#the last kingdom headcanon

[pokeasleepingsmaug]

@tiyetiye more Sihtric headcanon time! Whenever there’s women or children taken as prisoners, Sihtric is put in charge of guarding them. They’re pretty much always frightened or defiant, and Sihtric spent a good chunk of his life alternating between those things, so he understands them. He’s exactly the type of person who knows how to approach them so they know they’ll be treated well, because they can look at him and know he was just like them once. It’s not long before he’s leading his horse with two tired children riding it, and another balanced on his hip.

And if any of the other men get it into their heads that the women are the spoils of war, they have to get through Sihtric first. Uhtred has a reputation that he doesn’t harm women or children, and he knows that reputation will remain intact as long as Sihtric is guarding them.

[witchthewriter]

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡-𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝

⤷ gender neutral, ambiguous race, and any size reader. Requests are open, thank you for reading!

a/n: thank you for the request anon!

ᴹᵃˢᵗᵉʳˡᶤˢᵗ | ᴹᵃˢᵗᵉʳˡᶤˢᵗ ᴵᴵ

𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐗𝐓: You're in an established relationship, known each other for a few months. ⋆.˚🦢⋆

𝑼𝒉𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒅

・Uhtred picks up on it instantly.

・Once Uhtred understands how touch-starved you are, he becomes a little obsessed with making sure you feel safe in his presence.

・So Uhtred starts to touch you more; a hand on your back when you walk together, holding your wrist and giving it a tight squeeze when he wants your attention, leaning against you casually, running a hand down your arm, holding your cheek for a few moments before he has to leave etc.

・And when you go out together, his focus is on you.

・Because if someone gets too close than his arm is around your waist, pulling you to his side.

・And if you're nervous in a crowd? Unsure of where to go because of the mass of people - then Uhtred places a hand on your back and guides you to somewhere less overwhelming.

・Oh ... and if somehow you ended up hurt; then he would hold you/set you on his lap while he checks your injuries. And in a low, serious voice says: “Let me see, love. Let me take care of you.”

・Once he notices that you’re leaning into his touch more and more, he starts teasing you mercilessly.

"Oh, now you have gone soft, now you whimper when I stop touching you!"

・And OBVIOUSLY, you aren't going to let that slide. So, you move out of his embrace and do not seek it out for some time.

・However... Uhtred didn't realise how much he needed your touch just as much (he would never admit it though)

・So, he seeks you out and kisses your hand.

"You need this, little one. Now come here.”

𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒏

・Once Finan figures out just how touch-starved you are, a terrible mistake has been made! Now you are never getting rid of him!

“You were never meant to go without love. Never. And I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure you never do again.”

・Finan doesn't think much of it at first; he's a naturally touchy person; clapping people on the back, throwing an arm around shoulders, tugging at tunics etc,.

・But when he notices little things about you, for example: How you lean into his touches, watching longingly at others who so freely express their feelings through touch.

・He sees the flash of hurt, and sometimes jealousy.

・And once he puts two and two together...his heart crumbles, because he feels like he's let you down.

・From that moment on, he decided that this relationship just got a whole lot more clingier.

・The next time he saw you, he ran up and spun you around, setting you down and giving you kiss. An arm moved to your waist and he kept you close.

・Now, he always keeps you close. No matter where you are. He'll have an arm around your shoulders when you're walking. A hand on your knee when you sit together.

・Even pulls you onto his lap - at every chance he gets.

・Whenever he feels you pulling away, he says:

“If I go even a single hour without touching you, I fear I may wither away and die. Do you want my death on your hands, love? Do you?”

𝑺𝒊𝒉𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒄

・Sihtric notices before you even realise it yourself

・He's always watching you; you are his afterall.

・And he noticed that every time he puts a hand on your waist, you lean into it, when you hug - you're never the first to pull away.

・Once he sees just how much you crave romantic touch, but are too hesitant to ask for it...he makes sure that it becomes apart of your daily life.

・For example: when you’re sitting by the fire, he casually tugs your legs over his lap, when you're together, you are connected somehow i.e., holding hands, playing with hair, sitting on his lap.

・And you know what, Sihtric is NOT the freely affectionate type. However you? You are the exception:

“I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

・Because of this, a thought found its way into Sihtric...maybe he was touch-starved too?

・Because he holds you like he's afraid to let go. He wasn't raised with affection and kindness. Hugs seemed like some sort of sign of respect. So, he felt he did not deserve them.

・But coming to know that you connect with that thought made him want to weep. Because you deserve everything.

・And Sihtric, being Sihtric, he becomes attuned to your every movements.

・So when it comes to you? He notices every single time you crave touch.

・And he acts accordingly. With him, you never feel unloved, or unworthy.

・Sihtric makes you feel like the most important person in the world.

“You feel like home.”

𝑶𝒔𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒉

・At first, Osferth doesn’t notice. Not because he’s oblivious, but because he’s so used to restraining himself.

・But when he finally realises, everything changes.

・And suddenly, you have a shadow who refuses to leave your side.

・The moment he realises it, was a complete accident. You're both in front of the fire, and exhaustion creeps up on you. And you fall asleep.

・Osferth, has no idea what to do. At first, he freezes. Then he realizes...you trust him enough to let your guard down. To fall asleep and do so on him, with your head in his lap, and hand gripping his wrist.

・Touch for Osferth makes his heart beat like nothing else has. And it's all to do with you:

“I don’t think I’ve ever wanted anything the way I want you.”

・It nearly knocks the breath from his lungs. He feels so needed.

・He doesn't want to make you uncomfortable, so he's slow about introducing more touch.

・I.e., a lingering hand on your wrist when he helps you up, a brush of his fingers against yours when he hands you something, his shoulder pressing against yours when you sit together.

・Osferth never thought he was the possessive type. But one day, someone got too close to you. Too touchy, too flirty.

・And suddenly Osferth's hand is on your waist, tugging you back against him.

"I suggest you leave. Now." And he says it with such conviction, you think he might actually start a fight...

・Now Osferth craves this touch just as much as you.

“I hope you never stop reaching for me.”

𝑺𝒊𝒈𝒕𝒓𝒚𝒈𝒈𝒓

・The moment he figures out you crave touch, specifically his touch, he becomes extremely territorial.

・His attention rarely leaves you.

・And he starts touching you effortlessly.

・When you sit next to him, his arm is draped over the back of your seat, trails his fingers down your arm absentmindedly, cups the back of your neck when he talks to you etc,.

・This one time, he noticed how much you wanted to touch him but you were hesitating. Sigtryggr did not like that.

・He leant close and whispered in your ear:

“You want something, little one? Take it.”

・From then on you felt comfortable showing your affection, and being open about the need for it as well.

・For a long time, Sigtryggr tells himself this is all about you.

・That he’s just giving you what you need.

・But then he starts to notice:

How he sleeps better when you’re curled against him.

How he misses your warmth when you’re gone too long.

How his hands itch to touch you when you’re too far away.

“I don’t just touch you because you need it. I do it because I like it.”

[crimsonconstl]

Outfits for zu spending some quality time in ba sing se

Some insight on my hcs for these outfits down below >:)

i first started this sketch it was just me trying to put fem zu on cute kimonos but i kept having new ideas

the 1st one is adult zuko visiting iroh in the earth kingdom. i designed the patterns around fire lilies >:) bc of the unhealthy amount of zukka fics i read where sokka called him fire Lilly fai so itd prob be a gift from him...

The hair pin only loosely attached bc he’s in vacation??? He’s not abt to go all in in w some over complicated hairstyle

The 2nd would be set on book 2 after they opened the jasmine dragon where iroh had some extra money and decided to get his nephew a lil gift.

I mixed up some stuff I saw on Pinterest for the kimono. The colors are brighter and more varied to like the clothes you’d see ppl for the upper rings wear. Also my favorite detail! The lil jasmine hair pin.

I would tag it another 🏳️‍⚧️fem zuko post but I like this scenario in general so take it as you will 🫶🏽

[dasiesanddarkness]

crow ships and serious conversations:

helnik- i feel like they talk through their problems very well. there's a LOT of physical contact. Nina's sitting in Matthias's lap, they're spooning, etc. but they both take these kind of discussions well and can talk everything all the way through so neither feel targeted or unappreciated. throughout they may smile or something,, but the vibe is mostly pretty serious until the convo is over

kanej- at the beginning of their relationship all their convos happen with Inej sitting above Kaz in some way- like she's on the arm of the couch with Kaz on the cushions, or the window sill, etc. because it helps her feel safe (not from Kaz, just in general). they also have very little physical touch, but as time goes on Inej feels more comfortable sitting next to Kaz, and they both feel more comfortable holding hands (but even then i feel like contact is pretty limited). all serious convos are occasionally broken up with laughing because one of them said something snarky.

wesper- serious conversations can happen anywhere. lying in bed, eating dinner, walking from one place to another, while the other is doing something, etc. plenty of physical contact, and eye contact is NEVER required. they're both prone to taking things personally, so they have specific phrases to help stop that. also, all convos have at least one moment where they're both laughing hysterically. can't breathe, tearing up, etc. they switch between serious and lighthearted without blinking an eye.

[blackflash9]

Between Lao and Poppy being recluse in Gaoling, along with Toph and Lin not caring that much, I feel like there's an avenue for Suyin to really lean into the "fuck you" generational wealth aspect of the Beifong family.

Like her wine collection (yes, she has one) is her own personal vineyard up in the mountains, where the earth and water are perfectly tuned to grow rare grapes from all over the world. Her wine cellar is hidden underground and guarded, storing bottles worth more than some nations’ entire budgets. Her “sunset red��� from the Eastern Si Wong Province? It’s basically legendary! Rumor has it it’s made people cry. She drinks it like it’s art because, to her, it absolutely is.

When it comes to auctions, Suyin doesn’t just attend. She dominates. Meteorites? Pssh, She owns pieces from every known celestial impact. There’s even a meteorite suspended in her gala ballroom that levitates, just casually rotating above the guests. She once bought a Fire Nation crown just to keep it away from a petty noble who disrespected her son’s art. Bidding against her is basically a death wish for anyone else at the table.

Fashion? Enough said. But when she really dresses up, it isn't about wearing clothes. It's about making a statement.

She’s also a quiet mover behind the scenes – holding a near-monopoly on the metal industry, with major stakes in transport lines, mineral refineries, and Spirit Tech startups. Her influence stretches across key parts of the world, but she doesn’t need to boast about it. It’s just there, woven into the infrastructure she helped build.

Suyin isn't just wealthy. She's wealth personified, and you don't even know the depth of it.

[aurore-boreal1s]

So, I was thinking about something in LOK.

You know the Earth Queen Hou-Ting? You know, the woman who secluded airbenders and that Zaheer killed?

This one?

Well, as you all may know, she’s King Kuei’s only daughter.

I’m sure you all remember King Kuei, the puppet king with the bear.

This guy.

Well, I made some calculus. He must’ve been in his early/mid 20s in ATLA. And his daughter had to be in her 50s/early 60s when she died.

In the meantime, Zuko is 87/88 in 171AG, when LOK3 takes place. Since his daughter is commonly believed to be around Bumi and Kya’s age, I’d speculate that she’s around 60 in her appearance in LOK4, in 174AG and when Zuko is 90 (Tenzin is 51 in 170AG and Kya is roughly 4 years older than him, so Izumi must be between 5 and 7 years older than him, which places her in a range between 60 and 62 years old).

(See? Roughly the same age)

So, my point? I think during their diplomatic visits, Zuko and Kuei had to spend a lot of time in each other’s company because, monarch stuff. And given that they were both heirs to their respective thrones, Izumi and Hou-Ting had to spend a lot of time together.

I don’t know why, but I imagine those two having the wildest, silliest yet most hateful beef as teens. And given Hou-Ting’s despicable behavior and authoritarian politic in contrast to what shown of Izumi, a rational leader who cares for her people, I am even more convinced that those two despised each other.

So yeah, I can’t stop picturing Izumi and Hou-Ting insulting the crap out of each other while saving face in front of the subjects. And I can’t stop laughing

[sweetest-starlight]

Daily CRK Headcanon!

[HEADCANON NO. 299]

Prune Juice Cookie is extremely scared of missing out on things, mainly because of his lack of connection to his peers growing up.

[do0hwa]

Zutara Earth Kingdom AU pt2 (zuko working as a blacksmith)

Er I still couldn’t stop thinking about this au so I brought a pt 2 :D

What if Zuko worked as a blacksmith?

The au I’m referring to is this post below (link) ⤵️

그림 그리다가 벌써 새벽 됐네용 저는 이제 자러 가보겠습니다~

[transfinan]

The looks on Osferth and Sihtrics faces when Edward sits at their table is so funny to me. Like we know Osferth hates Edwards guts but this look from Sihtric?

U know they bitch about him constantly. They're having little gossip sessions at the back of the party on horseback. Sihtric is osferth's unliscenced therapist and all he says is "ugh ur so right, fuck that bitch" I can feel it in my soul

[pokeasleepingsmaug]

Every now and then I’ll think about your “Sihtric is a TERRIBLE singer, but dude can whistle like a champ” headcanon and laugh to myself 😁

My favorite part of that was your “Sihtric is the definition of loudly and with gusto.” Absolutely, 100%. Dude CANNOT  carry a tune to save his life, and he knows it, but he doesn’t care one bit. 

I feel like the whistling came from his childhood. Like maybe when he was out herding cows, he and the other boys would keep track of each other by whistling. He started off just doing those super loud, two fingers in your mouth whistle as a kid. He did it once near his mother, and she just about had a heart attack. She taught him to whistle without using his fingers, and he starting imitating bird songs when he was out with the cows. He got really, really good at it. It serves him well as a scout, too, since they communicate using bird calls. 

[witchthewriter]

𝐁𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐔𝐛𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞

⤷ gender neutral and any size reader. Requests are open, thank you for reading!

a/n: a long awaited cross over that I promised months ago.. please do not hate me! Also, Danes = vikings, but the word viking is also a verb. So, you could say 'Hey Ma I'm off to go viking!'.

Saxons = those from England

Celts are an umbrella term for Native Britons who were here before the Saxons.

ᴹᵃˢᵗᵉʳˡᶤˢᵗ | ᴹᵃˢᵗᵉʳˡᶤˢᵗ ᴵᴵ

It didn't make sense.

Ubbe's shoes walked the length of the boat and back again. Creaking wherever he put his feet, the wind was howling. Even during the day. With the sun high in the sky; not that he could see it.

None of the men or women could see more than five feet in front of them. Once he, along with two other ships left Kattegat, the mist had surrounded them.

Ubbe had the mind to turn back, but he couldn't see the shorline of Kattegat. Only the thick whirls of fog surrounding the boats.

What would have been a long journey, was shortened to mere seconds. And Ubbe was in a place he did not wish to be.

It was a place where his father had died. Where a many great Viking men had died.

But something was different. The time, Ubbe knew it; years had passed somehow. Many, many years. And when he took 4 men into a tavern to investigate, he asked and was told.

Ubbe and his men had gone through 100 years on the water.

・Life had gotten better since Uhtred and his men frequented your village - hell, everywhere had gotten better; not only were the raids less and less.

・But safety and hope were two words that Uhtred of Bebbanberg gave the people

・Well, Uhtred along with his three men - Finan, Sihtric & Osferth.

・You always had a crush on Finan. His Irish charm and humour always brightened your day.

・But he had never ventured for more than conversation and company

・You thought he must have an eye on someone else, but news never reached your ears about anyone else.

・And then something happened.

・Two ships full of Danes had washed on Englands' shores. It was not like any other raid. The Danes spoke differently, their weapons seemed old and the way they dressed was so ... incredibly different to the Danes you all knew

・Where did they come from? Why hadn't any other Dane claimed to know them? And why couldn't they point to where they were from on a map?

・These thoughts plagude you for days. You did your chores and you thought about it, you cooked and cleaned - and thought about it.

・However, curiosity won out and you snuck into the woods to get a better look at the semi-prisoners.

・One man caught your eye instantly.

・And he ...

・He was ... beautiful.

・Outlandishly so, you hadn't seen such a man and with so many unique tattoos...

・His hair was long and braided, parts shaved on the sides and you were taken aback.

・A blush creeping so bright you swore he would be able to see you in the dark - like a beacon of sorts

・But a body had bumped against your own, a hand over your mouth. You bit down - hard and Osferth hissed

"Ow!" He said, trying to keep his voice low as he flung his hand about in pain.

"Well don't do that!" You whispered incredulously.

"What are you staring at?" whispered Osferth, crouching down and following your line of sight.

"No-nothing, nothing, stop it-"

"Ooh got your eye on somethin' then?" he mocked.

・You rolled your eyes and pushed him. He caught your arm and hoisted himself up, catching you against him in the process.

・This back and forth behaviour was normal between you and Osferth. As soon as you met, it had started.

・He knows about your feelings for Finan, and has helped you to gain his attention time and time again

・The only failure in this was the fact that he didn't want to put you at risk. Finan couldn't bear to have you as some sort of target.

・But god did that change when Ubbe started talking to you.

・You decided to help around with the new Danes

・Your skills were highly renound and useful no matter who you were with

・Ubbe did everything he could to get your attention and soon Finan became a shell of his witty self.

・Grouchy and sensitive, Finan couldn't stop watching the two of you interract.

"I mean wha' does she see in 'im??"

"- Finan, please-" Uhtred interjected, trying to calm him down. He did not calm down.

"Just tell her how you feel-" Sihtric exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air.

"I - I cannot."

"You cannot what?" You said coming up behind him, the trees and darkness hiding you easily.

・From that day on you and Finan were together, but the subject of Ubbe hung loosely in the air.

・However, your relationship was changed because of Ubbe. Who shocked both you and Finan.

"It is true, I want you. But I want both of you. The funny one as well."

・Finan gulped.

・Your relationship is very loving. It truly is.

・There's a lot of PDA

・But even more affection when people aren't around

・Like casually sitting on each other's laps

・Forehead Touches

・The union between all three of you created something. It was peace.

・Peace settled over the group, a sense of ease becoming easier and easier to grasp.

𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔

Shut Up” (You) x “Make Me” (Ubbe) x “Just Kiss Already.” (Finan)

Found Family

Intuitive & Attentive (Finan) x Restless & Flirty (Ubbe) x Witty & Intuitive (You)

𝑹𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒄 𝑷𝒍𝒐𝒕 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆

Intertwined Destinies

Love Transcending Boundaries

Legacy and Legend

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆 𝑺𝒐𝒏𝒈

Scotland by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

Golden Years by David Bowie

To Bring You My Love by PJ Harvey

[demaparbat-hp]

I didn't know Katara also had silver marks on the Kintsugi AU. How did you come up with that idea? Is it an in-universe cultural thing? If it is, is it exactly the same as Zuko's or does the Water Tribe have their own beliefs around it?

Sorry if I'm asking too many questions, I just really love how your mind works when it comes to these AUs 💖

Hello, and thanks for asking!

Initially, Kintsugi was a strictly Fire Nation tradition. Something to hold over the rest of the nations, and deepen their own belief of cultural superiority. Zuko hiding his scars played into that idea, since having gold inlaid in your body is a clear sign of Fire Nation blood—furthermore, High Fire Nation blood.

That being said, one lovely anon gave the suggestion that perhaps the other nations also have their own kinds of Kintsugi, and I fell in love with the idea. @ican-fixitbooks went even deeper into the particular philosophies of each nation regarding Kintsugi. I'll be using some quotes from them—watch for the italics.

It was during said brainstorming session that I thought of Katara having a silver Kintsugi scar, and how could it be used to enhance the themes of ATLA, Katara's arc, and this AU as a whole.

But a little background is necessary, I believe.

Kintsugi is a tradition practiced worldwide, with minor differences in philosophy/technique according to each nation.

The Earth Kingdom seal their scars with a substance that resembles bronze, as the mentality of breaking yourself down to build yourself back up better than you were is very central to their culture. It is used as a way to celebrate one's victories, made all the better if damage was taken to achieve it.

The elite have rather different views on this practice. They believe themselves to be above such things. That which is broken must be hidden away, which has interesting connotations when thinking about a certain blind earthbender.

The Air Nomad philosophy leans towards a naturalist approach. Anything natural doesn't need to be "improved" in their eyes. If a scar is there, it is there. Let it be there as a part of you, no different than any other, no need to be "made better", but in fact better to just "be".

Kintsugi is a cultural practice meant to celebrate making something beautiful out of something broken, arguably even making it better than it was. During Sozin's reign and forward, Kintsugi became a way to show the Fire Nation's superiority. Especially as that is essentially their philosophy for war: "Breaking the rest of the world so it can be reforged in fire, made a better, more perfect place."

As for the Water Tribes, there's the healing factor to take into account. The Northern Water Tribe isolated itself from the rest of the world once the war began, so they hold tight to their traditions and beliefs. If something is not broken, then why attempt to fix it? Kintsugi is scoffed at in the North—it is a foreign practice, one that is not necessary when all your wounds can be healed with bending.

However, the Southern Water Tribe has been exposed to the world. They have seen war. They have lived through it. They have suffered, but they are also free because of it, if only in spirit. The South is strong and proud and bold, so it comes as no surprise that silver Kintsugi becomes the mark of their warriors, their hunters, their people.

Katara was wounded during the last Southern Raid. After losing Kya in such a terrible way, Hakoda made sure to seal Katara's wound with the silver of their warriors, so that she would always remember that despite having been broken, she is still strong, beautiful, and proud.

The scar itself is long and thin, going from her right shoulder up to her jaw. It loosely resembles lightning.

And despite how she got it, despite all the things she lost on that day, despite it being a constant reminder of her mother's death—Katara loves her scar.

It grounds her. It pushes her forward. You are a warrior, it tells her. You are a survivor.

When Katara arrives at the North, her scar becomes yet another thing the Northerners hold against her. They use it to demean her, just as they do her gender and out-spoken personality.

The North believes a lot of things that Katara always considered natural to be a problem. What does it matter that she is a woman? What is wrong about being passionate? Why should having a scar mean she's broken?

This scar is something they cannot touch. The Northerners try to use it to demean her. To make her small. Self-conscious. Worthless.

They're scoffing at her mother's death.

Her strength.

Her beauty.

Her pride.

Her story.

And she will not allow it.

[ffredmujkic]

eternal sugar stuff i have done

[kingslionheart]

tlk never beating the queer show allegations 🌈 part 1/? | haesten and his poorly hidden pansexuality

[burningcheese-merchant]

You've mentioned that deep down pepper jack is insecure to en extend.why? Is he scared he'd hurt someone? Does he feel like he's not enough? Drop the angst🙏🙏🙏

Are you referring to that one line in his soulstone description? Haha

Jack has some insecurities he's grappling with internally, yeah :( they have different forms, but ultimately come from the same place: the fear he isn't good enough, like you suggested. There's a more general side to it, plus one more closely related to Burning Spice

🔺 Jack secretly fears/worries that his father does not like him/is disappointed in him. They're quite different from each other in a lot of ways and don't always know how to communicate their thoughts/feelings to each other, so there's a bit of a gap between them in that sense (one that doesn't exist between BS and his sister, which makes it a little worse). He yearns for his father's approval and often goes out of his way to do things that he thinks will earn him that (ex: asking BS to read history books with him, or asking him questions about the past. Jack likes history already, that's a natural-born interest of his, but because his father was once the Herald of Change/History, there's that additional point of "if I show my dad I'm smart like him, and like the same stuff as him, he'll be happy. He'll be proud of me"). It isn't necessary, of course; his fears are entirely unfounded, Burning Spice loves his son dearly, just as he is. He just isn't the best at expressing it sometimes (I imagine BS being. Like. Very emotionally constipated lol. He makes a lot of progress w GC but a brand new hurdle is made with the kids bc he can't necessarily talk to them like he does to her, at least not right away. Children need to be handled/spoken to differently). They'll patch this up eventually but it's a bit difficult and awkward for a lot of Jack's childhood

🐦 Jack naturally holds himself to a very high standard. It's just who he is and has always been. He's not arrogant by any means, but he does expect a lot from himself. Admittedly a little bit of it comes from external forces - his family, his friends, the kingdom - but it's really mostly him. People expect a lot from him (not out of malice ofc, no one is trying to make him feel pressured/insufficient at all), but he expects the most from himself. He needs to always be his best, for everyone else's sake.

I've been drafting little playlists for both kids (I like doing that for characters I like + OCs, it's a way I help myself understand their vibes) and one song I attribute to Pepper Jack is "Surface Pressure" from Encanto. These lines in particular encapsulate his feelings pretty well imo:

"Under the surface, I'm pretty sure I'm worthless if I can't be of service"

"Under the surface, I hide my nerves and it worsens, I worry something is gonna hurt us"

Under the surface, I think about my purpose, can I somehow preserve this?"

"But wait, if I could shake the crushing weight of expectations"

"Who am I if I can't run with the ball?" / "Who am I if I can't carry it all?" / "Who am I if I don't have what it takes?"

Jack is the firstborn. Jack is the son of two gods. Jack IS a god, himself, by virtue of the power he inherited. Jack is the crown prince, expected to one day inherit his mother's throne. Jack is the older brother, meant to be his sister's protector and guide, meant to be a good example for her. Jack is a hero, he wants to be a hero, he's supposed to be a hero; someone who uses his power for good, who serves the public. The strong have a duty to help the weak. He's strong. He has to be. So that duty falls on him. All the time. No matter how heavy it gets. Who is he, otherwise?

... But he's scared he'll fail. There's nothing he fears more than failure. Letting everyone down. Everyone thinks so highly of him... everyone expects so much from him. People count on him for things. So he'll be strong. If he can't, he'll pretend. He'll put on a mask. His feelings matter less than his responsibilities. If both he and Paneer are scared of something, he'll be the one to put on a brave face and hold steady, because being there for her is more important. Others will always be more important than him, and he always has to do a good job for their sake. A self-sacrificing perfectionist. Dangerous combination

[jambuonthemoon]

i had a random shower thought about if benders could control the weather… i looked it up and the internet said they couldn’t, but im imagining if they did how chaotic that would be during the war

those poor meteorologists would never be able to decide on weather 😭

when aang shows up all the four nations meteorologists get to get and have a party