#lok thoughts

[cold-neon-ocean]

Me describing Baatar as "horse coded" on a discord stream and folks going "Um, please explain that?" because I genuinely forget sometimes people can't hear every thought I have about him and have no context for what I just said.

To explain: Big, awkward, anxious, needy, capable of irreparable damage without really knowing or meaning to. Surprisingly fragile for their size like if they trip and fall over there is genuine chance they could just die. If their tummy hurts a little bit they could die. They will bite your fingers off if you do not feed them properly. They look like dinosaurs when you shave their hair. Horses - Afraid of things they shouldn't be: plastic bags, small puddles on the ground, stationery flower pots

Baatar - Afraid of things he shouldn't be: things that were on sale, low thread count bed sheets, Great Value brand items.

[demaparbat-hp]

They would.

[moon-axolotl]

[sillyfudgemonkeys]

[avatarkyoshisfansss]

op

[nathaniacolver]

stereotype strike! the best driver you know is female, gay, AND asian

the seven other vehicles that she operates (equalist tram, equalist mecha tank, biplane, speedboat, airship, sandsailer, hummingbird suit) not pictured

[jumumo]

There's something so sinister about the fact that Katara is shunted away from the story when she should be way more involved in Korra's arc. Korra's seemingly main conflict is her sheltered life with her fiery passion for enacting justice and learning to temper it with diplomacy. Who's an old person in the series that has dealt with injustice, who always took direct action to correct them in any way she can and had moved to a more diplomatic role once there wasn't an active war?

Katara fits so well in Korra's story it's not even funny. Imagine Korra having a mentor from the devastated but resilient Southern Water Tribes that was the THE last water bender at a point and can absolutely do girl talk with? Imagine Korra having a tangible connection to the history of her Tribe. Imagine writing Korra to have connections to the place that was the next most affected by the war. Imagine writing a Korra where that mattered to her character.

The way she was canonically written, she don't really give a damn. And that's heartbreaking. And most likely a blind spot with the writers. Especially when passing down cultural traditions and respecting elders is one the most important things to happen to communities where there were attempts to erase them.

[sugurugetos]

LEGEND OF KORRA 3x11 — THE ULTIMATUM

[jade-of-mourning]

sorry sometimes i think about mako and my heart hurts so much. this kid raised himself and his brother on the streets in homelessness and utter poverty from eight through fifteen, promptly after seeing the violent death of his mother and father. he turned to the triple threats because they couldn't survive as a pair of wretched kids without any adult support, and the environment forced him to turn into the exact character that killed his parents in a terrible twist of irony. and after sheer-fucking-luck hits and they aren't homeless anymore, their livelihood wavers on the outcome of what's a literally game to everyone but them; and after things are finally starting to look up and their team is going places and things just might be okay, his gradually stabilizing world unceremoniously expands and everything goes to shit.

and the city that chewed him up and spat him back out, ruined him as a child and took away his ability to stay afloat in a true sense of normalcy as an adult — when it's on the verge of destruction and falling to pieces before his eyes, he gives himself to save it with the full expectation to die. he went from the kid who didn't and couldn't care about anything outside of himself and his brother, to finding redemption for his younger self in his police work despite its injustice against him, to willingly sacrificing himself to a world that had never loved him.

he's a desperate people pleaser, socially and emotionally stunted for the adult he had to be as a kid, unable to navigate interpersonal relationships easily yet still trying his damned hardest. he's intensely and entirely devoted to the things that matter to him and for so long it was only him, bolin, and ensuring their survival — yet by the end, that devotion has expanded to protecting the rest of the world. he starts out entirely self-reliant and ends in trusting the people he cares about to know their own needs, to be able to take care of themselves, to be okay without him despite having spent so much of his life defined by his role in others' well-being.

just. what the fuck i'm such a big fan of this fictional guy and i'm unashamed about it at this point. also let him cry please (if you won't i'll do it i'll let him cry)

[cold-neon-ocean]

I'll truly die on my Baatar/Asami besties agenda like they're both smart, rich bitch, engineers who come from family money, you CANNOT tell me they wouldn't have the absolute most Donatella-by-LadyGaga coded friendship of all time. Even when on opposing sides they still go to brunch to gossip, talk the latest in fashions, architecture, and innovations, while also waging subtle psychological warfare on each other trying to get information from the other. And when things actually get serious and everyone else is throwing hands the absolute WORST thing they could do to each other is say something like "Brunch next Tuesday? It is OFF." or "Oh and your outfit. A bit tacky wouldn't you say?" and the other would take ACTUAL PHYSICAL damage from that LOLOL worse than if they'd literally fought each other hand to hand, it's so serious for them.

Then weeks later at some social/political gathering they are standing next to each other not making eye contact and be like "I am NOT talking to you. However-" and then proceed to gossip like nothing happened askdjf please I need their friendship so badly it's my FAVORITE. Korra and Kuvira are standing there looking at the two of them talking in their upper class gucci prada versace-ass language and are like "what the fuck are they even saying?"

[chipified]

Wan & Wan

[persnickety-doodles]

I started watching this F1 racing show on Netflix and since I’m always thinking of them… 😏

[sweetjegus]

thinking about suyin beifong and how she decided to build a family (and a clan of metalbenders; and a gleaming highbrow society of philosphers; and a walled city to protect everyone within) of her own

photos by silver fyre photography

[wilcze-kudly]

I have so many issues with Kuvira's redemption in Ruins of the Empire but what always felt kinda shitty to me was that it seemed like she came to her 'redemption' kinda.... out of nowhere?

Arguably the point where she "owns up" to her mistakes, is never truly shown to us.

It's shown that she doesn't really have much regret or consideration of the people she's hurt.

What's odd about it is that a good chunk of her victims were right there! Barring Su and Baatar Jr, who one could argue had their stories with Kuvira at least kinda wrapped up. But they weren't exactly the characters I wanted Kuvira to realise she'd wronged.

Opal, Huan, Wei and Wing were betrayed, imprisoned and almost died. Similarly Bolin was manipulated, used, threatened and imprisoned by Kuvira. Asami lost her father. Mako was physically scarred and almost died. Wu was almost kidnapped and forced to fear for his life several times, becoming Kuvira's main target.

Basically the entirety of the cast of the comic are Kuvira's victims to some extent. However, Kuvira is pretty callous and dissmissive of those she'd hurt through most of the comic.

Which I enjoy, it's in character for her and it would be fun to see her realise her mistakes. And she does, it seems.

However it does feel a little jarring how she goes from dismissing and being indignant at every single criticism levelled at her to this:

I also do find it kinda irksome how vague her apology is. It kinda feels like a YouTuber apology lmao. She wasn't "wrong", she was cruel, xenophobic and manipulative, among other things.

And I realise it would be hard to fit a whole ass apology tour into the comics but would it kill ya to give us at least a few scenes of Kuvira realising she done fucked up. It just feels a but unsatisfying to see her go from full on denial to acceptance of her crimes off screen.

And Opal is treated as unreasonable for being petulant towards Kuvira, however she's extremely justified in her anger and pain.

But yeah, Kuvira's story should've been treated much more carefully and given more time to unfold.

[freakurodani]

The parallel between Sokka and Tenzin as their fathers' sons.

Sokka, left at 13 as his father and all the other men head off to war. Hakoda tells him "being a man is knowing where he's needed the most" and he needs to protect his sister, his home.

Tenzin is the second airbender. He is also half water tribe, he's a man. When Aang dies, he will be the last airbender. He understands what he needs to do.

Untold amount of pressure and responsibility have been thrust upon them by their fathers. Though, I believe it is not all intentional, but the unfortunate circumstance of being the fathers of sons who take responsibility incredibly seriously.

In Sokka's case, "protect your sister" is a vague instruction. It was meant to give him purpose, to help him feel okay about being left behind, He is too young for war, his father does not want to bring his child to slaughter. But Sokka will die with purpose. He will train the children of his tribe so they will be protected, he will face a fire nation ship until his last breath. He cannot go to war, but Hakoda did not see that war was all around them. In trying to give Sokka purpose, Hakoda put their world on his shoulders.

We do not get to see Aang be a father (in the TV shows), but we know he had hopes for the future. All his children were air nomads, and the air acolytes brought his culture back, but Tenzin could bend. This part of their culture is one ONLY they share. I do not think Aang would hide this, he is joyous that he gets to share his culture. When he feels respected, he always is, he taught the air acolytes after all. Off handedly, he could say, "I'm hopeful for a future where there are lots more air benders," and that, which feels mostly innocuous to him, is the nail in the coffin of Tenzin's fate. He is Avatar Aang's son, and the future of the air benders. It would not matter that Aang meant a future in generations. Tenzin sees the responsibility and it's his. He is his father's only air bending child, he knows what he needs to do.

Being a parent is not understanding the way the things you say harm your children. Even those things that feel innocuous in the moment can be life altering. Especially the more the child respects the parent. Purpose and Hope for those with a broader perspective, can be death sentences to a life that could have been when expressed to those who idolize the former.

[tellhulla]

The first time I watched LoK I didn't get why people were mad that Katara didn't had a statue

Obviously she didn't had one because she was still alive, everyone else was dead so they got a statue to celebrate their life and their legacy, but Katara's life was still ongoing, her legacy wasn't finished, she could still do great things that future generations would remember her by

It seemed so simple, dead heroes got statues, Katara was alive

And then it was revealed Toph and Zuko were alive too

And I got it, and I was pissed too