Sort of Sorted: Soft on Soft by Mina Waheed

Hi everyone! Welcome to Nox the Reader, I'm Nox, and today we're sorting the main characters of Mina Waheed's Soft on Soft into their nations from Avatar the Last Airbender!

"Some part of her always yearned for something that enveloped her not in a sense of passion but a calm care. She wanted someone she could rely on to not always expect her to perform."

Soft on Soft was... well... the softest thing that I've ever read! It's essentially pure fluff - there isn't a conflict to the story, just two fat and queer brown girls falling in love with each other. It warmed the cold dead space where my heart once was, and I adore it. So today, I'm going to see which of the Avatar nations our two main characters June and Selena would be from!

Me thinking about the love Selena and June have for each other

Sort on Sorted works based off of Uncle Iroh's explanation of each of the nations:

• Fire: Element of power. People have desire, will, and the energy and drive to achieve their will.
• Earth: Element of substance. People are diverse, strong, persistent, and enduring.
• Air: Element of freedom. People are detached from worldly concerns, have peace and freedom.
• Water: Element of change. People are capable of adapting and are held together through community and love.

With all of that said, let's get to the easiest for me to sort: June!

The story mainly follows June as she starts her relationship with Selena, continuing as she adapts to not only having a girlfriend but one that's a well-known influencer as well. June has anxiety, and throughout the story, she's put in different situations where she has to manage it (in Chapter 8, she has a panic attack when she feels that everyone is staring at her and Selena in a restaurant). As the story progresses, June grows, putting herself in situations that are out of her comfort zone while also being aware of her anxiety and what she needs in order to manage it. We see the support system that she has built for herself: her mom, her best friend Shelby, her cats Lemon and Mint, and of course, Selena. It's her relationship with Selena that helps push her past her comfort zone, and her friendship with Shelby that allows her to work through things. Because of this, I believe that June is part of...

THE WATER TRIBE!

June learns how to adapt to different situations in spite of her anxiety, while also being held together by the love she has for her support system. June's journey is all transformation and community, and that makes her a true member of the Water Tribe.

Now that Junie's all sorted, let's get to Selena!

Selena is hard to pinpoint. Throughout the story, she's supportive and loving, always making sure that June is comfortable and consents to whatever is going on, whether it's a post being shared online or a kiss in the comfort of their own home. She's understanding of June's anxiety, and while she still has more to learn about helping a partner with anxiety, she's supportive and willing to learn. All of this had me initially thinking that Selena would be in the Water Tribe too, someone who goes with the flow of things while also being driven by her love for June.

But the more I think about Selena, I think about everything that she's accomplished. She's a plus-sized model, a social media influencer, as well as a breaking-out actress! Selena is determined and cares a lot about her work, even reluctantly canceling a date with June in order to get the fight choreography down for her movie. We see her working events, managing her brand on social media, so much that shows how driven she is towards her job. Selena's determined to live her best life the way that she wants it - she's going to have it all: the girlfriend, the career, the cats, etc. And because of this, I put Selena with...

THE FIRE NATION!

Selena knows what she wants in her life, and she's going to work her hardest to make sure she gets it. While she's loving and caring, she's also determined and driven, traits associated with the Fire Nation. Selena doesn't let anything get in the way of what she wants, she sees an obstacle and she deals with it. I also love the idea that June is a part of what Selena wants in her life, and it's nice to see a character whose drive and passion is behind not only their job but their relationship. I fully believe that Selena would have everything she could imagine and more.

Well there we go, my friends! Our beloved Junie and Selena are members of the Water Tribe and Fire Nation, who would've thought. I think this works really well for the story, actually. It's said in the show that Water and Fire are opposites, and that's a way that June describes herself and Selena. In the end though, I guess opposites really do attract.

I'm planning on having more Sort of Sorted posts in the future! While they were initially focused on Hogwarts houses, I'm switching to Avatar nations after all of Rowling's transphobic comments. So if you're a fan of Avatar, stay tuned! There are a lot of book characters to sort through!

Flameo, hot-man!

~ Nox