Hey, To You Sci-fi/fantasy Writers Out There (and Maybe Some Others, But This Is Mainly For Things

sexual tension is out, platonic tension is in. I need enemies who have fought each other so many times that they've developed a mutual fondness, realized they have a lot in common, and have to stop themselves from slipping into friendly conversation when they're supposed to be kicking each other's asses.

taako sends out invites to a fantasy costume party, only to have a fucking field day as he watches his guests’ faces as they arrive at his wedding

lup: we’re going in a couple’s costume

barry: ok -

lup: we’re going as a bride and groom.

barry: w - why.

lup: because i know his fucking game.

Loyalty is to be demonstrated, not demanded

Random Thought

When we say that Ada Lovelace was arguably the world’s first computer programmer, that “arguably” isn’t thrown in there because of questions of definitions or precedence – she definitely wrote programs for a computer, and she was definitely the first.

Rather, the reason her status as the world’s first computer programmer is arguable is because during her lifetime, computers did not exist.

Yes, really: her code was intended for Charles Babbage’s difference engine, but Babbage was never able to build a working model – the material science of their time simply wasn’t up to the challenge. Lovelace’s work was thus based on a description of how the difference engine would operate.

Like, imagine being so far ahead of your time that you’re able to identify and solve fundamental problems of computer programming based on a description of the purely hypothetical device that would run the code you’re writing.

The Final Agni Kai is great for a lot of reasons but it’s also a great example of how to write a fight scene because it was about more than who “won” the fight.

Zuko lost that fight, technically speaking. He took a hit for Katara and wasn’t able to defeat Azula within the bounds of the Agni Kai. He got knocked out and would have died if not for Katara. You could make the argument that Azula defeated her brother here but

She didn’t win.

It’s tempting to write fight scenes as a contest of might where characters try and deplete each other’s imaginary health meters until one of them comes out on top but the most interesting fight scenes, to me, are ones where there is more at stake. Where fighting is a method to resolve a dispute of ideologies rather than a contest of physical brawn. 

This was a fight for the soul of the Fire Nation and even though Zuko ended up flat on his ass, electrocuted, with a second scar from a family member for his troubles

This is where Zuko won. 

This is where the Fire Lord sacrificed himself for a waterbender and member of an “enemy” nation. This is where he wrested the soul of his country away from a century of imperialist rule. 

Yeah, Azula got him with her fifth level Lightning Bolt spell; big whoop. She won the Agni Kai but when has an Agni Kai ever meant anything? 

From Season 1, the Agni Kai has been shown to be a futile dick-measuring contest between firebenders. Ozai “won” the Agni Kai with his son, but defeating a defenseless child is not a victory worth winning. Likewise, Azula’s defeat of Zuko here was the end of their Agni Kai but it doesn’t matter. 

Zuko doesn’t need to beat Azula to win. 

If this was a video game, this would have been the end of Zuko, but it’s not. It’s the moment where Zuko wrests control of the Fire Nation’s destiny away from his father and sister and reunites it with a whole and peaceful world by intentionally losing to protect a friend. 

The Fire Nation fell when Azula knocked Zuko out. It rose again when Katara brought him back to life. 

Azula won the final Agni Kai but in the end, Zuko won the Fire Nation’s future

New goddess idea: She’s an earth goddess of the new age who’s domain is spinning and weaving, but specifically spinning and weaving gigantic structural steel cables for construction and other industrial purposes. Her skin is steel grey and hard to the touch and her hair is like long dredlocks of woven steel. She laughs at shitty architecture deigns that will fall apart if actually built and protects well-made bridges and buildings she likes. She might warn you of unforseen danger if you always wear your proper PPE.

Okay now what do I name her

Spoons - Helltrooper for the Chain of Acheron

Vaslorian by birth, Spoons travel far and wide before joining the chain. It was in Higara, far from his native land that he learnt his two passions.

Fist fighting, and cooking.

Though he keeps some secrets, how he lost his leg, why he joined the Chain, he is a good hardy link in the company. 

His only weapon is a large butcher’s cleaver, as he was one of the chefs for the Chain, working in the mess tent under Cook before the fall at Blackbottom.  Now he, and a few other survivors are trying to find their way.

—–

My first ever commission complete! I had so much fun with this one, and can’t wait to draw more Chain Links in the future.

is there a list or smthn of what all the signs in church mean?? just curious :- O

there is now!  so Murderer and Executioner are already in there obvs…there were going to be more tattoos for various crimes, but 1. that seemed overly-complex and 2. I didn’t want to dig into a bunch of horrible crimes…why not just stick with murder, I thought.

anyway, the symbol of the church that people have tattooed on their chests would have had an identifying shot where it was labeled “DIVINITY” but I only thought of this later in the animatic and I couldn’t find a good place to add it later.  fortunately, I think it read pretty clearly anyway!

the chest tattoo is somehow the conduit for divine magic (which can hurt or heal), and the wrist tattoos channel it into the hands!  the bar means they can forge a weapon from their power.  (you’ll notice the guy who gives Ash his executioner tattoo at the beginning doesn’t have a bar!  he’s not a warrior monk type)

both? both. both is good.

happy pride month!

my fave bit of black dog folklore is that in some folklore there is a belief that the first person buried in a cemetery stays there and doesn’t cross over and helps other spirits move on and protects them from evil spirits, now naturally people want to avoid this fate for their loved ones and themselves so they would sometimes bury a dog first and it would return in the shape of a big black dog and protect the newly dead from evil spirits and occasionally the living as well

this kind of spirit is called a church grim