’t true. If it was, then he would have kicked out the mechanist from the Northern Air Temple. 

To say that Aang loved Tenzin the best is to imply that he loved his other children poorly, which isn’t true in the slightest. I can entertain the argument that he spent more one-on-one time with Tenzin, but that could be attributed to different children with different personalities having different wants and different needs for validation from their parents. And I will gladly defend it, even though I personally hc otherwise.

It’s hard to talk about Tenzin without also talking about Aang and Katara, so bear with me here:

Tenzin and Kya:

Tenzin was the last airbender besides Aang. Kya was the last waterbender from the Southern Water Tribe besides Katara. To assume Aang treated Tenzin as the “special one” because he’s an airbender would, if using the same logic, mean assuming Katara treated Kya as the “special one” for being a waterbender. 

I’ve never understood why The Southern Water Tribe being inherited by the Kataang kids isn’t as big of a deal as Air Nomad culture. Both of them were recovering cultures on the brink of extinction, so they both have a lot of pressure for the kids to live up to.

Plus, if Sokka had a right of passage for being a Water Tribe warrior, then who’s to say there wasn’t a right of passage for Kya, specifically, for being a waterbender? She would be the special one, there. And maybe Tenzin struggled with his two heritages because being an Air Nomad meant being vegetarian but being Water Tribe meant using dead fish to go penguinsledding?

Tenzin and Learning too soon:

Tenzin probably learned about his responsibility of carrying the legacy of the airbenders at a very, very young age. Aang and Katara probably tried their hardest to wait until he was older to tell him (a-la Gyatso wanting to wait until Aang was older for him to carry the burden of being the airbenders’—and the world’s—last hope, too), but it was unavoidable. It was a part of the world’s history, and the aftermath of the war wasn’t exactly something a kid could avoid. Plus, I’m sure Aang wanted to correct airbender history as it was taught in schools as soon as he got the opportunity after the war.

Tenzin just has the abstract “idea” of what his bending culture was like when it was alive and well. Aang has memories to draw upon from which to imagine the future that the airbenders needed to rebuild towards. Tenzin gets second-hand notes.

Tenzin also didn’t have a baseline by which to measure if he was a “good airbender.” He had only Aang to compare himself to. ONLY AANG. This is talked about in TLOK but only in regards to Aang being his dad, if I’m not mistaken. But Aang isn’t just Tenzin’s dad. Aang is his father, the Avatar, and the youngest airbender to get his master’s tattoos. That’s a LOT more to live up to than just being his kid. And it’s the only thing Tenzin has to compare himself to to measure whether or not he’s a good airbender. I’m shocked that his spiritual ineptitude isn’t more of a haunting issue for him, quite frankly.

Tenzin and Bullying:

Tenzin didn’t have any airbenders his age (anyone like him) growing up. Even Aang had a childhood with other airbenders. As a father, Aang was as playful as a kid, sure, but, to a child, it isn’t quite the same because they don’t share that special bond of growing together and having a shared upbringing. 

Katara can especially empathize with this. 

Airbending is the element of fun. It’s kindof hard to express/embrace that facet of the element if Tenzin is the only one his age who can wield it.

I can almost guarantee that Tenzin got voted out of playing with other kids at least a few times because he was the only airbender (and that would make teams unfair). He probably learned to play by himself. That would certainly make him serious. Toph would probably teach him how to entertain himself, too. And that might lead to Tenzin and Lin hanging out. Who knows?

I honestly think Tenzin was bullied quite a bit (and not by Kya and Bumi), and that the bullying attributed to his demeanor as he grew up. Him cowering from Kya or running from his siblings when they picked on him was an exasperation of what he was probably dealing with outside his home.

In the recent comic with Katara and the pirates, we see a Fire Nation soldier flaunt some pretty nasty ideas about the Air Nomads because of Sozin’s propaganda. I don’t think that 15 years (or however long Tenzin was born after the war) is going to reverse that. Tenzin was probably picked on for being an airbender in addition to being the Avatar’s kid. 

If the rise of fashion post-war was as fast-growing as industry, I can imagine kid-Tenzin being made fun of for being bald (even though it was part of his religion/culture) and for dressing in robes when the world, especially Republic City, was beginning to adopt different clothes. 

Tenzin is an incredibly tender soul around those he loves but also incredibly serious around his adversaries. He has a soft inside and an armored shell, and that thick skin is usually forged through unsavory interactions. And he definitely interacted with plenty of normal kids his age. Aang missed the chance after the ice, and Katara was the only one her age in her village besides (kindof) Sokka. There’s no way Aang and Katara would keep their kids cooped up and strictly homeschooled. At the very least, Toph would bust them out if they did.

Tenzin and Katara:

Now, I’m not saying that Tenzin blames Aang because he obviously doesn’t. But Aang has memories of what airbender life was like, and Tenzin has only dreams. Honestly, it’s like he’s caught in the situation Aang was in when he was a young Avatar. They both have to live up to something that was pretty much just a legend. How could Tenzin possibly be expected to compare himself to something like that and be peachy fine? Aang wasn’t. So maybe, just maybe, Aang and Katara decided to have Tenzin go on private trips with Aang so Tenzin could understand that part of himself that was so hard for him to get? Inner peace is pretty dang hard to think about with THAT much pressure. 

And yes, it was Aang and Katara who decided on the trips. I will not for a second believe that 1.) Aang would make that kind of decision without her input or 2.) that Katara would let one of her kids get private time with dad that would even potentially give the illusion of favoritism. 

Katara knew how important one-on-one time with a parent was to some kids. This is why she tells Sokka to go see Hakoda instead of her in Ba Sing Se. She saw not only how much Sokka wanted but how much he NEEDED to see their dad. Sokka and Tenzin were both caught in a “passing of the torch” scenario (tbh, the scene where Aang tells Tenzin that he’s proud of him in the Spirit World reminds me of when Hakoda tells Sokka that he’s proud of him during the invasion when he’s injured. In both instances, it kindof solidifies the official passing of the torch).

“You didn’t love her like I did”—Katara learned pretty quick in tsr about how incredibly toxic the assumption of loving or being loved more/less was. She would never under any circumstance agree to anything that would show favoritism to one of her children. Absolutely no way. Aang and Katara are a team, and to villainize one for favoritism is to villainize the other.

Tenzin and Yue:

Tenzin had a stressful upbringing. I would even make the argument that he and Yue had a similar time trying to conform to a responsibility that they were told/learned about at a too young age. Their mindsets are very similar—responsibility even at the sacrifice of their own wants and happiness and an overwhelming love for their father.

Tenzin: “I have a responsibility to Republic City.” Yue: “I have a duty to my Tribe.”

They were both determined to love and carry on the legacy of their father and their people, but they did it in their own way. They both struggled with their responsibilities from an extremely young age.

Finishing thoughts I guess:

*********************************************

I can imagine a young Tenzin crying and trying to hide from the world that was shoving its weight onto his shoulders, and who, when Aang finds him hiding in the bison stables or somewhere similar, cringes away from Aang for a split second before recognizing his father and holding on so tight that it hurt. Aang tried his damnedest to teach Tenzin airbending and the responsibility of being the last airbender when Aang was gone, but even he knew that he couldn’t keep the weight of the world off of Tenzin forever. Aang never got that chance when he was told he was the Avatar. He heard the monks say that he was “the airbenders’ last hope” because storm clouds were gathering. Young Tenzin probably felt just as hopeless. The one-on-one trips he took with Aang were specifically to the places Aang had visited in S1 when he was still recovering from realizing that he was the last airbender. Maybe Aang took Tenzin with him one-on-one, just the two of them, to drive home the message that Tenzin was not the last airbender like Aang had been?

“I-I’m just one kid…I can’t. I…I-I’m just—”

“Shhh, shhh, shhh…I know, buddy. I know. But you’re my kid, too. You’re my entire world.”

“Everyone says I’m—”

“Don’t worry about them. They’re not here.”

“B-But—”

“But? What but? Are you hiding someone in your sleeping bag, Breeze-Butt?”

“N…No…”

“And do you see anyone else here?”

“…No.”

“That’s right. So don’t worry about them. It’s just you and me right now, okay? Just breathe. There you go. Just like I taught you—You’re doing so well, bud. Shhh…You’re okay. You’re not just one kid. You’re Tenzin. And you’re my son. You and your brother and sissy are my entire world. I love you so, so much...Oh, see? There’s that million-yuan smile!”

“…Thanks, Daddy. Love you.”

“Love you more. Do you want to try going in the water again? Or we can stay up here if you like. Whatever you want.”

“I wanna try again. But…But maybe just a small fish? I don’t wanna fall off again…I-I can’t do the air-chute yet…and the water hurt.”

“I’ll round up the smallest koi there is. I’ll sit right behind you, too. How’s that sound? I won’t let you fall.”

“Okay!”

*********************************************

Maybe this has been said before idk. These are just my thoughts on Kataang parents and Tenzin. I retcon the entire Kataang family as it’s presented in TLOK, but this is how I imagine it going down in canon. 

This isn’t an attack on any person or fandom btw! I just think Tenzin isn’t as appreciated as the airbean deserves😞 He’s been through so much😭

If there’s a secret stash of young Tenzin appreciation content somewhere, please share!  I might be looking in the wrong places for Tenzin love, and I would love nothing more than to be wrong, honestly. So, please, if there’s a secret stash, yeet me that link!!

[cuteniarose]

I was tagged by @felicity-kitten to share a snippet of my current WIP, and while I barely made any progress since the last time I was tagged in one of these, I have started to rewrite the first chapter of Seeds of the Red Lotus (let’s be honest, it needed a lot of work). So here, have an edited extract from Korra’s opening internal monologue:

- - -

Visiting Zaheer in his prison and getting over her fear of the past with his help and guidance - Spirits, she would never get used to putting ‘Zaheer’ and ‘help and guidance’ in the same sentence - had aided her immensely. At least now she could go into the Avatar State without getting hit with flashbacks and wild hallucinations like what happened in Zaofu.

‘Maybe we shouldn’t have rushed to dispose of the Red Lotus so soon…’ Korra thought. After the battle of Laghima’s Peak, the United Forces had done a quick and clean job of finding any other branches of the organisation and nipping them in the bud. At the time, it seemed like the logical thing to do. A precaution to make sure nothing like the killing of the Earth Queen or the poisoning of the Avatar would ever happen again. But now, with a tyrannical dictator taking over most of the Earth Kingdom, Korra was starting to regret that decision.

Of course, that decision wasn’t hers to make. Tenzin had visited her in the South Pole, a few weeks into the start of her recovery, to inform her that the world leaders had almost unanimously agreed to exterminate the remnants of the anarchist movement. Tonraq, anger still coarsing through his veins at what they did to his daughter, was the first to offer his support. Tenzin himself, devastated at the loss of the Northern Air Temple, was the second. No one knew exactly why Eska and Desna went along with the notion. The only opposition was Izumi, who officially declared a statement of neutrality as the Red Lotus had never done the Fire Nation any harm.

Korra’s mind drifted back towards the three casualties of the battle of Laghima’s Peak. She would be lying to herself if she said they weren’t some of the most exceptional benders she had ever seen; lavabending, combustionbending, armless waterbending for spirits’ sake! Having someone like them on the Avatar’s side would surely guarantee them victory in the fight with the Earth Empire. She hasn’t and probably never will forgive them for the pain and suffering they put her through all those years ago, but some part of her wished they were still alive, if only for the purpose of setting them loose on Kuvira.

- - -

Korra: Damn I wish the Red Lotus were still around so they could deal with Kuvira for us

Ming-Hua and Ghazan’s daughters: Allow us to introduce ourselves ;)

Yep I make jokes about my own fic what of it

[philosopherking1887]

Thanks for the tag, @marvelfan-random!

Name ten favorite characters from ten different things (books, tv, film, etc.) then tag ten people.

I’m going back to the beginning of my hyperfixating career and going through in chronological order. It’ll be more than 10.

Han Solo, Star Wars (original trilogy; the Special Editions came out when I was 8)

Éponine, Les Misérables (I got into it in 3rd grade)

Sirius Black, Harry Potter (started reading in 5th grade in 1999, was obsessed for 3 solid years)

Boromir, The Lord of the Rings movies (God bless Sean Bean); tie between Faramir and Éowyn in the books

Fëanor, The Silmarillion (I have a thing for Lucifer figures, OK?)

Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha (thanks to our mutual friend, @iscariotsss)

Morpheus and Lucifer, The Sandman (thanks to @iscariotsss for recommending it and lending me the books in high school)

Alexander Hamilton, actual history and the Ron Chernow biography (which I read in 2005 after reading Gore Vidal’s novel Burr, which had a lot of homoerotic tension; Aaron Burr is my favorite in the musical)

Arya Stark and (esp. in show because he’s hot) Jaqen H’ghar, A Song of Ice and Fire / Game of Thrones (starting 2012, in grad school; I took a long break from hyperfixating on media to be obsessed with linguistics and philosophy and then fail spectacularly at having a love life)

Erik Lehnsherr, new X-Men movies (watched them in 2015, fell back into shipping but didn’t feel the need to write fic because the movies were already so blatantly gay)

Loki, MCU (also starting in 2015; went back to reading and writing fanfiction, joined Tumblr)

Anya, Buffy the Vampire Slayer; Lorne, Angel (finally watched them all the way through a few years ago)

Crowley, Good Omens (I read and loved the book in high school, but got a little obsessed again after watching the show in 2019)

Jaskier, The Witcher (show only; I really don’t like Dandelion in the books, which I started reading and then kind of trailed off)

Zuko (for fic-writing) and Toph (for fun and profit), Avatar: The Last Airbender; Tenzin and Lin, The Legend of Korra

Elim Garak, Star Trek: Deep Space 9, but also all of Star Trek (you’ve created a monster, @spfuzz); Data in TNG is first runner-up

People I tag are under no obligation to do this, and if you do, you can actually follow the rules instead of doing the self-indulgent stroll down memory lane I just did. @illwynd, @incredifishface, @ikol-cosplay, @lucianalight, @sabishiinaq, @wnnbdarklord, @wickedjaime, @spfuzz, @jaystrifes, @delicatetrashstranger

[greyfongschemmenti]

In These Arms | Chapter 11: Infiltrated

Summary:

Zaheer has infiltrated Zaofu, how will the events transpire.

While the Beifong family have their last moments with Opal after dinner, you walk with Team Avatar out on the courtyard and Korra offers to heal your cut. “You should’ve come to me when this happened” Korra looks at the cut as she heals you up “It’s small and wasn’t life threatening. I can take a beating - Thanks again” you laugh and notice the family walking out. Korra quickly finishes the healing session and you join and follow everyone toward the loading dock in the city.

Walking up with Mako you run into Kuvira as she gives orders to open the gate. She takes notice of you and walks in your direction “y/n, I want to apologize for the mishap yesterday.”

“Wasn’t a mishap. It was intentional, Kuvira”

“Okay, well I’m sorry for what I did. I’ve been trying to work on my temper”

“You’re forgiven. Opal is about to board the ship. Just keep working on it okay?” you give her a slight smile resting your hand on Kuvira’s shoulder before removing it.

“Thank you, y/n” Kuvira bows to you before returning to her post. You’re a bit caught off guard by her bow but brush it off.

It’s a nice send off with the sunsetting over the docking bay. Bolin hugs Opal tightly, not letting her go, causing Korra and Mako to try to peel him off, “Okay enough, Bolin. Let her say goodbye to her family” you say as you walk him off to the side. Su and Bataar hug their daughter, as do the twins. Huan and Bataar Jr give her side hugs and a squeeze on the shoulder. Opal gives Lin a hug, who goes rigid with shock, returning it only after a moment. Opal gets to you and you give her tight hug “Good luck, you’re going to be amazing. See you soon” you whisper as you pull back and she smiles, nodding with tears in her eyes. She says her goodbyes to Team Avatar before Bolin rushes back to Opal to give her another hug until he steps back and Opal makes her way to the airship. Everyone stands on the platform to wait for the airship to take off. Opal comes to view, standing at the window of the ship, waving goodbye to her family and friends. You, Su, Bataar, the twins, and Bolin wave goodbye to her as everyone looks up at the airship. As it takes off, Kuvira, behind the group, pulls out a radio and gives the order to lock down the city for the night.

You fold your arms, smiling watching the airship go as you stand beside Korra, Lin, and Bolin. The latter stops waving and looks a little sad. Lin turns to Korra - “We'll head out first thing in the morning” she follows her family out of the loading dock. Bolin sighs solemnly and Korra rests a hand on his back, “You’ll see her again real soon, lover boy” you smile at Bolin resting your hand on the other side of his back. The three of you walk away as the metal petals of the city close up.

You watch as the Zaofu guards patrol the guest houses during the night and think back to Iris’s words. I wonder who else has been catching on to you and Lin’s nightly visits . I think it’s best if I just stay in my room tonight. You walk over to your guest house and open the door. Your eyes widen, surprised to see Lin sitting in your armchair. She’s reading the evening paper in her tank and sweats.

You look back out toward the guards before looking back at Lin and closing the door “Wrong room, chief?” you lock the door behind.

“Depends” Lin folds the newspaper and sets it down on the table

“On?” you fold your arms as you lean against the door

“If I’ll get kicked out”

“Well you broke yourself in. I’m sure you can find your way out….in the morning.” you smirk as you walk over and sit on the opposite armchair as you gather the morning edition of the paper. You groan as you flip through “So I assume the evening paper has multiple stories on the Zaheer news?” you mutter as you read an article about the swarm of police searching for him.

“Zaheer infiltrated Air Temple Island…. And he’s escaped” Lin puts her paper down and rubs her temple

“Any word on--”

“Kya and the White Lotus guards fought him off. They’re safe at the Northern Air Temple. I received word from Tenzin earlier today while out with Su.”

You gulp slightly “Good thing, Korra wasn’t in the city.”

“Saikhan and the task force are searching for him. He’s a wanted man in the Republic.”

Sighing at the news, you stand up and extend a hand towards Lin nodding towards the bedroom, “Want to head to bed?” Lin holds your hand then wraps her arms around you from behind and kisses your neck, “Not quite yet”

“Oh I see...” you chuckle as you run your hand on her arms as she walks you to the bed.

“We left that shower too soon,” She mumbles against your skin and turns you around to sit on the bed as you wrap your arms around her neck “and since this is the last night until we’re packed in with Korra and her posse on the airship…” Lin kisses your neck as you sit down and scoot back on the bed. Lin comes crawling to get on top of you

“hmm I see the dilemma” you sigh as Lin resumes kissing down your neck before going to the back of your ear as she grips your hip sliding her hand up your tunic,

“Take this off” she growls against your ear and you bite your lip as you start unbuttoning it and slide it off of you, setting it aside. You lean up to kiss her but she stops you and shakes her head, you giving her a pout, “This time...” she grazes her teeth on your earlobe ��...It’s all about you,” her tongue brushed over as she tugs on it and a moan escapes your lip “Is that clear?”

You slowly nod, staying quiet as your hands grip onto her sides. “I said is that clear” she growls again against the back of your ear “Yes” you breathe out. Lin leans back and looks at you before dipping her head down, kissing you gently so as not to hurt your cut. You run your hand up the back of her neck and slowly build the kiss, gently pressing your chest up against hers as Lin runs her hand under your tank and up along your abdomen to cup your right breast. Lin grabs the hem of your tank and pulls it off of you, tossing it to the side before kissing you again. Parting your lips with her tongue, you kiss each other for a moment before she starts down your chest. She kisses down your sternum, unbuttoning your pants and then metalbends your zipper down. “Fuck that’s hot” you groan, biting your lip causing Lin to smirk  as she slides her hand down near your core. Lin grazes her teeth under your chin then moves towards your ear “Are you excited for me?” her touch has you crossing your legs, and when she nears your core, your breath hitches “Yes”. Lin lets out a low chuckle as she moves down your body. Her lips on your clit while she slips her fingers down to your core, causing you to arch your back in pleasure, “Lin…” you moan out. There are some distant noises of fighting going on outside in the courtyard and Lin leans up looking toward the window “What was that?” she whispers. You shake your head pulling her towards you “It’s probably the guards sparing one another to pass time” you pant as you cup her face and clash your lips with hers again as Lin returns her focus to you and starts to stroke your core. You moan against her lips as your hips lift up and grind against her fingers “Feels good?” Lin whispers against you and you nod “Amazing” you affirm and kiss her deeply before Lin goes down to your breasts and your hands grip her back. You tilt your head back and let out another moan when you hear an explosion followed by some shouting, turning your head towards the window, “What was that?”. This time both you stop and focus on the noises coming from the courtyard. You slide away from Lin and look for your tank quickly putting it on as you both cover your eyes when a bright spotlight passes by your window. “Something is wrong…” you mutter as you look at Lin, she jumps out of the bed and starts walking toward the window while you dress. A wailing alarm rings throughout the city and you scramble for your cables “That can’t be…”

“What?”

“an Intruder” you raise your voice and Lin darts out of the bedroom and heads out of the house. You run after Lin bending your brace on in the process and quickly assess the situation. You see Mako and Bolin taking cover behind a pillar while four perps are huddled together sending attacks over at the brothers. “Zaheer!” Lin grits her teeth as she runs towards them and your eyes widen that he’s found out your location. “Who’s that on the ground?” you shout as you stomp on the ground and kick a boulder towards the waterbender. “Korra...” Lin grabs your waist and pulls you onto her behind a pillar when the combustion bender sends an attack your way before taking out the spotlights. You huddle close to Lin, shielding your eyes then peer around the pillar, “Come on she’s taking out the lights” you run towards the group as they make it to the middle of the courtyard. Two Zaofu guards flank them but they get taken out by a few well placed strikes from Zaheer’s cohorts. The group tries to run forward but get stopped by metal plates that you and Lin start to bend, forming a wall to keep the villains away. You notice Su and the twins follow suit and bend other metal sheets to help enclose Zaheer and his friends. You, Su, the twins, and Lin keep the enclosure steady as Kuvira and her guards surround it. Kuvira approaches standing in a defensive posture “We have you surrounded, it’s over. Release the Avatar!”

The grass beneath the metal plates starts to glow and bubble as it turns into lava. You and Lin bend up a mound of earth and jump back to safety with the pro-bending brothers and Asami. The metal plates start to succumb to the heat giving Zaheer and his team a chance to attack once again. They get into defensive poses behind the metal siding, you lean back against the makeshift metal cover as Bolin looks over, awestruck “No way! That guy’s lavabending, that’s awesome…-ly not good for us” his eyes glance up nervously. Your little group runs for cover as you and Lin bend two metal sheets to use as cover.

“Yeah, now the question is how to get to them when they have a moat filled with lava!” you peer over and try to look for any openings before pulling Lin down to avoid the combustion bender’s attack.

You watch Zaheer twirl his glider staff rapidly, gathering as much smoke as he can from the hot lava. Your eyes sharpen and quickly stand up to shoot out a cable and bind both of Zaheer’s wrists - once you have enough of a grip on him you pull him across the moat and yank him back onto land. Zaheer’s earthbender friend tries to intercept by shooting a molten rock but a Zaofu guard shifts the metal plate just in time, saving you. “Help me with Zaheer” you yell as you and three guards run in the direction that you pulled the airbender.

As Zaheer lands on the ground, he does a quick spin and frees himself from the cables. Noticing another guard behind him, he airbends her against a nearby pillar. You earthbend a slab and aim it as he gets in a defensive stance, “Why do you want Korra?” you yell as the other two guards stand by you. “New growth cannot exist without first the destruction of the old” was all Zaheer said. “What?” you mutter in confusion as he tries to attack you but you evade his attack, sending another slab flying at him. Zaheer turns around just in time to smack away the rock with his glider, airbending a punch at you as he swings his staff and you use a sheet of metal to block his hit. With his vision obscured and the guards launching a few counter attacks, you use the advantage to launch yourself up with a mound of earth and shoot your cables at his wrists, throwing him at a pillar. Zaheer jumps to his feet and spin kicks a large gust of wind at you and knocks you back sliding across the yard. Landing near the group as Asami sits you up “y/n!”

“I’m okay, where are the Beifongs?” you groan as you cover your head from the explosive attacks.

“There’s no way across the moat. Lin and Su are going to drop in from the dome on cables”,

“With that combustion’s bending? No way, they’ll get blown up!” you grunt and push yourself up but Asami pulls you down and covers you from another explosion.

“Su thought of that. Bolin just needs to land a shot and stun her third eye. Her powers will be knocked out temporarily.” Mako shouts as he gets done sending two fire punches before ducking down.

“Land the shot, Bolin” you look at him and give him a nod “You guys got it from here? I’ll get Zaheer” you crouch and they give you a nod before you cable out around two pillars and launching yourself at Zaheer, bringing your fists at him getting ready to strike. He turns, evading your attack and grabs your ankle, elbowing you in the back before using his glider to air punch you in the gut - sending you flying back, you roll over and quickly get on your feet charging back at him. The other two guards send rocks at him and Zaheer tries fending them off and flies higher for a better advantage. You shoot your cable around his feet and grunt as you try to pull him down. “Give up, Zaheer!” you shout. The two guards with you run up to help, but Zaheer starts pushing himself off the ground with his staff and landing behind them. He swipes away a rock with the glider and you dodge making contact with the ground below before he knocks you back while airbending another attack shortly after. One of the guards firebends at him while the other maintains a barrage of boulders hurling toward him. Zaheer dodges it swiftly and swipes out another air blast, catching the guards by surprise as they are knocked backwards. Zaheer then looks up in alarm. Your gaze follows his eyes to see Lin with Korra on her shoulders as the cables quickly pull her upwards. You return your focus to Zaheer again - “No!” he shouts and starts opening his glider, flying up to Lin and Su. You push up and bend out cables that wrap around his legs to try and pull him back, Zaheer seethes - done with this fight with you. He swings his legs around and jerks the cables to get you to lose control and sends you flying over into a pillar. Zaheer manages to loosen the cables and resumes gliding toward Lin and Su.

You land hard on your shoulder, gritting your teeth as you push your head up to watch. Zaheer gets close and maneuvers his body to kick out an airbending attack. Lin swings herself aside to avoid the air blast and grits her teeth as Zaheer comes at her. Suddenly, Su swings in and grabs Lin's cable to move her out of harm's way. Simultaneously tugging at her necklace and firing four metal shards which puncture Zaheer's glider, causing him to lose balance and tumble down to the island formed by the lava moat below. You watch as both sisters continue to ascend as you force yourself up and stagger over to Mako, Bolin, and Asami before collapsing, leaning your back against an upright metal sheet. You watch Zaheer cushion his fall with airbending. The armless waterbender is seated defeatedly on the ground while the lava bender looks after the dazed combustion bender who has her eyes closed in discomfort.

You  hear Zaheer exclaim “We failed!” and you smile through the ringing sensation in your head. Lin got Korra . Zaheer swings his glider up and lets out a yell. The smoke around him covers his team and spreads out to Mako, Bolin, Asami and you covering your eyes. As the dust clears, the lava has flashed, cooled and the little  island is now empty.  

“Where did they go?” you groan, holding onto your shoulder as you stand up “I don’t know they just vanished.” Mako looks out at the scene in disbelief. “How do four people just disappear into thin air”. Asami helps you up as Bolin looks around “They couldn’t have gotten far”.

“Come on we should leave this area in case they come back. Let’s head inside the mansion” you wave at the brothers as you lead the group inside the house and wait for Lin, Su and the boys to return with Korra. They head to the study with everyone following, you take a seat on a couch as Asami brings you a ice pack for your shoulder, “Thanks, Sami” you give her a small smile and place the pack on.

You look over at an unconscious Korra laid on the other couch, your face full of concern as Lin takes a seat beside you and hands you the container of healing balm.  

“Use this”

“Thanks, Lin” you share a glance and give her a small smile as your fingers lightly brush against hers. The  pain in your shoulder causes you to wince “Fuck” you mutter as you arch your back a bit to see if you can rotate it but it pains you “I think it’s just sprained. Nothing new just gotta ice it and rest.” you smirk as you lean back on the couch placing the tin can on your lap. Bringing the ice pack down to your shoulder while opening the tin can and rubbing a bit of balm on the back of your head. “How did they-?”

Aiwei walks into the study. “Aiwei? What’s he doing here?” you look over at Su as she rubs her arms and looks down at Korra “I called him while Lin and I were coming down the dome. I informed him of the situation” Su explained. Lin sits up and walks over to her sister as Asami sits down beside you, taking Lin’s spot.

You gave a short nod as you watch Aiwei holding a bottle and bending down to Korra’s level, opening it to pour a dose. “What is that?” you question as he turns to look at you and acknowledge your question, “It’s an antidote to counteract the toxin Avatar Korra has been subjected to. Now if you’ll excuse me...”

Su and Lin loom over Korra and watch as the effects of the medicine kick in - Korra’s eyes open weakly. “This should neutralize the Shirshu toxins.” his hand slides under Korra's head and the green antidote bottle is placed on her lips. Korra sip it and you notice her hand slowly twitch as she tries to move her fingers. Su looks relieved of the antidote working. As Korra tries to sit up Lin turns to Su “How could you let this happen? You assured me this was one of the most secure places in the world.”

“It generally is…” you comment as Lin hears you then looks back at her sister who frowns at her,

“It is. I don't know how this happened. Obviously this was a well-planned operation, so don't blame me.”

“They had to get in somewhere…”

Kuvira walks to the open doorway leading to the study “We searched the entire estate but there’s no sign of them”

“Well, keep looking!” Lin orders her and Kuvira gives a bow before departing as Aiwei stands up.

“It would seem they had some inside knowledge of Zaofu. They must have been working with someone.”

Korra groans as she puts a hand on her head and sits up “The--the guards. It had to be one of them”

“I agree” Aiwei looks down at Korra as Su balls her fists and looks at Aiwei “Question them all! Whoever betrayed my city will suffer the consequences! Su storms off

You groan as you stand up “Even though we had to fight in our sleepwear, I don’t want to question guards in my current state”.

“Yeah...I have to agree” Mako comments and you walk towards the door,

“Let's freshen up while Aiwei gathers the guards in for questioning” you look at everyone before walking out.

“Mako I want you in on the interrogation…” Lin calls out to him as she heads out the study.

“You got it Chief” Mako responds as everyone starts leaving the room. Everyone goes to their rooms and you walk into yours and quickly shower, changing into your usual clothes and adding your cables with your back brace. Fixing your tunic, you step out of your room, heading over to the interrogation room “How’s your shoulder” Lin walks up as you fumble with a button.

“It’s better, that hit got me sort of off balance, but I’m feeling back to normal” you finally get the button on and open the door as Aiwei is settling down with Su.

“Have you gathered the list of the guards?” you question getting into work mode standing up tall.

“Yes, I have all them”.

“Every single guard will go through Aiwei before returning to their post” you announce

“Let’s begin,” Lin orders, wanting to get the questioning started.

“Wait where are Korra and Mako? I figured Korra would want to be here.”

“Hey, sorry we’re here” Mako steps in the room with Korra and you acknowledge them before sending Kuvira in first.  

“You can’t be serious, there’s no way Kuvira would be involved!” Su questions you, surprised,

“It’s best to question everyone - cover all our bases” you look at Su before giving Aiwei a nod to continue with the questioning.

“It’s okay Suyin, If I must” Kuvira takes a seat across from Aiwei and he begins his questioning,

“What is your full name”

“Kuvira”

“Where were you last night?”

“I was surveilling the patrol on the North wall of the Beifong estate.”

“Do you have any knowledge of the people who tried to kidnap the Avatar?”

“No”

Aiwei looks at Su “She’s telling the truth”

You see Su sigh relieved and smile at Kuvira, escorting her out of the room as you open the door “I didn’t suspect you, Kuvira. It’s just part of the job.”

“I understand. No hard feelings” she looks at you before bowing and walks away as you send in the next guard. You’ve gone through numerous guards each one telling the truth. Korra starts to look defeated and glances over at Lin. Lin looks over at you and you give her an encouraging nod. Lin suggests bringing Varrick in for questioning. You look around the room and speak up

“It’s worth a shot. He is a former convict” Mako agrees as Su slowly agrees as well “very well” You walk out the room and send a guard to fetch Varrick as you fold your arms and think in your head of any possible suspects. Soon Varrick approaches you “Varrick, Zhi Li” you acknowledge them as he gives you a charming smile “y/n, nice to see you again. See - I got your name this time” he points at his head and winks “Yup, that you did” you force a  smile and escort him and Zhu Li inside the room guiding him towards the chair. Returning to your place beside Lin, you fold your arms. Aiwei starts questioning Varrick as he places his palms on the table “What were you doing last night, Varrick?” Varrick gives Aiwei a confused look before starting to list his night plans “What was I doing last night? Same thing I always do. From nine to ten, I checked my body for ticks - Lyme Disease is a serious killer.” Varrick stands up and puts a leg on the chair and starts exercising while Zhu Li stands behind against the wall “Then I did my nightly Varri-calisthenics followed by thirty minutes of breath holding. I filmed the whole thing if you want to watch it.” Varrick stops exercising and looks at the crowd in the room as everyone looks at him in disbelief. Aiwei mutters with a hand on his head, “That won’t be necessary”.

Korra has a hand on her mouth as she tries not to laugh, Mako pinches the bridge of his nose in annoyance, Su has two hands clasped in front of her mouth, and Lin has a hand on her hips  with her lips pursed. You on the other hand couldn’t look at Varrick anymore. Covering your face with the palm of your hand as you stifle a laugh in disbelief. Varrick and Zhu Li leave the interrogation room and close the door behind them.

Lin is clearly annoyed with the whole interrogation - no thanks to Varricks little show, and speaks up “Maybe it wasn't a guard after all. Maybe it was someone a little higher up the food chain. Aiwei, why don't you question Su?“ she turns to look at her sister. Korra faces Lin “Lin, stop. Your sister wasn't involved.”

“Su wouldn’t do that to her city or Korra, Lin” you state - looking at Lin. Su waves both of you off as she walks over to the chair “No, I’ll gladly be questioned. I have nothing to hide.” she hurries over to sit down and you glance at Lin before looking at Aiwei. He too seems a little reluctant to question Su “What is your full name?”

“Suyin Beifong. I'm the daughter of Toph and only sister to Lin, and I had nothing to do with the attack last night.” she glances at her sister,

Aiwei turns to Lin “She is telling the truth”

“Alright so should we all be questioned then since Su had to?” you look around the room as no one says anything and you sigh stepping forward. “Woah - what are you doing?” Korra stops you and you look back “Getting questioned of course. Covering our bases”

“Why would we need to question you?” Mako turns to you and your brows furrow “I mean, wouldn’t I be a suspect? I have prior knowledge of the city, have a good idea of the layout of the ins and outs.”

“She has a point” Aiwei comments and you nod over “What is your name?”

“y/n. Born in Ba Sing Se. I have two sisters, lived in Zaofu for 7 years and was part of the Zaofu guard.”

Aiwei nodded and continued on

“Where were you last night?”

“I was in my room” you turned to him and he analyzed you “Anyone with you?” the back of your neck stiffened as much as you tried to not lose composure or give him any indication but answered nevertheless “Yes”,

Lin looked at you as her eyes slightly widened at the question, you can see her fears of your relationship possibly getting exposed to bubbling close to the surface.

“Who?”

“I don’t really think that’s important is it?” you get defensive as Aiwei continues to look at you “I’m afraid it is, y/n”

“Just answer his question, y/n” Su looks at you and you shrug then look up looking at everyone before your eyes land on Lin then return your glance to the truth seer “Fine, I was with Chief Beifong…”

“Lin?!” Su’s eyes widened as she looked at her sister who remained stoic. You narrowed your eyes at Aiwei as you continued forward with the interrogation keeping an even breath and heartbeat. You’ve managed to lie to Aiwei before as a test once when you were just a teen. Surely you could do it again as long as you keep your body relaxed and composed. “We were in my living quarters talking about the news of Zaheer in Republic City”.

“Zaheer was in Republic City?!” Korra shocked and you raise your hand up to stop Korra as you stare at Aiwei not breaking eye contact.

“That’s right.” Lin gruffs out as she folds her arms

“You were with the guards yesterday, correct?”

“That’s right”

“Why?”

“I had plans to meet with Captain Tan. I was with him throughout the day and he suggested I go to the training grounds to watch the sparring matches. Several witnesses can attest of my attendance. Chief Beifong and Su can also attest to that.”

“That’s right”

You watch as Aiwei stares back at you, seeming to be contemplating before he states “They’re telling the truth”, not faltering down as you give him a small smirk analyzing his face before standing up.

Korra sighs with frustration “This is a waste of time. Just bring in the next guard.”

“I agree - we need to figure out who is responsible instead of blaming each other.” you look over at the guard by the door and give him the signal to bring in the next one as Lin rolls her eyes, looking away from Su. While Su gets up and walks over she looks at her older sister with an ‘I told you so’ face while another young male guard steps in and takes a seat. Aiwei begins the questioning yet again -

“Give me your name and tell me where you are from.”

“I'm Hong Li. I was born and raised here in Zaofu.”

“Do you have any knowledge of the people who tried to kidnap the Avatar?”

“No.”

Aiwei leans forward suddenly and you notice his change in demeanor looking back and forth between him and the young guard “Did you help the attackers enter Zaofu last night?“

“No, of course not.”

Aiwei eyes the guard and calmly responds “You're lying.”

The guard looks shocked by Aiwei’s words “What? No, I'm not!”

Su pushes her way to the front of the group, you try to stop her but she yanks her arm as she storms over to Hong Li “How did they get in and out?!” she shouts as she grabs him by the armor, pulling him out of the chair to slam him against the wall, “Where are they now?”

Hong Li looks fearful at Su’s shouting and the sudden accusation “I don't know! I'm telling you I didn't help them.”

“You're a traitor to the entire clan.”

Aiwei stands up from his chair and calmly speaks “I suggest we search his place.”

You’re watching the scene unfold and notice Hong Li's eyes widen and quiver with fright.

“Mako, Korra, how about you two and I search Hong Li’s place - Su, Aiwei and Lin will continue with the interrogation” Mako and Korra give you a nod as the three of you start to head out the room

“If it is alright I would like to join the search, you can stay behind.” Aiwei speaks up and you raise your brow “sure, if you want” you step back looking at the teens then back at Aiwei as you nod.

“Sounds good” Korra nods and the three of them walk out with Aiwei over to the young guard’s place of residence. You look at Lin “While we place Hong Li in holding until we get evidence, can I have a word with you, Chief?” you nod over at the door and head out with Lin following you to a quiet corner.

“What are you thinking?” Lin looks at you resting her hands on her hips,

“Something isn’t adding up.”

“What do you mean? Seems pretty straight forward. The kid lied”

“Yeah, I don’t know but something seems off. I’ll wait until I hear from Mako if they find anything at Hong Li’s place” your brows furrow as you rub your forehead letting your hand run through your hair.

“Alright, well let’s head back before Su kills the kid” Lin comments before walking back to the interrogation room, you following after her.

You watch as Lin and Su continue questioning the guard and try to gather any indication of the accused betrayal in his body language and reactions. The kid kept denying any affiliation with Zaheer and his team - “I don’t know why Aiwei said I was lying. I’m not lying!” he shakes in the seat, terrified, hanging his head low as he covers his head with his arms.

“Okay, enough you two. Give the kid a break.” you step up and push Lin and Su aside before you kneel beside the kid. “Kid, you’ve got to be straight here. Aiwei said you lied.” calmly talking to him. He peers up and turns his face away, looking distressed “Well Aiwei lied!”

“Aiwei is a truth seer.” Su retorts as she puts her hands on her hips you lift a hand up to stop her talking,

“I don’t know, but I’m telling the truth!” he covers his face with his hands as you sigh, standing up.

“Maybe there’s an update on the investigation” you mutter as you head out of the room to clear your head.

You walk out of the building, finding them minutes later out by the cooled down lava moat. “There you guys are! Found anything?” you jogged up to them and see Bolin and Asami have joined. Mako sits up and turns to you “y/n! Yeah, we found some stuff. A note that said “Team assembled. Ready to rendezvous.” Asami quickly added in her findings, “I found a book that turned out to be the guards’ log books. It had all their schedules and routes listed in detail.”

“That guard knew everything!” Korra stood up, balling her fists “What makes it worse is Aiwei doesn’t want us to confront him!” Bolin leans against the bench as he throws his arms in the air.

“What?” your face perplexed with confusion “Why the hell not?!” you looked around the group who all shrugged, just as confused as you. Mako spoke up, “Aiwei said to let him sweat it out. That he’ll talk eventually.”

You put your hand on your chin, not understanding Aiwei’s suggestion “If you’ve found evidence then why not pressure him”

“I don't get it either. Every minute we waste here, those guys get further away.” Mako slams his fist against the bench. You sigh pinching the bridge of your nose “I agree. I’ll go look for Aiwei and speak to him.” you fold your arms as you rub your hand over your mouth trying to come up with a plan “How about you guys look for more clues,” looking up at the team as they nod before dismissing yourself.

“Okay, so Mako, Aiwei and the group found evidence in the guard’s house, but Aiwei doesn’t want to confront him with the proof ” you mutter under your breath as you head back to the security building. You ask a guard where Hong Li is and she told you he was moved to a holding cell per Aiwei’s orders. You purse your lips then sigh nodding at the news. You head outside the building and take a seat under a tree as you pull out your logbook and pen. Starting to jot down notes to help visualize all the information you’ve learned.

You quickly scribble the last bit when you hear a voice “Huh?”

“What are you up to, Captain?” Lin’s voice snaps you out of your thoughts. You look up at her and Su walking up towards you before looking back down at your notes “I was just going over the case - why would he betray the only life he’s known? It just doesn’t make sense” you mutter as you scribble a few more notes down on the paper. “What do you mean?” Lin asks as she folds her arms and you stand up dusting your pants off then walk Lin and Su over to a bench setting the logbook down. “Don’t you think it’s a bit peculiar that a random 18 year old, born and raised Zaofu citizen, somehow got involved with a group of notorious criminals?” you look down holding your chin as you go over your notes.

“Now that you mention it. It is a bit odd. I would suspect someone...older. More mature” Lin looks at Su then back at you as she asks for your notes and you hand them to her. You pace beside them as you try to put your notes into words “Exactly! How would he even know about Zaheer? I didn’t, none of Korra nor her friends knew. The only people who knew were the people involved during Korra’s first attempted kidnapping, 13 years ago...how would Hong Li know about that at age 5.”

“But Aiwei is a truth seer and Hong Li was lying!” Su rebutted, narrowing her eyes. You look at her “I know, but Su - surely you have to agree it doesn’t make sense.”

“But the evidence stacked against him is overwhelming” Lin looks at you “Then why aren’t we confronting him about it?” you rebutted then get cut off by Su “Aiwei wanted to let him sweat him out”. You look at Lin “Lin...you and I would both go interrogate him if we received this kind of evidence. We wouldn’t let him sweat it out. It just gives Zaheer time to get further away”

Lin grimaces as she looks down deep in thought “y/n’s right, Su…”

Su huffs then rolls her eyes, skeptical of the both of you but relents “Who would it be then if not the guard?”

“I don’t know, but I agree with Lin. It has to be someone higher up on the food chain. Either we keep interrogating Hong or we change course.” you sit down on the bench and lean forward trying to think about any other suspects when Lin asks you about the last bit of scribble not really understanding it “What in the possum-chicken scratch is this last bit?” she squints then passes it to Su who also can’t make out your writing.

“Hmm? Oh… I was questioning how Aiwei knew what antidote to bring when Korra got hit by that toxin.” you shrugged as you stared back into space, concentrating.

“Why, would you question that? I told Aiwei about Korra’s situation” Su turns to you, her brows furrowing, confused.

“Yeah, but you didn’t know what specific toxin Korra got hit. So how did Aiwei know what antidote to bring...” you looked down analyzing your hands going over the lines of your palm as you voice your thoughts.

“Are you suspecting Aiwei had a hand in hurting Korra?” Su narrows her eyes and steps towards you “He’s my most trusted advisor. He wouldn’t do that!”

You lean back as Su approaches you and you look up at her as Lin puts a hand on her sister’s shoulder to stop her. “Su, I’m just exploring all our options - if they come out as suspicions….then maybe we should look more closely at Aiwei.” you stand up and turn away as you rub the back of your neck.

“y/n... why would you suspect Aiwei? He’s a truth seer for spirit sake” Lin looks at you skeptical of your thought process.

“He may be a truth seer but are there any other ones in the city?” you ask Su keeping your voice calm and she shakes her head “No, he’s the only one, why?” Hong’s words repeats in your head Well Aiwei lied

“Because of Aiwei there are no secrets in this city except with one person - Aiwei. Only he can keep a secret or lie…”

Lin and Su both look a little skeptical and surprised but Lin seems to consider your words better than Su. “Where is Aiwei anyways?” Lin asks and you shrug not knowing as Su was starts to mention the last place she saw him “He was walking out of--”

A large explosion is heard nearby and the three of you glance at each other while you feel the vibrations against your feet. The three of you dart in the direction of the noise as Su yells out “It’s Aiwei’s place!” The three of you rush down the steps and run inside. Lin notices the a hole on the farthest wall and you three hurry over entering what appears to be a hidden room. Korra, Asami, Mako and Bolin stumble out - “What happened? We heard an explosion.”

“Are you guys okay?” you breathe out,

“Where is Aiwei?” Su looks around.

“Your trusted advisor was the one who betrayed us. He was lying about the guard.” Korra is upset and recovers from the explosion as Su drops her jaw, surprised by the news. Lin glances at you then back at Su as her eyes widen “What? No” her eyes shift around looking at you then back at Team Avatar.

“We confronted him and he bolted through here,” Korra gestures to the hole in the wall.

Lin takes a step forward and slams her foot on the floor using her seismic sight. Lin retracts her foot “He must have collapsed the tunnel behind him.”

“And he rigged an explosion to destroy any evidence that might have been here.” Mako huffs as he investigates the scene.

“This is where Zaheer got in and out. Aiwei was the traitor.”

“I…trusted him” Su looks and sounds disappointed as she narrows her eyes. You lay a hand on Su giving her a comforting squeeze before turning around at the sound of footsteps coming up behind you.

Kuvira runs into the room “Is everyone okay?”

You turn to Kuvira “Everyone is fine. Release Hong Li--”

Lin joins in and gives her an order “--Aiwei is a fugitive. Get all available guards to search the mountainside and find out where this tunnel exits immediately!”

Kuvira gives a quick bow and climbs up the stairs, leaving the house. Lin lays a hand on Su's shoulder as a gesture of comfort.

“Let’s move out of the way to let the guards get to work” you motion to the group and head up the stairs “We can regroup in my study” says Su as Lin puts her arm around her younger sister and the group walks back over to the Beifong estate.

*

You prepare some tea at the drink station in Su’s study and offer Lin and Su a cup of tea. Lin refuses but Su thanks you and gets the cup as you take the cup you offered Lin and drink it yourself. Lin comforts Su, resting her hand on sister. Su is going over how she could have been fooled by Aiwei. Korra stands by the door waiting for any updates or news from Kuvira as everyone else sits around the study. “Su, don’t be too hard on yourself. You couldn’t have known something like this would happen. Aiwei fooled us all.” You try comforting the younger Beufong sister as you take another sip before setting the cup down on the table as running footsteps are heard coming towards the room. Kuvira enters, standing at attention as Lin turns toward her - “What did you find?”

“We located the end of the tunnel, but there's no sign of him. Just some fresh tire tracks.” Kuvira reports and Lin gives her a nod as Mako steps away from the table he was leaning against, “He had an escape plan all ready to go”.

Su is hunched over as you rub her back “I trusted him with my life. I thought we were family, but it was all a lie” she closes her eyes and leans on your shoulder and you continue to comfort her,  glancing at Lin before turning your attention back to Mako.

“Whoever these guys are, they're more powerful than we thought. And more dangerous.”

Korra turns around and steps towards Lin “That's why we have to find them. We're going to hold off our search for airbenders and hunt down Aiwei. Naga can track his scent.”

Asami leans up on the couch as she sits beside Bolin looking up at Korra “And I bet if we find Aiwei, we'll find Zaheer.”

You remove your hand from Su’s back and sit up, amused by their little plan “Wait, you guys are going off pure emotion right now. Even with Naga’s ability to track, it doesn’t change the fact that these people are extremely dangerous.” All the teens look at you, Korra surprised by your caution

“But--”

“No, We're not hunting this group. There could be other secret agents in other parts of the world looking for you right now. I'm taking you back to Republic City where I can protect you.” Lin raises her voice as she stands up. Team Avatar looks taken aback by your and Lin’s sudden hesitance. Korra is annoyed at Lin and she raises an eyebrow slightly “If I wasn't safe here, then I'm not safe anywhere! I have to stop them.”

You look at Korra and put your hand up to stop her and Lin, “You're right Korra, I get you want justice and yes you’re not 100% safe anywhere, but--”

“--It's too dangerous. You are not going!” Lin cuts you off, finishing your sentence.

“It was just by pure luck we managed to save you from Zaheer and his gang when they snuck in here. Lin is just trying to protect you, Korra” you try reasoning with her, attempting to ease the tension between her and Lin. You notice it’s just making her more irritated as she narrows her eyes at the both of you “Stop trying to protect me! I'm the Avatar, this is my job!“

Lin talks back “Don't lecture me about jobs!” you silently groan as you rest your face in your hands but look back up to notice Su sitting up to stand beside her sister, “Enough! Korra, listen to Lin.”

Korra looks surprised at Su “But. They--”

Su interrupts her “Please. Lin's only looking out for you. I promise you Aiwei and everyone he's working with will be brought to justice.” Korra folds her arms and glances to the side “Fine. If you really think it’s best”

“I do”

Lin smiles and lays a hand on her sister’s shoulder “Thank you, Su,” Su smiles back then turns her attention to the rest of the group.

“Everyone should get some rest tonight. I'll have my people prep your airship and you can leave first thing in the morning.”

You gather the tea cups and set them aside to get washed in the powder room sink as everyone leaves for their rooms. By the time you’re done Su is still in her study “You’re not going to bed?” you dry your hands before stepping out.

“Lin probably can control Korra and the teens, but she can’t dictate my actions. I need your help” She turns to look at you and you start to get an uneasy feeling. “What are you thinking?”

“Help me gas up and pack a Jeep with supplies for Korra and her friends.” She looks hopeful that you’ll go along with her plan.

You blow out a breath, then suck in the air through your teeth as you put your hands up “Oh no,” you quickly shake your head “I am not going behind Lin’s back again. I lost my job once for doing that - I’ve learned my lesson. I’m sorry but you’re on your own. I’m not going to put Korra and the teens in danger, Su” you step towards her keeping your voice hushed.

Su sighs, then resigns “Fine, Korra won’t go. I’ll take a small group of guards to the mountainside myself. Can you help me anyways? I’ll go pack up the supplies while you gas up the Jeep” she walks over and grabs the keys and walks over to give them to you. “Why me? Can’t you get one of the guards”

“The guards are covering all bases and posts. I need someone I can trust, please” her eyes pleading at you as you slowly reach for the keys, “No funny business?”

“You already said you’re not going to go behind Lin’s back. I’m not going to risk your job if that’s what you’re wondering.” Su gives you a smile and you relent, taking the keys “Fine, are you going to tell your sister that you’re leaving?” you slide the keys into your pocket.

“I will in the morning. I’ll head out after your departure.” Su assures you as she walks you to the door and you frown a bit and relent “Okay, we’ll I’ll be back with the Jeep then”

“Okay, hurry”,

Your brow furrows as you look down, grabbing the keys as you run out of the estate over to the garage. Hopping over the door you get in and start up the Jeep and head over to the gas station. Once you got back about 15 minutes later you drove to the doors closest to the study and Su brought out the supplies. She starts packing and looks over at you “I got it from here, Kuvira will help me pack the rest. It would be best if you rest up for your trip tomorrow”

“You sure? I don’t mind helping.” you look at Su confused and see Kuvira walking out, arms filled with supplies.

“Yes, I’m sure. We got it from here. It doesn’t take three people to pack up a Jeep, y/n” Su shoos you away and you rub the back of your neck. “Um...okay if you’re positive”

“We got it, y/n” Kuvira assures you and you nod giving Su and Kuvira a hug even though Kuvira seemed a bit surprised by the gesture. You start to walk away looking back one more time before shaking your head and heading to your guest house. You look up and debate going to Lin but decide against it to clear your head and proceed inside to your and get ready for the night. You have too much on your mind and don’t want to disturb Lin’s sleep as her lights are already off. You bend off your cables and start removing your clothes and head into the bathroom for a quick shower. Changing into your sleepwear, you sit on the edge of the bed and rub your eyes as you think back to that last discussion between Lin and Korra. As much as you could see  merits on both sides, it makes more sense to air on the side of caution and bring Korra back to Republic City. You smile to yourself and let a chuckle escape your lips. You don’t think Lin noticed and she would most likely deny it, but thinking back it didn’t seem like Republic City's Chief of Police and the Avatar arguing - it seemed more like a mother and daughter arguing. Best not to comment on it so Lin doesn’t question herself around Korra and the teens. You’re about to turn the lights off and lay back in bed when there’s a knock on your door. You slip on your shoes and head over cautiously to open it, “Lin?” you looked confused but let her in.

“I thought you would have come over���

“I noticed the lights were off… figured you were asleep. I was about to turn in myself”

“I can leave if you want...”

“No...spirits no. You’re here now so might as well stay” you hold her hand and walk her to the bedroom before letting go and pulling back the sheets, sliding in on your usual side. Lin slides in beside you and looks over as you stare up at the ceiling “You okay?”

“Yeah, just….this whole Aiwei situation. I can’t imagine how he spent so many years serving Su and then it’s all gone - and for what purpose?” you look over at Lin as you rest your hands on your stomach.

“That remains unclear - on why they want Korra. It is even more confusing with Aiwei involved.” Lin sighs as she taps her fingers on her abdomen.

You let out a sigh “Sorry, this isn’t the kind of pillow talk you were hoping for... just having a hard time--”

“--Shutting down your mind? Same” Lin smiles and you turn on your side to face her.

“Yeah…” you chuckle as you scoot closer to Lin bringing your pillow over with you “...but I’m glad you’re here”

“Really?” she raises an eyebrow as she turns her body and lays on her side towards you. You give her a nod as you turn your face away to yawn before looking back at her. “Yeah, I seem to sleep better when I’m with you” you smile sleepily as you slide your hands under your pillow and you sink into the mattress. Lin stays quiet as you lean up, wishing her a goodnight as she does the same and you exchange a kiss. Lin scoots close, sliding her arm under yours and holds you close, giving your shoulder a soft kiss before whispering “Me too”. A sleepy smile spreads across your face as you drift off to sleep.

[ronnytherandom]

Media n Stuff

2/1/2021: American Psycho

Excellent, truly. Has a lot to say about those on the top of our social hierarchy, the wealthy and influential and how our modern system facilitates them at the expense of everyone else. A very stylish film, well edited and directed. Rests upon a truly magnificent performance in the case of Christian Bale’s Patrick Bateman, who does a fantastic job of playing something pretending to be human. Soundtrack is a bop.

3/1/2021: Se7en

All right, not my kind of thing ultimately. There are some thoughts about legacy and what doing good means here but I feel its slightly obscure and could be more clearly stated; perhaps I wasn’t paying close enough attention. Directing is top notch. The acting also is good but nothing truly incredible. The suspense is very effective but on occasion can be defeated by pacing, excess time creating boredom. Further it was partially predictable, which harmed the effectiveness of the piece. Though the point of the state of the victims is to inspire disgust this especially did not fit the remit of entertainment for me.

4/1/2021: The Martian

Highly Enjoyable. As usual, weaker than the novel but not to a Golden Compass level. Any work that bends heaven and earth to save a single life is good in my books. Retains the wit and the scientific backbone to good effect to offset the bleakness. Likewise, the back-and-forth structure between Mars and other locations helps to make the survival scenario less overbearing. Star-studded cast, and I think rightfully so here as the performances are generally very good. Matt Damon as Mark Watney has many moments of excellence. Mars is beautiful and I’m glad Ridley Scott captured that well, on top of doing a job that lives up to his reputation.

5/1/2021: Dredd

Good. Though I worry about the implications of a “Not All Cops Bad” message, it could be interpreted elsewise and is decidedly sympathetic to civilians which works in its favour. There is the aspect of portraying Police and Criminals as two sides of the same coin, with Dredd and Anderson existing outside of said dichotomy to some degree, but ultimately implying that the existing system just needs the right people in it without severe reform, though again that’s up for debate. Otherwise, good spectacle and very nice presentation; the film can be beautiful at times and when it isn’t it has excellent action. Something I appreciate is a clear view of the action, rather than the choppy action of modern superhero films, and an unflinching approach to the depiction of gore even if I was flinching at times. Though I’m unfamiliar with the original work I find this an interesting dystopia, even if Dredd himself can be a little cliché. Performances haven’t left much of an impression though.

6/1/2021: The Wolf of Wall Street

Meh? It’s well made don’t get me wrong, everything looks and feels high quality. Of course, Scorsese is a good director. Of course, DiCaprio’s acting is fantastic, as is the rest of the acting to be frank, but it just doesn’t come together for me. I don’t feel like there was a compelling reason to sit through that for three whole hours. I can see meaning in the depiction of excess; of Belfort’s alienation, losing everything that should be dear to him; of the animal nature of people who just want to make money. I can appreciate the powerful performances and the craftwork on display. I just didn’t enjoy it.

7/1/2021: Enola Holmes

Enjoyable. Has a more juvenile tone than I like, that’s to be expected from a coming-of-age story, but it certainly does a far better job with the gifted sister idea than the BBC Sherlock series did. At times this film was truly joyous and inspiring and I would attribute that to a cast of endearing characters and a strong thematic core which is carried throughout the story. However, from a more radical perspective I cannot endorse a seeming admonishment of direct action, as much as I appreciate the idea that getting new blood in politics is a progressive step forward. Performances are good, Millie Bobby Brown does well in the lead, though I am not so keen on her 4th wall asides, and I always appreciate the sight of Henry Cavill. Also, proud to see Burn Gorman portray the most accurate Normal Englishman I’ve ever seen. I also wanted to make note of what id consider good editing, felt very snappy and effective.

8/1/2021: Shaun of the Dead

Very good, but maybe doesn’t quite live up to its reputation. Very put off by the use of F and N slurs even if the prior is in context with English slang at the time. Id say this is the lesser of the Cornetto trilogy films but with such competition it’d be hard to come out on top. Quite dry humour, I don’t think all the jokes land, but there are a few true laugh out loud moments. Similarly, it works emotionally only some of the time but at moments, especially in Philips last words, there’s some genuine power. I do feel like the pace lulls slightly too much at moments but is generally very good and saves itself for a fun final sprint. The Zombies themselves are true to Romero’s style of zombie and though the satire is light in comparison to character-zombie parallels it is still effective. Performances are good, and serve well in demonstrating the range of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost in comparison with the later Cornetto films and Bill Nighy is always a treat. I only ever have praise for Edgar Wright as a fan of all his later works, so I’m glad to see even his first feature demonstrates his ability well, stylish young man is our Edgar.

8/1/2021: Avatar: Legend of Korra: Series 1

Not by any stretch a worthy successor but good by its own merit. Has powerful emotional moments and excellent action, I cannot get enough of any kind of bending in this universe. Some characters are likeable; Korra is a good lead, Tenzin is my personal favourite and I want to hug Naga. Bolin, however, can get shafted. his particular brand of comic relief inspires in me an absolute hatred I cannot fully fathom. I have many little gripes though. I find the love “square” (?) plot annoying and do not understand what purpose it serves. Just be honest with each other goddamn! In universe I wonder at the limits of metal bending, but the police are content simply to launch cables with it. Why are the Chi Fighters such an obstacle in the first half and yet become cannon fodder by the end? I also feel like a lot of the “powerful moments” I feel are dependent on nostalgia for The Last Airbender, such as any moment where the original theme is played, or when General Iroh appears etc. This is particularly egregious with the feature of cabbage corp. Really? It is frustrating to me that Korra spends the entire series past the second episode tell-not-showing us she can’t airbend before having it essentially gifted to her, similarly with the avatar state. As much as she does endure hardship, I feel like the series would be improved even slightly if Korra’s bending is taken away completely and she uses the avatar state to rescue Mako from Amon, when she is actually at her definitive low point. I find with most episodes there are moments which I’m absolutely invested in and really enjoying but then a gripe or two will pop up and marginally ruin the experience for me. But again, these are minor and as much as I fuss over these details the ultimate product is enjoyable and watchable. The setting is certainly interesting but (probably by design) New Republic City clashes too harshly with the magic system, and I think it harms the series. The animators and artists however should be lauded, as the spectacle here is magnificent.

9/1/2021: Ex Machina

Magnificent piece of work. This is what I imagine is actual good cinematography, rather than the usual “pretty stills equals good cinematography” take. Every frame a painting indeed, aided in that way by fantastically beautiful set work. Each actor deserves applause but I feel especially Alicia Vikander. As Ava she does brilliant work and at times uses an alien affectation which is an impressive highlight of attention to detail here. The director knows exactly what they’re doing, the whole thing has a kind of spotless professionalism. Special Effects are minimalist but used so very well, especially the work of making Ava and the other AI look so real. I love that this is a film which doesn’t stoop to explaining every little thing and treats the audience as an equal, and how the tension is reflected in all aspects of the piece and builds to such a mighty crescendo, though I was quite put off by the self-harm scene and would rather that were not a thing. Not only all of that but its deeply meaningful with a lot to say about our own minds (I don’t think Nathan passes Turing test) with a decidedly feminist angle too. It really is a treat.

10/1/2021: Sourcery (unfinished)

Even as a fan of early Pratchett, this ain’t it chief. I don’t like it. The jokes don’t land, the only character I like is The Librarian and the whole thing just kind of bores me, so I’ve stopped somewhere just past halfway as I can’t be fussed for the rest. I don’t care about Coin, or the wizards, or Rincewind, even the Luggage has lost that pariah charisma it usually has. Conina feels weird? I feel like there this constant unnecessary sexualisation of her and Rincewind’s affections seem more than mildly inappropriate. I’ve been reading it a week and I’ve barely been able to drag myself to it these past couple of days so I feel its time for something a little fresher.

10/1/2021: The Two Popes

Very good. There is excellence in all aspects of this films craft. Johnathan Pryce gives an endearing performance; Anthony Hopkins is likewise very good as you’d expect. I think this is a film to listen to through a good sound system, the sound work struck me as exceptional in its attention to detail while the soundtrack is good fun. Direction is dynamic and effective most evidently in the camera work which tends to feel Just Right. Dialogue is very well written and feels very organic. I enjoy the themes of change and reconciliation and feel contrasting the character of the two popes expresses this very effectively, however I would much rather see evidence of genuine change that surely must’ve occurred rather than a simple implication of change as we see. There is the argument to be made that fully reconciling the old and the new without altering material reality, beyond giving speeches encouraging others to do so, represents the will to change being co-opted and perverted by the conservative establishment. But its still a nice sentiment and a well made film regardless.

[i-am-extremely-mad]

Discussion I have on YouTube under video 'A Mediocre Recap of Mediocre Alternate History Shows' from AlternateHistoryHub

Sir Reginald Meowington 1 month ago Uh-oh here comes the Korra Stans. Back to the topic, I feel that some of the people who worked on Fringe most likely worked on Man in the High Castle. It's too early similar or they are Fringe fans.

Extreme Madness 1 month ago (edited) Becase she wasn't Mary Sue... an argument that ignores the original meaning and is actually used against any female character that shows even hints of self-confidence or arrogance or is even better at something than male characters. Aang learned and became a master of all four elements in less than 9 months, almost constantly dominating his opponents, somehow people don't consider him Mary Sue, Korra who spent 13 YEARS! of intense training, and despite that still could not airbending, struggling in fighting opponents who have some superior abilities, ended up in a wheelchair, recovered for more than three years from mental and physical trauma ... somehow it makes her Mary Sue, if she was a male character no one would even thought of considering him a Mary Sue...

Sir Reginald Meowington 1 month ago ​@Extreme Madness I like how you automatically assume that I dislike Korra out of misogyny or a hidden agenda despite enjoying female characters like She-Hulk, Wonder Woman, Rogue, Big Barda, Phoenix, Zarya (Overwatch), and Noi (Dorohedoro). Basically, women who fight like men and have the muscles/powers to prove it. There is a reason why I dislike Goku, Wolverine, Batman, and similar characters. Nice try on attempting to find a non-existent bias. When it comes to a wheelchair recovery story I prefer Barbara Gordon's journey and triumph to become Batgirl again, over Korra's lackluster 10-minute portrayal. There was more emotional weight seeing Barbara doing normal mundane tasks like eating, showering, attempting to walk (after failing numerous times), and talking to a therapist about her trauma in the course of several issues than it was for Korra getting a quick fix in one episode. Korra isn't a well-written character and it shows. She never has to own up to her mistakes like the time she broke up with Mako by wrecking his desk and threatening him for doing the right thing. Does she apologize for her behavior in the police station? Never. Did she apologize when seducing Mako so he can cheat with Asami or apologizes to Bolin for using him as a way to get Mako? Never. Does she apologize to Tenzin for yelling at him for being a horrible teacher? The story forgets it. Do any characters tell Korra she is making the wrong decision or that her going in fists first will cause more damage and be proven right. Nope. Was Korra shown to be wrong when wanting to create a fictional Gulf of Tonkin incident to get the United Nations in a war with the Northern Watertribe as careless and harmful? No. The plots dictate that she can never be wrong even when it could potentially put people in danger. Korra is given fixes too quickly. She gets her bending taken away. That's interesting. We can see her work through her anger, hurt, and self-delusion, Oh nope sorry she gets it back 5 minutes later after crying about it. Oh no she lost the past Avatars. Why should Korra care? She never talked to them or formed a relationship with any of them similar to Aang and Roku. Oh wow, she is disabled are we going to get two or three episodes where she deals with her new life in a wheelchair including how mundane tasks are now a struggle? Sorry, we don't get time for that or life-long PTSD, we have to rush the plot because we can't understand how to tell a story in 12 episodes. You can also tell how much of a fetish they have for brutalizing Korra and show it in meticulous detail. Ah yes, this is what I asked for more man pain and people wonder why I hate Wolverine.

Extreme Madness 3 weeks ago (edited) @Sir Reginald Meowington Even if everything you said was true (it isn't), that's still argument against her being Mary Sue (character that supposed to be ridiculously perfect and not having flaws and weaknesses).  Her being in wheelchair was just part of her slow recovery through entire season (she didn't recover immediately, she was in wheelchair for months, while trying to walk again, and after that she was still recovering for 3 years). How is she guilty for Mako cheating? He have his own agency. If he really loved Asami he could just said that he wasn't interested. Korra give up to be with Mako anyway when she became friend with Asami, she even ask Mako to go to Asami after they escape from her father. Everything after that was on him.  She didn't use Bolin to get Mako, she just go out with him to have fun. Bolin was the one who mistakenly thought that they are on date. Mako was technically right when he stop Korra attend, but he still did that behind her back, she was right to be angry, especially when it was desperate attempt to save her tribe from occupation. Isn't she apologized to Tenzin when she come back after learning what her uncle trying to do.

Sir Reginald Meowington 3 weeks ago @Extreme Madness "Even if everything you said was true (it isn't)," Talk about denialism there. I don't like the evidence you presented to me therefore it is not true. That doesn't refute anything I have said or why it's problematic. That just tells me you don't like any argument presented to you therefore everything you don't like is false or a lie. Just a reminder Korra isn't right to create a Gulf of Tonkin situation and starting a war will cost the lives of citizens who are unaffiliated with the conflict. (Looks at Vietnam and Spanish American War) It is not right for a high ranking member (General Iroh) to create a situation that leads to justification for war. You know what happens with that right? Court Martial and possible execution. We have whistleblower laws for a reason. Apologizing isn't enough. The writers should known better and have everyone call her out for it. It's the biggest reason why Korra is problematic in the show. The writers have no understanding of writing Korra or any political ideologies (Everyone ranting how Amon is communist is using red-baiting arguments) present in the show that they flaunt to make them appear edgy and mature. It's why Korra comes out bad for forcing a kiss on Mako and telling him "Yeah, but when you're with her, your thinking about me, aren't you?", never apologizing to Bolin for cheating only Mako apologized, having her disabilities skipped because they don't know how to scope within 12 episodes (Barbara Gordon did it better and in less than 30 pages), Asami getting back with her dad was brought up last minute and then he is dead. Just because someone apologizes doesn't mean they deserve forgiveness. Especially not after destroying property damage over a fit. You do that and I get the restraining order.

Extreme Madness 1 week ago (edited) @Sir Reginald Meowington I actually started watch the show again and look at that, you are full of shit, Korra actually apologize to Tenzin for calling him terrible teacher in second episode of Book 1! Korra didn't use Bolin to get closer to Mako, that's what Mako accused Korra for, doesn't make it true, Korra was actually right about his feelings for her, and Korra literally apologize to Bolin while healing his arm in episode 5 for whole situation. About situation when she desperately trying to free southern water tribe from occupation, it's interesting how you blame entire situation on her and not at her uncle. She have every right to be frustrated. She make only few brash decisions, in most situations she listens and work with others like when she  listen Mako how they should save Bolin from Amon, she was doing that for the rest of the show, especially after she returns after having vision of Avatar Wan and learning what her uncle actually planning, in book 3 she surrender to Red Lotus so others can save Airbenders. About her recovery, you don't see the forest for the trees, her being in wheelchair was just part of her slow recovery, it wasn't only important part of it. When did Barbara Gordon stopped being Oracle? It's another lazy retcon from DC? DC couldn't work with other batgirls so they took one of rear example of superheroes with disabilities and make her somehow magically recover from spine cord injury. Lazy writing I'd say. Bad example. I will stay with Korra.

Extreme Madness 5 days ago @Sir Reginald Meowington "Does she apologize for her behavior in the police station? Never." I know you ignored my previous answers but ... Just a few days ago I watched the finale of Book 2 and look at that, Korra actually APOLOGIZED to Mako for that before they broke up! When you actually watch the show you see how many arguments arose from people who didn’t actually watch the show or didn’t pay attention to such important details.

Sir Reginald Meowington 5 days ago @Extreme Madness You lost all credibility when you put Barbara Gordon and Gail Simone under the bus to make Korra look good when a 10-minute google search into the story arcs and fan discussions regarding disabilities and whether or not she should walk again were ignored. Not to mention the decades of critiques and discussions of the event in The Killing Joke and the input of various writers who talked about it for decades in several series starting Barbara. Then you go by using ad-hominem attacks towards me by claiming I am a liar and that I don't watch the show. I quoted the episodes and the scene in the last comment that mysteriously disappeared including why that was problematic and how the show does not do a good job at addressing her faults. As mentioned before, apologizing after enacting violence against your partner during a break up is not enough. As I said when I addressed it, "Just because someone apologizes doesn't mean they deserve forgiveness. Especially not after destroying property damage over a fit. You do that and I get the restraining order." and this is the problem of the writers not understanding how to write Korra or her archetype. It is obvious she was sacrificed in the altar of man pain for character growth and the most abysmal love triangle since the Jean Grey/Scott Summers/Wolverine ship. It's the only reason why I started shipping Asami and Korra as I do with Jean Grey and Emma Frost due to the levels of toxicity. Of course, that would require you to have basic reading comprehension or understanding of social/political issues when moving the goal post so you don't have to address those ugly truths when questioning the romance even fans addressed was badly handled. So now you are trying to grasp at anything in an attempt to make yourself look good after calling you out about supporting a toxic relationship with a female abuser. But of course, it ain't toxic or bad when it's female on male. It's just for laughs.

Extreme Madness 5 days ago @Sir Reginald Meowington "apologizing after enacting violence against your partner during a break up is not enough" Originally you only claimed that she never apologized, which is a notorious untruth, now you claim that her apology is not enough, who here moving the goal post actually. "supporting a toxic relationship with a female abuser" What the hell are you talking about ?! Korra, abuser ?! Go fuck off. I also don't care about the convoluted mess that DC and Marvel comics are for which no one knows which continuum they follow anymore. So no I don’t want to see them as an argument.

Sir Reginald Meowington 5 days ago ​@Extreme Madness Saying they don't count as an argument because it is not your preference is a lame excuse to dismiss evidence regarding a comparison between two similar story arcs between Korra and Barbara. As for the other point It would be good of you to stop time traveling between comments and look at the entire picture of why throwing your partner's desk while they are at work during an argument is problematic. As defined by several resources that talk about relationship and spousal abuse.

It is not okay for your significant other to throw or breaks things when angry in front of you even if they have no intention of physically hurting you.

That is a person who is purposefully threatening you and reestablishing the power dynamics of control/dominance when their partner does something they do not like. That is a person with massive anger issues who is one step away from physically hurting you someday. It's a big red flag that you need to get out and it's only going to escalate from there. There is no excuse for that kind of behavior, no excuse for your partner to throw items in front of you, no excuse for them intimidating you, and no excuse for creating a scene or atmosphere of violence. That is damaging to the psyche of the person that it is enacted upon. In any situation, get out and contact the authorities immediately don't wait, especially if you feel you are in danger. Grab your things, file a protection order, and don't look back. Nobody should vent or release their anger at someone like that.

Ugh...

How do I answer this, they first claimed that Korra never apologized to anyone and that her recovery is worse than some completely different character who has nothing to do with her and now claims that Korra was abusive in her relationship with Mako. I don't know what to say anymore...

[howtotrainyouragents]

For the headcanons ask: Alya Cesaire, Mako from LoK, Mack from AoS, and then any character that you really want to answer for but haven't been asked, if you please! :)

Yayy, thanks for asking!! Here’s the original ask game if anyone’s curious. Haha, this got SOO long, but I had a lot of time to kill soo:

Alya Cesaire, my sweet child who might be the only one in the bunch with a brain cell: 

Headcanon A:  realistic:

Absolutely does the dumbest things for the scoop. Nora has every right to be worried because her lil sis is a dumbass,

Her website is so freaking legit (She gets interviewed by legit news sites, like come on!) She has bios, dates, damages, and ongoing information about akuma attacks. She’s building up profiles on Ladybug, Chat Noir, Hawkmoth, and the other superheroes. People are shocked to learn there’s not a whole team behind it but just one very dedicated teenager. She’s going for the Pulitzer Prize.

Headcanon B: while it may not be realistic it is hilarious

So she’s a comic book fan right. She’s as nerdy as they come. She cosplays  (thank goodness for a genius designer friend) and goes to all the cons (thank goodness for a rich friend). She buys all the limited editions. She does fundraisers for kids. And anyone who is a jerk or gives her a hard time for being a girl/kid is gonna get  punched in the face (Thank goodness for a boyfriends who restrain her and then, upon failing, covers for her ass so that she doesn’t get kicked out or grounded).

She loves movies, she loves running outside and exercising, she loves pastries, she loves doing her nails and posting fun videos!

Headcanon C: heart-crushing and awful, but fun to inflict on friends

She misses Martinique so much. She loves Paris and her friends there but it’s just not the same. The warm weather, the friendliness, the dialect,  her extended family. They moved because of Nora and her dad and mom’s jobs, but ugh whenever she Skypes back home, it hurts so much.

Headcanon D: unrealistic, but I will disregard canon about it because I reject canon reality and substitute my own.

She and Trixx have a complicated relationship because she’s all about the truth and Trixx is all about the illusions. It takes her a while to get it right and a while to see how clever Trixx is with their words and manipulation. She wanted to ask Ladybug for another miraculous, but learned that she was able to see things in shades of gray rather than black and white because of Trixx and that makes her a smarter journalist

Mako (MAKO, MY BABY!!!) 

Headcanon A:  realistic: 

He’s a little nerd. He always wanted an education and could never get it growing up. So he’s patient, he reads, he studies, he’s a fast learner. Lin Beifong is very proud of him; Tenzin wishes he could switch him and Korra out sometimes.

He’s always going to be the dad friend, always looking out for everyone’s wellbeing  (no matter how bad he is at it), always providing and taking care of the others. He carries photos of his friends(+ferret) in his wallet and shows them to everyone whether they asked or not. He’s uptight and falls alseep in movies and makes bad jokes. He’s an Ultimate Dad

Headcanon B: while it may not be realistic it is hilarious

Now that’s he’s a cop, he loves to treat his friends. Getting them into the secure events, joyriding, treating them to dinner.

He and Asami love to race each other. He’s usually super uptight and worried, but when he’s relaxed, he and Asami have so much fun testing out new Satomobiles. Bolin always referees. Korra used to race too but she’s been banned because she uses her Avatar powers to win. So she just gets to joyride when the others are taking a break.

Headcanon C: heart-crushing and awful, but fun to inflict on friends

It took him a long time to get used to his firebending. He had started training with his mother but after their murders he became too terrified to firebend. It was only when he learned that he could be a probender that he began to learn his powers for real

Learning lightning was the hardest and scariest thing he’s ever had to do. He had to have so much peace and patience, and he just wasn’t there yet. Their probender mentor taught him the skills but he was still so full of rage and grief. It was only on one afternoon hanging out with Bolin and Pabu that he realized there was still  hope and happiness to look forward to. His parents wouldn’t want him to be stuck like this. Fire was ambition. And his ambition was fueled by his love for his brother. He would do anything for Bolin. He took Bolin outside and for the first time he bent lightning. Bolin and Pabu smothered him in hugs and they got his favorite noodles that night.

Headcanon D: unrealistic, but I will disregard canon about it because I reject canon reality and substitute my own.

Make FireFerrets still a thing. I can’t believe we only got one season of the awesomeness that is probending (and all the complicated implications). I wanted Fire Ferrets to last at least for a few more tournaments and have them winning and them being able to use the money to set the brothers up comfortably and for Korra to be able to live a little more independently.

Mack (who literally deserves the world and I will fight you on this) 

Headcanon A:  realistic:

Learned his love of mechanics from his father. He continues to work as a mechanic on the side even as director, as relaxation and to remind him of his family

He also is the only one who is actively learning the traditional SHIELD training protocol for becoming a spy, i.e. learning languages and such. He’s slow at the languages (#Turtleman) but he’s much farther along than anyone else.

Headcanon B: while it may not be realistic it is hilarious

Hosts massive video game tournaments online and is a legend in the gaming community. Also, and absolutely is a gentlemen online. Harassment? Pedophilia? Foul or sexual talk? Mack is coming after you and he will destroy you. Only good people allowed. Newcomers and minority groups worship him for this because he makes everyone feel safe and included 

Headcanon C: heart-crushing and awful, but fun to inflict on friends

He wishes he really did quit SHIELD and went back to just being a mechanic. Everyone likes to tease him about wanting to quit, but he is genuinely so heartbroken over seeing so many friends die or disappear. He has nightmares about the day SHIELD fell. He stayed because he was capable of doing something to help and it was the right thing to do. But selfishly, he wants peace in his life. He wants happiness and normalcy. He doesn’t want nightmares of losing his friends, his love, his daughter

Headcanon D: unrealistic, but I will disregard canon about it because I reject canon reality and substitute my own.

He meets up with Bobbi and Hunter all the time. Facetimes them. Plays betting pools with them. Gets drunk. They’re friends for life and F anyone who gets in the way. Honestly he gets a hoot out of their shenanigans and they need him to keep them sane. Also they love Yoyo; half the time they call Mack its because they want to talk to her.

Simmons! Wow, apparently I had a lot headcanons for her. What a good murder child :)

Headcanon A:  realistic:

She doesn’t have a freaking MD, so she’s taken accelerated courses in her spare time in order to be able to pull off surgeries and cleanings and whatnot

She’s the leading expert in Inhuman biology. She’s constantly being consulted but also will sometimes make up crap to get the government  off of SHIELD’s back

Headcanon B: while it may not be realistic it is hilarious

After Daisy, she’s easily the most dangerous of the group. Not because she can fight (because she’s only moderate at fighting), but because she has no mercy. She will leave you for dead on the operating table. She will fire your ass. She will throw a bomb at you and syringe you full of poison. She might even shoot you, and she will sacrifice herself when necessary. Simmons believes she knows what’s right and wrong and she’s learned to take matters into her own hands, everything else be damned.  

She and Fitz finally get their cozy apartment with the breakfast nook. Everyone visits for brunch on the weekends (Daisy visits for breakfast everyday) and Fitz cooks while she studies because she’s a morning person and it’s a get-up-at-6-workout-study-breakfast routine. She has a study just for herself that’s just full of biochemistry and Inhuman biology stuff. It’s a cutesy English-Scottish apartment (she and Fitz had many rows about how to decorate, more Scottish or more English, and they finally decided on half and half). 

She plans all the movie nights and bakes cookies and family dinner. She has weekly late night talks with Daisy, sitting under the covers of Daisy’s bed. She has frequent date nights with Fitz which ends with lovingly bickering while one’s brushing teeth and the other’s showering for bed. She loves to ramble on about her science to anyone who will listen and Mack loves to listen the most because he just doesn’t like to talk much and it turns out they love the same punk rock music so they just hang out and she gets to talk. 

Coulson and May have definitely become her adoptive parents because her family doesn’t know half of the stuff that has happened to her (she could tell them but she doesn’t want them to worry about her.) Coulson gives great hugs and tells her take a break. May gives her a drink and lets her vent. And when Elena and Deke join, she’s does the same for them and passes on the love she received. 

Headcanon C: heart-crushing and awful, but fun to inflict on friends

Even before she joined Coulson’s team, her family was disappointed in her. Ever since the Academy, they had no idea what she does or what she’s done since. She loves her parents and siblings but she feels so damn distant. She’s like a ghost who only comes for Christmas. Just one of her brothers knows what’s really going on with her and when he first found out, he didn’t speak to her for months.

She’s just been through so much that she’s terrifed of being alone. Going undercover, being stranded on an alien planet, being a servant, losing Fitz (she really needs therapy omg), that she’s just scared to be a alone. She’s English, so she doesn’t usually do visible signs of affection. But after everything she’s been through, she stands a little closer to people, she holds onto whosever arm is nearest, she plays with hair and cuddles and reaches for anyone’s hand just to know her SHIELD family, her true family, is still around. And when they’re not: She still carries around a shiv.

Headcanon D: unrealistic, but I will disregard canon about it because I reject canon reality and substitute my own.

How about she gets therapy? How about she calls out Fitz for some of his crap because they both know that its healthy to be honest with each other? How about she gets her own storylines where she continues to do science and learn inhuman biology and help others because that’s who she is and that doesn’t make her weak or uninteresting *microphone drop*