#I've got problems but it's not running a No Sex Allowed book event after a rift with my buddy

[ballsballsbowls]

I know a lot of people are scared of the indie romance/fantasy author community because of the insane drama surrounding them but like

I've worked at jobs where my coworkers were 100% female and 100% between the ages of 40 and 55. I've seen drama that genuinely boggles the mind happening 15 feet from me and these people are an entire internet away.

Anyway, I love Other People's Problems and my groupchat is currently dissecting Free Book Event Drama through environmental storytelling.

[orangepanic]

Hey Orange! What are some of your favorite Irosami headcanons? Please share. ^.^

Thanks for the ask! Though this is quite the question since I've got about a billion headcanons for these two. But considering they don't speak to each other in the show, Asami is somewhat underdeveloped as a character (especially in later seasons), and Iroh has all of 2 minutes of screen time, the majority of their relationship is based on headcanons. So here are a few things that I like that I think are fundamental to my understanding of why this relationship works.

Iroh being a nerd: We all know Asami is a nerd. A pretty, successful, socially well-adjusted nerd, but a nerd all the same. So, her compatibility with Iroh is largely based on my belief that he, too, is a gigantic nerd. He reads tons of history and studies old languages and when he can't think of anything to do he often picks up a book. He enjoys puzzles and pai sho. He likes solving problems and gets irritated when he can't. More than any of this he's a thinker, an intellectual, and even with slightly different interests I can see him and Asami connecting well in the idea space. It's why one of my most common starts to their relationship is working together on Republic City reconstruction. I want them both to nerd out about traffic signals and then kiss.

Asami being in touch with her baggage: Asami goes through a lot of shit in LOK that seems to bounce off her like teflon. Death, danger, betrayal, responsibility, loneliness. In canon she's barely affected. But in a relationship with Iroh I think these events have more of an impact. She expects anyone after Mako to leave her, so Iroh has to put in the work to convince her that he won't. His ability to do that is I think one of the reasons they work so well as a pair. Iroh is as dedicated in love as he is in everything else, and after everything that's happened to her Asami needs a partner who will well and truly put her first. He exudes steadiness and loyalty.

Putting others first: One of the things I love about this pair is how selfless they both are and I think this forms the backbone of their relationship. On screen they both risk death to protect others and are the quick problem-solvers in the group working to figure out how best to do so. Iroh runs to the top of the tallest tower, making himself a target in order to get a better shot at the planes. Asami flies a biplane against a hoard of dark spirits when she really has no business in the water tribe civil war at all. Putting themselves in harm's way for the greater good is in both their DNA, and I also think they'd bring this to a relationship in a way that's important. These are two people who spend so much time taking care of others that nobody takes care of them - but what if they did this for each other? They're the kind of couple who can look at one another and say "I'd die for you" and mean it but when no death is required this turns into "I'll make dinner even though it's not my turn because you're tired" and "you look like you need a back rub" and quite a lot of very generous sex that's focused on the other person's pleasure. I want this for them. They deserve it.

Foodies: For no reason in particular I think both Asami and Iroh are insufferable foodies. They grew up rich. They're still rich. Asami spits out Gommu's trash soup. So they can and do afford to be choosy. I love this headcanon for them because it allows them to go on all kinds of fun dates, from fancy restaurants to exotic street food to delicious hole-in-the-wall joints to new openings around town. I think arts and culture are a big part of their lives, too, and imagine them balancing work and quiet time with a vibrant city life of restaurants and plays and gallery openings. It's also why I almost always keep them in Republic City. I think they'd both love the multicultural aspects of such a melting pot of a city as opposed to palace life in the Fire Nation.