#She despised the political roles and having to behave all the time for the sake of someone else's career

[shinidamachu]

I haven't watched anything after ATLA, but I was shocked to find out that Zuko and Mai don't work out. What are your thoughts? Do you think the writers could have gone in a different direction or was it for the best?

I gotta be honest, you're not missing out much by not engaging with the extras. I only watched Legend of Korra and I don't really remember Mai even being mentioned on it.

They did give Zuko a daughter, though. Her name is Izumi. And even though they never explicitly revealed the mother to be Mai (or what was made of her), I just assumed she was the mother due to the remarkable resemblance:

Now, I haven't read the comics (nor will I ever), so if you're actually refering to them, my knowledge is very limited. But it is my understanding, from the metas I've read about them, that Zuko and Mai break up and make up, as it was their modus operandi in ATLA.

Mai not being around in LOK doesn't necessarily mean she's dead or that they broke up for good. The fate of their relationship was purposefully left open and they do end up together at the end of ATLA, so what happens after doesn't really matter since not everybody takes the comics or LOK as canon, anyway.

Now, since you asked for my opinion... I wasn’t shocked to find out about how they were portraying Maiko in the comics at all. First, because Bryke suck at writing romance. Second, because from the interactions in ATLA, this was more or less what I imagined their relationship would play out and that’s why I never shipped them.

MAIKO CRITICISM UNDER THE CUT!

The writers should have gone in a different direction, but in the ATLA finale. I love Zuko. And I love Mai. But I don’t like them as a couple because I think they are not fitted for each other. And I’m not just saying that because I’m a Zutara shipper, let’s get this out of the way right here, right now.

I’m saying this because I would rather they had ended up alone than together. Not only them, but Aang and Katara as well. They were all so young I feel like there wouldn’t be any harm for the story if no couples were canonized. 

Especially because, again: Bryke suck at writing love stories (with the notable exceptions being Yukka and Sukka) and romance was actually the less compelling part of ATLA.

More than that, if Zuko and Mai had to end up with a love interest, it shouldn’t have been each other because Maiko is actually a disservice to their characters. In some aspects, it keeps Mai from growing and it regresses Zuko's development.

You see, their relationship always struck me as something they would eventually grow out of. Don’t get me wrong, I have no doubt they really cared about each other. But the narrative went out of its way to show us that the years they spent apart changed their dynamic fundamentally.

Mai and (especially) Zuko aren’t the same people they were when they first met. And when they finally reunited, no real effort was made to learn who was this new person in fron of them. He tried to open up, but she shut him down. 

Instead of reconnecting, of deepening the relationship, they insisted on jumping head first into dating and picked things up where they left off, desperatelly trying to cling to what they knew and forcing two pieces of a different puzzle to click. Of course it wouldn’t work.

The person Zuko became needed someone passionate by his side. Someone he could open up to and confide in. Someone with the same sense of honor, of justice. Someone who understood him and his actions, who got how important it is for him to take the throne and right the wrongs of his country. Someone he could count on to help him get there. I guess we can all agree that this doesn’t sound like Mai.

The person Mai became needed someone who would focus on her and her needs for once. Someone who would have made her a priority. Someone who could actually see past her poker face. Someone who would take her away from the boring royal stuff she hates so much. I guess we can all agree that this doesn’t sound like Zuko, either.

When he took off to join the Gaang, he left the life style he had always known behind because it didn’t fit who he was anymore. He can’t go back from that. And this includes Mai. She is the personification of that life. And as much as they liked each other, being together just doesn’t make sense anymore. Especially because becoming Fire Lady inevitably traps her in the life she was trying to get away from. It’s one of the worst endings they could have given to these characters.

And the way it was executed? Even worse. They reconciled without as much as a conversation about what happened: his “betrayal”, the end of the war, what it means for their relationship, if their feelings were still the same. In fact, apparently Zuko kind of... completely forgot she was in prison and made no move to get her out because he had been too busy fighting Azula and taking lightning to the chest for Katara.

Mai isn’t even a part of the apotheosis of his arc. He got where he needed to be and she wasn’t one of the characters who activelly help him get there. This is very symbolic. And the apotheosis of her arc? Was saving him from Azula, but she didn’t did it because she understood his reasons and wanted to be supportive. She did it because he is the guy she likes. Which is fine, but not enough to “award” her with Zuko. There were feelings there, but they were never on the same page.

“Mai Alone,” is what she deserved. To travel the world on her own. A different place every day. Never the same, always moving. Maybe that way she would have seen the things Zuko did. Maybe this way she would have understood. And after tasting freedom, she would have realized she would have never want to be confined to palace walls ever again. Not for Zuko, not for anybody.

She would have been much happier as the first woman in the White Lotus or as a Bounty Hunter. A spy who, after seeing what the Fire Nation did to the world, finally found her calling by working on the shadows to make sure nothing will break the peace the Avatar and the Fire Lord managed to achieve.

And Zuko deserved the family he always wanted, with a partner who would not only put up with the political duties, but would have been thrilled to do so. Katara seems like the obvious choice here, but even Jin would have been a better fit.

Sometimes things aren’t meant to be and that’s okay. Zuko and Mai work better as friends.

[hollenka99]

The Mediary

Summary: Jameson suddenly arrives in the next century and is caught between a feud.

Jameson kisses Madeline goodbye as she wishes him good luck with his audition. On the calendar, showing November somewhat prematurely, a wedding date is marked. He heads out the door, oblivious to the fact he'll never walk though it again. At the audition, he is tasked with demonstrating how to carve a pumpkin. Nothing intricate, just a test to see how he'd go about instructing others. Jameson feels it goes well until he accidentally nicks his finger with the knife provided. Those observing offer him a tissue to help staunch the bleeding. He gladly accepts. However, he feels himself spacing out for a few moments. Odd. He was never affected by the sight of blood before. For god's sake, he'd been a soldier long enough to reach the rank of captain. So why had he experienced such a reaction to a small cut? Never mind that, he had an audition to finish. He mentally brushes himself off and carries on as if there was no accidental injury. He tried his best. However, he doubted he'd hear from these people again. Oh well, there was always another role he could try for. There is no reason for him to be suspicious when he steps out of the exit. He is expecting to be greeted by cuboidal automobiles. The street outside the studio had been rather teeming with pedestrians when he'd entered too. His main concern had been avoiding accidentally getting in someone's way as he left. The gentleman doesn't quite understand how he found himself at an unfamiliar doorstep instead. He should not be here. Best to leave before the occupants noticed his trespassing. He is spotted before he get the chance to make his conspicuous escape. "Hey, are you new?" A man who shares a remarkable similarity to him approaches. 'I may be.' A screen appears, startling the both of them. 'What-?' "Don't worry, you're fine. Just talk normally." He speaks again but the screen intrudes the space between them once more. What on earth had happened to his voice? It was simply... gone. This made no sense. He had only been speaking aloud minutes before. Now suddenly the ability had vanished as soon as he'd left the studio. He begins signing but the stranger returns a slightly confused look. Alright, he supposes that was fair. He only knew the language himself because of Eddie. Jameson opens his palm and acts out the motion of writing on his hand. The man understands he's asking for a pen and paper yet apologises for not having any at his disposal. Damn it all. Fine. As much as he hates it, he resorts to allowing the floating screens to transfer his speech. The sooner he could find himself in a position where he could communicate via British sign language or writing, the better. 'I'm sorry for intruding. I don't know how I got here.' "No, you're cool. I don't live here. But I'm here to collect you. I'm Jack, do you have a name yet?" '...Jameson.' It's intended to be spoken warily but the most his message does to convey this is place an ellipsis directly in front of his name. "Well, great to meet you, Jameson. My house is that way if you'd like to talk more without us freezing our asses off out here." Jack points behind him with a thumb lifted over his shoulder. Jack tells him to make himself feel at home once they arrive. He introduces his Danish girlfriend, Signe. Jameson gets the sense she does not exactly want him in her home. Perhaps she is being polite and hospitable for the sake of humouring her partner. Jack provides a notebook for Jameson to write in. He asks his guest about his life and seems fascinated by the little Jameson discloses. As he and Jack chat, his host explains how there were characters known as the egos. They all shared the same face, albeit how they expressed their appearance varied. The problem was that the majority of the egos harboured great animosity towards Jack. He'd made some mistakes he'd rather not delve into which caused them to feel that way. Unfortunately, these misdemeanours had cost him everything. This was why he had created Jameson, who himself was another ego. Jack had decided to challenge himself by attempting to create someone who was even more fleshed out than the others. So, that was all he was, a work of fiction? All his memories were falsely implanted and never truly happened? No, Jack assures him with vigour in his eyes, he was as real as anyone else. In fact, he was further ahead in that regard than any other of the egos. The following day, there is a forceful knocking as Jack shows him where to find potential sandwich fillings for lunch. Jack seems to have an inkling as to who the visitor may be. With a frustrated sigh, grumbling about requiring more time, he heads to the front door. The visitor sounds unhappy from the fragments of speech Jameson overhears. Despite this, Jack lets the stranger in and directs him to the kitchen for introductions. "Chase, this is Jameson. Jameson, Chase." "Great. Progressed to kidnapping the newbies now? Just when I thought you couldn't screw us over any more." The moment Chase lays eyes on him, bitterness begins to infect Jameson's new life. He berates Jack, calling him Sean, for intercepting Jameson before he could enter the egos' house. Ah, so that's who lived in the building he had appeared in front of. After a brief argument, broken up with Signe's intervention, Chase is granted permission to take Jameson where the aggravated stranger believed he belongs. It is not surprising when Jameson is returned to the house. "Asshole said he was Jack and took him home." Chase announces as they pass through the door. "He what?!" A man with shoulder length hair dumps the cat he was cradling back on the sofa at Chase's return. Chase rants to the other ego about Sean. The tour of the building he gives is rushed, as if Jameson wasn't worth the time it took to provide a decent one. There was the living room, kitchen and the bedrooms which were scattered around the building. Jameson stops him to furiously scribble on the notepad. 'Why do you despise Jack so much? He was more than happy to accommodate me.' "Accommodate, my ass. You wanna know why we all think he's a prick? I'll show you." Chase grabs his arm roughly. Through hallways, they travel to a section of the building he can tell is some sort of infirmary. Laid on a bed is another ego. Around his mouth is a mask which presumably aided with breathing. The only part of him that moved was his chest, steadily inflating and falling along with his lungs, which was only just visible under the bedsheets. "This is Jack. He's a prime example of what happens when you keep trusting Sean and believing he actually cares. We're not shitting on Sean for the hell of it. We do it because he's a dick and we'd rather not force anyone else to lose their friend." Jameson has been here before, caught in the midst of Us versus Them. The gentry against the rest of the population, a son who behaved desirably and his less favourable brother, the British against the Arabs. He has been told which side to be loyal to for the entirety of his life and he is tired of it. He will stay in the middle if that's where he wants to be. And as such, there was someone whom required a visit. Sean sounds defeated when he lets him in. "Let me guess, they told you all about how I'm a terrible guy, worse than Satan or whatever." 'They certainly didn't paint you in a good light.' "I bet they didn't." Sean grumbles. 'There is one thing I cannot understand. Why deceive me regarding your identity? It would not matter whether you were Jack or Seán, I would not know the difference. Or, in fact, that there was a distinction to be made in the first place.' "Yeah, I know." He sighs. "I guess I got so used to them acting as if Jack came from above, I assumed the very mention of his name made you lot trust him immediately. To her credit, Signe did tell me it was a stupid idea." 'It certainly was.' "The only thing I lied about was my name. I can promise you that. And I only did it because the rest of them act like they're hardwired to instantly listen to him. Besides, I was known as Jack long before he ever came to exist. I gave Jack my nickname and he made it his own." 'A manipulation tactic then?' "I... I wouldn't go so far as to call it manipulation." There is a pause where he returns eye contact to Jameson. "Listen, once again, I messed up in a big way. It keeps happening to me but I am doing my best to do right by the egos, which includes you now. It was wrong of me to try force you to side with me without hearing from the other half of the argument. For that, I am sorry." 'As I understand it, you feel you are frequently at a disadvantage when it comes to them?' "Constantly, yeah." Jameson considers his next comment thoroughly. 'As it turns out, your welcome was much warmer than your reputation would have me believe. So, for now, I am willing to accept your apology and move on from this bad start.' And with that, Jameson lets bygones be bygones. He did not have it in him to expend such nonsensical energy on that cause. He has a room in the egos' house and therefore makes himself comfortable. There was a window to allow a good amount of natural light in. A model of radio he was familiar with was provided, as was the clock hanging on the wall. He could certainly admire the craftmanship of the wooden pieces of furniture. This was his last remaining slice of the era he once knew. An Irish painter of dolls who went by the name of Shawn Flynn naturally gravitated to him as they both came from the 1930s. As with all of them, there is a language barrier between the two men. However, with enough ink on paper and newly learned yet limited British sign language, they are able to sufficiently communicate. Shawn even had a television like used to make them in his room. In addition to this, a projector and camera to show Bendy cartoons. They spend an afternoon going through the catalogue Shawn has. Sean recruits a reluctant Chase to his side in November. The two of them co-operate on the channel's videos. Apparently, second in command had once been Jack's role. This also allows for Chase to soften slightly towards Jameson as he gets into the swing of his new schedule. It's a good thing too, given that Chase's friendships were negatively affected by his new affiliations. It hadn't taken long to discover any positive affiliation to Sean caused a demotion in the house's social hierarchy. At the top were those like Marvin, Chase and Jackie whom had a specific introductory video, not to mention were popular with Sean's fans. Then came those who mostly owed their existence to the audience and remained in the good graces of the others. And at the bottom were those like himself who didn't care for this feud with their creator. Perhaps their should be a Tier Zero which solely housed Marvin, apparent ringleader of the anti-Sean cause. It's during the middle of Adventide that Jameson has his first indirect introduction to Anti. It is astounding to see the difference fear could cause in everybody. Jackie, who frequently had a hint of venom about him, was trembling in a manner akin to that of a shell shock sufferer at the sound of Silent Night. Marvin follows Chase's lead as his protective instincts express themselves through comfort rather than defence. This was madness. As far as Jameson could see, it was simply a case of malfunctioning pictures and the carol playing faintly in the background. Chase takes a moment to check Jameson and anyone else unfamiliar with Anti were okay. He was largely unaffected personally by tonight so yes, he was fine. Except... there was a common enemy that seemed to surpass Sean on their antagonist scale. And somehow, deep within himself, Jameson knew that unnerved him more than anything else that happened that night. Christmas is a calmer affair than the charity stream of a fortnight prior. Marvin and Chase had discussed Jackie's wellbeing between themselves. Following explaining their intentions to the rest of the household, they surprise the youngest ego with the generous suggestion. A service dog could be beneficial to the young man. However, there would be a lot of preparation and organisation before this idea could come to fruition. It is wonderful to see everyone do their best to maintain high spirits after what sounded like a dreadful year. When Dr Jacksepticeye finds himself becoming corporeal, Jameson and Shawn are the only ones who welcomes him warmly. It is a bitter household to be brought into. Any alliance this doctor could form would serve him well. The others made it clear they would accept only one doctor as their kin. It went without saying that this doctor was the one Jameson had never met. The outcasts had to stick together. God forbid those against Sean spared any kindness to those who held anything less than hatred towards him in their hearts. The doctor quickly sets off on his duties as the new resident medical professional. He is soon referred to as Jase in casual situations, derived from the JSE abbreviation. This naturally transforms into Jason. Chase wins a personal victory in March when it is agreed that he would see his children during the weekend. Given that this aspect of his life had caused him much strife, there is all the more reason celebrate the good fortune. He volunteers to prepare pineapple upside down cake for the party, to which none of them seemingly object. Chase is completely flattered by his friends' gesture. With the table filled with a variety of good food, they all enjoy the afternoon together. The father deserves it. In early May, Shawn opens the door to a dishevelled man in blue scrubs and a white coat. Jameson witnesses their exchange as he happened to be stood in the hallway. It was him, the missing doctor. The painter of toys offers to lead Henrik upstairs to where his friends were. Jameson, meanwhile tasks himself with procuring water for the new arrival. At the appropriate moment, he delivers the drink to the doctor. As the days pass, Jameson gets the opportunity to acquaint himself with Henrik. There is an obvious language barrier but it is easily resolved with Shawn's presence or, failing that, writing his responses by hand. He comes across as a decent man. Even better, he does not seem so hostile against those whom didn't share his views. Given the evil he'd survived for the past 9 months, potentially instigated by a significant lack of judgement on Sean's part, Jameson appreciated that openness. To the surprise of most, Henrik harbours no animosity towards Jason either. In fact, he is relieved there had been someone even remotely qualified to care for Jack during his absence. The tension the others had felt towards the second doctor gradually reduces after this point. It is little over a week later that the renewed happiness amongst his housemates is shattered. Chase leaves to return his daughter's toy to her then Jackie is discovered to have secretly slipped out. Only one comes home that night. Marvin is too beside himself to properly chastise Jackie for worrying them. Jameson heads over to Sean's home to check in on him. He and Chase had been more than professional collaborators, after all. Unsurprisingly, he discovers the egos' creator is beside himself with stress. As much as Jameson tries, he cannot console his friend. Anti had broken into the home of Chase's children and kidnapped the father. That was plain to see from the video evidence. Sean looks Jameson in the eyes and admits he has no control over the demon. Likely never did. He needed to work out how to rescue Anti's third victim and fast. Jameson had faith that the creator could figure something out. However, he did secretly agree that this whole bleak affair seemed hopeless. Marvin is rarely seen outside of his room. Henrik, who also shared a close friendship with Chase, struggles noticeably with these turn of events as well. The 17 year old superhero acts like a delinquent which certainly doesn't help matters. Jameson knows his parents would have never tolerated such unacceptable behaviour from him when he was that age. Still, everyone reacts to tragedy differently. Marvin, Henrik and Jackie may have been the worst affected by Chase's disappearance but they weren't the only ones missing him. An odd newcomer arrives in June. Sean had been playing a game set 30 years into the future in Detroit. Due to this, an automaton enters their lives. It takes a lot of getting used to on Jameson's part. First he had to accustom himself to the 2010s. Now a piece of the 2040s was showing up too. He's fascinated nonetheless. Chase is a shell of himself when they see him again in July. Whatever had happened to him during those three months, it had caused him to retreat within himself. Worse than Jackie ever did, Marvin claims. Chase's only motivator for leaving his bed is to restock his supply of alcohol. The state he is in can only be described using words such as abysmal and disgraceful. While the rest are mourning on the anniversary of losing Jack, Sean doesn't help his cause by playing a guessing game. He starts off with fictional characters from video games. However, the video's last round centres around Jameson himself. When Sean answers yes to questions such as 'Is your character real?', he is able to brush it off. After all, he is fictional in Sean's world. And if Sean believed he'd enjoy the game, he would have to introduce Jameson to Minecraft. That said, the way Sean obfuscates while answering two certain questions is a major cause for concern. Now, Jameson could understand Sean wanting to respect what his friend did while serving was private and protect that privacy on the internet. However, Sean could have easily picked no and moved on. Furthermore, he was not a puppet. His days of serving a purpose for others were long over. Oh, but it's all for show, isn't it? That is what their lives are, entertainment for the masses. He was different from the others though. While all the rest had fragments of an identity pre-creation, he had 28 years worth of memories. It was what set him apart from the others, regardless of personal ties. As terrible as it sounded, he had hoped his status as Sean's most detailed creation would provide better protection from threats such as Anti. He considers speaking to Sean about it. The part that doesn't want to know if his concerns were valid wins. A German Shepherd joins the household in late August. As far as Jameson understands, she had spent her formative years being trained to help those in need of it. Those like Jackie, to put it plainly. It takes time to adjust to the dog being around. However, she dutifully stays by Jackie's side. In the coming weeks, she gets used to her ward's individual habits and needs. Despite remaining distant from most of his neighbours, Jameson is happy to see potential improvement on the horizon for Jackie's wellbeing. Months of Jackie and Henrik debating the matter between themselves comes to a conclusion. Jackie was to lose his legs. Whatever was below his knees, at least. Jameson joined the rest of the egos in wishing their youngest member good luck with his surgery. The hours drag as they await news of success. It does eventually come. Jackie recovers well from the procedure. However, this was apparently far from the end of it. There were still the matters of physical therapy, prothesis and the teenager adapting to his new life as an amputee. The rest of them vow to support him every step of the way. As Halloween, and for that matter his birthday, approached, the atmosphere in the house grows increasingly wary. Sean promises there will be no pumpkin carving video that year. In fact, he'd really gone off of the concept since the past two attempts had only resulted in disaster. Jameson doesn't see what all the fuss is about. They couldn't permanently die. There was no risk in celebrating the holiday. Should any harm come to one of them, the effects would only be short term. Besides, surely the others could focus on other things that day if they so wished. He hated bringing unnecessary attention to himself but well, his birthday was a source of positivity, wasn't it? "Okay, if we're going to let shit slide on any day, your birthday seems like a good one. We wanna hear about your past life." Jackie unexpectedly announces at the dining table on the last day of October. Well, he'd be happy to oblige. Why not? He could certainly tell them about his family. There were his parents, the British military man and his resentful Irish wife. He had a brother and sister too. Eddie had been 4 years older while Jameson recalled being 7 when Rose was born. For a short while, he deviates on tales of Eton before brushing over his path to becoming a captain. He'd love to talk about Madeline but they didn't need to know every detail. The long and short of it was, he'd been of higher birth, obeyed the path his father had encouraged then planned to be a civilian peacefully following his discharge. His arrival in the present had severely affected those plans of a quiet domestic life. With the arrival of November comes the 100th anniversary of armistice. If the majority of the others had limited respect for him due to his friendship with Sean, then so be it. However, he was not prepared to stand by and allow them to disrespect the significance of this occasion to him. He wants a quiet day of reflection alone. He may not have been old enough to serve during the Great War like his brother, nor did he live through its sequel. However, he still had been in the military and had personally known others who'd chosen that path too. Jackie interrupts his time alone but for good reason. He leaves him speechless once more, pulling up a Wikipedia page about a woman named Madeline Grant. "This is her, isn't it?" And oh, it is. The photograph attached to her profile is from 1954 so she's older than he once knew her but there is no doubt about it. That is his Madeline. He dedicates a portion of his afternoon to reading the article in its entirety. She'd managed to be a successful journalist, written a handful of novels and travelled to far off lands. She'd also found someone else to marry. Most importantly, it sounded like she had been happy. And that was all Jameson could have asked for. He attempts to thank Jackie for his thoughtfulness. The most he gets out of the young man is a non-committal shrug and mumbling. The day after, he tells Sean about Jackie's gesture. Sean's certainly had an eventful 2018, allowing him very little time to allocate to learning BSL. It's not much of a bother to Jameson. So long as Sean is willing to learn, he's happy. As he talks about how he wouldn't mind trying to locate some of Madeline's books, it is clear Sean is a little uneasy. "You... do understand she doesn't exist here, right? On this side of the doorway, nobody you knew personally was ever born. You weren't either. I'm sorry for sounding so blunt. I just thought you already knew that." 'I do! I simply must have gotten carried away.' "No, you're good. Maybe you could do some searching over on your side." Sean's mood perks up suddenly. "Hey, you know what? I don't think I have much else to do or prepare for today. I wouldn't mind learning more about her if you're cool with that." On the morning of Sean and Jack's birthday, the egos collectively agree to confront Sean. When the five of them arrive at his doorstep, they are invited to share cake. The discussion results in their creator agreeing to wake Jack up for their joint birthday. The other egos are not subtle with how much they cannot wait to see their friend conscious once more. It is wonderful to see their joy. Angus, as fatigued as he often was, had run when Chase informed him of what was occurring. Jameson spends the whole day astounded. It's almost like he's surrounded by people slightly different to those he usually knew before this. Jack shows signs of becoming overwhelmed numerous times over the course of the day. It is, however, subtly hidden for the sake of the others. Rounds of both cake and pizza slices later, the sky has long grown dark. Jameson signs throughout the entire evening, talking to Jack while Chase acted as translator. The original ego is fascinated by his memories of a life prior to official creation. Jack offered insightful contributions to the conversation. It is incredibly refreshing to be listened to, free from the other party's grudges. He wonders whether Jack would judge him for his connection to Sean. Then again, it would appear the temporarily conscious man was unaware Sean was the one to orchestrate his coma. A few members of the group have retired to bed by the time Jack begins feeling peculiar. Henrik takes charge of the situation immediately. He is soon escorting his patient back to the medial bay. It is a shame for the night to end with such a low point. At least they can be confident that he is in good hands. The mood the following day is understandably low. A number of the egos had kept him at arm's length since his arrival over a year prior. Then there'd been this enigma, the one everyone talked about and was on their minds frequently. He had accepted Jameson without any hesitation. For the limited hours he'd been granted, it had been a pleasure to get to know the original ego. This home had finally known tranquillity for the first time in too long. If only it could last in Jack's absence.

[anryuuepic]

Odessa Landrott Bio

Name: Odessa Landrott

Species: Ghiasuli

Race: Blackscale

Role: Ground Grand Knight within the Ghiasuli Royal Guard. Has a fair amount of power in name, but winds up nothing more than Solaris’s useful little toy. Manages most of the dirty work in the Offense Regiment, and is perpetually stressed to the max from all of her duties. 

Affiliation: Royal Guard

Gender: Female

Age: 24

Height: 5’8

Appearance: Odessa is a relatively tall woman with a thick build. She’s wide through her hips and shoulders, with a good amount of muscle mass. Her skin is a light brown, her eyes are a dark, rich gray, and her features are on the rounded side, yet still rather stern. Her hair is black, thick, and curly, and usually worn in a medium-short, wavy cut loose around her head. Her expression is usually a troubled frown and a furrowed brow. 

Special Abilities/Strengths: Odessa is polite, respectful, and obedient. She’s even-tempered and composed, with few people ever seeing her lose her head. She’s very good at handling difficult people, especially those with violent or rebellious tendencies, and is skilled at making sure she gets her way when needed. She’s very strong-willed when left to her own devices, and has a persistence and will that stands out of the crowd. She’s very methodical and organized. She can hold up to a massive amount of stress.

Weaknesses: Odessa tends towards the subservient and overly-obedient. As much as she hates being controlled, her superior, Solaris, leaves little room for argument. She tends to bow her head and obey before facing a conflict, and she takes her loyalties as Ground Grand Knight a little too seriously. She’s often rather emotionless on the outside, which has caused a variety of interpersonal issues. She’ll obey any order from her superior without question, no matter how unethical it might be. 

History: Odessa is from a wealthy household. She was trained from a very young age that she had to obey those better than her for the sake of her position in society, and was only ushered into the military life to make her family look good. She claimed her position six years ago, and to the surprise of many, has done wonderfully holding it. She’s considered one of the more skilled people in the Royal Guard, despite her gender, and because of that, her family has become rather hesitant to pull her out and marry her off. 

Relationships: Odessa’s relationships tend to be rather one-sided. She does decently with people of her own rank or lower, but any kind of authority gets immediate subservience. She manages her division well, though, and is skilled at making troublesome people behave. She’s known for being very fair with her people, yet strict when it comes to discipline. Within her Regiment, she has a master/servant relationship with Solaris and is constantly being bullied and tormented by Luts. 

Personality: Odessa is a serious, rational person who rarely gets upset. She’s far from relaxed, though, with her body usually bearing all kinds of signs of stress. She’s tired and perpetually overworked from what Solaris leaves to her, and never quite looks calm or rested. She’s tough on her own, with a natural resilience and mental strength, but crumbles quickly when it comes to anyone in charge. She doesn’t show her emotions very often, preferring to keep a brave face and a neutral voice. She’s very obedient when it comes to authority. She’s known for her ability to keep difficult people in line, even if it’s usually through subtle manipulation. 

Interests: Odessa likes orderly to-do lists, clear instructions, being ahead of her work, and time to herself. She dislikes unrealistic expectations, “nails that stand out”, and dealing with Solaris. Her hobbies have been reduced to keeping up with whatever work Solaris gives her. 

Abilities: **TO BE ADDED**

Miscellaneous: Odessa is very used to being disrespected and looked down on by her peers, but she never quits hating it. She has the biggest workload in the entire Royal Guard, thanks to Solaris dumping his work on her. She hasn’t a full night’s rest in over four years. She hates her family, and never really wants to go home. The idea of being married and forced to retire nauseates her. Her room has virtually no personal possessions or decoration. Solaris chooses how she styles her hair, which Odessa despises. She considers herself to have no pride, and willingly follows any necessary order. 

Connotative description: A beaten-down excuse for a subordinate who’s over-stressed to the point of exhaustion. A strong person in her own right, but kept carefully under her commanding officer’s heel. 

[buckyscrystalqueen]

Breaking The Curse: Part 1

Pairings: Tom Hiddleston x Reader

Warnings: Swearing, Fluff

Word Count: 1,640

A/N: For the sake of this story, the reader is the actress that played in all of Jennifer Lawrence’s movies. So basically she’s the southern Jennifer Lawrence. And I changed timelines around to fit the story because I can. First time writing Tom Hiddleston so be nice, please. 

Aesthetic by @sorenmarie87

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“I seriously hate these dang heels.” You grumbled as you fiddled with the black strappy things your stylist had insisted you wear. You glanced up at your assistant and life long best friend who you basically considered your sister, Chelsea and sighed. “Why’d she have ta pick these ones?”

“Because they make your legs look good.” She responded without looking up from her phone. “Please stop fidgeting, (Y/N).” You growled and sat back against the chair.

“So I shouldn’t leave the damn things in the car?” Chelsea looked up at you with a smirk.

“Why do you have to make my life more difficult?”

“Because that’s my job. You keep me in line an’ I make it as hard as possible.” She exited out of the app she was in and stowed her phone beside yours in her bag.

“Well let’s get this over with. Behave, you hear me?” You mock saluted her as your town car pulled up at the end of the red carpet.

“So I shouldn’t strip naked on the red carpet at the Golden Globes in protest of the damned shoes?” Before she could answer you, your door was opened for you and the small car was filled with shouts of fans that lined the start of the walk. You plastered a smile on your face as the train of your light blue Versace dress landed on the ground behind you. 

You took half a second to steady yourself on the heels that you despised more than life itself before making your way down the line with the rest of the celebrities and ‘cattle wranglers’ as you liked to call them. Photos were taken, interviews were given, and you couldn’t help but feel slightly nervous every time someone told you that you good luck on being nominated for best actress in a drama for your role in ‘Joy’. But you didn’t let it show on your face once. 

“Ms. (Y/L/N), right this way.” A young usher said as you walked inside the building. You smiled at him and took his offered arm so he could lead you to your table. It was the same song and dance each time you went to an award show but this time, it was different.

“Well ‘ide the whiskey, trouble’s ‘ere!” You scoffed and looked over at your close friend and past co-star from when you played Mystique years ago, James McAvoy with a sarcastic eye roll.

“You’re still salty that the southern girl can drink a Scot under the table.” You teased as you went over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Y’all ready for tonight?” He shrugged as he pulled out your chair for you as your assistant dropped off your phone for you before finding her own spot in the back of the room where she much preferred to be.

“Well we all know ye’ve got yer award in the bag.” You playfully hit his arm as he sat down on your left beside you with a shrug. “But I’m up against this tosser.” You turned to your right to where James was pointing as handsome man sat down beside you with a smile on his face.

“No hard feelings when I win, right James?” Tom Hiddleston asked with a laugh.

“Oh, those are fightin’ words here.” You giggled as you turned toward him and offered your hand to him. “(Y/N).”

“Tom. It’s a pleasure.” He said as he politely kissed your hand.

“Way to try to get in ‘er knickers, Hiddleston.” James teased as he signaled to the waiter to order a round of drinks.

“Oh, sweetheart. Bless your heart.” You chided as you put your hand on your friend’s arm with a playfully evil smile. “Look at you insinuating that I actually wear panties.”

“So, that’s the kind of night it’s going to be then.” Tom said with a laugh as he grabbed his glass of water off the table. “Well cheers to the brilliant minds that though putting the three of us together was a good idea, then.”

“Hell, I’ll drink to that.” You said as you grabbed your water and tapped the glass against his. You met his blue eyes as you both took a sip and you slowly lowered your glass when they appeared to slightly change shades as he moved. “Wow. Your eyes are amazin’.” He huffed a laugh as a slight blush rose to his cheeks.

“It’s funny, I was just thinking the same about yours.” With a smile, you looked away and set your water down as the waiter brought over your Jack Daniels and Coke.

“Well thank you, darlin’.” You looked back over at him and held up your drink. “Toooo… pretty eyes and winnin’ awards.” He bowed his head the slightest bit in agreement as he took his own Jameson from the waiter.

“To fun.”

——

“God why did I go ta that aft’a party?” You groaned as you pulled your ball cap down further over your sunglasses in the bright airport lounge the morning after the Globes.

“Because you were celebrating.” Chelsea said simply as she continued to organize your life with you while updating her own social media and personal life like a one woman show. “You said it would be worth it.”

“Chelsea, I love you… but I need ya ta shut the hell up right now.” Your best friend chuckled as your phone buzzed in your hand. You huffed as you glanced at the screen at a text message from an unfamiliar, London area code phone number. Curiosity got the better of you and you unlocked your phone and pulled up your messages.

Hello (Y/N), this is Tom… Hiddleston... from last night. I hope you don’t mind but I acquired your phone number from James after you left. I meant to ask you but we parted ways before I was able too.

You couldn’t help but smirk at the formality of the statement as you tapped the response bar.

Mornin’ sunshine. Forgive me for not believing you off hand but I actually recently had someone leak my phone number and had to change it twice. Got any proof for me?

You adjusted the brightness of your screen and shifted slightly in your seat as the three little dots appeared on the screen. They scrolled through a couple times before disappearing, reappearing again and were replaced by a response.

I apologize that this will be blunt… but you said James insinuated that you had no knickers on. That was the first conversation we exchanged.

Your face flushed red behind your shades and you quickly hit respond.

OK! I believe you! LOL Can we just let the record show that I did have panties on… and can we never, ever have this conversation again so I don’t have to continually die of embarrassment?

You didn’t have to wait long at all for the three dots to appear again.

Consider it noted and forgotten. Congratulations on your win last night, you deserved it.

You smiled to yourself as your flight to North Carolina was called to start boarding. You knew that gave you about twenty minutes before the final call was made when you would board.

Same to you. I have to admit that I haven’t had a chance to finish the series yet but I loved what I’ve seen so far.

“What’s got you all smily?” You looked over at Chelsea, who was smiling at you over her phone as your phone buzzed in your hand again. 

“Not a damn thang, thank you Miss nosey butt.” Your assistant laughed as you looked back down at your screen with an even bigger smile.

All is forgiven, darling. I must also admit that I myself didn’t see your film until late last night, myself. You were spectacular! Did you enjoy filming in Paris? It’s one of my personal favorites.

Thank you. I actually loved Paris! I wished I could have stayed longer but it just wasn’t in the cards. I’ll go back one day hopefully.

Well, if you ever want or need a Paris tour guide, please feel free to let me know. I’d be honored to show you the city. There’s this restaurant I go to every time I’m in town that has the most stunning view over looking the city. It’s simply magical.

“Hey, pack it up, it’s time to go.” You scowled up at Chelsea between the bill of your hat and the top of your sunglasses as you hit the respond bar.

“Rude.” You said as you looked back down at your phone and slowly stood up.

Sounds like a date. But hey, I’m fixin’ to jump on a plane to head to my home town for a couple days. Can I give you a call later tonight? Maybe work out the details of this date?

You didn’t realize you were actually partially holding your breath for his response as you gathered your bags to catch the final boarding for your flight. You weren’t able to actually check your phone again until you had yourself tucked into your first class window seat. You took a deep breath and looked at your phone as the flight attendant made the announcement that the doors were closing.

Sounds wonderful. Enjoy your flight, darling. I look forward to your call.

Your smile grew impossibly larger as you sent a fast ‘Thanks’ back to him and turned your phone on airplane mode for the flight. You looked over at Chelsea, who was staring at you expectantly with a smile of her own.

“Alright, I’ll tell ya.” You said as you turned on your seat in your seatbelt toward her. She mimicked your move and crossed her legs as you put your sunglasses on top of your head and told her everything.

Part 2