#anti order of the white lotus

[peregrinvs]

(The below is a show-only question.)

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

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

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

Thanks for the ask!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[skratchpaper]

Order of the White Lotus Headcanon

There is no such thing as a "Grand Lotus" - the title was invented purely to cater to the egos of powerful men who need to feel more special than others. The real members of the Order of the White Lotus use this title as a way to easily recognise assets* of the order that are highly volatile and need to be handled delicately. e.g. When a Grand Lotus gives an order, the order may be obeyed... or the illusion of obedience will be provided.

There may or may not be a true group of leaders in the order. But if there is, it certainly doesn't consist of former conquerors, misogynists, reigning monarchs and/or people with less than two decades of membership.

*Yes, I am saying that "the old masters" aren't actually members, they just think they are. Easiest way to prevent them from getting temperamental and trying to wipe out the order... The order may or may not have used trial and error to figure this system out.

[zuko-always-lies]

Like what did the White Lotus even do for a hundred years, it had high placed members in multiple world governments and they never tried to orchestrate peace talks or a cease fire? did they sabotage war efforts or promote humanitarian relief efforts?

Played Pai Sho, gossiped, drank tea, shared ideas they liked, and did favors for each other? And maybe cooperated to manipulate certain political events for their personal interests. Like, that honestly seems close to what the writers originally imagined the organization to be in Book 2, like basically a more powerful version of the Freemasons. For instance, Masonry does (or is supposed to) cut across political divides, and Masons are obligated "to support a fellow Mason in distress."

Presenting the White Lotus as opposed to the Fire Nation in the series finale was an odd creative choice, for many reasons, but the idea that they were some sort of resistance organization seems to mostly be a fandom invention.

And of course, what TLOK did with them was extremely weird in a different way, and honestly seems oddly War on Terror inspired in certain ways (like "secret torture prisons where we secretly hold our enemies prisoners without trial").

[shit-solkat]

Names for every sprite (canon and not) - Homestuck

After this post (link), I started thinking about names for every sprite (prototyped Kernelsprites) that isn't simply their names smashed together. You can totally disagree with me :) I'm fine with it.

Yes, I will also explain my thought process and the names' meanings.

Note: I love using common words as names, but there will be other options as well :)

Note2: I find translations and meanings on google; of course I don't know all the languages of the world. So if I fuck-up some names, pardon :( (I can't fuck-up italian names cuz I'm italian tho lolz).

Note3: Not everyone has 2 names, it's hard :c

Note4: Many characters miss, and I WANT to make a second part!!! So don't worry too much about it (but you can totally contribute if you want :) )

Note5: No ship tagged cuz it's not a ship list lolz, but you can consider it like that if you want :3

Long post

Canon:

* Davepetasprite^2 = Paws, Hunter

>Paws: cuz i said so (scientific answer).

>Hunter: Both cats and crows are hunter-animals.

* Erisolsprite = Selvhad, Jabez

>Selvhad: "Self-hatred" in Danish.

>Jabez: Hebrew name, meaning "born in pain".

* Fefetasprite = Harcsa, Nyna

>Harcsa: Means Catfish in Hungarian.

>Nyna: Means "enclosure of fish" in Babylonian, but it sounds kind of like Nya/Nyan too (onomatopoeia for cats in japanese). Also, niña in spanish translate to little girl (which is cute).

Non-canon, random order:

* Johnrosesprite = Spring, Aurora

>Spring: When there's a lot of sun but breeze as well.

>Aurora: Girl-name (so perfect for Junerosesprite); an Aurora in italian also refers to Northern Lights, which are formed through "solar winds" (at least that's how we call them).

^* Rosejadesprite = Spring (it's perfect here too!!), Wisteria

>Spring: There is SUN, the FLOWERS blossom!!!

>Wisteria: Purple flower that is toxic to cats and dogs (and horses, if you care).

* Aradavesprite = Jikan, Horatia/o

>Jikan: Means Time in Japanese.

>Horatia/o: Latin names that means Timekeeper (or Hour, Time, Season). Horatia is feminine while Horatio is masculine, I imagine them simply switch from day to day.

* Jadekansprite (Jade+Kanaya) = Lotus, Zhade

>Lotus: Frogs often use Lotus leaves (alternative to frog leaves, called "common plantain" lol).

>Zhade: French name that means "precious stone". It's Jade in french, basically.

* Johnluxsprite = Netsky, Cloud

>Netsky: It's a PC virus. I choose it because of its name. Obvious reasons.

>Cloud: Another word for name srr, but John=Wind/Sky, Sollux=PC, Cloud=The thing on the sky & The App(s) (there are many).

* Solkatsprite (/Katluxsprite) = Downup, Moros

>Downup: One of the names of a powerful virus, which locks all accesses to infected advices and that permits to others to control the device from distance. It mostly uses fake anti-virus programs to spread - like "scareware" (it was used as a war weapon too).

>Moros: In Greek means "Doom"/"Impending Doom", but it also looks like moron so of course I had to include it.

* Rosekansprite = Rosemary, Ambrosia

>Rosemary: Yes, their ship name. But it simply fits!!

>Ambrosia: It's the Gods' food; Ambrosia is the *pollen* that Gods drink to stay immortal.

* Calliejadesprite = Titan, Oxalis

>Titan: Could be just me flashing like crazy, but anyways the Titans where the children of Heaven (Calliope, a Cherubin) and Earth (Jade, who saved Earth + plants + green + oh my god).

>Oxalis: It's a flower that looks like a candy cane.

* Davejadesprite = Saros

>Saros: A period of about 18 years between repetitions of solar and lunar eclipses.

* Calliroxysprite = Mojito

>Mojito: It's a "candy alcoholic drink", made with white rum, sugar, *lime juice*, soda water, and mint.

* Aratavsprite = Cornelius/Cornelia

>Cornelius/Cornelia: Means "horn" in Latin :) Cornelius=masculine, Cornelia=feminine.

* Nepquiusprite = Witten, Kamala

>Witten: Masculin Germanic name that means "Pale person" (also "Blonde" but ignore that part).

>Kamala: Hawaiian femminine name that means both "Lotus" and "pale red".

* Vriskansprite = Kyanite

>Kyanite: Blue-Green gemstone that has healing properties (allegedly), useful for low blood pressure, relief from physical pain, as well as a mind-calmer for trauma-recovery.

[in-danmei-hell-send-help]

I think what kills me about Jiang Cheng antis is that a lot of their talking points reek of anti survivor rhetoric. As someone who is a survivor and has done a lot of advocacy for victims and survivors of power based personal violence, I want to be the first to inform you that the narrative of the “pretty survivor” (which is steeped in cishet normative, white supremacist, and ableist ideas) is an extremely rare case. Trauma survivors are rarely pretty. The Wei Wuxian’s of the world are incredibly uncommon. 

Trauma--especially intense, horrific trauma like what Jiang Cheng went through--often leads to intense issues of anger and hatred. It makes you deeply emotional and can often lead to you becoming unstable. Jiang Cheng lost his entire family and community in the span of a few years. He didn’t have access to therapy (something that literally anyone would need to heal from that), he had to rebuild his entire sect, likely had to fight an uphill battle in order to be a significant part of Jin Ling’s life, all while cleaning up the mess that Wei Wuxian left behind.

This is not to hate on Wei Wuxian, he’s my third favorite character (after Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji) and I love him deeply, but he left behind a legacy that Jiang Cheng had to clean up. Whether or not he realized this would happen, Wei Wuxian created a cultivation path (gui dao/ghost cultivation) that is extremely dangerous and horrific. While I still don’t know if I believe that Jiang Cheng killed every demonic cultivator he came across, I don’t know that it was necessarily a bad thing that he did kill them. We’ve talked a lot in the cxc server about gui dao and demonic cultivation and just how much it harms the mind and body. Wei Wuxian is the exception to the rule in having such control over it and even he eventually succumbed to it. If demonic cultivators are causing great harm, then a cultivators job is to stop that harm and the source of it. That may mean killing the demonic cultivator. I think people get mixed up when (I think it was Jingyi) said that Jiang Cheng kills the wrong person. I believe it was @twilightarc-gm who said that “wrong” doesn’t imply innocent but rather the fact that the person isn’t Wei Wuxian. We know that Jiang Cheng spent thirteen years trying to find Wei Wuxian and when he does find him, he doesn’t kill him despite having literally every reason to.

Like idk y’all, if the guy that got my entire clan wiped out, my sect burned down, and caused the deaths of my sister and her husband died and came back from dead, I wouldn’t just threaten him with a dog and yell at him. I would kill him. But he doesn’t he has every opportunity to in multiple instances after confirming that it’s Wei Wuxian, but he never does. He seems more interested in dragging Wei Wuxian home (literally stating that he’s going to bring Wei Wuxian home to Lotus Pier to kneel before his parents’ graves). Like that doesn’t imply that he’s going to kill Wei Wuxian, but rather make him repent. 

I think it’s telling that despite a lot of Jiang Cheng’s hurt and pain, he still chooses to not severely hurt or kill Wei Wuxian, it would be within his right to do so, but in the end after it’s all over, he let’s Wei Wuxian go. He doesn’t tell Wei Wuxian that he sacrificed himself for him, because he knew that Wei Wuxian would feel guilty and obligated to him, just like Wei Wuxian knew Jiang Cheng would feel guilty and obligated. That to me shows a survivor choosing to break the cycle of hurt and pain and I have to question why Jiang Cheng antis so often choose to ignore the side of him that does love Wei Wuxian (it’s up to the viewer whether they see that love as romantic or platonic), enough so to let him go and not burden him with pain.

Jiang Cheng’s story and character arc is at it’s core about trauma, survival, and rising above dire circumstances despite the odds. He attempts the impossible and manages to succeed in it. And to ignore that is a disservice to his character, survivors of trauma, and the effort MXTX put into creating such a complex and interesting character.

[web-novel-polls]

Best Hater Upper Bracket

Please vote for whoever’s best at being a hater, not who you like the most. If unfamiliar with a character, check out the propaganda below the cut! 

Su She from Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (MDZS)

“Stop thinking so highly of yourself. Who told you I cursed Jin Zixuan in order to frame you? Back then, I wasn’t working for Sect Leader at all. I cursed him simply because I wanted to!” ….Su She, “Those as arrogant as him--I’ll kill every single one who comes my way!” - Su She to Wei Wuxian, Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, EXR, Chapter 104

No propaganda submitted

Mod Propaganda: Haterism so bad he straight up made a new sect. Cursed Jin Zixun. Has beef with a guy who barely knows he exists. 

Wiki Link

Shen Yuan / Shen Qingqiu from The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System (SVSSS)

Submission 1: He was an anti fan that literally got so mad at a novel he was reading that he died and then was transmigrated into the novel he hated (besides the main character) as the villain. The author of said novel also transmigrated and they formed a love/hate broship.

Submission 2: 

My man is the hater-est hater to ever hate, except like Kendrick Lamar. He hate-read a webnovel with over 20 million words, and left scathing commentary on every single chapter. Even the author Shang Qinghua, of the webnovel PIDW, which by subtext was very very popular, knew Shen Yuan (Peerless Cucumber) as the legendary anti-fan.  He hated it (everything except the protagonist Luo Binghe) so much that after reading the last chapter, he choked and died (...slight exaggeration). Shen Yuan also proceeded to transmigrate into the novel, make everyone fall in love with him, use the power of headpats and 'a smile from the cold beauty' to overturn the genre from harem-esqe to danmei, bending the protagonist. Tldr, the power of Shen Yuan's haterism turned Cool Edgy Awesomely Powerful Protagonist Luo Binghe to soggy wet clingy white lotus bing-bong Bingmei, and it's honestly better off this way <3 

Submission 3: he's an internet hater screenname Peerless Cucumber who hates this webnovel so much he dies and transmigrates into it to fix the entire plot and also he's left so many hate comments the author (fellow transmigrator) knows and remembers who he is after being in the webnovel world for decades. Dedication.

[bestepisode]

The top 8 episodes from each season will move on to the next round.

Vote on the second half of the season here!

Episode descriptions are under the cut.

Welcome to Republic City

Seventy years after the events concluding Avatar: The Last Airbender, Aang has died and the Order of the White Lotus discovers the new Avatar, Korra, in the Southern Water Tribe. By the age of 17, Korra has mastered the elements of water, earth, and fire, but has not yet been able to airbend. Kept under lock and key by White Lotus for her own protection, she is frustrated by her isolation from the rest of the world, and eagerly anticipates completing her training with Master Tenzin, the son of Katara and Aang, and the only airbending master. However Tenzin also serves on the council of the United Republic (a new fifth nation created by Avatar Aang and Firelord Zuko in the period between the two series) and civil unrest in the capital, Republic City, forces him to postpone her training. Unwilling to live under the strict confines of her life with the White Lotus anymore, Korra absconds from her compound on her massive polar bear-dog Naga and stows away on a vessel bound for Republic City, a bustling and rapidly modernizing capital of world affairs. After a clash with local triads, she is arrested by Lin Beifong, head of Republic City's metalbending police force and the daughter of Toph, until Tenzin bails her out and allows her to stay with him. Meanwhile, antagonist 'Amon' is identified as the leader of the anti-bender "Equalist" movement--the movement's numbers are swiftly swelling due to inequities between benders and non-benders and its extremist militant arm is beginning to kidnap benders whose fates are initially unknown.

A Leaf in the Wind

Frustrated by her continued inability to bend air, Korra visits Republic City's pro-bending arena against Tenzin's wishes. There, she befriends Bolin and Mako, two brothers on the "Fire Ferrets" pro-bending team. Filling in for their absent third member Korra initially suffers due to her inexperience, but wins the match using airbending principles. Tenzin, impressed, allows Korra to stay on the team.

The Revelation

Trying to collect money for their pro-bending fees, Bolin is recruited by the Triple Threat Triads, but they are all abducted by the Equalists. At an Equalist rally, Amon demonstrates his ability to permanently remove the bending powers of the captive gangsters, but Mako and Korra rescue Bolin before Amon can do the same to him.

The Voice in the Night

Republic City Councilman Tarrlok creates a task force to capture Amon, and eventually recruits the reluctant Korra. Mako gains a paramour in Asami Sato, the daughter of industrialist Hiroshi Sato, who sponsors the Fire Ferrets in the competition. After some success on the task force, Korra challenges Amon to a duel. She is ambushed and captured by Equalists, but Amon, not wishing to make her a martyr, does not take away her bending but implies that he will eventually do so. Shortly after, Tenzin finds her, deeply traumatized and terrified as a consequence of the attack.

The Spirit of Competition

Mako courts Hiroshi's daughter, Asami, much to the annoyance of Korra, who spends an evening with Bolin instead. Later, she kisses Mako, upsetting Bolin and the Fire Ferrets' chances in the championship. By the end of the episode, the Fire Ferrets forgive each other and advance to the championship match against the three-time defending champions, the popular and highly arrogant Wolfbats.

And the Winner Is...

Amon threatens to attack the pro-bending arena if the Council does not cancel the championship, but Chief Lin Beifong promises to protect the stadium. The Wolfbats win the match by bribing the referees to ignore foul play. After the match is over, the Equalists, having infiltrated the arena in force, neutralize Chief Beifong's metalbenders using electric gloves, and Amon strips the Wolfbats of their bending abilities before a shocked crowd. Korra and Beifong free themselves and fight the Equalists, but the Equalists escape in an airship and the arena is heavily damaged in the fray.

[kaothedemon]

● LMX-000 Galatea -> LMX-000N Galatea Nerine

(a.k.a. the main mech in my novel)

● Height: abt. 21m

● Power Plant: Ultracompact Fission reactor (previously), Ultracompact Deuterion Fusion reactor

● Armaments:

High-Power Prototype Beam Rifle: can fire powerful beam shots: normal, charged, or rapid fire. Its power is almost comparable to a small-to-medium spaceship's main cannons. When not in use, it can connect to normally concealed hardpoints on the back of the waist and on the side of the calves.

2× Spread Beam Cannons/Beam Vulcans: standard mobile doll armament, located in the head, as the name implies these weapons can serve as weaker rapid fire weapons, or can charge up a spread beam shot, followed by a brief cooldown before they can fire again.

2× Variable-Intensity-Blade Plasma Sword/Javelin: the standard close range armament for most mobile dolls, it is a small device held in the mobile doll's hands when operated and is powered by the unit's reactor. It emits a blade of plasma contained by an A-Field and can cut through most armor not treated with anti-beam coating. The blade's shape, length and intensity can be changed to fit the situation, and its handle can extend to form a Plasma Javelin. The Galatea uses an experimental, more powerful variant, and stores them in its forearms.

10× small Psycho Bits: stored in the unit's new thighs, each funnel-shaped Bit possesses 9 micro-thrusters for movement, 4 small beam emitters, and a larger central one. Together they can form a beam barrier, and can return to their storage units to recharge.

2× large Composite Armament Booster Units (CABU): located on the unit's back, these spherical Psycho Bits aid the Galatea's agility and speed, though rendering its maneuverability harder to master. Each Bit has 6 beam cannons, that can easily switch to thrusters, and 8 additional micro-thrusters.

2× Nerine Variable Speed-Intensity Plasma Cannons: exclusive to the Nerine modifications, these powerful beam cannons can alter the strength, speed, and intensity of their shots, even being able to concentrate their plasma enough to make it behave almost like a solid projectile.

● Special Equipment and Characteristics

White Rabbit System: an experimental learning-personality AI in the Galatea. More simplistically speaking, it's the Galatea itself, made to assist a "witch" pilot (shut up I started writing before WfM shut up shut up).

Intention Automatic System: translates strong brainwaves into data, allowing witch pilots to control the Galatea with their thoughts alone, however overuse of the system can bring organ failure due to the heavy exchange of data.

Ultracompact Jetta Drive: a highly experimental miniaturized version of the standard Jetta Drive for faster than light travel. Its use in conjunction with the CABUs causes an effect known as "Wings of Light".

● History:

When the aging monarch of Anur Khufos began growing paranoid of a possible attack from the moon Loum, he ordered the Galatea to be constructed by Lotus Electronics. After the coup d'etat led by his son Dijehd, he abdicated, leading to the planet becoming a republic. Dijehd, now representative of Lotus Electronics, gifted the Galatea to Drusus, emperor of Loum, and his fiancé Matias, as they set off on their mission to change Earth for the better.

It later became the personal unit of Kyoji Vianno, the emperors' human bodyguard, and highly skilled engineer. By his request, the Galatea's color scheme was changed from white, blue, and red, to white and grayish-lilac. The head's monoeye sensor was switched out for double eye cameras, and its single antenna was replaced by 2 "bunny ear" antennas. Back on Loum, Kyoji and the Shirk engineer Anakletos created the Intention Automatic System, and later modified the Galatea to have all of its IAS-related features and equipment.

After years at the emperors' service, Kyoji started a journey to the stars, taking the Galatea and experimental mobile armor Athena with himself. He returned almost 100 years later (having survived thanks to body-regulating nanomachines) to clean up the corruption within the Galactic Confederation, and played an important role in defeating the terrorist group Cannonball that took over several colonies, and almost succeeded in dropping one still in construction on Loum, fighting off their leader Omega, who during the battle piloted the stolen Athena. After the war ended, the Galatea was repaired and upgraded with the Nerine equipment.

[bard-llama]

Hello there! I was wondering if you had any plans to make a sequel to Fire and Water? No pressure! Just curious.

Definitely! Unfortunately, I've been pretty stuck on the beginning of the next part, but I can share a bit of it? This book is going to be more about Earth and Air, while last one was Fire and Water (thus the titles.... 😅), so we're starting to explore the mythos around the Spirits of Earth. I have a lotta vague plans, but not a lot solid on that, so should be interesting to see how it shakes out.

I hate tumblr formatting with my whole heart, so I'm just gonna stick this under a cut. Warning: it is not very long, sorry.

The mood in Atuat was upbeat and fond as the dance party that had overtaken the settlement finished their last move, led by the Fire Prince and the Avatar. Said Fire Prince was still blushing over all the attention, but he was also smiling when his crew approached him. 

“So, where are you headed next, sir?” Crewman Taka asked.

“We’re going to Omashu to ask the King if he’ll teach the Avatar earthbending,” Zuko said. “Should be interesting.”

“Are you… going in disguise?” Ensign Sana asked, concern in her voice even as she leaned into her husband’s side.

“Hmm. Good question,” Zuko responded, not actually having thought that far ahead. “Probably? I mean, it’s the Earth Kingdom.”

“Well, good thing you’re Water Tribe now, then,” Sokka said. “You can just be Kala, it’ll be fine.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Zuko shrugged. 

“We can tell Bumi, though,” Aang said, confidence in his voice. 

“You sure about that?” Katara asked, something dubious in her voice. “I mean, I guess he didn’t seem particularly anti-Fire Nation, but hasn’t Omashu been fighting off the Fire Nation for like a hundred years?”

“Yeah,” Zuko agreed. “Pretty notoriously.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Aang said, that same confidence still in his voice. “Bumi won’t care. Me and him and Kuzon were inseparable a hundred years ago!”

Zuko frowned. That name was familiar. And not just because it was a pretty common one in the Fire Nation. No, Aang had mentioned that name to him before, when talking about–

“Kuzon was your friend in the Fire Nation a hundred years ago?”

“Yep! I mean, not my only one – I knew a lotta people in the Fire Nation! But me and Kuzon and Bumi, we were best friends, you know? All three of us.” Aang smiled softly, eyes distant. Then he shook himself. “So Bumi would never hold being Fire Nation against anyone!”

Zuko shared a doubtful look with Sokka. “I mean,” Sokka started hesitantly, “that was a hundred years ago, before the war.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Aang said firmly. 

“Actually,” Uncle cleared his throat, “Aang is correct. King Bumi is… eccentric, certainly. But I do not believe he would take offense at your bloodline, Prince Zuko.”

“You… know him?” Zuko asked in surprise.

“I do. Bumi is a member of the Order of the White Lotus,” Uncle said quietly. “He has been for many, many years. In fact…” he trailed off, glancing around them at the many, many listening ears.

Zuko, who didn’t much care about the Order of the White Lotus’ secrecy, arched an eyebrow in demand.

Uncle sighed heavily. “It was Pakku who brought me into the fold,” he said, keeping his voice quiet. “But it is thanks to Bumi that I am where I am today.”

Zuko’s crew, who may not have actually known about the Order of the White Lotus, mostly just looked confused. 

“And where is that?” Sokka asked, head cocked in curiosity. 

“Ah.” Uncle coughed. “I am the Grand Lotus.”

Zuko blinked. “What does that mean?”

Ku – the construction waterbender who’d initially revealed the Order of the White Lotus to Zuko and the others leading the refugees from the Northern Water Tribe who had ultimately settled Atuat under Chief Yue’s leadership – cleared his throat. “The Grand Lotus leads the Order,” he said delicately.

Zuko blinked again. “Wait. What!?”

“I joined the Order under the leadership of the last Grand Lotus,” Uncle said softly. “They weren’t delighted by who I was, but I was accepted as an initiate. Then…”

“Then Grand Lotus Zexian died,” Ku filled in. “Everyone expected that King Bumi would be the next Grand Lotus. But then King Bumi nominated…”

“Me,” Uncle finished. “It was a difficult transition, but Bumi’s word and confidence counts for a lot. Not just as King of Omashu, but as… well, Bumi.”

Zuko frowned. He wasn’t sure how he felt about the idea of Uncle being the leader of his stupid Pai Sho club full of gossips. 

“It’s still weird to think of Bumi as King,” Aang said quietly. “When I knew him, he was just a kid living in Omashu, you know? Except, well. Bumi never had a family or a house or anything. He would say that all of Omashu was his home.”

“King Bumi was homeless?” Zuko repeated, surprised.

“He didn’t live anywhere, he would say. He lived everywhere.” Aang shrugged. “He was always really good at taking care of himself. And when we were all together, Monk Gyatso would take care of us.” He curled in on himself, grief on his face. “I miss that.”

“So,” Sokka coughed. “What happened to Kuzon?”

“He spoke out against the Genocide of the Air Nomads,” Uncle said, voice solemn. “Then he left the Fire Nation and joined Bumi. Together, they’ve ruled Omashu for almost a century and successfully fought back the Fire Nation advance.”

“Whaaaat?” Sokka frowned. “There was no old Fire Nation guy in Omashu when we were there!”

“He was traveling,” Aang whispered. “Bumi told me. I hope maybe he’s back. I wanna see him again.”

No one quite knew what to say to that.

“So, you’re going to Omashu to see if this King Bumi can teach the Avatar earthbending?” Crewman Saizu asked eventually.

“Yeah,” Zuko agreed. “The King of Omashu is supposed to be the best earthbender in the world.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah.”

“So… what do you actually know about the Earth Kingdom?” asked Aimeru, one of the leaders of the troops that had defied the invasion. 

“What do you mean?”

She let out an ‘I dunno’ noise. “Never been there. Always preferred the threat of drowning to getting my limbs crushed.”

Zuko winced, but from the murmuring around them, she was far from the only one to feel that way. He himself had been around the Earth Kingdom a little bit – but he’d hardly been doing cultural research during that time. Which meant their best sources for information were Aang, who had traveled the whole world a hundred years ago, and Uncle, who had led the Fire Nation’s advance across the Earth Kingdom and held their capital under siege for 600 days.

“The Earth Kingdom is quite varied,” Uncle said slowly. “By sheer territory, it is the largest nation there is. However, the Earth King is not so centrally followed, as in the Fire Nation. Indeed, it is said that outside of Ba Sing Se, the Earth King’s power is quite limited, ever since they withdrew all military support from most of the continent. Their defenses are concentrated around Ba Sing Se – but that means that places like Omashu are more or less completely sovereign.”

“I dunno about any of that,” Aang said, “but even a hundred years ago, Omashu was kinda separate. I remember people there used to be mixed about the idea of following a distant Earth King, when their King was supposed to be the most powerful. But Oma and Shu bequeathed the line of the Earth Kings with power over the whole continent, including Omashu.”

“Really? Why?”

Aang shrugged. When they all turned to Uncle, he shrugged too. 

“If that knowledge was ever known, it has now been lost,” Uncle said solemnly.

[lok-repository]

From the purported lok series bible pdf:

Avatar: The Legend of Korra Created by Bryan Konietzko and Michael DiMartino SERIES OVERVIEW 3/8/10

THE SERIES Unlike “The Last Airbender’s” predetermined 3-season story arc, “The Legend of Korra” is designed to have self-contained, 12-episode seasons. The episodes within each season are continuous and chronicle one adventure in the story of Korra’s life. Each season will have a clear, satisfying conclusion, but will be written in a way that sets up a potential subsequent season.

SEASON ONE – SYNOPSIS

The series begins in the Southern Water Tribe, where 17-year-old Avatar Korra has just completed her mastery of Waterbending. Members of the White Lotus have gathered to escort her safely to Ba Sing Se where she is supposed to begin her Earthbending training. But the headstrong and rebellious Korra dreads being cooped up for years on some remote Earth Kingdom mountaintop. She is eager to get out in the world and start performing her Avatar duties, even though she is untested and not yet spiritually ready.

During her journey to Ba Sing Se, Korra decides to take her destiny into her own hands. Late one night, she sneaks away from her guardians and heads to a place she’s always dreamed of visiting – the United Republic Capital City. Because she’s on a personal quest to become the best bender in the world, Korra is naturally drawn to the place where the best benders in the world compete in the famous arena.

But danger looms.

A mysterious, masked man named Amon targets powerful benders and takes their bending away – permanently. Amon leads a group of chi-blocking revolutionaries who threaten the stability of the city and all the benders living there. Even though she is not a fully realized Avatar, Korra feels it is her duty to remain in the city and lead the fight against this growing anti-bending menace.

But in order to do so, she must accelerate her training. Rather than train each bending art in succession, Korra decides to train them all simultaneously. After scouting potential teachers at the Bending Arena, she recruits the handsome Mako and his younger brother Bolin to be her Fire and Earthbending teachers, respectively. For Airbending, Korra turns to Aang’s son, Tenzin. The middle-aged Airbender doesn’t approve of Korra’s unorthodox training method and is reluctant to teach her. But he soon realizes that the impatient Korra needs his spiritual guidance, and that the citizens of Capital City need their Avatar. When Tenzin agrees to take her on as his student, Korra moves into the nearby Air Temple with him and his family.

But not everyone is happy to have Korra in town.

First, there’s the Chief of the Metalbending cops, Lin Beifong, who doesn’t approve of Korra doling out her own brand of justice. The two headstrong women often come in conflict over who should be the real authority in the city.

Korra also butts heads with Arrlok, the Northern Water Tribe council representative. He is a two-faced politician who sees Korra as a threat to his proNorth agenda. And then there’s Mako’s girlfriend, Asami, who becomes jealous of allmthe time Mako and Korra spend training together.

But the biggest danger comes from Amon and his chi-blockers. When Amon discovers that the Avatar is in the city, he targets her and her friends. But the fearless Korra remains committed to stopping Amon from executing his plan to take out the Republic Council of benders, and ultimately rid the world of the “impurity” of bending.

As the season culminates, Korra gains more skill in Fire and Earthbending. She also begins to uncover the truth behind Amon and his mysterious origins. When they meet in a dramatic showdown, Korra’s courage and strength will be pushed to the limit. Will Korra be able to defeat the elusive and dangerous Amon and save Capital City from being ruled by an anti-bending dictator? Or will Amon succeed in taking her bending away, thus putting an end to the era of the Avatar once and for all?

The future of Capital City, and the world, hang in the balance.

[tipsycad147]

Rosehips Magic-Using Rosehips for Witchcraft

Finding Rosehips

Rosehips are commonly harvested during the Fall and Winter. They are small and bright red making them easy to forage and find. If you grow your own roses in your garden, don’t deadhead the flowers once they’ve died off. The base of the flower is what turns to a rosehip come Fall.

Rosehips are best gathered after the first frost especially if you are using them for food and medicine. But if it won’t get cold enough in your area for a while, don’t fret! You can simulate the frost by popping your rose hips into the freezer for 24 hours before using or drying them.

The rosehips you’ll want to gather are going to be bright red or red-orange in color. They should be soft but not mushy. Depending on the size of your bushes, most of the time rosehips are gathered one at a time. We have large wild roses that have to be maintained so we cut them off in bunches and sort the ripe and non-ripe ones out later.

If you can’t find rosehips in your area, places like Mountain Rose Herbs and Starwest Botanicals are good places to order already dried rosehips from.

Always make sure when gathering plants in the wild to a) pick them in areas not exposed to pesticides, chemicals and other toxic substances and b) leave some behind for the animals. Deer and birds especially love rosehips so leaving enough for the animals over the winter is the smart choice.

So now that you have your rosehips, what do you do with them?

(If you are interested in using them for food and medicine as well as how to dry them, check out our post from earlier this week. Find it here.)

Using Rosehips for Magic

Some of the things rosehips are good for magically include:

Luck

Good Fortune

Love

Health

Self-love

Beauty

Peace

Anti-Nightmare

Protection

Money

Prosperity

Confidence

Family and Friendship

Divination

Truth

Charms

This isn’t even the entirety of things you could use rosehips for but these are some of the most common uses. Most commonly the magic of rosehips is used for dreams, prosperity spells, self love ritual baths and potpourri pots. You can also make your own rosehip infused oil to use for anointing candles or spell jars.

Rosehips Magic: Spells and Rituals

Good Luck Jar or Sachet

Using Equal Parts combine any of the following herbs:

Chamomile

Dandelions

Honeysuckle

Mistletoe

Rosemary

Rosehips

Sandalwood

Thyme

Star Anise

Allspice

Vervain

Cinnamon

Basil

Lotus

Pine

Frankincense

Clover

Violets

Alfalfa

Mint

Nutmeg

If making a good luck jar, combine or layer your herbs, spices and any crystals you are using.Seal and bury by the right corner of your front door or porch. Dig up and redo once a year, best time is around Beltane.

You can also make sachets, small spell jars or use as a loose potpourri or incense as needed.

Rosehips for Love Magics

When doing any love spells( self love, friendship, attracting your perfect partner etc) using roses and rosehips are common herbs used to boost your spells and rituals.

Before a spell ritual or just as a stress reliever-Fill a mesh bag( or old nylon pantyhose) with crushed rose hips and rose petals. While in the bath, meditate all of your stress and negative energies away. Visualize them washing down the drain with the water when you are done.

Love spells(pre-ritual bathing)– Using mental visualization, envision red, pink or white light surrounding you. You are looking for your ideal partner to find you( don’t envision anyone in particular(IE a crush) just focus on your person finding you.)

If you are doing a self love ritual, use affirmations and positive mantras to build your confidence and positivity.

Rosehip Oil

Rosehips Magic-Medicinal/ Health

You can make your rosehips serve a double duty by infusing magical energy into your rosehips before using them for various ailments.

When using rosehips for magical medicinals, add rosehips to tea for a sore throat or upset stomach. Soak a cloth in cool rosehip tea and apply to the body for headaches, backaches, bruises or other sore spots.

Other uses for Rosehips in Magic

Protect yourself and ward away nightmares by putting dried rosehips under your pillow before bed.

Place dried rosehips in your wallet to attract prosperity and money.

Feeling Rosy yet?

Aren’t there so many interesting uses for rosehips! Would rosehips be something you add to your herbal supplies?

Feel free to save this info for your Grimoire or Book of Shadows for your spell-work.

[thejaggedpoisonpath]

Assuage the Pain tincture⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ Do your knees ache? Do you find yourself rubbing your aching back? Or maybe you roll your shoulders subconsciously, trying to work out the aching stiffness.⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ I am offering two formulations of this tincture, in order to address and assuage pain on all levels. For everyday aches and pains, and more manageable pain, choose formula one.⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ For more stubborn or chronic pain, I am offering formula two, which has the added benefit of 500mg of high quality, THC-free, pure CBD oil.⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ Holy Basil and Nettles help to dull inflammation of nerves, which often causes pain.⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ White Willow Bark contains salicin and anti-inflammatory flavanoids, which are responsible for its anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving qualities, and also contains antioxidant, fever-reducing, antiseptic, and immune-boosting properties.⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ Hyssop reduces inflammation of the body.⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ Blue Lotus contains nuciferan (a natural anti-spasmodic) along with aporphine, which offers the user a feeling of calming euphoria. It is also helpful with gastrointestinal problems; its euphoria inducing capabilities are often compared to MDMA.⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ Cramp Bark, California Poppy, and Citrus Peel lessen muscle tightness and spasms.⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ CBD oil can relieve pain, reduce anxiety and depression, can alleviate cancer-related symptoms, can reduce acne, has neuroprotective properties, could benefit heart health, has been known to help people with schizophrenia/mental health disorders, shown to reduce morphine dependence and heroin-seeking behavior, demonstrated anti-tumor effects preventing the spread of prostate, breast, colon, brain, & lung cancer, and has reduced the incidence of diabetes by 56%, significantly reducing inflammation.⠀⠀ *For educational purposes. Statements not reviewed by the FDA. Information not meant to take the place of medical advice. * (at Galveston, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/CobD1fKjC-3/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[fiftytwoeightythree]

zuko himself said that his uncle is complicated and i think that's the right word for it. because i honestly can't side with either the 'iroh is good' and 'iroh is bad' side of the fandom. (and said this to aang himself, who always thought that iroh was a good person, mind you)

i also think that iroh hasn't came to the conclusion of 'the war is bad' simply because lu ten died. let's not forget that there's hell of a lot that we don't know about him but there are subtle signs through the show how he went through a lot other than his son's death. he visited the spirit world and joined the order of the white lotus (you know, which was an anti-war resistance group - and he probably didn't join that a few days before book one started). he also spread rumors about killing the last dragon and it turned out he let them live and only said that so the last original firebenders could survive. oh, and he also protected aang and katara at the fall of ba sing se and ended up in jail for it. also, in the end he took part liberating the city with the other white lotus members.

yet we can't forget that he still invaded ba sing se, helped killing dozens as a fire nation general and yes he gloated about this to his family while he was at war (even for false pretenses it was unexcusable, but i'm pretty sure he did believe in the need of this war back then). he was an important military person and back then the literal heir of the throne of a genocidal nation - and that alone is something that cannot be overlooked. he upheld that system and that war that killed millions, were responsible for the air nomads' genocide and where southern water benders eradicated permanently, leaving katara and hama the sole survivors. and the june situation turned him out to be a creepy old man. sure, he tried correcting his wrongdoings, but to many he is still the dragon of the west and what he did is something that is not easily forgotten or forgiven and that's totally justified and accepted.

and about murdering aang, one: i'm pretty sure he never wanted to do that otherwise he would never let katara escape with aang's body when ba sing se fell or never even ran to him for help when azula and the dai li caught zuko. in fact, even zhao admitted when he captured aang that killing him would further the problems of finding the avatar again, so that literally never was a plan. zuko himself always emphasized on 'finding' and 'capturing' the avatar to restore his honor, and iroh told the men on board why he was helping zuko in that plan even when it was hopeless to find the avatar: beacuse zuko had a driving force to live. iroh wanted him to not give up on hope and on life itself after that tragic agni kai followed by years of banishment. two: knowing that he feared the spirits and knew their value and power to keep balance he never would've wanted to kill aang in the first place, even if that would've been the plan of the fire nation. i mean, the end of book one pretty much was about that (he threatened zhao not to touch tui or he would regret it, and even recognized the moon spirit in yue, a girl he never even met until that point). so this accusation is just simply stupid, op.

i also think (personal opinion coming) that his journey with zuko was also a part of his own redeemption, not just a simple 'zuko is like my own son and i got appointed as his guardian so i must protect him' behind it. all the way through he was the one that tried to show zuko the right path (because he didn't want zuko to commit the same mistakes he did) and the right direction on where to lead his own destiny, to stop meeting the expectations of others, even if it meant his own father and the way he confronted him during appa's rescue and when he secretly let zuko know about the root of his struggle when iroh was in jail showed that this old man really was there for him to help him through his mess. because deep inside he knew that zuko has to be the next firelord because only he can help the fire nation to see how this war is ruining the whole world and is totally unnecessary to say the least, not 'spreading the greatness and prosperity of the fire nation' all over it as sozin claimed it would be a 100 years back.

so let it be just that: that iroh was complicated. not simply good, nor simply bad - but complicated. sure, let's not venerate him because he wasn't a good person. but please let's not demonize him because he wasn't a bad person either.

It's so weird that people say people only hate Iroh because he liked Zuko. One, because Iroh is already super popular. Like extremely popular.

Two, because the thing is, people readily excuse and forget Iroh sexually harassing June because Iroh likes Zuko and that supersedes everything else.

That's not even touching the fact that Iroh was fine with raiding and killing and colonizing, gleefully writing letters joking about burning cities to the ground, up until Iroh himself suffered a personal loss smaller than the ones he's inflicted on others over the years, and not even of a civilian but of another colonizer who was actively in the invading, aggressing army when he was killed in combat, and only then does Iroh think maybe war is bad. Doesn't think it strongly enough to be against the whole trophy-hunting-the-avatar-so-no-one-will-get-in-the-way-of-more-genocide-and-war thing, he's still actively supporting someone whose mission directly furthers the Fire Nation's war agenda and whose goal is murdering another child, but still, he does see war as bad now and is more chill. Mr. Paul/Saul deserves a cookie for that.

X

[ultra-maha-us]

How to Adopt an Eco-Friendly Beauty Routine With Botanical Skin Care Products

You may have heard from a friend or watched in the TV that some of the skin care products today are composed of harsh chemicals that can lead to irritation. With this, you might be thinking twice on trusting some skin care products introduced in the market. While it may be true that can only worsen your present condition, you may be relieved to know that there are botanical skin care products that are getting great raves among customers today. The rise of botanical skin care products started once the issue on harsh chemicals found in skin care products has stirred a heated debate. Many have been complaining about the negative effects of some skin care products. Instead of making your skin beautiful, products with harsh chemicals only create problems.

This then prompts them to rely on the offered alternatives: the botanical skin care products . With its high demand, there is now the proliferation of the botanical extracts that can prove beneficial in your skin treatment. Some of the clean circle makeup remover effective Botanical skin care products includes cucumber extract, green tea extract, botanical echinacea botanical extract, extract of ginseng root, lotus leaf extract, chamomile extract, horse chestnut extract, white willow bark extract, and a lot more.

Also, the Rooibos plant, which can be found in the Southern part of the Cape in South Africa, is used in some of the botanical skin care products that could hamper aging. This plant is composed of some anti-oxidants that can help protect and repair the skin against signs of aging such as wrinkles and slight lines in the face. This plant is mostly included in Botanical skin care because it contains of plenty antioxidants which really fights against the early development of some of the aging signs. The Rooibos plant is also beneficial to babies since it gives relief to rashes and other skin disorders.

Another component in some of the botanical skin care products is the extract from the oil Buchu which is found in the Cape in South Africa. Locals of the place rely on Buchu even in the early years in order to cure skin diseases. Buchu has properties that are anti-bacterial and anti-biotic. They help in removing the impurities of the skin and protect it from the growth of bacteria, which can clog the pores hence, result to the breakout of acne and pimples. The Buchu oil is one of the most popular ingredients in botanical skin care because of their efficacy in curing any skin problems that one may encounter. This extract can also be used as an after-shave since it can prevent prickly and other skin rashes right after shaving. Along with the other botanical skin care products, they effectively help you in attaining and returning to the normal and natural glow of your skin. So, there is no need for you to settle in the products that have harsh ingredients since there are now botanical skin products that provide greater benefits and utmost satisfaction.

[bestepisode]

Welcome to Republic City

Seventy years after the events concluding Avatar: The Last Airbender, Aang has died and the Order of the White Lotus discovers the new Avatar, Korra, in the Southern Water Tribe. By the age of 17, Korra has mastered the elements of water, earth, and fire, but has not yet been able to airbend. Kept under lock and key by White Lotus for her own protection, she is frustrated by her isolation from the rest of the world, and eagerly anticipates completing her training with Master Tenzin, the son of Katara and Aang, and the only airbending master. However Tenzin also serves on the council of the United Republic (a new fifth nation created by Avatar Aang and Firelord Zuko in the period between the two series) and civil unrest in the capital, Republic City, forces him to postpone her training. Unwilling to live under the strict confines of her life with the White Lotus anymore, Korra absconds from her compound on her massive polar bear-dog Naga and stows away on a vessel bound for Republic City, a bustling and rapidly modernizing capital of world affairs. After a clash with local triads, she is arrested by Lin Beifong, head of Republic City's metalbending police force and the daughter of Toph, until Tenzin bails her out and allows her to stay with him. Meanwhile, antagonist 'Amon' is identified as the leader of the anti-bender "Equalist" movement--the movement's numbers are swiftly swelling due to inequities between benders and non-benders and its extremist militant arm is beginning to kidnap benders whose fates are initially unknown.

The Metal Clan

Team Avatar arrive in Zaofu, a metal city led by Suyin Beifong, Lin's estranged half-sister and the mother of Opal, a new airbender. Korra begins training Opal, but cannot convince Lin to mend the rift between herself and Suyin. In Republic City, Zaheer infiltrates Air Temple Island in an attempt to find Korra but escapes after he is identified and attacked by Kya.

Vote on more episodes here!

Find the full list of round 2 polls here.

[coolman229]

Topic of the Week 150

I talk about The Order of the White Lotus and how they were portrayed in both ATLA and LoK, and why they fall flat in the later series.

Topic submitted by @your-brilliant-lady-m

Don’t forget the rules when submitting topics!