<p>I have no particular plans to pre-order, but always intended to purchase at least the 1st issue. </p><p>Luckily, I happen to be on the Turf Wars thread right now, but I can't help you with the leaks, 'cause I'm not lookin' for 'em. </p> <div class="quote"><i>Some asshat Makorra holdout—I think it was Foxie, but don't quote me on that—wrote a flash fic which has Asami applying makeup before running outside in "The Terror Within," I believe to emphasize her being "useless" in that episode.</i></div>
<p>Oh yeah, that was the other claim being thrown around in support of that narcissism thing. </p> <div class="quote"><i>Seriously: she's a nonbender with no ranged weapons, and there was a bedamned combustionbender. What the hell was she supposed to do—chuck rocks with her bare hands and hope she didn't get directly shot at?</i></div>
<p>"Hey, it was a contest of freaks & I'm as normal as they come, what did you want me to do, fire my slingshot at him?" </p> <div class="quote"><i>But although I don't doubt that she could chuck rocks with frightening accuracy...girl could use a ranged weapon. For example: give her some shirshu-spit darts of her own and some means by which to extend their range (such as a small crossbow), and she could have fucked up P'Li longer than Bolin did.</i></div>
<div class="quote"><i>I dunno, I'm inclined to believe it wouldn't be that easy, or else the guards would be able to do it. Pinpoint accuracy under pressure is sort of one of Bolin's most consistent skills.</i></div>
<p>But giving Asami a ranged weapon wouldn't be a bad idea. If I had to pull something out my butt, I'd say maybe a wrist mechanism that shoots electrically charged darts. Shirshu venom sounds like it would be kind of hard to come by, & while she certainly has the funds for it, it might not always be available where they are. But even in the wilderness they could find a way to generate electricity, not the least of which being that they have a walking power plant. It also sort of fits in with her gauntlet, & the mechanism could even be a modification of said gauntlet. </p>

<p>Thing is, shirshu-spit darts wouldn't necessarily <i>require</i> pinpoint accuracy. No <i>need</i> to tag P'Li in the inkwork when a hit to the torso or a limb would paralyze her (and discombobulate the rest of them; if there's one mutual redeeming trait that those jerkbenders shared, it was <i>loyalty</i>). </p><p>ETA: I don't think it <i>was</i> actually ZaheerForThePeople who leaked <i>Turf Wars</i>; that was just intended as a comparison. Sorry if I worded it confusingly. </p>

<div class="quote"><i>Deist Zealot wrote:
Thing is, shirshu-spit darts wouldn't necessarily <i>require</i> pinpoint accuracy. No <i>need</i> to tag P'Li in the inkwork when a hit to the torso or a limb would paralyze her (and discombobulate the rest of them; if there's one mutual redeeming trait that those jerkbenders shared, it was <i>loyalty</i>). <p>ETA: I don't think it <i>was</i> actually ZaheerForThePeople who leaked <i>Turf Wars</i>; that was just intended as a comparison. Sorry if I worded it confusingly. </p> </i></div>
<p>So where can these leaks be found? </p>

<div class="quote"><i>Deist Zealot wrote:
Thing is, shirshu-spit darts wouldn't necessarily <i>require</i> pinpoint accuracy. No <i>need</i> to tag P'Li in the inkwork when a hit to the torso or a limb would paralyze her (and discombobulate the rest of them; if there's one mutual redeeming trait that those jerkbenders shared, it was <i>loyalty</i>). <p>ETA: I don't think it <i>was</i> actually ZaheerForThePeople who leaked <i>Turf Wars</i>; that was just intended as a comparison. Sorry if I worded it confusingly. </p> </i></div>
<p>
Oh, gotcha. I missed the word "wannabe" in your other post so that was my bad. And I do think it's sort of strange that Asami never thought to get herself some sort of long range weapon....heck, a bow, crossbow, kunai, shuriken...something?... especially since she could definitely modify any weapon to be dangerous. She certainly has the funds and the knowledge....maybe in future comics? </p>

<div class="quote"><i> <p>Deist Zealot wrote: Thing is, shirshu-spit darts wouldn't necessarily <i>require</i> pinpoint accuracy. No <i>need</i> to tag P'Li in the inkwork when a hit to the torso or a limb would paralyze her (and discombobulate the rest of them; if there's one mutual redeeming trait that those jerkbenders shared, it was <i>loyalty</i>). </p><p>ETA: I don't think it <i>was</i> actually ZaheerForThePeople who leaked <i>Turf Wars</i>; that was just intended as a comparison. Sorry if I worded it confusingly. </p> </i></div>
<p>I can see how I didn't finish my train of thought. I was saying that if it would be easy enough for a ranged attacker to get a hit on her, one would think the guards would just tear her to shreds with metal projectiles. Granted, the Shirshu darts would still be easier, depending on the thickness of her clothes, but I think the electrified darts would work about a well. </p>

<p>Ming-Hua was running interference on projectiles.  It'd have to be something that could get past the both of them. </p><p>Get Asami to a position <i>opposite</i> where P'Li is currently shooting; she could tag her in the back or the thigh.  (Getting her in the thigh would be poetic justice, seeing as that's where her boyfriend tagged Asami's girlfriend...) </p><p>ETA:  And for reasons of principle, I'm not going to link the leaks. </p>

<p>More reason for electric darts, since that seems to be Ming-Hua's weakness. </p>

<p>It'd still have to either be small enough to escape her notice (no bigger than blowgun dart size) and/or not clearly electrified (or she'd detach a chunk of her tentacle to freeze it in ice). </p>

<p>What I'd do is launch a hail of them. Any darts that hit her tendril are likely to give up all of their charge anyway, so it'll need to be broken through first before P'Li could be effectively paralyzed. Then Ming-Hua faces the decision of trying to counter them or allowing P'Li to be struck. Or Mako could just stop being an ignoramus & shoot lightning at them. </p>

<p>Yeah, the fléchette-storm technique could possibly work...<i>if</i> one could manage electrified darts, or <i>if</i> Mako could quit being an ignoramus. </p><p>Oh: and I took one for the team and looked at the Makorra tags.  They're...<i>stagnating</i>.  Eating their own tails.  This is from a month ago, but is nonetheless one of the most recent post in the alternate tag that they made for the express purpose of playing victim (and which they still frame as somehow <i>necessary</i>): </p> <div class="quote"><i> <p>Some rando asked:
Why do you like Korrasami less than Makorra? </p><p>A member of Foxie's circle wrote:
The three Ds: </p><p>Depth
Development
Dynamic </p><p>Whether romantic or platonic, Makorra was the highlighted relationship whenever Korra needed someone by her side. Mako was there for Korra right after she regained her bending, Korra unlocked her airbending because of her love for Mako, Mako fought tooth and nail to help Korra in the Spirit World, Mako was the most worried about Korra when the Red Lotus attempted to abduct her (his body language says volumes), when Korra needed someone to help her face Zaheer, it was MAKO who went with Korra. Mako was always beside or behind Korra, supporting or helping her in all of her personal triumphs. </p><p>There was potential for K//orrasami had Korra accepted Asami’s invitation to go to the SWT with her, but Korra’s triumph and journey was ultimately her own (as I believe it should have been). All that was sent between Korra and Asami during that time was a single letter that, in my opinion, was not meant to be romantic given the context in which the letter was sent and where Korra was physically, mentally, and emotionally. </p><p>In short, Makorra excels in the three Ds that I mentioned where K//orrasami pales by comparison. That is why I love Makorra and only like K//orrasami (and that is if I ignore how OOC they were going off to the Spirit World). K//orrasami had potential, but it was thrust away due to the need to focus on Korra. And when it came back to Korra’s choice, she still chose Mako to help her through one of her most trying times after returning to RC. </p> </i></div>
<p>And, as usual, we see the common Makorra holdout clinging grimly to Book 1 and parts of Book 2, downplaying Asami's role and otherwise snubbing her, and exaggerating Mako's role and framing him as somehow <i>entitled</i>.  (Again: I doubt that they'd be crying "character derailment" at Korra going off to the Spirit World if it'd been with <i>Mako</i> instead of Asami.  And, again: it seems rather telling that they don't bother to go into what <i>Korra</i> might have to say about any of this.) </p><p>So, all-in-all?  The words beginning with "D" that <i>actually</i> apply here are <i>denial</i> and <i>desperation</i>. </p><p>Oh: and...<i>Maggie being Maggie</i>.  I don't really 'ship anything in Voltron (and if the given age for Shiro is <i>accurate</i>, and Allura actually <i>is</i> a teenager, the vaguely 'shippy dynamic between them actually kinda bugs me) except possibly Keith/Lance and Hunk/Shay; but Maggie has decided that Keith/Allura is the second coming of Makorra (and, consequently, loves it beyond all reason).  Which, petty though it may be, has given me a mild aversion to the pairing. </p><p>(The other comparison she made was to Zutara.  I'm not <i>quite</i> mean and petty enough to say something along the lines of that what Makorra and Zutara have in common is "assertive waterbender girl, mopey firebender boy, and <i>sunk like anchors</i>," but rest assured that I'm sorely tempted.) </p>