Neil Josten Is Absolutely Fucking Incredible Narrator.

Literally about to crash out because it’s been THREE MONTHS and I just felt physical pain watching an andreil edit

Azula in the Spirit Temple proves Azula is ready for a "redemption arc"

Was just rereading Azula in the Spirit Temple again last night, you know, as one does, and I was struck by the function Mai and Ty Lee serve throughout the narrative. Over and over, they serve to remind her that what she's seeing isn't real, even if what she's seeing is really nice and enjoyable. (There's definitely at least a hint at both Ty Zula and Maizula but I think at this point Repressed Lesbian Azula isn't so much subtext or text as a giant neon sign across everything Azula has ever done.)

However, as the comic progresses, both Ty Lee and Mai get harsher and harsher about delivering their reality check-ins. Azula of course is someone who at this point in time is going to be a seasoned pro at not taking reality at face value, anyway, though the spirit says something to the effect of, "Why not get lost in a dream if it's pleasant?" multiple times to her (a pretty good indicator early on to the reader that this is not a spirit to be trusted, particularly around Azula, and whatever reason it got called to her, it was not ultimately to offer redemption). Anyway, the turning point for when Mai and Ty Lee's check-ins go from mean to downright hostile occurs in the following two panels.

This is after Azula and Ty Lee are talking about "the old days" which, according to the Ty Lee Subconscious mouthpiece were stressful and anxiety inducing (like, literally S2 of the show) to which Azula verbally counters that they all "loved it" although she does note that then Mai had to go and "ruin it" for a "stupid boy" (emphasis hers, she doubles down on this and says, "stupid Zuzu" as well). How super duper straight of you to say, Azula. We're all buying it. Then Subconscious Mouthpiece Ty Lee says, "Maybe you should get help?" and that specifically is what sets Azula to attacking her.

So of course it's not the phrasing here that's harsh or over the top but the suggestion itself. It's notable that Azula's mind puts it in Ty Lee's mouth and not Mai’s (we'll get to that in a bit). But Azula has at this point been running from help and instead fomenting domestic terrorism for years for her own twisted and convoluted reasons and not because most of the comics are shit. And she's a noted liar. Of course, she's not the liar the show builds her up to be, or the liar she herself brags about being. We don't actually see Azula lie all that often in the show and when we do, there's usually a pretty decent explanation (like she's overthrowing an enemy city).

It's important to note that Zuko is being ridiculous in his flashback in Zuko Alone - that's my favorite episode but eight years olds developmentally cannot control when they lie or often even distinguish that they've done so (ten year olds can usually distinguish when they're lying better, but not by much). Zuko at ten and 16 gets a pass because he knows nothing about child development and I'm sure his little mantra didn't spontaneously generate; I suspect Iroh or Ursa handed it to him at some point. But we as viewers know better and cannot take, "Azula always lies," as any kind of proof of anything beyond the abusive nature of both of their childhoods. And given that the nature of these "lies" at the time probably mostly consisted of either ways to avoid punishment, or things she legitimately didn't even do but nobody believed, I think eight year old Azula gets a pass at the time. I had a childhood that was in many ways similar to Azula's. It creates a self-fulfilling prophecy. If the people around you decide you're lying all the time, you're like, "OK, bet."

But that really gets to why Ty Lee's words are so harsh in these panels. Because when you grow up like that, as Azula has, the person you end up lying to the most is yourself. And she's still not ready to face that even by the end of the comic. She's aware she needs help, but it's too scary to reach out for it when in reality nobody is there for her and she's all alone, by her own doing (another thing the comic drives home).

In fact, Azula's subconscious chooses to drive that fact home through Mai. And Subconscious Mai is a lot less nice in her phrasing than Subconscious Ty Lee. I don't think that's an accident. Irl, Azula probably looked to Mai as a gauge for when she was going too far. "Oh, Mai wouldn't go in the slurry... well, okay, fair. I can see by looking at Ty Lee that that was pretty disgusting... And she got stuck in it by that Water peasant anyway, so it was pointless too." "I hated that stupid bear too." Etc etc. Essentially, she could trust Mai to call her on her bs. Which is what Mai did at the Boiling Rock, and Azula's subconscious knows it (but who's our princess best at lying to? Say it with me! Herself!).

And there's nobody she hates more than herself, either. (Actually, given Mai and Ty Lee's roles in this comic I think it's pretty clear that at least on a subconscious level, Azula really wants to make amends with them, which hurts, because... they don't.) The whole thing made me really just want to give her a hug. She needs one. I've been there.

I'm curious to see if she'll make an appearance in Ashes of the Academy. I actually think, given what was presented in Azula in the Spirit Temple, that she wants to change and grow into a better, more healthy person. Obviously that's going to look very different from Zuko's arc. Villain to antihero is not the same arc as antihero to hero. I think she's ready now to start walking that path, though, if she is approached by the right person. (Ty Lee or Mai.) Mai seems to be the more likely of the two to be willing just in terms of how their relationship has always been, how she currently feels about Azula, and given that she's prominent in the upcoming comic. Fingers crossed for some good material!

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!!

Biting is a love language too

Andreil is gonna be the reason ehy I die single, bc after that I seriously cant settle for less

if you ever think about settling for less than you deserve just remember that andrew minyard quit smoking in fear his lungs wouldn't allow him to be fast enough to save the man he loves in case he needs it

And the fact there is chemestry enough for him to be dating any (or all) of them

love how kevin’s top 4 favorite exy players are just two gay couples. unintentional allying

So in sports, it's possible for particularly skilled players to pull off unprecedented moves such that the entire sport's rulebook has to be updated to accommodate.

A player pulls some ridiculous move and everyone is in a flurry of "is this allowed?? Does this count?? Should we make this an illegal move??? Should it be a legal move??? What do we do about this, hurry before other players try to copy him!"

I'm aware of it happening once for basketball (though I don't recall the specific game changing event).

Anyway, Andrew Joseph Minyard is the first goalie to score a point for his team. Someone tries to score on him and he shoots that shit all the way into the other goalies zone and that shit lights up red. The game practically stops moving, the crowd is quiet for all of two heart beats before everyone fucking loses their shit. The stadium is shaking so hard might as well register as a small earthquake. Rulebook gets consulted expeditiously. Due to it not being referenced at all as a possibility, it's not technically an illegal move. Andrew's point stands.

They make that shit illegal thereafter, though. Making Andrew not only the first goalie to score a point across the field, but the last.

It puts him in the hall of fame.

It also gets him laid.

pt.48!! <pt.47

!! jolinda renaissance !!

tags for the homies ❤️ @andrewsleftarmband @blurryhour @you-know-i-get-itt @notexactlythatgirl @longspacerat @tessasilverswan @minyard-05 @carbon-dated-gal @bisexualchaosdemon @stormiiflies @watercoloureyes01 @vampire-overlord @iron-sides @azure-wing @buffalo-fox @ohgodnotagainplease @pink-hydrangea @jaywalkerss @ohmynoggin-blog @cosmic-marauder @min-getoutofmy-yard @plazybones @disastersappho @leestars13 @the-witch-forever-lives @minyardsss @post-historical-posts @andabuttonnose @hidinginmyhands @aftg4l @allfor-thegames @kaleidoskuls @inafieldofstarflowers @snowcoming @mooniism @jeanmoreausautismstickers @prometheusthedragon @graveyardviolence @bustedleftshoe @beatrix33 @aftg-bs @yes-i-exist-shutup @milktemproom

We thought the new triollogy was gonna be abt Jeremy helping Jean heal

Turns out that Nora knows no limits for pain, so they are actually helping each other

I cant 😭

Emo about Jeremy again. Wdym he still misses Leo and he keeps hoping his mother will show him warmth and sympathy, and he tracked all his father’s calls in a notebook, and hated the first time cat told him I love you because it wasn’t fair to come from her first when he’d been waiting so long. Wdym he still tries to connect with his sister and willed himself not to dream so he wouldn’t dream of Jean’s “I will choose you everytime ” out of context and lets all these men use him because at least if he’s being used he’s being thought of at all

Hello! I hope you're doing well. I'm planning to start a community here on Tumblr that bridges the gap between writers and readers of fiction (target dem of 13-25 roughly). It's going to be like a bookstore that's run by the authors. Readers can engage directly with the authors of their next favorite reads, get behind the scenes info, and just generally have a unique and interactive experience that I haven't personally seen offered in other places. I'm planning on including different games for both groups too so that things stay fresh, exciting, and most importantly, fun. If this is something you could see yourself enjoying, please let me know! I'll send an invite when it's all ready.

Thata actually seems super cool! I would really enjoy it!