#book 3 fire

[dyingroses]

Avatar: The Last Airbender + text posts and stuff

#Avatar: The Last Airbender #avatar: tla #avatar the last airbender #atla #atlaedit #katara #zuko #prince zuko #sokka #atla sokka #sokka avatar the last airbender #avatar aang #aang #lieutenant jee #book 1 water #book 2 earth #book 3 fire #post #text posts

[prodogg]

A very subtle moment but still one of my favorites from my favorite episode of ATLA. Azula showing concern for Ty Lee. The beach has more of those subtle moments that humanize Azula and enriches her character more.

#azula #ty lee #the beach #book 3 fire #pd talks #atla #avatar the last airbender #azula meta #atla azula #azula atla

[dragonflyable]

#atla #avatar the last airbender #atla animated series #atla original #book 1 water #book 2 earth #book 3 fire #atla aang #atla katara #atla sokka #atla toph #atla zuko #team avatar #the gaang #i love animation #polls #my polls #promo art

[squishyhooman]

"The true mind can weather all the lies and illusions without being lost. The true heart can touch the poison of hatred without being harmed. Since beginning less time, darkness thrives in the void, but always yields to purifying light."

~ The Lion Turtle, Avatar: The Last Airbender

#lion turtle #atla #avatar #aang #book 3 fire #light in the dark #quotes #hope #tv quotes

[junotter]

just some designs mainly created because I wanted to draw hakama and then it spiral out from there

bald zuko under the cute

#avatar the last airbender #atla redesigns #atla #atla fanart #atla zuko #atla azula #atla sokka #atla katara #atla aang #avatar aang #toph beifong #my art #I also have some wip designs for summer clothes for most of them and before anyone says anything for the fire nation theyre thai inspired #doing research for this spiraled into reading 3 fairly big books in the span of 2 weeks just cause #i ALSO have adult designs cooking #this was really inspired by all the girls on campus in their hakama a few weeks ago...wahhh so pretty

[happyheidi]

"Owl at Home" by Arnold Lobel is a whole mood

#the teaRpot! #chilling by the fire and suddenly sad n scared(?) poor thing :( #don’t be sad little owlie <3 #still a mood tho #cottagecore #owls #birds #i haven’t read it but I really want too! such cute illustrations but poor little guy seems so scared according to what u tell me :( #animals #illustrations #owl at home #arnold lobel #childrens books #brown aesthetic

[burst-of-iridescent]

South Asian and Hindu Influences in ATLA (Part 2)

disclaimer: i was raised culturally and religiously hindu, and though i've tried to do my research for this post and pair it with my own cultural knowledge, i'm not an expert on hinduism by any means. should i mess up, please let me know.

please also be aware that many of the concepts discussed in this post overlap heavily with religions such as buddhism and jainism, which might have different interpretations and representations. as i'm not from those religions or cultures, i don't want to speak on them, but if anyone with that knowledge wishes to add on, please feel free.

Part 1

In the previous post, I discussed some of the things ATLA got right in its depictions of desi and hindu cultures. unfortunately, they also got plenty of things wrong - often in ways that leaned towards racist caricatures - so let's break them down, starting with...

Guru Pathik

both the word "guru" and name "pathik" come from sanskrit. pathik means "traveler" or "he who knows the way" while guru is a term for a guide or mentor, similar to a teacher.

gurus were responsible for the very first education systems in ancient india, setting up institutions called gurukuls. students, referred to as disciples, would often spend years living with and learning from their gurus in these gurukuls, studying vedic and buddhist texts, philosophy, music and even martial arts.

however, their learning was not limited merely to academic study, as gurus were also responsible for guiding the spiritual evolution of their disciples. it was common for disciples to meditate, practice yoga, fast for days or weeks, and complete mundane household chores every day in order to instill them with self-discipline and help them achieve enlightenment and spiritual awareness. the relationship between a guru and his disciple was considered a sacred, holy bond, far exceeding that of a mere teacher and student.

aang's training with guru pathik mirrors some of these elements. similar to real gurus, pathik takes on the role of aang's spiritual mentor. he guides aang in unblocking his chakras and mastering the avatar state through meditation, fasting, and self-reflection - all of which are practices that would have likely been encouraged in disciples by their gurus.

pathik's design also takes inspiration from sadhus, holy men who renounced their worldly ties to follow a path of spiritual discipline. the guru's simple, nondescript clothing and hair are reflective of the ascetic lifestyle sadhus are expected to lead, giving up material belongings and desires in order to achieve spiritual enlightenment and, ultimately, liberation from the reincarnation cycle.

unfortunately, this is where the respectful references end because everything else about guru pathik was insensitive at best and stereotypical at worst.

it is extremely distasteful that the guru speaks with an overexaggerated indian accent, even though the iranian-indian actor who plays him has a naturally british accent. why not just hire an actual indian voice actor if the intention was to make pathik sound authentic? besides, i doubt authenticity was the sole intention, given that the purposeful distortion of indian accents was a common racist trope played for comedy in early 2000s children's media (see: phineas and ferb, diary of a wimpy kid, jessie... the list goes on).

furthermore, while pathik is presented a wise and respected figure within this episode, his next (and last) appearance in the show is entirely the opposite.

in the episode nightmares and daydreams, pathik appears in aang's nightmare with six hands, holding what appears to be a veena (a classical indian music instrument). this references the iconography of the hindu deity Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom and knowledge. the embodiment of divine enlightenment, learning, insight and truth, Saraswati is a member of the Tridevi (the female version of the Trimurti), one of the most respected and revered goddesses in the Hindu pantheon... and her likeness is used for a cheap laugh on a character who's already treated as a caricature.

that's bad enough on its own, but when you consider that guru pathik is the only explicitly south asian coded character in the entire show, it's downright insulting. for a show that took so many of its foundational concepts from south asia and hinduism and yet provided almost no desi representation in return, this is just rubbing salt in the wound.

Chakras

"chakra", meaning "circle" or "wheel of life" in sanskrit, refers to sources of energy found in the human body. chakra points are aligned along the spine, with energy flowing from the lowest to the highest point. the energy pooled at the lowest chakra is called kundalini, and the aim is to release this energy to the highest chakra in order to achieve spiritual enlightenment and consciousness.

the number of chakras varies in different religions, with buddhism referencing five chakras while hinduism has seven. atla draws from the latter influence, so let's take a look at the seven chakras:

Muladhara (the Root Chakra). located at the base of the spine, this chakra deals with our basest instincts and is linked to the element of earth.

Swadhisthana (the Sacral Chakra). located just below the navel, this chakra deals with emotional intensity and pleasure and is linked to the element of water.

Manipura (the Solar Plexus Chakra). located in the stomach, this chakra deals with willpower and self-acceptance and is linked to the element of fire.

Anahata (the Heart Chakra). located in the heart, this chakra deals with love, compassion and forgiveness and is linked to the element of air. in the show, this chakra is blocked by aang's grief over the loss of the air nomads, which is a nice elemental allusion.

Vishudda (the Throat Chakra). located at the base of the throat, this chakra deals with communication and honesty and is linked to the fifth classical element of space. the show calls this the Sound Chakra, though i'm unsure where they got that from.

Ajna (the Third Eye Chakra). located in the centre of the forehead, this chakra deals with spirituality and insight and is also linked to the element of space. the show calls it the Light Chakra, which is fairly close.

Sahasrara (the Crown Chakra). located at the very top of the head, this chakra deals with pure cosmic consciousness and is also linked to the element of space. it makes perfect sense that this would be the final chakra aang has to unblock in order to connect with the avatar spirit, since the crown chakra is meant to be the point of communion with one's deepest, truest self.

the show follows these associations and descriptions almost verbatim, and does a good job linking the individual chakras to their associated struggles in aang's arc.

Cosmic Energy

the idea of chakras is associated with the concept of shakti, which refers to the life-giving energy that flows throughout the universe and within every individual.

the idea of shakti is a fundamentally unifying one, stating that all living beings are connected to one another and the universe through the cosmic energy that flows through us all. this philosophy is referenced both in the swamp episode and in guru pathik telling aang that the greatest illusion in the world is that of separation - after all, how can there be any real separation when every life is sustained by the same force?

this is also why aang needing to let go of katara did not, as he mistakenly assumed, mean he had to stop loving her. rather, the point of shedding earthly attachment is to allow one to become more attuned to shakti, both within oneself and others. ironically, in letting go of katara and allowing himself to commune with the divine energy of the universe instead, aang would have been more connected to her - not less.

The Avatar State

according to hinduism, there are five classical elements known as pancha bhuta that form the foundations of all creation: air, water, earth, fire, and space/atmosphere.

obviously, atla borrows this concept in making a world entirely based on the four classical elements. but looking at how the avatar spirit is portrayed as a giant version of aang suspended in mid-air, far above the earth, it's possible that this could reference the fifth liminal element of space as well.

admittedly this might be a bit of a reach, but personally i find it a neat piece of worldbuilding that could further explain the power of the avatar. compared to anyone else who might be able to master only one element, mastering all five means having control of every building block of the world. this would allow the avatar to be far more attuned to the spiritual energy within the universe - and themselves - as a result, setting in motion the endless cycle of death and rebirth that would connect their soul even across lifetimes.

#atla #atla cultural influences #hinduism in atla #welp i thought this would be the last part but i ended up having more to talk about than i thought #so i'll save the book 3 inspirations for the next post #including my absolute favourite combustion man #and by favourite i mean kill it with fire why did you ever think this was okay to do writers

[laurents-secret-diary]

oh damen we're really in it now.mp4

#captive prince #damen #damianos of akielos #damen of akielos #kings rising #prince's gambit #ITS HIM ITS MY GUY #also can i just say #i know i made him blush in the rip pitcher sketch because thats the correct interpretation of that scene. cuz he saw his thighs #but can we all agree that those must be the palest pastiest legs a man has ever put in direct sunlight #diogenes said to plato “this is a man” about that peeled chicken because he mistook it for Laurent in a chiton #i bet he burns like a lobster #you leave him in direct sunlight for too long and he starts heaving like an office laptop from 2016 booting up Baldurs Gate 3 #i am still in the middle of book 3 and when i tell you i am in DIRE NEED OF SOME LAURENT POV DECRIPTIONS OF DAMEN #TELL ME HOW LOVELY HE IS I NEED YOUR PASTY ASS TO SAY IT #I want to hear those rapid fire thoughts because you just know he is extinguishing them like summertime mosquitos #if the govart dies chapter is anything to go by #damen oh damen you really thought ancel was gonna shove that stick up his ass during that one performance. i love you. #you are THE funniest motherfucker in that book and your obsession with that blue eyed featherless biped only adds to it #who drops a pitcher when they see a white boy approach #god out of fear maybe #i would never live it down straight up never #that memory instantly became damen's dark horse in the championships for the most embarrassing shit that he will think about in bed at nigh #caprisun

[blluespirit]

i keep thinking about zuko during the day of black sun, starting down his father who's goaded him into staying by torturing him with details of his missing mother, only to use that opportunity to try and kill him again.... only for Zuko to use a technique Ozai did not even know possible, flowing through motions that are distinctly not firebending demonstrating a power so different and deeper than Ozai could ever fathom... idk man just zuko

#zuko #going THRU it rn #atla #avatar: the last airbender #also zuko is perceived as a very non-traditional fire bender after the war #even tho he literally went back to the core.... the very BEGINNING of firebending to understand it #the fire nation literally doesn't even know that tho... so the aggressive angry power-driven firebending is all they've known #so to the people zuko is this strange enigma... his rainbow fire and dragon by his side.... and how sometimes he flows like a waterbender #or stomps like a earthbender or can be as light as an airbender #it's just not something people thought possible #anyway all of this including the post itself is just a non-sensical rant #no thoughts just zuko #book 3 #main series

[fandom-trash-goblin]

IN DEFENSE OF ARYA STARK

Jason Schneiderman, "Little Red Riding Wolf," The Account // Italian Girl with Flowers, Spanish artist Joaquin Sorolla, 1886 // Sansa I, A Game of Thrones, GRR Martin.

lyanna stark || elia martell || sansa stark || arya stark || alicent hightower || jaehaera targaryen || cersei lannister || myrcella baratheon || joanna lannister || aemma arryn || catelyn stark || sansa stark (2) || margaery tyrell

#asoiaf #a song of ice and fire #web weave #webweaving #webweave #game of thrones #webweaves: asoiaf #pro arya stark #arya stark #its been a long while since i read the book and still i saw this painting and thought arya+wildflowers. #edit: okay but sansa baby is so jealous there; which; valid as fuck. i love you sansa <3

[dyingroses]

Avatar: The Last Airbender + text posts and stuff

#avatar #avataredit #avatar: tla #avatar the last airbender #avatar: the last airbender #prince zuko #zuko #katara #zutara #princess azula #Azula #avatar aang #aang #master pakku #haru atla #book 1 water #book 3 fire #book 3: fire #book 1: water #book 2 earth #book 2: earth #the southern raiders #post #+ text posts #atla #atlaedit #mine #dyingrosesedit #dyingroses

[prodogg]

Shhh, be quiet, Zuko want's to sleep.

#zuko #atla zuko #zuko atla #atla #avatar: the last airbender #pd talks #prince zuko #fire nation #book 3 fire #atla shitpost

[nobllite]

Hims 💜

#fanart #sketch #fire emblem heroes #lif #líf #feh #fire emblem #fe #feh lif #lif feh #fe heroes #digital sketch #book 3 #Alfonse #fe alfonse #alfonse fire emblem #done from memory because i could never forget him #he's my everything

[raineandsky]

#109

When the doorbell rings, the hero’s kind of hoping it’s the pizza delivery guy.

They open the door to find, tragically, not the pizza delivery guy.

“Uh,” the villain says, “hi.”

The hero isn’t entirely sure what sequence of words would best fit this scenario. “Hi?” is the best they can do.

The villain shuffles on their feet awkwardly. A pause hangs between them, filled by the distant roar of the city beyond. “I thought you’d ask why I’m here,” they say eventually.

“I’m more concerned about how you’re here.”

A smile threatens the corners of the villain’s mouth. “We know where all you heroes live.” The smile fades into nothing again. “Or just I know, now, I guess.”

“Okay.” The hero squints at the villain uncertainly. “I’ll entertain you. Why the hell are you standing outside my door?”

“No one wants to be a villain anymore. Everyone quit.” The villain’s face contorts into some unreadable expression. “It’s just me.”

That doesn’t sound right. From the villain’s slight grimace, they know it too. “Everyone… quit villainy,” the hero repeats.

“There’s nothing to gain from it anymore. We had a vote and I was the only one who wanted to keep going.” The villain’s gaze dips to their hands as if they hold answers. “They left me everything, but… I can’t do it all on my own. So I’m turning myself in.”

The hero stares at the villain for a long moment. “Even [Supervillain].”

“Especially [Supervillain].”

The hero steps aside with a sigh. The villain looks like they’re being invited into a pit of wolves. “You want me to come into your house?”

“My handcuffs are in my living room cabinet and I don’t trust you standing out there. It’s cold, anyway.”

The villain closes the door behind them in an uncharacteristic show of politeness as the hero digs through their drawers. They’re wiping their shoes on the mat when the hero gets back, cuffs in hand.

The villain holds their hands out and the hero clicks the cuffs around their wrists. It’s almost too easy. The question is sitting on the tip of their tongue.

“What’s the catch?”

The villain doesn’t seem surprised by the question. They shrug halfheartedly. “Dunno.” They glance about for inspiration. “All the others have gone into hiding, I guess. You have me, but everyone else will probably evade you for the rest of time.”

“Much like they already do.” The hero manoeuvres them to the sofa in the living room, giving them a nudge to make them actually sit down. “You make it sound like you’ve been left in charge of the entire criminal organisation.”

The barking laugh the villain lets out is entirely fake. Too sharp, too short. “I have.”

“So villany will collapse without you.”

The villain shrugs again, the motion laden with effort. “Not like anyone else was willing to carry that burden—and I’m not either, hence why I’m, y’know…” They gesture vaguely at themself, in cuffs, in the hero’s living room.

The villain goes, villainy is defeated. No more villains, no more big crimes, no more heroes. Everything the agency has worked to be would collapse. The hero would be out of a job. It'd be over.

Yet here the villain is, giving everything up, taking the entirety of villainy down with them. The sole survivor of a shipwreck and wishing they’d gone down with the ship. A ship they don’t seem to realise the hero is on too.

The doorbell rings again, and the hero leaves the villain carefully settling on the sofa to answer it. They return with a giant grin on their face and a giant pizza box in their hands.

“Let’s worry about all this afterwards,” the hero says brightly. They brandish the box at the villain in the hopes of tempting them. “Want some?”

The tempting works; the villain reaches for a slice. “What a last meal.”

The hero sets the box on the coffee table as they flop back on the sofa. “I don’t know, [Villain],” they say with a smile, “I don’t think it has to be.”

#creative writing #writblr #writers on tumblr #writing #writing community #heroes and villains #hero x villain #yall i have been BALLIN #my burnout isnt completely gone but its a lil better than it has been #the weekend was productive. got three (3!!) new stories done for yall AND I FINISHED WRITING MY BOOK WOOOOOOOOOOOO #and it was nice!!! ive missed writing for so long but i had no ideas #and yet here we are :) the burnout may be strong but by god i have a fire extinguisher

[tiny-chubby-bird]

did they start a book club or what

#also gale is setting his robe on fire in the second one #its funny because they usually camp pretty far apart in the beginning #but then like late act 2 and act 3 (always depends on the camp location i guess) they start reading books together #gay or not they get along while reading #its so cute #bloodweave #bg3 gale #bg3 astarion #bg3 spoilers #gale dekarios #astarion ancunin #like the outdoors camp in act 3 they basically shoved their tents together #theyre sharing the same carpet and pillow #like hello????? #theyre hanging out!!!!

[lilith-91]

Aang wasn't "selfish". He would have killed Ozai if there was NO OTHER OPTION. Why do people forget this scene exists?

Aang has the added responsibility of keeping the air nomad’s alive. He's the last airbender (the title of the series, guys^^) They live through him. Aang is the last REPRESENTATION of the air nomad culture.

Aang did the right thing with Ozai, he found a way to defeat him without compromising his morals and culture. He’s the one who was deemed WORTHY by the lion turtle and given energy bending to take bending away. Aang prayed and the lion turtle came. This a world where there are spirits who hear your call, where the universe shows you to your loved ones. Many people don't understand the religiosity of this show, sadly.

The existence of the lion turtles was foreshadowed in the library

Lion turtles had purposeful cultural importance in the Avatar world and are referenced several times throughout the franchise, albeit in very subtle ways to ensure the element of surprise when the denouement comes at the end of book 3

Also....Ozai is not living a happy life somewhere, that mf is rotting in his cell with no powers. Fate worse than death :)

The weak one is Ozai. Not Aang.

#avatar the last airbender #aang #ozai #atla #avatar book 3 #fire nation