#fic: something to hold onto

[altschmerzes]

🌹 - something to hold onto?

YESSSSS you got it. i wanted to get a lot more done on that last week but. alas. anyways have this, from the 'mac has a horrifically traumatic time in medical after being rescued' portion of part 2.

cw for well. this is called the torturefic for a reason lmao and nothing is Happening but the aftermath of what happened to mac has left him in Bad Condition, physically and mentally.

The CT scan is both better and worse than the physical exam had been. It’s better because although they’re getting imaging of Mac’s neck, it’s at least a process that doesn’t involve anyone making contact with him. Despite the oppressive claustrophobia that comes along with being penned in by the machine, he isn’t actually being touched. And it’s worse because Jack isn’t there.

Adrien and the CT techs were going to let him sit in the little room far enough away that he would be safe. They were willing to bend protocol for situations like this, and it wouldn’t be the first time they had done so. Except that as soon as Mac was situated and about to go into the machine, skin itching at the sense of being so defenceless, he couldn’t stand it and he’d started smacking the side of the gurney like Adrien had told him to if he needed them to stop.

Jack had to leave. The sense that there was someone in the room, out of sight and unable to be identified by a familiarly calloused hand in his, was worse than being in there alone and it made Mac start to panic. The hair-raising sense that someone was there, watching, someone who could do anything to him that he wouldn’t be able to see it coming was just too much for his fried system to process. He feels bad for kicking Jack out of the room, but the feeling is faint and fleeting. At this point, there isn’t much space left in Mac’s mind to feel much of anything new around the constant, fluctuating tide of pain the fear that keeps gnawing at him no matter how many times that he reassures himself — or is reassured by Adrien or Jack — that he’s safe now.

When Jack leaves, he does so without complaint or indication that he’s hurt by the request, which is a relief. He stops and looks back from the doorway, and Mac can’t even muster a reassuring smile for him. Jack sends one of his own instead, his eyes crinkling in a way that makes Mac’s sting like he might cry again. He doesn’t, staring at the ceiling through a strange sheen until he’s sure he can blink without anything coming free, but it’s a near thing.

Thankfully, the CT results don’t show anything life-threatening. It’s about what Mac would have predicted — the damage is bad but it isn’t fatal or permanent. They’ll keep an eye on it, but otherwise it’s time to move on. There are other injuries that need a prognosis.

[yuquiitas]

Misc post canon stuff hai again

[goldenblu]

i’m plotting out how the egghead arc is gonna go in my emotionless sanji au, and that + recent manga chapters have got me thinking about sanji and kuma potentially being parallels (or foils? idfk)

sanji, who is slowly having his emotions stripped away from him, for no reason other than the fact that terrible things were done to him before birth by an uncaring father.

and then there’s kuma. everything kuma did, every act of kindness disguised as cruelty, every choice he made—it was all for a hope in a better future, for a liberation he would not get to see. for a child he loved and was loved by.

both of them, meant to be weapons. neither of them wanted to be.

but at the end of the day, kuma is a father who sacrificed his humanity to save his daughter.

and sanji…well, sanji is a son whose humanity was sacrificed to serve his father. 

do you see it. do you see my vision.

[allgremlinart]

Ayo can you recommend some jetko fics?

yipeee !!! oh anon CAN I ... please allow me to organize them for you as well ...

Post-Renaissance:

Empty vessels. by outpastthemoat

It’s just that he wanted Li to come with him and he didn’t; Li hadn’t wanted anything to do with Jet. And he really shouldn’t, Jet’s nothing but bad luck to anyone.  But Jet can’t let it go.

Let the City Pull You Under by MadSeason (naive_wanderer)

[He’ll wonder all that, later; but in this moment he kisses a boy who thinks he’s something other than he is, and clings to the bolt of revelation that strikes him in the dark: maybe nothing in life matters except grabbing onto whatever brief moments you have to feel good.] Before joining the Avatar, before choosing his path on the crossroads of destiny, and before he finds a poster for a missing bison, Crown Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation has a teenage affair in Ba Sing Se.

love never wanted me anyway by tiffaniesblews

“Do you really not know how to take a compliment?” Jet questions, turning so that he is leaning on his shoulder, raising an eyebrow over at Zuko. Zuko just shrugs, unsure of how to answer.  “Come on, Lee, you’re a handsome guy,” Jet states, giving Zuko a playful shove in the arm. “You have to see that, right?” OR: Jet gives Zuko a compliment that Zuko is unsure of how to answer.

The Classics:

 Something to Hold Onto by Wildgoosery

Since the day the walls of Ba Sing Se fell, the Freedom Fighters have struggled to protect what remains of the city and its people. Jet and his second command, a mysterious boy named Li, have spent the summer piecing together an army, hoping for a chance to take the city back for good. But Li is also Zuko, and the time for that secret is quickly running out. Soon, he'll have to decide exactly who he is, what cause he's going to fight for, and where his heart lies.

Something New by Anonymous

Zuko is sick and tired of living in Ba Sing Se. Jet is too. But he wants to make it better anyway.

The Bathhouse of the Four Beauties by jin_fenghuang

Set in Ba Sing Se. Li and the Freedom Fighters are visiting a bathhouse. Can be considered vaguely in the 'The Walls of Ba Sing Se' timeline, but is a stand-alone story.

[vhvrs]

can't remember if i ever posted this here so apologies if i have - wrote this back in september b4 i got properly back into p5 and it was meant to lead into a longer fic but it was a 4 am drabble i never picked back up... its fine like this perhaps

[mishy-mashy]

Incorrect Shiki (OC) quotes

(Context: she's the coffee barista OC that Kudo saved and joined the Resistance)

~

Shiki: Time sensitive question how flirt boy.

Bruce: Throw rocks at he.

Yoichi: Hot Dogs.

Kudo: Kill him.

Shiki: Thanks guys.

-

Bruce: I’ve only ever said ‘I love you’ to two people in my entire life: Shiki, and Leader in an alleyway who I mistook for Shiki.

-

All For One: I have one of your friends.

Shiki: Which one? I have seven.

All For One: The self-sacrificial, no sense of self-preservation one, that'd kill themselves for a slice of pizza.

Shiki: Which one? I have seven.

Kudo, from AFO's vestige world: HEY!!!

-

Kudo: I would do anything for Yoichi.

*Later*

Kudo, atop a pile of dead bodies, choking on his own blood: THE STATEMENT STILL STANDS.

-

All For One: So, you’ve finally arrived-

All For One: Here to continue our-

All For One: I’ve been waiting for this chance-

All For One: Stop skipping my dialogue-

All For One: Seriously, stop-

All For One: INSOLENT CUR-

-

Bruce: Do you want to explain the text you sent me yesterday?

Shiki: It was autocorrect.

Bruce: Autocorrect wrote "You're so hot. Please step on me."?

Shiki: Yes.

-

Yoichi: Why is everyone so obsessed with top or bottom? Honestly, I’d just be excited to have a bunk bed!

Bruce:

Bruce: I'm gonna tell him.

Shiki: Don't you dare.

-

Kudo: What's wrong?

Yoichi, crying: It's just the onions.

Kudo: *picks up an onion* What the fuck did you say to Yoichi?

-

Shiki: Leader, we're running low on rations.

Kudo, eating a bowl of microwaved ketchup: What makes you think that?

-

Bruce: How long do you think it’ll be until Shiki finally snaps and murders someone?

Kudo: I assume it already happened and no one managed to trace it back to her.

-

Kudo: ARE YOU-

Banjo: Fucking.

Kudo: KIDDING ME?! YOU-

Banjo: Fucking.

Kudo: IDIOT!

Nana: ... What was that?

Yoichi: Shiki-san banned Kudo from swearing, so Banjo-kun is helping him out.

-

Shinomori: I'm sorry for interrupting your date

Shiki: We aren't on a date?

Shinomori:

Shinomori: *turns to Bruce*

Shinomori: I'm sorry she's too stupid to realize she's on a date with you.

Shiki: What- What does that mean? Is this a date?

Bruce: I was kinda hoping it was, yeah.

*20+ years ago*

Kudo: Have fun on your date.

Shiki: It's not a date, dude. Bruce just asked if I wanted to go to the museum with him.

Kudo: *turns to Bruce*

Kudo: Are you sure about this one? She's dumb as fuck.

[introspectivememories]

if you're writing a charles fic, it must have some aspect of boyking. he must lean a little on the childgod side. he has to be revered a little bit, adored even. if people aren't talking about him like they wouldn't wash his feet and adorn it with perfume like mary magdalene washed and adorned jesus' feet, you're doing it wrong.

[adamprrishcycle]

There are 3 certainties in life: death, taxes and the fact that me, @clotpolesonly and @lizpaige will read and comment on your decladam fics

[maaxverstappen]

not to be wildly out of character and everything but i've potentially almost finished a first draft of chapter 5 woooo

[chexie]

"Hey Chexie why is everyone drawing McQueen and McKing making out"

It's me it's my fault. Please Read it and leave me hate comments. I need it for my collage.

[altschmerzes]

goal: post part 2 of torturefic this week. got a lovely comment on it and im Motivated. i just need to decide where to split it because it is Absolutely too long for one chapter now lmao (this is good news it means it’ll be posted sooner 😂)

[ssreeder]

I started reading this like 4 days ago, time has blurred together. I have not slept over 5 and a half hours of sleep in that time, I had to get up at 6 for something and was going 'just one more chapter' several times until it was 2am. The only thing that I can think about is LIAB, I am quickly losing my sanity to Zukka and the prison camp. I came here for a fun time, a good time and the sheer amount of angst that I had heard this had. And, I was certainly not lied to.

I am the type of person to read hard core angst. Impaling, torture , doesn't even phase me anymore (bit concerning but ignore that), I have taken to the blank word document to get that sinking, queasy feeling when the angst gets really hard core. First few chapters of this had me captivated and then Zuko came into it, *Chefs kiss*

I can't read long fics because I don't have the attention span, but for this I make an exception, also if you read it all in like 4 days the attention span doesn't have time to run out! I am on the 3 part, chapter 2 and I actively plan to binge read it tonight. Do I have school in the morning? Yes. Am I still going to stay up until 1 in the morning reading this and make up for my lack of sleep with caffeine? Also yes.

I really hope that Jet dies in this, I hope that he has a really anti-climatic death as well, like he falls off a slightly too high ledge. NO ONE and I mean NO ONE gets to separate MY GAYS LIKE THAT BECAUSE HE JUST HAD TO TELL FONG THAT ZUKO WAS AT THE BLOODY CAMP!

and the Forest Lesbians, may they live forever in the local folk lore about two witches that lived the forest and used the power of being gay to cure people.

thank you for writing this, it has really made me happy reading this even though my favourite gays are getting traumatised (more traumatised than usual for Zuko). I have only been reading this, my friends are concerned about me since I don't think I have willingly left the house in... *looks down at fingers, realises I don't have enough fingers to count this* umm... too long!

*holds your hands* how are you doing friend??

your ask had me both nervous and excited haha & the greatest thing about responding to this a few days late is that you’ve probably finished it by now haha. I feel sorry for your sleep schedule but I also don’t feel bad haha <3

I’m glad LIAB met your expectations in the angst, it’s probably one of the more angsty/ darker zukka fics & it’s probably going to get worse lol. (Not for zukka specifically, everyone gets to join this time) But you’ll see… if I can hold your attention until the end haha.

as for your Jet thoughts I’m sure you found out what happened to him by now ;) <3

thanks for this amazing ask seriously you’re great & you deserve to get yourself a treat for taking the time to send me this haha YOURE AWESOMEEEEEE

[oddberryshortcake]

Diasomnia and Scarabia rotate in my brain like a hot pocket in a microwave

[diseaseriddencube]

i feel like the radioapple shippers got lost in the sauce

[goldeneyedgirl]

Thoughts or headcanons on Alice learning her name from a vision of Jasper creating a whole paradox?? I know it's suppose to be mysterious and magical and all but I do think it's special and romantic that their connection is beyond, you know, basic logic. I like to think of that as something from past lives

I honestly find this SO interesting because 'Alice' was a part of her human name! Like, implies Time Shenanigans, and I am obsessed with Time Shenanigans. And I feel like Meyer missed a huge opportunity to run with that because it would have been so easy to just write it off as "Jasper gave me my name; when I was human my name was Mary." Which is still so romantic and beautiful but not nearly as layered and intimate as Alice reclaiming a fragment of her human self through Jasper calling her by her name.

So what happened in canon? Arguably at some point, there was evidence of Alice's name found - whether that was Alice finding a piece of paper tucked in her hand that said "your name is Alice", or the decision to try and decipher her past whilst she waits for Jasper was a possibility. At a certain point, she knew she was Alice. And that's how she introduced herself to Jasper. That's what triggered the vision of him calling her that.

Except in those last moments before Alice was awake, something changed. The piece of paper blew away, metaphorically, and she's left with no way of knowing she's Alice - except for her very first vision, for this one person who visibly loves her, saying that she's Alice. So that's how she introduces herself. And that's a beautiful love story. I really appreciate and prefer moments that have Jasper and Alice put each other back together, and not just Alice being Jasper's 'savior'. They saved each other, and that's just a vibe I live for.

But, like you anon, I love the red-string-of-fate/past lives explanation. That Jasper was always going to know Alice, no matter what happened. That in some kind of multi-verse, they've met an infinite amount of times, and fallen in love an infinite amount of times. In some of those worlds, Alice remembers her name, remembers her life. That Jasper is there to hold onto the important things for her when she can't. That's so gorgeous and interesting to me.

[windor-truffle]

"Yup, I'm right here! See, you can touch me and everything!"

--

Richard and Pascal friendship is something I didn't know I needed to write