#lighthearted but also. BANISHED I SAY!!!

[babacontainsmultitudes]

Me seeing people speak ill of Rebecca after her death 😔

[berryblooo]

Dan Heng doesn’t consider himself to be Dan Feng, or clearly wants them to be separate lives/existences. With each member of the quintet that he met, he kept reiterating and insisting that Dan Feng is dead. He is Dan Heng.

Having his dragon form revealed only made that distinction harder to make. He is now revealed as not only a High Elder, but a traitor to the Luofu who was banished. What would his friends think? The only reason he left the Express was because he was concerned for their safety. He came all this way, defying laws and putting himself in danger, to help them. If they were to reject him at this juncture, to look at him differently… would he still have a place to return to on the train?

That’s why I think it was so telling and important that March (and Welt) was the only one who didn’t call him Dan Feng. He was always Dan Heng, it’s just a question of why his appearance is different. And yes, her confusion with the statue and the resemblance is played off for laughs, but it’s reinforcing a larger point. March says to him in optional dialogue, “Y’know, the more I look at this statue, the less ���Dan Hengy’ it gets”. That’s important!

Yes, Dan Heng is Dan Feng but he also isn’t. Dan Heng’s existence is very different from his previous High Elder reincarnations. That is how he wants to live. March, in her typical lighthearted and goofy fashion, reinforces and supports that. It must be very reaffirming for Dan Heng to know that someone sees him not as his past self, but as his present.

[thepenultimateword]

Secret Santa 2023

For this year’s secret Santa I got @watercolorfreckles (I know you got mine too, but I promise I used a randomizer!) I’m sorry this is late, I’ve been traveling and just writing every chance I can get. I got a little overambitious and wrote several scenes instead of just one, so hopefully it doesn’t feel choppy and you like it!

"Hero's shy medic is the unsung and unappreciated glue that keeps the team together, magically repairing their every injury with her power to heal. What happens when Villain finds out how the hero's broken bones are always so quickly mending, and kidnaps the medic to utilize himself?"

Henchman was waiting in baggage claim when Villain arrived. His violet-dyed hair, thick mess of scars, and tall stature made him stand out against the crowd, but he still waved his whole arm over his head as Villain came through the doors.

Villain's glove creaked feelingless against his suitcase handle. This was getting tiresome. Probably for Henchman too. It was ridiculous that he insisted on picking him up from the airport every trip instead of looking for a new employer.

"Any luck?" Henchman said, seamlessly transferring Villain's bag into his own hand.

Villain's insides twisted. Maybe he should fire Henchman. That would force the underling to think about himself. Though Villain couldn't deny his reluctance to lose such loyalty. He wasn't sure he actually had the strength to enforce his own abandonment.

"Nah." He rubbed his numb hands together and forced a lighthearted tone. "Just another waste of money. I spent three weeks meditating away the damage, only for the so-called "power guru" to say I don't want to be healed. Apparently, if I did, I would have been able to banish the "bile" from my body."

Henchman gave the suitcase wheels a little bang against the ground. "Morons and scam artists.”

"Yes, well, it was a 50/50 shot in the first place. How's my bird?"

Henchman grimaced. "Still eating very little. She has stopped beating against her cage, but now she's very lethargic and despondent."

"You've tried cheering her up? Good food, nice things?"

"Yes, but she's not very chatty. Maybe we should have waited to get her until after your trip. This would have gone better with...some stability."

The automatic door swooshed open, and they stepped out into the chill winter air. Villain blew out a long cloudy breath and watched it disappear into the dreary, gray city landscape. Everything was so temporary. Here one moment, gone the next.

"The opportunity was too good," he said. "Besides, we couldn't leave her with our friend."

Hero had enough of an advantage without also having a decent healer on his side. No matter how many hits Villain divvied out, the heroic team always got back up unscathed. Perhaps without their golden goose, Villain could actually turn the tide. And maybe... Villain didn't want to get his hopes up, but maybe she could do something more too. He knew that Henchman knew that was the main reason he’d stolen her away in the first place. By this point he was just pretending to himself that there was a bigger purpose behind it all.

The crosswalk sign beeped its permission to cross the street, and Villain scanned the lot for Henchman's car, spotting its orangey paint job near the front.

"I am concerned she's been doing poorly this whole time. Why don't we stop by her enclosure first."

Henchman nodded and very kindly played along with the act that this was truly concern over an asset and not another cowardly excuse for himself. “I don’t think she’ll be very pleased to see you.”

She’s not going to help you.

“That’s alright.” Villain slid into the passenger seat. As Henchman loaded his suitcase into the trunk, he muttered under his breath, “I don’t have much left to lose.”

***

Villain called her Birdie.

Of course he knew her real title as Hero’s medic, but the nickname just encapsulated her so well.

So small. So skittish. Always flitting around the outskirts of a fight, the great folds of her medic’s cloak flapping at her sides like wings as she lighted briefly at each fallen party. The color was supposed to mark her as a noncombatant, take any targets of her back, but she had the instincts to remain wary always. Most villains didn’t follow the rules, and the gray was as likely to get her killed as not.

So why continue to wear it? Villain wondered, watching her through the one way glass of her cell's wall mirror. It was really more of a mini apartment than a cell--sitting room, bedroom, bathroom. The sitting room was the only room Villain could view into, but he doubted whether Medic knew that. Perhaps it was riskier to give a hostage so much blind space, but anyone worth keeping around couldn't be kept like any regular prisoner. Though, from the looks of it, Medic wasn't exactly grateful for the thoughtful accommodations.

She sat with her face buried in her knees, grey cloak nearly swallowing her little curled up body whole. He'd asked Henchman to prepare daily clothes changes, and the peeking green edge of sleeve implied she'd been taking them, but the cloak remained the same.

Villain moved around to the front of the cell and drew back the bolt on the otherwise regular door, taking a breath before swinging it open with a flourish. “Hello, Birdie.”

The woman leaped a little, head shooting up and fixing him in the inky black pools that were her eyes.

“Sorry for the delay." He locked the door behind him as casually as he could manage. "I’ve been out of town. But now we can finally chat."

Medic blinked then turned her chin into her shoulder.

Villain plopped down on the couch a couple feet away from her place on the rug. "Apparently you haven't been eating properly. Is the food not up to standard? Can I get you something else? Any favorite meals or treats?"

Medic didn't turn or respond.

"Hmm...what do birdies like. Worms?"

The healer's lip curled a little but still nothing.

"How about chocolate? Steak? Fruit tarts?"

Medic only tucked her chin tighter.

"Alright, I get it. The nice treatment doesn't work on you. Unfortunately, I don't have a mean treatment. Not for you at least. I can't asks favors from someone by relying on fear."

That got her attention. She still didn't unfold, but her eyes watched him sideways. Wary but curious. What could a villain need from a healer. He must have his own, so why her? She didn't need to speak for her thoughts to clutter the air.

"No, I can't just tell you," Villain said with a loud sigh. "You might go tell that precious hero team. I know you're quiet, but I don't believe for a second you're that quiet."

Medic swiveled her shoulders ever so slightly. "How...?"

Her voice was not so birdlike. Short yes, but like a rasped breath than a chirp. Still...

Villain grinned. "The very best of ways: by pretending I knew what you were thinking. Throw out a guess and you'll be right 80% percent of the time. That's also a guess by the way, I haven't actually researched the subject."

Medic retreated back into her cloak.

Darn.

Either he was totally unhumorous, or Medic was just that hard to entertain. Then again, she'd seemed interested by the prospect of a supernatural ability. She'd only clammed up again once she got the simple explanation for her question. She should've already known his Gift from the fights she'd witnessed, though he had held bad considerably this last year.

"You're not like other medics," he said, redirecting the conversation. "You have a Gift, don't you? And don't deny it, I've seen the recovery your patients. Scarless, rapid, perfect. One fight I saw a hero putting full weight on what, minutes previously, had been broken femur."

"And that's why you want me?" Medic squeezed her hands together, nails digging into the back of her knuckles like each word spoken aloud pained her. "Because I'm better than your medics? You want me to turncoat?"

"Not entirely. I took you because your good, yes. So good you've kept that ragtag trash hero team up and running way longer than it should have ever been allowed to go. Hero needs to be stopped."

Nothing.

"I'm going to the statue unveiling tonight." He watched her face closely. "I'm going to break it. And while I'm at it, break him."

"He's not that fragile," Medic said, her voice hushing a little further, and her brow furrowing.

"Ah, you know because you've tried?"

"I know because I' m his medic and I know how much treatment each fight requires." It came out quite a bit snappier than Villain expected and Medic must have realized it too because she set her jaw and looked away again. "I can't help you."

Villain pushed himself back to his feet. The declaration was firm, but hardly the denial of a truly devoted team member. Or maybe he was just reading to hard into things. Medic was shy. Maybe she wanted to make herself clear in as few words as possible. But if there was a chance only her fear was holding her back...

"I'll let you know how it goes," Villain said. With that, he made his way back outside the cell, bolting the door behind him with fumbling fingers. He flexed his hands a couple times, as if to warm them back to full function, but they felt as clumsy and disconnected as always. He shoved them gloved into his coat pockets.

Don't think about that. You have a hero to fight.

***

Villain couldn't feel his shoulders. He'd definitely overdone it. He'd overestimated his ability to fight with his arms as damaged as they were and he had relied too much on the power he'd been so careful to conserve.

He stumbled hard against Medic's door, sliding weakly to his knees. He didn't know why he came here. Henchman was probably having a fit searching for him after he'd bolted. Most of those heroes laid in shattered pieces at the scene. Or at least, parts of them did. Villain had found long ago that his Gift--the power to turn whatever he willed to stone--could be used strategically. The loss of limbs was usually enough to make a hero retire, no need to end a whole life. He wouldn't have minded ending Hero, but once again, the leader was the only one who escaped unscathed. Too this day Villain had only ever managed to take a pinky. It was a wonder no one found that suspicious.

Villain slammed his fist against the cell door, or more like tapped. He stifled a sob. “I don’t want to die.”

Not yet. Not without bringing down Hero’s deceit.

Villain strained to reach the bolt, fumbling it twice before finally jostling it outward. He practically collapsed onto Medic’s rug.

Dark spots clouded his vision but suddenly cool hands were running trails down his face.

“Villain?”

Medic?

No wait, the door…he needed to close…why was she still here?

“Uuughh…” Villain rolled into her knees. “It did not go well.”

“What did he do?”

“Besides use every other person as a shield?”

“I mean to your face.”

Villain squinted up into Medic’s dark eyes, so deep and concerned and…and infinite.

“My face,” he mumbled.

“Are these bruises?” Her fingers trailed a second time down his cheek. “It looks painful.”

“It’s in my face?” Villain barely restrained a wail.

“Villain,” Medic said firmly, her quiet rasp getting almost loud. “What happened? Do you need healing?”

Villain’s throat felt thick and swollen, too sticky to get out words. Of course he needed healing. But if she couldn’t help him…he didn’t know if he could take another failure. He didn’t know if his body could take it.

He extended his hand. When Medic only stared, he nodded at the black, fitted glove.

Medic’s thumb worked under the edge. Villain felt nothing but he imagined her fingers felt just as gentle as they had on his cheek.

She gasped.

Villain glanced at the bare skin for only a moment. The once caramel colored palm now a deep ebony. Like something rotten. Like something dead.

“Villain?”

Villain cleared his throat, fighting the words upward. “All powers have a price.” He forced himself to look at blighted appendage. “Mine’s is killing me.”

Medic turned his hand over in her own. “How long?”

“Always. It used to just be a little. Nails. Hair. Parts I could cut off. Then it hit skin…and it won’t stop. I can’t feel; I can hardly move. And no one…” He choked. “I’m going to die. All from trying too hard to rid the world of Hero, and I couldn’t even finish him tonight.”

Medic rested her fingers on the cuff of Villain’s sleeve, eyes meeting Villain's with some unspoken request for permission.

Villain nodded.

Medic's nimble fingers gently picked at the button, freeing the fabric and rolling it up to his elbow. Villain’s eyes widened along with hers. What had once had been dark veins was now as pitch black his hands. From the nothingness in his shoulders it was probably no different above the elbow.

Medic felt gently at the half-petrifaction. Most people, even his most loyal were afraid of the blight. Henchman was unfazed, but the previous medic had quit rather than admit they didn't want anywhere near Villain. And yet Medic touched him willingly.

“You can’t fix it, can you?” Villain said, practically plead. He didn’t care anymore. Even with the doubt in his gut and in his voice. He just needed help.

“I…I might…” Medic said.

“But Hero wouldn’t like it.”

Medic ducked her head. “It’s not that. Well, no…you’re right, he wouldn’t, but he wouldn’t have to know. And there are no specific rules that say I can’t heal a villain, it’s just…”

Villain blinked groggily up at her as she chewed her bottom lip.

“Like you said, all powers have a price.”

“And this one is too much,” Villain said.

“Yes, well, no. I don’t know.” She glanced toward the open door. “Maybe there’s a better healer…”

Villain closed his eyes, practically sinking with resignation. “No. Already tried. I don’t think I have the energy to search anymore.” He clasped numb fingers around his numb arm. “Or the time.”

A long silence stretched between them.

“It’s alright, Birdie. Fly away.”

It didn’t matter who she told now.

Medic pushed him carefully off her lap, clothes rustling as she rose. Two steps sounded toward the door way and then stopped.

“I’m not supposed to…but I’ll do it.”

Villains eyes shot open. “You will?”

Medic sucked in her lips but nodded. “Just…don’t tell.”

She knelt beside him, long gray cloak fanning out around her. The second glove peeled off easier than the first, and she held both hands in hers.

He’d always wondered what it felt it like to experience one of her gifted healings.

It was warm. Like drinking something hot. It spread from head to toe, and the numbness leeched out little by little. The skin lightened from black to charcoal from charcoal to heather grey from grey to brown.

Medic’s hands turned soft in his grip. He squeezed them lightly, his mouth parting in disbelief at the feeling of pressure of warmth of regular mobility. When he sat up, it came easy. Tears sprang to his eyes.

“You did it! You actually did it! Medic, you are—“

He stopped at the sight of her slumping figure. Sweat rolled down her temples, her face was flushed, and her teeth were grit as if in agony.

“Birdie?”

Medic only shivered.

“Birdie. Birdie, are you alright?”

Villain reached out, but she lurched back, stumbling toward the back corner. Veiny blackness spread from her fingertips, trailing up the creases in her skin. Her shoulders trembled. A small vein popped out of from her forehead. And she glared at the blight. Not like someone afraid of it, but like someone who’d like to peel it off and throw it away. Or burn it.

“No!” she cried and slammed both palms against the wall mirror with a feral cry. Immediately the glass crackled and, like a rolling wave, turned to cold, hard stone.

The black faded from dark ebony to a tan spot only

A few shades darker than her skin. She still glared.

Villain gaped. “You… That’s what I do. How did you do what I do? Did I…? Did you…?”

Medic’s eyes darted toward the door.

Villain jumped in front of it first. “Hey hey hey! I’m not going to tell!”

Another guess but apparently the right one because Medic’s shouldered untensed a fraction.

“I’m not going to tell,” Villain repeated. “I just… How?”

Medic wrapped her cloak tighter around herself. Her eyes had taken on a glazed shine suspiciously alike to unshed tears.

“It’s not exactly healing,” she murmured. “More like stealing. Taking injuries and making them mine.”

“The price.”

She nodded. “But this sort of injury…made from a Gift, it doesn’t work the same. It’s more like a build up of power concentrated in one place. And now that it’s mine…I can do what I like with it.”

Villain cocked his head. “And that’s…bad?”

“I don’t work for Hero,” Medic said. “I’m on the team because he’s supposed to watch me. Stop me from doing things like this.”

“Becoming too powerful?”

“Becoming a villain.”

Villain might have laughed if she didn’t actually look so scared. He took her hands carefully, savoring the sensation of skin on skin warmth once again. He fixed her with a hard stare that she seemed uncertain to hold or shy away from. He smiled, the first real one in a long time.

“What’s wrong with villains?”

Medic swallowed, looking away but not pulling back her hands. Her voice came out very quiet. “I guess…not everything.”

[talk-danmei-to-me]

My controversial danmei takes are…

1. I don’t ship Mu Qing and Feng Xin and I’m almost always annoyed when it’s included in a tgcf fic. I just feel like 100% of their relationship is arguing, so when they have a functional relationship, they feel ooc and when they don’t feel ooc, I’m just annoyed and wondering why the hell they would want to be with each other. (The one exception was No Paths are Bound, but that might be because it’s a 152 chapter fic that starts with them just hate fucking, but then actually does the work to make you believe that can develop into something more)

2. MDZS is such a hard story to get invested in. I still haven’t finished the books because I keep getting bored in volume 1. Even the Untamed was hard for me to get into, though I eventually forced myself through enough episodes at the urging of a friend to get hooked. I own all the volumes, I have read bits and pieces from further on, I have finished the Untamed and the donghua, but I still can’t force myself to get through volume 1.

3. SVSSS was described to me on multiple occasions as the funniest of MXTX’s novels, but I don’t think it was any funnier than the other 2. It’s definitely more lighthearted (most of the time) and written to be more of a comedic story than a serious one, but I didn’t feel like it was any more humorous than the other stories. It felt like pretty much the same level of humor across all 3 series.

(I have only ready MXTX so far. Still a danmei newbie, but working on changing that. I just ordered Ballad of Sword and Wine. Very excited to check that out)

Okay before I go off I just need to tell you I love Ballad of Sword and Wine SO MUCH!!! It’s so good you’re about to have the best time provided you can keep the eunuchs straight.

1) I am also not a Fenqing shipper. I have dabbled in Peiqing, it’s rare but it just feels so correct to me. Bisexual Pei Ming is my tgcf agenda. Tbh I just think Feng Xin’s character turns into a hot mess over the course of the series to the point I just want to banish him by the end. Like he had so much potential as a second love interest in a bl and it got squandered.

I guess part of the Fengqing shipping maybe comes from that. There’s a lot of romantic angst that can be drawn from the Xianle days.

2) MDZS is actually my favourite of the mxtx trilogy. HOWEVER after reading Remnants of Filth and Ballad of Sword and Wine, they do similar themes a lot better. I think mdzs is probably a good starter danmei if you’re into that game of thrones politicking vibe. It’s kinda basic in its execution though. The donghua was an absolute joy and I loved every second, the book is fun to read to see the bits censorship stole. Mxtx is not a good smut writer though (imo).

I can’t do the Untamed I’ve tried watching it like 3 times and tapped out each time. I just can’t vibe with it.

3) I feel like I’m going to get burned as a witch for saying this but… I personally don’t find mxtx funny. Of course there are parts of her books that are comical, but overall. Svsss is to me what mdzs is to you, like I’ve seen the donghua and it got me intrigued but I’m finding the book really hard to care about. I’m going to give it one more whirl, just to force myself to read one transmigration story before Mistakenly Saving the Villain comes out.

[divorcedfiddleford]

Random but - if you were given an opportunity to rewrite Ford's character and his arc in the show (and later J3), how would it be like?

canon gay and trans

so the thing is that i think most of how ford himself is written is really really good! i just think that the writers (particularly alex) have a bias against him, and so a lot of the narrative ends up feeling like he's either being punished or being forced to atone for his past. so i'm gonna ramble and daydream for a bit but i want to be clear i actually really like how he's written in general (yes, even in the book that i have so much beef with!!)

there's very few moments of catharsis for him, and those that he gets are either short (reunion with fiddleford) or undermined by the writers' bias (the ending of journal 3 where he burns all his bill stuff but has to keep reminding us that he was stupid for trusting bill in the first place). so i think a lot of the problems i have would be resolved with tonal shifts and a few cuts, like that fucking scene in the stanchurian candidate with the mind control tie. the implication of reaganite ford is bad enough but then to have a guy who has very specific trauma relating to being mind controlled/not being in control of his own body just hand that over is really fucking stupid. then again i think that whole episode is stupid so i'd end up rewriting all of it lmao

i've said before but if i really had my way i'd cut roadside attraction entirely and replace it with another ford episode. i loved how goofy and fun dd&md was and i think if more of that lighthearted side of him was shown it would endear him to the audience more. a long time ago i had an idea for an episode where they go back to the bunker and ford basically does puppy talk to the shapeshifter who is actively trying to kill them. i never followed this idea through to its conclusion but i think it still sounds entertaining, plus it would also give more time for him to reunite with fiddleford so it wouldn't have to be squeezed in the finale.

speaking of the finale... my personal fantasy is that i'd love to have a scene stuck in there where stan apologizes to ford. it REALLY stood out to me that despite all their fighting, ford still at least says the words "i'm sorry" to stan. stan never apologizes for anything he did to ford - neither for breaking his project, nor for banishing him to the hell dimension for 30 years. i get that they were mistakes, but you still have to apologize for mistakes (and if i allow myself to get very self-indulgent for a second, i've often thought the whole story would be a lot more resonant if stan broke ford's machine on purpose). i had a whole section in here where i talked about what a scene like this would look like but it was so long... if people want to hear more about it i'll say more but it's the kind of thing that warrants its own post.

anyway. moving on from the show itself. so possibly my hottest take is that i think journal 3 should not have been published KJSHDFLGKHSDFGUIWEHRGJSDF. basically i think instead of trying to write the actual journal 3 they should have picked a handful of stories from his research era that they wanted to tell and made a graphic novel about that. i got WAAAAAAAYYYY off topic and wrote PARAGRAPHS about this but it's not related to the question you asked so i'll just summarize by saying i think it would play more to their strengths as writers, leave more to the imagination, and they could leave out all those fucking retcons that i hate

as it is, though, again, i think that ford is written pretty well in the journal. there are a few off-handed comments and lines that give me "he would not fucking say that" vibes but overall it very realistically portrays what it's like for someone to be manipulated, isolated, drawn away from his loved ones, etc. it's a very poignant story which resonated with a lot of people, myself included. again my main problem is that it's undercut with the writers being like "BROOOOO HE'S JUST LIKE ICARUS!! FLEW TOO CLOSE TO THE SUN!!!!!!!!" as though it's all his fault, and that it ends on a very moralizing "i learned my lesson" note. so really the biggest characterization problems i have with journal 3 have to do with fiddleford, but that's a whole other can of worms

anyway i hope this was... interesting? informative?? i hope i answered your question to your satisfaction. have a nice day :)

[madrone33]

Just watched Natla episode 1! It wasn't the worst. I liked some parts, and was like hmmmm with many others lol. My Mum's kinda traumatised from Sozin RIP. But I have Thoughts!

Note: this is not structured At All lmao. I rapidly jump topics, and then sometimes return later. Also, this is completely my opinion after watching it once, so if you feel differently, that's completely fine! Honestly just wrote this down for myself to structure my thoughts on it, but I'm posting 'cause why not, y'know?

ANYWAY! Onto a rambled compilation of my immediate reactions:

A Lot of exposition. Which. Fair I guess? But they added info that wasn’t needed in that episode specifically. Like Zuko being banished. We didn’t know that until Zhao says it as a taunt in ep3 but here Zuko just outright says it to Iroh? He wouldn’t do that. He’s more ‘no my father loves me, he’s just trying to teach me’. He’s in denial. He wouldn’t just say his greatest shame and fear out loud in a situation that’s not even that high stakes.

Sokka was funny! A lot more than I thought he’d be. I really liked him, though I think he’d need to show his softer, more lighthearted side later and not just stick to deadpan sarcasm and stuff. It works for this episode, because a lot of his humour in the first few episodes are from him being too uptight and stressed.

Katara was very watered down, too passive. First, she’s going in the ship that was forbidden in the original. Then she splits the iceberg by accident, but not from anger. Bending isn’t from intense emotions anymore apparently. And sure she might get mad in later episodes like the waterbending scroll, but the first episode is vital to setting up your characters. It might feel like it comes out of nowhere if we don’t see her being a stressed underappreciated frustrated kid early on.

Aang doesn’t run away, he just goes out to clear his head. This is bad. It takes away his main flaw/regret in the show - he rejected being the Avatar and his people paid for it. Running away and avoiding things is a Big thing of his character. If it wasn’t, then earthbending wouldn’t be such a difficult thing for him to learn, and he wouldn’t feel so much responsibility for abandoning the world. Also it makes Sokka’s line later really unnecessarily mean? Like, if he had run away then, yeah, that line would hit hard. But he didn’t. So calling Aang a coward is just like, whoa bro. That was totally uncalled for.

Sozin wasn’t as imposing. He was too… short and average? None of the shots really hype him up. No imposing shadows on his face, or camera looking up at him, or framing so that he’s in the centre. And he should’ve been behind the fire, not walking around. Where’s the status in that?

Don’t like Gyatso’s death. Why did they hide there? Meaningless. Should’ve been covering the kid’s escape, or at least managed to take out the room of them until Sozin stepped in.

The bending didn’t have a lot of oomph. In the cartoon that’s fine, but for a live action show? Multiple fire blasts to the back and still not dead? Wow. And the airbending! They make it look like it’s the weakest element, as if it just knocks people down but they get back up. Why is no one staying down? Where are the fall damage physics?? People die from slipping in the shower and hitting their heads! Getting blasted backwards and slamming your head into the ground from a wall of air hitting your chest is gonna hurt a lot more than that!

I didn’t like Iroh? He’s way too confronting. Iroh in the cartoon mainly goes along with Zuko in s1, it’s not until s2 that he starts going ‘hey Zuko, maybe your father and the fire nation aren’t something you should be supporting.’ In s1 he’s mostly trying to get Zuko to relax and being gently supportive.

The fishing scene was good! I liked the dialogue. Katara being bitterly resigned that she’s not a good waterbender, feeling like it’s her responsibility to preserve that part of their culture. And Sokka isn’t just disparaging of her skills but scared of them, protective, worried that what happened to their mum will happen to her if people find out.

Ah. Gran Gran is a master exposition-bender I see.

The bending is weird! Not many forms, it’s more concentration. Where’s the martial arts? In the firebending there’s too many unnecessary flourishes, and in the waterbending there’s not enough. Take away the cgi and it looks weird.

The set design was amazing! Glad the trailers didn’t lie. Though the Southern Water Tribe was bigger than I thought I’d be. Isn’t it supposed to be barely standing, ravaged by all their people being slowly taken from them, and then the last of the men leaving in a last ditch effort to help end the war?

A lot of tell don’t show. Didn’t show Aang being a kid with friends, just said he had friends. Which takes away from his line about not wanting the power and responsibility and loneliness; we haven’t seen the kids subtly ostracise him because he’s the Avatar.

Really like the Avatar State effects.

3 episodes smushed into 1. 20 min x 3 into 60 min. So they had the same amount of time, but they added all the Sozin’s Comet stuff, so it was all more rushed.

Zuko’s hair style is better in live action than I thought it’d be.

Sokka’s not sexist, but that takes away from him trying so hard to be a Man and a Warrior, and failing. Also he’s actually a really good leader here? Which is supposed to be another thing he has to grow into. When you remove flaws, you remove the character development.

It takes away from Zhao’s assholeishness if he’s not the one to throw in Zuko’s face about his banishment, and the fact that Zuko’s return is contingent on him capturing the Avatar. He’s gonna be a lot less awful if he doesn’t get to smugly shit on Zuko. And without the comparison of him being So Much Worse, why would we root for Zuko?

WAIT! Someone’s missing from the episode. Someone very important… Where’s Momo?

No boomerang!! Sokka throwing the boomerang isn’t just haha funny, it’s showing how he’s creative, thinks and uses things that are out of the box, and above all, that he never gives up. He’s on his back, beaten down again and again, and still he always keeps going and throws something new at the enemy, and Zuko underestimates him, thinks he’s stupid but then the boomerang comes back and that’s a Win for Sokka! But no. Just have him beaten and that’s it? Ok.

Zuko’s less of an asshole? He doesn’t yell as much - honestly Iroh seems more like the one out of line - and he doesn’t ram into the village. He asks for the Avatar politely, and they actually do have the Avatar in this, unlike in the cartoon where they had no idea wtf he was talking about and he was just threatening grandmas lol.

Sokka’s really fucking brave. But he doesn’t throw the boomerang-

Very static explaining scenes. Flat. When Gyatso tells him he’s the Avatar and when Gran Gran says it’s been 100 years. Also they’re really insensitive, jeez. And neither the audience or Aang is given any time to breathe. It’s always one new piece of info after another. There’s so much exposition blatantly for the audience that it doesn’t feel emotional or personal anymore.

Gyatso doesn’t defend Aang! He goes along with the elders. He doesn’t try to flee with Aang. I don’t like this!

Katara not being the one to calm Aang down is bad. If Aang can snap out of it himself, control the Avatar State himself - the thing he only managed to do right at the last moment in the last episode - then most of the stakes are gone. It’s not a force of nature that overtakes him. And this means it doesn’t set the precedent that Katara is the only one who can comfort him when he’s hurting like that. Plus, Katara telling Aang that she understands how he feels, and promising that she and Sokka were Aang’s family now, was a big bonding moment for the Gaang, which we don’t have in this.

Why can Aang fly without his glider???

The costumes look less like costumes and more like clothes than I’d feared, but they’re still too colourful and new looking, not worn enough.

Bro I can’t believe they just left Appa lol. Also, Aang already has the bison whistle? Huh. And what was Appa doing when Aang was being captured?? Why didn’t he come in and Fight them like he did the shirshu, huh?

I get why they cut the scenes of Aang and Katara going penguin sledding, and then setting off the flare; they didn’t have enough time. But it does take away from showing how Aang really is just a kid trying to have fun, and Katara’s line about Aang bringing hope doesn’t make as much sense, because as far as I could see he didn’t really? He didn’t change much in the village, the kids were having fun fine enough without him.

Lmfao, how did Zuko know that Aang had escaped? I feel like there was a scene in there that they had to cut for time or something, where he goes into his room and finds his book gone, realises what happened and then runs out onto the deck. But instead it’s just like. Wow, you spotted him! That was some really convenient timing there Zuko!

Telling it more chronologically, instead of revealing Aang’s backstory through the flashback Storm episode, is an interesting choice, and switches the pov a lot. In the cartoon, you’re in Katara’s shoes from the start; she says the intro, and then she and her brother find this mysterious boy. In this show, it’s now more from Aang’s pov, which should make you feel like you’re thrust into this strange new future with him, except that they half ass it; the viewer is given more info than he is while he’s unconscious, so we no longer feel like we’re in his shoes, and he’s never even given time to be confused or oblivious - he’s almost immediately told.

Huh. If they’re getting rid of the sexism, then what’s Pakku’s deal gonna be? Or are they just removing that plot point? Also are they removing Yue’s arranged marriage?

I’m glad they only showed flashes of the Southern Raiders. Was worried for a sec they’d just spill the whole backstory right then and there.

Making there be other teenages in the Southern Tribe aside from just Sokka and Katara is more realistic, but it also makes it seem less dire? Sokka trying to get literal five year olds to man watchtowers and fight the fire nation shows just how desperate they are. These are the ‘men’ he is left with to defend his home. They’re just kids. And so is he, but he’s the oldest, and that puts so much pressure on him. Except now, he’s just barely the oldest, and the village seems like it’d be fine without him.

Also, I might’ve missed it, but the guy Sokka leaves in charge? Yeah I can’t remember hearing them ever say his name. He’s just- random watertribe teen #2 lmao

Where is Sozin’s dragon?

Small nitpick, but I don’t like the air nomad elders/council’s room. It’s so dark and enclosed, whereas in the cartoon, it’s very light and open, large with a high arching ceiling.

They also don’t introduce the special doors, which should come back in Roku’s Temple and the Northern Air Temple. Maybe they’ll do it next episode?

In the cartoon, it’s a small detail, but when Aang enters the Avatar State, he blows away everything except Gyatso’s skeleton, like he’s subconsciously protecting it even from himself. I’m… not sure that happens in this one.

Sozin just lighting that guy on fire was brutal.

Remember, no Russian- Oops, sorry, wrong line. (But seriously, fuck Sozin.)

Another big part of Aang’s character that goes hand in hand with my problem of him not running away, is that Aang likes staying upbeat and positive. When he goes to the Southern Air Temple in the cartoon, he doesn’t want to face that all his people may be gone, which is why Gyatso hits so hard. It’s not just that it’s Gyatso, it’s that he finally having to face the genocide of his people. He can’t ignore it, it’s being shoved in his face in the worst way possible. But he doesn’t do that here, he knows, so it almost hits less hard.

I’m sorry he- he has telekinesis? He steals the keys with telekinesis? Yeah sure, call it airbending, but that looks a whole lot like telekinesis to me! Martial arts. Bending is a martial art. You can’t just gesture your fingers and get that kind of delicate manipulation!! That’s not how the Force works-

Yeah, so it was a fun watch, and I'm interested in what the next ones will do! In my opinion, it's not as trash as the movie-that-doesn't-exist-in-Ba-Sing-Se, but it isn't as good as the original. Which is fine! I'm not mad at it, just kinda disappointed and curious. So. Yeah, I might post my reaction when I get round to watching the next epsiode ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[nitrosodiumaltcontroller]

Researching Board Games

Board games, as the name suggests, use physical boards to convey information. They've been around for millennia, but there are many different types - some use figurines, others have tiles or similar pieces.

Game 1 - Carcassonne

This is a game I played a lot when I was younger. It's a competitive strategy game, where you must build cities and hold them to earn points. Each turn, a tile is chosen, which may be a city, road, field or monastery. Players can use meeples (the small coloured figurines) to claim a city when all the walls are connected, or a monastery if it is surrounded by eight other tiles in a ring. city are worth however many tiles they are made up of (plus shield tiles that give extra), and monasteries are always worth 9 but are difficult to complete. There are also expansion packs, such as flower gardens that require an abbot piece, river tiles that wind around the board, and a Pig that can be placed on fields to increase their point value. The game is fairly simple, but is quite enjoyable - there is some strategy to building your city, attempting to prevent other players from finishing theirs, and even claiming half-finished city tiles with your meeples before the builder can. It is quite accessible in that way - it doesn't take an hour to set up, and there are no super specific rules you need to learn.

Game 2 - Android Mainframe

This is a game I have only played once or twice, but I enjoy it, and I think the mechanics behind it are quite interesting. It is a competitive game for up to four players, where you must place blue line pieces on the board to form closed off cells, and then claim them. The aim is to make large cells, but this takes time, and another player can cut you off, or claim parts of the cell for themselves. However, instead of just placing one piece at a time, you can take a card from the program deck, which consists of generic shapes like an L or three in a line. Some cards also give you abilities such as moving your access point (the token which represents you) to another point on the board, or moving a line piece somewhere else. While Carcassonne was mostly focused on growing your own civilizations, this game requires you to balance your own success with disrupting other players on the board, which can make it frustrating, but in a lighthearted fun way. In terms of board games, it has a medium difficulty when it comes to setup, learning all the rules, and playing it.

Game 3 - Elder Sign

Elder Sign is a board game set in the Cthulhu mythos. It takes place in the Arkham Museum, where a Great Old One has been summoned, and four investigators (the players) must collect Elder Signs in enough turns before it wakes up. Different Old Ones require different numbers of Elder Signs to banish, which can create a more difficult or easy experience depending on what you want to play. Each player must manage their health and sanity, which will decrease as they are more wounded in the case of the former, or when they experience more horrifying entities from beyond the colours of time in the case of the latter. Different playable characters can also have abilities or start with useful items, and they have unique amounts of health and stamina. The progression of the game is done with Encounters, events on cards such as stumbling upon an evil ritual, which must be completed by the players by rolling dice. It is quite a complicated system, and takes a while to play (one game played to completion might take 1-2 hours), so I would say it is a slightly more high-difficulty game. The emotions elicited are usually stress as the otherworldly horror gets closer to awakening, which reaches its peak when you either win or lose the game.

Game 4 - Kluster

Kluster is an interesting game, designed to be played with two players. A small circle of rope is laid on the table, and each player takes ten magnets. The aim is to place them around the circle without them snapping together - if they do this, you may be lucky, and only lose two magnets, but a chain reaction is likely to happen across the whole board if the magnets are not placed tactically. Rounds are short, but because of the incredibly simple gameplay loop, it can be replayed multiple times. The unpredictability and precision required to place the magnets properly creates the enjoyment, but there is also the satisfaction of having your opponent's precariously-placed magnets suddenly clatter together into a single pillar from one wrong move. Anyone can play this one, but people with motor skill problems may find placing the magnets more difficult.

Conclusion

From my research, I have seen that 'board games' is a wide umbrella for various games. Some do actually use a game board, in which case they usually have figurines or tiles to augment the game area, but some are games that are just best played on a flat surface. The enjoyment factor usually comes from beating the other player, and most board games reward critical thinking and tactical play. Being very visual and tactile compared to video games (i.e. you can see exactly what the figurines and cards represent), they are far more accessible.

[ednaeflowers]

At his inquiry, she nods. ❛  Velvet is all right,  ❜ Edna admits. She likes her well enough, but she won't be saying that part aloud. ❛  We get along, and she wasn't all that angry or contradicting either.  ❜ But then again, she and Velvet only talked with each other once, so of course Edna still doesn't know much about her yet. She understands a person would be angry and want vengeance against someone who's killed her loved ones, so maybe something else happened to Velvet in her original timeline for her to be more laidback now? Either way, she trusts Velvet to look after Onii-chan.

❛  It was unexpected, to say the least.  ❜ She stares ahead, at the lively festival atmosphere. It must be empty at the inn right now. ❛  I went to the inn to rest, and he was the one who showed me to my room. I didn't know you two knew each other until he mentioned he was waiting for two malakim to visit him.  ❜ She fails to mention that Silva is also the skeleton dragon she had to help Sorey kill back in their time. It wouldn't be good for anyone to hear that. Silva certainly didn't take it well. ❛  He... really is a good boy.  ❜

She gives him a puzzled look. Why would they try to 'recreate' it? Sharknado... A tornado of sharks... And they're trying to recreate that? Huh, okay... Not what she'd expect, but it sounds like it's a source of chaos and Edna enjoys her fair share of chaos. Though, she has to shake her head hopelessly at the mention of underground tunnels. Is he still going on about that? Obsessed. ❛  How many underground tunnels did you find?  ❜ 

The lighthearted air starts settling down as he begins telling a story, so she listens and is attentive to the solemn look on his face. Her eyes widen at the mention of him being possessed by a 'Void Entity.' She doesn't recall hearing about such a being, but in hindsight, this is her first time being in Spring Rise, still unfamiliar with many things here.

But it's not the story that stuns her—it's the fact that he was possessed and had to fight his friends, only finally being freed by being beaten. It... hits a little close to home for her, knowing what his fate will ultimately be. Still, she banishes the thoughts. Not today.

❛  ...I'm glad you're safe.  ❜ Her eyes soften fondly. ❛  Always leaping into danger and fighting for what you value; you'd do anything to make sure there's a clear path to steer your ship towards. That's the stubborn Onii-chan I know.  ❜ She knows he will stick true to his words. She believes he won't let himself slip a second time. Looking ahead, she starts seeing the familiar path that leads to the inn. ❛  It's a miracle you're still in one piece this year.  ❜

There was amusement in his expression when she confirmed that yes, she was the best assistant. Both of them knew it. And honestly, having her as his assistant was more than he could have asked for. Especially right then. It was just the icing on the cake of an already good day.

He listened as she spoke of what she had been up to at the festival. So far, it didn't sound like anything dangerous had happened while she'd been around. Good. That meant Phoenix was doing his job of protecting her. At the same time, a couple of things caught his ear.

"You met Velvet? And Silva?" He didn't know how her meeting with Velvet could have gone. Good, hopefully, considering how Velvet could be. Silva, though? "...Silva's a good lad. And I'm glad you've had the chance to meet him. I'd have introduced you myself, but..." He just hadn't gotten around to it. Or just hadn't been at the inn at the same time both Silva and Edna were. In any case, he was glad to know the young malak had gotten a chance to make a new friend.

"It was," Eizen answered. "I didn't get to see it myself, but at some point there was a Sharknado last year. Which is exactly what it sounds like. This year, people have been talking about trying to recreate it. I wound up joining the club. ...Mostly because they have underground tunnels." Yeah, there it was. The little boy in him had an itch scratched and there was no going back. Underground tunnels meant secret forts, which meant snacks, which meant he and Alvin could just goof around in the tunnels if they really wanted to.

A soft chuckle escaped him, followed by a shake of his head.

"I'm hoping things don't get as crazy at the end of this year's festival, though. That nasty situation I mentioned." He debated telling her for a moment. She would be upset if she knew he had been taken by Goede, the Void Entity. But if she wasn't told, then she would also be left wondering. A sigh.

"...Last year, I was one of a group that was taken by a being who called himself the Void Entity at the time. I don't remember a lot of the hows of it all, but it culminated in me fighting a lot of our friends. Who had to knock sense back into me. Literally." He didn't have the bumps and bruises to prove it anymore, but the point stood. Just one of the risks of being the Reaper, he supposed.

"I'm okay, though," he told her. "There haven't been any reports of people going missing or hearing things telling them to go into the forest this year. I think we're safe from that much, at least. Besides. If something did try to repeat that on me this year, there'd be a fight. I'm not going to let someone take my free will away again. Or even consider taking yours. Or anyone's, if I can help it." He'd been rambling. He knew it. Still, it made sense to tell her. To try and reassure her that nothing like that would happen so long as he could help it.

[lazerswordweilder]

oooh, I never realised how the dolls are territorial, that’s THEIR user, their human, you don’t deserve the dolls. Maybe Batman is in Mxy body and vice versa maybe his doll body shuts down, refusing to let the imposter take control, which would be very concerning because everyone else is still walking/flying and talking albeit confused and less smooth than normal, so Batman ‘dying’ or going unconscious probably causes some worry.

I’m also not well versed with Mxy so I don’t know if it has to be his body or just him saying his name backwards, for the sake of this lets assume it has to be him otherwise Batman fixes this mess quickly (saying his name backwards banishes him back to his own dimension and undoes all his stuff).

Option 1, the dolls are not against torture, this would mean that Batbody just starts screaming instead of just going unresponsive and unmoving, which definitely worries everyone, not to sure on the timeline or details but heroes recall him brushing off everything from when bane broke him in half to something more minor but still big, and get very worried. In this option Mxymind quickly says his name backwards before thinking to just undo the mind swap. Right after they swap back Bruce probably has a phantom feeling of needles and acid and fire and teeth and bigs crawling under his skin eating his flesh and- well he’s fine after a few minutes once it fully fades.

Option 2, the dolls don’t work for anyone they don’t chose, Batbody completely shuts down, eyes go dull, falls to the ground like a rag doll (ha) and someone tries to shake Batman/whoever ended up in his body awake and it’s just like shaking a doll or toy. Batmind is also worried and uses Mxybodys power to be able to talk to Mxymind who he tricks into saying his name backwards or negotiates with, convincing him that he’s not going to get out of this lifeless body without Batminds help or without leaving and undoing everything.

Option 3, Nightmind gets Batbody, Mxy is himself and his body and mind stay together, Batmind is thrown back into Bruces body, and both Nightbody and Dick go ‘to sleep’ which seems normal to anyone around him at the time, but then greatly worries them when his human body is unresponsive as well, Batman isn’t the main character at this point in the episode so this would just be a side detail. Or! Instead of Batmind going into Bruces body, he takes up the Professors role again and now it’s Mxymind and Batmind in Mxybody, and Batmind tricks Mxy into saying his name backwards like the Professor does in the original episode (would this mean the Professor is in Bruces body and has a ‘wtf’ moment or does he stay with Firestorm?).

On another note, perhaps having an ‘incorrect’ user causes some physical scarring or problems with the doll? Nothing permanent as it’s a fairly lighthearted cartoon setting, but he has a crack across his chest that came from the inside and you can watch it close up and be healed over the few episodes as Batman proves himself to be Batman (saving Gotham, protecting one of his kids, solving a complicated riddle/puzzle, closing a difficult case). He gets temporary memory loss in both bodies (only for a few hours, a day at most), and a horrible sense of dysmorphia for the following weeks which settles down in time with the crack healing and him feeling like himself. The name Mxyect echoing in the back of his mind for the next few days or him remembering memories that aren’t his.

*after everything goes back to normal*

Superman: Batman! What was that? Are you okay?!

Flash: did you just have a seizure? Do we need to get you to medbay?

Batman, very disorientated but recovering: I am alright, it wasn’t a seizure and I don’t require transport to the medbay, I also need to remind you the batcave is more suited to my needs should I get injured

J’onn, who heard Mxy SCREAMING and doesn’t realise that that was only for Mxy not Batman: … are you sure?

Stargirl, interpreting J’onn concern in a different way: yeah, I heard you carried people out fo burning building with a leg injury so bad it looked like it had fallen off!

Batman, his cloak falling to the side to revel a crack through his chest: I’m fine

Everyone: …

Superman, leans over to J’onn and whispers: if Flash is fast enough to hit him in the head do you think it would harm him any more than knocking him out?

J’onn, a telepath: I do not pretend to know the Bats mind, it is as mysterious to me as anyone else

Theirs an episode in Justice League Action where Superman, Batman, and Stargirl get their minds swapped and go into each others bodies, Superman in Batmans body, Batman in Stargirls, and Stargirl in Supermans. They beat the villain Mxy (who’s full name I can’t remember) by calling in reinforcements including Firestorm who has two people in his mind and the Professor gets stuck with Mxy and tricks him into undoing everything by saying his own name backwards.

It’s complicated and I’ll send you a link to the episode if you want clarity, but in your (and @puppetmaster13u) Possessed Dolls au what would happen to Batman? Would he act the same role as Firestorm? Presumably not because he’s one person two bodies not two people one body. Would a random persons body be left… empty and both Bruces body and Batmans puppet get different people in their minds? Or would the episode go as normal? Would Batmans puppet/body feel strange to the person not used to it, would they discover any secrets (as small as him being tall or as big as him being a puppet)? Would Batman be eerily good at acclimating/adjusting to a new body- enough to make people ask questions or not?

Ooh, a body swap isn't something I've considered before!

Hm... Myxlptlk or whatever his name is (lol) is someone I have limited knowledge of, but that's not too important here XD.

I'm assuming mxy tried to swap firestorm as well, but the magic tripped up figuring out what to do? Lmao. Did mxy accidentally get stuck in their body or vice versa? Interesting.

I think whatever happened, if someone was successfully transplanted into a doll body, they would be spiritually set on fire. Their soul getting rejected by the very vessel it's in. The doll would take GREAT offense to some unworthy intruder. It'd be like acid on their soul. Just, screaming unending agony.

But the way the dolls bind to their users' souls would certainly affect the process of trying to body swap them. I think the Bruce body would be untouched, as it wasn't the target, but if a spell was not a straight swap but instead a two step empty and fill that might change... Luckily then that emptying a body of its soul is typically called death and is to be universally avoided! (Though I am imagining a scene where a villain is using that spell to murder people without a trace and being terrified/horrified when Bruce Wayne just keeps popping right back up again lol.)

It's tempting to imagine batman acting as the untouchable reinforcement, but given the dolls are all about fluid identities and body modifications it's just too interesting to not have them be affected somehow.

Maybe if it pulled a different puppeteer to take his place? Like, if nightwing was going about his routine patrol in bludhaven and all of a sudden he's in the batman body again while the jl sort of collectively fall over trying to figure out the new controls. Him being the only other permitted user? His voice would change where everyone else's wouldn't, considering he isn't using a physical mouth to speak. And he'd have to try and fix it the same way firestorm did...

Oh!! Of course!! Batman could try and trick mxy into body swapping with him! And then while mxy is incapacitated (4th dimensional or not having... Whatever the dolls are made of trying to eat your soul with needle poison teeth and rip it apart for food cannot feel good) he uses mxys body (flawlessly adapting, of course) to reverse the spell and banish him! Or... Just tells him he can escape the agony by undoing the spell lol, if it has to be him and not his body to say it.

Underhanded and a bit mean? Probably! But it was a decisive victory with little to no collateral damage and now the team only has a few questions for him!