#also yes note that i said when katara dumps a guy

[theotherace]

Day 17

“I think you are wise to choose happiness and love.” – Iroh

[Before reading this, please know that this is incredibly rough and at some points a little weird and mainly dialogue and cuts off very abruptly. It’s a very first, only almost finished draft of an OS, a dump of my thoughts on the matter, that I will almost certainly come back to in the future. Probably next month, when I’m done with all these prompts, because I like the premise, but this isn’t really it. Toph also isn’t in it, this is a talk between Aang and his youngest kid, so the Taang is somewhat implied in that Kavi is Toph’s son as well.  Then, I just have to say that I really hate that quote. I hate that Iroh says it. I hate that Aang gets to live by it. I love that boy so much, but his character developement in Book 3? Shitty. Don’t like it. Writing AU-Fanfic, because they botched it.  Also, slight criticism of Kata*ng (specifically of Aang’s treatment, for lack of a better word, of her), because it’s one of my NOTPs and I couldn’t help myself. I almost could see it working, but, like Aang’s developement, they ruined it. Sunk their own ship. (In my opinion. Everybody’s entitled to their own. I’m just tired and therefore cranky.) Draft under the cut.]

Aang lifted his gaze from the letters he'd began sorting through hours ago, and still the pile didn't appear to have shrunk at all – all enthusiasm to deal with his mail had left him quite a while ago, as it always did, and he mused once again that maybe, just maybe, a secretary wasn't such a bad idea, now that they didn't travel all the time anymore.

Now that they had chosen a home that wasn't Appa's back.

Kavi, leaning on the wall next to his desk, peaked at him from behind the book – The Extensive History of the Dai Li – he hadn't set down since Bumi had sent it to him last week, always scribbling in it and marking passages and making notes, a brush in hands, his fingers inky, and Aang quirked a brow.

"I can feel you staring. What is it, Kavi?"

The brush turned between the boy's nimble fingers.

"I don't wanna keep you from your ... correspondence", he said slowly.

"Keep me from my correspondence, please. I've had enough of it today; it's mostly just people telling me that it hasn't rained in too long or that it's been raining too much. Which I can do nothing about, anyway. What're you thinking about?"

He turned in his chair.

Kavi tilted his head, as if thinking it over again , before he asked: "What's the worst mistake you ever made? Like ... really the worst. I've been thinking about mistakes and regrets and all that a lot lately, 'cause, y'know, Avatar Kyoshi founded the Dai Li and that certainly wasn't a good decision. Obviously, they're not as bad anymore, but that's because they're back to what they were  supposed to be. They're protectors again, instead of ... a weird, brainwash-y secret organisation."

He painted a wet, black line on his face while gesticulating and ignored it in favour of drawing his brows together and adding: "Though I think I already know what you think your biggest mistake is."

"Do you."

"Yeah. You ran away. When you were a kid. I know you regret that. I would. Even though I think I would've run, too, if someone threatened to take me away from you guys. I'd rather leave on my own terms."

The brush twirled around, around, around.

Aang fiddled with one of the letters.

"That was ... is ... indeed my greatest mistake. And I will never not regret that I ran, but ... I have come to accept it as a part of my past that I can't ever change. I will never quite make up for what my absence ... the Avatar's absence ... did to the world, but ... I can try, you know? Try to make this world better place, a more peaceful place, not because that's my job or because I feel guilty, but because that's what's right. Try to be a good friend and husband and father. So that's what I've been doing, every day for the past fourty years ... Well, I haven't been a dad or married for quite so long, but I think you get what I'm trying to say."

Kavi nodded pensively, brows still furrowed.

"I think I do."

He lifted his free hand and rubbed over the ink on his cheek, smudging it.

"Kinda. I don't know if I'll ever really ... understand understand. But I ... understand."

"Hmm", hummed Aang. "My journey to becoming a fully realized Avatar was ... a rather rocky one, I suppose. I was stubborn. And I couldn't've possibly comprehended what fighting a war would mean before I woke up at the South Pole and ... fought a war. So I wouldn't expect you to fully understand. I don't want you to. It's bad enough Bumi's joined the Air Force."

"I don't really remember him not being in the Air Force. How old was I when joined up? Five?"

"Just about, yes."

"He's a Captain now. Aren't you proud of him?"

Aang sighed deeply.

"I am. I'm incredibly proud of all of you. Tenzin's about to become a father, Asha's teaching with your mother, Norbu's an architect, which I know nothing about, but I'm glad he's enjoying doing what he does. You're on your best way to achieve mastery. And Bumi is a Captain. Of course I'm proud of him. I just wish he would've chosen a different career. Something safer, that wouldn't result in him being on the frontlines of a war, should there ever be another one."

He shook his head.

Kavi pulled his knees closer.

"I lived through barely the last year of one, and it was terrible. I don't want any of you to experience what I did. The same goes for your mother. But you're your own people, you make your own decisions. We can't stop you from doing that and we wouldn't want to, either. I can just ... try to lead you a bit as long as you'll let me. Give you some advice, if you ask for it. You want to know about the worst advice I ever got, if we're already talking about mistakes and regret?"

"Oh. Sure", Kavi said, hesitant for just a moment.

"I met Guru Pathik – I've told you about him?"

"Yeah. The guy who helped you master the Avatar State. An old friend of Monk Gyatso. He must've been ancient when you met."

"He was ... a very, very wise man. A mentor when I was in desperate need of someone to look up to and guide me. Unfortunately, when I first met him, I wasn't very ... accepting of everything he tried to teach me. In order to control the Avatar State, I needed to open my chakras. And there were some ... minor ... hiccups, I had to confront myself, my mistakes, my shame, the ... the guilt I felt, ... like I'd ... never had before. And I did it. The problem ... was the seventh chakra."

"The Thought Chakra", Kavi mumbled.

Aang brightened a little.

"That's right. Do you remember how to unlock it?"

"By ... letting go of ... of earthly attachments."

The boy's frown deepened and his hand closed tightly around the brush that had stopped wandering over his fingers when he'd tried to remove the ink from his face – it was still blotchily staining his pale skin.

"I never really thought about that. That's terrible. And you still have attachments. You've got Mom and us. So, ... you haven't mastered the Avatar State?"

"I have full control over the Avatar State, don't worry. Letting go of attachments ... that's not about not loving. It's not about detaching yourself completly from everything. It would be, if you tried to reach true enlightenment, but that wasn't my goal. My goal was to not be controlled by my emotions. You need to be the master of your emotions, not the other way around. With something like the Avatar State at your expense, you can't afford that. Rage can end in a massacre. Grief could as well. No."

He looked at the ceiling for a moment, thinking about how to best continue, then said: "In this case, letting go of attachments meant to learn to not depend. To stand on my own. My friendships with Mom and Sokka weren't a problem; my crush on Katara absolutely was, because I depended on her too much. I relied on her to pull me out of the Avatar State when I couldn't control myself. I wanted her to be my forever girl, because ... well, she was the first girl. She became my everything much too quickly when she should've never been that at all. And that just wasn't fair to her. I placed her on pedestal when I barely even knew her name, and wouldn't let her step down. And when it came to make the decision between her and controlling this ... great power, ... I chose her. And she wouldn't have wanted that, but I didn't understand that, then."

Kavi chewed on his lip.

"So, who gave you bad advice, then?"

"General Iroh."

"Uncle Zuko's Uncle? The guy Iroh's named after? He's supposed to have given the best advice, though! Mom always talks about that and his tea and how he was the original owner of the Jasmine Dragon and stuff. He's supposed to be this super wise guy", he said. "I don't understand."

"Nobody's infallible. Not even Uncle. When I told him of my dilemma – we were on our way to safe Katara and Zuko, right under Ba Sing Se, he told me ... he said that power was overrated. And that I was wise to chose happiness and love instead. And I'm sure he meant well ... and I don't remember how well I explained what I was trying to master. We were also on a rescue mission, and I wouldn't have listened had he told me to go back to the Guru anyway. But this wasn't about taking power, choosing it over love. It was about controlling something dangerous that I already possessed ... His advice was quite dangerous, in retrospect ..."

#Avatar: The Last Airbender #Aang #Implied Taang #Taang Month #Taang Month 2020 #Avatar: The Legend of Aang #Kavi #tired ramblings #i don't know yet what i'll do for awkward #and i wanna write for kummi/taang but it'll just end like this #not enough time #at least i wrote something i guess #family's already safe though #it's just gonna be a sketch dump #and i like sketching them all

[hermitknut]

A:TLA watch, part 15

All of my posts on this are here.

I can’t handle how near to the end I am… I’m already planning a full-series rewatch with my friend in the summer… and I’m going to get Legend of Korra next month…

*deep breaths*

Okay, okay. Here we go.

OH NO IT’S A TWO-PARTER

The Boiling Rock, Part 1

Very sokka-focused previously-on

Oh zuko you’re trying so hard XD XD XD

I cannot adjust yet to this zuko-having-almost-normal-conversations-with-people thing. Like, I LOVE IT but it’s also SUPER WEIRD

Sokka this is a TERRIBLE idea. Please tell me zuko stayed up to tell him off.

HE WAS HIDING ON APPA

“you happy now?” “I’m never happy” LOLLL

Ahhhh so my two foolish boys are going on a rescue mission. What’s the betting everyone thinks Zuko has kidnapped Sokka in the night???

Oh okay, they left a note. Smart.

“nobody else has homework” bless you aang

I was gonna type something about it being nice that sokka and zuko are having a heart-to-heart BUT THE LINE IS COMING. I CAN SENSE IT.

“My first girlfriend turned into the moon.” “That’s rough, buddy.” YES IT HAPPENED IT FINALLY HAPPENED. Which also means I now know absolutely nothing about what’s coming…

I like that we’ve just skipped straight to them having disguises now, that’s honestly very fair

Also points to sokka for staying in character even if the character is a terrible person. I get very fed up in stories where someone goes undercover as a bad guy and then immediately outs themselves because they just can’t stand to say anything slightly mean??? Even when it has no real consequences??? Why was this your plan if you can’t – anyway.

Bless zuko trying to channel iroh XD

“I’ll figure it out” sokka maybe do that… quickly????

Omg he’s the girlfriend’s uncle????

“the cooler as a boat” sokkaaaaa

Lolll love a good fake fight

“war prisoners” sokka’s FACE (also pirate uh OH)

Oh boy zuko actually managed to be inspiring!! I’m proud XD

“uh, they are in a cooler sir” LOL

“my dad doesn’t have a nose ring” rude sokka maybe he got one you don’t know

HE’S THERE!!

  The Boiling Rock, Part 2

Sokka looks so small and unconvincing next to the other guardssss

Phew I was really worried sokka would give himself away then

Lolll for the SECOND TIME sokka forgets to take his helmet off before saying hello

“then we better find two” lol sokka XD

ZUKO’S EX IS HERE oh NO

Hopefully that has just implicated zuko, which is not as much of a problem as it will be if sokka gets caught…

OH NO HAVE THEY FIGURED OUT SOKKA

Lolllll he picked out someone else XD

Oh shit azula’s here - and the other third of her girl-gang

Idk why I didn’t expect her, she’ll have heard about zuko.

“because I’m a people person” lolll

“I’ve been learning to control my anger” HAHA

Holy shit zuko locked his girlfriend in

[incidentally I’m slowly realising that I think I’ve actually seen large chunks of this whole episode giffed lol. This is the first time where I’ve recognised so much of an episode! hilarious as I just last ep said we’d reached the end of things I know about...]

Holy shit when did she become spiderwoman I love it

Guys where is azula. WHERE.

Ah, there.

Maaaaaaaaaaaan look at sokka and zuko fighting together!!

“saving the jerk who dumped me” OMG

“I love zuko more than I fear you” HOLY SHIT

ACROBAT GIRL TOOK OUT AZULA WHAT THE HELL

“what are you doing in this thing” so funny story katara ummmm

Ahhh this was so cute! I had seen some of the episode in gif form, but definitely not the ending.

  Next time I’m gonna be on the last disc!!! I’M NOT READY HELP

H

#hermitknut watches a:tla #a:tla #avatar: the last airbender #avatar