#avatar art explore page

[eywaseclipse]

Alright because Mo’at doesn’t get the recognition she deserves! Inspired by @avatarloverfrfr appreciation for her. I refused to hand draw the beads so instead she’s wearing long strings lol. Let’s not go there please. Hour 9 was rough.

Please do not post my art on other platforms or elsewhere for personal use

[santaeofficial]

Greetings From Santae, Our Kickstarter Is LIVE NOW! Our Kickstarter Campaign will run August 30th - September 30th! With the overwhelming support from our community we were fully funded in 28 minutes! Let's hit these stretch goals and bring so many amazing features to Santae Much Sooner than planned!

Exciting things are underway in the magical world of Santae, and there’s no better time to begin – or continue – your adventure with us.

We’re thrilled to announce that the official Santae Kickstarter campaign launched August 30! Backing the project will grant you exclusive access to the site during our Beta launch, in addition to an incredible variety of rewards.

Tier Rewards range from beautiful Animated Wardrobe items for your avatar, to the companionship of the Kyree, Phasmic, and Seamso pets, and much more. You can even unlock the opportunity to collaborate with our art and design teams to design your very own site content: A Minimal, hairstyle, on-site item or clothing set, NPC, or even pet species!

Visit the Official Santae Kickstarter Today!

Visit this page for a sneak peek of all available Kickstarter tiers and rewards!

The Road So Far…

The beginning of Santae’s Alpha test on May 12th, was the start of an incredible journey. In the weeks since then, we’ve enriched the game with dozens of regular updates and exciting new features.

Here is just a taste of what we’ve added to enhance your experience on Santae:

New pet species

On Santae, mystical pets are your adventuring companions. There are plenty to choose from, and many more species on the way! Over the course of Alpha, we released 5 brand new pet species for Santarians to befriend. We’ve also increased the amount of pet friends you can add to your adventure party to 10 when you start!

The adorable moth-like Nochturn is ready to join any Santarian’s adventuring party as soon as they join the site. Brave adventurers who journey to the Lava Caves of the Flamefall Cascades can find the draconic Harlowin and fearsome Grusim. The elegant Drava can be found at traveling merchant Vespera’s exclusive shop. And finally, the friendly Quibbit evolves from its tadpole-like Minimal form.

Which pet species will become your faithful adventuring companion?

New Pet Colors

No matter your style, you can customize your pet companions on Santae with the help of magical shimmer dust!

We announced FOUR exciting new pet colors over the course of Alpha, with more to come in Beta and beyond. Will your pet let its true colors shine with the beautiful Prismatic shimmer dust? Will it become an adorable Pipsqueak? Will they show class and elegance with a RegalShimmer Dust? Or will you give your pet a taste of retro digital style with the brand-new Synthwave color?

New Minimals

In the world of Santae, your pets can adopt enchanting companions of their own called Minimals! Choose from dozens of types to find your pet’s perfect match.

Santae’s Alpha phase has brought many new exciting types of Minimals to join the herd. Which will your pet adopt?

Exciting New Site Features

The world of Santae is rich with opportunities to explore, gather, and discover. During the site’s Alpha phase, we’ve unlocked engaging on-site mini-games that bring you and your pets all across the vibrant world of Santae.

Send your pets Gathering at locations across Santae and they will bring back exciting items to share with you! Your pet might bring you a magical rune from the mysterious Stormforge Caverns, gather useful plants from the Ancient Grove, or maybe even discover an egg that can hatch into another pet at the volcanic pools of Ember Springs. You can also direct your pet to pluck rare berries from the Great Berry Tree!

When your pets go Fishing at the sunny Solar Sands – or in any gathering location across Santae – there’s no telling what they might find at the other end of the line. You might reel in a delicious fish, an eel that can join your pet as its Minimal companion, a piece of useful equipment that only needs a small repair, and so much more. More discoveries in the depths of the waters around Santae are sure to come.

If you want to tame wild Minimals, go visit Silvershade’s Ranch in the Lani Archipelago! They will send you out into the wild to catch and tame a Minimal through an interactive Herding mini-game. Bring berries, toys, and plushies to tempt and distract the Minimal as you and your pet cooperate to befriend it.

A Dynamic World

Santae’s sunny days and mysterious nights each hold their own mysteries to explore, watch as the clouds move while you play, and every hour on the hour you can watch the transition to day/night. As the world cycles between states every hour, you and your pets have the chance to make exciting new discoveries!

Visiting the Lava Caves in the dark of night will bring you face to face with the opportunity to tame a fearsome Grusim – but during the light of day, the Grusim retreats. While the sun shines over the Lava Caves, you can instead bring your Harlowin egg there to hatch into a new companion.

Exciting Events

The most important ingredient in the world of Santae is you: The community!

Over the course of THREE exciting events, our Alpha Testers have been able to participate in and shape the future of the game’s world. Together, we’ve discovered new Minimals, locations, and even new pet species.

The Goopper Swarm

Mysterious slug-like Minimals swarmed Gathering locations all across Santae, prompting adventurers everywhere to collect them in an attempt to learn more.

By collecting the Gooppers and discovering their source, Santarians discovered a brand-new location: The Goopper Grotto. This tranquil forest clearing holds an amazing secret: When you bring a Goopper there alongside certain powerfully magical items, the Minimal will transform!

The Mourning Grusim

By following the traces of an ancient legend, adventurers learned of a mythical creature lurking deep within the Lava Caves.

Together, Santarians discovered sanDust: A secondary currency earned through site activities. This magical dust proved to be the secret to calming the ferocious ancient beast within the caves. By working together to collect sanDust, the community unlocked the ability to tame and adopt the Grusim for everyone!

The Quibbit Cove

When Santarians began to discover mysterious eggs around the site, they banded together to collect them and learn more about them. Together, we learned how to hatch Quibbspawn eggs into a brand-new Minimal: The Quibblet!

But the Quibblet was no ordinary Minimal. More ancient clues pointed the community towards a newly-discovered location, Quibbit Cove. It was there that the true secret of the Quibblet was revealed: Feeding it in the cove causes it to evolve into a fully-fledged pet, the Quibbit!

Thanks to the community’s efforts of research and discovery, the location of Quibbit Cove and the secret of Quibblet evolution are now unlocked for everyone.

Thank You For Being A Part of the Magic of Santae!

Whether you’re an experienced Alpha Tester or a brand-new applicant to the game, we’re so happy to have you as a part of the community we’re building together.

Alpha has brought so many exciting updates – but we’re even more excited for what will come next as we continue to work together to make Santae the most magical site it can be.

Make sure to sign up for notifications about the official Santae Kickstarter so you don’t miss the start of our next big adventure as a community!

With Love and Gratitude,

~The Santae Team

[onyourowndaisymae]

𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒈𝒂𝒛𝒂 - 𝒐𝒃𝒆𝒚 𝒎𝒆 𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

☆☆ 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 & 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬 ☆☆

hi again :) i'm joining other lovely fanfic writers with @ficsforgaza to help raise money for the folks in need in palestine. i'm proud to be banding together with the community on tumblr to help palestinians during this horrible time.

to participate, make a donation to a vetted fundraiser found on @ficsforgaza's page (aka, don't send me any money lol) and send me a screenshot (with your personal information removed) along with what you'd like to request to my ask box. please do not "double dip" aka use the same donation for several writers-- this is a fundraiser, after all! here is what a request looks like:

hello! can i sponsor your [INSERT FIC] fic? i donated $5 to gaza, here is the screenshot! thank you! [insert screenshot]

my pricing will be as follows:

★ sponsor-a-WIP: $1/100 words ★ drabbles: $2-3/100 words (elaborated below) ★ no money to contribute, but you want to support the cause? that's okay. sign a vetted petition from the @ficsforgaza page and send proof, and i'll add a sentence to a WIP of your choosing.

if you have any questions, feel free to take a look here on @ficsforgaza's page or reach out to me. be patient, i will work on these fics when i can. thank you so much for helping me raise money for a good cause ;)

☆☆ 𝐖𝐈𝐏𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫 ☆☆

★ pink pony club

on saturday nights, the lights at the fall dim as a performer takes stage. beauty, grace, taking the stage as music begins to trickle from the speakers for their performance. you're born naked, the rest is drag. how do the characters of obey me interact with this art form? are they a performer? an amateur? do they yearn for the spotlight or admire their own outfit from the shadows?

drag!au. bulleted fic/headcanons. estimated length = unknown. characters completed: none. wc: 0. current sponsors: one! sponsored word count: 0/500.

★ human!au x farming!au

a breeze travels through a small valley town. the spring is warm-- a perfect time for new beginnings. the moving truck pulls away from the small farm where you've been dropped off. this is your land now. to see it thrive, you must love and care for each inch. but first, you should probably introduce yourself to the local townspeople.

human!au and farming!au. heavily inspired by both harvest moon/stardew valley games and my mutual @misc-obeyme and their human!au. small paragraphs for each character. estimated length = unknown. characters completed: none. wc: 0. current sponsors: one! sponsored word count: 0/500.

★ obey me characters with earrings

accessories are a wonderful addition to any outfit. if the characters of obey me had their ears pierced, what sorts of earrings would they wear?

bulleted headcanons/fic. themes of x reader. estimated length = unknown. characters completed: none. wc: 0. current sponsors: none.

★ obey me demon brothers presenting you with a friendship bracelet in return

you presented the avatars of sin with a custom friendship bracelet to commemorate your growing bond. now, they're here to return the favor.

demon brothers x reader (platonic OR romantic, up to reader interpretation). revival of a long-dead series. bulleted fic. estimated length = unknown. characters completed: none. wc: 0. current sponsors: none.

★ the fall's private rooms (nsfw warning)

being a human in the devildom has left you with a certain... interest in demonkind and other fantastical creatures. but you're far too embarrassed to explore this fascination with anyone you know. the solution? an anonymous station set up in one of the fall's private rooms allowing you to fuck someone without knowing who they are, no strings attached. this set-up grows a bit more complicated, though, when word travels through the grapevine about the dirty things you're doing. the door closes to the room you're tucked away in, indicating someone is here to indulge you... but is that a familiar voice you hear on the other side of the wall?

nsfw. minors dni. obey me characters x reader smut. gloryhole dynamic. estimated length = unknown. characters completed: none. wc: 0. current sponsors: one! sponsored word count: 0/5000.

★ oc spotlight: introductions

the rules of the exchange program are simple: the celestial realm and the human realm both send three of their residents to the the devildom to experience hell's culture for an entire year. among the usual residents of purgatory hall, two new faces are seen wandering about. one, a straight-laced, fledgling sorcerer trying her best to explore the depths of the devildom's history and gain a grasp on her budding powers. the other, an angel born hard-of-hearing and further deafened by the celestial war with a penchant for beautiful artistic creations.

canon-divergent!au. x reader. introduction of two original characters. character profiles. estimated length = unknown. characters completed: none. wc: 0. current sponsors: none.

★ oc spotlight: vampire!au

vampirism is a strange affliction. it creates a recluse of the most social creature, driven from the sunlight and modern society into the shadows by bloodlust and misery. you are a human being who has recently become the source of blood for each of these two ancient vampires. how does your relationship with the evolve? do they grow to see you as more than a pet, or are you slaughtered for your insolence long before they remember your name?

vampire!au. ocs x reader (separate). full-length standalone fics. estimated length = unknown. characters completed: none. wc: 0. current sponsors: none.

☆☆ 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 ☆☆

i'll be accepting drabble requests for the seven demon brothers and the dateables. drabbles are estimated to be ~500 words. they can be sfw/nsfw, tropes, fluff, etc. please specify what you'd like to see in this drabble, whether you only have a character in mind or a very specific scenario! (note: anon MUST be off for you to request nsfw, and you must be 18+).

since requests require a bit more work, i'll be pricing them at $2 per 100 words for sfw drabbles and $3 per 100 words for nsfw drabbles.

do you want to support gaza and request fics for twisted wonderland? check out my other blog here

[shad0wvisi0n]

Chapter 1 Static life

AU Created by @b-r-i-n-g-x and @shygirl4991

All art belongs to the rightful artist do not repost

Artist for chapter @b-r-i-n-g-x @merp0515

Shout out to @lizaluvsthis and @theartistisme43 our other assistants!

Next Chapter

Liko Studies Page 1

Summary: A year has passed since PuzzleVision, a year since the crew took back their lives. Anger grew as he recovered and watched the crew move on with their lives, while he lost everything. Weak he explores the remains of Peach’s castle to get an idea, anything that can help him with his plans of revenge. That's when he found it, two locks of hair from the very guardians that defeated him. A new plan was born that day and its name is Shadow Vision.

Tags: Fluff, angst, humor, found family, falling in love, love confessions, slow burn, blood, injury,

SMG4 stretches as he looks up at the sky, humming to himself as he decides to walk over to Three’s coffee n bombs. As he enters the cafe he frowns seeing no one there, he peeks in the back room feeling anxiety grow. Taking out the book, he takes the elevator that leads to SMG3 room. He looks around and frowns noticing even Eggdog wasn't around, panic was growing not seeing his friend around.

A year ago they encountered a villain that was the master of television. He remembers the day they defeated him well, how they had to make their own show to best him. The anger he felt that day as he grabbed mallet Luigi and smashed the television in, while the crew celebrated and after months of therapy from SMG3 things went back to normal. Except it didn't fully, deep down Four had a fear. A fear that the smash didn't truly kill Mr. Puzzles and that he is still around ready to take control of them again. 

He gets back in the elevator then dash out the cafe, closing his eyes he focuses on their cosmic link. Feeling the pull he runs through the woods  “Please be okay Three,” he stops running when it clicks where he was. He looks down letting out a shaky breath as he walks near the hole in the ground “Three?!”

A tentacle comes out of the hole reaching for him, SMG4 screams dodging the grab. Thats when he heard an explosion “THATS WHAT YOU FUCKING GET FOR TOUCHING EGGDOG!”  

Three blinks as he notices SMG4, glaring at the monster he picks up Eggdog, then runs to pick up Four “The hell are you doing here?” Four gives him a sheepish smile “Looking for you.” Avoiding another hit the pair escape running back to the cafe, missing a glimpse of an old enemy.

Once safe SMG3 checks Eggdog before turning his attention to Four,  gently grabbing Fours face to check on him “Hey you okay? That was a close call.” Four nods getting closer to Three “I’m fine, I'm more worried as to why you were over there!” Mario arrives in time to see the pair an inch apart from kissing, his eyes light up from the sight “HEY, ARE YOU TWO FINALLY KISSING?!”

The guardians look at each other and blushes, in a panic they smack each other making sure there is plenty of space between them. “No you ass! We were attacked by those things near Peach’s castle!” Three crosses his arms annoyed by the avatar, Four sighs repeating himself “Why were you over there?” Three pets Eggdog with a loving smile before facing Four “Eggdog was freaking out, it wasn't like him so i went to investigate. Found nothing but those tentacles out which makes me wonder..if someone fell in there.”

They stay silent for a moment lost in thought, Mario seeing his friends sad does what he does best. He wraps his arms around his guardians and smiles at them “Mario is hungry!” the pair roll their eyes letting out soft giggles. With Mario’s push they end up at the castle making spaghetti, dropping the topic all together.

In the woods Mr. Puzzle hums watching them from afar “Now how did you reach the castle so fast?”

Ever since his defeat he spent time recovering and plotting his next grand show, his acquaintance Liko helped nurse him during this time. She was a strange creature, a rare fable that lives in the mushroom kingdom. A few months ago he started to spy on the crew again, with the help of Liko they watched and studied hoping to find any kind of weakness. Once the coast was clear he started to wander around the woods, there his screen flickered showing off a wide smile. There stood an open guardian portal, testing the waters, he removed his head placing it on the floor. Then his body walks in, after a few moments the body returns in perfect condition.  Putting his head back on he goes through, where he is greeted with the  pit he and SMG4 created two years ago. 

He walks close to it and lets out a chuckle “My SMG4, ever the villain keeping an eye on your masterpiece.”

He snaps his fingers getting a tentacle's attention, using it as a lift he gets on it letting it bring him down. He walks through the path that leads to the castle, there he notices something. With a gasp he walks up to a pile of slime pulling out what looked like locks of hair “Hello gorgeous, you look fresh!” quickly he takes out his phone. After a few rings he heard a woman's voice on the other line “No time for chatting, remember how you mention you would love to know how meme guardians work?” he hears a sigh from the woman along with her dropping something in the background. “Alright Mr. Puzzle, what do you have?” 

“Meme guardian hair, fresh. You know what this means don't you? We can make our own guardians!”  he smiles at the hair in his hand.  The time for revenge has finally presented itself, Mr puzzles was excited to do what no network has ever done before. He snaps his fingers to escape the castle,  once away from the pit he heads off to his lair, an abandoned studio lot. 

Liko puts on her coat to get the machines ready “Okay i need to get things ready, shit! We need pods, the meme guardians have USB so what can I use to replace that.”  She searches her lab to find an old portable television. She chuckles opening the device and fixing it up,  meme guardians pods were related to the internet. If they wanted to make their own they need to think outside of the box, given she will need her partners TV powers she knew turning this portable television would be the best bet.  She lets out a wide smile seeing the TV working again, Mr. Puzzles enters the room at that moment watching the scientist “Brought you a gift!” 

Removing the cover on it, Mr. Puzzles walked up to the tank excitedly. Staring at the white orbs he looks down at Liko “This is meme energy, it wasn't easy to learn how to extract it but with this i think we can pull this off!” She takes a step back to give the man room, understanding what she meant he points his finger to the tank. Shooting it with his power the orbs start to bounce around the tank, the TV man steps back then pulls Liko with him as they watch the tank shake. 

Liko takes the locks of hair from him, she puts it through a scanner and laughs “It's hair from both guardians! This is perfect, we can have two guardians if this works!” hearing those words excited the TV man. Not only will he get revenge he will also  have his own actor,one he can command and they will follow his every word. Liko separated the hair locking SMG3 hair away, humming as she studied the hair. “We are lucky guardians work differently from us, this hair sample should be enough to make something!”

She places SMG4 lock of hair on the table, then walks up to a tank “Been saving these bad boys for months!’

The orbs start to change becoming filled with static, Liko screams in joy running to the tank “IT’S WORKING!” She runs to the computer to scan the orbs. What was once filled with pure meme energy was changing into something else, the meme power slowly changing into television energy. Mr Puzzle claps his hands to get the woman's attention, she turns looking up at him in excitement “It's working! Now to place the needed items to make a body…this is the part that can fail. Be ready for disappointment.”

She goes to a secret room taking out a strange jar, she drops some of its contents on the portable TV then the lock of hair. Putting it away she hits the button removing one of the static orbs “We don't know how stable this is so i recommend you get in your head!” She runs for cover as Mr. Puzzles stands there watching. The room is then swallowed by a bright light, Liko peeks out of her hiding spot to see Mr . Puzzles staring at the portable TV in shock. She walks up to up “It…changed? It sorta resembles a portable gaming console, but no mistake it's a portable television.” 

The pod starts to grow causing Liko to panic “SHIT GET IT OUT OF THE LAB ITS GROWING!”

Mr. Puzzles picks up the TV and throws it out,  they watch as it keeps growing. “Uh, now that I think about it we never took into account how big we were making him, did we?” Liko lets out with a sigh, then the pod stops growing as it opens up. They watch as a man comes out all dressed in yellow, his eyes show static until he rubs them. He looks around his dark yellow eyes meeting Mr. Puzzle, he slowly walks up to the man “You're my star! We did it!” the man rolls his eyes looking around again “Where the fuck am i and why is there a talking box here?” 

Mr. Puzzle frowns “Now that kind of language won't work with what we plan on doing, i'm your manager slash director!” he spins giving jazz hands to the man “MR. PUZZLE!” Now that Mr. Puzzle was closer to the man he noticed while the guardian was made from SMG4 DNA, the appearance didn't fully show it. His eyes lay on the sharp teeth he had sticking out of his mouth, he also noticed the pointy ears making the man look more of a fable creature than a full human. “My…pod it said my name is SV4, so call me that.”

Mr.Puzzle watches as the man shrinks his pod, he blinks seeing the portable TV now pocket sized. Interested as to why the portable TV took the form of a portable console he decided to poke more at the guardian “SV4 huh? Do tell me your pod reminds me of something, are you perhaps interested in a different kind of medium that isn't television?” 

SV4 rolls his eyes putting his pod in his pocket “I like video games, which mind you helps shape a lot of media in television.” that's when he notice someone hiding in a bush “Who the fuck is that? Is this some kind of trap,” he glares at Mr.Puzzle. Liko lifted her hand giving a nervous giggle “No trap, im Liko the uh co-director just here to see the star of our shows arrive!” She was thankful that all the years of hearing Mr. Puzzle talk came in handy for once. SV4 gives them both a look before walking away, seeing that the pair walk with him. Mr.Puzzle screen flashes a smile “Do you even know where our home is?” SV4 stops walking, frustrated he turns to the pair. He didn't want to trust him but something in him told him this was right, along with feeling something was missing. 

Liko notices the look that SV4 had “Mr. Puzzle we should start working on SV3, after all meme guardians come in two for a reason.” Mr puzzle lets out a small chuckle “He is the star for this upcoming project, he doesn't need to share the spotlight!” with that he puts his arm around the guardian and walks off to their home. Liko frowns watching them walk away, she walks back to her lab to do more research on meme guardians. She was glad that SMG1 and 2 made a book explaining the basics, with this it could help them figure out how to care for SV4.

They arrive at the location, Mr. Puzzles walks in front of SV4 giving him jazz hands as he shows the man an abandoned movie set. SV4 eyes go wide as he looks around, then he sees an action set and runs to it “MINE!” Mr. Puzzles watches SV4 running around the action set amused. Compared to SMG4 this guardian certainly did take the excitable trait from his counterpart, SV4 pauses opening the dressing room “Fuck man this place is empty, hey box head where is our shit?” Mr. Puzzle sighs. Their huge difference is the fact SV4 swears like a sailor, not to mention the attitude he has on him. 

Seeing the look SV4 knew what they had to do, he steps in front of Liko next to Mr. Puzzle. Liko starts to glare at the pair, Mr. Puzzles then displays footage of a dog giving puppy eyes while SV4 was giving her puppy eyes. Unable to ignore the looks she gives in "FINE I WILL BUY THE STUFF FOR YOUTUBE!"

He walks and looks in the room “Hm we are going to need a little help if we are to get what we need, i have an idea SV4 lets call it your first acting job!”

Liko opens the door to her lab, to her surprise SV4 was standing there he smirks at her “Now Mr. Puzzles hate to do this but I find it funny!” Liko confused steps out of her lab. Mr. Puzzle flashes her a smile “Given i dont have my powers anymore, i need money to get what we need for the show!” Liko shakes her head. SV4 watching the pair lets out a chuckle “Come on Liko, as the co director dont you wanna help your favorite guardian out?” Liko looks at the pair still refusing to help them, Mr Puzzles gives SV4 a look. 

They return home setting everything up, SV4 jumps around lovingly hugging his gaming setup “Daddy is here shhh we will have an all night Spyro marathon don't you worry!”  Mr. Puzzles gives a concerned look towards the guardian “While i would love to…um give you alone time. We need to release our first video soon, otherwise this whole thing would be a waste of time!” SV4 rolls his eyes letting go of the system. He picks up a game and controller, pointing it at Mr. Puzzle “Listen up box head! Gaming is an art and if we are going to have me as the face of the channel we do it my way!” He then sits down hitting records and starts playing games. 

Mr. Puzzle smiles as SV4 cheers, with a sigh she gets her wallet. She walks out giving them a small smile “So what's the channel going to be called?” the pair stare at her with a blank expression, Liko eyes go wide “Wait you ask me to buy you things and you still haven't set up the youtube?!”  SV4 scoffs walking into her lab. Concerned with having the man in her lab she runs in, the man gets on the computer and starts making the account. He smirks as he types away, then he turns the monitor “There problem solved!” 

Liko and Mr. Puzzle look at the account “SV4…perfect! We just have to hope our viewers won't think we are copying anyone.” the man rolls his eyes “From our walk you told me about SMG4, if he can use his name as the channel name who the fuck says i can't!” Mr. Puzzle frowns his screen changing into an expression of annoyance “Language!”

Liko giggles “Let him be, plus if he swears in his videos when it comes to editing he can just remove it!”  SV4 gives a smug look causing the TV man to sigh walking away “Let's just get what we need, it's showtime!” with a nod they get together and start walking into the kingdom. Mr. Puzzle wears a cloak to cover himself, not everyday you see a walking talking television. While he doesnt care if the SMG4 crew learn of his return, he preferred to keep the mystery going on longer just to mess with the meme guardians.  As they go shopping for the items needed, Liko can only watch in horror as she sees the prices of all the items.

After a few hours SV4 tosses a USB toward Mr. Puzzles“There, my footage and commentary on Spyro: Enter the dragonfly. Now if you don't mind, the crash series calls to me!” Mr. Puzzles catches the USB confused, he gets up lifting up SV4 by his overalls. He gives the smaller man a stern look “You mean you didn't edit the video!?” SV4 blinks at him before chuckling “Me? Edit? You're funny, there isn't time for me to edit when I'm behind on the rich history of gaming!” his eyes sparkle as he looks back at his gaming setup.  It was a dangerous sparkle that stirred strange emotions from the Television man, he drops SV4 confused by the emotions. Now free SV4 runs to his room to keep playing, with an annoyed sigh Mr. Puzzle goes off to edit the video himself. 

With a sigh he hits upload, it took hours for him to put together  given how much the man recorded. With a hum he stares at the video “Please let this work,” he refreshes the page and jumps up in surprise “650 VIEWS!?”

He couldn't believe that in a blink everyone was watching, he chuckles darkly as he sees the likes going up. He did it, he made the perfect star that will get him back on the air in no time. He texted the link to Liko and in a moment she called “That’s impossible, how can a video get so popular fast…unless,” he hears typing on the other line for a few moments before silence. 

Liko’s eyes go wide seeing the video now hitting five thousand views and counting, looking around her desk she finds what she is looking for. She sits at her desk taking out a lock of hair she took from SV4, there was no way she would miss a chance to study her creation and now was the perfect time. “Mr. Puzzles using the lock of hair I took when SV4 was shopping for games, I might be able to figure this out!”  scanning the hair she gasps seeing the readings going wild.

“Puzzles, we need to make him a SMG3. The readings are unstable, without something to keep him balanced we don't know what could happen. He could blow up, or just die!” Mr. Puzzle chuckles as he watches the numbers go up. He looks into SV4 room seeing the man playing games “He is the star Liko, he doesn't need to share the stage after all if his power makes this happen! Well…i'm not losing this.” he hangs up the phone without a second thought.

Days passed, while Mr. Puzzle enjoyed seeing the numbers fly; he ended up getting blinded to see SV4 was using gaming as an escape. He was feeling weak, empty, unsure if doing youtube was worth anything.  That's when the content stopped, noticing that he storms into the dinner area as gasp. SV4 was sitting there zoned out playing on a PS Vita, feeling annoyed he takes the system “SV4, it's almost the due date super star. Where is the video?”  SV4 looks up at him, his eyes devoid of life. Seeing his face trigger a small memory of him watching TV, ignoring everything as he enjoys the next episode of scooby doo.

“Oh yeah i didnt..i should,” the world started to spin for man as he passed out. Mr. Puzzle acts fast catching him before he hits the floor.  “The world…is lonely,” hearing his weak words made Mr.Puzzle feel guilty, he let out a soft chuckle looking at the passed out man “Why do you remind me of someone?”

He walks to SV4 room and tucks him into bed, taking out his phone he slowly calls Liko “Let's make the gay sidekick.”

Hearing this she excitedly grabs her fiancée hand “He is finally doing what i said, im both excited and worried on what made that man change his mind. SV4 must be getting worse.” She goes to the computer while her fiancée gets the items together, this was going to be easy just do the same steps as last time. She is thankful she saved the second portable Television after everything with SV4, once everything is set up she goes to pull the lever. 

SV4 wakes up, looking around he sees he is in his room “Huh? Did he put me here…wonder if he is around.” As he leaves his room a strange feeling hits him. His eyes go static, he sees the front of the abandoned movie set and next to the person was Mr.puzzle. Surprised he runs to the front of the building, there his eyes go wide as Mr puzzle shows off a new person “INTRODUCING YOUR NEW CO STAR SV3!” They smile shyly and wave at SV4. The moment their eyes met he felt the emptiness leave, he walked up staring at the man “You play games?” SV3 hums “Not really but if you got fun party games i'm in!” 

“Flordeliza, you keep an eye on the meter as I watch over the pod.” She walks up excited to meet their new friend. Only for alarms to burst, Flordeliza runs up holding on to Liko “What?! Not enough energy, but this is how SV4 was made.” She runs to the back with her partner, together they carry a huge jar of unknown substance. Exchanging looks they dump it, Liko dashes and pulls the lever. The machine lets out a loud sound before blasting the table, Liko runs looking for her partner.  She lets out the breath she was holding seeing Flordeliza holding the pod “Ah you rock Flor! Now take the pod out and let's see if we save it…for SV4.” 

They walk outside watching the pod grow, Liko takes out a clipboard watching and waiting for results. Just then Mr. Puzzles shows his screen flicking to a smile “Ah! The gay sidekick is made!”  noticing Flor he stays a few steps away from her. They all watch as the pod screen goes static, that's when a person climbs out of it confused.  Liko’s eyes go wide “oh no the malfunction messed up one of your eyes.”

The new guardian smiles touching his left eye “Oh don't worry i can see fine! Hello, I'm SV3. It's nice to meet everyone!”  Mr. Puzzles nod, grabbing the man's arm “Three grab your pod we need to hurry home.”  with a nod he shrinks his pod and pockets it before leaving. Liko smiles brightly at her partner “ WE DID IT!”

SV3 giggles making SV4 roll his eyes doing his best to hide the small smile growing on his face “Lets go to my room, i'm sure i got something.”  Mr. Puzzle watches the pair walk off together, the screen changed showing how drained he was. Never did he think creating TV guardians would be this messy, smacking his head he let out a smile “This is fine, these two will bring me closer to stardom!” 

[cyren-myadd]

Update on Common Enemy: Avatar fancomic part 2

I'm almost done sketching out the whole thing! I've completed 12/15 so only 3 pages left before I can finally start working on line-art and coloring. I am planning to take a break from drawing once I finish sketching all 15 pages, but I believe I'm on track to finish part 2 and have it posted sometime in mid-July. I'll keep you guys posted as I make progress.

Sometimes when I sketch I get carried away and add unnecessary details that don't fit with the mood of the story. Here are two little "bloopers" that I already know I'm gonna have to cut from the final draft of the comic:

I should draw Lo'ak more. I love drawing his goofy wide-set eyes lol.

As I've been working on this, I've also discovered there's potential for an interesting dynamic between Lo'ak and Quaritch that I haven't thought about before. As far as Quaritch is concerned, Lo'ak is just Jake Sully 2.0, while Lo'ak himself doesn't believe he's anything like the "legendary Toruk Makto." Lo'ak would be weirded out by Quaritch making some irritated comment of him being "just like your daddy 🙄" because he doesn't think he can live up to Jake. He doesn't realize the reason Jake is so hard on him is 'cause Jake is scared Lo'ak will make similar mistakes that he did because he IS so much like him. And Quaritch on the other hand can see how much Spider cares about Lo'ak and can relate it back to how he and Jake used to have an amicable relationship. Quaritch would be scared of Lo'ak "turning" on Spider the way Jake "turned" on him... especially knowing that the Sullies won't be thrilled when they find out why he's still alive.

I don't have the time to explore that in this comic, but maybe I could write something about it one day 🤔

[sun-critrole]

Ok, I've been thinking about this and I'm really curious. If you got to pick a Prime Deity to represent at the Downfall table (or a similar situation, playing the mortal avatar of an immortal god) which one would you pick?

RULES:

Assume whichever of the following two scenarios is most comfortable for you: either A) everyone else who was at the table is playing the characters they played in Downfall, unless you want their character, in which case you replace them and they happily take a week off. Or, B) you are going to be playing a Downfall-esque game with your favorite D&D players (friends, other CR cast members, faceless perfect beings of your imagination, etc.) wherein you get to choose your character first and everyone will seamlessly accommodate you.

No, you can't choose The Luxon or one of the minor deities. Maybe that will be a different poll later.

No, you can't choose a Betrayer God. That poll is here.

Below the cut is a short description of each deity's domain, ripped straight from the chart on page 21 of Explorer's Guide to Wildemount.

The Change Bringer: Change, freedom, luck. Chaotic good.

The Platinum Dragon: Honor, justice. Lawful good.

The Arch Heart: Art, beauty, elves. Chaotic good.

The Law Bearer: Civilization, law, peace. Lawful neutral.

The Knowing Mistress: Knowledge, learning, teaching. Neutral.

The Storm Lord: Battle, competition, storms. Chaotic neutral.

The Wild Mother: Seas, wilderness. Neutral.

The All-Hammer: Craft, creation. Lawful good.

The Dawn Father: Healing, sun. Neutral good.

The Everlight: Atonement, compassion. Neutral good.

The Matron of Ravens: Death, fate, winter. Lawful neutral.

The Moon Weaver: Illusion, moonlight, night. Chaotic good.

[egelskop]

i am so interested in ur hlvrai au can we get a rundown

oh boy, this is going under a readmore.

fair warning, this is a LONG read because (1.) i am not a competent writer and (2.) i can't for the life of me keep things brief. sorry and or good luck.

ACT I

The Black Mesa incident: Gordon Freeman is provided an opportunity to do an informal beta test for a combat training simulation program that's in development in the Research & Development department of the Black Mesa Research Facility. (Read: He knows a guy in R&D and said guy knows Gordon likes video games and VR stuff, so he was like "hey you should come check this out when you're on break.")

The combat sim would be a revolutionary training simulation using artificial intelligence to enhance and realize the experience for the ‘player character’.

The test goes wrong, and Gordon can’t seem to disengage from the simulation and odd, unscripted things start happening; he has to ‘play the game’ to its full completion before he is able to exit the simulation safely. He has suffered a brain injury throughout the process, eye damage due to prolonged exposure to the headset and is generally traumatized by the simulation experience he at some point could no longer physically and emotionally distinguish from the real world. The project as a whole is shut down and Gordon is put into a rehabilitation program. Black Mesa covers up the incident as best it can, but whispers of it still echo around the facility.

Below is a page for a two-page comic i never finished detailing said events.

ACT II

The rumors reach the ears of a particularly tech-savvy researcher named Clark, who steals the project documentation and anything else he can get his hands on from a storage. At home, he looks into the project, reads about it, and gets curious about the simulation’s files themselves. They’re on a drive he plugs into his computer, and suddenly his system’s performance lags, windows open and close until a txt. file opens up. He comes into contact with one of the simulation’s AI that has somehow entered his operating system. He tries to keep it busy by having it poke around as he reads up on the simulation and its ultimate shutdown. When the AI reveals it can see him through the webcam, he panics and rips the drive out of the port. The invasive AI and the other project files seems like they’re gone from his system, he does a checkup but sees nothing odd running or otherwise. The next day after work he does another checkup. Finding nothing, he surmises he’s in the clear and starts up an online game. The slumbering, corrupted data of the AI sees its out, and disappears into the game.

ACT III

The transition/journey to the game is a rocky one, and the already corrupted data of the AI known as Benrey splits and gets even more fragmented. The largest fragment embeds itself into the game’s files to keep itself running. Without the foundation of the game to support it, it’d be lost to a dead void and slowly die out. Somewhat stable, it learns about the world around it; the game seems to be an exploration sandbox game. For now (and clarity), I’ve chosen to call this bigger, embedded fragment ‘Data’. (so this is the big benny with the right eye/one big eye in my art)

Data splits off a smaller fragment of itself, intending it to be an avatar or ‘player character’ but this grows into its own awareness and becomes who we’ll call ‘Beastrey’ (the smaller benny with the left eye and tail in my art).

The fragment ‘Beastrey’ wakes to a dead void, so Data uses its knowledge to create a private server for Beastrey, an empty world. Beastrey’s existence is an extension of the bigger part, with more freedom of movement to parse through the game and move freely within it, with the caveat that it can’t go ‘too far’ away from the host. Beastrey can visit other servers and relay information. Data learns and slowly starts building up the world/private server, at some point settling for an aquatic world because it reminds it of itself (something something sea of data). It's important to note that Beastrey retains little to no memories of the events of canon VRAI.

Data makes it easier for Beastrey to move around, and they grow to have more reach with time. At some point Data can alter the basic structural elements of the game, so it plays around with making things that are reminiscent of the memories it has of Black Mesa and Xen. At one point, it gains access to parse through the player base of the game, and takes note of an email address: ‘g.m.freeman@gmail.com’, attached to a player account. The name is somewhat familiar to it.

It sends an invite to join the server to the player account.

ACT IV

Gordon tries going back to work at Black Mesa after rehabilitating, but he has trouble separating his experiences with the simulation from reality, to a breaking point where an altercation with a security guard drives him to quit. He seeks professional help for his PTSD and anxiety, but still experiences dissociative episodes, migraines and somatic flashbacks localised mostly in his right forearm. Despite this, he is determined to continue living his life as normally as possible. He applies for a part-time job teaching physics at a local high school, the one where his son Joshua goes to, and remains relatively stable from there.

Joshua is 15 years old. Regular teen. After an impressive amount of pleading he got a VR-headset for his 14th birthday from Gordon (much to the disapproval of Gordon’s ex), and he’s been captivated by an exploration sandbox game since it came out a few months ago.

He gets an invite to an unnamed private server, and he accepts.

He is struck with awe as the world he enters seems completely different from the ones he’s seen so far in the game. Different flora, different fauna. Most of it uninteractible, though, or otherwise just retextured from its base game variant. Even the new enemy types, after a scare, can’t actually hurt him, it seems. He stumbles upon Beastrey, who is just as surprised to see him and wants him out until Joshua says he was invited.

Joshua commends Beastrey (who introduces himself as 'Ben-') on ‘modding’ everything in, but admits that he was disappointed to find that everything was just surface-level stuff. Beastrey inquires about what he’d like to see. Data is always watching, unseen, and decides to alter the world in the way Joshua described when Joshua leaves.

Joshua starts appearing more often, if only for a few hours at a time. He marvels at the ways the world shifts and grows with each time he plays, and takes to exploring it with Beastrey at his side, for whom strangely enough a lot of things are also new. Joshua teaches both Beastrey and Data about the outside world, thinking Beastrey is just a somewhat reclusive but likeable weirdo.

Joshua tells Gordon about the new friend he made, ‘Ben’, and the adventures he’s been having with the other. Gordon is happy to hear Joshua is having a good time, but is otherwise none the wiser. Joshua starts losing track of time in the game, but chalks it up to being invested.

During one play session, Beastrey confesses he isn’t the one who did all the ‘modding’, and invites Joshua to meet Data. Data, or at least its ‘physical’ in-game manifestation is deep within the world, past the aquatic twilight zone and strange, drowned ruins of an unknown facility. Data, for the first time, really sees Joshua, and the resemblance sparks something within it. Joshua is drawn closer to it, and just before he reaches it-

Joshua wakes up lying on the floor with Gordon hunched over him in his room, pleading with him to wake up. Joshua unknowingly got drawn into the game much like Gordon had been, and Gordon urges Joshua to never touch the headset again, taking it away. Gordon opens up about his experiences with the simulation a bit more. They both agree to not touch the game or the headset again.

ACT V

Gordon comes into contact with an old coworker from Black Mesa, and he inquires about the combat simulation project, if anything happened to it after it was canned. This is where he learns that an employee had taken the project files from storage and was consequently fired. He comes into contact with Clark, and Clark explains he had no idea he accidentally unleashed the AI unto the game. Gordon asks if anything can be done to prevent what happened to Joshua and himself from happening to other people. Clark confesses he doesn’t know, and that it’s up to the developers of the game to find anything out of place and make sure it gets fixed. Gordon decides to leave the matter where it lies, not wanting anything to do with AI and simulations anymore and to safeguard his son.

Some time passes.

Joshua starts getting repeated invites and messages, at one point he gets into a conversation with ‘Ben’ via a platform’s messaging system. Ben says he can explain everything, that he’s sorry. Joshua decides he would like one final goodbye. He finds the headset stashed away somewhere in the house, and, while Gordon’s gone, he turns on the game and enters the server.

Beastrey (Ben) is surprised to see him, urging him to log out and turn off the game, but it’s already too late and Joshua can no longer leave. Beastrey helps Joshua attempting to ‘exit’ the game by going as far away from Data’s reach, but Data stops Beastrey and traps Joshua, determined to wait to the point that he assimilates into the game completely.

Gordon eventually finds Joshua comatose with the headset on, and he panics. He considers calling the emergency services, but he’s afraid they’ll take the headset off or that removing Joshua too far from the game will hurt his son like what happened to him. He calls Clark, urging him to help in any way he can. This results in Gordon and Clark going back to Black Mesa to retrieve the project files and the other gear they can get their hands on to get Gordon into the game to free his son.

Gordon enters the private server with Clark’s player character, and thwarts any attempt from Data to impede his progress and trap him as well. Beastrey’s awareness is overridden by Data as a last ditch effort to deter Gordon and Gordon is forced to destroy Beastrey before he can reach Data. As Beastrey is taken over, Data gains Beastrey’s awareness, and finds his other, littler half never wanted to trap Joshua in the first place, and the way it hurt him to hurt both Joshua and Gordon to this extent.

At this point, Data wavers in its intention to keep Joshua trapped, even more so with Beastrey now gone, and recognises whatever it is that is driving Gordon forward in the game is outside of his control to manipulate, so he lets Gordon destroy it as well. In a way, it also feels as a fulfillment of its intended role as the ‘villain’. The server crashes, the world breaks apart. The ‘game’ is completed.

The final boss is defeated and both Gordon and Joshua wake up. Joshua luckily wasn’t exposed long enough to have suffered any lasting damage, except for what seems to be a minor headache and some light sensitivity (and a vow from Gordon to get him checked out by a doctor as soon as the clinics open).

--

The whole ordeal results in Clark, Gordon and Joshua sitting in a Denny’s at four in the morning, eating pancakes somewhat solemnly, completely exhausted but also still reeling from the virtual battle. Joshua learns that ‘Ben’ essentially died, and he can’t help but cry for his friend.

“Honestly, I don’t think he’s gone,” Gordon admits, picking at the last bites of his pancakes. "I think he- or whatever that was, has a hard time staying dead. Like a cockroach, you know? At this point I’m just wondering when he’ll turn up again.”

Clark hums in agreement. Joshua seems somewhat reassured by his words, wiping at his eyes with the scratchy napkin as he settles into the squeaking diner seat.

“But,” he starts with a sigh, pointing his syrup-covered fork upwards to the ceiling in a decree, “One thing’s for certain…”

He thinks back to a time rife with virtual gunfire, caging walls and hysterical laughter echoing through the halls of the Black Mesa research facility. Five sets of footsteps and a whisper of his name.

“…No more VR. No more headsets. Ever.”

--

TL;DR: Gordon got trapped in VR and then Joshua also got trapped in VR. Benrey is there but also not.

thank you for reading. here. ( x ‿ o ) 🫴

[natlacentral]

For ‘Avatar’s’ Dallas Liu and Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Zuko and Iroh’s relationship ‘was the most important thing’

One of the most emotional callbacks in Netflix’s “Avatar: The Last Airbender” is in the music.

The fourth episode of the series, “Into the Dark,” features a flashback to a funeral. As young Prince Zuko offers his condolences to his Uncle Iroh on the death of his son Lu Ten, the score transitions into an orchestral version of the familiar melody, “Leaves From the Vine.” The song, first heard in the animated “Avatar” series, has long been associated with the Fire Nation general’s grief.

“That wrecked me,” said Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, who portrays Iroh in the new live-action adaptation, now streaming.

“I only just heard the [new] song in December,” added Dallas Liu, who plays Zuko. “I started imagining our scene and [it] killed me.”

The live-action “Avatar” co-stars were in high spirits as they discussed the show and their characters’ relationship over coffee at a West Hollywood hotel earlier this month. (This reporter borrowed a page from Iroh’s book on the joys of spending time with fascinating strangers and opted for tea.) 

Both actors say they are big fans of the animated series, which originally aired from 2005 to 2008 on Nickelodeon. More than once they mentioned the high bar set by the original show and the responsibility they felt to honor its spirit (a previous attempt was not well received), especially because everybody else on set loved the show, too.

“Not even just me and Paul,” Liu said. “Our cast members, our writers, even our transportation and craft [services] team.”

“Avatar” is set in a world inspired by Asian and Indigenous cultures, where certain people have the power to manipulate elements through a martial arts-infused ability known as bending. The original series was the rare children’s cartoon that touched on weighty topics such as war, genocide and imperialism within a fantasy coming-of-age story of a young hero destined to save the world.

“Zuko is a character that I’ve always loved since my childhood,” said Liu of the exiled Fire Nation prince. He is desperately searching for the Avatar — a special bender reincarnated into every generation tasked with maintaining harmony in the world — in order to win his father’s approval and a way back home.

Accompanying Zuko on his mission is Iroh, a renowned general and former heir to the crown who’d spent years at the front lines of the Fire Nation’s ongoing war to conquer the other nations.

Iroh “seems very jovial, but you know there is way more to him than that,” Lee said. “He carries a profound sense of sadness and loss.”

Working within a franchise with a passionate fanbase is nothing new for Lee, who has appeared as New Republic pilot Captain Carson Tevain several recent “Star Wars” series including “Ahsoka” and “The Mandalorian.” But getting cast as Iroh has offered the “Kim’s Convenience” actor a chance to take on the challenge of portraying a character that is already well-loved.

For Lee, Zuko and Iroh’s relationship “was the most important thing to get right.”

“It’s such a backbone to [Zuko’s] story arc,” Lee said. “To his pursuit and where he starts and where he ends.”

Because while “Avatar” is a story that follows Aang (Gordon Cormier), the world’s last airbender, as he figures out how to embrace his destiny and become the hero he is meant to be, it’s also a story about the teens in Aang’s orbit carving out their own paths.

Knowing this, Liu appreciated that their “Avatar” explores Zuko and Iroh’s past a earlier than it was revealed in the animated show. While there are some hints, it’s not until the second season that the animation digs into the Fire Nation royal family’s (dysfunctional) backstory. And some flashback scenes, like Lu Ten’s funeral, are original to the adaptation.

“I was excited because there was no expectation for it already,” Liu said. “I think there are scenes and dialogue [from the animated show] that people are going to look for with a certain level of expectation. But for everything that is new for Zuko on our show, it allowed me to be an artist and be creative.”

These moments were blank canvases Liu relished. He explained that to prepare for the younger version of Zuko in these flashbacks, he took hints from what he learned from his time on “PEN15” watching creators Maya Erskine and Anna Conkle portray middle-school versions of themselves.

“I think I got to tap into that younger side of my own self because I do see similarities between myself and Zuko,” said Liu. “Especially 14-year-old Zuko because there’s no ounce of evil in him.”

Iroh is despondent at Lu Ten’s funeral, as a procession of guests stop by to express their sympathies for the death of his only child. When it’s his turn, Zuko only offers the sentiments that are expected of him at first. But then he shares more heartfelt words as he tries to console his uncle. It’s one of the show’s earliest looks at Zuko’s humanity and capacity for love.

“Dallas does some really, really beautiful work at that funeral scene,” Lee said. “That speech that he delivers is just so heartbreakingly beautiful and comforting. He does all the heavy lifting. I just needed to react to what he was giving me.”

Not for the first time, Liu is quick to respond to the compliment by expressing his own appreciation for everything he learned from Paul during their time together on set. 

“Especially that scene, and in a lot of our other emotional scenes, I can’t stress how much I actually relied on Paul,” Liu said. “He was always there every day to support me with honestly all of our scenes.”

Equally charming was when Liu tried to credit Iroh’s influence as the reason why Zuko is able to open up, for one brief moment, with Aang during another episode. Lee is quick to point out that Zuko’s compassion was something already within him from when he was younger, as seen in the flashback scenes. 

Lee is aware that “Avatar” fans have wondered whether he would sing “Leaves From the Vine” on the series. It was first featured in Season 2 of the animated “Avatar” in an episode that shows Iroh singing the song through tears after he sets up a small memorial for Lu Ten on his birthday. (That segment was dedicated to Mako, Iroh’s original voice actor, who had died before the episode aired.)

“I didn’t want to spoil anything … but I knew that one scene was coming up,” Lee said. It’s one of the reveals that leads to “everybody look[ing] at Zuko differently. I love that. This adaptation, it really is about subtext, past experiences, traumas, success, failures, all of that stuff.”

Both Liu and Lee hope that their Zuko and Iroh will get to continue on their journey.

“What I love about their relationship is, Iroh is there to give advice, but he never tells [Zuko] what to do,” Lee said. Zuko’s “got to find his own way, and he supports him. … I really do wish [we get] to do more [seasons], because I want to see that relationship flourish even more.”

[villainsimpqueen]

The Barren Lands: New Horizons

Recom Miles Quaritch x Na'vi reader

A special following the events after my fanfic "The Barren Lands" Which is available on A03 and Wattpad as its it birthday!

With this i wakt to say thank you to everyone who had supported the Barrens land's fanfic and a specail thank you to @choclodox and @nin3kyuu for blessing the Barrens lands with fanart that ultimately brought more fans to read it and genuinely being amazing people i got to become friends with and grow with in the avatar community.

For those who dont know @nin3kyuu has their own Na'vi clan species known as Moutain Na'vi with amazing lore and gorgeous art and i highly recomend you all go and explore her pages of moutain Na'vi.

And @choclodox has gorgeous art and a fanfic of their own Na'vi species clan known as night Na'vi with amazing lore and You should also go to her pages and explore the world of night Na'vi!

Now onto the ✨️ Special ✨️

--- The Barren Lands: New Horizons-----

A choir of small snores, soft sighs and tired groans rang into his cropped ears. His tail twitching slightly as he felt drowsiness hold him tight to keep him asleep for just a little longer. He could hear the sandstorm had left long ago in the night leaving him and his family alone once more. Though sleep would not take hold and his emerald green eyes fluttered open to the soft breathing of his sleeping mate. Even after so many years the mere sight of her makes his heart slam against his ribcage and chest. He traced her arm as he held her close, each one of her breaths pushing her back against his chest as he traced his hand from her arm down to her where his bright blue thumb contrasted harshly against her gray hued skin. Her tail slightly tapping his leg as she shifted more into him, nuzzling her face into his other arm, ears twitching. Miles stilled, not wanting to wake y/n up, watching her settle back in place and slumber causing him to smile slightly and press his lips against her shoulder. His eyes soon moved away from her and to their young sleeping in a pile not too far from them. His eyes moved from the youngest to the not so youngest and his tail twitched with the sinking feeling of his chest as he was reminded how soon the oldests ones would challenge him and their mother to prove to them and themselves that they are adults and ready to leave the safety of Y/n and His arms and trek through the Barren lands alone. Old enough to search for mates of their own and start families just like his oldest son had done a few years back.

His eyes shifted over all of them memories of how they all were once so little in his arms, some not even hatched from their chrysalis.

Kalanchoe, his second oldest son who once was a tiny tike in his arms, has now grown into a young man. While his oldest could have left shortly after his eighteenth year, he had stayed with them not het challenging Miles to show he was ready to leave the family.

The reason was simply sleeping not too far from him, His sister Neoma who softly snored and kicked her leg out so often that it would slam against Kalanchoe knee making him groan and twitch away. The two had always been close and though Kalanchoe could have left he stayed two years longer so that he could leave the family with Neoma and explore the world with her. As the two were very adventurous out of all their siblings it wasn't long before talks of exploring the mountain ranges had been exchanged between them for nearly two years and then to explore the cast forest.

While He knew that both of them were strong and that they handled themselves very well as they had learned from the best who slept in his arms peacefully, he didn't want to say goodbye to his children. He did not know how long it would be until they crossed paths against the golden sands of their home, for it had been mere consequences when his family passed his oldest son and mates' family.

Spider was not like his other children, he was still just a human, and now a man in his early thirties and while he is still very much in his prime years, his golden ones were already starting to take effect in his oldest son's aging. Something that hadn't dawned on him until he saw his son in that mere passing. While eight years hasn't barely changed himself, Change upon the years took hold of his oldest son.Spider had already started showing signs of gray hair coming in root with his blond ones. Wrinkles started to dent into his face and while his skin had tanned by the barren land's strong sun,it had only made him look more older. While Miles himself still looked young as the day he woke up for the second time as recombinant. Seeing the aging differences between himself and his oldest son brought a strong sense of mourning to settle deep into his chest, as the aging was a painful reminder of how much longer lifespans Na'vi live. His son's mates Haimona, Apera still looked as young as they did when they all left the pack though there were the familiar signs of exhaustion that came from being parents to their rambunctious and wild daughter. Plans had been made for the families to meet every three months at the oasis where He had first met his mate Y/n for a great family hunt and meal. It was those times everyone was able to catch up and from the last gathering Apera came bearing news that she would be baring another grandchild to Y/n and Him. That night was filled with celebration.

Miles took in a deep breath as his younger three children slept in the temporary den he had made for them. The twins Altan, Dagian and his youngest son Kayin. They all laid on top of each other in the small pile they made and the sight warmed his sudden heart only slightly until the thoughts of how fast the years would speed by before all three of them would too challenge him and fight to prove themselves as adults and ready to leave Him and His mate behind to start big lives of their own.

He felt movement against his chest and then a warm hand cupping the side of his face moving his green eyes to leave his children and into the silvered and amber ones of his love.

‘“My Miles.”’ She whispered to him not wanting to disturbed their children's sleep, her eyes never moving from his.

‘“Are you lost my Miles?”’

She referred to him losing himself in his thoughts, He did that sometimes, now more than often as he took in how their little ones were no longer as little. How so much has changed for him, How he ended up with a family he still strongly believed he never deserved but was so grateful he got to have and as he stared into Her gorgeous eyes he was so grateful that Ewya had her be the one to find him in that oasis so many years ago.

He moved his hand from her hip covering her hand with his own holding her soft warm palm closer to his cheek.

“‘No Darlin, I'm right here.”’ He whispered softly to her watching how her lips tugged to a soft smile as she traced her thumb against his cheek bone.

“‘You mustn't worry about them love, we raised them to be mighty.”’ She had reassured him by building up worries, making him squeeze her hand ever so slightly.

“‘I am their father, It's my job to worry for them.”’

Her smile only grew as she moved to face him, their chests against each other as she looked into his eyes and soul.

“‘You are their father, So have faith in them.”’ She softly whispered before she settled against his chest once more.

“‘Come, sleep, it is not time for us to be worrying.”’

And He chuckled holding her close once more, he watched as she drifted off back to unconscious dreams but his mind could not find its peace as he stayed awake watching over the family they had.

He knew deep down she was right, all their youngins would leave them and all will survive and make families of their own and with the oldest leaving, Y/n body will naturally change to the shift and with blessings of the great mother, They both will have more children to look after and teach the ways of the desert sands and have the honor of raising.

The family was up and moving before the sun rose over the golden sands, With Y/n leading and at the head of the family He stayed to the back of it watching all of them and the surroundings. Neoma and Kalanchoe were at the sides forming the protective Diamond as the Twins and his youngest son stayed in the middle. Years ago the two eldests themselves were in the safety of being surrounded by the adults when Lyle and Zdog were still traveling and their family was of a greater pack. But His two friends had discovered their own paths and left to walk it under the great mothers eyes. Something Miles could never hold against them as he too found the Path the great mother wished for him to follow instead of the path forced on him by his past.

Emerald eyes clashing over golden sands onto his family on a pathway they take every three months. Memories fade in and out of his sight as they move through the slightly chilled morning into the high heat of the day, only stopping for a hunt only leads to an argument.

The Argument started fast, Kalanchoe and Neoma now being adults in their minds refusing to stay behind Him and Y/n to watch their younger siblings, the start of what was to come soon coming so quickly, He wasn't ready to see his second oldest and third leave.

“‘You both need to keep an eye on things here.”’

“‘We can not stay behind your shadows because they are not ready to hunt for themselves! Father, Mother, we are not children anymore!” His daughter snarled, the little girl he once held no longer so small.

‘“You are still part of this family, And we look out for each other-.”’ He never got the chance to lecture, to try to guide them, to comfort his already knowing mind that they both were still mere children.

“‘We will not always be here to watch them.”’ Kalanchoe interjected, moving to stand against him.

‘“You refuse to see us! You see what you wish to see, but that is not us anymore! Neoma and I can Hunt, We can survive without worrying mothers mind, but you still refuse to see us!.”’

‘“You both aren't ready!”’ Miles snarled, ears slicking back and his tail moved agitatedly as he saw his own son's ears slicked back, teeth being barred.

“‘I'll force you to see me.”’ Kalanchoe countered a snarl.

‘“You don't know what your doing boy.”’ A warning, perhaps hoping that his son would in fact stand down, but his son geared up towards him.

‘“Kalanc-”’

‘“Ahh.”’ Y/n moved a knowing hand onto her daughter's shoulder and she watched the males get into each other's face.

She knew for a while now that it was only a matter of time before nature took its course, one she has seen in her own childhood watching older brothers challenge their father, some winning and leaving their marks of passage on her fathers skin ones her father would wear proudly after he mourned the chasing off of his sons, and others put in their place by her father not yet ready to leave her parents arms and travel the golden sands on their own. Not quite yet Men in their own right to be guided by the great mother to find a wise female to guide them like She has done to her miles, and like her mother and mothers before her had done with their mates.

These instincts were not something her dear mate could push away and hide from, Not when their sons and future sons need this vital moment to be deemed ready to follow the path the great mother sees for them, a path that she could not dare stop.

All she could do was guide her soon to be adult daughter and her younger sons out of the way and observe the challenge that was being played out.

One Her dear mate did not have to go through with their oldest son Spider.

The sun beat down upon them all, sweat sticking on their skin was not something that deterred the Older and Younger men, not even when the little protective garments they wore stuck like wet clay against their skin.

Both baring teeth at each other's ears slicked back. One thin tail slapping against sand and his legs the other thicker tail tip shaking like an extinct earthly snake's tail.

Both silently glaring at each other to stand down and yet at the same daring the other to make a move.

Growls of different octaves rising from their throats at each other being carried away in the little wind from the past sandstorm.

Two mindsets now setting into place, one of a past colonel and one of a young naive warrior.

It was Kalanchoe who moved first, slashing at his father with a blade Miles had sat beside him in his younger tweens and taught how to carve from the deserts limestone.

Once an innocent memory being tainted in his sheer determination to slash this very blade across his fathers chest to draw blood and rip flesh apart.

Miles moved out of the way with his hand wrapping around his son's wrist and within the first seconds of the attack it was like he was no longer seeing the small boy he took in but another enemy on ghostly battlefields.

But this enemy was not one taught by any military but a blend of himself and the love of his life.

Kalanchoe had no true military fighting style but one of the savage nature that his mother taught him and that style was to go for the throat no matter what. The sand kicked up between them as Miles focused on blocking his son's attempts while Kalanchoe would come at him at angles that gave away to one's lack of experience and yet each blow came with a promise of a fatal wound if it had landed.

Bare teeth and spit flying from snarls as both tumbled after another, one delivering blows to tire and the other blows that were meant to kill in front of a audience of a obversant mother and mate and the frightful eyes of younger sons who didn't quite understand that in time they two would be in this deadly dance of dominance against their father.

Eyes of a worried sister who would not have to face such passage of right into adulthood and while her passage would not be one of ease but one of testing wisdom to prove she would be able to guide her future family shall the great mother guide her to one.

Kalanchoe found himself rolling into the sands, his attempt to prove himself to his father falling in vain as he heard his father snarl grow louder above him. The roughness of his fathers hands shoving his shoulders and back into the sand.His blade long gone hidden in the sand they both kicked up lashing and blocking at each other. His attempt to prove himself was futile and while he still felt this instinct needed to still bare teeth and rip into his fathers flesh, the feeling of submission and failure started to take root into his chest.

His ears starting to droop back and his head starting to turn to the side, to accept his failure and his Fathers experience victory soon fell short as his arm glided across loose stone that thinly sliced his arm.

Memories of His father telling him how to hold it long taking root in his head.

‘“Even in its raw form son, it is sharp, so you must hold it carefully so you don't lose a finger.”’

His father had no knowledge of what he had bestowed to him so many years prior but it was knowledge that later in life Kalanchoe will bestow to his own sons and daughters, but in this moment, it was the knowledge that cut through his palm. Knowledge that glided across his fathers left shoulder and across his chest causing droplets of Kalanchoe victory to smear over his face and chest as he pushed against his father throwing him off balance and into the sands that now had bits of it stained with red.

His passage was seen by the observant eyes of his mother, the fearful gazes of his younger brothers that did not understand his savage fight with their beloved father and the sadden gaze of younger sister who knew what was to come next.

Kalanchoe glared down at his father snarling moving the raw rock from his fathers bleeding chest and in his bleeding hand moving it to strike him once again, only to be met with a blow from his side knocking him away from his winded father and into the sand he rolled until he could regain his balance and be met with sight of his once loving and warm mother now changed with her ears slicked back teeth bared a blade in her own hand as she hissed at him, now protecting his father and his siblings far behind her.

No longer seeing him as a harmless son but now a possible threat of his family, a need to banish him away, though this banishment was not one of hatred but knowing if he stayed only more challenges that would end in blood would happen between him and his father, and keep happening until there was no memories to keep their battles bittersweet to stop each other from digging a blade into the others neck.

As this was the passage of adulthood for young sons who were no longer to be seen as boys but men in these harsh sandy lands.

His mother would protect her family, as she would acknowledge him victor of this challenge and will no longer provide him guidance or protection.

But as Kalanchoe shrunk back from his mothers rejection, he still stood up proudly only sparing his sister a gaze of goodbye and once he knew she understand where to find him as he turned his back to his Mother, his younger brothers he would one day meet again in the barren lands, his father who was trying to move from under his mothers protection to stop him from leaving and he fled, and while his mind had no guidance for what steps his feet would take. his heart however was guided by the true mother leading him to his just beginning life.

Y/n coated his wound with a salvage preventing sand from getting into the wound and making the exposed flesh fester and rot.

Their younger sons played amongst each other rough housing as the scene that had been taken before then not nearly an hour ago was forgotten to them as they played. Playing that to them would be an instinctual drive to fight, yet they allowed them to be peacefully in play.

Their daughter sent on a hunt on herself to prove herself ready to leave their arms of safety as well, as Neoma was always attached to her older brother's hip and plans and promises of adventure had been made far before any plans of finding one's mate and starting families.

“‘He is not ready.”’ Miles spoke softly, wincing as his woman cleaned his wound and protected from the harsh climate elements.

“‘My Miles,”’ She spoke to him softly, patiently as always as she made his gaze meet her own.

“‘He is a man now, He has beaten you strongly, if he wasn't meant to be a man he would have failed.”’

“‘He is only a boy, not even in his full twenties yet.”’ he tried to reason with her but she gave him a knowing look as she cupped the side of his face.

“‘ My Miles, as i told you before, We age and grow differently from your ghosts past, this mark may sting and you shall mourn as long as it stings but in time as it heals you will wear this scar with pride, knowing that your son is a man who will not be taken down so easily by rivaling men and a Man who can keep his mate and our future grandchildren safe. and shall our paths cross amongst these sands again with our sons you will see the man you raised.”’ She spoke softly to him as she moved her hand across his chest, softly taking in the mark across the chest already with so much pride. Pride in the boy her and Miles adopted, proud of Miles for being their son's first true enemy, first true battle to push their son to be a strong warrior of these lands.

“‘in time you will grow to want to have these marks, To know that each one of our sons grew into strong men like their father.”’ She said softly kissing his temple as she moved to settle beside him watching their three younger sons rough housing in the sand. Though she could see in time her mate standing proudly like her father once had each time one of her many brothers prived them.as able and strong men.

She felt Miles sigh and leaned into her one of his strong arms wrapping around her as he watched their sons play.

“‘You sound so sure.”’ He nutters, causing her lips to quirk. “I just don't want them having a hard time.”’

She turned to look at him with a small smirk on her face as she stared at the man she so deeply loved, the one who was so stubborn and wondered how he had even survived so long before the great mother led him to her to teach and guide.

“‘A Quaritch looking for an easy way? I would go blind before seeing such a sight.”’ She quipped at him causing him to chuckle his green eyes rolling but she felt his tail swaying against hers.

“‘You know what I mean.”’ He breathy pushed out trying to hide how his lips pulled into a smirk causing her to chuckle.

Bright amber eyes scammed the golden sands as she ducked down, staying low to the sands like how her mother and father had taught her. She moved slowly but with efficacy as she approached the herd she caught sight of their tracks.

She had to force her mind to stay sharp and focus and not be clouded by the events that took place before her and her family. Her heart ached and she already missed her older brother teasing comments of how bad of a hunter she was. She missed having Kalanchoe here to hold the heads towards her.

Hunting alone was something new and foreign to her as she had always wanted with her older brother or with her parents. But she was given this choice..

To stay and learn more from.her mother even though her mother deemed her ready to take this step of her life or take on her mothers challenges to prove herself as a woman ready to leave her family's guidance and protection. Free to travel the lands by herself and to find her brother and join him in exploring the lands beyond the Barren lands. As Neoma took a deep settling breath closing her eyes as she breathed in, her ears perking up as she listened closely to movements she reminded herself who she was,

She was a Quaritch but most importantly she was the daughter of Y/n Te a te toto. The perfect mix of fuck around and find out as her father put it and she would concour this hunt and prove to her mother she was ready.

She opened her eyes ounces that her mother once head before the great battle, and she pushed from the sand attacking the side of heard watching as the animals panicked and moved sound of panic amongst the heard started and she like she was taught mimicked their noises to confuse them as she moved through the panicking heard eyes swept through the kicked up dust to spit the weak among them.

Undeterred, the young Na'vi locks onto her chosen prey, a young and inexperienced member of the herd. Closing in with a burst of speed, she unleashes into a sudden sprint, unsheathing her blade as she moves through the panicking animals. Her breathing seemed to slow as her body moved exactly how it was supposed to, no second thoughts needed to have it springing into action.

driven by her instincts alone, ones honed through generations, swiftly closes the distance. The young prey darts left and right, attempting the desperation to flee the young huntresses. Though the animal attempts would fall useless as the young huntress anticipates each move, displaying her teaching taught well to her from her mother.

Time seemed to pause as she lunged to its side, her blade finding its mark into the animal's hindquarters, the blade ripping through raw muscle and tendons causing the animal to lose its footing in the sands and slide into a crashing fall. Neoma wasted not a second more before she was on top of the beast, her teeth bared as her hand slid quickly against the thick veins and tendons of its neck, staining the sand red below the creature's neck. Neoma panted as she stared at the creature she had hunted alone by herself and she moved her head to the fallen animals.

“‘May your gentle soul return to the great mother safely as your body will provide my family energy to see another dawn.”’ She prayed for the animals' peace before she forced herself to carry it back to her parents.

Her younger siblings eagerly greeted her as they excitedly knew there would be a great meal for them to enjoy tonight. Neoma faced the prideful look of her mother and while her father seemed proud she could see a great sadness in his eyes.

Not much was spoken between her and her parents as she prepared the last meal she would have with her family.

Her.mother working on carving the very last bead she would have by her hand and her father watched at a distance as she was soon mixing chopped meat into a carved bowl of ground spices and allowing her siblings to eat as she licked her hands and moved to her father joining him as he watched the sun slowly fall.

“‘I will find him Dad.”’

She watched her father turn his head to him, his ears back but he gave her a soft smile.

“‘ I know, you both were always so close.”’ Miles told her softly, causing her to smile and lean against him. She enjoyed her fathers warmth one last time.

“‘You and other will be blessed with more soon, I expect to play with my new younger siblings one day.”’ She told him feeling her father wrap an arm around him and he chuckled.

“Don't know what will be ahead for us.”’ He softly told her and Neoma smiled.

“‘The great mother will bless you both again, She knows how much you both love each other.”’

“‘Ah well i think we will have our hands full with your younger brothers.”’ He said as he watched his younger sons messily eat their meal.

The twins seemly daring each other in some kind of race to eat more than the other while Kayin watched his older brothers Altan and Dagian stuff their mouths with as many meat chunks they could fit in them as he slowly chewed on his meat. Their mother scolds them to eat slowly before they choke on their food.

“‘Yea, Altan and Dagian are gonna make you old.”’

A silence took over them and she felt her father squeeze her slightly to him.

“‘You don't take shit from anyone ya hear me hun? Nothing will be easy for you now on.”’ He softly whispered to her and she smiled looking up at her dad.

“‘I am Neoma the daughter of Y/n, The granddaughter of the blood moon and I am the daughter of my father, a mighty warrior, a Quaritch.” She grinned at her father proudly.

‘“And we say Outstanding when told of the hard way.”’

Her siblings were put to bed long before her mother had sat down with her, Her father watching them in the den he dug into the dune they chose to stay by for the night. Her mothers hands braided the carved bead into the strand of hair that was her song chord. She enjoyed her mothers gentle hands before they moved away from her head for the last time.

‘“You are ready.”’ Y/n had told her confidently, making her smile.

“‘May Eywa guide you and the Guardians protect you daughter.”’

Neoma felt her mother's embrace one last time before she was left alone by the smoke of the fire as her mother joined her father and siblings in the den. Their first daughter stood greeted by the night sky light up with Ewyas stars and moved her palm up against the stars navigating the sky like she was taught by her mother who was taught by so many mothers before her and she silently thanked her mother and ancestors for such knowledges before she left the dying fire using the stars to guide her towards the mountains, to the path her brother Kalanchoe would have taken hours prior to her, and it did not take her long to find him through the nights hours passing.

Both siblings greeted each other in a tight embrace before they both moved through the sandy lands together with the excitement of adventure as they headed towards the mountain range they always were so curious about.

“‘The mountains first and then the forest yea?”’ Kalanchoe asked his younger sister as they followed the map burning into the sky their palms as their compasses.

“‘And from the forest we shall explore the skys!”’ Neoma told her brother excitedly as they went over the plans they made for nearly two years.

“‘Then we come back home to meet everyone at the oasis.”’ Kalanchoe reminded his sister as they kept moving.

‘“And we keep exploring until we find our own families…That is if you aint eaten by something before then.”’

“‘ Yes that is corr- Hey!”’

Sleeping snores moved through the den once more, like they had earlier this morning. Miles held Y/n to his chest as both watched their three younger sons sleep in a pile together mere feet away from them.

“‘Your awfully silent.”’ He softly spoke to his mate, feeling her shift against his chest, careful of his wound.

“‘I am praying to the mother to watch over them.”’ She said softly, feeling him hold her tightly and look at her with a soft smile.

“‘They'll be fine.”’ He assured her, this time making Y/n smile at him.

“‘there as remarkable as you sunshine, anyone who stands in their way will have a hell of a time.”’

Y/n chuckled softly and moved to kiss her mate feeling his lips against hers brought a peace in her as she pulled away.

“My Miles, You've came so far.”’ She softly whispered to him as she moved her forehead against his.

‘“I have you to guide me y/n.”’ He softly whispered to her staring into silver eyes that shone brightly as the moon.

[likeabxrdinflight]

I have read azula in the spirit temple, because of course I did. it's like 7 bucks for the digital version and honestly? wouldn't pay much more than that.

it's...fine. it's fine. it's not offensive, it's not groundbreaking, it's just...fine. I will say I do really like the art style, it's a vast improvement over the yang-led comics. there's some great drawings and all the characters look really good.

otherwise...? I mean it just doesn't do much with its story, and I think that's kind of intentional. I strongly suspect that now that avatar studios is a thing, major story beats in the comics series are over for the time being. this very much feels like a tease of "can azula redeem herself?? we just don't know!!!" and then they very much do not commit one way or the other with it. which tells me that if any major storylines featuring azula are going to be happening in the future, they probably won't be happening in the comics, but in some future movie or animated series.

and honestly? good. I always felt comics were the wrong medium for telling stories in this universe, they have never managed to replicate the gravitas or complexity of storytelling of the animated shows. so if this comic is meant to be like...a palate cleanser, a teaser for things to come in future projects...fine. that's fine. but it does mean this particular story comes across non-committal and honestly...kinda boring.

like, every character azula interacts with outside the first couple pages is a spirit. none of it's real, the stakes are so low, and everything that happens once azula arrives at the temple is a vision from this guardian spirit, who tells azula that if she could accept what the visions were saying then this was her chance of redemption. but honestly that just feels like a cop-out and I don't really buy it, because none of it was real. and azula knows that.

what this story felt like instead was less redemption arc and more character exploration. and as a character piece it's...it's fine? like I said, it's not offensive like the search or smoke and shadow were (though it does loosely play off where smoke and shadow left off, it mostly ignores the search, so props to it for that lol). but there's nothing in here that will come as a surprise to anyone with basic reading comprehension who's watched the original show. the writing's a bit shallow but broadly inoffensive.

honestly the most surprising thing for me was azula acknowledging out loud to a vision of ursa that she's entirely aware that her father used her as a weapon, and felt that ursa failed to protect her from that fate by leaving. which is an interesting dichotomy given that much of azula's character is bound up in that identity as her father's perfect daughter in contrast to zuko being the failed son. (then again, quite a bit of time has now passed in universe since the end of the tv series, so maybe it's not overly shocking that azula has done a little introspecting in that time.)

other than that, there's some fun interactions with spirit!mai and ty lee, and then there's a final vision with spirit!zuko that comes so close to being a halfway decent climax to this little story, but none of it's a major revelation to anyone who's been paying attention to azula's character. the spirit visions all serve the same function that azula's hallucinations did in the series finale- they act as her unconscious mind telling her the truths she already knows about herself deep down.

the ending leaves azula in kind of a middle ground place, very little about her circumstances have changed except she's decided to ditch her girl gang and go run off to do something else- which is kept extremely vague. I can't help feeling that is an intentional move to set her up for a totally new story in a different medium that likely doesn't want to rely on any foundations laid in any of the comics series. and I wouldn't be shocked if that medium is one of the alleged movies that avatar studios is supposed to be producing. so this feels less like a real character arc so much as a character reset.

and from a creative, lore standpoint I don't have a problem with this. that's probably what they needed to do if they want to use azula in their future animated projects. my problem is that the story the comic tells to give us this reset is just kinda boring for someone who's been with this fandom since the original series aired.

The fact is that I've read and seen fan works that addressed these exact same issues and character beats with much more finesse and for much higher stakes. this comic gave me the feeling that the dialogue was directly addressing what fans have been saying about azula for years and putting a neon light on it. and that's...again, it's fine? but it's not groundbreaking for those of us who've been saying this shit since 2008. and I guess it's nice to see some of those character beats canonized officially, especially if there's a likelihood that we'll see animated azula again, but as far as I was concerned the fact that azula wanted her family to love her and was used as a weapon of war was already obvious, so spelling it out with another comic felt...redundant.

and I guess that's how I'd describe this. it felt redundant to me, as someone who's spent a lot of time with this character already. maybe it's good that it exists so that larger and newer swaths of the fandom can see azula in this light, but for long time fans of the character? there's truly nothing in here about her that you don't already know.

if this really is a reset button for the old comics canon/jumping off point for an animated project, then...I'm not mad about it, exactly. but as a stand alone story it's just...fine. it's fine, but little more.

[eternalglitch]

PLEASE DROP SOME FANFIC RECS!!

As most people that have followed me for a while know, I don’t really read that many fics, and the ones I have I’ve mostly recommended in my fic recs tag before.

BUT a great one to mention today is A Tale of Spirits by @unorthodoxx-page since I did sit and read the entire thing yesterday. Mostly because my friend Jin did multiple pieces of art for it and they tend to have banger taste that has yet to lead me astray.

Quick overview of the fic before my thoughts is it is an Avatar the Last Airbender and Rise of the TMNT crossover, with the synopsis noted as such:

“We do not know of your brothers, Great Spirit,” Zuko answered, stuttering more like it. “I’m sorry we could not be of more service.”

The spirit frowned and stood up. “That’s weird, we were just together.”

There was a shift and Uncle’s head came up. They stared at this strange spirit. It turned its back to them and Zuko was breathless at the show of disregard. Figures a spirit would not consider him a threat. He shouldn’t take it personally, but he’s been dismissed his whole life. He’s tired of it. A hand gripped his trembling one and he takes a breath. There is no use getting upset over the ways of a spirit. They both studied its small form and Zuko was caught by its profile. The spirit’s back held three repeating and somewhat glowing symbols. It curved in a familiar motion.

“A turtle,” Uncle whispered.

The arrival of four great spirits changes everything.

I’m usually not the type to read crossover fics at all because it TENDS to start feeling like part of the isekai genre where whatever character(s) falls into the other world gets their personality suppressed in order to function as a conduit or self insert for the reader. This fic does something really clever where it easily avoids this by making all POV characters (so far) atla characters and makes the turtles seamlessly blend into the usual spirit oddities Aang and crew faces during the show. I feel like most people would have done the opposite, so this was a really neat framing use that is a personal touch I really enjoyed!

I also was a big fan of what characters got paired together and why; it really helps explore different sides of both the atla characters and the turtles. Mikey and Zuko was not a combo I expected but I’m definitely enjoying it! Azula and Donnie has to be another favorite.

Also it looks like the author releases chapters on a weekly occurrence? She has my fear and respect, that’s the one thing I’m really concentrating at improving in my own creative pursuits is output speed.

Definitely recommend checking this one out if you haven’t yet! :}

[eywaseclipse]

Hi hey hello. Kirani all ready for battle. (Got inspired by some of the Sarentu I saw on Pinterest and traced my own!)

[irbcallmefynn]

Cringetober 2023 #12: Niche Interest

I don't see much talk of BoneLab on here, so that's Niche to me!

These are the six avatars I currently use in the game. I love them all they are all my scrunklies and they all suck ass in some way.

I didn't want to spend a million years on this so I did a bit of tracing for some of them.

Specific Info, Close-ups, and Reference Images under cut

Triwave Protogen (Variant 1)

Of all the protogen models I've used, this one seems to have the most balanced stats. Their jump is atrocious though for some reason. Not much to say on this one.

Slenderman

Just thought this was kinda funny. His noodly arms make him way weaker than you'd think. Still pretty strong though! He is, as one would expect, hella tall. Find my Pages.

Explorer Robot

This thing is FAST. Takes a second to get up to speed, but when it's going, it's uncontrollable. I'm really bad at drawing robots, so it's a bit garbage.

Buff Synth (From Random Avatars)

As I was drawing him I realized he is unreasonably sexy. Like seriously! I'm not gay (I think) but I want this robot to slam me against the wall. His stats are actually decently balanced, just a bit slow, so he's a delight to play as. My art does not do him justice.

Spectrum Umbreon (F)

Left it up to a coin toss whether I would use M or F. I'm so glad it landed on F because she is absolutely adorable. She's a little frail, but she is so fucking cute I don't care. She is a treasure and I would maim anyone who dares hurt her.

Zoroark

Those noodly arms have practically no strength. Like you can not climb with this Pokemon at all. Decent jump, but that's all you have for vertical mobility. It's actually hilarious. I love Zoroark, but their proportions just don't lend themselves to climbing. Also I just realized I messed up the caption AAAAAAAAAAA.

[tsukikonikushimi]

About me

I'm an Italian-Brazilian university student in France.

My links:

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About my blog

I like collecting books about all the fandoms I'm in, I am currently on an Avatar, ASOIAF (GoT and HotD), Tolkien, Percy Jackson, Dungeon Meshi, and One Piece brainrot (among others, ex: HP, Eleceed, Solo Leveling, TCF, Mythology, HTTYD, etc).

Ongoing activity:

MASTERLIST for the Avatar the Official Cookbook of Pandora's recipes: Here (Poll for next week's recipe in the latest recipe link)

Sharing my favorite One Piece Manga panels: Here (On hold)

Previous Activity:

James Cameron's Avatar 1 & 2

Neytiri Wardrobe - (Art of Avatar: the Way of Water)

Anemones and Coral - (Visual Dictionary)

Omatikaya Food - (Visual Dictionary)

Thanator - Palulukan - (The Making Of Avatar + Wiki)

Metkayina Village model - (@PandoranVault on Twitter / x )

Great Leonopteryx (Toruk) and Mountain Banshee (Ikran) - (The Making Of Avatar)

Adapt or Die Comic Covers - (Comics)

Metkayina Village and Marui designs - (Art of Avatar: the Way of Water)

Tuktirey's Concepts - (The Art Of Avatar: The Way Of Water)

Neytiri Concept image - (The Art Of Avatar: The Way Of Water)

Kiri Concepts - (The Art Of Avatar: The Way Of Water)

Recoms Artwork - (The Art Of Avatar: The Way Of Water)

Neteyam's Ikran - (Wiki + Visual Dictionary + Comics + Movie)

Neteyam Concept - (Christian Cordella on Instagram)

Neteyam and Lo'ak Codenames - (Comic)

Ro'a (Ronal's Spirit sister) - (Wiki + Movie)

Ikeyni and Akwey about Neteyam - (Comic)

Songcords - (Visual Dictionary)

Tawkami Clan Members - (Comic)

Avatar: Adapt or Die (2022): Mo'at and Eytukan panels - (Comic)

Avatar: The High Ground (2022): Neytiri and Jake's date night - (Comic)

Avatar: The High Ground (2022): Spider's Mother, Paz Socorro - (Comic)

Avatar: The High Ground (2022): Kiri's first Ikran , Tanhì - (Comic + Wiki)

Jake and Neteyam's Songcords - (Deborah L. Scott on Instagram)

Kiri - (Comic)

The Tayrangi Clan - (Wiki + The World of Avatar: A Visual Exploration)

Ilu - Jiaolong; sirens; Deltaptera nessiformes sirenides (“triangle-wing Nessie-shaped”) Color Patterns - (The Art Of Avatar: The Way Of Water)

Skimwing - Tsurak Colors and Patterns - (The Art Of Avatar: The Way Of Water)

Marui PT1 + PT2 - (Visual Dictionary)

The Metkayina Clan - The Art of Avatar The Way of Water (full chapter) - (The Art Of Avatar: The Way Of Water)

Biomes - (The World of Avatar: A Visual Exploration)

Pandora Flora, Plants - (The World of Avatar: A Visual Exploration)

Pandora Flora, Trees - (The World of Avatar: A Visual Exploration)

Ronal Concept - (The Art Of Avatar: The Way Of Water)

Metkayina Children Artwork - (The Art Of Avatar: The Way Of Water)

Tulkun Calves - (Visual Dictionary)

Tulkun - (Visual Dictionary)

Skimwing / Tsurak - (Visual Dictionary)

Ilu - (Visual Dictionary)

Metkayina Traditions - (Visual Dictionary)

Metkayina Clan Village Name - (Visual Dictionary) !! The Avatar: The Way of Water: The Visual Dictionary erroneously refers to Awa'atlu as "Va'ru" on page 94. !!

Omatikaya <- -> Metkayina Distance - (Visual Dictionary)

[amynchan]

*pokes head out*

Okay, so does anyone remember the basically Avatar the Last Airbender renaissance? Where everyone started getting back into it, and there was even a playlist of AtLA musical numbers?

Yeah, Balance helped me get through my thesis when I was near-on breaking down. It gave me sanity for much longer than I would have had without it.

So. Since then, the creator has dropped at least three bangers, Top of my School, Price of Perfection, and Saving Face. They are Great. She's auditioned for Canada's Got Talent and actually made it to the stage (I auditioned for AGT twice and got nowhere close, so the fact that she got that far is astounding and pretty cool).

Now, she's making a short musical film. As per the introduction of their fundraising page:

Hello! We are a team of student filmmakers from Cornell University studying film production, media studies, and performing and media arts. We are currently fundraising for Cornell University film project Silence. Written and directed by award-winning student filmmaker Katherine Lynn-Rose, Silence is a short film that explores familial love, connection, and culture through the lens of a musical film. As a team of BIPOC filmmakers, we hold a deep appreciation for narratives that authentically reflect our lives, experiences, and cultures, and it is our aspiration to bring such stories to light.

Anyways. Fundraising. She needs funds to get there, and they're aiming for 2k. So far, they've got $450.

If you can't donate, can you at least spread this? Absolutely zero shame (cause I think she'd hate that anyways). I just think she's really skilled and think it'd be cool if she and her team gets to make a film. I'd like to see how they communicate their vision.

Anyways, here's the link. Bye!

[fadeintocase]

weird question, but at what point after all the karkat stuff did you become a furry? i rediscovered you did some digging and now i cant help but wonder. I AM is a fucking BOP btw. thats all, thanks

lmao i was a furry before i ever did anything homestuck related.

my about and FAQ pages and even my blog's old sidebar had my fursona all over them. i think some still do. my first hs fan content on this blog was art of my fursona, too!

before starting AKV i was trying out for sparkledog animators' little short series as a teen. before i put out any music i was learning how to mod and texture my second life furry avatar.

for the entire visible ARC i had, i would return to my main furry friend circle after collaborating and bumping shoulders and be just some furry who played games and made slutty avatars with other furries.

it was the earliest space i came out to and it was the earliest space where i felt accepted and understood. it's been a very grounding, loving space to come back to, and has let me explore a lot more areas of my creative and personal expression. like modding avatars. look at me.

also thanks!!! and if you like I AM you should watch me doing it live