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thepinkdreamganjaqueen · 3 months ago

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Subway Obsessions Arthur's POV ch.1

Arthur Fleck POV x Fem!Reader

Masterlist 🩷

Summary: From Arthurs POV. It's just another night on the subway. A typical ride on the Gotham train on his way home from a long day of running errands and away from his tedious depressive thoughts. Perhaps he would catch a glimpse of the woman he could only seem to catch in passing, the woman he’d been secretly watching, following, fantasizing about nightly. Perhaps the unending misery that is the city above had him thinking of change, of something new to obsess about. Something to draw his mind away from the blistering and the mundane. Would he finally get the courage to talk to her?

Warnings: SMUT, NSFW, 18+, MINORS DO NOT INTERACT, public exhibitionism, subway cruising, swearing, stalking, obsession, mentions of violence, fem!reader, romantic smut, fluff

A/N: Beginning to a series? Who knows. May add things later. First fic, btw! I'm hyper fixated now, so expect more. This is something I've been mulling around with for a while. I've done this story from both the readers' POV and from Arthur's because I can't get enough!! So, make sure to read both! I loved writing from this perspective so much, btw! Literally! Send ideas, edits, etc. my way!! And be nice please. The first chapter is mostly fluff/ descriptive plot/character building. Cheers! Enjoyyy!

Word Count: 3.9k

SERIES: Subway Obsessions

CHAPTER 1: Chance Meeting

Today was another mundane day. Arthur had been out earlier in the evening running errands for his mother. Picking up T.V. dinners at the grocer and medications for him and her at the local pharmacy. Still, getting around the city was a chore in of itself. He figured the subway would be the easiest and quickest way home. It was nearing 10 o'clock pm. His mother would be worried, and it was getting late. He knew the dangers of roaming Gotham city at these hours. His mother used to say, "That's when the colorful people come out." A way to make something serious, completely unserious. Still, he knew the dangers and tried as hard as he might to keep his wits about him. Easier said than done when you're a man with a neurological disorder, apparently so many people hate you for. He wished they’d understood or tried at least.

He always pondered why the people of Gotham were so... well so mean! Everyone he encountered save for the very, very few were just assholes to him. Perhaps it was the political climate? With Thomas Wayne running for government placement, it probably didn't help. Make the rich richer and the poor poorer he thought. Perhaps it was the state of the city itself, the infrastructure, the lack of resources. He sure has been on the wrong end of that stick one too many times. "Good people suffer Happy," his mother would say. But he never understood why it had to be that way. Life was circumstantial. He didn't ask to have what little he did. He didn't even ask to be born and thought life was the real joke.

It doesn't have to make sense to be funny! He jested internally. Because its fucked! And there lies the comedy for those broken enough to see, yet perhaps healed enough to laugh at the pain. Because, what else can you do?

His mind wandered through these endless fields of thought when a train car stopped in front of him. He had been standing on the platform disassociating for some time. Perhaps he even forgot where he was for a moment, ruminating over the wrongs of life and playing them out differently in his head. The things he didn't say or do, what he could have done differently...

The brisk hiss and click of the air brakes as they screeched to a halt brought him back to reality. He blinked a couple of times, waiting for the doors to open. As he did, a disheveled looking figure pushed past him while exiting. He burst out in a cry of compulsory laughter and stepped on the train. He was in the last car and immediately noticed it was bearable, as bearable as riding the subway can be he postulated.

In his search for a seat towards the end of the train car, he noticed a large putrid looking spill in the back. It melted off the seats and slid across the aisle. It looked sticky. Best to avoid that then, he thought. He opted for a bench seat away from the offending area and sat down, crossing one leg over the other and leaning back, arm outstretched on the head of the seat next to him. No one was in this car except for him. He found a moment of solace and drank it in, filling himself with the noiseless satisfaction of silence and peace when a warbled voice broke over the loud speaker. He couldn't really understand it, but the semblance of words spoke what sounded like “platform 19”. It was all he could understand through the robot whine. He felt anticipation rising within him.

At approximately 10:15 p.m., the doors of the subway train broke open with a gush of cold night air. At the other end of the subway, he watched as a woman stepped onto the train like a fawn. Scared and unsure of where to go or sit. She was bright and colorful; she immediately caught his eye. Was this what his mother meant by colorful people? He thought to himself. He quickly realized it was her! The girl he had fantasized about daily and nightly, hoping to catch her on the train but only seeming to in his thoughts and dreams, remembering her face, her scent that penetrated her surroundings. He had tirelessly followed her the first time he saw her. She was the only person to smile at him that day. He had to know more and had to know why. But she wasn't always on the same train. He always hoped to run into her and had almost given up, thinking she must have been some sort of hallucination he created for himself to lessen his own pain. But there she was.

She looked different tonight. She looked like a predator, displaying colors brightly in the face of possible danger. She was a force; he felt the atmosphere change as soon as she stepped in through the steel doors, a thickness lifted in the air and he could feel himself tense in his seat. His clothes were suddenly uncomfortable, his collar too tight, his hands, sweaty. She always looked beautiful when he saw her, she always looked content and comfortable. Hair in a messy bun with strands falling about her face swayed by the wind that surged through the train car. Sweats he could still make out her figure through, leaving him wanting more every time, it drove him crazy! But today she looked like she was straight out of the films on the TV! He thought to himself. She made him think of glamour, it's the only word that truly fit, like the old films he would watch with his mom. Wow! Was she a sight to see, a cool pristine liquid flowing over his burning eyes. A soothing image of pure proclivity. An unknown sense of calm swept over him.

He watched, frozen, as she cautiously observed the train car searching for a seat. He looked at her from top to bottom. She was significantly smaller than him, petite, probably around five feet three he gauged. Fuzzy black boots, blue jeans tightly hugging her figure, full thick thighs, his mouth began to water - he thirsted for her, wanted to drink in her every essence. He felt a lump in his throat as he tried to choke it down. A tight black shirt under a small cropped pink sweater with red hearts all over. It perfectly displayed her large soft breasts. Brown curls bounced about her shoulders as she walked, strands of them fell daintily on her face and cheeks. As she walked, she would flick it away with a quick movement of her head. The way she did that, moving her hair out of her face without using her hands. It made him tingle in all the right places. His mind raced. What else can she do without using her hands? he thought.

There was something pink in her hair too, he saw as she walked past. She didn't notice him at first. Most people don't he thought to himself. Although this thought disappointed him, he didn't fault her for it. He had the urge to make her notice him. To be a presence and to be objectified by her, he only wished he could hold that kind of power.

As she passed, the scent he had come to know as her- wafted past him, he sucked in through his teeth sharply. It was heaven on earth. Stimulating. He would follow that scent hoping to find her, mercilessly searching. It was like a drug, an aphrodisiac, and he felt his cock spasm. She was eyeing the seats towards the back where that odd spill was. A butterfly he thought. It's a pink butterfly in her hair. He immediately felt like a school boy again, fawning over and wanting to get the attention of the pretty girl and for her to return it.

"This one's fine!" He blurted out, not really knowing what he was saying. She turned around, her beauty, dark, striking, and he found it hard to speak again. He stammered and was able to get the lump out of his throat to follow up with; "I don't know what that is back there but these are not so bad" his voice felt cracked but he tried to contain his composure, he didn't want to scare her off. He was the only other person on the train, and it must have jolted her since she didn't see him at first. Plus, she probably thinks I'm some kind of creep or weirdo, he thought to himself. There was some truth behind those thoughts, but that didn't make him a bad person, he thought. All day, he spends trying to have a nice day to make himself and others happy, trying to think good thoughts, trying not to let the bad influence the good he can salvage.

"Oh, thank you!" A sweet voice broke the monotony of thought, and immediately he was flung back into the present. She made her way to the seats laid out in front of him. A row of sideways seating. He watched her sit gracefully, slowly, like a calculated ballet dancer, he thought. Every move fluid, every move perfect. When she sat, she arranged her things on the seat next to her and settled in. He wondered to himself where she was going. Why she had so many bags, why she was riding the subway so late, as a woman, she should be terrified. This city is not safe, especially for someone as strikingly beautiful as her. She was like a beacon of light, too bright to stare at, but he was drawn to her like a moth to a flame and simply couldn't resist the allure.

She actually sat next to me! He thought. Only one seat away, actually next to me. But that wasn't all. She saw him, noticed him, heard him, and listened to him. The weight of these simple gestures made his hands sweaty, and he tried his best to remain aloof. The doors of the train opened on the other side of her, and a breeze blew her hair behind her and over her face. He couldn't help but see her, every aspect of her. He studied her every move, every inch of her body. He wanted this to last, for this image to never leave his mind.

The wind that blew past her carried on it her scent. He was suddenly overwhelmed by the sweet alluring scent of peach? No. Some kind of berry? No. When the doors shut and the pressure created another breeze, the scent wafted to him again. Taking it all in, he identified the smell as watermelon. Some kind of fruity smell filled his senses with the feeling of euphoria. It was intoxicating. He wondered what it would be like to be pressed up against her, inhaling her deeply. He looked down with a deep sigh when he looked back over. She was moving a strand of hair out of her face and caught a glimpse of her looking at him as well. Her cheeks flushed instantly, and she broke her gaze. She was fire, burning too hot near him, and he wanted so badly to play, to burn himself, engulf himself in her flames breathlessly.

He tried to come up with something to say, anything. How do I talk to her? What would I even say without sounding stupid? He thought. He watched on as the florescent lights above her flickered. It lit up parts of her he hadn't seen upon first observation. Glitter decorated her collar bones and cheeks. Her sweater was slightly unzipped. He could see the peeking out of her cleavage. Sparkling with glitter, so pretty, she reminded him of the stars of the night sky. Unmistakably beautiful, yet so. Far. Away. He had been working up the courage to say something to her, to hear her voice again, he didn't want to forget it. A symphony replayed in his mind. He needed more.

He stumbled over his words, "Sorry, I-it's hard for me to talk, I meant to introduce myself. I'm Arthur, " he said in the kindest, most unassuming voice he could muster. She looked up and locked eyes. They burned his insides like hot coals. He anticipated her reply, not knowing if she would even engage in conversation with him. "No worries!" She spoke in a reassuring way that made his heart flutter. "I know how it can be, trust me!" She sounded genuine. Kind. There was something underneath her voice, though he couldn't quite conceptualize. Fear? Doubt, maybe? He wanted to take it away.

"I'm Y/N. Nice to meet you, Arthur!" Again, her voice beaming so light and so lifting. She reached out to shake his hand that he had offered. Her hand was small and was practically swallowed by his. Her fingers were warm, sweeping softly over his palm as she grasped his hand in hers. It's a simple thing, he thought. It was a small touch, but it was enough to make him crumble inside. She felt so nice! "Y/N," he said. "I like that." He lamented. Such a beautiful name. But everything about her was beautiful. Her presence was wholesome and welcoming. Is this real? he pondered. Thoughts took over again, and not knowing how to continue the conversation, they sat in silence for a moment as he worked up the courage to speak again.

Moments passed that felt like a lifetime, but he was content in her presence, soaking up her aura. As he went to ask her a question, she moved to speak as well. Catching each other off guard, Arthur profusely apologized "No it's okay, go ahead," he said, not wanting to interrupt her. "No, no, that's okay, what were you going to say?" She insisted back. Her voice was small and mousey, she seemed so shy. Why would she be? She screams confidence and power. Even in her apprehensive movements, she seems calculated, he thought to himself. He stole another glance at her. Her eyes sparkled reminiscent of a smokey quartz gem in a bracelet he once saw in a shop window. A thought of her adorned in nothing but gems crossed his mind. He tried to hold onto the image before it left his mind's eye. He felt a flush in his cheeks again, and his eyes darted. He couldn't look her in the eyes for too long. It made him nervous. He was working up the urge to speak again, to say something, anything.

He broke the silence and asked, "So what brings you to ride the subway so late at night? Aren't you scared?" He uttered jokingly. After saying it, he felt immediate stupidity. Why would I say that? He thought and started an inner spiral. As if seeing his reaction to his own question and wanting to ease the tension building within him, Y/N said, " Well, I work at the Gotham shelter overnight. So, having to ride the train every night, I guess, I've gotten used to it for the most part. But, yeah, I do get scared sometimes. The city can be super sketchy, and I've been attacked twice already, so I had to buy mace and stuff to try and protect myself."

The words spilled out of her mouth like a wave of glass, he couldn't fathom her ever saying this of all things, it was jolting for him and triggered something within him he had tried so long to hide. His mind raced. He felt anger and rage well up inside of him it hardened his sternum and burned in his throat. He became stiff but was unaware. The spiraling began to start again. This city was ruining people, hurting people, good people! He thought. She helps people, and then people hurt her?! Pieces of shit! He screamed internally. The emotions he felt were at war within himself. He felt rage for her pain and suffering at the hands of this city's denizens, he felt fear for her life knowing she rides the train every night, he felt regret, why couldn't he have been there to help, to do something? He all but took the pain on as his own, it soaked through to his core. He too had been at the mercy of some of the worst people he has ever had the displeasure of encountering in this god forsaken city, he too had been attacked, hurt, mercilessly tortured by these fucking terrible people.

Lost in his train of thought and looking straight ahead he couldn't help but sternly say in sympathy "These people are just fucking terrible!" She must have noticed his change in demeanor at this declaration. He suddenly felt a warmth cross his leg, and lightly squeeze. It was smooth and comforting. His concentration broke completely. Pulled out of a trance by her as if the thoughts were just zapped out of his brain. His eyes quickly darted back to her where they followed the length of her shoulder, to her arm, and from her arm to her hand that rested upon his thigh. He felt the muscles in his face relax, his shoulders dropped, jaw unclenched. The sheer power she had over him he thought. The warmth emanating off of her palm was like security, a blanket of nostalgia. He couldn't remember the last time he felt what felt like love, like connection, or attachment. He couldn't help but see flashes of images in his mind, her moving her hand closer to his cock which had began to throb. He tried to brush away those thoughts but they plagued him. She was touching him. Something that never happens to him. He immediately craved her touch, he wanted more, he wondered how that would be possible. He thought this couldn't be real. Not this time.

Once again, breaking his thought pattern she spoke, and he gave her his full attention. "Yeah, but I'm ok now!" She said in a reassuring tone. Her voice, like petals on velvet. Soft, gentle. "You're here now! And so, I feel safe." Safe? He thought, with me? Like she trusts me? He could feel the negative thoughts start to brim to the surface of his mind but quelled them by responding instead. He needed clarification. The words she spoke just didn't make sense to him. He couldn't see why she would or should trust him, although he so badly wanted her to, for this to be true, he needed it to be. He suddenly felt the urge to never leave her, to always be by her side. He would watch, he would follow, and he would do anything for her.

He only imagined what it would be like to know her both romantically and intimately. "You feel safe? W-with me?" He spoke haphazardly, unsure of the answer he wanted to hear, hoped to hear. "I do." She looked into his eyes sincerely. His heart leapt into his throat; he couldn't breathe. She was so fucking beautiful. He wanted to grab her, to feel her against him. He shifted his legs at the thought. Looking up at him like that weakened him in so many ways. Most noticeably, in his pants, where he tried to conceal the results of his dirty thoughts. "Then I will protect you Y/N" he proclaimed proudly. A shy smile touched her lips and she continued to gaze into his eyes. He smiled back. I make her feel safe, he thought. She is comfortable in my presence. No one even bothers talking to me, no one ever wants to talk to me. He had the urge to speak once more but couldn't find the words.

Before either of them could speak, the subway speaker rang out once again in that barely audible robotic toned voice announcing the next stop as the harsh brakes squeaked heavily to a stop. As if anticipating her to leave, he just as quickly stood up and offered out his hand. "Thank you," her voice sang. She turned to face him, her small stature looking up at him once more. He held his composure but felt the heat well up inside him. "It was so nice having someone to ride the train with tonight for a change!" She cheerfully exclaimed with a smile.

She had grabbed her things and had let go of his hand. What sweet bliss it was for the few seconds he had held it. Her fingers, so dainty and soft. The train screeched to a halt, and he instinctively grabbed her hand again and put his other hand at the small of her back to steady her. He could feel the soft curve of her spine. He slowly moved a pinky closer, hoping she wouldn't notice, tracing the line of her jeans as he did, feeling the line of her panty through the fabric. He quickly pulled away as she exited the train. He had held back. He wanted to do so much more. He wanted to turn her around, grab her face and kiss her, shove her onto the subway seats, and have his way with her, make her cry out. He wanted her to miss work. He wanted her to quit! He wanted her all to himself.

This moment was too perfect. It felt like a dream. As she stepped off the platform and began to walk away, he stood as the doors shut, helplessly watching her as she slowly walked. Unable to stop time. As the train brakes hissed and cranked, he saw her stop and turn around. She had stepped to the doors, but it was too late. He watched on as her figure shrunk into the distance as the train traveled once again into the dark tunnel. He waved. He would see her again. He would make sure of that. Platform 19. He thought, I'll remember this time.

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imagines--galore · 7 months ago

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||The Thread of Fate|| Part Twenty-Five

Summary: Soulmate AU. They say the Thread of Fate connects you to your one true love. It may tangle. It may stretch. But it will never break. Wrapped around your little finger it tightens when it feels your soulmate is close and loosens when they are far. And becomes visible with the colors of your soulmate’s Nation when you finally fall in love with them.

Pairing: Zuko x OroraOC (ATLA)

Rating || Genres || Warnings: T+ Romance. Adventure.

Previous Chapters - Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven, Part Eight, Part Nine, Part Ten, Part Eleven, Part Twelve, Part Thirteen, Part Fourteen, Part Fifteen, Part Sixteen, Part Seventeen, Part Eighteen, Part Nineteen, Part Twenty, Part Twenty-One, Part Twenty-Two, Twenty-Three, Twenty Four

A/N: ............this got away from me.........btw I expect reactions from each and every one of you.

Orora was the first one awake.

The sun was barely peeking over the horizon, the sky was only just changing color. And yet, she didn't think she could go back to sleep. Rubbing away the tiredness in her eyes, the young waterbender yawned as she stood up. Stretching her arms above her hand, she rubbed the back of her neck as she looked around at her still sleeping friends.

Aang was still asleep. Thank the Spirits. She smiled at the snoring boy, before moving to put away her bed roll. Making sure she didn't wake anyone, Orora picked up her pack and walked off, enjoying the cool morning air as it caressed her face. She could hear birds as they began to leave their nests for food. The occasional sound of a koala sheep somewhere around the island would break the silence, but nothing else.

Everything was calm.

A blessing since today was the day.

The day of the Solar Eclipse.

The day the Fire Nation would be finally defeated after a hundred years of war.

Or so she hoped.

Shaking her head to get rid of those thoughts for now, she instead focused on the stream she had visited a day or so ago. Quickly dropping the pack she had brought, the waterbender stripped and walked into the water. Allowing the water to carry her, she waded on her back, her eyes on the ever-changing sky above her, her dark brown hair framing her face. The last of the stars were disappearing as the sun's light dimmed their brightness.

She sighed.

"Why do you keep doing that?" She asked the seemingly empty air. There was a beat of silence before his voice called out.

"Doing what?" She didn't move from her afloat position, eyes towards the sky. "Appearing suddenly. I don't have anything to say to you so whats your purpose here?" Though her initial reaction had been a mixture of confusing emotions at seeing him, truthfully, she was getting a little annoyed at not figuring out the reason behind it.

"Don't you?" His voice came again. Orora closed her eyes, letting out an annoyed sound, frowning. "No." She stated firmly.

"Not even about what could happen today?" His voice was soft, almost as if he were pleading her to tell him. Her eyes were still closed, but she could imagine the expression on his face. "You mean what would happen when we defeat the Fire Nation and would have to defeat you and your whole family?"

The water rippled as she finally straightened, looking directly at him where he sat at the bank. "Or are you talking about the part where you would be in ch-chains?" Her voice hitched at the last word.

And she hated herself for it.

Despite what he had done to betray her, she still had feelings for him. Feelings she had tried very hard to ignore, and had pushed to the furthest reaches of her mind because, who had time to deal with them.

Not the healthiest way to go about things, but who cared?!

She allowed her fingers to gently skim the water, creating small ripples on the surface as she did. "I don't think I'll be able to cope with that." The girl finally confessed, her heart aching in her chest as she glanced at her string which began to emit a soft reddish hue.

Movement along the bank had her looking up to see Zuko standing with his hand above his heart. His expression was earnest and there was a strange gleam in his eyes. Almost one of determination, if she read it right. "I promise." He said, his voice solemn. "It won't come to that."

She blinked, and he was gone, leaving her standing in the water feeling like an utter idiot. Of course he would say that. The Zuko before her had been a projection of what she wanted him to be, and how she wanted to be reassured. Just her mind trying to make sense of the feelings she had for him. Orora still couldn't decide what they were, so best to leave them untouched.

Though having him appear in Fire Nation clothes, with his hair a lot longer then it had been in Ba Sing Se, was something new since she had never seen him in either before.

The sky was brighter by the time she finally stepped out of the water. Using her waterbending to dry herself off, including her hair, the girl turned her attention to the pack.

Time to show the world what her roots were.

First she made sure her under garments were secure around her chest and hips. She had to make new ones since she had felt a little constricted in the ones she had before. Probably a growth spurt, she mused to herself as she tied the chest binds behind her back. Once done, she pulled on the pants she had sewn. They were made of a dark grey slightly stretchy material that settled against her like a second skin. Next she turned to the new shirt she had been working on the past two days.

Rather then a light blue like Katara had chosen to wear, Orora had gone for a blue that was much darker in color. Almost as dark as the ones the Water Tribe Warriors wore when they dressed up for battle. The style was similar to Katara's with barely any sleeves, long in the front and back as well as split at the side to allow better leg movement. A light blue decorated the border of the entire shirt and the measurements had been accurate enough that it showed off her slightly curvy muscled figure while also allowing her room to move.

The one thing she had added, was a white patch in the shape of a full moon, with a crescent outlined within, just above her heart. A nod to the Moon Spirit who had guided her in her time of need. Next Orora pulled on the fingerless leather gloves she had bought, making sure they were snug and fit against her skin. They were the same color as her pants, bringing the whole outfit together nicely. Quickly pulling on her shoes, the ones she'd been using since she was sure she could bend through them, Orora created a mirror of ice to see her reflection. The entire outfit reminded her of the one she had first worn in Ba Sing Se. With a few tweaks thrown in here and there.

Picking up her comb, she quickly ran it through her hair. Now that her hair was long enough, it was easy to pull it up into a ponytail, tying it with a blue ribbon. But not before a simple swipe of her bending had some of the hair covering her forehead floating to the ground, allowing her to swipe her hair to the sides. They were shorter, meaning they couldn't be tucked into her ponytail, so they framed her face instead, allowing her features to appear much softer then they were. The white patch was parted now since it rested almost in the center of her forehead, so the majority of the hair on one side was white while the other side was a mixture of white and brown.

Satisfied with her appearance, she picked up the Fire Nation clothes she'd been wearing and bundled them up. With one final glance at her reflection, she bended the water back into the river, and walked back to camp.

————————–

It didn't take long for everyone, minus Aang, to wake up and go about changing their own clothes. Seems she wasn't the only one with the idea of fighting in the colors of her nation. Sokka and Katara had quickly changed into their Water Tribe blues, while Toph was eager to get back into her Earth Kingdom clothes.

While Toph sat around, and Katara handed her brother something to drink whilst he poured over maps, once again, Orora made sure she had the straps of her water skins wrapped tightly around her chest. She would be wearing them similar to Katara's, but there was a certain accessory she would be adding, but not until a little later.

There was a certain nervousness around their small camp. With everyone lost in their own thoughts, thinking of what was to come in the next few hours. Her blue gaze drifted towards the sky where the sun was shining.

"Top of the morning, Momo!" Aang's sudden voice had everyone's attention turning to the young Avatar. Orora smiled, seeing him well-rested and back to his old cheerful self. The kid had deserved that good night's sleep.

"Sounds like you slept well." Katara commented, a hand on her hip and a smile on her lips

Aang nodded, moving his hand aside in a sweeping motion. "Like a baby moose lion." He stated before assuming a fighting stance and raised his fists in the air. "I'm ready to face the Fire Lord." He called out in an exuberant tone.

Toph smiled. "So, what's your strategy for taking him down?" She raised her hands to her eyes and wiggled them around. "Gonna get your glow on and hit him with a little Avatar State action?" She ended with a punch in the air. No sooner had her statement finished when Aang's shoulders dropped and he sighed.

"I can't." He said, his voice heavy with regret and sorrow. "When Azula shot me with lightning, my seventh chakra was locked, cutting off my connection to all the cosmic energy in the universe." Orora rose from her place to place a comforting hand on his shoulder, which he accepted with a small smile.

"You know what I just heard?" Toph asked with a roll of her eyes. "Blah, blah, spiritual mumbo jumbo blah, blah, something about space." Orora frowned at the younger girl before turning her attention to Aang.

"Well maybe the Eclipse will give us enough of an advantage that you won't need the Avatar State." She suggested, to which Aang gave a grateful smile, glad to have someone ease his worries a bit.

From the corner of her eyes, Katara caught sight of a thick fog coming their way. "Oh, no." She said softly, her forehead creased in concern. "Sokka? Do you think the fog will delay the invasion?" She asked her brother who was standing up and moving to investigate said fog.

"No." He exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. "That is the invasion!"

The words were barely out of his mouth when all five children were racing down to the shoreline where the ships would be docking. Aang and Toph quickly bended several raised columns from beneath the water to form a makeshift dock for the ships to anchor. As she watched the ships dock one by one, Orora couldn't help but feel excited about all the people she would be meeting.

Sokka had told her about the plan in detail during their time after Ba Sing Se, when Aang had been unconscious. She had even added in her opinion, which he had greatly appreciated.

And now all those months of waiting and planning were coming down to this one moment.

The ships docked and people began to disembark. There were several faces she recognized, some of them standing out more then others, mostly those who had traveled with them after Ba Sing Se.

Katara and Sokka, catching sight of their father, hurried towards him with the other three following.

"You made it, Dad!" Katara exclaimed, embracing her father while Sokka grinned at him. "Were you able to locate everyone I told you to find?" He asked, eager to know.

Hakoda nodded. "I did." Behind him two men in strange leaf clothing stepped off the ship. "But I'm a little worried, Sokka. Some of these men aren't exactly the 'warrior type'." He stated looking back at the disembarking people. Orora pushed herself on her tiptoes to glance over his shoulder to see who he was referring to.

"Oooh-whee!" One of them said, swinging his arm around. "This place ain't nothing like a swamp." He stated before instantly pointing at a rock protruding out of the water. "What you reckon that is, Tho? Some sort of Fire Nation exploding trap what eat ya?" His words had Orora questioning Sokka's decision on calling upon old friends for help.

What kind of people had they run into before she had joined them?

Then again, they did have a run in with a man who could shoot fire from his mind while she was in the group, so they looked tamer compared to him.

"It's just a rock, Due." The man's companion responded to which his friend scratched his head, grinning. "Well, I'll be." He stated. Orora pursed her lips glancing at Sokka who looked positively delighted at the prospect of people actually coming.

Hakoda shook his head. "Is it just me, or are those fellas a little loose in the leaf-hat?" Orora grinned. "Maybe that's why Sokka asked you to bring 'em. So he would pass off as normal compared to them." Aang, Toph and Katara laughed while Sokka glared at Orora, a vein popping in his forehead. Hakoda shook his head, smiling as he held his arm out.

"Its good to see you still humbling my son, Orora." He said with a warm fatherly look in his eyes, one that had the young girl beaming as she took his offered arm in a warrior grasp. "Glad to have you with us, Chief Hakoda." She said, just as Bato stopped beside them, glancing at another who had stepped off the boat.

"I just wish they would wear pants." Was his only complaint to which Orora and Katara glanced at one another and then towards the figure who was wearing only leaves to cover his.........front. Sokka didn't seem to notice the looks his father, Bato, Orora and Katara were giving one another.

"Well come on! Lets get you all ashore!" Aang exclaimed, already leading the way to the shoreline where people from the rest of the ships were gathering.

It seemed Sokka had asked his father to travel all over the Earth Kingdom to gather as many of their allies as possible. It was strange seeing so many people of two different nations together. Blues and greens mixing into one.

Orora found herself being introduced to the Foggy Swamp members. She'd heard about all of them before, the others having told her all about their adventures, but now she could actually put faces to their names.

She was speaking to the pant-less Huu when she heard her name being called. Excusing herself, the girl quickly walked towards where Aang and Katara were standing next to several people from the Earth Kingdom. "Orora you remember when Katara helped bust people out of prison?" Aang asked, looking proudly at his soulmate, who blushed. Orora smiled, crossing her arms over her chest. "Yes, I remember it rather vaguely." She jested, to which Aang rolled his eyes at her playfully.

"Well, this is Haru and that's his dad Tyro!" He said, gesturing to a boy who couldn't be that much older then her and an older man who was clearly his father. "A lot of earthbenders from their village came to help." She turned to smile at the two of them.

"Well I hope they're inspired enough today to help us defeat the Fire Nation." The waterbender said to which Haru nodded with a determined look on his face. "We've faced many desolate and hopeless situations alone, so one where we fight beside our allies and friends is sure to inspire us." He responded, to which Orora grinned and held out her hand for him to shake.

"Welcome aboard! Hope you have fun kicking Fire Nation butt today." They'd barely shaken hands when she felt her other hand being taken by someone.

Orora recognized the smaller hand before she even looked. Turning to Toph who was trying to pull her away, Orora smiled apologetically at Haru and his father. "I'll see you later then!" With that she allowed Toph to pull her away, leaving behind a smiling Haru, with his father nudging his shoulder and smiling teasingly at him.

"What is it Toph?" Orora asked, unable to decipher the distress the younger girl seemed to be exhibiting as they both stood a little ways away from the rest of the group.

Toph took a deep breath before she held up her left hand, pinky out. "I felt the tug."

No sooner had the words left her mouth when Orora gasped loudly and turned around to look at the various people milling about. "When did you feel it? Where were you? Who were you with?" Her eyes went from one face to the other, trying to see if she could somehow guess who it was.

"I felt the tug from the last ship." Toph said, pointing in the general vicinity of the ship. Orora squinted to see Sokka standing there speaking to several people. Two of whom she had never seen before, and yet the other two.

"Its The Duke and Pipsqueak." She muttered softly to which Toph nodded. "So is it one of them?" Orora asked when the girl remained. Toph shrugged in response, to which the older girl sighed. Even though she couldn't see her, Orora still dropped down to crouch before the younger girl, a hand on her shoulder.

"Whats wrong Toph? Why are you so hesitant about this? You know who it is don't you?" A moment of silence before Toph nodded. "And you can't tell him because......" She trailed off, allowing the younger girl the time she needed to explain her reasoning.

Toph licked her lips, before closing her eyes. "Because......I'm scared." Since the day she had known her, Orora had never heard fear in Toph's voice. Really the younger girl appeared almost fearless with how she faced the world. But now? She even sounded scared.

"Why would you be scared of knowing who he is?" The older girl asked her voice soft and kind. Toph reached out to place a hand on Orora's cheek, almost as if she were reassuring herself that the other girl was there.

"Because of what happened to you." Orora's heart plummeted in her chest. "You were so broken after what Zuko did to you, and he did it even though there was nothing wrong with you. Who would want a soulmate who's blind?!"

Orora bit her lower lip, understanding flashing in her blue eyes. "So you're afraid he would reject you, because you're blind." Toph didn't even nod, instead the hand against her cheek only tensed. Orora sighed.

"You know when I met Zuko, I was determined that I would never accept him as my soulmate, because he was from the Fire Nation." She hadn't really revealed the more intimate details of her feelings for the Fire Nation Prince, but mostly because she was confused herself. But to ease Toph's worries, she would gladly sift through her messy, tangled emotions. "And while he accepted that as a reason, he also thought I wouldn't accept him because of the scar on his face."

Toph frowned to which Orora explained further. "He has an ugly scar from where his father burned him. His entire left side is burned off." She shifted Toph's hand on her cheek so the girl could determine where the scar was. "He told me how the scar was ugly and that no one would accept him because of it." She paused, sighing wistfully as she smiled softly. "Truthfully? The scar was the least of my concerns. My main concern was trying not to have feelings for him though I failed at that front. Quite epically."

Finally, Toph cracked a smile. Taking both of her hands in her own, Orora continued to smile at Toph. "What I'm saying Toph, is that I had feelings for him despite the scar because of the person he was. That's how soulmates work. To them you are the most beautiful person in the world. And you are, on the outside and the inside."

Toph's unseeing eyes were swimming with tears as she sniffled. Orora couldn't help herself as she gathered the younger girl in her arms and just hugged her tight. "Thanks Orora." The girl said, her voice slightly muffled before she finally stepped away wiping the remnant of her tears.

Standing up straight the older girl patted her shoulder. "Just be yourself, and I'm sure he will worship the ground you walk on." Toph grinned, her old spark returning as her head and shoulders lifted. "I like the sound of that." She hummed as the two of them began to walk back to the assembled crowd.

"Well, you know what they say, 'Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.'"

"Really? Eye jokes in front of a blind girl?"

"Oh please since when have you found them offensive."

"Since now."

"Then the next one will be an eye-opener for you."

Thwack!

"Ow! Easy with the punches Toph!"

"But that's how I show affection Ice Princess."

"I think I prefer the hugs."

————————–

Phase One of the Invasion Plan was about to commence.

The speeches were made, the plans were explained, every detail was spelled out for all of them and leaders were appointed. There had been a little hiccup, when Sokka had began to explain the plan from the very beginning.

Literally the beginning.

But his father had stepped in to help out and now it was Battle Stations.

Orora stood beside Katara who was filling water into her water skins. She'd done that just a few minutes ago and was now creating several ice daggers to hang from the belt around her waist. She also created an intricate looking hair pin with the Water Tribe emblem within which she secured in her hair, just above her ponytail. Every aspect of her outfit was chosen to help her in the upcoming battle.

She would rather face some horrifying spirit rather then be defenseless and at the mercy of the Fire Nation.

The older girl glanced at Katara who was just finishing up with her water skins. The other girl met her gaze and gave a small smile. But that wasn't enough for Orora. Not after all that they had been through together. Katara seemed to have the same idea because the moment Orora stepped forward, the younger girl was meeting her halfway in an embrace that was just as affectionate as it was desperate.

No words were spoken, and really no words were needed. The two girls understood one another on a level that even sisters couldn't hope to achieve. Even though not a drop of blood was shared between them, Katara and Orora knew that the bond they shared ran deep.

"Stay safe out there." Katara urged, to which Orora gave a nod.

"You too. Watch your back." With that the two sisters walked back to the shoreline where everyone was beginning to assemble waiting for their next orders.

As Katara walked off to her father's side, Orora spotted Sokka and Aang returning. With Aang looking like his old self. She smiled at the younger boy who stopped before her while Sokka walked by, probably to speak to his father some more.

"Look at you. How does the head feel?" She asked, playfully rubbing the top of his newly shaved head to which he laughed. "Feels great! I feel like myself again." He admitted. "And thanks for the robe, I know it wasn't easy to make since it was burnt in places." Orora shook her head. "Katara came up with the idea and the design, so really you should be thanking her."

They both turned to look at the girl in question who was busy listening to what her father was saying. "You know, we might run into Zuko today."

Her heart jumped in her throat, her stomach roiled and her muscles tensed. Though on the outside she simply pursed her lips and nodded. "I realized we would, and I have made peace with that and accepted the fact that we might have to fight him today." Though she hoped it wouldn't come to that. This time it was Aang who took her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. "That is wise of you Orora, but don't think of your feelings for him as a weakness. Maybe he feels just as trapped as you. I mean, you did say he told you his string glowed as well didn't it? So that means he had feelings for you, and still does." He gave her an encouraging look. "Maybe those feelings will help him make a good decision."

Though his words were meant to give her some semblance of hope, Orora didn't have the heart to tell the boy how they only made her feel even sadder. Still she smiled at him as best as she could and nodded. "We can just hope things go well today. You're lucky your soulmate is fighting on the same side as you."

Aang nodded, though he didn't look very happy about that. "Yeah, lucky." He parroted in a strangely dismal tone that had Orora frowning at him. There was a brief beat of silence before the older girl spoke.

"You know you're always giving other people advice. I think it's high time you get some too." He turned to look at her curiously. The waterbender smiled gently at him. "Ever since I've known you Aang, you've always put the world before yourself. Even in Ba Sing Se, you were willing to give up your feelings for Katara to save her. But maybe, for once, why don't you try putting yourself first and just act on how you feel."

As she spoke the last few words, her gaze shifted towards Katara and Aang followed her line of sight.

The boy was silent for a few brief seconds before he finally nodded. Orora beamed at him before patting his shoulder. "It will all work out. I promise."

As they began to walk back to the others, Aang glanced off in the distance. "You know, I just realized, the others have been to Air Temples before but you and Toph haven't. Maybe after all this is over, I'll take you to the Western Air Temple. Its nearby and its really cool." Orora smiled at his plan and could only nod in confirmation.

"I'll hold you to that promise then."

————————–

At the Fire Nation Palace, everyone was starting to move out and into their secret hideouts. The Capital was getting quieter by the second and the Palace was emptying every minute.

However, Zuko made no move to follow everyone else as they took their places in their assigned bunker or whatever hiding place they had.

It didn't matter to him.

Nothing did now.

Other then what he had decided.

He removed his head piece and armor, putting it aside to reveal the clothes he was wearing underneath. Once done, he moved to sit down in front of his writing table and began to pen a letter he would be leaving behind for Mai, explaining to her what he was doing and why.

She deserved to know.

She was, after all, the only person who had supported him and listened to him during his time back here.

But now, it was time for him to move forward and do what he had been born to do.

The glow of his string was his only companion, making him feel a little less alone.

————————–

The fleet of ships were well on their way towards the Great Gates of Azulon. Orora stood on the deck of one of the ships. Every waterbender they had was divided amongst the ships, putting her on the second one with many of the Earthbenders.

A signal from the main ship had her nodding. "Fog cover." She called out, already dropping in the required stance, her arms moving in a fluid motion as she and the rest of the swamp benders helped create a thick fog that would cover them for the time being.

Though the moment was short lived.

A loud bell began to ring and in front of them, where the statue of Azulon was, rose a huge net from the water. And it was on fire. Her eyes widened at the sight, but Hakoda's command to get below deck was quickly heard over the commotion of the approaching patrol boats.

Orora followed after her retreating comrades, and to the submarine that was attached to the bottom of the ship. She slid down the ladder, her feet thumping against the metal floor of Sokka's invention as she took up her place with the rest of the swamp benders.

As soon as Tyro gave her the signal, each of them began to do a push and pull motion, allowing the submarine to begin swimming through the water. Out of the window beside her, she could see the other submarines as well.

"Seems your plan worked Sokka." She commented to herself, smiling as she did.

Phase One was complete.

————————–

The door to his cell opened, and when he saw who it was, Iroh couldn't help but smile.

"Lunchtime, General Iroh." Ming called, her tone respectful and soft, as opposed to all the other wardens. She knelt down in front of his cell and whispered. "And this time, I brought you an extra bowl of rice."

Iroh smiled. "Thank you, Ming. Your little gestures of kindness have made my days in prison bearable. He hummed to himself. "I think you should take the rest of the day off."

"What?" Confusion colored her tone as she frowned softly.

"You don't look well." Iroh insisted. "Maybe you should go home and rest. "

Ming shook her head, shrugging. "No, I feel fine."

"Trust me." He said, his voice soft and grave. "It is better that you are not here this afternoon." A beat of silence where Ming stared at him before a look of understanding passed over her features. She nodded before straightening up and walking out, leaving Iroh to his thoughts. He had already allowed one young girl to be hurt while under his watchful eye, and he would not see it happen again.

His heart ached to think of his young former pupil. So full of life and optimism.

Iroh could only hope his nephew would finally come to his senses and do the right thing.

————————–

The only downside of the submarine was the limited amount of air within. Which was why they had to resurface pretty quickly. And a good thing too, because some people had gotten a little motion sickness and had barely managed to hold everything in.

Quickly waterbending from one submarine to the next, Orora handed out some medicinal leaves for those who were ailing to chew on. She'd spent a majority of her money on buying different herbal leaves, roots and flowers that she knew would come in handy on the day of the Invasion. She'd built her small apothecary and had sewn a few hidden pockets in her dress to hide them in small paper packets.

"You're a life saver Orora." Haru said as she handed his father as well as other earthbenders some leaves. She only smiled in response, before quickly jumping to the submarine where Katara, Sokka and Toph were waiting for her.

"Chew on these." The girl ordered Toph, who looked more then a little green, all but shoving the bitter tasting leaves into her mouth. Though the earthbender made a disgusted sound she obediently did as Orora asked, and felt better almost instantly.

Aang, who had been guiding Appa underwater, landed near them. "So, this is it huh?" He said, his voice soft as his friends approached him. Sokka grinned. "Are you ready for the Fire Nation to know the Avatar is alive?"

Aang nodded without hesitation, a look of determination on his face. "I'm ready." Though the two boys moved in for a handshake, it quickly became a group hug as they all wrapped their arms around one another, holding their little family close.

"I hope you kick some serious Fire Lord butt, Twinkle Toes." Toph said, prompting the rest of them to laugh a little at her statement, easing the tension they all felt. Orora smiled at all of them, wrapping an arm around Sokka's shoulder, who mirrored her act, as Hakoda called to everyone.

"Everyone listen up. The next time we resurface, it'll be on the beaches. So stay alert, and fight smart. Now break time's over, back in the subs." Nodding at Orora, Sokka and Toph quickly followed after Hakoda disappearing into the Sub, along with Momo. Orora waterbended herself back to her Sub just as Haru and his father were beginning their descent.

She waited for them to disappear before she began to climb in. Orora paused as she reached back to grab the lid of the Sub, her eyes landing on the two figures that were still standing there.

Aang and Katara.

With Aang stepping away from his soulmate after kissing her.

Smiling to herself, the young waterbender closed the lid tightly, walking back to her previous station.

————————–

With every graceful yet powerful motion of her arms, as well as those of the swamp benders, they were getting closer and closer to the main shoreline of the Fire Nation capital. Orora would be lying if she said she wasn't nervous, but her nervousness was pushed aside in favor of determination and a sense of purpose.

This was what she had been training to for for more then half a year now.

And she was about to show the Fire Nation just how far she had come from the helpless girl she had been during her first encounter with them.

She would stand beside her family, friends and allies and fight to end the tyranny of the Fire Nation once and for all.

Through the water and metal wall around her, alarm bells began to sound, and she knew they had arrived.

Her sharp eyes caught the telltale sign of a harpoon from the window as it flew through the water from where it was fired from the surface. One of them skimmed by dangerously close to their Sub.

"Veer to the left!" She ordered, moving her arms in a certain motion that would push the Sub a little off course. The swamp benders followed her order.

"Orora! We need you upfront!" Haru's voice called from the front. She left her post, racing towards the small area where two earthbenders were loading a torpedo covered in ice.

As soon as it was in, and once she had the signal, Orora thrust her arms forward with all her strength, pushing the torpedo out into the water. There was a muffled bang which had the Sub lurching slightly, before things quietened down again.

"Swamp benders! To your positions now!" Orora called over the clamor of the earthbenders as they readied their tanks and other manners of vehicles.

Orora took up her position at the front of the swamp benders, just behind the line of earthbenders. She stood beside them, her water skins opening to allow her arms to be coated in water.

She waited in position for the Subs to rise from the water.

She waited with baited breath as the Subs opened and the sounds and smell of the battle hit her senses.

She allowed her instincts to take over as she raced out of the Sub, her battle cry merging with those of her fellow comrades as they faced the Fire Nation head on.

Sokka had told her that her primary target would be to take out as many tanks and other weapons of destruction with her water bending.

And that is exactly what she did.

The moment she stepped on solid ground, her cold calculated eyes zeroed in on a nearing tank. With a shout she threw her arm forward, allowing a part of the water she had to break away in the form of a sharp ice spear and hit the wheels of the tank. The spear jammed in the mechanism, toppling the tank over given the speed it was coming at, and rendering it useless.

Orora didn't even waited. She moved on.

There were several Fire Nation soldiers in front of her, and she wasted no time in taking them out. Allowing a ring of water to arch through the air, it sent the group of soldiers flying in different directions. Several of them were knocked unconscious after hitting the walls while others regained their footing and charged her.

Orora wasted no time.

She all but danced out of their way as they tried to land a hit with their firebending. Bringing up a wall of ice, the girl quickly propelled herself to the top of it, taking the soldiers on the other side completely by surprise. She landed on one's head, knocking him out, while the other she took out with a roundhouse kick, sending him flying. Another one was brought down with an ice punch to the face, while the one left didn't even put up a fight. Instead she raced off with a terrified scream.

Orora smirked to herself.

"Nice moves, Ice Princess!" Toph complimented as she came to a stop near her. "How about we show them a little Earth on Water action?" The bling girl suggested, prompting the older girl to drop in a stance as a new wave of tanks and war vehicles neared them with the battlements raining havoc from above.

Toph created a disc of earth, allowing it to rise from the ground a little to create a platform. Pressing her hand to the center of the platform, the older girl created spikes made of ice protrude all along the smooth surface of the pillar. With her hand on Toph's shoulder, she guided the girl where to launch the spiked discs. Once they launched, they would find their mark, and had barely allowed the Fire Nation soldiers around the to recover, when Orora would make a dismissive hand gesture and the ice spikes would go flying in every direction of the enemy. One after another found its mark, until nearly all their targets were taken out. Most of them being battlements. The ones left were being destroyed by Sokka, Katara and Hakoda.

"Stay safe!" Orora called to Toph who raced away to join her fellow earthbenders. Seeing several of the tanks overwhelming her fellow water tribe members, Orora quickly moved to take action.

Racing to get a little closer to the water, she threw her arms forward, pulling up twin strips of water. Her arms shook from the effort and sweat lined her forehead, but she circled her arms above her head, before spreading her arms wide, creating spikes at the end of her water whips.

"Take cover!" She shouted at her sister tribe. They barely had time to duck behind their shields before Orora's arms circled in the air, the water whips following her command the spikes at the end penetrating the metal surface of the tanks. Most of them stopped, the sharp edges catching important wires and rendering themselves useless. The few that were left running, were quickly knocked over by another swipe of her water whips, though this time she didn't use and spikes at the end.

"Is everyone alright?" She asked, racing towards Bato who had been a part of the group she had just helped. The older man smiled and nodded, clapping her on the shoulder. "That was some powerful waterbending Orora." He praised to which the girl simply shrugged, a pleased smile on her face.

"Well practice makes perfect, doesn't it?"

Suddenly the sound of Appa's groaning had her looking up just in time to see the bison land behind a wall to take shelter. Something was wrong, she felt it in her gut.

Throwing her arm out to create a shield lest one of the Fire Nation soldiers manage to hit her with their fireball, she raced across the battlement to where Appa had landed, dread filling her stomach as she went.

————————–

In the silence of the Palace, Zuko knelt before a painting of his mother.

"I know I've made some bad choices." He said, his voice soft and full of remorse. "But today, I'm gonna set things right." He promised before he rose to his feet. Picking up his swords, he covered his head with the hood of his robe. With one final glance at his mother's face, he left.

————————–

"What happened?" Orora asked as she came to a halt on her knees where she had skidded across the ground to reach the small family. Katara was working on healing her father, both children looking extremely distraught.

"He's hurt. Bad." Katara said, pulling her hands away to allow Orora to take a look since the older girl had more experience with healing. Her eyes quickly assessed the wound, her hand already flying to her pocket where she knew she would find the herb she would need. Good thing she'd already blended it into a paste before.

Using a small bubble of water, she allowed the paste to mix with the clear liquid, turning its color a murky green. The water settled over the wound as she pressed her hands atop it. Hakoda grunted in pain briefly before his entire body relaxed and his breathing evened out.

"That should stop the bleeding, but he'll need a couple more minutes of healing." She said just as an explosion sounded from beyond the wall they had taken refuge behind. Orora winced, glancing in the direction of the battle.

"I'll stay with Dad, go with Sokka." Katara urged, already moving to heal her Father some more. As Sokka moved to climb atop Appa, Orora made to follow. But stopped when Hakoda called out to her.

He was looking at her with a gentle smile. "Keep your brother from doing anything stupid." A swell of pride and a mixture of emotions rose within her. But now was not the time to act on them. With a firm nod, she jumped onto Appa beside Sokka and the three of them flew off.

As Appa landed, he took out a tank by himself, shoving it aside with a mighty roar. Sokka and Orora slid down, with the former taking charge. "Listen up, everyone. I want the tanks in wedge formation. Warriors and benders in the middle. We're taking that tower, and heading for the royal palace."

Quickly finding her place, Orora found herself standing beside Haru. "Fancy meeting you here." She said in a joking tone, to which he grinned back at her. "You know you don't usually find pretty girls on the battle ground." As she pulled out a stream of water from her other water skin, the girl shrugged. "Probably because Katara is helping her Dad out." She responded. From her other side, Toph let out a disgusted sound. "Blegh! Flirt in your own time Ice Princess. We got a Tower to take over."

Orora rolled her eyes. "Its called making conversation Toph." She said as she nonchalantly created several small icicle daggers, nestling them between her fingers as she prepared to attack, waiting for Sokka's signal.

"Charge!"

With a huge battle cry, the army moved forward.

————————–

They had taken the Tower.

Phase Two was complete.

Their tanks had formed a protective barrier around them with the earthbenders fending off any aerial attacks of fireballs. Orora had moved on to the second part of her duties.

Healing the wounded.

So far she had healed burns from explosions and firebending, quickly and efficiently sewn up split skin, mended a broken arm, and pushed a dislocated leg back into it's joint. Not to mention the amount of healing she had done using her waterbending abilities and the numbing salve she had passed around to anyone experiencing pain above a normal level.

With Katara busy working on her father, every task fell to Orora. But she made no complaint. The young waterbender shouldered the burden as she healed and did her duty. After nearly an hour and a half, the wounded were tended to and back in fighting shape. Orora slumped back against one of the tanks, tired and drained.

Behind her the air exploded with the sound of another attack and she winced at the loud noise.

A water skin appeared at her side, with Toph attached to the other end. "Drink up!" The girl urged. Thanking the young girl, Orora all but drained the contents of the water skin, her body gaining strength with each gulp of cool fresh water.

"Come on! Sokka wants to go over the next part of the plan with us." Toph said, reaching out to help the older girl up. Orora made no protest as she followed the girl, just as Hakoda and Katara appeared with the former leaning heavily on the latter.

"Dad!" Sokka called out and approaching the both of them. "You're on your feet again."

Hakoda nodded, though Orora could see he was still very weak. "Thanks to your sister and Orora. I'm in no shape to fight, but maybe there's some way I can help." He said, not wanting to sit by and do nothing.

"Heads up!" A voice called as a fireball flew their way.

Immediately Katara and Orora stepped forward, swinging their arms towards the sky, the two sent twin bubbles of water in the direction of the fireball, freezing it midway.

Katara stood with her hands cupped in front of her, towards which Orora took a running start. The younger girl boosted Orora up into the air, allowing her to fly upwards where she threw her leg out in an arc, swiping it across the approaching frozen fireball and disintegrating it into a thousand harmful blunt ice crystals. She landed on the ground in a crouch.

"See? Told you it would come in handy." Katara stated with a smug smile at Orora, who rolled her eyes playfully. "When did you two practice that?" Sokka demanded to know. Katara raised an eyebrow at her brother. "What did you think we did when we went swimming? Splash around the water?" The other girl laughed at Sokka's still dumbfounded expression.

As she quickly moving to stand beside Sokka he seemed to find his ability to speak once again.

"Everything's going smoothly and the eclipse hasn't even kicked in yet." He said, not noticing his sister who glanced at her hand and frowned before her eyes trained towards the sky above.

"Let's hope our luck holds out." Hakoda said before he noticed his daughter looking away. "Katara, you seem distracted. Is something wrong?" He asked.

Katara nodded. "Yeah. Is that ... is that Aang?" She pointed towards the approaching flying figure. Everyone stood up, eyes towards the sky. As soon as Aang landed, Sokka was on him.

"Please tell me you're here because the Fire Lord turned out to be a big wimp and you didn't even need the eclipse to take him down." He pleaded as Orora moved to kneel down beside Sokka as Katara and Aang assumed the same position with Toph standing just beside them.

"He wasn't home. No one was. The entire palace city is abandoned."

Orora blinked. "But why would they-" She was cut off by Sokka who's eyes widened in realization. "They knew." A horrified silence filled the air once the reality of what Sokka had said settled in.

Orora felt her insides turn to ice.

They had known.

The Fire Nation had known about their plan and had time to prepare for it.

"It's over." Aang said, his voice full of dismay. "The Fire Lord is probably long-gone; far away on some remote island where he'll be safe during the eclipse."

Sokka, however, had other ideas. "No." He stated, shaking his head. "My instincts tell me he wouldn't go too far. He would have a secret bunker; somewhere he could go and be safe during the siege but still be close enough to lead his nation."

Toph stepped up, grinning. "If it's an underground secret bunker we're looking for," She pointed to herself. "Then I'm just the girl to find it."

Pulling out a small device, Sokka observed it quickly. "The Mechanist gave me this timing device." He explained. "It looks like we've got about ten minutes until the full eclipse. Ten minutes to find the Fire Lord." He added to which Orora pursed her lips, her mind already preparing for what was to come.

Aang nodded with a look of sheer determination. "We can still do this." He stated. "We can still win the day."

"Wait!" Katara stepped forward. "If they knew we were coming it could all be a trap. Maybe we should use the time we have left to make sure we all get out of here safely."

Orora shook her head. "We can't wait for another chance to come our way like today Katara. We have to try and end this." She stated as Hakoda stepped forward.

"Everyone who's here today came prepared to risk everything for this mission." He gestured towards the still fighting army. "They know what's at stake. If there's still a chance and there's still hope, I think they would want Aang to go for it." He ended after which Sokka turned his attention to Aang.

"What do you think? You're the one that has to face the Fire Lord." He reached out to grasp his shoulder. "Whatever you decide, I'm with you."

Aang took a brief pause where he looked at each of them individually before rising to his feet. "I've gotta try."

As Toph, Sokka and Aang prepared to take off, Orora, who had been struggling with an idea forming in her mind, stepped forward.

"Wait! I-I think I should go with you." Her mind was running a mile a minute. "The Fire Nation family will be secured somewhere together. I can lead the way."

"But won't they know you're coming?" Katara asked, stepping forward and looking worried. Sokka frowned. "They won't have their bending, not much damage they can do. Climb on, Orora."

With a brief squeeze of Katara's hand. "I'll keep them safe." She whispered to the worried looking girl. Katara nodded, watching as the older girl quickly jumped on Appa's head. It didn't take them long to reach the outskirts of the volcano in which the capital city resided.

As soon as Appa landed, everyone jumped off, with Toph placing her hand on the ground to feel the vibrations.

"Do you feel anything down there?" Aang asked, to which Toph nodded.

"Yep. There are natural tunnels criss-crossing through the inside of the volcano." She responded before Sokka added.

"Anything else? Is there a structure somewhere?" Toph stepped back before digging her fingers into the surface to feel the earth even deeply. "There is something big, dense and made of metal deep in the heart of the volcano."

Sokka raised his arms in the air in triumph. "Sounds like a secret bunker to me." Toph quickly earthbended a hole into the side of the volcano and jumped in. Everyone, minus Appa and Momo followed suit.

Toph leaned over to press her hand to the ground once more, while Orora inspected her finger to try and see if she could feel any tugging.

"Anything?" Aang asked her, to which she shook her head. Toph, meanwhile, pointed in one direction. "This way! That one's a dead end!"

Without hesitation everyone filed after her. "What would we do without you?" Sokka exclaimed.

"Perish in burning hot magma." She stated as they walked past one that was just that. "Yeah, pretty much." Sokka stated as they carefully walked past. The deeper they traveled the hotter it got, and the larger the streams of magma became. Sweat lined her forehead, and Orora could feel her clothes sticking to her skin. After a minute or so the small group paused at the edge of a geyser field.

A very active geyser field.

"The tunnel continues on the other side and it leads right to the bunker." Toph stated as Orora stepped forward. Taking on a stance that was slight earthbending in nature, she pushed her hands to the ground, feeling the burning hot water below and keeping it all at bay for them to pass easily.

"We'll have to be fast, but careful." Sokka stated as they all began to make their way carefully across the field. Orora was able to hold off most of them, but some managed to slip past her as she began to loose a little control over the natural aspect that was inevitable.

Though soon they came to another problem.

A river of lava.

"There's no floor. It's just a river of lava." Sokka bemoaned.

Aang, who was not to be deterred, simply opened his staff. "Climb aboard and hold on tight."

Orora and Sokka glanced at one another and gulped.

A full three minutes of screaming in fear on Sokka, Orora and Toph's part later, they had safely passed over the lava river and were sprinting their way towards a large metal dome like structure with a huge door.

Sokka look rather impressed. "That's some door!" He said as Toph walked over to it and banged the metal with her fist. "Not a problem." She stated confidently. A few seconds later they were on the other side.

"I am so glad we added you to the group!" Sokka stated excitedly. "You feel anything yet Orora?" Aang asked as they raced down a series of more tunnels. Orora had no time to reply when they ran into a Fire Nation citizen just walking around.

Probably out on a stroll.

Immediately, the man found himself cornered by four young children, each wearing an expression of utter fierceness and cold calculation.

The man looked like he was ready to soil himself.

"The Fire Lord's chamber is that way, down the hall, to the left, and up the stairs, you can't miss it!" He babbled without any of them having to say a single word.

Aang was the only one polite enough to call a thanks over his shoulder. As the four of them departed, the man seemed to relax slightly. Only for a blue blur to fly through the air and envelop his mouth in an ice mask.

The man's frantic yet muffled sounds of distress followed them for awhile before they tapered off as they ran further into the tunnel system.

Pulling out his device Sokka checked the time. "Only thirty seconds until the total eclipse." He stated just as they approached a set of large doors.

Aang was the one to step forward this time, a look of determination on his face. "I'm ready." He said, standing tall and powerful. "I'm ready to face the Fire Lord." Orora looked at her finger.

The string still wasn't tugging.

"Aang wait!"

But it was too late. Blasting the door open with his airbending, Aang raced inside, and with a brief moment of hesitation on Orora's part, the other three following right after him.

Though the sight of the Princess instead of the Fire Lord had them halting dead in their tracks.

————————–

Zuko stood before a small metal door, burning torches on either side of it casting shadows across his face as he briefly closed his eyes, inhaling softly.

"I'm ready to face you." He whispered to himself. With that he reached out to open the door. On the other side, his father sat on the far side of the room, drinking tea. He was surrounded by several guards from the Royal Procession, but their presence did not deter Zuko. Fire Lord Ozai set his cup down when he saw his son standing across from him.

"Prince Zuko?" His forehead creased in a frown, while a look of anger crossed his features. "What are you doing here? Why are you here?' He demanded to know.

"I'm here to tell the truth." Zuko stated, drawing strength from the memories of the two people who had stood by him no matter what.

Ozai raised an eyebrow. "Telling the truth during the middle of an eclipse. This should be interesting." With a wave of his hand, the guards filed out of the room. Once the last guard had exited, the doors closed behind them, leaving the father and son alone.

"First of all," Zuko began. "In Ba Sing Se, it was Azula who took down the Avatar, not me."

Ozai blinked a little confused since he knew how much his daughter adored to take credit for everything she did. "Why would she lie to me about that?"

Time to break the news to him then. "Because the Avatar's not dead. He survived." Zuko revealed. The reaction he was hoping for was instant. Ozai straightened where he was, shocked, angry and horrified at the same time. "What?"

"In fact," Zuko continued, not at all deterred by the way his father's anger was rising. He was well past caring now. "He's probably leading this invasion. He could be on his way here right now."

Having had enough Ozai rose to his feet, pointing towards the door. "Get out!" He growled viciously. "Get out of my sight right now if you know what's good for you!"

"That's another thing." Zuko added, his voice calm and mellow, as opposed to his father who looked like he would burst from the anger at any moment. "I'm not taking orders from you anymore."

Of course that only served to make his father angrier. "You will obey me," The man hissed. "Or this defiant breath will be your last!" He warned.

"Think again." The sound of swords being pulled from their sheaths echoed in the room as Zuko took up a defiant stance in front of his Father. "I am going to speak my mind, and you are going to listen." He stated. There was a moment of silence before Ozai sat down. Clearly he knew he could not best his son when it came to swordsmanship. Best listen to what he had to say instead.

————————–

All those feelings of hatred and anger she had felt towards the Princess of the Fire Nation came back to her in a colossal wave. This was the girl who had nearly killed Aang. The sweetest boy anyone could ever hope to know.

A cold anger ran through her veins, prompting Orora to step beside Aang, almost in a protective manner, lest Azula try something, anything, untoward.

"Where is he?" Aang demanded. "Where's the Fire Lord?"

Azula rose from the throne she'd been lounging in. "You mean I'm not good enough for you?" She pressed a hand over her heart. "You're hurting my feelings."

"Stop wasting our time and give us the information." Sokka commanded, pointing his sword at her. "You're powerless right now, so you're in no position to refuse."

Toph walked to stand beside him, hands clenched in fists. "And stick to the truth. I'll be able to tell if you're lying." She warned, though it wouldn't have mattered.

"Are you sure? I'm a pretty good liar." Azula asked, as calm as could be as she paused before beginning to recite. "I am a four-hundred foot tall purple platypus bear with pink horns and silver wings."

Toph pursed her lips, annoyed. "Okay, you're good, I admit it." Using her bending she trapped Azula with stone slabs around her. "But you ought to consider telling the truth anyway!"

The resident waterbender all but growled at the Princess. "It wouldn't have mattered Toph. Azula always lies." She said, the very words Zuko had told her so long ago.

At the sight of her, Azula's eyes narrowed and a spiteful look came into her eyes. "So I see you're the one my brother has been pining over these last few months."

Orora's heart thumped painfully at the mention of Zuko, but she pushed the feeling aside. "I'm not here to chat about your brother Azula." She snapped. "We're here to take you down like I should've done in Ba Sing Se." So saying, the girl created a spike of ice, ready to throw it at Azula but stopped when the earth trap crumbled, leaving them all surprised.

"Speaking of," Azula mused as if making pleasant conversation. "When I left Ba Sing Se I brought home some souvenirs: Dai Li agents!" Two Dai Li agents descended into the room.

An angry sound escaped Orora's lips as they landed on the ground.

"I really hate these guys."

————————–

This was it.

The moment he had waited for for so long.

Nothing could stop him from speaking his mind.

"For so long, all I wanted was for you to love me, to accept me." Zuko began, his voice strong and determined. A first for him when it came to speaking to his father. "I thought it was my honor I wanted, but really, I was just trying to please you. You, my father, who banished me just for talking out of turn." All the words Orora had once spoken to him, he now understood that she was right. That she had been right all along. He pointed his sword at his father. "My father, who challenged me, a thirteen-year-old boy, to an Agni Kai. How could you possibly justify a duel with a child?" He demanded to know, his voice breaking slightly in the end.

Ozai only responded with a scornful look in his eyes. "It was to teach you respect!"

His son shook his head. "It was cruel! And it was wrong." He countered, using the exact words Orora had said to him once so long ago.

"Then you have learned nothing!" The man shouted looking as if he wanted nothing more then to smite his son down.

Zuko only responded with a voice that was louder and much more powerful then his father's. "No, I've learned everything! And I've had to learn it on my own!" His mind began to fill with memories of all the people he had met during his time in the Earth Kingdom. "Growing up, we were taught that the Fire Nation was the greatest civilization in history. And somehow, the War was our way of sharing our greatness with the rest of the world." He let out a short laugh. "What an amazing lie that was. The people of the world are terrified by the Fire Nation. They don't see our greatness. They hate us! And we deserve it! We've created an era of fear in the world. And if we don't want the world to destroy itself we need to replace it with an era of peace and kindness." He ended his tirade of words in a softer and much gentler tone then from what he had begun.

Ozai only laughed in response. "Your uncle has gotten to you, hasn't he?" He said, his words cold and full of disgust as he brought up his older brother.

In response, Zuko only smiled proudly. "Yes. He has." He stated. "Him," He paused briefly, knowing what he said next would not be well received by his father. "And my soulmate. Orora."

The look of pure shock on Ozai's face quickly shifted to one of sheer anger and utter hatred. But Zuko didn't care.

He was done hiding who he really was. And he was done hiding from the world that his soulmate was Orora.

A waterbender from the Northern Water Tribe.

And the most amazing girl he had ever met or could hope to meet.

And his string had glowed a bright blue the past few days reminding him of just that.

————————–

As she slammed into the wall, her arms wrapped tightly around Toph to keep the younger girl safe, Orora lent out a grunt of pain.

"I'm gonna feel that in the morning." She said, as Toph jumped out of her protective embrace and stood to face the Dai Lee agent once more. Orora slowly pushed herself to her feet, legs trembling underneath her.

The hairs ta the back of her neck stood up, and her head swiped to the side. The waterbender barely had enough time to create a shield of ice to take cover behind, as Azula swiped a hidden small knife through the air.

Exactly where her neck had been barely a moment ago.

Cold blue eyes met a cold amber gaze.

Twisting on her feet, Orora unfroze the shield, the water circling around her waist before flying towards the Princess. Her intention had been to allow the water to wrap around her waist and freeze her in place. But Azula danced out of the way, almost as if she were toying with her.

A sickening feeling settled in Orora's stomach as she slowly began to realize what Azula was actually doing.

The Princess smirked at her before taking off, flying through the small hole from where Sokka was only just emerging. Toph and Aang were in hot pursuit, as was Orora.

"Orora! We need to stop! She's just trying to-"

"Distract us I know!" The older girl said, reaching out to quickly help him down from the hole. They raced out of the room behind the other two.

"Wait! Aang! Toph! Stop attacking!" Sokka called out, his words barely audible from where he was panting so much. "Don't you see what she's doing?" He demanded, not even pausing to register the confused expressions on their faces. "She's just playing with us. She's not even trying to win this fight!"

Orora stepped forward, still on guard. "And when Azula wants to win a fight, she doesn't run." The girl stated in a matter of fact voice, prompting Azula to glance at her and smirk.

"Not true." She said, her voice as calm as it could be. "I'm giving it my all."

Toph stepped forward, her body trembling with anger as she pointed at the Princess. "You're trying to keep us here and waste all our time!" Azula rolled her eyes. "Um, right, I think your friend just said that, genius." She said, before continuing. "And since you can't see, I should tell you I'm rolling my eyes."

Orora growled. She nearly stepped forward when Sokka reached out to grab her wrist stopping her.

"I'll roll your whole head!" Toph threatened to which Sokka placed a hand on her shoulder. "She's just baiting you again." He reminded her.

Aang raised an eyebrow. "Okay, so what do we do, just ignore her?" He asked, looking to Sokka who nodded.

"We don't have a choice. We just have to get out of here and find the Fire Lord on our own somehow." The three of them turned around, beginning to walk away. Orora, however, walked backwards, never once taking her eyes off Azula. She may not have her bending, but the waterbender wasn't about to turn her back on the younger Princess.

"It's a trap." Azula called after them in a calm voice. "Don't say I didn't warn you." The words prompted Aang and Toph to stop and turn around, though Sokka continued, waving his hand in a dismissive manner at the Princess.

"Ignore."

The sudden smile and gleam that came into Azula's eyes had Orora's heart sinking in her chest.

"So, Sokka's your name, right?" She said, her voice echoing slightly against the tunnels. "My favorite prisoner used to mention you all the time." The absolute glee in her voice had Aang and Orora glancing at one another, a look of concern on their faces.

Behind them, Sokka stopped short, his face turning halfway to look at the Princess with a suspicious glint in his eyes. "She was convinced you were going to come rescue her." Azula continued, her voice growing crueler and more colder at every word. Orora glanced at Sokka, biting her lower lip at seeing him trembling with anger. "Of course you never came, and she gave up on you."

He had turned around completely now, as a look of absolute grief and heartbreak crossed his features as a few tears slid down his cheeks. His eyes snapped open, and he pulled out his sword, a cold anger swimming in his eyes as he charged forward in a blind rage.

Orora saw the glint of the weapon in Azula's hand before anything else. With barely any time to react, she threw her own arm forward, allowing one of the remaining ice daggers around her belt to fly towards the Princess, knocking the weapon out of her hand.

Just as Sokka grabbed Azula by the shoulder, slamming her into the nearest wall and pressing his sword to her neck, barely an inch of a distance between them.

"Where. Is. Suki?!"

Orora's heart plummeted.

————————–

"After I leave here today, I'm going to free Uncle Iroh from his prison and I'm going to beg for his forgiveness. He's the one who's been a real father to me." Zuko continued not wanting to stop while he was ahead. And while he had the courage to talk to his father.

Ozai let out a cruel laugh. "Oh, that's just beautiful. And maybe he can pass down to you the ways of tea and failure." He said in a mocking voice, his hatred for his older brother evident in the way he spoke about him.

But Zuko ignored him. Didn't even take the bait but instead went on to his next point. "But I've come to an even more important decision." He paused momentarily, closing his eyes and drawing strength from the light blue he could see out of the corner of his eyes.

"I'm going to join the Avatar and I'm going to help him defeat you." He stated.

Ozai smiled smugly. "Really?" He questioned, his tone matching his expression. "Since you're a full-blown traitor now and you want me gone, why wait?" He held out his arms. "I'm powerless. You've got your swords. Why don't you just do it now?" He asked, knowing is he could bait him, distract him, he could defeat him when the Eclipse ended.

Zuko shook his head. "Because I know my own destiny. Taking you down is the Avatar's destiny." He put his swords away, moving to walk away. "Goodbye." He said, already turning and towards the door.

Not wanting him to leave Ozai stood, stalling for time. "Coward!" He screamed after his son. "You think you're brave enough to face me, but you'll only do it during the eclipse. If you have any real courage, you'll stick around until the sun comes out."

And in one last desperate attempt to stop his son, Ozai cruelly broached the subject he had denied him for so long. "Don't you want to know what happened to your mother?"

That did it.

Despite his best efforts, Zuko couldn't help but turn around. The man smiled, and Zuko knew he was playing with his life by staying near the other man, but if it meant getting information about his mother, then so be it.

"What happened that night?" He asked, waiting with baited breath.

"My father, Fire Lord Azulon, had commanded me to do the unthinkable to you, my own son, and I was going to do it." His admittance didn't bring Zuko any sorrow. Ozai was incapable of loving him, he realized it now, and Zuko had made his peace with it.

"Your mother found out and swore she would protect you at any cost." Zuko's heart constricted at the mention of his mother. She gave up herself to save him. "She knew I wanted the throne and she proposed a plan, a plan in which I would become Fire Lord and your life would be spared."

There was a pause before his father continued. "Your mother did vicious, treasonous things that night. She knew the consequences and accepted them. For her treason, she was banished."

Banished.

Not killed like he had believed.

Banished.

So Orora had been right about this too.

Tears filled his eyes. "So she's alive?" He asked, taking a step forward, wanting to know more. Hungry to know more.

Ozai nodded. "Perhaps. Now I realize that banishment is far too merciful a penalty for treason." He closed his eyes and Zuko felt it. He could feel his firebending returning, knew that the Eclipse was ending and that he had to make his escape.

"Your penalty will be far steeper."

Now!

In a manner of seconds Ozai generated several bolts of lightning firing them directly at Zuko. But Zuko was ready for it. He brought his arms up, his fingers pointing outwards, just in time. The force of the bolts slid him back several feet but he kept his stance as he allowed the lightning to travel from his arm, down his stomach, and out his other arm.

Safely and successfully redirecting lightning.

The bolts crackled through the air and hit the wall just above where his father stood.

Zuko wasted no time to see the result of his actions. Instead he raced out, adrenaline coursing through his veins as made his escape.

Now to free his Uncle.

————————–

"Answer me!"

Azula didn't say a single word.

Orora was the one who stepped forward, her hand on Sokka's shoulder. "Sokka, she won't ever tell you. We have to go now!" The girl urged the young warrior, knowing just how much his soul hurt at the thought of his soulmate in chains somewhere.

"Where are you keeping her?"

Since she was standing so close to Azula and actually paying attention to her, Orora was the one who realized the sudden change in the Princess's stance.

"Sounds like the firebending's back on." She'd barely gotten the words out when she kicked her leg in a wide arc, sending a fire blast that would've hit Sokka had Orora not pulled him out of the way.

With a powerful tug the girl threw the boy behind her, dropping into a fighting stance as Azula freed herself from Toph's earth-shackles. When the other girl had done that, Orora had no idea. Azula flipped, her leg extended towards in incoming Aang, who would've been hit in the face if Orora hadn't brought up a shield of ice to protect him.

The Princess managed to land on her feet, smirking.

"Dad's all the way at the end of the hall then down a secret stairway on the left." She said, already moving to walk away. I'm sure he'd be more than happy to see you now."

Her cold calculated eyes suddenly found Orora and her smirk only widened. "And I'll be seeing you very soon." Azula all but cooed in a threatening manner. "You can hi to Zuzu in person."

With that she ran off, leaving Orora and her friends devastated and defeated.

"I fell for it!" Sokka said, his voice cracking with emotion. "I used up all our time."

Toph stepped forward. "It's not your fault, Sokka." She reassured her friend. "Azula was ready for us. She had every move planned out." Sokka simply shook his head. "And now it's too late." He stated sorrowfully.

Aang stepped forward. "Maybe it's not too late." He insisted. "The eclipse is over. But I can face the Fire Lord anyway." Orora's rounded on Aang, her features twisted in anger. "Are you crazy? Do you want to die again Aang?"

Alright so maybe she shouldn't have shouted at the younger boy, but her emotion were running high and Azula's words had jilted her to the very core.

Not to mention she could feel her finger tugging.

Though Aang looked at her in shock, Sokka backed her up. "No. Orora is right. I don't think that's a good idea."

Aang frowned. "But I'm ready!" He insisted. "I came here with a job to do and everyone's counting on me." Toph joined Sokka's side. "The Fire Lord knew we were coming this time. We thought we had surprise on our side but we didn't." Her voice became downcast. "It just wasn't our day. What we need to do now is go and help our friends."

Aang looked around at his three friends. Sokka, who was still looking sad and heartbroken, Top who wore an expression of acceptance and Orora who looked downright cold and angry. "I am not about to let Katara or anyone else live through what we did after loosing you in Ba Sing Se, Aang." She suddenly burst out, hands clenched at her sides. Memories of that night rose to his mind as well as all the worry and fear he had caused. He didn't want his friends to go through that again. Especially not Katara. Slowly he nodded. "I guess you guys are right."

Suddenly Toph tensed.

"There's someone coming. A lot of someone." She stated, her knees bent as she assumed a defensive position. Aang and Sokka dropped into defensive stances as well, facing the tunnel that Toph had pointed out.

Suddenly Orora stepped in front of them.

"No." She said, her voice cold and stern. The other three glanced at her in confusion. "They're here for me." She stated, her back towards them so they wouldn't see the true fear in her eyes. "Knowing Azula, she sent them to capture me so their focus will be on me."

Aang, realizing what Orora was about to do suddenly straightened. "We are not leaving you here to face them alone, Orora!" He insisted. Sokka's eyes widened before he shook his head, raising his sword in front of him. "We're all getting out of here together." He moved to step forward, but stopped when a small ice dagger shot through the air, landing just an inch away from his shoe. Orora finally turned, fixing them both with a cold hard stare. One that was intense enough to have both boys stepping back.

"Listen to me." She said, her voice urgent, stern and cold. "Get out of here. Get on Appa and go help Katara and the others. This is one battle I have to fight on my own without having to worry about anyone else." Toph was the one who stepped forward this time. "Orora there are five of them." She said, her voice full of fear for her sister.

Orora smirked as twin blades of ice materialized in her hands from the remaining water she had left in her water skins. "Then I'll make sure to leave none standing."

She turned her gaze towards Aang. "I'll meet you where you said you would take us after today." She said to which Aang gave a nod of understanding. "Tell Katara, I'm sorry. I had to stay, to keep all of you safe. Now go!"

They hesitated. "Go!" The girl screamed, briefly turning her ice dagger into a whip and hitting it near their feet. Each of them hesitated once more, uncertainty and heartbreak evident in their eyes before Sokka took Toph's hand and began pulling her behind him.

Unsure grey eyes met pleading ice blue.

"I'll be fine." She promised.

They both knew it was a lie.

Finally, Aang turned and ran after Sokka and Toph.

As she watched her three friends make their escape, each of their hearts was heavy, knowing that they had no other choice.

They had to stay safe to fight another day.

And Orora was willing to give up her life to make sure that happened.

————————–

His Uncle was gone. And the next best thing for him to do was make his own getaway.

And he was going to.

He was about to race towards the location where he had smuggled away the war balloon when a vicious tug on his finger had him stopping short.

Zuko glanced at his finger, the string glowing a bright blue. It was almost taut, leading him towards the lower base of the volcano that made up Fire Nation capital. His heart raced in his chest.

She was there.

Orora was there.

A feeling rose within him, one that had him stumbling forward before he broke into a run. He had felt that feeling before. It was so many months ago, but he still remembered it.

Still remembered the bitter taste in his mouth and the way his very soul grew heavy within him.

He had felt it once before at the North Pole.

That fateful night when he had saved a young waterbender girl from being killed.

A young waterbender who turned out to be his soulmate.

Zuko had felt this very feeling as he had watched the soldier raise his hand to fire at Orora.

To end her life.

It was pure, utter, and heart wrenching dread.

And that feeling was what propelled him to run faster, kicking up dirt as he went, his eyes wide with fear as he followed his string, his heart, his soul, as it led her back to her.

Back to his soulmate.

Back to Orora.

————————–

The tugging on her finger was what guided her towards the unexpected exit.

The Fire Nation soldiers were hot at her heels, trying their best to capture her, but she was much too fast and quick. Orora had honed herself to be the perfect fighter through sheer determination and practice, and though she could never be as naturally gifted a waterbender as Katara, she was not going to do her best.

Toph had been right.

There were five of them.

Well four now since she had managed to knock one out with a kick to the head.

She could see daylight up ahead, and it only propelled her to run faster. A blast of fire grazed the top of her head, prompting her to duck down but she didn't stop running. Gripping one of her ice daggers, she twisted on her feet briefly and allowed it to fly through the air.

Her aim was true, since the sharp projectile hit one of the mask-less soldier straight in the eye. His scream of agony filled the tunnel, but Orora barely heard it. At that very moment she burst out of the tunnel.

What she hadn't counted on, was one of the other firebenders firing too soon.

As she exited the tunnel, pain unlike any she had ever felt before radiated from her side. The young waterbender stumbled, her feet fumbling as she cried out. With the speed she had been running at Orora went careening into the ground, bouncing against the hard ground painfully a few times before she rolled to a stop.

Her breath was knocked out of her, and she was sure cuts and bruises littered her skin. She pressed a hand to her side where it hurt, crying out softly from the pain.

She'd definitely been burned.

Still, she had to get up. Had to try and get away.

With a groan, and despite her body throbbing with pain, she managed to push herself to her knees. "Give up girlie!" One of the soldiers called out as the other three surrounded her.

Reaching up she wiped the side of her mouth where she had cut her lip and was bleeding. "I would rather die." She hissed, her hands dropping to the ground where she pulled out the water from the grass around her.

The grass lost it's color, turning brown. Despite the pain, Orora created twin circles of water around her, that spun at a high speed. High enough and thin enough to cut through the thickest armor. She glared at the three remaining soldiers, gritting her teeth from the pain.

"Lets take her. The Princess wants her alive." One of them said.

Her finger tugged, almost viciously, and her eyes widened.

The soldier who had spoken stepped forward, only to be kicked aside by an extremely familiar figure as he emerged from jumped out from behind an outcropping of rocks.

The figure landed on the ground, wasting no time to reach behind and pulling out a pair of swords.

"You'll have to go through me." Zuko growled, his tone vicious, a clear warning in his tone as he stood over her. His heart was racing in his chest at the sight he had just been greeted with.

Orora on her knees, bleeding and hurt.

It didn't matter to him that she could defend herself.

In that moment, all that mattered to him was that she was in pain, and those responsible would pay dearly for hurting his soulmate.

"Prince Zuko!" One of the soldiers exclaimed while the other helped their knocked out companion. "Your sister asked us to capture this girl. She's the enemy, she was with the Avatar."

Zuko stepped forward, his presence commanding and yet dangerous at the same time. "Then you tell my sister, that if she ever even thinks of hurting her again, I will take her down. Permanently."

Perhaps it was the cold-blooded look in the Prince's eyes, or perhaps the soldier knew he would not be able to take down the Prince. Whatever it was, the three soldiers quickly retreated back into the tunnels.

Leaving a slowly calming Zuko and an injured Orora alone.

The entire time Orora had stayed still, her eyes wide and her heart in her chest as she scarcely dared to believe who was standing in front of her. Protecting her just like he had in her dream. The water circles she had created dropped to the ground as she lowered her arms, her body relaxing.

And yet as her body relaxed the adrenaline left her, and she finally felt the true extent of the burn at her side. A cry of pain fell from her lips as she hunched over. Tears sprang to her eyes as she raised a trembling hand to try and waterbend some water back from he ground to heal herself.

At the sound of her, the young Prince turned around and dropped his swords as he fell to his knees in front of Orora. "No, wait, use this." He urged, holding out his water skin that had clean water in it. Her fingers quivered as she coated them with the clean water.

Placing her hand to her burned side, the girl whimpered from the pain. Involuntarily, her free hand reached out to grasp on to the first thing she could grab.

His hand.

Which she gripped so tightly that he was sure there would be bruises later.

But he didn't care.

Zuko stayed still, his features creased with worry as he watched her close her eyes and the water begin to glow as she healed herself. Orora bit her lip, reopening the small cut that she had gotten a few minutes ago. A thin trail of scarlet snaked down the side of her mouth.

Zuko reached up, his thumb pressing against her skin as he wiped away the blood. His touch was what prompted her to open her eyes.

After so many days.

Soft blue eyes met warm amber gaze.

"Yo-you're here?" Came her voice, barely above a whisper. As if she were afraid speaking loudly would shatter the moment.

"I'm here." He responded, bringing the hand he held in his own to press it against the side of his scarred face.

Their strings glowed.

His blue.

Hers red.

Blue eyes rolled, turning skyward, and Orora fell against Zuko in a dead faint. He caught her, a pang of worry racing through his body. He had to get her cleaned up and bandaged otherwise she might get an infection. Besides, his sister would send even more soldiers if she knew Orora were still there.

Quickly sheathing his swords, he gathered Orora in his arms. Her head rested against his shoulder, with one of his arms supporting her legs while the other wrapped around her waist, being careful of her injuries.

He would find her friends later, right now, all he cared about was making sure that she was alright.

And that was all that mattered to him.

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Tag List - @wavesofchaos @violet-potter @rennysketch @emma-andrea1 @lovesammikinzz @fuzzyfestcat @msrawog @notsaelty @lust-for-pan @aces-tattooartist @jinxxangel13 @lotr-got @bitterspoons @realrintaro @gatorgirl151 @inutheangel @heartfully10 @lucaaahhh @juniper-july19 @anuttellaa @gfksz @bussyvussy @punksnotdeadbutiam @ablofftoneverland-blog-blog @slut-for-menn @vyliie @army-moa75 @juwhls @aqlodun @lovelybaka @glowyruby

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where-fading-princesses-live · 3 days ago

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Thoughts on WICKED (2024)

So I finally saw WICKED after procrastinating after its opening weekend. I wanted to wait a bit longer (as excited as I was to see it) because I knew the theaters were going to be packed (they were) and my friend and I got tickets at the last minute before they sold out for that day’s showing. I’ve been a fan of the musical since childhood and I loved the books as a teen and I knew they were making a movie (or talking about it) since I was in middle school. Well it was worth the wait.

I admit the first teaser trailer did not impress me (it looked too much like a spectacle and some of the CGI effects looked over the top and corny). I was going to see it anyway but my initial expectations were low. but the later trailers were better and I was getting more excited to see it. Well the movie did not disappoint. Though I’m a big fan of WICKED, the movie was better than I expected. I definitely want to see it again (preferably at home with less people even tho the movie was made for the big screen, especially with all the tiny details I didn’t notice before when viewing TV spots and clips on my phone and laptop… ) I’d rather watch it on the big screen BUT.

My enjoyment of the movie was almost completely ruined because of the people… no one sang along, thank God, but there were so many distractions and now I remember why I haven’t been to a movie theatre in years. not only did so many people come in late and have to climb over you to get to their seats, but the person sitting next to me whipped out their phone in the middle of the movie and started texting, plus their bright ass screen was so distracting (rude much?). Worst of all, one person thought it was a good idea to drag along their noisy toddlers who kept asking over and over ‘’when’s the movie going to start’’ during the previews, and even when the movie DID start, the kids could not sit still throughout the movie and kept loudly asking their parents for ‘’skittles’’ like I wanted to turn around and tell them to keep their kids quiet or leave. FINALLY they got up and left for good before the Emerald city part, like goddamn if your kids aren’t mature enough to sit through a 2 ½ movie, don’t ruin it for the rest of us. >_<

That being said, I still enjoyed the movie, and you bet your sweet Oz there was a round of applause after it was over, I mean it was THAT good. I can’t remember the last time I’ve been to a movie where the audience clapped at the end. I think maybe ‘’The Artist’’ back in 2011… which won Best Picture at the Oscars that year. That was a damn good movie, prolly the last one I saw in theaters. I knew WICKED was going to be a big; it’s one of the longest-running shows on Broadway with almost daily record box office sales; its fan base is like Harry Potter-levels huge, so I guess it’s impact was long overdue. Better late than never.

here’s some quick thoughts (I literally have not stopped thinking about it and I saw it about a week ago… suffice to say, I’m obsessed):

The Costumes!!!

So at first I hated Glinda’s bubble dress. I thought it looked cheap compared to the Broadway costume (my dream dress btw) but overtime the design grew on me…

I have no issues with the dress being pink (after all, the non-replica Brazil production did a pink gown).

I still think the Broadway bubble dress is prettier (esp. the way it sparkles and glitters in the stage lighting and I love the blue color… Susan Hilferty was very original with her designs) but I do like the movie costume being a slight nod to the 1939 Wizard of Oz, plus it looks like a quinceañera dress.

I would’ve preferred the dress with puff sleeves, or off the shoulder cap sleeves for modesty, but one detail I really love that is not noticeable unless you’re watching on the big screen is that Glinda has butterfly gems on her shoulders (literally the first time I noticed it was in the movie theatre).

It’s such a nice detail because butterflies seem to be her theme, as a nod to the butterfly choker necklace Billie Burke wears as Glinda.

I actually do like Paul Tazewell as a costume designer. He also did the costumes for ‘’Death Becomes Her’’ on Broadway; his designs are very unusual and elaborate and I loved his visions for Oz.

That being said, I pretty much love Galinda’s whole wardrobe at Shiz (some people complained that they ‘’Barbie-fied Galinda’’ because her style lacks variety esp. when she wears the same color scheme throughout the whole movie) and tho it’s true I’d like to see her in different colors (we will in PART 2), I do think the pink was a nice symbolism. Her Ozdust ballroom dress is esp. unique. (I do like how the dress in the stage show was originally blue to hint at her becoming Glinda the Good Witch; basically she and Elphaba looked like mini versions of their future Witches counterparts… then they changed the dress to pink, so the symbolism was lost).

and it was nice the movie went back to that. So now it makes sense that the bubble dress is pink.

My only complaint is Elphaba’s costumes. Don’t get me wrong—they’re gorgeous—but I’m not sure the designs really reflect her character arc. Costumes aren’t just meant to be pretty… they are literally telling a story, and illustrating the growth of a character. Sometimes characters have to be dressed in something more appropriate for the purpose of the setting and where they’re at in the narrative even if it isn’t the prettiest garment off the rack… it’s not just about looking their best, and I think Paul Tazwell missed this mark. He clearly wanted Elphaba to be a fashion queen—but that’s not her character.

In the musical, Elphaba appears semi-frumpy on purpose. She’s beautiful but insecure due to her skin color and so she covers up in a bulky blazer, she braids her long hair, and wears a cap over her head, as though she is attempting to draw the least bit of attention to herself.

No one recognizes her inner beauty because she lacks the self-confidence to be herself. In the movie, she first appears to us in a beautiful black corset dress with puff sleeves and buttons (Cynthia is absolutely stunning and kills this look) but I’m not sure if Elphaba should look so drop-dead gorgeous when we first meet her (plus she’s fixing her hair in the first shot and it seems so OOC for her… I know Cynthia’s version is softer and more vulnerable than the Broadway version, who’s a bit bold and sarcastic and self-defensive… but Elphie fixing her braid? Not that it’s vain but her hair is the least of her worries in the stage show). And the dress… like I said… much too pretty. I do love her glasses tho.. and I do like the Gothic fashion... it reminds me of A Series of Unfortunate Events... the first dress is just too pretty for a character introduction. I'd like to see her wear this later in the film...

Maybe it wasn’t the intent… the dress is old-fashioned and could be ‘’spinsterish’’ to some, but she looks far from frumpy. Elphaba is already naturally beautiful, but in the stage version she doesn’t undergo an outward physical transformation until after the Ozdust ballroom scene. In the movie, she’s dressed fashionably all the time… and looks beautiful outside and inside. her Shiz uniforms are not Galinda, oh, sure, but she looks incredible in these form-fitting pinstripe suits with these flamboyant shoulder pads, and I feel it doesn’t match Elphaba’s story at all… she’s supposed to be hiding at the beginning of the story (I don’t think you’d catch Broadway Elphaba dead in pinstripes and shoulder pads). Galinda in the show helps bring her out of her shell. But even her Ozdust dress in the movie is a knock out… with the black lace and everything. In the musical, she just wears her plain uniform frock to the dance because she has nothing else.

The movie doesn’t have to copy the stage show exactly, but yeah… I wanted to see Elphaba go through a transformation in her fashions. I wanted to see her start dressing prettier towards the end of the movie, after ‘’Popular’’… like, see, her inner beauty was always there, and it makes her beautiful on the outside too! but she was already dressing pretty and fashionable before that, so it lessens the impact it’s supposed to have as the other students slowly begin to accept her. and after ‘’Popular’’, Elphaba is seen wearing this outfit she wears earlier in the film. Only difference being her hair is not braided, so she really doesn’t look ‘’Galinda-fied’’ to me as the line suggests (she was already ''Galinda-fied'').

In the musical it’s more apparent when she goes to looking like this (something she’s never worn before and doesn’t fit her typical style):

Again, it’s just a minor gripe I had. They probably wanted Elphie’s ‘’make over’’ to be more subtle which is fine… like Elphaba is ALWAYS beautiful… but still.

Nessarose’s Ozdust dress was actually one of my faves in the whole movie. She truly looked like the Belle of the Ball. I love that she’s wearing a poppy necklace…

And those big doe eye of hers... I'M DEAD

If Galinda is butterflies, Nessa’s whole theme seems to be poppies. AND THESE SHOES ARE FIRE I want them and I want the dress. There I said it.

Also her dance with Boq is my favorite scene in the whole movie. It was always my favorite part in ''Dancing Through Life'' and it's so wholesome... knowing how tragic this ends for them both (the rehearsal footage was admittedly better but they both ate and left no crumbs)... give the choreographer all the awards.

As for the other characters, I like the Shiz uniforms and that they maintained the variety and individualisms from the stage show. I kind of wish Fiyero was dressed in something that stood out more. He doesn’t wear his Shiz uniform until after ‘’Popular’’ in the stage version. We first meet him in a riding outfit (he kind of wears a riding outfit when he runs into Elphaba in the movie… but not a bold red one… and red seems to be Fiyero’s color… it fits him better than blue but that's just my opinion).

If it was my choice, I would’ve dressed all the main characters in different outfits and/or colors that stand out from the rest. In the stage version, Galinda and Elphie are technically still dressed in uniforms, but they wear a solid color—Galinda in all cream/ white and Elphie in all navy blue—so they stand out.

I like that they kept this in the movie (only Galinda being in pastel pink tones and Elphie in all black).

Fiyero, Boq, and Nessa should’ve been color coded too. Yes, Boq and Nessa in the stage show wear similar uniforms to everyone else, but they have little details that make them stand out (for instance, Nessa has this headband, and Boq has this little red hat that later productions added… it didn’t exist in the original production, but the costumes kind of evolved over time). I still like Boq’s uniform in the movie (esp. the shoes). I do kind of miss his white boots from the stage show, tho (RIP Boq’s cute white boots).

Unfortunately in the movie they had so many people dressed like Boq that he disappeared into the background, but maybe that was for a reason? Boq is a wallflower; we're not supposed to notice him. I get it. He still should've had something to signify him... a hat, maybe. These sweater vests are sick tho... where can I get one?

The Cast!!!

Ariana and Cynthia of course nailed it. I was skeptical of the casting when it was first announced but they proved me wrong and they were the perfect choices. No one could have played Galinda and Elphaba better. I usually don’t like pop stars in musical movies… I prefer classically trained theatre actors, but since Ari does have a musical theatre background, she ended up surprising me more than anyone else in the cast (esp. where it concerns her operatic notes. I say that because tho I’m familiar with her on 13! the musical, she was terribly miscast as Penny in Hairspray Live! She did not disappear into the role… she was basically playing herself) and I was deathly afraid she would popify the hell out of Galinda. Well, she understood the assignment, she really became Galinda. So props to her.

Not gonna lie. The whole cast was phenomenal but Dr. Dillamond (voiced by Peter Dinklage) was my favorite part in the whole movie. I love the scene where Elphaba takes him by the hoof. She was so compassionate and you really feel her heartbreak when he's arrested. Yeah the CGI goat was the best actor I just loved him.

😭😭😭

Fiyero is the Arjiki prince (who was a very minor character in the book and, in my humble opinion, is the least interesting character in the book and the musical), made that much worse when he's traditionally whitewashed… because he was a dark-skinned black man in the book… sure some black actors have played him on stage but I had a feeling they’d cast a white actor in the movie… part of me wished they casted a black actor... well, at least he gets a cool song. HOWEVER I really did love Jonathan Bailey’s portrayal. He wasn’t bland like some of the other actors who’ve played him, and though he’s prince charming good looking, he’s also incredibly funny. I was not expecting to laugh so much at his entrance. Yeah, I liked Fiyero more in the movie. He’s still not my favorite character but hopefully he gets a big meaty part in PART 2. Is it wrong I never shipped Fiyero/ Elphaba? I always thought their chemistry was so boring and forced. Wicked was always a love story between two women anyway. I totally ship Elphaba and Galinda (it’s canon in the book anyway). I loved the scene where Galinda and Elphaba run out of the ozdust ballroom together hand-in-hand and literally leave Fiyero biting the dust.

----

(SPOILER ALERT: That’s how the story should have ended. Who needs a man right? Let the witches be lesbians… a house falls on Nessa, so Boq could end up with Fiyero (since the women they love are in love with each other) let Fiyero be bisexual (Jonathan’s Fiyero already radiates bisexual energy because all the women AND men were falling in love with him). Let him be bi and hit on Boq (Tincrow fans come get your food… you can’t convince me they’re straight). Elphie and Glinda get their happy ending. Problem solved. Everyone’s happy.)

Nessa was awesome. She’s a character everyone loves to hate, but yeah, I wish she was in the movie more. Marissa Bode ATE

---

(SPOILER ALERT: In Part 2, she will becomes more Wicked when she assumes the position of the tyrannical Eminence of Munchkinland. Owing to her brutal religious persecution, we'll do well to remember her as the infamous ''Wicked Witch of the East.'' I love me a badass female villain).

---

Speaking of badass female villains, Michelle Yeoh absolutely COOKED as Madame Morrible, and her costumes were more beautiful on the big screen. Part of me wanted Kristin Chenoweth to play Madame Morrible… she slayed as Velma Von Tussle in Hairspray Live! Her rendition of ‘’(The Legend Of) Miss Baltimore Crabs’’ was seriously gas. She plays a very convincing villain, but then they’d have to write her a villain song (not that I’m complaining). Michelle may not be a singer, but she was so quietly sinister as Madame Morrible… I loved her.

I personally wanted more Bowen Yang in the supporting cast (specifically flirting with Fiyero).

Despite the haters (and say what you will), but Ethan Slater was perfectly cast as Boq Woodsman aka the Munchkin Boy. Despite unpopular opinion, I wish he was in the movie more. When I read the book, he looks almost exactly like how I pictured him (mop of curly hair, freckles…). Boq was blonde in the book if I remember correctly, and he wore glasses… so my vision of him was a blonde Daniel Radcliffe… but honestly, the red hair works so well (even better than blonde). And I love that they ended up basing the Munchkins’ look off of Ethan. They all had red curly hair. That was a cool detail.

Boq the Munchkin Boy was actually a major character in the book but the musical shifts Boq's prominence to Fiyero for some reason and this always bothered me. Yeah, Fiyero unapologetically steals Boq's thunder (and I will never forgive the musical for that unnecessary change...) and apparently the movie was going to flesh him out more and make him friends with Elphaba like in the book… they were really close friends and Boq actually played a bigger role than Galinda... in fact, Galinda was very minor in the book compared to her role in the musical.

You wish your squad was this dope.

It seemed like they were going to add more things from the book. Unfortunately, a lot of his scenes got axed (I would watch a full five hours with all the deleted scenes). But Ethan Slater was still good with what he had to work with. Okay, maybe they had to delete his scenes with Elphaba. But I personally wanted more scenes with him and Fiyero… it seems like something was going on between them in ‘’Dancing Through Life’’ (not in that way; Ethan explained in interviews his Boq looked up to Fiyero and tried to emulate him and that makes sense) like a parallel storyline to Elphie and Galinda’s budding friendship. Boq seemed to come out of his shell more around Fiyero, kind of like Elphie gaining confidence around Galinda. I would’ve have minded a scene with Fiyero rooming with Boq and seeing the boys get ready for the dance.

In fact, we just needed more scenes with the Charmed Circle hanging out together in general. They teased us with these scenes for months leading up to the film’s release… only to delete them!!! WE WERE ROBBED

A two-part movie and they still had to sacrifice so much for time constraints.

That was my only other gripe with the film. The lack of development in the friendships of the characters…

This is why the movie really needed to be a TV series spanning multiple seasons, and they could have added so much from the books. Everyone would watch the living crap out of it, and we could have had more character development and world building. Someday I’d love to see an animated tv series based on the books (minus the smex). With all the lovely fanart coming out of this fanbase, think of the cool possibilities for character designs. Yeah a tv series based on the books are in order. (Probably couldn’t get the movie cast but I think Ethan Slater should reprise his role as Boq because he just sounded so much like how I pictured him from the book… he probably fits my vision the most out of everyone who was casted.)

A funny thing happened after the movie… my friend said, ''Why is Boq taller than Glinda?'' And I was like, ''out of the whole 2 1/2 hour movie THAT'S what you got out of it???'' (Anyway most of the actors who played Boq on stage were taller than Glinda by a head or two. He's a ''tall munchkin'' and they should've kept this line in the movie so people wouldn't be confusified.)

Anyway, yeah, despite the minor things, the movie is a solid 11/ 10 stars for me.

They had ONE job. And they nailed it.

#personal shit #wicked #wicked musical #wicked film #wicked (2024)#cynthia erivo #ariana grande #jonathan bailey #ethan slater #marissa bode #costume design

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devyuence · 1 year ago

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Controversial take: People's hatred for Mew is related to their attachment to real life ship which takes the fun out of Only Friends (at least on their end)

This is going to be my random thoughts and I had a couple of shots of gin and tonic while writing this so excuse me. I am gonna mix up the real-life and fictional scenarios so sue me, I guess.

Before anything else, I like ForceBook a lot but I can understand if TopMew will not end up together. For the most part, I see Top as a person I can never like in real life and you cannot blame me if he just gives me bad vibes.

However, I want to know more about him and how their story unfolds. I actually want TopMew to pull a 188 Men's Group wife-chasing crematorium trope (look it up) or an ending like Cruel Intentions.

In addition, even if I will be proven wrong soon, I will still defend Mew. He is just complex and reminds me of myself. Someone who just wants to graduate with flying colors in an Asian society (SEA to be exact) then came along Boston pestering him about his virginity.

Now you know my biases, let's get to the real reason why I used the said title.

People are hating Mew for cock-blocking Ray and Sand. Calling him names and anything but never Ray. Never Ray. I am actually glad that happened because at least Sand knows that Ray is still hung up on Mew—even if some viewers will say that it is not love but more of the idea that he loves Mew. Again, Ray is still hung up on Mew (or has lingering feelings) and I am glad he stopped what they are doing. At least Sand had a heads-up, a warning that he is just a rebound.

If we go back from last week, people hate Mew for ditching Ray and P'Jojo had to explain that Boston and Syrup forced him to go home with Top. You will not see people making threads gaining hundreds of likes of how Boston is a bad friend for Ray—it is always Mew that is the face of betrayal. Never Boston because he is not a threat. Or Neo. Or Mark. Unless Nick hooks up with Sand. Lol.

This leads me to the conclusion that some of the viewer's hatred for Mew (or Book) stems from how he intervenes with the existing ship. People nitpick everything he does. Some shippers feel threatened about his existence—may it be in the series or real life. His ghost ship with Khao (or Ray with Mew) annoys the hell out of people. In some clips with Khao and Book sailing RayMew, fans are saying First is jealous and Khao should pay attention to him. This is somehow converted to how people pity Sand even more and dislike Mew in the series. Ray can be an alcoholic and Mew saves his ass multiple times but Ray can never do wrong. Even if he wants to drive while drunk. Never Ray because Ray is Khaotung. LOL.

Some are also saying that only Ray cared for his friend group when in the very first episode, the first cut at that, Mew is picking up Ray's drunk ass. Hell, he even reprimanded him (R) for picking fights while drunk. Now, people are saying that Ray should have continued the deed with Sand instead of taking care of his friend who does not care about him. That or people throwing a pity party for Ray by being a true friend when it was implied that Mew is always the table keeper, taking care of his drunk ass and it did not happen only once.

I know some of you are raising your eyebrows right now but I mean, everyone just tends to nitpick about Mew. Or Book. Before, I had seen people calling him bland and boring. Like a cardboard without personality. People are like: How the hell Ray even like him? Now that he is showing his true colors, people are calling him scheming and manipulative.

When Mew did not let Top go further from his advancements, some are criticizing him for acting like a kid and virgin (he is btw). When Top did not pick up his calls, people are saying that he is evil and manipulative. That he deserves it. When Boston does something problematic, people will say he just have insecurities and unresolved daddy issues. When Nick installed that in the car, people will say that he is just in love and obsessed. When Ray wants to crash his car, it is because he has mommy issues. That they are just kids and needs guidance but Mew? Mew is hated for acting like a kid aka stopping Top when he realized he is not ready. That he deserves getting cheated on. That he is the most evil guy. Hell, even Top, according to viewers cannot be an assault victim because he is not played by an actor who is a crowd favorite.

See what I mean people? Like make up your minds. You love to psychoanalyze other character's personalities and why they are behaving but Mew (even Top) has no excuses. Heh.

In addition, people are questioning why Mew did not call Syrup or Boston. Bruh, Syrup cannot drive. Boston is yeah, Boston. Also, some viewers say that Ray does not really love Mew but is in love with the idea of him or because Mew cares for him. Some even theorized that he has an Oedipus Complex. Now tell me, Mew does not care about Ray but the reason why Ray is still hung up on Mew is because he is caring? Make it make sense, please.

Some viewers will disagree with me, especially those who have a strong attachment to their own ship, but I wonder if they are still having fun going through hoops and hoops and throwing pity parties over characters? I, for real will still defend Mew but I acknowledge that he is gray. I wonder if they will combust if we get a RayMew kiss in the next episode? I wonder how they feel seeing everyone in the Only Friends casts are friendly with each other?

Anyway, I just said what I said.

If your hatred for a character is unreasonable and you see him as a threat (esp in real life). I think you need to reevaluate and ask yourself why. Or maybe you just need a Sand, a shrink. Either way, everyone in OF needs therapy.

Cheers to people who consume this drama for pure bliss and whatnot. The not-too-invested crowd with real ships. The messy crowd.

If the show is not for you and you want chummy cutesy BLs, you can save yourself, honey. This is Jojo we are talking about. If you think that you have the right to watch despite nitpicking everything (I mean we all have the freedom), okay. Please feel free to do so.

However, if you think this will not affect how others, even the directors, will see your fandom, I am speaking in general, well, you are in for a ride. Idk, be sensible I guess.

I do not even know how from an OF meta, I ended up saying something about fandoms. Guess alcohol in your system really does wonders. I will never hate the actors for their fans though. I just think that this is something that people need to think about.

Like if you have seen the reception in the F app and T app, it's more welcoming but the former chicken app? It is a more restrictive echo chamber that dismisses discussion because again, it is dominated by big accounts of shippers.

We are only in Episode 3, I hope everyone is ready for the chaos not just in the show but in the fandoms.

Anyway, I am done editing this. Hate me but I said what I said.

PS. For the Mew defenders out there, hi! I love you! For my cutesy Forcebook fans, how is it that we like unproblematic besties? Toughen up though! It's gonna be a war zone.

From your resident Mew defender until the end

XOXO, Yue.

#OnlyFriends #only friends the series #ofts

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berrypass-de-murdler · 4 months ago

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90. Death at the Agency

i want to write to karber about my thoughts on murdle but that would be so embarrassing and potentially a big waste of time ;o;

'hi so i love your books so much I'm literally losing my mind'

then i just sit there thinking why did I write that and never knowing if someone saw it or not

Anyway Crystal Goddess is finished (new least favorite design), Fletch is going to color her tho - after that every character will have a design for book 1 (exc. flashback-only/copycat/obsidian OCs)

And ten more episodes to go!

And cannot stress enough, I will go through book 2 and further one episode at a time instead of planning way ahead so please be patient

DON'T READ THE EPISODES UNTIL YOU'VE FINISHED THE FIRST BOOK!!

The poor rattled chap pieces it together - obviously he is in so much distress because of all the commotion that’s been happening at this stupid studio. And he STILL doesn’t know why he’s here. Just to deal with all the murders? Why can’t someone else do it… why can’t there just NOT BE ALL THE MURDERS…

He heads to the Black Tower, the place where he can revoke his contract.

LOGICO: Stupid Midnight. Why did I even listen to him. I’m not even SUPPOSED to be doing DETECTIVE WORK!! I want to go home and drink coffee and draw perfectly even squares for hours!

Turns out ya boi isn’t the only one who has issues with all this. Argyle, Celadon (where did she come from?), Blaxton, and even President Midnight are all in line. The line never moves, because the secretary is DEAD. Logico confronts Argyle.

LOGICO: Well? Was it you? ARGYLE: NO! Ya dirt clod, you think it’s just because I’m at the front of the line! LOGICO: …Yes. ARGYLE: NO! CELADON: How do you know it wasn’t me? I have a habit of killing for my religion. LOGICO: Was that a flat-out confession?? CELADON: No. BLAXTON: Ohhhhh [puppet flailing] I hate this so much! I wanted to sign my life away, and now I CAN’T!

The stupidity is once again broken by a voicemail from last episode’s call.

IRRATINO: Argyle was next to a bunch of letters. I know because I had a vision of him looking down on the letters. I’ve had visions of you too, Logico… LOGICO: [blushes heavily and suspiciously] What were the visions of?

He realizes that it was just a voicemail.

And that in fact, President Midnight had sliced the dead person to shreds.

PRESIDENT: He signed His life away. I’m sorry. What I did was not even a crime. And You cannot exit Your contract either, because of what You signed. LOGICO: GODDAMMIT AYE

The end!

HOW WILL THE GICO ESCAPE HIS HOLLYWOOD PRISON?!??!?1?

Btw I ship Amaranth and Blackstone now for absolutely no reason

Blackstone and the bad bitch he pulled by being anxious - Raven

Cheese + marshmallow

Idk what I'm talking about anymore

The power of Goat Lord compels you!

See you next time murdlers!

#murdle #cartoonmurdleverse

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ambystoman · 1 year ago

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Magellany (Redo) (Nebulite)

Move out of the way, here comes the greatest adventurer in the whole damn galaxy: Magellany!

"Just call me Mag!"

She is brave, strong and... acts before thinking. She gets irritated easily, especially when people get in her way, calling them get-in-the-ways. Magellany is very rude and honest, never holding back on any comments.

She is a Nebulite, a peculiar species of sentient nebulae. Her body composition makes it possible to morph into any form as she wishes. She is not confined to a humanoid body. Her preferred weapon is her trusty Scimistar.

This magical sword is a projection of her soul which is located on her chest, in the shape of a crystal. Her power comes from this object and is also her weak point.

Nebulites have incredible capabilities for Cosmic Magic. While not on the same level as someone like Mr. Sky, they are capable of creating spontaneous life. They do so to help with tasks or do jobs that might be dangerous for them. These rudimentary organisms can last as long as the user needs them to. Their intelligence is very limited though.

Nebulites. Mag and her older sister depicted here

She is not good with this ability though since nobody taught her and so the most she can do is use raw life energy to create primitive beings that she uses as weapons.

In Soul Trail, her special attack is making a little dude that goes in a straight line and damages far away opponents. Once I restart development I plan on adding more of this ability to her move set.

She claims to hear voices from space. Her favorite animals are tarantulas and she really likes long sleeved clothing along with robes.

Random works of her made over the years

Backstory

She lives in a solitary planet with her older sister, Nube. Their parents are long gone and so her sister takes care of her and usually does what is best for her. Mag attends navigation classes at some kind of academy and she hates it there. Often daydreaming of what could be is she were able to sail out into space on a ship of her own with treasures to find, foes to defeat, and people to befriend. All in her own way without anyone telling her what to do.

Beneath all her harshness hides a lonely girl who only wants friends and a life she can have control over. Her short-lived creations are the only creatures who stay by her side.

Her creations only live for minutes. She likes to sit on the roof of her house and talk to them

One day something really big would happen that would change her whole life...

Inspiration

As mentioned in the post, she is a nebula; a space cloud. She is meant to be the Magellanic Cloud (hence her name) and her coloration is taken from NGC 2074. The powers Nebulites have of creating life is a reference to how all planets are born from nebulae, this could eventually lead to the creation of life within these planets.

She was the first character made for this project and has gone through some changes over the years.

NGC 2074. Fun fact, this photo was taken in my birthday! (Photo credit to NASA)

As for her clothes and design, I was really into Kirby at the time and so many of my early designs sort of looked like spacey Kirby-ish inspired creatures.

This was a much needed redo of my first post on Tumblr.

Her very first drawing. Made in 2019. She used to have a sort of visible skull.

Mildly annoyed. Drawn by @blaz-art

Addendum

It just came to me her outfit was totally inspired by Toon Link from The Legend of Zelda along with her proportions and body shape. Idk why I forgot lol.

Pretty busy at the moment still btw, but still making stuff.

#3d modeling #blender #original character #digital art #art #original oc #gamedev #space #soul trail #ambystoman #lowpoly #nebula #large magellanic cloud #small magellanic cloud

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1000aurapoints · 4 months ago

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✨💜Intro💜✨

Welcome one and all!!! My name is Aura (any pronouns), and my partner is a riolu named Fable! We’re currently trying to survive my freshman year in highschool together so I’ll be posting random school related stuff or just whatever else I want to spit on the screen

⭐️Here is some stuff about both of us;

⭐️Me: I am panromantic and probably asexual! And as I’ve stated before I am a freshman, and Arceus highschool is scary😭

I caught Fable as my first pokémon (and partner) last August, we’ve been friends for over a year now already! Time flies bro

I enjoy writing and drawing and reading in my spare time, but I also like to train Fable to get her better at battling! We’re considering challenging a few gyms in the future

Also, have you noticed something Fable and I have in common?

You know how riolu evolves into the aura pokémon, lucario…

AND MY NAME’S AURA???? IS THAT NOT SO SUPER COOL

we were DESTINED to be partners bro I literally found my twin flame/p as a pokémon and I’m all for it

⭐️Fable:

she is very odd looking! In a good way. I’ve noticed she seems a little tall for a riolu, and her eyes are blue instead of the typical red. Could just be a genetic mutation, or maybe she’s a hybrid of some kind? Either way, her appearance is the only thing that’s unusual, so I’m not worried

i found her last summer while on a hike in an area where pokémon hunters sometimes set up traps (I hate those fuckers) and ended up finding Fable caught in an ursaring trap. I was able to help her out and we skedaddled to a pokémon center and next thing you know we’re partners :p shit makes me feel like the main character lmao

one thing we like to do together is watch movies, especially animated stuff, sometimes horror (to an extent) or anything that’s just stupid. I enjoy making fun of the dumb stuff and she likes the colorful moving pictures and musical parts (same tbh)

Sometimes we train with my sister and her misdreavus, and whenever we get the chance, we’ll battle my cousin and his froakie. It’s super fun

That’s all i feel like sharing! You’ll learn more throughout my dumb posts

⭐️here’s my boundaries btw:

This is a safe space for: anyone of any race, culture and religion, queer/trans people, reality shifters, agre/petre, sfw (emphasis on SFW) tickle community, furries, and anyone who is chill

DNI: racists, mysoginists, zionists, homophobes, proshippers of any kind, pedos/zoos, nsfw/p0rn accounts, people under 13, trainers who think of pokémon as tools instead of living beings, basic dni stuff

⭐️I have a couple tags too to make it easier to search specific posts

Sigma thoughts- random things/rants/opinions

Fable- Anything to do with my partner!

Gooner labyrinth- anything related to school

Reblog- reblogged stuff

Ask- answering an ask

Anon- answering an anonymous ask

Balltastic art- art reblog

OOC- out of character stuff 😔

so yeah that’s it! Have a stellar rest of your day/night 💜✨

(OOC: please play along! If you want to interact with real live me and not pokemon trainer me, please ask to dm because I don’t want to break the magic!)

#pkmn irl #pokemon irl #pokemon #sfw interaction only #intro post

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annbourbon · 1 year ago

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Well hello folks! It's that time of the year again! And here's my 2023 movie list, keep on mind I actually made the effort to watch movies I have never seen before, even though they're old... so even if you already watched them because they're classics, I didn't until now.

I actually need to get some books to read but for now binged all these days to watch 31 movies & series in a couple of days.

1. Mask Girl (K-Drama, series)✅⭐⭐⭐⭐

Okay this series was amazing. I've been a fan of Orange Caramel even though they're now disbanded, so seeing Nana back on the scene was so cool. But that's not all, honestly:

* Insane plot, made me gasp a couple of times and I've been into K-Drama for a while now so...

* I was actually rooting for Kim Mo-mi the whole time, but also I couldn't find myself to hate the other characters because the actors are so good<3

* Did I mention Nana is there?

* It has so many layers and many points of view which makes it so interesting to watch

I'm not saying anything else because I highly recommend this one.

2. The Platform (movie) ✅⭐⭐

A bit boring at times but quite interesting too. I watched it because someone recommended it to me. I was so disappointed with the ending but at the same time I understood why it finished the way it did. I'm not going to watch it again though. Definitely hated it.

3. Scream (movie, 2023 ver.) ✅⭐⭐⭐⭐

Since I already watched the original one. This one was awesome. I loved the original cast coming back, and also, Jenna Ortega 😍😚

4. Suspiria (remake)✅⭐⭐⭐

I got bored lol it is aesthetic but not a lot. I prefer the school on the original movie. Like, it's so pretty...

Actually I got, really bored at some parts. I wanted the whole ballet concept to be more... macabre and beautiful. They could have put anything else and the idea would have been the same.

I enjoyed the dance. But it's not classical ballet. I'm giving it an extra star because of the aesthetics. It's not creepy or scary. Just another film. Some parts are awesome but mostly... bland.

5. The Deep House ✅⭐⭐

I think, I was disappointed. It's one of those old school movies, you either love it or hate it. I ended up disliking it a lot because it felt kind of lazy. There was no message behind, there was no reason for me to actually care about them as characters, and BTW, the dude there, he was sooooo toxic. I ended up hating him the whole movie except for his last moments. I really don't recommend this one lol but here you have me, trying to find something different.

Well, sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't.

6. Doctor Sleep ✅⭐⭐⭐⭐

I need to be honest, he's still one of my first celebrity crushes. So I might be a bit biased. But I loved the movie. Before you say anything to me, I have watched The Shinning already.

7. Gothika ✅⭐⭐

I might as well be honest. I saw this movie when I was a kiddo. But I had a lot of nightmares about it. Still, now I got to watch it fully. And I realized that it's not as intense as I thought it was. I mean, yes. It has some scenes. But I'm a Hannibal Lecter and Criminal Minds fan now lol it's kind of difficult to get past that.

8. Dreamcatcher ✅⭐⭐⭐

It started pretty average and I was expecting nothing from it. But it got better. And really scary. I hated the bathroom scene but also loved the whole movie.

9. Only Mine ✅⭐⭐⭐

Scary but because it's based on a real story. The movie is pretty decent.

10. Train to Busan ✅⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Was so cool 💕 😢 more than scary it was inspiring me a lot. IDK how to explain it. But I'll be watching it again because *feelings*

I think it's becoming one of my favorite horror movies.

11. Annihilation ✅⭐⭐

Mmmmm I fell asleep. Had to watch it again. And it was not that interesting. I loved the colors though. If I have to say anything about it lol 💤😴

12. Psycho (1960) ✅⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I can't believe it took me so long to watch this one!!! I love this movie I swear. It's such a good one. It's not as scary as I thought it would be but I think that's a "me" problem lol since it seems like I'm so used to scary things nothing really scares me anymore.

However, the suspense was so in point and I can't even believe that I was holding my breath. Like, how? This movie is so old no? It should be boring and all that uh? Well it doesn't matter. Hitchcock definitely knew his way around. It caught my interest and hold me captive till the end of the movie. I didn't even start scrolling my phone or got bored!

Sure there are a couple of plots that can be "fixed" because we now have better phones and technology, but the whole movie it's timeless. It definitely holds. I loved it. A lot. That can't be said of several other movies and tv shows.

13. Constantine ✅⭐⭐⭐

Not really scary. But really cool. I was having a crush over Tilda Swinton the whole time lol sadly she doesn't get to have a lot of screentime but I repeated her scenes for a while before going to the next movie.

14. Beowulf ✅⭐⭐

By now I'm getting tired AF of bloodbaths. Like it's not even scary. It's disgusting and tiresome. I want to see something else. I really did not enjoy the movie. I'm starting to realize that binging on a certain genre can desensitize a person and it certainly feels like I'm way over it. I remember the movie but I can't remember anything that is worth of comment. Except, maybe... that Beowulf is an asshole, so is the king, and apparently the next king will do the same thing and everyone there deserved what happened to them except ofc the people in town and kids. I don't think I liked the story or movie at all. 💀

15. Disturbing Behavior ✅⭐⭐⭐⭐

Okay so James Marsden and Katie Holmes are so cute together. And they're literally kids here. It was a bit awkward lol but I enjoyed the movie. It's kind of interesting and definitely talks about how society pressures you on behaving in a certain way. All that while making a scary movie. Which is why I might've ended up liking it a bit more than the others. Interesting how parents were so on board with this behavior too. Anyway, since I'm on a marathon I don't really have a lot of time to analyze it as much as I usually do. I probably won't be watching it again, but it's a good movie to analyze and enjoy for a while. For real.

16. The Exorcist (original) ✅⭐⭐⭐

Now we're getting serious lol or not...

Honest reaction

Before the movie>> I'm so scared of it 😭😿😱

During and after the movie>>> wow... It's so... meh 😑

I was a bit distracted during the whole movie. And it's not that scary. Just sad, long, boring and disappointing. Nothing else to comment.

My brother said that I needed to appreciate it a bit more since it's an old movie, but honestly... I prefer Psycho to the Exorcist. Like, I get it. Old movie. Different type of special effects and all that. But still, the whole thing, even the characters feels kinda flat? Nvm the spoilers. I received a similar amount of spoilers from both movies and I still enjoyed Psycho more. I did laughed a lot. But it's not supposed to be a comedy movie 😭🤣

17. 12 Monkeys ✅⭐⭐⭐

TT~TT okay? I really cried for a while. And I had to take some days off because of this one. I started watching other series, kdramas and stuff that made me laugh and forget about this one.

18. Ghost Ship ✅⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I remember seeing this one everywhere when I was a kid and my parents trying to make sure I didn't watch it. One of the reasons I finally got my hands on it and watch it lol

I really enjoyed it. I was so sad about the girl on the ship. And I usually do not like slashers but somehow I ended up loving this one. Definitely is going to be one of my favorite movies from now on.

19. The exorcism of Emily Rose ✅ ⭐⭐

Boring at the beginning but interesting after 30 minutes into the movie. Which in a way, it's not good lol but let it be. I was thinking to call the Winchesters all the time.

Mmmm I think these two are one of the reasons I stopped disliking horror movies.

The other one would be Fi from So Weird

Which TBH is the original reason I stopped disliking ghosts and monsters. I joined Fi team first before Supernatural. Supernatural was me being edgy and sarcastic all the way, especially on my worse days. But Fiona, she's the one I truly aspired to be. Now I think I'm a mix of both and it's okay. I still prefer Fi over the Winchesters because she gives everyone a chance to be. I mean, I love the brothers a lot... okay not the point of this lol sorry... Ummmm I think you can see I got distracted while watching the movie. 💀🤣

Interesting though, a mix of lawyer-ish fight with "medical terms" and all that in a demonic possession case. Different P.O.V. sure. It definitely makes more sense than the Exorcist where the story ends without anyone (no cops, no lawyers, no other authorities) involved despite several people dying.

"Touched by the hand of God" they said. And believe me when I said "ew" during that part 😭🤣 I wasn't even trying to be funny. Seriously though... there's only one thing I despise more than movie slashers. Religion, especially inside movies. And inside books too. I was so disappointed by Susan's problem when I found out what it was about. I also spent almost my entire childhood inside several Catholic and Christian schools. Most of the time being bullied by everyone there. Please lol I can't stand them (I do realize that not everyone is like that but it left a huge trauma on me so I can't stand those things.) The fun part is, I don't have anything against religions. Just against hypocrisy and lack of comprehension. Still, it's okay for a movie. One or two hours of it won't be bothering me so much. Didn't scare me. But made me uncomfortable. I wish I could hear more about Dr. Adani (?) P.O.V. though.... I believe I will have to watch Heroes (series) for a similar take on that.

20. The Barcelona Vamp ✅⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was... triggering. And not about vampires. But about CP and apparently a real case. Obviously Hollywood has its own take on this so I can't say anything about it until I do my research on the real deal. But the whole movie was interesting and also very, very triggering. Really scary. Some scenes were too uncomfortable to watch so I had to pause it several times. Why? These things are so so close to us and people, sometimes people we know, keep hiding these things from us. Maybe the Barcelona Vamp was innocent. Maybe it wasn't. The only thing that it is true is that nothing like this happens without another one getting involved too. Another one keeping silence. Someone refusing to act. That's how bad it is. Not the movie ofc.

I love the use of color and the use of black and white too. It's definitely a good film. The dialogues... they were too realistic. Sadly. I have known people that say things like that. That keep blaming it onto the victims no matter if they're 40 or 6 years old. Don't watch this movie if child abuse triggers you. While it is not graphic it definitely makes you uncomfortable. And it should. Another thing to say about this movie: the original language is in Spanish. And when I saw it on HBO the English subtitles were lacking. So were the subtitles in Spanish. So either you learn/practice your Spanish or you'll need to find CC and the mp4 file too. To make sure you get it otherwise you'll be missing half of the story.

21. Dracula (1979)✅ ⭐⭐⭐

Okay the whole time I was so into the aesthetics. But sometimes I found it funny. Mmmm but I decided to give it a go because it was an old movie. Honestly it wasn't that bad. A bit cringe but kinda okay. The aesthetics were really pleasing tho.

22. Army of the Dead ✅⭐⭐

I started watching it because... it looked fun. Zombieland type of fun.

The OST is awesome. I'm not taking this movie seriously. I don't know why... oh yeah okay... now I kind of understand why.

Okay it has a lot of tits and a lot of blood in the very beginning. If this is how's gonna be... or not. Oh... it gets better after the first minutes 😜 A bit of character development...

I like this idea of zombies being strong and somewhat more fast. Like Korean zombies.

I fell asleep. Again... *sighs* this is ridiculous. I'll have to rewatch just... I'm not sure...

I'll be back. Let me do a quick rewatch.

Zombie tiger Valentine was awesome. Smart zombies? Cool!!

I think I'm bored...

I mean, it's a cool movie. But I prefer Zombieland.

They're supposed to be great at shooting, so why do they spend so many bullets on killing one zombie if they already know to aim for the head?

I'm rooting for the king. He actually seems decent.

Ohh no they killed his baby 😭

They should pay for it.

Okay... okay, wait a second lol I'm getting an idea...

Why there are no movies with zombies as main characters where the humans are the bad ones?

I mean, we have all what it takes: Usually someone, a doctor, trying to play God, and making a human turn into zombie. The whole zombie apocalypse goes on because they kill the family of subject Zero and all that.

This movie deserves another star just cause the OST is really awesome. Seriously. I'm not going to give it one more though lol the whole thing was quite disappointing.

23. The Fall of the Usher House (Netflix series) ✅⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Okay I saw this whole series in what? Two days? The adaptation was incredibly well done. I'm aware that the story on the book is different but I quite enjoyed the show. Although it's quite graphic. So there's my trigger warning ⚠️ if anything lol honest question, do we need trigger warnings for horror movies?

Carla Gugino's still one of my unexplained crushes, she is still as beautiful as the day I saw her for the first time, does she have a fountain of eternal youth hidden somewhere? Anyway, it surprised me how good she's within the horror genre. To be honest I haven't followed her in years but now she captured my attention so I definitely will be paying attention from now on.💕

I actually screamed during Tammy's death. Her acting is truly on point. It made me feel everything that the rest of the Ushers couldn't. Considering how tired and how much I've disassociated these weeks to be able to watch horror movies every day, I think you can say she's the best of the best.

Ironically, she wasn't even my favorite character but Aunt Madeleine and Camille who I felt they were so alike. And in a way I kept admiring them. And also Lenore but for different reasons. Still I felt captivated by the whole series. Aunt Madeleine monologue is wow! But Tammy's death and the way it was presented to us, I truly felt like I was inside with her. Grieving and feeling all that. I couldn't stop watching despite how much I wanted to.

24. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein✅⭐⭐⭐

It made me jump several times 😭🤣 but I can't quite put my finger on why... maybe because it was raining while I was watching the movie. Maybe because the timing was so on point every time the lightening strikes inside the movie, the same thing happened here...

Anyway this is my first time watching Frankestein and the aesthetics are so good 😍💖 also.. Helena Bonham Carter is there!? And considering how good Kenneth Branagh was playing Gilderoy Lockhart I really found hilarious and on point sawing him play Victor Frankenstein too.

25. #Alive✅⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐

What a movie! I wonder if this is tied to Train to Busan and All of us are Dead. I mean, technically it's not. But the fandom can always take upon it and make it a thing. It has happened before lol right?? Please someone needs to make it a thing 😭 even if it's just a fanfic or something. I'll be so happy.

It keeps reminding me of coronavirus 😭

The guy is a good person but... why is he eating such a big ramen? He should be breaking it into small portions lol he really does not know anything about survival. Poor thing 😕 I shouldn't be laughing so much about it but... he's really stupid at times. If he survives it'll be a miracle lol

Oh... she's cute 🥺 kind and smart. She's going to die lol

They are so lucky to have each other. 🥺😭

Oof!

Okay... let's start counting how many times he actually screwed it off lol

Every time I think he's about to screw it off, he saves her lol and I like their dynamic so much 🥺😭 like, not really shipping them. Just, rooting for them and loving their friendship. That's a friendship right?

OMG she's so cool...

No way... see? This is why I enjoy Korean movies so much... their plot twists are insane...

🥺😭💕

26. Freaky✅⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

O.M.G. it's definitely one of the best movies I've seen in a while. Scary but original. And funny. I loved it. Great characters. Awesome development. Good acting. Made me laugh a lot and I was rooting for the heroine. But also... aw 🥺🤧 that ending... And the beginning! 😱💕

27. A nightmare on Elm Street ✅⭐⭐⭐

It's a great movie. Seriously. But I had to pause it several times because I felt sleepy... really sleepy. Which is so weird because I usually don't feel like that while watching a horror movie.

Anyway I found odd watching Johnny Depp as a kid 🤣 but I was rooting for Nancy's character all the way.

28. The Wizard of Oz ✅ ⭐⭐

Aw... cute singing...

Toto what!? 😱 Well...

I'm not sure I liked the movie lol it felt like.... why are they singing so merrily about the death of the witch!? I feel like they're so mean 😭💀

.... Did Glinda just decided to make Dorothy part of her beef against Elephie? (Ignoring the musical plot ofc) they're so mean lololol

Pretty sure lions and tigers are not part of the forest 😭🤣 okay maybe there are tigers on the rainforests. But pretty sure you won't find one... in middle of the forest. Nvm. I realize it's supposed to be a movie... sorry about that lol

Ohhh that last part when they are all together, facing their worse fears together. It's so cute.

I love the hourglass. It's red!! 😍 so pretty.... the movie is cringy lol but the songs are catchy. The red shoes are marvelous too 😍

And that's it. I don't like this movie lol but the songs are awesome.

29. Cirque du Freak ✅⭐⭐

Ken Watanabe!? Josh Hutcherson, John C. Reilly, Salma Hayek and William Dafoe!? How come I didn't watch this first!? 😭😱 looks so cool...

The intro is so long... but kind of interesting lol

I was eating... lucky me, I don't really get nauseous or sick of watching gross things. I used to watch Dr House or Hannibal when I was a kid while I was eating. That's how strong my stomach is lol

... Is it just me or Evra looks a bit like Ross Lynch here? I love Ross Lynch.... maybe that's why lol

Being honest it was below average. But I also liked it. So... the stars do not say how much, because then it'd be a 3 or 4 but the movie deserves only two.

30. Suspiria (original)✅⭐⭐⭐⭐

The aesthetics are so 😍💕

Did I mention I'm a Dario Argento fan? Okay, I'm a new fan lol like, I'm barely starting with his movies and all that, but still, he's the only one who has actually made me feel so excited and terrified at the same time. Like actually screaming and keep me horrified for several minutes. I loved Phenomena with Jennifer Connelly. Suspiria seems like a dream and a nightmare at the same time.

She looks like Lily Collins 😳

God... the aesthetics... that blue, and those walls... 😍💖

It's actually ballet! 😭😚

The music gives you an actual headache...

Are they trying to drown her!? That diet seems so... lol still... I wish there was a school like that. Minus the bloodbath ofc

lol I like how Susy prefers to sleep before spying on the teachers. I'd be pissed irl because there's nothing better than a mystery but... the movie's making me laugh a little with that. I think they're putting something on her food though.

Okay Susie's definitely taking pills to sleep, you do recognize the signs after a while... I'm surprised I didn't notice before... but Sara keeps shaking her so much it's impossible for her not to be awake unless she's on drugs 😭

Omg...

Okay... the ending was a bit disappointing. But also good? Still, that makes me like the remake a bit more. Ummm... I think I like both movies now. I'm keeping this on first place because the aesthetics and music. Some parts are dark but nothing big if you're into horror movies. Still... I think I want to watch it again because of the aesthetics. *sigh*

31. (No title. I'll be watching a movie with a friend 😚💕)

🦇✨ 🎃 ✨ 🎃 ✨ 🎃 ✨ 🎃 ✨ 🎃 ✨ 🦇

My take: I'm usually a person who likes horror movies. A lot. But... I'm so tired of them RN so I definitely took some horror movies out to make it a bit more light and that's why I ended up watching The Wizard of Oz and Cirque du Freak. And I still ended up hating them lol that's how tired I am. I'm about to puke already. Seriously. Someone please get me something else to watch lololol

I am now looking for the original books of Oz after watching Return to Oz and The Wizard of Oz (which tbh I never saw the original one until now, but several animated ones, and I always found them so creepy I could not even.)

I'm definitely not going to watch horror movies in a while. I'm so done with it. Also, this is why I was struggling so much and couldn't find another movie to make it 31 to the point I almost fall asleep with most of them. I can't feel a thing with most of them. And I love Suspiria. I'm not going to watch anything else after this movie. Not right now at least.

I did enjoy the movie with my friend. I think it's one of the best things. Just because I spent almost 2 hours with that person. That already makes everything 1000% better.

Things that I've learned:

* I hate slashers, unless they're really good or do not have so many gory details. Or it's a bit more "elegant" lol idk how to explain it, except for me liking more Hannibal than a random freak with a knife. You guys get it no?

* My favorite Halloween movies are with ghosts, but I prefer psychological thriller movies.

* I can endure religions on movies but I hate them with passion.

* Monsters are not my thing because they usually are so brainless and so are the people around them trying to kill or run away from them. Use your brain! (This is why I'm a Ravenclaw -.-)

* American zombies suck. They're slow and boring. Please do not mention to me War Z. Korean zombies are awesome and they're the only reason I started watching zombie movies 💀 I like them fast.

* I will root for the brainy and most sassiest person in the room. If this one is killed I will root for the killer.

* I don't think I'll be celebrating Halloween with horror movies next year lol but who knows right?

* The winner of this list would be: Psycho. And in second place I'd be picking Freaky cause I really enjoyed that movie.

* I'm growing less and less fond of Halloween the more time it passes (not the idea itself, death and undead will never scare me but the whole horror show puts me a bit.... off now. I'm starting to understand my own roots a bit more too like being fond of this time of the year because it ends but not because of the horror, ya know what I mean? I'm getting old I think. Or maybe I'm coming back to the person I used to be.)

* Most horror movies and series lack of character development or something that makes it attractive and lets the audience feel compelled to root for them. That's why many people started rooting for the monster. It lacks humanity. They're just bloodbaths. It's boring.

* It took me so many hours to think of my costumes, design something somewhat decent, pull all the pics and watch movies at the same time 😭 🤣 it was fun but I won't be doing this again.

* I love autumn 🍂🍁🍂

* Somehow I'm more in touch with my feelings right now.

* Some movies and series actually made me feel inspired to go back and write!

* I really, really love autumn 🍂 it's just this cozy, nostalgic feeling. I'm trying not to cry whenever I see the sunlight through the leaves. 🍁