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azulaaaaaaah · 24 days

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rating every zuko ship (cause that mf is shipped with everyone)

CLICKBAIT!!! this isn’t every zuko ship just the main ones i immediately lied lol. idk if any of these are hot takes or not but please don’t crucify me (might do a part 2 where it’s azula ships)

Jinko - Zuko/Jin

6/10

awwww it’s cute (for what it is)

and what it is was one singular date that was never really mentioned again

i really appreciate how jin is so unperturbed by zuko’s awkward angst and just genuinely likes him

howevvver she’s kinda one dimensional (as she’s only in like an episode) and i just don’t see this going anywhere longterm

less a ship, more a vehicle for zuko’s character development lol

Jetko- Zuko/Jet

3/10

jet being zuko’s first gay encounter is canon in my eyes

don’t ship them however cause i hate jet with the fire of a thousands suns

similar issues to jin as well where their interactions are extremely limited so personally have no clue how this could be a long term thing

Maiko- Zuko/Mai

5/10

i am so impartial on this ship it’s not even funny.

i get that it’s canon. i get that izumi looks suspiciously like mai so it’s endgame. i just don’t see HOW?? it feels as if the writers realised zutara was becoming popular and were like ‘OH SHIT WE GOTTA DEFUSE THIS SITUATION SOMEHOW’

their relationship is basically just mai being a cold asshole and zuko being an angry asshole and there’s no change or development between EITHER OF THEM

however when they’re cute they’re cute !!!!

‘i love zuko more than i fear you’ COLDEST LINE EVER

however again it’s like - you had a crush on him as a kid. he was BANISHED. you dated for like a month as teens. you argued the whole time. he left again- and shortly after you saved him from prison, but then you were imprisoned partly due to his actions. you get back together again, he becomes the ruler of a country, and then you’re surprised it’s isolating him/making him even more of an asshole???

on the other hand we as a society need to admit that zuko is weirdly possessive of her (ig that’s a positive if ur a booktok romance girlie but im not). like if i was mai i wouldn’t put up with that toxic shit either

at the end of the day, i honestly don’t care that they’re canon lol- but i think they’d probably best as a bitchy best friend duo

Zukaang - Zuko/Aang

1/10

not round here partner. not round here

my first issue is the age gap is objectively extremely weird if examined in canon. leaving it at that

i get that this is grumpy x sunshine in a way the other ships aren’t to me- but we’ve only ever seen these two characters interact with each other when there’s (again) A WEIRD AGE GAP

they are bros in the least homosexual way possible

the cherry on top of this situation is: isn’t aang the reincarnation of his great grandpa? isn’t that giving slight, uh, inc*st vibes??? imagine if people shipped korra and jinora isn’t that just WEIRD???

Zuki - Zuko/Suki

8/10

is this my most controversial take ???

i am a sucker for bodyguard x royal family dynamics guys

and the fact that this is girlboss x malewife is even BETTER

suki seems the most competent at handling his pissy ass in a way the other people on this list aren’t

like she’s real. she’s not sugarcoating his situation, BUT SHES COMPASSIONATE !!

i don’t like throuples typically but suzukki is even eliter than this, which removes the whole ‘going against the bro code’ element that arises from them being together

also i feel like if you haven’t read the comics this doesnt make sense At All so please do

-2 points for the lack of tangible reason to ship them lol

Zutara - Zuko/Katara

7.5/10

okay this one makes the most logistical sense to me within canon (solely examined as a zuko ship not overall)

it really seems as if they were gonna make this canon and swerved circa book 2

LIKE CMONNNN OG ENEMIES TO LOVERS WHERE THE GUY ACTUALLY HAS CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT AND ISN’T JUST EVIL? FIRE X WATER? ITS INTRIGUING

something about this makes me uncomfortable though. (despite the age gap which again a little weird)

something about katara potentially becoming the fire lady is so… icky. she’s a waterbender. the fire nation tried to systematically erase her kind. her mother is killed by the fire nation because they think she’s a waterbender. and katara…. what, becomes part of the royal family? it just seems wrong, and like something she wouldn’t be into

also i feel like their arguments would be a little too NUCLEAR. there’s like, a 50% chance of divorce

she deserves a better ending than that is all i’m saying

to paraphrase the hunger games: katara has plenty of fire herself. SHE NEEDS THAT DANDELION IN THE SPRING MAN

(i’m a kataang truther)

Zukka - Zuko/Sokka

9/10

my zuko related otp!!!

bros to lovers guys, where zuko falls first but sokka falls HARDER !!!

ik this will never be canon and im happy with that. i know there’s not even a whisper of romance between them in the show, but i just think it’s c u t e .

sokka (like suki) is very likely to call zuko out on his shit, but less likely to lose his own shit (like katara)

this in my heart of hearts is 10/10 however is still problematic in a similar way to zutara

his mother is killed by the fire nation and he (presumably) becomes consort ?

however though, i would still say it’s not as ruhroh as zutara bc firstly, sokka isn’t a waterbender, and secondly, ‘consort’ is a lot more open to interpretation than i think fire lady is. in my opinion a consort ≠ a fire lady, just like irl a consort ≠ a queen. it kinda means he can still be ambassador to the southern water tribe/a leader of his own people, while just so happening to be married to the fire lord.

overall i can’t help but stan a friends to lover ship cmOn now

#atla #avatar the last airbender #zutara #zukka #maiko #jetko #jinko #zukaang #zuki #zuko #aang #katara #suki #sokka #shipping discourse #shitpost #kataang

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nono-bunny · 2 days

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Losing my mind because it somehow took me literally until right now to realize that a Zuko and Katara encounter is a part of every season finale of ATLA, like, literally, what the fuck? And all of those are strong jumping off points for fics to boot, like???

"You rise with the moon, I rise with the sun" is like. Such a big deal in the fandom, and while it tends to feature in all kinds of fics, it perfectly encapsulates the enemies phase in the enemies (to friends) to lovers of these two. An unreasonably sexually charged line too, wtf were they on about with that scene if not ship bait?

Fics diverging from the crystal catacombs are like. Such an obvious and natural evolution of that scene- it's the "something awful happens there, but what if it didn't?", I think. It was, in fact, the first fic I went out looking for- was rewatching the show and once again felt the accute disappointment of what could've been, and I wanted to read what could happen if it had. Ultimately I think the show made the right choice there, because Zuko getting what he always wanted and realizing it's all wrong is important, but it did rob us of him being a part of the gaang for longer, and that makes me sad.

Then there's the final agni kai.... Literally how can you watch that one without expecting them to kiss after? Genuinely don't get it, impossible. Peak Zutara. Possibly the single best fight of the show, and undoubtedly the best finale scene. A perfect resolution to the bond between those two- that gets completely thrown away to give Aang his woman shaped prize. Of course it's also a popular jumping off point for plot divergent fics!

Genuinely wild that they have THREE romantic coded finals, and yet they don't even end up together. Kataang and Maiko are barely even a factor in the first two season finals, too! Mai literally doesn't exist in the first, and in the second is very obviously representative of Zuko making a mistake. Literally cannot think of a Kataang scene in the first season finale (but I might just be forgetting? I obviously do not care for that one, lmk if there is one and I'll add it, but me being unable to think of one feels a bit telling given how much I hate those scenes), and the big thing for them in the second one is literally recreating a pose evoking a mother and son relationship, which is a big fat F on the shipping factor if I ever saw one.

"Kataang is baked into the show's DNA"- shut the fuck up, Bryke, and maybe have a look at what you ACTUALLY did with it. This isn't the kind of thing that you can just brush off... Especially because those are all scenes people associate with big emotional plot points of your show, and guess who's doing the heavy lifting there? It's definitely not Aang, that's for sure.

#avatar the last airbender #atla #anti kataang #anti aang #anti bryke #zutara

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thegaybluejay · 20 days

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Just for fun, here are my rapid fire rambling thoughts on the ATLA ships and platonic dynamics hehe (please don’t go full ship wars tho - these are just my opinions as a chill multishipper!)

My Favorite Ships:

• Zukka - My current brainrot and main ship!! I know they aren’t canon but I really love them and their potential okay😭I just feel like their personalities would work so well! Sokka would call Zuko on his shit and Zuko would be good at grounding Sokka when he needs it. Plus I have seen some absolutely breathtaking AUs with this ship! And fire-and-ice vibes except gay! Them <3

• Kataang - Cutiessss!! I love them! They may not be the ship I think about most often, but when I do think about them, they’re adorable! Aang is such a “my wife” guy and Katara absolutely adores him back! Also the last airbender x last southern waterbender dynamic goes HARD! I like that these two are canon!

• Yuetara - Listen I know they barely interacted but THEY’VE ACTUALLY GROWN ON ME SO MUCH LATELY AND I VERY HIGH KEY SHIP THEM! Something about like, Katara thinking about Yue when she bends is so😭Their story would be heartbreaking in the best way!! Sapphic noncanon blorbos <3

• Mailee - These two are SO cute and have so much potential rahhh!! Again, love some noncanon sapphics <3

• Batkoda - Super SUPER cute and silly and fun! The dads fr <3 Bato is either Katara and Sokka’s adopted uncle or their stepdad and I love it for them hehe! This usually pairs well with a “Hakoda adopts Zuko” AU lmao!

Other Canon/Relatively Popular Ships:

• Zutara - A pretty good ship! I see the potential and tbh it’s very very fun to think about sometimes!!! However, some of y’all toxic Zutara stans need to leave my boy Aang alone lmao. Those who are chill tho, I rock with y’all!! Overall, I’m not opposed if it’s done well and I do occasionally seek out Zutara content! I personally do prefer seeing/writing them as found siblings tho, especially with the Azula and Katara parallels!!

• Sukka - Canon cuties!! I really like them! Suki my BELOVED <3 She’s so underrated!

• Yukka - Also canon cuties! They make me sad tho ahhhhh😭😭😭

• Maiko - Also ALSO canon cuties!! They have an interesting dynamic that I can really appreciate! And gotta love Mai <3

• Jinko - Jin my beloved! These two had a super cute dynamic during the one episode they had together lmaoooo, tho I don’t think about this ship too too often.

• Tokka - I don’t mind it if it’s them getting together as adults! But tbh I personally don’t prefer shipping them as teens and I think Toph’s crush was just a typical young girl crush on someone slightly older lol. Definitely not horrible and most Tokka shippers are relatively chill! I like to think Sokka sees Toph as a little sister tho.

Now For Some Of The Crackship-y/Less Popular Ships (based on ships I’ve actually seen):

• Zukki (Zuko/Sokka/Suki) - Power throuple fr and I love some polyamory!! While I mostly lean plain Zukka, this is extremely fun to think about and would be a great dynamic!

• Mai/Ty Lee/Suki - Saw this in a Zukka fic once and it was adorableeeeee! I may not have plans to actively write this or anything, but it’s cute! Another power throuple!

• Jetko - I don’t think they would be compatible long term, but by god they are very very fun to think about in a “Jet flirts with Zuko and Zuko is completely oblivious and they share one kiss before everything goes to shit” way lmao!

• Taang - I can respect it!! I will always love them as chaos siblings personally, but it’s a totally valid and chill ship!

• Katoph - Not a bad ship at all! I’ve only come across like one post tho lmao. Also I do think I heavily prefer them as found sisters, but that’s just me personally! Again, totally a valid and chill ship!

• Azutara - I’m very neutral on this lmao. I don’t despise it at all and it could be pretty interesting?? But tbh really not something I plan to seek out.

• Azulaang - I mean?? I’m also pretty neutral on this one. Aang would be kind to her if she was trying to get help but…idk lmao.

• Tyzula - I see the potential, but I personally think Mai and Ty Lee had a healthier and more interesting and more realistic dynamic. Just my preference tho!

(I think I just want Azula to be in therapy before I reallyyyyy ship her lmao, but NOT THE KIND OF “THERAPY” SHE WAS GIVEN IN THE COMICS)

• Zukaang - I don’t love this as a ship honestly. The canon age gap as teens is sketchy for my personal taste, tho I’ve seen people ship them in “Aang was 16 when he got frozen” AUs and that’s…better and I can get behind it a little! It would be interesting! But I think Roku being Zuko’s great-grandpa just still throws me off of this ship. I don’t have any beef with the shippers tho! I’m very “live and let live” and I have seen so much worse lol.

Can’t Forget My Fav Platonic Dynamics!

• Sokka and Aang - Two found brothers who share one idiot braincell when they interact LMAO! Love them always <3

• Sokka and Katara - The siblings ever!!

• Zuko and Aang - Enemies to found brothers!! Canon besties! I love their friendship and their parallels SO MUCH!!

• Toph and Katara - Absolutely ADORABLE as found sisters!!!! Love them!

• Zuko and Katara - I really like their development in a platonic sense and I think they’re very very fun and lovely found siblings by the end!!!! Zuko is 100% the brother that just “yeah my sister can and will whoop your ass” LMAO!

• Zuko and Toph - Also very found siblings in my head!! Only have a handful of solo interactions in canon but I DON’T CARE! I WILL FOUND FAMILY THEM ANYWAY! I’m a “Toph seeks out Zuko for sibling hugs/cuddles when she’s cold because he’s basically a space heater” truther.

• Uncle Iroh and the Gaang - Zuko needs to learn to share because that is ALL OF THEIR Uncle!!!

• Hakoda and Zuko - I thrive in this section of the fandom!! They have exactly one (1) frame together in canon, but I ADORE Dadkoda adopting Zuko! Something about it is just so wholesome and cute!!! My very very fav ATLA fics are this trope!!#LetHakodaBitchSlapOzaiAndAdoptZuko2024

• Uncle Iroh and Zuko - God they make me so ALSNDKSNXNCNSNSNXNX, y’know?

• The Gaang as a whole - Obvious I know, but I really do love them😭They all bonded sm and I adore their little family!! I eat up fanart of the Gaang cuddling like CANDY omg. And yes Suki is included in the Gaang because WHY WOULDN’T SHE BE!

Anyway, thanks for coming to my TedTalk. If you made it to the end, you get a big platonic kiss on the forehead MWAH!

#atla #avatar the last airbender #zukka #yuetara #mailee #kataang #found family #fanfiction #the gaang #multishipper

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burst-of-iridescent · 7 months

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at the moment, 5.7k people are following the kataang tag, not 2.9k, as you said, why would you lie? in addition, even on Tumblr (which remained almost the last popular zk place among all fan platforms), Zukka is ahead of Zutara in popularity, and a lot of talented and popular creators of fan art and fan fiction are now concentrated in the Zukka and Maiko fandom. It is fundamentally a mistake to focus on the popularity of the ship, because shipping should be for personal pleasure, but this only shows that most people are ATLA fans (namely fans, not casual viewers) they actively love ATLA and did not see zutara in the canon. In addition, can you give evidence of your words that «almost all of the main cast and most of the writers» love zutara? From the cast, only Dante actively confessed his love for zutara, but he also spoke about his love for zukka, Mae Whitman not against Zutara and joked about it, but she also said in podcast that she also loves kataang, the rest of the actors did not speak at all about their preferences in shipping (except Grey DeLisle who prefers zucest).

none of the screenwriters has ever confessed his love for Zutara, on the contrary, Ehasz has said several times that he loves Maiko, he also wrote almost all the most significant maiko and kataang episodes. The only one of the 13 main writers of ATLA who spoke about sympathy for Zutara is John O'Bryan. Zutara never featured in any of the original scripts, and in ATLA's "bible," the only love triangle that was originally planned was Aang-Katara-Toph (who was a boy in the original script). In a recent interview, Ehaz also answered the question of how he feels about zutara vs kataang, that he, as a professional screenwriter, "follows his characters" and their final canonical choice of love interest is the choice of the character himself, not the writers.

i wrote 2.9k the first time around by mistake. the original post has since been amended to reflect the actual numbers of the kat.aang tag, though frankly the disparity between the two tags is still so large that i don’t even think it matters. anyway, my bad. thanks for letting me know.

many cast members and former writers on the official atla podcast, braving the elements, have talked about shipping zutara — including, but not limited to, dante basco, jack de sena, michaela murphy, joshua hamilton, and john o’bryan. grey delisle, mae whitman & greg baldwin have also spoken about being zutara shippers. i’m not sure why them liking or showing support for other ships somehow means they don’t ship zutara, because people don’t need to ship only a single couple to prove they’re “real” shippers lmao. i like azutara, sukitara, ty luko & even book 1 kat.aang myself; that doesn’t make me any less of a zutara shipper.

i’m also not sure why you expect me to do the work of providing evidence for you when, given the fact that you’re here, i’m certain you have just as much access to google as i do. this information is freely available online. feel free to fact check me.

and let me say this again, in case it was not clear enough: i truly do not care about zutara’s popularity. even if none of the cast and writers shipped it, even if the tag only had 10 people, even if every single wonderfully talented writer & artist & AMV editor & GIF maker in this fandom left, i would still ship it. because it’s a better story, because it is more thematically and narratively cohesive, and because it makes me happy.

and if you disagree with that, that’s fine by me. but somehow trying to “prove” to me that zutara is unpopular and no one likes it is not only a) factually false it’s also b) not going to do a damn thing to change my mind lmao. the opinions of other people have never been a reason for me to ship zutara, and they never will be.

#zutara

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zvtara-was-never-canon · 3 months

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Saw a zutara tagged post that went kinda like this:

“If you canon pairing feels threatened near some friendship relationship, than maybe you canon pairing is so shallow and this friendship is just so strong and romantic”.

I don’t need to specify that “canon pairing” here is kataang and “strong romantic friendship” is zutara, do I?

Meanwhile: every zutara fan plot that does not make Aang and Mai absolute monsters, have them either absent or dead. Because, I guess, zutara is such a strong pairing it has no problems with Katara and Aang’s or Zuko and Mai’s friendship… Zutarians, take your own medicine.

And again, they say that, yet I, who spent too much time watching people react to the show, can confirm that most people new fans are not only not into Zutara, lots of them are VERY confused as to why it's so popular and why so many fans INSIST there was ever a Aang/Katara/Zuko love triangle.

Zutara really is "a threat to the canon ships" solely on their large echo-chamber, and nowhere else - and I'm including the minds of sane zutara shippers when I say "nowhere else" because even though they like the ship, they don't lie to themselves about it being this universally loved thing that somehow snuck it's way into the show against the writers' wishes.

Also, this notion that fanon ships are only good if they "threaten" the canon ones is very weird and a result of Zutarians being desperate to keep the fandom ship wars alive even as nearly everyone else got sick of it well over a decade again. More than one potential pairing can be good at once - yes, even the rarepairs that only has five fans. People are allowed to like Zutara AND Kataang/Maiko - hell, people are allowed to want Zuko, Mai, Katara and Aang to all be in love which each other. Fandom folks need to stop being cowards and embrace multi-shipping already, dammit.

To quote a wise brazilian proverb "Se organizar direitinho, todo mundo transa" (If we set this up correctly, everyone gets laid)

Once again, if these people would just chill and enjoy their ship without trying to force it down everyone's throats, them and their pairing would not be so infamous and this blog would not exist, yet they just can't resist shooting themselves in the foot over and over again.

#anti zutara #pro kataang #pro maiko

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ragecndybars · 1 year

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Persona 3 characters who do not interact but i think would have very fun and interesting dynamics if they did:

Minato + Rio. autism gang. both of them are bad with relationships/social cues, so people can think of them as rude, but they're just blunt and say what they mean, so they would get along swimmingly. they also both have dry senses of humor and would tease each other a lot i think. also Rio would call Minato out for being a bit of a pushover, and Minato would be able to tell Rio when she's being a little pushy without being an ass about it. it's a mutually beneficial relationship. even when they aren't both just complaining about weird social conventions.

Shinjiro + Chihiro. i've said before that i think Shinji doesn't end up graduating for two more years, which puts him in the same class as Chihiro. they would never interact under normal circumstances but he's a renowned delinquent and she's student council president so like. i feel like Chihiro keeps approaching him, sometimes to call him out for skipping, sometimes to offer help and such. he assumes Mitsuru put her up to it, but really she just has a strong sense of duty as student council president, even if she's also kind of scared of him at first. and after a few months of pestering, he finally has to admit to himself that he's kind of fond of her and genuinely respects her, whereas she has no trouble admitting that she's come to care about him as a friend, not just a random classmate, and also his dry remarks crack her up

Junpei + Maiko. honestly I want to see everyone interact with Maiko because she's perfect in every way, but i think Junpei in particular would get along great with her. he can't calm her down, but he can definitely cheer her up. he's good at indulging her without seeming put-upon. meanwhile, Maiko genuinely thinks he's cool, which does wonders for his ego. and as much as people might think otherwise, Junpei could really REALLY use an ego boost. having someone just like him and rely on him like a big brother would genuinely be great for him.

Theodore + Akinari. i genuinely think that i'm not capable of summarizing the incredible, life-altering conversation that they would have. give them sixty minutes on a bench together and they will uncover philosophical truths not even God understands.

Saori + Yukari. my ideas for their friendship are kind of incomprehensible but basically: both feel very isolated from their peers for different reasons, which leads to them acting somewhat distant and aloof. in Yukari's case, she has trouble relating to peoples' petty problems. this is both an issue of trauma and in my opinion some sense of judgment/superiority that Yukari feels. Saori, on the other hand, struggles to relate to other students because of her age, past, and upbringing. again, an issue of trauma compounded by her handling of the situation (where her becoming passive and something of a pushover just opens her up to harassment). but even though they're similar, Yukari is extremely popular and well-liked at Gekkoukan, whereas Saori is bullied to the extent that she can't even attend the Kyoto school trip. i think they wouldn't interact organically, but if they were to, they would clash at first. Yukari would be annoyed by Saori's passive attitude, whereas Saori would feel unfairly judged by her (and also somewhat jealous that Yukari is liked while she's bullied). but, at the same time, they could easily grow to understand each other, not just because of the surface level similarity of their situations, but because they both just feel disconnected from their peers and only really want to be treated well and have friends they can relate to. also, while i think Yukari might act judgmental of Saori, i also think she would stand up for Saori instantly the same way FeMC does, and would genuinely encourage Saori to do the same. and i think Saori could honestly be a mature and level-headed friend for Yukari who is able to have serious conversations with her beyond the petty conversations that she feels restricted to with other students. even if that includes telling Yukari that she's being a little judgmental. (yukari haters don't touch this post btw i will block on sight)

oops. babbled about saori-yukari friendship too long. my b. moving on.

FeMC + Kazushi. first of all they would get up to lots of shenanigans together. Kaz is a little gullible and Kotone would mess with him a lot, but they would also egg each other on in stupid fun dares, and they would be those friends who always have each others backs, y'know? on a more serious note, i think FeMC would be able to gently convince Kazushi to look after his own health first and foremost, without enabling him, in a way Minato lacks the delicate social touch for. and i also think Kaz would be a genuinely grounding presence for Kotone (because she sometimes needs someone there to say, uh, hey, hold on, i know it's all fun and games and stuff, but isn't the thing youre about to do like actually completely stupid).

Akihiko + Ryoji. yes yes hot springs escape scene, but genuinely think about it. Akihiko, in many ways, is the character who most strongly thematically represents stubborn resistance against death. his parents die, his sister dies, so he commits himself to becoming strong so that it will never happen again. but, of course, it's an impossible goal. people will always die. it doesn't matter how strong he becomes; that will never change. but he still finds his purpose in being a protector; he still finds meaning in this eternal, futile struggle. Ryoji is, at once, the very thing that Akihiko is so determined to stand against -- and he is also the only one who cannot fight. he is surrender. he has no choice but to surrender, since he will become the very thing that he wants to stop. and he encourages the others to give up as well, because he feels that a quiet death is the best that he can offer them. even when he tells he others how to fight back against Nyx, he himself simply wanders passively off to become Nyx. because he has no choice. in this, he and Akihiko are diametrically opposed. don't you want to see those two viewpoints, both from truly kind and empathetic people who want to protect others, clash? also Ryoji gives Akihiko very bad dating advice which Akihiko takes at face value and hijinks ensue. boom, gottem.

this kind of took a turn but hold on one more

Chidori + Mitsuru. superficially similar. red-eyed red-haired young women given powers and therefore responsibilities far beyond their age. but Mitsuru fully (and overzealously) embraced her newfound responsibilities while Chidori instead embraced apathy. Chidori is nihilistic and doesn't seem to form or even understand attachments to others, at least not easily, and doesn't seem to have much of a sense of duty or ethics, not even understanding others who do. all understandable, given her past and upbringing, mind you. Mitsuru, on the other hand, is first and foremost an optimist. she declares that there *must* be a way to make things right, and she decides it's her responsibility to do so, and forms a protective sort of bond with all the other members of SEES and a strong code of ethics. but in the end, both are very detached and isolated people who feel singled out due to their abilities and childhoods, and i think they could find companionship and understanding, and perhaps a broadening of their own horizons, in each other.

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landofzero-archive · 7 months

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Ibara Saegusa - Private Room Chapter 4

Writer: Nishioka Maiko

Season: Autumn

(Location: Starmony Dorm Room (Ibara, Mitsuru, Midori, Tsumugi's Room))

Aira: Fuah, Aaaa…….. Good morning.

Ibara: Good morning.

Takamine-shi and Tenma-shi are both working today. I heard that they’ll be returning in the middle of the night.

Please feel free to spend time in this room as if it was your own. Though, it might be a bit difficult for you to be here with me, just the two of us.

Aira: No no! That’s not the case at all……!

To be honest, it’s more like I’m the freeloader here. You should be the one carrying on without caring too much about me, Saegusa-senpai.

I’ll take up your offer on doing whatever I’d like in here too.

Ibara: Thank you very much. That’s what I’ll do.

Aira: (……And so I said, but being together with Saegusa-senpai, just the two of us is making me nervous……!)

This reminds me of when I first found out about dorming with Sakuma-senpai and Tenshouin-senpai. I was really nervous at that time too.

I’m curious about Saegusa-senpai’s day off……♪

Since Saegusa-senpai has the image of a workaholic.

Even though he revealed how he spends his days off in Eden’s interview article, it felt like it was just a safe response.

That’s why Saegusa-senpai’s private life is still a mystery.

Besides, I just can’t help being curious about the way idols in highly popular units spend their days off!)

Ibara: …… (Doing some reading)

Aira: (I see, I see. Heh……Saegusa-senpai likes to read. I wonder what book he’s reading?

If it’s a book I’m familiar with, maybe it could help broaden the topic of conversation.

Let’s see……”Working techniques to keep a step ahead”?

……Eh, what’s that? A business book, huh? That suits Saegusa-senpai well, but if that’s the case I won’t know about it.)

Ibara: ……… (Using his tablet)

Aira: (Mm? He stopped reading the book in his hand and started looking at his tablet.

I get it~ I do that a lot too. When I’m in the middle of watching TV or a movie in my room, somehow my hand would end up touching my smartphone.

He looks so serious…… I wonder what he’s looking at?

But I know more about the internet than about books, so it might be easier to find a common interest to talk about! Since this is Saegusa-senpai, maybe he’s looking up news on the internet?

Whaat? It doesn’t look like he’s looking up news.There seems to be a lot of graphs. It’s got to be stocks then?

I usually have no affinity to them, so I barely look at them.

Ah~ stocks, huh? The stocks don't seem like a topic that we can talk about together……A shame.

Aira: (Ah, he’s back to reading again.

In that interview article I read back then……I thought he had just given a safe response.

It could be that the truth is not that he was making up the answers for the public, but he just answered as they really are.)

Ibara: ………

…… Could you please not stare so much? It’s quite uncomfortable.

Aira: Uhyaah! Y-you noticed!?

Ibara: You’ve been observing and scrutinizing me that much. I’m not that dull. If anything, I think it’s strange that you think you’ve been able to hide it.

Aira: I’m sorry~ It’s just that I thought I was going to get a glimpse of the surprising side of Saegusa-senpai’s private life, but it’s unexpectedly normal.

Ibara: I’m sorry for being an uninteresting person.

Aira: Eh!? No no!! That’s not what I meant!

I just mean that reading business books and looking at stocks isn’t that much different from what you usually do.

Ibara: But I do a lot of different other things at my usual job. I just thought I should spend my day off working on something beneficial.

Aira: Hm~mm. Now that you’ve mentioned it, in a broader sense, my own hobbies might be similar. My idol otaku knowledge could be used in certain places in my idol activities too.

Alri~ght. Then I’ll spend some time watching videos of my favourite idols……♪ I need to prepare warm tea and snacks to go with my videos!

Ah, I’ll brew some tea for you too, Saegusa-senpai.

Ibara: No, please don’t mind me.

Aira: Don’t be that way. I’ve troubled you so much. If I don’t do anything to make up for it, I won’t be able to calm down. So please don’t hesitate in accepting.

Ibara: Haa, well. In that case, I’ll be counting on you. If I remember correctly, the tea leaves are kept above that cupboard.

Aira: Got it. Please wait a moment.

On top of the cupboard……Ye~p—

( Uu……Even on my tip toes, I can’t reach it.

It’ll be so pathetic if I ask Saegusa-senpai for help because I suddenly couldn’t reach the tea leaves. After all that fuss I’ve made about it too.)

Mm?

(Ah, There’s a small stepping stool here. The seat has a mascot character on it, how cute~ That’s perfect, I’ll borrow this. Heave ho—)

Heh!? It sounds like there was a snap coming from the stool……?

Uwaaaaa!? I’m falling……!?

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#ensemble stars #enstars #enstars translation #ibara saegusa #aira shiratori #era: !!#type: scout

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haveyoureadthisfanfic · 4 months

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(second zue anon again)

hilarious I never heard of/considered zukka if its that popular LOL I'm a pretty basic bitch shipper tho cuz out of the non-canon ships for atla the only one i had ever cared about was tokka fhshs

well i also never did care much for the canon ships either so there's that, atla never was my target for the shippers brain I suppose lmfao

That's fair. I don't love many of the canon ATLA ships either. Sokka/Suki (who's ship name I can never remember) is cute, but I could take it or leave it. Maiko is lovely, but I wouldn't be upset if they weren't canon or something. Kataang...I'm not gonna talk about Kataang.

#fic asks #haveyoureadthisfic #pollblr #tumblr polls #fanfiction #fandom poll #fanfic #fandom culture #internet culture #not a poll #atla

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hello-nichya-here · 1 year

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zutara shippers are so bizarre. if kataang truly is this horrible thing that no one likes then why are you in the asks of someone who doesn’t give a fuck whether ships are accepted by the general fandom or not to try and convince them how bland and awful it is after they expressed that they enjoy it? I’ve never encountered a shipping fandom before that has nearly two decades worth of popularity and is still so obsessed with what people who might enjoy the canon ships (occasionally or hardcore) think. how do they all have a superiority complex yet manage to still be so insecure?

Simple: They never moved on from the need to get canon validation.

There's an old, FAKE interview with Ehasz, in which he supposedly said Zutara was always meant to be, and evil Bryke ruined it by forcing Kataang to happen "out of nowhere." They still try to use that as evidence, even though Ehasz is a Maiko fan and has repeatedly said this interview never fucking happened.

When the live action movie we do not speak of was about to be released, some idiots were saying it would have Zutara and would "replace the show as canon."

Back when Korra was about to first air on Nick, there were Zutara campains about how their OTP could stil happen.

When Bryke announced they were working with Netflix for an adaptation of the show, there were online petitions to make Zutara canon since "kataang already had their turn." When Bryke left the production due some drama we don't know the details of, they were SURE, once again, that it would have Zuko and Katara get together, and that it would be so amazing, it would be seen as the new, and superior, canon.

They know they're popular. But they want to reach the point of being SOOOOOOO popular that basically the whole fandom agrees with them, so some adaptation/sequel will have Zutara be a thing to make sure people will watch it. That way they can claim they were always right. But since they don't have the numbers for that, they keep on pestering other fans to join them - but that only made the Zutara fandom infamous for being super toxic. The fact that many new fans didn't buy into the hype because they watched the show waiting to find all of this "subtext" Zutarians go on and on about, only to realize it was never there, doesn't help either.

And if there's any good side to Bryke having huge egos that sometimes prevents them from listening to genuine criticism, is that it also prevents them from falling into the trap of trying to pander to the audience. I don't trust Netflix not to give it a go, but based on their record, I doubt they can come ever close to capture the magic of Avatar, so it would not be the big win Zutarians have been pining for.

#asks #anti zutara

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missmyloko · 9 months

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Hi Justine me again, I have another question today.

Is Katsuna still active? I saw her a few years ago as Junior Maiko in a Infringe video. Nd I remember have seein her as Geiko as well somewhere. Is she still around? How is she doing? Can you tell us a little bit more about her and her, her one-san and her okiya history?

Katsuna retired back in August 2018, so it's been 5 years now since she left. Katsuna (勝奈) of Daimonji (大文字) in Kamishichiken debuted on November 15th, 2012 as the imōto of Katsuya (勝也), also of Daimonji. She was a very popular geimaiko during her time, however, health problems would see her switch from being a tachikata to a jikata at her erikae, which took place on May 18th, 2017. Her health problems would continue to worsen, which lead to her retirement 15 months later. Her onesan, Katsuya, was active for 15 years from 2002 to 2017 and retired to get married. The Daimonji is currently the oldest active okiya in Kamishichiken with a history that goes back over 100 years.

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heinzpilsner · 2 months

Text

Okay, here's the... third? second? - anyway, another part of analysing Maiko interactions in "The Beach" series.

Because I absolutely hate myself, apparently! Yay!

This part is kinda intermediate - today we'll look at the beginning of the party events in all their depressing glory.

But before analysing Maiko interactions themselves, we need to dissect Zuko's weirdly... passionate relationship with Ruon-Jian for the sake of the context.

(Ugh, who chose this guy's name? I couldn't remember its spelling properly and had to copy it every time! Your parents should be cursed for it, Rohn-Juhn!)

Anyway, our characters enter Chan's house and are greated by Ruon-Jian, who for some reason is an object of Zuko's special attention now, apparently.

"Hey! First ones here, huh?" "He thinks he's so great!"

That's a bit of... intense reaction for such a casual greeting, I'd say.

But when I think about it, it kinda... makes sense?

So far, Ruon-Jian did three notable things:

1) Had the audacity to be a popular guy who didn't want to invite Zuko at first;

2) Invited Mai personally to the party (in a pretty casual manner though);

3) Checked his hair several times.

Okay, now, when Zuko's antipathy looks much more reasonable (I bet it was the hair thing that did it to him!), let's return to the characters' lines.

The next thing Zuko does is addressing Mai about Ruon-Jian in a conversational manner:

"Well, what do you think of him?"

He actually sounds calm, but the question is downright childish. I mean, what kind of answer he expected from Mai?

"His haircut is awful"?

"Socially adapted boys are so boring?"

"You're so much greater than him, Zuko"?

"You're my forever boy"?

Mai agrees with me in my bewilderment.

"I don't have any opinion about him. I hardly know him." "You like him, don't you?"

And here it is!

Honestly, this accusation always sounded so out of the blue for me!

I mean, Mai didn't even look at the guy that much! The only one who seemed to be oddly fixated on Ruon-Jian so far was Zuko himse...

Wait a minute.

Zuko, are you... projecting?

Ta-da! What a twist!

But no, I'm just fooling around here. I mean, I wouldn't judge him if he were, but as we learn in the next part of the analysis, this is not the message that the episode really tried to deliver.

(Which makes this scene pretty awkward.)

To detect the reason behind Zuko's bizarre jealousy, let's consider some facts about the character:

The previous three years probably didn't make him especially confident about his appearance (Did he overlook all those swooning girls on the beach? Who knows, it's kinda weird);

When it comes to equal status informal interactions, Zuko is totally unsocialized. He never had an opportunity to learn how to earn respect of his peers without fighting or throwing his title around. So, it makes his position in normal teenager hierarchy relatively low;

Actually, if I remember correctly, the only non-enemy teenage boy Zuko previously interacted onscreen was Jet, and... It kinda was all about business and ended in disaster anyway?

Zuko is pretty awkward in romance, and his relationship with Mai is not exactly in its best stage now.

the best stage was in seasons 1 and 2 if you ask me

So, when Zuko can't be a prince, but forced to be just a boy among other boys in front of Mai, he feels insecure and threatened, even If he doesn't reflect on it properly.

But there's one guy around who seems to have no problems with getting respect from his peers, as well as concerns about his appearance.

The guy who also happened to invite Zuko's girlfriend to the party.

Basically, Ruon-Jian is... Zuko's new Zhao? Only from the world of teenage romance and socialization.

... And this context kinda turns Mai into either a new Avatar or a new Ozai* (yep, again). Which is... kinda cursed, I agree.

(*I mean, outwardly the competition between Zhao and Zuko was about catching the Avatar. But catching the Avatar for Zuko was mostly just a way of getting his father's love back. So, Zhao in this context can be considered as someone who tried to steal Ozai's love from Zuko. Just like Ruon-Jian in Zuko's mind tries to steal Mai's love.)

Geez, it was weird. I didn't plan to dig that deep!

But whatever.

One way or another, right now Zuko feels pretty undermined - and this is on top of his generally bad emotional state lately.

Alright! It all sounds... quite logical to me now, actually (even although seeing Zuko like this is not exactly pleasant).

The only problem though is that half of these things weren't addressed in the actual episode previously.

The show doesn't make accent on Zuko's reaction when Ruon-Jian invites Mai, and instead of showing Zuko's insecurity about his appearance, it shows us girls swooning over him.

So, Zuko's jealousy streak looks quite random - not to mention unmotivated. Mai literally didn't give him a single reason to suspect her interest in Ruon-Jian.

I dunno, perhaps Mai can be hard to read for Zuko sometimes, but she's not that unreadable! That way, he could imagine any random feelings and intentions behind her poker face and accuse her of it.

"You want to smear a platypus bear with mayonnaise and tie it to the chandelier, don't you, Mai?" would sound about as legitimately at this point.

and I have no idea why it's the first thing that came to my mind

Seriously though, there is no respect or trust for Mai in Zuko's behaviour whatsoever. Basically, he just ignored the lack of evidence, as well as Mai's own answer, completely.

But what kind of relationship can you build without respect or trust?

If he just doesn't believe Mai's words even though she didn't lie to him before, what is she supposed to do?

On the other hand, can you really blame Zuko for doubting Mai's love after the way she treated him recently?

So, instead of reacting to the real situation with the real people, he's stuck too deep in his own head, where he's never good enough, and all the resources inevitably end up in the hands of zhaos*, while all the love is slipping away.

In his mind, Zuko is in the process of losing another battle.

(*Hmm, on the other hand, his rivalry with Azula should run much deeper than with Zhao. I dunno, both versions kinda work, when I think about it.)

Of course, this is just my far-fetched interpretation - Zuko's irrationality could have different mechanisms behind it. But all I can really think about is either this, or... suppressed bisexuality hypothesis? Or both. Oh my.

...Anyway, the boy is clearly not okay.

Mai isn't going to address the problems though - she just sighs heavily and walks away. Perhaps she's planning to wait until Zuko ends up in a less distressing environment to... just stop worrying and forget about it?

Well, good luck with this strategy, girl. I'm sure with Zuko in such a state it will lead you to fantastic results.

But so far, it's calm before the storm.

...And we'll look at the storm in the next disastrous parts of the 'Analyzing beach Maiko' series, because I can't take more of this torture today, apparently!

Thanks for your attention?..

I still ignore all the notifications.

(Kinda didn't expect that I'll manage to find not just one, but two hypotheses of Zuko's irrationality here, lol. I wonder whether it was a writer's intention, or this meaning kinda worked out in itself in spite of sloppy writing.)

#atla #zuko #mai atla #anti maiko

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twilightmalachite · 10 months

Text

Hermitage - Wednesday 1

Author: Nishioka Maiko (with Akira)

Characters: Mika, Ritsu

Translator: Mika Enstars

"(Ain’t that strange…? I don't remember returnin’ to my room and practicin’ at all…)"

Season: Winter

Location: Starmony Dorm Room (Ritsu, Mika's Room)

Mika: …!! Wha?! W-Where am I?!

Am I experiencin’ one of those isekais that are so popular?! That'd be a problem… Return me t’my old world~! I’ve still gotta practice fer the new song!

—Wait… Ahh, what the~. Lookin’ more closely, I’m just in my own room. That really surprised me… I thought I suddenly appeared in an unknown place…

…Huh? But wasn’t I just in the practice room?

I’m pretty sure I was just havin’ dance practice with Oshi-san… Weren’t we talkin’ about havin’ dance lessons tomorrow as well? Umm… What happened after that?

Actually, what time is it—

Ehh?! It’s already past midnight!

Ritsu: Mn~? Mikarin, what’re you doing talking all by yourself?

Mika: Ah, Ritsu-kun, so you were awake—

Ritsu: Well if you think about it, you were practicing dancing all silently and single-mindedly since you returned up until a little while ago.

Mika: Wha? I was? I was practicing dancing here in the room?

Ritsu: Mhm. Though it was unusual for you to do dance practice in our room. What’re you practicing by yourself for?

Did that Oshi-san of yours get angry at you because you couldn’t get something right?

Mika: No, that's not it… He was praisin’ me, actually.

(It seems what Ritsu-kun said was true. It does look like I practiced here…)

(My practice clothes are thrown on the floor, and there’s the storyboard for the song too…)

Ritsu: Hmm. And yet you went back to your room and continued practing some more, huh? You’re pretty serious, aren’tcha, Mikarin?

Well, I’m gonna go to sleep. I have to get up early to go somewhere, so don’t make too much noise, okay? Good night. ♪

Mika: Ah, will do! Good night~, Ritsu-kun!

Mika: (Ain’t that strange…? I don't remember returnin’ to my room and practicin’ at all…)

(Maybe it’s ‘cuz of how hard I practiced today, and maybe I got over-diligent after gettin’ acknowledged by Oshi-san. I didn’t think I'd concentrate that hard, though…)

(Ahaha… Even though I was praised during practice, I’ll just get scolded by Oshi-san again if I’m bein’ a mess like this everywhere else.

(Guess I unconsciously trained without knowing. I’ll bother Ritsu-kun if I move around now, so maybe I should head t’bed too…)

…Hm?

Ah, the dollie fell over again…

Hmm, why do ya keep fallin’ over? I wonder if yer sittin’s awkward…

Here y’go. How’s this? Here, I’ll fix up yer clothes and hair too… There!

Ahh, that’s right! Dollie, I got praised by Oshi-san today~!

Maybe it all worked out ‘cuz I talked with ya about how I wanted to become a doll yesterday. Thank ya~!

…Eh?

Hmm? Ya kinda looked like ya smiled a little…

Ahaha, there’s no way, though. The reflection in yer glass eyes probably just looked that way ‘cuz the room’s all dark.

But, that's probably some sort of good omen! I have a feelin’ that practice tomorrow will go even better than today! ♪

(Yawn… My relief is makin’ me so sleepy~… I’ll just go lay down in bed like this. I’m so tired from today…)

Zzz… Zzz…

Mika: Hm~? Huh? Am I in some strange place again? I’m pretty sure I just fell asleep in my bed, though?)

…… (looking around)

Oh, right, I must be dreamin’!

Now that I think ‘bout it, didn’t my dream last night look like this too? Then there should be someone—

Eh? Did someone call for me just now?

Umm, where are ya? It’s all dark here, I can’t see…

What’s that at my feet? —Ahh, it’s the doll Oshi-san gave me as a souvenir!

Ah, that’s right! I remember now! It was you, dollie! You were who talked to me a ton in my dream the night before, weren’tcha?

Are ya able to speak to me this time too? Ya can? I’m so happy~! I have a feelin’ practice tomorrow's gonna go well again!

Talkin’ with ya last night helped a lot, by the way! Today’s practice went without a hitch!

That's right, yup! It’s all thanks to ya, dollie. Thank ya kindly! ♪

I’ll do my best for tomorrow's practice too!

Huh? Yup, that’s right. I wanna keep gettin’ improvin’ my precision for my role as a doll.

The more doll-like I become, the better Valkyrie’s new song will become.

Eh? You’ll grant me my wish today as well? Fer real?

Uwah, I’m so happy~! —Hm? In exchange fer what?

Umm, what d'ya mean by being together…?

Ah, it’s that sound again…

Mika: ……

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#hermitage #event #translation #mika kagehira #ritsu sakuma

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thearchivistsjournal · 1 year

Text

Day 219,

Yep, as expected, I’m sore this morning.

At least it’s mostly just my arms. And my back. And my neck. But hey, it’s not my legs, and those are what I mostly plan to be using today. Speaking of which, I better get going and head out. With Tristan being on the opposite side of the circuit, it’ll be past dark before I get back as it is, assuming I’m estimating distance and personal pace correctly.

*******

And I’m back home. It is very late, I am very tired, and I need to get up very early in the morning, so I’ll be abridging this.

Left early, although later than I meant too. Like I said earlier, I was sore from rowing/paddling yesterday and slow to get up and moving.

On my way out, Maiko asked if I was really sure I wanted to make the trip alone. I assured her I was fine. I’d be sticking to the road the whole time and there are patrols after dark.

I was basically heading from the south-southeast to the west-northwest part of the circuit. While on a map it would have been shorter to go clockwise, that would have taken me through the Village proper and its tangle of streets and people that might want to stop and talk to me. Also, I hadn’t traveled the other half of the circuit except briefly to visit the star lake that one time and I wanted to see it. So widdershins my path was.

From what I’ve been told the nightly guard patrols take the full sundown to sunup to complete a circuit. So about twelve hours. The brothers Ettor and Ynigo made it in just over seven in their race but kinda wrecked themselves in the process. I figured based on how long it usually takes me to get from home to the library I could do it in nine or ten on a good day if I pushed it, but I hadn’t had a good day in over a month.

It didn’t take long after I left the house for the nature sprite to appear. Much like it had on the last couple solo trips I made between the Village and the house it did nothing but keep pace with me, slightly ahead and to my left.

I’m pretty sure I recognized the turnoff to the lake when I passed it. About an hour after that, while sitting on the side of the road, taking a break to catch and staring down the sprite who’d crouched down opposite from me it suddenly tilted its head, paused for a moment, then disappeared into a flutter of leaves. A few moments later a group of kids and teens came down the road from the way I’d been going. We exchanged greetings as they passed by. They seemed to recognize me as the Archivist. I told them what I was doing (leaving out Tristan’s name) and they told me they were off to the star lake. I guess it’s still the popular youth hangout spot that Lin remembered. The sprite re-appeared beside me once they’d left and I got going again.

Once the road passed out of the forest and into more open spaces the sprite pulled its disappearing act again. I suspect it was still following me, but was trying to keep unseen now that the trees weren’t blocking lines of sight for long distances.

A bit before noon, after the circuit had curved in so that I was going more west than north, I found a building on the side of the road with a quartet of guardsmen seated around a table playing cards. Apparently it was an outpost so that the night patrols could start from (almost) opposite ends of the circuit so as not to leave broad stretches unattended for half the night. Once again, they knew the Archivist on sight - or at least my pendant - and invited me into the shade of the outpost for an early lunch and a break from boredom. I apologized for not having time to do a telling for them, but I was able to give news, such as it was, of things that had come up for me to record in the past couple of months. Not that their posting was anywhere near that long. They switch out each mist night so they’d only actually been there a few days, but it gets dull out there fast. Except, they told me, on days when the wind blows in just right from the Blossom Field. I couldn’t tell if they were serious about that last part or if I’d walked into a running in-joke between guards. There was some more (maybe) joking suggestions that’s why it’s always either all men or all women at the outpost at any given time.

That was a longer break than I’d hoped, but I was still roughly on schedule, albeit a schedule that would put me home after dark.

As I passed by that northward-most stretch of road I finally got to see the (in)famous Blossom Field. The road runs along a ridge at that point, the edge of a broad, shallow valley of sorts, so I was able to get a good view of it. And what a view it was. A hundred different colors all swaying in the breeze, stretching all the way to the treeline of the jungle that fills the northern half of the island. It took me the better part of an hour to walk past it and, at a rough guess, I would estimate it would take me at least as long if I were to cut across it to reach the jungle. Even from up on the ridge the fragrance was heady, but not unpleasant. I caught myself briefly thinking that the “old me” wouldn’t have been able to smell it so keenly and perhaps would have been sneezing. A curious notion, one that I’m not sure to be thankful for or jealous of. By the time I put the field behind me I found myself feeling oddly flushed in a way that was unrelated to my long walk in the noonday sun. I think I’m starting to get what Daianna said way back when about cutting through not being helpful for getting work done.

After the Blossom Field came what I believe to be the turnoff the crystal collectors take into the jungle, and then some time after that, the side road leading to Tristan’s farm. They’re not big on signage around here, but when I’d asked around about Tristan ahead of time I was told to look for a tree with a knot like a sheep’s face at the corner of the turn and I found something that pretty much looked to fit the bill.

Thankfully, by the time I reached Tristan’s the flush from the Blossom Field had worn off. Now I was just the regular kind of hot and sweaty.

I found myself passing by fields not too unlike the ones near me, but with fewer vegetables and more livestock. When I hailed one of the fieldhands to make sure I was on the right track to find Tristan, I shouldn’t have been as surprised as I was to learn I’d just met his son. Farmers have the biggest families around here and Tristan had married into one. For once, I wasn’t recognized right away but once I explained what I was doing here I was welcomed. The Archivist coming calling is a thing to be excited about it seems.

The road led to a house, and at the house I went through a similar round of introductions and was let in to see Tristan. He was an older man now, in his sixties or seventies I’d guess, and not quite up to working the fields these days. He did recognize my pendant, but not me. As we sat down together and I explained why I was there he started to wax nostalgic about back when he told the old archivist about that trip (two archivists back actually; my predecessor’s predecessor).

At first, I learned little I hadn’t already heard or read save for his motivation for being out there in the first place: he was trying to impress his then-sweetheart-now-wife and got the idea in his head that if he went far out enough he could land a catch no one had seen before.

When I asked if he’d remembered anything unusual about the island or his meeting with Iole, things that might not have made it into the old archivist’s records, he grew hesitant. Eventually he did admit that there were some “unwholesome” elements that had him too spooked to mention back then and that he hasn’t talked about much since, but it’s been long enough now that he supposed there was no harm in adding it to the record if I wanted.

Apparently back then Iole had been “obsessed” with attempting to translate the book she’d found, almost aggressive in wanting to show the book to Tristan and explain her theories. She seemed more happy to have someone to share her ideas with than any prospect of rescue. The “twisted” statuettes she’d carved and scattered about her hut and the drawings she’d made on the walls were equally unnerving. All in all, a rather different picture from the one Maiko metaphorically painted in her tale.

Iole’s unsettling manic energy aside, the thing that really drove Tristan to leave and never come back was the song. Iole was just as eager to show him that as she was her book, and listening to it together was the only time he ever saw her calm. It had a similar effect on him. Gentle. Soothing. Loving. He claimed that if he hadn’t already given his heart to another he never would have left. That’s what jolted him out of reverie and sent him running for his boat. The realization that if he stayed much longer, he might not want to leave either and wouldn’t see his sweetheart again.

That’s… worrying to say the least, but a good warning to have. Cass and Lin didn’t have their reaction during our brief stop there, but the songs do seem to be dimmed somewhat by the presence of the floating island. We’ll need to be careful about Lin and Cass going to that part of the island. Maiko and I might be fine given the adverse reactions we’ve had to the song.

The other part of the visit that went as I’d hoped was that I was able to get Tristan to do some rough sketches of islands we might pass by and/or stop at on the way there and back. It’s been long enough that his memory is a bit foggy so we can’t guarantee accuracy and certainly not precision, but it’s something. Should be good for cross-referencing with Maiko’s memory of her long ago trip to the healing spring. Unfortunately, we were all reeling too much from Maiko’s abrupt departure at the time to do much in the way of aerial sketching of the surrounding area.

Once we finished conversing, I thanked Tristan profusely for his time and promised to come back and tell him what we find. Maybe I shouldn’t have told him about the plan to check up on Iole, but we’ll be gone before he can tell anyone.

Once I reached the forested section of road again the nature sprite made itself visible. This time around I tried making conversation with it as we walked. It would turn its head back to look at me from time to time, sometimes cock its head to one side or the other, but that was it for responses. I wound up telling it much of how I felt about it. And about the incident. Who knows how much it understood. Or cares.

I was still a good two hours out from the Village proper when the sun went down, but at least I had a lantern. I couldn’t decide if having the nature sprite escorting me at that point was comforting or unsettling.

The nature sprite disappeared once more an hour later at the sight of light coming up the path. A pair of guards on the night patrol, much as I’d encountered that time I fell asleep at Siren Overlook. Not too far off from that spot either actually. It wasn’t the same ones, but they had heard the story and recognized me well enough to ask if that’s what happened again. I forced a laugh and said it was official archival business this time. They asked me what the occasion was and I joked that they could come read about it sometime. They took the remark in good humor and offered to have one of them walk me back to the Village. I wanted to decline, but frankly I was too tired to say no.

When he dropped me off at the edge of the Village some time later I was sorely tempted to just spend the night at the archive, but I’d told Maiko I’d be back tonight and pushed on. As it turned out, she’d gotten concerned that I was already later than I said I’d expected to be and was waiting for me on the other side of the Village.

I filled her in on my day on that last stretch of walk. I’ll admit, I half expected her to pick me up and carry me the number of times she asked if I was alright. I must have looked awful. I certainly felt it.

Upon dragging myself into the house I forced something to eat down my throat, stumbled into the bathroom to clean off the sweat and grime, and then into my bedroom to make a few quick notes before collapsing into bed.

A few quick notes…

How much did I just write?

Got into one of those flow states again.

This is why I have such a hard time waking up most mornings.

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