the-badger-mole

[the-badger-mole]

I got you - things are out of space Things are moving up and down You're standing in a dark place You know me, right on the other side Things are hurting all the time Like you've died but you're still alive You died but you're still alive

reblog w the song lyrics in your head NOW. either stuck in yr head or what yr listening to

#alexz johnson #still alive

[the-badger-mole]

DON'T EVER COME FOR THE LEAFY GREENS!!!!

in the hour or so it took me to draw this op turned reblogs off

[the-badger-mole]

1. Have you always hated Aang? If you can remember, what specific scene really sparked your hatred for his character?

2. Do you ever regret joining the atla fandom and having to fight tooth and nail for a ship? What’s kept you going all this time?

I've never liked Aang, but my hatred didn't start until the post series canon when I saw how for some inexplicable reason Bryke decided to go ahead and continue making Aang the worst main character and punish Katara and the others for it. The fact that they wasted all of that Zutara potential for a relationship that was somehow AS bland as it was toxic is what made me actively hate Kataang. Even though I never shipped it, I could have just ignored it, and lived happily in my fanfic bubble until I saw what they did to my girl. The fact that they stripped Katara in particular of everything that made her so awesome in order to make her and Aang's relationship believable and then unironically defended Aang for being a negligent parent, was what drove me all the way into the Aang is a Villain, Actually camp.

I don't regret joining the ATLA fandom. I have had, and am still having a great time. I'm also not fighting tooth and nail for my ship. I have my opinions and people can take them or leave them. If people get upset, that's got nothing to do with me. That's not my business. My only problem is when they bring their issues to me directly. If they deliberately tag incorrectly, or they jump into my asks, or reblog me, or leave hate comments on my fic, they can get the business until I'm bored with them. And then they can get blocked. I deliberately don't give them any serious answers, too. I don't argue with stupid anymore. I'm also not here to change anyone's minds on Zutara, Aang, or any other thing I mention.

#atla #zutara #anti aang #anti kataang #how do you write a romance that's both boring AND toxic? #pick one or the other bryke #a toxic ship should at least be interesting #a boring romance should at least be sweet #pick a struggle

[the-badger-mole]

bedtime

[the-badger-mole]

Father of the Bride

Hakoda swallowed hard against a lump in his throat. He had imagined this day so many times since Katara's birth. The details were different, though. She wasn't marrying a proven warrior from among their people. That was fine. She had spent so much time traveling the world, expanding her horizons, creating her own paths. Hakoda didn't think there were one in a thousand men at home who could keep up with the woman his daughter had become, and he had resigned himself to the fact that she might not end up with a Southern Tribe man years ago.

But he hadn't considered that her marriage might take her so permanently from home. A foolish oversight on his part, he admitted. And at least she would have the means to visit her family a few times a year. Still, he felt a pang. Same one he felt when he left his children behind with Kanna to go fight a war too big for him. Now that pang was tempered with bittersweet happiness as he watched the final preparations being made on Katara's wedding gown-a stunning piece of art even to Hakoda's untrained eye. All silks and linens in shades of blue and silver that recalled the bridal outfits of her homeland. Furs and leathers would be too hot for the climate, but Katara wanted to tell everyone up front how she would bring her own culture to merge with her new people. Her groom-to-be not only supported this decision, but had come to Hakoda and Sokka to ask them how he, too, could incorporate the Southern Water Tribe into the wedding on his end. That had been a long night, with strong drinks and stronger emotions, but at the end of it, Hakoda had decided that despite his initial misgivings about the marriage, he couldn't have picked a better son-in-law than Zuko.

Fire Lord Zuko. Fire Lord Zuko was going to be his son-in-law. Sometimes the thought made Hakoda chuckle. Sometimes it sent a chill down his spine. Not that he was worried about Zuko himself, but Katara's proximity to his throne. The crown. She would be coronated the next night in a ceremony as lavish as the wedding. She would become the Fire Lady. Co-ruler of the country that had spent a hundred years ruining countless lives with a war over something as silly as imperialist pride. Hakoda didn't think they deserved his daughter. If Zuko had earned his trust and respect, the rest of the Fire Nation certainly haven't. Not the nobles, anyway. When he brought them up to Katara, she laughed, though it didn't reach her eyes, which were flint hard and grimly determined. She told him no matter where she went in the world, she would have to fight for any respect she got. At least here she would have Zuko fighting beside her. Hakoda wasn't sure he agreed that was a worthy trade off, but he knew better than to try to talk his daughter out of it.

The Fire Nation had already benefited from her presence. As a foreign advisor, she had fostered trade and exchange agreements between the Fire Nation and all of the Water Tribes, Omashu and Gaoling. As an ambassador, she'd helped negotiate reparation packages that have helped the parts of the world hit hardest by the war recover. As one of Zuko's most trusted counselors, she'd helped him work the Fire Nation's budget so the government could provide for education, health and services for returning soldiers. The same kinds of programs she'd helped Hakoda and Sokka build in the Southern Water Tribe. It suddenly struck Hakoda that she had been acting as Fire Lady for a long time. Before she and Zuko had even realized they were in love, maybe. Today and tomorrow would just make it official. Hakoda still didn't think the Fire Nation deserved a Katara, but any chance he had of talking her out of it had long since slipped by him. And he now he wasn't sure he would talk her out of it, even if he did have the chance.

The final touches were done. The maids stepped back in a flurry of excited chatter. Kanna stepped forward, moving stiffly in her old age, smiling up at her granddaughter through tears. She had had this moment with Kya years ago, and Kya should be standing in her place now. Kanna reached out and ran her fingertips over the necklace she had passed to her daughter, and her daughter had passed on to Katara. Kya was here, Kanna assured herself. And Kya would be here with Katara as she made these next steps, first as a wife, then as a queen, then someday as a mother and grandmother herself.

"She would be so proud," Kanna told Katara. The two women embraced. Then Katara stood up, head high and looking as regal as any queen in any nation ever had, and turned to Hakoda.

"Are you ready, Dad?" she asked. Hakoda shook his head.

"I was never going to be ready for this," he confessed. "But it doesn't matter. You are ready."

#atla #zutara #fire lady katara #hakoda #father of the bride has a moment

[the-badger-mole]

This is the money Marge. Reblog for good fortune

[the-badger-mole]

I was scrolling through my fics, and was suddenly struck by how often fairytales have inspired my stories. I decided to put them in a collection so all of you can see one of the repeating patterns in my stories.

Read the fics here

#atla #zutara #fics #throw back...monday #tbt #on a monday

[the-badger-mole]

[the-badger-mole]

Is there anything Dark Aang does that even you will admit Canon Aang would never do?

Yes. Be proactive.

#atla #anti aang #anti kataang #dark!aang au #dark!aang is just canon Aang at his most extreme tbh

[the-badger-mole]

PLEASE elaborate on dark Aang killing Sokka, I love your ideas

Aang's demonstrated a lack of respect for the SWT customs and culture. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that they are more overtly dependent on hunting than the other nations, but also I think there's not a little bit of classism, too. As they get older, and Aang becomes more insistent that the whole world be more like the Air Nomads, it would become a sticking point between Sokka and Aang. Suki would also not trust Aang blindly, which would influence Sokka, too. The tension between them would grow over the years, not at all helped by Sokka's feelings about how Aang treats Katara and her children.

Over time, Aang's support for the soft colonization of the NWT of the SWT would become too much, and Sokka would demand that any NWT transplants are subject to the SWT's laws and customs just like they would be if they immigrated anywhere else. Aang would argue that the more "sophisticated" NWT was having an enlightening effect on the rustic SWT. His thinking is that the NWT's influence would bring the SWT closer in line with Air Nomad philosophies, or at least the philosophies as he understands them. Sokka's not having it, though. One day Aang goes too far and supports what is essentially a coup that would leave Sokka as chief in name only so the the NWT can set up an annex government. Of course Sokka will not stand for that. At this point, the rest of Aang's friends see the problem, too and go to support Sokka. There is a skirmish between the NWT colonial forces and Sokka's warriors. Aang goes into the Avatar State, trying to end the conflict, but he attacks the SWT forces, who are being led by Sokka. Sokka takes a hit and he dies. It's too fast for Katara to even attempt to heal him.

When Aang comes back, he sees the death and destruction he's caused. Sokka  is among the dead, and Aang is at a crossroads. He can either realize that he has failed as the Avatar and become the very thing he was supposed to protect the world against, or he can retreat further into his selfish denial and lament what he was forced to do.

Sokka's death has a ripple effect. Fire Lord Zuko officially voices his dissent of the NWT's occupation of the SWT. Katara takes her brother's place as leader of the SWT, and she leaves Aang, taking her children with her, including Tenzin. With Toph's influence, Gaoling and Omashu both unite with the Fire Nation against the NWT and Aang. Something like the Equalist movement takes shape in the SWT and the Earth Kingdom, and Aang finds himself facing backlash. The people of the world begin to question the actual duty of the Avatar, and how much say he should have in any of the world's conflicts.

#atla #anti aang #anti kataang #dark!aang au #tenzin might not be katara's child #i haven't decided yet

[the-badger-mole]

Hello, I'm a huge fan of your work and I'm intrigued by your Dark!Aang premise.

Do you think DA would accidentally kill one of his friends whilst in the Avatar State?

Absolutely, and it would be Sokka.

#atla #anti aang #anti kataang #dark aang #ive thought about this a lot #it would be sokka #I'm as upset as anyone about it

[the-badger-mole]

im sorry if this comes off as ignorant, but who's the person in your ao3 pfp?

That's Bessie Coleman, the first black woman to earn a pilot's licence. You should look her up. She's fascinating

#ask the badger mole #bessie coleman #black history

[the-badger-mole]

wait um i just wanted to be sure but are you the person who wrote uncharted waters? if so i love your work <3

Yes, I am. Thank you!

#ask the badger mole

[the-badger-mole]

Uncharted Waters: To the Victor

Aside from the market place, which stretched along two miles of  smooth road, there was plenty to see of Gaoling within walking distance. Katara was determined to see as much as she was able, and so took the lead to every park, garden and historical site she heard of.

“I didn’t grow up around a lot of monuments,” she told Zuko. “Until I left home, the oldest building I’d ever seen was only about 40 years old, and it wasn’t much to look at.”

“What about parks?” Zuko asked. “Or hiking trails?”

“Hiking trails?” Katara scrunched up her nose at that. Zuko told her about the hiking trails that went through the woods and mountains of the Fire Nation where people would take recreational trips.

“People would do that for fun?” Katara asked dubiously. “Just walk up mountains and through woods for fun?”

“Some of the trails could be really difficult,” Zuko explained. “But a lot of them weren’t much harder than walking up a hill. And there were beautiful views. Depending on where you were, you could see over the ocean, or fields of flowers, or cliffs. I’m not doing it justice, but if you saw one of those trails, you’d get it.” Katara shot him a look which suggested that she very much doubted she would get it. Zuko seemed very enthusiastic about hiking, though.

“I guess if my only experience doing it wasn’t for survival, I’d enjoy walking through the mountains, too,” Katara conceded at last. “There are beautiful places to see back home, too, but the views were more a bonus than the point. There are some places, like the glacier fields where you might not return from if you go in. The ice can shift without warning. There are forests further inland, too. With hot springs where we go to celebrate…well, a lot of different things.” 

“There are forests?” Now it was Zuko’s turn to be incredulous. “I thought the Southern Tribe was all ice.”

“Nope,” Katara shook her head. “We have forests inland. That’s where we get wood for building our bigger boats. A lot of our rivers flow from there, too.”

“Why don’t you guys live there?” Zuko asked. “Wouldn’t it be easier?”

“Not really,” Katara pursed her lips thoughtfully. “The ocean is our connection to everything. All the animals we hunt have either live around the ocean or have to go there sometime. It’s also our connection to the rest of the world. And I guess calling what we have forests is kind of misleading. It’s not like….like the Foggy Swamp, or the island. There are trees, but not a lot of them. We have to be very careful not to overharvest them. We didn’t even really start using them for our boats until after the war. We don’t even use them for firewood unless we really have to.

“What do you use for fire then?”

“Driftwood, mostly. Dry grasses in the summer.”

“That sounds like such a difficult life.” Zuko frowned as he thought about what that life must have been like. No wonder Katara was so adept at living on the island.

“It was all I knew for most of my life,” Katara shrugged. “It works for us. And maybe we don’t hike for fun, but there’s still plenty to keep us entertained. We have penguin sledding, ice skating, and kayaking. There’s the story circle, and rock hopping-‘

“Rock hopping?” Zuko repeated. Katara’s face split into a wide grin as she described a dangerous sounding sport that had to do with leaping over crevasses and water onto whatever stone surface was close enough to reach. The further the stones a player could reach, the better they did.

“The best players tend to be our best hunters,” Katara told him. “It teaches you to be agile and light on your feet. I think you’d be pretty good at it, actually.”

“Well,” Zuko said shyly, “maybe someday I can visit and you can show me how to play.”

“It’s a deal!” Katara agreed.

Read the rest of the chapter here

#atla #zutara #uncharted waters #cultural exchange

[the-badger-mole]

hey so I’m relatively new to the Zutara fandom and I heard you were a Zutara blog?

do you have any headcanons for them? post canon or otherwise.

apologies if this is not the place I’m still super new (also any other good Zutara blogs out there)

Hey! Welcome! Jump on in, the water's great! My blog is very pro-Zutara, and I have tons of posts including short fics, meta and head canons. Feel free to scroll through it. However, I don't know if anyone's told you, but my blog is also very, very anti–Aang. If you enjoy him, I respect that, but I don't respect him. My anti–Aang stuff is not the majority of my blog, but there's your heads up so it doesn't surprise you later.

Since you asked specifically for head canons, here's one I'm pretty sure I haven't mentioned before. Post war, Katara encourages Zuko to make more friends. He doesn't trust most of the nobles, so in disguise, he takes an art class attended by middle and working class citizens. Not only does he make friends, he gets to know a few of his subjects by name. Later, when he and Katara build a new advisory board, unconnected with Ozai, some of the first nominees are people Zuko met in his art class.

#atla #zutara #headcanons

[the-badger-mole]

Rule: Five (5) songs you never skip. Tagged by @kila09

We're Not Making Love No More Dru Hill

Still Alive Alexz Johnson

Feel Something Magnolia Park

On and On Longpigs

How Can You Mend A Broken Heart Al Green

@writer-rider-flirty-thirties, @ap-kinda-lit @neva-borne @eponastory @metaorigin, you're up, if you want to answer!

As always when I do these, let me know what you think of the songs. I'm always down to geek out about music

#ask the badger mole #tag game #music

[the-badger-mole]

Facultative

It seemed like every day of travel got longer. Even now with Katara and Zuko coming to a peaceful resolution to their issues, the tension hadn't broken over the group.

"Once we get to Ember Island, it'll get better," Suki promised them all. "My troop got antsy like this when we were on duty, too. We just need a break, that's all." This was met with grumbles of disbelief, but Aang was grateful that someone other than him was trying to be the voice of optimism. That role usually fell to Katara, but she had been quiet and withdrawn since she and Zuko had come back from finding Yon Rah. Oddly enough, only Zuko seemed to be able to get more than a few words from her at a time. When they stopped for rest, they would often end up slightly away from the group, falling into hushed conversations, broken up by Zuko occasionally running to get her a drink or a snack, or to handle a chore Katara usually did. She assured her friends she was fine, though. Just tired.

That was the over all sentiment of the rest of the group, too. Even Appa was showing signs of strain. Aang scratched his friend's neck with a concerned frown. They would have to rest that night. They'd all been hoping to make it to Ember Island by nightfall, but Aang knew he couldn't keep pushing his flying bison the he had been. He told the rest of his friends and was met with groans and complaints, and then grudging acceptance. Aang steered Appa toward a small island. It was barely big enough for the name, but there were shrubs and a grasses and small trees, hinting at fresh water nearby.

Once everyone had slid down from Appa's saddle, Aang set to making him more comfortable. He loosened the saddle, promising Appa that he would remove it completely once they made it to Ember Island and wouldn't have to leave for a while. Then, while the others set up camp, Aang wandered around with Appa, looking for a good place for him to graze. Appa stopped every so often to munch on some of the grass growing up from the greyish soil, but he didn't seem terribly interested in it. At one point, Appa stopped under a tree. It was a youngish tree, with tender green branches. This Appa eyed hungrily, but Aang gasped and nudged Appa gently.

"No, Appa," he said, pointing at one of the branches his friend had been eyeing. There was a bird's nest with new hatched chicks chirping loudly. The mother bird flew in and stood on the edge of the nest, trilling angrily at Appa. Aang chuckled and nudged Appa again, urging him gently to move on. But Appa didn't move to Aang's surprise. Then to Aang's horror, Appa leaned up, mouth opened wide, and chomped down on the branch, nest, chicks, and bird all. Before Aang could say another word, Appa began chewing, silencing the muffled tweets and chirps. Aang gagged at the sound of crunching, knowing that some of it was bones.

"Appa..." Aang gasped. Appa turned one large brown eye on his boy and kept chewing, thoroughly unbothered. Aang felt a flush creep up his neck and to his cheeks. He grabbed Appa's reins and tugged him back to camp. "That was bad, Appa! I can't believe you did that! Come on, we're going back to camp, and you can eat the grass where I can see you."

Appa groaned in protest, tugging against his reins trying to get back to the tasty tree, but Aang was persistent, and Appa didn't want to hurt him. He allowed the boy to lead him back to camp where there was little to eat except the bland, dry grass. The others looked up in surprise when Aang arrived back, still scolding Appa.

"What happened?" Sokka asked. Aang, still fuming, tied Appa's reins to a boulder.

"He ate a nest of birds!" Aang told his friends, outraged. When they exchanged confused glances, Aang rolled his eyes. Of course, they wouldn't get it. Aang could smell the meat they'd begun roasting for dinner.

"Appa is a vegetarian," Aang said, by way of explanation. More glances went through the group, this time more uncomfortable than confused.

"Well, sure," Katara said hesitantly. "For the most part." Aang turned to her, stunned.

"What do you mean for the most part?" he demanded.

"Well..." Katara shrugged, looking at her friends for help. "Well, it's just that Appa has eaten meat before."

"No he hasn't!" Aang scoffed. "Appa's been a vegetarian for his whole life!"

"I've seen him eat meat before," Katara told Aang gently. "Many times."

"Appa's been sneaking meat and you didn't tell me?" Aang gaped at Katara in horror.

"He hasn't been sneaking it," Katara said. "Last week he ate a rock squirrel. He caught it right where I was setting up my tent."

"I saw him catch and eat a tree hare," Sokka offered helpfully. "He's actually a pretty good hunter for his size."

"He catches a lot of animals just grazing on grass," Toph said with a shrug. "I thought you knew."

"Of course, I didn't know!" Aang shouted. "If I knew, I would have put a stop to it!"

"Aang," Zuko spoke up. "You do know that most animals eat meat, at least occasionally, right? Even the ones that live off of plants eat meat sometimes."

"Not flying bison!" Aang insisted. "Not Appa." He turned to his friend, who was grazing lazily. Appa didn't seem to have a care at all. Not about eating meat, not about how betrayed Aang felt. Aang stood watching him in stunned silence. Then he felt a warm slender arm slip around his shoulders.

"Hey," Katara said gently. "Why don't you come sit and calm down. I made you lentils and wild rock tubers." Aang allowed her to steer him away from Appa. Toph went in behind him and freed Appa from the boulder. He grunted at her gratefully before lumbering over to a small, green bush to graze. Suki and Sokka stood behind Aang, as if to shield him from the sight while Katara and Zuko gave him his dinner and a cup of water.

"You want a blanket?" Katara asked. Aang shook his head, but Katara went over to find one just in case. Zuko patted his back in a way that was intended to be comforting, but just felt stiff and awkward.

"I know how you feel about eating meat," he said. "But you have to understand that you not eating meat is a choice, and animals don't have the ability to make that choice. When they eat, it's based on instinct.

"Appa's not just some animal," Aang held stubbornly.

"I know he's not," Zuko said. "He's your friend, and he's very smart compared to a lot of other animals. But he is still an animal. It's his nature to eat what he needs when he needs it. It doesn't change anything about him."

Aang disagreed, but he knew he'd find no support among his friends. The problem, he convinced himself, was that Appa was now living with meat eaters. Aang could admit to himself that he, too, got curious about meat from time to time. No wonder Appa had, too. All Aang needed to do was keep a closer eye on his friend and keep him from making poor choices. After all, the monks had told him that flying bison, like airbenders, got their abilities from keeping pure. He would keep Appa away from meat for his own good.

Across the clearing, Appa had moved onto a new bush. This one had the most deliciously tart berries. Appa paused midchew and nosed the ground beneath the bush. He could smell a seagrouse nest nearby. Maybe if he was lucky, he'd get another bird before they had to leave the island.

#atla #appa #aang learns the concept of facultative herbivores #circle of life #zutara #mostly in subtext but still #inspired by a casual geographic video