If Pema had the opportunity to become an airbender, do you think she'd take it? Why or why not?
If it was a "press this button and become an airbender" sorta situation prior to Book 1, she'd probably press the button and become an airbender. The opportunity to go on glider rides with the family would be a real treat. And to share an element with everyone she loves would feel so good.
However, I will die on the hill of "Pema is glad harmonic convergence passed her by," because she sees Bumi wrestling with All of That Generational Trauma, hears about Earth Kingdom airbenders being held as slave soldiers for the Queen, and then Zaheer holds them all in a cave while he tries to kill the avatar?? No. No, thank you. Having a family full of airbenders is enough. She doesn't need to BE one, too. They can all go fight mechatanks and leap off of buildings and she will gladly do crowd control with prince Wu at the subway station. ty
Shallow customization gives you a costume. Deep customization gives you a character. SweetDream is firmly in the second camp, you shape appearance, personality, quirks, voice, and backstory until she's genuinely distinct.
That depth is itself a mark of quality, because it carries through into how she talks and behaves. The companion you carefully built is the companion you actually get. On sweetdream.ai, detailed creation pays off in every conversation.
Two Women of the South
A story about Anouk, an airbender of the Southern Water Tribe
Part Two
Anouk is my airbender OC that I created not long after The Legend of Korra had concluded. Here is part two of her story. Most of this comic comes from the fact I enjoy spending time in this world. But part of it comes from me continuing to process the reality that I can't really use my voice anymore.
Anyway, I thought I was going to have this done back in May, but that clearly didn't happen. So here it is just in time for the one year anniversary of me posting part one (which you can read here).
Here's hoping it doesn't take me another year to make part three!
Transcript below the fold.
Page 1
1.
Air Temple Island. It's approaching golden hour in the early evening. Anouk waves to the water taxi driver as he steers the boat away from the dock.
2.
Anouk walks to the blue and gold gateway arch at the foot of the hill.
3.
She looks up, overwhelmed by the prospect of being an airbender.
Page 2
1.
A voice calls out "Hi!" as Anouk looks over to the small group of people, airbenders presumably, standing at some spinning gates.
2.
An airbender child approaches Anouk and waves. "Welcome to Air Temple Island!"
3.
The excited young girl smiles a big smile and introduces herself.
Ikki: I'm Ikki! What's your name? Are you a new airbender?
4.
Anouk drops her rucksack to the ground.
5.
Anouk swirls a gust of wind, lifting up her hair in the process.
Page 3
1.
Ikki (yelling): Aunt Kya!
2.
Ikki (yelling really loud): AUNT KYA!
Kya approaches from the spinning gates area.
Kya: Ikki! I'm coming! You don't have to shout.
Ikki (still very excited): We have a new airbender!
3.
Ikki hops up with a puff of airbending.
Ikki: She's from the Southern Water Tribe!
Kya (with her hands on her hips): So I see!
4.
Kya: Welcome! My name is Kya.
Kya pats Ikki on the head.
Kya: The excited one here is Ikki.
Ikki waves.
5.
Anouk (signing): My name is Anouk.
Anouk (signing): It's nice to meet you!
Ikki gasps.
Ikki: She can talk with her hands!
Page 4
1.
Kya: It's Hunter's Handcode. Your great uncle Sokka taught your dad and me and uncle Bumi this when we were kids.
2.
Kya taps her head with her index finger.
Kya: Let me see what I can remember.
3a. [NAME]
3b. [SPELL]
3c. [AGAIN]
3d. [SORRY]
4.
Kya speaks the letters as Anouk signs them.
Kya: A-N-O-U … P? No. K. Anouk.
Ikki mimics the signs Anouk is making.
5.
Ikki: Anouk! That's a pretty name!
Anouk: [THANK-YOU]
6.
Ikki spells the letter 'K' with both hands.
Ikki: Can you teach me how to say my name with my hands?
7.
Kya: Ikki, how about we offer our guest some dinner and a place to sleep first.
Page 5
1.
Ikki hops on an air scooter and jets off toward the dormitories.
Ikki: Oh yes! Come on, Anouk!
Kya: So Anouk, can you … hear?
Anouk (signing): Yes.
2.
Kya: Oh good! Because I'll probably be doing more mouth talking than hand talking. Sorry!
Kya signs [PLEASE]
Kya: I can understand the signs well enough, but when I try to make them myself, I forget everything.
Anouk (signing): Not a problem.
3.
Kya: Um… may I ask why you use Hunter's Handcode?
Kya: Or is that a personal question?
4.
Anouk pulls down the collar of her parka to reveal a curved scar on her neck. She seems pretty matter of fact about it.
Kya (off-panel): Oh my!
5.
Kya puts her hand on her throat. It's clear she's a little alarmed by Anouk's scar.
Kya: That's … I see.
6.
In the distance, Ikki is waving her arms trying to get Anouk's attention.
Ikki: Hey Anouk! This way!
Kya: I'd like to chat with you some more. Come meet me in the dining hall once you're situated.
Kya: It's the building across the courtyard from the dorms.
7.
Kya: You just missed dinner, but if you need a meal, I'm sure there's still something the kitchen crew can cook up for you.
Ikki (off-panel): Anouk!
Kya: Anyway, I should let you go so Ikki can show you to your room.
Page 6
1.
Inside the women's dormitory, Ikki shows Anouk the room she'll be staying in for the night.
Ikki: Here it is!
Ikki: If you look out the window you can see the pond.
2.
Anouk opens the octagonal shutters and looks out over the family courtyard. She's on the second floor, so she has a pretty nice view. As the sun sets, a warm glow lights up the side of the dormitory. The lights in the courtyard flicker on for the evening.
3.
Ikki: Do you have any questions? Anything you might need?
Anouk starts writing a note in the notebook she always carries with her.
4.
Anouk hands Ikki her notebook.
Ikki (taking the notebook): OH!
5.
Ikki takes a moment to read Anouk's note.
6.
Ikki looks back to Anouk with a smile.
Ikki: I'd love to!
7.
Ikki holds her hand palm-out toward Anouk.
Ikki: And then will you teach me how to say my name with my hands?
Anouk smiles and nods.
Page 7
1.
In the dining hall. An overhead view of a teacup with a cloud motif painted on it. It still has some green tea in it. On the opposite side of the table is a now empty bowl of noodles with chopsticks. The bowl is painted with an air bison motif.
Kya (off-panel): I think you might be our first airbender from either Water Tribe.
Kya (off-panel): How did you know to come here?
Anouk (signing off-panel): I met your mother. She told me.
2.
Kya (surprised): You met my mom? How did you find her?
3.
Over Kya's shoulder view of Anouk. Her hair is now tied up in two buns, like Ikki's hair.
Kya: She doesn't exactly have office hours.
Anouk (signing): My waterbending master knows her.
4.
Wide shot of the dining hall. It's empty except for Kya and Anouk.
Kya: You have a waterbending master?
Anouk (signing): I can't waterbend, obviously.
Anouk (signing): But I enjoy moving through the forms. It helps me focus.
5.
Kya raises her teacup up to Anouk.
Kya: I'm very curious to see how your knowledge of waterbending forms influences your airbending.
Kya: Would you be willing to show me a demonstration?
6.
Anouk (signing enthusiastically): Yes!
Page 8
1.
Kya and Anouk are in the family courtyard next to the pond. Kya draws out a stream of water with her bending. The sky dims as it approaches evening twilight.
Kya: Okay! Show me what you've got!
2.
Anouk takes a stance, but is clearly nervous. Her eyes are wide. Large yellow text overlaying the image reads:
WHAT AM I DOING?
3.
Kya thrusts the torrent toward Anouk. Anouk promptly freaks out and pulls a wall of air to divert the water. Kya is very impressed by the move.
Kya: WHOA!
4.
Over Kya's shoulder looking at Anouk.
Kya: Are you sure you're not a waterbender?
Anouk nods.
Kya: Well then you scattered my torrent with a wind tsunami!
5.
Kya holds an index finger to her head and opens the palm of her left hand toward Anouk.
Kya: I'm getting a strong vibe from you that you're going to pick up the fundamentals of airbending pretty quickly.
Page 9
1.
Kya notices the design of Anouk's pendant.
Kya: Oh!
2.
Closeup of Anouk's hand-carved bone pendant with the three swirl design of the airbenders. It's attached with a leather cord and thread.
Kya: May I take a closer look at that?
3.
Kya leans in to look at Anouk's pendant. Anouk blushes as the pretty woman gets closer to her.
Kya: This is beautiful!
4.
Kya (pointing): Where did you get this?
5.
Anouk (signing): I made it.
Anouk points at herself.
6.
Kya taps her fingers to her own necklace, looking off and grinning.
Kya: You know, I think something this finely crafted needs more than just a plain leather cord.
7.
Kya heads toward the covered walkway. The sky is a warm purple as the sun drops below the horizon.
Kya: Hold on, I've got just the thing!
Kya: Be right back!
8.
Anouk holds her hand to her chest, covering her pendant. She exhales a long breath that stylistically turn into a couple of floating hearts. She's still blushing.
Page 10
1.
Kya returns waving something in her left hand.
Kya: Here.
2.
A closeup of Kya's hands. She holds out a gorgeous blue ribbon with an s-shaped wave design repeating along it.
Kya: I bought this on an impulse before I left home for here.
Kya: I don't know why. It just spoke to me for some reason.
3.
Kya places the ribbon into Anouk's open hands. Anouk is smiling and still blushing. Behind her is the greenhouse, now dim as the night approaches.
Kya: I think it's meant for you.
4.
Kya (off-panel): Consider it a little piece of home to take with you into your new airbending life.
Anouk holds the ribbon up underneath her pendant. It resembles a traditional Water Tribe betrothal necklace. Her face lights up with a smile and yeah she's still blushing.
5.
Kya holds her right hand on her chest and extends the left toward Anouk.
Kya: A gift, from one woman of the south to another.
6.
Kya and Anouk's reflections shimmer in the pond as a small gust of wind creates ripples on the water.
Anouk (signing): Thank you!
Page 11
1.
Night has come. The low illumination of the lighting around the courtyard lights up Kya and Anouk from below. Kya puts her hands on her hips and grins. (Lesbian Pose A)
Kya: You know I'm too old for you. Right?
Anouk (signing): I'm 40.
2.
Kya is gobsmacked.
Kya: You're 40?!
3.
Kya: Well you don't look it!
Anouk (signing): Thanks!
4.
Kya crosses her arms. (Lesbian Pose B)
Kya: I'm still too old for you. But not by as much as I thought.
Kya: Besides, I already have a person.
5.
Kya look off into the distance. Anouk holds her elbows and looks at Kya with a smile.
Kya: But I'm still waiting for my person to figure that out.
6.
Anouk and Kya look out toward the glow of Republic City at night.
Kya (sighing): Water breaks through stone eventually.
Page 12
1.
Anouk sits half-lotus on the bed of her dormitory room. Her boots are off and on the mat by the bed. An ink brush painting of the Northern Air Temple hangs on the wall above the bed. Anouk has a sewing kit and is attaching her pendant to the ribbon Kya gave her. In the distance through the window, a figure leaps over the family courtyard.
2.
A closeup of Anouk's hands as she sews her pendant to the ribbon.
3.
Anouk clasps her new necklace around her neck, covering the scar on her throat.
4.
Anouk holds a hand mirror up to see how her new necklace looks.
5.
CRASH
Anouk is startled by the sound of shattering glass.
6.
Anouk looks out the window to see a figure in green being pulled down by the leg with waterbending.
Kya (shouting off-panel): I need some help!
Page 13
1.
Anouk steps up to the window and looks out with alarm. Kya is in an intense fight with … someone.
2.
Kya blasts jets of water with her bending. She is in Serious Mode.
3.
But the assailant gets the better of her with a swift kick of airbending. Kya and the water she was bending go flying backward.
4.
Assailant (It's Zaheer. We know this. Anouk doesn't.): Sorry I won't be joining you at the Northern Air Temple. I'm afraid I have other plans.
5.
Zaheer glides away with his stolen glider. Anouk leans way out the window to watch him soar away.
6.
Anouk looks back toward the courtyard wondering how Kya is doing. Yellow text overlay reads:
WHAT AM I GETTING MYSELF INTO?
From what we know about spirits and humans, we can infer that spirits and souls are two different things. Iroh went looking for Lu Ten in the Spirit World and didn't find him. That means human souls go somewhere else when people die. Wherever that is, is most likely where the past Avatars went when UnaVaatu broke their connection with Korra!
I just finished watching book 3 of The Legend of Korra. Here’s my top 5 things I hated the most about it:
This is a continuation of this series
5. Poof! The genocide’s gone!
Let me preface this by saying that I thought that the storyline of Korra finding the airbenders was a nice change of pace and scenery and I enjoyed watching it. However, the bare-bones of this plotline are rotten for me.
ATLA treating the air nomad genocide with so much realism and severity is one of the greatest aspects of the show. Sure, this is a tv show for kids, but it’s still a fairly realistic portrayal of a victim of ethnic cleansing dealing with their trauma. We saw Aang searching for other air nomads, seeing his temples being destroyed, having to burn the last intact artifact made by his people (the staff), and the entire 4 part finale of the series revolves around Aang deciding that he is not willing to sacrifice his cultural and religious beliefs under any circumstances. On account of this, it truly shocked me that TLOK treats the air nomad genocide in the same way that Oprah approached her car giveaway:
The insistence that the air nomad genocide is something that the avatar could fix unintentionally conveys that Aang failed to fix it. Maybe if Aang had connected with Raava and meditated in the tree of time, he would’ve brought his people back- the narrative is saying. And I find that incredibly mean-spirited, regardless of whether it was intentional or not.
Aang died at 66 years of age, he never met any other airbenders after the genocide other than his own son; And TLOK killed Aang once again in season 2, so now he will never get to see the air nation’s rebirth. I know that this is a show about Korra, but I find this storyline to be not only an extremely immature way to treat a genocide (genocides can’t be “fixed”, bryke) but also a cruel insult to the protagonist of this universe.
4. Why the fuck is Varrick still here
Let me get this straight: Varrick took advantage of Unalaq’s colonialism to make himself rich. He bombed the Southern Water Tribe Cultural Center in order to incite a war between the tribes. He stole all of the weaponry made by Asami’s company and delivered it to the Northern Water Tribe so that they could use it to wipe out the SWT. He incriminated Mako, a 19 year old, so that he would take the blame for Varrick’s transgressions and spend his life in prison as a result. He manipulated and took advantage of Asami, another 19 year old. And many more crimes that I’m too tired to list.
So why is he in this season as a lovable sidekick? He escaped justice, Suyin yielded him, and when Lin understandably gets angry about that, Suyin tells her that Varrick shouldn’t be punished for his entire life just for a mistake. This isn’t Suyin talking to Lin, it’s the writers talking to the audience- they want us to forgive Varrick and accept him as our new sweet funny guy.
That makes me nauseous.
This is the sequel of a show about the dangers of colonization and imperialism. Why, why, why, WHY is the guy who aided colonization efforts the character that you want the audience to love? In moments like this, you can tell that this show was made by 2 white American men.
3. Mary Sueyin (Thanks for the pun!)
This already has been discussed ad nauseam. Suyin yielded a war criminal from facing justice, she also sent out the one person the Red Lotus wanted to capture and kill after them for her own vengeful reasons. The narrative never addresses this and continues to paint her as a flawless hero. It’s disconcerting.
2. Zaheer the Master
Sorry, I refuse to believe that a man who got his airbending powers just a couple of weeks ago is suddenly the greatest airbender in a millennium because he read some books.
Bumi: How can he fly like that?
Tenzin: He's unlocked powers of airbending that haven't existed for thousands of years.
Fuck off, writers. Fuck all the way off.
1. The torture porn
We didn’t need to see Korra getting tortured for so long in such graphic detail. I don’t want to accuse anyone of sexism, but I’m certain that these writers would’ve never treated Aang this way.
What if Korra fuse with both Raava and Vaatu instead of Vaatu fuses with Unalaq during Harmonic Convergence?
In my AU, if Vaatu possesses Korra instead of Unalaq, both two spirits of darkness and light inside her can make Vaatu grow powerful and stronger, he could destroy the world and the universe, OR, both Korra, Raava and Vaatu can defeat Unalaq and live in the two spirits can live inside Korra's body forever. Together, Korra, Raava and Vaatu would maintain the balance of good and evil, no longer the bridge between worlds, but a new and improved Avatar, a powerful being in the universe. The fusion of the two spirits of light and darkness recreates the reboot Avatar of the Balance.
Vaatu would hate being a good guy, but he knows that darkness with light can bore him. He will have no one to fight. Example when Megamind thought he killed Metro Man, he gets bored.
And maintain the balance, the Lords of Order and Chaos from Young Justice, despite them being enemies, the sacred balance would be forever lost, and protecting that balance, not victory, is the Lords' true purpose. That is what Raava and Vaatu should do.
If that would happen, the connection with the past Avatars won't be broken.
You're welcome.
Read my fanfiction. www.fanfiction.net/s/14132774/…
With Jinora’s lifeless body being taken care of by Katara, it’s a race against time for Team Avatar, alongside Tenzin, Bumi, and Kya, as they prepare to break Unalaq’s forces, retrieve Jinora’s spirit, and close the spirit portal. “Harmonic Convergence” premiered on this day, 12 Years Ago.
So, I respect LoK for a lot and I respect it as it's own thing. I'm not a big fan bc it just didn't appeal to me, but I also know that that doesn't mean it's a bad show.
However, there is one thing I will never forgive them for and it's how they brought back airbenders and bison.
It's a spit in the face to the real problems of endagered species and genocides. You can't just "find more". Once a species is gone, its gone. That's why it's so important to protect them before that happens and why it's such a fucking tragedy.
And hey, genocides, you don't really have to worry about them. You can just bring them back :). Like no, that's so fucking wrong. Genocides are devestating because it's genuine loss. In atla, an entire race was wiped out and an entire culture erased, but LoK acts like this is a reversable act. Like given enough time and effort you can revive it but you can't. You can bring back aspects, but culture is fluid and it will never be the same.
I just, I cannot forgive that. I understand why they did it, bc they didn't want to deal with the long term ramifications of what they did to their worldbuilding, but it's disgusting and wrong. No, we can't just bring things back. We can't just find more. Once a species is gone, once a race is gone, once a culture is gone, that's it. That's why we have to fight to protect them.
And the culture is not all gone, Aang is still there and he's the only reason there's a gateway to revival, and that's one of the reason's he's a representation of hope, but that would still take generations and he can only do so much. But no, they didn't want to deal with that, so they just magically make a whole bunch of airbenders. Because fuck us right?
It just makes me so fucking mad man. I love Bryke's creations, but genuinely, fuck them for spitting in the face of genocide and extinction.
