#Sokka just better not see him again haha

[ssreeder]

okokokokok. i've read the newest chapter twice to process and now i have thoughts. also hi how are you?!!

so much important stuff happened in this last chapter it's kinda crazy. it's all coming together... like sokka told suki there's someone else (its okay suki!!! she'll understand soon. i feel like she's a pretty empathetic person but like yeah this is hurtful and confusing) any future suki and zuko interactions are gonna be so interesting? wild? idk what word to use or what to expect but i am excited.

also aang's oops moment and now the earth kingdom army know about iroh and there's guards? are guards good or bad or both? im unsure i trust none of these guys. and then of course sokka losing his cool at the general the chapter before hasnt really been addressed either? like what happens when sokka sees them again (or if he finds out jet's involvement...thoughts and prayers jet you'll be so fucked). also the earth kingdom did definitely torture zuko. i don't think team avatar and iroh will love that too much when it comes to light.

and best part for last: the reunion?!?!? oh my god?!? zuko may be on his death bed but will always be conscious enough to tell someone not to touch his man. love that. and then sokka just sitting and talking to him was great and everyone in that room was likely kinda confused and getting some hints about how close they really are- but it doesn't matter!!! they're together again!!! 🎉🥳 pop the champagne!

the parts with the blood were so gross tho oh my god. i could like feel it in my belly. (which is what body horror like imagery should do. you were v successful lmao) i was back and forth between my body cringing at the blood parts and then smiling and happiness because aw theyre cute. a wild reading experience for sure. 10/10

uhhhh cant wait for reunion 2.0 and sokka telling the truth and everything really! hope you have a good week and hope rude commenters fucking leave bc what the hell. ❤️

HI IM GOOD HOW ARE YOU?!?!

Yeah future Suki will probably be much more understand than in-the-moment-Suki. Especially whenever she learns out this mysterious other person is Zuko haha.

Ughhh yeah the whole EK thing involving Zuko & war crimes & who takes the blame and how they will proceed from here is a bit of a mess… some of that gets addressed next chapter but yeah, General How knows Iroh is in the city so that will be interesting how he deals with that news.

(Fingers crossed Jet doesn’t get exposed or Sokka might stab him in his sleep)

Haha Jee & Sokka are destined to just NOT get along it seems haha.

Yeah that bloodbending scene was a whiplash between body horror & AWWWW SOKKA LOVES HIM!! they need their reunion 2.0 though…. Some peace & quiet where Iroh & Jee aren’t silently JUDGING them haha

<3 thanks for the ask!! I hope you enjoy the next chapter!

[broadwaybalogna]

Zutara prompt: While fishing, Zuko accidentally admits to Sokka that he like Katara.

STOP IT THIS IS SO CUTE OMG

-

Sokka didn’t exactly know how to bond with Zuko when they weren’t committing crimes or saving the world, so they went on an abundance of “bro trips” to find new hobbies for the two of them. There was golfing, swimming, and cooking, but they ultimately landed on fishing. The activity was a nice change of pace for their busy days, and it allowed them to catch up with each other without having to worry about anything else.

The sun was just beginning to set when Zuko and Sokka finally got their stuff outside and ready to set up. It had been a long day for both of them, but they tried to maintain their weekly bro hangouts as much as possible.

“So, how was your week?” Sokka asked once they had fully set up.

“Ugh, the usual. Making laws, opening borders, selling my soul. How about you? How’s Suki?”

“Suki’s doing great. I soar her every now and again-“

“And lose.”

“And allow her to take advantage of weak spots I didn’t know I had.” Sokka huffed. Zuko laughed. “And you? Any new girls in your life?” Sokka asked as he wiggled his eyebrows.

“Ah, no. Just the usual, haha.” He sputtered.

Sokka liked to think he and Zuko shared everything with one another, so when he sensed that Zuko was hiding something, he immediately pounced.

“Reaaaally….” He imposed, making the word long as he got up in Zuko’s face. “C’mon, you can trust me bro. Bro to bro, what’s my bro been up to?”

“That’s too many bros.”

“My bad bro.”

“And I’m not seeing anyone.”

“You so are.”

“Am not.”

“Are to.”

“I’m not.”

“You’re beat red! You very clearly are!”

“It’s not because of- Agni help me.” Zuko sighed, exasperated.

“Just tell me who she is!”

“I’m not seeing any girls. I wouldn’t be allowed to see her anyway.”

“So you DO have your eyes on someone! And why wouldn’t you be able to see her?”

“Why do you ask so many questions.”

“I’m a top tier wingman, I don’t know what else to say.”

Zuko rolled his eyes. “Look, her family is- er.. strict?”

“Is that a statement or a question?”

Zuko gave Sokka a look that very clearly said that he wasn’t playing any games. Sokka raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“Damn, you have some serious feeling for this girl, huh?”

“I suppose.” Zuko looked down at his lap, then out into the distance. There was this look in his eyes that Sokka saw and he knew Zuko saw her in the sunset before them.

“I’m sure that if her family see how much you care, they’ll come around.”

“I’m also afraid it’ll strain a relationship I have with one of my best friends.” Zuko finally said after a few moments.

Sokka thought for a moment. “Well, I’ll always be here to pick up the slack from whatever friend you’re talking about! Bros gotta stick out for each other all the time!”

Then Zuko looked over at him. And there was this look in his eyes that confused Sokka for a moment before the realization finally settled in.

“Do you?- my- Kat—? HER!?”

Zuko looked over to his fishing rod, nothing had been caught yet.

“How long, Zuko?”

“How long what?”

“Have you liked her!?”

Zuko flinched at the sudden loudness of Sokka. He couldn’t tell if his friend was angry, upset, confused, surprised, or a horrifying mix of it all.

“I don’t know. Maybe a couple years?”

“Years!?”

Zuko sighed, “Yeah.”

“Fucking FINALLY.”

“What?”

“I said ‘finally’, dipshit.”

“Yeah, I heard that. Why?”

“Because I’ve been so sick and tired of hearing her ramble on about you and how hot you are and blah blah blah!”

Zuko was in pure awe, “Seriously?”

“‘SeRiOuSlY’ my ass! You’re saying I could’ve avoided this for YEARS!?”

“Sokka, are you being serious?” Zuko had gotten closer to Sokka and grabbed him by his shirt.

“Of course I am! I wouldn’t be this annoying if I wasn’t.” Zuko softly let go of the taller man and sat down in his chair beside his fishing rod.

“Holy shit.”

“You better tell her as soon as possible because I don’t know how much longer I can listen to her ramble on and on-“

“I thought you would hate me.”

“What?” Sokka was finally taken out of his annoying persona and thrown back into reality. “Why would I hate you?”

“C’mon Sokka, I like your sister. Most people would be at my throat if I said I liked their family member.”

“Yeah, sure, but— you’re my best friend. If anyone should date my sis, it should be you. There have been plenty of guys who have had a crush on Katara and believe me, not many of them have been all that good. So to know she has someone who I know is amazing for her. That makes everything a lot easier. Of course I’m glad you like her. I’m just upset you would think anything would make me hate you!”

Zuko laughed and Sokka continues to babble on. Zuko finally caught a fish and Sokka begged him to cook it for the two of them.

“Promise me you won’t hate me if I tell your sister my feelings and we start going out.” Zuko finally said after they finished eating.

Sokka thought for a short moment before responding. ��Promise. Pinky swear.” He held out his pinky finger and wiggled it, urging Zuko to lock in own pinky with his. Zuko grumbled but ultimately folded.

“Thanks.”

“Of course, bud.”

[flameohotwife]

So I always thought the canon pairings in AtLA had good writing/development but all the Aang and Mai bashing has made me decide to rewatch the series because shippers of a certain other ship called them "abusive" and Aang sexist. But honestly, I love how Mai calls Zuko out on his jealousy and possessive behavior in "The Beach" and Aang is always supportive of Katara's dreams, even refusing to be trained by Pakku because he's sexist to Katara. I like that Sukka teaches kids watching the show to treat women with respect but also Kataang and Maiko in the examples I mentioned above are also good examples of feminist moments in the show too.

YES! Anon, say it louder for the people in the back! There are so so SO many amazing feminist moments in this show and honestly I loved watching it with my kids (multiple times, haha) for that reason. I don't remember growing up with media that showed SO may instances of how girls/women could stand up for themselves in those types of situations. I love how Katara stood up to Pakku (with Aang's support! His little "Go, Katara!" makes me smile every time) and also how she CONSTANTLY takes boys on in fights, from pirates and Rough Rhinos to the taunting kids that subsequently get frozen where they stand ("oh, a girl has her ways") and anyone who insults Aang. How SHE is the one to defeat Azula in the end. How the WHOLE SHOW starts with her rant against Sokka's sexism. How Suki finally put's Sokka in his place. How Toph had to be played by "a really BUFF guy" in EIP because the Fire Nation couldn't admit to being bested by a tiny, 12-year-old girl. How Mai won't let Zuko treat her like a possession with no agency of her own. How she is the one to save HIM in the end at Boiling Rock (how's that for a damsel in distress?). How Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee are trusted by the Fire Lord to perform tasks even the highest generals can't achieve. How the show is relentlessly turning sexist stereotypes on their heads and making viewers question what they think they know.

Beyond the feminism (which you all probably already know I adore so much), I love that each of the leading boys has learning experiences wrt less-than-ideal behaviors towards girls/women, because in real life boys (and girls, too!) are GOING to make mistakes as they're learning and it's important to show how they can move beyond those mistakes and not forever be defined by them. Zuko learns not to be a possessive asshat like he is in The Beach (at least, we don't see him act that way towards Mai again--he might as well have broken up with her via text and not given her the option to follow him to the "good side," but he never acts possessive again. Baby steps). Aang learns he can't just solve their relationship problems by kissing Katara when she's confused. He gives her space and she clearly thinks he's learned from it by the end (really, by the next episode). Sokka learns not to be sexist and that sometimes girls are going to be stronger/better fighters than he is AND THAT'S OKAY. Good, even! It doesn't make him "less of a man" or anything like that, and we don't hear those sexist ideas come out of his mouth again. ALL of these make great talking points for parents watching the show with their kids, too.

Kids make mistakes. They lean on stereotypes or prior experiences and sometimes that bites them in the butt. AtLA shows that we can teach kids hard lessons. Not only can we fight back against injustice but we can improve ourselves when we've been the ones to mess up. And I really think that's something special.

Thanks for sending in your thoughts, anon! You're so right.

[nono-bunny]

Thoghts from watching the ATLA live action!

Episode 4:

Holy shit Iroh and Aang are cellmates this is such a fun scenario!! Gives some strong Crossroads of Destiny vibes, ngl. Also, the crytals look cool!!!

Oh I'm genuinely so glad they didn't just... Move on from Sai working for the Fire Nation, I was genuinely doubtful they were gonna adress it tbh! Now I just need a Sokka and Jet confrontation and I'll be happy, though, that isn't likely to happen unfortunately.

I really do like what they did with Sai and Sokka though- this kinda feels like him starting a pattern of trying to look for replacement father figures tbh, which really fits with how much more visibly he's fixated on being like Hakoda here. It's sad and sweet at the same time, and I'm really interested to see how they'll write Hakoda!

Fuck yes, spy Zuko!!!

Smh kid Bumi isn't crazy enough, is it really THAT hard to find just. A completely unhinged looking kid?? Nah obviously I'm joking, he's cute haha it obviously wouldn't have been possible to have the visual similarities we see in the og so just having his unique laugh to identify him by works!

Idk what was up with Iroh's writing in the first episodes, he felt really foreign to me but over time he genuinely finally starts feeling like Iroh so I'm glad they got into the groove with his writing! He's still a bit too open which feels weird, but he uses more veiled language now while doing it so it works better. Also? I heard they used Leaves From The Vine, but damn it still got me!!

Haha YES, this was genuinely a change I always wanted: Sokka and Katara in the tunnels instead of Aang and Katara!! Not for shipping reasons, because that's gross, but because I always felt it would've been real funny haha

Wait are they fr sending Iroh to face punishment? I was sure he was next to Aang as part of a White Lotus thing or just until Bumi heard he was there!! I'm guessing he... Still doesn't know? I'm guessing this whole thing is a spin on when Iroh gets taken from the hot springs, but Bumi being directly in charge only works if it's all a ploy or if he hasn't been informed that they have the Dragon of the West in captivity- which would be wild!! Unless he's busy constructing puzzles for Aang lmao idk

So like. Given that the siblings are going to the tunnels, Aang is meeting Bumi, and Zuko is rescuing Iroh... I guess we just drop the Jet plot until next season??? Man, what a bummer. That was too short and didn't even hit all the high point of meeting him in the original. Like, they honestly could've had him try to appear and try to atone by trying to help and getting rejected and yelled at, but instead he just confirms his evil plans and is never seen again? Like, literally, what did he even do here? Despite being on screen for longer, his betrayal somehow doesn't seem as impactful because there's no time for Katara to process it last episode, like. Again, I hope to god this is a thing she has to kinda wrestle with a lot next season- I also kinda hope Sokka somehow independently meets him with Aang again and doesn't realize that the guy from the cart is the same guy Katara talked about, and that these two get to have their own Jet disappointment because again!! So far taking Sokka out of the Jet plot is genuinely the biggest issue I have with this show. Katara's arc seems to be headed to the same place albeit in a very different pace, but this is something that would be INCREDIBLY hard to fix. Like? I get it, I understand that what Sokka learns in that episode doesn't have to happen there, but. It's genuinely one of my favorite episodes because of how both of the water tribe siblings get to learn something from interacting with this charming duplicitous guy, and taking out Sokka's growth kinda just? Leaves us with Katara getting betrayed while bottling it up (likely until either they meet again or until Zuko's actions remind her of it- it'll probably also be important with Hama), it kinda just becomes "Katara gets a crush on a bad boy and gets hurt" which? Idk it feels weird, it was presented differently here and she feels much less silly and willfully blind because for the longest time no one tells her to be wary of Jet but. I still don't like how ultimately Jet was just there to disappoint Katara and interact with literally no one else. I mean!! I love Jet, of course I too had a crush on him, he's iconic and important and of course he had to be a part of this, but. Truly, they minimized the hurt he causes so much that I just kinda feel like he might as well not have appeared with how little he ultimately impacted things, at least for right now. I'm really hoping he gets an expanded role next season that helps to make up for how much his appearance was minimized, or that we see this have a tangible impact on Katara, because as it stands... It was just kind of a disappointing cameo appearance rather than something that felt like it needed to be there. Anyway this is all more about last episode but I still held out a bit of hope for it to be resolved better so. To see that Sai and Teo get to face a bit of emotional fallout set up last episode because they get to further the plot, while Jet just vanishes... It sucks, and it hurts, and I hate it. Anyway, onwards, I guess!

Teo has genuinely been changed so much he straight up isn't the same character anymore, and it's... Strange. I don't really like it too much, tbh. He's like, EXTREMELY cynical and eager to fight, and it's such a strange change from a character whose entire purpose originally was to kind of mirror Aang and help nudge him along on his journey. I genuinely can't tell if they just thought that living in a city under constant threat rather than literally amongst the clouds would mean he would kind of have to be different, or if it was an attempt to make him cooler or whatever. Regardless, I don't like it, tbh he kinda pisses me off a bit? He's SO serious and angry all the time and it just. Feels weird when he only resembles his original counterpart through his name and use of a wheelchair. Everything else about him is nowhere to be seen! If you compare his situation to Katara, it might seem similar on the surface- except, Katara is a main character who clearly still has a character arc ahead of her (and also all of her defining traits are still there), while Teo shows up like twice. It's kinda vital that he isn't too complex and keeps his original personality because he doesn't have the same leeway to grow that a main character does, otherwise he risks just becoming someone else entirely... And that's what happened. The thoughtful and cheerful boy with an interest in Air Nomad culture is all but gone, replaced with yet another angry warrior, and? While I get how it's probably more likely for him to become the latter, I also very much miss and lament the loss of the former. Sai is very much the stronger adaptational character of the two, and he's the only one of the two to get to have a real impact on one of the Gaang. It... Sucks.

Lmao Flopsy my beloved what have they done to you?? Guess they ran out of CG budget haha

Oh, this Bumi has a very strange and uncomfortable vibe, so like... Perfect! He was always gonna be hard to translate to live action, and I saw a lot of people dislike how they portray him here, and I kind of get it? He's not very likeable, he feels like kind of a bad ruler and a bit cruel... And that actually tracks? I read the showrunner said he wanted to focus a bit more on how upset Bumi is about Aang disappearing and reappearing in his life, and that underlying anger absolutely comes through. Bumi is... Kind of scary, and as someone that has a rep for being The Crazy King or whatever, I feel like that perfectly fits!

Jet!!!! He's here!! Kinda feels like it might be a dream ngl, it just has that vibe? Or maybe that's just how happy I am to see they didn't abandon him haha. He's... Still only gonna interact with Katara though, isn't he? :(

Uh? So, I'm gonna have to be filled in on when Katara learned physical self defense. It was very cool, but it felt like nothing I've ever seen her to do before. Anyway real cool moment for Katara there overall, it was great! It in particular really stands out against the cartoon in the way she manifests her anger. She's like. Definitely angry here, and it's very clear she's also just once again tempering it and moving on- no time for this, no time for Jet, no time for fighting... And at some point all of those repressed feelings are gonna have to overflow. It was a very cool scene, but it was, once again, sorely lacking Sokka's presence. More than anything, I just. Wish for these two to meet independent of Katara and get to have their own clash. Honestly? I feel like they could potentially catch two birds with one stone by having the Gaang split up earlier next season, specifically, have Suki help them get to Ba Sing Se earlier so get to meet Jet or something. Idk, the idea isn't fully formed, but it definitely feels like the most likely point for them to get to meet and it would make me really happy for everyone to have a bit more interaction with Suki before she formally joins them in the last season. Like? Maybe Jet and Sokka meeting could be Sokka's story in a Tales of Ba Sing Se sort of episode? As much as I love the haiku club... It's almost certainly getting the chop- also, I heard that the biggest and most important plotpoint of that episode already gets revealed in this first season so? It's likely just not gonna happen, or if it does it might just be like, a bonus one for fun idk. Regardless that season has a lot of "filler" that can easily be dropped, and Jet and Sokka meeting feels to important to just. Never happen, and!! I want it so badly, fuck!!

Yo ngl Zuko's helmet do be making him look like Melonlord

Lol prompting a conflicted Zuko with "well? Are you just gonna stand there? What are you gonna do?" Is fucking hysterical

Bumi is fr so pathetic, fucking no one likes his jokes but his the king and having people have to laugh this time is genuinely hilarious. It also makes everything so much more menacing!! I get why people didn't like what they did with him, but I think it's an interesting direction to go with his character and I think they handle it really well. If anything? Having to stick to some of the original characteristics and reusing the jokes really hurt his momentum imo

The Omashu story looks beautiful!! Ngl I don't really understand why they changed it to a lesbian couple? It literally changes nothing, their genders doesn't matter to the story, so I genuinely don't care one way or the other, it's just... A strange choice to make haha

The singing nomads are always fun, though in my ideal Secret Tunnel scenario they go in with Sokka and Katara and annoy the shit out of Sokka. Miss them already. Also, I do miss Dee Bradley Baker- just. In general, but also, can't help but think of him when I see these guys- it's his song after all!

Forgot to comment on Iroh taking the Lotus tile last episode, so I'm happy to see it back in action here! Do kinda wonder how June will track him in the last season without his smelly sandal though haha

Really cool scene with the rock candy!! Obviously the original way it's presented is off the table, and they instead made it into a really beautiful little action scene!

Ngl something about seeing Zuko pick up a White Lotus got me choked up a bit. The hesitation with Zuko between Aang and Iroh didn't really feel like that big a deal here given the different circumstances behind Iroh's capture, I mean? Obviously Zuko was never gonna abandon Iroh after he sacrificed himself, so not going after Aang here wasn't really that much of a sacrifice on his part in comparison, just... Basic decency to return the favor, which kinda lessened the impact and you might as well miss there was even a conflict with how little of the episode he spends thinking of Aang, but. I like it, it's sweet to see their connection here anyway. Definitely does feel like Zuko is a bit too close to redemption at all times during this season though, Iroh is being WAY too obvious about his true allegiances imo, but tbf... I doubt anyone could go into ATLA blind nowadays, and maybe making Iroh more transparent and Zuko more sympathetic is a way to later drop the shoe ever harder during Crossroads of Destiny- like, THAT'S how much of a wrong choice he makes there, it goes against his entire characterization thus far... But the bait Azula used was too alluring. Or something like that, idk, maybe it's just. Tough to write such a beloved character back into his worst version? Idk, I kinda get why people wish he was less obviously on a path to redemption but frankly? I think it's just an Iroh issue again, they really seem to struggle with writing him to appear silly or without depth as the first season kinda necessitates, and his unwavering support and pushing for sure make Zuko a lot less lost here. I wish he got to be a bit more, but again: this show was the first time in a long time, maybe ever, that ATLA managed to make me be afraid of Zuko, so. Idk. Mixed feelings- he's not all sugar here AT ALL, but he definitely still is a bit too much for this point. I genuinely do think that Iroh's ability to reach him and be straight to the point needed to be heavily nerfed tbh, I think that's the main issue with Zuko's appearing too sympathetic here

Okay, so. Genuinely not exaggerating here when I say: Sokka saying he has a hunch stole my breath away, made me choke up, and tears welled up in my eyes. Like! THAT'S how taken off guard I was with them bringing back my favorite underrated Sokka trait: his instincts. The time it took me to write this was enough for me to genuinely just start crying while thinking about it, like. Genuinely I'm so happy and relieved this managed to find its way into the show, I'm. A bit overwhelmed rn and I don't know that I can put my feelings about it into words rn so I'll be back when I have something else to say, for now: I am RIDICULOUSLY happy with this development, it means a lot to me personally.

Wait I'm immediately back: this is strange, right? The initial utter joy blinded me but this is like... The exact opposite of what Sokka initially does in this episode, this is kinda funny lmao

I think I can pretty confidently say by now that Sokka and Katara's relationship is my favorite part of this adaptation. They always bring out both the best and the worst in each other, their scenes are always bot fun and also just... Cathartic to me in a personal way because they always manage to hit everything that feels missing until they go at each other. It's genuinely perfect, I love them so much. Like? Yeah Ian Ousley is possibly a stinky liar, but he and Kiawentiio have a great rapport and work really well as the unique twists of their characters that this LA is going for. I really, really enjoy them.

Istg Sokka in the cave is just spitting out one pop culture reference after another and it's genuinely bizarre

So, Iroh was provoking that guy to let him take out his anger, right? That's genuinely the only way I can read that scene for it to make sense. Sympathizing with the guy wouldn't have helped, he wouldn't care that Iroh knows he was wrong and that he only realized it when he lost someone too, so he just let him vent by playing the bad guy ig? Idk what I think of that scene tbh- Iroh being a hated general is something that needed a bit more fleshing out for Zuko taking the throne to make sense, so I don't hate it, but. It was weird to see Iroh be so obstinate in the face of someone who was clearly hurting because of his actions. The expected Iroh move would have been some wise words any sympathy that leads to bonding and healing, and it felt SO weird that it just. Didn't happen, and yet... At the same time, I kinda got it, and I do really appreciate this scene, even if the characterization feels off in a way- which, tbh, most Iroh scenes do. It wasn't a bad one, it just felt really strange to keep expecting him to do something and for him to just... Not. Iroh is definitely both the same and yet feels really different and I just. I can't get used to him tbh.

The flashback mourning scene immediately after was also nice, although it was a bit funny how Dallas just looked exactly the same age when it should've been more than three years in the past. Once again Zuko is slightly too sympathetic too early, but at this point I kinda think that's just what they're going for- they're doubling down on showing him as misguided and wilfully blind rather than cruel, which is a realization you do come to during the first season of the original to be fair... It's just a lot less subtle about it here, with much less time where you just view Zuko as The Enemy. It's very clearly from very early on that this is also his journey, and as that gives me more Zuko... I don't even necessarily hate it lmao, it's just different. I think that so long as they keep being consistent about why Zuko is still refusing to "turn good" it can work really well, and ig with Azula coming early... They increased the pressure on him from both sides, which is actually kinda interesting and something i didn't realize until literally just now. Honestly I think half of the point of me writing these is just... To help me get my thoughts in order, to help me see the show for itself rather than just as a cut down version of the story, and honestly? So far it's actually working really well in terms of helping me come to terms and appreciating some of the weirder/bigger changes they make. Still the one unforgivable change is no Jet and Sokka confrontation- I'm glad they didn't entirely drop what Sokka learns there, but. I just love that episode so much that it being changed so severely really hurts in a way I can't reasonably reconcile. Everything they did and all the reasons for it makes sense, and it all works really well in the end but. It's still just a terrible personal loss haha

I do think that ultimately Katara was right and said something Sokka needed to hear (he's not his dad) and I don't like how it was brushed under the rug a bit but I guess he's not really ready to confront that quite yet- that'll probably come when he reunites with Hakoda, huh?

Oh my god it's happening again!!! Istg it feels like some characters just. Straight up accidentally exist in the wrong universe- Bumi and Kyoshi both chide Aang for traits he doesn't have here, and he never gets called out for the in the original. Genuinely it feels so bizarre, like these characters come from another world where what they're saying is true. More than ever this show feels like it was made by fans who loved the show so much they wanted to see it be better, and when given the opportunity they just kinda... Went ham on both fixing the flaws while also directly acknowledging and trying to fix them, except it doesn't make sense because they don't exist here. It's so disorienting and, frankly, super funny and personally validating to realize the writers also probably had screaming meltdowns over Aang being a bad main character, and feeling so strong about it that they just had to include it still. It feels like the biggest callout post possible, it's genuinely so funny, and as nonsensical as it is... I love it, and for me it makes the show feel like it was written by like mined people- I get it, y'all, I too would both fix and yell at Aang if given the opportunity! It's genuinely such a mood and so relatable of them, so even if it's kind of a mess... I love it, because I get it.

I think it's a really cute and fun twist to have the crystals not be the way, but rather, the badgermoles. It gives both aspects of the cave a chance to show up, and even though I do kinda wish we got to see a disgruntled Sokka strumming his way out of the cave... This was a really sweet resolution. Also, spending most of the time they're in the cave be in the dark and thus under the light of the crystal made for a much more visually interesting episode than it would be otherwise, while also being a nod to them originally being trapped in crystal in Aang's Bumi Adventure. Tbh THESE are two episodes that work great when separating the cast- Sokka and Katara literally did nothing in Bumi's episode, while Aang being there in Cave of Two Lovers did more harm than good in my humble opinion. As I thought I would, I like Sokka and Katara going through the cave together MUCH more- it allowed for a more organic conflict, had more potential for funny moments (that wasn't really utilized because for the most part this adaptation doesn't really do or seem to get comedy- I mean, the funny Bumi moments absolutely bombed here!), and just... Wasn't Kataang focused, which is always a plus!!

Ngl it's kinda embarrassing how much I cared about Sokka's instincts to the point that it made me THAT emotional- btw I don't like that it wasn't followed up on like originally, here it was just brought up and he turned out to be wrong which sucked a bit- unless the crystals were meant to lead them to the badgermole? Idk, wish this was a stronger through line because now he just looks like a fool- which the original episode made sure he wasn't, that was like, the whole point there!!

Genuinely WHERE was this Bumi in the original show,,,,, Anyway this Bumi fight kinda feels like the first cool earthbending we see, which. Ngl, checks out with the original lmao.

My god do I wish Katara and Sokka were able to actually do anything in the original episode with Bumi after seeing this, this was fantastic!!! I'm tearing up, genuinely, this was fantastic!! It really feels like what Aang could've become originally if he was challenged more. I really do appreciate and feel for Bumi here, and for once in a very long time.... I'm also rooting for Aang. That's genuinely not a small thing to accomplish for me! As much as I think what Bumi is saying here has merit, I also believe that this is an Aang that can learn to mediate and make the hard choices when he must- so long as he considers other perspectives, allows his friends to help him, and does the same for them in return. And for how distant Aang feels from Sokka and Katara right now? I believe they genuinely can and will grow closer to a degree they can be this for each other. This was an awesome moment and. Idk. Having genuine faith in Aang feels so foreign to me at this point, almost novel, and I hope to god they don't squander this later on. Watching this episode was actually so healing? Idk if it was just that it took me like, literal hours because I kept pausing to write a lot here so it felt like a long journey to get here, but. I'm really happy with where things ended up, generally!

Uhhh so. Zuko's lot in life is being on water, is it, Iroh? Lmao I know that's absolutely not what he meant but of course my brain IMMEDIATELY started barking "Zutara! Zutara? ZUTARA!" like a rabid dog- that is MY lot in life. Anyway I do think the two Iroh and Zuko scenes at the end here were probably the best ones of the two of them so far! And closing with Zuko having another "Aang vs Iroh" moment just to cement the message here was probably a wise choice especially given how brief the first one was. This one worked a lot better, and it was also really pretty visually!! Actually, for whatever reason I think this show generally looks the best when it's working with blue tones for whatever reason, and as this episode had a lot of them it was one I was constantly really impressed by visually! The green here was a bit hit or miss, but the blue scenes kinda always look really good!! Actually, Wolf Cove looked cool too, and it was pretty blue as well! Hmm. Something to try and pay attention to from now on and if I do a rewatch ig?

This episode honestly did a much better job at adapting two storylines simultaneously, and it was just... Overall better for the most part than the previous one. Bumi was a bit questionable in that he initally leaned too heavily on his original personality and gags rather than embrace this new version (ironically, the opposite of what they should've done with Teo), but for the most part I like the changes they made here! Iroh remains the shakiest and most immersion breaking part of this show- due to no fault of the actor, by the way, he does a good job, the writing is just really inconsistent with him- but if I ignore how uncanny and ooc at times he feels to me, I did generally like his scenes here and what they were meant to do. Genuinely don't know if Iroh is an issue for other people or if for some reason I'm just fixated on him feeling off tbh? Anyway Katara and Sokka were in top form this episode, as I came to expect from scenes that focus on their bond! It was definitely brought down a bit by having to resolve the weaker previous episode and its weird adapations of Jet, Sai and Teo right at the start but it managed to pick itself back up really well- and the Sokka and Katara fight put a nice little bow on it for now, so I'm relatively satisfied with how they wrapped it up. Still hope for a big Sokka and Jet fight though, and still don't really appreciate what they did with Teo. But the bulk of this episode was great- if not in execution, at least in the ideas it portrayed, so I'm happy enough with it tbh.

This post was, once again, a mess as it's just me writing down my thoughts as they occur to me with very minimal editing, if I bother with it at all, but. Yeah it's pretty funny that I'm constantly just lamenting how they remove something and then they still include it later haha, it's becoming kind of a pattern!

[jade-of-mourning]

hey! it’s your hopefully favorite anon again. genuinely thank you so much for responding to my asks and stuff. it’s so eloquently written and it feels like it’s actually mako’s grief in text form. that doesn’t really make sense but. reading that little cat blurb actually made me feel better. I cried. like. heavily. 😭

im glad you liked my goofy insane mentor-that-needs-a-mentor korra idea, even if you’re not going to use it. I actually had the thought while watching a video comparing korra and zuko. it’s not exactly a niche thought that ‘korra is aang’s successor and Zuko’s spiritual successor’ but then it struck me. zuko was the oldest member of the gaang (just a bit older than sokka, the former eldest) but he is still absolutely batshit reckless and insane so,,, what if i Korra’d it.

also,, triple threats,,, since I’ve already revealed that I like to fuck around with canon in every possible aspect. consider: au where bolin dies (this one came to me after seeing a video saying mako would probably… yk, himself, if Bo died) but instead of giving up or chasing whatever criminals got him/dedicating his life to helping other orphans/etc. he just. replaces zolt. and maybe he would have a zuko style redemption arc?? I’ve been listening to Brutus by The Buttress on loop too which has not been helping me escape. yk what would make the takeover even better? zolt has bolin killed to try and get a more firm grip on his chosen protégé (maybe even around the end of the events of republic city hustle) and mako finds out and just,,, absolutely bodies him. like some scraggly 15 y/o just fucking cold blood murders a crime syndicate boss and takes over and?? everyone’s like well ig he was bound to get there eventually. and there would be attempted takeovers obviously but this little fucker is like. nuh uh. you can have this as soon as I get bro back (never)

sorry I’ll stop going insane now. I think you should really listen to Brutus btw it is SO fire

-🐌

hi snailon! (i'm going to call you that. snail + anon mashed together!) you're my only anon so you're my favorite by default,,, but you'd be my favorite even if you weren't! and it's lovely to hear that my writing has helped you <33 also sorry this took a day to respond to whoops

(cont)

okay on the mentor!korra part — it is such a big brain idea that i might have to one day write an au on my au just for that alone LOL okay but korra is so zuko the same way mako is so katara!!! one day i'll talk about it i swear. the classic comparison of mako = zuko is just so Off and it bugs me haha it's really korra and it always has been. bryke is out there spreading false propaganda about their own show like wtf man

second, on the triple threats! see i was reading this and i was reminded of deerstalkerdeathfrisbee's the only thing we've ever organized is crime! (which is a BRILLIANT fic even if i don't really like wuko), except then your train of thought veered divergent so promptly that i was like. woah. woahhhh. i've always been partial for terrifying mobster boss!mako since reading this one a few years back and i wholeheartedly believe that if it weren't for bolin, mako could have very quickly devolved down a really bad path. i've seen it float around a lot of older posts, but to sum it up most succintly, mako made sure bolin survived and bolin made sure mako lived. and if bolin is gone? mako would not give two shits about trying to be a better person, and if bolin's death was of a tangible human person's doing… well. it would not end well for that person, let's say. that person being zolt would abolutely lead to mako promptly desecrating the man, and even if it wasn't a grab for power, i can totally see it proceeding to him actually becoming the teenage mob boss of the triple threats.

(ALSO STOP "this little fucker is like. nuh uh. you can have this as soon as I get bro back (never)" WHY ARE YOU SO FUNNY this is so sad i'm laughing so hard)

but really; mako is just such a guy of asinine stubborness to survive, with the single-minded goal to protect bolin. if there's no one left to protect, and if bolin didn't just succumb to the horrors of their circumstance but was rather brutally murdered as an attempt to control mako himself, that asinine stubborness to survive could very easily translate into cold-blooded violence, and would come with an unnerving facade of quiet apathy while he's really simmering on the edge of a really bad breakdown at any given moment. the guilt would also be endless, and mako would probably project the personal villain so hard on every single member of the triple threats in his general vicinity. working under this angry/guilty/repressed/violent teenager would actually be the most terrifying thing ever.

continuing your ask from last time because i realized i never addresssed this part —

I just had another brain worm sorry. so remember how I was talking about korra potentially being a guiding adult-ish figure in the avatar mako au. what if baby bending brothers. and either lin/tenzin/whoever or them and the other 2 krew members,, taking care of little gang monster and his brother,, and addressing some of the insane trauma and helping him heal and build a stable life,,,

i do love child acquisition, but for tiny feral children! mako and bolin really could've been the most unhinged trauma children of all time and i don't think that any adult on the show would actually be able to handle them as they were except probably pema. tenzin would try his best but i think that he would very easily get overwhelmed and a certain phase of mako would probably incessantly insult him with the deliberate intention to rile him up — and admittedly, tenzin has more of a temper than he'd like to admit, so i just think they'd be at odds a lot to an almost dangerous amount. (but ig i'm exploring that in the actual fic lol) i think mako as a kid would be considerably more abrasive than his is now and far more distrusting and paranoid, to an extent that i don't think that there are a lot of adults in lok that would be well equipped to handle that. (maybe kya? i could see both of them taking to kya actually. that would be funny. maybe i'll write kya into this au.) i do think that bolin could easily get all of them wrapped around his finger, lin grudgingly (and i think she'd be the sort to hold a reluctant affection for prickly loser boy mako).

also idk how i missed it initially but throwing teenaged korrasami into the mix makes it funny though. they would manage the pair of them so badly. (i'm sorry it is cute but i personally don't believe in babysitter!korra and definitely not babysitter!asami.) korra would be in a physical brawling session with mako the little punk ass bitch if asami looks away for one minute because bolin will not stop crying and mako is now trying to bite her head off because that's his little brother. bolin just thinks these two cool older girls are super neat and not at all demanding of his respect so he just incessantly says the most batshit insane things at them while mako is just like. hmm wealthy girl. i am full of anger at life i think i will project that onto you because to me you represent everything i hate about society, i've decided. meanwhile asami is just so confused because she's literally just being her sweet self and this random mobster street kid pema found won't stop giving her a look like he wants to fillet her

sorry none of this post makes any sense at all my head is OVERFLOWING i am UNHINGED thank you for enabling me once again <333 you'll never be a bother also yes i will go listen!

[erisenyo]

13 and/or 14 for the ask game!!

For this fic writers ask game!

13. What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever come across?

Something that hit me at the right time and was phrased in the right way to unlock like 18 other simultaneous pieces of understanding was some advice I stumbled across a few years ago around epithets and when to use them.

It talked about how a lot of times new writers can go overboard trying to avoid the usage of someone's name because they don't want to be repetitive, but then you end up with like, "Zuko" and "the Prince" and "the ravenette", and sentences like "Azula wondered what the other ravenette was up to." And it talked about how things like that stand out to a reader, which doesn't mean not to do them but to do them intentionally.

Why would Azula be thinking of her brother and herself as black-haired in a moment, vs just using his name? Why might Iroh address Zuko as 'Zuko' vs 'Prince Zuko' vs 'the Prince,' and what does it tell us about their relationship or Iroh's emotional state in a given moment for him to choose one vs the other?

It seems relatively obvious in retrospect, but it really got me thinking about the little ways perspective can be built into a narration, and the ways someone's dialogue could convey their state of mind even if they aren't our POV character, and how to build in description and exposition in ways that felt more natural to the way someone would actually think. And then I did a lot of fun deliberate editing in my draft of These Things Written for when Sokka uses 'the Fire Prince' or 'the Prince' vs when he uses 'Zuko' in his thoughts haha

14. What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever come across?

Generally anything that is like totally absolute annoys me haha, because there's always a reason to break any rule as long as you know why you're doing it.

The thing I see the most that I tend to side-eye the most is the suggestion that writers eliminate adverbs and the word 'said' from their vocabulary.

I don't think it's ever meant to be like a blanket statement, but it's often written as such, and I'm a big believer that readers need space to breathe in a story. Some lines just need to be rest lines, and not every word needs to wallop you in the face.

Particularly with dialogue, I find that the dialogue tags can draw attention away from the words and toward the manner of saying them. Which isn't *bad*, but again, its better if its an intentional choice than out of an externally-born need to eliminate 'repetition' and ending up changing a perfectly good 'he said quickly' to a deeply jarring 'he ejaculated' (which...I have seen. More than once.)

[boonalina]

My review of ATLA Live Action episode one:

(Keep in mind, at this point I have only seen episode 1 and so this is just my first impression)

Remember, there are spoilers ahead and I seriously think you should watch it yourself before reading any review. Trust me, having your own impression first before anyone else's is way better... Okay here we go:

-----

Review of episode one, first impressions:

I really loved how we got to see what the air temple genocide looked like. It really shows that they're fully aware that the main audience has grown up. I watched it with my sister, her hubby, and my 5-yr niece and we didn't know that it would literally show people getting burned alive, so we had to cover her eyes a lot lol. I loved how we got to see firelord Sozin when he was first declaring war.

I really liked how we got to see monk Gyatsu (having that name in 2024 is sure rough buddy..) actually want Aang to have a childhood before they told him he's the avatar. The bending looks really cool, not slow and cringey like in the first live action movie haha. I thought the way that one air-bender died, the woman doing the air tornado, was fricken BRUTAL. And it's great to see just how far they're going with the onscreen death.

My brother-in-law (sister's hubby) felt really iffy on the fact that Aang can just sort of fly on his own now, without his glider thing. I honestly don't mind it, I don't think it really affects the story all that much. And it also just.. makes sense, for an air-bender to be able to fly on their own. I love how they got the grandma to say the original intro from the cartoon in a natural way as an explanation to Aang.

I liked how they kept the original motifs. The fire tribe still has that classic "BUM bum bUm baaaaam" idk how else to describe it haha

Aang: I thought his acting was pretty good for a kid. The crying parts were decent at best... but obviously I don't expect a kid to be great at faking tears. I thought his acting was great when he learned that he was the avatar, just that silent panic, the breathing getting faster and darting the eyes. The scene where he closed himself in the ice ball thing looked really cool. (My brother-in-law was fanboying the whole time, so much so that my niece started imitating him by saying "O M G the acting is SO good!" which made us all laugh, she didn't have ill-intent, she was just learning by example)

Katara: Her acting was a little iffy to me, I have hope that it'll improve later on. She had good lines but her face just didn't make me believe those lines. During emotional moments she was just kinda '_' But I know how tough it is to be a child actor so I'll give her the benefit of the doubt. (And to be fair, it is hard to convey emotion as good as a cartoon can) Her water bending looked really pretty, and I love that they kept her hair loopies. And I love that she still has her motherly personality like when she was comforting Aang near the end.

Sokka: Again, I thought his acting was pretty decent, child actors and whatnot. I really love how they didn't just reuse the same jokes from the cartoon and got original. My favorite two jokes were when it cut to him screaming on Appa, and when Aang said that he had to save the world and Sokka's response was like "Gee, is that all?" sarcastically, got a good laugh outta me. I love how his weapon looked exactly like the one in the cartoon. And I love how he got to have a one-on-one stand off with Zuko.

Haven't seen Momo yet, gonna be a bit disappointed if we don't but I mean.... Now that I think about it, Momo didn't really add anything. He was just kinda there in the cartoon for comedic affect...

Anyway, just in case someone is reading this before watching it, I'm not gonna spoil/talk about anything else (like Zuko and Iroh). So please go get your own impressions of it, even if you have to watch it on a pirated site.

Thanks for reading :)

(Side note, I do wish they chose tanner actors for the water tribe but eh, what the hell do I know? Could just be the lighting that's making them look pale)

Edit: So I just found out that Sokka and Katara's actors are not children lol (well, Karata's is 17 but that's almost an adult) so it is now a little less excusable.... But whatever, it's okay.

[seyaryminamoto]

Zuko has showed quite the character development over the course of the story. However, I can’t help but wonder if he will fall back into his old ways ? Will he fight Azula over the throne now that things are in a chaotic state?

Hmmm... well, as usual, under the cut because this sounds like very distant and dangerous territory, haha.

You know, I might try to be mysterious all I want but the truth might be a little obvious if you think about the story's direction so far, haha.

So to make this more interesting, let's stroll through the history of Gladiator's development: initially, I had no idea where this story was going past the Combustion Man confrontation. Now that we all saw it happen, I can safely say that my first real goal in the story was always that seemingly world-ending battle between Sokka and Combustion Man, the battle that seals the fate of the Gladiator League and changes the story's rhythm irremediably, for it was always going to happen as a consequence of Sokka and Azula's relationship being discovered. I did hope Sokka might rise enough in the ranking to rival him? But as the story progressed, I realized that was going to be very difficult, no matter how many events and points boots I gave him, haha.

Anyway, I digress: at that stage of building up the story, Zuko became a wild card I had no idea what to do with. For a long time, I wanted him in the South Pole. I thought it could be interesting if he found Aang indeed, but didn't just drag him back to the Fire Nation right away. How to make that happen, how to realistically develop Zuko to not be that impulsive? I didn't know right away (fortunately, my Zuki shipping buddy helped me see the light with that particular problem before long!). I actually pondered making Zuko a gladiator, fighting as the Blue Spirit (a relatively popular concept back when the story was still starting out, people REALLY loved this idea... and the minute I started writing Zuko directly, I realized it was never going to work, haha). I remember that, back when I had no idea what I'd do for the future of the story (aka, Part 3 wasn't even a blip in the radar because I was just LOST in my ultimate narrative direction back in year 1, haha), I even considered Zuko and Aang being the ones fighting Ozai, and Sokka and Azula were basically just together and reuniting? But the thing is that their reunion was going to be different back then, because... shit, this all sounds so ridiculous right now XD but at a point in time, I had in mind that Ozai would basically steal Sokka from Azula and make him his own gladiator (again, something that just made zero sense with Ozai's character). Azula would've been left bereft of what to do, and I even pondered her teaming up with Katara to save Sokka from Ozai while Zuko and Aang basically started a coup... all of which made so very little sense! I had no idea how Azula and Katara would join forces, no idea how Aang and Zuko would get that far, no clue how Sokka and Azula would be "reuniting", considering that Sokka was going to be right in the same Palace as Azula all along?? ... So, uh, yeah. That kind of weird shit went through my head.

Let that be a lesson on NOT sticking with your gut instincts in storytelling every time: marinate your ideas! Test other possibilities! Sometimes you'll strike gold right away... but if you don't, be open to other ideas. If I hadn't been? I would've fucked up this story BIG TIME x'D

So, in all of that, one of the prominent problems was obviously Zuko: wtf was I going to do with this guy if not THAT? I was rewriting his character from scratch and I knew where I'd take him by the end of Part 1, but I wasn't 100% sure of where he would go from there. After my Zuki shipping associate helped me see the light, his story became much stronger once I brought him and Suki together, and the South Pole story also became that much better because them being there would make things much more dynamic for Katara and Aang (and then also for Kino).

But the ultimate direction for Zuko isn't really something my friend could help me with, because even though she sparked the idea of Whaletail Island, I took that to a whole other level once I backtracked on the "and then they sailed away and Katara and Sokka didn't reunite" concept (which, yes, was the original way that arc was going to wrap up X'D again, as a storyteller, it's good to go against your initial impulses at times, it can be soooo much better when you do that...). We always did want Azula and Zuko's relationship to improve... but my friend certainly believed that Zuko would be fighting for the Fire Lord hairpiece and throne quite hard, and I was a little unsure of what to make of that.

Thus, for a long time, after I finally started figuring out Part 3 and how things would turn out by then, I thought I might have to write Zuko and Azula having a huge, long, tedious discussion over which of them would be better suited for the role of Fire Lord, and the decision would have been basically left to other people once they put all they could offer on the table. Back then, the idea that Zuko would have become embittered and frustrated if he lost the throne certainly was prevalent...

... But I'd dare say I'm very pleased to have discarded that concept entirely :'D

Back then, I didn't have the Southern Air Temple arc in mind. That I didn't plot that one from the get-go sure didn't help, either xD so, putting that together with the extended Azula-Zuko bonding in Whaletail Island, adding as well how much more thorough Zuko's growth wound up being all across the story... and we get a Zuko who doesn't believe his entire existence is justified by sitting on that throne.

Gladiator's Zuko has stopped basing his identity on succeeding his father as Fire Lord and proving himself better than the failure Ozai thinks he is. He already proved it plenty as it is: he has a family that loves him, he's part of a community that he earned his place in, friends who cherish him and that he bonded with on his own, even a crazy brother-like bond with a dork like Kino, for whom he's basically a hero (even if Kino doesn't go all the way to hero-worship other than for comedic purposes, the guy can defy Zuko and disagree with him when he wants to...). So, does he need Ozai's approval at this point? Does his identity hinge on it that much? Or on someone else's approval?

Thanks to Guru Pathik's lessons, it really doesn't. After all the self-reflection Zuko did in that arc, this guy has reached the strongest state of balance I have EVER written him in, in ANY storyline. Even my most optimistic Zuko characterizations in canon settings, or even my non-ATLA AUs, are nowhere near as fulfilling, balanced and mature as the current Zuko in Gladiator. This is a guy who finds his mother, she tells him a LOT of wild and disturbing things, and he still manages to keep his center, even as he processes the reality of what had been going on in his life when he was a child and he was too young to pick up on any of it. It's a guy who can love his uncle without forgetting that he has done TERRIBLE THINGS. A guy who, regardless of their many differences, has grown to cherish his sister and truly wants to save her.

So... for him? The throne is not this big prize that justifies his very existence anymore. He knows he's much more than a prospect Fire Lord -- and he knows his sister is much more than that, too. Neither one is going to approach the burden and responsibility of becoming Fire Lord with the same childish attitude as in canon. They've both come way too far to treat it as some competition where they have to constantly measure against each other to prove which sibling is "better". Both have solid things to bring to the table as Fire Lords, and both will have to think about, above all else, if they want to become Fire Lord at all!

So, to answer your question more specifically...

There MAY be a fight. That fight wouldn't be like what we saw in canon. It wouldn't be chaotic, it wouldn't be overly violent, it wouldn't be the ugliest sides of these two characters colliding in a battle of mutual hubris... no, it would be a battle to conform to traditions to determine the fate of the Fire Nation. It would be a battle that truly would show how far they have come, how much they have grown, and how much respect and genuine appreciation they have for each other. Neither one would step into the dueling area under the belief that they must crush/kill/destroy the other.

And that they can do comes as the result of a ton of character growth and development for these two, in which, unbeknownst to them, they have broken the cycle of abuse in their generation, putting an end to the absolutely catastrophic mess the Fire Nation's Royal Family has constantly been engulfed by. That toxicity, as seen frequently in Ozai's flashbacks, finally comes to an end when both Zuko and Azula learn to break free from that ideology, from the terrible weights of expectations of their family, and learn to see the world through much clearer eyes than any of their relatives ever did.

... I hope that's a satisfactory answer :'D

[threadmonster]

I struggled to get through episode one. I think if I wasn't so familiar with the source material I could enjoy the show, but holy heck my guy, my guy.

I can deal with changes in the story but the entire personality of the show? All the traits that make the characters who they are?

To all fucking hell with letting the viewers figure out what is happening and screw any possoble form of foreshadowing. Let's just tell everyone why Aang ran away from home and we're not even gonna let the characters have this revealed to them either. They're just gonna state it as fact just by looking at him that he's the Avatar.

And jfc why the fuck is Katara so quiet and basically obedient. They took her rage. Okay, fine, don't make Sokka sexist but this? This??? It's genuinely insulting to make her appear weak and small.

Maybe the show gets better or at least has really good scenes but oof I cannot get past the lack of personality in this show. It is definitely not animated. (Haha see what I did there?)

Anyway, again, this is just based off of episode one.

[atla-suki]

it’s time.

why mako and katara are completely different characters and should stop being compared so much:

so, i see way too much comparison between mako and katara. like.. too much. and it always boggles me because aside from a few things, they’re really nothing alike.

keep reading under the cut !

let me point out their similarities:

- lack of parental figure/s

- a ‘comic relief’ brother

- second-hand clothing item from a dead parent

- romantic interest in the avatar

- strong benders, brave.

not many, right? mako and katara are largely different characters - from unique character traits to respective personalities to their purposes/roles in their respective stories. while they’re both main characters, the biggest difference lies in the fact that atla revolves around katara just as much as it does aang. what i mean is, without katara, atla is a COMPLETELY different show. without mako, LoK is still a relatively similar show (not that i’m saying he’s not important. he is. mako is so underrated stop trashing him sm. actually that’s another similarity - mako and katara both get overhated in the fandom. interesting..) ANYWAYS yeah katara is crucial to like 70% of everything that happens in atla. where aang is the protagonist, katara is the deuteragonist. where korra is the protagonist, mako…isn’t.. the deuteragonist. he’s a secondary character, sure, but not the deuteragonist. so straight off the bat they are completely different characters in terms of their place and significance in their respective stories. it seems unfair to compare them, no?

and that’s just the logical storytelling/plot side. when we look at their characterisations and personalities… again, NOTHING alike.

their differences include:

- mako is generally a pessimist; katara is in every way an optimist

- katara is in touch with her emotions and understands the emotions/feelings of others; mako.. not so much

- katara is a complex, well-written character with many layers; mako had many chances to be written better (ik that’s on the writers not on him but i’m including it anyways)

- katara’s motivation is the power to become a strong bender and a good person, to help the avatar bring balance back to the world; mako is a pro-bending athlete? i guess? he was a cop too bc they didn’t know what to do with him? idk

- mako is intelligent, quick on his feet, not one to trust easily, uses head above heart; katara lets her emotions dictate her actions (not always, but yk what i mean), sometimes too quick to trust, uses heart over head

more differences than similarities, you see? while their scenarios are kinda similar, they as characters are not. i’ve also seen the whole ‘they both raised their siblings’ shit… absolutely NOT??? mako was completely alone with bolin - he did it all. katara didn’t RAISE sokka, and even tho she was more maternal towards him it wasn’t something she was forced into the way mako was (lol that makes it sound like mako is bolin’s mother.. haha). similar scenarios, different situations.

quick detour: i just re-read those points above (the differences) and it sounds like i’m painting mako in a bad light. i am absolutely not. i love mako. i love katara. but i am also aware that mako is not as well-written as katara. it’s unfortunate but it’s also true.

ok back to my ramble. katara/aang and mako/korra are ALSO not the same. their dynamics are different, their roles in the story are different, their characterisations are different. their relationships are different. so their roles within said relationships are DIFFERENT. going off canon here, katara was always supportive of aang and clearly loved him. mako kinda liked korra and so they tried it out but it didn’t work. why? because mako and katara are different characters and so they are written as different characters. they’re INDIVIDUALS. they are not parallels. mako is not the next-gen katara. (he’s also not the next-gen zuko but i won’t go over that bc i WILL get tomatoes thrown at me). stop comparing them and their trauma. they are not the same.

katara lost her mother during a war. it was tragic, it was unfair, it was a direct act of hatred and done on purpose. mako happened to lose his parents at random. it was just as tragic, just as unfair, but DIFFERENT. katara had family left to help raise both her and sokka. mako was alone with his little brother. shit, he even joined a GANG to make sure they’d survive. i always felt like mako gave up more than katara (in their respective situations. they both still grew up too soon). but the thing is, i am ABLE make these distinctions between them. why? BECAUSE THEY’RE DIFFERENT AND SHOULD STOP BEING COMPARED SO MUCH.

give them the recognition they deserve as individuals. because they deserve it.

[stitch1830]

taang for the ship game!

Oooo flame coming in with an old ship flame of mine <3

Ope bad pun ima just... Ima answer the questions LOL.

Ima do them all as well because... why not hehe :)

1.) Who makes the first move and how?

I usually go back and forth on this one, but I'd say that Aang more often than not makes the first move. He's just a little more aware of his feelings for Toph, and he's not too stubborn to try and ignore them or deny them.

When Toph recognizes her feelings, she tries to ignore them mostly because she doesn't want to lose what she currently has with Aang, so it takes her a hot second to admit what she feels and to let herself fall for him.

2.) Who is the most insecure and what makes them feel better?

Aang is probably more insecure than Toph, and usually a nice pep talk and maybe a slug to the shoulder from Toph gets him going again haha!

3.) Who is the most romantic?

I think Aang is more romantic, but it's mainly because his is more apparent than Toph. Toph's romantic gestures are usually done in the comfort of their home, but Aang isn't afraid to make doe eyes at Toph in public or tell her how amazing she is haha

4.) Who can’t keep their hands to themselves?

If they're in public, probably Aang. If they're in the comfort of their home, probably still Aang, but Toph is not very far behind LOL.

5.) Who says ‘I love you’ first?

I think Aang says it first, and if he doesn’t, then I’d imagine that it would be something that slips out one day with Toph lol.

6.) Who would they ask if they ever had a threesome?

LOL um I really don’t know, because I see Toph having a sibling relationship with Katara and Zuko, and then Aang having a sibling relationship with Sokka.

So I guess Suki? Maybe Azula LMAO.

I’m not one to think of threesomes within ATLA Ope 0_o

7.) What do they get up to on a night out?

They definitely wreak havoc, so usually pranks or sometimes Toph breaks the law LOL.

But often they just like to get out of the house to have fun, so wherever the wind takes them, that’s where they go and what they do.

8.) What do they like in bed?

To sleep ;)

9.) What is the most embarrassing thing they have done in front of each other?

I feel like Aang sometimes forgets that he is the Avatar and can bend more than just air. He's a bit of an airhead in that regard, so there are moments where he just... forgets and Toph never lets him hear the end of it hehe.

Toph actually never does anything embarrassing so—

Just kidding :)

I would say that she does a lot of silly things for their kids, so sometimes she sings and does a goofy dance or makes weird faces to help the babies eat their baby food, and Aang can't help but laugh. She doesn't often do embarrassing things in front of Aang, but if she does, it usually rolls off her back. But I feel like if Toph did some sort of flying lemur dance for the kids, Aang would replay that in his mind forever and ever :)

10.) What two songs, two books and two luxury items do they take to a desert island?

Two songs, maybe “Freebird” and “We Will Rock you”, Aang would bring two adventure-like stories to read for Toph (Maybe Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter? Something chill and fun), and I think Toph would be luxury hair products to keep her hair not a tangled mess for as long as possible (I feel like she ends up taking decent care of her hair as an adult because it’s so long lmao), and then maybe some skincare products for Aang? He seems like a guy with a nighttime skincare routine LOL.

11.) What do they hide from one another?

Oooh this is a good one! I feel like there's not much Aang can hide from Toph because of her seismic sense (unless he gets really good at lying), but also, I just don't think he likes to hide things from her. Toph will be secretive in the event that she's trying to surprise him with a party or a present, but that seems about it. She doesn't really have the need to hide what she's doing after work or when they're not together, because they've established good trust and decent communication.

If there was one thing that Aang may hide from Toph, it would be new pets LOL.

And Toph... Maybe she goes back to professional bending wrestling and she doesn't want to hear Twinkletoes to complain lol.

12.) What first changes when it starts getting serious?

I think it takes them a while to get used to the idea that they’re together. So sometimes Toph and/or Aang jump whenever the other tries to hold their hand or kiss them because they’re like “Whoa hold up, whatchu doing there?” But then they remember that they’re dating LOL.

13.) When do they realise they should get together?

Toph and Aang seem like the couple that get together in their mid 20s. They have unspoken feelings for each other for a while, maybe they date people in between, but they're mainly best friends through their teenage years and early adulthood!

14.) When one has a cold, what does the other do?

Toph is a pretty hands on caretaker for Aang, and she’ll usually follow Aang’s lead on what he wants and stuff. And then Aang is too, but he

15.) When they watch a film what do they choose and why? Who gets the final vote?

Aang gets to watch whatever he wants because Toph mostly doesn’t care LOL. But, he’s a bit of a sap so he prefers romantic comedies or just lighthearted movies lol.

16.) When the zombie apocalypse comes, how do they cope together?

Toph definitely hunkers down and fights her way through the zombies, and Aang may be a bit of a pacifist and won’t want to fight even zombies. But I think for Toph and for his friends and family, he’d defend them until the end. And depending on who they’re with, I think they have a shot at lasting through it all haha.

17.) When they find a time machine, where do they go?

Ooo, I feel like they’d go back to the past, simply so that Aang can introduce Toph to Gyatso and to his family. I think that would be what was most important to them if they ever got to travel in time.

18.) When they fight, how do they make up?

Toph and Aang seem like the couple that just... hug it out LOL.

They'll fight and it's a blowout, they usually say stuff they don't mean, but then the next day or two, they just meet in the middle and are like "I'm sorry" and ~hug~

Toph and Aang know what they prioritize in their relationship, they know their roles and responsibilities to each other and the world, and I think sometimes it gets to them, but they never let a fight get in between them.

I also feel like when it comes to admitting they are wrong, they find it hard to properly express it.

That, or they just straight up make each other laugh, and it's water under the bridge lol.

19.) Where do they go on their first date?

I feel like they do a number of activities. So dinner, running through the town and maybe pulling some pranks, and then ending the day by the shore or laying in the grass so Aang can stargaze and describe it to Toph :’)

20.) Where do they go on holiday?

Hmmm, they typically travel everywhere, but I’d guess that they’d go to maybe to the Fire Nation or wherever their friends are? They’re more like family than anyone else, and that’s who they prefer spending their holidays and days off with.

21.) Where do they get nervous about going with one another?

I don't think Aang is ever nervous about going with Toph anywhere, but I can see Toph being a little nervous for their relationship to go public with their friends/family. She finds it weird to be the center of attention when it comes to questions about her relationship, so she just gets fidgety and whatnot lol.

22.) Where does their first kiss happen?

Hmmmm. Maybe just in the streets of Republic City? Or maybe on Appa? LOL

23.) Where is their favourite place to be together?

Hmm... Probably the Air Temples or somewhere quiet where they can spar? Aang loves talking about his culture, and Toph is a great listener (she also loves feeling how happy and excited he gets when they go to the temples). But Toph's safe haven is anywhere where she can throw some dirt and make a mess, so she likes it when they travel to quiet towns in the Earth Kingdom and they can spar just on the outskirts!

If they ever settle down, then I think wherever they call home is their favorite place :)

24.) Where do they first have sex?

Eh, I’m not much of a spicy HC person, so I’ll just say the bedroom LOL.

25.) Why do they fight?

Toph and Aang probably fight most about responsibility or starting a family. I think Aang struggles sometimes with his duties as the Avatar and balancing out other stuff, and sometimes it becomes a point of pain for them. And then with starting a family, I think Aang is always excited and thinking about it, but Toph is never really that excited about it until it just… happens? If that makes sense lmao.

26.) Why do they need to have a serious chat?

Mmmm, same as above hehe.

27.) Why do their friends get annoyed with them?

Toph and Aang are the notorious couple that pranks their friends and their nieces/nephews. They're the 'fun couple' and like to wreak a little havoc wherever they go! So, that typically means that the Gaang gets all exasperated whenever they pull a prank or make an inappropriate joke at the dinner table.

Aang shows a little remorse at times. A little. :)

28.) Why do they get jealous?

They get jealous probably when they're not together! So, when they're pining for each other but not together, but Toph or Aang notices them with someone else, they get jealous. Aang is a little more vocal with his jealousy (or his friends just point it out lmao) and Toph just gets quiet and sometimes she'll give shit to Aang's date and maybe even trip her once LOL.

But once they're together, they don't really get that jealous. I think if anything, Toph may get jealous that she has to split her time with Aang because of his Avatar duties, but that's always an ongoing conversation between them.

29.) Why do they fall a little bit more in love?

I think that they’re a perfect example of opposites attract but also they are very similar. So whenever their personalities align they love it, and when they’re different, they love how well they still get along with their differences. Like, they love each other for their similarities and their differences, and how well they get along, if that makes sense.

30.) Why does it work (or not work) between them?

Taang works because they complement each other well. They just get each other, and they are each other’s best friends :) They’re partners in crime and everything, and despite how different they can be at times, they always seem to end up back on the same page, and they come together and they know what’s most important to them.

......

Okay! That was a lot of questions, but I hope that’s okay LOL. Thanks for the ask, buddy! I hope you have a great day, and feel free to send more asks if you’d like lol :)

Send me headcanon asks for ATLA (or other) ships!

[cipheress-to-k-pop]

Wally west x green lantern reader? One shot or headcanons , whatever works for you queen

Wally West x Green Lantern!Reader

A/N: I ship HalBarry. They be cute af

Everyone being really perplexed because you’re so young

The ring chose you

What can you do?

Being babied by all the GLs on Earth

And as much as they would like to take you on missions with them like some big psychotic family field trip

You were young and inexperienced

Not to mention completely untrained

And you didn’t have a place in their dynamic yet

So, they, along with the JLA decide the best decision was to put you with the team

You kinda saw it coming

It was obvious

So, you weren’t surprised when they shipped you off to Mount Justice

Everyone being excited

Cuz wow a real GL member? You have an actual ring?

Meeting Wally and immediately hitting it off

You were the only one who could...handle...him

Aside from Robin

But come on that boy needs a break once in a while

Wally always begging to try on the ring

“Please?”

“No.”

“I’ll buy you a better one.”

“No.”

“So, when I propose to you, you wouldn’t take off the ring?? Not even for a sparkly diamond one?”

“First, I wear my GL ring on my right hand. Second, what do you mean by when?”

And Wally’s blushing

“I didn’t say when.”

“You said when.”

“Let me wear the ring and I’ll tell you what I meant by when.”

You laughed, “No thanks.”

Being a great tag team on missions

Being the only one who can keep up with his eating habits

The team has more than once watched the both of you inhale your food

Some of them watch in disgust

Others in awe

Always saving his ass when he jumps head first into something

“I know you can run, Baywatch, but you can’t fly! Stop jumping off things!!”

“Aw, well I know you’ll always be there to catch me.”

“That’s a lot of pressure on someone who can hold a grudge for 2 weeks for eating my bag of gummies.”

One day you were cold and stole his sweatshirt

He never realized you stole it

Completely forgot about it

Until a couple of weeks later you show up wearing it

His face going red and he loses all the words in his head

“What?”

“Nothing, you just look really pretty today.”

“Aw thank you~”

“You’re welcome, will you let me wear the ring now?”

“WEST!!”

Getting into a relationship quickly after that

Nothing much changes

Except you find out he likes kissing you

A lot

So much so that Batman made it a rule not to kiss during missions

Or training

Or debriefing

Or ANYWHERE in his sightline

“Oh, bats don’t be jealous, you’ll find someone eventually.” You giggle as Wally presses butterfly kisses to your shoulder

Cue Batglare

“Um, is he still glaring at us?”

Wally peeking out and then covering himself with the blanket again, “Yup.”

“It’s been like 4 hours.”

If you don’t go to a diner and clean the place out on a date, did you even go out?

He always brings you flowers or a teddy bear or something

Having races to see if you can fly faster than he can run

Some cheating on your part

“Haha! I win!”

“Only because you got a giant teddy bear to hit me in the face!”

“I win!”

Rarely having lazy day dates but when you do you can never even keep your eyes open

Sleeping so hard that people think you’re dead

Again, I say, it’s not a date cuz yall didn’t eat anything

“Isn’t it ironic that we ended up together?”

“Hm?”

“Another speedster and GL.”

“What?!”

“Are Hal and Barry not dating?!”

“NO?! HE’S MARRIED! TO A WOMAN!”

“....are you sure?”

“YES.”

Being the high school sweethearts of the team

When Wally quits the team, you’re still a hero even though he doesn’t like it

Just like he said when he was 15, he eventually proposes

“Marry me?”

“Yes!”

After all the I love you’s and sweet nothings are said and done

“Can you please let me try on the ring now?”

“Sure.”

“Babe this is your engagement ring!!”

“Exactly! And if you ask to try on the ring again, next time I won’t put the engagement ring back on!”

“Okay, okay I’m sorry. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Taglist under the cut

Forever Taglist:

@simonsbluee​

DC Taglist:

@emmacata

@p--e--a--c--h--e--s

@sometimeseverythingsucks

@sokkas-honour

@unstable1902

@lostgirlheart

[fandomlit]

the play (zuko x reader)

requested by anon “i love your avatar stuff!! can i get one where it’s the episode where they went to the play and the people who play zuko and reader kiss and the gaang’s like haha that didn’t happen and you two don’t say anything and they’re like !!! thanks :)”

summary the ember island play is in an insult to the entire gaang. but maybe they got one minor detail right..

gif cred belongs to @yuuki-ko​

the play was practically unbearable to watch. from everyone’s casting to the writing, it was awful. seeing you come in was painful as it was, and seeing how you were portrayed was just as bad.

“now that i have kidnapped you, the avatar will have to come save you, and i will catch him once and for all!” zuko’s actor proclaimed, laughing in a very fakely maniacal way. your actor was tied up off to the side, looking terrified.

“at least they got one thing right,” you grumbled, making your friends laugh as zuko huffed.

this exact scene played out a solid five more times throughout the first act.

“he didn’t really kidnap you this many times, did he?” suki giggled as you were taken once again.

“he did,” you confirmed, eyes still looking at the scene as you smirked. zuko buried his head in his hands.

“im sorry,” he muttered.

you nudged your shoulder against his. “don’t beat yourself up over something ponytail zuko did.” he let out a short laugh.

“haven’t you learned that this method doesn’t work?” your actor scoffed, taking a sassy stance. “all we end up doing is sitting her and talking, and then aang comes and kicks your ass, and we do it all over again a week later.”

zuko’s actor grimaced, “well-”

“and don’t go on that rant about how you’re better prepared this time,” “you” cut off, resting your head against a wall and crossing your arms. “maybe you just like having me around. you didn’t even tie me up this time.”

“are you going to fight me?” “zuko” asked lowly, turning to “you”. his words were soft.

after a moment of eye contact, “you” answered just as softly, “no.”

“zuko” leaned in, bringing your actor into a kiss. then, it was interrupted by a crash from above and “aang” breaking into the room. the gaang laughed as you and zuko avoided each other’s gaze.

“that didn’t happen,” sokka snorted.

“no way,” aang supported. they all looked to the two of you, seeing your blushes and guilty looks. “...right?”

you cleared your throat as zuko awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.

“no way!” sokka shouted, receiving a few hushes. aang’s jaw was on the floor. katara’s eyes were wide. toph and suki didn’t look surprised. you all watched the rest of the act in silence, and you could only imagine the gears turning in your friends’ heads.

at the next intermission, after avoiding katara and sokka’s questions, you escaped to go find where zuko had ran off to. you found him on a balcony of sorts.

“needed some fresh air?” you questioned, clasping your hands behind your back. he barely looked over his shoulder to you.

“something like that,” he said quietly, turning back to the warm night ahead. you walked up slowly to observe the city lights next to him. “im sorry i gave you stockholm syndrome.”

“is that what toph was saying?” you snickered. he didn’t answer. you dropped your teasing smile. “for what it’s worth, it wasn’t stockholm syndrome. it was..” you took a breath. “undeniably a crush.”

he looked over at you from the corner of his eye. “really?” you nodded. he paused, looking down. “what is it now?”

you let a small, embarrassed smile rest on your lips. “you know. same old same old.”

zuko stood up straighter, but you didn’t look over as he turned to you. “why haven’t we talked about it?”

you shrugged, still smiling sheepishly. “i know i wanted to think that that was over.” you finally looked over at him. “but what did you think?”

“i thought you were the most beautiful fugitive i had ever seen,” he admitted. you let out a small laugh, and he gave you a soft smile. “i still do.” you blushed. “but that would just be another reason for the team to get mad at me.”

“for what it’s worth, i don’t think their mad,” you shrugged. “if anything, they’re probably watching us from inside.”

he chuckled, and you joined, leaning closer to each other. he met your eyes and your smile and before he could even think about regretting it, he spoke, “should we give them something to watch?”

your eyebrows barely raised at the suggestion before you finally leaned in and closed the small gap between you and the fire prince. his lips were more gentle than they were those few months ago, just as he was. he took his time to enjoy the kiss, one hand sliding up to rest on your cheek just as he pulled away. 

“you have no idea how long i’ve been waiting for you to do that,” you breathed out, letting out a small laugh. he rolled his eyes at you.

“im glad i did,” he assured, giving you a smile. he went to lean in again, but was unfortunately rudely interrupted.

“i knew it!” sokka cried.

“no, you didn’t,” suki laughed.

“i knew some of it!”

[nono-bunny]

Thoughts from watching the ATLA live action!

Episode 5:

An very fun fight scene to start the episode!

Genuinely love them confirming the fact that Katara is such an excellent bender because she's resourceful and takes inspiration from the other bendings, and it's such an early case of this train of thought too!! I love it! Her and Iroh would get along great, I really want to see a scene with the two of them just hanging out now haha

Lmao Sokka flirting with a Fire Nation soldier is genuinely so in character, my dude is just looking for a date everywhere he goes

Katara is pretty great in this episode so far! She seems much more open and communicative, it feels a bit like she's growing comfortable with Aang which is great to see.

My name is Sokka, rhymes with Okka! Oh? Pippinpaddleopsicopolis coming from Sokka this time? Oh wait is she the third, after Bonzu and June? Anyway, this is a very sweet scene

Are they... Perhaps going to do a parallel big brothers thing here with Shi-Yong and Sokka? That'd be fun!!

Angry, mean Zuko is fun too. Azula... Makes me sad.

Huh... Interesting- Sokka AND Katara get to be in the spirit world here?

Seedy Tavern... IS THIS THE JUNE EPISODE??? Maybe not, but oh my god this is so funny, just... Mentioning the exploits of the animated Gaang that are implied to happen off screen here hahaha. A bit heartbroken about no "I'll save you from the pirates" and mentioning them brought up that pain, but following it up immediately with The Great "worst episode in the series" Divide is fucking fantastic.

June baited me!!! Her and Nyla were outside the pub!! Oml that entire scene was fucking hilarious

Genuinely, why is Wan Shi Tong here, it's so fucking weird. A lot of the changes I can understand, but this dude's whole thing is that he and his library are interconnected- why is he just... Here, outside of it? Fuck, I actually hate this whole thing. I really liked how OG Sokka was kinda spiritually tuned against his will, here his reluctance is just a joke to uplift Katara- it feels bad, and them being unable to understand Wan Shi Tong fucking sucks. Literally why are they even here, genuinely I hate this change a lot. Literally the water siblings' only contribution to the scene is "hehe we can't understand what the magic spirit animal is saying" and it feels insulting, and cheapens everything they adapted here. Also, they literally couldn't even have him say "until we meet again"?? Are we just. Not gonna see him next season and/or ever learn his name? I hate that he appeared here, it was meaningless and didn't fit with ANY of the established lore. It literally was just a character cameo, it fucking sucked balls.

In other news, unhinged Azula!!! I love my girl. Every scene she's in is good and perfect and I love that she's in this season so much!!

I think I can pretty safely say at this point that they're finally getting into the groove of writing Iroh- he's much, MUCH better here!

I like the theme of both Sokka and Katara being in denial about something, and I think that's a fantastic plot thread to have here. That said, I still think having Wan Shi Tong introduce it was a wild choice that contributed nothing- he's literally just there for people who saw the original and would recognize him, and honestly? That makes it worse because you know it doesn't make sense that he's here. That role should've been filled by either another spirit, or someone new entirely. The whole scene with him was just SO bad, but I'm glad they seem to be recovering here.

Pretty funny to see Aang and Katara realize they can't bend only for Sokka to essentially be like "welcome to my world" and be the only useful one by paying attention because he isn't distracted by how weird everything is.

Sokka and foxes. It's a thing. Actually, I'm really happy that they're making sure that Sokka is vital here given that it's originally an episode that revolves around his journey in the spirit world- which it doesn't show too much, because ultimately the focus there is on Aang and the role and powers of the Avatar, so I'm happy to see a focus on Sokka here!

Dangerous fog gives me some P4 vibes ngl, my stress immediately shot up purely through association.

In general the vibes of this episode kinda feel like it can serve as a sort of precursor to The Swamp, which I desperately hope they don't cut because I feel like it could work really well with them having experienced something similar before already!!

Oh no. It's Katara backstory time, isn't it? Oh no. Fuck, literally making Katara relive this is brutal- having older Katara experience most of it somehow hurts more than if she just saw her younger self. Fuck, Katara bending to try and save Kya and having it directly lead to her death is devastating.

Koh?? Ah fuck, this whole thing is emotionally ruining me rn. Btw, Katara's face should 100% be gone, idk why they're once again breaking established rules here just to feature spirit world characters, but I hate it.

So... I hate this Hakoda? He sucks? Why would they make him suck so hard? This is a bad change. Hakoda was ALREADY a bit controversial, they didn't need to make him an asshole. Idk if these are like... Real things that happened or what Sokka is projecting went on behind the scenes, but I hope beyond hope Hakoda isn't actually like this.

Cool, Sokka's face is gone too! What the fuck are they even doing in this episode, I hate it so much, they're legit just alternating between good and bad scenes, it's wild!!

It feels really weird that Aang is automatically emotionless here when meeting with Koh. I don't like it, it feels off, like he was warned- but he wasn't, he has no way to know he should be emotionless, and it isn't exactly his neutral state, so... What the fuck. This episode is a mess. Showing the monkey face has no effect when we didn't see the faceless monkey, Koh has no reason to interfere here... It's all literally just so shoved in and feels so unnatural!!

I... Also can't believe it's really Gyatso, in fact, I don't think he is, and if he is, it feels like the wrong time and wrong way to make me believe it is him.

Still cried, and even though it makes no sense and he's done very little to prove it ig I am meant to belive this is Gyatso, so I'm just. Ignoring how poorly written that whole setup was and focusing on the meat of it- it was heartbreaking, and something I'm very glad Aang got to hear. Even though it wasn't executed super well, I am glad we got to see Gyatso again.

This episode REALLY struggles with it's plot and premise, but it hits all of the characters moments extremely well, and that kinda sucks- it could have been great if they just took out the pointless spirit cameos. Idk why Wan Shi Tong was here, and there's literally no reason to bump Koh up to here instead of later in the season- in fact, it weakens his connection to the plot and completely uproots Hei-Bai's because the focus on him is all but gone. It matters that Aang meets Koh while his physical body is in the Northern Water Tribe, where Kuruk- who faced him and lost- was from. Here his powers barely matter, he appears to just... Eat people? It's weak and doesn't work, and the impact is genuinely so much weaker than the original. I don't get the choice they made here at all, he doesn't even connect to Katara and Sokka in any meaningful way, and I wish the writers felt comfortable enough to just create a new spirit with powers that actually fit rather than just coopt and ruin Koh. Honestly? They could've just made Hei-Bai do it semi-accidentally out of grief and it would've worked better than inserting a being with known powers into a situation that necessitates changing them dramatically to tell the story they want. Koh and Wan Shi Tong should not be in this episode- the only theme connecting them is the spirit world, and by that logic you could put Zuko's banishment and the students' dance party in the same episode because they're both about kids from the Fire Nation. It sucks. As much as episode 3 didn't work, I at least got the idea they were going for- it only didn't work because it was a bad setting for it and because they cut integral character moments, not because it was doomed conceptually, y'know?

So Gyatso is obviously lying to Aang about being able to talk more later... Why? Why the fuck is he doing that? Is he trying to teach Aang a lesson about timing or something? It's weird and I don't get it.

I'm... Confused. Is Aang going to be captured trying to save his friends by going to the Fire Nation?? Are Sokka and Katara just gonna be completely absent next episode given that it's the Blue Spirit one and it'd be overly depressing to just cut to them in captivity on Koh's cave? I don't get it. Aang was literally already in the spirit world, so I don't really get why they wouldn't just have Fang ferry him to the temple and have him meet Roku as a Spirit. Is his physical presence there really so important? It feels weird. Literally how does he think he's going to get there solely on his glider??? Some wild decisions here in this episode, for real.

This episode had probably straight up just the worst adaptation of stuff from the original, while simultaneously having the best original stuff. It's... Disappointing to see that tends to generally be the vibe of this adaptation- they try too hard to bring over beloved stuff from the original, and it's to the detriment of this reimagining that has proven to be capable of some really great stuff. Koh and Wan Shi Tong had no place here, ans Sai and Jet both lost the appeal of their episodes for the sake of just... Having them both appear. For contrast- Bumi was wildly different, they took a pretty big swing with him that evidently not everyone was gonna like- and I thought it was a brilliant alternative depiction of a guy who lived for way too long meeting an important friend from his childhood that never had to face the same difficulties he had, and how they still reconcile at the end even if he's much more bitter about it here. And Bumi STILL struggled from sticking too close to the original- his original jokes don't work in live action, but they were still there, unfortunately lol. Anyway my point is that like? Genuinely this show is doing a good job, and it had a really tough fucking challenge, and I think by trying too hard to appeal to old fans rather than committing to telling the same overall story through a different lens using different methods... It really shot itself in the foot, because purists were never gonna be happy even if they stuck to a 1 to 1 adaptation, let alone when they change stuff- they should've just fucking went wild and created an alternate universe fix it fic that reimagines all the characters AND only uses stuff that works from the original. Here they're clearly forcing some stuff because fans love them, and it shows, because things stop making sense. I know I'm probably contradicting myself a bit: I've always liked Hakoda, so seeing him be a jerk here sucks- and yet, it's an alternative take on his character, what he could've been, and in fact, what some fans see him as! And yet, I still don't like this change. Everyone is gonna have opinions on every change, and I feel like they knew that going in and tried to do their best to mitigate that by including a lot of fan favorite stuff- even when it doesn't work- because isn't it fun to see your favorite thing come to life? You have people saying "At least we got ___" right alongside those that say "Wish we still had ___". This show had an insane amount of pressure on it right from the start, and the fact that it was coming from so many sides surely didn't help mitigate that, but. As much as I'm not pleased with what they did to some of my favorite stuff, it has also proven to me that this version of the story is worthwhile, and it's impossible not to see the care and thought put into it! It'd be a lot easier if I could just hate it or love it, but. Honestly it's so interesting in that each episode features choices that elicit both emotions from me. As much as I truly don't get the thought process behind the early inclusion of Koh and Wan Shi Tong, or why they dropped Sokka from Jet and Aang from The Northern Air Temple... They still did interesting things in these episodes! They have a lot of misses, but they also have a lot of hits, and at the end of the day... I'm genuinely enjoying watching this show! I think that for the most part it could stand on its own really well, and a lot of my gripes with it are stuff that would almost certainly not be an issue for people who haven't watched the original- and that's important too! Even if it disappoints veteran fans, it's important that things don't feel out of place for new ones, and honestly I can't imagine many things here that do! Frankly, it's actually mostly the occasional carry over joke from the original (The dramatic Cabbage Merchant moment is probably a wild thing for people not in the know, for example lmao)

Anyway this episode was. A real mixed bag, and I felt equally as strongly about the things I liked and the things I didn't. It's definitely more disappointing for it, I think- the fact that I really liked some of it while I really didn't like others- but. Overall I think it was probably a good one, and honestly I mostly just wish it was allowed to be more original- which is a great thing, actually! They're doing such a good job with the original/changed aspects of the show that I wish there was more of it, and trust that it could have worked better rather than the existing lore remixed to fit the occasion! Honestly I hope they get some breathing room from the announcement of two more seasons, and that they feel more comfortable with making this their own alternate version of the story rather than an adaptation. Don't get me wrong, they should still follow the general throughlines, but... If this episode has proven anything, it's that they shouldn't force themselves to remix and adapt parts of the original story that they don't think fit in theirs just to check a box.

[sukifans]

aahhh I’m so excited I love your writing!!! your sokka “help me” fic is one of my favs ever I seriously think about it at least twice a week. in a similar vein, would you be able to combine prompts 10 & 12 for sokka x fem!reader? thank you!!! :)

SOKKA + “can i try that new chapstick? i wanna have a taste” + “i hadn’t noticed but my sweet, funny, goofy best friend is kind of hot, especially since they’ve been on this fitness kick”

⇦ 𝘔𝘈𝘚𝘛𝘌𝘙𝘓𝘐𝘚𝘛

“nastiest skank bitches” Group Message

loml: ladies, i need a girls night

loml: desperately

babygorl: god i’m down, this semester blows

fugly slut <3: i’m in!! always here for a girls night 🥰

loml: y/n??

you: gals. pals. as much as i would love to...

fugly slut <3: ughhhhhhhhh

babygorl: you better not be blowing us off for sokka again istg

you: 😅

loml: TRAITOR BITCH

fugly slut <3: HOES BEFORE BROS

babygorl: WHORE

you: bruh.mp3

you: he’s coming by after the gym to help me with my physics homework!!! I NEED THE HELP PLS I PROMISE ILL BE THERE NEXT TIME

babygorl: lying is a sin y/n

babygorl: sinner

loml: if sokka’s gonna b there maybe she’ll be sinning in........ other ways...... ahaha

loml: fuckboy_emoji.jpg

fugly slut <3: when you gonna tap that fr

you: NEVER LITERALLY NO EW

you: HE’S MY BEST FRIEND

you: UNLIKE YOU RATS

fugly slut <3: he do b kinda yummy tho liiiike 👀

you: STOP

loml: yeah he’s hot sorry queen

you: HE’S NOT HOT

babygorl: i almost hate to admit it but...

babygorl: his biceps 🥴

fugly slut <3 emphasized “his biceps 🥴”

loml loved “his biceps 🥴”

you: hey! i hate u guys! jsyk!

fugly slut <3 disliked “hey! i hate u guys! jsyk!”

babygorl disliked “hey! i hate u guys! jsyk!”

loml disliked “hey! i hate u guys! jsyk!”

babygorl: uh huh yeah sure

loml: yall hear sumn?

NEW MESSAGE from sokka :^)

“hey i’m omw up!”

you: whatever you guys suck

you: i gtg

fugly slut <3: AND YOU SWALLOW

babygorl: bye girly!! get that bestie dick!!

loml: save a car, ride an engineering major >:)

you: desgostang.jpg

You dropped your phone onto the bed next to you with a groan. Your friends really and truly could be such freaks about your relationship with Sokka—or lack thereof. They’d been especially adament ever since he started some stupid bet with Zuko about who could get the most “gains” by graduation, incited by Aang making the mistake of commenting on Zuko’s more pronounced muscle mass.

Idiots.

That’s what Sokka was. Your idiotic best friend, who was funny, and sweet, and intelligent. You loved him, of course, but not like that. And he was not hot.

Definitely not.

The pounding on your dorm door interrupted your musings before Sokka let himself in, dropping his gym bag on the floor and kicking off his slides. His hair was loose and still damp from his post-workout shower and he wore slim joggers with a loose muscle tee.

“Hey!” He smiled brightly when he spotted you sitting in your bed. “What’s up?”

“The usual.” You moved your legs out of the way so he could flop down onto your mattress. “How was the gym?”

Sokka groaned. “Cardio. I’m already sore.” He stretched his arms up to fold behind his head, pulling his muscles taut.

Hm. He does kind of have nice biceps...

You shook yourself internally. Thoughts like these had been creeping out of your subconscious for weeks now, no thanks to your rabid friends.

“My leg’s been killing me, though,” he continued, rubbing his opposite foot across the skin that covered that metal pins and plates holding his bones together after a nasty break in high school. The leg often still gave him problems, ranging from the dull ache he could ignore on the day-to-day, to throbbing pain that left him limping.

You frowned, looking away from his arms to meet his eyes. “You should probably rest up before you hurt yourself,” you said.

“I’ll be fine.” He shrugged and propped himself up on his elbows. “Gotta catch up to Zuko, y’know.”

“Why? You’re already taller than him.”

“So? I wanna be more yolked, too.”

You rolled your eyes. “Buncha dumbasses.”

Sokka quirked an eyebrow. “You want this dumbass to help with your physics homework or not?”

“Haha,” you chuckled nervously, “just kidding, buddy! I meant Zuko and Aang. You—definitely not a dumbass. Nope.”

“That’s what I thought.” He shot you a smug look as he pushed up to sit cross-legged across from you on the bed. He held his hand out with a dramatic, world-weary sigh. “Alright, give it here.”

You opened your laptop to pull up the website that hosted your homework practice problems. “You know I love you, right?”

“Mhm,” he hummed, grabbing a notebook and pen from your desk to work out the math as you handed over the computer. He paused before standing to retrieve his bag, plopping it on your desk chair so he could root through it and pull out his glasses case. You felt your cheeks warm a little when he set the frames on the bridge of his nose.

Fine—he was kinda cute. You could concede that without having to dig too deep into your somewhat jumbled feelings for your best friend.

But you would certainly not “tap that.”

Well...

No. You would not.

You watched his eyes flick over the screen as he tapped the pen against his chin, catching the cap between his teeth while he thought about the formulas he’d learned in a past semester. He nodded to himself and started scribbling out a diagram and the math to go with it. You found yourself a little mesmerized by the way he simply just knew what to do, confidently scratching away at the paper as easily as one might write the alphabet. Your eyes trailed from his long fingers and calloused hand sweeping over the page, up his toned arm (lingering on his bicep a little longer), and to his face. He chewed at the inside of his cheek in concentration, sometimes parting his lips to murmur the logic to himself.

For someone who often said a lot of stupid shit, he sure had a pretty mouth.

You considered what he might do if you snatched a fistful of his shirt and yanked him into a kiss. Would he shove you away and leave? Awkwardly but kindly reject you? Or, would he kiss you back—throw the work out of the way and grab your face to coax you in deeper? Maybe push you back onto the bed and—

“Okay, so basically—”

Jesus Christ, get a fucking grip.

“—from the problem and draw it out like this to apply the formula, yeah?”

Sokka looked to you expectantly and you blinked at him as your face burned. “Sorry, I zoned out. What did you say?”

“C’mon, I know you hate physics but you gotta at least pay attention to me if you wanna pass,” he teased, shifting close enough that the sides of your bodies pressed together. Was it getting warmer in your room, or was it just your best friend?

He launched into the explanation again and you nodded along while internally willing the blood to leave your cheeks. Even as your thoughts ricocheted around inside your skull he managed to break it down in a way that somewhat made sense. He sat back and watched as you slowly worked through the next problem. You glanced up when you heard a soft pop to see him applying chapstick.

“Is that a new flavor?” you asked.

“Yeah, chocolate orange or something.” He held the tube out to you. “Wanna try?”

Fuck it.

Before your rationality could catch up you pressed a hand to his cheek to turn his head and pulled him in for a kiss. Your lips only slotted together for a brief moment before you pulled back to stare wide-eyed at each other. You could feel the fire creeping from your cheeks down your neck, mirrored in the reddening of his tanned skin.

He blinked. You blinked.

The chapstick slipped from between his fingers. Rationality arrived late.

You bolted.

“Uh, see ya later!” you shouted as you threw the door open and rushed out of the room.

“Wait, (Y/N)—“

You didn’t stick around to hear the end of his desperate call. Even thought it was your dorm and you were barefoot you still raced down the hall, wincing at the sound of a door slamming behind you.

“(Y/N)!”

Damn that lanky bastard. You were booking it and he was already hot on your heels. You barreled into the door leading to the stairwell and almost made it down the first step when he grabbed you around the waist and yanked you back. Despite your struggles, the arm hooked across your middle was unyielding until he pushed you into the corner and crowded you against the wall, hands caging you in from either side. Your heart was racing and you weren’t sure if it was because of your escape attempt or that he was close enough you could smell his body wash and deodorant. It was almost enough to make your head spin.

“Sokka, I-I don’t know why—I’m sorry, please, I shouldn’t’ve—“

“(Y/N),” he said firmly and your mouth snapped shut. “Why did you run away?”

“Uh, I—well, um...” You shrunk down against the wall and swallowed hard. “I-I don’t know.”

“You didn’t even give me a chance to respond.”

“Look—“ You paused and stared at him once you processed what he said. “What?”

He laughed, dropping one of his hands to brush against your cheek before threading into your hair to cup the base of your skull. “You really don’t get it, do you?”

“Get what?”

With that he surged forwards and kissed you enthusiastically, making you gasp into his mouth. You balled your hands into the front of his shirt to keep yourself steady as you melted into him. His free hand pressed into your lower back to bring you in closer. His tongue slipped out to tease at your bottom lip and he chuckled when you had to quickly grab his shoulders as your knees almost buckled.

“Get that,” he murmured against your lips, pressing his forehead to yours as the two of you gasped for air.

“Oh,” you breathed, “that.” You hummed happily when he kissed you again, his stubble scratching against your chin and under your palms when you cupped his face.

You both looked up when a stairwell door somewhere above you slammed open, followed by a group of jostling male voices. Sokka grinned when you glanced at him with wide eyes and shiny, swollen lips. You tried to hide behind him as the clamor bounded closer and closer. The group of guys rounded the next flight and gave shouts of recognition upon seeing you two standing against the wall.

“Sokka!”

“Hey, man!”

“Hey, guys,” Sokka said, holding his hand up in greeting.

“What’s up?”

“Oh, is that (Y/N)?”

“Nice, dude!”

“Ah, yeah...” He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck and you raised an eyebrow at his turned head. They all cheered and congratulated him, slapping his back as they passed and disappeared down the next set of stairs. When Sokka met your eyes again you cocked your head.

“Who were they?” you asked.

“Honestly, I’m not sure.”

“Sokka.”

“My reputation precedes me, what can I say?”

“Mine doesn’t.”

“Well—“ he suddenly became very interested in the underside of the stairs above you “—my reputation may or may not involve talking about you. A lot, apparently.”

“Huh?”

“I don’t do it on purpose!” he interjected quickly, taking your hands in his. “It’s just—I dunno, I guess I think about you a lot, so...”

“Oh.”

“Fuck, okay, that sounded weird.” You laughed a little at his embarrassed floundering. “I just mean, like, things that remind me of you or, y’know, stories that involve you...” he trailed off, flushing at your amused smile. “Stop it!”

“Stop what?”

“Making fun of me!”

“I didn’t say anything,” you giggled, hooking your arms around his neck.

“You’re still laughing at me,” he whined, lips turning into a frown. His hands slipped back down to your waist.

“You’re cute.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Without preamble, he ducked down and hoisted you over his shoulder as you shrieked in protest. “Sokka! Put me down!”

“No can do, baby; we have unfinished business to attend to.” He said as he marched you back in the direction of your room.

“You’re gonna finish my physics homework?”

“Nope.”

Oh.

A/N: 2k words bc, again, i have no self control. thank you for the request!

ATLA TAGS: @hotgirlazula @octophopi @blazedbakugou @protect-remus @akiris @sunflowerazula @wooscottoncandyhair @chewymoustachio @ohno-caroline @sunflowerr-mami @1vitamin @ladylizzieofdarbyshire @u-4iia @nymeria-targaryen @tommy-braccoli @dizzy-miss-lizzieeeeee @a-sloppy-bitch @nomin-rights @siriuslyslyslytherin @starryncn

SOKKA TAGS: @fiantomartell @avatarayeaye @zvkta @sher-lockedmarvel @grandmascottlang @captainshazamerica @yuesallura

[erisenyo]

WITH THE ACTUAL CORRECT ASK GAME THIS TIME SORRY ANON

4. what fic of your own do you read for comfort?

It's not necessarily for comfort, but sometimes I just want to drop into a specific interpersonal dynamic or character moment again. I reread parts of Of Tea and Turtle Ducks (and the Turtle Duck Guy) like the end sequence and the scene where Zuko is overwhelmed by baby ducks/the realization that Sokka was flirting with him.

I really like how the Gaang friendship dynamic came out in (With Wonder and Care) Read For Far-Flung Dreams so sometimes I pop back in there, and I really enjoy the vibe of To Be Named, To Be Known (To Be Loved) so that's the one I've probably reread in full the most. I also just really like the way the boys' relationship came out in Oh, The Way Your Makeup Stains My Pillowcase and sometimes I don't want to go searching through other smut to find it lol

If I get comments about specific scenes I'll often go back and reread them, too, so I tend to reread parts of the Ba Sing Se arc of These Things Unsaid and the big love declaration in These Things Known a lot haha

17. What’s the best engagement/interaction/feedback you’ve received from someone who’s read your work?

This is really hard to answer because truly the people who comment on my stuff have been so beyond amazing right from the start! And I am absolutely cheating with the volume of people mentioned here but are we surprised?

@laron1a leaves these amazingly detailed comments reacting almost line by line as they go through a fic which is so fun to read and also really great to see what pops out and how things land writing-wise. @demondarakna similarly comments with such depth and thoughtfulness, and I think @ash-and-starlight broke my brain when I realized the person leaving such nice things to say on my stories was one of my absolute favorite artists haha

Another commenter on AO3 (MTB) has this wonderful way of distilling down scenes and character interactions that feels like she's cracking open my brain and pulling out all these threads and connections I didn't realize I was making, and our conversations have made me such a better writing from a worldbuilding and characterization lens. And of course @spacecasehobbit who I have probably exchanged multiple novel's worth of conversation and feedback and thoughts with, and who was one of the first people early when I was posting to really reply back and engage in two-way conversation and now we talk meta all the time and have a book club and talk about fic ideas with each other and it's wonderful haha

Deep fic writer asks: 4 & 17

#4. What work of yours has the most hits?

Most hits in 2022 would be These Things Known at 36,578, which somewhat feels like it is cheating in that it's like 33 chapters so it was high in those Zukka results for a while.

I was also vaguely surprised that it was wholly posted this year, I forgot how long I was posting the Burning Bright series for, it's wild that it wrapped back in April, it feels like so long ago and also like I was posting it for years.

#17. Your favorite character to write this year?

In my other answer I said Azula, and I think she still carries it because her voice is just so different and unique compared to some of the other characters I've talked so far.

That said, I was recently reflecting on how fun and nice it was to write (With Wonder and Care) To Reach for Far Flung Dreams and get to showcase a Sokka being overwhelmed in a good way by how much the people in his life care for him. So getting to write an in-relationship Zuko who feels confident and comfortable expressing his affection and an in-relationship Sokka who is able to just embrace being cared for and loved instead of the one Doing The Caring was also pretty wonderful, and a different flavor on them than falling-in-love-Zukka is.

From this AO3 wrapped ask game!