#but there's more to being earth kingdom than the treatment from the dai li. like their families and food and things like that

[zincbot]

i think the spontaneous airbenders are so interesting

[nothing-more-than-hot-leaf-juice]

Hi fren! Been following ur blog for a while and honestly I love it! I was wondering if I can get ur thoughts on something :)) remember in sozins comet when Iroh refused to fight ozai becuz “history will see it as more violence, a brother killing a brother to gain power” but then cue to Azula and Zuko who are fighting for the throne and it’s fine?? with them?? doesn’t that count as more violence as well? Thank if you ever come across this :D

Okay, first off, I think it needs to be clarified what Iroh actually said in that scene in regards to sending Zuko to defeat Azula because the two situations are very different and everyone involved knew that. The exchange went as such:

Zuko: Uncle, you’re the only person other than the Avatar who can possibly defeat the fatherlord.... we need you to come with us. 

Iroh: No Zuko, it won’t turn out well. 

Zuko: You can beat him. And we’ll be there to help. 

Iroh: Even if I did defeat Ozai, and I don’t know that I could, it would be the wrong way to end the war. History would see it as more senseless violence: a brother killing a brother to gain power. The only way for this war to end peacefully is if the Avatar defeats the Firelord. 

(dialogue, etc.) 

Iroh: Zuko, you must return to the Fire Nation, so that when the Firelord falls, you can assume the throne and restore peace and order. But Azula will be there waiting for you. 

When I see the argument that Iroh sending Zuko after Azula was hypocritical, I think it ignores the reality of the situation and the pragmatic approach. Because Iroh was absolutely correct throughout this whole exchange. Here were the facts as of this point: 

1. Iroh and Zuko were declared traitors and could not legally assume the throne once Ozai was defeated, meaning Azula would assume the throne by default.

2. By this point in the series, Azula had shown at every point that she was just as enthusiastic about waging war and had shown no remorse for the suffering of the Earth Kingdom at the hands of the Fire Nation. She was particularly enthusiastic about the two major affronts against the Earth Kingdom: conquering Ba Sing Se and using Sozin’s Comet to burn down the Earth Kingdom. 

3. Azula was the one who had the idea for the ‘let’s use the comet to burn down the Earth Kingdom’ plan in the first place and was proud of that plan. If Ozai was defeated, she would have used her position to go through with the plan anyway.

Realistically, this situation is in no way ideal, but the reality is that Azula did need to be stopped from assuming the throne. Make no mistake, if she had the opportunity to do so, she would have been at Ozai’s side burning down the Earth Kingdom instead of staying in the Fire Nation. She was dangerous and needed to be stopped and that was evident from her actions throughout the entire series. 

And the situations of Zuko defeating Azula and Iroh defeating Ozai are completely different, mainly because it was never Zuko or Iroh’s intention for Zuko to kill Azula like everyone else was planning with Ozai. The intent with Zuko going after Azula was to stop her from being crowned, which was a thing that needed to be stopped, otherwise, the war would have continued. And Iroh was absolutely correct in his assumptions: Zuko and Katara arrived in the Fire Nation just before Azula was crowned Firelord. And in the end, as we all know, they didn’t kill her, they just removed her as a threat so Zuko could assume the throne. There is a difference between taking out an actively harmful force in a position of absolute authority (Ozai) and stopping a harmful force from taking a position of absolute authority (Azula). 

There’s also the facts that 1. Iroh had his own history as a general who held siege on Ba Sing Se for 600 days, allegedly committed war crimes, and wasn’t exactly well regarded in the Earth Kingdom. 2. Like he said, a fight between Iroh and Ozai was not one that had a clear victor. Iroh was not the right person to defeat Ozai, Aang was, for many reasons. (There’s also the fact that Iroh’s arc came full circle as he freed the city he once laid siege on, but that has less to do with the pragmatic rationale behind the match ups and more to do with thematic purposes.)

And this is a thing that also bothers me. There’s an argument that Iroh failed Azula and that part of the reason she was how she was fell on him and I don’t think that’s fair. And this post by @withyoutilltheendofthecredits articulates why: 

the ideas “azula was a victim of abuse who was manipulated and hurt by ozai” and “azula had a hand in a lot of trauma for zuko due to her awful treatment of him” can and should coexist

I think it’s important to keep in mind whenever we talk about Iroh, Azula, and Zuko how their dynamic was in season 2. Firstly, Iroh’s priority through this show was to keep Zuko safe. In season 1, he wasn’t so much there to actively help Zuko find Aang (and on multiple occasions seemed to work against Zuko’s mission), but rather was there to stop Zuko from making stupid decisions that would get him killed while offering emotional support and training him to be a better firebender. Does he actually want Zuko to kidnap the Avatar and return to his awful, abusive father? No. But he does want Zuko to have something that gives him hope, something that keeps him going. And Iroh’s priority is to be there to make sure this kid doesn’t do anything too reckless. 

 In season 2, Zuko technically no longer has his mission as he’s deemed an enemy of the Fire Nation and Iroh more explicitly works to help his nephew mentally and emotionally extricate himself from the family members that hurt him. At the beginning of the season when Zuko is excited about going home after Azula lies to them, Iroh voices his suspicion because unlike Zuko, who’s still holding onto the idea that he can win his father’s love, Iroh is able to look at the situation objectively and knows that if Zuko goes home, he’s not going to be safe and he is not going to be met with any sort of love. 

Zuko: Did you listen to Azula? Father’s realized how important family is. He cares about me. 

Iroh: I care about you!

And through the rest of the season, Iroh tries his best to take advantage of their new freedom by showing Zuko that he does deserve control of his own life, happiness, and unconditional love. He’s trying his best to help him through this difficult time because part of Zuko’s emotional struggle in this is reconciling with the fact that no, his father doesn’t want him, at all. When he was banished, he had the ‘if I get the Avatar I can go home’ thing to cling onto, but Iroh and everyone else knew that Ozai never actually intended for Zuko to succeed or return. So Zuko has to deal with that in season 2 and doesn’t get to that point, he still tries to capture Aang and he still joins Azula in Crossroads of Destiny because he’s not ready to let that little bit of hope that he could return home go. It isn’t until he takes a stand against Ozai with the “it was cruel and it was wrong” speech that he really discovers who he is and what he wants and the main reason he’s able to come to that conclusion is because of Iroh’s treatment of him in season 2. 

In season 2, Iroh not only protects Zuko from physical harm and takes care of him in regards to sickness, food, and water, but tries to drill into his head that he didn’t deserve the treatment from his father and shouldn’t throw his life away trying to please him. That he can have and deserves a peaceful life. And Zuko keeps going down the self destructive path because he’s been convinced for so long that him proving himself to his father is more important than his personal safety or happiness. Iroh just wants him to put himself before the man that abused him. He hates it that Zuko almost gets himself killed multiple times for the sake of Ozai. There’s their talk in The Avatar Day and their fight in Lake Laogai that bring this to the forefront: 

Iroh: Even if you did capture the Avatar, I’m not so sure it would solve all our problems. 

Zuko: Then there is no hope at all 

Iroh: No Zuko, you must never give into despair. 

Iroh: And then what?! You never think these things through. This is exactly what happened when you tried to capture the Avatar at the North Pole. You had him and then you had nowhere to go. 

Zuko: I would have figured something out. 

Iroh: No! If his friends hadn’t found you, you would have frozen to death! 

Zuko: I know my own destiny. 

Iroh: Is it your own destiny? Or is it a destiny someone else has tried to force on you? 

And as Iroh acts as Zuko’s protector and tries to break him away from his self destructive mentality, how does Azula fit into that? Here are the interactions between Azula, Zuko, and Iroh in season 2: 

Azula trying to take Zuko and Iroh as prisoners to the Fire Nation with no remorse 

Azula attempting to shoot lightning at Zuko in the first episode of season 2 and Zuko only being saved by Iroh redirecting it at the last second 

Azula shooting Iroh and seriously injuring him (it could have been lighting, but I think it was just fire) 

Azula trying to capture Iroh and Zuko in Ba Sing Se and succeeding 

Azula manipulating Zuko into going back to Ozai 

Objectively, Azula is a threat against Zuko’s safety and there’s a good chance she would have killed him in the first episode of season 2 if Iroh hadn’t stopped her. He knows exactly how dangerous she is and made the decision that he was going to do what it took to keep Zuko safe, which he did. With this exchange in Bitter Work. 

This isn’t Iroh saying ‘I have no sympathy for my niece whatsoever and am choosing to ignore her’. This is Iroh saying ‘Azula has proven herself to be an objective and real threat and I need to keep Zuko safe from her.’ And he was correct. I feel like this stance is reasonable when the last two times she saw them she tried to shoot Zuko with lightning and actually shot Iroh. 

And the reality of the situation is that Iroh shouldn’t have had to be the one to raise Zuko or Azula. He wasn’t their parent and he shouldn’t have had to be responsible for them. Ideally, Ozai should have been the one to do that, but that wasn’t the reality of the situation. And Iroh was faced with a choice: go with Zuko who was banished, injured, and lost, or stay with Azula who was not in a good home with a good influence, but who was still the favored, prodigy princess. He had a choice of which kid to stand behind and I think it’s fair to say that Zuko needed Iroh more when he was banished. 

Ideally, there shouldn’t have been a choice for Iroh. Ideally, Iroh shouldn’t have had to raise his nephew. Ideally, Azula should have had a better parental influence who didn’t encourage her violent streak. But it was by no means an ideal situation. Azula was dangerous and remorseless and Iroh was entirely correct when he saw her rising to power and realized ‘if she isn’t stopped now, there is no telling what she’s going to do’. Because he knows exactly who raised her.

[banana-with-a-bow-tie]

The purpose of this post is not to argue that Biden was, or was not, fraudulently elected in the 2020 president election, but to keep a biblical perspective.

Sources report that 47% of American voters believe that large-scale fraud handed the election to Biden/Harris. Nevertheless, 49% say that fraud was unlikely. A recent NPR/Ipsos poll reported that 67% of Republicans and 11% of Democrats surveyed believe that voter fraud gave Biden election. However, the same survey showed that 19% of Republicans and 85% of Democrats disagree. In either case, dozens of millions of voters believe that there was fraud, and dozens of millions believe that there was not. Numbers do not prove whether or not it happened. The point here is that a huge swath of the US population believes that voter fraud helped usher in the next president.

It’s likely that someone you sing next to in church believes that there is ample evidence of fraud, and is grieved about it. Disdaining them as crazy conspiracists is not the best approach (cf. 1 Cor. 13:4-7, Col. 3:12-17). After all, if you’re a Christian, you believe that a peasant Hebrew crucified as a vile criminal will one day appear in the sky standing on clouds.

So for those who do feel that there was fraud, what would Scripture suggest you do? Even if there was, here are a few considerations from God’s word on the issue.

God is sovereign over unrighteousness

“In the day of prosperity be happy, but in the day of adversity consider— God has made the one as well as the other So that man will not discover anything that will be after him” (Eccles. 7:14).

Though he is not pleased with it, God is sovereign over all sin. If there was fraud, though it would grieve God, he is sovereign over it. God remains in control even in the most wretched times (Lam. 3:37-38). He was sovereign over the wretched rule of Egypt (Exod. 2:23-25), the wicked rule of Israel’s enemies in Judges (Judg. 2:14), the evil of the Assyrian deportation (2 Kings 17), the wickedness of the Babylonian exile (2 Kings 25), the unrighteousness of Herod and the Romans (Matt. 2:15), and he was even sovereign over the treacherous treatment of His own Son: “this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death” (Acts 2:23). Despite all of this evil—often committed by governing authorities—God was never de-sovereigned by it.

“His sovereignty rules over all” (Ps. 103:19).

2. The Lord is still on the throne

No evil agenda, large or small, has ever successfully removed God from his throne. And evil men and nations have tried. They’ve done everything in their power, with satanic and demonic reinforcements, to dethrone God. It hasn’t happened and it never will (Ps. 93:1-5). The permanence of the Lord’s position on the throne of the universe is laughably unthreatened by even the greatest evils of man.

“The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, 3 ‘Let us tear their fetters apart and cast away their cords from us!’ 4 He who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them” (Ps. 2:2-4).

The sovereign, supreme rule of the God of the Bible is no more threatened by unrighteous doings and agendas of earthly rulers than his rule is threatened by a cockroach coughing in a Los Angeles sewer.

“The Lord reigns, let the peoples tremble; He is enthroned above the cherubim, let the earth shake!” (Ps. 99:1).

3. God will use unrighteousness for good

One of the ways that God proves he is sovereign is by orchestrating evil for good. We have history to prove that: Joseph’s suffering and saving a nation (Gen. 50:20), Pharaoh housing the messianic nation and its growth, the cross of Jesus Christ, and countless examples since then. Throughout history, God has masterfully moved the evil of man and government to accomplish his purposes, the greatest of which was the cross. Jesus was the recipient of unprecedented civil corruption, and God did a pretty decent job at ensuring that worked out well. We might not see how God orchestrates evil for good this side of heaven, but he’ll take care of it (Rom. 8:28). God is trustworthy.

4. Jesus is still building his church

The church has survived the harshest storms wicked men have to offer. She was birthed into the Roman Empire, who actively opposed her existence. Despite three centuries therein of persecution, her growth continued. Satan and his world have always hated and resisted the church. Even so, she has spread from Israel, to the Roman Empire through the Apostles, and to places like Africa through the Ethiopian Euncuh, the New Hebrides through John Paton, Burma through Adoniram Judson, China through Hudson Taylor, the middle east through Samuel Zwemer, and the list goes on. It’s almost like unrighteous circumstances helps the church thrive. Whatever the case, the church will never die out because Christ builds it (Matt. 16:18).

5. We are still to be about the kingdom of God

Unregenerate enemies attempted several times to distract Nehemiah and God’s people from sticking to the essential task of rebuilding the wall (Neh. 6:4). What they did was wicked. But Nehemiah and crew stuck to the main thing (Neh. 6:3-9).

In these New Covenant days, there are no less enemies and distractions that seek to pull us down from the wall. But we must keep the main thing the main thing. The kingdom of God is that thing. Regardless of what happens, our sovereign God would have us give ourselves completely to involvement in our local churches, godliness, disciple-making, prayer, love, and the word. Let us not get down from the wall (1 Cor. 15:58).

6. God will uphold justice perfectly

God is a perfect, omniscient God. Nothing escapes his notice. He is perfectly good, too, which means evil will not prevail. Regardless what someone appears to get away with, they will stand before God in the judgment (Rom. 12:17-21, Rev. 20:11-15).

7. We are all liars and sinners

An election fraud allegation is to say that lying occurred; massive, consequential lying. Among the list of things God hates, lying is mentioned twice (Prov. 6:16-19). However, people are lying every day; politicians, employers, employees, nobodies, and neighbors. Everyone lies. Lying can no more be separated from humans than their shadow. “Let God be true and every man a liar” (Rom. 3:4). That means we, too, have lied. No one is exempt. God is the only One who has never lied nor will ever.

Our lies may not be as socially consequential as others, but God is the one we stand before. On top of being liars, we are all atrociously unholy before the holy God of the universe (Rom. 3:10-19). This God requires perfection (Matt. 5:48). So, we have nothing to offer God except wickedness and weakness in and of ourselves. Due to our nature and doings, we stand guilty and unacceptable before God. Since we have all sinned against a holy God, an individual who never orchestrated widespread voter fraud deserves to spend eternity in the same hell as someone who did (Rom. 2:1-5).  

8. Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave

However, God did not leave us to ourselves. Moved by his own compassion on sinners, and not because of anything good or righteous in us, God looked upon us with pity (Rom. 3:10-12, Eph. 1:3-6). Incredibly, our offenses against God in thought, word, nature, and deed did not move him to justly boot us all into hell. No, far from it. He radically humbled himself by joining human nature to himself and was born a baby (Phil. 2:5-7). Though he deserved unceasing worship from every human, Jesus received scorn, hate, and a humiliating and brutal crucifixion (Phil. 2:8). He received all of this on purpose in obedience to his Father’s plan to atone for the sin of his people (John 10:18). Though thoroughly sinful, Jesus so loved his people that he referred to them as, “My sheep” (John 10:26-27). Jesus then rose from the grave victorious, validating his saving work for his sheep. This is a great love, indeed. And it has everything to do with those struggling with the unrighteousness around them: we’ve all sinned, Jesus died and rose for us, and our greatest need has been met.

9. We are to pray

As every human nation and government will be filled with unrighteousness, God now calls his people to pray.

“First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity” (1 Tim. 2:1-2).

We are to pray for so many encouraging reasons: God hears (Ps. 65:2), God answers and works through prayer (1 Sam. 1:10-11, John 15:7), we are commanded to (1 Tim. 2:1-2), it shows that we are depending on our sovereign God (Luke 11:8), and it is an act of worship whereby God brings glory to himself (Rev. 8:3). If we find ourselves in the rut of angst at times, let us pray. We are to pray and pray and pray, and not lose heart (Luke 11:5-8, 18:1-8; Thess. 5:17).

10. Heaven will be great

Jesus often mentioned that we are to live for our permanent, future, unseen, and eternal home with him and all the redeemed (Matt. 16:24-27). While being present and prayerful, this world is passing, visible, dying, and temporal (1 John 2:17).

In heaven, there will be no voter fraud. They’ll be no voting, for that matter. Why should there be? The forever King will be the single most loving, wise, righteous, just, and perfect Individual in the universe, the blessed Lord Jesus Christ (Isa. 9:6-7, John 1:17, Phil. 2:8-11).

“And the Lord will be king over all the earth; in that day the Lord will be the only one, and His name the only one” (Zech. 14:9).

Of course, more could be said here. As God’s people, we are abundantly furnished with what we need to face these rocky times in a manner pleasing to him. Whatever happens, may the Lord’s church abound in faithfulness and fruitfulness.

[maandags]

Can you please do hcs for Keith atla au where he is a earthbender and falls for a run away Royal female firebender reader?

Keith has always been very protective. be it of his family, friends, or his home; as a true and tried earthbender he feels like he has a duty of protection to his people 

this, of course, is merely a long winded way of saying he does not particularly like the fire nation.

Let Alone firebenders.

Let Alone Royal firebenders.

but you’re not an idiot, either.

you ran away for a reason, after all, didn’t you? you knew the horrors of what your father -- the Firelord -- is currently doing to the people of the Earth Kingdom in particular

and you wanted no part in it

in fact, you were on a journey to Ba Sing Se, where you’d hopefully find someone willing to listen who’d accept your help

you’d been keeping tabs. you knew about your father’s plans, knew who at the council table he trusted most and whose ideas he was most likely to follow, and you knew the way his advisors thought 

the decision to actually run away really had only followed after. an impulsive decision when you found you just couldn’t stand it anymore. you just had to go

so you kind of... did

you know you’re looked for everywhere

but once you got a change of clothes and cut your hair you knew people would have a hard time recognising you – especially since you never really got outside much, so not many people know what you actually look like, and it’s easy to hide your identity

so, naturally, when you stumble across Keith’s hometown on your way to Ba Sing Se, he’s suspicious, but just because he’s suspicious of everyone

doesn’t know you’re fire nation, let alone that you’re a firebender

however – he’s rude, harsh, nagging, and his brother Shiro pulls you aside one day and tells you that he usually doesn’t act like this, and he has no idea what’s gotten into him

you brush it off, laughing. “I’m an outsider, and we’re at war; I don’t blame him for being suspicious.” 

but it does bother you a bit

because yeah, you understand, but, like – you haven’t done anything to warrant this kind of treatment, you don’t think

and because you’ve never been particularly shy, you confront him about it

“what exactly is your problem with me?”

Keith, who had been practicing his bending, scowls. “I don’t have a problem with you.”

you scoff, leaning against a rock. “your attitude towards me strongly suggests otherwise.”

Keith crosses his arms. “why do you care, anyway? it’s not like you’re settling in here or anything. you’ll be gone soon enough, right?” thwack, against the ground. a pillar shoots up beside you, barely scraping against your skin. you merely glare back at him. 

“maybe I’ll stay. just to fuck with you.”

Keith rolls his eyes, but for the first time you see him smile. just a little bit.

after that, your interactions with Keith go a lot smoother. 

you didn’t intend to stay as long as you ended up doing, and you know it’s dangerous – your father is still looking for you, after all

you know staying this long is probably a bad idea, and yet you do it anyway

you try not to think too much about the reason why, though you know why, of course.

you spend your days with him, practically – help around his family’s farm, run errands, et caetera 

playful strangers grow into friends – and you’d be lying if you said you hadn’t thought about being more than that

but the longer you stay, the more restless you become.

half of you feels like you’re wasting time, like you should have been in Ba Sing Se by now; who knows what you’ve missed

the other half is screaming, fuck the war, fuck it all, you could just stay here and keep using this fake name and this fake identity and pretend everything is all right and maybe you’ll get to be happy for a while before you die

but that’s not you. that’s not who you are as a person. 

why did you run from the palace? your family? to live the rest of your life out in hiding in a small Earth Kingdom town, pretending the world isn’t on fire?

you’re going to have to leave eventually. not only just to get to Ba Sing Se quicker, but also to protect Keith

he has no idea!! poor boy has No Clue you could decimate him where he stands, because let’s face it; he’s a powerful earthbender, but you’ve been training since you were four with the very best teachers, sparring against opponents that would push you to your very limits, beating you down only for you to build yourself back up stronger than ever

it’s a harsh way of learning, and you wish you didn’t. but your skills are honed and it would be nothing but ignorant to deny them

and so, when the raid happens, part of you isn’t even surprised.

Keith jolts, eyes stormy. “Fire nation soldiers.”

you curse to yourself, gritting your teeth. “damn it.”

“stay home, Y/N. don’t hide. find money – that’s what they’re here for, anyway –”

you shake your head. “no, it’s not.” 

Keith blinks, just as the loudest of the soldiers shouts, “we know you’re here, Y/N! Come out, come out, wherever you are!” 

these aren’t ordinary soldiers. too chaotic, too energetic. bountyhunters. just as dangerous, just as deadly. 

you clench your jaw, turning back to Keith. his eyes are brewing with confusion, and you run a hand through your hair, smiling sadly. “I’m sorry, Keith. I should have known about this.” you did, a voice says. you did, and you still stayed.

“Y/N–” a fake name, the name you’ve been using on your journey; fake, fake, fake – “what are you talking about?”

“YOUR HIGHNESS! ARE YOU GOING TO LET THIS WHOLE TOWN BURN? WE WILL FIND YOU. IT WILL BE IN VAIN.” there are explosions, screaming, fire – flames, licking at the sides of buildings, crawling high into the sky… 

you cast one last look at Keith. his confusion has morphed into anger. betrayal. you understand; of course you do. 

it still hurts.

“I’m sorry.” you won’t even have time to grab your stuff. “keep them safe.”

he doesn’t respond, and you don’t give him time to respond as you tear across the street, letting your own fire free for the first time in weeks. a couple short, controlled bursts, aimed at the biggest and baddest hunter of them all – they don’t hurt him that much, but you hadn’t counted on that. you just needed to get their attention, which you did. 

in passing, you put out fires where you can, the technique one you’ve perfected over the years, to the point where you barely need to slow down as you race past burning houses, taking the flames with you as you run

and you steal a mount, and you just keep going and keep going, knowing they’ll come after you – burning a village is fun, but you’re the big prize, after all – and you hear them, and you keep going, keep going, keep going

eventually you lose them.

you spend that night in the forest, and you cry, scold yourself for being an idiot, cry some more. 

it won’t help. it won’t change anything. they all probably hate you by now, even though you tried to minimise the damage. you could have prevented it, if only you hadn’t been so selfish

well. you smile bitterly. once a spoiled royal brat, always a spoiled royal brat.

the next morning, you set off once more.

half a year later, the war is over. 

you got to Ba Sing Se in time. after some trouble, managed to get an audience with the King, and after even more trouble convinced him you truly were on his side; though you think he only really started to believe you when you almost got killed carrying out an intel collection mission to protect your partner.

(no more deaths on your conscience.)

the victory doesn’t feel as exhilarating as it should, even though (you’re not going to lie) it does feel pretty good

images of your past mistakes flash before your eyes. so many more lives you could have saved, with one choice only…

“Your Highness? the parade is waiting.”

ah, yes. the parade. 

“I’ll be right there.”

“the Earth King was very adamant on your presence.”

“just a moment.”

gathering your thoughts, preparing to fully become Y/N for the first time in a year. no more fighting, no more death. no more hiding.

the Earth King’s speech is moving. you let him speak on purpose, not wanting to take away from the Earth Kingdom victory. you’d expected more backlash from his announcement that he’ll be working to establish a solid relationship with the Fire Nation, which is currently under your rule (a role you assumed out of necessity, not desire for power), but the reactions seem to be fairly positive

the day floats by – or rather, you float through it. when, at the end of the day, you start making preparations to return to your own Nation, to start ruling as Firelord from its throne, a familiar voice calls your name, you freeze

“Y/N, eh?”

leaning against the wall stands Keith, looking only mildly impressed

you put on your most hautain expression. “that’s Firelord Y/N to you, boy.” 

he looks at you, conflict in his eyes, and you look at him, wondering if you crossed the line – 

but then he laughs, the sound like music to your ears, and something bursts in your chest as you join in.

“you seem to have made quite the impression.”

“indeed, it would seem that way.” 

his arms feel like home, in the best way possible. you sit side by side, catching up – you try to explain why you did what you did in the biggest possible lines, but you don’t know whether your point is getting across. 

if someone were to look out of their window right now, they would see the Firelord and some random man sitting with their backs against stone walls, shoulders pressed together, talking like equals.

you finally work up the courage to ask the question that’s been playing in your mind for months. “are you angry at me? for staying?” 

he sighs. “I was. right after you left. I felt used and lied to and betrayed. but I understand why you did it.” he smiles, nudges you with his elbow. “and, well. you ended the war, didn’t you? so it was worth it, in the end.”

you lean your head back, close your eyes. “how many people got hurt because of me?”

“there were some injuries, but none fatal. and you put out a majority of the fires before they could do too much damage.” you crack open an eye in surprise, and Keith laughs. “yeah, I saw that. you’re a powerful bender, Y/N.” 

“so are you.” 

“you fooled me for weeks.” you wince, but he doesn’t sound angry. when you sneak a sideways look at him, he’s staring right back at you. 

“I’m sorry.”

“it’s okay.”

“is it, though?” the guilt that you’d managed to suppress for a while now comes back in full force, and you rub the bridge of your nose. 

“at the moment, maybe not.” he shifts, and his fingers ghost over yours – you could swear they linger. “but I think you’ve made up for it.”

your mount is getting restless, and you pat his flank. “I know this is probably the worst reunion ever, but I really should get going. I have a whole Nation to rule.”

Keith’s eyes twinkle in the way you’ve since learned to adore. “you know what? I think you should stay.”

[thethreemages]

Next set of Parents to cover, Princess Autem’s “dear” Mom and Dad~

Elken Formonte (age 46) is the current reigning king of Efornia, an Earth Mage and firm perfectionist of a man with the grandest ideas for his kingdom’s legacy. Stemming from his shame of having been exposed to his parents’ less-than-savory reputations as rulers (sleeping around, hosting many drunken galas, forgeting important royal duties in favor of “fun”)... Elken was determined to “right” the wrongs of his bloodline to something that Efornia would surely be proud of. This led to the boy developing a cold sense of “superiority” over everyone, making it easy for him to befriend some fellow egoists like Elyvia White, Lachlan Crane, and Sienna Rossero during their school years. 

Graduation gave Elken the chance to enact his plan of revamping Efornia’s image; first by taking up the throne from his parents deciding to travel the world instead (alongside their lil “commune” of followers). The next few steps of planning was bound to be trickier without someone else to back him up... and thus, Elken decided to go looking around for a queen to stand by his side during his “glorious” reign. Given his high standards, of course, Elken wasn’t a man to settle for just any pretty face... he looked for one who could match him in both strength, poise, intellect, and beauty. And soon, he found that perfect match in the form of the local Elven researcher and Sun Mage, Ceraeza Fernas. 

Now, the two had actually met eachother beforehand, back when they were small children and Elken was among the first Efornians to treat her kindly when her and her family first moved into the capitol city. But with the days of childhood innocence behind them and Ceraeza being a much more confident, mature young woman... she actually turned down his first few proposals as she preferred to invest in her studies over settling down. A challenge that actually intrigued Elken more than he expected... his persistence would continue through trials of wit, joined expeditions, and promises to aid Ceraeza’s work in helping others like herself who didn’t have as many rights growing up. 

At last, Ceraeza accepted his offer of marriage after all this time bonding together, with Efornia now welcoming their first Elven queen to look up to. Elken’s royal plan was looking better than ever... and soon, it didn’t take long for him and Ceraeza to welcome their first child, Princess Autem. 

While Autem may not have been “exactly” what Elken expected in a child at first (being much more delicate and timid than himself), sensing that her magical aura matched his own Earth magic, he found enough potential in her to make into his eventual crown heir anyway

Soon began the royal family’s influence in reshaping Efornia... overtime it became alot more of a fortified stronghold that rivaled that of Graystone’s and Nydor. Even the royal family “flourished” in more ways than one with the arrival of many more daughters... something Elken didn’t exactly plan on himself (admittedly, he could never quite “tempt” himself away from Ceraeza for long...), but it still filled him with a sense of pride that all was going his way, for once. Nothing could stand in his path now...

...Or at least, that’s what he kept telling himself... until an unfortunate tragedy hit once his dear Ceraeza fell gravely ill over a span of months, something that an optimist like herself often tried to brush off like no big deal. Still, Elken did what he could to gather as many Efornian doctors (and Autem coming back home from her traveling Mage adventures to try and help her family)... yet with a heavy heart, Ceraeza ultimately passed away just a short while later when all efforts failed. All of the kingdom mourned for their fallen queen... with Elken being especially crushed that the one person who understood him as he hoped for was just... gone. 

In the months that passed by... Elken’s heart filled with bitterness as he ruled on his kingdom with an firmer grasp on life, with his own daughters being given countless restrictions from straying too far from his sight. This didn’t leave him with as many “loyal” followers as his wife in comparison... but that didn’t matter to Elken anymore. If his harsher ruling and increasingly cold brand of smugness meant turning a few heads... well, so be it. This is his kingdom now... and he was determined to not only leave his permanent mark on the world, but to ensure that Autem herself would carry on his vision as well during her eventual rule as queen... 

Ceraeza Formonte (age 43, deceased) was the former queen of Efornia, and one of the last of the pureblooded Elves living among the main Efornian populace. Her family lived for many generations as a traveling band of pilgrims, their original home land being far too inhabitable to stay for very long. And given how Elves were renown for their natural magical prowess and mystique, it took a toll on Ceraeza’s folks to try and ward off those who wished to manipulate them or their children. 

Ceraeza herself was a particularly gifted child... being blessed with being a Sun Mage, one of the rarer forms of Celestial magic among Terra. With this gift she was sure to be capable of many great things, combat or otherwise... but for the sweet, humble Ceraeza... her true life passion lied within research. Studying and learning all she could about the surrounding world, to better help those like her family that struggled with having fair treatment compared to the majority. 

It was this ambitious mindset, along with her breathtaking beauty and intelligence, that would do more than attract a fair amount of suitors vying for her hand when she became of age. Flattered as she was though, Ceraeza would continue to turn most of them down as she went back to her studies... all, except for one that took her rather by surprise. The then-crown prince himself, Elken. 

True to her current mindset, she still turned even Elken down as she did not wish to be pursued as some “prize” to be won... but to be treated as an equal partner to join her in her quest for bringing equality. In time, however, Ceraeza grew to be charmed enough by Elken’s maturing pursuit of her that she ultimately couldn’t resist his final proposal to her. With their union, Efornia was looking to a newer era of peace for not just Ceraeza’s sake, but for the rest of her family and other neighboring Elves were might’ve been too wary to approach Efornia’s borders. 

Her time of marriage to Elken was that of a passionate, dutiful one... both to the crown and their own home life too. In Elven culture, daughters were said to be quite revered in a household... so for Ceraeza to be blessed with six of them made her life all the more brighter. On the days when she wasn’t in her studies or attending to the court, Ceraeza would often be found spending time with her girls in the great outdoors... singing them songs, telling stories, and teaching them all there is to know about the world around them. 

On her field of research, Ceraeza became well acquainted with Elianne Grayle, a fellow researcher and queen who often traveled together in their pursuit of scientific endeavors. They uncovered many discoveries in their time of knowing one another... which hurt Ceraeza all the more when she caught word of Elianne’s passing sometime later. This drove Ceraeza further in her work to honor her late friend’s memory... in a hope to perhaps uncover the truth of what took away such a beloved queen from Graystone. 

Still... a queen and mother’s duty had to remain steadfast nonetheless, so this goal had to stay on the sides to Ceraeza tending to her beloved subjects. Watching as the oldest of her little girls grew into strong, capable women... things were looking up for the Formonte household. So much so... that Ceraeza couldn’t find the heart to bring up much of her steadily weakening condition to her family... wanting to keep the atmosphere at peace during a time in which her oldest daughter (Autem) was finally gaining some independence to travel on her own. Something that in the end... proved to be the humble queen’s downfall, as eventually, the truth of her worsening illness came too late for much help to aid her... 

Bidding her deepest goodbyes to her loved ones, Ceraeza’s memory would carry on to be a symbol of hope for both them and the rest of Efornia following her passing... for with every darkening night blanketing the kingdom, a shining sun would always pass over to begin the day anew... 

[floraisondiadem]

anya taylor-joy. cis female . she/her . wasn’t that anastazija gaskell walking the palace grounds ? it’s nice to see the apprentice apothecarist out and about on such a fine day as this. I’ve heard from the court spies that they notoriously abstruse, whilst also managing to be quite percipient. the twenty-six year old is eager to find out who exactly is behind the killings from what’s being said at court. I heard that they themselves aren’t vrajiit. it’s funny, whenever I think of them, I think of fingertips sinking into the dirt into the earth with a nurturing hand likewise scrubbing bloody hands raw in the sink; heavy choked feeling of tears as you fulfill your duty unhesitatingly, the scent of hyacinths in the air, and laughter stretching the lips wider than a smile would. great to see the vivus around, isn’t it ? 

⇢ 𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐂 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍;

full name: anastazija gaskell meaning: ❛ resurrection , valorous ❜ nickname(s) | aliases: anja, tasi, ana | none, though she tends to steal her mentors title occupation; current | former apprentice apothecarist | ( adequate, mainly knowing alteration and repair ) seamstress home: wenchinka martial affiliation: unattached. pansexual. affiliation | alignment: herself, her home | chaotic neutral disposition { positive }; percipient, venturesome, jovial disposition { negative }; abstruse, grasping, impish  notable physical traits: too much usage of experimentation in the greenhouse of her mentor has caused irreparable damage to the veins in hands trailing upwards to the wrist and barely reaching further up arm in a fade, coloring them ink-like and prompting her to wear lace gloves to cover the scaring within. 

tw: mention of child abuse, tw: mention of death

✧��a cherubic faced child with lightened curls and a sharp glint to her eye of a propensity to mischievous intent was anastazija gaskell, brought into this world by the thin bony hands of a midwife as another name and soul to add to the list of children residing on the feral side of life once age molded her. a terror to her parents, only briefly before illness and war had separated them; and then after her transference at the age of five to a destitute caretaker as no family members remained nor desired her and the womans' three cruel, not of mirrored likeness children who stole food from her plate and bit with unhygienic teeth, plagued them with the same treatment despite the beatings, despite the threats of being drowned in a barrel for being wasted flesh. too many mouths to feed the woman would say with eyes clear of guilt as if that justified murder, anastazija would snarl back. as if she was the responsible oldest meant to take care of the family that was not her own.

✧ ana volunteering up the other children as if laying them out on a silver platter with an ingenuous mordacious smile earned her nothing but an empty stomach for days and bruised skin, an ache settling deep in her heart of familial yearning due to the horrid yet strange behavioral protective stance taken towards the other abandoned offspring. took to working for the village seamstress to keep hands and mind busy, to keep the woman’s words from becoming anything but empty—gave way to days upon days with minutes to hours eaten up and fingers punctured by a needle in repeated trial and error. thankfully her attentions were vulturine to detail, marking her valuable. a word that left lips constantly, in repetition, even before little ana knew of it’s entirety; and so she grew sick of stomaching it.

✧ eventually did a cloaked in grey man came to the fraying village where life was not meant to flourish and yet the people remained, prospered. a wise man, an apothecarist, titled asclepius with a boy named eurus, around the age of twelve to her age of thirteen trailing behind then beside with a softened order once the serrated gazes and the mouths eager to feast began as they walked, offered their hands to those that required care. vrajiit blood contained in veins making their visit a quick gust of wind likened to a whisper.

✧ the woman could have become a storyteller, the caretaker, of who’s name anastazija couldn’t quite recall, yet that white hair drawn into a stern bun and onyx eyes that could swallow the stars rooted itself so deeply into her memories she can never escape it’s haunting. she weaved an elaborate tale with hand gestures and sweet as summer wine tone, too much teeth showing in smile. seeding more resentment in the child’s heart that anyone could toss another aside for the clink of coins inside a pouch. comparable to buying ingredients at market. eurus's hand was gentle when it hugged hers, both gazes upon the exchange.

✧ gifted her the task of putting labels on the glass vials, of cleaning and sweeping and becoming the errand girl when it came to gathering ingredients no matter how perilous the trip came to be or delivering to homes. she did this as silently as a mouse though of course with burning complaints in her skull while observing the procedures and tasks her older yet still younger counterpart was privy to. blooming a flower of civil rivalry. 

✧ asclepius taught her the old ways of healing, the ‘primitive’ as he liked to call them ways when it came to the advancement of the abilities he'd worn since childhood that aged him rapidly in response to use—like that worn riddled with holes cloak he'd refused to let her fix—which was sufficiently promising. however she still wonders, questions with a soul of skepticism, why he said yes, why he chose her, picked her, plucked her out of many though he did offer the coin knowing fully well the lies sprouted from the woman's lips, someone with little to no experience when his first apprentice had prior background, was so tethered to the craft he was obviously meant to be heir. yet neither allowed her to dwell on it, her first family in years and she desired to keep them in that bubble of warmth forever.

✧ the world did not leave them alone long, it reached like a child for it’s mothers’ skirt and tugged tugged tugged, reminded her that it was not soft. eurus was taken, valuable, the soldiers had said. there was nothing kind in that stretch of lip either. mentor was not there at the time, gone again on one of his long trips without word, anastazija had been the one to crack open the door when they knocked ever so polite was the girl yet she wishes she had not done so. refused to open the door knowing fully well they would have yanked him from the shop in spite of protests anyway—to this day clutches his letter to herself like a lifeline refusing to accept the worst case scenario.  

✧ currently, although still in the role of assistant, anastazija basically runs the establishment as if she owned it, takes care of the building and makes sure it is in tip top shape despite occasional blunders for when her wanderlusting mentor decides to arrive from a faraway location and tends to those that enter with a well practiced smile. nevertheless with the murders, the mounting death toll, has her concerned with the state of the kingdom’s people. 

[freudensteins-monster]

His Heart’s Desire (the beginnings of a Good Omens/Stardust crossover)

WARNING: This is unfinished and will probably remain unfinished. It was only meant to be a short crossover synopsis like always but it got away from me, then it made me fight for every last word for about a week until I could get it to the point where I felt I could leave it.

The idea popped into my head while scrolling through Ao3 and seeing the tag “angels used to be stars”.

Also posted on Ao3.

There was once a young man who wished to gain his Heart’s Desire.

And while that is, as beginnings go, not entirely novel (for every tale about every young man there ever was or will be could start in a similar manner) there was much about this young man and what happened to him that was unusual, although even he never knew the whole of it. - Stardust, Neil Gaiman

Ezra Fell, for all the gentlemanly qualities he possessed, had always been treated as something of an outcast by the townsfolk of Tadfield. For all he was kind, and well-read, and taught the children of the village their letters with such patience and enthusiasm, they could never forget what he was: a foundling from beyond the ancient stone wall that marked the eastern border of the village, the ancient stone wall that protected them from all manner of strange and terrible creatures that surely dwelled in the forests beyond. Not that they ever mentioned it. No well-bred person spoke of such unbecoming things, but they always managed to say a lot without speaking when it came to Ezra Fell.

Their poor treatment of him had only gotten worse after the death of the local vicar, the only father figure Ezra had ever known, culminating in R.P. Tyler, his snobbish landlord, drastically increasing the rent on Ezra’s beloved childhood home-turned-library in an effort to force him out. Ezra had worried over the notice for the better part of the day before getting up the nerve to confront his landlord as he and his yappy little terror of a terrier made their way home from the only pub in the village. It was a personal attack Ezra had tried to argue as delicately as possible, tugging nervously at the hem of his brown hand-me-down waistcoat - after all he’d never raised the rent as much as a penny for as long as the old vicar had been alive. When that failed Ezra practically begged his landlord to consider some sort of arrangement which would allow Ezra to purchase his home from him. Tyler was never going to sell, and told Ezra as much, but then a flash of fiery golden light shot across the night sky catching their attention and a cruel thought began to take shape.

“The only way I’d sell to a man of your background, Mr Fell, is if you brought me back that fallen star,” he most assuredly did not slur.

“The star?”

“Aye. You present that star to me by weeks end and I’ll gladly hand over the keys to you. But if you don’t, and if you’re so much as a day late with your rent, I’ll toss you and that absurd collection of tinder you call a library into the gutter.”

An idea once planted is a hard thing to kill, and as R.P. Tyler stumbled home Ezra’s gaze turned eastwards, trying to recall the path of the fallen star and wondering just how deep into the forest beyond the wall it had landed.

Several minutes earlier in the kingdom of Etherium, many leagues beyond the wall, in the largest bedchamber in the highest tower of the Palace of Light a queen lay dying. She is surrounded by her remaining children. There had been eight of them once but one by one they had perished – accidents, she was told – until only four remained; Michael, Uriel, Sandalphon, and…

“Aziraphale?” she called, her eyes struggling with the dwindling light.

“No, mother. It’s Gabriel,” the youngest of her remaining children huffed impatiently. “Aziraphale died as a babe. Raphael lost him in the forest when his camp was attacked by bandits. Remember?”

“And poor Raphael took an arrow through his righteous heart,” Michael feigned a sigh.

“Such a shame,” Uriel added, herself an excellent shot with a bow.

“Little Aziraphale was claimed by wolves, one can only assume,” Sandalphon grinned.

The queen feels the loss of her other children keenly and laments that she must leave her throne to such ill-suited heirs. Unable to choose one over the other, for they are no good choices, she gathers the last of her strength and walks to the window, looking out over her kingdom for the final time. She pours the last of her light into the pendant that had hung about her neck; a translucent crystal on a gold chain. It glows brightly for but a moment then turns cold and opaque as the queen hurls it into the night sky. It seems to hit something at its apex before careening back to earth. Her children watch on curiously, wondering if the old girl had finally lost all her marbles. She turns to face them, her skin now ashen making her look every one of her considerable years, and addresses her children.

“Whoever of royal blood can return the Light to the palace shall claim the throne of Etherium.”

Her children step over her cold body, shoving each other out of the way to get a better look at the pendants final resting place. Sandalphon accidentally falls out the window in his eagerness, or so the official report will say, and his three remaining siblings do not so much as even glance at his mangled corpse at the foot of the tower as they take their leave of their ancestral home to hunt down the pendant.

Hidden in the darkest depths of the darkest forest, someone else sees the star fall, and to them a fallen star means far more than a home or a throne. To them, a being who was old when the foundation stones of the Palace of Light were still hot and gooey, a fallen star is a means to restore her and her siblings to health and vitality and power beyond imagining. She hobbles back inside to share the joyous news with her siblings.

“A star has fallen!”

Her voice echoes through their cavernous and cluttered home but she gets no reply. She rushes about the place with a sense of urgency and a hunger she hasn’t felt in centuries. She retrieves a prized metal box from its hiding place, clicking her tongue in irritation at the three sets of bindings - one red, one black, one white - and seeks out her siblings. She finds them slumped together on a fetid sofa in what could be assumed to be the sitting room.

“A star has fallen!” she almost weeps with happiness. “One of us must seek it out.”

Her siblings rouse then, slowly. Her brother is dark and frail, and every bit of exposed skin puts his bones on display. He smiles the sharp smile of a predator, his mouth already watering. Their sibling is pale and weak, every movement disturbing the thick layers of dust that have accumulated on their hair and clothes, and when they speak the air becomes more putrid.

“A star? It has been so long,” they sigh.

“So hungry,” their brother echoes.

She shoves the metal box onto their laps and presses their hands to the knots of their respective bindings. A small spark of magic from each of and the bindings undo themselves.

“I will bring it back for us,” she declares as she pulls the box back towards herself.

Her siblings are too tired to fight her for the right, and though relieved she despises them for their weakness; they once fought all out wars to decide petty arguments, but that was so long ago now. She reaches into the box, her fingers tingling as they wrap around a glimmering scrap of the last star they found. She drops it into her mouth and almost faints in sheer ecstasy. As the power courses through her she stumbles drunkenly about the room and until she spies the silhouette of a large gilded mirror. She rips away the cloth that covers it and promptly does the same with her brittle once-red wig and the rags that covered her thin frame. She watches her reflection in awe, never tiring of the transformation, finding it just as magical as it had been the last time over four hundred years before. Her skin becomes radiant and smooth, her hair regrows cascading down past her shoulders like rivers of blood, her body fills out and she feels strong again for the first time in an age.

She runs – runs! – to their shared bedroom and digs out her favourite outfit and armour, preserved with care at the bottom of a solid oak chest. She dresses with haste but savours the feel of the blood-tanned leather on her skin, the weight of the armour, the familiarity of the sword at her hip. Her siblings have found the energy to leave the sitting room and are waiting for her by the front door. Their eyes rove over her restored form with unabashed hunger and envy, and it’s almost as heady as the star’s light coursing through her veins.

“The star lies 1000 miles to the north,” her brother tells her, handing her a leather pouch of runes stones carved from the bones of his first kill. “You must make haste for others seek it out.”

“Bring it back so we may all be young again, sister,” their sibling begs her, handing over a blade of darkest obsidian.

She takes their gifts reverently and secures them to her person. “I will find the star and cut out its heart,” she swears. “And when we are all of us restored to our full power the world will know fear once more.”

When we return to the other side of the wall, where magic and murder are not so commonplace, we will find Ezra Fells rather impulsively packing for a journey that will surely be more perilous than taking a carriage to Ipswich, or even all the way to London. Both of which he’s done precisely once.

He was second guessing himself for the hundredth time in less than an hour when there was a sharp rapping at his front door. As he went to answer it he tried not to think about how it may not be his front door for much longer.

“Anathema, my dear. What are you doing here so late?” he asked of his one and only friend, ushering her inside.

Anathema Device was considered something of an outcast herself and would tell anyone who asked (not that they dared) that she was a witch. She lived on the outskirts of town in a small cottage that had been in her family for generations and her oddness was tolerated by the townsfolk more so than Ezra’s for this very fact: there had always been a witch in Jasmine Cottage. It was downright traditional, and as long as Anathema kept curing their ailments without gossiping about them to their neighbours, and brewing her grandmother’s particularly potent spiced cider at Christmas, the townsfolk let her be.

“It’s Agnes,” Anathema groused, as though that explained anything. The woman had been dead and buried fifteen years now. “She left me something in her will with strict instructions on when to deliver it to you.”

“That time is now, I take it?”

“Right…” Anathema paused until the grandfather clock in the sitting room struck 10. “Now.”

She pulled a small parcel wrapped in waxed paper from her pocket and passed it over to Ezra. He took it gingerly wondering what on earth could be so important that Agnes would put such a plan in place. She had always claimed to have been able to see the future and doled out predictions to any who would listen. Ezra had been respectful of her claims, even helping her get a book of her prophecies published, but had never truly believed her because for all the years Ezra had known her she had never once offered him advice on his own future. At least not until this night.

At Anathema’s urging he took a seat and began to unwrap the small parcel only to find a smaller parcel inside of it with letter in between the layers.

“It’s from Agnes,” Ezra remarked before reading her missive aloud.

Dear Mr Fell,

I must get right to the pointe, for time is of the essensse: it was I who first found thee as a babe, crying in the night by the broken section of the Wall. I Saw thou were in need and sought thee out. I Saw who would love thou best in this smallminded village and left thee on the doorstep of the church for deare Reverend Andrews to find.

In the basket with thee was the enclosed parcel. I Saw that thou would be in need of it this night after thou talk with that bunch-backed toad, Tyeler, and Anathema and I have kept it safe for thee alle these yeares.

And though I’m sure thou would rather I just tell thee what to do to keep thy home, truste me when I tell thee that it will alle work out in the end, and that halfe the joye is in the journey. Now, be a dear and put on the kettle before thou opens the next parcel. Thou won’t get to drink it but the routine should steady thy nerves.

Sincerelee,

Agnes Nutter, Witch.

P.S. You tell R P Tielerr from me that if he keeps harassing thou or that poor Young boy his precious apple trees will never fruit again! Theyr going to be struck downe with a fungus come Spring regardless, but it would be a great lark if he thought I was haunting him from beyond the grave.

 “What did you talk to Tyler about?” Anathema asked after allowing Ezra a moment to digest the truths Agnes had laid out in her letter.

“Hmm?”

“R.P. Tyler. Agnes said you talked to him.”

“Oh, yes. He increased my rent – almost doubled it, in point of fact. I had been trying to reason with him, or perhaps strike a deal that would allow me to purchase my home from him.”

“Let me guess: he wasn’t interested.”

“No, he seems quite eager to see me destitute,” Ezra lamented. “But while we were talking we saw a shooting star land beyond the wall and he said that the only way he was going to sell to me was if I could bring him that star.”

“What rot,” Anathema spat. “Ezra, please don’t tell me you’re even entertaining such nonsense; he wasn’t being sincere.”

“Of that I had no doubt,” Ezra huffed. “But surely some man of science somewhere would have interest in a rock fallen from the heavens? I could sell it, and if I can’t buy my childhood home from Tyler perhaps I could buy another. Somewhere as far away as London, or even Paris. Some place where no one whispers about what I am.”

“What you are,” Anathema recited patiently, “is my friend. And I want to see you happy, I do, but not by putting your life at risk. No one travels beyond the wall outside Market Day. Not even Agnes.” She waited another moment for her words to sink in before gently prodding him. “Do you want me to stay, for when you open that one?”

Ezra broke himself out of his muddled thoughts to offer her a small smile. “I think I’d like a moment to myself, dear.”

“Of course. But I’ll be back first thing tomorrow with a warm loaf of bread to break our fast, and we can talk about that,” she said, gesturing at the unopened parcel. “And find you somewhere else to live that isn’t under R. P. Tyler’s thumb,” she added as though he didn’t play landlord to half the village.

Alone in his home-for-the-moment, Ezra read Agnes’ letter once more for good measure before following her instructions and putting on the kettle.

A few minutes later, with warm but still trembling hands, he unwrapped the second parcel. Inside was a solitary white candle peppered with gold flecks and another letter. From the moment his eyes caught the first sentence they began to tear up…

 My dearest brother,

Leaving you here is the hardest thing I have ever had to do, and though you and mother may never forgive me for my actions, please believe me when I say it is for the best. It is not safe for you here. Every day our siblings jealously of your light and the attention mother gives you grows. They will do anything to gain her favour, even eliminate the competition, and I cannot hope to both protect myself and be there to stop every attempt made on your own cherished life.

I realise this cannot be easy to read but it is my greatest wish that my decision has allowed you to live a life free of pain and fear and the greed that has poisoned our siblings souls. I hope you have found a home and a family who loves you like you deserve, but selfishly it is my deepest wish that we may meet again once you are a man capable of defending yourself. To that end I have enclosed a gift.

The fastest way to travel is by candlelight. To use it, think of me and only me.

All my love,

Raphael

It took Ezra several moments to get past the realisation that he had a brother, and a mother, and an unknown number of fratricidal siblings, to acknowledge the gift mentioned. The candle must be magical in origin, he reasoned, and thus it would make sense to wait for Anathema’s return to study it further… but if it meant finding a way to return to his brother’s side – his brother! - who was no doubt beyond the wall that she would still be hesitant to let him take such a risk. He fidgeted with the candle while his tea grew cold, all the while turning words like “brother” and “mother” and “home” over in his mind.

How does it work, he wondered. The fastest way to travel is by candlelight, his brother’s letter had said, so Ezra had to assume that one had to light it, thus creating candle light, and… just think of his desired destination. Simple enough really, he mused, gathering up his half-packed leather satchel (a gift from the late vicar), adding some rations (half a block of cheese, the last of his bread, a few apples, and a canteen of water) just in case, and seeking out a match before he realised what he was doing.

He should probably leave a note for Anathema for she was sure to be cross with him in the morning when she found him gone. But perhaps, if the magic candle worked as he imagined it would, she need never know. Perhaps the candle would take him straight to his brother and perhaps there was enough magic within it to allow a return trip?

“Perhaps, perhaps…” Ezra muttered anxiously. He quickly found a pencil and wrote “Anathema – Back soon – Regards, Ezra” in his patently elegant script on the brown paper wrapping, then pulled the long strap of his satchel over his head, fussing with it until he was comfortable. With a deep breath he lit the match and took up the candle in his other hand. He counted to three and with a trembling hand brought the flame to the wick.

“Home,” he implored the universe.

A roar like a wildest thunderstorm assaulted his ears as the world rushed by in a dizzying blur and just when Ezra thought he might be sick it all stopped rather suddenly and Ezra found himself tumbling to the ground atop of some poor bystander.

“Oh! Oh, Raphael!” Ezra exclaimed, jumping to his shaky feet and reaching out to the man he assumed must be his brother. “I’m so… I’m so sorry. Are you all right?”

“No, I’m not! And I’m not bloody Raphael, so get off me!” hissed the body on the ground.

“You’re… You’re not my brother?”

“Do I Iook Iike I’m your brother?”

Ezra properly took stock of the man he had crashed into. He was tall and lean and wore strange robes of midnight. He was fair of face, his naturally sharp features were verging on knifelike in his irritation, with long red hair that seemed to shine without a light source, like each strand possessed within itself a flickering flame, and his eyes were an unnatural shade of yellow that burned with the ruthlessness of a midsummer sun. Ezra with his stocky frame, mousy, untidy hair, and too snug second-hand suit could not imagine a man more his opposite.

“No. Sorry. I was mistaken.” Ezra glanced nervously around the strange clearing he found himself in and seeing no one else, let alone a possible long lost brother around, turned his attentions back to the man who had still not made an attempt to get up off the ground. “Well, are you all right? Do you want some help?”

“You can help by Ieaving me alone!” the man snapped, slapping away Ezra’s outstretched hands.

“Very well then,” Ezra bristled, leaving the strange man to his misery to focus on his own problems.  "Light the candle and think of me,” he muttered staring down at the candle still in his hands that was now half its original length. “I was. I was thinking of Raphael… But then the star just popped into…” Ezra spun in a circle, his eyes growing wide with the realisation that he was not in a man-made clearing but an impact site. He turned back to the strange man. “Oh, excuse me, sir. Sorry to bother you again. This may seem strange, but have you seen a fallen star anywhere?”

“You’re funny,” the man huffed, though his glare said Ezra was anything but.

“No, really, we’re in a crater,” Ezra pressed on. “This must be where it fell.”

“Yeah, this is where it fell. Or if you want to be really specific,” the man drawled, jabbing a finger towards the night sky. “Up there is where this weird bloody necklace came out of nowhere and knocked it out of the heavens when it was minding its own business. And over there is where it Ianded,” he said, pointing towards the deepest part of the impact site. “And right here,” he growled, pointing to the ground on which he sat. “This is where it got hit by a magical flying moron!”

Ezra faltered as his brain was forced to make several adjustments rather quickly about its understanding of the universe.

“You’re the star! You’re the star? Really?” Ezra babbled, the colour draining from his face as this new reality came crashing down around him.

The star was human, or at least human shaped, and he could not sell off said star to secure his childhood home (though he was not naïve enough to think there weren’t men who would desire to buy such a creature).

The candle had not taken him to his brother, though he had initially wished it. Perhaps stray thoughts of the star had derailed the candles route, or perhaps his brother was no longer living and it was not possible for the candle to take Ezra to his side. What proof did he have either way?

And the candle only had one journey left in it – how best to use it? Should he return to Tadfield and his uncertain future, or try to go to his brother again, which was filled nothing but uncertainties, or did Ezra do what the voice in his head that sounded a great deal like the vicar said and offer the candle to the star so he could return to his home in the sky?

Ezra patted his coat pockets in an increasingly erratic pattern before sinking to the ground opposite the star. In the end it wouldn’t really matter which he chose because he had forgotten to pack a second bloody match to light the damn thing with.

“Oh, fuck.”

[carnistcervine]

For the WIP game: touched or water (or both👀👀👀👀)

Hello Pandora, welcome to box. :3

Zuko Foster Care AU Outline *Unsurprisingly, Zuko blows up at his psychiatrist, Joo Dee and sets her office on fire. Her smile is unnerving, and it doesn't fade or flinch as she calmly uses waterbending to put the fires out before security comes in and gives him a shot of something that suppresses his firebending.

Platonic Soulmates Gaang AU Outline *When Katara starts to waterbend, Kuruk mentors her. Being dead, he cannot waterbend himself, but he can at least pass his knowledge unto her.

*Every soul has a specific color unique to it, but each nation has a hue/hue range specific to it. Water Tribe - Blues, ranging from deep navy and sapphire to electric blue. Earth Kingdom - Greens, ranging from deep emerald to neon yellow-ish green. Fire Nation is Golds, ranging from dull golds, to brilliant, intense golds. Air Nomads is Grey, ranging from shining silvers, to a whole variety of light and dark greys.

Phoenix Chaser AU Outline -At first the people of the Southern Water Tribe are terrified of the angry, burned firebender. Then he starts asking about some mythical Fire Nation creature, and they can barely contain their laughter. Has no one told this idiot that phoenixes aren't real? And why would he think he could find one at the SOUTH POLE? They stop laughing when his fists catch fire.

-Incidentally, he does come to investigate the prison ship after the earthbenders revolt and leave, finding Katara's necklace. He remembers the Water Tribe girl wearing that exact necklace and wonders what she was doing on an earthbender prison. He decides to return it to her as he does owe her for getting her pest of friend to leave his ship.

-His uncle insists upon checking out a pirate ship. Zuko must concede that being well traveled, the pirates may know a thing or two about phoenixes. While Zuko is desperate enough to believe in phoenixes, he's not gullible enough to trust pirates and understands very quickly that their just trying to make a quick coin off him. However, he does overhear the pirates conversing about a stolen waterbending scroll, and an air nomad. The waterbender!

-Zuko laughs because this is obviously a joke, right? How is he supposed to teach firebending to an airbender. The airbender claims that he's the Avatar. Zuko doesn't believe it. The Avatar disappeared a CENTURY ago, this kid is obviously still a child. The waterbender says that the boy(Aang) is absolutely the Avatar, he can also bend water, and has gone into the avatar state more than one time. Zuko still doesn't believe it.

-Much to Zuko's surprise the waterbender and the airbender decide to show off to Zuko and, the airbender is actually the Avatar!

-When they aren't looking, Zuko makes a break for it. The waterbender freezes his feet, but he manages to melt the ice before they can get the ropes out and promptly runs off.

-The Gaang manage to find Zuko in time to watch his ship explode. They fish his unconscious body out of the water and Katara heals him. He's still injured, but he'll at least live. With his uncle's blessing they take off with an unconscious Zuko in tow.

ATLA Modern Highschool AU Outline *He(Aang) ends up rooming with the prince and princess of the Southern Water Tribe, and the Fire Prince at the prestigious United Elements Academy.

DarkAvatar!Bolin AU Outline -Bolin is concerned, but convinces himself that it's just stress and nightmares. After all, he's just an earthbender, it's not like he's somehow become the new Dark Avatar. Then, one day while he and Korra are messing around, she splashes water at him and he bends it.

Avatar Zuko AU Outline -Eventually a small rag-tag group of Water Tribe kids are discovered with one of them airbending. The world assumes that the airbending Water Tribe boy is the Avatar(he's not but shhh). Zuko latches onto this, see he's not the Avatar, that kid is. Iroh knows that it's entirely possible the boy is just a lost airbender dressed in Water garb, but humors his nephew anyway. It's an opportunity to get an airbending teacher if nothing else.

-In the Southern Water Tribe, a young airbender named Ara receives a vision about the identity of the Fire Nation Avatar from the spirits. At sixteen, he'd only just mastered airbending and the spirits were demanding him to locate and teach the new Avatar. With the blessing of his elders, he departs from the Southern Water Tribe with his two friends, Katara and Sokka. He accidentally blows his cover as a non-bender when he airbends to defend Katara.

-In this AU, there are hidden airbender sects in the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribes. They managed to evade death by pretending to be non-benders and regular nomads.

-When they get to the North Pole, they initially attack because Zuko is Fire Nation, but stop when he starts airbending at them. Zuko didn't mean to airbend, he was trying to firebend, but air responded instead and the Water Tribesmen, seeing as this is actually the Avatar, just start laughing at him.

Another Avatar Zuko AU Outline -The airbender, Avatar Aang dies when he drowns at sea. The waterbender, Avatar Korra dies protecting her tribe during the southern raids. The earthbender, Avatar Xin Hu perishes alone in the Si Wong desert. By the time he draws his final breath, the firebender, Avatar Zuko is born into the world.

-When he struggles with his firebending, they step in to offer help or advice. When Korra offers to show him a few moves, he gives her a look. She's obviously a waterbender, what in the world could she teach a firebender? She just smiles at him and says that if he weren't so cute, and she weren't incorporeal, she probably would have decked him for being so oblivious.

-Iroh remains Zuko's firebending master, and a call goes out for the other three masters to teach the Avatar. Pakku becomes Zuko's waterbending master, a Dai Li agent named Kyun becomes Zuko's earthbending master, and a strange sage from a secret airbending sect hidden in Ba Sing Se named Youra becomes Zuko's airbending master.

Avatar Sokka AU Outline -Aang dies in the ice, and Sokka is born to the Southern Water Tribe.

-Far as he's concerned, he's just a normal guy and all this spiritual, water-magic stuff is just a bunch of balogna. He doesn't even believe in spirits.

If Sozin was a good person AU Outline *Aang is found by the son and daughter of the Southern Water Tribe's chief.

*The people of the Water Tribe are all surprised to see a living airbender. The world seems to be under the impression that they all vanished with the Avatar. Some theorized that they either floated off into the aether, or maybe just died from a sudden plague.

*While touring the place, Aang notices a large crowd gathering around the docks. He makes his way through to find a Fire Nation ship. Aang wonders what the Fire Nation is doing in the Southern Water Tribe, when he overhears them talk about looking for the Avatar.

*Aang manages to convince the Water Tribe sibs that he's not the Avatar, but still refuses to confront the Fire royals. Aang's skittishness makes Katara fear the worst, and she promises to help protect Aang from there.

War Erasure AU Outline -It doesn't take too long for word to reach the Air Temples of a young airbender afflicted by a terrible madness. Apparently, said airbender is traveling in a group with a blind earthbender, and two Water Tribe kids. The Nuns plot to drug the group so that they can be sent off for treatment. Zuko overhears the plan and the group escapes, but only barely.

Thoughts of Reason, Thoughts of Treason Chap 6 “Uh, er… It’s a term that refers to firebenders. Like, a compliment. For firebenders, the sun is the ultimate source of our bending and our life.” Zuko touched a hand to his chest, over his beating heart. “To say that a firebender holds the sun, is to say that they are warm hearted and full of light. There’s also a saying that firebenders with really gold eyes, like mine, hold the sun in their soul.”

“The Avatar’s right.” Zuko rasped, attracting the attention of the Water siblings. “The movements of a real airbender are much more deliberate. Like someone who can actually control the air.”

The Calm Before Outline *Aang demands to know who the spirit is. The spirit tells Aang that he’ll give up his identity if Aang has a little bit of the food and water.

*Without the war, the Southern Water Tribe is gorgeous, prosperous. Utterly, unspeakably beautiful. Much like the northern one.

*One day he and some other monks are helping an old lady that lives in one of the villages down at the base of the mountain/island. The group is walking across a dry riverbed when there’s a sudden flood of water. Acting quickly and on instinct, Aang uses his water bending to divert the water flow and save the old lady’s life.

*Katara tries to distract herself by practicing her waterbending with the fellow master benders of the south and hanging out with her mom.

*Sokka devises a plan that involves Katara’s waterbending skills. They secretly, slowly store more and more supplies in a hidden boat. Then when they’re finally ready to go, Katara bends the snow and whips up a snow storm. While everyone is distracted, the duo make their way to their boat and Katara bends them out of there.

*Of course Katara takes this time to study more waterbending forms.

*They debate as they fly over to the Sea of Lost Souls. The water is murky and the coral hands seem to be moving, the remnants of cosmic energy spiraling around in the abnormally dark waters.

Zuko's Invisible Friend Outline *Zuko has a difficult time comprehending this concept and asks Agni if he’s ever sad that no one can celebrate his birthday. Agni is genuinely caught off guard by the question. He fine with not having a birthday, because the mortals do have holidays in his honor, but he can’t help but feel a little touched at how sheerly empathetic Zuko can be.

*They go down so Katara and Aang can practice waterbending.

*So Aang goes right back to waterbending with Katara.

*Zuko tries to ask Agni what he means when he’s pulled back into his body because he got completely soaked by cold water and all of their supplies have been “practiced” away.

*Having his connection to Agni suddenly cut with cold water like that means that it’ll be a hot minute before Zuko can communicate with the ancient spirit again.

*Zuko figures that since he found himself on the fire lion turtle, maybe his friends are on a water one.

*However as soon as they reach the north, the waterbenders imprison Zuko for being Fire Nation.

*The water warriors scour the city for the lost firebender, and the Gaang act all mad that they lost the Avatar’s firebending master.

Raging Spirit AU Outline *The water warriors are suspicious of Iroh, but the Gaang vouch for him, so they decide to trust him.

*They all take on soldier uniforms to disguise themselves as they enter into Fire Nation waters.

*So finally, she goes and everyone eats together like a Water Tribe family and it’s so fucking cute, I can’t take it.

*The thriving settlement looks much more like the North Pole, especially with all the waterbenders running around.

*Tanokka offers to tutor Katara on the old ways of Southern Water Style.

*Tanokka says that it’s a side effect of dream bending. Nothing in the dream is real, so the water lacks the weight it should have.

~Katara practices Southern Water Style under the tutelage of Tanokka.

A Testimate To Good Publicity and Societal Forgetfulness Outline *After that, he(Wan) gained air, water and finally, earth. And the Avatars following him were also born into the cycle by the order of the elements he learned.

The Lady in Alabaster Chapter 1 A massive inferno greedily chewing up the dainty little home while the Water couple who lived there watched on, the orange of the flames even consuming the blue in their wide eyes.

Legend of Korra REwrite Outline ~By age sixteen Korra’s mastered water, earth and firebending. But has shown no aptitude for airbending.

~They enlist the help of the Fire Nation, and both Water Tribes, who happily oblige.

Korra vs Amon REwrite Pain surged through her body as he took control of the water in her muscles, causing them to spasm as they were pushed and pulled against the wills of her nerve impulses.

Okay, so maybe going after a bloodbender on a full moon was a bad idea, but she’s a waterbender too!

(You get the whole paragraph bc fug it) “Amon of the Equalists.” The Avatar spoke, voice layered over by another that was feminine, but distinctly not Korra. “Or shall I say Bloodbender (Amon’s real name I dun remember lol) of the Water Tribe, son of Yakkone.” Her tendrils ripped the mask away and wiped the make-up clean. His followers gasped at the truth. “You have demonstrated a lack of regard for not only the balance of this world, but also it’s keeper.” Her voice was calm, but still somehow betrayed a seething rage. “And for this crime, I shall strip you of your power, forever!” The burning white spread from Korra’s eyes and enveloped her being, then spread to Amon.

Badvatar AU Outline -At the age of twelve, having mastered airbending, Aang ends up finding out he can waterbend too.

-What happened was a terrible storm hit the temple, and one of the younger students with weaker bending had been hit by a powerful gale. He would have been fine, but the ground was slick with water and he was going to fall to his death. Aang didn't think he could get the elder's attention in time so on pure instinct he reached out and suddenly an arm of ice had ensnared the boy and the torrential rain, seemed to slow slightly.

-Toph lives a quiet, repressed life with her oppressive and neglectful parents. In secret, she sneaks out many nights to participate in Earth Rumble fights. Then one day, her interest is piqued when she finds an airbender in attendance with the supposedly "kidnapped" son and daughter of the souther water tribe. The two kids seem happy enough, it must be a situation like hers, where their parents think that their kids are helpless and just assumed that they had been kidnapped when they willingly ran away.

-At the festival, Zuko meets an odd group. An air nomad, two water tribe kids, and an earth kingdom girl. It clicks to him that these are the "kidnapped" children he heard the servants gossiping about. He is almost caught by Azula, but his new friends help him give her the slip and he officially joins the Gaang.

-Meanwhile, in his cell, Aang had become sullen and withdrawn. The monks who came by to give food and water would try and speak to the young Avatar. They found that he was engaging with them less and less. They worried that the Avatar's condition may have been worsening.

Catching the Embers Chapter 1 His(Aang's) waterbending companion was defending him.

She coated her arms with water and lashed out at him with water tentacles.

Until finally, she broke through his fire and roped him with her water. Zuko felt himself lifted up and then thrown across the cavern into another pool of water. The water quickly rose up and encased his body.

“I trusted you.” The waterbender hissed. “I thought you had changed!”

“You thought wrong.” With a charged up blast of fire, he blew out of his watery prison.

The icy cold water slammed him right against the hard cavern wall, but if he was being totally honest, it didn’t hurt that bad.

Catching the Embers Outline *She just shrugs and leaves a bowl of water for him, saying that she figured he was thirsty.

*Despite being very thirsty, Zuko doesn’t drink the water out of spite.

*Once he tries to get up, the family doctor looks Zuko over. He makes him drink some water and gives him some broth to drink, but overall gives him a clean bill of health.

*Iroh remains silent, he wants to test the waters a bit. Thinks this over, maybe see if Zuko will listen.

*Suddenly there’s a flash of lightning, and Zuko and Aang are standing across from each other in a pool of water.

*Aang’s expression is blank, his eyes hollow. Crimson blood reaches out into the water around him.

*The sages have the guards drug Zuko’s food and water, so that he doesn’t try anything when they look him over.

*As a peace offering/apology for what his(Iroh's) forefathers did to Katara and her tribe, he gifts her with as much of the Water Tribe loot that the Fire Nation took as she wants.

[punkscowardschampions]

Lux & Amber

Lux: Hey, Amber, I was wondering if I could talk to you, when you've got the time to 💬 back and forth for a bit 😌 Amber: Hi Amber: this'll work... Amber: are you okay? Lux: Yes in the sense this isn't a total emergency Lux: but no in the sense I'm not bothering you for no reason Lux: I don't know how to start this Amber: total emergencies are what my mama's for anyway, but I'll still try to help, if I can Lux: Yeah Lux: not that I'll be having that kind of emergency ever Lux: well, it was his idea Lux: and I don't know whether he expected me to follow up on it or not but I'm going to Lux: so maybe I don't feel as insane Lux: it's about Dash Amber: Oh Amber: we're not together if that's what's worrying you, it was just once Amber: and it won't be happening again Lux: I knew you weren't Lux: maybe knew is an overstatement, thought, anyway Lux: what do you think of him? Amber: you did, because he doesn't do 'together' and we all know that Amber: what did he do to make you feel insane? Amber: I think it's probably similar to the way he made me feel stupid, but I'm ready to be wrong Lux: How did he make you feel stupid? Amber: I thought we were friends, we're not Amber: and I thought that maybe he was just a little lost, but he knows exactly what he's looking for Lux: Yeah Lux: I think it might be the same Lux: he said one thing at the time Lux: but then today he said something that made that all so Lux: gross Amber: because he wanted something different from you today from wanting to have sex with you Lux: he said it was part of the tour Lux: which in itself...but then he said he only did it to 'tourists' Amber: I've been here for months, how am I a tourist? Lux: I know! Amber: my family lives and works here and he goes to school with me, I see him every day for like hours, on the commune and outside of it Lux: I wanted him to admit that it was a lie, that this was like family, because that isn't what you do to family, even if it's totally chill or whatever, you still don't view all these girls as your sisters, like you clearly do the boys as your bros Lux: but he couldn't do that, 'cos if this is all bullshit then what is he doing Lux: but then that amounted to him essentially saying he did it to the most fucked up, vulnerable girls, who he knew would go away before it became an issue for him...and that's me, so, everything else he said is untrue and manipulative and Amber: I don't think he understands family for what it's worth, whether he really believes this is one or he's hiding behind that Amber: but if that's his perspective, I understand now why he seemed to immediately regret sleeping with me, because it's unlikely I'm leaving any time soon Amber: even if my 'vulnerability' did jump out Lux: you've at least confirmed I'm not hysterical Lux: he said I should ask you, that it's cool Amber: I'm sorry he hurt and used you like that, I didn't realise I'd have to start warning every girl here Amber: or that he was THAT person Amber: yes, he lied to me and stole from me but he's not the first hippie boy I've met who tried to do some kind of free love revival Lux: he said he wasn't scared of me 'telling' on him to these girls because everyone else is into it too Lux: but he asked me not to multiple times so clearly he doesn't think everyone would still be down if it was total transparency Amber: plenty of people here are into it and whatever you say or don't say, there'll be girls who are still into him Amber: I fell for it after everything I'd seen and heard because he made me want to, I was still willing to give him another chance afterwards Amber: pretty face and prettier words, right? Lux: I'm just sick of dealing with people who are shitty Lux: just because they're not as shitty to me as everyone else Amber: there are people here who would listen, I hope, hold him accountable instead of falling into the forgiveness and understanding speech immediately Amber: my mama, for one, if it came from you instead of me Lux: there's people here who don't like me too Lux: more than that Amber: Who? Lux: I'm not trying to turn this into a big tattle-tale party Lux: I tried to tell him but he wasn't listening Amber: you can tell me, I'll keep my temper and listen Amber: nobody wants to listen to teenage girls and I'm not feeding into that lie that we're all hysterical, even though I am angry Lux: some of the older ladies Lux: they don't think I am a teenage girl Lux: that I've co-opted the experience of being a woman for the aesthetic, without ever having to face the adversity and struggles they do, as biological women Amber: I don't have the vocabulary to express how disgustingly narrow and dangerous that thinking is Lux: it's interesting to hear it from a perspective other than religion, I guess Lux: but still Lux: he thinks it's perfect here, and everyone is Amber: and his brother thinks it's hell on earth Lux: you know his brother? Amber: I met him and my 'aesthetic' jumped out for him Amber: he decided who I am because I live here Lux: I almost thought he'd made him up Lux: in a weird way Lux: I don't know how you get Dash and then him, from what he sounds like, anyway Amber: their experiences are actually entirely different Amber: Dash has opted out of any of the struggles, by being here, so it is perfect for him in that way, I guess Amber: like a utopia Amber: it's no wonder his brother thinks none of us live in the real world Lux: He doesn't 'do' responsibility, he said that Lux: responsibility to be an alright person really is the minimum Amber: plenty of people here obviously don't either Amber: those woman you mentioned don't even understand their own privilege, they just want to tell you yours Lux: don't get me wrong Lux: here is fine Lux: and lots of the people are nice and whatever Lux: but whenever I talk about my family it's like this smugness of how backwards they are when I've got the same treatment from plenty of non-religious folks for no reason but disagreeing Lux: my parents think they're saving me from eternal damnation, because they love me, that's not nothing Amber: like the thinking that anything about living this way makes us superior isn't backward Amber: they're pretending to be free and open is the key to the kingdom and the only way anyone gets to be here Amber: but it's not Lux: I just need somewhere I'm safe Lux: so I can actually sort out what I'm doing with the rest of my life Amber: I know what you mean Amber: I feel like I'm always asking for time to figure things out but it doesn't happen like that Lux: Sorry to put more strain on your time right now Lux: it just Lux: ugh Amber: honestly, it's a relief that there's someone else who feels the same about this place Amber: I can't talk to my parents about it, they love it here Lux: You can talk to me about it any time Lux: even if I am your dad's teacher's pet right now Lux: I just get really bored of the manual labour here, I don't mind chipping in, obviously, but being stuck here all day every day, I want to be using my 🧠 Amber: he talks about you A LOT and I am jealous but I'm not holding it against you personally Amber: if only you could take my place in school... Amber: but for now, do you want to come with me? Somewhere where everything is concrete and plastic? Lux: Dash would be so upset we're not talking about him right there Lux: sounds like heaven Amber: does he 'do' upset? 🙄 Lux: I'm trying not to care right now Amber: we're caring about 🛍💅 like teenage girls with like ZERO struggles Amber: I full intend to buy the most uncomfortable and impractical bra ever and wear it everywhere those women are Lux: 😆 Lux: as long as I can find some falsies to fill mine Amber: I probably should too, there's not much going on here Amber: and when you're in a better headspace, I'll introduce you to my friends from school Amber: I think it'll help Lux: really? 😀 😃 Amber: Yes, some of them are so 'normal' it makes me feel 👽 Amber: but in a good way Lux: I could use that Amber: the conversations hit different because they are Lux: I liked talking to him Lux: 'til he messed it all up Amber: not to be ✌☮🕊 but do you want to give him another chance? Lux: I really don't know what I think or what I'm going to do yet Lux: I've got no desire to hate anyone or be petty Lux: but he isn't sorry so Lux: I'm just a pushover and an idiot if I give him another chance Amber: caring is important but you need to care about yourself too, especially if he isn't sorry Lux: I just hope he can make some better choices Lux: but unlikely Lux: he's happy with how it is right now Amber: treating girls right instead of passing them around like 🚬🌿 isn't growth he's ready for Amber: yet Lux: its hard to know what I should say Lux: if anything Lux: to these other girls he was openly being nasty abouy Amber: his honesty was brutal, why soften the truth if it only protects him? Amber: you can always show them the relevant parts of the conversation if you kept it Lux: I'd feel like crap if other people got hurt needlessly when I knew Lux: but I'm hardly endearing myself to them if they don't see it how I do and they just think I'm trying to like, claim him or whatever nonsense Amber: I can do it, he's already made all those jokes about me being 💔 Amber: and I've been here long enough for everyone to know who I am Lux: 🙄😒 Lux: why are guys like that Lux: they say they wanna chill with down girls but then their ego makes them wanna believe you're actually in LOVE with them Amber: I wish I knew, and that I didn't have sex with him Amber: but he probably would have said I did anyway, I guess Lux: He's the second person I've ever Amber: well now I'm really 😠 Amber: my dad'll be upset about it but if I see him around I will hit him Lux: I mean, I'm straight Lux: so I was gay Amber: that's adversity if those judgemental woman would like to get into it, liking boys is the biggest struggle Amber: they really don't make it easy for us Lux: Are there any boys you like that aren't him Amber: I need to make better decisions, so that means saying no to that question Lux: Gotcha Amber: but it's a lie and I'm not lying to you today too Amber: just so you know Lux: I appreciate it Lux: probably got enough frivolous boy chat for the both of us though, so you can try to be better Amber: he did say he likes me, I do have that in writing, but what have we learned today if not to trust stuff like that Lux: is he from school? Lux: not all guys can be total assholes, right Lux: that sounds like something those old ladies would say Amber: he's a good person but he insists he's bad for me, I have to listen to that, don't I? Lux: depends why he thinks that, I suppose Lux: it could be an insecurity thing Lux: or a genuine warning Amber: he thinks it's genuine, and I know why he does, we are very different Lux: good different like your school friends Lux: or the bad kind Amber: I don't know Lux: Tricky Amber: it's another thing I need more time to figure out Lux: You'll have it Lux: boys wait for girls like you Amber: girls like me? Lux: Beautiful Amber: that's girls like US Lux: 😌😚 Amber: beautiful and weird and getting out of here for a while even if boys are waiting for us Lux: heck yeah! Lux: he's waiting on Cleopatra though, currently Amber: who? Amber: is she new here? Lux: oh, that's not her real name Lux: umm Lux: another 💎 Amber: he's not waiting for me Lux: Sapphire! Amber: of course Lux: I don't know her Amber: she got here a few weeks ago, her brother Onyx tends to speak for her more than she does for herself Lux: don't love that Lux: was picturing Liz Taylor Lux: wouldn't need to worry about her Amber: did he say she looks like Elizabeth Taylor? Lux: just Cleo Lux: well, 'vibe' which can mean everything and nothing, I really don't know Amber: I don't 👀 it Lux: like you said, if anything his words are pretty Lux: which is nice, in a fucked up kinda way Amber: I don't think I'll try and remember how he described my 'vibe' though Lux: just let me know if he's doubling up on 👼s Amber: there are less 👼🏽 it would be creative Amber: but no Lux: not going to keep a list for him so he can keep track or anything Amber: if he keeps one himself I didn't find it when I searched his room Lux: wait, WHAT??!? Amber: he stole my stash, I didn't want my dad to get upset with me so I went to his house to see if I could get it back Amber: that's how I met his brother Amber: I didn't find it, if he smoked with you, that was on me Lux: asshole Lux: I need to find something cute to wear at the shops Lux: it's the most teen girl response possible Amber: [tells her where she can find all the best clothes because it'd be such a free for all cos nobody has proper rooms or storage like] Lux: 🤞 having my ankles on display is a CHOICE LEWK Lux: ['cos how many of these malnourished girls are 5'10 lol] Amber: ✂ Amber: short shorts are a teenage girl staple Amber: I'm going to get something else pierced while I'm this young and beautiful Lux: 😄😄 I have the legs for it 💁 Amber: and if you get 😽 called, you get to say everything Dash refused to listen to earlier Lux: Alright, I'm ready 😎 🤩 🥳 Amber: 🙃 Amber: let's go!

[royaltealovingkookiness]

ATLA fic rec master-list

A place to organize the ATLA fanfic I like.

I tend to like Zuko-centric stuff, and stories that focus not exclusively on romance (though I do read many different ships as well). As it will become apparent, my taste is rather eclectic, so there can be things in it for everyone. 

Most links are to AO3, I just prefer it that much to the layout of ffnet.  Also, if I haven’t tagged someone in Tumblr correctly, please give me a shout.

General AUs / Gaang/ adventure (various ships)

The Worst Prisoner  by @emletish-fish  (WIP) (Zutara) - in this AU starting already from S1, Zuko becomes friends with the Gaang much, much sooner, which means there is lots of amazing 

Zuko’s Tiny Dilemma by @botherkupo (slight Zutara) S1 Zuko agebending story featuring Iroh as a teapot!  Tiny, grumpy Zuko gets the Mumtara treatment and has great Gaang content. It sweet and funny. Now with an Azula-centric spin-off No Returns, No Refunds

The Undying Fire series by @botherkupo  -  (there are some ships, but the main focus is Gen) This is an epic Zuko is a firehealer, AU starting with The Blue Spirit, and spanning through each season. Extremely good, lots of Gaang focus, great Aang and Zuko friendship vibes and so much more. I don’t want to spoil it, other than, if you haven’t read it, go read it now!

Another Brother by @awesomeavocadolove    (Gen, WIP) Zuko is adopted by Hakoda, grows up as WaterTribe, as another sibling of Sokka and Katara. 

The Avatar Makes Three by @awesomeavocadolove (Gen, WIP) - Aang loses, but before he dies, he divides the Avatar spirit between Zuko, Katara and Toph.

Ozymandias, King of Kings by @Think_of_a_Wonderful_Thought (WIP) - (Zuko/Sokka) This is a pretty dark AU, where instead of exile, Zuko was sent to a work camp before he’s freed by Aang and the others. The Zuko of this story is a pretty traumatized fellow, who is simply sick of everything. 

Southern Lights by @colourwhirled - (WIP, it’s Zutara, but it’s so much more). An AU world, where the Avatar has disappeared, the empire won the war. Iroh sets up a specialized unit with a chill airbender, a waterbending prodigy, a run away earth-bender and a banished prince.  There is politics, intrigue, adventure, cross-bending, and while the world is different the characters remain very recognizable.)  

In His Shoes by @awesomeavocadolove (Zuko/Sokka) It’s a bodyswap AU in Ba Sing Se. I love Ba Sing Se era Zuko and I love any AU where the Gaang sees this version of him. 

We Ourselves Must Walk the Path by @winterskywrites  (Gen) - short S3 AU where the Gaang really takes Zuko as prisoner in The Western Air Temple.

Fight by Electrons (Gen, WIP ) Zuko chooses differently in Ba Sing Se - now he’s the Gaang’s tour-guide to the Fire Nation. Lots of world-building around the Fire Nation. The story is on hiatus, but it’s still well-worth a read.

Unchained Melody by @awesomeavocadolove (WIP) (Zuko/Sokka), Sokka is stuck in spirit form, only Zuko can see him, S1 AU where Zuko and spirit-form Sokka are forced to hang out together. I mean how could it be wrong?

Little Zuko v the World by @muffinlance (Gen, WIP) Zuko finds Aang when they are both 12 in this S1 AU, which is written with a sweet humour. 

Fate Deferred by @catie-does-things  (WIP, Zutara) In this story Aang sleeps for another ten years before Zuko and Katara find him. It’s a story of Dadko and Momtara taking Aang to get his training in a world that ended up in a very different way after Sozin’s comet. It weaves together past and present masterfully and it’s as fun to follow the new adventures as it is to follow the past story of Zuko and Katara and see how things ended up as they are.

A Tale of Ice and Water by @soopersara (WIP) (pre-Zutara) - a canon-close AU featuring Avatar Katara, who still finds Aang in the ice. 

Zutara

Frozen @Aris Merquoni   - The ultimate Zuko gets captured at the North Pole fic. 

The Descent @chromeknickers  - S1 AU - Katara goes down to the spirit world to drag Zuko back to the living. A cranky waterbender, a pissed-off pony-tailed spirit and a very vivid spirit world. 

The Fifth Coloumn @chromeknickers (post-series Assassin AU) Katara is imprisoned by a secret society. A mysterious assassin infiltrates them. This has some dark / mature themes,  but a fantastic story overall.

Once Around the Sun  by Eleventy7 An amazing post-series eventual Zutara story, focused on Katara, Zuko and Azula. It’s a journey, both inside and out and it is amazing. Soul-searching, bonding, changing, adventure.

Mending Wounds by  FictionIsSocialInquiry  S2 AU, post-Chase. While lost in the Foggy Swamp, searching for her brother and her Avatar, Katara is haunted by visions of the Fire Nation's disgraced prince. Visions of peace after war, visions of honour and secrets...Katara has some interesting visions in the Swamp)

Stalking Zuko by @emletish-fish  Oldie but goldie, Zuko joins the Gaang, Katara takes up stalking. Sweet, funny Zutara fic from the Western Air Temple days.

I Don’t Speak Meow Language by @botherkupo   (Boogum)  Ba Sing Se-era, Zuko is a tea-server, Katara is a feisty cat AU - sweet, sweet silliness (I adore any fic where anyone from the Gaang gets to see up-close and personal, the sweet, awkward mess tea-shop Zuko is and you can’t get much closer than being a cat)

The Little Adentures of Katara (and One Giant Prince) by @botherkupo (WIP) An early S3 AU where a tiny Katara is stuck with her big princely saviour. I love this one because it gives a rare glimpse into Zuko’s palace life through Katara’s eyes, at the time when Zuko returns to the Fire Nation.  

so let us melt, and make no noise by littleloststar - a very moody AU, where Zuko is haunting for the last waterbender and Katara lives alone in an ice-palace. It feels like a Nordic myth with swirling snow and lots of darkness and ice. 

Fire Nation Royal Family

Lovable by LadyCharity (Zutara) A very emotional post-series Zuko & Azula story, which is also a Zutara story.

Azula’s Search by crowleyhouseplant (series) (slight TyZula)This story is just my absolute favourite post-series Azula-centric story, featuring an epic Azula/Mai/TyLee/Suki roadtrip to look for clues about Ursa. There is a little background Maiko and TyZula, but it is mostly about Azula’s road to redemption.

The Suns Inside of Us by @crowleyhouseplant   - (WIP) this is a sequel to Azula’s Search as she keeps searching her lost firebending, and perhaps her redemption, as she’s trying to figure out her place in the post-series reality, her relationship with Zuko, Mai, Ty Lee and others, but above all, herself.

Call “Uncle” by @jaggedcliffs  - (one-shot, Gen) The Gaang slowly adopts Iroh as everyone’s uncle.

Decorum by @sometimeswarrior (Gen) writes many good Iroh-centric one-shots. This one with Iroh & Ozai after the agni kai is my favourite.

stained in tea-colours by sangi - (one-shot, Gen) After the War, Azula eventually comes to live in Ba Sing Se with Iroh. A soulful story about Iroh, Azula and Zuko, and all the wounds they carry and the ties that bind them. It is a fantastic take on post-series Azula and her relationship with Iroh. Sangi has many great one-shots on the Fire Nation Royals, and they are really worth checking out.

There All the Honour Lies by @shastafirecracker (Gen) Iroh & Zuko oneshot, about the immediate aftermath of the Agni kai

our curse by @gaynasas and the last dragon by @runrundoyourstuff (Gen) OK, these are very dark, but very good takes on what would have happened if Ozai made a different decision about Iroh’s fate post S-2. Check out the tags before reading!

Choices by @catie-does-things  (Gen) Very interesting one-shot looking at Aang’s decision to spare Ozai’s life from the perspective of Zuko who now has to decide his fate.

Bloodline by monpetitpois (Gen) Multi-generation history of the Fire Nation Royals starting with Sozin to Izumi. It’s well written and in character and has a lovely forcus on Zuko’s and Izumi’s relationship. Character-focused, canon-compliant.

Zuko-centric (various ships & friendships)

the beginning of a new and brighter birth by  @captainkirkk (aloneintherain) (Gen) My favourite take on post-series Zuko becoming Fire-Lord. None of that comic nonsense. Very solid political plot, lots of heart and really it’s just the story that had to be told.

The Problem With Zuko by avocadolove (Gen) AU where Lu Ten didn’t die, and Zuko is just an overlooked lesser prince. He is put in charge of imprisoning Aang and his companions.

The Revenant by @achievement-bender (Gen) Zuko helps the Gaang, but in a very different way. A sad, but so good, Ghost!Zuko story. (check out the rest of their stuff - I also love Catch and Release, which is an AU where the Blue Spirit gets captured by Zhao

ribs by @gaynasas (oneshot) (Gen) There are simply not enough Zuko & Aang friendship stories in the world. This one is a great one about bonding over firebending and learning about Zuko’s scars. All of her stuff is very well written and worth reading.

a night at the theatre by @captainkirkk  (one-shot) (Gen) Fire Lord Zuko meets the Ember Island Players

A Candle to a Dragon by @achievement-bender  (WIP) (Gen) Non-bender Zuko AU. Wow, what a ride with a bookish, sweet, heartbroken Zuko, training with Piandao as he’s trying to figure out who he is without bending in a family of prodigies. 

Heartlines by @kuchee  (WIP) Zuko loves Katara. Katara loves Zuko. Aang loves Katara. Katara loves Aang. Aang loves Zuko. Zuko loves Aang. It doesn’t have to be a love triangle if everyone has two hands? A lovely Zuko/Katara/Aang OT3 with lots of pining set during a post-series Earth Kingdom natural disaster.

Antebellum by @veliseraptor (Gen) A Zuko & Aang friendship oneshot (did I mention I have a thing for these? Set during the Western Air Temple days.

Towards the Sun by @muffinlance - (Gen, WIP) Zuko is Fire Lord AU  - Zuko got imprisoned on the Day of the Black Sun, so never joined the Gaang. After Ozai’s defeat, he becomes Fire Lord by default. So when the Gaang and Iroh show up to hammer out peace, things get complicated. (WIP)

Home We’ll Go by themanofmanyhats - (Gen) This is a post-war take on Zuko’s path crossing again with Lee and his family from Zuko Alone. What can I say? Post-war Earth Kingdom reveals are my jam.

there is fire in me by @suzukiblu  - (Gen) - Firebender!Jet with Ba Sing Se era Zuko and Sokka makes for a very unlikely, but great bonding story

Modern AUs

Pulse by @isnt_it_pretty  I rarely read modern AUs, but this one caught my eye. It is set in a modern era, but the characters feel really on spot. Warning! it’s super angsty

Welcome Heat by @cowlicklesschick  - (Zutara, Sukka) firefighter Zuko and pre-med Katara, with a good side helping of sweet Sokka & Suki romance. It’s fluffy with just the right amount angst, and a reimagined modern world where all the characters fit right in.

---

[nottskyler]

Dear President Oaks,

We are all one in the body of Christ and it is very clear that your responsibility in guiding the body of Christ is to listen to the pain signals given from other parts of the body of Christ. As a faithful LGBT member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I want to say your words at the press release caused a lot of pain and the LGBT portion of the body of Christ pleads with you to stop and listen.

You say you don’t know why people are LGBT or other queer identities. You speak as if we are dysfunctional parts of the body, but we aren’t. Arms are different from elbows which are different from wrists and fingers, and even fingers differ one from another. Luckily in a Church that relies heavily on personal revelation, you don’t have to figure out our place on your own. You can listen to what the spirit has testified in our hearts and learn how it applies to the running of Christ’s Church. The first thing many of us did when we discovered we weren’t cis or hetero was fall to our knees and ask Gd why, and He responded. Here are the truths that I learned in turning to Gd:

1) Gd loves me and made me this way. There is nothing wrong with me. His purpose is to bring to pass my immortality and eternal life and making me bi and trans was an essential part of my journey to have a change of heart and get to know Gd (which is eternal life according to John 17:3).

2) There are philosophies of men that have snuck into the teachings of the Church when it comes to marriage and gender and Gd has sent more LGBT individuals in our time to helps us root out these lies so we can more fully enjoy the fruits of the Gospel.

3) Gd is not a respecter of persons. As long as someone has faith, Gd will reveal Himself to them and truths that are important to their life. This means there is something we can learn from everyone (Alma 32:23). 

4) The Church is not meant to be perfect. If all we had to do was blindly follow our leaders, we would never learn the traits required to be even as Gd is. Corrections and changes in the Church are necessary to learn repentance and how to get answers on our own.

5) Gender is eternal. Even though there was nothing in my gender expression that was outside what is acceptable for women in our society, there was a dissonance caused by the mismatch of my spirit and body. It testifies to me that I am without beginning or end just like Gd.

6) The reason Gd does anything is “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). That means that He allows me and others to believe things that are not true as long as it leads us to Him. Also, mistakes that we make are important because it creates holes that need to be made perfect through Christ’s atonement. Without those mistakes, there would be no space for Him to come in and heal.

7) Gd wants me to live up to my potential and privilege as a member of His restored Church. President Uchtdorf’s parable about the man on the cruise eating cans of beans in his cabin has always struck an uncomfortable chord with me until I realized it was because I was like that man. Denying my eternal identity and living in the closet was keeping me from being who Gd wants and needs me to be. “Adam fell that men might be and men are that they might have joy” (2 Nephi 2:25). The apostles have always made it clear that the joy is for this life as well as in the next. I have to be true to my eternal identity in order to live up to my mortal potential and privilege.

8) Christ stands with the marginalized. Every minute I spend among LGBT individuals, listening to their stories and feeling their pain, Gd testifies to me that He is with them and that I am more like Christ for being among them as Christ would, helping share their burdens and sharing the hope and love that Gd has given me.

9) Spiritual laws are eternal and unchanging and ignorance will not save me from the natural effects of breaking them. I was in despair that kept growing more and more as time went on. I knew from Moroni 10:22 that meant I was doing something wrong. I did everything to be the perfect Mormon girl and repented of every small act and the despair was never lifted. It wasn’t until I accepted my eternal identity and began living my life as a man that it has begun to go away. I have a long way ahead on my transition, but I trust that the seed will continue to grow as it has so far and continue to dispel the cloud of doom. It taught me that even though I was unaware that I was living contrary to my eternal gender, I was not immune to the temporal consequences of my actions.

I know “to every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:” (Ecclesiastes 3:1), but Gd’s LGB children have been wandering in the spiritual desert for over 40 years since informing you of their pain and inability to come to the same truth as you. In the Temple we learn that anyone who is listening can hear Gd’s words as the command is passed down the line. We heard Gd tell you that the time of excluding His LGB children is up. He told you to treat homosexual relationships the same as you treat heterosexual relationships and we hurt when we heard you added your own exclusions. Gd isn’t telling you to start performing gay marriages in the Temple, He is telling you to stop asking LGB members to live a different law of chastity than the one given in the temple, “which is that the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve only have sexual relations with those to whom they are legally and lawfully married according to Gd’s law”.

Discussion about being trans has not been as prevalent or pervasive as the LGB discussion in the Church because, up until your ill-informed announcement, the Church was more friendly towards trans individuals than LGB individuals. The Church allows members to socially transition and take hormones to help them manage the dissonance from their spirit-body mismatch. In fact, I’ve heard many positive stories where Church leaders allowed trans individuals to attend meetings that best matched their gender identity and how it unified and strengthened the ward. Trans individuals have pointed to the line in the Family: A Proclamation since it was released where it declares that gender is eternal to express their feelings as a trans individual. They testify more vehemently than anyone else that gender is important and that it is eternal. And now you point to the line and declare that those who most strongly support it are wrong and that the flesh is more indicative of a spiritual truth than knowledge that is spiritually obtained? (1 Corinthians 2:14)

I am grateful that Gd led me on this journey before you decided to speak your personal beliefs as if they were from Gd because I am one who does their best to listen and obey the counsel of Gd’s apostles and prophets. It would have made me question the office and authority that Gd gave you, likely leading me to leave the Church like so many others, instead of treating this as a mystery of Gd that hasn’t been revealed that I could discover for myself because He can’t wait to share His truths to those who earnestly seek them. I found the truth and I know it is true as easily as I can tell the day time from the night (Moroni 7:15-17). Living as trans has brought me closer to Christ. It has given me the strength to not deny Him to my fellow man. It has filled me with His love and given me the capacity to share it with others and invite them to Christ.

I invite you to listen to the pain messages from the trans portion of Christ’s body, especially because your careless words are going to make the suffering a lot worse for us. If you wish to stop the worst of the pain, I recommend requiring Church leaders to use living names and pronouns for trans people at Church and in Church associated gatherings, encouraging trans individuals to attend gendered meetings and activities that match their gender identity most closely, when they legally change their name and pronouns their records need to indicate the change (FTM, MTF, MTN, and FTN are acceptable), and there should be no punishment for seeking surgery as treatment for gender dysphoria. These policies would ease the pain of trans members of Christ’s restored Church and increase their capacity to help build up the Kingdom of Gd on earth.

Gd has a place in His plan for His LGBT children. We ask that you take a step of faith and love and let us participate without restrictions that you wouldn’t place on a cis and straight member of the Church. We want to marry and not be punished for it, we want to be recognized by our living name and pronouns as any individual wishes to be, we want to seek treatment to mental illness without judgment and punishment, we want to be treated as equal members without restrictions because being LGBT is not a choice. The choice we have is whether we will be who Gd created us to be or suffer the depression and despair that comes from breaking eternal laws. We can wait for revelation for understanding our place in the eternities and priesthood and temple ordinances, but don’t ask us to suffer not being treated as equals, not being treated with common decency, facing judgment instead of love from family members and ward members who justify their behavior by saying they are simply doing what the prophets tell them. Please stop feeding the hate and encouraging them to persecute us. Please love us the way the Savior would.

Sincerely,

Skyler

[geekprincess26]

Smarter Than Ned

I never thought I’d be writing a sequel to my “Smarter Than Robb” meta (here), especially not on the eve of the series finale of “Game of Thrones.”  However, that was before “The Bells” (at least in my opinion) broke the show’s streak of so-so to awful episodes that started somewhere in season 7.  It made me wonder and marvel and gasp and tear up and, above all, think.  So did the many articulate posts my fellow Jonsa fans have made about that episode, and in particular about Jon’s role both in that segment of the show and in the watershed overwhelming Westeros at the moment.  As I rewatched the episode and read people’s posts, I began seeing Jon’s actions in a slightly different light.  Then I realized how similar they were to Ned Stark’s doomed efforts to keep his family and the Seven Kingdoms safe and stabilized in season 1.

Ah, yes, Ned Stark, the original Northern fool – or, at least, that was how so many people, both on the show and off it, viewed him, much as they later saw his son nephew.  And what fools they both were, right?  Certainly they were such from a general perspective, but seen from Sansa’s viewpoint, many of those actions attained the very height of idiocy.  Let us count the ways, starting with Sansa’s father, Ned Stark:

1. HE LIED TO HIS FAMILY, HIS FRIENDS, AND THE WORLD He brought a Targaryen heir into his home under the nose of a king who had sworn to eradicate all Targaryens from the face of the earth and claimed that the boy was his bastard, without knowing if Jon would grow up to look like his birth father and therefore clue in Robert – and the rest of Westeros – to the truth.  He let his own wife think the worst of him, ensuring both a huge strain in their young marriage and her less-than-motherly treatment of poor Jon.  What a stubborn, reckless idiot, one could be forgiven for thinking.  And what an unnecessary sacrifice of his reputation as a man of honesty and honor, two of the things he valued most.

2. HE DISREGARDED HIS FAMILY’S WARNINGS AND HEADED STRAIGHT INTO A DANGEROUS PLACE Many years later, when Jon Arryn died, Robert Baratheon requested that Ned replace the older man as his Hand.  Ned, a devoted family man, did not want to leave his family, and especially not to live in King’s Landing with its politics and backstabbing.  And due to his friendship with Robert, he had a good chance to refuse the other man’s offer while keeping his head, family, and honor intact.  But Lysa Arryn’s raven arrived at Winterfell with its allegations that the Lannisters had murdered her husband.  That gave Ned reason to fear for Robert’s safety, and so he left his family behind him.  No one could fault him for his desire to keep Robert on his throne and avoid another succession conflict, which the Seven Kingdoms could ill afford.  However, he could have employed any number of better, smarter options to fulfill that desire, right?  How about suggesting another Hand, one who could play the Southern political game more effectively?  How about sending ravens to other loyal friends of the king, or even meeting with them in person, to gather more information?  Maybe then he could have discovered the truth about Jon Arryn’s death before his family antagonized the Lannisters.

3. HE DELIBERATELY SHOWED HIS HAND TO HIS ENEMY – ALL BECAUSE OF HONOR Speaking of the Lannisters, many would argue that Ned reached the height of his Northern naiveté in his dealings with them.  After all, what kind of idiot would warn the very enemy he’s about to rat out to the king?  We know that Ned did this with noble intentions.  He knew what Robert would do to Cersei and the children once he discovered Jaime’s affair with Cersei, and despite his dislike of Cersei, his honor would not allow him to stand by while her children died horrible deaths.  Still, if he truly wanted to serve the greater good, could he not have let five lives go for the sake of the greater good?  After all, wasn’t the greater good the reason he lied to everyone he knew about Jon, as well as his motivation for leaving his family to serve as Robert’s Hand?

4. HE PLOTTED AGAINST THE “KING” OF WESTEROS WITHOUT SEEKING HELP AND COUNSEL FROM HIS FAMILY AND TRUSTWORTHY FRIENDS Not a good idea, right?  Especially when that means the continent’s second succession crisis in two decades and it’s not yet recovered from the first.  Ned’s eventual aim was honorable and worthy, which helps to justify his dangerous and dishonorable actions, but he could (and should) have sought the advice and support of his wife, who’s clearly a canny woman with a lot of connections.  Moreover, he probably should have at least considered involving Stark or Tully bannermen whom he knew would be loyal to him, rather than counting on Stannis Baratheon and a motley crew from King’s Landing, all of whom had their own agendas.

Speaking of which…

5. HE IGNORED HIS GUT INSTINCTS AND PLACED HIS TRUST IN A DANGEROUS AND DEADLY INDIVIDUAL Littlefinger rubbed Ned the wrong way from the day they met.  It took less than one episode after that for Ned to slam the snake against the wall of his own brothel by his neck for his perverted remarks about Catelyn, Ned’s wife.  But Catelyn was convinced that Littlefinger would never harm her and therefore would not want to see any harm come to Ned because she loved Ned so much, so Ned ignored his first instincts – and Littlefinger’s own warnings – which told him the man was a snake waiting to strike.  Instead, he chose to believe that Littlefinger would see the nobility – or at least the intrigue and the reward – in Ned’s attempts to place the rightful heir on the throne and keep Westeros from being ruled by a beast like Joffrey.  But, as Ned found out the hard way, the most sophisticated strategy in the world doesn’t mean a thing if you can’t trust the people who are supposed to be helping you carry it out.

6. HE SACRIFICED HIS LIFE AND LEFT HIS FAMILY FOREVER – ALL FOR A MINUSCULE CHANCE AT KEEPING SANSA SAFE Granted, by the time Ned was brought out onto the steps of the Sept of Baelor, his options were very, very limited due to his own deliberate course of action.  He knew he would either (a) die, or (b) get sent to the Wall, separated from his family forever.  Either way, his life would essentially be over, and he would most likely be declared a traitor to the crown, which meant that unless his son Robb swore fealty to Joffrey (which he likely knew would never happen), his entire family would be considered traitors, and their lands and goods and freedom forfeit to Joffrey (and, by extension, Cersei).  Still, dying would be more honorable.  Accepting exile to the Wall meant lying abominably to earn a hollow life of shame – not an action the honorable Ned Stark would have taken lightly.  But he did it anyway, because doing it gave his beloved daughter Sansa a better chance at survival.  Of course, Ned failed to take into consideration the extent of Joffrey’s megalomaniacal cruelty, and he died anyway for his troubles.

Certainly, many of Ned’s actions, when taken at face value, don’t look too brilliant.  That makes his more intelligent and shrewd deeds, such as the conspiracy to place Stannis on the throne, even more confusing.  One sees a picture of a noble and even heroic man, one who clearly has a brain for military and even sometimes political strategy, who hatches incredibly detailed and sophisticated plans but then blows them all in bursts of idiocy.  

But what motives lie behind that apparent idiocy?  That is the crucial question, and one that many viewers have missed, although the answer should surprise no one.

Every time Ned Stark made a “stupid” decision, it was for one or more of the following three reasons: 1) serving the greater good of the realm (leaving Winterfell to become Robert’s Hand, taking on Littlefinger as a co-conspirator to put Stannis, the rightful heir, on the throne); 2) acting honorably (warning Cersei that he was about to reveal her affair with Jaime); and, most importantly, 3) protecting his family.  The motives are often intertwined, and sometimes one (such as honor) conflicts with one or more of the others (such as protecting Ned’s family), but every one of the decisions outlined above has involved some combination of these three reasons.

Twelve-year-old Sansa, of course, could not entirely understand her father’s actions or the complex motivations behind them.  All she saw was that he screwed up and lost his head for it.  When she got older, she had more of a capacity to understand why Ned did what he did.  As she says to Jon in episode 1 of season 7, “He was trying to protect [his daughters].”  However, that doesn’t decrease the trauma his death put her through, and she wishes he would have been smarter by listening better to both his own instincts and the wise counsel of his family and friends.

Sound familiar?  Good.  Let’s unpack some of Jon’s more questionable decisions from the past two seasons, which parallel his uncle’s to an uncanny degree, and see what his actions and mannerisms tell us about why he made those decisions:

1. HE LIED TO HIS FAMILY, HIS FRIENDS, AND THE WORLD During most of Jon’s scenes with Daenerys, he’s been uncomfortable, stilted, cautious, resigned, and even downright afraid, especially as season 8 has worn on.  His final “I love you” to her in the early scenes of “The Bells” is just the latest, but perhaps the most obvious, instance in which he uses what’s left of her romantic feelings for him in a desperate attempt to placate her and de-escalate her more violent tendencies.  The man is clearly not in love with Daenerys, and, based on his prior interactions with her, he never was (heck, he even looked uncomfortable while having sex with her!) – although that’s an argument for a different post.

But Jon never spells this out clearly to either his people (sorry, but “I gave up my crown to protect the North” is an ambiguous allusion, not a specific explanation) or, even more important, his family, whom he loves more than anyone.  He can bring himself to admit his true parentage to his siblings cousins, but not that he deceived Daenerys into thinking he was in love with her.  Instead, he keeps reciting the tired refrain that “she’s my queen; she’ll be a good queen; you just don’t know her.”  Ironically, of course, and as another meta that contrasted Ned’s circumstances with Jon’s noted, his family members could and would help him if only he would ask for it.  Sansa is a terrific leader with a keen political mind and the clout to call the Northern banners to defend Jon against Daenerys, if she wanted to do it.  Arya is one hell of a warrior assassin.  And Bran’s visions, as we’ve seen, can work wonders.  Furthermore, all three of them are fiercely loyal to him.  But he still won’t tell them squat about what he fears Daenerys is becoming, and even when Sansa figures it out during the battlements scene with Tyrion, you can see the wheels turning in her head over why the heck Jon didn’t just tell her about it in the first place.

What an idiot, right?  But remember Ned Stark’s three main motives behind some of his “stupid” decisions, and you’ll see that Jon truly is his uncle’s nephew.  Clearly, he sees Daenerys as a threat to the North in general and to his family in particular, especially Sansa (whom Daenerys threatened twice in the first episode alone).  The fewer people who know Jon’s true feelings about her, the less he has to worry that she’ll hear about them and go Dracarys on the people Jon cares about the most.

Ned Stark motives #1 and #3: CONFIRMED.

2. HE DISREGARDED HIS FAMILY’S WARNINGS AND HEADED STRAIGHT INTO A DANGEROUS PLACE Back in episode 2 of season 7, Sansa and the Northern lords between them listed every possible reason that Jon should rethink his impulsive decision to travel to Dragonstone and form an alliance with a Targaryen who, given the family’s history of madness and violence, might very well either listen to Jon or burn him on the spot.  Granted, Tyrion Lannister, whom both Jon and Sansa trusted, had vouched for Daenerys, and neither of them particularly wanted Cersei Lannister to stay on the Iron Throne, but to Sansa’s mind, Daenerys was enough of an unknown quantity – with three dragons to boot – that Jon should have considered his decision a bit more thoroughly.

But Jon, like his uncle, had a larger goal in mind that outweighed his desire to stay home with the only family he had.  Jon’s goal, though, was not the realm’s political stability, but its survival.  To his mind, the only hope he had of achieving that goal for his people and the people of the other six kingdoms was to bring Daenerys, her armies, her dragons, and her dragonglass back North.  That much he does admit to Sansa in episode 1 of season 8, but, as she points out, he hadn’t fully considered the price he was paying for her assistance.  Had he known ahead of time, though, I think our beloved, impulsive hero would have done the same thing all over again.  To him, every sacrifice he made on Daenerys’s altar was worth it to save his family, the North, and Westeros, in that order.

Ned Stark motives #1 and #3: CONFIRMED.

3. HE DELIBERATELY SHOWED HIS HAND TO HIS ENEMY – ALL BECAUSE OF HONOR When Jon first met Daenerys, he tried to convince her to join the fight against the White Walkers by every above-board means possible.  He asked her nicely.  He showed her evidence to support his claims (depending on what you believe about the cave drawings, but I think they were authentic).  He offered his support to her claim to the Iron Throne.  He warned her when he received the raven from Bran indicating that the Night King and his armies were on the way to Eastwatch.  Only when Daenerys refused beyond all reason to drop her demand that Jon bend the knee did his actions become more underhanded and calculated.  Only after he realized that his only other option was imprisonment did he agree to the mad idea of the Wight Hunt.  Only after Cersei had apparently refused to join with them at the dragon pit summit and Daenerys began to waver in her commitment to help save the realm did Jon play the false romance card.  He did the “dishonorable” thing, as Ned would have put it (sleeping with a woman he had no plans to marry and risking fathering a bastard), only after his attempts at honor, as he saw them, had failed.

Ned Stark motive #2: CONFIRMED.

4. HE PLOTTED AGAINST THE “QUEEN” OF WESTEROS WITHOUT SEEKING HELP AND COUNSEL FROM HIS FAMILY (Well, he plotted against Cersei Lannister, too, but that was a given from the beginning, so I won’t go into it any further here.)

By season 8, Jon knows Daenerys Targaryen well enough to be wary of her, at the very least, and by the end of episode 1, he’s clearly beginning to see just how applicable the “-[A]erys” at the end of her name is.  She threatens Sansa twice.  Sam tells him that she killed Randyll and Dickon after they had already surrendered on the field of battle.  She clearly expects the North to kowtow to her and loves it when her dragons frighten them.

As the season wears on, Daenerys’s paranoia and impulsiveness increase at lightning speed.  In episode 4 alone, she threatens Sansa for a third time, forces Jon into promising not to tell his own family who he really is, and pressures him to continue his sexual relationship with her even when he doesn’t want to do it.  Jon clearly sees the writing on the wall at that point, and he finally rebels against her in his own way by breaking his (coerced) promise and telling his cousins that he’s not Ned Stark’s son.  That would have been the perfect opportunity for him to enlist their help against Daenerys.  As mentioned above, they all have skill sets that could help him greatly in that endeavor.  Instead, he decides that it’s more important to “protect” them by giving them no choice in the matter and separating them from the threat Daenerys has become.  He swears allegiance once again to the Dragon Queen and heads south at her command with no clear plan to stop her oncoming descent into full-fledged villainy except to talk her out of it, and then maybe deal with any out-of-control actions on her part once Cersei Lannister has been defeated.  Sigh.

Ned Stark motive #3: CONFIRMED.

5. HE IGNORED HIS GUT INSTINCTS AND PLACED HIS TRUST IN A DANGEROUS AND DEADLY INDIVIDUAL Even though Jon was the one who insisted on heading off to Dragonstone in season 7 to persuade a completely unknown quantity descended from the craziest, most violent House the Seven Kingdoms have ever had the misfortune to host, he clearly has his reservations about it.  He’s rightly uneasy when the Dothraki confiscate his ships and weapons, and just as rightly indignant when Daenerys insults him and his family.  However, he persists in trying to obtain her assistance because she can help him with his goal of defeating the dead, much like Ned thought Littlefinger could help him with his goal of putting the rightful heir on the throne of Westeros.  He believes, at least for a time, that she’ll be a better choice as an ally than would Cersei Lannister, and that belief makes him overlook warning signal after warning signal: her threat to burn down the Red Keep, her insistence on imprisoning him on Dragonstone until he agrees to go on the wight hunt, her hauling him to King’s Landing against his will, her threats against his family (particularly Sansa) – all to defeat the dead.  Until the dead have finally been defeated, and he gets a full view of Daenerys’s true colors, just like Ned Stark got an eyeful of Littlefinger’s.  

Ned Stark motive #1: CONFIRMED.

6. HE SACRIFICED HIS LIFE AND LEFT HIS FAMILY FOREVER – ALL FOR A MINUSCULE CHANCE AT KEEPING SANSA SAFE Jon knew there was a high likelihood that he’d die defending Winterfell against the dead in episode 3, and a similar possibility that he’d die trying to take King’s Landing with Daenerys’s armies in episode 5.  Dying in episode 3 would have meant dying with some honor in defense of his home, but once he went south to die in episodes 4 and 5, he knew that his options were limited.  He could either (a) die in the service of a pyromaniac tyrant, or (b) live, but only under the terms she’d dictated to him in episode 4.  Either way, he knew he might never be able to see his family again, and either way, he’d brought shame and dishonor upon himself and his family.  As with Ned Stark, the greater shame lay in the second option, which in Jon’s case basically involved being enslaved, sexually and otherwise, to his cruel and unhinged aunt (yes, the great “Breaker of Chains” – oh, the irony!).

But instead of rushing forward to his death in King’s Landing, as he had in the Battle of the Bastards, Jon chooses to live.  He chooses to retreat with as many of his men as he can and risk living a life of slavery and shame.  If he’s dead, he can’t protect his family.  He can’t protect Sansa.  He’s promised to protect her, and that’s what he’s determined to do no matter what the cost – to his honor, his life, and his soul.  It’s beautiful, but incredibly tragic.

Ned Stark motive #3: CONFIRMED.

So, in the end, was Jon Snow really smarter than his uncle?  Unlike with Robb, I’d have to say no, and I think that Sansa, even as an adult and with the capacity and insight she now has to understand the proverbial methods behind both men’s madness – would as well.  Both men had significant military skills, and both men planned and executed fairly sophisticated schemes.  And both were willing to protect their families, with a special emphasis on Sansa, no matter what the cost.  But both had the same fatal flaws: (a) they were a bit too noble in some cases for their own good, (b) they held their cards too close to their chests, and (c) they failed to communicate with and seek the aid of the trustworthy people around them.  Only good luck – and the intervention of his family, however much he tried to avoid it – has kept Jon alive longer than Ned.  I participated in an interesting Tumblr discussion the other day (which I have tried and failed to track down for reference here), and one of the other posters put the difference between Jon and Ned in an absolutely ingenious way.  Ned, the poster pointed out, had a “pack” full of children, none of whom could assist him in the way that he needed.  (I’d add to that assertion that he had a brilliant asset in Cat, but she couldn’t be by his side to advise him moment to moment the way he needed to be advised.)  But Jon has a “pack” of peers – fellow young adults with the ability and the influence to help him defeat an enemy he has no hope of taking down on his own.  I absolutely agree with this, and I think Sansa would too.  In fact, she’s already correctly guessed (most of) Jon’s reasoning and begun taking matters into her own hands to help him.  I’d love it if she did even more in the finale, along with Arya and Bran.

After all, they remember, even if Ned and Jon themselves do not, that the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives.  They love him even though he’s never been any smarter than Ned.  (Although, of course, he might do better in the future, after Daenerys has been dealt with, to choose a wife like the wife his father married – politically smarter than he is, unafraid to tell him the unvarnished truth when he needs it, and, of course, red-headed.  I don’t think Sansa would mind that, either.)

[loopy777]

‘Traitor’s Face’ Planning Doc 1

Original outline, minus information on the final act. CONTAINS SPOILERS for Acts 1- 4. Note that the character descriptions were updated continuously as I developed the outline, so not all the info matches.

UPDATED: Info on Act 5 and the Epilogue, originally REDACTED, has been restored.

AANG/MAI AU EPIC

PREMISE The root of the whole story is a short story in which Mai is the one standing above Aang when he awakens from his hundred-year sleep. Instead of moving Aang's awakening to the Fire Nation like in most such Alternate Universes, this story will leave Aang where he was in the cartoon in Southern Water Tribe waters, and present a world in which Mai would conceivably be near the South Pole.

As such, the "nail" of the story is Fire Lord Azulon's focus. Instead of merely being content with depopulating the Waterbenders of the South Pole and bottling up the Northern Water Tribe into a single walled city, Azulon continued to prosecute the war against the Tribes until they had both been conquered. This was foolish, as it allowed the Earth Kingdom to muster and unite to keep the Fire Nation from conquering any more territory. The Fire Nation managed to hold on to its oldest colonies, but could not press forward. The Earth Kingdom eventually raised a Wall, bisecting the whole Kingdom, separating the Fire Nation colonies from the rest of the land-mass.

Scrambling to keep that captured territory hurt the Fire Nation's campaign against the Water Tribes. The South eventually fell to a new generation of Fire Nation technology, and the people were consolidated into new cities under tyrannical Fire Nation rule. The Northern Water Tribe lasted longer than that in its walled city, and it wouldn't be until General Iroh- Azulon's crown prince- took over the campaign that it fell to the Fire Nation.

As the story opens, a new governor is on his way down to the South Pole to take over administration of the settlement of New Ozai, so named because it was established the same year as the birth of Azulon's second son. Hours from his destination, the governor's ship hits an iceberg, and his daughter is present to witness a boy with arrow tattoos emerge from within...

Episode order and description:

*Act I: The Hunt for Katara* 1. The Avatar and the Fire Heiress- Mai, teenage Fire Nation heiress and part-time ninja, discovers the long lost Avatar in an iceberg, while traveling to her father's new posting in the South Pole. With an evil plan in mind, she teams up with the young Water Tribe warrior Sokka to help the young Avatar Aang find a Waterbending teacher. (Azula is introduced by Piandao to June, and hires her to find Zuko.)

2. The Southern Air Temple- Aang, Mai, and Sokka check the young Avatar's home for surviving Air Nomads. But what can they do when Aang discovers the horrible truth? (June finds Zuko, and tells him that she's been hired to get him to the Avatar and get him in fighting shape.)

3. Warriors of Kyoshi- The Avatar gang needs access to the Fire Navy's intelligence records in order to find out where the Southern Waterbenders have been imprisoned for the past few years. They infiltrate the prisoner processing center on Kyoshi Island for answers, and find Captain Zhao hunting for them. Will a local rebellion blow their cover? (Zuko is training and travling under June's supervision.)

4. Something light-hearted. Aang, Mai, and Sokka bond. Mai starts to feel sympathy for Aang. Ooh, let's go to Chin. What's it like under Fire Nation rule? (Zuko has an adventure with June. This is really Zuko's moment to shine. Perhaps he's the progatonist of this 'episode?')

5. The Blue Spirit- The Fire nation is now fully aware of the Avatar's return, and the gang is feeling the heat. It's not just enemies who are looking for them, though, as a mysterious rebel makes contact with the Avatar. Meanwhile, Zhao continues his hunt, but he finds that someone back in the Fire Nation is trying to control him.

6. The Banished Prince- As Aang, Mai, and Sokka approach Fire Nation waters, with the mysterious Crescent Island as their destination, they encounter trouble from Commander Zhao's fleet, and a banished prince who Mai knows too well.

7. The Winter Solstice- Aang has been abandoned by his friends. While Sokka throws himself into a hopeless quest to free his sister from the magma caverns, Aang faces off against the double threat of his traitorous crush Mai, and her ally Zuko.

8. The Waterbending Master- Reunited with his friends in the Earth Kingdom, Aang begins his training with his Waterbending teacher, Katara. Meanwhile, Mai deals with the fallout of her betrayal. Zuko deals with his failure, and meets up with his sister, the dreaded Azula! (Zhao realizes that he's being sabotaged in favor of Zuko, and resolves to cheat.)

*Act II: Rise of the Spirits* 9. The Fortuneteller- The group encounters a Fortuneteller at a festival, and to Aang's dismay, his predicted lover is not Mai, but Katara! Meanwhile, Sokka uses the downtime to try to reconnect with his sister. But the forces called upon by the Fortuneteller become restless and attack... (Meanwhile, Zuko and Azula 'bond.' Or rather, find a way to work together.)

10. The Festival- Investigating the increased Spirit activity in the Earth Kingdom, the gAang attends one of the new Spirit Festivals being established by a wandering group of supposed experts. As Aang basks in the peaceful spiritual energies, Katara shows signs of trouble. (The gAang uncover a huckster posing as a Ghostbuster, and after they expose him, the encounter Long Feng and his Dai Li. No Zuko or Azula in this one.)

11: The Spirit Hunters- Aang and company tag along with Long Feng and his Spirit-hunting Dai Li. They offer knowledge and the chance to do good work, but not all is what it seems with this mysterious order. (Long Feng sells the gAang out to Zuko and Azula, then betrays them all.)

12: Darkness of the Crypt- Long Feng has trapped the gAang and Royal Fire Siblings in his crypt vault, intending to use them all in a ceremony to give him power (or purify the Earth Kingdom, or something). They are forced to work together to beat the Spirits and Dai Li agents, but the pressure may be too much for Katara.

13: Houses of Healing- Seeking to get Katara help, the gAang comes to a healing institute where they are said to be able to heal damage to the mind. While Katara gets treatment, Mai encounters her old friend, Ty Lee, and a community of Airbenders.

14: Something lighthearted- Separated from Katara again, Sokka is down in the dumps, so the gAang heads to one of the surviving big Earth Kingdom cities for some relaxation and shopping. While there, they finally make contact with an agent of the organized Earth rebellion.

15: The Seer- The gAang tries to meet up with a Seer who is advising the various Earth Kingdom rebellion leaders, but the Fire Nation is also targeting this person. Big battle between rebels, Fire Nation, gAang, and Zuko with Blue Spirits.

16: The Siege- The gAang are holed up in the ruins of Omashu while the Fire Nation lays siege and prepares to invade the city. Zuko makes an attempt against Aang, and calls Mai out on her betrayals. (In the end, something happens to send everyone to the North Pole to meet Iroh.)

*Act IV: The North Pole*

25: The Northern Water Tribe

26: The Princess of Water

27: Warlord of the North

28: Secret in the Ice

*Act III: Fall of the House of Fire* 17: The Chase- Sokka and Mai chase Zuko and Azula into the Fire Nation in hopes of freeing Aang. But will they be able to catch up before the Royal Fire Siblings arrive within Piandao the Slicer's domain of influence?

18: The Beach- Everyone hangs out at the beach, and Zuko and Aang come to an agreement.

19: In the Hall of the Fire Sages

20: something with platinum?

21:

22:

23:

24:

*Act V: The World Tree and the death of Aang and Mai*

CAST

THE GAANG Mai: The emotionally detached Fire Nation Heiress who serves Evil because of a lack of ambition or will power. She finds the Avatar, and realizes that he represents an opportunity for the people close to her. She chooses to serve Azula and Zuko, and so frees Aang on Azula's orders so that Zuko can catch him and come home again. In traveling with Aang as a spy, though, she comes to care for him and Sokka, and sides with them to help them.

Aang: The Avatar, the Hero on a Journey. Pops out of his iceberg and instantly falls in love with the first girl he meets- Mai. There's a part of him that senses her hunger for light, for a cause, and for love, and he's drawn to provide that for her. He sets out optimistically, expecting to fix the world and win Mai's heart, and her first betrayal leaves him realizing that both of these may not be possible. Rather than following the Avatar Elemental cycle as a path to growth, he grows as the Bridge Between the Worlds and saves the world with Spirit stuff. In the end, he wins Mai's heart; distant epilogue?

Sokka: The warrior from the South who feels guilty for all his failures in life. His mother is dead, his sister has been taken away to a fate worse than death, and his tribe are the slaves of the Fire Nation. He seizes on the possibilities offered by the Avatar to rescue his sister, and try to restore hope to his people, and the world. Sokka doesn't believe himself capable of leading or bringing that hope himself, and he's fatalistic about his life and significance. He craves love and new family, but can't bring himself to accept them, hence why he does not act on his temporary attractions to Mai, Suki, or Yue. Sokka's story ends when he dies in Mai's arms, and Aang is the one who comforts Mai and talks about how Sokka didn't fight hard enough.

EXTENDED GAANG Katara: Sokka's little sister. She was taken away as a child and grew up in a Waterbender prison. She was secretly trained by Hama as a Bloodbender, and once she gets out of the prison is able to quickly pick up Waterbending and teach it to Aang. Katara has a vengeful streak, which doesn't come out at first. She's ruthless and hates all Fire Nation, like Jet. Her corruption is what leads to the first exploration of the Spirits and how the supernatural corruption is leaking into the world. Katara is initially in awe of and sweet on Aang, but eventually they realize that their values are too different.

Zuko: Zuko was pushed out into the world without Iroh. His crew mutinies quickly and strands Zuko in the Earth Kingdom. He loses his eye to infection.

Ty Lee: Spiritual guru (studying under the remnants of the Air Nomads) and love interest to Sokka

FIRE NATION Azula: Her father's loyal servant, but increasingly disturbed by signs that all is not what it seems in her life and family

Ozai (Ursa): Wants Zuko home, and wants to murder the rest of the royal family. Has good reasons, but has utterly gone off the deep end of ruthlessness

Azulon: Vague presence, going to die off-screen, murdered by Ozai (Ursa)

NORTH POLE Iroh: Warlord of the North. He was an affable but dedicated Fire Nation conqueror, but then his son died during the conquest of the North Pole. Iroh used arcane arts to turn Lu Ten into a zombie, and now is dedicated to mastering the arts that will bring his son back to true life.

Lu Ten: Tortured zombie, it's like he has two personalities, the guilty prince and the zombie demon.

Yue: Hostage of Iroh. Somehow tied to Lu Ten's survival.

Pakku: ??

ACTS

Act I: The Hunt for Katara * Plot A: The gAang hunts for Katara. * Plot B: June whips Zuko into shape and gets him to the prison on time. * Resolution: Mai saves Aang from Zuko. As the sun sets on the solstice, something spirity happens; Aang realize he needs to get smart on that, and heads for the Earth Kingdom's order of sages.

Act II: Rise of the Spirits * Plot A: The gAang investigates the Spirit troubles in the Earth Kingdom, learning about how the Fire Nation's devastation has created a Ghostbusters situation. Katara has trouble coping with the outside world, and is taken to healers (including Ty Lee). They discover that the Fire Nation needs platinum to fight the Spirits, but supplies are being diverted. * Plot B: Zuko is recruited by the Blue Spirit (Jet) and joins up with them in order to track Aang. Zuko gets in one more good fight against Aang and Mai, then discovers who the order's leader is (Iroh), and decides that his father needs this information. Suki is also recruited. * Ty Lee * Long Feng and the remnants of the Dai Li are now Ghostbusters.

Act III: Fall of the House of Fire * Fire Nation travels. Culture and worldbuilding and stuff. * Sun Warriors. * Aang and Mai dance a Fire Blade dance (Agni Budokai): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCNyHprEZK8 * Revelations about Zuko's history, scar, and banishment. * Massive battle between the Weapons of the Fire Nation * Ozai and Azulon die. * Azula disgraced? * Ursa turns out to be alive in the Fire Palace, and somehow working for the badguys. She kills herself Hamlet-style with poison. * Ursa thought she was doing right by Roku, wiping out the Royal Family but uniting the world. Discovering the truth, and that she's no different from Azulon, has her drinking poison wine out of a golden goblet. * Shakespearean Tragedy * No rhyming or iambic pentameter * Suki helps Zuko pick up the pieces of his life, but the age of Fire Lords is over.

Act IV: Sokka Dies * Sokka dies. * Mai gives him proper rites so that he doesn't become a ghost or zombie. * Katara is given the impetuous to become a true hero, and a new master in the form of Pakku. * Mai is given the impetuous to sacrifice for love. * She also hears the legend of Avatar Kuruk and discovers the secret of Koh's. * Piandao is given reason to turn on Azula? * Oh, yeah, this takes place in the North Pole. And it's the big revelation of Lu Ten and why Iroh is doing what he's doing. * But mainly, Sokka dies. * Move to before Fire Nation arc?

Act V: The World Tree * The entire "Foggy Swamp" is a lionturtle, sleeping nestled beneath the swamp. The tree grows on its shell, and has become one with the lionturtle. Iroh somehow uses the tree to Energybend. * Good guys win. * Bad guys defeated. * Sorry, no, Sokka is still dead, and his ghost doesn't appear to smile at anyone. Nice try, though. * Never mind, Sokka doesn't die. Mai gives her face to Koh in exchange for the power to destroy Iroh's Spirit form, and Aang dies passing on his life force to heal the World Tree. Sokka is the survivor. * Aang leads his allies down after Iroh, except for Mai, who goes into the Spirit World to find Koh. She plans to give her face to him, so that she can destroy whatever Iroh is doing. Creating a dark lionturtle, perhaps? Altering time? Whatever, it has to be something that would beat her if she had a face/identity, so she wants Koh's help. He agrees, and takes her face, turning her into The Destroyer. As part of his promise to Kuruk, though, Koh kills Mai so that she can reincarnate, whereas most of his victims are trapped forever in the Spirit World without a face. * Aang fights Iroh, and nearly loses, but Mai saves him. Aang realizes that she has sacrificed her life, but saves the day and destroys Iroh. The World Tree is fatally wounded, though (perhaps by Mai's actions?) and Aang gives his life force to restore it so that the world won't unravel or something like that. He reincarnates. * A pregnant swampbender, who witnessed the whole spectacle, gives birth three days later. (Get it, three days?)

Epilogue: Ty Lee visits Sokka and Katara at the the Swamp, where the next Avatar has been discovered. Ty Lee sees that the Avatar has a close, quasi-romantic friend the same age, and somehow can tell that it's Mai's reincarnation. Somehow she contrives to drop the line, "Some friendships are so strong, they can even transcend lifetimes."

[godfirstgodalways]

How can I talk to God after a period of neglecting Him? For a while, my relationship with Him has been stagnant and neglectful fully on my part. As a result, I feel guilty. I want to talk to Him again, but am afraid to if that makes sense. And because of it, I couldn’t hear and feel Him anymore & feel like He’s abandoned me altogether. I just want to know how I could get over this “awkward” phase, I suppose.

One reason Christians go back to their old ways is because they start to believe that they are not fit for the Kingdom after they commit sins that have them believe they are just too great for God to forgive. They give up too easily. Much of that attitude sounds like “Well, it’s been this way for so long anyway, what’s the point?” The hardest times to praise God is the perfect time. It’s always when we don’t feel like it. Don’t forget that. Those are the times we must acknowledge His presence again and the more you practice this, the clearer you’ll hear from Him. You are human to feel guilty. That’s fine, but don’t hoard that negativity and keep it in the back of your head. That will kill you eventually. I mean it’s your spirit that’s going to suffer, basically it’ll be the death of your soul. Take the good, dump the bad. It’s not just the guilt, you should be wary of any negative thoughts that don’t match up with God. 

2 Corinthians 10:5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

The guilt in you should make you humble yourself before God. Don’t let it cripple you, otherwise you’d be humbling yourself before Satan. You’ll hear from God again, but you must be diligent in faith. Be patient with yourself because He is very patient with you. 

So you feel like He’s abandoned you and you’re scared He’ll never accept you again. Think of it this way. I don’t know if you have a child, but if you don’t, just imagine you did. Imagine your child did something so terrible like you found out he lied to you about something that just really affected the way you thought of him. You hold a grudge and give him the silent treatment, but you see that he’s really starting to feel terrible and regretful about what he did because he sees how upset and disappointed you were about it. Are you going to keep giving him the silent treatment as they withdraw and possibly sink into depression or are you going to initiate and encourage communication between the two of you, trying to understand why he did what he did, to implement correct discipline, and use that as a growth opportunity for him and for you? Imagine your child wanting to move on and truly feeling sorry that he wants to come to you to apologize. As a parent, are you going to listen or turn your back from them? Are you going to be that example of love for them or are you going to let your disappointment neglect them?

However you imagine yourself to react as the parent is how you view God’s perception of you. What you choose to believe about yourself is what you choose to believe about how God should view you. If that is your issue, you must exercise your faith that God is mightier than what you think of Him.

Isaiah 55:8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.

You cannot dictate how much love and attention He should give you. You’re not God, He is. You have to rediscover His love for you. It’s natural to think that you don’t deserve Him - YOU DON’T. I DON’T. BUT BECAUSE OF HIS PERFECT GRACE, YOU ARE GIVEN THE CHOICE TO ACCEPT IT OR NOT. HIS GRACE IS THERE NO MATTER WHAT. THE QUESTION IS “ARE YOU GOING TO ACCEPT IT OR CONTINUE NEGLECTING IT?”

Now imagine you are that child, who feels so out of touch with their parent, but you truly are ready to come forward repenting of all your sins. Do you believe that your parent will neglect you as hardheaded and stubborn as you are or do you have even the tiniest bit of faith that they might forgive you? A parent’s love comes with much discipline. Can you imagine how much God loves you now? What you’re going through right now is His discipline for you! Love yourself as if you were loving your own child. And even if you are not perfect in loving yourself, it’s completely alright to surrender in God’s arms as you let Him love you unconditionally, because His love cannot be beat. It is sure and complete no matter how long you have neglected Him. The more sincere your repentance is, the stronger your faith rests on the fact that He has loved you all this time and He welcomes you back in His arms, and He listens to you without condemnation. The more you confess that Jesus is Lord of your heart, that you are truly lost and nothing without Him, the more joy and peace He reveals to you because You will sense that He is glad you have returned to Him yet again. You will sense it is well with His soul and therefore you will also sense it is well with your soul. This is your connection with Him. Stay connected with Him, by praising Him, repenting your sins, thanking Him for the good and the bad, even for His discipline. You are loved deeply by your Creator. There is nothing that can separate His love from You. Nothing. Even if you feel like He doesn’t love you and you don’t deserve to go back to Him. God is not that kind of god. He is much bigger than you can ever imagine. 

GET CREATIVE WITH PRAISE. DID YOU KNOW THAT WHEN YOU HAVE GOOD, POSITIVE, AND RIGHTEOUS THOUGHTS OF YOURSELF, OF OTHERS, AND OF HIM, JUST ANYTHING GOOD INTENTIONALLY LIFTED TO THE LORD, IT IS CONSIDERED PRAISE? TAKE THE FOCUS OFF YOURSELF AND BE HUMBLED AT HIS GREATNESS. GO AHEAD AND SOAK IN HIS MAJESTY. And even if you neglect Him again tonight or tomorrow because Christians are not perfect, just be aware that this awkward phase could come again. You should know what to do. Remember, His love remains the same. You must transform your mind through praise and prayer throughout the day. I hope and pray this helped. You are in my thoughts and prayers tonight! God bless you!

Psalm 86:15 But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.

Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

John 15:9-17 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

Romans 5:2-5 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Romans 8:37-39  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.

Ephesians 2:4-5 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved.

1 John 3:1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

1 John 4:7-11  Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.  Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

By His Grace, Sheela (Via godfirstgodalways)

[ragdollrory]

Lin x Kuvira. #45.

Here it is. Writing this was really eye opening for me, took a lot of my past out and left me quite vulnerable. I sincerely hope you like it, or at least that it makes you feel it.

————————————–

“Tell me a secret.” I asked from my spot cuddling on Lin’s side. Her fingers were caressing mi ribs and it was so much that I could do to keep my body from quivering under her featherly touches. She had the ability to reduce me to nothing with just those marvelous hands. Metalbending hands.

“Not gonna happen kid.” Lin said, barely moving her lips. She was so beautiful like this, at peace. Such a rare thing. The sun was barely rising, the ray of light entering the room through the gap in the curtain slowly moving up on her body and adding some honey coloring to her pale skin. I moved my hand up to her free one and intertwined our fingers.

“So reserved. I’ll tell you one.” Lin looked down at that and I allowed myself to get lost in her emerald eyes for a while. “I’m in love with you.” I said placing soft kisses on her collarbone. She laughed, and it was so amazing. I could count with one hand the times I had heard her laugh, and every one of them had become this warm feeling in my chest, spreading across my body and making my heart flutter in my chest.

She let go of me and propped herself up on her side, her stare assessing me, one hand on my hip, feeling my pulse.

“That’s not a secret.” Lin said, and placed a kiss on my cheek, biting me lightly on the jaw and down the neck. “And, it’s a lie.” Her breath on my shoulder making me shiver. She kept going down, alternating between kissing, licking and biting. “You’re in love with my sister, and I’m shamelessly taking advantage of your need of Beifong blood. Not my proudest act, but I enjoy your company, even if I’m a rebound.”

I meant to answer, tell her she was wrong, but she had reached between my legs and was working magic with her tongue and a couple of fingers. I should’ve stop her.

Not long after that came my not-proudest-moment, when I lost my mind to try and do what Suyin wasn’t doing herself. Get the Earth Kingdom back together to the greatness we had in the past. I broke the only family I had known on the way to achieve that and the world hated me, but all I could see was the disappointment in Lin’s eyes.

After the Avatar managed to save the city, and me in the process, I was taken to a cell at the Police Department to await my trial. I was under the constant watch of several bender and non-bender officers. The cell was metal and they had put me some chi-blocking wristbands, it was demeaning to say the least. But I knew I deserved it. That, and worse. At least the officers were correct in their treatment, even if they all saw me as a deranged dictator. She carried her Force properly.

The third night on the cell I woke to a very distinctive whispering voice.

“It’s okay, you two take a break, go have something to eat, or get some coffee. I’ll stay for a while.” The Chief of Police said to the officers on duty. I knew it was useless pretend to be asleep so I just sat up on the bunk and waited for her to show in front of the bars.

“Good evening, Chief” The words left my mouth before I knew how to keep it shut. She was amazing and scary in her plate, always had been, it was one of the things I loved about her. That stance that demanded respect. The look of someone who had worked their whole life commanding an elite force. I aspired to be like her, I failed to see that power was eating me inside.

“Good evening, Kuvira.” Lin answered, her voice was tired and devoid of the warmth I remembered. I couldn’t help but to feel cold in the pit of my stomach. What was she doing here anyway? Lin Beifong was able to hold a grudge, of course, but would she be able to come to a cell and seek justice by her own hand? She definitely had the means and the motive. I just stayed there, looking at those hands, the ones that had made me feel so much, the ones that I had admired even before I knew her.

“Tell me a secret, Kuvira.” She asked. The same line that had transpired between us a year or so before. Tears pricked at my eyes and before I knew it I was shaking with contained fear and rejection.

“I love you Lin.” I started, words piling up after years of being hidden away. “I thought, I thought I loved your sister, but I was wrong. So wrong. She was the closest I had to a mother, you know, and she did love me, but…” I was already gasping for air, no-one had ever heard this, not even Suyin. “I grew up with her, almost a sister to her kids, but I never felt that way. I thought she… I always felt different. I always felt she behaved different with me. Now I see it was pity, she pitied the poor orphan girl. So she had the sweetest of smiles for me, always a loving touch when I needed it, a gentle kiss when I was feeling sad. And when I started metalbending she adored me. She presented me as her prodigy student, and I, desperate for love and approval, just ate it all up.” I looked up from my slouch position to find her leaning against the sidewall, arms crossed over her chest, expression inescrutable. “As I started growing up the teasing of becoming a part of the family started. She meant Ba’atar, of course, I only had eyes for her. And that scared me so much. What would I do if I rejected him? Would I still have a family? She said I was so beautiful and dexterous, and she formed me to dance with her. I revered in that. Us being together, moving so close, our skin touching ever so slightly. At night I cried every day. Of course everyone is so open at Zaofou, who would ever judge me for liking women? But at the same time, who would ever understand me for loving Suyin, the woman that was supposed to be a mother to me?” I was feeling every tiny crack on my soul split open with each word that left my mouth. But the more I said the more I needed to keep going, some masochist pull driving me to my very own cliff, to fall in yet another way in front of this marvelous woman. “When you first set foot on the city though, that’s when everything changed for me. I had heard of you, both from your mother and sister, and from the news and travelers that visited Zaofou. The amazing Lin Beifong, Chief of Police, leader of the Metalbending elite Force. Stoic, firm but fair, beautiful, unreachable.” She scoffed at that, of course she wouldn’t believe me, but this time I wouldn’t keep it down. I had nothing else to lose anyway. “You were much more than that, I could see. And I cold also see things weren’t as Suyin told them. She had played and hurt you too. With her sweet smile and her easy words. I knew the story behind those scars, and I knew it wasn’t as innocent as she believed it to be. And when I entered your room that first night I was only looking to piss her of, maybe make her jealous, I don’t remember anymore. But you, Lin, you made me feel alive for the first time. You didn’t lie, you didn’t pretend, you gave me what I asked for and what you said you would. Never asked more of me, never gave me shit for my twisted needs. And I found myself drawn to you. The first time you laughed with me, because of me, I knew it was you all along and Suyin had nothing on you. It was just some teenage crush I was dragging around with fear of never having anything else. You saved me from a life of lies and never feeling real to anyone.” I sighed, there was no turning back anymore. “Everything I did afterwards I regret, and I’ll pay for it however it’s necessary, but I need you to know that I love you, Lin. That’s not a secret. And it is true.”

I had run out of tears long ago, but my body was still shaking with raw emotion. It was done, I had nothing else to hide, now I could be locked up forever and be at peace. Fear surged from within me. I dreaded the possibility of never seeing her again, of not being able to bend anymore. I feared the possibility that I wouldn’t be able to touch the earth never again. And I was falling. My chest felt tight, my breathing short, vision blurred. Spirits what had I done? I needed out of this. Out of my mind, before it betrayed me once again.

She walked up to the cell door and beckoned me over. My feet felt like lead as I advanced to meet her, iron bars between us. She caressed my cheek and wiped away a stray tear. Her hands, it was always her hands that made me feel safe.

“Tell me a secret, Lin.” I begged, the words coming out rushed and in a gasp. She locked eyes with me and once again saved me from myself.

“I love you too.”

[bsslibrary]

Toph Beifong’s current fandom.com page archive

Here is an archived version of Toph’s Avatar wiki page, as of 25/12/21.

Toph was born in 87 or 88 AG as the only child of the wealthy Beifong family from Gaoling. Born blind, she was sheltered by her parents, who believed her blindness made her fragile and incapable of looking after herself. They went to extreme measures to protect her, including hiding her existence from the rest of the world, which resulted in very few people knowing that the Beifong family even had a daughter. Her parents expected their daughter to be well-mannered and proper due to their noble status in Earth Kingdom society, something with which Toph secretly disagreed, causing her to resent her parents' treatment.

One day when she was around five years old, Toph ran away from home and hid in a cave inhabited by badgermoles. Badgermoles were the first earthbenders and according to Toph, she felt that she and the creatures understood each other as they were both blind. She learned earthbending by imitating their movements. In this way, she learned to "see" through the use of her earthbending, detecting people and other objects through their vibrations, which she sensed through the ground via her bare feet. Her blindness and patience helped her to develop a keen sense of hearing.

Lao Beifong later hired the earthbender teacher, Master Yu, to instruct her. Acting upon the orders of Toph's father, he did not teach her anything other than beginner's moves, unaware that she had already achieved mastery in the art. She became such a formidable bender that she secretly entered underground earthbending tournaments as the Blind Bandit, and was successful to the point where she became the champion of Earth Rumble more than once. After meeting Aang when she was 12 years old, Toph soon ran away in order to teach him earthbending, but also to escape her parents, who never granted her any real freedom.

Spring 100 AG

After joining Team Avatar, Toph quarreled with Katara over her participation in the team, which, along with the additional stress of being chased by Azula and her team, led to Toph leaving the group. However, after talking to Iroh, Toph changed her mind and rejoined her friends in Tu Zin. After the encounter, Toph began her earthbending lessons with Aang. Although Aang initially struggled with Toph's training methods, he learned to adopt an earthbender-like approach to battle situations and started to bend the element. Soon after, Team Avatar was split up during a Fire Nation ambush. Toph, Aang, and Sokka captured a Fire Nation soldier while searching for Katara, and were eventually reunited with her through the aid of Jiang's pirates.

As Aang continued his bending training with Toph and Katara, the group ventured into the middle of the Si Wong Desert with Professor Zei in hope of learning information to use against the Fire Nation. Although they managed to find Wan Shi Tong's library, Toph chose to stay outside, as she could not read. When the structure began to sink, Toph chose to hold up the library even as Si Wong tribesmen arrived on the scene and kidnapped Appa. After making their way out of the desert, Team Avatar's new goal was to inform the Earth King about an eclipse in the Fire Nation that Sokka had discovered in the library. The team chose to make their way to Ba Sing Se via the dangerous Serpent's Pass, which the group successfully managed to do in spite of numerous setbacks.

Although they arrived at the walls of the capital, Toph and the team first helped to thwart an invasion plan by destroying the Fire Nation drill. The group found it difficult to meet with King Kuei once settling in the city, but Toph helped the rest of the team sneak into a party at the palace, where they were discovered and dismissed by Long Feng. As the team continued their search for Appa and waited to meet with the government, they managed to rest for a while, though eventually found that Appa was in the clutches of the Dai Li. Team Avatar managed to subdue the Dai Li and convinced the Earth King to regain power and imprison Long Feng, beginning their plans to invade the Fire Nation with the help of the Council of Five. With things looking better for the team, Toph received a letter claiming that her mother was in the city and that she finally understood her daughter, but when going to meet her, Toph was kidnapped by Xin Fu and Master Yu, who began to take her back to Gaoling in a metal cage pulled by an ostrich horse-drawn cart.

After some time in her cage, Toph began to bash her hands against the metal walls using seismic sense. The vibrations allowed her to see the fragments of earth within metal. Reaching out for the fragments and widening her stance, Toph bent metal for the first time in the history of earthbending. After freeing herself from the cage, she trapped Xin Fu and Yu inside and hurried back to Ba Sing Se on a wave of earth, until she was picked up by Aang and Sokka on Appa. Returning to the palace, Toph and the group were caught off-guard by Azula and her team, who had masqueraded as Kyoshi Warriors and begun to orchestrate a palace coup with the aid of the Dai Li. Toph easily broke herself, Sokka and King Kuei free from imprisonment with metalbending, but escaped Ba Sing Se with a grievously wounded Aang on Appa after the city fell to the Fire Nation.

Summer 100 AG

After fleeing Ba Sing Se, Team Avatar commandeered a Fire Nation ship, sailing toward the Fire Nation as Aang slumbered. Shortly after he awoke, they met another Fire Nation ship, and Toph aided in the ensuing battle with her metalbending. Team Avatar split from their allies and went undercover as Fire Nation citizens in order to prepare for the invasion. Eventually, the team began to be pursued by a mysterious assassin with the ability to combustionbend.

As the team's resources began to run low, Toph decided to earn money for the group by cheating at carnival games in Fire Fountain City using earthbending and metalbending. Toph began to earn a reputation as a scam artist called "The Runaway." This caused a rift to grow between Toph and Katara again, but the two soon made up, with Katara proposing that they run an even bigger scam by turning in Toph, collecting the bounty, and her metalbending herself out of jail. However, this was a trap set by Combustion Man and both of them were imprisoned. Katara freed the pair from the prison by bending her own sweat to cut the wooden cell, and the group fled the city after stunning Combustion Man. Toph also admitted her guilt about her parents and sent a message to them using Hawky.

When the Day of Black Sun arrived, Toph served as an earthbending soldier during the invasion. Toph battled against Fire Nation soldiers in the harbor until Aang told them that Caldera City was abandoned. Toph sensed an underground bunker beneath the capital and searched for the Fire Lord with Aang and Sokka, but the group only found Azula, who taunted Sokka. With the eclipse having passed, the invasion force retreated, with Team Avatar and their younger allies heading to the Western Air Temple.

Soon after settling at the temple, Toph sensed that Zuko had arrived. The prince told them that he had changed and now wished to teach Aang firebending. All but Toph rejected him, as she could sense his sincerity with her truth-seeing. When Toph approached Zuko at his camp alone, he accidentally burned her feet, and she spent the rest of the night traveling back to the temple. Though the group seemed to be further turned against Zuko, they welcomed him to the team after he proved himself by helping to kill Combustion Man. Toph provided useful advice to Aang and Zuko in trying to find the dragons to learn firebending, though she along with the rest of the group fled the temple after it was attacked by Azula following Hakoda and Suki's rescue from the Boiling Rock.

The group settled on Ember Island following the attack, where Toph expressed admiration of a bizarre portrayal of herself in a play retelling their adventures. However, the group's anticipated chance to recuperate was interrupted when Zuko informed them of the necessity to attack the Fire Nation before it had a chance to burn the Earth Kingdom to ash during Sozin's Comet. Toph helped the team prepare for the assault on Ozai in a mock battle where she played the Fire Lord, but the preparations were halted when Aang mysteriously disappeared the following night.Unable to find Aang, the group traveled to the Earth Kingdom so June could locate the Avatar, but to no avail. Instead, June brought the group to Iroh and the rest of the Order of the White Lotus. As part of the battle plans, Toph, Sokka, and Suki went to intercept the Fire Nation fleet of airships. Toph propelled them all aboard the ships with earthbending just as they took off, and promptly used metalbending to incapacitate the soldiers and captain. Sokka steered their ship into the others, but their own ship began to break apart and they were separated from Suki. Just as Toph and Sokka were about to fall from the ship, they were saved by Suki who was piloting another. As the comet departed, the group met up with Aang, who had stripped Ozai of his bending powers, congratulating him and taunting the former Fire Lord. After Zuko's coronation, Toph joined the rest of their team and their allies at the Jasmine Dragon in Ba Sing Se, where they celebrated their hard-won victory.

100 - 102 AG

Following the war's conclusion, Toph began to notice that her bracelet would shiver slightly when others around her got emotional. Toph speculated that these people were potential metalbenders, and founded a metalbending academy in Yu Dao, with her first three students being Penga, The Dark One, and Ho Tun. Toph welcomed the other members of Team Avatar to the city while its political status was disputed during the Harmony Restoration Movement. As a teacher, Toph felt the effects of the conflict when Master Kunyo claimed ownership of the academy, as it had once been his firebending dojo. On the day of the battle for Yu Dao, Toph intended to surrender, but changed her mind when her students finally displayed tenacity, and began to metalbend for the first time. Toph participated in the battle by bending underground slides beneath tanks and disabled the vehicles. After peace was made in Yu Dao, many more students enroled at the academy, and she declined an invitation to come to the Fire Naiton with the rest of Team Avatar due to her workload.

Toph attended a banquet in celebration of Yu Dao's new coalition government roughly one year later. She unenthusiastically joined Aang on a trip to the Yue Bay area, where Team Avatar and the Air Acolytes recreating Yangchen's Festival. Toph spurned many of the traditions, as they reminded her of her strict upbringing. When the group reached an industrial town, Toph quickly befriended a young industrialist, Satoru. Though Aang was disheartened to see the polluted environment, Toph opined that the Earthen Fire Refinery was a symbol of international cooperation, similar to Yu Dao. However, Toph was shocked to find that her father was one of the refinery's co-owners. Lao did not admit that Toph was his daughter, and ordered the Rough Rhinos to escort her off the premises, angering Toph, who wished to speak with her father. Toph managed to gain access to the factory grounds, where Lao disavowed with kinship with Toph, and did not react to any of her accomplishments. When Sokka alerted them of the unstable iron mine, Toph stopped the surroundings from crushing her, Katara, and her father and his co-workers. Toph strained herself by keeping up the debris for an unbearably long amount of time, until her students and Aang arrived to help. After being freed from the mine, Toph collapsed in her father's arms. After she learned that Aang intended on destroying the factory, Toph tried to dissuade him, telling him that he was doing so for no reason, but her efforts were cut short by the appearance of General Old Iron. After Aang battled the spirit, Toph thanked him for saving her students and choosing not to destroy the refinery. Her relationship with her father was slowly being mended, and three months later, she helped oversee Satoru's work in the refinery.

After the growth of Earthen Fire Industries, the academy had enough funding to build new facilities, and Toph's first three students were skilled enough to teach beginner's classes. In spite of her success, Toph began to grow bored of the monotony of daily life. After Sokka and Suki arrived to take her to see Chong and Trustfully in Love, Toph sought out an underground bending battle in an abandoned warehouse in Yu Dao. She discovered a lavabender named Sun, and helped support the warehouse after it was damaged by his lava. Toph invited Sun to join the academy and teach him how to master his element, and found her passion for teaching once again.

Toph was later sent to the Southern Water Tribe as a representative of Earthen Fire Industries to aid in the Southern Reconstruction Project, though soon found herself in the midst of conflict once more when Gilak and his soldiers attacked a festival, with Toph and Sokka battling the Southern nationalists. The next morning, Toph and her initial three students began work on Maliq and Malina's factory. During an international conference at Hakoda's office, Earth King Kuei was kidnapped by the Southern nationalists. Toph participated in the skirmish at the Bridge of No Return, wearing heavy armor to counter Thod's chi blocking. After the fight, Toph and the rest of Team Avatar enjoyed a meal at Kanna and Pakku's house.

Later, Team Avatar made their way to Yu Dao, but Toph convinced Aang to stop by Earthen Fire Industries, so that she could meet with her father. To their surprise, the small town around the refinery had grown into a small city called Cranefish Town. They soon found that the fast-growing city was suffering from bending gangs, and an increasing social divide between benders and nonbenders. The same problem had occurred at the factory, as several bender workers were let go to keep costs down. After an explosion at the factory, Toph began to suspect Councilwoman Liling, having heard the footsteps of her daughters, Ru and Yaling. Toph offered to teach Yaling metalbending, but her true goal was to coax her into revealing more information. Through Yaling, Toph gained the password to a bender supremacist rally, where she confronted and attempted to arrest Liling. Liling was captured after a skirmish with Team Avatar, and Toph proposed that Aang take her bending away, to the shock of the others. After Liling managed to escape, Toph battled her bender supremacist forces. Though Yaling managed to knock Toph to the ground, Sokka managed to defeat her. Three days later, Toph walked through the city, and along with the rest of Team Avatar, resolved to stay in Cranefish Town and help it prosper into a city later known as Republic City.

Work as Chief of Police

After the formation of Republic City, Toph was placed at the head of its law enforcement and became the city's first Chief of Police. Her metalbending knowledge allowed her to found an elite team, the Metalbending Police Force, to aid her in her duties.

Sometime before 120 AG, Toph met Kanto, with whom she had a daughter, Lin. The relationship did not work out, however, and six years later, she had another daughter, Suyin, with another man, though she ended up raising them as a single parent. Both daughters inherited her earthbending abilities and became masters in their own right. Seeking to give them a different childhood than the one she had, Toph gave her daughters the freedom to find their own path. Lin would later follow in her footsteps as the Chief of Police, while Suyin became a rebel, much like her mother when she was young. Toph told her daughters she considered them a blessing; though Lin thought she was lying. In 124 AG, Toph commissioned a friend to illustrate her first encounter with Aang during Earth Rumble VI to include in a book the latter was assembling for his son, Tenzin.

In 128 AG, at age forty, Toph was on her way to arrest a man named Yakone for being a practitioner of the illegal art of bloodbending and using it to terrorize Republic City. Although mildly annoyed that Avatar Aang asked to accompany her, she let him join her, although she could not resist calling him by her childhood nickname for him, "Twinkle Toes", much to his annoyance.

Having apprehended Yakone at Kwong's Cuisine, she brought him to be tried before the United Republic Council. However, right after he was found guilty of his crimes, Yakone used his bloodbending abilities to incapacitate Sokka. Coming to the aid of her friend, Toph was immobilized by the illegal bending art as well and was forced to use her keys to free Yakone of his handcuffs before being harshly tossed aside and incapacitated.

In the mid 130s AG, Tenzin was brought to her office with a pair of vandals that the police had arrested for fighting one another at the docks. Tenzin explained that the criminals had been defacing airbending gates with graffiti, but Toph explained that he shouldn't have dealt vigilante justice, but should have reported the crime instead. When Aang arrived to collect Tenzin, she told him she was letting him off with a warning, while the two vandals would spend the night in jail. Aang offered to deal with the criminals in the style of the Air Nomads, as the only damaged property was in his jurisdiction on Air Temple Island. Toph begrudgingly accepted, though rhetorically asked why Aang liked undermining her authority, which he joked was part of their complicated friendship.

In 142 AG, after Lin caught Suyin trying to flee from an arrest for theft, the sisters were brought into Toph's office. Knowing the scandal that would erupt from the Chief of Police having a daughter in prison, as well as wanting to protect her, Toph destroyed Suyin's police report and sent her to live with her parents. She retired from the police force a year later. At the same time, Suyin would later travel the world, eventually building a metal city, Zaofu. Toph and Suyin later reconciled, though Lin refused to participate. Toph would visit Suyin in Zaofu from time to time, regaling her granddaughter, Opal, with stories about Lin, until she left to travel around the world in search of enlightenment. According to Aiwei, she was not seen since.

174 AG

After many years living in the Foggy Swamp, Toph found Korra passed out in the mud. She brought Korra back to her home, introducing herself as a good friend of Korra's previous life, to the astonishment of the Avatar. Toph helped Korra recover from her weakened physical state, and when the pair sparred, Toph easily won. Toph was the first person to notice that Korra still had remnants of mercury in her body. Although she tried to extract the poison from Korra, the Avatar resisted Toph's bending and refused to relax. Growing frustrated, Toph told Korra that she would have to get the metal out of her body herself. Days later, the earthbender sent Korra to fetch some mushrooms for her, hoping that the swamp would give her visions. When Korra returned, explaining that she had seen her old enemies, Toph told her that the swamp wanted her to learn from them, and explained how all of her previous adversaries had noble intentions, but the problem was that they had been out of balance. After Korra still seemed reluctant to face her fears, Toph frustratedly guided Korra to the banyan-grove tree, explaining that their roots were connected to the entire swamp. Korra successfully tapped into the connection of the swamp and received a vision of Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo coming for her, with Toph greeting Aang's grandchildren after they arrived. All of them returned to Toph's home, and she instructed Korra to clear her mind and find the metal. Guiding Korra through a painful vision, Toph saw the Avatar successfully bend the residual mercury out of her system and complimented her on the achievement. After finally allowing Korra to embrace her, she saw off the Avatar and Tenzin's children, glad to live in peace and quiet once again.

Toph later learned of Suyin and most of her immediate family being imprisoned following the Fall of Zaofu via the vines in the swamp, and traveled to the city to help rescue them. Though Suyin had been moved to a secure location, she made herself known to Lin, Opal, and Bolin, who had come with the same intentions. The team traveled to a nearby factory and reeducation facility in hopes of rescuing the family, with Lin acting extremely abrasive on the way. After discovering the facility, the group camped for the night, with a confrontation erupting between mother and daughter when Toph began to talk about Lin's father for the first time in her daughter's life. The following day, Toph, Lin, and Bolin tunneled down to the cavern where Suyin's family was being held during a demonstration of Kuvira's spirit energy cannon. Toph and Bolin catapulted Lin on top of the family's wooden cage, and swung them toward Bolin with her metal cable. Although the family had been saved, Baatar's screams alerted the guards of their presence. Toph helped fight off the Earth Empire soldiers, and insulted Kuvira before escaping to safety on Juicy. The family parted in a bamboo forest, with Toph apologizing for the problems in Lin and Suyin's upbringing and her leaving on much better terms with her eldest daughter. She declined Opal's request to return to Republic City, explaining that her fighting days were over and that it was time for the next generation.

Three months after Kuvira's surrender, Toph was visited by Korra and Earth King Wu, who asked her to run as governor of the State of Gaoling in order to oppose Commander Guan of the Earth Empire, who threatened to jeopardize the democratic movement. Toph initially refused, but was convinced to join when Wu explained his visions of his late great-aunt, urging her to step outside her comfort zone. She traveled to Gaoling as a candidate, though recognized that the populace had largely been brainwashed. As the Earth Empire tried to apprehend the group, Toph and the others escaped on a Metal Clan airship that a temporarily released Kuvira had radioed from Zaofu, battling the soldiers for as long as it took to retrieve Asami. At Zaofu, Toph learned that she had lost the election, as King Wu had been brainwashed into moving up the election date, with the Earth Empire threatening to resurface. After Kuvira stole a plane and headed to Zaofu, Toph joined Korra and her friends in flying to Gaoling on Juicy, engaging in battle with Guan's forces. After the situation was resolved, the Earth King tried to convince Toph to run in the next election, but she refused, explaining that she would return to the swamp, as she deemed the predators there to be more honest than politicians.

Legacy

Toph was hailed as a hero in Republic City following her retirement and a metal statue of her in her police uniform was placed in a niche above the main entrance of the police headquarters. Several statues of Toph were also built in Zaofu in honor of her discovery of metalbending.

Personality

Due to her blindness, Toph was often pampered by her overprotective parents. Her freedom was limited to the point where her own existence was not known to most people in her hometown, much to her chagrin, thus straining her relationship with her parents. As a result, she greatly craved to interact with the rest of the world, albeit independently. It was not until she learned earthbending from the badgermoles that her confidence tremendously increased. As a result, she secretly participated in Earth Rumble tournaments without her parent's knowledge.

Upon joining Team Avatar, Toph brought a completely new personality to the group. Unlike the nurturing Katara, flighty Aang, or gruff but goofy Sokka, Toph was fiercely independent, sarcastic, direct, stubborn, and confrontational.  She appeared to have the same carefree and adventurous personality as Aang and was very tomboyish in the way she acted and dressed, in contrast to the delicate doll her parents saw her as. Toph loved battling and took great pride in her earthbending skills. She appeared eager to prove that she was as strong as anyone who could see and once claimed that she was "the greatest earthbender in the world". This attitude was most prominently shown when she was teaching Aang earthbending, as she taught him to face his enemies and problems head-on.

Toph's eagerness to prove that she could be independent led to some initial difficulties with Aang and his friends. Toph insisted that she could "carry her own weight" and often mistook a simple friendly gesture as an act of pity for her blindness. Her encounter with Iroh, however, taught her that Aang, Katara, and Sokka cared for her because they were friends, not because her blindness made them feel obligated to do so.

Toph was often brutally honest when criticizing others, especially her friends. She was vocal about her opinions on others regardless of status (the Avatar, Aang) or age (Iroh). Her occasional attitude or aloofness is likely related to her being the only child of one of the richest families in the Earth Kingdom. Due to her time as a competitor and champion of earthbending tournaments, she was an expert in verbally taunting and insulting her opponents and, on occasion, her friends, particularly Sokka. She revealed to Katara that, being unable to see what she looks like, she did not feel the need to fuss over her appearance. However, despite her many quirks, Toph showed that she was a quick learner, and her courage and loyalty to her new friends seemed very stable.

Toph and Katara seemed to be polar opposites; while Katara was kind, welcoming and supportive, Toph was rough, unyielding and steadfast. These differences in personality extended to the way both girls taught Aang; however, Toph eventually showed a bit of compromise in order to help Aang through his initial difficulty with earthbending. Despite occasional clashes or spats, Toph and Katara generally got along.

One of Toph's most profound traits involved personal hygiene. She was accustomed to lying on the ground and walking everywhere barefoot leaving her soles soiled, a habit common among the earthbenders. Also, she had been seen belching loudly, picking her nose or toes, spitting, and was usually covered in dirt or, as she called it, "a healthy coating of earth".

Toph was well-educated in the manners and bearings of high society but deliberately chose to ignore them. However, she made an exception when the group needed to go to an exclusive party to see the Earth King in order to give news of the solar eclipse. To this end, she and Katara dressed and acted formally to evade suspicion.

Toph did not let her blindness hurt her self-confidence. She had high self-esteem in regard to many of her abilities and was more than determined to show that she would not let her blindness deter her from living freely and fighting like everyone else. However, sometimes this acted as a ruse to hide personal insecurities. After getting a makeover with Katara in Ba Sing Se, some residents of the city mocked Toph for it (who retaliated with a prank). She told Katara that "one of the good things about being blind [was] that [she did] not have to waste [her] time worrying about appearances" and was not looking for anyone's approval. Katara voiced that it was something she admired in Toph but could tell that she had been hurt by the insult and added that though it did not matter, she was in fact pretty, which visibly cheered up the blind girl.

An ongoing joke concerning Toph's blindness was her lack of ability to discern anything that had been written or drawn. In Ba Sing Se, Toph became angry when Sokka suggested that she needed help distributing fliers. She angrily slapped up a poster herself, only to inadvertently place it backward and say, "It's upside-down, isn't it?" Also, she sarcastically complimented Sokka on his drawings of Appa despite the obvious fact that she could not see them. Later, in the Fire Nation, after being presented with the same wanted poster twice, Toph vocally expressed her annoyance with the constant oversight. Toph was comfortable enough, however, with the group's absent-mindedness on the subject of her blindness to even joke about it herself at times. For example, while searching for Wan Shi Tong's Library, Toph, while flying on Appa, claimed that she saw it, before remarking, "That's what it'll sound like when one of you spots it", and waving a hand in front of her eyes with a nonchalant smile.

While hijacking an airship, Toph mistook Sokka's comment about taking the wheel, thinking he was referring to her. By the smile on her face, it was pretty clear that she was gleeful about getting another chance to correct him. However, it turned out that Sokka was talking to Suki, and Toph managed to subsequently cover up her original intention pretty well. At the reunion in the Jasmine Dragon after the passing of Sozin's Comet, she made a joke about Sokka's drawing, saying that she thought everyone looked perfect.

Because of the restrictions placed upon her by her parents and the fact that their servants waited upon her hand-and-foot lest she hurt herself, Toph often seemed to want to take on the responsibilities and obtain the freedoms of adulthood. This caused problems for herself and her friends, most notably during their visit to Fire Fountain City, as she did not always take into account how this might endanger her or aggravate others. No matter how she acted, though, others realized that she was still a vulnerable child underneath everything else she pretended to be.

When she went on to teach her unique talent of metalbending, she realized how her dogged pursuit of her own dreams of becoming the world's first metalbending teacher disrespected who her students were. She found parallels between how she was treating them as people by restricting them simply so they could meet her vision of them with how her parents had treated her back when she still lived with them. She subsequently decided to give up her metalbending academy so that she would not use it as an outlet for the pain she felt from her relationship with her parents onto her students. Luckily for her, her students happened to have overheard her conversation with Sokka about this subject, and responded to it by overcoming the limits the rest of the world saw as defining them in an attempt to live up to the vision Toph had had for them, and were finally able to metalbend.

Due to her troubled past with her parents, Toph also exhibited a modernist attitude, believing that change is the key to progress.

As a mother, Toph found herself to be a direct opposite of her parents, letting her daughters be free to find their own way, though Suyin claimed that Toph was not pleased with the paths either of her daughters had chosen. She later admitted to her children that, while she knew she had not been the best parent, she was proud of the women they had become.

In old age, Toph retained her abrasive, no-nonsense personality, being harshly critical of Korra's abilities and enjoying defeating her in combat. However, she had adopted a more cynical mindset about the impact actions make on their surroundings; she had realized that no matter how hard she tried, crime and injustice would never give up.

Despite her tough exterior, Toph is not above warming up during intimate moments, as evidenced when she joined in group hugs with Team Avatar and held hands with Aang at the prospect of friendships lasting more than one lifetime. Although she had become more cynical in old age, she would allow herself to show affection when she deemed the other person worthy, as evidenced when she let Korra hug her after earning her respect and did not berate or try to stop Opal's embrace when they met again after several years of separation. She even allowed Wu to hug her after she gathered the King was just an affectionate person.

Abilities

Earthbending

Toph's proclamation of being the most powerful earthbender in the world is supported by her talented displays of earthbending from a young age. Although blind, Toph's training in earthbending under the original earthbenders, the badgermoles, allowed her to use their unique ability of seismic sense: she used earthbending to "feel" even the most minute vibrations in the earth, including the march of ants several meters away and the presence of trees and buildings. Through this heightened seismic sense, Toph could visualize where people were, their relative distance to her, and their physical build, but was unable to visualize faces. This sense provided her with a distinct advantage when facing other earthbenders in combat because she could predict attacks as they began and quickly react. Her knowledge of the art also allowed her to teach it to others like Aang, and later her daughters, Lin and Suyin. Her speed and agility were also greatly beneficial in combat.

Her earthbending style was unique and thus unpredictable, as her training was unconventional and more deeply rooted in the nature of earthbending rather than just pure fighting. This style greatly differentiated from the rigid training and fighting style that earthbenders like the Dai Li implemented. Toph's style tended to be proven to be superior to the Dai Li, as she was able to take on a number of them and defend her friends at the same time. This is likely because while the Dai Li just manipulated the earth, Toph had established a tremendously deep connection to it at the very outset of her self-tutelage in earthbending (although both styles have an over-dependence on something i.e. the Dai Li and their earth gloves and Toph and her feet).

However, because Toph was dependent on vibrations in the earth, she was vulnerable to air-based attacks, as shown in her fight with Aang in Earth Rumble VI. Later, Toph was completely surprised by Sokka dropping a large belt on her head. Her success rate in intercepting projectiles was also tied to her sensing of vibrations, being able to feel an opponent's movement, and proceeding accordingly. By her own admission, she could not aim properly at opponents while they were airborne.

Terrain that impaired Toph's ability to sense vibrations also hindered her abilities, as shown when Toph had some difficulty with sand, describing the vibrations in the earth as "fuzzy". She was able to compress sand into solid rock to gain some temporary footing, but she was still unable to accurately aim attacks under those conditions. However, she seemed to have ultimately gained some mastery of sandbending, as she mentioned working on it during Team Avatar's beach party and was able to create a miniature version of the upper ring of Ba Sing Se in rich detail. Apparently, her ability to sense vibrations had improved, which may be how she was able to produce the very fine details of the city and did not show the same helplessness she had shown when previously walking on sand when the gang stepped onto the beach. By 174 AG, Toph attained a state of enlightenment similar to Huu, being able to use the connections of the swamp she lived in with her seismic sense to survey the world and observe everyone, being able to "see" areas as far as Zaofu and Republic City. Toph also expressed an aversion for flying and submarine travel, as she could not sense her surroundings without her feet on solid ground. Also, as a result of her closeness or affinity with earth, Toph could rest or sleep comfortably on solid rock without any sleeping bag or blanket and could walk on any kind of terrain in bare feet, a standard trait for earthbenders. Toph relied on direct contact between her feet and the ground for "sight" as well as for her earthbending. Toph was very reluctant to allow anyone else to touch her feet, probably because insensitive handling there would make her deaf to other vibrations and thereby render her helpless (and because they were far more sensitive than other people's feet).Despite her substantial prowess on land, Toph did not perform well in water and on ice. She seemed incapable of seeing where she was going on ice, was not able to swim, and became nauseous when she needed to travel by submarine in the invasion of the Fire Nation. In Ba Sing Se, Toph demonstrated an ability to sense even slight vibrations, informing a man they met that she could feel him shaking. Toph was also able to sense when a person was lying by the vibrations of his/her heartbeat and breathing patterns. However, Toph's ability to detect lies was not absolute, as Azula demonstrated when she was easily able to lie without even the slightest physical reaction. However, very few people have the ability to lie while manipulating their breathing and pulse in this way.Toph's earthbending style was based on Chu Gar Southern Praying Mantis, which is a style that is apparently unique to her; the style of earthbending used by other earthbenders is rooted in the Hung Gar style of Kung Fu. She was the only bender known to use a style based on a different root martial art than the standard for their bending art. This may be because she was self-taught rather than trained in the traditional earthbending form. Toph came to develop her unique style by observing the movements of the also blind earthbending badgermoles that could be found in the caves around her hometown. By 174 AG, Toph's fighting style evolved to incorporate more fluid and evasive maneuvers, bending mud more akin to waterbending.

Sandbending

Because sand is loose and ultimately always changing with the winds of the desert, Toph found it hard to navigate through and control. To compensate somewhat, she could condense the sand together to give her a better footing. However, when she tried to attack one of the sandbenders with a small wave of sand during their ambush of her and Appa, she missed, her lack of precision on the sand aggravated by her hurry to save both Appa and the others.

After the events in the Si Wong Desert had shown her inability to see effectively while walking on sand, Toph practiced her sandbending, eventually achieving a mastery over it that allowed her to create an extremely detailed sand version of Ba Sing Se during her time relaxing at Ember Island.

Metalbending

Toph discovered the ability to bend metal in the spring of 100 AG. Metal is derived from ore, which is found in the earth. Guru Pathik explained to Aang that "metal is just a part of earth that has been purified and refined". Because of Toph's ability to feel the vibrations in earth, she was able to locate the impurities (the small fragments of earth) still found in most metals and manipulate them to "bend" the metal portion. By acquiring these metalbending abilities, Toph had shown herself to be one of the most powerful and ingenious earthbenders in the world, being the only known earthbender to ever bend metal during the Hundred Year War, a feat that even the Avatar was unable to perform since the origin of earthbending.

When Sokka finished his training as a swordmaster, he gave Toph a small piece of meteorite, which, being composed of earth and metal, she could easily mold into a myriad of shapes, subsequently transforming it into an arm bracelet which she would wear.

She originally used an underdeveloped form of metalbending and usually needed to have direct contact with the element to manipulate it at all, let alone skillfully. However, she continued to practice her metalbending and started to display a dexterous control over metal.

In Wulong Forest, when she was breaking into a Fire Nation airship, it was shown that her metalbending had improved greatly, as she created metal armor and manipulated the metallic structure of the room with far more ease than before, moving metal more fluidly. She was also able to crawl along the metal ceiling while completely covered in metal. Additionally, Toph could metalbend outside of her metal armor, even though she was already bending the armor in the first place. A year later, Toph could bend metal that she was not in contact with, like when she demonstrated her ability to bend metal to Kunyo, who was trying to take over the metalbending school, by bending a metal weapon around his head. She later stated that as long as someone could see the metal, she could bend it, which she demonstrated when metalbending screws and bolts to unscrew the wheels of Fire Nation tanks.

Toph later taught this self-invented technique to many earthbenders, including her daughters. After the Hundred Year War, Toph further refined metalbending to the point of being able to start and lead a capable law enforcement group of metalbending police officers. Following Toph's retirement, Lin Beifong became the new Chief of Police, demonstrating her prodigious metalbending and leadership abilities. Despite all of her accomplishments in the development of metalbending, Toph never succeeded in bending pure metals such as platinum. She was, however, able to sense even trace amounts of metal, unlike her daughters. Her proficiency in metalbending was such that she could tear a hole in a metal wall and restore it to its previous state without a trace of it ever having been bent.

Other skills

Despite her lack of actual sight, her remaining senses, primarily her sense of touch and hearing, were especially acute, allowing her to use her seismic sense to remarkable levels. With the latter sense, she once claimed herself that she "never [forgot] a voice". This was shown when the gang traveled through the Si Wong Desert, where they were confronted by a group of sandbenders and she almost immediately recognized one as one of the sandbenders that kidnapped Appa the day before. Later in the summer, while the gang was on a captured Fire Nation ship, Hakoda and Bato seemingly deceived the captain of another ship, but the captain realized the ship as a captured one. Toph overheard the captain whispering to his troops to sink the ship and attacked. While visiting a creepy village in the Fire Nation, Toph heard people screaming all the way from atop a mountain and everyone later deduced that that was where several prisoners were being held.

Toph also showed a decent amount of artistic talent, as she was able to create a realistic replica of the city of Ba Sing Se with sandbending while Team Avatar stayed at Ember Island, contrasting with Sokka's poor sculpting abilities when he created a sand sculpture of Suki. Later in a training exercise involving all of the members of the team, she was able to create earthbending mannequins while acting as the "Melon Lord" (who was, in reality, an inanimate mannequin made to resemble the Fire Lord, supported by a small earth column and clothed in Fire Nation robes).

As befits one who has mastered the use of neutral jing by waiting and listening to the earth, Toph had a great sense of hearing, able to clearly hear the most subtle of whispering from considerable distances and could recognize people by the sound of their voices. In the Si Wong Desert, Toph recognized the sandbender who stole Appa, remarking as she did so that she never forgets a voice. She likewise has very fine memory, able to accurately remember and distinguish the physical form of people as she quickly determined one of the Kyoshi Warriors was actually Ty Lee in disguise.

She also seemed to enjoy acting and showed a decent amount of talent at it, getting more into character as the "Melon Lord" than was necessary for Team Avatar's training purposes, rebuffing Katara for acting out of character when Aang distracted her from their act of being noblewomen (as was made necessary for entry into the Earth King's party), and reveling in the "stage name" given to her as "The Runaway". This appreciation for "getting into character" as an actor was likely behind her greater ability to enjoy the The Boy in the Iceberg play relative to the rest of Team Avatar.

She also displayed a remarkable amount of agility for one who preferred to have her feet planted on the ground at all times. In Team Avatar's first battle with Combustion Man, she rolled, pushed herself off of the ground with one hand and flipped over in the air to regain her balance after his first shot. She positioned herself in an earthbending stance in order to fight back against her attacker as quickly as possible. Toph apparently also had a good enough sense of balance and strong enough neck muscles to carry a basket full of groceries on her head.

Relatives (*Note: I couldn’t copy this, so below is a screenshot of the family tree)