#firelord-ruby

[transuncletaylor]

[Image ID: pictured is a digital drawing of a grown up Zuko and Sokka from Avatar the Last Airbender from the bust up. On the left is Zuko looking forward towards Sokka on the right. He is wearing his his shoulder length hair half up with a gold and ruby Firelord crown. He is wearing a red and gold high collared robe with fire and sun symbols with a blue and white open robe on top. His mouth is open in shock. Sokka is in profile, his eyes rolled up in annoyance and a grimace on his face. His long hair is looped into a long wolf tail. He wears a sleeveless high collared blue grey tunic with water tribe designs and darker blue sleeves that leave a cold shoulder. He is pierced in his left ear and a red ribbon tying his hair back. Sokka says, “you are the most jealous man I know!” Zuko replies, “you know other men?”]

[atla-genderbender]

ATLA Gender Bender: Firelord Ozai

"You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher."

The principle behind this AU is to swap the genders of the main cast (Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Zuko) and other characters where it enhances the story. This means that most child characters, like Azula and Suki, are also swapped, but adults are swapped on a case by case basis. This is especially true for characters who had a formative influence on the main characters, like parents and other role models. If you swap a given character and their parent(al figure)s, this alters the character's personality more than swapping that character without swapping their parents. Sometimes this effect is subtle, and sometimes it is large. This is why I would avoid swapping the genders of a character's parents, unless it makes sense to do so.

In the case of Zuko's parents, I do not think it detracts from the story to swap their genders. I would even go so far to say that some things are enhanced by swapping both Ozai and Ursa. Female Ozai fits surprisingly well into the role of an "evil empress". "Urson" also works as a "papa bear" character. A female Ozai would contrast well with a female Zuko, serving as a "good queen" "evil queen" dichotomy. I also find it fascinating to think about what would change and what would stay the same if Ozai's gender was also swapped. 

I picture female Ozai being no less evil or sadistic as normal Ozai. Unlike Ozai, she would have to maintain the image of a good mother to her children, and a good daughter to her father. This is especially interesting if she is the first female Fire Lord in a line of male Fire Lords. She would be a queen who has to strike the perfect balance of femininity and power in order to please her court. A woman who possesses bewitching beauty to conceal a wicked, sadistic soul. I think she would be very narcissistic and cruel, obsessed with being beautiful and powerful at once.

I attempted to convey this through her design, which could be tweaked in many respects. To explain the rationale behind her design, the Fire Lords of Avatar draw from East and Southeast Asian influences. Firelord Ozai's hairstyle is Chinese inspired (see: atlaculture.tumblr.com/post/65…), but his clothing is Burmese inspired (see: atlaculture.tumblr.com/post/63…). As such, I decided to base the hairstyles of female Fire Lords on East Asian hairstyles worn by female rulers.

It feels inevitable that female Ozai would be compared to Wu Zetian. I wanted to minimize these comparisons, and make it clear that female Ozai is not supposed to be a representation of Wu Zetian. Doing so would unfairly demonize a real historical figure. Still, I could not resist including a couple of elements inspired by Fan Bingbing as Wu Zetian in "The Empress of China" (see: dwvyw8kf1avne.cloudfront.net/s…). This is what inspired female Ozai's red makeup, and the stylized phoenix headdress that she wears. Other design elements are not inspired by Wu Zetian, but other portrayals of powerful queens and empresses in Chinese dramas. Namely, Empress Du Feihong in "The Glamorous Imperial Concubine". I hope that the final design is so stylized that it is clear that she is not supposed to represent a real historical figure. I attempted to simplify her headdress in a way that could be easy enough to animate while still making it clear that she is wearing a ridiculous amount of gold and rubies on her head. This is meant to contrast with female Zuko's design. Where female Zuko is humble, female Ozai is vain.

In the end, I am dissatisfied with the design I came up with, for reasons I will explain under "OUTFIT DESCRIPTIONS".

This design approach diverges from the design principles behind the one female Firelord shown in Avatar, that being Izumi. I took liberties with hairstyles, but did not change the masculine style of robes. I felt this would diverge too far from the pre-established rules of Avatar. Additionally, I think it creates an interesting contrast between a feminine hairstyle and masculine robes, especially if Ozai and "Zuka" are the first female Firelords in a long series of male Firelords.

The phoenix imagery actually makes more sense if Ozai was a woman, since the fenghuang is traditionally a feminine entity. I also think it would be cool if she was still named "Ozai", kind of like how "Ty Lee" is very feminine but has a masculine name. It would also imply that "Ozai" isn't the name she was born with, but a name she adopted for its meaning "large presence". 

I picture Grey Griffin as the voice of female Ozai. Specifically, how she voices adult characters, like Ming Hua in LOK and the female Viltrumite from Invincible. I don't think that she should have the same voice as Azula, but Grey Griffin could give her a venomous and vicious voice that would fit her really well.

OUTFIT DESCRIPTIONS:

1: Firelord Costume

I am dissatisfied with the hairstyle I came up with for female Ozai's Firelord costume. I have written previously about my concerns that viewers would conflate her with the real life Wu Zetian. In order to minimize these comparisons, I tried to make elements of her hairstyle abstract instead of authentic to real life costumes. However, I do not think I was successful in achieving my goal. When I first started drawing female Ozai, I knew little about hanfu, and have since learned more about traditional Chinese costumes. The crown that I gave her is clearly inspired by fengguan, which is a distinctly Chinese element. Given Ozai's affinity for phoenixes, I can't not picture female Ozai wearing some sort of fengguan. The design I came up with is flawed, as it is something that "looks Chinese" without being authentic to Chinese costume design. This could come across as offensive. The best approach would be to fuse the Chinese element of the fengguan with other cultural influences, so that the result is something that is not specifically Chinese. I took some time to try to come up with a better design, but to be transparent I am approaching creative burn out with this project and was unable to come up with a better design. I guess this speaks to my limits as an artist.

With all of this said, these designs are best viewed as a first draft and not the final product. These are meant to give an impression of what her character would look like, and could use more sets of eyes to review and improve the design.

2: "Phoenix Queen" Costume

In the second costume, her cape is somewhat inspired by Maleficent's cape in "Sleeping Beauty". Maleficent's appearance also helped inspire female Ozai's widow's peak and facial structure. As I mentioned before, her costume is inspired by the real life apsara. She has dressed herself in the image of a goddess of fire.

3: "Phoenix Queen" Costume, after removing crown and cape

The third costume is supposed to be how female Ozai would appear at the start of her fight with "Aangi". I intended for her to have the same body type as the female Viltrumite "Thula" from "Invincible". I also think that female Ozai's voice would sound like Thula's. I picture her as a warrior queen who spends a lot of time training, giving her an athletic and muscular appearance. I think she would appear more physically intimidating if she has some muscle mass on her frame. This being said, there are a lot of different athletic body types. A less bulky but athletic body type could arguably fit her better.

4: Appearance after being defeated by "Aangi"

The fourth costume is supposed to be how female Ozai would appear at the end of her fight with "Aangi". Since she doesn't have a goattee, I think "Aangi" would grab her by the gold part of her top. I think it would be cool and dramatic if "Aangi" ripped this part of her costume off. In the heat of battle, female Ozai loses the gold parts of her costume, and a waterbending attack by "Aangi" washes off her makeup, exposing her as a false goddess.

Her finger nails and toenails are painted and sharpened, to resemble the talons of a phoenix.

Like what I’m doing? Consider leaving me a donation via Ko-Fi.

[overtail]

Dusk - Zuko x Reader 🔞

🔥🌙

"I didn't understand the beauty of the world until I saw her."

Summary: After years spent restoring the Fire Nation, Zuko discovers an unexpected wellspring of prosperity in a girl who is his mirror opposite.

Warnings: Smut, F!intended reader, aged up Zuko, soft sex, body warship, implied abuse, poverty

Info: Five-six years after the end of avatar, reader wears glasses cause I dk what I want, aged up Zuko, firelord Zuko, Azula is in her redemption arc, reader is kinda an airhead

yal,need to chill wjth zuko 😮‍💨 give some room for the others man!!

I give what the people need

My requests are always always always open :3

-

It was getting late. Zuko was aware of that, but he had biggest problems than returning to the palace.

She had run off, again. She was naive, at least in Zuko's eyes. The way her gaze always caught onto surrounding things, entrapped her little mind, always intrigued Zuko. Only a few moments ago, she had seen a man walking with a cart full of random items. He couldn't make it out what exactly was in the cart before she ran off behind the quickly paced man.

An now Zuko stood confused and worried, wondering if she was okay,

The hustle and bustle of the Fire Nation plaza wasn't helping Zuko's worried mind. His eyes latched onto groups of children playing and running around, a small boy tugging on his mothers arm towards a fire flakes stand. The firelord messed with the hem of his clothing, trying to make sure he wasn't recognizable. He loved hanging out with (Y/N), but spirits was it a pain getting recognized by fans and enemies alike.

During their little hang outs, Zuko would let his hair down out of the royal bun that usually accompanied his formal attire. It was reasonably long, so his bangs would cover up most of the scar on his face,

Whenever somebody would question the burn though, he had funny excuses that would make the girl he adored laugh,

"You have the same scar as Firelord Zuko!" A young woman would exclaim, and Zuko would act casual, stating,

-"his scar is on the wrong side."

-"Firelord who-ko?"

-"Mines a birthmark."

or, his personal favorite,

-"No I dont."

His quips always made her let out a little giggle, pulling him along to look at the newly opened shops. He wished that she was dragging him along now instead of running off through the thick and busy streets.

As his gaze scanned through the people around him, his eyes caught into something. He felt the breath he didn't know he was holding release at the sight of the sparkling gem that adorned her bun, glistening from the setting sun. It seemed to be the color of maroom; perhaps a fire gem, a ruby, garnet, or some other red jewel Zuko couldn't name off the top of his head.

"(Y/N)!" He called walking forward and breathing in sharply. He turned to the side, muttering out small, 'excuse me's as he passed by a group of giggling women. Zuko reached out, placing his hand on the shoulder of (Y/N).

She turned around, her lips parted softly in surprise. She looked up through the metal frames of her oval glasses. Her lashes flickered as she rendered in the sight of the man next to her.

"Oh, hello Zu-" She paused, looking around. "I mean Lee." (Y/N) always tried her best to make sure she kept Zuko's identity a secret, so she called him Lee. It was the name that his uncle had called him all those years ago in that in Ba Sing Se, and now he had regifted it to himself. It was simple enough, and there were enough Lee's in the city that he wasn't as memorable.

"Where have you been?" He asked, a worried expression on his pale face. His brows were knitted together, a crease between the hills of his brows. He squeezed her shoulder.

"Oh, I saw an old friend!" She smiled, turning back to the man that was behind her. "Lee, meet Yamitsa. Yamitsa, meet Lee."

Zuko's stare flickered up to the boy behind her. He had dark brown hair that was sighed back in a wolf bun, similar to his friend Sokka's. Though, his was more grown out and messier than the water tribe boy's. He was short and had a round face, carrying a satchel while his palms were on the handles of a cart full of what seemed to be relics.

"His family runs an antique store down the road." (Y/N) explain, her hand limply gesturing to Yamitsa. "I used to go to school with him."

Unknown to Zuko, his grip tightened on the girls shoulder. His hand slid down to her bicep, fingers kneading the soft flesh.

"That sounds.. nice." Zuko said, trying to sound polite. "Let's go, it's getting late." He suggested, pulling (Y/N) slightly.

She glanced back, her eyes flickering from Zuko's squinted eyes and his brkad shoulders. She smiled. (Y/N) waved at Yamitsa.

"I'll see you around!" She said kindly, smiling as Zukomoulled her along.

His grip never left.

Zuko watched the hustle and bustle of the fire nation as the sun set, stores flipping their 'open' signs to closed. Mothers dragged their children home, husband's tired from their long day of work. Some kids still played in the center of the plaza, running around or playing with a ball.

The grasp on her arm slowly turned into the two having their arms interlinked. (Y/N) dragged him along behind her as they weaved through the streets.

Zuko followed her, letting out a content sigh as he took in the bustling plaza. He never thought he would see the day when the Fire Nation was at peace. "It's amazing, isn't it?" He comments, watching a group of children laughing and playing nearby.

(Y/N) nodded, smiling softly. The golden hour showered over her face, her eyes cascading to the side away from Zuko.

Zuko notices her gaze and looks over to see the yellow-orange sun peeking through the alleys between dark oak buildings, delving beneath the horizon. He can't help but feel a sense of warmth in his chest as he takes in the beautiful sight. "It's so beautiful," He murmurs, stepping closer to (Y/N).

You're so beautiful, his mind says. Zuko wished he had the confidence to make his thoughts into meaningful words.

Zuko's gaze flickered down to her, a nervous heat crossing his face. A strand of hair that had fallen from her bun blew serenely, dancing along the wind. It was beautiful, how human she was. He never realized how much euphoria prospered from the mere sight of watching a sun set on a summer evening, but she did. She knew things that he probably never would.

"Yeah.." (Y/N) whispered softly, looking back at him. Her voice caught him off guard. Zuko was so lost in thought, in the sea of her eyes that shone from just the simplest light, "Let's go, before it gets dark. My aunt won't be happy if I'm home late."

Her arm slipped from his as (Y/N) began to skip forward down the pavement.

Zuko nods in agreement and allows you to lead him towards the palace. The soft clicking of their shoes against the stone brick pavement of the city filled both their ears, accompanied by the simple but amazing sound of life.

"Hey, slow down," He calls playfully, a smile spreading across his face. (Y/N) turns back, her eyes closed as she smiled widely, and the world seemed to move in slow motion for just that moment.

Zuko chuckles and rolls his eyes before picking up his pace to catch up with her. As he reaches her side, he grabs her hand in his and gives it a gentle squeeze.

"You're impossible," He teases, his eyes shining with amusement. He feels their hands interlock together, fingers intertwining messily. Zuko felt that familiar flutter fill his stomach, making him smile and turn red.

Then their gaze met in a graceful yet intense stare, wide smiles stretching across their faces.

The shadow of the palace overlooked their stances, almost blending in with the shadows of the night. It was as if there was a magnetic pull between the two, since Zuko felt himself creeping closer to her. He wanted to hold her, take down her hair and run his fingers through it, and wanted to keep her close.

"Zuzu!" A light voice called from above. Zuko turned away from (Y/N), the breaking of eye contact making his heart shatter. He looked around, then up at a high place in the palace. Then he saw her.

"Spirits.." Zuko muttered under his breath, shaking his head and turning to face (Y/N). He opened his eyes, only to be met with (Y/N)'s amused grin.

Azula was leaning out of the window, a cheeky grin on her pale face. Zuko groaned, squeezing his eyes shut in exasperation.

"Oh Zuzu!" She called again, tauntingly waving her fingers. She then leaned her face on her palm, the elbow of that arm leaning on the windowsill.

Azula had been released from the psych ward only a few weeks ago. She had been staying in the palace under the guard of soldiers. She was never left alone, other than in the restroom and in the security of her room. Zuko had many responsibilities as the firelord, and Azula thought it was terribly hilarious to bother him.

"Zuzu, huh?" She laughed,

[divinityunleashed]

Muse List!

If a Character Name is bolded, that means on my 18+ blog: sinfully-divine, they will be featured there.

Dragon Ball:

Zamasu - [ This Is True Justice ]

Goku Black - [ Divine Rage ]

Fused Zamasu - [ Divinity Unleashed ]

Whis - [ Universe 7's Attendant ]

Vados - [ Universe 6's Attendant ]

Hercule - [ Here Comes The Champ! ]

Super Buu - [ Evil Majin ]

Beerus - [ Universe 7's Destroyer ]

Captain Ginyu - [ Illustrious Captain ]

Dr. Gero - [ Red Ribbon Scientist ]

King Cold - [ Frozen King ]

Goku - [ Pure of Heart ]

Perfect Cell - [ Perfect Android ]

Piccolo - [ Namekian Demon ]

Lord Frieza - [ Universal Emperor ]

Krillin - [ Strongest Earthling ]

Hyperdimension Neptunia:

Neptune - [ Protagonist of Protagonists ]

Noire - [ Tsundere Workaholic ]

Blanc - [ Novice Writer ]

Vert - [ Leanbox Beauty ]

Purple Heart - [ Planeptune's CPU ]

Black Heart - [ Lastation's CPU ]

White Heart - [ Lowee's CPU ]

Green Heart - [ Leanbox's CPU ]

Rom - [ Little Snowflake ]

White Sister - [ Lowee's CPU Candidate ]

Ram - [ Rough Snow ]

White Sister - [ Lowee's CPU Candidate ]

Nepgear - [ Deuteragonist of Deuteragonists ]

Purple Sister - [ Planeptune's CPU Candidate ]

Uni - [ Tsundere Sniper ]

Black Sister - [ Lastation's CPU Candidate ]

IF - [ Windwalker of Gamindustri ]

Compa - [ Ditzy Nurse ]

Histoire - [ Record Keeper ]

Arfoire - [ Deity of Sin ]

Iris Heart - [ Sadistic CPU ]

Plutia - [ Sleepy CPU ]

Adult Neptune - [ Dimension Hopper ]

Croire - [ Recorder of Chaos ]

Kurome Ankokuboshi - [ Goddess of Delusion ]

C-Sha - [ Lowee's Gold Third ]

B-Sha - [ Planeptune's Gold Third ]

K-Sha - [ Lastation's Gold Third ]

S-Sha - [ Leanbox's Gold Third ]

Anonydeath - [ Fair Maiden ]

Linda - [ Underling ]

Chika Hakozaki - [ Leanbox's Oracle ]

Rei Ryghts - [ Fallen Goddess ]

RWBY:

Ruby Rose - [ Red Like Roses ]

Yang Xiao Long - [ Blonde Bombshell ]

Weiss Schnee - [ Ice Princess ]

Winter Schnee - [ Ice Queen ]

James Ironwood - [ Hardened General ]

Glynda Goodwitch - [ Beacon Professor ]

Cinder Fall - [ Smoking Cinders ]

Salem - [ Grimm Goddess ]

Transformers (Prime):

Megatron - [ Decepticon Primarch ]

Starscream - [ Incompetent Con ]

Knockout - [ Automobile Enthusiast ]

Optimus Prime - [ Legendary Prime ]

Airachnid - [ Decepticon Spider ]

Star Wars:

Grand Admiral Thrawn - [ Chiss Ascendency ]

Captain Rex - [ Legendary Captain ]

Boba Fett - [ Bounty Hunter ]

Hunter - [ Bad Batch Leader ]

Wrecker - [ Wrecking Ball ]

Tech - [ Tech Savant ]

Echo - [ Loyal Comrade ]

Crosshair - [ Good Soldiers Follow Orders ]

Darth Vader - [ Chosen One ]

Borderlands:

CL4P-TP/Claptrap - [ CL4P-TP ]

Mad Moxxi - [ Top Shelf ]

Handsome Jack - [ Tyrannical Hero ]

Mass Effect:

Commander John Shepard - [ Legendary Soldier ]

Garrus Vakarian - [ Archangel ]

Overwatch:

Widowmaker - [ One Shot One Kill ]

Reaper - [ Die! Die! Die! ]

Cole Cassidy - [ Cowboy Vigilante ]

Soldier 76 - [ We're All Soldier's Now ]

Mauga - [ A Gun In Each Hand And A Smile On My Face~ ]

Misc:

Grim (Grim Misadventures of Billy & Mandy) - [ The Grim Reaper ]

Marcus Fenix (Gears of War) - [ Saviour of Sera ]

Xander (Fire Emblem: Fates Revelations) - [ Nohrian Crown Prince ]

Sans (Undertale) - [ Dunkle ]

Lisa Minci (Genshin Impact) - [ Witch of Purple Roses ]

Senator Armstrong (Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance) - [ Make America Great Again! ]

Deadpool - [ Merc With A Mouth ]

Batman - [ Caped Crusader ]

Doomslayer - [ Rip And Tear ]

Nova (StarCraft) - [ X41882N ]

Tony Stark (Marvel) - [ Billionaire Playboy Philanthropist By Day - The Hero No One Expects By Night ]

Ainz Ooal Goan (Overlord) - [ Nazarick's DM ]

Albedo (Overlord) - [ Nazarick's Succubus ]

OCs:

Tenebris & Xol - [ Demon King's Vassal ]

Ray (Self Insert) (Raylina) - [ Divine SI ]

The Enigma - [ Shapeshifting Mystery ]

Guest Muses:

CFW Magic

CFW Judge

CFW Brave

CFW Greed (OC remake of CFW Trick)

Ragnaros The Firelord (World of Warcraft)

Roman Torchwick (RWBY)

[camcat1320]

Oh wow! I'm writing a Book 4 fanfic and I have planned for Kiyi to go to the Royal Fire Academy for Girls in Chapter 3. I'm taking a different direction than this but I'm glad to see it being done.

In my fanfic, I'm making Kiyi and Ikem/Noren to be BIPOC. Now you might be thinking, "ATLA is about Asian culture. Why are you bringing in BIPOC representation?" There's one country that has a mix of both African and Asian descent- Madagascar. I thought Malagasy culture would be a great inclusion in order to bring in more representation but also make it make sense narratively.

Kiyi would face challenges being the first black girl in the school much like Ruby Bridges. I have BIPOC family and know of the awful things that were said to them while in white majority schools. And it wasn't just during the Civil Rights movement, but within my lifetime as well. Side note, I love the idea of Ikem braiding his daughters hair, challenging gender roles in the process.

Hir'ra is also going to be the island where Firelord Sozin sends people that do not strengthen the Fire Nation, a eugenics policy he enacted. This is drawing inspiration not just from WWII Germany but also American history as well. This would be a challenge to Zuko as the new Firelord to undo all the wrongs that his forefathers have done. This is why Firelord Azulon calls Hir'ra a "backwater place."

Ashes of the Academy preview pages!!

[lichlover]

magnus and kaylen used to be friends, once

Wild things, the town called them, like they were less young men than specters of nature, tearing through the streets in a whirlwind and only stopping to help old Serafine when she dropped her groceries at the curb. Kalen used to say it was the only reason Raven’s Roost hadn’t kicked them clear of the Corridor: they could do as much good as they could wreak havoc, and besides, Magnus cared too deeply for the Waxmens’ reputation. Wild things, and more occasionally, according to old Serafine, good boys. Boys who could do a little bit of growing up when the situation called for it—or when Julia Waxmen was in the vicinity, and Magnus dropped everything to lift someone’s cargo clear off the ground.

The week before Tavers dies, Kalen has dirt under his fingernails. They’d agreed to sweep the sidewalk in front of Par Teller’s shop after a stint with Kalen’s newest innovation—ground-spice graffiti, an idea that had them both delirious with mischief until Magnus had accidentally tipped a barrel of paprika over the threshold. Now the sun has started to dip beneath the furthest pillar, and spills in liquid gold around the cliffs. Their shadows stretch and rib across the cobblestones next to the spindly bodies of Teller’s brooms.

“God, he was pissed.” Magnus cracks a grin as he brushes paprika into the gutter. “I couldn’t tell if his face was red because of that, or, y’know.”

Kalen grips his broom mid-handle and raises it up like a crotchety old man’s walking stick, and Magnus laughs; the hearty, chest-deep laugh Kalen is so good at bringing out in him. “You kids must think you’re real cute!”

“You heard what he said? Something about, like, we oughta be in politics because of how quick we are to wanna solve the problems we caused. Kind of a low blow, right? It wasn’t just me?”

“Mm.” The broom’s bristles hit the street, and Kalen blinks into the sunset. “Nah. I mean, he’s got a point.”

Magnus laughs again. “That we’d make good politicians? You’re fuckin’ kidding me.”

“No, really. You’re always going on about wanting to help people.” He’s serious, Magnus realizes. There’s no twist to the corner of his mouth; no telltale crinkle at his left eye. “Solving everybody’s problems. Isn’t that what a politician does?”

“You seriously wanna be like Old Man Tavers? Farting around in some giant ritzy house while everybody else lives and works and does stuff?”

“Who says a politician has to fart around?” Kalen twirls the broom and strikes it against the curb, and a tiny cloud of paprika drifts into the air. “We could be different. We could get out and do stuff. Solve everybody’s problems for them.”

Magnus blinks. “You’d really wanna do that?”

“I dunno. It’d be making a difference. Making our mark on this town without pissing everybody off for once.”

“Well, okay, yeah, sure, it’d be nice to have people singing our praises. But we don’t have to go into politics to make that happen. You’d die of boredom, Kalen.” Magnus reaches over to tap him on the head with his broom, and Kalen smiles, but it looks halfhearted. “C’mon.”

“Singing our praises,” is all Kalen says. “You think?”

“I think you got paprika in your ear and it’s infecting your brain. Are you gonna help me with this, or what?”

The word is that Tavers dies in his sleep. He’d entered his twilight years an apparent lifetime ago, and issued decrees with a papery voice that gave way under the ghost of a breeze, and so although no one dares voice it allowed, a certain peace settles over Raven’s Roost after the memorial. The People’s Council sets the vote for a week later, and Magnus cracks a joke about anarchy around the dinner table, but nothing changes, really. He still works sandpaper over his latest attempt at a coat rack for the first half of the morning, and then he meets Kalen in the square, for fruit tarts from the girl who blushes and shrinks under Kalen’s wicked grin.

They split a tart—mango-strawberry—and go to sit by the fountain. Today, the banners that twine around the street lamps are a somber black, but they’re all that remain of the services from the day before. Kalen is kinetic. He shifts on the fountain’s finely hewn edge and grinds his teeth and taps his foot, and the dark circles rimming his eyes are fresh and deep. His half of the tart sits unacknowledged and untouched.

“Uh,” says Magnus. “You gonna eat that, or…”

Kalen doesn’t seem to hear him. “I have this idea,” he says. “I’ve been thinking about it since Teller’s.”

“Okay, shoot. Can I have your half if you’re not gonna have it?”

He tosses the half distractedly to Magnus and sits back on his hands. “What if I ran for Governor?”

Magnus chokes on his first bite. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me just fine. I want to run for Governor. Tavers was old,” says Kalen, “and he didn’t know the people, and everybody the Council nominates, they’re just gonna be the same. Somebody who sits up in that ritzy old house and farts around. No. The people need a man of action.”

“A man of action?” Magnus echoes, through a mouthful of tart. “Do you hear yourself?”

“Am I wrong, though?” He looks at Magnus with a familiar fire; the same spark of resolve that ignites at the thought of a brand-new scheme to pass the time. But Kalen seems different. Righteous. Hungry. “Do you really want another old crat in power? Or would you want somebody who knows what your favorite flavor of tart is? Somebody who knows it’s worth skipping the end of the workday to catch the sunset over Craftsman’s Corridor? Somebody who gets you?”

“But you think you could get voted in? How would that even work?”

“I’ll campaign,” says Kalen. “I’ll campaign this whole week, and you’ll help me.”

“Well—now hang on—”

“And if it doesn’t work, we can say we tried.” He swings his foot against the fountain and tips his head to the sun. “But I’ve got a feeling about this. C’mon. Have my instincts ever steered you wrong?”

“Uh, yeah,” Magnus says, incredulously. “So many times.”

“Then I guess you’ll just have to trust me on this.” Kalen sits up and turns to meet Magnus’s eyes, and suddenly Magnus understands, better than before, what it’s like to be on the receiving end of that stare. He’d give this man a strawberry-mango tart, he thinks. He’d give this man anything he thinks he deserves, because there’s something about that stare that makes him surer of himself than he’s ever been. “So are you with me?”

The campaign is really less of a campaign and more of a week spent going door-to-door, but Magnus is surprised to find that excluding the odd, scorned shopkeep that locked the doors and shuttered the windows at the sight of them, the people of Raven’s Roost seem intrigued by Kalen’s proposal. Dylan Stokes offers them his cargo wagon. Ruby Sheppard brings her wife and daughters out to the porch to hear Kalen talk about his plans for the town. Julia Waxmen stops by on her way from the Corridor, and she spends one afternoon helping them hang crudely sketched posters and embellishing them with her own elegant cursive. Magnus trips over his own feet more than once, and definitely has to interrupt Kalen mid-suggestive comment, but Julia just gives him a smile that warms him from the inside out and slaps the next poster across an open wall.

By the end of the week, there isn’t a soul in Raven’s Roost that doesn’t know about Kalen’s bid for governor. One sunset finds Magnus and Kalen traipsing up to the enforcers’ outpost, loaded down with strawberry-mango tarts and winning smiles, and the enforcer on duty greets them in the friendliest encounter Magnus has ever had with law enforcement. “Allan’s boy,” he says to Kalen, and then, to Magnus, “the junior craftsman. Strange pair, to want to run the town.”

“Ambition doesn’t pick and choose, sir,” says Kalen, and the enforcer grins.

He takes Magnus and Kalen up the stairs and into the outpost, where a team of tired-looking enforcers swarm eagerly around their the bags of pastries. Magnus stands back and lets Kalen talk, exchanging handshakes and more winning smiles; he’d had no idea how silver-tongued his friend really is. Plying them with food helps, he’s sure. But Kalen has a charisma about him that he’d only seen in fragments before.

They sit around and eat as the sun sinks beneath the horizon, and Kalen is drawn into conversation with the enforcer that had met them at the door. Magnus sits nearby, turning his ear lazily to their voices; he’s started to feel thick and heavy in the haze of late evening, and with the crumbs of two strawberry-mango tarts dotting his shirt.

“Y’know, Tavers,” the enforcer is saying, “he behaved the same as all these politicians do. Always hesitant to bring out the big guns. Like they refuse to even acknowledge that Raven’s Roost has a militia. Why would you have a militia if you never intended to use it? What’s the point?”

“You’d be a powerful ally to anyone,” says Kalen, in that smooth diplomat’s voice. “Tavers was a fool to not realize that.”

“Exactly,” the enforcer says, and leans in. Magnus strains his ear a little harder as he says, “Any candidate we back, they’re gonna be grateful for that kind of sway. It’s just a matter of trusting that that candidate isn’t gonna shelf us. You know what I mean?”

Kalen smiles. “I can’t speak for the Council’s decision. But I always thought Raven’s Roost would benefit from the militia’s involvement.”

“Hah. You and I,” says the enforcer, “I think we’re gonna get along just fine.”

He grins, sharp and polished, and Kalen matches it with one of his own. Something cold and heavy drops in the pit of Magnus’s stomach.

They leave the enforcers just before midnight, and Kalen practically waltzes down the path, light on his feet and the promise of victory. “I think that went great,” he says, airily. “Really great. Don’t you?”

Magnus doesn’t respond. The freezing knot of uncertainty in his gut has started to melt into tiny shards of ice.

“Magnus.” Kalen swings around and gives him a look. “You okay? In a food coma already?”

“What’d you say to that enforcer guy?”

“What do you mean?” His tone is light, but the lighthearted twist to his mouth drops away. “We were just talking.”

“You said you wanted to get the militia more involved here. In Raven’s Roost. What does that mean?”

“It’s just some bullshit to get the votes,” says Kalen. “What do you care?”

“I dunno,” Magnus says, “but that sounds bad? Like, bad bad. Like martial law bad. Why’d you lie to them?”

“I didn’t lie.”

“You said it was bullshit.”

“It was.” Kalen’s eyes flash in the low light. “I’m not gonna let them go marching through the streets collecting taxes, or whatever the fuck. But I’ll find some way to keep my promise. Who knows? Maybe people could use a stricter rule around here.”

Magnus laughs incredulously, but breaks off when Kalen doesn’t join him. “You gotta be kidding me. Stricter rule? Who are you?”

“Hey, all I’m saying is that this is the town that let us run around and do whatever the hell we wanted.” Kalen shrugs. “Maybe that’s not a good thing.”

“Maybe not, but there’s a difference between being a stupid kid and martial fucking law.”

“I never said shit about martial law!” He rounds on his heel, and Magnus nearly takes a step back. “Will you shut up already! It’s politics! We make some bullshit promises we never intend on keeping, we do some smiling and waving, and then the people sing our praises. Isn’t that what you wanted? Isn’t this—” He gestures around them, like the campaign hangs over them like a shroud— “exactly what we talked about?”

Anger ignites in Magnus like a flame. “I’m not a politician,” he snipes. “I agreed to help you and that’s it. And if you’re gonna act like a dick, I’m not sure I wanna help you at all!”

Kalen scoffs. “Like I need you. All you’ve done is sit on your ass and get all moonstruck around Julia Waxmen.”

“Don’t fucking talk about her.”

“You’re taking all this way too personally,” he says, and his voice is uncharacteristically cold. “Who cares if we tell a couple white lies? Who cares if we shake things up a little? God knows this fucking town could do with something new. Everything’s old, and dried up, just like Tavers was. They need us. They need me. The only reason you can’t see that is because your head’s so far up Steven’s ass—”

Magnus punches him. Kalen wheezes and collapses on his back in a cloud of dust, and for a second, he’s sure that he’s made a horrible mistake.

Then Kalen wipes at a trickle of blood at his chin and spits, “Knew it. I fucking knew it.”

“Shut up,” Magnus snaps. He can’t formulate another retort over the ringing in his ears, so he steps past Kalen and storms down the path, and his heart throbs against the web of ice in his chest the whole way.

Ed Barrister is the Council’s replacement, and he doesn’t stand a chance. At the first and only debate on the rickety stage in the town square, he scrapes and mumbles as Kalen waxes lyrical on his plans for Raven’s Roost and his love for the people, to uproarious applause. He’s sworn in by the end of the day. His family’s house stands empty by nightfall. Magnus watches as the cargo wagon rumbles up the trail to Tavers’ old house, a copper-studded behemoth larger than every workshop in Craftsman’s Corridor combined.

He finds Kalen thanking people at the polling center and joins the line, behind an elderly woman clutching one of Julia’s posters. When Kalen sees him, he sets his jaw in a polite, closed-lip smile, and grips Magnus’s hand a little too tightly.

“We did good,” he says. “Didn’t we?”

“Tavers’ house, huh?”

“My father insisted. It’s supposed to be gracious.”

“As long as you don’t just fart around.”

The tension between them caves, just a little. A near-earnest grin flashes across Kalen’s face.

“Couldn’t’ve done it without you,” he says. “Honestly.”

“This is fucking crazy, Kalen.”

“It will be, for a little while. But I think I could really make something of this town. The people still like me.” He nudges Magnus’s shoulder and says, “I think you do, too.”

“If you really want to make a difference,” says Magnus, “you’ve only got a couple years to do it. Better make ’em count, huh?”

“A couple years?”

“That’s the law.”

Kalen shrugs. “Laws change.”

“Not those ones.”

“For now,” he says, and shakes Magnus’s hand. “I won’t forget you, y’know.”

Magnus smiles over the shard of ice sticking in his stomach. “Nah. ’Course not. I won’t let you.”

[figofswords]

why are people so uppity about dark chocolate?? i love the stuff and eat it like candy, but its certainly not a hill worth dying on

bro idk but in my experience some people are REALLY touchy about milk chocolate as a concept

[jenloveshertoes]

two and a half years ago, it was discovered my beagle Sadie had fluid in her lungs that couldnt be removed. we put her down right after finals. watching her die right there, blind and scared, was the most difficult period of my life to date. i still cry when see her plaque on my wall or even when i see a piece of black hair tipped white. our pets affect us both emotionally and physically. they leave a big pawprint on our lives. in a way, they live through you. i hope youll feel better soon.

Thank you for the kind words, friend. And I’m sorry for the passing of your friend too.

I think I will. Grieving is hard, but life goes on. And all of the vets who helped me with her in the last few weeks were really helpful too, they all clearly cared about her and are sad about what happened.

[technicolorlove]

(conclusion) "What you want seems to be Life is Strange but RWBY. And that's not insulting LiS cause I absolutely LOVE that series and the topics it goes into, but I also acknowledge that there's a definite difference in type where one fits with the things you're wanting vs. the other that doesn't." This is what I am doing. I am not misunderstanding what RWBY is, I am lamenting the fact that it something else. I wish it was this character driven story about desperation and expectations and injustice and what we as people can do to overcome those things. about how people handle facing the inevitable end of the world. but it just.. isnt that. that is what ive been getting at. Its so close the potential is THERE i can SEE it. thats why i made this post to begin with!! there was potential to do something really interesting with adam's character that just wasnt done. He has a substantial impact on the trajectory of two of our lead characters lives but ultimately hes a fucking stepping stone so that.. what? salem, in all her grim puddle worth of character can be the Big Bad^TM? thats not interesting, our girls have zero connection to her other than yang and ruby via summer? weiss sure as shit has no relevant ties to her and unless she's responsible for faunus discrimination being started (which hoooooly shit what a fucking twist THAT would be) blake really has no ties to her either! ruby and jaune's beef is with cinder, yang's was kinda neo.. neo's was ruby!! nobody except ozpin has any ties to her!! other than the big one "shes going to end the world" wow, what a thrilling plot device. fucking ronan the accuser(gotg1) level of connection. the guardians dont fucking care about him hes just an obstacle on their journey to becoming friends! which is why i DESPISE salem. its like saying ATLA is about stopping firelord ozai. Sure you're right technically but like no the fuck it isnt. I think you're right though, rwby is ultimately a fucking mcguffin hunt and vaguely developed blob of teenagers fighting Evil Woman and im just wishing it wasnt. The current place rwby is in is incompatible with what i wish it was. it would require time travel for them to be (hehe, LiS callback) I think the show is fun but i think ultimately it's a lost cause, v9 was a good sendoff, i hope if v10 does get made its handled well but with the return to the cast of... 15 fuckin "main" characters i doubt it. I wish salem had stayed some looming threat for a lot longer, i wish i wish i wish. but it just isnt real. Ultimately i've realized that our disagreement was the premise. you assume i think the show.. i dunno what you think im arguing for here actually. I think im arguing that what this show is could have been handled so much better than it was. i dont think that simply adding what im talking about to the show would "fix" anything individually. RWBY's biggest missed potential is so ingrained into the show that anything short of a full reboot wouldnt help it. So yeah, i suppose i do want something else "but rwby", though i think its ATLA not LiS. We can talk in circles but like, there's no point, the racism is still gonna be handled poorly at the end of the day. All we can do is appreciate/critique what we got, lament what we didn't, and keep moving forward. whew.. this was fun! Thanks for helping me work out my like, repressed thoughts on why I like rwby so much despite all the problems I have with it.

I wouldn't consider the crazy stalker ex angle a bad one for Adam (some people may disagree with me on this), but what I do wish had happened was building up to it more. And it sorta happened in this volume, where his oversight and cowardice at Haven resulted in him losing power. I just wish we had seen more of that fall yknow? How his desire for adoration and "justice" was fueled by his own ego. And the more power he lost the more the manipulative stalker ex boyfriend thing became prevalent. I also wish that his SDC brand went literally anywhere story wise. The fact that it's never brought up again (especially to WEISS) just sorta puts a big question mark on the end of his character. The fact that we don't even have a canon explanation for how he got it is even worse!! I have a lot of issues with how faunus are are used as a massive bludgeon with the word "RACISM" printed on it despite the writers' seeming unwillingness to actually discuss that topic. It takes Weiss all of two episodes to unlearn her prejudice but then she never uses any of her seemingly substantial power to actually DO anything about her father's business practices or for even make a switch to buying dust from local shops instead of straight from SDC itself. Imagine how much deeper Flint's jab at her would have been if we saw her actually trying to put in effort to undo the harm her family does to small businesses!!

I dunno I feel like they should have picked an angle for Adam and stuck with it. (Also i'm someone who likes Ironwood's fall and thinks it was well built up, so sue me)

[acadieum]

do you haaaaaave pets??

yep! several dogs and a few fish!

[julchenawesome]

Zukka week 2022

Day 6: accidental dating (or dads zukka)

Based on FLWOGB (@oldpotatoe), in one of the ways (I think, more headcanon) my favorite secondary character, Miura, noticing when Zuko and Sokka were flirting and practically acting like a couple.

And yes, also based in OFMD blackbonnet scene (love that coupleeeee❤).

[I love drawing Miura again, she is my favoriteeee!]

@zukkaweek

[ID: first drawing, showing a green/brown background, to be similar to a forest and a wood where Sokka and Zuko are sitting. Both are talking. Sokka is wearing his well-known water tribe robes, and Zuko a simple red/gold robe that remains a bit of his book 3 outfit, with the exception that Zuko's hair is more longer. Also both are with food or tea respectively. They seem happy together, with sparkle and little hearts around them.

In the second drawing, is Miura, OC from 'Feels like we only go backwards" by oldopotatoe in the middle, looking the interaction. She had a realization, and whispers "Oh Agni, this is happening", meanwhile Sokka and Zuko are smiling and blushing to each other, not noticing the Kyoshi Warrior. This two big obliviousness. END ID]

[sytokun]

i was wondering your thoughts on jaune as a character tbh. today i was thinking about atla and where it succeeded versus where rwby failed (especially because miles luna himself has compared rwby to atla multiple times).

one thing i disliked about rwby is that all four of the girls are super important in some way. ruby has silver eyes, weiss is the SDC heiress (richest company in the world), blake is WF leader’s daughter (also from a wealthy family), yang’s mom is a maiden. none of them are normal.

in atla, we have aang (the avatar), katara (who’s the last southern tribe waterbender… kinda?), toph (rich family daughter), zuko (firelord’s son) and sokka… who is completely normal. i like how they have a normal guy in atla which makes him relatable to the viewer.

the problem is in rwby, this normal guy is jaune. who ends up sticking along in the plot and being forced by the writers to be in situations which get him hate from the fndm. miles said jaune is partially inspired by sokka (dorky funny strategist type) but at the same time it means jnpr has to be part of the rwby adventures for jaune to be around. which makes people dislike jaune even more.

i kinda rambled but i was wondering yours thoughts on him? where did he fail where sokka succeeded and so on in your opinion?

Not to mention the inclusion of Oscar who is basically Normal Guy 2.0 before Ozpin came along, but yeah.

Hypothetically, Blake would have been a great everyman type for Team RWBY had she not been revealed to be of noble birth. Had she been written more as an orphan left to fight on the wilds outside the Kingdoms, her humble origin would have been a good contrast to the rest of Team RWBY, and grounded her with the audience within the team.

But in regards to Jaune, I've had some discussions on my server about him, and he's a tough nut to crack. Speaking of his failure within the context of canon, there is a definitely a disconnect between him being essentially a fifth main character and being a part of the B-team.

Another shortcoming is that he often, as many have and will attest, steals moments much better suited for other characters. Him vs. Cinder and killing Penny come to mind, both of which would vastly benefit Ruby more. And I think it's because he doesn't have an arc to speak of, ironically given his name.

For Sokka, he has a very distinct arc and dynamic within the Gaang that doesn't really overlap with the others. Neither Aang, Katara nor Toph are natural skeptics, nor are they non-benders, nor do they have an interest in technology or strategy. And his actual arc revolves around learning to be a man - not immature machismo, but responsibility and virtue. This alone lets Sokka occupy a niche that makes him valuable to the audience, because his unique experience is valuable.

However, Jaune, like Oscar, has many aspects that feel poached from other characters. His struggles as a leader steps on the toes of Ruby's arc as a team leader. His implied backstory as being from a line of famous Hunters can overlap with Weiss and the Schnee legacy (though due to how vague this detail is, there's room to play with this to make it more distinct). His niche as a strategist/tactician also overlaps with Ruby, leaving fans to headcanon distinctions between them, such as making Jaune a more "big picture tactician", while Ruby is a more "boots on the ground" strategist.

But the problem, as seen, lies in the fact that he offers very little to the audience, because what he offers, other characters can too. But because he does a little bit of everything, he is also always a little bit relevant to any situation, inflating his presence but not his importance in the show.

I've seen a post that posits that Jaune was at his most likeable in Volume 7, because there he was playing the role he should be to Team RWBY: a supporting character. While I do agree somewhat with this, as he was at his most likeable, being a sort of anchor trying to stay positive for everyone (nevermind that this is a trait overlapping with Ruby), he was also pretty... harmless?

I suppose it's because I've grown used to his extended presence, but him actually being more in the background also made him feel... kinda basic? There was really nothing too offensive, but also nothing terribly interesting for him to fall back on. He has no unique dynamic to bounce off of, no unique niche to fill. He's just kind of... there, occupying whatever vague role the story needs for him. And that makes him fairly forgettable; likeable only because he was no longer overstaying his welcome.

As for possible solutions, if I had to rework him from the ground up, I'd probably take Jaune in one of two directions, if not a bit of both:

A pampered noble. Lean more into his sheltered upbringing and weak start. He's from a long line of Hunters but for whatever reason was not raised as one or just lacks talent. Like Weiss but without any of the bite.

An underdog. This would work more if he was from more humble origins, but basically a no-name dude trying to work his way from the bottom.

Personally, I would lean more towards Option 1, if only because Oscar is clearly of humble birth and I would want to keep them as distinct from each other as possible. But for both, I would emphasize his underdog vibe as a weak fighter, as that is the one aspect he has in the series that everyone else doesn't.

Oscar would be weak too, but that's because he has no experience nor need to fight up until he joins the plot. But for Jaune, he would just be plain bad. He's bad at fighting even when he wants to be good, given his lineage, and that already creates a solid arc for him to work towards.

While Oscar would be fine with not being a fighter, it would be a source of a massive inferiority complex for Jaune, which totally checks out with how he behaves throughout Volume 1 and Jaunedice - sometimes even sabotaging himself because he's too stubborn to swallow his pride and admit he's weak and needs help, because a scion of a reputable Hunter family shouldn't be this weak.

As for his dynamic with the rest of the cast, knowing this, I'd probably make him incredibly weak, but also incredibly determined. While other characters can be determined too, Jaune would be so to an absurd amount, because he has to make up for his weakness with sheer will and persistence. If he falls down, he would get up more times than everyone else because he falls down more than everyone else. When faced with a problem, his natural inclination would just be to throw himself at it until either side yields.

This would be compatible with him having lots of Aura too. He's like a rock - uncomplicated in nature and immovable when it counts. Rather than make him a tactician, I'd make him the source of morale of the cast. People would be inspired by Jaune because even if he doesn't contribute much to a fight, he'll always be the last one standing; and seeing him would encourage the others to stand back up and continue fighting.

[dragynkeep]

i was wondering your thoughts on jaune as a character tbh. today i was thinking about atla and where it succeeded versus where rwby failed (especially because miles luna himself has compared rwby to atla multiple times).

one thing i disliked about rwby is that all four of the girls are super important in some way. ruby has silver eyes, weiss is the SDC heiress (richest company in the world), blake is WF leader’s daughter (also from a wealthy family), yang’s mom is a maiden. none of them are normal.

in atla, we have aang (the avatar), katara (who’s the last southern tribe waterbender… kinda?), toph (rich family daughter), zuko (firelord’s son) and sokka… who is completely normal. i like how they have a normal guy in atla which makes him relatable to the viewer.

the problem is in rwby, this normal guy is jaune. who ends up sticking along in the plot and being forced by the writers to be in situations which get him hate from the fndm. miles said jaune is partially inspired by sokka (dorky funny strategist type) but at the same time it means jnpr has to be part of the rwby adventures for jaune to be around. which makes people dislike jaune even more.

i kinda rambled but i was wondering yours thoughts on him? where did he fail where sokka succeeded and so on in your opinion?

I wouldn’t completely say Jaune is meant to be the normal guy given that he’s from a lineage of talented warriors, and is given some special writing with Tyrian being interested specifically in him. It ends up making him look even dumber by not knowing the basics of fighting like Aura, but being pushed by his family legacy to become a Huntsman. So, wouldn’t he know at least the basics?

Besides that, Jaune being the normal guy and therefore more relatable compared to the girls is one of his downfalls, because now the writers are taking so much time and energy away from the main four to give to him, which only makes many fans hate his ass. Sokka works better because he’s part of the main cast, and is just as important as Aang, Katara and Zuko. In the grand scheme of the plot, Jaune really isn’t, just like the rest of his team isn’t.

They’re just there. But because Jaune gets the lions’ share of development over Pyrrha, Nora and Ren, it’s more obvious with him. I like the idea of Jaune being a more normal guy to bounce off the more competant fighers in the early volumes, but after V5 when team RWBY reunited? He really outstayed his welcome with the rest of his team.

[unofficialadamtaurus]

i was wondering your thoughts on jaune as a character tbh. today i was thinking about atla and where it succeeded versus where rwby failed (especially because miles luna himself has compared rwby to atla multiple times).

one thing i disliked about rwby is that all four of the girls are super important in some way. ruby has silver eyes, weiss is the SDC heiress (richest company in the world), blake is WF leader’s daughter (also from a wealthy family), yang’s mom is a maiden. none of them are normal.

in atla, we have aang (the avatar), katara (who’s the last southern tribe waterbender… kinda?), toph (rich family daughter), zuko (firelord’s son) and sokka… who is completely normal. i like how they have a normal guy in atla which makes him relatable to the viewer.

the problem is in rwby, this normal guy is jaune. who ends up sticking along in the plot and being forced by the writers to be in situations which get him hate from the fndm. miles said jaune is partially inspired by sokka (dorky funny strategist type) but at the same time it means jnpr has to be part of the rwby adventures for jaune to be around. which makes people dislike jaune even more.

i kinda rambled but i was wondering yours thoughts on him? where did he fail where sokka succeeded and so on in your opinion?

He's fine on the surface but out of place if you look deeper.

This is more of a collection of scattered thoughts than anything, but to go at it:

I don't mind that everyone in team RWBY is special in some way. Is there something lost by not having a more "relatable" non-special character? Sure, but the girls are all from different enough backgrounds that you can get good worldbuilding and character interaction anyway...if you were a competent writer who cared about that kind of thing.

One thing about ATLA: I think Sokka is occasionally mislabeled as the "normal" guy when used as a basis of comparison with characters in other media. Sokka is the son of the Southern Water Tribe chieftain who gets Yue to fall in love with him almost immediately. The former comes up when he plans the raid on the Day of Black Sun. He's got prodigious talent with his boomerang, club, and sword - not exactly "normal," just not a bender like most of the main cast. The equivalent of a non-bender in RWBY to me is someone who doesn't have aura (or doesn't have it in levels high enough to be considered "combat ready").

The writers may have been inspired by Sokka but they missed how being a non-bender is not a non-starter in ATLA's combat whereas being auraless in RWBY very much is a non-starter.

So Jaune doesn't work on that level as a Sokka analogue, but he also just doesn't work as a character on his own! As many others before me have pointed out, it makes no sense that Jaune idolized his warrior lineage but was completely clueless when it came to aura in-universe. How did he fake his transcripts? Why did he wait until he was 17 or whatever to pursue huntsman-ing?

(Side note: Sokka's misogyny is called out explicitly in the narrative and he changes for the better. Jaune's bend towards toxic masculinity brought on by his own insecurities - exacerbated by Cardin - is never addressed. Like Weiss's racism, it's just set aside in a completely unsatisfactory lack of an arc.)

Jaune getting as much focus as he does has been talked to death. Suffice to say I agree that he gets too much. At first it was because the writers didn't know how to dump all the exposition on us and clumsily used Jaune to do it, then it was because...I guess Jaune deserved an arc more than the main characters? It got better in V7 but that goddamn scene in V8 brought that all crashing back down. There's a fundamental inability to use Jaune to boost the main girls' stories; he fails as a deuteragonist.

Don't even get me started on how Jaune's "strategies" suck. After V3, the show cannot write combat strategy to save its life. Like so many other character traits in this show, we're told Jaune has this talent but don't see it ourselves. we could...steal an airship?

He's a 5/10 character for me. Thoroughly okay but capable of getting worse if you stop to think - like some white bread that might actually be moldy if you squint.

[selfish-saturniidae]

@firelord-ruby

*sees moon* *remembers outer space* nice