#wu gang avatars

[electricsoul-rpg]

WU GANG (吴刚) as Chen Pingping

Joy of Life 庆余年 s2 (2024)

[yikes-kachowski]

Idk how controversial this is but mako should have gang/triad tattoos. I really think that we don't lean into that aspect of him enough.

Also heres a random excersize in designing avatar style clothes in a more modern way. Mako is my model lol. I'm really proud of the "sneakers" lol

Idk I was just digging through old art and wanted to post something alongside the tats.

I don't think mako should be a cop though. I like the working class, former gangster vibe for him if he can't just be a pro bender.

I think Wu would still hire him anyway if he wasnt a cop. He'd find a press photo of the krew and be like "I want the hot one pls"

[miss-sweetea-pie]

A zutara rant about Aunt Wu’s prediction.

As a proud Zutarian I personally love the idea about aunt Wu’s prediction that she gave Katara about marrying a powerful bender is actually hinting at Zuko being the guy.

But I did see some antics mention “Zuko isn’t a powerful bender and it’s mentioned a lot that he’s not that good, they didn’t even think he was a fire bender bah bah”

First off that’s very rude!

So let’s over, analyze the fortune teller episode. Looking back on that episode we noticed that Aunt Wu’s predictions are technically accurate, but not always as they seem. this gets confirmed by the end of the episode and how that one man smugly tells Sokka that the prediction, said the village wouldn’t be destroyed and it wasn’t. Or that one guy having a safe trip and almost getting attacked by a platypus Bear but the gang saves him, technically, he still had a safe trip.

So the whole prediction is “ I see great romance for you the man you’re going to marry, he is a very powerful bender.” 

(technically that wasn’t actually the whole prediction, considering A.ang was eavesdropping  and well Kat@ang is all about A.ang and his feelings but I digress)

So the first half I guess is more about your taste in romance. I don’t think or feel like the canon kat@ang is this great epic romantic personality. But hey i’m willing to admit it could just be my taste. However the show does give us an example of a really powerful romances between Oma and Shu. In story lore of a romance that is so great it has been remembered for centuries and has a city named after them and ironically it has the famous enemies to lovers trope. hmm Interesting.

What I can defend though is the part that mentions “the man you will marry is a very powerful bender” you see A.ang it is a very powerful bender and once he is a fully realized avatar, he will probably be considered the most powerful bender. but like I pointed out Aunt Wu’s  predictions have a catch or they’re not always as you expect. And she said, A (not most) very powerful bender that could technically be anyone right? considering there are masters for all the different elements and being considered a master is still very impressive and seen as an accomplishment Even if you are not the avatar. So her future husband could be a possible Master. Adding the fact that most of the masters are old so this person could not even be fully realized yet, Insert Zuko.

So people mention that he isn’t that great of a bender or he’s not that powerful and yes, the show does mention that, but also who tells us that? Oh right. His dad the literal villain. The people that try to put him down tell him that he isn’t good enough. personally, I also think the show try to contradict that by showing us moments. for example in book one he did take down Zhao and showed him mercy. (when I watch the show, I think Zuko is actually holding back a lot of the time because he does have a consciences. his whole arc was kick started by him, having a conscience  and being empathetic so I don’t think it’s crazy to imagine him holding back a little). so when Ozai calls Zuko weak it’s kind of similar to how he calls A.ang weak in the finale. But no one questions A.ang not being a powerful bender. Hmmm weird.

Also, the other reason why I think Zuko being the one in the prediction is just better for the story is because the idea that you can become a powerful bender just feels so satisfying to me. In the show people still need to find masters and grow their skills. we are shown that people get better at things over time if they apply themselves. I think that’s a really good lesson. A similar lesson is already applied with Katara I may add, so it’s pretty fitting in a way.

Also the fact that he learns the true meaning of fire bending adds a nice layer of depth. it isn’t just about the skill of fire bending It’s also about the mindset. It really goes to show how he really has become a better and powerful bender in the end.

[wilcze-kudly]

After the whole brainwashing incident in TROTE (The Ruins Of The Empire) did Mako, Bolin, and Wu, along with Asami went to therapy?

Do they go to therapy? Probably not.

Do they need therapy? ABSOLUTELY.

Perhaps they get some treatment for like. Obvious physical symptoms, like maybe headaches and muscle spasms etc. I imagine new, developed by war criminals brainwashing technology might not be the safest. Guan and Sheng don't strike me as the types to care for their victims' quality of life.

I also really like the idea of the brainwashed gang occasionally falling back into their conditioning or other half-conditioned states (think confused, maybe a bit of a zombie like state). Like imagine Korrasami just chillin and suddenly Asami's back on the "the Avatar is your enemy." grind. Had a talk about this with @makosbiggestdickrider. Granted it was mainly about Wei and Bolin in the same situation. But just. Imagine the awfulness.

I think there's a lot to do with the aftermath of brainwashing. The thing is traumatic, even without the potential long term effects.

I mean, having your free will ripped away due to electromagnetic shock must be horrific on most levels but I particularly focused on the psychological scarring for Wu and Bolin.

Wu, because he had to get captured and dragged behind enemy lines alone with all his friends and the people meant to protect him as mindless drones. Rambled about it here \/

And Bolin. God, Bolin. Imagine how he must've felt. Back in the earth empire uniform, with the knowledge that he hurt his friends. Like. Fucked up deja vu...

Yep they need therapy. But will they get it?

[sokkastyles]

When Zuko is using Katara's necklace to track the gang, June's beast stops outside Aunt Wu's, and she says that Katara must have spent a lot of time there. Which is another gag at Katara's expense for wanting to know her future. Katara being a character who hopes in the spiritual. (Side note, it's kinda odd that the show makes fun of her, since her belief in Aang is the catalyst for the series).

Aunt Wu asks to read Iroh's fortune and he declines; at his age, he'd rather be surprised. This fits with what we know of Iroh and how he keeps telling Zuko that he has the power to make his own destiny. Iroh believes in the spiritual very strongly, but also believes that people can make their own destiny, so of course he doesn't want to be told his. (This is also in direct contrast to the Iroh who believed his destiny was to conquer Ba Sing Se. Iroh has learned now not to ask too much of fate.)

Zuko, of course, would rather be on his way, irritated that they are stopping at all.

It makes me wonder what Aunt Wu would have seen in Zuko's future. The show writers, by that time, probably already knew that Zuko would switch sides.

I initially thought that season one Zuko, obsessed with his destiny in a similar way to pre-redemption Iroh, would want to know his future, would be sure that Aunt Wu could tell him he would capture the Avatar and regain his father's honor. But Zuko is impatient in this scene, not wanting to waste any time.

And then I thought about how Zuko has always believed that he could make his own destiny.

"I don't need luck, I don't want it."

So Zuko doesn't stop to ask his fortune, either because of his determination to make his own luck, or maybe, subconsciously, because he fears what it might be, the way he ignores the warning signs that his father doesn't want him back.

[lozfanchick]

Sooooooooooo ima comment here because I feel like I can't comment on that AO3 fic forever........

So anyways, for that new plot for the Oubing Avatar Au is called A New Danger Awaits!: The Spirit Tiger Emperor of the East

The gang stops at village in the Earth Kingdom (Or whatever setting you call out; inspired by The Puppeteer ep from Avatar), rumors and news spread around that people are missing left and right. Men, woman, and even teenagers (Not kids or toddlers I ain't that cruel). Tripitaka displays concerns but Wukong reassures him that it may be some bandits causing ruckus, but that doesn't smooth Tripitaka's worries. Nezha and Ao Bing are feeling a bit of Deja Vi for some reason and their marks are glowing uncontrollable for some reason.

Unaware of sharp eyes looking at them from a feet away.

When crossing the marketplace they see a old man struggling to board up his house. Sandy helps the man board up the final board. The old man thanks Sandy but takes one look at the gang and sighs. The old man tells the gang that they should get to some place safe before the full moon. The gang asks why and the old man explains-

"Every once a full moon appears, a person disappears the next day. I'm not some historical person, but I think it was a spirit. A dangerous one. Big, broad, and scary", The Old Man shivers.

"They saw he's as old as time, appearing as the time Yin and Yang appeared," The Gang looks at Nezha and Ao Bing. The old man continues, "I, as a young lad, almost got caught. For some reason, the spirit kidnaps a person with pureful beauty. Long hair, a bender with talents, but the person had to have the symbol of Yang on their forehead. I have never been so lucky to have my bangs up that time".

The Gangs eyes widen, the symbols of Yin and Yang glowing as Nezha looks at Ao Bing, concern placed on Nezha face as Ao Bing feels a shiver down his spine.

"Some people say that the spirit was close to Yang. But many people disclosed that thinking that the spirit was an admirer to Yang". The old man looks up at Ao Bing, his eyes widen in panic, he lifts a shaky finger to Ao Bing. "You- you better be careful. You could be the next victim-" he says, he turns around quickly. Not bearing another word to the gang.

But he stops, he looks over to the gang again, but his voice was laced with worry- a warning.

"If you hear a bell ringing, he's close". He says as the old man surrys off

(NEXT INFO SOON!!!!)

YESSSSSSSS ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I love love love LOVE this idea!!! And like we already talked about, I'm such a fan of jealous tropes so this is just on point!!! 😁😁😁❤️❤️❤️❤️

Btw for people, this is for the Oubing (Nezha/Ao Bing) fic series I have with the Avatar AU!

[wilcze-kudly]

Well, that's a very layered question, and it can be awfully subjective, depending on how much we take Kuvira at face value.

First of all, I think describing Suyin as not wanting to 'fix' the Earth Kingdom as a lkttle misleading. From what we see of the Earth Kingdom before anarchy ensued, it was already in a poor state. With Hou-Ting praying on the commoners, we already saw a lot of mobilised unrest in the kingdom, such as Gombo and his gang, who seemed to be acting in a bit of a Robin Hood manner, trying to regain the people's money.

Gombo: You're on the wrong side of this fight, Avatar! That gold belongs to the people, not the queen!

And after Hou Ting fell and Ghazan destroyed the walls restricting the Lower Ring, the people who had been exploited since at least 100 AG, over 70 years before Korra's tenure as Avatar, rebelled. Taking back the riches that they percieved as built upon their stolen rights and comfort. Now, this does bear certain homages to revolutions in real life, like the French Revolution of and potentially certain events of the later Springtime of Nations. Although I cant speak in full certainty since we saw very, very little of the actual goings on in the Earth Kingdom.

However, it isn't surprising that Suyin, an established anti monarchist would not want to quell this uprising. Especially when the people who approached her about it where Raiko, president of the United Republic which was formed from lands split from the Earth Kingdom and Tenzin, leader of the Air Nomads who had several temples on the terrain of tge Earth Kingdom. How much do you want to bet that they were serving their own goals to at least some extent?

Especially by either requesting that Suyin help replace the previous monarch with Wu. Or claim the throne for herself, probably hoping to capitalise on Tenzin's familiarity with Suyin and of her being brought up in Republic City.

Frankly, we don't get enough information on what exactly Tenzin and Raiko wanted from Suyin, which also gives me pause on giving out judgement. But we see time and time again how Suyin wants to encourage the people's autonomy.

Suyin: What would you have me do? March into Ba Sing Se with an army? We'd be seen as conquerors and greeted with nothing but war.

Ok, back to Kuvira. When we look at Kuvira, we see clear allegories to Hitler and Stalin, but also to contemporary dictators. Kuvira established a totalitarian regime across the Empire, squashing the resistance and independence of the people and sending dissenters to camps which felt like obvious references to łagrs or concentration camps. This is, quite visibly, exactly what Suyin wanted to avoid.

Kuvira did modernise the Earth Kingdom and made its military incredibly powerful, but that doesn't seem to have benefitted the people at all. Similarly to how the technological advancements of the Fire Nation in atla did not seem to benefit the commonfolk.

Kuvira claimed to have saved the Earth Kingdom from the "pathetic rule of kings and queens" but she seems to have simply replaced them.

But here's the kicker- I do believe that Kuvira genuinely thought she was helping. Especially in the begining of her rule, but probably throughout the entire Earth Empire thing.

Kuvira is a character that comes with an interesting amount of baggage. The most specific being her parents who gave her away to Suyin when she was only 8. This obviously created a huge disturbance in her life and probably gave her major trust issues for life, which may be why she struggled to believe Suyin's care for her was genuine as well as why she seems to have such a fixation on people being loyal to her.

Having who were meant to be your support system and protectors toss you away like that probably ingrained itself in Kuvira's brain. Which is why when she saw what she percieved as the Earth Kingdom also losing a leader/protector, she projected her trauma onto the country. She didn't seem to have a full grasp on the politics and social aspects of the wider Earth Kingdom. She percieved leaders as a sort of 'parents' to nations and because she herself was abandoned by her parents, she felt kinship with a goddamn country and wanted to rectify it. Think of it as healing your inner child.

Kuvira: The Avatar is adored by millions! I was cast aside by my own parents like I meant nothing to them. How could I just stand by and watch the same thing happen to my nation, when it needed someone to guide it? Korra : You wanted to create a place where you and your people would never be vulnerable again.I may not have been an orphan, but believe me, I understand what it feels like to be afraid. After I was poisoned, I would have done anything to feel in control.

This perspective seems to be reinforced by the fact that Kuvira spent most of her life at Suyin's side and Suyin clearly ran Zaofu as a more tight knight, familial community. Even using the title 'matriarch' and referring to the citizens of Zaofu as 'clan'.

Kuvira said in her speech that she based a lot of her mindset on Suyin's leadership of Zaofu, and while I'm sure she tried to emulate Suyin, she clearly overestimated how different a country full of people pushed to the brink by cruel rulers is to a peaceful city of people who seem to accept their leader.

And I think that's where Kuvira's second motivation kicks into high gear. The need for control.

Because yes, I believe that was also a motivation in Kuvira's actions, if not a subconscious one. We've seen that Kuvira had very little control over her enviorment as a child, especially with her parents. We see her trying to counteract this by acting out and trying to gain a semblance of control.

And it isn't out of the question that Kuvira felt mildly threatened by the chaos outside of Zaofu and felt the need to organise it in the default way she knew, force.

Kuvira creating a cult of personality around herself, manufacturing enemies of the state like people of foreign descent, spreading terror across her regime are al textbook totalitarian techniques of asserting control over a nation. It's happened many times befor and we may be seeing it happen once again right now in Donald Trump.

And for the first time, Kuvira feels in control, wnd she's desperate to maintain it, to spread it. She's terrified of having that sense of security taken from her, which is why she's so aggresive when conquering otger states, why she went after Zaofu despite them being already in order, why she attacked Republic City.

Kuvira was using the Earty Kingdom as a coping mechanism anf proxy for her own trauma and literally everyone in the kingdom had to suffer for that.

what's your favorite kuvira line

[universesrising]

listing all my ninjago aus [again]

because i have more since last i did this and should update anyway

feel free to ask about any of these i live for rambling about things [and might also draw something if requested]

[i am sorry there are so many words this was meant to be a summary]

-

the big sip [bigger sip, biggest sip] - ok so basically, the premise of big sip is that the gang loses control of their powers and have to get snatched by wu before multiple bad things happen, the plot changes slightly depending on your flavor of sip. bigger sip has them already reach the uh oh point by the time wu gets them, and [SEABOUND SPOILERS] merge with their elements like nya did that one time in canon. they turn back once wu gets them. biggest sip has them NOT turn back once wu snatches them, and multiple concerns arise from this. big sip is the only au that has fanfiction of it [i’m gonna write the next chapter of the sipquel..... someday]

forever superstar rockin - one of two simple canon divergence aus, this one is exactly as the name implies. during prime empire, jay never switches out of his superstar rockin avatar, and once he leaves the game he simply. stays that way. he does not change back and is stuck like that now. and this is literally the entire au, just him looking like That for the rest of the series. at least the clothes aren’t stuck?? [this also has an alternate setting, where kai too gets stuck in his avatar design. fools, the both of them]

frozen [no not that one] - the second canon divergence au, this one set in season 11 of course. okay so you know that scene where boreal just hecking deletes the entire village? this divergence is basically just. what if kai did not escape unharmed. what if he got hit and just, froze over like everyone else when the rest of the gang got back. that would be terrible. the angst potential. do not be fooled by my lack of coherency explaining this one, i have Many Thoughts about it, i simply cannot speak

no more trauma - bear with me on this one lads, it’s a wild ride. this au started as a complete joke and, it still is, but it’s also still an au. a joke au, if you will. basically the premise is, what if my friend and i’s sonas, yasa and star, who are multiversal explorers of a sort, just. went to ninjago. and stopped every terrible thing from happening right when it’s about to happen. they immediately leave right after, so they get the effect of weird yet helpful cryptids. this is a very strange au, i am fully aware. yet it is so funny

lighthouse - this is a big one, has ties to another au but only in terms of character design. i spoke in length about the plot a bit ago, but basically the whole gang is varying degrees of animal person, [MORE SEABOUND SPOILERS] by the time it starts, nya is already the entire ocean, and jay lives at the lighthouse now. the plot’s just like. jay gets kidnapped by pirates [guess who], the gang saves him, shenanigans occur in which jay is forced to become a ninja again, he HATES it for various reasons, and everything spirals until the end, where jay simply retires. he literally retires back to the lighthouse. there is a reason this is called lighthouse au. there is so much going on here

band [also vigilantes] - this is also a bit weird but honestly all my aus are like that. band au is not what you think from the cover. the gang IS the instruments. for example, lloyd is a microphone. there’s more to it than that i swear, they turn into regular people at night, where they then do vigilante stuff under wu’s guidance. also they still have powers. lloyd’s doubles as a booster for the others because. microphone. hah. also featuring various other characters as the actual band, like pixal. i would like to send you the image of edna playing an electric guitar, because that is canon information. i do not know who nya’s player is please help me. she is a piano

crreature [spelled exactly like that] - this is the one that ties into lighthouse design-wise, because crreature au started by me going “what if lighthouse designs.... but more?” anyway i have also yelled incomprehensibly about this one and will continue to do so for THIS is the au i obsess over. what is the plot. the plot is everyone [except lloyd this time] is humanoid animals of some sort, called creatures in lore, and they live in a reserve owned by wu and there are so many shenanigans. a pool party. jay and nya have a ‘wedding’. zane is constantly interviewed cause he’s literally the only one who can talk. lloyd manages what is essentially a youtube channel,

gaming - this, surprisingly, is the self indulgent au, and not crreature. this is the other one i’ve talked about, especially jay’s role in it. i love gaming au. it’s zane and jay centric since they’re my friend and i’s favorite characters and this, as stated, is the self indulgent au. basically in gaming au, jay’s the companion npc / final boss of a vr rhythm game, and zane is Just A Guy who works for videogame-flavored borg industries. shenanigans with a prototype vr portal allows jay to literally just. walk out of his game into the real world. and zane essentially gets put on babysitting duty. the entire au is just Shenanigans as jay terrorizes the city and zane tries desperately to keep his sanity. this is such a good au. lloyd is here and he works at subway

elemental - “i am the most powerful subway employee to ever exist” - lloyd... that is the summary of this au. in which lloyd is exactly that, just some guy who works at subway. everyone else, however, are manifestations of their elements [and also the elements themselves... it is Complicated]. there’s too much plot to explain here [feel free to ask me to explain it though!], but basically lloyd has to go on a journey to reunite the elements of creation [+ water] in order to prevent some big disaster event from happening. along the way he discovers that oh, turns out he’s the descendant of the guy who made the world and that is why he’s the one who is doing this. cool.

lost lightning - this one is. weird. i introduced it here, but basically lost lightning starts off as a “ninjago without jay” situation up until the tournament of elements, where chen, not having lightning, opens a portal to the first realm to find a dragon to steal. the others follow him and find jay, who in the au is a funky cryptid not-quite-dragon man called a scavenger. after many shenanigans, jay ends up following them back to ninjago, not quite becoming a ninja but still mostly joining the gang, and the series goes along from there with MUCH rewriting to fit the whole... y’know... cryptid man... it’s a weird au, idk what to tell you

oops i did it again [here be dragons] - okay, so legally, this is called “oops i did it again”, but OFFICIALLY, it’s “here be dragons”. this is to lost lightning what crreature is to lighthouse, meaning i took one look at a design and went “what if... it was MORE?” ...here be dragons is, as you can guess, an au where the gang [minus lloyd, as it goes], are dragons. in the au, dragons are very, very extinct. or so they were SUPPOSED to be. zane, in the au, was built to preserve their legacy, but went missing, and upon his discovery ALSO happened to bring the discovery of four more dragons, which are kai, nya, jay, and cole. they’re the last known dragons in the whole world, at least, to anyone’s knowledge. so lloyd has a pretty important job of keeping them safe and protected, not that they. make it easy. they are very feral. help him

-

AND THAT IS ALL [of my aus]. i won’t list my friend’s aus this time [chicken au is great though and i am bullying them for content] cause this is so long already but i hope you enjoyed reading?? my aus are weird i am aware of this

as said up top though, if you want to know more about a specific one [or want me to draw something for them], feel free to ask! i love answering questions and we need more walls of text in this world [joking]

[edit as of the addition of elemental, lost lightning, and here be dragons: fun fact! here be dragons is called ‘oops i did it again’ because... it is another crreature au. i did it again. i made another one. i cannot be trusted, someone stop me]

[cielrouge]

YA SFF Books by Asian Authors

Ash by Malinda Lo: In this variation on the Cinderella story, Ash grows up believing in the fairy realm that the king and his philosophers have sought to suppress, until one day she must choose between a handsome fairy cursed to love her and the King’s Huntress whom she loves.

Along the Indigo by Elsie Chapman: Marsden yearns to take her sister and escape Glory, a town famous for seedy businesses, but her friendship with Jude yields secrets that may chain them to the Indigo River forever.

Alpha Goddess by Amalie Howard:  In this sci-fi retelling of Ramayana, Sera is a Hindu goddess incarnate and must battle between her good and evil sides in order to save the world from becoming hell on earth.

Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days #1) by Susan Ee: It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her 17-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back. Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel, Raffe. 

The Archer at Dawn (The Tiger at Midnight #2) by Swati Teerdhala: Set in an Indian & Hindu-inspired world, long-held secrets will force Kunal and Esha to reconsider their loyalties—to their country and to each other.

The Athena Protocol by Shamim Sarif: After being fired from the Athena Protocol, an organization of female spies who enact vigilante justice, Jessie Archer investigates a human trafficking case in Belgrade, while her former teammates have been tasked with bringing her down.

Blood of a Thousand Stars (Empress of a Thousand Skies #2) by Rhoda Belleza: Rhee risks her crown to negotiate peace terms with villainous media star Nero, while framed assassin Aly plots revenge and Kara seeks technology that will erase her royal past.

The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco: Tea’s gift for death magic means that she is a bone witch, a title that makes her feared and ostracized by her community, but when an older bone witch trains her to become an asha - one who can wield elemental magic - Tea will have to overcome her obstacles and make a powerful choice in the face of danger as dark forces approach.

The Bronzed Beasts (The Gilded Wolves #3) by Roshani Chokshi: With only ten days until Laila expires, the crew will face plague pits and deadly masquerades, unearthly songs, and the shining steps of a temple whose powers might offer divinity itself, but at a price they may not be willing to pay.

The Beast Player by Nahoko Uehashi: An epic YA fantasy about a girl with a special power to communicate with magical beasts and the warring kingdom only she can save.

The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh: In 19th century New Orleans where vampires hide in plain sight, half-Asian Celine Rosseau, a dressmaker from Paris, becomes embroiled in a murder mystery, connected to the glamorous supernatural cohort, known as the Court of Lions, and catching the eye of their mysterious, charismatic leader, Sèbastien Saint Germain.

Broken Web (Shamanborn #2) by Lori M. Lee: With Queen Meilyr bent on destroying the magical kingdoms, Sirscha becomes caught between a war in the east and the Soulless in the west.

The Candle and the Flame by Nafiza Azad: Set in the city of Noor, along the Silk Road which has become a refuge for those of all faiths, Fatima becomes embroiled in a war between two clans of powerful djinn who threaten to destroy her peace in different ways, forcing her to make unlikely alliances to survive.

Caster by Elsie Chapman: In this Chinese-inspired, magical Fight Club, Earth is already at the brink of environmental disaster due to the magic overuse. And 16-year-old spell caster Aza Wu must navigate through an illegal, underground battle magic tournament, while evading local gangs and police scouts to save her family from ruin.

Catalyst by Lydia Kang: Zelia Benten has lost her father, the love of her life, and any future she might have imagined for herself. Now she, her sister, and the band of illegal genetic outcasts they’ve come to call their family are forced to run when the safety of their foster home is compromised.

A Clash of Steel (A Treasure Island Remix) by C.B. Lee: Set in 1820s China, Xiah joins Anh and her motley crew in pursuit of the hidden treasure of the legendary Dragon Fleet.

Chainbreaker (Timekeeper #2) by Tara Sim: In 1876, someone is destroying the clock towers that control India’s time. Teenage mechanics Danny Hart and half-white, half-Indian Daphne Richards as they travel to Agra to investigate a series of clock tower bombings.

The Chariot at Dusk (Tiger at Midnight #3) by Swati Teerdhala: In the final book of this epic fantasy trilogy, the lands’ fate, their people’s livelihoods, and the bond that sustains their world all depend on what Kunal and Esha can offer—to the gods and to each other.

Champion (Legend #3) by Marie Lu: June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic--and each other--and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. Just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic's border cities.

Circle of Shadows by Evelyn Skye: Love, spies, and adventure abound as apprentice warriors Sora and Daemon unravel a complex web of magic and secrets that might tear them—and the entire kingdom—apart forever.

Control by Lydia Kang: In 2150, when genetic manipulation has been outlawed, seventeen-year-old Zelia must rescue her kidnapped sister with the help of a band of outcasts with mutated genes.

Court of Lions (Mirage #2) by Somaiya Daud: After being swept up into the brutal Vathek court, Amani, the ordinary girl forced to serve as the half-Vathek princess Maram’s body double, is desperate to continue helping the rebellion But can she bear to remain separated, forever, from Maram's fiancé, Idris? 

Cross Fire (Exo #2) by Fonda Lee: When the peaceful alien-run government withdraws from Earth, it seems that the terrorist group Sapience is going to get the "free" Earth it wanted; but Donovan Reyes, member of the security forces, and once a prisoner of Sapience, realizes that freedom comes with a price. 

The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Skye: Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia. The Tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the Tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death. 

The Crown’s Fate (The Crown’s Game #2) by Evelyn Skye: Vika struggles with dangers in her new role as the Imperial Enchanter while Pasha faces disputes about his legitimacy and Nikolai considers how far he is willing to go to return to the world.

A Crown of Wishes (Star-Touched Queen #2) by Roshani Chokshi:  Gauri, princess of Bharata, has been captured by her kingdom's enemies and faces a future of exile and scorn--she has nothing left to lose. But Vikram, the notoriously cunning prince of a neighboring land, promises her freedom in exchange for her partnership on his team to win the Tournament of Wishes.

The Damned (The Beautiful #2) by Renée Ahdieh: Sébastien Saint Germain is now cursed and forever changed. The price of loving Celine Rousseau was costly. But as Bastien and Celine begin to uncover the danger around them, they learn their love could tear them apart.

Dark Goddess (Alpha Goddess #2) by Amalie Howard:  In this Indian-inspired fantasy, a girl who is the avatar of the goddess Lakshmi must work to prevent the apocalypse at the hands of demons. 

Dark Goddess (Templar Chronicles #2) by Sarwat Chadda: Billi SanGreal, a teenaged member of the Knights Templar, must prevent a young girl, who is being hunted by werewolves because of the dangerous powers she possesses, from falling into the hands of the ancient Russian witch, Baba Yaga.

Daughter of Dusk (Midnight Thief #2) by Livia Blackburne: After learning the truth about her bloodlines, Kyra can’t help but feel like a monster. As tensions rise within Forge’s Council, and a vicious Demon Rider attacks continue in surrounding villages, Kyra knows she must do something to save her city. 

Descendant of the Crane by Joan He: In this Chinese-inspired fantasy, Princess Hesina of Yan is thrust into power when her beloved father is murdered, and she’s determined to find his killer–whatever the cost.

The Devil’s Kiss (Templar Chronicles #1) by Sarwat Chadda: 15-year-old Billi SanGreal has grown up knowing that being a member of the Knights Templar puts her in danger, but if she is to save London from catastrophe she must make sacrifices greater than she imagined.

The Devil’s Thief (The Last Magician #2) by Lisa Maxwell: Esta and Harte set off on a cross-country chase through time to steal back the elemental stones they need to save the future of magic.

Divided (Dualed #2) by Elsie Chapman:  When the Board goes after West Grayer for refusing to kill her next target, West must uncover the truth of the past to survive.

Dove Arising by Karen Bao: On a lunar colony, 15-old Phaet Theta does the unthinkable and joins the Militia when her mother is imprisoned by the Moon's oppressive government. 

Dove Exiled (Dove Chronicles #2) by Karen Bao: Phaet’s past catches up with her when the Lunar Bases attack the community and reveal that Phaet is a fugitive. She’s torn between staying on Earth with Wes—whom she’s just discovered her feelings for—and stowing away on a Moon-bound ship to rescue her siblings.

Dove Alight (Dove Chronicles #3) by Karen Bao: Shy, introverted Phaet Theta has gone from being a top student to an interplanetary fugitive to the reluctant but fierce leader of a revolution. But as the death tolls rise, the cost of the war weighs heavily on Phaet. Phaet started this war because she lost someone she loved. Will she have to lose another to end it?

Eclipse the Stars by Maura Milan: Criminal mastermind and unrivaled pilot Ia Ccha and her allies make unpredictable choices as they fight to keep darkness from eclipsing the skies.

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir: Set in a terrifyingly brutal Rome-like world, An Ember in the Ashes is an epic fantasy debut about an orphan, Laia, fighting for her family and a soldier, Elias, fighting for his freedom.

Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean: During a once-in-a-generation competition to find the new empress, Mari, who hides a terrible secret, Taro, the prince who would denounce the imperial throne, and Akira, a half-human outcast, will decide the fate of Honoku.

Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza: Two sisters, Rhee and Kara—sole survivors of a murdered royal lineage - must reunite from opposite ends of the galaxy to salvage what’s left of their family dynasty and save the universe from a greater threat.

End of Days (Penryn & The End of Days #3) by Susan Ee: After a daring escape, Penryn and Raffe are on the run, but a startling revelation about Raffe’s past unleashes dark forces that threaten them all. When the angels release an apocalyptic nightmare onto humans, both sides are set on a path toward war. Forced to pick sides in the fight for control of the earthly realm, Raffe and Penryn must choose: Their own kind, or each other?

The Epic Crush of Genie Lo by F.C. Yee: 15-year-old Genie Lo wonders if she’s qualified enough to gain admission to an Ivy League school, then becomes powerful enough to break through the gates of Heaven with her fists.

The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden #2) by Julie Kagawa: Cast out of Eden and separated from the boy she dared to love, Allison Sekemoto will follow the call of blood to save her creator, Kanin, from the psychotic vampire Sarren. But when the trail leads to Allie's birthplace in New Covington, what Allie finds there will change the world forever--and possibly end human and vampire existence.

The Ever Cruel Kingdom (The Never Tilting World #2) by Rin Chupeco: To break the cycle of sacrifice, twins Haidee and Odessa need answers that lie beyond the seven gates of the underworld, within the Cruel Kingdom itself. The shadows of the underworld may hunger to tear them apart, but these two sisters are determined to heal their world—together.

Exo by Fonda Lee: For a century now, Earth has been a peaceful colony of an alien race, and Donovan Reyes is a loyal member of the security forces, while his father is the Prime Liaison–but when a routine search and seizure goes bad Donovan finds himself a captive of the human revolutionary group, Sapience, terrorists who seem to prefer war to alien rule, and killing Donovan just might be the incident they are looking for.

Fair Coin by E.C. Myers: When evil versions of himself and best friend Nate appear one day, teenaged Ephraim embarks on a dangerous odyssey through parallel worlds to make things right.

Firestarter (Timekeeper #3) by Tara Sim: Colton, Daphne, and the others must choose between those striving to take down the world’s clock towers so that time can run freely, and terrorists trying to bring back the lost god of time.

Five Dark Fates (Three Dark Crowns #4) by Kendare Blake: In this conclusion to the Three Dark Crowns series, three dark sisters will rise to fight as the secrets of Fennbirn’s history are laid bare. Allegiances will shift. Bonds will be tested, and some broken forever.

Flame in the Mist by Renee Adhieh: The daughter of a prominent samurai, Mariko is promised to Minamoto Raiden. But en route to the imperial city of Inako, Mariko narrowly escapes a bloody ambush by the Black Clan. Dressed as a peasant boy, Mariko sets out to infiltrate the ranks of this gang. But she’s quickly captured and taken to the Black Clan’s secret hideout, where she meets their leader, the rebel ronin Takeda Ranmaru. 

For A Muse of Fire by Heidi Heilig: 16-year-old shadow puppeteer Jetta Chantray performs with her family’s traveling troupe, the Ros Nai. But as rebellion seethes and as Jetta meets a young smuggler, she will face truths and decisions that she never imagined—and safety will never seem so far away.

Forest of Souls by Lori M. Lee: Sirscha Ashwyn, while training to become the queen’s next royal spy, discovers she’s a rare and powerful lightwender and is summoned to the realm of the Spider King, where her newly awakened abilities are needed to cull the bloodthirsty Dead Wood.

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao: A reimagining of the evil queen from Snow White based on Asian mythology in which 18-year-old Xifeng must unleash a jealous god on the world and set free the viciousness of her own soul in order to become Empress.

The Forever Song (Blood of Eden #3) by Julie Kagawa: Allie will embrace her cold vampire side to hunt down and end Sarren. But Sarren has left many surprises for Allie and her companions as his trail leads straight to the one place they must protect at any cost -- the last vampire-free zone on Earth.

Fury of the Phoenix (Kingdom of Xia #2) by Cindy Pon: When Ai Ling leaves her home and family to accompany Chen Yong on his quest to find his father, haunted by the ancient evil she thought she had banished to the underworld, she must use her growing supernatural powers to save Chen Yong from the curses that follow her.

Gates of Thread and Stone by Lori M. Lee: A teenage girl must keep her ability to manipulate the threads of time a secret, but when her brother goes missing, she risks getting caught up in a revolution in order to save him.

Gearbreakers by Zoe Hana Mikuta: Eris Shindanai and Sona Steelcrest, two girls on opposite sides of a war fought with Windups, giant mechanizes weapons, discover they’re fighting for a common purpose–and falling for each other.

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi: Paris, 1889: Treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier, Séverin Montagnet-Alarie gets the chance of a lifetime when the all-powerful society, the Order of Babel, seeks him out for help in exchange for a priceless treasure: his true inheritance.

The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig: From modern-day New York City to nineteenth-century Hawaii to places of myth and legend, 16-year-old Nix has sailed across the globe and through centuries aboard her time-traveling father’s ship. But when he gambles with her very existence, it all may be about to end.

The Girl From the Well by Rin Chupeco: Okiku has wandered the world for centuries, but when she meets Tark she knows the moody teen with the series of intricate tattoos is not a monster and needs to be freed from the demonic malevolence that clings to him.

The Girl King by Mimi Yu: Sisters Lu and Min become unwitting rivals in a war to claim the title of Emperor.

Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust: As the day of her twin brother’s wedding approaches, Princess Soraya must decide if she’s willing to step outside of the shadows for the first time.

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan: When Lei, seventeen, is stolen from her home to become one of nine Paper Girls, the Demon King's concubines, she proves to be more fire than paper.

Girls of Storm and Shadow (Girls of Paper and Fire #2) by Natasha Ngan: After escaping the Hidden Palace, Lei and her warrior love Wren must travel the kingdom to gain support from the far-flung rebel clans.

Girls of Fate and Fury (Girls of Paper and Fire #3) by Natasha Ngan: The last Lei saw of the girl she loved, Wren, was fighting an army of soldiers in a furious battle to the death. With the two girls torn apart and each in terrorizing peril, will they find each other again or have their destinies diverged forever.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh: A feminist retelling of the Korean folktale The Tale of Shim Cheong, set in a town where every year a girl is sacrificed to the sea to stop torrential rains, but when a brave teen girl dives in herself to protect a loved one, she discovers a spirit kingdom in need of saving.

The Great Destroyers by Caroline Tung Richmond: set in alt-history, 1960s America where WWI & WII were fought with giant mechs, biracial Chinese American teen Jo Linden is Team USA’s most unlikely pick in the annual Pax Games, an Olympic-style competition that pits mecha pilots against each other.

The Heartforger (Bone Witch #2) by Rin Chupeco: With a thirst for vengeance, a band of terrifying daeva at her command, and her resurrected lover Kalen by her side, dark asha Tea is ready to face her adversaries.

A House of Rage and Sorrow (Celestial Trilogy #2) by Sangu Mandanna: As gods, beasts, and kingdoms choose sides, Alexi seeks out a weapon more devastating than even Titania. The House of Rey is at war. And the entire galaxy will bleed before the end.

Huntress by Malinda Lo: 17-year-olds Kaede and Taisin are called to go on a dangerous and unprecedented journey to Tanlili, the city of the Fairy Queen, in an effort to restore the balance of nature in the human world.

Ignite the Stars by Maura Milan: When outlaw Ia Ccha is captured by the Olympus Commonwealth and revealed to be a 16-year-old girl, they force her to serve them by joining the Commonwealth's military academy where new acquaintances cause Ia to question her own alliances.

The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden #1) by Julie Kagawa: Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city, until she too becomes an immortal vampire. Forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls, she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend -- a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

Inferno (Talon #5) by Julie Kagawa: Ember Hill has learned a shocking truth about herself: she is the blood of the Elder Wyrm, the ancient dragon who leads Talon and who is on the verge of world domination. With the stakes rising and the Elder Wyrm declaring war, time is running out for the rogues and any dragon not allied with Talon. The final battle approaches. And if Talon is victorious, the world will burn.

The Infinity Courts by Akemi Dawn Bowman: Japanese American teen Nami Miyamoto finds herself in a limitless world where the human consciousness goes after death, where she battles an AI entity posing as a queen that has hacked its way into the afterlife.

Isle of Blood and Stone by Makiia Lucier: Mysterious maps from opposite ends of the sea cast doubt on the whereabouts of two princes, presumed dead.

Jade Fire Gold by June C.L. Tan: A debut fantasy inspired by Chinese mythology, in which peasant girl Anh, cursed with the power to steal souls enters a tenuous alliance with exiled prince Altan, bent on taking back the dragon throne, and save the empire from a cult of dangerous priests.

Journey to the Heart of the Abyss (Light in the Abyss #2) by London Shah: Leyla McQueen has finally reunited with her father after breaking him out of Broadmoor, the illegal government prison—but his freedom comes at a terrible cost. As Leyla celebrates his return, she must grapple with the pain of losing Ari. Now labeled the nation’s number one enemy, Leyla must risk illegal travel through unchartered waters for the truth behind her father’s arrest.

Hunted by the Sky by Tanaz Bhathena: Set in a world inspired by medieval India, the story tells of a girl, Gul, with a star-shaped birthmark who is prophesied to be the downfall of a tyrant king, the warrior women who come to her aid, and the boy she falls in love with.

The Keeper of the Night by Kylie Lee Baker: set in 1890s Japan, half-British reaper, half-Japanese Shinigami Ren Scarborough flees London and enters the Japanese underworld under the service of Izanami, the goddess of death.

King (Dragon King Chronicles #3) by Ellen Oh: Girl warrior, demon slayer, Tiger spirit of the Yellow Eyes - Kira is ready for her final quest! She must save her cousin, the boy fated to be the future king, uncover the third lost treasure, and face innumerable enemies in order to fulfill the famed prophecy.

A Kingdom for the Stage (For A Muse of Fire #2) by Heidi Heilig: The rebels are eager to use Le Trépas’s and necromancer Jetta’s combined magic against the invading colonists. Soon Jetta will face the choice between saving all of Chakrana or becoming like her father, and she isn’t sure which she’ll choose.

Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix (Rise of the Empress #2) by Julie C. Dao: Princess Jade has grown up in exile while her stepmother, the ruthless Xifeng, rules Feng Lu. Ready to reclaim her place, Jade embarks on a quest to raise the Dragon Lords and defeat Xifeng and the Serpent God once and for all.

Legend by Marie Lu: In a dark future, when North America has split into two warring nations, 15-year-olds Day, a famous criminal, and prodigy June, the brilliant soldier hired to capture him, discover that they have a common enemy.

Legion (Talon #4) by Julie Kagawa: The legions are about to be unleashed, and no human, rogue dragon or former dragon slayer can stand against the coming horde in book 4 out of the Talon series.

The Library of Fates by Aditi Khorana: Amrita must unravel the mysteries of her past to save her kingdom, but in doing so, she herself might come unraveled.

The Light At the Bottom of the World by London Shah: Set in a future where the Earth is underwater, Leyla McQueen must navigate the treacherous abyss to find her missing father, but discovers a world drowning in lies.

Live in Infamy by Caroline Tung Richmond: 80 years since the Axis won World War II, and America was divided between the victors: the Nazis in the East and Imperial Japan in the West; but now resistance is growing in the Eastern territories and 16-year-old Chinese American Ren Cabot finds himself drawn into a resistance group. 

The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna: 15-year-old Eva is the clone of a girl living far, far away on another continent--and when this 'other' dies, Eva must step in and take over her life.

The Infinite (Gates of Thread and Stone #2) by Lori M. Lee: Kai always believed the only danger to the city came from within. Now, with a rebel force threatening the fragile government, the walls have become more of a prison than ever. To make matters worse, as Avan explores his new identity as an Infinite, Kai struggles to remind him what it means to be human. 

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao: blending Chinese history and mecha science, Wu Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister’s death. Features a poly F/M/M main romance.

The Iron Will of Genie Lo (Epic Crush of Genie Lo #2) by F.C. Yee: Along with a few other contenders for the throne,  heaven-appointed guardian Genie and her friends embark on a Heavenly quest to an in-between world.

The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen: An intergenerational story of a mother and son struggling to relate to each other—the mother an immigrant to America who wants to make a home for her family in an unfamiliar country; the son Tiế  trying to figure out the best way to come out to his parents. Through telling each other fairy tales, they’re able to find common ground.

The Magnolia Sword: A Ballad of Mulan by Sherry Thomas: When her ailing father is conscripted to fight invaders from the north, Mulan dresses as a man to take his place in the army, but an old enemy and an attraction for her troop's commander complicate her mission.

The Memory Keepers by Natasha Ngan: Seven is a thief with a difference - he steals downloadable memories from banks and memoriums to sell onto London’s black market. But one night, as Seven is breaking into a private memorium in a wealthy part of London, he is caught in the act by one of its residents; Alba, the teenage daughter of London’s most famous criminal prosecutor. 

The Memory Key by Liana Liu: In the not-so-distant future, everyone is implanted with a memory key to stave off a virulent form of Alzeimer's. Lora Mint fears her memories of her deceased mother are fading, but when her memory key is damaged she has perfect recall--of everything-- which brings her mother's memory vividly back--but may also drive Lora mad. 

The Mermaid, The Witch, and The Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall: A desperate orphan turned pirate, Flora, and a rebellious imperial daughter, Lady Evelyn Hasegawa, find a connection on the high seas abroad the Dove, in a world divided by colonialism and threaded with magic.

The Midnight Star (Young Elites #3) by Marie Lu:  Adelina is forced to revisit old wounds when a new danger appears, putting not only Adelina at risk, but every Elite. In order to save herself and preserve her empire, Adelina and her Roses must join the Daggers on a perilous quest—though this uneasy alliance may prove to be the real danger.

The Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne: Kyra, a highly skilled 17-year-old thief, joins a guild of assassins with questionable motives. Tristam, a young knight, fights against the vicious Demon Riders that are ravaging the city. 

Mirage by Somaiya Daud: In a star system dominated by the brutal Vathek empire, 18-year-old Amani is forced to work as a body double for the princess who is hated by her conquered people.

The Never Tilting World by Rin Chupeco: In  a world ruled by goddesses that has been split in two—one half existing in perpetual scorching Day, the other in freezing Night—twins separated at birth Odessa and Haidee embark on a quest across the great divide and rule a reunited world.

Mooncakes by Wendy Xu & Suzanne Walker: Teen witch Nova Huang runs into her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods. Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help. 

Moribito, Guardian of the Spirit by Nahoko Uehashi: The wandering warrior Balsa is hired to protect Prince Chagum from both a mysterious monster and the prince's father, the Mikado.

Moribito II, Guardian of the Darkness by Nahoko Uehashi: The wandering female bodyguard Balsa returns to her native country of Kanbal, where she uncovers a conspiracy to frame her mentor and herself.

Night of the Dragon (Shadow of the Fox #3) by Julie Kagawa: As darkness rises and chaos reigns,  fierce kitsune shapeshifter Yumeko and her shadowy protector Kage Tatsumi, will face down the greatest evil of all.

Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee: Resigned to a life without superpowers in a world full of them, Jess takes a paid internship where she helps a heinous supervillain and works with her longtime crush Abby, but stumbles on a massive plot.

Not Your Villain (Sidekick Squad #2) by C.B. Lee: After discovering a massive cover-up by the Heroes’ League of Heroes, shapeshifter Bells Broussard and his friends Jess, Emma, and Abby set off on a secret mission to find the Resistance.

Not Your Backup by C.B. Lee (Sidekick Squad #3): As the Resistance moves to challenge the corrupt League of Heroes, Emma Robledo realizes where her place is in this fight: at the front.

On This Unworthy Scaffold (Shadow Players #3) by Heidi Heilig: Jetta’s home is spiraling into civil war.Le Trépas—the deadly necromancer—has used his blood magic to wrest control of the country. Meanwhile, Jetta’s love interest, brother, and friend are intent on infiltrating the palace to stop the Boy King and find Le Trépas to put an end to the unleashed chaos.

The Only Thing to Fear by Caroline Tung Richmond: After 70 years since Hitler's armies won the war, 16-year-old Zara St. James lives in the Shenandoah hills, part of the Eastern American Territories, under the rule of the Nazis--but a resistance movement is growing. 

The Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He: In a near future when life is harsh outside of Earth’s last unpolluted place, Cee tries to leave an abandoned island while her sister, STEM prodigy Kasey Mizuhara, seeks escape from the science and home she once trusted.

One Dark Throne (Three Dark Crowns #2) by Kendare Blake: Preparing for the queens' sixteenth birthday celebration and navigating the fallout of the Quickening, sisters Arsinoe, Katharine, and Mirabella reassess their strategic paths to the throne using new understandings of their powers and destinies.

Our Violent Ends (These Violent Delights #2) by Chloe Gong: In 1927, Shanghai tethers on the edge of revolution. After sacrificing her relationship with Roma to protect him from the blood feud, Juliette has been a girl on the warpath. Then a new monstrous danger emerges in the city, and while secrets keep them apart, Juliette must secure Roma’s cooperation if they are to end this threat.

Prodigy (Legend #2) by Marie Lu: June and Day make their way to Las Vegas where they join the rebel Patriot group and become involved in an assassination plot against the Elector in hopes of saving the Republic.

Quantum Coin (Fair Coin #2) by E.C. Myers: Ephraim, Jena, and Zoe embark on a mission across multiple worlds to learn what's going wrong and how to stop it. They will have to draw on every resource available and trust in alternate versions of themselves and their friends, before it's too late for all of them.

Ravage the Dark (Scavenge the Stars #2) by Tara Sim: After escaping the city of Moray, Amaya and Cayo head to the port city of Baleine to find the mysterious Benefactor and put a stop to the counterfeit currency that is spreading Ash Fever throughout the kingdoms.

The Reader by Traci Chee:  Set in a world where reading is unheard-of, Sefia makes use of a mysterious object to track down who kidnapped her aunt Nin and what really happened the night her father was murdered.

A Reaper At the Gates (An Ember in the Ashes #3) by Sabaa Tahir: Beyond the Empire and within it, the threat of war looms ever larger as the Blood Shrike, Helene Aquilla, Laia of Serra, and Elias Veturius all face increasing dangers.

Rebel (Legend #4) by Marie Lu: Brothers Eden and Daniel Wing struggle to accept who they’ve each become since their time in the Republic, but a new danger creeps into the distance that’s grown between them. Eden soon finds himself drawn so far into Ross City’s dark side, even his legendary brother can’t save him. At least not on his own.

Rebelwing by Andrea Tang: At a prestigious prep school, scholastic student Prudence Wu, who smuggles censored media in a futuristic North America divided by culture wars and becomes an unlikely revolutionary, after being imprinted by Rebelwing, a sentient cybernetic dragon.

Renegade Flight (Rebelwing #2) by Andrea Tang: Pilot-in-training Viola Park, a probationary student at GAN Academy, enters a mech combat tournament that becomes a fight for the future of Peacekeepers everywhere.

Rising Like a Storm (The Wrath of Ambar #2) by Tanaz Bhathena: Gul and Cavas must unite their magical forces―and hold onto their growing romance―to save their kingdom from tyranny.

The Righteous (The Beautiful #3) by Renée Ahdieh: Pippa Montrose is tired of losing everything she loves. When her best friend Celine disappears under mysterious circumstances, Pippa resolves to find her, even if the journey takes her into the dangerous world of the fae, where she might find more than she bargained for in the charismatic Arjun Desai.

The Rise of Kyoshi by F.C. Yee: The never-before-told backstory of Avatar Kyoshi, from a girl of humble origins to the merciless pursuer of justice who is still feared and admired centuries after she became the Avatar.

Rogue (Talon #2) by Julie Kagawa: Unable to forget the human boy who saved her from a Talon assassin, Ember is determined to save him from execution with the help of rebel dragon Cobalt and his crew of rogues.

Rogue Heart (Rebel Seoul #2) by Axie Oh: Two years after the Battle of Neo Seoul, telepath Ama must use her telepathic abilities to infiltrate the base of the Alliance’s new war commander, Alex Kim, her first love who betrayed her.

The Rose and the Dagger (Wrath and the Dawn #2) by Renee Adhieh: Unsure who to trust, Shahrzad takes matters into her own hands to try and break the curse and reunite with her one true love.

The Rose Society (Young Elites #2) by Marie Lu: Adelina Amouteru’s heart has suffered at the hands of both family and friends, turning her down the bitter path of revenge. Now known and feared as the White Wolf, she and her sister flee Kenettra to find other Young Elites in the hopes of building her own army of allies. Her goal: to strike down the Inquisition Axis.

Ruse (Want #2) by Cindy Pon: In near-future Shanghai where society is divided between the fabulously wealthy business elite and the masses they exploit, Jason Zhou must play a dangerous cat and mouse game with the ruthless CEO of an all powerful corporation which has an ever-growing choke hold on the polluted metropolis.

Scavenge the Stars by Tara Sim: In the city-state of Moray, Amaya, orphaned by a powerful merchant’s greed and condemned to seven years aboard a debtor’s ship, returns to seek revenge only to encounter the merchant’s son in this gender-swapped retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo.

Serpentine by Cindy Pon: Although 16-year-old Skybright feels lucky to be the handmaid and companion to the daughter of a wealthy family, she is hiding a secret that threatens to destroy her position and her closest relationships.

Sacrifice (Serpertine #2) by Cindy Pon: When Zhen Ni discovers that her new husband, the strange and brutish Master Hou, may not be all he seems, Skybright and Stone must travel through the terrifying underworld to save her.

Seven Deadly Shadows by Courtney Alameda & Valynne Maetani: Set in contemporary Japan, Shinto temple priestess Kira Fujikawa, must seek the aid of seven ruthless shinigami, in order to protect Kyoto from an ancient evil.

Shatter the Sky by Rebecca Kim Wells: Maren, desperate to save her kidnapped girlfriend Kaia, plans to steal one of the emperor’s dragons and storm the Aurati stronghold, but her success depends on becoming an apprentice to the mysterious dragon trainer, which proves to be a dangerous venture.

Talon by Julie Kagawa: In a world in which near-extinct dragons pass as humans to grow their numbers secretly, siblings Ember and Dante Hill prepare for destined positions in the world of Talon only to be hunted by a dragon-slaying soldier.

The Ship Beyond Time (Girl From Everywhere #2) by Heidi Heilig: Nix has escaped her past, but when the person she loves most is at risk, even the daughter of a time traveler may not be able to outrun her fate—no matter where she goes.

The Shadow Mission (The Athena Protocol #2) by Shamim Sharif: Jessie Archer faced down death to prove her dedication to Athena, the elite organization of female spies she works for. Now she’s back on the team, in time to head to Pakistan to take down the man whose actions spurred Athena’s founders to create the secretive squad. 

The Shadow of Kyoshi (Kyoshi #2) by F.C. Yee: Kyoshi’s place as the true Avatar has finally been cemented. With her mentors gone, Kyoshi voyages across the Four Nations, struggling to keep the peace. But while her reputation grows, a mysterious threat emerges from the Spirit World. To stop it, Kyoshi, Rangi, and their reluctant allies must join forces.

Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa: Demons have burned the temple Yumeko was raised in to the ground, killing everyone within, including the master who trained her to both use and hide her kitsune shapeshifting powers. Yumeko escapes with the temple’s greatest treasure—one part of the ancient scroll. Fate thrusts her into the path of a mysterious samurai, Kage Tatsumi of the Shadow Clan. Yumeko knows he seeks what she has…and is under orders to kill anything and anyone who stands between him and the scroll.

Shadow Girl by Liana Liu: When Mei arrives at the beautiful home on Arrow Island, she can't help feeling relieved. She's happy to spend the summer tutoring a rich man's daughter if it means a break from her normal life. Yet she can't shake her fear that there is danger lurking in the shadows of this beautiful house, a darkness that could destroy the family inside and out...and Mei along with them. 

Shadowsong (Wintersong #2) by S. Jae-Jones: Liesl is working toward furthering both her brother’s and her own musical careers. But when troubling signs arise that the barrier between worlds is crumbling, Liesl must return to the Underground to unravel the mystery of life, death, and the Goblin King—who he was, who he is, and who he will be.

Smoke in the Sun (A Flame in the Mist #2) by Renee Ahdieh: After Okami is captured in the Jukai forest, Mariko has no choice—to rescue him, she tricks her brother, Kenshin, and betrothed, Raiden, into thinking she was being held by the Black Clan against her will. But each secret Mariko unfurls gives way to the next, ensnaring her and Okami in a political scheme that threatens their honor, their love and very the safety of the empire.

Sisters of the Snake by Sasha & Sarena Nanua: an Indian-inspired fantasy where twins separated at birth—one now a princess, the other a street thief— must switch places in a bid to stop a catastrophic war that threatens to tear their kingdom apart.

Silver Phoenix (Kingdom of Xia #1) by Cindy Pon: With her father long overdue from his journey and a lecherous merchant blackmailing her into marriage, 17-year-old Ai Ling becomes aware of a strange power within her as she goes in search of her parent.

The Silvered Serpents (The Gilded Wolves #2) by Roshani Chokshi: Séverin and his team members might have successfully thwarted the Fallen House, but at a terrible cost. Desperate to make amends, Séverin pursues a dangerous lead to find a long lost artifact rumored to grant its possessor the power of God. Their hunt lures them far from Paris, and into icy heart of Russia.

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim: The Wild Swans meets East Asian fantasy where an exiled princess, Shiori, must unweave the curse that turned her brothers into cranes, assisted by her spurned betrothed, a mercurial dragon, and a paper bird brought to life by her own magic.

A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) by Sabaa Tahir: Laia of Serra is now allied with the Blood Shrike, Helen Aquilla. Determined to stop the approaching apocalypse, she throws herself into the destruction of the Nightbringer. In the process, she awakens an ancient power that could lead her to victory–or to an unimaginable doom.

Skyhunter by Marie Lu: Robbed of her voice and home, Talin Kanami knows firsthand the brutality of the Federation. Their cruelty forced her and her mother to seek asylum in Mara. When a mysterious prisoner is brought from the front, Talin senses there’s more to him than meets the eye. 

The Shadow Glass (Bone Witch #3) by Rin Chupeco: Bone witch Tea’s dark magic eats away at her, but she must save the one she loves most, even while her life—and the kingdoms—are on the brink of destruction.

Song of the Abyss (Towers of Wind #2) by Makiia Lucier: When menacing raiders attack her ship, navigator Reyna must use every resource at her disposal, including placing her trust in a handsome prince from a rival kingdom.

Song of the Crimson Flower by Julie C. Dao: After cruelly rejecting Bao, the poor physician’s apprentice who loves her, Lan, a wealthy nobleman’s daughter, regrets her actions. After learning that Bao’s soul has been trapped inside a flute by a witch, Lan vows to make amends and help break the spell.

Soul of the Sword (Shadow of the Fox #2) by Julie Kagawa: As the paths of Yumeko and the possessed Tatsumi cross once again, the entire empire will be thrown into chaos.

A Spark of White Fire by Sangu Mandanna: In this sci-fi retelling of the  Mahabrahata, Esmae learns that the King of Wychstar is offering the unbeatable warship Titania to the winner of his competition and she sees her chance to return home and help her brother win back his kingdom.

The Speaker (Sea of Ink and Gold #2) by Traci Chee: Having barely escaped the clutches of the Guard, Sefia and Archer are back on the run, slipping into the safety of the forest to tend to their wounds and plan their next move.

Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim: 17-year-old Maia Tamarin poses as a boy to compete for the role of imperial tailor, and embarks on an impossible journey to sew three magic dresses, from the sun, the moon, and the stars, with help from the mysterious court magician, Edan.

Spell Starter (Caster #2) by Elsie Chapman: Yes, Aza Wu now has magic back, but now she’s in the employ of the gang leader, St. Willow. Who soon decides that having Aza as a fighter is much more lucrative than as a fixer.

Star Daughter by Shveta Thakrar: Inspired by Hindu mythology, half-mortal, half-star Sheetal enters a celestial competition to save her human father’s life.

The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi:  Treated with scorn and fear in her father's kingdom because of a formidable horoscope, 16-year-old Maya commits herself to her education only to land in an arranged marriage that culminates in her sudden elevation to the throne, a situation that is threatened by dark secrets and Otherworldly magic.

Star-Touched Stories by Roshani Choski:Three lush and adventurous stories in the Star-Touched world.

Steelstriker (Skyhunter #2) by Marie Lu: After the fall of Mara, and with the fate of a broken world hanging in the balance, Talin and Red must reunite the Strikers and find their way back to one another.

Storm the Earth (Shatter the Sky #2) by Rebecca Kim Wells: Maren and her girlfriend Kaia set out to rescue Sev  in Zafed, and free the dragons from the corrupt emperor.

The Storyteller (Sea of Ink and Gold #3) by Traci Chee: Sefia is determined to keep Archer out of the Guard’s clutches and their plans for war between the Five Kingdoms. As Sefia and Archer watch Kelanna start to crumble to the Guard’s will, they will have to choose between their love and joining a war that just might tear them apart.

Stronger Than A Bronze Dragon by Mary Fan: In this steampunk fantasy set in Qing dynasty-inspired China, warrior girl Anlei teams up with a thief to save her village from shadow spirits, but after arriving at the Courts of Hell, a discovery challenges everything they know about who the real enemy is.

The Suffering (Girl From the Well #2) by Rin Chupeco: When an old friend disappears in Aokigahara, Japan's infamous 'suicide forest,' Tark and the ghostly Okiku must resolve their differences and return to find her. In a strange village inside Aokigahara, old ghosts and an ancient evil lie waiting. 

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong: In 1920s Shanghai, starcrossed heirs to rival gangs, Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov, must work together to face a monster that hunts the city streets before the outbreak of the Chinese Civil War.

Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake: A fantasy about triplet sisters separated at birth, where one of the sisters will grow up to be queen of their magical island, but in order to ascend to the throne she must hone her magic for a dark purpose: assassinating her other two sisters before they kill her first.

A Thousand Beginnings and Endings edited by Ellen Oh & Elsie Chapman: 15 bestselling and acclaimed authors reimagine the folklore and mythology of East and South Asia in short stories that are by turns enchanting, heartbreaking, romantic, and passionate.

A Thousand Fires by Shannon Price: In modern-day San Francisco where three gangs rule the city streets, half-Filipina teen Valerie Simons enters the Red Bridge Wars to seek vengeance for her younger brother’s death, but soon finds herself torn between old love and new loyalty.

The Tiger at Midnight by Swati Teerdhala: In ancient India, soldier Kunal hunts the “Viper,” rebel girl Esha accused of killing his General, embarking on a dangerous cat and mouse game and where both must decide—loyalty to their old lives or to a love that’s made them dream of new ones.

Timekeeper by Tara Sim: set in an alternate Victorian era where clock towers control time, about a teen clock mechanic who is assigned to repair a damaged tower and finds himself falling in forbidden love with the boy he mistakes for his apprentice, but is actually the tower’s clock spirit, and whose life is threatened by a mysterious attacker planting bombs in clock towers across England.

A Torch Against the Night (An Ember in the Ashes #2) by Sabaa Tahir: Laia and Elias fight their way north to liberate Laia’s brother from the horrors of Kauf Prison. Hunted by Empire soldiers, manipulated by the Commandant, and haunted by their pasts, Laia and Elias must outfox their enemies and confront the treacherousness of their own hearts.

Two Dark Reigns (Three Dark Crowns #3) by Kendare Blake: A victorious Katharine sits on the throne, Mirabella and Arsinoe are in hiding, and an unexpected renegade is about to wage a war of her own. The crown has been won, but these queens are far from done.

Unravel the Dusk (The Blood of Stars #2) by Elizabeth Lim: With a war brewing, master tailor Maia Tamarin will stop at nothing to find her love Edan, protect her family, and bring lasting peace to her country.

Vicious Spirits (Gumiho #2) by Kat Cho: With the support of Somin and Junu, Miyoung and Jihoon might just have a shot at normalcy. But Miyoung is getting sicker by the day and her friends don’t know how to save her. With few options remaining, Junu has an idea but it might require the ultimate sacrifice and, let’s be honest, Junu isn’t known for his “generosity.”

Want by Cindy Pon: Set in a teeming, pollution choked Taipei which follows a group of teens living on the seedy fringes of a highly divided society that works only for the elite as they decide to risk everything to take down the powerful company which controls the city. 

Warcross by Marie Lu: When teenage coder Emika Chen hacks her way into the opening tournament of the Warcross Championships, she glitches herself into the game as well as a sinister plot with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire. 

Warrior (Dragon King Chronicles #2) by Ellen Oh: Kira, the yellow-eyed demon slayer of Hansong, continues her quest to find the lost treasures of the dragon king's prophecy, save her cousin, the prince, unite her kingdom, and defeat the demon lord

We Hunt the Flame (Sands of Arawiya #1) by Hafsah Faizal: In a world inspired by ancient Arabia, 17-year-old huntress Zafira must disguise herself as a man to seek a lost artifact that could return magic to her cursed world.

We Free the Stars (Sands of Arawiya #2) by Hafsah Faizal: When Zafria, the Hunter, and Nasir, the Prince of Death both embark on a quest to uncover a lost magic artifact, they encounter an ancient evil long thought destroyed - and discover that the prize they seek may be even more dangerous this time.

Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles: Showgirl Kallia, haunted by a dark past, must compete in a magician’s competition in order to secure her ambition and freedom from the handsome, enigmatic keeper of the club, Jack, even as mysterious accidents seem to plague her every move, while crossing paths with another talented magician, Demarco.

When Night Breaks (Kingdom of Hearts #2) by Janella Angeles: The competition has come to a disastrous end, and Daron Demarco’s fall from grace is now front page news. But little matters to him beyond Kallia, the contestant he fell for. With time running out, Kallia must embrace her role in a darker destiny.

Wicked Fox by Kat Cho: After 18-year-old Miyoung Gu, a nine-tailed fox surviving in modern-day Seoul by eating the souls of evil men, kills a murderous goblin to save Jihoon, she is forced to choose between her immortal life and his.

Wildcard (Warcross #2) by Marie Lu: Emika Chen barely made it out of the Warcross Championships alive. Knowing the truth behind Hideo's new NeuroLink algorithm, she is determined to put a stop to his plans. 

The Wild Ones by Nafiza Azad: A a multi-perspective feminist narrative about a fierce band of magic-wielding girls—the Wild Ones—who have collectively survived unspeakable things, and together are determined to save other girls from the cruelties and tragedies they’ve had to endure in their own past lives.

Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones: After her sister is kidnapped by the Goblin King, Liesl journeys to the Underground and is faced with an impossible decision when she finds herself captivated by the strange world and its mysterious ruler.

Wicked As You Wish by Rin Chupeco: A girl descended from Filipina mythological heroine Maria Makiling, finds herself caught up in a war between two fairy tale kingdoms, where the fate of Avalon is at stake.

Windborn by Mary Fan: With magicians hot on their trail, air nymph Kiri and magician’s apprentice Darien embark on a treacherous journey through dangerous lands to freedom.

World After (Penryn & The End of Days #2) by Susan Ee: Penryn's search for her kidnapped sister, Paige, leads her into the heart of the angels' secret plans, while Raffe must choose between reclaiming his wings--and his role as the angels' leader--or helping Penryn survive.

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Adhieh: In this reimagining of The Arabian Nights, Shahrzad plans to avenge the death of her dearest friend by volunteering to marry the murderous boy-king of Khorasan but discovers not all is as it seems within the palace.

Zeroboxer by Fonda Lee: As 17-year-old Carr 'the Raptor' Luka rises to fame in the weightless combat sport of zeroboxing, he learns a devastating secret that jeopardizes not only his future in the sport, but interplanetary relations.

[krnb-khh]

Sik-K’s Discography

Flip: July 20, 2016 

Zeros Fucks Is Given 

Cha Cha 

Rendezvous 

No Where feat. Loco 

Act Different feat. Mac Kidd 

God Damn 

Habibi

Don’t Play feat. Punchnello 

I Call It Love 

Alcohol feat. Jay Park 

#Yelowsmobbin 

H.A.L.F: June 5, 2017

Ring Ring feat. Gaeko 

Party (Shut Down) feat. Crush 

Fly 

Henny 

Chit Chat Ting feat. Herr Nayne 

Too Many feat. Jay Park 

Interlude 24/7 365 

XYZ

A Lil Bit feat. Simon Dominic & the Quiett 

Somebody Else 

Have a Little Fun feat. DPR Live 

TRAPART: January 19, 2018 

Young Boy (Prod. Groovyroom) 

YelowS Gang feat. Herr Nayne & Woodie Gochild (Prod. Groovyroom) 

Fuck It Up (Prod. Vangdale) 

Link Up (Prod. BOYCOLD) 

Another 0 feat. The Quiett (Prod. Groovyroom) 

Never Know feat. Loco (Prod. Vangdale) 

Lil Baby (Prod. BOYCOLD)

Not My Type (Prod. BOYCOLD) 

Boomin’ feat. Loopy (Prod. Vangdale) 

Choppy feat. Herr Nayne (Prod. BOYCOLD)

Never Know feat. Ye Ali (Prod. Vangdale) [Bonus Track]

FL1P: February 26, 2019 

FLIP: FL1P (Prod. Girlnexxtdoor) 

Noizy (Prod. Groovyroom) 

19 Cayenne Freestyle (Prod. Girlnexxtdoor) 

Vanessa feat. Crush (Prod. BOYCOLD) 

Love Aches (Prod.BOYCOLD) 

Fxck.That.Flower (Prod. Way Ched) 

Outta My Head (Prod. Groovyroom) 

Mi Casa Es Tu Casa feat. Jessi & The Quiett (Prod. Groovyroom) 

Xibal (Prod. Groovyroom) 

Addict feat. Girlnexxtdoor (Prod. Girlnexxtdoor) 

Fire (Prod. Groovyroom) 

Runnin’ (Prod. GooseBumps) 

R.I.P (Rest In Party) [Prod. Girlnexxtdoor]

Sorry (1000) feat. Crush [Prod. Girlnexxtdoor] 

The Fearless One: May 15, 2019 

The Fearless One 

Officially OG: March 24, 2020 

VJ Is Classic 

No Hook feat. Paloalto & The Quiett 

Hear Me 

30Min feat. Simon Dominic 

Soap Seoul 

“Season Off”

Do Main 2020 feat. Lil Boi, Ugly Duck, Zico, & TakeOne) 

Water feat. Woodie Gochild, pH-1, Haon, & Jay Park) 

Headliner: June 11, 2020

Darling feat. Crush 

New Love 

She’s Gone 

Addy feat. Moon 

Too Picky 

12:45 

Nirvana 

Bae 

IBTFY feat. pH-1 

Tell Ya! 

Singles: 

My Man - 2015

Untitled - 2015 

I Call It Love - 2016 

No Where - 2016 

Ring Ring - 2016 

Fly - 2017 

Choppy - 2018 

Plus It - 2018 

Youth.Wit.Propose - 2018 

Xibal - 2018 

Fire - 2018 

Addict - 2019 

Why You? - 2019 

Is It Love? - 2019 

Water - 2019 

Tell Ya! - 2020

Collaborations: 

Eung Freestyle with DPR Live, Owen, Punchnello, & Flowsik - 2016

Stylin’ with Supreme Boi - 2016 

Decalcomanie with Imlay - 2017 

Dingo X H1GHR with pH-1 & Jay Park - 2017 

Good Luck with Woodie Gochild, Haon, & pH-1 - 2018 

119 Remix with Various Artists - 2018

The Fearless One with Beenzino, The Quiett, & Changmo - 2019

Dingo X H1GHR with Haon, pH-1, Woodie Gochild, & Jay Park - 2019 

Tell Me Tell Me with M-flo, Elli, Taichi Mukai - 2020 

Gang Official Remix with pH-1, Jay Park, & Haon - 2020

Features: 

Sorry Mom - Jason OK feat. Sik-K & Andup - 2015 

F*ckboy - Jay Park feat. Sik-K, BewhY, & Ugly Duck - 2015 

Time To Go - A-Chess feat. Sik-K - 2015

Alone Tonight - Jay Park feat. Sik-K - 2016 

Bulletproof - Crucial Star feat. Sik-K, Hash Swan, & Konsoul - 2016 

Back In The Day - Henmi feat. Sik-K - 2016 

My Wave - Basick feat. Sik-K - 2017

Girls - Junggio feat. Sik-K - 2017

Surf - Double K feat. Sik-K & Jay Park - 2017

Ady - Boi B  feat. Sik-K - 2017

Show Me Luv - Changmo feat. Sik-K - 2017

So Bad - Loco feat. Sik-K - 2017

City Love - Ja Mezz feat. Sik-K - 2017 

Don’t Be Shy - Crush feat. Sik-K - 2017 

Jealous - Young West feat. Sik-K & Niel- 2017 

Yacht - Jay Park feat. Sik-K - 2017 

247365 - Geeks feat. Sik-K - 2017 

Tell Me - Groovyroom feat. Sik-K & Giriboi - 2017 

Xindoshi - Groovyroom feat. Sik-K, Loopy, Masta Wu, & Kim Hyo Eun - 2017 

VVIP - Jo Woo Chan feat. Sik-K & Gaeko - 2017

I’ll Pick You Up - Crucial Star feat. Sik-K & Lil Boi - 2017 

Tru - Jung Jin Hyeong feat. Sik-K - 2017

Hope You’re Ruined - Kissxs feat. Sik-K - 2017 

Life Is A Gamble (Remix) - Jay Park feat. Sik-K, pH-1, & Double K - 2017 

Tongue Wrestling - Giriboi feat. Sik-K - 2017 

I’m Good - Bumzu feat. Sik-K - 2017 

Muse - Woodie Gochild feat. Sik-K - 2018 

Boiling Point - Ravi feat. Sik-K - 2018 

Penthouse - pH-1 feat. Sik-K - 2018 

Everyday - Dindin feat. Sik-K & Junik - 2018 

Hit Me Up - Groovyroom feat. Sik-K - 2018 

Boong-Boong - Haon feat. Sik-K - 2018 

Easy - Wheein feat. Sik-k - 2018 

DSF - Kid Milli feat. SIk-K - 2018 

Play Me - Woogie feat. Sik-K - 2018 

RnB Ting - Way Ched feat. Sik-K - 2018 

Chill - Crush feat. Sik-K - 2018 

Watch Me Balling - Coogie feat. Sik-K 

Girlfriend - Verbal Jint feat. Sik-K - 2018 

Tragic Tragedy - Goosebumps feat. Sik-K & Coogie  - 2018 

Stingray - Vinxen feat. Sik-K - 2018 

Finish Line - Jay Park feat. Sik-K, pH-1, Woodie Gochild, Haon, & Avatar Darko - 2019 

Lying - Khyo feat. Sik-K 

Come In - GXXD feat. Sik-K & Moon - 2019 

Bellboy - GXXD feat. Sik-K & Coogie - 2019 

Money Over Bullshit Remix  - The Quiett feat. Sik-K, Changmo, Superbee - 2019 

Umm - Boycold feat. Sik-K & pH-1 - 2019 

Stupid Tweety - Boycold feat. Sik-K - 2019 

Day Or Night - Way Ched feat. Sik-k - 2019

Izakaya - Leellamarz feat. Sik-K - 2019 

Friday - Roof Top feat. SIk-K - 2019 

Tempo - Penomeco feat. SIk-K - 2019 

Day N Night - Moon Sujin feat. Sik-K - 2019 

Say Goodbye - Jay Park & Yultron feat. Sik-k & pH-1 - 2019 

Pass - Groovyroom & Leellamarz feat. Sik-K - 2019 

One Man Show - Zico feat. Sik-K - 2019 

Simple - Crucial Star feat. Sik-K - 2019 

Otherman - Elles feat. Sik-K - 2019 

Drug=Love - Jung Jin Hyeong feat. Sik-K - 2019 

Cash - Jung Jin Hyeong feat. Sik-K - 2019 

Limitless - Ravi feat. Sik-K & Xydo - 2019 

Lo-Fi - Ravi feat. Sik-K - 2020

Chance - Blase feat. Sik-K - 2020

Nombre - Leellamarz feat. Sik-K - 2020 

Telefono - pH-1 feat. Sik-K, Jay Park, Haon, & Woodie Gochild - 2020

Workman - Jang Sung Kyu feat. Sik-K & Jay Park - 2020 

Stupid Night - Vinxen feat. Sik-K - 2020

Out Of Place - DJ Wegun & Jay Park feat. Sik-K, Woo

Abu Dhai - The Quiett with Sik-K, Skinny Brown, & Leellamarz - 2020

Hitchhike Me - GGXD feat. Sik-K - 2020

Silence - Leellamarz & Goosebumps feat. Sik-K - 2020

Prison Break - Leellamarz & Goosebumps feat. Sik-K - 2020

Lies - Jung Jin Hyeong feat. Sik-K, pH-1 - 2020 

0 (young) - Leellamarz feat. Sik-K - 2020 

G + Jus - Groovyroom & JUSTHIS feat. Sik-K, Miranni, pH-1, Munchman, Skinny Brown, Louie, Leellamarz, Ourealgoat, Dbo, Owen, Kid Milli, Swings, Nudeboi Seo, Trade L, Coogie, Blase, Sokodom, Khundi Panda, Lil Moshpit, & Khakil - 2021

[kingwuko]

Wuko in the comics

Welcome to my first post discussing Wuko in the LoK comic books!

This first post will be discussing Turf Wars- which unfortunately does not feature Wu. But there are lots of excellent Mako moments, and there are some major plot points that carry over into the next comic trilogy.

Turf Wars is the first LoK comic trilogy released after the finale. Though it was released two and half years after the finale aired, it picks up right where we left off. While the creators confirmed after the finale aired that Korrasami was canon, the last moments of the animated series were a little ambiguous (on purpose, since this was a time when queer representation was just not considered "acceptable" in children's media-it was truly the only way they could get away with it). The comics definitively remove all ambiguity. Turf Wars features multiple frames of Korra and Asami kissing, holding hands, and coming out to their friends and family. 

The overarching plot of Turf Wars is a conflict over the land upon which the new spirit portal sets. There is also conflict between rival Triad gangs, the Triple Threats and the Creeping Crystals, over turf in Republic City following the chaos of Kuvira's invasion. These two sets of turf wars overlap when a business tycoon hires the Triple Threats to secure the spirit portal for him by driving others off. The new Leader of the Triple Threats, Tokuga, is attacked by a spirit defending the portal, causing him to gain a dragon-like appearance and a new agenda-seizing control of all Republic City. In the midst of all this there is a refugee crisis, a presidential election, and Korra and Asami trying to navigate their new relationship once they return to the real world with all their responsibilities.

Notable plot points and character developments:

Korra and Asami canon is confirmed (repeatedly)-They come out to family and their friends

Business owner Wonyong Keum, who owns the land upon which the new portal sits, demands everyone vacate so he can turn it into a tourist attraction for profit-prompting Korra to enter the Avatar state to temporarily drive him away.

An unhappy spirit requests Korra closes the portal to prevent exploitation of the spirit world.

Bolin joins Mako as his rookie detective partner.

Zhu Li is running efforts to care for refugees who lost their homes during Kuvira’s attack and teams up with Asami to begin rebuilding homes for everyone displaced.

Tokuga is introduced as the leader of the Triple Threats, fighting for control of the streets with Jargala, the leader of the Creeping Crystals.

Kya reveals she is queer and gives us a history lesson on the context of LGBTQ+ history in the world.

Tokuga is attacked by the afore-mentioned spirit and his right arm and half his face become dragon-esque.

Raiko is a colossal idiot. He is way too focused on getting reelected and making his decisions based on what his campaign advisor suggests, rather than just, you know, governing his city. He calls the military to occupy the portal, prompting the Airbenders to peacefully protest.

Zhu Li runs against Raiko for the presidency. She rallies more protesters to protect the spirit portal while her husband films her for his newest project- a “docu-mover” which he presumably uses to influence the election. 

Asami and Keum are kidnapped by Tokuga and forced to make a poison gas device bring the city under Tokuga’s control.

The Krew manages to save the day of course, thanks to Asami’s wit, Korra’s unstoppable stubbornness, and back-up from Bolin and Mako. Except Mako, bless him, says he’ll “take care of Tokuga”, and then promptly loses him.

Tokuga mysteriously disappears into the spirit world.

Zhu Li wins the presidency.

Korra and Asami share a lovely, romantic moment where they exchange their first “I love you”s at the conclusion of the comic.

Mako scenes

There is no Wu in the Turf Wars comics (Unless you count one line of dialogue where it is mentioned that the Earth Kingdom is sending supplies to help the refugee situation) - however, there is plenty of Mako! Mako’s primary role in this series is as a detective trying to find and stop the Triads from waging their turf war in the city.

Our first scenes with Mako shows him back to being a detective- and his brother is his partner. He doesn’t seem super thrilled to be working with Bolin, but I think it’s just because he knows how his brother is- not that he doesn’t want to spend time with him. They are trying to track down the new leader of the triple threats and control gang activity. Mako’s arm is still in a sling, he’s got his usual brooding grumpy facial expression, and his hair is spiky again! He and Bolin arrest two-toed Ping and try to interrogate him. Two-toed Ping is weirdly proud of Mako and Bolin for rising up from being “nobodies” to a couple of “bigtime cops”.

They catch up with Korra and Asami, and the four of them are alerted by Jinora that the Triple threats are attacking the Airbenders that were meditating at the portal. Asami gets hurt in the battle and she and Korra share a kiss in front of everyone:

Look at Opal’s sweet face. She looks like she’s barely containing her excitement and is maybe squealing a bit, and she’s looking directly at Bolin which I think is a sweet moment to show their relationship. Bolin calls dibs on the first double date.

Mako probably needs time to process the information....

Mako and Bolin do some detective work to try and find Tokuga. There is an interesting scene where they are questioning Scoochy (We saw him in the first season, he’s the kid that told Korra and Mako the Bolin went to do some work for the triple threats before getting captured by equalists) Bolin tells Mako they should do “good cop, bad cop”, with Bolin being the good cop. Mako gets annoyed, and Bolin asks if he’s grumpy because his exes are dating. Mako insists he’s cool with it- though he’s got a distressed look on his face. They catch up to Scoochy and Bolin actually loses his temper and is rather menacing. Mako pulls Bolin back and genuinely connects with Scoochy- relating to his past, pushing him to do the right thing and help others. I really liked this moment because it shows how much character growth he’s had when you compare the way he treated Kai in season 3. (They are ultimately unsuccessful and Scoochy’s tip leads them to a room rigged with explosives- but I don’t think Scoochy knew that, I think he was fed false info).

There’s another touching scene, after Asami is kidnapped, where Mako notices how upset Korra seems as everyone is trying to form a plan to stop Tokuga. He steps aside to check in and see how she’s feeling. He comforts her’ empathizes with her, and reassures her that they are going to find Asami. At this point he seems to have fully processed that they are together and seems to fully accept it and is very supportive. Not easy considering the awkward position he’s in as both their exes. In this scene, Mako also informs Korra that he can’t firebend with his injured arm.

Mako and Bolin helps Korra to find Asami by requesting help from Jargala- in spite of the fact that Chief Beifong told them not to… They show up for Korra and Asami even if it means risking their jobs. They team up and fight the bad guys together, just like the old days.

We see many examples of how bad the damage is from Mako’s injury in the Colossus. He can’t bend with his left arm, it’s in a sling almost the whole comic, and he really doesn’t seem to be at the top of his game. He told Bolin he would take care of catching Tokuga, but apparently couldn’t and lost him. Mako’s injury is pretty bad and it’s probably really frustrating.

At the end, Bolin decides to quit the force (surprise. The guy loves to hop from calling to calling!). He makes a big dramatic speech to Mako, talking about how it’s time they go their separate ways. Mako is like “Um I’m going to see you at home in like two hours”, so it sounds like they are living together.

What all this might mean for Wuko

So now I’m going to try to tie things back into how all this affects the potential of Wuko- whether that’s for headcanons or fics or whatever- and just try to give you an idea of what this comic means for Wuko shippers.

Wu is governing in the Earth Kingdom right now. It is mentioned by Zhu Li that the Earth Kingdom sent supplies, so one can assume Wu has taken his place on the throne and the Earth Kingdom is in a stable enough position to be sending supplies to aid another nation. Nothing is mentioned about efforts to transform the Earth Kingdom into a democratic nation (we’ll get to that in the Ruins of the Empire comics).

Mako’s primary relationships that are explored are with his brother and with Korra. His relationship with Bolin is just as it always is. He loves his brother even if he is a little exhausted by his upbeat, enthusiastic attitude. We build up on his final interaction with Korra from the animated series and continue to firmly establish them as friends and amicable exes. Interestingly, we don’t get any meaningful Mako and Asami interactions. When he is comforting Korra, he relates to her by remembering how worried he was when Korra was kidnapped by Amon. He doesn't try to say “Yeah I’m really worried about Asami too”, which, to me is bizarre because he and Asami are friends too, right? I don’t know if we should read too much into it though- most likely it was just a writing choice that we aren’t meant to psycho-analyze- but it could also mean he is being careful with his words so that Korra doesn’t wonder if he still has feelings for Asami. The love triangle is completely resolved and Mako is out of the picture romantically with either of them and has no lingering romantic feelings. In other words, he is 100% ready available for a relationship with someone else.

The scene where Kya gives us a history lesson establishes how LGBTQ+ people are viewed in the world of LoK. In short, Korra and Asami are fully supported by their friends and family, and even their enemies acknowledge their relationship without any homophobic tones. The closest we get to homophobia is Korra's father, who, after expressing his happiness at their relationship, warns Korra to be cautious going forward because not everyone will be as understanding. Kya gives us a quick lesson on how same-gender relationships are viewed across the nations: The water tribe, being a patriarchal culture, expects discretion. The Earth Kingdom is not particularly accepting-Kya says that Avatar Kyoshi was bisexual but couldn't affect "real change" and that the earth kingdom is the slowest to accept change and is also militarily repressive (full disclosure I have not read the Kyoshi comics, maybe there is additional insight in those?). And in the fire nation, Sozin made same-gender relationships illegal when he took power (I hope Zuko undid all that when he became Firelord). The air nation is the only one that seems truly accepting-Kya paints a picture of total acceptance and says that Aang was supportive when she herself came out. Korra is worried that maybe her father was right, but Asami points out that a lot has changed over the years and everyone seems accepting, especially in Republic City. 

I think what we can take away from this as far as Wuko goes- is that in Republic City, same-gender relationships are not much of an issue, while in the Earth Kingdom it could be viewed negatively. One could make a case that Wu might have cause to be closeted, while Mako might not. (Feel free to reject this history canon and substitute your own. I’d just as soon say that no one in the avatar-verse cares if you aren’t cis or het).

In conclusion. Mako is just a guy trying very hard to be a good, supportive friend to his exes who are now dating each other. He loves them (platonically) he loves his brother, he’s kind and has matured a lot, but he still always has a grumpy look on his face so it’s time for him to move on and get together with Wu.

Well, that’s Turf Wars. I did cram the plot of three comic books into one post, so I certainly did not hit all the details. If you feel I missed something crucial, feel free to reblog with your own takes. Next I’ll discuss Ruins of the Empire, in which we get lots of Wu and potential Wuko moments, a sizable helping of angst and even some Wu & Korra friendship! RotE is a really fun comic trilogy and I’ll be breaking it down into multiple posts. Thanks for reading everyone!

Wuko In RotE part 1

Wuko in RotE part 2

[lightdancer1]

Avatar flash fic three shot:

Wu's right hand glowed with a brilliant blue fire.

"I don't mind meeting my younger sister, Ursa. She's actually nice. I wonder how she's related to little Zuzu and I. But you *don't* insult my wife or start shit. Especially when she surprises me by bringing me lunch."

Ursa's gaze became a harder one.

"Wu, she has a tattoo from the Destruction Battalion. They were a gang of killers in uniform."

Wu Zhao shrugged. "I grew up. So did she. I wouldn't marry a murderer, Ursa. If I did, the murderer would be locked in the room with me."

Ursa saw the fire and that it had grown more powerful with time, not less.

"Does....does Zuko know?"

Wu Zhao's grin was harsh.

"Yes, my brother does. He let me walk away from the Fire Nation, let me live my own choice. If I risk a backslide to the war or whatever dumb ass kid shit I did coming back or whatever, the Avatar is here all the time. His gang are here, too. I'm even friends, believe it or not, with the Earthbender. Beifong."

She had an affectionate quality to her smile that Ursa flushed to see she didn't recognize.

"Between the Avatar and the strongest Waterbender and Earthbender in the world, I daresay that I don't have much risk to anyone, as both of them could easily match me in their own elements. And I'll tell you a little secret," she said in a stage whisper. "I haven't had a fight with them in twelve years."

Ursa ducked her head.

"I'm sorry."

Wu Zhao snorted.

"Well it is good to see if you think I married a murderer you'd find it in you to care. Now..." as she took her lunch and gave Hoelun a quick kiss and whispered something into her ear, "I'll go against my better judgment and give you a chance to join me," she said quietly, "at lunch."

Ursa ate quietly, a lunch of much poorer quality than she'd eaten anywhere else, but fairly hearty. The kind of food that workers ate at construction sites. Kiyi ate but actively talked to her older sister, who smiled at her and told her things that Ursa listened to, if not willing to open her mouth and risk things further than she already had.

In that meal she saw more deeply than she had done in her entire life, and realized her daughter lived a life of contentment. One of her oldest dreams fulfilled, a legacy written that would last in what was now the fifth nation. She looked around her and then it dawned on her at last as she coughed and Wu Zhao turned a surprised look to her.

"Did you start here or...."

Wu nodded.

"It was and is the first price of my....freedom." Now her smile was warm and something in Ursa felt a sense of relief and emotions she had never expected to feel to see it.

"One of Sozin's line helping to redesign the city we took from the Earth Kingdom, our first conquest, into a place of its own. A blend of all four nations. Fire, Water, Earth, and Air. A legacy of creation to match one of destruction."

Her smile became warmer, still.

"I can give to the world, Ursa, more than I ever took from it, and do something from....from Caldera. I get to live my greatest dream, to help fix the world. I've, as odd as it sounds, even become friends with my old enemies. It's why nobody says anything."

She shook her head.

"Too many people think Zuzu taking the throne the way he did outweighs the good he can do. The Fire Nation needs a new way. Those who'd want me to take power would want me to keep the old ones."

She rolled up her sleeve and Ursa's eyes widened at the scars in the shape of hands around Azula's forearms. So did Kiyi's.

"And as you can see, I don't *want* to be responsible for perpetuating that."

Ursa leaned back, surprisingly full, and looked around.

Then she smiled.

"I'm proud of you, Wu. You've......you've done more than I ever imagined possible. I know what that really says about me. I don't know what I came here expecting to find, but this..."

She looked around her.

"Do you love...." she pointed to the lunchbox.

"Hoelun? More than anything. We saved each other from our own hells, we have two daughters and one son. War orphans." Wu Zhao's expression became much more sober.

"Hoelun was orphaned herself. She wanted to give back and so we have."

Kiyi spoke up again. "Can I...."

Wu nodded.

"If the Fire Lord approves, I don't see why not."

Ursa found herself smiling at the sight.

Wu Zhao's gaze met hers.

"We have....a lot of bad history between us. I'm willing to give a chance, here, given it's been fourteen years. I will make no promises, but...."

Ursa nodded, then.

"It's all I can ask for."

She extended her hand, in a warrior's grip. A Water Tribe gesture more than a Fire Nation one. Azula extended hers and grasped her wrist and they shook, as Ursa took a deep breath.

-------

When she returned to the Fire Nation she was surprised and yet not surprised to see Mai, Ty Lee, and Iroh waiting for her, with Zuko behind them.

"Well?" It was Ty Lee who asked.

"I found her. She's an architect, helping to build the United Republic's cities. Beautiful designs, too."

There was relief in all their faces, though there was some shame in Iroh's own.

"I hope you were less....judgmental...than I was."

Ursa shrugged. "We didn't fight or wreck any of the site, if that's what you mean."

Iroh coughed but the 'yes' in the cough was audible.

Ursa looked at her son with some surprise.

"Why keep it a secret, Zuko?"

He shrugged lightly.

"Azula told me what her real dream was when I offered her the chance to find you. The Avatar was there, he heard it, and he took her up on it. After everything between us, I wanted to break the cycle of....everything in our family. Keeping Azula in the Palace, where there were all the bad dreams and everything else wouldn't have done that.

And...." he shrugged equally lightly. "Aang and everyone else are in Republic City all the time. If things went bad there were people there. And they've gone better than expected. I don't think it's too much, after a century of war, to want a better world, where people can live dreams rather than war taking them."

He tapped the side of his face and Ursa nodded.

"Maybe you're right."

It was with happier expressions that Ursa and Kiyi returned to the Palace, Kiyi actively chatting with Mai and Ty Lee about what she'd seen, as Ursa looked around her in thought, seeing the relieved smile on Ikem's face and returning it with one of her own.

[bloodbenderz]

humaniterations (dot) net/2014/10/13/an-anarchist-perspective-on-the-red-lotus/ this article from oct 2014 is very dense — truly, a lot to unpack here, but I feel like you would find this piece interesting. I would love it if you shared your thoughts on the points that stood out to you, whether you agree or disagree. you obv don’t have to respond to it tho, but I’m sending it as an ask jic you feel like penning (and sharing) a magnificent essay, as is your wont 💕

article

i know this took me forever 2 answer SORRY but i just checked off all the things on my to do list for the first time in days today so. Essay incoming ladies!

ok im SO glad u sent me this bc it’s so so good. it’s a genuinely thoughtful criticism of the politics in legend of korra (altho i think its sometimes a little mean to korra unnecessarily like there’s no reason to call her a “petulant brat” or say that she throws tantrums but i do understand their point about her being an immature and reactionary hero, which i’ll get back to) and i think the author has a good balance between acknowledging like Yeah the lok writers were american liberals and wrote their show accordingly and Also writing a thorough analysis of lok’s politics that felt relevant and interesting without throwing their hands up and saying this is all useless liberal bullshit (which i will admit that i tend to do).

this article essentially argues that the red lotus antagonists of s3 were right. And that’s not an uncommon opinion i think but this gives it serious weight. Like, everything that zaheer’s gang did was, in context, fully understandable. of course the red lotus would be invested in making sure that the physically and spiritually and politically most powerful person in the world ISNT raised by world leaders and a secret society of elites that’s completely unaccountable to the people! of course the red lotus wants to bring down tyrannical governments and allow communities to form and self govern organically! and the writers dismiss all of that out of hand by 1. consistently framing the red lotus as insane and murderous (korra never actually gives zaheer’s ideas a chance or truly considers integrating them into her own approach) 2. representing the death of the earth queen as not just something that’s not necessarily popular (what was with mako’s bootlicker grandma, i’d love to know) but as something that causes unbelievable violence and chaos in ba sing se (which, like, a lot of history and research will tell you that people in disasters tend towards prosocial behaviors). so the way the story frames each of these characters and ideologies is fascinating because like. if you wanted to write season 3 of legend of korra with zaheer as the protagonist and korra as the antagonist, you wouldn’t actually have to change the sequence of events at all, really. these writers in particular and liberal writers in general LOVE writing morally-gray-but-ultimately-sympathetic characters (like, almost EVERY SINGLE fire nation character in the first series, who were full on violent colonizers but all to a degree were rehabilitated in the eyes of the viewer) but instead of framing the red lotus as good people who are devoted to justice and freedom and sometimes behave cruelly to get where theyre trying to go, they frame them as psychopaths and murderers who have good intentions don’t really understand how to make the world a better place.

and the interesting thing about all this, about the fact that the red lotus acted in most cases exactly as it should have in context and the only reason its relegated to villain status is bc the show is written by liberals, is that the red lotus actually points out really glaring sociopolitical issues in universe! like, watching the show, u think well why the fuck HASN’T korra done anything about the earth queen oppressing her subjects? why DOESN’T korra do anything about the worse than useless republic president? why the hell are so many people living in poverty while our mains live cushy well fed lives? how come earth kingdom land only seems to belong to various monarchs and settler colonists, instead of the people who are actually indigenous to it? the show does not want to answer these questions, because american liberal capitalism literally survives on the reality of oppressive governments and worse than useless presidents and people living in poverty while the middle/upper class eats and indigenous land being stolen. if the show were to answer these questions honestly, the answer would be that the status quo in real life (and the one on the show that mirrors real life) Has To Change.

So they avoid answering these questions honestly in order for the thesis statement to be that the status quo is good. and the only way for the show to escape answering these questions is for them to individualize all these broad social problems down into Good people and Bad people. so while we have obvious bad ones like the earth queen we also have all these capitalists and monarchs and politicians who are actually very nice and lovely people who would never hurt anyone! which is just such an absurd take and it’s liberal propaganda at its best. holding a position of incredible political/economic power in an unjust society is inherently unethical and maintaining that position of power requires violence against the people you have power over. which is literally social justice 101. but there’s literally no normal, average, not-politically-powerful person on the show. so when leftist anarchism is presented and says that destroying systems that enforce extreme power differentials is the only way to bring peace and freedom to all, the show has already set us up to think, hey, fuck you, top cop lin beifong and ford motor ceo asami sato are good people and good people like them exist! and all we have to do to move forward and progress as a society is to make sure we have enough good individuals in enough powerful positions (like zuko as the fire lord ending the war, or wu as the earth king ending the monarchy)! which is of course complete fiction. liberal reform doesn’t work. but by pretending that it could work by saying that the SYSTEM isnt rotten it’s just that the people running it suck and we just need to replace those people, it automatically delegitimizes any radical movements that actually seek to change things.

and that’s the most interesting thing about this article to me is that it posits that the avatar...might actually be a negative presence in the world. the avatar is the exact same thing: it’s a position of immense political and physical power bestowed completely randomly, and depending on the moral character and various actions of who fills that position at any given time, millions of people will or won’t suffer. like kyoshi, who created the fascist dai li, like roku, who refused to remove a genocidal dictator from power, like aang, who facilitated the establishment of a settler colonial state on earth kingdom land. like korra! she’s an incredibly immature avatar and a generally reactionary lead. i’ve talked about this at length before but she never actually gets in touch with the needs of the people. she’s constantly running in elite circles, exposed only to the needs and squabbles of the upper class! how the hell is she supposed to understand the complexities of oppression and privilege when she was raised by a chess club with inordinate amounts of power and associates almost exclusively with politicians and billionaires?? from day 1 we see that she tends to see things in very black and white ways which is FINE if you’re a privileged 17 yr old girl seeing the world for the first time but NOT FINE if you’re the single most powerful person in the world! Yeah, korra thinks the world is probably mostly fine and just needs a little whipping into shape every couple years, because all she has ever known is a mostly fine world! in s1 when mako mentions that he as a homeless impoverished teenager worked for a gang (which is. Not weird. Impoverished people of every background are ALWAYS more likely to resort to socially unacceptable ways of making money) korra is like “you guys are criminals?????!!!!!” she was raised in perfect luxury by a conservative institution and just never developed beyond that. So sure, if the red lotus raised her anarchist, probably a lot would’ve been different/better, but....they didn’t. and korra ended up being a reactionary and conservative avatar who protected monarchs and colonialist politicians. The avatar as a position is completely subject to the whims of whoever is currently the avatar. and not only does that suck for everyone who is not the avatar, not only is it totally unfair to whatever kid who grows up knowing the fate of the world is squarely on their shoulders, but it as a concept is a highly individualist product of the authors’ own western liberal ideas of progress! the idea that one good leader can fix the world (or should even try) based on their own inherent superiority to everyone else is unbelievably flawed and ignores the fact that all real progress is brought about as a result of COMMUNITY work, as a result of normal people working for themselves and their neighbors!

the broader analysis of bending was really interesting to me too, but im honestly not sure i Totally agree with it. the article pretty much accepts the show’s assertion that bending is a privilege (and frankly backs it up much better than the original show did, but whatever), and i don’t think that’s NECESSARILY untrue since it is, like, a physical advantage (the author compares it to, for example, the fact that some people are born athletically gifted and others are born with extreme physical limitations), but i DO think that it discounts the in universe racialization of bending. in any sequel to atla that made sense, bending as a race making fact would have been explored ALONGSIDE the physical advantages it bestows on people. colonialism and its aftermath is generally ignored in this article which is its major weakness i think, especially in conjunction with bending. you can bring up the ideas the author did about individual vs community oriented progress in the avatar universe while safely ignoring the colonialism, but you can’t not bring up race and colonialism when you discuss bending. especially once you get to thinking about how water/earth/airbenders were imprisoned and killed specifically because bending was a physical advantage, and that physical advantage was something that would have given colonized populations a means of resistance and that the fire nation wanted to keep to itself.

i think that’s the best lens thru which to analyze bending tbh! like in the avatar universe bending is a tool that different ethnic groups tend to use in different ways. at its best, bending actually doesn’t represent social power differences (despite representing a physical power difference) because it’s used to represent/maintain community solidarity. like, take the water tribe. katara being the last waterbender, in some way, makes her the last of a part of swt CULTURE. the implication is that when there were a lot of waterbenders in the south, they dedicated their talents to building community and helping their neighbors, because this was something incredibly culturally important and important to the water tribe as a community. the swt as a COLLECTIVE values bending for what it can do for the entire tribe, which counts for basically every other talent a person can have (strength, creativity, etc). the fire nation, by contrast, distorts the community value of bending by racializing it: anyone who bends an element that isn’t fire is inherently NOT fire nation (and therefore inherently inferior) and, because of the physical power that bending confers, anyone who bends an element that isn’t fire is a threat to fire nation hegemony. and in THAT framework of bending, it’s something that intrinsically assigns worth and reifies race in a way that’s conveniently beneficial to the oppressor.

it IS worth talking about how using Element as a way to categorize people reifies nations, borders, and race in a way that is VERY characteristic of white american liberals. i tried to be conscious of that (and the way that elements/bending can act in DIFFERENT ways, depending on cultural context) but i think it’s pretty clear that the writers did intend for element to unequivocally signify nation (and, by extension, race), which is part of why they screwed up mixed families so bad in lok. when they’ve locked themselves into this idea that element=nation=race, they end up with sets of siblings like mako and bolin or kya tenzin and bumi, who all “take” after only one parent based on the element that they bend. which is just completely stupid but very indicative of how the writers actually INTENDED element/bending to be a race making process. and its both fucked up and interesting that the writers display the same framework of race analysis that the canonical antagonists of atla do.

anyway that’s a few thoughts! thank u again for sending the article i really loved it and i had a lot of fun writing this <3

[jackdaniel69nice]

Ninjago ATLA au book 4: Air

(Book 1: Fire, Book 2: Water, Book 3: Earth)

Cole is unconscious for three days. In that time Jay sticks close to his side, actively trying to avoid Kai. Kai is constantly with Lloyd who still hasn’t woken up. Nya has to alternate between healing the two and mediating their hostility. Kai is mad at Jay because he kept the secret of his bending for so long, Jay just doesn’t want to talk about it.

Kai forces Jay into a confrontation trying to force him to bend. But Jay’s bending is unstable because of his emotions and he ends up hurting himself. Kai really looks at him for the first time and sees his pain and scars. He takes him back to Nya and isolates himself

(Kai has been through a lot of shit in a short time. Losing his nation, constantly supporting the team, having his face scarred, Skylor’s betrayal, losing Zane, finding out about his parents, AND now Lloyd’s in a coma has put a lot of stress on him. Jay was just the camel that that broke the straws back.)

When Cole wakes up he isn’t very happy about the division between the team. Under Cole’s urging (and reassurance) he is able to tell Nya about his past. He says he was left with the Walkers as a baby. He assumes his bio-parents were fire nation fugitives that fled to the earth nation but has idea who they were or why. He has no explanation for why he seems to be able to only bend lightning either but it has always been something that comes naturally to him. He’s able to sense the energy in the world around him with ease and found a way to manipulate it. Everything he knew about lightning he had to learn himself, he ended up blowing himself up more then a hundred times. His skill and knowledge is why he was able to invent electricity. He was finally able to use the lightning bending scroll to be able bend properly. He has always had to keep his ability a secret because then the earth nation would know he was fire nation and he would be arrested. It’s been a constant weight over his head his entire life. He wasn’t able to talk about it before because of his fear of their reaction and his fear of himself. They comfort him and thank him for being honest. Unbeknownst to any of them, Kai had listened in.

Cole finds out Kai had attacked jay and was reasonably pissed. When he goes after him Kai apologizes (like bowing down head to the floor apologizing). Jay says he’s sorry too for lying and they’re alright. For the following weeks while lloyd is still healing they train together

When Lloyd wakes up he’s a mess. He failed and lost everything. He’s bitter and hateful towards his father and desperately wants to take him down so after he recovers he dedicates his time to training. Their invasion plan is still underway with a smaller group (elemental resistance anyone?).

Lloyd decides he wants Jay to try and teach him lightning bending. Jay says he barely knows anything but is willing to give it a shot/It goes about as terrible as possible because Lloyd is emotionally unstable but Jay sees some potential in him.

Jay tells Lloyd about how he never knew he was adopted and only found out after his element appeared. The kept it a secret from him and it hurt him just like Garmadon’s betrayal hurt Lloyd. But his parents still accept him and love him dearly just like Garmadon loves Lloyd and refuses to hurt him.

Lloyd gets upset because his father has killed innocents and holds no love for him anymore. Jay says he doesn’t have to forgive the bad but recognize that there is still good in him. Lightning is all about separation of positive and negative energy just like separating positive and negative feelings. Until Lloyd recognizes his feelings towards his father, he won’t be able to bend lightning. Lloyd storms (ha!) off

They are quick to visit the air temples in search of any wisdom they can get on air bending. At the northern air temple they meet dr. Borg, a nonbender but amazing inventor. Him and Jay are able to create amazing flying technology that unfortunately falls into the hands of the fire nation (the term “air ship” is used a lot more literally here).

Morro is busy “contemplating his place in the universe” and visits the southern air temple on his own, his old home. He sees the team but decides to do nothing about it.

At the western air temple Lloyd finds...his mom!?

Lloyd learns he’s air nation from his mother which is why he became the avatar. She’s a nonbender and left the air nomads very young going to live in the earth nation then fire nation. After Garmadon started his decent to madness she couldn’t live with him anymore and she knew Lloyd was the avatar so she tried to flee with him. Unfortunately she couldn’t get away with him and he was left behind and she was assumed dead. She came back to the air temples in hopes of preserving their history and stayed in hiding.

She can’t actually teach him air bending but she will help with the invasion and gives him advice. If there is anyone out there that can teach him air bending, they will find him.

Kai and Nya get word that the Time Twins have their parents and go rescue them

Invasion goes the same as canon

luckily if there’s one thing Morro is good at it’s finding Lloyd. So yeah the whole shebang goes down with training and what not

Misako gave them stuff on airbenders she was able to save and it tells of a tribe of dragon riders. So they go there and meet Faith and pass the dragon test and see first born.

Air bending is about peace and fun, definitely not morro’s vibe, but he’ll relearn to control it. Lloyd figures out he really does need to lock down on his spirituality.

Air bending training goes well after that

Reuniting with master wu! Morro apologizes but there was never any need, wu already forgave him.

Wu tells jay about his parents. The Gordon’s were a line of very powerful fire benders that could only use lightning. Garmadon saw Libber as a threat and tried to kill her and jay. She was able to slow the assassins down enough for Cliff to escape with him where they fled to the earth nation. Libber died but Cliffs whereabouts are unknown. Neat

Skylor and Vania go against Harumi and escape. They get to the ninja gang and Kai is still pissed at Skylor but you know what this might as well happen

Nya rescuing Pixal from prison, sure why not

Final battle

Lloyd is forced to use lighting so he sees this weird vision where garmadon is chained up in his own mind with the overlord controlling him. Garmadon calls out to Lloyd and apologizes and says he loves him before lloyd is ripped away. He realizes he needs to help his dad if he’s ever going to save the world and let’s go of his emotional issues with him.

Overlords escape tears a hole between spirit realm. Lloyd is able to unlock his avatar state. Forces OL back into spirit realm.

Kai and Nya fight Harumi

Jay and Cole taking down the flying ship army. They succeed but are stuck and Cole falls. Skylor and catches him though hah (jay was legit scared for a second there)

Lloyd locks the overlord back up and purifies the world of the dark matter he was spreading. He purified his dad too and brought him back. Yay garmadad!

[ourimpavidheroine]

Wuko Fic Character List - submission by Tortoisesforhire

So I’ve definitely missed some but I think I got most of the recurring character and all the main story characters. Hopefully this makes sense and isn’t confusing, I put all the side characters or one-off’s at the bottom. Please let me know if I got anyone’s name wrong. 

I hope you’re feeling well Impavid! And I hope this helps with anyone’s confusion with characters. 

By Family

HouTing

King Kuei HouTing - (various wives)

    King Zaichun HouTing - Yu - Narumi - Xiaozheyi - Wan - Ji

        (Wu’s father) - Meili - (Lady Chun)

             King Wu HouTing - Mako - Qi Beifong

                 Naoki HouTing - Sozui

                    Firelord Lozan

                Yaozhi HouTing - Ping

                Meili HouTing - Tupilek

                    Linyi HouTing

                    Tarralikitak HouTing

                    Aglakti HouTing

               Sayuri HouTing - Zu Chongzhi

                    Radiant HouTing

                    Star HouTing

                          Zetian HouTing   

Beifong

Lady Poppy Beifong - Bao

     Toph Beifong - (two unnamed men)

        Lin Beifong - Lozan I

           Qi Beifong - Wu HouTing*

       Suyin Beifong - Baatar Sr

           Baatar Beifong Jr - Ikki

               Goba Beifong - Kelden/Hua Beifong

                     Yimu

                     (several other children)

          Huan Beifong - Ikki

              Katara Beifong

              Tseten Beifong

              Bhuti Beifong

         Opal Beifong - Bolin

             San Beifong - Amak

                (two sons)

                    Avatar Bo Beifong

             Norbu Beifong

            Pearl Beifong

                Emerald Beifong

          Wei Beifong - Sitiak

         Wing Beifong - Nuo Beifong

            Orchid Beifong - (two unnamed husbands)

               (at least four children)

           Iris Beifong - (unnamed wife)

           Rose Beifong

           Poppy Beifong - Jai

               (two sons)

Airbenders

Avatar Aang - Katara

   Bumi

   Kya

   Tenzin - Pema

      Jinora - Kai

      Ikki - Huan Beifong/Baatar Beifong Jr*

      Meelo - Dolma

         Gyatso

         (unnamed son)

      Rohan

Fire Nation

Iroh I

   Li Ten

Firelord Ozai - Ursa

   Firelord Zuko - (assumed to be Mei)

      Firelord Izumi - (unnamed husband)

         Mizuko - (unnamed husband)

            Firelord Juziya

            Sozui - Naoki HouTing*

         Iroh II

         Ursa

   Azula

Water Tribe

Chief Tonraq - Senna

   Korra - Asami Sato

Chief Unalaq - (unnamed wife)

   Desna

   Eska

Side or Small Characters

Grand Secretariat Gun: a father figure in Wu’s life

Lighting Bolt Zolt: Gang leader, Mako’s first teacher

Madame Zong: secretly Narumi, Zaichun’s second wife

Miwa: Wu’s ember island majordomo

Bora: Lin’s cousin on her father’s side

Yung: airbender, father of Bora’s children

Grandma Yin: Mako and Bolin’s grandma

Liling, Chow, Chow Jr, Tu, Bai, Rong: Mako and Bolins family

Shu: Liling’s daughter, found with Naoki as a child

Yumi: Kyoshi Warrior, Meili’s birth mother

Mauja: Amak’s mother

Cork: takes over as HouTing majordomo after Lolo

Zip: Qi’s childhood friend

Chiyo: Mako’s police partner

Varrick: canon character, inventor

Zhu Li: canon character, Varrick’s wife

Tahno: canon character, pro-bending waterbender

Changying: Imperial Jade Hotel concierge

Grandmaster Kana: one of Naoki’s teachers, briefly

Iraka: stuffy embassy consul

Sir Sotan: Sozui’s former bodyguard, asshole

Ambassador Tora: fire nation ambassador to republic city

Lady Feiyan: tried to scold Sayuri once

Koska: pro-bending healer

Madame Tan: HouTing dancing teacher

Bingwen: yangqin player

Apirlaat: pro-bender

Setsu: pro-bender

Jiahao: one of Yumi’s students

Hiro Mononobe: fire nation noble that Naoki killed

Maya Mononobe: left at the altar by Sozui

Hina: Naoki’s handmaid

Zihao: son of Bora and Yung

Kaito: boy Naoki kissed to make Sozui jealous

Noriaki: boy that zhi had a crush on as a boy, father of budding lepidopterist

Kame: Noriaki’s wife

Yumisa: budding lepidopterist

Kyra: shop girl at little ba sing se mall

Jun-Yi, Tsung-Han, Koemi, Risa, Dihn, Soon-Ja, Xinyi: Spring Festival Committee

Yuka: Naoki’s school friend

Aruna: Museum currator

***********************************************

Impavid here! Okay, this is pretty amazing! I do need to make a few corrections (Zaichun was never king; his older sister Guang was the queen - the Hou-Ting killed by the Red Lotus, for example) and sure there are a few missing characters (how could there not be, there are so damn many) but even still, AMAZING.

Also, I laughed a lot at your little comments, @tortoisesforhire. “Budding lepidopterist.” “Tried to scold Sayuri once.” (Tried being the operative word, good luck on that one.) THAT MADE MY DAY.

I can also add in some of the missing names, for sure.

Anybody else? Please add in. I know @peoniequeen is also making a list just as I know there are a lot more characters. (God help us all. But me. Especially me.)

Once this is all complete I’ll create a page for it here on Tumblr and post it permanently. Also, I think I can post it on AO3 as well.

[tamras-shieldmaiden]

I doubt I'll ever develop this concept into a full-fledged story with all the WIPs I have 😭 but I still wanted to share the gist of the it because it ended up being a fascinating canon divergence proposal.

Thanks to @the-hopefulpenguin for coming up with the Kuviraverse prompt, which in combination with Marvel's What If series, ended up inspiring this.

What if Asami Sato and Kuvira had met much earlier in their lives? What if Kuvira had been challenged by an accident that ends up dramatically changing her future? This is a summary of one of the many possible outcomes.

Republic City Industrialist Hiroshi Sato travels to the city of Zaofu in the Earth Kingdom to see with his own eyes the fabled Metal City and to meet the genius behind its innovative design, Baatar Beifong Sr. Hiroshi takes his wife Yasuko and young daughter Asami with him. Young Asami meets the Beifong children and the little girl the Beifongs took in after their parents left her in their care. The orphan girl named Kuvira treats Asami harshly at first, but Asami is unfazed and manages to befriend her. Kuvira notices bandages on Asami’s arm and she reveals bad people who held a grudge against her father had ambushed them while they enjoyed a nice drive testing Hiroshi's latest Satomobile. Months after this visit, Kuvira finds out that Asami’s mom tragically passed away after their mansion was attacked by a gang of firebenders.

When Kuvira was about 12 years old and already a promising earth and metalbending prodigy, she suffered a life-threatening accident while in training when an inexperienced earthbender made a nearby building collapse, trapping some of the students, including Kuvira while she attempted to rescue some of the younger students. She survived, but in order to save her life, her left forearm and foot had to be amputated after being trapped under the wreckage. Hiroshi visits at the behest of Baatar Sr. and Suyin to help Senior develop prosthetics that could potentially improve the quality of life for those with missing limbs. Asami gets to see Kuvira and again, she pierces the emotional barriers Kuvira has erected after the accident. Asami becomes a source of motivation as they bond over their shared tragedies. Asami gets to stay for a couple of months after Hiroshi leaves for RC. Before returning home, Asami gets to witness Kuvira bend with her new prosthetic arm. They keep in touch through letters.

By the time Korra arrives at Republic City, Baatar Jr. and Kuvira visit RC to share the progress of the research in prosthetics developed in Zaofu but are shocked to find out that Hiroshi was an Equalist and has allied with Amon to terrorize the city. It is Kuvira’s turn to support Asami. Asami decides to devote part of Future Industries’ resources to improving prosthetics as a way to push the company away from weapons development. Meeting Asami again makes Kuvira realize she holds feelings for her that are more than friendly but holds back confessing when she realizes Asami is embroiled in a romantic triangle with Korra and Mako.

Asami returns to Zaofu with Team Avatar and is eager to reunite with Kuvira, who is now captain of Zaofu’s guard. Before Asami leaves with Korra in search of Zaheer and the Red Lotus, they share a kiss, making Kuvira realize Asami shares her feelings. Asami returns to RC to continue the reconstruction efforts while Kuvira stays back as a new crisis looms over the EK’s horizon with the murder of Hou-Ting by the Red Lotus. 

Three years after Korra’s absence from public life, the EK has descended into chaos as a handful of territories do their best to resist, including Zaofu. An embattled Zaofu requests reinforcements to the United Republic as they lay under siege by warlords who have risen to power after the power vacuum left by the queen’s death.  The corrupt and totalitarian government of the new ruler, Hou-Ting’s inexperienced nephew Wu and his lead counselor and de facto ruler, General Guan turn a blind eye to these warlords because with the stronger cities weakened, his power and reach increases. Korra returns to public life to deal with the crisis and gets her team back together. Asami and Kuvira meet again and with team Avatar, they deal with the defense of Zaofu and the other remaining EK cities. They find out that Varrick left the king’s services but warns of the dangerous research that has given origin to a powerful weapon capable of wiping buildings with just a blast. While team Avatar is busy defending Zaofu, now the stronghold of the resistance, Guan has embarked on a full-scale invasion of RC with the aide of former Equalists. Korra leads the defense of the city now reinforced with Kuvira’s forces, who joined in order to defeat Guan. 

Guan is defeated. Korra single-handedly creates a new spirit portal when she deflects Guan’s attack with his spirit vines fueled weapon of mass destruction. Team Avatar survived, but Kuvira’s prosthetics were badly damaged while attempting to shield Korra from enemy attack. She recovers in RC under Asami’s care and Korra realizes Asami has had romantic feelings towards Kuvira the whole time so she decides not to pursue her. Kuvira recovers and decides to stay in Republic City, joining Future Industries as the company’s lead security advisor, and after years of pining and misunderstandings, Asami and Kuvira finally begin a romantic relationship.

....

As you can see, this is a rather ambitious retelling of the main story of TLoK with a dash of Fullmetal Alchemist with some slow burn Kuvirasami thrown in for my personal indulgence. Will I ever develop it? Who knows for sure but I've surely enjoyed coming up with a canon divergence scenario that ends up with a Kuvira and Asami pairing. 😉