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rabbitcruiser · 2 days

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Marine Mammal Rescue Day

Marine Mammal Rescue Day is celebrated on April 27 annually. It is a holiday initiative by the state of California’s Senate. This day honors the people who have made a positive difference in the lives of marine mammals, such as wildlife biologists, veterinarians, and animal care specialists. It is also a day to consider our individual contributions to climate change that affect marine mammals’ lives. For the west coast, spring is the peak of animal rescue season owing to disease and famine. Action is conducted by marine mammal rescue organizations.

History of Marine Mammal Rescue Day

Toni Atkins, a California State Senator, passed the bill that designates April 27 as Marine Mammal Rescue Day. The celebration began in 2017. Gratitude is also given to the Marine Mammal Stranding Network for its continued dedication to the rescue, rehabilitation, and return of creatures stranded off the coast of California. The Marine Mammal Rescue Day celebration may be fairly recent, but the work of these marine mammal rescues has been in existence for far longer.

In 1975, The Marine Mammal Center (T.M.M.C.), formerly known as The California Marine Mammal Center, a private and non-profit organization based in the United States was founded to rescue, rehabilitate, and release injured, ill, or abandoned marine animals. Lloyd Smalley, Pat Arrigoni, and Paul Maxwell created it in Sausalito, California. T.M.M.C. has rescued nearly 23,000 marine mammals since 1975. It also acts as a research and education facility for marine animals such as whales, dolphins, pinnipeds (seals, walruses, and sea lions), otters, manatees, and dugongs.

Many water species require medical assistance due to illness or damage. Polluted waters, marine trash, and illegal fishing gears injure and kill aquatic life in general. The ocean has been polluted and tainted as a result of human acts and inaction. The waters have warmed as a result of climate change, and the patterns in which fish swim have changed. Young marine mammals are frequently unable to travel long distances or dive deep enough to get the food they require. All types of aquatic life are harmed by illegal fishing gear, pollution, and garbage. This is where aquatic mammal rescuers and specialists come in, devoting their time, energy, and resources to safeguard the safety of the marine life that we all should care about.

Marine Mammal Rescue Day timeline

1972

Marine Mammal Protection Act

President Richard Nixon signs the Marine Mammal Protection Act (M.M.P.A.) into law, establishing a national policy.

1975

The Marine Mammal Center

The Marine Mammal Center (T.M.M.C.), a private and non-profit organization based in the United States, is founded.

1992

Foundation for Marine Animal Husbandry

The Foundation for Marine Animal Husbandry, a nonprofit organization in Florida, opens.

2017

Marine Mammal Rescue Day

Toni Atkins, a California State Senator, creates Marine Mammal Rescue Day through a bill.

Marine Mammal Rescue Day FAQs

What are baby whales called?

Baby whales are referred to as ‘calves.’

What are the kinds of marine mammals?

Cetaceans, pinnipeds, sirenians, and marine fissipeds are the four taxonomic groups that make up marine mammals.

Do dolphins lay eggs?

Dolphins are mammals. Thus, they do not lay eggs. Instead, they give live birth to their young.

How to Observe Marine Mammal Rescue Day

Reduce, reuse, recycle: Simple steps to improve your actions to assist in reducing marine body pollution can make a tremendous difference. Reduce, reuse, and recycle as much as possible. Single-use plastic should be avoided and other trash should be disposed of sustainably.

Learn about ocean conservation: Learn as much as you can about ocean conservation. Discover what it entails and how you can help. Know about ocean conservation organizations and consider donating to support their objectives.

Volunteer yourself: Make yourself available to help marine conservation charities. Joining and volunteering with beach cleanup is one of many ways to do so. It may not seem like much but if everyone performed their modest part, we could have a significant influence collectively.

5 Interesting Facts About Marine Mammals

Sea otters have deft hands: Sea otters have deft hands for smashing sea urchins off rocks.

Sleeping with one eye open: Dolphins only sleep with one half of their brain and one eye closed at a time.

Semi-aquatic creatures: Sea lions are semi-aquatic creatures.

Penguin proposal: During mating season, several species of male penguins "propose" to their lady with a pebble.

Elephant relatives: Manatees are related to elephants and have more in common with them than they do with dolphins or whales.

Why Marine Mammal Rescue Day is Important

Human and marine life interaction: Whale watching benefits local economies in a variety of ways. According to studies, people can derive economic benefits from simply knowing that marine mammals are present and healthy even if they are unable to see them.

Marine mammal protection: The Marine Mammal Protection Act protects all 125 species of marine mammals that live in American waters. This makes it illegal to harm a marine mammal in any way that would interfere with its normal behavior.

It promotes a healthy ocean ecosystem: Maintaining the equilibrium of marine ecosystems requires robust marine mammal populations. Reduced numbers of whales, dolphins, or seals can have unpredictably negative consequences for other key species such as fish, birds, and invertebrates.

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stars-and-paws · 4 months

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Welcome!

( I'm new to making intro posts, so I hope this is alright for now. I'll keep updating this with time! )

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Here's a bit of stuff I'd like you to know about me :

Name : Star

Gender : Nonbinary

Pronouns : Ze/Zir/Fuz/Fuzz/It/Its

Sexuality : Asexual & Queer

(I don't have a specific label for my romantic attraction, so I just use Queer/Gay)

Species : Voidpunk + Therian

Theriotypes :

Northern River Otter

Oriental Shorthair Cat

Gray Wolf

Coastal Sea Wolf

Mudi

Virginia Opossum

Standard Poodle

Duck Billed Platypus

Angora Ferret

Also, I'm Autistic!

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Now, here's a little info about this blog :

This is a sideblog where I post & reblog a little bit of everything

(that is not related to my special interest, I already have blogs for that.)

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#pinned post #intro post #nonbinary #neopronouns #asexual #queer #voidpunk #therian #northern river otter therian #oriental shorthair cat therian #gray wolf therian #coastal sea wolf therian #mudi therian #virginia opossum therian #standard poodle therian #duck billed platypus therian #angora ferret therian #autistic #actually autistic

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bogleech · 9 months

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ABC News used a photo of a cute little young sea otter and that alone has lead to these women getting mocked and ridiculed around the internet.

This is the Northern River Otter, it's four feet long and a body adapted for river life means it has denser muscle mass than its cousins, badgers. The attack happened at night when the women couldn't see that otters were actually present, and it was a river people have always gone swimming in.

It's not the otter's fault for being an otter but they weren't doing anything particularly foolish or unusual either

(And besides, little wee sea otters can also fuck you up. Rabbits and squirrels can fuck you up.)

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bethanythebogwitch · 8 months

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Today's Wet Beast Wednesday is about sea otters. I was originally going to do this last week in honor of the 24th birthday of Rosa, the world's oldest sea otter (and one of the oldest sea otters on record) but, well, I forgot. But better late than never.

(Image: a sea otter on its back, yawning)

The sea otter (Enhydra lutris) is one of only two otters to live in salt water, the other being the rare and poorly-understood marine otter (Lontra felina). Otters are aquatic mammals of the family Mustelidae, which makes them cousins to weasels, badgers, wolverines, and martens. While many mustelids can swim, otters have adapted to a primarily aquatic lifestyle. Sea otters are divided into three subspecies: the Asian sea otter (Enhydra lutris lutris) which lives from northernmost Japan up through the northwest Pacific, northern sea otter (E. l. kenyoni) which lives from Alaska down to Oregon, and the southern sea otter (E. l. nereis), found in California.

(image: a sea otter relaxing on a rock)

The sea otter is one of the smallest marine mammals (only the marine otter is smaller), yet it is also the heaviest of all mustelids. Males are larger than females, averaging between 1.2 and 1.5 meters (3'11" to 4'11") and 22 to 45 kg (49 to 99 lbs). Females average 1 to 1.4 m (3'3" to 4'7") and 14 to 33 kg (31 to 73 lbs). I honestly thought they were around the size of cats and was surprised to find out how big they can get. Otters are the most recent of the marine mammals and have not developed the thick layer of blubber other marine mammals use to keep themselves warm. Instead, sea otters warm themselves with the densest fur of any mammal, with almost a million hairs per square inch. The fur has two distinct layers: a longer layer of waterproof guard hairs and a shorter underfur layer. The guard hairs keep the underfur dry and trap air between the layers. This air gets heated by the otters body heat and provides an extra layer of insulation. This is the same principle that wet suits work on. The air layer also provides some added buoyancy. Sea otters are positively buoyant and can float on the surface of the water. There are many other adaptations to an aquatic lifestyle that sea otter have. Their feet are webbed and have long digits, allowing them to act as flippers but also making them slower and more clumsy on land. The front claws have retractable claws and pads that let them grab onto slippery objects. When swimming, they use their entire real bodies, but primarily their hind feet, for propulsion. They can hold their breath for up to five minutes and have whiskers used to search for food in darker water. Their ears and nostrils close when submerged to keep water out. While sea otter can, and often do, move around on land, they are capable of living their entire lives in the water. Some evolutionary biologists think sea otters represent an early stage of marine mammal development and can compare them to more established marine mammals like cetaceans and pinnipeds.

(image: a wet weasel holding a sea urchin)

Sea otters are carnivores whose diet consists mostly of hard-shelled invertebrates, though they will also eat fish. They forage for food on the sea floor in dives that usually last a minute. Their paws give them an advantage over other marine mammals, who can only use their mouths for capturing prey. Otters by contrast can pick up and move rocks and dig into the sediment. They are the only marine mammals to catch prey with their paws instead of teeth. Otters carry prey to the surface and eat while floating on their backs. Famously, they use rocks to break open the hard shells of their prey, making them one of the relatively few mammals to use tools (though tool use is proving to be more common than previously thought). Under each arm is a pouch of loose skin that is used to hold prey and rocks. Each otter has a favorite rock that they carry with them. Sea otters have blunt teeth used to crush through prey's shells.

(image: an otter dining on crab)

While sea otters do spend a lot of time in groups, they are not considered truly social animals as they forage, groom, and defend themselves on their own instead of with help. Groups of otters are called rafts that typically have between 10 and 100 members, but can reach up to 2000 members. Rafts are single sex, each having only male or female members. When resting, raft members will hold hands to keep themselves from drifting apart. One social behavior they engage in is play, which is done frequently. Mating season happens in autumn. During summer and autumn, males will attempt to establish territories and push other males out. Females mover between territories at will. Males without territories will swim around and attempt to find females in heat. Males will attempt to mate with multiple females. During estrus, the males and females will bond through play and sometimes aggressive behavior. When mating, the male will bite the female's head, which can leave scars. Otters are capable of delayed embryo implantation, where they can wait for several months between conception and the embryo beginning development. Pregnancy lasts four months and typically results in a single pup. While males are absentee fathers, females are very caring mothers who spend almost all their time caring for their pups. The only time she leaves her pup will be when diving. The pup will be left floating on the surface, often wrapped with kelp to keep it from floating away. The baby will cry for its mother until she comes back. The mother will teach her pup how to dive and forage as it ages. Pups will stay with their mothers for 6 to 8 months (longer in colder areas), and sometimes until they are fully developed. Childless females will foster orphaned pups. Females reach sexual maturity at age 3-4 and males around age 5. They average 10 - 15 years in the wild and can live significantly longer in captivity. The oldest living sea otter is Rosa, living in the Monterey Bay Aquarium, who is 24 years old. The oldest sea otter on record was a female named Etika who lived to be 28.

(image: two sea otters holding hands)

(image: a sea otter mother sleeping with its baby on its stomach)

Sea otters are a classic example of an endangered species. They have been hunted throughout history for their fur. Eventually, this reduced the world population to less than 2000 individuals. They are now the target of conservation measures worldwide and local and international protections, which has helped the population rebound. They still have not regained their historical population or range, though reintroduction measures have helped them reestablish in historical territories. The southern sea otters are the most endangered. Famously, almost all southern sea otters alive today are descended from a group of 50 discovered in 1938, when the subspecies was almost extinct. Sea otters are classified as endangered by the IUCN. Sea otters are a keystone species, having a major ecological impact on their habitats. Famously in California, the near-extinction of southern sea otters resulted in a population boon of sea urchins (their primary prey) which proceeded to kill vast areas of kelp forest. Curren threats include predation, pollution, and habitat loss. Oil spills are particularly devastating to sea otters, as the oil destroys the air layer in their fur, destroying their ability to keep themselves warm.

(image: an employee with MBARI releasing a rehabilitated sea otter back into the wild)

#wet beast wednesday #sea otter #otter #marine mammals #wet weasel #water weasel #moist mustelid #marine biology #biology #zoology #ecology #animal facts #adorable

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c-casu · 5 months

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The European woodlands are a series of mostly bamboo forests in Central, Western, Southern and Northeastern Europe.

These bamboo species have developed fleshier fruits and more robust branches, in order to support macaque descendants and the bigger parrots that inhabit their canopies and disperse their seeds.

The bigger herbivores of these forests are the Elepharrhinids, usually smaller and furrier than their grassland counterparts, and the biggest of the running hares, that browse on the lower canopy and battle for mates with their four facial horns.

Other than macaques and parrots, some of the canopy’s most common herbivores are the Sciuromiridae, red squirrel descendants that reached the size of modern New World Monkeys. They aren’t as social, don’t have the same good eyesight, and are still more relying on hearing and smelling, still more similar to lemurs and early primates than to simiiforms.

They’re preyed upon by arboreal mustelids descended from martens, smaller cats, eagle sized kestrel descendants and scavenging kites.

The apex predator of these forests is the Fellimus cambiulus, a close relative to the grasslands’ Fellimus alexandrae, its bigger relative. It hunts the biggest forest herbivores, macaque and squirrel descendants, smaller carnivores and birds. It’s range extends to most of Europe, except for islands, the Fennoscandian peninsula, northern Russia and the tallest mountains, and into Asia, up to the eastern coast of the Caspian sea. Canids became pretty abundant predators too, with pack hunting golden jackals descendants being pretty widespread across the continent, and being capable of taking down prey much larger than themselves.

Many forests rise along the courses of rivers, which are too home to rich and diverse ecosystems. Many of the freshwater fish species diversified into various forms, like big predatory trouts and catfish, and paddlefish sturgeons. Semiaquatic vertebrates diversified too, with the invasive nutrias becoming bigger, and reaching the size of really large boars, and in some species becoming bigger than hippos.

Vermins became as big as otters, and aquatic birds diversified too, with Cetti’s warbler descendants establishing a family of stork like waders, the Ciconicettidae.

With the warmer climate crocodiles expanded into Europe, although they’re still limited by latitudes, and stop around Southern France, the Carpathians and the Alps.

#spec evo #spec bio #speculative evolution #speculative biology #artwork #digital art #worldbuilding #epigene period #future earth #future evolution

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dailymothanon · 11 months

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Sitka… Alaska’s first capital, formerly known as Novo Arkhangelsk (or new archangel); also the biggest city in the U.S by area, four times the size of Rhode Island… I did try to implant tlingit physical features but I swear I’ll get better at it 😼 I also read the tlingit did trade before European contact as far south as Northern California, so I think that’s pretty cool; Also Alaska is home to 90% of the worlds sea otter population, I think that’s pretty cool as well (I imagine Sitka has hazel eyes) Sitka’s design is probably gonna change a few times idk yet but I’m content with this so far, I’d like to hear more ideas if y’all got some

I like to imagine that since Sitka has a tree named after them Sitka can stand perfectly still for hours on end. Also I read in Sitka it rains 2/3 days throughout the average year that’s why I drew that 🤷

some random other things, I imagine it’s terribly tough to tell what Sitka is thinking almost all the time, again cuz of Sitka spruce trees, although there’s a handful of things named after Sitka I like the idea of her being the equivalent of a plant/tree, and you don’t know what a plant is thinking even if they don’t; cuz it’s generally a thing in Alaskan culture to be able to talk without talking— not sign language, but simple gestures, I’ve read about it and it varies per Alaska region but not having to be vocal seems to be a common thing, and also cuz it’s a widespread belief in all alaska native cultures that everything and everyone has a spirit/soul so they are taught to treat everything with respect

I also like to think Sitka is like an older sibling to Alaska, not literally, just like

#I love ranting you guys i love info dumping i swear im normal #wttt #welcome to the table #welcome to the statehouse #ben brainard #wttt fan art #wttt alaska #wttt fanart #wttt headcanons #wttsh #wttsh alaska #wttt sitka #wttsh sitka

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oneatlatime · 9 months

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The Waterbending Master

Finally! Only took the whole season to find one.

This one apparently also has commentary. I'll leave it off for now.

After countless episodes without, we finally have another hybrid animal. Behold:

A koala Sea-otter? That makes noises like a Raven. Alright.

Sokka saying "I'm not one to complain" is a) pretty damning evidence of his amount of self-awareness b) self-deprecating sarcasm c) a funny line that I'm reading too deeply into

Why is Appa flying so low anyway?

Subtle signs that these guys are way too used to relying on bending: -no railings -no alternate propulsion source (seriously, not even an oar?) -no emergency supplies in case a trip runs long (I don't even see an emergency sandwich, and come on guys, it's not like waterbending controls the weather)

Random pinball bumper style ice stabbies does seem like a good defense though.

Not so subtle exposition dump from Zhao the asshole. Avatar writers are usually better at integrating catch-up dialogue. Looks like Aang will be arriving just in time to defend the Water tribe from the invasion that, ironically, he summoned. Talk about self-inflicted problems. Do you think if Aang had found a waterbending teacher somewhere else, the Fire Nation would have left the water tribe alone for another hundred years? Aang's been learning on the run; they could have picked up a single waterbender and hightailed it back to some cave in the earth kingdom to learn there. Or the water tribe could have sent a waterbender out to find the gaang as soon as rumours of the avatar reached them. See? This was avoidable.

Always love me some sea-bison.

They have bending doors like Omashu. Actually is this a door or a lock? I think the water level is changing.

Is this a hybrid animal? The yak thing, not the two legger.

Last time you got a hero's welcome, Suki's village burnt down. Foreshadowing?

How often does this lady see sea-bisons? She just passed by one and didn't even bat an eye. Is there a secret sea-bison colony that's spent the last 100 years hiding from the fire nation in the north pole?

Music Night! Need a better lyricist.

What's going on here? Did they roast a giant turtle thing and now they're cooling it to serve by dunking it in water? Did they feel the need for a steam effect for the guy's speech so they heated up a giant thingy and dunked it in water? Is it a weird boat thing? It looks like it has a face. I bet it's a ritual object.

Are these pot stacks the water tribe version of Totem Poles?

Oh nuh uh. Nope. 16 is way too young to marry.

This girl is so into him I can feel it through the screen, the dvd player, and the 15+ years since this aired.

Even the head guy's like "yeah, he's an asshole, What can you do?" Let's put this asshole and Zhao the asshole in a room together. They can out-asshole each other. Should be fun.

Remember back in episode three when I said that Zuko needed to learn how to lie? This is why.

Nevermind, we don't need to put Zhao and Paku in a room together to out-asshole each other. Paku wins. As far as I've seen, bending is not gender specific, either in who gets it or how it's taught/used. What kind of idiot would tell someone born with the ability to wield an incredible weapon that, actually, they aren't allowed to? How did this attitude get instilled in the first place? Why didn't the first guy who ever said this get slashed to death by ice stabbies thrown by the ten nearest female benders? Are these northern water tribe people so unbothered by the war that they can afford to sideline 50% of their forces? More than sideline, render incapable of defending themselves or others? Obviously this tribe is far too privileged if they can afford this attitude. And also far too bored. I guess hiding behind that giant ice wall for 100 years left them so understimulated that they turned on themselves.

Bad attitude? Fucking bad attitude!?! There's only one guy in this episode with a bad attitude and it isn't Katara. Zhao looks downright pleasant compared to this Paku guy.

Question for Paku: why would the Northern Water Tribe's rules apply to a Southern Water Tribe member?

My god these two are so cute. Sokka could propose they disembowel whale carcasses for their activity and the princess would say yes.

So the parrot lizard did survive the fall over the waterfall.

They're little tiny children. Katara, who has spent her whole life wanting to learn to bend to fight, has literally been shoved back into the igloo with a bunch of babies to learn lady-bending (no offence to the babies). How how HOW is she so calm right now? If I were in her situation, I think I'd be so angry I'd be ugly crying. And also plotting how to murder that Paku guy.

WHAT.

Paku the asshole is apparently a proponent of the tell don't show philosophy of teaching. The Tell-while-doing-unspeakable-things-to-my-lunch don't show philosophy.

Unexpected backstory. This lady must have been pretty close to Gran Gran if she recognises a carving she presumably wore for maybe a few months about 50 years ago or more. Also this lady is shockingly dumb if she can't see why Gran Gran left this misogynistic hellhole, but I guess it can be hard to see it while you're in it.

Nitpick time: How does the teacher recognise this? Isn't this just the water tribe symbol? Probably the most common symbol in the whole north pole?

Nosferatu Zuko. Nosferzuko. Zukoratu? Iroh's pause here was so long that I checked in case I had muted by accident. And how does your crew being taken by Zhao the asshole make your crew traitors Zuko? Orders are orders.

So we're adding asassinating royals to our list of reasons Zhao is an asshole. I think he's won the title back from Paku.

Fuck this port I guess.

Zuko's dead. Huh. Bye then. Gotta say I don't get why he's so big in the fandom.

This princess sure does send some mixed messages. At least she didn't ghost him.

"Master Poophead." My God. It's perfect. Why didn't I think of that?

Aang passing on what he learns to Katara. Why didn't I think of that either? My plan was to get Katara to launch unprovoked attacks on Paku's students and study how they defend themselves until she can copy / surpass them. Mostly so I could watch Katara beat the crap out of sexists.

Die mad about it you troglodyte. Disrespect? How nice it must be to have enough of your culture left that it can be disrespected. And you're going to deny the avatar training, thus dooming the whole world to death via fire nation, because you're butthurt? Freakin manbaby.

YES! YES! BEAT HIS ASS! PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE!!!!!!

"I know. I don't care." + "I'm not doing it for you." = I'm officially in love with Katara. I took a while to warm up to her, I admit the first few episodes were a little rough, but this seals the deal.

This screenshot sparks joy. Last episode Aang bitchslapped a fire nation guy with air. This episode it's Katara's turn with water. The Firelord Uber-Bitchslapped Zuko with fire a few years ago. All I need is an earth bitchslap and my collection will be complete. Avatar: master of all four bitchslaps. Also this wouldn't have worked to goad Paku into fighting if he was half as mature as he thinks he is. Although he gets points for being harder to goad than Zhao in the Deserter.

In an episode where the A plot is Katara, the B plot is Aang, the C plot is Zuko, and the D plot is Sokka's love life, the writers still manage to fulfill the Beat up Sokka quota. Good job guys.

If only she'd aimed a couple of inches to the left. This show already includes a kid getting his face burned off. Surely a Poophead being separated from his nose is ok?

That's twice now she's lost her necklace. If the carving has lasted 50+ years, surely it's earned a metal chain rather than a hair ribbon?

Gran Gran! Bullet dodged! Excellent call!

That's a lot less beat up than I was expecting. And Iroh has never once given the impression that he isn't quietly ride or die for Zuko, so why would Zuko not expect Iroh to help him? Because Zuko isn't terribly perceptive? Because the writers needed a way to deliver yet more exposition?

I did notice that the healing lady specified that Gran gran was in an arranged marriage but Poophead was talking about love. Again, why was Gran Gran leaving a mystery?

Underrated moment of wisdom from Aang here. He gets why the princess is upset and he's twelve! But I'd bet good money that the idiot on the right has no clue what's going on.

Princess ran so far away that it's night time now. This episode is not subtle anywhere, so I figured that the princess being engaged was the cause of this whole blowing hot and cold thing. Despite being 16 and fictional, Sokka handles mixed signals and rejection with 10000% more maturity and kindness than many unfortunately non-fictional grown men I've met. Kudos to Sokka for being honest and respectful.

Even redeemed, Poophead is still an asshole.

Well that's a problem.

Fire Nation ships would be a lot more intimidating if they didn't look like shoes.

Final Thoughts

This episode was a lot of exposition, a lot of set up, and even some catch up. And it was not done as gracefully as this show usually does it. More than once the dialogue between characters felt like two actors lecturing the audience rather than the characters we know.

This episode also had twice the concentration of assholes. A Zhao episode I can deal with. An episode with a one shot asshole where Zhao doesn't appear? I could also deal with. But TWO grade A assholes in ONE episode? No. Too much.

My whole-hearted congratulations to Gran Gran for seeing Poophead for what he was, and refusing to put up with it. Leaving his ass didn't make him get the message. 50+ years alone didn't make him get the message. The granddaughter that ought to have been his being so disgusted by his conduct that she attempts to cut his face off didn't make him get the message. There was no way that this idiot was going to change. So congrats to Gran Gran for making an excellent call, leaving his ass to freeze, and getting two most excellent grandchildren instead.

I also have to applaud Sokka and Katara for not being bitter about the Northern Water Tribe. I can't help but notice the spectacular architecture, complete with embellishments and unnecessary non-structural doodads. Let's do a quick comparison (ignore the ship):

Left has one waterbender. Right has all the waterbenders. We know that Northerners can travel south thanks to Gran Gran. The North couldn't have sent one sneaky waterbender to at least make the south a ship-proof wall? That chief guy has some audacity calling Katara and Sokka their brother and sister or whatever when they've evidently left the south to rot for a century. And I know the Fire Nation, the War, bla bla, but you guys are so bored behind your walls that you're cannibalising your own capabilities based on gender just for fun.

RANT INCOMING

Since I'm on the topic, can we talk about how STOOOPID it is to separate your combatants from your medics? Here's a secret about combat medics: they're both. They learn the basics of combat, and they learn the basics of emergency medicine (And a LOT of other stuff besides). Basic training includes basic first aid for EVERYONE.

Because here's the thing. People who get hurt beating the shit out of other people are usually hurt in an environment where beating the shit out of people occurs. If they are injured enough that they can't get themselves out of the 'beating the shit out of other people' zone, then unless they can treat themselves on the spot or their fellow soldiers can administer first aid or get them out, they die.

Alternatively, if they can't get themselves out of the 'beating the shit out of other people' zone, then medics have to be sent in. A medic who doesn't know how to fight who gets sent into the zone will - guess what? - get the shit beaten out of them. Now you're two men down at present, and who knows how many more you're going to lose over the next few days because you're down a medic. So unless every single waterbending fighter in the Northern water tribe is going to go into combat with a waterbending healer literally attached to them, there will be mountains of unnecessary losses and avoidable injuries.

Now let's look at this from the other angle. What happens if the enemy breaches your defences (because all your defenders are merrily bleeding out from wounds their bending could heal if only they'd learned how) and then makes their way to your combat hospitals? Which are full of soldiers who are too injured to fight and healers who don't know how to defend themselves? Apart from the whole living surrounded by their element thing, waterbenders' greatest advantage in a fight appears (to me) be to be their miraculous healing powers. Katara completely healed her burnt hands to the point where there wasn't even scar tissue and she had no training at all. A skill that can erase burns (the thing firebenders give you) negates the fire nation's greatest weapon - their fire. Any fire nation general who's not an idiot would therefore target waterbending healers, maybe even over waterbending fighters. So any fire nation commander would absolutely put 'capture field hospitals' as one of their top priorities. This is a kids' cartoon, so let's ignore historical precedent as to what happens to nurses caught in field hospitals behind enemy lines and say that the fire nation would defeat the waterbending healers.

Let's paint a quick picture here: in the background, a field full of waterbending fighters sidelined by treatable injury. In the middle ground, an inexorably advancing wall of firebenders. In the foreground, a field hospital full of defenseless waterbending healers. Just peachy isn't it?

How fucking UNSTOPPABLE would a bender able to shrug off a fireball to the face then turn around and take out a firebending platoon be? Get one hundred - no fifty - benders who can both heal and fight, have them advance in two rows: Front row fights, switches with back row when they're injured, gets healed up, rotates back up to front row as a replacement. Functionally unstoppable barring the need to eat and sleep (so long as they bring their own water). The Northern Water Tribe had decades to develop that. Unlike the south, they had the time, the resources, and apparently so little going on that they took up sexism to pass the time. The wasted opportunity here burns. See kids? Sexism hurts the sexists too.

This northern attitude is just dumb. It's illogical. It's stupid. I'd call it a ham-fisted unsubtle after school special of a plotline if it weren't a fictionalised version of something that's literally baked into to many cultures worldwide, past and present.

RANT CONCLUDED

What else can I say about this episode? Aang and Sokka had like three lines each, but they were very in character. Sokka and the princess are cute together. Zuko and Iroh had a good dynamic when they weren't acting in service to exposition. This whole episode really feels like part one of a two parter.

I think something might have been off with the narrative weighting of this episode. There was an honest to god assassination attempt and I forgot.

While the shot of Paku looking put out that the ice disk landed so close to his face was funny, I would have preferred it if Katara had gotten in one hit beyond her bitchslap. Just one. His ego needed the beating which it got via the necklace thing, but I would have liked to see actual beating too.

If I had seen this episode as a child I absolutely would have lost my mind over Katara getting to beat up a sexist. I'd bet good money that this episode did lots of good for the self-esteem of little girls who saw it.

Katara's plot line is like the plot of the Waterbending Scroll episode, but in a positive light. In that episode her selfishness regarding bending got them in trouble; in this one it helped. Seen in that light, the fact that it's the necklace rather than Katara's skill that gets through to Paku is a bit undermining, but if "magical girl has such impressive skills that the sexist dinosaur throws away decades of sexism for the chance to be her teacher" had been the plot instead, I'd probably be complaining about cliches instead.

All in all, a bit clunky, a lot of set up, and too many assholes and frustrating idiocy for it to go on my rewatch list. Feminist beat downs are good for the soul, but I'm not sure they outweigh Poopheads.

#atla #avatar: the last airbender #the waterbending master #avatar the last airbender

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thepastisalreadywritten · 9 months

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While they may not look alike, did you know that seals are thought to be most closely related to bears, weasels, and otters? 🦭

📸 1/4: Barking elephant seals, Mirounga angustirostris, bask in a huge pile on a beach.

(National Geographic Image Collection / Bates Littlehales)

📸 2/4: Seals sleep in a tight group on the beach.

(National Geographic Image Collection / Joseph J. Scherschel)

📸 3/4: A colony of Steller's sea lions (Eumetopias jubata, also called northern sea lions) on a rocky islet in Hecate Strait.

(National Geographic Image Collection / Sam Abell)

📸 4/4: California sea lions, Zalophus californianus, lounge on a rock in British Columbia's Great Bear Rainforest.

(National Geographic Image Collection / Anne Farrar)

#seals #elephant seals #Mirounga angustirostris #sea lions #Stellar's sea lions #northern sea lions #Eumetopias jubata #California sea lions #Zalophus californianus #National Geographic #animals #marine mammals #pinnipeds #fin-footed

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statecryptids · 1 year

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OZARK HOWLER- ARKANSAS

The Ozarks are a range of low mountains found primarily in Northern Arkansas and southern Missouri with portions extending into Oklahoma and Kansas. Their origins lie in the late Paleozoic when sand, silt, coral, and shells built up as layers of sludge on the bottom of a sea that covered what would eventually become the American South. Over time these sediments hardened into rock- sand became sandstone, silt became slate, and the shells and coral became limestone- and the movement of tectonic plates pushed them upwards into a low dome-like plateau. Over the next 485 million years rivers and rain gradually eroded the soft rocks into canyons, cliffs, and caves that have provided habitat for bears, bobcats, otters and other Southern wildlife along with more unusual creatures like blind cave fish, collared lizards and endangered grey bats. And perhaps a cryptid or two.

According to legend, the people of the Ozarks have been haunted for decades by the unearthly screams of a beast dubbed the Black Howler. Those who have caught a glimpse of the monster describe it as a dark-furred cat nearly the size of a bear. Other reports claim it has glowing red eyes and demonic horns sprouting from its head.

Explanations for the beast range from a normal, though unknown, species of large cat to something more supernatural. A few people have even compared the beast to English and Welsh legends of black dogs, cŵn annwn, hellhounds, and other supernatural beasts that bring misfortune to those who see them.

More skeptical people have speculated that the Howler is simply a misidentified cougar. Though these big cats are believed to be extinct in this region, it’s possible that a small population has survived. Or perhaps a few lone individuals have wandered in from other areas. This theory is bolstered by photos from trail cams showing creatures that strongly resemble these animals, and by similar cases of “phantom big cats” occurring in areas of the US where they are not normally found.

Though some claim that legends of the Howler go back generations, cryptozoologist Loren Coleman has found that the first reports of the beast originated from posts on online forums in the late 1990s. His investigations indicate that the “folklore” about the beast was a deliberate hoax to mock the widespread reports of chupacabras and bigfoots that were becoming increasingly widespread at the time thanks to the advent of the internet. Hoax it may be, but the Howler has since become a popular piece of Ozark folklore and sightings are still regularly reported.

The Howler is especially significant as one of the first urban legend monsters to be created online, laying the groundwork for later, more famous internet creatures like Slenderman, The Rake, Momo, and Trevor Henderson’s Siren Head.

RESOURCES

#cryptids #monster #ozark #ozark howler

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spacefinch · 5 months

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MSB rambles: locations

As anyone who’s watched the Magic School Bus series knows, the show is mostly set in Walkerville, a made-up town. However, they never specify where it is, except for “in the USA.” They don’t specify what state, or even what region of the country it’s in. But here are my observations.

In “Gets Eaten,” Ms. Frizzle drives the class to the beach, while the bus is in normal bus mode. The beach looks like a California beach to me (based on my experience going to beaches there), and a sea otter makes a brief appearance. In the US, sea otters are only found along the west coast.

In a few episodes (Getting Energized, Rocks and Rolls, etc…), it’s shown that there are mountains/foothills just outside Walkerville, and that there’s snow on top for at least part of the year.

We know it snows during the winter in town as well. (Source: MSB Holiday Special)

There is a swamp with alligators and blue jays within driving distance of town, as shown in “Butterfly and the Bog Beast.” The whole vibe of the swamp feels very southern to me. (Note: “driving distance” might not necessarily mean said swamp is near town. Could just be that anywhere is driving distance on the Magic School Bus.)

In “Gets Swamped” we see that there is a more marshy swamp in town. The main vegetation is reeds and small shrubs, and the animal life consists of species such as snapping turtles, muskrats, wood ducks, harriers (marsh hawks), bullfrogs, red-winged blackbirds, and dragonflies. This suggests a more northern location for Walkerville.

In “Goes to Mussel Beach,” the mussels are described as “Mytilus californianus” aka the California Mussel, a species only found along the west coast. Again, we have no idea how far away the beach is from town, but it’s a different beach than the one in “Gets Eaten.”

In “Kicks Up a Storm” the outside temperature gets to a high of 99 degrees Fahrenheit— which, judging by the kids’ reactions, is too hot for them. As a Californian, I can sympathize with this.

In “All Dried Up,” the bus (in plane mode) must fly over a mountain range to get to what looks like the Sonoran Desert. Which mountain range they fly over is not specified.

In the book “The Truth About Bats,” it is stated that in order to see bats in Yosemite National Park, the class must fly to California— thus implying that Walkerville is not located in my home state.

In “Goes to Seed,” there is a Ruby-throated hummingbird (at least that’s what I think it is) in the garden at Phoebe’s old school. The Ruby-throated hummingbird lives mainly in the eastern half of the US.

In “In a Beehive,” Tim mentions a “big frost” approaching. Again, this suggests Walkerville is somewhere Up North. (We don’t get a “big frost” where I live— just a few smaller frosts.)

In “In the City,” we see that some of Walkerville’s urban wildlife includes peregrine falcons, red foxes, opossums, raccoons, and nighthawks. It is also implied that bears live in the woods outside of town.

In the book “The Wild Whale Watch,” the New England coast is a short drive from school, which directly contradicts my observations about coastal locations in the show.

The woodpecker in “Meets the Rot Squad” is a red-bellied woodpecker, a species found in the eastern US.

In the book “Rocky Road Trip,” Carlos says that he collected some of the rocks in his collection near “the Saddle River.” I looked it up, and in the real world, Saddle River runs through New York and New Jersey. (But for all we know, the Saddle River in the book could be made up just like Walkerville.)

In “Ups and Downs,” we see that Walkerville is located near a good-sized lake— large and deep enough for a submarine to dive in, and with plenty of underwater vegetation.

In terms of continuity, there is no continuity when it comes to where the heck Walkerville is. This sometimes frustrates my overanalytical brain. So, I leave it to you, fellow Magic School Bus fans, to answer the question:

Map for reference!

#magic school bus #polls #Walkerville #where is it????

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justsomewritingblog · 8 months

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Avatar: TLA (Part 10 of many)

Request: None

Requested By: Nobody

Pairing: Zuko x reader

Summary: The Waterbending Master

Warnings: none?

A/N: Zuko either in the next chapter, or the one after that. I’m looking forward to this interaction.

Word Count: 4K+

Last Chapter - Next Chapter

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You flew low. So low, in fact, that you could see an otter floating on the surface of the water.

“I’m not one to complain,” Sokka started. You let out a small chuckle, which he ignored. “But can’t Appa fly any higher?”

The bison’s feet dragged along the water, creating ripples. Sokka was currently leaning over the back of the saddle, watching the passing fish.

“I have an idea.” Aang said, turning around so you could see the anger on his face. “Why don’t we all get on your back and you can fly us to the North Pole?”

You rolled your eyes and continued to watch the small icebergs.

“I’d love to. Climb on, everyone.” Sokka said, jerking a thumb at his back. “Sokka is ready for takeoff.” He declared. Momo flew over and landed on his back.

“Look, we’re all just a little tired and cranky because we’ve been flying for two days straight.”

“We’re getting close.” You said. “There isn’t a lot of land out here.”

“Exactly! There’s nothing up here, which means we can’t find the Northern Watertribe.” Sokka voiced, crossing his arms. (He was now sitting properly.) A splash was heard as a wall of ice appeared in front of Appa. Aang yelled and steered the large bison to the side. Walls kept appearing, and you, Sokka and Katara were holding on for dear life. Appa’s foot caught a piece of ice and he went spiraling into the sea. The water around him froze as a few small ships came into view. Within moments, you were surrounded.

“They’re waterbenders! We found the watertribe!” Katara exclaimed.

“I’ll take care of this.” You announced, grabbing the waterbending scroll from the bag and leaping off Appa. They watched as you talked with one of the men on the boats, though they couldn’t hear what you were saying. They saw you show the man the scroll and gesture at them, before continuing your conversation. You came back a few moments later and sat in the saddle, a smile on your face.

“What did you say?” Aang asked.

“I told him how I found the scroll, and therefore you guys.” You answered simply as Appa followed the boats.

“Who was that guy?” Katara asked.

“Hm? Oh, Liam. He’s an old friend of mine. He’s known me since I was a baby. He-” you stopped yourself, not wanting to go any further. “We go way back.” You finished quickly. Katara and Aang smiled, while Sokka seemed slightly suspicious. He was about to say something, but the Avatar cut him off.

“There it is!” He suddenly shouted, standing and pointing at the wall of ice.

“The Northern Watertribe.” Katara mused softly.

“We’re finally here.” Sokka added. You smiled at their amazed faces. The waterbenders on either side of Appa used their bending to make a gap in the ice, big enough for Appa to float through. He swam forward, the ships following. You were then faces with four large walls on every side as the opening behind you closed. The men that stood atop each wall forced water down, bringing the wall with it.

“I can’t believe how many waterbenders live up here.” Katara announced.

“We’ll find a master to teach us, no problem.” Aang said. You frowned.

“Actually-”

You were cut off by the loud gasps that followed. You huffed. Katara, Aang and Sokka were all staring, amazed, at a long flow of water, leading into a city. They led the gaang around turns, under bridges, and through tunnels, amazing them even more. You chuckled. Aang waved to a few people.

You continued sailing when you saw a familiar purple. Princess Yue. She was in a boat, sitting neatly, while a man behind her bended the water, steering the boat. You turned and saw Sokka already watching her, a blush covering his cheeks. You covered your mouth with your hand, containing the laughter that threatened to spill from it.

“This place is beautiful.” Katara said.

“Yeah. She is.” Sokka replied, clearly in a daze.

~~~~~~~~~~

A feast was being held. You, Sokka, Aang and Katara were all seated in front of a table, watching men pound on drums. There was also a fountain sitting before, in a constant flow. Two men carried a giant board over to Appa, with a lot of seaweed, you guessed, on it. He roared, chasing the men away, allowing him to eat in peace.

A man that was seated at the middle of a long table stood and began to speak, drawing everyone’s attention to him. “Tonight we celebrate the arrival of our brother and sister from the Southern tribe.” He began, gesturing at Katara and Sokka who smiled. “They have brought with them, someone very special. Someone who many of us believed disappeared from the world until now. The Avatar!” He said, gesturing down at Aang, who grinned and waved. Everyone clapped and cheered. “We also celebrate my daughter’s sixteenth birthday!” He said, stepping to the side, revealing Princess Yue. “Princess Yue is now of marrying age!”

You saw Sokka lean backward to get a better look at her and you rubbed your mouth with your hand, as if trying to physically wipe the smirk off your face. “Thank you, father.” The Princess spoke softly, turning to the rest of the crowd. “May the great ocean and moon spirits watch over us during these troubled times!” She spoke clearly, undoubtedly having lots of experience and practice. “We would also like to celebrate Y/n, who has returned from her task!”

Your head shot up and you sat up straight upon hearing your name.

“As some of you know, she has been gone for a little over a year, tracking down the thieves that took a sacred scroll from us. She has returned with it now, and we are grateful for her.”

Everyone clapped again and your face turned pink disliking the amount of attention. Sokka leaned over to you. “You’ve been gone for a year?”

“Yeah.”

“You’re my age, aren’t you?”

You paused, raising your eyebrow. “Yeah?”

“They let a fourteen year old wander around the world? By herself?”

You shrugged. “Yeah.”

He stared at you, slightly dumbfounded.

“You’re fifteen. Katara’s fourteen. I don’t see the big deal.”

“But at least we’re traveling together.”

“Sokka, it’s already been done. It’s too late to do anything about it now.” You hissed at him.

“Now Master Pakku and his students will perform!” Princess Yue’s father spoke. You all turned, and sure enough, Master Pakku and two boys, around your age, were bending water out of three jugs before them. They snaked them around each other, creating beautiful and fluid movements. They then combined the water into one figure, and circled it around themselves.

You saw Princess Yue approach out of the corner of your eye. Smirking, you slid away from Sokka so she would sit between you. She did. Sokka had currently been stuffing his face, but when you moved away, he turned to you in confusion, only to see the Princess sit. The look on his face was priceless.

He quickly swallowed his food, and leaned his forearm on the table.

“Hey there. Sokka, Southern Watertribe.” He introduced himself, flirtatiously.

“Very nice to meet you.” She said, bowing slightly. They became silent for a few moments. You continued eating, as though you weren’t listening to their conversation.

“So….uh….you’re a princess! Huh?!” Sokka continued, trying to keep the interaction flowing. You chocked on the roll you were eating. Yue nodded at him. “You know, back in my tribe, I’m kind of like a prince myself.” He bragged. Your eyes widened in amazement at the lie. You heard a small laugh.

“Prince of what?” Katara asked.

“A lot of things.” Sokka defended, an aggravated tone in his voice. “Do you mind? I’m trying to have a conversation here?”

“My apologies, Prince Sokka.” Katara teased, mock-bowing. You broke into a coughing fit, laughing too hard. Yue turned to you.

“Are you alright?”

You waved a dismissive hand. “I’m okay.” You wheezed out, beginning to cough again. Her concerned eyes remained trained on you, however. “Really, I’m fine. Go back to your conversation.” You instructed, the coughing dying down slightly. You took a swing of water to wash it down.

“So it looks like I’m gonna be in town for a while. I’m thinking maybe we could…do an activity together?” Sokka asked, turning back to Yue, ignoring your previous suffering.

“Do an activity?” Yue asked him, taking her eyes off you. You could see the beads of sweat trailing down Sokka’s face. He stuffed some food in his mouth, looking like he wanted to die, and swallowed, as if the food could had given him confidence.

“Very smooth.” Katara whispered, leaning over to him. You felt a presence, so you looked up, spotting Liam. You smiled.

“Liam!” You exclaimed quietly, standing and hugging the man before you.

“Y/n, I’m so glad you’re back. You’ve been gone for so long.”

“Well, I wasn’t coming back empty handed.” You announced, crossing your arms. “Not after being out there a year. I wasn’t about to waste a year of my life, only to come back without the scroll.” You informed. Liam was silent for a short while, as if thinking it over.

“That makes sense.” He concluded.

“I know.” You said, smiling. At this point, Sokka and Katara were watching you, curious. Liam noticed this and grew silent, feeling uneasy. You turned and saw the siblings as well, before turning back to your friend.

“Perhaps we could go on a walk. To catch up.” You offered. Liam smiled and gestured for you to lead the way. You did, and you were soon outside, walking along the pathways.

You walked for a few moments in silence, simply enjoying the other’s company. Liam spoke up first.

“There’s something you want to tell me.”

You looked up at him, a small smirk finding its way on your face. “How’d you know?”

He chuckled quietly. “I’ve known you your whole life, Y/n. I think I know when something’s been eating at you.”

You looked down at your hands. “You always could read me. I could never keep a secret from you.” You admitted.

“So what’s the trouble?”

You bit your bottom lip, debating, before finally deciding that he would know if you were lying anyway. “I-uh.” You paused for a moment, trying to plan out how you were gonna do this. He waited patiently for you to continue. “I may or may-not have practiced waterbending….while I was away.”

He stopped his movements and turned to you.

“We were in trouble, I had no choice, if I didn’t do anything people would have died, and I-” You began to explain quickly, hoping that he wouldn’t be mad. He simply sighed, shaking his head.

“You’d better not let anyone else hear that.” He cocked an eyebrow, looking down at you. “They won’t all be as understanding.”

“So you won’t tell anyone?”

“No. I understand that in some circumstances it’s necessary.”

You let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding. “Thank you.”

He smiled.

“So, in order for me to keep my promise, how about you tell me some of your adventures?”

A smile immediately made its way onto your face. As you walked, you told him of your adventures. How you met the gaang, the issues with Jet, you told him what you knew about the tribes that Aang, Katara and Sokka led through the canyon, and how you, Sokka and Katara all got sick after being out in a storm. Naturally, you left the part about saving Zuko and his crew out. He didn’t need to know about that.

You told him of the fortune teller, but also leaving out her predictions. Liam asked about them but you shrugged him off and continued as if he hadn’t said a word. You told him of Bato, of the Deserter, and how Katara can heal, and you told him of the Southern Air temple, leaving out the parts about Teo’s father previously working for the firenation.

“And so, that brings us here.” You finished. It was now quite dark, and you felt as though you were gasping for breath from talking so much. You in fact, were.

“I can’t believe how crazy your life’s been. You’ve done all of that in a year?”

“A few months.” You clarified. “I’ve been gone for a year, but I didn’t meet them until a few months ago.”

Liam whistled. “Are you glad to be home?”

You thought for a long moment. “I’m not sure. It’s nice to be back, don’t get me wrong, but I think I’ve grown so used to traveling around, and being….free….that I don’t know if I want to stay.”

You saw Liam visibly deflate. “That makes sense. I don’t want you to make your decision quite yet, though. You still have time to think it over.”

“I guess you’re right.” You mumbled. “Liam, it’s been great talking to you, but I think it’s time to turn in.” You looked up at the sky. “I finally get to sleep and wake up without fear of the firenation on my tail, which means I can sleep in.” You said. He smiled and hugged you, wishing you a good night. You walked away, yawning, as you gently bended the water to make it flow towards you.

You climbed into bed, alongside Katara, and pulled the blankets over your head, falling asleep in no time.

~~~~~~~

When you awoke, you were the only one in bed. Katara, Sokka and Aang had all gone. You groaned at the sunlight and rolled over, pulling the blankets over your head again before you remembered that since you were back home, you had to go to healing lessons. You jumped up, and ran out, trying to smooth your hair on the way. You rushed in, just in time for it to start.

“Y/n. It’s good to have you back.” Yagoda spoke.

“Thank you.” You replied, fixing the remainder of your hair. “So much for sleeping in.” You mumbled under your breath. You were in there, watching her work, when Katara walked in.

“Um, hi. Are you Yagoda?”

The old woman turned to her. “Are you here for the healing lesson?”

You watched as Katara’s eyes scanned the children, six of them, before her eyes settled on you. You saw her eyes widen. You looked down, slightly ashamed that you were the only fifteen-year-old among five year olds. “I guess I am.” She said, frowning. She walked forward and took a seat next to you.

“Welcome. Welcome.” Yagoda greeted cheerfully.

The session went on for about an hour until Yagoda finally declared that that was all for today. You helped the children put the dummy away, when you heard Katara speak to Yagoda.

“Thanks for the lesson.”

“So who’s the lucky boy?”

“Huh?”

“Your betrothal necklace.” Yagoda clarified. “You’re getting married, right?”

“Oh, no. I don’t think I’m ready for that yet. My grandmother gave my mother this necklace.”

You emerged just then, having known were the practice dummy goes.

“And my mother passed it down to me.” She continued.

“I recognize this carving.” Yagoda observed. “I don’t know why I didn’t realize this sooner. “You’re the spitting image of Kana.”

“Wait, how do you know my gran-gran’s name?” Katara asked, taking a step back.

“When I was about your age, I was friends with Kana. She was born here, in the Northern tribe.”

“She never told me.” Katara muttered. You took this as your cue to leave, and rushed outside, feeling the sun on your face. You smiled and deeply inhaled, smelling the water. You opened your eyes and saw Sokka sitting cross-legged on the edge of a sidewalk. You cocked an eyebrow and walked over, fluffing his ‘warriors-wolf-tail’ to announce your presence.

“Katara, go away. I’m busy.” He replied, not turning around. “Shouldn’t you be practicing with Master Pakku anyway?”

Your smile dropped, but you quickly put on a new one. “Guess again.”

He turned around and his eyes landed on you. “Oh, Y/n. I’m sorry, I just assumed-”

“It’s fine.” You assured, raising your hand slightly. You sat down next to him. “What are you working on?”

“Well, I’m supposed to meet Yue tonight at a bridge. I was carving her a fish.” He announced, holding it out to you. It didn’t look at all like a fish, but he looked so happy and hopeful that you couldn’t possibly tell him that.

You simply looked at it in silence, trying to think of a comment about it. Thankfully, you didn’t have to.

“So, were have you been?”

“Katara and I were in healing lessons.”

Sokka hummed, then did a double take. “Wait, Katara was there, too?” You nodded. “I thought she was supposed to be training with Aang.”

“About that,” you rubbed the back of your neck, “women actually aren’t supposed to learn waterbending unless it’s healing.”

Sokka began to open his mouth, but you placed a hand over it, silencing him.

“I know, I think it’s stupid too, but those are the rules and I can’t change them. I’m sure she’ll learn waterbending another way.”

You took your hand off Sokka’s mouth, before placing it right back on.

“Just make sure that you don’t tell anyone I was waterbending. I’ll get in major trouble since I grew up here, and knew the rule.”

Sokka nodded and you slid your hand off his mouth. “Thank you.” You muttered, hugging your knees to your chest.

“So, you’re meeting up with Yue, ay?”

“Yeah.” He said, a light dusting of pink finding its way onto his cheeks. You grinned.

“You know Sokka, pink goes great with your skin color. Really brings out your eyes.” You teased, making the color deepen. He sent you a small glare, but you could tell he wasn’t actually mad. You chuckled and stood, patting him on the shoulder. “I’ll leave you too it, then.” You informed, walking off.

~~~~~~~~

“How’s warrior training going?” Katara asked. You were all currently back in the room, getting ready for bed. Sokka kicked at his still rolled up sleeping bag. He flopped on it, letting out a groan.

“That bad?” Aang questioned.

“No, it’s Princess Yue.” He scowled.

“Princess Yue?” You parroted. “What happened?”

“I don’t get it. One minute she wants to go out with me, and the next, she’s telling me to get lost.” He was silent for a moment. “How’s waterbending training?” It was Katara’s turn to flop down.

“Master poop-head won’t teach her because she’s a girl.” Aang explained, exasperated. You almost laughed at his new nickname for Master Pakku.

“Oh yeah, Y/n told me about that.” There was silence for a moment. “Why don’t you just teach her, Aang?”

“Why didn’t I think of that?” Katara asked, mostly to herself, sitting up. “At night, you can teach me and Y/n whatever moves you learned from Master Pakku. That way, you have someone to practice with, and I get to learn waterbending! Everyone’s happy!”

“I’m not happy.” Sokka grumbled.

“But you’re never happy.” Katara retorted. “Come on, Aang.” She said, Aang following her outside. You turned to Sokka and placed a comforting hand on his back, rubbing it in small circles. He hummed in contentment and buried his face in the sleeping bag, soon drifting to sleep.

You sighed, feeling bad for him. “Oh, Sokka.” You whispered, looking down at him. You leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on his temple before snuggling down to sleep as well.

~~~~~~~~

You were shook awake.

“Y/n, get up!” Katara urged. You groaned and snuggled further into your pillow. “Y/n, it’s important!”

You cracked an eye open, squinting at the light behind Katara’s concerned face. “What is it?” You asked, voice groggy and rough.

“Master Pakku caught me and Aang last night, and he said he wasn’t welcome as his student anymore. And get off my brother, for crying out loud.”

You looked down, and sure enough, you were cuddled up against Sokka, your ‘pillow’. You must have rolled over in your sleep and latched onto him. He was still asleep however, which you were thankful for, but that didn’t stop you from getting up as quickly as you could, a bright pink on your cheeks.

“Where’s Aang?” You questioned, trying to distract yourself from the mortification.

“He’s outside.”

“You wake up Sokka, I’ll go talk to him.” You instructed, going outside. Aang looked up, hearing your footsteps.

“I blew it.” He whispered. You crouched down next to him, he was sitting, and you placed an arm around him.

“Aang, it’s alright. I’m sure that if you-” You cut yourself off, not fully thinking this through.

“Why are you blushing?”

You blush deepened as you turned to him. “It’s nothing, don’t worry about it.” You sat in silence for another moment, Aang raising an eyebrow at you in disbelief, before your eyes widened. “Liam!”

“Who?”

“My friend, Liam. He can help you! He’s a waterbender, too. I told him about the stories, and he wasn’t upset. Maybe he can teach you!” Your large grin turned into a frown. “But I don’t want him in trouble.” You muttered. You fell on your back and groaned just as Sokka and Katara came out.

“Let’s go talk to Master Pakku.” Sokka said. You followed them.

~~~~~~~~~~

“What do you want me to do? Force Master Pakku to take Aang back as his student?” Yue’s father asked, once you’d arrived. He sat between Master Pakku, and his daughter.

“Yes! Please.” Katara added.

“I suspect he might change his mind if you swallow your pride and apologize to him.”

You all looked to Katara, who looked at Aang, weighing her options.

“Fine.” She decided.

“I’m waiting, little girl.” Master Pakku taunted. Your eyes widened as you looked to Katara. This couldn’t be good. You were right, as she clenched her fists.

“No. No way I’m apologizing to a sour old man like you!” She yelled, pointing at him. The ice behind her feet trembled and cracked. Your eyes widened in terror. The crack made its way along the floor, cracking one of the jugs they used for the performance a few nights ago.

“Uh, Katara.” Aang started quietly.

“I’ll be outside if you’re man enough to fight me!” Katara announced, turning and walking away. Everyone gasped. You shared a panicked and concerned look with Sokka and Aang.

“I’m sure she didn’t mean that.” Aang told everyone.

“Yeah, I think she did.” Sokka said, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

“This isn’t gonna go well.” You muttered to yourself, running after Katara. Sokka and Aang quickly followed. You all fell in step beside her.

“Are you crazy, Katara? You’re not gonna win this fight.” Sokka warned her.

“I know!” Katara said, pulling off her coat and throwing it in her brother’s arms. “I don’t care!”

“You don’t have to do this for me. I can find another teacher.” Aang offered, trying to smooth things over.

“I’m not doing it for you.” Katara told him. “Someone needs to slap some sense into that guy.”

She turned and saw Pakku at the top of the steps, making his way down it.

“So, you decided to show up?” She taunted. He was silent, reaching the end of the steps and walking further away. “Aren’t you gonna fight!?” Katara yelled.

“Go back to the healing huts with the other women where you belong.” He spoke calmly. Oh, that was a mistake. Katara pulled water out of a crack in the ice and struck Pakku in the back of the head with it. He halted his movements.

“Fine. You want to learn how to fight so bad?” He asked, turning around. “Study closely.” He taunted. He drew water out of two pools, for waterbending practice, and threw them at Katara, knocking her back. He flowed the water around them, drawing her closer.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to hurt you.” He told her. She brought the circle to an abrupt stop, sending the water out of the way. It came flowing at Sokka, and you quickly used bending to move it out of the way.

Katara rushed Pakku again, and he made a wave, turning it into ice as she rode up it. She leapt off and landed on a pillar at the base of the steps. Master Pakku turned the ice into an actual wave, rushing it towards her.

She used bending to freeze ice around her ankles, keeping her in place. As the water came towards her, she smacked it out of the way again, revealing her, unmoved.

“You can’t knock me down!” She told him. Everyone cheered.

“Go, Katara!” Aang encouraged. She rushed him again, and they got into close combat, which was clearly not her strong suit. She was quickly knocked into the water and you cringed, squeezing your eyes shut. You heard cheering and opened your eyes, seeing Katara send ice-discs at him. He broke most of them, simply hitting them with his forearm.

Katara sent water at him, which he quickly began to control, turning it back on her. She slid backwards, and you watched Aang and Sokka’s concerned faces. She got up and brought down empty containers, made of ice, atop him. He did something, turning them into a cloud, making it hard to see. When it cleared, he retook his stance and spoke.

“I’m impressed.” He admitted. “You are an excellent waterbender.” He complimented.

“But you still won’t teach me, will you?”

“No.”

You rolled your eyes as they began fighting again.

“Does she even need a teacher?” You asked yourself. You looked back to the battle just as Master Pakku trapped Katara in long icicles. Sokka and Aang were very concerned, their faces riddled with worry.

She looked up and struggled against them, as Master Pakku walked past her. “This fight is over.” He announced.

“Come back here! I’m not finished yet!”

“Yes, you are.” He suddenly stopped, and picked something up off the ground. “This is my necklace.” He said quietly.

“No it’s not, it’s mine! Give it back!” Katara shouted.

“I made this sixty years ago. For the love of my life. For Kana.”

The spikes around Katara melted into water.

“My gran-gran was supposed to marry you?” She asked, quietly.

“I carved this necklace for your grandmother when we got engaged.” He explained. You, Sokka, Aang, Yue and her father all moved closer, while everyone else seemed to have left. “I thought we would have a long, happy life together. I loved her.”

“But she didn’t love you, did she?” Katara asked softly, almost afraid to break the moment. “It was an arranged marriage. Gran-gran wouldn’t let your tribe’s stupid customs run her life.” She said, walking forward. “That’s why she left. It must have taken a lot of courage.”

Yue suddenly ran off, crying.

“Go get her.” Aang told Sokka. Sokka nodded once before running after her. You ran a hand down your face, already sick of the drama. You watched him leave, hoping things would go well for him.

~~~~~~~~~

The next morning, Katara shook you awake.

“Come on, it’s sunrise!”

“And?” You asked, voice muffled by your pillow.

“We have to start training. Get up!”

She ripped the blankets off of you, took ahold of your arm, and drug you outside, with you groaning all the way.

“Alright, I’m up.” You mumbled, standing and adjusting your hair and clothes. She quickly took ahold of your hand and drug you along with her. She drug you to a group of people, Aang among them, practicing waterbending. The boy turned around.

“Hey, Katara! Hey, Y/n!” He greeted. You waved.

“What do you two think you’re doing?!” Pakku asked. You sent a worried glance to Katara. “It’s past sunrise. You’re late.” He continued, taking his stance. You let out a breath of relief and took your stance as well.

“Good to see you guys here.” Aang commented.

“You, too.” Katara replied.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/n: Which chapter has been your favorite so far?

#My works #Mara's works #A:TLA #Avatar #Avatar: TLA #Avatar: The Last Airbender #Zuko x reader #x reader #reader insert #reader #Avatar: The Last Airbender x reader

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