this is unfinished, I know, but I'm learning how to draw skin now and uuuugh that's so hard!! so I want to show how my process is going on Zukka >~< plus I haven't posted any art for a week maybe..
also!! I really like that headcanon where Sokka braids Zuko's hair — it's like.. one of my fav headcanon lol. Idk when I'll finish this, but the lineart is nice (I hope), so maybe next week or sum
Maybe the first pic is a little bit ooc but I really wanna draw jealous sokka™, because it doesn’t wanna get out of my head after that “very attractive” scene 🙏🏻😭
And! I really appreciate your attention on my recent post 💔 Thank you all!
posting my art feels kinda embarrassing but I really wanna hop on that #zukka train!! it’s my childhood ship i love them so much how can I just ignore this huge comeback ?? zukka fans i love you 🥰!!
Recently I unlocked a new Kinich teapot dialogue that I feel shows some interesting dynamic elements between ajawnich and I wanted to write down some thoughts for the other 5 ajawnich enjoyers out there. The line I'm talking about is in the friendship level 4 "Would you like to have a chat with me?" for anyone curious.
The gist of the discussion is that Traveler asks Kinich about his Saurian hunts and how they happen. But then the player has the option to ask him, "So what was the toughest Saurian you ever had to deal with?" To which Kinich replies without hesitation…
Kinich: Ajaw.
Ajaw: Excuse me? How dare you mock me to my face! You big-mouthed bipedal bug!
Kinich: Greed and conceit are common vices of evil dragons. They're easy ones to exploit.
Kinich: And the big, lumbering types have more strength than coordination. As long as you're agile enough, you just keep dodging their attacks until you find an opening.
Kinich: But Ajaw's unique — not only evil and powerful, but clear-minded too. It's an extremely rare combination.
Ajaw: Hah, so NOW you try and sing my praises? Well, if you're looking to curry favor, it won't work. The Almighty Dragonlord wasn't born yesterday!
Kinich: Scratch my last statement. If you really were clear-minded, you'd know none of that was meant as a compliment.
Ajaw: Aw, don't be shy! How many times do I need to tell you? Bottom-feeders like you have a valuable role to play — you give the almighty dragonlord something to look down on from the top of the food chain! So please, fawn away!
Kinich: *sigh*… So yeah. You see what I have to deal with?
Couple of things that caught my attention here. (Everything I'm about to say is my own interpretation and tbh my shipper goggles might see things in a way you may not agree with which!!! is totally fine!! We don't have to agree!! This is for funsies!!!)
First of all, Kinich put his contract with Ajaw in the same category as "dealing with" his Saurian hunts. The way I see it, this is tied in with his sense of duty. It's his job to make sure dangerous Saurians don't hurt people and Ajaw has the potential to be devastatingly harmful. But in another sense, does this mean he views his contract as a job too? He has the responsibility of keeping arguably the most dangerous Saurian in check for the good of the community. How does this reflect on their dynamic? Does he view keeping Ajaw in check as duty? (I'm pretty sure the character story that focuses on their first meeting mentions the kind of thoughts that Kinich had when he first met Ajaw, but I'd rather analyze this dialogue by itself. I might come back and cross-reference it.) He does always apologize when Ajaw is rude to others, but is it out of a sense of responsibility or just him not wanting to deal with potential consequences of Ajaw pissing off the wrong people? Given the context and the fact that they are in a biding contract, you'd feel like Kinich is the one completely in control of the situation. He has the "duty", the means to keep Ajaw in check and the resolve to do so.
Except this notion is immediately dismantled by Kinich himself because he very explicitly states that Ajaw is the toughest he's ever had to deal with. Well yes, obviously. For one thing, unlike his Saurian contemporaries, Ajaw is a fully fledged dragon. It's a pretty objective opinion, that he would be "tougher to deal with".
And Kinich is the one to point it out! More than just pointing it out, he then further explains that Ajaw is both physically strong and smart enough to lie and deceive. Obviously he frames both of these things as negatives (because all things considered Ajaw is an enemy to pretty much everyone and everything), but they are still accurate appraisals of his qualities. He doesn't downplay Ajaw's strength and doesn't lie about it either; in fact, he is very straightforward about it.
I feel like it's easy to forget that canonically Ajaw is someone to be worried about. Due to his minimized appearance and the fact that he is most often used as comic relief, the audience is prone to willfully ignore that he is still quite literally a dragonlord with a dragon sovereign's powers.
Ajaw's reaction to Kinich's appraisal is what surprised me most though. After Kinich said his name I fully expected him to preen and brag about being the toughest. Instead, his first reaction is to think that Kinich is mocking him. Which is understandable given the fact that they often make fun of one another. But it struck me as odd because Ajaw is very much portrayed as an arrogant, overly confident individual. His inflated ego is the core of many jokes and yet when faced with genuine recognition of his abilities he first thinks that he is mocked and then thinks he is being buttered up, which in my opinion are both pretty defensive reactions.
Furthermore, the second Kinich actually takes everything back and insults him, he is quick to backtrack. Ajaw does, in fact, want to be fawned over, he wants to be praised and feared for his power. It's maybe the most consistent aspect of his personality and it shows in the way he interacts with everyone else. Which makes his initial reaction all the more surprising!
I wish we had some official backstory lore for him since now all I can do is speculate. But given his character and the usual cliches associated with his character type, I can only guess that while he might be as strong as he claims, he also maybe wasn't one of the strongest dragons of his own time. Sure, Ajaw is a dragon and he is strong, but was he considered strong from the perspective of a dragon society? He behaves like someone who is relatively stronger than average but still being patronized or overshadowed by others above him. He behaves like a younger person who has certain exceptional qualities (for which he wants to be praised) but is ultimately always compared to individuals who outclass him. This begs the question: Was Ajaw the youngest of the Sovereign Lords? Or was he in some aspect significantly weaker? It's also interesting that he's the only one who survived at all, especially since his survival is the result of a trick. Ajaw is consistently impulsive and rash, strong but easy to sway and desperate for the recognition and praise of others. To me at least, these are all the traits of a more immature personality. Especially when you compare him to Kinich, who is calm, collected and very direct.
And I feel quite validated in my deduction thanks to Ororon's voice-line about Kinich where he literally says, "Ajaw is an interesting case. He's old, but also young... And Kinich is just the opposite — young, but also old. You know what I mean, right?" Why yes, Ororon, I very much do know what you mean. Ajaw may be older than Kinich but he lacks internal growth; Kinich is calculated but his restrictive nature doesn't allow him to externalize himself. All in all, they complement each other very nicely, which is why their interactions are so much fun. In an ideal scenario, these differences would mutually help them develop.
So, my general conclusion is that Kinich has a more objective view of their dynamic than Ajaw does. He is capable of understanding the threat that Ajaw actually poses while also being aware of the limitations he is under due to their contract. On the other hand, Ajaw is still unable to properly read Kinich. He doesn't know when he's serious or when he's joking and I feel like he's not even sure what kind of reactions he wants out of him: he likes and wants to be praised but simultaneously perceives Kinich's "compliment" as mocking/kowtowing. As a result, I feel like generally speaking, Kinich has better grasp and understanding of Ajaw's personality and temperament than Ajaw does Kinich's. Although it's implied and occasionally shown that Ajaw does know Kinich pretty well, he is not able to read him quite as easily or accurately.
Now that we have a canon image of Zuko in his late 20s/early 30s?, have you ever drawn Jet or Jin at that age? (and what would they think of Zuko’s princess hair?)
OH MY GOSH YES GREAT QUESTION CAUSE I HAVE!!!
Very small doodles but a basic visual of what I think they’d look older. Tbh Jin doesn’t change all that much other than status and shorter bangs.
jacobvanloon
titsay
dailybridgerton
stormborns
