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#i think that aang could join and they could all go spirit world penguin sledding and she can just ... be her
litterateur97 · 1 year
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I am going to cause riot 😌😉
Question 1, 2, 5 and 6 for death note please.
Question 8 for atla.
Lol, thank you for the ask!
1. What OTPs in your fandom(s) do you just not get?
For Death Note specifically, I'd say the only OTPs I don't really get are Light x Misa and then when Ryuk gets shipped with anybody. I'm not against anyone shipping these pairings, I just personally don't see it. The entire story of Death Note to me shows that Light x Misa are not good together, and Light doesn't love her, and Light comes across as gay or asexual in my opinion. But I guess if people are just shipping them in an unhealthy way I can understand it. And then Ryuk just doesn't make sense with anyone to me lol. I mean I'm down for monster fucking type ships (I enjoy Rem x Misa), but Ryuk comes across as asexual and I just can't see him ever being interested in anyone like that.
2. Are there any popular fandom OTPs you only BroTP?
I'm not sure there's any pairing that I only see as a BroTP, but I guess I see L x Matsuda as more of a BroTP than an OTP. I like the idea of them as L as the older brother who is condescending towards his younger brother Matsuda. L does bully Matsuda quite a bit throughout the series lol so I can see them more as family or close friends in some ways.
5. Do you have a NoTP in Death Note?
I don't personally enjoy any incest type ships, so anything where it's like Light with his family or L with Watari is a no go for me.
6. Has fandom ever ruined a pairing for you?
Oh boy you might get me in trouble with this one lmao. Yeah, the Death Note fandom definitely ruined lawlight for me for awhile there. When I first joined the fandom, I was really into the fanart and most of the fanfics for lawlight, but idk it felt so everywhere and in my face all the time, so I started to get bored of it. I was more interested in the crack ships or rare pairs for the series because I didn't see them as often. And lawlight never quite gave me the same emotions lawmane did anyway. But then some folks would accuse you of homophobia if you shipped something other than lawlight, and that particularly annoyed me because I am gay. I think the fandom has gotten a lot less intense about it now though, so I'm enjoying lawlight again even if it's not one of my favorite pairings, but I definitely don't have the enthusiasm for it that I could have if the ship hadn't been ruined for me in my starting days in the fandom.
8. Unpopular opinion about ATLA?
I'm not sure how unpopular this opinion is (I always feel like there's a lot of hate towards Katara for this but I don't really know for sure if there is), but I very firmly believe that Katara had every right to threaten to kill Zuko and not accept him with open arms when he first joined the gaang. I mean I think people really ignore her perspective on this. She was the first one to trust Zuko, and then he immediately betrayed her, a betrayal that led to her best friend, who she saw as the only hope for fixing her world, dying. And so many people gloss over that fact, but Aang did in fact die at the end of season 2 and was revived by her when she used the spirit water. And then it took forever (months?) for Aang to wake up from his coma and can you imagine how scary that must have been for Katara? She was probably thinking about when she lost her mother or how the world was about to lose its only hope for peace or about how she'd never have fun penguin sledding with Aang again. Of course she threatened Zuko when he joined the gaang, she couldn't let him hurt Aang ever again. And the scene where she tells Zuko "bring my mother back" is obviously her response to the trauma of almost losing Aang reminding her of the trauma of her mother's death. Aang dying in front of her retraumatized her and reminded her of her mother dying in front of her. She sees Zuko as responsible for Aang's death, which I think is fair considering the betrayal, and because Zuko couldn't bring back Aang (Katara already did that herself), she tells him to bring her mother back. It makes complete sense to me.
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stonerz4sokka · 3 years
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both katara and yue share incredible responsibilities as being the last pillars in their respective communities and, by extension, the last hope in surviving the war yet both of the specific roles they hold and how they wield their agency fundamentally differ from one another. in short, katara is a warrior. yue is a princess. katara refuses to back down from a confrontation and actively takes up as much space as possible. she’s fiercely aware of her worth and will make sure that everyone else is as well. yue, on the other hand, constantly sacrifices her own needs and to the point of it being detrimental to her personhood. now yue’s choices are largely informed by her father’s socio-political position as chief as well as the staunchly misogynistic environment that is the nwt whereas katara doesn’t face nearly as many obstacles as a result of her gender. spirit world yue though isn’t burdened with earthly responsibilities and is essentially free to do whatever she pleases for the first time in her life and a post-canon situation where her and katara are able to genuinely bond as sort-of sisters would be so transformative for the both of them, but especially for yue. of course, no one understands yue as well as sokka does and the profoundness of their relationship lies behind their ability to see one another for who they truly are, but yue could learn a lot about being assertive and setting boundaries and taking up space and luckily master katara inspired a generation of girls of color to do precisely that. who else is gonna show yue that she can be messy and mean and say “no” and have fun and enjoy being a kid?? 
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watchathon · 4 years
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BONUS: The Last Airbender
In case you’re finding this post just by browsing the tags I’ve used for this post, this is the Watchathon, a blog where I’m hoping to watch an episode of a show (or in this case, a movie) every one-to-two days, with a short blog post where I give my thoughts on what I’ve just seen. Each new point starts with a hyphen and a bolded first word.
- Like so. 
But today, I’m subjecting myself to the notorious live-action film The Last Airbender, to... Well, to “celebrate” its tenth anniversary. I initially planned on doing it either after Book 1, or after Book 3, but for whatever reason, I have decided to do this now.
Fair warning, this is going to be one of my rare posts where I’ll be mostly negative.
So much for “gushing about things I like”...
Also, so much for “the rare occasion I cover movies”, but that I don’t mind so much. The Lilo & Stitch post was a ton of fun to make.
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- So, first things first, I don’t tend to be a fan of live-action movies based on animated properties in general. But it’s not like I don’t give them a chance. 
Sometimes I even like them better than the original. I could never get through The Jungle Book in one sitting as a kid, but the 2016 live-action remake? I adored it!
Even the worst ones I tend to be “meh” about rather than flat-out disliking. But The Last Airbender? I hated it when I watched it as a kid... Emphasis on the past tense. I could well change my tune because of this, though I can’t imagine I’ll end up liking it.
- They recreate the “Water, earth, fire, air” part of the intro but without narration. Which, to be frank, just makes it look pretty silly.
- “The four nations. Water, Earth, Fire, and Air Nomads.” Sooo are they all nomads?
- Awvatar? Pronouncing Aang as Awng, I could sorta get, but... Awvatar? Really?!
- It feels oh-so-weird to see a white Katara and Sokka, when they, and all the people of the Water Tribes, had the darkest skin in the show.
- Something that really strikes me about this movie already is that it’s so... humorless. Sokka described himself once in the show as “the meat and sarcasm guy” if I’m remembering right, and not even five minutes in I can already tell we’re missing half of that description.
- Not only is this movie humorless, it can seem strangely... smaller, than the cartoon. In the cartoon, Katara got Aang out of the iceberg by accidentally using powerful Waterbending. 
But here, Sokka causes the ice to crack by accident, revealing the iceberg with Aang inside. Then Katara grabs Sokka’s boomerang and whacks the iceberg twice with it. 
- More about the lack of humor: There’s not even a mention of penguin sledding once Aang is out either.
- And not only are our most prominent Waterbenders white, the Fire Nation (who had light skin in the cartoon) have the darkest skin of the whole main cast. Juuust great...
- Aang’s heroic moment from the cartoon is taken away from him. In the cartoon, Aang was on his way out of the Southern Water Tribe when he saw the Fire Nation approaching, at which point he turned around and helped them.
Here? Aang sits in a tent until one of the Fire Nation soldiers sees his tattoos and drags him out.
- “We found that boy, he’s our responsibility!” Katara sounds like she’s talking about a stray puppy they found. “I’ll feed him, and bathe him, and teach him!”
- It crosses the line into unintentional hilarity when, as Katara and Sokka are discussing Aang, there’s just Appa noises in the background, entirely unremarked upon. The only take a glance in that direction once they’re done talking, ironically after Appa’s quietened down somewhat.
- Nobody gets out of this movie without major changes, but if it weren’t for Iroh referring to Zuko as his nephew, I’d have never guessed it was him. Also, Eeroh. Frankly, I’ll be surprised if Zuko isn’t pronounced Zucko.
- Katara and Sokka’s grandmother pronounces Avatar correctly. Why don’t Katara and Sokka? Or, heck, why doesn’t she pronounce it “Awvatar”? It’d be better if they stuck to one rather than the inconsistent pronunciation.
- I’ll give them props: The idea of testing if Aang is the Avatar by setting four objects representing the elements in front of him is pretty cool. Does become kinda silly, though, when the rock just... wobbles and goes upright. They could have had it, like, cracking, but instead, wobbly rock.
- I might be misremembering, but it felt like Aang’s escape from Zuko’s ship was a lot... more, in the cartoon. I know, time constraints of fitting a twenty-episode season into a two-hour movie. But I have to tilt my head at just how much shorter (and milder) this particular scene is than its animated counterpart.
- It’s weird how Katara’s narration calls Aang by name, then like a minute later (at most) we see her ask him for his name.
- Wow, is it weird to see Aasif Mandvi playing Zhao when I watched The Daily Show as a teenager.
- Exposition is always fun when it’s delivered in the form of a roast.
- “But we will let [Zuko] wear [the Fire Nation uniform] today, like a child wearing a costume.” And nobody even smiles at Zhao’s sick burn.
- Hey, at least they have Iroh drinking tea. But cartoon Iroh probably wouldn’t do that so casually while his nephew is fighting Zhao’s soldiers. And cartoon Iroh would probably smile. At some point in time.
- And movie Katara and Sokka have apparently gone all the way to the Earth Kingdom without learning that Aang is the Avatar.
- “He was bending tiny stones at us from behind a tree! It really hurt!” I gotta be honest, that’s not a bad joke. It does feel kinda out of place with the general tone of the movie thus far, but whatever. I’ll take the lighthearted fun moments where I can get them.
- I can sort of understand why they would want the Earthbenders imprisoned by the Fire Nation to have some sort of earth to bend without the Gaang going to all that trouble to get the coal. But putting them in a quarry is more than a bit overboard.
- Aang gets a big Katara moment from the cartoon. And the thing is, Katara doesn’t really get that much time to shine in this movie. She could have used a moment like this one. Heck, Aang could’ve joined in to confirm that the Avatar has returned.
But no... In this scene, Katara just shoves a Fire Nation soldier who’s being rude to Aang.
- Ah, the infamous pebble dance. And the thing is, in the cartoon, this would’ve been a joke. 
Aang would go through this huge, over-the-top dance just to make a relatively small rock float slowly towards a Fire Nation soldier. At which point, Toph would make the rock move much faster before teasing Aang about what he just did.
- Ohhh, gosh, I’m half an hour into this hour-and-a-half movie, and the post already looks like... this.
- “Teachers to teach you bending.” A lot of attention gets given to another repetitive line later on in the movie, but we shouldn’t ignore this beauty.
- Weird to see Ozai in plain view. Especially considering how, later on, he will be framed in shadow.
- Agni Key... What is it with this movie and changing pronunciations? I wouldn’t even care if that was the only problem, but with how it is, it’s one of several things that make this movie feel like “Avatar but wrong”.
- “Yip yip.” Gosh, does it feel weird to hear those words in a movie that tries to be more serious than the cartoon.
- I had to stop and continue this in the morning since it was late, so I might be forgetting something... But was it established before the Blue Spirit that Zuko knew Zhao would be hunting the Avatar?
- Hard to take it seriously when Zhao looks at his soldiers, chained by their hands to the ceiling, and simply mutters “fools.”
- “You think my son is this person the soldiers are calling ‘Blue Spirit’?” *pause of at least four seconds* “...Yes.”
- “My brother and the princess became friends right away.” First off, that’s really underplaying it. But second, Sokka’s face is so blank as Katara says this that I can’t buy even that.
- Zhao really becomes a much less threatening force when it’s Ozai who tells him to kill the spirits, when it’s Ozai who starts talking about their destiny.
- “HOOOOOOOOO” lives in a pineapple under the sea?!
- Everything in the Spirit World is compressed into this one dragon. Which makes it seem a lot less like a Spirit World than just the home of this dragon.
- I would say that the whole bit of Aang trying to avoid Zuko even though he’s right behind him is more like something from the cartoon... But, the dramatic music really makes it seem like this is supposed to be a serious moment. And it just doesn’t work as one.
- Iroh’s trying to stop Zhao is nowhere near as good as it was in the cartoon.
- “He’s making fire out of nothing!” I don’t understand why they made the change that this is uncommon. The Fire Nation are the villains, they should be stronger than other benders.
- “It’s time we show the Fire Nation that we believe in our beliefs as much as they believe in theirs.” I don’t understand how anyone thought this could work as a serious line.
- Back to the whole thing of this being smaller than the cartoon, Aang doesn’t turn into Aangzilla here. He accomplishes a very impressive feat of Waterbending, but when I just watched the cartoon version last week, it feels lesser in comparison.
- I imagine this is supposed to be Aang bowing in response, since he didn’t with the monks. But it doesn’t look like bowing. It just looks like an elegant dance move.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Yeah, I still don’t like it much. But I’ll say this: Now that I’ve watched it again, I appreciate the cartoon so much more.
I appreciate the characters. I appreciate the tone, I appreciate the pacing. And I appreciate all the things that are lacking from this movie.
I can only hope that the new live-action adaptation will be better, even if I know the cartoon will still be my preferred way of experiencing the story.
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carnistcervine · 4 years
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Aang and Raava are Separate AU
(AU name WIP)
So a while ago I saw this art. And I was like, d’aww. Then it inspired me to make this AU, and I’ve finally written out all the ideas I have for it.
Lemme just have mah mama Raava ‘kay?
-Quick note for this AU, Raava and Vaatu basically have the same powers. So, she also has an insane spirit laser. And where Vaatu can cause emotional distress to the point of hostility in others, Raava has a pacifying aura. I mean, it's possible that Raava also has these abilities in canon, but if she does, she doesn't use them.
-Raava could already sense a grave danger looming over the horizon when Sozin left Roku to die.
-However she remained idle as Aang was born into the world.
-Unlike Aang, she noticed the subtle changes in the people of the Fire Nation, however, once again she did not interfere.
-Raava has been idle since Wan's eventual death, and the world had managed to get along without her direct interference.
-So when Aang runs away and ends up frozen solid, it's a wake-up call for Raava.
-When Aang and Appa sink below the waves, she becomes desperate, her Avatar is about to die before he can complete his destiny. She cannot allow this. Raava takes over freezing a sphere of air around them, she curls around her Avatar and expends her power sending him and his friend into stasis.
-Raava watches over Aang for a hundred years. She would be with him for all his lifetimes...
-When Katara comes across the globe that rose from the water, she doesn't notice the creepy white spirit also trapped in the ice. But Sokka sees it. He tries to stop her from freeing whatever monster was trapped in there, but Katara doesn't notice the strange flatworm-kite-thing until it's too late and it's forcing it's tendrils through the cracks in the ice.
-Seeing an opportunity, Raava uses the cracks in the ice Katara created to break the icy sphere open completely, and a burst of light is sent into the sky, signalling the Avatar's return.
-Katara remembers Gran Gran's tales of spirits who set traps for wanderers out in the icy wastes and worries that she may have accidentally doomed herself and her brother. However, the spirit that pops out of the ice seems more concerned with a young boy it has cradled in it's tendrils. It lays him down gently in the snow, telling him to rest easy.
-When the spirit turns towards his sister, Sokka steps into action, he points his spear at the thing, telling his sister to stay back. That they don't know what this creature is capable of. The spirit casually knocks Sokka's weapon aside and rests a tendril on his shoulder, telling him to take it easy. Sokka can't help but feel oddly drowsy from the contact, like a soft blanket had been draped over his mind.
-Katara asks the spirit who it is. The spirit introduces herself as Raava, the spirit of light and peace. Raava asks Katara if she's a waterbender, Katara confirms that yes she is. So Raava asks if she'd be willing to teach the Avatar, gesturing to Aang.
-Katara explains that she's untrained and that she's the last waterbender in the south pole.
-A fact that worries Raava.
-Raava vouches to see that both Aang and Katara are trained. She asks Katara to take them back to her village and Katara obliges, much to a still sleepy Sokka's chagrin.
-Raava loads Aang onto the bison and Katara and Sokka get on as Appa wakes up. Raava glides along side the bison as Katara leads them to the village. As they get closer, Raava takes on a human looking form and carries Aang in her arms. It's been her personal experience that humans tend to react better to other humans than to faceless spirits.
-None of the villagers ask who this strange woman is, they simply assume that she's the mother of the child she has in her arms.
-Raava watches over Aang as he sleeps. When he wakes up, he feels a vague familiarity at Raava, but doesn't know who she is. She tells him flat out that she's the one known as the Avatar Spirit.
-When Katara introduces Aang and Raava to the village. Raava can't help but feel concerned about how sparse it is. Also, she doesn't introduce herself as a spirit, she simply introduces herself as Raava. The villagers are not only surprised to see an airbender, but also someone as regal looking as Raava.
-Of course, immediately on Raava's docket is going straight to the North Pole so Katara and Aang can learn waterbending. But Aang wants to go penguin sledding with Katara. Being a spirit, Raava is intimately familiar with the fact that they are actually on a deadline and doom is imminent. But even Raava must relent to Aang's incurable puppy face.
-Raava stays behind in the village, learning more specific details about the 100 years war and the stripping of the South Pole.
-Then the whole thing with Aang booby-ing right into a trap happens.
-Sokka banishes Aang from the village, Katara demands to go with him and Raava feels like it's about damn time for them to get on the road.
-Unlike Aang, Raava has no qualms about splitting up Katara's family.
-Then Zuko attacks Katara's tribe and the trio rush back to help.
-Raava steps up to stop Zuko, and Zuko assumes that she's the Avatar. She corrects him, telling him that she's close to the Avatar, but not him.
-She can see the strings of fate that attach Zuko to Aang, so she lets him off easy, grabbing him and using her pacifying aura to make him take a nap. Only saying that he looked like he needed one.
-Iroh is naturally worried for his nephew, but Raava assures him that Zuko is only sleeping and will be back to normal as soon as he wakes up.
-Skipping ahead a bit~
-For the most part, Raava keeps her true nature hidden. Pretending to be a human woman. As no one alive knows who Raava is, it works like a charm.
-Aang is still captured by Zhao when Sokka and Katara get sick, and Zuko does do his Blue Spirit thing trying to rescue him. But also Raava is goddamn pissed and levels half the damn fortress while the duo escape.
-Quick note about Raava, she calls herself a spirit of peace, but she's technically the spirit of order and goes from 0 to 10,000 pretty much instantly. So yeah, she's less an embodiment of peace, and more an enforcer of it.
-They get to the North Pole much faster than in canon, because Raava doesn't play and is actually able to keep the children on task.
-When Pakku refuses to teach Katara, Raava is fucking PISSED. She cannot believe how selfish he's being. Seriously? He's putting his tribe's stupid culture and traditions above the safety and balance of the world! Katara just stands by, smirking as Raava reveals her true nature and goes off on Pakku. She thoroughly enjoys watching him get dunked on by an ancient spirit.
-Not only does Raava demand that both Katara and Aang are taught combat waterbending, but also healing. She honestly doesn't understand why anyone would be dumb enough to separate the two. 1) The more healers, the better. 2) Having an intimate knowledge of the human body(as would be required by healing) makes you a better fighter.
-Both Zhao and Zuko track the Avatar to the North Pole, but Zhao is forced to hang back until he can gather his fleet to attack the fortress. Zuko just breaks right in and is captured. Raava knows that the North will not have mercy on the Fire Prince and demands that he be released to her custody.
-The northerners correctly deduce that she plans on using the Fire Prince as a teacher for the Avatar.
-Unable to deny the direct order of a greater spirit, Zuko is released into Raava's care. She makes sure to keep him in line and implants suggestions into him that make him question his father and country.
-Obviously he isn't anywhere near ready to turn yet, but the seeds are planted much earlier.
-As for waterbending teaching, the healers welcome Aang with open arms. However, Katara gets it ROUGH from the combat students. Pakku is intentionally harsher than normal on her. He's also super hard on Aang, but Katara gets it double time because she's a girl and because Raava is making him teach her.
-When Zhao eventually comes to the North, not only does Raava decimate his fleet, but she also works with Tui and La to trap him in the spirit world for having the audacity to mess with the spirits.
On a side note, I actually spent some time thinking about this. Now for the story, I kind of picture in my mind that Raava goes full on IMMA FIRIN MAH LAZOR on Zhao's fleet. Now, Raava also attacked the Pohai stronghold, and even though Zhao is a reckless idiot, he's not so reckless that he'd just casually forget something as important as the fact that the spirit hanging around the Avatar has A POWERFUL FUCKING LASER. So I got to thinking, if Zhao knows that Raava has a spirit beam attack, he'd make some kind of counter measure. Now, before Kuvira builds the Avatar world's equivalent of a nuke, there really isn't anything that can counter such an attack. And even then, the spirit canon was never used on either Raava or Vaatu, so even though I'm sure it would hurt them, I have no clue how much.
So, this leaves a dilemma. Because Zhao would not abandon his quest to kill the Moon Spirit. Now, I suppose Zhao could just wait for the Avatar to leave the North Pole, but Zhao is not a patient man. So, do I have Raava just not use her spirit laser at the Pohai fortress? Have it be a surprise muthafucka moment for Zhao? I mean, a giant spirit thrashing about would create just as much damage. Or, ooor- And here's a juicy idea~ Zhao intentionally suppresses information of the full extent of Raava's power(it would be harder to get people to join him if they knew just what they were up against) and simply amasses a larger fleet than in canon. He has no real recourse or counter for Raava's power, but decides that he'll simply use his fleet as a distraction. Keep Raava busy while he fulfills his real goal, slaying the Moon Spirit. Zhao's plan isn't to counter Raava directly, but to simply use his fleet a bait.
After all, what better bait than fresh meat?
-Of course, this does bring up that idea... Perhaps Zhao succeeds?
-Oh and in case you were wondering, Ozai was 100% on board with Zhao's idea.
-Skipping ahead some more~
-In Omashu, when facing against the dangerous ladies, Raava proves to be a formidable adversary. Mai's knives harmlessly phase through or bounce off her body. Ty Lee's chi blocking doesn't affect her, and physical contact with the spirit causes Ty Lee to feel the effects of Raava's pacifying aura. Raava's aura, as Ty Lee notes is a brilliant radiance, like looking at the sun.
-And in Azula's case, Raava isn't at all intimidated or swain by her. The spirit is hardly fazed by her blue fire, taking fireballs to the face without so much as a flinch. For the first time in Azula's life she find herself an unstoppable force, meeting an immovable object.
-It's equally frustrating as it is exhilarating.
-Azula's found a worthy opponent.
-For Raava's part, the group are hardly noteworthy. Easily taken down by her pacifying aura. However, Raava knows better than to underestimate an opponent. Fighting someone for eons(like Vaatu) instills these lessons quite firmly. So, she notes whatever things she can about the group, instinctively knowing that this isn't the last she'll see of them.
-Aaand, the swamp. The swamp wants the Gaang to come down and join it. Raava wants the Gaang to join the swamp. The Gaang do not want to join the swamp.
-When the Gaang try to fly over, Raava warns them that they've angered it. She does nothing as the swamp forcefully sucks the group down.
-I'm still deciding whether or not Zhao succeeds in killing Tui... But if he doesn't, instead of encountering a vision of Yue in the swamp, the moon spirit confronts Sokka. With all it's creepy faceless glory.
-As for Aang, he chases down the vision of Toph and runs into Vaatu, or at least a vision of him(or maybe it really is him, I'm leaving this intentionally vague). The spirit shrinks down and forms into a black humanoid shape and reaches out to Aang, who flees in terror.
-Yeah, I'm thinking that overall the Gaang's spirit visions/encounters are much longer, more harrowing, and much much more involved. More like dream sequences/quests than simple visions.
-The swamp is alive, it is a spirit. And spirits are dicks.
-When the group reconvenes, Sokka accuses Raava of terrorizing him. If I have Zhao succeed in killing the Moon Spirit, this scene becomes much more personal with Sokka accusing Raava of using Yue to terrorize him. He's livid with the light spirit, claiming that she used the image of Yue to torment him.
-Of course, Raava did no such thing. But she let's Sokka have his moment, utterly unmoved by his anger. She calmly states that she did no such thing and asks Sokka what possible motivation she could have for doing that.
-Sokka's pissed at Raava for a bit after that, but ultimately accepts that she had nothing to do with what he saw.
-As for Raava herself, she has a vision of Wan.
-Skipping ahead a bit~
-For Toph, Raava is a nightmare. Raava is a spririt, so not only does she not create any vibrations whatsoever, but she also lacks a smell and her voice emanates with no clear direction. Toph never knows when Raava is around, where Raava is, or when Raava is approaching. The only time she knows Raava's there is when she starts speaking.
-She's also completely unable to tell when or if Raava is ever lying.
-Without meaning to, Raava makes Toph feel helpless.
-But that's not all, Toph also hates how demanding Raava is. And poor Toph has no recourse against her. She can't see Raava, so she can't throw any earth her way, and Raava doesn't respond to argument or teasing. At least when Toph is annoyed with Katara, she can call her Sugar Queen and throw mud on her. But deepest of all, Toph is worried that Raava will treat her like her parents treat her. As someone who's too weak and delicate to care for or defend themselves.
-From Raava's perspective, she doesn't like how chaotic Toph is, but overall feels the same way that she does for the rest of the Gaang. She comes to love her dearly. As much as she dotes on the Gaang, she doesn't at all think of any of them as being weak. Far from it! In her eyes they're all powerful warriors. They're her powerful warriors. Yes they are, yes they are~!
-Raava pretty much dotes on the Gaang and comes think of them as her children. She basically takes over Katara's role as group mom, which allows Katara to settle more into a role of being a kid.
-Even though Raava spoils the Gaang, she's also the fun police. The Gaang are all chaotic gremlins and Raava just wants them to stop and SETTLE DOWN FOR ONCE DAMMIT.
-Just an all powerful spirit vs the chaotic energy of a bunch of kids.
-At Wan Shi Tong's library, Raava joins the Gaang going inside. It's because of her that Wan Shi Tong allows them to peruse his collection.
-While he doesn't trust or like humans, he isn't dumb enough to defy a greater spirit. Especially not Raava.
-Let's just say, Raava has a bit of a reputation.
-The Gaang are able to spend a very long time in the library, building an extensive plan and knowledge base before they leave.
-Raava insists that Toph come into the library with them, offering to read to Toph whatever topic her heart desires. The idea makes Toph a little excited, but she makes it seem like she's only begrudgingly agreeing.
-You know Toph would take full advantage of Raava's offer and learn about everything her parents tried to hide from her.
-It does provide as an opportunity for Raava and Toph to bond. Toph finds that Raava's voice is nice to listen to, very soothing. She also finds that Raava isn't as judgmental as her parents. She judges Toph for her actions and her strength, not some preconceived notion that blindness=weakness.
-I'll probably have other times like this peppered throughout the story where various members of the Gaang get a one-on-one with Raava where she offers her I've-Been-Around-Since-The-Beginning-Of-Time-So-I-Must-Know-Something wisdom.
-Naturally, this means that the sandbenders are able to steal Appa unopposed.
-Since Appa has been stolen, Raava carries them all to Ba Sing Se. She tries to console Aang in his grief, but Aang shuts himself off from the rest of the group, and even blames Raava for Appa's disappearance.
-When they first find out, he blows up at her, screaming that she should have kept watch to make sure nothing happened to him.
-To which Raava rightly points out that not only is Appa a ten ton bison fully capable of handling himself, but also they don't know what happened to him, and leaving someone behind could have meant loosing two team members instead of one.
-Aang is upset enough to trigger the avatar state, but Raava uses her ties to him to pacify him instead.
-By the time Raava reaches the walls of Ba Sing Se, the city's generals have collected along with several soldiers. Being a giant, luminescent flatworm, Raava isn't too hard to spot. Even at a distance.
-Of course, the Gaang are all knocked out from prolonged contact with Raava so they're useless at the moment.
-The generals soon recognize Raava as being the one that brought down Zhao's fleet, and slightly concerned she'll do the same to the city, comply with her demands that the Gaang be given adequate shelter.
-The Gaang all wake up in a very nice house in the upper ring, Raava is quietly reading a play.
-For a while Aang resents Raava, feeling like it's her fault that Appa disappeared. Raava, understanding that he needs to time to process his grief, leaves him be.
-Raava actually likes Ba Sing Se. As a being of order, she sees the peaceful, orderly city as the way the world should be.
-She feels Long Feng's methods to be effective.
-This does drive a bit of a wedge between her and the Gaang, as none of them can properly comprehend spirit morality. Aang kind of understands, but he's kinda pissed at Raava.
-Raava decides to be patient with them, by this point she's realized that sometimes humans need time to understand things.
-Raava and Long Feng come to have an understanding.
-Even still, when Appa goes roaming out into the dark night, it's Raava and not Long Feng that he finds at the end of his journey.
-Aang is very happy to be reunited with Appa and apologizes for being cold/harsh with Raava. Raava just hugs him.
-Thanks to Raava and Long Feng's understanding, they manage to get a meeting with the Earth Kingdom generals to talk about the invasion of the Fire Nation.
-Since they get to Ba Sing Se earlier than in canon(again Raava is pretty good at keeping the children on task and getting/keeping them out of sticky situations) the drill appears much later during their time in Ba Sing Se.
-The Fire Nation didn't know that Raava was in Ba Sing Se, but figured that their reinforced drill would be tough enough to withstand- it's not.
-Raava just wants to blow the stupid thing up and be done with it, but Aang doesn't want Raava to do that because then a whole bunch of people will die. Raava doesn't care, a few human casualties is nothing compared to the havoc on the world's balance that the Fire Nation taking Ba Sing Se would bring.
-But Raava relents and decides to pull the drill apart, a slower and much harder process, but one that would be much less likely to harm anyone inside.
-They notice right away that Raava is attacking the drill, so Azula and her two friends go out to fight Raava and the Gaang.
-Mai and Ty Lee have learned their lessons about physical contact with Raava from the last time they fought.
-Azula uses her lightning on Raava, which while not deadly like it would be on a human, does actually hurt Raava.
-After being hit by multiple bolts of lightning, Raava lets go of mercy and trashes Azula.
-Thoroughly crushed, Azula and her friends have to go home with their tails between their legs.
-In this AU they never visit Kyoshi, and Appa's with Aang, so there's no one for Azula to disguise herself as.
-Azula also starts to crack a little bit earlier due to her complete inability to even pose a threat to Raava. As this forces her to reconsider deep aspects about herself and her own failings. After all, almost isn't good enough.
-Azula does try to tell herself that he usual tactics aren't working on Raava, because she's a spirit and spirits are fools. But deep down, she's always considered herself above the spirits. So it's not easy for her when this is called into question.
-The dangerous ladies do eventually manage to sneak into Ba Sing Se. Azula's plans remain more or less the same as canon.
-Though, I have started thinking that maybe Azula adds another to her posse, perhaps someone with spiritual expertise? No one can counter Raava in terms of power, but perhaps she can be countered in terms of spirituality?
-Either way, Azula fails to sway the Dai Li to her favor. In their eyes, Raava's favor of Long Feng means he's the one that was chosen by the fates to lead.
-So the dangerous ladies are arrested.
-I'm still deciding whether they break out or get brainwashed. I’m leaning towards epic jailbreak. But IDK.
-Iroh invites Raava to his tea shop, flirts and makes pleasant conversation with her. Much to Zuko's dismay, Iroh invites her back to their apartment to discuss a firebending teacher for the Avatar, as well as the Day of Black Sun.
-Oh yeah, Raava knows that Zuko and Iroh are Fire royals. She also knows that they're the only good options to fill Ozai's place when he's removed from power.
-All that said, the eclipse goes soooo much better than in canon. The Fire Nation legit don't know what's coming so no trap can be lain.
-Ozai is stripped of his power by Raava and thrown in jail.
-Zuko is crowned and rules with Raava constantly leering over his shoulder.
-Some notes about Raava's characterization in this AU; a pretty strong case for good is not nice. Raava can be very blunt and abrasive, also she nags and chides literally everyone. She absolutely loves and adores her Avatar, as well as the companions he travels with, but is overall critical of humankind. While the amount of people she likes is vanishingly small, she also doesn't really hate anyone(not even Vaatu). She's more like the tired kindergarten teacher who stares into the void as her students tear the classroom apart around her. Of course she’s also about a planc length from taping all the children to the floor.
-And if you think that's the end and everything just wraps up nicely and it's all happy good times from there...
-I admire your optimism.
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atypicalkataangist · 5 years
Text
Bestowing Honour
Type: Oneshot [Angst]
Summary: One year after Aang’s death, his family returns to the place of his funeral to bestow honour on the late Avatar.
Word count: 2241
Author’s note: Hey guys. Today’s oneshot is actually something special for me. I used it as a vent for many emotions that were boiling up inside of me for the last while. I began writing this Oneshot about two weeks ago; It was the first anniversary of my Dad’s untimely death, who had died of pancreatic cancer last year. We visited my Dad’s grave and so many emotions were bottling up inside of me that I had to release them somewhere, and since something similar happened to the Avatar’s family, I couldn’t pass up the chance to weave my own thoughts, memories and words together with those of the characters in the story.
By the way, AtLA was pretty much the first thing i could really enjoy after everything that happened last year, and I’m very thankful for all the beautiful moments it could give me despite everything else.
So please enjoy this, and even if you don’t I understand, all I wanted to do is to write down my most intimate emotions, and I’m glad I did. This is enough sad stuff for the next while though, I’m looking forward to write about something fluffy finally again! But as you might have noticed by now, updates take a while.
Don’t forget to think positive, whatever may happen, guys; because remember what a wise man once said:
“When we hit our lowest point, we’re open to the greatest change.”
~ Dedicated to my Dad ~
The wind blew strongly at the southern cliff of yue bay. The sun hid behind a thick layer of clouds, the sky was coloured in a deep grey most of the time, only interrupted by brief seconds when the sun was given the opportunity to shine through the almost inpenetrable wall. After a short moment of sunshine however, it would go back into hiding, never to be seen again.
Neither of them had been looking forward to this day, but they all knew that it had to be done. One year ago, on this exact date, the Avatar had died. Avatar Aang, the last airbender, the bringer of piece, had met his demise after a long period of serious sickness. Even though the whole world seemed to be disconsolate about the great man's demise, his family of course was hit hardest. The last year had been an incredibly difficult time for the Avatar's wife and three adult kids; whereas the world seemed to overheap the late hero with honors like planning to build a gigantic statue of him in yue bay, or establishing an "Avatar-Aang-Memorial-Day", his family could only think about the person behind the Avatar, behind the politician, the bringer of peace.
The Avatar's burial had been a huge event, with hundreds of famous people from all around the world giving speeches, sometimes more personal and heartwarming like the one held by the Avatar's trusted friend and ally, Fire Lord Zuko, or sometimes more political and impersonal like the speech held by a nobleman from the earth kingdom, of whom Katara wasn't sure if he had actually been in the same room together with Aang just once while he was alive. According to his beliefs as an Air Nomad, his remains were cremated and his ashes handed over to the winds of yue bay, on the far end of a cliff not far from his lifelong home on air temple island. It had been a terrifying day for Katara. Even though hundreds, if not thousands of people expressed their more or less honest condolences to her, offering their help whenever she would need it, her inner instincts were just telling her to run. Run as far away as her legs would carry her. It had all been too much, way too much, and without the support of her children, she would have probably left, not bearing to witness the act of hundreds of people crying in remorse over someone they barely knew.
She had known him, better than all of them . She had loved him every day of her life. She had cared for him when he wasn't well, and she was by his side, she didn't leave him in his final days, holding his hand, watching the final bit of life leaving his frail body until his suffering came to an end. She had cried until there were no more tears to shed. She had loved him more than she had loved anything else, perhaps except for her children. She had spent her whole life at his side, going through ups and downs, highlights and crises together. They had saved the world together. They had rebuilt a culture. They raised three children together. They had been married for well over forty-five years. And they had endured ravage, destruction, wars, Appa's death, Iroh's death, rebellion, and so much more.
And all of that should've come to an end now? Because the universe decided that the world needed a new Avatar? A fresh start? With him, almost everything she cared about was taken from her, a part of her dying together with him. A part of her wished to die as well, to be reunited with him in the spirit world, to spend eternity at his side. But another part reminded her of her children, her first grandchild that was on the way, the fate of her husband's air nomad culture that lived on through the air acolytes and her son Tenzin. She secretly knew that her time had not come yet.
After his death, she didn't dare to return to their old home on air temple island. They had spent their whole lives together in that house, and there was nothing that didn't remind her of him. She needed to get out of there and never return. Many begged her to join them, like Zuko, who was more than willing to help one of his dearest and oldest friends with an apartment in the royal palace, or the ancient earth king who had always appreciated and cared for the Avatar and his family.
Nonetheless everybody knew where she was going. The day after his funeral, she took the first ship towards the south pole, her home, the only place where she had lived for longer than a few months without him by her side. Her birthplace. The place of her family, her culture, her ancestors. Her daughter Kya joined her, putting her life on pause, postponing the wedding with her fiancee. She couldn't let her mother alone in a time like that, so she cared for her for the next hard months. The late Avatar's wife barely spoke, sunken in dreams and memories, yet she appreciated her daughter's company. Her sons came to visit every now and then, at least relieved to know that she would be in good hands with Kya, but their lives kept them busy most of the time, Bumi being a general in the united forces and Tenzin being the head of a culture that had yet to be reborn. Of course Katara didn't hold a grudge against her sons. Whenever they asked if they should stay, she reminded them to get back to their duties, not to worry about their old mother.
The only positive thing, the only glimmer of hope and the only thing that finally caused her to leave the south pole once in the next year, was the birth of Tenzin's first child, Aang's and her first grandchild, a little girl named Jinora, who quickly turned out to be an airbender. It was the first time she felt something like hope again since the death of the Avatar. Yet again she felt incredibly remorseful that her husband was not there with her and his son to share this beautiful moment together, the birth of their first grandchild, the second air bender in the world.
The next months she spent at the south pole, at least returning to her usual behaviour prior to the traumatic experience. She didn't stop to teach her daughter expert water bending techniques, also training some younger waterbenders from the southern, as well as the northern water tribe. She began to slowly return to life again, regaining a purpose. Kya even caught her mother laughing from time to time, and that sound she hadn't heard for way too long was like music in her ears.
Nonetheless no day went by without Katara thinking about the love of her life. At night she often went for long walks, looking up to the sky, searching for symbols or signs as a piece of evidence for his presence, but there was nothing. Sometimes she even went out to ice fields where she had found him in the iceberg. On the day that changed her life. Where she held him in her arms for the first time. Where they exchanged their first words. Where they went penguin sledding together. She couldn't think back at this moment without tears immediately shooting up to her eyes. How much she missed him... It felt unbearable.
And now, one year after the worst day of her life, she had to return, only to be confronted again with the terrible place near the coast, where she had to scatter his ashes. At least no one else was present now, except for her children and her brother. She wanted to keep it in the family. It would be hard enough as it was.
The skies didn't seem to approve of their endeavor. Maybe it was Aang, desperately trying to let them know that he was still there; or maybe the spirits were raging again. In the end, it didn't matter anyway. It was right after noon when all of them had finally made their way to the small edge of the cliff , where nothing but a small memorial stone and a bronze plaque which simply said "Avatar Aang - 12 BG - 153 AG" gave an indication of a memorial for a great man.
They stood there in silence; Katara in the center, opposite to the memorial stone, framed by her brother and her daughter, with Bumi at Sokka's and Tenzin at Kya's other side. The wind didn't allow them to have the peace they deserved, howling and messing up their clothes and hair. By now Katara could even feel tiny raindrops against her skin. Without even realizing it, she bend the whole rain around them away, leaving them dry.
She watched her husband's memorial with hurt, painful eyes. She was the first and only one to talk. "Aang...", she barely uttered with a shaky voice, while her whole body began to tremble from grief, "we...we've been doing okay so far... but we miss you" She began to cry heartbreakingly,"...so ...so much..." Her family, her brother, her children instantly offered their support, barely capable to hold back their tears as well. She wasn't ready to be helped right now. Nobody could comfort her. Powerless, she dropped on her knees, the wind joining in to her howling, breezing through her greyish hair. She wasn't even strong enough to bend the rainwater away anymore. Her brother dropped right next to her, very gently holding her back while his tear-dimmed eyes tried to meet his sister's, gently drawing her into an intimate hug. Her crying became louder against her trusted brother's shoulder, turning into nerve-splitting howling as all the good and bad memories came back into her mind. "I... I can't do this...", she cried, repeating it over and over again.
Kya felt dizzy from the pain she felt and she could see within her mother. She felt helpless. Not even she could heal her mother's pain. Guilt, anger and pain rose up inside of her, causing her to tremble. A wave of tears broke out of her despite her efforts to hold it in. She was about to lose equilibrium, about to hit the ground, when her little brother noticed her dizziness and held her firm, pressing his grief-stricken sister against his shoulder, sniffing away tears of his own.
The only one standing alone was Bumi. Even though they didn't always come along greatly, he had loved his father very much, and he was in mourning for him after his death. He didn't want his family to notice, but now, after a whole year had passed, with so much happening in his own life, he had felt simply nothing when he came back to the place of his funeral. He knew that his father was sitting there somewhere, watching him and hopefully be proud of his son. But when his mother started to cry again, like on the same day a year back, heartshattering and nervewrecking, he couldn't help but feel somewhat angry. Maybe it was his soldier-like attitude that he had to learn while being in the forces; whatever you do, don't show weakness. Or perhaps he was angry at her, because she became so dependent on her husband being there for her, that now that he was gone, her whole life began to crumble and fall apart.
Though perhaps he was angry at himself for all those missed opportunities, perhaps for taking so much for granted in the past; for forgetting so many beautiful memories to make coping with the pain easier. For putting his own life about his mother's, leaving her and his sister alone, only to fulfill his own dreams, to live his own life.
Finally, a tear slipped out of his eye, the only thing indicating the turmoil inside of him. He stood there in silence as he tried to bring his thoughts in order, watching the memorial as he somehow tried to share his thoughts with his Dad, telling him about his deepest feelings.
He snapped out of his trance after feeling a hand touching his shoulder. It was his uncle who looked at him with weary eyes, trying to figure out if his favourite little nephew was alright inside. Not coming to a clear conclusion, he still decided to hug him.
Bumi closed his eyes. His hero's touch felt good, it reminded him of how his Dad showed his appreciation whenever he heard of his sons accomplishments in making the world a safer place. He missed moments like these. When he opened his eyes again, he saw his mother was back at her senses now, sitting in the wet grass. She looked almost childlike, despite being an older woman by now. The way she was sitting there, wiping away the last few tears with her wirstbone, not daring to raise her eyes to meet what was in front of her. Kya and Tenzin were sitting on her left; he decided to take place on her right, putting his arm around her back, gently rubbing her back in small, circular patterns. She leaned into his touch, and when he heard her calmly breathing again, he knew that one day they would be alright.
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fectless · 5 years
Text
3. Pragmatic: Penguins Sledding, Booby Traps
The snow glistens in the fading light, reds and golds contrasting with the deep blue shadows in the way that the landscape usually does when twilight occurs. The sunsets are long now and the actual days and nights short, but Katara can recognize this particular place regardless of the lighting. The area she stands in now is one of the few places in her childhood that had remained unsullied by her mother's death- mostly because this is the first time she's been here since then. Her mother had often found Katara here with her brother- sometimes she would even join them. But Katara no longer plays.
(Katara can remember the last time she had been playing with Sokka- the last time she had felt like a child, and it hadn't been here. No, it had been closer to home on that last day. That last day- the day when joy ended and Katara might as well have become Koh himself for all the bad luck she seems to bring.)
All the same, Katara knows this clearing. In fact, if she were to crest the hill, she is certain that she'll see some child from the village holding a small smoked or salted fish (pinched from the storehouse) aloft, trying to entice penguins into carrying them around. She can almost hear the children giggling.
No, wait. She can hear laughter.
“H-Hey,” a voice calls jovially, “come on, little guys. Wanna go sledding?”
But that voice doesn't belong to one of the village children. That's Aang. And she's responsible for him, too, so she needs to go make sure he doesn't cause the animals to stampede and get himself hurt. So Katara steadies her breathing and makes her way over, just in time to watch the strange boy lunge for an otter-bird and miss. Aang gets to his feet and smiles at her.
“I have a way with animals,” he laughs, proceeding to make a weird “nark-nark-nark” sound and waddle after the penguins.
A smile tugs at her lips as she watches.
It's been a long time since she got to see a child having so much fun. Even now, the mothers don't really like it when she watches the children, often only allowing her to do so when it's time for them to lay down for a spell or if one of them (one of the mothers) is sick. And otherwise, she has so many chores to do that take her from the village or leave her by herself and can only watch from a distance as Sokka tries and fails to mold the younglings into warriors.
So watching Aang try to catch a penguin is a treat. Right now, he's trying to hold one, but the many-limbed otter-bird just drags him along as he grasps at its feet.
The words leave her mouth before she can think to hold them in, “That's not how you catch a penguin, Aang.”
“Really?” He lets go and rolls over to stare at her.
She swallows. He looks so trusting, she can't help but think, so relaxed. Even the children back in the village don't look at her with so much trust, and Sokka and Gran-Gran never... Katara's face goes blank. “Yeah. Here,” she says, forcing away her other thoughts and unthinkingly slipping into one of the few stances that helps her bending, “I'll show you.” And she plucks a small fish from the water.
Immediately the animals start swarming.
But the boy doesn't focus on them. “You're a waterbender!”
Katara's face remains carefully schooled. “Yeah. I am.” Because there's no point in denying it, really. Because she has waterbended without thinking, again, and put someone in danger, again, and obviously she should have known better because even this strange airbending boy from within the ice would know that a Southern waterbender is nothing but bad luck and now he's going to avoid her too.
But instead he says, “That's so cool! I've never met a waterbender before!”
No, I don't suppose you would have, all things considered.
She blinks. “Well, you're looking at the last waterbender from the South Pole.” Nothing much to look at really. Nothing good comes of being a waterbender these days. For her and those nearby especially.
Aang looks so confused. “But a waterbender has to master water. How can you do that if there's no one to teach you?”
(And Katara remembers then: discussions between her parents when she ought to be asleep. How great it is that the South has a bender again; how proud they are that she's theirs; how they'll find someone for her, because a bender has to learn to bend. Then: discussions between her father and Gran-Gran and the rest of the tribe when they think she's out of earshot. How terrible it is that the raids have started coming more frequently; how terrible that a waterbender has attracted firebenders again and caused so many deaths just as things were getting better.)
Maybe I shouldn't.
(Waterbending is a bad thing. A very bad thing.)
She shrugs, throwing the fish at one of the younger-looking penguins and watching as it is chased around.
“What about the North Pole? There are other waterbenders there, right?”
Katara blinks because, yeah, there would be other waterbenders at the other pole, wouldn't there? But she wouldn't really know- doesn't know if there is a North Pole still. “They're pretty far away. We haven't heard from our sister tribe in a long time.” Not since they refused to send aid at the beginning of the war.
And here Aang smiles, his whole face lighting up like an aurora. “But you forget,” he says, pointing at himself, “I have a flying bison. I can personally take you to the North Pole. Katara, we're gonna find you a master!”
She doesn't know what kind of face she's making right now. “That sounds-” There's no way that could happen. But to leave- to go somewhere where her bending isn't a curse, somewhere where she isn't hated or looked down on or known only as misfortune. To be free-
Would mean abandoning everyone that Mom sacrificed herself for.
“I mean,” her hands come to grasp each other and she realizes for the first time that she has lost her gloves. “I don't know, Aang.” His face falls and she feels so guilty. So she throws him a phrase to placate him, much like throwing fish to penguins: “I've never left home before.” Not without meaning to come back. And if she leaves the South Pole, she isn't sure she would ever return.
He still sounds a bit upset, perhaps disappointed, as he says, “Well, you think about it. In the meantime, show me what you did with the penguins again?”
Katara forces a smile onto her face. “Alright. Watch closely.”
And then the penguins mob the young boy as she bends a fish into his hands.
Shortly thereafter, they stand at the top of a cliff, two penguins following them around in the hopes of obtaining more food.
“Let's do this!” Aang hops on the penguin before she can give him one final warning about sledding, and she has to follow along.
But she enjoys it.
The wind pushing the hood of her parka back and whipping her hair-loops around her face; the churning of her stomach as the otter-bird speeds and swirls around in the tunnels of ice and melting snow without care for the destination; the weight of her responsibilities falling away as the penguins soar with no fear of falling... This is the closest to free that she has felt in ages.
So of course the ride ends on a sour note.
The birds slide to a stop on an icy plain and squawk nervously, struggling to rise from under the two of them. Katara pales as she realizes where their reckless sledding- and Aang does, too, though he only stares in confusion at the sight ahead of them.
“W-What is that?”
“A Fire Navy ship and a very bad memory for my people.” Jagged spires of ice hold the metal monstrosity up, the ice around it so solid that Katara cannot see the ocean below despite being mere feet from the water. “It has haunted my tribe since-” she forces the words past the blockage in her throat, “since Gran-Gran was young.”
The air here... Katara shivers. It almost feels as though Father and Lady Tui are just barely holding back a longnight storm.
Movement from the corner of her eye draws her attention. “Aang, wait!” The boy keeps moving. “We're not allowed near it- it could be booby trapped.”
Finally, he pauses, looking over his shoulder at her and grinning. “To be good a bender, you have to let go of fear.” And then he begins climbing the ice to find a way into the ship. (No, ship is too gentle a word for this giant, metal beast. It's too tame to describe what was one of the first strikes against her people.)
She disagrees- to be a good bender is to know when not to do something stupid. But she's responsible for him, which means that if he goes in there and sets off a trap she will be blamed for it. “Aang! Wait- don't.”
Koh take his face! The boy ignores her, just like everyone else does, and she is forced to follow him.
He pauses for only a moment to help her through a hole in the metal thing's side. The boy is easy to spot as he wanders through the monstrosity- his bright clothing contrasting against the dark walls, his steps echoing.
She has to get him out of here. “This was one of the Fire Nation's first attacks.”
Finally, he stops in front of a weapons shelf. “Okay, back up. I have friends all over the world, even in the Fire Nation. I've never seen any war.” He lifts one of the metal spears, a frown forming on his face.
Katara's blood turns to ice. Never seen any- Friends in the Fire Nation- “Aang... How long were you in that iceberg?”
“I dunno-” Katara can feel her feet freezing to the metal beneath her. “-A few days, maybe?”
“I...That doesn't...” Her breath mists into the air. “I think it was more like a hundred years, Aang.”
“What!” He nearly drops the spear as he finally turns to face her. “That's impossible! Do I look like a hundred twelve-year-old man to you?”
“Just- Think about it. The war has been going on for almost a hundred years; you don't know about it- you would have had to have been in there the whole time. It's- it's the only explanation.” The only one that makes sense, at least.
(The spirits play tricks on people, some of them at least, but Lady Tui and Father are too compassionate and serious, Agni too proud, and the patron spirits of airbenders and earthbenders could never be bothered to move someone through time. And lesser spirits aren't powerful enough to do such a thing.)
“A-a hundred years?” The airbender backs away from her, until his legs suddenly give out and he nearly slams against a wall. He holds his head in his hands, hiding his wide, wild eyes from her. “I can't believe it.”
She kneels down beside him, ice melting into cold water, a hand raised to touch him- to offer comfort. But she draws back. Words, too, fail her; she doesn't get farther than a weak, “I-” Because she has lost her mother, her family, her tribe, but the last two are alive still. He has lost his entire people, his home is destroyed, and all this to a war he had not even known existed. Words cannot make things better; and touch from one such as her- a Southern waterbender, of all people, would only make things worse.
They sit in silence until he draws himself to his feet. “There is a bright side to all of this. I know it.”
Katara's heart twists because, A bright side? Truly, this boy before her is so young. Maybe it's good that he can think that.
He at least has Appa. He has made it to her tribe instead of falling into the hands of firebenders who would only try to kill him. Perhaps, if there is a bright side to be found, the good he is able to see stems from those two things.
Aang staggers from the room. She rises to follow him. They have forgotten which way the entrance is and, while they look for it, his foot catches on a wire that had been hidden in a pile of snow and he winces. Katara freezes again.
Bars slide over the door, hissing fills the chamber. She can hear something being shot into the air with a high-pitched whine and Aang asks, “What was that you said about booby traps?”
For a long moment, they stand still, staring at each other with wide eyes. Then they nearly explode into a flurry of motion as they rush to get away. Aang shouts, “Hang on!” and she has to hold back an instinctive flinch as he grabs for her, even as it becomes clear that he is only using his bending to help them escape from the metal monster before something else can go wrong. She stumbles when he sets her down, and even as she leads him back to the village, she can feel her frozen fingers and toes breaking, feel suddenly unsteady limbs shaking as she struggles to breathe. Her heart is beating too hard and too fast and she can almost taste blood in her mouth.
It isn't until she begs, Father, help me, please, that the sensations begin to fade.
(The taste lingers.)
-.-.-.-..-.-.-.-
Katara can see that the village has gathered at the gate as she and Aang crest the last hill. The children cheer as they spot the airbender, rushing out to meet him with smiles and embraces and she can only wonder, What did he do?
Because they clearly like him. Even the shy Xuehuu, who hangs back by her mother instead of rushing forward with the others, looks relieved to see him safe.
They like him almost as much as everyone hates me. The thought is mean, edged with hurt and tinged with the color of La's depths in the midst of a storm; she pushes it away. (Or tries to. It stays like the metallic stain of blood on her tongue, and she does not quite know why that hurts more than having had the thought in the first place.)
As excited as the children are to see their new airbending friend, the adults and Sokka are clearly not.
Her brother rushes forward, face darkening with every step. In his eyes, she can see the reflection of the monstrosity's flare slowly falling from the sky. “I knew it! You signaled the Fire Navy with that flare- you're leading them straight to us, aren't you?!”
Katara can feel the blood of the people surrounding her again; she's going mad. “No,” she mutters. Sokka's head snaps towards her, his heart pumps a little harder. She refocuses. “It was an accident, Sokka.”
“Yeah! We were on the ship and there was this booby trap and, well, we boobied right into it.” His posture and voice are a study in regret; Katara stands firm and cold, body language showing no such signs. Though she does wish he hadn't spoken up.
Here Gran-Gran steps forward, a stern look on her face. “Katara! You should not have gone on that ship.” She stares back at the old woman, unflinching. But her grandmother continues, “Now we could all be in danger.”
The words “because of you,” aren't spoken, but by the look everyone but Aang sports, Katara knows that the tribe is thinking them.
Aang rushes to defend her- tries to take the blame upon himself- and that is when she looks away, because the only one who believes Katara to be blameless is not only wrong, he is not of the tribe. He is a stranger that she is responsible for, that she has brought into the village, a warrior, or the Air Nomads' equivalent- based on his tattoos, and he is honor-bound to defend her, if only for those reasons. Blame for his actions rests with Katara and only Aang himself does not know.
“Aha!” Sokka finger points at the airbending boy, but she feels his eyes rest on her. “The traitor confesses! Warriors,” he calls to the children, “away from the enemy. The foreigner is banished from our village.”
Aang looks heart-broken at this, but Katara- Katara feels only fury. Always, she thinks. Always.
“You're making a mistake,” she says without inflection. She can feel every molecule in her body agreeing with this. The snow beneath her hardens into ice, creeps up to steady her feet. “Aang is not our enemy.”
“No, I'm keeping my promise to Dad. I'm keeping everyone safe.”
Am I included in that “everyone?” Another thought to be dragged away by the tides of her mind and frozen out of reach.
She turns away from her brother, trails her eyes over the crowd, and feels her anger drain. “Gran-Gran, please.” She is so tired, suddenly.
But Gran-Gran shakes her head. “No, Katara, you knew that going on that ship was forbidden.” But she hadn't. Not really. Katara had never been told not to go on the ship. Quite frankly, no one had cared where she went until the men left and more hands were needed to keep the village from starving. More than once, one of the warriors (actual warriors, not the children going through Sokka's attempts at training) had even encouraged her to do something that would probably kill her. “I think it's best if the airbender leaves.”
The airbender. Not Aang. No, because he is a bender, and the South has no use for those.
“Fine,” Katara says. Perhaps Sokka can feel a hint of what Katara means. He is the only one who looks at her, the only one who does not turn away as she and Aang stand on the other side of an invisible line drawn in the snow. She has had years to practice burying what she feels, but this... This has been a long time in coming. “Come on, Aang, let's go.” The ice around her feet thaws; the ice around her heart solidifies. She begins walking towards Appa.
“Katara! Where do you think you're going?”
She stops but doesn't turn around. “The North Pole.”
“You would choose him over your tribe- over your own family?”
Her eyes close. Her mouth opens-
“No. Katara,” Aang interrupts, “I won't come between you and your family.” The airbender says goodbye, hardly letting her get a word in edgewise: “It was nice meeting everyone.”
One of the girls rushes forward, begging him not to leave. Katara can't even look at them.
“I'll miss you, too,” he says.
And then he's gone.
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