Reposting here as I forgot the other was on auto-sage, and brought about by this conversation I had with Mari a couple of days ago regarding Irah's dress-sense.

<TheDaiLi> To be honest, I can't see Irah's clothing getting any more padded after her dancer outfit. Out of everyone, she'll be the one dressed to turn heads.
[2010-06-12 18:35:48] <TheDaiLi> Which often means frugally.
[2010-06-12 18:36:35] <Maritova> very true
[2010-06-12 18:36:43] <Maritova> what would be some good designs for her...
[2010-06-12 18:37:19] <TheDaiLi> Well, that more indian design we did was good for one.
[2010-06-12 18:52:30] <TheDaiLi> Other designs are harder to say. I think she'd favour clothes that kept close to her, so things made of stretchy fabric and the like.
[2010-06-12 18:53:11] <TheDaiLi> If she were around today, I'd say, if she wore a jacket, it'd be those which don't have droopy sleeves, if you know what I mean. Robes aren't her thing.
[2010-06-12 18:55:28] <TheDaiLi> I wonder, we've never really discussed her fantasies before. Such as the princess being rescued by the dashing knight or what have you.
[2010-06-12 18:56:37] <TheDaiLi> I think that she likes the idea of being a desirable objet, and making people desire her.
[2010-06-12 18:56:50] <Maritova> sounds about right yeah
[2010-06-12 18:57:40] <TheDaiLi> Perhaps she dresses and acts as such in order to finally get Hayoda to snap and make the first forceful move, after which she'd be all 'Oh I am but a helpless damsel to your onslaught, captain!'
[2010-06-12 18:57:53] <TheDaiLi> Even though she orchestrated the whole thing.
[2010-06-12 18:59:45] <TheDaiLi> As such, I must imagine that she'd be quite a fan of roleplay. That bit with Tseng and Jing with the barbarians I could see her liking too.
[2010-06-12 19:00:05] <TheDaiLi> Though probably not if pre-discussed. I doubt she is so open with her likes and dislikes.
[2010-06-12 19:00:57] <Maritova> ahaha
[2010-06-12 19:01:06] <Maritova> yeah she wouldn't feel comfortable being frank about it all
[2010-06-12 19:02:43] <TheDaiLi> I'm not sure whether she'd prefer Hayoda to guess at it and go for it or whether she'd just, one day, enact it.
[2010-06-12 19:04:58] <TheDaiLi> No pre-dicussion, just one day Hayoda walks into his bedroom and she's waiting for him on his bed in an Odalisque outfit, and says 'Ah, I see my lord has returned from his fights abroad. Shall I comfort him awhile?'
[2010-06-12 19:05:38] <TheDaiLi> 'Dance for him? Wait on him? Or perhaps serve him in...other...respects...?'
[2010-06-12 19:06:25] <Maritova> now I like that idea :D
[2010-06-12 19:06:38] <TheDaiLi> At which point the fantasy would have already ended, because Hayoda would have already jizzed his pants.
[2010-06-12 19:06:44] <Maritova> D:
[2010-06-12 19:07:02] <TheDaiLi> Sometimes, Irah is too good at this. ;)

As for villains, I recall having another conversation with Mari regarding Lee, and how he could be a main bad guy (bear with me on this one)

Basically, he wants the kids to have an adventure, a proper one, and everything that a proper adventure or quest entails, challenges, exploration, a goal, everything...including life-threatening risks and people's lives at stake. So (for sake of argument) he poisons their parents in a meeting in the Fire Nation and then tells them he has the cure, or where the cure is located, and gives them a 'quest' to either get IT, or get the items required to make it. Meanwhile he, the main villain (as he realises SOMEONE has to play the arch-villain) hires Fenghuang's gang and what remains of the Dai Li to help way-lay the kids.

Now, the Dai Li guy is doing it for the money, but also because he, new to being a leader and after alot of years of infighting, is still unsure of their place in the world and what it should be, and so is just following this easy leadership in the interim (with mounting doubts as it goes on). Fenghuang, on the otherhand, has another agenda, and though following on with Lee, he's also achieving his own, darker ends (basically making him the real threat in the background).

So...there we go. Legitimate excuse for adventure and drama, with plenty of room for other things and political manoeuvrings (like with Nikiru's dad, for instance) and so on and so forth.

Aw goddammit that's supposed to say "Gaang Junior Answers the Ultimate Question of Life, The Universe, and Everything in Thread 42!" :(

>>79489

It seems the title of "GJr sexpot" has been passed from Jing to Irah. (On a related note, I've always found Irah to be the most physically beautiful of the cast after Tseng.) I for one feel that Irah's new-found sexiness rounds out her character, so to speak, but it shouldn't take her over. Which is why I like Mayekoi's Season 3 design for her. Being NOT skimpy, it allows a different aspect of her personality to come out. (Besides, I don't ever recall Irah using her looks for her personal advantage, or for the advantage of the team.)

You know, ever since I saw a certain Rule 34 pic by JVC, I've associated Irah's outfit for each season with a different part of her personality. Season 1, she's the Fire Nation Princess and student at the Royal Academy, all prim and dignified. Season 2, she's the hot dancer with the looks to match, and at the same time carefree and without burden. Season 3 is the "artist" costume, where she embraces her creative outlets.

My comment on the scenario described in the pic: For some reason, I feel it's kind of a twist on the "Zuko walks in on Sokka's tent" scene played out by their children - minus the cockblocking, of course.

>At which point the fantasy would have already ended, because Hayoda would have already jizzed his pants.

Don't you mean: "JIZZED. IN. HIS PANTS."

> I feel it's kind of a twist on the "Zuko walks in on Sokka's tent" scene played out by their children

And now you've made me think of Yi Lin accidentally walking in instead.

Still, I note what you mean about the season 3 outfit. I was never personally a fan of that one to be honest, but it's something that might bear thinking about. And naturally, Irah never uses her sexiness as a weapon (other than, of course, to snare a dashing captain...or make him snare her in turn).

IGNORE ME

>>79504
B-But, it's so beautiful ;_;

>>79500
>>It seems the title of "GJr sexpot" has been passed from Jing to Irah

NEVER

>>79505

I'll see what I can do. ;)

Is that Yue art by Liesl? She seems to have hit a growth spurt, ifyaknowhatimean.

I'm going to namefag just for this story and all discussions related to it.
--------------------
The compass aboard the Blue Flame had been indicating a southward bearing for days. The Iron Sea Wolves were, at the moment, wandering somewhat aimlessly, waiting for adventure to rear its head once more.

Standing on the edge of the port bow was Princess Irah, staring off into the vast expanse of the ocean. She had been looking out for any sign of civilization, and was getting restless. The various diversionary activities in which the rest of the crew engaged under the deck of the ship were eventually becoming more of a chore.

Irah gazed around in the distance for anything that was neither water nor sky. Something, she thought, an island, some tiger-whales, a pirate invasion... She would even settle for a flock of birds. She glanced at Po for a moment, and wondered how the pangolin-otter could swim in the ocean for lengths of time without getting either tired or bored out of his mind. Okay, there's nothing exciting out here, again. My sketchpad's itching for some subjects, and all I see is a horizon. Maybe something's telling me that I should switch from landscapes to something a bit more small-scale. Yeah, I could do portraits, but the only person I can get to stand still around here is Tseng...

Irah blew a stray bang away from her face in exasperation. At that moment, something else blew it right back in front of her eyes. It was a reasonably cold breeze that one normally encountered in the Southern Ocean, but to a young lady who grew up in the hotter climes of the Fire Nation, the breeze seemed to chill her to the core. Shivering a bit, she motioned to retreat back to her quarters to don some warmer clothing, but not before asking the navigator at his post just where exactly were they headed.

At the foot of the ladder leading to the stern of the ship, the Princess called out to one of a pair of figures sitting at a table. "Hey Tseng, did it get a lot colder just now?"

Without looking away from the maps that he was surveying, Tseng replied, "Maybe a bit. Barely noticed it."

Directly behind the waterbender was his favorite girl from the Earth Kingdom. Jing turned her gaze from the boy's activites to Irah, who was clutching her arms at her sides and shivering more and more. Jing could not resist the opportunity for a snide comment. "So Miss Pampered-up Princess is afraid of a little breeze? Maybe the confines of your palace will suit you better, hmm?" Irah merely glowered at the remark, unable to think of a witty retort.

Tseng sensed the formenting uncivility and tried to diffuse it. "Now, we are in the Southern Ocean, if my readings prove correct. At this rate, it's only a matter of time before we reach the vicinity of the South Pole, so it's only going to get much colder from here."

The Captain of the ship exited the cabin to update himself on the situation, only to have the word "South Pole" reach his ears at the moment of emergence. Taking his place at Irah's side, he turned to his navigator, asking, "Excuse me... but did I hear the words 'South Pole'?"

Sighing, Tseng answered, "Yes, I said 'South Pole'." He could almost see what was coming next.

Hayoda added, "As in 'South Pole', the land of our common ancestry, home of the man to whose name I owe, Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe, known affectionately to us as 'Gramp-Gramp'?"

Before he knew it, Tseng's hand made its way to his own face. "Yes, that South Pole. Your point?" responded Tseng, even though he suspected what the point was going to be.

"If," continued Hayoda, "you would let me finish, I was about to say that the South Pole is host to many perils!" The Sea Captain turned to the bow of his ship and struck a dramatic pose. Chest out and hands at his hips, he declared out to the sea, "From jagged icebergs to torrential currents to strange polar creatures, some of them hostile, it is a prime location for adventure!" Relaxing his pose, he turned back and more calmly added, "Plus, it's been too long since we've seen Gramp-Gramp."

Tseng's expression instantly turned from exasperation to interest. "You're right," he says. "I've always wanted to see how he and the rest of the Tribe were coming along ever since we left Kyoshi."

"Then that settles it!" Hayoda burst enthusiastically. "Iron Sea Wolves, set a course for the Water Tribe in the South Pole! I'll inform the rest of the crew." With that, Hayoda departed to the cabin to inform Yue and Yi Lin, who had been chatting over nothing in particular, of their new destination.

Tseng turned to Irah, who in being captivated by Hayoda's spiel seemed to have forgotten about the cold. "Well, like I said, it's only going to get much colder from here, so I suggest getting much warmer clothing. Irah, I've packed some parkas for us in a chest in the storage cabin. If you would get those out, I'd appreciate it very much." Irah did not need to be told twice; she was already on her way to obtain more warmth.

The waterbender smiled and turned back to his love, who had been observing the scene with much amusement. "Well, Jing, I've always wanted to show you the ways of my people, so... here we go!"

Jing responded by playfully tousling his hair. "So are you gonna show me the ice or the snow first?" she teased.

----------------

"Land ho!" yelled Yi Lin from her perch as she caught a glimpse of the southern continent in the distance. Floating down to the poop deck of the ship with some airbending, she roused the attention of the rest of the crew, all clad in typical Water Tribe parkas - save for Tseng, who opted to stay in his normal clothing.

Hayoda was the first to respond. "Great work, lookout! Helm, set a course straight for the city! Navigator, find the position of the docks! Everyone else, prepare the ship for landing!"

"Aye aye, Captain!" acknowledges Yue with a smile as she turned to guide Po on the correct path. Tseng simply carried out his order silently.

Most of the occupants of the Blue Flame, whether crew or passenger, were already outside on the poop deck in anticipation for docking. The one notable exception was Irah, who opted to stay in the warmth of the fire-lit cabin. As the ship headed towards the South Pole, the temparature had followed suit, making Irah less likely to emerge by the day. Yi Lin headed down to the common quarters, where she found Irah sitting on her bed, bundled in multiple layers. She was sitting with her knees against her chest and her arms around her legs in the typical position indicating that one is cold.

The airbender called out to her best friend, "Hey Irah! We're almost there, can you believe it?"

"Well... I couldn't tell, what with the temperature dropping and all that," Irah responded between shivers.

A somewhat disappointed Yi Lin said, "Aw, don't you want to come see the capital as we get closer? You were complaining all last week that you wanted some action, and now that we do have some action, you don't even wanna leave your room? Besides, you have to help us prepare for docking."

"It's okay... I'll do whatever I can to help down here." Irah glared at Yi Lin, making it fairly clear that she was not leaving the interior of the ship, regardless of however it could help the rest of the crew.

"Fine," finished Yi Lin with a pout. "I guess I'll get back to you when we reach the shore." She exited the quarters to finish her duties, leaving the firebender to wallow in the cold all by herself.

-----------------

At the lighthouse of the Southern Water Tribe's only port, a young watchman looks out to sea with a telescope. Pivoting the device from left to right, he scanned the horizon for incoming ships. Out of the corner of his view, he spots an animal not endemic to the region. Funny, he thinks to himself, what would a pangolin-otter be doing in these frigid waters so far from the Earth Kingdom? Shrugging it off, he spots another object closely following the creature. Examining it more closely, he determines it to be an Earth Kingdom vessel, with blue flame patterns splayed across its hull.

Turning back, he informs his superior of the incoming ship. "Sir, there's a vessel coming in from the northwest. Earth Kingdom design, but bears no flags or marks identifying it as such. Appears to be headed towards the docks. Intentions are unknown. Prognosis?"

The overseer of the lighthouse, a middle-aged man of the tribe, processes the report. "Very well. We'll hail them with standard protocol." He turned to another subordinate, who in turn would send a standard message to the incoming ship via messenger hawk. The man rolled up the form letter and tied it to the back of a storm hawk, sending it in the direction of the Blue Flame.

Even in a time of peace, one cannot be too safe. The Southern Water Tribe military, under the direction of Chief Hakoda and his right-hand man General Bato, had implemented this procedure to determine which foreign vessels were friendly, and which ones were brigands or pirates.

--------------

In the distance past the bow of the Blue Flame, the city that is the Southern Water Tribe grew in the view. On the outset, it was certainly no sight of grandeur, especially compared to its counterpart in the north. However, considering its state merely twenty years ago, one could not help but be impressed at the way it had grown. The city walls had expanded miles beyond the borders at the end of the war, and between them stood not a smattering of huts, but an increasing number of sturdy houses built of ice. The immigration from the Northern Water Tribe proved to be a source for infinite blessings for the South, not just for the population boost, but also for the numerous waterbenders that proved instrumental in the reconstruction of the city. In time, the Southern Tribe had its own population boom, which included a new generation of waterbenders. As the city rebuilt, it earned the appelation "The White City", owing to the fine layer of snow that always dusted its surface; this was in contrast to its counterpart in the north, "The Blue City", built entirely in the interior of a glacier.

It was this sight that never failed to impress Hayoda. At his sister's side, he was gazing at the increasingly visible city with a smile on his face.

Suddenly, a bird flew towards the ship, circling twice before perching on the rail next to Yue and catching her attention. "Heya little one," she asked, "who might you be?"

Noticing the message tied to its back, her brother provided the response that the storm hawk could not. "Why, Yue, it appears to be a messenger hawk, and it's borne us a message! Could you get it for me?"

"Mmm hmm!" Yue nodded and proceeded to untie the knots binding the scroll to its carrier, but she couldn't resist petting it a bit before doing so. The hawk cooed in approval as the message was lifted off its back. Opening the scroll, she remarked, "I think it's for you, Captain" and gave it to its intended recipient.

"Let me see that..." The warrior examined the contents of the message.

To the Commander of this Vessel:

You have entered the waters under the territorial control of the Southern Water Tribe. Please identify yourself and inform us of any and all activities in which you intend to engage while in our territory. We will take action with you accordingly.

Please send your reply on this sheet to the Lighthouse via the hawk that was sent to you.

Signed,

The Southern Water Tribe Naval Security Forces

The seal of Chief Hakoda was imprinted in red ink at the end of the letter, testifying to its legitimacy.

Nodding, Hayoda took the message to the Navigator's table, at that moment unoccupied, and reached for a pen. Since the cold climate made the ink too viscous for it to be used with a brush, Hayoda opted to use a wooden stylus. Dipping the pen in the gooey ink, Hayoda began to formulate his reply.

Dear Brave Warriors of the Southern Water Tribe,

This is Captain Hayoda, Commander of the Iron Sea Wolves and of this vessel, the Blue Flame. We wish to dock and see our grandfather Chief Hakoda. We intend to have amazing adventures while in the territory of the Southern Water Tribe, and we won't allow anything or anyone to get in the way of our goal. If you can, please have Chief Hakoda receive us at the docks. Tell him that Yue, Tseng, and Yi Lin are coming too.

We are grateful to your service to our tribe.

Sincerely,

Hayoda of Kyoshi Island
Son of Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe
Grandson of Chief Hakoda
Captain of the Blue Flame
Commander of the Iron Sea Wolves

"That oughta do it!" Hayoda finished his letter with a flashy signature and more superflous titles. Returning to the helm, he handed the reply to his sister, who had been amusing herself with the hawk. "Helm, send this to the lighthouse post haste!"

"Aye aye, Captain!" Yue took the scroll from his hand and carefully tied it to the bird's back, sending it off with a few pats on the head.

Hayoda looked out into the direction that the bird flew off. "Now, we wait for a response. I guarantee we'll get through to them!"

Yue got to see her new friend once more when the lighthouse sent them clearance to dock.

>>79517

Awaiting the continuation of this fine piece. Also, Tseng is the MANLIEST OF ALL MEN.

>>79517

Nice little exposition there!

-Everyone seems to be comfortably in-character so far.
-IRAH HAET COLD could be a neat subplot to all of this (I was kinda expecting Yi Lin to pester her a wee bit when Irah's all bundled up, but that's just me)
-And on the other end of the spectrum: I think Tseng is a pretty cool guy. eh loevs cold and doesn't afraid of anything..
-I liked that cute little Jinseng moment and Jing's barb to Irah
-Hayoda's superfluous made me chuckle. Nice touch!

Keep going, BarNavi! I await your next installment!

>>79517

Leaving aside a detailed commentary for the moment (as I never know in these things how much critical appraisal people want), this does raise a point to me: Why can't Irah 'Breath of Fire'? I don't doubt that it must have been taught to her by either her dad or Iroh, as she was sure to have been in cold places before, visiting her friends or what-not. So why not use it?

Perhaps she keeps it in reserve for when she REALLY needs it? But then she seems to hate being cold an awful lot.

>>79504
>>79517

SUDDENLY, CONTENT

>>79511
JVC, I feel like I haven't told you that I love you in a good long while :) I love you, man

don't disappoint me D:

>>79524

Well, it's mainly just to push the "IRAH HAET KOLD" gag, but eventually she'll be using her firebending to keep warm anyway. It's too obvious for her not to.

I don't really think the "Breath of fire" would be particularly within her grasp, as it is probably a more advanced technique.

I'm conjecturing that Irah and Azula's ability to use blue fire comes from being more focused on yin-energy, instead of the red fire-producing yang-energy that most firebenders have. This perhaps is due to their sex, and females are supposed to have primarily yin-energy. This also might explain why lightning comes easier to them - because lightning involves producing an electrical reaction from opposite energies, females (or anyone) who is in control of their yin-energy can react it with yang energy (which is readily accessible) to produce lightning. But that's beyond the focus here.

So yeah, that's why she doesn't breathe fire yet. Or... she was just never taught this technique because it didn't seem that important. Keep in mind that she's far from being a master, and learning bending from a standardized curriculum, with supplementary instruction from her father and uncle.

>>79530

Whoa whoa whoa whoa hold the fucking phone here, where's all THIS bullshit coming from; straight from the cow-heap?

Leaving the 'Breath of Fire' that super-failure Zuko was taught mid/end season one aside, WHAT THE HELL was the rest of that which you just said?

What....I....WHAT?

>>79531

The idea of Yin and Yang as male and female energies actually is a really old part of philosophy (and sexuality) in Taoism, actually. That's actually a pretty fucking cool idea on explaining that...

The basic premise is that male energy, yang, has a limit, and you can expend it (through masturbating or homosexual intercourse, as an example.) Yin is limitless, though

Side note, it can replenish Yang energy, through getting it on and bringing a woman to orgasm, being one way. Men who expend their Yin energy were thought to have health problems and shorter lives. The general attitude was that getting more Yin energy from a woman made you healthier.

It sounds great for the girls until you realize it was used as an excuse to buy hookers instead of being better lovers. People were a little more careful when they realized that replenishing their Yin tended to also replenish STDs.

http://www.bigeye.com/sexeducation/ancientchina.html

Of course, there's more to it than sex, a lot more, but I...actually looked this up, once when thinking about what attitudes toward sex might be like in the A:tLA universe...

>>79532
Yeah man, Fushigi Yuugi taught me all this shit when I was like, 12~ When Soi would fuck Nakago to replenish his chi.

Ahh, youth.

Anyway, I think thats actually a pretty neat idea, and did we ever see any MALE blue firebenders in the series?

>>79534

No.

But we didn't see any other female ones, either.

Also, just look up Taoism in general, my knowledge is lacking a bit, and I think it shows.

Too late guys, I've knocked the table over. It went out of the window and crushed a cat.

>I'm conjecturing

I missed this though, so I might order a new one.

So, not sure if this has come up before, but how do you pronounce everyone's names? This is what I've defaulted to:

- means different syllables
something(as in example)something else('nother example) means that the sounds are together in one syllable, and I just wanted to make each sound clear


Hayoda: hah-YO(like a yo-yo) - duh
Tseng: ts(as in tsunami)ang(as in how the show pronounces Aang)
Yi Lin: YEE-lin
Irah: EYE-ruh (like Iroh in the show, but with the short "a" sound instead)
Yue: YOO-ay (as it was in the show)
Jiyi: Jee-YEE
Po: Poe (like a poe from Zelda, or the poet)

Jing: Jing(as in ping)
Nikiru: Switch between NICK-ee-roo and nih-KEE-roo (This is the one that prompted me to post this. XD)
Arluk: are(as in the word)-LOOK (like the words "look" or "hook")

Ching: same as Jing, just "ch" in front
Hannon: HAH-non (like a cannon)
Gai Dao: guy-DOW (really pronounced "dao", where I emphasize the "a" to "o" vowel transition)
Pao: POW (same "ao" emphasis as above, hard to describe)
Tetsu: tet-SOO

Fenghuang: feng(as in Long Feng) - HWAANG(sort of like the Spanish pronunciation of "Juan" with a "g" sound on the end)
Junren: Jun(short "u", as in gun) - REN(as in Renaissance)

Sorry for the extensiveness, but this has been kinda bugging me. Feel free to post your own list too. Is there any sort of consensus/official stance (or as official as GJr gets) on these at all?

>>79589
As far as I know, these are all correct.

>>79589


Only differences I have (not like it matters, but we all interpret them in different ways) is:


Nikiru: Knee-kir (similar to purr)-ru

Arluk: Are-Luck

Gai Dao: Gwee-Dough

Tetsu: Tet (similar to met)-Sue

Fenghuang: Fang (with more of an E sound, slightly)-Hung



Though I doubt I'm absolutely right, we all look at it differently. However you think it.

I think "Jiyi" falls on the first syllable. And since Tetsu is a Japanese word, the primary syllable is the first, and the "u" is elided. (Think "desu".)

I also pronounce "Yue" as one syllable, being Chinese for "moon".

>>79594
I actually forget exactly how I planned for his name to be pronounced, but I don't think I wanted it to sound quite so close to Guido. Guy-Dough, maybe?

>>79592

SIS FIST

Dem S3 costumes!

>Name Pronunciations

All these are pretty much how I pronounce them in my head

>>79504

No, Maye, I will not ignore you! NUH-UH

Hurm. Starting the comic again from the top, eh? This page is a startling improvement over your first attempt. The birds make the sea seem alive, the bloom effect is pretty and adds a light source without going overboard (BLOOOOOM), and the water has more texture!

OK BACK TO IGNORING YOU AGAIN.

I had an amusing thought because of the Yi Lin revelation discussion and I thought I would share it. Basically, Yi Lin has just realized her attraction to Nikiru, and as she processes this while Irah pulls her aside, she realizes how her liking girls has subconsciously shaped her thinking.

Yi Lin: ...And no wonder I kept thinking that there was something going on between Aunt Azula and Ty Lee! I was just making it all up in my head!

Irah: ...We'll talk about that later.

Another idea I had was that post revelation Yi Lin would have had her "shipper vision" corrected by actually being in love herself. Like she's watching a crowded marketplace and seeing good couplings between people that are genuinely attracted to one another/in love. And then she sees Hayoda and Irah or Jing and Tseng together and just kind of goes "Oh that is bullshit!" and her vision corrects itself to how it was previously.

Is there any pic of adult On-Ji? I want to draw a scene based on TDL's story with her and Toph hugging Tom Tom's arms.

>>79630

http://gaangjr.wikia.com/wiki/On_Ji

Right here.

SLEEVIE-HUG! THEY JUST ENVELOPE EVERYTHING.

Nikiru and Yi Lin hug, season 3 clothings.

>>79634

Thanks, Sharkman!

Moar Nikiru. Cuz I've discovered I like drawing her.

>>79492
Re-reading The Dai Li's post. And I really like this idea, or at least the basics of having Lee do something that forces an over-arching plot with real villains. I'd be curious to see what can be worked out, and how it fits with stuff that's already been written.
I'm curious, were we thinking this for season 3 then? Because then it would almost make sense for the Yikiru stuff, (if we decide to take that directions), to be more towards the beginning or middle, rather than the end.

>>79670

I always thought the Yikiru stuff would be best left towards the end and she goes adventuring with them after the end credits roll or so.

Either way, for a season 3 plot it doesn't sound so bad, the first two can show everyone and set everything up, and the third can shift stuff forwards. I guess if I were to actually make this into a program I'd probably have this story take up 30 eps rather than 20 just to make sure I got everything I wanted in (and it's a pretty big thing), but yeah, season 3 sounds good.

>>79492
You know, regarding villains, I have this small idea for one but I'm still having trouble coming up with much about his actions or motivations. It's just this idea of a guy whose thinking sort of reopens our conversation about large-scale issues in the Avatar world (I'll explain what I mean in just a sec). And whoever he is, he ends up capturing Yi Lin (maybe the others too?), but not to return to their parents and not for ransom or personal gain, but because he thinks he's protecting them somehow from being used by people (their parents?).
Maybe he's someone who suffered greatly in the War, and has become so bitter or something and has become convinced that despite the Avatar's efforts, the world can't go back to the way it was -- that it's irreparably damaged.
I mean, a lot of us talk about questions like whether Appa's the last of his kind, or if the Air Nomads will ever be rebuilt. And I don't mean to answer these sorts of questions since I think that for the most part it's outside the realm of experience for these kids who aren't dealing with world-changing events (and I like that normally we don't deal with those sorts of questions). But what if there were people thinking like we detached fans do -- within the world itself?
It just might be interesting to see how Yi Lin deals with someone reminding her that there haven't been other Airbenders found, or that Appa seems to be the only sky bison left, or that uncomfortable idea that Appa's slowly getting older and older. Or this guy is trying to convince her that her dad and others care about her more as a continuation of the Air Nomads than as a person (in the same way some fans only talk about Aang's possible kids as "repopulating his people"), that everyone's wanting to get her married off to some man for that reason (and, given the sort of discussion we've been having on Yi Lin recently, the idea of this would be what really sets her off against this captor of hers).
Basically, the fragments of this idea are all about torturing poor Yi Lin's mind, just taking this girl who has always sidestepped or pushed aside uncomfortable truths or thoughts, and forcing her to deal with them. She's always been one full of hope and optimism, sure that "everything will turn out OK," but I'm most interested in seeing what she like when something threatens to shake that or she finds those self-assurances to be small comfort. I like to imagine Yi Lin as someone who keeps a lot of serious and upsetting thoughts away because, once upset, she has a very hard time pushing it away or calming herself. As you can tell, I don't know much at all about this villain idea -- not even enough to make his thoughts and motivations internally consistent -- but I thought I'd dump this out just to see if any of it clicks with anyone else.

But c'mon everyone we need to figure out more villains. :]

>>79747
This has the potential to be really dark and psychological. But if done right, I think it could be really interesting.

So, I started writing a little story based on this. >>77589 Not much too it yet, but I'm just having fun just doing something ridiculous. I'll make sure to post some when I have a little more of it done.

>>79670

I'm not sure about Lee as a really, really big villain. I mean, he doesn't want to give the kids pain for the hell of it, his goal is a vague and amorphous need to retreat inside his childhood self. He's not the sort of guy who hires people. He either appeals to others' sense of idealism or tricks others into doing his bidding.

Essentially, I saw him as a fun and chipper Colonel Kurtz. In fact, he was going to be the villain in an Apocalypse Now pastiche I had planned ("Heart of Oddness", with Kazuma hitching a lift up a river with the Gaang Jr in tow, witnessing an overly-aggressive aid drop by Earth Kingdom requisitioned airships manned by opera singers and my god it sounds stupid already...). He's very hands-on, and if he wants to pull off something HUGE, it's not going to be anything that needs a lot of resources. Ill-conceived spirit world shenanigans would probably have to be involved, but I think having Lee roping the Gaang Jr into a dangerous and life-threatening adventure would appeal to his lop-sided sense of fun.

>>79747

I like the sound of this. If we want to rope in Lee somehow, it would work with the theme, since he's all about retreating into responsibility-free cocoons damn-the-consequences.

Hey, you know you guys made Fandom Secrets again.

http://community.livejournal.com/fandomsecrets/504778.html?thread=310096330#t310096330

The comments aren't as pretty this time

>>79778

>Greater Anonymous breaking gjr's shoes
>Greater Anonymous getting trolled by Anonymous

Mari's edit apparently means we're all godless deviants

>>79797
Which is an unfair assumption. After all, only some of us are godless deviants.

>>79797
We aren't? :3

Ah well, these sorts of things, while sort of saddening, don't matter very strongly to me since as long as I'm having fun that's what matters. :) The best thing about all this is us making things we enjoy for each other.

Heading to NYC today without laptoppu, gonna be gone for a tad. Hopefully there will be some interesting things in Chinatown. :D

>>79778

My pc freezes everytime I try to access this link. Can somebody explain these "Fandom Secrets" to me?

I'm still curious about that GJr's yaoi thing...

>>79778
>ugh...mayekoi

I HAVE HATERS!

I'm well known enough to have HATERS!

Movin on up :'D

>>79885
>Movin on up :'D

Getting out of the darkness,
My light shines on,
My light shines on,
My light shines on.

>>79885
...I didn't know you had/are in fandoms, Maye.

>>79885

  >>79885

>>79773

I think it's worth noting that the version of Lee I'm talking about is not your version of Lee, ras, much as this version of Fenghuang isn't Rimmers.

Which is, overall, the problem with the villains. All the kids feel like they belong to everyone, and all the supporting characters we bring in tend to be older people from the past show, so everyone's comfortable with them. Out of the villains though, the only one who everyone seems to get (relatively) on board with is Ching, and she doesn't exude 'big bad'. Nor does Hannon, or any of the Anti-Gaang Jr. (an idea which I must admit doesn't excite me). Junren, who I'm happy to use as a big bad, seems wholly take up by Rimmer (through no fault of his own), Lee is taken up by you, and my namesake...well, by me, I suppose, being my namesake. No-one's willing to take anyone else's stronger villains or ideas and run with them, or make them work in a larger scenario.

To address the point over not paying, that's just something I threw up there, it could be that he made both parties an offer, or Fenghuang is just going along with it because he has his own motives.


>>79747

This is decent, but we need more. How did he find the kids, why he's doing it to them in particular (or simply Yi Lin in particular) why the rest of the crew or even the original Gaang aren't helping (a short time away, maybe? Would that be enough?)

>But if done right, I think it could be really interesting.

If anything's done right it'll be interesting. The question is: Will anything be done?

>>79910
>I think it's worth noting that the version of Lee I'm talking about is not your version of Lee, ras, much as this version of Fenghuang isn't Rimmers.

Arg, yes, you're right. I keep forgetting: action figures. I've used and abused Ching enough times that I should know this by now.

So yeah, given that, it could work pretty well. If your iteration of Lee has a bigger adventurer's treasure haul than mine, then questions of payment shouldn't be as much of a difficulty as I first imagined.

>>79778
...Wow, I really was justified in de-watching that place and never looking back, not even for comedy's sake. It's just gotten even more clusterfucky.

Yeah so, this thing. I've been working on and off it. THOSE SCALES ARGHFSJHF

>>79920

>>79920

Awesome work, waffled one! Yue's gonna catch 'em all, indeed. Even this one!

Aw thanks guys! Fuzzy spider friend for Yue? YES

Bumpin' with another durpy picture. This time with kabuki/kyoshi warrior Hayoda. 'Cause why not.

>>80143
It's the return of Hilara!

You know...

Tseng cross dresses as Sen. Hayoda cross dresses as Hilara. Yi Lin cross dresses as The Masked Shipper (sort of, it is supposed to look like Rorschach ).

Do Irah and Yue have tranny alter egos?

>>80156

Yaaaay!!!

I figure the rest of the nega-gaang jr. deserve character designs as well. Here's what I've got for Pao.

>>80305
I like this design. It takes Pao in a slightly different direction than my own mental image of him, though. :)

The way I thought of Pao was as this really short kid with a shaved head (because stray flames would always burn it) -- I think I always stuck the figure of Teen Titans' "Gizmo" in there just because of his immature obnoxiousness (he'd totally call the GJr "snots" all the time).

>>80305
You did a good job of capturing his attitude.

>>80330
My initial image of him had him as mostly bald, but with a scruffy ponytail in the back and tufts of hair on his temples (kind of like what Astro used to have; pic related). I think the idea was to imply what you said about stray flames, but also to convey a sense of sloppiness. And maybe he'd be missing an eyebrow, I don't know.

Immature name-calling really sounds up his alley, though.

>>80330 >>80332
Oh wow. Now I'm picturing him as completely bald except for like a charred rattail or something obnoxious like that.

>>80305
That's... nice.

At the risk of turning the characters into personal mouthpieces:

----------

"If they had just called him 'Aang'! Once!" Tseng's voice echoed loudly in the massive theatre lobby, startling a nearby group of teenaged girls standing in line.

"We get it, hun," Jing said next to him, running her fingers through his dreads.

"AANG!" the Waterbender repeated, melodramatically raising his arms to the heavens.

Jing laughed. "I'm going to have to start calling you 'Tsong' now that I know how worked up you are about it!" She wrapped an arm around her irritated boyfriend, giving him a quick squeeze. He'd calm down in time, but for now she'd enjoy the fun.

"So you're not worked up about it?" Irah asked. She had almost nodded off a couple times, making the whole experience feel like it dragged on even longer than for her friends.

"Heck yes I am, I cringed along with the rest of you. But I think, more than hating it myself, I love you guys tearing it apart more. Tell me what you thought, 'Eerah.'"

Irah pushed aside the playful barb, trying to find her calm. "There were some ... interesting ideas in it." She measured her words. "Iroh's dreads were... interesting. I was worried he was going to be all evil and cackling, like someone kept insisting was going to happen." Jing whistled innocently. "I'm just glad he was still pretty calm, drinking tea..."

Irah blinked, as if suddenly remembering something. "And you!" She suddenly punched Hayoda on the shoulder. "You told me he drank coffee!" So much for calm.

"Ow!" Hayoda rubbed his tender skin. "Hey, that's just what I overheard someone saying!" In this case, that 'someone' had been Jing.

Jing turned away from the two of them. "So what did you think, Yi Lin?"

"...eh, what?" Yi Lin said absent-mindedly. She wore a thousand-yard stare on her face and not a word had passed her lips since the group had left the theatre.

"Any characters for your notebook? How 'bout that moment in the oasis with Zuko and Katara?" Jing pressed, obviously trolling for a reaction. "Gonna stick that in your journal?"

That seemed to snap the shell-shocked Airbender out of her daze. "Okay, first of all: ew. Second of all: there were no characters in it! Not real characters, anyway. I can't ship under these kinds of conditions."

Meanwhile, Irah and Hayoda had moved on to another subject.

"And the fights? I mean, the way that they made the elements look was pretty neat, but I enjoyed the bits without bending infinitely more." Irah scratched her head. "Which I suppose, mathematically, doesn't mean much at all, considering I didn't enjoy the bending bits at all."

"Yyyyep," Hayoda said, stretching his stiff back and taking a bit of personal pride in the statement, "Non-benders are pretty much the best. But that delayed bending stuff, where did they get that from? I mean, I don't think I've ever seen anyone..." He struggled for the right word, "dancing and bending. I mean--" he cleared his throat, catching himself, "--present company excluded; you dance very nicely, Princess Irah."

Irah groaned. "Augh, no, stop, don't associate me with that. That was awful! Hahaha, and those Earthbenders that had to move around for thirty-seconds to make one little rock float through the air?"

"Oh, I... I liked that part," Yue said meekly, staring at the ground and chewing her lip. "It was kind of nice seeing other people having trouble with their Earthbending."

A sudden awkward silence fell over the group. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean..." Irah put a sympathetic hand on Yue's shoulder, feeling the Earthbender shaking.

Yue looked up, and as they stared at each other a glint in the young girl's eye betrayed her. Her lips curled into a mischievous smile, and the shaking giggles she had tried to contain burst out in a raucous bout of laughter that was just too infectious for the others not to join in. Even Tseng gave a chuckle or two.

"Ahahahaha, I got you all!" Yue chortled, wiping her eyes and patting Irah on the back. "But seriously though," she deadpanned, "that whole thing was just terrible."

"You said it," Hayoda said. "C'mon, let's go find somewhere to eat."

>>81028

DO WANT drawfag of reactions...

>>81028

>"Oh, I... I liked that part," Yue said meekly, staring at the ground and chewing her lip. "It was kind of nice seeing other people having trouble with their Earthbending."

>my face when I read that bit

Well done redirecting your RAEG over TLA into something the gaanginites can truly appreciate!

Also

>Jing spreading the coffee rumor

Well played, sir.

Toph: So, how was your night last night?

Tom Tom: Oh no, not this time.

Toph: What?

Tom Tom: You know damn well I went and saw the Avatar film last night. I am not getting tricked into another blind joke.

Toph: They made a movie about us? I hadn't heard anything about that!

Tom Tom: What? Even with all the people constantly complaining about it? How could you have missed that?

Toph: I didn't hear anything.

Tom Tom:.....IT'S BEEN YOU! You've been spreading that rumor!

Toph: Cmon, me on the Internet? I don't see how that's possible.

Tom Tom: Well this is obviously a non canon thing so maybe you.....

Toph: }:3

Tom Tom: Gyahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

>>81138
Oh man, the endless possibilities of Toph-jokes for a completely new sense...

Haha, looks like the movie talk has utterly dominated +/a/ and pushed this little thing to the side, huh?

Anyway I just had a sweet little idea I wanted to share. I guess it's kind of a Yikiru thing? Remember that one story a while back, where we learned that Yi Lin sleeptalks and is extremely suggestible -- and that Tseng (and Yue) take advantage of this? Well, I was just reading this little thread on Reddit ( http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/cmj3o/reddit_i_need_help_i_can_actively_control_my/ ) and thought it would be cute if Nikiru made a habit of suggesting really happy, fulfilling things to Yi Lin when she's sleeptalking so she has nice dreams :3

So what would be these "best possible" dreams to give Yi Lin? What would Nikiru pick out that would make Yi Lin happy?

...42? Seriously? WE WERE ON 20 LAST TIME I WAS HERE.

>>81544
WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN

(I need help putting that drunk hayoda remake story under a cut on the archive, it doesn't let me edit it for some reason)

>>81545
It isn't letting me save the edit either. Want me to just delete it and repost it?

>>81566
I guess so.

We should probably let nikki_tan know. I'll send her a message.

>>81620
... as soon as I can figure out how. God I haven't used livejournal in almost a year.

Well I sent her the message, but she hasn't replied yet. Guess we'll just wait.

Oh, and guys? What do you think would sound better, "the Adventures of the Gaang Jr" or the "Misadventures of the Gaang Jr"?

Just curious, not asking for any particular reason or anything.

*whistle*

>>82015

'Adventures!'

[Hayoda]"THERE ARE NO MISADVENTURES!"[/Hayoda]

brb, killing self

http://iwl.me/ related link

>>82220

Huh. My yet-to-be-published novel (in its entirety) apparently mimics David Foster Wallace (which is...good?). My Gaang Jr fic 'Such Wonders' more closely resembles Ruyard Kipling according to the ineffable gods of the internet.

Not sure if that's good or not, since he was a condescending imperialist windbag. A very eloquent condescending imperialist windbag, but still...

>>82224

I noticed deadpan humor tends to get Wallace, I had some pseudoscience crap that I used to end my DA journals with along with my entries get me Dan Brown a few times, and Wallace for others. One got me H.P. Lovecraft! Feels good, man.

>>82220
I submitted Sames and Opposites and it said I wrote like the author of Fight Club, which is weird because I was going for a Terry Pratchett vibe.

Oh ho...

I put in that Jinsengkiru fic of mine and got William Gibson! :D But when I put in the second-to-last part -- the one with all the sex -- I got James Joyce; I'm not sure how to feel about that. :(

To get some discussion going, I've been wondering for a little bit about Tseng's understanding of relationships. I mean, with his parents, while it may not have been love at first sight, they never really dated any other people or liked anyone else (apart from a few short crushes on Katara's part) before becoming a couple. That's the model Tseng's really been around growing up. And I imagine Jing's had her fair share of boyfriends, probably varying degrees of seriousness.

That's got to be an interesting difference there between them. Would they have different ideas about where they want the relationship to go? For someone who prefers to have things planned out and anticipated, does Tseng think about or worry about the future in those terms? Would he be the sort to ask a lot about Jing's boyfriends in the past and worry about doing something that would make him like them?

As you can likely guess, I have zero relationship experience so I'm very unqualified to try to think about this (heck I can't even describe it well here), but maybe you all would have thoughts related to this.

Given the recent DoD upset, let us take a moment to be thankful for the Gaang Junior project's decentralized nature.

>>82534
You said it, man. I'll take inactivity and no one acknowledging my discussion prompts (;_;) over some pathetic juggalo forcing a bunch of shitty references into something I had slaved over, any day. ;)

>>79778
Honestly, I kind of agree with one of the criticisms, which is that the project has lost a noticeable amount of its original charm. I don't know why, but I feel as if it started when we stopped acting like it was going to be a show with episodes and seasons and started shifting towards more individual fics. The element of collaboration kinda drained out and maybe the loss of presumption that there would be some finished product on display led to the growing... deviance, shall we say.

On a mostly unrelated note, the anniversary is on the seventh of August, which isn't too far away now. Just a little reminder.

>>82231

Worry not - in my very Tseng-centric fic, it would be obviously stupid NOT to explore his relationship with Jing.

>>81511

Hard to say. I can see Nikiru deciding to use this time, actually (between creating 'relaxing on a sunny beach' sequences) finding out what it is that Yi Lin likes and dislikes, and then putting these facts into practice during life; for instace, finding out her favourite food then making it for her. So on and so forth.

This is only when she's in a sleep-talkative mood though; I imagine that she can't be communicative much during her...worse episodes. Nikiru'd just have to do what she could to comfort her during those times.

>>82231

Hmm. I think perhaps the long-term expectations are that Tseng doesn't see this ending, and that Jing is expecting the ride to end, but wants to tag along for as long as the ride goes. One day she's going to wake up, realise the ride ain't going to stop and that she's not getting any younger, freak out and leave him. Which is a little sad, but that's the way things of this nature turn out.

>>82547

I'm not going to deny it. However, I will point out that you're saying, in so many words, that Gaang Jr. no longer feels as magical because we aren't living in fantasy-land anymore.

So I'd say that feeling of disenchantment is to be expected. If you do feel we can regain such a spirit, then what would you have us make? Another crack at a comic, or more comic-story combinations?

We're just not creating an adventure for the kids anymore.

Maybe....maybe we've focused too much on the kids and forgot about everything else?

The last REAL adventure we've got is the cabbage island one. And that's been over for at least a few months.

SO. New island, new adventure, what is it, what's happening, and just how much chaos are they going to get into???

My idea involves Steampunk city totally devoted to Sokka-ism, kids learning about technology, Hilarity Ensues and as a side bonus, if we can include the techie of the anti-gaang that would be sweet~~~♥♥

>>82696
Writing a fun story is easy. Just stop thinking so much.

Action figures, remember?

­

>>82704

Yeah it's so easy.

Show me how easy it is.

Okay, with the new announcement, I think we found a name for our Kataang baby (at least one of them, if plural) in our own continuity.

Saging because I don't want to detract from the main Korra thread.

>>82779
I still say we should leave the "Katara is pregnant again" plot for the very "end" of the series. Or at least until after the whole season one and the ABW point in S2.

God, we really need a timeline.

>>82829
Yi Lin:...Wow, Dad got hot.
Tseng: Gyahhh! Why do you have to say things like that?

Requesting the name change of Tseng to Tenzin.

Oh fuck it, this whole project is now moot.

>>82873
Stop, check yourself.

It's an AU fanfic, it's never been anything else.

And you'd need to change his bending element as well as his name matey.

>>82874
Not how everyone else off of plus4chan have been treating it.

>>82877
...So what?

>>82880
Not even slightly

>>82884
Hey, who's that? >:|

>>82220

Too things I've written out of borem and this thing says I write like Stephen King and William Shakespeare.

>>82887

>>82874

>>82886
Now this program is weird.

I made two changes because I noticed I made a few errors such as 'disappoint' instead of disappointed. And factious instead of fictitious. And now I get Anne Rice.

I keep getting crticically aclaimed authors.

First, Stephen King.
Second, William Shakespeare.
Third, Anne Rice (who the fuck is that?)
Fourth, Douglas Adams.
Fifth, Arther C. Clark
Sixth, Raymond Chandler (who is this?)

You get the idea, this thing is broken beyond repair.

>>82898
The program takes random irrelevant variables out of your writing and gives you a flattering(?) author.

>>82910
What do you have to write in order to get Stephenie Meyer then?

>>82910
Posted on 4chan's /lit/ board.

>>82916
Using the word chagrin a lot? Well, that's a joke I heard at least.

RANDOM THOUGHT I HAD A FEW NIGHTS AGO.

"Huh, y'know, John, Rose, Dave, and Jade use the classical elements. Kinda like in Avatar. Heh.
...
...
...
...
...
No, brain. Stop it."

>>82874

Well...it WAS labelled as an EU, but I guess it's now an AU. It's not nice, shifting from Plausible to Busted. Still; we make do.

And to show how we make do, I wrote this during my off-hours on another writing project; a short scene from a story where (presumably) Chin has stranded Hayoda out on the icy-glacial plains off the side of the North Pole...somewhere, and is the only one who knows how to find him...except she doesn't feel like playing ball...

---------

“TELL US WHERE HE IS!! WHAT ISLAND?!” Yue screamed, rocking the pirate onto the back to legs of the chair.

“An’ if I don’t?” Ching laughed, failing to repress a snort at the end of it which just made her laugh even harder.

“TELL US OR I’LL-“ The earthbender seethed, eyes darting about to find some rock on the ship to batter her with, “I’LL-”

“Yue.”

“WHAT?!”

...

Irah continued to stare wistfully out of the small cabin window, letting the silence calm Yue down before carrying on. Yi Lin bit the back of her lip, glancing between the two.

“Go help Tseng with Po.”

“But-”

“Yue.”

The voice wasn’t any different; not any harsher or harder...and for that, it got Yue’s attention.

“Go.”

The princess turned to Yi Lin, forcing the airbender’s eyes to meet her own.

“You too.”

Yi Lin jumped to grab Yue before the girl could protest, almost shoving her out of the room and shutting the door behind them with a slam. She knew that look too well. She needed to get Tseng. Fast. Before...

She needed to get Tseng.

“So okay,” Ching burbled, having finished straining to hear Yi Lin tell Yue to shut up and come with her, “Now ye’ve got yer gurlyfriends away from us, whad we gonna do? Each other’s hair? Paint’re-nails ‘r sumthin’? Cuz I’m not gonna be much use like that wiv me hands tied, ya know.”

Irah watched the pair take off over the ice before answering.

“-Do you know why I’m dressed like this?”

Ching looked up and down at the smothered Fire Nation noble as, apathetically, she started to prise her gloves off.

“...Eh?”

“It’s the cold.” She carried on, slipping the first of several jackets off, “I can’t stand it, you know? I’ve tried a lot of things to rid myself from feeling it, but more clothes seem to be the only thing that sticks. And that’s odd, really, because it shouldn’t be a problem for firebenders like me.”

Ching frowned, but didn’t say anything. Irah continued to strip.

“See, my father taught me a technique to keep warm during times like this; how to use inner chakras to generate heat and stave it off...but unfortunately, I was... am...too good at it.”

The pirate gave a quick tug on her ropes as Irah took her boots off, one by one.

“I can’t regulate the temperature. So I just end up getting hotter...”

They were still too tight. Irah carried on removing her pants.

...and hotter... until I have to get rid it.”

She’d finished now, the girl dressed in wrappings only.

” Either into the air, or...”

And Ching finally felt those dead, uninterested eyes turn on her as, gently, she reached forward and placed a palm on her chest.

“...someone else.”

Ching felt the sun get pushed through her ribcage.

“And I can’t help but remember, Ching,” Irah carried on around the stifled half-screams, “What you once told Hayoda. About a fever that almost killed you. And I can’t help but notice how you’re always taking it easy on those hot days that we see you, and how you’re dressed just as frugally even in this cold climate, and I just have to wonder...how uncomfortable does this make you?”

“Phmm-...I-It’ll take-”

Another hand on her forehead scorched the sentence straight from her mind.

“-You see,” Irah murmured, moving onto the pirate’s lap, “Every second I spend wasting time with you is another second in which the man I love could die...so this is what is going to happen. You are going to tell me where he is...or I am going to cook you from the inside-out.”

She leant forward, balancing her head on the back of her palm, and stared down into watery, sweat-stained eyes.

“And don’t you even dare tell me I’m bluffing.”

>>83004
Rather dark, but I like it a lot. It shows what Irah's capable of to protect people she cares about.

As for our status now firmly fixed as an AU, I'm cool with it. We're still just playing with our toys, after all.

>>83004

>Badass!Irah and fire-torture
Maybe a bit OOC, but considering the following...

>the man I love
So she's gone from "I'm unsure of my feelings" to "I'm fairly sure, but I won't admit it to anyone I care about". Unless this vignette takes place in "S3" when her relationship with Hayoda has already come to an advanced point.

For the record, I've always thought it was an AU.

>>83004
OOOOOOOOH very nice stuff! I love the bad cop routine.

>>83067
Who says it's just a routine? ;)

I like this extra dimension to Irah -- well, I mean not "like" because something that scary inside her isn't nice to see, but it's something I could conceive Irah showing during those very rare moments when shit has gotten realer than real. Irah is already holding back most of the time on this adventure.

Good job on the writing, TDL. Looks like your edits turned out well. "Ching felt the sun get pushed through her ribcage" always gives me the chills (is that irony?).

>>83024

I think there's never been an issue with Irah on whether she loves him or not, it's just other things that make it complicated, not work out and just...not something to say. In this instance I think she's announcing it more for the plain-speaking, no-bullshit factor rather than any other reason.

>>83208

Not just a routine indeed. Irah is a...reserved and understanding girl, but there are some things that make crossing her on a deeply personal level dangerous; much moreso than any other member of the crew, or even most of their parents.

'Least that is what I posit.

Two things:

1) I've kinda lost track of these threads, so can someone tell me whether or not Dr. Prof. ever continued that One Piece crossover? I was really enjoying it.

2) I'd like to see some sort of AU thingy in which Avatar Korra goes to learn airbending from mid-sixties!Yi Lin.

>>83356
He did not, much to everyone's chagrin.

>>83004
Oh, I kinda like this side of her. Use that dark side, Irah!


In other news, I finally finished this thing. (that sword ARRGGGH hell that err'thang)

>>83518
OOOOoooooOOOH. Very nice. I love how this turned out.

>>83518
This really turned out wonderfully! Coloring job is solid and I just love their pose -- Tseng's just flopping around at Hayoda's mercy.


Anyway, TDL and I were talking about how the kids need more goofing off, and we had this conversation. Holler if anything resonates!

[00:53] <TheDaiLi> They enroll in an art class!
[00:53] <TheDaiLi> And Irah gets irritated at Hayoda's 'impressionistic' stuff.
[00:54] <Maritova> irah's art class? and she sucks out all the fun of art for everyone
[00:54] <Maritova> What is this Yi Lin. What is this. OFF MODEL IS DEATH
[00:54] <TheDaiLi> I figure there could have been a life drawing or what-have-you class going on, and Irah joins, and everyone else goes 'HEY LETS JOIN TOO!'
[00:55] <TheDaiLi> But Irah's art class sounds fun also.
[00:55] <TheDaiLi> Yi Lin, there is NO OTHER MODEL here. There can be no romance!!
[00:55] <TheDaiLi> YUE...your proportions are off, but at least you're trying. Keep at it.
[00:56] <Maritova> :)
[00:56] <TheDaiLi> Hayoda...what...
[00:56] <TheDaiLi> I AM PAINTING THE ANGUISH OF MAN'S SOUL!!
[00:56] <TheDaiLi> ...See me after class.
[00:59] <TheDaiLi> Tseng isn't even using a canvas, he's making an ice sculpture.
[01:00] <TheDaiLi> And argues with Irah that he's crap on a canvas so he's not going to do it.
[01:00] <TheDaiLi> Which'd be the most conversation they'd probably ever had ever.
[01:00] <TheDaiLi> Either that, or Irah approves of playing to strengths and passes on.
[01:00] <TheDaiLi> Which is also likely.
[01:01] <Maritova> haha, oh poor Tseng and Irah in their different worlds
[01:01] <Maritova> ice sculpting as a waterbender would be interesting, more like working with clay
[01:01] <TheDaiLi> The Yi Li's like 'Then why aren't you moaning at Tseng, there isn't even ICE in this picture!'
[01:01] <Maritova> she'd totally say something like that
[01:05] <Maritova> hmm I guess Murph already wrote a whole figure drawing thing
[01:06] <Maritova> else I'd think up Tseng being all "Irah? This live drawing class... are the people going to be, uh, nude? Because I don't know if Jing would be happy with me looking at naked girls..."
[01:07] <TheDaiLi> 'Don't worry Tseng, Jing is the one modeling.'
[01:07] <Maritova> OH WELL THEN LET'S GET MOVING
[01:08] <TheDaiLi> (Doesn't tell him she's modeling with another guy)
[01:08] <Maritova> :O!
[01:09] <Maritova> Tseng spends the whole time depressingly comparing himself with the guy
[01:10] <Maritova> and then Jing comes by afterward "Oh hey Tseng let's see how you did! Hmm, you really detailed his muscles well... in fact it looks like you spent a lot of time on him"
[01:10] <Maritova> cue gay jokes etc etc
[01:10] <Maritova> do you think Yi Lin or Yue would lean more towards abstract art?
[01:11] <TheDaiLi> Yi Lin and Hayoda are art buddies. Yue's shapes are all geometrically sound.
[01:11] <TheDaiLi> Actually, she might be really good at proportions, but finds it ard detailing tuff, keeping people as a collection of fitting shapes rather than something that looks 'alive' on the canvas.
[01:12] <TheDaiLi> She'd be a good technical drawer.
[01:12] <Maritova> yeah
[01:12] <TheDaiLi> Yi Lin kinda draws the two body shapes meshing into each other...but still draws the other guy as Hayoda.
[01:13] <Maritova> :3
[01:13] <TheDaiLi> Hell knows what post-modernist design Hayoda comes up with.
[01:16] <TheDaiLi> He takes it off the canvas and onto his own body.
[01:17] <TheDaiLi> I AM BECOMING TWO SOULS, PAINTED OVER A MAN!!
[01:17] <Maritova> THIS IS DEEP IRAH YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND
[01:17] <TheDaiLi> I think what he does depends entirely on how much sugar he has had beforehand.
[01:18] <Maritova> that "two body shapes meshing into each other" keeps making me think that whatever art Yi Lin makes is some real freaky Gigeresque shit
[01:18] <TheDaiLi> Haha, a good way for her smutty subconscious to realise itself.
[01:18] <TheDaiLi> 'Yi Lin...why do they both have breasts?'
[01:18] <TheDaiLi> 'Huh? They do, huh?'
[01:19] <Maritova> :)
[01:21] <Maritova> I think Yue would enjoy making mobiles or other sorts of kinetic sculptures
[01:23] <TheDaiLi> Probably. She'd jump aboard her brother's outward thinking ideas. I think Yi Lin' be the only one ending up sticking to a canvas.
[01:23] <TheDaiLi> ...Though I can see a 'The Ghost' clay scene with her and Nik.

>>83651

Is ANGST!Hayoda something with precedent, or was that a spur-of-the moment joke?

>>83687

He's painting two happy souls.

Just because he's going all post-modern on our asses doesn't mean he has to be sad about it.

>>83356
>>83499
HEY! HEY HEY HEY! I'M WORKIN' ON IT!
I lost interest for a little while, due to hitting major writer's block. But a flash of inspiration struck recently, so now I'm back in the game!

Glad y'all liked the outcome!

>>83651
The only way I could imagine Hayoda using a canvas is dumping a paint bucket on himself then jumping onto a giant canvas. He's a lot like his father(i.e. literal) when it comes to art in my little deranged mind.

>>83817
Huzzah!

So, TDL and I were talking again, and we had thought through a little idea about Jing and Irah and the nature of their animosity (well, by the ratio of chat, more like he thought of an idea and I responded yes/no when prodded for feedback). Jing loves to tease and prod and generally be obnoxious to her, but while so much of Jing's actions are about getting some sort of reaction, there's probably something different about the way Irah reacts. It seems easy to imagine Irah getting a tad physical to quickly shut down the source of the annoyance.

And the thought is that there's a part of Jing's personality where she craves Irah's stern hand and dismissive demeanor, the sort of thing that for all his talents, Tseng probably just can't muster convincingly. And, fully aware of this or not, Irah is all too happy to oblige. So TDL drew up an outfit he felt captured that sense of dismissive sternness.

>>84362
>there's a part of Jing's personality where she craves Irah's stern hand and dismissive demeanor
This. I agree.

>>84362

Yeah, that description doesn't paint me as a fetishistic nutbag at all whilst making all other parties look completely blameless. Thanks Mari.

That said, the design did come about because we were discussing exactly what it is that Jing sees in Tseng and so forth, and it struck us that Jing might be the kind of person who enjoys being outclassed; perhaps because it happens to her so rarely. At first it's because Tseng beat her for girly looks, but it also becomes apparent he's smarter than her too, and I think that plays its own part into their continuation as a couple and why Jing doesn't get bored with her.

Irah, on the other hand, is a bitch so far as Jing is concerned...but a superior bitch. So for all the cussing and jibing, Jing wouldn't flip her shit if Irah gave her a quick slap and told her to shut up. She might still insult her a little, but she...wouldn't mind it so much.

The actual outfit itself comes with a story and a lot more explaining, but...eh. I guess we'll see how this floats along first.

FFFFF... it's been ages since I've caught up on this.

... maybe if I have time next week.

That aside, for some reason seeing these guys four nights in a row on the beach in Thailand made me think of you all.

So you guys are saying that Jing secretely wants to be a Sub in a S&M relationship?

Or that beneath that, "Grr, I'm independent!" attitude she pulls, she secretly wants to be tied up and be treated like a child??

...I don't know...

>>84401

>So you guys are saying that Jing secretely wants to be a Sub in a S&M relationship?

>Or that beneath that, "Grr, I'm independent!" attitude she pulls, she secretly wants to be tied up and be treated like a child??

Yeah, Dai Li, sorry, but, new outfit aside, that's exactly what this sounds like.

>>84401
I interpreted it in a less sexual way than might have been intended. Jing's always gotten her way and been in charge, so it's simply refreshing to her to have someone push her around.

>>84404

I see it the same way, as in she always seems to be able to do whatever she wants. Sometimes, she just enjoys someone challenging her, someone who'll tell her "no, enough is enough and you have got to stop this".

She'll view it as a challenge consciously, but subconsciously (or she just wont admit to it) she just likes the idea of someone else taking charge and responding to the things she does.

She is somewhat like Hayoda, she just likes some attention. She's just not goofy enough to stay humble about it. She's sort of like the kid who steals a cookie from the cookie jar when the parents have told her no.

Actually, that's like Irah too, except Irah's doing it because she wants her parents to notice her and not baby her (actually react to her), while Jing does it because she likes to push her boundaries, never breaks them.



Yeah, that was confusing. Excuse this sleep-deprived person, it probably only makes sense in my head and I have no way of explaining it in this state of mind. I'll return later.

sop's got the head of it, E's got the tail.

Not to say that S&M didn't cross my mind, but that's crazy. Jing doesn't want to be tied up at all...least I don't think she does. I do think, however, that she likes to push stuff until she's prevented from pushing them any further, and getting stopped even before the pushing properly starts is a pleasantly novel experience for her.

Oh hey! I just found this on dA!

http://starnik.deviantart.com/art/Sketch-A-Day-Yi-Lin-174366287

:D

>>84847
Oh hey, that's from Mindwipe! =D

>>84882

Yeah, I saw it in /draw/ a while back, but I didn't really mention much of it, not sure why.

Now I've been drawing a few S3 Hayoda designs seeing as he's the guy who hasn't had any yet, and I decided that they were rubbish, so I've started redrawing them so they look sensible.

Here's the first of three. The other two...eh, it'll take a while. Is anyone else up to anything, or willing to help with something...more?

>>85378
Oh man, seriously? No replies to this? I love Hayoda's dashing demeanor in that coat. This would definitely be one of those moments when he would only refer to Irah as "Princess."

>>85465


I love it, just wondering how I'm going to like the idea of the sword being sheathed to his side instead of his back. I do like the bad-ass nature of it, and as long as the captain's hat returns.


And yes, it's my personal cannon that he sheathes the sword on his back.

>>85378
I'm only just getting to see this cuz my internet's acting all screwy. And I love it Dai Li. Its so piratey and awesome. I can't wait to see what else you come up with.

>>85378

Frankly, I think it looks a bit too Western. That collar could use some trimming.
That button pattern might work, though. Google "Wushu uniform" to see exactly what I'm talking about. Or take a look at the top piece in the pic.

Here's one with a bit more collar.

Point is, your collar is HUEG, and what it may project more of Hayoda's personality, it just doesn't seem to be in line with the universe.

I liked it when we invoked rule of Cool/Funny instead of worrying about making every little detail adhere to the show's canon.

>>85606
Same here. I was just looking at the archives and some had mentioned that we needed them to encounter mummies at some point. Where did the mummies go, /a/? Where did the mummies go?

>>85503

Sorry, but rule of cool prevails. If June gets heeled boots, Hayoda gets a pirate coat.

Strange of you to bring up this garb though, as that's almost EXACTLY what I had Hayoda wearing in yon getup pictured; something for more fan/HtH endeavours, I imagined this to be.

>>85647

Also; I accidentally invented moonwalk fighting.

...I'll roll with it.

>>85647

I liek this much better. And moonwalk fighting, which wouldn't surprise me if Hayoda invented it.

You're gonna carry that weight.

>>85768

That's Hayoda when he's sad?!

I'm surprised you haven't made Hayorah 34 already. Sure as hell beats another bondage pic.

>>85802

>>I'm surprised you haven't made Hayorah 34 already.

I was thinking about the same thing!

Hey! Listen!

Remember that "Yue becomes the surprise Queen of Omashu thanks to Bumi's loopy decrees about who shall be the heir to his throne after (ahem) his death" idea that was bandied about? I think this would be a great idea to steer gjr back toward Rule of Cool. Omashu is a frickin funhouse and Bumi is a master troll who doesn't operate on logical thought.

Been kicking some stuff around with Mari, nothing about the plot, just some hi-jinks that might take place during such a story

<D_Murphy> she starts out all stoic and logical
<Maritova> I could see a girl like Yue, having been not very powerful or strong, not knowing quite what to do when power is suddenly in her hands

<D_Murphy> it would be all well and good, things operating nominally
<D_Murphy> then she might misspeak a command
<D_Murphy> and her underlings do something outlandish
<D_Murphy> they shant disobey the queen
<D_Murphy> of course, she gets a huge kick out of it
<Maritova> then she starts to play around with the whole idea?

<D_Murphy> haha, I can see Hayoda being a little birdy in her ear
<D_Murphy> "BY ROYAL DECREE, THE CITY'S BEST EARTHBENDERS AND ENGINEERS SHALL INSTALL A LOOP-DE-LOOP INTO THE MAIN MAIL SYSTEM LINE!"
<Maritova> yesssss
<D_Murphy> Tseng gets in her ear
<D_Murphy> "OH. AND I DECLARE TODAY TO BE OFFICIAL HAYODA-IS-A-BUTT HOLIDAY IN OMASHU- WHAT?"
<D_Murphy> or what have you
<Maritova> absolute power
<Maritova> corrupts absolutely!
<D_Murphy> and then Hayoda was covered in pentapods in the middle of town D:

>>86108
I really do love this idea, if only because we'd have a really frazzled Yue as she starts to realize the power going to her head. IT'S TEARING HER APART INSIDE!

Anyway, I've started to realize that I have all these story ideas and I'm really never going to get around to writing them out. So what I'm doing is going through and compiling all my notes for each story. I'm basically taking whatever prose I have and bridging the gaps with synopses, leaving out no detail that I've already come up with and trying to make the story able to be followed by others. I just don't want the ideas trapped in my head forever, so I'm wanting to get them out however possible.

I've just finished writing up the summary of the Po origin story I was thinking about, and interestingly enough this technique was really good for helping me fill in plot details I wasn't sure about without getting bogged down in issues of how I'm writing things. Liberating, in a way!

OK, here's my little writeup for the Po origin story idea.

Our story starts a week or two after the start of the adventure. The kids are still on the run from their parents, but they've made enough distance between them that they can finally relax and spend a day in the Earth Kingdom coastal town of Neudai. Most of the Gaang Jr have already left the boat, leaving Tseng with a moment of personal thought as he makes sure the ship is in good shape before he disembarks.

Being raised by a Waterbender and an Airbender -- or as his sister would say in an cringingly awkward but lovable attempt at being poetic, "a son of Water and Air" -- meant Tseng knew his clouds and what they meant.

They were long and feathery, letting through enough sun that the day was bright, but not enough to make its rays beat down on the bare, dark skin of this Waterbender's back. Dimly Tseng thought that the clouds meant a storm in the future, but it wasn't enough for him to worry.

Of course, Tseng didn't really care about clouds all that much, especially on a day like this. It was just the sort of thought that would roll around in his mind, occupying his thoughts as he did what was needed to keep the ship working.

The ship (and it was only ever called "the ship"; Hayoda kept rechristening the vessel every few days with a new name, none of which seemed to fit) had an ingenious mechanical contraption at its core, in a series of polished springs and clanking pulleys traveling up the mast. With a single short yank of a rope, large sails shot open in a flash. Over the past couple weeks it had already proved its usefulness, both against their parents and other more nefarious pursuers, but the price of a quick getaway was an extra hour of climbing up and down the mast to fold the canvas sails properly, ever-roughening palms forcing the iron plating down over them, bulging arms trembling to fix an already-taut rope over a hook that was just slightly out of easy range. Tseng didn't mind being the only one who knew the knots to do it right; the extra hour of work alone gave him time to think.

Finally, satisfied with his work, Tseng quickly joins up with Hayoda and Irah.

Hayoda chose this port town to make landfall because he knew it was the closest place with a scroll-shop, and he and Tseng needed to pick up the latest issue of the Wolf-Bat-Man illustrated scroll. The stories came out every month, filled with tales of adventure and mystery (and advertisements) and Hayoda had gotten the last one back home on Kyoshi Island before the adventure started, prompt as always by messenger hawk. Tseng typically got his by actually going to a scroll store when traveling with his dad -- this one in particular, in fact, and Tseng had made a series of scroll-loving friends here during his childhood. Regardless, neither of them were about to miss the illustrated action just because they were being pursued around the world. And Hayoda drags Irah along because he's busy trying to convince the girl that these scrolls are art, and not just something for children.

Irah: The Wolf-Bat...Man?

Hayoda: Yeah!

Irah: Does he turn into a wolf-bat?

Hayoda: No, no, he's a man who jumps across the rooftops of Ba Sing Se, bringing criminals to justice.

Irah: Jumping across rooftops. So does he fly? Did he get the powers of a wolf-bat from a spirit?

Tseng: No, he's just a regular guy who trains a lot. He's not even a bender, that's why it's so interesting. He has to solve all these problems on his own.

Irah: Why would anyone choose to dress up as a wolf-bat? ... Wait, you didn't name us after this guy did you?

Hayoda: Eh?

Irah: "Iron Sea Wolves"... "Wolf-Bat-Man"...

Hayoda: ... I'm not seeing the connection.

Irah: It's just -- "wolf" --

Hayoda: What's a wolf?


Meanwhile, Yue finds herself in a store that sells all sorts of expensive animals. The owner of the shop is gruff and shoos her aside several times, but Yue barely even notices him and his two Earthbending workers, or the questionable conditions the animals are being kept in, so enraptured she is with the menagerie around her. She loses track of time as she gleefully moves from cage to cage, looking and making little replying noises at the assortment of creatures, many of which she had only seen on trips to the zoo outside Ba Sing Se, and others she had only read about.

One large cage in particular catches her eye, not just because of its exorbitant price tag but because inside is a pangolin-otter, a majestic animal she had read much about and had had a long fascination with. Reaching inside, she slowly calms the nervous beast, who seems to take kindly to her. Scratching under its chin, she remembers the list of facts about pangolin-otters in her studies, such as its sleek, dense, waterproof fur. And as she remembers a mention of pangolin-otter scales being prized as expensive ingredients for various medicines of dubious efficacy, she runs her fingers across the hard scales, dimly noting how the further back she felt, the more she noticed their irregular shape, how many of them suddenly ended with rough, straight-cut lines, and finally how some scales seemed to be completely missing, exposing skin that made the creature wince when Yue brushed against it, and when she draws her hand back there is blood on her fingertips.

A horrific realization dawning upon her, Yue spies a pair of large, sharp, iron pliers leaning against a nearby wall, and watches the pangolin-otter watching her as she slowly reaches out to them, and as her fingers touch the metal, the beast tenses and pushes itself against the back of the cage.

Yue recoils, looking at all the cages around her with a shocking soberness, and feeling the tears welling up in her eyes she runs out of the store, upset not only at the cruelty around her but also how useless she feels. What can she do? She can't buy all the creatures off him, and even if she could, it would just mean more gold in these monsters' pockets to abuse more animals, harvesting them for superstitious medicines and elixirs that probably do nothing anyway. Her brother can face down pirates and the Fire Navy and she can't do a thing and what's the entire point of her being out here away from home?

Unable to even think straight, Yue runs back to the harbor, running past Yi Lin sitting on the side of the dock, her pant legs rolled up and her bare feet hanging off the side of the dock in the water. The young Airbender has been amusing herself for the past while with one of her odd habits: placing little bits of food in between her toes and enjoying the weird yet amusing feeling from schools of hungry fish gently nibbling on her toes.

"Hey Yue! This is really fun, d'ya wanna-- Yue? Where are you going?"

But Yue doesn't even notice her cousin, and, struggling to keep her composure, hurries and shuts herself in the ship's kitchen. It's pretty obvious to Yi Lin that there's a lot on her mind, and being the concerned cousin she is, Yi Lin goes looking for Yue and eventually hears the whole story in between frustrated sobs. Yi Lin, a deeply empathic person, starts to feel that familiar feeling that so defines her: righteous indignation at some injustice that rivals the person who's telling her about it.

From the sounds on deck, Yue and Yi Lin could tell that Tseng, Hayoda, and Irah had successfully returned from their trip to the scroll shop, the boys with a shared copy of the latest Wolf-Bat-Man story and Irah with a few more mainstream titles with decent artwork. Tseng was busy profusely apologizing to Irah, who had found herself the only female customer in the shop and the subject of much unwanted and uncomfortable attention by Tseng's old childhood acquaintances, about whom Tseng felt horribly embarassed even if Irah seemed to take it in stride.

But at this point, they can hear the muffled sounds of an upset Yue and comforting Yi Lin behind the door, and end up standing somewhat awkwardly outside. What they don't hear is Yi Lin hatching a plan with Yue where, under cover of darkness, the two girls will sneak in and set the animals free.

>>86147


Yi Lin: All right, we'll meet in the market and start planning this out. But we can't let the others know until after, okay?

Yue: Why?

Yi Lin: Because they'd end up trying to talk us out of it. (waving her fingers in the air in a mocking fashion) With their 'logic' and 'reason' about how this is dangerous and illegal and is going to get us all caught and it's yet another one of Yi Lin's crazy schemes and you should never follow her.

(a long silence fills the room)

Yi Lin: ...But this is something we have to do, right? (rests her hands on Yue's shoulders) This is something _you_ have to do.

Yue: Mm-hm.

Yi Lin: We've been in here a while and I bet they're worried about you. So you need to look like there's nothing wrong. Can you do that?

Yue: (wipes her eyes and takes several deep breaths, letting her pulse settle and her face retreat from its redness) I can do it.

Yi Lin: (hugs Yue tightly) 'Kay, now go out there and I'll catch up in a couple minutes. (starts grabbing tons of ingredients from the shelves)

(Yue exits the kitchen)

Tseng: (getting up, tossing aside a string he had been repeatedly knotting, obviously out of concern) Hey there, Yue, what's up?

Yue: (swallowing, trying to keep her mask of emotion on) Oh hi Tseng I'm not really doing anything right now except I was just heading back into town to wander around, nothing in particular just like before where I was wandering around and not finding or discovering anything in particular but I just wanted to wander there's nothing strange about that is there? (huge grin)

Tseng: I... guess not. (Yue turns to head out) I-- I was just wondering if you wanted to talk.

Yue: Talk? Talk about what? Not that I don't like talking, I'm not brushing you off in some sort of uncharacteristic fashion!

Tseng: Oh... I just thought you might be feeling a little upset about something.

Yue: (knowing that a simple denial would make him probe deeper) Huh? Oh, _that_. I, um, had a splinter in my hand! But Yi Lin took it out for me. Isn't she the best?

Tseng: Your hand, huh? Lemme take a look, the wound probably needs to be cleaned-- (reaching out to take Yue's hands before she suddenly slips them out of his grasp)

Yue: Ahh, no, no, it's really clean, Yi Lin did that too and besides the splinter was so small you probably couldn't even tell where it was, I know I can't! Well anyway I'm off! Bye!


Tseng is not fully convinced, and walks into the kitchen to question his sister, only to see Yi Lin mixing a large bowl of some culinary concoction, and quite obviously doing it wrong. In the ensuing sibling argument about wasting supplies and how if Tseng is such a good cook why doesn't he show how it's done, Tseng grabs the spoon and before he knows it Yi Lin has sneaked out and Tseng's been tricked into busying himself with a complicated cooking project that will keep him distracted and occupied on the ship and far away from where Yi Lin and Yue plan to be.


Hayoda: (popping into the kitchen) So, um, ... is Yue OK?

Tseng: Huh? Oh, Yue's fine (completely distracted by both his love of cooking and his job of cleaning up his sister's messes), she just had a splinter.

Hayoda: Oh, phew, I thought it was something, you know, _more_. I wonder what Yi Lin's doing, though; she seemed to scurry off in a hurry.

Tseng: (turning his head away from the cooking to look at Hayoda for the first time) Seriously?

Hayoda: What do you mean?

Tseng: My sister's out of your hair for once and you're worrying yourself about her?

Hayoda: (scratching his head) Heh, good point.

Tseng: (giving a knowing glance) Now, if I were you, I would go over and spend some time with Irah. (gesturing on deck with his head)

Hayoda: (looks blankly, then follows the gesture to Irah, hugging a bundle of scrolls to her chest and giving Hayoda a warm, smiling wave) Oh. (he says, still looking at Irah and waving back)

Tseng: (turning back to cooking) Read some scrolls together, share your interests with her...

Hayoda: (smiles) You sure know a lot about this stuff.

Tseng: What would you do without me. Now out. (pushes Hayoda out with a foot)


With the rest of the Iron Sea Wolves busy with their own affairs, Yi Lin and Yue are free to prepare for their daring animal rescue. Knowing it would be very suspicious to be recognized as having loitered around the place earlier that day, Yue thinks concealment is best, and the two of them purchase some long, tan coats that help make them more nondescript in the town's bustling streets (clothing Yi Lin would later make a habit of using to conceal herself on her various clandestine jaunts as the Masked Shipper).

However, the girls barely need to case the joint at all. Displaying an uncanny skill for memory, Yue is able to remember the layout of the building with near-photographic recall, where each of the animals are inside, and from the information that had soaked into her brain from the many books she had read, how each of them would be able to be lured out.

Yi Lin: "Your brain is creepy. Helpful... but creepy."

Finally night falls upon the town of Neudai, and Yue struggles to contain the butterflies in her stomach as she and Yi Lin glide up to the roof of the store. From the rooftop they can see the store owner and one of his guards leaving the building to, as Yue theorizes, arrange some sort of deal with untrustworthy animal poachers. With only one guard remaining, the plan is for Yi Lin to distract him and lead him on fruitless hunts around the building by hiding in the shadows and making suspicious sounds, while Yue uses her chance to free the animals.

All their plans go out the window as the shoddily-maintained terracotta tiles beneath their feat start to slip and slide off the edge of the roof, clattering and smashing loudly on the ground below. The girls can only give each other a look of shock before the weak roof gives out underneath them and they land inside the building's main office, papers flying in a chaotic pile around them. An ink-stained piece of paper sticks onto Yi Lin's face, and she flails blindly for a few moments until an unseen hand pulls it off of her.

Yi Lin: "Oh, thanks Yu-- ...Oh."

Before her stands the huge, burly guard, a scowl on his face. He crumples the paper in his fist.

Yi Lin: (readying her staff) "Yue... run!"

>>86148
Yi Lin jumps back and swings out her staff, creating a swirling blizzard of papers fluttering around the room. In the commotion, Yue dives through the guard's legs and flees the office, heart pounding in her chest. Thinking fast, Yue runs down the stairs to the main level, grabbing a huge jar of powdered pangolin-otter scales she remembered seeing earlier in the day. She scrambles back into the office to see Yi Lin just barely keeping herself out of reach of the guard's massive arms. Any surprise the guard was feeling at fighting an Airbender was more than offset by his ability to keep himself so firmly rooted to the floor that Yi Lin could not affect him, especially in these close quarters.

Yue quickly climbs on top of the desk and drops the jar on the guard's head, and pieces of ceramic and powder covers their foe. He flinches from the surprise attack, stumbling, hacking, and coughing. Yue tumbles off the desk just before a summoned gust of wind sends the heavy wood flying into the guard's chest, and consequently sending both flying against a wall.

Panting heavily and coming to terms with the seriousness of what they are doing, Yi Lin and Yue grab some nearby rope and, struggling to remember their knots and wishing Tseng were there, they tie up the unconscious guard and with great difficulty push him underneath the desk, then take his keyring and lock him in the office.

The girls quickly make their way downstairs to the animal room, a long hallway lined with caged animals. Taking opposite ends of the hall, Yue uses the keyring and starts frantically opening cages left and right, while Yi Lin breaks the locks with an Airbending slice, or cupping the locks and blowing into the keyhole with Airbending to make the metal devices explode into useless fragments in her hands.

Yue finally gets to the pangolin-otter's cage, the last one, but the lock won't open. She is about to call for Yi Lin to help when a sudden bellowing shout echoes nearby: the guard had finally escaped his bonds, and upstairs the locked door smashes open. As he appears at the bottom of the stairs, they can tell that while he is shaken and lightheaded, he is still a dangerous threat.

A single stomp splits the earth down along the hallway, and Yi Lin and Yue press themselves against the walls just in time. Dozens of birds squawk and lift themselves off the ground breaking beneath them. Yue dives to the floor and grabs a small lizard falling into the fissure, and from this vantage point sees the guard charging toward Yi Lin. Mustering her strength and what little Earthbending ability she has, Yue plunges her hand deep into the crevice and shoots up a series of bumps in his path, making him lose his footing just long enough for Yue's partner to finish the job. Yi Lin runs toward the guard, uses her staff and a healthy amount of bending to vault herself into the air, then flips and slams her staff across the ground, blasting the guard down the hallway in a cloud of dust with an impressive Airbending strike.

Knowing she can't waste any more time, Yue directs Yi Lin to take a couple bags of feed and run, and after a moment's hesitation Yi Lin does so, cutting a hole in each bag and making a trail of crumbs the starving creatures ravenously follow out of the building.

Staring intently at the pangolin-otter, Yue lifts up the nearby pair of sharp pliers, and for a moment the animal recoils in fear until it sees the girl using them to grasp the heavy padlock's shackle, squeezing as hard as she can until finally the cut lock falls to the floor with a heavy thump. Throwing the tool aside, Yue watches the creature slowly take its first few steps of freedom, and giggles as the pangolin-otter licks her with his long tongue.

Seeing the seemingly unvanquishable guard start to stir, the pangolin-otter gestures for Yue to climb on its back. Yue holds onto the pangolin-otter's neck, her heart leaping in her chest as the beast runs through the town, letting out an exultant cry.

Several minutes later, and back on the ship, Hayoda, Tseng, and Irah are completely unaware of all of this -- at least until a pair of screaming cousins and a flock of squawking animals run up the gangplank to the ship. In the distance the crew can see the shopkeeper and his other Earthdending guard chasing after them at full speed, apparently having followed a large and conspicuous trail of food leading straight to the ship.

Yi Lin: Aaaahh! Tseng, start the boat, start the boat! (cuts the rope mooring the ship to the pier with an Airbending slice)

Tseng: (narrowly dodging a pair of feedbags flying past his head, then leaping back as a stream of animals stampedes onto the boat) What did you do?!

Yi Lin: (gesturing back at Yue) It was all her idea!

Yue: Hey!

Hayoda: Yue! Get away from that thing!

Yue: He's not a thing, he's a pangolin-otter and he's my friend!

Tseng: Again -- what did you do?!

Yi Lin: (kicks the gangplank into the water) Talk later!

Yi Lin quickly wrenches on one of the ropes of the ship's sail mechanism and favored getaway plan, unfurling the vessel's impressive sails without realizing that it is in fact a rather windless night. As if to drive the point home even further, the guard raises a huge boulder from the shore and fires it straight at the Iron Sea Wolves. Irah is barely able to cry out a warning before the rock smashes into the mast.

The kids and the animals duck and cover themselves. A burst of quick thinking on Tseng's part and a sphere of water suddenly surrounding the impact site prevent the explosion of metal shards and wooden splinters from turning into lethal shrapnel, but the damage has been done. The mast falls across the deck, slamming and reverberating through the hull; the ship is dead in the water.

In the chaos, the pangolin-otter dives off the ship, grabbing the rope that once held it to the pier in his teeth. Without any apparent regard for the welfare of the animals aboard, the enraged shopkeeper orders the guard to throw another boulder. Spinning through the air, it threatens to sink the ship, but the pangolin-otter is able to pull the boat further from the shore, and the stone glances against the side of the vessel.

While Tseng divides his attention between raising walls of ice to block incoming boulders and yelling at his sister for getting into this mess, the pangolin-otter heads for his attackers and once-tormenters, jumping out of the water and charging down the pier. The guard tries to use Earthbending to wall the beast in, tall earthen cubicles erupting left and right around the animal, but the pangolin-otter dodges the traps and pounces on his foes.

The shopkeeper and his guard pull themselves just out of the way of the pangolin-otter's swipes, just barely avoiding being ripped up by his sharp claws. Rearing up onto his rear limbs, the animal turns and slams his tail into his two enemies, knocking out the guard and leaving the shopkeeper extremely shaken.

Glancing back to the ship and the five stunned children on board, including his rescuer, the pangolin-otter picks up each of his defeated opponents by their clothes with his teeth, and drops them into one of the Earthbent cages on the shore before hurrying back to the vessel and towing the Iron Sea Wolves further out to sea. His former master, a non-bender, will need to wait until his assistant comes around or someone finds them before he can be freed.

One would think that after rescuing dozens of animals (which are now littering the deck, both with their presence and with their droppings, to the mild but growing annoyance of the rest of the crew), Yi Lin and Yue would call it a day. Damaging the ship and almost getting everyone killed in a harebrained scheme of animal liberation would have definitely warranted many severe tongue-lashings -- if Yi Lin had been the one doing it. As fair or unfair as it may be, Hayoda and Tseng cannot help but go easy on Yue, for both her noble intentions and her accounts of bravery and cunning during the heist itself. Yi Lin is all too happy to take advantage of the rest of the crew's leniency, and makes a personal note to involve Yue in any future ideas.

And if anything, having boulders thrown at them makes the crew more than frustrated. Yue in particular is driven with a strange compulsion to see this through to its end, and with the help of the other kids, figures out which nearby areas can safely support each kind of animals, and over the next couple weeks they release their cargo into the wild -- each time with a bit of paper attached to them saying just where these animals came from and how abusive their owner was. Yue and Yi Lin take to this part with a surprising fierceness, wanting to ensure above all else that spreading the word will ruin this abusing animal keeper's reputation to the point that very few people would want to do business with him.

As the ship's mast has been utterly smashed, the pangolin-otter, whom Yue named "Po" (波, "bō", meaning "wave" or "storm") has been happily helping to pull the ship during this time, and has proven even more effective at it than the night of his escape, after several full meals of fish and a Waterbender's healing abilities repairing the damage Po had taken during its captivity.

A few prominent nobles in a nearby city, having heard about the Iron Sea Wolves' deeds and wanting to increase their prestige by associating themselves with a popular and charitible cause, offer to adopt and properly care for some of the more exotic and foreign animals, and after a few convincing speeches by Hayoda about "donating to the cause," the kids are able to collect enough money to get the ship's mast repaired better than before.

All that really remains is Po himself. Neither Yue nor the others know where his family is, or even if he has one. As Yi Lin works on writing one last paper denouncing the abusive animal-keeper to attach to the pangolin-otter upon its release, she watches Yue and Po playing together on the waves, and she knows what is going through everyone's minds, much as Yue and her scaly-furry friend can sense from each other.

Yue: I guess... we're your family now, Po. I mean, if you want us to be--

(Po interrupts her with a quick lick to the face)

Yue: Hee! That settles that then!


Watching this scene from the ship, Yi Lin nods to herself and folds up the bit of paper she was writing, the still-wet ink smearing into a black-on-white double image. Opening it, she smiles, amused at the image the blotted ink had made.

Yi Lin: Looks like a pretty butterfly.

END

(I know this is not nearly as satisfying as reading an actual story, but hopefully it's enough to at least imagine how it goes.)

>>86147

>my face when I read

"she runs her fingers across the hard scales, dimly noting how the further back she felt, the more she noticed their irregular shape, how many of them suddenly ended with rough, straight-cut lines, and finally how some scales seemed to be completely missing, exposing skin that made the creature wince when Yue brushed against it, and when she draws her hand back there is blood on her fingertips.

"A horrific realization dawning upon her, Yue spies a pair of large, sharp, iron pliers leaning against a nearby wall, and watches the pangolin-otter watching her as she slowly reaches out to them, and as her fingers touch the metal, the beast tenses and pushes itself against the back of the cage."

D: D: D: This reminds me so much of Appa's Lost Days. A fine example to follow, seeing as that episode was a Genesis Award winner. Poor Po!

Yue/Yi Lin team-up stories always seem to be the most zany capers, too. This story is no exception. Their personalities feed off each other in many ways and their partnership allows Yi Lin to showcase her airbending as the main "weapon". She's such an awesome Big Sis to Yue, too.

>Hayoda and Tseng reading Wolfbatman comic scrolls

The circle of life is now truly complete.

>Irah getting harassed by neckbeards

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

"Unable to even think straight, Yue runs back to the harbor, running past Yi Lin sitting on the side of the dock, her pant legs rolled up and her bare feet hanging off the side of the dock in the water. The young Airbender has been amusing herself for the past while with one of her odd habits: placing little bits of food in between her toes and enjoying the weird yet amusing feeling from schools of hungry fish gently nibbling on her toes.

Equal amounts of funny and d'awwwwsome, thar.

>Dat rescue scene

Even if it wasn't in full prose, I was able to picture everything clearly. It was compact, chaotic, and the blows that were actually dealt were Serious Business. There's an odd irony about the guard getting blinded by their abused pangolin-otter's ground up scales.

>And then the Gjr started the Avatar World's ASPCA.

Imokwiththis.jpg

Thanks for compiling your notes Mari, that was a fun little read!

>>86177
I'm really glad you enjoyed reading it!


>Yue/Yi Lin team-up stories always seem to be the most zany capers, too. This story is no exception. Their personalities feed off each other in many ways and their partnership allows Yi Lin to showcase her airbending as the main "weapon". She's such an awesome Big Sis to Yue, too.
I think what makes their action scenes so interesting is how they both really cleverly think on their feet and have to use their environment to their advantage, since they're typically physically outmatched by their foes. In contrast, if you have Hayoda or Irah (or to an extent, Tseng, as long as he has access to water) fighting, what they do is mostly unchanged based on their surroundings.

In this case, I had nothing previously written from the time they land in the office and when they break Po out. It was just "they've landed in this room, there's a guard in front of them, what can I have them do to get out of this situation?".

If the kids were playing an RPG, I could really see Yue being the kind of character with lots of sneak attacks and actions that cause status effects.

That bit with Yi Lin and the fish was actually something my sister and her friends did on campouts. It seemed like the sort of thing Yi Lin would like. :P

>There's an odd irony about the guard getting blinded by their abused pangolin-otter's ground up scales.
Haha yes, definitely. Between this and Po throwing his captors into a prison of their own making, I wanted some poetic justice.