#tyro time

[apple-cores]

its because youre always on that damn phone

[gay-baby-brig]

Madeleine Sami stealing scenes in Xena: Warrior Princess as Tyro of the Amazons

[corntort]

BREAK DOODLES im over my time rn BUT IDC!!!

[shalpilot]

They gotta sneak around a fancy event or something

[vunderjoy]

Sometimes I wish I could do more cool shit with my art instead of whatever this is, other times I look at Tyros and do a little giggle

Funny Tyro butt

[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.

[myfavouritelunatic]

Bruh, you gotta give us the deets about meeting the actors. Please??

Of course!!

Everyone was just so friendly and nice - all smiles, all happy to see us and be there, and willing for photos and signatures. Charlie even brought his own pen! And Markella arrived late, but still made time for us!

Charlie commented on how Tyroe signed on Annatar on my poster, so he signed on Brimby! And he made so much eye contact with us and was so friendly. Put me at ease completely. He even came back to us for more photos! Said he had heaps of time.

But yeah I love him even more now!!

That’s me on the left! 😁 ahhhhhhhhh!!

[brightdown00]

If You Want An ACTUAL 'Feminist Icon' Man With Depth, Then Ares Is Your Best Candidate (NOT Hades!)

He has been SEVERELY misrepresented. Wonder Woman, Percy Jackson, DC Comics ... why didn't God of War use Ares instead of Kratos who is just one of Zeus' lieutenants?

(Don't get too excited just yet, it's still a pretty low bar.)

1) Ares is quite literally the ONLY Greek God (sitting on the Twelve Olympians) who doesn't need to be put on an sex offender registry. (I won't speak for his Roman counterpart, Mars, however ...) The worst he ever did, was seduce Phylonome, an hunting companion of Artemis, in the guise of an shepherd. That's hardly comparable to Zeus seducing Callisto in the guise of Artemis, or Alkmene in the guise of her husband Amphitryon, or Poseidon seducing Tyro in the guise of the river-God Enicepus.

That's right, the 'sacker of cities' isn't a rapist himself. (If you don't like irony, then Greek mythology isn't for you.)

2) Not only is Ares the only one who isn't a rapist, but he has actually stood up for sexual assault survivors more than once (even if they're his mother or daughter!) Ares was famously tried (and acquitted!) for homicide by a jury of the Twelve Olympians, after he slew Poseidon's son for raping his daughter. In one version of the myth, he was found guilty and forced to serve among mortals (which was the same sentence Zeus gave Poseidon and Apollo for conspiring against him). The implication is that all the Goddesses voted to acquit, all the Gods voted to convict, and what with Poseidon as prosecutor, Zeus as judge, and Ares as defendant, there were more goddesses on the jury than gods. Even if Zeus cast his vote to convict, it would have come to a tie and the rule was that the defendant is to be acquitted if there is a tie. (This is what occurred in The Oresteia, the setting of which was also the Areopagus.) When two giant sons stormed Olympus with the intention of taking Hera and Artemis, Ares was trapped by them in a jar, and the implication was because he was defending his mother and he was only a child at the time. He was also present at the punishment of Ixion who attempted to violate Hera, alongside Athena and Hermes.

3) Ares is the father of the Amazons (you hear that, DC Comics?) The founder of the Amazons, Otrera (who, btw, is the mythological founder of the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus), is either his daughter with the wood-nymph Harmonia, or his consort (if she is the daughter of Eurus, God of the North Winds) by whom he fathered Melanippe, Antiope, Hippolyta, and Penthesilea. Their nation's capital city is named Themiskyra in honour of Themis (Zeus' second wife and his aunt by whom he fathered three daughters), whom Ares is on surprisingly close terms with (see the Homeric Hymn to Ares), since he was also the patron god of the law enforcement.

4) One of Ares' epithets is 'feasted by women', in the ancient city of Tegea in Arcadia; during a war between the Tegeans and the Spartans, the women of Tegea defended the city from an invasion led by the Spartan king Charilaus.

5) Women abused by their husbands, as I've read online (but cannot verify), would have likely prayed to Ares for the strength to survive, which makes sense since he is the God of Courage (who else would they have prayed to?), which may have (sadly) further contributed to his unpopularity in Ancient Greece. Likely women also prayed that their abusive husbands would die violently on the battlefield in the next war ... He is, after all, the 'slayer of men'. It's not any different from how mothers would pray to Demeter to bring their daughters back alive, or unmarried girls would pray to Artemis to escape an unwanted marriage ... There's no 'protector of women in Greek mythology' because the Hellenistic religion worked through power bargains with the Gods and their respective domains ...

6) Aphrodite was forced into a marriage with Hephaestus in exchange for Hera's release (Hephaestus initially sued for the hand of Athena which ... didn't work out; see Erichthonius for more detail), Aphrodite expected that she would marry Ares. (They may or may not have been sleeping together before since Dionysus is the one who got Hephaestus drunk enough to do it ... Dionysus is the son of Semele, daughter of Harmonia, Ares and Aphrodite's daughter ... or maybe it's just the wonky timeline in Greek mythology ... ) Love and War. Their children are Eros (the literal Cupid himself) and Anteros (Unrequited Love), Phobos (Fear), Deimos (Panic), and Harmonia (Harmony). They have an open marriage (they are often acknowledged as each other's consort in mythology), despite Ares killing Adonis as a boar (although one version has Artemis killing Adonis as revenge for Hippolytus) and Aphrodite cursing Eos with insatiable lust. Spartans gave Aphrodite the epithet of 'Areia' (similar to how Zeus has the epithet of 'Heraion'). Note how Ares and Aphrodite are the only official couple, whether they're depicted as married or otherwise, on the Twelve Olympians (following her divorce from Hephaestus) besides Zeus and Hera themselves, which brings me to my next point ...

7) Even though Ares was not worshipped by many Ancient Greeks (just as they didn't feel comfortable even mentioning Hades by name), he was always depicted as an handsome soldier, which was the peak of male attractiveness at the time. Legally, he would have been considered as the 'legitimate' heir to the throne of Olympus as the only 'true' son of Zeus and Hera (since Hephaestus was conceived via parthenogenesis), given how the Ancient Greeks projected their own sociocultural norms onto their Gods. He is also one of the most handsome of Zeus' sons (along with Apollo, Hermes, and Dionysus). Bizarrely, he could almost be considered as Ancient Greece's cultural equivalent of Prince Charming in a roundabout way.

8) Ares is the son of Hera (the Goddess of Marriage, Family, and Childbirth, Patron of Women and Queen of Olympus) and the husband of Aphrodite (Goddess of Love and Beauty; Lust and Sexuality; Desire and Pleasure). He is also the rival to his half-sister Athena (Goddess of Wisdom and Reason; Strategy and Warfare; Arts and Crafts) for his father's affections, and shares jurisdiction with his half-sister Artemis over the Amazons. He's also on good terms with his grand-aunt, Themis, and I would assume his aunt Hestia. Zeus and Hera's other children are all daughters (Enyo, Eileithyia, Hebe, Angelos, Arge, Eleuthera), and a part of Zeus is concerned that Ares would overthrow him (more on that in another day, for another post). It's not hard to see why Ares drinks the Respect Women Juice unlike his father, uncles, or brothers.

9) People often use Ares persecuting a pregnant Leto at Hera's orders against him, disregarding that Hera is not only his mother but the Queen of Olympus. Even then, he never did anything more than deny her entrance to cities. The entirety of Ancient Greece itself was under orders to deny Leto sanctuary, and so are you really going to fault Ares for it? ZEUS didn't even hold it against Ares, even though he's his least favourite and Leto is his favourite woman ...

9) Ancient Greek mythology is largely passed through Athens, and they associated Ares with foreigners such as the Thracians (Thrace is said to be the God's birthplace) whom they regarded as stupid, uncivilized barbarians (see 6). His respecting women is likely meant to be seen as a negative trait, and highly correlated with how Ares was seen in general (see 3).

Note: I am NOT calling Ares an 'feminist icon' man, I'm just saying that he is the best possible candidate in Greek mythology.

[babyrdie]

Bro, I love Antilochus, Patroclus and Achilles' friendship so much. I feel like their dynamic is something like Patroclus cooking, Achilles looking at him with heart eyes, and Antilochus looking at both of them as if they had set the stars in the sky. Something like:

Patroclus: 😑

Achilles: 😍

Antilochus: 🤩

Antilochus being always so happy about them. Hell, he loves and admires these guys SO MUCH. He doesn't even mind being the third wheel. Like yeah, Achilles has been silent for about 10 minutes now just staring at Patroclus while Patroclus explains about horse care and Antilochus is the only one actually asking Patroclus questions, but still! Patroclus also doesn't care that Achilles clearly isn't listening properly and is just looking at him like a besotted idiot, Antilochus won't shut up (like father like son, I suppose) and that's great. As for Achilles…well, he's got his handsome man to stare at and he's got a close friend who admires him, is there anything better for a person's ego??? As if my god Agamemnon forgot to invite me to the party, I'll cry into my man's muscular thighs and have my hair stroked by him while my other best friend keeps repeating how I'm completely right to have fought with our leader and reaffirming what a great guy I am.

I like to imagine that Antilochus was always so excited, happy and blushing at every compliment that people at the camp began to theorize that they were a trisal or something. But no, he just loves and admires his friends too much. Likewise, Antilochus isn't a lover of Achilles, but that doesn't change the fact that Achilles loves him very much, so it is only natural that Antilochus' death causes Achilles to take revenge on him by killing Memnon and that Antilochus is also included in the urn in which his and Patroclus' ashes are. It's no wonder that in the versions where Achilles is in Leuke, Patroclus and Antilochus are there. When Homer describes the dead at Asphodel, Patroclus and Antilochus appear close to Achilles. And there was a temple of Achilles that also had dedications to Patroclus and Antilochus. These three have SO much friendship potential... Patroclus and his two excited and fast guys, Achilles and his two doomed best friends, Antilochus and his two brilliant and scary friends.

Bonus/Details:

Fun fact: In the part where I said that I imagine Antilochus can be quite talkative because I have the headcanon that he resembles Nestor in this, I actually used a popular Brazilian saying, but I changed it because I wasn't sure if it would make sense in English (I wrote like father like son). But for those who are curious, the saying is: son of a fish, baby/little fish is. It may have variants, for example: son of a shark, baby/little shark is. It's to indicate that someone resembles their parent, and I found it funny because the animals used are aquatic and Nestor is a grandson of Poseidon because his father, Neleus, is a demigod of Poseidon with Tyro. Consequently, Antilochus is a great-grandson of Poseidon. Suitable animals for them, I would say!

About the invite: The thing about Agamemnon forgetting to invite Achilles and Achilles getting angry is real, although there is no mention of Patroclus or Antilochus in this. It's in frag 1 of The Cypria, which says: "Next they sail as far as Tenedos: and while they are feasting [...] Here, too, Achilles quarrels with Agamemnon because he is invited late."

About horses: In Philostratu's Heroica, Antilochus's description says "He gave me the following details about Antilokhos: He was most fond of horses and hunting with dogs, even using times of truce in the fighting for hunting. At any rate, Antilokhos frequented Mount Ida with Achilles and the Myrmidons, and when he was on his own, he would hunt with the Pylians and Arcadians, who provided a market-place for the army because of the great number of animals caught. He was noble in battle, swift-footed, quickly moving when armed, easily understood orders, and did not lose his pleasant manner even in battle", so now I have a headcanon of that he would be 100% focused on Patroclus's wise words about horses, especially because Patroclus can handle a pair of divine horses.

About Leuke: In one version of the myth, Thetis asks Poseidon to create an island just for Achilles. Poseidon does so, and after his death Achilles doesn't go to the Underworld, but is taken by Thetis to this island named Leuke. In addition to Achilles, other characters listed in the myth include Antilochus, Patroclus, the two Ajax, and Achilles' wife (who varies between Helen and Iphigenia, but is usually Helen). In a more unusual version, Achilles has a son with Helen on Leuke, but Zeus kills him (Photius preserved this specific version, if I'm not mistaken). The oldest recorded source mentioning this version is the lost epic Aethiopia, but it was mentioned in later literature, continued to exist even in the Roman period and even encouraged a cult of Achilles on an island that has been identified as Leuke. According to a Roman source, the cult of Achilles in the Black Sea also included a cult of Patroclus. According to archaeological discoveries, it included Thetis as well.

About the dedications: The temple of Achilles which also had dedications to Antilochus and Patroclus also included Big Ajax. It was mentioned by Strabo: "Near the Sigeium is a temple and monument of Achilles, and monuments also of Patroclus and Antilochus. The Ilienses perform sacred ceremonies in honour of them all, and even of Ajax." .

[nateconnolly]

What Does the Lion Turtle Chant Mean?

A podcast episode about the spirituality of Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Transcript Preview:

Many people have told me they struggle to take Sozin’s Comet seriously because they would have killed the Fire Lord without hesitation. And, look, as far as I’m concerned — if you’re willing to kill a genocidal colonizer, good for you! Many blessings upon your journey! And the show isn’t trying to dissuade you. 

Aang is not the only voice of wisdom in Avatar. He’s not a puppet through which the text articulates its meaning. Avatar is about cultural exchange. When one character says what they think is true, that isn’t necessarily the moral of a story. That’s one voice, and the story is a conversation. So, I don’t think that Sozin’s Comet is using Aang to say “Hey, you, you, looking at the TV, you personally should never support violent revolution!” Water Tribe culture doesn’t seem to have any problem with killing on the battlefield. 

When Sokka lops off the Melon Lord’s head, there’s some very clear indications that we’re supposed to be troubled. The musical cue, Momo eating the melon, he lingering focus on Aang’s reaction … But I don’t think this scene is meant to communicate that Sokka is a bad guy. Or that soldiers are inherently bad people. I assume that Hakoda, Bato, and Tyro killed people. These figures are portrayed as admirable, and even as mentors. 

The scene in which Sokka kills the Melon Lord is there to illustrate the difference between Southern Water Tribe culture and Air Nomad culture. Sokka’s journey is about embracing and reclaiming all the parts of his culture that the Fire Nation tried to destroy. He wasn’t able to go ice dodging or to train as a wolf warrior, but he has found a way to become a strong, protective man anyways. And that does mean that he’s willing to kill or die for a cause he believes in. This scene doesn’t communicate that Sokka is a bad person. It communicates that Sokka is walking his own path, and that Aang is walking a different path. But the show doesn’t try to tell you one of them is wrong and the other is right. 

At the same time, I think we need to remember that Aang is saying something he believes. It’s not just an emotional problem for him. 

Aang gives multiple related, but different reasons not to kill the Fire Lord.

“I didn’t feel like myself.” 

The Fire Lord “is still a human being.”

Killing goes against “everything the monks taught me.”

“All life is sacred.”

In Southern Raiders, he also makes a more general claim that “violence is never the answer,” but I think that the writers had to use the word “violence” as a euphemism. In our normal usage of the word, punching somebody would be a “violent” act. Aang clearly has no problem whacking people over the head or shooting wind at them. I think this is a way of making the show more kid friendly, and that what Aang actually means is 

“[Killing] is never the answer.”

Some of these claims are about Aang as an individual. He’s saying he doesn’t feel like he, specifically, can kill someone. That it goes against the values of his culture. And some of these are universal claims. He’s saying no one should kill, not ever. 

But he also believes in a separate ethical mandate. As the Avatar, he has to protect the world. In this lifetime, that means preventing the Fire Lord from burning the Earth Kingdom. 

This is a story about moral standards, and they seem impossible to live up to. There’s no easy answer. If you believe that murder is wrong, and you believe in the duties of the Avatar, then you have a conflict of values, not just emotions. In order to understand the Buddhist themes of Sozin’s Comet, we have to understand Buddhist ideas of morality. 

This podcast episode

Bluesky

⁠Substack

⁠Twitter

⁠Patreon

Nate's short story about Buddhism

Transcript with Citations

[mammoth-clangen]

this is a very unique concept… I love how creative all these clangen inspired blogs are ❤️ very fun

for this one specifically though. Do the “cats” (I will call them that for simplicity’s sake) have designated roles similar to a Clan structure? Any real defined leader, or second in command, or healer? or are the responsibilities all sort of split/shared? do apprentices or their equivalent get assigned to specific mentors? also what should their group be referred to as? Clan? Colony? Pack?

This was asked a long while ago, but I feel like I can happily summarise now bc most of this has been revealed in story uvu

Lore dump!

The "cats" call themselves Fleet Fangs! This is because Homotherium was very cursorial (especially compared to other, typically very stocky, sabercats) and likely adapted for long distance travel. Ice Fangs (Smilodon fatalis) and Tuft Tails (Panthera leo atrox) both have saying that boil down to "once Fleets are running, you can't catch them" lmao

A group of Fleet Fangs is called a Kindred! It's partly based on sounding similar to "a kindle of kittens" and partially on how both clan and kindred mean "family and likeness", at least to me c:

They do sometimes use "pack" but that specifically refers to a small hunting party, not a group living together

Kindred of the Mammoth (and their neighbours we haven't met yet) are odd in that they're very strict in their traditions and territories. Only a few Kindreds have Holdfast names, and it's rare for them to be made up of as many non-relatives as Mammoth Kindred and Neighbour!Kindred. They're also usually nomadic!

Solitary Nomads who don't call themselves a kindred are also very common; it's easier to get by on smaller prey and move on if there's just 1 or 2 of you.

At 6 months, Mammoth Kindred cubs become tyros, and start learning from a mentor. As mentioned in Moon 5, they normally get their own mentor, but sharing definitely isn't unheard of. Even a tyro with one specific mentor will often spend time with another, because everyone has different skills and teaching methods!

There are also roles within a Kindred, such as scout, hunter, herbalist, wounder, clerc, etc. But they're not rigid like in the warriors universe. A herbalist will still hunt if they see prey and a scout will come back with a bundle of herbs if they recognise them while looking for prey or intruders. Also /Everyone/ helps hunt large game, because megafauna don't go down easy.

Leaders don't have 9 lives and often there is two of them! A typical kindred is more like a wolf pack with a partnered pair(ish) and their kids, rather than the unrelated amalgam dedicating their lives to hunting mammoths along one migration route cx

Tysm for your kind words btw! I really enjoy reading other's unique clangens and was inspired to make my own to basically just RNG my own world and lore cx

[tylermileslockett]

Book 1 of Argonautica begins with an invocation to Apollo and reference to a dark prophecy. King Pelias of Iolchus, (son of Poseidon and tyro), having usurped the throne from his half-brother, Aeson, is prophesied to be killed by a man wearing one sandal. When Jason, “son of Aeson,” arrives wearing one sandal at a court feast honoring the gods, (but neglecting Hera) Pelias devises a deadly quest for the hero to retrieve the fabled Golden Fleece.         

Argus, builds the great ship Argo with Athena’s guidance, who incorporates a piece of magical Dodonan oak, giving the wood keel the power of speech. Next, a lengthy list of the heroes and their family lineages is listed by Apollonius. At the shore, the gathered heroes, “shone like starlight between clouds,” (Poochigian). Needing a leader, Heracles suggests Jason, and the crew assents. They construct a beach shrine of stones and offer bull sacrifices to Apollo for a safe journey. That night over wine, an argument almost leads to blows in camp, but Orpheus calms the tensions with a lyre song about the primordial titans.         

As the group sets out the following day the demigod and mortal heroes are looked upon favorably from the gods in Olympus, Mountain nymphs of Pelion, Chiron the centaur, with wife holding up infant Achilles, so the hero Peleus could see his son one last time. Orpheus plays a hymn to Artemis while fish leap about the ship’s wake.         

After passing more landmarks such as Meliboea, the slanted city of Homola, Olympus, the Pallenean cliffs, and the Thracian Mountain of Athos, they row for the island of Lemnos, a place where the all-women society hold a dark secret. 

Thanks for looking and reading! if you share this image ill be sure to sacrifice some sweets into my stomach for you during this holiday! xoxo

Want to own a book jam packed with over 130 illustrations like this? Support my kickstarter for my book "lockett Illustrated: Greek Gods and Heroes" coming in October.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tylermileslockett/lockett-illustrated-greek-gods-and-heroes

[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

[creaturecreator]

tyro - hylics 2

wouldnt stop screaming in the preview. its tyro time

[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).

[whumperofworlds]

Whumptober 2024 Day 1: Search

Now on AO3!

Tags: @gala1981 @whumptober-archive @crash-bump-bring-the-whump @rebelxwriter @expressionless-fr

@fourwingedsnake (let me know if you want to be tagged or removed!)

CWS: injury, missing person, near death, blood, rescue, male whumpee, male caretaker, whumpee x caretaker

Fandom: Final Fantasy: Record Keeper

A/N: Heya everyone!!! I know, it's been a while since I wrote anything. But I decided to do Whumptober!!! Anyway, I won't waste time. Here we go!

I only own Drusus, Keme, Veles, and Taika. Everything else belongs to Square Enix.

ENJOY!!!

_____

Search party / panic attack / "if only we could hold on."

"Drusus is not going to like this." Veles sighed as he and the team sans Keme retreated from the ninth realm.

And he was right.

When he learned that his husband was missing, Drusus immediately volunteered to search for him. While the Ice Cavern wasn't a hard dungeon, the freezing air, along with the monsters roaming inside, could potentially mean death to the missing thief if he stayed long enough. So Veles, Taika, Tyro, and Aerith tagged along in the search party just in case things get dicey.

Drusus and the others called out for Keme as they searched, their voices echoing deep in the cavern. Monsters had tried to attack them, but they managed to defeat them with ease. For hours, the team searched. And searched.

Yet, Keme was nowhere to be found.

Drusus grew desperate at this point. He began to bark orders to the others, despite Tyro's protests, telling the others to split up and look. Using his authority as a mercenary leader of his group back home, Drusus was able to guide the team well. He knew that Tyro was a Record Keeper, hence he should lead, but so far his plans didn't come to fruition.

"Veles, Taika, left cavern. Tyro, Aerith, right cavern. I got the middle. Come back here in an hour."

Tyro knew not to argue with someone who was desperate, so he went with Aerith to the cavern Drusus ordered him to go to. Veles and Taika did the same, and Drusus rushed into the middle cavern, searching for the love of his life. His eyes darted back and forth, his ears opened as he searched for anything that could point Keme's whereabouts.

"Keme!" Drusus called, cupping his mouth as he did so. His voice echoed, but he didn't hear a response.

Drusus cursed under his breath, as he continued searching. Last time he was seen, according to Tyro, Keme was with the team down this cavern. They were then ambushed by monsters, and Keme ended up getting separated from them. The team was injured, however, and they had no choice but to flee the scene.

"KEME!" Drusus called again, louder this time. No response still.

"Baby! Please tell me you're okay! If you can hear me, scr—"

He stopped when he stepped on something wet. The smell of iron hit his nose, as he froze for a few seconds. His eyes widened, recognizing the smell. He had known that smell for many years; being a mercenary stopping and even killing criminals and monsters had its cons.

He glanced down, and his eyes grew wider when he saw what he was standing in.

A puddle of blood. Ahead of Drusus were bloodied footprints on the ice, near two large icicles that protruded from the ground.

"Dammit," Drusus gritted his teeth, now knowing that it was Keme's blood. Keme was nearby, he just knew it.

He rushed forward, following the footprints that led him between the icicles. There. Crumbled on the icy ground. There was a figure curled up and covered in blood.

Upon seeing the green clothing, Drusus' breathing hitched as his heart nearly stopped. His eyes grew so wide his eyelids disappeared.

"KEME!" He screamed.

He squeezed himself through the icicles, shivering as the ice touched his skin. He then ran towards his beloved, his heart racing. He gathered his husband in his arms, picking him up. The thief's face was pale, and his skin cold to the touch. Large bloody gashes adorned his chest and abdomen, the gashes so deep, Drusus could see a large amount of blood pouring down.

Drusus' face paled, his breathing hitched as he gently shook Keme's unmoving body. Keme didn't stir.

"Keme?" Drusus whispered. "Keme, wake up. It's me, Drusus."

No response.

"Keme. Keme!" Drusus' whispering turned to shouting, as he shook Keme again.

Keme remained silent and still.

Tears began to fall down the monk's cheeks, as he sobbed. He buried his face in Keme's chest, not caring that his beloved's—his beloved's—blood smeared on his face. He cried, his heart breaking into tiny pieces at the realization.

Keme. His husband. The one he swore to protect. Was dead—

"D-Drussy…?"

Drusus stopped his pathetic crying, as he glanced down at Keme. Keme began to stir, whispering Drusus' pet name over and over. Keme's body shook—whether from the blood loss or the cold, Drusus wasn't sure—as he opened his eyes.

Drusus' eyes widened as he let out a gasp. More tears fell, but this time, they were happy tears.

Keme was alive. Keme was alive! Oh thank Cosmos.

"Keme!" Drusus whispered, hugging his beloved tightly, as if he was afraid of losing Keme if he let go. "Oh thank Cosmos, I-I thought you were…"

"I… knew you'd come," Keme whispered, returning the hug. Although, his hug was weak due to his waning strength.

"Of course I would, love," Drusus sniffled. "I-I was so scared when I found you. Please, don't scare me like that again."

"Hey," Keme chuckled, "I'm okay. I was just chilling while waiting for you."

Drusus couldn't help but snort. Despite nearly dying, Keme kept his goofy personality, much to Drusus' relief.

Kissing Keme on the forehead, Drusus then said, "Come on, let's get you fixed up."

Keme merely nodded, his arms around Drusus' neck as Drusus left the cavern to meet the others. Taika and Aerith immediately began to heal Keme, as Veles and Tyro used Fire spells to warm the thief up. Keme couldn't help but smile at the care he was given. He was so lucky to have a husband and good friends like them.