Hi! I’m that anon that wrote that big ass paragraph talking about how much I loved your fic a while back :). I think since I’m interacting with this page multiple times I’ll just give myself the title of “🐉 anon” to make stuff simpler lol! I saw the repost you did talking about how water benders boil water and how that works into your fic, and I wanted to comment on it because this was also a big question I had when first reading. Cause yes, theoretically the same process waterbenders use to freeze water can then in opposite, be used to boil it as well, but as u said it makes sense why they didn’t add it because it would’ve made waterbenders powerful as hell and for technical reasons I doubt the creators wanted to add that 😭. I’m actually so hyped that in your fic we’re going to be focusing on this more and I absolutely love the idea of waterbenders being able to either be good at creating ice yet bad at boiling water or the other way around, and comparing how boiling water is to waterbenders as bending metal is to earthbenders. I’m exited to see how you dive deep into the spiritual reasons surrounding it! Personally, when I first started reading I originally thought maybe kiyoi’s background and growing up as fire nation influenced her ways of water bending, while we do see that already through the series technique wise, I thought it may have had a physical effect on the bending itself, the ability to make the water hotter.
However, the more I look into it the more I realize that technically all waterbenders should be capable of doing that but the creators simply chose not to. So I am VERY excited to see where you go with this, it’s been a question on my mind for so long and I’m happy it’s actually an entire plot point in the series!!!
Sincerely,
🐉 anon (or paragraph anon with how much I’m writing again lmao)
Thank you for the ask 🐉 anon, lovely to hear from you again! I’m glad you stopped by. I am soo glad you find Kiyoi’s hot waterbending exciting, and I can’t wait to write more on it. I won’t say too much here (proceeds to write an essay) because it would spoil things for you. These spiritual reasons will be explored further, but I drew heavily from the philosophy of the show, particularly the Guru episode. I wanted there to be an explanation for why Steam bending is a specialised bending form, like metal and combustion bending. Boiling and steam bending I think of it like the opposite of ice making. When we first see Kiyoi actually boil water (in chapter 6) she is trying to make ice(tries to freeze it to patch the hull of the enemy ship she sunk). She was trying to stop water, hold it still, but instead of freezing it, she holds it in one place, and her control of it is so absolute and forceful it agitates the molecules. It links her emotional agitation to the water’s agitation.
The other difference in science other than molecule movement and external temperature is pressure; lower pressure = easier boiling, higher pressure = easier to freeze. So Kiyoi’s default bending exerts a lower pressure than most other water benders… Her connection to water is weaker. When she exerts higher pressure (tries harder) she can’t control large amounts of water, which has the side effect of her water bending being more jet-like and precision-based rather than turning to ice. But she adapts, works with what she can. She uses her “weakness” as a strength.
But you’re not entirely wrong that her being a child in the Fire Nation and having a firebending mother is part of the influence on her bending style. When Kiyoi is trying to learn from Katara, she struggles with the stances, which feel unnatural to her, because she has grown up being taught a completely different style. Waterbending in the show is based on Tai Chi, a martial art focused on the flow of energy and movement; it tends to be slower. But Firebending is based on the Shaolin style of kung fu, a high—energy, acrobatic style with strong, powerful strikes; it’s a fast-paced martial art. To be able to connect to water, Kiyoi has to connect in a way she feels is comfortable for her… a fusion style; quick, powerful and forceful movements paired with the circular motions and loose stances.
So Kiyoi’s way of connection creates a style of bending and a philosophy that is entirely opposite to all the other waterbending styles. It is unnatural to anyone raised on the Water Tribes’ teaching, and probably even the swamp benders, who seem very go with the flow too. Meanwhile Kiyoi, who has grown up in the Fire Nation with the Fire Nation philosophy of power, energy and control; the concept of letting it flow is unnatural to her. Rather than letting the water flow and taking the path of least resistance, working with the water; Kiyoi’s way to connect to water and bend it is to control the flow, stop the flow or redirect the flow. She fights against the water when trying to bend it. The only time she doesn’t fight against it is when she uses the “Ripple Sight” technique which only requires being fully submerged and not attempting to control anything but just listening to the water, much like Toph listens to the earth (this is a technique she teaches Katara so it is not unique to her) So there are emotional, physical and environmental factors all feed into the spiritual factors of being able to perform this type of bending.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this essay 🐉, I got a little carried away, but it’s my birthday, and you have given me a chance to ramble about something I love, which is a wonderful present. Hopefully, you enjoyed this too and enjoy how I explore this more in the later chapters. I also hope you enjoy the next chapter, which will be out soon.
Tytoaster.
Also fun fact because I don’t think many people picked up on this because it was a scene from Zuko’s POV and a very busy chapter, but in the scene with the assassination attempt, Kiyoi uses the Ripple Sight technique without being submerged. During the full moon, her powers are heightened, so Kiyoi can use the ripple sight technique to sense the blood and water in people. When she turns her head and gets ready to attack in front of the tapestry before the assassins open the passage behind it, it was supposed to imply she could sense them in the walls.
