Fire Nation = Mad Cow Disease

[redbrunja]

Dear Art Teacher,

When I don't recognize 3/4 of the information on your review sheet, yet have been to every class and done all the readings...

I don't think you understand the connection between what you're teaching us and what you expect us to know.

No Love,
me

Dear That Boy,

Please do something to make me like you again. And by 'something' I don't mean either Mei or your sister. 

For a slip second, when there was that dramatic footfall, I thought you'd got a new mask and were off to rescue your uncle. But no, you were just OUTSOURCING your murderous intent. You know, what I liked about you was the fact that you did shit yourself. *sigh*
Frustrated,
redbrunja
p.s. If you keep this up, that one fic where you have to carry Katara barefoot across burning lava is NOT going to be written. DO YOU want that to happen? /stern look

Randomly, Katara looks really hot in red, doesn't she? 

I really, really miss the Blue Spirit. I mean, I got the metaphor, but I think Zuko needs a mask or he loses his dynamicism.

And if I hadn't know it wasn't going to be Soki, I would had guessed she'd suddenly recieved magic powers and was wearing mourning make-up.

Comments

[smillaraaq.livejournal.com]

Ha, how far are you into S3 now, "The Headband"? And if you miss the Blue Spirit in particular, I have a feeling you would particularly enjoy Bluetara fics. ;)

And it sounds like you've seen just what I've been talking about with Azula's oh-so-inappropriate seductiveness around poor befuddled Zuzu. This was the season that had a lot of people spazzing "OMG FIRECEST IS CANON NOW!" ;)

The kids all look good in Fire Nation clothes, really -- they've got some of the best clothing designers, I swear. Although I have a soft spot for some of the Water Tribe cold-weather gear, particularly Yue's outfit. But Yue's so pretty she could make a burlap sack look good.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

I'm up to "The Painted Lady" and by 'Bluetara fics' do you mean Katara/Zuko-as-blue spirit or what? Who is the blue spirit really?!?!?!?! (I just watched that little chibi schoolyard shipping clip, and now I want Katara/Zuko/Jet/Haru fic.)

And I'd like some Zuko/Katara fic just in general. I've only read the one and that... didn't quite work for me.

Yeah, it's the brunettes in red factor, I think. I was just realizing how that we have NO BLONDES in this show. (Sans Yue, who doesn't quite count).

They have the best EVERYTHING designers. Fight, clothing, setting... etc.

[smillaraaq.livejournal.com]

Yep, Katara/Blue Spirit, it was a huge Zutara subgenre for a while and produced some very charming fic. (As for the Blue Spirit in STS -- well, that's just crack, remember that short also has two dead characters running about happily!)

No blondes? Honey, there's no EUROPEANS in the show, period. We've seen sort-of-AU-ish versions of China, Japan, and Korea with tiny little hints of Thailand, sort-of-Tibet, sort-of blends of North American and Siberian Inuit with a dash of the seafaring Northwest Coast tribes, and Guru Patik seems to be from a sort-of-India that hasn't been seen yet (but I'm guessing is somewhere in the Earth Kingdom, since they seem the most culturally diverse); but if there's any sort-of-Europe in this world, there's been nary a hint of it anywhere. I find this incredibly refreshing, not that I dislike faux-medieval-Europe fantasy settings but they've really really been done to death, it's so nice to see something different, and something where Asians and Natives are not exoticised minorities to boot? OH BABY. That fills me with squee. :)

And I don't think I've yet stumbled upon any Katara-has-a-man-harem fic, but perhaps this pic (http://meelu-the-bold.deviantart.com/art/The-Lovely-Katara-19166366) will suffice?

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah, total crack. But still, fun to ponder, you know? And would you happen to have links to those charming Katara/Blue Spirit? *come hither look*

Yes, I realize that there are no Europeans. *pulls foot out of mouth* It's actually one of the things I like as well.

And that fic was quite perfect, thank you kindly.

[smillaraaq.livejournal.com]

Well, start with Vicki So's stuff for Zutara in general, since she's got such a nice long interconnected set of stories. For Bluetara in particular, rain_tealeaves has some nice interconnected shorter fics, and Dancing In The Dark (http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3191594/1/Dancing_in_the_Dark) is probably one of the classic longer Bluetara fics. There's a bunch more but I'd have to poke around quite a bit to track 'em down, these are just the first few that spring to my mind.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

FIC!

*glees and frantically copys and pastes because she's going to be sans internet for TWO. WHOLE. DAYS.(

[smillaraaq.livejournal.com]

DamageCtrl (author of DITD) has a bunch of fun stuff, she's another one like Vicki (http://www.fanfiction.net/u/925724/) where I'd suggest checking out her other stories as well -- her "Rhythm of the Rain" is another one of those classic multichapter Zutara fics that is high on everyone's rec lists. (She's got a very interesting in-progress vampire AU that is not the usual Dracula-esque movie vampire sort of mythos at all, which is always fun to see.)

There's also a huge sprawling and very very cute "kidverse" AU that was spawned by Irrel's fanart and let to a hugely interconnected series of drabbles on K_Z -- archives at http://clix.to/theau (http://clix.to/theau) may be easier than trying to wade through the community for tags. (Irrel's stuff on DA is well worth checking out, too.)

This fic list (http://community.livejournal.com/katara_zuko/tag/the+zutara+fic+archive) from 2005 is obviously quite outdated by now, but that'll give you links to all the classic early Zutara fics (including "Dangerous Ground" by Wildernesswriter and "The Hunter and the Prey" by RedNovember, both hugely popular and influential epic-length romantic fics.) AKAVertigo's Tempest in a Teacup (http://www.fanfiction.net/u/73191/AkaVertigo) is another AU (albeit one that's more of a remix of the canon setting with one big change in circumstances), you might enjoy this one in particular because it's full of fatherly-Iroh goodness.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

*wallows in the fic*

Thank you so, so muchly.

[fairest1.livejournal.com]

*patpat* Everyone misses the Blue Spirit. Even if Iroh was right about it, I went 'awww' over the loss of the mask.

I can tell that, as soon as you get caught up, it will be immediately obvious.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Damn Iroh and his awesomeness! I was like Zuko should have tossed away the mask because... because... it's was wicked cool and he did badass things while wearing it? And that can't quite stand up to 'turn over a new leaf and became a new man' more's the pity.

What will be immediately obvious?

[fairest1.livejournal.com]

I think it's a matter of trying to get Zuko to do wicked cool badass things without the mask. Realize that honour is something that you can only earn for yourself, rather than something that your father can hand to you.

I just figure that you'll make a post responding to the latest developments. You won't be able to not make it.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

I know but he's not doing badass things without the mask! He's not even bringing tea. (*growls* You should goddamn well be bringing Iroh tea.)

And I'm sure you're correct. I'm actually really enjoying that i can post my reactions and have people answer - it's really making the awesomeness that is Avatar even more awesome.

[fairest1.livejournal.com]

Well, that was what Iroh hoped would happen, is all I'm saying. Results don't always meet expectations.

Iroh will be getting tea before long, I will say that. And there's a kickass story involving Zuko's grandfather.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

This is true.

And I liked respectful tea bringing guard (and how happy am I that they have random women guards? So happy.)

[smillaraaq.livejournal.com]

Oh, that had me squeeing so much. There were hints way back in the beginning of Season 1, with Zhao's "sons and daughters of the Fire Nation" speech to his troops, that they had female soldiers -- but S3 is the first time we've SEEN them. Did you notice there were even a couple of scenes where there were obvious older women as officers? One of the truant bits in "The Headband", IIRC, and then one of the bits in DOBS where you've got them surrounded by the invasion force and surrendering. And love, love, love that they gave them fairly practical uniforms that still looked nice, no ridiculous chain-mail bikinis here! Although that goes for the Kiyoshi girls as well -- they're armored and fully clothed from the neck on down, but for all the outfit is clearly a practical one not designed for titillation, it's still elegant and feminine at the same time. The FN guards are showing a teensy bit more skin, but given the huge climate differences between the tropical FN and cold Kiyoshi Island, a bit of bare arms and legs and a tiny hint of bare midriff is a pretty reasonable concession to the climate. It still looks like something that's ultimately designed to be practical rather than sexy, and isn't wildly out of synch with the civilian fashions.

"It's a warrior's wolf-tail."

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

I know! It's totally awesome! I noticed the female commander in "The Headband" too, and I loved how nonchalant the creators/writers are about women and ethnicities! It's such a nice change.

And yeah, the uniforms really didn't seem that really outre. Speaking of civilian fashions - I really like Katara in that red midriff baring outfit, and am only sorry that she's going to be probably back in blue before Zuko catches up. ^_^

And on the subject of fashions, I loved how they did the time-lapse 'everyone has different hair' between the second and third season. Nice way to show that a couple weeks have passed.

Re: "It's a warrior's wolf-tail."

[smillaraaq.livejournal.com]

They all looked really, really good in red; Kat was particularly pretty in her new outfits with her hair down, but Sokka was looking pretty fine with his longer hair, too. (And don't even get me started on Bato and Hakoda in their stolen FN uniforms -- I perv on those grown-up Water Tribe guys like crazy. Mmmmmmmm. Happy place.)

But I'm really liking the new outfits they wound up with for the invasion, too -- it's hearkening back to their old looks and colors, but still slightly different styles; Aang's new robes in particular are really much more dramatic than his old outfit. And I yearn tragically for one of those wolfy Water Tribe helmets (Those remind me an awful lot of the armor in the last of the original four volumes of the Pini's Elfquest, actually...it's a good look!)

Re: "It's a warrior's wolf-tail."

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Sokka did look good - and I was glad they kept the wolf-tail even when the hair below was longer.

I really liked the Wolf helmets to - I thought it meshed nicely with the face paint that they were as well, and was a nice continuation of the wolf=water tribe warriors theme.

Yes, all in all, a very good look.

[pzb.livejournal.com]

While trying to avoid whatever said spoiler is (as I have this uncanny feeling that amid you, renegadekitsune and smillaraaq, I'm going to give in), let me just say this -

On a whole, I hate art and art history teachers. With the exception of an elite few, most art teachers are self-serving igits who we're good enough to make it on their own in some manner or other. (This does not apply to all, but in my experience, most.)

And art history teachers....don't even get my started. My first college level art history class (Art History 115A, which should be, you know, "This is Michelangelo, this is Da Vinci" etc, etc.) the teacher had us buy four or five text books, all but one of them on what art historians think of certain pieces. And her lectures were all about why they were wrong.

*sigh*

Yes, college level art blows.

[smillaraaq.livejournal.com]

Come to the Avatar dark side! We have actual het! ;)

And if you hated all your art-history teachers, have I ever mentioned how my pervy-Jedi padawan and I are planning to completely revolutionize the field? (http://smillaraaq.livejournal.com/tag/a%26s%27s+guide+to+art+history) PRE-ORDER OUR BOOK, WE NEED MORE GRAPPA AND CRAYONS TO FINISH IT! *gigglefits*

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

I would advise converting Avatar, or just saying screw it and getting spoilered, because I have the feeling we're going to be in an Avatar headspace for a while. ^_^

Yeah. My art teacher is a sweet person, but she doesn't know how to organize what she's teaching us, I hate having to remember stupid dates, and it turns out that we only really have to study 6 painting - but she have us all the confusing extra info. When you can't even write a coherent study guide...

If this was what all your teachers were like, I totally understand why do didn't finish art school.

[pzb.livejournal.com]

Yeah, for the most part, that's what most of the art program was like. It really, really sucked.

Heh, I may have to try Avatar again after we get back. I saw most of the first episode, but was watching it on YouTube and that whole watching something in 7 minute intervals kinda gets annoying after a while.

[smillaraaq.livejournal.com]

Psssst... avatar_episodes! You'll have to join to actually see all the goodies as everything there is locked. Although the first two seasons are out on DVD so rental is an option for better-quality viewing for everything but the most recent episodes. :)

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

I love the comm so much. It fed my obbession so beautifuly.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

I would reccomend trying the first three episode in a more pleasent viewing way, and then see if you like it or not. (I think you will - I hooked my mom on this show, and she's almost done with the first season already.)

This is the good crack, sweetie.

[smillaraaq.livejournal.com]

And if you have the patience for watching just a little more, I'd make the same suggestion I gave to Red -- give it a whirl up through the first ten episodes, so you can get a chance to see a bit more of the worldbuilding and character growth; there are folks who are starting to change a lot from the first impressions they give even that early on, and at that point you'll also have met several fun minor characters who will reappear in later episodes. If you're not hooked by then, feel free to drop it knowing you've given it the old school try.

(Also, since your fondness for Hakkai/Yaone makes me think you might also wind being inclined to ship Zutara, going through the first ten episodes will get you through to the point where if you ARE going to see them as shippable, there are scenes that will have you squealing at the screen. *grin*)

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

*nods in agreement*

But really, nothing will top the things that happen later. You don't get much interaction between Zuko and Katara, but what there is is freakin' GOLD.

[pzb.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'll see if I can't take smillaraaq's advice and rent it.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Please do.

[praiseofshadows.livejournal.com]

C'mon you know Fire Nation really equals ebola. It's like all explode-y and bloody and IN UR FACE! XDDDDDD

Also, umm...yes, uni art is hell. After I learnt a degree in art history would entail thousands of slide memorizations, I decided I liked political science far better. XDDDD. Good luck! ♥

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

But the meat eats meat! Don't you know what that's a recipe for?

Yeah, I'm really enjoying what I'm learning in art, but not how she wants us to prove to her what we're learning.

[praiseofshadows.livejournal.com]

Sokka? XDDDD

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Well, besides that.