#tfooh

[reticenceofladyeva]

Fiber Snippet

Sokka can feel the rhythm around the camp, an ebb and flow like the tide. It reminds him of the fish up north. They haven't spoken to each other in hours, but Katara and Zuko move around each other with a practiced ease; Zuko lights the fire with an absent flick of his wrist before settling into an annoyingly talented version of vegetable chopping (Sokka's efforts are always much more hackneyed).

As he works, Katara adds things to the beaten cookpot, stirring the water with her bending occasionally while fussing over the state of their dishware. (It's not Sokka's fault if they're a little crusty. Aang has been on dish duty). Zuko sets aside his (sharp, too sharp) knife and begins rummaging in a pack for something. Katara sets another pot on the fire and fills it with snowy white rice, and Zuko sneaks behind her and empties a bag of fire flakes into it. Sokka can feel his mouth watering, but who's to say whether it's hunger-fueled anticipation or dread gnawing his stomach.

As the rice and stew simmer, Katara swipes tea leaves from Zuko's makeshift workbench, swatting his hand away from a teapot with a flick of water. Zuko doesn't flinch. Still, Sokka doesn't miss the way he rolls his eyes, or the way Katara glares at him. Waving one hand in her direction, rather dismissively, Zuko turns away and busies himself cleaning his knife and the crusty plates Katara had been pouting over. Sokka blinks. He'd missed the bucket of water, now steaming, between them.

"Whatcha looking at?" Toph thumps down beside him, spreading her toes in the dirt and tossing her head back.

"Dinner," Sokka says, feeling that the gnawing might be from hunger after all. He's certain spicy rice is nothing to be afraid of. Probably.

"Yeah," Toph says, and Sokka can hear the smile in her voice. "I missed Katara's cooking. Next time, we're leaving you behind."

"Hey!"

[pleasant-tomorrow]

HYPERTHYROIDISM IS WILD

I CURRENTLY WEIGH ABOUT AS MUCH AS A PENNY AND I’M ABOUT TO MOW THE LAWN INDOORS. I AM DYING! PANIC ATTACKS!

[lindyhunt]

Everything That Upset the Internet This Week

What is the web-o-sphere angry about this week? A Hollywood casting choice, a celebrity tweet and a photograph of a dead giraffe. Here’s everything you need to know.

Scarlett Johansson has been cast in a transgender role

THE STORY: On Monday, Deadline broke the news that Scarlett Johansson has been cast as the lead in Rub & Tug, a film based on the real story of transgender massage parlour owner Dante “Tex” Gill.

THE REACTION: 

Actors who are trans never even get to audition FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN ROLES OF TRANS CHARACTERS. THATS THE REAL ISSUE. WE CANT EVEN GET IN THE ROOM. Cast actors WHO ARE TRANS as NON TRANS CHARACTERS. I DARE YOU #RupertSanders @NewRegency #ScarlettJohansson https://t.co/RkrW8MeGcG

— Jamie Clayton (@MsJamieClayton) July 4, 2018

And not only do you play us and steal our narrative and our opportunity but you pat yourselves on the back with trophies and accolades for mimicking what we have lived… so twisted. I’m so done…

— Trace Lysette (@tracelysette) July 4, 2018

A lot of cis people REALLY aren’t getting why Scarlett Johansson shouldn’t play a trans man but it’s really simple. Hire trans actors to play trans roles. If production demands a big bankable name then at least hire an actor of the right gender. Tex Gill should be played by a man

— Erika Heidewald (@erikaheidewald) July 5, 2018

RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE RAGE: This isn’t the first time a cisgender actor has taken on transgender role in a Hollywood film—and Johansson was the first person to make this point. “Tell them that they can be directed to Jeffrey Tambor, Jared Leto, and Felicity Huffman’s reps for comment,” Johansson told Bustle via a press representative, referencing three actors who have gone on to win prestigious awards for their portrayal of trans characters.

Johannsson, however, clearly didn’t do her research: each of these actors have, in some way, expressed regret about taking on trans roles. Even Jill Soloway, who cast Tambor as a trans woman in her Emmy-award winning show Transparent, has said “it is absolutely unacceptable to cast a cis man in the role of a trans woman. Ever.” In the 2016 interview with TV Insider, she went on to say, “If anybody has been reading the Internet they understand how awful it is for trans women to see cis men portraying them. It’s an insult.”

And I’m going to go ahead and say, based on the reactions to Johansson’s casting news, the opposite is equally as insulting. It’s also worth noting that this isn’t the first time Johansson has taken on a highly controversial role. In 2016, she became one of the most prominent examples of Hollywood whitewashing after being cast as a Japanese character in The Ghost Shell, a popular manga series. Rupert Sanders, who directed The Ghost Shell, is also the director behind Rug & Tug. Let’s not forget to include his name in this backlash.

Amber Heard tweets an ICE warning

THE STORY: Early Tuesday morning, Heard posted about an ICE checkpoint near her L.A. home, writing, “Just heard there’s an ICE checkpoint in Hollywood, a few blocks from where I live. Everyone better give their housekeepers, nannies and landscapers a ride home tonight…” The tweet has since been deleted.

THE REACTION: 

Since #AmberHeard deleted her racist tweet.. I will repost my tweet and the screenshot.

Amber Heard – just your typical, out-of-touch, virtual-signaling, elitist prototype.

When you try to be the "wokest" of the "woke" but then tweet this… pic.twitter.com/xjj4GdrqaB

— 🎀👄Dash👄🎀 (@dash4442) July 3, 2018

Amber heard is racist and I will now boycott any movie or tv show that she’s involved with.

— Shane Underwood (@shanetrain44) July 3, 2018

@realamberheard so you believe immigrants are here to serve you and your A-listers?…Hollywood is broken #truth #walkaway pic.twitter.com/T3cZMarIIm

— Rob🇺🇸🇮🇱 (@BigOhRob) July 4, 2018

RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE RAGE: Heard may have intended for her tweet to be satirical—meaning, she meant to drag Hollywood’s elite for their life of excess. This explanation, however, doesn’t excuse Heard from the racist undertones of the message. Her “joke” heavily plays into the stereotype that domestic hired workers— be it housekeepers, nannies or landscapers—are living in America as illegal immigrants. By reducing these roles to a stereotype, she’s implying that immigrants aren’t able to hold other jobs in society.

A Kentucky woman posts a “trophy kill” pic

THE STORY: Tess Thompson Talley, a 37-year-old, shared “trophy kill” photos online of a black giraffe she shot while on a hunting trip in South Africa last summer. “Prayers for my once in a lifetime dream hunt came true today! Spotted this rare black giraffe bull and stalked him for quite awhile,” Talley wrote in a Facebook post which has since been deleted.

THE REACTION:

THIS IS SO SICKENING. Tess Thompson Talley I hope you get eaten by a pride of lions.

— Chrishell Hartley (@Chrishell7) June 20, 2018

TF is she pointing up to? Some old white boy god imagined hovering in the South African sky whispering: “Tess Thompson Talley, these poor people long for you to fly over to them and slaughter an aged giraffe on their behalf, my disciple. Self-obsessed lunatic colonizer. #TFOOH pic.twitter.com/Fgo5APxzGL

— Jeffrey Wright (@jfreewright) July 4, 2018

To be you Tess Thompson Talley must be like living without a soul .. your savagery & lack of intellect will go down in history

Shame on you & anyone else with this revolting appetite for death – you are the minority & laws will come in to prosecute you https://t.co/hy3I3UTuoS

— CLAIRE COOPER (@CLAIREECOOPER) June 28, 2018

RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE RAGE: Following the mass outcry, Talley has responded to multiple media outlets with comment. “This is called conservation through game management,” she said in a statement to the TODAY show. She also cites that the criticism she’s faced is sexist.

“For all the people wishing death or even threatening death to me, this does nothing positive for your ‘movement,’ it only shows the world how lopsided your priorities are,” she said. “The very same picture could have been posted, and are posted daily, of men with their trophies and not a word is said.”

Uhhhm, okay. Remember that dentist that killed Cecil the lion? Yeah, well he isn’t even a practicing dentist anymore.

In related news, this week three alleged rhino poachers were eaten by lions on a South African game reserve. The circle of life! 

[reticenceofladyeva]

New Project Snippet

Just me going in three different directions with this. That last one might get added back in after all. That might make this the outtake. Idk. .

She squeezes her eyes shut. "I won't be traveling with the Avatar anymore."

This brings Zuko and his uncle to a halt so abrupt that she nearly walks into them. "What are you talking about?" Zuko demands. "You're his waterbending teacher."

"He's mastered waterbending," she sighs, slipping between the two of them and continuing the forward slog. "He needs to master the other elements, not to mention the Avatar State, and he can't do it with me holding him back."

General Iroh and Zuko are silent, and Katara can feel them communicating silently behind her before the general finally breaks the silence. "While my nephew and I are honored by the company of a lovely young lady--" Zuko coughs violently --"surely you do not wish to escape Ba Sing Se with us?"

"Zuko and I have some unfinished business," she says, primly, lightly fingering the vial around her neck. "And then…and then I don't know." She sighs heavily, pausing in the sludge. "I need to get to the Black Cliffs."

"The Black Cliffs?" Zuko asks, suspicion coloring his words. "That's an island in the Fire Nation."

She shrugs. "I've never been to the Fire Nation before. Maybe it's time."

General Iroh chuckles. "It is a beautiful area. Wouldn't you agree, Prince Zuko?"

"We need to keep moving," Zuko snaps. "We can think about tourist destinations after we get out of this city."

[reticenceofladyeva]

New Project Outtake

Sokka can feel his eye twitching as the fishmonger slaps a large, juicy, fresh fish on the table and exclaims with glee, "See? One head!"

"So??" Sokka squawks. "Fish are only supposed to have one head!"

"Not 'round here," the fishmonger drawls. "Up 'til last week when that waterbender and her husband passed through, all these fishies had two heads. Sometimes three!"

Sokka reaches over the counter and grabs the man's flimsy tunic, pulling him halfway over the fresh fish, bringing the two of them nose to nose. Blue eyes bore into filmy brown as Sokka searches for any trace of guile, any wink of untruth. "What do you mean, waterbender and her husband?"

The fishmonger's eyes grow wide and alarmed. "Waterbender? You didn't hear about any waterbenders from me. No, sir. No waterbenders here. Just the Painted Lady spirit."

Sokka drops the man, exasperated. He drops a few coins on the counter and swipes the fish, turning back to Toph and Aang. "Come on. Katara was here. I don't know who this--" his voice raises several notches in pitch "--husband guy is supposed to be, but Katara must have had something to do with this."

Aang nods, uncharacteristically solemn. "Then we're on the right track."

"The husband is probably Zuko," Toph chirps, devious smile growing on her face. "She was last seen with Zuko."

"Mmmnnnggg! I don't need to hear that!" Sokka marches away, Aang hot on his heels.

Toph adds a coin to the fishmonger's counter. "Thanks for the fish." And with a wolfish grin, she follows in their wake.

[reticenceofladyeva]

Snip--writing everything out of order--pet

The first man guffaws a little too loudly for the tiny shop, and Sokka relishes the opportunity to look over his shoulder. The men are leaning against the counter, casually eating their bowls of soup, not sparing Sokka so much as a glance. He narrows his eyes, wondering what other information he could wrestle out of them if he had to.

"It'd be funny if they did escape together though, wouldn't it?" The first man lapses into what Sokka can only describe as a dreamy smile. "Girl meets prince, prince whisks her away to explore the Earth Kingdom wilderness…"

The second man rolls his eyes, and Sokka finally drags himself back into his seat, still listening, tense, focused. "Can it, Chit Sang. The Earth Kingdom wilderness is the least romantic place I can think of."

"Well," Sokka mutters, sinking into his seat. "That was heartening."

"I think it's cute," Toph says, smirking at him. "Imagine, Zuko and your sister, camped somewhere, all alone--"

Sokka lets his head fall into his soup. The splash startles Aang out of what must have been a lengthy daydream, and the younger boy's elbow crashes down into his bowl of lettuce, which flips in the air and descends directly onto the back of Sokka's head.

Toph cackles sharply, and Sokka groans over Aang's whispered apologies.

Distracted as they are, they don't notice the thin boy with the bandage over one eye, or the grizzled and grey older man behind him atop an off-white puma goat. They don't notice the clear blue eyes of the girl squeezed between them, or her tanned hands, one that idly strokes the side of the animal as it walks, and one that rests on the waist of the boy in front of her.

They also don't notice the soldiers gathering outside, waiting to arrest this Chit Sang fellow for insurrectionist poetry, but that's another story for another day.

[reticenceofladyeva]

green was the color

Well there went my whole afternoon. Not great, given that I was supposed to be working and was on dinner duty. You know what though, it was a whole lot of fun. Snippet:

"You can't give up the Avatar State for me, Aang," she protests.

"I have to," he says, large eyes earnest and shining with feeling scarcely held back. "You're too important to me."

"Aang, I'm not worth it," she protests. "You have to do what's right for the whole world."

"Katara, I don't care about the whole world. I care about you," he argues. "You'd still be stuck down here with Zuko if I hadn't found you. And even if I could have, I don't want to let you go. I want us to be together."

Something snaps in her mind, like a rubber band pulled too tight with the weight of it all. Taking a deep breath, she looks down at the young boy before her and blinks back the tears she can feel pricking her eyes. "Aang, I need to tell you something."

The way he looks at her breaks her heart, all wide eyes full of trust, love, adoration. "Anything."

Inhale. Exhale.

"I'm so sorry," and then her voice breaks and salty water runs heedlessly down her cheeks even as she presses her eyes shut against it. "I don't love you," she lies, words bitter on her tongue. "You should have let me go." A shuddering breath, braced against nausea. "I'm going to hold off Zuko. You need to find Sokka and Toph and get out of here."

He looks at her as though she's slapped him across the face. "What?" His voice is barely a whisper, broken and reedy. "Katara, you don't mean that."

"Yes," she says, strong and steady, as if her whole world isn't coming down around her head. "I can't travel with you anymore. Get out of here before Zuko finds us." And then she's running, back out of the tunnels, back through the caverns of water, back into the crystal caves. Back into her prison cell.

She pretends she can't hear Aang calling her name until his cries stop echoing through the shining green glass, and she hopes, desperately, that he'll have enough sense not to come after her again. Her footsteps pound against the slick floors, and her guilt weighs her down, nearly pulling her to the floor in a heap when his face reappears in her mind's eye. But she can't go with him now, not when he's sacrificing the whole world for her, not if he thinks somehow that they can defeat the Fire Lord without his greatest advantage. So she lurches around corners, stumbles over broken rock and shallow puddles, until she's retraced their steps and Aang's voice is replaced by the low tones of uncle and nephew. Right where she left them.

[reticenceofladyeva]

In Mediis Semitis

He’s a child—a child—and he thinks like a child, and someone has to be the adult and think and plot and hurt, so he doesn’t have to. So she takes a deep breath and plunges away from him, and his face crumples, his eyes wide with horror as she betrays him. 

But then the battle is over; Azula crushed by overconfidence and the ceiling of a crystal cave that he never would have brought down with Katara beneath it. Ba Sing Se is saved, and Katara cries in the arms of a Fire Nation general as Prince Zuko’s narrow eyes follow an enormous white bison slipping over the horizon.

.

.

.

Katara stays behind with Zuko in Ba Sing Se, which I 1000% do not have time to write but want to anyway.

[reticenceofladyeva]

Still don't have time but going to do it anyway.

In Mediis Semitis

He’s a child—a child—and he thinks like a child, and someone has to be the adult and think and plot and hurt, so he doesn’t have to. So she takes a deep breath and plunges away from him, and his face crumples, his eyes wide with horror as she betrays him. 

But then the battle is over; Azula crushed by overconfidence and the ceiling of a crystal cave that he never would have brought down with Katara beneath it. Ba Sing Se is saved, and Katara cries in the arms of a Fire Nation general as Prince Zuko’s narrow eyes follow an enormous white bison slipping over the horizon.

.

.

.

Katara stays behind with Zuko in Ba Sing Se, which I 1000% do not have time to write but want to anyway.