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todays bird
Jules of Nature
One Nice Bug Per Day
$LAYYYTER
Cosimo Galluzzi
cherry valley forever
Sweet Seals For You, Always
KIROKAZE
occasionally subtle
Show & Tell
Three Goblin Art
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Not today Justin
Game of Thrones Daily
trying on a metaphor

⁂

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AnasAbdin

izzy's playlists!
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@savingacadia
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personally i think there should have been at least one episode where sokka collects aang and zuko and is like, “looks like we’re running low on supplies. time for a GUYS-ONLY field trip. three days of hunting and fishing and polishing our swords. y’know, manly warrior stuff. (aang, sotto voce: actually sokka i’m a vegetarian as you know–) you girls have fun sitting around braiding your hair and talking about your crushes” and then the entire episode is just zuko and sokka lying around by a river, plucking blades of grass and staring up at the stars confiding in each other their deepest feelings and most secret insecurities while aang braids flower crowns, and whenever the screen cuts back to katara and toph and suki, they’re fighting and screaming and hacking away at river pirates and evil spirits and legions of assassins and hired mercenaries with swords. you know, as girls do.
and when the boys finally drag themselves back to camp (they stayed up way too late discussing what true leadership really means and whether or not power always corrupts) they find suki and toph and katara lounging around with black eyes and fresh bruises and bloodstained weapons and sokka shrieks, “what were you guys DOING while we were gone???” and karata just shugs innocently and says in her sweetest voice, “oh, you know. just girly things”
they are absolutely still wearing the crowns and they don’t have a single fish to show for their efforts
i did it
return of those earth kingdom dudes ig
(id: digital fanart of sokka and zuko from avatar the last airbender. they are shown nude from the waist up and embracing, sokka on the right facing zuko with one arm around zuko's shoulders and one hand on zuko's neck, and zuko on the left with his back to the viewer, head turning to face sokka, with one hand holding sokka's wrist and the other hand on sokka's back, pulling him closer. they are about to kiss, their foreheads pressed together, sokka's eyes closed and zuko looking at sokka's face. they are in a tent, backlit by sunlight coming through the tent opening. end id)
AU where Sokka’s high-on-cactus-juice encounter with the giant mushroom takes a dark turn. (Also he has a gun)
based on this beautiful tumblr post
bonus:
I wanna see all God tier shit posts turned into ATLA | TLOK memes so help me God.
Cultural Fashion: Religious Hats
Aang: I better hide my identity while I’m at the theatre
Also Aang: puts on a monk’s hat
In all seriousness, the hat that Aang wears in “The Ember Island Players” and the hats that the Fire Sages wear are inspired by Tibetan monks’ hats known as Pandita hats. Pandita hats tend to be tall and taper upwards into a conical shape. They also possess a subtle v-shaped trim along the forehead area. The Fire Sage hats even possess the distinctive lappets (ear covers) of Pandita hats, albeit much shorter ones.
That Aang is wearing a predominantly yellow Pandita hat might also be significant as well. Yellow hats are a symbol of Gelug Buddhism, the newest and currently most dominant sect of Tibetan Buddhism. The color yellow is meant to represent a desire to bring back pure ethical discipline to the monasteries.
As we all know, one of Aang’s personal responsibilities includes reviving his nearly extinct culture. This essentially requires him to create a new, dominant school of thought concerning his peoples’ beliefs and customs. The final episodes of Avatar showcase that Aang takes a pretty hard line stance regarding “ethical discipline”, even when compared to other Airbenders.
rereading my own writing is just a constant fluctuation between "damn, girl, you wrote this? (affectionate)" and "damn, girl, you wrote this? (derogatory)"
I am also “damn, girl, you wrote this? (forgetful)”
zukka au where aunt wu looks straight at sokka and instead of telling him that his future is full of pain and anguish caused by his own hand, she tells him that he’s going to marry the fire lord and sokka is like “EXCUSE ME?”
sokka, whispering to himself: omg my ability to making royalty fall in love with me has come too far
sokka, immediately writing a letter: dear firelord ozai, I am flattered, but since you are pretty old and super evil, I-
Sokka, while yelling insults at s1 Zuko: And tell your dad I'm not interested in having a jerk like you as a step-son!!
I need a whole plotline of Sokka wondering who this fire lord person is going to be
Season 2
Aang: I wish that Iroh guy was the Fire Lord, he seems pretty nice
Sokka: Yeah the Fire Nation would probably be better off with him as Fire Lord, but he’s so old and more of an uncle figure, you know? Not really my type.
Aang: What
Early season 3
Sokka, waking up in cold sweat: Oh no. What if... Azula is the future Fire Lord
Late season 3
Katara: Sokka what should we do? The invasion failed, we’ve been hiding in this temple for weeks and Sozin’s comet is almost here
Sokka, mumbling to himself: I hope Zuko becomes Fire Lord he’s pretty cool
Katara: what?
Sokka: I said we need to defeat the Fire Lord soon
Sokka internally having a Firelord tier list during the series is something that I never knew I wanted.
*when zuko and katara arrive right before azula's coronation during sozin's comet*
Zuko: Sorry. But you're not going to be the one marrying Sokka.
Azula: What.
Sokka, trying to convince Aang to learn firebending: Aang, you need to learn firebending and defeat the Firelord so I can marry someone who isn’t terrible
Wait No Sokka already thinks Wu's prophecys are wack so after being fully disgusted by the thought of marrying loserlord ozai he doesn't think too much of it and moves on with his life
Then a few years later Zuko's the firelord and they're dating but right when Zuko proposes Sokka Remembers and has an existential crisis then and there
Zuko: Sokka, will you marry me?
Sokka, remembering Wu's prophecy: motherfucker
Zuko, very confused but still hopeful: is that a yes?
after clearing up stuff up he said yes of course
zuko: so, should we pick our wedding date?
sokka: I don't know, what about a day after aunt wu dies so she will never know how right about everything she was but anyway, any day you choose is ok for me
funky little guys
✨prince zuko✨
ID: Realistic art of Book 1 Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender. Shown shoulders-up, he’s smiling neutrally, the left side of him with brighter lighting. Along with his canon outfit he has an earring on his scarred ear. The background is paint-like splotches of browns & blues. The artist’s signature “Andree Han Art” is by the left of Zuko. End ID.
can’t get over zuko’s ba sing se look and how his clothes mostly fit him, but are just the SLIGHTEST bit too big.
the shoulders of his tunic are just a little too broad to fit him perfectly. the sleeves are just a little bit too long and often fall over his hands. the cut of his tunic is just a little loose and the extra fabric bunches up over his waistband. the collar of his tunic comes up just a little too high on his neck. his hair is just a little too long and has begun to fall in his eyes.
it’s quite a contrast to zuko’s book one look, where he wore the same military uniform as his fire nation crew and looked like an adult. someone else pointed out that his time in ba sing se is the only time zuko looks like he’s eating well. his face has lost some of gauntness it had during his wandering through the earth kingdom and his cheeks are rounded out from having regular access to food.
this:
compared to THIS:
and the fullness of his face, in addition to these slightly-too-big clothes, really emphasizes how young - and vulnerable - zuko really is. for all his swordfighting and firebending skills, he’s not much older than aang and the rest of the gaang, but we don’t really get to see that side of him until ba sing se. and there, suddenly zuko’s no longer a prince on a mission - he’s just a chastened teenager struggling to fit in.
LOOK at this. good sir you are just a BABY wearing grownup clothes. you have no business looking so young. someone wrap him in a blanket and give him a cookie.
Cultural Weapons: Fire Nation Swords Pt. 2
Zuko’s Broadswords
The broadswords that Zuko uses are niuweidao (牛尾刀) or “oxtail sabers”. Niuweidao are characterized by their flat and wide blades, flared tips, rounded cutting sections, and noticeably bent hilt; all characteristics present in Zuko’s swords.
The niuweidao actually has a rather unique history compared to other Chinese weapons. Whereas most Chinese weapons were adapted to be used by the imperial troops, the niuweidao was created and used exclusively by civilians. The primary reason for this was that their design was optimized to efficiently cut through flesh rather than harder surfaces; making them impractical for slashing through armored soldiers on the battlefield but perfect for petty robbery and common street violence. Unsurprisingly, these 19th-century swords came to be associated with rebels and criminals.
That Zuko chooses to wield niuweidao as the Blue Spirit is yet another example of his intelligence. After all, no one would expect the Prince of the Fire Nation, with a ship full of military-grade tools at his disposal, to utilize a weapon wielded by the lowest levels of society.
The niuweidao being the weapon of thugs also explains why that one Earth Kingdom jerk had a pair on him as well. In fact, you’ll notice that Zuko only ever uses his broadswords when he’s behaving criminally or rebelliously. Even his dual-wielding breaks from typical sword-fighting convention. The swords are the embodiment of his innate brashness.
This also provides a unique foil to Sokka and his sword. Sokka is often dismissed as a “peasant” and many characters simply write him off as dimwitted goofball. Yet his sword, the jian, is an ancient weapon dating back to 500 BC and is considered to be the weapon of scholars and gentlemen. Sokka’s sword embodies all of his most overlooked qualities: His intelligence, creativity, and honorable nature.
Zuko, by contrast, was seen as the elitist prince obsessed with honor and maintaining the Fire Nation’s imperial legacy. Yet his swords of choice, the niuweidao, are a relatively new kind of weapon from the fringes of society. Their entire purpose is to undermine the established power structure. Zuko’s swords embodies all of his most overlooked qualities: His boldness, his cunning, and his willingness to break from tradition.
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spring is here!!!
Chinese History and the Avatar World: The White Lotus
A slight twist on my usual “Chinese History and…” series.
The Order of the White Lotus is likely inspired by the China’s real-life White Lotus Society.
The White Lotus Society (白蓮敎) originated as a hybrid religion of Buddhism and Manichaeism that centered on the worship of the goddess Wusheng Laomu (無生老母), also called Wujimu (無極母). However, what the White Lotus is most remembered for was its tendency to constantly foment revolutions, uprisings, and all other forms of dynasty-shaking upheaval throughout Chinese history. Examples of the White Lotus’ many rebellions:
White Lotus monk Peng Yingyu organized rebellions in the 1330s to protest the Mongol’s rule over China (the Yuan Dynasty).
White Lotus monk Zhu Yuanzhang leads another revolutionary army against Mongol rule in 1352. He wins over the Chinese masses by forbidding his soldiers from pillaging in observance of White Lotus religious beliefs. By 1355, the rebellion spreads throughout much of China. By 1387, the White Lotus finally liberates China from Mongol-rule.
In 1774, White Lotus herbalist and martial artist Wang Jun leads an uprising that captures three small cities and lays siege to the larger city of Linqing. After initial success, he was outnumbered and defeated by Qing troops.
In 1794, the White Lotus leads another rebellion in central China to protest unfair taxes. In 1804, the Qing dynasty finally puts an end to the revolution after 10 years of warfare and suppression.
In 1812, White Lotus leader Lin Qing declares that he is the reincarnation of Gautama Buddha and is destined to overthrow the Qing Dynasty. In 1813, he leads an attack on the Forbidden City that comes to be known as the Eight Trigrams Uprising of 1813. By the time the government suppressed the revolt, more than 20,000 Eight Trigrams members had been killed. It is estimated that 70,000 were killed in total during the period of disorder.
When you consider that the final episodes of Avatar involve a secret society of spiritual old men driving out a foreign occupying government from a Chinese-inspired city and also giving their full support to a divinely-chosen monk, is it any wonder why the creators chose to name this group after The White Lotus?
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Cultural Anatomy: Yue’s Gown
I believe Yue’s gown is a deel, the traditional dress of the Mongolian people. Although designs of deel vary greatly between different Mongolic groups, I have noticed a few commonalities:
Instead of buttoning together in the middle, Deel have flaps that are pulled against the wearer’s body. The right flap remains close to the body while the left flap goes over the right, as is typical in Asian culture. The sleeves tend be looser fitting, but secured at the wrists with fitted cuffs. Finally, the deel is secured at the waist by a belt or sash.
These features are all present in Yue’s gown, so I think it’s reasonable to say she’s wearing a deel. I’ve also read that copious amounts of fur trim on a deel can indicate wealth and a sashed waist on a woman indicates her unmarried status—married women would wear fitted waist jackets like in the second picture. Like with most information regarding tribal cultures, I’m not sure how reliable the online sources are, but these details are all certainly in-line with Yue’s character.
Two bros undercover sneaking around the market, k i s s i n g, stealing each other’s food, getting caught in a summer storm, kissing some more, catching a cold, and so on.
Sometimes I think about how insane the ATLA plot is for a children’s show…like???
“Okay so our main character experienced the genocide of his entire culture and is constantly running from the pain of it, and he’s traveling with two siblings still grieving the loss of their mother, who was killed during a colonial raid.”
“Sure…but how do we convey that the Big Bad antagonist is Evil for our 9-15 year old audience demographic?
“I know! We’ll have him horrifically burn off half the face of his young son for telling him that he should not kill child soldiers.”
“And how do we raise the stakes from that later in the show?”
“He’ll um…attempt mass ethnic genocide again while he psychologically torments his other young child to the point of insanity?”
“Brilliant. Let’s air it between SpongeBob reruns”
That’s a perfectly acceptable show for children but it is a funny contrast to Spongebob reruns.
Sokka: Would you slap your crush face for 2 million dollers?
Zuko: I would roundhouse kick you in the face for free.
Sokka: Savag-
Sokka: Wait..
Sokka: WAIT-
Zuko, panicking: fgqhcwgnaklud-