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the-valiant-valkyrie · 1 year

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why wigfrid's magmatic skin sucks butt and why it needs a redesign a week ago

a (disproportionately) long and detailed analysis

DESIGN WISE (INDIVIDUALLY)

Being a sequel to the gladiator skins- and, obviously, the Forge event that originally introduced them- it’s perfectly logical to harp on a more fiery motif than the previous, more barbaric warrior approach they went with previously. On top of that, a consistent theme with the Magmatic skins is the use of gold accents, which Wigfrid already has in her main aesthetic anyways. You could logically assume, then, that it would be no small feat to mix red and gold (colors she already has regularly) into a cool looking brawler-type outfit, right? Wrong. You would be wrong you would be the wrongest you’ve ever been in your life. Observe:

The biggest and most obvious flaw with this design is the overbearingness of the saturation. Absolute misuse of the color yellow- especially when compared to the red and the glaring white of her skin (which can not be altered since that’s the shade that white skin tones take within this game, meaning that all skins should be built with this tone in mind). There is NO place for your eyes to rest here! All of the colors are simultaneously battling for your attention. Also, you really should never make gold that yellow like. ever. Gold always has orange hints to it, it’s not giving a gold, or even a brassy feel. It’s evocative of plastic.

DESIGN WISE (COMPARATIVELY)

I think the fairest skins I can use to compare the Magmatic skin to are her classic skin and her Forge skin. Classic is applicable for obvious reasons, but since Magmatic was supposed to be a follow up to the Forge, I think it’s perfectly fair to see why one fails and the other succeeds.

Notice- even beyond the point of Magmatic’s sharp increase in saturation- a particular feature about the palettes of these three skins. Magmatic contains the least amount of color variation here. Even less than her original skin, which is only four colors. A skin that’s supposed to be more unique and lucrative to the original is sporting less (and worse) color variation.

Speaking of the quality of the colors, when compared to the other two skins you can notice something else about the colors. Her original and Forge skins have a complementing palette, meaning there’s not really any particular color that feels out of place amidst each other. While one could argue that the contrast between all three of Magmatic’s colors could stand on its own as a half decent palette of colors, they weren’t used properly enough for that point to matter! The other two skins sport a healthy use of all three colors, where Magmatic completely swallows the outfit in bold, clashing tones without any regard for tasteful splashes that wouldn’t melt your eyes out. “But Savvy-” I hear you calling into your electronic devices, “-But Savvy, you’re looking at the portraits. That doesn’t really matter when you’re critiquing the skins themselves!” first of all yes it does bc when people are drawing characters in skins they hardly ever pull up the skin itself; they pull up the portrait, since it’s usually more detailed. But the Magmatic skin still fails to be as good as its predecessors within the actual game sprites!!

Outside of her original skin (which is supposed to be stripped back in comparison to the others, obviously), the other two skins do gain a bit more color variety than their portraits would suggest. Where Forge gains an extra two (technically three) tones, Magmatic only gains one. “One is better than nothing thou-” no it isn’t and here’s why.

The extra tone Magmatic receives is a deeper shade of red- meant to separate her hair from her clothing, which the portrait would suggest is the same shade (and, just as a side note: that candy cherry red in the portrait is abnormally bright. Considering that her in-game hair color is the exact same as her regular and Forge skins, it’s a mystery why they chose to portray it that way). But if we actually take a closer look at that deeper red, we can see some orangey tints to it- a little bit of a natural rustiness. This is good, in a vacuum- some more natural tones would very much be appreciated in comparison to the hot colors we’ve previously received.

But there’s no point to the different shades of red. They’re so far away from each other that you would barely notice in casual use. Compare it to the Forge skin, where three different shades of red overlap to create some fun visual contrast. The strip of paint to draw your attention to her eyes and face, the deep burgundy of the twine that holds her hair back, or the strips of her helm. The color difference is useful, and employed in a way that highlights just how much color variation there is, and how it's used to its full potential.

And if you think I’m nitpicking, yeah, I am. I have to. Because there’s only four colors, and one of them is useless.

Another thing I think is an absolute tragedy is the misuse of armor. Out of all the cast, Wigfrid and Wilson are the only two characters to include armor in their Magmatic skins at all (pardoning WX, who is made of metal already so I don’t think they count). And where Wilson can get away with only having some shoulder pads, half a chestplate, and… a groin protector?? Wigfrid absolutely can’t.

Just LOOK at her Forge design. The 3D-esque effect of the helmet as it grips to her head, the scaling of the arm protection that drapes all the way down to her wrists, the detailing on her gloves, the attention devoted to the legs and feet even with their lack of space to utilize, the strips of leather that bound everything together. Wigfrid is a warrior, she was born for badass armor designs, and Magmatic completely dropped the ball.

A body devoted mostly of what looks to be red cloth of some variety, accented few and far between with a chestplate sporting a singular strip, what appears to be a sash that keeps the golden texture somehow, and hands and feet that sort of just look like she took a little dip in mustard. Where I can appreciate the design that went into the shoulderpads, it pales in comparison to the Forge’s dedication, and for a skin that’s supposed to be Forge Two it’s a major miss.

DESIGN WISE (AS A WIGFRID SKIN)

To me one of the biggest issues I have with this skin is that it doesn’t really feel as though it harps on any motifs, themes, or design choices that are really evocative of Wigfrid as a character. I can appreciate the attempt to harken back to her helmet and the wings on it by bringing that motif back in her headband, shoulderpads, and feet. However, not only do I find it to be a bit of an overuse of the design (it’s just one trope stapled onto her three times), but I find the bird aesthetic of her headpiece to be confusing as well.

Certainly, Valkyries in Norse myths are hearkened to and compared to ravens, but even if its meant to be a raven carved into the front, the bright gold is such an un-ravenlike color that it kind of just turns into looking like a generic bird of prey. The attempt to conform so heavily to one attribute of her aesthetic ends up taking two steps back, instead of even half a step forward.

But really, what’s most jarring about this skin to me is the hair. Wigfrid’s usual twin braid look is the one defining feature that makes Wigfrid’s profile look like Wigfrid at all. More- I would argue- than her head and body shape.

If I were to ask you which of these two characters is Wigfrid it would take you less than two seconds to tell me. But if I were to show you, for instance, a silhouette of her Verdant head (JUST the head, not the rest of the design here since we’re just focusing on hair)-

-I would be surprised if you could tell me who she was at all. And even then, it would probably be more the fault of the leaves that frame her head rather than anything particularly indicative about the hair itself.

More often than not, Wigfrid’s skins conform to this motif of braided hair. And even the ones that don’t will usually stick to one of two ‘back up trends’ to vaguely keep her silhouette recognizable. They’ll either:

Keep the hair shorter, but still frame the face symmetrically

Or- in the case of specifically her Refresh skin- keep the hair braided, but let the style get an asymmetric twist

Even when the skins don’t stick to the trend of twin braids, you can at least make a case for why they wouldn’t be doing so. Her Roseate and Triumphant skins are braided back to give the illusion of a more refined air, and even then, the nubs that stick out from behind the back of her head hold symmetry. Her Refresh skin, while only having one braid, excuses itself with its focus on a more aerodynamic and sleek appearance- which comes through in the posing of the portrait specifically.

The twist on her Forge skin’s hair was perfect; a slightly wilder look at the ends, tied together with some sort of twine or leather. It gives the look of needing to make due with resources at her disposal, keeping her hair in check and a little more out of the way without dampening the impact of the warrior feel.

But not only is her Magmatic hair inconsistent from the portrait to the in-game sprite (the portrait makes it resemble more of a ponytail, while the sprite doesn’t show any sort of layering between the back of the head and the dangle of hair), and not only is it asymmetrical with no stylistic benefit, but the style itself is completely purposeless! It doesn’t make a statement about the situation she’s currently in. It doesn’t tell a story or fit aesthetically with the rest of the design. It doesn’t make Wigfrid look or feel like Wigfrid at all!

AND ALSO THEY FORGOT HER GAPTOOTH IN THE PORTRAIT!!!!!!!!!

PAIN AND MISERY ONE THOUSAND YEARS!!!!!!

#anyways this is a joke but also no it isnt. its a joke bc it isnt a big deal. but it isnt bc i hate this skin one million times forever.#its just not good. its bad even.#woodie got such a badass magmatic skin so did wilson honestly. so did wx and winona and wendy #even WILLOW- for how bright the contrast was- looks better than wig does. it is NOT fair #anyways. i would have redesigned it fifteen hundred years ago but i also suck at clothing designs #so i guess me and klei are hand in unlovable hand abt this one #tfw they change max's moonbound skin bc of how bad everyone found it but wigfrid will remain gross forever #bc nobody was there for her when she needed them most. sorry sweetheart you'll be mc donal colors forever

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aberooski · 9 months

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Okay so, if y'all know me you know I adore tmnt. It was my obsession before I ever watched even the original YGO much less GX. And now I'm watching tmnt 2012 for the first time, I'm about halfway through season 2 and honestly you guys are so lucky I'm not live blogging it because well.... I don't like it 💀

I will say I'm enjoying season 2 more than season 1 so far but still 💀

#I'm trying so hard I really am #as a don stan I hate all the april stuff #as a lover of april I hate what they've done and will do with this one #I hate the whole karai is really splinter's daughter thing #the kraang make me want to die every time they speak they're so annoying #I dunno a lot of the humor is just not landing with me either for some reason #i never liked the 3d cg animation style i always thought it was super ugly which is part of why i never watched it until now tbh #I kinda resent just how childish mikey is which is silly of me I'll admit that but still #leo has always been my least favorite that hasn't changed #don always was my favorite so I really hate that so much of his character revolves around april it really adds nothing and holds him back #raph is fine it's hard to mess him up tbh i don't have any issues with him so that's a win 👍#plus I adore sean astin so bonus points #I do actually like splinter and casey though #historically I love casey the most of the human characters though so if they end up messing him up later I'll never forgive them #karai is fine I just hate the her being splinter's daughter thing. I also don't like her design at all. at all. they did her dirty af.#I don't like to compare the other shows to 2003 since nothing ~really~ compares imo but karai's 2003 design > every other karai design #I know there's some 2003 storylines and characters they do in 2012 so I know the comparison is inevitable but I think I've done well #so far in keeping them separate. i haven't had that issue with 87 or rise so I trust myself #but honestly my intense love and admitted bias for 2003 has never interfered with my enjoyment or opinions of other turtle media #-so that's not an issue here #I just genuinely don't care for 2012 so far. I didn't particularly care for rise either but tbh atm I like it more than 2012 #the rise movie was great though I loved that legitimately. the show itself though? not really for me.#I'm gonna watch 2012 to completion and I really hope I change my mind but it's looking bleak so far #plus I already know a lot of the big story beats so there goes that lol #oh yeah I lied #I also like ice cream kitty 🤭#tmnt #abby's just rambling don't mind her #abby chooses violence #wake up babe new tag dropped

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realjem-art · 4 months

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The world's silliest lab baby

#been thinkin abt her more than usual #honestly she's the one that's probably changed both the least and most of the lab crew somehow?#like design wise its barely different. just updated to my current style basically #but her age changed a bunch and shes still like a major mystery to me. i dunno man #also the doggy is because my sibling said that the buns reminded them of dog ears lol #TOO MANY RAMBLE TAGS ANYWAYS.#oc - cinnamon #oc - friend #jem doodles #whiteboard doodles

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nyxire · 1 year

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hopeing totk doesn't pull something out of their ass to make zelda an actual person again bc honestly while i am all for the happy ending, i think i would enjoy a bittersweet ending like that a bit more.

#i am also not a fan of productions doing some big thing like that and then just. retconning it.#like no. it happened. you literally said it was irreversible. you made your choice. now live with it.#also once you get over the sadness of it it immediately becomes very comedic #she is a DRAGON. that's so funny to me. she is living her best life up there. floating fish eyed in the clouds <3. queen.#she's just like me frfr.#Your residnet /princess/ and head of research development turned got shot into the past and became a furry. sorry :/#let's pretend they hv neighboring countries & someone visits and is like 'can i plz talk to your resident royalty' and link just points ove #shoulder to an absolute behemoth of a freak of nature dead eyed and circling hyrule castle #sorry but i honestly find the light dragon design kinda ugly #like it's grown on me so i think of it as an endearing ugly. but ugly nonetheless #also would link then just. begin ruling the country. that's so funny #my guy did NOT sign up for this #The only acceptable way for zelda to come back is unhinged. she needs be a little cuckoo #my girl is fundamentally changed by the experience and you can TELL.#she seems normal at first but then she will do the most insane shit and link will just stand there like absolutely nothing happened

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libraryofgage · 7 months

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Good Vibrations Two

This AU got a lot more attention than I expected actually hfjdks I'm so glad everyone likes it!

Anyway, here's part two! We get some concert, some peeks at how Robin helps Steve navigate social situations, and a little Eddie having an itsy-bitsy crisis over Steve's fashion choices.

Have fun! And, as always, if you see any typos, no you didn't (especially for this one since I wrote most of it on my phone actually lmao)

----

Steve stares at the shirts laid out on his bed, arms crossed over his chest. Choosing jeans had been easy, but choosing a shirt is giving him trouble. What do you wear to a metal show at the local dive bar for a small-town band in which the lead singer is a long-time and way-out-of-your-league crush that you've been holding a candle for since the first time you saw him laugh on top of a cafeteria table?

You definitely don't show up in a plain black shirt, that's for sure.

The lights in the hall outside Steve's room flicker, switching off and on three times. Steve just barely notices, which means he doesn't get his pants scared off when Robin appears in the doorway, grinning at him while pocketing the key to the front door he'd given her months ago into a messenger bag. "Hey, dingus," she says, striding into the room and flopping onto the bed.

Steve rolls his eyes, yanking the shirts out from under her and laying them once more over Robin's stomach and legs. "What shirt should I wear?" he asks.

It takes a few seconds for Steve to look from the shirts to Robin, and she patiently waits until he's staring at her to say, "Just pick one. Nobody's gonna care what you're wearing."

"I care," Steve says, frowning as he looks back at the shirts. For the aforementioned crush reason, Steve cares very much about the shirt he wears. "What says 'Hi, we've never talked before but your music is the only thing I can hear and I think your hair is in desperate need of quality shampoo and also I've been halfway in love with you since, like, sophomore year'?"

Robin considers the question for a long moment before picking up a red sweater. "This one says 'I'm horny'," she offers.

Steve blinks, staring at the sweater for a few beats before laughing. "But I'm not," he says.

Despite looking at Robin, she happens to angle her head toward the sweater, and her response is lost on Steve. He frowns, waits until her jaw has stopped moving, and says, "I didn't get that."

After Robin first learned about Steve's deafness, he'd been overly anxious about asking her to repeat things. Somehow, it was worse to constantly ask when the person knew he couldn't hear well, if at all. But Robin had never shown annoyance; she'd just adjust her posture, make sure Steve could see her lips, and repeat her words. She does all of this now, and Steve gets to read her joking response, "Yeah, but you will be."

And, yeah, she has him there. Steve huffs and collapses onto the bed beside her, sacrificing the shirts. "I'll need a jacket," he says, turning his head to look at Robin so he can read her response.

Instead of words, though, he sees her face light up, and she jumps off the bed. Steve sits up, watching as she digs in her messenger bag before pulling out a t-shirt. "Remember when I stayed over a few weeks ago? And you let me borrow a shirt? You should wear it!"

Thankfully, Robin waits until she's done talking to throw the shirt in Steve's face. Honestly, he only understood a few words ("remember," "borrow," and "wear") but he's gathered enough context clues to get the gist of things.

He spreads the shirt out, humming at the Iron Maiden design. It's not one he wears often; for the most part, it's a shirt he wears on lazy days at home because of how soft it is. But as he's studying the design, Steve is suddenly hit with a stroke of pure genius.

He quickly changes into the shirt and then grabs a varsity jacket (not his letterman, but one he'd seen at the mall and bought on a whim because it used a nice shade of yellow) off his desk, tugging it on over the shirt but leaving it unbuttoned. After a few more seconds of digging around, he finds sneakers under the bed and tugs them on.

"Okay," he says, turning so Robin can see the outfit from every angle. He comes to a stop when he's facing her once more, hands buried in his jacket pockets, and asks, "What do you think? How's it look?"

"I think you'll give Eddie a crisis," Robin replies, wrinkling her nose at the varsity jacket. "Not, like, a bad one. But he'll probably ask where you got the shirt from."

Steve grins, thinking that sounds about perfect, and turns to study himself in the mirror. It's a surprisingly solid blend of metal and jock, and it makes him feel oddly confident, the same way he felt the first time he did his hair just right and everyone complimented it.

"Perfect," he decides. "Let's go."

----

The ride to the Hideout isn't exactly quiet, but it's not like Steve can talk and drive at the same time. So it's filled with music blasted as high as it can go on his car stereo, causing the whole vehicle to vibrate with each beat. When he finally turns the car off after parking, Robin grimaces as she rubs her ears.

She waits for Steve to be in front of her before saying, "We're putting the windows down next time."

"Oh. Sorry," Steve says, rubbing the back of his neck a little awkwardly as Robin dismissively waves off his apology.

"No, it's fine, I'm just saying. Now, let's get inside before they start."

With that, she loops her arm through Steve's and drags him into the Hideout. They're hit with a wave of cigarette smoke, spilled beer, and sweat as they walk through the door, the combined smells making Steve dizzy. He frowns, leaning closer to Robin as she squeezes his arm. He feels her thumb tap him twice, their code for asking if the other is okay.

"I'm fine," he mumbles, nodding to a table in the corner. "Let's go sit. I just need to get used to...everything."

The lights are weird, too. Despite the place being dim, the few lights that are on are flickering, and Steve is having trouble processing all the new information his (working) senses are taking in.

Thankfully, Robin pulls him over to the table he pointed to, a small circle near a stage of dubious sturdiness. It looks like it can barely hold the instruments, much less those plus the people who will play them. There's an amp on the side of the stage near the table, which means they'll have the perfect spot to feel the music's vibrations. Steve slides into one of the chairs there and closes his eyes, resting his arms on a table that is surprisingly not sticky.

He feels Robin move the other chair next to him, slide in, and start pulling things out of her bag. When Steve opens his eyes again, there's a notebook between them and a variety of pens in all different colors spread out across the open pages. Robin has already picked up a red pen and is writing with it as Steve chooses a purple one.

When Robin is done writing, she taps the page so Steve can read, "Want something to drink?"

"I'm not sure we can trust the glasses here," he writes back.

"The fact you're calling them "glasses" tells me everything. Just sit tight."

With that, Robin drops her pen, winks at Steve, and heads over to the bar where a woman is wiping the counter. Steve watches her for a few seconds before looking around at the other people in the place. Most of them are sitting in groups, talking amongst themselves. Most of them also have mustaches or beards, making it downright impossible for Steve to read their lips.

Instead, Steve just gets a dull kind of rush in his ears, an ever-present background noise he can't escape. Soon enough, maybe because he's thinking about it too much, a high-pitched ringing starts up in his right ear, growing and growing in pitch until it's all he can focus on. Steve grimaces and looks down at the notebook, trying to keep his shoulders relaxed so he doesn't look as tense as he feels. The ringing persists, and he rubs his ear like that's going to help.

His ear is still ringing, though it has started to diminish, when a water bottle is placed in front of him. Steve jerks, forcing himself to calm down as Robin slides into her seat again with a mug of beer that's more foam than anything else. "They're about to start," she says, waiting until Steve has nodded once to show understanding before taking a sip.

Steve looks up at the stage and wonders how he missed Eddie and his friends arriving. As his friends are setting up behind him, Eddie is resting one hand on the neck of his guitar and using the other to hold the mic close to his mouth. Steve can't read his lips, but Eddie's grin is a little contagious as he says something to a guy by the bar. The guy must say something back, because Eddie bursts out laughing, his head thrown back to show off a neck Steve wants to bite.

A tap on his arm brings his attention away, and he looks at the notebook to see Robin has scrawled out a transcript:

"Eddie: Thanks for coming out tonight, everyone

Guy: Fuck off, Munson

Eddie: Love you, too, Jeremy"

Steve snorts, looking up to see Robin's equally amused smile as she continues to write on another page. When he glances at the stage, Steve sees Eddie still talking into the mic, his eyes roaming over the audience until they reach Steve and Robin. Eddie seems to grip the mic tighter, and he holds Steve's eyes for a few seconds, giving just enough time for Steve to wave awkwardly before Eddie looks away. But his smile seems a little bigger than before, and Steve is happy to let himself think he caused it.

When he looks down again, Robin has finished writing, and she nudges the notebook closer to him. Eddie must talk fast, because her writing is almost indistinguishable from chicken scratch in dirt that a cat got dragged through. Thankfully, Steve is an expert at this point.

"Eddie: Anyway, you know the drill. We'll start with some Metallica, treat you to Iron Maiden, throw in a dash of Black Sabbath, and then grace you with a Corroded Coffin original. If you don't like it, not my problem."

Steve feels the beginning of the set as he finishes reading. He sits a little straighter, planting his feet firmly on the floor and placing his palms on the table with his fingers spread. Robin is still writing next to him, most likely transcribing the bits and pieces of conversation she can hear for Steve to read later and laugh at. She doesn't try to get his attention while she does, already knowing it won't be worth it after Steve has shifted into Music Mode.

In the same way that people can tell what song is playing based simply on the first note, Steve can sometimes tell based on the strength and length of the first vibration. In the same way people know the lyrics of songs after listening to them enough times, Steve knows the vibration patterns like the back of his hand. In the same way people who hear their favorite songs played live can tell when a note is wrong or a lyric is sung too fast, Steve can tell when the drummer or bassist makes tiny mistakes that wouldn't be caught otherwise.

And Steve loves it. He loves how his entire body thrums with each vibration that travels from the amp. He loves how he can close his eyes and picture a story based on the music, one that probably doesn't match the lyrics but tends to replace them in his heart. He loves that this is something he can still share with his friends, even if most of them don't realize how different his experience with music is.

So, for all the little bumps and dips that occur in the vibrations as Corroded Coffin plays, for all the tiny slips that certainly go unnoticed by anyone else, and for all the fact that Steve doesn't get to hear Eddie's voice, he can confidently say he loves the show. He's never heard the songs played like this before, and it helps diminish the gut-deep desperation for new music.

And then Corroded Coffin starts a new song. It's one Steve doesn't recognize, one with vibrations that are completely foreign to him, and he jerks his head up to watch Eddie play his guitar in an opening solo. It thrums across the floor, climbing up his legs and spreading in waves from his palms on the table. Steve feels goosebumps chase after it, a new wave washing over him when the guitar solo ends with a particularly strong vibration that's immediately followed by the drums and bass.

Eddie throws himself into the music, moving and twisting and strutting around the stage like he's playing to Madison Square Garden. Steve can't look away, the lyrics incomprehensible but replaced by the jerk of Eddie's hips and the tilt of his head and the little half-spin he does on his heel.

It ends too quickly with one final, reverberating strum that lingers in Steve's bones, burrowing into his marrows as Eddie pushes his hair back and grins into the mic. He says something breathlessly, his shoulders rising and falling rapidly as he tries to catch his breath, and Steve knows he's gone.

He's hopeless.

He's desperate.

He needs more Corroded Coffin, more Eddie, in whatever form he can get.

----

For the first time, Corroded Coffin gets genuine applause after playing. Usually, the patrons of the Hideout will politely clap (if they even notice the set is over) for about two seconds. Tonight, however, Eddie and his friends are graced with excited clapping, a few shouts, and one very strong whistle from a small table to the left of the stage. And it spreads because even rough biker dudes can fall to peer pressure when it's that enthusiastic.

So, yeah, genuine applause all because of Steve Harrington and Robin Buckley who, Eddie thinks, is surprising company for the former King of Hawkins High. No matter how unexpected, he should still thank them and ask what they thought of the set now that it's over. He carefully sets his guitar on a stand and glances over his shoulder, catching Jeff's gaze and flashing a grin. "I'll be right back," he says before jumping off the stage and heading over to Steve and Robin's table.

As he gets closer, he notices the notebook and pens spread out, colorful writing filling the pages and Steve grinning with amusement as he reads it. Robin is watching him like she's waiting for him to understand an inside joke already so they can laugh about it together. If Eddie didn't already know Robin was like him (band camp, summer after his junior year, during an unfortunate game of Seven Minutes in Heaven where they awkwardly stood in a closet together before Robin commented on his black bandana), he'd wonder if something was going on between them.

"How'd you like the set?" Eddie asks when he reaches the table, suddenly nervous enough to tug on a lock of his hair and pull it in front of his mouth.

Robin looks up, but Steve doesn't. He's still reading the notebook, snorting at whatever is written there like he didn't hear Eddie. It's not until Robin elbows him that he raises his head, eyes widening when he sees Eddie. "Sorry, could you repeat that?" Steve asks, his gaze dropping to Eddie's mouth (Eddie definitely isn't imagining that) and faltering some.

"I asked if you liked the set," Eddie says, frowning slightly as Robin grabs a pen and scribbles something on the notebook. It's too small for him to read, but he doesn't miss how Steve glances down for less than a second before his eyes light up with realization.

"Oh!" he says, looking back at Eddie and flashing a charming grin. "It was great. You guys are so loud, and I've never f-uh, heard anything like your original song before."

Eddie catches the way Steve fumbles, faltering like he wanted to say one word but forced himself to say another. Something is tugging at the back of Eddie's mind, but he can't quite grab onto it just yet. For now, he leans forward, placing both hands on the table so he can be closer to Steve. "You listen to metal often, Harrington?" he asks.

Steve stares at his mouth for a few seconds before nodding, and Eddie feels the thrill of learning something completely unexpected. "I like Black Sabbath best, but Judas Priest and Guns N' Roses are close seconds," Steve says.

"Yeah?" Eddie asks, "What do you like most about it?" He wants to know. Does Steve Harrington (King Steve, Steve "The Hair" Harrington, Steve fucking Harrington) like metal for the same reasons he does? Does he like the stories and the passion and the heavy theatricality of it all?

Steve seems to hesitate, possibly thinking about how to answer, before finally saying, "I like how it's music I can feel. When I listen to metal, it digs into my bones. Other music doesn't."

Somehow, Eddie's grin gets impossibly wider, and his cheeks are hurting from the sheer force of it. He's about to say more when Robin glances at the clock and swears under her breath. "Shit, I promised Mom I'd be home ten minutes ago," she says, grabbing the pens and recklessly throwing them into her bag.

It's the movement that seems to catch Steve's attention, and he looks down at Robin's hands before looking up at the clock. "Oh, fuck, your curfew," he says, looking at Robin like she hadn't just said the same thing two seconds ago.

"Yeah, no shit, dingus," Robin says, pausing long enough to speak while looking straight at Steve before throwing the notebook into her bag, too. She jumps to her feet and hauls Steve out of the chair, making his varsity jacket fall open to reveal an Iron Maiden shirt.

And Eddie thinks his heart just about stops. He doesn't know why, but seeing Steve in a metal band shirt under an undeniably jock jacket makes him feel....something. This is, like, sacrilege, right? How dare Steve Harrington allow Metal and Jock to meet? Doesn't he know the two styles clash? Or, well, they're supposed to clash, but Steve somehow wears them well, and Eddie thinks he's upset and annoyed by the fact.

Before Eddie can analyze that feeling, Steve says, "Sorry to run, Eddie. You played really well. Let me know when the next show is."

There's a lot to unpack there, too. Steve Harrington wants to come to another Corroded Coffin gig. Steve Harrington is sorry he has to cut the conversation short. Steve Harrington thinks his band played really well. Before Eddie can say anything in response, Robin is dragging Steve away, throwing a goodbye over her shoulder.

Eddie doesn't want Steve to go without something, though, some kind of departing word, so he shouts, "See ya later, big boy!"

Steve doesn't look back, but Robin nearly trips over the doorway. She then pauses long enough to say something to Steve, watching with sheer delight as he splutters and glances at Eddie before dragging her through the door. Eddie couldn't stop the grin if he tried, and he didn't try.

Later, when Eddie is sprawled on the floor of his room, staring up at the ceiling and thinking about Steve's stupid combination of Metal and Jock, he'll be struck by a sudden, consuming thought. What if Steve was wearing just the Iron Maiden shirt? What if he wore just the jacket?

Eddie swallows around the sudden lump in his throat, his mouth going dry as he scrambles to his feet and gets ready to take a very, very cold shower.

----

Tag List (the tag list is completely filled up! There definitely wasn't enough room for everyone who requested a tag orz

Please follow the tag "good vibrations Steddie" or put on notifications for my blog to see when new parts are posted :D)

@hallucinatedjosten, @queenie-ofthe-void, @r0binscript, @jewellthebooknerd, @paintgonewrong, @vacantwatchers, @newagemyth, @gutterflower77, @just-a-tiny-void, @littlebluejane

@whenindoubtb72, @different-tale-student, @sharingisntkaren, @current-steddie-brainrot, @willim-billiam-byerson, @nuggies4life

@lostgurl-12, @anomalygal, @synonym-for-strange, @sani-86, @missmagillicuddy, @ilikechocolatemilkh, @thoughtfulbreadpolice, @harringrieve, @awesomeimportantfan, @fredtheemoplant, @warlordess, @therealscarletpumpernickel, @gsvshsjsbs, @mightbeasleep, @mollymawkwrites

@lil-gremlin-things, @honorarybrit81, @sonny-ray-of-goth, @potent-idiocy, @fandomcartographer, @heartsong18, @lingeringmirth, @ko0kyco0kies, @ccomandercody, @spiderman-stilinski, @l0st-strawberry, @xxsky-shockxx, @stilesstickitinme, @boxsam, @thepansexualsnake, @37-screamingfrogs, @yourmom-isgay, @brainsteddielyrotted, @plasticcrotches, @hannahhook7744

#steddie #steddie fic #steddie fluff #good vibrations steddie #deaf steve harrington #eddie munson #robin buckley #steve harrington #stranger things #my writing

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tocomplainfriend · 6 months

Text

Vivziepop is still Transphobic 10 years later!

(I'm writing this as a trans non-binary person btw)

Basically: "Transmen are only depressed females who are ashamed of being women" In other screenshots, she has another pfp, which people already knew she had a Blitz pfp, people thought it was fake cause of the moe pfp. But right here there was proved it was her. Dates match up and all. This is all in 2023!

This is directly from Ken btw, who they were friends with- and worked on Hazbin. Also wrote a most of the fucking pilot and got ""additional writing" credits... plus the Cherry bomb thing too!

"I honestly believe it's incredibly rare, VALID as hell, but rare"

Based on this few messages alone, you should realize her ""acceptance"" of trans-people is selective as fuck. She also NEEDED to state the trans people are rare, so bad here too. I as a trans person, I have always considered this a BIG red flag! Because people who say that are ready to invalidate others on the idea of "trans people are rare, you must not be trans because you don't fit my standard!"

Here she is using She/Her on Ken who uses only They/Them. She already knew Ken as a friend, so the misgendering here is just rotten.

All of this is recent as fuck! Since Hazbin was getting made until 2023! This one below, of Salem, shows xe experienced the same thing during the start of Helluva Boss. (Below there is a link to a threat talking about Viv being terrible to xem!)

Here also seems to be another trans character, from millie's siblings! Designed to be transmasc?

Oh fuck me, never mind! They changed his design to be a cis male imp.

I have already talked about how I personally feel about how Sallie may is treated! Viv treats all trans characters and people terrible, and she has something against transmasc people specially. -And for someone so selectively transphobic, with all of her comments-she is transphobic against Non-binary people! I mean, she already didn't respect the usage of them/they pronouns, so... She can not go around saying this shit of telling queer stories and people who critique me are being homophobic WHEN SHE IS LIKE THIS.

This is older, too! Viv has being transphobic back then and still is! Drawing a caricature of a transman you don't like -like this!?

This is a meme video that Vivziepop did too. This is rotten. People sure can change, but this woman has being transphobic over 10 years, like... I don't know how old is this character but- you can search fan art of this character since 2015...

Again please read:

#vivziepop critical #helluva boss critique #helluva boss criticism #vivziepop critique #helluva boss critical #hazbin hotel critical #hazbin hotel criticism #hazbin hotel critique #transphobes

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demieyesore · 7 months

Note

would you do a fwb!theo x fem!reader?

Just “Friends” - Theodore Nott

Summary - Theo and you are friends with benefits and slowly everyone in your friend group is noticing

Warnings / Mentions - Slytherin!Reader, AFAB!Reader, GN!Reader, SMUT, Theo is a little bit of a munch, Sub!Theo undertones but he’s still the dom, he’s just very vocal and whimpers😭, P in V, unfortunately no protection so yeah wrap it before you tap it, hopefully Reader isn’t pregnant 💀

A/n - Okay so I just realized that I accidentally did GN!Reader 😭 because I didn’t use she/her, I just said “you” the whole time but the reader is still AFAB so hopefully that works for you😭🙏

Requested - Yes

POV - 3rd

Word Count - 1597

At first, it was just a physical outlet for both of you. But as time went on, you found yourself growing closer to the Italian boy. He was more than just a handsome face and good with his hands. He was intelligent, witty, and shared your love for mischief.

You both knew that your arrangement was just for fun and didn't want to complicate things by adding feelings into the mix. So, you kept your arrangement a secret from your friends. You would sneak off at parties to find him. Meet outside the school grounds. Find closets or the closest bathroom. You both did anything to make sure that you weren’t hooking up in the dorm rooms. Theodore’s roommate was Enzo Berkshire. While he probably wouldn’t say anything, it was just for the better that he never found out. Your dorm was out of limits because your dorm mate was known to be the biggest snitch in the Slytherin house.

But as the weeks went by, slowly turning to months ; your friends started to notice the subtle changes in your relationship with Theodore. They noticed how you would always sit next to each other in class, how you would always seem to be in sync during group projects, and how you would always choose each other as partners for activities.

At first, they shrugged it off as just a close friendship. But as they continued to observe, they couldn't help but wonder if there was something more going on between the two of you.

One day, during a study session in the library, your friend Pansy brought up her suspicions.

"I couldn't help but notice how cozy you two have been lately," she said, raising an eyebrow at you and Theodore.

You felt your cheeks heat up as you tried to come up with a plausible explanation. But before you could say anything, Theodore spoke up.

"We're just friends, Pans. Nothing more," he said smoothly, giving you a reassuring smile.

But as the days went on, your friends continued to notice the little things. How Theodore would always brush a strand of hair behind your ear, how he would always be the first one to offer you a seat, and how he would always have a protective arm around you.

Then they began noticing when you would both slip off during a party.

Draco and Mattheo were utterly convinced something had to be going on while Blaise and Lorenzo brushed it off entirely. Pansy on the other hand didn’t seem to care too much about the situation besides being curious.

But due to the nature of Draco and Mattheo, they just HAD to figure it out. They were too stubborn to let it off the hook. So they planned a new party. They made sure it would take place in the Slytherin’s domain because they knew every possible place they could wander off to.

The night of the party, you and your dorm mate got ready. She was a lovely girl, besides not knowing how to keep her mouth shut. You had put on a dress that clung to your curves. It absolutely flattered you just from how it was designed. The color choice looked absolutely perfect with your skin and hair. Honestly, you never felt better than this.

You always loved getting dressed up for parties. It was just the party part that you didn’t quite care for. But you still decided to go, knowing that you and Nott would most definitely find a quiet place.

Once at the party, everything was good. There was drinking, loud music, and people playing different games. One of which was truth or dare. You, Theo and Blaise were the only ones in your group that weren’t playing.

You tapped on Blaise’s shoulder, him turning to look at you and leaning in so he could hear you over the music. You made gestures with your hands as you spoke. “Hey, I’m gonna head to the bathroom!” Blaise held up a thumb to show his acknowledgment before you stumbled away.

Around 5 minutes later Theo came and found you at the bathroom. But not the regular bathroom, it was the prefect’s bathroom. Which not many people had access to.

As soon as Theo entered the bathroom, the kissing session started. His hands roamed over your body before settling on having one hand on your hip and the other on the small of your back. His hand placement made sure to keep you against him as the kiss got more heated.

Little noises escaped from the both of you. Your hands snaked up from their resting spot on his neck and to his hair. You deepened the kiss as you messed with a few of his hair strands.

Theo switched the position you were in, pinning you against the wall as he moved the kiss from your lips down to your jaw. Then from your jaw, to your neck and slowly made his way down. Theo knelt on the floor in front of you, staring up at you with dead eyes as he rolled the bottom of your dress up to your hips.

Your hands were still in his hair when he pulled down your underwear. He held onto your thighs and slowly started massaging at them. His mouth closed in on your cunt, running his tongue across your slit. Your breath caught in your throat.

The Slytherin boy immediately noticed and chuckled into your core, sending small vibrations throughout you. Your fingers tightened around his hair, pulling yet another sound from his mouth.

At this point he was beginning to make out with your heat. His tongue would flick over your clit and small kisses were placed all over you.

You could feel yourself tightening up and you tensed, “Theo-“ “I know..it’s okay.” He cut you off ; Giving you permission to release onto his tongue.

And you did just that, letting go and cumming into his mouth. Your back pressed closer against the wall as you tried not to shake too much. Once you came down from the orgasm he stood back up, making sure to hold onto you in case you lost your balance.

One of your hands was now placed on his chest while the other one kept you steady by placing it on his bicep. He took this chance to undo his belt buckle and free himself from the restrictive pants. His dick was hard and leaking in pre-cum. He made eye contact with you as he spit on his cock and stroked himself a couple of times. Lubricating himself so he could easily slide into you.

He grabbed one of your thighs and guided you to lift your leg up, you followed the nonverbal instructions and found yourself with your legs around his waist. Now being held up in the air against the bathroom wall.

His dick slid into you so effortlessly but he was still big. When your mind remembered how large he was, you subconsciously contracted around him. A deep moan drawing from his mouth as his head threw back. His eyes were shut as he fucked up into you. His mouth open as he was a very vocal man.

You on the other hand, tended to go nonverbal from the stimulation and instead buried your face into the crook of his neck. He was now holding you up by himself without the aid of the wall so he turned and let his back hit the hard surface.

Loud slaps and the Slytherin boy’s moans could be heard from the whole room. He was keeping up a good pace and began muttering more to himself than to you.

Talking himself through it which was low enough for you to still hear. “Gods-“ He moaned. “Oh fuck, I need you.” He slowly was begging for a release. His moans turned into whimpers and whines.

“Fuck, you feel so good.” He whimpered out, his hold on you getting tighter. “Mmm- I love your pussy. Holy shit-“ He groaned out. He sped up his thrusts and you were both almost there.

“Oh- please- please please…” He begged out, chasing his own orgasm ; which seemed to have worked when he was no longer coherent enough to speak words, just whimpering and moaning at the feeling. You came for a second time and the pulse from your cunt triggered his own orgasm.

With one last thrust into you he came as you bit down on his shoulder. Feeling so much that you just had to do something to calm the sensation. Theo groaned as you bit down on him, one of his hands reaching up to cradle your head against him. “Mi fai impazzire.” (You make me crazy.)

After a couple of minutes you both calm down and get fixed up. Some of your hair is sticking to your face and his tie is all sorts of messed up. You turn to open the door as Theo is fixing his tie only to see Mattheo on the other side of the door.

He grins up at you before glancing to Theo’s undone tie and mess of hair.

“And you say you’re just friends?”

#slytherin boys #harry potter #theodore nott x reader #theodore nott x you #theo nott x reader #theo nott x y/n #theo nott x you #theodore nott #theo nott smut #theodore nott smut #smut

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sysig · 2 years

Text

Me: *is kinda sad ‘cause I haven’t made any new OCs in a while*

Also me: *makes four new designs basically overnight*

#And for a change they actually have names #I kinda use sonas and OCs as a metric for my creative health - if it's been a while I start to wonder and worry a bit #I'm not bad at just banging out new designs with no context or intent but that's never really been my bread and butter #If I make a character it's usually because I have something I want to accomplish #Technically I did make a new one not too long ago - I haven't posted her yet but I kept having spider ideas that wouldn't work with Scriabin #So I just made my own lol - goal! Intent! But she doesn't have a name #Whereas these four have names and dynamics and relationships and intent and designs and just- ah #I feel a bit refereshed haha #I think they're gonna end up being part of my behind-the-scenes project but I am happy to have them for that For Sure #So at the very least I won't be showing them off here for a whiiile #But they exist and I like that :D #It was honestly kinda like making the Angel forms for the AGE gods :0 Which was a lot of fun ♪#I really should go back and take a look at all of them I'm getting Koa vibes from one of them lol #Angels in general are just my favourite ♥ Halos are always the most fun to make #Anyway

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via-l0ve · 9 months

Text

Dating Carlisle Cullen HCs!

a/n: was the requested? absolutely not. am i a slut for daddy cullen? abso-fuckin-lutley

warnings: fluff, smut, swearing, im lowkey an edward hater in this i’m sorry, smut is fem!reader based!! dating daddy carlisle

- when you guys hang out at night /alone he’s all over you

- he holds you, lays on your chest, plays with your hair while you sit inbetween his legs SHSSUWHEISN

- he plays with your fingers while you guys are around other people and he gets a little nervous

- like if your hanging out with friends he’ll play with your fingers and hands, twist around your bracelets and rings

- i love him he’s so soft

- he desperately tries to stop you from popping pimples and blackheads

- “y/n sTOP”

- sometimes you’ll laugh at stuff he says bc it sounds so old fashioned

- he attempts to make you food and most of the time it’s amazing but usually when you two cook it almost always ends up burnt or undercooked or missing an ingredient

- bc he gets distracted by your stupid jokes that sometimes result in a food fight

- carlisle would do anything for you

- literally one time you brought up wanting to go to disneyland because they do a mardi gras parade and he almost bought plane tickets right then and there

- “what’re you doing?”

- “buying plane tickets.”

- “what??? STOP-“

- he loves how you hate when he spends money on you

- it makes him want to do it more

- you both have multiple matching things

- bracelets, rings, necklaces, etc

- he bought you this EXPENSIVE bracelet once and you almost passed out on the spot

- it has your and carlisle’s initials engraved into it and it’s your favorite color

- he lets you paint his nails frequently

- he loves when you do little designs on them too

- he loves being the person you feel comfortable ranting to

- it breaks his heart when he opens his door and sees you with puffy eyes and a red nose, tears reminiscent on your face

- he lets you in and picks you up, speeding you to his bedroom

- he grabs you a big t-shirt and a pair of his boxers and tells you to shower or change before talking about it

- and then after that he does whatever you want

- sometimes he’ll comb your hair while you rant to him, or make you some tea on the kitchen island while you talk to him about what happened

- he’d totally sit you on the counter and cut up + feed you fruit and clean the juice from your chin. im sobbing

- 100% takes care of your stuffed animals

- he would love how you bond with his “kids”

- you and emmett would totally play horror games together

- emmett and you are this clip:

https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxJdszrIKDCtmfnyVLdhVwf2sGqLcJ6NBU

- honestly either of you could be rhett/link and it would still make sense

- you lowkey make fun of edward ngl

- i feel like he plays games with you and emmett too and he sucks ass

- carlisle looses his shit when he hears you make a gooddamn good roast of him and you can hear him laughing from upstairs

- alice constantly tries to buy you clothes she thinks not only you, but also carlisle would like

- Rosalie would confide in you a lot

- tbh it took her a hot minute to warm up to you but when she saw how happy carlisle was with you she gave you a chance

- jasper loves you tbh

- he games w/ u and emmett and you guys kick ass in rocket league

- sometimes Carlisle will just stare at you for no reason

- you’ll catch him and he won’t break eye contact and you get all flustered and look away

- and proceed to look back to see him still staring

- “what’re you looking at?”

- “just you. :)”

- “okay but why”

- “youre beautiful.”

- “get a room!” ~ emmett

- reminds your to take ur medication

- after meeting your family, he’s always down to babysit with you or go to family reunions or vacations

- if it’s a sunny place he’ll just busy himself with work inside

- always liking ur instagram posts

- he always comments on them too

- just a simple “i love you” or “gorgeous🩷”

——— smut time

- respect and consent king

- wouldn’t dream of hurting you/degrading you ever

- he loves tits. sorry not sorry it’s true

- he’ll play w/ ur nipples and leave hickeys on ur boobs

- fucking looses it when you moan his name

- like, if you do that he’s giving you literally everything he has

- his fav position is missionary or when you ride him but you face him

- specifically if he’s sitting in his office chair and you get ontop of him and-

- makes your legs SHAKE

- he has his hands on your hips while you ride him bc that’s hot

- literally adores your body

- he couldn’t care less of your stomach pokes out or if you have love handles or stretch marks

- he loves you for you

- PRAISE

- this man loves to make you blush and he knows exactly how to do it in bed

- master at giving you head

- literally knows exactly what to do and how you like it done

- fucking dies when you ride his face

- like it’s not a thing that he wants he NEEDS it

- he pays attention to your body movements and how you react to certain things

- he’s the typa guy to get on his knees and eat you out

- tongue around ur clit and fingers inside you pumping in and out and moving around inside to touch your g-spot

#love u mwah #im in love with this man #twilight #carlisle x reader #carlisle cullen x reader #carlisle #carlisle cullen #twilight imagine #twilight headcanon #twilight x reader #carlisle cullen smut #carlisle cullen fluff

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ittsybittsybunny · 3 months

Text

ATLA Live Action Series Review:

The Good

Aesthetically this show felt right. Sure sometimes the outfits didn't quite feel lived in, but I always felt like I was watching a fantasy world with decent effects and interesting design. Also, I really enjoyed the sets!

Bending: Yes some of the fights feel very quick, but the bending looks cool. It is certainly better than 10 benders lifting one big rock. I can honestly say the opening bending fight scene gave me so much hope for this show.

Kyoshi Warriors: I loved seeing them in live action, and I thought Suki's performance was great!

Omashu: I think the mashup of the mechanist made sense since that is an important character overall and I would hate to see him cut. However, both Jet & the secret tunnels felt sloppily thrown in.

Northern Water Tribe: I really loved the way it looked, and appreciated the two episodes we spent here. I think Yue gained more agency in this interpretation, and why shouldn't the moon spirit be a waterbender. Also, episode seven felt the most in tune with the original show's spirit.

Zuko: I think he was one of the most fleshed-out and best parts of the show! Dallas Liu really captured Zuko's spirit, and the scene between him and Aang in episode 6 was wonderful!

Soundtrack: Hearing the original soundtrack bits is always great, and when I first heard the ending music I was so excited.

Is the show perfect, no - but I wouldn't mind a season 2.

The Bad

Pacing: Turning 20 episodes into 8 was bound to lead to some cuts...but oftentimes times things felt too quick or disjointed. I think there were editing problems contributing to this for sure, but sometimes things skipped around too much without a clear purpose as to why. Also, why bring in plots from later seasons when you barely have enough time already?

Writing: This show definitely suffered from exposition dumping, though it did get better as time went on. I think the biggest example of this is actually opening in the past rather than the present. We do not get to learn along with Aang that the world has changed, instead, we get to learn that 100 years have passed....which doesn't hold the same tension or worldbuilding.

Clunky Dialogue: Along with exposition, clunky dialogue is another example of bad writing. I think sometimes I felt like the acting was kind of meh in the beginning, but then over time I began to realize it had far more to do with the lines characters were trying to deliver. The actors themselves are not bad, just cursed with awkward writing and lines that feel out of touch with the setting they're in.

Main Trio: I don't entirely know that I believe Katara, Sokka, and Aang are friends as opposed to 3 people stuck together to save the world. Aang feels a little too somber for a young kid running away from his responsibilities, Sokka is protective, but not exactly the heart of the team, and Katara is sort of just there until the last two episodes. Where is her struggle, her desire to learn so strong she steals from pirates? Also, while Gordon Cormier did a great job, Aang does zero waterbending on his own, is overly serious, and tells Katara not to fight. Where is his desperation to protect his friends? It feels like they all lost emotional depth.

Tension: Bringing Ozai, Azula, and Zhao out in the beginning immediately causes us to lose the realization there is an even bigger bad. Part of why Ozai is so terrifying is he is a primarily silent villain until the third season when we finally see the face of the "big bad evil guy" behind it all. Yes, they add to Zuko's backstory, but again, they are revealing the villains too early. Azula is the antagonist of season 2 and one of my favorite characters, so I hope they do more with her in the future. Finally, Zhao is supposed to be an example of the uncontrollable nature of fire unrestrained, instead, he comes off as vaguely threatening with the supposed true power being Azula.

Characterization: While all characters are bound to lose something in a shorter show, it still felt like certain characters were more mutilated than others. I am sure there are 100 different opinions on who, but I think the biggest victim was Katara.

Katara: Katara manages to go from a complete novice to a bending master in what feels like a matter of days. The journey feels short, and that makes the results feel largely unearned. Katara is one of the strongest personalities in the show, determined, kind, and fiery. In many ways, she is the unpredictability of water - equally dangerous as it is necessary to live. She is the child of a war who lost her mother, forced to grow up too soon, and even raised her older brother. Yes, Katara often gets stereotyped as the mom friend, but overall she feels underutilized in this show. We really don't see enough of her journey until the very end.

Iroh: Iroh was always comedic but most importantly wise. Even when Zuko is trying to give himself advice, he mimics Iroh. Instead, he seems to be used more as comedic relief without the underlying experience. He just doesn't feel right. Also, he kills Zhao instead of Zhao getting himself killed - which is less about Iroh and more about the writing than anything.

Ozai is weirdly a little too nice. Yes, he burned Zuko and pits his kids against each other, but he feels toned down in a show claiming to be more mature than the original cartoon.

Azula is perhaps more realistically worried about losing her status as the golden child, but she is also missing the cruelty she and her father share. I understand worrying about making your character cartoonishly evil, but the Fire Nation is currently a deeply nationalistic empire trying to control the world. Where is the deep-seated belief that they are better than other people, not just trying to bring balance to the world? There is a line between creating complexity and toning down the very real evil inherent in this plan.

Roku: I can only say what the fuck was that. He was barely there, and not the serious master to Aang's youthful exuberance.

The Ugly

Show, Don't Tell: The show's single biggest issue seems to be speeding through story parts by simply stating things. Instead of allowing the audience to discover, trusting that we are smart enough to understand, let's just blatantly say things like Zuko is the only reason the 41st division is alive to their faces. Even though in the context of the story Ozai literally already said that.... it's the division, the division for Zuko, Zuko's division.

Thematic Misunderstandings: I think this show makes several minor changes with major implications, such as airbenders actively fighting the firebenders, when airbenders are known for their pacifist nature and the lie of an Airbender fighting force is actively propaganda. Similarly, Aang very quickly accepts his role as the avatar and doesn't even run away in the beginning. Without this conflict between his desire to be a carefree child and the fact that the world needs him - the show loses a key aspect of Aang's character. Also, the obsession with downplaying the avatar state as something dangerous feels like a disservice to the tradition, connection, and strength of the avatar, which can be permanently destroyed as the trade-off for that kind of power. It's dangerous for the balance of the entire world, not just because it's powerful!

The Agni Kai: Zuko's fight against his father is one of the defining moments of Ozai's cruelty, not just because he is willing to fight his child, but because Zuko tried to do everything right. Zuko shows deference to his father, apologizes, and most importantly refuses to fight! The determination not to upset his father and still be grievously injured and banished is a hugely important theme for the fire nation and Zuko's life as a whole. He tries to do everything he is supposed to and only regains his father's acceptance after he "kills" Aang. Zuko's struggle between moral vs. social right and wrong in contrast to his family is hugely important to his character.

-----

TLDR: ATLA was a fantastical animated television show that was never afraid to show character development and flaws. When you turn 20 episodes into 8, you are bound to lose something. You hollowed out the middle, leaving the shell of important moments and events without ever wondering if all the times in between formed the true spirit of the show.

Rating: 6.5/10 It's perfectly fine and worth a watch. Not a disaster, but certainly falls flat of the original.

#atla #avatar the last airbender #avatar the last airbender tv #atla tv #spoilers #natla #i loved it i hated it i mostly sat through it #i would like a season 2 though #aang #katara #sokka #zuko #iroh #uncle iroh #azula #ozai

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