#all the atla kids are amazing and unique and skilled

[cienie-isengardu]

The 16 years old Zuko breaking in Fire Nation’s fortress to free captured Avatar, then into Northern Water Tribe’s stronghold (totally alone on unfamiliar, enemy territory and still somehow finding a way to their most sacred place where Aang currently was), then into well-guarded hideout of Dai Li , the elite secret police of Earth Kingdom (and freeing Appa in process) and then alongside Sokka into another heavy guarded Fire Nation’s place, aka The Boiling Rock prison (again, freeing prisoners) and soon after that with Katara into Fire Navy communication tower - all within like? A year at best? - will never stop amusing me.

[sarnai4]

More Than Just Laughs

Something I love about ATLA is its handling of the characters. One of my favorites from it (and that's saying a lot since I enjoy so many) is Sokka. (Spoilers ahead)

Very easily, he could've been just the comedic relief. I've seen characters where they exist to make a joke and for no other reason. If they were real people, you'd probably try to have them go get therapy because clearly, joking is their coping mechanism for everything. Sokka's not like that. Sure, he's funny, but he's also the team leader. I do not think I have ever seen a show/movie/read a book where the main comedic relief is also the group leader. I love that. It's so unique. Automatically, it sets him up as more than someone you're not supposed to take seriously because you are supposed to take him seriously. He's in charge of this group of people who are going to stop the world from being burnt to ashes. On top of it, he's genuinely a good leader. It's not one of those times where the characters keep telling you someone can lead. Sokka has proven his skill with various plans like on the day of black sun and at Boiling Rock to name a couple.

One of the best episodes for Sokka was "Jet." I enjoyed that because it gave a contrast to their leadership styles and tested the Water Tribe boy. Everyone there thought Jet was the better leader. He seemed more commanding, he was cool, he could fight, etc., but Sokka was able to still come out on top and save innocent lives even when his own sister didn't believe him.

Sokka is just so smart too. Outside of plans, he's great with inventions (it's okay that he has 0 art skills. Not everyone needs those) and offers a nice pragmatic viewpoint for the group. He's a realist with what they should and can do. A very cool/hard moment from him to me was in the final episodes while they're training with the Melon Lord. Even though it's just a melon, he demonstrates a willingness to get the job done and kill if it means more lives will be saved in the process. This isn't standard of a "joke character." Yet, Sokka can pull it all off without something seeming forced.

Sokka can be this goofy guy who is higher than the clouds on cactus juice without it seeming weird for him. His luck is terrible and we can laugh at that, him becoming the butt of the joke.

Then, we can also see Sokka really trying to figure out his skills and his place on the team in terms of combat. Him learning from Master Piandao was amazing. He's been this cocky kid so much, but he truly was humble here and it's why he was trained. Sokka still was by no means a master swordsman, but he did what he had to do to get better and be able to protect his friends.

Sokka is also a good big brother. I think people forget about his protective some because Katara is such a master, but I think it says something that the only time he really got aggressive with Aang was after he burned Katara. Besides that, it was great to watch him go from an ignorant, sexist guy to someone who could rely and be relied on by such amazing female characters. The moment of him standing up for Katara in "The Painted Lady" was an underrated sweet moment too.

Also, let's not forget that Combustion Man died because of Sokka's AMAZING aim with that boomerang. Again, he's cool with killing if it'll help.

I mean, maybe we should be concerned by that smile...but it's Sokka. Can't stay disturbed by him for long. He's great. Just ask Suki.

[siriushxney]

⊱┊ searing light | chapter one

— pairing ; darkling!dream x sun summoner!reader

— au ; shadow and bone

— wordcount ; 1.7k

— warnings ; cursing, talks of war, no dream yet but he will appear somewhere in the next few parts!

series masterlist | next

the fold was scarier then you could've ever imagined — it stretched for miles upon miles, casting a shadow down upon where it stood. down onto the land of ravka. for centuries the blackness of it stood tall — no way to get through, under, or over safely. but despite the risks and dangers, with war raging on both sides of the country — you had no choice to go through for resources.

climbing out of the back of the truck, you could feel the rocks digging into the soles of your feet as you walked alongside the rest of your squadron — the cheap leather boots that were supplied to you and the rest of the first army, doing nothing to shield your feet from the rough and jagged ground. but despite the aching state that the boots left your feet in at the end of the day, you reminded yourself daily that it could've been worse. you could have been on the next skiff to enter the fold — the chance of coming back being slim to none.

anything was better than going into the fold.

“Y/L/N, why don’t you keep the move on?” another cartographer bumped their shoulder into your own, knocking you out of your tense state, and urging you to continue moving down towards your new camp.

everyone in ravka knew what the fold looked like — it was hard not to when it stood at unreachable heights and stretched the length of the country. but despite this, you had never been this close. no one ever spoke of the coldness it radiated, bringing a chill and goosebumps to anyone that dared to near it. and the thing that no one could have prepared you for at all was the sounds.

the sounds of the creatures that lived inside of the black barrier, screeching at deafening volumes and with such ferocity that it could send even the bravest of man or woman running for the hills.

with a deep breath and encouragement for yourself running through your head like a mantra, you pushed forward, closer and closer to the fold.

“Y/N!” you stopped in your tracks — the other cartographers passing you with quick feet and watchful eyes. turning, you caught a glimpse of a boy that you knew all too well — wilbur. while he was also in the first army, he was named a tracker due to his brilliant mind and tracking skills — skills that proved to be beneficial numerous times, making him one of, if not the best tracker in all of ravka. “you know, for a little mapmaker like yourself, you sure do have quick feet,” wilbur threw his arms around your shoulders, pulling you to continue walking beside him.

“you know, for an amazing tracker like yourself, you do stick out like a sore thumb — what if you're on enemy territory? they're gonna spot you from miles away, you tree.”

“I’ll have you know that despite my large stature, I’m quite good at blending into my surroundings — that and I don’t wear bright colours like them,” wilbur halted, standing awkwardly as he watched the group clothed in bright purple, blue, and red observed and trained with eagle like eyes — their hands drawn to grasp in front of their body as they waited their turn to strike the dummy.

them — the grisha.

grisha were people, much like you and wilbur, who were gifted with abilities like no other — abilities that could either take, or save a man's life. there were three orders of the grisha — the corporalki, the order of the living and the dead, who had people known as heartrenders, healers, and tailors; the materialki, the order of fabrikator’s who had people known as durasts and alkemi; and then there was etherealki, the order of the summoners, who had people known as squallers, inferni, and tidemakers.

but there was one being that you had heard about — someone they named the darkling. a grisha who did not possess an ability like any other — instead, he had the ability to summon and control darkness itself. a walking horror story with the ability to wipe out dozens if he wished.

he came from a line of them — a line consisting of only his families blood.

“I can feel their ego wafting onto us from here,” wilbur whispered slightly, not wanting any of them to hear due to their nature to lash out at people they considered ‘lower’ than themselves.

“no kidding,” you looked around the area in wonder, before looking down to your hands — a map that the head cartographer had handed each and every one of you before you arrived at the camp, displayed your tent being directly where the grisha now stood. “wait… this is where my tent is supposed to be, is it not?” you spun slightly as if it would magically appear.

wilbur stopped your spinning, and guided you towards a different area of the base. “they moved our tents this way, in order for the grisha to have more room — as if the entire upper region of the base wasn’t enough for them,” he couldn't help but grumble out now that he was farther away from the gifted individuals, throwing one more glare before looking ahead once more.

you casted one more look over your shoulder as you followed beside him — one grisha catching your eye for a moment before she turned away. the purple of her uniform — something that they called a kefta, catching your eye instantly alongside the grey embroidering on it. she was a durast — someone who could manipulate things such as steel and glass.

as much as grisha were dangerous and cold — they had a knack for looking their best at every waking moment, with a style that could kill. quite literally.

—

many of the first army stood shoulder to shoulder as they were awaiting orders — the general standing overhead with a paper in hand that no doubt held the list of names of the unfortunate people that would be ushered onto the skiff that would cross the fold.

wringing your hands nervously, you waited for your name or wilburs to be called, hoping and praying to any saint that would bother to listen. wilbur dug his elbow into your shoulder lightly, drawing your attention to him. “we’re among the youngest batch of the first army — we’re in the clear,” he spoke his words with such certainty. but as much as you wanted to believe him, you couldn't.

“I don’t know… I have a weird feeling, wil,” you gave him a serious look, only to be brushed off with a roll of his eyes. “I’m serious — somethings not right.”

wilbur brought a hand to your forehead, feeling for any sign of heat that could indicate sickness, before lowering it slowly and leaning it. “maybe you should rest — I think all those waffles you’ve eaten are making you fall ill,” while his joke was lighthearted, you couldn't help but sigh.

sigh over the fact that he didn’t believe you in the slightest, and sighing at the fact that you haven’t had a full meal, let alone waffles, in over five years — merely table scraps left over from the grisha’s wonderful and elegant meals they were served daily.

“attention soldiers! tomorrow is the first journey through the fold of this season, and we are taking volunteers!” the room laughed at that, the general included — no one sought out to enter the fold — you were selected and that was final. “knowing that none of you will volunteer however, I have taken it upon myself to select a group of you that will accompany the second army across the fold.”

the first army was full of people like you and wilbur — mapmakers, trackers, and ordinary soldiers that could barely hold their own in a fight. mere children when they entered the army, chosen based on how healthy they were. if you could walk, talk, and breathe normally — you were selected.

the second army however, is what the battles were one with — with grisha only ranks, they dominated against the fjerdans and the shu, two nations that had it out for ravka.

no one could bring themselves to laugh this time around — all too weary and nervous to crack a joke.

“entering the fold tomorrow will be… malyen oretsev, atlas cooper, wilbur soot...” you turned to wilbur in horror. “please come to the docks at 1600 for deployment. that will be all soldiers,” the general stepped down from the stage, leaving a room full of shocked, scared, and relieved soldiers.

he tried to put on a strong face for you, but you could see through it as if it were glass. the man that he was today had retreated into the scared and small boy who could never fight for himself. “wil…” you could only whisper tearfully, knowing full well that this moment could be the last time you’d ever see him.

wilbur slapped on the best smile he could in the situation, and pulled your into a hug. “I’m going to be okay, you hear me? if not you can kick my ass,” he laughed lightly in your ear, not able to hide the way his voice shook.

“I can’t kick your ass if you're hurt,” your mind searched for some way that you could fix this — perhaps it was a mistake? or maybe he could get out of it through faking an injury or a sickness. “what if I shot you in the foot?”

“you have a terrible aim.”

“if it means you stay, wouldn’t you take the chance?”

“I have to go.”

“wil-”

“Y/N,” he gave you a look — a look that you had given him minutes before. “I have to go — I have orders to, you know that.”

an order was an order. there was no way out. no amount of arguing, begging, or offering could buy your way out of doing something no matter what your case was, or what the order was. wilbur swore to follow orders at the beginning of his first army career, much like you had.

“I promise you I’ll come back to you.”

“you better,” your head lowered to his chest once more, basking in the warmth one more time before you had to let him go.

if there was really anything as saints, you prayed for them to watch over him.

he had to come back.

because you didn’t know what you would do if he didn’t.

— word bank

grisha [gree - shah] — unique individuals who have abilities

ravka — a country in the books of shadow and bone

corporalki [core - pour - ral - kee] — an order in the grisha

materialki [mat - eire - al - kee] — an order in the grisha

etherialki [ether - ree - al - kee] — an order in the grisha

fjerdan [fee - yair - den] — the ethnicity of fjerda residents

shu [shoo] — the ethnicity of shu-han residents

[austennerdita2533]

Yes! I had heard about the spin off about their kids it’s on my tbr! Not sure when I’ll get around to it but I’ll get there eventually. But ooh their other series sounds interesting too I’ll put it on my tbr too!! But that’s exactly why I loved Coballoway too (plus I’m also similar to Rose so their love story felt more personal that way)

Yay!! I’m glad the atlas six interested you, I hope you like it when you get to it I’m really loving it so far! I can already tell there is at least one ship I’m going to love it just hits all of my favorite tropes/things I enjoy. But the magic system is so cool and they are all so powerful.

Also glad you want to know about my reading too! I will keep you updated I have some books/series I really want to read but I try to be good and not read more than 2/3 at a time (and not buy anymore till I’m finished). Right now I’m also working through the throne of glass series which might take me awhile but I’m enjoying that too! Right now the books up next on my list are: Ugly Love, The Ravenhood Series, The Hating Game, Zodiac Academy, and Twisted Games (it’s the second book in a series that come out this month I loved Twisted Love by Ana Huang-highly recommend it if you love grumpy/sunshine and brother’s best friend tropes plus the twists were amazing-this one is a different couple but I’m excited!!)

Also! Don’t think I mentioned it yet maybe I did but I also read the Folk Air Series that you recommended! It took me a little while to get into but I ended up really loving it and Jurdan. I loved loved loved Jude and how power hungry she was and how Cardan was just obsessed with her. Their relationship build up was so good too.

All the best!!

-ACOTAR Anon

I keep meaning to get around to the Like Us series myself but I haven't managed it yet. It's been sitting on my tbr (and my Kindle) for a good couple of years now. 🤦🏼‍♀️ I know I'll read it eventually...but when eventually will be is anybody's guess.

(This is a good commentary on my reading life in general, I think. It's impossible to keep up with everything!)

The Atlas Six is pretty fascinating so far! I'm only about 25% into it but the magical world building is unique and I like how the narrative switches between the different POV's. Usually I don't care for more than 3 or 4 alternating perspectives in books because it makes it harder for me to invest in the characters, since I don't have as much time with them, but it works exceedingly well in this one. Helps to preserve the mystery of Atlas early on. And also allows readers to see how different all of the characters are in magical skill, background, personality, etc. I can't wait to see what unfolds!

I'm also currently reading Anxious People by Frederik Backman. I don't know if you've read anything by him before but he's such a good storyteller. Grabs you by the hearstrings. He's funny as hell, too. I've loved everything I've picked up from him so far. He has a knack for crafting beautifully flawed relatable complex characters. And this book is no exception. It might end up being a 5-star read for me, which is rare.

The next books on your to-read list sound fantastic, btw! Some I have read already or have them snuggled on one of my many wishlists. Like the Zodiac Academy and the Ravenhood series. And The Hating Game is one of my contemporary romance obsessions. It's just so enemies-to-lovers charged and fun. That book is packed full of a bunch tropes I adore. I've already read it twice and will likely revisit it again in the future. Thanks for mentioning Ugly Love (I need to get off my butt and read Colleen Hoover) and Twisted Love because those are definitely right up my alley. Grumpy/sunshine is one of my favorite romance tropes. I live for it!

And yayyy! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed The Folk of the Air! It does take a bit to settle into the world of that story, as well as to become engrossed in the characters, but once you do, it's full speed ahead. Jude is such a badass. I love that she's ambitious to the point she's willing to take people out/down to get what she wants. Her fraught relationship with Madoc is fascinating to me as well. And Jurdan is just such a delicious ship. I love it so much. It's true enemies-to-lovers excellence. They have so many quotable lines!

I'm excited because Holly Black has a new adult fantasy series coming out next year, in 2022. It's called Book of Night and the premise sounds cool as hell. I've already been stalking NetGalley in the hopes that I have a chance at first dibs on an ARC lolol.

Also, if you can find self-restraint enough not to buy any more books until you've read most of the ones you have then I salute you! I try oh, so hard to enact this rule upon myself...but it never works. Like ever. 😂

It's my own fault, really. I get daily emails/alerts from Kindle, BookBubs, etc. letting me know about titles that are on sale for less than $5, and when they're that cheap, I can't seem to justify NOT buying a whole hoard of them even though I know they're more than likely to remain unread for a long, loooong time to come. Better than paying full price, though. Right?

If you haven't email subscribed to any of these sites, and you're looking to save some cash on audio or e-books specifically, you should. I'd spend a whole ass fortune on books if I didn't use them. (I check out a lot of books from the library, too.) I dropped the links to some of the ones I use in case you or anyone else who reads this is interested and doesn't know about them:

Book Bubs (you can set preferences/alerts based on your favorite books, genres, authors; you can rate stuff and curate your own wishlist too)

Early Bird Books (I use this one a lot to find classics that are on sale/free)

Book Riot (this site has a lot of book sweepstakes you can enter for a chance to win gift cards to Barnes & Noble, Book Depository etc.)

Kindle Book Deals (there are tons of deals offered daily, weekly monthly; I'm not a Kindle Unlimited member but there's that option, too)

NewInBooks (new releases; has links for Kindle, Apple, Audio, and hardcover)

Anyway take care, sweets, and happy reading! 💜

[wyrdify]

@alchemic-elric​ asked: ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤  (I think that's enough for all your babies)

Love the Muses! | Currently accepting.

Let’s see if I can pick something brief enough for all of them and not ramble on for days.

Ahsoka: Once she has both of her lightsabers, I just fell in love with her fighting style. It was so unique compared to the other Force users.

Asami: Our introduction to her in Legend of Korra was wonderful. Like, she is this genuinely nice and beautiful character. And she wasn’t reduced to being a vapid ex-love interest!

Aqua: She is so incredibly graceful when she fights. I honestly loved her fighting style the most out of the Wayfinder Trio.

Korra: I really like how AtLA/LoK showed these amazing benders struggling to learn a specific element. With Korra being a waterbender, one might think “Oh, she’d struggle with fire.” NOPE. I loved watching her learn airbending and come to terms with a different side of herself.

Roy: How much of an actor this man can be. Seriously, he even has Major General Armstrong buying into his charade. He’s just this young, selfish, slacking, womanizer punk to everyone around him. A+ acting skills. Should definitely consider a career in film and/or theater.

Runa: One of the first scenes we get of her is her just listening to music on headphones while she’s working and moving around the library. She is shown to genuinely enjoy her work all while taking it seriously. Honestly, she’s life goals for me.

Vanitas: I have a weakness for sassy villains. This kid walks on screen with his mask, and he’s tiny. He is this tiny little gremlin full of sass who will talk back to everyone. Ven? Yep, he’ll be a little shit with his brother. Aqua? He’s there to call her out. Terra? Whoo boy does he love to mess with him? Master Xehanort, his teacher and someone who’s more powerful than him? Vanitas was born without any fucks to give.

[queenofpurgatoryx]

Can you explain the appeal of Atlab? Like genuinely I’m not saying that to be mean or anything I guess I just don’t get the reason for the universal love of it? I started watching it a few days ago for the first time and I’m a few episodes in and it kinda just seems like a kid show to me? Do you need to go into it with a certain sort of nostalgia? Again, not trying to make fun of it or anything I’m just curious :)

first of all, thank you for giving me a reason to talk about atla, i always want to talk about it.

to be honest, i can't tell you what would i feel if i had watched it for the first time when i was in my twenties. nostalgia might play a part in it but i still like shows like adventure time and gumball that are for kids but just a little deep enough that i can also enjoy :) so maybe its preference.

don't be fooled, atla is a kid's show at heart from start to finish. HOWEVER, it is unique because it also includes heavy topics, it just does it while being suitable for kids. i think that's why kids loves it and adults enjoy it too. its a show about war in its core, it talks about death and it does not have clear lines between the good people and the bad people. (you will see that the evil fire lord's evil son is loved by everyone because he has one of the best arcs ever! not just for a kid's show, geniunely awesome! it makes you route for some people that should've been evil. it also shows characters who's lives were destroyed by fire nation to the point they became cruel. you have sympathy for them but you see that they are in the wrong.)

and i can see that it might get time to get into it because personally, s1 is my least favorite. i love the show in its entirety but one of my favorite characters come in s2 and it gets deeper as the seasons go on. maybe its not for you but probably you should give it a bit more of a chance!

yes its light hearted and silly. at the same time, it has very interesting concepts about bending, how war can damage everyone included, how power can curropt people and how it might not, the visuals are amazing (seriously, the details about different nations: their clothes, culture, architecture and bending styles, different fighting skills!), the relationship between the characters are very touching and believable. i geniunely cried a few times while i did a rewatch in my twenties a few months ago. (iroh and appa always get to me...)

its a kid's show but it does not think kid's are incapbale of understanding complex emotions and concepts. it treats it's characters with respect, the writing is consistent and the world created by this show is very promising... i just loved this show when i was 11, i'm 21 and i still love it endlessly.

[fallingin-like]

november 1

atlas by @purearcticfire / @pipedream-truths 

see which other fics i’m reviewing this month! / my review request post!

a magic au that features shapeshifters and a cursed neil, so immediately you know i’ll like it. this fic has some cool uses of italics, caps, spacing, etc. that creates a stylized story that helps build tone and gives the story a clearer voice. this was such a fun read and it gets very intense. this fic is incomplete.

[also! this review is formatted differently than all the rest, my apologies if it’s a bit harder to read]

okay so i really can’t review this fic without talking about the petty races. the rookie’s foot race is just so perfect for neil, of course he’d be obsessed with them. i think it was also an amazing introduction to this universe, and how different people can use their powers in different ways, the existence of potions, half transformations, what the transformations look like for different people. it’s such a fascinating was to learn and see how neil uses all these things in his strategy to win. we see that pegasi exist?? i’m so interested in learning all the intricacies of the creatures and magic in this universe. i really like shapeshifter!au’s, probably because i really want to be able to shapeshift.

i love reading about neil during these foot races, i feel so invested in his success, i’m excited when i see that he’s about to win, and heartbroken when he doesn’t. you are so good at conveying his experience during that second race. the way you write when neil is disoriented confuses me too, i’m lost in the orange and memories, and then of course, the curse. one of my favourite parts of this fic is the repetition of ‘blood of years, blood of tears, blood of fears’ etc. ugh it’s just so good, gives me chills. the curse causing his old wounds to reopen, the black blood to seep everywhere, the loss of movement in some of his limbs, it’s all so ominous and mysterious. i also like the way that you combine canon events with your fic, how neil meets hernandez and how that introduces him to the foxes. it’s so fluid and natural. the hatford grimoire is really cool too and i love that nobody else will be able to read it. makes me worry less for future neil’s privacy haha

the concept of being inside neil’s magic is so unique, seeing the bonds that he shares, how he mourns the bond with his mother. one of the things that has stuck with me the most about this whole fic is the forest that is introduced, with all of his bonds to the animals he can shift into, wow. i’ll get into this more when i get to that part of the fic.

although this fic is, for the most part serious, i admire your ability to lighten the tone. it makes it seem more realistic. the easy camaraderie between hernandez and neil like when he says ‘if i ever need a team of getaway drivers, i’ll know who to call first.’ and of course we get a glimpse of Neil Bad Ideas Josten when he says ‘he could just… run another race’

i really enjoy reading from andrew’s perspective, so it’s great that this fic does a mix of both neil and andrew povs. wymack having fire powers that correspond to his tattoos? oh yeah. the scene where kevin is first introduced is so well written, detailed but still able to convey the panic and quick decisions being made. and of course, neil’s race. it feels so typically neil to enter the race and actually win it, almost without the use of magic. and the consequences of the magic he does do is scares me everytime. i can imagine the black blood so vividly, imagine neil stubbornly not accepting the temporary paralysis of his legs. i can’t help but think, he must be so scared under all of that. the unknown of this curse, being trapped with unfamiliar people, the loss of his mother.

andrew and renee’s relationship is always an interesting one. i liked the way you used it, to introduce the characters and also establish the tone of these foxes. i thought it was super cute that the two of them ended up building tiny matchstick houses (and also it makes me really want to build a tiny matchstick house). it seems like such an andrew tactic to use horse tranquilizer. like boy, you’re wondering why neil has built up immunity to horse tranquilizer (which is fair and also hilarious),and i’m over here wondering why you guys are carrying around horse tranquilizer in the first place.

the concept of wymack’s key is really cool to me, it helps demonstrate what magic is capable of in this universe and also who wymack is. it being a sigil that can be transferred to any vessel? ahh i love it, and you know that this will be important later in the story. there’s so much anticipation to hear that neil is going to run for the foxes, i feel like that’s kind of a given, but it doesn’t make it any less exciting to see what’s in store for the team and what different events are offered at these competitions. i like the way you describe the shadows and that they’re alive and should be respected. also what in the world the annex is so cool, i am always interested in hearing about buildings with magical space that expands/contracts. is the building sentient? or do people have to use magic to expand it? neil’s thoughts in this annex are such a great addition to this chapter. ‘but this shop the annex-it’s a place to rest. that knowledge was a knife scraping against his ribs. his heartstrings tangled in a knot of want and need and he had no idea how much he would lose if he snipped it clean. when he cut and run… he should be scared of what lies behind that secret door. instead he paces in the back room, scared he won’t ever get to see it again.’ i love that imagery about the knife, i know how that feels. to do the thing that you know is self destructive because you want so bad. and in the midst of his inner turmoil, we have andrew, who breaks neil free of this. 

have you ever read ‘the rithmatist’ by brandon sanderson? it’s a really interesting book (i think it’s a series but i only read the first one) and the arimathean circle and every mention of runes reminds me of it. and we meet kevin! this first interaction between them is the best.

k-you still can’t do magic?

n-want to find out

k-andrew i thought you didnt break the curse

a-i didn’t

k-so you can’t do magic

n-fight me

I LOVE THIS. also: rosemary (love how it is repeated throughout the fic. it was something i really remembered and enjoyed. does that work irl too? bc goodness knows i need help w/ fatigue) and of course, ‘i’m training with kevin’, ‘for how long?’, ‘neil blanks his face. “til i’m the best”’ haha these boys. and then neil just goes and injures himself as much as possible in the arena. an homage to him blowing out his arms trying to score against andrew? or just neil being himself and not understanding that sometimes you need to stop.

renee being a bloodbender?? so perfect. it also reminds me of gluupor’s fic “no mourners, no funerals” where she was a heartrender. these powers fit renee so well, with the ability to do so much bad and so much good. ‘one more thing. are your parents still alive?’ i’ve read this fic twice now (on my third time) and each time this makes me start to sweat. because at this point we don’t really know what’s going on with nathan?? is he actually dead or has he convinced himself that he is dead and is secretly alive. i like the way that you had andrew dig through neil’s stuff while he was sleeping. sometimes i can find the way the author is writing their fic makes it hard for me to believe that he would leave his duffel alone. andrew being one-upped by neil’s gun? totally unexpected but it’s one of the only believable ways that this version of andrew would leave neil alone i think. this scar reveal was really good too, it adds suspense to the curse and i just really like when neil shows his scars off i guess.

columbia time! sometimes i can forget that neil doesn’t know the rest of the foxes and i really like his reaction to meeting aaron. he’s immediately concerned and i’m immediately interested in the existence of a face changer. faeries!! i really like that eden’s is faerie land, where it’s always twilight and it’s the perfect setting for the Interrogation that we all know is to come. also what in the world andrew and aaron just make a truth serum in like 0.2 seconds?? wild times. and, of course, neil shifts into a cat, both to escape this situation and to be dramatic. i am wondering though, why has he avoided shifting up until this point? is it because they think this may cause the curse to get worse? oh dang wait is it because the rest of the foxes don’t know he’s a shifter yet? also what’s with the time between aaron and andrew? what do they do during this time?

great scene with wymack and andrew. they have such a unique relationship, wymack is likely the first adult that andrew has trusted. and he’s trusted him with a lot. wymack has given andrew a place to be, a team to compete with, a job, and a family. the two of them are both just trying to keep the people they love safe and i think that’s part of why they understand each other.

wow something i love in general, not just in fics or as part of this fandom, is capable characters. it gets me so excited to hear how skilled neil is in his shifting. when we are in his perspective, it’s such an ordinary thing for him, he just shifts and that’s it. for andrew to say that neil’s shifting is like artistry? i’m so far gone right now. 

THIS NEXT PART IS ONE OF MY FAVOURITE PARTS!! first, love the idea of astral projections, it’s such a smart way to do this. but the best best part of this scene is when neil gets his chance to yell at kevin. i can’t imagine how much fun this must have been to write. and then we have neil, paying the price for using his magic to help kevin. i can’t read fast enough as andrew tries to find a way to get through the circle before neil drowns in his blood. are you kidding me, following such a lighthearted scene by breaking my heart. this is the definition of hurt/comfort, i think. we have the boys playing around, then almost losing neil, and we get to experience neil’s magic greeting andrew. ‘hello rock, for it knows him as the rock the curse breaks against.’ what a beautiful sentence. and andrew, leaving himself vulnerable to the world, does his best to help neil. ‘just andrew, breaking curses and breaking himself in the process.’ ahh you have such a way with words. it seems so simple. it’s so easy to read and it seems like it was so easy to write. like the words just flowed out of you and to me. all the imagery of the grove of neil’s magic is so wonderful, the wisps and bonds, and rock. it’s so interesting seeing this other side of the curse’s destruction. we learn more about andrew too, about his connection to curses, ‘maybe a curse isn’t so different from me, the world determined to break the both of us.’ oh my goodness andrew. also! i always forget that neil has his true appearance hidden!! bless the reveal of how he’s somehow even more attractive than we thought before. ‘neil rolls his eyes so hard he topples over’ i have this sentence bookmarked (i have the fic downloaded so i can read it offline) because i love this so much haha. 

okay so i knew that andrew had no magic because i’ve read this fic before, but the first time i did i was blown away! wymack’s fire whiskey is so cool! i’d be so interested in hearing if other people can do that with their powers. can andrew drink whiskey with renee’s magic and be able to do blood magic? 

this chapter has race day! i think one of the best things that you do with this fic is how well you explain the universe. you describe the magic without just telling us what it’s like, just letting readers experience it for themselves and learn new things as the story progresses. you don’t do this when explaining the relay. (and that’s a good thing) you are clear on how the rules work, on what the objectives of each team, and position is, who will be doing what, and how the game is won. by getting this out of the way, it allows the readers to really focus on what’s actually happening, and not trying to understand what everyone is doing. i am easily confused, but the relay was so clear that i didn’t have any trouble understanding. at the same time, you did it in a way that wasn’t boring. i’m so glad, because the relay was so entertaining. i was so invested, what an intense game, especially with so many players that are simultaneously doing different tasks. it’s different from exy, where the main focus is on where the ball is. you did a really great job with this part!!

renee and andrew’s text conversation was really cute~ and then you go and destroy me with the andrew/lola confrontation. hhhh i can’t describe how i felt reading this section of this chapter other than just asldjflaskd. bless andrew for his arimathean circle, i’m glad someone around here is using their brain because whAT IN THE WORLD NEIL YOU JUST GO WITH RIKO AND TURN INTO A RAVEN AND THEN USE YOUR MAGIC AND PASS OUT. everything is so wild and so crazy and then to end the chapter you have something funny??? i don’t understand how you can be so good at writing to do this?? i just absolutely adore neil’s texts. something about the lowercase, the lack of punctuation, and just his nonchalance about the whole situation. i really cannot believe that you were able to tie up this crazy amazing chapter so perfectly. 

the beginning of the final chapter dives right in immediately. i always like when fics have neil having nightmares while in the car, of course he does. it seems likely to me that he associates falling asleep in the car with his time on the run, and his body can’t help but fall back into the panic mode that it must have been stuck in for years. and yet now, andrew being hurt is one of his biggest fears, it shows the evolution of the relationship with him. and ugh i love the end of this scene, andrew’s fear is shown, even if you never directly describe it.

this next part is a shifting point in the fic too, when we see how strong the bond between andrew and neil is, when they share what has happened to them, when we learn that when neil shifts it stops the curse. also maybe i’m just going a little crazy from such a long review, but i don’t understand what happens when neil and bee introduce themselves? why does andrew laugh?? but man i love the death humour that you incorporate so seamlessly. deadline?? the best is that it’s wymack and he didn’t even mean it!! 

rosemary rosemary!! sooo cute. i also like the formatting for neil doing the meditating thing with bee, the new lines are so nice. it makes the words seem quieter? somehow it sets the tone better.

okay so any time before where i said that it was my favourite part? i was wrong. because neil shifting into all these animals? it’s probably my favourite part of this whole fic. the mannerisms he adopts while a different animal are really interesting to read about. i especially liked all the times when he sank too deep into the skin. with the crow, being distracted by something shiny, processing humanspeak, fully taking on the mind of a crow. bolting as a wolf. you also take this opportunity and have a lot of fun with it, which makes it fun to read. neil being a chihuahua? adorable. a ferret? cute! i feel like i remember him being a goat but now i can’t find if that actually happened. and the mentions of neil being a moose or zebra or cow oh my goodness haha i love it! cat!neil is something that makes me feel so soft. (also reminds me of idnis’ fic curiousity killed the cat. which i adore) i think that being a cat would be really fun. and oh, to hear that the curse still affects neil in his different skins. “andrew andrew you’re the only person i want to be around when i’m in pain the person i always want to be around’ i can’t even describe how this makes me feel. i love that you don’t have punctuation, it fits how i would think bond communication works. i read this and i get achy, it’s so much and i want so bad.

another thing that i remembered liking so clearly were the little bits that you have in all caps. they are perfect breaks in the chapter that feel kind of like a warning. you know something bad is coming. maybe you’re going to explain it in the last chapter what it is? it is obviously some sort of conversation. something found in the hatford grimoire? oh my goodness i totally forgot that we haven’t had much use of it, that must be something that’s going to be brought up again. ahhh. WAIT A SECOND IS IT TO GET US READY FOR THE FACT THAT NEIL’S BONDS WITH ALL THE ANIMALS HE CAN SHIFT INTO ARE GOING TO SACRIFICE THEMSELVES. oh hold on anothER second is it conversation between kevin and neil when they were training? ahhhHHh

the whole showdown is so intense and so fast and so well written i don’t know what else to say.

‘renee eviscerates her.’ - do i even need to comment on why i love this so much? it’s one of my bookmarks. i don’t have any notes, just the quote. 

i’ve reached the end of what’s posted right now. i’m glad that there’s still an update to come, although i accepted that this was the end of the fic (when i first read it i had believed that the fifth chapter was meant so that you could insert the art that corresponds to this fic)

as you can tell, there was so much i enjoyed about this fic. there’s something about the way that you write that is so simple. i don’t have to try when reading. it doesn’t feel like i’m reading, i’m just following the story. it’s also such a well developed universe and i’m really impressed by how you were able to incorporate all of the magical aspects into the plot and explain everything so clearly without it being too obvious. this fic was funny at all the right times, and yet had angst like woahhh. you maintained a great balance between lighthearted scenes, seriousness, relationship/character development, and plot. i get so lost in reading this fic that time passes so quickly.

i really hope that more people find this fic, i think it’s such a shame that it doesn’t seem to be as appreciated as it should be. you can tell it’s something special though, with so many people bookmarking it. thank you so so much for writing this fic and choosing to share it with the fandom! i am so excited that there is another chapter for this, i’m sure that it’s amazing, regardless of how you think it seems. 

[rihwooby]

Salem, Willow, Whitley

Salem

First impression: I thought she was scary

Impression now: Still think she’s scary but also kinda cool and I emphasise with who she used to be

Favourite moment: When she kinda United the world against the gods, even if things didn’t turn out so well and her motivations weren’t great, it was kinda cool. It’s interesting how if she wanted to she could probably be an amazing world peace ambassador

Story idea: Salem’s a terrible mother figure but I love the mommy Salem AUs where WTCH are all kids and she’s their mom so probably something with that. Maybe Salem taking her kiddies on a road trip

Unpopular opinion: She was abusive to Ozma and parallels Adam (Ozma parallels Blake)

Favourite relationship: Her relationship with Ozma before everything went to shit

Favourite headcanon: She has actually learnt a lot of skills and trades just bc she had the time

Willow

First impression: I love her

Impression now: I still love her

Favourite moment: When she said “Good” to weiss

Story idea: Willow falls in love with a cute Faunus waitress and kicks Jacques to the curb

Unpopular opinion: She loves her children and is a good person. She deserves better.

Favourite relationship: I like Frostbird (Raven x Willow)

Favourite headcanon: her upbringing was actually pretty humble and she actually grew up in mantle

Whitley

First impression: he’s pretty annoying, reminds me of my brother

Impression now: baby. I love him.

Favourite moment: when he got covered in wine

Story Idea: whitley unlocks his semblance but it’s actually something unique from the other schnees

Unpopular opinion: this isn’t so unpopular now but whitley doesn’t need a redemption arc, some self improvement would be nice but he hasn’t really done anything wrong aside from be rude to his sister

Favourite relationship: shipping wise I like RichFarmers but otherwise, I like the idea of whitley and Weiss growing closer and actually showing each other love and affection

Favourite headcanon: he also wanted bunk beds as a kid but Jacques thought it would be ridiculous for weiss and whitley to share a room when there was plenty bedrooms in the manor. He almost entertained the idea of going to atlas academy just bc he heard they have bunk beds.

[arakhiin]

Skyrim Romance Review

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, took the world by storm in 2011 with its free-roam method, legendary music, and dynamic environment; the game did pretty well despite being released in the same year as Batman: Arkham City, Portal 2, Dark Souls, and Deus Ex: Human Revolution; titles that are critically acclaimed and far superior in graphics, animation, and gameplay compared to the most recent Elder Scroll installment. Less than a couple of months after its release, Bethesda introduced the Creation Kit which allowed players to modify the game to their liking.

The Skyrim community has never been more alive with the accumulation of talented writers, programmers, modders, and designers; banding together to create free AND high quality content that enhances the user experience on the game. SKSE, RaceMenu, SkyUI, patches, and FNIS are essential mods to download as most aesthetic and immersion-enhancing mods support them, some would even require SexLab that can be downloaded from a separate site (Loverslab.com). One of the most downloaded mod of Skyrim is ‘Alternate Start – Live Another Life’ where the long introduction of Skyrim is replaced by the Racemenu, and the player beginning at a locked cell where they have to approach a medium-sized Mara statue to choose their origin story. ENBs may not be the most downloaded mod, but, everyone who has downloaded one can agree that it can improve people’s Skyrim experience, why not many people download ENBs is due to the complexity of having to download a third-party application, and altering the SkyrimPrefs folder, unlike the RealVision ENB where you simply have to download via NMM or Mod Organizer and voila. There are many impressive and large quest mods such as Bruma and Enderal that completely changes Skyrim, and there are the fair-sized quest mods such as Helgen Reborn and it is equally as amazing. The Skyrim modding community is also famous for unique custom-voiced followers, some hot and some that looks badass, most of these follower mods have personal quests that allows the player to better understand the characters like Inigo and Vilja. In 2014, a small team of ambitious Skyrim modders decides to create Skyrim’s largest follower mod focusing on character development and romance.

Despite having a marriage system in Skyrim, the game failed to deliver character and relationship developments between the player and NPC, a point in which the Skyrim Romance team focused on producing for this mod. Skyrim Romance has been founded by Mara (not the Skyrim Goddess Mara though), the newest (and  their biggest) update on the mod was on May 2017 called Skyrim Romance 3.0 where they fully released an upgraded Bishop: new voice actor, outfit; added three major NPCs, post-marriage content, post-Alduin content, animations, and much more! The mod’s target audience is Skyrim’s female community and therefore all 100 newly added NPCs of the mod refers to the Dragonborn as “she” and would cat-call or address your player as a feminine i.e. princess. The mod completes every female fantasy such as: going to a magnificent ball with a handsome knight/(in this case) Paladin who pays for the expensive ballgown of your choice, a handsome and flirty bard that dedicates a song to you during his concert, and a ragged ranger who accompanies you which is the biggest mistake of his life due to the never-ending jealousy, and torment of not being able to bed your sexy ass-that is until after you’ve visited at least three main town and she finally agrees. The mod requires (like many major mods) SKSE, SkyUI, FNIS, Racemenu, SexLab, plus Realistic Ragdolls with Force, XP32 (mainly for physics and skeleton), Shape Atlas for Men/Schlongs of Skyrim, and UNP/CBBE (the last two are mainly for better experience of SexLab).  There are sex options in the mod, however the player can simply turn Bishop down if they do not want to participate. There are always three choices for the player when responding to the characters of Skyrim Romance, this is to allow the player freedom to create the personality of their character and see how Bishop reacts to a sarcastic, nice or flirty Dragonborn.

To begin the mod, the player must meet Bishop outside the Sleeping Giant Inn at Riverwood and accept his request to help him find his companion, Karnwyr, a beautiful brown wolf with custom textures. The player can flirt, ask questions, speak, trade items, and disband with Bishop, however, the player cannot ask him to do something because it is against his nature. To progress the mod, the player must speak to Bishop recurrently and trigger events found in different cities of Skyrim. The player can show interest but not pursue romance of any npc from the mod except for Bishop. Over the course of your journey, Bishop realizes his growing feelings and tries to deny it though eventually he lets his lust for the player trickle out: complimenting her, kissing her, sleeping with her; eventually he admits that he “love[s] you”, and he wants something more than casual sex. On the 3.0 update, Bishop marries the Dragonborn and has a child with her, Bishop is still recruitable but the son, Julian (named after someone dear to him) is not. To prevent incompatibilities and problems in the marriage system, the mod does not replace the player’s current spouse (if they had one) or force the player to kill or divorce their spouse, instead it has a new NPC to wed the two characters in a private wedding ceremony at a chosen custom location completed with a bittersweet atmosphere, and sweet music. Upon having a child, the player can watch Bishop bond with the son through short cutscenes, the player can interact with the kid such as speaking to him, asking him questions, or getting him to go to bed. Outside the mod, Bishop reacts when the player leaves to defeat Alduin, you can find him back at the Sleeping Giant Inn after the quest where he will drunkenly patronize you. The following paragraph will contain spoilers on the mod.

Bishop is a rugged ranger who travels only with his trusty wolf. Not much is known about him except that he is sharp-mouthed, handsome, charismatic, and over-powered with the bow and dagger. Trust comes hard to the ranger considering that he grew up surviving for himself and his siblings with no support from his parents. He stole a dagger-the one he currently uses- when he was a kid, joined banditry, made trouble for a renowned Paladin, and crossed paths with a sadistic band led by Thorne -who you later stumble upon in a dungeon near Falkreath-. Upon marriage, he reveals that his parents cared little for his siblings and him, his father going as far as sleeping with one of his brother’s (Jack) fiancé then murdering the him after he tried to duel the father. Bishop trained so once he was 17 he avenged Jack along with the help of his half-brother, Jules; freeing himself and his nine siblings-who were none too pleased- Jules was the only one that truly followed Bishop away from the nightmare and stayed with him. The two brothers lived a life in poverty, they developed their charisma-which you’ll be able to observe when he barters for a room at whiterun- through days and days of bartering for food and money, used their skills in battle to become mercenaries and eventually banditry. One fateful day, Jules betrayed Bishop and their bandit group for the sake of his own family, unfortunately, it was too late that by the time Bishop realized his brother’s intention…he was gone, killed by the bandits, killed by him. The only memento of Jules that Bishop had was the wolf ring that he made; and when Bishop parted with it to the player, it’s a symbol of a new beginning for him.

There’s more to Bishop than meets the eye, he’s your typical Coodere guy; at first he is cold and distant, later he tries to act cool and rebellious, just to impress you. He does not understand the purpose of helping other people and ticks him off whenever you attempt to do pointless quests such as killing random npcs, or fetching heirlooms, this leads to him trying to seduce you into leaving Skyrim with him just to avoid the War and your fate as Dragonborn. Bishop is not just another Batman, he has his flaws such as being a terrible drunk, openly-jealous, always picks a fight, and has “Florence” for his middle name. To you he can be your knight in shining armour, your guy next door, your best friend, your guardian, he can be the light when you are at your darkest pit of loneliness and depression, he can be who you need him to be. But think what he can be to your child, a loving father who is willing to provide everything for his kid even if he has nothing, he spends his free days at home nurturing your child, he would make sure that he grows up to be modest, strong, smart, generous, and better than himself. That is who Bishop is, because he would never wish upon anyone to experience what he had when he was a kid, a childhood devoid of happiness, and surrounded only by the harsh realities that life would ever offer.

For the last three years, the Skyrim Romance community have grown to thousands of active followers on their website (SkyrimRomance.com) creating amazing stories, beautiful screenshots, and artworks. With Skyrim Romance finally fully released, the following updates related to the mod are simply bug fixes, the team announces a long-time planned mod that centres one of the major NPCs in the Skyrim Romance mod, Cael, a young forsworn man and the chief’s son. The mod, called Forbidden Love, is currently in the works with the team looking for extra helping hands in writing, voice acting, art, animation, video editing, and textures. The SR team aims for the Forbidden Love mod to be “five times larger” than Skyrim Romance, with new enemies, music, locations, armour, and races being announced in the span of 2 weeks. If you prefer the knight, another team has taken upon themselves to join the Skyrim Romance community to work on a Casavir Romance mod which is currently on 50% completion, they are also looking for volunteers for graphics art and voice actors. With Skyrim Romance’s success, the team pushes on with greater motivation and innovation to expand the world of Bishop and Skyrim Romance, there is no doubt that the future of Skyrim Romance will strive.

Skyrim Romance mod website|Join the fantastic community!

[neoglows]

Kpop squad as Avatar: The Last Airbender

Also known as “My bitches as Avatar: The Last Airbender”.

If you haven’t seen it, it’s on Netflix, it’s amazing, go watch it or perish. If you have watched it, you’re perfect and I love you.

Okay, first things first. In the ATLA universe, the world is divided in 4 nations (fire, earth, air & water).

Some people are capable of “bending” one of the elements (controlling them). So there’s airbenders, waterbenders, earthbenders & firebenders.

One individual, the Avatar, is capable of bending all four elements and is responsible for maintaining harmony between the world's four nations.

There’s also people who can’t bend shit, which is the majority of people, but for the sake of our egos let’s pretend we would all be benders <3

Victoria

Earthbending

Earthbending, one of the four elemental bending arts, is the geokinetic ability to manipulate earth and rock in all their various forms.

The key to earthbending is utilizing neutral jing, which involves waiting and listening for the right moment to strike and, when that moment comes, acting decisively. In other words, earthbenders generally endure their enemies' attacks until the right opportunity to counterattack reveals itself.

Alternative skills

Kyoshi warrior fighting style. 

The Kyoshi Warriors are an order of female warriors named after Avatar Kyoshi, who founded them to protect her homeland, Kyoshi Island. Each village of the island had its own band of warriors.

Though their fighting style and clothing mimic those of Avatar Kyoshi, they seemingly did not implement any of the bending arts in their physical movements. They are clad in ornate, armored, green kimonos, metal headdresses, and white-faced makeup designed to intimidate opponents. The Kyoshi Warriors used metal fans as their main weapons like Avatar Kyoshi, but also implemented katanas and retractable shields.

Javi

Firebending

Firebending, one of the four elemental bending arts, is the pyrokinetic ability to control fire. It is unique among the bending arts, as it is the only one in which the performer can generate the element.

Fire is the element of power, consisting of overpowering force tempered by the unflinching will to accomplish tasks and desires. Firebending draws its power from the sun, and the first human firebenders derived their firebending techniques from the dragons.

Alternative skills

I think she would also have lightning generation skills.

Lightning generation is an advanced sub-skill within firebending that allows the user to produce lightning by separating the positive and negative energies internally, before directing it up through the arm and out the fingertips. The technique is extremely precise and deadly and is referred to by some as the "cold blooded fire".

Bárbara

Waterbending

Waterbending, one of the four elemental bending arts, is the hydrokinetic ability to control water in all of its various forms.

Water is the element of change. The moon is the source of power in waterbending, and the original waterbenders learned to bend by observing how the moon pushed and pulled the tides.  The fighting style of waterbending is mostly fluid and graceful, acting in concert with the environment.

Alternative skills

I think she would also have healing skills.

Healing is a sub-skill of waterbending that allows the bender to heal wounds; by using water as a catalyst, they can redirect energy paths around the body, concentrating more energy into a wounded area and allowing that area to heal at an accelerated rate

Nani

Airbending

Airbending, one of the four elemental bending arts, is the aerokinetic ability to control and manipulate air.

Air is the element of freedom. The Air Nomads detached themselves from worldly problems and concerns; finding peace and freedom was the key to solving their difficulties in life. Airbenders continually sought spiritual enlightenment, and, as a result, all children born into the Air Nomads were benders. The first airbenders learned their art from the flying bison.

Alternative skills

Chi blocking is an ancient technique that has been practiced in secret for centuries.Blocking someone's chi renders the victim's muscles useless and temporarily disables a bender's abilities. It is mainly used by nonbenders as a way of self-defense or even to attack.

Characters

Javi

Sokka

"That's all I got. It's pretty much my whole identity. Sokka, the meat and sarcasm guy." - katara’s brother

- he doesn’t have bending abilities but he’s the strategist of the group

- very sarcastic and very done with the bender’s shit, but still supportive

- always making bad puns, thinks he’s the funniest person in the world

- protects his loved ones to death 

- tragic love life

Vic

Zuko

"I used to think this scar marked me – the mark of the banished prince, cursed to chase the Avatar forever. But lately, I've realized I'm free to determine my own destiny, even if I'll never be free of my mark."

- the honor guy

- son of the fire lord, tried to be the bad guy in the 1st season but he was very bad at it

- seemed dark but actually he was just emo, having issues w his family and struggling with his identity

- kinda socially awkward but u can’t help but love him

- angsty, went trough a lot of emotional issues but it just provoked him to lash out and isolate himself bc he wouldn’t let himself be the emotional bitch he actually is

- turns out to be a huge softie, who asks random frogs for advice and just wants friendship & acceptance

Bárbara

The Cabbage Man

"My cabbages!"

Okay I’m kidding

Katara

"I will never, ever turn my back on people who need me!"

- the last waterbender of the southern water tribe, sokka’s sister

- squad mom, but she’s of a very protective nature in general and will literally aggresively fight for anyone she thinks deserves it even if it’s a fucking stranger she’s never seen before

- the term INTENSITA was created in her honor

- has a lot of love in her heart and wants to believe the best in people

- very compassionate, warm and caring but also powerful and kind of a badass

- lots of inner strenght & resilience

- not so good at making jokes or letting go of the past tho

Nani

Toph

“I am the greatest earthbender in the world! Don’t you two dunderheads ever forget it!”

- runnaway rich kid, blind earthbending master, literal fucking legend at the age of 12

- very stubborn and direct

- values her independence a lot and hates being treated like a weak little girl

- confrontational and a sarcastic little shit

- quite carefree and adventurous though

- shows affection trough teasing and/or hitting but she really does love and is there for her friends always

- loathes being told what to do & wearing shoes, loves uncle iroh so yes i relate to her stfu

Characters interactions

Vic & Javi

Javi & Bárbara

Nani & Vic

Vic & Bárbara

Nani & Javi

Bárbara & Nani

[redrobin-detective]

Have you ever done the batfam as benders in the Avatar world?

actually, @littleamericanduck and I threw around this AU for a while (Bren I still have those conversations in my inbox) which was great fun so I’ll just pull the basics from that. We kept everything the same: Gotham, the technology just… some people have bending.

Bruce- Non-bender but an expert fighter. I read an AMAZING ATLA fic where there was this fighter who was an expert in all 4 bending styles without any bending and that’s what I picture B as. He goes out and does the whole ‘justice things’ using all sorts of bending moves and other techniques without any ability. Still kick-ass and very frustrated with his crazy bending children. All the kids specialize in their area but are taught all styles but B.

Alfred- Bren and I talked about this, I was really taken by the idea of firebending Alfred. He was a warrior and a hotshot back in the day and was content to spend his days using his abilities to only light candles. But once he got drafted into Bruce’s war on crime, well old habits die hard. Taught B a lot of his moves and how to disarm benders. Helped Jason control his fire when he first came. A warm, gentle presence most of the time but the sparks fly when his family tries his very generous patience.

Dick- Everyone wants to say air but, to me, Dick has all the traits of a waterbender: calm but persistant, able to divert and adapt, both a calming presence and a cold storm so Dickie is a waterbender. Bruce had no idea what to do with this kid and his insane magic water (maybe the Grayson’s were a bending troupe? That’d be cool) so he trains him. An immensely skilled bender in costume, downplays his bending in public. Learned mostly from B but also trained with other masters. Also his escrima sticks are frozen ice sticks that he can use and bend and it’s hella cool just imagine.

Jason- firbender, no surprise. Used it harshly and dirtily as a child, never really took the time to master it or his emotions so his fire was imprecise and all over the place. Bruce and Alfie helped to tame the fire in him so it obeyed him and he became quite adept with it. Still too harsh for B’s tastes and a few too many criminals got nasty burns. Jay was burned and blown up in the warehouse which gave him seriously problems when he came back. He had a hard time conjuring his fire bc he kept seeing the fires that killed him. Spent years training in non-bending combat liek B to compensate so Red Hood was truly anoymous until he struck until instinctually with one of Alfred’s moves. Now that he’s closer in the fam, learning to be comfortable with his bending again and reign in his ever present temper which was only exacerbated by the Pit.

Babs- Non-bender like B, Dick used to look down on her for it but Barb quickly put the wtaerbender in his place. Basically everything is the same except she has to deal with water all over her apartment and singe marks on her walls and wind constantly in her face and dirt everywhere. She and B commiserate together.

Cass- I’m not sure, I’m tempted to say chi blocking non-bender again who was honed by Cain to be a fighting machine capable of taking down basically everyone but also i kind of like the idea of her being a waterbender too but, like Tim, was discouraged from using it. She later develops this ability with Dick but still doesn’t use it much, only when she feels comfortable. Either way, she’s a chi-blocker and will not hesitate to fuck up her brothers and temporarily paralyze them or take their bending. They fear her for this but also so much love and respect.

Tim- Hear me out, airbender Tim. Light hearted but a bit detached from the world, calm but hiding a tempest within, rather avoid and evade conflict, outthink rather than outfight. Airbenders are super rare, not found in families but just popping up out of nowhere in families. The Drakes are a prominant non-bending family and thought bending was “beneath” Tim so they didn’t register him. Hid his abilities out of shame for years, even from Bruce when he first became Robin. But he could only hide it so long before it came out. Bruce trained Tim then sent him off to prominant airbenders to teach him to love his bending. Not as flashy as the others, uses it precisely (lightly avoid attacks, push/pull things) but he is also capable of immense storms when prompted.

Steph- Earthbender hella, strong, stubborn and dependable. Because she’s a bender things vigilanting will be easy but Tim quickly proves her wrong. Still he takes the time to train her in what B taught him, secretly confides in his airbending abilities before anyone else. Despite being opposite elements, they get on super well complimenting each other’s movements. Studies bending on her own, takes classes and improves thanks to Tim’s help. B is still annoyed but eventually gives her better training as Robin. She’s still sloppy, doesn’t always take her abilities seriously but she’s always there to back people up, steady and immovable like the earth.

Dami- Also an earthbender. I can see the Al Ghul family being this intense earthbending dynasty, connected to the earth and desiring to spare it from modern society. Bruce again doesn’t know how to deal with this child with his abilities so he doesn’t. Dick steps up to the plate and mentors Damian. Dami had only know hard, unyielding earth but now gets to know cool waters and forgiving waves. Unconsciously adjusts his earthbending style with more waterbending techniques to create a unique, powerful style. Also bonds with Steph over being the only two earthbenders and part of his antagonism with Tim is the difference in the opposing elements.

It’s a fun AU, I still think my favorite part though is all the kids, one of each element like to band together and pretend someone is the avatar. One time they schemed together and made it look like Batman was bending all four elements and you bet at least 3 villains collapsed and crime went down to nothing for about a week. Jason is still laughing his ass off over it.

[timemachinegirl]

This time last year I waited with much anticipation for No Man’s Sky which eventually released August 9, 2016 (NA) on PlayStation 4 and PC. If you haven’t heard of it, and the ensuing backlash in particular, I don’t know if you’re incredibly fortunate or were sleeping under a rock for the year.

Last year on my old blog I wrote about my excitement for No Man’s Sky and how a childhood fantasy was potentially coming true :

As a kid, I read voraciously from Asimov to books about the Milky Way. Once upon a time, I even wanted to be an astronaut or an astrophysicist. My mind took me to wild places after watching Star Wars, Star Trek, and Stargate. I have always possessed an infatuation with space. So now that one of the most ambitious games of more recent years is on the verge of its release, I can’t help but be filled with anticipation.

To briefly sum No Man’s Sky up, it is an open world survival game where players can explore everything they see in a universe created through procedural generation. The premise was great, but the game suffered from extreme, uncontrollable hype and a lack of solid communication and clarification from the game’s developer, Hello Games. For the record, while I eagerly waited for No Man’s Sky and openly have some critique of the game, I do not hate No Man’s Sky, Hello Games, or Sean Murray. Those that got carried away with the hype and did not properly research before making a purchase only have themselves to blame.

Ahem. Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way. I’ve recently had fleeting thoughts about the game, though I’m not sure why since I have been happily occupied by several games lately. If I had to guess, through August into September of 2016, I probably played around 90+ hours at least. I played it a lot and got that platinum trophy despite a few bugs. After that, I maybe loaded up the game once or twice after a few months passed and some updates were released. But I have essentially thought little of No Man’s Sky since.

I don’t think No Man’s Sky is a bad game. It suffers from predictable randomness. For a game who’s major selling point was procedural generation, this is not a good thing. While it is true that every planet is different, every planet is also the same. Landscapes may differ, but players will eventually notice the same nodes, forms, and creatures sharing similar features. Players are also limited in that the actions they can perform never change. You can collect resources, craft, trade, upgrade gear, expand storage, buy bigger ships, fight pirates, and, of course, explore. These actions aren’t functionally bad, they can just get old after the 50th planet.

Some find the game ugly and dull, but I think those that enjoy No Man’s Sky are different from many gamers. For example, I play a wide variety of games including first-person shooters, open-world adventures, RPGs, simulators, and strategy games. I don’t always need a strong narrative to direct my play. In fact, I’ll sometimes create my own narrative and objectives when playing games with stories as I did with Breath of the Wild. I enjoy games like Minecraft and No Man’s Sky because I can sit back and relax, there is no pressure in the form of competitive play, and that feeling of seeing something no one has ever seen or creating something all my own can’t be beat. These games are open enough that I can (practically) do whatever I want at the pace I want.

By the time I got platinum in No Man’s Sky, I was feeling burnt out. I felt like I would never reach the center of the galaxy, I knew what resulted from that path anyway, and I was feeling some disappointment in the Atlas story mission. I felt that, as it was at the time, I had experienced what the game had to offer, and I moved on to something else. But I did not regret the time I spent with No Man’s Sky.

With thoughts of the game back in my head, I decided to revisit No Man’s Sky. Months had separated me from the game and both the Foundation and Path Finder updates were alluring. So I turned on the PS4, downloaded the game, and was soon looking at alien faces, exploring planets, and playing around with the creative mode.

One of the first things I noticed about the game, and that brought me back to my initial hours of play, was the soundtrack. Say what you want about No Man’s Sky, but the soundtrack is amazing. 65daysofstatic did a perfect job of capturing the vibes needed for a space-faring explorer. Damn, I missed that music.

Before trying out base-building or creative mode, I started by getting used to the controls. I left the planet I had stopped on during my last play session and paused on a few worlds long enough to check the landscape and look for resources. I was immediately reminded of the harshness of some environments and the necessity to stock up supplies for fuel.

After messing around for a bit, I tried building a base that ended up looking rather ugly, only because I lack design skills. Oddly enough, the building mechanics remind me of Fallout 4 in that they are similarly clunky and took a bit of getting used to. If you look online, you’ll find some pretty impressive bases from people with a lot more skill. I can see building a base and calling a particular planet home for awhile sapping up a lot of my playtime. I also think that I would get caught up in selecting just the right planet before seriously calling one home.

One of the aspects regarding No Man’s Sky that may be a saving grace for some is the fact that there are four game modes offering varying levels of difficulty and creativity. I’ve only played “Normal” and “Creative” and will probably never have the ambition to play in “Permadeath.” I could see myself trying out “Survival” eventually.

The new vehicles (Nomad, Roamer, and Colossus) from the Path Finder update add an element of fun to the game while improving ease of planetary exploration. Out of the three, the Roamer is my favorite. The addition of these vehicles is long overdue considering how frustrating navigating planets could be with only the use of a ship.

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Just as I didn’t regret my initial time spent with the game in 2016, I also don’t regret revisiting it. No Man’s Sky isn’t every gamer’s game, and that’s okay. I will say that the price ($59.99) is still too steep for most gamers currently. But hey, if you’re curious, I recommend waiting to pick it up during a flash sale or during one of Steam’s sales.

A year later I still got that happy sense of exploration playing No Man’s Sky. There is something incredibly captivating about setting out in a little ship to explore the universe. For being just a game, No Man’s Sky allowed me to discover new creatures and worlds and allowed for some mindless escape at times. I experienced some magic last year because of it.

No Man’s Sky is unique and, if anything else, it’s development and use of procedural generation will hopefully push the boundaries of game development and result in some awesome game projects in the future.

I’ll end with one of my final thoughts from last year’s post:

I feel as though I will lose at least a solid month of my life to NMS, though I am hoping it will become one of my summer-long adventures of 2016.

It has indeed been an adventure.

  No Man’s Sky: Nearly a Year Later This time last year I waited with much anticipation for No Man's Sky which eventually released August 9, 2016 (NA) on PlayStation 4 and PC.

[glorykrp]

SHOWING RESULTS FOR: UJIN.

✩ Shin Woojin                            ✩ March 1st, 1992 ✩ Seoul, South Korea                ✩ ATLAS

LATEST RESULTS ON THE TOPIC.

Shin Woojin – Artist Profile. Ujin is ATLAS’ leader and main dancer. He trained for 6 years prior to debut.

ATLAS (아틀라스) “5 Minutes” Music Video – Youtube. Mar. 27, 2011. Watch the official music video for ATLAS’ debut song.

ATLAS’ Ujin Collects Golden Medals on ISAC – Naver. ❬ +2,876; -277 ❭ Woojin-ah, Atlantis are always cheering you on!

RELATED SEARCHES.

» Nebula Black          » Chaos Theory Album          » Ujin Running Man

PERSONAL LIFE.

woojin had always been good at the things that mattered least, interests that wouldn’t get him ‘far in life’, wouldn’t make a difference. with a well-known businessman as his father, and a highly skilled surgeon as a mother, expectations were set high even when woojin was nothing more than a newborn baby. however, aware of it, he was not. raised mostly by his grandmother who had been an avid fan of the korean pop scene since it’s major breakthrough in the late 80s, woojin grew up with his little face glued to the television screen, watching every live performance, every music show he could tune in for. he loved the singing, adored the dancing, and came to the conclusion early in life that one day, he would be standing on that stage. grandmother merely chuckled when woojin told her, patted his back as mother drove up the parking lot to come pick her son up. “don’t tell your parents.” grandma had said, but woojin was naive.

woojin wasn’t the smartest kid in school– he wasn’t dumb, but his interests simply laid elsewhere. his lack of concentration and low grades however, were reason enough for his parents to be called in. they lectured the young boy about his unmotivated behaviour, tried to make him realize the importance of school and studying, but woojin simply shook his head, told his parents he wanted to sing, to dance, to stand on stage and bring a smile to people’s faces, like his idols put a smile on his. school was too boring– he didn’t want to go there.

so they put him in a dance class, hoping the after-school activity would satisfy woojin’s needs enough for him to focus better during school hours. but little did they know… slowly, woojin’s grade began to falter even further, and so did his attendance percentage. school hours passed by without him, as the boy would sneak to his dance school instead to attend the earlier professional classes of the day. at the dance school, he felt at home, was recognized for his effort and talent, and at the ripe age of thirteen, woojin was scouted by an entertainment company.

teachers adored the young teenager and word quickly spread about the trainee’s potential, though woojin struggled to give his all. through some twists and turns, his grandmother succeeded in signing the trainee contract for the underage boy, but it didn’t take long for woojin’s parents to discover what their son had gotten himself into and within the blink of an eye, all that he had worked for, was gone. his contract terminated, dance classes cancelled, and every single day the teenager was brought to and taken home from middle school by one of his father’s bodyguards.

fifteen years he was when his parents temporarily moved to los angeles for one of father’s business plans, leaving woojin behind with his grandmother once more. only two months later the nebula auditions opened, and with his grandma’s support, the teenager took one last shot towards his dreams.

four long years followed where woojin fought for a spot in the entertainment industry. they said he was talented, an absolutely amazing dancer, but he was still lacking in many other fields. woojin struggled to let his voice be heard, wasn’t confident to write and arrange his own songs and he had no experience playing an instrument either. his choreography was unique and entertaining, though it was only enough to earn him some background dancer spots for other idols’ performances. it took woojin a while to understand he had to bring more to the table, so slowly but surely, he began to work on his vocals, started taking composing lessons, and began to read poems for lyrical inspirations. it was new and it was hard, as none was as interesting as his love for dancing, but woojin was determined to succeed, to finally debut and get to show his face on television.

the taste of fame is addicting, and every time woojin stands on stage, he feels invincible. he is the leader of atlas now, a successful idol who no longer has to depend on his parents, who is backed up with the strong support of his grandmother and fans. his dream has come true, and despite the struggles, despite the many years it took for woojin to get where he is today– he wouldn’t have done it any other way.

STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES.

woojin’s strength always laid with his determination and love for dancing, the undying will to chase his dreams and become a loved performer, an icon and inspiration for many, like his icons had inspired him. but that same strength also turned out to be his weakness, causing him to turn a blind eye to reality, to the people around him, to the things that really mattered. the fact that woojin had finally succeeded as an idol made him feel invincible, addicted to the spotlight, the fanchants, the flattering comments on social network. he lost himself within the fame and fortune he gained from appearing on variety shows, became obsessed with his image on the national broadcasting channels. his eagerness to publicize his face and bring a smile to others’ made him lose sight of what really mattered to him, the origins that caused all of this to be possible; atlas. woojin had never been that good at socializing, and when the four other members celebrated their third anniversary without the leader present, woojin was hit with the cold reality of just how selfish he had been. flattering comments had turned into doubtful questions and blatant hate, and the leader began to realize just how much of a stranger he was to those he should actually be thankful for, for those who made his dreams into a realistic possibility. without atlas, woojin wouldn’t have been where he is now, so the leader decided it was time for drastic changes. he announced his withdrawal from variety shows to focus more on his group and music in general, to become the leader he is supposed to be and support his fellow members instead of only himself. finally using his strong dedication towards the things that truly matter.

2017 INTERVIEW.

the road to fame had been a difficult one for woojin, debuting as the leader of a group of teenagers when he was still a teenager himself. he had trained hard and long to get where he is now, though his dancing skills were mind blowing and he had the necessary experience to lead, his personality still lacked in his early rookie days, setting wrong priorities for himself at the cost of his relationship with the other atlas members. woojin had always been alone, without the support of his parents, living a secret life as a trainee while his parents were away, and for a while, the newly debuted idol believed he could continue providing for himself, succeed entirely on his own, and his success in variety only strengthened those feelings. but it was merely an escape from reality, an excuse to neglect responsibility for his group. debuting caused woojin to grow into the man he has become today, the members of atlas teaching him the value of friendship and support, being the anchor to woojin’s career, and he has learned not to take that for granted. it is still hard for the male who has to carry the disappointment of his parents on his shoulders, but with his new family by his side, woojin feels stronger than he’s ever felt before.

[huaanonigiri]

okay guys u finished watching ATLA and I got some things to say

both shows are amazing, with their unique details and I honestly don't know why everyone if fighting

I realized how opposite they are bc while LoK focuses on the main character's character development throughout the series, ATLA focuses on the character development of every character EXCEPT Aang (that what I noticed, since the only thing that really changed about him was his bending abilities, and maybe a couple things more about his character, but it was very little compared to Korra's character development from S1 to S4)

although Aang's charactergets better at learning more bending skills and maybe e learns a couple life lessons on the way, Korra's character develops more on the emotional and moral way. basically Aang gets better at fighting to be a good avatar and korra gets better atp emotions and morality to be a good avatar

and yes, although LoK does depends on its villains to continues the show, I believe there are 2 reasons for this: 1. korra didn't get frozen in the south pole for 100 years and woken up in the middle of a war between the world and the Firr Nation, so unless you guys want another +100-year war idk what else you want (also let's remmeber th Korra did stop an equalist, theorist, anarchist, and fascist from creating unbalance in the world, so let's give her that credit) and 2. all the villain fights/encounters connect to Korra going through a clear, visible traumatic experience that affects her duty as an avatar and helps her character developments

as mentioned, ATLA focuses more on the character development of other characters: Sokka went from mysoginistic, wanna-be-the-leader kid to a mature, respectful, and reasonable person. Zuko goes from being a kid that wants to capture the avatar in order to get his father's approval although that means ending the world to realizing the damage that the Fire Nation does to the world and not only joining Aang but also teaching him how to firebend. we can see how the characters interact with each other, bonding and learn to work together (not only with the good guys, but also with the bad guys i.e. the beach scene with Zuko, Mai, Ty Lee, and Azula). we also get to understand each character through their own eyes (and yes, I mean if not all character most).

with this I want to conclude my analysis and opinion of the Avatar series and how they are both great and each have their own unique ways of being amazing (and how they contrast each other yet are equally important and well done). thank you very much for reading. have a good day/evening/night.

Why is the Avatar fandom so aggressive (okay, just lemme explain)

Okay, so for all the time I have been in Avatar fandom I have quickly caught up on this huge debate on ATLA vs. LoK about who's a better avatar or who has the better show or whatever you guys are arguing about. So just let me list a few experiences of mine and what I think of them:

many fans hate on Korra for this or for that, and in a quite aggressive way. I actually fear I will be attacked if I say I like Korra and her character development like shippers do in the BNHA fandom (this is just my personal opinion so don't try to come at me, because it won't change my mind so any arguing is pointless).

I think some people (and this is something for general) don't know what personal opinion/taste is so let me tell you. If people like something that you don't you can give your opinion (of course), as long as it is respectful towards that person and towards what they are talking about (as long as that opinion is also respectful if it's not then fucking obliterate them). However, if you're attacking someone for liking something you don't like, then don't even try to speak your mind. For fuck's sake, it's an opinion, not a law. If someone likes Korra doesn't come with every detail of Aang's battles and skills trying to prove that he's a better avatar, because personally, idc if he was, I like Korra better for other reasons, and you won't change my mind. It's like with ships if the ship is healthy and legal, then idc what you ship, you do you.

I mean to say: please don't be so aggressive, or at least be subtle about it. Because I've only been in this fandom for a maximum of 2 weeks. It already creeps me out how to bid of a debate over who's a better avatar when it's all about personal opinion should be respected as long as that opinion is respectful. It's not that big of a deal who prefers one avatar (or team/series) over the other, just because you don't like/hate what they like doesn't mean you get a say in said opinion or the right to start an argument over who is better. I mean it when I said I wanted to leave the fandom the moment I say just how big of a deal this whole debate was

Finally, please, if someone wants to say something I'm more than glad to know what you gotta say, but please do it respectfully and without hating on anything/anyone, because the other day I saw just how much hating a character can get and it kinda broke me because "okay, I get you don't like it, but do you have to be so damn aggressive about it" (like c'mon guys, as much as I hate to admit it, they're fictional, in the end, you're getting worked up over fictional characters, and in turn, you're kinda hurting those who do like them, because you don't know which character can be someone's comfort character, so please be careful).

Please don't take this as some type of lecture or whatever. I'm just giving my opinion on this argument and would genuinely like to know more about both sides, but what I ask is for my request to be answered without any hate, harsh words, or literally anything that is plain out disrespectful. Thank you very much for staying for my Ted Talk.