#I also want to write season 1 zukka
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10 characters/10 fandoms
Thanks for tagging me @dirtbag-linecook-kyloren! Let’s get into it 🦆
We’re gonna go chronologically just like the post I was tagged in because it’s late and I have no original thoughts!!
1. Kirishima Eijirou / Boku No Hero Academia
So sweet. My boy. And so criminally underrated. I feel like I really connected with this character back when I was in the fandom, because for those who don’t know his origin story was that he was super boring and bland in the (Japanese equivalent of) middle school, and when he got to high school he had completely changed his personality and flourished. I wanted to be him in a way, strong and brave. (Was this where issues with gender began? Maybe.)
2. Pitch Black / Rise of the Guardians
HOOOOH BOY. So many people identify Jack Frost as their first animated crush, but goddamn it if I didn’t immediately start being totally obsessed with Pitch. Now, as the years have passed, it’s become difficult for me to tell if I wanted to be with him or /be him/, but I always thought that he deserved much better than he got.
3. Sokka / Avatar the Last Airbender
Sensing a pattern? Yep it’s another unappreciated side character used for relief that I identified with and stuck to like a cactus. I actually really liked his character when I first watched the show, and now am an avid Zukka fan! Will I ever write a fic for that? Maybe. But don’t worry, Kylux will forever and always be my main source of inspo. Those blorbos were made for each other.
4. Runaan / The Dragon Prince
Listen. LISTEN. I started watching this show years ago and it is SUCH A COMFORT. I adore it. As I watched the show, of course I immediately connected with Soren, but something about Runaan’s character and the fact that he was so powerful and cut off but also a father and a lover and he NEVER GOT JUSTICE,,, it impacted me. I’ve read every SCRAP of fic I can about his life pre-TDP. Love him to death. Save my boy next season please!!
5. Saiki / The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.
Something about a generfluid aromatic main character just hit home for me. The fact that it was so normal that Saiki was born a girl and just changed his gender and no one cares is such a tiny moment in the show but it introduced the idea of “this is ok” to me. I hold that show in a special place in my heart. Doesn’t hurt that it’s also hilarious.
6. Muriel / Good Omens Season 2
We come to the present! Or, well, a few months ago present. Loved the kiss scene. Cried at the ending. Something about Muriel made me want to protect them. They’re so,,, blorbo. Kinda reminds me of Mitaka, now that I think about it 🧐
7. Jim / Our Flag Means Death
Oh boy. OHHHHHH BOY. Him. I love him. I want to be him. Just,,,, JIM. His origin story, his love interest, his bloodthirsty personality, that one scene with Spanish Jackie… just a chef’s kiss all around.
8. Armitage Hux / Star Wars - Sequel Trilogy
SAY IT WITH ME: “HE WAS DONE DIRTY!!” He had so much potential and they just SQUANDERED IT. He could have been the next Thrawn! He had the brains for it, and the wit. I don’t know why Ylasmirs aren’t used more in Star Wars cannon. Did I mention that Hux was a GENIUS?! He built a better, more powerful Death Star and was killed by A CHARACTER THE FANDOM HAD JUST MET. Also, he was the spy??? REALLY?? …I’m so normal about him.
9. Clyde / Logan Lucky
Recently watched this movie with my family and adored it. It’s up there in my list of Perfect Heist Movies! I feel like Clyde’s character was really well executed, and at no point was he made lesser for being an amputee, which I really enjoyed. Also, with the Ferrari movie coming out, maybe another heist is set to happen 👀
10. Stensland / Crashpad
Listen. This movie. This fucking movie. It was SO BAD. And kinda misogynistic? But… I really enjoyed Domhall’s acting. Stensland was lovable and dumb and my heart ached for him when he got rejected. Does that excuse the movie’s weird ending? No. But I still like the character.
Honorable Mention: Captain Phasma / Star Wars - Sequel Trilogy
I love Gwendolyn Christie. I love a woman who can beat the shit out of me. I love a woman in armor. Need I say more? Also, that character’s death was very anticlimactic and I feel like she should have been in TROS.
No-pressure tags! @fridayincarnate @dragonflies-draw-flame @ironsoulmaker
#ask game#armitage hux#captain phasma#saiki kusuo#sokka#stensland#clyde logan#kirishima eijirou#runaan#jim ofmd#muriel#pitch black
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Tag people you would like to get to know better
Thanks for the tag @gigantomachy1916! I'm always happy to talk about my interests lol!
1. Three Ships
L x Misa obvi, my otp. They live in my head rent free 24/7. Zuko x Sokka is another big ship for me. I've always loved both characters a lot and the episode Boiling Rock changed me as a child. Harley Quinn x Poison Ivy is also a huge obsession of mine. I love both characters separately, but together they are just so perfect. I really feel like they balance each other out and help each other's character development. I never write for zukka or harlivy like I do for lawmane, mostly because I'm intimidated, but I have little stories in my head about them as well.
2. First Ever Ship
I'm pretty sure my first ever ship was Kim Possible x Ron Stoppable. I really wanted them to end up together and I remember being so excited when they finally kissed in the movie. I kinda want to go back and watch the show and see if I still love it as much as I did as a kid.
3. Last Song
No Rain by Blind Melon. One of my all time favorite songs and I often listen to it when I've been going through it. I really identify with this song and yeah this year has already been off to a rough start for me.
4. Last Movie
The last movie I watched was Bullet Train and I really enjoyed it! It was a really funny action movie and I really liked most of the cast! Aaron Taylor Johnson and Brian Tyree Henry were definitely my favorites, all of their scenes together were just fantastic!
5. Currently Reading
I'm currently reading Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers. It's a really sweet and cute lesbian romance and I'm enjoying it a lot so far! I'm also catching up on a few different fanfics, one for literati called lux et veritas and it is sooo good and super in character.
6. Currently Watching
A few different things, mainly focused on The Last of Us show right now, which I am very much enjoying. I'm also watching Abbott Elementary, which is fantastic, You season 4, which has been interesting, and SaikiK, which is absolutely hilarious.
7. Currently Consuming
I just ate some chicken pita Mediterranean meal that I made myself. It was very good and I'm very proud of myself and my cooking skills.
8. Currently Craving
Zaxby's. I fucking love their fried chicken and zax sauce. I am always wanting Zaxby's, but I don't have the money to eat out 😭.
9. Tagging
@barlee--mars @blondiest @balsemicvinegar @cryptid-in-the-labyrinth @citruscloudsandmoon @dillyfirestarter @ecolekua @fengsuave123 @fuu-miku @herembers @iamredby @knowingoverseer @kartyboomz @mere-mortifer @nomorification @puffballlofdoom @redcrewmate @rottentiger-art @s-k-e-t-c-h-y-artist @witchxmom And anyone else who is interested in answering!
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BESTIE !!!
i have question/thoughts
if you feel like answering if it doesn’t like fully spoil will hakoda or jet be like observing the zukka spending time together ? will we be getting a bath? will they be having a heart to heart ?!!! will we get sleepy cuddles?!! WILL IT BE ALL FLUFF 🫡
alsaurrr how’s it going what’s popping QOTD:
if you weren’t writing this series what would you write??
BESTIE!!!!!
WILL THERE BE FLUFF?!?! IN LIAB?!
Insanity…
But maybe? Idk, I guess we’ll have to see :D
Your question about people observing Zukka…. If they ever come out of their new tent together… maybe? I’m sure with all the different eyes around camp someone will witness something lol.
Ok so if I wasn’t writing LIAB would I be writing something else? I’d probably work on my original work. I have been slacking on that so I don’t get distracted and I’m able to finish l LIAB before I move on to another project.
I also have some other fanfic ideas idk if I’ll start another one or not when LIAB is done…. Idkkkkkkk maybe
#I want to write something jetko#I also want to write season 1 zukka#I ALSOOOOO need to finish my other two WIP thats aren’t done#sooooo many options lol#as for our LIAB zukka#I’m sure people will be watching them#we deserve some outside zukka pov#THEY ARE CUTE TOGETHER#but also toxic….#severe torture and mental manipulation will do that to someone#thanks for stopping by#I love your questions/thoughts#liab#ria#ask#gabbitril
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a lil guide to the Fire Nation for the ATLA fic writers out there
(aka. a no means exhaustive primer on east asia by an asian person)
This is a guide for fic writers want to write a canon-era story set in the Fire Nation, or featuring Fire Nation characters. A quick little primer on the tiny details of everyday life that you might not think about, but certainly stuff that would make me, an asian person, wince if I were to encounter it. BRUSHES, not quills. CHOPSTICKS, not forks.
(note #1: this was partly inspired by a chat with @elilim)
(note: #2: I originally intended it for zukka fic writers before realizing that other writers might find it useful. so apologies for a slight Zuko-bias for that reason)
(note #3: this is all stuff i was thinking about when writing firebender’s guide, in case anyone was wondering)
1. CLOTHING
Okay, I think the most straightforward way to describe what everyone’s wearing most of the time is “tunic”. They’re all just...tunics of different colours and varieties. Later when Zuko’s the Fire Lord he wears robes. The show provides a better visual guide than I could, here are a few notes to keep in mind:
a) Japanese people wear their collars LEFT crossed over RIGHT
I don’t think this would come up in writing as much as it would in art, but it’s considered bad luck to do it the wrong way because that’s only for dead people. Let my boy Zuko demonstrate:
b) There are no buttons
This is picky, but Wikipedia says “Functional buttons with buttonholes for fastening or closing clothes appeared first in Germany in the 13th century.[6] They soon became widespread with the rise of snug-fitting garments in 13th- and 14th-century Europe.” I kinda believe it. If you look closely, characters’ clothes are always tied together or wrapped in some way with a belt. If there are fasteners, they’re braided frog closures that go into a little loop, like the qipao-style dresses women wear in Ba Sing Se, or Zuko’s casual prince’s clothes in the topmost image. Anyways, I don’t think Zuko or Azula or the Gaang would technically button or unbutton anything when they’re changing clothes. Clothing is designed to be tied, not buttoned.
[so much more under cut]
c) This isn’t a real rule, but there’s something called koromogae, or the seasonal changing of clothing in Japan.
This is something I learned when I was writing firebender’s guide, and I just liked the fun detail about there being a strict calendar for when to wear something. I liked the idea of someone like Zuko, who actually spent most of his formative years outside of the Fire Nation, coming home and just suffering mutely through the summer heat because upper class etiquette says no changing into cooler clothes until August 15.
From My Asakusa:
And this website:
Generally, people change from thick, heavy, dark-coloured clothes for winter to thin, lighter, bright-coloured clothes for spring and summer. In traditional Japanese culture, particularly in formal settings such as tea ceremony, it is important to acknowledge the changes of seasons—in such circumstances, not only the patterns and colours of the kimono that are worn but also the utensils and furniture that are used are required to change. By changing their clothing, people notice and appreciate the change of seasons. [Japan Foundation]
Here are some visual guides from the official creators for clothes: (notice how it’s pretty much always left over right)
2.FOOD AND EATING
a) Traditional cuisine
It seems like the most common foods in canon are Fire Flakes and meat, to the point where poor Aang had to eat lettuce out of the garbage at some point.
HOWEVER, the Fire Nation seems to basically a big subtropical archipelago, so I would guess that seafood and rice are common. If you want to write about characters eating, a. quick google for “traditional japanese cuisine” would help you come up with a menu really quickly.
Wikipedia says:
The traditional cuisine of Japan, washoku (和食), lit. "Japanese eating" (or kappō (ja:割烹)), is based on rice with miso soup and other dishes; there is an emphasis on seasonal ingredients. Side dishes often consist of fish, pickled vegetables, and vegetables cooked in broth. Seafood is common, often grilled, but also served raw as sashimi or in sushi.
But before we get too serious, at one point the Gaang eats a “smoked sea slug” (Sokka’s Master)
Oh ATLA, never stop being you.
b) Utensils
One thing to keep in mind is chopstick etiquette. Someone like Zuko or Toph, for instance, would have completely internalized all of these.
Another thing is that there are no glasses. Cups and bowls are made of ceramic or clay. Let the Gaang show you:
And another note: characters won’t eat “bread” in the European sense, ie. a baked lump of dough. Steamed buns, yes. Fried pancakes made from batter, yes. Flatbreads, okay I’ll give it a pass. Rice or noodles should be the most common carbs of choice.
3.ETIQUETTE
“In the homeland, we bow to our elders” - angry schoolmistress in The Headband.
Japan Guide has a list of etiquette rules for visiting Japan, which is interesting but not too necessary to read. In general, based on what The Headband tells us, Fire Nation characters would have been raised with a strong nationalist curriculum that values communal contribution over individualist expression. Even someone like Zuko, who openly rebels against that, probably couldn’t help but be affected by it. In general the Fire Nation seems to have an East Asian-ish set of values. It’s patriarchal, all the positions of authority are filled by men; there seems to be a strong emphasis on patriotism; there’s a sense of diffidence and respect towards one’s elders; and finally, there’s an emphasis on “knowing” one’s place in society and fitting into what’s expected of oneself.
I don’t really know how to describe it, but in China and Japan I sometimes feel like there’s rules for everything, and even people born and raised there acknowledge it could be stifling at times. You could go down a rabbit hole researching points of etiquette (for instance, rules on who has to sit where in group dinners...), but to me the most important thing is acknowledging that Fire Nation has a rigid system of etiquette, and also, they’re an imperialist power who’s pretty prejudiced against foreigners. Poor Aang/Kuzon gets called “mannerless colony slob” just for being slow on the bowing action (!!!)
(in firebender’s guide I had a lot of fun imagining the stupid microaggressions Ambassador Sokka has to face in the Fire Nation, so obviously I’m just biased)
4.WRITING AND DESKS
Characters would probably write on paper, with a calligraphy brush. Not quills or pens -- a brush. Technically, old Japanese and Chinese texts should be written top to bottom, right to left, but the show itself doesn’t do this, so I think you’re fine.
One fun thing about traditional calligraphy is that you don’t use bottled ink. You have something called an ink stone, and then you grind your ink yourself by rubbing the ink stone in a special little dish with a bit of water. In my (very few) encounters with this stuff in the calligraphy lessons of my youth, the ink stones can be plain or have beautiful designs on the side. It looks something like this:
ATLA is an East Asian-ish universe, so characters are likely to be kneeling at a table, not sitting. To demonstrate, here’s my boy Sokka doing his famous rainbow at Piandao’s:
and here’s the war chamber meeting when Zuko speaks out against a general’s plans to sacrifice some soldiers:
THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS: This is Zuko’s cute little setup when he’s writing his goodbye letter to Mai. In this case he’s writing in a chair and table. It’s possible that some furniture items, like a sitting desk and a bed in a bedframe (not a bedroll or futon) are special royal palace features. Normally in a private setting we see characters sitting on the ground or on a slightly elevated platform with a low table. Maybe Caldera is just different? Or rich people are just different: the Bei Fongs also have a sit-down dining table + chair setup.
(That little rectangular box is his ink dish!!)
5.A NOTE ON GENERAL CULTURE
It’s worth talking about a few general points of East Asian culture. I can’t claim to speak for ALL of Asia, and I don’t think I should. But I do think ATLA fic writers who want to set something in the Fire Nation should take a few moments to at least skim the wiki pages for filial piety and Nihonjinron (literally, "theories/discussions about the Japanese"). There’s a certain...vibe to...asianness... that I’m not sure I can explain without like, a doctorate degree in sociology.
It’s a bit like gender, I guess. There’s no definitive checklist to what is a woman and what is a man, and we can argue that gender is performative, that it’s a construct, but at the end of the day gender is still (tragically) real in the sense that it still shapes people and affects how we walk and talk and dress and think. Nationality is the same. Obviously, the Fire Nation is a made up place in a made up show, but out of respect to the cultures that inspired it, I do think it’s worth familiarizing yourself with some of these cultures’ codes and values.
Also, ahem, if I can direct you to war crimes in the Japan’s colonial empire. Again, worth remembering that the Fire Nation was an imperalist colonizer too.
I might do a continuation of this post and talk through my more abstract takes about Fire Nation culture - Is Zuko an example of filial piety gone right or filial piety gone wrong? Why I think Zuko’s flashbacks are like, at least part teenage melodrama bullshit (the reason is son preference), how someone like Sokka might be treated once he’s openly Water Tribe in the Fire Nation (probably with racism...), specific aspects of asian homophobia and racism, etc. We’ll see.
This is not a definitive guide. Comments and critique welcome.
If you think there’s a factual mistake, PLEASE hop in my asks and let me know. I also think there’s a huge blind spot in ATLA for South and Southeast Asian representation, so I acknowledge that I can’t speak for all Asians, and there is no such thing as a “pan-asian” identity.
If there’s something else you’re curious about, I’m not a historian or anything, but I like research. Ask me and I’ll try to answer the best I can.
And oh, one last thing, this is how I do research when I wrote firebender’s guide, in case anyone’s interested in learning more (LINK)
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REQUEST GUIDELINES/FANDOM LIST:
last update: 03.01.2022 2nd August, 2022 14th November, 2022 1st April, 2024
If you want to request something pls give me some more or less specific ideas or a few prompts (link for prompt list).
I'll automatically do platonic relationship and they/them pronouns if it's not specified.
Also, english isn't my first language you've been warned.
What I don't take requests for:
Stuff i might write if im in the mood but probably won't ( There are always going on be warnings ofc)
smut
suggestive stuff
toxic relationships (might appear in a criminal minds fic or something like that, never romantizised)
darkfics
arguments
enemies to lovers
What I don't write in general:
romantizised toxic relationships
rape, incest, pedophilia, age gap (teacher/student as well) etc.
romance for characters under 14 y/o
male reader x lesbian character or female reader x gay character
about poc/trans/mlm struggles - they are obviously very very real but i am white and sapphic (not saying i won't write about characters that are any of these things, i'll do my best to make the reader gender, race, body size etc inclusive.)
What I write:
Character(s) x reader
Gender Neutral/Non-binary!, Female!, Male!reader. Obv gender ≠ pronouns but it's th
Mixed pronouns (ex. they/she), THEORETICALLY neo pronouns?
Background ships
AUs (SOULMATES!!!)
Crossovers (read fandom list)
Platonic, romantic, unspecified or familial relationship
Fandoms/characters:
Star Wars:
Romantic: Anakin Skywalker, Padmé Amidala, young!Obi-wan,
Ahsoka Tano, Asajj Ventress, Bariss Offi, Rex, Echo, Fives,
Cal Kestis,
Kanan Jarrus, Hera Syndylla, Sabine Wren,
Jyn Erso, Cassian Andor,
Din Djarin, Fenec Shnad,
Rey Skywalker, Finn
+more
Platonic: Everyone above, Obi-wan Kenobi, The Bad Batch, The ghost crew, Grogu,
Won't write: Ben Solo/Kylo Ren, Hux
Ships: Anidala, Barrisoka, Kanera, Finnpoe
Knowledge: All movies, almost all shows/cartoons (except Resistance), books - Master and apprentice, games - started JFO and (barley) SWTOR
Marvel:
Romantic: Miles Morales, Gwen Stacy, Hobie Brown, Peter Parker, Natasha Romanov, Wanda Maximoff, Kate Bishop
Platonic: Everyone above, Peter B Parker, Yelena Belova,
Stranger things:
Romantic: Robin Buckley, Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson, Nancy Wheeler, Max Mayfield (s4!), Lucas Sinclair (s4!), Chrissy Cunningham, Barbara Holland rip, Jonathan Byers, Eddie Munson + more
Platonic: Everyone above, Max (all seasons), Lucas (all seasons), Will Byers, Dustin Henderson, El Hopper, Erica Sinclair, Joyce Byers, Jim Hopper, Murray Bauman, Alexei Smirnoff, Dmitri 'Enzo' Antonov, Yuri Ismailov,
Won't write: Billy
Ships: Jopper, Lumax, Elmax, Ronance, Robin/Vickie, Steddie
Knowledge: up to season 4, none books
Arcane:
Romantic: Vi, Jinx, Ekko,
Platonic: Everyone above, almost everyone else
Ships: CaitVi
Knowledge: season 1
Avatar: the last air bender
Please include if you want the reader to be a bender (and what kind) or not
R: Zuko, Suki, Sokka, +more
P: Everyone above, the gaang, Iroh,
Ships: Suki/Sokka, Zukka,
Knowledge: All seasons, almost all comics, live action
The legend of Korra:
R/P: Most characters
Won't write: Kuvira
Ships: Korrasami,
Knowledge: All seasons, all comics
The Dragon Prince:
R: Claudia, Rayla, Soren, Corvus
P: Everyone above, Ezran, Callum, Amaya, Harrow, Gren,
Ships: All canon ships, Sorvus
Knowledge: up to season 4
Sherlock Holmes:
BBC:
R/P: Most characters
Ships: Johnlock, Mystrade,
Enola Holmes:
R/P: Enola,
Criminal minds:
R/P: Elle Greenway, Derek Morgan, Emily Prentiss
Knowledge: Watching season 6
Heartstopper:
R/P: Most characters, comic or show.
Won't write: Harry and Ben.
Ships: All canon ships; Imogen x me😍 /hj
Knowledge: Comic: 7-13; show: season 1
The Blacklist:
R: Elizabeth Keen, Donald Ressler, Aram Mojtabai, Alina Park,
P: Everyone above, Harold Cooper, Tom Keen, Raymond Redington, Dembe Zuma, Kate Kaplan, Agnes Keen
Knowledge: Season 9
#star wars x reader#star wars imagine#stranger things x reader#stranger things imagine#arcane x reader#heartstopper imagine#heartstopper x reader#robin buckley x reader#steve harrington x reader#eddie munson x reader#nancy wheeler x reader#joyce byers x reader#elle greenaway x reader
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Things I want from the Netflix Live-Action Avatar
1. Faithful Casting - An obvious, stupid answer, I want all of the actors to look appropriate for the roles they are playing. Dark-skinned waterbenders and pasty pale firebenders. Obviously, getting every single character to look exactly like their cartoon counterpart is unlikely, but at least the main characters should hopefully be cast as close as possible, though hair and make-up can go a long way. After all, none of the blonde women on Game of Thrones were actually blonde, Lena and Emily were both brunettes. Granted that was HBO funding, but still proof of tv quality special effects.
2. Accurate world design - The Avatar cartoon is a juggernaut of Wuxia style fantasy, and I really want the world to look and feel as close to the cartoon as possible. With all the bending, illogical archetecture, and hybrid animals, while I know a more accurate adaptation will be costly, a good set, costume, and cgi team can really bring this world to life.
3. Queer representation - These days, Netflix seems to be really on board with LGBTQ+ representation, far more than Nickelodeon. Hopefully, Bryke will feel more free to include LGBTQ+ characters, as they did with Korrasami. I think Zuko in particular is a great choice among the main cast. He’s already so confused about who he is and what he wants out of life, there’s no reason you couldn’t add questioning his sexuality to that stirred up pot of emotions. While Zukka is seeing a surge in popularity, Jet is definitely another top contender, due to the interesting friction that’s ripe within their character flaws to become a compelling ill-fated romance between two enemies. Or even just creating a new guy to be Zuko’s love interest would also be welcome. I just think Zuko is the best candidate of the original cast of characters to be LGBTQ+ as it already fits nicely into his character arc of finding what’s right for him, deciding his own fate, and seeking his own happiness. Iroh’s lessons about wanting things for himself instead of what other people told him to want, translates so beautifully to Zuko trying way too hard to date women despite a lack of interest in them. It’s such a natural fit to his story that it’s kind of perfect for Zuko.
4. New Plotlines and Scenes - Whether the show will be a half-hour or hour long format hasn’t been announced, but between possibly longer run times or longer seasons with more episodes, or possibly even both, this could allow the creators to include moments they either had to cut out of the original show, or didn’t have as much time to do as they wanted. For example, Azula was going to have an arranged marriage plotline in season 3, and that’s something they could bring back. There’s also the search for Zuko’s mother, which was covered in the comics, but never addressed in any of the shows. Even smaller things like Yue’s fiance. He charges at Admiral Zhao and goes overboard and we never see him again. Turns out, the creators kind of forgot about him.
5. Potential for Tonal Shifts - While this is a live-action adaptation, it’s unclear at the moment who the target audience for this will be. Whether it’ll be aimed more toward fans of the original, or drawing in a new crowd. But with the more realistic cinematography, slapstick and comedy aren’t going to work as well in a live-action setting. There’s definitely still room for comedy, but the squatch-and-stretch rubberiness of cartoons that allow for exaggurated expressions can’t be matched by live actors. This could potentially lead them to make a more “mature” and darker Avatar that totes itself as more of a dramatic war epic and less of a child-friend comedy adventure.
6. Pushing the Envelop - In a similar vein to point 5, without the censors of Nickelodeon hanging over their necks, there is a lot more freedom with this project to address issues more openly that they may have had to imply or skirt-around in the cartoon to keep it more child-friendly. Even something as simple as confirming Jet’s death. Especially if the tone is darker and more mature, there’s a lot more room for them to really push into more explicitly depicting themes and ideas from the original series, even showing us what happened the night Ursa left.
7. Incorporate Diagetic Languages - Even if it’s as simple as characters greeting each other, it’d be nice to hear even just background extras speaking diagetic Asian languages. I’m going more blanket here because while the writing in the show is Traditional Mandarin, the cultures take inspiration from Japanese, Tibetan, and Inuit as well, and I’m open to both angles. Whether everyone speaks some Mandarin, or if each nation has their own language, any amount of using native Asian languages would be nice.
8. Dante Basco as Uncle Iroh - Okay, so maybe he still has the Zuko voice, but Dante is the only original cast member who is ethnically Asian, and would be appropriate to cast in the live-action setting. Even if he’s not Iroh, casting Dante to play anyone would be welcome. Whether he’s the tempermental Zhao, the malicious Fire Lord Ozai, the sagely Avatar Roku, the brave Hakoda, the stern Master Paku, the wise Master Piandao, the conniving Long Feng, or really any of the older adult male characters, Dante Basco would be a great choice, even just as a cameo character like the Cabbage Merchant.
#avatar#Avatar The Last Airbender#avatar: the last airbender#avatar the legend of aang#avatar: the legend of aang#atla#avatar aang#zuko#katara#sokka#give zuko a boyfriend#gay zuko#zukka#jetko#netflix#netflix avatar#netflix atla#netflix avatar the last airbender#bryke
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My thoughts about the 'age thing' being announced for the Netflix Live Action ATLA: as a Zutara shipper.
First I want to discuss Katara being 16 and Sokka being 14 (without any talks of any ships. No Zutara talk, no Zukka talk, no Kataang talk) and how I feel it could potentially scuff with their character developments.
Katara being 14 in the original series and the younger sister makes the 'growing up too fast too young' part in her character more impactful. In the OG Katara was already seen as the mom friend (among other badass character traits she also showed. Yes, I recognize Katara was more than the mom-friend. She's my favorite ATLA character because of how diverse she is) and it affected her character more because she's still a kid. A kid that desperately needs to let loose and have fun and that’s what the Gaang can provide for her. Her being 14 emphasizes that part of her personality.
Her being 16, while still conveys that same purpose of her being the mom-friend...instead of it being one aspect of her character she can learn and grow from, there's a risk of her becoming just the mom-friend and we lose all the stuff in the OG that reminded the viewer that 'yes, Katara is still a kid.'
That being said. I can still see the writers not keeping Katara as "just the mom-friend" despite her being aged up. But because she is older, and I don't trust the Netflix writers (I mainly don't trust any sort of reboot writing as I personally haven't seen any successful reboots??? but I degress...) to keep Katara as complex of a character as she was/is in the OG. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt but remain skeptical.
I'll be completely honest here. I wouldn't have too much of an issue with Katara being 16...if Sokka wasn't aged down. In my opinion, that's where the decision to change the ages is scuffed the worst.
Sokka being the younger brother changes the entire dynamic he has with the Gaang as well as his own character growth. An in turn, ultimately messes with Katara's dynamic with him and the concerns I mentioned above with her being reduced to "just the mom-friend." Sokka's arc is the protective older brother figure of the group and a lot of that stems from how he wanted to step up and be the man of his village, and in turn, Katara. Sokka being younger than Katara changes that because, while he would still want to be the 'man of the group' (and the village) that same desire to step up for Katara wouldn't be there in the same way??? Yes, he would still be the older-brother figure to Aang and Toph, but ultimately, Katara would be the one taking care of him completely.
Because of that, Sokka and Katara's relationship would ultimately be different from the OG and Sokka's character is more at risk of being potentially unrecognizable or simply reduced to comic relief.
Now, onto the part I think everyone cares about the most. The shipping.
This is where I think I'm about to be really controversial.
Basically, I think aging up Katara screws up the legitimate arguments Zutarians have when criticizing Kataang. I've seen pretty much every argument against Kataang and I've agreed with most of them. But aging up Katara to "show" that Kataang doesn't work because of the age thing (and whatever else) delegitimizes the legitimate claim that Katara being 14 and Aang being 12 is still a problem by itself for their relationship.
Katara being 14 and mothering 12 year old Aang, etc etc, has so much merit for conversation and claim as to why Kataang isn't a good pairing. Especially since a 14 year old girl and a 12 year old boy are so different in maturity and you add in Katara's "having to grow up too fast" character development just further adds to the argument of the 2 year age difference being a legitimate critique. It's impactful. It has merit.
Especially since throughout the seasons...we lost the whole "Aang lets Katara be a kid" theme that the show was trying to show in early season 1. Again, this is just my observations from watching the show many many many times throughout my life since I was like 8 to now 21. That theme was lost because we see more scenes of Katara mothing Aang than Aang and Katara treating each other like equals.
Aging up Katara to 16 takes that away. It more or less says "well we want to prove that the age difference is an issue so lets age up Katara more" when, in my opinion, the show does a good job showing why the 14 and 12 year old age difference is already an issue.
I don't think aging up Katara hurts the Zutara pairing at all. It just hurts the legitimate critiques people had against the Kataang pairing...which leads me to my third and final point.
Should Zutara be canon...and Katara is aged up to 16. The fandom is going to attack anyone that does ship Zutara even more than I've seen the past year or two since being more active on social media sites. On tumblr you have your set tags that you keep to when having discussions. I personally haven't seen a lot of zutarians on tumblr go into the kataang tag and shit on kataang for the hell of it. Sure there might be strays but its not the overwhelming majority of Zutara shippers, from what I have seen.
My point is, there's going to be a lot more hate and anyone who ships Zutara is probably gonna be immediately discredited in the fandom because of the toxicity. This isn't a fandom where all opinions and thoughts are treated with respect. If it was, then I wouldn't be making this post.
Furthermore, I also don't trust the writers to write Zutara properly. Yes, I did see that the new head writer is known for well-written enemies-to-lovers which does give Zutara a chance at being canon on screen so I'm a tiny bit hopeful? That being said, because of the changes already being made, the likelihood of it being good seems 50/50. If they do Zutara the justice it deserves then I wouldn't be as concerned about the toxicity I mentioned above. But. If they scuff the Zutara pairing in the live action. Then. Re:toxicity.
When people want a reboot/live action of something, they don't want the core fundamentals of the story changed. If there is significant change then theres extra pressure to do it right. If it's not done right then all hell breaks loose.
My point, as a Zutara shipper, I'm concerned that the aging changes + Zutara being canon would divide the fandom even more and Zutara shippers getting the brunt of a lot of hate that is unjustified.
I don't speak for all Zutara shippers. For all I know they probably aren't concerned about any of the points I presented and honestly? Good on them lmao. I'm proud if that's the case. I guess, I'm trying to look out for a fandom and a community I am very fond of and plays a huge role in my life.
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Avatar fic rec post
Hi people, this is an Avatar fic rec post for @kuruccha who wanted a primer. Happy Avatar renaissance to you :D
Everything under cut, because boy, there are a lot of fics. Forgive me for being repetitive in my recs, but they are all so good and amazing and *melts in a sea of feelings*
First, some authors who are so, so very good and my favourites by them (fics aren’t in any particular order, authors are in alphabetic order):
Avocadolove (Tumblr: @awesomeavocadolove )
The Problem with Zuko: I love the idea that Zuko finds his way to team Avatar even without the Agni Kai and the rest. One of my favourites fics for at least 10 years.
Another Brother: Zuko was adopted by Hakoda, but he doesn’t remember his past. I really like how Iroh is portrayed in this story, very interesting!
Unchained Melody: Sokka doesn’t return with his body after being spirit-napped from Her Bai. Strangely, only Zuko can see him. I really love how everything is developed here :)
Consider Chaos: series where Zuko finds Vaatu and becomes the Chaos!Avatar. Really interesting premise, cooler effects!
Half a Heart: Zukka!soumates AU. Very interesting choices about world building and Hakoda’s character.
Haircrescendo
Carry On For You: from the series intro “Not the Pokémon AU you asked for but the one you’re getting anyway.”. I like it a lot, amazing adaptions and backstory building for Zuko. It focuses on Zuko and Sokka.
Compassion For All Our Monsters: intro “How Sokka learned to shut up and be nice, and also learn a little bit more about Zuko than he wanted to.” mandatory Sokka-finds-out-about-Zuko’s-past.
Fire Nation Yacht Club: one of the angstiest series I’ve read, I love it and I re-read it like once a month. Intro of the fist fic “Sokka knows three (3) things: 1. The caldera is on fire. 2. Ozai’s really, really dead (and so is his daughter). 3. The only one having a worse day is probably Zuko.”
What We’re Given: such an amazing series! Intro “Started out as a “What would happen if Zuko happened to rediscover sky bison while searching for the Avatar?” and turned into something more than that.” Zuko blasting Aang for not washing Appa properly will always be amazing xD
MuffinLance (Tumblr: @muffinlance, suggest following for plot-bunnies)
Towards the Sun: Zuko doesn’t manage to escape on the Day of the Black Sun, a very angst novella-length intro ensues. I love this a lot because of the angst and how it sparkled inspiration for other stories with a similar premise.
Salvage: here it his, the original dad!koda fic. Intro “Mid-Season-One Zuko is held ransom by Chief Hakoda. Ozai's replies to the Water Tribe's demands are A+ Parenting. Hakoda is… deeply concerned, for this son that isn't his, and who might be safer among enemies than with his own father.” Lots of feelings and amazing A+ writing.
The One Where Zuko's Hair Matches Sokka's and Other Tales: fillets from tumblr, extra material, general awesomeness all around.
Miscellaneous
The Home I've Searched For by Kayasurin: I didn’t know Azula/Kuei could be that good! Really awesome story, amazing Azula.
The Festival of Four by SuperKat: Aang knows his time is coming near and he says goodbye. Very touching and moving (yes I did cry), amazing Aang voice.
Sunday in the Park with Appa by Dracze: Parks and Recreation!AU, Aang as Leslie Knope and Zuko as Ben Wyatt. I loved how the AU was adapted on the characters and on the format -blogging instead of “watching in camera”.
Like Fire and Water by Setari: Sokka and Katara find their father in Ba Sing Se with his new wife, Ursa. Very funny, especially when Sokka/Katara and Zuko/Azula realise that they are siblings.
the beginning of a new and brighter birth by aloneintherain: from the intro “In a new era of peace, Zuko works to be a very different Fire Lord than his forefathers.”. I love how Zuko tries to make changes in the Fire Nation at the start of his reign.
The Family You Choose by TunaFishChris: the platonic Gang soulmate AU I needed without knowing. I liked it a lot, especially at the end. One of my favourites!
illustrate the remnants of the life i used to live by WitchofEndor: also a platonic Gang soulmate AU but much angstier. This Zuko is simply heartbreaking.
where the stars do not take sides by WitchofEndor: intro “When Azula is nine, she becomes an only child. She hears the Fire Lord call for Zuko's life, and in the morning, her mother and brother are gone. Azula may be young, but she isn't naive. She knows what happened to them. Which makes it all the more surprising when Azula tracks the Avatar down and fights his group of peasant friends, only to find herself staring into an eerily familiar face.” as beautiful as it sounds, really amazing Azula voice.
Doe-eyed by OldeShoestrings: Azula as the big sister of Zuko. I love how Azula is fundamentally the same but how her being the old sister changes everything. I like this a lot.
How to Care for Your Local Fire Lord; A Memoir by The Palace Staff by RejectsCanon: the fire palace’s stuff joins the Zuko protection squad. I salute them.
The Sins Of Our Family by Mangaluva: amazing series inspired by Towards the Sun. Intro “Zuko didn't escape the Fire Nation on the day of the eclipse. Azula decides to invite him to her coronation, setting off a chain of events involving abuse, trauma, siblings, recovery, and rebuilding.”. Really love this portrayal of the fire siblings.
There Is No Fire Lord by OccasionalStorytelling: other fic inspired by Towards the Sun, basically Zuko remains in prison even if he is basically the Fire Lord. The plot soon becomes its own creature and I love how it develops.
Two Perspectives by Sabretoothgooselion: series about Zuko and Kuei, really lovely. As of now there are 2 fics, but apparently more are in the works. Cannot wait!
this love burns so yellow (becoming orange and in its time, exploding) by meliebee: the first year and something of Zuko reign. Amazing Zuko voice, very angst, much approved.
and love will be your teacher by Ford_Ye_Fiji: series on hiatus, AU where Azulon doesn’t die and takes Zuko away from Ozai giving him to Iroh instead. Very very nice, I love the relationship between Zuko and Iroh.
Of Dead Fire and Dragon Dreams by ChickadeeChickadoo: during the Day of the Black Sun Ozai lies to Zuko saying that Iroh is dead. Zuko redirects lightening to him and he finds himself Fire Lord. Very cool story, love Azula in here.
In the Soft Light by CSHfic, VSfic: Zukka, moon-spirit-Sokka!AU. I love this story so much! Zuko is so very an awkward turtleduck here.
How to Disappear Completely by aeoleus & the long way around by ciaconnaa: two modern Au where Zuko is Kiyi’s guardian, very very nice.
kintsugi by discordiansamba: when Zuko is banished he becomes Toph’s bodyguard. Yes it is as amazing as it sounds.
it's the illusion of separation by argentoswan: very nice Zukka!modern Au. Sokka starts working at the Jasmine Dragon, but alas, his old high school bully Zuko works there too. I love how Zuko’s past with the gaang was adapted and how the relationship between him and Sokka develops.
Finding Solace in Parking Lots by RejectsCanon: Zukka!Modern au, Sokka and Zuko find themselves in the same McDonalds’ parking lot having a breakdown. Really really lovely.
Fractures by EvieNyx: instead of being banished, Ozai imprisons Zuko far from everyone’s eyes. When Ozai and Azula are defeated he evolves from prisoner to Fire Lord in one big step. Love the characters and the cliffhangers!
Fight by Electrons: Zuko doesn’t side with Azula at Crossroads of destiny, but that doesn’t make everything much easier. Amazing word-building and lovely dive in cultural diversity. Also, ace!Zuko which is very lovely.
Dragon of the Yuyan by 00AwkwardPenguin00: intro “In which Zuko is fostered/adopted/raised/recruited by the Yuyan Archers of Pouhai Stronghold, and destiny hiccups.” very very cool story, I really like how Zuko is portrayed here.
Always trust Sokka's instincts by Thisisentertaining: whereas Jet shows Sokka an interesting Fire Nation prisoner... a Zuko-joins-the-Gaang-early-Au. Very very good :D
all my skeletons out for the taking by 136108: Azula wins the Agni Kai. It’s still on progress but for now it’s very very good and I can’t wait to read what’s happening next.
Mark Time by foil: yes, another Zukka modern au. This is very very angst, be careful with the tags’ warnings. This story keeps surprising me and I hope Zuko and Sokka will find their happy ending.
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MARE'S RECAPS ~ THE MANDALORIAN: CHAPTER 9 "THE MARSHALL"
Oh wow! It's been a while since I've done something like this. Last year, I caught up with season 1 about 2 days before the finale, so I didn't have the opportunity to write reviews/recaps. This season, though, I'm going to 😀 so here it is the first one!
For the folks that haven't seen the premiere and don't want spoilers, scroll past this, fast and furious, because it's full of them. If you want to blacklist tags to avoid spoilers from me, I suggest that you add #mando spoilers, #the mandalorian season 2 spoilers, and #mare's mando recaps to the list.
I've seen the episode a few times (yeah, I'm that obsessed with the show) so some of my reactions are more visceral than others since I was too excited the few first times I watched it and I missed a lot of details (another reason to rewatch the episode more than once). This recap is loooooong, which is an indication of how amazing it was.
So this my final warning to those avoiding spoilers. Stop reading, right now. The rest of you… enjoy and let me know if you share some of my opinions. I'm always open to chat 😊
Chapter 9 ~ The Marshall
So it begins! It's so exciting!
I knew that Mando and baby Yoda walking in the street at night was going to be the opening scene. I started to think about it after watching the second trailer, and I'm glad that I was right.
It turns out that the red-eyed creatures were not jawas as I saw some people saying.
Baby Yoda was not happy with the little excursion to the fighting arena. Not walking on the streets nor inside watching the fight. I still laughed when he locked himself up in the pram, even if I've watched the trailer like a gazillion times by now and I knew he was going to do it.
And talking about the baby, he's getting more vocal I think. He's making a few new noises, whimpering more, which I'm not sure if it's a good or bad thing. That he complains more means that he feels safe with his buir and isn't afraid of retaliation for it as he probably was with others in the past and the reason he didn't cry much in season 1. But it breaks my heart that he is stressed. And that child is anxious, I can tell you that much.
The fight with Gor Koresh's thugs was awesome! The gamorrean flying to squash Mando and failing had me cracking up. And omg! Din'd moves! Using his helmet as a weapon and throwing his vibroblade. And leaving Gor Koresh to be eaten! Man of his word, he didn't kill the guy.
On a side note, I would've never guessed it was John Leguizamo who gave voice to Koresh until I saw the credits. Of all the actors who could play the part, I never thought of him.
Umm, I'm curious about the time Mando has spent in Tatooine, which according to him it's been a lot and it makes sense since he knows so much about the Tuskens, their language and culture. I'm guessing he spent a while among them. He had to learn all that somehow.
When I speculated that Mando was going back to Tatooine after watching the trailers, I said that I was going to riot if he didn't visit his favorite mechanic. Thankfully, I didn't need to worry. I loved Peli in episode 5 of season 1 and I loved her even more now remarking on Din's dislike of droids and trying to keep the baby for herself. Not to mention she complaining about not getting good help these days 🤣
And I ADORE the (improvised?) Birikad Din got for the baby. Of course, the baby is safer in the pram, right (guessing that's why he used it when he met Gor Koresh), but there's something sweet watching him carrying his son so close to him.
And I tell you, Mando has been spending credits lately in baby stuff. I mean, he got a new pram (which I initially thought it was the original that he had somehow retrieved from the garbage in Nevarro, but no, it's not the same, and neither it's the one that Kuiil made) and he also got the bag/birikad thing, which looks brand-new. I wonder what else he bought.
Watching the droids doing maintenance of the Razor Crest makes me think it's all for nothing, knowing that in a few episodes (it might be even in the next one) Mando is going to crash the ship. More than once perhaps.
😆 The baby still loves speed! I think riding on the speeder bike was the only moment that he truly enjoyed in this episode. Look at that happy face
When they arrived at Mos Pelgo and Din went into the cantina, leaving the baby outside, I was like: Din! That's not responsible. How can you leave your son out in the inclement sun, alone! Then baby Yoda peeked in and I went: never mind. I take back what I said.
Oooh. Cobb Vanth! I love him! For a moment, I thought it could actually be Boba but it seemed illogical and that's what Mr. Feloni and Mr. Favreau wanted us to think. I was correct.
My gawd! Din's shock when Vanth took the helmet off. I just knew he would freak out the moment Cobb asked for drinks and I said to drink they need to remove their helmets and Mando is going to lose it when this guy does. And the standoff! Was so good! "Take it off or I will" is going to become a quite popular phrase in fics from now on, not in the same context, but yeah…
The krayt dragon… oh shit! Or rather Dank farrik! We can't see Mando's face or expression but I can imagine which one was when he saw the dragon eating the bantha the first time.
Oh my goodness. The baby hiding in the pot! Too adorable!
I know every hardcore SW fan lost it watching Vanth modified speeder because is a callback to the Phantom Menace and Anakin but my first thought was: is he compensating for something? Sorry, I couldn't help it
The dog-lizard creatures were kinda scary at first but then became adorable. Almost as much as baby Yoda getting out of hiding
Baby Yoda doesn't like dog-lizards things. He looked afraid to be eaten I think. Poor little guy.
And look at that! Din showing such growth! To think he was the one incensing others in negotiation 😆 this is a total callback to the jawas in Arvala-7. And I gotta tell you, Din freaking loves his flamethrower. He doesn't waste the opportunity to use it.
The krayt dragon eating the Tusken raider instead of the bantha was quite of a plot twist 😆
When they were planning the attack on the dragon, Cobb Vanth's face when Din told him that the bones and pebbles were to scale, and then when he had volunteered the villagers to help… priceless!
I like the fact of banding together with others for a greater good, relying on others to accomplish something is going to continue being the theme of this season. It started last season but I think it's going to be stronger this time around along all of the episodes.
😳😲😳😲 this thing vomits acid?! What. The. FUCK?!!!
Cobb: I don't think it's dead
Mando: me neither
Me, at the same time as Din: yeah, nope it's not dead
Oh yeah! Teaming up with jetpacks!
When they showed the bantha with the remaining explosives my first thought was why didn't they use all those before?! That's why they didn't kill it!! Of course, it was just an excuse to grant Din a more grand win in the end, but you know, it's stupid not to use everything you have to kill the monster on the first try. Just saying
Wait, what? Din! What are you going to do? No! Taking care of the child is your responsibility, not Cobb Vanth's! I hate this plan of yours, Din Djarin!! Whichever it is!
Oh! Nice callback to the flaw on that jetpack. But makes me wonder, do all the rising Phoenixes have the same flaw? Cuz unless Din knows Boba in person and that it's his armor with that particular flaw, it means it's a common problem for all and I don't like it.
Get away, Din! Get away, Din!! FLY AWAY!! AAAAAAAHHHHHH! NOOOOOO!
There he is! Damn, Mando! Don't scare me like that! Altho, it was a nice move.
Okay, but now I want someone to explain something to me. If the dragon's acid melted people at contact before, how the hell is Din so whole? I mean, sure for argument' sake let's say his beskar armor provides some protection, but he's not entirely covered in it. His cape and undersuit seem just fine, albeit sticky. Where's the logic in that?
The tuskens getting the pearl reminded me of the jawas and the mudhorn's egg, chanting zukka, zukka (or however egg is spelled in Jawa).
That's quite a piece of meat. The baby is going to be happy eating off it for days🤣
😮😮😳😳 BOBA FETT!!!!! Yesssssss!!
Okay, I've seen other people's thoughts and some think that Boba was after Cobb Vanth because he had the armor, but I don't know. If that was true then why he hadn't gone to Mos Pelgo and got it? It seems to me that it's more likely that Boba is following Din somehow because it's the second time in as many Mando's visits to the planet that they sort of cross paths. Could they know each other? Have some score to settle? It's possible. Din has spent much time on Tatooine -his words, not mine- so it wouldn't be so out of consideration that they actually know each other. That if Mando knows Boba is (fake?) Mando, I don't know. Probably not, but who knows?
Extra thoughts
I gotta say that Ludwig Göransson is killing it with the score music! Oh. My. God! So so so so good! I could tell from the trailers that it was going to be awesome this season but it astounded me in chapter 9. Gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous! My favorite piece is when they're going to the dragon's cave to kill it. The orchestral sound of the already familiar music blew my mind!
#mare's mando recaps#mando spoilers#the mandalorian#the mandalorian season 2 spoilers#the mandalorian season 2#din djarin#baby yoda#cobb vanth
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Okay it’s like 4am and I can’t sleep but I’ve had this fic idea for MONTHS and I’m writing it out
So like imagine a world where about two or so years after the end of their series Zuko is just minding his business when he comes across this strange looking artifact. He tries to figure out what it’s supposed to do but he has no clue.
Then BAM. The next day he wakes up and the world is different. His father is still on the throne. The Fire Nation is winning the war. Aang was never found.
Zuko’s the crown prince and was never scarred 🤭
And it turns out that Zuko from the nightmare world (darkest timeline?) is swapped back to world A. So now the Gaang has to deal with a Zuko who’s just as much of an asshole as he was in season 1, if not more so since that Zuko was never banished. (Think a less sadistic version of Joffrey Baratheon).
So it becomes a race. The Gaang wants to put it right and get their Zuko back. Zuko wants to get back. But he also cant bring himself to abandon the world that needs his help.
(Dating myself here but if any smallville fans remember the mirror universe/ultraman plot its basically that)
So yeah. If this sounds like something people would be interested in I might write it up? I can’t decide if it should be gen, Zukka, or Zutara tho 🤷🏻♀️
#atla#avatar the last airbender#avatar#the last airbender#zuko#avatar renaissance#fanfiction#fanfic#aang#zukka#Zutara#alternate universe#body swap#kinda#idk#my brain is mush#the darkest timeline
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zukka hp au part 9
Wanted to write some stuff for Suki, but it turned into this. I know my writing is just kinda cheesy in general. But I think it’s important to talk about how even really calm and dependable people can have those days where it feels like they don’t have any of their shit together. And just with mental health as a whole, you can be really high-functioning and still have stuff you’re dealing with.
I’m trying to see if I can write lots of different scenes, because normally, I write the same kind of stuff. So I know this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I’m just experimenting. So I appreciate anyone taking the time to read :) I’ll probably get back to just writing general stuff for the au for a bit after this. Hope you enjoy!
If you want to catch up:
part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4 part 5 part 6 part 7 part 8 part 9 part 10 part 11 part 12 part 13
If you would like to join the tag list
oOo
Most of the time, everything’s fine. She’s finally in a good place with herself and her friends and school. She hangs out with her friends, makes time for study dates with Sokka, and has Quidditch practice three times a week until her fingers are white from snatching the Quaffle. It’s a full schedule, but she’s happy.
But sometimes Suki spends the whole day in the Gryffindor dormitory. She’ll head down to the kitchens in the morning, but for the most part, she spends those days alone with her thoughts. She knows there’s plenty of people she could talk to. She could fly around the Quidditch pitch. Read a book, or finish the remaining few inches on her Transfiguration essay in the library. But she knows she won’t.
Sometimes she just wants to sit and do nothing, watching the hours bleed by. She won’t be able to tell you what she accomplished those days. Probably only little things, like making her bed or getting up for a bite of food. She’s long since learned to treat those as the victories they are.
Some days are just really hard.
It’s one of those days. She can feel it in her bones when she rolls over in the morning, but she knows the first years are having their first set of essays due, and she likes to be around in case they have questions. She drags herself out of bed and makes herself look presentable. Suki knows she won’t fool her close friends. But she thinks she can fool some first years. They’re all so terrified they’ll be kicked out of Hogwarts for breathing wrong.
Sometimes Suki just wants to let them be someone else’s problem. It’s not like she doesn’t want to help them, but it’s never just them. Everyone comes to her with their issues. Usually, she’s happy to help. But some days, being the reliable one wears at her. She can feel it pulling at her skin like an ill-fitting costume.
It always makes her want to bite back a laugh. She’s not perfect. She’s just a high-functioning bucket of anxiety in a trench coat. Most days, she can hide it. But today, she can feel her stomach churning at the thought of pretending. But that’s what she does, right? She puts on a brave face, pushes down her issues, and pastes on a smile.
She’s making her way down to the common room now. Her bones feel like lead, but she’s managed to arrange her face in the cool, collected look that’s expected of her.
When she reaches the plush armchairs, she sees Sokka sprawled in a corner chatting to another student. She almost smiles. He’s not even in Gryffindor, and yet, he’s always so comfortable here.
Sokka sees her as she’s walking over, his face lighting up as usual. But then his smile drops a bit.
He turns to the person he’s chatting with and gives some excuse, before meeting her halfway across the room.
“Hey, Suki,” he grins, a little less lighthearted than usual. “Did you eat breakfast?”
“Not yet. I was just going to hang out here for a bit-“ she says.
“-to help the first years, right?” he finishes.
“Yeah,” she nods.
Sokka searches her face briefly, before seemingly making a decision.
“Yeah, we’re not doing that,” he says firmly and turns. “Yo, Flamey-o!”
“What?” Zuko snarls from behind a thick leather-bound book.
“Suki and I are going to grab some food in the kitchens. You’re smart. Can you help the first years a bit until we get back?”
Zuko looks like he’d rather drown himself in the lake. He even looks like he’s about to refuse, but he also looks at her for a second. His face becomes suspiciously blank.
“Sure,” he says mildly, sounding suspiciously not begrudging. “Take your time.”
Sokka nods at him and grabs her hand to pull her towards the portrait.
“We’re going to get you a cauldron cake and pumpkin juice. I know, I know. That’s way more sugar than you’d usually eat during Quidditch season, but I don’t care. Sometimes some sugar is good for the soul.”
Suki actually laughs a bit. “I was going to say that those two don’t go together at all.”
“What!” Sokka shrieks. “How could you say that?? It’s only the best breakfast combination this side of the Water Tribe. It’s fine. We’ll get it now. You’ll love it, of course...”
She lets him lead her down the hall. He continues rambling about food. About halfway to the kitchens, he starts on his latest Arithmancy theory, and she presses a kiss to the back of his hand in thanks. Sokka just squeezes back and starts babbling about Potions applications for Gamp’s Law of Transfiguration.
Some days just suck. But some days, she’ll have Sokka, who won’t ask her questions and will be happy to just distract her for a few hours.
He doesn’t fix her issues. But maybe the support is enough.
oOo
If you want to catch up:
part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4 part 5 part 6 part 7 part 8 part 9 part 10 part 11 part 12 part 13
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the teacher and the scientist au: worldbuilding
I am writing some original stuff right now, and as a break where I can keep writing, I’m going to explain some of my worldbuilding/choices that I make when it comes to my modern “the teacher and the scientist” AU. The hope is that it will be fun for others to see what goes into a fic, or give people ideas for their own fics!
*a quick note: I am a white Latina! I have no East Asian heritage! I studied for a while in Beijing and speak Mandarin Chinese fluently, so I kind of defer to my experiences there when making worldbuilding choices in fic (because I believe strongly in writing what you know, especially given the damage you might cause by writing what you don’t know), but will also do research online or through friends on other countries and cultures that inspired the four nations in ATLA. But all of this is just to say that while I do put a lot of thought into this stuff, I am by no means the authority on any of it, and I am open to criticism and of course always want to make sure I’m not doing anything harmful with my writing. I promise to listen and adapt if you approach me about literally anything in my fic or in this post.
Ok now let’s get into it!
1. The setting: Ba Sing Se’s Natural History Museum
This is based on a combination of the Beijing Museum of Natural History, the American Natural History Museum in New York, and Beijing’s Forbidden City/Gugong. Beijing I think is probably the biggest inspiration for Ba Sing Se with the ring system and centering of the palace (and I mean the Earth King’s palace is pretty directly based off of Tiananmen Square), so it seems like a pretty solid model for a modern Ba Sing Se to me.
2. The field trip
I went on so many field trips to the Natural History Museum when I was little, and they were always the absolute most fun of the year. And I feel like we went to the planetarium basically every time? It was kind of fun to recall and try to capture the experience of being a little kid on this trip in this fic
3. The Lower Ring & the Middle Ring
I put Zuko and his students as coming from the Lower Ring for a few reasons. Firstly, I couldn’t imagine Katara and Aang living in either the financial district that is the Middle Ring or the ostentatiousness of the Upper Ring. I think if they were in Ba Sing Se they’d work and raise their family in the Lower Ring (I will be getting into their jobs in later installments of this story, so I won’t explain them here!), which means Bumi goes to school in the Lower Ring, which then means Zuko has to work there in order to be his teacher and for this entire concept to work out (and also the reasons explained in the actual fic where he lived there with Iroh and wants to give back). And the museum is in the Middle Ring because I wanted it connected to the university, which canonically is in Ba Sing Se’s Middle Ring.
4. Sokka as an astrophysicist
Because Sokka is a smart kid and a huge science nerd, okay??? And Yue and the space sword. It makes sense.
Also, because Ba Sing Se = ATLA’s Beijing, I think of Ba Sing Se University as Beida （北大）or Peking University, which is China’s first national university and one of the most, if not the most, selective university in the country (disclaimer: I did not study at Beida!!). But yeah BSSU is the Earth Kingdom’s most illustrious university and one of the best research institutions in the world, and Sokka’s a tenured professor there. My boy’s world-class brilliant.
5. “Teacher Zuko”
Ughhh I really struggled with this. Basically, I was taught in learning Chinese to address teachers as “Surname 老师 (lao3shi1),” which is “Surname Teacher.” But! I didn’t want to give Zuko a surname, because that seemed rife with opportunities for missteps (there’s a lot that goes into surnames of literally any country or culture, from geography to family history and occupations, and I didn’t want to co-opt anything that wasn’t mine to use). So I knew the kids would call him by his first name. But “Zuko Teacher” sounded off. And in Chinese, titles like Mr. or Miss or Mrs. go after one’s surname, while in English it’s the opposite, so I figured for this fic it was appropriate to implement the English convention. So! “Teacher Zuko.”
6. Sokka’s appearance
Sokka’s one of those hot, young professors that appear only in popular media, or once in a blue moon. He finds out from Katara that white sneakers are an easy way to look in the fashion know while remaining marginally professional for class, and they become a staple of his uniform. I picture him in Stan Smiths. (And of course they’re a little beaten up! It’s Sokka!)
7. The gaang’s ages
Okay, so, I can’t find the actual post where this is broken down, but I think canonically it makes sense that Katara and Aang were 22 and 20, respectively, when Bumi was born. I put them in this fic at being maybe a year or two older in this fic, so let’s say 23 and 21, when they have Bumi, in Katara’s second year of med school. So when this fic takes place, as Bumi is six years old, they are 29 and 27, and Sokka and Zuko are then 30 and 31.
oh my god we’re only 700 words into a 4,000-word fic why did I decide to do this to myself
8. Sokka looking at his watch and having a penchant for exact minutes
He’s a master scheduler. That’s it.
9. “My Uncle Mushi lives in Chin City”
This was just kind of an opportunity to integrate more from the ATLA universe! Obvi “Mushi” is Iroh’s refugee alias, but whatever another kid can have it, and yeah Chin City is that terrible village with all of those wacky people from “Avatar Day.” So we know the kid’s uncle is wacky. Fat chance of going on a field trip to visit him.
10. Zuko calling Bumi talented
There’s that scene in the episode where they go to the Sun Warriors that Zuko calls Aang “a talented kid.” Bumi’s Aang’s son, so I figure by the transitive property Zuko would describe him the same way.
11. Zuko’s scar
I don’t know why but I often forget to mention Zuko’s scar in other fics! Either way, I find kids usually respond to people’s differences better than most adults do. Kids just see things and comment on them, which, yeah, can be rude by societal standards, but I’d imagine it would be very refreshing for Zuko after going much of his life with people trying to avoid either staring at the left side of his face or talking about what happened. Also, I didn’t really want to get into the cause of the scar. Obviously Ozai did it. I don’t have an idea of how. Other fics have done that better. Explaining it within the fic the way Zuko would explain it to his class seemed like a good way to tell the reader, “Hey yeah it’s the same cause as in the show,” but then not have to get into it.
12. Sokka hates intro classes
Ughhh no one likes intro classes, and I’d imagine it’s even worse for professors. Prerequisites are often too easy for the kids intending on majoring or too hard and meant to weed out the kids who can’t stick with the department’s program. College is funny.
13. Aang volunteers in Zuko’s class
From what I can tell, parental involvement in schools is only getting bigger. And Aang is a great dad and I think he’d take any opportunity to get involved with Bumi’s school.
14. Zuko’s backstory
I should probably take the time to explain this! Basically I think of this story existing in a universe where after they moved to Ba Sing Se under circumstances comparable to their being refugees in the show, Iroh and Zuko actually stayed in the city, and Zuko got his education there. And yeah! My boy went to BSSU, too!
15. Stargazing at the South Pole and seeing the moon at the North Pole
Oh my god the pure amount of thought that went into this. I worked with the assumption that A:TLA takes place on Earth, and that then the rotations of Earth, and the rotation of the moon, are the same as what we experience now (I’ve thought about this extensively, especially as it pertains to the hemispheres and the seasons, but I don’t want to talk about it here, we simply do not have either the time or space). So the South Pole is essentially the same as our Antarctica/South Pole, except that it is capable of sustaining human life for an extended amount of time, and in theory has greater biodiversity (clearly I have also thought about this extensively, but again, we have neither the time nor the space for my theories). I had to read a NASA report on the phases of the moon as seen from the South Pole! And it turns out you can’t see much of the moon down there, and it is always in crescent form. but yeah, you see a lot of stars (but in the opposite rotation of what we see in the Northern Hemisphere), and I thought that was intriguing, especially given the importance of moon imagery throughout the show. Thus, Sokka’s first seeing the moon in the Northern Water Tribe, which ties in perfectly with his meeting Yue, his first love: “You could say the moon was my first love.” (Which someone pointed out in a comment on Ao3, and it absolutely delighted me that they noticed!)
16. Pipsqueak
Just looking for more people from the show to serve as first graders in this fic. Someone commented that they pictured him the same size as he was in canon, and I laughed out loud.
17. Tuyanjing
I was trying to think of constellations that look like badger-moles, and I honestly just thought, “Ursa Major. Badger-moles look like giant bears.” And “Tuyanjing” (土眼睛) is my own translation of “earth eye,” which was meant to be a nod to the animals’ connection to Toph and their blindness and earthbending.
18. All the stars & mentioning the Fire Nation & Water Tribe navigation
I was initially going to write something in this scene about ancient constructions, like the pyramids, that were built using the constellations, and then create some elaborate metaphor about them and Zukka. But the only coherent thought I had about it was that it was “Too Much Work.” Instead I realized okay sailors always use the stars for navigation, and the Water Tribes and Fire Nation are the only nations we’ve seen with boats, so let’s go for that, and it works out because if you squint maybe you’ll read something about the stars guiding them to each other. Maybe we’re evoking thoughts of star-crossed lovers. And then we mention the moon again, and Zuko’s really seeing it for the first time, kind of like Sokka did, so hey I don’t know maybe that’s a symbol of something. Maybe.
And that’s really it I think! Hopefully this was at least entertaining if not entirely informative. I don’t normally write stuff out like this, but it is a good reflection of my thought process while writing most fics. Again, I am open to any kind of communication about the above as well as anything else I’ve posted! And I’d love to hear about any of your own ideas that help you with worldbuilding and writing your own fics :)
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