I actually think there’s something incredibly apt about ursa having had a passion for theatre. performance & performativity are at the crux of these fire nation ideals—of the inherent glory of monarchy and its subsequent ostentation, of imperialism and the need to spread the fire nation agenda and aesthetic, of having power for the sake of power. ozai is also a performer. he revels in having an audience. think of the arena in which the agni kai is held, think of the intimidation of the throneroom, think of his entire plan to raze the earth kingdom to the ground. it’s the aesthetics of fascism and the performance of power that make him so intimidating, so infallible and unquestioned. and his children emulate that too. zuko and azula are always performing, trying to project an image of power, when deep down, they are terrified. azula uses acting, costume, makeup to finally take ba sing se, a previously-considered insurmountable achievement. (and it is worth noting that kyoshi herself used facepaint as a way of projecting power & confidence—which she learned from her family of opera performers.) zuko tries his hardest in book 1 to seem intimidating, and does his best impersonation of ozai to do so. no doubt ozai got it from his father, and azulon got it from his. imperialism relies on symbols and a projection of power (“fire nation first” / “spread the glory of the fire nation”) but of course, the fire nation is not inherently superior to any other nation—that notion is propaganda, an artifice; it’s all theater.
You think bisexuals who end up with the opposite gender are still valid bisexuals.
make me choose ↳ niles crane or frasier crane (asked by anonymous)
i like it when a man has broad shoulders.
his shirts are always pulled taut around that area and your hands can slide from his neck, over his shoulders and down his arms for ages. he looks strong and safe and he feels like it too, because his hugs are literally the best and are so tight that it feels like he’s squeezing the air out of you without even as much as trying to.
when he’s on top of you, pushing all the love that he harbours for you into you without stop and in a much different way than a hug ever could, he hides you entirely from view from how big he is even if there’s no one there to witness what you’re doing late at night or early in the morning.
his back is hunched, and yet he’s still just as wide and powerful as before. he pounds into you and you scratch and bite in response; repeatedly dragging your nails and sinking your teeth into those broad shoulders of his in attempt to survive all that raw strength, but it’s no use.
all you can do is hold on.
i’m in the process of making playlists for a:tla characters and i have a pressing question -
which song from harry styles gives off more aang vibes/sounds like something aang would listen to:
sweet creature or ever since new york?
I've been watching a few streams while waiting for the game, and I've decided to theorise about Ominis', Sebastian's and Anne's wands since #TeamSlytherin and I like to overanalyze NPCs (I love how much detail Magic Awakened provided about its companions) d(゚ー゚@)
Sebastian: Yew, Dragon Heartstring, 12 3/4", Unbending
"The wand of yew is reputed to endow its possessor with the power of life and death, which might, of course, be said of all wands; and yet yew retains a particularly dark and fearsome reputation in the spheres of duelling and all curses."
In my opinion the combination of core, length and flexibility match someone who learns quickly, who will find his spells strongly affected by his emotions, who is prone to flashy and combative magic and an unwillingness to stray from his chosen path
Ominis: Cedar, Unicorn Hair, 9 1/2", Rigid
"Whenever I meet one who carries a cedar wand, I find strength of character and unusual loyalty … the cedar wand finds its perfect home where there is perspicacity and perception." Cedar is also a tonewood, used in constructing instruments, and perhaps would be more sensitive to sound or vibrations, helping him navigate.
In my opinion the combination of core, length and flexibility match someone who unwilling to turn to dark magic or compromise his ideals, who doesn't trust easily and favors more refined spell casting.
Anne: Alder, Unicorn Hair, 12 1/4", Slightly Yielding
"Alder is an unyielding wood, yet I have discovered that its ideal owner is not stubborn or obstinate, but often helpful, considerate and most likeable."
In my opinion the combination of core, length and flexibility match someone who is firm in her ideals but also diplomatic, confident in her spellcasting, and carries a healthy dose of skepticism towards dark magic.
a/n: here is part one of three for my April Au.
warnings: historical inaccuracies abound. views mimic those of the time to the best of my ability. those being the need for an heir. but medieval king!peter is a feminist. i swear by it.
cross posted on ao3.
NEXT CHAPTER
*
“i wanna take you somewhere so you know i care,
but it’s so cold and i don’t know where.”
- another love; tom odell.
*
You didn’t know how you got here, and yet a part of you had prepared for it all your life. As you stared out at the crowd in the beautiful hall, your wrist tied to King Peter’s, you fully realized the immensity of your situation. A Queen to a country not your own—married to a man who barely looked at you during the vow exchange. The priest standing beside you on the dais spoke so many words, but none of them reached your ears. You could only focus on the way your hand bleeding hand presently tied to King Peter’s throbbed like a beating heart, echoing the way your mind screamed at you to be anywhere but there.
Bound to a man who barely acknowledged your presence as he swore fealty to you. Promised to love and cherish you as your husband. To never venture from your bed chamber—to provide the kingdom with an heir. Created with love, or at least the people of the court hoped for that.
You knew this was only an arrangement. A marriage bartered like mere goods at a market. Your country intended to supply Ayelandia with goods to sustain them through another brutal winter after a time of war. Mere politics, disguised by a charade of a wedding for the people to fawn over.
As if anyone cared.
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Olivia Laing, The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone
call me L // 23 || hufflepuff // booknerd || lover of cats, coffee, all things harry potter, marvel, stranger things & a:tla
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