#and i love the nomad intro most of all

[hellzaneshots]

New playthrough, new V!

(that doesn't have any posed screenshots yet, but he's a very pretty boyo and I just agshfjls-)

[analviel]

ATLA NETFLIX, some of the thoughts I wrote down while watching:

The costumes!!!!!!

Fire. Bending.

The bending in general but FIRE bending and the way it left the victims.

Gasp! Oh, oh, oh! Help was sent to the earth kingdoms, maybe not the best fighters but still a lot of them, that's why the air nomads were wiped out and the southern water was devastated while the Earth kingdom stood the strongest. I like the way they set this up.

AAAAAAANG!!!

AIR NOMADS!!!!

Monk Gyatso!!!

Kinda bummed that Katara didn't break the ice by getting angry but I'm gonna be optimistic.

Hoooooo Sokka and Zuko exceed my expectations! "His destiny". "Repeating it doesn't help".

Although, the face burn is a bit underwhelming especially with what we just saw of the previous fire victims.

Sooooo excited for all the bending!!!

THE COSTUMES! THE TATTOO, ESPECIALLY THE WAY IT'S PLACED AROUND HIS ARMS!!!

Idk why maybe bcs Katara is my favourite so I'm watching her but she feels so.... Hmmm. Quiet. What happened to her lines at the beginning, for someone who's words are the first we hear in the OG.

When Sokka said "Before you kill someone", I expected at least a "Sokka!".

I do love the actress with the lines she's been given tho. With the rant to Sokka on the Air Temple. Gets that hopeful glint Katara has.

Zuko flipping out yes! He's so... Spazzy, does that make sense?

I'm not too young, I just haven't seen the world yet- Suki

Suki and Sokka are sooooooooo awkward I LOVE IT!!! Also that Mulan make-up remover. Asians are just built different I guess.

AANG AND KYOSHI!

Katara standing in Zuko's way- I can't wait until Zuko offers to kill her mother's killer with her!

We got Azula!!! Oh I love those first lines delievered like that!

Did I mention I love how Zuko is visibly falling apart, barely able to keep himself together, because I do, I really do!

Okay I'm gonna say it, Katara feels like she's just being dragged around everywhere. No- no initiative.

I....

Do not like that.

Feels like she's not getting riled up enough by Sokka maybe.

Mai is SO Mai, you can hear it so well!

They did Jet's intro good!

My Cabbages! The most passion so far!

Ooooh! Oh I do adore the secret tunnel scene in this!!!!

The Bumi actor is so good.

A friend. A friend! The direct Aang/Zuko and Gyatso/Iroh parallels.

The Zuko redemption storyline is living up to itself so far.

As for Azula, I really wished they left the breaking down era a little bit later. Like yeah, Azula wasn't right in the head from the beginning but that was shown more in how terrifyingly aloof and unstoppable she was in the earlier episode I believe but, well.

There's already a bond between Aang and Zuko but I've yet to see anything half like OG Katara and Aang!

Hmmm, actually, regarding Azula..... Ozai is, weirdly, invested in Zuko in a way we could've said OG Ozai would never say that. Which explains Azula here.

I love the avatar state glowy effects!

The sexism against Katara doubled and coated with genuine concern and real-life reasons that makes it hard to counter argue is making me lean in, in anticipation of how it will make my Katara blow up.

...... So no plan?..... I'm working on it, Uncle.

Sokka rushing towards Katara to 'convince her'.

Azula and Katara in the same episode is foreshadowing parallels.

Excited to have Katara's bending to visibly improve, like in the OG. And by that I meant how organically her water whip evolved smoother and faster in the animation. Like, you could see it.

........ Pakku vs Katara. Love the action, the effects. It could've been so good in regards to catharsis if Katara had just raged...... I'm just. Not going to.

Getting rid of their machine controls renders the fire army sitting ducks in the middle of ocean. Which makes me think of that reverse AU where the water tribe conquers the world.

If the water benders all work together, they can just have a giant tsunami turn them all over.

Master? Master Katara?...... That's so.... It's surprising rather than something you'd anticipate and cheer when we finally gain it.

Not a single waterbending training montage with Pakku. I'm still not sure if Pakku trained her or just gave her the title.

I like that I can tell that they know what they want to do with Sokka.

Not so much with Katara.

I gasped when all the Northern Tribe female waterbenders stepped forward like that.

So. There's a lot of stuff that they removed and added that I didn't like- less 'added', and more 'rushed'. Things that should've built up gradually, that could've been revealed in little bits were just immediately shown to us- my example here is Azula. When I first saw Azula, she was terrifying, her and her group were both my dream group and incited fear and awe in younger me, I didn't think she was insecure, I didn't think she was scared, she was practically the damn terminator with that epic episode of tracking the gaang slowly but steadily and driving them to exhaustion.

Is she actually insecure and batshit insane and scared? Yes. Was that what you were supposed to be able to tell with a single glance? No.

At first I thought maybe I was just biased with Katara, but I also feel like a lot of stuff they did with Azula was just.....

They did Sokka good, which was actually who I was concerned about the most. Zuko- I really love his portrayal. My moments of doubt with Aang are actually closely tied with Katara, which makes sense because hello, their friendship and bond was very important to the whole thing. Would've been a wonderful contrast to his Past bond with Gyatso and his Future bond with Katara.

I do think it's good.

Let me marinate on this.

[theaistired]

WIP Intro - Galidean

Key Words

Fantasy | Mystery | Magic | Nature

About the WIP

I was in 7th grade when I played Fire Emblem Blazing Sword for the first time. My brother showed me the official artwork and since I loved the art so much, I started drawing characters that could fit into a Fire Emblem game. Eventually, it turned into an original story which was later combined with two other story ideas into one big setting. Also known as the reason why this series sits currently at 12 planned books… No, I don’t know why I (keep) do(ing) this to myself.

The series is (currently) structured into 3x4 books. While there is an ongoing story happening throughout the entire series, 4 books always tell one story in themselves.

Since I’ve been in a never-ending cycle of writing and then fully abandoning my drafts until last year, I’m still working on the first draft of the first book. However, the entire series is more or less planned out with major plot points already set in stone.

Trigger Warnings

This isn’t supposed to be dark fantasy, however some worldbuilding elements/plot points might be disturbing to some.

Violence (mostly physical, sexual violence is only alluded to) | Body horror | Human experimentation

Summary

The first story told within the world of Galidean takes place 100 years after the defeat of the Dark Sun, the most powerful dragon in living memory. To celebrate their victory, the human nations gather together, sending their future leaders on a diplomatic journey through the different territories.

While all seems well at the surface, scorching raids are leaving their marks all over the continent. Afraid that the seal keeping the Dark Sun imprisoned is beginning to break, strangers band together to find a way to end the Dark Sun permanently.

Main Characters

Valerian: The second prince of the Empire. An anxious young man who tries his best to make his family proud despite his numerous shortcomings. A gentle soul interested in history and culture and always intend on kindness and doing good in the world. 21 y.o. | he/him

Sanura: An orphan from the Land of Legends. A confident and outgoing woman who will soon take up her oath to serve her home for the rest of her life. As most people struggle to see past her muscles, they don’t see Sanura’s many skills honed through years of dedication. 20 y.o. | she/her

Calder: A noble from Ilai, heir to the most prominent and influential house. An easy-going young man who keeps calm in the face of the many rumours surrounding his past and present. As charming and cunning as a fox. 18 y.o. | he/him

Rune: A shaman from the nomadic people of the north. A young man with a cold demeanour and a brilliant mind. Dedicated to his family, his people and the pursuit of arcane knowledge above all else. 18 y.o. | he/him

Side Characters

Nimue: A noble from Ilai, one of the few arcane healers. Quiet and seemingly unshakable, the young woman is renowned for both her beauty and healing abilities. She keeps her thoughts to herself and is the closest confidant of her betrothed, Calder. 19 y.o. | she/her

Thyra: Rune’s little sister. They suffer from a unique chronic condition that will result in an early death. Driven, sharp witted and inpatient with those around them, they impress others with an odd assortment of talents. 15 y.o. | they/them

Snippet: Galidean Book 1 | The Secret Kepper | Prologue

Today I say goodbye to my home and family, to my people and myself. Here I write the last testament and last confessions of a legend. This grand hall holds many accounts of its accomplishments, of victories and defeats. However, some is still missing, and it is my last duty to complete this archive. The hole within history is made of betrayal and secrets, going hand in hand to where I do not know how to begin.  But I suppose, it does not matter. These words are meant for no one but the echoes of a hollow heart.

Tagging

@colombette (Thank you so much for your feedback on the intro!)

[kieranwritess]

COD MWII x Cyberpunk 2077 AU Brainrot

Fandom: Call of Duty

Characters: 141, LV, Graves, Laswell

Notes: cw for graves /lh, perhaps a bit of implied soapghost, bisexual soap, bisexual johnny silverhand, probably ooc but i do what i want ❤️

a/n: inspired by @yeyinde and my midnight-fueled obsession :) I'll probably make a part two to this because it's now my baby. knowledge of Cyberpunk 2077 is recommended because I reference in-universe characters. yes it's very niche, no I don't care.

- set in 2077

- they would all hate Johnny Silverhand. no exceptions.

- Soap's a little sad he shares a name with that fellow bi disaster bastard tho

- in a similar vein, they'd probably not be too fond of River; Price would envy him for his naivety and Gaz sees himself in River

- fanon Rogue and Price would 100% bond over being mother hens to a ragtag group of idiots

- Graves but Meredith Stout

- no questions asked

- the bitch would work for Militech or some other arms corp

- probably Militech because it is very American™ and he's a little yeeyee boy

- i might have Rudy's characterization wrong, but I feel like he'd have started in the NCPD like River

- poor boys only wanted to make the world better but instead Rudy became jaded and is sort of resigned to his job like Han

- Alejandro would be his buddy from Heywood who was always trying to get him to quit the force

- Ghost is probably the most like V in terms of skills and attitude

- but he's not some gonk kid who wants to make it big, he's made it big

- fixers either love him or they hate him

- one of those "going down in a blaze of glory" dudes

- would never work with Dex, though, and is especially relieved he never did after he hears about the Arasaka heist

- Price: veteran, but in a Mitch way and not a 6th street way. I feel like he had the potential to be a fixer, but wanted to try to have a quiet life after the war (Price bbg, there is no such thing as a quiet life in NC)

- is kind of like Takemura in the sense he'd love to run off and join a nomad clan (because fuck this place, honestly)

- but NC is all he knows and he has people he cares about there (read as: poor dude is attached to the 141 boys)

- Johnny (Silverhand) respects him, even if Price wants to rip him a new one every second they're around each other

- he could definitely become a mentor figure to V and would consider joining up with them if they take The Star ending

- honestly, i can still see Laswell working for the NUSA government

- but I'm not sure how we'd get a connection between her and the 141

- fuck logic, Price and Kate are still besties

- Soap and Panam get on like a house on fire

- a propensity for a little rule breaking and an affection harbored for an authority figure (i'll let you decide in what sense) brings them together

- I probably hc Gaz as younger than he actually is, but he gives off baby solo vibes

- brb thinking back to Jackie and V at the food stall outside of H10 and crying about it

- anyways

- Gaz would probably be the most like streetkid V

- bro knows his way around local fixers

- hc that Ghost and Gaz met on a job before Ghost made it big time

- and Ghost is all "I work alone >:(" but they discover that they work well together

- again thinking back to the streetkid intro, albeit Ghost is nowhere near the same as Jackie personality wise

- they probably grew apart after Ghost becomes a solo

- but Ghost is the first one to suggest Gaz when asked to put together a team for a big job (i.e. the heist but it doesn't go sideways)

- and yeah imo that's how c77!141 is put together

- Ghost knows Gaz, Gaz grew up around Price, and Price knows of Soap through the grapevine

- I guess to "convert" each of them into ttrpg factions, Soap is a techie, Ghost is a solo, Price is prolly a fixer, and Gaz might fall under lawman (as a PI or something)

- i am making less and less sense so I'm gonna stop here for now

[the-dragon-twin-demons]

Notes of warning/importance

I have a slight headcannon for some lore here. The circles are giant domed cities connected to one another via tubes with plenty of ventilation to keep out the mists from what I call the badlands. These mists corrupt almost all who enter by first slowly but noticably draining a demons sentience turning them into beasts of burden with one mission and one mission only...Feed. of course it also slowly corrupts the form until it's a complete feral form of itself. The only beings so far known to resist the mists were Lucifer and Lilith aside from the dragon twins. I also suck at art like my blog description says so I used avatar makers to make the pictures here and I'll just use an image of deathwing from world of Warcraft/blizzard entertainment for Bahamut 's dragon form and an ancient silver dragon from DND/wizards of the coast for tiamaht's until I can better form arts of the dragon modes better myself.

Roleplay rules&info

Minors DNI

Bahamut is straight and Tiamaht, Ruby, and Lillian are lesbian both dragons are polyamorous and imps are monogamous

Shitposting questions are not allowed so no "ur mom gae" kinda stuff.

If absolutely necessary I will deactivate anon asks but I don't want to for now and will change this bit of text if I had to.

Be respectful of others and me as a person out of character because in character is one thing, lots of folk in hell are pricks. People have their own lives and luxuries to live and experience and don't deserve to be rushed or disrespected when you don't even know the person in the slightest.

Sexual asks I must mention be kept to an all time low or just not at all but there are characters like angel even if they're not other men or other angel dusts and I can't stop them but in most cases I won't be answering them

Character intros

These are the twin dragons of hell Bahamut (left), Keeper of Knowledge was manifested billions of ages ago when Hell was a singular realm and not split into the 7 circles that we have now in modern day. According to many legends of him (and to confirm them) he IS Hell's oldest living encyclopedia and a master strategist. He has the wit, but not the power, to far exceed any modernly known demon...including the Radio Demon himself. But if he were put into a fight of raw power against say, angel dust, the spirder'd be burned to a crisp. He believes in Charlie's ambitious nature but as a Primordial Daemon, Bahamut is bound to Hell and can never be redeemed despite his efforts and has made peace with that. (Physical notes not said: he's 5'10, he's not lacking for anyone he's with and though I didn't find a good one he does have a longer tail to sell the dragon aspect further)

His sister Tiamaht, Protectorate or Relics(right) was a demon born before Hell was divided into the 7 circles we know now. She, like her brother, is an extremely loyal demon. She is the strength to her brother's strategy yet is far more nomadic than him. Of course she's not all that into planning without Bahamut there. Unlike Bahamut though she uses ice magic instead of flame magic. In person lately she is very tomboyish and kind of a dick but openly admits as such but follows up with "people need people to be blunt sometimes and it's not easy but if I'm the one who has to in situations I'm then I'll make sure I tell it how it is" (physical details not told yet: shes 5'3, they may not be bif but her partners love em, also has a tail she uses to teasingly spank partners.)

And below this text are the dragon forms

Other OCs

Name: Ruby Bakers, Age: 1845, Gender: post op MtF (bc apparently males have thick white stripes and that's how to differentiate and I just thought it was a humans gender dimorphism thing which made me pick these horns before I knew), Orientation: technically lesbian now but she's attracted to women. Job: Helluva Post delivery woman

(Both Ruby and Lillian were made using this ⬇️)

Name: Lillian Servont (pronounced like servant but it's Ser-vahnt), age 1576, gender: cis female, orientation: poly lesbian, job: personal assistant/secretary to the first overlord to accept her application (will edit this post to change that) so that she can run a business specifically meant to send people on that path.

[tarmac-rat]

dirty banana, woo woo and Manhattan for the drink ask? 👉👈

Of course! Here we are:

𝗱𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗮 〜 post a song or a lyric that fits your oc

You woke up this morning, the world turned upside down Things ain't been the same since the Blues walked into town But you're one in a million, you got that shotgun shine (shame about it) Born under a bad sign, with a blue moon in your eyes

Yes, I know this is the theme for The Sopranos, the full song still slaps.

𝘄𝗼𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝗼 〜 what’s their relationship like with their parent(s)/guardian(s)?

Riley's relationship with her mother Ivy is...strained, at the time of the game's first act. The pair of them are overall quite close, mostly because Riley and Ivy are very similar in personality and Ivy was a pretty constant presence in her daughter's life, but when the Bakkers dissolve, they get into an argument concerning Riley's desire to leave the life behind. She doesn't not WANT to, but because she'd spent most of her life chasing after her dream to become a high-ranking member of the Bakkers, she doesn't want to sacrifice that dream to become canon fodder for Snake Nation. They have a pretty bitter argument fueled by a lot of grief and anger, and they part ways not on the best of terms. They love each other to death, but by the time they want to make up, there's too much distance and time between the two of them for Riley to seek her out.

Her father Felix was never in the picture-- he was a low-ranking member of a smuggler gang in New Mexico that Ivy had a one night stand with in 2052 and wasn't really eager to leave his life behind when Ivy (not knowing she was already pregnant) offered him a spot in the clan. He doesn't know he has kids running around until Riley seeks him out sometime after the game's plot wraps up.

𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗻 〜 what kind of people does your oc hate the most?

Liar and cheaters. Riley despises dishonesty, especially when it ends up putting other people in danger. Her relationship with Wakako is especially rocky because of this, since Wako tends to withhold information on gigs and Riley gets irritated by the bajillion hidden agendas lying around. If you lie to her, she's going to find it very hard to trust you at all. The fact that Jackie was actually very forthright with her in the end of the nomad intro was a huge reason that she took to him so hard-- even though he confessed to wanting to take her cut and bolt, the fact that he admitted it to her outright rather than hiding it went a long way to earning her usually-very-difficult-to-earn trust.

The fact that she and Johnny ever got along despite this is a fucking mystery.

[azalea-bee]

tricky treat !!! tell me about your ocs gamer....

hiii okok i ended up using this as an excuse to summarize a lot of scattered thoughts i have about them (ty!!) so it got long, but i will give u a little intro to each and then some random stuff abt them all as a group <3

emrys (he/him) — tall shaggy-haired blond guy! he’s quiet most of the time, likes to knit and make his own clothes, and he’s a lion shifter which means he can turn into a lion sometimes. he can’t really control his shift and the age/appearance of his lion is directly tied to what emotions he’s feeling and how strong they are, so he doesn’t usually enjoy it very much! oh and he’s winnie’s caregiver :]

micah (they/them) — genderqueer, short curly dark hair and lots of small scars, likes eyeliner and dressing femme! they’re autistic and very blunt/sarcastic and come off as unfriendly at first but they’re mostly just anxious. they have cat-shifter genes but no ability to actually shift (or any physical traits) so they have a lot of weird cat behaviors that nobody really understands lol. shows affection through parallel play and bringing people random gifts. regresses sometimes but not very willingly!!

cassia (she/he) — nonbinary, wears round glasses, big white 4-B curly hair, likes reading and thrifting and DIY-ed grunge style clothes! she has ram’s horns from ram shifter genes but i haven’t decided yet if they’re always there or if he can control his shift! generally very confident and calm, funny but people don’t usually notice his humor right away lol. he’s also disabled and has chronic pain and uses various mobility aids sometimes. she has a little bit of innate magical ability too but no real desire to learn how to use it! sometimes is backup caregiver if emrys is busy or more than one person is regressed

dove (she/her) — long dark hair that she loves styling differently every day, always wearing a million accessories and rings and necklaces! she loves cooking and fashion and is a witch, has been training her magic since she was a toddler! she specializes in intention-spells on clothing or sentimental trinkets, and foresight/predictions using her favorite deck of cards (she sucks at elemental magic tho haha). comes across as intimidating but is actually extremely nice and friendly! she regresses sometimes but not often, really likes babysitting others though

winnie (she/they) — wavy auburn hair, short and fat, lots of freckles and moles and always very expressive with her face haha. they’re the only fully-human/nonmagic person in the group but still very much the glue that holds them all together. likes gardening and baking! she has a bit of a temper, generally very sweet and friendly though, good at making sure no one gets left out. emrys is their caregiver! they tend to take on a caretaker role for everyone else in their day-to-day lives while big, so when she regresses everyone loves to baby her a lot :]

now for the group as a whole— they are a polycule! they all have unique romantic/sexual/platonic relationships with each person of course but more or less are all dating. in the story plot they’re part of in my head, they live a pretty nomadic lifestyle and are always on the move, often in a bus/RV type of situation? and i actually have been thinking abt adding one more character to their group (as if i need more people to keep track of lmao) but we’ll see hehe

[paintingpuff]

Actually I'm coming back to this and expanding on my point on the Air Nomads as Joy because I rewatched ATLA recently and it reminded me as to why Aang is easily my favorite character in the series.

Aang Carries the Tone of ATLA

I'll try not to reiterate on my previous points about the Air Nomads and their motif of humor. Moreover, I'm not saying that Aang is solely responsible for the humor in the series. Even in the very first episode, there is humor before Aang's arrival (though I will say that humor is more meanspirited, being centered around Sokka and Katara arguing).

However, I would argue that Aang is the foundation for the lighthearted tone, as well as a litmus test for how dark and emotionally fraught a given episode can get.

A lot of this stems naturally from Aang's personality. As mentioned before, he's a very lighthearted and goofy kid that easily brings out laughs--it's no coincidence that the main comedic moment in ATLA's iconic intro comes from Aang.

He also tries his best to defuse conflict when he sees it, and thus can often stop arguments and fights before they get too ugly. When he himself gets into fights, he is never personally malicious to his enemies. Sure, he is fully willing to fight back, but he never goes out of his way to be cruel. His fighting style (especially against Zuko) even has a comedic edge to it, such as Aang beating Zuko with a mattress or dodging around him on a well.

(This fight scene is in my top five personal favorites)

However, as I mentioned before, almost all the characters in ATLA have opportunities to be funny, so that doesn't necessarily mean that Aang should be completely tied to the tone. That's why I think this decision is far more purposeful rather than just a natural consequence of characterization.

The show's tone often drastically shifts in response to Aang's absence or despair.

When I list the heaviest episodes, the ones that are always the hardest to see on a rewatch, I think of episodes like:

Zuko Alone

The Desert

Appa's Lost Days

The Southern Air Temple

And a few more. Some of these are very notable--like Zuko Alone and Appa's Lost Days, where Aang is almost entirely gone from the episodes save for flashbacks. Another notably dark episode, The Southern Raiders, does feature Aang and his usual idealism, but Katara is also pushing him away for most of that episode. We even see her lash out at Sokka far worse than we've ever seen with her "maybe you didn't love her like I did."

The Desert is by far the best example of how much darker the show gets the moment Aang isn't his cheery self, and because of that it's the episode I have the most difficulty watching. We see Aang so full of rage he lashes out at his friends all episode and even kills another living creature--the buzzard wasp.

He gives a terrifying display of his power when he smashes the ground with his airbending so hard it creates a literal mushroom cloud, a symbol for ultimate and horrifying destruction.

(image sourced from here that tries to calculate how much force it would require to make an explosion this big. Spoilers! It's a lot and it's terrifying!)

They have to put Sokka on drugs to just barely balance out the tone, but it still doesn't make this episode easy to watch. It also makes me appreciate the hell out of Aang for making sure the rest of the series doesn't put this deep a pit in my stomach.

(Also, while you could argue that Katara fills an important role in this episode as also lightening the tone, especially since a major point in there was how she's trying to keep everyone together, I don't think it's the same. Katara's aim in this episode is stability, not positivity.)

But this theme doesn't only appear in full episodes, it is scattered all across the series. Conflicts in the series usually don't hit their lowest point until Aang himself feels that despair, such as in The Crossroads of Destiny. The situation doesn't properly feel hopeless until we are put in Aang's perspective and see him looking in despair at how outnumbered they are, just before making the decision to let her go and achieve the Avatar State.

(Then it doubles down on that hopelessness by shooting Aang down right after. The hope of the story hinges on Aang.)

Even ATLA's weaker episodes have this structure. The conflict in The Great Divide doesn't hit its zenith until Aang finally loses patience with both sides. Only then do we transition into the conflict of the cave crawlers that pushes the characters into properly working together. Aang is almost always the last to lose himself in a conflict, which means when he does, it indicates how bad the situation is.

(Controversial opinion: this episode would probably be one of my favorites if Aang's story at the end wasn't actually a lie. I just love the concept of how stories and folklore and religion drift over time.)

There are so many episodes I can list where the lowest/hardest hitting moments are those that get Aang to be sad or angry--The Storm, The Southern Air Temple, The Chase--over and over again Aang's emotional response determines how tough a situation is.

Something I do appreciate about NATLA so far is that it seems to understand this fact of Aang, albeit in a different way that I'll likely delve more into for the future. I've got some mixed feelings on it, but I'm always happy for an opportunity to talk about why Aang is the best.

Tldr: Aang is the beating heart of ATLA and the moment he stops the entire show starts having palpitations so I wish people would appreciate him more.

Netflix ATLA and the Air Nomad Genocide

I've started watching NATLA, and though I'm not really enjoying it, I've found it really interesting to compare its writing decisions to the show as a way to break both down and see how their parts tick. Since NATLA is trying to be more faithful than some other adaptations, the changes it does make stand out more and reveal the mechanics of the storytelling.

While I overall think a lot of NATLA's changes--even the minute ones--made the story execution weaker, the more complicated and interesting change of theirs is the intro, showing the day the Fire Nation ambushed the Air Nomads.

Pacing Criticisms

Cards on the table, I think that putting this sequence at the very beginning was a mistake. Watching Aang's emergence from the iceberg in NATLA made me realize how much the original cartoon imbues its beginning with mystery that makes for a much more active viewing experience. Aang doesn't know much about the present, Katara and Sokka don't know much about Aang's origins, and in their back and forth of information, we the audience organically learn both. Watching Katara and Aang piece together how long he's been frozen in ice was more satisfying and natural than Grangran deducing everything immediately when Aang showed up.

But Sherlock Grangran was kind of the only decision the writers could do, because if they tried the build up the cartoon did, it would just feel tedious to the audience, because we already know everything from the start. They kind of wrote themselves into a corner there.

But let's ignore that problem. We could imagine in another draft that this sequence of the Fire Nation attack shows up as a flashback, kind of like what happened in ATLA with The Storm.

That then begs the question: How does this sequence’s inclusion change the audience's experience, and is it for better or worse?

Facing Vs. Hiding the Horrors

Both series portray very dark and horrific situations, but the way they try to evoke horror from the audience are very different approaches, and for me raises a question I've been asking myself for a while: When wanting to display discomforting violence, is it more effective to imply/hide it, or to show it in detail? Somewhere in between?

(I specify discomforting violence, as opposed to violence meant to be catharsis or spectacle.)

There are arguments for both. Explicit violence can create a visceral, physical reaction to an audience member (especially the squeamish ones), though for some it can come across as gratuitous and even exploitative.

Whereas hiding the violence can horrify the audience by leaving a lot to the imagination (insert that quote about fear of the unknown from Hack Penmanship Lovecraft), or give the sense that the events are so awful that even the camera has to look away. Some also say this gives the characters more dignity, though others think this softens the emotional reaction almost as a form of self censoring (there's a reason kid's media often tries to show horrific stuff off screen, such as the original ATLA).

Ultimately I've come to the conclusion that the former approach works for some stories, whereas the latter works better for others, all of it based on a ton of factors.

So I don't think NATLA's choice to delve into more detail about the Air Nomad genocide is an illogical decision. I wasn't sure about it when I heard it, but I thought that maybe I'm just attached to ATLA's off screen approach, so I kept myself open.

And dialogue issues aside, I don't think the scene is that poorly done. But it did ultimately solidify for me that ATLA's narrative is stronger without an explicit depiction of the Air Nomad genocide.

The Grief of Never Knowing

The image of Gyatso’s skeleton from ATLA has haunted me ever since I saw it as a kid. It was an emotional gut punch in a very well done episode, but this particular screenshot has stuck with me, and that is because of the Fire Nation soldiers. A lot of people have pointed this out, but there are a lot of bodies here, and it implies that Gyatso managed to not only kill these soldiers, but do it when they were strengthened by the comet. That image is very discomforting--Gyatso is always seen from Aang’s perspective, and thus we only see him as the gentle old mentor and friend, one who cheats at games and throws pies he meticulously baked.

It also puts into Aang’s position and the grief he has to face. From his perspective, he was gone only a few days as 100 years passed. He never gets to see the interim, and thus neither do the audience. He is left with the same implications as we are, and has to face the realities of grieving the fact that sometimes you’re not there when they leave.

An excellent point from @endless-nightshift here is how one of ATLA’s core themes is coping with the aftermaths of atrocities and war, analyzing their long-lasting affects rather than just the initial shock of violence--something I had never consciously realized but once said out loud makes a lot click into place for me. There is a reason the show starts a full century into the war rather than just a few years. 

François Truffaut once said that “there is no such thing as an anti-war film,” because the medium of film is inherently better at elevating and glorifying what it shows rather than deriding or deconstructing it. While I don’t think it’s impossible to do the latter, the extended action sequence that is the intro to NATLA causes that sentiment to echo in my mind as I watch, rather than invest me into the story. 

The implied atrocities of ATLA draws me in to empathize with the wounded characters and world, whereas the explicit action of NATLA pushes me away. 

…and that’s where I was planning to end this analysis, but there is one thing NATLA’s intro adds into the canon that I think is actually genius--if they take advantage of it in the future. 

The Air Nomads are Joy

When I first saw the addition of the Comet Festival, I saw it as a purely mechanical decision to have all the Air Nomads in one place for the attack, as well as to make the act even more scummy. However, the more I thought about it the more I realized how it could tie into one of my favorite themes of ATLA: the Air Nomads (and especially Aang) as the joy and hope of the world. 

(I saw an old tumblr post about this theme that inspired this section. I wish I could link it but I can’t find it anymore, I’m very sorry and if anyone can help me find it tysm)

There is a recurring motif of associating the Air Nomads with humor and fun. Iroh mentions their good humor; Gyatso baking pies just to prank the other masters with it; Roku’s first airbending flashback being him using it to mess with his friend. This is a core tenet to Aang’s character as well. The first line he has in the show is inviting Katara to go penguin sledding with him. Half the stops he makes in Season 1 is purely to have fun. He excites Kyoshi island with an airbending party trick. The humor in ATLA’s tone isn’t just there because it’s targeted towards kids, but is the bedrock of the series’ themes. 

(On a personal note, the humor is also what got me and my family into the show. We saw the intro sequence with Aang crashing into the statue and it made my mom laugh so hard that we watched the whole series, and years later we’ve rewatched it dozens of times and own all the DVDs)

Joy and fun and hope were the first things to die when the Fire Nation attacked, and part of Aang’s job is returning that to a world that has been scarred by decades of war. You may already be seeing where I’m going in regards to the Comet Festival. 

A core conflict in the cartoon finale is Aang wanting to keep to the principles of the Air Nomads while still finding a way to stop the war (side note: I think the resolution and Aang’s decision to spare Ozai was a good one, I just think the execution was a little janky). Beyond the surface level conflict of who wins in the battle between Aang and Ozai, there is the additional tension of who will win ideologically. The return of the Avatar State is an interesting development in this dynamic, having Aang suddenly physically winning the fight, but spiritually losing up until the last moment. In the end, it is a triumph where Aang manages to find a third option to win both conflicts, despite them seeming diametrically opposed. It is about defeating Ozai and the Imperial Fire Nation by wholeheartedly rejecting their ideology of violence and might-makes-right. 

But now I see a really cool opportunity for NATLA with what they’ve established in the intro sequence: What if Aang reclaimed the symbol of Sozin’s Comet for his people? That day of the Fire Nation attack, centuries of the Comet Festival were wiped over in history, with people now naming that event as Sozin’s Comet and the beginning of the war. Wouldn’t it be poetic for Aang to mark the ending of the war by wiping away that stain done to his culture, taking it back from the Fire Nation in what ways he can? To turn a tool for genocide into an event of joy and fun once more. 

I’m reminded of moments from the cartoon like Suki commenting how beautiful the comet looks. It would just tie everything up beautifully, and I really really hope the NATLA writers--if Netflix does give them enough seasons to get there--take advantage of this.  

So, to sum up what I think of NATLA so far: I think a lot of its changes have made the story weaker, but I don’t want them to stop trying changes. If I wanted a 1:1 copy of the cartoon, I’d just watch ATLA--it’s also on Netflix, after all. With more work, I can see the writers making changes that accentuate and build on the beauty of the original. 

(Note: These are the thoughts I’ve accrued from just watching the first episode. I plan to watch more, but it does exhaust me at the moment. Still, I hope I can do more of these kinds of analyses, it’s a really fun writing exercise for me)

[absolutebl]

This Week In BL

May 2021 Part 1

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs.

Ongoing Series - Thai

Second Chance Ep 6 fin - Chris & Jeno were TOO CUTE we got ALL the tropes: parental passing on the torch of care (a rare one), hair drying, hair touching, the prom with everyone was in adorable suits (Tang Yi approves), GOOD kisses, confessions galore, boop (+ bonus pool boop), tumblr now thinks they’re lesbians (new trope I’ve just decided on), claiming, rooftop assignation. Conclusion? This is one of the best BL pulps I’ve seen in a really long time. We are PLEASED! 

Y-Destiny Ep 7 - a pretty classic take on the “reformed player/rake” romance trope plus a ton of BL visuals like back hug, messy eater, rooftop assignation, and pillow clutch (a Cheewin signature). Cheewin sure knows his tropes (he should, he started a lot of them and his YYY Special is nothing but a trope parody pastiche, it’s Absolute BL before Absolute BL and A LOT weirder). 

Lovely Writer Ep 11 - The casting closet has come to play. I really like that LW is taking the industry and fans to task. It’s hard to watch sometimes, but it SHOULD be a little squirmy and uncomfortable. This was an excellent Episode 11 and we all suffered for it. I hope they can resolve it well in the finale. They’ve done great work so far, I trust them. 

Close Friend Ep 3: (Willing or Not) - sports kinda romance, it was cute because MaxNat are cute together, but it reminded me a lot of their arc in Why R U, which is to say, short and somewhat forgettable. 

Fish Upon The Sky Ep 5 - am I over this? I think I might be over it. Not into the punching down humor in terms of femme or Sikhs, I don’t like Pi, and found myself fast-forwarding through most of this ep. Mostly I only watch when Mork is on screen. I wanna know why Mork likes Pi so much, but that’s all I’m interested in. Tons of tropes but I’m not even motivated to screen cap, which is saying something. Look, the characters pretty much lack motivation and so I’m losing sympathy. 

Nitiman Ep 1 - oh I like it. This is the standard Thai BL delicious trash I know and love. 2 Moons university setting pastiche, check! Engineering students = gay, check! Instant hate vrs instant love, check! Seme vrs tsundere uke, check! Plus the side dishes are tasty. I’m disposed to be pleased, especially as Fish is disappointing. Sadly they insisted on singing, but you can’t have everything. 

Love Area Ep 1 - I’m not holding this post just for one BL that I’m not sure if I’ll be able to find tomorrow, so I’ll let you know how it is next week. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Nobleman Ryu’s Wedding (Korea) Ep 7-8 fin - so flipping cute, their little smiles, just GAH. Bit of a dead fish kiss but I don’t care because I loved this tiny show full of soft bois and no one saying anything directly (except our man with the poetry, I hope he finds his true love). Adorable. 

Papa & Daddy (Taiwan) Ep 3 - HOW IS THIS SHOW SO WHOLESOME? This is possibly the cutest thing on air right now (and I don’t actually like children). Just GAH! The actual Taipei pride footage. I didn’t even mind all the product placement (I happen to like that bubbly myself). It’s just so cute. Everyone should be watching this. It will make you feel so good and happy. Not gonna lie, this ep is ALL about queer found family and I might have ugly cried over the teddy bear at the end - in a good way.  *** Quick note because I think it’s super important: in 2020 Taiwan Pride was called March for the World. Why? Because Taiwan managed to control C19 better than any other country, they were the only country able to hold pride safely, so they did it for all of us. I don’t feel like they got enough recognition for this. 

Word of Honor (China) Ep 34-36 fin - In the end, WoH turned out to be a morality tale about the superiority of agrarian society over semi-nomadic tribes combined with a message about enduring love profoundly undermined by Chinese censorship. It’s like this amazing meal. I ate my fill, and enjoyed every bite, but had a bit too much, and now I have heart burn. Am I upset about the ending? Sure am. Good for them for manipulating my emotions! Was this a great drama? Yes. Did I expect this from China? Sure did. Do i feel betrayed anyway? Sure do. I guess these things are going to have to coexist in my psyche. Along with heart burn. Here have the actual-not-really-epilogue-ending. It's wafer thin.  I’m putting this one to bed. I feel like I’ve said my piece and I want to move on from 36 courses of pretty men in pretty robes full of pretty innuendoes and deadly peanuts. I’ll miss the big fuck off white fan, tho. 

My Lascivious Boss (Vietnam) Ep 5 - still very much enjoying it, the secret identity lies are beginning to unravel, tension is increasing. I don’t see how they can resolve this in just one episode tho, so this series might go longer than 6 episodes (rare for Vietnam). 

HIStory 4: Close To You (Taiwan) Ep 8 - I demand Boxiang & Zhigang (repping for the healthy LTR and marriage equality) show up in every HIStory installment henceforth. This was a cute ep, lots of good communication & tropes. Still not sure how I feel about the stepbrothers, but can’t complain about their chemistry (waves at TharnType). Speaking of, how awesome that Yongjie caught the man he always wanted, that man is a SUPER bossy bottom, and Yongjie is like ...

Gossip

Crazy rumor that Singto has a new BL in the works (totally unsubstantiated). It’s Still Just Us (frankly, the biggest strike against this being true is how grammatically correct the title is). 

Vietnam is messing with our heads and hearts by putting the leads from Nation’s Brother and Most Peaceful Place together into a delightful little love triangle of... something or other. Honestly, I’ve no idea what this is. The actors playing around? A new series? An advertisement? What? 

Breaking News

Mandee (of Why R U fame) dropped a “mini intro” for something that they’re calling Bed Friend series. HI BEER! But I thought these two (James & Net) were the side dishes for Middle Love AKA Middleman's Love. I am so confused. (Get your titles together Thailand, no one wants you going down the Taiwanese rabbit hole, mm’kay?) 

Taiwan would call it: Middleman’s Middle Love: Bed Friend. 

Top Secret Together got a full trailer with subs. I’m kinda over ensemble pulp pieces (like Close Friend, Bothers, Y-Destiny) but the presence of Newyear makes this one I’m still going to watch. It starts this Friday on Line TV. 

Cutie Pie the series got a teaser (fundraising trailer). Arranged marriage, home/office set, Thai BL staring Zee? Sign me tf up! I am so excited, I hope they can make this happen. Deets here. (Thanks @heretherebedork for the tip.) 

Next Week Looks Like This:

Some shows may be listed later than actual air date for International accessibility reasons.

Upcoming 2021 BL master post here.

Links to watch are provided when possible, ask in a comment if I missed something.

[antonballdeluxe]

The Burden of Being Seen Online

I talk about one of my fears that's plagued me recently again.

When you access the Websites section of the Neocities front page, it automatically sets the viewing mode to the most followed Neocities sites. This is less organic, but more useful in the long run for finding indie sites. The most visited sites on Neocities are a Neopets fansite, some WebGL demonstrations, and the lovely Bogleech. The most followed are the famous Fauux, a districts site that I question if it's alive, Sadgrl, and Dokodemo. I'm friends with at least one of these people, but this intro has gone on enough. For a while, I've been on the second page for the most followed sites. It's still a long journey of a scroll down to find me, but I'm there. Big achievement. Woohoo! Yippee! IT'S HAPPY HOUR!! I'm right there, and with that, comes traffic. And with that, comes being seen.

I've always had a habit of deleting my works once I've grown too large, because being seen has usually made me extremely uncomfortable of a judgement I couldn't see by people who didn't say anything to me, only watched. Being seen is judgement in itself, positive or negative. It shatters me to the core, and feels like eyes piercing my shell. In addition, as of writing this, I have 170-ish followers on my small Tumblr. I literally just reblog shitposts and make my own sillies there. Feels weird. Audience is weird.

But being seen also leads to my goal in life -- to have my works appreciated. I like when people see my art, my writing, the shit I smear on a digital canvas and call my own. Seeing me as a person is another thing. I am just a little guy on the web, and there are many much bigger guys there that could kill me instantly. But what I want to be seen for is not usually what I am actually seen for -- my low-effort, low-time, well-timed small jokes are usually the rocket-launchers. Not the stuff I pour my sweat into. I'm sure that happens to everyone in a high-paced traffic jam of a web, but it does leave me quite miffed by the sight of it.

All of my life, I have been socially isolated in the real world. On the web, it varies. I do not touch normie spaces anymore. I've learnt my lesson -- being seen there is a death sentence to someone who is not right in the head. I slip out of a slight line or say something that isn't on a thin thread, and there are swords pointed at me. I do not understand an ever-changing set of rules on the web or in normie spaces, so I merely stay on my own. Net nomad, some call it. Vagabond is a cooler word, though.

But while I am still a vagabond, this vagabondness is now popular, because everybody else is fed up with the normie web. We gather, create our own spaces, and visit them and leave pretty messages. I have been praised and seen plenty of times here, and I truly treasure it all.

But even that leaves me on edge, for being seen means being percieved, judged, and left to boil in the minds of many.

Being seen is suffering, but one I must persist in, let myself be wound by in order to succeed in what I do best -- create. I create by edge and by whim. I pick up paper and just go at it. Many are like this, most of them also mentally ill as I am, and both refrain from and wish to discuss here. A shy artist is a forgotten one, until perhaps after death, such as Van Gogh. Love that guy's Clone High appearance, by the way.

Hey, you're seeing this right now. Do you have any thoughts on my site? What I write, make?

[wallwriterstuff]

Hi!What do you think about Demetri/Alec/Felix dating a hybrid?I mean, I had this idea since i read the last book but what if they found their mate when they went to check up on Joham?And one of his daughters is a redhead with unreal green eyes and shes even more beautiful than Heidi or Rosalie? Hybrids are more beautiful than vampires they say.Maybe has a gift too?I think this is an idea the entire fandom went over and i think its cool so if you want to, could u write some headcanons about it?

Hi hey hello! I definitely did enjoy writing these headcanons. Sorry they took a wee while but I hope you like! 

Alec: He will be aged up to the movie version in this since hybrids fully mature to look like adults 😊

This boy is insatiably curious

You fascinate him

You’ve been alive a while but your experience is so different to his, you’ve lived so differently under your father’s influence

Expect long nights telling him every detail of your existence, what it was like to grow up so fast with your sisters, with Joham, knowing your brother only through notes and the occasional visit

He has learned by now that you come as a package deal with your sisters, but this is something he understands. As he and Jane shared a womb, so shall they share a life

Constantly tries to get you to eat human food because oh my god you can eat it without gagging?             +  “And this?”                          “Alec I can eat human food, it just tastes like cardboard.”                    “Even this?”

The first time you sleep in his presence he has this awestruck expression. He’s not watched anyone sleep in all the time he’s been immortal and doesn’t remember what it was like to sleep himself. All those faces you make as you dream send his mind absolutely reeling because what are you thinking about? What do you dream of? Is it bizarre in your head? What he wouldn’t give to catch a mere glimpse of your dreams…

Jane is…difficult. She wants to like you, really she does, but the only other hybrid she knows belongs to the Cullen’s and that whole fiasco is a sore spot as a Volturi defeat in her mind (and no one defeats her coven)

The first time you get a small scrape Alec FreAkS out because oh god you’re bleeding the whole room is going to be after your sweet sweet blood and…and it’s too sweet…you, you really don’t smell all that appealing like a regular human, hell, Santiago’s not even noticed? What?

Always grumbles and complains your too hot when you cuddle (you’re a solid 40°C after all) but secretly loves your warmth. He’s been frozen for centuries and you’re his very own hot water bottle          + Does get a wee bit annoyed when you make him spoon with you later into the relationship because vampires aren’t be able to supposed to sweat but he SWEARS venom is leaking from every pore in his body because you make the bed an oven

15/10 from this boy, adores having a hybrid mate, you are the perfect snuggle buddy for him and just the right amount of human to make him feel like he’s doing a good job protecting you (even though you’re a hybrid and almost as strong as he is, it’s an old timey thing and he died a pubescent boy, let him feel like a man please)

Demetri:

Honestly? He forgets half of the time

“Absolutely not, I will not risk you coming hunting with me!”                “I need to hunt and I will not be letting you stop me, bloodhound.”

When they had first gone to find Joham Demetri had been more than curious, the differences in his mind between vampire and hybrid stark considering they’d almost caused a war with the Cullen’s

He replayed the trial over and over in his mind as he followed the strangely vibrant tenor straight to…his mate?

Excuse you?

It swings one way or the other for the initial getting to know period, either he’s treating your fragile ‘human’ self like glass or your ‘vampire’ self is being thrown against the nearest wall because the man has urges and you’re more than happy to satisfy them

You were mostly raised by your sister, living the nomadic life of a vampire with visits to your father now and then when he wanted to check on your development, so you pair spend long hours discussing all the places you’ve been and things you have seen                    + Since Demetri is far older he has lots more stories to tell so these evenings eventually turn into him telling stories while you end up in a variety of situations. Sometimes he’s holding you to him in bed while he waits for you to fall asleep, other times he lights the fire and you sit curled up together on the sofa before it. 

Your favourite Storytime setting by far is the window seat, where you can lean back against his chest and be blanketed by the diamonds his skin reflects in the sunset

You don’t really like human food all that much, but in an effort to woo you he spent all day watching videos and messing up recipes until he had perfected (if you count perfected as collapsing in on itself in places and a little bit raw in the middle) a chocolate cake to welcome you to Volterra for the first time

There was a little flour on his jaw still when he presented it to you and his eyes were all big

He had this smug little smile too

Too smug considering the state of the cake

You’ve been treated to baked goods ever since and Demetri has gotten rather good at his new hobby

110% watches you sleep but not for nefarious reasons. You talk in your sleep and Demetri has compiled a secret list of things you say for his eyes only            + His favourite so far is “Felix no, put that poor duck down.”                     + You didn’t remember where that had come from so it remains without context, and Demetri has made a myriad of stories each more outlandish than the next as to where that quote came from

Loves to lay his head on your chest and listen to your fast, fluttering heartbeat, you get bonus points if you play with his hair

Doesn’t even bother tracking you by tenor anymore, you radiate heat, he knows when you’re near because he gets warmer

You’re rather self-concious that you live among the Volturi without being gifted             + Demetri is always quick to remind you that your very nature is the most extraordinary gift in itself

Overall a very good match for a hybrid, you’re never bugged by endless questions like your sister is with Alec but you do need to remind him sometimes of your dual-species label, you need blood as much as you need sleep

Felix:

This character follows a specific idea of appearance stated in the request

Felix absolutely adores you, your perfect for him in every way!

Someone small and durable? Sign him up!

Your attitude is as fiery as your hair, which is a good thing because Felix needs someone as stubborn as he is

His head is as thick as his arms

The minute he sees you he’s completely under your spell which surprises only those closest to him – the mans a giant teddy bear as you now well know

Felix takes things nice and slow, he’s never been a fan of rushing into things when it comes to romance, and is very much intro traditional ways of wooing you                  + The first thing you receive is a simple letter, elegantly written in a large spidery hand. You were already smitten with the beefy man by the last line, the flowers that arrived a week later really weren’t necessary but very much appreciated

Your hybrid nature is perfect to him because for once, his height difference with you doesn’t seem so scary. He can’t help being big, but at least with your durability he doesn’t have to worry about crushing you

Felix is considered a grunt, muscle and little else, but he’s shared with you his passion for reading and poetry – you never tire of the poems he creates for you

He’s a very proud man so expect to be shown off to all the Guard and basically everyone you ever meet               + “Enough of your chatter! You know your crime, now face your punishment!”                                                           “ I wouldn’t test my mate if I were you.”                                               “Are you really going to reveal such a tactical weakness? They could target her.”                                                           “…I wouldn’t test this extremely beautiful and talented woman I am in no way connected to if I were you.”                    “Smooth Felix, really smooth.”

Once you feel comfortable with Felix, you show him your gift and its extraordinary effects – his eyes widen at the vivid, ethereal shade of green your eyes turn as you lift a hand and coax all the flora in the room towards you, you can expect him to never shut up about it once he knows               + “Can you make another one?”                                                           “Not unless I hunt first.”                                                        “And then you can make me another flower?”

Felix, it turns out, is a giant goofball when he’s at home. You’re so used to seeing the tense guardsmen it is a complete shock to you when you start living with him in Volterra and see how carefree he is within the walls of his own home

You try not to condone his prank war with Demetri since they both get in trouble for it but you can’t resist helping out from time to time…you can tie off water balloons quicker than he can so you make a good accomplice

Felix doesn’t really touch you in public but he does steal kisses to assert his claim on you. He’ll kiss your forehead whenever he enters or exits a room you’re in, presses kisses to your cheek when you pass each other in the corridor

He reserves a kiss on the lips of any kind for when he’s leaving for a while if in public, like if he’s preparing for a mission with the guard for example, but when you’re alone expect to constantly be coddled by him. He wraps himself around you like a blanket and Will. Not. Let. Go!

[watchathon]

Avatar: The Last Airbender, Series Finale: Sozin’s Comet

In case you’re finding this post just by browsing the tags I’ve used for this post, this is the Watchathon, a blog where I’m hoping to watch an episode of a TV show every weekday, with a short blog post where I write down my thoughts as I watch. Each new thought starts with a hyphen and a bolded first word.

- Like so. Now that the introductions are over with, it’s time to break that one-episode-a-day rule and finish off Avatar: The Last Airbender with the climactic grand finale, Sozin’s Comet:

PART 1: THE PHOENIX KING

- Okay, so, Katara in the intro is still saying “He has a lot to learn before he’s ready to save anyone.” I could’ve sworn they removed that part by this point... Maybe that was just something for the DVD?

- I like that the “Previously on” segment is so long. It really emphasizes how much buildup there was to this. How much the Gaang has been through to get here.

- I gotta say, I was not expecting a beach party in this episode.

- Somehow, for reasons I can’t explain because I don’t understand them myself, this ambush from Zuko made the audio of Nicolas Cage saying “Surprise attack!” in Into the Spider-Verse play in my head.

- Zuko’s really lucky that he earned Katara’s forgiveness before this violent pop quiz, seeing as just a half season ago... “You take one step backwards... one slip up... give me one reason to think you might hurt Aang - and you won't have to worry about your destiny anymore. Because I'll make sure your destiny ends right then and there. Permanently.”

- It never occurred to me that we didn’t get details on the war meeting before now.

- I’d bet hearing about this plan is the thing that tipped the scales and fully convinced Zuko to join the Gaang, and prevent the genocide of the Earth Kingdom.

- It’s so nice to see Zuko being welcomed into the group hugs. Especially when it’s Katara who invites him.

- I like that Zuko is teaching Aang to redirect lightning, the same way Iroh taught him.

- Even before it’s made explicit, you can tell that Aang’s uneasy about the idea of killing.

- Toph is just delighting in her role as Melon Lord, isn’t she?

- Someone out there has definitely written an AU fanfic where someone gets killed during this training and it’s Toph’s origin story as the malicious Melon Lord. If not, then I will write it myself, and it shall be the crackiest crack fic that ever cracked.

- Y’know what, I wish Toph could’ve actually gone on a life-changing field trip with Zuko too! Everyone else got one...

- This scene of Sokka climbing into Appa’s mouth is even more uncomfortable once you’ve... well, once you’ve grown up and... Okay, I tried to put it subtly, but I just can’t: Once you’ve been cursed with the knowledge of what vore is.

- Well, there’s a bait-and-switch if I’ve ever seen one: “Azula, you’re the new Fire Lord!” “=)” “But I am now the Phoenix King and still your superior who you will answer to.” “=O”

- Nice to see June and her Shirshu make a comeback.

- Does this mean Aang wasn’t running away on purpose? I honestly thought he was just going to that island to get some alone time, maybe meditate or contact the previous Avatars’ spirits.

PART 2: THE OLD MASTERS

- I’m not sure if this is something I forgot from June’s first appearance, or if it’s actually just never been brought up before, but I didn’t know her Shirshu had a name.

- It’s sweet that Zuko is seeking out Iroh’s help. Even if the method of finding him is, ah, well... unorthodox.

- Even Avatar Roku doesn’t know where Aang is. And here I thought it was some Avatar thing that had never been brought up before.

- It’s nice to see these people make a comeback. Bumi, Piandao, even Jeong Jeong and Master Pakku are here for the finale.

- I am surprised that we didn’t get an interaction between Toph and Bumi, though. The man Aang wanted to teach him Earthbending, the girl who ended up doing it... But I guess there’s only so much time, and I don’t think there’s any scenes that could be deleted to make room for it.

- It seems like Aang is just searching for confirmation of his beliefs, rather than actually seeking wisdom.

- I like that we get to see Bumi taking full advantage of the eclipse to take back Omashu from the Fire Nation, instead of just being told about it.

- It’s nice to see so many past Avatars beyond just Roku and Kyoshi, Avatars that we never heard of before, but now we hear their stories. But all of these past Avatars echo the same sentiment that Aang should kill Ozai, even an Air Nomad Avatar.

- What can I say about this scene of Zuko and Iroh reuniting? Forgive me for echoing a post I made on my main blog, but this is a scene that’s both sweet and sad.

Sad, because Zuko’s abuse at the hands of Fire Lord Ozai left him anxiously expecting furious punishment for crimes much less than what he did to Iroh. He can’t even comprehend the idea that Iroh would forgive him. His expression while apologizing to Iroh clearly shows he’s expecting the worst.

Sweet, because Iroh still loves Zuko like his own son, and doesn’t even need to forgive him because he never felt anger at Zuko’s betrayal: Only sadness and a worry that Zuko had lost his way, truly lost his honor. And Iroh is so clearly happy to see that Zuko has found his destiny, and joined the fight against the Fire Nation.

I could go on and on about this scene... It’s my absolute favorite scene in the whole series and it brings me to tears every single time I see it.

Gosh... it’s gonna be so awkward going back to the jokes and little mundane thoughts after this, isn’t it?

- Okay, I have officially given up on the idea of finding out what the heck this island is.

- I like the smile on Katara’s face, when she’s asked to team up with Zuko and fight Azula.

- It’s nice to know that Iroh will get the opportunity to run that tea shop, even if Zuko won’t be there to work with him.

- Okay, okay, so the island was actually a lion turtle. Frankly, I’ve still got a lot of questions. Even some new ones.

- It’s nice to see that the Netlix subtitles aren’t ALLCAPS anymore.

PART 3: INTO THE INFERNO

- Gotta hand it to the music, it can make even a scene of Azula making a fuss over a non-pitted cherry rather unnerving.

- Azula’s... Azula-ness has gone straight up to eleven with her newfound role. Hasn’t it? What with all the banishments, even banishing the entire Dai Li.

- Sokka, Suki and Toph are the real dream team. 

- And we get a great final blind joke!

- I like that we get to see everyone doing their part in this final battle. All the members of the Gaang, even the White Lotus, get their moments to shine.

- The hallucination of Ursa shows that Azula, on some level, has an idea of what’s wrong with her. You can tell that they were thinking of a redemption arc for Azula come Book 4, though I am glad that didn’t happen.

- It’s chilling to see Ozai razing the forests of the Earth Kingdom like it’s nothing. And then to realize that this is what Aang will have to face.

- At first I wasn’t sure what Sokka’s plan was, but now that I see it in action, it’s really creative.

- I like the idea of a final one-on-one Zuko vs Azula duel(...a). It’s been a rivalry since Book 2, and it’s nice to finally see it get settled, even if I can’t imagine it’ll end up that easy: Otherwise, what would Katara do?

- It’s so cool to see Aang showing his prowess in all bending techniques, using them all in this final showdown.

- The background music during Zuko and Azula’s Agni Kai really sells it. It makes it sound almost tragic, and it is: two siblings pitted against each other, no choice but to fight to determine the future of the world.

- Azula might be slipping, but she’s still Azula, all too willing to cheat in what’s supposed to be a one-on-one duel.

PART 4: AVATAR AANG

- Netflix isn’t showing the intro for the individual parts, but I’ve gotta say... There’s no way that Katara’s still saying Aang’s “got a lot to learn before he’s ready to save anyone.” Right?

- I like that we get to see one last use of Metalbending from Toph in the finale.

- Dang, I hope this isn’t really the end for Sokka’s sword, or his boomerang. Especially when the sword was so cool, and one could say meaningful.

- I honestly wasn’t sure the Avatar State would ever be a factor again. But if there was ever a time, this is it. (ADDENDUM: This is probably the best time to clarify that I find and add the images at the start after writing the rest of the post.)

- And it’s so epic to see Aang bending all four elements at once.

- I like that Iroh got to burn down the Fire Nation flag.

- Since Zuko’s down for the count, I guess this means a battle between Katara and Azula, the latter powered up by Sozin’s Comet.

- To be honest, I could barely make out what Azula just said. “kjsdbksrbfkjvf family position to look after, kdcbkfh”?

- Katara may not be stronger than Sozin’s Comet-powered Azula, but she’s much more clever than Azula is right now as she loses her marbles.

- This is just the perfect kind of defeat for Azula. There’s no grace to it, no dignity, just writhing around, screaming and spewing fire as Zuko and Katara look on with pity.

- There’s probably a great practical reason someone could find for Spiritbending being a thing, but here’s why I’m glad it exists: Aang gets a happy ending. He gets to take down the Fire Lord, and hold true to his beliefs. If it weren’t for Spiritbending, if Aang killed Ozai, then he would be conflicted to the end.

And I don’t want that. I want Aang to get an unambiguously, undoubtedly happy ending, where the world is saved and that’s all there is to it.

Plus, Spiritbending is quite the spectacle.

- I’m guessing Sokka’s space sword and boomerang really are done for. But hey, there’s always headcanon. Maybe Sokka searched the forest and eventually found them.

- Weird to think that Ty Lee’s gonna be a Kyoshi Warrior.

- Again, I can’t believe Zukaang’s not the most popular Zuko ship in the fandom. Not a ship I’ll go to bat for, but it’s got all the hallmarks of a fan-preferred couple.

- It’s so nice to see Zuko’s coronation, and the official end to the war. It’s a happy ending for the whole world, the start of an era of peace.

- “Love and peace,” huh...? Now that’s funny to hear in the finale to this show, considering the next show I’m covering, come 2021...

- I like that we get to see one last confrontation between Zuko and Ozai. Even if Zuko’s question of where Ursa is doesn’t go anywhere (in the show, I know they touch on that in the comics), it’s nice to see the newly-crowned Fire Lord Zuko having evolved past a need for Ozai’s attention, or a fear of Ozai’s wrath.

- It’s nice to see the whole Gaang having fun at Iroh’s tea shop, in the end. And I stand corrected, this is where we get the final blind joke.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I’m lucky in that most of my childhood cartoons hold up as an adult. I watched Kim Possible, Phineas and Ferb, Code Lyoko, Courage the Cowardly Dog...

Still, there’s something special about Avatar: The Last Airbender. It had a unique aesthetic and world that no other show was quite like. It had a story that was like nothing I’d ever seen as a kid.

And it doesn’t just hold up, it’s even better.

When I was a kid, it was as simple as rooting for the good guys to win, and for the Firebenders to lose, except for Zuko once he turned good.

Now, as an adult (but mostly as someone with a DVD player/Netflix account so I’m not just watching whatever reruns I can catch) I can appreciate the character development, the arcs, the entire story.

I can appreciate how Aang grew from a little boy who does indeed have a lot to learn before he’s ready to save anyone, into a hero who could save the world.

I can appreciate how Zuko was an abuse victim who did what all abused children wish they could do and left his abuser.

I can appreciate... Gosh, Iroh’s entire character and dynamic with Zuko.

Some people say that Avatar “starts off as a kids show, then turns serious”, but I’d disagree. Avatar is a show where our heroes change, where they learn lessons, where they come of age and become the kind of heroes who can end a war that’s been going on for over a century.

As relieved as I am to be (mostly) done with these posts for the rest of the year, I am still oh-so-glad that I’ve rewatched Avatar yet again, and I know that I will be whenever I rewatch it in the future.

Now, with all that said... Farewell! Until the Christmas special, at least...

[maxgrayarchived]

Learning How to Write a Redemption Arc from Avatar: The Last Airbender

    Zuko in Avatar: The Last Airbender is a legend in redemption arcs, and the first example many people think of. He went from being the Avatar’s enemy, his biggest goal being to capture the Avatar and deliver him directly to the Fire Nation’s most vile tyrant, to being the Avatar’s good friend and ally. He makes plenty of mistakes along the way, but he atones to them and becomes a better person. 

    Today we’re going to be talking about Zuko, and what makes his redemption arc so effective. 

    For those who don’t know anything about the series, the show’s intro for the first episode tells you all you need to know: 

    “Water. Earth. Fire. Air. My grandmother used to tell me stories about the old days, a time of peace, when the Avatar kept balance between the Water Tribe, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and Air Nomads- But that all changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, only he could stop the ruthless fire benders, but when the world needed him most, he vanished. A hundred years have passed and the Fire Nation is nearing victory in the war. Two years ago, my father and the men of my tribe journeyed to the Earth Kingdom to help fight against the Fire Nation, leaving me and my brother to look after our tribe. Some people believe that the Avatar was never reborn into the Air Nomads, and that the cycle is broken, but I haven’t lost hope. I still believe that somehow, the Avatar will return to save the world.” 

    The show follows Avatar Aang and his two friends, Katara and Sokka, as he learns the four styles of bending to defeat Fire Lord Ozai. Let’s break down Zuko’s general demeanor in each book (season) to get an overview of what his arc looks like.

Zuko, Book One

    In Book One, Zuko is, irrefutably, our enemy. We may have some sympathy for him at times, but it doesn’t change the fact that his goal is to capture the Avatar, and ours is to keep him free and kicking so he can save the world.

    He doesn’t have much hope for redemption in this book. He’s a total asshole, he doesn’t treat his crew well, and he’s selfish. However, we have his uncle Iroh, a man who is impossible not to love and happens to love Zuko very much.

Zuko, Book Two

    This is the main part of Zuko’s struggle. He’s faced with many hard decisions, and tends to go back and forth with his morality. He makes tons of mistakes and takes several steps backwards, and he’s drowning in anger and confusion. It’s the most critical part of his arc.

Zuko, Book Three

    Book Three is our payoff, and the peak of Zuko’s redemption. He finally knows what he really wants in life, and has faith in his destiny- His real destiny, the one he chose for himself. He joins the Avatar and his group, and earns their forgiveness and trust.

Motivations

    Zuko’s main motivation, and more importantly, why, was clear from almost episode one. Yes, he wanted to capture the Avatar, but the why was something we could sympathize with. When a child thinks the reason their parents don't love them is their fault, especially when they think they did once have their parents’ unconditional love, they will put themselves through hell to get it back. 

    Avatar gave us all the ugly details, as well. When Zuko stands up and speaks against a plan that would end up with the intentional deaths of new Fire Nation soldiers that he believes to be innocent, his father demands Zuko to an agni kai, or a firebending duel. Zuko originally misunderstands and agrees to fight the general he disrespected, only to be faced with his own father. He refuses to fight, dropping to his knees in respect and pleading for his father’s forgiveness, only for Ozai to severely burn the left side of his face and banish him from the Fire Nation. He told Zuko that he could only return home if he returned with the Avatar, something that was thought to be impossible by almost everyone in the Four Nations.

    To make it even harder to watch, his Uncle Iroh is the one telling this story, and as Zuko screams in agony while his father burns him, Iroh is so distraught that he has to look away. (There’s another thing to be said about how Iroh, a respected war general, drops everything to go with Zuko when he himself could remain safe and free in the Fire Nation, but that’s a different topic). 

    Afterwards, one of Zuko’s crewmembers says, 

    “So that’s why he’s so obsessed. Capturing the Avatar is the only chance he has of things returning to normal.” 

    His motivations don’t justify all the shitty things he does, not by a longshot, but the simple, humanizing act of saying exactly why he does what he does goes a long way. He’s not just an angry kid being needlessly cruel. He’s not an evil person, and we knew that from the beginning. 

Mistakes

    Mistakes are one of the most important parts of a redemption arc, because they’re what humanizes everything and makes the transformation believable. It’s impossible for a person to get better in a straight line. They will make mistakes, and they’ll backtrack. 

    But be careful: There are some things you can’t come back from. Don’t overdo it. 

    In the Crystal Catacombs in Book Two, Zuko makes a HUGE mistake. He has to choose between Azula (his sister), his father, and his nation… And his uncle. He chooses Azula, and attacks the Avatar (directly after trying to convince Katara that he’s changed lmaoooo). He’s so caught up in the idea of getting his father’s love ‘back’ and regaining his title that he ignores how much his uncle loves him and all that he’s done for Zuko. 

    There was also an episode, way early in Book Two, where Zuko splits up from Iroh entirely, because they had “nothing left to gain from traveling together.” He hurts Iroh’s feelings and makes himself more vulnerable for… What? Some teen angst? That’s the kind of shit I did in high school, and still sometimes now but come on. 

    He made a lot of mistakes with Iroh, in fact. He was constantly mean to him and taking out his anger on him. In “The Storm,” one of Zuko’s crewmembers says this, 

    “What do you know about respect? The way you talk to everyone around here, from your hard-working crew, to your esteemed uncle, shows you know NOTHING about respect! You don’t care about anyone but yourself! Then again, what should I expect from a spoiled prince?” 

    He made the mistake of trusting Azula MULTIPLE times! When Azula comes to Zuko after two years of his banishment, in the beginning of Book Two, she claims that Ozai had changed his mind and wanted Zuko home. He believes her, even though there’s not a single trustworthy thing about her. After she leaves them to talk it over, Iroh and Zuko have this conversation: 

“He cares about me!”

“I care about you! And if Ozai wants you back, well, I think it may not be for the reasons you imagine.”

“You don’t know how my father feels about me. You don’t know ANYTHING!”

“Zuko, I only meant that in our family, things are not always what they seem.”

“I think you are EXACTLY what you seem: A lazy, mistrustful, SHALLOW old man who’s always been jealous of your brother!”

Finally, the last one that bears mentioning, happens at the start of Book Three. Zuko goes up to the Gaang and tries to convince them that he’s a good person now and should teach Aang firebending. They yell at him and tell him to leave, but after he does, Toph insists that Zuko is right and they should try to get along. She sneaks out later to talk to him, but she came in the dead of the night and Zuko is now an enemy to pretty much all four nations, so when he hears someone moving, he makes an intimidating ring of fire around his camp. However, Toph is blind, and she accidentally steps back onto the fire.

Zuko shouts apologies and tries to help her, but she’s panicking and hurries back home. 

This is part of one of Zuko’s main arcs: Him learning how to control his firebending enough to not hurt innocent people. 

Significant Steps 

    Like I mentioned: Don’t overdo it. Characters undergoing a redemption arc need to take positive steps in the right direction, but a lot of writers (me) get caught up in the mistakes part and lose all the redemption. 

Among the many little hints and glimpses of hope you have, there should be a couple of major decisions that show your character’s progress- And the decision part is important. 

In the first season, Zuko has a choice between saving his kidnapped uncle, and chasing the Avatar. He chooses his uncle, and good thing, too, because if he was mere seconds later, Iroh would have lost his hands. This also happens in a later episode, “The Storm,” when Zuko and his crew are caught in a typhoon. Zuko sees Appa, Aang’s bison, flying overhead and the crewmember who previously disrespected him and politely asked what Zuko wants to do. 

He hesitates, before saying, “Let him go. We need to get this ship to safety.” He also apologizes to his uncle, who immediately accepts it. 

Zuko is given the option several times to put his search for the Avatar over the safety of his family and crew, and he never takes it. Moments like this keep him from being completely irredeemable. 

There’s another scene, at the beginning of the phenomenal episode “Zuko Alone,” where we see Zuko barely conscious, stumbling along on his ostrich-horse, presumably days without food. He passes a couple who’s cooking food on the road. He reaches for his broadswords to indulge in his newfound kleptomania, but stops as he realizes the girl is pregnant. 

There’s also the very critical moment in Book Two, after the Gaang had been separated from Appa and were frantically looking for him. Zuko finds Appa, ends up letting him go, and evens drops his vigilante “Blue Spirit” mask into Lake Laogai, renouncing his search for Avatar. Iroh finds him, about to steal Appa, and yells at him, saying that it’s time for him to look in and ask himself the big questions- “Who are you, and what do you want?”

Dropping his search for the Avatar means abandoning a destiny that had been forced on him for two or three years (which is a long time for a 16 year old). It’s so scary and uncomfortable at first that he falls into a harsh sickness, but when he comes out of it, he feels much better. We see him smile for maybe the first time in the entire show! 

There are also the moments that solidify his redemption, during and after the Gaang accepts him as one of their own. He goes with Sokka to The Boiling Rock to try and rescue his father, a prison where no one has ever escaped from, and goes with Katara to confront the man who killed her and Sokka’s mother. During the final battle, he sacrifices himself to save Katara and almost dies! It’s impossible to still hate him after that. 

Sympathy & Humility 

    We should care about these characters the moment you start their arc, starting slowly and building as their redemption does. 

    Avatar starts early, with Commander Zhao. We definitely don’t like Zuko at this point, but we meet him and then we meet Zhao and they’re enemies and Zhao is so much more of an asshole that we find ourselves rooting for Zuko. After Zhao, a grown ass man, demeans Zuko, insults him, and pokes at his banishment- little reminder that Zuko is fucking sixteen years old -Zuko challenges Zhao to an agni kai. Zuko wins this, but as he’s walking away, Zhao attacks him from behind! Iroh steps him and says this: 

    “So this is how the great Commander Zhao acts in defeat? Disgraceful. Even in exile, my nephew is more honourable than you.” 

    And he’s got a point. 

    Zhao ends up going from a minor headache to a big fucking problem in that book, and even though we know if Zuko wins, he’ll have a chance to capture the Avatar, we’d rather take our chances there than have Zhao around one moment longer. I mean, he tried to kill the moon, for fuck’s sake. 

When we meet Azula for the first time and she tells Zuko that Ozia regretted his banishment, an important but understated part of that scene is how goddamn happy Zuko is. We see all his excitement and relief, and then all his pain and anger surge back up when it’s revealed that Azula was taking them home as prisoners. 

After Zhao died and Zuko was huddling in a cave during a snowstorm with a captured Aang, he talks about his homelife, specifically mentioning something his father said: That Azula was born lucky, and Zuko was lucky to be born. We see countless flashbacks, especially in “Zuko Alone,” of Zuko as a little boy just trying to win his father’s approval. 

We root for Zuko countless times in that episode, actually, and this is before his redemption. “Zuko Alone” is such an important episode because it’s Zuko’s very first, real look at the war and what it does to people. After Zuko finds out that the family he is staying with has a son fighting in the war with a very real chance of dying soon, he makes a decision that he had purely good intentions with, but he’s so ignorant and naive to how the war works that he almost causes their only other child to be put in the war as well, and has to go rescue him. 

In the episode “Crossroads of Destiny,” Zuko and Katara have a moment in the Crystal Catacombs of old Ba Sing Se, and it’s, like “Zuko Alone,” one of the first times he can actually put a face and a name to the victories of The Fire Nation- When Katara tells him about her mom. He doesn’t have any excuses here, and is forced to admit that the Fire Nation hurt him, too.

In “The Ember Island Players,” when the Gaang is watching a play that… Kind of, tells the story so far, Zuko says this: 

“It takes every mistake I’ve ever made in my life and shoves them back in my face.”

He talks about his greatest regret- Betraying Iroh -and his he’s afraid he’ll never get to redeem himself. Later, Zuko and Iroh reunite, and Iroh says that he was never angry, he was just sad because he thought Zuko had lost his way. Zuko admits that he did lose his way, but he found it again.

We see Zuko struggle so much throughout the show with his morality and making the right decisions, so when he finally does, it’s a huge relief. He makes mistake after mistake, but nobody wants him to fail, not because we want another good guy, but because we see that he has good in him and we see how much Iroh believes in him.

Glimpses into the Future 

    It’s important that we have an idea of where this character is going to end up. We want something to look forward to so that we can push through the annoying stuff. 

    In the episode “The Blue Spirit,” the first time we see Zuko in his anonymous vigilante alter ego, we see what a great team he and Aang make when he rescues Aang from Zhao. They have a great battle chemistry and communicate well without Zuko needing to speak, then after Zuko is knocked out and Aang finds out his identity, he saves Zuko because Zuko saved him. 

    In “The Storm,” when Iroh is telling the crew how he got his scar and the conditions of his banishment, Iroh tells us, the audience, exactly what’s going to happen later in the series. 

When the crew member says that Zuko finding the Avatar is the only chance he has for things returning to normal, Iroh says, 

    “Things will never return to normal. But the important thing is: The Avatar gives Zuko hope.”

    Iroh recognizes that the kind of love Ozai would give him, if any, isn’t the kind that Zuko craves. Zuko only realizes this himself in Book Three, when he's back in the palace, back with his girlfriend Mai, and he’s won his father’s and people’s respect back. He admits to both Azula and Mai that something is wrong and he’s still not happy. 

A Good Mentor

    Most of the show, we see Iroh and his infinite patience trying to guide Zuko away from the same mistakes he made when he was younger. Before the start of the show, Iroh was a greatly respected, and feared, war general. This is referenced countless times throughout the series. He was so successful and respected that even leaving the Fire Nation to follow the banished prince couldn’t tarnish his reputation. Iroh had fallen into the same trap most of the Fire Nation did, that to be a man meant you had to be powerful, to be hurtful, and angry, and violent. He lost his only son to this ideology and was terrified of losing Zuko to it as well. At the end of Book One, before he and Zuko split up, Iroh’s begging him to be careful and admits that ever since he lost Lu Ten, he sees Zuko as a son of his own. 

    After Zuko’s betrayal in Ba Sing Se, Iroh leaves Zuko and forces him to make his own choices, which is when Zuko finally steps up (after some struggle). 

Iroh made it very easy to care about Zuko, alongside Zuko’s moments of humility and glimpses of hope.

Summary

In short, Zuko is such a legendary character because he was well-rounded, and humanized. He never overstepped to the point where he couldn’t be redeemed, and even when he was at his worst, we knew who he could be, and that he does have good in him. 

[xbaebsae]

7, 9, 21 and a) and b) for Rheese and Vi :D

Thanks Jonny!! ♥

7. What triggers nostalgia for them, most often? Do they enjoy that feeling?

Rheese: The music box Jacob uses, it was a gift from her. Throughout a few generations it was passed on in her family from one loved one to another. Her dad got it from his mum when he married Rheese’ mother. Later he gifted it to his wife and when she was no more, he gave it to Rheese, who eventually gives it to Jake. She thinks it’s horribly cheesy but it holds a lot of value for her and is her very clumsy attempt at telling him she loves him :’)

Before everything turns to shit she really enjoys the feeling because it reminds her of all the people she loves. But during her hasty break up and departure from Jake, she forgets to take it back and he, completely brainwashed by Joseph at that point, uses it for his deranged trials that she eventually ends up going through aswell.

Vi: Revisiting the Badlands. She got hit with nostalgia super hard during her time with River and for a short period of time she wanted their relationship to work so badly simply so she’d return there more often. Ultimately they didn’t work out though, partly at fault was Johnny because he saw his own goals at risk, but the bigger factor was that the calm family life was simply not for her. They’re still friends and occasionally she visits River and Joss, but if she’s to return to the Badlands one day she’ll ride with a Nomad clan again.

9. Do they swear? Do they remember their first swear word?

Rheese: Too often for her own good. She wasn’t raised like that, when her mum was still there they definitely had a swear jar at home. Later when she lived with her dad the rules weren’t quite as strict but he still scolded her whenever she left the impression of being impolite to other people. Together with that general masculinity she developed through her time living alone, she also started swearing a lot more freely. She sure gets creative with derogatory nicknames for Jacob. Doesn’t remember her first swear word though.

Vi: Occasionally when situations get out of control. You can measure her stress level on the number of swear words used in a sentence. Since she can’t remember anything from the first 16 years of her life, she also doesn’t remember her first swears.

21. Why do they get up in the morning?

Rheese: Answered here 

Vi: To check their messages for new Gigs and get them done asap, some clients give tips for speed afterall. Oh and later to find a solution for her talking brain tumor :’)

A) Why are you excited about this character?

Rheese: Honestly, I just have so much fun with her. She got me back into 3d Art, because of her I learned so many things. I only started modding because of her story and without that I wouldn’t have become active on tumblr. Wouldn’t have made some amazing friends if I didn’t come here so... yeah. She’s incredibly fun to write, I think she’s very pretty which makes creating art of her a blast too.

Vi: She’s nowhere near as developed as Rheese and I doubt she ever will be, but I’m having fun making up a bit more background for her and thinking about her relationships with characters in the game. My biggest disappointment with the game is that the roleplay aspect somehow got completely shafted or sth cause you have little to no control over shaping your V, so I kinda just do it in my head as I play xD

B) What inspired you to create them?

Rheese: Answered here

Vi: I liked ingame V but the intro mission didn’t really add much of a background so overall she feels like she has no backstory? That’s why I started making one up to feel more invested in her. 

[macgyvertape]

25 hours into Cyberpunk 2077

Most of this going under read more for spoilers:

This game really has dragon age inquisition face, you spend a lot of time in the character creator and then you look nothing like that in game I'm playing it on a laptop with a i7 980 graphics card, and usually it's 30-40fps. I'm impressed by how detailed the characters and the textures are, but looking at other people's screenshots i can see a big difference in the lighting. still much nicer than the potato settings i thought it would be rip [character] but then i think it's funny the difference between people who didn't know the e3 content vs those who did.  Watching a friend stream the game and not knowing how the flathead quest played out was funny

unlike deus ex where there are bonuses for stealth and not killing, there seems to be no bonus for that here unless it's specifically a mission objective. So it's been a lot of stealth sniping with a gun that shoots through walls.

update 15 hours in: i've spent so much fucking time reloading from failing to sneak, I've now just stopped caring unless a mission objective

Body was my dump stat followed by reflexes, so I spent a few hours grinding out the random event combat missions with a iron sights sniper rifle. I tried 1 fist fight, but it was really rough with those dump stats so i will do them eventually when I overlevel

I really liked Jackie’s memorial, with seeing how everyone came and spoke. it was really good writing and felt genuine.

BUT, where is the memorial or grieving for T-Bug? I really liked her, and aside from one or two lines theres no memorial for her. didn't realize it was adam smasher not ATOM smasher, anyway he's terrifying Wow but the first person view in the plot car chases are so good. Like it felt so visceral, when being chased by mantis blade assassins. Or when another car does a hit and run yelling “beep beep motherfucker everytime you get slapped around with your character it feels really impactful, I'm liking this first person perspective I really like Takemura, his whole intro was neat, and he's kinda a silver fox.  I liked his quest step where he talks to Oda and you can interject with limited time dialogue, or not. And sometimes when you speak up they flat out ignore you. It's great, it feels like the conversations are a lot more dynamic, getting the choice to speak up also I love Misty and Vic, especially vic he's so nice its really cool to explore the city. especially just going to the columbarium (graveyard) as part of a quest and listening to npcs talk. Makes the world feel real, listening to a father try to explain to his daughter that their mother is dead, and they can't see her again unlike her classmate who has money for an ai scan of a dead parent.

With Clouds, I was really worried that the game would force you to have sex, like some of the witcher games madeit happen, even if you could skip the actual smut animations. But it was all talking and existentialism, and i really enjoyed it as a player and what it said about V. Paid the women so they would find a better ripperdoc than fingers, then punched him out after Judy slapped him. Would have punched him before if i thought it would give good info.

Judy’s great, she might be my choice for romance

For the nomad quest, I let Lana have my old car. I honestly didn’t even realize it was my nomad car from the beginning of the game, I haven’t seen it in like 20 hours. Feels like a gameplay/story segregation: every time i go into a new zone I get offers on like 3 different cars, I could have enough cars to open my own taxi service. So the old car would just sit unused, why not let the person who put work into it (even if shoddy work) use it to escape Night City.

[the-odinson]

Thor 🗲 Intro

“Fortunately, I am mighty...”

OOC PORTION —

NAME: Danny

PRONOUNS: he/him

AGE: 23

TIMEZONE: GMT +1

TRIGGERS: None

IC PORTION; BASICS —

CHARACTER NAME: Thor Odinson

FACECLAIM: Chris Hemsworth

AFFILIATIONS: The Avengers

AGE: 1500s/appears mid 30s

SPECIES: Alien (Asgardian)

IDENTITY: Public

DOES YOUR CHARACTER LIVE IN THE MOUSEHOLE? IF SO, WHAT ARE THEIR DUTIES? Yes, but he doesn’t particularly like it there. He doesn’t feel the effects of the cold, but Thor has never liked being confined so prefers to get outside as much as possible. Thor has decided to take on the role of a hunter/gatherer. The vast forests of Europe aren’t too dissimilar to the Asgardian wilderness and, while the beasts aren’t as ferocious as back home, what’s a king to do if not revel in the hunt? When needed he will also help with aid work: he can cover great distances with ease and carrying heavy loads is hardly a problem for him.

DESCRIBE SIX TRAITS (3 positive, 3 negative) YOUR CHARACTER HAS AND HOW THESE AFFECT THEM:

Dependable: A man of his word, Thor is trustworthy and reliable; an asset in any team and to anyone who has a favour to ask. Endearing: Those who truly get to know Thor speak of him with admiration; his warm smile and welcoming personality don’t come to all, but if he lets his guard down you’re guaranteed a friend with whom you feel truly comfortable. Benevolent: Thor (usually) means well and (usually) tries to be kind to anyone he encounters. His exterior may come across as brash but there’s no malice involved, often just a difference in culture and upbringing. Obstinate: While being headstrong may not always be a negative thing, Thor hates to admit he’s wrong and has a tendency to steamroll down a chosen path rarely reassessing whether the choices he made were the right ones or simply the first ones. Distrusting: Thor enjoys being social but mainly around those he’s close to. He can appear a little hostile to strangers: while he wants to believe in the good in people, he’s been around long enough and seen a lot of the universe to know of the potential darkness inside them too. Reckless: Thor often acts on impulse and charges into situations unprepared. This can lead to serious damage caused to both himself and those around him.

POWERS AND/OR ABILITIES: Super strength: Son of Odin and King of Asgard, Thor is physically the strongest of all Asgardians, with feats including being able to go one-on-one with the Hulk and other powerful entities. Flight: Thor’s magical axe Stormbreaker grants him the ability to fly. Electricity Manipulation: Thor is capable of generating electrical energy within his body and can expel it in the form of lightning bolts. Using Stormbreaker makes the energy generation and expulsion much more powerful and efficient. Weather Control: Similarly, either with or without Stormbreaker (although with Stormbreaker is easier), Thor can control the sky and create storms. Durability: His Asgardian physiology grants much more durability than a human one, able to shrug off energy blasts and recover from injury much quicker. Thor can also survive in space and alien atmospheres. Allspeak: Also called the All-Tongue, Asgardians speak a magic-based language, granting the ability to understand and be understood in all the languages of the Nine Realms. Bifrost: Stormbreaker also gifts Thor the power to summon the Bifrost, the Rainbow Bridge connecting all realms, allowing intergalactic travel between worlds in a matter of moments.

WEAKNESSES: There aren’t many things on Earth that could pose a threat to Thor, so it’s hard to pinpoint any specific weaknesses. Perhaps for someone like Thor, the word god comes up so often that he sometimes forgets it’s not true: he is mortal and, while far more durable than a human, he can get injured and he can get killed, a fact that he often brushes to the side when charging into battle. However he has become far more self-aware after losing an eye (and almost his life) to Hela.

IC PORTION; DETAILS —

WHAT BROUGHT YOUR CHARACTER TO SOKOVIA?

Sokovia is where the majority of Thor’s allies are, and he needs their help. His world gone, his people stranded on the nearest hospitable realm in need of a home; Thor knew of a place where the Asgardians could blend in and live peaceful lives. The problem is, however, it seems Earth is not quite at peace right now. When he couldn’t track down the Avengers in New York, he followed the trail to Novi Grad. His priorities are conflicting: while he came back to Earth to ask the Avengers’ help in establishing a new Asgard on this planet, he feels he should stay to try and help his friends however he can in aiding the Nomad’s cause.

DID THEY SIGN THE ACCORDS? WHY OR WHY NOT?

No - the whole Accords situation is mostly unbeknownst to Thor due to being offworld at the time of signing. From what he can gather, it isn’t something that would appeal to him. He feels the affairs of humans are mostly petty ones and, despite his growing acclimatisation to Earth and its customs, he doesn’t understand why humans have to be so divided about, well, pretty much everything.

PROVIDE 3-5 HEADCANONS RELATED TO YOUR CHARACTER: 1. Although Thor is an alien, he has spent enough time on this planet (in both modern and ancient times) for the culture shock to lessen so that now Earth to Thor is more comparable to a human travelling to a different country - he acknowledges that the differences are neither better nor worse and he chooses to respect them. He knows he will make mistakes and appear strange, but sees that now as an opportunity for personal growth. 2. One thing he doubts he will ever understand however, is the human version of ‘entertainment’. Thor cannot stand movies. On Asgard, they would entertain themselves by slaying fearsome monsters or engaging in a friendly drunken brawl, the more broken furniture the better! But on Earth they amuse themselves by… sitting down and staring at a screen for hours on end. While both Asgard and Earth had/have magnificent technology, it’s clear they used it very differently.

3. Since returning to Earth, Thor has become intrigued in the Norse tales of himself and his people from over a thousand years ago and their alleged feats. He finds it highly amusing how inaccurate the stories are, but it has led to a fascination of human mythology and the various pantheons across history and the world. He wonders if he will ever meet any other of these so-called gods.

4. While a human brain only has capacity for almost a century’s worth of memories, an Asgardian brain is built for a few millennia’s worth. Therefore Thor has a much more acute long-term memory than his human companions, although occasionally his short-term memory leaves something to be desired, especially after several pints of mead.

WANTED CHARACTER CONNECTIONS: 

Loki: His brother and the person he loves (and hates) most in the cosmos. I know a thing or two about brotherly love (I’ve been experiencing it for 23 years) so would love to write for Thor with his undeniably most personal connection. Wonder Woman: Both ancient, both ‘gods’ and both so very far from home. Despite their different allegiances I think it would be great to have Thor bond with perhaps the one person around here who may truly understand him. Superman: If anything they both have fabulous red capes. They are quite similar power-wise, although I know Superman is stronger but Thor definitely wouldn’t want to admit that. It could lead to some healthy (or unhealthy?) competition between the two, especially seeing as Thor isn’t too fond of the Justice League. Captain America & Iron Man: The two splintered team leaders. Thor respects them both (Tony a little less, perhaps…) and, since he doesn’t really understand the extent of the accords, would like to hear their sides of the story and what has happened since the Ultron incident. Bruce Banner: Thor has fought with the Hulk a couple of times but feels this has brought the two closer, learning more about how Bruce ticks and now he feels there’s a protective bond between the pair. I think the interactions they have could bring out the comedic style of writing which I love!

POTENTIAL CHARACTER ARCS: In the previous paragraph I said I like writing comedic characters (of which Thor fits the bill) but I also want to explore the deeper aspects of his personality such as the emotional pain of losing his parents, his childhood friends and his home. This could manifest in him not wanting to form bonds with others in the Mousehole at first because he’s lost so many people: why would he want to get close with anyone else only to lose them again? Perhaps a dramatic fallout with someone from a different team could lead to serious consequences for him or the team as a whole.

The reason I chose for placing Thor in Sokovia is that he’s seeking a location for New Asgard: maybe with all its emigrating population and empty buildings Sokovia could be the perfect location… I’m not sure how it would work in the group, but maybe Thor could eventually bring the Asgardians here, both to settle and to help with the restoration of the country.

CHARACTER BIO —

You know the story. An Asgardian prince, lacking in humility and exiled to Earth in order to learn what it means to be worthy. A classic tale, but at its heart, a tale of loss, and a tale of what it means to truly be human: even if you’re not. Thor has lived for well over a millenia, but only in the last decade has his life really begun. From landing on Earth a long time after people stopped worshipping him, he slowly began to understand the importance of relationships; from forming close bonds with the Avengers (and wary acquaintances with the Justice League and X-Men), to experiencing true love for the very first time. All his life Thor had assumed that humans were lesser beings, so why then did he feel he was learning so much more from them than he had ever learned from his own kind? 

After experiencing the death of his mother, then later on his father and three close childhood friends, Thor was at breaking point when his home realm of Asgard was obliterated during Ragnarök by the fire demon Surtur. With the title of King thrust upon him, Thor decided his duty to his people had to consume him before his emotions did. Pursuing the quest of a new home, he led them to Nidavellir, the homeworld of the dwarfs; unsurpassable smiths and mechanics with the power to forge almost anything the mind can dream of, ruled over by their King, Eitri. Eons ago, Eitri had forged the legendary hammer Mjölnir (destroyed by Hela) at Odin’s request, now he oversaw the creation of the glorious axe Stormbreaker when asked by Thor, capable of summoning the rainbow bridge despite its apparent destruction on Asgard. Armed with his new tool and a promise to the Asgardians of a brighter future, Thor set out alone across the stars, heading to Midgard to find his old allies the Avengers. He’d helped the humans many times before, hopefully they’ll be able to help him and his race this time. 

It took Thor losing everything to appreciate what he has. As he enters the next phase of his life in Sokovia, without family or a home, he is truly the definition of a nomad.