#queen hou ting

[badgermolebender]

I so desperately want a massive political history of The Earth Kingdom. If I could have any other thing from the world of ATLA/LOK — book, show, comic, game — it would be that. Bc I am so interested in it.

🚨 Spoilers for every thing — Yangchen and Kyoshi books, ATLA, LOK, Comics, etc. 🚨

The earliest we hear about an actual Earth Kingdom and Earth Royal family is in F.C. Yee’s Yangchen books. At this point, the Earth Kingdom has just gone through a civil war, wherein the White Lotus manipulated the Water Tribes and Fire Nation to sponsor a challenger to the throne, which is wild. The challenger was defeated and the Earth Kingdom entered a period of intense isolationism. There are a handful of port cities where foreign trade is allowed, with incredibly powerful governors who actively manipulate the system to build their wealth at the expense of the citizens. The Earth King is paranoid af, to the point that he is donning disguises and sneaking around to catch plots against him. And some of these governors are actively plotting against him and inventing new weapons of mass destruction (combustion benders) in order to usurp him.

The next we see of the Earth Kingdom is in the Kyoshi novels were it’s a devolved mess of warlordism. Various daofei groups had taken over parts of the inner provinces and the Earth Monarch was incredibly weak. There’s also the whole Wars of Secrets and Daggers scramble for the throne, which is only mentioned.

According to the Wiki, in the online comic Escape from the Spirit World, Kyoshi pressured the ineffective 46th Earth King to adopt a constitutional monarchy in order to prevent further oppression. This occurred in the aftermath of a peasant revolt that occurred after the death of Chin the Conquerer.

Avatar Legends then gives us a King Jialun, who reversed many of the progressive changes of this constitution and murdered the sages who agreed with Kyoshi in “The Night of the Silenced Sages.” The government was recorrupted, but no other successor had the same power as Jialun. So the Earth Kingdom monarchy was corrupt but weak.

Then we next see the Earth Kingdom with King Kuei (the 52nd Earth King). According to the old website, he ascended to the throne at the age of 4, which is why Long Feng — who served as regent — was able to essentially takeover.

But based on what we see in the show, the Earth Kingdom has completely splintered. The Earth King only has power in Ba Sing Se, and that power is only ceremonial. He is unaware of the 100 year war and completely inept to rule. Then it’s Azula and the fire nation takeover.

In the comics that come between ATLA and LOK, King Kuei, without the influence of Long Feng, takes an active role in the governance of the Kingdom. He is willing to go to war over the colonies in “The Rift,” but is also willing to be shown wrong. He was instrumental in the peace after the war and fully restored the monarchy as the full power of the Earth Kingdom government.

Then we get to LOK. Hou Ting is a fairly powerful, incredibly corrupt monarch. She tried to exert more control over the people, especially the outer provinces. She’s then killed by Zaheer. The power vacuum is ultimately filled by Kuvira, a non-dynastic dictator who rules by force and sponsors brain washing and the forced removal of Fire and Water nation descendants. The next dynastic ruler is Wu (whom Kuvira had usurped). He is Hou Ting’s great-nephew, and at least third in line from her. He is the only surviving member of the dynasty and seems unprepared to rule at his coronation, after three years of living in Republic City.

After the whole Kuvira thing is taken care of (Book 4 of LOK), Wu then decides to abdicate and democratize the Earth Kingdom. The post-canon comics (Ruins of Empire) show the struggles and setbacks of this, but ultimately reaffirm this path.

And I am so obsessed with this whole history. There are, according to the Wiki, at least 2 dynasties, the Hao and the Hou Ting. It resembles Chinese history, but doesn’t just follow it. There’s dynastic decline and really interesting incidents that I wish were more fully fleshed out. Not to mention as the centralized monarchy weakens, you see the rise of local powers, like the King of Omashu. I just find the whole thing so fascinating and I wish I had a comprehensive book.

#avatar legend of korra #avatar the last airbender #king wu #prince wu #avatar #avatar last airbender #my theories #my thoughts #earth kingdom #king kuei #queen hou ting #earth royal family #earth monarch

[justfirelordizumithings]

#fire lord izumi #prince wu #queen hou ting #ruins of the empire #i kid i kid #i just imagined izumi randomly appearing just to glare at him

[bigcatholly]

Wu definitely hates Hou Ting so much because she used to send him to Kumon every time he acted up.

#prince wu #Queen Hou Ting #lok #tlok #Wu definitely seems like the kid who would cry when he was doing math #Wu’s childhood trauma was the Kumon experience #I can feel it #text post #headcanon

[steveandbuckysdaughter]

So, I was thinking about something in LOK.

You know the Earth Queen Hou-Ting? You know, the woman who secluded airbenders and that Zaheer killed?

This one?

Well, as you all may know, she’s King Kuei’s only daughter.

I’m sure you all remember King Kuei, the puppet king with the bear.

This guy.

Well, I made some calculus. He must’ve been in his early/mid 20s in ATLA. And his daughter had to be in her 50s/early 60s when she died.

In the meantime, Zuko is 87/88 in 171AG, when LOK3 takes place. Since his daughter is commonly believed to be around Bumi and Kya’s age, I’d speculate that she’s around 60 in her appearance in LOK4, in 174AG and when Zuko is 90 (Tenzin is 51 in 170AG and Kya is roughly 4 years older than him, so Izumi must be between 5 and 7 years older than him, which places her in a range between 60 and 62 years old).

(See? Roughly the same age)

So, my point? I think during their diplomatic visits, Zuko and Kuei had to spend a lot of time in each other’s company because, monarch stuff. And given that they were both heirs to their respective thrones, Izumi and Hou-Ting had to spend a lot of time together.

I don’t know why, but I imagine those two having the wildest, silliest yet most hateful beef as teens. And given Hou-Ting’s despicable behavior and authoritarian politic in contrast to what shown of Izumi, a rational leader who cares for her people, I am even more convinced that those two despised each other.

So yeah, I can’t stop picturing Izumi and Hou-Ting insulting the crap out of each other while saving face in front of the subjects. And I can’t stop laughing

#Zuko #fire lord zuko #Izumi #Izumi atla #fire lord Izumi #princess Izumi #earth queen #hou ting #earth queen hou ting #king kuei #earth kingdom #fire nation #headcanon #hc #atla #avatar the last airbender #lok #legend of Korra #I also can imagine a scene going like this: #Izumi’s daughter: mom have you heard? the earth queen has been killed? #Izumi while drinking her tea: about damn time

[inbarfink]

#avatar #legend of korra #avatar legend of korra #LOK #alok #prince wu #the earth queen #earth queen #Hou-Ting #bolin #bolin lok #lin beifong #jinora #korra #avatar korra #korra avatar #zhu li moon #zhu li #Varrick #iknik blackstone varrick #tenzin #Zaheer #Kuvira #asami #asami sato #meelo #Desna and Eska #eska and desna #desna #eska

[zuko-always-lies]

#Legend of Korra #LoK #Vaatu #Desna #Eska #Hiroshi Sato #queen hou-ting #Varrick #Zaheer #Tarrlok #Unalaq #Amon #Kuvira

[plumsaffron]

AHAHAHAH Zaheer took oxygen (Air) insurance in Ba Sing Se away

#AIR INSURANCE #Superboy #Young Justice #There is no air in the Phantom Zone #There is no war in Ba Sing Se #PlumSaffron #Young Justice Meme #The Legend Of Korra Meme #Zaheer #Earth Queen #Hou-Ting

[comradekatara]

It’s me again, and I’ve got another ask for ya @comradekatara

And no stupid pol meme’s that I gave only a cursory glance too and stupidly screenshotted this time!

I’ve seen a few of your post (at least I think it was your’s) about LOK. So I was wondering. In regard to the main villains, who is your least favorite/most disliked?

And what would you change about their motivations and perhaps their “villainous” means to make them a more compelling and/or sympathetic character?

lol this is a pretty big ask. i mean basically every villain in lok is completely incoherent thematically, politically, ideologically. people will call amon a communist but he doesn’t actually give a shit about economics or class in any capacity. people call unalaq a theocrat but as far as im aware he isn’t exploiting people’s spiritual faith to gain power, (maybe that’s what he was doing at first, but) he literally wants to submerge the world into “darkness” for one million years for… reasons and purposes. unalaq/vaatu is by far the worst lok villain, but that’s not even saying much because it’s so patently ridiculous and cartoonish. the red lotus are actually compelling but they also love chaos for the sake of chaos (because anarchism!) and want to violently murder a teenage girl and hold a genocided people hostage to do so (despite zaheer’s supposed respect for air nomads). and kuvira is an ethnonationalist who declares herself emperor, so i guess she’s at least a somewhat coherent portrait of a real type of person who actually exists, but the fact that the fascist despot is the ONLY character who points out that republic city was built on colonized earth kingdom land is um….. not a great look?

and then side characters like tarrlok, hiroshi, varrick, queen hou-ting, suyin(???), wu(???) who aren’t really the primary villains even though in many ways they’re more ideologically coherent, are just also kind of weird for their ambiguous framing. like hou-ting is literally kidnapping airbenders and putting them in underground labor camps where they’re tortured and ruthlessly trained into forming an army, which is something that chaisee does in the yangchen novels and is regarded as utterly reprehensible and heinous for it (because it is), whereas we’re supposed to feel bad for hou-ting when she dies because murder is bad uwu. and we’re supposed to forgive hiroshi for [checks notes] attempted filicide. and varrick is just some fun wacky little guy who is a ruthlessly amoral capitalist but also he does the charleston! and isn’t him marrying his overworked, exploited assistant cute?? and not at all grossly misogynistic and horrifying???? LOL!

so i don’t think going through every villain and antagonist individually and imbuing them with depth is really a worthy use of time, since the show largely suffers from incoherence due to the fact that it isn’t cohesive at all. besides korra’s character development (which is excellent), there’s no real central idea that ties every season together. take atla instead: it’s a very linear narrative, with an established goal that is always being worked towards and once it’s ultimately completed, the show ends. lok has no idea what that central goal is. so instead of trying to fix every character, it’s better to work from the center out and first simply define that goal. the central political tension in lok is, fundamentally, a question of whether it is better to alter the status quo in various radical ways, or whether it is better to maintain the violently upheld hegemonic norm by virtue of it being the status quo (and spoiler alert, it’s the latter!). and these radical ways, whether it be the terrorist movement of a fraudulent right wing populist dictator, or the terrorist movement of a bunch of commies, is always presented as equally dangerous and in need of korra’s gaggle of cops, liberals, and capitalists to suppress. what a great show.

however, the lok that lives in my head does away with most of that, and simply focalizes the conflict between the white lotus and the red lotus as diametrically opposing forces both vying to control korra’s position in the world as avatar and reconstitute her legacy on their terms. because korra’s arc is fundamentally about learning to define her selfhood and her role in the world on her own terms, and the one commonality between every villain is that they’re trying to suppress or control her identity in some way. because it’s also, incidentally, a show primarily concerned with the value of identity politics, and doesn’t actually give a shit about any of the class struggles that underpin the show’s worldbuilding and inform so many of its primary characters. so while i’m not opposed to korra’s struggle of identity, and in fact appreciate it a lot and find it personally affirming in multiple ways, korra deserves a show that is actually worthy of her brilliance as a character.

it’s not that korra shouldn’t struggle to establish her identity on her own terms, but that the politics through which they attempt to communicate this struggle are incoherent. so i would simply reframe the conflict as one primarily between the white lotus, who are reformist liberals at best, and neoconservative reactionaries at worst. we see the best of the white lotus in atla (arguably), and the worst of the white lotus in the yangchen novels (which are fascinating and excellent and everyone should read them). xai bau is only ever mentioned in a single exposition dump (in one of the only truly great episodes of lok, i might add), but his philosophy and role in the narrative is nonetheless fascinating to me. the idea that the white lotus becomes more public facing after the war, leading to its detractors also growing more vocal, is genuinely interesting. the conflicts established between the white and red lotuses are genuinely compelling (to a point). but they never truly address how the white lotus kept korra locked away in a compound for the first 17 years of her life, they never meaningfully address the harm the white lotus has done to her and to the world.

like, of course korra couldn’t master airbending, the element of freedom, if she’s never been truly free. korra spent her entire life in a gilded cage, her role in the world and legacy defined for her by liberals who wanted her to be some kind of supercop instead of a genuine spiritual leader. it’s not korra’s fault that spirituality and harmony and meditation are difficult for her, she was literally denied those facets of herself for her entire adolescence. the white lotus constitute a microcosm of the ruthless neoliberal society korra encounters when first arriving in republic city. the white lotus are a metonym for the liberal identity politics centrist reformist vision of the world that lok uncritically presents as the ideal. in a better show, korra would question those systems, disavow them, and even perhaps attempt to dismantle them. korra would define her freedom of self on her own terms by realizing the ways in which the white lotus and their broader ideology has harmed her.

that said, the red lotus is also flawed. and i don’t just mean because they’re chaos-hungry terrorists who love to murder with impunity, but because they’re in the business of denying korra’s agency as a human being and not simply as the avatar. they want korra dead because they don’t believe in the role she embodies. and you know, they can want that for understandable political reasons without being completely evil about it, but obviously in a show as facile and shallow as lok, no they can’t. i think that korra’s brief pause in considering zaheer’s point of view should have lasted longer. i think that korra should have become disillusioned by the white lotus and the stipulations of capitalism (as early as book 1, frankly), and she should have genuinely considered joining them. and once she does eventually disavow them too, it’s not because of their evil commie politics, but because they’re also in the business of dictating her role in the world, and korra can’t stand to be boxed in by anyone, certainly not from people who claim to be in the business of dissolving borders.

so pretty much every villain in lok would fall under either the umbrella of white lotus operatives (whether direct or indirect) or red lotus (whether direct or indirect). people who want korra to be the world’s ultimate cop who upholds the systems that benefit them, or people who think that the avatar has no place in a truly just world, for (honestly) kind of valid reasons. the red lotus would be antagonists who work against korra’s arc of establishing her own freedom and agency, but the white lotus would be the “villains.” and the capitalist juggernauts who mistreat and exploit their workers (and their assistants and their daughters etc etc) would not be let off the hook so easily either. the neocolonial tensions in republic city wouldn’t be framed as an issue of the distant past. the issues of class and colonialism would be foregrounded alongside korra’s struggle to establish her identity. and then, perhaps, the narrative would finally cohere.

#745voiceofthepeople #asks #lok crit #analysis #korra #white lotus #red lotus #oh lok that lives in my head…… save me korra save me…..

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

There is 58 years between the first plane flight, and a human going to space.

Technological advancements happen very quickly, so yeah that argument is mute. Even if you believe Santos Dumant was the first person to do it, that's still 63 years between his flight and a human going to space.

Also I'm not sure in which universe is democracy a widely American concept.

Even before Ancient Greece in the Vajjika Republic in 6th century bce India is widely considered to be the first example of a democratic Republic.

Also democracy is literally only in Republic City, which didn't have real democracy until the end of Book 1, and the earth kingdom who was suffering under a bad case of fascism. And Queen Hou-Ting, what ever godamm name was, sucked dick and was a terrible ruler.

The water tribes kept their chiefs, they just get to vote on it. The northern water tribe chiefdom is hereditary. The fire nation kept their firelord

Korra did not spread democracy everywhere, unlike where you claim they forced it.

Poor earth kingdom citizens, they must miss being a selfish queen who never did anything to help them, and let theives go wild, and then the facist dictator, who put people into concentration camps.

In HISTORY leaps in technology have happened fast. In a STORY you need to be careful not to make the whole thing feel like it's set in a different universe - and when we go from rudimentary industrialization, some of which is openly treated as a PROBLEM by the original's shows narrative because nature's worth and it's key role in keeping balance are a central theme in several episodes, all the way to Ford 1s everywhere, big ass factories that would obviously cause a lot of polution, lightningbending going from rare to something common that is used to give everyone electricity, all because the writers wanted to change the aesthetic from Meiji Era Japan to Prohibition Era New York, I'm gonna say that shit went a bit too far.

I didn't say americans invented democracy, I'm saying it's very common for american writers to push their own way of life as the only correct one, because there's literally over a century of the government spreading propaganda about "The american dream" and "the american way of life" to EVERYONE, including people in the USA, where the writers were raised - which is why the city that is supposed to represent the all four nations suddenly goes from "Very obviously east asian" to "Very obviously USA stuff that was never present in the old show." The character of Korra isn't running around saying "The US is inherently better", but the show very much is by making the symbol of balance and harmony so PAINFULLY american.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Bryke or anyone involved in the making of Korra was actively trying to make propaganda, they were just influenced by it and repeated some of it without even realizing it - and so did you with the bizarre leap in logic of "If you criticize the way americans, knowingly and unknowingly, tend to push their way of life as the default/superior one in stories, that means you think the fascist villain had a point/is not that bad"

If you like Korra as a show, including the whole concept of Republic City, that's fine. It's none of my business. But as someone who literally had to study American propaganda pieces and the long lasting influence it had in media, there is NOTHING you or anyone can say to me that will convince me that is not a reflex of propaganda that breaks the world-building that had been very coherent and consistent in the previous show. Either deal with that, or block the tags/my blog.

#anti korra #anti legend of korra #anti lok

[korrasamibottles]

Doesn't have to be the character you think is the most evil, just the one you most love to hate/hate to love. They suck severely but whenever they show up you can't look away.

PROPAGANDA:

Amon/Noatak - Bloodbender with a genuinely tragic backstory. Reinvents his entire identity and creates a sham political movement that exploits real tensions between benders and non-benders instead of going to therapy. Explodes at sea with his baby brother Tarrlok.

Hiroshi - Straight up tries to murder his daughter and then runs away like a coward. Bit of an elitist snob. Calls Mako a rat which is ironic considering he's the one spending a not-insignificant portion of his time skittering through a series of underground tunnels.

Varrick - Steals Asami's company and also every scene he's in. Invents the movie and immediately uses it for war propaganda. Has only a wisp of a ghost of a moral compass. Helps start at least two sectarian conflicts. Always has some kind of foot situation going on (bunions, calluses, etc.) and makes it everyone else's problem. Treats Zhu Li terribly and for some reason she agrees to marry him anyway.

Unalaq - Nasty little manipulator. Jealous of his hotter older brother so he gets him banished from their tribe. Was part of the Red Lotus plot to kidnap Korra as a baby. Has an arguably erotic encounter with the ancient Spirit of Darkness that makes him huge and also red (honestly it's an upgrade).

Raiko - Total loser who didn't want a tree growing through his office and was a massive bitch to Korra. Failpresident who coped with his re-election loss by starting the in-universe equivalent of Fox News.

Zaheer - Horrifically brutalizes Korra and then haunts her for like 4 years. Kills the Earth Queen and creates a power vacuum later exploited by Kuvira. The kind of guy you meet at a protest who seems cool at first but then he says something completely batshit that makes you want to back away slowly with your hands up.

Queen Hou-Ting - Shitty old despot whose favorite activities are abusing palace staff and bleeding her people dry. Hates animals. Literally her only redeeming quality is that she's related to Wu. Got very creatively murdered by Zaheer. Probably nobody cares about her but I needed more evil women for this poll hashtag feminism.

Aiwei - Funny little guy with some great jewelry who always knows when you're lying. Let Zaheer and Co. into Zaofu via a secret tunnel attached to his room. Currently enjoying a long vacation in the Fog of Lost Souls.

Kuvira - Created what was essentially a nuclear bomb and looked super hot while doing it. An ethnonationalist who put dissenters in camps and probably killed tens of thousands of people and was only mildly apologetic about it.

Guan - A less hot and less competent Kuvira. Brainwashes Asami, Mako, and Bolin into attacking Korra in the comics. Even more unsuccessful at politics than Raiko.

#lok #tlok #amon #hiroshi sato #varrick #unalaq #raiko #zaheer #kuvira #polls

[fanficsiwillneverwrite]

On my umpteenth rewatch of lok, I had a sudden interest in old Zuko…. And let’s just say another wip is brewing in my brain now about Zuko and his involvement in book 3 :/

Zuko looks in the mirror and sees only a face he no longer recognizes: old, long past its prime. An old wound haunting him, even how many years later. It happened so long ago; only yesterday. Shaky hands rub the rough skin as the memory takes hold. It was for the better, he once told himself long ago. It led him on the path of good, toward the light. But the thought of giving such a punishment to Izumi… He admittedly was not perfect when it came to raising her, but he was no Ozai.

Through the reflection, he sees Akari, the Firelord’s senior aide, emerge from the golden doors. “Lord Zuko,” she says with a respectful and low bow. Her voice is distant, muffled, despite being so near. Just a reminder of his aging body. “The Firelord will see you now.”

He nods, acknowledging her, but his focus remains on the stranger–no, the old man–staring back at him, copying every move he makes. Akari backs away to give him space. And he touches a few wrinkles. Uncle always said they were a sign of living, far better than the alternative. His laughter still echoes in his mind; the steam of hot tea still lingers around him.

He moves away from his reflection and into the throne room where his daughter sits high above him in all her glory. Zuko smiles as he bows–and his old bones crack as he bends. Another reminder that the old man in the mirror and the boy who thought his destiny was to capture the Avatar were one in the same. “The Firelord has requested an audience with me. I would be interested in knowing what for.”

“Hello Dad,” greets Izumi gently as she stands. She approaches him, a familiar look of care mixed with concern permanently captures her face each time she looks at him. He knows it well. Old age brings on pity. No, Uncle would say, old age brings on care. They hug and, suddenly, he is drunk with the scent of familiarity. Once Mai’s favorite perfume worn now by a grieving daughter who wants only to keep her mother close. “How are you?”

“I am fine, daughter,” he assures, his hand squeezing her shoulder as if to emphasize the fact. Sadness lingers around them with Mai’s passing just over a year ago. “Though, perhaps it is I who should be asking you that very question. Avatar Korra has led us into a new age where spirits and mankind must now live together in harmony. As the Firelord, it is your duty to make her decision a reality. With some guidance from me, of course, if it doesn’t interfere with my nap time.”

She rolls her eyes as a smile forms. “I think sometimes I can make better sense of your snoring than your political babble,” she teases.

“Be careful what you say next, daughter,” he shoots back. “I still have claim to the throne, you know.”

“Like I’d give it back,” she tells him playfully. But her face turns serious. And like a stuck bandage, the news of why she has summoned him is ripped open quickly to ease the anticipation: “I’ve just received word from President Raiko in Republic City. It seems… Harmonic Convergence has brought back the Airbenders.”

His heart feels as if it has sunk. The Fire Nation’s greatest burden, their deepest regret—now, so suddenly, fixed? He would have to see it to believe it, especially if Raiko is the one reporting it. All the man cares about is the votes. “What?”

“I haven’t yet received word from Tenzin, but there has been at least one Airbender sighting in Caldera alone. Most, it seems, are in the Earth Kingdom.”

“That could mean trouble.”

The Earth Queen remains bitter over land now the United Republic of Nations and everything surrounding it, Air Temple Island included: Earth Kingdom territory, she makes false claims. While her father was timid, mostly oblivious as a leader, Hou-Ting is loud, demanding, and a complete tyrant.

Zuko turns, hurrying out the room. There is no time to waste. “I’ll head straight to Ba Sing Se—”

His daughter is quick to stop him. “The Fire Nation should not have any involvement there, dad. You know this.” His intent would be to liberate this new wave of Airbenders from the grasps of great tyrannical power, but the world might view it as another Firelord’s attempt to again dismantle the Air Nation. He blinks, seeing clearly now as his daughter faces him again. “Furthermore,” Izumi continues cautiously; they’re always dancing around his state of retirement. The nation is hers–it is her birthright–but he makes diplomatic trips around the world to assure peace, to continue what he and Avatar Aang started so long ago, yesterday. “A man your age should really be fretting over pai sho and gardening. Not the state of the world.”

The man she is describing is Uncle. Not him, never him. “I will not turn my back on the world when it still needs me,” Zuko insists. His reflection shows an achy old man with a story long ago completed, but as long as his heart still beats and the fire still burns, he can be useful.

“I know,” she says, “but… you can only do so much before it becomes too overwhelming for you.” She adjusts her glasses as a sigh escapes her. “Dad, I care only for your safety–”

“I am still capable–”

“–which is why I think it perfectly sensible for you to take in a ward.”

He stops, hurt–offended. “A-a ward?”

“One of Master Muromachi’s young pupils,” she continues. “Someone who can be your companion. Someone who will watch your back and defend you when you’re unable.”

Zuko huffs, rubbing his forehead in frustration. His daughter thinks him unable, an invalid of his craft now just because of a few wrinkles. Spirits! He is Lord Zuko, Leader of the Fire Nation and the Avatar’s Firebending Master. And she thinks he needs a sidekick? Some noble boy defending his honor? “No, absolutely not. I don’t need some child protecting me.”

Izumi rolls her eyes. “This isn’t a suggestion, dad. Master Muromachi is expecting you. We’ll go down there this afternoon.”

He stomps away stubbornly, like a child not getting his way. The roles were reversed long ago, just yesterday when he was still in charge, when he was still capable. “I can choose my own ward, can’t I?”

“Of course–”

“Then I’ll go on my own, if it pleases the Firelord.”

He exits before she can answer. Anger boils within him. He hates being the man who is old, the man who needs help. Most of his friends are gone now and this new generation is perfectly competent, his daughter being one of them, but the fire still burns inside him. The face in the mirror is the face he saw long ago–yesterday–when there was no scar.

The Fire Nation Academy for Gifted Boys is a secondary school for sons of nobles. It teaches Nonbenders how to fight through the art of swordsmanship. Only the best, or most wealthy, can attend. And the training is rigorous, not for the faint hearted. Tom-Tom became one of the academy’s pupils when he came of age, mastering sword fighting at the age of fourteen. Firelord Ozai always dismissed the school’s teachings, saying Nonbenders could never truly be masters without the ability of bending. In his final years, without his bending, his father learned the way of the sword, though he never tried to understand the relationship between a man and his blade, thus never becoming a full master of the craft.

These days the school is just as rigorous with Master Muromachi, a stern and, dare he say, cruel man, in charge of this new generation of fighters. The boys stand straight in a line when Lord Zuko arrives. Eyes forward, not one hair out of place, not a single crease in their suits. Their movements are in sync as they all bow low when Muromachi introduces him to them.

“You have honored this school with your presence, Lord Zuko,” Muromachi says with a bow of his own. He moves aside for Zuko to properly examine his students. “Please, choose anyone you think is worthy.” He gestures to the tallest of the group: tan skinned and golden eyed, Zuko sees a darkness in him that brings only suspicion. The way the boy eyes him; it’s not like the others. “Eigo here is our star pupil.”

“Is that so?”

Muromachi gestures again and Eigo assumes a fighting stance as he draws his sword. He dances with it around Zuko–impressive but, still, there is something about him that he doesn’t quite like–before returning to his spot in line.

“Very good,” Zuko tells him, “though I find your lack of moderation rather… unsettling.”

The boy’s expression darkens at the criticism. Not suitable for his company at all. Muromachi moves on without a visible reaction: “Pao,” he calls. And the next boy moves skillfully around the room with his blades. A mindless routine, practiced over and over again until perfection. He does what he is told and nothing more.

“Your moves, though highly skillful, lack originality,” Zuko notes. He will find something wrong for each of them. He does not need a protector, nor does he want one.

Muromachi becomes more tense as they move down the line, each boy weaker than the last. This Academy is a show and these so-called warriors are nothing more than performers this day in age, not like how they used to be, he will tell his daughter later over tea. That is why he did not choose a child today. That is why he should not have a ward.

Finally, they arrive at the last: the smallest of the group. A softness exists within him that the other boys do not have. Short hair above his ears cut in a wonky bowl shape and fierce blue eyes with a sparkle in them that shows he is ready, not to win but to fight for what is right—he knows those eyes. It hits him, suddenly. A girl, disguised as a young boy.

“Lee!” orders Muromachi, sweating profusely at this point. Zuko instantly understands the name is false, an alias to hide her true nature.

And the girl disguised as a boy begins her dance around Zuko. Her movements are hesitant. She nearly trips over her own two feet. Her two swords do not move together as one but rather as completely separate entities. An amateur compared to her peers. Muromachi is visibly appalled by her performance, but remains silent out of respect for his guest. Zuko, admittedly, is intrigued by the girl. Why would she openly go through such turmoil?

#zuko #prince zuko #lord Zuko #old zuko #fanfiction #fanfic #ao3 fanfic #legend of korra #lok #lok fanfic #atla #avatar the last airbender #also like I’m sorry for all the wips I’m pumping out but life is just up and down right now so

[badgermolebender]

A day in the life of Wu of the Hou-Ting Dynasty, King of all the Earth Lands, and Glorious Defender of Ba Sing Se, 54th Earth Monarch

Morning

* Wake up

* Get out of bed

* Get out of bed

* Come on, you really have to get out of bed now, you have responsibilities

* Get out of bed

* Breakfast - look over the day’s meeting schedule

* Read over reports from yesterday

* Consider writing Mako, he still hasn’t responded to your last letter

* Attend first meeting, with transportation ministers, discuss the new trains constructed by Kuvira and the funding needed to maintain the system

* Try not to freak out at the mention of Kuvira and the war, succeed — mostly

* Wish Mako was there, you could really use some of his straight-talking, no-nonsense comfort, he doesn’t need to put up with you, he doesn’t need your problems

* Attend second meeting, with financial ministers, argue with them over the new tax structure

* The next time one of them implies you are too young or inexperienced to know what you are doing you are going to scream

* NO! that’s what Auntie would do, you are not Auntie, you won’t let yourself be

* Succeed — for now

Midday

* Lunch - breathe, you can get through the rest of the day

* Consider writing to Mako, the worst thing that happens is he doesn’t respond, it’s not like he isn’t already annoyed with you

* Attend last meeting of the day, with cultural ministers, try once again to convince them to use their funds for a memorial for the victims of Lake Laogai rather than finishing The Earth Queen’s Temple, that it would be good to commemorate the history of the people not just the Royals

* Make no progress, argue them to a standstill

* Consider introducing legislation to undo centuries of discrimination against same-sex relationships

* Your ministers/the aristocracy/the remaining Dai Li would know, they would know

* They’d go after you, your reign, your life

* Decide to start small, tomorrow

Evening

* Dinner - try not to cry staring at the empty table

* Wish that your parents were alive

* Wish that any of your family were alive, so you weren’t king, so you didn’t have to do this, so you weren’t alone

* Feel guilty for thinking this, you’re doing good work, you know you are

* Read over reports from the day

* Wish you could run away to The Cave of the Two Lovers and live with the badgermoles

* Make notes for tomorrow’s meetings

* Consider writing to Mako, he hasn’t written back because he hates you

* He’s always hated you

* He’s always going to hate you

Night

* Go to bed

* Wish you weren’t so alone

* Wish he didn’t hate you

* Wish he could love you the way you love him

* Try not to cry yourself to sleep

* Fail

#avatar legend of korra #king wu #prince wu #lok #mako #wuko #wukoweek2024 #angst #not super Wuko #the ship is implied #Wu is mostly just sad #I was trying something

[biconickyoshi]

I like to think that Tenzin in this AU will have the same eyes as Zuko, also will he have a tattoo when he bends air?

My only question is that this way Zuko's line will disappear and a new line of rule will begin, wouldn't this be a problem for the people of the fire nation?

Ohhh I love this idea, anon! That would be cool if he did happen to have similar eyes to Zuko. And yeah, he definitely would not have his tattoos prior to Harmonic Convergence, but afterwards, he'd probably be the first person since Aang to get them done, followed by Jinora of course. In my mind, prior to Harmonic Convergence, he's basically got the philosophy and movements down, just without the actual bending (extremely similar to Zaheer).

In regards to your Zuko question - I've never actually thought it would be a huge deal for the royal line to "die" out with him, as it's something that happens all the time with real life monarchies. We even see in the Kyoshi novels that there used to be multiple clans in the Fire Nation that were vying for the throne (which is why Fire Lord Zoryu eventually got rid of the clan system altogether). And of course there was Earth Queen Hou-Ting, who died without any heirs, so her nephew Prince Wu ended up becoming next in line.

You're right that it would probably end up being a bit of a turbulent time for the Fire Nation once that happens, but also, I've been toying with the idea of Zuko stepping down and establishing a democracy in the FN. We've already seen by Korra's time that the Southern Water Tribe, Republic City, and the Earth Kingdom (albeit slowly) have started to shift to a democratic regime. I've also never liked the idea of Zuko being saddled with having to be the ruler of his nation in general just because of his bloodline when that's not something he really seems to have wanted in the first place.

At least that's my interpretation for how he feels about the throne in my AU; since Zukaang will be endgame, Zuko wouldn't want to be tied down to that position - he'd want to be with Aang wherever he goes. Maybe he stays Fire Lord for a couple of years at first, but my version of Zuko would def not stay long lol.

#asks #my fic #the avatar and the fire prince #taatfp #zukaang #atla au #atla #avatar the last airbender #lok #legend of korra

[allgremlinart]

please keep in mind this is a battle of USELESSNESS !! of raw narrative and in-universe FUTILITY !! decide accordingly

#allgremlinpolls #this is deeply close to my heart. #atla #tlok

[i-am-extremely-mad]

Two beautiful moments where Korra loved the way Asami lied:

Book 3: Episode 4, "In Harm's Way";

Hou-Ting: “Anyway, if you need any assistance packing, let Gun know. He'll see to it that you're on your way by evening.”

Korra: “Uhh, this evening? I'm not sure about leaving so soon-”

Asami: “Because our airship is having engine trouble. It'll take me until tomorrow to finish the repairs.”

Hou-Ting continues sneezing. Gun walks off, and the Queen follows, sneezing onto his sleeve.

Korra: “Thanks for buying us some time.”

I love how Asami reacted immediately when Korra didn't quite get the hang of lying to the queen, while she did it without any hesitation and thus bought everyone some time.

and of course in Book 4, Episode 13, "The Last Stand";

Asami: [Interrupts them.] “Excuse me Tenzin, Varrick is looking for you. Something about wanting to borrow a glidersuit to fly off the tower?”

Tenzin: [Runs off.] “That doesn't seem like a good idea!”

Korra: [To Asami.] “Wanna sit with me for a minute? I'm not ready to get back to the party just yet.”

In this case Asami was lying so that she and Korra would finally get some time to themselves and Korra knew what Asami had done and so she smiled and invited her to sit down.

#LOK #korrasami #Korra #Asami Sato #goddesses #gorgeous #beautiful #sweet #awesome #amazing #incredible #adorable #so gorgeous #so beautiful #so sweet #so adorable #this is so gorgeous #this is so beautiful #this is so sweet #this is so adorable #OMG #otp #personal post #text post #my post

[themasterusersblog]

Wu never thought he would be king. This was just a distant daydream. There were so many people in the line of succession to the throne that they were in front of it, and some who were behind were passed to the front. He remembers being taught all the royal manners and trained to be king, only to be sent away

Great-Aunt Queen Hou-Ting never had any children. The next in the line of succession was Wu's father. Dated a Middle Ring woman and got her pregnant, all the scandal. The next Earth King hooking up with a unimportant woman from the Middle Ring. Great-Aunt got mad when Wu was born. He remembers some family fights when he was little.

"He will be Earth King! And his mother is from the Middle Ring! She doesn't even has a last name!"

But Dad taught him everything to be King. Dad told him he would be King, doesn't matter what Great-Aunt said. And Wu was young and naive. He believed him. But then Mom died and Dad met another woman, a important one, one that had a rich family and a last name.

They fell in love, they had children and Great-Aunt likes these children. These children look like royalty with last names.

And then it faded away.

The kids with "the most noble heritage" arrived ahead of him in the line of succession and Wu would no longer be King.

When his first half-brother was born, Wu didn't understand why this boy five years younger than him would be King. Traditions were clear when they mentioned the firstborn, but traditions could distort in favor of what the Queen wants. And then came his half-sister (seven years younger) and his half-brother (nine years younger) and it became clear that he would not be King. Not only did he lose the crown, he lost himself from the royal family.

His father was so focused on his new family, new wife, new children, he forgot his firstborn son. Wu was left to babysitters and tutors.

Wu no longer heard his father say, "You will be a great king no matter what great-aunt says." He barely heard his father. His father was always busy with his new family and new children and his noble son who was going to be king. His father has left behind his past mistake of becoming involved with a Middle Ring woman to focus on the true future of the Earth Kingdom.

Wu's father and stepmother and half-brothers were the heirs of the Earth Kingdom. Wu was just Wu and his father didn't stand him. He stayed as far away from him as possible, making as little contact as possible the few times they ended up bumping into each other in the royal palace. The close relationship Wu had with his father when he was a little child has turned into... nothing. His dad even took his stepbrother's away.

The oldest son talked to Wu in a polite way, but never in a family or friend way, it was like talking to a stranger. The middle daughter basically ran away from him. The youngest son gave him birthday gifts, trying to make friends, but they were never close.

When Wu grew up, his father sent him to Republic City University to study. Wu accepted the invitation somewhat happily. He felt much better at University than at home, where everyone seemed to be running away from him or forbidding people from talking to him.

In the time he spent at RCU, he did not write to his family once or receive any letters from them. The only time he received a letter from home was one signed by Grand Secretariat Gun himself, appearing to be sent directly from a dream, saying that Wu would be Earth King.

He would be king.

He would be king, and he would be an admired king, an adored king. Now that he would be king, he would always be in the spotlight. People wouldn't walk past him to talk to his brothers now that he would be king. His father wouldn't abandon him now he would be king. Great-Aunt wouldn't hate him because now he would be... in her place.

The realization of what would have to happen for him to become king hit him like a train. He was sad, but his emotions and thoughts fought. The ones who died were his father and his great-aunt, but his father abandoned him a decade and half ago and his great-aunt hated him.

Between the confusion regarding his family and the happiness of being the future king, Wu thought "This monarchy is really strange sometimes."

#this is probably not that good but i dedicate it to the half a dozen people that love wu #his family always made me curious because hou-ting was his great aunt #there was his parents and grandparents in front of him in the succession line and they are never mentioned in the whole show? #also never in the comics? #wu's family basically suffered a massacre and no one is talking about it? #he's basically a canon orphan and this is never mentioned? #wu #prince wu #king wu #earth prince wu #earth king wu #earth kingdom #wuko #sort of #half of wuko #maybe a write a wuko sequel to this one #some day #this was in my drafts for too long