Seeing your Cycles in Reverse au, and how the other elements have a subculture/alternative lifestyle for their bending (desert, swamp, sun warriors), but we don't see one for air, I think one potentially solid idea are storm chasers. Airbenders that live daredevil lifestyles always in pursuit of storms and live close to or within them.
And because of that, for an answer on how they're still around, they survive as most people seek shelter in bad weather and may not quite know they exist. And thanks to the movie Stardust, I picture them flying around in airships that have winged lightning rods and they run their ships on electricity.
Only thing that makes me pause is that could set them up to wield all elements of weather, rain, lightning, wind, potentially hail/snow; or maybe they specialize more with clouds? I'd have to think on it more as they could end up being OP, but I think there's a potential thought there as an alternative culture for airbenders.
This is so interesting!
Having the Gaang come from minority tribes/bending subtypes wasn't something I planned while coming up with the concept for Cycle in Reverse, but it's become such a central part of the AU. Something that brings the themes and characters together. It's such a compelling idea! And I did my research, but couldn't find anything about airbending having a subculture, which is odd when you consider all the other elements do, but oh well.
Stormchasers though?
Why isn't that canon?!
I'm obsessed with the idea! Airbenders forever chasing storms, bending lightning-charged clouds, typhoons, reveling in the freedom, the thrill, and the adrenaline. The ultimate nomads, always moving where the tempest takes them.
Aang remains an Air Nomad Avatar in CiR, but discovering an entire airbending subculture not even he knew about could be such an impactful moment in the story. I'd love to incorporate stormchasers into the worldbuilding, if it's alright with you? They'd pull the craziest stunts and be a nice foil for Aang's philosophy and way of living.
