#but those are all just the avatar consequences - all the outside consequences

[ranger-kellyn]

OH WAIT

in light of me reading the Imbalance comic, where Suki teaches a bunch of non-benders how to chi block, do we think Amon's henchmen who can chi block are like. an unintended consequence of Suki teaching them?? like how apparently Kyoshi originally trained the Dai Li and came to regret it because of how corrupt they became?

[patricia-taxxon]

I want to address what’s being said about me regarding my behavior as a teenager, because some of it is true. However, more of it is greatly distorted, and some of it is false. I won’t be reproducing the video that was made about me, the creator has acknowledged the misinformation present in it & has unlisted it, willingly ceding ground for me to give my own testimony. Some of it will require me to admit to things I am still ashamed of, some of it will require me to revisit a traumatic time in my life that I have mostly blocked out. The short version is that I believe I was being groomed at the same time and in the same place as many of the people who came out against me, and my ultimate goal is to find solidarity with those people and begin the healing process. 

When I was 18, and just beginning to accrue an audience, I created a discord server. For a lot of external reasons, mainly spending my entire life up until this point being shuttled around different special ed schools, this ended up being the first real social circle I ever had. It represented the first positive attention I ever received from strangers. It’s a time where I made a lot of mistakes, it’s a time where I was gravely vulnerable. In all honesty, I was too young to manage a community of any kind, I was hot off the back of being desensitized in my adolescence by unrestricted access to early 2010s internet. I knew well enough to create special NSFW rooms, and was advised later to create further division by requiring users to self-apply for a special NSFW role to access those rooms This extra layer meant that the rooms wouldn’t even show up for people who didn’t have the role, which led to some believing they didn’t exist. 

However, I did not intuitively understand the “meaning” of sexual content, I didn’t understand the baggage that came with it. I used cropped fetish porn as emotes and indiscriminately showed the source to anyone who asked, sometimes outside of the NSFW rooms, because I found niche fetishes to be amusing, and since it was “funny” and not “sexy” it didn’t have to mean anything. The worst consequence of this happened when I was first formulating the ideas for my video about youtuber Rags, and I discovered that his youtube avatar was cropped from a NSFW image he had commissioned of his feral dog fursona. I sent this image to just about anyone who seemed interested, and this included a then 13 year old. I’m going to apologize just like I did when this first came out, but I will not be pressured as I was then into assuming predatory intent in myself. I’m not making excuses when I say that I had been a legal adult for under a year and thought of it as just an interaction between two teenagers, a kind of interaction I had with many of my friends (and some adults) before I turned 18. It was a misunderstanding, *and* I hurt you, and I’m deeply deeply sorry. 

There were some moderators besides myself, two were teenagers around my age, early adopters of the server who I felt I’d become friends with. One was a woman in her late twenties, who I won’t name simply because I’m not in the business of offloading my misery onto other people, but she knows who she is. She contacted me with a shower of attention & adoration, she left positive reviews for my albums when she noticed I was upset at their critical reception, she oversaw me as I posted my nudes in that server and later on my main twitter account. She encouraged this behavior in myself and others and participated in it too.

I want to make this clear, the bulk of the allegations against me boil down to punishing me for failing to surmise I was being exploited by the first social group I ever had. I jerked off in voice chats. I remember the day I started, I was surrounded by people older than me who were encouraging me to post my first nude pic in the self-nsfw channel, and I had to get hard for them first. I then considered this normal and did it often. At one point a 15 year old entered the room while I was doing it, and I went quiet until she left. I reconvened with this 15 year old recently, and she told me she only remembers being promptly told to leave. The claim that I “regularly jerked off in voice chat with minors” as if it were an orchestrated and habitual activity is an outright falsehood.  

I remember posting my nudes on twitter in a fevered haze of dissociation and dysphoria after being goaded by other users in my discord server. I remember doing it again and again, so that it could maybe eventually feel normal. I was 18, going on 19. I had twenty to thirty thousand subscribers, I was hot off the heels of being given 150 bucks for making thirty minutes of music for a much bigger youtuber. There are others who were in that server who were similarly exploited, and I am not here to contradict those testimonies, but I was uniquely denied the ability to understand what had happened to me as grooming, because I was technically of age and I had the very beginnings of a youtube audience. However, 20k subs didn’t give me more power than someone over ten years my senior. 

I was groomed, and just as I was beginning to understand what happened to me, the shame threatening to overtake me completely, I was slapped with the supposed news that I was the sole perpetrator of the entire situation that traumatized me so, that what I thought of as my first friend group all remembered me as a loathsome creep. The apology I wrote in abject panic was dissected and used as a cudgel against me in police-interrogation fashion, so I became afraid to say anything. A year and a half later, I made a post saying that I had been “groomed by a portion of my audience” and this immediately provoked a youtube video callout. I feel as if I have been beaten into silence and complicity, unable to form thoughts of my own regarding my experience. I am terrified, right now, writing this story that I firmly believe no one on earth will buy, because I have come to routinely doubt my own testimony.

Some accusations being made of me are so foreign that I have trouble piecing together what it could be referring to. I commissioned a NSFW size difference piece from dramamine, one where my lover is 11 feet tall, and I was pre transition at the time so I wanted a flat chest to help me feel feminine in my current body. It was wrongly tagged as “cub” (furry child porn) on E621, which I vocally protested at the time. This is the only thing I could point to as evidence for the claim that I commissioned cub porn of myself. I do not know how to convey the feeling of being flooded by accusations that require me to ponder what it could even be referring to, or to see my accuser insist that she’s receiving dozens of new horrible scoops on me without being able to see exactly what it is or what happened. I’m open to apologizing personally to anyone I ended up hurting in my adolescence who reaches out to me, I was a victim of grooming let off into a public space with a few thousand followers after all, but I’m not apologizing on behalf of people who might have heard something bad about me.

I am going to restate, my accuser has *of her own volition* unlisted the offending video & understands the misinformation she spread, there is nothing to gain from seeking her out and letting her know your opinion on the situation. I waited until this agreement was reached to make any statement at all for this exact reason. 

I am staying offline for about a day after posting this, I am under a lot of pressure, I am very tired.

[broadwaybalogna]

I was told I got the “nail on the head” with my refute to this take so I’ll share it on here too because I think people need to hear it.

The only way this person wouldn’t be in the wrong is if shipping Zutara was inherently racist, which it isn’t. Many people paint Zuko to be a “colonizer” since his nation had colonized parts of the earth kingdom (mind you, that’s the only place any form of fire nation colonization has taken place), but Zuko never colonized any place himself, he was too focused on capturing the avatar. So… not a colonizer. What people are doing is conflating Zuko with his nation even though in the years where it actually counted, he was exiled and had no voice in the nation.

This is essentially saying that anyone who was alive when America was a colony and got independence couldn’t date any English person simply because of the fact that they’re British. It doesn’t matter if said english person lived outside of England or lived in England during the war and maybe even one time agreed with them, it’d be morally wrong. But that’s up to the American to decide, not anyone else. If the English person joined America in the battle of Yorktown and single-handedly took down a solid quarter of the British troops, would that be enough for the American to date them? Trick question! It’s not up to you to decide. It’s up to whoever wants to date them.

Before I continue, I was told by woc specifically that this next point was accurate. I consulted them before posting on here.

I think this personally actually stems from a place of racism on the kat/angers side. They see Katara as this young, innocent woc who needs to be protected and can’t fend for herself. It’s a white savior kind of situation. Because she is a woc, she shouldn’t date Zuko but rather Aang since “he proved multiple times just how much he loved her”; “She’s too innocent for Zuko”; or they’ll steer in the completely opposite side of the racism spectrum and say that Katara “bullied” and “harassed” Zuko simply because she didn’t trust him after he betrayed her. They paint Katara to be this aggressive woc who can’t see reason and is rude to people to want to help her. Even if that’s not what they want to convey, it still comes from a place of deeply rooted internalized racism.

All of this to say it’s not racist to ship Zutara. It never was and it never will be. If you want to tag your shit takes with the wrong tags, fine, knock yourself out, but be aware that those actions will have consequences since your point is inherently wrong.

[deceasedream69]

A new moon knight

Summary: what happens when konshu gets tired of marcs unproductiveness and finds a new avatar, Jake doesn't like that one bit.

Warnings: violence, moon knight physically fighting with y/n, enemies to lovers

-

Marc was on the floor, the white suit turning black with how dirty those streets were. He stumbled even to just get on his knees.

- get out of my way, this wasn't even about you, but you just had to get in my way.

The man laughed after saying that, pointing a gun at my head. I knew what I was getting myself into, dating a hero, but I never thought I was any worth to be getting caught up in the fight. I can't say I was used to this, a gun pointing at my head, the villain having all the advantage and my boyfriend, my hero boyfriend kneeling on the floor right before us.

Breathing was hard, could I even make a plan at this point? I was in no way prepared or in advantage, even if I was I don't know if I could actually form the best plan in that moment.

- just... Just leave her out, she has nothing to do with this, this - he pointed at him - is between you, me - he pointed at himself - and that little golden thing you have in your pocket.

Blood was dripping from the corner of his mouth, forehead shining with sweat, even him was vulnerable already, taking his mask off to negotiate with the bad guy.

- You're just pathetic.

That's all he said, with a face of disappoinment, before pushing me in front of him, his gun on his hand, bullets already flying, aiming to my head as Marc wrapped his suit around me.

- NOOOO

Gunshots were heard everywhere.

Marc ran, carrying y/n in his arms, cape still surrounding her as a blanket protecting a cold baby. He turned the corner and ran even a little more, until he tripped and they both fell.

Y/n's body rolling outside the cape, staying there lifeless on the dirty asphalt of that cold and wet night.

- no... - He crawled next to her, tears forming in his eyes and his hands shaking as he put them so slowly on the perfectly round hole in y/n's forehead.

Slowly putting his head down and closing his eyes, as he couldn't stand to look at the picture playing in front of him.

A sudden movement started, it wasn't controlled, more like an outburst of energy starting in the lifeless body laying there. Marc's head pop up, trying to see what was going on. He noticed the gunshot was gone and suddenly there was a big catch of breath that more than scaring him, made him turn into defense mode, lifting his hands from the body, getting ready for what was about to come, which he had no idea what it was.

Y/n's body was working but not because she was controlling it. Either way, stumbling, she stood up, putting a knee on the floor before rising entirely, lifting her gaze to where now was the infamous moon god.

The suit slowly revealed Marc's body as it was being transferred from there to it's new carrier. Marc just stood there, looking at his arms, his hands, his feet... All while he was losing his suit.

- we had a deal.

- I know the deal we had, what are you doing?

- if you're not useful to me. I told you what the consequences were.

Y/n was back in control of her body, realizing everything that was going on, she wasn't unfamiliarized with all the moon knight topic but she definitely wasn't prepared for that, or even aware of the deal they had.

- y/n y/l/n. Seeing that I saved your life, I hope you can understand that I can take it back at any moment, so as a sign of your gratitude, be my new avatar, carrying the fist of justice and dagger of revenge. In the name of the god of the moon, konshu.

Breathing hard to trying to focus on what was going on. I had no other choice but to accept. Did I even have a choice?

- How is it fair? after everything we gave you.

I turned to look at Marc, he sounded so upset, I just couldn't understand anything. But the second our eyes met, I could sense something dark was building up, so fast I didn't have time to react, just until I felt his hand clenching my throat.

- I was loyal to you, doing every fucking thing you asked me for! And this, this is a downgrade, you know how I worked - he let go of my throat - we'll see how this turns out.

He just walked away.

I caressed my throat, what the actual fuck was that? that wasn't Marc, that wasn't Steven. Was it another personality? Were they hiding that from me? Did he tell them not to mention him in front of me? He obviously disliked me, now even more.

-

Jake walked, with his hands in his pockets, processing everything just happened. He wouldn't admit it but over feeling like a dissapointment, he also felt unprotected, and without konshu's tasks, useless.

What else could he do? the driver job was to get to places where konshu needed him, but just being a driver, fucking pathetic.

If he wanted to beat someone up now was without purpose, what point was it to do it now.

He walked as he kicked things he found on the ground, breathing heavily and mumbling curse words in spanish.

He wasn't stupid, he was well trained with or without the suit, or konshu's powers for that matter. Taking faster steps, keeping his weight on the leg he knew he had better support on...

He turned around and with his arm beat me to the ground.

- I don't enjoy being followed. I have nothing to talk about with you.

- I came to talk with Marc.

- He's not here, he's hiding, embarrased, useless as always.

- Who are you? they never told me your name.

- They aren't bright enough to notice it's not only them - he started to walk away.

- So they don't even know about you? about what you did?

I asked as I followed him.

- Stop! following me...

- I have to talk with Marc.

- too bad

I got closer and that was a bad idea.

He got my arm, as I turned to try to get it free, with his other hand he took me by my neck, pushing me against a wall.

- Princesa, that's what you turned that suit into. I was a hero.

- nobody working for konshu is a hero.

He laughed and I hit his face with my head, he grabbed his face and I kicked his leg, making him fall to the ground.

- Take the suit off and make this even... nah, I still can beat you wearing that shit.

He took my arm, pushing my face onto the floor and pulling my arm behind my back.

I hit him on the jaw with my other elbow, turned and kick him on the chest.

- I need Marc - I sat over him punching him on the face - Give. me. Marc!

He pushed my knees and I fell on top of him, he took the advantage and flipped us over.

- Cariño, you ain't seeing Marc, Steven or me ever again.

- would you keep the promise on that last one?

I took a dagger out, he was teasing my patience. I was about to stab him in the shoulder when I remembered I would be hurting Marc's body too.

He saw my doubt and knocked me cold.

[physalian]

Toy Story 2 | Still a perfect execution of a fantasy story

One of the things people uesd to complain about is that the cars in "Cars" did not need to be cars. As in, the fantastical element was not necessary to tell the story (which I wholeheartedly disagree with but that's not the point of this post). You could have told Finding Nemo with the fish as humans and have Nemo caught by... a traveling circus, or something, but to many, Cars was the damning example.

While Toy Story was the antithesis of Cars in every way.

Have not and will not see the fourth one but the first two films are perfect fantasy, and you don't immediately think of them as "fantasy".

I just rewatched TS 2 so it's fresh in my mind, and this story could not exist if these characters were not toys. Everything from the little details like the Etch-a-Sketch speed-drawing the map from the commercial to the "high stakes" rescue and escape that's only "high stakes" beacuse they're toys and not people and that one intersection is a death trap.

But the big thing is the main plot of the story: Woody is in the role of a has-been who wants to reclaim his glory days (like Mr. Incredible) but unlike a human, Woody himself was not part of those glory days, he's just one of many toys sold with the Woody's Roundup TV show, theoretically endlessly replacable, as all toys are. Unless you gave your hero amnesia, in no other storyline would this work with a human character, because Woody is both an outsider and the hero making his homecoming.

At the center of this trilogy is what it means to be a toy: A child's plaything. How each character relates to that fact is central to their arcs. The first movie tackled the divide between Woody's "I exist to be Andy's favorite toy" and Buzz's "I ain't no toy, I'm a Real Boy".

The second movie takes it one step further: Is a "toy" something you play with and inevitably ruin through playtime and the messy love of a child, or is a "toy" something you keep perfectly preserved in its packaging? And the consequences of being a toy when your human outgrows you, in Jessie's story, and is a valid point by Stinky Pete.

TS 3 takes the "what happens when the kid grows up" to its natural conclusion, with Andy going off to college. While I think it got a little carried away in spectacle and the incinerator scene, the endless replacability of a toy is Lotso's whole schtick.

The nature of what a toy is is the whole point—a piece of wood or metal or plastic that is effectively immortal, but an immortal being forever in a place of willful servitude to children.

—

It seems rather obvious to give fantastical characters a fantastical story, but a lot of uninspired or forgettable fantasy takes a human plotline and just reskins it with fairies or animals and never takes full advantage of what the characters are.

When your fantastical elements and setting are just window dressing, like Avatar '09, a fancy backdrop for a bland story, why bother writing a fantasy story? Why waste all that worldbuilding and all that creativity? (I actually know the answer, Cameron got cold feet when his creative teams went all out to create something indeed alien, and kept nudging it back to something more friendly and recognizable until we got what we got).

Avatar '09 sure made a lot of money... and zero impact on our cultural memory. It's no one's favorite movie, no one's favorite retelling of Dances with Wolves. It's just pretty to look at.

You can write a retelling, a "modern take", a book of tropes and clichés, sure, but I'd encourage you to at least make one arc of your fantasy or sci-fi story only possible in your world, with your lore, with your characters. Otherwise, what's the point?

[paragonrobits]

a while back I made a joke about Sokka acting like rationalism is a valid philosophy in the setting he is from and trying to deny the existence of spirits as an extreme way of coping with their alien ways (and possibly alienation from his people's ways, depending on how much you consider the Southern Water Tribe to have a close cultural connection to vibing with spirits in general that has been lost due to the severe loss of information from so many of their people dying over the Hundred Year War) and the punchline was Koh the Face Stealer apparently now just following him around out of bored curiousity and now I actually want to make that a whole thing

the specific vibe here is that Koh is not an active danger to Sokka in this context. This works on the assumption that Koh does the face stealing thing in specific circumstances, but he won't do it unless you specifically go against the rules governing that: you gotta do it by showing emotion around him (which is bad for Sokka) and during specific situations and contexts which are apparent and he or another knowledgable being is obliged to inform people of this and the consequences (which is good for Sokka).

This further would emphasize the idea that spirits act according to their natures and functions; Koh stealing someone's face is not a moral decision, no more than a cuckoo bird smashing the eggs in another birds nest and laying its own in there is a moral decision. While its clear spirits are sapient, they're also bound by their natures to think and act in certain ways, and I take the idea that Koh is related to the concept of empathy; when he steals faces, he sees things through their perspectives in an extremely literal way.

This, in turn, leads to him being fascinated by specific people. In this case, he is following Sokka around because he intrigues Koh. He is an apparent contradiction in many ways; a man professing to a purely rationalist view of the world despite the power of bending ignoring what he knows of the laws of the natural world, having percieved the existence of the spirits as a form of reality that supercedes those same laws of nature. A brother-in-law to the Avatar (or just real close to him, depending on whether or not marriage is actually a thing Katara and Aang care for), but indifferent to the fact that Aang's existence is indispitable fact that the spirits exist.

A man shaped by fear of those outside his home, and yet a self-made polymath of sorts willing to learn from all nations. A warrior of the Southern Water Tribe, proud of what few traditions remain, and also one studying from his experiences all across the world, making something quite unrelated to those traditions but still defined by them. A man who can conceive of impossible, revolutionary technologies from first principles; completely untutored in the scientific principles behind them due to his people's decline, but able to still figure out the broad strokes from imagination alone, leading a way for geniuses to figure out how to make the idea work.

A benign paradox. A man shaped by fear and knowing every unfamiliar shape on the water could be another night of mourning, but still journeying across the world, befriending others and making connections across the world anyway, in the Earth Kingdom and Kyoshi Island and in the very nature that would have destroyed his own home, and through Aang, extending a hand to the memory of the Air Nomads.

And so Koh finds him fascinating. He wants to understand him, and not purely through the lens of his mind. Koh wants to speak to him, hear him speak, and offer his own statements on his perspective.

And also from Sokka's perspective, a notoriously dangerous spirit so powerful even Avatar Kuruk couldn't kill him is now following him around, and might just steal his face on a whim if he's not careful.

Because, the truth is, with spirits... you never know. They're not human. They might be friendly, or hateful, or kind and bitter and they run on seemingly incomprehensible rules that make absolutely no sense to him and he has no idea what he's supposed to do with this information, and now a giant centipede monster is following him around wherever he goes.

In the shadows; watching, listening.

Judging.

[a-dragons-journal]

Could you talk more about the moral code of your religion? Is there a set list of tenets?

>< I actually took a stab at writing down a firm set of Mithraic values a while back, so here’s those:

Honesty: Your word is your bond. Never break a solemn vow. Keep your tongue honest when dealing with those who have been fair to you and yours. Never speak a lie to a fellow follower of Mithras.

Justice: In all things act with fairness, and mete out reward and punishment in accordance with the actions that earn them. Actions lead to consequences, both positive and negative. It is just to reward the faithful, the honorable, and the good. It is just to punish the liar, the traitor, and the thief. Act with fairness and obey the laws laid down by teaching, by temple, and by priest.

Guardianship: Protect those within your care as the shepherd guards the sheep. Protect those you have the ability to protect; accept the protection of those stronger than you. Guide those you have the ability to guide; heed the guidance of those wiser than you.

I don’t know if anyone’s ever really written these down quite this firmly, but it makes for a useful summary, so I’m doing it. I will also say that these are ideals to live up to; no one is perfect, and the tenet of justice is especially, uh, challenging to uphold when you’re A Guy and not The Justice System. But you can do your best to act fairly, reward good behavior when you see it, and maybe take opportunities to bring justice down on wrongdoers if you spot a chance to, even if that justice is sometimes petty. It’s more about not letting shit slide than anything. (It’s also a significantly bigger deal when you’re living in a society of vampires, who tend to skew more amoral and immoral than the general populace.)

There’s also a less explicit value of community - helping and supporting each other and forming community bonds. It’s not explicitly something demanded by the teachings, but it’s a pretty natural extrapolation from them, and it’s also kept our clan alive and prosperous. Personally, I extend that to the vampiric community at large, partially because leading by example is my preferred method of showing the other clans the good of Mithraism and partially because I simply think it’s right to try to reach out to others, but that’s not universal; a lot of Mithraics feel no particular obligation to vampires outside the clan, given that they’re doctrinally considered traitors to Mithras.

Also, I love your avatar. xD

—Roshan (fae/faer)

[bard-llama]

ATLA WiP List

Yeah, it's not Wednesday. Sue me - Wednesdays have actually become a really bad day for me to write/share works in progress. So idk I'm just gonna do it whenever, I guess?

Anyway, every once in a while, I like to make lists of all my too-many WiPs, so that's what this is. Under a cut, because the list is gonna be super long.

So for context, I have 3 categories my WiP docs (fic series, long fic, and fic collection) and within those, have a mix of shippy and gen fics. So I'll break this list out by type and then gen vs Zukaang vs other.

Also, apparently tumblr won't let you do nested bullets anymore??????? wtf tumblr. Everyday, you get less and less usable.

Fic Series

All have at least one story in the series published on AO3.

Gen (2)

Balance (current fic: Earth and Air)

Accidental Shaman Zuko (current fic(s): An Equal and Opposite Reaction, Two Avatars on a Road Trip)

Zukaang (4)

Two Lovers, Forbidden from One Another (current fic: As the Breeze Shapes the Dunes)

Seduction of the Innocent (current fic(s): Book 1: Seduction of the Innocent, Book 2: Fables and Reflections, Book 3: untitled fic where worlds collide)

Ba Sing Se Boyfriends (current fic(s): Facing the Dragon (of the West), Chillin' in Ba Sing Se, untitled fic where they investigate the Dai Li)

Justice, Served Cold with a Side of Vengenace (current fic: The Unlearning of Fear (And the Acceptance of Love))

Long Fics

These fics got long enough to graduate to their own document, but are (probably) not a series.

Gen (4)

Zuko's Odyssey (pre-canon, mostly planning, few words - intended to be a mishmash of atla with The Odyssey)

Helping Hands (chronic pain fic where Zuko gets his hands stomped on by Zhao at Pohuai and has to work with Aang to escape)

A Second Chance at Family (time travel fic where Azula's lightning 'kills' Zuko and sends him back to mid-s1)

Thrice Cursed, Once Broken (post-canon au sorta - Zuko becomes Fire Lord after being imprisoned on the Day of Black Sun)

Zukaang (6)

Once Upon a Dream (soulmate dreamsharing au where Zuko has always dreamed of the cold and dark of Aang's iceberg)

Damned by a Look (s1 soulmate au where the Fire Lord authorizes the arrest of the Avatar's soulmate. Zuko ends up in Zhao's brig during the Northern Invasion when the Ocean possesses Aang and forces him to kill the invading soldiers)

(Going) Down and Out in Ba Sing Se (s2 au where Zuko chooses Aang in the finale and then has to deal with the aftermath)

The Fire Lord and the Avatar (s2 au where Zuko joins Aang early, unpublished)

Dragon Mama Zuko (s3 au where Zuko gets pregnant via dragon, so much written but not fucking ch 2 ugh)

Action, Inaction, and Consequences (post-canon fic where war criminals are put on trial)

Other (4)

The First Reaction to Truth is Hated (pre-canon, Aang & Kuzon & Bumi, Aang & Gyatso left the Southern Air Temple the day before Sozin's Comet. They survived, but now have to deal with the aftermath)

Hope for the Future (late s3 au, Zutaraang, Aang dreams of a future with Zuko and Katara. When Zuko shows up the next day, he's inclined to trust)

A Seat at the Table (post-canon, Zutaraang eventually, fic about recognizing sovereign powers outside the 4 nations)

A Royal Heir (post-canon fic, Zutaraang, Zuko needs a legitimate heir)

Fic Collections

AKA I have waaaaaay too many WiPs for them all to get their own document.

Gen (55)

Agni's Little Flame (unpublished, spirits aren't supposed to play favorites, but they kinda do)

Unyielding (unpublished, never give up without a fight)

Zuko Collects Strays (unpublished, post-canon)

Zuko adapts other bending techniques (unpublished, Zuko accidentally uses an airbending move while firebending, then realizes there's potential in it)

Fire Control (unpublished, it takes a lot of control not to let fire burn wildly)

Those Who Tell Stories Rule the World (storyteller Zuko)

The Consequences of Breaking the Rules (late s3 au, Zuko is scared of messing up and getting punished by the Gaang)

Nightmares (unpublished, Katara is uncomfortable with Zuko's vocal nightmares. It's hard to hate someone when they're suffering.)

Being a Master Means Understanding That You Know Nothing (actually, this might be ready to publish????)

Healing Fire (unpublished, Zuko is in denial about his 'heat technique' actually healing people)

Sibling Rulers (unpublished, Azula and Zuko as Co-Rulers)

Azula and Her Brother (unpublished, Azula character study)

Breathing Fire (unpublished, tho ch 1 might be ready for publishing, Zuko's crew's reaction to this brat breathing fire all over the place)

Katara hating on Zuko (unpublished, set in the Western Air Temple, it's easy to hate Zuko until she learns more about him)

Zhao's Retribution (Zhao heavily injures Zuko, who is rescued by survivors of the 41st, who happen to follow Jeong Jeong. Aang, Katara, and Sokka still walk into Jeong Jeong's camp without noticing)

Viva la Resistance (unpublished, Zhao ends up regretting stealing Zuko's crew)

Aang in the Iceberg: Dreams (unpublished, while frozen, Aang exists in a dream world. Eventually, Zuko joins him)

Aang in the Iceberg: Angst Coma Time Travel (unpublished, when Zuko has his angst coma freakout in s2, he wakes up in the iceberg with Aang)

Punishment (unpublished, the Gaang is horrified when Zuko approaches them at the Western Air Temple, prepared for his punishment)

Muzzled (unpublished, Zhao welds a muzzle onto Zuko's face. The Gaang is horrified when they find him)

The Long Road to Recovery (unpublished, rejected by the Gaang in late s3, Zuko ends up imprisoned and tortured by the EK and the FN. After the war is over, he's found)

Trusted with a weapon (unpublished, Zuko realizes the Gaang trusts him when they aren't bothered at him sparring with Suki with his swords)

Gaang Established Routines (unpublished, the Gaang's domestic dynamic)

The Tournament of Kingship (post-canon, Bumi dies and Omashu's King has to be chosen thru a tournament. Naturally, Toph has to claim the title of Greatest Earthbender in the World)

Actions Speak Louder Than Words (unpublished, s3 Zuko apologizes to the Gaang thru acts of service/thoughtful gifts)

Spontaneous Combustion (unpublished, s2 au where Zuko stumbles upon a mystery in Ba Sing Se when people seemingly catch on fire out of nowhere)

Early s3 AU (unpublished, goes AU in the Sparky Sparky Boom Man episode and Zuko asks the Gaang to stop his Father, who just revealed his plans for the comet)

Choosing Nonviolence: Aang sees Zuko’s Scars (unpublished, Aang's vows of pacifism are challenged with every scar Zuko unveils. Zuko does not understand why he holds strong anyway.)

Choosing Nonviolence: What is Forgiveness? (unpublished, Zuko does not understand how Aang can refuse to kill Ozai)

Ozai is annoyed when his useless son befriends a blind EK noble (unpublished, pre-canon)

Truth Serum (unpublished, during The Chase, a pollen infects them and makes them tell the truth)

De-Aged Zuko (unpublished, s1 au where a spirit curses Zuko and the Gaang does not know what to think)

Flower language (unpublished, Zuko fucks up when he unknowingly burns Aang's friendship offering (a flower crown))

Working Together/Mission Fic (unpublished, s1 au where Zuko and Aang are captured by slavers and have to escape, along with the other kids who have been snatched)

Zuko becomes Fire Lord at 13 AU (unpublished, Zuko fights back in the Agni Kai. This changes everything.)

Toph joins S1 (unpublished, s1 au with bonus Toph, who utterly destroys the pirates Zuko is working with)

A Scarred Foundation (Zuko's badly scarred enough that he hides the worst of it with makeup)

Gifts (unpublished, late s3 fic, each culture views birthdays differently. Air Nomads don't track them, but they're very important on Kyoshi Island)

Katara POV Zuko tortured by Fire Lord (unpublished, in a world where everything went wrong, Katara is forced to admit that Zuko probably is, in fact, on their side - for all the good it does him now)

Ozai finds out Zuko joined the Avatar (unpublished, Ozai is so fucking annoyed with this damned brat getting in his way)

Kanna (unpublished, character study)

Gyatso runs away with Aang (unpublished, series au in which Gyatso gets frozen with Aang and wakes up 100 years later to Sokka and Katara)

Dad Convo (unpublished, Zuko has a few questions for Hakoda)

Shaking it up down south (unpublished, the South Pole has an issue with sexism. This turns out to be a problem in a post-war world where the women kept the tribe running while the men were away)

Something to Live For (unpublished, sometimes when you're in so much pain that it's hard to survive, you just need something to live for)

Earthbender Zuko (unpublished, don't have much, but wanna try to write the trope)

Avatar Zuko (unpublished, likewise, don't have much)

Getting Zuko to Sleep (unpublished, involves forced cuddles)

Keeping the Avatar Alive (unpublished, Zuko is maybe slightly obsessive about protecting Aang. He can't let his fuckup be the reason Aang dies. (Again.))

Self-Harming Zuko (unpublished, why does getting hurt as the Blue Spirit feel right?)

Haunted Toy (unpublished, after Lu Ten's death, Zuko discovers that a toy Lu Ten gave him appears to be haunted by Lu Ten)

Animal Transformation (unpublished, Zuko gets to be a finch hawk that the gaang takes care of in s1)

Time Travel Zuko 2: Electric Boogaloo (unpublished, future!Zuko comes back to s1 to tell Zuko all the shit no one ever said about how Ozai was fucking wrong)

Toph and Zuko’s Life-Changing Field Trip (unpublished, Toph is invited home by her parents and brings the Fire Lord. Turns out, her parents are trying to marry her off and now all the other suitors think they're competing with the Fire Lord. Zuko dgaf.)

Crossdressing Gaang (unpublished, post-canon, a convo about fancy clothes leads to the Gaang playing around with wearing the dresses Zuko's staff stock the wardrobes in their unused private rooms with. (They all pile onto Zuko's bed on the regular))

Oops, we've hit the character limit for this section oops.

Gen Part 2 (30)

Nerd Lords (unpublished, Zuko and Kuei meet when Zuko breaks into the royal library and accidentally end up becoming friends)

Fight Club (unpublished, Zuko has a talent for finding the underground fighting rings as they travel across the EK)

Instinctive Bending (unpublished, Zuko struggles to move the way his teachers tell him he should to bend. But when he doesn't think about it and just moves, his katas aren't right, but they work.)

Southern Water Tribe – why are there so many more men than women? (unpublished, AKA Llama messed up the math and decided to make plot out of it)

Drugged Zuko Rescue (unpublished, s2, Zuko gets caught by the Dai Li and drugged to high hell. He's pretty sure he's hallucinating the Avatar and the Water Tribe boy rescuing him)

Reputation (unpublished, pre-s1, Zuko's reputation is actually pretty positive amongst Earth Kingdomers. He pays a fair price for his supplies, he does odd jobs/investigates weird goings-on, he occasionally tracks down bounties, etc. Unless you happen to be impeding his search for the Avatar, the Prince is usually not bad to have come around town. Then the Avatar reappears.)

Silence (unpublished, Aang gets to enjoy my discomfort with silence)

Hidden Communities (unpublished, what if all the endangered peoples/creatures were hiding out together? AKA the Sun Warriors' Island has some surprises)

Jeong Jeong (unpublished, character study)

Gyatso adopting Aang (unpublished, Gyatso's POV of hearing baby!Aang laugh and immediately knowing this child is meant to be his.)

Crooked World (unpublished, Zuko has always known his world was different than the ones he read about)

Fire, Water, and Government (Know Nothing of Mercy) (Pirate Zuko AU)

Time Loop/Loop Zoop (unpublished, Zuko gets stuck in a time loop during s1 that always ends with his ship blowing up/him dying)

Southern Water Tribe Mixed Children (unpublished, Ten years after the end of the war, the Southern Water Tribe is rocked with controversy as tribesmen who left the fleet during the war petition to return with their mixed blood families.)

Brother (unpublished, Azula has a different understanding of what family means than the Gaang does)

The Truth About the Air Army (unpublished, Zuko reads through the libraries at the Air Temples and discovers the truth of who the Air Nomads were. After becoming Fire Lord, he decides that everyone needs to learn that truth)

Blue Spirit Reveal (unpublished, after the Ember Island Players, Sokka asks about the Blue Spirit that saved Aang in the play)

Post-canon Iroh and Zuko (unpublished, Zuko feels guilty for feeling abandoned when Iroh leaves for Ba Sing Se just after Zuko gets crowned)

Jet Redemption (unpublished, post-canon au where post-war negotiations end up taking place in Gaipan, which is about halfway between Ba Sing Se and Caldera City. Meanwhile, a certain someone has gone through a journey of his own. Earning trust back will take some serious work)

Aang being worthy of power (unpublished, Zuko's research taught him clearly how powerful the Avatar is. Like, frighteningly powerful. And yet, Aang uses that power with caution and delicacy. Zuko reflects on how much control it must take to actively avoid doing harm)

Ursa finds Zuko in his banishment (unpublished, okay this actually has nothing written, but I'm counting it bc it'll be fun)

The Power Behind the Throne (post-canon, Zuko has to deal with people thinking Iroh is controlling things behind the scenes)

Balance (unpublished, set during the Western Air Temple, when The Duke asks what balance actually means, they discover that Zuko's a giant nerd whose research has given him Opinions on this.)

“Come with me.” (unpublished, s1 au where Aang brings an injured Blue Spirit back to camp with him. Zuko is too concussed to protest overly much)

Attacking a surrendered opponent (unpublished, the Gaang discovers that Zuko believes that surrender just leaves one open for the next attack. Then they realize that for him, it always has. Not just with Ozai - but with Katara at the Western Air Temple, too)

Joo Dee (unpublished, Zuko attends Ba Sing Se University, which means he has a Joo Dee tail from the moment he enters the Middle Ring. People avoid him because of it, and Zuko just wants someone to talk over his lessons with. So one day, he decides to actually try chatting with her)

Mid-s3 Dreamsharing (unpublished, Zuko is plagued with nightmares while back at the palace. The spirits decide that he needs the help of those whose destiny is tied to his to figure out where he stands. Only the Gaang doesn't actually know that it's Zuko they're helping as they move through a dreamscape adventure)

Dark Water Spirit Curse (unpublished, AKA Llama nerded out over the deep sea interpretation of dark water and tried to do something with that. Therefore, Zuko is bioluminscent now lmao)

How Zuko Became a Radical Socialist (unpublished, AKA Llama vents about for-profit healthcare via Zuko in Ba Sing Se)

Blue Spirit puts out fires (unpublished, pre-canon au where Zuko tries not to use firebending when out as the Blue Spirit. When he is forced to, he never creates his own flames, he just extinguishes others. This leads to rumors about the Blue Spirit's ability to put out a bender's fire. The sensible firebenders are frightened by this prospect)

Zukaang (44)

Rope Burns (unpublished, Aang reflecting on rope burns and when they hurt and when they don't)

Blue Spirit Tagalong (Zuko ends up haunted by the Blue Spirit)

Relationship Reveal (unpublished, post-canon with Zukaang in a secret relationship - until they get careless and get caught by Zuko's advisors)

I'm Your Fire, Your Desire (s3 au where Zukaang get together at the Western Air Temple, now with a bonus PWP set in the future)

Shirtless Sparring (unpublished, wrestling pwp)

Return to Pohuai (unpublished, pwp Blue Spirit roleplay)

Our Love Become a Funeral Pyre (unpublished, Zuko is Kuzon reincarnated and dreams of Kuzon's life with Aang before the comet)

Gay Bar (unpublished, s2 au where they each unknowingly patronize the same gay bar in Ba Sing Se)

Airbender Blow Jobs (unpublished, pwp)

Fluffy Zukaang (unpublished, s3 fluff)

“My heart feels like it’s dancing when I look at you.” (unpublished, post-canon, Zuko is very dense about his emotions)

Aang Approaching Zuko Morning After (unpublished, s2 au where Aang stops by the teashop)

Rose Petals and Candlelight (unpublished, Aang spoils Zuko with t-rated intimacy)

Treasure (unpublished, on the 3rd anniversary of Zuko's crowning, Aang gifts him a black pearl that he found the first time Zuko took them diving)

"I'm in love with your voice" (unpublished, set during the s1 finale when they're snowed in in a cave and end up having to talk)

First Kiss/First Time (unpublished, when Zuko kisses him, Aang freaks out - and runs to the South Pole. Fire Lady Mai is the one to come beat some sense into him)

Pao’s Teashop Office Sex (unpublished, s2 pwp)

Body Swap (unpublished, s2 au in which Aang and Zuko switch bodies. Aang is not prepared for Zuko's pain - or his retail experience. Might be gen, might not)

Can't Take My Eyes Off of You (Aang likes the way Zuko watches him intently)

Sexytimes - Voyeurism (unpublished pwp, Aang ties Zuko up and makes him watch him touch himself)

Gossip (unpublished, Aang is excited about getting together with Zuko and has to tell someone. Toph is safest.)

Temporarily Genderbent Aang picks up Zuko (unpublished post-canon pwp)

Blue Spirit x Avatar Aang (unpublished, the Fire Nation is a little too invested in the potential relationship between the Blue Spirit and the Avatar, and where the Fire Lord fits in)

“We need to stop dancing around it. All it does is hurt us both!” (unpublished, Aang thinks he's dreaming and kisses Zuko at the North Pole - only it turns out to be real and neither know how to deal with that in the aftermath)

Identity Porn (unpublished, Aang does not know who the Blue Spirit is, but that doesn't stop him from flirting extensively)

“I can’t stop thinking about you. When I wake up, when I’m about to fall asleep…” (unpublished, Aang doesn't know what to think when Zuko confesses without even realizing what he's confessing)

Soulmate Potential (unpublished, people don't have a predestined soulmate. Some people click more easily than others, but the potential is there with anyone. Including one's enemy.)

Ba Sing Se AU (unpublished, this was SUPPOSED to be a setup to write Zuko's POV of Same Side Sex, because mostly it's been Aang's POV when I've done it so far, but uh... setup takes a lot of work and it grows a life of its own. So now we have Aang and Zuko dating pre-s2 finale and the ripple effects of that. Also, might end up Zutaraang)

Dream Sex (unpublished, pre-canon, aged up Zuko dreams about the Avatar having their way with him.)

Author Zuko: Blue Spirit/Avatar Aang (unpublished, Aang is not excited to hear that a new play is coming out about the Avatar and the Blue Spirit. He is unaware that Zuko secretly wrote the play)

Author Zuko: Zuko writes about the Fire Lord and Avatar’s Bond Thru Time (unpublished, Zuko's a fucking nerd who uses primary sources to back up his pet thesis that his destiny is tied to Aang's)

Cheering Up on a Bad Day (unpublished, Aang pines and tries to lighten Zuko's mood after a rough day as Fire Lord)

Masked Affection (s2 au where the Blue Spirit and Aang end up in a secret relationship. When Aang finds a badly injured Blue Spirit, the lines between Zuko and the mask begin to blur)

Post-Canon Hanahaki AU (unpublished, Zuko starts coughing up strange flowers and is in denial about what it could mean)

Gaang in Ba Sing Se with Aang trying to befriend Zuko without telling them who ‘Li’ is (unpublished, Aang explores the Lower Ring by taking Zuko on 'dates'. He tells the Gaang about it, but neglects to mention who 'Li' really is)

Freudian Nightmares (porn with plot, Aang dreams about Zuko, then gets the chance to experience him in reality)

Depression and Executive Dysfunction (unpublished, set in s3 but goes au in s2, Zuko and Aang had a secret relationship in Ba Sing Se - and Zuko chose Azula anyway. He regrets it, but even once he joins the Gaang, he knows he'll never be able to make up for that. The despair of knowing he can never recover what they once had makes it hard to try some days. Aang just wants to help)

Marking: Scandalized Sokka/Fuck “Aang must be protected” bullshit (unpublished, Aang enjoys getting marked up by his lover. The rest of the Gaang is a bit scandalized and it breaks their brains a little when Aang bluntly says he likes the marks)

Facefucking (unpublished, post-canon pwp, Zuko needs a break from being Fire Lord and wants to not think for a while. Surrendering to Aang's control is a good way to make that happen)

Dreamsharing, but it’s all sex (unpublished, au where Zuko has wet dreams about the Avatar even before he actually finds them. Somehow this is supposed to involve them sharing dreams. I don't really know how)

Destined to Love You/You’re the One I’ve Been Searching For (unpublished, Zuko has been overly obsessed with the Avatar for a long time. It's totally normal for him to care a little too much about Aang's opinion. It doesn't mean anything)

Sauna (unpublished, post-canon pwp where Aang convinces Zuko to take a break from ruling to soak in the sauna)

How tf is Li dating the Avatar? A teashop customer perspective (unpublished, an aspiring fangirl/writer in Ba Sing Se speculates on how exactly the surly teashop server managed to become the Avatar's boyfriend)

Artist!Zuko (unpublished, Zuko likes to doodle. His obsession with the Avatar means that they are often his muse - and once he finds Aang, he fixates hard)

Other (23)

What's Yours is Mine (unpublished, the Gaang cause waves when they wear pieces of Zuko's wardrobe. The gossip is hilarious.)

Come to the Good Side, We Have Cookies (sorta gen???? the Gaang kidnaps Zuko to try to befriend him. Zuko is not amused.)

Oviposition PWP (unpublished, Zuko gets railed by dragons)

Reading Lips (Gaang/Zuko, the Gaang all take an opportunity to kiss Zuko, but fail to ever actually talk to him about it)

To Weave a Tangled Web (Aang suggests that Zuko marry Kuei as a step towards their vision for the future. He forgets monogamy is a thing and fails to actually talk about what that means)

Zuko blows Aang while Katara watches (unpublished, Zutaraang(ish) pwp)

Commitment to Balance (Aang/Zuko/Katara/Toph, "Let's get married. For balance.")

Zuko navigating 10 (billion) relationships (unpublished, Zuko as the fandom bicycle lmao)

Zutaraang PWP (unpublished, sparring porn)

Zutaraang Lap Sex (unpublished pwp)

Aang loves his friends (unpublished, idk might be gen, might be full Gaang. Aang just loves his family.)

Katara and Aang decide to pursue Zuko (unpublished, post-canon, Aang approaches Katara to talk about polyamory)

Everyone is in love with Zuko: He catches a clue (unpublished, full Gaang/Zuko as fandom bicycle, Zuko realizes he's in love with his friends and is worried about what his wife will think. His wife thinks "fucking finally!")

I Still Dream About You (Are You Lonely For Me Too?) (Gaang/Zuko, unpublished, the Gaang shared one drunken, half-remembered night ages ago. It still haunts them.)

Sparring for who gets to take Aang (unpublished, Zutaraang pwp)

An Arrangement for World Peace (unpublished, Toph/Zuko, Marriage alliances are as old as time. Why not take advantage of that?)

Fuck Buddies (unpublished, Toph/Zuko, s3 aged up au)

Mai/Zuko/Toph – Post-Canon Fire Nation Trio (unpublished pwp that might grow plot)

The Southern Waterbending Line (unpublished, Kataang/Zutaraang, Aang and Katara both want to revive their people's bending disciplines, but there's no guarantee their children will be benders. Questioning how bending is passed down leads to learning more about Gran Gran Kanna's past)

Zuko is not in touch with his emotions (unpublished, Gaang/Zuko, Mai sits Zuko down for a therapy session with Ty Lee to help him realize that his friends are in love with him)

Aang as a sexual being/Fuck “Aang is so innocent and pure” (unpublished, AKA Llama gets annoyed at fandom's infantilization of Aang. Aang may be young, but he still grew up in a culture that believed in open and unashamed access to information, including info about sexuality)

Masturbation is normal and healthy (unpublished, Gaang/Aang, au where Aang is the one who teaches the Gaang about masturbation)

Attempt at omegaverse (unpublished, Gaang/Zuko probably, hopefully a pwp but it might grow plot)

Total WiPs: 172 🤯🤯🤯

[rainbowchewynuggets]

TMA Encore #11a

The group walks timorously through the tunnels with Not-Martin. Sasha has the map this time. Jon and Tim bring up the rear with Tim holding the flashlight. Martin, in the middle, cautiously occupies the space between them and Not-Martin. He has the second flashlight.

Not-Martin recounts the day he and Not-Jon first realized they had a second chance and a duty to prevent the apocalypse. They reasoned that if they couldn’t stop what had happened to their world from in the thick of it, they would have a better shot coming at it from the outside. They had tried to be subtle at first, so as not to disrupt the lives of those involved. Despite their best efforts, it ended just as badly as before. So, they tried again and have been trying ever since. They became more and more adamant until they were inserting themselves right in the middle of things–with little more success. It took them a long time to figure out how the rules they knew applied to their situation. They hadn’t realized there was a new consequence for overtaking avatars.

NM: I couldn’t feel it until his hold over it started to slip. By then, it was too late.

Silence fills the corridor as the team studies Not-Martin. They let his story settle into the air, waiting to see what he’ll say if he thinks it wasn’t enough to convince them. He says nothing and keeps walking, not even looking at them.

Jon: But the Fears aren’t controlling him. That’s not how it works. He’s doing this himself.

NM: It’s the pain. Without an entire world of people to feed on, the Fears are starving to death. They pass the feeling on to us to motivate us. I don’t think they’re picky about which of us gets to be their avatar at this point, but Jon’s been keeping their attention on him this whole time.

Sasha: Why?

NM: To spare me and hold himself accountable for what happened at the end.

Sasha: No, I mean… I can understand pain making a person a little irrational. But this is so premeditated and extreme.

NM: That’s the problem. He thinks that he’s mastered it. So he takes warning signs as encouragement. To feel assured that he’s still himself.

Martin recalls the time he spent with his mother through her chronic illness. She had often worded it exactly that way when he couldn’t get her to rest. Not-Martin slips a knowing glance at him.

Tim: And manipulating and tormenting people is just part of retaining his fundamental character, apparently.

The words are already out by the time Tim remembers Jon is walking right beside him in the dark.

Tim: I just–I meant that he didn’t have to do it this way.

Not-Martin doesn’t reply.

Martin’s double further exposits that Not-Jon can’t be allowed to pursue his goal any further than he already has. Even if he does manage to prevent the apocalypse, the vacuum created by the consumed avatars would inevitably be too much. He would fully succumb to the need to satisfy his hunger.

Tim: And he’ll, what, become as big a fear monster as Jonah?

NM: Oh, he’s already a lot bigger than Jonah. I’m terrified to think what that much power would look like manifested. That is, if he doesn’t die first and leave it all with me.

Tim: Joy.

Sasha: So, what’s your solution?

NM: Convince him to share the burden with me and entomb the both of us in the nearest, deepest hole in the ground before anything else can happen.

Tim: So, your original plan. Which you’ve tried before?

NM: Many times.

Tim: And why will it work now?

NM: Because it’s the only option. It’s just a matter of trial and error.

Tim: Uh-huh. Then again, if you’re a Fear ghost like him, then we shouldn’t be listening to what either of you say, should we?

NM: *shrugs* I’d agree if I didn’t know that my Jon has it a hundred times worse than I do. Your odds with me are much better.

Tim: Which could be a lie.

NM: If it were, you’d have no reason to believe any of what I’ve said so far.

He answers the interrogation readily and casually, though not as if he’d rehearsed it.

Jon shakes off his precaution to ask a burning question.

Jon: Am I really what makes things fall apart every time?

NM: I’m sure that my Jon would like you to think so. It’s much more complicated than that. He’s just punishing you for things you haven’t done yet.

A little irritation creeps into his voice. It’s also the first plainly obfuscated thing he’s said so far, Jon notices.

Jon: It never made a difference to remove me from the equation?

NM: Again, it’s complicated. We ended up agreeing not to.

The group continues to ask questions about the details and history of the situation, especially things that Not-Jon prescribed to them as truth and things that he refused to tell them. Not-Martin answers all of it politely and patiently enough, giving no sign of duress or deception. There are no earth-shattering revelations. It only cements the places where Not-Jon and Not-Martin’s perspectives overlap. Whether or not he’s telling the truth, it’s comforting to get clear answers without the immediate pressure to cooperate for once. In fact, it gets Sasha’s attention.

Sasha: Are we… expected to help in your plan?

NM: No. It doesn’t really matter what any of you do from this point forward.

They ask him to elaborate. He says that their part in Not-Jon’s plan is over. In scenarios where they stay in the tunnels or the archives, they’re penned so that they can’t interfere. When they leave, they’re unable to change the outcome at all and are left to deal with Jonah’s machinations once he escapes. There’s nothing they can do.

Tim: Wait, yes we can. Don’t we still have the lighter?

Everyone turns to Jon. As he wraps his fingers loosely around the device still in his pocket, he feels the tiny piece of plastic he took from Jonah’s office. He nods.

Tim: If the fuse is long enough, we could light the dynamite on our way out and do away with the lot of them while they’re chasing each other around down there.

Not-Martin scratches his chin thoughtfully.

NM: I can’t say it’s been done before. But I won’t object as long as I’m down there with them.

Sasha: Have we tried it before?

NM: Yes.

The group’s optimism deflates.

NM: Sorry. I’m not sure what gets in the way. I don’t usually stop to talk to you guys.

Martin: Have you come close before?

NM: Very.

Martin: How? It sounds like he’d be untouchable at this point.

NM: Because he can’t scare me. None of this does anymore.

Martin studies his counterpart. It’s not just talk. He’s steady. Dispassionate, but not overly calm. The determination with which he described his task betrayed a steep understanding of the consequences for failure. Yet, he approaches the ordeal ahead as if going to do laundry. It’s kind of terrifying. Martin feels like he’s watching an alien creature walk around with his face painted on it. His memories inside it. Although, wouldn’t it make sense to need an alien to combat an alien threat? He wonders if this is how Jon felt meeting his other self.

He checks on Jon, who has his eyes turned toward the tunnels as they pass. Martin just then notices how deep and rhythmic the murmuring noise has become. Almost like chugging movement.

~

The group arrives at the dynamite area. There are still boxes strewn about with leftover materials in them–including plenty of fuse that could be tied on. The tunnel leading out is situated opposite some others that lead down to the Panopticon. The four of them nonverbally determine that it’s time to decide whether to stay or go. Meanwhile, Not-Martin examines the prison remains, looking for anomalies.

The vote is not as quick as before.

Martin, unexpectedly, is the one to pipe up first. He wants to stay and try to stop Not-Jon. He feels that the stakes are too steep not to try. Tim and Sasha argue against it, and he defends his choice. Not-Jon could easily stop the dynamite from working just as he stopped them from escaping. Whether Jonah escapes or doesn’t, they’re likely doomed if they just leave. They’re stuck no matter what. He doesn’t want to feel like he didn’t try to push back when he could have, especially after everything Not-Jon has put them through already. At the very least, it would give him another thing to have to manage.

Martin’s voice shakes even as he says it out loud, but he manages to hold himself in place.

Tim is quick to remind him that they don’t have a hearty reason to trust Not-Martin. Martin proclaims that he might then be trying to get rid of them. The one thing they can say for certain is that Jonah and Not-Jon are too dangerous to be left to their own devices.

His anxiety prompts him to keep talking, but he makes himself leave it there.

Jon quickly says that he’s staying too.

The others fall into silence. Sasha visibly wavers in two minds before letting out her breath.

Tim: Sasha, no.

Sasha: Yeah, I’m sorry. I think I’m with Martin. But just barely.

She says she’s getting tired of trying to take the safe route on purpose, only for them to wind up getting separated and nearly killed anyway. If there is no good sane way out, as Martin had said, their only way is through.

To be fair, Tim does look at them as if they’ve all gone insane.

Tim: I’m not saying we do nothing. Even he knows it--*gestures at Not-Martin* --we’re not gonna be able to do anything about this if we’re in the middle of it. If the dynamite doesn’t work, we’ll find another way.

NM: No, you won’t.

Tim: You be quiet.

Try as he might, Tim can’t convince them to change their minds. He stands there, unable to follow but unwilling to leave them behind to die.

The vague rumbling ramps up and draws close. The walls around them begin to shift, but not like in an earthquake. Stone and cement slide frictionlessly over one another with heavy clicking sounds. The floor is perfectly stable aside from some vibrations. The walls of the exit tunnel and the one they came from advance inward, herding the occupants further into the junction of passages. Not-Martin glares at someone who’s not in the room.

NM: Oh, goddamn it, Jon.

Jon leaps through a nearby passage before it closes.

Goddamn it, Jon, Martin thinks.

The others move to catch him, but there isn’t enough clearance by the time he gets there. The clamorous stone is so loud, they can’t hear each other. But they can make out Jon mouthing “I’m sorry” in the feeble light of the spider web lighter just before the gap closes.

------------

Next

Prev

First

(I forgot what I was doing and gave Sasha the second flashlight in the third page. Pretend Martin has it.)

Index

[thatonebirdwrites]

BOOK 3.5: Chapter 29: in which Katara Reassesses Asami

Asami is still dealing with the consequences of her actions. This chapter focuses more on that and the physical therapy the two still need. Also shows the impact of Asami's suit on her body.

A lot of the physical therapy I describe is stuff I did in my own recovery from my right side being partially paralyzed. I had to relearn my right side and how to walk. So I pull from that for this scene.

EXCERPT:

Before Asami met Korra, before her father turned out to be a terrorist, Asami Sato’s dreams were relatively tame. It was simply to find a friend that she could be herself with, that wouldn’t mind her more nerdy side. That would listen to her ramble about engineering, that would hike with her up a mountain just to smell the mountain air. 

A rather huge ask for those in the higher echelons of society. It was one of the many reasons Asami had loved going to Pro-bending matches. She could disappear at them, where she wasn’t seen as the daughter of Hiroshi Sato, but as just another spectator. There she would draw her designs, sometimes draw the players and their positions, and speculate using math and physics on different ways to improve the game. 

Running into Mako after a fight with her father had shifted her life into a new lane. Choosing to side with Korra had altered it yet again. Each decision made, each alteration to her life’s path — she’d walked it in the Beyond. How she’d fallen into the role of the Avatar’s Mirror, became her girlfriend, and walked a path so far removed from her original dreams that she felt like an entirely different person. 

And yet, here she stood with crutches outside Katara’s home, quietly panicking about the check-up. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know how badly she’d backslid in her recovery. She’d fought against the likes of Amon, her own father, Unalaq, and Zaheer -- yet, entering a healer’s hut was what defeated her finally. 

“You’ll freeze to death if you stand there much longer,” Korra said. She tilted her head to study Asami, a slight frown on her face. “Thought you hated the cold.” 

Asami managed a weak smile. She did actually. Even with all her layers, she was still cold. 

Senna had driven them to the healer’s hut, and she’d pushed Korra up to the door. “Are you all right?” She scanned Asami’s body as a trained healer. “Any pain?”

Asami shrugged, not yet trusting her voice. 

[sea-salt-child]

In the Room (Pokepasta)

Everything that happens to me is a metaphor.

…

I live in a house with many rooms. These rooms comfortably hold me and the others, although I’ve never met any of them. I am, in a way, the final resting place for many games.

I’m talking about Pokémon this time around.

I really like those games- they fill me with a sense of wonder, companionship, freedom… truly, they are the best and I feel a little sad to see them change.

They take easily and grow around, able to handle heavy gashes without completely tearing at the seams.

They call that property being “highly compatible”.

On the first day, I woke up with a strong impression about the room and its contents. That is how I knew something had to have changed. Do you ever get that sensation?

You see, the game is a consequence rather than a cause and I eventually spotted it on my laptop’s contents.

It would be silly to give me real hardware, you know? So I work with emulators. This is just as well, for me, because I’m more used to this anyhow and changing would be a pain.

I opened the game up.

Music started, but stopped jarringly once the Gamefreak logo was supposed to show up. Rather, a text box opened:

“What? Where did he go? I swear I saw him enter this room!”

I need you to trust me. I need you to believe that I’ve committed every detail to memory, stuffing it down my throat, into my brain. If that trust is broken, then nothing else has any significance from here on out.

“...Oh. Again?”

The press of a button and it was all wiped to black, then blue as the regular menu opened up.

There was already a game there. Player “Retry”. One of the others must have gotten this before me, then, and made a mess. I’m used to that kind of situation and, out of respect for their privacy, I started a new game.

The game skipped directly to the opening sequence, in the truck- but the boxes in stacks extended beyond the usual confines in every direction, giving the impression of a huge room rather than a jostling vehicle.

Motion stopped and it all went silent as my character walked to where the exit should be and disappeared. The room resumed moving and I was left looking at nothing.

It’s not a big deal, really- the game just needs to think a little and recover from the last bout of changes. I don’t mind it- if anything, these imperfections left behind let me connect with the others in a way I usually can’t.

Words slowly appeared, black and one after another, making it hard for me to understand the phrase. They went by and I wrote each one to a text document:

“I can’t see the sky from here”

No, I can’t. Even if I look outside the window, I can only see the laundry room. Sometimes, I see people wash things, do their jobs, but they don’t look my way. 

I pressed buttons, trying to get something to happen, only for the character to appear at the top of the screen, slowly falling back into place and like so, I finally was given control to roam around the box-filled room, able to walk over anything in my way.

These experiences are the core of the game, exposed and reflecting. I make this, change everything to the core and then they take the game back to spread among the normal people of the normal world.

I checked the menu, eventually, to see my character. My name was a single animating water tile.

She was splattered with petals of unknown flowers. 

Spreading everywhere, obscuring stats, scattering, only letting me see part of her face with vibrantly yellow eyes. 

Already, the game was giving under my touch. 

Next, my pokémon-

Three eggs and nothing more, all said to be hatching soon.

When I closed the menu, leaves now fell, carried by breeze around my rose wracked avatar. My mirror, my mouthpiece…

They are interested in “out there” reflections much more than they care about what they mean. I’m a last ditch attempt to get something usable once the others have left their marks. 

I can’t run blood through, can’t leave eerie warnings, can’t weave fog and inject hatred. I can’t and I can’t and I can’t, and by repeating that I became the end of the road, unable to even express myself properly. 

My world is too small. It is smaller than the world in the box.

All of a sudden, the clock screen showed up, asking me to set the time. Thin golden cracks ran across the clock in harsh patterns. I informed it that it was one hour earlier than reality.

It must not have liked that- it made choked little sounds and gurgles for a few moments before the screen closed on its own and left me in the middle of Littleroot.

No one would let me in- every door I tried prompted the same message:

“This is not for you”

Followed by a short jingle I could not recognize from anywhere in the game.

Now I’m in the dark again, fluttering. It’s going down because it cannot go up and I’m caught in the flow. 

I opened my pokémon menu again.

Torchic simply looked from side to side, simply named “Arrival”. It was named that because it was named that, and so, it had to imply it.

The two eggs below changed- spots on the shell now flower shaped and small. I wondered if I would get all starters, then, and set out to play properly.

These are best envisioned as interludes rather than anything else. Between waves of change, there are stillnesses. 

This house contains a number of rooms dedicated to each of us. It is a pipeline, although there are exceptions. Games and objects are passed down long enough to become of interest and are then taken for, presumably, distribution. 

I’m a haunting in a box.

Although I could progress, NPCs were missing in several locations- ones that would normally impede my progress. Others would turn away from me whenever I approached and when forcefully talked to, would say strange things:

“Oh you poor thing…”

“I don’t believe it, end of story.”

“Found by candlelight.”

“She did that?”

“Why do we need to be involved?”

“It reverses”

Bits and pieces of abstract nonsense, repeated lines from dreams, former game journeys, dejà vu.

And then there was Wally.

I found him on a thin route placed strangely, not a normal part of the game. A long road going up, with strange streetlights- things not matching the game’s artstyle, but rather, scribbled in, animation between two shaky frames.

He met me midway through.

“This is… wrong. I don’t get it. Why did it end up like this?”

And a name input screen showed up. I thought- I thought. Poor Wally. He’s a good guy. He wouldn’t understand my situation. All I could respond with is:

“IS OK”

“Everyone else is freaking out about it. You don’t have to go all the way through on your own”

But I have to.

Because I wound up here.

A battle began, just like that. My Torchic against his Ralts. An easy victory for me- though he did surprise me by bringing out something I was unfamiliar with after his pokémon went down: A round thing with question marks in it, appropriately named “??????????”. It proceeded to just struggle itself to death.

When the game put me back into the overworld, I was in a town with an unknown name. Houses of every style- some on trees, some on lakes. Another sprawling location going forever as far as the eye can see.

 I call this a “Reticence”.

A moment the game needs in order to think, to realign its pieces in the presence of my story, of my outpouring of feelings and memories. 

I walked and I walked, occasionally running into pokemon out in the streets. This took me a while, and I split up the time between the game and sleeping. A familiar routine.

Arrival managed to grow up nicely into a Combusken. I was happy and I said so aloud, to which the game responded with nothing but advances on its mangled RNG. 

I checked on the eggs too, and they now bore identical messages:

“Whatever was inside, it has already died.”

A graveyard in my brain. When these things die, there is nowhere to bury them except for in memories. In that sense, these are living beings unlike me. I’ll be buried, but never loved in my descent. Their data allocation will be freed, their binaries returning to the primordial soup of ones and zeroes that breathe life into their world and likewise, my flesh will spread like grand wings and finally get me out of here.

I’ll return as a passing breeze back home and they will, in turn, become the data of pokémon to come.

A box opened up when I exited:

“ARRIVAL doesn’t understand!”

But he doesn’t need to. 

We continued our walk in the city and I wondered if the houses were organized like the boxes in the truck. An empty world that I explored until…

The clock screen again. 

Around 2:30 AM.

It was the crashing point in the situation, the last straw. The screen turned darker and darker and I could hear Arrival’s cry. 

I don’t like it. Even if it is just to a game, I don’t like to admit it. I don’t want it seen and rehashed over and over and over. My safest fantasies are upside down and unpleasant. I followed the creed that I was happy until I missed the train.

The day it happens is the day I’m forgiven but it cannot happen in the safety of this room. I can only be just as evil. 

Are the others the same? I don’t know. By the time the games get to me, there is such a big lump of things that it all just unravels back to nothing.

She was screaming her heart out because I couldn’t be trusted. Because I was failing my sole objective as a person. It stung and I curled up like a bug, with the heat of the old laptop against my belly. 

And she made the decision.

An alarm played all of a sudden and I blinked, having been dragged back to reality.

A bedroom- the protagonist’s bedroom, as if the game had just started.

I checked the clock again and it was as it should be- and then, my pokémon.

Two Bad EGGs. New messages:

“Looks like it wants to live anyway.”

A mercy. 

I went downstairs, to an empty room and another pop up- this time strange, placed on the very center of the screen rather than on the bottom:

“...?! ARRIVAL isn’t here! Let’s find him before ? blooms!”

You know, flowers are pretty common when I am given a game. They grow between the cracks and I can’t help it. I reckon is because of the garden. I took care of it myself and it got me out of the way of others. I watched them grow into their colors.

I don’t know if it still exists today. Maybe it has been overtaken by wilder plants… or maybe she uprooted it all, finishing the removal of myself from her life.

I treated it as a game of hide and seek rather than strictly an emergency.

Outside, the people had all turned to strange groupings of black lines, changing shape with their movements. I talked to them, and they would all comment on “these strange eggs”.

 Its okay. They are odd. Let them try their best, clawing for the surface. Give them a chance, don’t give up on them yet.

And so I went, into houses, suspicious corners, up routes, into grass, tracking down my poor friend.

That is when I met Wally for the second time.

He stood there, in front of the Normal-type gym. The lights dimmed as I approached, and the scribbled streetlights returned to my sight.

“Oh, it’s you. I found your ARRIVAL running here. Are you two okay?”

A yes or no prompt, to which I responded affirmatively.

“...”

“It’s really awful. Everyone was scared, you know? Every time someone new arrives, we learn more horrible things we can do nothing about.”

A new choice menu- but this time, all responses were flower tiles of every shape and size. Beautiful things opening up holes in the white, for me to choose.

“...Huh? Hey, those EGGs…?”

He stepped back and I pressed start. 

More flowers for text.

And then, an egg hatching screen.

Both eggs, sprites overlapping but desynced. Shaking, moving. The camera zoomed in, little sparkles like snow on top, falling around as the shell gave way to petals and leaves and thorns and all these undiluted emotions rushing into the mix, afraid to disappear.

The blooming remained on screen as everything returned. 

Snow. Snow on the ground, on the ceilings, coming down in heavy layers as if trying to suffocate my darlings.

Trying to say no, no, it didn’t happen how you think it happened.

Trying to remind me I’m a liar.

Swelling up to the point where rather than tears I have excuses lined up.

Hey, I can’t feel pain. You know that? So what does it mean if I scream my heart out?

“Hey! What’s going on?”

He should have just left, but he didn’t. The keyboard was cold under my fingers. An alarm started to play, the same alarm I had up every day. 

The seams made out of code started to burst. 

They went down to the bottom and then…

The game reset on its own.

My meal arrived just then.

I can’t go back. I messed up one too many times. Sorry, I didn’t say anything before but it happens that I’m evil. This is nothing but a safe place to store evil people. Even if I could leave, I would have no place to return to. No one to be happy to see me. These are little sounds I make with my mouth and that’s all. My brain isn’t right. I wake up and pace, going in circles and coiling back to that day.

I went back to the game that night.

Rather than where I left off, I was in the middle of an unknown route. Snow still fell, but gently. The manifestation of game incompatible things, a sign of the later stages of infection.

My character was a mess of pixels in black and white, dragging flowers behind, as if cut from their usual animations in the world.

Opening the pokémon menu, the pokémon displayed as small things with shapes I did not recognize, but who were named the same thing: “Festival”.

Their summary revealed their shapes. A pair of Mew in a strange pose, almost translucent, looking oh so fragile. In that way, they were things. Things dragged by the current, making me colder by the second.

Music, somber and quiet, like a funeral march.

And then, Arrival. Standing at the edge of the screen and running off when I began to chase.

The road gave way to tall grass, cut like a maze where he was hard to spot. I pursued, thinking to myself- it’s too cold! He’ll freeze!

Someone, please care about that.

No one is coming here to claim us back.

Someone, just follow. Just care, a little bit! Corners of the screen ripping, glitchy textures showing up, all towards my house. My real house in all its drab colors, with all the gardens, with homework and chores and sunrises and frozen food and mom.

The loud sound of Arrival’s cry snapped me out of it and I noticed him taking a fork in the road. I stopped there and its sprite span close to the warp, crying out for me.

I know it is all my heart hurting and beating in place, seeping into the fissures. I know, but it was still hard to agree to take that turn.

A beach. Sounds of waves, a gentle sky, sand mixing with unnatural snow. 

Arrival scrambled over to Wally.

“Your time here… it is limited, isn’t it?”

I selected YES.

“I figured. That’s how it was with RETRY too.”

A pair of cries- Combusken and Kirlia.

“It would have been fun to just play with you… I’m sorry. I don’t think you are a bad person at all!”

But it’s too late.

It’s like I don’t even exist. No one is looking back on me.

I’m a fetal thing. 

“Say… in this time we have left… Instead of wandering around on your own… Why don’t you store your story with me? Something to let the future owners of this file know about you. So that you aren’t invisible anymore. So that someone knows.”

It took me a while to decide, but I did press yes.

So now, after writing this on paper, I’ll painstakingly write it in countless screens provided by the game. Wally interjects at times, and at one point, promises that he’ll be giving future players a way to read all this, that I don’t have to worry about that at all anymore. Just trust him. Trust everyone in this game because they do care about you.

Sometimes I stop, listening for steps outside. They’ll take this in my next meal.

I’ll miss this project.

I’ll miss Wally, whatever he was.

And I’m hoping that whoever you are, you will understand the rest of this ROM as a message in a bottle, rather than a curse.

[anders-hawke]

On the Never Again thing-- I never saw her one night stand w/ Ed as an "own" on misogyny; just a consequence for losing her head temporarily, like Mulder's in 3. Both had those experiences when shaken about their places in each other's lives. What I find juicier is WHY Scully chose to have a one night stand with Ed (which I covered in two essays, lol, so I've beaten that topic into the ground.) I believe it was a combo: trying to pinpoint what was scaring her, and being led along with the "freedom" that Ed offered her-- like Pheobe had done w/ Mulder in Fire, Diana in One Son, (Skinner w/ the prostitute in Avatar, lol), etc. It's that tempting, bewitching dynamic that people have on each other that leads them out of their depth.

I do believe Scully regrets Ed: not because she's a virginal Catholic girl (who dropped out of church, tried IVF, and did other non-practicing things); but because he was ill-advised. And there is a "restraint" element in Scully that underscores her character, like Mulder has an underscoring of devotion-- she's willing to wait for Mulder, not because she HAS TO or is ASHAMED; but because he's worth it. (And he, likewise, he will go to any length to make her happy-- give up his Paper Clip lead, Antarctica, IVF, Requiem "it has to end", etc.) So it's easy to imagine-- and canonical-- that Scully would rather sit in her hot and bothered than strike out to a rando one night stand. Of course, the reasons behind it were juicier than first met the eye.

So, I understand the crowd that wants to deny the one-night stand: it's the "why Ed Jerse??? Doesn't she see the red flags???" repulsion. And, of course, they want her and Mulder to only be for each other (and will act w/ the same repulsion over Diana's kiss or Pheobe's kiss, or the 3 episode, etc.) I, again, find it more fascinating to delve into the "why." :DDDD

It’s upsetting to see people outright deny it. I don’t care if they dislike it, but denying it is mosogynistic. You might as well claim that “Never Again” didn’t happen at all. I have my own problems with the episode (as I’ve said a lot, haha) but denying that Scully had a one night stand with Ed is just immature.

I think it’s important because Scully’s in a bad place and in being there, according to her, falls into her usual escapism by seeking out a man who she knows isn’t good for her. I agree with everything you’re saying but it’s a moot point regarding people who deny the one night stand. You can’t say it didn’t happen and also recognize the depth the episode brought to Scully—we got to learn more about her outside of her work with Mulder.

Like in the end disliking it isn’t the same as denying it, you know? I totally understand not getting why Scully would sleep with Ed in spite of his red flags but denying that it happened is way different than that.

Why Scully did it is definitely super juicy and that’s part of why I love that it happened so much. It just adds such depth to her character and knocks her off the pedestal she was put on by fans (and by Mulder, who can be interpreted as the audience stand-in). Like, Mulder usually gets to do all the reckless things and almost never Scully but finally it’s her turn.

[graythegreyt]

hi hi gray!!! this feels like poking a bear but, favorite headcanons for miraculous characters? any of them

CHAOS!!!!!! <3333

YOU HAVE NOT ONLY POKED A BEAR BUT UM. UH. SHOOT. UHHHH I NEED A WITTY PHRASE UH. TURNED THE FAN TO MAXIMUM AND WATCHED IT SHAKE THE WHOLE HOUSE DOWN YES THAT'S IT

I will gladly take this opportunity to ramble my little heart out. Talk your ear off. Preach to the crowds. Shoot the breeze. The following under the cut is just one HUGE slightly DISCOMBOBULATED RANT so be warned hehe.

OKAY OKAY to begin with I LOVE the thought that the magic of the Miraculous bears consequences to those especially in-tune with their kwami OR who use the powers frequently. In this I mean the ideas that if the kwami are especially bonded to their chosen their magic takes consequence in the form of their animal-avatar's tendencies. Cat Adrien and Bug Marinette and Fox Alya and Turtle Nino and probably?? Moth Gabriel. I think Adrien would be more prone to napping and wanting physical contact, but due to his. Unchecked massive depression and abandonment issues. Those aren't more apparent than usual. I think he would also purr and chase moving things and love napping in sunlight also and his friends would be DELIGHTED at these (even if they don't know why they're happening). I like the thought of Marinette's ability to sit quietly and stare without moving a muscle increasing 400%, that she likes eating aphids and leaves, that she wants to cuddle in winter and CANNOT deal with extreme temperatures. Also that her sense of smell becomes really good (Antennae!!!) and if she enters a room that smells like citrus she just straight-up leaves without comment. Also Gabriel Agreste eating his own fashion designs I will not be accepting criticism at this time

OUTSIDE OF THAT THOUGH. A BIT OF THE USUAL but I'd like to think that Alya and Marinette and Nino have ADHD but Marinette also has an anxiety disorder of some sort (and also. PTSD. Like so many of the kids in this show at this point probably. At least Adrien also) and that Adrien has depression (maybe bipolar?) and autism. And is a sunshine friend. They all form a support group and help one another because there are SO FEW ADULTS THAT COME THROUGH FOR THESE KIDS IN THE SHOW MAN!!! I don't know maybe Nathalie and Sabine would help them though.

I think by far the funniest interpretation of the show is that most of the kid characters are in just a massive complicated polycule. Just. So many people dating so many other people. Schedules are drawn up and secretaries are appointed.

Unrelated to mostly any of this but I love Alya. She's so SWEET and a FORCE OF NATURE and she has THREE PARTNERS AND IS UNSTOPPABLE. I think that Nino and Marinette and Adrien would turn to her first if they have any questions about society. Which is funny because Alya is as much a massive dork as the rest of them but her overwhelming confidence causes people to see her as Awesome and Cool as she does her weird little hobbies on main.

I LOVE the Rose runaway headcanons that I've seen and she and Juleka are 10000% dating. I think that as twins Juleka has seen Luka's hidden Unhinged side and gets EXTREMELY AMUSED whenever anyone calls him lacking in pettiness. In terms of friendships I like the thought that Max and Kim and Alix are in a friendgroup together, and Max and Alix bond over being uninterested in romantic relationships.

Kind-of a different thought entirely but. Psychological effects of the Miraculous roles. I think that Marinette would become more withdrawn because of the CRUSHING BURDEN of needing to pull through for Paris at any cost. Even if all her friends are struck down she has to keep standing, keep going, and win. I think that her friends would recognize the importance of her role in repairing the damage and do whatever it takes to keep Ladybug standing and I think that really GETS to her. I think she'd struggle also with convincing Chat that he's not expendable, that she wants and needs and loves him and that he's FANTASTIC at his job, just as she does in canon. I think that Chat as Chat Noir really struggles with the feeling of being left in the dark- which he largely IS- but has mostly regained his sense of importance due to his and Ladybug's reawakened partnership post-Strikeback. I think he'd still have feelings of being betrayed or condescended at still though, based on his and Ladybug's struggles with communication and trust in the past (though they've worked hard to reearn that trust and have come a long way!!) and because Ladybug's stress response is to become as INDEPENDENT AS POSSIBLE and completely close herself off and leave everyone in the dark (re: Gang of Secrets, Chat Blanc, the finale). He'd be a little bitter about it (rightfully so) but would try to move forward and address it with the people he feels are leaving him in dark.

Speaking of season five I LOVE LADYBUG AND CHAT NOIR'S NEW DYNAMIC!! They're just so silly. So stupid.

Also speaking of season five and especially the finale I think that Juleka and Rose and Adrien are particularly haunted by their nightmares for the weeks succeeding old Monarch's defeat due to suffering the nightmares for a while before Ladybug could cast her cure.

ALSO SPEAKING OF THE FINALE: BUG NOIRE. I HAVE SO MANY THOUGHTS ON BUG NOIRE MY GOODNESS.

These include in no particular order:

> Combining the Black Cat and Ladybug Miraculous as a simple Miraculous combination probably has not happened in CENTURIES. I think the dedication that our present Ladybug and Chat Noir have for respecting the Miraculous is a bit novel and unique, and I think Chat Noir would also be able to use a regular unification of Tikki and Plagg's powers just as Marinette did.

> Combining the Black Cat and Ladybug Miraculous, while not nearly as catastrophic as using the Wish, is till a tremendous amount of power and teeters on the edge of the dance of Creation, Destruction, and Reality. I think that the surge in power boosted Bug Noire's confidence and I like to headcanon that it probably made her feel giddy/powerful in the detached sort of way one with the abilty to have a personal look on objective Reality would have. I think there are consequences for this unification too: I like to headcanon that the sort of power and freedom and knowledge one gets in combining creation and destruction really messes with the head, and that Ladybug/Marinette finds herself losing touch with reality following the weeks after Monarch's defeat. I think it would get worse before it got better, with her beginning with losing her sense of the world for only a few minutes at a time to maybe an hour or more before it recedes again. I think the terrifying sense of conceptualism held by the kwami and channeled through the Miraculous would stick with her forever though.

> Bug Noire, if not fighting to the death as she was in canon, would probably be OVERJOYED and THRILLED to Exist and to be lingering on the edge of reality as she was, and would probably need help being convinced to detransform afterwards.

The KWAMI I LOVE THE KWAMI I LOVE READING PEOPLE WRITE ABOUT THEM. I like the idea that the kwami enjoy lingering around humanity for the ability to experience the universe at a mortal level and actively participate in it, a la @iapislazuli 's interpretations of canon. I think that they really do begin to care a lot for their chosen, a soft spot and a sense of guardianship towards their wards/their friends.

Ooh and the kwami referring to their chosen as little versions of their avatars (bug, kit/kitten, etc.) love that one as well. It's so sweet!!!

Marichat gamer friends silly goofy friends. That's it that's the headcanon. I'd like to see Ladrien silly goofy friends as well if I'm being honest.

REALLY LIKE THE HEADCANONS OF LADYNOIR GOOFING AROUND ON PATROL. Daring one another to do stupid-complicated stunts and playing games and finding the grossest parts of the city to have heartfelt moments in. Love them being PALS being PARTNERS

Oh I also like the thought of Adrien and Marinette seemingly-randomly just being EXTREMELY BUFF. And no one can figure out how they've found the time to develop that much muscle and they're both giggling to eachother about it.

Okay that's all for now luckily for you all. Thank you for reading and thank you CHAOS FOR ENABLING ME!! LOVE YOU!! Hope these are all okay let me know of I've accidentally said anything offensive!

[armorabs]

doesn't the first movie make plabs/sandkraren kinda go down? science plankton/Karen don't feel any remorse for getting Mr. krabs frozen (though not by plankton) and sandy getting mind controlled?

with no disrespect meant, in what capacity do you think either of those things actually matter, and in what way do you think they actually render either relationships impossible?

if you're sending me this ask i have to imagine you've been here a while, must have observed what i post about to some degree. and to look at myself as an outsider may, i just have to ask... what part of "non-continuity gag cartoon consisting of 250 plus episodes that has become a larger franchise with multiple movies, several games, books, and comics, all of which make use of a confirmed multiverse consisting of many dimensions and alternate timelines" do you have difficulties with?

do you think it wise to take absolutely everything at complete face value as having any kind of permanence - that everything is conceptually inflexible and non-negotionable? it's not like we're talking about a continuity-driven narrative series with a solid canon like avatar or something. do you think that it actually matters, when any little detail can and will be contradicted at a later point, or already had been before then? may be, again, at a later point?

actually, when was the last time the first movie had any real impact on the franchise as something with lasting consequences? when was the last time the concept of the first movie being the end was actually treated as or acknowledged as being a finite end, rather than "the originally planned stopping point, that clearly did not work out that way in the long term?"

alternatively, do you think everyone and everything in the world is completely static and unchanging? that everyone thinks and feels the same way forever? if you try to reconcile a cartoon characters feelings with how a real person may feel things, how permanent do you think any thought, feeling, or relationship is? and how much do you expect a writer of a theatrical film for a non-continuity gag cartoon to anticipate how a character may develop in future episodes of the cartoon its based on, or the relationships they might form?

when the first movie came out, they hadn't established that plankton and krabs were childhood friends, yet. the movie might have been different if they had thought about it before, but it also might not have been. we don't know, because they hadn't thought of it yet. that's a completely hypothetical scenario. and when the first movie came out, karen was a side character who was not yet allowed any independence or personhood outside of plankton, had no relationships outside of plankton, and was for all intents and purposes... an accessory, to plankton. and now she isn't. trying to reconcile the karen that exists now with the karen who existed then is a fools errand. and likewise trying to reconcile the relationship between plankton and krabs that existed then with the relationship between plankton and krabs that exists now is also... a fools errand.

because uh... weirdly enough, characters evolve the more you write them, and the more you invite others to write them, and explore them - and weirdly enough, people too shall change when their circumstances do. so thats a really fun and weird combination. and also theyre characters in a non-continuity gag cartoon like those words have meaning and you've got to understand what those words mean if you want to have meaningful dialogue about them existing in any capacity.

with that said: you want me to reconcile the rest of the series with the first movie? i already have! it's called the timeline theory, which had already been confirmed.

to further elaborate this specific point: the karen of the first movie never met sandy, and so she doesn't think that much about it because why would that specific karen have reason to. even though the karen of girls night out is best friends with sandy, and even though the karen of frozen face-off chose krabs, spongebob and sandy over plankton in a heartbeat. and the plankton of the first movie might not be able to reconcile his differences with krabs, but the plankton of the second movie could, and the plankton of the third movie could too. that the existence of multiple timelines and dimensions has been confirmed inherently reconciles these seemingly contradictory notions. its like wondering why peter parker is married with kids to mary jane watson in one comic but married with kids to gwen stacy in another: good lord, does it even matter i'm not talking about voltron here

[anthonybialy]

No Secret About Poor Service

Kimberly Cheatle’s résumé has been assassinated.  She leaves on a gentle slope.  The Secret Service director directed neither.  Announcing her resignation after whoever tweets for Joe Biden finally revealed the alleged boss is bailing at term’s end shows dedication to both a stubborn defiance of competence and unwillingness to respect responsibility.  Ungrateful taxpayers don’t even credit her for the dumbest of luck.

The cunning strategy of keeping Donald Trump safe by having him turn his head at precisely the right moment shows how to do an assignment well.  We didn’t need the scariest close call there could be, but it’s there as a reflection of the atmosphere of utter incompetence created by a president who was a putzing doofus even before he had to learn his name every morning.

It’s always a bad sign when we learn the name of an agency’s head.  Democrats scold us for not praising the selflessly awesome servants who enable joy and productivity.  The only thing lacking is a good reason.  Democrats who define ruling as broadly as possible screw up every legitimate role along with those they seize.  Feeble bullies want to run your lives even though they can’t preserve them.  Pete Buttigieg adores Cheatle for making him look less inept by comparison.

You’re in luck if you desire examples of why public idlers can’t protect anyone from anything.  Those looking for capability will feel frustrated.  Firing should’ve come an instant after the bullet flew past.  But this isn’t Costco.  The lack of accountability following the definition of failure illustrates why everyone either admits to hating government or pretends it’s looking out for all of us while fuming at the opposite occurring.

The one agency that everyone admired has sunk to being as oafish as the rest, so at least we enjoy consistency.  Sniper interdiction sure seems like it falls under constitutional jurisdiction.  Oh so fearless architects of society can’t even shield the executive branch.

Liberals claim the state should be involved in everything outside its domain.  Meanwhile, it can’t achieve what’s within it.  An unmanageable entity that shrugs while those vying to be its head of state are forced to duck is surely proficient at educating whippersnappers and healing the sick.

Nostalgia is acceptable when present life sucks.  Even those posted to insulate politicians from harm were better during the Reagan era.  Agents exposed themselves to shots to guard a body.  The soft reboot is never as impressive.  The erstwhile paladin of competitors will have to get a job at her cousin's cleaners.

Trump’s raised fist replaced the most avatars.  But the agent hiding behind the person she was supposed to cover is the emblematic image of the fiends’s attempt even if tweeters don’t want to use it as their social media identity.  Two kinds of dastards simultaneously plied their respective crafts.

Facts were another casualty.  Journalists who didn’t seem particularly concerned about a wounded finalist for the top office naturally treated the unqualified coward like the victim.  You are such a sexist for pointing out the female agents and director screwed up their sole duty.

I’m not saying women are unable to thwart murder plots against campaigners.  But these particular women sure couldn’t.  It turns out all those cruel right-wing conspiracy junkies got details right.  The eternally helpful press will act like they endorsed the truth all along instead of branding those who noticed it as duplicitous misogynists.

Changing the definition of what’s real is part of the career description for contemporary reporters.  Respectability for what they do vanished just as it has for the bumbling Secret Service agents they shroud from consequences.

Sentinels of objectivity got in plenty of lying practice while defending a diminished White House dweller who’s always been infected with mendaciousness.  Like claiming Barack Obama didn’t lead Biden off the stage before then proclaiming the incumbent is unfit to double his time in power, the acceptance of actuality just took a couple days.

What’s next: the Secret Service enlists a female for the sake of it?  Oh: the parody came true.  The prototypical DEI appointment set back diversity, equity, and inclusion.  If you want to halt the assertion that hiring based on superficial characteristics has become the standard, stop hiring applicants who can’t shelter a potential president.  Now, vote for her opponent unless you want to be labeled prejudiced against her race and gender.

Cheatle was the Pepsi of directors.  The serving of empty energy fittingly served as the unpalatable Coca-Cola substitute’s security director.  No, it’s not okay.  She can return to ensuring sodie pop cans don’t get shot.  I’m sure she can get her gig back: it’s not like her blundering almost got a candidate killed any more than there are quotes that haunt her like “I thrive on chaos.”

Mean Republicans cheering employment loss are always moaning about having to perform tasks.  Cruel capitalists think an occupation is for creating value instead of an entitlement in order to earn a living wage.  Results during shifts are predictable.

Usually, a federal stooge having to seek a position in a productive field merely offers economic benefit.  But saving confiscated cash with the loss of a useless worker is merely the start.  Cheatle was still overseeing the survival of Trump and the incumbent after a nefarious twerp with a grudge and ladder nearly rewrote the timeline on her quasi-watch.

If you’re unable to notice a high place would be an appealing perch for an aspiring murderer of the prominent individual you’re supposed to keep alive, this may not be the department for you.  The embodiment of terrible work not only avoided getting fired the night of her greatest shame but left on her own terms in a summary of Washington that’s a bit too perfect.  She’s convenient to point at for those who think the federal labor pool is exponentially too deep and filled with people who can’t swim.  But I’d rather have contenders be safe.

[ghostinacardboardbox]

And this becomes especially clear when you compare him to Daisy, both with how the two of them became avatars and then the different ways they’re treated by others.

Like in Jon’s case he literally didn’t know at all what he was signing up for when he took the archivist job. It was, from the outside, a safe (if slightly eccentric) office job. He didn’t consent to anything that happened to him. The fact that he is responsible for his actions after that point can coexist with the fact that he himself did nothing to crest his curren situation. And yet other characters (especially Basora and Melanie, but also to an extent Georgie) act as if Jon not only is accountable for his actions re: taking live statements, but also the events that led them here. Which is blatantly untrue and acts as if Jon taking accountability is equivalent to Jon taking blame for everything that has happened.

Daisy on the other hand is more complicated and is part of why i started thinking about TMA in a context of uninformed consent and consent under false circumstances. On the surface Daisy chooses everything that happens to her. She likes hurting people and convinces herself that because she does so in the frame of law enforcement, she’s still able to be a good person. She chooses a career that will not hold her accountable and that will protect her from the consequences of her actions. She is not complicit or unknowing about this and is guilty of those actions. But she doesn’t actually know about the Hunt (it could be argued that she’s willfully ignorant, but i genuinely don’t think she processes her status as an avatar until way after the fact). Her consenting to being a power-abusing cop is not the same as consenting to serving one of the entities. She likely still would have behaved the same if she knew, honestly, but the point is that she didn’t and the fact that she would have done the same thing with all the information isn’t relevant. It’s not true consent if you aren’t fully aware. And yet Daisy is treated so differently from Jon. Basira especially is constantly enabling Daisy. She’s insistent that Daisy isn’t as much of a monster as Jon and that she didn’t know better.

So there’s this weird dynamic where Jon, who didn’t consent, is blamed fully while Daisy, who “consented” in that she gave in to her Hunt tendencies but not in that she was fully aware of what she was doing, is given plausible deniability (and this relates to the idea that law enforcement systems will protect their own from accountability constantly; Daisy is untouchable as long as another cop is there to vouch for her, even if she and Basira have quit). Which i think about all the time.

I just think it’s interesting that even the avatars we think of as willing participants usually have this idea of not knowing. For some it could maybe be called a leap of faith. But for some it’s still just more decisions that they’re making because of a lack of information, a lack of other choices, or both.

the problem with the addiction metaphor for avatars in the magnus archives isn't actually with the metaphor itself, it's that it's treated as the Only way to understand monsterhood.

"jon made the choice to go after live statements because they felt good" is true

"jon felt good when he took live statements as a metaphor for addiction" is true

"jon felt good when he took live statements because victimizing people feels empowering" is true

"jon felt good when he took live statements Because Eating Feels Good" Is Also True

it's easy to say that jon made The Choice to continue being a monster, there's plenty of characters in the show who've said as much.

but the choice to continue being a monster is Equally the choice to Survive, to continue living. and trying to have a conversation about the Morality of jon's choice, as if it is Only about how good it feels to be monstrous, as if the addiction to living can be separated from the reality of dying. is a bit ridiculous !

the whole point of jon's situation, of Being an avatar, is that it's not Fair. jon was turned into a monster without his knowledge or consent, and then was told that there was no way out of it but to die.

it's not Fair to blame someone for wanting to live, it's not Fair to hurt someone to continue living. both are true, and that's Exactly what makes it interesting ! Why avatars can be both victims and victimizers in turn.

what makes someone like jon different from someone like jared hopsworth isn't their capacity for violence or to cause pain, it's the Choice To Continue Feeling Compassion For Other People. to make the active Choice to see other human beings As People and care about the harm you cause them.

so much of the narrative of tma is about characters who are stripped of agency, who still make Meaningful Choices Anyways. by Choosing to care, even as that choice hurts you. to continue to care even though it would feel Good not to.

this isn't Separate from the metaphor about addiction, it's in Conversation with it.