#tyro the earthbender

[auditect]

My newest crack theory for Avatar: The Last Airbender:

Just, keep in mind, this is not serious.

You see, rewatching the show as an adult, two characters that stood out to me were Haru and Azulon, because I think that they kind of look like me, with the long hair, the beards, the lean frame, the thin, long-ish jaw... And that's when it dawned on me....that means they look like each other!

Both as teens...

...and as young adults!

Compare this to Tyro, who really dosen't resemble Haru at all, and we come to the inevitable conclusion that Haru is secretly Azulon's illegitimate son.

Now there are two problems with that theory. Firstly, Azulon has grandchildren that are the same age as Haru's, and is therefore too old to believably be his father. However, Azulon's own father, Sozin, had him at the age of 82, so it's not completely unreasonable Azulon himself would father a child at that age.

Secondly, Haru is an earthbender instead of a firebender, and the show implies that he inherited it from his father Tyro. It's possible though that Haru inherited the earthbending from his mother, either through a dormant gene that skipped a generation or Haru's mother actually was an earthbender and kept it a secret to not be taken in by the fire nation, just like she wanted Haru to do.

Do I think that Haru is the secret offspring of Azulon for real? Nah. But I throwing the Idea around in my head was fun, despite how unlikely it is.

[polls4you]

Avatar The Last Airbender: Choose your favorite character! (Round 1)

[hadesisqueer]

One of the things I really disagree with is that benders in LoK are weaker than in ATLA.

Like, maybe normal benders kinda were. Peaceful times and all, average benders in LoK probably weren't as strong or trained as people who were forced to learn how to fight because there was a war going on.

Now, top benders, benders who actually take a role in the story? Not really.

We didn't actually see many Firebenders in LoK aside Mako, Iroh II, P'li and 88yo Zuko who we only saw fight once at the North Pole at night, at his weakest, okay. And well, Korra. Still, P'li was one of the rarest benders in the franchise. And Mako was a pretty talented Firebender, and Korra was about his level except the lightning generation thing. They're not Ozai or Iroh, okay, I'll give you that, but about Show Zuko level. And Iroh II was pretty good too.

We didn't see many Airbenders in ATLA, with the whole Aang being the last one thing. We know Gyatso was great we didn't actually see him bend (aside throwing pies or messing with Aang to cheer him up), nor any other airbenders aside other kids-- and also, all that was before ATLA, in flashbacks. Aang was a prodigy and very powerful. But in LoK, Tenzin wasn't a slouch either. Neither was Jinora, who was also a spiritual prodigy, or Zaheer, or even Kai, who was also pretty good considering the kid had only gotten airbending a few weeks ago. And Korra herself ended up becoming a pretty good airbender. Neither her or nearly all of the others were at Aang the Airbending Prodigy's level, okay, but all of them were good, most of all Tenzin. Tenzin was one of the strongest benders in the franchise overall, and tbh he was probably better than ATLA Aang (but probably not as good as Peak Aang).

The strongest Earthbenders in ATLA are Toph and King Bumi, and most of all Toph, I agree with saying that they are stronger than all the other Earthenders in LOK; the only ones who could keep up with them in terms of just earthbending are people like Yun or Jianzhu from Kuruk's and Kyoshi's Era, or, you know, Kyoshi herself as an adult. However, those are the two only Earthbenders who stick out more than LOK'S. The other talented Earthbenders in ATLA-- guys, come at me. Come at me, look me in the eye and tell me that you actually think Tyro or Haru could beat Lin, Su or Kuvira. Tell me that you actually think that any Dai Li agent of Aang's time could beat Bolin or Ghazan. C'mon, tell me, tell me that you actually believe that. Toph was the exception of ATLA, not the rule. Aside her and probably Bumi —and Lavabending and Metalbending could still give any of the others an advantage against him that gives them the ability to put up a good fight—, any Earthbender in LOK could probably beat any other Earthbender in ATLA without breaking a sweat.

And in terms of Waterbending it's not just that the Waterbenders in LOK are as strong as the ATLA ones, it's that most of them are stronger. The only notable Waterbenders in ATLA (the only ones if we're being honest, we didn't see many Waterbenders). Were Katara, Pakku, Hama and Aang. Aang was a weaker Waterbender than any of the previously mentioned ones, and Bloodbending inventor Hama got beat up by 14yo Katara. So, really, the strongest ones are Katara and Pakku. Now, Legend of Korra had, let's see *checks* Amon, Yakone, Unalaq, Tarrlok, Korra herself, Ming-Hua-- damn, even 'weaker' Waterbenders like Tonraq, Kya II, Eska or Desna are still pretty skilled. Most Waterbenders in LOK are insanely OP, and generally stronger than even the strongest at ATLA. For example, in terms of raw power —idk about skill, that's a different thing—, Amon beats people like Katara and Pakku easily; his raw power was, well, more powerful than Korra's, who has the biggest pure Waterbending feat in the franchise, and than Tarrlok's, who had more raw power than Korra, at least in Book 1. The guy was likely the most powerful non-Avatar bender in the franchise.

[sapphic-agent]

Rewriting the Gaang in LOK

Basically how I would have written the adult Gaang. Pretend the comics as they are don't exist.

Katara: Breaks up with Aang sometime post-finale to do some soul-searching. Travels the world on her own and sees how people are struggling after the war. After talking (beating) some sense into a few government officials, she realizes that the best way to help people post-war is through politics. She becomes an (unofficial) ambassador, helping and negotiating aid for small villages that tend to get overlooked and does this for a number of years. She joins up with Zuko and Aang after they found the United Republic of Nations and becomes Councilwoman Katara, representative of the Southern Water Tribe. She eventually gets voted chairwoman due to her passion to improve the lives of the citizens (and because her fellow council members are too scared to vote against her). She heals on the side when she needs to, but only out of obligation since she can't stand to see people suffer; she puts much more effort into getting raising funds for a hospital full of healers. A few years later, Haru moves to Republic City and is just as awestruck by her as he was the day they met (the pornstache has been removed by divine intervention). They meet up a couple of times; for drinks after work, walks around the city, and they even attend a few galas together. They eventually start dating and get married two years later. They have their first daughter Kya (who's an earthbender), a son- Tyro (who's a nonbender), and another daughter Suma (who's a waterbender). They live a happy, peaceful (if you could call Katara stopping the occasional criminal before the police peaceful) life together where their children are well-loved and as part of the Southern Water Tribe as they are the Earth Kingdom. Aang's death hits their family hard, but they all come together and support each other. Katara personally mentors Korra, even convincing her family move to Republic City so that the Avatar knows the people she's meant to protect (the White Lotus protests, they fail❤️). She teaches Korra Waterbending, but also teaches her empathy and appreciation for other cultures (and that sometimes, selfish world leaders need a good punch to the face, a lesson Korra took to heart even though she absolutely wasn't supposed to see it).

Aang: Is torn up after Katara breaks up with him. He's hurt and confused and doesn't know what to do with himself. He retreats to Ba Sing Se where he talks with Iroh and learns that he unfairly pushed his feelings onto Katara. Wracked with guilt at hurting someone he cares about so much, Aang realizes that he has a lot of growing up to do. He focuses on his job as the Avatar, working closely with Zuko, Kuei, and the other leaders to heal the world after the war. The first time he sees Katara again is when she arrives to help with the United Republic of Nations. He apologizes to her and Katara forgives him, promising they'll always be best friends. His role in Republic City is more or less the same, though at some point he develops feelings for Toph. But he fears doing to her what he had done to Katara, so he tries to ignore them. But Toph, never one to beat around the bush, point-blank asks him if he's ever gonna man-up and confess to her. They start dating, and Lin comes a few months later as a surprise. They have their hiccups- Aang especially needing to reconcile with the fact that there's a chance she might not be an Airbender- but they manage to resolve them. Lin is an Earthender, of course, but Aang loves his little girl to pieces (which is good, because Toph would kill him if she suspected otherwise). Tenzin is born three years later, an Airbender, and Su Yin is born two years after that as an Earthbender. Lastly there's Bumi, a nonbender. There's always the urge to favor Tenzin, but Aang knows he can't. They're all his children and they deserve to be treated as such. So he teaches them all about their culture, takes them all on trips. The kids fight, but Aang is always quick to help resolve it (as it turns out, getting Lin and Su to stop fighting is a lot harder than getting the four nations to get along, go figure). Aang loves his wife and kids and wouldn't trade any of them for the world. He dies peacefully at age 66, surrounded by his children and the love of his life.

Sokka: Fucking hates politics. He'll leave the negotiating and speeches to his sister, thank you very much. If the room of government officials isn't a war room, he wants no part in it. After the war, he spends most of his time in the Southern Water Tribe. He works with his father to rebuild and relearn their culture, and writes frequent letters to his sister. Though, something about his life in the south is unfulfilling. Maybe he misses Suki, but there's something about inventing that calls to him. He can't do much of that in the south pole, so he leaves for the Earth Kingdom, helping villages struggling with heat, agriculture, transportation, etc. In the United Republic of Nations, he becomes lead engineer of the city, utilizing bending to make quick technological advances. He and Suki reunite in Republic City where Suki becomes the police chief. They get back together and have a daughter, Lian. The three of them live a simple life together, until Suki gets gravely injured in the line of duty when Lian is twenty. They decide to retire to the Southern Water Tribe where Sokka takes over for Hakoda as chief and prepares Lian to take over for him.

Toph: When Toph hears that Twinkle Toes and Sparky finally started that fancy new city, she thinks it's the perfect opportunity to cause a little chaos. Closing her metalbending school, she decides to relive her days as the Blind Bandit by founding pro-bending (thanks @ecoterrorist-katara for the idea!). Zuko's a hater and tries to shut it down because "safety," but finds no help in Aang who really, really loves the idea. He goes to every one of her matches and Toph feels both smug pride and... Something else. But she tells herself it would never happen, Twinkle Toes likes girls like Sugar Queen and she was the furthest thing from that. But she isn't totally oblivious, she can feel his heartbeat pick up when he's around her and how he's started to stutter when he's talking to her. So she bites the bullet and they start happily dating. But the arrival of Lin uncovers issues she didn't even know were there. Lin cries loudly and for Toph who relies heavily on her sense of hearing, it's hell. She was also unprepared for how much her body would change. She finds herself not wanting to be around her daughter. But Aang realizes this and urges her to talk to someone. After some arguing, she does. Aang is attentive, so Toph can take breaks when she needs to and Katara and Suki are always ready to get her out of the house when she's overwhelmed. Things with Lin get better and when Tenzin comes around she doesn't suffer nearly as much. Su Yin is similar. It's hard with Bumi because she's older, but Aang and her friends are there to support her. Toph can be distant with her children- her closely monitored childhood always present in her mind- but sees how Aang can be doting and allow their kids freedom. She follows by his example, trying to find a balance between hovering and absence. Aang's death is the worst day of her life- she was there, she felt his heart stop- and she retreats into the swamp for a while to grieve. But she returns to Republic City when Katara begins to mentor the new Avatar. Not to be outdone by Sugar Queen, she becomes Korra's second teacher. It's hard to be around Korra sometimes, but she likes the girl's spunk and attitude, even if she is a brat.

Zuko: Zuko struggles after the war. The obligations of the Fire Lord are crushing and daunting and the fear of turning into his father feels like it's constantly looming over his head. Mai doesn't understand why he's struggling so much and he can't figure out how to explain it to her, so they break up. She goes to Kyoshi Island to spend time with Ty Lee and figure out what she wants in life. Stressed, burnt-out, and heartbroken, Zuko asks Aang to kill him if he ever starts to act like Ozai, but Aang steadfastly refuses, berating him for even suggesting it. Aang assures him that he'll never turn into his father and that he has his friends to rely on. He follows after Aang to Ba Sing Se, working in his uncle's tea shop as a much needed break. He opens up to Iroh about his fears and Iroh affirms that even having these worries proves that he'll never be Ozai. He spends time in Ba Sing Se working in the tea shop and negotiating with the Earth King when he meets Jin again. She's as carefree as she was back then and Zuko is both envious and in awe of it. But he knows he can't have a relationship with her, he can't burden her with his problems. But Jin is gently persistent, lending an ear when he needs one and assuring him that he isn't burdening her. When she asks him if he wants to be with her, he confesses that he does- more than anything- but also admits that he has no idea how it'll work. She tells him that if they want to be together no one should stop them. A year later, they're married and she's crowned Fire Lady Jin. There are some protests to their relationship from traditionalists, but Ambassador Katara (Zuko is so sure that she was never actually given that title, but he can't prove it) is quick to shut them down citing that the Fire Lord marrying an Earth Kingdom girl is a sign of unity. They have their daughter, Izumi, and she's Zuko's entire world. Zuko's greatest fear is that his children will end up like him and Azula, so he refrains from having more kids. Jin respects this, but urges him to talk to Azula. So he does; his sister curses him out, but seems to enjoy his company in her own way. They'll never have a good relationship, but Zuko doesn't want her to feel alone so he makes time at least once a week. It's shortly after Aang's death that Zuko relinquishes the title of Fire Lord to Izumi, his grief over his lifetime friend far too painful. Eventually, though, Katara and Toph bully him into training the new Avatar. It's not a role for a retired Fire Lord, but Zuko knows that the world needs Korra to be strong and it's his responsibility to make that happen as much as he can. And so, he becomes Avatar Korra's third teacher (if you told him 60 years ago that he'd become the Avatar's most sane instructor, he'd think you were high on cactus juice. But with Katara punching dictators in the face and Toph breaking every rule ever written, someone has to be a good influence).

Occupations if you missed them:

Katara: (Unofficial/Self-proclaimed) Ambassador of the Southern Water Tribe, United Republic of Nations Councilwoman and later Chairwoman, Healer (on the side), Waterbending Master to the Avatar

Aang: Avatar, United Republic of Nations Councilman

Sokka: Engineer and Inventor, Chief of the Southern Water Tribe

Toph: Pro-Bender, Manager of the Pro-Bending Arena, Earthbending Master to the Avatar

Zuko: Fire Lord, Firebending Master to the Avatar

Suki: Police Chief of Republic City (I'm sorry I didn't make a detailed background for her I got lazy, I promise I don't love her any less😭)

Defending my ship choices:

Harutara: Come on, y'all know what I'm about at this point. They're my everything, how could I not have them together? Plus, there's something really poetic about Haru falling for her as an adult the way he did as a teenager: watching her inspire those around her. I headcanon that he's enamoured with the sound of her voice because it's the voice that liberated him and his people and he attends all her speeches

Taang: I actually wasn't sure about this one. I'm not an active Taang shipper, but I do think they'd really balance each other out. Toph is the hard ass Aang needs to challenge him and Aang would bring out the softer side in her. Toph would never let Aang favor one kid over the other and Aang wouldn't let Toph neglect their kids. So looking at it like that, I felt them being together would be best for the story

Sukka: It's not as perfect in canon as people make it out to be, but I still love them. I wouldn't want any different for them

Jinko: This one actually made more sense than I would have thought. Jin is very different from Mai, so I can really see her being what Zuko needs considering where he would be mentally. I like Mai, but I feel Maiko really made her way more one dimensional so her living with Ty Lee and finding herself feels like a better end for her (and if they start dating, that's no one's business). And we've already seen Zuko go out of his way to make Jin happy so it's not like we're getting another Kataang situation. I'm happy with this for them

The Kids:

Yes, I purposely made Kya an Earthbender. And yes, Katara still gives her her mother's necklace. Because that's her firstborn daughter no matter what element she does (or doesn't) bend. One thing I hate is that Bryke made the Kataang kids primarily part of the culture that they bend. That's such a slap in the face to biracial kids, not to mention poor Bumi who doesn't seem to belong to either for some reason until he ends up an Airbender. So yeah, all of the Harutara kids are part of the EK and SWT. Suma is a name I made up because it sounded pretty

I know it's weird to think of Lin and Tenzin as siblings, I felt so odd writing it. But I love them both so I couldn't just not write them. I made Bumi the youngest so he could be spoiled because he deserved better in canon. Su and Lin have a better relationship, but they still butt heads because they feel the need to one-up each other due to them both being Earthbenders (and later Metalbenders). Lin still becomes a cop, but their big fight never happened because Su was never neglected to the point of becoming a criminal. All four kids are taught Air Nomad culture and traditions and taken on trips because Aang is a decent father

I named Lian partly after Yue, since Yuèliàng means moon in Chinese. One of my gripes with LOK is that Katara and Sokka's family are meant to be the leaders of the SWT. Kya or Bumi should be the chief in canon, but Bryke just... Didn't do that for some reason. So fuck it, Sokka's daughter is chief now

Nothing really changes about Izumi, although I'd say she's a little friendlier. I contemplated giving Zuko more kids, but I actually think his decision not to have more kids was one of Bryke's better choices. It makes sense, so I didn't feel the need to change it

Other notes:

The Gaang teaching/helping raise baby Korra is something I live for

The Red Lotus is swiftly dealt with by Katara, Toph, Zuko, Suki, and Sokka when Korra is a kid. They never stood a chance. I was actually going to have Sokka still die during the attack in the SWT and Suki kill Zaheer in revenge, but eh I decided not to off Sokka

The Civil War still happens, but differently. I don't have the patience to go into that, just know that Katara is HEAVILY involved

Welp, that's everything in my brain

[waterfire1848]

AU where Aang wakes up 30 years earlier 🙏🏼🙏🏼

Hello, @kibutsulove !!! Got it!

1. Aang wakes up when Hakoda (oldest but smallest of the group except for Aang) 16, Kya is 15, Bato is 15, Ozai is 16, Ursa is 14, and Zhao is 17. When Aang does wake up, he’s woken up thanks to Zhao attacking the village on his first mission and shooting fireballs at Aang’s iceberg (he leaves before noticing Aang). Hakoda, Kya and Bato grab him and bring him back to the village to rest up. Hakoda loves Appa so much while Kya and Bato are digging their nails into the saddle to stay alive.

2. The journey includes Hakoda, Kya and Bato traveling to the North Pole because Aang comes out of the iceberg a decade after Hama is taken away, so he needs to go there to learn waterbending. Hakoda just flat out tackles Pakku and starts punching him when he finds out who he is (Kanna deserved better). Zhao is on their tail the whole time because he’s trying to show off his skills to Ozai (who is too busy hating his showboating brother). Kya and Zhao have one or two or six sessions where they just talk about liking an idiot.

3. When Zhao fails, Ozai wants to go help him (Ursa kind of comes along because she believes the two will die without her) before Iroh (who is also now after Aang) can capture the Avatar. Let’s just say they aren’t as well oiled a team as Team Azula. Ozai is mission driven, Zhao is jealous because Ursa is betrothed to Ozai, and Ursa really is just doing her (she could not possibly care less about capturing Aang but she does find two of his companions kind of cute (bisexual!Ursa))

4. Iroh tries a baby’s first “siege on Ba Sing Se” while Ozai, Zhao and Ursa slip into the city disguises as Kyoshi Warriors. Aang’s earthbending teacher here would probably be Tyro (16) (who sadly isn’t a little blind girl but he is up for all kinds of chaos). Hakoda, Kya and Bato are living their best nonbender lives and watching Tyro through Aang around. (Aang: Aren’t you guys going to help?! Hakoda: You go this! Kya: We believe in you! Bato: Unbroken bones are overrated. Aang: 😑). Kya manages to confess to Hakoda in Ba Sing Se and the two start dating right before the city is taken over by the three Fire Nationals. Aang wouldn’t be killed here because there’s no way to bring him back to life.

5. Tyro, Hakoda, Kya, Bato and Aang all head to the Fire Nation and infiltrate it. While they’re there, Tyro does a prison break, Hakoda learns how to use a new weapon, Kya and Ursa have a secret girls day, Bato goes into the Fire Nation military for a single day and Aang helps out a town. (Kya: I can’t believe that all only took us two months. Hakoda: Yeah, it seems like the rules of time don’t really exist anymore). Meanwhile, Ozai, Ursa and Zhao return as war heroes with Ozai happily rubbing his success in Iroh’s face (but still not getting much positive attention from Azulon if any attention). Zhao grows even more jealous as Ozai and Ursa have to plan their wedding (which Ursa confessed to Kya she doesn’t want to go through with).

[zuko-always-lies]

ATLA Overall Character Stats

One thing I have been wondering for a while is how many lines of dialogue each character has in ATLA. I recently figured out an easy way to calculate it, so here are the stats for the entire series. You can look at the stats for Book 1, Book 2, and Book 3 at those links.

There are 9985 total lines of dialogue in the series. They are divided up as follows:

Aang 1796 lines, 17.99% of total lines Sokka 1635 lines, 16.37% Katara 1433 lines, 14.35%(this increases to 1439 lines and 14.81% when you include "Young Katara") Zuko 776 lines, 7.77% (this increases to 809 lines and 8.10% when you include "Young Zuko) Toph 508 lines, 5.09% Iroh 337 lines, 3.38% Azula 211 lines, 2.11%(this increases to 232 lines and 2.32% when you include "Young Azula") Jet 134 lines, 1.34% Suki 114 lines, 1.14% Zhao 107 lines, 1.07% Mai 82 lines, 0.82%(this increases to 83 lines and 0.83% when you include "Young Mai") Hakoda 77 lines, 0.77% Roku 67 lines, 0.67% Ty Lee 64 lines, 0.64%(this increases to 66 lines and 0.66% when you include "Young Ty Lee) Bumi 55 lines, 0.55% Ozai 55 lines, 0.55% Yue 53 lines, 0.53% Hama 49 lines, 0.49% Long Feng 46 lines, 0.46% Piandao 43 lines, 0.430645969% Mechanist 42, 0.420630946% Kuei 40, 0.400600901% Bato 38, 0.380570856% Pathik 38, 0.380570856% Pakku 37, 0.370555834% Teo 35, 0.350525789% Chong 33, 0330495744% Warden of Boiling Rock 33, 0.330495744% Young Zuko 33, 0.330495744% Jeong Jeong 32, 0.320480721%

More obscure characters below

Guard 29 0.290435653 Haru 29 0.290435653 Joo Dee 29 0.290435653 June 28 0.280420631 Wu 28 0.280420631 Zhang leader 28 0.280420631 Xin Fu 27 0.270405608 Zei 27 0.270405608 Chit Sang 26 0.260390586 Sozin 26 0.260390586 Shyu 25 0.250375563 Gan Jin leader 23 0.230345518 Fong 22 0.220330496 Smellerbee 22 0.220330496 Ursa 22 0.220330496 Young Azula 21 0.210315473 Actress Aang 19 0.190285428 Gyatso 19 0.190285428 Yu 19 0.190285428 Arnook 18 0.180270406 Meng 18 0.180270406 Sun Warrior chief 18 0.180270406 Wan Shi Tong 18 0.180270406 Canyon guide 17 0.170255383 Captain 17 0.170255383 Jin 17 0.170255383 Lee 17 0.170255383 Oyaji 17 0.170255383 Tong 17 0.170255383 Actor Sokka 16 0.160240361 Actress Katara 16 0.160240361 Fisherman 16 0.160240361 King Bumi 16 0.160240361 Li 16 0.160240361 Tho 16 0.160240361 Tyro 16 0.160240361 Warden 16 0.160240361 Yon Rha 16 0.160240361 Bully guard 15 0.150225338 Due 15 0.150225338 Actor Zuko 14 0.140210315 Chey 14 0.140210315 Lao 14 0.140210315 Male guard 14 0.140210315 Pirate captain 14 0.140210315 Chan 13 0.130195293 Dock 13 0.130195293 Herbalist 13 0.130195293 Ghashiun 12 0.12018027 Huu 12 0.12018027 Ticket lady 12 0.12018027 Calm man 11 0.110165248 Female guard 11 0.110165248 Kay-fon 11 0.110165248 Lo 11 0.110165248 Lo and Li 11 0.110165248 Ying 11 0.110165248 Actress Azula 10 0.100150225 Earthbender captain 10 0.100150225 Gan Jin tribesman 10 0.100150225 Great Fire Sage 10 0.100150225 Headmaster 10 0.100150225 Jee 10 0.100150225 Kanna 10 0.100150225 Oh 10 0.100150225 Qin 10 0.100150225 Senlin Village leader 10 0.100150225 Song 10 0.100150225 Yung 10 0.100150225 Dai Li agent 9 0.090135203 Fisherman's wife 9 0.090135203 General Sung 9 0.090135203 Gow 9 0.090135203 Hahn 9 0.090135203 Haru's mother 9 0.090135203 Koh 9 0.090135203 Pipsqueak 9 0.090135203 Shinu 9 0.090135203 Soldier 9 0.090135203 The Boulder 9 0.090135203 The Duke 9 0.090135203 Xu 9 0.090135203 Gansu 8 0.08012018 Kenji 8 0.08012018 Kwan 8 0.08012018 Mother Superior 8 0.08012018 Old man 8 0.08012018 Shuzumu 8 0.08012018 Yagoda 8 0.08012018 Cabbage merchant 7 0.070105158 Fire Sage 7 0.070105158 Fung 7 0.070105158 General How 7 0.070105158 Koko 7 0.070105158 Male student 7 0.070105158 Man 7 0.070105158 Pao 7 0.070105158 Tashi 7 0.070105158 Than 7 0.070105158 Trainer 7 0.070105158 Villager 7 0.070105158 Warden Poon 7 0.070105158 Due to Tumblr limatations on length, I had to put the remaining characters(those with 6 or fewer lines) in a two separate posts .

[listless-brainrot]

“Why didn’t any of the prisoners on the prison rig discover metalbending?”

this is a question i’ve seen thrown about a couple of times and one i have been wanting to deconstruct, because there is a legitimate answer, and it’s pretty straightforward, albeit a little complicated.

for some context, the question refers to episode 6 of book 1, imprisoned, where a minor plot point is introduced: earthbenders can’t bend metal. this plot point, however, is then contradicted by episode 19 of book 2, the guru, in which toph discovers metalbending. this question is raised because toph’s discovery means that metalbending is, in fact, possible, and therefore, other earthbenders could possibly have and use this new subset. 

so if metalbending is possible, why didn’t other earthbenders try before toph?

you could just say “oh it’s because the rule was established in book 1, in which the rules haven’t been fully established and/or were made to be broken”, and i think that’s an entirely reasonable line of thinking. there are a lot of concepts in book 1 that were either changed or never followed up on as the series continued. but i believe that there is another answer that lines up well with both atla’s established worldbuilding and the lore.

the answer? because metal is now inherently associated with the fire nation.

let me explain.

the fire nation is a militaristic nation that uses the resources of the nations/colonies they have conquered to fuel their war efforts. as established in book 1 episode 6, haru’s town is specifically used for coal to power their metal ships. in book 1 episode 10, teo’s dad, the mechanist, is used to design metal contraptions that give the fire nation a technological advantage. even before this was established in the beginning narrative, one of the major parts of atla’s opening includes a grand sweep of the fire nation armed troops and tanks/ships, who are all clad in/made of metal.

put simply, metal is one of the main tools of the oppressor. their technological superiority, which is accomplished through the control of resources that are mostly not their own, is what makes the fire nation such a threat. the other three nations, pun intended, don’t have the firepower to stand up against them when their resources are taken and utilized against them in this fashion. 

the war has been going on for nearly 100 years. that’s a long time, and the fire nation has taken countless earth kingdom colonies and have already decimated other nations, such as the air nomads and the southern water tribe. what is one of the first things we see in the very first episode?

a metal fire navy ship on southern water tribe land, from one of the very first fire nation attacks against the tribe and its people. 

this is what makes the smallest of the four nations such a genuine threat.

and the fire nation knows this.

again, going back to book 1 episode 6:

Warden: You will notice, earthbenders, that this rig is made entirely of metal. You are miles away from any rock or earth, so if you have any illusions about employing that brutish savagery that passes for bending among you people, forget them. It is impossible. Good day. 

it’s the fire nation that makes the specific distinction between earth and metal. earth and metal aren’t the same- they are the ones building this inherent degree of separation between the two.

now, remember xin fu, the host of the earth rumbles? remember how he brings it up in book 2 episode 19 when talking to toph:

Xin Fu: Quit your banging. You might think you're the greatest earthbender in the world, but even you can't bend metal.

and then toph immediately proves him wrong?

let me ask you this: where do you think xin fu got the notion that earthbenders can’t bend metal?

besides using firepower, we know that the fire nation utilizes propaganda to paint their own side of the war to establish themselves as a threat to others while making themselves superior. who’s to say that, maybe, in some of their conquered earth kingdom colonies, where the notion of bending metal would give the conquered people an advantage, the notion of metal being impossible to bend was spread by the fire nation throughout the earth kingdom, which would further their terrifying power and, therefore, superiority over those they have conquered?

furthermore, who’s to say that there weren’t earthbenders who tried, maybe even succeeded, realizing that earth and metal weren’t as separate as they thought, but were killed for their discovery? who’s to say that there wouldn’t be consequences for even entertaining the thought, especially in a war where metal no longer belongs to earthbenders? 

how can these earthbenders even begin to try when they’ve seen metal tanks and ships destroy their homes and their people, men dressed in metal taking them away to a metal rig, leaving them powerless in the middle of the ocean, where one can’t even begin to conceive the notion that earth is metal, and metal is earth, when metal is cold and merciless, unlike the earth they used to know?

why do you think the fire nation banned earthbending altogether in some of their colonies?

in short: no one else could’ve learned metalbending.

except for toph. 

why?

because she has something other earthbenders don’t. (no, it’s not seismic sense, though that also may have helped greatly.)

toph never had the inherent association that metal is the enemy’s.

in fact, the people who kidnap her aren’t even fire nation- they’re fellow earthbenders who spited her, which is what drives her to even try. toph is so far removed from the war, so unaffected by it, until she chooses to be a part of it, that she becomes the best earthbender and, therefore, capable of the kind of pure earthbending that allows metalbending to be possible.

toph never had to struggle with the realization that she’s broken such an important rule that gives them all a unique advantage in the war- that metal cannot be bent. instead, she’s rightfully prideful. metalbending was just another step for her while she was on her earthbending journey. 

an earthbending journey that wasn’t even for her- it was so she could teach aang.

she just so happened to find this new ability along the way, and the fact that she even could is because of her very special and specific circumstances. she’s a rich child of the beifongs who learned from the original benders at a young age, lives in a part of the earth kingdom the fire nation hasn’t touched, learned how to use seismic sense, and was still able to practice her bending freely- she even has personal tutors, even if her home life was ultimately stifling.

the fact that she even learned metalbending at all is proof of just how far removed she is from the war, and just how hard such an ability would be to really teach to others, especially those directly affected by fire nation through the war itself.

[nothing-more-than-hot-leaf-juice]

A few contenders for Avatar’s Spiciest DILF:

1. Gansu

Pros 

- Zuko-approved (probably)

- protective af

- probably has a mysterious, dark past

- will fight cops

- can fix your roof

- pretty built tbh

Cons 

- his kid was a shit-stirrer 

2. Iroh

Pros

- canonically the smoothest man in the whole earth kingdom

- 1000% Zuko-approved

- dragon-approved as well

- protects endangered species

- makes great tea

- does the whole firebending breathing thing

- actual royalty

- invented lightning redirection 

- went to prison and got buff

- single-handily broke out of prison

- has fought cops

- enemy of the state 

Cons 

- more of an uncle figure 

- did some war crimes 

- shopaholic 

3. Tyro

Pros 

- can earthbend

- best(?) beard in the show

- went to prison twice 

- will fight prison guards

- broke out of prison 

- tall

Cons 

- needed some random teenagers to help him break out of prison 

- that beard again, is it the best beard? or is it too santa claus-esque? 

- let Haru grow that dumb mustache 

4. The Mechanist 

Pros 

- best(?) eyebrows in the series 

- chaotic energy 

- raised Teo, aka the literal definition of sunshine 

- King of Accessibility 

- biomedical engineer 

- made some cool submarines 

- has gone to prison 

- has fake fingers 

- will have snacks on standby at all times 

Cons 

- gentrified a genocide site 

- made some airships for the fire nation 

- has that Count Olaf hair going on 

- worst(?) eyebrows in the whole series 

- some randoms kids had to force him to grow a spine 

- does he have a name? who knows? 

5. Hakoda

Pros 

- Cheekbones™

- gives good hugs 

- beat up a tank 

- where Sokka got his Hair™ from, you know what I’m talking about 

- protective AF 

- single dad 

- Zuko-approved 

- tripped a prison warden after being in prison for 5 minutes 

- said ‘fuck cops’ 

- dad jokes 

- supports both of his kids equally unlike *glares at his unroyal majesty bitchlord Ozai* SOME PEOPLE 

- went to prison and escaped within less than 2 days 

- I mean... is it really a competition? 

Cons 

- is bad at starting prison riots 

(in no particular order, added entries will be considered, but we all know what’s up)

[atlaculture]

What’s In a Name: Earth Kingdom Pt. 1

The Earth Kingdom had a lot of Japanese names in Book 1.

Kyoshi - Multiple meanings depending on characters used. Canonically, her name has been written two different ways. On her statue, it’s written as “京士”, which can be translated as “Samurai Capital”. This is obviously in reference to Kyoshi Island being an island full of samurai-like ladies. The other way her name has been written is “虛子”, which can be translated as “Empty Child”, which isn’t very relevant to her character.

Other relevant ways to write “Kyoshi” are “expert teacher”, 教士 (Japanese), and a form of Japanese poetry using Chinese characters, 狂詩 (Japanese). The first meaning is in reference to her training both the Kyoshi Warriors and the Dai Li. The second is in reference to Kyoshi Island being a Japanese-inspired island that’s part of a larger Chinese-inspired kingdom.

Suki - Moon, 月 (Japanese). Yes, her name looks like romaji for “I Like”, but it’s pronounced closer to Soo-Ki, like the Japanese word for “moon”, rather than S’ki.

Oyaji (Kyoshi Island Village Leader) - Old Man, 親父 (Japanese).

Bumi - Earth, भूमिः (Sanskrit), ഭൂമി (Malayalam)

Haru - Spring, 春 (Japanese). Spring is the season associated with Earthbending.

Tyro (Haru’s Dad) - Great Elder, 大老 (Japanese).

Jet - A type of low-quality coal. Coal is a type of earth that’s been hardened through heat and pressure, so you can see how it relates to Jet. Also, he literally has jet black eyes. (English)

Fortuneteller Wu - Shaman, 巫 (Mandarin).

Meng - Mineral, 礞 (Mandarin). When you’re not sure what to name an Earth Kingdom character, just name them some variant of “Rocky”.

June - Beautiful Jade, 珺 (Mandarin). Like I said, when you’re not sure what to name an Earth Kingdom character, just name them some variant of “Rocky”. Plus, June’s beauty is noted by Iroh.

Teo - Drawing a Bow, 張 (Teochew & Hokkien). Teo’s name is interesting in that it’s the first non-Mandarin Chinese name we come across in the show. Teochew and Hokkien people are known for having a huge diaspora, particularly in Taiwan and Singapore. Teo and his people are Earth Kingdom diaspora residing in Air Nomad territory. As for the actual meaning, “Drawing a bow” is probably the closest equivalent they could find to “opening an air glider” in Old Chinese.

[nagititiis]

Dossier - Haru

FULL  NAME.     Haruka Katayama (  片山  春佳 )  / Haruka Amalio Katayama 

MEANING.   Beautiful Spring: the season of Earthbening and of new life and hope

NICKNAME.    Haru, Ruka, Ru, Harumaki (by his parents), Haru-chan (by his parents when he was younger) Maki (by his father)

GENDER.     male.

ETHNICITY.     earth  kingdom (specifically mixed Filipino and Japanese)

HEIGHT.     5′3″, 5′5″ later on

AGE.     16   ( verse dependent ).

ZODIAC.     Taurus  (persevering, honest, stubborn. element: earth. ruling planet: Venus)

SPOKEN  LANGUAGES.  multilingual . English, Tagalog, Japanese, a little bit of Spanish

Physical Characteristics!

HAIR  COLOR.    darker brunette with warm undertones

EYE  COLOR.      warm, umber brown

SKIN  TONE.     light brown, with a few freckles from being out in the sun

BODY  TYPE.     slim, with somewhat muscular arms from doing farm work

ACCENT.     a bit ‘rural’, akin to the Osakan accent. In modern verses he doesn’t appear to have a strong Japanese or Filipino accent when speaking English unless he’s around people he’s comfortable with; then you may notice ‘th’ sounds changing to ‘d’ sounds, and ‘v’ sounds changing to ‘b’ sounds.

VOICE.   a low tenor, on the softer side, steady and guarded around people he doesn’t know or trust, but otherwise is very sincere

DOMINANT  HAND.     ambidextrous

POSTURE.     cagey, a bit hunched and tense like he’s trying to blend into the background. It loosens up significantly when around people he’s comfortable with

SCARS.     a few random ones on his legs and knees from childhood playing, later, a hand shaped burn mark on his right bicep, and not a scar but; a birth mark on his right temple shaped a bit like a heart

TATTOOS.    none in main verse

MOST  NOTICEABLE  FEATURE(S).   his iconic bangs that frame his face, and he’s almost always wearing a green headband

childhood!

HOMETOWN.    a mining town in the Western Earth Kingdom

MANNER  OF  BIRTH.    natural

FIRST  WORDS.    papa

SIBLINGS.    none

PARENTS.     Amalia de la Cruz (mother), Tyro Katayama (father)

PARENT  INVOLVEMENT.    raised initially by both parents, Haru was rather doted on as a child, seen as a gift due them being quite a bit older when he was born. Attached to both of them, he’d be taken to watch and eventually help with jobs on the farm and in their shop, and regularly practiced earthbending with his father. Haru was a rambunctious child, and they often let him run off with the few other children in the town, but as the control of the Fire Nation grew tighter, his parents became stricter, more blunt about the unraveling state of the world. His father was taken with the other earthbenders when he was 12, leaving his mother to continue to care for him on her own. The loss of the father he so admired hit him hard; the grief, along with the stress of the Fire Nation occupying their town, and his mother becoming stricter forbidding him from earthbending, put a strain on their relationship. After the town was liberated, their happy reunion was short-lived, quickly becoming tense with Haru and his father wanting to leave and keep fighting and his mother wanting them to stay. Ultimately, they did leave, reuniting again properly after the war.

OCCUPATION.     resistance fighter, post-war aid worker for neighboring towns

CURRENT RESIDENCE.     he does travel more post-war, but likes to stay home whenever he can

FINANCIAL  STATUS.    “lower middle-class”/ “working-class”

CRIMINAL  RECORD.     revolt, aggravated assault, theft, murder

VICES.  irritable, indecisive

relationships!

CLOSE  FRIENDS.    Yuan (childhood friend), Katara, Sokka, Aang, Toph, Teo, fellow resistance fighters

RELATIONSHIP  STATUS.     single

SEXUAL  ORIENTATION.     gay

ROMANTIC  ORIENTATION.    gay

LOVE  LANGUAGE.     acts of service and physical touch

RELATIONSHIP  TENDENCIES.   at first hesitant to acknowledge feelings of love, but once he does he’s quietly devoted, wanting to be near them often and do things for them to show he cares. he becomes much more touchy, gradually getting much more comfortable with asking for physical affection and giving it freely. He gravitates to those with similar ideals to him, who are compassionate, firm in their beliefs. Although he’d be embarrassed to admit it, he’s a romantic, and would enjoy taking his partner on dates and doting on them. However he does have a tendency to be avoidant when it comes to negative feelings, swallowing them down and often finding talking about them difficult. But he will make an effort to communicate better.

miscellaneous!

THEME  SONG.    Welcome to the Black Parade - My Chemical Romance/ figher - Jack Stauber/ Seventeen Going Under - Sam Fender/ Ewan - APO Hiking Society 

HOBBIES  TO  PASS  TIME.  practicing earthbending, pottery, football (soccer),  cooking, drumming

MENTAL  ILLNESSES.     generalized anxiety disorder (fluctuates in severity)

PHYSICAL  ILLNESSES.     as a result of GAD: stomach aches, head aches, muscle tension, palpitations

LEFT  OR  RIGHT  BRAINED.   balanced

PHOBIAS.     /

SELF  CONFIDENCE  LEVEL.  neutral, not too good or bad, but he can tend to compare himself to others often

VULNERABILITIES.     lack of confidence, avoiding emotions,

copying from my old blog! but I shall tag @shewarriored / @shenerve​, @fearbend , @lihngchi , @allmothered​ and anyone else who would like to!

[darkmasterofcupcakes]

Obviously this applies to his mother as well, but seeing Tyro really makes me realize just how...young Haru looks compared to his parents? Haru seems to be only a few years older than Katara, if that, yet his parents seem to be decades older than Hakoda when we meet him. I don’t know if Haru was a “later in life” baby for his parents, or if the stress of their lives since the Fire Nation took over the town and the Earthbenders were captured prematurely aged them both. 

[queeranesearch]

ohhh haru for the character game????

Dude. I got carried away with this so uh. yea <3

a song that reminds me of them

man i have so many but I gotta say...Welcome To The Black Parade by mcr. NOW HEAR ME OUT.

Even though he’s such a minor character, so much of what he see from him in his ep is so compelling, mainly, that strong desire to act and make a difference, but external circumstances and internal fear preventing it.

Haru’s father (Tyro) is someone he admires greatly, and we learn that he fought with everything he had against the Fire Nation soldiers, even when he was outnumbered. That direct action and pure determination and resilience is exactly what Haru wants to emulate, but doing so would put him and his mother in danger, and, seemingly, the rest of his village have resigned themselves to their situation. ( Haru expresses his anger at the rest of the village for being “cowards” and not showing any resistance).Haru would’ve been around twelve when his village was occupied, so he’s lost his father, his earthbending teacher, but retained the values Tyro demonstrated: ( “ Son, when you grow up/ Would you be the savior of the broken/ The beaten and the damned?") that resistance, the will to fight and protect others, is what he’s left with.

HOWEVER. Haru has this complicated relationship with his mother where she clearly loves him and wants to keep him safe more than anything, but in doing so smothers him and outright condemns his bending despite it being such an integral part of his identity. (which *cough* can be read as a metaphor for queerness, particularly relating to parents of colour wanting to protect their kids but end up hurting them). Of course this only leads to him practicing behind her back, and there’s a clear tension where she snaps at him when he calls the soldiers thugs, telling him not to talk like that. ( Sometimes I get the feelin'/ She's watchin' over me/And other times I feel like I should go)

So in order to survive, Haru’s forced to supress all this anger he feels at the state of what his home has become, and watch everyone around him surrender themselves: there’s no strength in community anymore, and maybe, there never was, seeing as how easily that old mf betrayed him after Haru saved his life. (A world that sends you reelin'/ From decimated dreams/Your misery and hate will kill us all). So this leads to him feeling disenchanted, discouraged, and pretty hopeless about his situation. But then, of course he meets best girl Katara and she understands his trauma, has that same righteous anger, and is so full of hope. She’s able to remind him what he stands for and inspires him to take that leap, even when his own father was beaten down and discouraged, making him rediscover his own strength and hope. (Do or die, you'll never make me/ Because the world will never take my heart)

And I do joke about Haru is just some guy because. Well, he is. But that makes him even more compelling because you get insight into the life an ‘ordinary’ person, not a main character, not a chosen one, someone who isn’t gonna save the world but still someone who’s gonna do his damn best to make a difference where he can. ( I'm just a man, I'm not a hero/Just a boy, who had to sing this song/I'm just a man, I'm not a hero)

what they smell like

Farm boy smells like natural things; hay, earth, grass, and sun kissed skin.

an otp

You already know. Jetru my beloved <3 Two ek boys full of compassion and strength, wanting to make a difference, finding peace in each other <3

a notp

Hm I guess Ty Lee and Haru? Sorry chibi shorts.

favorite platonic/familial relationships

I absolutely go bonkers thinking about Haru and both his parents but this is already too long so I won’t go into more detail </3  But I adore Katara and Haru as friends so much!! They both have a lot in common what with having a disconnect with their bending, and both have that same anger against injustice! It doesn’t seem like Haru had many friends in his village after its occupation, and Katara didn’t have anyone around her age other than Sokka, so I think they deserve to be friends <3 They can practice bending together and Katara can braid Haru’s hair (one day).

Also Teo and The Duke! I think it’s sweet how they were a little group at the WAT, and it warms my heart to think of lonely, only child Haru basically getting two younger brothers. I reckon Teo would be doing soo many reckless stunts and pulling pranks, and The Duke being literally eight would only add to the chaos. They give him a grey hair <3

a headcanon that is popular in the fandom but that i disagree with

...Does he even have a popular hc? idk i’ll just say I don’t think he’s straight that boy is a fruit.

the position they sleep in

Pretty curled up, like a foetal position, hugging himself; reflecting how reserved and cautious he has to be, and also he’s touch starved and wants comfort. (and he gets it with Jet those two will always cuddle in bed okay)

a crossover au i’d love to see them in

Honestly, a stranger things AU knock around in my brain a lot. Having powers and needing to hide them but not knowing how to deal with them? yes please. Also because of List, I do be thinking of a Luca AU in regards to the whole having to hide who you are to keep yourself safe but wanting more out of life and also having a protective mother.

my favorite outfit they’ve ever worn

well he only has two skdfldgds. but i like the one he wears in ‘Imprisoned’! It’s simple but cute. Also i refuse to acknowlegde him being in the ek army no thank you <3

[hadesisqueer]

Can Avatar Generations stop giving me Sokkas. I already have four Sokkas and four Zukos and I just got my third Katara. Give me Haru or something smh I don't care I need more Earthbenders I just got Toph, Tyro and Kyoshi

[sapphic-agent]

i love your team avatar rewrite! can you talk more about kids?

You don't know how happy this makes me🥹 I'll break it down like they're OCs (even though the only technical OCs here are Tyro, Suma, and Lian).

(Link to the original Gaang post: https://www.tumblr.com/sapphic-agent/747738712838995968/rewriting-the-gaang-in-lok?source=share)

Kya (major changes to canon):

She/Her

Earthbender (Lavabender)

Firstborn child of Katara and Haru

Green eyes, brown hair; resembles Katara the most

Temper like Katara, but lacks her caring and nurturing nature. Blunt and to the point like Haru. Can come off as rude, but that's not her intention. Her mouth got her in constant trouble as a child. Loved probending as a child and looked up to Toph

Probender (later Manager of the Probending Arena)

Lesbian

*Notes: I like canon Kya just fine. But similarly to Katara, I feel like LOK really just didn't bother to do much with her. She's mainly there to give Tenzin a reality check and reaffirm that Aang was a shitty father. So I really just built her up mainly from scratch. You can resonate her with canon Kya or think of her as a completely different character. Katara was always going to name her first daughter Kya, so to me it makes no difference. Also, I made her a lavabender instead of a metalbender to match her temper*

Tyro:

He/Him

Nonbender (Chi-blocker)

Firstborn and only son of Katara and Haru (middle child)

Blue eyes, brown hair; looks a lot like Sokka

Calm demeanor like Haru, but empathetic and softhearted like Katara. The most sensitive of his siblings, but also the nicest. Learned Chi-blocking from the Kyoshi Warriors after visiting Kyoshi Island for the summer. Very interested in law and politics from watching his mom

Attorney, President of Republic City

Sexuality undetermined, closest guess is pansexual

*Notes: Tyro loves his sapphic aunts (Mai and Ty Lee). I like to think of him as that friend that's always there for you, even when they're going through hell (but not parentified like Katara). Why did I make him president? I don't know*

Suma:

She/They (I know I wrote daughter, but she doesn't mind being referred to as daughter or sister by her family)

Waterbender (Healer)

Youngest child of Katara and Haru

Blue eyes, brown hair; looks like Haru (same complexion as his mother)

Finds it hard to understand emotion, doesn't pay attention (spaces out when people are talking, can't focus on classes that don't interest her in school, etc.). Comes off cold, even to her family. Most assume they don't care about anything. It was a shock when she chose to become a Healer, but her patients usually love her

Healer at the Republic City Hospital, Head Healer at the Republic City Hospital

Aromantic

*Notes: Suma is probably way closer to canon Kya than my Kya is. But they're also a lot less emotionally invested in people than Kya. They're definitely on the spectrum in case you couldn't tell*

Lin Beifong (basically the same as canon):

She/Her

Earthbender (Metalbender)

Firstborn child of Aang and Toph

Green eyes, black hair; resembles Toph

Grouchy, tough, and a hardass like Toph, but has a strong sense of fairness like Aang. Bosses her siblings around. Butts heads constantly with Suyin because of this. Studied under her Aunt Suki to become an officer

Republic City Police Officer , Republic City Chief of Police

Bisexual

*Notes: As you can see, I didn't change much about Lin. The biggest thing is probably that she didn't become a police officer to impress Toph, she did it because of her own sense of justice. I love that for her*

Tenzin Beifong (basically the same as canon):

He/Him

Firstborn son and second born child of Aang and Toph

Airbender

Gray eyes, black hair; resembles Aang

Tries to be calm, but has a short fuse. Feels like he has to live up to being the only Airbending child of the Avatar. Can be distant with his family because of this, especially Aang. Finds it hard to connect with his siblings

United Republic of Nations Councilman

*Notes: Tenzin is way more of a black sheep here than the golden child in canon. Him and Aang having a hard relationship because of the expectations placed on him is one thing I'm very proud of. I think he feels like he has to be this perfect son and feels like he can't approach Aang about it. And Toph is a less than understanding person, so he can't really talk to her either. His biggest regret is never opening up to his father before he died. So he suffers in silence (lmao)*

Suyin Beifong (basically the same as canon):

She/Her

Third child of Aang and Toph

Earthbender (Metalbender)

Brown hair, green eyes; resembles both Toph and Aang (has the complexion of Toph's father)

Free-spirited and fun-loving like Aang, but extremely stubborn and hates rules like Toph. Very clever and innovative, a troublemaker as a kid. Clashes with Lin heavily due to her issues with authority and competes with her. Leaves Republic City (of her own volition) to travel the world and creates Zaofu and the Metal Clan

Leader/Founder of Zaofu, Head of the Metal Clan

Demisexual

*Notes: I'll be honest, I love Su and think she's over hated in canon. Maybe it's because I see a lot of myself in being the youngest child and having a bossy and condescending older sister. But anyway, her backstory is one of my favorites in the show, so that's why I didn't feel the need to change it too much. Also, her choosing to travel the world similar to how the Air Nomads did is a nice touch with Aang being her father. Although, a fight with Toph might have been what made her leave, I'm not sure. Demi because I can't see her loving anyone she doesn't share a deep, personal connection to like Bataar*

Bumi Beifong (slight changes to canon)

He/Him

Youngest child of Aang and Toph

Nonbender

Gray eyes, black hair; resembles both Toph and Aang

Extremely intelligent ("mad genius"), but absolutely can't take anything seriously. Prankster, the bane of Lin and Tenzin's existences. Looks up to Aang and is very close with Su, drives Toph crazy. Very interested in combat, war, and strategy

Soldier in the Second Division of the United Forces, Commander in the Second Division of the United Forces

Gay

*Notes: Nothing you guys say or do will ever convince me that Bumi isn't a man kisser*

Lian:

She/Her

Only child of Sokka and Suki

Waterbender (+Chi-blocker)

Blue eyes, auburn hair; looks like Suki but has Sokka's complexion

Playful personality, loves bad and corny jokes. Easygoing for the most part, but knows when to get serious. Trains with the Kyoshi Warriors like Tyro does

Firefighter, Chief of the Southern Water Tribe

Pansexual

*Notes: I love Lian a lot. It's so weird that Sokka of all characters didn't have kids. Out of everyone, I would think it would be Toph. So I obviously gave him one with Suki. I don't think I said so in the Gaang post, but yes she's a Waterbender. Also, why are both her and Tyro pan? The Kyoshi Island affect, it's something in the water*

Izumi (basically the same as canon):

She/Her

Only child of Zuko and Jin

Suspected Firebender, unconfirmed

Amber eyes, brown hair; mostly resembles Jin

A calm, rational person. Loves history. Painfully non-violent because of that history. Her heart is to the Fire Nation and repairing the damage her country has done. She also has a deep love for Ba Sing Se because that's where her mother is from. Some might call her reserved before they get to know her, to her friends she's one of the nicest people ever

No one knows if she's actually a Firebender or not, she's never confirmed or denied it even to her closest friends. Doesn't feel the need to. Looks at it like a political strategy; no one can say she's favoring benders or nonbenders. She is a master swordswoman, though

Archeologist, Historian, Fire Lord

*Notes: I decided not to choose if Izumi's a bender or nonbender. I like the theory that she keeps is secret in canon as a political move. I don't know if they kept it vague in canon on purpose, but I like it that way. I kind of based her off Nico Robin from One Piece*

That's pretty much it for the Gaang Kids! I'm pretty proud of how everyone came out. Hope this satisfied you!

[theotherace]

Can you talk about any Harutara headcanons you have? Or maybe an AU where you have them as a pair?

Yes, I can and yes, I do have an AU that features them! Though they aren't the focus there. Nobody but Aang and Toph ever is when I write, lol.

They're a couple in "his father's weight", where they get together at around 19/20 and stay together without much drama till death does them part.

The biggest fight they ever have is over whether to live at the South Pole or somewhere in the Earth Kingdom, and that argument ends almost as soon it starts, because Haru soon understands how important it is for Katara to stay home and keep rebuilding. He can live anywhere, as long as there's some earth to bend, which can be arranged, and as long as he's with her.

They have to travel every now and then, anyway, (his wife is so important, it's insane, and he's so very proud of her), so it's not like he's never gonna see the Earth Kingdom again. They visit his parents from time to time, too. This'll be okay. (It's still a big decision, of course, and he's pretty home-sick for a little while after actually moving, but Katara's home becomes his home – their home – soon enough. That the people are fairly welcoming helps. A lot.)

I like to have Katara be a teacher post-war, once things have settled down a bit. She opens a school where absolutely everybody is welcome, no matter the gender, no matter how talented or experienced, because everybody deserves to understand and to master the gifts they've been given. Haru is one hundred percent in support of this, of course. He helps out around the school (the kids have a blast fighting a non-waterbender), and more or less everywhere and with everything around the village until they have their own children, at which point he becomes a stay-at-home dad.

They have two kids, a girl and a boy, Kya (obviously) and Tyro (for now), and they are both very much planned for. (In German, planned kids are called "Wunschkinder", as in "wish(ed for) children", and I am very sad English doesn't have a word as cute. Anyway.) Kya's an earthbender and the older kid, Tyro is a waterbender and about two years younger than her.

And just ... yeah. Harutara is a very angst-free, fluffy ship for me. Once they get together, there's no big hurdles to overcome anymore (other than what life throws at everybody), and they're happy together and supportive of each other. They adore each other. They inspire each other. Haru strikes me as a "That's my wife!" kinda guy, and he doesn't mind at all being introduced as "Master Katara's husband". He probably introduces himself that way. Katara loves his spirit and the way he looks at her and how comfortable talking to him always has been. Also, she likes his mustache. Fight me on that one, lmao.

And ... that's it for now. I really do like this ship. Shame it's such a rarepair. Thank you for the ask!

[zuko-always-lies]

ATLA Book 1 Character Stats

One thing I have been wondering for a while is how many lines of dialogue each character has in ATLA. I recently figured out an easy way to calculate it, so here are the stats for Book 1.

There are 3490 total lines of dialogue in the season. They are divided up as follows:

Aang 818 lines, 23.44% of total Katara 633 lines, 18.14% of total Sokka 610 lines, 17.48% of total Zuko 174 lines, 4.99% of total (Note: if you include "Young Zuko," this jumps to 182 lines and 5.21%) Iroh 129 lines, 3.70% of total Zhao 107 lines, 3.07 of total Jet 74 lines, 2.12% of total Yue 51 lines, 1.46% of total Bumi 45 lines, 1.29% of total Mechanist 35 lines, 1.00%

Character stats for more obscure characters below:

Jeong Jeong 30 lines, 0.86% Pakku 29 lines, 0.83% Teo 29 lines, 0.83% Bato 28 lines, 0.80% Wu 28 lines, 0.80% Zhang leader 28 lines, 0.80% Shyu 25 lines, 0.72% Suki 25 lines, 0.72% Gan Jin leader 23 lines, 0.66% Haru 23 lines, 0.66% June 18 lines, 0.52% Arnook 18 lines, 0.52% Gyatso 18 lines, 0.52% Meng 18 lines, 0.52% Canyon guide 17 lines, 0.49% Fisherman 16 lines, 0.46% Warden 16 lines, 0.46% Roku 15 lines, 0.43% Chey 14 lines, 0.40% Pirate captain 14 lines, 0.40% Herbalist 13 lines 0.37% Guard 12 lines, 0.34% Calm man 11 lines, 0.32% Kay-fon 11 lines, 0.32% Tyro 11 lines, 0.32% Earthbender captain 10 lines, 0.29% Gan Jin tribesman 10 lines, 0.29% Great Fire Sage 10 lines, 0.29% Jee 10 lines, 0.29% Kanna 10 lines, 0.29% Oh 10 lines, 0.29% Senlin Village leader 10 lines, 0.29% Fisherman's wife 9 lines, 0.257879656% Hahn 9 lines, 0.257879656% Haru's mother 9 lines, 0.257879656% Koh 9 lines, 0.257879656% Captain 8 lines, 0.229226361% Mother Superior 8 lines, 0.229226361% Oyaji 8 lines, 0.229226361% Yagoda 8 lines, 0.229226361% Young Zuko 8 lines, 0.229226361% Tashi 7, 0.200573066 Shinu 6, 0.171919771 Storyteller 6, 0.171919771 Air Nomad boy #1 5, 0.143266476 Cabbage merchant 5, 0.143266476 Gate guard 5, 0.143266476 Koko 5, 0.143266476 Lin Yee 5, 0.143266476 Malu 5, 0.143266476 Pipsqueak 5, 0.143266476 Qin 5. 0.143266476 Smellerbee 5, 0.143266476 Air Nomad boy #2 4, 0.114613181 Fire Nation Soldier 4, 0.114613181 Hakoda 4, 0.114613181 Man 4, 0.114613181 Messenger 4, 0.114613181 Ozai 4, 0.114613181 Soldier 4, 0.114613181 Baboon spirit 3, 0.085959885 Little girl 3, 0.085959885 Old man 3, 0.085959885 Omashu captain 3, 0.085959885 Pasang 3, 0.085959885 Southern Water Tribe boy 3, 0.085959885 Tax collector 3, 0.085959885 The Duke 3, 0.085959885 Village girl 3, 0.085959885 Woman 3, 0.085959885 Bujing 2, 0.05730659 Chamberlain 2, 0.05730659 Firebender 2, 0.05730659 Guard captain 2, 0.05730659 Merchant woman 2, 0.05730659 Old Fire Nation civilian 2, 0.05730659 Pirate 2, 0.05730659 Village boy 2, 0.05730659 Village Woman 2, 0.05730659 Aang and Sokka 1, 0.028653295 Aunt Wu 1, 0.028653295 Both 1, 0.028653295 Citizen 1, 0.028653295 Colonists 1, 0.028653295 Crew member 1, 0.028653295 Elder general 1, 0.028653295 Engineer 1, 0.028653295 Eye-patch soldier 1, 0.028653295 Fangirls 1, 0.028653295 Farmer 1, 0.028653295 Fire Nation kids 1, 0.028653295 Fire Sage 1, 0.028653295 Firebenders 1, 0.028653295 Gan Jin man 1, 0.028653295 Girl 1, 0.028653295 Gyatso and Katara 1, 0.028653295 Li 1, 0.028653295 Lieutenant Jee 1, 0.028653295 Man with Red Shoes 1, 0.028653295 Mask dealer 1, 0.028653295 Painter 1, 0.028653295 Ping 1, 0.028653295 Poi 1, 0.028653295 Poi and Ping 1, 0.028653295 Prisoner 1, 0.028653295 Puppet Fire Lord 1, 0.028653295 Scout #1 1, 0.028653295 Scout #2 1, 0.028653295 Scribe 1, 0.028653295 Shop keeper 1, 0.028653295 Shopkeeper 1, 0.028653295 Southern Water Tribe girl 1, 0.028653295 Spectators 1, 0.028653295 Strange Man 1, 0.028653295 Together 1, 0.028653295 Tribal man 1, 0.028653295 Village kids 1, 0.028653295