#flameohotfamily opinions

[flameohotfamily]

Do you think the reason zuko had problems on his date with Jin is because of mai

hi, anon!! thank you for the interesting question.

i think zuko had problems on his date with jin because:

zuko hated everything about ba sing se since they moved to the city, and he didn't want to stay there at all.

i think that pretending to be lee, a refugee and a tea shop boy wasn't easy for the crown prince of the fire nation either.

zuko physically isn't able to lie, and especially lie convincingly 24/7 about every little thing. plus despite all his imperfections he's so keen with honor.

let's be honest, uncle iroh kinda forced him to this date.

zuko doesn't know how to talk about simple things. only haunting the avatar and restoring his honor, only hardcore.

zuko is socially awkward and had never interacted with girls properly (he only knows how to manipulate and tie them to trees, and scare them).

he had a lot on his mind. i mean, he kissed jin, right, but probably thoughts about the fire nation, his father and his failures lived in his head rent free. "it's complicated."

maybe he really didn't like jin this much. "she's not my girlfriend". though i guess he found her very nice!!

but yeah, of course, as a true crazy maiko fan i lowkey imagine that although zuko found jin cute, during the date he couldn't help but think about another cute girl with ribbons in her hair and love to sharp daggers. and... i mean, his forced awkward date with jin finished with a short kiss and zuko's running away. his forced awkward date with mai finished with a kiss and the beginning of their relationship <33

plus after the fountain incident #2 he forgot about jin immediately, and literally left her behind while running for mai. knowing zuko, he could've been angry at mai for pushing him into water or putting a raw fish on his head. but instead of being angry or offended our boy blushed and said, "i've missed seeing this side of you", and let her touch his face, and i bet he kissed her too, and ahh i love this scene so much <3

so yeah, maybe mai wasn't the reason of their failed date with jin, but zuko definitely always was more attracted to mai!!

(check this post, i love it)

[kataraseye]

ATLA Q&A:

General questions:

1. What's your favorite character?

2. What's your comfort character?

3. Which element would you bend if you could chose?

4. What's your favorite nation?

5. What makes you love ATLA the most?

Could get you attacked questions:

1. What's your least favorite character from the gaang?

2. What character you think it's severely underrated?

3. What's your least favorite nation?

4. What's your controversial ATLA opinion?

Shipping questions:

1. What's your favorite ship and why?

2. What's your least favorite ship and why?

3. Do you sometimes self-insert?

4. What's your crack ship?

5. Which non canon ship would you make happen if you were the creator?

Anybody can do it and you can chose if you want just one section. You can skip a question if you don't like it or don't find it interesting.

The answers can be as detailed as you want them to be.

I tag: @rainyturtlecollector @kataanger04 @kataang @katara-waterbender-master @avatarfandompolice @aangs-love @blueclaw7 @coconutsaiyan @cosmic-hoodie29 @flameohotfamily @fulldragonflowerpatrol @leg-grestrade @leekataang @marigamismoon @queenaleesbiggestfan-writes

[flameohotfamily]

i'm sad because maiko is so underrated. like, maiko fandom really put huge effort in making arts/fics/headcanons/video edits, and other atla fans don't appreciate it enough just because they hate mai (or zuko but that's rarely) for some stupid reason.

and when i see just gorgeous mai/zuko art with barely 100-200 likes, i couldn't help but think if that would be another ship with zuko, there would be way more likes under this art.

same with fan-fiction, same with video-edits.

i'm just sad.

[flameohotfamily]

mai being jealous of katara due to the FN gossip?

i understand the point (especially with katara and not any other girl) and normally i would be glad to write some good drama, but i'm so so tired and deeply shocked by ship wars and insulting people based simply on their taste, and bashing real people because of a bunch of pixels in the kid show, and other mess which is going in this fandom... i won't write it.

if you want to read something about it or other mai/zuko/katara and vice versa situations, there are, i'm sure, plenty of fics on ao3, fanfiction.net and other sources. even though i actually have some thoughts and hcs, i'm not willing to write it here. i joked once about the certain ship. and people claimed me toxic and vile, thank you very much.

so i choose for myself to write in my maiko blog only about maiko (i'm not saying it about my fics!!!), and as i mentioned earlier, i'm really tired and overwhelmed of how far people can go and how rude they can be, and how easily they can assume ~everything~ about you as a human being (and blame you for your skin color or other things you didn't choose haha) because you ship this drawn boy with this drawn girl and not that. besides, maybe i run not the biggest maiko blog, but i have a decent number of followers and sometimes(!), some of them(!) look up to me, and i feel some responsibility for my blog and my audience. so when other people claim my followers toxic etc. because of my lame joke/post/any words... wow, i really don't want and don't need to see it.

so thank you, but no. i'm done with toxicity in atla. of course, it doesn't mean i'm the biggest pacifist here and spread only positivity and love and yay, and it doesn't mean i'm against more heavy topics in fiction (jealousy is one of them). but if i'd ever want to raise an issue of jealousy in maiko relationship, i'd rather think up some ooc person for example/for drama. i don't want to be involved in ship wars.

i must add, that i genuinely like and respect katara as a character, and i won't bash her here or somewhere else, like... ever :) i'm just saying, okay?

also i must add, that considering mai's interaction with jin in comics, and her behavior in 3x05 and 3x09 when she had been watching personally a very... active part of zuko's fan club and hadn't said a word to him, i could assume that she's not a jealous person in general. to write really jealous mai takes some grace imo.

so yeah, that's it. thank you for the ask anyway and have a great day!!

[flameohotfamily]

Ok so you and the other Maiko fans on tumblr are soo nice, been reading fics and gotten so soft on this ship. I'm super soft on the Fire Nation Royalty already, especially the fire siblings but my mind has exploded with Mai/Izumi/Zuko softness and potential. Sorry if this has been asked already but how do you feel about Azula? After everything?

Thank you so much!! <33

Yes, I agree that maiko fans on tumblr are very sweet, and maiko family (Mai＋Zuko＋Izumi) is my jam and I definitely should write more about them (I have these few fic ideas, but shh).

Sorry, I don't have a talent to write long metas, if shortly - I genuinely like Azula!!

Yes, she made horrible things, and yes I do not agree with her world-view. But I think we all should remember that Azula was 14, and despite all her extremely high talents, I think she was very lonely (there was no uncle Iroh or a good parental figure for her!!) and deeply wounded, as all fire nation squad as well. I think that the main villain in the show is Ozai and his forefathers, and their views ( *cough cough* Iroh wasn't saint at the beginning too).

I think Azula deserves at least a tiny chance for redemption, because I believe that she has a potential to make something good and deep inside she cares about Zuko, Ty Lee, Mai, and even Ursa. I hate that comics messed so much with Azula, Zuko and Ursa (and let's be honest, with Mai and Ty Lee too).

I cry every time when I watch the last Agni Kai, because there is nothing epic or great in that. It's a tragedy. I really want them with Zuko to have a healthy sibling relationship. Of course, they won't have that level of bonding as Katara and Sokka, but I'm sure despite everything Zuko and Azula love each other, and I hope they will figure something out and make up, and become a true family!! I really hope so!

(Maybe that's why in one of my fics I made Lu Ten alive, and he just was there for Azula, you know dkkdkdk).

Thanks for the ask!

[flameohotfamily]

Hey, just to step up the asks you're receiving, I'm a friend of yours here, I think I can be called this (?), and I guess I don't tell you enough how much maiko nation needs you. You're a force of nature that drives us to keep enjoying this amazing shipp that's maiko. Your fics are great, your writing is amazing - really, I'm jealous - and everybody knows you're doing your best to support maiko and the fandom and I don't think ppl tell you enough how you're necessary. I know sometimes everything can be hard to handle but you're an amazing person and you deserve all the fondness and happiness of this world <3

Anyway, just want to say thank you for your efforts and whatever you decide to do, I, and all maiko stans who follow you, will support it.

OMG, thank youuu!!! <333

I guess I know who you are, and it's so sweet to receive a message like that <3

Anyway, I do not think that I'm doing something great , but as I said earlier I'm ready to support and encourage any of you!! Any time!!! Please write me if you want to or if you have something to say, or ask, or share. I hope to find here friends and people with love to maiko, not only "followers".

And I'm really doubting if this is that necessary, or my efforts are necessary, but please remember that my blog is a safe place for everyone who just loves maiko and atla, and maybe feels ashamed in their 20s, 30s etc. to love/create/enjoy the relationship between two cartoons haha. We're all the same here, and it's great, and maiko always rules, and I won't ever judge anyone for this (for enjoying simply things or thinking about fictional characters instead of "important (boring) stuff") because... I'm just like that <33

And that's how I greet every maiko fan!!

[flameohotfamily]

Hello 😊 Do you hold out hope we'll see a maiko reunion in future comics?

hii!!

well, for starters i don't like how they both (mai and zuko) were portrayed in the comics (not because of the breakup, but in general! breakup is the last thing which bothers me), so i actually don't think too much about their reunion. i like their pair in the show, so if i add in my imagination a little bit of a royal couple image to them and hold their personalities from the show, i would have my perfect-perfect maiko (married maiko as the cool fire nation royal family is my everything!!! at some point i made my own canon and own maiko world, based on my headcanons). so even if they never get together again it wouldn't stop me from shipping them, i love them for their chemistry, not because they are approved by comics creators or not.

i think one day creators of comics will bring them together, though. otherwise i highly doubt they would have made a whole comic about them as cooperating, desperately pining exes with "i miss you, mai" and photos in mai's dresser, you know.

besides, we all saw izumi in the lok. soon or late they should reveal to fans the mother of zuko's daughter (not necessarily his wife, but we're all waiting for a new fire lady, aren't we?)

so that's it. of course, it would be great if they write their reunion (i just hope they'll learn to write mai and zuko in character). it would be great to get more new maiko content, but since i make new maiko content by myself with my headcanons, au and maiko ramblings, and since me and other fans enjoy it, i'm perfectly okay with maiko dumbness in comics.

thanks for the ask!

[flameohotfamily]

I think its fair that, because zutara shippers can use 'bluetara' maiko shippers can use 'bluemai' what do you think?

i think maiko shippers can use whatever they want and write whatever they want, as any other shippers (except for... some topics). there is no quota for creativity. considering that the blue spirit is a part of zuko's personality, i don't see why not. plus i met some "bluemai" fics and arts, and honestly speaking they were great. maiko fans are very talented!!

and please, that's not bashing or scolding, or me showing bad manners or any disrespect, but please please stop sending me anything related to zutara or zk shippers, okay?

i would be honest - i don't like the ship (haha surprise), and even more i really really really don't care what zk shippers are doing or using, or creating, or whatever. that's their business, and my maiko rambling in my blog is mine. so thank you for the ask and understanding!

[flameohotfamily]

i understand the lack of maiko content on instagram. i can say that maiko fans on twitter are very sweet (those with whom i've interacted recently). but honestly? only tumblr feels like home. maybe because i met my first audience here, or maybe i just love to throw here and there these long-long posts and detailed headcanons <3

[flameohotfamily]

It made me so sad to read that you wanted to delete this blog. I can relate, since I did it once, and the single motive was some sort of shame for being on my 30’s and with a blog that only reposts stuff about a couple of unreal people. I can’t even create anything. And it consumes time, that I should use to be productive.

Well, considering that here I’m, you can deduce I regret that decision.

And the motive I decided to come back? This makes me happy.

You are completely right on keeping writing FF and HC, whenever you want, on your own rhythm, as long as it makes you happy!

What I mean is that the content you create brings joy to others (like me), but the most important is that producing it brings you joy!

Thank you!! <333

Yes, I cannot even tell you a number of how many times I wanted to delete this blog or my fics. I have this habit, maybe unhealthy, that when I become too distracted or obsessed with something, I wipe it out and don't look back. Plus I felt and still feel some pressure, especially from myself when I compare my life and age to other's, and then I'm thinking how "stupid" all of this is - writing about two cartoon teen characters. Considering it, my blog was in danger of extinction countless times. I'm sorry, but it's true.

But another day I come here and get an ask from anonymous where they say they love my hcs, or my friend here tells me that Bryke should hire me to write maiko reunion lol, or I see new arts from my favorite maiko artists, or new fics from my favorite fic writers, and it's enough to hold on, for some time.

About creating something, I cannot tell that it brings me now so much joy either. It did, when I only started it. I get skeptical every time when people say I'm creative or talented. Yes, sometimes I get great ideas, I suppose, and sometimes it brings a smile to someone's face, and it's cute. But believe me, writing silly hcs it's all that I'm able to create, and I feel useless most of the time. Because it's really not a big deal, and... it's not something life-changing or important. So yes, it's kind of frustrating thing.

But the thing is that I love maiko, and sometimes this willing to share with you how I see and imagine their life is stronger than my frustration. So I write. And in the meantime I post something randomly or reblog, trying to at least support someone else.

Anyway, thank you for writing me your thoughts!! I'm glad you like my silly maiko ramblings, and I'm glad you've decided to return here. I know all of my closest followers and it's always a joy to see you in my blog! <3

[flameohotfamily]

I love all your fics and HC’s. After reading Maiko ff for nearly ten years I finally decided to write some of my own and it’s not getting responded to much. Any advice on if I should keep it up or quit while I’m ahead?

OMG, dear anon <3333333333333

I'm... speechless? Thank you so much! Sending you virtual bear hugs!!!!!

I tell you what. I had been writing my first original story a few years ago, in my second language (not English, hah), and it took me around a year to write it, nearly 400 pages (almost a novel). I posted new chapters every week, I replied to every comment, every mention, I researched every drop of information and read a lot to have a good vocabulary. What do you think how many likes or comments I gained?

About a year after finishing it (plus the whole year I've been writing it and it was free to read at any time), I gained 62 likes under my story. A whole year!! Someone gains 62 likes in one day from a first chapter. Do you think I felt inspired, or creative, or talented?

With my first maiko fic it was even harder, my English level is still low and definitely was on the bottom in spring, and I was so so so scared to post it. Perhaps, in my native language my text would float like a river, in English I tried to write it at least grammarly correct (I failed even with this, seriously, my brain slowly breaks every time when I read something harder than Present Perfect) lol. And what do we have? Almost the same story, I mean, none of my fics has at least 100 kudos even now. Maybe you asked a wrong person for advice after all.

I become upset when I notice a mistake in my writing, I get frustrated every time when I read gorgeously written fics or stories (not because they are written gorgeously, but because I cannot write like this and I feel like a complete failure), I'm angry at myself every time when I cannot write at least a line for a new chapter. I guess, I might know how you feel sometimes.

But all of this is... strangely okay. Writing is a process, it's your learning and growth. Your mistakes, your frustration, your critical view of your texts, your insomnia at 4 a.m. when you have weird inspiration, your sitting in front of your notebook or laptop waiting for some creativity from above, your tired amused smile when you see a short comment under your work.

There is a great quote from one Talmudic sage, Hillel the Elder: “The shy man will not learn; the impatient man should not teach.” And I think it describes a lot of things perfectly. I know it takes courage to start, to write, it takes courage to post your work, it takes courage to read a comment from some critic who tears to pieces the text that you've been carefully writing for three weeks or even more. It takes courage. And you already did a good job and made great efforts by writing something and posting it, and I'm very very proud of you!!! You stepped outside from your comfort zone, you stepped over your shyness and insecurity, you're learning and it's... it's awesome!!!

I tell you honestly, yesterday I wanted to delete my modern au fic because I have no inspiration, motivation or power to continue it. Last week I wanted to delete this blog because I felt exhausted and I saw all of it as a useless waste of time (I mean, how many 20 y.o. make a whole blog about two cartoons? In this era of productivity and glowing up and making your own business from everything?). I burned out some time ago, and I'm still recovering from it. Some of my readers ask me when they can expect a new chapter, and I have no answer. Because I literally force myself to write and it doesn't feel right. I still get upset when my text is not smooth and beautiful, when I cannot find the words, or I simply don't know the grammar, I still doubt that I might sound ridiculous and no one talks like that (no one speaks English in my surroundings, so it's a kind of challenge), I still feel an urge to delete all of it. Or start to write in my native language at least, because personally for me it takes so much time to create something in English.

But the whole point of writing is that you should enjoy what you're doing. As long as you love writing in general, your texts and these characters, I think you should continue. Maybe write only for yourself, maybe for those five readers who would read everything that your mind would ever create, maybe for a big audience of your followers. Even if no one ever would appreciate it or comment it, I think you should write.

Take your time, rest some time, don't exhaust yourself, make something you're usually enjoying doing, whether it to listen to your favorite music, or reread your favorite book, or drink your favorite coffee/tea. And open a new page. Maybe you would write only one new line for a whole day or week, maybe you would write a chapter during one evening, who knows. But don't stop writing and don't give up on yourself so easily. Even a small step is progress, and even one kudos/like/comment means that someone somewhere spent their time reading your texts. Maybe you should quit it for some time, but please don't act too harshly and wipe everything out. Take days off, think about it, remind yourself why do you love this ship and why did you feel a desire to write about them, remember which positive emotions maiko or other ships/shows/stories etc. bring personally to you. Maybe you just need a break (I have a break right now, it's okay, it's refreshing).

Our maiko fandom is a tiny island between large oceans of other pairings (you know what I mean, since you're far longer in this fandom than me). We're small and unpopular, and underrated and even bashed sometimes. So I genuinely feel happy and grateful when I see new maiko content!! That's why I'm trying to support everyone who creates something new, or just appreciates it with kind words and positive vibes. What I'm trying to say, you are appreciated and welcomed, and it's great and wonderful that you decided to make a contribution into maiko family/nation/fandom or how you used to call it.

I know that perhaps I sound too motivational and supportive, but when I say it, I truly mean it - I'm ready to support every new maiko creator!! Because that's what some people here did and are doing for me, because that's what we're all supposed to do. Support and encourage each other. I wish I'd known who you are and seen your works, anon. Please feel free to write me here on in messages (don't be scared or embarrassed, I'm just like you!!!), and share your work. Write me, any of you, guys. I'm not a writer, I haven't written a masterpiece, I'm not a good advisor, but I'm ready to support you and help you to spread more maiko and your writings, and even share some of my experience if it might be helpful.

I hope I answered to your question. I feel so so honored and complimented that you've written me, so thank you!! Hope it helped, at least a little.

Send you, dear anon, and all the maiko shippers a lot of inspiration and positive thoughts. I bet you all are super talented and creative and deserve only the best things. Enjoy your writings and the process of creating, and don't be too hard on yourself because you're incredible <33

[flameohotfamily]

Not sure if you will answer or if it’s NSFW but do you think Mai and Zuko did the naughty during “Nightmares and Daydreams”?

don’t underestimate me, i usually answer almost all questions (so you can ask freely, as i said earlier). and i’ll answer this.

disclaimer: that’s fully my own opinion and if you have another it’s great and it’s okay <3

so. to be honest, i have very mixed feelings about these couple of scenes and the episode at all.

on the one hand, hell yeah i can relate: they are teenagers who literally cannot keep their hands off each other, they are alone at home, we cannot deny hormones and mutual attraction (zuko really stayed till dawn, plus his messy hair after).

but on the other hand, that’s a cartoon, and mai is what? fifteen?? back to my fifteen i was more a kid than adult (absolutely no judge for teens who do ‘some activity’ tho). and i like the idea that a relationship (especially maiko relationship) is something more than physical attraction and attempts “to try out something that others do” (as i said earlier, no judgement or bullying, just an opinion!!!).

besides, my heart is breaking when i think that their first time/first attempts to be physically closer and more open to each other, happened it time when zuko was utterly upset, grumpy and angry because of his moronic father, and mai was just desperately trying to cheer her grumpy boyfriend up. that’s just not fair for them both!

so, even if they did it, i like to think that they just kissed and cuddled, and were comforting each other. i like to think that zuko stayed in mai’s house because he was sad, and felt lonely and vulnerable in the palace (in his own home!) and in that evening/night he had no one to reassure him, to comfort him, to be with him except for mai who loves him unconditionally. 

i like to think that when they actually did it, they were absolutely into each other, and weren’t thinking about stupid war meetings (zuko) or how on earth to cheer someone up (mai).

that’s it. thanks for the ask!

[flameohotfamily]

that’s fully my own opinion but from what i saw and keep seeing, maiko fandom really likes angst. deeply.

stories about how unhappy zuko and mai are pining for each other? yes, sir!

stories how they cannot conceive a child? yes, please.

miscarriage(s)? that’s almost canon!

stories about mai’s death and single dad zuko? yes, we read it.

damn, it seems that angst is our everything.