WitchofEndor

underestimates the wordcount

[a-witch-in-endor]

The Mighty Oaks Fanart List!

I am in the very lovely position of having too much fanart for one story to put it all in the limited end-notes of the story. So... here’s a shiny list!

(If you’ve drawn something and it isn’t on this list, it’s an accident. Please please please let me know so I can add it!)

Art anon, my beloved, has drawn:

A comic of 13-year-old Fire Sage Zuko standing up to the Fire Lord

A two-part comic of the "you look stupid" scene: Part One: You're Actually Kind of Little and Part Two: You Look Stupid

Zuko's portrait (v holy, v pretty, v nerdy)

The fire-lily-in-Zuko's-hair scene

Zuko tucking the fire lily back into his hair

The hugging scene

an ADORABLE cartoon of Zuko and Sokka on Appa

and has animated Zuko's I WILL NOT BOW

@mgtjo has gifted us with:

The ice cliff scene

Zuko looking to Agni for strength

Zuko falling falling falling

Zuko encountering La

Sokka and Zuko definitely not thinking about kissing

A sweet Fire Sage Zuko plus fire lily

And Zuko's face as he prepares for the trial of La

@elfantasmadepoe has drawn:

A comic of bb Fire Sage Zuko being reluctant to wear the hat

And Zuko studying in the Room of the Broken

@portraitoftheoddity has drawn a very exasperated Zuko in ill-fitting EK clothing

@bigfuckinnerdblog gives us a view of Zuko in uniform

@saitoakirachan-fangirls has gifted us with sketches of Zuko in uniform, featuring fire lily and hat

@saxonroa has drawn an adorable bb!sage Zuko

@musdswo has drawn comics featuring Zhao, Zuko and the gals, Tatsuya, and most importantly, The Hat

@sunhatwafers has depicted the Verdict

@slappyonward has drawn some very sweet Fire Sage Zukos, complete with his favourite quote

@petramysticaclxv has gifted us a lovely interpretion of the Heretic Sage

@a-todd-illustration's haunted piece of Zuko in seclusion

@phtalogreenpoison’s eerie, beautiful sketch of the Heretic Sage

@discombobulatedwonderland has given us a very unimpressed lawyer!mode Zuko

@solanumstarss has given us a lovely Zuko-with-fire-lily moment

@escyn has created a haunting piece title Haircut [in seclusion]

@amandayetagain broke my heart with this depiction of Zuko underground

[captainkirkk]

@zukoicism Wait hold on, you're onto something

AU where Aang isn't frozen but instead dies mid-Avatar State 100 years old. Zuko figures out that the Avatar hasn't Reincarnated into the next element so, very rationally, blackmails a spirit so he can travel back in time and kidnap the Avatar before he died.

[a-witch-in-endor]

this is exactly the kind of batshit plan that would make complete sense to Zuko

[tuktukpodfics]

Chapter 12: Water II Part II A | While Mighty Oaks Do Fall

When faced with pain, his body had betrayed him, and he bowed.

Podfic of @a-witch-in-endor's Fire Sage Zuko AU: Chapter 12. Corresponds with the second half of Chapter 10 in the text version.

In which La is not a gentle spirit.

[a-witch-in-endor]

!!!

An absolute masterclass in the craft of the audiobook. I am in love with how you interpret the text using your voice.

[kuttithevangu]

I’m inventing a holiday called Maslenitsapurimadan which is where you wait until sunset and then eat your own body weight in triangular pancakes

[kuttithevangu]

Maslenitsapurimadan is over guys now it’s Passeasterzan which is when you put ham on matzah and you’re not allowed to eat it. Sorry

[a-witch-in-endor]

When the aliens arrive, this post is how I would like them to learn about human culture

[amandayetagain]

"I'm going to be lucky if I'm not accused of high heresy and put to death." - Fire Sage Zuko, Earth I (Part II)

While Mighty Oaks Do Fall is written by @a-witch-in-endor and I highly recommend it, especially if you love history, politics, and religion.

The scene depicted is as follows from Fire II (Part III):

Zuko’s heart won’t calm down.

As much as he tries to meditate, as much as he tries to disappear into memories, his heart knocks against his chest so hard that it makes Zuko feel sick.

He turns onto his side in the coffin, brings his knees up as much as he can, and wishes he could fall asleep.

Wouldn’t that be nice? To die in his sleep?

But his heart won’t stop. His hands won’t stop trembling.

Eventually, the tears arrive.

[a-witch-in-endor]

Oh my GOODNESS. This is beautiful and haunting. (And made me question why the hell I wrote a scene this sad and what on earth is wrong with me...)

Thank you for adding this art to my story. Putting together "lucky to be born" and this scene was ouch ouch ouch.

[1617]

sometimes life puts you in the same situation again to see if you’re still a dumbass

[a-witch-in-endor]

Rambam Mishneh Torah Hilkhot Teshuvah 2:1, amiright

[a-witch-in-endor]

For anyone who doesn't remember which law Teshuvah 2:1 is in the Mishneh Torah (for shame, go back to yeshivah):

אֵי זוֹ הִיא תְּשׁוּבָה גְמוּרָה? - זֶה שֶׁבָּא לְיָדוֹ דָּבָר שֶׁעָבַר בּוֹ, וְאֶפְשָׁר בְּיָדוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹתוֹ, וּפֵרַשׁ וְלֹא עָשָׂה מִפְּנֵי הַתְּשׁוּבָה; לֹא מִיִּרְאָה וְלֹא מִכִּשְׁלוֹן כֹּחַ

What is complete teshuvah (repentance)? This is when a person confronts the same situation in which they transgressed when they have the potential to commit the transgression again, and, nevertheless, abstains and does not commit it because of their teshuvah alone and not because of fear or a lack of strength.

In other words, famous 12th Century rabbi agrees that "sometimes life puts you in the same situation again to see if you're still a dumbass".

[1617]

sometimes life puts you in the same situation again to see if you’re still a dumbass

[a-witch-in-endor]

Rambam Mishneh Torah Hilkhot Teshuvah 2:1, amiright

[rimonoroni]

christians: what could possibly be in that evil book…. what horrible spells does it hold within its pages… what black magic does it propagate….

the talmud: so if you send your kid off to Torah school but he has a really hard time with it, send him back home and go to school yourself instead so that once you’ve learned Torah you can go and teach your entire family. in fact, once some rabbi went out to go to Torah school and do just this, and on his way he came through this town and he asked if he could stay in the synagogue for the night. and of course the rabbi said yes but weird enough no one was in the streets and something was kind of off about the whole place. so our hero went into the synagogue only to find a seven headed demon just hanging out in the library!! our hero is terrified and prays super hard and because of this the demon is vanquished. he goes back to the rabbi and is like “dude wtf” and the rabbi was like “listen i know this is unorthodox but you’re well known for how good at praying you are and this demon has been terrorizing us for well over a month and we were desperate. we knew you wouldn’t die” and the guy was like “i didn’t know that!” who do you think is in the right? hm. tough question. anyway. what were we talking about again? oh right. what if you make your sukkah doorway 1/7 of a cubit too short. would that be fucked up or what

[rimonoroni]

look up Bavli Kiddushin 29b <3

[tuktukpodfics]

Chapter 11: Water II Part I B | While Mighty Oaks Do Fall

"They have reached the top of a cliff of ice. Zuko walks forward to the edge and looks down and down and down."

Podfic of @a-witch-in-endor's Fire Sage Zuko AU: Chapter 11. Corresponds with the second half of Chapter 9 in the text version.

In which Zuko goes for a swim (again).

[a-witch-in-endor]

Speaking of me being spoiled, here's Tuktuk's podfic of Mighty Oaks - Water II Part I B. Zuko and Sokka are leaving the ice prison, we're meeting Yagoda, and Katara is just about done yelling. For now.

And Elder Healer Yagoda is having a very weird day.

[a-witch-in-endor]

Chapters: 3/20 Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender (Cartoon 2005) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar), Zuko & the Fire Sages, Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), Yue & Zuko (Avatar) Characters: Zuko (Avatar), Yue (Avatar), The Gaang (Avatar), Azula (Avatar), Zuko's Hat Additional Tags: Funny Hat Zuko AU, Fire Sage Zuko AU, Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, Found Family, Fire Hazard Siblings, canon-typical child abuse, Zuko is the Temple's Baby Nerd, Worldbuilding, Zuko Joins The Gaang Early (Avatar), Zuko has never met a hill he wasn't ready to die on, Autism, Podfic, Podfic & Podficced Works, Audio Format: MP3, Audio Format: Streaming Summary:

High Sage Kenji blesses Fire Prince Zuko with the resilience of the reed, who bends in the wind and never breaks. When he is done, Fire Prince Ozai narrows his eyes, seemingly displeased by this blessing. But Kenji does not speak for himself; he is only a vessel.

-

The newly-crowned Fire Lord Ozai offers his firstborn son to service in the temple.

This turns out to be a catastrophic mistake.

-

Podfic recording of WitchofEndor's While Mighty Oaks Do Fall starting chapter 11

I am a spoiled, spoiled author. Check out @hesitantgelatin’s podfic of Mighty Oaks, starting with High Sage Kenji (sob) noticing a late night meeting, and then Zuko’s explanation of the history of the White Lotus. It’s chapter 11, we’re in the Northern Water Tribe, and I haven’t scarred you for life yet! 

[sooz-again]

'Cause I'm a man, not a boy And there are things you can't avoid; you have to face them When you're not prepared to face them

[a-witch-in-endor]

So, funny story: i randomly remembered reading a really good fic about zuko being a day labourer and the gaang helping him build a wall, and went “that was so good but what i remember is SO VAGUE and doesn’t match any of my bookmarks” and so i resigned myself to never finding it and reading everything else i had bookmarked instead as consolation. the first fic i opened was where the stars do not take sides, and whaddaya know, day labourer zuko-

This is the best thing to remember. It's just that story where Zuko builds a wall!

[bloodbending]

can’t believe tiktok is actually getting banned, twitter is infested with bots and brainworm-infested musk bots, facebook is king of QAnon, instagram caught the plague from facebook and is dying a slow death in real time… and as the dust settles… only Miss Tumblr is left standing… failing upwards once again

[curliestofcrowns]

where's that speed skating gif

[scarygodmother]

[a-witch-in-endor]

Me, looking in an online thesaurus to find a more appropriate way of saying "lover of grammar"

Online Thesaurus: how about hottie

Me: I don't think "hottie of grammar" is the way forward

Online Thesaurus: how about... vixen

Me: you know what, "lover of grammar" is fine

[muffinlance]

Does this make MightyOaks!Zuko a vixen of law

[a-witch-in-endor]

This is the kind of thing we don't leave in the notes, @muffinlance!

[a-witch-in-endor]

Me, looking in an online thesaurus to find a more appropriate way of saying "lover of grammar"

Online Thesaurus: how about hottie

Me: I don't think "hottie of grammar" is the way forward

Online Thesaurus: how about... vixen

Me: you know what, "lover of grammar" is fine

[burquillos]

I think it was very sexy of the new firelord to have an elite team of all female warriors as his royal guards

[a-witch-in-endor]

Look, as far as I am concerned, nothing in the comics (or outside the show at all) is canon, with two exceptions:

The Kyoshi Warriors are Zuko's personal guards, and

Zuko gets a dragon

That's it. Those are the only post-ATLA facts I am interested in.

[a-witch-in-endor]

I'm rereading While Mighty Oaks Do Fall (again) (for the nine millionth time) (its really good), and I was thinking... Fire Sages sever all familial ties when they take their vows, but from what we know re vows renewals being allowed for marriages, they're not forbidden from establishing new ties - at least, not so long as they have permission from the High Sage. Does that mean that a Fire Sage, after having married/renewed their vows, could have children that would legally remain their family?

Anything established after fire immersion remains in place - whether that is the re-establishment of a marriage or children born afterwards. Bonds based on blood cannot be re-established but bonds based on vows can.

Zuko's feelings about needing to be loyal only to Agni are just that: Zuko's feelings. It isn't and was never about dual loyalties; it is about rebirth and renewal.

Thanks for asking! :-)