Feb 14, 2023
Just finished reading Imbalance, and I came up with a theory.
Liling and Yaling have similar names, while Ru stands out. While I’m sure this was deliberately done by Faith for narrative purposes, what if there’s an in-universe reason as well?
What if Ru’s name was originally Ruling, and Liling shortened it once it became clear Ru wasn’t a bender?
“You don’t get to have the -ling anymore, only benders get the -ling.”
It would be a sad yet plausible way for Liling to make Ru feel less special and less like family.
After all, the last thing Liling wants non-benders doing is ruling.