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theladyghost · 11 months

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Gladiator 300th Chapter Celebration

Thank you @kigozula for organizing this event to mark the 300th chapter of this amazing fic!

Favorite…:

1. OC: Shoji, he’s a sweetheart!

2. Guard: Haoren, just for the way he roasted Fei Li in the Spirit Library arc (sorry Fei Li)

3. Gladiator: Sokka and Toph aside? Rhenzi.

4. Sponsor: Azula aside? Yang. He’s a riot.

5. Pair/Couple: Kori and Sneers

6. Friendship: Azula and Song

7. Villain/Antagonist/Opponent: Rhone. His story was quite interesting.

8. Suitor for Azula: Aonu

9. Place: Northern Air Temple

10. Event: Azula’s birthday (took place in part 1, but I guess it still counts)

Favorite Top Three…:

Kisses (in Part 2):

1. Fire Nation Festival #2 arc 7 (when they thought Zhao knew the truth)

2. Fire Nation Festivals #2 arc 7 (after they they learn that Zhao got the wrong idea)

3. Firelord for a week arc 4 (before facing Rhone)

Lovemaking:

1. Fire Nation Festivals #2 arc 2 (The Palanquin)

2. Return to Shu Jing arc 6 (the hot springs cove)

3. Gladiator and Sponsor Race arc 9 (Oma and Shu’s tomb)

This or That:

1. Part 2 or Part 3: Part 2, mainly because Part 3 is not finished yet.

2. Zuki family or Mai Jian family: Mai Jian family. Yuudai is hilarious. My inner 3 year old related to him a lot at Ty Lee and Haru’s wedding. And Ruon Jian and Mai are cute together.

3.Fire Nation Festivals arc or Anniversary arc: I can’t possibly choose, I’m sorry.

4. Captain Rui Shi or Captain Fei Li: Captain Rui Shi (again, I’m sorry Fei Li)

5. Ozai or Zhao: Zhao

6. Scavenger Hunt, Pairs Tournament, Gladiator Brawn or Sponsor Race: Damn, this one is so hard… I’m going with the Gladiator and Sponsor Race.

7. Appa or Xin Long: Xin Long

8. Sokka’s Squad or Azula’s Squad: Azula’s Squad

9. Mai or Ty Lee: Ty Lee <3

10. Shoji or Kino: Shoji

11. Haru or Ruon Jian: Ruon Jian

Others:

1. Place I’d like to visit: Ember Island

2. If I’d could give the Part 2 a title what it would be: True Home. Because in Part 2 they find their place of belonging near each other. Corny I know.

3. What I most look forward to: Sokka and Ozai’s confrontation/Azula meeting Hakoda and Gran-Gran

5. Fave artwork for Part 2: I love several, but the one that comes to my mind right now is the one where Sokka and Azula take part in the Spicy Ramen Challenge. Imo Seyary Minamoto writing really shines in the most humorous moments of the narrative. And Sokka and Azula being their ridiculously competitive selves over something like an absurd eating contest? What’s not to love?

Guessing Time:

1. Future ship: Soooo, sometime ago someone went to seyary’s inbox to ask her about Sokka and Yue’s future interactions in Gladiator and she answered that while they’ll form a friednship, there’s no room for a romance between them in this story. Then she implied that Yue will find love with someone else, so I sent my guess to Seyary’s inbox and going by her answer to kigozula’s post, I think I might be onto something. However, revealing my suspections might be spoilery, so I refrain from doing so.

2. When will Azula and Zhao get a divorce: I think that Ozai has to be dealt with first. But maybe the spirit oasis thing will be Zhao’s downfall.

3. Hakoda’s first meeting with Azula and Hotaru: Hakoda and Azula will have a very difficult conversation about Azula’s capturing Sokka and taking him alway from home. But after hearing Sokka’s version of the story, Hakoda will be able to forgive Azula. And he will be super emotional upon meeting his granddaughter

4. Ozai and Ursa reunion: Ozai might flip his shit

5. What Ozai’s future looks like: Hard to tell. I’m not sure if he’s going to die or have his bending removed like it happened in canon.

6. When Azula visits the South Pole for the first time: I hope to see her interacting with Gran-Gran, who’ll tell her all sorts of embarrassing stories about Sokka’s childhood. Azula will get lots of ammunition to make fun of him, he’ll state his so called manliness once again, and she’ll think it’s adorable

7. First thing Sokka and Azula will do upon reuniting: The two of them are horny as hell, so… Just kidding! Seyary posted that artwork where they reunite in a battle and make out, but I trust them to have a full conversation before jumping each other’s bones. There’ll be crying involved.

Quiz:

1. First Gladiator Sokka faced: The Spawn of the Volcano, I think…

2. How long they’ve been together: 3 years

3. First person to find out about Sokkla’s relationship: Rui Shi (If we’re taking that day in Shu Jing as the starting point of their relationship)

4. Who was onto them from the start: Song

5. Ozai’s first love: I don’t remember. In my defense, I still have some arcs left to read and I don’t exactly read them in order…

6. First event The Princess and The Blue Wolf participated in: Scavenger Hunt

7. How many times the Blue Wolf fought in the Slate:Twice

8. Which Azula’s suitor got closer to being crown prince: Out of all Azula’s suitors? Kuan, I guess…

9. How old were Aang when he was frozen in the Iceberg: I’ll just say 18, but I really can’t remember *hides in utter shame and humiliation*

Words for the author @seyaryminamoto

Dear Seyary Minamoto: I already told you most things I wanted to by sending some anon messages to your blog askbox. Well, now you know it was me. But I think it doesn’t hurt to repeat myself: I started reading Gladiator recently and I’m almost done with it, cause it’s addictive. It’s crazy to think you’ve been writing this story for so many years. Your dedication it’s really appreciated by your readers. I mean, it’s such a long fic and I’m amazed by your attention to every little detail, at how every aspect of the plot seems to be crafted well in advance. Like Azula telling Sokka about the bloodlust spear for the first time in chapter 46 when their partnership was just beginning, only for it to be brought up again years later at chapter 206! Or Sokka writing his haiku on chapter 37 and the very same words causing a powerful emotional reaction in Azula on chapter 276! I look back to the beginning of the journey and think about everything these characters have been through and how much they’ve grown ever since… it’s overwhelming! Can’t even imagine how it must feel for you. The characters and their universe might’ve been created by Bryke, but just by changing a small detail from canon you brought to life something that feels entirely new. Honestly, I wish I could read it all for the first time again, because I already reread my favorite bits so many times that I know them by heart now. Can’t wait to see what you have planned for the future chapters!

#gladiator300thchapter #sokkla #seyary minamoto #kigozula

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seyaryminamoto · 4 months

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A very happy birthday Seyary!! May you have the most wonderful day<33 Enjoy your birthday cake

PS: It is so not easy to find a good decent hugging gif

Hahaha, I know hugging gifs are a pain on this site, I've looked for them and it's always so hard to get a good one. But thank you so much!! <3 <3 <3 had way more food than I should have, haha, way more cake than intended, but eh, you only get a birthday once a year, might as well make the most of it x'D

Thanks again!! <3

#kigozula #only real concern is I hope I'm not developing a cold but #we will survive even so #I must #important things in my immediate future demand it #... yeah of course I'm talking about writing when am I ever talking about anything else...

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wingsfreedom · 11 months

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The Gladiator 300th Chapter Celebration Event

I went off the model in order to write a post that can better express my feelings. (So sorry in advance to @kigozula)

What make you stick to the story so far? I'll start with shorter lines then longer ones.

It's based on the original but it doesn't try imitate it: instead the work has it's own identity. And yet it remains one of, if not the most faithful, attentive and respectful adaption of canon I've seen. Two birds with one stone.

It's so satisfyingly coherent, consistent and connected.

It follows reason and isn't too much over the top.

It's very creative with the concepts and has unexpected plot twists that keep me invested.

The events that spread through the story make for an engaging world-buliding and make the universe feels alive.

The author doesn't hate-write the characters they dislike in canon which was a pleasant surprise to see these characters being handled with care.

Since this deserves it's own point again: for once, Zuko is a likable character.

The love between the romantic couples is real and not something left for interpretation.

I never expected to find great battle scenes so that was another pleasant surprise and left me overwhelmed with excitement.

Sokka/Azula, how their bond affects them and how they affect the world around them is the heart that leads the story. In other words, the world doesn't revolve around them, instead they lead the world.

I don't know how to explain it and I may not have payed enough attention to everything but I like the story's take on morality. Bad deeds aren't overlooked, there are consequences, someone can be human is 100% a terrible person, a good person can be human and yet have darkness in their souls. I like the complexity.

I'm not an expert on this topic to say the story's take on slavery was handled with the care necessary but I can see it's being handled seriously and I really appreciated it wasn't swapped under the rug as an edgy setup for romance.

The story takes friendships seriously! It doesn't look down on friendship or consider it a bond not worth developing which is really wholesome.

I like Azula's side of the story in Part 3, maybe I have word it better in the review but I like how it's about not giving up against the extremely difficult odds and finding light and warmth in the darkest times -- I was naturally driven towards the source of that light and warmth which was in Azula's room and Sokka's small group.

It treats women's issues pretty well imo; love, pregnancy, marriage, domestic problems, controlling fathers who care about their image more than their own daughters -- they're not downplayed and the abusers face consequences.

The character writing make me emotionally invested in the characters even in the ones I'm not actively interested in but I still enjoy reading about them all the same (even in small scenes like that of Longshot, the way he spoke give him personality, and Ursa's parents were funny too).

I appreciate how the dark topics were handled tastefully (unlike GoT or Overlord) -- while some scenes make me feel greatly disturbed, the narrative doesn't spend great lengths to make you feel sick and this precisely what make them more effective or impactful (the public executions, the pregnancy and abortion discussions, the examination and the one night stand...ect, I felt disturbed even while listing these).

ATLA has my favorite power system in all of fiction because of the realistic martial arts combined with the chakras/wheels system of yoga... and so I enjoyed the expansion here by the introduction of the gold fire, fire resonance, special fire forging metal give it special properties, adding mysterious lightbending and the corruption system (or casting a shadow over the elements)

And, of course, I can't neglect the reason I started this story for: Azula. This is my favorite take on her character so far that I won't even bother with anything else at this point (and because I'm pretty much done with this franchise/fandom as well)

Original characters

Rei: I like how her character is about creating a meaningful life out seemingly meaningless existence or rather start

Shaofeng: I just appreciate the fact that this is the first time I read about a villain who managed to be more irredeemable than Ozai himself yet an effective element in the story. We haven't seen what is his true deal yet but I'm looking forward to uncover his mystery.

Seezu: I like the gloomy aesthetics and the power set (it's very unique, though morbid). It was also funny how his cleaning skills were better than his assassination skills (in FLS arc at least). And he's surprisingly, weirdly endearing in a sense too, not gonna lie. I hope that doesn't change.

The Quiz:

• Name of the first Gladiator Sokka fought against? Spawn of Volcano (I still remember the funny exchange: Chan "oh no my Spawn's in trouble" Azula "why do you call him your spawn? Is he your child or something" still makes me laugh

• How many years are Azula and Sokka a couple now? 5 or 6 years (since Azula picked Sokka as her gladiator)

• Which character found out about Azula and Sokka’s secret relationship first? Toph (edit: and Rui Shi!! But since he didn't have a name yet back then it was so easy for him to slip lol)

• Which character felt something might be going on/will be going on between Sokka and Azula from the beginning? Piandao and Lo & Li

• What’s the name of Ozai’s first love? Ozai's first, Ursa's second

• What was the first Gladiator event Azula and Sokka took part in? The Fire Fountain City event when Sokka knocked Ozai's statue over.

• How often did the Blue Wolf fight in the Slate? Two times. Against the second-ranked gladiator and against Yang's wife.

• Who would have almost been the potential future prince? 🤔 there have been 4 princes already plus Zhao currently which make them 5. So do you mean a person unrelated to the fire royals? Any potential suitor for Azula. Kuan the Obnoxious (affectionate), Hahn the Obnoxious (derogatory), Aonu sponsor of the second-ranked gladiator and Chan.

• How old was Aang when he was forced to freeze himself and Appa? This is a good question. I think it must have been stated somewhere in the South Pole chapters which I wasn't as interested in them as I was in Sokkla's side of the story but after some pondering my guess would be 18 years old.

Anyway, there isn't always much I can say about a fanfiction but I think Seyary is a great story teller and I wish a future with more accomplishments for her.

#gladiator #sokkla #atla fic #I could've wrote more thoughts based on Kigozula's questions but this post got long and is already enough i guess

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blueleopard555 · 11 months

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Happy 300th Chapter to Seyary!

Here's my response for @kigozula's celebration of @seyaryminamoto's masterpiece, Gladiator! Thank you both your amazing work!

FAVORITE…:

OC: Rui Shi

2. Guard: Fei Li

3. Gladiator: Not counting the Blue Wolf, The Millennium Dragon

4. Sponsor: Ty Lee

5. Pair/Couple (besides Sokkla): This is hard… Ty Lee and Haru or Song and Rui Shi

6. Friendship: Song and Sokka

7. Villain/Antagonist/Opponent: The dread that exists for Azula and Sokka about being caught… for a more “true” villain/opponent it would be Rhone

8. Suitor for Azula: Huan because this man is worse at giving gifts than I am

9. Place (any houses/island/cities…): Ember Island or Shu Jing or both.

10. Event (weddings/festivals…): Azula’s and Sokka’s wedding with Xin Long as the officiant

FAVORITE TOP THREE…:

Sokkla Kisses in Part 2 when they become finally a couple: Hmmm…. I think the best one for me was the kiss(es) in the Library’s planetarium. There's too many to accurately rank and all are worth remembering now that Arc 3 is in full swing. I miss the Sokkal kisses.

2. Sokkla Love Making: The hot springs date at Shu Jing, the palanquin quicky, and the… every one? There’s too many to list. Like the kisses, I think most readers miss the love between Sokka and Azula.

THIS OR THAT:

Part 2, or Part 3 (so far): Part 2 for the happy feels

2. Zuki Family or Mai Jian Family: Zuki family

3. Festivals Arc or Anniversary Arc: Have I mentioned these are hard? Anniversary is my favorite for the sole fact that Xin Long officiated a wedding

4. Captain Rui Shi or Captain Fei Li: Captain Rui Shi

5. Ozai or Zhao: Ozai

6. Gladiator Brawl, Sponsor Race, Pairs Tournament or Scavenger Hunt: Gladiator Brawl for the awesome final but Sponsor Race for the feels

7. Xin Long or Appa: Close but Xin Long

8. Azula’s Squad or Sokka’s Squad: Choosing sucks but Sokka’s. I think Azula’s Squad is still forming at the moment.

9. Ty Lee or Mai: Ty Lee

10. Shoji or Kino: Shoji

11. Ruon Jian or Haru: Haru because I think Ruon Jian did not have enough “screen time” to really move into my heart

OTHERS:

A Place you would like to visit or live: I want to visit Ember Island or Shu Jing or Sokka’s house, or the dragon cave or the… Throw a dart at the map.

2. If you could give Part 2 a title it would be: “The Bonds that Drive Us” because, yes, the bond between Sokka and Azula are the key driving force of the plot and the story, but other bonds, those of friendship and/or romance between the many characters, give the story more depth and pushes the story forward.

3. Something you look forward to: Ozai’s reaction to Sokka living and fighting against him

4. Best Arc(s) in Part 3 (so far): Story telling

5. Favorite Sokkla Artwork from Part 2: Sokka and Azula in the planetarium

GUESSING TIME:

Future Ships you think will happen: Here me out… Yue and Anorak

2. Azula and Zhao will divorce when/because of …: Zhao dying to Sokka. Or dying to something/someone else. I don’t see him living to see the final chapters of the story.

3. When Hakoda meets Azula and Hotaru for the first time…: Hakoda joins Sokka for the battle where Azula and Sokka meet again but is in a different place when they do battle. Once the battle ends and the dusts settle. Hakoda watches Hotaru because we all know Sokkla is horny.

4. When Ozai and Ursa see each other …: This is hard. I think that Ursa would be one of if not the final nail in the coffin for Ozai to truly realize he’s beyond saving. This would take place closer to the final chapters.

5. I think Ozai's future looks like...: It’s very hard to say. For the short term, I see him beating himself up for the awful choices he made before making even more after Sokka's return.

6. When Azula finally visits the south pole, I hope/wish/think …: The villagers calling her Jing and she being confused.

7. First things Azula and Sokka will do after their reunion: Hug, cry, apologize, visit Hotaru, find a private place…

QUIZ: (The correct answers can be found in my post on June 16th)

Name of the first Gladiator Sokka fought against? Spawn of the Volcano... Chan's gladiator. That's his name now.

2. How many years are Azula and Sokka a couple now? 3 to 4 years now. Maybe even five but that seems wrong. Once the 3rd Part started, for some reason I thought they were together for 5 years.

3. Which character found out about Azula and Sokka’s secret relationship first? Song

4. Which character felt something might be going on/will be going on between Sokka and Azula from the beginning? Ty Lee

5. What’s the name of Ozai’s first love? I sadly don’t remember but I’m willing to bet my left kidney that it was himself. Please don’t take my kidney because I know I’m wrong.

6. What was the first Gladiator event Azula and Sokka took part in? Scavenger Hunt

7. How often did the Blue Wolf fight in the Slate? Twice in six months? Nine months?

8. Who would have almost been the potential future prince? Chan

9. How old was Aang when he was forced to freeze himself and Appa? 18, I think.

SOME NICE WORDS TO OUR DEAR AUTHOR SEYARYMINAMOTO:

I won't lie. I used to think fan fiction was only something bad and cringe inducing (Mine definitely are) but then I was introduced to your work(s) on an Artcraawl post. I thought, "why not? It has three million words, hard work had to be put into it." Six hours later I realized it was past midnight and I had classes the next morning and I had a long ways to go to catch up. For the next few weeks of January/February in 2022, I was addicted. Friends thought I was crazy because every time they looked at me, my face was glued to my phone. The glee I felt when I realized that new chapters were being posted was amazing. And then the impatience of having to wait two weeks for the next update was devastating. But then I saw that you had more works for me to read and read I did. Safe to say that you changed my view of fan fiction, Avatar, Azula and Sokka, and writing. You opened many new doors for me that I refused to even have to key made for. Your dedication, hard work, and awesome writing skills amaze me. I'm happy to be one of many readers you have even though I'm a bit late to the party. If the story continues for another ten years (That number is insane BTW, that's a decade!!), then count me in! I will still wait for every update and my heart will be moved by your beautiful writing. Thank you for all the work you put into this and for how you have influenced me for good. Truly, thank you.

Here's for 300 more!

For the record, @kigozula, why on earth did you make the questions so hard to answer? This was supposed to be fun yet here I am trying to decide which Sokkla smut scene was my favorite. Do you know how hard that is? Shame on you 🤭

#gladiator #sokkla #gladiator300thchapter #Here's to 300 more!#formatting on tumblr is hard #I think I got it to look good #No promises though

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wammy36 · 11 months

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Gladiator 300th chapter event

Thanks to @kigozula for organizing this event, and @seyaryminamoto for making this event possible.

Preface: LONG, this is my first time using tumblr and even participating in any event like this at all, so I'm not sure what the standard conventions are for length. Given that, I just wrote what I truly thought, even if it's rather cumbersome. But given that we've all read Gladiator, and one of us even wrote it, I assume breadth of text isn't too much of a barrier.

I guess I'll stick with the format that @wingsfreedom stuck with for their event, speaking about Gladiator as a whole before answering the event questions.

What makes you stick with the story so far? Well truthfully I haven't stuck with the story very long at all, I only started reading Gladiator in the last week and a half of April, right before my final exams for the semester. I started and was up to date just before chapter 295, and even left a comment under a guest account outlining similar sentiments under chapter 295(on AO3).

As for what Gladiator does to encapsulate me, well Azula is far any away my favourite character in canon, and hate reading tweets on twitter from people who said that Azula didn't deserve redemption had lead someone to mention Gladiator, and here I am. Everything feels so natural, right from the start. Each character introduction feels in line with their canon counter part, and each subsequent character development feels perfectly believable, both emotionally and logically. One of my biggest dislikes about fiction is when the plot is moved forward by people making objectively bad decisions, whether they are illogical or incongruent with their emotional state and needs. It is a further annoyance if everything just accidentally works out. Gladiator in contrast has a very natural plot development, pushed forward by dynamic and grounded characters. The politics of the world are plainly seen, and systemic issues are given the attention they deserve. As much as some people like to divorce politics from fiction, I think that notion is laughable, especially for a story like ATLA. Seyary(? not sure how to address the author) does an excellent job weaving systemic issues into the story. An unlikely point of introspection for me came from reading this story. As Sokka and Azula's love blossomed, the way it is described was so moving, to the point of tears at certain moments of the story. This lead me to realize that most of my romantic relationships were truly meaningless and marred by fear, and as much as I had said I didn't want a true relationship, and was content with a friends with benefits situation, it was my fear of being vulnerable that made me seek those fleeting things. I know this is quite a bit to unload on what is supposed to be a positive event, but I'd imagine these are the kind of feelings and thoughts that good fiction consistently evokes.

There are many excellent OC's in Gladiator, a true testament of Seyary's writing skill to not just flesh out existing characters but give life to new ones. Of these Rui Shi is my personal favourite. I liked seeing his stern outlook, morph into a stern facade over time, as it pertains to Sokka and Azula's relationship. I liked seeing his interpersonal walls come down, allowing him to truly connect with others.

Guard

Well logically this one has to be Rui Shi as well, but that isn't the spirit of the question, so I will choose from the remaining guards. Of these 9(10 including Bao, but he isn't afforded the same opportunities in the story ) they all shine in the moments they're given. I'd have to choose Fei Li, I love the contrast between his demeanor and his role as an Royal guard, and later captain of the third squad. I love his leading role in the speculation about our favourite couple's love life. Some of the chapters that made the finale of part 2 bearable were the little moments between the guards, Sokka and Azula.

Gladiator

Once again forgoing the obvious answer of our main characters, I'd have to say Renzhi, the Millenium Dragon is my favourite. I like the fact that since the leagues inception the second best gladiator was an honourable man. I liked his interactions with Anou, showing he had his friends best intentions and truly cared for him and their bond. I like that he didn't hold anything against Sokka. And this might be a bit greedy, but I look forward to his reappearance in the story.

Sponsor

It doesn't need to be said that this spot truly belongs to Azula, but in her absence Kori takes her place. Her story with Sneers is meant to mirror Azula's story with Sokka, and her devastation at Azula's wedding must have shattered her heart, for two reasons; seeing her friend in terrible pain, and knowing that something similar, although not nearly as bad could await her if the world found out about her relationship with Sneers.

Pair/Couple (besides Sokkla)

Ty lee and Haru have a very beautiful story. Their initially asymmetrical relationship(not by any of their wants but by their lack of communication) was driven by blind lust, but only after truly being vulnerable with each other could their relationship reach new heights. Given my introspective words above, it's no wonder their story is my favourite.

Friendship

Azula, Mai and Ty lee have a sad outcome in canon, but there is one moment of true comradery, the beach. When everyone shares their stories, even Azula has a brief moment of vulnerability before snuffing it out by uttering that line we know all too well "my own mother thought I was a monster". Well thankfully Gladiator is chalk full of this comradery between the three fire nation girls, and I love every second of it.

Villain/Antagonist/Opponent

Ozai, I love what you've done with him. In canon we are shown that Zuko and Azula are morphed by much abuse, and that guides their minds towards some objectively bad actions. Implicitly we are shown that the same abuse must have affected Ozai, Iroh and Azulon and so on. Seyary has fleshed out this abuse that Ozai suffered, but not in a way that absolves him in any capacity from his actions, one that merely tells us what guided him down this dark path. I love the like father like son over emotional way of dealing with things shared between Zuko and Ozai, even if Ozai would never admit it.

Suitor for Azula

Anou has a very interesting arc, what that ends with him becoming an ally to Azula and overcoming his personal demons, with the help of an at the time foe in Azula and his friend Renzhi.

Place (any houses/island/cities…)

I'd say the southern water tribe, even if most the story is devoid of it. It is where our journey starts at a very low point. Sokka spends every waking moment thinking of home, thinking of killing Azula before she returns into his life. Once their relationship blooms he ponders returning, but with Azula at his side. And our story hits a incredibly sad low, with their separation, but narratively I know one day they will return, with the world put forward on a new path towards genuine justice. This is what I'm most looking forward to, and if Whaletail Island is any indication, it will be amazing. This is all without mentioning any of the Southern Water Tribe chapters, and Zuko and Suki's arrival, which are among my favourite chapters.

Event (weddings/festivals…)

My favourite "event" was Jing and Wentai's wedding Firelight Town. Seeing them be able to be themselves in public, with no holding back, seeing the raw emotions emanating off of and onto each other, I'm sure it must've been nearly as fun to write it as it was to read.

Favourite Top 3

Part 2 kisses:

1.) Their wedding kiss when getting married as Jing and Wentai in Firelight Town

2.) Their kisses shared in the morning before Sokka, Azula, Katara, Zuko, Kino and Aang go shopping on Whaletale Island in the cover of darkness.

3.) This kiss when Sokka woke up after being saved by Azula from bleeding out.

Sokkla love making

1.) Consummating their marriage in Firelight Town.

2.) Just after Azula told Sokka that she loves him, sober and directly, at the Northern Air Temple.

3.) Just after Azula proudly declares in front of an audiance of Sokka, Zuko, Katara, Aang and Kino that she loves Sokka in an impassioned speech.

This or That

Part 2, or Part 3 (so far) Part 2 was an incredible read, but it was always marred by the knowledge that eventually, narratively, everything had to come crashing down, that Sokka and Azula would lose everything they had worked for. Part 3 didn't start in the most optimistic of ways, but knowing that things can only get better, that everyone in the gaang, and everyone of Azula's real family in the Fire Nation have boundless hope for what is to come is an equalizer. Given that part 3 is limited to so far, part 2 is my favourite.

Zuki Family or Mai Jian Family

Zuko and Suki's family and general development in the Southern Water Tribe was an incredible development, and nearly took the place my answer to the earlier prompt of favourite couple (besides Sokkla).

Festivals Arc or Anniversary Arc

I'm not sure which festivals arc is being referred to, so I'll put all 3 in order. The first Festivals arc was the best of the 3, the best parts being when Azula accepts that it is love she feels for Sokka, just before bending gold fire for the first time, second only to their first of many sexcapades.

Second place is the next Festivals arc, Sokka's Rui Shi disguise and their dangerous consequences, the homeless people pleading with the firelord for help, sent by the white lotus, the mourning of those important to Sokka and Azula, their indirect bending. So many seemingly little moments and interactions that were a joy to read.

Third place is the Anniversary Arc. It was a fun read, especially when Azula was made aware of Mai and Ty lee's interrogation of her and Sokka's sex life, but I don't think it holds a candle to either of the Fesitval arcs.

Captain Rui Shi or Captain Fei Li

Captain Rui Shi, this should be simple enough to explain. Even when Fei Li was captain, Rui Shi was the de facto leader.

Ozai or Zhao

Ozai. I've already explained my thoughts about Ozai above under the favourite villain prompt. I don't think Zhao can hold a candle to Ozai as a villain, given his courtesy of Sokka and Azula's relationship, and his courtesy of Azula during the early days of their marriage, before the knowledge of her pregnancy infected his mind. I also have a sneaking suspicion that as part 3 progresses, he might not be so much of a villain.

Gladiator Brawl, Sponsor Race, Pairs Tournament or Scavenger Hunt

Sponsor Race was the best. The Brawl was good, either the pairs tournaments were also good, especially the one with Haru and Ty Lee, but the race was amazing. Finally seeing Azula and Sokka fight side by side again, having them triumph against Toph and Iroh, and especially their ventures into the cave of two lovers, their emotional distraught upon reading Oma and Shu's stories. It was amazing, start to finish.

Xin Long or Appa

I think Xin Long has this handily, by the simple fact that there is a literal mind connection between Xin Long and Azula, so they know, quite literally, everything about one another.

Azula’s Squad or Sokka’s Squad

Sokka's squad. While I laughed delightfully upon niece Wen's introduction, and was rather pleased at Azula finally finding a new companion in Rei, Sokka's squad has the Avatar, the twice banished (got to be a record) prince of the Fire Nation, Zuko, Ursa, the only one who had ever been able to somewhat tame Ozai, and of course the Blue Wolf himself. If there was ever a group that Ozai would hate to be together, that was it.

Ty Lee or Mai

Genuinely don't know, I spent a great amount of time considering this. I love Ty lee's story, especially with Haru, but I also love Mai, her family and her uncanny ability to read Azula better than anyone, except for Sokka. This seems a rather diplomatic answer, and I hate seeing such answers, but even my gut says that I don't have an answer, so I guess it's a tie.

Shoji or Kino

Shoji clears, but I suspect that over the course of part 3 Kino will have many, many parts to shine.

Ruon Jian or Haru

Haru, I love his arc where he finds his mother, and truly develops a connection with Ty Lee. Ruon Jian has never been given a chance to shine that brightly.

Other

A Place you would like to visit or live

Fire nation capital Calderra, I quite enjoy city life and its luxuries, and I already live in the imperial core in real life. I wouldn't visit either of the poles, I already deal with a harsh enough winter where I live.

If you could give Part 2 a title it would be

I'm a big sucker for humour so "Coming Together" works quite nicely for me.

Something you look forward to

There's about a hundred little things introduced over the hundreds of chapters that I'm just waiting to be reintroduced during arc 3, the guards, the dragons hidden in the mountain, other gladiators joining Sokka's cause (especially Anou and Renzhi), far too many to list. The thing I'm most looking forward to is Sokka and Azula's reunion, and Azula meeting Katara on far better terms, and Azula discovering who Kuzon truly is.

Best Arc(s) in Part 3 (so far)

They've all been amazing, even if painful at times. The best have been storytelling/wedding, Under Attack/Child of Two Worlds, and Family reunion/Strengthening Bonds. I save my judgement of Taking Omashu as the arc isn't fully out, but if Under Attack is any indication, I have full faith that it will be amazing.

Favorite Sokkla Artwork from Part 2

I only made a tumblr the day of writing this post, the 17th of June and haven't really looked at your tumblr at all beyond to see previews of upcoming chapters. I've never been one for the visual arts, so I don't really have an answer.

Guessing Time

Future Ships you think will happen

I think Katara and Aang is practically a forgone confusion, given their development. I think either one of them will become injured, and Sokka or Azula will tell them to not waste time, because you never know how much you have left with the ones you love. This answer isn't in the spirit of the question, but I don't really have any thoughtful speculation, only guesses, I'm not too fond of.

Azula and Zhao will divorce when/because of …

I don't know if they will divorce, maybe it will be once or if Azula escapes the Fire Nation and she becomes publicly an enemy(?) I don't think it would be particularly wise for Ozai to declare her an enemy, but if Azula escapes with her friends Song and Rei, and keeps Mai and Ty lee's families safe, whether by escaping with them or through other means, it'd hard to not see Ozai react with unrelenting fury that clouds his judgement. If you combine this with the fact that maybe he becomes aware of Sokka's status being alive at the same time, he might truly do something so stupid.

When Hakoda meets Azula and Hotaru for the first time …

Well if he meets Azula, she will probably not want to face him and the rest of the tribe she wronged alone because she feel like she might never be able to atone for her sins, so she'll be with Sokka. I expect a lot of crying, lines similar to the ones said on Whaletail Island about how she might never forgive someone who forcefully took Sokka from her, and Hakoda will break his stoicism upon this declaration, upon seeing Sokka again will be moved to tears. Another scneario is if she escapes to the Southern Water tribe from the Fire Nation without Sokka, which will still be met with the same tears and probably same declarations, just this time without Sokka. She will probably feel really welcome down there.

When Ozai and Ursa see each other …

Ozai will have what humanity he shoves away come back in full force, but Ursa will reject his words and tell him what she really thinks. Ozai will be furious, I think more furious than we've seen yet.

I think Ozai's future looks like... Eventually he will either be killed, or have his bending taken away like in canon. I like to think if he dies that it will be by the space sword, maybe in conjunction with Wolf's Bane. If his bending is taken away, I have faith in Seyary's writing that Aangs gain of this power will be done better than in canon, and a childish part of me wants Ozai to see Azula and Sokka hugging and kissing after becoming powerless.

When Azula finally visits the south pole, I hope/wish/think …

I've already laid my thoughts out when Hakoda meets Azula and Hotaru for the first time. With the rest of the tribe I expect similar greetings, but without the rest of the tribe reciprocating said tears.

First things Azula and Sokka will do after their reunion

If their first spiritual meeting is any indication, it will be to hug and kiss, saying each others name between sobs and tears.

Quiz

Name of the first Gladiator Sokka fought against?

Spawn of the Volcano

How many years are Azula and Sokka a couple now?

I think it's been 6 years since they first met in the south pole, 4 years since they met again in Hui Yi, and if we take them having sex as fully saying no matter what they need each other and to become a couple it's been somewhere between 2 years and 9 months and 3 years.

Which character found out about Azula and Sokka’s secret relationship first? Depends on how you define relationship and found out. Certainly Mai and Ty lee knew that they would fall in love pretty much instantly, Rui Shi thought something happened in the forest, especially when Azula said "Due to something I will not explain to you, I left to face the Rhinos by myself" he must've assumed something happened with Sokka. Toph definitely knew Sokka loved Azula, and knew by the time they were in Ba Sing Se together that Azula loved Sokka. Rui Shi saw them kiss on Shu Jing, song was the first to find out they'd had sex. So this question has many answers.

Which character felt something might be going on/will be going on between Sokka and Azula from the beginning? Mai and Ty lee.

What’s the name of Ozai’s first love? Ursa.(??) This feels too easy, like a gimme so maybe his first love was his father Azulon, maybe the power that Seethus gave him, seeing Azula the prodigious bender at birth? I'm confused but the answer must be Ursa, because those other 3 clearly aren't love, and if what he felt for Ursa wasn't love it was certainly closer.

What was the first Gladiator event Azula and Sokka took part in? Scavenger Hunt.

How often did the Blue Wolf fight in the Slate?

He fought twice, against the Millennium Dragon and the Queen of Pain.

Who would have almost been the potential future prince? I'm not sure what that means, maybe governor Kuon? He was rather close to having his gladiator defeat Sokka due to Sokka's leg cramping. Maybe you mean Anou, Renzhi was also close to defeating Sokka in the brawl, but I doubt Ozai would let Anou marry into the Royal family.

How old was Aang when he was forced to freeze himself and Appa? He was the same age as Azula at the start of the story, so 19.

SOME NICE WORDS TO OUR DEAR AUTHOR SEYARYMINAMOTO:

Seldom am I invested this much in anything in my life, not the gym, my studies, athletics, friends. For the last month and a bit this story has consumed my past time, most of the time I'm rereading my favourite chapters, thinking, theory crafting of what's to come. Truly you've brought every character to life in incredible ways, even minor characters that make one or two appearances like Longshot, members of the Blue den like Pirrin, Yang, people like Mei Xun and Sae. You've no doubt captivated my mind with your writing, and certainly I'm no the only one. I hope that writing this story has been as much of a joy as it has been to read it. Part of me wishes that I could time travel, just for the sake of going two years in the future to finish reading this story as soon as possible, or that you had started writing this story two years prior, and quite frankly I'm not sure which one is more selfish.

#gladiator300thchapter #sokkla #gladiator #azula #sokka

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sokkazula · 4 years

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Sokkla - Hair Down 1st Version

#sokkla #azula #sokka #atla #screencaps:avatarspirit/piandao #kigozula

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sweetingseva · 2 years

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I love your page! Do you know of any other good Caraval/Once Upon a Broken Heart blogs?

Hello!

Beside myself, I have liked posts that wrote about Caraval and or Once Upon A Broken Heart from these wonderful people 💗

@lily-stans-legend

@lola-lightwood

@kigozula

@zeirdo7

@evajacks

@renegadestrash

@honeymed

I'm sure there's more accounts out there that I might have missed. But these are the pages that have written about Stephanie Garber's books. As for a whole blog dedicated to Caraval/OUABH I believe it's the first account I have mentioned above.

Please let me know otherwise! ❤

#once upon a broken heart #ouabh #caraval #legendary #finale #stephanie garber #the ballad of never after #tbona #ya fantasy

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waywardavatarenthusiast · 3 years

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Enough

theOkay. My post titled, “This is Embarrassing” gained a lot of...attention.

I wanted a discussion as to why Sokkla’s nsfw content amount was so much higher than that of the three most popular ships in the fandom combined. I wanted to know what made Sokkla and the characters in the own right so prone to sexualization despite all the great things that can be written about them. I also wanted to discuss the racism within those sexual tropes.

What I got was a bunch of whiny fans, with the exception of @seyaryminamoto , @lotusunset, and @kigozula, thinking I was personally attacking them (as if I have the time) and saying redundant things like, “don’t like don’t read”, “you’re gatekeeping and like the Sokkla-antis”

I wish they would all eat their own words. If you don’t like my post, scroll. Don’t come onto my page and try to convince me to enjoy racism and hypersexualization.

Of the seven people who reblogged my post, seyary was the only person to mention the aspect of racism I included in that post. From the lengthy posts that people went out of their way for me to *not fully* read, that tells me something. That tells me that they saw that part, and ignored it. And that tells me that they don’t care.

One person mentioned that “sex is normal and healthy” as if I was in sixth grade health learning about the birds and the bees for the first time. Sex slave tropes aren’t healthy. The s***ge indigenous boy ravaging the submissive east asian princess isn’t healthy, it’s problematic. Let’s talk about how majority of the fics in that tag center around those three things.

People argued about LOK even. 80% of those stories are not even in the canon template. 95% aren’t set between atla and lok.

My question still isn’t quite answered, and I don’t want it to be at this point.

@madamezuki @themadmanandhisbox and that nasty anon. I asked a question, and you shook your heads violently and passive aggressively told me to ignore it all. Not a fucking good look.

#Avatar Fandom #avatar the last airbender #atla #sokkla #azula x sokka

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fanwright · 3 years

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Gladiator: 200th Chapter Celebration

Tagging: @kigozula @seyaryminamoto

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Seyary, this is a great milestone for you. Just want to let you know that I’m happy for you and impressed by the work that you have done over the long years of writing this story. You’ve inspired others to get into Sokkla as well as to have fun with the ship. Its been a great pleasure!

When I first picked up this story, I was still in college and rediscovering ATLA. Gladiator, as well as your other stories (which I recommend that others read as well) really cemented my liking for this ship. Years later, I’m still here, though all the ups and downs.

Now, despite me liking Gladiator a whole lot, I’ve admittedly fallen behind on catching up with it, chapter by chapter. That said, I do want to read it at my own pace and as I read more I still find myself loving the story, as there is much to enjoy.

So, to that end, I’ll be commenting on the parts of the story I have been caught up with, Chapters 1 to 100. I hope that’s okay.

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1.) Favorite Character: Sokka

Now, this doesn’t mean I don’t like Azula. Of course not. And choosing one over the other is such a hard call to make that I would rather have them both occupy the same spot. But I decided Sokka in this case for a number of reasons. Others have commented on Azula in their own posts, so I thought giving my reasons for Sokka seemed only fair.

We’ve seen Sokka change a lot over the course of the story and I seeing him morph into the character he is now is such a stark contrast to the one we saw at the very beginning. He hated the Fire Nation and was unwilling to cooperate with Azula. And yet, after trial and error and harsh circumstance, we have seen become a great warrior in his own right and the closest companion Azula has ever had, being her secret lover. It has been such a treat seeing him change and adapt and grow in this story. And as someone who really does like him as much as Azula, it was (and still is) a thill to see him get an all-star treatment in a story.

And yet there are lingering complexities within him in this story, as far as I have gotten in it. There is still that awareness within him of who he serves and what he is doing, along with a nagging feeling of inadequacy that has hounded him at every turn. Bit by bit, either by his own efforts or with a little help, he is clawing his way forward internally to find some reconciliation. And I find that very compelling.

And also its fun to see him thrash gladiators.

2.) Least Favorite Most Dreaded Character: Ozai

Well, that’s not true really. I don’t dislike any of the reoccurring characters actually.

The best way to describe this particular choice is “Most Dreaded Character”. I chose Ozai for this one because I dread the moment in when he finds out Azula and Sokka’s little affair. Now, again, I’m only on Chapter 100, so things could have changed by now. Yet, I believe still that if Ozai finds about about all this... a lot is going to change for Azula, Sokka, and even the Fire Nation. He will be a consequential character in the chapters to come and dread to see the his wrath and what that will mean for everyone else. It will not be pretty.

3.) Favorite “Antagonist”: Toph

When I first picked up this story and saw Toph introduced as an adversary, I was hyped. Like, you have no idea how hyped and pumped up I was for them to brawl. And I was not disappointed.

See, for me, Toph represented more than just a metaphorical torn in both Sokka’s and Azula’s side for a good chunk of this story. She is at times a very compelling mini-villain, as if she is straight out of a Disney movie. She loves what she does and enjoys it, and knows just how powerful she is. And flaunts it in spectacular display. She has such a simple yet understandable motivation and was a very real threat to Sokka’s own life in the very first fight they were in. And despite both Sokka and Toph eventually learning to respect and even befriend each other, there was always the nagging thought that they would eventually fight again, and each one knew they wanted to win that rematch. Toph provided Sokka and Azula a reoccurring adversary to strive toward beating. Even as other gladiators came and went, they always knew Toph would be their biggest obstacle. So much build up was focused on training for that eventuality. And all of it was compelling enough to paint Toph as this great rival to them. Her being a part-time ally in some cases and even being a friend didn’t really change that until after they had fought a second time.

Its because of this that I now believe firmly that Toph should be used as an antagonist more, if a story needs one. She is just so fun and so good as villain that hope others come to use her as one in AUs.

As I read more, I’m sure this might change in time. But, even with all the fights Sokka has had, I firmly maintain that Toph was his greatest adversary on many levels.

4.) Favorite OC: Rui Shi

Honestly, I think this guy is a sprit animal to someone out there. He’s just a guard trying to do his job right and the person he protects consistently makes that job harder for him in the most ridiculous ways. “Oh great, my princess is in an affair with her Gladiator and that won’t stop fucking like rabbits. Joy.”

Honestly, this man needs a vacation. A long one. And Seyary hasn’t given it to him, because she likes to make his life hard. Rude.

For the longest time, I actually thought Rui Shi was much older than he actually is in the story. So until a picture of him was finally made, I pictured him as a 40 year old veteran with a graying mustache and beard. Even with how he actually looks, I wouldn’t be surprised if his job made him grow gray hair from all the stress.

Good OC, one of a few I like.

5.) Favorite Suitor: Zhao

Should probably be no surprise. Where I am at right now, he’s essentially the suitor to beat as well as having the ultimate Gladiator for Sokka and Azula to defeat. Azula even admired him at some point. Though that has changed, I feel that Zhao has his eyes set on courting Azula further. Its a move that Ozai would likely not object to, provided Zhao pulls off something grand to earn that honor. And although every suitor has made Sokka angry, I feel Zhao would anger him on a deeper level as his interest in Azula grows.

I look forward to seeing him more.

6.) Favorite Gladiator(s): Jet and Suki (For Chapters 1-100)

Jet being a brainwashed Gladiator highlighted a dark aspect to the games. He was also a brutal berserker when in the ring and one of Sokka’s most bitter adversaries. Suki to me was an interesting contrast to Sokka his situation with Azula. She was to me a kind of noble gladiator, an Amazon in the ring put gentle when out of it. Putting the canon characters in as Gladiators was always a treat for me and actually lends itself to some world-building.

7.) Favorite Gladiator-Canon Pairing: Sokka/Azula

This should not be a surprise :P

I could go on and on about it, but for the sake of brevity, I’ll keep things short. This should not be surprise because the driving force and the very soul of this entire story is about a warrior-princess falling in love with a tribal gladiator. Their differences and how they reconcile them, their fears and pain, their passion and drive, all propel this story forward. Things have changed in this story because of them and they themselves have changed because fate brought them together.

If that isn’t enough to make them my favorite, then I’m sorry I don’t know what else to say to convince you XD

8.) Favorite Arc(s): Rough Rhinos Arcs

Two arcs hit me hard on an emotional level - The end of the introductory arc and the Rough Rhino’s arc. They literally crawl out of quagmire, find a dragon in the process, and have one of the most touching and sincere heart-to-hearts in the story thus far. It was one of my favorite arcs to read and the emotional stakes were high. As I read more and continue, this might change, but for now I maintain this is one of my favorite arcs.

9.) Favorite Places/Locations: To Be Determine

This is the down side of having to catch up. There are a lot of locations in the story and in the ATLA universe that I like, and its always a hard choice for me to decide. I am a big fan of settings for a story and when I find a setting I like I usually latch onto it in all its locations. So for now, I will not decide on a solid choice.

... however, in any AU it might show up in, Bs Sing Se is my first choice by biased default. I just love that city and I always appreciate when a story fleshes it out in little ways. Gladiator being set for a fraction of its time in the city was great for me as I got to read more about the city I like so much.

10.) I wish to see Sokkla in...: More tender, couple-like moments

Surprising, I know. But I what I mean is this - moments where they refrain from arguing, don’t bicker, and just enjoy being around each other, doing small things together. And its hard for them, they have to train they, have to keep their relationship a secret, they can only be a true couple for fleeting moments because of how dangerous and vulnerable it will leave them. And it claws at my heart every time. So I cherish the moments they have when they can be themselves around one another, fleeting as they sometimes are.

11.) I believe Sokka and Azula’s relationship will be revealed when/like/because of...:

... when they get careless. When they feel that they are safe in their secrecy, complacaent in their routines for keeping their relationship hidden, that’s when it will be revealed. Its a kind of Hubris of sorts.

And when its revealed, it will lead to something bad and irreversible for the both of them. You can only hide something like this for so long. Even historical royal affairs were never as secret as theirs. And they have taken painful precautions to keep it all under wraps.

So when it finally does, it will change everything. And that’s going to be quite the wild ride.

12.) I believe at the end of Part 3...:

... that a sacrifice will be made. A death or a relinquishment of something. Sokka and Azula will be together, but something will have to be given up, and it will test them for the final time.

I can’t say what it will be, but I’m going to enjoy finding out.

#Sokkla #Sokka #Azula #Gladiator Chapter Celebration

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