#tulkun

i don’t really like that the tulkun fighting back is framed as a triumphant moment in afaa. “the tulkun way” is repeatedly described as ancient, and their pacifism at this point is synonymous with their species. i also think their point is pretty valid; they developed their pacifism after being at war with one another for so long.

the tulkun fighting back, to me, is sad. especially for a character like ta’nok; she literally loses her entire clan (minus payakan) and then also gets stripped of a part of her culture because of how ruthless the humans are.

correct me if im wrong (i didn’t like afaa so i try not to think about it) but there’s no mourning over them literally being worn down. it’s either they continue their ancient ways, or get slaughtered. either way, they are losing something. it’s also important to note that the tulkun aren’t just being hunted to extinction, but with them being both sapient and sentient beings (like humans and na’vi) it is safe to say that they are facing outright genocide.

i think it would’ve been powerful to show not only how heavy this decision actually weighed on the tulkun, but also show the metkayina upset over what things have come to. it is said that the reef clans and the tulkun have a deep respect for one another, but personally i think more could’ve been done to show that. we see the metkayina rally behind jake and protect the sullys (as well as the metkayina kids) throughout the movie, but i think it would’ve been so powerful to see the metkayina rally around their spirit brothers and sisters to protect their ways (like “i will fight so that you don’t have to”). then maybe it would’ve been cooler to see the tulkun fight back, because they see their spirit brothers and sisters willing to die behind them.

it just sucks because it feels like the na’vi are just kind of like “yeah they don’t kill but bro please please please kill this one time and join us,” and then the tulkun just do and it doesn’t even matter. i also think this is a bigger pattern of how pacifism isn’t taken seriously in media and how non-human ways are basically punished throughout avatar movies. i just feel like even though we’re supposed to believe the na’vi and tulkun are such intelligent species and blah blah blah, it feels like every character that doesn’t embrace human ideologies gets punished by the narrative in some way when that doesn’t need to happen! this is fiction, why can’t we get happy endings for the non-human adjacent characters?

This time, a more water themed concept art, starting with the swamp escape, then through the tulkun council and Lo'ak searching for Payakan alll the way to the Calf Communion and Spider visiting the spirit world.

The Girl The Ocean Kept

So this is my second fanfic, im waiting to see if I should continue "The Runaway Sully" But so far I am brainstorming ideas, and I thought of this, ik its not related, but I cant help it! This will be a multiple part series!

Ship:(Y/n) te (y/l/n) (y/m/n)'ite X Ao'nung

Description: Y/N te Y/L/N was never like the others of the Metkayina. She stays beneath the water longer than she should. Creatures come to her without tsaheylu. The currents don’t just move around her—They reach. Y/n gets scared when a massive shadow appears underneath her feet at the ocean.

Readers full name: (Y/n) Te (Y/l/n) (y/m/n)'Ite

—°—°—°—°—°—°—°—°—°—°—°—°—°—°

The ocean is quiet that morning. Not empty—never empty—but listening.

You slip beneath the surface without a sound, the world above dissolving into ripples of light.

The water closes over your head like it knows you. Like it has been waiting.

Cool.

Gentle.

Familiar.

You don’t rush. You never do. Your body sinks slowly, limbs loose, braids drifting like strands of kelp. Sunlight fractures above you, turning the surface into something distant… something unimportant. Down here, everything makes sense.

You exhale softly, watching the last of your breath twist upward in silver ribbons. And then—You don’t breathe again.

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