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@handsomeinhazel / handsomeinhazel.tumblr.com

izzy. ze/hir. 22. white. no transmisogynists, racists or other assholes
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therapist: so how are you? 

me: the entire foundation of mai and zuko’s relationship was built on how miserable they were together, and how they would just sit there and hate the world together— letting their misery fester as they enabled each other’s depression— and I think that’s really unfortunate because they would work so well as friends if they weren’t trying to make their dumpster fire of a relationship work. similarly, what makes zuko and katara’s dynamic so compelling is that they share the same flaws, only as opposed to mai’s apathy and misery, it’s katara’s rage and guilt that zuko identifies with. they both share trauma over having lost their mothers, and both in a similar way (sacrificing themselves for them) and they both cope with their grief through rage, often misplaced. in the southern raiders, they both act deeply insensitively towards sokka by acting as if his grief over his mother’s death is somehow less valid simply because he is a lot quieter in his coping mechanisms and doesn’t project his rage & guilt onto everyone else. katara and zuko have a deep & profound friendship, but if they were to be in a relationship, they would only bring out the absolute worst in each other thru enabling each other’s rage and emotion-driven decision making. conversely, when they go to the boiling rock, it is shown that sokka and zuko make an excellent team, as they balance each other perfectly. sokka thinks big picture, and plans ahead, but zuko will charge into situations, and account for the details of the plan, such as when he breaks the lever for the gondola. in that same scene, we see zuko jump off the platform and sokka catch him without any communication that either was going to do so. zuko later catches sokka from slipping off the side of the gondola. when they’re fighting azula, again they fall into wordless trust with zuko on the defense blocking azula’s fire, while sokka takes the defense, using the opening zuko creates by protecting him to charge at azula with his sword. throughout the entire episode, zuko supports all of sokka’s decisions without question, telling him that it’s his call to make when he wonders whether they should stay another night, which is the kind of trust sokka always needed to receive as the leader. when sokka is about to give up because he’s afraid of failing again, zuko inspires him and even encourages failure, a lesson that sokka still needs to learn, especially after the shame he feels after losing the invasion. throughout the episode as well you can see the steady building of their friendship, and they’re shown to trust each other unconditionally. the next episode, zuko asks sokka to recount to him one of his most traumatic memories in excruciating detail, and even though sokka could easily say fuck no, he tells zuko about the death of his mother because it is important to him that zuko and katara get along. zuko also genuinely smiles a hell of a lot more than he does pretty much any other episode, even though the situation is incredibly tense, because he enjoys sokka’s company, even when he’s in prison. zuko and sokka have a lot in common, a lot of the same experiences struggling with limitations of masculinity and feeling worthless compared to their prodigious younger sisters. and that’s not to mention that they have a lot of interests in common, such as swords, and the arts (sokka likes to paint & draw, zuko is a theatre kid etc), not to mention they share a similar dry, sarcastic, offbeat sense of humor. as opposed to zuko and mai, who are two miserable people who make each other miserable, zuko and sokka are two miserable people who make each other HAPPY 

therapist: okay……..but how are you?

I never thought I would read a Zuko/Sokka manifesto in the year of our lord 2019 but I am so glad I did

good post OP

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On w*ndigoag:

  • W*ndigoag/w*ndigo are sacred Algonquian spirits that have spread to other Anishinaabe cultures. They aren’t worshiped or whatever, they are feared.
  • They’re the physical embodiments of evil, the result of a person falling into the trap of greed and cruelty, usually in the form of cannibalism. Our fear not only stems from the spirits and the danger they pose to others, but also their implications and the constant reminder that anyone can become a monster if they allow themselves to.
  • They are not bipedal deer and I have no idea where that concept came from. Most traditional depictions show them as humanoid giants made of ice, usually with the body of the person they came from encased inside.
  • In some stories, they’re killed by people, usually via fire. In others, they can only be killed by luring them to a body of water and getting the attention of a water spirit to fight it.
  • There’s very, very few stories where the person can be saved. The transformation into a w*ndigo is not a reversible one, and the only real way to save someone from that existence is to free them with death.
  • We censor their names because, traditionally, we’re taught not to say them out loud in case we get the attention of one or summon one. This is especially important during winter or at night.
  • They are not benign spirits. They are not kind. They are not rational. They are evil and cruel, and their only desires center around killing and eating. They’re as rational and logical as a wild raccoon in the late stages of rabies.
  • You cannot work with them. They can’t be bound, and they definitely can’t be bought or sold. Do not trust any spirit who claims to be a w*ndigo and do not trust any spirit worker who tries to sell you one.
  • W*ndigoag are Algonquian and Anishinaabe spirits. Algonquian people are the authorities on them, other Anishinaabe people less so. Non-Anishinaabe Natives cannot say that appropriation of w*ndigoag is okay because that isn’t their culture and it’s definitely not their decision to make. You cannot give someone permission to use something that isn’t yours.
  • The use of w*ndigoag in non-Native media is appropriation. The only exception to this is in when the creators work with Algonquian people to make respectful and accurate depictions. You’ll be very hard pressed to find cases of this.
  • W*ndigoag are not cryptids because they are sacred spirits. Abrahamic angels are not cryptids. Japanese yokai are not cryptids. Vodou loa are not cryptids. Respect indigenous beliefs as legitimate spirituality instead of reducing our cultures down to bastardized stories.
  • If you aren’t Anishinaabe, you cannot be “wendigokin”. Appropriation of indigenous spirituality isn’t suddenly okay because your ~soul~ is an indigenous spirit. You are not entitled to our cultures or spiritual beliefs. Jfc.
  • “Wendigocore” is also bullshit, what the fuck is wrong with you all? Our sacred spirituality is not your ugly ass aesthetic.
  • (Left those uncensored because it’s a summer afternoon and I want people in those tags to see this. Fuck off.)
  • Anishinaabe people are not obligated to share our SACRED STORIES with outsiders in order for them to be respected. We don’t want you to make your depictions of w*ndigoag in your stories more accurate. We just want you to leave our cultures alone for once.

Now please stop sending me messages about w*ndigoag. I understand you all just want to learn but I am so fucking tired. I’ve answered these questions dozens of times and I need a break.

Don’t start discourse on this post. I am not in the mood for it.

If any Algonquian or other Anishinaabe people have corrections, hmu. 

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idk why but nything with (non-horror) ghost in ? i eat that shit up. all book, tv show, movie, and game can be improved by adding ghost.

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white people love screaming about immigrants (who are poc specifically) coming to their countries and “stealing” their jobs but they don’t like to admit that there’s a wave of white people with no degree coming to poor Asia countries to become english tutors while having no ability to teach, they get hired n paid Way more than asian people with degree just for the sole reason that they’re white.

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