How We Quit The Forest
So, on ![[profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
atla_unspoiled, there was a poster talking about how, typically, Zutara shippers ship Suki/Sokka, and Kataang shippers ship Toph/Sokka. (Which I think is true, based on my totally unscientific experiences). She then suggested that this was because of the shippers looking for 'viability.' (Which doesn't make sense to me.) I think it's more likely the that similarity in character interactions and relationship dynamics is what makes it more likely for a Zutara shipper to like Suki/Sokka, and for a Kataanger to like Toph/Sokka.
(And of course, there all the various permutations of who ships what as a primary ship, and I KNOW that there are people who like Suki/Sokka and Kataang, and Zutara shippers who like Toph/Sokka, to name just two.)
Your thoughts?
atla_unspoiled, there was a poster talking about how, typically, Zutara shippers ship Suki/Sokka, and Kataang shippers ship Toph/Sokka. (Which I think is true, based on my totally unscientific experiences). She then suggested that this was because of the shippers looking for 'viability.' (Which doesn't make sense to me.) I think it's more likely the that similarity in character interactions and relationship dynamics is what makes it more likely for a Zutara shipper to like Suki/Sokka, and for a Kataanger to like Toph/Sokka.(And of course, there all the various permutations of who ships what as a primary ship, and I KNOW that there are people who like Suki/Sokka and Kataang, and Zutara shippers who like Toph/Sokka, to name just two.)
Your thoughts?
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That said, I think the reason it bothers Sokka that he doesn't have any bending is twofold: lacking bending makes him feel weak when compared to the others; and bending would be so darn useful to him.
The strength thing doesn't take much explanation. Sokka's the oldest member of the Gaang (or was until Zuko joined), and a male to boot. When the oldest male in a group is also physically the weakest member, and when that individual was raised in a nominally patriarchal warrior society, there are going to be some natural, very human psychological problems.
As for the usefulness...Sokka spent a lot of time early in the series mocking Katara and sometimes even Aang for fiddling around with dumb glittery magic. Since then, though, he's seen people use bending for a myriad of maddeningly practical purposes--and, most of all, for creation. Sokka is extremely creative. He's an inventor, an idea guy. If he could metalbend, the world would be his oyster. Even regular old earthbending, or firebending (smelting, forging), or waterbending (precision cutting, freezing things together, full-on architecture at the Poles), or, heck, even airbending would be an asset to him. And he doesn't have any of them. He's just got his very fertile brain, and two hands that can't really keep up with it.
There are other, smaller factors, like the fact that Sokka is a total boy and watching people slam giant rocks around or blast fire is just kinda cool, but yeah. I think those're the main problems.
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Smart more.
And you're totally hitting the nail on the head with Sokka. To which I'll add, I bet part of the reason he's so much the idea guy is that he DOESN'T have bending. I bet if he did, he wouldn't stretch his mind or think as creatively as he does now. Note, it's not any of the benders who come up with fake!firebending - it's the guy who doesn't have bending at all that realized that he can be trixy with the fact that it didn't work.
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Katara: Sokka, you're a genius!
Aang: ...did the definition of "genius" change in the last hundred years?
Sokka: It's all right, Aang, let her dream.
Katara: No, really! Sokka's plan didn't work...but it looks like it did!
Or something to that effect. *rewatched that episode last Tuesday with the neighbor kids, so dialogue is still fresh in the brainbox* Ah, the Water Tribe siblings. Faking Earthbending, faking Firebending, bullying hapless bending students...they work so well together.
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Oh, those children. I swear, whatever is in the water down in the South Pole - I wanna drink it.
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Scenes like in the beginning when he agrees to go with her, or Jet when he's getting all protective over her, or the Waterbending Master when she's being solicitous about his romance troubles, or their argument and redeclaration of loyalty in the Painted Lady, or when they talk about their mom and dad, or when they take little snipes at each other ("You're the one whose bag matches his belt!", "Look, I hate to be the wet blanket here, but since Katara is busy I guess it’s up to me..."), or the bit in The Runaway where he admits he pictures her face when he remembers their mother, or or or...
So much love. ♥
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