#joemerl

TRICK! YOU GET THE

THE CRISPY DIB

Yes. The only disadvantage that has is that the chances of us reblogging your posts decreases depending on how out of order you do them.

Sorry I took so long to answer this one! I was trying to find an instance of something I recalled, but I couldn’t seem to find it... could be partially how scatterbrained I am that I can’t remember exactly where it was. It was a dwarf in a Norse saga, but for the life of me I can’t recall which one right now, or if I’m just getting something mixed up.

Anyway! 

The whole true name thing has been a theme in so much myth for so many ages - it’s in virtually all of them, really. To name something is to have power over it - that’s a pretty universal concept, ranging back to ancient Greece, like in the Odyssey, and even Egyptian mythology (Ra’s true name is used against him). There are some instances of smaller fae like boggarts and other creatures being controlled using their names. True names need to be guarded closely, or else whoever has it has extreme power over you - even if you are a god.

In fact, I would say it could be considered a universal legend.

It’s even in werewolf legends, in fact; a few, at least. To beseech a werewolf using their Christian name could return them to their human form.

I don’t know that I would have preferred it, exactly. Romance is not a big focus of AtLA, and the Avatar franchise as a whole shows that it’s not a strength of the storytellers, so seeding some hints and then just jumping into it as part of Zuko’s ‘get everything he wants’ state is nicely efficient storytelling.

On the other hand, I’ve written two different (irreconcilable) multi-chapter stories about how Zuko and Mai could have gotten together between Books Earth and Fire, so clearly I think there’s fertile ground in the matter. ;) However, I think the opportunity exists only for Mai as a character and Maiko as a relationship; I’m not sure that showing the get-together would serve Zuko’s character or story arc in any meaningful way.

So, back to the first hand, that makes it prime material to cut. Mai is definitely a secondary character in the overall story of AtLA. The storytellers made the right call.

But if we’re talking tweaks, then there’s a very simple way to get the material in there and do something with it: replace The Beach as an episode.

Now, I’m not saying that we drop The Beach and add another episode set before The Awakening. I say we take the same slot in the story as The Beach and still do something focused on the Fire Teens- but this time we retroactively flesh out how Zuko and Mai got together. Either do it in the style of Appa’s Lost Days, which covers a large amount of time parallel to the prior run of episodes, or do it in the style of Zuko Alone and show flashbacks that contrast with or explain scenes set in the present. It would be pretty funny to see Zuko and Mai go through a breakup interspersed with how they got together, and the changes in their behavior, right?

The point of the episode would be the same: show how poorly the Fire Teens fit in typical teenage life, reveal the characters’ tragic backstories, and have Zuko realize that he’s dealing with self-loathing. If we’re pressed for time, we can cut the whole B-plot with the gAang and Combustion Man. Either stick it in another episode or just drop it completely. It’s a cool fight, but all the Combustion Man fights are filler until The Western Air Temple.

As for what those flashbacks would show, my fanfics probably cover the basics, but for those who don’t want to read full novellas to get the answer, there’s a few major points we need to hit:

Establish Zuko as being interested in Mai, even when he can’t see her, but dealing with such a messed-up emotional state that we sense disaster on the horizon for the relationship. Zuko should be shown to believe that Mai is one of the few people who listen when he talks, even if he doesn’t think she always understands.

Establish Mai as being interested in Zuko is a way that pierces her regular facade of apathy, but not sure that she’s ride-or-die about the relationship. This creates tension for when Zuko leaves to join Aang, and sets up Mai’s character arc for when she really does go ride-or-die for him at the Boiling Rock. As noted above, Mai should be shown as interested in Zuko, his life, and his difficulties. She wants to make him happy, but isn’t sure how to actually make it happen.

Establish Azula as being completely mystified by the whole matter, but feeling safe enough about it because she thinks she has Mai firmly under her control. Bonus points if we can expand Azula’s psychological state to add more setup for her mental deterioration after Zuko’s defection; show that Azula is betting everything on Zuko behaving as she predicts.

Most of this stuff is already present in AtLA as we have it (or, at least, The Beach is trying to present it), but this would bring the matters to the forefront and make the subplots clearer. The big improvement is confirming Zuko’s investment in the relationship, as I’ve joked that the only time we see Zuko care about Mai is when he can see her or someone is directly asking him about her. Literally the only time in the cartoon when he acknowledges her without her being present is the “That’s rough, buddy,” conversation with Sokka, and that just doesn’t cut it.

As a bonus, I hate The Beach (it’s just not funny, and the whole ‘Breakfast Club’ scene is some terrible writing), so this can only be an improvement.

The actual way Zuko and Mai get together can be almost anything, as shown by my wildly disparate fanfics, but I do think Mai should be the one to initiate. After all, we see her actively blushing in the Zuko Alone flashbacks. I think Zuko should be surprised; we don’t see him blushing in those flashbacks, and he’s struggling with his self-worth. Perhaps he thinks her attention goes along with his defeating Aang and ending his banishment. And there needs to be friction, awkwardness, difficulties, misunderstandings, but ultimately a soothing happiness. Despite it all, we should see that Zuko and Mai really do make each other happy just by being in each other’s lives. With those rules, the get-together can be anything from a Blue Spirit adventure to silly comedy in the background of an imperialist conquest.

Anything that you want to talk about?