#especially since there were ways to learn how not to be a bad fire lord

[cregansdingdong]

ᴍᴇʀᴄʏ.

Cregan Stark x fem!reader | no use of y/n | warnings: NSFW, porn without plot, m!receiving oral, very sloppy blowjob good stuff, starts off slow but then there's some face-fucking, swearing, one *tiny* face smack (its not bad i promise), he’s gonna come in her throat for giving him attitude; yeah the gif is the perfect representation for this tbh

Hot stuff under the cut. 18+ only. I'm not responsible for the content you choose to consume. ty.

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“What was I supposed to do then? Refuse the Lord Commander?” Cregan raises a brow, head tilted up at the ceiling as his wife stood there in front of his desk, hands on her hips. “I didn’t say that, Cregan. He could’ve waited a moment rather than storm into breakfast. And for what? To report a runaway from Castle Black? He could’ve sent a raven and saved himself all the trouble. I think he just wanted a small getaway.” He barks out a laugh at her accusation. “And I think you’re spoiled. My spoiled little wife who does not like having my attention taken away.”

“And so what if I don’t?” She huffs, lips morphing into a scowl. “Especially not during meal times—you’re a busy man and breakfast is Cregan time, not Lord Stark. My time with my husband. Lord Commander Markus surely was exhausted from his journey—but the entire thing was needlessly frantic. You are not a dog he may call on the moment he prefers it.” Cregan, since the day they'd married, had been a fairly patient man. She had a southern temper, which he had to learn how to douse and maintain just as she did. That's not to say his wife wasn't capable of controlling herself—she merely didn't care how she spoke to him.

His glance is lined with warning, but she either didn't catch it or ignored it completely. He guesses the latter. “Those sorts of matters are my responsibility. Deserters must be punished by my hand, wife. That is the way of the North, which you know well by now. Refrain from comparisons.” Neither of them were backing down. “Of course that is the only thing you take away from what I'm saying.” She scoffs. “My comparison is correct. When he calls, you bark. When he arrives, you heel. Are you his Warden Wolf or his pup? Because I'm not sure I can tell the difference any—”

“Get on your knees.”

“...what?” The surprise on her face would be etched into his memory forever. “On your knees. I won’t tell you again, wife.” His voice was low in the quiet of the room; daunting, even. “Right here.” Cregan scoots his chair back from the desk, thighs spread, gray eyes unblinking as he waits. She debated walking away, but she knew better. He watched as she took a few meager steps around his desk, the hem of her gown slowly gathering on the floor. Maybe she'd pushed him too far this time. “I think you've forgotten yourself—who's wife you are.” He squeezes her chin in his large hand, pleased by her soft sound of protest. “Yes, you have.” He grunts, stopping the words from leaving her mouth. “And now, you’re going to do exactly what I tell you—when I tell you. Do you understand?”

He seemed fairly satisfied with her little nod. “Good, pup. Unlace my breeches.” His wife reaches out to fumble with the ties after only a moment, his hand releasing the grip on her flushed face. She tugs the laces with a fervor, feeling him harden under her fingertips. It didn’t take much, honestly. He murmurs something she doesn’t catch as she gently wriggles him out of the confines of his breeches, brows furrowed in concentration. “You don’t deserve my cock in your mouth yet. Kiss only. Use your tongue if you have such a lack of self-restraint. You’re good at that.” The jab was directed and shot, but the weight of him in her hand had her head spinning too fast to say anything smart in return. Her lips meet his tip with a quiet, pleased hum, her tongue dipping into the crease where his precum dribbled. 

Cregan’s reaction was immediate. “Like that…” He sighs, head tilting back, just savoring the relief. Fire thrummed in her stomach. She kisses down the underside of his cock, ignoring the tickle of the dark hair at the base of him as it brushed against her jaw.

His arms were slack on the rests, fingers twitching with every small suction of her lips on him. Kiss by kiss, he hardens fully under her hands, and lines of swears erupt from his throat like mantras. “In your mouth now, pup.” He looks down at her with hooded eyes, looking like he was trying not to smile but failing anyway. To be fair, it was Cregan. The slight quirk of his lips was upturned enough to count. She situates herself a little further between his thick thighs, resting her elbows down midway as her palms lay over his. And then she took him into her mouth.

“Fuck..” He groans, something low and sinful that brought her butterflies. It was quite the sight to see the Warden of the North melt so easily by a tongue. He wasn’t like most men sometimes—usually. This, though. He certainly was. Not much longer before he’d forget what she said to him in the first place. The thought drove her to sink deeper on him, barely able to go halfway but that was already enough to get his tip in the far end of her mouth. He curses more—although entirely unintelligible this time—and his hands lift, presumably to tangle themselves in her hair. But they don’t make it there. She might’ve been trapped there on the floor between his legs, but that didn’t mean he was going to get all that he wanted. Her nails dig hard into the back of his hands, close to the wrists, and keep them firmly planted against the armrests.

He hisses momentarily in surprise. With his thick skin, it was more likely his ego was more hurt than his hands. She bobs her head with a vengeance of her own, and he slumps in the chair with a growl, thoroughly annoyed to be held back. “I’m going…to give you…five seconds...wife. Release me.” Her nails dig harder in response, pinching the skin hard enough for him to react. Cregan’s thighs tense more under her elbows. She counted down in her mind as she was sure he was doing in his. It was absolutely worth a bit of punishment. Saliva coated his cock, the drool slithering down the underside of it enough to make it sound even more lewd. He loved it when she abandoned her manners. “Wife.” He warns again. What happened to never repeating yourself twice, husband? The thought would’ve made her laugh if it weren’t for his cock.

He bucks his hips toward her throat—on purpose, obviously—and the force of it surprises her entirely, gagging in the slightest as she loses her grip on him. His hands are snatched from under her ruthless nails, and although out of view as he clutched her cheeks together, she didn’t fail to catch the pinkish skin around the moon-shaped indentations. They would certainly leave a mark tomorrow. Cregan pushes her back from his cock, seething, and his dark eyes never leave her face. His fingers dig into her cheeks unconsciously before letting go—and as quick as they go, a warning smack makes her face turn to the side. It didn’t hurt, by any means, but it sent a thrill right down between her thighs. “If you ever hold my hands back again, I’ll fuck you so full of my seed that all of Winterfell will hear your pathetic little mewls for me to stop. Do you understand me, pup? Answer me.”

“I understand.” She relents, eyes darting from his face to his red cock, the beat of her heart following every throb of the pretty veins. His eyes narrowed at her, not entirely trusting but he’d gotten his point across. “Make me come, wife.” She didn’t need him to say another word, her lips instantly wrapping around his tip to pick up where she left off. This time, she kept her hands planted on his thighs, breathing harshly through her nose as she took more and more of his cock. Her fists clenched around his breeches tightly, her gaze flicking up at him. He was watching, panting, the last of his restraint hanging by a thread. Cregan never lasted very long in her mouth, not that either of them thought he needed to. “To the base.” He mutters, holding off the urge to fuck her throat. He wanted to see if she could do it herself first.

His wife does her best attempt three-fourths of the way—close enough for the tip of her nose to brush against the coarse hair. The feeling nearly brought him to the edge anyway, close to falling off entirely. His grunts were louder, less composed. He was getting desperate. He reaches out to grip her hair, his own strands drooping down into his line of sight. “I’m gonna come—hold your breath for me.” She does. He doesn’t waste a moment, cupping her face gently, thumbs soothing the skin of her cheeks as he starts to buck up into her mouth like he was rabid. The sound of his tip sliding almost into her throat was enough to do it. Cregan was snarling now, fucking her face with purpose as the come dribbled down her tongue and mouth. “Good girl! Good fucking girl! Taking me so well!”

Eventually, he slowed, spent and breathing heavily as she recuperated through long inhales and exhales through her nose. She was still sucking on him though, eager for every drop. Leaned back in his chair, limp like a rag doll, Cregan gave her one of his sweet, lazy smiles. “...Told you not to compare.”

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[mrskokushibo]

Lead us not into Temptation

Kokushibo x nun!reader

Warnings: Sex, Smut, MDNI, NSFW, strictly 18+

Summary: A young nun struggles with her carnal desires, and in the midst of that, she gets corrupted by a hot demon.

Masterlist

…And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and, the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. (Matthew 6:11-13; King James Version (KJV) of the Bible).

This was the fifth consecutive night that you were kneeling alone at night in the convent’s empty chapel, saying the Lord’s Prayer repeatedly. Your thoughts were, to say the least, impure, and this was the penance that the friendly old priest administered you in the daily confession. With autumn at the threshold and the harvest over and done with, there was much less physical work for the nuns. Autumn and winter were the time for prayer and withdrawal. A time to give the tired physical body rest after the intense labour of spring and summer. The convent’s gardens and orchard were breaming with fruit and vegetables, the bee hives full of honey, and the poultry barns overrun with chickens, geese, and ducks. Everything was now harvested, prepared, and stored for winter. Enough food to provide for both the convent’s needs as well as to help the impoverished families in the nearby settlement.

But your body was as fertile and ripe as the gardens in summer, and rest was not what it seemed to crave… You often wondered what it would be like to belong to a man. Your family could not afford the dowry, and there were only two choices for you: the brothel or the convent. When the latter was chosen, you knew you would never experience a man’s love. The former option, however, would have only given you a corrupted and twisted mockery of such love.

When you first stepped over the worn-out stone threshold of the large, grey medieval building, you felt apprehensive, to say the least. One look at the large crucifix, the only thing adorning the spacious vestibule, and the worry of a lonely and cold life were gripping you as tight as a vice. With time, you learned how wrong you were about life here. The nuns were warm and kind and since this was not one of the strictest orders, you were allowed to venture out to the village bringing food and medical aid to the inhabitants, who in turn treated you all as if you were angels. This was not a bad life. You enjoyed the gardens, and your favourite chore was tending to the animals.

At last, you finished your fiftieth Lord’s Prayer and slowly stood up, straightened your black nun’s habit, and readied yourself to walk back to your cell. The shortest way was to walk through the glorious sacred garden in the courtyard adjacent to the chapel. The cells were situated in the cloister, the open gallery walk that wrapped around the courtyard. The garden was magnificent in autumn, with leaves turning all shades of fire and sun.

As you stepped on the gravel pathway, you stopped in your tracks. There, in the corner near the large acacia, was a tall figure, judging by the broad shoulders, a male. You realised this could have not been any of the priests as they did not stay at the convent at night, but also, none of them was this tall… Apprehensive at first, you cautiously decided to approach him, your natural curiosity was always stronger than fear. As you were getting close, suddenly three pairs of eyes stared at you. They were red with golden pupils. Was this a dream? Who was this?

‘Who are you…?’ You spoke with a slightly hitched voice, but before you managed to finish your sentence, he was gone.

You stood for a while as petrified but then hurried to your cell. It was a sparse room, big enough for a simple bed, a closet for your habits, and any other garments you needed. There was also a desk, a chair, and several candlelights, which you requested, especially since you were an avid reader and writer, and the convent’s library had a wealth of approved literature.

After finishing your bedtime routine and saying your prayers, you crawled into bed, the last thought occupying your mind being the strange sight you encountered in the garden.

Without the candles being lit, your room was pitch black. You could barely make out the contours of your furniture. Suddenly, you heard a quiet rustle next to the foot of your bed…and then six burning eyes appeared out of the dark. A large hand started caressing your thigh and moving up toward your groin, a sudden light kiss on your lips, and a hand stroking your cheek and neck. You almost flew up, but the same strong, large hand pinned you down in place.

‘Shhhh, someone will hear you.’

A deep, masculine voice came from the direction of the eyes. You were speechless, this was surely a dream and well…you were curious as to what would happen next… A hand was now massaging you between your legs, not moving in under the cloth of your undergarment yet, but this was enough for your juices to slowly overflow. You moaned quietly, and this was encouragement enough for the male to slide his fingers under the cloth. As he was spreading your slick-covered folds, your pleasure was slowly taking over you. He was rubbing you up and down between your labia, not even yet touching your clitoris, a long finger slowly tracing circles around your opening and another prying its way inside you…

‘Father, forgive me for I have sinned.’

You touched yourself so many times before, but this was so entirely different. The anticipation of where his touch was to land next was the difference between a deliberate move of your own fingers. This was indescribable. You were trying not to moan too loud, but staying quiet was not an easy feat. When his touch finally reached your erect little bud, you were close to bursting. It did not take him long to push you to your orgasm and as you climaxed, you released your juices all over his hand. The next moment, you woke up, still riding out your orgasm. You were completely soaked between your legs from all the cum you squirted out. Sunlight was peering into the room through the narrow window, it was most obviously morning. You were in bliss, but also shaking your head at the dream that left you in this state. Because… this surely must have been a dream… This would be an interesting confession…

*****

The old, kind priest sighed as you uttered the routine phrase.

‘Is it the same… as usual, dear child?’

‘Yes, father, but this time it felt like someone … did things to me. I was not touching myself at all. Well, it was a dream, actually. But it evoked an indecent response from me… The thing that did trouble me, was that even though that someone was human, at the same time, he did not seem to be. He had six eyes and had a demonic aura about him.’

The priest sighed again and shook his head.

‘Look, dear child, what you are experiencing is normal for someone young. Believe me, we all had such thoughts in our youth. Just try and work on changing the focus of them. As for the form of your assailant, well, do not dwell on that too much. I am sure it is not possession or anything unholy like that. The human brain is blessed with the capacity to imagine, so do not dwell.’

He paused and smiled a little to himself.

‘You know, you are a good kid, the villagers adore you for your kindness and help. I am sure the Lord will overlook your recent troubles with yourself.’

With that, he drew the sign of the cross in the air in front of him and said the prayer of absolution:

‘(…) I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.’

The week that followed was a blur. For every day that went, your focus on daily chores and routines was diminishing as the wet dreams were increasing in length and intensity. Your thoughts were preoccupied with…him. The six eyes were etched in your mind like an unholy vision. Every night spent in the chapel on your penance prayers was wearing you out and making you more and more susceptible to daydreaming of being ravaged by the male. You were imagining what he looked like, what his manhood would feel inside you…Every time you were dismissing these thoughts in a futile attempt to regain some sanity, they were hitting you twice as hard as soon as you lost your slightest focus. It was all a dream you were telling yourself…

It was a particularly dark night when you ventured back into the empty chapel after the Sunday evening mass. A part of the penance was to tidy up and blow out the candles, leaving you with only a couple lit at the altar near the main nave, where you usually knelt to say your prayers. At this point, you started to feel like maybe an exorcist would be your best option.

Your obsession with carnal pleasure and that demon or whoever that was that invaded your thoughts was becoming unbearable. No matter how many wet dreams, how much you touched yourself, and how much you repented and tried to push these thoughts away, your senses seemed to not even come close to being satiated. You knelt in resignation, the burning sensation between your thighs as intense as ever, wetness pooling between your legs at the only thought that was occupying your mind.

‘… and lead us not into temptation…’

but the temptation was only getting stronger. At that moment, you sensed a presence behind you. The already dark, sombre space suddenly grew darker. You turned around only to see the six ferocious eyes staring down at you. But this time, you finally got a chance to see their owner. You gasped at the sight. The demonic eyes and strange red marks on his face and neck aside, he had a fully human form. A tall, solid-built male with a huge mane of thick red-black hair. He wore an outfit whose origin you did not recognise, but it did do his figure justice. Apparently, he was a warrior of some kind as there was a foreign-looking sword at his side.

‘Greetings, holy woman’ his polite words were laced with scorn.

‘Greetings’ you managed to stammer in reply.

He was foreign-looking. How could he speak your language? He could apparently read your thoughts as he indulged your curiosity:

‘I am an ancient demon, and human language is a mere trifle to me.’

A demon, so your fears were confirmed… How did this happen? Did you somehow manage to summon him?

‘You did not summon me, you foolish girl. I roam this earth, and when I stumble upon something that appeals to me, I merely claim it as mine.’

His self-indulgent speech was making you nervous but also weak at the knees from anticipation.

‘The dreams when I touched you were not dreams at all, I was there with you, and I already savoured your sweet juices. I could have ravaged you many times over, but you humans are a special kind. Playing hard-to-get and pretending to be pious and oh so holy. But deep inside of you all dwells a beast so ferocious that it makes us demons seem like angels at times. But now, it is time you give in to me and to the beast inside you. I will fuck you right here, for your Lord to see. And he will watch while you begin to serve a new Master.’

His deep, melodic voice was sending shivers down your spine. It resounded perfectly in the solemn space of the empty chapel. His lewd words gave this medieval temple more justice than any sermon you ever heard…

You stood up in the last and futile act of defiance, but in that instant, you were pushed by the large male toward the nearest wall. His large frame dominated you and pressed you into the hard stone of the wall behind you, making you almost breathless.

‘Look at you, so beautiful and innocent. A flower ready for picking’ he was talking in a hushed, slow tone.

‘I bet you will not be as innocent once I show you what real pleasure feels like.’

His handsome face was now adorned by a smile, a vicious one at that, as the thought of corrupting this holy servant of a God so many worshipped, was making him crazy with lust. It was his work as a demon, to kill, enslave, turn people into demons, and corrupt women into the deepest abyss of carnal yearning. He enjoyed this, the power of it, as centuries went by and his strength grew, so did his desire for more conquers.

His hands were slowly starting to take possession of your body, gently, but deliberately caressing your face, neck, bottom, and breasts. He lowered his head and kissed your lips with the lightness of a falling rose petal. He kept on kissing like this down your neck and then back up to your lips again. This time, the kiss claimed more of your lips, and his tongue slowly snaked its way into your mouth.

Your mouth welcomed him greedily, and soon you were intertwined in a passionate kiss. He held your head in his large hands while kissing you, and when he let go, he helped you remove your clothes and went down on his knees before you. He cupped one of your breasts with one large hand and started spreading your swollen, slick-covered folds with the long, calloused fingers of the other. You were now so familiar with this from all the wet dreams that were not dreams at all. The coil in your belly was tightening slowly, and you were starting to edge when he moved to rubbing circles around and on your blood-filled clitoris.

He then leaned into your sex, blowing soft kisses on the outside of your pussy. His tongue started darting over your clit, flicking it lightly, eliciting even more moans from you. The warmth in your belly was turning into burning heat. You felt like soon you would be losing all control over yourself but before that happened, there was something you wanted to know. Without asking him directly about his identity you posed a more indirect question.

‘Don’t you want to know my name?’ You moaned.

‘I already do, y/n. And my name is Kokushibo. Remember it well because after tonight, it will be the only name you will need to repeat in your prayers.’

With that, he stood up again, and you automatically wrapped your legs around his strong hips. He was now carrying you in the direction of the altar, and soon enough, you were shamelessly splayed on top of it. Not lifting his burning gaze from your naked form, he started removing his own clothes, leaving you to admire what was slowly being unveiled to your vision.

If it wasn’t for the scars that covered his entire torso and arms, he might just as well have been a statue that came to life. His body was as if carved of stone, with skin deliciously stretched over the defined muscles. As he removed the last clothes covering his body, a black, skirt-like garment tied with ridiculously long belts, you could now admire his manhood in its full glory. It was already erect, huge, straight, and veiny with a bright red tip.

At this point, there was not a clear thought in your head, your lust fogging up whatever reason and decency that was left. All you wanted was him inside you. The tingling in your belly was increasing as if a swarm of butterflies was attempting to find a way out of your insides. Your craving was that of a beast, your inner muscles spasming and clenching on air, slick pooling out of your cunt, all in expectation of him finally granting you the fullness you so much lusted for.

And you did not have to wait very long because as if in response to your body’s call, he grabbed you by the hips and slid you closer to his rough ones. His cock was now perfectly aligned with your entrance and he slowly started pushing into your clenching walls. The sensation of being filled up like this was making you delirious with pleasure. Every inch he gained was adding more and more to your already peaking arousal. At last, he bottomed out, but before starting to move, he stretched out his arm and grabbed your chin with his large hand, tilting your head so that you could look at the crucifix above the altar. His lips were contorted in a frown, he was baring his fangs.

‘He is looking at you. And now, I want you to tell him who is your new Master. Say it.’

With that, he started slowly thrusting into you. You were moaning, but his grip on your chin did not lessen.

‘Say it!’

‘Lord Kokushibo is my new Master, my only Lord.’

You moaned out, your breath getting heavy. Satisfied, he let go and increased the force and pace of his thrusts. It was as if time had stopped, and there was only now you and him, in this sacred space, performing this unholy sacrament. Your juices mixed, your bodies intertwined. Every spot inside you was stimulated. You could feel the veiny texture of his dick rubbing back and forth on your plush and swollen walls. If this was a sin, then you for sure belonged in hell. Because this was something you no longer could live without. And when your body finally reached the limits of what it could take before being plunged over the edge and into the eruption of your orgasm, you knew that this demon would be your bane. You were indeed possessed.

As you were riding out your climax, he kept on pumping into you with unchanged force. It was now his turn to grant himself a release. He pulled you closer to him, changing the angle slightly so that his rough hips were even closer to you. The sound of flesh smacking flesh, the wet squelching of his cock pumping in and out of your pussy, and your lewd moans echoed through the sacred building. His eyes were closed and his head thrown back, a glorious fallen angel with a halo of black hair with red tips that in the dim light of candles made it look as if he was emerging out of the fires of hell. His thrusts were not losing any of their strength or speed as you started to feel another orgasm approaching.

‘Kokushibo, my Lord, I am…. going… to come again’ you managed to moan out in your hazy state.

He opened his eyes and looked straight at you with a dark, lust-filled gaze.

‘Then I want you to say my name when you do and tell your old God who your new one is.’

He said with a vicious smirk while increasing the pace and strength of his actions. Every thrust was sending you closer to your climax, and when it was time for you to come again, you moaned out loudly

‘My Lord Kokushibo… you are… the only God… for me now’

And with that, you climaxed, and your consciousness started to blur.

He leaned over you now, small droplets of sweat running down his chest, making his skin glisten in the dull, warm light. His breath was very heavy, and his thrusts were getting sloppy. ‘I am close now’ he hissed through gritted teeth ‘I will fill you up with my demon seed, and from now on, you will forever be parched for it.’ With a final powerful thrust, he climaxed and emptied himself inside you, riding out his high with a few slower thrusts at the end. You were so overfilled, that his semen was pouring out of you around his cock and onto the altar. This was sacrilege, a sin beyond repentance. Yet, you knew, that this was just the beginning of your journey to hell and that you would not allow anyone to exorcise this demon out of your life.

You were still lying flat on top of the altar, breathless and blissed out, looking up at the crucifix and then at your demon lover’s face, when he finally pulled out, resulting in the remaining semen flowing out of you shamelessly onto the sacred stone. He smiled at the sight and lifted you up toward his chest, landing one last deep, hard kiss on your lips. He moved the hair out of your face and caressed your back, you reciprocating the action, barely able to reach around his large torso.

‘Will you be back?’ You asked in a weak voice.

‘If you pray to me, I will.’

Dividers by @cafekitsune

Tagging my friends in this re-release: @doumadono @muzansfangs @sunsblaze @warringwarrioridiot @horror4themasses @cursetopia2 @misslauravillanueva @sunandflame

[melu-lis]

anyone who simplifies the popularity of zuko to people liking "dark bad boys" is showing a sign of low media literacy. even before i watched atla, my friends recommended that i watched it solely bc of zuko. and after i watched it, i understood why. in the first episodes, most of the audience perceives him as this hot-headed jerk who's obsessed with capturing a 12 year old boy. but then we get to the episode "the storm" and we learn that the reason zuko wants to capture aang is because he was banished by his father; it doesn't excuse his actions but it is a reason. and then in the 2-parter of "the siege of the north, we learn that he has a sister and that their father often pitted them against each other, making him more sympathetic to the audience. from book 1, it is established that zuko will be more than just a villain. we don't see much of a change in zuko's character until book 2 after him and uncle iroh are branded as fugitives by the fire nation. throughout the season, we see him have an identity crisis and grappling with who he is. by the end of book 2, zuko seems to be content with his life in the earth kingdom and figuring out who he is by himself. that's why in tcod, the audience expects him to join the avatar especially after bonding with katara and confronting his uncle about teaming up with aang. but the show defies our expectations by having zuko join azula in her takeover of ba sing se. some people have a problem with this since he showed a lot of growth in book 2 and thought his betrayal was made to not make zutara a possibility but i think it make sense because zuko was more content being a neutral bystander and joining the avatar would be more risky especially he still wasn't on friendly terms with aang. when we see him return to the fire nation, we see that he's gotten everything that he ever wanted, he has father's approval and is hailed a hero by his country, but he isn't happy. this is why his confrontation with ozai is so satisfying, he realizes that not only the way his father treated him was inhumane and his approval is meaningless, but that his nation's century-long war was never a noble pursuit. when he joins the gaang, he tries his best to atone his past mistakes and demonstrate his sincerity of wanting to end the war and ends his arc by becoming the new fire lord ushered in an era of peace and kindness with the help of his ally and friend, aang. i think this why zuko is more popular compared to aang, the protagonist of the show. while aang and zuko are constantly portrayed as narrative foils to each other, aang doesn't have this constant inner turmoil that zuko does. this is why a lot of fans and casual viewers have an issue with gaang's confrontation with ozai. aang talks about how he struggles with killing ozai since it goes against the principles of his culture, a culture that is basically extinct, but this is never brought up until the series finale! it's not like there aren't any episodes where aang struggles with fulfilling his duties as the avatar, there are plenty and it does make him a sympathetic character. it's even more frustrating when you learn that aang not killing ozai was the plan since the production of book 1. there were countless opportunities where aang's struggle between wanting to maintain his identity and be a full-fledged avatar could've been addressed! i think this what aang stans who are resentful of zuko's popularity don't understand, aang's character arc is a lot more disoriented compared to zuko's.

[balanceoflightanddark]

One of the great misconceptions about Azula is the notion is that she's self-serving. That everything she does is to further her own gains, and she'll backstab everyone else in the process whether it be family or friends. Something that's supported by Bryan himself in the Season 2 commentary:

“Yeah, unfortunately in real history, there are people like Azula, who are just so charismatic, but sort of soulless that they’re… You know, but they’re able to climb to positions of influence. Same with, uh, people like Long Feng, unfortunately throughout history. People who are willing to sell out their own–own countrymen, just for their own, uh, security, you know, their own job security.”

And in many ways, that's how it's framed. Azula bringing her brother back to the country is always framed by everyone as using him as leverage in case the Avatar was somehow alive. We see her brutal recruiting of Ty Lee. We don't see a whole lot that suggests that Azula is doing this for anything other than personal gain. After all it's a trait that's pretty endemic to the Fire Nation, especially with her fellow main antagonists Ozai and Zhao.

The thing is though...Azula's problem wasn't that she was selfish.

Her problem was that she was selfless.

Let's wheel around to when she brought Zuko back home. Mainly, there was no way in hell she could have known about the spirit water. She only learned of the possibility when Zuko indirectly brought it up, and that's when she starts to think up of the leverage angle. Plus, it's been said a thousand times before that Azula didn't necessarily need Zuko to secure Ba Sing Se. And even if she did, she could've easily backstabbed and captured him with the Dai Li if she wanted to secure her path to the throne while also taking the glory of slaying the Avatar.

She didn't. Instead, she allowed Zuko to take the glory and return home in honor with no strings attached. Even when her initial orders were to capture Zuko to begin with. And in doing so, damaged her own claim to the throne since the "rightful" heir returned with a tad bit more glory than her.

And we all know how that eventually ended.

This wasn't exclusive to Zuko. Arguably her biggest Achilles' heel was her unwavering devotion to Ozai, something that she was carefully groomed to do once Zuko proved to be an embarrassment to her father's name. Almost everything she did was to get in his good graces and his acceptance. And she didn't except any reward for it either outside of approval. She was initially stunned when Ozai wanted her to be the Fire Lord, clearly not expecting him to bestow such honor upon her.

Course that was spoiled a bit when Ozai proceeded to throw her to the side. All that work, all that devotion, years of trying to be the perfect servant...wasted.

Mind you, Zuko and Ozai are probably the only two family members in the series to have shown her something regarding affection. Her relationship with Iroh was strained and more formal than anything, while Ursa made her feel like a monster. Even her friendship with Ty Lee and Mai was poisoned because her belief that she was a weapon and thus expendable warped her genuine affection into something more akin to a military unit. Again, all to prove she was as ruthless and heartless as her father.

Azula's problem wasn't that she was power hungry, cause she never expected to get power. Her problem was that everything she did, she did for somebody else. Think about it. She wanted Zuko home so she sacrificed her path to the throne. She wanted Ozai's approval so she became something she hated. Azula was desperate for some kind of acceptance, otherwise her mother's rejection wouldn't have shaken her so bad.

It's not like we have don't examples of selfish and egocentric behavior from the series. Zhao was willing to put the entire world at risk by killing the moon just to stroke his own ego. Ozai was willing to burn down the Earth Kingdom (killing who knows how many innocent lives) and proclaim himself as Phoenix King just because he could. Even Zuko was willing to put the safety of the world and backstab his own allies just for a chance to return home and claim his birthright.

Azula...doesn't come even close to those levels of narcissism and self-interest. Cause she based herself around pleasing others and wouldn't stand up for herself when she was crossed, both from personal experience and a low sense of self-worth. In many ways she was like Zuko in trying to please her father.

It's just unlike him, she wasn't presented with a way out.

[coldshrugs]

longing's favorite season 🔹 prologue

pairing: io laithe / estinien varlineau rating: general - this is a simple introduction to the concept. later parts will be mature/explicit. word count: 925 additional entries: part 1 🔹 part 2 🔹 stable scene 🔹

Count Edmont De Fortemps has no cause to enter quietly, especially in his own home, yet he is quite good at it. Engrossed as she is in the most interesting part of this grand old house, Io doesn't hear him until a loose floorboard creaks under the weight of his bad leg.

She looks up from the shelf, "Edmont... Good evening. I was just admiring—"

"Yes, of course, Mistress Laithe, admiring..." He steps into the warm light cast by the fireplace; the red and black jewels decorating his coat take on a liquid sheen, like tiny droplets of blood suspended in time. It wouldn't surprise her if they fell to the floor with a splatter. "Exploiting. The difference is a matter of etiquette, is it not?"

What on earth? Io recoils slightly, shaken by his unfamiliar tone. "My lord?"

He waves a dismissive hand and settles heavily into an armchair by the hearth. "Come. Sit with me, then you may return to your admiring momentarily."

She follows him warily. The aura about him bears... not exactly a threat, but something malign. There is a game in process and she does not yet know the rules. With a satisfied smile, Edmont looks her over, sizing up posture and countenance as she sits across from him.

"My son is quite taken with you, Mistress Laithe. For now, in any case."

For now?

He continues. "Just two days past, he fairly begged me to sanction a union between you. He is an idealist—you are not free from his expectations, but if allowed, Haurchefant would live his life as a fairytale. On the other hand, I must be more practical, for the sake of my family and my country."

"Haurchefant wants to marry me?" Io whispers, looking from Edmont to the fire.

Haurchefant's attention has been plain since she stepped foot in Camp Dragonhead nearly a year ago. His warm welcome came with hungry eyes, and he proved an audacious flirt, in a charming sort of way. Charming enough to make a night in his chambers sound enticing once. While the interest and advances were not entirely one-sided and the time they've spent together has occasionally skirted the bounds of romance, Io feels his expectations weigh more heavily than hers can match. He's been a valuable friend and has shown her great kindness many times over. She owes him a great deal—her life and the lives of her friends most of all—but truth be told, they don't know each other very well...

With the Dragonsong War at its end and her name mostly cleared, she thought she might move on. But...

"That is his current whim, aye," Edmont sighs. "I was keen to deny it, of course. Heavens, the difficulty... You, a foreigner in these lands—Viera—with those markings on display, a bow on your back, and blood on your hands. I will hail you as a hero, of course, but I fail to picture you as a lady and wife. But perhaps... perhaps that is exactly what I need at this time."

Io stares into the flames as she listens to him. His hospitality seemed freely given but she cannot help but recall something he said moons ago: 'How quickly we forget the petty nature of men. I'd wager your friends are no more than pawns in another of my countrymen's games. Such is the way of things between the High Houses...'

House Fortemps is no different, she supposes.

Io's stomach turns. She dares to glance at him. The flickering light throws his features into a menacing caricature of the Edmont she's familiar with.

"At his side, and in residence at this estate, you could be the perfect example." He leans forward, looking at her through steepled fingers. "The less open-minded High Houses could learn to see the beauty in truly open borders. What do you think, my dear? You could help propel our fair city into its new age, complete with a life of comfort, free from grief, and you need do no more than you've already done: use my wealth, my resources, and entertain my son. What say you?"

"—daresay it was one of the more awkward sessions of my career. The bride sat beautifully while her soon-to-be husband fidgeted, though I hear he is an energetic man with a racing mind. They did converse during the sitting, as well-acquainted friends; his lordship is a veritable jester and his humor seemed to keep his lady at ease. I had been told they were a love match. Alas, I would liken the flame between them to a bedside candle instead of the roaring fire usually found in the betrothed... "

—Renowned portraitist Duremert, overheard while shopping in the Jeweled Crozier

"Preparations must be hastened, and leave the matter of gil to the Count. Unreasonable as his requests may be, surely we can provide yet another 'Wedding of the Season.' It does make one wonder just why the need for all this fuss and rush, but I digress."

—spied in a letter from Lisette Valentione

"His lordship has tasked me with a new mistress—the Warrior of Light herself! I want to hear all her stories! Although she's not a warrior anymore. She's a lady now, and I'm to look after her in the manor. I think she misses being out there. Can't say I blame her. If it were me, I wouldn't dream of giving up all those adventures to stay in this stuffy old house all day."

—Saulette, in service to House Fortemps, in a letter to her aunt

[cienie-isengardu]

NRS should have used the og origins timeline of the brothers born as Chinese-Americans for MK1.

It would give reason to why Bi-Han seems beyond bitter and resentful of being forced in the Lin Kuei beyond his control then he wants power and control of the clan because he was ribbed of having other choices. Imagine the young brothers in school and learning and have some friends and playing and the dreams of being who they want to be and then they're forced to be ruthless warriors and only devote loyalty to the Lin Kuei and/or defense of Earthrealm.

In the original origins, it was sadly implied that their mother and baby sister were killed by their father. How horrible! Also they were probably Eurasian since it was implied their mother was white and they used white actors to be the brothers. (Even though it makes more sense for them to be asian since they are biracial)

This idea could have more tragic conclusion and Bi-Han's hatred and bitterness and hey, the jealousy, and envy he must be feeling. All these chosen ones seem to have such hopeful goals contrast to him. They probably had a normal childhoods compare to his controlled one.

Bi-Han could have a love-hate relationship with the Lin Kuei. He hates them and his father for taking him away from being normal and the freedom of choices he could make, took him away from everything he known. Then he loves the Lin Kuei because now he's in control of them and the Grandmaster and has their complete loyalty. He will make them a nation for the Lin Kuei to take half of Earthrealm for him to rule over because the clan is all he has left. His choices was beaten him to always think of the Lin Kuei, so of course it literally means they are everything to him now.

Bi-Han lost his beloved mother and baby sister. And now his brothers are against him and devoted to their late father. The old man probably was two-face about it, who was kind and fatherly towards his young sons and raised them with an open gentle hand. To Bi-Han, he was cruel, manipulative tyrant who gave his older son no mercy to the training of becoming a grandmaster, raised him with a closed fist.

I mean this would have been more interesting! Or something like this!

As much as I miss the original or the alternative origin, anything similar happening now would put Liu Kang in bad light, as the Keeper of Time that allows such vile practices and benefits the most from it. What understandably is not something NRS would want for their main Chosen One and the great Champion of the Good Side. 

But to be honest, Bi-Han doesn’t need additional trauma that shaped him in previous timelines, as what he got is still a solid reason to resent the Fire Lord. He and Kuai Liang said that members of Lin Kuei are trained from childhood and trained differently. Lin Kuei aren’t meant to be the Champions that will officially be recognized by befriended realms and bask in the glory of this honor and glory of their victories. Kitana literally asks in her intro vs. Sub-Zero “Why are Lin Kuei never Earthrealm champions?” and it is because they are the black ops, a private army of  Fire Lord, never recognized by nations but who do the dirty job for Earthrealm’s sake for literal centuries. The members of Lin Kuei are not trained to fight honorably but to eliminate the threat Liu Kang points out to them and kill whoever stands in their way which we could see during the mission to the enemy's hideout. And this is not a life any of them choose as adults, like usually happens with people enlisting to the widely understood uniformed services, especially for commando or spy jobs. They are destined to uphold the “honorable tradition” since they are children and frankly, it is not just the physical training but also psychological preparation as killing is not something that comes so easily as one may think. Bi-Han literally said to Reiko in one intro “To kill, one must be cold-blooded” and sure, it could be just the cryomancer thing, but may as well be a hint what Lin Kuei training included, as a means to transform children into deadly weapons. So how much Bi-Han or Kuai Liang or any other child born into Lin Kuei had a relatively happy childhood is up to debate. And Bi-Han as heir to Grandmaster had an additional role to prepare for and the older he was, the more resentful and frustrated he became, as Lin Kuei for their devoted service to Liu Kang and Earthrealm didn't get much in return. Which I think is an understandable source for his anger and frustration, especially if his mother died in line of duty. 

Of course, it would be much better if we had a chance to see how Bi-Han interacted with his father and if the man treated his sons differently, especially if he was more demanding from his first-born or not. But I feel Bi-Han doesn’t need to endure additional abuse to feel his father failed the clan, as he experiences first-handly how Liu Kang treats his beloved Champions and Outworld friends and how Lin Kuei is treated to feel the servitude is unfair and akin to slavery than any honorable duty. I would love, if the NRS gave us a more complex and exploited backstory for Lin Kuei and the brothers, but I think there is enough ground to give Bi-Han benefit of doubt that his claims aren’t baseless and there indeed is something tragic about his desire for freedom, for himself and whole clan.

I don't mind the current biography, but for sure giving us more details would make everything better in my humble opinion.

[addaxus]

New Fortune My Ass! Pt. 2

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After browsing through the general store, Clarence placed his selection of assorted items on the counter. The widowed store owner processed the goods and gave him the total amount with a quiet look about her. Stuff in Nuevo Fortuna tended to be cheap, as low prices were the only thing that kept the place going—Twas an unfortunate necessity. Folks who settled here had expected the railroad to go through their town, making it a hotspot for travelers and tourists. Since the railroad went straight past the place, all they got were less than desirable clientele, mostly drifters and lowlives.

Clarence had learned a valuable lesson: Don't bank your prosperity on something that ain't guaranteed, like rumors of a railroad making your place of business a booming enterprise. Broken promises were a common occurrence apparently, especially to yourself.

The widowed store owner looked up at him as she finished bagging his items, “So how has that runt of yours been?”

Clarence chuckled to himself lowly and looked up at the ceiling then back to his feet, “He ain't no runt, ma'am. He's been doing quite well, actually. Quick-learner, too.”

The kid had been doing surprisingly well these last few weeks. He kept to himself and stayed quiet most of the time. Just focused on serving the food and drinks, cleaning up after folks, and helping get everything ready the next day. Clarence had made a point to tell him that the best he can do to avoid any trouble is keep interactions to a minimum while handing customers what they wanted and taking their cash.

You'd be amazed how little it takes to provoke some drunken fool into a fistfight. Or worse... A shootout.

She gathers his bags together and pushes them his way on the counter.

“Reckon he wouldn't have lasted this long had he not picked up on how things work around here. Lord knows what lawless, rundown hole that Mexican crawled out of from across the border.”

Clarence didn't verbally respond. He simply nodded his head, grabbed his items, and walked out the door. Once outside he simply sighed and looked up at the stars. It was too late for him to be up these days, old bones and all. He had instructed Bruno to start closing up after taking care of two regulars, Mucci and Campbell, who strode in demanding drinks and food...

“AAAHHH!”

’...SHIT!’

—

Fearing for the worst, Clarence dropped his goods and sprinted towards the saloon. He burst in, pushing through the swinging doors to see part of the saloon was trashed. Tables and chairs were flipped over like a bull had come in stampeding his way through. Bruno was lying a corner looking beaten all to hell, trembling like a scared puppy. One of the Cowboys, Mucci, stood a good distance away from him. The other, Campbell, had a steak knife sticking out of his gut.

Mucci screamed down at him, bracing his feet and closing both fists in a fit of rage, “You goddamn runt!”

The cowboy haphazardly ripped the knife out of his companion and went for the boy. Out of reflex, Clarence took out his Remington Model 1858 and fired, disarming the thug. Holding his hand in pain, Mucci turned to face his assailant only for his notorious temper to be replaced with indignation and fear.

Mucci shouted back at him with a snarl, “The hell was that for, old man?! You siding with this thieving rat! Look what he did to Campbell!” He pointed down at the poor bastard.

Campbell choked on his own air, crying out with delusion, “Oh god, Mucci... I'm dying... Mama... Help me, Mama...”

Son of a bitch! Bruno must have gotten Campbell real bad with that knife—in a spot that was more fatal than he realized. Mucci ripping it out probably did a lot worse, though. There weren't no doctors in or near Nuevo Fortuna either, just snake oil piss peddlers. The cowboy’s fate was pretty much sealed.

Clarence gained the voice to speak out and question the scene, “What happened, boy?”

“Are you blind?! You can see what happened! This runt stuck Campbell like a pig after trying to take my mon— Click!

Having the hammer on a Remington cocked back with the barrel pointed in his direction shut Mucci up as fast as a cat could get his tongue.

Clarence didn’t drop his gaze and grumbled, “I wasn't asking you.”

Realizing who the old man meant, Bruno whimpered in the corner all curled in on himself, his arms raised in a vain attempt to shield himself. Kid probably expected the worse. With a sigh, Clarence asked again...

“I want to hear your side of things, Bruno. Now.”

Hearing this, the kid shakily stood up from his spot, nervously tugging on his odd hooded poncho, trying to make himself look smaller.

“I... I was just doing like you said, Clarence. I gave them their drinks and roast beef... Senor Mucci here left his money on the table... I thought it was pay for the food...”

Clarence didn't need to hear the rest. His sharp-mind pieced it all together. Mucci had a habit of leaving a wad of cash on the table... Only to plop down coins individually on the table with which he intended to pay for his order. Seemed like a bunch of gloating in his book. Bruno hadn't known about this admittedly irritating habit of Mucci's. Moment the kid grabbed the money, Mucci lost his temper and beat the hell out of him. Campbell joined in on the beating cause he's a follower who didn't pick the best of company.

Campbell was fading fast, eyes fluttering blankly, “I'm thirsty, Mama... I'm so thirsty...”

Them words were the cowboy's last. His body fell limp on the floor, blood soaked right hand still clutching his punctured abdomen. An uncomfortable silence fell over them. Had he not been at the other end of a barrel, Mucci looked just about ready to tear Bruno apart again. The kid himself simply fell back into the corner, quietly sobbing to himself. Mucci glared at Clarence. The old man simply returned an even albeit somber gaze.

“Come back for Campbell in the morning. I'll have him loaded up in a wagon for ya. I'll pay to have him buried in the church cemetery. Ain't no need for things to get any worse.

Knowing he couldn't do nothing, Mucci took his leave. However, he stopped at the swinging doors, and glared over his shoulder at Clarence...

“Tomorrow I'm gonna bury my friend... And he won't be alone, neither.”

With his threat made, Mucci spat to the side, walked out, saddled up, and rode off.

—

As he promised, Clarence loaded up Campbell's body on the town wagon and made arrangements with the local priest and undertaker. Both had been quite considerate given the late hour. Their consideration was undercut with a slight weariness upon being told the details.

After what felt like hours, Old LeRoy returned to the saloon, went upstairs, and found Bruno sucking down on a bottle of whiskey—Or rather, a half-empty bottle of whiskey…

“It weren't your fault, Bruno. Whole mess could have been avoided had I not left you alone with them. That Mucci has a nasty temper on him.”

Bruno looked on the brink of tears again, “I killed him, Clarence! L-L-Like M-M-Mucci said! S-S-Stuck h-him like a p-pig! That makes me a killer, don't it? Dios Mio...”

The boy took another long swig from the whiskey bottle, one hand carding through his hair several times. Clarence knew he unfortunately needed it if it calmed him to any extent. Kid was only fifteen and already took a life. In self-defense, sure, but no justification will ever make the feeling better. He, Clarence LeRoy, was damn well aware of that fact...

Clarence looked against the wall, then out the window.

“Killing's a hell of a thing, kid. You take everything they got... And you can't ever give it back. They'll stay with you no matter how much you don’t want them. Those bad things you feeling right now? They prove you ain't no damn cold-blooded killer. I can see it in them eyes.”

[onceuponaloonatic]

i've been rewatching atla and it reminded me of the atla au i made! it got a little long though lol

Sana had been dreading this day. Ever since she left, she had known there was a day where she would be forced to return. And, unfortunately for Sana, that day was today.

“Saya stop running around everywhere.” Sana sighed at her wife’s voice, watching as Sana ran around the boat.

“It’s so exciting,  we’ve never been to the fire nation before!” Saya giggled. It was true, they had made frequent trips to Kyoshi island and Ba Sing Se to visit Tzuyu’s family, and they had even made it out to the northern water tribe a couple times, but Sana had done everything in her power to avoid the fire nation. “Is it true that there are volcanoes everywhere? And dragons?” “There are a couple volcanoes, I wouldn’t say they are everywhere.” Sana took a deep breath. “As for dragons…” Sana knew the girls hadn't been taught as much fire nation history as they probably should have been. She knew learning history was important, especially because her kids had fire nation blood running through their veins. But Sana had always been hesitant to teach them, just hoping their schools would cover it. 

“Dragons are extinct Saya.” Sai cut in. “The royal family killed all of them.” Sai looked at Sana briefly. Sana nearly shrank under her daughter’s gaze.

“The fire nation has done many horrible things…” Sana trailed off. “Many many terrible things.” 

“So the fire nation has one centralized royal family?” Sae asked. “Like how the Earth kingdom has a queen?” “Yeah, the head of state is called the fire lord. The current fire lord is your grandfather, fire lord Kenji.” Sana explained, trying to focus on Mina and Tzuyu's presence next to her. “Our grandfather is the firelord?!” Sana had tried to keep it a secret from her kids. They knew that Sana was important in the fire nation, but they didn’t know her exact position. Sana had tried to keep it that way. 

“Yes.” Sana avoided the girls' gazes as Mina laid a hand on her shoulder. 

“That makes us like princesses right?!” Saya asked excitedly.

“It would probably just be Nico right? Cause she’s the only one of us that can firebend?” “Hm?” Nico looked up from where she was laying against Mina. She always got a little sick during long trips, especially by boat. Mina would usually heal her the best she could, but it didn’t stop Nico’s stomach from hurting. 

“You're a princess Nico!” “I am?” Nico muttered. 

“It’s more complicated than Saya.” Sana nodded. “I’m not really the princess anymore.” “What happened?” “Saya.” Tzuyu interrupted Saya with one stern glance. “What are we going to do when we get to the fire nation?” Saki asked, looking up from her book.

“You guys will meet some of your mom’s side of the family.” Mina supplied. “Your mom is here on important business, but we can explore the capitol while she is busy.”

“I’ve heard there’s lots of really good food in the fire nation.” Sai spoke up. “I want to try fire flakes.” “I haven’t had those in a while.” Sana giggled. “Not since I was pregnant with Sai, I think.” “You did crave a lot of fire nation food back then.” Mina giggled. “We were convinced Sai was going to be a fire bender, then one day she threw a rock at Sana’s head while throwing a tantrum.” “It was cute, but painful.” Sana giggled. 

“My bad mom.” Sai laughed.

“What was it like the first time I bended?” Saya asked.

“Chaos.” Mina laughed at the memory. 

“You were trying to copy your sister, but you ended up slamming a rock into the side of the house.” Sana elaborated. “It took weeks to fix.” Tzuyu nodded. 

“You were pretty attached to me back then Saya,” Sai teased, messing with her sister’s hair. “You used to follow me around everywhere.”

“Shut up, I was just a little kid.” Saya groaned.

“At least Sae was less destructive,” Mina commented. “One day she just bent the water while she was taking a bath.” “I did?” Sae asked. “Huh.” “What about me?” Nico asked.

“You sneezed and set yourself on fire.” Sana giggled. 

“I put it out, but it was scary.” Mina smiled at the memory. “You were a lot younger than your sisters the first time it happened, you surprised us.” 

“Well at least I don’t have any embarrassing stories like that.” Saki shrugged.

“Oh sweetie, I’m sorry.” Sana sighed. She was always worried they were leaving Saki out when they talked about bending. Saki had always seemed a little sensitive about the fact she couldn’t bend. “We have plenty of cute moments with you too.” “I know mom.” Saki put her book down. “It’s okay.” “Saki I-”

“Miss Minatozaki! We are here!” Sana took a deep breath at the announcement. The air already felt suffocating. 

“Okay, let’s go.” xx 

Sana wasn’t surprised how quickly her family made her regret her decision to go to the fire nation. 

“Sana, I have heard Nico is a firebender.” Sana sighed. After the incident when her father hired people to kidnap Nico, she had tried to finally remove her family from her life. Unfortunately, her father made it harder than it had to be.

“She is.” Sana muttered, taking a bite of rice while trying to maintain her composure. When they had gotten a dinner invitation with Sana’s parents, Sana had tried to get her wives and kids out of it, but her parents had insisted that at least Nico came. Sana had tried to argue, but had eventually relented that Nico could come.

“Has she started her training?” “Yes.” Sana answered. She felt Nico shift next to her. She wasn't used to sitting on her knees much, and Sana knew she had to be uncomfortable in the fire nation fancy clothes she had been forced into. “She has been working on mastering her basic forms.” “Very good. Would you mind giving us a demonstration?” 

“Father I don’t think that’s a very good-”

“Sana.” Sana had to hold herself back when her older sister spoke over her. They had never been very close. “Come on now, I thought you had grown out of that rebellious teenage phase of yours.”

“Nico, why don’t you just show us some of what your mom has taught you?” Sana’s father addressed Nico directly. Nico looked nervous. 

“Father I-” “I can do it mommy.” Nico nodded, standing up and moving to the center of the room. Sana hated that she felt so powerless to stop it. Nico performed flawlessly. Sana had known she would. Nico had excelled in her firebending training the minute she started. 

“Very good Nico.” Sana’s father praised. She hated her father’s smirk. 

“Yes, she’s just like her mother. A true prodigy.” Sana sighed at her mother’s comment. 

“Good job sweetie.” Sana whispered to her daughter as Nico sat next to her. 

“She is a true talent Sana, who is her teacher?” “I am.” Sana sighed.

“Oh? Don’t you think such a talent should be nurtured by a master? Just because someone is a good firebender does not mean they are a good teacher.” 

“She’s learning just fine.” Sana grumbled.

“Sana, don’t you think she would learn better here, in the nation her bending hails from? There’s an opening at the Fire Nation Academy for Girls.” Sana sighed at the mention of her alma mater. The only good thing that had come out of that place was her friendships with Nayeon and Momo. 

“She’s learning fine in Republic City.” Sana nodded. “Sana, we just want what’s best for Nico.” “Since when do you want what’s best for me or my daughter?” Sana muttered to herself. 

“I was afraid it would come to this.” Sana’s mother sighed. “Sana, I’m going to insist that you let Nico come stay here, where she belongs.” “What do you mean where she belongs? She belongs at home, with her family.” 

“Sana, we were going to wait to tell you this until we made the formal announcement, but we have decided that Nico is going to be named the successor to your sister.” Sana felt anger boil through her as her daughter reached for her sleeve. 

“What do you mean?” “Well, you know of your sister’s, unfortunate, condition. Our family has been on the throne since the founding of this great nation. I will not allow the line to be broken. We cannot maintain our power without a blood heir.” 

“My daughter is not a pawn for your political games.” Sana growled. “She will live with me and her mama and her ka-san in Republic City.” Sana grabbed Nico’s hand, fully prepared to drag her out with her.

“Sana, wait.” Her mother stopped her. “How about this, we will allow Nico to stay with you in Republic City, but we will send the finest teacher in the fire nation to train her.” “No, I’m not giving you any control over her-”

“Sana. If you walk out of that door, you will be considered an enemy of the fire nation.” Sana paused at her father’s comment. “Do you really think that’s what’s best for your family?” Sana felt anger pump through her veins. How dare her father threaten her family. How dare he threaten-

“Mommy.” Nico tugged on her sleeve. “I’ll be okay.” Nico nodded at her mom. Sana sighed, giving in was much better than the alternative.

“Okay.” Sana sighed. “Okay, I’ll agree to your little deal.” “That’s wonderful Sana.” Sana’s mother smiled. “We will make the formal announcement tomorrow.” 

“Sure.” Sana sighed. “Can I take Nico back to our room to get some rest?” “Sure.” Her mother agreed. “See you first thing tomorrow, princess Nico.” xx 

When Sana got back to the room she was sharing with Mina and Tzuyu, they could both feel the anger radiating off Sana. 

Sana had never been the type prone to anger. Mina had been surprised when she had first met Sana. Firebenders were loud and hot headed. Sana was loud, but anger was not a normal emotion for her. But in that moment, Mina could basically feel the anger radiating off of Sana in waves. It felt like Mina was burning.

“What happened?” Tears sprang to Sana’s eyes at Tzuyu’s question.

“Well, our daughter is a princess now, apparently.” Sana slumped onto the bed. 

“What?” “They are going to announce Nico as my sister’s successor tomorrow.” Sana answered. “My sister doesn’t have a kid. I basically spat on the throne when I left. Nico is our only child that can firebend. Therefore, Nico is now the princess.” “What… Does this mean?” 

“My parents are ‘going to let her continue to live with us for the time being’ but she will be taught by a teacher from the fire nation.” Sana groaned. “I tried- I tried to get her out of this. But they-he threatened to declare me an enemy of the fire nation.” “I’m sorry baby,” “And I would let him do that, I hate this stupid place. But, it means I would be a fugitive, and that wouldn’t- it wouldn’t be good.” “I’m sorry Sana.” Mina rubbed Sana’s back. “We will find a way to get Nico out of this, I promise.” “I don’t think we can.” Tears dripped down Sana’s cheeks.

“We can.” Tzuyu nodded. “We can do anything if we’re together.”

[slocumjoe]

hey uhhh i went thru ur oc post history and u said gus set himself on fire?? pls context

I love this character because whenever someone asks about him I always have to take a deep breath and get comfortable and suck a breath in through my teeth. I treat him so poorly

More Gus lore, because that specific event is actually tied to the very first event that would fuck him up forever, so I can't really talk about it without going in depth.

This is explaining the core tenent of Augustijn's story, which is guilt and its dangers. Basically, where that constant guilt came from, and how it...turned out for him...

It turns out okay. Just...takes 200+ years, an apocalypse, a divorce, and his son dying! 🥳Yay🥳

Tw; Religious trauma, child abuse, suicide, drug use, cannibalism, mental illnesses, and yet another suicide attempt.

So, some background, Gus's mom, Emma, was a fanatic catholic and generally Bat Shit about religion. As you might imagine, this is the Direct Source of both Gus' questionable worldviews, traumas, and his biological inclination to uuuhhh bad Head Times.

Emma was raised mildly religious, but she...took to it too hard? Her family was not the cause of her obsession, Gus's grandparents and uncles/aunts over there actually cut her off at one point, because she was starting to worry them but reaching out led to her lashing out. So, they just...backed off. Emma herself was a simple, homebody woman, who wanted to be at home raising her kids, and tending her garden. She would have been this way even without the religious thing.

But Emma and her side of the family were prone to addiction, see? And religion became her point of fixation and obsession. This could have still been okay, if not for the church she went into. A catholic church in the Hague that was known by all for being kind of fucking out there, even by other hardcore Catholics. This was one she went into, and even her grandchild 240+ years later would feel the ripple of this decision.

Emma goes into church and gets gnarly ideas about how life works. Its a woman's duty to have kids and raise them, to be good to her husband and her house, to listen and obey her men. Sin is inevitable and everyone does it, only those that admit and accept punishment can get another chance at Paradise. God knows every action you take and he does not care for the context, he only cares about the action. There is no "well, but" under the Lord.

Emma has mental illness, some kind of depression and anxiety, so this Big Brother Watching And Judging fucked her up. Especially since her church, in particular, was physically abusive if you did not confess to anything during confession. They thought if you had nothing to confess, you were lying.

At this point, she's met and engaged to Theodore Reinier, a rich heir to a European manufacturing company. He's pretty, a gentleman, and best of all, rich, so she can have as big and luxurious a garden as she wants. She likes him. She does not love him. She's in her twenties and unmarried with no kids, and her poor family needs to be taken care of. So she marries him. Theodore is smart enough to see this for what it is, and kind enough to allow it. He lets his wife do her own thing and treats her as a friend, rather than a lover. She hates this, she wants to be a wife (she doesnt). She wants kids, he gives her one. Augustijn. This birth goes rough, and she's told no more children.

Theodore makes one rule; August goes to a different church, or he does not go at all. Theo really didn't like Emma's church and he certainly wasn't exposing his kid to that shit.

Emma pretends to agree and takes Gus to That Church. Theo doesn't attend, so he doesn't know this is happening until much later. Gus gets all the same nasty shit Emma does. Theo learns of this when he sees Gus covered in bruises from confession beatings. This puts a huge rift between him and Emma, and he pulls all the strings he can to have her church shut down.

Emma grows to resent and hate Theo and Augustijn for not being the perfect husband and child she deserves as a good, God fearing house wife. Augustijn is left to his nannies, Emma hides away in her private garden, fuming. Theodore tries to bond with his son, but Emma's poisoned that well.

Emma tells Augustijn about demons, to fear them. She specifically tells him about church grims, demons that hunt around churches in the form of a dog to drag sinners to hell. She says this as she's admiring her new obsidian dog statues for her garden.

Eventually, Emma goes yellow wallpaper and loses her mind, and is sent to therapy and put on medications. Augustijn loathes his father for his mother's state. Theodore just wants his friend and son okay. But Emma, as she's out in town, coming back from therapy, she stops at a friend's house while the friend isn't there, and hooks up with the woman's husband. Friend's husband was stern, strict with his wife, God fearing, and generally an obnoxious 50s ideal shithead husband. Everything Emma wanted. This wasn't out of nowhere, it was brewing in the background. She knew both of them from her old church.

Emma goes home, and finally having a reason for the guilt that's always plagued her, elects to acknowledge her sin. She drowns herself in the pond of her garden, stared down by three dark, ruby-eyed dogs, overseeing her passage into the afterlife. Her young son comes into the garden to meet his mother, after she's been gone all day, only to find her in a red pool. He looks up into the eyes of the dogs. He remembers nothing of this incident, blocking it out and having been too young to understand.

Years pass, and Augustijn turns to drugs as well, though his come from the darkest parts of the Hague, rather than a doctor. He turns to sex, to crime, to anything he thinks will either corrupt him so much he doesn't care, or will finally make his guilt feel justified. He wears his mother's cross necklace through it all, and sees her beloved dog with every sin.

Augustijn goes to America for college, to Harvard, studying to become a pastor himself. (This is maybe the most terrifying part of him, the fact that he almost got it). But he doesn't feel satisfied with it, has a moment of clarity and realizes he isn't fit to preach anything. The grim certainly doesn't think so. He instead follows his only friend, Isadora, into the military. The US government allowing their soldiers to do chems means his failed drug tests don't matter.

Augustijn becomes a sniper. He has always hurt people, excelled in it, but taking life frightens him, because he knows he has no right to decide who lives or dies, not like this. But he's in China, and he's told to kill. He does, and he's very good at it. His teammates marvel at just how scrappy and determined he is, like a weed, a mold.

The Biandukou Pass Incident occurs. He eats his entire team, trapped in a Chinese mountain range during a blizzard.

Delirious from almost two months of surviving on nothing but psycho and human flesh, Augustijn is let loose back into Boston, honorably discharged. His lingering hallucinations from his Daytripper addiction, mixed with psycho withdrawal, trauma, guilt, shame, the fear of God—everything culminates. He looks up and sees the figure that has haunted him since that one, awful day; the church grim, staring expectantly.

His mother drowned herself, so he thought it fitting if he set himself ablaze.

[juniperhillpatient]

Sozin’s Comet Part 1 Re-Watch

This is a great start to the finale & a strong set up for Aang vs. Ozai. The beach party at the start provided a lot of great comedy - especially Sokka’s “sculpture” of Suki. Oh, & on the topic of comedy, shout out to Melon Lord Toph, she always cracks me up.

I’ve already said I think the overarching season could’ve done a stronger job building Ozai as the big bad but in terms of the final episodes the tension is built well. Zuko attacking Aang to “teach him a lesson” - yeah that seems about right. Very Zuko behavior. We love a dramatic bitch. I loved the Gaang coming together & agreeing to do this together. This group of found family means the world to me.

For real though, the reveal about what was said during that war meeting is pretty chilling. Also, the way both Zuko & Azula were determined to get Ozai’s approval during that meeting was a super interesting glimpse at the dynamic between the three of them. I think that - in Azula’s mind - they were finally a happy family. Azula just builds off what Zuko is saying - she has no idea that he had a different perspective on the earth kingdom’s “hope” than her & Ozai, (how could she?) - she’s just building off Zuko’s points in a way that makes sense & would be expected of her. It’s sick & twisted, but Ozai is pleased. What I’m getting at is that this flashback shows what would seem like a war meeting gone well from Azula’s perspective. Zuko’s betrayal shortly after was clearly the first in a series of events that shocked Azula to her core.

Aang gets a lot of crap from the fandom for freaking out at the idea of killing Ozai. I do think though that while the others are 100% justified in advocating for Ozai’s death & I understand them & agree with them - I feel bad for Aang too. His culture was eradicated by the Fire Nation - his culture that is all about peace & forgiveness. The baby picture of Ozai is a nice touch to show that even 0zai is a human being, & taking his life would matter & should not be taken lightly.

Some people may not want to hear this but I think that if Aang had ended up killing Ozai, it would not be as satisfying as you think. It would have meant Aang going against his own culture, of which he is the last surviving member - & I just don’t think that ending would be as nice as it might seem on the surface. The first time I watched the show, I did really want Aang to kill Ozai but I’ve thought about it a lot more since then & I really do not think that ending would have been good at all.

I also like that they first thought it was a baby picture of Zuko because while it’s “haha funny” it’s also significant. No one is born evil. Not Ozai, & not Zuko. And the person Ozai is now? That’s 100% what Zuko could have become if he had not made the right choice & decided to fight for peace & balance & to confront his violent past & work to be better.

The ending with Ozai telling Azula that he’s leaving her behind is heartbreaking. How anyone can watch her complete childlike hurt - the desperation to please her father - & not feel empathy for her is just… beyond me. Azula learning that she’s getting left behind breaks my heart every time.

This episode was a great start to the final arc! That’s all I have for now.

[heavensenthearty]

His Majesty and Her Excellency

Rating: G Fandom: Avatar The Last Airbender Relationships: Katara/Zuko, Toph Beifong & Katara Tags: POV First Person, Fluff without Plot, Romance, Friendship/Love, Cultural References, Badass Katara, I Have No Interest Or Intention Or Disposition To Follow Canon Summary: Katara’s voice comes from behind my back while I struggle to tie my hanbok. She isn’t wearing Fire Nation clothes today but a black and blue wool dress from the Water Tribe that she cut for the warm weather. Through the mirror, I see her staring at me, smirking at my incapacity to fix my own clothes. ⬇Read under the cut.⬇

I seriously hate formal robes. I hate formalities, I hate pretentiousness, I hate all of it—which is bound to be awkward if I’m going to be Firelord, a politician. 

“You need some help?”

Katara’s voice comes from behind my back while I struggle to tie my hanbok. She isn’t wearing Fire Nation clothes today but a black and blue wool dress from the Water Tribe that she cut for the warm weather. Through the mirror, I see her staring at me, smirking at my incapacity to fix my own clothes.

(The Water Tribe colors and jewelry are a stark contrast against the walls painted in garnet red.) (And yet they harmonize somehow.)

“Yes, please.” I drop my arms and turn in defeat.

Her smirk widens into a smile and suddenly today isn’t a bad day anymore; the flowing ends of her skirt brush her legs as she walks closer. 

“How is it that I can break out of prison but I can’t tie a ribbon goreum?” I say.

“You’ll learn.” She takes the silk strings and passes them one over the other. “You have an entire life and an entire new wardrobe waiting for you.” 

“Yeah…” 

Now I’m who stares at her. All the sun she got from surfing has cleared her hair, her eyes pop out more than usual since her skin is tanner too, and aside from her necklace, she’s wearing some Water Tribe bracelets carved in a pattern of polar bearfoxes, snow wolfleopards, and crescent moons; she told me it was for a popular legend in the Southern Water Tribe: the bearfox was jealous of the wolfleopard’s closeness to the moon, so it tried to attack the wolf, but the moon kept changing forms and taking away the light so the bearfox couldn’t find it.  

She is so beautiful.

“Are you nervous?” she asks me, still tying the strings.

“No… And you?”

“No.” She drops the strings once the ribbon is done. 

I take her hand. “Are you sure? It feels like you’re shaking a little.”

“Well… I can’t imagine the Fire Nation giving me a big, warm welcome.”

“Katara, because of the war, the military got all the resources, civilians were left with nearly nothing. You freed them.” “We freed them.”“And you are part of that, and you deserve the recognition. Once the economy recovers, I will build you a statue and name it ‘Our Savior’.”She giggles. “Mmm… If you insist.”And then she kisses me. “I love you.”“I love you, too.”

I kiss her hand before we both go outside for the speech.

As we wait for the announcer to introduce us to the crowd, I wait in the back along with Zuko and our friends until we are called on stage. My talk with him earlier eased my nerves, but they didn’t go away completely. It’s not every day that your boyfriend is crowned emperor of a country, and it’s especially hard when that country doesn’t like you very much. Maybe he is right and I’m seeing things the wrong way, but maybe it’s also better to expect the worse so I won’t be disappointed later.

He squeezes my hand. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” I sigh. “Just a little… stage fright.”

“I don’t know why,” Toph chimes in, popping fireflakes into her mouth, “you’ve been in front of crowds and armies before.”

“But this is different.”

“Why?”

“Because…” And at that moment, my mind goes blank. I can’t come up with a single answer for Toph and her wits because this really isn’t any different. “Aren’t you a little young to be so insightful?”

Zuko laughs.

“Nah, when you and Sparky Lord over here have children of your own, you’ll see how fast kids grow.” And she bumps me in the shoulder.

“Toph!”

With her name alone, I sum up the happiness I feel at her affection—(no matter if it bruises)—and my astonishment that she would take things between me and Zuko so far ahead. And when he is right here!

Outside, on the stage, the announcer is still talking to the crowd: “And our heroes are…”

“This is it! This is it!” Sokka is grinning ear-to-ear.

Outside, the announcer says our names and titles: “Firelord Zuko, Son of Gilded Blood, His Majesty! The Children of Southern Waters, the Mighty Master Katara, Beatitude Herself; and the Brave Sokka, the Greatest Genius! Their Excellencies! The Formidable Toph Beifong, the Warrior! And the Benevolent Avatar Aang, the Pure, His Exalted Holiness!”

As he speaks, we all step onto the stage to receive a roaring applause from the crowd.

I try to search for some familiar faces, my dad, Uncle Bato, Haru, the Duke, but there are just too many people. As far as I can see though, they are all smiling, cheering, and still applauding. I glance at Zuko and my entwined hands, and then our eyes meet for a brief moment, he already has his crown on and it feels beautiful to be next to him today. Moreover, it feels amazing to hear all the people chanting our names and celebrating us—not because I am self-centered, but because it sounds like Zuko was right, we did something good and they are thankful for it. I never had so many people knowing my name and being so willing to scream it from the rooftops. Some of them are doing so now.

I don’t even know who’s more thankful for this moment, if me, them, or Zuko.

[lampmanliveblogs]

My poor baby, Eda please, go hug your daughter or something. You already did that? Do it again!

Now I kinda feel bad for talking so much about Hunter and not mentioning the horrible trauma Luz went through as well.

Edge of the World. That sure is a dramatic title. Not entirely sure yet what it means in the context of this episode though. A geography lesson on what lies beyond the Titan in the demon Realm?

…I kid you not, I was going to say something like ”And if there’s anyone in the main cast who’d know [what lies beyond the Titan], it’d be Lilith.” But I didn’t, because I didn’t dare get my hopes up that’d I get to see her again so soon.

Actually, this makes sense, Luz just learned about Belos’ true identity as Philip, Lilith deserves to know that too. She also deserves to know she helped permanently disfigure him and make his life just a little bit more miserable. 

(oh, and Eda commanding Hooty and King to hug Luz for her is not exactly what I had in mind, but it’s close enough)

((oh, and also, great voice acting for Luz in this scene. the sense of panic in her voice, it’s perfect))

FINALLY! Finally, we get that letter back! Read it quickly now before a flaming arrow sets it on fire or something! I know our Lord Hooty works in delirious ways, but I was almost beginning to consider to maybe start questioning his supreme ways. Truly, he chose the perfect moment to deliver these news to this family already going through a massive crisis.

The letter is brief and to the point. It says that if King wants to learn more about his family, he should come visit a specific location to meet their warrior clan. The letter comes with a small piece of… rock? Or maybe a piece of horn?

The depictions of King’s father and/or ancestors did show them fighting some monster. So the idea of his family being a warrior clan lines up.

An idea comes into my head. As of now, there’s not a whole lot evidence, but hear me out…

Up till this point, my main theory has been that Belos was behind the disappearance of King’s family. That they were a powerful family/clan that posed a threat to his plans, so he got rid of them and then covered up even their existence from history. One of the main pieces of evidence to support this idea was that the ruins on King’s island were old and Belos is old. But you know who else is old, a lot older than Belos?

The Collector.

I don’t know how old The Collector is or how long he’s been sealed away, but I don’t think it’s a stretch to say he’s at least a thousand years, possibly more. And he’s been sealed away since before Philip stumbled into the Demon Realm.

What if… what if King’s ancestors were this powerful warrior clan that got into conflict with The Collector? And they sealed them away beneath the Titan… but at a great cost, with their entire species nearly wiped out.

Like I said, there’s not a whole lot of evidence to support this yet and it does raise a few questions about the timeline of these events, but I still think it’s a cool idea to consider. And like I’ve said before, I think the backstory of King’s family is going to tie into another plotline. If nothing else, it’d be efficient if we could learn both about King’s backstory and The Collector at the same time. Especially considering the show doesn’t have too much time to spare considering the whole, you know… cancelation.  

[pleb-the-original]

Day 24: Pseudopaleo

(So this one took a while not because of the idea, but because of college finals. Hopefully with the year over I can finally finish this prompt list. Anyways, I know I just did one about demons but I couldn’t resist writing about the demon made dino paradise in Africa that I made up to explain all the dino cryptids there. And I mean come on, dino demons? That’s sick as hell.) Alrighty everyone! Welcome to Prehistoric Paradise! I’ll be your tour guide for today, call me Veli. Now, does anyone have any questions before we begin our walking tour? You sir, in the back? Oh right, the suits. Well you see, Prehistoric Paradise as a dimensional space is supposed to emulate the conditions of Earth of the past. This includes higher levels of oxygen in order to support our larger insect species as well as the plants around. As a human, you would get oxygen poisoning so our team has devised these suits in order for you to breathe properly. This is always why my demon fire is stronger than usual here, as well as some of the other demons that I see in this crowd. Just try not to breathe too closely to the plants, guys. You there, what about you? Yes, I am indeed a velociraptor Eden Demon. If you’re wondering about the height thing, it’s because of Jurassic Park. I mean I’m always gonna appreciate my fellow raptors and rag on how much the humans messed them up, I mean come on guys, you couldn’t keep just a little bit of our plumage? But I do appreciate the extra height. Being turkey sized is not fun when you’re on your own. So Lord Taxternal granted me this change. Although once again, I refuse to give up my plumage. Next question? Oh right, yeah that figures. We’re not AS bad as that place in the movies, but I do admit we’ve had our escapees. Considering these dinosaurs are magical in nature and way more intelligent, sometimes our fellow workers here take them out of this pocket dimension into the real world. Normally we keep them confined in isolated areas, but we’ve had our misses. These guys just wanna explore and hunt, and I can’t blame them. They’re intelligent enough to recognize they live in an eternal paradise, but they still wish to know of the outside world. As for dino cryptids in other places, after we realized that Africa was a bust we tried taking the dinos out to other places. That ended up not working either as now people are searching for them in South America and New Zealand. That’s why we enacted this tour program, so they can get a taste of the outside world from the comfort of the home we built for them. Alright, this will be my final question. Why did we make this place? Simple. Every Eden demon feels a connection to their given species. So when us dino demons realized that some of our dinos were being born with magic, we wanted to keep them. Animals have always had a chance to be born with magic, but the dinos learned how to channel it towards immortality. Yes, this does include the Megalord but we claim no responsibility for his actions. We rounded up all these magical dinos and sent them to a safe sanctuary in this pocket dimension we all reside in now. We put the entrance in Africa since we figured it was a perfect environment for everyone. Wild and untamed, even until the modern day. Now then, we shall begin our journey into the past! Just remember to stay close by and try not to aggravate anyone. Especially asking why they have feathers, we all have feathers. No you cannot pet them. Ok maybe the pterosaurs, they like getting their pycnofibres scratched. 

[angeltreasure]

Hello Sister, I'm the anon who keeps asking if you could pray for my education. Something unfortunate happened that made me miss my exam, but it was due to me being lazy and not double checking. I don't know if they will allow me to redo it. I am going to enter my second semester, I want feel motivated to study. I have been feeling numb for years, and it's been months since I prayed to God. I don't know how to go back to Him. I wish I had a Catholic or Christian friends so we can talk about this. I just feel lost, numb, and apathetic. If you can dear Sister, please pray for me. I want to be good and righteous. If God gave you message in my prayer request, can you please tell me what it is. I desperately need the Holy Spirit in my deeply sinful life. Thank you for listening Sister, God bless you

--Sister M

Hi Sister M,

I will pray for you! I can tell you that no matter what happens, no matter how much you fail in life or sin, God isn’t going to abandon you and stop loving you. He’s not hiding in a secret place until you get your life in order. God is with you, always. As like the Prodigal Son, God waits until you turn to Him so He can spread His loving arms out to bring you home. You don’t need to be perfect in order to go back to Him. A simple prayer is all you need to start. Speak to Him as you would a dear friend. He loves you more than you can ever imagine and He waits so patiently for you. If you are Catholic, remember the Sacrament of confession is always there for you and is a great blessing.

I suggest as a student, to keep a picture of the Holy Family with you. It can be a bookmark or even your phone lock screen, or a little picture to carry around in your wallet. Whenever you feel tempted to sin, take the picture out. To flood our human senses with holy things can help us out of temptation.

Other examples to “flood the senses” are, listening to soft Gregorian chant with your headphones, taste the consecrated Eucharist and wine at Mass, read one verse from the Bible, smell beautiful incense or a scented candle, touch beads of the Rosary or pages of your favorite Bible, read about the lives of the saints, and forms of prayer. The Mass is the highest form of prayer. The Rosary is a powerful prayer that has even converted a high Satanic priest; it helps focus our mind away from sin and onto the lives of Jesus with His mother, Mary. The Divine Mercy Chaplet kept the world from being destroyed by the wrath of an Angel. Blessed bells by Catholic priests have been excellent during exorcisms to expel demons because of their beauty and holy sounds. There is also Relevant Radio to listen to 24/7. EWTN is great for watching shows, masses, prayers.. highly recommend Mother Angelica Live if you’ve never seen it. Bishop Robert Barron with his Word On Fire is great to jump into on his website or binge watch on YouTube. Volunteering at your local church can be a great benefit for all.

Some teachers are kind enough for second chances, other ones are more strict. All you can do is ask. They may surprise you, offer you a different option, or make you learn the hard way. Pray for them, okay?

The Holy Spirit lives in you and He will help guide you. Your body is a temple for the Holy Spirit. Remember this. Take care of your body, especially going through the stresses of student life. Eat healthy, exercise, drink water, treat your body kindly with respect. What you carry is a special gift, even in your bad days.

For motivation, look to the saints. Each one lived a unique kind of life that they lived to get to Heaven. Some were students too. You may be able to find a favorite saint or two to model after. Don’t forget your guardian angel. They never leave your side and are waiting for you to pray to ask for their help. He can guide you too and help you, especially when friends are not available. You can be good and righteous.

“But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.”

- Isaiah 43:1

[twilightangel83]

Times of Change: Chapter 3

Aang

Aang couldn't access the Avatar state or his past lives. It didn't feel blocked, like it had after the lightning, but more like he hadn't opened his chakras yet. Which, he supposed, might make sense. He hadn't actually opened them yet. He would have to take some time to do that later. He still took a couple of hours just to meditate and try and work things out. By the time he unfolded from his meditation, he was pretty sure that he had worked out what had happened. He had failed. His attempt to take the Fire Lord's bending had backfired and he'd died. Then there had been a set of voices. He couldn't figure out what they had been saying, but those voices had been full of power, energy. Then he'd woken up in Katara's arms. This had to be the work of the spirits. He failed and they were giving him another chance, a chance to fix things. He wasn't going to waste it. He'd be more focused this time. He'd get it right. He had to. He got a distinct feeling that this do-over was a one time deal. There would be no more retries.

But for now, he had a little bit of time before he needed to leave the South Pole. Appa was still too tired to fly and Katara wanted to learn a little bit of waterbending. He wasn't going to deny her that. Especially since there was a good chance that he would be leaving her and Sokka here this time. He didn't intend to get captured by Zuko this time so there'd be no reason for them to follow and rescue him. They'd be much safer if they stayed here in their village and far away from Aang. Shaking off his morbid thoughts Aang put on a smile and made his way out of the igloo to give Katara her first real lesson in waterbending.

It didn't last of course. Soon enough the tell-tail soot-filled snow began to fall on the village, signaling the approach of Zuko's ship. The village flew into action, preparing as they could for the oncoming attack. Aang was somewhat surprised that Sokka didn't try and blame the Fire Nation's approach on him. But maybe knowing he was The Avatar made a difference to Sokka, or it could be that this time he and Katara hadn't set off the flare on the Fire Nation's ship. Either way, it was nice. Instead of being sent away, Aang found himself being bustled around, helping fortify the village. He sent Appa away to hide as they prepared. He tried to offer to be on the front line as the ship arrived, but his offer was shot down by both Sokka and Katara. Sokka because he was the warrior of their village and he would protect it and Katara because she didn't want to risk the Fire Nation knowing about him. Even now she had a good idea how bad that could be. Aang didn't argue with them. Soon enough their preparations were complete and all that was left to wait. Everyone was tense, but they did their best to keep things under control.

Read the rest Here

[shadowqueenjude]

I love this question! To start off...

“This can end with you going under, begging me to get you out once that ice instantly refreezes. Or this can end with you agreeing to take my hand. But either way, you will be coming with me.”

“I’d forgotten why I was so relieved when our bargain fell apart the last time.”

“You didn’t think that I knew your shadowsinger would come sniffing around to see if I’d told my father about your … powers? Especially after my brothers so mysteriously forgot about them, too. I knew it was a matter of time before one of you arrived to take care of my memory as well. Too bad for you, I learned a thing or two about daemati. Too bad for my brothers that I never bothered to teach them.”

“There were forces at work that you have never considered. And I am not going to waste my breath explaining them to you. Believe what you want about me.”

“I’m surprised you still can’t control yourself around him. You had every emotion written right on that pretty face of yours.”

“I wouldn’t have touched you. But when you fucked that other bastard—I knew why you did it. So I gave you your freedom, ending the betrothal in no uncertain terms.”

“Pity you didn’t bring the other sister. I hear our little brother’s mate is quite the beauty.”

“Good to know that after five hundred years, you still dress like a slut.”

“Stick to fighting battles, General. Leave the ruling to those capable of playing the game.”

“Why shouldn’t I flatter myself with such thoughts? You flatter yourself, thinking you’re more than a mongrel bastard.”

“Are you talking about me, or the brute beside you?”

“Let’s not lie to ourselves. You only bothered to contain two, by the time your brute bloodlust ebbed away.”

“There were certainly more than that, and you could have easily spared more than two. But I don’t know why I’d expect someone like you to have done any better.”

“Did you even try to spare the others, or did you just launch right into a massacre?”

“You’re a pretty little treat. I’d be happy to play any manner of game with you, Nesta Archeron.”

“When you get tired of the animal, come find me. I’ll show you how a future High Lord plays.”

“And as riveting as it was to see you send Tamlin scrambling off with his tail between his legs, I didn’t see this side of you. The time since the war has changed you.”

“Certainly for the more interesting. It seems you came to play the game tonight after all.”

“Don’t believe the lies they tell you about me.”

“Indeed it is. Especially one who can both dance and tear the King of Hybern’s head from his shoulders.”

“You’re wasted at the Night Court. Absolutely wasted.”

“Go sit at your master’s feet, dog.”

“We’ll play later, Nesta Archeron.”

“Always mix truth and lies, General. Didn’t those warrior-brutes teach you about how to withstand an enemy’s torture?” HOT. AS. FUCK. DADDY. ERIS. Second of all: Eris was just angling his body in his chair—blocking the path to his mother. HELLO??? MAMA'S BOY??? SO FUCKING HOT??? HE LOVES HIS BROTHER LUCIEN AND PROTECTED HIM HE LOVES HIS MAMA SO FUCKING MUCH AND PROTECTS HER HE'S GOT THAT VANSERRA RIZZ AND THE FIRE IN HIS BLOOD HE'S CUNNING AND CHARMING AND SKDJFEJ He's morally grey and doesn't try to act like the good guy (unlike Rhys, gross). He's not afraid to stand up to anyone and the way he trolls the Inner Circle all the time does things to me. Also the Nesta-Eris dynamic in ACOSF was soooo good. They're still endgame to me. Her power turned him on and that's so hot???? Like???

I'm a sucker for courtier-like characters @fell-in-luvs would be happy to explain more I'm sure.

Genuine Question: Why are so mamy people obsessed with Eris Vanserra?

I have been in the ACOTAR fandom for quite a while. I've read all SJM. I know all her characters. I have feelings and opinions about all of them. I usually figure out exactly how I feel after the first read or sometimes after a 2nd read.

I have read ACOTAR series multiple times now and I genuinely do not understand Eris girlies. I want to understand your perspective better.

For me, Eris is just....there. He has good information to share, I admire that he cares about his mother, I like that he hates Beron like the rest of us, and I think he lowkey wishes he had a better relationship with Lucien.

I also think there is soooo much more to the Eris and Mor story that no one knows about and I'm dying to get that storyline revealed one day.

Still, Eris doesn't grab at my heart or my attention. I wouldn't really care too deeply if something happened to him so I am genuinely asking: What is it about Eris?

This is not an attack or in any way meant to bring on any inner fandom wars. I'm honestly with pure intention wanting to understand perspectives - other than him being hot and dressing well (Cuz lets be honest Vanserras dress well and are hot af thanks to Lady Autumn)