#fast forward to atlas

[kaen-ace-of-diamonds]

so it just occurred to me that if Cinder and Fallen!Summer's relationship actually isn't that great, Cinder's probably ended up back in the same position she was in the Glass Unicorn: unloved by her stepmother, but getting the lion's share of attention from her while the two actual daughters she prefers are ignored

it still isn't working out well for her

[ranger-kellyn]

korra crying on tenzin at the end i'm gonna start crying tOO

[miss-lauryn-hill]

sometimes i think about how zuko’s hairstyle in book 1 was not necessarily a choice but his last physical tie to his nation after being banished and hair being singed off and i have to lie down.

[jezebelblues]

so not cool | h.s

summary: in which spiderman is obviously much cooler than dad

cw: dadrry. overuse of the word spider-man. u could play a drinking game by how much its mentioned prolly

word count: approx 1.7k

| the result of being up for 20h, writers block n being bored out of my mind !! idk what this is but…it’s..definitely an addition to the dadrry universe .. for sure (prob will delete 🔥)

not necessary but here’s the first dadrry post if ur into that

July 2021

The sound of the credits rolling filled the living room as Harry leaned back against the couch, a sleepy grin tugging at his lips. Atlas, now three years old and still wide-eyed with excitement, sat curled up against his father’s side, his tiny fingers clutching the corner of a fleece one direction blanket that Harry had bought off Etsy, something he found to be absolutely hilarious. They had just finished watching the original Spider-Man movie, the one with Tobey Maguire, and Harry couldn’t help but chuckle at the awe that was practically radiating off his son.

“Dad,” Atlas breathed, his voice filled with wonder as he looked up at Harry with those big, round eyes that mirrored his mother’s. “Pider-man s’cool.”

They were working on his pronunciation of R’s and S’s. Not too much progress yet.

Harry bit back a laugh, ruffling his son’s messy curls as he glanced down at him. “Yeah, he’s pretty cool, isn’t he?”

Atlas nodded vigorously, his little legs kicking against the couch as his excitement bubbled over. “He climbs n’ has webs n’ fights ba’guys!”

Harry grinned, watching the way Atlas’s face lit up as he recounted all of the abilities with the fervor only a toddler could muster. His little hands gestured wildly as if he were mimicking shooting webs out of his wrists.

“Best superhero in’a whole world!” Atlas declared, sitting up straighter as if this revelation were the most important one he’d ever made.

Harry chuckled, reaching over to grab the remote and lower the volume on the TV. “Better than Batman?”

“Super much better.” Atlas exclaimed, his voice incredulous, as if he couldn’t believe Harry would even ask such a thing.

“Better than Iron Man?” Harry tried again, his tone teasing as he listed off another iconic hero.

His boy paused for a moment, his brow furrowing in concentration as he thought it over. His little hand lifted to his chin in the same way Harry often did when he was deep in thought, and he couldn’t help but smile at the sight of it. After a moment, Atlas shook his head decisively. “M’yeah. Way cooler.”

Harry leaned back against the couch, folding his arms as he played along. “So, that’s it? Peter Parker’s just the best?”

“Yeah!” Atlas said excitedly, jumping off the couch and running around the living room, pretending to shoot webs from his wrists. “He’s fast ‘nd he can climb buildings like this!” He hopped up on the couch and began to scale the back of it with his small, wobbly legs, pretending he was on the side of a skyscraper.

Harry leaned forward, his hands hovering near Atlas to catch him in case he lost his balance. “Easy there, spidey,” he chuckled. “No need to break the couch, bub.”

Atlas giggled as he perched himself on the top of the couch, still caught up in his make-believe world. He turned to Harry, his eyes bright with excitement. “Daddy?” He paused, watching his father’s gaze resettle upon him. “y’think spideys stronger than you?”

Harry raised an eyebrow, smirking as he leaned back against the couch again. “Stronger than me, huh? That’s a tough one. I mean, I’ve got some pretty strong muscles too, you know.” He tried to persuade his son, flexing his bicep in front of him.

Atlas tilted his head, considering this for a moment before a mischievous grin spread across his face. “M’no cause he can do this!” He flung his wrist out, making a thwip! noise as he pretended to shoot webs across the room.

Harry’s grin widened as he watched his son in full superhero mode. “Alright, alright, you’ve got me there. I don’t have webs.”

“Duh!” The boy exclaimed again, leaping off the couch and landing with a soft thud on the carpet. He scrambled back up and raced over to Harry, his little hands grabbing at his dad’s arms as he looked up at him with pure adoration. “But y’cool too, dad.”

Harry laughed, his heart swelling at the sight of his son’s wide grin. “Oh, just cool am I? Not the coolest?”

Atlas giggled, shaking his head, jumping in place with his palms against his dad’s knees. “Nope, he–he still more better.”

YN had been listening from the kitchen as she prepared dinner, the scent of garlic and herbs filling the air. She leaned against the counter, smiling to herself as she heard the playful back-and-forth between her husband and their son. Harry always had such a way of connecting with Atlas—whether it was through silly games, bedtime stories, or, in this case, debates over superheroes.

She wiped her hands on a dish towel and wandered into the living room, catching sight of Atlas now climbing into Harry’s lap. “What’s all this about Spider-Man?” she asked, crossing her arms with a mock-stern expression.

The curly haired boy whipped his head around, his face lighting up when he saw his mom. “Mama! We watched’ed pider-man!”

YN raised her eyebrows, glancing at Harry, who shrugged with an amused smile. “I see,” she said, nodding seriously. “And where does daddy rank on the superhero scale?”

Without missing a beat, Atlas giggled and pointed at Harry. “M’he not a superhero—he’s just daddy!”

Harry feigned offense, gasping dramatically as he clutched his chest. “Just dad? C’mon, mate, I’m way cooler than that.”

Atlas giggled even harder, clearly enjoying the game. “Y’climb on buildings?”

Harry chuckled, wrapping his arms around Atlas and pulling him into a gentle bear hug. “Okay, I can’t climb buildings, but I bet Spider-Man can’t make pancakes as good as me.”

The boy paused, clearly torn by this new piece of information. He loved his dad’s pancakes, after all. But after a moment, he shook his head, his resolve firm. “Pider-man don’t eat pancakes.”

YN laughed as she sat down on the couch beside them, placing her hand on Harry’s knee. “He’s got you there, babe. You might have to accept second place.”

He sighed in mock defeat, his dimples deepening as he looked down at his boy, who was grinning from ear to ear. “Alright, fine. he can be the coolest for now. But when you get hungry in the morning, don’t come crying to me for pancakes.”

“He make them for me!” Atlas shot back with a laugh, clearly enjoying teasing his dad.

He laughed, pressing a kiss to the top of Atlas’s curly head. “You think Parker knows how to make chocolate chip pancakes like I do? I doubt it.”

YN watched them with a soft smile, her heart swelling with affection. She loved these moments—the way Harry could be completely goofy and playful with their son, never taking himself too seriously, and the way Atlas adored his dad with a fierceness that made her heart melt. It was a kind of magic, watching the two of them together.

She ran a finger through Harry’s curls, pressing a kiss into the locks as she breathed him in. “I’m plating dinner.” She mumbled as she ambled back into the kitchen.

Harry grunted as he stood up, pulling his son up in his arms along with him. “To the table, web-slinger.” He told Atlas, swinging him in his arms with small little swooshing sounds.

Their boy giggled as Harry swooped him through the air like an airplane, his little arms stretched out as if he were flying. They made their way to the kitchen, where YN was setting plates of steaming food on the table.

"Hungry?” YN teased as Harry plopped Atlas into his booster seat.

He nodded enthusiastically. "I want 'tatoes!"

Harry chuckled, grabbing a spoon to serve Atlas a helping of mashed potatoes. "Here you go, bubba. But no webs at the dinner table, okay?"

He giggled, pretending to shoot webs one more time before focusing on his plate. Harry and YN exchanged a fond smile, and for a moment, the room was filled with nothing but the sounds of dinner-plates clinking, forks scraping, and the occasional happy hum from Atlas as he devoured his meal.

After dinner, they settled into their nighttime routine-baths, pajamas, and a bedtime story.

Atlas, freshly bathed and smelling of lavender, jumped snuggled into his bed. It was navy blue with cartoonish planets littered about, but his favorite thing would have to be his rainbow zebra-print 1D blanket tucked around him. Harry sat on the edge of the bed, the familiar worn copy of Goodnight Moon in his hands.

"Goodnight room, goodnight moon," He read softly, his voice soothing. Atlas's eyelids grew heavy as he clutched his favorite stuffed animal, a plush giraffe.

YN stood in the doorway, watching her two boys with a soft smile. She loved these quiet moments, the way Harry's voice softened as he read to Atlas, the way their son's small body relaxed into sleep. "Goodnight stars, goodnight air, goodnight noises everywhere."

As he closed the book, he leaned down to press a gentle kiss to Atlas's forehead. "Goodnight, spidey."

Atlas's lips curled into a sleepy smile, his voice a soft mumble as he drifted off. "G’night, daddy."

With that, Harry quietly stood and tiptoed out of the room, YN slipping her hand into his as they left their little guy to dream of webs and skyscrapers.

The door closed behind them with a soft click before he scooped his wife over his shoulder quietly, trudging toward their bedroom and throwing her onto the bed through her soft protests.

YN laughed as she landed on the bed, playfully swatting at Harry as he crawled over her. "You're ridiculous," she whispered, though her smile said she didn't mind one bit.

Her husband grinned, his eyes twinkling in the dim light of their bedroom. "Well, if I'm not the coolest in the house, l've got to show off my other skills, don't I?"

She rolled her eyes, pulling him down for a kiss. "You're still my favorite," she murmured against his lips.

He smiled into the kiss, his hands resting on her hips as he whispered back, "Good, because I'm not giving up that spot anytime soon."

The house grew quiet, the hum of the evening settling in around them as they lay together.

Outside, the stars were beginning to twinkle in the night sky, and the soft rustle of leaves in the breeze was the only sound breaking the silence. Harry reached over to switch off the bedside lamp, wrapping his arms around YN as they snuggled into each other.

It was in those days that Harry realized—he didn't need to be the coolest superhero. Being Atlas's dad, YN's husband, and the maker of the best chocolate chip pancakes in the world was more than enough. It was everything.

[barcaatthemoon]

atlas || ingrid engen x mapi leon x reader ||

mapi and ingrid help you relax after a rough week.

minors dni, 18+, smut ahead.

the physical and emotional weight of your workload was dragging you down. mapi was the first to realize it, and once she did, the first person she went to was ingrid. ingrid had a way of relaxing you that mapi knew she couldn't pull off. the woman had a tendency of being a little too energetic for that. however, it seemed that this time, ingrid couldn't really help you either.

they both hated it, but mapi and ingrid had no choice but to wait for all of you to be on a break to bring it up. a lot of things had been happening at barcelona, so you were very busy as social media director. your promotion had seemed like a blessing at first, especially since it meant that you could travel with your girlfriends everywhere that they went. however, all of that travel really cut into the time you had to organize everything else.

"i miss her," mapi sighed as she watched you fast asleep on the couch. it was obvious that you hadn't meant to fall asleep like that with your laptop and several notebooks open. you had been working, despite ingrid and mapi's insistence that you come with them out for the day. they had tried to have a good time, but mapi couldn't knowing that you were still in the apartment.

"it's been hard, especially on her. i mean, look at her," ingrid said as she nodded towards you. mapi let out a little whine as she looked at you. even in your sleep, the stress of your job was evident. they knew that this was temporary, mapi remembered when she first signed to barcelona years ago when you initially had been brought in as an intern. you always had a bit of a struggle starting out, but eventually, you'd find your footing.

"i could cry," mapi muttered quietly. ingrid had just barely heard her. if it was anybody other than you, ingrid would have been deleriously jealous of the way that mapi loved and cared for you. she knew that while mapi had been dating her for longer, you had been in her life longer. you were one of mapi's best friends first, and so, ingrid knew what to expect.

"we can let her sleep, and then do something special for her tonight," ingrid suggested. mapi nodded as she let ingrid pull her away from the living room. you slept the entire day away, waking up only when mapi physically picked you up and carried you into the dining room. you were still very tired as you ate, but the food did a lot to energize you a bit.

"what's the occasion?" you asked, not missing the way that both of your girlfriends were dressed up a bit more. mapi shrugged the question off as she tried to pretend that everything was normal. ingrid, however, was more than happy to give a reason for the little show.

"we are celebrating you, and all of the hard work you've been doing lately," ingrid said softly. she got up to carry your plate into the kitchen for you, kissing the top of your head as well as mapi's as she passed.

"i'm sorry if i haven't been very attentive," you apologized. mapi shook her head as she took your hands in hers. "i've been busy, and i know that you hate being left to your own devices. you need me too, not just the club."

"it's okay, i understand, i do. tonight, don't think about any of that. let ingrid and me take care of you, please bebita." if it wasn't for the way that mapi as looking at you, you might have gone back to your work for the night. "you've been working so hard."

"i'm so tired of it," you admitted. you sounded like you were on the verge of tears, so mapi did what she knew would help you calm down. she dropped your hands to grab your cheeks, pulling you in gently for a kiss. you kissed her back, moaning into it as you felt her deepen it. you sat forward in your seat, like you were prepared to crawl into her lap at any moment. the two of you could have kept going forever like that until ingrid interrupted you.

"come on, let's move this to the bedroom." ingrid guided the two of you away from the table. you broke the kiss with mapi once you were in ingrid's arms, turning your attention to her instead. ingrid picked you up and carried you into the bedroom, walking strong despite the kisses you were pressing to her neck. mapi followed behind ingrid, taking the opportunity to feel her up on the short walk to the bedroom.

ingrid laid you down on the bed gently, and mapi moved around her to get behind you. almost immediately, you could tell how the night would go. it was rare that they both focused solely on you, but you were grateful for the distraction. it wouldn't last forever, but they'd be taking a good amount of the weight of your work off from your shoulders from the night.

mapi's hands settled on your hips, squeezing gently as she peppered the side of your face in kisses. ingrid was laying between your legs, effectively pinning you against mapi's body as the two of them kissed you. it was a lot, but you were more than happy to just go along with whatever they wanted.

you trusted both women with your body completely. they knew the things that you liked, and sometimes, you swore they knew what you needed before you did. on your own, you would have tried to rush things, but they were taking things so slow with you. even mapi, who had a tendency to get a little ahead of herself in these situations.

they took their time undressing you and themselves. the feeling of their skin against yours made it hard for you to think. mapi could tell that you were having a hard time keeping up, so she backed away just enough for you to focus on ingrid. the taller woman kissed you slowly, but it wasn't without an almost overwhelming amount of emotion.

you didn't know how she did it, but ingrid always kissed you with her entire being. from every little peck as she left the apartment to the way she'd completely take your breath away. you swore that you could feel the love and concern ingrid had for you as she kissed you. it was enough for you to get a little lost in the feeling of her lips, but still gentle enough for you to easily slip away if you needed it. ingrid wouldn't judge you, knowing that occasionally you weren't up for this sort of thing when you were stressed.

"you look so pretty kissing ingrid," mapi whispered in your ear. she turned towards ingrid before she spoke up again, "you're taking such good care of our bebita, ingrid."

"i want more, please," you told them. mapi took that as her cue to come back a little more. her hands moved along your sides until you moved them onto your breasts. mapi's fingers teased your nipples as your hips ground against ingrid's thigh. ingrid bit her lip as she felt how wet you already were from just kissing them. it was going to be easy to get you to cum for the first time, and while ingrid wanted to spend all night between your legs, she wouldn't push you any further than what you could handle.

"do you want my fingers or my mouth, bebita?" ingrid asked you. she was usually adamant about not speaking spanish in the house, but that pet name had always stuck. technically, mapi had been calling you her bebita long before either of you had figured out your feelings for each other. ingrid remembered her hesitation about seeing mapi because of you, and in hindsight, she felt a little ridiculous about it now.

"mouth please," you answered. ingrid gave you one last kiss before she moved down to lay in between your legs. mapi turned your head towards her, pulling you into a gentle kiss as ingrid's hands came up to rest on the insides of your thighs.

unlike ingrid's kisses, mapi's rarely ever managed to stay as gentle as they started. the press of mapi's lips against yours quickly turned into something much firmer, not that you minded. you nipped at mapi's lip a little, which earned you a slightly rougher pinch to your nipple than before.

"mapi," ingrid warned. mapi's cheeks heated up at the warning. you bit your lip as she moved around your body to press a kiss to where she had just pinched you. ingrid watched as your hips bucked forward at the contact. she shot mapi a look, one urging for the tattooed woman to stay there until you pulled her back for more kisses.

"do you want this bebita?" mapi asked you. you could still feel enough of mapi's body behind you to feel safe and comfortable, but that need was quickly being replaced by the feel to feel both of their mouths on your body.

"please," you whined. mapi didn't need to be told twice, and she mvoed back in with her mouth at the same time as ingrid. mapi peppered your breasts with kisses as her fingers teased your nipples. ingrid's tongue was making lazy figure 8 motions in between your legs, just barely grazing along where you wanted her to. the two of them worked together well, almost perfectly in sync despite not having had to talk one another through anything.

"shh," mapi cooed softly as she lifted her head a little. the noises you were making quickly began to jumble together. you were whining and whimpering as you started to move more. ingrid didn't want to grab your hips and pin you down, so mapi took it upon herself to kiss you to calm you down. your nails scratched against the side of her face a little, but mapi didn't let it distract her from swallowing up every moan and whimper that threatened to escape from your lips. "you're doing so good, it's okay. let ingrid do her thing."

"fuck, fuck, fuck," you repeated again and again. mapi felt your body tense on top of hers, and that was when she knew you were gone. as loud as you could be while being fucked, you always went dead silent when you came. ingrid began to back away, stopping only when she heard you and mapi talking to each other. the little confessions of love after sex were secrectly mapi's favorite. if she was ever asked, you knew that she'd say something cocky about the way you looked cumming on her fingers or strap, but truthfully, she loved the way you curled into her as the two of you showered each other in love and adoration.

"rest now," ingrid said as she took the spot next to you on the bed. mapi slipped away to get something to clean you up with as you and ingrid lazily made out on the bed. you were so tired, enough so that you were ready to fall asleep right there in her arms. ingrid kept you awake and distracted enough for mapi to clean you up and pick out some clothes for all of you to wear to bed.

"thank you, i think i needed this," you mumbled against ingrid's chest. this time, ingrid laid in between you and mapi, both of you with your head resting against ingrid's chest. ingrid had one hand on mapi's back and the other in your hair, both of them scratching lightly. "i love you, both of you."

"we love you too," mapi told you. she reached over and twirled a strand of your hair around her finger.

"whenever you need us, don't hesitate to ask," ingrid said. you glanced up at her and smiled. you couldn't help it, there was rarely ever a time you could remember not smiling when you saw ingrid. "we'll always be here to take care of you, in whatever ways you need."

[judgedarts]

after 1 billion years.. my shop has finally been updated!!

⭐shop link⭐

i'm most excited to debut my ygo plush coin pouches and liquid shaker charms! the coin pouches have been in development for quite a while and i wanted them to be 1000% ready before showing off any photos 🥺 thank you so much for your guys' patience, and i really hope everything is to your liking!! <33 you can read further below for some thoughts for future products:

thanks for clicking! this year has been really challenging trying to balance cons and finding a routine, and also trying to update my store so i really appreciate you guys for sticking around and being so patient regardless :,) and speaking of the plushies, they genuinely did take 1 year from initial sketches to final product development @_@ this was my first time attempting plush, and i unfortunately chose to do incredibly complicated designs haha.. the amount of back and forth i did with multiple suppliers, trying to fix minute details, all the late nights and frustration was still worth it, because i think they came out really phenomenally 😭❤️ill also be attempting to create samples for a joey, kaiba, jaden, and yusei coin pouch. im honestly a little scared of the yusei design i came up with, but i have a vision that i want to achieve despite the challenges i see up ahead 🫡 ive also been meaning to expand my ygo crossbody bag line this year, but the plushies genuinely took up so much of my time that i couldn't allocate more time/energy into starting them. i already know what i want the GX and 5DS bags to look like, so please stay tuned! im aiming to have preorders for them ready by early 2025. i want to rep a jack atlas bag SO bad i will frow up!!!! i also wanted to try out these liquid shaker charms! ive always wanted to make something like this so im really thrilled with how they came out - im planning on adding more characters to this lineup since they're i can draw the little chibis pretty fast! for non ygo fanmerch - i would love to phase out some jojos items and make merch for some nostalgic video game/anime i enjoyed growing up!! as for comics... please also stay tuned! im really looking forward to prioritizing some sequential art going into 2025. i hope yall will also look forward to my shortbox comic T_T<3! thank you if you read all of this, it really means a lot!

[inkonparchment]

there's a man in the woods | Leon Kennedy

Leon Kennedy x f!Reader

summary: everything changes when you find a man beaten, bruised and bleeding half to death in the woods.

word count: 3k

warnings: horror imagery. unsettling themes. mentions/description of blood, organs, guns. canon-typical violence. injuries. slow burn. eventual romance. hurt/comfort. plot armour goes crazy. language.

a/n: once again, i apologize for barely any dialogue.

series masterlist

¤

Chapter 2

The sound of blood roaring in your ears is all that occupies you, the harsh thump thump of your heart beating against your chest. Your palms grow slick, grip tightening on the rifle to stop the shaking. The first low rumbles of thunder began to roll across the landscape, like the distant roar of a sleeping giant stirring from its slumber.

A sudden, blinding flash of lightning split the sky, illuminating the darkened world for a brief, startling moment. A deep, resonant boom followed that seemed to shake the very ground.

You nearly jump out of your skin. You need to make a decision and fast for if not the rain then the nearby coyotes will come bounding in any second, the scent of copper and iron luring them in.

You could leave him here. It would be so easy to turn around and walk away, to pretend you never saw him, to pretend you didn’t find him clinging on to an inch of his life. He would be dead in a few minutes anyways; better to let the bears and the coyotes have their way with him.

 You don’t know him, you don’t owe him anything and for all that matters, he could be here for you. What if he was the angel of death, out on the collection for a soul, for you. Would it be easier to bind yourself to him and wait for death to come find you? At least then you wouldn’t be greeting death alone.

Leave him. You need to lookout for yourself.

But you can’t seem to move away from him, unable to command your legs to walk away, eyes stuck to his heaving chest, the low rasps of his labored breaths luring you towards him. The barrel of your gun still pointed at his head, you take a shaky step forward, Luna barking in warning. His features look soft, almost as though in a deep, relaxed slumber.

“Fuck.” You curse out loud, putting your gun away and tightening it around your shoulder. You fall to your knees next to him, his blood bleeding into your jeans, one hand going to his neck and halting for a pulse. Weak and slow but present. “Fuck!”

You don’t even know how you’ll drag him back to your cabin, if you can even drag him back. You fix both of your hands on his shoulders and heave him up, his figure moving to your will like a ragdoll, head bouncing around as he falls forward. You steady him with a hand against his chest, the other gripping him fiercely by his shoulder. His skin is cool under your hands, warmth seeping out from him with his blood, leaving him empty and hollow.

He stirs, a low groan escaping his lips.

You grit your teeth, firmly plant your feet against the damp soil, feeling them dig in as you lift him. Your muscles groan, protest and nearly give up. Is this how Atlas felt when he was condemned to hold up the skies for eternity? Crushed under a burden so heavy he didn’t know if he could carry? With Zeus’ fury splitting the skies and his rage falling viciously from the heavens?

The air in your lungs burn, clothes seeping in red as you steady his body against yours, his arm all but engulfing against your shoulders, your fingers getting sticky with blood against his waist.

What a fucking predicament to find yourself in.

You try to take a step forward, every inch of your being in protest as you drag his heavy body with you. Your breathing gets laborious, feet beginning to get sturdy as you start the journey back, his lifeless legs dragging behind, leaving a trail of maroon, unravelling like a welcome carpet for anyone who wishes to follow. Fuck. You didn’t even know if he was being followed. You shake that thought out of your head, you’ll find time to worry about the details later.

Another brilliant flash lights the sky, reflecting the trees foliage on the forest’s floor. The low rumble of thunder follows before it gets deathly quiet. And then with a thunderous applause, rain drops begin to fall, pelting harshly against the material of your jacket.

Your feet stumble against the roots, halting in your steps as your ears pick up a noise in the far distance. Luna growls, snout turned sharply in the direction from where you had come. The rain pelts around you as you stand there frozen, fear snaring your limbs as you’re slowly consumed by it, drenched in it like the rainwater.

Howling.

 “Luna! Heel!” You yell, voice booming over the storm.

Your grip on the lifeless man’s arms turns to steel, adrenaline filling you up with the resolve to finally break into a half-hearted run, the echoes of the howls harmonizing with the thunder. Your pants are long and deep, perspiration blooming on your forehead and then washed away by the rain. You can’t see that far ahead of you, relying on your instincts and the sound of Luna’s paws squelching against the wet mud.

A light in the distance, beckons you towards it, like a lighthouse guiding the ships to safety. You zero in on it, ignoring the searing pain in your thighs as you finally tumble up the stairs, kicking the door open and shutting it firmly behind you when you’re sure Luna is inside, the sound of the rain and the howls ceasing.

Your brain is buzzing. The drip, drip of rainwater from your body seeping into the wooden floor, mixed with the stranger’s blood gives it a light pink hue. His head hangs, hair covering his face completely, chest barely moving and it’s his low guttural moan that snaps you out of your reverie.

It’s like you’re on autopilot.

Clambering against the floor, swiping off the lonesome basket from the dining table and laying him on the wooden surface. The muscles in your arms protest once more, adjusting him properly on the table, tugging his arms to his side.

Towels. Pots. Water. The medical kit you keep in the cabinet on top of the fridge. And then instincts take over, greeting you like an old friend.

You assess the extent of his injuries, quickly finding the major source of the blood that’s pooled under him once again. It’s the gash on his thigh. You peel back the material of his pants, a gasp involuntarily escaping your lips. The gash is deep, angry and gushing like a fountain, painting your hands. The skin around it is torn hastily, not clean like how it would be from a knife but how it would be if some…creature had dug its claws in him. You glance at him in fear. Who the fuck was this guy?

You usher the invading thoughts out of your mind, locking them firmly behind a steeled door. Later, not now. Water. Soap. Clean the wound. Ointment. Stitches. Dressing. Move to the next and repeat. You don’t know how long it takes you, hands moving deftly as everything just moves into the background; Luna’s watchful presence and the storm outside just a distant memory. It’s just you and him.

Every so often you would glance at his face, still pale and deathly, and it would contort with every tug and stitch of the needle, little noises of groans escaping his lips.  

The bleeding stops overtime as the exposed wounds are closed up, beads of crimson littering the floor underneath together with the strips of his black shirt accompanying them from where you had cut up his shirt to better see his wounds.

You finally step back, last stitch in place, noticing your sleeves drenched in red, the edges of your shirt having dried out. Outside the rain is still pouring, not with the same ferocity it had when you had entered but now with a steady rhythm, drumming on the roof of your wooden cabin.

You collapse back into a chair, tingling sensation shooting up and down your arms, tickling your fingers in the process. And its Luna’s nudge against your thigh that has you reconciling with the matter at hand, brain finally acknowledging your circumstances.

It starts at the bottom of your stomach, churning slowly and steadily, aggressive waves crashing up and down like they do against the sand during high tide, building up ominously, towering over the coast before engulfing everything in its path and then the wretched all-consuming pull back. You bite back a sob, chest squeezing dangerously under your ruined gloved hand. Why couldn’t you have just left him outside?

He looks hauntingly beautiful like this. Lying limp on your table that you had spilled juice on just yesterday, unable to even fathom that you would be nursing a dead man on it, jogging up memories of who you used to be, what you used to be. Only illuminated by the soft glow of the overhead light, his chest was now moving evenly, the white of his skin glimmering under the warm rays.

Steadying yourself by gripping the edge of the table, you walk up to his side, shaking hands discarding the gloves. Hesitantly, you reach out, fingertips grazing against his forehead, flicking away his matted hair, tracing down to cup his cheek. So cold. His skin laps up the warmth you have to offer, your palm nearly matching the temperature of his skin.

And his eyes flicker open just for a second, staring hazily at you. You suck in a sharp breath. Icy blue eyes looked back at you, reflecting a storm so intense inside them that it nearly put the one brewing outside in shame. Defenseless, helpless and so pitiful. His lips move incoherently, no noise coming out before his eyes rolling back into his head, drifting off to another spell of unconsciousness.

He can’t stay lying here.

You steel yourself, snapping out of the haze he had managed to capture you under.

You rid him off his gear, carefully peeling off every layer of weaponry he had on him. Every gun, ammo, knife and grenade until you were sure there was nothing else strapped to him. You saw the black of his earpiece, prying it off of him and inspecting it in the palm of your hand. Broken.

You set aside his weapons, grabbing them and kicking aside the small rug in your kitchen hiding the cellar door. You pull it open, ignoring Luna’s whines and descended down in the darkness. Tugging on the light switch you located the crate at the end of the small cellar, shelves littered with canned food. You dump the things inside, slamming the crate shut and running back up, hastily rearranging the rug back to how it had been.

You bite your lip, trudging into your living room, wincing as another lightning bolt shot up in the sky outside. You throw open the door in the far corner, leading into a spare bedroom that you’ve never had use for.

The two big windows and the queen sized bed had always unnerved you, hating how exposed that had made you feel, the lack of a proper view over the woods making you feel claustrophobic. You shove off the covers, pushing them to the side to make room for your guest.

You hope this is the last time you have to carry him.

Grunting, groaning and huffing as you try not to jostle him too much, taking care so his stitches don’t rip, not wanting to do a redo of the same activity you had practically broken your back over. You settle him on the mattress, happy to have the mass off from your shoulders.

You shuck the covers back on him, tucking him under the multiple layers to preserve his body heat. With the finality of a pat, you step back and you don’t stop until you’re out of the threshold, the door still wide open.

The cold begins to seep into your bones, standing there trembling as the adrenaline begins to ebb away, the sensation of your wet clothes blooming across your nerves. You fold your arms over your shoulders, rubbing them in hopes of returning some warmth in your body. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Luna seat herself between you and the strangers, her brown eyes fixed on his sleeping form.

Your hands seek purchase against her collar, the softness of her coat calming a portion of your anxiety. You know she won’t move, won’t stray from her post and keep a watchful eye on the man, in silent promise that she’ll let no harm befall you.

You bound upstairs, fingers quivering as you try and slide the lock in place, pulling at the door to ensure the door won’t budge. You shrug off your layers, every garment you had on falling on the floor with a distinct splosh-sound.

The shower runs again for the second time today, the droplets streaming down your head as you watch the water change colour before slipping down the drain. A storm rivalling the one outside, pummels against your skin but this one is under your control; the temperature, the intensity and at your command, ceasing.

You close your eyes, letting the water wash you away, take you somewhere far where nothing has happened and nothing has gone wrong. Maybe this is all happening in your head, a manifestation of your guilt plopped unceremoniously at your doorstep, finally having lost your sanity to the voices in the woods.

Memories of past mistakes haunt you, the faces of those you couldn't save flashing before your eyes. This…needed to be different. You wouldn't let another life slip through your fingers, even if it meant risking your own. Fuck. Is that what this is?Is that why you saved him? A pathetic attempt to right your wrongs?

Your fingers massage your shoulders, knots having tightened. But they don’t loosen, not under the scalding water and neither under the guise of your fingertips. Frustration builds up again, the sensation of the water no longer enough to quiet the ringing in your head, tiles too cold under your palm where you steady yourself, the steam nearly asphyxiating. You hastily shut off the water, clambering out of the bathroom, pointedly ignoring your reflection in the mirror.

After pulling on a warm set of hoodie and sweats, you step over your ruined clothes, the lock sliding away with a click. Hands tight on the railing, you walk back down, breath shallow and eyes peeled. Maybe none of it happened, a nightmare conjured by your mind, karma making you dance like a skilled puppeteer.

Another crack of lightning and Luna’s shadow falls long on the floor, taking up space on the wall. You gulp, finally on the ground, floorboards creaking. And none of it was a nightmare, the door to the spare room still open, the sun having set long ago, the howls of the wind and the angry splatter of rain against the windows, the man still in your bed, face illuminated by the sudden shots of light seeping in through the glass.

The loud boom of thunder jolts you, spurring you forward as you drew all the curtains, hastily checking the locks on the door and almost tripping on your discarded rifle lying on the floor. You pick it up, heart easing at its familiar weight and a sudden ferocity occupies your chest. If he wanted you dead, you didn’t owe it to him to make the process easier. It would be a shame to put a bullet in him after wasting various medical supplies on him.

You grab a chair from your dining table, its legs scraping against the floor as you bring it to the living room, firmly placing it near the unlit fireplace, allowing you an unrestricted view into the bedroom. You sit, gripping the gun firmly, beginning your vigil, watching over him like a hawk, unsure of his intentions.

Despite the exhaustion tugging at your eyelids, you remain resolute. You can’t afford to let your guard down, not now. Every creak of the cabin and howl of the wind keeps you on edge, the noises amplified in the dark.

The shrill ringing noise breaks through the air like a bullet fired in the solitude of the night. It’s a miracle you don’t fall from your seat, panic seizing your limbs as you madly turn your head around, eyes nearly popping out of your skull, heart spurring in your chest. Luna doesn’t flinch, obedient as ever with her eyes fixated on the target.

You calm your heart, eyes landing on the lonesome landline hanging from the wall of your kitchen, usually silent but now wailing in twilight, the red light glowing in anger. Slowly you walk over, every ring feeling like a knife embedding itself in your chest.

And it gets deathly silent when you pick up the receiver, the plastic cool under your touch and fitting snug against the shell of your ear. Nothing, except the harsh sound of breathing graces your ear.

“Status?” A gruff voice finally speaks. The fear relents, recognizing the heavy baritone of the voice at the other end, greeting you like how it always does; no pleasantries but without fail always at the same time, designated at the same day of the week.

You hesitate, eyes flickering towards the opened door, rolling your bottom lip between your teeth. You could say it, say what happened, what you found or rather who you found. It would be so easy to pass on the problem. He would be gone in an instant, whisked away without your knowledge to a fate that would be unknown to you, freeing you off the burden that you can barely uphold.

But the flash of his deep blue irises grips the words in your throat, refusing to let them through, halting you from your confession. And all you can hear yourself whisper, voice so meek and cracked is, “All good on my end.”

thank you for reading! i hope the lack of dialogue wasnt irritating lmao. this should be up on ao3 soon.

[maniwakpa]

It's 1989, and very late. I'm sitting in the back seat of my dad's 1979 burgundy colored Impala. I loved being in the car at night, I couldn't see much more than the sky, tall buildings, and street lights; out where I was there were only stars. I think I know where we're going because there was only one place we went to that went away from the city, and that was my dad's friend, Victor's house. Some 20 minutes outside Von Ormy, Texas, and I couldn't ever recall coming to this house in the daytime at this point, but I still remember seeing it outlined by a porch light on one end and a large orange colored lamp on the other. The surrounding area was inky blackness and it terrified me, it felt like I would just fall into a pit if I got out of the car. I would get such anxious anticipation when I watched my parents leave, expecting them to plummet into my imagined pit but they never did.

I rarely actually went into the house, and this was one of the times I was left to wait "We'll be back soon, there's a snack in the glove box". I didn't like waiting out here alone and this was the last time I did because after this I made the bathroom excuse getting my way to go inside.

I would often crawl into the foot well and lay my head on the seat, this was comfy, I had learned how to get the light to turn on by opening the door and then letting it sit closed but not latched; I had plenty room to color or read. I was looking at the AAA Road Atlas we kept in the passenger seat back pocket, I didn't have my backpack of supplies with me this time.

I heard shuffling outside and thought it was my parents, so I put back the atlas and sat up properly on the seat. Nothing, no one was coming back to the car, and just when I was about to slip back down and read some more something outside growled or snorted and pushed into my door that had been slightly open, turning off the overhead light and leaving me a screaming scrambling mess trying to wedge myself into the foot well.

I don't know how long I was like that but my parents came back eventually and we left. I had been one of those kids that was embarrassed by admitting I was scared of anything; my logic at the time was "it didn't kill me, or hurt me, no one needs to know" I stared at the slimy smear it left on the window with absolute terror the whole ride home.

Fast forward a few months, we're moving out of state, and making a few rounds before we take off. I didn't recognize where we were going at first, we had never come out this way in the daytime, but I recognized the house and realized we were at Victor's. We parked right up next to this wooden fence and as I got out I saw the barn I never noticed in the dark...and a single cow grazing. The cow saw me and immediately started towards me, and it all dawned on me at once...it was a cow...the thing that haunted my dreams for months was just a cow. I learned that this cow was super friendly and begs anyone within reach of the fence line for pets and treats.

A cow. That's all. And this is how I learned how to speak up about stuff, suffering in silence is so unnecessary.

[lynzishell]

The Past 💛 Atlas

I don’t know how long we’re wrapped in each other’s arms before we’re forced apart as an overzealous dancer bumps into us, causing us to stumble sideways.

I barely regain my balance before Ash grabs my hand and pulls me away, leading me through the maze of people. They’re nothing but a blur as we wind our way off the dance floor where there’s finally some open space to breathe. I think he’s going to stop once we get there, but he continues forward. The only thing ahead of us now is a hallway with the bathrooms on the right and stairs on the left. Just as I’m about to ask him where he’s taking us, he stops short and slides into a dark corner.

As he backs himself against the wall, pulling me into him, I finally understand. “Is this okay?” He asks.

I lean in so fast that I practically breathe the answer into his mouth, “Yeah,” and before I know it, we’re making out again. But this time is far more intense, our kisses deeper, our breathing ragged, our hands grabbing fistfuls of hair and clothing and clawing at skin as though our desire for each other has grown into some kind of wild animal. Finally free from its cage, there’s no going back now.

I pin him against the wall and press my thigh between his legs, and he makes a sound that I feel more than hear with his mouth on my neck. And then I feel his hand move down the front of my jeans. I’m grateful for how loud the club is when he finds what he’s looking for and an uncontrolled moan escapes my lips. He grips me and breathes into my ear, “Atlas.”

Fuck, there is nothing sexier than the way he says my name.

I can barely think, let alone speak. All I can manage is, “Hm?” and even that comes out as more of a whimper than a question.

“Let’s go somewhere.”

I put my hand up on the wall behind him to steady myself and somehow find it in me to ask, “Where?”

“Anywhere. My place, yours, I really don’t care, but if we stay here, we’re bound to get kicked out.” He moves his hand slowly over the bulge in my jeans and kisses my ear softly. The wet sound of his lips is amplified and sends a shiver down my spine. “Do you wanna leave with me?”

More than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life.

I nod as I clear my throat and try to will my brain to start functioning again. “I, um, my apartment. It’s three blocks away.” Or maybe it’s six. I don’t know. All I know is, Dawn better not be home tonight.

“Perfect.” He kisses me and moves both hands to my waist, “Let me check in with Lex real quick and then we can go.” I step back to make room for him to squeeze by. He looks up at me with a smirk, biting his lip, and winks at me before saying, “I’ll be right back,” and walking away.

It’s been a while since he’s winked at me, but for the first time I don’t blush. I assume my blood is otherwise occupied and not available to flush my face. Speaking of which, I need to take a moment, so I lean against the wall and pull out my phone. I start typing out a text to Dawn asking if she’ll be home tonight, but then delete it before sending, realizing I’ll have to explain why I’m asking, and I’m not prepared to do that. So, I slide the phone back in my pocket and hope for the best.

I take a few deep breaths and wipe the sweat from my face, suddenly realizing how dehydrated I feel. As soon as I’m able, I walk over to the water station set up in the back of the club.

The relief of the cool liquid as it hits the back of my throat is instant, and I drink three full cups before Ash finds me. I hand him one as soon as he walks up.

“Thank you,” he says gratefully, and drinks it down quick. As he refills the cup he says, “Lex is good. They’re all staying at Blair’s tonight.”

I suddenly remember the promise I made to her when we first arrived, and I almost feel a little guilty. “Did you tell her we’re leaving together?”

“Yeah.”

“Was she okay with that?”

He shrugs, “Not really her decision, is it?”

“I suppose not. You wanna go?”

“Definitely.”

Prev // Next

[umeumeumee]

Hii! for your atla/lok event, can i req a tophxfem!firebender with the prompt “please just listen to me” angst and romance if that’s fine? thank you!! :)

whispers in the dark

ᥫ᭡ hello! I’m sorry this took a while, i really (don’t like it very much) but hope you like it! i love toph<3 (this takes place after the events of atla, and the comics, so they are 15-16 or something) (also… i didn’t proof read it, so sorry for any errors)

toph beifong x fem! reader

ᥫ᭡ when on a mission with toph, you reveal your most regretful mistake and biggest secret. you feared it would forever ruin your most dear relationship.

Silence crept up the bone of your spine.

it was suffocating— the heat was scorching, you felt as though your limbs could fall of any second. Your heart beat was fast— not because you couldn’t get a clear path, but because you couldn’t breathe. The air in your lungs was nonexistent, your body barely hanging on to the big gulp of oxygen you provided before making the most stupid decision of your life.

You kept close to Toph, making sure not to loose her in this tunnel— knowing she was the only where who knew exactly where to go, when to go.

the only sound in the never ending cave was the constant beat of her bare feet moving through the dirt, listening, waiting, like a preditor to prey. It was gnawing, the silence— the lack of oxygen , the sticky air.

you wanted gasp, to breath— but you couldn’t, too afraid you would give away your position.

your lungs ached, scratching your throat and piercing your chest cavity— desperately trying to get what they want, but you fought it, puffing your cheeks and calming your rapid heart.

You couldn’t see— anything— Toph was your only hope of survival, and only you knew that without her— and without your flame, you were dead.

A rough hand met yours, pulling you forward when you staggered behind, urging you to continue on your path. You shut your eyes— because; open or not, the only visible thing was darkness.

you followed toph blindly, holding the air in your lungs as long as you could.

your head felt fuzzy.

you shut your eyes, shaking your head and swallowing harshly. your body began to contract, its need for air conditioning you to suffer. Toph caught on, and you wondered how she could hold her breath for so long, as she didn’t seem to falter nearly as much as you.

Finally, after what felt like neons, she stopped walking, her grip on your hand loosened to the point she let go, leaving you to put your hand to your mouth, and the earth began to shake.

She lifted you two from the tunnel, slowly, so agonizingly slow, you could pass out.

finally, finally, you were met with the bright light of the shining sun, meeting the familiar sight of freedom. You released your gasp, lungs taking in as much air as you possibly could, toph doing the same. You coughed, breathing in the freshness of the outside world. You fell back, laying flat on the high grass that was new behind you, continuing your heavy breaths and deep breathing.

“Finally,” Toph managed out, and it was astonishing how she could find her voice after so long of holding her breath. you couldn’t find yours, only nodding and staring at the sky.

you groaned when she obscured your vision, and you sat up.

“I thought i was going to die,” you exclaim, sighing heavily and placing a hand to your temple. Toph laughed, crossing her arms.

“c’mon, we have to meet the others,” she says, offering her hand out to you. It was pointed a little too far to the left, but you decided to say nothing of it and took her hand palm in palm with yours.

You and Toph, along side Aang, Katara, and sokka, had just escaped a highly secured prison. The reason you were there? you couldn’t answer. Half the time with their group, you didn’t know what you were doing.

They mentioned something about letting someone out, but you didn’t know if that meant they were letting someone out, or if someone else had let that person out. Honestly? you decided not to get too involved

In fact, the only reason you were here, and not back at camp— was because toph had insisted you come. why? once again, you hadn’t an idea.

Your friendship with the legendary earthbender was a deep one, a connection that ran though you both like tree roots through the ground. You enjoyed her company, as did she, yours, but you couldn’t help the tinge of guilt that ate at you with every second you spent with her and the others.

You both had met when the 100 year war was ‘Still forging onward,’ being accepted into their group at such a calloused time lead for the truth to be slightly bent in your favor, a favor you knew you’d regret not fessing up to immediately.

While the one hundred year war was continuing, firebender’s were the most feared and despised people in the world, why would anyone— especially the avatar— want anything to do with someone of that caliber?

You were a firebender. And growing up in the fire nation, you were a pretty damn good liar as well.

When toph had used her ability to tell if you were lying, you easily passed her test with flying colors and slowly earned the trust of the gang. She trusted you dearly, as did the others, but you couldn’t help but was to burn off your own tongue for lying in such a crude way.

The guild will never not burn you.

you cleared your throat as you walked beside her, hoping your façade wasn’t slipping away and she couldn’t catch you. You sent her a side glance, her hair falling afront her face.

if the truth got out, you fear the person you find most dear will be lost forever.

“So,” you hummed, the silence falling between you both was not like the suffocating kind. it was calming.

“where exactly are we going?” you ask, hands intertwined behind your back, glancing occasionally to the girl beside you.

Toph didn’t say anything, only throwing a harsh punch to your shoulder out of nowhere. “Ouch!” you exclaim, furrowing your brows as Toph smirked. “What was that for?”

“felt like it.” toph hummed out, putting her arms over her head so her elbows stuck out, her smirk adding to her cocky look.

“so mean, toph.” you playfully said, sniffing jokingly. she waved her hand, cracking a laugh at your actions.

“we’re meeting aang up the hill,” she says, answering your previous question and walking faster. You jogged to catch up, still rubbing the sore spot on your shoulder from her punch.

you didn’t reply, her answer didn’t really call for a response in itself.

once again, you two walked in silence. The birds sang and the wind hummed, it was calming.

but you felt a pitch in your stomach.

Your pace with toph faltered momentarily, and it caught the girls attention. she asked what was the matter, and you shrugged it off.

“Nothing.”

your walking continued, as did your feeling. You swallowed. You’ve felt this many times before, like you were being watched, scavenged— hunted. You’d witnessed it first hand, and the feelings as well too familiar.

But, you opted to believe it was your imagination, as Toph seemed fine. She kept her normally quick speed, which you failed to catch up to due to your unfortunate instant of feeling.

A twig.

You halted, and Toph did too— her hers pinned in the same direction as your eyes. To the forest point of the trail. You stood ground, scanning— waiting.

you knew something was out there— Suddenly, a giant burst of flaming hot red fire shot towards toph, the heat passing by you and burning the skin of your forearm.

You yelp momentarily from the pain, you were out of practice.

but, quickly regaining self and taking action by stepping afront the earthbender to protect her— smoothly redirecting the flame to the source.

A groan was heard from the woods as the fire shot through and to the original predecessor, who now lay limp on the floor.

You assumed nothing of him— quickly turning your attention to toph. You’d just firebent— infront of her.

your heart dropped, the expression on her face was unreadable, almost unsettling— her eyes held nothing, you couldn’t decipher what she was thinking.

“I—” your words were cut off by the sting of your burn, causing you to breathe in roughly through clenched teeth.

You clenched your jaw when Toph stepped away from you, her feet tightly ground to the floor.

“Toph, please just listen to me.” you pleaded, but before you could step forward, earth engulfed your moving foot, preventing you from stepping forward.

The lump in your throat was worse than suffocating.

The stone in your heart was heavy enough to make you drown.

Toph walked off, rolling her jaw with stiff shoulders and fists clenched so tight you worried she might draw blood. You called after her, apologies behind each step she took.

You couldn’t stop the tears from brimming in your eyes. You didn’t know if it was from the severity of your burn, or the fact that the most important person to you had found out the one thing you regret most.

you let tears roll once the girl was gone from your vision, cursing yourself over and over.

You were such a Fool.

ੈ✩‧₊₊˚⊹♡

Toph clenched her jaw so tight, she swore she heard the crack of her bone. each step she took felt like she had just stepped in burning hot magma, leaving her body to ache and scream.

you were a firebender.

You lied to her. How could you? after everything?

you’d won the poor girls heart, caught in between your hands like a firefly in the night. this is how she gets repaid for being docile. this is what she gets for feeling such things for you.

toph angrily grunted, kicking rocks from her path and wanting to throw herself off the cliff.

how could you?

“Toph!” the familiar call of Aang paused her thoughts, the girl completely halting her movements as the boy approached. She felt the confusion swirl within him, and nausea flooded her like a river. how was she going to tell him?

“Where’s Y/n?” aang asked innocently, curiously and worry brimming his tone with concern for his friend. Toph bit her cheek, no doubt a sour look on her face.

“You mean the liar?” she bit out, almost surprised by her own tone. Aang flinched at the unexpected gesture of reply, confusion placing itself on his face.

“what?” Toph almost felt bad for him. Aang really liked you, and he often found himself pulling strings with you and toph for fun.

Toph crossed her arms, “yeah. the liar,” she repeated, passing by the boy with a soft shove to his shoulder— but for him, enough to send him slightly staggering backward.

“What are you talking about?” he insisted, and Toph knew for a fact that if she could see his face, she’d feel even more horribly.

She suddenly turned around— Aang, who had previously been closely following her footsteps— slammed into her rock hard form.

She laughed bitterly. “Our little, innocent friend y/n,” she says mockingly, usung her hands to add to her tone in physical gestured expression. “Is a firebender.” she could feel the hitch of aang’s breath and the grip he held on his staff tighten.

“she’s been lying to us this whole time.” her words were sour, like eating spoiled fruit, or drinking poorly done tea.

Aang’s reply didn’t come anytime soon, and toph could only guess his feelings on the subject.

Toph knew that it mattered mostly because your lie was told during the most important time of their lives. The hundred year war. You lied to them about.. everything. During the day if the black sun, Sozin’s comit, you lied. Every, single, time.

Toph kicked a massive chunk of dirt off the cliff, hearing it slam down the many feet of rock to the base of the hill.

“i can’t believe this.” she spoke, sitting down on a rock nearby and letting out a deep, heavy sigh. She was hurt.

she felt like her heart had been ripped apart. damn organ never learned.

“We can forgive her, Toph. make her amend,” aang finally said, “Yes, she lied, but she is still y/n. her bending doesn’t define her.” he added.

sometimes his optimism was too much.

Toph shot from her seat, fuming. “Forgive her?” she shouted, expanding a hand to where she had left you, feeling you still in the grasp of the earth she left you in. “She lied! for over two years, aang. She’s a liar— how do we know she isn’t lying about everything else she’s told us?” she bit, clearly more upset than the Airbender.

Aang took a deep breath, he was calm. the flaming opposite of toph.

“I understand that, Toph, but we met her a while ago during the war, and, well, being a firebender was definitely.. not the way to join our group.” he recalled, referring to when Zuko tried to join after almost a year of hunting him and his friends down.

“Zuko is a firebender. And now we are all close friends, even to y/n. even though she lied.” aang stepped closer to toph, who’s nose was scrunched. “I’m sure she didn’t plan to keep on lying.”

“But she did,” the beifong quickly bit back, figuring for anymore reason to continue her strike on you. “the war ended almost two and a half ago, and she is with us so often. Why wouldn’t she just tell us? Why didn’t she use her firepower during the Comit?”

Aang pursed his lips as Toph continued on, and his understanding for her rage deepened.

It wasn’t.. a big secret, the way that toph felt for you. She had no doubt the biggest soft spot for you than anyone else in the group— heck, probably anyone else in the world. She put up with you day and night, and being the busy person she was, she would uncharacteristically drop both important as well as unimportant things to spend her time with you.

Aang may only be fifteen, but he wasn’t stupid.

Aang grew up in the air temples, where people didn’t hide who they loved, men or women alike. The air nomads were accepting of all differences and embraced everyone, no matter their orientation. and right now, aang felt as though Toph could use some good avatar wisdom.

He placed a solid hand to the shoulder of the furious Earthbender, her words dying in her throat. “Toph,” aang said, and said girl knew she was in for it now.

“The feelings you hold for Y/n aren’t a mystery,” he says, his hold on toph unwavering as she visibly stiffened under his words.

“I understand why you are so upset, the betrayal and hurt you feel must been worse than any pain,” he sympathized, surprising himself how he was able to actually, somewhat, cool toph down. “But we should hear her out. At least for a little while.”

the beifong sat down once more on the rock after shoving off her friends hand, keeping her feet firm to the ground, she spoke. “Fine.”

Aang instantly went to fetch you, finding you in no time. He approached slowly, your figure rolled into a ball. He saw your foot held tightly by the earth, causing you to not be able to escape — although if you wanted to, you could.

“Y/n?” he called slowly, hearing your sniffling. You quickly lifted your heard to the familiar sound of your friends voice.

Aang frown as he saw you— tear stains ran down your face, your lips and eyes puffy from crying. You didn’t speak, only looking away from his eyes in shame.

he knew how horrible you must feel. Lying, no matter how justified , is a punishment for both ends of the party.

You stood up as he came closer, clumsily wiping your cheeks free of the previous tear stains, and it was only then did he notice the burn on your forearm. He took note of it for later.

Your face was skeptical with each step he took, like you didn’t know if he was going to hurt you, or help you.

Your eyes widen when the grasp of earth on your foot fell away, retreating back to the earth by command of the Avatar. You watched it go, flickering your gaze to meet the sincere eyes of aang.

He expanded his hand for you to take, and with caution— you accepted it.

He led you back up the hill, guiding you slowly and smiling every time you caught his eye.

The feelings you harbored for toph weren’t a mystery, either. it was painful to see any interaction between you both , as everyone who bore witness was at the edge of their seat with suspense. You are always eager to help, offering to fill positions people didn’t want, hoping to it easier for everyone— when, well, toph just did what she wanted, when she wanted. he was surprised you two got along so well when you’d first met.

your steps halted when aang’s did. You could almost feel toph’s displeasure in the air. You couldn’t dare to look up, even if she couldn’t see you.

Aang cleared his throat, releasing his comforting grip on your hand and stepping between you two.

“So,” he started, nodding. “there has been a.. miscommunication between all of us, and we have brought you, y/n, here help us resolve it.”

you were genuinely surprised by how calm he sounded, almost like he wasn’t bothered with the fact you’d been lying to them all this time.

You stood awkwardly when no one said anything, too afraid of Toph screaming at you for opening your mouth.

“Y/n,” he called, “Why don’t we start with why you decided to lie in the first place.”

that’s how it started. you were honest from the very beginning. You had told them the truth of most things, you were raised in the fire nation, just not in the less population areas. you did undergo training, but it was not just physical combat but fire as well. You did not want to lie, but you saw no other option.

you never wanted to hurt them.

Toph abruptly stood up when you finished, clearly still fuming. She walked off, fists clenched. You watched her do with shameful eyes, gnawing your cheek.

Aang saw, stepping forward.

“I’ll help your burn, and then you can go talk to her.” you wanted to refuse his offer, after everything you’ve done he wanted to help you? but he didn’t list it as an option to say no.

You let him heal your arm with waterbending he learned from Katara— someone you knew would not take this lightly.

aang had a plan. heal you up, and get you to talk to Toph. despite how obviously upset she is, she has yet to lash out on you. the soft spot she has for you hasn’t left, and he’s hoping this whole thing will reveal it to you.

“Done,” he says, wrapping a cloth around the burn and securing it tightly. You winced, knowing you were definitely going to have a scar.

“go talk to Toph.” he motioned in the direction she went, and you faltered. “Aang,” you cleared your throat to hide the crack in it, “She hates me.” your words seemed to physically pain you. “I.. can’t. She will just be more upset. she deserves space and time and—“ you stopped, his hand was placed to your shoulder firmly. A grip he did to stop rambling.

“Go talk to her.” you couldn’t deny his demand, nodding and slowly turning away to walk after the Earthbender. Aang sigh, scratching the nape of his back as he watched you tumble away.

You held your burnt arm, his healing skills not nearly as good as Katara’s , hence the pain you continued to feel.

after what felt like days, you finally found Toph. Sitting once more on a rock as her pale green eyes found solace on whatever was infront of her. You knew she knew you were there, her feet hadn’t left the floor since you’d met her.

you approached with caution, stopping when she shifted in her seat to cross her arms. You took a leap of faith and sat down beside her, swallowing the lump in your throat as you tried to find the words.

all that came out was a weak apology.

“I’m so, so sorry.”

your voice was trembling, almost like you were scared. Toph didn’t know what you had to be afraid of, and she wondered if you were scared of her.

when her reply didn’t come, you went to stand up— to give her the space she so desperately needed, but before you could get too far, a calloused hand caught your wrist.

You froze, Turing to face her. she was standing up with her expression once more unreadable, but the grip she had on you was strong enough to leave a mark.

You went to utter another apology— but before you could muster up the courage— a pair of soft lips met yours.

If you could die from pure and utter shock and surprise, you would be dead. Was she.. kissing you? Now? here? after what you did?

you were too surprised to do anything, but eventually you snapped back and cautiously kissed her back. It was soft, like a shallow embrace. it was warm, like holding someone in a cold night.

you pulled back first, breathing nervously through your nose. You stare at her, not missing the sprinkle of pink dusting her pale face. You were about to open your mouth when a very rough punch came your way.

Her fist landed right above your burn, causing you to genuinely wince of pain. It didn’t really seem to bother her, though. and you took that as her way of getting back at you.

She slipped a small, shy smile.

“Don’t lie to me ever again, stupid.”

[late-draft]

Hello! I just saw your posts about the Last Air Keyholder AU and—dear Agni!

Listen, this is beautiful. This is awestriking. This is *chef kiss*. I've always loved the initial sci-fi designs for ATLA, so it's incredible that someone's using them as a base/inspiration for an AU.

Also—your unapologetic, deliberate use of tropes? This is something extremely rare to see in narrative (tropes being intentionally used as a device) and I can't wait to see what shape they take here. Count me in!

I love this AU so far and have so many questions!

What is the vibe for the Fire Nation here? The vibe for the cities, the architecture, the worldbuilding, the culture—things like that. From the brief description we got, some parts of your world reminded me of Neo Tokyo from Akira, but maybe that's not what you're going for.

According to your previous sketch (and my inner romantic); is ZK going to happen in this AU? How do you see a possible relationship between them developing here?

Are you planning on adapting major canon plot points moving forward?

I have, like I said earlier, a lot of questions about this! But I don't want to smother you so this is all I'll ask for now. Can't wait to see what you show us next.

Have a nice day!

Hello! Thank you!! Yess a good usage of tropes is like running into a song you love that you heard many times, and still you crank the volume up! The fandom is like 20 years old, is it possible that not much stuff has been made for the sci-fi idea?

You're absolutely right, I gotta lean onto the king of megacities Neo Tokyo from Akira, but I wouldn't have the aesthetic be completely identical to it. There's mystical aspects in this AU too, and here's my initial attempt to throw together a fast vertical slice.

Light conditions are really important in a setting and in this AU I'd have a lot of the runtime happening during dawn or sunset. There's an aura of orange light floating in but very rarely direct sun rays due to the high buildings. There should however, be lots of traffic lights of all kinds. I'm already immersed in quite a few projects that feature megacities, but each one has a different flavour and I'd be overjoyed if I manage to correctly convey each one. In this ATLA AU, there's no specific time period from IRL that would be used as a reference. All nations are grouped and mixed similar to Republic City from LoK, but this AU is noticeably way more sci-fi than the 1920s LoK. There's a large focus on all kinds of transportation and roads/railways that accompany them. Highrise buildings are specifically Fire Nation in design and ownership (usually). Lower levels have a mix of everything but they do use leftover materials and mostly cement and metal. Ground and below ground levels are brick and a maze of pipes, through which strange disused cables snake. Sometimes they tangle in great masses…

I'm certain important characters from canon will appear, but I'm definitely not gonna follow the canon plotline strictly. Stuff like "Well there was a village being attacked by Hei Bai, so this AU has to have a village being attacked by Hei Bai…" nothing like that. I'm taking way more freedom in this AU to ensure that characters go through specific things that would be very useful to them and which allow the natural usage of respectively fitting tropes. But I'm not treating this AU as exclusively mine and nobody else's, so anyone can give suggestions! (please give suggestions!!)

Katara and Zuko first meet "racing on the opposite sides" of Aang. From starting out as Katara on her bike assisting the Avatar during chases while the banished prince is attempting to capture him, they sort of move into situations where they race each other. Zuko figures out that Katara is a major reason why all of his attempts thus far failed so he tries to change strategies and trip up Katara in whatever non-harmful way he can imagine. He's convinced, he must demonstrate, that her speed on a bike is not unreachable to him on his rollerblades. And if he shows off a couple of tricks along the way, so be it. :)

More stuff coming up

[a-court-of-fics-and-errors]

Keep Moving Forwards, Part 26

Azriel x Reader Fic

Summary: After finally deciding to leave your abusive and manipulative mate for good, you find unexpected companionship with Azriel, the Shadowsinger of the Night Court. As you navigate the aftermath of your traumatic relationship, you struggle to understand where the mating bond went wrong and contemplate your path forward, vowing never to return to the past.

Find other parts here: Master List

To follow this fic, follow tag "Keep Moving Forwards Fic" or comment to be tagged in future parts.

Content Warning: This story contains depictions of extreme emotional manipulation and abuse, detailed descriptions of direct physical abuse, and scenes of men hunting women with implied sexual assault. Please read at your own risk.

Word Count: 2.5K

Author's Note: This is a multi-part series. Unlike my previous works, this fanfiction delves deeper than just fluff, exploring complex emotional landscapes. As I navigate this new writing journey, I kindly ask for gentle feedback. The topics addressed are profoundly impactful, touching many lives with diverse experiences. Please be gentle with yourselves and others. Healing is a journey, and everyone processes it differently. Be kind to yourself. Take what resonates, and leave what doesn’t.

Please continue reading, being aware of the above content warnings, ensuring you are in a healthy headspace. Give yourself time to process and be gentle with yourself.

When you turned to investigate your surroundings, you found yourself standing on a patio. The balcony walls held planter boxes on each railing, overlooking the city. On the wall, sprawling up past the two large glass French doors, was winter ivy that you presumed had been growing for hundreds of years to reach its current height. The planter boxes had not yet been tended to for the oncoming spring, but based on the care taken to preserve the boxes and the soil inside, whoever would plant in them seemed to care for their garden quite a bit.

Azriel took a few steps in front of you, laying his palms on the door handles before turning over his shoulder to you. “Coming?” he asked.

You nodded as he swung the doors open. A blast of warm air shot out from the room, and you stepped into what looked to be a large office. With its dark oak desk nestled against the wall, stacks of books littered the floor around two oversized armchairs. At least, that’s what you presumed the purpose of the room was. Azriel walked through the room without much thought as you followed behind, your eyes stopping on books with titles like *The Archaic Guide to Fae Languages* and *A Complete Atlas of Prythian and the Charted World*. The walls of the office were filled with large bookshelves, overflowing with papers and old texts. Azriel opened the door of the office, leading out into a hallway filled with paintings you recognized as Feyre’s, lining the dark green paint of the wall. You followed Azriel down the hall.

“This is the townhouse,” he announced.

“Feyre and Rhysand's city home?” you clarified.

“Technically, yes, but they gifted it to me when Nesta and Cassian mated.” Azriel turned around the corner, his hand passing over the wall as he did, seemingly a habit.

“Oh,” you said. “I thought you just lived at the House of Wind.”

“I used to. But I felt like I was intruding on their time together.”

Azriel continued down the second hallway, which led to a grand staircase spiraling down into what looked to be the main hallway of the home.

He took the stairs in a rush, his feet fast and sure as you ran your hand down the railing, descending into the grand foyer. The black-and-white tiles lined the floor, and the entryway door was adorned with stained glass flowers. Their blues and purples easily identified the Night Court florals in the scene.

Azriel’s heels clicked down onto the tile floor as he walked to the front door, opening it slightly before turning back to look at you descending the stairs. He smiled lightly.

“Ready?”

You nodded slightly as you joined him in the entryway.

“Remember, just say the word and we leave.”

You nodded again, feeling your stomach tighten as the door widened into one of the wealthier streets of Velaris. Azriel stepped out, holding the door open for you to follow.

The street was quiet for the most part, save for the odd fae or couple who strolled leisurely down the sidewalk. You noticed the wrought iron short fencing on most of the front lawns, and more importantly, you took in the front lawns of the houses. That feature seemed wholly foreign to you in this place. You had no memories of any buildings having attached greenery to their houses, other than those in the parks.

Azriel shut the door behind you, joining you at the top of the white marble stairs leading down to the walkway. “Ready?” he asked again.

You nodded, and he descended the stairs quickly as you followed slowly behind him.

You walked down the street next to one another, your arms only barely grazing each other's as you walked. You said nothing, and Azriel seemed fine with the silence. You merely followed Azriel down the street of the great townhouse manors and around the corners to a few more streets of them. You felt foolish for thinking that the townhouse of the High Lord would be anything less than the most spectacular, grandiose home possible. Yet, you had it in your mind that Rhysand and Azriel chose to spend their time in smaller apartments like the rest of the citizens. How silly you were.

The homes slowly grew smaller, then into split-level homes, then into apartments. The gardens in front grew less grand and then ceased to exist. The closer you got into the city heart, the more citizens you began seeing.

Watching the citizens part for Azriel, some wishing him well and saying hello while others seemed to bow their heads, piqued your interest. It seemed as though everyone was more than willing to part their path to let the Shadowsinger through, as a few whispered. Most seemed to have a deep admiration and respect, but you wondered if any of it was tinged with fear. Fear at his wings and what they stood for, or recognition of his relation to other Illyrians. Perhaps, however, these people believed the Illyrians to be some sort of savior. The army was their main source of protection, after all, and once you pieced together the war with Hybern, you knew they were instrumental in Prythian not falling into the wrong hands. But at the same time, you weren’t the only one who had experienced the malice of the soldiers. Right?

Azriel continued down the street as the faint scent of food—particularly pastries and warm meats—wafted through the crisp winter air. As you turned another corner, you recognized the main town square of food vendors, and your mouth began to water instinctively. The butchery windows displayed large, glistening sausages, their savory aroma mingling with the air. You passed by bakeries showcasing delicate cakes, their frosting artfully swirled and tempting, adding to the rich, sugary scent that lingered around them.

It wasn’t until you passed a candy shop that you realized how hungry you truly were. The sweet scents of sugar and caramel wafted out the door, causing you to pause and inhale deeply, the familiar aroma evoking memories of simpler times. You closed your eyes, transported back to childhood, standing on tiptoes to peer through a large glass window. You could almost see the candy makers tossing long ropes of taffy onto a hook, chopping the hardened pieces into small meltaway treats. The memory blurred, uncertain if it was your mother or Titania beside you, pointing at the candies and dreaming of which ones you might choose. This uncertainty tainted the nostalgia, leaving a heaviness in your heart as you opened your eyes again.

Azriel had stopped, now standing nearly touching you, his concern evident as he looked down. “You okay?” he asked softly.

You nodded, not trusting your voice.

“Just a few shops down, there’s a cafe I wanted to take you to for lunch.” He pointed down the street, your gaze lingering on the candy shop’s window. “But if you aren’t feeling up for it, we can head back,” he offered. “Or we could get something from here if you like?”

You shook your head, the memory of standing at the window enough. You had never actually gone inside to buy the candies, just dreamed about them from a distance. Perhaps you feared that reality might tarnish the sweetness of the memory. “It’s okay,” you said quietly. “We can keep going.”

Azriel placed a comforting hand on your shoulder, his thumb tracing soothing lines down your shoulder blade. His touch broke the spell of your recollection, and you looked up to meet his eyes. He smiled at you, “You’re doing great.”

You tried to return the smile, but it felt forced and weak.

Azriel turned and continued down the sidewalk, and you followed, the savory and sweet aromas still lingering in the air. Eventually, you arrived at a small cafe. The exterior, with its blue awning and small tables lining the sidewalk, promised a cozy atmosphere in the summer, but today it was deserted. Azriel led you through the doors into the cafe, where a warm rush of air welcomed you, banishing the chill from your bones.

Inside, the cafe was larger than it appeared from the outside, with a full bar offering an array of cocktails. The floor was a mosaic of black and white tiles that matched the black wrought-iron tables with their white marble tops. Strings of faelight illuminated the dining area, casting a warm, golden glow that invited you in. Azriel surveyed the room, spotting an open table in a quiet corner, and beckoned you to follow.

He reached the table and pulled out a chair for you, waiting as you awkwardly shrugged off your coat, suddenly conscious of your stained dress and unkempt hair. As you sat, Azriel gently pushed your chair in before settling into his own seat across from you. The wrought-iron chairs easily accommodated his wings, which spread behind him like a protective shield. A waitress appeared swiftly, smiling warmly at Azriel, who returned the gesture as she handed you both menus.

You laid your menu flat on the table, eyes scanning the options: breakfast foods, hearty sandwiches, delectable pastries, soups, and salads. Azriel glanced at his menu briefly before setting it down with a satisfied nod. “I always get the same thing,” he said with a knowing grin.

You nodded absently, still deciding what might sit best in your uneasy stomach. Azriel looked over his shoulder at the window, watching pedestrians pass by. Some peered in, their eyes widening as they recognized the Illyrian who now sat casually, tea in hand, his leg draped over the other.

Eventually, you settled on a cream of potato soup, hoping its warmth would ease both your hunger and your nerves. Azriel ordered a sandwich, but your heart pounded so loudly in your ears that you couldn’t catch the details. You took deep, steadying breaths, willing yourself to hold it together in the cafe’s comforting ambiance.

The waitress returned to collect the menus, and Azriel handed his over with a smile. As he turned back to you, concern etched itself into his features. He leaned across the table, one hand covering yours, which were clenched tightly together. “Hey, you okay?” he asked, his voice gentle.

You gulped and nodded, trying to reassure him.

“Just say the word,” he reminded you, his gaze unwavering.

You shook your head, your fingers loosening slightly.

“What’s on your mind?” he asked, his arms crossed casually, his voice a mix of curiosity and concern.

You glanced up at him from under your lashes, licking your dry, cracked lips before shrugging your shoulders.

“There’s something,” he persisted, leaning in, his forearms braced on the table. “Your eyes are more expressive than you might think.”

You looked down at your hands, now resting in your lap, suddenly anxious about what Azriel might discern from your gaze.

“I’d pay a lot to know what’s going on up there.” Azriel motioned to your head with a slight tilt.

You chuckled softly, “I don’t think you’d like what you’d find.”

“Maybe not,” he admitted with a warm smile. “But I’d still love to know.”

His face was soft, his eyes inviting, almost pleading for a glimpse into your thoughts.

You shook your head lightly. “There’s a lot of darkness in there,” you murmured.

Azriel opened his hands, palms up, before closing them gently. “I’ve always thrived in darkness.”

“Yes, you and your shadows,” you replied flatly.

“So you’ve heard about them,” he said, raising an eyebrow.

“I’ve overheard things,” you admitted.

Azriel nodded. “You’re perceptive.”

You shrugged again.

“Do you want to know more about them?” Azriel asked, his tone inviting.

You considered for a moment, curiosity battling with weariness. “How do they work?” you asked finally.

Azriel glanced upwards, searching for the right words. “They’re like crows,” he began. “They gather information, bringing it back to me. Sometimes they help me stay hidden.”

“Do you control them?” you asked.

Azriel flicked his fingers, and two dark shadows materialized on the table, their form shifting as they scurried towards you, weaving through your fingers. Their cool touch sent a shiver down your spine, and a reluctant smile curved your lips.

“I can encourage them,” Azriel explained, watching as the shadows danced across the table and slipped back to his side. “But they have minds of their own.”

“Is it always the same ones?” you asked, watching the shadows disappear into the corners of the cafe.

“It’s usually a core group of twelve. Some come and go, but those twelve have been with me since I was a child.”

You nodded thoughtfully. “Can all shadows do that?”

Azriel looked around, observing the other shadows in the room. “No. They might look like shadows, but they’re different creatures. They resemble shadows and live in them, but they’re unique.”

You recalled moments in the woods when shadows seemed to move oddly, almost sentient. “Did you ever—” you began, but the waitress returned, setting your food down. Azriel thanked her quietly, motioning for you to eat.

You lifted your spoon, dipping it into the creamy soup. The first taste enveloped your tongue with warmth, soothing you like sinking into a cozy bed after a day in the snow. You continued to eat, savoring each spoonful, while Azriel watched with a soft smile, taking tentative bites of his sandwich.

When you finished, nearly licking the bowl clean, you set the spoon down with a clink. Your stomach, now filled with comforting warmth, left you momentarily content. But guilt soon crept in, a reminder that while you enjoyed this meal, Kai was gone. The joy turned sour, your stomach churning with the weight of your loss. You pushed the bowl away, contemplating whether the guilt would make you sick. Azriel, sensing the shift, reached across the table to cover your hand. “I’m really glad to see you eating,” he said softly.

You tried to smile back at him, the gesture tight and unconvincing. But Azriel’s eyes held understanding, seeing through the facade to the turmoil beneath.

Azriel seemed to finish eating only moments before you did, and he promptly signaled the waitress over. She collected the dishes and, with a bright smile, insisted that Azriel not pay for the meal. A playful argument ensued between them, Azriel’s lips quirking into a bemused smile as he raised his hands in mock defeat. The waitress walked away, still smiling, but as soon as her back was turned, Azriel stood up and discreetly left more than enough coins on the table. 

He turned to you, his eyes softening with a gentle warmth, and helped you into your jacket. His touch was tender as he carefully pulled your hair out from the collar, his scarred fingers grazing the soft skin of your neck. His touch lingered there, light and reassuring, sending a faint shiver through you.

Once you were settled, he motioned towards the door, his voice a soothing balm against the winter’s chill. “I think that’s enough for one day,” he said softly. “Let’s head home.”

To my readers, thank you for all your support. More to come soon. @thatacotargirl @mcuamerica @lilah-asteria @florabelll @fightmedraco @marvelbros-oneshots @mariahoedt @quinzzelx @romantasyreader28 @minnieoo @mysteriouslydeafeningwerewolf @annabethgranger123 @krowiathemythologynerd @scatteredstardustt @romantacyreader28 @caroline-books @slytherintaco @sevikas-whore @sidthedollface2 @405rry @sleepylunarwolf @acourtofbatboydreams @quiettuba @julesofvolterra @skylarkalchemist @darling006 @rhysandorian @loglady00

[bestworstcase]

thoughts cooking.

mountain glenn, grimm overwhelmed the city and the people took shelter in caves, building an entire underground city after the destruction above. an explosion later opens a breach into a grimm nest, grimm flood the city again, and vale seals off the tunnels, implicitly without attempting rescue or evacuation, sacrificing the people to protect the core city.

<- same choice ironwood made.

“i see lives that could have been saved,” and all. vale created the world’s largest tomb.

fast forward a few decades. a single transport ship approaches vacuo with the news that salem came to vale and “there’s nothing left.” the huntsmen aboard “led the civilian retreat, brought as many people as we could…”

that turn of phrase—‘led the civilian retreat’—doesn’t evoke a panicked, disorganized scramble to get away from vale. it calls to mind the orderly evacuation procedures we saw during the battle for beacon, where people were loaded efficiently into transports to move them from beacon into a safe zone established in vale. port and oobleck were in charge of that retreat too. (and it demonstrated generally that emergency evacuation is something vale has on a lock—the assault on beacon blindsided everyone but the kingdom’s crisis response plan sprang into action like a well-oiled machine.)

only one ship, though.

when cinder attacked beacon, they retreated to a safe zone in vale. when salem hit vale, the immediately obvious place to establish a safe zone is patch—it’s close by but separated by a body of water, and it’s relatively defensible (an island). unlike vale, patch probably doesn’t have the room or resources to support a large urban population indefinitely, but you can use it as a relatively secure staging area for a subsequent evacuation to somewhere else. what you probably can’t do is squeeze anything like the majority of vale’s population onto patch island. (i mean, you could if it’s as huge as it appears to be on the map, but the map is NOT to scale and i get the impression that patch is supposed to be quite small.)

mountain glenn. “i see lives that could have been saved.” vale’s greatest failure, standing abandoned as a dark reminder. and “if you can’t learn from [history], you’re destined to repeat it.” did vale learn from its failure in abandoning mountain glenn to die?

in this fractal spiral of a story. ironwood didn’t get his way, but what if he had? “we are saving who we can” -> “brought as many people with us as we could,” with the history teacher whose chosen purpose is to prevent another mountain glenn from happening hunched over, haunted, in the background. is this a fucking counterfactual.

also if there were people left behind in vale, the mountain glenn undercity is the obvious place for them to flee. it’s not safe, but you can get there from vale through the tunnels (less exposed than driving or flying above ground) and if you can barricade the points of ingress to the cavern, it’s at least a more defensible place to set up an encampment than anywhere out in the open.

and i mean it might be that salem massacred the city and let one ship escape to maximize the damage to morale and provoke as much outrage as possible for the sake of getting the sword out of that vault. but mountain glenn is such a crucial narrative cornerstone, and vale has a history of making the kind of sacrifices ironwood tried to make with mantle, and the specific phrasing used here is interesting (“nothing left” vs “no one left,” “civilian retreat” implying an orderly process a la the evacuation from beacon).

i think it’s also the more narratively interesting and dynamic choice for there to have been a judgment call to leave a large number of people behind—it’s a counterfactual vehicle for unpacking team rwby’s conflicted feelings about their decision-making in atlas through comparison to what vale’s leadership did in the same situation, and there being some ambiguity as to whether anyone else survived allows for a thin ray of hope (maybe there are some people still alive) to galvanize the coalition into a counteroffensive (if there’s even the smallest possibility of survivors, we need to help them. we have to try.) and you draw the tension in salem’s character between her extremism and her effort to chart what she believes is the minimally destructive course to the surface by putting a survivor’s encampment within her immediate reach.

[inactivewattpadauthor]

Erron Black x Reader: Overwatch-Coded

~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Is that the last of it?" Erron Black's muffled voice asks. Kabal had just loaded up the possible last bag of gold and goods in the truck. He wants to be sure none of Kano's men left even a nugget of gold down the ransacked mine.

"Sure is. I already ran through the damn shaft twice." Kabal sharply replies. "We should get the hell out of here before trouble comes. Start telling them to wrap it up and go to the mark-"

A loud noise boomed nearby, cutting the fast man off. Speaking of the devil, huh? Everyone went silent, focused on the direction of the racket. Erron takes his step forward, nonchalantly prepared to light anything up if they dare to intervene the heist.

"Hurry up and get out of here! If they don't kill us and take our score, Kano surely will!" Kabal orders the driver of the storage truck to leave. Kabal steps up to where Black is, prepared to hold off whoever was coming. He readies his hooks. In the back, men shout and prepared guns and got to cover quick, ready to partake in a possible fire.

Showing up a little too late, you and your gang made quite the entrance. Though, you were already irritated that your score as just drove off. Putting that aside, your eyes looked at the competition, then you saw him. Ditto timing with him.

"Erron."

"Y/n."

"You know that chick?" Kabal looks at the cowboy, whom gaze was deeply focused on yours with some sort of visible tension.

"Y/n is a... former partner, a kindly way to put it." The gunslinger rests his hand on his revolver, eyes narrowed at you, not cutting off your eye contact. "Lassie is a wild one, so stay sharp on what she does."

You couldn't help but chuckle at that, slinging your beloved rifle over your shoulder. "That's rich coming from you, Black. Because if I remember correctly, I'm the one not interested in drinking yer' blood." You would never get over that fact. After leaving you, came some vampire woman, then a blood mage. As much blood as you spilled, you never consumed it like those two broads did, but it became clear Erron had a type, and you never had a chance to begin with.

Erron groaned and rolled his eyes. "Women like bringin' up stuff in the past a lot, don't they?"(Author is female fyi.)

Offended, you aimed your rifle at him, his side getting more cautious, which makes your side cautious as well, tension rising anxiously. "Watch yer' mouth, cowboy! Or I'll jam my gun so far up your ass, you'll be spittin' bullets for a hot minute!"

The threat definitely made Kabal grimaced, but Erron was completely used to the creative threats you spewed. "You haven't changed a bit, darling."

"I would say the same for you, but I guess that's what happens when you deal with some weird ass sorcerer. Ain't that right, cheater?!" You spat, flicking him off.

"How many times do I oughta tell you, Y/n? It ain't cheatin' if I left you prior!" Black states. He does recall trying to let you down as gently as possible, but you were a little too crazy in the head to take the breakup well. Poor man almost became Erron Blackeye.

"Forget about all that. I believe one of your men drove off with my score!" You lowly growled. "Be a doll and tell him to bring it back so no one has to die." Cooing with condescension, you raised a hand to gesture for your squad to get ready for a fight. Being truthful to yourself, whether you get the gold or not, someone was getting hurt today just for the sake of it. Maybe definitely the dickhead of your ex-boyfriend. But you wanted to be the one that hurts him.

"Kabal," Erron speaks lowly just for the fellow kombatant to hear. "Take out whoever from that side, but leave the lady to me." Kabal nodded. He wouldn't want to get in the way of a lover's quarrel. "Not possible, Y/n." Erron speaks up to you. "He's already gone back to the Black Dragon camp as far as I know. And you sure as hell ain't gonna follow him."

"Heh, have it your way then." You coldly delivered.

Atlas, the showdown is arriving. Everyone was dead silent and anxious. Only the sound of the wind and the swivel of the typical tumbleweed between rivals roll by. And when the sun is blazing just above, you made the first fire at Black. All hell has broken loose.

The old gunslinger was quick enough to jump out the way and start firing back. Both sides fired at each other, Kabal dashes around, avoiding getting shot and looking for a lacking target to pick off. But you and Erron were too focused on each other, ignoring everyone else.

Realizing his uncovered position, Erron gets back up and scrambles off to try and get some cover, but you jumped to his level, aiming your rifle and completely missing your shots. You growled and chased after him, making sure to dodge any bullets he fires back at you. He gets to cover shortly, and you had to reload, growling as you take the time to. "Give it up, Black! I ain't leaving until your riddled with more holes a trypophobe would dream of!"

Erron makes sure to duck and hold his hat on tight as you fire at his shield of cover. "This really isn't necessary, ya know?" His voice is drowned out from the background barrage of gunfire. Conveniently, he spots a belt of flashbangs at his foot, and he knew this was a game changer.

"Look on the bright side. No women, whether it be a normal girl, or some ugly beast you hooked up with, will never have to deal with yer ass again!" You exclaimed eagerly, readying your rifle and taking steps forward.

"Y'know. I just might look at the bright side, just like you're about to!" What you saw was a bunch of flashbangs hurled up in the air towards you. By the time you realized what they really were, it was too late.

"OH SHI-" Everything was white, fading black as the ringing in your ears were treacherous. You were knocked out.

...

"So what do you want to do with her? Someone like her definitely has a juicy bounty on her head." Kabal watches the tired cowboy lift you carefully on the back of the horse, making sure your wrists and ankles were tied securely.

"She's stayin at a tavern." Erron decides with no debate. Kabal questions it though.

"Then what? A crazy chick like her will definitely come back after she realizes her whole crew is gone. Most anyways. Unless you want someone at the tavern to take her out-"

"Nah, I don't want anything to happen with her. She will be safe at the tavern." The cowboy gives a side glare at the speedy male, hinting his seriousness on it.

Kabal shrugs. "Whatever. It's your woman."

eHe walks off and Erron focuses back on you. "Gosh, I miss you and yer wildness." He searches your person, and finds a folded up, ruined picture. It was of you and him happy together in the old days. He smiles under his mask and tucks the photo in his pocket for himself. Next, he slaps the horse for it to take off with you, watching you become distant. ~~~~~~~~~~~~

[greatkittydream]

Rwby slasher AU

The fall of becon

Everything was on fire, body's Coverd the ground and jaune is runing as fast as he can.

His heart was pounding. He was rushing past corpses, giving them passery glances to see if they're at his teammates or Acquaintances.

"Dame it, why did this happen now! My team and rwby's were about to head out on a joint mission together, four "bonding".

Despite his cheery persona, jaune can not care less about the people he met. Indifference and annoyance was all he felt to others outside of his family.

Even that was a miracle onto itself, for jaune was a slasher. According to myth, when humanity rebelled, the gods cursed humanity with not only the grimm but slashers, immortal supernatural beings with a bloodlust to kill their fellow man. Unfeeling for others.

Wether that was true. He did not know what he did know was that he was one of these fabled slasher's.

The protocol for a slasher being born is to be killed if possible if not given up to atlas, to be put into a high security prison. He heard stories of what happened in there, spikes stabbed into joints to stop movement, mind numbing sensations, and forced sleep. The list just goes on and on.

Spotting a blonde corpse, he quickly ran to it, moving the hair out of the face before saying it wasn't yang. breath. He didn't know he was holding was released.

His breathing was erratic. And his chest hurt with how much it ached, and he didn't know why. He was not Hurt. There is no stable, no gunshot, nothing to harm him. And yet every corpse he found that looked vaguely like team rwby or his Caused him a pulse of pain. Or what he thought was pain. He'd never experienced any pain like this, though.

Pain was not something slashers experienced like regular people. There were all types. Biteng pains, aching pains, shocking pains, quick pains, and long pains. But not once did one linger after it went away. This one, though it hurt more than any of those. It was almost unbearable. He grit his teeth.

The only dame reason he went to this school was to take heat off his family. Wearing contacts to change his eye color from Purple to blue. An expensive illegality. His family burdened themselves with for his expenses. Just because some damed bandits decided to try and rob his home. He ended up butchering them, taking joy in their suffering.

One of the easiest ways to identify slashers, their eyes, a deep purple, almost black. Some of the stronger ones could change their eye color naturally, but most couldn't at a certain point. They stopped caring as well.

An explosion rocked the school. By this point, he was at a full sprint. He remembered that the cafeteria was a meeting place in case of a grimm horde attack, he hoped the other were there.

Memories flash through his mind Bringing a sense of ease to the pain he was feeling. Weiss would probably argue with Ruby about how they should stay in the cafeteria. Whereas Ruby would wanna go out and help the people.

And then he thought of why he was even here. He could just as easily leave. This was a perfect excuse to leave. Traumatized by the fall, heading back to his family would make perfect sense.

But some part of him argued that he didn't want. It would also be unlike his persona, kind and cheery and selfless. He was smashing open the cafeteria doors. He did not see every room full of students but blake Yang and two white Fang mongrols.

She launched forward. Her lilac eyes turned red. Mane of hair caught on fire.

Slice...

Yang fell into the road, besides blake screaming out in a pain as her arm fell to the floor.

"You see this blake, this is what happens when you betray your family. I'm going to give you one chance to make this right, kill her" Adams said as emotioned towards yang on the floor.

Jaune did not know what happened Adam made him annoyed, really annoyed. Jaune doesn't think there's been a time. He's been more annoyed in his entire life. His teeth cracked under his own jaw strength.

Everything in the world became defined to him. The only thing he could hear was a ringing. Shadow stepping behind Adam form the far end of the cafeteria directly behind him.

Blake had been trying to hold the recent wound not only hers but yang as well. Adam was definitely a tall imposing man 6'2. She had begged him to let her friend go. She'd do anything, just not kill her friends.

All it took was a blink, and then suddenly jaune was behind him. She took a sharp deep breath. Jaune is 6'6 Standing directly behind Adam. She didn't even know how he got hit there. But that's not what caught her breath. It was the DEAP purple eyes. he had Shards of glass that could be seen sticking out of his eyelids. He had clenched them so hard that he shattered his contacts, stabbing him into his eyes and eyelids. He didn't seem to care or notice. Maby both.

Jaune Grabed Adam by his hair and threw him into a pillar. The sound it made was deafening. A large crater formed as the boom was heard all around the cafeteria.

The other white fang member Whipped her whip out around jaune's throat, digging needles deep into it, injecting poisons that would paralyze a normal man.

Jaune was not a normal He marched over to Adam, he did not revel In his suffering, he was to "Annoyed" llia Was being dragged Her legs were firmly pointed in place. but she was still being dragged across the floor. Pulling with all her might, eventually the needle sunk into his neck further with a sickening squilch.

This didn't stop him. Blood run down his chest, and she twisted her hips even harder to try and stop him. The neck flesh around The neck gave way as the entire jugular and throat was ripped out. You could visibly see his spine. And yet, just like all slashers had healed. Muscle shot out like a web connecting and weaving itself back together. skin covered it up like some sort of sick tarp.

Adam had gotten back up to his knees and assessed the situation. Leaping to the side quickly to get out of the way of a hand pain for his throat. Only for a second one be caught around his dominant harm.

For all his natural strength, jaune was not skilled at all in fighting. Adam grabbed onto his sword and Sabed join the throat. Barely missing his spine due to luck.

Jaune Clinched his arm firmly wrapped around the elbow crunched. It it made a sickening sound like that of cereal being stomped on. In a blink, adam had cut off jaune's arm connected to his ruined limb. Next, he sliced open his eyes, leaving a four inch deep gash across his face and finally Spun and stabbed into his back directly into the spine, paralyzing jaune for short, while. Jonas slammed into the ground while adam quickly retreated llia hot on his tail.

Wounds, that would be impossible to recover from for a normal man. Were shrugged off mir seconds later all that damage and skill bought him thirty seconds. A normal slasher would have hunted him down. Fortunately for him, jaune had other concerns.

Step..step..step.

Blake Turned around and instinctual, fear have popped up. Purplize set off alarms and her brain after generations of being hunted by them, instinct took over. Shielding yang's body with her own.She was tense, waiting for something that happene.

Jaune crouched down "are you okay" Blake did not know how to respond "no but yang is worse...please help her." Tears build up in her eyes, Weeping them away. She was not going to show weakness in front of a slasher of all things.

She turned to confront her... associate. Jaune face was stone and very stern he had not moved even an eyebrow after his initial "annoyance". You would be forgiven for thinking he was completely emotionless to the suffering in front of him or even taking enjoyment in it. If it weren't for the tears, rolling down his face, blake really couldn't understand what was happening, right nore wanted to yang had long since passed out from blood loss.

Taking a deep breath and taking off his ruined shirt, he tied a tourniquet around what was left of her arm "there is a medkit in the hall I came from use it to stop the bleeding" He said in a low gruff voice Unlike his usual happy one or what she guessed, he faked.

"Were are you going?" "to find my team"

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

Jaune finally made it to the top of the stairs. pyrrha is laing on the floor along with another woman. Jaune was about to run over before a large stinger place. Itself on his shoulder.

A maniac giggling could be hear.

"Hold on just one moment pale"

Turning around, he met deep, purple eyes of a scorpion fanuse. He wanted to put his fist through that face.

"Before we get all punchy, stabby on each other haha I'd like to clarify.I did you a little ah.. Favor your little girlfriend over there is just fine.A little paralyzed but, Ah..., well, you can probably take a guess from what." The man's tail swung in front of his own face.

"What do you want"

"Nothing nothing. Is there something wrong to wanting to help out a Fellow bless one"

"Tell me what you want, Or i'm going to Use your guts as a rope to hang you"

"HA That one's a classic, but you're not wrong. Our goddess, Could always use more And when I laid my eyes on you, I knew exactly what you were, but we Can save your initiation for later for now.I have to take this Very angry witch back to our goddess".

Jaune watched as the man grabbed the black haired woman and jumped off the side of the building. An never more carrying them off to gods knows where. The only thing he could think of is how he got into this situation.

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

Well, there's part one of a potential series, our lovable jaune is basically autistic version of jason voorhees.

Watch as the precious little murder himBo. Discovers emotions such as anger, possibly, even hatred and love.

[thrandilf]

soooooo I recently got into Lego Monkie Kid and I fully highly recommend it, especially for any of my followers into TDP and for anyone generally into anime/animated shows, the visual quality is stunning the voice acting is stellar (Jack De Sena for the AtLA and TDP fans, Sean Schemmel voicing Sun Wukong, loads of other great VAs) and it gets so progressively even more fun/good with each season, starts strong and then keeps going even harder

it deals with journey to the west fast forwarded to a modern setting so in a sense it's like a sequel with all those characters who are immortal plus mortal character's descendants these hundreds of years later in new adventures and contexts (journey to the west knowledge not needed although you might have some already though dragonball or what have you) and it's just chef's kiss

might be said it's a bit like Percy Jackson but with Chinese characters/classic literature

did I mention it's 2D animation and beautiful yes it's a lego show but it's so so good. rivals a lot of anime for production quality

anyway, if you get into it you'll want to start with the season 1 special A Hero Is Born!

Le-go!