#honestly it would make complete narrative sense for them to try and navigate a romantic relationship together

[j0ypatron]

[besidesitstoowarm]

"Utopia" thoughts

unironically one of my favorite episodes of the davies era and the only reason it's not my fave of season 3 is that "blink" is in season 3

i LOVE the pacing of this one. i was so tense throughout like half of it, plus the doctor got to be cunty which is always a highlight. we see the return of cap'n jack tryna fuck and suck his way through the heat death of the universe. respect

alright let me get all my notes about the plot out of the way so i can talk about these characters. so the tardis takes them 100 trillion years into the future and "not even the time lords came this far" which is interesting, the doctor totally out of his element. they're on a dead world, the ruins of a society. the architecture left behind reminds me a lot of pre-contact indigenous cities out west. the sky is black because all the stars have burned out. there's a lot of places named in this ep that all sound like nature, "the wildlands" "the dark matter reefs" yana was found abandoned on a coast. the doctor makes a comment about if yana would have trouble navigating without the stars as a guide. it just felt very "the terror" i guess, very 19th century. and the futurekind felt very "the time machine" so we're at the edge of the universe, the end of everything, and there's all these little callbacks to the age of exploration. the beginning and the end of it all. i can't remember if it's contradicted in the next ep but for now i love that the rocket gets away and then that's it, we don't get an update. did they make it? is there a utopia, or anything else beyond the edge of the universe? it's up to you babes <3

jack gets to be very gay in this one, flirting like crazy. "oh, don't start" the doctor is trying to cockblock like his life depends on it. "i could meet myself/only man you'd ever be happy with" yeowch. i don't remember anything about torchwood so this is where we (viewers of the good show only) get to find out that jack can't die and it's bc the bad wolf brought him back too hard. "the last act of the time war was life" there is so much going on there

we get a lot of rose talk, obviously, jack and the doctor discussing what she did/where she is/what she was like. it's all good stuff and i like to see it but it keeps cutting back to martha's disappointed face and while i said a few writeups ago that i didn't like her romantic interest in the doctor, even without it she's still clearly the "rebound" companion for him. i honestly don't know how it would have been possible to avoid that; it would feel disingenuous to not bring her up or have her loss affect the doctor, and i've said before that i don't think any one companion has been so important to any one doctor than rose was with ten. she defines him, her loss and her life and her love. the tenth doctor without rose tyler doesn't make sense, her absence is as obvious as her presence when it comes to him. even companions that define their doctor's era (jamie with two, even rose with nine) don't have the same hold over the doc like she did. i maintain this is bc their love forced his regeneration and so he's imprinted on her. while this is very interesting, it basically left martha completely in the lurch. s4 avoids this by 1. basically having the doctor recovered from his heartache until the end and 2. donna has such a big personality that she commands space in the doctor's attention. this is not a slight against either martha or donna. martha deserved better that's all

the "hermits united" line is incredibly funny and i'd completely forgotten about it. the "indomitable" callback was nice to see as well. i found out just today that yana's outfit was inspired by the first doctor and that davies specifically told the costumer designer to "hartnell him up" which in addition to the indomitable bit feels like linking us to classic who in a subtle way, easing us along. using elements of the first doctor's costume to reveal the master, it's a little narrative link of how long these two have been in each other's lives

the slow buildup to yana's reveal, him talking about his past, martha noticing the watch, telling the doctor about the watch, realizing there's another time lord that survived, realizing he doesn't have to be alone, realizing "you are not alone" was the key all along. he opens the watch. the sound of drums is deafening. derek jacobi is amazing, i wish we'd gotten to see him as the master for longer. john simm is great but still. "use my name" "the master" what is going ON with you guys. we are so fucking back

this was really rambling but i love this episode so much, there are so many layers. i'm so hype for the two-parter and hobbit doctor <3. i love when the master says he was killed by "a girl. how inappropriate" we love a chauvinist <3

[ruethless]

                            𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐀𝐑𝐄 (𝐈𝐍)𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐄 .

𝙰𝙽    𝙰𝙽𝙰𝙻𝚈𝚂𝙸𝚂    𝙾𝙵    :      taro  motifs        ,      broken  ace        ,      the  berserker        ,      redemption  quest        ,      face  of  an  angel      ;      mind  of  a  demon         ,       abandonment     .    

         𝚊𝚗   𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚝   ,  𝚗𝚘𝚗-𝚊𝚏𝚏𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍   ,  𝚙𝚛𝚒𝚟𝚊𝚝𝚎   ,  𝚖𝚞𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚕𝚜 𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢                  #𝐆𝐎𝐑𝐎   𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐂𝐇𝐈   𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖   𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀   𝟓/𝐑.

           ↳          I   WILL NOT   be  following   the   game's  or  anime's   canon  ,                     with  the  exception   of  snippets   I'm  quite   fond   of . My                 portrayal    is   completely   my   own  headcanons   ,   interpretation &   lore   .   don't   like   ? don't   follow . tricked by crimson .                TRIGGERING & DARK TOPICS PRESENT !

𝒖𝒏𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒔. ✉ : @ofjokers ✥

                                                  ( mobile rules below. )

HELLO I'M CRIMSON ( they/them , 30 ). i prefer to write with others who are 21+ no exceptions. i'm selective in the sense of activity & mood. as stated i'm not affiliated in the fandom !

       ›     🛇   𝐈 𝐒𝐀𝐘 𝐍𝐎 𝐓𝐎 𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐌𝐀 𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐆.

𝒃𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒄𝒔.  i used the beta editor,  icons & make lengthy replies. i love long threads, but keep in mind : quality over quantity. there are days i can write a book, other days i write sentences. i try to match my partner's length in replies but there's never any pressure to match me. just make sure i have room to write & don't forget to trim your posts! i don't care if you     ;    don't have icons, don't format your posts, don't have pretty graphics, etc. just because i do it, i'm not expecting anyone else to. i'm here to write and have fun. not police how your blog looks.

       ›    𝐝𝐮𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬.  i'm open!  i'm personally not too fond of twin verses anymore but i don't mind screaming about this boy together!

       ›    𝐬𝐦𝐮𝐭. never on this blog, ever. do not ask, send anything in, etc. you'll be blocked on sight.

𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅 . . .

𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈.  immediately. but jokes aside, i would love to plot things out rather than jumping into a ship. how i portray akechi is very complicated. he doesn't trust easily, nor does he show affection easily. It's got to be earned rather than freely given. Relationships with him require time and patience to develop genuine connections. His complex nature means that he often tests boundaries and remains guarded until someone proves their worth through consistent actions and sincerity. Hence, understanding his intricate personality is key to navigating any meaningful interaction or potential relationship with him.            ↳    I do ship Akira/Akechi; however, just because you write a protagonist, doesn't mean I'll automatically ship with you or force anything. Honestly, I prefer their friendship over their implied romance because the game doesn't give anything other than surface-level interactions that hint at something more. I find the depth of their platonic relationship far more compelling and worth exploring in greater detail. The complexity of their relationship fascinates me, and focusing on their friendship can bring out the nuances of their characters that might be overshadowed by forcing a romantic narrative. That being said, i will only exclusively ship with one akira at a time.

𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒚𝒂𝒍. as mentioned before, i'm not following the series canon with akechi, and therefore doing my own thing with him. all headcanons and metadumps are mine and mine alone. i've planned everything out even way before i started writing this boy, and it was only exacerbated by the creation of P5R, but ironically i prefer the vanilla version as it has a little history of akechi's that i like. that bing said, please do not take anything i write from this blog. all the information is very specific to me and how i interpret akechi and his life.

[firelxdykatara]

um not to start anything “zuko had everything handed to him by the end of the show even though it took him until nearly the very end to realize he’s wrong: a country, a crown, his girlfriend that HE left behind, the love of his uncle that zuko spent most of the show yelling at and being a dick to, and that’s why he just doesn’t deserve ANYWAY I’M JOKING but this is how y’all be talking about aang” who even talks about aang this why????

It sounds to me like some Aang stans grossly misunderstand criticisms surrounding the writing of Aang’s arc in book 3, in particular during the finale.

This is actually a pattern I’ve noticed with distressing frequency, particularly of late: any criticism of Aang at all--of his actions, the narrative scaffolding surrounding them (never having to apologize for kissing Katara without her consent, for example), or of the failings in the way his narrative was handled (in book 3 especially)--is written off as hate and derided by stans who I can only assume believe that the writing of his character arc was perfect and he never did anything wrong that deserves fair criticism ever in his life.

To this, I can only state my firm disagreement.

The thing is, they don’t really have any counter arguments to refute the points that actually get made (which isn’t to say there aren’t bad faith criticisms of his character just like everyone else, but unlike most of the cast, ppl seem far more inclined to act like there are no valid criticisms of his character or his writing), which is likely why they just write it all off as unfounded hatred of their precious bean fave and ignore it accordingly. But that doesn’t, like, make the issues with his writing, or with book 3 as a whole, go away, and the fact that they refuse to engage with good faith criticism (and, in fact, often refuse to engage with criticism at all by pretending there’s no foundation for any of it--I’ve actually seen people try to justify Aang’s actions in, for example, Bato of the Water Tribe by insisting that Sokka and Katara were actually worse and that Aang lying to them shouldn’t be held against him because they were Mean About It which.... yeah I could go off for days about that alone) says more about their lack of actual engagement with the text of the show than it does about the people who are criticizing his character.

The things that we say were handed to Aang--the deus ex lionturtle (which gave him energybending), the Rock of Destiny (aka the thing that gave him back the Avatar State without having to even attempt to do the work to unblock his chakras again himself), and Katara, presented to him as the prize he’d won at the very end of the show--are things that he did not do the work to actually earn.

Which will probably get some peoples’ backs up, so let me rephrase--the narrative did not put in the work to show how he actually earned these things, preferring to waste time with pointless filler in the front half of the season and then only bring up problems and then solve them within the four episode finale because they left no more room for these very plot critical points earlier in the show. Take Aang’s unwillingness to kill Ozai, for example--this is something that absolutely should have come up far earlier in the season (prior to the invasion at least), and the fact that it didn’t says two things: one, that because the writers knew Aang wasn’t actually going to face Ozai during the eclipse, they didn’t think it mattered to follow through on what Aang planned to do if the invasion had been successful; and two, his sudden clinging to his people’s pacifism seems directly at odds with where the entire narrative of the show had been headed to that point. Why is he suddenly insisting he’s the consummate pacifist when we’ve seen evidence in the show of not only Aang reacting in violence and vengeance (towards the sandbenders, and that wasp he killed), but also evidence that Air Nomads were not the sort of pacifists who would roll over and just let someone commit genocide (the fire nation corpses surrounding Monk Gyatso, clear evidence [which Aang never seems to so much as consider at any point during the series, despite the fact that it could have been a point of much-needed growth and maturation, or at least examining his own people’s beliefs and realizing that, at twelve, he had a flawed and incomplete understanding of his own culture] that even Aang’s mentor was willing to kill in order to protect his home and his people)? Why, if he’s so damn pacifistic, did he never seem to consider with guilt any of the lives he took while in the Avatar state and fused with the Ocean Spirit?

And no, by the way, I’m not saying he’s to blame for the deaths Koizilla caused, but I am saying that it doesn’t make sense that he feels no remorse over all of that blood. Particularly since we see that he considers actions taken while in the Avatar State to be his own--he feels guilty when he goes into the AS and scares his friends, and he very specifically removes himself from the AS to avoid killing Ozai, which tells me that he does consider the AS’ actions to be his own. And if all life is sacred to him to the point where he won’t even eat meat (although Air Nomad vegetarianism makes no sense, but that’s another rant entirely) why doesn’t he so much as mourn for the lives lost during the attack?

These are all questions which the narrative itself never considered, and it’s frustrating because many of them are questions which should have been asked--and answered, or at least attempted--in the course of the final act of Aang’s character arc. He had a great set up going into the third book, with Monk Gyatso’s teachings filling in some of the blanks in Aang’s (again, flawed and incomplete--I challenge anyone to try telling me that if they were completely removed from their culture at age twelve, and it was subsequently wiped completely from the face of the earth, that they’d have anything close to a deep and nuanced understanding of it; twelve-year-olds don’t have a deep and nuanced understanding of anything, nevermind an entire culture and worldview, which is why Aang kept parroting soundbytes from the monks without actually understanding them) understanding of Air Nomad beliefs, but this thread was completely dropped in favor of... I’m still not sure, honestly.

Was Aang running away from his problems and effectively lying to his friends (does he ever actually come clean about being completely unable to access the Avatar State of his own volition?) more important than going back to the Guru, or at least his teachings, and coming to understand his own culture? Where was his arc of regaining the Avatar State because he worked for it, because he tried to re-open his chakras and, for example, came to understand what letting go of his attachment to Katara really means? (That’s actually one of the most frustrating bits, because a) he gets to have his possessive and unhealthy attachment to Katara and get the Avatar State back, despite paying lipservice to letting her go at the end of book 2; and b) he never seems to get what ‘attachment’ the Guru was actually referring to--letting go of Katara doesn’t mean he had to stop caring about or even loving her, but it does mean he was supposed to give up his selfish and possessive attachment to her, which means no nodding when some actor in a play calls fake!Katara ‘the Avatar’s girl’ and no assuming they were supposed to be in a romantic relationship despite never actually asking about her feelings and no kissing her without her consent just because he wanted her to feel the same way about him and didn’t care whether or not she actually did [otherwise he would have asked, and he never once even tried].)

Instead, rather than having a season-long arc of re-navigating his chakras, opening them, and regaining the Avatar State under his own power, he gets thrown against a well-placed rock which does all the work for him at the very last second. Energybending, which wasn’t even thought of as a possibility earlier in the season, rather than being a concept he comes to discover on his own as he navigates his chakras for a second time and comes to understand the how the energy flows between each one, is likewise just given to him by a third party, with no work necessary on his part. And as for Katara, well, I’ve ranted at length about that in the past, but their last one-on-one interaction before the epilogue is when Aang kisses her without her consent, and she gets pissed off about it and storms off. There is nothing to bridge the gap between that and make-out city, nothing at any point indicating Katara’s feelings (because, as far as Kataang was concerned, her feelings never mattered) and how they were changing, no apology from Aang for violating her boundaries, no understanding of what he did wrong and why it was wrong. Nothing. Not a single conversation.

That is why we say that Katara was handed to him like a trophy. Because she was. Kataang was endgame not because it made any sense for Katara, but because Aang was the hero, and he saved the day, and he deserved to get his forever girl on top of it. There was never any real attempt to broach Katara’s feelings on the matter--she’s never shown reflecting on their pre-invasion kiss (in fact, by all appearances she completely forgot it even happened), and she is never once asked what her feelings are, not by Aang or the narrative--because, at the end of the day, they didn’t matter. Aang was getting the girl he wanted, and that was that.

We say that Aang was handed these things without working for them because the entire narrative of book three seemed particularly engineered to making sure he didn’t have to. Zuko, meanwhile, had to work for everything he achieved--the gaang’s trust, Katara’s in particular, his crown and his kingdom. (No, he didn’t particularly work to get Mai back, but that’s a whole other discussion, and he would’ve been much better off if she never showed up again after TBR.) He didn’t get to take any shortcuts. Aang’s arc is all shortcuts, at least in book 3, and that’s when they attempted to show how he got from point a to point b at all.

Anyway, the situations couldn’t possibly be any more different, and idk who said that but whomever it is clearly does not understand where the criticisms about Aang and his hamstringed book 3 arc are coming from.

[thinkingisadangerouspastime]

I hate to be an asshole, but I see this a lot and I'd like your take because while we have differing opinions on some things, your metas are spot on (and I binged half your stories last weekend, oops) and I know you'll be straight up with me on this. What "chemistry" between Zuko and Katara? I keep seeing that and not getting it? The chemistry when he roughed up her grandmother and threatened her village? The chemistry when he tied her to a tree and violated her boundaries? (1/3)

The chemistry when he hired a trained assassin to stalk her good friend and if collateral damage happened, oopsie? The chemistry when he stabbed her in the back after she was nice to him in the crystal catacombs? The chemistry when he demanded that she accept him? Or the chemistry when he showed he didn’t know her at all? The chemistry when both of them were grossed out being thought a couple? Or is it the chemistry when he saved her and Katara couldn’t wait to kiss another guy? (2/3)

I dislike r/eylo from Star Wars fandom. I think it sends the wrong message. But as much as I hate it, there was chemistry there from the first. Rey is attracted to him and Kylo is attracted to her. They don’t want to be, but they are and it plays out in the next two movies. There was none of that in ATLA and I can understand z/ks saying it but other people? What am I missing? Where am I not looking? I’m not even that huge on Katara/Aang but Zuko/Katara chemistry where? (3/3)

Obligatory disclaimer: this is my personal response to anon’s questions and my personal thoughts on Zvtara’s chemistry. I’m not going to put this into the main tags - much less the Zvtara tag! - because while I believe this is a genuine question, I don’t doubt there’s at least one person out there who will misconstrue it as “hate” because the A:TLA fandom is, uh, aggressive in its ship wars lol. However, if I have any Zvtara shippers following me, I encourage you to reblog this post with your own thoughts! Please refrain from sending your commentary on anon unless you’re going to be friendly about it, lol; I like to keep my blog positive and welcoming! Thank you :)

Firstly, I am EXTREMELY flattered that you enjoy my metas so much and binged half my fics!! I was grinning so gleefully as I read that part of your asks,, y’all are too sweet to me. 💛

Okay. Moving on.

So, the main question here seems to be this: What chemistry exists between Zuko and Katara in A:TLA?

Short answer? None, in my opinion.

Longer answer? For all the reasons you outline in your asks, I do not perceive any romantic chemistry between Zuko and Katara within the series run of A:TLA. Note the qualifiers: “romantic” and “within the series run.” I’ll try to break down what I mean!

“no romantic chemistry”

For one, a romantic interest with anyone in the Gaang would have undermined Zuko’s entire redemption arc, full stop. Yes, I mean anyone. For Zuko to have joined the Gaang because of romantic interest* would have been… counterproductive. Zuko joined the Gaang because he realized - to put it very simply - that the Fire Nation was wrong. He realized how he’d been indoctrinated since birth. He realized that he could help the Avatar (instead of trying to, uh, kill him lmao) by teaching him firebending. He realized he could help Aang defeat the Fire Lord and bring peace to the four nations. Zuko realized he could help end the war. He could help break the cycles of violence and abuse that had in part made his own life so miserable. For him to join the Gaang because of romantic interest? Completely takes away from all of that. A key theme of A:TLA is dismantling imperialist power, propaganda, rhetoric, etc. Zuko’s decision to fight against Fire Nation imperialism is crucial to his redemption. He could not have been redeemed without making that choice. Thus, if Zuko had joined the Gaang because of romantic interest, it would have been completely counteractive to his redemption.

(*That is, the relatively popular [? I think?] implication that Zuko and Katara’s moment in “The Crossroads of Destiny” was romantic-coded and thus Zuko should have joined the Gaang at the end of Book 2 because he had romantic interest in Katara and she in him. I genuinely am clueless how people interpret that moment as romantic - like to me it’s honestly heartbreaking! Katara offers Zuko tentative sympathy only for him to stab her in the back minutes later - so if someone would like to share some thoughts, please feel free to do so!!)

On a similar note, for Zuko to take the lightning for Katara at the end of the series because of romantic interest would also undermine his redemption arc. Please note: this does not mean Zvtara shippers cannot interpret the Agni Kai as being romantic-coded. Of course they can! That’s what fanon is for! Transformative works! But in terms of canon, Zuko did not try (and fail, rip) to redirect Azula’s lightning because he was romantically interested in Katara. (I mean, in terms of canon, Zuko and Katara were both romantically interested in other people, too, so… Moot point, lol? But I digress.)

Zuko taking the lightning is about him learning to earn forgiveness and accept unconditional love from his family (both Iroh and the Gaang). It is a selfless act, and it directly parallels Zuko’s selfish act in “The Crossroads of Destiny” to stand silently while Azula strikes Aang with lightning, thus becoming complicit in Aang’s death. The point of his “sacrifice” is that Zuko would have taken the lightning for anyone (and don’t get me wrong - the moment is doubly powerful with Katara, as she’s a primary protagonist!). Zuko did not attempt but fail to redirect the lightning because it was Katara he was protecting; he took it because it was the right thing to do. Zuko has learned to differentiate between “right and wrong” on his own. To at last put others before himself. To make his decision about romantic interest? To make Zuko’s most selfless act in the series (not to mention one of his only 100% selfless acts!) about out-of-the-blue “romantic love”? That not only lessens the impact of his decision, but it is also reductive to Zuko’s entire character and arc. There’s no romantic chemistry there.

Again, of course, fanon exists for purposes such as interpreting Zuko’s failed misdirection of the lightning to protect Katara as romantic. Go wild!! I’m talking strictly about canon.

So that pretty much summarizes why romantic interest with anyone in the Gaang would have been detrimental to Zuko’s redemption, hence why Zuko doesn’t have any canon romantic chemistry in the Gaang. It just ain’t there! It would have screwed over his arc! And again, because of all the reasons you outline, I cannot comfortably interpret any romantic chemistry between Zuko and Katara within the series run of A:TLA. Personally, romantic Zvtara would have been too sudden, too unexpected, and too… well, as I said: uncomfortable. Why would Katara have romantic interest in a guy who’d hurt her so many times? Who she’d only just forgiven? Why would Zuko have romantic interest in Katara, a girl he barely knew for most of the series? Especially when he already had feelings for a childhood friend? I, personally, just don’t get it.

But. You know what Zuko and Katara do have in canon?

A phenomenal platonic bond.

It develops very late, admittedly; Katara has only forgiven Zuko for the last five episodes of the series (5 out of 61… Katara was only on good terms with Zuko for 8% of the series, lmao). But Zuko and Katara are very, very similar personality-wise, so it follows that (eventually) they’d be great friends! Yeah, Zuko acts like an entitled dick for a good portion of “The Southern Raiders” lmao, but he ultimately respects Katara’s decision to spare Yon Rha (love that scene so much 🤧). Katara recognizes that Zuko is trying his best (if sometimes falling short) to redeem himself and earn the Gaang’s trust, and she also understands how - while she is completely justified in her anger! - holding that hatred close to her chest isn’t good for her. So she offers him a third chance (and honestly, Zuko should be forever grateful for that lmao!).

So what can a strong platonic bond lead to? Well, if it’s in your taste, a romantic relationship!

“within the series run”

As aforementioned, I don’t see any romantic chemistry between Zuko and Katara within the series run of A:TLA. I think Zuko has hurt Katara in too many ways - and again, she has only just forgiven him by the end of the show - for there to realistically have been any blossoming romance between them. I think romantic interest for anyone in the Gaang would undermine Zuko’s redemption. I also think M@iko and K@taang are well-implemented romances into A:TLA, so romantic Zvtara would not have fit into the narrative. (Doesn’t mean someone has to ship them!! I just mean they made logical sense and had narrative purpose within canon. That’s all.) But again, Zuko and Katara have a great platonic bond. So while I don’t see romance within the series run, I can understand why people might be attracted to Zvtara in post-canon!

Post-A:TLA (disregarding LOK, which I haven’t even seen lol) Zvtara has some solid potential. I’m personally intrigued by the idea of how they’d navigate their relationship amidst all the politics! Basically, any relationship with a strong platonic bond can have potential for “more.” That’s why people ship T@ang, that’s why people ship Zvkaang, Zvkka, M@ilee, etc. So while Zvtara may not have romantic chemistry within the show - in my opinion! - they’ve got one of my favorite platonic bonds, so I can totally get people wanting to explore that bond in post-A:TLA and possibly translating it to romance.

So for some people, then, it might be less about “chemistry” in A:TLA itself, but more how their relationship could grow and change after the end of the series!

Quick sidebar: I mentioned that while I do not interpret the final Agni Kai as romantic, I’m fine when other people do. It’s fanon! Ain’t no big thing! But also, Katara has forgiven Zuko by that point. I, personally, am not comfortable with reading any of Zuko and Katara’s TSR-and-earlier interactions as romantic because of the imbalanced power dynamic. Example: I don’t think Zuko tying Katara to a tree and manipulating her with her mother’s necklace was romantic, and I don’t like the resulting implications when people do treat it as such. Zuko was still so indoctrinated by Fire Nation propaganda… Yeah, from Book 1 to about halfway through Book 3, I personally don’t feel comfortable shipping Zuko with anyone outside of the Fire Nation. Pre-redemption Zuko was not the most fun person to be around if you were non-Fire Nation.

But as I’ve said, these are all just my opinions! Again, if I have any Zvtara shippers following me, please feel free to reblog with your own thoughts! I would love to know where the idea comes from that Zvtara had chemistry within A:TLA, since I personally don’t see any romantic vibes (though platonic chemistry, of course, abounds.)

(For the record, I don’t know anything about Star Wars, which is why I haven’t brought up R.eylo, lol.)

TL;DR - To me, there isn’t any canon romantic chemistry for Zvtara. Narratively, I think it would undermine Zuko’s arc. Logically, because of how Zuko treated Katara for 92% of the series, I personally cannot interpret any of their interactions as romantic. But their platonic bond? Beautiful!! Thus, if people want to explore post-A:TLA, fanon Zvtara, I am all for it.

[askanonbinary]

I have a very specific question. Hopefully I can be clear. I have Dissociative Identity Disorder, which has a symptom of multiple personalities. I have eight personalities in total. They have a separate inner voice, emotions, perception of our physical state, memories, opinions, hobbies, and names. But there’s a sense that they are all me, just subconsciously. For example, I can’t remember a lot about high school, and when I do remember it I remember it from a third person perspective (weird right? I see myself doing things!). Those memories are held by another personality, and working with her can help me remember the facts. Becoming her would help me feel that ‘I’ experienced it.  

See, that’s the thing. I have depression as well, and to beat depression I am encouraged to deny abusive inner voices. My therapist tells me, “Depression lies.” And it’s true. Curing my depression meant separating myself from those inner feelings, recognizing that my depression is not me. 

But with D.I.D., it’s the opposite. Denying these inner voices, even when they’re being abusive, makes my disorder worse. I am encouraged to understand my other parts, not matter how different they are. To work together. Someday, to realize they do not lie, and that they are me. If, for most disorders, the survival method is to have a strong shield, for me it’s to hold hands with my disorder? Kind of? 

Anyway, I have been accomplishing it with one personality, named Conan (1 of 7, still a long way to go!). We work together. We collaborate, covering each other’s weaknesses with our own strengths. It’s a two-way communication – even though it’s just me! I can tell it’s working, because I’m starting to realize that he feels more like me. Like it’s more seamless. I’m more like him now (hahaha, I swear WAY more now) and he’s more like me (he admits he likes Disney movies). Like more than 90% of patients with D.I.D., he almost never ‘takes control’ of our body. No one does anymore – it’s a big improvement! But…  

Well, I never expected to feel gender dysphoria. But I did, and severely. Two years ago, I finally finished a total gender expression change – clothes, hair, makeup, shaving etc. Because it was unbearable without it. I still only pass about 40% of the time because I have a large chest (mostly from the back). I have trouble with binding, (back problems, weight, panic attacks), but I still did sometimes. I would really like chest surgery. It was great to look in the mirror with a drastically more masculine presentation, but I still feel like I am not myself when I look at my chest – but see, there I go! Talking about seeing ‘myself’, of feeling like I’m finally ‘me’…what does that mean for someone like me?! 

I feel like my experiences can’t belong in the context of trans or non-binary narratives. It’s just…I’m not who those labels are for? And, when people see me and ask, “Oh, you’re trans?”, even positively, it’s just a far more complicated question then they know. 

Maybe I’m not, because Conan isn’t trans; he’s a man. My personalities are young and old, man and woman. One is actually nonbinary? But what am I? I am me, but I know that my perception of me isn’t reality…or is it?

I identified as a cis woman until Conan and I started…blending, for lack of a better word. I was comfortable presenting as feminine. I think? But I also know that I started doing things like binding my chest all the way back in high school, though I’m still not sure why. Sometimes I had different clothes, that were specially for wandering the town. I liked to go where no one knew me; I liked to be someone else. Is that the same as having a fluid identity? Because in the end I realized it was actually a set of identities: 7, like I said. Yet…

There used to be 6. The new personality, emerged recently, is the person I was about three years ago. Before the dysphoria hit. The woman. Not just the woman but the idealist, the artist…her name is Willow now. She makes me think I’m not sure if I’m actually ‘blending’ anymore, or am I just becoming Conan? And does being Conan mean being trans?

I don’t talk about this usually, because so often people dismiss me as crazy. Lol, not that I’m not – I literally technically am! But I’m just not sure…what to call myself. I’m not fluid – that would be offensive, man, because this whole process of curing my disorder treats having fluid identities as the disorder! And it has many other symptoms for me, it’s true. I want to feel like I’m ‘me’. 

Non-binary is an excellent descriptor for me, I am literally more than two lol, but that’s not what that label means.

Many assume I’m trans, and I have a lot in common with the experiences of trans people I think, but being trans assumes one self. I think? Where I’m coming from is totally different. 

And, in the end, my other selves are not really real. But they are really me. It makes for a double experience: I feel like I’m losing myself, and finally gaining it.

In short, if I don’t know who I am, can I be something? 

Thank you for reading, I know it was long, and I would really appreciate some advice about how to identify, to feel secure and supported, but also be respectful of movements and terms that are larger than myself. And I understand if it’s confusing or you don’t know what to say, in the end. It’s okay. I feel the same. I actually think all of psychiatry feels the same, hahaha. Regardless, thanks for listening.

- @quiteamazedandthankyouforasking

Your existence and identity is not harmful to people’s perceptions of being nonbinary. If they’re gonna take problem with you, they’re gonna take problem with me because they hold harmful and ignorant beliefs. You shouldn’t have to hide yourself away in the closet for “the community’s” sake.

Nonbinary isn’t a term just for neurotypical people. I think you’ll find most of us here on this blog are neurodivergent ourselves, and while not all of us may consider our gender wrapped up in our neurodivergency, for many people, it really is. There’s even a whole category of nonbinary identities about this called neurogenders: https://nonbinary.wiki/wiki/Neurogender & http://gender.wikia.com/wiki/Neurogender

Gender can be impacted by any host of ‘outside’ factors: culture, religion, neurodivergency, trauma… I myself have grabbled over my gender identity being tied up to my past trauma. My romantic orientation certainly is, and my gender probably is as well, but working out if that’s how it feels is… difficult to navigate.

To say that being nonbinary can NEVER intersect with these factors is to do ourselves and our community a disservice. It is to gatekeep and police people’s identity, to tell them there is a certain way they must identify. It is to box them into a corner and not allow themselves to express themselves as they are.

The problem is when people think things like “being nonbinary in and of itself is a mental disorder and therefore something to be fixed because you’re wrong and broken”. But you can totally be nonbinary as a result of mental illness or a personality disorder or whatever. That’s 100% valid and anybody who tells you that you’re not welcome is being bigoted themselves. 

It’s also okay if how you feel in regards to your mental health and your gender(s) changes later! It’s okay if your relationship to gender changes as you make progress with your mental health. It’s okay to grow and change as a person. This sometimes means our understanding of ourselves changing, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

You can’t help who you are or if your identity is all wrapped up and confusing. You  just being you isn’t harmful to our community. People who paint us all with one brush are harmful to our community. People who would encourage eugenics or erasure for the “sake” of our community are harmful to our community. People who try to dictate how others experience their own identity are harmful to our community.

So you’re nonbinary and depressed with DID? (Since I’m also ace and these are big ace issues…) There are ace people who’s ace identity is wrapped up in them being autistic, or is wrapped up with medications they take, or is wrapped up as a part of mental illnesses they have, or is wrapped up in past trauma. Exact same thing goes for gender. That doesn’t make them any less valid and this doesn’t make you any less valid. We need to accept that there are many ways to be. Even if you were harming someone, that wouldn’t make your identity invalid - although it would mean you’d be less welcome in safe spaces.

So I say you’re welcome. <3

And more than that, if these different personalities have different genders… well, it certainly sounds like that is something to explore.

But however you identify, whatever label you choose… that alone is your choice and your choice alone. While you may not understand or know yourself that well, you are still the one who best knows how you feel and is best equipped to explore labels and decide what is right for you. If identifying as nonbinary feels right, then identify as nonbinary! Be nonbinary. If you relate to a lot of trans experiences, then that sounds like something to seriously consider! 

You do not have to be totally neurotypical or mentally healthy or physically healthy or completely absolutely understand yourself (honest truth: no one does) to be nonbinary. It’s okay if your identity and relationship to your identity is messy and complicated and confusing and even weird. Honestly? That’s some of what being nonbinary is about, really. The fact that we have messy, confusing, complicated, hard to understand relationships to our gender. No matter our mental status.

~ Mod Sock

[dent-de-leon]

Keith (for character meme) cause I love it whenever you talk about him. ͡° ͜ʖ ͡ –

Why I like them: This honestly requires like, five entire essays on it’s own. Keith, to me, is an incredibly well developed, multifaceted character. I was drawn to him from the very first episode, from the moment I saw him charge the garrison eyes blazing, vindictive and vengeful–only for that fire to smother as soon as he laid eyes on Shiro, suddenly soft and vulnerable. From the moment he tried so hard to bond with his Lion. From the moment he said, “It was an honor flying with you boys.” I loved how he came across as harsh and cold to the others, but was so clearly struggling with his emotions and a very withdrawn, albeit passionate–compassionate–person. I love how gentle and nurturing he actually is by nature, how he’s incredibly protective with a fierce believe in fighting for good and defending others.

He’s someone who’s been burned by fate at every turn, who has no family to speak of, who lost his only friend and wondered out into the desert with nothing to lose. I found him incredibly relatable–with his fear of rejection, with how he pushed others away to avoid getting too close. With his passionate and vivid his emotions were, to the point of becoming overwhelmed and requiring a means to cope–“Patience yields focus.” Someone who was a bit touch averse yet still craved comfort–with Shiro especially he becomes particularly tactile. Someone with definitive personal loyalties even at the stake of the mission–see: every time he goes back on an objective in order to prioritize Shiro’s safety. I felt for those aspects of Keith acutely, and his character’s become very close to my heart ever since. 

Ostracized on Earth, only to feel isolated once again in space when he realizes he’s not so human. Someone unable to properly let his walls down and feels a very distinct disconnect from others, who struggled with control of his incredibly volatile emotions but so badly wanted to do “better” and regain control. Someone who so desperately wants to be “good,” who literally says, after finding out he too is galra–“But at the same time, couldn’t some of them be fighting for good?” Despite being logical and analytical, Keith is ultimately ruled by his heart and sense of morality, and it’s a very striking combination to me. That he’d do so much to save the universe that threw him away? It really resonates with me. 

Why I don’t: Antis claiming that Keith is a child and Shiro’s blood brother and also desperately longing after Lance since the garrison–despite, you know, not even knowing Lance’s name. The fact that those fans reduce him to such uncharacteristically base caricatures with little no regard for his feelings and agency. The fact that he’s supposedly “pretty” enough to be Lance’s prize and is little more than award to be given to Lance to show he’s finally “surpassed” Keith and become “superior” to him. The fact that anti’s k/l fanon dominates misinterpretation of him in fandom to the point where he’s completely unrecognizable. The fact that his relationship with Shiro is constantly trivialized, erased, reduced to “brothers” to avoid competition, or flat out edited out in favor of Lance because somehow that’s “better.” Despite, you know, Shiro being the only person that never abandoned Keith. I’m bothered by that same brand of fanon making Keith more promiscuous to suit k/l fanon while still claiming he’s apparently a child. 

Worst of all, I’m completely bothered by this same exact brand of fanon claiming they love Keith, but then hating him whenever he gets significant screen time, plot, background, or development that does not in any way shape or form serve either Lance or k/l. Because there’s this notion in fandom that Keith is meant to be seen and not heard, that he’s pretty and a pining hot mess for Lance and should step aside and let Lance lead in a heartbeat because he doesn’t deserve any narrative or agency beyond that. I’m sick of it. 

Favorite episode (scene if movie): Either Blade Of Marmora, Changing the Guard, Across the Universe, or Code of Honor. Yeah, I like a lot of Keith episodes–and sheith. It’s honestly really just too hard for me to pick at this point. Any episode that really explores Keith’s galra side and his bond with Shiro really speak to me. BOM especially really hit me, and had me tearing up a bit. Same with Changing the Guard. The latter and Code of Honor especially really instill you with this sense of hopelessness, this vivid fear that you can’t save everyone, that no matter how hard Keith tries he’ll keep losing the people close to him. It’s a detriment to his protective instincts, to this natural inclination to throw his own life on the line to shield everyone else. Keith’s such a caring, compassionate person. And it’s so heart wrenching when the narrative claws away at that weakness. 

Favorite season/movie: Season 2 had some prime Keith content, finally making tons of headway with Keith’s identity and backstory. Keith was badly in need of some development up until then–I still remember the show runners saying Keith had the least lines out of all of Team Voltron in season 1, even Coran. Keith’s motivations and background were a complete mystery, and it was so amazing to see those complex aspects of his character finally explored. Seeing how he connected to his galran side and had to learn to accept himself, to realize that things are never quite so black and white–I thought that was all a very interesting take on his character. Especially how resistant he is about eventually leading Voltron. And how that resistance stems from his very haunting fear of losing Shiro. 

But I mean, my heart also really felt for him in season 3. Again, I deeply relate to Keith, and seeing him go through those motions of grief, depressed and longing for this person he lost, trying his best to reach and reconnect, never losing faith–that hit me. Seeing Keith still believing in Shiro and refusing to move on, seeing him connect with Black as his last link to Shiro, watching him try to navigate his new room because of how strongly he believes in Voltron’s cause and Shiro’s last wishes. Seeing him have those grief-laden outbursts, still carrying a torch for Shiro when everyone told him to move on, relentlessly striving to save Shiro because he knew no one else would–it really hit me. Felt very viscerally real. 

Favorite line: Soooo many this is just…really incredibly difficult, oh man. Right now I’m very partial to, “As many times as it takes.” When he says it his voice is just so soft, so heartwarming and unabashed and reassuring, it’s just…the very intimately sweet moment where both his and Kuron’s feelings are laid bare. I love it. 

Favorite outfit: HIS BOM SUIT!! Both suits. But I’m really partial to new one right now cause I’m also loving the mask and hood :’) He looks so good I cry…really badly need the money and ability to cosplay that,, 

OTP: I literally don’t even need to describe this one because I’ve written like who knows how many fucking essays on it but,, sheith. Sheith. Sheith. Sheith. “Shiro and Keith have the closest relationship.” “His guiding light.” “Nothing was worth Shiro’s pain.” Take your pick. They’re in love and intimately connected throughout the narrative and they deserve each other, alright. Unconditional love and support at its finest.

Brotp: Mentioned here in Allura’s post, but Keith and Allura! 

Head Canon: Keith and Shiro used to go out on late ride into the dessert on the red hover bike. They’d stop by the old shack and take a look at the stars and just…stop and appreciate those quiet, precious moments together they have. 

Unpopular opinion: Keith has no romantic interest in Lance and k/l would not only make no sense for the character, it would detract from him. He’s also not an angry, irrational hothead, nor is he by any means dumb or cruel. He doesn’t enjoy clashing heads with Lance, as clearly evident from he’s the one who tries to patch things up first and it was Lance who projected his insecurities onto Keith and sparked a one-side rivalry with unwarranted hostility. 

A wish: When all is said and done, at the end, Keith and Shiro are still together. Whether it’s back at the old shack or stranded on the other side of the universe, no matter what, they still have each other. 

An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen: Canon k/l because it wouldn’t make any sense and I care about Keith’s feelings, character, and development–all of which would have to be ceded for Lance’s sake and I’d hate every minute of it. 

5 words to best describe them: Loyalty. Protective. Knight. Passionate. Driven.  

My nickname for them: Star Knight ^^ ✨