rewatched "The Puppetmaster," contemplating headcanon & things

[foreveryakone]

Well I hope you're enjoying yourself. Sure, I could use a history -- one before the... obvious -- even if you won't do much of anything worthwhile with it. Or are you reconsidering?

Our legacy does deserve more attention and respect than it got. A great deal more. So write away. You know very well I'm not going anywhere unless you finally make up that mind of yours for good.

Comments

a-aww ;n;

[waterlocked]

[his face falls a little at the mention of his father.] I don't think so.

Re: a-aww ;n;

[just_a_mask_now]

[Amon notices the boy's crestfallen face.]

My apologies, I should not have pried.

[Has he been dead long? is on the tip of his tongue. Apparently Amon's only understanding of fathers are dead ones. But he should not assume. Fathers can be worse than dead.]

[waterlocked]

[he looks up and shrugs.] It's not really prying? I think he'd be ashamed to have me named after him anyways.

[just_a_mask_now]

Why? Has your father done something wrong? [Amon's curiosity gets the better of him.]

[waterlocked]

[he opens and closes his mouth.] No. I just... don't think he'd like sharing a name with a weak person.

[just_a_mask_now]

[Amon tsks.] You are a child, not weak--they are not the same thing.

[waterlocked]

I don't think that matters to him.

[just_a_mask_now]

His loss for failing to make that distinction.

[Ah ha, maybe Amon should follow his own advice, because if he blames anyone more than that firebender extortionist for his family's death, it's himself, no matter how irrational that is.]

Why would he even think you are weak? ...Is he a bender?

[waterlocked]

Because I didn't take to his bloodbending lessons like Noatak did. [he shakes his head.] He was a bender.

[just_a_mask_now]

You are better served avoiding bloodbending. Such an invasive abuse of power.

Noatak?

[waterlocked]

He's my older brother.

[just_a_mask_now]

And a bloodbender?

[waterlocked]

Yeah? We-- we both are. Kinda... He's better at it than I am.

[just_a_mask_now]

...Bending is not necessary to succeed in this world, to be strong and retain your self-worth.

[waterlocked]

It... it isn't?

[just_a_mask_now]

No, of course not.

You are a person first and foremost, before being a bender. People may be born with or without bending, but they will always be human. That is the most important part.

For a more specific example, chiblocking is a self-defense technique that works just as well without bending of any sort. Better, in fact. You can chiblock a bender, and typically they'll be unable to harm you, given that most really rely on their bending. Still, always keep your guard up.

...Actually, have you heard of the Blue Spirit? Though he could bend, it was not necessary--he did just as well without, armed with only his swords, wits, strength, speed and ingenuity.

[waterlocked]

Really? So in order to get a bender to stop bending you'd... have to chiblock them in a certain area oooor--?

[he shakes his head. i doubt yakone was an avid gaang fan. B:] No. Who was he?

[just_a_mask_now]

Yes, there are specific pressure points on the human body that if you correctly strike, the chi necessary for bending will be temporarily blocked.

[OOC: My headcanon says that Amon actually was, but he doesn't think much of their legacy and doesn't see any bender and such of their caliber existing in his current world.] The Blue Spirit was Fire Lord Zuko. It was a guise he took on when his exile took him to the Earth Kingdom, where it was best to hide his firebending capability.

...You do know of the 100 Year War, yes?

[waterlocked]

I bet that must feel scary.

[his eyes widen some.] Oh! Yeah, they talk about that at school.

[ooc | oh interesting!]

[just_a_mask_now]

It was rather unnerving to be on the receiving end of it while training in the art. Although I imagine bloodbending is the same.

[Amon gives a slight shrug.]

The two are rather similar, both ultimately aimed at manipulating the body--though as I said before, bloodbending seems more invasive to me.

As they should. Fire Lord Zuko--a prince then--had to hide his firebending in the Earth Kingdom, given that firebenders were the enemy in that country during the war.

[OOC: Canon doesn't say one way or another what Amon really thinks of the Gaang, and this is an AU. I imagine his siblings would tell him stories of the Gaang before they died, and it's a fond memory for him. But the Blue Spirit with his mask and nonbender fighting style and issues with authority would be Amon's probable favorite, though Aang's whole bending removal thing super inspired him too.

...And I think Amon had a teacher in chiblocking, and they'd spar, so a younger Amon would know what it's like to be chiblocked himself.]

[waterlocked]

Ah, yeah... it's-- [he looks down.] It's really something. How would you get close enough to chiblock a bender? Wouldn't they try to defend themselves?

That must have been really hard for him.

[ooc | mmm, that makes sense]

[just_a_mask_now]

It's not easy. You have to be fast, and that takes training. Besides speed, you should try to read the path of a bending attack as best as you can, anticipate their moves. Learning the martial styles of the bending disciplines will only help with that.

He must've exercised a great deal of control. An admirable quality.

[waterlocked]

So why'd you learn it?

[just_a_mask_now]

It's still the best defense a nonbender has against a bender.

[waterlocked]

Defend yourself?