#they lost their benders. their parents.

[burst-of-iridescent]

not to beat the "sokka's misogyny" disk horse even further into the ground, but while i agree with the take that sokka being sexist logically doesn't make sense, i would go further to say that the water tribes themselves being sexist is both illogical and thematically contradictory.

the flaws of each nation in atla have always been linked to their element, and specifically what those elements represent. fire is the element of power; power, left unchecked, leads to imperialism and authoritarianism. earth is the element of substance and stability; stability, prioritized too highly, creates and justifies the rigid class system and rampant corruption of ba sing se. air is the element of freedom; freedom, taken too far, becomes irresponsibility and abandonment.

meanwhile, water is the element of change... therefore the water tribes cling to antiquated ideas about gender roles instead of adapting with the times (especially when the times involve a fucking war going on).

not only is this unrealistic, it also breaks the thematic pattern of the nations' flaws being virtues taken to extremes, and how this dovetails into the show's overall message about the importance of balance. if we're keeping with the pattern of virtue and vice being two sides of the same coin, then the flaw of the water tribes has to be related to change. and here is where some of the (badly executed) ideas in the comics and legend of korra could have come into play: change, left uncontrolled, can lead to progress... but at the cost of tradition and spirituality.

(imagine a nwt cut off from the world and forced to rely solely on itself, ingenuity and creativity flourishing out of sheer, desperate need. imagine a nwt where waterbending is nothing more than a tool, used to build and defend and maintain a fortress always at risk, its spiritual origins slowly lost to time. imagine a nwt more military than community, whose architecture and technology far exceed anything the world has ever seen, who look down upon their less advanced sister tribe, and see no need for the avatar - after all, where was he when they had no one but themselves for the last 100 years?

when warned that the fire nation is coming, they show no fear; they have held strong on their own for the last century, bolstered by their weapons and wits, and will continue to do so. you need the spirits, aang implores, and is met with derision, for there is no place for spirits in a society always chasing more, greater, better. the spirits have not helped us before, avatar. why would they now? we are all we need.

when the moon spirit falls, unprotected and forgotten in an abandoned, rundown spirit oasis - so do they.)

not only would this fit better thematically, it would also ensure that the nwt's flaw plays a role in its own downfall. where the fire nation's warmongering resulted in the poverty and suffering of its own people, and the earth kingdom's corruption led - at least in part - to the fall of ba sing se, the misogyny of the water tribes is never shown to negatively impact them in any way. the north isn't defeated by the fire nation because they relegated half the population to healing. the south doesn't suffer raids or lose their waterbenders because they (supposedly) didn't let women fight. this lack of narrative punishment means that - outside of a few girlboss moments for katara - the sexism of the nwt isn't significant to the overall story whatsoever.

furthermore, while the ba sing se arc last almosts half a season, and the fire nation's actions drive the entire show, this supposed systemic oppression of women shows up for one episode in the first season before disappearing entirely. pakku is reminded of his lost love, magically turns into a feminist, and somehow the entire tribe follows suit? no one else protests, not even the other students or the chief?

and yet, though there are still no female waterbenders other than katara, or agency for kanna in her relationship, or any indication that women stopped being forcibly betrothed - the entire issue is simply swept under the rug and never brought up ever again in the show. i understand this was a children's cartoon made in 2005, and that even having female characters openly speak about and challenge misogyny was a radical feat for the time and genre, but the reality of patriarchy is that it's structural, sustained and immensely difficult to resist - if the show was going to depict that resistance, it should have done so with greater depth and nuance, as it did for many of the other difficult topics it tackled.

ultimately, handwaving misogyny away like it never existed is far more disrespectful to katara's character, her fight against injustice, and the girls who saw themselves in her, than simply toning it down or removing it could ever be.

[firebenders-are-cool]

Years ago I came up with an ATLA fic idea for the earth avatar after korra and it was kinda good but I stopped caring about it. as I developed the plot and transformed my initial (flawed) idea, I got less interested in it because it was no longer the same idea. I basically wanted to write Trope A, didn't like that it was such a bad rendition of Trope A, fixed it, and got bored cause it wasn't Trope A anymore. I absolutely don't have the time (or desire) to go write it now (especially with avatar studios coming in hot with a new avatar), but damn I hope an alternate universe-me wrote it.

[justthoughts1310]

Sokka may not be a misogynist, but the Netflix live action ATLA is:

There really is no cartoon/anime for female empowerment like the OG ATLA and LOK cartoons.

The creators of ATLA wrote the manifesto on how to create a masterful series on female empowerment and equality that is not cheesy or hocky.

In this show, women and girls are not a monolith but immensely diverse. There's no correct way to be a powerful, talented and bold woman or girl within the avatar universe.

You can be hyper-feminine like Ty Lee and Asami.

You can embody more traditionally masculine qualities like Korra and Toph.

Or you could just be a typical woman or girl falling more in between like Azula, Mai, or Suki.

You see the exact same thing for the male characters. There's no right way to be a man. There's many ways to be a man, and this idea flies in the face of patriarchy.

I say that the Netflix version is misogynist, because it's not enough to be a powerful woman. One must be allowed to be unapologetically, unabashedly and boldy powerful.

Which is what happens in the OG ATLA. Sokka's misogyny was actually a part of his character arc, because every time he was misogynist his misogyny was met with the answer that women and girls are phenomenal, that women and girls are living their lives and largely unconcerned with the opinions of men.

If you read the Kiyoshi novels, you learn that surprisingly enough, the least patriarchal amd misogynist nation in all of Avatar is the fire nation, and the misogynistic nation in all of Avatar is the northern water tribe.

The reason I say that the women in these shows are unabashedly powerful is because aside from Sokka and the master from the Northern Water tribe, no one ever questions why or how they are powerful. They expect it.

Zuko is Ozai's first born son, yet Azula is his pride. When Ozai imagines the future, he imagines it with Azula as the fire lord. He names her after his father. He trusts her to go find the avatar once he knows the avatar has returned.

Sokka and Katara effectively lost both of their parents, but Katara the youngest steps up as the mother and becomes the glue of the group. She's the one who becomes both an immensely powerful bender and healer.

Suki loves Sokka, but when we are introduced to her. She is unconcerned with him. Her and the other Kiyoshi warriors are the protectors of the village who go out into the world to do good into the world.

We see the revseral of all of these tenants in the Netflix show.

Ozai has hope for Zuko at the expense of Azula who he sees as a nuisance. She is no longer am obvious prodigy.

Katara is seen as a child who will not grow up by her brother who is now behaving as a father figure.

Suki is infatuated with Sokka and she follows him around Kiyoshi island when he arrives.

These woman are powerful but restrained and undermined in this power. Suki becomes concerned with the opinions of a man, and a random man at that.

What the OG ATLA taught to all women, girls, boys and men is that you never have to apologize for being powerful, intelligent, kind empathetic.

This is a very critical point that cuts to the heart of the OG ATLA that Netflix has missed.

[pizzaboat]

How bad is it that at 8 years old, Azula lost her mother, and at the same time 14 year old Azula is convinced her mother thought she was a monster

How much scolding and clashing was there between a parent and child, for an 8 year old to get that much of an impression and that it stuck with them that much into their mid teens?

Also, have you seen 8 year olds? Why would you ever turn your back on one? How the hell could you not assume the 8 year old with fire powers isn't going to burn things just because "fire is cool" or "I'm upset"

It's basically an extension of a benders body, so of course this angry kid, with no real gage for how she could hurt others is going to burn things, or pinch Zuko with fire when he tells on her

She was 8!

[the-badger-mole]

What is your NUMBER ONE headcannon for each person in the Gaang (Katara, Zuko, Aang, Toph, Sokka, Suki [and Appa and Momo if you feel so inclined])

Katara: After the war, she goes back to the NWT to train with Yugoda and becomes a master healer as well as a master of the NWT fighting style. From there, she goes back to the Foggy Swamp Tribe and masters their bending style, too. With the help of Sokka, Zuko, and (in some headcanons) Hama, she also rediscovers SWT waterbending and not only masters it, but teaches it to the new benders in the SWT. By the time she leaves the SWT, there has been a school established where all bending styles are available for study. She's one of the few who actually has mastered them all, though.

Sokka: He is eager to return home after the war. He throws himself into infrastructure and policy revamps, and he almost singlehandedly staves off the soft colonization attempts of the NWT. Under his efforts, the SWT rebuilds and reestablishes parts of its culture that had been lost during the war. With the discovery of oil on SWT land, he is also instrumental in establishing eco minded extraction techniques, and in trade ties with the rest of the world (although he is very much helped by his sister's deep ties with the Fire Lord). It's a surprise to no one when he's chosen to lead the SWT after Hakoda retires.

Toph: She does not become a cop. Instead, she goes back home and takes over the Earth Rumble, taking it from an underground even to a world wide phenomenon. She eventually allows benders of other elements to join, and the Earth Rumble becomes pro bending. She does also establish a metal bending school. In the end, she is wealthier than her parents, but because she couldn't really care less about money, she keeps enough to live at the standard she wants, and gives the rest away to causes that interest her...like the guy who wanted to set the record for the biggest bao bun ever, and needed funding for an oven big enough to cook it. She also establishes a halfway house for runaway teens.

Zuko: During his tenure as Fire Lord, he establishes a robust social services program that includes subsidized healthcare, education, and housing for the lowest income families. Under his reign, the Fire Nation becomes home to some of the earliest pioneers of mental health. At his wife's advice, he also makes paid maternity leave standard across the nation, and includes several programs to help single parents stay afloat. Taking inspiration from the SWT, Zuko makes some changes to how his advisory staff is selected. Instead of choosing from among the nobility, Zuko has the different provinces elect a representative to speak on their behalf. A lot of the nobles hate this, blaming his wife's influence, but the people adore their monarchs and despite their best efforts, there's little the nobles can do except start campaigning in their home provinces. It's not a perfect system, but it does open the door for the Fire Nation to end the monarchy within a couple of generations.

Suki: She continues to lead the Kyoshi Warriors for a few years after the war. She also helps train troops around the world as they pivot from active war service to more local work. She helps establish something like the coast guards for several different countries. Eventually she retires from that to help her husband run the SWT. She and Sokka make a wonderful team as he handles the domestic policies and she handles foreign affairs. She often jokes with her sister in law, Fire Lady Katara that they ended up with the same job.

Aang: I'll go with my most optimistic headcanon for him. He's an okay Avatar. Not great. Not the worst. After the war, he tries to take part in rebuilding efforts around the world, but he finds his help isn't needed much. He turns his attention back to salvaging what's left of the Air Nomad legacy, and discovers that there are actually airbenders still around. A few of them are even interested in learning to live like the Air Nomads. Many of them aren't, though, and after learning how to actually use their powers, they go off and do their own thing. To Aang's shock and dismay, eating meat has no effect on the strength of their bending, He does learn to deal with it and enjoy his time with the air benders who embrace the Air Nomad culture. He does go on to have kids, and he still favors the benders over the nonbenders. Ultimately, his legacy as Avatar boils down to taking Ozai's bending, and that's it.

[hoseokslefteyebrow]

Imagine your dad being a Miguel O’Hara variant and meeting Miguel

Pairing : Platonic! Miguel O'Hara x Earth Bender Reader x Spiderverse

This is really just a really long rant about your dad meeting your dad from a different universe.

Wordcount: 2.2k (oops)

Miguel O’Hara Masterlist || pt.2

Okay so I'm randomly imagining a variant of Miguel who's also living the spiderman life but hasn't been through nearly as much loss as Miguel. 

Like this Miguel (let's call him Miguel 2) has lost his wife, but not his kid.

For some reason I also imagine this universe to be something like the Avatar universe (the one with the benders) just without the presence of the actual avatar which is why they would also have superheroes. I also imagine Y/N's mum being an earth bender, which was passed down onto Y/N. And they're quite good at it as well.

Miguel 2 was bitten, but still has a few common powers as Miguel. He has no claws, though he does have fangs. He also has natural webbing and can stick to walls.

I imagine Miguel and Miguel 2 meeting because of an anomaly breech in Miguel 2's universe. And Miguel's utter and complete surprise when he meets a spiderman with the same build as him. ( The man lost his wife, of course he goes gym as well.) 

I also imagine the immediate panic Miguel 2 feels when a building collapses on top of you, and a bunch of pedestrians. Like the battle with this misplaced villain would already be raging head on, and suddenly he sees you being buried under a HUGE pile of building and he just sees red. And Miguel isn't sure it's him until Miguel 2 attacks the villain viciously and rips his mask of, using his fangs to knock the villain out with a good amount of venom.

And the surprise Miguel feels in that moment is amazing. Because he never imagined there was another him, never realized in the amount of universes he comes across. His surprise deepens when Miguel 2 runs to the rubble, his movements chaotic and panicky as he pulls rock for rock apart. Miguel 2 is also originally a nonbender, though his parents had been fire benders.

Now imagine Miguel 2's relief when a hole opens up from the ground not too far from him, and you climb out, calling him dad as you help out pedestrians. And now Miguel is surprised, and a little heartbroken. In this universe he doesn't have Gabriella, but he has you.

Miguel 2 helps the pedestrians climb up before pulling you into a hug. You're a little dirty because of the setting, and you've got a few scratches, but otherwise you're unharmed.

Miguel lets the moment happen, only snapping out of it when Lyla reminds him that he should be on his way to HQ.

And he really is about to leave without invading your lives, when Miguel 2 calls out to him and thanks him. Curiously asking who he is and where he's from.

Miguel can't help himself as he explains the entire story. Inviting him on the team. He also glances at you, before inviting you as well.

Now the entire society is surprised when Miguel walks in with not just an anomaly and another spider person, but also you.

And imagine your surprise when he reveals his identity. Only to realize that he's the exact same person as your dad. Your dad is also surprised, but the two are quick to start 'old men talk' as you would dub it. Also, your dad receives a watch, whilst you receive a day pass.

And even though you look physically not anything like your father at all, Miguel still feels that odd connection he felt when he saw Gabriella for the first time. He leads the two of you through the building, paired with an explanation about everything and nothing.

Eventually, he also tells Miguel 2 about Gabriella, and in turn Miguel 2 asks what she'd look like, if she looked at least a little like you, and if he had fallen in love with the same woman. Miguel glances back at you, only to notice you're gone. Miguel 2 simply shakes his hand at your disappearance  adding that you do that often when you're bored. It surprises Miguel how loose Miguel 2 is when it comes to keeping tabs on you, but than again, he did see how you saved yourself and a bunch of people within a matter of time. Miguel eventually answers his earlier question with a shake of his head, telling him Gabriella was more of a physical copy of him, and that he had fallen in love with a different woman all together. Miguel 2 hums, accepting the answer before they start talking more about the multiverse.

Miguel also finds out that Miguel 2 doesn't work for Alcamex, but for a company which specializes in creating medicine. He also finds out a lot about you. You're nearly 16 years old, and have a few close friends. You're horrible at school, unable to sit still in classes. You're also a great bender, and according to Miguel 2, one of the best the world might ever see. Miguel was very confused when he explained that you had fully mastered every subbending technique earth bending offered. From sandbending to metalbending to lava bending, you could do it all.

And Miguel couldn't help but feel a little jealous. Miguel 2 has got to spend more than 15 years with you, while he lost Gabriella at a young age. On top of that you seem to be thriving, and Miguel 2 doesn't need to lie to you. Doesn't have to hide his spiderman identity for you. ( When Miguel asked how Miguel 2 merely smiled and explained that it was a little hard to hide when it was just the two of you, adding on top of that that you share their hard headed trait.)

I can also imagine Y/N managing to find the rest of the teens (Hobie, Miles, Gwen, Margo, Pavitr, really everyone!) in spider HQ, and getting along with them quite easily. They all have a lot of questions about why you're here as a nonspider, and even more when you tell them your dad is coincidentally also Miguel.

I also think Y/N would connect best with Hobie and Ben Reilly (the one from ultimate spiderman- not atsv). Because Hobie does whatever he wants and Ben is continuously grumpy, and distant, a trait that goes well with your laid back extrovert personality. 

I can also imagine Y/N managing to grab a hold of a webshooter somehow, and being taught how to swing through by the rest.

I definitely imagine Y/N casually swinging into the lab and trying to impress her dad and Miguel by trying to swing straight onto the platform. Which you of course would miss, jumping too late and instead plummeting towards the floor. A neon red web shoots out on time to give you a really soft landing though, basically bouncing you on your feet before you're on the ground. 

Miguel had expected Miguel 2 to react as well, but he simply shook his head. When Miguel gives him a judging look, he shrugs, adding a 'trust me, they gotta learn the hard way'. Because Miguel 2 knows how you won't stop unless you fall flat on your face or break something. And so you start swinging again, this time making a funny landing on the platform with an 'oof' as you plop on your butt before getting up and dusting yourself off.

And than Miguel's watching as you and your dad start arguing. " Did you know that most spider people don't have organic webs? They use these things! Hobie let me use his- that reminds me you should meet Hobie!-" You babble on for a bit. Miguel watches as Miguel 2 simply smiles, hanging onto your every word before he replies. " Yeah well, we should be grateful we don't have web shooters in our universe." " Why not? Can't we try to make some? It'd be fun!" " No." " Why not? Give me one good reason-" " You're an earth bender. You're powerless in the sky." " Oh right, forgot about that for a second."

Meanwhile the other teens are all stood below the platform on the ground. Their surprise evident as they see how an exact copy of Miguel is smiling, obviously content with everything around him. It also isn't until you're tugging at your father's arm to meet your new friends that Miguel starts lowering the platform.

Miguel is in turn surprised to see Ben Reilly among the others, considering the male usually prefers to remain by himself. He also can't help but be fond of the way you speak, all enthusiast about introducing your new friends (even introducing Hobie and Ben as your new besties.) 

Eventually the group falls into conversation, and your worlds normalcy about bending the elements is brought up. Which in turn bring up your bending, to which Hobie in turn challenges you, saying you wouldn't be able to win from him. 

Miguel is surprised when you turn to him, asking if there's a space in which you two can spar. Miguel is surprised, having expected that you would ask your dad, but eventually tells you there is. To Miguel's surprise, Miguel 2 puts a hold on it, adding that you're defenseless without wrecking the building. Everyone is confused when you tell him about your wristbands, and showcase your pockets full of rocks in them. Even Miguel himself is skeptical, considering Hobie is definitely has the advantage due to the field. Miguel 2 eventually nods when you showcase your pockets.

And so the group finds themselves downstairs, watching a sparring field from the side. Hobie smirks at you, teasingly adding that you're free to tap out any time and that he'll go easy on you. You in return laugh, before telling him the same, except you won't go easy. Your battle begins and you don't attack straight away. Instead you avoid all Hobie's advances, avoiding kick after punch after elbow. It takes a while before you oppose his attacks. Neither of you have used your powers at this point yet. It isn't until he tries to punch you again that you react, blocking his punch, you throw a punch back yourself, sending him a step back. Hobie's surprised, and eventually takes off. He starts throwing webs at you. Nearly everyone (except for your dad) is excited when your bracelets start deforming with your movements, shaping them and reshaping them from blades to balls, breaking webs or misdirecting them, or sometimes simply jumping out of the way. Eventually, you manage to throw a good hard ball into his stumic, which causes him to let go of his web. Seizing the moment, you take your metal ball again, giving him a final blow to send him to the ground. You're grinning as you stand over him when he's laid on the ground, your body still in a fighting stance whilst your ball has divided into smaller balls, floating around you.

He smiles as he tells you you've admittedly won, and you help him up with a hand. You smile and nod when he tells you that you should come around more often, adding that he wants a rematch. Your dad also gives you that proud smile of his that he rarely gives you.

You and the rest of the teens have started conversation again, and now it's all about your bending. Miguel and Miguel 2 listening instead of participating. Everyone is surprised when you tell them that metal bending isn't your best skill, and the excitement grows as you Tell them about lava bending. Happy to show them your actual skill, you take a few rocks out of your pocket, and let them melt into a ninja star made of lava. Everyone's eyes are big, completely impressed by this skill. Even Miguel is left speechless (which isn't noticeable, but still.) It isn't until Miguel 2 takes a look at his regular watch that he tells you it's time to go.

You pout, and ask if you'll be able to come back sometime. Everyone automatically turns to look at Miguel, and he sighs before telling you you might, adding a lame excuse about how you're good to train with.

And so you'll eventually depart after greeting almost everyone in a hug before you all but jump through.

You might not be a spider person, but spider society is definitely also a place for you.

Bonus:

" Y'know, I would've left you behind if you would have lost that fight with Hober." Your dad teases you over dinner later that day.

The two of you had decided on simple take out.

" His name's Hobie dad." You roll your eyes with a smile, before taking a bite.

" Besides, that's okay. I would have my hands on some web shooters by now. " You grin.

He sighs.

" You're never going to let that go, will you?" 

" No, I still think we should really give it a shot."

" No."

" Did you at least notice my pun? Shot?"

Your dad shakes his head.

" I should've really followed the instructions on those 'how to raise a kid' books."

[redrobin-detective]

I have been awake all night and I think, since we got to follow Zuko from S1 even though he didn’t join the Gaang until the bitter end, we should’ve gotten the same for Toph. In between season 1 and early season 2 plots, we’d occasionally cut to this earth kingdom noble family for seemingly no reason.

Ok they are rich and they have the daughter. Alright she’s blind that’s interesting. The Beifongs will comment about canon events and their daughter is quiet and perfect in the background. Then one episode we see her earthbend something small, intriguing. Also intriguing she only looks helpless and lost when other people are around. We get more solo perspectives of her, she’s a bit more coarse away from her parents. Her earthbending continues to be used secretly, impressive but not monumental. We suspect she’ll be similar to Katara, an eager, untrained bender who learns as she teaches Aang. We wait with anticipation for this vulnerable girl to see the world and own her power.

And then they drop The Blind Bandit episode and every episode that follows are unchanged and oh. Oh. Now we are really meeting Toph.

[zutarasbuff]

12 reasons why do I believe Zutara could have been a rightful canon for the Avatar World!!!

Zutara could have been turned out to be passionate activists on mental health awareness & battling depression with strength based on their individual experiences.

Over the course of the 100 years war, both the water tribes had to lose a lot after the air nomads. This had surely created a rift between them and their colonizers (the fire nation). The Union of the princess of the Southern Water Tribe & the new firelord would have been a historic step to melt the ice.

Katara would have ensured upon the establishment of healing centres and would have revived the healing legacy of their tribe all across the Avatar world as the fire lady.

Both Zuko and Katara had lived among the commoners with a secret side (as the Blue Spirit and the Painted Lady). This meant together they would have shared their experiences and had devised policies to eradicate poverty among the less deprived towns and villages.

Katara being the fire lady meant preservation of the Mother Nature. She would have taken steps to eliminate the risk of the construction of fire nation’s military settlements near natural water reservoirs and woods.

They would be the potential trendsetter couple to initiate the custom of giving a betrothal necklace within the fire nation (a trend native to the water tribes).

As Aang’s masters, together they would have trained him better by blending their bending styles and innovating new ones (Just the way Uncle Iroh learned redirection of light from water benders), thus helping him to rise against the future threats.

Katara was always the one with a maternal instinct. This meant that she would have influenced Zuko in a way to start services for those children who had lost their parents in the war. Plus, being an extrovert, she would have been a better companion to Zuko for handling diplomatic affairs as compared to Mai (who was downright an introvert and had no interest in the political affairs).

As we find within the series that fire nation had schools ensuring discipline children and this was something Sokka had actually to struggle with (as we see Water Tribe’s kids are skilled but lacked discipline to be the perfect soldiers). So I personally believe that Katara would have discussed this with Zuko to focus on the creation of schools in the Water tribes and skills would have been exchanged between both.

Zutara would have certainly put some restrictions upon the usage of light bending for the firebenders (as both of them suffered from the havoc of it).

As we find that Zuko remained supportive of Katara’s decisions as he had complete faith in her. It meant Katara would have been that crucial element that could have lessened his anger as well as the cold nature, and he would have been the ultimate “firelord of the people”.

I have this personal belief that empathy was something that was inherent to both. The only difference was Katara expresses her empathic sides clearly, but Zuko’s the one who feels bad in heart. However, if you have been an avid fan of the series, you should know that their secret selves operated in dark and fought to make things better (as Zuko turned into the blue spirit to correct the flaws of the society; he steals in a Robinhood pattern for Uncle Iroh and fights Gow and his comrades for Lee [ref: Zuko Alone]. Similarly Katara also did the same for the town’s people by feeding momo berries [ref: The Painted Lady]). Their being one meant frequent secret stroll together with the same identities in varying lands of the avatar world just to have the certainty of development and peace in the Avatar world.

[vampyrekat]

cant believe i forgot about maleficent and her emo boytoy omg thank you for cleansing the timeline🫶

I am so pleased to bless the timeline with a fine vintage ship, come join me in savoring it. I checked out the novelization on a whim (commuting) and I was like, oh right! I forgot this movie and specifically this ship was made in a lab for my brain. So now I've rewatched the film and I'm lost in the sauce.

I love that Maleficent/Diaval is the story of two people accidentally raising a baby into a teenager together and the whole time Maleficent is oblivious (not her fault! she has bigger things going on!) while Diaval is like "that's my wife, she's terrifying. i love her. <3" Even when Aurora meets them properly as a 15 year old, Maleficent is Going Through It™ while Diaval is just so hype to finally introduce himself to his child.

Pictured above: moments that really did a number on me. He raised this kid and now he gets to finally meet her properly and they're both so delighted by it while Maleficent watches from the corner like }:-(

I really feel like the most beautiful and unique part of it is the genuine backtalk; Diaval might start out subservient and he certainly maintains that position but as time goes on he proves himself perfectly willing to correct or backtalk Maleficent. He basically functions as a reminder of her heart and moral compass while she is recovering from her hurt (and subsequent revenge bender) and it's delightful to watch because you rarely see a position where a male character is so open and honest while the woman gets to have the delicious redemption arc. Maleficent is going through an enemies-to-godfamily relationship arc with Aurora while Diaval is patiently waiting for her to realize he's got heart eyes (AND for her to realize she does actually love Aurora, that's another great element, he realizes this LONG before Maleficent does and tries to gently nudge her over to that revelation). But also this:

He really said "I am just pretending to be afraid of you; I know you won't hurt me even if you push me around" and he was right. What a lovely thing to be playing out as the B or maybe C-plot. There's enough insane drama happening, it's nice that there's something a little lighter and more steady in the background of the story.

Another thing I was musing on through the book and film -- as much as I adore found family and platonic love, it's nice to see a story where a victim of what is clearly coded as sexual assault and is at least intimate partner violence finds love again. I know Maleficent & Diaval isn't technically 'canon', but again, the film was juggling enough relationship arcs with Maleficent & Aurora and Maleficent & Stefan. It's okay, in my eyes, for the romance element to be subtext, when it's clearly still important and given some narrative space and weight.

I had a more coherent thought but finally found a gif of just this moment (thank you, @raainstorms, you spoil us all) so instead you get this. I love it. Maleficent really said "go defend our kid who I haven't realized yet is our kid" and Diaval said "understood". Never proposed but nevertheless they've been married for years.

"Who fell first vs. who fell harder" is defunct. "Which one is the evil minion who adopted the baby on sight and who is the Evil Empress who had to slowly realize they love the baby" is the vintage yardstick everything else has to measure up to. I will read 100,000 fanfics of Maleficent only belatedly realizing that somewhere in the process of acquiring her goddaughter she also acquired a husband. Maybe she acquired the husband first, she certainly does not know. Diaval understands this and is okay with it, Aurora probably doesn't understand in the slightest how her godmother did not pick up on anything.

And the sequel! I realized after reading some other posts that I did NOT remember the sequel correctly because my memories are "fairy genocide and also Diaval and Maleficent are co-parenting". Apparently somewhere in there Maleficent is shoved into a love triangle with two men who are not her long-term boytoy/coparent/external moral compass, which is ridiculous, because the film ends with them attending their daughter's wedding in matching outfits.

If Maleficent 3 (boo hiss at Disney, make something new, cowards) isn't about Aurora parent trapping them I am going to riot in the street.

TL;DR: My roommate described maleval as this post and I have not been able to shake it from my mind because it really, really fits:

[cardentist]

forget shipping, nothing's weirder to me than people in the gorillaz fandom trying to argue that murdoc, russel, and 2d aren't noodle's dads

they legally adopted her at 8 years old, and when you look at the early interviews they All treat her like the child she was (talking about her bedtime, trying not to swear in front of her, taking care of her, yes even murdoc).

and when they thought they lost her the band literally imploded. 2d moved to an entirely different country to try to find himself, murdoc went on a self destructive bender that ended with him secluding himself in the literal middle of the ocean (as far away from civilization as possible) and creating a cyborg replica of her, and russel threw himself off a dock (only surviving because he's a cartoon character) and literally carrying her on his back across the ocean after he found her alive.

yes The Characters don't tend to label their relationships traditionally, but they Are her parents Objectively, and it's weird to try to pretend otherwise.

[xkaidaxxxx]

Pt2 for Zuko x Chubby reader?

Zuko x chubby reader pt.2

Mentions: body shaming, foul language, angst, aggression, lying, fluff

Simple! :) sorry for the errors.

"One day there will be an amazing man who will fall in love with you. He'll love everything about you." Katara said. You smiled and hugged her. "Awe" Aang and Sokka said in unison. You are very fortunate to have wonderful supportive friends. Katara's words came true. Years later. When you dumped Zuko that was the day Zuko and Mai decided to leave. You missed him more than anything. Once the war was over you went back to your parents. People still judged them for taking a water bender into their family.

"Well I'm off mama," you said. You turned to the door and your father was blocking it. "Dad please don't start." he smiled rolling his eyes as he added a blade into your bag. "Just in case y/n. Now run along," he said moving away. Your dad is very protective.

You didn't want to be late for your business. Since you learned how to heal with water bending back in the war you finally found it useful in the fire nation. You saw soldiers at your place. "Excuse me soldiers...is there a problem?" you asked and crossed your arms. They turned to face you. Zuko was right at your door waiting. He thinks he can show up because he's the Fire Lord. You gladly ignored him. Opening up and walking inside. His eyes widened as the door slammed in his face. A little boy giggled. "Your girlfriend is mad at you?" he then gasped realizing Zuko was the fire lord, bowed, and ran off. He walked inside waving off the soldiers. "I'm here to see Y/n." He spoke looking around. You're a doctor. "Zuko get the hell out of here. You can seek help elsewhere." he frowned. After you went separate ways he never forgot about what you did for him. How many sacrifices have you committed? You left your family..your home...You always put him first. " My heart is aching Y/n...ever since the day we went our separate ways. I never lost thought of you. My mind kept replaying how many times you showed me all your love and support. You're the one. It took me a while to know that." he confessed. "Zuko...you're losing your mind. You obviously need to see a therapist." you continued looking at your list of incoming patients. He held your hand, gripping it lightly. He now has your undivided attention. " Y/n I'm in love with you. I need you in my life. I know you still have feelings for me." he said hoping you'd kiss him or hug him. "I don't have feelings for you Zuko. I'm flattered by your confession." you pulled away and started organizing your files. " Then why do you still have the ring I gave you on our 2nd date..and the necklace too." he called you out on it. He's willing to make it up to you even if it takes long. He frowned as you placed the necklace and ring in his hand. "Here I should've given them to you that day," you said with a shakey voice. You did still love him. More than anything. "I love you y/n. why...why did I have to break something I love too much?" those words made you cry. "you..love me Zuko?" he looked up in hope you'd let him back into your life. He nodded. "I..I love you too. Always had. Now give me those back!" you yelled snatching the ring and necklace. He blushed as you put them back on. " I want to meet your parents." you smacked his arm. "way too soon. We need to take things slowly ya know.." your first patient walked in with her lovely daughter. "Hi little one are you ready for your treatment today," you asked as you carried her. Zuko was already thinking about how many kids you'd be willing to have.

Taking things slowly was revoked. Within a month he met your parents and 5 months later you're married and living in the palace. "so..how many kids are you willing to have with me?" he asked as he undressed you for a bath. " When the time is right I'll know," you replied. You already knew the answer to that. 4.Eventually, you had a little boy. He has his Daddy's black hair and his Mommy's pretty dark brown eyes. "Daddy this hard," Akio complained and started crying. "Akio momma said no fire bending yet. wait...where did you get this scroll?" Akio pointed a the wall. Where a portrait of Iroh was placed. "Uncle is yours," Akio said. Zuko carried Akio and sighed. " yes now let us go to momma. She's waiting for us to head into town." Akio giggled excited to attend the festival. Before leaving Zuko looked at the portrait and smiled.

Once you all got to the festival you met up with your friends. " Oh, he's so adorable." Katara said holding out her arms to carry him."Akio this is my best friend Katara." you said. He hid his face in your neck. Sokka chuckled. "Ha, he doesn't like you." Katara smacked him. "Shut up." "Not in front of my son." Zuko scolded her. Katara dedicated herself to getting Akio to call her auntie. Sokka bought a small teddy bear just the right size for Akio. He was too shy to grab it at first from Sokka. "It's yours bud," you said and he grabbed it. "What do we say?" Zuko spoke to him. "Thank yous." Akio said. "Hey, kid. You look a lot like your dad. I'm Aang." "This kid is my son Akio,"Zuko said. He's grateful to Aang but boy can he be so annoying. "Right Akio. Hey!" that sudden loudness made Akio cry. "Dada" "Sshh shh it's okay come here." Zuko took him from you. He's such a daddy boy. All your friends were shocked. A kid does change people. Zuko was more open-minded and a little carefree. He's a good dad and husband. "let's go get sweets not tell momma okay." he whispered to Akio. You knew what he told him because he quickly stopped crying. Sweets. It's Akio's weakness. " we'll be back baby love you." They left. "He looks like such a good dad," Aang commented. Sokka and Katara agreed. "Yes, he is and will be again. I plan on telling him tonight. Although I think he already knows.," you replied.

[ladybender]

Jesus oh my god...

Futurama's second episode of this season "Quids Game" was a punch in the guts. In a good way! It goes right on par with episodes like "Cold Warriors" and "Game of Tones": an exploration of Fry's childhood, this time through the lens of mean aliens making him relieve his 8th birthday party games - this time to the death!

I have a lot to say about this episode so buckle up!

Let's start off with some minor complains I have for this one, which are pacing, stakes, and Leela's characterization (in a particular scene).

The episode really flew by so fast, almost at a break-necking pace, and the games felt too short and jam-packed because of that. The emotional weight of the end of each game hits hard because with every one a beloved character dies. There managed to find the time to get the reaction for the major ones (Kif, Leela's parents and grandmother), which is great, but the episode moves so quickly and there is little more time to absorbed it all.

Though, about this issue, I wanna say that I often feel like episodes are either going by too fast or too slow the first time I watch them and it usually doesn't feel the same from a second watch onward. so this is really a minor one that might not even be an problem for me later on, but I thought it was worth mentioning.

moving on to stakes, with this I mean that I originally thought, before the episode aired, that the end goal of the death dame was that the winner would get a prize. A birthday gift for example, and it would have incentivized everyone to go on and even play dirty (which, in retrospect, seems like a really smart thing to put in! compare everyone trying to get an advantage to Fry absolutely refusing to cheat, and pack an even bigger punch with that ending). I suppose playing to survive is motivation enough, but I think it undermines the "wants" of most other characters, and since this was a big coral episode (which is absolutely a strength! I can only imagine how hard it must have been to put together, wow!) I would have loved to see them striving to win, guess what their “birthday wish” would have been, maybe even learn a few of them along the way.

The third iffy thing I want to mention is Leela in the scene in the kitchen. There are seven characters left in the competition and only four baseballs to find to win the round. Leela is panicking trying to find one and she begs fry to cheat and find it for her since he already played when he was a kid and knows the house. Now this conflict was SO good and ALMOST perfect, but whyyyy oh why was Leela so ready to leave Fry behind??? doesn't make sense to me??? I know she was scared and upset bc she had just lost her family and that probably pushed her to act irrationally, but I just can't see her only wanting to keep herself alive and not Fry, especially when an easier and stronger solution is RIGHT THERE.

Have Leela go to Fry already with one of the baseball (that she might have found in some crawled and ridiculous place, to show how desperate she is to win and survive. if you have the wish giving stakes it's even better because you can imagine she'd use her gift to bring her parents back). in the meantime, the other characters find two other balls so there is only one left, and NOW Leela begs Fry to cheat to find the last one and win with her. It's even more emotional, Leela tells him she doesn't want to lose him too but Fry categorically doesn't want to cheat, and in the end tells Leela to win without him, sacrificing himself for her. Bender finds the last ball in the fridge and the episode continues just like we saw (with Bender tossing the ball to someone else right before being pulverized lol. like I said, Bender should be cheating like MAD in these games, really drive home the concept).

I wanna make it clear that these complains don't really turn me off from the whole episode, they are just my free flow of thoughts on stuff that i thought could have been stronger.

But now for the meat. This episode was phenomenal!!! so much good Fry's family characterization and SO much to unpack for Fry as a character. Cody Ziglar has such a spot on take on Fry, it was so validating seeing this episode and putting together all the little pieces of Fry's psyche I’ve picking out for years now, converging into one.

It seems superficial at first glance, but this really runs deeper than it looks. Fry has always been earnest but insecure, proven and proven again in countless episodes. You expect a person goofy and easygoing like Fry to go ham at his birthday and celebrate with all the people he loves, but we find out Fry doesn't like his birthday and feels bad about being put at the center of attention, and it all goes deeper and more upsetting from there.

Adding to all of this and speaking about Fry’s parents, especially his mom, I wanna add that it’s such a realistic conflict it was painful to watch – she wanted to give her son the chance to be a winner, she had no idea how the situation would turn against him. Sometimes a good day of parenting could be the kid’s most terrible experience of his life, and that’s brutal but the parent meant well even if they ruined things for their kid. It’s so sad Fry never got to see how much his mom and dad did for him, and she wanted him to feel like a winner, but this isn’t a story with an easy resolution. It’s bittersweet and it's insane and this last scene ruined me fr, like just look at this what the hell

This exploration of Fry goes hand in hand with everything we know of him. it seamlessly adds another layer of understanding that I’m honestly not even sure I can unpack in a single post, because there is so much to say and draw conclusions from, starting from the very first episode and ending with Meanwhile. From his relationship with his parents and his brother, to his love life and friendships, from his view of himself as a loser to the way he's always striving to better himself while always staying true to himself, trying to achieve his goals the hard way instead of finding an easy way out. Think the why of Fry, Parasite Lost, TKOS, the sting, godfella, my three suns, BBS, cold warriors, and on and on and on. It’s building together a picture of Fry’s character that’s so complex and worth exploring.

With this episode we have a new fundamental facet of him, and for this alone it’s an amazing episode.

I’ll mail my therapy bill to the writers, thank you

And thank you for reading, let me know your thoughts and opinion, I wanna know what y’all thought about this episode

[sokkie]

Zuko who knows his soulmate is from the Water Tribe. They have to be, the twisting blue saluting over his left bicep can’t belong to anyone else. His father forced him to keep it covered, though he did try to hav rot burnt off despite knowing that soul marks couldn’t be removed. The burn stayed, but the twisting cold blue only became brighter and twisted further up and down his arm. Zuko learn to hate it, it was what he was told, but he hated a lot of things. He hated the Avatar, he hated his father, his masters, commander Zhoa, and his even the gruelling training he forced himself to do every day. Even though he tried, he couldn’t hate the mark on his skin even though he didn’t know them, it made him feel sick. Especially when he remembered his mother telling him stories of how beautiful the love of soulmates were despite never having one.

Sokka has cut, burned and punched the mark of a resting dragon curled around his thigh more times than he can count. Every time it comes back, face soft and content despite its torment. Only his sister knows of it, their parents choosing to keep it secret for his safety. It’s a burden and a shame on his family, he doesn’t care how beautiful or kind she is, she is his enemy. The flame the dragon has blowing from its mouth as softy as wind raged in his dreams and more than anything Sokka hated how safe it feels. It’s evil and dangerous but it’s also warm in a way Sokka hasn’t known since his father left, since before Katara was known as a bender and preferred by all over him. He hates the mark and the soulmate who may be sit, even if he wants nothing more than burn in the embrace of their flame.

CW: mentions of abuse

It’s only because of Iroh that Zuko isn’t killed. He’s beaten and tortured by his own mean, but before the ship even gets close to land, Iroh has grunted them all to ash and is taking his nephew and running. He knows that the man who calls himself a father will do, knows what will happen should anyone know of how Zuko’s mark has moved over his entire chest as it flowed like an aurora. He will not loose his nephew, even if the boy himself has never been more lost in his life.

[catholic-character-tournament]

Round 5 - Catholic Character Tournament

Propaganda below ⬇️

Pope Pinion IV (Cars)

HELLO. IT IS I. THE GREAT AND ALMIGHTY ITALIAN TOURNEY. PLEASEPLEASE PUT HIM IN THERE WAS SO MUCH POPE DISCOURSE ON MY ACC AND HE WAS SOLOED IN THE FIRST ROUND BY LUIGI😭😭😭💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔 PLEASE AVENGE HIMMMM

The existence of Catholicism in the Cars universe implies that there was (or at least there was believed to be) a car Jesus who died for the cars’ sins, and I for one would like to see how a car gets crucified or sins. I guess the blood/wine here would be gasoline, but what would the body/bread be? How did they sit at the last supper? What is the layout of car church? How does a car build a church? Do other human religions exist in the cars universe? How does a goddess with the body of a human and the head of a cat translate to a car? Do Buddhist cars rein-car-nate? Do cars have souls?

he lost the italian character tournament, he will win here

Harrowhark

I'm pretty sure you've already got plenty of submissions for her so I'll just say she was raised in what is basically a cult (technically a nunnery but let's be real) dedicated to keeping the body of the thing that will kill God behind the rock. One of their prayers is actually "I pray the rock is never rolled away". Harrow is extremely devout as penance for her earlier heretical actions in the tomb as a child (spoiler!) so the Catholic guilt really comes through

imagine being a catholic nun and you meet god, but it turns out he’s a twitch streamer from new zealand who became god because everything got a little bit out of hand. and just before you met him you gave yourself a diy grief-fuelled lobotomy with the help of your best frenemy. imagine how insane you’d be. now multiply that insanity by nine. that’s the fictional love of my life right there.

she meets god. she’s not inspired

she’s number one practitioner of space Catholicism. The locked tomb is chock full of Christian (catholic) imagery themes metaphors etc. just look at her she’s got a bone rosary

They're Catholicism with extra bones. Everyone is a nun. They have what is basically a rosary made from knuckle bones. They technically worship the same God as everyone else, but they're waaaay more focused on The Body in the Tomb (Mary) and we get a moment where we find out that while everyone else prays the equivilent of The Lords Prayer, they're doing the equivilent of Hail Mary. And they paint their faces with skulls.

She thinks leaving dry bread in a drawer is taking care of someone. She's in love with a 10,000 year old corpse (the same one they worship). She spent ALL NIGHT digging with her bare hands to make sure a field had bones every 5 feet so she could fight her girlfriend - I mean, greatest enemy. Spoiler territory: She's been puppeting her parents corpses since she was 8 years old. Instead of grieving her dead girlfriend, she gives herself a lobotomy. She makes soup with bone in it so she can use the bone IN THEIR STOMACH to try and kill them.

The author is/was Catholic and the entire series had heavy Catholic overtones. https://www.tor.com/2020/08/19/gideon-the-ninth-young-pope-and-the-new-pope-are-building-a-queer-catholic-speculative-fiction-canon/ A good breakdown of how it's Catholic

Anti-propaganda (spoilers)

I love the Locked Tomb series but Harrowhark has daddy issues with God, had a childhood crush on God's cryogenic partner, and is in love with God's daughter, not to mention that she's essentially a bone-bender. The religion on her home planet exists in a way that is technically against the will of the canon in-universe God, even. All of this to say, Harrowhark is heretical at minimum if not an outright witch. Terrible Catholic. Burn her.

[massiveobservabletidalwave]

Anyone saying the live adaptation of ATLA was bad, does not remember the series well and/or does not understand how adaptation from cartoon to live action has to function. Is it identical to the original? No. Should it be? No. It's called adaptation not remake/remaster, dummies. I loved shifting more of the Zuko/Iroh relationship earlier and to the forefront. Y'all do not remember Iroh well from season 1. His ass got a whole retcon/rewrite to gloss over the very anime trope of "gluttonous pervy old man" to "talented and emotional statesman who is playing a role". THAT is this Iroh, just from the start.

Is the series "darker"? Yes. Is it ANY different from the darkness of the original? Nope, we just freak out watching real people burn to death. Because yeah a FUCKTON of people burned to death and most of the characters are orphaned, lost one parent, or were traumatized by their parents (or all three Zuko you over achiever). If you just now realized that or disagree, go rewatch the series. The message was always "the world is bleak but the youth will always fight for a better one, so we should listen and help them". In what way was that altered?

Oh you didn't get to see the canyon crawlers or elephant seal riding?? Ooooh poor baby, you miss the filler arcs. Yup, they were fun episodes, but they were very much episodes about teaching little kids morality. That's not this show. It is clearly geared towards an older audience. I am rewatching the ATLA cartoon and I skimmed most of season one, watching it but doing other stuff, because it was a bunch of filler. And the live action literally name drops that those things happen!!!! They just do not have the time or inclination to make a shot-for-shot live action remake. Because that's not what this is. Again, ADAPTATION.

It is more blatant about the message now, and somehow y'all still missed it. It added more lore from the books, cooler fights, more spirit world, more relationship movement. All the things from the original, just moved up a season. Which, my sweet ding dongs, will mean MORE OF THE SEASON 2 AND 3 CAN BE DONE SHOT FOR SHOT. Starting emotional arcs sooner rather than later could mean we get more later, when there is less filler! We could get the swamp benders episode in full. We could get the entire wrestling match. Hama. Boiling Rock. EMBER ISLAND PLAYERS. We could get everything! Yeah I could be wrong, but I could be right. And isn't the god damn Jeezy creezy point of the show that it's not all bad? To find the good?

In closing, any adaptation that gives me this June, Azula, Kyoshi, and the hottest tribe ever (how is everyone on the water tribe so attractive?!?!?) is not bad in my eyes. The acting was great, bending was sick, writing was solid as the original (y'all don't remember how corny and dramatic the show was so you? EIP were there for a reason). Give this an honest chance. It's not the original, but it shouldn't be. Because we already have that, we don't need another.

[foxyanon]

To End A War: HoTD/TLK Crossover, ATLA AU

Book 1: Water

Chapter 1: The Avatar

Pairing(s): Aemond Targaryen x Avatar!Reader, Sihtric Kjartansson x Avatar!Reader

Summary: The end begins…

Word Count: 2,406

TW: Character death, mention of bloodbending

Disclaimer: I do not own any images used nor any of the characters from House of The Dragon, The Last Kingdom or Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Many thanks to @arcielee for making the dividers for this series!

Earth. Fire. Air. Water.

Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony, but everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements could stop them. Sadly, Avatar Aang was found and captured after having evaded the Fire Nation for 75 years. The air bender had challenged Fire Lord Daemon to an Agni Kai when the Southern Air Temple came under attack and subsequently lost the fight due to the vulnerability Aang experienced when he entered the Avatar state. The resulting massacre of the airbenders at the temple and the brutal death of the Avatar shook the world to its core, and it seemed all hope was lost.

Most of the knowledge surrounding the Avatar cycle was obscured from the public, many only knowing parts of the stories behind the legend. However, Daemon knew that he had only deferred the inevitable since the Avatar would reincarnate within the water tribe next. While the Northern Water Tribe had not shown to be the birthplace of the next Avatar, that left only the Southern Water Tribe. Fortunately for the balance of the world, the Southern Tribe was notoriously recluse and difficult to reach, even for the might of the Fire Nation. The ever moving icebergs and harsh snowstorms meant that the Fire Navy couldn’t reach any of the settlements within the South Pole. It is here, where the water bending Avatar has hidden for 25 years, waiting and training for the day where she would end this never ending war.

From the day of my birth, my parents knew I was destined for something greater than myself. My training began in earnest when I was old enough to walk since I was among the last of the southern waterbenders and the Avatar. My mentor, Master Hama, often took me away from the rest of the tribe for us to train away from prying eyes. From the beginning, she drilled the importance of not showing mercy to my enemies into my head, showing me how to pull water from every available source and how to manipulate water on a larger scale. When I was 16, she showed me a previously unknown form of waterbending, bloodbending. Since I knew her entire story, I knew she had suffered greatly under the hands of the Fire Nation and thus her unorthodox methods never phased me. I knew there was a great pressure on me to learn as much as possible, as the chances of me being able to learn any of the other elements were rather slim at the time being. The fate of the world rested on my shoulders and I was determined not to fail.

I remain hidden within Grey Wolf Village, far from the capital of the South Pole. I still train daily, but Master Hama’s age has started to catch up with her and she is incapable of going too far from the village for our training. Of all the lessons she has taught me, none have been more important than hiding my identity from the world. “The world is full of monsters disguised as men, you must never let them know who you are,” she would say. I often slipped away from the village, trying to teach myself the other elements whenever Hama wasn’t hovering over me. It was difficult, especially since I had a hard time connecting myself to my past lives and therefore couldn’t ask for their guidance. I knew I would need to find masters to help teach me the other elements, but that would be near impossible since I was the most wanted person within the Fire Nation.

It was on one of these secret excursions that I first saw them, the massive metal ship flying the banner of the Fire Nation causing my heart to nearly stop. I had been trying to teach myself fire bending, but it hadn’t been going according to plan. Instead, I somehow managed to nearly set myself on fire while also melting a fair amount of the snow around me. My failed attempt at firebending must have been seen from the deck of the warship, and now my people were going to suffer for my foolishness. They were sailing straight for the village and everyone there was defenseless, save a handful of warriors and Hama. Without thinking, I jumped into the saddle of my loyal companion, a polar bear dog named Ivalu and we ran towards our home, hoping to arrive before it was too late.

Prince Aemond had been watching along the shoreline, something in his gut telling him he was in the right place. Navigating the ice fields had been hazardous but he was determined to investigate every inch of the frozen landscape until his curiosity was satisfied. He could feel the eyes of his aunt, Princess Rhaenys, on him as he looked through the spyglass. Her ever constant presence by side since that fateful day both thrilled and infuriated him. The soft sound of Rhaenys moving the tiles across the pai sho board mingled with the seemingly calm breeze of the cold morning, a good sign in Aemond’s mind. He continued to ignore her, instead focusing on his own task when he heard a sigh come from behind him.

“You should rest, Aemond. Come, play a round with me,” she spoke in her usual soothing tone, no malice like he had been used to back home. The sound of another tile being moved into place then a contemplative hum filled the air as she waited for a response.

Aemond turned to face her, a scowl on his face as he glared at her. “No, I must keep looking. I do not have time for games, Aunt. We are in the right place, I am sure of it,” he ground out, turning back to the telescope and training his good eye back on the shoreline. Luck appeared to be on his side when he saw what could only be described as a fiery explosion and at the center of the scene, an indistinguishable figure that he could only assume belongs to the one person he has been hunting. A little further along the snowy landscape, he caught sight of a small village. “See there! On the ice there was someone firebending. There is only one explanation, Aunt. We have found the Avatar and their hiding place.”

A heavy sigh and another soft tap of a tile before Rhaenys clicked her tongue at her nephew's stubbornness. “Prince Aemond, we have been down this road before. I do not want you to get excited over nothing.”

“This time is different, I can feel it. Set a course for that village!” Aemond excitedly responded, feeling closer to the end of a long road than he had in a long time.

Upon my return to the village, I learned that the ship had already docked and several men had already come ashore. I slipped past the ice walls and stayed hidden behind a few of the tents, watching as my kin were rounded up and interrogated by a tall and imposing figure. He wore a standard Fire Nation uniform, but it was the way he carried himself that stood out the most to me. His long white hair was pulled back neatly and he wore an eyepatch over his left eye, the edges of a deep scar peeking out and marring his handsome face. I knew in an instant he was a member of the royal family, but I didn’t know his name. Dread started to settle in my chest as the realization that I have been discovered started to become my reality. I was pulled from my short lived self-loathing when I heard the wizened voice of my mentor bark back a retort to the foreign prince.

”Haven’t you taken enough from us already? Or does your greed know no bounds?” Hama asked, the anger in her voice strong despite her frail appearance.

The man simply stared at her, not moved by her words as he asked his question again. “Where is the Avatar? I know they are here, I spotted them along the shore. You will tell me where they are.”

The silence that followed must have irked the man, because he grabbed Hama by her parka before summoning a flame to his free hand. “Tell me now or she suffers for it!” he shouted, his jaw clenching when he received no verbal response.

Instead, the few warriors that remained sprung into action to distract the four other men that had come ashore. That split second was enough for the Fire Prince to loosen his hold of Hama before she too went on the defensive, knocking her captor to the ground with a smooth roll of her arm, the water whip snapping against his chest. The remaining women and children quickly made for safety while I jumped out from my hiding place, pulling water from the snow to send one enemy to the ground to buy time for my neighbors to hide. I quickly turned to see the prince get up and engage in a one on one battle with Hama, my mentor deflecting each of his attacks. He was quicker and more agile, but she was more experienced and had an environmental advantage. I wanted to come to her aid, but the subtle shake of her head as she kept his focus on her was enough to stay my hand. Instead, I focused on aiding the warriors of the village, keeping the fighting from advancing too far from the shore.

After a seemingly quick battle, only Hama and the strange bender were left. They were both breathing heavily as they pushed and pulled with one another. In his rage, he lashed out and Hama went flying back, her body crumpling into a heap on the ground. I quickly jumped into the fray with a shout, taking him by surprise as the rage began to simmer beneath the surface of my skin. The air was thick with tension as we stared at each other, my eyes locked onto his one blue one. My lips were pulled back into a snarl as I bared my teeth, my body poised to strike. He regarded me slowly, a flicker of recognition passing over his face as he dropped into a fighting stance.

Aemond stared at the young woman in front of him, her hair coming undone from its style and her breathing even despite the fighting against some of my best men. She was beautiful, from the stone cold focus in her eyes to the aggressive look on her face. For a moment, he was taken aback before realizing she looked a lot like the figure he saw earlier. The thought that he was actually standing face to face with the Avatar, the very person he was hunting and discovering they were a woman caused something to stir within him. He quickly squashed those feelings, knowing that she was the key to his future and he couldn’t afford to lose focus now that she was within reach.

”So, you are the Avatar? I thought you’d be…” he started to say, but a low growl escaped her throat and suddenly he was having to dodge shards of ice leveled at his head. With a bob and a weave, he evaded and went on the defensive as he started going through the motions. It was easy enough to get angry, memories of his final moments home and now the conflicting emotions swirling within him giving him an edge in the fight. Water and fire clashed as the two circled each other, Aemond’s steps harsher and heavier compared to the Avatar’s more fluid form.

The fight carried on for several more minutes, neither gaining ground on the other until the old woman joined the fight again. The two women moved in sync, backing Aemond towards the warship with offset attacks, not letting him get so much as a breath in. The loss of ground and the possibility of missing out on this opportunity set him off and he roared, throwing out his arms as the flames rolled across the ground, knocking both his opponents to the ground. There was a sickening crunch and he heard the Avatar cry out causing him to look up to see what had happened. The older woman was on the snow, her neck bent at an unusual angle and eyes lifeless as she lay there. The silence as the village gathered around, the Avatar holding the limp body of the woman he determined was her mentor. Soft sobs and incoherent words fell from her lips, the pitiful sounds breaking Aemond’s heart.

He stepped forward, the snow crunching underfoot alerting the grieving woman to his approach. She snapped her head up, tears streaming down her face and grief heavy in her eyes. A brief moment passed before she gently set the dead woman down and rose from her kneeling position, her gaze never leaving his. He was only barely aware of his Aunt on the deck of the ship, several more of his men standing on the gangplank and waiting for further instruction. That’s when the gleam in her eyes registered in his hazy mind and he felt fear for the first time in a long time.

One moment, Hama and I are beating back this aggressive man and the next, she’s gone. An overflow of emotions came over me; sorrow, grief, but most of all, rage. The sound of his footsteps was enough to send me over, the feeling of all my past lives suddenly came rushing to the forefront of my mind and I felt nearly invincible in that moment. One thrust of an arm and all the Fire Nation soldiers were sent flying back into the belly of the ship with the invisible force of a strong breeze. Another upwards punch and a solid step forward, the metal made a loud clanging sound as the ship suddenly closed with everyone on board. A twirl in place and strong push, the water and wind carried the ship away from my home with the force of a polar vortex and swept them all out into the glacier ridden sea.

I felt the immense power leave me before the world went black, the feeling of being caught before I hit the ground, the last thing my overworked mind registered before I passed out.

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