I was waiting for someone to make this distinction between Iroh and Sokka! I headcannon that Sokka is the only one of the gaang who can beet Iroh at Pai-sho
One of the things that I’m fascinated by as a concept is that Sokka and Iroh are simultaneously very similar and also total opposites in many ways. There’s an aspect where they’re very tactically minded, intelligent leaders with a history of eccentricities… But Sokka is also one of the people for whom it would make the most sense for him to get argumentative with Iroh, and actually has done.
Sokka constantly poo-poos the idea of destiny and spirituality, and gets mad at Iroh for suggesting that they rescue Zuko from the Crystal Catacombs because he doesn’t care about the “good inside” him. They have similar skill-sets and influence, but their ideologies are mostly incompatible. So I absolutely want to see more of Sokka actually debating him; that would be way more interesting the typical interactions we see with Iroh anyway.
(Zuko watches this in horror like a high-speed ping-pong match.)
I also like the idea of Sokka enjoying many of the same things as iroh, but in ways that make Iroh shudder. For instance:
–Sokka is good at, and likes playing Pai Sho. However, he is very much of a disrespectful opponent who engages in trash talk and speed plays.
–Sokka also likes tea, but he is prone to dumping all sorts of ingredients into it that’s besides the norm, including sugar and honey and generally just “ruining” the natural flavor of the tea. (Sokka invents ‘iced tea’ which Iroh secretly views as blasphemy.)
–Again they have a penchant for strategy, and debate hypothetical scenarios, but Sokka is noticeably less honorable and is willing to resort to dirty tactics in spades if he thinks it can net him victory.
–They both have a thing for poetry, but iroh is very prosy and thoughtful, while Sokka can just string together whatever first pops into his head and fashions that into a workable poem.
He??? Loves??? His??? Boys????
A hoodie that I desperately need of ice cream kitty, but since I can’t have it I gave it to Mikey :3
MIKEY'S AND THEIR KITTIES :DD !!!
au where sokka, not their mother, is the one who sacrifices himself for katara (inspired by this post about sokka looking like his mom)
Sokka and katara are together in their house when the southern raiders attack
Their parents are out when the soldier yon rha breaks into their home
He knows that the north only trains boys in waterbending… he thinks the south is the same way
The kids are cornered by yon rha, who tells them
“I won’t hurt you kids if you tell me who in your village is the last waterbender”
Katara is terrified and knows he’s come for her
Sokka looks at his sister and thinks it’s up to me to protect her
So he says “it’s me. I’m the last waterbender of the southern tribe.”
Yon rha was planning to kill the last waterbender, but it’s only a child… he decides to kidnap sokka instead
Katara watches as her brother is dragged away, unable to stop the man as he takes sokka from her
All that’s left of sokka is his beloved boomerang
Yon rha takes sokka to a fire nation prison far inland in the earth kingdom colonies, even though he’s the only child there. Without a master or water around, he reasons, sokka is no threat.
Katara still has both parents, but she’s lost her brother and best friend and feels that it’s her fault
Sokka grows up in prison, learning how to fight when he’s smaller and weaker but cleverer than his fellow prisoners
As the only child in the prison, sokka has to play up his role as a harmless and agreeable kid. He’s funny and the other prisoners derive amusement from it, which means they’ll keep him around
He never forgets his water tribe roots though, or his family
Katara grows up lonely and determined, learning to hunt with the boomerang and a spear and waterbending all together. She’s not the caretaker role now, but the angry rebel daughter, brave but rash and proud and desperate to prove herself
One day she’s out hunting alone when she discovers a very special iceberg. Curious, she breaks it open immediately (bc let’s be real sokka is 95% of her impulse control in canon)
When sokka is fifteen, he successfully escapes from prison and makes his way west to the coast
He gets ambushed in the forest one day, and almost gets killed by a boy with hooked swords who accuses him of being fire nation (his prison shirt is red)
Sokka argues “no! I’m water tribe!” jet doesn’t believe it at first, but the blue of his eyes doesn’t lie
Jet is impressed by sokka’s fighting-dirty style and great aim and invites him to stay
Sokka joins the freedom fighters but is disgusted when he learns about jet’s distorted sense of justice. He starts planning a way to overthrow jet from the inside
Meanwhile, katara and aang travel north to find a waterbending master, and they just so happen to run into jet while flying over a forest
When they get to the treehouses, they run into a skinny, scrappy dark-skinned boy whose jaw drops when he sees katara
She doesn’t recognize him at first, and then all at once she does
“SOKKA?” “Katara, is that really you?”
There’s much crying and hugging and “how are you here?”
Sokka explains his plan to katara and aang, and they know not to trust jet
Jet’s plan is foiled by sokka and gaoling is never flooded
Katara gives sokka back his boomerang (“You kept it all this time?” “Of course. I’m probably better at it than you are, now.” “No way!!”)
They fly north. Katara has to relearn her brother, relearn his mannerisms and his personality. She’s surprised by how little he’s changed, even though he’s been through so much
Sokka is a harder version of himself, sharper and more cautious. But he still has his sense of humor and his clever plans, his same hairstyle and bright blue eyes.
Day 14: melody
Remember that 2012 ice cream kitty music vid? And that ep where rottmnt boys made a terrible band? Lol
when sokka needs advice about how to process something internal, private, he’ll typically take it to toph. her calm manner of listening puts him at ease and he never doubts that she’ll keep his vulnerabilities to herself. her advice is frank, realistic and fair.
when he needs someone to distract him, he goes to suki. she has a way of assessing what’s on his mind and pivoting madly away from it. her charm is impossible to resist, so when she puts her mind to it, she never fails to make him smile.
when he wants someone by his side while he fixes a problem, he can’t go wrong with zuko. zuko proved that at the boiling rock. he’s ride or die, and sokka will never get over how validating it is to have an ally he can rely on no matter what. well, two allies. they also bring momo.
when he wants someone to just sit with him and understand, that’s a job for katara. she’s his shadow and his witness, just as he is hers. no one else will ever be up to that task.
but when there’s an external problem out in the world and he doesn’t know what to do about it, that kind of question can only go to aang. and nothing makes sokka happier than getting to watch the gears in aang’s brain work as he figures out a solution. this is what aang is great at, and it’s a treat to watch him excel at what he does. there’s that sense of pride, too, that sokka was part of this kid’s upbringing and now here he is, all wise and shit. (he was always wise, but let sokka have this one!!!) sokka was taught that it isn’t right to ask for help, but he knows better now, and when it comes to his amazing, brilliant, empathetic, wise friends, he never minds at all.
Big bro!!!!!!!
Very good post 10/10
So my brother and I were just talking on the phone and we realized: Aang might have mastered all four elements but Sokka mastered the non-bending styles from all four nations!
He already knew how to fight with Water Tribe weapons/regalia:
Then, in what’s likely the first Earth Kingdom village he’s ever visited, he learned how to fight with the Warriors of Kyoshi:
When he reached the Northern Air Temple, he was able to tap into the philosophy of the airbenders and realize that the best way to win a battle is to avoid face-to-face confrontation by instead using creative means (and the sky) to take down your opponent:
And finally, when he reached the Fire Nation, Piandao taught him how to forge a unique weapon and hone his swordsmanship:
Sokka learned all four non-bending styles!
Really puts Iroh’s quote into a different context:
“Understanding the other nations will help you become whole.”
The sound effects alone make this one of my favorite scenes from Ducktales