#I love Iroh so so so so much but like stick that man into a dilemma created out of the ghost of his crimes

[peony-pearl]

time for another wave of ‘Iroh shouldn’t have gone back to the Jasmine Dragon because it was a place created on fake names and identities and living a life that was going to be a dead end for Iroh and Zuko because they had nowhere else to go at the time and by shoving Iroh back there it gave him what he WANTED but what he NEEDED was to help Zuko actively begin reparations to the world as Fire Nation Royalty, and to ensure that Zuko was healthy and thriving in his new role AND!!!!! it would have been good to see him begin to extend that patience to Azula, whose mindspace is a battlefield and in trying to show her that she could have someone who won’t leave, who won’t abandon her, who can show her she is more than what her father created, it would have only further cemented Iroh’s place as wanting to help the family heal AND!!! It would have given both Azula and Zuko a mediator, and they could finally start to come together and begin repairing their relationship now that Ozai has no hand in separating them and THEN!!!! when Iroh has seen to it that his niece and nephew are thriving and happy and healthy he can reopen his tea shop and whether it’s in the Fire Nation or Earth Kingdom or wherever I don’t care but the Jasmine Dragon in the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se needs to remain a memory because narratively it’s a dead end and should have been tweaked for Iroh’s ending.

[ravenna-reid]

The Jade Ghost

Blue Spirit Zuko x Bloodbender Reader

This story is completely different to what I usually do, but I've been watching Avatar: The Last Airbender lately and really hope ya'll love Zuko as much as I do.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was insufferable. Zuko, the crowned prince of the fire nation, was now a fugitive and stuck in some sort of village begging for spare change on the ground with Uncle Iroh. If that wasn't embarrassing enough, those who decided to mock him and his uncle made it all the more worse, the deep, unsettling anger within him turning into an unhinged rage. So he waited.

And when the sun would set and the darkness came to help hide Zuko's doings, he adorned his blue mask. The oxtail sabers in each hand felt good, like he'd gained some sort of control over his situation. Then he'd prowl through the night as though he was a ghost. The Blue Spirit. Taking change and food from those that looked like they had enough, or taking revenge on those that had mocked him or his uncle. He'd swiftly managed to throw one of the men that spat at Iroh into a wooden barrel. Splinters decorated the floor as well as the change the man had taken from them earlier in the day. Zuko grabbed the gold pieces and slipped them into his pocket. As he turned down the street, an opulent looking home being his next target, a blurred figure metres before him quickly caught his attention.

Zuko ducked his head to the side, just missing a dagger as it found its home in the wooden beam beside his head. Zuko turned on his heel to see three hooded men coming his way, armed and ferocious. He was able to swiftly disarm the first thug, throwing him into the wall of a nearby home. The other two put up a better fight. Zuko was focused on pinning the second ones arms, given he happened to be an Earthbender, but focusing his attention on the man almost made him forget the third thug. As Zuko turned and expected the blow to his head, something glinted in the air. Flashed as quick as a light. A swoosh sound came after it and the third man hit the ground hard.

Zuko dealt a devastating strike to the Earthbender before training his attention onto another person. Someone new. Adorned in an emerald green robe, her hair was pulled back into a tight bun, a single gold chop stick running through it. Her face, however, was concealed. An immaculate mask that looked as though it was carved from jade sat on her face, a mask almost similar to Zuko's. Steady eyes watched the third man through the jade mask as she spun a long, gold staff between her fingers. Her eyes flickered up to Zuko though, and he barely caught what she said. "Behind you."

The Earthbender was on his feet and tore two large boulders from the pavement either side of him. Zuko slipped past each boulder as they were thrown at him. After that, Zuko's next movements were a blur as he, the two thugs, and the Jade Ghost all fought relentlessly. She seemed to be helping, so he let her help...for now.

The Earthbender managed to get his first hit of the night and knocked both Zuko and the Jade Ghost to the ground. Zuko was on his feet, ready to attack yet again, but then something happened. Something odd. Something Zuko couldn't explain.

The Earthbender's arms twitched before they tangled together. Then, with an agonising cry he dropped to the ground. Zuko's eyes cut over to the girl that laid beside him. Focus was evident in her eyes as she manoeuvred her hands in a fascinating way. Hand flat, resting in the centre of her face before she lowered her arm and moved it in a wave like formation. Zuko clutched onto his sabers. Felt his hot, laboured breath against his mask. The Earthbender suddenly fell unconscious...and then Zuko realised.

Bloodbending.

The Jade Ghost panted as she got to her feet and picked up her staff. Turning to run, she was met with the ocean blue dragon mask. He was tall, dressed in black, ready for a confrontation as he gripped onto his sabers. The Jade Ghost just stopped herself before bumping into him.

"Who are you?" He asked, tone severe.

"Hey, I'm not asking you questions. Am I?"

"I suggest you answer." He threatened.

"Listening, I've been watching you. You're not bad...you've helped a lot of my people whilst wearing your little mask. Like me. So how about this..."

She slipped down an alleyway and with the shake of his head, Zuko quickly followed. She didn't want a confrontation, not when the sun was soon to rise and she didn't see the man in the mask as a threat.

As she sprinted and took the chance to look over her shoulder, relief spread through her chest. The Blue Spirit wasn't there. But suddenly, he was jumping down from a nearby roof. He grabbed onto her as he dropped down, and the pair tumbled over the ground before coming to a stop. The Jade Ghost tried her staff before it was knocked from her hands. Then, she resorted to using hand-to-hand combat. The strikes were fast and precise, but Zuko was just as fast and precise as her. She slipped his arm behind his back and put him in a hold before he broke out and pinned her against the wall.

Masks centimetres from each other, he leant in to ask another question.

"That was bloodbending, wasn't it?"

"Wanna find out?" She hissed.

His determination faltered. They stood and watched each other, and Zuko felt something he couldn't ignore. What was it? Was he impressed? Was he admiring her? He almost wanted to hit his head against the wall.

Suddenly, a light, green dust was thrown into his face. An irritable itch began in his eyes as he quickly let go of her. And just like that, she slipped away into the night. Just like a ghost. As he tried to search for her, Zuko quickly became annoyed. Dumbfounded. Curious.

Zuko made it back to the sorry place him and his uncle were calling 'home' for a while, hiding his mask and sabers inside of a deep crevice in the house they were staying in.

"Where did you go?" Iroh asked, sipping his fourth cup of tea as he watched his nephew angrily enter the room. The sun was filtering into the room, it's beams warm and welcoming.

"I had to clear my head. Tell me uncle, do you know anything about the Jade Ghost?"

"The Jade Ghost? Hmm," His uncle stroked his beard as he sifted through his memories. "Nope, never heard of him."

"Her." Zuko corrected as he stared out the window and wondered where she went. Who she was. How she learnt to bloodbend.

"Until next time Jade Ghost."

[comradekatara]

Any fun Aang facts/ headcanons/ thoughts?

i don’t know if this is exactly fun but i think a lot about aang coping the first couple years after the end of the war. like i think on a spectrum of “the war is over and im so happy!!” to “suddenly thrust into a leadership position that is uniquely isolating and horrible,” aang perhaps isn’t struggling as much as the new firelord, but it’s a close thing.

i think katara would be the one who is happiest out of all of the gaang, since the war being over relieves this huge weight off her shoulders and she also gets to do the fulfilling work of rebuilding her tribe and finally being able to live up the potential she’s always imagined for herself, being able to preserve and pass on her heritage to a hopeful new generation. (that isn’t to say that she isn’t traveling the world with aang, trying to mitigate the damage caused by the war, but she would go back home as soon as possible. she needs to see gran gran!!!) there’s a sense of pride and satisfaction and joy to her role in this world that cannot be denied. 

suki is in a similar position, where as the leader of the kyoshi warriors, her reunion with her sisters and their return to kyoshi island would be triumphant and joyous, and she gets to participate in the process of teaching a new generation of warriors, passing on her traditions and using her skillset to help people elsewhere. but then there’s also the lingering, nagging memory of being alone in a maximum security prison, and that trauma isn’t something one just gets over… 

i see toph, more than anyone, spending the most time with zuko in the fire nation. she understands what it’s like to be alone, and she’d rather be with her family than her biological parents. i think she does visit them, but it doesn’t go well. toph may be incredibly sharp and mature for her age, but she is still just a kid, and the fact that her father will continue to reject her his entire life is a great wound, as much as she could flippantly deny it. but zuko understands what that’s like more than anyone, so being able to help him helps her through her own pain. even if zuko is a dick about it (although i think she stubbornly forces him to acknowledge her pain at some point instead of just outright dismissing her like he did on ember island), it’s a symbiotic relationship in its own way. i mean, he could definitely use a human lie detector. 

sokka is like all over the place. i don’t know man he’s too complicated to sum up in one little paragraph. but yeah let’s just say the war ending doesn’t automatically Heal him and Solve his copious Issues. because it does solve some things but it also causes other problems. new problems even. but i already sort of talk about that here so let’s just move that for now. 

and then of course zuko being crowned boy king of racist nation is like… not great. it works for thematic/symbolic/narrative reasons, of course, but realistically. it's a struggle! so, like i said, i think toph would stick by his side, and i think aang spends a lot of time in fire nation as well, and sokka as much as possible (NOT because he loves zuko, but because he thinks zuko is very stupid and he’s the world’s biggest control freak so if he doesn’t micromanage everything he’ll feel like it’s his fault if anything goes wrong). but iroh is…. not there. his best friend katara (i said what i said) is in the south pole or traveling the world or anywhere but Here. azula is. broken?? the world?? is broken?? and he (famously a fuck-up) is supposed to fix it???? poor kid. 

anyway. this is all preamble to contextualize what can only be described as The Worst Puberty Anyone’s Ever Had. okay here’s a bonus fun headcanon: aang is born in october! i say this because he’s the most libra to ever do it (i don’t know shit about astrology but i do know that). so for the entire run of the show (from winter to summer) he is twelve years old. i don’t know if you’ve been around any twelve year old boys recently (not to brag, but i have), but they are Going Through It. and that’s the average twelve year old, not even including the shocking temporal displacement and being the sole survivor of a genocide and shouldering the burden of the whole fucking world and knowing that an entire country full of people want you dead. 

the fact that aang maintains his childlike wonder and sweetness for the most part means that it’s going to hit him like a truck once the war ends and he finally has a chance to focus on himself. we see the early stages of puberty affecting him in terms of how he behaves around katara, the change between his book one kiddie crush and his book three confusion and intensity. but it’s more than just burgeoning sexuality. he wakes up, is informed that he’s been stuck in an iceberg for a century, that everyone he ever knew with the exception of appa and bumi are dead due to a genocide, and that it’s his responsibility to end the war. and the rest of the show is him trying to step into that duty and finally becoming the kind of person the world needs him to be. and now… it’s over.  

on one hand, there’s that overwhelming sense of relief. he did it. he successfully prevented yet another genocide, stopped the war, and did it all without compromising his values. his new friends (his new family) are all alive and safe and now can rebuild the world together. they can rest and have fun and be kids. and that’s what aang is celebrating in the finale when he looks at all of them and smiles, when he hugs katara in acknowledgement of how far they’ve come. aang is incredibly strong and resilient, and it’s a strength that comes from a place of genuine love and understanding. he was taught good values as a kid, values that have guided him through the most unimaginable of tragedies. but he’s not perfect. no one is. 

no one can prevent the oncoming swirl of hormones and trauma and second-guessing that is about to hit aang once it finally occurs to him that the purpose he has been fighting for ever since his entire life changed is now over, basically, and he has to figure out what it means to be alive outside of one sole, defining goal. as anne carson said in red doc>, “to live past the end of your myth is a perilous thing.” as jp sartre said in la nausée, “i outlive myself” (specifically, anny says it to roquentin). what is aang doing if not ouliving himself? had he lived a normal lifespan that hadn’t been disrupted by a spiritually imposed stasis, he probably would’ve been dead by now (long dead, if we can assume that his death in lok is by natural causes). and his myth, his grand destiny of stopping the war and once more carving out a space for his people in this brave new world? well, he did it. accomplished it with flying colors. now it’s over. now he is a perilous thing. 

as i alluded to before, i think the only person who can really truly empathize with aang’s situation is sokka. sokka, too, has survived beyond any point he imagined. he has built his entire identity around being a shield, and now that the war is over, his ability to protect others from immediate threats and sacrifice himself for a cause has been ripped away from him. he now has to forge an identity beyond reducing himself to a soldier, in a fundamentally unfamiliar world. sokka was shaped by war, and yet he lived past it, past the end of his myth. aang’s world is now also unfamiliar, not solely because the war is over, but because the war is over and yet he is still alone. he did it, he saved the day, and yet what is his reward? he saved a lot of people, but none of his people. he can never go home again. 

aang and sokka’s role as foils is something i want to write about more because i do find it truly fascinating, but in these terms i think we can also read their psychological states postwar as a sort of reciprocal dynamic. i’ve spoken in the past about how in a postwar reconstruction landscape, sokka would do a lot of the administrative work that aang cannot. not only because aang is literally twelve, but because aang cannot focus all his attention on this world when he is also its only real tether to the past. so sokka would make room for aang to focus on being the last airbender by sort of taking on the mantle of pseudo-avatar. solely in the most bureaucratic sense of the title, of course, but that would be the role that sustains and (somewhat) fulfills him after the war. and i think aang would be grateful for that, but he’d also be somewhat resentful?? not of sokka (aang is too emotionally mature for that, plus he respects sokka too much), but he’d definitely resent himself. think about how guilty and shameful he feels whenever he feels like he’s let the world down due to factors beyond his control. and so the fact that sokka is doing so much of what aang himself should be doing because he’s too busy being defined by his status as a genocide survivor… well, it might make him angry. he might lash out. and we’ve seen him frustrated, volatile, and emotionally confused. it’s not pretty. 

i know that we all only want the best for aang and want him to be happy and thriving after the war because he’s such a perfect kid who deserves the world, but realistically, i do think there would be a period where he’s kind of hard to be around. not only because that’s just something that happens to all adorable baby boys once they turn thirteen (i, for one, learned this lesson extremely painfully), but because he’s dealing with a lot and the only person who even remotely understands what he’s going through is also the most emotionally repressed guy he knows. 

throughout atla, he never allows himself a moment to just stop and feel, because the depth of his grief is actually scary and incredibly difficult to confront. but i think if he did ever allow himself to feel, he might never stop. he might, in fact, spend a month or so curled up in blankets in bed eating nothing but bean curd puffs and shutting out everyone but momo. i actually think that’s more realistic than him immediately entering a perfect relationship with katara and being highschool sweethearts and popping out three kids. and frankly, i think going through that kind of depression now that he no longer has any pressing responsibilities also happens to be something he’s earned. he’s been pushing down his grief, ignoring it, distracting himself from it, this whole time. it’s time he finally lets himself feel. 

on a happier note, i like thinking about aang and suki getting closer after the war (or even being close offscreen during the show, like on ember island). i like to think that suki can act as a sort of cool big sister figure to aang, who has suffered just enough that she can empathize with his pain, but isn’t too close to the situation (like fellow genocide survivors katara and sokka, or genocide perperators’ direct descendants, like zuko) that she can still discuss it with him without bringing her own baggage into the fore. she’s very good at giving direct, no-bullshit advice in a nonetheless kind and compassionate way, and she’s also very good at joking around and knowing how to let loose and have fun in a way aang appreciates. she also really admires and highly values the role of the avatar in the world, and she also admires and cherishes aang as a person, so i think she could give him that kind of measured encouragement that aang really needs to hear. 

obviously katara has done this for aang a lot in the past, and i’m not saying she wouldn’t also continue to be a shoulder for aang to lean on, because no matter how much he may try to push her away, she will always be there for him, but i think suki also sort of provides a necessary detachment where he isn’t bogged down by any romantic feelings for her and she isn’t bogged down by her own all too similar trauma the way katara is. suki has people to help her work through her own trauma (sokka, her sisters, etc.) so aang doesn’t need to reciprocate. she’s just happy to be there for her surrogate baby bro who needs her. she’ll serve the avatar in any way she can, whether by becoming a kyoshi warrior, by sacrificing herself to free his bison, or by just chilling with him in bed while he rants about his impossible situation and cries on her shoulder.

[romantichomicide95]

Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....Thanks...

uhm yes!!! i love asks like this 🩵 thank you for asking. i’ll probably just do anime cause i haven’t watched anything else in awhile but black widow,loki and spider-man would be honorable mentions. also sorry this took sooooo long. also sorry i didn’t do 10 my brain doesn’t work the last few months.

levi ackerman- i love levi obviously. but one of my favorite things about him is the juxtaposition of his personality being that he’s incredibly kind-hearted && cares about doing what’s right while also being gruff and rude and cold. i think both sides of his personality being kind of opposite but also so truly who he is is really cool and way more interesting that a cookie cutter golden retriever hero. i also just love the way he carries himself and his overall demeanor, plus him being humanities strongest and although he’s confident in his abilities and doesn’t deny them he’s never arrogant.

megumi fushiguro- of course my top 3 boys are in this. megumi is similar to levi in the sense he has this more aloof demeanor while maintaining such a kind heart. megumi is interesting in the way he holds his values, saving people selfishly. i think he’s a bit morally grey in the sense that he makes decisions based on what he thinks is right rather than what everyone else thinks is right. but he also has this kind heart, and deeply cares for his friends.

satoru gojo- satoru is really such a complex character and people kind of see him as one note which i don’t think is true at all. satoru is the strongest, i think what immediately drew me to him is most characters in media i see like that are kind of like the opposite of his carefree/goofy personality and i found that cool to see right off the bat. he clearly cares about his students and wants what’s best for them, wanting to create a better society for them so that what happened to his best friend doesn’t happen again. that said, he’s also arrogant and cocky and doesn’t take shit. he’s very complex, i think he’s often mischaracterized because of his goofiness when i just think he has many layers and attributes and when looking at them all together he’s an extremely amazing character.

armin arlert- i’ve spoken about this before but armin is my second favorite aot character. i don’t talk about him often cause i don’t like simp for him. but from a purely character standpoint i love armin. his growth throughout the series and the way he sticks to his values throughout while also coming to be a leader is amazing to see. he was always loyal, kind, empathetic and genuinely cared about doing the right thing. plus that brain of his is fascinating.

rishe (7th time loop)- i know this is a romance anime, and it only just started but damn if i don’t wanna be her so bad. one of my favorite things about her is how absolutely badass she is while retaining her femininity. i often find that people are unable to write strong/capable female characters without making them masculine which isn’t a bad thing for woman to masculine but the implication that one is only strong because of masculinity is misogynistic. so i love rishe, she can do so much, she’s never afraid to stand up for what she believes in, and she can fight on her own yet she still likes to dress up and gets excited over jewelry and things.

zuko- idk if people consider atla anime but i love zuko and his entire arc throughout the show is probably one of my favorite arcs of any character. you could always tell from the very beginning that underneath that anger was just a kid who wanted to prove himself to his dad. i don’t think he was ever a bad person, and thank god he had iroh (honorable mention cause who tf doesn’t love iroh?) to remind him of that. but yeah, seeing his journey from villian to hero AND the journey of acceptance of himself was just amazing to me.

eren yeager- controversial probably but i think that eren was an extremely well written character from the very beginning. i won’t go into much detail for him but i think his arc from beginning to end is one of the best written arcs in fiction that i have yet to see. isayama did a great job of turning him into a villian.

other honorable mentions that i didn’t wanna write paragraphs for lol : hange, light yagami, vash, suki and sasha.

[midnightcreator12]

So about that Live Action Avatar

....so, I don't think its going to be good....but I'm going to TRY and give the Netflix Avatar a shot....

.....this is just my thoughts during episode 1....and I'm trying very hard to not be biased but...eh...

Apparently we suffer from the same affliction as Shamalan: For some reason, we have to make the bending look slow as hell and lack any kind of power.

Oh, but hey, you killed a dude on screen. Nice, are we gonna see the darker sides of murder via bending?

Why tf is Aang flying without the glider? No, he's not falling slowly, he is FLYING. Boy thinks he's superman out here.

I'll give you the Aang and Gyatso bonding, I appreciate that. Love what you're doing with that.

Apparently, the writers think I can't remember basic information because they've told me FOUR TIMES 'The Avatar, the only one who can master all four elements' you gonna tell me again later.

Why is Aang freaking out at being the Avatar? He's a ten-year-old boy, any kid would be hyped. I GET the not wanting to leave bit but he's just instantly like 'no, no, I'm not the Avatar' I get we're in a rush but please tell me he's not gonna act like a full-fledged adult.

Appa! You look good buddy!

So, Aang KNOWS that the Fire Nation is planning to start a war before he gets iced....I feel like this undermines how HARD the emotional hit is going to be when he realizes he's the only Air Bender left.

That gut punch when he finds Gyatso's body hits so hard because Aang doesn't know how BAD things have gotten. From where he's standing in the cartoon, he ran but after his ice nap, he calmed down and was like 'okay, I'm ready now!' But then he gets smacked with the 'last of his kind' trope and it firmly shows him how serious this war is.

....he's totally gonna be acting like a grown ass man through this.

APPARENTLY FIRE BENDERS CAN FUCKING FLY TOO, WHAT THE FU-

On-screen murder number 2 and, yeah, the bending looks cool here!

The fire nation is human cannonballing themselves into the temple, what the heck is that??

I do give the show props for showing the genocide of the Air Nomads.

Whhhhhy is there so much slow-mo showing nothing?? Did Shamalan help shoot this??

We have flashed forward and...as much as I appreciate the time in the temple, I still feel like it's going to undermine the emotional impact when Aang goes back. Part of why that scene hit so hard was because, up until then, there was reasonable doubt that all the air-benders were truly gone. Now, anyone coming in who has watched the toon already knows that but the hit when we see the bones of Gyatso, after sending two episodes with Aang being a goofy lil ten year old.....yeah, it won't make as much of an impact for new people coming in.

Hey Katara....WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING IN THE FIRE NATION BOAT!? WHY ARE YOU PRACTICING BENDING IN THE FORBIDDEN BOAT!?

Good sibling dynamic, off to a very good start.

Wait, she's not allowed to practice?? I thought the writers said they were ditching the sexism??

Hmmm, no, no. I liked it better when Katara got pissed and cracked the ice so Aang could come up. Also she's very meek so far. Sokka snaps at her to quit worrying about waterbending and she just...backs off?? I'm reaaaaally hoping that this issue will not stick.

Sokka...the boat is still close enough to grab....just...get it...

Oh hi Zuko! Did they do your scar right this time?

Nope! You showed SEVERAL people being BURNED ALIVE, but Zuko just forgot to put on sunblock? Did...did everyone just MISS the fact HALF HIS FACE IS BURNED TO HELL?!

Also, apparently, Katara just trying to pull the boat was enough to crack the iceberg?? No, still liked it better when she got mad and snapped open half the ocean. (do not make her meek, do NOT make her meek, I will tap out if you took her fucking fire)

Sokka: Nice, we're not gonna die. K, okay, that was funny. Good thing you're still funny so far Sokka.

....I don't know why yet.....but I don't like this Iroh....he's too....upfront.

Wait, Zuko is looking to get the throne??? wtf, NO, that makes his motivations just like every other fire nation General or Noble. I liked it better when he was a kid desperately trying to get back into his dads good graces by restoring his honor. wtf is this 'I am destined to be fire lord' bs?!

Okay, Aang can just FLY NOW! I GUESS!

Wh- why is Gran-Gran reciting the intro. WE JUST SAW THAT! I FEEL OFFENDED THAT YOU KEEP REPEATING INFORMATION TO ME!

Yeah, just cause you recited the og intro doesn't make you clever! That was a weird-ass segue into that.

Gran-Gran might as well have an 'Inset coin for exposition that we just saw' sigh on her neck.

OOP! There's Iroh aaand he's gone...you had it and then you didn't.

There's some Katara bite. More of that, please.

No, no, I don't like Sokka just going straight to 'Turn Anng over to the fire nation' Yeah, his attack was pathetic but at least he FOUGHT in the cartoon. Here he's just 'welp, see ya kid' ....guess they had to replace the sexism with just zero empathy.

Yay, Katara has some bite! ....shame it undermind Sokka.

The scene cuts are weird...the pacing just jumps all over the place.

I do not like Iroh flipping between 'serious, straightforward' and 'lol, I'm just a silly old man' PICK ONE!

Oh so NOW Aang suddenly can't fly.

Called it, having Aang know what happened right off the bat makes the impact hit less. So him going Avatar mode feels outta place as hell.

Again with the weird scene cuts.

Pft, aw, Zuko has a conspiracy board

Aaaand that was episode 1

....This feels like a checklist. Like when Disney remakes just go through all the most memorable bits of the cartoon because 'thats what the people want, right?' But they're skipping around all the buildup that helped MAKE those highlights hit so hard.

Scenes are rearranged and there is potential there but the choices made just...undermine the moments that are supposed to really hit us.

The kids do well acting but Gran-Gran looks like a younger woman with a wig on and all she does is quote the cartoon.

Katara has moments where her spitfire personality comes through but most of the time shes being very meek and backs down from conflict. The only time she doesn't is to convince Sokka 'hey, don't sell out the 10 year old to the fire nation.

And this is having the same pacing issues that the Live film had. They rush scenes that need to be slow and hold on bits that don't need to be slowed down.

I give the show props for effects and occasionally the bending looking good and for showing people being burned alive but the things it does right are outnumbered by the wrongs so far.

Maybe it'll get better as it goes but...I doubt it.

[certifiedwerewolf]

Why you should be supporting Bob Belcher in the @bearpoll polls:

My man has it ROUGH. He literally has such simple wants and desires (financial stability for his family and business. hang out with his family. cook stuff. that's IT. He doesn't even want a highly successful business, he just wants to make people burgers and keep on top of the bills). And yet he still can never catch a break. He needs a win. We can give him that.

Literally the best tv dad this man sat down with his 13 year old daughter who was talking about the school trying to propaganda kids out of kissing and told her, look, it's okay to like kissing and when you're old enough other things, and you have to stick with your convictions and if that is that kissing is good, then go for it. What other cartoon dad would, COULD even?

Goes above and beyond for his family like constantly. He loves them so much. He would, could, and has done literally anything for his kids and his wife. They are everything to him, chaos and all. Don't you think that's deserving of a win like this? He is the POSTER BOY for family man, like it's CANON that not only does he WANT to hang out with his wife and kids, he would rather hang out with his wife and kids than anyone else. "Take my wife" whomst?

Literally everyone who ever tastes his burgers is transported to a higher plane of ecstasy. The only reason his business isn't more successful is that he's pisspoor at pr.

Imagine how satisfying it would be for him to rub it in to Jimmy Pesto's bitch face that he won a sexyman poll.

It's not canon but he's definitely bi. So he would qualify for bear by being mlm too, even if it's not canon.

Look. Okay, look. I know. I KNOW. Iroh is on that poll. Other attractive guys are too. Bob doesn't really stand a chance against them if we're being honest. But who else DESERVES the win more? Iroh got literally everything he could feasibly ask for after his show, he doesn't need this win. And he would want to support Bob too! Even Iroh would want you to vote for Bob!

Vote Bob Belcher Tumblr Bear 2k23

[tiredmarketeer]

Thoughts on Netflix's Avatar adaptation Episode 1 and 2

SPOILERS AHEAD

1. AVATAR MY BABY BOY OH GOD LOOK AT HIS SMILE THAT'S MY AANG

2. Air Nomad Temple 10/10. That hurricane scene??? Fuck yes

3. Hey is that Kevin Tran from Supernatural

4. Firelord Sozin has strong Daddy vibes

5. Holy shit they nailed Azula

6. Why is Katara so...flat? We're talking about one of the most fiery feminist icons in fictional history. The lady kicked ass on a daily basis BECAUSE she was tired of being looked down upon. Not bashing on Show!Katara tho. She's adorable. I just wish she'd...do something. It's disorienting to watch her when you KNOW OG!Katara would've been howling in the same situation

7. Soka and Momo are definitely 10/10 (Although I was sad to see Soka not being a sexist baby. Really enjoyed watching Suki kick that shit out of him in OG Atla). They nailed his sass tho

(Side note: why did they have Suki reveal her face to Soka so early? I thought it was adorable that Soka had such a huge crush on a girl whose face he doesn't get to see until at least 2 seasons later, and was genuinely in love with her for her fighting skills and spirit. It did a lot for their chemistry too)

8. OH GOD MY UNCLE IROH IS BACK *bursts into tears* GET THIS MAN HIS JASMINE TEA

9. I see a lot of comments on Zuko being too soft but honestly...I think show Zuko is nailing it

10. APPA. IT'S APPA. THAT'S MY BABY BOY APPA

11. Tbh it feels like the show is taking away some of the major character traits of OG Gaang (Katara's anger issues, Suko's stubbornness about being a "guy's guy, Aang's childish nature which had made him run away at first and later realise the consequences that followed etc. etc.)

12. Watching Kyoshi in action was genuinely so beautiful I think I wept a bit

13. *Stares at Zhao* this motherfucker

Well maybe they just aren't sure about getting a chance to make season 2 so want to shove as much as possible in S1 to get the most amount of popularity while they can to continue down the road. So far, not a bad adaption but y'all, at least stick to the character personalities even if you don't want the source material

[ssreeder]

*taps mic*

*screeching synth noise*

hem hem

first of all

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

now that we have That out of the way

SREEDIE YOU’RE SO SPEEDY (that’s an awful rhyme I’m so sorry) ARE YOU READY TO HEAR MY EVERY THOUGH WHILE READING THIS CHAPTER (once again I’m so sorry But not sorry enough to spare you bc I’ve gotta keep being annoying to remind you why we got divorced)

yikes it really must be lowkey terrifying on katara’s end rn… like it’s pretty much the whole They Died And Came Back Wrong trope except sokka only died in theory and yet came back wrong anyway. I feel so bad for her :((

SLAY TOPH keep an eye on iroh please

not katara suspending her disbelief regarding jet being heroic T-T

this is actually a really interesting dynamic change for katara and sokka bc even though katara was always caring for everyone else in the show, sokka was always the one person who was always looking out for katara, so to have him be the sibling that needs taking care of is like… damn yk

okay maybe this means absolutely nothing BUT I feel like jet losing his arm and therefore his ability to wield dual blades has the potential to cause even more tension with zuko bc jet will not only hate him for being fire nation but now they won’t even be evenly matched in a fight and he’s gonna resent the fact that zuko still has both arms. and that’s ASIDE from the fact that it’s gonna be a gruelling healing process before jet even gets the chance to Think about picking up a blade again

jet: is literally on his deathbed

suki: I’m looking respectfully-

“how did sokka handle that” well katara isn’t that the money question, and unfortunately the answer is always Not Very Well

oh katara sokka has also stabbed a man to death with a stick so uh,, yeah while amputating jet’s arm was unideal, alas it is far from the most gory shit sokka has done

perfect girl but sokka wants a boyyyyyyyy~ (these bitches gay)

yes sokka let’s try to keep the house hacking to a minimum shall we

okay definitely nothing has been solved but crying on the bathroom floor is actually very therapeutic not that I’m speaking from personal experience or anything haha HOWEVER I do think sokka needs to cry for longer for the catharsis to work properly. so that’s my note sreedie. MAKE HIM CRY MORE

fuck dude there’s just.. Nothing like sibling relationships. like obviously katara and sokka are (were?) really close siblings but even when siblings are estranged to whatever extent it’s still just so different from any other kind of relationship you have with other people so it’s like… if Anyone would be able to help sokka it would be katara. idk how to express it but not even zuko would be able to help sokka the way katara (though he would Understand it more) bc sokka needs to know that he has people that have enduring love for him and the only person he’ll be able to trust to give him that initially would be katara and I just AHHHHH

YAY MORE CRYING YOU LISTENED TO ME

ugh sokka stop LYING you LIAR

zuko IS an asshole and I love that about him <3

not katara’s bluffing about yue- absolutely appalling effort folks, katara this is the funniest thing you have ever done

sorry I know it was a very intense and somber situation but I just find it hilarious that the solution to zuko being stubborn and refusing to cooperate (however much that is understandable given the circumstances) is just to straight up knock him out. like night night kiddo

ah shit I wish iroh weren’t the one undressing zuko. actually I wish nobody was undressing zuko this is just shit

ZUKO PLEASE YOU’RE DYING WHY ARE YOU STILL AWAKE

speech impediment zuko my beloved <3

ZUKO WHY ARE YOU A MENACE literally first thing out of his mouth that’s not defensive in an attempt to protect himself is to fucking insult jee I can’t T-T

JEE YOU SAVAGE ily

zuko bit jee I forgot omfg this is hilarious (even though it’s actually very sad but shhh we’re ignoring that)

jee the emotional support bestie reporting for duty bc he is the only emotionally stable adult in this household

iroh: is indescribably furious about the fact that zuko has been tortured

also iroh: my this boy has a mighty strange haircut going on

ah fuck here we go. it’s SA discovery time >:/

sreedie did jee break something accidentally bc he was in shock or did he smash something out of rage

rasu fashion icon <3

dragon of the west popping off with the murder plans

when a blind girl and a human disaster are left alone in the kitchen-

oh okay so he Did break a table. slay.

jee in dad mode <3

SOKKA JUST FUCKING TELL PEOPLE PLEASE THIS IS FRUSTRATING AND SAD AT THE SAME TIME WTF

I’m sorry but not jee thinking sokka is a bigger pain in the ass than zuko. alas, he does have a point

OHIHOHOHHEHEHEHE ITS CHANG BITCHES AND HE’S IN HIS GIRLBOSS ERA

nvm chang is in his struggle era actually

lots of layers LIKE AN ONION-

OH SHIT REHO RECOGNISES CHANG

“little wet-noodle” PLEASE I adore chang

for once in her life, slay ara, now the story is finally fucking getting a move on (no shade to you sreedie <33)

lmao bato is so right both about sokka AND about teasing hakoda despite being in the midst of a very tense wartime situation

omg in relation to you an: pls let zuko fuck up all of sokka’s lies accidentally bc this boy cannot lie for shit LET ALONE when he doesn’t realise he even needs to lie and is also high as fuck from iroh drugging him so that he doesn’t bite people

OR sokka is gonna see zuko on his sickbed and immediately his whole world is gonna narrow down to just zuko (understandably) and everyone else in the room is gonna figure out what’s going on pretty quick and effectively sokka just exposes HIMSELF à la love for zuko spewing out of him alongside guilt and regret and fear and relief (essentially the full emotional gambit)

in review: sokka needs to cry more, zuko should bite more people, zukka needs to reunite, I love jee, I love chang, hakoda is gonna need a head massage after all the mental gymnastics he’s gonna be subjected to next chapter. THE END.

love you So much TOODLES *mwah*

LEEEEEEKI BELOVED!!!!

I’m sure you’re like wtf ex lover why aren’t you answering my ask & I’m innocently over here cherishing every word and sniffing it until it loses your smell….

Yes, I’m weirdo. But you keep coming back for me so HA…. ;)

I know some people in the comments were like “I can’t believe Sokka just DID THAT!! no way!!”

& it’s like what’s worse? Stabbing someone in the neck 30 times with a jagged stick you found on the ground while pretend shitting or cutting off your kind of enemy kind of whatever guys arm to save his life??

(There was also the warden situation too… so idk I think Sokka is pretty desensitized at this point and is so emotionally constipated that he doesn’t know HOW to feel about ANYTHING right now ((except Zuko))))

Jee: Zuko is the most difficult person

Jee meets Sokka: I stand corrected

Haha I enjoy your reviews, & I can’t wait to see you soon!!

[karlyanalora]

As someone whose listened to "We Don't Talk About Bruno over a dozen times, can you please tell me about "We Don’t Talk About Zuko"?

Okay, so my sister is in a humor group, and sometimes they do song parodies. So we came up with this one together. Unfortunately it didn't make the cut, but we hope it will next semester. If it does, I'll post the video here for sure. Enjoy the lyrics!

Toph is walking backward while talking to the Gaang: So let me get this straight. You get your butt’s kicked by a bald kid with a ponytail?

Sokka: We do the butt-kicking, thank you very much. But basically, yes.

Toph: So how did you meet this Zu-

Sokka & Katara: We don't talk about Zuko, no, no, no!

We don't talk about Zuko... but

Zuko (slides across the stage dramatically, arms raised dramatically): It was my Agni Kai

Iroh: It was his Agni Kai

Zuko: I was getting ready to either fight my father or die

Iroh: And no one asked why!

Zuko: Ozai walks in with a malevolent grin-

Iroh: Fire!!

Zuko: You telling this story, or am I?

Iroh: I'm sorry, Prince Zuko, go on

Zuko: Ozai says, "Go find Aang"

Iroh: Are you insane?

Zuko: He burned my face, now I'm in pain

Iroh: Someone get the healers!

Zuko: Banished, now I'm chasing Aang

Iroh: What an awful day... but anyway

Sokka & Katara: We don't talk about Zuko, no, no, no!

We don't talk about Zuko!

Iroh: Hey! Grew to love and care for Zuko struggling and stumbling

I could always hear him sort of whimpering and wondering

I associate him with the sound of falling leaves, ch-ch-ch

It's a heavy lift, with a gift all fumbling

Always left Azula and the Fire Lord grumbling

Sent on a quest that would not ever end

Do you comprehend?

Sokka: A face to cause a scare

A stick shoved up his butt

Yeah, he’s got bad hair

Should really get it cut

Yeah, he’s lookin’ for Aang

Gosh, he’s such a pain! (hey!)

We don't talk about Zuko, no, no, no! (We don't talk about Zuko, no, no, no!)

We don't talk about Zuko (we don't talk about Zuko!)

He told me the moon would die

The next day: dead! (No, no!)

Mai: He told me we would breakup!

And just like he said... (no, no!)

Aang: He said that all my hair would reappear, now look at my head (no, no! Hey!)

The Gaang: Your fate is sealed when he rears his ugly head!

Azula: In his life, I'm the one pulling strings, now the throne will someday be mine

He watched me as my powers did grow,  now his honor is on the line

Sokka: Sparky Boom Man's on his way!

He told me that the girl of my dreams would be just out of reach

Betrothed to another

It's like I see her now

Katara: Hey Toph, I want not a sound out of you (it's like I can see her now)

Sokka: She’s the moon now

Toph: Um, Zuko...

Yeah, about that Zuko...

I really need to know about Zuko...

Gimmie the truth and the whole truth, Zuko

Ty Lee: (Azula, your brother's here)

Cabbage Man: My cabbages!

Soka: A face to cause a scare (Zuko: it was my Agni Kai, it was his Agni Kai)

A stick shoved up his butt (I was getting ready to either)

Yeah, he’s got bad hair (fight my father or die)

Should really get it cut (Iroh: And no one asked why!)

Yeah, he’s lookin’ for Aang (Zuko: Ozai walks in with a malevolent grin-)

Gosh he’s such a pain (Iroh: fire!)

Zuko: You telling this story, or am I?

Iroh: I'm sorry, Prince Zuko, go on (Soka: Sparky Boom Man’s on his way)

Zuko: Ozai says, "Go find Aang" (a face to cause a scare, a stick shoved up his butt)

He burned my face, now I’m in pain

Banished, now I'm chasing Aang

The Gaang: He's here! (Bending battle begins as Gaang spies Zuko)

Don't talk about Zuko, no! (Toph: Why did I talk about Zuko?)

Not a word about Zuko

Toph: I never should've brought up Zuko!

[officerjennie]

tagged by @the-evil-stick - thank!!

List 5 favourite shows (in no particular order) and answer questions accordingly.

I don't watch shows? So uh

The Witcher

The Last of Us

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Fucken, idk, Spongebob?

I have about 20 anime I could put here but I don't remember more than like. One character from any of the ones I've watched

1. Who is your favourite character in 2?

Joel. I love that old man so much

I couldn't fix him and actually I don't want to

2. Who is your least favourite character in 1?

Of the main characters? Yennefer. Mainly because of how some in the fandom treat her character, refusing to see any flaws, calling her perfect, acting like any slight to her character in canon or fanon is toxic. She is inherently flawed like all good characters should be and people acting like that makes me want nothing to do with her.

If it weren't for that, she'd be fine, even if her and Geralt are truly awful for each other.

3. What's your favourite episode of 4?

The campfire episode ig

...I'm taking this opportunity to rant about TLOU cause it's my post and I can THE FIRST EPISODE IS AMAZING OKAY. The character introductions, the reintroduction to Joel, the world building, the slogan of the fireflies matching Joel's journey, Joel searching for Tommy because protecting his people has become his whole purpose, just. Someday I'd like to write an essay.

4. What is your favourite season of 5?

The ones where boys kiss boys

5. What's your favourite relationship in 3?

I wasn't really a fan of most of the canon ships honestly, but since it's Relationship and not Ship then Iroh and Zuko. I love that Iroh shows Zuko how he can be a non-toxic man in a world where they were both taught just toxic, power hungry and angry masculinity.

6. Who is your anti relationship in 2?

what does that even mean. like... the ship I hate? the NOTP?

fucken idk man. I just ship old man Joel with an OC. everyone can fuck everyone for all I care

7. How long have you watched 1?

Early 2021 probably?

8. How did you become interested in 3?

It was on TV. That's about it.

9. Who is your favourite actor in 4?

The talking sponge?

10. Which show do you prefer 1, 2 or 5?

It will come as a surprise to No One that has talked to me in the past month that I'm gonna say The Last of Us, considering I'm on watch through like...9.

11. Which show have you seen more episodes of 1 or 3?

I think ATLA has more episodes?

12. If you could be anyone from 4, who would you be?

David Hasselhoff

13. How would you kill off your favourite character in 5?

This question list is really thrown off when you haven't watched 5 shows in recent memory

14. Would a 3/4 crossover work?

If they can crossover uncle grandpa and steven universe, any crossover can "work".

15. Pair two characters in 1 that would make an unlikely, but strangely okay couple.

Ciri and Eskel, and if anyone comes at me all "EW GROSS THAT'S HER UNCLE" I'm going to smack you with a dildo. They interact like twice in book canon, 0 times in show canon, and game canon makes it perfectly clear that it would be NORMAL AND PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE for fucking GERALT to be in a relationship with her. Get your fanon out of my canon

also it's fiction so anything goes

16. Overall, which show has the better cast, 3 or 5?

oh huh I guess I could have put game of thrones on the list, that would've made this easier. too invested now. anyway the voice actors for ATLA were great

tagging no one because the kitten is making it hard to type, if you wanna say I tagged you go for it

[awanderingmuse-ficrec]

“how long can i be a wall, keep the wind off?” Series

Fandom: Avatar the Last Airbender

Author: flustraaa

Rating: Teen

Warnings: Suicidal Thoughts, Violence

Word Count: 16,802

Pairings: Sukka

Characters: Zuko. Katara, Sokka, Ty Lee, Toph Beifong, Suki, Iroh, Fire Nation Citizen(s), Aang, The Gaang, The Blue Spirit

Tags: but off-brand, (v briefly for sokka and katara), Kyoshi Warriors, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, Hurt Zuko, Zuko is Bad at Feelings, Zuko whump, Tired Zuko, Sokka is a Good Friend, Zuko Needs a Hug, Zuko Needs Therapy, Assassination Attempt(s), Suicidal Thoughts, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, angsty boi, Character Study, Introspection, no beta we die like jet, Zuko-centric, Zuko's Scar,  Protective Zuko, Zuko is a good fire lord, hes tryin his best guys, zuko is tried, Zuko Needs a Nap, and therapy probably, zukka if you squint, The Fire Nation Loves Zuko, Fire Nation, zuko is not scary, at all, he is small and doing his best, protecc him, also let zuko say fuck it’s what he deserves, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, 41st Division, Zuko is an Idiot

they stuck me together with glue (and then i knew what to do).

the fire lord— a position that harboured the implication of death and destruction freshly in the minds of the world. the title that harboured pain and suffering— and the burning of a child. the staff always feared him. but now, they’re wondering if this kid is truly as scary as he is powerful. spoiler: he’s not so scary after all. (or, zuko is a good leader and could definitely get mad hoes if he wanted to)

(that means it’s noon) that means we’re inconsolable.

he doesn’t know how to say the words that stick to his tongue— the pain is like a poem without flow— like an epic without meter. it’s a wound that won’t clot, and it’s something so much greater. the words that stick used to feel like a trap, but something about it seems freeing now— a little secret that he’ll take to his grave. because he knows that in the end, not matter what, it’s the one thing he’s sure to reach. (or, zuko isn’t okay— and he doesn’t know how to reach out).

what is it that flings these innocent souls at us? (look, they are so exhausted).

he’s staring at his hands like he wants them to burn, like he and his hands are the cause of every atrocity to ever take root in this world. he stares at himself the same way in the mirror, she thinks. but as his eyes flicker to the assassin slain on the ground, she realises his tears are not for his wounds— they are for the man he has just taken a life from. she realises, he has never had this type of blood on his hands before. (or, zuko learns how to ask for help, one word at a time).

[wolfie-winchester]

Netflix's ATLA Thoughts (Spoilers Ahead)

I'd give it a 6/10. I wasn't in love with it like the original, however it was much better than I was expecting (especially considering the only other live action we can compare it to is so bad fans pretend it doesn't exist).

For the things I liked about it:

I think the costumes, special effects, creature designs, and fight scenes/bending were all pretty good. As far as adapting certain story lines (Jet, the mechanist, etc) I was surprised at how they executed them but not necessarily disappointed. Obviously they had to condense it down to fit in 8 episodes and I found that while it was different than I was expecting, their placement in the story didn't really feel out of place (to me) and at the end of the day, while the way they got to certain plot points was different, the overall end result was still the same. For example, having Zuko and Iroh go to Omashu was different but at the end we still get the part where Iroh is captured by earthbenders and Zuko rescues him. The fact that it isn't a one for one, verbatim adaptation is fine for me. I wasn't really expecting them to do that anyway and if I wanted that I would just rewatch the original. Though I am wondering now if they will still go to the library in season 2 and see Wan Shi Tong since they already met him in the spirit world, so I'm interested to see how that plays out.

Now as for the things I didn't like:

I did not like how they changed Bumi to be this bitter old man who only challenges Aang basically to be mean and "teach him a lesson" in a much harsher way than original Bumi did. I don't see why they couldn't leave his character as he was. I was half-expecting at the end for Bumi to say, "just kidding" and go back to being his goofy self. The parts where he was making jokes and acting crazy felt forced, like the writers wanted to throw it in just because it happens in the show, but because of how they changed Bumi's personality, it just felt out of place and weird.

On the flip side, I thought Zhao was a little too goofy and dramatic. Not that original Zhao was necessarily undramatic, but Netflix Zhao felt a bit overexaggerated with the way he talked. IDK if it was the actor portraying him like that or if it's how the writers wrote him, but either way, I didn't really care for it.

Aang can only talk to his past lives at their shrines? I don't really get the point of them essentially nerfing one of the Avatar's powers for no reason.

And lastly, things I am unsure about but want to see how they play out:

Zuko and Azula. I know they changed things for Zuko in having more moments where they show him "being good" and I'll be honest, some of those moments where he talks about "Father would never do this" or about "the honor of the fire nation" were a little cringy, and while Zuko is all about HONOR, it's mostly his honor he's concerned with at the beginning. I don't expect them to come close to getting the same impact with Zuko's redemption arc as the original (because the original is a masterpiece) but by making him "more good" at the start, it kind of lessens the impact of when he changes sides and of the character development he goes through. However, I'll stick it out and see what they do with it for now.

As for Azula, I'm not sure yet how to feel about how her and Ozai's relationship is going so far. She's supposed to be the prodigy child, "born lucky" and Ozai's favorite, so to see him "playing games" with her and treating her like original Ozai treats Zuko is very strange. It seems they're trying to go with the whole, "he's making her stronger by forcing her to win his approval/compete with Zuko" but the thing with Azula's character is that she's already supposed to be one of the strongest firebenders out there. I guess maybe they could be trying to already plant roots for her eventual mental breakdown with the pressure of trying to impress him adding to whatever else will happen in the future. Once again, I'm not sure if I like what they're doing but I'll at least wait and see where they go with it.

In the most literal of senses, the show is mid. Not wonderful but not awful either. (And way better than M Night Shyamalan's mess of a movie)

[agentemo]

Netflix's ATLA initial thoughts, ep 4: Into the Dark but first some big thoughts

Three episodes in, I kind of wish they'd gotten rid of Momo. They're cutting so much from the OG show and Appa doesn't really have a personality yet. I doubt we'll see him this episode; so halfway through season 1 and we've barely seen a very important character. Did we need Momo? As I said previously, the main trio don't have good chemistry but they're better with other actors so I'm starting to suspect that the fact that they're not strong actors is holding them back as a group. It feels like the creators tried to squeeze too much into these short episodes without developing their relationships [with Aang] in a meaningful and fun way; there's not really much FUN in the show, just some jokes and also sentimental moments.

All of that said, there are some things I do like. Ozai and other prominent fire nation citizens showing up early on is A-OK with me and it has almost nothing to do with Daniel Dae Kim's cheekbones. The effects are mostly good; I've decided this is just a type of magic that can't be shown in live action but there are moments that are strong. Iroh and Zuko are better fleshed out, which I suspect is having a veteran actor and only one child actor (easier than 3 child actors). I think they've done a decent job at cutting some of the fat; the combined storylines, like everything in Omashu and Kyoshi Island, work for me. I wish there were more silly moments but I don't mind that they decided to steer clear of the cartoonish route. At least it's consistent. Sokka is funny.

Back to the show!

Aang and Iroh convo ftw! And is Zuko going back in to save Iroh? I'm excited.

Too much exposition in the dialogue, man! Why are these people not talking like people!?

Danny Pudi elevates every scene he's in. Excellent casting choice.

I like that Bumi's identity isn't a "mystery" this time around. It adds an interesting edge to his antagonism. That edge is unlikeability. Maybe he'll be better by the end of the episode.

Sokka letting go and vibing with the earth kingdom nomads? Chefs kiss.

GAY OMASHU GAY OMASHU GAY OMASHU

SECRET TUNNEEEEEELLL

Best scene. Stick a fork in me, I'm done.

Is it terrible that Sokka and Katara in the tunnel is giving me Folger's commecial? I like the idea of it being familial love, and the trio acts better when none of them have to third wheel, but my brain went there. I'm sorry lmao.

Honestly Iroh deserves the shit he's getting from the guard, who is eating an apple so we know he's an asshole.

Young Zuko showing signs of his goodness by ignoring tradition and comforting Iroh jfc the first time this show THIS SHOW made me cry. Not he echoes of the animation, but this actual show. Wow. Incredible choice. And LEAVES FROM THE VINE 😭

Sibbling bonding ftw. The change to the "love is brightest..." bit is whack. Badgermole looks sick.

The Bumi/Aang fight had a lot of cool similarities to the OG! I don't love that the point of the fight, however, was for a child to convince an old man that there's hope instead of an old man teaching a child an important lesson.

Zuko and Iroh at the end... WHO keeps cutting ONIONS?!

Best episode so far. The changes mostly worked. All for today for me. Halfway point!

[tearofisha]

Eldrin Shadewalker

1. Eldrin's job is not as simple as leading Wraiths in battle or communing with dead spirits, he also works as something of a grief councillor for Craftworlders that have lost loved ones and is a kind empath as a result.

2. During long campaigns, Eldrin has taken terrible wounds fighting alongside his Wraith-host as well as defending Aelinor on the field of battle. These include wounds from Power Swords, Thunder Hammers, Storm Bolters, Ogryn fists and Vindicare sniper shots.

3. Eldrin is infamous for his love of tea and taking pleasure in brewing pots from all over the universe. He finds gifts of exotic teas to be a very generous gift to receive and often sends custom blends made for his friends based on what he knows about them as gifts.

4. Despite his good service for the Craftworld, his profession sees him vilified by most others as a crude necromancer that enslaves the spirits of Ulthwés ancestors in service of the Craftworld. While Eldrin doesn't much care about his reputation, he does make for a lonely figure.

5. Eldrin's sister was one of the great Autarchs of Ulthwé in days gone by, her death is what lead him to the Path of the Spiritseer.

6. Eldrin has never really been romantic with anyone in his life, and I consider him to be asexual.

7. His prize possession is his Witchstaff/walking stick, grown by the Artisans of Idralâsh after his original staff was destroyed by a Keeper of Secrets that attacked the Exodite world.

8. My inspirations for Eldrins character puts him somewhere on the physical Elrond, mentally Uncle Iroh sliding scale of sage old man character creation. The influence is quite obvious in the character art of Eldrin.

9. The many wounds of his life were all repaired with the aid of Bonesingers and a medical type of Wraithbone that encourages the body to heal at incredible rates. This is great for most warriors but one so frequently wounded so badly like Eldrin has seen it also accelerate the aging process of his body and he is well into the crystallisation of Seers that is also taking Eldrad Ulthran, despite Eldrin being only a quarter of his age.

10. Other than Dracite Aeril, Jastra, Telwin and the warriors of Idralâsh, Eldrin's only true friends are a human refugee/anomaly he protects on Ulthwé, Aelinor and Rishaeron. Despite everything the three have been through, they rarely speak outside of war matters and Eldrin sorely wishes he could see his friends more, especially now Aelinor has left Ulthwé.

Thank you for the ask!

[bigfan-fanfic]

Tea Cookies (Male!Reader x Iroh II)

Requested by anonymous for “Idk if you write about general Iroh ii, but if you do could you write some sort of head cannon of him and his husband (there ain’t enough of iroh ii x male reader😔) - dashing and decorated general Iroh II returns to his husband”

Your husband, General Iroh II of the Fire Nation, doesn’t get the chance to be home very much.

But he loves getting to be with you - he describes the hearth you share as his favorite place in the world, and he says that he always leaves a part of his heart there for you to take care of.

You tune into the Republic City broadcasts as much as you can - for one thing, they often mention your husband’s exploits, and two, Iroh likes to listen to the music they play and it makes you feel closer to him.

So you’ve heard of the injuries Iroh sustained in the battle against the Equalists and you’re eager for him to come home. Fire Lord Izumi appreciates your company on occasion, knowing you want her son home as much as she does.

After the military parade and all the pomp is over, Iroh makes his way through the Royal Household to the secluded set of apartments given to you and him when you married. 

You two have a ritual for getting him relaxed when he returns home, and it does not change here.

You have the radio tuned to Republic City’s swing station. They broadcast jazz and dance hall music from the city, and Iroh loves it - he tries his best to teach you all the Republic City dances, most of which are based at least in part on the traditional Fire Nation dances revived by Avatar Aang after the war.

When he arrives, you immediately help him take off his ceremonial garments. Iroh likes to suggest that you enjoy looking at him shirtless, and he’s not wrong, but the true purpose is so you can examine his injuries. He looks largely unscathed, except for the angry red discoloration along his arm. It reminds you of his grandfather, the old Fire Lord Zuko.

“It doesn’t hurt at all.” He assures you. “Avatar Korra healed it herself.”

You lean down to press a kiss against his arm. “As long as you come back to me.”

“I always will.” he promises. You both move then to the shrine in your apartments, a small portrait of the man Iroh is named after, Zuko’s uncle, and two small sticks of incense. You both give a silent prayer of thanks, bowing to the portrait, thanking the spirit of the man for bringing his namesake home.

Iroh puts on a loose silken robe of dark red material. He doesn’t bother to tie it shut, winking at you as you press a hand to his muscular chest. 

“I wish I could have come home sooner. I missed you.”

“So did I. I always miss you.”

You smile at him and kiss him. But then comes the next part of the ritual - dinner. A big meal set out just for the two of you to eat. You don’t bother with decorum. Iroh chuckles and leans back, head against your chest, and you eat from the same bowl, occasionally laughing as you fight over bits of food.

And afterwards, Iroh makes tea, and you unveil a surprise for him, showing him the tea cookies you made from scratch. They’re thin and tasty and sugary and absolutely delightful with the tea

You talk long after the sun has set and keep talking, never once breaking physical contact.

“I love you.” Iroh whispers just before you go to sleep. “I feel as though I am the most lucky man, that whenever I come home, I know you will be there.”

[muffinlance]

So my friends and i came up with a sort of AU where people sprout flowers in their hair when they feel any sort of love. So anyways, ahklut crew teases Zuko about how many blue family flowers have been growing in his hair the longer he stays on the ship.

This puts his Season One hair into a whole new perspective.

---

Uncle's hair has dried flowers: his wife's panda lily, Lu Ten's dragon ivy. Everyone knows that dead flowers aren't as fragile as they seem, but he has the crewmen carry an umbrella over him when it rains, anyway. Carefully, he combs around them every morning. Leaves from the vine, Zuko hears him crooning sometimes, even though Lu Ten won't ever lose his leaves. He won't grow any new ones, either.

(Tucked away under his greying strands, still too close to the scalp to be easily seen, a bud has been growing for years. Iroh does not pressure it to bloom, but he does look forward to the occasion.)

(And then a storm, and the Dragon of the West realizes there is no way to tell a dead bloom from a live one without prying its petals open, and this he cannot do. A dead bloom can never heal.)

The Akhlut's crew find the Fire Prince's shaved head profane. When he's caught stealing razors, they crack down. Stubble grows around the black ponytail. Flowers don't.

(At thirteen, the Fire Lord set a hand on Zuko's face, and burned Ursa's sheltering rose bramble away. It would have grown back if she was alive.)

("It would have grown back if she still loved you," Azula corrects him, and he's never sure if it was a fever dream that placed her next to his sick bed, or if she really was there, her precise flames as good as any garden shears as she burned his fire lily from above her ear.)

"Whose is that?" Toklo asks, delighted and too loud, when he catches sight of the little sprig of blue flowers that are only visible when the Fire Prince lets his hair down to wash.

"No one," Zuko says, loudly. "My little sister," he says, more quietly.

Uncle's white jade flower is too large, too showy, it sticks out as it curls above his head. He snips it off between his fingers each morning, but it never stops trying to come back.

The crewmen, their own heads in ruckus and unashamed bloom, watch his daily pruning with distaste. No one ever catches what the Fire Lord's flower looks like; they can never catch him pruning it.

(They assume it's there to be pruned.)

(Zuko would like to know what his father's love looks like, too.)

His outrage at Toklo's snowdrops peaking their way through his black fuzz is as hilarious as it is worrying.

("Don't get attached, Toklo," they warn.

"But warm water," says their youngest crewmember, who has never seen a reason to be stingy with his love.)

The Fire Prince shouts and steams. The snowdrops shake quite merrily in his rage. He doesn't pluck them.

He doesn't pluck Kustaa's grudging little cloudberry flowers, either.

"Are you loving me to spite me?" the Fire Prince accuses.

"Yes," says Kustaa, who parted his hair specifically to show off the new little bud trying so hard to hide.

They don't give the boy to the Earth Kingdom. They forget to scowl while they teach him how to do new things. They stop threatening him, mostly. That shouldn't be all it takes for those little buds to start spreading among the crew.

(The Wani's crew had them, too. Back when the prince was a shouty little thirteen year old monster, they'd taken it as a sign that things would soon get better. Things did not get better. Most of them forgot about those under-developed buds, except on the odd occasion when their combs would jar against them.)

Then they fight a Fire Navy ship, and find the prince curled up as far as he can get from the man he's killed. Kustaa holds him as he shakes, a fire lily in full bloom on his head. It would look ridiculous, if it didn't look so much like blood.

He's not the prince for long after that.

His hair isn't so barren of flowers for long after that, either. Eventually, he even lets his real uncle's bloom find its place among the rest. It doesn't look so overbearing, when it's not so alone.

"I miss him," The boy admits, as they sit on the main mast (as one does).

Somewhere far, but not too far, a tired old man passes his mirror, and catches the impossible flash of something new. A red fire lily, finally unfurled into bloom.

"Zuko," he says.

This neatly accelerates his plans for active treason.