#soundless

[demaparbat-hp]

Hi Dema!! Your art is fantastic and even the lineart is awesome! Solid and confident in where it's thick and where thin. I really like how your style has characters look more realistic and they have specific consistent features. Your blog has a pleasant atmosphere, and you're skilled in weaving AUs! There's a lot of details and structure, and I'd like to ask if any of them have a full story arc? Could you do a list of all of the AUs? Is there a motif that you especially like that repeats in any of the AUs? And whenever you add comments to my stuff in the tags I literally smile, it makes me want to keep at my plan to create everything I have in mind. So I'd like to spread this joy! I hope you have a nice day! (from late-draft ^^)

Hello, Late-Draft! I wasn't expecting this ask at all but I'm so glad to have received it!

First of all—I'll try to hold myself back from giggling like a schoolgirl. I'm having a sempai noticed me moment over here and that's just embarrassing. So give me a second to compose myself, if that's alright?

Okay, I'm back.

Now, on to business.

Character design, especially when it comes to facial features and how they're unique to each person, has always been a passion of mine. I always try to have a solid design for each character. I choose which features feel like the character in question, which face feels natural to draw, and go along with it. I love drawing Katara as much as I love drawing Zuko. Meanwhile, I seem to be on a never-ending battle against Sokka's features. Woes of an artist, I suppose.

Character design is actually one of the reasons I love your work so much, in case you hadn't noticed. I'm currently experimenting a bit with a different style... Hopefully it won't be long before the artwork is done and I can share it over here. I'm so excited for everyone to see it!

Now it's time for the reason we're all here.

I have said it before and shall say it once more: AUs are my lifeblood.

I love them so much! Building them, daydreaming the scenes, thinking of the characters and how they differ from their canon versions. The arcs and the themes and the worldbuilding. Building AUs is my passion, and I have so many of them!

There are a lot of motifs and themes that tend to repeat themselves in several of my AUs, I believe.

You'll notice that most of my stories are Zuko-centric, with a heavy emphasis on grief and humanity. There's the question of what makes us human and how to move forward when the whole world seems to push you back. I put a lot of stock in metaphors and symbolism within the narrative itself. I'm especially interested in the nuance of war and how it affects people emotionally, physically, and psychologically

I also tend to reutilize some elements of the lore and/or worldbuilding! Such as the Painted Lady's backstory, or the existence of War Children within the ATLA universe.

Now, the list!

I think I'll start with my current project, if that's okay :)

For the Spirits (New Gods AU)

Zuko was a child when he met Agni. Then, the spirits started coming to him. Eyes hidden in the hallways, voices pleading for help, for recognition, for remembrance.

Zuko could see Agni. He could see the broken remains of a Great Spirit and the empty smiles of amnesiac ghosts.

And they could see him in return.

I've been working on this AU for a long time, but only now did I get the chance to start writing the fic (linked up there!). I'm extremely excited about FTS and where the story will lead us in the future, but I'll try not to spoil too much.

It's a Zuko-centric story, with a heavy emphasis on Spirits and humanity. I'd like to add a warning for depression/mental health issues.

To Hesitate (Lee & Kya AU)

As she watches Lee and Kya avoid each other's eyes from across the room, the phrase comes back to her, swift and silent:

"To hesitate is to lose."

.

As Song treats the victim of an unfortunate interaction with a rare poisonous flower, her day takes an unexpected turn when it becomes apparent that the old man's nephew and her assistant have history.

A vivid history.

The Lee & Kya AU is a vibe, a feeling. It's probably one of my oldest AUs out there as well as one of my dearest.

A classical Lee and Kya From The Tea Shop AU, full with wholesome fandom tropes such as: fake (but not really) dating, fake identities, Ba Sing Se shenanigans, vigilante stuff, White Lotus missions, Iroh is a great Uncle, Zuko is an awkward turtleduck, and, of course, the fluffiest fluff you'll ever see.

Other than that, Lee & Kya is probably one of the less plot-focused AUs I have. However, that doesn't mean that there aren't scenes I can't wait to write or a canon divergence or two where Zuko is concerned.

(I have another fic posted but I'll leave that one to the end. You asked for a full story arc and, oh boy, does Soundless deliver.)

Kintsugi AU

Closer to being canon-adjacent than canon-divergent, Kintsugi is yet another Zuko-centric AU (and are we not noticing a pattern over here?).

I'd love to explain it in depth, but I believe the caption of the artwork linked above does a better job at explaining than I ever will.

Kintsugi is the art of decorating your scars with pieces of Agni.

In the Fire Nation, the amount of golden marks are a sign of status. Only the Royal Family can afford to seal every single wound with Kintsugi. Such is the weight of this tradition that, among the ones with Agni's blood, it is the highest mark of dishonor to have a natural scar, for it proves you aren't worthy of the privilege.

After the Agni Kai, Ozai forbid Zuko's scar to be sealed with Kintsugi. The boy wasn't worth his title, his traditions or his pride. Zuko would be broken, but he wouldn't be beautiful. Not anymore.

(And sometimes it's easier to pretend he never was)

Kyoshi Warriors AU

One of my absolute favorites!

In this AU, Ursa took Zuko and Azula with her when she was banished, so they could start anew. With help from Iroh and the White Lotus, she managed to relocate her freshly burned eight-year-old child and her crying daughter to Kyoshi Island.

Years later, when Avatar Aang and his companions first arrive at Kyoshi Island, they're met by the Kyoshi Warriors and their leader, Noriko of pale skin and warm brown eyes.

The Gaang leave Kyoshi Island many weeks later with a new companion. And if Jian Li, with his war paint and his scar and his dual dao, gives the island that he has called home for so long one final, longing glance as they fly away on Appa, they pretend not to notice.

Hunters AU

We're starting to dwelve deep into dangerous waters!

This is a Katara Joins Zuko In His Quest To Find The Avatar AU, with a twist!

This AU was born as a writing experiment. What if we take Katara's character, and change one of her core characteristics? Katara, who looked up to the Avatar as a saviour figure, now blames him for leaving and allowing the Fire Nation to wage war on the world.

Then comes Zuko, a banished Prince with a crew full of traitors and his own agenda. Zuko wishes for nothing more than to dethrone his father and end the war. He is a White Lotus member, an honorable, driven young man, and he has a plan.

The catch? He needs to take the Avatar to his father if he wishes to regain his title and be able to rightfully take the throne. Oh, and he will deliver the Avatar to the Fire Lord—but nobody said it had to be in chains.

Halfblood AU

I watched Blue Eye Samurai a few months ago and it destroyed me. The idea of a half-blooded child dead set on getting revenge for their very existence stuck with me, and this AU was born.

Kanna made a life for herself in the Earth Kingdom after leaving the North. Katara was raised by her grandmother in a small village, being taught to hide her bending if she wanted to live peacefully in a place she was only half of. Her mother had died in childbirth. Her father, a nameless warrior from the Southern Water Tribe who had loved Kya and left her behind, didn't know of Katara's existence.

Katara took over Kanna's clinic after she passed away. Always taking care of others. Always suppressing her need to bend. Always wishing for more.

One day, he arrived. A half-child, just like her. But while she was of Water, he was a son of Agni. He was searching for the man who brought him to this world. The man who scarred him. The man whose face he couldn't recall, whose name he did not know. The man whose specter had chased his mother to her grave. The man who would die at his hand.

The answers were hidden in a small teashop deep within Ba Sing Se. Lee offered her a way out, and Katara took it.

Soundless (Uiscefhuaraithe)

Katara of the Southern Water Tribe has hands scarred by fire and great talent, though no teacher.

Zuko is a mute War Child, a herbalist and healer, and the Blue Spirit. He bears the mark of fire, and the scar of the blade that took away his voice.

The first time they met, the Blue Spirit had just saved her, tough not before her hands got burned. The second time they met, his name was Lee, and he was healing her.

They live in war and they will fight, if not for the world, then for themselves.

You asked for a full storyline, and I shall deliver!

Soundless is probably the only AU I have fully planned. Three-books, Azula redemption arc, role-reversals and all.

This AU has everything. From travelling through the Earth Kingdom together, to odd character team-ups that somehow manage to work, and a major goal/conflict to resolve.

Zuko and Katara must find their way to Omashu in an Earth Kingdom ravaged by war as they also grow to understand each other, themselves, and the world around them. They meet with new and old alliances, keep their ears open for rumors of the Avatar (They say he is an airbender, Lee. Do you truly belive that?), and do their best to always be two steps ahead of their pasts.

Meanwhile, both the Northern and Southern Water Tribes are searching for the runaway heiress, Aang must find his way alone on this new, hostile world, and Azula must face the revelation that, despite what her father has stated for the last two years (liar, he lied at her! Her! He lied he liedliedliedlied), her brother might just be alive.

I'm sorry for making this such a long answer! I just get very excited about these subjects and don't know when to stop. If you made it all the way down here: thank you again.

I hope you have a good day ❤️

[gashadokuroz]

A.N.G.E.L.

[waves-mp4]

Cosmos meets Soundwave someone?

Meet a mute clone of Soundwave who calls itself Soundless. It is lost in space with no way of communication. Thankfully Cosmos wants to help Soundless. There is some lore between Cosmos (she/he) and Soundless (it/it’s), feel free to ask about it.

[sorairoknife]

Doon po sa amin, Bayan ng San Roque 🎶

[justthemoonz]

Idk if I ever talked about this here but a while ago this year I had this idea for a sound-based RPG called Sound Off, which I later renamed to Soundless The protagonist was "Hero", a character you could name but Hero would realistically be their name

As for the game, the original premise was that it was just a normal RPG, except there was 0 sound and characters were not able to speak Everything was also purely black and white, which indicated the lack of music After you completed the game you'd have a NEW GAME+ which added the sound and music back and it'd be an entirely new experience with proper colors and music/sounds but overtime I realized that would probably suck a lot when putting it into actual practice After playing with some ideas I later decided that instead of making it a normal RPG, I'd just fully give into the music premise and have the combat system be more music-based IT'D STILL play out like a normal RPG, but now during each main BOSS fight in an area your sword would turn into an instrument with an entirely new gimmick that's music related, and you'd get teached that gimmick by a companion called Épine, a strange black and white dog

(If I remember correctly, I based their personality off of Jevil from Deltarune and The Judge from OFF, So I guess it'd be like Seam from Deltarune in that regard?) At the start they just kind of help you because they HAVE to but as you progress through the adventure they grow to enjoy your company But that's for another time, back to the gimmicks Basically, Épine would teach you how you attack with each instrument depending on the main boss for a main area There were also three instruments, one for each main area A Guitar, A Keyboard, And A Saxophone (Concept for an example of the GUITAR gimmick below)

I also made concepts for the battle transitions, but couldn't figure out the one for Saxophone so I didn't include it in (NOTE: these were made a few months ago, as well as every other thing shown here, if I ever make a proper RPG for this, they might change in the future)

After you defeated the main boss of an area, the area that the main boss was in will now regain its sound as well as its color, meaning that if you want to, you can backtrack and check things you missed or listen to some Overworld Music (iirc I think the music for the encounters was still there so at least you'd have that in the meantime) You also KEPT the musical instruments, however the entire gimmick in battle would now be changed to one "Spell" (not actually a Spell, I just don't have a proper name for it) and would still be able to use them for attacks but you wouldn't have a proper moveset with them anymore, and would only have the Sword as your main way of attacking Not only that, but you'd also be able to use them in the overworld for puzzles revolving their specific musical instruments! > An example: A path you have to go on but you're not able to because the tiles aren't appearing but you see a certain order to them that indicates you have to use the Keyboard? Active the Keyboard and play it on that specific order and the path will appear! (I don't know if this would happen in game, I was just giving an example) Last thing I remember, some places you'd go to would still be colorful and play music even if everything else was fully in black and white, it'd just have to depend on if there was someone playing an instrument there or not If there was, let's say, a band playing music inside a building, the building would be colorful and have music inside of it, which I also thought was pretty cool

[wiltedrot]

Gwilym / Scrapper / Soundless

[papairaart]

[random-xpressions]

I speak in languages that are foreign, unheard, rare and nearly extinct: in deepest ecstacies, in intoxicated feverishness - all of which barely makes any sense. To know me you wouldn't have to grasp my sounds but you'll have to have an ear for my soundlessness...

Random Xpressions

[asper-is-here]

disaster lad

[bootlegraven]

Shout out to Soundless being one of the few pieces of media where I have to limit my playtime to like 10 minutes at a time because of the amount of stress it puts on me mentally

Really good denpa VN check it out

[demaparbat-hp]

Hello!

first of all I absolutely love your ATLA art it's just beautiful what you do. I wanted to ask you if you have an ao3 account where you publish your AUs or are they only on tumblr?

Greetings!

Hello! And thank you! I do have an AO3 account, but I've only posted the first chapter of one of my AUs so far, hope you don't mind :)

[takunwilliams]

Universal Vibration

by Technodrome1

Digital art 2024

[milkplusvn]

Soundless AA: Double Up Your Order

Tip: You can get posts like this sent directly to your e-mail by subscribing to the Substack, or sent to you 1 day earlier by subscribing to the Patreon!

On a PC, these buttons look comically large. On a phone, they’re shaping up to be just the right size.

As usual, we’re providing a weekly update as proof of life more than anything else. In fact, today I have to stop what I’m doing with Soundless to go and fight with a webdev environment program so I can finally complete a job. Fun stuff!

I compiled a delta build of the Android version to put on my phone so I can see what needs to be focused on on actual hardware, since Soundless was originally developed with PC-only in mind. Through this, I determined that a lot of buttons and text need size increases, even text/buttons that I didn’t think needed it at first. It’s possible that the Android version of Soundless will have all of its big NVL pages split in half so that it’s easy for phone users to read. You can see me in the middle of button size increases on that screenshot up there; the navigation is even nicely enlarged now.

I am cooking up a release date in my head! We’re thinking late November, so long as the game testing doesn’t take too long.

Mobile Port Progress

User Interface

NVL window graphic complete

Transition images extended

Menu item positions readjusted.

You can play Soundless with brand new art for PC right now!

[sorairoknife]

Expulsion

btw, you should read Soundless

[luqalbuq]

Primeiro vídeo de 2023. Voltando a experimentar com vídeos sem som.

First video of 2023. I’m experimenting with soundless videos again.

[angeladvise2010]

bro think he takuji 💀