Reason 4,678 That Awesome And Hot Girl Is Not Dead

[redbrunja]

One day I will not ramble about Avatar. Today is not that day.

(All the reasons boil down to 'because I won't allow it' - I think Mike and Bryan could show me her bloody corpse and I'd go, 'we have necromancers in this world, right? Also, my mother never even considered the idea that Suki was dead, which I take as a good sign.)

But I had a point. It hit me recently, that Azula has all those Dai Lai under her sway - Dai Lai who are quite practiced at brainwashing. What if the reason Suki doesn't mention Sokka anymore is because she doesn't remember him?

You could have a totally awesome meeting where Sokka is like, "Suki! Thank god you're alright!" and Suki's like, "Back off. Who the hell do you think you are?"

Which leads to much angst and sorrow.

(And since I'm in the middle of writing 'what I think happened to Suki' we're sure to find out this Friday, before I have a chance to finish my fic. At this point, I don't know whether to hope I find out what happened to her this week, or hope I don't.)

Now, to segue to smut instead, before I actually watched Avatar, I floated the idea that this might be a show I could write girl-on-girl for, with all the great female characters running around.

So, I was reading this fic that had Toph in a lesbian relationship, which made SO much sense to me (and then I worried I believed that because she's nontraditionally feminine and if that said bad things about me and my social constructed paradigms about sexuality) and then I saw a really cute pic of Katara and Toph kissing and you know, that would be a very interesting relationship.

(This is a tangent: I was talking to mother about this, as we paired up the people in Avatar the way they should be - needless to say, Zuko is going to get a damn fine Fire Lady, and Toph is going to be queen and/or get Haru. Or a lesbian relationship. Anyway, the point is... *tries to remember point* Okay, I've got it. So, we're talking about Toph and lesbianism, and my mother mentions, that when she first say Toph she thought Toph was going to be "a rival for Katara."

Me: "I don't know if they'd do that. You know, have an actual lesbian relationship on a children's cartoon. But it would be pretty awesome if they did."

Mom: "I meant a rival for Katara regarding Aang."

Me: "Oh.")

However, what I actually want to talk about was Azula. Now, smilaraaq has written/mentioned that if anyone in Avatar wants to top, it would be Azula, which is just blatantly true. HOWEVER, I often find that having the obviously dominant character in a couple top can be... predictable, you know? So then I thought, who would be topping Azula? Well, it obviously wouldn't be Mei, because topping Azula would take effort and, you know, having a pulse, but Ty Li? Can't you just imagine her using her circus freak acrobatics and pressure points to have her way with Miss Thing?

Randomly: you know how on a molecular level glass is a liquid? I wonder if Katara could do fun things with glass, or if that would more be Toph's milieu because glass comes from sand.

Comments

[renegadekitsune.livejournal.com]

I can see TophAang more than I can see TophSokka. You know, have you realized Sokka is the pimp of this series? You have SokkaSuki, SokkaToph, SokkaTy Li, SokkaAzula(Only in an odd circumstance, like they're trapped in a bubble and the only way they can get out is if they have sex.)

That would be rather neat...Ty Li would so top Azula like woah (We all know she would.)

Toph would bend sand to counter Azula's lightning and the heat would turn that sand to Glass and while in it's molten state Katara could fling it right back at Azula. It'd be a team effort.

You forgot Sokka/Yue... Was it deliberate?

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Oh! Great I can ask you this question! I have come across Toph/Aang a couple times, and I'm not sure where people are getting it. Would you mind elaborating on what you've seen between them?

I actually saw a fanart that had Pimp!Sokka (and why is it pimp and not player or lothorio or casanova? Because pimp brings up some bad imagery to me). And I really can't see Sokka/Azula. Like, at all. If they were trapped in a bubble... Azula would have to rape him to get out.

However, I would extend that the Water Tribe children seem to get lots of love. Where have Sokka and his afformentioned loves, and then you have Katara and Aang, Haru, Jet, and Zuko. Am I forgetting anyone?

*relishes the image of Katara and Toph working together to kick Azula's ass with liquid glass.* That is a damn nice image.

Re: You forgot Sokka/Yue... Was it deliberate?

[renegadekitsune.livejournal.com]

*Blush.* Of course it wasn't deliberate! I knew I was forgetting someone..Damn, I feel bad for forgetting her, I even have a SokkaYue icon...Dur...

I see the TophAang more during the episodes where Toph is teaching him to earth bend, and it's more of a one sided Aangcrush, because Toph, to me, has that childish "I'm going to pick on you super heavy because I like you" thing going on.

And I do like Casanova!Sokka better than Pimp!Sokka. I think we should use that term more. I just used Pimp! because it's such a cultural term nowadays...Casanova lost it's charm (Which sucks, because Casanova was damn awesome.) Azula would rape Sokka to get out of the bubble, and then Sokka would have to have therapy with good 'ole Dr. Suki.

The Water Tribe children are just really damn pretty/popular. Good for them!

Isn't it just a great image? That, and because it would be imperfect glass and there would be air bubbles with trapped gas, if they threw it at Azula in the hardened state and she hit it with fire and/or lightning, it would explode resulting in some serious shrapnel.

Re: You forgot Sokka/Yue... Was it deliberate?

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Hee. I was pretty sure it was just a mistake. ^_^

And you're right, Toph would totally have that, 'I'm going to pick on you because I like you' thing down pat. Poor Aang. Toph would be/is such a shock to him after Katara's gentleness.

I say we change the term to Casanova!Whoever. It sounds way more romantic and sexy than 'pimp.' (Plus, I remember the moment when I was realizing I wanted to 'pimp' a series to my mother, and I actually had to ask my flist what verb we used for that action before the slang 'pimp' came along. And the answer is 'strongly reccomend).

It's the blue eyes. No one can resist a hot brunette with blue eyes.

Ah.... Azula burned and bleeding... what a sweet, sweet thought that is. ^_^

Re: You forgot Sokka/Yue... Was it deliberate?

[renegadekitsune.livejournal.com]

Holy. Crap. Did you see 3.13?!

Re: You forgot Sokka/Yue... Was it deliberate?

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

*sing-songy* Not yet, shut up. I have another 18 minutes to go.

(Was that a good holy crap? Bad? Don't answer that.)

Re: You forgot Sokka/Yue... Was it deliberate?

[smillaraaq.livejournal.com]

Also I think some of the Toph/Aang shipping comes from them being closer in age and general emotional maturity, so folks who'd rather hook Kat and Sokka up with folks closer to their own age (Zuko, Suki, etc.) might then pair up the younger kids in turn. And with all the snark and teasing that girl directs at Aang, that could also be read as the childish sort of "I have a crush so I'm gonna pick on you" sort of behavior <lj user="renegadekitsune" mentions.

Re: You forgot Sokka/Yue... Was it deliberate?

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Okay, now it makes sense to me. When you factor in their emotional maturity, it does seem much more workable, and Toph would totally be the type to pull little boy 'I love you so much I'm going to torture you things,' a la, how cool she is to Sokka when he comes back after training with that swords master.

Re: You forgot Sokka/Yue... Was it deliberate?

[renegadekitsune.livejournal.com]

I'm all for the HaruToph hairshipping.

[fairest1.livejournal.com]

Azula/Ty Lee with Ty Lee topping is believable. There's the whole topping-from-bottom aspect where Azula would likely have fun with Ty Lee effectively doing all the work . . .

After the fic I wrote the other day, my brain is unbreakable

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Although the fact that Ty Lee is in control would annoy Azula, and the fact that she was enjoying it would probably annoy her more...

And what was the fic you wrote?

[fairest1.livejournal.com]

I figure Azula would work out a way to remain in control, even when not topping.

The crackiest crackfic to ever crack (http://community.livejournal.com/mollyscribbles/7942.html).

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

True. Although I find it more enjoyable if Azula isn't.

[fairest1.livejournal.com]

Hmm . . . that's true. But Azula would be snippity about it after.

[smillaraaq.livejournal.com]

I often find that having the obviously dominant character in a couple top can be... predictable, you know?

Heh, yeah, but at the same time, having the really ragingly real-life-powerful, dominant personality who is secretly a deeply submissive bottom in the bedroom is also a bit of a cliche, so really, damned if you do, damned if you don't... Personally, my general default since it allows for the most flexibility is to assume most characters are potentially at least a little bit bi and a little bit switchy; this comes out especially in slash/yaoi settings because I really, really hate it when folks write that sort of thing with the roles set in stone and the uke being very feminized, so it ends up playing out like really *bad* gender-role-stereotyped het. Be it het or slashy, even if you've got a character who plausibly has a very strong preference in one direction, I'd still generally like to see a relationship that has enough trust and comfort built up that there can be occasional role reversals.

As for Azula, heh, this is why in the triangley AU stuff we had her as very, very dominant until she found herself with someone who had a strong enough personality to begin standing up to her occasionally, and she found she enjoyed the unpredictability of the power struggle. But even there, it was definitely more than a hint of topping from the bottom, as she still was very much the controlling one on the emotional side of things.

(And Mai, IMO, is totally into knifeplay.)

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Heh, yeah, but at the same time, having the really ragingly real-life-powerful, dominant personality who is secretly a deeply submissive bottom in the bedroom is also a bit of a cliche, so really, damned if you do, damned if you don't...

*frowns* Good point. And I agree, along with the 'lazy sunday' I totally believe that relationships should have a mutual tie-ability to them, where it's feasible that each character could top or bottom on any given night. And frankly, I have to admit, I get really tired of the strict top/bottom conversation.

There's a great line where the woman is saying that there has to be a way to dance with both people leading, and the man responses that that's called sex.

And that reminds me, you need to send me the document/link to that fic, now that I'm all caught up and can read it. ^_^ Pretty pretty please?

Speaking of knifeplay, I remember reading one Zuko and Sokka bonding fic that where they were talking about their girlfriends, and Zuko is bragging that Mai carries 47 knives on her, and that he counted once. (And when she's sleeping, she only has 10.) It was cute, even if I hatehatehate that pairing.

[smillaraaq.livejournal.com]

And frankly, I have to admit, I get really tired of the strict top/bottom conversation.

AMEN. I mean, yes, some people really do have strong preferences one way or another, but even then it's still not unreasonable to have an occasional change of pace, ya know? And it can get especially annoying in slash or yuri where some writers seem to feel compelled to try to recast one of the parties to be "the girl" or "the guy" in the couple, which is just...no, just no. Top/bottom or butch/femme dynamics do not equate neatly with stereotyped het straight out of a bad romance novel with just a pronoun change, and not all same-sex relationships fit those dynamics in the first place.

Love that dance line, and the bit about Zuko counting Mai's knives is too too cute, and vaguely familiar -- I wouldn't be surprised if it's something I've read.

(And as for fic...check your mail! *grin*)

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I mean, one of the few reasons I was glad to not-like slash was that you didn't used to get those conversations. I remember being SO annoyed the first time I came across that conversation about a het couple.

[smillaraaq.livejournal.com]

Thankfully, *good* slash/yuri writers don't do that sort of silliness, just like good het writers don't resort to the most cheesy bad-romance-novel sort of relentless gender stereotyping. But Sturgeon's Law and all that, there are far too many crap writers out there, in all categories...including published ones. *sigh* (At least fic, even if it sucks, doesn't come with the extra insult-to-injury sting of "I wasted MONEY on this tripe?")

[smillaraaq.livejournal.com]

Oh, ha, and almost forgot, Toph/Haru is another pairing that I think could be deeply amusing, so of course it's pretty much nonexistent! She's so abrasive and impulsive and temperamental, and he's so sweet and polite and restrained; but he's no pushover, and under that nice-boy politeness I think he's got enough depths of stubbornness that he could stand up to her. It could be really, really cute. And their kids would have awesome hair. ;)

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Interestingly enough, when my mother and I were pairing off all the characters, Toph/Haru was the relationship we came up for for Toph (we didn't want her to be alone, and she's not getting Sokka, poor girl).

And yeah, the nice boy politeness would make a nice contrast for Toph, who's all brash and ballsy.

And their kids would have awesome hair. ;)

Which, really, is the important thing. I have to admit, I think of Katara and Zuko, and can only image what an awesome bender(s) their child(ren) would be. (I think they'd have one, everyone else seems to go for them having more.)

[smillaraaq.livejournal.com]

Well, and Toph is (1) a deeply sheltered kid who's out on her own with other kids close to her age for the first time and (2) only 14. So I don't think it's unreasonable to imagine she'd get over that crush eventually, especially if it's not reciprocated.

And yes, Res truly called that one -- hairshipping is the wave of the future! (http://a-hollow-year.livejournal.com/303647.html) *snickers*

On the kid front, though, for Zutara I could see them having more than one -- if Zuko ends up as Fire Lord it is generally safer for the succession to have backup heirs, and we've already seen that Kat is one of those girls who does go all goopy over babies...plus in the palace it's not like they wouldn't have servants to help with the more tiring aspects of childrearing. Now, Toph, on the other hand, hairshipping jokes aside, is one I could see having only one kid or none; she's not shown that maternal streak like Kat, and she's enough of an iconoclast that if she doesn't feel like popping out babies for her own reasons, societal convention isn't going to change her mind about it!

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Toph's crush is something I can easily see her growing out of, and I really can't image it being reciprocated. Toph is too much 'one of the guys to Sokka' and totally not the type he falls for (he likes 'em nicely out of his league).

You make a good point about the succession. It would be interesting to see how that would play out with Zuko's experiences with his sibling. But I bet Katara would lobby for a little brother for their little heir... someone for the Avatar to abdicate the throne to...

Totally agreement about Toph. I actually have a hard time seeing her ever having kids. That doesn't sound like something she'd want, and I can't image her partners wants swaying her (which isn't totally a bad thing.)

Hairshipping is the wave of the future. And what the hell is prostate milking?

[renegadekitsune.livejournal.com]

*Snortgiggle.* Prostate milking...They used to do it for the soldiers in WWII, I don't know if they still do it, but it's like when a guy is getting a prostate exam, only much, much better for them. Literally. They used it to give them orgasms so they wouldn't get so tense and stuff in battle. I really can't remember where I read about that...

[smillaraaq.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I could see Zuko maybe having reservations about having a bigger family, given what a wonderful experience life with his sister was...but if Kat really really wants more kids, I think she could be more than stubborn and persuasive enough to get him past that. And both those kids have enough issues about lost/distant family members that I can sort of see them compensating for that by way of their own new family...whereas Toph having a mess of babies feels about as wrong as that whole stupid Hermione/Ron epilogue.

And sheesh, talk about a wild segue...the prostate milking thing? Direct prostate stimulation can produce ejaculation, even without any attention paid to the more obvious erotic zones; it may be just an orgasm-free sort of reflex response, especially in a more clinical sort of setting without any other stimulation; or, especially in a more pleasurable sort of setting, it can contribute to very intense orgasms.