#I think Pema and Opal would be the first people to notice that about her

[malachitezmeyka]

I absolutely love writing about Suiren from the POV of characters who don’t know her well/at all, cause it always leads to describing how confident she seems and her devil-may-care attitude and the aura of cold calmness and precision that always surrounds her, when in reality the poor girl hasn’t had a chance to relax since she was 7, represses all her emotions except anger and is so chock full of unaddressed trauma that her brain is in constant overdrive and she’s this close to snapping at any given moment

[elphabashepard]

Another Lin-in-Zaofu thought...

I’m hoping to get around to writing it out properly one day but I need to chuck some thoughts down here for now, while they’re there.

I can’t help wondering about the conversation that had to take place between Su & the kids when Lin passed out. Whether Opal asked her Mom exactly how hard she’d been hitting Lin (pretty damn hard, some of the hits Su lands still make me wince) & Su protesting (of course) that it hadn’t been that hard. Then Korra piping up that she’d seen Lin earlier & she hadn’t looked good then.

Then maybe Mako (who must have heard all the noise & come looking by now) would step in, saying they can figure it out later, for now they needed to get her off the floor & onto a bed so she could rest properly. So Korra lifts her, since she’s already holding her shoulders & Mako scoops up Lin’s legs until Su bends a metal sheet underneath her (hopefully looking at the very least worried, maybe a bit guilty?) with handles that Korra & Mako can hold to carry her back.

I think Bolin would hover, making sure she was secure, because as scary as Lin is, he’s still in awe of her & the site of her unconscious is making him worry.

& as they make their way back through the courtyard to Lin’s room, Aiwei sees them & comes over to ask what happened. After Korra explains, Aiwei looks troubled & explains he sent her to the acupuncturist.

Su says it makes sense now because after treatment, you’re not meant to overexhert yourself. Korra might snort at how typical of Lin it was to ignore that advice, but also frowns & asks why Aiwei recommended acupuncture.

Aiwei explains the stress he could sense in her body & how she’d flinched each time she moved too quickly & Korra maybe begins to feel guilty about pushing Lin so hard the day before.

They take her to her room & as gently as they can transfer her to the bed, Su bending off her metal boots, then Korra performing a task she’d literally never expected to do: tucking Lin Beifong under the sheets (which was surreal but Korra feels totally necessary since Lin looks so vulnerable like that) while Mako fetches her a glass of water for the bedside table.

Korra volunteers to stay with her, in case something happens, because she’s feeling guiltier by the moment at how pale Lin looks but Su insists Lin just needs to rest & says that if she’s not awake by tomorrow evening, she’ll check on her. Korra wants to protest that probably isn’t a good idea, since Su’s the one Lin’s mad at, but decides she won’t wait that long anyway. If Lin’s not awake by midday tomorrow, she’ll check on her herself (with Mako & Bolin as back up, because well, Lin was still Lin).

I wonder if Su did go & have a word with the acupuncturist, just to see if he could give them any more insight & he tells her that Lin seemed to be reliving certain memories, though he couldn’t tell what they were about. Su has a good idea though. There’s a big part of her that’s frustrated that Lin took so long to finally talk about all of this but there’s also a part that’s glad they’ve cleared the air just a bit.

I think dinner that night would have been a quiet thing, with a lot of minds wondering more about Lin than their food. I hope Korra remembers that crack Su maybe about Tenzin & squirms because while Korra was happy to tease Tenzin about the whole situation between him, Lin & Pema, she’d always somehow understood never to mention it to Lin & now it occurs to Korra that it was a bit of a cheap shot.

I also think this is probably when Su finally has that conversation with Mako about Lin being an excellent Police Chief & I can well believe Mako was happy to finally spill the positive things Lin’s done, not just for him, but for the Force & the city. All the things he’s learned from her, how fairly she’s always dealt with him & everyone else. How she’d been the one to point out he’d make a good officer after everything he’d done first tracking Korra down & then fighting Amon. I agree with plenty of others on here that all that Lin bashing earlier in the day would have made him uncomfortable & even a bit angry, but didn’t feel it was his place to contradict Su in her own house.

And all of this maybe makes Su uncomfortable because she’d never imagined anyone seeing Lin that way, because her memories of Lin are all from being a teenager & only seeing things through her own (understandably selfish) perspective, & then Korra had validated that impression. But now she realises that Lin is just as much a complex human being as everyone else & she can’t keep shoving her into the same stereotype she did when they were younger.

I hope that when Lin wakes up, after pushing through the embarrassment of passing out in front of so many people, she feels cared for in a way she hasn’t since she was little, warm from being tucked in & refreshed from the water she definitely needed. & somehow knowing it had been the kids to do those things.

I also wonder if it’s as she’s getting dressed & has to choose between the Zaofu robes that had been left in her room for her as a “gift” from Su, or her police uniform, that she makes a decision to accept she’s got to bend a little, that it’s the only way anything will change, that she doesn’t want to keep holding on to this grudge & making herself lonely just for the sake of it. She wants to apologise to Opal, because she hadn’t deserved Lin’s anger & she wants to talk to Su without feeling constantly angry. So she chooses the robes, knowing Su will notice & hopefully take it as the sign of peace Lin will still find impossible to say out loud.

And finally - I know a lot of people have theories about her behaviour when she opens up the door after Mako knocks, all of which make far more sense than this - but part of me believes than Lin swans out of that room, flashing a smile & a cheerful “Good morning” just purely to mess with them. (The side effect of making them speechless also meaning she doesn’t have to answer any questions, which she’d really rather avoid.)

[armageddon-generation]

Fixing The Legend of Korra - Book 4

AGAIN THIS IS A SOLID SEASON, SO THIS IS MOSTLY JUST CHARACTER STUFF – I ALSO VEER INTO FULL-ON FANFIC AT A FEW POINTS, BUT FUCK IT

I also need to thank @threehoursfromtroy for being a huge inspiration, especially with the korrasami dynamic - you’ll notice I magpied a bunch of ideas from her amazing fics.

Book 1,  Book 2,  Book 3,

KUVIRA

FUCKING CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT – let’s fully explore her reasoning for leaving Zoafu (the White Lotus is pretty much done, the Dai Li have been disbanded but now they’re individual warlords ruling over Ba Sing Se as a city state, the airbenders are still rookies and she sees them getting injured)

Emphasise the familial connections between Kuvira and the Beifongs – playing sports with Wing and Wei, falling for Bataar Jr.

Besides Bataar, have her be closest to Opal. They were both outsiders – the non-bender and the unofficial adoptee, but Opal, as the only non-bender in a family of historically famous benders, was also jealous of Kuvira the metalbending prodigy, who appeared to be everything Su wanted in a daughter. Kuvira was similarly jealous of Opal, the biological daughter who was doted on despite not doing anything to ‘earn’ it. This complicated relationship evolved into their bitter hatred of each other

Have Kuvira’s isolation in Zoafu parallel Korra’s in the South from Book 1

Without Korra there to push them forwards, everyone has started backsliding – In Kuvira Bolin has found a Korra-surrogate to rely upon instead of taking responsibility for himself (this is the same reason, ironically enough, he was attracted to Eska – she controlled him and he could hide behind her – something a more mature Eska is able to see when they meet at the Corniation)

EARTH EMPIRE

Let’s see Bolin leading the charge clearing out Ba Sing Se, and Kuvira liberating the city and defeating the Dia Li (who are trying to establish their own control of Ba Sing Se as an independent city-state) for good

Explore the apparatus of the Empire a touch more – the propaganda recruitment system – how does fascism work?

Have Raiko supply troops to Su so he doesn’t look like a complete fool. That way when she defeats Zaofu and sees Raiko violated her terms, Kuvira has a legitimate reason to go after Republic City

Also, can we make the Battle of Zoafu a proper siege once they break the ceasefire? Avatar does Helm’s Deep? Pretty please? Kuvira knows all the city’s defences as former Head of the Gaurd, so let’s demonstrate her tactical prowess dissecting the domes’ weaknesses. And have some of Zaofu’s defenders start siding with Kuvira (people she used to command etc), fighting amongst themselves to give her an easier victory

When the Beifongs are captured they go through the camp system, so we get to explore it – take inspiration from true stories and films like Life is Beautiful –The other prisoners either hate them for giving up, hate them for creating Kuvira, or look up to them as their only hope. But in the end they’re just a family trying to hold together on the brink.

Bring in the Red Lotus members hiding across the world – they start trying to move against Kuvira from the shadows. They are the strongest chance the world has against Kuvira without Korra, and Raiko’s willingness to accept their help (as the shady politician) shows how desperate the situation is – Korra needs to step in

ASAMI (& KORRASAMI)

The best part about Korrasami is how opposite they are – The non-bender figurehead, The bender figurehead. Traddition vs innovation, spirituality vs technology, idealism vs realism, faith vs strategic calculation – Asami should by all means be a supervillain, but she’s just too good a person. Play into that divide and conflict in Book 4

Asami is keeping herself dangerously busy, between helping the Equalists and managing the spirits living in the city that are against her industrial company  

Without Korra, Asami felt lonely and vulnerable. To compensate for a world without Korra, (much like Kuvira) Asami secretly develops plans for super weapons inspired by a combination of her father’s old Equalist designs – these weapons are designed to artificially replicate bending attacks on the scale of the Avatar state – Seismic waves, artificial flooding, firebombing, weaponised wind machines etc. She has prototypes developed

This gives her attempts to re-connect with Hiroshi more weight – she’s lost, and reviewing his old work makes her feel closer to him than she has in years – she thinks she’s beginning to understand what he went through when her mom died.

When Korra returns the weapons cause major conflict between them – especially when undercover Red Lotus steal Asami’s plans (exploiting their new connection with Raiko) and attempt to use protypes to ambush Kuvira – causing an all-out battle

Because the protypes were so hastily assembled they don’t work particularly well and cause chaos – Team Avatar has to jump in and save as many from the crossfire as they can, and Korra has to ignore a chance to fight Kuvira – they then have to leave the people to be taken by Kuvira, because they can’t save all of them.

These weapons would be key to Korra’s arc, as she doesn’t yet trust or have full control over the Avatar State again – she’s fighting that power as recreated by the person she cares most about, compounding the themes of Korra confronting herself

Kuvira uses the weapons the same way Korra used to use the Avatar state – wantonly and without thought, causing mass destruction.

Kuvira defeats the Red Lotus and takes Asami’s weapons for herself (Asami is horrified – she has indirectly become what her Father was to the Equalists. Varrick is being more morally upstanding than her.)

Korrasami is not smooth sailing in this book – both of them are aware they love each other, but they also have to deal with their own shit first. Korra’s time away let them build up perfect, imaginary versions of each other. Asami needs to stop idolising Korra (the same mistake Hiroshi made with her mom) and Korra needs to stop idolising Asami (as I felt the original show tended to do)

In the finale, Korra is the one to get Hiroshi out of jail, because Asami needs to move past his shadow – the repentant Hiroshi comforts her and assures her she is better than him. So much like her mother. He also expresses gentle approval of Korra before he dies.

Asami is the woman in the chair in the finale, simultaneously helping with the hummingbird suits and coaching the United Republic Forces (Hi, General Iroh) through how to defeat the artificial bending weapons.

I don’t know if it’s feasible, but I think reuniting the OG Team Avatar (Toph, Katara and Zuko) as three of the most powerful benders in the world (plus Zuko has a dragon) against these things the same way the White Lotus took back Ba Sing Se in ATLA would be really cool

The series ends not with the culmination of a relationship a la ATLA, but the tentative beginning of one

MAKO

Mako has let himself become consumed by his work – the only one to visit him is Kai, who’s filling in Bolin’s spot as little brother. (“Stop breaking in to a police officer’s apartment!”). Their relationship has grown a lot stronger, but they both miss Bolin

Mako is caught between both sides of the Earth Empire debate – he works for Wu and knows that deep down he’s actually a decent guy, but he has an established professional relationship with Kuvira, and he really respects her. They joke about his new job together before the Corination.

Kuvira has become a surrogate Korra figure for all Team Avatar – Mako (who admits he’s still in love with Korra) sees the potential for Kuvira to compensate for the loss of Korra, and must learn to let go of this unhealthy dream.

Because he’s no longer a member of the Republic City Police. Mako and Lin finally get to work together as equal partners

AIRBENDERS (KAINORA)

Look, I just want some cute long-distance Kainora stuff, OK? Keeping in contact via astral projection

Kai has been unofficially adopted into the airbender family and acts as a big brother to Rohan and Meelo

(I also think it’d be fun if Rohan was an uncontrollable bending prodigy like Jack-Jack from The Incredibles, bouncing around the house like the Tasmanian Devil – Pema and Kai are the only ones who can control him

Jinora has become the day-to-day leader of the Air Nation, using astral projection t co-ordinate people across the globe, with Kai in support

They express frustration with Air Nomad tradition – they sneak out at night and run around the new Republic City, giving us a chance to explore – Jinora shows Kai the wonders of the Spirit Wilds, while he teaches her how to win at street gambling.

They flirt with breaking the law – practicing pickpocketing the rich to feed the poor, and dabble in vigilantism – until they get caught.

Mako gets them off charges, but this causes a big conflict between Tenzin and Jinora. My problem with Jinora’s characterisation the original Book 4 (she was previously one of my faves) was she seemed too perfect. In this version, that perfection is an act, and she needs a way to blow off steam. Tenzin argues (quite rightly) that by taking the law into her own hands Jinora is no better than Kuvira (or Korra, Jinora points out. “Jinora, you’re not the Avatar.” / “I’m as good as.”)

This is important because original book 4 Jinora felt super stuck-up and full of pride, not good traits for an airbending master. Here we’re emphasising then confronting that big-headedness. Kai helps her realise she’s still just a kid, and that’s OK. Her family (and Korra) help her realise she’s stronger when she embraces the strength of others

I also like the idea of air nomads roaming with herds of bison, like Bryke originally envisioned for Aang

ZUKO, IZUMI AND THE FIRE NATION (This part veers into full-on fanfic territory and doesn’t really contribute to the plot, but I need to get the idea out there so sorry)

Use flashbacks to explore how the unrest in the Earth Kingdom parallels the unrest in the Fire Nation after Ozai was defeated

These could adapt elements of the Smoke and Shadow comic, where Mai’s father leads a rebellion against Zuko. This would take place when Zuko is in his early thirties, just after Kya was born (her waterbending was a trigger for nationalists)

The opposition find Azula after she ran away at the end of The Search, and manipulate her mental state to use her as a figurehead against Zuko – an alternate legitimate heir

Zuko and Katara have to flee with the toddler Kya, and go underground in the Fire Nation as the Blue Spirit and the Painted Lady respectively, fighting the coup from the inside (with Mai and Ty Lee, allowing us to explore everyone’s interesting relationship history) while everyone else tries to fight from the outside

During her wanderings Azula found the Sun Warriors and the dragons Rin and Sha – she uses her new followers to storm the temple and capture the blue dragon (just like her great grandfather before her). Azula is now riding around on a huge blue dragon. You’re welcome.

This is how Zuko gets his dragon – he and the Gaang liberate the Sun Warriors and the red dragon partners with him in order to save its mate

In the final battle between the two factions Azula inevitably snaps and the coup leaders are unable to control her – she goes nuts and tries to lay waste to both forces.

Zuko and the red dragon save both the blue dragon and Azula from herself. He is able to reassert control over the nation and get Azula back to hospital. This explains Kya’s extreme guilt and Izumi’s extreme reluctance to get involved in the Earth Empire situation

TOPH, LIN AND SU

Kyalin are already a thing by the time Book 4 starts – Korra is flabbergasted, and they set an example she wants to follow with Asami – things are very casual and domestic, which is a new and weird experience for both of them

When Lin meets up with Toph to free the Beifongs and then they free Su, have the idea of motherhood come up a few times – Toph suggests Lin has waited this long to re-enter a relationship because she doesn’t want kids, because she’s scared she’ll end up treating them like Toph. Toph encourages Lin to make her own choice uninfluenced by her – Lin can learn from Toph’s mistakes, and Su has made a great mom

The subject of Lin and Su’s dads come up. In this version, Sokka is Su’s father – hence her darker skin – but the brief affair was secret because he was married and Toph was with Lin’s father – one of those regretful one-night stands you always knew was a bad idea

This is a bombshell for Su, who never realised – it completely recontextualises her relationship with both Sokka and the Red Lotus (she almost joined the people who killed her father) . It also forces her to reconsider both her political and personal responsibilities – she accepts responsibility for her part in creating Kuvira, and understands her abandonment issues a little better

Lin, however, the aspiring detective from a young age, figured it out a long time ago (she always assumed Su knew). This is why Lin resented Su so much when they were kids – her arrival caused Toph and Lin’s dad to end things, because she was proof Toph never got over Sokka

Now Su is the one angry at Toph, and Lin is there to apologise and comfort her. Opal recognises what Toph is trying to do; throw herself under the bus to get rid of any lingering resentment between her girls and strengthen their sisterly bond – she’s forcing them to move on

Through Opal’s intervention everyone manages to patch things up

DARK KORRA/KORRA’S TRAUMA

In the original series it was never explained what that creepy vision of Korra in chains actually was. Sometimes it was just in her head, other times it physically attacked her, and then it just disappeared.

My explanation links to the Book 2 finale – Jinora was able to bring Raava back because she still existed within Vaatu. By the same logic, though Vaatu was destroyed, he (and Unalaqq, now forever bonded with him) exist with Raava’s light. In Book 3 we established Raava was directly feeding off of/reliant on the light within Korra. Now that Korra has been through all this trauma, that light has been replaced by negative energy, which allowed Vaatu to grow within her.

The Dark Korra hallucination is a manifestation of Vaatu’s dark power growing within Korra, feeding off her trauma and attacking her from the inside-out. It is both psychological and spiritual. When she goes to the Tree of Time, she sees echoes of Vaatu are there. He has stolen Unalaqq’s voice and face, completely taken him over – the ghost of the family member Korra failed to save.

When she finally reconnects with Raava, Korra defeats the Dark Korra; she can’t destroy the darkness inside her, but she can move on

Korra has to find alternate energy source for the Avatar State now her past lives are gone. She learns to channel the energy of the spirit world through Raava (a spiritual extension of Toph’s root connections, possible thanks to the open portals)

During the finale Korra’s appeal to the spirits to protect the world is heard – as the spirits attack Kuvira’s weapon, simultaneously the swamp halfway across the globe demolishes the Earth Empire’s vine harvesters – all the spirits come out of the woodwork and attack, claiming the area as a new Spirit Wild, like in Wan’s time

[justteamavatar]

How do you imagine Korrasami's wedding?

Oh man, I just noticed this this inbox! And it’s such an awesomequestion too!

Honestly, I don’t have one definitive image of what a Korrasami wedding wouldlook like. I’ve read some headcanons that I REALLY love and others that I wouldrather not happen.

Iimagine that the two of them would prefer a smaller gathering with close friendsand family. It would lead to a far more personal and intimate environment fortwo of them; Korra and Asami sharing the most important day of their lives their family and friends. However, I think this would be a bit tricky for them to pulloff, seeing as how we’ve got the CEO of a very prestigious company marrying Korra,the Avatar (and well, I think her importance is obvious enough that I don’t have to writeit out :p)

There would probably be a bit of a political connotation attachedto their wedding along with MANY news coverings on each and every aspect from the lead-up, to the ceremony, to the honeymoon and everything/anything else inbetween (much to the dismay of our two ladies).

Due to this, I imagine that theywould potentially hold two weddings. One where they can get all of the newsshenanigans out of the way and another along the lines of what I mentioned before - anintimate reception with their loved ones.

I’m not sure where I would like tosee the wedding take place, though I wouldn’t be surprised if it was at AirTemple Island or the Spirit World (which would kinda be appropriate too since theyboth had their first, big romantic getaway there).

I’ve seen a lot of debate about who would officiate the wedding –some say Bolin due to his role in Varrick’s wedding, other people say Iroh or Tenzin. I honestly don’t have any objects to any of these characterstaking the role, but the one that’s grown on me a quite a bit is Katara.

There justseems to be something really fitting about it – if perhaps a little emotional, seeingas how she’s the widow of Korra’s predecessor, Aang. I know we haven’t seenmuch of her in TLOK, but from little snippet’s we’ve witnessed, Katara has alwaysbeen a champion of Korra – believing in Korra’s strength after the firebendingtest, understanding Korra’s need to journey out to Republic City and be in thereal world, attempting to restore Korra’s bending after the equalist revolutionas well as being one of Korra’s caretakers during her downfall after Zaheer. Katarahas always wanted Korra to thrive, to be happy, to succeed and to just live her life. One exchangebetween these two that has always been stuck on my mind is:

        “And…what am I going to find if I… get through this?” ~ Korra

        “I don’t know. But won’t it be interesting tofind out?” ~ Katara (B4:E2)

I’ve already written a long analysis about how Korra fought her way out of the dark and found inner peace. But she also found love; true, organic and meaningful love with Asami. Katara is someone that found a similar love with Aang and… I don’t know, I just feel like she would possibly want to help Korra and Asami celebrate this wonderful feeling (sorry for the long-winded focus on this topic, let’s move on).

Hmm, what else… I also kinda like the idea of Tonraq walking Asamidown the isle, ESPECIALLY since she lost her own father. I have a bit of aheadcanon that Tonraq and Asami would get along immediately – almost to thepoint of where they become “best friends” (for a lack of a better term),bonding over teasing/loving Korra as well as having silly inside jokes – I blame @weissrose and his amazing series SeekingBalance for this. But yeah, I definitely think Tonraq (as well as Senna,obviously) would quickly accept Asami as one of his own; a member of the Water Tribe and a daughter. I imagine that Asami would also feel a little emotionalover having Tonraq walking her as she finally got one of the things she alwayswanted – a family. But who knows… Maybe he’ll walk both of his girls down theisle, or maybe Asami will be the one waiting as she watches the love of her lifewalk towards her in down the isle in her beautiful dress.

Speaking of dresses, I definitely see Korra sporting a beautiful,traditional Water Tribe dress while Asami wears either an elegant red dress ora white one with red accents (maybesomething along the lines of this or this?). I know some people like Korra in a suit/vest, but we’ve seen her constantly wear dresses at important events. I also think their decorations and drapes would consist of reds and blues alongwith blends of purple to represent the unity of these two beautiful ladies (cliché,I know…).

I think lots of tears will be shed during each other’s vows (though I’m sure that tears of happiness will begin once they first lay their eyes on each other on the isle). In that moment, it will just be the two of them and no one else. I wouldn’t be surprised if the three year separation between Book 3 and Book 4 was brought up during the vows. It was a painful period for them, one where they spent more time apart than with each other, but it was also a time where they had the chance to really miss each other, analyze their feelings and grow to understand that “yes, the reason why I miss her so much is because she means the absolute world to me.” I think Janet Varney put this very beautifully here. During this time of their wedding, they once again get to promise that will never leave each other’s backs ever again.

Other little things that I would love to see in a Korrasami wedding include:

~ Bolin bursting out in loud tears once Korra and Asami join each other at the end of the isle to begin the wedding ceremony

~ Pabu being the ring bearer

~ Korra attempting to dip Asami when they go in for the big kiss, but Asami beats Korra to the punch AND lifts her up bridal-style

~ Speeches from Tenzin, Pema and the Krew - Mako can’t help but mention how the two ladies he once dated ended up very much in love with each other…

~ Tahno and his band playing jazzy music

~ Korra and Asami absolutely stealing the show with their first dance. Even after other couples join in, all eyes are on the two of them. Not that Korra and Asami notice; they are far too intent on each other and the emotion of finally being married that nothing else matters. They also totally show everyone up during fast dances as well…

~ Tonraq and Senna dancing with Korra and Asami

~ Tenzin dancing with Korra and Asami

~ THE KREW ALL DANCING WITH EACH OTHER

~ Korra and Asami cut their first piece of cake and feed each other, but it quickly escalates into a food fight due to Korra and her mischief - not everything can be picture perfect, you know…

~ Korra and Asami both throw their flower bouquets and Jinora, Ikki, Opal and Meelo quickly try to catch them in mid-air with their bending… it ends a human pile with flat flowers

~ Tenzin and Korra have another little heart-to-heart conversation with each other about how proud and happy he is for her and Asami

~ Naga whisking the two ladies away on her back (though this may be a little awkward if they are situated on Air Temple Island - though I guess Korra can form one of those cool water bubble things around them if they choose to leave via the ocean rather of waiting for a ferry)

And I’m sure there are lots of other things that I like but didn’t put in. I’m really curious as to what you all would like for a Korrasami wedding. If you have anything to add, please do! At the end of the day, what really matters is that our two ladies will be together and in love for the rest of their lives.

Thank you so much for the question