#sorry your xmas was shit :( im glad i could help in any way x

[hella1975]

Hi Hella!  Its List Anon with my list of thoughts about this chapter as i read it.  And then my ramblings of it and then whatever else.  

AZULA 

Miss girl is having symptoms of an impending mental breakdown

HAKODA

God I missed your Hakoda so  much

KQNUT

I cant read right now im so excited oh my god 

Sokkas thinking about zuko and i think watching him i havent gotten that far yet but oh my god im so excited

Hes checking him out i think

I feel like theres a metaphor hidden somewhere in zukos blades but i cant figure it out

“Sokka knew what Zuko was. Sokka knew what he had done. It didn’t scare him anymore. Instead, Sokka ate with the other boy, and reluctantly found him hilarious, and found himself stammering under Bato’s false – and frankly insulting – accusations. Zuko was a threat, but not to them, not anymore.” - <33333.  Sokkas and homophobic dog thing????

TOMNOOK YES ITS MY BOYS

I missed Tomnook so bad.  I love them so much, to me peak characterization is two people who are like two halves and a whole and are just linked with eachother.  Nanooks personality is my favorite thing ever.  

NANooks sees it omg i love this so much

““Okay, plan B,” Sokka said, more to himself than Zuko, before his smirk became an evil grin, arms folded over his chest. “Either you can come hunting with me, something that will keep you moving and practise your precision and stealth, or I can go tell Kanut that you’re swinging that sword about like you’re trying to singlehandedly undo every bit of treatment he’s given you. Choice is yours, Sunshine.”” Oh my god a pet name

Also this is so funny to me.  Sokkas literally blackmailing him as he should.  i love your sokka.

 “Call me Sunshine again and I’ll throw you off the cliff.” i love your zuko too hes so great.

Zukos protecting him <333

Im barely into this chapter and ive already written a lot.  I apologize in advance for making you read all this.

“But to protect him? To want to keep him safe? On purpose? Sokka was used to being the protector. Being on the receiving end felt like an itch he couldn’t scratch, and he didn’t understand.” - oh my god there is so much to unpack here

“ Blue bleeding into red. Red staining the blue.” - also a lot to unpack

“ But Sokka and Zuko were older. Zuko did not need to sacrifice himself for Sokka and Sokka was not responsible for Zuko.”  Love this love this love this I dont feel like sokkas trauma is represented enough in zukka relationships.  This is a really good depiction of it and how Sokka was given too much responsibility at a young age.  I like how you’re touching on this and adding it to their relationship.

Is this going to be one of those things where sokka falls first but zuko falls harder?  Its giving the vibes.  Sokkas already showing signs of figuring it out.  I dont think zuko is for a while.  Thats just my take on it though.

““Tell me about your time on the Ullaakut,” he blurted out suddenly, making Zuko flinch.” this caught me off guard but i also love it.  I dont know why but this is so funny to me.  I really hope Zuko tells Sokka some more details eventually.

Yk tomnook are giving some romantic vibes in this chapter.  Are you queer baiting us /j

FUCK FUCK FUCK THEYRE BEING ATTACKED

“ The Princess of the Fire Nation was here with four fucking air ships presumably full of tyranny and unchecked trauma and somehow it was Chena’s fucking problem because it always was with that family. He hadn’t even finished eating, for La’s sake.”  this is so funny i love chena

Oh my god if any of them die this chapter im never going to forgive you

Its going to be chena isnt it?  Theres too much focus on him and hes being an idiot

Sokka being able to pierce Zukos trauma is so wonderful.  

Oh my god i love azula i trust you to do her justice “Auzla, good or bad” idk well have to see ig

Oh my god that conversation thing was great

The fight was great

Oh my god youre so amazing i love this so much

Okay i dont think anyones going to die

The Last two paragraphs - Oh my god hella what the fuck are you on.  This is the kind of stuff that makes taob so good and wonderful and magnificent and glorious and and and- 

So the thing about how you write Zukka is, its perfect.  I am so picky about how people write Zuko specifically (and azula but were not talking about her right now) but you are just so good at writing him.  I love how you keep his canon characterization and not like infantilizing him (seriously, people tend to forget that Zuko is an asshole) but you also tap into all of Zukos traits, not just the ones that are appealing.  Like the black and white thinking, his bossiness, his temper, all that fun stuff.  And you take all of this and combine it with the traits that he picked up because of the taob plot and you’re consistent with it.  Like I see a lot of fics (and i also do this with my fic so i know its really hard not to do this ) that will put characters through something and its like that event never happened after like two nightmares and three flashbacks and a conversation.  But you’re very good at juggling everything going on with zukos mind and character.  

You write in a way that makes you come off as extremely intellegent. I dont know what I mean by that but like on tumblr you give off the vibes of someone who is just unnaturally smart, and then you read taob and you're just like 'yeah that checks out'

I got off track of what i was originally wanting to say.  

My favorite Zukka dynamic is Sokka leaning into Zukos protectiveness and so how you showed this in this chapter took me aback because i knew that that is where this was headed but you executed it so well.  Also its kind of nice that we’re finally starting to get into the zukka portion of taob.  And feelings are finally being felt for eachother.  Like when you said slow burn holy shit this is slow burn.  I love it so much 10/10 marvelous, all the praise, bravo.  

Then there was also the acknowledgement that Zuko and Sokka arent responsible for one another.  And that theyre allowed to just be Zuko and Sokka without the stress of being the one ‘in charge’.  Like theres no added pressure to it.  And like I said people have a tendency to focus on Zukos trauma and comletely dismiss the trauma of sokka and how his issues minght surface in a relationship.  I love how you’re going about this.

Like the dynamic you write between Zuko and Sokka is so unique and rare but so perfect and accurate based on their characters.

I also always forget how much i love Tomnook and I love that theyre going with them.  This is something that I was sad thinking about whenever i was like ‘huh i wonder whats going to happen in taob next’ i would get upset thinking about nanook and tomkin being actively present.  So the fact that they are makes me happy.  

The last like paragraph and line were so perfect I loved them so much.

You are such a fantastic writer like I cant put into words how much I love your style and the way you phrase things and how fluently things flow together when you write them.  I think I’ve mentioned in one of my other things that it reminds me of the alphabet and how there are certain ways you can order the letters that done seen natural or fluent.  And how its like you have a special formula for knowing which synonym to use or what word to use or which order to arrange sentences. Its so poetic and eloquent.  Like its so weird to me how much I’m in love with just you’re style.  To me everything you write is just so perfect.  

You’re like the definition of a ‘natural story teller’  

Like you come off as one of those that you can go into any situation no matter how bland and come out with a really good story or metaphor or something.  

I (kind of?) have another thing for the list too.

Like, you are so kind.  I can’t go into as many details as I would like to but you are just such a kind and wonderful person.  Im leaving it at that.  

I say kinda because I cant give you the context for this one so idk if it counts.

I always feel weird sending these because I always feel like im being weird.  But im anonymous so oh well.  I hope you understand how talented you are (in my opinion atleast).  Like I said I am just so in love with you’re writing style and its honestly exactly how I would love to be able to write.  I have loved writing my entire life and I’ve always been advanced in the subject but it’s not good enough to be considered talent.  (I’m not saying this in a self deprecating way, I’ve grown to be perfectly content with my writing abilities)  But holy fuck you’re so talented.  I remember first reading taob and needing to just take a minute and process how incredible it is and I was in awe and couldnt believe how amazing you were able to string together words.  I still cant believe it any time I read something you write.  Like even if its just some wild ass tags, you are just so good with words in general. 

I’ve mentioned before that you’re a really easy person to admire.  I cant think of the words to go into details about that but yeah.  

I had a really meh christmas and the taob update made it like ten times better so you made my day so thank you for that.  <3

i have. SO MUCH to say in response to this so im going bullet point so it's not entirely incoherent but i hope you know im feeling VERY incoherent about this.

im glad you liked the chapter! you thinking someone was gonna die and saying 'its going to be chena isnt it?  Theres too much focus on him and hes being an idiot' made me actually laugh out loud so ty for that <3

everything you said about zukka and how im writing them! ive said before but both because the romance is a new part of taob and bc people have been waiting so patiently for zukka, im always super nervous about how im writing them so this is just JKSDHGKHG for me especially bc you basically picked up on everything im trying to do. like focusing on sokka's trauma, them not being responsible for each other and how they BOTH need to feel that, showing zuko's protective side, not making zuko less of an asshole etc - these are all conscious decisions for me so for someone to go 'hey i See What You're Doing and im so here for it!' is beyond reassuring

saying i come off as 'extremely intelligent' and 'unnaturally smart' is the part of this ask that is just. sticking with me. like regardless of my insecurities and bad periods i do KNOW that im a good writer, but i cant stress enough how much damage this economics degree has done to my confidence in my own intellect. like i feel stupid 24/7 at university and have done for a year and a half and still have a year and a half left. i am BAD at economics and i dont like it and just feeling constantly stupid like that all the time every day is just. awful. so to find out there are people that actually think im clever? ive not had that since... well since i was still studying english LMAO. it means a lot. like means more than i can even say in this response

'you’re like the definition of a ‘natural story teller’. like you come off as one of those that you can go into any situation no matter how bland and come out with a really good story or metaphor or something' BESTIE 😭😭😭 ily

I WANT TO KNOW WHAT UR TALKING ABOUT WITH THE KIND THING LIKE THANK YOU BUT ALSO WHAT DID I DO

i hope you know i have so much genuine fondness for you like that feels conceited seeing as it's just 'there's a special place in my heart for this person that showers me in compliments' but like i genuinely mean it you seem so kind and your determination to show me what you see in me while on ANON so you know you're getting nothing in return is just. like really truly kind and selfless

#sorry your xmas was shit :( im glad i could help in any way x #i love you listie <33 #ask #taob asks #list anon