THIS. THIS. THIS IS WHAT IVE BEEN TRYING TO ARGUE SINCE. ZUTARA STANS WILL BE CLAIMING THAT AANG WAS WEAK AND SHOULD HAVE KILLED OZAI WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING HIS CHARACTER AND MOTIVES. ESPECIALLY THE CULTURAL CONTEXT OF WHO HE IS AND HOW IT WOULD AFFECT HIM.
It’s time for people in the fanbase to finally accept that Aang was in complete control of the avatar state in that battle with Ozai. He was furious and his rage is clear as day, and he had every right to be. It’s tired to see people crediting Aang’s anger to Kyoshi or whatever all the time. The jokes are funny, but not here, not in this battle.
Aang enters the avatar state right after Ozai says this to him: “You’re weak, just like the rest of your people. They did not deserve to exist in this world, in my world. Prepare to join them—prepare to die.”
Aang reaches out from under those rocks and grabs Ozai, and then when Ozai tries to burn his face in the face place he burned his own son, Aang smacks his hand away and then blasts him into a rock pillar with airbending, the first element he uses against him once in the avatar state is the same element Ozai just called weak. There’s a reason Aang surrounds himself with an air bubble, and there’s a reason Aang’s airbending is so violent and unrelenting in this fight. He literally airbends so violently that he erodes a rock pillar all the way through in like 2 seconds. It’s a blatant display of the power airbending actually possesses, a big fuck you to Ozai who starts running away like a coward.
Aang is coming face to face with a man whose family line is directly responsible for wiping out his entire race of people, his entire culture. They took everything from him. He had nothing but Appa and the clothes on his back and his glider. That was it. That was all that was left of their genocide, a genocide justified by the view that Air Nomads were undeserving of life, that they were the weakest of all the nations. Imagine how full of rage he must have been. And still, he does not kill him. Not because he can’t, but because he won’t let the Fire Nation complete their genocide against the Air Nomads, he won’t allow himself to be robbed of his own culture, a culture that exists through him only, now. I feel like people really just don’t understand Aang’s character, and they definitely never give him the credit or praise he deserves.
Not to get too intense about it, but I really do love a good retelling, but my criteria for good retellings are... not high, but perhaps more specific than they are for most people. If I had to make a list
A good retelling must understand the original text and its context. If one is retelling a Greek myth, you must understand not only the plot of the myth, but the author should also at least understand the intent behind the myth, both in charitable and uncharitable interpretations.
A good retelling must add something new by telling this story again. You can't just say that this is the same story... but in space! You have to know that the creation of a different context for a story fundamentally creates different themes and understandings, and take advantage of that. To go back to Greek myth, Hadestown is fundamentally a retelling of the story of Orpheus and Eurydice. However, instead of solely focusing on Hades as a figure representing Death, Hadestown focuses on Hades as a patron of the wealthy, the lord of all wealth hidden beneath the earth as much as the bones that also lay there. The story is then reframed as not just the story of Orpheus and Eurydice but also of the story of an early 1900s company town wherein Hades is the exploitative boss. Orpheus is voice of the downtrodden, traveling to this place of the downtrodden and trying, in his own way, to affect some tiny bit of change. In what I'd consider one of the seminal songs in the musical, "If It's True," where his simple action of singing this question about whether this is the only way things have to be awakes the deadened workers and their collective force makes Hades respond.
A good retelling must stand on its own even if the audience is unfamiliar with other tellings. Knowing the original should enhance the experience, but it should not be necessary. Sorry to keep using musical examples, but The Tain by The Decemberists is still a great song with solid lyrics, even if they're abstracted from the original story of The Cattle Raid of Cooley. They change the lyrics to more modern ideas, with references to Charlemagne, cars, and so on, but the through-line of the story is very clearly there. The story even ends with a direct question to Medb - was all that really worth it?
I dunno where I was going with the rest of this, but those are my thoughts on the matter.
Reposted with permission, art by j_amatus on Instagram.
Hello! @olaa123 reached out to me asking for help with her campaign as it's been stagnating and her previous account was terminated and they've been struggling trying to get by
Consider donating here at ola's gfm!
Account: @mohiygaza21
Vetted by 90-Ghost and by association
After experiencing complications with gofundme, Mohiy and his family are now relying on paypal to receive donations. Please support his family through the link above and share.
Most of the funds Mohiy was able to raise on gofundme have gone towards his family's survival. With the rising costs of goods, they need continued support to be able to meet their most basic needs. Resources are scarce and expensive as it is, but winter has added to the suffering of everyone in Gaza, making the needs for things like warm food, warm clothes, and shelter even greater as cold and rain worsen already dangerous living conditions. Mohiy's mother, who suffers from chronic illness, is especially vulnerable right now due to the freezing temperatures.
Please donate and share to help offer Mohiy and his family some relief. Every contribution helps, no matter how small.
@gaza-evacuation-funds @wellwaterhysteria @gazavetters @dlxxv-vetted-donations @ibtisams-deactivated20241104 @irhabiya @nabulsi
Donate if you can
🏚️ From Rubble to Renewal — Help Mohamed Rebuild a Home Full of Hope 🌿
In the blink of an eye, the life we knew disappeared.
My name is Mohamed, and I’m writing this with a heart full of sorrow—but also a quiet flame of hope. Our family home, a place that held generations of memories, was reduced to rubble in an instant. The rooms that once echoed with laughter, the walls that witnessed our stories, and the garden where we dreamed of better days—all of it is gone.
And yet, we are still here.
Still standing. Still believing. Still dreaming.
Before the war, our home wasn’t just a structure—it was everything. It was the heartbeat of our family. We shared countless dinners around a modest table, whispered goodnight to one another across quiet rooms, and celebrated the small joys that made life meaningful. It was a place of love, of safety, of tradition.
Losing it has left a deep wound in our lives. But what we haven’t lost is our will to rebuild.
We are determined not to let destruction be the end of our story. We want to rebuild our home not just with bricks and wood, but with faith, with dignity, and with your support.
I know there are countless stories in the world that deserve to be heard, and I humbly ask that you take a moment to hear ours. We are turning to this community, to the kindness of strangers, because we believe in the power of people coming together to lift one another out of despair.
Your support—whether it’s a donation, a share, or even just a moment of your time—can help lay the first stone of our new beginning.
💛 Every dollar brings us one step closer to safety. 🧱 Every share gives our story a voice. 🌱 Every gesture, no matter how small, is a reminder that compassion can grow even in the harshest soil.
We are not asking for charity. We are asking for a chance. A chance to rebuild our lives, to give our children a roof under which they can dream again, and to find peace after so much pain.
Please, if you feel moved by our story, consider helping us build something new from what’s been lost. Your kindness will be felt not just in concrete and wood—but in every smile, every warm night, and every future moment of joy that your support helps make possible.
From the deepest part of my heart—thank you. For your time, your love, and your belief in us. We will never forget it.
With all my gratitude, – Mohamed
I will not explain at length I just want to tell you that I lost a number of my family members after the bombing of our house in Gaza. The pain that filled my heart after seeing them under the rubble is unbearable for anyone. I cannot bear to lose more of my family. All I have left is Lolo, the only survivor. I do not know what her future will be like without her father and her life as an orphan. Please, any amount will save the rest of my family
@appsa @sayruq @buttercuparry @baby-girl-aaron-dessner @megalo-station @malcriada @blacksailsgf @blackpearlblast
please🙏
⛔Stop a minute‼️
My name is Hashem from Gaza. I am 32 years old and my wife, Samar, is 27 years old. We have a child born in the eighth month of pregnancy. His mother was premature because of my wife's fear of war. My large family consists of 8 members: my father, mother, four male brothers and 2 females. My father died in the war due to a lack of medicine in hospitals as a result of the fierce war on Gaza.
My story began when we were displaced from our home in northern Gaza in mid-October 2023 after a letter threatening eviction, and then the house was targeted and destroyed. Between this Exodus and the current fifth Exodus there are many stories and sufferings.
We now live in plastic tents, which are thermal ovens, which are not suitable for living and do not provide the minimum necessities of life, in addition to the spread of epidemics and diseases, which puts our lives in danger.
Through this campaign, we are trying to collect enough money to meet our needs and get us out of the Gaza Strip safely. We ask you to stand by us and protect us from this severe danger.
Hashem alshawish
Note:
The campaign was documented through:
@90-ghost
@gaza-evacuation-funds ( @el-shab-hussein @nabulsi )
@buttercuparry @appsa @malcriada @palestinegenocide @sar-soor @akajustmerry @annoyingloudmicrowavecultist @feluka @sayruq @tortiefrancis @flower-tea-fairies @tsaricides @riding-with-the-wild-hunt @visenyasdragon @belleandsaintsebastian @ear-motif @kordeliiius @communitythings @brutaliakhoa @raelyn-dreams @troythecatfish @theropoda @4ft10tvlandfangirl @queerstudiesnatural @northgazaupdates2 @skatezophrenic @awetistic-things @baby-girl-aaron-dessner @nabulsi @el-shab-hussein @timetravellingkitty @transmutationisms
I was reached out by @azaxa to spread their campaign. They are a Palestinian with two small children is trying to evacuate. So far €30,322/45,000 has been raised, which means they're getting closer to their goal. There's only €14,678 left to raise. For those that can, you know what to do. Link to the campaign down below.
@nogender-onlystars @floof-ghostie @punkeropercyjackson @ribbonspice @butchmagicalboi @dead111111111111
She/They, Black, Nigerian Free Congo, Sudan, and Palestine, AOT, Hazbin Hotel/Helluva Boss, MCU hater
192 posts