#I will also be asking this question about the Avatar show because I'm not sure I'm brave enough to watch it blind

[moghedien]

i've seen nothing about it and I'm low key curious, so fellow adults who read Percy Jackson as a kid, is the new show bad or not?

[wakkass]

It's impossible to put into words how much I love designing characters, especially for AU.

Yes, I recently had an avatar AU, and I really wanted to draw Katara from there (and also Zuko). I usually draw a static pose in order to display all the details of the clothes. This is such a kind of character sheet that helps me to better imagine the scenes in my head.

If you're interested in reading about the AU itself, then there will be some information about it.

I apologize in advance for mistakes in the text, English is not my native language. But, I hope, this will not interfere with understanding.

In general, my AU concerns the ending of the series, because at some point it seemed unrealistic to me. There is too much positivity with the obvious problems of the post-military space, as well as little logic in some moments (for example, I don't understand what Zuko was doing in Ba Sing Se. Did he abandon his newfound throne to the mercy of fate with the risk of a palace coup? Did he not feel the effects of a lightning strike? The longer I think about it, the surreal it seems to me).

At some point I thought, "this is all like Aang's dream, in which everything is intentionally good. As if this is the ending he wants, but it's unattainable." And then it dawned on me. But it really looks like his fantasy about the future after defeating the root of evil. This explains why Zuko recovered so easily, why everyone is just relaxing and having fun without a drop of post-trauma. Because Aang wants everything to be so naive and simple after defeating the Fire Lord. Because he's dreaming about it.

I know this is a very hackneyed narrative technique. It's pretty easy to say "this is someone's dream" to deny any events. But I found it curious, especially against the background of the episode "Nightmares and Daydreams", where Aang's dreams already simplified the reality around him. For me, it's like a lead-up to the finale, where he actually sleeps.

You ask, "but why is he sleeping?". I also asked this question, and the answer to it killed me. Because during the battle with Ozai, when the stone hit Aang in the wound, he fell into a coma. His body was paralyzed because his brain perceived it as a repeated lightning strike, again fatal. The avatar's state was the only one that did not allow Aang to die, but only to fall into a coma. And instead of an epic battle, we have a little helpless boy spending a huge amount of energy just to maintain his life.

The second Aang collapsed, he disappeared, leaving Ozai alone with the remnants of his temporary power. And no one else saw the avatar…

I'll leave the intrigue for you about this, but for now I'll tell you about the concepts from the art.

Naturally, everyone searched for Aang, and, naturally, they did not find him. Katara and Zuko were the only ones who did not participate in the search, for several reasons:

Zuko was rehabilitated for a very long time after being struck by lightning, and Katara nursed him (I'm sure there are a lot of fics about this topic. The only difference is that there is no romance here. The focus of my AU is not on it, but on the problems of the consequences of the war). He survived, but he had major problems with his heart, digestive system and spine. Who noticed the cane in his hands? Yes, Zuko couldn't walk without it. From now on and forever. He was physically unable to leave the palace, and Katara maintained at least some of his condition.

Even after Zuko's rehabilitation, it was necessary to keep the power in his hands. Imagine what a shock the Fire Nation experienced when not just the former Fire Lord was overthrown, but the country's policy changed dramatically. Now Zuko needed to keep power in his hands and establish a new regime as soon as possible, before his opponents raised armies and people against him. This boy, who recently sat quietly at a military meeting, needed to show unprecedented strength and power to everyone: both officials sought to turn the situation in their favor, and the people who wanted stability and prosperity. But how to do this if Zuko couldn't even breathe normally, and getting out of bed required tremendous effort? It was impossible… Anyone else would have given up, but not Zuko. He has never given up without a fight and has never turned his back on danger, even if he risks dying.

It hurts me a lot for him, too. Fate has never stopped pushing Zuko against obstacles, but this time he couldn't rely on himself. He almost couldn't bend, his body almost didn't obey. He was an easy target and there was nothing he could do about it. This helplessness irritated him, saddened him, oppressed him. The only thing that wasn't broken yet was his spirit, and Zuko was barely able to maintain it in such conditions. If it wasn't for Katara, I don't know if he would have coped in the end. She was now his only support, his only ally in these cold oppressive walls, the only rational grain in his doubts.

You ask, "Where is Iroh? Where is Mai?"

Iroh, along with the White Lotus, took on a mission to liberate the Earth Kingdom from the Fire Army and establish relations with the kingdom. In fact, Iroh now shared power with Zuko: uncle was engaged in foreign policy so that his nephew could focus on domestic policy.

With Mai, everything was much simpler: after getting out of prison, she was completely disappointed in the guy who always left her. She sent him a letter, where she finally ended their relationship, and left with her family somewhere far away. Perhaps she and Zuko will cross paths again and will be able to establish a relationship. But not now.

Katara remained to help Zuko not only with treatment, but also with his policy. As a resident of an almost disappearing tribe, as well as an able leader, she helped him with projects and plans to improve the quality of life of the population and actively participates in them. She performed those missions that Zuko can only entrust to her. After all, she was a friend he could rely on and to whom he could open his feelings.

In her design, I wanted to reflect the combination of two cultures: Fire and Water. I was based on the designs of the "12 Kingdoms" (if you haven't watched this gorgeous anime or haven't read ranobe, I strongly recommend doing it. This universe is no less interesting than the avatar's world, I'm sure you'll like it), because the palace intrigues and the plot with winning the respect of the court reminds me very much of the story from there.

One day Zuko's legs finally gave up, he could not get up. All the stress he was going through was breaking his body so much that at some point the Katara's treatment stopped working.

It was a very difficult moment for both of them. Zuko has just started to promote his ideas and defend his rights to the throne, and Katara sincerely did not know what to do. If the truth about the true state of the Fire Lord had come out, all the ill-wishers would not leave this opportunity and attack, this couldn't be allowed. They urgently needed to create the appearance that everything is in order, but how?

Zuko came up with a very brazen idea. He asked Katara to use bloodbending on him to simulate walking. It was a very difficult request for her, because this skill represented the worst face of the war, it was created to torture people. And the last thing she wanted was to torment Zuko. She hesitated for a long time, he saw it, but he couldn't wait. He couldn't stop, it wasn't a luxury he could afford. Therefore, he went out, trying not to get up and move much.

Naturally, at some point his weakness was noticed at the most inopportune moment. Naturally, at this moment Katara couldn't let Zuko fall. Imperceptibly under her sleeves, she moved her friend's body like a puppet, causing him as much unbearable pain as most would not stand. But Zuko was not like that. He stood it.

It looked like this to me somehow:

They were both very depressed that day. He was suffering physically because of Katara's bending, and she could not believe that she had caused the suffering of a person dear to her. It broke and scared her, she opened the way to the Hama's madness, and was very afraid to fall into it.

Zuko assured her that it was impossible. Hama didn't have people to guide her, while Katara has friends. Maybe Zuko didn't consider himself the best moral mentor, but he promised to be there in the most difficult moments for Katara, and now he won't leave her.

This encouraged her and opened her eyes to her own cowardice. She was afraid of the darkness of Hama, and instead of curbing it, Katara hid it in herself, ignored it. And that's what it led to: the person who needed her help suffered. But she didn't want to run away anymore. She wasn't going to give up without a fight and turn her back on those who needed her.

At the beginning, Katara trained on herself, experiencing the same pain as the victims of bloodbending. Careless movement of blood through the vessels could cause internal bleeding at any time, it was very dangerous. The Hama's voice in her head pressed on her conscience, saying that innocent people felt all this pain, and only Katara was to blame for this.

Later, she learned to control the flow of water on puppets, like Hama. The point was to pass water through the threads without bursting them. Absolute control was required here, and Zuko taught her the techniques of firebending for self-control. This was necessary for Katara, because the Hama's voice in her head did not subside and did not allow her to correctly distribute her forces. It seemed like Katara was about to stumble, but Zuko wouldn't let her do it.

Gradually, Katara mastered this skill and tried to draw blood on Zuko's legs. The effect was unexpected. Her great willpower and desire to help him resulted in healing. Zuko began to feel his legs, and Katara discovered the reverse side of this bending. No, she didn't heal him completely, it's too early for him to get rid of the cane. But maybe one day she will become so strong that she can do it.

Katara realized that there was no evil magic, there was only evil intent. This was her first step towards learning to look inner demons in the face, and not to hide them in herself when it was possible to hurt others.

But what about the other design?

Katara's father sent her a letter asking her to return. Her family needed her help, because she was the last waterbender, a carrier of culture and skills, as well as a healer of a new level, the daughter of a tribal leader.

At home, everything was not the same as before, moreover, everything taked shape as a Northern Tribe. I really like the idea of the comic "North and South" about the problem of assimilation. Only here has Katara accepted all aspects of its culture, even the most unpleasant ones, and she would not give up so easily when this newfound knowledge was in danger of disappearing.

Actually, I wanted to draw her outfit of this arch. I wanted to redesign the costume for myself, because I like to do it. I kept the front strands of Katara, we don't talk much about them.

I would really like to describe the path of the rest of the team and what they do, of Aang and what happens to him. But I'm already tired of typing, and you probably read.

After all, the post is more about designs, and not about the AU itself, so the goal to reveal some of my ideas has been achieved in principle. Maybe sometime later.

Hope you enjoyed reading this :3

[mandomaterial]

hey there! I was wondering if you can do a reader who has bright red hair? I'm talking about full blown reeeeeeeed hair.

Like, the reader visits the sully family along side norm and max, tonowari sees reader and is very intrigued by her hair? Bonus if she has freckles! Thank you! I love reading your work! ♥️♥️♥️♥️

Ofc my dear snickerdoodle, im sorry this took me so longgggg… sorry if it feels rushed? And i think he’s a little occ… i guess it’s got mor of a “young Tonowari” vibe :3

Masterlist

Tonowari with a redhead

- it was a relatively regular visit for Max and Norm, that they scheduled a couple times a year, but for you? Oh, this was your very first time out of the forest and you were almost bursting with excitement! You had begged and begged them to let you come as well and finally, they let you, even if they were a little hesitant, you didn’t look quite like the standard human and they were quite nervous about the Na’vi’s reaction.

- The anomaly you had? Fire red hair! Your hair was something you’d always been proud of, you could say that you’d always seen the world differently and that the world always saw you differently. No one you knew had hair as vibrant as yours so you always deemed yourself a little more special amongst other kids or teens, some of them had different opinions about your hair, and more than a few times you got asked if you dyed it, some older people also shamed you for it sometimes, telling you that it was unnatural, the color of the devil and that you should dye it black or brown.

- those words and opinions definitely hurt sometimes but you never even considered changing your hair, it would go against everything your parents taught you and against everything you believed. So when you joined the avatar program, you were quite nervous about your team's reaction, but luckily Grace was there. She had red hair just like you and she made sure no one ever even dreamed of mocking her for it!

- but back to present events, you were sitting in the back of the heli, fiddling with your hair as you gazed at the astonishing scenery of the ocean, waves crashing and Ilu jumping over them. Just then you heard Norm yell “We’re almost there, get ready”

- And there it was, the island collection that formed Awa’atlu. Truly a sight to be seen. The landing went over quite smoothly and soon enough you were greeted by the Sully’s, getting bombarded by bear hugs from everyone, even little Tuk that wasn’t so little anymore.

- but even if the people had already seen humans, all eyes seemed to be glued to you. It made you a little uncomfortable but you couldn’t blame them, surely they hadn’t seen anyone with hair like yours. And natural to be interested in something new. but there was one pair of sticking blue eyes that didn’t seem to want to let go, even after all the commotion had settled.

- Kiri showed you to the guest tent that you’d be staying at and all the while she complimented your hair and asked all types of questions, it really made you happy that someone liked your hair this much! But because the two of you talked so much, Kiri totally forgot about what she was supposed to tell you about dinner!

- It was already dark and your stomach was already growling like the one of a starved animal, maybe they didn’t eat dinner? No way, maybe they all eat by themselves? Yea, that’s probably it. Thinking about it like that made you quite sad, no one was thinking of you.

- you decided that it was best to go for a little walk, maybe you’d be able to find some fruit or something. Opening the flap and finding our way to the beach was easy enough so now all you had to do was walk around.

- your bare feet carried you along the shore, sometimes dipping into the water, whilst keeping an eye out for something to eat. The village was already fleeting from sight as you reached the more rocky parts of the beach.

- but it seemed that you weren’t alone anymore, just a few meters in front of you, sat the strong and mighty leader of the Metkayina, Tonowari. He was leaning against a pretty large boulder, looking out to the wild sea. Not sure if you should approach him, you decided that you’d just sneak past him.

- unfortunately for you, the sand crunched under your small feet and of course Tonowari noticed you, but he understood that if you didn’t want to be noticed, then he wouldn’t react, so he just kept on looking forward.

- a relieved sigh left your lips when you successfully snuck past, and as you looked at your surroundings, there you saw it. A large tree, perched on a large boulder that bore wonderful looking, juicy, round, blue fruit.

- You couldn’t stop a little gasp from slipping and you knew that you had to try and get a few! So with a rumbling stomach, you hiked up your let between a little crevice in the rock, grabbed onto a few ragged edges, and pulled yourself up. Truth be told, it wasn’t that easy, you had to change positions a bunch of times and had to really manifest your muscles to even attempt to pull yourself up.

- but in the end, you stood atop the boulder, now facing another problem, why was this tree so tall?!? Slowly the frustration was getting to you but you paid it no matter. You wrapped your fingers around edges and cracks in the bark and tried to scale up the dark brown trunk. To say the least, this was raven harder than the boulder. You slipped and fell more times than you could count but you were determined to not let this stupid old tree get the batter of you! Another reason was that your poor stomach was still growling and grumbling, pushing you to try even harder. It felt like hours had passed and you’d still made barely any progress, only ever getting halfway up before gravity pulled you back down.

- All the while Tonowari kept watching you, he’d snuck closer after just a few minutes and decided to observe you. You were truly a strange being, the first one he’d ever seen with hair like yours, red as the flames that illuminated the shore by night. The day you arrived, you’d captured his interest instantly and he’d thought about how to talk to you ever since.

- as he continued to watch, he noticed that you got higher and higher and soon he’d started to worry about you falling, so he silently made his way up the rock and waited right next to the tree. Not a second later your fingers grazed the fruit, snatching one piece after the other and letting it fall to the ground to keep your hands free, but what you didn’t notice, was that the fruit never came in contact with the ground, instead, Tonowari kept catching them with ease, resting them in the crook of his arm.

- your hand reached up to pick one last piece, when suddenly your feet lost their grip on the little boom in the bark and your fingers slid off the branch you were holding onto, earning yourself more than a couple splinters. In the first few seconds you were falling, your mind started racing, panic flooding your system in fear of getting hurt. You slammed your eyes shut and curled together, hoping to lessen the impact, but it never came.

- instead, you felt something firm yet strong hold you in mid-air, a quick look of confusion washing over your face before you opened your eyes when you heard a little chuckle. You let one of your eyes crack open and what you saw absolutely baffled you, the utterly handsome clan leader of the Metkayina? Seriously? It took a second for you to realize that he was holding you with one arm, his biceps pressed against your back and his wrist under your butt, before your face turned pink, almost the same color as your hair. You wiggled and squirmed, trying to get out of his hold but his hold on you was tight. So with only one option left, you looked up at him “Please let me go?” it came out as more of a question.

- Tonowari shot you a sly grin but gently placed you on the ground nonetheless, keeping his eyes on you. “Thank goodness you didn’t fall, huh?” He tried making conversation as he held out a piece of fruit to you. Your hand, small in comparison to his, gently grasped the fruit, slowly piling one piece after the other until your arms were full, “How’d you catch me anyway?” “Well, when you snuck past me I got curious, you can’t blame me for following such a pretty girl as yourself, can you?” Your face got impossibly redder. He thought you were pretty?

- “Come along, you must be tired” he instructed calmly even though he was clearly smirking on the inside thinking about how he still had his charm going. Of course, you followed the tall blue man as he let you to the water, your feet putter pattering against the sand as you took twice as many steps as he did.

- the two of you sat down, you crossed your legs, and placed all of your loot on your lap. You lifted one up, holding it in front of your eyes, looking at the texture. It seemed rough and thick, how were you supposed to eat this? Just bite into it right? You opened your mouth, just about to sink your teeth into the flesh when a large blue hand suddenly snatched it out of yours.

- “Whoa there, you shouldn’t eat the outside shell, look” he pressed the fruit between his thumbs, and with one hefty crack he split it open, the inside was a gentle pink color and the texture reminded you of a mango. Amazement struck your face and you wanted to try opening one too, it looked so easy! Albeit the fruit was a lot larger in your hands than in his, you held a second one just like he did, pressing your thumbs to it and pushing with all your might, but nothing happened. You tried again but again, nothing. Tonowari couldn’t help but let a little chuckle slip, hearing this you felt a little dejected and embarrassed, turning to face the other way.

- Tonowari instantly stopped laughing and got a guilty look plastered on his face “Hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel bad” he reached over and took the unopened fruit from you and replaced it with the two open halves. “Please try it, tastes great” You gave him a little nod and took a generous bite. Your eyes lit up, millions of sparkles shimmering across your irises, showing Tonowari just what he needed to know, you liked it. As you continued eating, his eyes haven’t once left you, he was so curious about you, you looked so different, like straight out of a fairytale where you were the gorgeous heroine.

- he was so curious as to why you looked like that, and the closer he looked, the more he noticed, you also had little spots covering your nose and cheeks, quite like his own, but these didn’t seem to glow. Were they different? Or were you perhaps sick? Concern washed over his face at the thought of you being ill. So with a worried tone in his voice, he asked “Do you feel ill?”

- you shot him a confused glance wondering what he meant because as far as you knew, you weren’t sick at all. You shook your head and mumbled “No, do I look sick?” you asked worriedly. “No, not necessarily, but your spots aren’t glowing,” he said as he gently treated his finger over your nose and along your cheek. You weren’t expecting this at all, so of course you turned cherry red not a second later.

- you started to giggle at the misunderstanding, he thought that your freckles were the same as his bioluminescent spots! Tonowari flopped his head to the side, not quite getting what you were laughing at until you finally started explaining. You told him that you were born with these spots and that they were called freckles. You explained that throughout the year the number of freckles changes, in summer you get more because essentially they’re just little spots that are made from melanin, that gets visible if you come in contact with a lot of sunshine.

- he seemed quite interested and asked further questions about your freckles and your hair, he asked if you’d also been born with your almost magical-looking hair and you confirmed. The two of you talked for hours upon hours, and every second you spent with him, you felt your attraction to the man grow as well. Little did you know that Tonowari also seemed to gain more and more interest for you.

- but as everything good, it had to come to an end. You started yawning and you were barely able to keep your eyes from closing, so you thought that resting your head a little on the sand would be a good idea, just for a few minutes. All the while Tonowari was telling you a story about his childhood and teen years when he noticed that you stopped responding. He looked over to you, checking if everything was alright when he heard the tiniest of snores leave your plush lips. He couldn’t help but let a little giggle slip, without even thinking, one of his hands reached over and gently brushed a few loose strands of red hair out of your face and behind your ear. He thought that your red hair suited you all too well.

- he didn’t want to wake you again, as you had had enough of action for today, so he shuffled over and kneeled next to you, his eyes wandered over your sleeping form for a moment before he gently slipped his hands under your back and the bend of your knees, picking you up just a second later, it surprised him how small you were, he towered over you and he could easily carry you with one arm, that made his pride swell a little, being as strong as he is.

- The people of the village were long asleep, everything silent and almost pitch black, only the stars helped aluminate his path. He walked over to your hut and placed you inside, wishing you nice dreams.

- Bonus headcanons

- The next day he asks if he can braid your hair and ofc you say yes. He sits you in front of him and starts braiding. He defiantly isn’t used to braiding such thin hair but he makes do with what he’s got, he wants to impress you after all.

- it takes a bit but soon enough your hair is done up beautifully with shells and pearls braided into it. You are in total awe and ask him to teach you next time. Since then he starts collecting and making hair accessories that have a nice contrast to your unusual hair color, along with a few necklaces and bracelets of course.

- You often got stared at by the people, which wasn’t new to you, but whenever you were with Tonowari, they certainly minded their business more.

- and since your first encounter, Tonowari makes sure that you have lots of snacks and drinks starched in your hut if you ever miss communal meal times, or forget to get anything door yourself, but soon enough you start bringing your snacks to him and eating them together. Whenever the two of you eat together Tonowari feels like he’s on cloud 9, absolutely elated and almost vibrating with excitement!

- whenever you go for a swim it's very easy to spot you because of your hair and if Tonowari has time, he’ll always join in. He also shows you his skimwing and offers you a ride, which you gladly accept.

- turns out, heights and speed were super fun but diving under and feeling water crash into your face and up your nose isn’t so much to your liking, o you decide to stick with the ilu.

- all in all, you had a great time with the Metkayina, especially with their leader and you absolutely cry when you have to leave. Tonowari is also quite upset because he grew so fond of you in such a short time and now you’re just being ripped away from him. He makes you promise that you’ll visit again soon, and that promise turns into a monthly visit that gradually gets longer and longer.

[sokkastyles]

Hi,

Hope you are doing well.

I wanted to ask you a question on TSR. If you were to change Aang's role in the episode, how would you do so?

For one, I think the lines comparing Aapa's kidnapping and the Air Nomad Genocide would either not be used or if used, would probably be used in a different context. And maybe the whole "Aang is the angel on Katara's shoulder" angle would be removed.

I would like your thoughts on this.

Y'all know I'm here for zutara, but let's say for the sake of this argument that this rewrite is meant to make KA seem more cohesive. How would I rewrite it? I'd use it as an opportunity for Aang and Katara to learn more about each other. As the episode is, it doesn't even support the idea that Aang is the angel on Katara's shoulder, because Aang is wrong about what choice Katara makes.

But! That isn't a bad thing! It doesn't have to be! Conflict in a relationship is good, if it helps the characters grow. If the show really wanted to introduce this conflict between Katara and Aang, there was a HUGE missed opportunity to have Aang acknowledge that sometimes confrontation is necessary, and that ignoring conflict won't bring peace. Then segue from there into Aang making an active choice about what to do about Ozai in the finale. I've said this before, but I think energy bending should have been tied into the Air Nomads in some way, so that Aang also gets some kind of closure with his people. And maybe a flashback to that moment when Gyatso also had to experience the fact that sometimes you have to fight to keep the peace. You know the one that's alluded to in episode 3 when we see Gyatso surrounded by FN soldiers he presumably killed. Have Aang realize that Katara made a choice to keep the peace just as his old mentor did. In the process, Aang also is able to realize that his love for Katara also means letting her make her own choices and trusting her with those choices. Aang is able to develop a more healthy attachment to Katara, and a more healthy spiritual outlook overall. He can still get energy bending, but only by acknowledging the risks involved, instead of pulling it out of his back pocket in the last second as a gotcha to the audience.

When people say that energy bending is a deus ex machina, they are mostly referring to the way it's revealed to the audience only after Aang decides to use it. Aang went into the fight with Ozai still undecided about how to end the fight, which in hindsight makes absolutely no sense because he had already learned energy bending at that point. So what I would do is give him energy bending earlier, tie it into the southern raiders and Aang's journey of confronting his anxiety over how to reconcile his pacifism with his duty as the Avatar. Have some reason why Aang would be hesitant to use it, but let the audience know it's there. Have Aang make a conscious choice to use it, still not sure whether using it means he is strong or weak, but being more okay with that uncertainty because of what he learned from Katara, from Gyatso, from Zuko, from all his friends.

[broken-endings]

The Earth Avatar

So one thing Legend of Korra did great was make sure not to repeat most story and character beats from The Last Airbender.

Aang was a simple monk with spiritual upbringing, communing with nature and peace. He was also out of his time, and being introduced to this world as an audience we learned about all forms of bending as Aang learned about all forms of bending. Culminating in ending a long war.

Korra was a rough and tough gal with a rural upbringing. Punch first, ask questions later. She was one with bending that came easy, because we the audience already knew about the forms of bending. One thing we never saw through Aang was the struggle to learn airbending. So like a 4th book to the first series, we got to see the avatar learn airbending. Korra was sheltered never traveling like her past life, and so we see the new Republic city through her eyes. Someone who has never been to the city. The rest of her story builds on lore in the world and the evolution of the people in it. Each season she faced a different "tyrant" whose stance has good intentions but they become villains.

I'm trying to think of what types of things neither series touched on that the 3rd series could explore. The only things we know are -They're an Earth Kingdom native -Their only past life connection will be with Korra

What kinds of stories have we not seen the avatar go through? Let me speculate below

My first thought is highly desirable but feels unlikely which would be for this avatar to be nonbinary. Having the Korrasami ending makes it feel not totally impossible. But I'm not holding my breath for this one.

Have the Avatar be an adult. The original audience of the series are all adults now. It would be fitting to have a series about an adult avatar.

Learn about the new avatar gradually through flashbacks. Perhaps there could be a mystery tied to information they've forgotten or are trying to keep hidden.

Have the avatar grow up in the city, and be forced to adjust to being thrown into a rural environment (opposite of Korra). Learning about the differences in life between the two.

Have the avatar be a parent. We haven't witnessed what it's like to be a young child with an avatar parent. We've only seen the avatar's children as adults.

Expand on the treatment of nonbenders. this was the biggest plot point that LoK kind of abandoned once Amon was gone.

Possibly discover a way to reconnect the avatar to all previous past lives. With only Korra as a guide, I feel like she might not excel at guidance, so being able to reconnect to history could empower this avatar. Just like Korra reconnected to her bending.

The previous avatar spirits have been zen and helpful. Korra's spirit should challenge that cliche. Perhaps her spirit gets angry with the avatar and she ignores them at times.

Have this avatar be an intellectual. Korra had a jock personality (gryffindor). Aang had a goofball, spiritual personality (hufflepuff). Perhaps this avatar reads and studies about everything in theory but struggled to put it into practice (ravenclaw).

Have this avatar have a physical disability. Toph was blind, we saw a waterbender with no arms. It would be new to see an avatar that is perhaps deaf or hard of hearing, be unable to walk, colorblind, or have only one seeing eye.

Have the avatar deal with death. Aang learns about all the people he lost but he never lost someone right in front of him. If this series is permitted to not be a kids show, it could deal with death head-on.

Have the avatar be one that needs redemption (slytherin). Now this is unlikely, but what if we were introduced to an avatar that rejected destiny and made selfish choices, and we learn all the things that pushed them down that path, maybe it would be too much of a repeat of Zuko's journey. But there are more ways to build a redemption arc.

[sokkagatekeeper]

Hey uh this might be a weird question (and cw for eugenics and racism mentions, feel free to discard this ask if you don't want to engage with those topics) but i saw an old post of yours abt the antrophologist guy who measured aangs skull. And like. That was always so INCREDIBLY jarring to me. I'm swedish and here those things are p exclusively known as a symbol of eugenics (specifically the "racial hygiene" aspect of eugenics, including things like forced sterilisation of indigenous people) Like, in school history books, the eugenics section is p much always illustrated w pictures of sami (indigenous) pp being forced to have their skulls measured. And idk if those devices are less known in america? If they have different associations? Or at least not the same symbolic value/immediate eugenics association? Because i WANT to believe that they didn't actually intentionally throw in an eugenics symbol like that. Especially for a character that's supposed to be somewhat sympathetic. Avatar might handle some heavy topics but this was just thrown in there so flippantly, I was legitimately shocked the first time i saw it. Idk it's just insane that i've never seen anyone talk about it, so surely that association might not be as prevalent in other countries or something?? Right???? Or how have people just brushed over this???? What the fuck actually

oh i mean i've definitely seen discussion of this in the fandom before, if mostly somewhat flippant references to how bad that was. yes, phrenology has been used as a tool of racist oppression in far more places than just sweden. it's possible that it's less known in other places, but i'm american and was able to recognize it. my inclination is to believe that the scene with professor zei measuring aang's skull was written thoughtlessly, by someone who had seen references to skull-measuring at some point but didn't actually know what it implied. it's possible that they were trying to subtly imply something about zei (maybe that he cares more about knowledge for knowledge's sake than about how that knowledge is applied and who it harms). that would also go along with the fact that he refers to aang as a "living relic"—a truly insanely offensive thing to say to him—and really does seem to think of him as an object of study rather than a person. he then, of course, ends up being buried in the library, because of the very fact that he values "knowledge" in the abstract without caring about being able to accomplish anything material with it. but again, this may be too generous of a reading; even if this is what the writers were going for, i still think it's pretty distasteful to show a skull-measuring scene completely out-of-the-blue like that in a children's show without properly addressing it. like you said, atla handles heavy topics, but this really only works if the audience recognizes the device for what it is and what real-world history it has, which many of the children for whom the show is intended would not.

[peregrinvs]

(The below is a show-only question.)

Iroh during Sozin's Comet said that he couldn't fight Ozai in part because the world would see it as brothers fighting for the throne, instead of the restoration of peace. But then he says that Zuko needs to confront Azula so that when Ozai falls, he can take the throne.

I can see the argument that Iroh thought that Zuko would secretly enter the Fire Nation Royal Palace and capture Azula with Katara before then holding her hostage until Aang arrived. But it seems more likely that he intended Zuko to fight Azula and her forces together with Katara.

So how do you think people in-universe saw the Agni Kai, and how do you think Iroh/the White Lotus justified his seemingly contradictory statements/actions? Also, do you think Zuko or the other members of the Gaang caught onto the contradictory, and if so, did they ever talk to Iroh and/or the White Lotus about it? Or if you think Ursa ever returned, did she confront Iroh about it?

Thanks for the ask!

The "Iroh v. Ozai final fight" question is kind of a mess. The showrunners didn't flesh out their relationship at all, to the point you can barely believe they're related. They made Iroh a powerful firebender and a morally good person, which combined with his parentage puts him in prime position to stand up against Ozai.

And yet they absolutely needed for the final showdown to be Aang v. Ozai, which was needed thematically. They kinda painted themselves into a corner making Iroh the Designated Good Moral Upstanding Mentor Figure (tm), so they needed to find a good justification why this amazing man couldn't get rid of evil himself. Iroh needed an excuse that still made him look good so that's what they came up with.

Iroh's dialogue could have been better written to reflect that either he feels he lacks legitimacy to challenge Ozai, or to simply state that he doesn't want to kill his own brother, but with the way it was handled on the show, we're left to speculate about his motives.

If you ask me, Iroh's real motive is that he's unlikely so win against Ozai and he knows it, so all he can do is hope the Avatar is OP enough to do it. However, he has such a high idea of Zuko that he's sure the kid can beat Azula in a duel, especially with Katara's help.

Thre's also the question of legitimacy: Iroh has previously accepted Ozai as Fire Lord and didn't object to being passed over when Ozai took the throne. It's a bit complicated for him to do a 180 now that Ozai has been reigning uncontested for years. On the other hand, Zuko has a valid claim to the throne because he is older than Azula, and he is in the right timeframe to challenge her before her coronation.

Finally, Iroh is a character who doesn't act much, even when faced with hard choices. That's because he's written as an older mentor figure, but it has the result of having him be passive and tend to let others fight his battles. He has never tried to stop Ozai, he was content playing shop while the war raged outside Ba Sing Se. It's in character for him to just offload the hard work on the kids with some vague advice about destiny.

I very much doubt he intended for Zuko to peacefully capture Azula - he never expresses concern for her, and he clearly just sees her as a hindrance that stands in the way of Zuko's Destiny(tm). He probably doesn't intend for her to die, bur i doubt he cares how Zuko defeats her, as long as the kid ends up Fire Lord.

I don't see why the Gaang or the White Lotus would have any issues with that, since having Zuko as Fire Lord is beneficial to them.

Ultimately it's hard to give a convincing explanation because i'm sure the writers intended for him to have a good reason, but as is often the case woth Iroh, his actions and reasoning are at odds with how moral he's supposed to be.

NB: i have not watched the new live action version, this answer is based on the original animated show canon.

[ghuletteintraining]

Hi, it’s been a long time since I’ve been in the Avatar fandom and I was trying to get my friend into them! I remembered you being one of my fav blogs since you wrote Chiaroscuro. Long story short— has there ever been some kind of lore masterposts for Avatar? I can find bajillions of Ghost lore posts but I’m having trouble finding anything for Avatar or at the very least for the Avatar Country era. Thank you for basically being a pillar in the fandom for so many years!

Hi, welcome back to Avatar Country!

First of all ... a pillar in the fandom?!?!? I am SHOOK with the honor, thank YOU for those kind words!!! I am but a humble servant to our king and his royal circle, I live to serve. (And by serve, I mean reblog everything Avatar-related so that my obsession can be everyone's problem...)

As for your question ... I'm thinking the reason you aren't finding anything is because there isn't anything out there. Unlike Ghost, Avatar isn't really a lore-based or lore-focused band. Avatar Country was the closest they've ever come to having official lore, and really that was only for that specific era. Even Feathers and Flesh wasn't lore about the band -- it was a fable brought to life with music. At this point, they bring out the royal costuming when they perform AC songs at shows, but it's usually only for one (sometimes two) songs.

The only thing I can come up with to offer as "lore" would be Legend of Avatar Country: A Metal Odyssey, the movie (featuring the three videos that they also put out for the album's singles) that the boys made with the help of a Kickstarter campaign, and it's so much fun! (There are a few elements in the videos that inspired @girlwiththepapatattoo and I as we developed our vision of the Chiaroscuro version of Avatar Country, but since the movie came out after most of our beast was written, it almost felt like WE inspired THEM.) It's available on Youtube and I'm pretty sure it's also available on avatarcountry.com. Speaking of avatarcountry.com, that's a great place to check out the boys' behind-the-scenes stuff, the play-throughs with Tim and Kungen, and little clips of them being the ridiculous dorks I love and adore. It's not lore in the traditional sense, but the history of the band and how Avatar has evolved over the years is just as fantastically rich as anything they could have invented. If you aren't already a part of it, you can join in at any time (I THINK you can set up a free account by filling out a "tourist visa" that lets you check out everything on the site, but don't quote me on that. Otherwise, becoming a citizen costs about $30.)

OH, almost forgot! There is The Making of Avatar Country, the book that they wrote/published through the Kickstarter campaign, available to purchase on avatarcountry.com. It. Is. FABULOUS. The photography alone makes it worth the cost. Again, not lore in the traditional sense, but seeing how Avatar Country was brought to life is *chef's kiss*. 10000/10 highly recommend.

And (shameless plug alert), you know, you can always re-read the beast in all its many parts ... lore abounds there. =)

Hey, look at that, I babbled once again and wrote a small novel instead of a normal-size response. *ahem* Hope this helped, and thanks so much for the ask! Always here for more asks if you have them ... as you can see, I love talking about my favorite Swedes!

[saynomorefic]

Hi June! If you're still up for it, 4, 5, 34, 35 and/or your choice for the otp asks?

Have a lovely day 💜

Hii W! Tysm for the ask <3 I kinda wrote a novel 😅

4. Their favorite show to watch together? 

Simon 100% watches anime. My knowledge of anime is next to nothing but I feel like he likes Deathnote, Attack on Titan, Hunter x Hunter, etc. I think Wille prefers teen dramas (he got a taste for them from Felice/ the girls) and docuseries, because he's hungry to learn more about the world around him. I think together they probably watch whatever anime Simon is into and nature documentaries because they're both kinda big nerds?! Oh, and Avatar.

5. Who is the cheesier one of the two? 

Sorry but Wille. I feel like I see this pretty much confirmed everywhere, from canon to fic. That boy knows how lucky he is and takes every opportunity to show it.

34. How do they cheer one another up during sad times?

I agree with the consensus that it's physical (lol) however I'll try to say some new things. Wille seems to want to talk it out, and Simon has demonstrated that he shows care by listening, asking questions, and offering support. I imagine he learned these skills from living with Linda and Sara. Sometimes when Wille's sadness turns to big anger (like once a year) they'll go to the junkyard and smash a bunch of shit, then go make out. Yeah. 

Simon seems to go within when he's sad, so Wille tries really hard to stop him from spiraling and get him out of his head until he's ready to talk. He'll plan little excursions, like a walk in the park, or get Simon to dance with him in their living room, anything to show him that it's not all bad. Wille also tries to make him laugh. I envision a lot of tickling. He knows not to rush Simon, who will share when he feels safe and ready. 

35. What are their tastes in music? 

I've thought about this one quite extensively. 

So I think Simon inherited a bunch of Micke's taste, because we know Micke exposed him to music and took him to concerts as we see in canon. I imagine it's a good mix of 80's and 90's rock, things like Nirvana and maybe some Swedish bands (like Kent, thank you Wilma @nothingadoaboutnothing ;)) 

As for contemporary music, I feel like Simon likes indie rock, some of it more underground, some more standard like the Arctic Monkeys, Vampire Weekend, etc. I see him listening to Lizzy McAlpine and Sufjan to cry and get his feelings out. I also feel like he likes Lady Gaga, perhaps a mix of her vocals and aesthetic. 

Wille likes rap and EDM as we saw in YR. However, much like the TV show thing, I think Felice and company have definitely awakened some love for queer pop / hyperpop in him. I see a burgeoning Charli / Chappel fan. Maybe this is just wishful thinking but I see it. Simon 100% makes fun of him (but definitely doesn't complain when he puts it on). 

Bonus / free question: 

39. Do they get along with each other's family? 

I want to say I'm hopeful on this one. Simon seemed to do fine with Kristina and Ludvig, although I'm sure there's going to be plenty more awkwardness and discomfort now that Wille has stepped down. Overall I think they're pleasant towards each other with occasional moments of connection. 

I think Wille is very invested in getting to know Sara, Linda, and possibly Micke. Post S3, I think he starts to form a closer bond with Sara; I'd like to think she becomes like another sibling now that he doesn't have Erik anymore. Wille tries hard with Linda in the beginning, and eventually realizes that all she wants is for him to treat Simon well and be happy, which for him is easier than ever. Perhaps Wille is the bridge towards a better relationship with Micke - he understands shitty family dynamics and is neutral where everyone else is scarred, so maybe he can help them be in each other's lives again in small ways. Like I said, wishful thinking.

I think Simon actually pushes for Wille to spend time with Wille's parents more, because Wille definitely prefers holidays at the Erikssons. S3 made me feel very hopeful about both fronts.

[gimblestank-the-goblin]

So here's a question for the Avatar superfans out there, but what does Azula actually want? Up until the day of Black Sun what is she actually trying to accomplish?

Because given her position as Ozai's favorite child, Dragon, and second in command I'd always figured she wanted to usurp Zuko's place as heir and become the next firelord. Which fits with her general femme fatale demeanor.

But it doesn't really fit with her actions. If she'd truly wanted to be the heir she could have slain him in Ba Sing Se. Or even not given him the credit for slaying the avatar and let him stay exiled. Its what *Ozai* would have wanted. She took a big risk bringing Zuko home as a hero and thereby forcing Ozai to acknowledge him.

She *defied* her father, her chief abuser and the man who controls who will be the next Firelord.

And that's not the action of someone who wants to usurp the throne.

And sure, Azula *says* she does it because she thinks the Avatar is alive but she has no reason to think so, and if she did she could have conquered Ba Sing Se and kept chasing him. No, that feels like a lie she tells in order to keep up her facade as the perfect, threatening, dangerous villain. A facade one assumes she learned as a child watching what her father does and does not punish.

I'm tempted almost, looking at her action, to say that what Azula wants is to fix her broken family. She wants her mother and brother back and for her father to love all three of them. But that because she has been raised to be a supervillain, she only knows how to *approach* this problem as a supervillain. Which falls apart because her attempt at getting her brother to come home is to tempt him and blackmail him in equal measure and that's the exact wrong approach as it just shows Zuko how hollow his own dreams are.

And I think you see a microcosm of this in the beach episode, where her attempt at dating and being normal fail because, again, she only knows how to approach things *as* a supervillain and her version of asking someone out is to talk about how they will rule the world.

But I also think that, even if she didn't have these problems, it was an effort doomed to failure. Because Ozai doesn't love them..He may never have loved anyone. And that means any version their family she reconstructs is going to have to contend with the fact that he'll constantly be pitting his children against each other to better control them.

IDK, just thinking some thoughts.

[natlacentral]

Ian Ousley

Ian Ousley recalls sitting on his parents’ bed, switching on the television, and completely transporting to a different, magical land: the land of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Like many other early 20-something-year-olds, he grew up with the show. “Avatar was one of the things that pushed me into wanting to do martial arts,” he reflects, “My parents were so sick of me pretending that I could bend stuff [laughs].” 

Some years later, Ousley received the news that he would be a part of the live-action rendition of the now highly-rated Netflix series — a very full-circle moment for the young actor that he describes as emotional. But this time around, viewers are given a glimpse of the Avatar universe through a new light. Departing from the original animated form, the actors in this new iteration all faced the challenge of translating these quirky characters to real life.

“Luckily enough for me, I had tons to pull from based on the animated version. Asking and answering those questions for Sokka was really important to me. Like, what was my relationship with my dad before he left? What was my relationship with my mom like? I dove into some things that the animation doesn't explore all the way,” he expands, “Music and costumes were great access points for me as well. Putting on that costume while I'm listening to music was really helpful. I would journal a lot as Sokka every morning too.” 

As a kid, Ousley reflects that he would actually mimic the actions of Prince Zuko, the anti-hero of the fictional series. He laughs when thinking of the irony of pretending to be Zuko but ending up playing Sokka, one of the less intimidating and more misunderstood characters on the show. “He wants to be a warrior so bad. And he wants to be valued so badly. He wants to have something to offer, but sometimes he doesn't always feel like he has the physical capabilities for that,” he continues, “So there's a really beautiful story there, I think with him finding ways to be helpful to his friends and the mission of saving the world — without having to be the muscle, even though he so badly wants to be.” 

In many ways, Ousley found it easy to shapeshift into Sokka for this project. “His sarcasm really brings things together. He's so complex and so funny. I joke a lot too, especially to deflect things. So I feel very tied with Sokka in that way,” he shares. But there were surely some challenges to channeling this character, like maintaining his air of comedic relief, as the threshold for comedy in animated television is much higher. Characters can launch off of cliffs or battle with larger-than-life villainous creatures, with little to no consequences. “Everything's weightier in our show because it's real. You're looking at a real little 12-year-old dealing with saving the world. You're looking at a real Katara and a real Sokka. But I was very passionate about keeping the comedy on set.”

While on set, Ousley and his castmates fostered a family bond not unlike the bond of all of the young characters in the series. “We feel so lucky to mesh with each other as a family unit. I think it came really easy 'cause we spent so much time together, on set, but also off,” he expresses, “Gordon is just like Aang in real life. He's just an energy ball and you feel like he's gonna save the world in real life too. Kiawentiio is just such a force in her own way. And then you have all the guest stars too, which I could go on and on about, but I just feel really blessed. I also shadowed a lot of the directors while I was on set because that's something that I am passionate about wanting to get into.” Ousley even lived with his castmate, Dallas Liu, for the duration of filming, sharing that the two fostered a close-knit brotherly bond.

When Ousley isn’t on set, he taps into another form of self-expression through fashion and design. During the SAG-AFTRA strike this past year, he joined forces with two of his friends, Ryan Sullivan and Hunter Baker, to help with the design and creative direction strategy for their vintage-inspired brand Kalo Soil. But this medium of artistry isn’t a novel one for the young actor; he’s been into sketching and designing for years now. “I started a clothing brand when I was 15 and was just making hoodies and embroidering stuff in the fashion district of DTLA. I had fashion internships with a professor from FIDM, so it's been a passion of mine forever,” he reflects. When he isn’t filming or feeding his interests in the realm of fashion, he flexes other creative muscles, sharing that writing or journaling provide moments of decompression for the 21-year-old who has been moving in the fast lane since he moved to LA as a teenager.

Between his diverse roles, Taekwondo, and creative outlets, Ousley has a pretty full plate. But he carves out the necessary time to unwind and take it all in. “I've always needed a creative outlet, so I'm constantly sketching and designing stuff just for fun. I've been doing that since I was 15 and it feels effortless at this point. I can always channel whatever I'm feeling into those things. I also love writing, so I try to stay consistent with that — songwriting, poetry, and essays — all of it. I journal a lot too. I spend time with God. I just try to stay rooted in the things that I can control with so many different things going on.” 

Staying rooted in his life is important to the multi-talented actor, but he still looks ahead in the hopes that his career in Hollywood will continue to flourish. A smile flashed across his face when alluding to directing, a skill he’d like to hone in the coming years, but he maintains that his heart really does lie with the current project that he spent the last year dedicating himself to. “The thing that I'm looking most forward to is to continue the show. We all love the show so much, so season two and hopefully season three would be the goal. Sometimes in busy cities like New York or LA, people want to move on quickly. But I think that we all have found a really fun home here, so I would like to enjoy that for a little bit.”

Just before concluding our Zoom call, Ousley indulged us by answering the hard-hitting questions — I mean, it felt almost unnatural not to ask. “[Laughs] My favorite character from Avatar is Apa. There's no other answer that should be allowed.” And though he masters Sokka’s playful humor and personal intricacies, he shared that if given a chance to occupy the grand Avatar: The Last Airbender universe, he’d definitely be a part of the water tribe. “That’s a hard question,” he posited, “Gliding on the ice and playing around with water powers looked so fun in the animated show — so I’d go with that.” 

Netflix’s highly-anticipated series, Avatar: The Last Airbender is now streaming, and has been renewed for another two seasons.

[fantastic-nonsense]

☔

☔Is there a fic concept you have that you'd like to just explain and share because you're not sure you'll ever write it? If so, what is it?

I had to browse through my 30+ WIPs to figure out if there was one I was willing to classify in this category, and...if there was a fic that fits it's a Legend of Korra fic concept I wrote up like 8 or 9 years ago in the immediate aftermath of the series finale. I genuinely don't think I'll ever get to it; not only because I've long since left the LOK fandom and have no real interest in finishing any of my fic ideas that aren't my "Justice for Asami Sato" WIP, but also because it would likely need a whole series of fics to properly explore everything I wanted to cover. I will, however, happily give a detailed outline of what I was planning on doing since I'm never going to get around to it.

Basically, the concept was to completely imagine LOK as the story might have been written if the creative team had known from the beginning that they would have 4 seasons to tell the story of Korra. I was looking at the disjointedness of plot, themes, and character arcs that happened because Bryke originally planned the show as a miniseries and then didn't know how many more seasons they would get...and thinking about how to connect everything together more coherently (within my own preferences and ideas of how things should have been told, of course).

The tl;dr of each fic is as follows:

Book 3′s plot would come first, as it should have in the show: Korra travels to Republic City to learn Airbending from Tenzin, only to find that some spiritual mumbo jumbo has created new Airbenders. Thus, she’ll learn airbending from Tenzin while they’re all on the search for the new airbenders. Meanwhile, the Red Lotus has escaped and is coming after Korra. Ends the same way, with Korra physically incapacitated and suffering from major PTSD

Book 4′s plot would be next: the fall of the Earth Kingdom creates a power vacuum that Kuvira fills. Meanwhile, we watch the season-long restoration of Korra’s physical/mental/spiritual wellbeing. We get the story of Wan and Raava this season, as part of Korra’s recovery arc (so she can discover and restore her bond with the Avatar Spirit).

Book 1 now becomes Book 3: also in the wake of the Red Lotus’s destruction and the tyranny of Kuvira’s Earth Empire, anti-bender sentiment has sprung up around the world. Amon takes advantage of this sentiment within Republic City. Korra, now residing in Republic City, has to deal with the anti-bender revolution as a fully realized Avatar (but one that is still struggling to fully recover from the Red Lotus and is now terrified of losing her bending because of the events of the first two seasons)

Book 2′s dual plot would end the series: Korra has to deal with the Water Tribe Civil War while Harmonic Convergence approaches, which would have had lore drops throughout the show after the ‘Avatar Orgins’ revelations back in the second fic. The series ends with a bang as Korra defeats the spiritual manifestation of darkness and chaos and pledges to lead the world into a new spiritual age. 

A fairly detailed explanation of how I'd planned out this reimagining is below the cut, if you like.

Ask me a question about one of my WIPs!

The first fic ("Air") was going to start out with the re-emergence of the airbenders due to a freak spiritual event; this was going to be the reason Tenzin wouldn't be able to train Korra in airbending at the South Pole compound, as he was focused heavily on recruiting and training new airbenders and wanted to put off training the Avatar for another year or two. Meanwhile, the Red Lotus breaks out of their prisons and starts readying themselves to go kill the Avatar.

Korra would make her way to Republic City to try and reason with Tenzin that he could just train her while looking/training the other airbenders, meet Lin while breaking up a robbery in progress, and escape from the RCPD with the help of Mako and Bolin, two pro-benders who just lost the finals this season (but they’re sure that they’ll come back next year even better). They introduce her to Asami Sato, their sponsor and Mako’s girlfriend. She explains who she is, what she’s doing in Republic City, and what’s going on….and they decide they want to help her. They all end up stowing away on Tenzin's ship along with Lin, who basically designates herself as the Air Family's bodyguard (because god forbid Tenzin go swanning off into the Earth Kingdom without any protection for his small children).

We'd spend most of the fic dealing with the three intersecting plots: 1) Korra struggling to learn Airbending and spiritual direction from Tenzin, 2) Tenzin finding and training the new airbenders+Korra, and 3) the Red Lotus political plot and their attempts to kill Korra (which both fall under the “no more world leaders” heading of their group goals).

Subplots would have been more or less the same subplots as the existing Book 3, with some of the Book 1 issues mixed in: resolving the Lin-Tenzin tension, Tenzin struggling to be a teacher and rebuild the Air Nation, korra struggling to figure out airbending, Mako and Bolin finding their family, and the romance issues (Korra-Mako-Asami with a season-long Masami breakup arc and the Bolin-Opal romance…the Mako-Bolin drama over Korra doesn’t happen because we meet Opal basically right off the bat). Korra still ends up hurt and traumatized at the end of the fic. Despite initiating the Avatar state for the first time while fighting Zaheer, she can no longer connect after the physical and spiritual trauma she suffered, so she stays behind at the South Pole to be healed and further mentored by Katara.

The second fic ("Restoration") would have picked up one year after the first fic ends and covered the basic plot of Book 4 with some of the character arcs that Book 2 dealt with (except better): The fall of the Earth Kingdom created a power vacuum that Kuvira fills. Korra's doing her season-long recovery/spiritual discovery arc while dealing with the threat of Kuvira; we also get the Wan-Raava story here, to properly sow the seeds for the Harmonic Convergence plot later down the road.

Mako and Bolin go back to pro-bending, but both find it unsatisfying after going globetrotting. Mako's single, and Bolin and Opal (who's moved to Air Temple Island to continue her training) are still dating. Asami, who's chafing under the restrictions of being back in Republic City and once again living with her father, joins an underground street racing group as a racer and part-time mechanic; she's super lonely, since Korra is still recovering from what the Red Lotus did to her and (from her father’s POV) she no longer has any ‘socially acceptable’ reason to interact with Bolin and Mako since they’re no longer dating. So all of that happens, culminating with Kuvira's attempted invasion of Republic City. The Krew would reunite to fight her off.

The third fic ("Equality") would have picked up about six months later and reinterpreted the Equalist plot. In the wake of the Red Lotus’s destruction of the Earth Kingdom, the chaos that unfolded afterwards, and Kuvira's attempted invasion of Republic City, anti-bender sentiment has sprung up around the world. Amon takes advantage of this sentiment within Republic City. Korra, now residing full-time in Republic City, has to deal with the anti-bender revolution as an Avatar who is now terrified of losing her bending after fully recovering from what the Red Lotus did to her.

Bolin took a long trip back to the Earth Kingdom with Opal to see Suyin+his family and help stabilize the country a bit, but they're both on their way back to Republic City in the first chapter. Mako has, after bonding with Lin in the first season, joined up with the RCPD to work under her and is working his way up the ladder (hoping to reach ‘detective’ status). He’s still having Issues adjusting, especially without Bolin around. He goes and hangs out on Air Temple Island with Korra when he’s off-duty because people actually seem to like having him around and there’s always something that he can do (and he likes feeling Useful). But lately he's been hearing some concerning stuff at his job about the Equalist movement, and he's got a bad feeling about what it means for Korra and for all benders in Republic City.

So Mako has his police corruption investigation arc. Bolin is trying to figure out what he actually wants to do with his life now that he's not a pro-bender anymore. Asami starts getting suspicious that her father is up to something and decides to take matters into her own hands. And Korra is dealing with the Equalists and how to balance the "you're our Avatar too" undercurrents amongst the non-bending population.

The final fic ("Spirits") would start up about six months after Amon's defeat. Book 2′s dual plot would end the series: Korra has to deal with the Water Tribe Civil War while Harmonic Convergence approaches, which would have had lore drops throughout the series after the ‘Avatar Orgins’ two-parter back in the second fic. The series ends with a bang as Korra defeats the spiritual manifestation of darkness and chaos and pledges to lead the world into a new spiritual age.

Unalaq still sets up and starts the Water Tribe Civil War to gain power, but it’s also in service to creating as chaotic of a world situation as he can before Harmonic Convergence (opening a pathway to Vaatu’s domination over Raava; because the world is a) in chaos and b) out of balance, Vaatu will have an easier time winning the fight against Raava). The Raava-Vaatu fight would also be more explicitly framed as order vs. chaos (not light vs. darkness), which would align it more with how ATLA previously handled the concepts of yin and yang.

I was still working on what everyones' character arcs and struggles would look like in that final fic apart from Korra (who was set up to have the same political figure+spiritual leader balancing act Book 2 tried to pull off), but I know that I was planning to give Asami a Tony Stark arc and let her see the direct consequences of Future Industries’ war profiteering, giving her a reason to completely change the company around to focus on energy, transportation, and entertainment instead of selling tanks and biplanes to the Water Tribes. So...yeah. Those are the basics.

....and all of that and more is sitting in a detailed outline in a doc that I will probably never touch again, so I hope this was a fun glimpse 😭

[ssmtskw]

WIP Wednesday Word Search!

Thanks for the tag in this one, babies. @read-and-write- @firenati0n @songliili @kiwiana-writes @rockyroadkylers @gayrootvegetable and @hgejfmw-hgejhsf! 💗 Also: appreciation post for my friends who endlessly tag me in these games/challenges even though I'm not the most active and consistent person on this platform. I love you all.

RULES: use this generator to generate three random words (or however many you'd like to do!) and share the lines where they show up in your WIPs!

The words I got were acquaintance, monk, and challenge.

acquaintance - Exes to What? AU

There’s a bunch of classmates, celebrities, Nora posting a photo dump about their weekly Austen-binge with June popping in every so often in the slides. Pez in another outfit that never fails to fill Alex with awe; they’re the most stylish person he probably knows, and that’s saying something with his revolving door of acquaintances and friends. Ellen with her recent campaign publicity pictures. His dad doesn’t have instagram, but every now and then Oscar’s face shows up on news outlets as the current-seating senator of California. And then, unmistakably enough to Alex’s eyes, there’s also Henry.

monk - ATLA AU

Alex was already in the Avatar State, and finally looking around the room — littered with Fire Nation army uniforms and the remains of a monk who clearly meant something to Alex and June — it's not hard to understand why.

challenge - fake fratboy!Alex who's actually just an animal shelter volunteer AU

So Henry doesn't ask Alex where he goes or why he has new cuts on his hands or what he gets up to whenever he's not in school — only looks at him as if all the burning questions he wants to send Alex's way was his newfound telepathic skill. Does so in the next few days because he can't just let go of things like that, and ultimately only stops when Alex finally shoots back a quizzical look at him. He doesn't look angry, per se, but the littlest hint of a challenge does start resting on his eyebrows whenever he spares Henry a glance.

I combined both games so I'm not sure who to tag that hasn't done it yet but if you already did, take this as a round two I guess the word search is FUN. @blairwaldcrf @later-2-dae @dragonflylady77 @leojfitz @14carrotghoul @matherines @44whispers @movetoheavens @mudbloodpotter05 @happiness-of-the-pursuit @inexplicablymine @user-anakin @littlemisskittentoes

[thewritingmagician2022]

The Tortured Poets Department - The Anthology (Taylor Swift) - Dateables Part 2

As promised, here's part 2 - The TPD Anthology collection songs.

Barbatos: COSOSOM

So if you wanna break my cold, cold heart Say you loved me And if you wanna tear my world apart Say you'll always wonder

Like I said, this part of the album was quite hard to choose for.  I feel bad for Barbatos because I definitely think I slacked on his songs, which is surprising to me because album sounds so much more like what I think of for him than most of the others but here we are. The sound of this song in particular, so mellow and melancholy, makes me think of him. It’s got a lot of emotion packed into it but in such short, simple phrases and staying mostly calm; even the bridge is quiet intensity which is how Barbatos lives his life. I think of Barbatos being considered as heartless because he doesn’t show much feeling but it’s so untrue, especially with MC. I imagine that he never speaks up about his feelings for them and that’s why the hardest thing he could ever hear from them is them admitting their own feelings and wondering what could have been. It’s a shot to his heart knowing he could have had them but they’ve moved on and it doesn’t even matter anymore. 

Asmo: imgonnagetyouback

I, I hear the whispers in your eyes I'll make you wanna think twice You'll find that you were never not mine (You're mine)

Another Asmo song for sure. It’s sexy, bright, and not a little aggressive. Asmo firmly believes he can have anyone that he wants - everyone out there is his for the taking, whether they know it or not. That includes MC. It doesn’t matter if they play hard to get or show any interest in his brothers, Asmo is confident that he’ll have them by his side by the end of the night. And if that’s not the case? Well Hell hath no fury like a rejected avatar of lust. He can be very petty and spiteful when he feels slighted so he would definitely plan revenge if needed but, even then, he’s thinking about how he can turn this into a fun bedroom situation instead because there are so many better ways to work out those feelings, you know? 

Simeon: The Albatross 

So I crossed my thoughtless heart Spread my wings like a parachute I'm the albatross I swept in at the rescue The devil that you know Looks now more like an angel

This was a song that I considered for a few people but I feel like it fits Simeon’s story so well. Simeon is an angel - he’s supposed to be immune to temptation and to help people find their redemption. He’s known from the beginning that he should be keeping MC’s morality safe and remaining a guiding beacon of light. This becomes especially true once he sees how close she gets to the brothers and Diavolo and Solomon. MC is becoming a threat - being so close with such “bad” beings while also being the most tempting human that Simeon has ever laid eyes on. He knows he should stay away lest MC drag him down to ruin like the snake did to Eve but it doesn’t take him too long to realize that you’re not dangerous, you’re actually his salvation. You’re there to show him true happiness and freedom, and it makes him question everything he once thought was good. 

Satan: How Did it End?

We were blind to unforeseen circumstances We learned thе right steps to different dancеs And fell victim to interlopers' glances Lost the game of chance, what are the chances?

This is how I imagine things ending with Satan. The relationship has been so private and peaceful; no one ever had any clue what was going on behind closed doors. In fact, MC and Satan might not be entirely sure either. For a relationship that once seemed so strong, it’s been slowly dying since its beginning, doomed to fail once the lovers are separated until it’s just MC alone in the human realm left haunted by the ghost of their beloved. Of course everyone is just so curious because they care but everywhere MC turns they’re being asked about Satan and what happened to their relationship. For all the detective work the two of them used to do, MC can’t quite figure out exactly what happened. Just like everything else in their life, it’s over and they have to figure out how to pick up the pieces in front of everyone. 

Beel: So High School

You know how to ball, I know Aristotle Brand-new, full throttle Touch me while your bros play Grand Theft Auto It's true, swear, scout's honor (Yeah) You knew what you wanted and, boy, you got her

Has everyone seen all the Travis being a himbo memes? Cause they are cracking me up. I feel like Beel is Travis - just a really good guy but definitely not the intellectual of a relationship, though he’s more insightful than people give him credit for. I don’t really like this song if I’m being honest but it’s so Beel-coded and I absolutely love the line about ball/Aristotle - I don’t get how anyone could hate it. I think this is very much MC, the most powerful and influential human basically ever, and her loving himbo demon boyfriend. They’re so happy in their own little bubble. It’s a relationship built on trust, comfort, and respect. They have fun and explore each other’s interests, and everything is soft and sweet like a first high school love should be. It’s not full of the same angst and insecurity the rest of the relationships are threatened with. 

Belphie: thanK you aIMee

All that time you were throwin' punches, it was all for nothin' And our town, it looks so small from way up here Screamed, "Thank you, Aimee" to the night sky and the stars are stunnin' 'Cause I can't forget the way you made me heal

Belphie as Kim? I absolutely love it. Belphie was our biggest hater by far in the beginning. He was convinced that we were the shitty one, fake and dishonest and a perfect _ of everything humanity represents, and so he does everything in his power not to only bring us down and lift himself up but also to torture us mentally during the process. His betrayal kills us, both literally and figuratively, and I know that MC would take so long to actually heal from that trauma because how do you move on when you’re constantly confronted with your killer? However, MC does move on and becomes so strong after and the bond they form with the entire family/Devildom never would have happened if it hadn’t been for Belphie’s choices. In the end, there’s something to thank Belphie for. 

Solomon: I Look in People’s Windows

I look in people's windows In case you're at their table What if your eyes looked up and met mine One more time?

This song is so sad and lonely feeling. It makes me think of poor Solomon who is doomed to outlive everyone he has ever loved and always be left behind unless he decides to run preemptively. I imagine Solomon referring to himself as a deranged weirdo who watches everything and everyone from the outside, always around but invisible. This song in particular is the epitome of what it would be like for him once MC is back in the human realm. He loves them, he misses them, no one in the world is nearly interesting enough to replace them and hold his attention. So he wanders around from place to place, always looking into the windows of restaurants and bookstores and houses, wondering if he’ll ever see them again. His thoughts are made up of what if’s and if only’s, and the none of it ever compares to the day that he looks into a window somewhere only to find MC already looking back at him (as if they didn’t spend all of their time looking out windows for him). 

Diavolo: Prophecy

Please I've been on my knees Change the prophecy Don't want money Just someone who wants my company Let it once be me Who do I have to speak to About if they can redo the prophecy?

The Prophecy is, by far, one of my favorite songs on the entire album and possibly my favorite on the anthology. It was really a struggle to decide who it fit with most (it was almost given to Mammon) but, ultimately, I thought that this song just felt so much like Diavolo. It’s beautiful, poetic and lyrical. It’s depressing and heartwrenching and full of goodness. Diavolo has revealed over and over again how truly lonely it is to be him, how badly he longs for genuine connection, how touch and affection starved he is. He’s a man who has everything in the palm of his hand - everything except love, which is the one thing he craves most of all. He thought he had it with MC and, for a short time, it was like his prayers had been answered but it was lightning in a bottle and gone before he even knew what was happening. And so the prophecy continues and Diavolo is forced to accept his fate. 

Levi: Peter

And I won't confess that I waited, but I let the lamp burn As the men masqueraded, I hoped you'd return With your feet on the ground, tell me all that you'd learned 'Cause love's never lost when perspective is earned

This was another tough one. I didn’t find anything that really super resonated with me for Levi but this was the closest I came. Levi is very much a child in some ways. By being such a shut in, he’s experienced very little social and emotional growth, even less so than most of his brothers. He loves fantasy and escaping into those adventures because he can’t actually be hurt. MC is entirely different story and, despite being so interested in them, Levi finds it very hard to commit to them beyond a playful friendship as if they’re lost boys together because anything more than that means that Levi will have to learn and grow and risk having his heart broken. MC would wait forever for him to open up, if they could, but the time comes when they have to go home and, unfortunately, Levi was just never able to take that final leap of faith and grow with them so he’s forever stuck as Peter Pan in his own little unchanging Neverland while ‘Wendy’ moves on to the future without him. 

Lucifer: The Manuscript

The only thing that's left is the manuscript One last souvenir from my trip to your shores Now and then I reread the manuscript But the story isn't mine anymore

Another tough choice. (I was being serious when I said this half of the album was hard). This song references back to Taylor dating older men and really considering what the purpose of that life lesson was and what it means for her going forward. I think Lucifer is definitely a life lesson for MC. They want to please him so badly that they’re willing to try harder to be smarter, more capable, more mature. Anything that will get his attention and maybe make him proud of them. His opinion is what matters most but, at the end of the day, MC is going right back to the human realm where Lucifer isn’t around and they don’t have to pretend to be better than they actually are anyone. They can relex and breathe and be the normal, fucked up human they always have been. It’s excruciating and MC doesn’t understand for a long time what the point of the transfer was for, if it was just going to leave them right where they started, but MC comes to realize that the journey and who we become along the way is the most important thing. Lucifer was a large part of their life story but it turns out he was only a chapter in their book, just how MC always imagined they would be for him. 

Mammon: I Hate it Here

I'm lonely, but I'm good I'm bitter, but I swear I'm fine I'll save all my romanticism for my inner life and I'll get lost on purpose This place made me feel worthless

Mammon! This is for my first and favorite man who is far more sensitive than he lets on. He lives on escapism, though not quite as overtly as Levi’s love of fiction or Satan’s reading. He is always moving, always meeting new people, always trying new things. He is spending his whole life looking somewhere, someone, to make him feel safe and happy and at home. Not that he would ever dare admit that to anyone. He hates the Devildom and what it’s turned him into. Where the brothers used to tease him with affection in the Celestial Realm, it all feels too genuine and harsh down here. He doesn’t feel like he has any value and no one can see the real him (is there even a real him anymore? If there is, it worth seeing or is the mask he wears the better choice?) MC is the only person allowed into his sanctuaries, the only person who makes the real world feel worthwhile. 

[le-panda-chocovore]

Hello, can I ask from this ask game :

https://www.tumblr.com/threecheersforinking/677824836625694720/anime-ask-game?source=share

For fandom : Haikyuu, BNHA, ATLA, and Jujutsu Kaisen.

Thanks 🌻

Sorry I took time but lists and ranking are difficult to me lol, and I had 4 different asks about making a TOP 5 so I kinda lost myself into it 😅

Oh my god there's so many fandoms, you're really trying to kill me damn-

Okay okay Imma try not to write to much (<- will probably fail)

HAIKYUU

Favorite Character: (I absolutely HATE that question, why do I have to choose ?!?) I'd say Bokuto Koutarou but I also have 5 others in mind lol

Favorite Arc/Episode/Scene: The Tokyo Stage during S2 is my fave because my favorite characters get many screentime together, we see so many different people interact, and it's so fun to enjoy matches without the stress of the competition. I get to support anyone and not feel guilty about it !! Also there's Tsukki's character development, and there's my favorite scene in the anime (the Oya Oya Oya), and they all learn and work on new techniques and it's so cool !! (<- already rambling too much)

Character I Think is Underrated: Maybe Gosshiki ? He's such a baby I love him. I believe Tendou is very much loved so not underrated. Tanaka too. I know people love him but I think he deserves so much more. That man participated in EVERY MATCH, he NEVER got replaced and he doesn't have an ultra special attack and he's not the ace but he's sooooo reliable and cool. He's a caring sempai and a good player and an amazing friend and the only straight ally in a gay world lmaooo We don't appreciate him enough.

Character I Think is Overrated: When I'm not rewatching Haikyuu I think that Hinata and Atsumu are kinda overrated because yeah they're cool but they're not the bests and their characters (I know they're different) aren't the ones I love the most and also I think they're selfish. Then when I rewatches the episode for fun I4m so invested in everything and I just cannot not love them. So, no one is overrated actually.

Favorite Ship/Pairing: HAHA I won't answer that- Alright I will but keep it short. Let's say any popular ship that involves Tsukki, Kuroo, Bokuto, Akaashi and Kenma. Yes even the polyships. Yes. Any popular ship.

Something I Love About the Show/Movie: Everything. (<- only short answer I4m able to give)

BOKU NO HERO ACADEMIA

Oh it's been a while since I've been in that fandom. I lost my hyperfixation 3 years ago and I don't even read the scans anymore. Let's do it anyway, maybe it'd wake some sparkle in me and I'd be able to finish my fanfictions !

Favorite Character: I used to say Present Mic or Bakugo and I'm not sure now. I think Aizawa-sensei is someone safe to say, he'd never not be in my Top 3.

Favorite Arc/Episode/Scene: It's been so long, I don't really know

Character I Think is Underrated: Hatsune Mei. I love her and I rarely see people talking about her (or maybe I'm not on the good side of the fandom). And Mina (I know she's loved but not enough)

Character I Think is Overrated: All Might, I don't really like him. Mineta of course, he deserves Hell.

Favorite Ship/Pairing: EraserMic. I didn't write 3 fanfics about those dumbass gay teachers to not put them here.

Something I Love About the Show/Movie: The theme is good : how should we build a society where almost everyone has a superpower ? How do you regulate that ? How do you classify people as heroes, vigilantes and villains ? How do childhood trauma and socioeconomic differences, and traditional cultures play on the development of the superpower and the life of a person ?

AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER

This one is easier because I've already did a fan card about it!

Favorite Character: Zuko. Also Toph.

Favorite Arc/Episode/Scene: The Boiling Rock episodes.

Character I Think is Underrated: I don't think there's one ? I just think Avatar Kyoshi is a bit misinterpreted because the fans love exaggerating, but nothing actually bad.

Character I Think is Overrated: Jet maybe. I just feel nothing about him outside the context of him

Favorite Ship/Pairing: Zukka Nation

Something I Love About the Show/Movie : It's just perfect ? Perfect representation of everything ? It shows so many delicate subjects (people -kids- involved in war, sexism, racism, denial, terrorism, propaganda, redemption, trauma) and it's just GOOD. Zuko returns to his abusive family and makes more mistakes. Sokka looks down on women despite living years of his life surrounded by them. Katara steals something because her ego is hurt. Aang hides something to his friends because he has abandonment issues. Toph is.... Toph. And it's so well written and perfect and good.

JUJUTSU KAISEN

I've done this one too but it's still hard to me lmaooo

Favorite Character: Geto Suguru and Gojo Satoru and Choso and Itadori Yuuji and-

Favorite Arc/Episode/Scene: Hidden Inventory Arc. The story should have stopped here. We don't need anything more come on it's fine. Everyone's happy and it's fine (episodes 4 and 5 don't exist)

Character I Think is Underrated: Ino Takuma. Protect him.

Character I Think is Overrated: That fucking Naoya Bitch. I learned his in the TOP 20 popularity poll ??? HOW THE FUCK ??????? I literally cannot see his face, it gives me nausea. I hate him so sincerely, I don't even want to think about him.

Favorite Ship/Pairing: You know, I know, we know. The strongest. The one and only. The curse me a little at the end. They're known by many names. Satosugu, Gego, Sugusato, Goge, SaltSugar, whatever you want.

Something I Love About the Show/Movie: It's literally a story about love. It is not a romance anime, but it is about love. The theme comes back so often. Suguru loved his friends and it doomed him. Satoru loved Suguru and became a teacher. Yuuta loved Rika and cursed her. Geto's family loved him. It's all about love and no one could convince me otherwise.

[biconickyoshi]

hey there!

this might be like a weird ask, but i've seen you post a lot about the legend of korra, so.

do you think it's worth watching the show? i've been avoiding it for a while now simply because i'm afraid it's gonna disappoint. i know it is a separate narrative with entirely new characters, but from the few scenes i've seen it just looks sooooo different from the gaang's story that i'm just afraid they've butchered the original universe. plus, my favorite character from atla is aang, and i do not know if any character from korra will have that same kind of charm.

on the other hand, i know it attracts a lot of fans. what do you think?:)

(btw, amazzzzzzing job on both your zukaang fanfic and the artwork for it !!)

Hi anon! :) This isn't a weird ask at all, I'd be happy to help!

So the short answer is: yes, I think it's worth watching! I know exactly how you feel - Aang is also my favorite AtLA character, so I was also very apprehensive when LoK was first announced way back in like 2011. But my apprehension didn't stop me from looking forward to and eventually enjoying it, mainly because AtLA was/still is my strongest and longest running hyperfixation to date, and I (especially at that time) was willing to consume any scrap of media related to it lol. We were very starved for content in the olden days :')

I'll go ahead and give you a spoiler-free breakdown of the four LoK seasons - this might help you decide:

Book 1: Air is definitely is quite a bit different from AtLA (which was done on purpose by the creators to differentiate it so it wouldn't just feel like the exact same show). Book 1 is still my least favorite of the LoK seasons for this reason (as well as for questionable writing decisions), but there are still some great moments. You may notice that Book 1 ends very "neatly" - this is because LoK was originally supposed to be a miniseries before Nickelodeon picked it up for 3 more seasons (which I think was a large part of why the writing suffers a lot in the first half of the show as a whole).

Book 2: Spirits also starts out pretty rough (with more questionable writing decisions), but it picks up about halfway through. Some people say this is their least favorite season, but I've always enjoyed it overall a ton more than Book 1. While some of the additions to the lore of the Avatar and the Spirit World are polarizing amongst the fandom (and there are some things I wish they'd done differently), I still ate that shit up when it first aired lol.

Book 3: Change is where, in my and many others' opinions, the show suddenly rises to the same level of quality as AtLA. There's a lot of traveling, we get to see some familiar faces and several classic AtLA locations from Book 2: Earth, the villains are the best villains in any Avatar media, and the plot and emotional core of the season are just so, so good. I can't say any more because I don't want to spoil even a little bit of it. I personally think LoK is worth watching just for this season alone.

Book 4: Balance is not as good as Book 3, but I enjoyed it a lot more than Book 1 and Book 2. It does a really good job of exploring trauma/PTSD and the relevance of the role of the Avatar in a modernizing world, and is a decent followup to Book 3. What happens at the end of Book 4 is also SO culturally impactful (not sure if you know why, but I won't say anything specific), especially for queer AtLA fans such as myself.

While LoK definitely isn't perfect, I still accept it as canon for the world of Avatar, and it's still a show I've rewatched several times (though I tend to skip a lot of Book 1 and the first half of Book 2 when I do lmao). If you decide to watch it, go in with an open mind knowing that it is not going to be exactly like AtLA. Even in the not-as-good seasons, there's still some gems to behold. And what's also nice about LoK is that each season is about 12ish episodes, so you'll get to the really good stuff (Book 3) pretty quickly if you binge lol.

Feel free to send me another ask if you have any more specific questions about LoK! :)