#pema my beloved

[btheleaf]

What made you like Pema? :3 Just out of curiosity, I feel like she's a character many people tend to kind of ignore or dislike.

Short answer: Spite

(Very) Long answer:

Tenzin was my first love and obsession when I got back into LOK. I went to AO3 to read about him and his wife! and found the attitudes towards Pemzin... odd? The ship is way less popular than Linzin, which was strange to me at the time, considering Pema/Tenzin are literally married in canon. But hey, whatever, to each their own. Maybe people just like Linzin more. Lin is a sexy badass, so I get it. Maybe people don't wanna write about the air babies. Maybe the age gap or any other countless things were giving people the ick about pemzin. Fine. It's all good to me. I began to look for pemzin fics to enjoy and found 🥲 strange things.

Pema was usually written as some kind of man-stealing demon with a magic coochie that could make Tenzin bend to her will and stay with her despite the fact that he loved Lin more, but at the same time she was a dumb and useless broodmare? More often than not, the Pema/Tenzin fics seemed to be written by people who didn't actually care for the ship and had Linzin endgame in mind.

I thought, "Okay, I'll check out Linzin, surely with way more fics to pick from, I'll find something that focuses on Lin/Tenzin and not Bad and Evil Pema."

I was disappointed to say the least.

So much cheating and lying, so many secret babies. SO MUCH Pema v. Lin, which doesn't do anything for me. I could understand it if there were Actual Reasons, but it was like Pema was showing up to be an emotional homewrecker despite her being IN HER OWN HOUSE. I just... like what the fuck is going on there?

Why does Pema hate Lin SO MUCH? Did the stories ever touch upon that? No. She just hates Lin. Obviously. Lin dated her husband 20 years ago, so she hates her. Logical. Much logic. No explanation. Look no further. Your bad guy is here. Bye-bye interesting concepts. Pema is a bitch and a snake and a man-trap and she never loved Tenzin anyway. She just wanted to be a trophy wife who ushered in a new generation of airbenders. No explanation. Don't question it. She's one-dimensional in a 3D world.

Pema is everyone's favorite bad guy in Linzin fics all because of that one line from Book one that is honestly super fucking cringe about her "seeing her soul mate with someone else." Linzin shippers asked if anyone was going to demonize this mother of four and didn't wait for an answer.

Both Pemzin and Linzin shippers need to learn how to tag their fics for both "emotional cheating" and just straight up "cheating." Navigating this shit is terrible. I once read 50k of a very interesting concept, and then all of a sudden Pema came out of nowhere and just started acting like a jealous 13 year old for no reason and Tenzin QUICKLY left her and the kids to go be with Lin. Like?? I do not understand what the fuck is going on in some people's minds.

WHERE WERE THE FICS THAT PAINTED PEMA AS A WHOLE HUMAN PERSON WITH FLAWS AND WANTS AND DESIRES??? I think most of my comments started having "thank you for writing Pema like a person" somewhere in them.

When I first made this blog and Let It Be Known that I ship pemzin, I got a looooooot of weird anons asking me stuff about like, if I support cheating and shit? I realized that these attitudes towards Pema were not Old Beliefs. These were very real people in the year of 2024 still unable to conceptualize an interesting idea for a character that has SO MUCH room to play with.

We know jack shit about her. We know just enough that makes her entire character like candy to me. She's not around a lot in the show, but also somehow is always still right there? She goes through Some Very Real Shit in every season, and her absence from screen time is like free real estate to fic writers. I literally don't understand how so many people manage to summarize her entire being into the word "snake" and move on. The potential for expanding on her character is limitless because of how little we know. The more people try to stuff her into a box, the more I'll pull her out of it.

I didn't really care about Pema until it became clear that everyone else disliked her. The more people hate her, the more I love her and the more powerful I become.

I'm like this because of how the fandom treats her.

[acolyte-acolyfe]

🎸

🎸 - Can your muse play any instruments? Do they play them often, or rarely? How actually skilled are they at playing them?

// Pema can play the box kalimba. She's not a professional or anything, but if you hear sweet, soft, sad notes reverberating through the courtyard on Air Temple Island. You bet you'll find Pema sitting up against the base of a tree, kalimba in her lap, with a strangely sad smile on her face.

[nyamadermont]

Day 2: Sun & Moon + Trust Issues

For @orangepanic's Whumptloktober!

Kya paddled around the small cove, sometimes swimming with something approaching a purpose. The rest of the time, she merely floated on her back, absorbing the push and pull of the currents beneath her. She kept an eye on the little house on the shore to ensure she didn’t accidentally drift off to sea on a moonless night.

Just as the sun melted below the horizon, she looked back to see Lin illuminated in the sunset, dressed in a pale, shimmery hanfu. Even from this distance, Kya could see the dress flutter on the breeze, and it took her breath away. She felt herself sinking below the gentle undulation of the water’s surface.

In the final flare of the day, Lin’s form glowed. Kya’s whole body shook, and she surged upright, bending herself to shore as fast as she could.

“Lin!” she called, over and over, calling to her beloved.

The water slipped away from underneath her, and she began running forward until she stood just below the balcony, where Lin’s dress still reflected the last glimmer of the sun.

“My moon,” she breathed, reaching up to the gossamer vision above her.

Lin froze, and frowned.

“Never call me that again.”

She vanished inside.

The next morning, Kya found shreds of the enchanting gown peeking out from under the ashes in the fireplace.

***

Sokka looked up at her. “My Little Moon, wipe your tears for me. I’m so tired I can’t wipe them for you like I promised I would.”

His smile still carried all the love he had ever held for Lin, from the first moment he held her, through all of their trainings in war and politics. Over and through all of the other heartbreaks of their lives.

“Tell Toph I still love her. Promise me you’ll find Suyin…”

As the light faded from his eyes, the last member of her family departed from her.

And she felt no guilt for not making that promise.

***

Lin climbed the final stretch of the Thousand Steps more by force of will than by strength of body. She hadn’t seen Tenzin in a month, had not  slept in days, and had not eaten since lunch the day before. She was exhausted, in pain, and wanted nothing more than to remove her armor and curl up with the one person outside the force she knew beyond a doubt she could trust.

She deposited her boots by the door, and carefully hung her armor in the closet Aang had grudgingly set aside for her, unhappy with its symbolism, but willing to compromise for his favorite Mooncake Bandit.

Except he’d never call her that again. 

He was gone, and it still felt like the light was gone from before her eyes.

She roughly wiped a hand across her eyes. She didn’t want Tenzin to see her crying. 

Again.

On stocking feet, she stepped toward his chambers, hoping to see the bright light of the smile he showed only to her. She could already feel her own smile tugging at the muscles of her face, even the traitorous cheek.

His door was ajar, which was unusual.

She saw him take a step backwards, the smile she craved already on his face.

“You are like the sun in my life, Tenzin,” came a voice Lin thought she recognized. Swiftly, she categorized all of the people she knew to be present on the Island these days. The strange woman’s voice was young, much younger than her own harsh growl. A swish of a robe danced across her vision, but it wasn’t Tenzin’s.

An acolyte? What was she doing here at this time of night?

“I feel like I am gazing up at the moon when I see your face,” was all Lin heard before she shoved the door inwards to reveal Acolyte Pema, her eyes as round as the moon in shock at the intrusion.

***

“Momma, why do you call Suyin your sun?”

“I don’t know. I guess I know about the sun because it makes me warm when it’s out in the sky.”

“You can see it?”

“No, metalbrain. I’m blind, but I still know if there’s a light in front of me. And the sun is the biggest light I know of.”

“So why do you call me your moon?”

“Because you came in the night, and gave me a little light when I needed it.”

Toph laughed.

“And that makes me your sun, because I’m The Best Earthbender of All Time! The biggest and brightest of them all!”

***

Kya couldn’t feel her jaw, it was so slack.

“And that’s what you heard when I said that last night?”

Lin nodded, mute in the dark, curled up in the attic, as far away from the ground as she could get without climbing on Lala’s back and flying away.

Kya wriggled Lin into a sitting position under the window where the sun was beginning to set again. She knelt in front of her, holding Lin’s hands across her tented knees. She straightened her back and spread her shoulders to catch as much of the light as she could.

She was rewarded with her first sight of Lin’s face in over a day, and she smiled.

Lin frowned, but could not bear to tear her gaze away.

“Everyone who called me moon dismissed me or left me or hurt me. Don’t do that to me, please…”

Kya’s face folded in concern, reaching for the reassurance Lin needed.

“I’m a waterbender, Lin.”

She folded Lin’s hands into her right hand, reaching her left to Lin’s scarred cheek.

“The moon is my power.”

[chiefbeifongcanrailme]

Hello chiefbeifongcanrailme!!

I wanted to let you know that i love your posts about our beloved Chief Beifong. I have a question though that it feels like it needs to be answered. What would happened if Tenzin found out Lin left Republic City after their break up and can back years later with a family of her own (say a fantastic husband with 4-5 kids)? Would Tenzin be jealous?!?

Hello, hello!

Thank you so much! It's so nice to know that you like my posts🥺

I think Tenzin would absolutely be jealous. His whole reality shatters. He feels loss and heartbreak like he never has. And this true for whether or not ends up with Pema and the kids.

Jealous would be an understatement. Jealous would be if he- just from the corner of eye- saw another man trying to woo Lin. Jealous would be if he caught wind of Lin simply enjoying another man's company.

Lin returning to Republic City with a whole husband and kids- Tenzin would probably metaphorically freeze in an iceberg for a hundred years.

Thank you for the ask!

[dont-blame-it-on-the-kids]

🎲- 89 Linzin

Not sure if you wanted random song or 89 so I did both. 😊

TW: Major character death

Young Linzin tenzin angst

“No matter how you at this Lin I’m trapped! Set on a path for me and I can’t deviate.” Tenzin argued.

“We always have a choice tenzin, I chose to follow after Chief, you can do what bumi is or Kya, go explore the world then see what you want to do.” Lin shook her head. “You’re an airbender! You can do whatever you want to. I’m sure uncle Aang will understand.

“No, I- when dad dies, I’ll be the only airbender. I’ll have to train the new Avatar, I’ll need to take care of the acolytes. I can’t just do what I want. We have responsibilities now Lin. I have to master this fucking move so I can get my arrows.” Tenzin snapped and got back into stance. Lin sighed and took her position as well.

“You’ll get your tattoos tenzin. Don’t worry about it.” Lin tried as she prepared to help tenzin again with the air bending move.

The thirteen year old took her stance and a fist sized chunk of ear went flying towards the boys head.

Random Song

Tenzin stared blankly as the casket was lowered into the ground.

Rohan held to his robes tightly as the young boy cried. “We can’t let them out her down there!” Rohan begged. “Mama says she won’t be able to come back up, we can’t let them put her down there!”

Tenzin reached to pick him up as the older children watched in silent grief.

“Rohan, Lin’s not coming back even if we didn’t bury her. This is a show of respect for her life and how much she means to us.” Tenzin explained again to the distressed child.

“But daddy I don’t want her to go.” Rohan tried, he had been doing everything he could think of to get someone to say she could come home. That Aunt Lin would be there for dinner any day now. “Did you tell her that? Did you tell her I wanted her to stay?”

Tears rolled from Tenzin’s eyes.

“She knows that Rohan. She loved you very much but sometimes you don’t get to choose when to say goodbye.” His voice was thick and the older kids pressed closer to him as Pema rested her head on his shoulder and a hand on Rohan’s back.

Tenzin held to his family closely as Asami and Mako moved to throw the first handfuls of dirt onto the casket holding their beloved chief and mentor.

Asami was a ghost of herself as Korra guided her to step back again and held her close.

Mako and his two young children were next and they all threw a handful of dirt into the open grave.

“Bye Grammy Chief,” young San waved tearfully as Mako and Rina stepped back with them again. Makos face unmoving as tears welled up and spilled over again, Rina held him and the twins close as she could.

Then it was Tenzin’s turn. He stepped up with his family to the edge of the grave and they each took their handful of dirt.

“Say goodbye Rohan,” tenzin encouraged and Rohan vehemently shook his head no. “No!” He argued and started to cry again. “I don’t wanna! I’m not gonna!”

Pema moved to take Rohan and step aside to calm him.

Tenzin watched as the three older kids said their goodbyes and placed their handfuls of dirt unit he grave.

Tenzin took a deep breath and moved to grab his handful of earth for Lin.

“Thank you, old friend.” He whispered softly. Lin may be gone from their world, but her memory and efforts would live on as long as he had breath.

[lazyyogi]

How do you deal with emotional pain? My heart hurts so bad

While the nuances of how to address emotional suffering will depend on the causes unique to that experience, there are a few things to keep in mind that will prove helpful.

Something that tends to happen when we feel emotional pain is that we contract around it inwardly.

It's okay and normal to feel emotional pain, although it may not be labeled as such. For example, when a beloved pet dies of natural causes at an old age. We feel the sweetness of our love for them as well as the sting of our sadness at losing them. Those feelings move through us, starting perhaps quite intensely and then cycling a few times, slowly fading into love and acceptance.

Emotional pain is only a problem when we contract around it and it becomes stuck inside us. Sometimes we end up reorganizing ourselves around that pain in an attempt to experience it never again. In doing so, not only does that suffering never leave us but it becomes a driving force behind a lot of delusion.

So the primary thing I would draw to your attention is to be wary of the ways in which you might be contracting around your emotional pain.

Mentally this means the emotional pain becomes like a lens that colors our thoughts and perceptions. This can warp the way we regard our circumstances, the people and the world around us, and even ourselves. Our thinking mind has tuned into the frequency of this pain.

All of that leads to cyclic forms of thinking in which we renew our pain, draw narrow-minded conclusions, and feel stuck.

Physically this inward contraction causes the actual feeling of the emotion to stick around longer. While the mental contraction is due to us tuning into the frequency of the emotional pain, in other words identifying with it, the physical contraction is due to us rejecting the pain.

Rejecting an emotion doesn't actually make an emotion go away, it just adds agitation to the whole experience. If you are rejecting an emotion then you aren't giving that emotion space. And without giving an emotion space, it has nowhere to go. So it stays stuck inside us.

All of this means to say that an important part of living a happy and healthy human life is learning how to experience emotional pain without making things worse for yourself. Most of the time, you do not need to craft a magic bullet to liberate yourself from emotional suffering. You just need to outlive it and at the same time avoid the common ways we invite our suffering to stick around longer.

Two books I endlessly recommend for learning all this and more are The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle and The Places That Scare You by Pema Chodron. These combined with daily meditation practice will help you to navigate your way.

Feel free to reach out with any questions about the contents of those books or regarding meditation practice.

Much love,

LY

[ceruleanbender]

Continued from here.

Ila grinned and aimed double-finger guns at him, and through her bending, water quickly gathered around her finger tips, shooting weak jets of water his way. “Good guess! Water tribe, right down to the bending part!”

“Yes, that’s my beloved father and co-conspirator to take over tonight’s supper! It’s nice to meet you too, Kai! Let’s go fishing sometime,” she flashed another grin. Eating at the Air Temple was always vegetarian, and while she loved the food Pema prepared for everyone, she missed her fish dishes. 

"I'm curious; how are you settling in with the whole airbending thing? It's pretty neat, isn't it?"

@toranoya

[novaae]

I agree Bumi getting bending was very unsatisfying and undercut a lot of his character. Show runners can kiss my ass Bumi and Rohan are non benders

Hello anon!

I hope it makes sense if I say I don't mind Bumi getting airbending at all. By saying that it wasn't a satisfying conclusion to his issues, I didn't mean that as his character was undercut, more like how he's probably never going to outgrow that feeling of alienation and guilt for a very long time, if ever.

I'm not opposed to that ending for him at all, if I'm being honest. I had pointed that out as another tragedy for him, not as a grievance about his character.

I don't mind it because it came off as realistic to me, because let's face it, so many people we know, especially elderly people who may be a little conservative in their approach to the world aren't very well adjusted people. They have their own share of issues, and to make Bumi get over everything he's gone through would just make him too cool and too amazing.

I spent a lot of time some two years ago thinking about how Bumi's character has been wronged before I realised that it was this same character I loved deeply, and also that I don't have to look at it from the approach of a character. He's been through stuff which just happens to him. It's like how endings in real life are abrupt and unannounced unlike fiction.

Now to come to the second part of your ask, Bumi and Rohan remaining nonbenders is so beloved to me, especially because it's very cronchy in terms of characterisation and emotions. It would do a number on Bumi to see some random farmer from Earth Kingdom get airbending only for him, the Avatar's son and greatest failure (at least his own eyes) to still remain a nonbender.

It would also do a lot for Pema and Bumi ans Rohan bonding, I wouldn't be surprised if they get closer over this. I hope you don't mind if I add in a scene from a fic I'm writing-

"Yes, I know."

Her voice had sounded a little distant. A woman who had given her own Earth Kingdom heritage to be included in his father's legacy, and still hadn't been blessed with airbending. Koh's Lair, she probably knew more about all those Guru's than he did, and could probably recite it in her sleep.

It was more than whatever he had contributed to his father's memory.

I also think you would enjoy this fanfic, written about the same, where Bumi and Rohan bond over nonbending.

[duamuteffe]

Stream of consciousness getting everything out below the cut.

This past week has been the damndest yoyo. I finally got all my books in storage (aka my folks' basement)

There's 83 boxes of them, plus the four I'm taking with. We wanted to leave by the end of April but that's coming faster and faster and there's still so much to pack. I can't get Fi's strangles vaccination until the 27th unless I want to pay an extra hundred dollars for the farm call. My mother and uncle are selling the land I spent half my life on and love more than any other place on earth because none of us have the money for the property taxes. I was gutted. I've bellowed and sobbed. I've read Pema Chodron endlessly until I stopped thinking about jumping off roofs. (Mine still needs a coat of tar before we can sell. We need three days without rain to do it. How are we ever going to get out of here by the end of April if we can't get it ready to sell?)

"Things falling apart is a kind of testing and also a kind of healing. We think that the point is to pass the test or to overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don’t really get solved. They come together and they fall apart. Then they come together again and fall apart again. It’s just like that. The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy.”

I'm finding comfort in the oddest places. The Allegheny Mountains are older than the rings of Saturn. They were the height of the Himalayas before the evolution of bones. Losing access to 92 (beloved precious) acres on the top of one mountain won't alter the power of a chain of hills 480 million years old. It's everywhere down there. I can follow the river and feel it everywhere (maybe someday we'll have the money for a little camp past Nebraska Bridge so I can smell the trees and earth and not have to be close enough to the Farm that my heart threatens to break again) Every inch of the place is inscribed in my memory in full 3d and surround sound

I will carry the place for the rest of my existence. And then my mother says there was a rifle stashed away for me - eight years since my grandfather's collection went to auction because my grandmother's sanity broke down in the wake of his sudden death and all of us kids were left without the (antique, carefully selected) rememberances I knew he'd wanted us to have. For eight years I had thought them all gone, just the memories of shooting skeet with my grandmother's 20 gauge (should have gone to Suz, they loved her as their grandchild as soon as I brought her home, and man was she good at tagging clay pigeons with it, there's photos of her at my wedding in her pretty dress showing how it's done) and plinking at soda bottles full of water with lever action Winchesters that were carried on saddles in the Old West (the boys should have gotten one each, the heaviest for Pat, the middle for the Doc, and the lightest for my amiable ex) They were all gone, I was told, but someone stashed one away for me. She's had my step-cousin-in-law bring it up so I could have it. The oldest one, and the most beautiful; 1760's or thereabouts, stock made of solid tiger maple from back when the trees were four feet across. Barrel forged by a patient smith. Carried to hunt for food when this country was still a colony. Too fragile by far to fire but one of Pappap's favorites; I remember how tickled he was when I told him the one I saw in the Royal Armouries wasn't nearly as nice.

I asked if the same step-cousin-in-law could be asked to bring Pappap's canoe up to my folks, and if my mother could grab a few small items from the house and she said yes, so I don't have to go there to the house where Bummy and Pappap aren't and haven't been for a few years now, and walk around in the places they're not, and have to deliberately choose a last time to stand in the field and then leave forever. The last time I was there it was a good day. It was sunny and spring and the leaves were just out, and a good friend and I were clipping small new branches from the apple trees for her to try and root (those 150 year old apple trees, will the new owners keep them? The one tree still gives the best pie apples ever grown and the russet tree gives crisp tart apples that are best after a hard frost. They could live another hundred years if tended.) I can live a lot easier with that having been inadvertently my last visit. I don't think I can go there ever again now, knowing it's the last time.

We're going to another farm to try and keep it going, I remind myself. If I can't keep my own best place I can do my damndest to help friend-family keep theirs. It's so beautiful there. There's so much to do. I'll have meaningful work again. No more retail hell. A garden. A couple of goats. Some bees. Two dozen horses to help care for. My mare, with all the turnout her little feral heart desires. Maybe she'll recover enough from the fractured hip by Fall for me to ride her again. I saw Mrs. Edwards in a dream and asked her and she smiled at me. I'm taking it as a good sign. There is so much awaiting us once we get unstuck from here. The Doc can hunt in the Fall. We can fish all summer in spare moments (Pappap said he was going to teach me to use the old spincasting rods he had from his father; they run differently from modern ones, and we didn't end up having time but I can learn online.) Unless my brother contests we're getting Pappap's canoe, and we'll haul it up with us and put it on the lake. It's sturdy enough to go fishing from. There's so much yet to do.

"When you see the Southern Cross for the first time/You understand now why you came this way/'Cause the truth you might be runnin' from is so small/But it's as big as the promise, the promise of a comin' day"

We're going to be okay. I repeat it a lot. We're going to be okay. "Things falling apart is a kind of testing and also a kind of healing. We think that the point is to pass the test or to overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don’t really get solved. They come together and they fall apart. Then they come together again and fall apart again. It’s just like that. The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy.”

It's falling apart. It's coming together. There's so many moving parts, so many ducks not in a row. But we're going to be okay.

(Knock on wood)

[sacredbodiesca]

OVERWHELMED—Apprenticeship to Love: Daily Meditation, Inspirations, and Practices for the Sacred Masculine, December 13 • Today, in this 13th day of practice, sit (or stand) in stillness as you listen to your heart, your belly, your sex, your root and let this question stir within you…. What comes to me unbidden, freely as your breath, as the wind and the noise of life around you, what comes to touch you & remind you that you are alive & open to receive? • To receive the full text of today’s #apprenticeshiptolove chapter, please subscribe on Substack or email me at hans@sacredbodies.ca ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨ #pathofthesacredmasculine #husbandman #authenticrelationships #love #nervoussystem #devotion #surrender #vulnerability #sirensong #nervoussystemtraining #patience #masculine #menshealth #marriage #relationships #trust #confidence #safety #awareness #herosjourney #sacredmasculine #menswork #SACREDSEX #presence #wild #freedom #sacrifice #husband #goddess TODAY’S INSPIRATIONS 🌀You deserve nothing. (Kendra Cunov) 🌀You must face annihilation over and over again to find out what is indestructible in yourself. Pema Chodron 🌀 …they cannot experience the experience of receiving attention so they crave it. …realize your role is to assist others in dealing and living with such a world. (Guru Singh & Guruperkarma Kaur) 🌀The Feminine only wants to nourish you. How are you resisting Her? (paraphrasing John Wineland) 🌀You are beautiful. (My beloved, my Oracle & Siren) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmHrwmtP8SO/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[btheleaf]

YES. And inversely; Lin watching the kids so Tenzin and Pema can have a date night, and Lin taking the kids out into the city for some fun in the park and a mover!

Master Jinora takes her babysitting responsibilities VERY seriously. The kids are in good hands.

Pema and Lin dates usually involve ice cream, holding hands, and taking Oogi on little rides to find romantic moon-lit spots.

Lin and Tenzin dates usually involve dinner, pro bending matches, and volunteer work (sorry but they're both dorks).

All three of them going on a date involves dinner and a stroll. They walk around hand in hand in hand and switch out who goes in the middle unless Lin has had something to drink then she exclusively goes in the middle because they both like how handsy she gets, and they know that she likes to feel safe between them. The night typically ends back on Air Temple Island. Tenzin will lift them up to sit on rooftops and in towers where they typically can't reach. They sit and talk for hours while snuggling and kissing and fucking.

[iamyourangle]

Imagine Being Friends With Iroh ii And Inviting Him In Your Vacation

(name) pulled the scarf closer to her neck she had finally convinced her best friend, and General to take a vacation, and what better place to go then to the southern water tribe to see the spirt lights her smile widens, she could finally see the southern water tribe, her home foot steps were heard behind her she turned, and sees Iroh.

"I'm glad you finally decided on taking a vacation." She said Iroh stood behind her, and watch as the village grew closer.

"Well, you we're right, and besides my men are also ineed of their break." He told her the shipped stoped signalling that they we're there, and moments later the door opened.

"Come on, let's go mom would be so happy to see you again." She said Iroh smiled he had a lot of repect for the old water bender woman, and not to mention she's quiet strong for her age.

"Mom, Tenzin, Bumi, Kya!" She yelled out water towards towards them, Iroh trailing behind Katara smiled seeing her youngest child, she hugged her then let go.

"It's good seeing you, mom." She said Katara smiles.

"So, what's the General doing here?" Kya asked hands on her hips.

"You better not be here to date our sister." Bumi told him (name) stood straight.

"No, his not I just talked him out into having a vacation." (name) explained to them Bumi, and Kya did not look convince while Katara had just smiled kindly.

"Well, I'm glad you could join us General." Pema said (name) smiled towards her sister in law, Tenzin then invited her, and Iroh to the Southern Air Temple they got on Oogi Tenzin got on the front Pema sat with her children, Kya, and Bumi beside each other, (name) sat beside Iroh.

"Aunt (name)?" She turned turned to see Ikki, (name) smiled at her niece kindly the girl looked at her, then towards Iroh and back at her.

"Are you, and General Iroh dating?" She asked her eyes widen, and a blush spread across her cheeks as did Iroh.

"N-no, you g-got it all wrong! Me, and Iroh are just childhood friends." She said Bumi was still sour that Iroh joined in the trap, for him it was the General's way of stealing his beloved younger sister, which didn't go well with the rest of his siblings for them (name) is still their baby sister, that they needed to care for.

"Okay, we're here." (name) said Oogi landed gently on the ground one, bye one all of them got off Iroh extended his hands for (name), she smiled at him gratefully the sky bison suddenly moved having the female land closely on Iroh's chest she looked up, and a blush went to both of their cheeks of how close their faces we're, a hand suddenly went in between their faces separating them.

"Okay, that's enough try to keep your hands to yourself, pretty boy." Bumi said she turned to Iroh, and mouthed a 'sorry' Iroh just nodded his head Kya then went beside her, then lead her inside temples.

"So, what's up with you and the General?" She asked (name) looked at her weirdly.

"No, nothings wrong me, and Iroh we're just friends having a vacation." She told her Kya looked at her unimpressed.

"Honest me, and Iroh are just friends that's all there is."

"Okay, whatever you say (name)." She said placing down her bags on the beds once they got unpacked (name), and Kya went to join everyone Iroh was already there along with her nieces, and nephews Pema, Tenzin, and Bumi.

"Took you long enough." Bumi said then earned a water whip on his behind from Kya, (name) sighed she just hoped they won't start fighting again she laid down on the lounge chair, beside Iroh then relaxed.

"Thank you for inviting." Iroh said she turned towards him, then smiled.

"No problem, we should do this more often." She told him Iroh smiled.

"Of course, anyway me, my mother, and grandfather are going to ember island next week, your free to join us if you want." He told her she smiled at him.

"I'd like that, thank you."

[su-univeralai]

GOOODDDD MORRNNNNIINNNGGGGG SUU 💛

I am here for your essay. Or yknow, just any dunebaby facts that you can spare.

*heavy breathing* oh no, she's come for my OCs exactly like she said she would.

lolol Ok, I've got bios on 9 out of 10 of my kids so far, but I wrote a quick blurb about them so hopefully you can't figure out who I didn't start until now lol. The older 4 (which 3/4 are legit characters in LOK, but tweaked to my liking) are grown-ass adults while the other 6 are probably between 14-21. So, our beloved Taang parents have been popping kids out from when they were 18 or 19 to 39 or 40 years old.

At some point I'll make a family tree for you, since most of the older dunebabies have their own families and that can be confusing. Some have more information than others, but more will be added on each of them as time goes on. I just haven't figured them out yet.

Also, gonna put a cut here, because it's a long post and I know not everyone wants to see my OCs lol.

Ok Onto the Dunebabies from oldest to youngest:

Gyatso (M) Airbender, 35: Named after Aang’s father figure, Gyatso is Toph and Aang’s first born and first of several airbending children. He has a knack for the art and excelled quickly with mastering it, narrowly falling short of beating Aang’s record of mastering airbending at 13. As he got older and his parents continued having children, he became like a father figure to the younger ones. That’s the best part about having tons of kids, right? At some point the older ones raise the younger ones and the parents can just have fun. Once Tiao Wu turned 13, Gyatso and his own wife, boyfriend, and kids moved away from home and resided in the Western Air Temple with some Air Acolytes.

Lin (F) Earthbender, 32: Lin is a straight arrow, always following the rules. Sometimes Toph’s jokes that her first born daughter is actually Katara’s because wasn’t as goofy as Gyatso and Tenzin. As kids, Lin and Tenzin butted heads like no other. They may have had a year or two when they got along, but that was when Lin was training to be a police officer and Tenzin was always out because he was dating Pema. They constantly bicker at family gatherings, but make a mean team when they spar against the other next gen kids. Their twin telepathy (yes, they are twins in my universe) comes into play and they are undefeatable. That is until the triplets becomes masters in their own right. While Lin is a talented earthbender and metalbender, she struggled with picking it up (perhaps because of Toph’s hardcore teaching style). She responded to a “more gentle approach” as Katara would say, and Aang helped her learn the basics until she was ready to take on Toph’s more intense lessons. Lin is definitely closer with Aang than she is with Toph, but goes to mom if something needs to be done quickly and under wraps. Lin works long hours as chief of the police force in republic city, so she doesn’t have much time for romance. When she finds a spare moment for intimacy, she frequents a bar that accepts everyone. She brought Songa with her before her little sis fell in love with (insert steambaby daughter name here).

Tenzin (M) Airbender, 32: Tbh Tenzin still marries Pema and has his four kids, like in LOK. Lol. Unlike the show, with the weight of the whole air nation not on his shoulders, Tenzin was not a serious kid. He played pai sho with the white lotus members and roughed it up with Lin. Tenzin had a difficult time mastering airbending, though. He lacked the spiritual connection that his father and brother easily had. He blamed being stuck with an earthbender in the womb for 9 months at his lack of skill with airbending. His masters airbending at 21 and is pumped to finally get his tattoos. Since Pema is an air acolyte, I'm saying that her parents were also acolytes, and she and Tenzin met as kids and got along really well. They started dating at 16. Tenzin wanted to wait to get his arrows before proposing to her, so they date for 5 long years as Pema cheered him on in the grueling training. Tenzin and Pema eventually move to the Northern Air Temple and kept Teo company.

Suyin (F) Earthbender, 26: Suyin was a troublemaker when she was a kid, always pranking her siblings. She spent way too much time with Sokka. At least that’s what Toph says. Her teenage years, that’s when things became dicey. With Lin on the streets as a cop and Su committing petty crimes, the two were bound to cross paths. After Lin brought her in for whay must have been the thousandth time and Toph had to bail her out, Toph sent her to the her old stomping ground: the Earth Rumble 6. Toph still had her ear in the stadium and stayed in touch with The Boulder, and she thought it’d do her some good to get beat up by other earthbenders. Su stayed with her grandparents and got the structure she needed and got her act together. She got pounded by her opponents the first few years, but she slowly moved her way up the food chain and eventually held her mother’s old title as champion. Once she turned 18, she left to travel the world, meeting up with Kya (can't decide if Kya will be a steambaby or a Sukka baby. Is there a cut name for Sukka babies?). Along the way she met Bataar and fell in love with him and together build zaofu and have all their kids from LOK.

Songa (F) Airbender, 21: The oldest of the triplets to be born. Songa is a calm spirit, she reminds Aang of Yangchen with her way of keeping the peace in their large family. She’s a true romantic like her father and catches the attention of a lot of men, but alas, her heart is won over by one of Katara and Zuko’s daughters, (insert steambaby name here lol). She sees the best in everyone and trusts a little too easily. Watch out though, if you get on her bad side or betray her trust one too many times, her mother’s sass and tongue come out and no one wants to be hit by her earthbending styled airbending. Songa is a talented bender and has a tendency to use her airbending like an earthbender, facing things head on. She can seemlessly switch between styles, but she'd prefer to take her opponents on directly.

Kera (F) Nonbender, 21: Kera is the heart of the triplets. She’s passionate like a firebender and meets conflict head-on like her mom. Being the first non-bender didn’t feel great coming from the lineage of the Avatar and Toph Beifond, strongest earthbender in the world and metalbender originator, but she found peace in being a non-bender when hearing all the stories of Sokka, Suki, Mai, Ty Lee, Teo, and their many other friends taking down bender and non-benders alike. Kera begged her parents to live in the Fire Nation to study under Mai and Ty Lee. Aang and Toph didn’t have any problems with her going, but Zuko and Katara did, fearing she (being a dunebaby) would cause mayhem in the palace. Only after swearing to Zuko that she wouldn’t make a mess did the Fire Lord allow her stay with them. During her time there, she mastered Mai and Ty Lee’s techniques and trained under the Yuyan archers. When she came home, she could beat the other two thirds of her triplets easily. Only when she teams up with the other two, can they take down Lin and Tenzin.

Choekyi (M) Airbender, 21: The last of the triplets to come be birthed. Choekyi is a free spirit, much like his father. He enjoys traveling and meeting new people. As a child (and an adult) he is easily excited and is a very charismatic guy, which gets him far with the ladies in his teens and early twenties. He’s never scared of trying new things, sometimes to his detriment, as he gets hurt a lot for someone light on his toes. His preferred method of transportation is air scooter. Choekyi gets along with Uncle Sokka the most, with his never ending jokes and letting him learn how to throw a boomerang even though he’s a bender. Choekyi spends some time in the swamp with the swamp benders just because he finds them to be hilarious and interesting. This is where he connects with his spirituality and returns to excel in airbending, and earns his tattoos.

Songa and Kera are idenitcal twins, so no one (beside Toph and Choekyi) can tell them apart until Songa earns her arrows. Choekyi looks similar to them, as he is their triplet, but since he came from a different egg, he turns out to be much taller than his sisters. Just imagine Toph's face when she feels three freakin' heartbeats along with hers. Idk if that's scientifically sound, but it's my universe, so I can say what I want lol.

Gyun (M) Nonbender, 18: He's a very musical guy. Gyun means music, but it can also mean germ or bacteria. So his older siblings make fun of him when he’s young. While his bending siblings practice and spar, he masters most musical instruments and even becomes a skilled singer. He’s a favorite of Uncle Iroh’s and spends time with him playing music and perfecting his tea making when he’s not training with Master Piandao and mastering different types of sword fighting styles. Gyun is a lover, not a fighter, and is recruited as the youngest member of the national opera company. He rises in fame, without having to reveal his high ranking connections to his family members. Gyun is a true renaissance man (you know if the renaissance existed back then). He looks up to all of his siblings and soaks in all the stories and advice his can get to perfect the art of storytelling and acting.

MeiLin (F) Nonbender, 17: MeiLin may be one of the youngest, but she’s definitely the sassiest of the bunch. With the personality like her mother, it’s no wonder she’s a bosslady even from a young age. She doesn’t take shit from anyone. While she’s the beauty of the dunebabies (but who really isn’t attractive in this family?) and can hold her poise better than any royal, from the tender age of three, she’s wanted to become the fiercest fighter in the world. After a lot of convincing, Toph and Aang let her train with Aunt Suki and learn how to fight like a Kyoshi Warrior. After she masters that, She begs her parents to send her to the Fire Nation to study under Mai and Ty Lee. By the time she’s 14, she’s already mastered the art of dagger throwing, chi blocking, and the Kyoshi warriors fighting style. Aang isn’t too pleased that she fights in tournaments like Toph did, but Toph watches every match she can get! MeiLin asks her to bet on her and they split the wealth at the end. Lin wants her youngest sister to join the police force when she turns 18, but MeiLin isn't sure she wants to enforce the law like Lin.

Tiao Wu (M) Earthbender, 14: The baby of the family, and loves it. Unlike MeiLin, Tiao Wu is a homebody and a huge mama’s boy, though really isn’t a mama’s boy in the Beifong Family? Like his name suggests, he’s a great dancer and for an earthbender, he sure is light on his toes. While Gyatso is called Twinkletoes Jr, Tiao Wu is known as the Fancy Dancer. Literally. That’s the stage name he chose for his bending dance competitions. When he’s not dancing or hanging out with Toph, he’s studying his cousin’s bending forms, wanting to incorporate it into his repertoire. Tiao Wu is also close to Aang, as he showed an early talent to be one with the spirits. As a six year old, he would meditate next to Aang and beat the freakin’ Avatar, master of all four elements and bridge between the physical and spiritual world, to the Spirit World. He’s also known to be the only human who is allowed to visit Wong Si Tong’s library there.

ALRIGHT Joy, here are some basic facts about my dunebabies universe. If you or anyone else wants to send me asks so I can more deeply construct their personalities, feel free!

[stitch1830]

All of your AUs are so good I love Taang, Kantoph, Zutara and Lin having good parents💕i think every one of those aus would be better than cannon. I don't like Sokka as Suyin's father because I don't want him as a deadbeat dad, tlok already made enough beloved characters bad parents but I could see that it could be true. Kantoph being protective of their little girl after Tenzin hurt her is the best and if Aang is alive Pema is 18 or even younger and I hope even Kataang would be mad

Hi Anon, thank you for the ask! And thank you so much for your kind words! :D I love chatting with you guys and coming up with scenarios for these questions, it’s so much fun and you all make it amazing too! :)

All the ships you mentioned are fantastic beloveds of mine, and I’m glad you enjoy my ideas for them haha! Perhaps I’m biased, but I agree, those ships would’ve been great canon alternatives (or with Kantoph, just more elaboration haha!). Zutara is a very interesting ship to explore, and there are so many great works to choose from and talented contributors!! Taang my beloveds, they got me into fandom and writing so they hold a special place in my heart :’) and KANTOPH. My little rare pair beloveds they’re amazing I’m having so much fun building a Kantoph world, and I hope others can find some amusement in my ramblings haha. Lin deserves the entire world, and it starts with her loving parents Toph and Kanto because they are gems and fabulous parents.

The Sokka is Suyin’s father is a very interesting debate, and with that concept there really is a lot of room to explore what that relationship could be like for Sokka and the Beifong’s. But I agree with you, it’s not my favorite headcanon/thought, only because it makes it seem like Sokka was an absent father when he probably wouldn’t have been. I must say, these are very interesting stories to read, just kind of stinks that we only really see those kind of fics in the Tokka tags now haha.

And as far as Aang and Katara being mad at Tenzin for hurting Lin? I could see it! Kanto and Toph would come storming up to their home and chewing them out for Tenzin being an airhead, and while Aang and Katara have Tenzin’s back and defend him from the wrath of the Beifong’s, I can see them being pissed at Tenzin for a moment. In the end, they probably know that Lin and Tenzin probably wouldn’t have worked out (if they had such different beliefs in LOK still), and it was better for them to not be in a relationship, but the way in which he broke up with her then immediately got with Pena was disrespectful. And I feel like respect is something that Aang and Katara want their kids to have with all people and cultures, so the fact that he let them down when breaking up with his girlfriend who just so happens to be the daughter of their close friends, is not a highlight for them lol.

And yes protective Kantoph my beloveds you guys take care of your little badgermole Linny. Kanto would be a menace lmao NO ONE messes with his baby girl.

Anyway, thank you again for the ask, Anon! Feel free to stop by anytime and chat, especially about our fav ships ;) Hope you have a great day!

……

Send me asks about ATLA, or anything, really! :D

[storydays]

Season 1, ep 4, p1

This is sooo boring.' you thought clearly annoyed, tilting against the wall, hands behind your head. You had to accompany your uncle to this council meeting, and quite honestly it was unnecessary for you to be there, in your opinion at least. "There is a madman running around our beloved city, threatening to tear it apart. We need to create a task force whose sole mission is to find Amon and bring him to justice." Councilman Tarrlok said. "Absolutely not. A move that aggressive would only further divide benders and non benders." Tenzin defended. 

This caught your attention, and made you zone back into the conversation. "Tarrlok, I'm inclined to agree with your proposal. But who would even head up such a task force?" wondered a Fire Nation representative.  "It would be my honor and privilege to accept such a duty. " He bowed, as Tenzin stiffened. "This is just another one of your ploys to gain more power, isn't it?" the airbending master accused. "All I'm trying to do is help." shrugged the Northern Water Tribesman. "Think back, 42 years ago: Republic City was threatened by another dangerous    man--Yakone." 

Looking at his rival, he stated with a smirk, "Your father wasn't afraid to deal with him head on." "This is a completely different situation. And how dare you compare yourself to Avatar Aang!" Tenzin said through gritted teeth. "Amon is not going to stop with the bending triads. Eventually, he is going to come for all of us benders. Our friends, our families." He turned to the other council members. "Vote for this task force and I will stop Amon before it's too late. All in favor?" The other three council members raised their hands, and then all eyes turned to you, as the knew Tenzin's position. 

"Young (Y/N), what say you?" asked the Fire Nation representative. You eyed Tarrlok and your Uncle before sighing heavily. "On this task force of yours, non benders need to be included." Everyone looked at you in shock. Tarrlok sputtered. "What? That is preposterous!" You put your chair down and crossed your arms and legs.

"You both have the right idea of things. And my job here is to play mediator, making a compromise for everyone. Uncle, Tarrlok has a point that we need to show Amon that we will not bow down." The Northern Tribesman smirked at Tenzin in pride, thinking he won.  "However, Tarrlok," he looked back at you to see your (e/c) eyes glowing slightly in the light. "My Uncle does have a point that the divide between non benders and benders could stretch wider. If we were to include an equal amount of non benders into your little task force, it would show everyone that we do care about equality, and the welfare of non benders. I can assure you, if there were no non-benders on this task force, more non benders would join Amon's side and we would begin to have riots, and chaos on our hands."

The other members murmured in agreement. "Yes, he has a point, Tarrlock." said the Earth Kingdom representative.  "Very well, the task force shall include non benders." Tarrlok finalized with a bang of his gavel, before grinning at Tenzin with a sadistic grin. Everyone began to leave, and you followed your Uncle to Oogi. "Don't worry, Uncle. Things will work out just fine." You assured. 

*That Night* 

You were reading a book in the courtyard while Korra was practicing air movements, listening to the jazz music play when suddenly static interrupted  the peace. "Good evening, my fellow Equalists." Your  book dropped and Korra froze before looking at the radio. "This is your leader Amon, as you have heard the Republic Council has voted to make me public enemy number one proving once again that the bending oppressors of this city will stop at nothing to quash our revolution. But we cannot be stopped. Our numbers grow stronger by the day." 

Korra swallowed nervously, you gripped your arms close to your stomach. 'He's not here, (Y/N), you're safe. You are home.'  "You no longer have to live in fear. The time has come for benders to experience fear." The rest of his message was cut off by Nevermore casually using her tail to knock it down, causing the radio to turn off, and to snap you both out of your trance. "That was creepy." You said, picking your book and walking over to Korra. Nevermore crawling onto your shoulders. 

"Yeah, it was. Thanks Nevermore." the Avatar gave the small dragon a pat on the head, and you narrowed your eyes. "Korra, are you...okay?" You ask softly, watching her reactions. Instinctively she stiffened, sweat drops appeared on her face, and her blue eyes darted back and forth avoiding yours. "Pfft, what brought that up? I'm the Avatar! Of-" "You are also only human, Korra. Being the Avatar doesn't mean you're some type of deity or something." You put a hand on her shoulder only for her to back away abruptly. 

"People expect me to be! I expect me to be more than human.Ugh!" Korra pulled her hair in frustration. "Korra-" You started to say but she turned away from you. "Look, (Y/N), I'm need to be alone right now. See ya." With that, the Avatar was gone. You sighed running a hand through your hair, making it more wild. "Stubbornness runs hot in waterbenders, don't you think Nevermore?" The (F/c) dragon grumbled in agreement. 

*The next day*

You were walking around the town square, with a grocery list in your hand. Aunt Pema was due soon and you really didn't want her walking around with the Equalists and she wasn't in a condition to protect herself at the moment. "Well, that seems to be everything, plus a few of my favorites." You grin happily thinking of what your aunt was going to say about the junk food, before looking up to hear tires screeching and Mako taking the brunt of it and being tossed across the street. You ran over to the firebender and asked if he was okay, same time as the girl on the motor bike did. 

"Oh, no! I'm so sorry, I didn't see you!" She cried running over. Mako rubbed his head, clearly annoyed. "How could you not see me? I mean I was j-juuuhh--" The ever stoic male blushed a nice shade of pink as he starred at the cute girl with the pretty green eyes looking at him with concern in her eyes. "I was...I-I--wow." He coughed into his fist. "That was--" he cleared his throat before glaring at you for snickering. "Hey Asami, long time no see." She smiled at you with a slight blush on her cheeks. 

You were well aware of her crush on you, but you weren't sure if you wanted to ruin your friendship with her. She bent down to help Mako up, while berating herself. "Did I hurt you? I'm such an idiot!" He blushed softly before getting his act together. "Don't worry, I'm fine. My brother hits me harder than that everyday in practice." Mako brushed himself off as Asami narrowed her eyes before brightening up. "Wait, I recognize you! You're Mako right? You play for the Fire Ferrets!" Mako placed his hands on his hips, trying to act cool suddenly. "Yeah that's me." 

Asami face palmed, before looking at you two with big green eyes. "I'm so embarrassed. My name is Asami." She held a hand out to the firebender, who shook it. "Let me make this up to you somehow. Uh, how about I treat you to dinner? Tomorrow night, 8:00, Kwong's Cuisine." She began to walk back to her motorbike, when Mako came back to his senses. "Uh, Kwong's? I don't have any nice enough--" You covered his mouth with your free hand, before shooting Asami a smile. "He'll be there." "So...it's a date?" Asami asked shyly.

"Uh, yeah, I guess so. I'll see you tomorrow night." the ravenette shot you guys a smile over her shoulder before speeding off. Mako turned to a smirking you, with a love sick feeling on his face. "Nice, Mako." You gave a thumbs up, feeling a slight hint of jealousy, but you weren't sure why. 

*That night*

You were tapping your finger against your leg, vaguely listening to your uncle pray. "For compassion, and--" "I'm not interrupting, am I?" Everyone looked to see Tarrlok standing in the entrance with a smirk on his face. "T-This is my home, Tarrlok. We're about to eat dinner." Tenzin was subtly telling the older waterbender to leave. "Good, because I am absolutely famished." Noting the airbender's glare, his smirk widen. "Airbenders never turn away a hungry guest, am I right?" 

Tenzin sighed, clearly annoyed. "I suppose not." Pema glared at her husband who shrugged. Tarrlok walked to you and Korra. "Oh, you must be the famous Avatar Korra. It is truly an honor. I am Councilman Tarrlok, representative from the Northern Water Tribe." Korra stood up and bowed. "Nice to meet you." You  rolled your eyes at Tarrlok's behavior and grinned mischievously when Ikki slide over to the man. "Why do you have three ponytails?" She sniffed him. 

"And how come you smell like a lady? You're weird." You spit your drink out, laughing at the innocent bluntness of your cousin. "Well, aren't you....precocious?" Tarrlok's eyebrow twitched, before turning to Korra. "So, I've been reading all about your adventures in the papers. Infiltrating Amon's rally--now that took some real initiative." Korra was uncomfortable, and you were feeling even more mischievous than before. 

"Oh....thanks. I think you're the first authority figure in the city whose happy that I'm here." "Uh, do I not count?" You snap, with hurt on your face. "You know what I meant, hehe." Korra smiled sheepishly. You felt a small scaly body brush against your leg and smile. 'Nevermore.'  You ran a gloved hand over her scales gently.

"Republic City is much better off now that you've arrived." "Enough with the flattery, Tarrlok. What do you want from Korra?" demanded Tenzin. "Patience, Tenzin. I'm getting to that. As you may have heard, I am assembling a task force. I will strike at the heart of the revolution, and I want you to join me." "Really?" "What?" "Huh?" You raised an eyebrow, chewing more rice. "I need someone who will help me attack Amon directly, someone who is fearless in the face of danger, and that someone is you." 

"Join your task force?" Korra looked at you before looking down at her hands. "I can't." Tenzin and Tarrlok both looked at the Avatar shocked. Said girl coolly sipped her tea. You smirked, as Nevermore hopped on your shoulder and seemed to be smirking at Tarrlok. 

"I must admit, I'm rather surprised. I-I  thought you'd jump at the chance to help me lead the charge against Amon." "Me, too." mumbled Tenzin from across the table. "I came to Republic City to finish my Avatar training with Tenzin. Right now I just need to focus on that." "Which is why this opportunity is perfect. You would get on-the-job experience while performing your Avatar duties for the city." 

"No means no, Tarrlok." You snapped, handing Nevermore a piece of carrot. "That's right. Korra gave you her answer. It's time for you to go." Tenzin said, leaving no room for argument. Tarrlok held a hand up. "Very well, but I'm not giving up on you just yet. You'll be hearing from me very soon. It has been a pleasure of , Avatar Korra." He walked away but not before Ikki said, "Bye bye, ponytail man!" 

Tarrlok scoffed before yelping when a water line tripped him up a little. He turned to glare at you but backed up when Nevermore was suddenly in his face, growling protectively. He cleared his throat nervously before taking his leave. You chuckled, before cleaning up your spot. "Well, family. Dinner tonight was delicious and full of drama. But I need to get going; a friend of mine needs some help. Nevermore, come." Said dragon curled onto your shoulders. "Oooh are you going with your girlfriend, As--" You cut Ikki  off by tickling her, making her squeal in laughter.

*20 minutes later*

"Hey there, buddy boy. Let's get you ready for date with Asami." You pulled Mako with you into a dressing room. He was shocked when he was suddenly wearing a white long sleeve pullover, black slacks, freshly shinned shoes, and a gray overcoat. You then made him sit down and began doing his hair with gel and water. When you finished with his hair, you gently draped his scarf around his neck, and stepping back. 

"Excellent. Enjoy your dinner with Asami, Mako." You held the door open for the firebender, watching him walk away. Nevermore whined, rubbing her head against your head. "I'm okay girl. What do you say we go hang with Bolin for a little while?" Nevermore perked up; she liked the happy Earthbender but she liked playing with Pabu more. 

"Let's go, love."

[4res]

Understanding The Body Of Ares: The Art of Form, Part 8

"Don't Bite the Hook"

"Real Safety is your willingness to not run away from yourself." She urges us to embrace rebellion, disruption, and chaos as a beloved site for transformation." - bell hooks on Pema Chodron

Within these spaces I have noticed that a lot of people who find themselves in service of Mars' energy, come as a result of great Pain in their lives. They have been victims, suffered greatly, lost horribly, endured violence.. and more..

But what I have also noticed is that we turn in Great Heart to Mars the Teacher, Ares the Wise One.. and find ourselves looking down the barrel of an unexplored Face of God, or looking in the shallow water of character-like interpretations.

We also find ourselves with Child, and that Child being our Anger, Pain, Resentment, and Challenge, without having been able to touch the true reason why we suffered.. or how to manage our experience. Since Tyr's name was on the breath of everyone who sought revenge, Justice, or battle protection..

We tend to consider destructive emotions under His domain to be "calls to action"..

but why?

When I engage with Ares as someone caught on the "Hook" of my own intense emotions like Anger or Resentment, the efficacy of my ability to learn from Him shortens significantly.. because Mars is His own intoxicant, which is why Mars Spirits struggle so incredibly with internalized cruelty from angers deeply-seated..

We can become warriors of Mars by bringing conscious awareness to our destructive emotions.

We can bring ourselves deep into the goo of our own pain and find that the destruction of Ares is FOR us, and is an invitation for us to transform our pain and resentment into salve..

I cannot stop the forces of Mars from their ultimate, magnificent power - nor can I pray hard for protection from them. Rather, I change my voice to beg of Ares the capability of understanding those hardened places within, so that I may know of Him better.. and of myself.

I am just feeling that when I bite the "Hook" and go Berserk.. I engage with those false ideas of Ares that grind me down so hard to start with. The divinity of destruction has much more to do with our betterment, our support, and our aggressive care than it does our "disruption"..

The fragility of our Ego is the only thing that can ever be "disturbed".. The Tower is a protective force that we are even trained to see as a chaotic punishment, or time in our lives where mindless destruction ravages us and everything we have worked hard for..

But this gross disservice to Mars lends itself to being a gross disservice to our Inner-Development: It tells us that chaos is a sign that things are out of order.. and this.. isn't true.

When we sit with ourselves in the Heat of The Red One.. we find the Ruby within, which is coming to be IN Mars, and IN Peace with Him. This helps us assemble the tools for processing our own destructive emotion.. because when we sit with Mars, we sit with ourselves..