#EARTH & BAS

[pom-pomelo]

Illustration I created for @zukozine

Just thought it'd be nice to see a peaceful Zuko going about daily life in Ba Sing Se :')

#myart #digital painting #clip studio paint #zines #avatar fanart #atla fanart #atla zuko #zuko #turtle ducks #ba sing se #earth kingdom #rare green zuko :)

[365filmsbyauroranocte]

Sky, Wind, Fire, Water, Earth (Naomi Kawase, 2001)

#Sky Wind Fire Earth #Naomi Kawase #Kawase #2001 #Kya ka ra ba a #documentary #japan #quote #biopic #short film #family #love #cats #cat #grandmother #happiness

[pokidokieships]

Thinking about zutara in the finale outfits…. this is my canon ending 🌸💕

#zutara #Zuko x Katara #katara x zuko #katara #katara of the southern water tribe #Zuko #Prince Zuko #atla #avatar the last airbender #zutara fanart #atla fanart #natla #netflix avatar #avatar live action #ba sing se #earth kingdom #I really love these outfits… wish we saw more of the gaang in them #myart

[asofthesea]

#earth wind and fire #september 21 #september #ba de ya #21st of september #1k #2k #3k #4k #5k #10k #20k

[seasideoranges]

i love your zukka art!! have you ever drawn them in a modern setting? i would love to see you interpret their clothing styles!!

sincerest apologies that their outfits are kinda boring especially sokkas, designing modern clothing for the atla gaang is very difficult for me haha

#sokka i feel like would be very casual and hed wear the same thing almost everyday #but when hes with suki you know their makeover nights go wild #zuko on the other hand i feel like would wear 'old men' clothes haha #thanks to his uncle #very earth tone very simple lots of reds/browns #with the exception of the jacket i gave him which is green #maybe he got in when living in modern ba sing se #in modern settings i just dont see him getting into emo fashion bc of his fam/personality im sorry yall #vanilla boring i know #wouldve done more maybe piercings etc but i dont want to work on this all night haha #anyways thats my ramble! #zuko #sokka #zukka #atla #avatar the last airbender #seasideoranges!art

[die-auster]

The gilded cage for the king.

I wish the golden pen to look more, well, gold.

If you feel like it you can support me on my Ko-fi.

#avatar the last airbender #Long Feng #the Dai Li #king Kuei #Bosco #Ba Sing Se #the Earth kingdom

[majeoeje]

Counting days

Zuko x reader

I hope you never know how much i cried that day

"Just how long has it been??" You giggled as you twirled Zuko around in your arms. Something you had promised to do three years ago as you bid him goodbye.

Well much to his dismay at least.

"Only 3 years, 5 months and 4 days" he said, you could only laugh in response because you weren't actually expecting a definite answer

Zuko looked embarassed not knowing if he gave the right answer, his awkward demeanor still holds up even to this day making an odd sense of comfort wash over you seeing how some parts of him still remains the same.

You guessed it was 3 years, 2 months and 4 days ago that you bid him goodbye. It was before he set sail for his banishment to a search for the avatar, like it was just another short adventure, you smiled and greet him like it was just an ordinary day at the palace. Like it will be a short trip he'll have to endure not for long. How awfully positive you were being gave him a sense of hope that the nightmare he will go through would eventually come to an end.

Your encouragement only fueled the ambition in his heart to burn brighter.

And the light would dim in your eyes watching him go. He may not see himself as talented or gifted. He told you that hard work and effort had made him strong. Though he fails to notice how he was always your light without even trying.

You wished you yourself believed your own words you said to him.

Because much to his knowledge you broke down only minutes after he left.

"Well it felt longer than that..."

You reminiced, trying to take in the moment. You're here on a mission once again in inner rings of Ba Sing Se when you saw him. You thought you were hallucinating again but upon closer inspection, you were right.

It is him.

Zuko. The banished prince of the fire nation. The fugitive. The honorless coward...

...

..Your best friend.

The sentimentality of this moment bear weight heavier than you could ever hold. Though he knows you'd never admit that

"Really? Lee? You can't be more creative than that?" you try to tease him once more

"So? There's thousands of Lees here in Ba Sing Se"

"You look more like a Chen to me"

"Well you're 4 weeks too late to tell me that" he rolled his eyes, looking away slightly. But not enough to hide the smile that had adorned his face

It was more than meaningful to see him smile once more.

You thought after being scarred so horribly by his father. It would took you mountains of blood sweat and tears to see the corners of his lips turn upwards once more. But Zuko always proves you wrong

Because what you didn't realize and never would, you could always make him smile with just existing.

The chilling air blowed past the two of you, signalling for him to bring you somewhere else.

He took your hand leading you somewhere

"Come on, you have to meet uncle now that you're here"

"Did you and uncle Iroh actually opened a teashop??" You perked up, curious at the smell of jasmine tea that lingered from Zuko's apron.

You could always tell that it was one of uncle Iroh's dream to open his own teashop seeing how critical he always of every cup of tea you served to him. Saying how "every tea is to be brewed with perfection" Making those tea lectures that he would go on about much more yawning. But still, you always appreciate it knowing how those tea brewing lessons were how he kept you company in your visits everytime zuko's not around.

"I don't think it's that surprising"

Zuko then went on a rant on how some men who came in their previous workplace just started offering a job, a building AND an apartment in the inner rings of Ba Sing Se to uncle Iroh

The whole situation would only bring you to giggle at how silly it was. Silly, but a blessing nonetheless.

One thing of note was something has tremondously changed in Zuko, was it his more positive outlook? Or was it his more carefree demeanor. Lacking of the boiling desire to prove himself. Perhaps he has truly let go the way of only pleasing his father and just live?

It does bring contentment. But you can't help but feel sorrow washing you away. Because now you guessed he won't feel the need to come back. Come back home to his country....His rightful place as the heir to the thrown.....His coldblooded father.....His dead silent home...

Or perhaps you just wanted him to come back to you.

You were remembered the days at the palace where he'd eagerly lead you to take a look at something he had took intrest to. Whether it was baby turtleducks, a new gift by uncle Iroh or even a new firebending move he learnt.

"Heyyyy, slow down!" You'd whine, feeling him tug at your hand as he ran

"Come on! We're almost there." He'd say, you were always a little out of breath trying to catch up to him as his grip on your hand never faltered.

These detour wouldn't last long however knowing how people would look for him, cutting your moments short. But you never minded. No mattrr how frequent or how short these little quest last. You were just so happy being with him.

Though as you grew up you noticed these little detour would only lessen as years passed. It was understandable really you two were growing up after all and it wouldn't be appropriate for the prince of the fire nation to be holding hands with his childhood friend to show them daily mundane things.

And you yourself were far too prideful to ask him to do it again so you cherish the memories you already had in your heart.

Still.. you never thought you'd miss how the warm skin of his palm would brush again yours. The question along the lines of 'how long has it been' would echo once more in your head, feeling how rough his hand were now....Different to the smooth small hands of little Zuko.

But the warmth still remained the same.

You bit your lip and stayed silent hoping he doesn't notice the tears that was pooling in your eyes, blurring your vision as you heard him rant about his uncle's new teashop filling in the silence.

The cold air of the inner ring of Ba Sing Se suddenly felt warmer. The illuminated night was engulfed in a glaze of sunset hues as your steps on the concrete streets of Ba Sing Se would ring a sound akin to a smooth tiled floor

It was as if you were back at that damned palace again..

It's as if you were kids all over again.

Though this time you didn't have to worry about catching up to Zuko's pace.

(A/N:not an exact timeline bc i was too lazy to do research)

#zuko #atla zuko #zuko x reader #gender neutral reader #atla #avatar the last airbender #prince zuko #fire nation #ba sing se #earth kingdom #uncle iroh #general iroh

[supremechancellorrex]

In Avatar: The Last Airbender, I think the finale I have the most problems with is the Book 2 finale for a number of reasons that have always bothered me.

Azula's Plan

Despite how the show presents it, Azula's plan kinda isn't that smart. She turns up with Mai and Ty Lee in Kyoshi garb while having zero intelligence, and just lucky for her the GAang isn't there at her welcoming ceremony. Because Sokka just happens to be off to see his Dad (something she didn't know), Toph was kidnapped (something she didn't know), Aang is with the Guru (again, something she does not know) and for some reason Katara, despite being at Ba Sing Se, doesn't bother going to welcoming ceremony to see "Suki". *Convenient*. This is something Azula could not have predicted yet she's just that lucky. What was Azula's plan if the Gaang were there and had no other commitments? They'd seen through her disguise immediately and she and her team would be surrounded by hundreds of enemy benders with no clear exit. And Azula had figured that the Kyoshi Warriors knew the Avatar, so this is what she should have been expecting.

Another aspect of Azula's plan I didn't like was how she so easily won over the Dai Li. They never show the Dai Li's disenfranchisement, that perhaps if members of the Dai Li were growing wary of brainwashing women to be smiling Joo Dee tour guides, and wonder what the point was. Azula could have easily had an in if it was thought to be written. Perhaps she could have convinced them Sozin's comet was gonna destroy their little utopia in a few months, and Long Feng was in denial and like "fake news"? That it was ultimately pointless this entire Ba Sing Se project. It might have been better to show Azula chip away at them with some kind of logic over a "divine rule" speech about something the Dai Li would hardly care for. But they don't really do that, we're just to assume Azula is just that "uber-powerful" and "inspirational" and that's the only thing the Dai Li care about enough to sell out to Firebenders after hundreds of years of being embedded in the Earth Kingdom operatus, which is a bit weak reasoning to say the least for such a risk and change in their entire point. How did they know that the Fire Nation, who have such a fascist superiority complex, wouldn't dispose of them once the Fire Nation troops rolled in?

And then, despite taking over the Dai Li, the show never really uses them again except in the Day of Black Sun briefly. It was all just to give Azula a quick win and then be discarded as a real plot point .

The Invasion

Sokka *shocked*: "They knew."

One of the worst tie-ins with the Ba Sing Se arc is the invasion plan and that the GAang remain oblivious to the fact that the Fire Nation expects an attack on the Day of Black Sun. King Kuei told Azula about the invasion plan while she was in disguise and then found out she was an imposter later, yet never mentions this to the GAang. Moreover, Katara had the invasion plans scroll that was given to her by the Council of Five when she was captured by Azula, yet never wonders what happened to this very important information she was tasked to keep safe. This is pretty hilarious since the GAang talk about the upcoming invasion quite frequently in early Book 3. And furthermore, Sokka and Toph know that the Council of Five, who planned the whole invasion, were captured by Azula's agents. On top of this, the entire of Ba Sing Se fell, meaning the Fire Nation had access to their entire archives and anyone involved in drafting or writing the plans.

This is such a basic and unbelievable communication issue that normally would naturally resolve itself with just a modicum of effort, yet the GAang are surprised to find out on the Day of Black Sun the Fire Nation had an inkling of being attacked on an eclipse and upped their defences.

Sokka (shocked): "They knew."

Me: "No fucking shit, dude."

#avatar the last airbender #avatar legend of aang #azula #ba sing se #book 2: earth #sokka #katara #avatar aang #toph beifong #bad writing

[mugentakeda]

im like sooo nowhere near figuring out how i want the azula lu ten reunion to go but i wanted to draw them reuniting anyway because i love tjem

#if you havent been able to tell from the sheer amount of times ive drawn azula in her dai li outfit. its my favorite of hers. #the ribbon is So freaking cute i love her so much...... #idk why but i really like drawing in these weird green shades #like i do it cus the lake laogai/creepy ba sing se earth green #but i just like the way it looks idk #azula #lu ten #dai li lu ten #alicias art #atla #avatar the last airbender

[aangarchy]

My little cousin (15) finished season 2 of atla, here are her opinions of the characters after the s2 finale

Aang: "adorable and he better not be fucking dead"

Katara: "i hope she gets vengeance in season 3." Me: "vengeance on who?" Her: "the world."

Sokka: "he needs a girlfriend, every girl he's met has either died or left him... are you sure he's not into guys at all?" Me: "the fandom thinks so." Her: "they're right."

Toph: "she reminds me of a feral little dog most of the time"

Zuko: "get that traitor out of my face"

Azula: "if i speak."

Uncle iroh: "if he needs to die for zuko to finally get some character development so fucking be it"

Mai: "knife wife"

Ty Lee: "she's so me coded"

Suki and the Kyoshi Warriors: *hums who run the world girls by Beyoncé*

Jet: "dead. at least i think."

The Earthking: "oh that loser"

Long Feng: "who?" *gets shown a picture* "imagine being half bald and losing your whole army to a teenage girl"

Joo Dee: "she's innocent"

#avatar the last airbender #atla #avatar #aang #avatar aang #zuko #sokka #prince zuko #katara #azula #princess azula #toph #toph beifong #ty lee #mai #uncle iroh #iroh #ba sing se #book 2: earth #dori's younger cousin series

[dyingroses]

Avatar: The Last Airbender + AO3 tags

#+ AO3 tags #ao3 tags #atla sokka #sokka #sokka avatar the last airbender #avatar: tla #avatar the last airbender #atla #atlaedit #avatar #avataredit #tvedit #prince zuko #zuko #atla zuko #iroh #uncle iroh #katara #the boiling rock #book 3: fire #tales of ba sing se #book 1: water #book 2: earth #post #dyingrosesedit

[365filmsbyauroranocte]

Sky, Wind, Fire, Water, Earth (Naomi Kawase, 2001)

#Sky Wind Fire Earth #Naomi Kawase #Kawase #2001 #Kya ka ra ba a #documentary #japan #quote #biopic #reality #short film

[bunnakit]

10 BL Boys I Want Carnally

shitfuck i forgot i was tagged in this too, thank you so much @williamrikers !

10) Jim Jaruek {Moonlight Chicken}

It's no secret I love the "older" men of BL - I am the old man connoisseur after all - and Jim is no exception. Whoof.

9) Arm {Kinnporsche}

Bas is beautiful and I have a competency kink, okay? Arm is everything to me.

8) Fan Ze Rui {Kiseki: Dear to Me}

Chen Yi and Ai Di may have been my favored couple from Kiseki: Dear to Me but I also have fucking eyes and the way he climbed in Zong Yi's lap plays on a loop in my head.

7) Chen Dong Yang {Kiseki: Dear to Me}

Listen, I don't wanna talk about it. I see old man, I wanna fuck that old man, okay? Let's just say I understand what Chen Yi was about.

6) Chan {Kinnporsche}

Some of you are probably following me from my Kinnporsche brainrot days. Yes, I am still a Daddy Chan fucker to my core.

5) Fluke Gawin {Anything BUT Not Me}

I'm so sorry Fluke, you are sooo so sexy but I do not fuck cops (there is one exception.) Pisaeng and Saifa could get it though.

4) Bunnakit Songsakdina {Manner of Death}

This smug little shit. This absolute cheeky bastard. I adore him, your honor. (My competency kink rises once again.)

3) Inspector M {Manner of Death}

I am a simple man, I see Great Sapol and I lose my mind. To say I'm excited for Wandee Goodday is an understatement. Inspector M could get it on looks alone, but risking his life to stop the corruption in his precinct? We love a man with morals. The only cop allowed.

2) Chef Guy {Bake Me Please}

Using one of my gifs for this because I didn't like any of the pictures on Google (or they were gifs from moots lol.) Peach and I are built so different because I would have been in Chef Guy's arms from day one. If any man looked at me like this and whispered my name? Fuck all the way off, I'm done. What do you want gorgeous, just say the word. (Do you think if I ask really nicely he'll let me kiss every one of his beauty marks?)

1) Papang Phromphiriya {Anything}

I don't need to say anything. You all know. I want him to squish me like a bug. I want to kiss him with blood on his teeth. I want to kiss his scar so bad. I'd live in a garage with him and raise our rowdy activist kids.

no pressure tags, sorry if you've been tagged! @kennyomegasweave @poomphuripan @sndrys @callipigio @first-kanaphan @sparklyeyedhimbo @porschesbabydaddy

#tag game #papang phromphiriya #poom phuripan #great sapol #fluke gawin #tul pakorn #peter knight #liang che #hsu kai #bas asavapatr #earth pirapat #moonlight chicken #kinnporsche #kiseki: dear to me #manner of death #not me the series #bake me please #be my favorite #enchante

[giveamadeuschohisownmovie]

Pitch for the Earth Kingdom-Avatar show:

Assuming that Aang represents the 1800s (colonialism, warships, coal and oil) and Korra represents the 1920s (jazz music, steampunk, cars), let’s say the Earth Avatar takes place in the Avatar world’s equivalent of the 1970s/1980s.

For episode 1, instead of the traditional opening, we get a montage of how the world has changed since Korra died. Someone is watching TV and is flipping between channels, resulting in this montage:

1) A cheesy commercial about the home computer, developed by the Air Republic (by this point, the Airbenders have formed their own country)

2) A tacky ad about a cruise line for Kyoshi Island. The ad is intentionally degrading and not at all respectful of the island (lots of “ooohhh, how exotic!” type of editing).

3) A 60 Minutes interview with the Fire Nation Prime Minister (the Fire Nation government has changed since Korra died). The Prime Minister accuses the Earth Avatar of “Fire-phobia” and that he is biased towards the Earth Kingdom since that’s where he was born.

4) A news report that the crime rates in Ba Sing Se are skyrocketing.

5) A music video from a Northern Water Tribe celebrity. The song is in the style of city pop (ex: Mariya Takeuchi, Plastic Love).

6) A movie adaptation of Aang’s story. The actor playing Aang is obviously based on Arnold Schwarzenegger and the costumes are all wrong. It’s like the 1980s’ version of “Avatar The Last Airbender”.

7) Another interview in which several intellectuals argue about a “revisionist” perspective of the Hundred Year War. The intellectuals argue that the Fire Nation “needed” to attack in order to combat Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe aggression. They also placed the blame of the war on Aang for “cowardly” running away instead of acting as a peacemaker and that the real reason why the war ended was because of Zuko taking the throne.

8) Another news report that war between the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom is “imminent”. The Earth President and the Fire Nation Prime Minister both insist that they don’t want war but the news anchors cast doubt on the leaders’ statements. (obviously, this is to mimic the Cold War standoff between the US and the Soviet Union)

After the montage, we see that it was the Earth Avatar who was watching. He’s completely stressed out by what he was watching, which you can also see in his disheveled appearance. He tosses the remote and says something along the lines of, “Korra, if you’re out there, I need your guidance”. Korra doesn’t respond. The Earth Avatar then says, “Fine…I guess I’m on my own”.

Cue opening credits (which may or may not have 1980s synthpop beats).

#avatar #avatar the last airbender #avatar the legend of korra #the legend of korra #the last airbender #Aang #Korra #nickelodeon #earth kingdom #earthbending #atla #tlok #air nomads #kyoshi island #fire nation #ba sing se #water tribe #zuko #prince zuko #atla tlok #northern water tribe #avatar studios

[wolfsonic]

Growly monkies

I got more snippets of the monkeys cause @journey-to-the-au has given me monkey brain rot again with them, and I had to write about it.

Sorry if the snippets are not beta read, I started feeling iky around the last two stories and I just wanted to get them out of my head before I forgot XD

The WuKong and Willow snippet was inspired by this beautiful art they made!

Hope you like them!

---

Beng carefully adjusted forearm guards, Ma and him were due for a meeting with the others, and Ma had left a bit a go so she could get her adjusted armor. His mate's pregnancy was starting to show, and she, with Beng by her side, asked WuKong for the armor around the beginning of it so it would be ready by the time she would need it. WuKong had agreed easily with a smile.

The General frowned in thought, and he suspected a few monkeys on the island had expressed their distaste of Ma continuing her Marshal duties while pregnant. They have been smart enough to know not to have said anything in front of Beng himself, but he's seen Ma's mood has been lower than normal.

It was the reason Ma had been worried about asking for the new armor, WuKong, as well as Beng reassured her she could still be a Marshal.

Beng grabbed his polearm before he turned and followed where Ma had gone. He didn't walk very far before he heard a voice. Ma's voice which confused him since she should have so much farther ahead than he was.

He wasn't close enough to hear what she had said, but a second voice spoke up talking over the Marshal. Just that alone made his fur puff up slightly in irritation, and when Beng finally turned the corner to see them, did the words finally register.

"You shouldn't be over exerting yourself." The stupid monkey said sharply to Ma. The monkey back was towards Beng, with Ma facing towards him, her own features trying not to convey the annoyance radiating off her. "You should think about your child, not your own self interests."

Beng, despite his big size, crept up silently behind the unsuspecting monkey, and once he was right behind her, he let out a smallest of growls, his voice low as he stared down of the monkey. "Are you the doctor of this mountian?" A loud squeak of fear came from the monkey as she jumped. She slowly turned around to see the big general standing over her. Her mouth opened and closing but no words came out of her mouth as Beng continued.

The monkey just cowered under Beng's intense stare before finally scurring away. He huffed angrily as he watched her run before turning to Ma. She was looking down as her feet. The General reached forward and cups her cheek, making her look at him. "I do not want you letting this slide anymore, I have been watching your mood lower because of it. I am here, talk to me."

Ma huffed less in anger before leaning forwards and resting her face into his shoulder. "I'm sorry... I thought I could handle it.."

Beng wrapped his arms around Ma in a hug, letting his other half cling to him. Soft reassurances whispered softly in her ear. The two didn't move for a little, and Beng wasn't surprised to see Liu after a while. Probably looking for them, but the Marshal instantly halted at the sight of the two before turning and walking away.

Wanting to give the two privacy, but Beng did not miss the frown settled on his lips. Beng knew they'd probably have to explain to the others, but for now, his focuse was on his mate.

~~~

Liu sat with his back towards Rin Rin as her fingers groomed him, working out burrs that were snagged in his fur. A small pout rested on his face as he stared grumply at the dirt, and Rin Rin could only giggle softly when she noticed his face. "You put yourself here, mister. It was just a small bird dropping a seed, and you're the one that tripped on a root and into a bush to investigate it."

Liu relaxed under her touch before speaking up, "it could have been something that could hurt you and the baby!" He said, trying to reason why he did it.

Rin Rin just shook her head with a smile. "Even an infant could have recognized that sound."

Liu only just seemed to pout more, making Rin Rin giggle even more. The Marshal couldn't hold back his own content smile at Rin Rin's giggles. A loud snap of a twig made Liu stand ramrod straight, his eyes narrowed and immediately growling in the direction of the sound. It turned into a sharp glare when a monkey that was the culprit of the sound scrambled away.

Rin Rin rolled her eyes before gently taking Liu's hand and placing it on her stomach. The change was immediate as his gaze softened and grew considerably less tense. He turned to look at Rin Rin as he felt a strong kick against his palm. He then nuzzled Rin Rin's stomach, where he felt another one against his cheek. "Hello, little one."

Liu wrapped his arms around Rin Rin's waist, in turn hold her and their child. "WuKong let you off your duties today so you can take a break." Rin Rin emphasized the word break as she leaned down to kiss his forehead.

Liu just sighed before nodding. This time, he relaxed fully as Rin Rin went back to grooming him. They remained like that as she worked, Liu talking softly to the infant still in Rin Rin.

Rin Rin finished grooming him, and she moved to just threaded her fingers through his fur on his head before he stood. Rin Rin tilted her head to the side in confusion for a second before he held out his hand. "Come on, let's get some food. You're probably hungry." Liu said as he held his hand out for her to take.

Rin Rin smiled and took it, letting her mate pull her up as she nodded. "I could eat." Rin Rin said as they walked away towards the orchards.

~~~

WuKong was laying flat on his stomach as he watched over a sleeping Willow, who was lying on her side facing WuKong. Earlier that day, the one time WuKong was pulled away from her, she had a fainting spell, putting the already tense simian on even more edge. Thankfully, Liu had been nearby to keep Willow from hurting herself, and she came too pretty quickly. Beng checked on her and the babies, finding nothing wrong, but he still told her to rest for the remainder of the day.

And now here Wukong was up in the early hours of the morning watching over Willow. He hadn't got a wink of sleep, and even a part of him agreed this could possibly be seen as a little creepy, but he couldn't help it. He needed to make sure all of them were safe. The soft sounds of the forest waking reached his ears as the king rested his head on to his forearm.

The small sense of tranquility was broken as a shift of magic touched the air, making WuKong shoot up from his laying position. The king looked wildly around, assessing the room for any threats, a soft snarl coming from his lips. It was then he had to bite back said snarl as he realized the magic had come from Willow, her transformation magic unconsciously activating as it shifted over her.

It wasn't long before a monkey form took the place of Willow's human one. The celestial didn't even awaken from the sudden change as she continued to sleep peacefully. The king let out a breath he was holding as he resumed his position.

It wasn't long later that Willow's eyes slowly opened as she woke from sleep. Her tired eyes turned confused as she spotted WuKong wide awake. "What are you doing up?" She asked softly, not even surprised she was in monkey form again. WuKong diverted his eyes at the question, Willow eyes widened at the realization that he didn't even sleep, made her cross her arms, and stared at him with disapproval. "You stayed up all night." She said, not even questioning it to know it was true.

WuKong has no defense for that, and Willow opened her arms, silently asking for cuddles. The king obliged instantly, though she had moved him to rest his head against her stomach. Willow spoke again "Your going to fall asleep during your buddhistic duties today."

"Maybe you don't know that." WuKong said as he relaxed under her voice and the small heartbeats and kicks of his children as she began to play with the hair on his head. Making him relax even more, his eyes drooping slightly.

"You're falling asleep right now." Willow said with a soft laugh.

WuKong shoke his head, trying to deny it. "No, I'm just blinking." He mumbled softly.

"Sleep, WuKong. I'll wake you in a few hours."

The king tried to deny it, but he couldn't stop himself, finally being pulled into sleep.

#journey to the west #jttw #xiyouji #earth reaching willow #sun wukong #rin rin #betrothal au #marshal liu #marshal ma #general ba #ERW #the fake marriage au

[atlaculture]

Hello, I saw a recent post of yours where noted that China had 55 officially recognized ethnic minorities. I remembered Kuvira's Earth Kingdom map on her train that had pieces for the different states, and I counted 56 states. Do you think Bryke could have deliberately made this number of states to reflect the ethnic groups in China (which the EK is based off of)? Just as China has a majority ethnic group (Han Chinese) and 55 minority groups, the EK has a capital state (Ba Sing Se) and 55 states that are subordinate to it.

Yeah, I think the number of Earth Kingdom states might have been influenced by the number of officially recognized groups in the People's Republic of China.

But saying the 55 other states of the Earth Kingdom are subordinate to Ba Sing Se is a bit of an overstatement. The Earth Kingdom seems pretty freewheeling. Kyoshi Island, Omashu, the Si Wong Desert tribes, and the Foggy Swamp are pretty much isolationist states that could care less about Ba Sing Se's happenings. Ba Sing Se likely practices a tributary system, similar to Imperial China. Under this system, the emperor (or Earth King) allows other states to rule over themselves so long as they have an envoy kowtow before him, acknowledge him as the most powerful figure in the land and shower him with gifts. Other than that, "tributary states" are functionally independent.

Ba Sing Se ultimately only really cares about the preservation of Ba Sing Se, as most view it as the true "core" of the Earth Kingdom. Just look at how BSS sequestered itself away during Chin the Great's rampage through the EK. This is also why the court was ultimately fine with keeping the Earth King in the dark regarding the war. Basically, BSS is the embodiment of the proverb:

"Heaven is high and the emperor is far away."

#atlaculture #replies #earth kingdom #I've mentioned this before but #Ba Sing Se is inspired by Qing Dynasty Beijing #which had similar difficulty fending off outside invaders from its nation's southern areas #as ruling and defending a large landmass is quite difficult