#Seven Tribes with no Home

[granonine]

Seven Tribes with no Home

Joshua 18:1-7. And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was subdued before them. And there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes, which had not yet received their inheritanceAnd Joshua said unto the children of Israel, How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which…

[wofpantheon]

PYRRHIA

*Alt text available!

Roughly 1.5x the size of North America, Pyrrhia is the largest continent inhabited by dragons. Despite it's monumental size, very few areas on the map are considered un-owned territory, with even fewer areas being considered unexplored entirely.

Thanks to the continent's huge climate range, Pyrrhia has the most dragon tribe diversity of any landmass, hosting seven tribes in their entirety.

This includes: SkyWings, IceWings, SandWings, MudWings, RainWings, NightWings and SeaWings.

IceWing Territory

The Ice Kingdom, inhabited primarily by IceWings, is a large peninsula in the far north, also including a smaller cape just slightly south. It borders both the Sky Kingdom and the Kingdom of Sand.

While a large portion of IceWings live within the walls of the Ice Palace (an extravagant city compared to most other palaces), the majority live in villages and towns along the Ice Kingdom's coast. This is ideal for most, since the primary food source of IceWings are fish & sea-faring birds and mammals. However, it's not uncommon to find an IceWing family or two living further inland, hunting elk and other land-dwelling prey.

While only a relatively small portion of IceWing territory remains snowy year-round, the entire territory all the way down to Where-No-Dragon-Goes-Hungry can be seen blanketed in ice and snow during the winter months.

SkyWing Territory

The Sky Kingdom is home to the SkyWings, and is the largest land-based dragon-claimed territory on the map, give or take. Their territory borders several other kingdoms, including the Kingdom of the Sea, Ice Kingdom, Mud Kingdom, and the Kingdom of Sand.

Being quite physically big and territorial compared to most other dragons, SkyWings demand much more space (and use of such space) than their neighbors, despite there being much fewer of them overall. By technicality, the Sky Kingdom encompasses the entire Pyrrhian mountain range; although the SkyWings living any farther south than the Diamond Spray Delta tend not to argue about where borders are drawn, so long as they get a good night's sleep.

SkyWings tend to live solitarily or in pairs/family units, with the exception of those living in the Sky Palace working for the current Queen. Due to this, there are very few dedicated SkyWing towns or villages, with most SkyWings opting instead to pick out an ideal cave in the mountains to call home. This is of course not absolute, and there are many SkyWings living in harmony in bordering towns and cities with other tribes, some being SkyWing dominant.

MudWing Territory

The Mud Kingdom is home to the MudWings; the tribe of the largest land-dwelling dragons in the world. Their kingdom borders the Sky Kingdom, the Kingdom of the Sea and the Rainforest Kingdom.

Despite their size, they actually don't hold the largest amount of territory. Being rather sedentary, they typically never need more than the average pond to themselves and their siblings.

MudWing territory consists of a variety of land types, with the standard swamps and marshes; but also including bamboo forests, floodplains, sparse rainforest and grasslands. This variety in biome gives them plenty of agricultural opportunity, making MudWings one of the largest exporters of both plant and animal produce.

Their rich land also provides an abundance of earthen materials that other tribes covet for their own uses in construction, pottery and other types of craftsmanship; including kaolinite and other clays, calcite, etc!

RainWing Territory

The Rainforest Kingdom is home to the RainWings, the tribe of the smallest and most numerous dragons on the continent. Their kingdom borders the Mud Kingdom and the Kingdom of the Sea.

RainWings live communally, and thus are not separated into several towns. Rather, all RainWings (for the most part) share a single village that extends quite far throughout the rainforest, held together by the Queen's Royal Pavilion (marked on the map as the RainWing Village).

Although, since the events of the NightWing exodus from the Volcano, there lies a single other village amongst the jungle. Some RainWings find it comfortable enough to live there with the NightWing refugees, but don't prefer it.

The rainforest is a dragon's ultimate destination for near any kind of exotic fruit, flower, or animal. While RainWings used to be the top exporter of their tropical produce, these days the MudWings have taken on the task of growing orchards and vineyards, while the RainWings keep to themselves.

SeaWing Territory

SeaWing territory, home to the SeaWings, is technically the largest dragon-claimed territory on earth; this is because the vast majority of their inhabited space is underwater, and thus there is very little competition for territory. The land they control however, is the smallest compared to any other tribe, consisting mostly of small islands and islets. Their territory borders the Rainforest Kingdom, Mud Kingdom and Sky Kingdom.

Despite being the largest kind of dragon on the planet, they are incredibly numerous due to the abundance of food and territory. SeaWings live communally, but are spread across several habitable zones, including the Deep Palace and Summer Palace (their primary homes), and various island caves, huts, deep sea trenches, and sea stacks.

They are also partially migratory, spending warmer springs and summers in the Summer Palace, and living deeper underwater through autumn and winter.

SandWing Territory

The Kingdom of Sand, controlled by the SandWings, is the third largest land-based dragon territory on the continent. Consisting of vast dunes and open savannas, this desert environment isn't suitable for most other tribes. Their kingdom borders the Sky Kingdom and the Ice Kingdom.

Despite their large quantity of land, SandWings are actually not very high in population; more than SkyWings or especially NightWings, but fewer than most. SandWings are largely nomadic, not living in one particular place for their whole lives; instead relying on sparse oases and rivers spread throughout the desert, and traveling around for food.

Some SandWings, particularly those seeking refuge and safety from war, may choose to spend most of their time in small cities like the Scorpion Den, or border towns like Possibility and Sanctuary. Even then, many prefer to stay on their feet and travel often, reserving their town homes for sleep, rough weather or retirement.

Similarly, many SandWings working for royalty may choose to live in the Stronghold.

NightWing Territory

NightWing territory, the smallest and most uninhabitable, is home to the declining population of NightWings. It does not directly border any other kingdoms, but does have an animus-conjured portal to the Rainforest Kingdom.

Despite all the odds, NightWings manage to survive here on the small (near completely ash-polluted) ponds dotting the island, and by using desalination devices to convert seawater into drinkable water.

The prey on their volcanic home is close to non-existent; consisting almost entirely of occasional seabirds, crabs, beached sea turtles, and fish caught far out at sea using nets; although as time goes on, fewer NightWings are in good enough health to carry fish-filled nets back home.

Their fortress is half-collapsed due to a volcanic eruption, and the air is so hot, heavy and sulphuric that one might find it almost impossible to breathe if you hadn't been born there. What a pity.

Version with ALL Points of Interest

Blank Version

*You may use the blank version of the map for personal things as long as credit to Thorne & I is given! Tag me if you do :D I'd love to see!

This has been in the works probably the longest of anything I've made in relation to my WoF headcanons. I swear I've redone this entire map 3 or 4 times. After a year and a half, hopefully this is the last!!

I hope y'all like it!!

Huge thanks to my friend Thorne for her contributions to the climate placing, I wouldn't have been able to make it look at ALL natural without her help.

If you have any questions or suggestions for edits/additions please let me know! My ask box is open too.

[flawseer]

Wings of Earth

"For Wings of Earth, search through the mud, for an egg the color of dragon blood."

This line from the Dragonet Prophecy is very funny to me, specifically because it refers to the color of dragon blood.

At face value, that makes sense. These kinds of eggs are relevant primarily to Mudwing culture, and it follows that they would call them "Blood Eggs", as they are the same color as the blood of their people, i.e. a deep red.

However, later we learn that this prophecy did not come from the impartial mouth of fate, rather it has been carefully engineered by the Nightwing elite circle to further their tribe's interests. With that biased origin in mind, note that they did not make reference to a "Blood Egg", which is the established Mudwing term for it, but rather opted to word it as "an egg the color of dragon blood".

Why do I think this is noteworthy? Well, by divorcing the subject from its Mudwing cultural roots like that, it becomes more of a general statement. It's saying "The egg is the color of dragon blood. Dragon blood is red." This statement is true for six of the seven Pyrrhian tribes. The sole exception are the Icewings- who happen to be ancient enemies of the Nightwing tribe -whose blood runs blue instead.

What this implies is that this prophecy was written in a way that covertly insults Icewings. It's insinuating they are not true dragons, i.e. their blood is not the appropriate color. That is on top of already overtly insulting them by not including an Icewing hatchling in the prophecy. As this prophecy is relevant to all the tribes on the continent, it ensures that every tribe will receive and accept this propaganda piece that insidiously proclaims Icewings as lesser beings, including the Icewings themselves.

Or that was the plan. In practice it went nowhere and its authors wound up shamed and humiliated. Whoops.

It is uncertain whether all this was intentional on Sutherland's part; I am likely putting way too much thought into a phrase that was just meant to sound good in a poem. But whenever I read this line, I picture Morrowseer, sitting alone in an empty cave with his writing scroll in front of him, smiling self-importantly while congratulating himself for sticking it to "those snow lizards in the north". Then he goes home and finds a note from his mate telling him she's gone out for the night and that he should de-frost himself some hot dogs in the sink.

And that picture is very funny to me.

[reasonsforhope]

"New Mexico will establish a permanent absentee voter list and remove barriers to voting on tribal lands under sweeping legislation signed into law Thursday [March 30, 2023] by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.

The measure also will automate voter registration during certain Motor Vehicle Division transactions and more quickly restore the voting rights of people exiting prison after a felony conviction. It was supported this year by Democratic legislative leaders and Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, after a similar measure died in the final moments of the 2022 session amid a GOP filibuster...

Republican lawmakers fiercely opposed the bill this year, too, contending automatic voter registration and other measures aren't necessary in a state that already allows same-day registration. But advocates of the legislation, House Bill 4, celebrated Thursday [March 30, 2023] as Lujan Grisham signed the bill during a ceremony at the Capitol with Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver; House Speaker Javier Martínez, D-Albuquerque; and others.

Native American leaders described it as critical step toward protecting the voting rights of people on tribal land, especially those without a traditional mailing address. [More details in/moved to the last key point!]

In a signing ceremony at the Capitol, Lujan Grisham said the legislation would serve as a template for other states. "We want to send a message to the rest of the country — that this is what voting access and protection should look like," the governor said...

Absentee voting: Sign up once

The legislation calls for a permanent absentee voter list to be available in time for the 2024 elections. Voters could sign up once to get absentee ballots mailed to them before every statewide election. People on the list would also get notices mailed to them seven weeks before Election Day. Any election-related mail returned to the county clerk as undeliverable would trigger the voters' removal from the absentee list.

Automated voter registration

Automatic voter registration during some transactions at MVD [DMV] offices — such as when a person presents documents proving citizenship while applying for a driver's license — would begin in July 2025. Newly registered voters would be told they've been added to the voter rolls and that they'll get a postcard in the mail allowing them to decline the registration. For MVD customers already registered to vote, their address would be updated in the voting rolls if they renew their driver's license with a different address.

Restoration of rights

The legislation will restore the voting rights of felons when they leave custody rather than after they complete probation or parole. Inmates would be granted the chance to register or update their registration before release. The Sentencing Project, an advocacy group, estimated the measure will restore the voting rights of more than 11,000 citizens.

New holiday

The bill makes Election Day a school holiday.

Drop boxes

The legislation requires each county to have at least two secured, monitored boxes for people to drop off absentee ballots. State election officials are empowered to waive the requirement or grant requests for additional containers, depending on the circumstances of each county.

Native American voting

The proposal establishes a Native American Voting Rights Act.

[Moved here from earlier in the article]

The measure requires collaboration with pueblos, nations and tribes on establishing polling places, early voting locations and precinct boundaries. It also allows members to register to vote or receive absentee ballots at official tribal buildings — a necessity, supporters said, for residents who don't receive mail at home. "It is truly monumental reform," said Ahtza Chavez, executive director of NM Native Vote and a member of the Kewa Pueblo and Diné Nation. "It requires collaboration with tribes at all levels.""

-via Albuquerque Journal, March 30, 2023

[finalgirlsamwinchester]

today's thoughts before passing out: the demon blood plot reading as a metaphoric fear of miscegenation, a result of classic Western tropes told through a Horror framework.

demon blood is a boundary crossing substance, invasive and transformative. Sam violated in the crib functions on one level as a rape metaphor, but its done so through demonic blood coming in to dilute his human blood. the violation then, comes in as a literal theft of identity. his body becomes the literal battleground between two forces - the domestic world of his family vs. the invading, monstrous outsider. Azazel snatches and preys on civilised children from the crib as a means of recruiting them to his tribe army, literally corrupting them on a bodily level, claiming them from their blood families as his own. and the more demon blood Sam drinks, the less 'human' he becomes (the less of his family's blood in him). Dean's anger over Ruby also ties into Sam's sexual relationship with her, of which the blood drinking is a component. the blood drinking is especially transgressive because it echoes deep-rooted settler colonial anxieties, expressed through the language of pop culture - fears over losing one's blood, family, and identity to a savage Other.

(4.04)

(4.21)

what got me started on this line of thinking was a recent rewatch of John Ford's The Searchers (1956), a movie so ingrained in the modern American cultural mythos that nearly every first year cinema studies course makes it required viewing lmao. it's a subversive Western, concerned with exploring the porous boundary dividing white settler communities from Native American communities, the defining line between the 'civilised'/'uncivilised', the colonial subject and the savage. it was released during an era when America was grappling with undoing laws around racial segregation, and reflects those anxieties through classic American mythology.

so. Sam is a modern interpretation of Martin and Debbie from that movie, and Dean is a modern variant on its leading anti-hero, Ethan Edwards (rather John is our initial Ethan figure, but we spend most of the show with Dean, who takes on his mantle). just to emphasise the connection between the show and this movie - Star Wars heavily references it, and Kripke's always been explicit about this show's two leads as Luke Skywalker and Han Solo. well, i'd argue this show definitely owes more to The Searchers than Star Wars does!

Martin is Ethan's adoptive nephew of partial Cherokee descent, made an outsider to his family, by his uncle, at the film's outset due to his blood. he joins his uncle on his revenge mission after a Comanche tribe destroys their home and steals his adoptive sister - Debbie. this mission becomes his coming-of-age journey into rugged frontier manhood, as much as it is his path towards integration into white, 'civilised' society.

the protagonist of the film is Ethan, a soldier who gets consumed by his seven year long, bloody, vengeance-fuelled quest to recover his niece. when he finds Debbie, however, to his dismay he discovers she's no longer the 'pure' innocent he remembers. upon finding out that she's married to the tribe's chief - he literally disowns her as his blood kin, and at one point, even tries to kill her. Martin becomes the one to save her from his uncle's shot and the one to convince her to return home. he later convinces Ethan to recommit to rescuing her, and he ends up doing so.

(15.17 - Sam over s4 functions as a Debbie figure, but Jack also takes up her role. Dean disowns him as Ethan disowns his niece)

over the movie, we see Ethan descend into ever increasing violence and 'wildness', grown closer to his enemy after years spent on the frontier, hunting them down. Martin gets to go home, his civilising mission completed as he marries into a white family. Ethan though, stands at the threshold in the iconic concluding shot below. he's been transformed by frontier violence to the point he no longer belongs to the domestic, civilised world. he wanders back out into the desert, alone.

(1.14)

anyways. Supernatural owes so much of its dna to the classic Western, and to this movie in particular. what The Searchers was to collective white American anxieties over desegregation in the late 50s, this show was to collective white American anxieties over multiculturalism at the new millenium, in the wake of 9/11. Sam's demon blood is a critical defining line between him and his brother, as Martin's mixed race status is the defining line between him and his uncle. 'monstrosity' on this show metaphorically stands in for savagery; one brother gets thrown out onto the frontier, a journey towards 'taming' his own nature. and another brother drifts further and further away from civilised society the longer he spends fighting at the frontier, protecting civilisation from its monsters. 'blood don't end with family' comes to a screeching halt when it addresses the prospect of monstrosity. what is demon blood standing in for on this show? what does a monster represent, truly? who gets to step over the threshold into civilised society, and what is the price of that acceptance?

[novankenn]

I fear for jaunes childhood when he is surrounded by all the crazy people

We find Mama Arc (Harley Quinn) sitting in the principal's office of Ansel's Elementary school. Once again dealing with the fall out of another "Arc Incident" with in the school.

Principal: Ms. Arc I'm sure you KNOW why I've asked for this meeting.

Mama Arc tilted her head, and appeared to be in deep thought, as she say demurely in the chair facing the Principal's cluttered desk.

Principal: Ms. Arc?

Mama Arc: Hum. I should kidnap her, shave her head and paint her face in clown make-up?

Principal: *Gasping*

Mama Arc: Oh, sorry. The voices.

Principal: Uh...

Mama Arc: So what are you accusing my babies of?

Principal: Well...

/==/ Seven Hours Ago /==/

Joan: Come on we have gym class!

Jaune: Hey! No I can't!

Jeanne: In!

Jaune: That's the girls locker room!

Joan: So?

Jeanne: Those beastly boys are NOT getting a chance to molest our dear brother!

Jaune get's hauled into the Girl's Locker Room by his sisters.

Multiple Feminine Voices: AHHHHHHH!!!!!!

/==/ Present /==/

Principal: This is the fifth time in five days that Jaune has been pulled into the Women's Locker room by his sisters! It is inappropriate!

Mama Arc: Joan, Jaune and Jeanne are triplets, of course they're going to want to change together. They've been doing it since they were born.

Principal: Well...

/==/ Four Hours Ago /==/

A well kwon group of bullies where running down the main corridor of the school, in utter panic and covered in paint splotches... away from a much shorter girl with green hair, rapidly firing a pair of... "juiced-up" paintball guns.

Rebecca: ^&$@&^&^%(@*(*%&@^*&^%^@&^%&##

Bully #1: Stop! It hurts!

Bully #2: We're sorry! We're sorry!

Rebecca: &^&^*@&^%@$^)%)@)()(%@)&(%*@&

/==/ Present /==/

Principal: Those boys were covered in bruises, some were even openly sobbing!

Mama Arc: So?

Principal: So?

Mama Arc: Where was this... concern when Joan, Jaune and Jeanne came home covered in bruises and mud?

Principal: ... um, well...

/==/ One Hour Ago /==/

Jinx and Tiny Tina stalked forward, sinister and more than slightly unhinged grins upon their faces. Their goal, a small ramshackle looking building near school property.

Gang Leader: Back off freaks!

Jinx: Did you?

Gang Leader: Did we what?

Tiny Tina: Proposition our baby brother...

Gang: NO!

Jinx: You... lie...

Tiny Tina: Let's shut up and shoot something!

The two young women suddenly had various weapons in their hands.

Gang: AHHHHH!!!!

/==/ Present /==/

Mama Arc: Sounds like my angels cleaned up a drug problem before it could become one. Wouldn't... *Grins in an unhinged way*

Principal: I... um... I...

Mama Arc: I'm starting to think... you're just wasting my time.

Principal: But... but... those are just the most extreme issues! Your children are completely out of control!!! All of them!

Mama Arc: *Raises and single Eyebrow* ALL?

Principal: Well aside from Jaune and Saphron...

Mama Arc: SO it's not... all...

Principal: No... but...

Mama Arc: I'll speak with my little angels... ask them to tone down things. Does THAT placate you?

Principal: Uh... yes?

Mama Arc: *Stands up* Good. Now I have a bandit tribe to... remove from our borders. Please...

Principal: Please?

Mama Arc: Stop expecting my babies to clean up your oversights with your administration. Agreed?

Principal: Yes... but... what about the locker room issue? That's not a problem being... fixed?

Mama Arc: Take them out of gym class, and give them a free period. I'm sure Jaune and his sisters would appreciate the extra study time... wouldn't you agree?

Principal: Well, those three are doing exceptionally well...

Mama Arc: *Beams a smile* Perfect. Problems solved. Ta-ta!

(A/N - Might have missed the mark on this ask. Might try again after five more cups of coffee...)

Utter & Complete Insanity Story Collection

[imagines--galore]

||The Thread of Fate|| Part Nine

Summary: Soulmate AU. They say the Thread of Fate connects you to your one true love. It may tangle. It may stretch. But it will never break. Wrapped around your little finger it tightens when it feels your soulmate is close and loosens when they are far. And becomes visible with the colors of your soulmate’s Nation when you finally fall in love with them.

Pairing: Zuko x OroraOC (ATLA)

Rating || Genres || Warnings: T+ Romance. Adventure.

Previous Chapters - Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven, Part Eight,

A/N: So I didn't mean to stay away for so long but then life happened :/ Anyway! Hope you guys enjoy this REALLY long chapter!

To say it had been a close call would be an understatement. Not only had they escaped the Fire Nation Princess as well as the Fire Nation in the past few weeks, but somehow had managed to evade capture once more by two unknown assailants from the Earth Kingdom.

Hiding away in flower pots had certainly not been a comfortable idea, but it proved effective.

While the shopkeeper's son wheeled them away from the small village that had offered them refuge, Orora's mind caught up with all that had happened since yesterday.

Finding someone to help them.

The strange Pai Sho game.

The White Lotus Tile.

Escaping the Oasis.

Iroh's strange meeting.

Falling asleep on Zuko's shoulder.

The last one had a blush stealing across her cheeks, and the memory of it had her stomach flipping in on itself.

It was ridiculous just how strangely her body was reacting to what had happened. Especially when the waking up part had involved Zuko suddenly jumping to his feet and her body flopping to the side on the dirt floor.

He didn't even apologize for it, which only added to her annoyance of having been so rudely awakened.

As her annoyance faded to mild irritation, her mind began to wander had just how much her life had changed within the past few months.

Not only had she left home and her family, but she had also found herself a Master who could teach her. Her healing abilities had increased exponentially given the severity of the patients she had taken care of, not to mention how many she had treated. She had learned how to fight, a feat she was most proud of considering she barely had any training. The Moon Spirit herself had visited her and offered her advice. Her fingers unconsciously brushed against the white patch in her hair.

And then there was the fact that she had also found her soulmate.

Albeit one she could never accept but still. Not a lot of girls from the Northern Water Tribe claimed to have found their soulmates. Most of them had their marriages arranged to someone of their father's choosing before they could do so.

So perhaps she was fortunate enough to know who he was.

Just too bad he was the Fire Nation Prince.

Running a hand down her face the water bender sighed. "I need to stop fixating on him so much." She muttered to herself.

                                          ————————–

Boarding the boat that would carry them closer to their destination went about with no obstacles. Which was strange considering up till now whatever plan that was made hit a snag or two along the way. Still, she wasn't about to question fate and did remain on guard should anything go awry.

Her blue eyes were focused on the dock as it slowly grew smaller as the boat sailed away. Her Master had expressed his excitement by proclaiming himself a tourist, while Zuko remained as he preferred.

Pouting and brooding in a corner.

She barely overheard what they were speaking of, content on simply gazing at the clear water. She could see her reflection in it, could see the white patch of hair she had been blessed with.

Was that what it was then? A blessing by the Moon Spirit. Lifting her hand she brushed the tips of her fingers against the strands, tilting her head as she continued to observe her reflection. She wasn't someone who cared too much about her looks, but she didn't think she was unpleasant to look at. Cutting off her hair had been humbling in her opinion, and necessary. And the short hair did suit her, the strands now coming to just curl under her chin, the tips barely touching her collarbone. Still was she someone who could be described as being pretty? She pursed her lips, dropping her hand and shaking her head. Honestly, what was wrong with her? There were other more pressing things to worry about then her appearance.

"Orora, my dear." Iroh's voice barely registered in her mind, so lost she was as she gazed at the water, though she did make a small humming sound, to show she had heard him.

"It would seem there are a few passengers in need of your abilities."

That got her attention. Standing straight, the young girl followed his line of sight to see a young mother trying to console her small child. The little boy's arm was in makeshift sling, and even from here Orora could see how awkwardly the boy was holding his arm.

With an encouraging nod from her Master, the young waterbender slowly approached the duo. The mother looked up as she came closer.

"I'm sorry if his crying is disturbing you. It's just he's hurt an-" Orora shook her head, letting her lips curve into what she hoped was a friendly smile. "That is not the reason why I came. I'm a Healer, and I wanted to see if I could do something to help him."

So saying she bent down on her knees and reached out a hand towards the boy. "May I?" The mother looked a little unsure, but the child let out a loud whimper and she relented. Removing the sling, Orora uncorked her water pouch and coated her hands with the liquid. It glowed under her touch, mesmerizing the boy and distracting him from the pain as well as the fever that raged through his tiny body.

"It is a small break, but one I will be able to fix." Orora observed. She pressed her hands atop the boy's arm and took a deep breath. The blue glow around her hands intensified briefly before dying down. "Now try to move your arm." She encouraged with a smile, once she had removed her hands.

The boy was hesitant at first, but when no pain radiated from his injury, he let out a bright, happy laugh before swinging his arm around. Orora couldn't help but laugh lightly at his enthusiasm. "Well, it looks like you're all better now." She turned her attention to the mother who was looking at her in utter disbelief.

"He'll need something to make sure his fever goes away." Reaching into her bag she pulled out a small pack of leaves. "So just add this in his water and he should b-" The next moment all the breath was knocked right out of her as the mother all but threw herself forward and wrapped her arms around Orora in a tight embrace. "Thank you. Thank you so much." She all but sobbed. For her part, Orora patted the woman awkwardly on the back a few times.

When it came to physical displays of affection, her life had been quite lacking. Her father had never hugged her, her mother would only brush her hair in affection. The only embrace Orora could recall was one she had received from her grandmother. And that was so long ago.

She barely remembered it.

Once she was free of the embrace, the young girl quickly stood up and nodded at the small family before quickly retreating to where her two travel companions were. She moved to resume her previous stance when a voice stopped her.

"Why did you help them?"

Her head turned sharply in Zuko's direction. He was standing up against the support beam she had just passed, arms folded and a rather irritated look on his face. Which was the norm really.

"We're supposed to be keeping a low profile. You can't just go around and heal people." His words had her sighing in an almost exasperated manner. "Tell me Lee." The use of his other name sounded strange upon her tongue, and if Zuko were honest a tiny part of him didn't like hearing that name coming from her lips.

He much preferred Zuko.

Without so much as a hint of emotion in her features she continued. "If you came across a person, begging for water, and what you had was the last of your reserve would you give it to them?"

                                          ————————–

The silence that followed her words stretched on. Both teenagers refused to look away from the other, having started some sort of staring contest where neither wished to admit defeat. However there were subtle differences between their expressions.

Orora's face was tilted upwards slightly, silently challenging Zuko to answer and nearly taunting him with her eyes as she did. Zuko, on his part, had his lips pursed, and while Orora's stance was more relaxed and at ease, it was clear there was an inner battle that raged within the banished prince.

Then again, there was always a battle raging within him every waking hour.

Unable to bear the intensity of Orora's gaze, he was the first one to look away. The girl let out a small sound that was a mix between disappointment and annoyance. "When you're ready to give an answer to my question, I'll answer yours." She said referring to what he had asked earlier. With that she walked past him towards Iroh who stood nearby trying to act as if he wasn't paying attention to them. And failing at it.

"I'm going to take a walk around the deck. See if anyone else needs my help." With a nod of confirmation from her teacher, Orora gripped the shoulder of her water satchel and with one backward glace in Zuko's direction, walked off.

The young prince watched her as she left. He couldn't understand why she went about helping people like she did. Sure she had done it in the past, but that was mostly to get some money for provisions. These people couldn't give her any money.

Was she simply doing it out of kindness?! Was that even possible for a person to do given how dangerous things could get for her. She was a girl after all. Not defenseless, but still an easy target.

The thought of Orora being an easy target for anyone looking to take advantage of her had a sickening feeling settle in the pit of his stomach.

And it had nothing to do with the smell of the food he had received while he had been lost in contemplation. Pushing away the unpleasant thought, he turned his attention to the broth in his bowl and made a face. It looked like dirt, and he was sure it tasted like that too. He raised the bowl to his lips and no sooner had the broth touched his lips when he spat it right out.

"Ugh! I'm sick of eating rotten food." He growled, looking like he wanted to throw the bowl into the water. "Sleeping in the dirt. I'm tired of living like this!" Maybe it was the hunger gnawing at his stomach that had his previous emotions rising to the surface. Or maybe it was the thought of a certain waterbender getting hurt somehow.

"Aren't we all?" The voice came as a sudden distraction, prompting Zuko and his Uncle to look in the direction of the speaker. A teenage boy with a stalk of wheat in his mouth stepped into their line of sight. He was flanked by two younger teenagers. "My name's Jet and these are my Freedom Fighters, Smellerbee and Longshot." He introduced himself and his companions. The girl, Smellerbee, greeted back, Longshot simply gave a small nod of acknowledgment.

"Hello." Zuko spoke in a slightly dismissive tone, hoping they would go away. However, what Jet said next caught his undivided attention.

"Here's the deal. I hear the captain's eating like a king while the refugees have to feed off his scraps. Doesn't seem fair, does it?" Iroh, who was normally against stealing but couldn't deny his hunger spoke up. "What sort of king is he eating like?"

"The fat, happy kind." Jet stated in a slightly sarcastic tone. Hearing this Iroh's mouth hung open, as his mind began to concoct all sorts of delicious meals the captain might be eating at that moment. Jet turned his attention back to Zuko. "You want to help us "liberate" some food?" He asked with a smirk. Glancing down at the disgusting slop Zuko gripped it tighter in his hand before tossing it into the water. "I'm in."

                                          ————————–

With one final deep breath, Orora lifted her hands from the leg she had finished healing. "There. That should heal it." She informed the previously ailing old man who gave her a smile of disbelief and gratitude. His old wife reached out to clasp her hand in a motherly way. "Thank you so much my dear. We were afraid he wouldn't be able to find work with his injured foot when we got into Ba Sing Se." Orora smiled. "Well no need to worry about that now."

As she watched the old couple walk away, the man with an obvious spring in his step, her smile disappeared and she fell to the side, catching herself on the wooden railing. Raising a hand to her head, the young girl pressed her fingers against her temple to try and alleviate the pain that radiated from there. She had been healing for a good few hours now. And though she had had breaks inbetween where she would give out medicinal herbs to those who were sick, she had barely found time to stop and just rest. Let alone eat.

The sun had set a good hour or so ago. Maybe that was enough healing for the day. Her arms were aching from the multiple healing sessions, and her body felt heavy with tiredness. Was this what it felt like to heal people for such a long time? Your entire body felt like it was half-dead? Maybe she had overdone it.

But those people had needed her help, she told herself as she walked back to her travel companions, bending fresh water from the lake and into her water satchel. "Good evening, Orora." Iroh greeted as she sat down next to him. Giving a small nod, the girl stifled a yawn. "And to you Master." She glanced around, frowning slightly when she didn't see any sign of Zuko. "He has made some new friends." Iroh answered her unspoken question, prompting her to look at him in surprise. He simply smiled at her. She blushed at having been caught, but her embarrassment was forgotten when Zuko appeared with three other teenagers, bags over their shoulders.

Bags that was filled with food.

While Jet, as Iroh quickly informed her, distributed the food to the rest of the refugees, Zuko brought over several bowls of what looked like fresh food towards them. Iroh quickly accepted a bowl of noodles and began to slurp them down happily. Orora stared at the bowl Zuko held out towards her.

Their eyes locked, gold on blue, their string shorter when they were close. Slowly she reached out to take the bowl, their fingers brushing as she did. "Thank you."

It wasn't long before she had eaten her fill and was beginning to feel even more sleepier then before. Zuko had settled down beside her eating his own food.

Having distributed all the food, Jet came to sit down with them. She was only able to give him a nod of acknowledgement before resuming her semi-dozing state, trying hard not to fall asleep completely.

"From what I heard, people eat like this every night in Ba Sing Se." Said Jet. "I can't wait to set my eyes on that giant wall." He continued sounding almost wistful as he did. Iroh nodded. "It is a magnificent sight." Jet leaned forward, eager to hear more. "So you've been there before?"

The shift in conversation had Orora momentarily forgetting about her lack of sleep as both she and Zuko turned their attention towards Iroh. "Once. When I was a different man." The sadness and despair in his usually twinkling eyes made Orora's heart ache and she reached out to rest a hand on top of his in comfort. Her Master patted her head, silently showing he appreciated her concern for him.

Jet pursed his lips before speaking. "I've done some things in my past that I'm not proud of, but that's why I'm going to Ba Sing Se: for a new beginning. A second chance." For someone talking about the future he didn't sound so hopeful about it, Orora mused to herself.

"That's very noble of you." Iroh spoke, nodding at the teenager. "I believe people can change their lives if they want to." He glanced at his nephew. "I believe in second chances." Zuko too glanced at his Uncle, though his amber eyes shifted to Orora who rubbed the heel of her palm against her eye, yawning as she did. Iroh noticed too, prompting him to reach out and pat her on the shoulder.

"Perhaps you should turn in, my dear. You've had a tiring day." Wordlessly the girl nodded, barely able to keep her eyes open. Slowly she rose to her feet, and had barely taken a step forward when a wave of dizziness overcame her, tilting her to the side and straight into Zuko. Luckily he was quick enough to catch her, though he almost fell back himself. "Orora?" The urgency in his voice was evident as he shook her shoulder. The girl mumbled something under her breath. His Uncle quickly looked the girl over and smiled in exasperation. "She has worked hard today and has passed out from being tired." He finally stated. Zuko scowled. "Well couldn't she have passed out on her bedroll?" Even with the words coming out of his mouth, his grip around her shoulder and waist did not let up.

If anything he seemed to hold her closer. Especially with Jet looking at her like he was. Zuko did not like it one bit.

"I will lay it out for her." Iroh quickly stood and went off to get a pillow and blanket from where they were stored on the ship for their use. Zuko gave a small nod of confirmation, stiffening when he felt Orora shifting a little in his arms before settling once more. Her head rested against his shoulder, and her lips were parted slightly as she breathed deeply. His features shifted to a look of concern as he quickly tried to figure out just how long she had been healing and helping people. And that too on an empty stomach. Of course, not that he could've done anything about it. She was much too stubborn to actually listen to him, but at least he would've had the chance to tell her off when she returned.

But then why should he care? A voice whispered in his head. A voice that sounded suspiciously like his sister's. Why should he care about a lowly waterbender? What was she to him?

"She your girlfriend?" Jet's question cut through his dangerous musings. Zuko leveled a particularly irritated glare in his direction. "No." He snapped, the very word laced with poison.

Just your soulmate, his brain supplied, as Jet raised his hands in a gesture that showed he meant no harm before getting up and going to look for his companions. Zuko stayed where he was, and this time he purposefully avoided looking at the girl passed out in his arms. As soon as his Uncle returned with the pillow and blanket, he laid her down on the hard floor and left her to sleep.

And if he was extra gentle with his movements as he laid her down, he did not think too much of it.

And if he lingered over her, watching her as she settled to make sure she was as comfortable as he could get, his Uncle did not mention it.

And if he leaned back down to pull the blanket over her shoulder properly so she would not be cold, Zuko pretended that he didn't, consciously, allow his fingers to brush against the soft skin of her cheek as he pulled back.

And if he happened to glance at the string around their fingers glimmer with color, he ignored it completely.

                                          ————————–

Being on your own isn't always the best path.

His own words resonated in his ears and his mind from his recent conversation with Jet. As he watched the docks grow in size as they neared their destination, Zuko couldn't help but think over what he had said. He had tried that. He had spent nearly a month on his own and it had gotten him nowhere.

If anything, things had gotten only worse for him. Maybe he had gotten used to having someone around him.

His Uncle had been by his side since his banishment. He had been the unbreakable support Zuko had needed in his times of despair. And truthfully, he was the reason he had made it this far alive. How many times had his Uncle helped him out of difficult situations? Though he would never tell him, Zuko's affections and gratitude for his Uncle ran deep. And sometimes, even though he knew it was wrong, he wished that Iroh was his real father and not Ozai.

And then there was Orora. Someone who had come into his life and made it all the more complicated. He lifted the hand where the string was tied to his finger, and followed it's path to the other end. His soulmate stood next to Iroh. Her back was towards him, allowing him to observe her without it becoming awkward for either of them. Despite the fact that nothing would come out of them being each other's soulmates, he couldn't help but wander if mayb-

The sound of the whistle blowing cut through his thoughts as their boat finally docked. The crowd began to chatter excitedly as they made their way towards the gangplanks. Sighing to himself, he walked towards Uncle and Orora.

"Well now, just one more stop and we shall begin a new life together." His Uncle stated jovially as he led the way towards the gathering crowd.

Together.

Such an insignificant word that carried so much weight.

Orora glanced in his direction as she fell into step beside him. He allowed his gaze to meet her own for a brief moment before they both looked away.

                                          ————————–

Orora was sure that the ticket woman who stood behind the booth had to be a distant relation to her old tutor, Ms. Chiyo. She had a certain look in her eye, one that Orora had dreaded as a child since those beady eyes would assess her every move looking for a slip up on her part.

The woman had been her manners and etiquette tutor for a good few years, and Orora had despised her. She had always been so harsh and could be downright cruel at times.

"So," The woman spoke, looking over their tickets and passports as the three of them stood in front of her. Mr. Lee, Ms. Orora and Mr. ummm ... Mushy, is it?

Iroh, ever the polite old man, corrected her. "It's pronounced Mushi." The already irritated woman's expression shifted to pure annoyance as she glared at Iroh. "You telling me how to do my job?" She demanded, her voice rising in pitch.

Sensing that perhaps he had done wrong, Iroh was quick to shake his head as he approached the ticket booth. "Uh, no, no." There was a brief pause on his part before he continued with a smile on his face that was, for lack of a better word, sickeningly sweet.

"But may I just say you're like a flower in bloom. Your beauty is intoxicating." Orora could feel her face morph in one of disbelief and slight disgust at the words coming out of her teacher's mouth. Beside her Zuko was no better, looking just as disgusted.

For a moment Orora was almost afraid the ticket woman would call the guards, but instead she smiled in what the young girl could only say was a flirtatious manner and return Iroh's smile.

"You're pretty easy on the eyes yourself, handsome. Roar!"

Oh that part nearly had her bursting out into laughter. She clapped a hand to her mouth, while Zuko did the same but to his eyes, as if he had no desire to even witness what was going on in front of him.

"Welcome to Ba Sing Se." Their tickets were stamped, and they were officially citizens of Ba Sing Se. Iroh grinned happily as he collected the tickets and held them out for the two teenagers to take.

"I'm going to forget I saw that." Zuko grumbled before snatching his ticket and walking away. Orora accepted her ticket as well and followed after the prince, though she allowed herself to be amused by what had happened and let out a few giggles as she did.

Iroh brought up the rear, looking rather pleased with himself.

                                          ————————–

As they waited for their train to be called, Orora leaned back where she stood, watching as the refugees boarded the trains that would take them to their destination. It seemed strange to know that she would entering a city. She had only seen small towns and villages so far. But a city as big and grand as Ba Sing Se would surely be unmatched to what she had experienced so far. And that included the Northern Water Tribe.

A familiar voice broke her out of her thoughts. "So, you guys got plans once you're inside the city?"Jet asked as he sat down next to Zuko. Orora couldn't help but frown at the teenager's insistence to be around Zuko every chance he got. What was his problem anyway? She mused to herself, not even bothering to hide her scowl as she glared at the boy. Just then a Tea-seller walked by prompting Iroh to quickly get up and buy himself a cup of Jasmine. Though no sooner had he tasted the liquid when he began to lament his mistake. "Blaugh! Ugh, coldest tea in Ba Sing Se is more like it! What a disgrace!" Orora couldn't help but giggle, reaching out to pat her Master gently on the shoulder as consolation. "I'm sure we'll get you some nice warm tea when we get to the city, Master." He nodded in affirmation. "Hey, can I talk to you for a second?" Jet said motioning for Zuko to follow him. Zuko sighed and reluctantly rose, following after him.

Once more Orora found her eyes trained in the direction of the prince as he walked off. They stood a little ways away talking. But whatever the conversation was, it was over just as quickly as it began. She quickly looked away, not wanting to get caught and turned her attention to where Iroh was drinking his hot steaming tea happily.

Wait!

Hot?!

Steaming?!

A startled gasp fell from her lips, prompting Zuko to falter in his steps and follow her line of sight. His hand darted out to knock the cup of tea out of Iroh's hand. "Hey!" The old man protested even as his nephew leaned down to hiss at him through gritted teeth. "What're you doing firebending your tea?! For a wise old man, that was a pretty stupid move!"

"Honestly Master, that was reckless." Even Orora couldn't help but chime in. But Iroh wasn't listening to any of them, lamenting over his spilled tea. Orora glanced up toe Jet's retreating back. "He didn't see anything did he?" She spoke softly, dread filling her as she thought of what the boy might do should he discover that Zuko and Iroh were firebenders. "I don't think so. Besides, even if he did, he has no proof." Zuko stated firmly as a way of reassuring her as well as himself. The waterbender nodded, though there was a nervousness in her eyes that remained even as they boarded their train a few minutes later.

But then that all shifted to the very back of her mind as they exited the station and were greeted with their every first sight of Ba Sing Se. Eagerly looking out of the window, Orora couldn't help but stick her head out of the window and let out a little laugh of joy as the cool air brushed through her hair.

"I hope Ba Sing Se brings something new for us." She whispered to herself as she watched the scenic view pass by.

Beside her Zuko couldn't help but hope for the same.

                                          ————————–

Tag List - @wavesofchaos​ @violet-potter​ @rennysketch​ @emma-andrea1 @fuzzyfestcat

@msrawog

[talonabraxas]

Mount Shasta

There’s a well-known legend that says that somewhere deep beneath Northern California’s 14,179-foot-tall Mount Shasta is a complex of tunnels and a hidden city called Telos, the ancient “City of Light” for the Lemurians. They were the residents of the mythical lost continent of Lemuria, which met its demise under the waves of the Pacific (or the Indian Ocean, depending on who you ask) thousands of years ago. Lemurians believed to have survived the catastrophe are said to have settled in Telos, and over the years their offspring have been sporadically reported wandering around the area: seven-feet-tall, with long flowy hair, often clad in sandals and white robes.

Lemurians aren’t the only unusual figures said to inhabit this stand-alone stratovolcano, easily seen from Interstate 5, about 60 miles south of the Oregon border. Mount Shasta is believed to be a home base for the Lizard People, too, reptilian humanoids that also reside underground. The mountain is a hotbed of UFO sightings, one of the most recent of which occurred in February 2020. (It was a saucer-shaped lenticular cloud.) In fact, the mountain is associated with so many otherworldly, paranormal, and mythical beings—in addition to long-established Native American traditions—that it’s almost like a who’s who of metaphysics. It has attracted a legion of followers over the years, including “Poet of the Sierras” Joaquin Miller and naturalist John Muir, as well as fringe religious organizations such as the Ascended Masters, who believe that they’re enlightened beings existing in higher dimensions. What is it about this mountain in particular that inspires so much belief?

“There’s a lot about Mount Shasta, and volcanoes in general, that are difficult to explain,” says Andrew Calvert, scientist-in-charge at the California Volcano Observatory, “and when you’re having difficulty explaining something, you try and understand it.” Calvert has studied Shasta’s eruptive history since 2001. “It’s such a complicated and rich history,” he says, “and Shasta itself is also very visually powerful. These qualities build on each other to make it a profound place for a lot of people—geologists, spirituality seekers … even San Francisco tech folks, and hunters and gatherers from 10,000 years ago. It’s one that can have a really strong effect on your psyche.”

Mount Shasta is one of the most prominent of all the Cascade volcanoes, an arc that runs from southwestern British Columbia to Northern California, and includes Washington’s Mount Rainier and Oregon’s Mount Hood, among others. “It’s so steep and so tall that it even creates its own weather,” says Calvert. This includes the spaceship-looking lenticular clouds that tend to form around the mountain, created, he says, “by a humid air mass that hits the volcano, and then has to go up a little bit to cool off.” But they only contribute to Shasta’s supernatural allure, along with its ice-clad peak, steaming fumaroles, and shape-shifting surface that’s being constantly broken down and rebuilt by ice, water, wind, and debris. The mountain also sits about 15 miles or so west of the standard arc line of the other Cascade volcanoes—a move that took place about 700,000 years ago. “We don’t really have a good explanation for why it moved out there,” Calvert says, a statement that seems to make Mount Shasta’s mysteries appear more otherworldly by the minute.

The Mount Shasta spiritual legacy goes far deeper than contemporary myths and sightings. For Native Americans in particular, the mountain is a sacred place, straddling the territories of the Shasta, Wintu, Achumawi, Atsugewi, and Modoc tribes, which can date their lineages back to a time when eruptions actually took place there. (Its last eruption, says Calvert, was a little over 3,000 years ago.)

There’s Something About Mount Shasta

[artstar1997]

Here’s the poster for @georgi-girl’s Trolls Elemental AU fanfic, Winged Reign, which coincidentally is a crossover between Trolls and Neopets. It follows the story of Princess Poppy, Branch, and the Snack Pack as butterfly fairies as they grew up with the dragonfly fairies alongside their childhood friend, Princess Rosetta a.k.a Princess Rose after they were scattered from their court during the escape, which is “orchestrated” by the Darkest Faerie. Together, they’d spend the day playing hide-and-seek and flying without a care at day and wishing upon stars at night.

When Princess Rose made a wish, she gets a more direct answer than she bargained for when she got an unexpected call from her ancestors to reunite the seven fairy courts and take down the Darkest Faerie together. As they travel throughout their home, the Isle of the Fay and all over Neopia, they met humans, neopets, and other mythical creatures as they learn the key to making their dreams come true and the connection between stars, wishes, and the soul.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The trolls characters in this AU are mythical beings and I wanna start about the trolls characters as fairies. The fairies are a subspecies of fae who are the more colorful cousins of the faeries. They have longer, pointed ears, colorful skin, hair, and eyes, insectoid wings that vary in shapes and size, and matching antennae. There are seven fairy courts that rule over fairykind, the earth court (its fairies have beigetone coloration, cricket-like antennae, and their wings are shaped like fruit slices, flower petals, and leaves), the water court (the fairies have neon colors but lacked antennae, have webbed-like ears, and fish fin wings for both swimming and flying), the fire court (the fairies that belong to the fire court are muddy-colored, with beetle-like clubbed antennae, beetle-like wings, and beetle shells as armor), the air court (they’re mostly yellow skinned but have bee antennae and wings with a light plaster of glitter), the mind court (the fairies there are colorful have moth-like antennae (the men have thick feathery antennae while the women have refined and threadlike antennae) and wings, are African-coded, and they’re powerful empaths), the energy court (the fairies are very colorful, possess butterfly wings and antennae, and some can have glittery details on their wings, which makes them emit fairy dust in flight), and the light court (the fairies of the dominant tribe have a variety of colored skin, hair, and eyes but some have some have luminous, chrome, metallic, pastel or vibrant hair and eyes, straight antennae, and dragonfly wings). The subtribes are the noble houses that were the nobility of the light court, with spring, summer, autumn, and winter houses leading them.

As for the Bergens, they’re giants in Neopia, the Party Crashers are drakes, the vacaytioners are merfolk, and the rageons are elves while the known neopets, both heroes and villains, are mostly humans but the others being pixies, centaurs, satyrs, minotaurs, ogres, and other mythical beings and creatures.

Enjoy the fanfic that me and @georgi-girl made.

[girlactionfigure]

The Jewish Queen

Esther was a Jewish orphan who became Queen of Persia and risked her own life to save her people from genocide.

After losing both her parents at a young age, Esther was raised by her older relative Mordechai. A beautiful young virgin, she was selected for the harem of King Achashverosh. Esther was forced to leave her home and community and move into the palace. Mordechai warned her not to reveal her Jewish identity. Each day King Achashverosh selected a different woman from his harem to spend the night with, and after Esther’s turn came, he was so smitten with her that he elevated her from concubine to queen.

Even in a non-Jewish environment, Esther found a way to live as an observant Jew. She became a vegetarian so she didn’t have to eat non-kosher meat, and she survived largely on fruit and nuts. Queen Esther arranged to have seven maids, each one working on a different day, so she could keep track of the days and observe Shabbat.

Desperate for news of Esther, Mordechai started hanging out right outside the palace gates. He overheard two guards plotting to assassinate the king. Mordechai told Esther and she told the king, enabling him to thwart the plot.

Meanwhile Mordechai incurred the wrath of grand vizier Haman, who was descended from Amalek, the mortal enemy of the Jewish people. Haman demanded that all subjects of the king bow down to him but Mordechai was the only one who refused to do it. Haman wore a pendant around his neck depicting an idol, and as a Jew Mordechai knew that he was absolutely prohibited to bow down to an idol. He took his orders from the King of Kings.

Enraged at the insult, Haman convinced King Achashverosh to kill all the Jews, and the king promptly selected a date for the genocide. Mordechai came to see Esther and pleaded with her to use her influence with the king to save her people. Esther explained that she is not allowed to approach the king unless she is summoned by him, and she hasn’t been summoned in 30 days, which indicated that she may have lost the king’s interest. It was the law that anybody – including the queen – who tried to speak to the king without an invitation is instantly put to death. Mordechai told her that the whole reason for her to become queen may have been for this moment, but if she didn’t step up, the Jews would find salvation from someone else. With the fate of her entire tribe on the line, gentle young Esther showed she had a backbone of steel. She said, “I will go to the king, though it is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.” She told Mordechai she would approach the king, and asked him and the Jews of Shushan to fast and pray for three days.

Clever and discreet, Esther knew how to handle King Ahashverosh. Instead of rushing in with her demand that the decree against the Jews be rescinded, she invited him and Haman to a party. At that lavish event, she invited them both to another party. Before the second party, Haman arranged for a huge gallows to be built, on which Mordechai would be publicly hanged. That night, the king had insomnia and was reminded that he never rewarded Mordechai for saving his life. He told Haman to parade Mordechai around town, dressed in royal finery, riding the king’s own horse.

At the party, Esther revealed her Jewish identity to the king, and begged that her people not be slaughtered. Haman desperately begged Esther for mercy and threw himself on her, but the king thought Haman was trying to assault the queen, and he ordered that the vizier be strung up on the gallows he had prepared for Mordechai. The king told Esther that unfortunately the edict could not be repealed, but after she cried from the depths of her heart for her people, the king allowed her and Mordechai to create a royal statement that gave Jews the right to defend themselves and kill anybody who tried to attack them. The statement was sent to all the provinces, and the Jews fought and defeated all those who rose against them.

Esther is a role model to Jews, especially those in the diaspora. Her story teaches that Jewish identity is eternal and internal. What happened to Esther is a Jewish parent’s worst nightmare – a young girl kidnapped from her home and her community, forced to marry outside her faith, trapped for the rest of her life in a non-Jewish environment where she was unable to eat kosher food, celebrate Jewish holidays, observe certain Jewish rituals or pray in community. Yet her Jewish identity remained so strong that she was fully ready to lay down her life for her people.

God is never mentioned in the Book of Esther, but it’s clear that the amazing “coincidences” in the Purim story are part of the Divine plan. Esther’s own name comes from the word Astar – hidden – because God is hidden, just as He often seems to be in our world today.

For maintaining her Jewish identity and saving her people, at great risk to herself, we honor Queen Esther as this week’s Thursday Hero.

Image: “Esther Before Ahaseurus” by Giovanni Andrea Sirani, c. 1635

[loustica-lucia]

Dragon Age Theory: The Maker was a Titan? Elgar'nan?

READ WITH CAUTION, THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR EVERY DRAGON AGE MEDIAS UP TO DATE!!

Just some thoughts I wanted to put down:

The Maker is a Titan lying under Orlais?

"Weep not for me, child. Stone they made me and stone I am, eternal and unfeeling. And thus shall I endure 'til the Maker returns to light their fires again." — Eleni Zinovia during the Mage Origin (Dragon Age Origins)

The Chant of Light could be an attempt to re transcribe the Song of the Stone — which actually comes from Titans.

“Blessed are the righteous, the lights in the shadow. In their blood the Maker's will is written. — Benedictions 4:11

There’s this constant mention of voice and songs shaping the world for or by The Maker. It’s a common theme between Elves, Humans and Dwarves:

The Maker created the world with his voice.

Andraste made the Canticle hymns to praise the Maker.

Leliana is nicknamed the Nightingale, a song bird.

Isatunoll = Dwarven (Isana → Lyrium but Isatunoll is, according to Lace Harding:

"Isatunoll is an affirmation. A statement of existence. Of… being. Isatunoll is the eternal hymn that encompasses all time. All spaces. I am. We are. This. And that. Here. There. Now. And forever.”, like a hive mind)

Ir sa tel'nal = Elven (I am empty, full of nothing)

Asala = Qunlat (Soul) Referred to as “The voice of the Maker”, the song of the Lyrium, Titan’s blood.

"It's singing. A they that's an it that's asleep, but still making music.” — Cole, Dragon Age Inquisition

The Golden City is sometimes called the Wellspring of Creation in the Chant of Light. In The Descent DLC, the inner sanctum is also called the Wellspring.

Andraste’s Sacred Ashes temple is underground, maybe where the Maker/Titan rests? For something unravelled for decades/centuries, it’s still in perfect shape. Maybe they weren’t “magical” but the place they remained in made them so? Pure Lyrium mixed to her ashes? That’s why Leliana turns into a Red Lyrium ghost if you defile the Urn and fight her in DAO?

The amount of Dwarven statues in the Hissing Wastes (Orlais) and the rest of Thedas.

“Seven times seventy men of stone immense Rose up from the earth like sleepers waking at the dawn, Crossing the land with strides immeasurable, And in the hollows of their footprints Paradise was stamped, indelible.” — Canticle of Exaltations

The Avvar — one of the Allamari tribes — and Dwarves stories are intertwined, with Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Avvar-Mother

Then did Tyrdda look to Hendir, dwarf-prince friend, children-giver, Took her freedom, Hendir glad, wished her what he could not give her. Chose her child to stand as chieftain, after all last wrongs were righted, Gifted goods of worldly want, left her tribe no more benighted. Skyward, one last trek she made, To her lover, dream-delivered, Raven-feathered, reunited, Hearts both whole, now neither aching. — Codex entry: Saga of Tyrdda Bright-Axe, Avvar-Mother, 8th stanza

Let’s not forget the Inquisition, allied with the Chantry the origin of the Seekers of Truth and Templar Order, believes in the Maker. Yet, their symbol was most likely created based on the Avvar’s symbol Visus, the eye of the Lady of the Skies.

Titans live beneath Orlais.

"The Stone lives beneath Orlais." "Mathas gar na fornen pa tot isatunoll" — The World of Thedas, Leliana’s letter “We Who Did Not Belong”

She translates it to "I regret the sacrifice of my kin, but it means we will find our way home", but now we know isatunoll doesn’t truly mean “home”.

The Occularum are made from Tranquil skulls. They’re reveal the location of hidden magical shards in Inquisition, and these are nicknamed the “Elfstones” by Avvar.

Tranquils got their connection to the Fade completely cut off, the same way the dagger severed the dreams of the Titans.

As far as I’m aware, only the Chantry performs Rites of Tranquility. Which is why I’m mentioning this here to support the links between the Maker and the Titans.

Random additional thought: what if the Void was the Maker’s titan heart? His got broken by Andraste’s murder in the Canticle, maybe a little too literally? The Void is the contrary of the Maker’s creation, right? An empty abyss where even spirits cannot dwell… Where Lyrium, magic and souls are gone :’)

My other theory is that The Maker was indeed Elgar’nan:

In Veilguard, upon fighting him, he says he’s the creator:

“Such arrogance, thinking you can hide from your creator. And I am this world’s creator.” In French, we call the Maker “the Creator”, so he uses the same exact words.

The Chantry symbol is a Sun, with a tinier “sun” making it hollow. Kinda like the eclipse, it could symbolize the moon and the Sun overlapping.

The Golden City was released to be Elven in Veilguard. The place supposed to be crafted by the Maker, his throne.

What does it mean for Mythal?

Andraste might be one of the first person who carried Mythal’s fragment.

Morrigan said her fragment of Mythal "fell in love with an alamarri leader" and I assume that's Maferath?

It wasn't the Mythal Solas knew back in the Elvhen days though, but a human carrying a fragment of Mythal, the same as Flemeth did ages later.

It also works for Conobar & Flemeth, since the story seems to be repeating through the ages.

Final thoughts:

The deities in Thedas are all inspired by each other, tales long lost and modified to fit a narrative. It’s not surprising to want to compare and figure out the truth behind all the lies and half-truths we find in those games. In the end, I think the Maker, as we imagine Him, was probably extremely different from how the Chantry pictures Him.

He might as well be the entire World of Thedas itself, the first Soul, a Spirit, something alive or dead. Who knows. It’s just interesting to think about all the cultures of Thedas, stealing things from each other across the Ages, slowly forgetting the true with their traditions, rewriting, censoring and modifications.

The Chantry edited and removed Canticles.

The Qun forgot most of its history on tablets only Adaari can read.

The Dalish forgot the origin of most of their traditions.

The Dwarves and their Shaperate edit and destroy ancient records that doesn’t fit what they like.

There’s no way to know what’s absolutely true. It depends on the point of view, the time, the people. And that’s why I love theorizing about this game so much.

What do yall think?

[hunters-vigil]

Her Champion - Mavuika x Kinich's older sister!Reader - Part One

Next Part

request: do you think maybe you can do another one which talks about how the reader is Kinich’s older sister and having an affair with Mavuika?

Warnings: domestic violence, childhood trauma, abandonment, child abuse, neglect, death, alcoholism, gambling, still trying to figure out how to write Kinich and Ajaw, so characters may be ooc - I read Kinich's lore a lot to write this...

Fic under the cut, don't repost my stuff on other platforms, i have ao3 which my fics are also available on.

Kinich's seventh birthday still echoed in your mind, despite your belief that you and your brother had moved on from that day.

One of the first lessons you taught your baby brother: if our father is chasing us both, split up and run in different directions. He couldn't chase you both.

His moods were easy to recognise, everything hinged on the betting tables, if he won, he was sober, bringing you and Kinich expensive sweets, and your mother hand-picked flowers. If he lost, he was drunk and furious, leaving you to grab Kinich and hide, while your mother argued with a man who would never stop. Even if he admitted his faults, he was an addict with no interest in discontinuing to gamble.

It grew worse when your family had to move from your home in the Scions of the Canopy to a base of a mountain nowhere near the tribe. Your father had gambled the house away. Your mother taught you and Kinich skills like planting grainfruit, twisting castor oil plants into ropes, and using tapioca flour to make thicker noodles. Kinich learned how to make traps for forest boars, while you learned how to cook them. Kinich hates grainfruit now, and you don't blame him.

But there was nobody around to help when your father was in a drunken rage, and the injuries were piling up.

The night your mother left, your father took it out on you. The shard of glass from the bottle barely missed your eye, Kinich standing in shock before you both ran out the door, and splitting up into different directions as your father drunkenly yelled. You were left hoping and praying that someone would find you both and take you away from this supposedly family.

But nobody came to save you.

///

Your mother never came back that night.

You didn't return home until the morning. You spent the night in a tree, on guard in case Kinich or your father passed by. You weren't sure when you fell asleep, but upon awaking up, a smooth round thing was attached to your waist, glowing light blue as you held it up to the sun.

Your face healed, but it left a visible scar that had you avoiding mirrors. Kinich's birthday was coming up, and you had been trying to make him something. Your attempts to track down your mother had been fruitless, and the people at the Scions of the Canopy only looked at you with concern and confusion, watching you scurry away.

All Kinich wanted was news of your mother, asking the dreaded question that sent your father into a hungover fury. He stumbled over bottles as he began to chase the two of you, but you split up into different directions. You realised too late he was following Kinich's path, the wind no longer carrying his yells to you. Turning on your heel, you only arrived in time to find your seven year old brother in a daze, staring at your father's broken body on the ground.

It was Kinich who knew how to use the grappling hook, the two of you moving your father's stiffening body to bury. The two of you were at peace, but you only had each other after that.

///

When Kinich was younger, sometimes he found you staring at the burial site, glaring at it as the ground beneath your feet iced over.

This changed when the elders finally became concerned, your parents had not been seen at the tribe for a while, and Kinich never attended school. You had until you moved houses, not wanting to leave Kinich and your mother alone with him. You stopped going near the tribes when you realised nobody knew where your mother had gone. So, your brother attended the tribal markets and ran errands for the elders, while you tried to figure out your cryo vision or fix up the poor excuse of a house that your parents left behind. He often watched you train at night, after you had watched warriors training from afar during the days, observing their moves to replicate.

He told you about the day at school. His one day. He was unbothered by what the children called him, only gaining intrigue at how you rolled your eyes at everyone's worshipping, the false glory of 'Malipo' Burkina, Master Yupanqui and 'Kiongozi' Mavuika, plus any other from the Scions who had ascended to become the Archon or someone significant to history.

"Where was the archon, where were the tribespeople, when- parents aren't supposed to be like ours were." You had cut short your explanation, deciding to not give Kinich the same motivations in life that you had.

Nobody was coming to save you. So you save yourself instead. Kinich was an exception. You would protect him, but he could protect himself, and you had warned him before, "save yourself, don't worry about me."

Kinich saw everything through their costs. You liked to keep things balanced. Give and take, a favour for a favour, never all or nothing. That phrase turned your stomach, reminding you of your father and his gambling habits. You were lucky he hadn't tried to use you or Kinich as betting chips…

It was Kinich who persuaded you to meet Elder Leik, the two of you ended living beside him for many years. While Kinich received some trinkets from the people he learned from, you had no interest in any of that. Your most precious trinket was your vision, and then your weapon, as Elder Leik sent you to the Children of Echoes to get it crafted.

Your brother being so restless on his off-days led to the two of you training, honing your combat skills while you also practiced with your cryo vision.

Elder Leik explained your ancient name to you when you received it a few years ago, and while you originally lacked interest in the piece of obsidian, participating in the Pilgrimmage had some worth to you. You could test your skills against opponents that weren't your baby brother… although, he was not a baby anymore.

[lightofraye]

Deaf History

I mentioned in an earlier post that I am a part of the deaf community. Being labeled CODA (child of deaf adult(s)) is what a person like myself is called. I am hearing, I can hear, but both of my parents, two of my three brothers, and vast majority of my maternal relatives are deaf. I grew up in that community, I grew up feeling more at home in that community than I ever did in the hearing community.

There's a whole culture to being deaf. There's the language, reading body language to convey tone, there's a whole thing about being deaf that goes beyond just knowing Sign Language. This is why when learning Sign Language, being immersed in it is the best way to learn. (But then, this is true of any and all languages.)

In so many ways, ASL (American Sign Language) is my first language. I learned how to sign first before I learned how to speak with my voice. I frequently found myself wishing I could go to the deaf school instead of the public school because I was more comfortable around deaf people than I was hearing people. (And no, I would not have been allowed to attend deaf school; it's restricted for deaf students only.)

I grew up accustomed to watching television, movies, etc, with captioning or subtitles. In fact, it's weird for me to watch them without. My mother didn't believe me at first until she asked an interpreter who was also CODA. The interpreter said it was the same for her.

My parents met at Gallaudet, the country's first, and so far, only deaf university. In fact, it's the first in the world. The history of Gallaudet, of American Sign Language, was all because of one man.

Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet's life was forever changed because of a deaf little girl named Alice.

Alice wasn't playing with other children and that drew his attention. Concerned as to why, Thomas found out that Alice was deaf and could not communicate at all. Determined to teach her, Thomas taught Alice what different objects were called by writing their names and drawing pictures of them with a stick in the dirt. Alice's father was impressed and hired Gallaudet to continue teaching Alice through the summer.

Alice's father, along with several businessmen and clergy, asked Gallaudet to travel to Europe to study methods for teaching deaf students. There was a family in Scotland that they wanted to work with, but that family refused for whatever reason. Plus, Gallaudet found their preference for oral communication extremely limited and did not produce desirable results.

While in Great Britain, Gallaudet met Abbé Sicard, head of the Institution Nationale des Sourds-Muets à Paris, and two of its deaf faculty members, Laurent Clerc and Jean Massieu. Gallaudet was invited to Paris to study the school's method of teaching the deaf using manual communication. Gallaudet studied the teaching methodology under Sicard, learning sign language from Massieu and Clerc.

Gallaudet sailed back to America with Clerc. The two men toured the New England region and raised funds for a deaf school in Hartford, Connecticut. It later became known as the American School for the Deaf in 1817. Alice was one of the first seven students.

One of Gallaudet's children, his youngest, founded the first college for the deaf, in 1864.

It is due to Gallaudet that American Sign Language even exists. Despite many an indigenous tribe having their own form of sign language, none ever became the official form of sign language for the United States.

Almost each country have their own form of sign language. No, it is not the same, and language barriers exists for deaf people as well. There was even an invention of an International Sign Language that was used during the Deaf Olympics to help bridge communication issues.

I love sign language. It is the third most widely used language in the United States. First is English, second is Spanish, and third is Sign Language. No, deaf people are not dumb (I honestly hated that old saying and am happy to see it finally phasing out). They can read, write, live independently, work, drive, you name it--there are solutions to each of their problems. Accessible solutions.

Having visible celebrities such as Shoshannah Stern, Marlee Matlin, and so forth help bring attention to such existence. Switched At Birth, a television show, also spotlighted deaf characters. Recently, a movie called CODA, helped spotlight--and it won an award, too.

I continue to be proud of my heritage. I hope to continue to teach my son how to sign--and taught him the most important one.

The one that says "I love you".

[mama-qwerty]

Okay, so I'm working on the next chapter of Lost and Found, and rewatched the little Master Emerald backstory scene for details.

I just noticed something.

Tails said that with the Master Emerald, "a single warrior could defeat entire armies".

Could.

That's not the same as did.

I know it's speculated that this version of what happened wasn't the full truth, as history is written by the victors and all that. So it's very likely that the owls aren't the benevolent heroes that Sonic and Tails were led to believe. And they read this account in an owl temple, which would of course make the owls out to be the good guys, and the echidna out to be the bad guys, with no gray area in between.

Now, based on game lore, we know that the echidna did go after the Master Emerald with the intention of using its power for themselves. But movie lore isn't the same, or at least isn't following the same beat-for-beat game story. So there could be some play there.

Another thing that pokes at me is the masks the echidna from all those years ago wear. They look suspiciously bird-like to me, in much the same vein as the ones Knuckles' tribe wore more recently. With the latter, you could see that as an "I'll wear the skin of my enemies to scare them in battle" kinda thing, but why would echidna from ages ago wear bird masks, if they didn't already have a beef with the owls?

So maybe the owls and echidna were already beefing, and in an attempt to either defend themselves, or end the war before more blood was shed, the echidna formed the Master Emerald. This scared the owls shitless, and they decided nuh uh, that ain't fair, and decided to remove the ME from the echidna and just hide it away, thereby doing an about face and making themselves out to be such kindly and good-hearted folks to have 'saved the galaxy' from the 'horrible danger' that the echidna presented.

Or

The owls were the ones who coerced the echidna into forming the Master Emerald in the first place.

Maybe the two species coexisted in peace for the most part, but there was a faction of the owls that wanted more. Maybe the echidna at the time were more pacifists, and content with guarding or protecting the island and gems more than anything.

Maybe there was an order of echidna that trained under the owls as warriors, under the guise of becoming better guardians for those they protected. They didn't seek power or want to conquer, they simply wanted to keep their loved ones and home safe.

But the owls took advantage of this desire, and convinced them to form the seven chaos emeralds into a single gem, one that held unimaginable power. One the owls hoped to use as a weapon, perhaps against the echidna themselves.

Once the ME was formed, it grew too powerful, too tempting for the echidna to resist, and one single echidna warrior became fused with it, possibly by accident, becoming more powerful than any before.

The owls, not wanting to fess up to being the ones who planted the idea for the echidna to do this, stepped up as the heroes of the galaxy, bravely fighting this power mad echidna for the good of all.

The echidna, feeling betrayed, now have a royal beef with the owls, and vow to retrieve what they'd been tricked into creating, and then had stolen away from them. So they truly were looking to restore their honor, because the owls had taken advantage of them, and pushed them to do something that went against their very nature and code.

I hope this makes sense, I'm just spitballing off the top of my head.

I don't know if we'll ever discover the whole truth to what happened when the ME was formed, but am certain that there's no clear good and bad in this.

[whencyclopedia]

The Twelve Tribes of Israel

The Twelve Tribes of Israel refer to the sons of the Jewish Patriarch Jacob and are important for the tribal lineages of those who constituted the nation of Israel. In the ancient world, all ethnic groups developed stories of their ancestors in what are known as foundation myths as bloodlines were important in maintaining ancestral lineage and provided status as identity markers.

The twelve sons of Jacob, in order of their birth, are:

Reuben

Simeon

Levi

Judah

Dan

Naphtali

Gad

Asher

Issachar

Zebulun

Joseph (Manasseh, Ephraim)

Benjamin

Birth order was important in the practice of primogeniture, or the eldest son inheriting most of his father’s resources, and then distribution following the rank of the others. In the biblical narrative, after the death of Joseph in Egypt, his portion was given to his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. Each son’s status was later coordinated in the tribal territories they received in Canaan. Jacob undoubtedly had other daughters, but only one is mentioned, Dinah (see below).

Jacob

Jacob was the younger son of Isaac and Rebecca. Isaac was the child of the promise given by the God of Israel, to Abraham, the traditional founder of the nation. Jacob stole his brother’s birthright (as the eldest) and had to flee East to Haran (Northern Iraq), where some of Abraham’s relatives still lived. There he met Rachel at the well and asked her father Laban for her hand. Laban required that Jacob work for him for seven years first. He did so, but the night of the wedding revealed that it was the older sister, Leah, who was given. Jacob protested, but Laban told him to work another seven years and he could have Rachel as well.

The narrative then goes into quite elaborate detail concerning Jacob’s children. At first, Leah gave birth to some sons, while Rachel was barren. Rachel then offered Jacob her servant (an ancient form of surrogate motherhood in the case of infertility). Leah then became barren for a while and offered her servant as well. All this activity reflected the later traditions as to where and why the sons inherited certain tribal areas in the land of Canaan. It was tied to the identity of their mothers, Leah and Rachel, and the two servant women, Bilhah and Zilpah.

Leah Rachel Bilhah Zilpah Reuben Joseph Dan Gad Simeon Benjamin Naphtali Asher Levi Judah Issachar Zebulun

Wanting to go home and reconcile himself with his brother, on the way back Jacob was accosted at night by a being with whom he wrestled. Various retellings describe a man, God, or an angel. Jacob demanded a blessing, and he now received a new name: "Israel" or "one that struggled with the divine angel or with God and lived". Hence, all his descendants became Israelites.

Continue reading...

[calderacitylovers]

Wholesome Zutara Short Stories

Tell Me Where Your Heart Is by badlucksav | Published: 2021-04-12 | 2,363 words

Katara accidentally discovers a secret stash of love letters Zuko has written to an anonymous woman but never sent. Could he be talking about her? “And I can’t help but hope that maybe that’s a sign, that you feel for me as I feel for you. Maybe you’re afraid to put it to words, as I am. But I cannot ever speak these feelings to you unless I know...I won’t put you in that position.”

Tales of Tenderness by emicha | Published: 2021-04-06 | 3,068 words

Toph, Iroh, Sokka, Gran Gran, Aang, and Azula observe how the relationship between Zuko and Katara unfolds over the years. “This is the picture of two souls that have seen too much bad already, who’ve grieved and hurt more than one single lifetime should permit; the picture of two people who still have it in them to hold a person so different from oneself this close.”

MOONTIDES by  MarkedMage | Published: 2020-11-24 | 10K Words

He smells like fire and feels like home. She smells like rain and feels like love. A short story about Zuko and Katara’s first kiss inspired by this and this glorious animation by Hayley Foster Wong.

GOLD by ifyouwereamelody | Published: 2020-11-27 | 3,7K Words

Zuko and Katara’s first kiss in a fall garden.

A Love Story Told in Reverse by cablesscutie | Published: 2021-04-26 | 9,324 words

A collection of sweet outtakes from Zuko and Katara’s life: from their childhoods to becoming parents. “Her head tips to rest on his shoulder, and with his heart in his throat, he gives into the months-old urge to kiss her hair. She makes a happy little hum, and Zuko can’t breathe.”

just say when by hawktasha | Published: 2021-03-16 | 6,131 words

After Sokka and Suki’s wedding, Katara wakes up with the worst hangover of her life, with the best friend she has been harboring feelings in secret for the last few years laying next to her, no clothes at all on either of their bodies. Oh, and she had no idea how they ended up in that predicament.

Engagement Chicken: The Engagement Scheme by DontStopHerNow | Published: 2022-09-18 | 23K words

After a night of commiseration about marriage expectations, Katara and Zuko agree to fake an engagement to get the meddlers off their backs. They'll call Chicken on the arrangement when everyone else objects. This can't last a month! Featuring: meddling friends, heartfelt words cloaked in half-truths, chaperones, Fire Nation engagement traditions, Southern Water Tribe wedding traditions, background couples, and a squid-whale with a mistaken identity

The Dragon of the West’s Guide to Flirting by bluesunflower44 | Published: 2021-05-12 | 4,341 words

“Now. Take very good care of this, it’s a family heirloom. Although no one passed it down to me, since I wrote it, it will be a family heirloom one day. I just know it.” Uncle Iroh is good with the ladies. So taking his advice when it comes to romance should go just fine...right?

Strike a Match by Naladot | Published: 2022-09-03 | 22K

At Republic City's second annual HeiBai festival, Fire Lord Zuko has contracted a matchmaker to find him a permanent political ally—or, well, a wife. He asks Katara to chaperone his meetings. But this arrangement only threatens to reveal the truth: there are a lot of things neither of them have ever dared to talk about.

Seven Years Bad Luck by riathermopolis | Published: 2021-08-08 | 20.6K words

The gaang reunites every summer for a week on Ember Island, which in theory Katara supports whole-heartedly. The only problem is that apparently some higher power on the island is on a mission to humiliate her. At least, that's her best guess for why she suddenly can't act like a normal person around Zuko. Or: Katara repeatedly embarrasses herself in front of Zuko.

Maiden Mother Crone by MoonShoesReyes  | Published: 2021-02-12 | 10,8K Words

Post-canon. After the ravages of war, Katara learns to wear three faces: maiden, mother, and crone. A sweet story of Zuko supporting Katara in her journey of self-discovery and finding a purpose. A sprinkle of Blue Spirit and Painted Lady. "After years of being empty, Katara finally knew who she was - or at least, she knew who she was at the core. Though her cast of masks stayed ever-changing, the Painted Lady was always kind and just."

Bound to Burn by Selemetis | Published: 2020-10-02 | 10,3K Words

Post-canon. Zuko witnesses the kiss between Aang and Katara. Over the coming months Zuko and Katara work their way back together. "Zuko knew he had to let Katara go for her to see where she wanted to stand."

So Close and Still So Far by EKWolf2020| Published: 2022-09-18 | 6,4K Words

It is the ten-year celebration of the end of The Hundred-year-old war. Expectations and excitement are in the air for most of the world. But for Katara, she feels dread as some news has come to her that could change everything. Will she follow with expectations, or will she find that there is another path for her?

The Brave Man Only Once by ifyouwereamelody | Published: 2021-02-19 | 2,2K Words

Firelord Zuko and Ambassador Katara’s first kiss. “He flinches as a voice rips him abruptly out of his own thoughts and drops him back into the meeting; the table of council members is watching him, staring with raised brows that beg the answer to a question he doesn’t know, but Katara refuses to look his way.”

Til Kingdom Come by bluenebulae | Published: 2020-07-26 | Words: 6,2K

Four years after Sozin’s Comet, Katara finds her way home. A proposal story. Supportive Gaang. “I’ve spent four years exploring every corner of this world, Zuko. I’ve been a waterbending master and a shop girl, an assistant in an abbey and an advisor to the Earth King and a whole bunch of people in the Fire colonies still think I’m an actual spirit. I think, now, I just want to be Katara. And that means being here.”

Voyage by amoeve | Published: 2015-07-24 | Words: 4,2K When Zuko asks Katara to marry him, it is for love. But it’s also an alliance that shows the world that the war is truly over, and everyone wants to get in on the fun. For their wedding Zuko and Katara work their way through over-the-top combination of customs and traditions from the four nations. Hilarious and absurd, but wholesome. “She’s a waterbender. When they travel, the little ship skims across the surface of the sea, eating up the miles, and they have ice houses to sleep in every night. He’s a firebender. He lights their way when the fogs descend, keeps them warm when they sleep, and fries the fish she catches in his hands.”

But Who’s Counting? by halfhoursonearth | Published: 2023-12-28 Words: 7K

After the Last Agni Kai Zuko and Katara are waiting for the news from the GAang and get to explore their friendship and growing connection. A tender and beautiful story. “Tears are gathering in her eyes, and a new tightness pulls at Zuko’s chest. Though he still isn’t used to the casual way his new friends touch one another, this is not the first time he has felt the instinct to reach for Katara, in particular—to lay a comforting hand on her shoulder or arm. But wiping tears from her face is something new, and Katara watches him with wide eyes as his hand rises to her cheek.”

happiness (that's all rolled up in you) by soopsiedaisies | Published: 2024-01-17 | 3,8K words

A first kiss story. Zuko and Katara are cooking dinner for the Gaang on the Ember Island. Sweet, thrilling, and beautiful. "She reckons that she likes a lot of things about Zuko. She likes his face, for starters: his nose, his eyes, his mouth. She likes his scar and the way he dresses. She likes how he picks up the slack left by the others like those tasks were his anyway and she likes his smile. She likes the way he kisses and she really likes his hair."

For the Fire Nation | 2019-11-25 | 2,8K words

He falls in love with her for his country before he falls in love with her for himself. A short and beautiful AU story that explores how love and duty aren’t always mutually exclusive.