#follows bison hair trail

[muffinlance]

PEEEEEASE!!! Some Song and zuko shenanigans!!! I just love how you write them <3<3<3

The ostrich-horse comes back weeks after she was stolen. She raises one big foot and scratches at her harness, which clearly hasn’t been tightened properly, because the saddle finishes slipping sideways and dumps the thief himself into the dirt outside her stable. Song is just coming off from a shift at the clinic, so her first thought isn’t That bastard, it’s Dehydration, probable sunstroke, has he had a single meal since he left us, that bastard.

His eyes are closed. His breathing is shallow. She nudges him with a foot, then pats him down. Two swords and a knife get hidden in the shed at the bottom of a grain bin. She draws up two buckets of cool water from the well. One of them goes in the ostrich-horse’s trough. The good girl coos, and drinks greedily. The other one goes over the thief’s head.

He sits up, sputtering.

“Hello, Junior,” she says, and drops the bucket on him, too. 

“What? Where? …Song?”

He doesn’t have the grace to look sheepish. But she’ll take the flash of fear in his eyes, the way his shoulders twitch under the lacking weight of his swords, the way his hands convulse around the bucket. It feels good. Probably not in a way she should like, but it’s not like she’s planning to do whatever it is he’s afraid of. 

(He was afraid the last time he was here, too. But not of her.)

“The well’s in back,” she says. “Get a drink. Don’t make yourself puke. And don’t steal my bucket.”

She’s moved on to brushing the ostrich-horse’s feathers when he comes back. The ostrich-horse has moved on to pecking grain. Li is holding the bucket, and wobbling a little. His skin is still sun-flushed.

“Sit down,” she orders, pointing to the porch, with its shady overhang. 

“What…?”

“Sit.”

She finishes rubbing down the ostrich-horse’s feathers. Checks her feet for scuffs and stones, and her legs for strains. Then she walks past a sitting, wide-eyed Li, goes into the house, and comes back with a basket of carrot-potatoes and a scrub brush. 

“Clean these,” she orders. “You know where the water is.”

And he’s already got a bucket to do the washing in. He’s been clutching it since she handed it to him. She’s getting a little sick, of that cornered pygmy puma look of his.

“You got a meal and an ostrich-horse rental from us, last time,” she says. “This time, it’s payment up front. With interest.”

“I don’t have any money.”

“Work for it,” Song says.

Li has no idea how to clean a tuber. He’s very diligently overdoing it when her mother comes home.

“Hmm,” she says quietly, stopping next to Song. “Do I need to get someone?”

Li’s shoulders stiffen, because he’s got better hearing than either of them thought, and because he has to know that ostrich-horse theft isn’t treated lightly. Their town isn’t big enough to warrant guardsmen, but a few neighbors and a rope would get things done. 

“He’s starving,” Song says, after moving this conversation farther away. 

“Hmm,” says her mother.

“Our ostrich-horse isn’t.”

They both stare across the yard. At a refugee with golden eyes, who doesn’t know how to even start preparing his own meal. But whatever money he had, however he’d gotten it, he’d let their bird—his bird—eat first. 

They don’t let him sleep in the stable, for obvious reasons. He doesn’t run off in the night, for less obvious ones.

[world0fmadness]

LOVE UNDER MOONLIGHT

eagle flies x reader

♡ nsfw headcanons for eagle flies!

୨୧ i really need to stop falling in love with extremely small side characters lol, hope you like this anon <3

♡ requested by anon | related hc available here | view my video game masterlist here

reading music recommendations: the deadly nightshade by daniel lanois - oh my lovely by daniel lanois

* 18 + content, please do not read if you’re a minor *

♡ i can see eagle flies being into some hair pulling!

୨୧ obviously don’t do it too hard, just tug it a little as he thrusts into you

♡ it’s that sharp bite of pain immediately followed by the immense pleasure of his cock being gripped tightly by your cunt that gets him, always causing him to let out a breathy groan into the crook of your neck

୨୧ he’s pretty loud in bed, always letting out deep groans and some mumbled praise

“ you feel good… so good ” ( he mumbles praise against your skin whilst kissing you most of the time, breath stuttering as he speaks )

♡ eagle flies really likes kissing during sex too! not even always on your mouth, he’ll place open mouthed kisses anywhere his mouth can reach

୨୧ usually your chest, neck or shoulders! he’ll press his mouth against the skin and moan against it whilst planting the kiss

♡ when he’s about to go down on you, because he loves treating you good and giving you the most pleasure he can, he goes slow down your stomach and places soft kisses trailing down the skin before reaching your underwear, looking up at you and admiring your face when you laugh lightly at how it tickles

୨୧ he likes when you stroke his hair as he does this, loves the feeling of you softly twirling small strands of his hair around your fingers as he kisses his way down

♡ when he cums, he’ll pull out! he does want a family with you but just not right now, he has so much to deal with his father, the tribe and not to mention the army…

୨୧ you always know when eagle flies is about to cum because his breath gets so laboured and he lets out deep hums

♡ eagle flies goes at a slow and deep pace, always taking his time with you in the dance of intimate passion, making sure he treasures his time with you and shows just how much he loves you

୨୧ he really makes love to you, even during times when he’s angry and upset at his father! that never causes him to be rough during sex, he just relieves his anger with deeper thrusts and grips your hands tightly, holding them down against the bison fur bed

♡ eagle flies likes to hold you super close during sex too, like he’ll always be leaned down so that your chests are pressed up against each other as he slowly thrusts into you

୨୧ he just really likes how your slightly sweaty skin feels against his, his hair dropping down and covering the sides of your face and how your body heat is through the roof because of what he’s doing to you and the pleasure he’s giving you

♡ he’ll only pull his body away from you a bit when you’re reaching your high because he loves to watch your face as it happens

୨୧ he just thinks you look so beautiful with your head thrown back and your eyes glazed over with pleasure, your mouth dropping open in a final moan of pleasure as he feels you tighten around him even more

♡ sometimes, eagle flies likes to take you away from the reservation to have sex!

୨୧ usually when it’s dark and stars paint the sky, he’ll help you up onto the back of his horse before taking you to a small, hidden and secluded lake before hitching his horse and stripping off his clothes as you do the same

♡ you always just clean yourselves in the lake at first, but it doesn’t take more than a minute for eagle flies to gently grab your arm and pull you towards him, your naked chest pressed up against his as he looks down at you before leaning his head down slightly and pressing his lips against yours

୨୧ he’ll pull you up from under your thighs, making you instinctively wrap your legs around his waist as he slips his cock into you with a relieved sigh

♡ the water ripples slightly as he thrusts up into you, burying his head into your neck and sharing moans with you, whispering in your ear about how beautiful you look naked and bathed in the moonlight

“ look so beautiful like this… so perfect ” ( those words are likely mumbled into your mouth as you share an open mouthed kiss, one of his hands dripping with water as he brings it up to your face and brushes your hair back behind your ear )

୨୧ the sounds of your shared signs and moans echo slightly through the surrounding woods, mixing in with the sound of cicada in the grass and fireflies softly buzzing past the trees

♡ i can see eagle flies quite liking to mark you up a bit too, with some hickeys and such!

୨୧ he doesn’t see it as a sign of ownership or anything like that, he just likes leaving love bites on you, knowing that he’s leaving you with something that will remind you of your shared night together for the short time the hickey will last

♡ eagle flies is very good with aftercare too! he’ll always ask if you’re okay whilst gently caressing your hips and if you’re hungry or thirsty, he’s right on it! getting dressed before going to grab you a mix of berries and nuts or some freshly cooked meat <3

[coeurify]

so many fics have the reader getting mad at ellie for getting into a fight with someone that flirted with you, but what if instead the reader gets turned on and y’all fuck all night 🤭🤭 (i would be so turned on if someone punched someone for me BYEEE)

ohhh anon i get you.. of course everyone in Jackson knew Ellie had a temper, one that was usually not tested. Many residents had been subjected to dirty looks or an awfully mouthy response from the woman many a times. So people chose to be careful around her, not exactly wanting to deal with a twenty-something-year old who had a mouth worse than a sailor. It was oh so much worse when it came to you. No one could say shit about you if she was around. Or not around. Somehow, like a second-sense or something, she always knew. Hell, El had nearly punched Seth once for just hearing he called you a name, but Jesse pulled her back.

This particular time however, on the wooden porch on the main street of Jackson.. Jesse wasn’t around to pull Ellie back, and no one had warned a particularly flirty new girl to stay away from you. Well… it didn’t end well. In fact it ended with the new girl on her ass, hand cupping a nose that bled crimson all over the wooden floor, screeching like a banshee at your girlfriend.

Your girlfriend who stood above her with her eyebrows pinched together, cheek bruised from a long patrol. Ellie was not in the mood to deal with anyone, and fists always seemed to come before words with her.. so this girl calling you “hot,” and offering you a drink at the Tipsy Bison.. just did not slide for the auburn haired girl. That fist had wasted no time in connecting with her stupid fucking nose, right there in front of ten or more older residents who looked on in a mixture of concern and expectance. Really that girl brought it on herself.

You followed every movement from that moment, irises pulled by an invisible string to watch Ellie make the rash decision, one you should pull her back from.. maybe even yell a little at her for making a scene. But instead of any anger creeping up your body, you feel something a little heavier. As Ellie pulls back her slightly reddened knuckles, muttering swears under her breath.. you feel absolutely anything but anger. Sure, maybe a little embarrassment from the old women who make disgusted faces as the woman below Ellie whines in pain, but definitely not anger. Something swirled low in your belly as green eyes searched for your own

Your lips part lightly, unsure of what to say, especially when the hand that had just taken the woman down moves to wrap around your arm, tightening enough to grab your attention away from where you had began to stare at the puddle of dripping blood collecting on the porch. Ellie dragged you away from the scene, stomping like someone throwing a fit.

“The fucking nerve on that— that girl, calling you.. calling my girl hot.. who does she think she is?” Ellie scoffed, looking over at your still glazed over eyes as you stumble along with her. The possessive tone in her voice only made this creeping sensation on your skin worse. The lack of a response has Ellie frowning, “Shit.. babe did are you mad? I just couldn’t hel-”

“No.. no,” you cut her off quickly, tongue swiping over your lip as you finally conjure up words— stepping onto the dirt trail that led to your Jackson home. “I’m not upset. Honestly, i think it was kinda hot,” you admit slowly, nose crinkling lightly in embarrassment.

Ellie’s mouth fell open.. because truthfully she had never gotten that response from one of her.. bursts. “Hot?” she repeated, gaining a little head nod from you. Her cheeks flush, one corner of her lip poking up like she may smile, “Get inside.”

You wasted no time in clambering up the steps to the door, and by the time the door is open.. Ellie is already all over you.

[fadelbison]

If you wrote FadeBison, I would read the hell out of it.

elliiieeeeeee!!!!! thank you! this is another ask that only made me worse and I had to prepare a little gift to express my gratitude.

I don't even know why FadelBison got me in a chokehold like this. It's not like I endgame ship them. I just need Fadel to haunt Bison's every narrative. Kind of like this:

[KantBison; R]

Bison looks so good like this - well Bison, unfortunately, always looks good. But the way he looks in Kant’s arms naked, sated after a bout of their lovemaking is definitely a cut above the rest; a delicious sheen of sweat, apple red cheeks, hair mussed with the streaks of Kant’s fingers running through them.  Except, he isn’t naked, not entirely. Kant feels the pearls, still somehow cold, when he curls his fingers into the nape of Bison’s neck.

Bison is melting into his arms, following the path that Kant’s other hand makes on his body, down his sides and gently massaging his sore hips; still a livewire of sensation in his afterglow. Kant kisses his neck, trails down his pulse at the hollow of his throat and finds himself deterred by the smiling little charm, mocking him on his thwarted quest.

Kant tests the waters, picks at the necklace absently before taking the clasp between two fingers. Bison’s hand shoots out, no longer sluggish and teasing, firmly stopping Kant. He has one eyebrow raised at him, wary.

“I just want to kiss your neck.” Kant says, curiosity piqued.

“Best of luck.” Bison responds, though he’s now sporting a small smile. He still pushes Kant’s hands away from his neck. Kant pulls him in with a fingers under his jaw instead, indulging in all the things that Bison allows him to do. And there’s so many things he gets to do; like knead on the globes of his ass or play with his nipples as they kiss. And yet–

“Something special?” Kant asks, picking at the necklace again.

“No.” Bison is quick to answer, though he has his eyes cracked open now, watching Kant instead of drifting to sleep, “It’s cheap but I’ve had it for a long time.” He clarifies, in a tone that feels very much like Kant should stop asking.

“So…special then?” Kant says laughing a little, trying to keep the mood light. He pushes Bison onto his back to expose his neck better then starts kissing deliberately, reverently over the necklace.

Kant doesn’t know if it’s because of what he’s doing now, or if it’s because they’ve been cuddling and kissing for a while now but Bison is beginning to get hard against Kant’s thigh, barely able to hold back his moans.

“From someone special?” He continues, as he teases Bison’s hole again, just to test that it’s still sufficiently wet for him. He sheathes himself and slides in, “You like me fucking you in it?” He says. Bison only moans brokenly in return. He brings a hand up to Kant’s shoulder. 

For a split second Kant thinks that Bison will push him away. Eventually, the tense lines of his body relaxes, and he simply swings his legs more firmly around Kant’s back, Kant holding his thigh open to make the angle easier. 

They come like that; bodies pressed together in an artless rhythm, the imperfect imprint of Kant’s lips over the pearls on Bison’s heart.

[girlboybug]

trash magic

"boy, you wanna hold me down and tell me that you love me?"

or the one where you get a tattoo for joel and he shows you just how much he appreciates it.

what’s playing 🎧 trash magic by lana del rey

pairing : joel miller x reader

word count : 2k

*unedited*

CONTENT WARNINGS : SMUT, joel is sooo super turned on by your tattoo, size kink, overstimulation, mentions of unspecified age gap, unprotected sex, tit-fucking, lots of heavy petting/groping, praise and hints of degrading, joel is a dirty depraved man muahaha

TRIGGER WARNINGS : uhh none come to mind but if there’s something that is triggering plz let me know. otherwise enjoy <3

a/n : hi guys i’m so sorry it took me FOREVER to update, i just wanted to post smth small bc i felt bad abt my lack of presence on here. i wanna say thank u so much for the love and support on my work it means the absolute WORLD to me. life has just been so draining and writing has fallen to the back burner and i HATE it but here, i hope this slightly makes up for it, i promise i have a lot in store!!

it had been just a little over a month. a little over a month without joel was time spent cruelly—longingly. and in all honesty, most people in jackson wondered why you were so distraught over his lack of presence, unable to comprehend why a young, pretty girl spent all her time trailing behind a stone-faced old man. but he was your stone-faced old man. his hard glare, monotone responses and hands that were perpetually stuck in fists, were all aspects you loved about him, despite the fact that they seemed to act as a wall to block everyone out.  but what people didn’t realize was that those walls came right back down the second it came to you. 

you figured their judgment lied in the point of view that they had of him. they only saw cold joel, unfriendly joel who had zero time for anyone except ellie and, maybe you. but they didn't see the way he was when you were alone. they didn’t see the way his face would drop all its coldness when he'd look at you, his fists following in suit and unraveling into gentle hands that would tighten around your jaw to pull you up for a kiss. instead, all they saw was a hardened old man leading on some girl young enough to be his daughter. 

and even if he was, you didn't care. it was hard to care about anything when he'd press his mouth over yours, enveloping you in and cleansing you of everything you've ever worried about the second his tongue pushed past your lips. you replayed the way his scruff felt against your skin, your bare tummy…your inner thighs. you squirmed around in the booth at the tipsy bison, ignoring the comments about how you're going to regret getting the tattoo that you did, how joel is nice and all, but he's the last guy you should be getting a tattoo for. 

you didn’t fucking care, the only thing that you did care about was how he would feel about it. and god, you hoped he liked it. you are definitely not one to handle pain all that well, and with the limited supplies cat had after tattooing ellie, you were extra nervous of all that could go wrong. but you missed joel so much, you needed something, anything, that felt like a piece of him was always with you. 

the moth sticker on the neck of his guitar always did catch your eye, and when he was gone, you’d cradle his guitar, hold it the way he would and simply stare at the sticker. you imagined him the day he stuck it on, the way he’d look down at it, and maybe even smile to himself. it made your heart just about ache at the image. 

you grew antsy to show joel the more you thought about it, but maintained what little patience you had left. you decided to keep it a surprise until you both got home, feeling as though the reveal was something that deserved to be private for you two alone. 

—

“i have a surprise for you.” you whispered excitedly, clambering into his lap. he smiled up at you, pushing his glasses into his hair and shutting his book. his eyes fell to your fingers that slowly took their time unbuttoning each little button on the flannel that…suspiciously looks a whole lot like the one that went missing from his side of the closet. 

“that so?” he hummed in that low gruff voice of his, a hot feeling stirring in his lower stomach as he watched the flannel begin to part the lower you went. 

“mhm. i hope you like it.” you murmured, swallowing hard when you pulled the flannel open. his eyes lingered on yours for a moment before traveling down to the valley of your breasts, gasping when he saw a moth decorating your skin. 

“are you out your goddamn mind?” joel exhaled in disbelief, tracing his fingers over the moth splayed across your sternum. 

your hands gripped the fabric of your flannel, fingernail rolling over the button with nerves. “are you…are you mad?” you unintentionally whimpered, and he shook his head, sitting up with you in his lap, leaning forward and pulling his glasses back down to look at it better. “no baby no but, i…i coulda given you the sticker i had,” he laughed, unable to peel his eyes off of the tattoo. you rolled your eyes jokingly but in the back of your mind, fear was starting to settle in. 

did he hate it?  

“do you like it?” you asked quietly, praying he said yes. “oh, baby i love it,” he uttered heavily, bringing his stare from your chest up to your face. he pulled you by your chin, smile still on his lips while he kissed you. you cupped his face, thumbs circling around the stubble on his jaw, a giddy feeling beginning to bubble in your tummy. 

“did it hurt?” he questioned with his lips still close to yours. you nodded, pecking him. “yeah. but i just thought of you the whole time,” you admitted truthfully, smiling fondly down at him. he shook his head, kissing you again. he made a sound of sympathy, running his thumb along your bottom lip. he stared at your chest before something clicked in him, making him flip you on your back.

he wasn’t phased by the surprised yelp that left you, instead he was focused on stopping your hands from trying to hide your bare chest with the flannel. “unh unh don’t cover up now, too pretty to be doin that,” he chastised lowly, devouring you with his eyes. you grew hot under him as he continued speaking. “looks so good on you…real good, wish i was there with ya while you got it done baby,” he groaned, hands groping your breasts, thumbs straying to caress the wings of the moth. 

you whined hushedly, arching your back into his touch. “i do too but you were gone,” you formed something like a pout, pushing an upset finger into his chest. he tsked, holding your accusatory hand to kiss your palm. “i know, i know, already said m’sorry baby,” he murmured, taking advantage of the way you softened at his actions. he trailed kisses down your jaw, murmuring more apologies for his absences. his words were enough, and all you could do was just lean into him, taking every touch and kiss he gave you happily. 

“can’t believe you did this,” he breathed out, pressing his growing bulge to your clothed core. you whined, sitting up on your elbows. your ankles lock around him eyeing him from under your eyelashes. “i just wanted to feel like you were always with me, i missed you so much joel,”

he breathed in sharply at your confessions, his cock twitching and heart racing. “oh baby,” he pressed a kiss to your forehead lovingly. “missed you too. thought about you all the time.” his hand rubbed your outer thigh making its way between your legs. “thought abt this,” he exhaled, feeling you buck down into his palm with a sweet little moan from your lips. 

“missed it s’goddamn much, missed you the most though,” he muttered, the familiar twange in his voice sparking a smile across your face. he pushed your panties to the side, gathering your slick with the pads of his fingers, his cockhead weeping with precum when it registered just how wet you were with such small touches. 

he pushed his middle finger in and wasted no time in fucking you with his digit just the way you liked. you cried out, gripping his wrist while he fucked into your little cunt with his finger, groaning to himself at how tight you felt. 

he leaned down, kissing all over the tattoo, licking and nipping at your breasts while you tangled your fingers in his hair. 

“joel—fuck, just, just—please fuck me,” you breathed out, the patience you’d been struggling to keep had finally ran out, and you couldn’t wait anymore, you needed to have him the way you’ve been craving all this time. “shit—alright, need it tha’ bad huh,” he grunted, pulling himself from out his boxers. 

he held your waist with both large hands of his, pushing inside you, burying his face in your chest and groaning loudly at the way you grip him. you cried out, nails digging into his wide back, teeth grazing his shoulder while you tried to catch your breath. 

the stretch burned and tingled, rippling through your skin and nerves in a way you hadn’t felt in so long. he pushed in and out of you slowly and gently, shaky little breaths that sounded obscene, fanned out over your lips from his parted mouth, and you breathed them all in, pulling him in closer. 

his forehead rested on yours, kissing you while his hips grounded down into yours, taking his time to appreciate how fucking good you felt all around him. utterances of f-fuck, baby poured into your mouth from his, casting a warm sensation to spread across your cheeks. 

he rocked into you, somehow going deeper with every thrust. knowing that he was filling you to the very brim sent him into a mindless delirium, and in return fastening the way he fucked you. gentleness morphed into rushed, desperation to feel you, every single inch and crevice and to make up for lost time. 

you took him in, tightening your calves around his lower back, tugging at the back of his hair while his tongue lapped at your tits and sternum, losing his mind at the fact that you’ve marked yourself as his with this moth. your bold declaration of love and dedication to him turned him on in ways he couldn’t even begin to fathom and the more he thought about it, the harder his hips crashed down into yours. 

“missed me so much you had to get something that reminded you of me tattooed on ya’,” he grunted, grabbing one of your legs and haphazardly throwing it over his shoulder, shuffling even closer to fuck you harder. you couldn’t even reply correctly, all you could do was tearfully babble, nodding stupidly. 

“love you so much joel,” you hiccuped, entire body being nearly fucked into the headboard, tits bouncing mesmerizingly with each thrust joel sends into you. 

“say it again,” he groaned, cock twitching at your open admissions. “i love you, love you love you so much,” you cried, leg beginning to tremble on top of his shoulder. 

“‘love you too baby, love you so goddamn much,” he breathed out in a rasp, shuddering a heavy sigh when you tighten and pulse all around his cock. 

he loved the way his hands just engulfed you, his hand almost covering the entirety of one of your breasts, palming your soft flesh. you were so easy to squeeze, to pick up and hold and fuck, and joel took full advantage of his strength and how palpable for him you were. 

with ease he pulled you up along with him, still impaled on his fat cock, feeling a familiar cockiness spread in his chest when you whimpered at the feeling of him so far inside of you. 

he rested on his haunches, keeping you upright with his hands gripping your hips tight, face falling into your chest once more, his beard tucking the valley of your breasts. 

your bodies flowed into each other’s fluidly, hips rolling and meeting each and every thrust like clockwork, his hips coming up only to be met with yours crashing down into his. it was addicting, you couldn’t speak, couldn’t think, could barely even remember your own name, the only thing you could manage was fucking yourself onto joel. 

“so deep,” you cried out through a series of whines and he laughed, bringing a big hand to your tummy, rubbing over where his cock bulged. you keened, lips trembling while you squeezed his shoulders. “i know baby i know,” he crooned, plastering an open mouth kiss onto you. 

he slid a hand between your wet grinding bodies to rub circles over your soaked little clit, chuckling to himself when you choked on a sob at the contact. you shook like a leaf in his arms, his sweet little angel so close, he felt it in the way your cunt gripped his cock, and it filled him with pride knowing he was the only one who could unravel you like this. 

“know you needa cum baby—you gonna ask me?” he growled in your mouth, biting your bottom lip testingly. you whimpered, arching your chest into his, a little pathetic nod following your actions. “s-sorry joel, please please let me cum, feels so good i-i dunno if i can hold it,” you whimpered, trying to fuck yourself on his cock. 

the swirls from his fingers over your clit persisted and it made you vibrate in his hold, your impending orgasm making you lose what little control you had over your own body. 

“c’mon baby give it to me, cum all over it,” he grunted gruffly, and you shook wildly, squeezing your eyes shut and collapsing in his arms while your orgasm reverberated all throughout your limbs  

“joel—oh my—fuck!” you sobbed, bouncing on his cock while you rode out your orgasm, feeling milked dry as he rubbed your clit into over sensitivity. 

“good baby, so fuckin’ good,” he drawled out lowly, patting your poor abused clit with his long fingers. “wanna do somethin’ for me?” he panted and you nodded eagerly. 

“lie back for me,” he ordered and you obeyed, laying back down onto the pillows beneath you. he begrudgingly pulled out of your tight cunt, shushing you when you whimpered at the loss of him inside you. 

he straddled you, feeling his cock ache in his rough palm when you stared up at him, resting on your elbows, cute tits perked and barely concealed from his flannel. 

he shoved the material away from your flesh, jerking himself off before he put it between your tits. “push ‘em together f’me—ahh shit, y-yeah just like that—oh shit baby, keep lookin at me like that—“ he growled under his breath, fucking your tits with hard pistons from his hips. 

“gonna cum, gonna cum on these cute fuckin’ tits baby,” he groaned, throwing his head back while you egged him on, whimpering and squeezing your thighs together at how he used your chest to cum, it was so hot seeing him fall apart on top of you, looking glorious and gorgeous even in such dirty circumstances. 

you wrapped your lips around his leaking cockhead, the corners of your mouth peeking upwards with smugness at the way he gasped and shivered at your actions. “shit,” he groaned, his own orgasm taking over his body. 

he came in your mouth, your tits still engulfing his shaft. he twitched on your tongue, whimpering to himself at the way you sucked on his tip. he pulled himself away from your plump lips, starting to soften from how sensitive he was. 

he laid beside you, pulling you into his arms once more, feeling content and right with the world when you nestled into your rightful place on his chest. 

“still in awe over you.” he murmured, running his fingertips up and down your arm. “you’ll get used to the tattoo soon,” you giggled and he shook his head. “meant you…you as a whole baby.” he whispered and you looked up at him, pupils dilating into hearts. “joel,” you uttered, leaning up to kiss him. “i love you,” you mumbled sleepily. he smiled, kissing your clammy forehead. “i love you too baby.” 

[thetriumphantpanda]

The Way You Miss Me | Joel Miller (Chapter Six)

You take Joel and Ellie to the lake so she can finally learn how to swim. It's domestic and fun, but all good things have to come to an end and how can Joel ever thank you for what you did for him when everything goes wrong on the walk back to Jackson?

Pairing | Joel Miller x Female Reader

Word Count | 4.5K (I got carried away, I can't help it with these two)

Warnings | Canon-typical violence, mentions of knives and guns, mentions of blood, alcohol consumption, smoking, some allusions to body dysmorphia and changing with age act, and finally SOME FLUFF. SOME FLUFF FOR THESE TWO.

Authors Note | I'm honestly obsessed with these two. This chapter flew out of my fingers and I really hope you like it! Please let me know what you think, either through comments, asks or reblogs, and if you like what you read here, consider following - I'd love to have you along for the ride.

Series Masterlist / Main Masterlist

It had been a few weeks since Joel and Ellie’s arrival back in Jackson. Since the night at the bar, you’d tried to keep your distance from Joel, realizing that if anything was ever to happen between you again it would have to be on his terms, you couldn’t force his hand like you had been planning to before. He’d become a little more relaxed, not quite like the feral cat on high alert all the time, and the two of them had taken to sitting with you and your father at the Tipsy Bison when they dropped in, usually with Tommy in tow. It had been nice, you could almost convince yourself you were right back in Austin, apart from the fact that Joel’s eyes didn’t trail up and down your body like they used to, begging to get you somewhere private. 

Part of you wondered if it was to do with the fact that you weren’t the bright eyed 25-year-old anymore. You had fine lines and the beginning of wrinkles on your forehead and some of your hair was greying. After years of scavenging for food and getting by on the bare minimum, the abundance of food in Jackson, the freshly made stews and fresh bread, was filling your figure out – you’d even had to trade for a bigger pair of jeans a few days ago. Maybe it was simply that he didn’t find you attractive anymore and had nothing to do with whatever had happened before he found his way here. 

“It’s getting warmer,” Tommy had commented one evening, “Won’t be long until we can take trips to the lake for swimming.” 

“Swimming?” Ellie had perked up, taking her eyes off the glass of juice she was drinking, “Joel you have to teach me!” 

He smiled then and it was something you’d realized you’d missed, his face always so dark and brooding, “I will kiddo, I promise.” 

“But we have to do it before everyone starts going,” She said, “I need to be able to swim with everyone else.” 

“It’s probably not so cold anymore,” You offered, “I went out on the trail a week ago and it was warm enough to dip my feet into.” 

Joel looked to you and then back at Ellie, “I don’t have patrol tomorrow, maybe I can take you out.” 

“Make sure you take someone with you,” Tommy insisted, “We haven’t had a chance to properly scope it out for infected or raiders yet.” 

“I’ll go,” You offered, “Like I said I went last week so I can keep an eye out and maybe take a dip myself.” 

“That’s awful nice of you but you…” Joel started but Tommy interrupted. 

“This’ll be good for you Sunshine,” He smiled, clearly referencing that you’d struggled to find your role here so far, “Maybe get a taste of patrols and we can get you on the rota.” 

You smiled back, not wanting to give away that if you never held another gun in your life, it wouldn’t be too soon, but you really did feel the need to start pulling your weight, “How about you both meet me at the front gate tomorrow morning after breakfast and we’ll get going?” You smiled at Ellie mostly, “It’ll take a few hours hike so by lunchtime the water might have warmed up a bit more.” 

With an agreement to meet at the front gates once the breakfast service was over, you all bid each other goodnight, Ellie and Joel disappearing first as you said goodnight to Tommy, him telling you to come to him in the morning so he could make sure you had the right weapons and then you helping your father to walk home. 

*

The trail was relatively calm, the sun was shaded through the trees which made the heat manageable, and it was always a small joy for you to be able to hear the birds through the silence. Ellie and Joel were a few steps ahead of you, his arms were moving as he was speaking to her although you couldn’t quite make out what they were talking about. It was the most animated you’d seen him since… before. 

You were trying to keep your distance, realizing you were only there as an extra pair of hands, not wanting to disturb what was obviously precious bonding time. Joel had always loved hikes like this, you’d been on a few with him and Sarah on the odd weekend when your dad had been tied up with work, it had been nice, but now, with a rifle strapped to your back and your handgun at your thigh, there was no denying this was different. 

You hung back as much as possible as Joel and Ellie headed down the hill to the lake. It was a beautiful area and you smiled as you watched Ellie see if for the first time and lose her mind, Joel letting out a little chuckle at her excitement. 

“This place is fucking awesome!” She exclaimed as you joined them at the bottom of the hill. 

“Ellie, what’d I tell you about your language.” Joel chastised, looking in your direction. 

“You don’t gotta worry about me,” You shrugged, “You know every other word outta my mouth used to be a curse word.” 

You set your pack and your rifle against one of the larger stones along the shore, unstrapping your handgun from your thigh, and then resting against the stone, “You guys hop in, it’s shallow right here but gets deeper the further out you go,” You advised, “I’ll keep an eye here.” 

You sat on the shore for a few hours, letting the sun warm your face as you watched Joel take Ellie through the basics of swimming. She was a fast learner form the glances you were taking, first came the lesson in letting yourself float, then he taught her to tread water. Once you were sure the sounds of her laughter and the splashing weren’t attracting any infected or people to the shore and you were confident she wasn’t going to drown, you stood and shucked off your clothes behind the rock. Maria had handed you the one-piece in an old box a few months back, laughing that one day you might be able to make use of it. 

Peering out from behind the rock, Joel’s back was turned, focusing on teaching Ellie the beginnings of a breaststroke. You dashed as quickly as you could into the water, trying to keep the slight shriek of surprise at the cold water against your skin to yourself and then fully submerged yourself in the water. You came up and slicked the hair back from your face, letting yourself float on the top of the water for a moment before settling your feet back down to the bottom. 

When you stood, with just the top of your shoulders out of the water, you could see Ellie taking little breaststrokes away from Joel and then around back to him. The look on his face was full on proud dad and you couldn’t help but let the swell of happiness in your tummy for him. You hate to imagine what those years were like after Sarah, from the information you’d gleaned from Tommy it had been messy and dark, but looking at these two in their little found family made your emotions tighten in your chest. 

“Why don’t you try swimming over there?” Joel asked, pointing towards you. 

You smiled and reached your hands out towards her, you weren’t far away, just enough to challenge her. Ellie looked to Joel, who simply nodded his head towards you. You kept your eyes on her the whole time she swam towards you, shouting words of encouragement as she went and before you know it, she was clasping onto your outstretched hands, laughing in delight as you pulled her upwards. She turned around and kept her hands on yours to keep her head up out of the water, legs kicking, sometimes against your own, to continue treading water. 

“Holy shit, Joel did you see?!” She called back, “I fucking swam!” 

“Well done kiddo,” He called, “Proud of you.” 

If anyone was looking in on this, you would swear they’d thought you were family and, in this moment, you felt something blooming in your chest. The little girl in front of you was obviously Joel’s world, pulling him out from the darkness that had taken hold of him in the years previous and he’d actively invited you into this moment with them, whether he knew it or not. You realized then, without knowing her all that well, that you would protect this little girl with your life if it meant keeping Joel as happy as he was in this moment. 

“You wanna swim back?” You asked quietly to her, giving a reassuring squeeze to both hands. 

“I’m kinda cold,” She replied, “But I’ll swim to shore?” 

“Off you go then.” You smiled, letting her hands go as she did her slow swim back to dry land. 

Once you’d made sure she was out of the water and drying herself off, you dunked yourself under the water again, emerging to Joel who had swum over. Popping up from the water you almost crashed into his chest he was so close. Realising how close you both were to each other, you both stepped back, like you’d been burned by each other. 

“Sorry,” He spoke sheepishly, “I couldn’t see where you were.” 

“It’s alright,” You smiled, “My own fault for closing my eyes. 

“Thanks for that,” He offered, “It’s was real nice of you, it’s still takin’ some time for her to settle so thank you for always bein’ so nice to her.” 

You shrugged, “It’s alright Joel, I can see how much she means to you, I’m just glad she’s finally getting a chance at some kind of normal life.” 

“Are you two coming?” Ellie shouted from the shore, already dried and dressed. 

You shot Joel a quick smile before swimming back to shore. The air was cold on your wet skin as you dashed behind the rock, fishing your towel out of your pack to wrap it around your body. Once you were dry, dressed and had your weapons strapped back where they needed to be, you came out from behind the rock to find Joel and Ellie in a similar state. You pushed down the flood of arousal that pooled in your stomach at Joel’s slicked back wet hair and the sight of his forearms which were on show from his pushed-up shirt sleeves. 

“There’s a shortcut back to Jackson if we go this way,” You pointed down the shore in the opposite direction that you’d arrived in, “Less hills for my old knees, if that’s okay?” 

“Between your knees and his back I’m starting to wonder if I’m in good hands or not.” Ellie chuckled, but 

The walk back was pleasant. The breeze was picking up and every time it touched the wet hair on your head you would shiver, goosebumps appearing over your arms. Ellie had taken to walking next to you, Joel just a beat behind. 

“What did you do before all this?” She asked. 

“I was at school, I’d just started studying for my master’s degree in history when this all went down,” You smiled at her, “All seems pretty useless now, all that money on an education that’s no use to anyone.” 

“At least you got to choose what you wanted to learn, FEDRA school was the worst,” She moaned, “So go on, best historical nugget of information you got?” 

You chuckled, thinking for a moment, “My favourite is probably Wojtek the bear,” You smirked, looking down at her, “He was bought as a cub by Polish soldiers in Iran during World War Two and they made him an army Corporal in order for him to get rations so they could feed him, apparently he liked to drink beer and walk on his hind legs just like the soldiers did.”

“You’re fucking with me.” Ellie laughed. 

“I’m being dead serious,” You matched her laugh, noticing Joel was chuckling a little behind you, “I’m going to trawl the books in the library to prove it to you.” 

 You all continued the trail in silence for a while. You were soaking up the feeling of the sun on your face when a branch snapping off to the side of you stopped you dead in your tracks. Ellie continued walking as did Joel, passing you, but turned around when he realized you weren’t following. 

He went to open his mouth to ask something, but you pressed a finger to your lips to hush him, listening out for any other sounds. You were just about to carry on down the trail when the telltale clicking hit your ears. 

It was almost like everything happened in slow motion. A single clicker emerged from the forest, ambling aimlessly until Joel moved and snapped another twig under his boot. The clicker turned and let out the horrible screeching sound before he was rushing towards Joel. The screech it let out then revealed two more who came running and clicking from the trees. Thankfully Joel was quick enough to stick a knife into the clickers neck, throwing it to the ground where it let out a pathetic sound as it died. 

The other two were rushing towards you. You whipped your handgun from its strap on your thigh, firing two shots into the one closer to you, buying you enough time to grab the knife from your boot to give the second one a similar end to Joel’s. You almost relaxed until a scream hit your ears. 

You whipped your head around. Ellie was on the ground, fighting a clicker of her own. It had her pinned the floor and she was struggling with her hands around its neck to keep it from tearing the flesh of her face or neck, whichever it reached first. 

“Ellie no!” You screamed, rushing forward without thinking. 

You managed to kick the clicker off her, booting it with so much force it almost flew before landing on its back. You didn’t give it enough time to get back up. Without thinking, you were straddling it, shoving your knife right into the center of its face repeatedly until you were sure it was dead. 

Once it had stopped moving and making sounds you pulled your knife out, wiping it on your shirt before standing from its body. You sheathed the knife back to where it lived and put your hands on your knees to catch your breath. 

When you stood up and turned around, you saw Ellie, pushed up on her elbows looking at you with wild eyes, “Are you okay?” You asked her, putting out your hand for her to take so you could drag her to her feet. 

“I’m fine.” Was all she managed to get out. 

“No bites?” You asked. 

“No bites.” She confirmed. 

Then you turned to Joel. He was still stood by the body of the first click, hand trained on the gun like he’d be poised to shoot at the one that had pinned Ellie to the ground. His eyes matched Ellie’s but there was an added depth to them that you’d seen before in various people who had joined you and your father on your journey to get to where you were. Failure. 

“We need to get a move on,” You spoke simply, “Shouldn’t have fired the fucking gun, any others out there won’t be fair behind.” 

*

The three of you practically sprinted back to Jackson. You could feel blood drying on your face and the smell of whatever those things smelt like was seeping into you. You needed a fucking shower and a drink. That had been too close for you. 

Tommy was working the gate that afternoon and signaled for them to open the gate as he saw you coming. He could obviously sense something was wrong at the way you were all barreling towards the gate and rushed down to meet you as you crossed the threshold to safety. 

“What is God’s name happened to you?!” Tommy exclaimed, pointing towards your blood-soaked clothes. 

“Fucking clickers.” You replied simple, “Bunch of them jumped us on the way down from the lake.” 

“Jesus Christ, is everyone okay?” He looked to Joel and Ellie who both nodded. 

“I need a fucking drink and a shower.” You spat, thrusting the rifle into Tommy’s hands before turning on your heel. 

The water was scalding. You almost cried with relief as the water flowed over you. You watched as the blood washed down the plughole and felt as your hands shook as you raked them through your hair to wash the soap suds from your head. Panic was rising in your chest as your mind replayed the image of Ellie on the floor and the look in Joel’s eyes. If you’d been a few seconds slower things could be much different, Joel had already lost one daughter and although Ellie wasn’t blood you knew that losing her would be the same pain for him. You couldn’t stand to let him go through that again. 

Despite the slightly warmer climate, you dressed yourself in the biggest jumper you owned, hoping it would act as a comfort to stop your body from shivering. 

“I’m going to head to the Bison,” You father stated when you walked back down the stairs, he hadn’t asked questions when you’d barreled through the door covered in blood and guts, just pulled you into a hug and told you everything would be okay, “Would you like to join me?” 

You shook your head, “I think I’d like to be alone for a while.” 

He nodded in understanding, pressing a kiss to the top of your head as he shuffled out of the door, leaving you alone once more, with nothing but a bottle of the good whiskey Tommy had given you as a moving in gift. Your poured yourself a generous double and lit a cigarette in the house, something you’d never normally do. 

The light had faded fast, darkness now enveloping your home, but you couldn’t bring yourself to turn on the light, it would illuminate too much. The rage you’d felt as you plunged the knife into that clickers face was the same rage you’d felt when you’d stabbed the girl who had tried to steal your supplies three years ago. You’d pushed her up against a wall and she’d begged for forgiveness, she didn’t see the light of the fire or hear the slow chatter between you and your father and thought the box had been abandoned. You’d sunk the knife into her stomach and watched as the life drained from her eyes. She couldn’t have been more than twenty, but what did that matter anymore? 

The fear you’d felt was the same as the fear you’d felt when you’d come back from hunting, rabbits strung to your backpack and found your father tied up in the house and a group of raiders beating him. You couldn’t lose him; you couldn’t face this world on your own. What would be the point of carrying on if the one man who had stayed constant in your life was gone? You’d shot one point blank in the head, the other two received a similar end. Once he was untied and you knew his injuries would heal, you’d cried in his lap from fear of the person you’d become. 

There was a knock at your door as you shot back your fourth glass. Maybe if you sat still for long enough whoever it was on the other side would get the hint, but they knocked again. Standing up on shaky legs, you walked to the door and tore it open, about to give whoever it was a piece of your mind. It was Joel. All thought of telling him off was gone and immediately you felt the tension drop a notch from your body. 

“Are you okay?” Was the first thing he asked. 

“I’m fine Joel,” You stated, “Are you okay?” 

He shook his head to say no, and you could already see the glassy overlay in his eyes, “I don’t know how to thank you.” He choked out. 

You tried to find the words in your mind to comfort him, but nothing came to you. Instead, you stepped over the threshold and put your arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug. It was the closest you’d been to him since before and all of a sudden, when you closed your eyes and breathed in his scent, you could almost convince yourself you were 25 and back in Austin. You felt his own arms wrap around your back and squeeze you to him, silencing your mind from asking him whether this was okay. You stayed wrapped up together for what felt like hours before his arms dropped and he was pulling away from you. 

“That girl,” He started, “Means more to me than anyone will ever know, after everything she’s been through, everything I’ve done to keep her safe, to lose her like that would have killed me,” You’d never heard Joel speak so honestly before, “I could see it, in my head, the way it was going to tear her neck open and the way she would’a looked at me as she bled out,” He was crying now, “I was too slow, I had that gun ready and pointed but it was all too slow.” 

“Joel,” You cooed at him, placing a reassuring hand on his arm, “She’s fine. She’ll be okay.” 

“But she wasn’t!” He exclaimed, “If you hadn’t been there, we’d both be dead.” 

“You don’t know that,” You tried to comfort him, “You don’t know what would have happened if I wasn’t there, things could have been different, maybe they wouldn’t have appeared, you just can’t put the blame on yourself like that.” 

There was silence between you for a while, “This place is safe Joel, sure the world outside of it is fucked beyond all recognition, but this place is safe and this community has your back, it was dumb of us to go without a full scouting party, but they’ll find the rest of the infected and they’ll get rid of them,” You gave his arm another squeeze, “You have to stop surviving and start living.” 

“I’m sorry I put you in that position.” He speaks softly, looking at you through the haze in his eyes. 

“That’s the whole reason I went with you Joel, to keep an eye out and keep you safe, it was a close call I’ll admit but I managed it,” You reassured him, “I’ve done much worse than stab a clicker in the face a few times.” 

“And I hate that,” He admits, “I hate that this world has done that to you, made you do things you didn’t want to, you of all people have never deserved that.” 

“I hate it too,” You shrug, leaning against the doorframe, “But there’s something about this that makes it all worth it, sure I’ve killed my fair share of people but the fact that I can sit on an actual couch, take a warm shower and wait out my days with the people I’ve loved the most in life, the death and the blood and the hatred has all been worth it.” 

You didn’t really register what was happening next. Joel took a step forward, cupping your face in his palms, you looked up into his brown eyes, still bloodshot from his tears, as his face inched closer to yours. His lips pressed against yours softly and it was like your whole world had ignited in flames. You’d waiting twenty years to kiss him again, to feel his hands on your face and have his scent overwhelming you. It was over far too quickly for your liking. 

“I thought you said we couldn’t do this?” You murmured softly. 

“That was before you saved my girl,” He breathed back, “Now I wanna give you the world darlin’ girl.” 

Tears threatened to fall from your eyes at his words. It was all so overwhelming. The man who you’d loved all those years ago, the man that you knew you loved now. A kiss that you thought would never happen and that damned fucking nickname that had arousal pooling in your stomach. 

You pushed yourself up on your toes to press your lips back to his, wrapping your arms around his neck as his tongue ran over your lower lip. You opened your mouth for him and then your tongues were tangled, the memories of the last time you’d been like this causing a quiet moan to erupt from your throat. 

A cough from behind Joel had him tearing away from you and stepping back to reveal your father, stood at the bottom of the steps to the porch. 

“If you could let my daughter go long enough for me to get into the house, I’d be very grateful.” There was cheeky smirk on his face that made the words a joke, but you couldn’t help the burn of the blush on your cheeks as you stepped out of the doorway to help him into the house, closing the door behind him. 

“I should really get back,” Joel spoke softly, rubbing the back of his neck, “Ellie was takin’ a nap and I don’t want her to wake up on her own.” 

You smiled, “Of course, I better go in and get a telling off.” 

“At least he’s not likely to kill me now.” 

“I wouldn’t let him,” You laughed, stepping forward to press a kiss to his cheek, “Goodnight Joel.” 

“Goodnight, darlin’ girl.” 

You watched as he walked away, a smile creeping across your face like a teenager who just got asked to prom by their crush. You softly closed the door behind you, leaning against the door with the smile permanently plastered to your mouth. 

“I knew the whole time, you know?” Your eyes shot to your father, stood in the middle of the room. 

“You’re lying.” 

“I’m not,” He chuckled, “I saw the way you looked at him, all those times where it would take you forever to come out to the car after babysitting, not to mention the fact that you were hopeless at closing the front door quietly.” 

“I thought you’d kill us if you knew.” 

Another chuckle, “He was a good man, he is a good man, after all the idiots you’d dated he brought out the best in you, even if you didn’t realise it, I wasn’t going to get in the way of that, I was waiting for the awkward conversation with the two of you, was gonna make it real uncomfortable for both of you, kinda sad I can’t do that now.” 

“Well, I mean you still could?” You offered. 

“Honey, you are forty-five years old now, we’re far beyond that,” He shuffled slowly over to you, pulling you into a hug, “If he makes you happy then I’m happy.” 

You sat down on the sofa, pouring one last glass of the good whiskey, “I’m heading to bed, don’t stay up too late.” Your father called as he started to walk up the stairs. 

“I’m forty-five years old dad, we’re far beyond that.” 

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[spicysix]

「eddie munson X gn!reader • roadtrip!AU」

3.5k words | prev | next | masterlist | ao3 warnings: none. happy reading! ;) songs of the chapter: eyes of fire - rainbow • call on me - big brother & the holding company, janis joplin • lighter touch - heart

Sunday, July 27

Eddie Munson had hit the jackpot with the tour he chose based on name only.

You both woke up at almost eight, somehow closer than you were when you went to sleep the night before. His hand was still over yours and your feet and legs had met and intertwined under the quilts. None of you commented on it, but the heat of his skin still felt like a burn — a good burn, if possible — for a few hours after you both had left the tent.

Breakfast was made of snacks you retrieved from the storage box — the dining room served breakfast, but you had talked to Eddie about not going back there, and you were both serious about it.

And at the right time you went to the meeting point of the Circle Of Fire tour, and a bus was there waiting for you.

Eddie was thrilled about not having to go on a hike or something.

The tour was absolutely spectacular. It was a whole day itinerary, and it stopped at the most popular sites throughout the park. Granted, you had to leave the bus and walk a little bit around those areas if you wanted to have the best views, but it wasn’t anything near an actual trail, and Eddie’s feet —  not wearing the proper shoes — thanked.

Your first stops were the biggest geysers, Old Faithful and the Deep Blue, and all the other smaller ones around those. The colors of the waters and the smoke that rose from them were otherworldly sights, and when Old Faithful erupted your eyes filled with tears from so much emotion. Eddie said nothing, but you felt his arm touching yours, and when you looked at him he was also enraptured by the sight.

You kept heading up on the road, and some people asked the bus driver and the guide accompanying you to stop for pictures or more attentive sightings of certain specific spots. There was a turn at some point, and you left the bus to appreciate a waterfall. Eddie commented he’d like to be under the waterfall, his hair already damp from sweat as the sun was relentless in the sky, and you laughed.

Reaching the canyon, you walked a bit more than you had so far before. You actually observed more of the other tourists around you than you did of the nature itself. You just found it beautiful how so many of you were gathered to appreciate the Earth in the same way, with the same awe. How enraptured by the natural beauty around all of you were, sharing that experience alongside other humans, remembering how you too were part of nature.

Eddie observed you. You couldn’t help but feel his eyes on you as you were people-watching. You tried to hide your smiles about it. You weren’t sure you managed it.

Going down the valley, at the last part of the tour, the bus went slower as it followed the Yellowstone River like you and Eddie did the day before. At some point you heard a gasp from someone on the other side of the bus corridor, and when the bus stopped and you all walked outside, there was a herd of wild bisons strolling by across the river. You swooned at the sight, and remembered how you wanted to go to the Zoo in Sioux Falls — that felt like months ago, even if it hadn’t even been a week since. But the sun on its way down behind the bisons as they walked together, stopped to eat some grass, the younger ones in some kind of play or rubbing against their mothers — that was so much better.

You might have shed a tear or two.

Eddie might have dried them for you with the tips of his thumbs, hands carefully cradling your face.

Your heart might have almost stopped with the gentle caress.

“Thought you were terrified of all kinds of wildlife?” you asked teasingly once you went back into the bus and sat side by side.

Eddie had retreated his notebook from his backpack and was drafting what looked like a drawing of a bison. He looked at you with a confused face before seemingly remembering what he had said at the motel and chuckling. Maybe he agreed that it felt like it had happened so long ago.

“Well, you’re a very brave soul, clearly. I’m taking inspiration from you,” he answered earnestly, a sweet grin on his lips and you smiled back at him. Then his smile turned into a smirk. “And if a bison attacked us, I’d just throw you at it and run for my life.” He shrugged and you rolled your eyes, hiding a chuckle behind your wrist.

Nearing the lake, once again a beautiful sigh: another herd, of deers this time. They were even further away than the bisons, across the point where the river turned to the lake. The bus stopped once again, and you cried once again, and Eddie hugged your shoulders to comfort you and to bask in the sight with you. “Deers aren’t as scary,” he whispered in your ear, making you laugh.

By the time the bus left you back at the campground, the sun was starting to set and you were starving. You and Eddie only shared a single look before heading to the restaurant nearby, knowing that you wouldn’t be the only ones to have that idea. Luckily, since most people were in bigger groups, you and Eddie were some of the first ones to get there and were able to get a table without waiting longer than fifteen minutes.

The majority of your dinner was spent in silence, basking in the afterglow of the wonderful sightings of the day, and because you were both tired to your bones. The restaurant was right by the lake, so you were able to spend dinner with another majestic landscape, if just to finish the great day with a cherry on top.

You and Eddie walked back to your campsite slowly, the night breeze giving you chills, but Eddie’s arm and shoulders touching yours with every step you took made you forget about the cold real quickly. You gathered clothes from your bags in the van and went for showers. The water wasn’t hot, but it was warm enough to give your sore back and feet some much needed relief.

When you finished, Eddie was once again waiting for you. He hummed another song on your walk back, and the repetitive routine of it all brought a smile to your lips. He entered the tent, you went in right after him, and once more you lied down facing each other. But he seemed closer this time.

“I think this was one of the best days of my life,” you said, a secret whisper again shared only between him, you, and the stars above you.

“Top three, no doubt,” he agreed and you both chuckled.

Some of your neighbors were having a campfire, the light of it illuminating your tent. You could see him almost clearly. The night was cold, and you were practically buried under all your quilts, yet Eddie’s cheeks were somehow pink. You wanted more than anything to reach out and touch him, see if his skin would warm you up, see if it was as soft as it looked.

You felt his hand reach for yours on the mattress between you, as if the thoughts surrounding you were surrounding him too. And the déjà-vu from the day before made you smile again.

“Can’t wait to see what awaits us tomorrow in this land of adventures, my liege,” he murmured. You giggled at the nickname, nodded in agreement to his statement, and bit your lips in excitement.

His eyes dropped to watch the movement. Just for a second. Before raising to meet yours again.

His brown eyes reminded you of the bison earlier, and you chuckled.

“Laughing at me?” he asked, so you shared your thought, and he laughed too. “I don’t look like a hairy cow!”

“Kinda do.” You shrugged and he cackled. You could listen to that sound forever if he indulged you.

The neighbors by the campfire were playing guitars and singing songs. You wished Eddie would agree to play you something sometime, he hadn’t even opened the guitar case, not once, and you wondered if there was a reason for that. You’d ask him tomorrow.

A sudden smell of burning marshmallows reached your nose and you inhaled deeply and sighed, liking your lips in yearning.

Eddie’s eyes dropped again to watch the movement. For a second or two longer than before. Before raising to meet yours again.

He swallowed hard.

You suddenly forgot about the s’mores. You yearned for something else.

He gripped your hand tighter.

You didn’t fight the want to touch his cheek this time, and it was still pink — maybe even pinkier. It was warm, and it was soft.

Your eyes dropped to watch his lips as he slightly opened them. You didn’t look away as you closed the distance between you and him.

And only then you closed your eyes.

His lips were warm — maybe warmer than his skin. And also soft — even if a little chapped, you caught him worrying them from time to time. But still sweet, as sweet as chocolate and marshmallow on a cracker, and you sighed at the realization that you were kissing him. You hadn’t even noticed how much you have been wanting to do that until you did it.

It made sense, though, how much you could listen to him talk or laugh for hours, and the way his voice would stir something in your belly. The way the sun caught his eyes sometimes, and they were the most beautiful shade of brown you’ve ever seen, and you felt like burning from the inside-out when he looked at you with them. How his tentative touches gave you electric shocks and some of the stuff he’d say or do would make you want to float away. My liege, you remembered him calling you. Yeah, that did something to you.

His hand that wasn’t holding yours cradled your face, and you might have sighed in response, and he might have scooted closer. Your hand that wasn’t holding his went to his chest, and you could feel the warmth of his skin and the fast beating of his heart through his shirt. Suddenly, the cold from the night in the middle of a forest was far gone, and the tent felt like an oven, and your skin prickled with heat.

You lost track of time as your lips slid over his, as his tongue explored the inside of your mouth, as his hand traveled south and he gripped the skin of your hips tightly. There was so much between you, and so very little at the same time — as nothing felt rushed, as you didn’t feel the need to escalate any further, as you were incredibly content in just sharing slow kisses with him for god knows how long.

Sleep came as you were still as intertwined as physically possible, and if you fell into slumber with your lips still touching Eddie’s, well, that was a secret shared only between him, you, and the stars above you.

Monday, July 28

You and Eddie let yourselves sleep in for a while longer than the days before. Two things had drained your energies — the tour throughout the day, and all the kissing at the end of it.

You woke up before him, and even though you had no memory of how you fell asleep, you knew for sure it wasn’t in the position you had awakened. Eddie was draped over you, legs caging you in the most comfortable of prisons. One of his arms was trapped between the two of you and the other was over your torso, hand under your shirt and fingers gripping your waist. His face was tucked into your neck, his breath was sending chills down your spine. You bit back a smile, closed your eyes, and stayed as still as you could, for as long as you could, enjoying what all that felt like.

It felt like pure bliss, if you were being honest.

Still, you didn’t want to waste the whole day inside the tent, even if the idea of being curled up to Eddie’s warmth was indeed very appealing. So you wiggled a little bit, trying to wake Eddie up without warning him you were awake yourself, eyes still closed and expression as neutral as you could master it.

You didn’t want to be the first one to rise, because then you’d have to be the one to acknowledge what had happened the night before, and how you’d both behave for the rest of the day. It was the one responsibility you didn’t want to fall over your shoulders.

It worked somehow.

He stirred awake, took his sweet time to notice the position you were both in, froze in place as he realized it. Tried to bolt away, only to probably realize that it would be a bad idea — since it would ‘wake you up’ — and got up as slowly as he could, leaving the tent right after, not a word or sound behind him.

Eyes opening slowly, your head buzzed with the indecision of whether you should be glad you didn’t have to react first, or if you should be offended by Eddie’s reaction. You were still barely awake, though, so you just shrugged and waited a few more minutes before leaving the tent too.

Eddie was stretching his limbs outside, some rays of sunlight hitting him at all the right spots, making his frizzy hair look angelical and his skin glow warmly. He heard you approaching and turned to face you, his eyes a caramel tone under all the light, and you wanted to kiss him again.

You just smiled, and he smiled back just as sweetly before handing you a water bottle and a protein bar from where he had laid some breakfast snacks on the picnic table. You thanked him and sat down, and he sat beside you to eat his own food in gentle silence. It was comfortable, and it didn’t feel forced, and you were feeling hopeful.

After you both went through your morning routines, brushing your teeth and changing clothes, Eddie was checking out one of the pamphlets he got from the visitor’s center as you stepped out of the tent once again, this time out of your pajamas and dressed for the day.

“I feel like I’m gonna regret saying this, but do you wanna go for a trail? To one of these lakes?” he asked when you sat beside him again.

You leaned onto him, shoulders touching, so you could see the map he was pointing at in the pamphlet. You read the information, overly aware of how close you two were, his skin still just as warm as last night. You wanted to kiss him again.

“Maybe one of these two? They’re not as long so you won’t get as tired.” You pointed to two trails to different lakes. They were closer to your camping grounds as well, so it wouldn’t be a long ride to reach them.

“I’ll pretend you didn’t get a superior complex just there,” he teased with a dramatic hand wave and you laughed. “We can stop at this one for lunch, see the area and then go to this other one,” he continued, pointing at Lewis Lake and Shoshone Lake in order.

You agreed and you gathered some stuff you’d need for the day before hitting the road. He smirked as you once again sang loudly and completely off tune along with Bowie and Christine McVie, not complaining once about your antics.

It wasn’t long before Eddie was parking the van near the beginning of the first trail. You put on sunglasses and a cap, he refused to put his hair up so he wouldn’t ‘ruin his metal look’ (his words) and you started the walk. It wasn’t a long or tiring trail, not many ups and downs —  not that any of that stopped Eddie from complaining. But it was nice anyway, the birds chirping around you, the smell of dirt and leaves and you even saw a few squirrels crossing the forest.

In a bit over an hour, just in time for lunch, you had reached Lewis Lake. There were few people in there, a couple and a lonely adventurer; and you could see that, way across the lake, the Campground was more crowded. A few boats were scattered on the lake as well, their riders fishing.

You and Eddie settled on the ground under a tree and started preparing your lunch with whatever you still had left. Your food was coming to an end, and you’d have to stop by somewhere to restore your snacks on your way out of the Park. You ate in comfortable silence once again, still resting from the walk that, even if it was an easy one, none of you were used to taking.

Eddie laid down with his headphones on and his Walkman blasting some metal as you gathered your trash into a plastic bag to take back and dispose of it somewhere appropriate later. You took advantage of the fact that you were sitting a little further behind him, out of his sight, to take him in along with the view.

His skin was still gleaming with sweat, and the cropped shirt he chose to wear showed off his arms and the last few inches of his torso. His long, lean legs were also on display, out of his usual tight ripped pants and into what was probably the only pair of shorts he owned. There was a faint breeze from the lake, swirling the few loose curls on his head in different directions, and he was nodding along and tapping his hand on his thigh at the rhythm coming from his headphones.

He looked at ease, relaxed, and content. You wanted to kiss him again.

You settled for a book you had found some day lost and forgotten inside the van. A fantasy novel, not your usual choice but definitely one of many that Eddie owned. It was entertaining enough to get you distracted from the man in front of you. The man you kissed all night, that you wanted to kiss again, and that hadn’t made a move or said a word yet about all the kissing.

You didn’t want to be the first one to break.

── ⇌ • ○ • ⇋ ──

Eddie didn’t talk about or acknowledged the kisses all day.

It made something stir in your belly, unpleasant and a little nauseating, as the sun made its way across the horizon.

You stayed in Lewis Lake until around two before taking the other trail to Shoshone Lake. It was much bigger and more crowded than the first one. There was even a family of metalheads — daddy, momma and two little baby metals all wearing different band tees. And they warmed your heart as the kiddos felt safe enough to talk to Eddie and beam at his long hair (dad was going bald, poor guy). And Eddie felt safe enough to play with them by the water, the kids’ parents clearly enjoying a little peace and quiet for themselves and trusting another one of their own with their kids.

Being trusted with kids was not something that happened a lot back in Hawkins in the last few months, you imagined. Probably even before March.

Once again you remembered of Eddie and Dustin’s friendship, and put on your mental to-do list the task of passing through a post office to send a new update letter to your friends.

Eddie wasn’t treating you badly nor ignoring you, but you hoped the kisses from the previous night would start a different dynamic in your relationship with him. Nothing changed, though. Nothing at all. It was like the kisses didn’t even happen.

You left the lake a little after five and reached the campgrounds just as the sun was setting, and followed the same routine as the first night: laundry, dinner at a restaurant, shower, and back to the tent.

Eddie went inside after you and seemed to hesitate for a second before settling in beside you on the mattress. He looked at you and smiled, his usual beautiful grin, opened his mouth to say something and you felt hope blooming inside your chest, and thousands of butterflies flying around in your stomach.

“Goodnight,” he said, nothing more, and didn’t turn to look at you as he laid down. Instead, he faced the sky, the same one who held all your secrets and whispers and kisses the nights before, the one who wouldn’t have any secret to hold for this night.

“Goodnight, Eddie,” you answered and turned to face away from him before forcing yourself to sleep before he did.

Your hope liquefied and the butterflies in your stomach all lost their wings.

end notes: sorry about that ending i'm not actually sorry

taglist (is open!): @amira0303 @rupsmorge @wyverntatty

[attackfish]

More for the Azula Drowns AU please.

Ah yes, the AU where the tides do command this ship. Continued from: [Link], [Link], [Link], and [Link].

1. Half starved, and having not slept the night before, Zuko stumbles across clumps of very familiar hair. Wet clumps of sky bison hair. Following the Avatar's trail is second nature to Zuko by now, a habit, almost an involuntary reflex. And as exhausted as he is, he doesn't realize how close he's gotten until he stumbles into their camp. Where the waterbender is having a screaming fight with a small Earth Kingdom child.

2. This fight promptly stops long enough for them to drive him away, and for them all to pack up and leave. Zuko of course follows, doing his best not to fall asleep on the back of his ostrich-horse, lose his seat, and fall off. This time he manages not to stumble head first into their camp. He lies in wait until they are asleep. It's only by superhuman will that he doesn't fall asleep himself. He slips into the camp, picks up Aang's bedroll, carefully lays him across the ostrich-horse saddle, ties him down, and rides away.

3. Aang is tired enough that he doesn't wake up right away, but he does wake up pretty quickly from the jostling of the ride. He pretends to be asleep long enough for Zuko to stop and pass out under a saddle blanket, then wriggles free of the ropes and walks off. Zuko is lucky. He was going to take the ostrich-horse, but it gave him a nasty look, and he decided he didn't want to be bitten by that beak. Instead he uses airbending running to get back to his friends fast. He gets there less than an hour after he left.

4. As soon as he leaves, the ostrich-horse starts squawking, waking Zuko up, because nobody is getting any sleep tonight.

5. Meanwhile, Sokka, Katara, and Toph have woken up to find Aang gone. While trying to plan how to go after him, Katara and Toph have a massive fight, and Toph stomps off to go make her way in the world on her own.

[slowtravelingcat]

An inanimate beast and a day at home

Monday, July 12th, 2021

CAL - Life continued as expected in beautiful Anchorage, Alaska this weekend. The large, bald one even managed to come home each evening over the weekend. In fact, she was home so much that she did the most unexpected thing. A thing I have not seen her do since we left our long-term home in Marina Del Rey. It made me feel both afraid and at ease, a very disorienting experience. 

It all started when she arrived home on Wednesday evening, carrying one of the largest machines I have ever seen her maneuver on her own accord. Upon lugging the inanimate beast through the door, it fell to the ground and then glided across the floor, seemingly placing itself against the wall. 

I eyed the beast all night long, but it lay dormant. Eventually, I drifted to sleep. 

The next day Michele sat down for a full day of work. By the time dinner rolled around, I had forgotten about the foreign beast completely. This is when it happened. 

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Michele grabbed the beast by the neck and it roared to life, emitting a high-pitched, persistent hum that pierced the air and greatly disturbed my delicate sensibilities.

She guided the machine across the carpet, making sure that beast touched every inch of our floor at least once. At first, I was confused, but as I watched the terrible scene from underneath the bed, I started to understand what was really happening. The beast was eating the deposits of cat fur that I had been strategically placing around the room for weeks now. I had finally covered the room in my fur and scent and now the large, loud beast was erasing my efforts in one failed swoop. 

As soon as the noise subsided, I emerged. I surveyed the damage and concluded that I had a lot of work to do. I began willing myself to emit as much cat hair as possible as I methodically rubbed across each piece of furniture multiple times.    

MICHELE - I am finally starting to realize that 2 months to explore Alaska is not nearly enough. After attempting to go everywhere possible for the past 6 weeks, I finally decided to explore our home base of Anchorage this weekend. 

Saturday morning started with lazy coffee as I watched majestic mountains guard the city. Around 11am, I headed to Pablo’s Bike Shop to rent a bike and take on that first portion of the Coastal Trail. The stunning bike trail meanders along the coastline and through a beautiful forest, which is rife with moose sightings. A small climb at the end landed me at Earthquake Park. A small sports complex where a lively game of soccer was being played and hot dog trucks fought for my attention. 

Half a liter of water and zero hotdogs later, I headed back to the bike shop. The entire route, 20 miles in total, took nearly 3 hours to complete. The bike was in good condition and the cool Alaskan breeze made the trip comfortable, despite rising temperatures. 

After the bike ride, I enjoyed a long, late lunch in downtown Anchorage at 49th Street Brewery. The rooftop seating provides one of the best views of the Cook Inlet. 

Sunday consisted of a day trip to Girdwood and the Wildlife Refuge Center. The hour-long drive from Anchorage to Girdwood is one of the most widely renowned drives in Alaska. The Seward highway follows the coastline, passing several lookout points and skirting past Beluga Point, where the beluga whales like to hang out. 

Girdwood is an adorable mountain town, best known for skiing in the winter. In the summer a quick 30-60 minute fly-by will give you a good feel for the charming community. I recommend stopping at the Crow Creek Mercantile to grab picnic supplies for later. 

From Girdwood, the Alaskan Wildlife Conservation Center is approximately a 20-minute drive down the highway. A charming refuge, predominantly for caribou, bison, bears, porcupines, and wolves, the property is enclosed in scenic mountains and filled with animals that seem to pose for pictures. There are also several picnic areas, which made it easy to enjoy my afternoon snack.

On the way back I stopped at McHuge Creek for a short hike. Additionally, I did a quick walkthrough of Potter’s March, which is just off the highway a few miles from town. Potter’s Marsh boasts some of the rarest birds in this part of the world as well as frequent moose sightings. 

All in all, I was pleasantly surprised at the beauty and variety in my own backyard. It’s definitely going to be hard to leave this place. 

[gladerwolfstarkimagines]

Azula x Kai Series: Part Three

Part One Here, Part Two, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six and Part Seven. 

The group had well and truly found the Avatar and the chase was on. Team Avatar kept escaping on their furry ride but the sky bison had to sleep sometime with the tank didn't. They were wearing the Avatar down and when they reached a river, the trail seemed to go one way. Clumps of fur were dotted alongside the bank and it seemed pretty straightforward which way the Avatar had gone...almost too straightforward. "The Avatar is trying to give us the slip" Azula said noticing the pattern the furs had been placed in "Mai, Ty lee you follow it, Kai and I will go this way" she said gesturing to a dirt road leading through the forest. Kai was surprised Azula had told him to come with her but he was pleased. Every action Azula did was calculated precisely so her taking him with her was a compliment. Kai noticed Mai roll her eyes slightly at Kai’s smile and he smirked at her. Kai ensured his pack had everything he needed and with a nod to Mai and Ty lee took off after Azula. They rode for an hour in silence before coming to a town. There were clear footsteps leading to the centre and Azula told Kai to go around to the side and wait. "But shouldn't I come with you?" Kai asked. Azula shook her head "your best skill is your bow which is a ranged weapon. You will find a good position and wait. If I raise my left hand like this" she said demonstrating what looked like a casual hair brush "then fire at the Avatar and aim to kill. I'm expecting Zuko to show up and if we start fighting it's your job to decapacitate him, got it?". Kai thought back to their conversation the other day where Azula admitted she trusted Mai completely around Zuko but not so much Kai. It suddenly occurred to him that Azula bringing him wasn’t a compliment, this was a test. She had chosen him to see if he could handle it and he wasn't going to let her down. "I've got it" he nodded and he ran off to go scale some buildings.

 Azula waited a few minutes for Kai to get into place and then approached the Avatar. Kai didn't hear much of the conversation but he could tell Azula was fine by how relaxed her body language was...and then Zuko appeared. He jumped in the middle of the two of them but Azula just fire-blasted him into a building and went after the Avatar. Kai got the message and quickly sprang down from his hiding spot. Zuko hadn't noticed him yet and went to run after Azula when Kai fired an arrow at him, pinning his shirt to the wall. Zuko jumped as the arrow only just missed stabbing him and turned. "Kai...I should've figured. Wherever Azula goes you always follow". Kai shrugged "good to see you too Zuko, or not so good for you given the circumstances, how banished life been treating you?" he smiled. Zuko shook his head "you seriously think you can beat me in a fight?". Kai raised his bow and aimed at Zuko's head "yeah I think I can, unless...". "Unless what?" Zuko spat and Kai smiled "we know I'm better with a bow and you have firebending so how about we make this even. One-on-one sword fight" he said taking his sword out of his sheath with a satisfying ring "no firebending or archery. What do you say?". "I say you're on!" Zuko cried brandishing his own swords. Kai smiled knowing he'd peaked Zuko's temper. He swung his weapons around a little and got into an aggressive stance "bring it on Prince Zuko...or is it just Zuko now you're a disgraced mess?". Zuko yelled and leapt into the attack. Kai could immediately tell this wasn't Zuko's best performance. He hadn't been travelling comfortably like they had and it showed. Zuko was weaker from his time on the road and inconsistent meals. His attacks lacked sustenance and Kai decided to enjoy this. "You know growing up, all the boys wanted to be you. The Prince of the Fire Nation, heir to the throne, favourite of the Queen...so beating you is going to be very satisfying". "You haven't won yet" Zuko replied and attacked more rapidly which only made him sloppier. Kai actually smirked at the desperation coming from the Prince. He sidestepped Zuko’s attacks and let Zuko think he was pushing him into a corner. Zuko was getting cocky and when he started to smile that’s when Kai knew he’d won...but he wanted to play with the prince a little more. 

Kai let his grip falter and gave Zuko hope that his disarming strike was going to hit...then he quickly readjusted his feet and knocked Zuko's sword from his own hand. He kicked it away and aimed at his neck "I win" he smiled. Zuko’s eyes were a ball of rage but he of course always had someone to step in when he failed. 

Kai felt the fireball just before it reached him. He dove out of the way and turned to see Azula's uncle the disgraced Iroh. "Should've known you wouldn't have gone anywhere without a family member to fight for you, first it was your mother and now your uncle huh Zuko? When are you ever going to fight your own battles?". "That's enough!" Iroh called "we don't want to hurt you Kai, set your weapons down carefully". Kai heard Azula still fighting and shook his head. There was no way he was surrendering while she still needed him. "Fat chance old man" and he fired a smoke bomb at the floor. That gave him the time he needed to run off and he was way faster than Zuko or Iroh. He whistled letting Azula know there was danger and hurried back up the buildings to get a good look at the situation. 

He spotted her immediately and realised she was in a bad position. She was being cornered by 6 people including Iroh and Zuko but still she was putting up a good fight. However even the brightest flame can be extinguished with enough force and so Kai waited anxiously, bow at the ready. He could take out the Avatar, he had a clear shot at him but Azula mattered more. So when she gave the signal he fired his last remaining smoke bomb straight into the yard. Azula leapt out of the way but Kai saw Iroh aim for her, trying to stop her from escaping so he quickly fired another bow right at him for good measure. He didn't have time to see if either hit its mark but based on Zuko's scream it did. Kai rushed down the buildings to the mounts and got there at the same time as Azula. "I thought I said to take out the Avatar" she said. "I know but they would’ve captured you” Kai said getting his mount ready. “So the Avatar would be dead!”. Kai shook his head “but I wanted you to get away more! With Zuko and Iroh there, I couldn't let them capture you Azula I just couldn't!" he cried more emotionally than he meant to. Azula paused shocked by his outburst before she looked away "come on let's go". He nodded composing himself and they rode off as quickly as possible. 

They returned to their designated meeting spot to find Ty lee and Mai waiting...dripping wet. "So...how did it go?" Kai asked and Mai shot him a look. "Not good" Ty lee said "we had them beaten and then the Avatar's bison swept us into the river". Azula shrugged "that fur ball is a real inconvenience but no matter, we can guess where they're heading and I have the perfect plan to finally break that city once and for all". Ty lee blinked and Kai could see she was confused. He was going to mouth the name of it to her when she whispered "what city?" to Mai. Azula heard and rolled her eyes "come on Ty lee! What famous stronghold might the Avatar flock to in order to gain support and weapons?". Ty lee blanked "erm the water tribe?". Azula swore and Kai sighed "Ba Sing Sei, he's heading to Ba Sing Sei". Azula nodded "thank you! Atleast someone has a brain!". Azula rode away and Ty lee struggled not to tear up. "Don't cry, you know she hates that" Mai whispered before following Azula. Kai frowned and walked up to Ty lee "here" and passed her a tissue. "Azula didn't mean what she said, she's just mad because I didn't take the shot at the Avatar and chose to save her instead". Ty lee sniffed "you did? Wow that's brave". He shrugged "not really when the other option was letting a girl I care about get hurt. Sometimes you have to be brave and put yourself in danger to protect those you love". Ty lee nodded "yeah I guess you do...thanks Kai". Kai nodded to her and then walked away. Something about his expression softened and then tightened again made Ty lee remember how difficult it was to care for royalty. 

*Flashback*

Kai left to join the archers 2 weeks after Zuko was banished. Mai was understandably gloomier than ever to be without her brother and her boyfriend and so it was just Ty lee and Azula for a while. They’d grown closer during this time, to the extent that Azula would even talk about Kai to Ty lee. 

They were walking through the training school together which Azula liked to do often. She liked to assess the other students and make sure nobody was close to her level of skill and this had apparently extended to Kai. She watched some teenagers fire a bow and only half of them hit a bullseye. Azula snorted as the coach praised them “it seems without Kai around this now passes for archery”, Ty lee laughed and Azula smiled. “When he gets back they’ll think he’s a god because he can actually hit the target board”. Ty lee laughed again “you’re right, when does Kai get back again Azula?”. “Well he won’t be back officially until atleast a year but he will be back home for the winter solstice in 4 weeks. It will be pleasant to have him around again...maybe Mai will actually smile” Azula said. Ty lee had read that absence can make the heart grow fonder and she adored the effect Kai’s absence was having on Azula. She spoke about him often and complimented him more than Ty lee had ever heard. So she was sure the minute Kai arrive back Azula would ask him to be her boyfriend! She couldn’t wait for Kai to return and the weeks whizzed by until he was here. 

Ty lee rushed to the docks with Mai to await Kai’s return. When they got there she pushed to the front and looked around expectantly. “Where’s Azula?” Ty lee asked and Mai raised an eyebrow “probably back at the palace, why?”. “Well won’t she want to see Kai?” Ty lee asked. Mai shook her head “when has Azula ever come to see anyone off or welcome them home? It’s beneath her”. Ty lee shook her head “no..she likes Kai, she’ll be here!” but the ship appeared and all the travellers walked off the ship with no sign of her. Kai appeared and Ty lee and Mai called to him. He grinned when he saw them and rushed to hug them. “You’ve grown!” Ty lee said shocked and he laughed “maybe a little...”. “That’s an understatement” Mai replied and Kai shot her a look “you know i’m pretty much the same height as you now, give me a week and i’ll probably have you beat”. Mai didn’t like that and the two siblings bickered but it was a nice sound after Mai’s stormy silence had been present for so long. 

Ty lee was sure Azula would meet them at Mai’s home or maybe send them a note to come to the palace but nothing. When she hadn’t appeared by the next day either Ty lee thought perhaps Azula had forgotten so went to go and find her. She found her in her room pouring over some battle strategy books. “There you are!” Ty lee cried and Azula raised an eyebrow “am I supposed to be somewhere else? This might be a holiday for the slackers but I still have work to do”. “I know but can’t you take one day off from your studies?” Ty lee asked “Kai’s back!”. Azula didn’t react “and?”. “And it would be nice for the four of us to spend time together”. Azula shook her head “not today but maybe tomorrow”. Ty lee was crestfallen but pretended she wasn’t. 

The next day Mai, Kai and Ty lee hung out in the royal gardens. They were allowed to use them when Azula wasn’t there as friends of the princess and it was a good thing too because there had been no sign of her. Every noise or servant that walked past made Ty lee look up hopefully but nothing. Then finally around dinner time she appeared. “Azula!” Ty lee cried and Kai immediately sprang to his feet. She nodded “yes i’m here no need to shriek”. She stopped in front of the group and her eyes went to Kai. “Princess” he said bowing and she nodded “Kai...how has your training been?”. “Very good thank you” he said “and your studies?”. “Excellently” she nodded and Kai looked down “I brought you something...it’s not much but they’re rather rare” and he took out a small flower which almost seemed to glow. “They’re called the mighty dragons as they only grow on volcanic sites in the fire nation once a decade. We got to harvest them while we were gathering rocks for our bows. I wanted you to have it”.  Ty lee looked at Azula for a blush or any sign of approval but she just nodded “well it’s rather impractical”. Kai nodded “of course...I just thought as our nation's rarest flower, you should have it”. Azula took it from Kai’s hand “I’ll see if I have somewhere to put it” and that was that. 

The rest of the day Azula was rather cold to Kai and paid no particular attention to him. When Azula left, Ty lee was sure Kai must be upset. “I’m sorry Azula didn’t like your flower Kai” Ty lee said later, feeling like someone ought to comfort him. He shook his head “it’s okay, she liked it really”. Ty lee frowned thinking he was delusional and Kai noticed “she did, she took the flower with her. If she didn’t like it she would’ve trodden it into the ground or left it on the grass but she took it with her”. 

Ty lee wasn’t too sure and when Kai left the following week without even a goodbye from Azula she was sure he’d been wrong. Then one week later she happened to go into Azula’s room to look for her. She quickly realised Azula wasn’t in there and went to pause when she saw a light coming from a dark corner. She stepped closer and saw, placed carefully on a hidden shelf in a vase with water, was the flower Kai had given Azula. As healthy as the day he gave it to her. Azula had indeed kept it and was caring for it this whole time. She realised Kai had been right all along and thought it sad that royalty couldn’t express their love and happiness as other people could. Azula might be a princess and Kai a handsome fighter just like in the fairytale...but their lives were very different. 

*End of Flashback*

Azula's plan was a huge drill! She planned to break the "impenetrable" walls of Ba Sing Sei once and for all. The drill was impressive and so far any earth benders that tried to stop it had been pushed aside. Mai and Ty lee also went out and faced a whole shipment of them and came back with little more than sand in their shoes. So everything was looking pretty straightforward and successful. Kai was feeling pretty good about everything and was sure the Fire Nation would succeed. The idea of him being part of the team that broke in Ba Sing Sei made him dizzy with excitement and so he tried to keep busy patrolling the hallways and ensuring the inner mechanisms were working...that's how he discovered the frozen engineer. Azula immediately suspected the Avatar and with Ty lee and Mai in tow they searched the machine. "It's a really good job you noticed the engineer Kai, otherwise they could've been here for ages and we wouldn't have noticed" Ty lee said. "It's no use if we don't find out who did it and quickly" Azula said when she heard a noise from down in the ship's lower mechanisms. "This way!" she called and they stumbled right upon the Avatar. As soon as Azula attacked, Team Avatar fled but the teens were in hot pursuit. They chased them down a corridor where the group split. "You two go that way" Azula said "Ty lee and I will go this way". Kai was momentarily confused why she'd taken Ty lee and not him. He wondered if it was punishment for what happened back at the town against Zuko but if anything it just made him even more determined to do better this time. He nodded and sped around the corner with Mai only to find the two kids from the Watertribe jumping into a sewage vent. Mai groaned "I'm not going down there". Kai shook his head "we don't have to...that leads to the outer side of the tank and we can get there without trudging through sludge" and he kicked open an escape pod. "How did you..." Mai started when Kai smiled "I've been patrolling this thing non-stop, you notice things". “I’m actually impressed” Mai replied dryly. So Mai and Kai hopped out of the pod and ran right around to the underside, right as the water tribe siblings were setting up their plan. They hadn’t even spotted them as they were expecting them to come out the same way they did. "Go for the girl, she's the bender" Mai said and Kai smiled "no problem" and aimed one of his paralysing arrows at her. He just released the arrow when the boy yelled "Katara" and a boomerang knocked his arrow aside. "Nobody hurts my sister" Sokka growled and in response Kai just smiled "I'd dare you to try and hurt mine" gesturing to Mai who threw 5 knives at the boy. Mai pinned the boy to the floor pretty quickly and the siblings turned to the Water Tribe girl. She quickly readied some water and Kai knew considering she had a lot at her disposal they'd have to put her down fast. "The usual?" Mai asked and Kai nodded. They trained together hundreds of times and knew how to work together. They both stood on either side of the water tribe girl spreading her concentration. Mai would trap her with her knives and Kai would nick her with his paralysis arrow. It would've all worked perfectly if the earth bender didn't show up. She quickly knocked Mai and Kai to the side, freed the brother and backed up the waterbender. Mai and Kai knew their attacks weren't that useful against an experienced earth bender so after a few attacks to distract them, they escaped and went back inside, hoping to find a way to shut off that part of the tank. Azula found them while Kai was still pouring over the plans. "There has to be a way!" he cried when the door opened "it's over, we've lost". Both she and Ty lee were covered in mud and looked defeated but Azula never stayed beaten for long. "They've kept Ba Sing Sei...for now" she said and Kai smiled at her tone. He loved her endless determination. So it was back to the drawing board and that involved patrolling the outskirts of Ba Sing Sei to try and capture any important people trying to enter the city. That's when Azula spotted some familiar fur in the forest... The group set out on their Mongoose Lizard and quickly found the Avatar's bison and some friends. "My my you're easy to find, it's really astounding my brother hasn't captured you yet" Azula said after a spectacular entrance. Kai knew who the women were on sight, the famous Kyoshi Warriors known for their strength and skill. It was only fitting the best of the Earth Kingdom would go up against the best of the Fire Nation. The fight started pretty quickly and Azula went straight for the leader. Kai stayed back with Mai for a few seconds and fired some arrows/knives at the group. Then they charged in too. To put it simply, they wiped the floor with the warriors! They couldn't compete with Mai's knives, Ty lee's agility or Kai's arrows and Azula decimated the leader. The bison got away which was unfortunate. Kai did try and bring it down with some arrows but the leader of the warriors stopped him before Azula stopped her. After the bison escaped the warriors were quickly rounded up and Kai arranged to have the tank come and collect them. "What do you want us to do with them?" Kai asked but Azula didn't reply. She was staring at the leader's uniform and badges. "Azula?" Kai asked and she looked at him "tell the commander of the tank to bring some prison uniforms...I just found our ticket into Ba Sing Sei".

[raewritez]

Enough | Sokka

based on this request: You want requests? I have an idea/request if you don't mind and are still accepting them, if not I’m sorry. Maybe “friends to lovers/teammates to lovers” where Reader joins the team from Ba Sing Se and while they’re preparing for the invasion, or beyond, Sokka and Reader fall in love, or start to fall in love? I hope that makes sense. Thanks! Your writing is all wonderful! <3

word count: 3.6k

The last thing you'd expected was for the Avatar to break into your house.

You'd been upstairs in your room when you'd heard a ruckus from down below, drawing you to your feet with nervousness and light footsteps. Who was it, burglars? You made your way down the stairs, body pressed against the wall. You heard muffled whispering.

"We can't just break into random houses, Sokka!"

"Well, what else are we supposed to do?! Do you have any better ideas?"

Silence.

"That's what I thought, Aang. Just trust the process."

You peered over the corner, catching sight of the intruders. A boy, a bit shorter than you, stood awkwardly in the corner of your living room. He was dressed in yellow and orange robes, his head decorated with a blue arrow. Huh. Beside him, pulling the curtain back cautiously to scan outside, was a boy seemingly about your age. He was tall, tan skin and dark hair, dressed in a sleeveless blue tunic. You didn't peg these guys as particular threats, so you stepped down.

"Uh, hello?"

They spun around with a yelp, assuming defensive positions. The taller boy held something in his hand - a boomerang? He narrowed his eyes at you.

"What are you doing here?" He demanded.

"Um, this is my house? Who are you?"

He lowered his arm, glancing around sheepishly. "Oh, uh, sorry. We needed to hide."

You raised an eyebrow. "Hide? Hide from who?"

The younger boy spoke up. "The Dai Li."

You furrowed your brows. "The Dai Li?" You questioned, confused. "Why would you need to hide from them? Did you, like, break the law?"

The older boy crossed his arms. "What? No!"

"Then why are you hiding?"

"Because they're after us!"

"Why would they be after you if you didn't break the law?"

"Because!" He was flailing his arms now, and you almost chuckled with amusement. "They - they're bad guys!"

You looked at him flatly. "That sounds like something a criminal would say."

He groaned. "Ugh, ok, ok. Once we know they're gone, we'll leave."

"Are you sure? I was gonna invite you for some tea and cookies," you teased. He glances back, as if seeing if you were serious, before turning back grumpily.

The younger boy scratches his head awkwardly. "Um, anyway, thanks for not kicking us out. I'm Aang."

You chuckle. "Yeah...no problem. I'm Y/n." You aren't quite sure why you're having a conversation with the guys who just broke into your house, but they seem nice enough. The older one's a little grouchy, but for some reason you feel safe.

Aang smiles brightly. "Nice to meet you. This is Sokka," he says, nudging his shoulder.

Sokka glances back at you. "Hey." You offer him a wave.

"So...why are you hiding in my house?"

Aang glances at Sokka, and it seems like a silent argument passes between them. Sokka shakes his head, Aang gives him an imploring look, and Sokka glares. Then he throws his hands up, mumbles a "Fine", and Aang turns back to you with a grin.

"Well, you see, I'm the Avatar," Your eyes grow wide. "And we're trying to get some important information to the Earth King. But the Dai Li don't want us to, so they're kinda chasing us."

"You're the Avatar?" You breathe. He nods cheerfully. "Wait - so, why are the Dai Li chasing you? Shouldn't they be helping?"

"Yeah, they should," Sokka says. "But they decided to, you know, not."

You're confused. The Dai Li are the highest level of protection for the people of Ba Sing Se. Why wouldn't they help the Avatar? You look around the room, spotting the closet near the door. An idea pops into your head.

"I can help." They both turn to you, looking skeptical. "I mean I can help you get out. Without being noticed."

They look at each other, hold their gaze, then turn to you and nod.

///

"I look ridiculous."

You stifle a laugh, taking in Sokka's appearance. "I think you look great. And it'll help you get by unnoticed, so that's what matters."

He's dressed in your father's trench coat, a heavy, brown beast of a thing that's so long it pools at his ankles. He's also sporting a dashing top-hat; the brim so wide it effectively shelters his face. He glares.

Aang comes bouncing in, dressed in a hooded cape that provides coverage for his tattoo. He stops short when he sees Sokka, doubling over in laughter. "Oh, you look great, Sokka."

Sokka groans, slumping over. "Let's just get out of here."

You lead them out the front door, scanning the road for any sign of threats. You step out, the boys following in tow, and walk as confidently as you can past the agents lining the street. Eventually, you successfully make it out of the middle ring. Sokka immediately sheds his disguise.

"Well, here you go," you say, looking around. Although only one ring above you, the Upper Ring is much nicer than you're used to. "Good luck with the Earth King."

Aang's eyes grow wide. "Wait! You should...you should come with us!"

You tilt your head. "Come with you where?"

"Back to our place! You could meet our friends!" He nudges Sokka, who appears disinterested. "Right, Sokka?"

Sokka's eyes snap to yours. "Oh, uh, sure. I guess."

You're about to politely decline, but Aang is staring at you so hopefully that you can't turn him down. You smile softly. "Sure, Aang."

"Awesome! Let's go."

You're led through the cobblestone pathways, eyes trailing after ornate carriages and towering buildings. Soon, you reach their house. The home of the Avatar. Sokka walks up and turns the knob, jumping back in surprise. In front of him stands a girl, not much younger than you, with her hands on her hips and her eyes bright with anger.

"Where have you been?!" She demands, dragging him inside by his collar. "We've been worried sick! I mean, you didn't even leave a note, didn't say anything-"

"We're sorry, Katara," Aang intervenes, hands raised in peaceful greeting. "We got caught up."

It's then that her eyes fall on you, gaze softening into uncertainty. She looks at Sokka expectantly.

"Oh!" He exclaims, stepping back and gesturing towards you. "This is Y/n. She helped us get away from the Dai Li."

The girl, Katara as she'd been called, offered you a slight smile of gratitude. "Thank you for helping my idiot brother."

You chuckled, grinning at the look of betrayal Sokka gave the girl. "It was no problem."

She nodded, extending her arm. "Do you want to come in?"

You glanced towards Aang, who was smiling excitedly. "Oh, yeah, sure."

You stepped inside, feeling a bit awkward. You didn't really understand why Aang wanted you to come so badly, but it was a kind gesture nonetheless. You scanned the interior; emerald walls adorned with gold plating that was probably more expensive than your whole apartment. You fidgeted your fingers, standing by while Katara and Sokka bickered about responsibility. A slam startled you out of your thoughts.

"Who's this?" A girl stepped out of the - hole? Yeah, hole, she'd just kicked a hole in the wall. Katara paused her lecture.

"Toph, this is Y/n. She helped Sokka and Aang with the Dai Li."

"Cool." She yawned, walking past you and plopping on the couch.

"We need to get to the Earth King," Sokka said, assuming a demeanor of focus and determination. "If the Dai Li aren't going to help us get to him, we'll have to do it ourselves." He briefly explained his plan, something about breaking into the fancy party that was happening later that night. They came up with roles, with guidelines for what each person should do, working together like a well-oiled machine. You felt out of place, you didn't know what your purpose was here. Aang turned to you, smiling softly.

"Y/n, you in?"

You stared. You couldn't comprehend the reason this boy had so much faith in you, the reason these kids were so willing to let you in on their scheme after just meeting you less than an hour ago. You didn't understand why you trusted them, either. You smiled.

"I'm in."

///

That was your first mistake.

When you'd agreed to break into an Earth Kingdom party with the Avatar, you didn't think you'd end up having to flee your home. You sat upon Appa's back, knees pulled to your chest as Ba Sing Se grew smaller. Sokka was steering, and the rest had their heads tucked into their hands. Except for Aang, who was lying unconscious next to Katara.

You'd remained in the city with Katara as the rest of the group separated, happy to spend some time with your newfound friend. It was then that things got messy; you found out the Fire Nation had infiltrated the government, the local tea-boy was actually a banished prince, and you found yourself in the crystal catacombs as a battle went on around you. You'd been there with Zuko and Katara, and you weren't sure exactly what'd gone down between them but it was obviously something serious, and you'd been there as he joined his sister - Azula. She was pretty scary.

You fought the best you could, your unpracticed earth-bending not doing much damage against the Dai Li agents, before Aang was struck by Azula's lightning. Now, you sat atop his sky-bison, mind racing and body numb from the shock of it all. You were in way over your head.

The five of you met up with Sokka and Katara's dad after dropping off the Earth King, because, you know, he was just casually there, too, boarding a Fire Nation ship as a means of disguise. Sokka introduced you to his father, Hakoda, who welcomed you with a warm smile and a firm handshake.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Y/n. Sokka's told me a lot about you. You two must really get along well," he said when Sokka was out of ear reach, voice laced with mirth. You flushed when you registered what he was implying; the mischief gleaming in his eyes. You frantically tried to put a sentence together.

"Oh, we're not - he doesn't...I mean we do, but not like-" He cut you off with a chuckle and a friendly pat to your shoulder.

"I'm just teasing. Come on, let's join the others."

You sat with your friends and the Water Tribesmen aboard the steely deck, huddling with Toph and Sokka for warmth. Katara went downstairs to heal Aang, who had yet to wake. Your meals mainly consisted of rice as it was too risky to stop and buy more supplies. You were still dressed in your Earth Kingdom clothes; green-tinted pants and a tunic, feet clad in worn-down boots. Not ideal for posing as a Fire Nation soldier.

You were still in shock, you supposed, at how quickly things changed and how fiercely your life was ripped from you. I mean, just a few days ago you were a normal kid living in the middle ring of Ba Sing Se, where nothing remotely exciting ever happened. Then, the Avatar and his friend had broken into your house and now everything was different. You weren't upset, it was just a lot to process. You were worried for Aang and a bit overwhelmed at the reality that seemed to be your new friends' normal. So when everyone else returned to their rooms for sleep, you made your way to the overlook.

The moon beamed down over the sea - ivory light caressing the waves and kissing the surface. You breathed deeply, inhaling the cool night air that smelled of salt-water and a freedom you'd never experienced. You sat there, slightly chilly from the cold, when a warm presence took place by your side.

You glanced up, seeing Sokka's skin glowing under the starlight. Woah, had he always been this pretty? It was probably just the moon...that and your sleep deprivation. Yeah, that was it.

"What're you doing up?" He questioned, eyes cast out to the horizon. His hair was loose from its usual ponytail - wolf-tail, as he'd passionately pointed out to you days earlier - the dark locks flowing freely about his face. You tore your eyes away, following his stare.

"Just couldn't sleep," you glanced over. "You?"

He sighed, leaning against the metal. "Me neither. Just worried."

You turned to face him, face softening into concern. "About what?"

He ran a hand through his hair. "About Aang. About the Earth Kingdom...just...everything."

You moved closer, resting your forearms against the edge of the ship. He pressed his shoulder against yours.

"I get it. I am, too. Everything that's happening is just...crazy. There's no way I could've even imagined it."

Sokka tilted his head towards you, blue eyes glimmering with compassion and softness. "Yeah...how are you doing? I haven't really asked, I mean, this must be kinda shocking for you."

You snorted, nodding your head. "Well, yeah. But it's ok. I'm not the one who has it worst right now."

"Sure, but you can still talk about it. You can talk to me...if you want."

You smiled up at him, his face shadowed by the abyss of the night. "Thanks."

He offered you a grin before staring up at the sky. "You know, that's my first girlfriend," he said, pointing at the moon.

"The moon?" He nodded. "That's...rough."

///

It was finally here. The day of Black Sun.

You'd be lying if you said you felt totally prepared, but with some rigorous earth bending lessons from Toph and sparring with Sokka, you felt more confident in your abilities.

A finger poked your cheek. "Hey, are you listening?"

You glanced at Sokka's teasing grin, scratching the back of your neck sheepishly. "Uh...yes?"

"Really," he said, moving to stand in front of you. "What did I say?"

"Something about...food?"

He laughed, shaking his head. "It's ok, I'll tell you later." He looked behind him, taking in the sight of the preparing fighters and looming submarines. He took your hand in his. "Are you ready for this?"

You sigh, squeezing his fingers between your own. "Ready as I'll ever be."

He smiles down at you, and the look in his eyes is pure adoration. He reaches to tuck a stray piece of hair behind your ear. "You know, I'm glad I broke into your house."

You snort, swatting his hand away. "Yeah, yeah. Thanks a lot, nerd."

He chuckles. "Hey, I know you're glad, too. Otherwise, you never would've met me and would've been miserable and bored your whole life."

You laugh, but it's probably true. You and Sokka had grown much closer over the past weeks, days spent in playful conversation and evening strolls, in play-wrestling and heads rested on shoulders. You were the one he came to when his mind was troubled, when his energy was too spent to conjure any jokes. Yeah, you were glad, too.

You were called into the submarines - Sokka's invention, something you were unfathomably proud of - and off you went. Into the Fire Nation. Your arrival went mostly smoothly, disregarding the few punctures in the submarine walls, and you ran out of the carrier with the earth at your fingertips. Aang had flown off to fight the Fire Lord, and it was up to the rest of you to deal with everyone else. Your heart pumped loudly, blood rushing in your ears and adrenaline flowing in your veins. You raised your arms, summoning the ground upwards to knock out a few soldiers.

"Y/n!"

You turned around just in time to see Katara swoop down on Appa, Sokka and Hakoda climbing up with her. "Come on!" she yelled. "We're going to take out the soldier's battlements."

You nodded, running towards the bison and pulling yourself atop the saddle with help from Sokka. Appa lifts off, reaching between the battlements.

"Katara and I will take the one on the right," Hakoda said, his voice one of a true commander. "Sokka and Y/n, the left. Let's go."

You climb the battlement, hoisting yourself inside through the window before scanning the room. Pointed outwards is a sort of cannon, aimed perfectly towards the group of fire benders that were advancing towards your friends. You step forward, trying to figure out the mechanics while Sokka climbs in. "Oh-ho," he says, taking note of the projection of the cannon. "This thing is just begging to be fired."

You nodded, toying with the controls. Sokka stepped behind you. "Here, I'll show you."

He placed his palm over your hand, guiding it to where it needed to be. From his pocket he pulled a match - where did that come from, anyway? - and nudged it between your fingers. "Light it up, Sunshine."

You place the tip to the ignition, Sokka aiming the cannon. He pulls you back against him, arms wound tightly around your waist, and you cover your ears. The canon booms, sending out a flurry of smoke. You rush forward, fearful of the damage you might have just inflicted, breathing out when you see that it only landed between the soldiers and your friends. It didn't hit them, something you were a bit grateful for, but it allowed the fighters to evade the onslaught. Sokka chuckled in your ear.

"Not bad, not bad."

"You did all the work."

"That's not true! You were vital."

You shake your head, fighting off a grin. "Ok, we should probably get rid of this thing now."

"Agreed."

You climb back out the window, jumping onto the ground with a thud. Breathing deeply, you concentrated your mind on the earth that lay below the battlement, and with a flick of your wrist, it crumbled. From the cliffside it fell, effectively ridding you of one other thing to worry about.

Sokka let out a low whistle. "Impressive."

You turned to him, out of breath. He stepped closer, brows knitted in slight concern as he lifted your chin with his knuckles. "Hey, you ok?"

You nodded, swallowing and trying to rewatch your breath. "Yeah, still a little new to this."

His thumb stroked your cheek before he moved his arm, placing it over your shoulders. "Come on, just stay with me."

You did, gladly.

///

So...things didn't exactly go as planned.

It turned out that the Fire Lord knew all along about the invasion, and Aang never had the chance to fight him. You'd come face-to-face with Azula again, something that made your blood boil. You'd had to leave - leaving the adults behind while the kids climbed aboard Appa's saddle. You were all exhausted, slumped over and falling to your knees when you finally reached the Western Air Temple.

You tried to mull your sadness; that guilty feeling that it was you who should've been left behind instead. You knew everyone was hurting - some in ways you couldn't really fathom. Aang felt like he had failed - again - and he went to bed that night with a half-hearted side hug and tired eyes. Toph felt weak, something she hated more than anything in the world. And Sokka and Katara...they'd lost their dad again.

So when you saw Sokka on the mountainside, head held in hands, you felt that he was more important. You plopped down next to him, his eyes snapping up and softening when they laid on you. No words were spoken; they didn't need to be. Instead, he sighed, pressing his cheek against your shoulder. You ran your fingers through his hair, soothing him with your touch. You only halted when he laced your fingers with his own, pulling your hand to his lap and tracing patterns across your skin.

"It's not your fault, Sokka."

He nodded against you, but you heard his sniff. You straightened up, his head begrudgingly lifting from its place against you before you cupped his face with your palm. "It's not," you implored, desperate for him to stop feeling so down on himself. "None of us could've predicted that they knew. And with Azula...she knew what she was doing. None of this is because of you."

He glanced away, blue eyes brimming with the tears he'd fought so hard to keep at bay. He dipped his head in silent acceptance, nuzzling against the warmth of your palm. You smiled sadly.

"It's not over, Sokka. There's still hope, now more than ever. And I know we'll figure it out."

He raised his gaze, and it seemed like his soul was carried in his stare. Slowly, enough so that you thought you imagined it, his eyes drifted down to your lips. He leaned in slowly, bringing his calloused hand to brush back your hair. You were frozen, as if one wrong move would shatter you from this dream. His palm was warm against your cheek, and his nose bumped your own. Your eyes met his, close enough together that it was a bit funny to look at, and he offered you a silent question. You answered with your lips against his.

He breathed against you, fingers carding through your hair. His lips were warm and oh, so soft, and they moved against yours with ease. You wound your arms around his neck, bringing him closer. He was warm, and he was familiar, and he was safe. You pulled apart when your lungs ached for air, peeling your eyes open with effort. He was looking at you, and you were looking at him, and suddenly a grin broke out across his face. He laughed breathily, nudging his head into the crook of your neck. You laughed with him, holding him tight. You sat there together for who knows how long, melted in each other's embrace under the light of the moon. He pressed soft kisses against your neck and whispered thanks into your ears. You responded with a peck to his tanned cheeks. You were right, he knew. It wasn't over. There was time left, and there was hope. Wrapped in your arms, he was sure of that.

[ellieswhoreeee]

It’s you. [1/2]

authors note: Hellooooo lovely’s! this is new short story that has been in my notes for a while so i thought i’d post it. The first part is short but the second part will be way longer. Give me two days max to actually post it tho, anyways enjoy! :)

Summery: In which Ellie crushes on the daycare worker, aka you. She and Jesse invite you to a party and things get pretty intense at said party.

Pairings: ellie williams x fem! reader

warnings: swearing, alcohol, marijuana, ect.

-

“So, are you going to tell me where we’re going?” Jesse questions curiously as he follows Ellie along the road. He wasn’t sure where she was dragging him, but she seemed to know the way like it was in her nature. She picked him up from the tipsy bison and gave him a quick, ‘follow me’ and that’s where they are now. Jesse could never say no to Ellie. Being her best friend was rough sometimes.

“Will you just follow me? I’ll tell you when we get there.” Ellie insisted, continuing to lead Jesse towards the schools. After a couple of minutes of walking, they finally arrived at Ellie’s preferred destination. Ellie and Jesse stopped a couple of feet away from the school; waiting. Ellie leaned into the fence and kept her attention on the door.

Suddenly the door was forced opened. The force behind it was caused by a bunch a little kids. They ran out the door like a pack of runners, and made their way towards the playground. A woman, who was carrying a child on her hip and had another child was clinging onto her cargo pants walked out of the door calmly.

“Guys, you guys shouldn’t run like that. You guys could get seriously hurt.” She scolded lightly at the kids who were already playing. The children looked in her direction and nodded.

“Yes, miss y/n!” They chorused in sync. It’s almost like these 7-11 year olds practiced together just to get it right. You placed your hand on the Ronnie, the boys head and messed with his hair gently. He continued to hide behind her and clung onto her pants.

You then squatted down to his level. Ronnie’s sweet innocent eyes looked at you. “Why don’t you go play with everyone else?” You asked the little boy in concern. Lately the little boy had only been with you, following you around. You were worried about him.

He shrugged his shoulders, his eyes then fall onto the ground. “You look lonely…” He responded innocently. “I know how that feels, so i don’t want you to feel that way.”

You smiled, and patted his head once again softly. “Ronnie, i’m okay. I promise. I want you to have fun with kids your age. Me and Chelsea will be watching, okay?” He hesitantly nodded, and ran towards the sandbox where Lily and Esteban were playing. You looked at Chelsea and kissed her on the forehead. She coo’ed happily like the child she was and started to play with your necklace. You stood up and continued to watch over the kids in your care.

“Isn’t she pretty?” Ellie asked, almost starstruck by your appearance. She was watching your whole interaction with those kids. Though it might not seem impressive to other people, it was impressive to her.

Jesse chuckled lightly, and nodded. “So, you’re crushing on y/n?”

“Crushing is a strong word-“

“Oh, come on! You just dragged me over here just so you could stare at her.” Jesse interrupted with a smirk on his face. This would be useful in the future. “Well, i can’t say i’m surprised. She’s really amazing.”

Ellie’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “You know her? I thought she was new here?” Ellie didn’t know much about you, only bits and pieces from people around town. It seemed like everyone had something to say about you- all nice things of course. She hasn’t even heard one negative thing about you.

Jesse once again nodded. “She came from the neighbouring settlement a few weeks ago,” He then noticed her eyes trailing towards the baby. He pointed at the baby on your hip and then crossed his arms over his chest. “Not her kid, or even remotely related. Currently 19, volunteers for everything except patrol and… is single.”

“Let me rephrase my question… How do you know her? When did you guys ever talk!?”

“Cool it, soldier. We got to know each other when Maria asked me to give her a tour around Jackson. We’re just friends.” Jesse explained to his best friend in the calmest and most sincere way possible. Ellie hummed, and only nodded.

“Look it’s Ellie!” A kid squealed happily and started running towards her. Ellie smiled widely and hopped over the fence so she could hug the kids that were running towards her. 5 kids crashed into her and started a dog pile.

“Ugh, you boogers are heavy.” Ellie joked in a rough voice, just so the kids would believe her. The kids screamed as Ellie gently ticked them. It took a could of seconds for you to actually notice.

“Alright guys, leave the poor girl alone.” You walked up to them slowly, and started to shoo them away.  You noticed the commotion so you decided to help. You’ve seen her around, but haven’t spoken to her before. She was always around someone which intimidated you. You couldn’t help but be interested in the girl. Everyone you spoke to liked to bring her up. They always mentioned something amazing she did. You thought she wouldn’t have noticed you.

But here she was, and this was the perfect moment to talk to her. The universe was definitely on your side. Ellie was sitting on the ground and looked up at you. You noticed her freckles first, and then her soft green eyes. She was even prettier up close. You held out your left hand towards her, and hoped she’d take it.

“So you’re the famous Ellie that my kids love talking about.” You inquired, a small smile on your face as you looked down at the girl. Ellie took your hand, and you helped her get on her feet.

“That’s me… Guilty.” You laughed lightly at her reply. The both of you stared at each other with shy smiles on your faces.

Chelsea’s cooing broke you from your trance, so you looked down. “Sorry for not introducing myself sooner, i’m-“

“Y/n… Yeah, i know about you.” You raised your eyebrows, which she took for as something negative. So she wanted to save it. “I mean, me and Jesse were just talking about you.”

You looked at Jesse who just shrugged his shoulders. You chuckled. “Nice to see you too, Jes.”

“Howdy, y/n. I didn’t want to ruin your eye fucking fest.” Jesse smirked, and nodded towards you and Ellie.

You rolled your eyes. If he saw anything different then he would probably use it against you. So you opted to not show your true reaction. “So what was it that you two were talking about? Right, me. Spill.”

Ellie looked nervous, which Jesse noticed so he decided to help her out. What kind of best friend wouldn’t? “There’s this bonfire that i’m having tonight and I was telling Ellie that we should invite you… Which explains why we’re here.”

You hummed, and nodded to what he was saying. It was all making sense to them. “And where is this bonfire?” You asked.

“My place. My parents aren’t going to be home tonight, so i decided to throw a little party. You interested?” Jesse explained confidently. Everything that was happening was such a coincidence. Luckily it was going in their favour.

“So, will we be seeing you tonight?” Ellie questions with a cute smile.

You thought about it for a moment, and only looked into her eyes. She didn’t look away which told you a lot. You subconsciously bit your lip, which Ellie payed attention to. “Yes, Ellie. You will be seeing me tonight… Crap, i gotta go. Bye guys!” You turned on your heel and walked over to a kid who just got hurt. “Micheal, what happened buddy?”

Ellie could still distinctly hear your voice as you continued to talk to a small boy. She turned to Jesse. “Nice going, Jesse. You really saved my ass.”

“Thank me by actually hooking up with her tonight.”

-

[tabletoptrinketsbyjj]

Cloaks, 1: The humble cloak has a rich history in tabletop roleplaying games, D&D especially with it having its roots based on Lord of the Rings and medieval fantasy. A heavy dark cloak with a deep hood is perfect for instantly creating a mysterious stranger at the other end of a tavern, their face obscured by the deep cowl. A cloak is often a cornerstone of a PC’s appearance and enchanted ones even more so. The following is a collection of unique descriptions of cloaks for DM’s to give to their players as magical or mundane loot and for players to use during character creation to help flesh out their personal style.

A dark grey, military style shoulder cloak clasped by a silver brooch in the shape of a bridge of stone, lit by ruby flames. The back of the brooch bears an inscription that reads: “First in, last out.”

A tattered red cloak that patches itself up whenever the bearer sleeps in a graveyard.

Cloak of the Aardvark: A nondescript light brown cloak, which causes the bearer to develop a slightly longer tongue and a mild but persistent craving to eat ants.

A beautiful cloak whose tattered silk designs resembles the dusty wings of a moth in flight.

A sturdy leather cloak with a large number of interior pockets. Every day at noon, a random worthless object appears in one of the pockets. The item vanishes back to whence it came if not removed from the pocket within one hour. The items are never worth more than a few coppers, never quite useful and are always small enough to physical fit into the average pocket. After inspecting a few of the objects the cloak produces, the bearer experiences the nagging feeling that the cloak is just stealing junk out of other people’s pockets. ---Note: The items that appear are always at the GM’s discretion. I personally recommend making use of the many Worthless Trinket Tables from this blog to get ideas.

A cloak comprised completely of gleaming iridescent feathers. It is heavier and much more durable than a cloak of feathers has any right to be.

An iridescent blue cloak the color of the sea that appears to ebb and flow of its own accord.

A worn patchwork gleeman’s cloak. Each brightly colored square patch is unique and the cloak sports a dazzling array of combinations of colors, patterns, fabrics and symbols.

A well-made black cloak that is completely waterproof. But looks as if something is occasionally...writhing beneath the cloth. This is disconcerting to observers, but the bearer never sees it.

A Randomly Colored oilskin cloak with the phrase “Random Motto” stitched along the interior of the tip of the hood. With the hood pulled low, the bearer can feel the spirit of the motto press against their consciousness, attempting to guide his decisions. The influence is subtle and never forces the bearer to violate any firmly held beliefs.

—Keep reading for 90 more cloaks.

—Click Here for a complete list of every trinket table

—Note: The previous 10 items are repeated for easier rolling on a d100.

A dark grey, military style shoulder cloak clasped by a silver brooch in the shape of a bridge of stone, lit by ruby flames. The back of the brooch bears an inscription that reads: “First in, last out.”

A tattered red cloak that patches itself up whenever the bearer sleeps in a graveyard.

Cloak of the Aardvark: A nondescript light brown cloak, which causes the bearer to develop a slightly longer tongue and a mild but persistent craving to eat ants.

A beautiful cloak whose tattered silk designs resembles the dusty wings of a moth in flight.

A sturdy leather cloak with a large number of interior pockets. Every day at noon, a random worthless object appears in one of the pockets. The item vanishes back to whence it came if not removed from the pocket within one hour. The items are never worth more than a few coppers, never quite useful and are always small enough to physical fit into the average pocket. After inspecting a few of the objects the cloak produces, the bearer experiences the nagging feeling that the cloak is just stealing junk out of other people’s pockets. ---Note: The items that appear are always at the GM’s discretion. I personally recommend making use of the many Worthless Trinket Tables from this blog to get ideas.

A cloak comprised completely of gleaming iridescent feathers. It is heavier and much more durable than a cloak of feathers has any right to be.

An iridescent blue cloak the color of the sea that appears to ebb and flow of its own accord.

A worn patchwork gleeman’s cloak. Each brightly colored square patch is unique and the cloak sports a dazzling array of combinations of colors, patterns, fabrics and symbols.

A well-made black cloak that is completely waterproof. But looks as if something is occasionally...writhing beneath the cloth. This is disconcerting to observers, but the bearer never sees it.

A Randomly Colored oilskin cloak with the phrase “Random Motto” stitched along the interior of the tip of the hood. With the hood pulled low, the bearer can feel the spirit of the motto press against their consciousness, attempting to guide his decisions. The influence is subtle and never forces the bearer to violate any firmly held beliefs.

A luscious bison fur cloak with horn buttons. The style seems to be that of a backwoodsman bachelor who had more time and energy than actual skill.

A Randomly Colored cloak that always flaps gently, as if pushed by a slight breeze.

A tan leather cloak that writhes as though alive and screams when damaged.

A thick hide cloak lined with a strange blue fur. The fabric is cut to hang on the bearer in a traditionally Random Humanoid Race style.

A feathered cloak which changes its coloring to match whatever bird is closest.

A double lined cloak. One side it is a dull, dreary brown; the inner lining is black. The cowl is particularly capacious.

A full yellow cloak with large silver clasps and symbols of the divine aspect of Random Neutral Domain boldly presented in dark green.

A once-fine cloak, maroon colored with a gold trim, now somewhat torn and worn from age. Careful examination reveals a hidden pocket containing a signet ring with a gold wyvern crest.

A reversible cloak. The outside is black while the inside is a gaudy gold color. The wearer can flip the cloak from one side to the other in just a few seconds using both hands.

A leathery grey cloak made from stitched ghoul skin. This unholy garment is cold to touch and causes revulsion in living creatures that see it.

A dire bear pelt fashioned into a cloak fit for an ogre, bound by a large, crude pewter clasp.

A cloak of griffon feathers set on black velvet. The material is warm, wind resistant and lightweight, perfect for a griffon knight.

A voluminous cloak with a large hood that comes halfway down the bearer's face. The cloak’s exterior is completely waterproof and the wool inner lining is snug, warm and removable. The exterior of the cloak is covered in a whorled camouflage pattern of green’s, brown and blacks. The interior has several pocket of varying sizes making the cloak perfect for wilderness travelling and adventuring.  

A heavy cloak made from the fur of a polar bear. The material is ridiculously warm and will keep its bearer alive and moving despite frigid artic conditions.  

A black cloak embroidered with a web-like pattern in white silk

A brown robe covered with an embroidered pattern of dozens of open eyes. Creatures around the bearer always have the disturbing sensation that they’re being watched.

A blonde cloak woven from human hair, that weeps softly for an hour if blood is spilled in its vicinity. The hair is always clean, silky and shiny no matter what happens to it.

A reversible linen cloak that has an outer layer of fabric in a mottled black pattern and an inner layer of a bright Random Bright Color. Reversible cloaks are worn for the sake of fashion, in theatre performances, or to aid a quick appearance change as part of a disguise. This cloak in particular was most definitely used for the latter as knowledgeable PC’s will notice that the cloak’s clasp has the emblem of a notorious thieves’ guild worked into its design. A practiced bearer using both hands, can undo the clasp, flip the cloak and redo the as an action equivalent to drawing a weapon.

An audaciously red cloak that if worn around certain seedier districts in town might attract the attention of lonely individuals looking for a date for the evening. Their treat of course…

A brown and tan cloak that resembles a massive, flat slug with a bronze clasp covered in patina. When worn, slugs, snails and any creatures resembling them are non-hostile toward the wearer of the cloak until provoked.

A loose fitting bright yellow cloak cut in a feminine style. More than a dozen small silver bells are sewn into the fabric and twinkle with every step the bearer takes.

A ghostly, pale white translucent cloak, that billows on its own volition.

A white cloak whose golden accents glisten (even in darkness) whenever it billows. The mere sight of the cloak bring hope.

A black satin cloak decorated with golden stars.

A sky-blue velvet cloak decorated with vines and flowers along the edges in thick silver embroidery.

A perpetually damp, light grey cloak which always leaves a faint trail of mist in the bearer's wake.

A cloak woven from airy linen, with intricate silver patterns stitched along its edges. The cloak's clasp is an ancient medallion, which radiates a faint aura of wisdom.

A snowy white cloak of thick wool whose many folds hold an aura of purity and peace of mind.

A dirt-stained cloak that was woven in shadow from the burial shroud of a condemned murderer.

A dark hooded cloak, decorated with embroidered comets, moons, and stars along its edge.

A large bearskin cloak that is almost too big for a human to wear comfortably. When the bearer becomes angry, the hairs on the cloak bristle menacingly.

A garish, red velvet cloak, embroidered with gold-threaded patterns of masked harlequins engaged in acts of sinister revelry.

A fireproof cloak made of dragon wing skin, trimmed with Randomly Colored scales. It naturally flutters towards gold no matter the wind direction.

A purple cloak that seems sheer at times and opaque at others. It is soft to the touch and light as a feather.

A swirling multi shaded grey, shiny (Nigh-wet looking) leather cloak that looks more like wet granite.

A tattered and faded, black linen cloak. Although it has seen better days it is perfectly serviceable and instills the bearer with a deep sense of grim determination to keep pushing on despite the odds or costs.

A hooded dark blue cloak with silver edges and a line going down the middle in silver with motif of white flowers embroidered into it.

This cloak is fur-lined and clasped by a golden livery collar. The fabric of the cloak and appearance of the livery collar changes to bear the heraldic insignia and personal colors of the creature who wears it.

An ancient silk robe that shimmer with the twinkling light of a thousand stars.

A heavy cloak fashioned from the scales of a mighty sea dragon. The scales are skillfully joined together and the cloak can be drawn tightly around the body, creating a covering that is light, flexible, yet incredibly tough.

A cloak woven from the hair of innocents, dyed with the blood of sorcerers and imbued with the essence of a star stolen from the night’s sky.

A hard, waterproof sea cloak that resembles a large octopus. The baggy hood looks like an octopus mantle while the cloak itself simulates the rubbery webbing between an octopus’s tentacles and the corners have tentacle-like tassels.

A jute cloak that changes its appearance to match the current season. Its color is bright green in spring a darker green in summer, red and orange in fall, and brown and white in winter. If the material is not exposed to sunlight, the cloak gradually turns grey until it is refreshed by natural light. ---Note: In areas with other natural seasons such as flooding, drought of typhoons the cloak may change to new colors as per DM discretion.

A thick leather cloak, charred and blackened around the edges and always smells faintly of the soot of a recent fire.

A mottled green cloak with a pair of colorfully hemmed slits in its hood. Although impractical for most races, it is perfect for the long ears of the elves with fit comfortably into the slits.

A hooded cloak made of various patches of unidentifiable leather, all obviously from different types of creatures. The cloak fastens in the front with a belt like a bathrobe.

A checker patterned cloak of black and white that imparts the bearer with a deep yearning to play skill-based, board games.

A cloak of faded and patchwork design sporting heraldry of a great many nations and cities. It seems to give a comforting warmth to the bearer and the open road feels more like home with it on. After some time with it on, the bearer may notice a new patch on the cloak; A bloodstained piece of heraldry from the bearer's homeland.

A soft, fuzzy cloak with a buckle on each corner. It is pale brown with a green hill in the middle and a row of red stars above the hill.

Cloak of the Endless Sky: A long cloak fashioned of broad overlapping blue and white ribbons attached at the neck, but not affixed elsewhere. This construction allows access for wings or other appendages to operate freely.  The cloak is clasped with a silver cloud. Instead of ceilings, roofs, tree cover or other overhead objects, the bearer perceives open, clear, blue skies dotted with clouds on all surfaces above himself. The bearer can suppress this illusionary effect at will if needed but while active the bearer becomes immune to the effects of claustrophobia. This is greatly appreciated by bearers capable of natural flight who are often uncomfortable in the caves, crypts and dungeons that adventures so often find themselves in.

A noble's cloak made of high quality cloth, with gold and silver thread stitched into the hem.

A light, loose fitting burlap cloak, with a generous sized hood that can fit over even the largest of helmets.

A shimmering cloak that seems to be spun from pure quicksilver. Its form constantly ripples and flows around the bearer and light dances across its surface.

A rust-red cloak made of slick satin. Rips, tears and stains done to it are instantly mended when fresh blood is poured or prayed over the damaged area.

A draping black cloak that turns into a sparkling mantle of tiny, cascading stars when worn.

A full-cut black cloak that hangs to mid-boot. Cut to overlap on the chest and cover the bearer's arms, it has a high collar and a separate pullover hood. It is embroidered with a white upraised human palm in a circle on the right collar, a purple dragon on the left collar, and another on the center point of the hood (So that it is displayed to the rear when the hood is pulled back).

A white silk cloak embroidered with a large grey spider on the back and webs radiating across its surface.

A cloak of mysterious emergence, fashioned from multiple layers of fine silk. Along the hem is a row of glittering red scales, molted away by a dragon.

A voluminous, emerald-green cloak trimmed with an intricate design done in gold thread. Each of its two clasps is a golden disk engraved with the crest of a long-extinct noble family and set with a small emerald.

A cloak that resembles a tangle of thick, black cobwebs when not worn, but smooths into woven black cloak of coarse threads the moment it’s donned.

An ugly, poorly cured, leather cloak made of mottled leathers stitched together in scabrous, thick seamed patterns. Made from the skins of wild beasts and humanoids, killed by kobolds, it is sized for a small humanoid.

A heavy cloak of black silk and linen that seems to trap shadows in its interior, even during broad daylight. The bearer seems to be partially submerged in darkness in shadowy light or darker.

A cloak made of navy colored linen, as fine as silk but with a durable quality to it. It flutters in even the lightest wind and always billows when its wearer walks. In darkness, the cloak seems to disappear, though its wearer does not. It is embroidered with no patterns, but those who stare at it for long moments see smoky shapes moving in the weave.

A fine linen cloak in a drab olive grey color, with a creamy lining. A scene of a mockingbird singing in a garden is embroidered in black on the back of the cloak, so that the mocking bird faces it’s bearer's on the right panel. When worn, the wearer’s voice becomes more beautiful and resonant.

An inky black cloak that has no features, but its hue is so deep that it makes people looking at it feel slightly vertiginous, as if looking down a very deep hole.

A blue cloak embroidered in green thread with whorled patterns, not unlike a finger print.

A cloak of blue silks embroidered with stormy cloud shapes in black and white thread.

A small sized cloak of auburn fur is lined with black fey silk. A mithril cloak pin is sewn into the collar.

A cloak, made of silks in multihued primary colors that blend and shift as the light hits them, is so sheer that it is nearly translucent. When worn, it seems to flutter and curl with the direction of prevailing light, though wind doesn’t seem to affect it at all. The bearer is lined in prismatic, flattering colors, making him fascinating to watch.

A cloak made of peacock, crow, and swan feathers woven into which are preserved heads of each type of bird.

A deep pocketed cloak of many faded colors, sized for a halfling.

A beautiful hooded cloak of deep blue. When it moves around silver threads become apparent quickly sparking and then disappearing once more, resembling a clear night’s sky. It is also always cool to the touch, like a cool night’s breeze.

A full-length cloak made of woven hair dyed a vibrant red and has a clasp craved of bone, decorated with archaic runes.

A cloak that seems to change color when looked at from different angles. The leather splits into six strips at the shoulder, each having a different color metallic scale at the top with a corresponding chromatic scale at the bottom of the strip. The strips fan out behind the bearer, almost like tails.

A deep green cloak with a voluminous hood, embroidered with gold trim and symbols of cultural significance to the elves.

A cloak of dark leather and gold trim that occasionally shimmers with small sparks of blue energy across the shadowed lining.

A cloak made of a thick oilskin smock, with a button-on hood and fleece lining. The front of the smock has a covered pocket sewn into it and while it feels normal from the outside, the pocket is always pleasantly warm within

A grey cloak made of a textured fabric that allows the bearer to blend into the shadows with more conviction.

A sturdy black cloak with many pockets in various shapes and sizes on this inside. The elbows have been reinforced with oval cuts of black cloth and hood made of a slightly different material.

A cloak of dark leather and gold trim that seems to occasionally shimmer with small sparks of blue energy across the shadowed lining.

An ugly patchwork cloak that has dozens of little pockets sewn into the inside for carrying spell components or trinkets. When first found the various pockets contain one Worthless Trinket, a Random Sealed Glass Vial and a Random Trinket.

A silk cloak that roils with the colors of storm clouds, constantly shifting in shade and hue.

A long cloak made of rat fur, secured around the neck with a rat skull clasp. It's quite warm but also disgusting. It seems to wriggle and writhe of its own accord, and no matter how often it is washed, it reeks of... well... rat.

Cloak of Skin: A cloak made of made of treated human skin. When worn by a creature the cloak transmutes itself over the course of a few hours into looking as it was made out of the bearer’s skin.

A tattered Randomly Colored cloak that seems to constantly have parts of it blinking in and out of existence.

A long multicolored cloak made of crests and insignia’s cut from the cloaks, tabards and lance standards of dozens of dead knights and men-at-arms all sewn together like a quilt.

A cloak with a linen hood simply decorated with the colors of the forest and designed to cast a dramatic shadow upon the wearer’s face, obscuring identifiable features.

A gaudy short red matador’s cape with gilded edges and intricate stitching.

Whispersilk Cloak, Damaged: A mottled black cloak that constantly whispers incomprehensible gibberish when worn. Normally a cloak of this type muffles it's bearer's movement, however this one does not reduce the sound of the bearer's movement in the slightest, in fact the whispering is noticeably distracting. The cloak could probably be repair by a skilled artificer or mage with a knowledge of magical items.

A black, hooded cloak that looks mundane in every single way when the hood is down. When the hood is up observers can only see the bearer’s eyes which are surrounded by a black, star-filled void.

[beifongsss]

playing with fire pt. 7 [sokka]

Pairing: Sokka x reader

Summary: You’re a Fire Nation citizen who saves Sokka and Katara from some angry villagers. Aang “convinces” you to come along with them, finding your knowledge of the nation useful. Not everything is smooth sailing though as both Water Tribe siblings have their doubts about you.

this will be a series :D this is a filler tbh set in the serpent’s pass

w.c.~3.1k

prologue. one. two. three. four. five. six.

.masterlist.

if you want to be added to the taglist PLEASE use the taglist form in my bio!

~

It had been a few days since the truth had been revealed and things had only gotten rougher. 

As you trudged through the desert with the rest of your group, you couldn’t help but think about just how twisted the relationships between you were. Tensions between you and the Water Tribe siblings were still sky high and the only people talking to you were two twelve year olds. Things on Toph’s end hadn’t gotten any better considering Aang blamed her for losing Appa. During the sky bison heist, you had been outside the library with Toph but had been knocked unconscious before the fight even began. As pissed as the group was with you, this was something that they couldn’t blame you for.

You still couldn’t help but feel guilty, knowing that blaming Toph wasn’t the right thing to do. She was so young, she definitely didn’t need that type of pressure placed upon her. Aang had been so upset that he had flown off to who knows where, claiming that he would be able to find Appa on his own. 

Things had come to a head when you all encountered the sandbenders again and Toph had told Aang that she recognized one of their voices. After finding out that they had muzzled Appa, Aang had entered the Avatar State and attacked before Katara managed to calm him down. It was then decided that the group would travel to Ba Sing Se and look for the sky bison there.

And that’s how the five of you found yourselves at the Full Moon Bay ferry station, tagging along with a family as you tried to get to the famed city. 

“I can’t believe how many people’s lives have been uprooted by the Fire Nation,” Katara commented casually, shooting you an unreadable look before glancing at the people who were anxiously waiting to escape to Ba Sing Se. You looked down uneasily, clenching your fists as you tried to ignore her words. 

You all approached the ticket lady, cowering slightly when she snapped at Aang and Sokka before Toph stepped forwards confidently. She placed something on the counter before glancing up. “My name is Toph Beifong and I’ll need five tickets.”

The lady’s eyes widened at the sight of the flying boar before glancing at all of you. “Ah, the golden seal of the flying boar! It is my pleasure to help anyone of the Beifong family.”

“It is your pleasure. As you can see, I am blind and these three imbeciles are my valets,” Toph stated plainly before turning to point to you. “And she is my most trusted companion.”

“But the animal-”

“That’s her seeing eye lemur,” you quickly interrupted, ignoring Aang’s snort. “She needs him with her at all times.”

Momo chittered quietly, nuzzling against Toph’s neck to add dramatic effect. 

“Well, normally it's only one ticket per passport, but this document is so official ... I guess it's worth five tickets,” the lady commented, stamping five tickets and handing them over. 

“Thank you very much,” you said, smiling softly as you gathered the tickets and guided Toph away. 

You all walked away, Sokka commenting on how cool it was that Toph was able to scam the lady. You were trying to tune out his words before silence ensued and you turned to see Sokka being held back by a guard. 

“Tickets and passports please.”

“Is there a problem?” you asked politely, catching Katara’s panicked gaze and giving her a simple nod. You stepped up next to Sokka, avoiding his surprised gaze. The girl looked at you briefly before turning back to Sokka. 

“Yeah! Is there a problem?” Sokka asked, repeating your words as he tried to stay calm. 

“Yeah, I got a problem with you! I've seen your type before. Probably sarcastic, think you're hilarious and let me guess, you're traveling with the Avatar,” the girl said. You exchanged a scared glance with Katara. 

“Do I know you?” Sokka asked, leaning in slightly to get a better look at the girl. 

“You mean you don’t remember? Maybe you’ll remember this!” the girl leaned in suddenly, placing a brief kiss on Sokka’s cheek. His eyes widened almost comically and he casted a panicked look at you, only to see you looking down as you turned and walked away. 

“Suki!” Sokka exclaimed, rushing forwards and gathering the Kyoshi Warrior up in his arms. 

“Sokka! It’s so good to see you,” Suki replied, hugging him back tightly. Greetings were exchanged as the Gaang reunited with their old friend, with the exception of Toph. Noticing the way you had abruptly left, she went after you, finding you seated alone as you stared off at the water. 

“What’s wrong, Princess?” Toph asked, coming to a stop next to you. “Are you really moping over him?”

You smiled softly at Toph’s words. “I don’t know, shortcake. I guess so.”

Toph sighed dramatically as she leaned against the railing, turning to face you. “If you really like him you can go talk to him. Or fight for him.”

Copying Toph’s actions, you turned around, your back now against the railing. Your gaze landed on the pretty girl standing in front of Sokka, watching her as she smiled widely. “She’s pretty.”

“And?” Toph replied, crossing her arms and huffing lightly. 

“I’m not going to fight for him,” you muttered. Toph opened her mouth to argue but you quietly shushed her. “They’re right, Toph. I’m Fire Nation and I can’t change that no matter how hard I try. I’m going to try and do my part to help Aang defeat the Fire Lord but when the war is over, I can’t simply go on and live my life. I’m either going to have to return to the capital and claim the throne or I’m going to be hunted down as a traitor to my nation. I can’t be focusing on my dumb feelings when there are bigger things at stake.”

Toph hummed lightly before she punched you in the arm. “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve heard you say but whatever. C’mon let’s get going, Princess.”

You rubbed your arm before trailing after the small girl, noticing that the family that had arrived with you was frantically talking to Aang. The group moved over to the ticket lady and you could faintly hear Aang arguing with her before turning and walking back over to the family dejectedly.

~

Five minutes later, you all found yourselves walking back the way you had come from. Nervous glances were exchanged all around as Aang declared that he was going to lead you all through the Serpent’s Pass, and you found yourself lagging behind in order to make sure that no one was getting left behind. 

“Hi.”

You looked over to your left to see the girl from before: Suki. She had joined the group after changing into a green dress, makeup covering her face in a style reminiscent of Avatar Kyoshi’s. You nodded softly, acknowledging her presence as you came to a stop. 

“We haven’t met yet,” she continued, shooting you a wide grin as she stood next to you. “I’m Suki!”

“I’m (Y/N),” you introduced yourself before bowing deeply. “It is an honor to meet a Kyoshi Warrior.”

A blush spread across Suki’s cheeks, partially hidden by her white face paint.She smiled bashfully, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she started to walk slowly. “You’re too kind. Really, there’s nothing special about us.”

“I beg to differ,” you replied quietly, walking next to her. “Kyoshi was a powerful Avatar. Your group is equally as amazing.”

Suki opened her mouth to reply only to be cut off when the ground underneath Than, the man you were traveling with, gave away. Toph reacted instantly, bending a piece of the cliff out in order to catch the man. 

“I’m okay!”

“They’ve spotted us!” Sokka yelled, pointing to the Fire Nation ship that Suki had pointed out earlier. “Let’s go!”

Aang took off into the air on his glider, deflecting the fireball that was coming your way. It crashed into the cliff behind you, sending multiple large chunks of rock flying everywhere. You heard Suki yelp lightly and looked over to see multiple chunks of earth heading her way. Without thinking twice, you threw yourself at her, tackling her and sending the both of you out of harm’s way. You landed roughly, your body curling around Suki’s to protect her from any wayward debris before Toph came in to save the day. Suki was the first to sit up, throwing her arms around you as she muttered multiple ‘thank you’s’. You hesitantly wrapped your arms around her waist, helping her up before separating and brushing yourself off.

“It was nothing,” you replied quietly, shooting the girl a small smile. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Suki! Are you okay?” Sokka asked worriedly, rushing over and wrapping the girl up into a tight hug. “You have to be more careful! Come on!”

Suki gave you a warm smile as she was pulled away by Sokka, leaving you standing alone with Toph. The earth bender turned to you, opening her mouth to make a comment that you had no doubt would be sarcastic. You quickly spoke before she could. “Thanks for saving my life Toph.”

“Now that’s what I like to hear, Princess.”

~

The group had settled down for the night, exhausted after running from the Fire Nation. You were unrolling your sleeping bag, sighing softly as you searched for a decent spot to set up in. Your eyes drifted to Suki, who was placing her sleeping bag down a little aways from you before it was pulled away by Sokka. 

“Suki, you shouldn't sleep there. Who knows how stable this ledge is, it could give away at any moment!”

Suki looked at Sokka with concern, following him as he walked away from the ledge. “Sokka, I’m fine! Stop worrying! Besides, (Y/N) no doubt had a bigger scare today. Fuss over her instead.”

Sokka ignored her words and you looked down, setting your sleeping bag down close to where Suki was originally going to place hers. Ignoring everyone else, you slipped into it, curling into a small ball as you stared up at the moon. You felt all your worries subside as you fell into a deep sleep, a small smile spreading across your face as you mentally thanked Yue for being there for you. 

When you woke up, you felt well-rested and refreshed and ready to reach Ba Sing Se. Once again, you trailed behind everyone else, keeping an eye out for any Fire Nation ships that could be tracking you. You were so distracted that you didn’t notice everyone coming to a stop, causing you to bump into Sokka’s back before tumbling to the ground. You muttered out a soft sorry, picking yourself up when he ignored your words. 

“Everyone, single file!” Katara called out, her eyebrows furrowed as she noticed that the path in front of her was underwater. “Aang I need help!”

Katara proceeded to bend the water out of the way, clearing a path for your group as Aang conjured up a large air bubble to surround you. You chuckled softly when you noticed Momo’s curious gaze aimed at the water, a full blown laugh escaping you as he dived into the water to chase the fish. Your laughter died down when he leapt out of the water, clutching onto you as he curled himself around your neck. 

“What’s wrong, Momo?” you asked, softly scratching the back of his ears. He was trembling, chittering softly as he hid his face in your neck. You glanced at the walls of water surrounding you, flinching when you saw a large shadow pass you on your left. “G-Guys?”

“What is that thing?” Katara whispered, also noticing the large shadow. The thing in the water broke through the walls Katara had created, forcing Toph to bend the earth and send you all back up above the water level. 

“I think I just figured out why they call it the Serpent's Pass!” Sokka yelped, stumbling as the serpent sprung out of the water with a large screech. “Suki, you know about giant sea monsters, make it go away!”

“Just because I live near the unagi doesn’t mean I’m an expert,” the girl retorted, panic clear on her face.

Sokka walked over to you, taking Momo from around your neck and holding him up. “Oh great and powerful sea serpent, please accept this humble and tasty offering. Thank you.”

“Sokka!” you and Katara cried in unison, irritated expressions on both of your faces.

“I’ll distract it!” Aang yelled. “Katara, get everyone else across!”

Katara nodded, creating an ice trail for all of you. Everyone sprinted across, leaving only you and Toph standing on the chunk of earth she had sent up earlier. You took a deep breath and began to walk across, pausing when you realized Toph wasn’t following. 

“Toph!” Sokka yelled from the other side. “Come on, it’s just ice.”

“Actually, I'm going to stay on my little island, where I can see!” Toph replied. You turned back, noticing that the serpent was approaching. You quickly lunged for Toph, grabbing her hand and tugging her behind you just as the serpent hit the earth she was previously standing on.

“Sorry, shortcake,” you said quietly, gripping her hand tightly. “We need to get across. I won’t let you go.”

Toph nodded meekly, gripping onto you as you proceeded to move forwards. You were moving slowly but surely, trying to focus on not being taken by surprise by the serpent. 

“You’re doing great! Just follow that sound of my voice,” Sokka yelled, watching the two of you closely.

“Well it’s kind of hard to ignore!” Toph yelled back, causing you to let out a snort. 

“You’re almost there!”

Just as Sokka said those words, the serpent reappeared and crushed the ice trail. The impact separated you and Toph, sending the two of you flying in opposite directions. Toph fell into the water unceremoniously and you found yourself landing on the tough rocks that the rest of your group was standing on. You scrambled to your feet, ignoring everyone’s worried looks before frantically searching for Toph. You could see her bobbing up and down a bit away, struggling to stay afloat. 

“Help! Help! I can’t swim!” Toph yelled out, causing everyone to panic. You noticed Sokka taking off his shoes and Suki getting ready to jump but before they could, you launched yourself into the water, desperate to reach Toph in time. Everyone watched with bated breath as you reached the small girl, grabbing onto her and pulling her up so she could breathe. 

“I got you,” you whispered, already starting to head back to the group. Toph clung onto you, gasping for air.

“Thank you, (Y/N)” she whispered back, hugging you tightly. You smiled softly, glad that she was now safe. You reached the rocks quickly enough, being helped up by Suki. Aang and Katara quickly rejoined the group, having taken care of the serpent for the time being. With a small cheer, you all kept going, smiling widely when you saw the walls of Ba Sing Se. 

Of course, nothing ever goes according to plan and you soon found yourself sitting alone while Katara and Suki helped Ying give birth. Hope was born soon enough, all of you cooing over the newborn as Aang stepped away from the group. 

“I promise I’ll find Appa as fast as I can,” you heard Aang say as you approached him and Katara. “I just really need to do this.”

“See you in the big city,” Sokka whispered.

“Say hi to the big fuzzball for me,” Toph chirped.

“Stay safe. Please,” you said, stumbling back when Aang threw himself at you and hugged you tightly. 

“You’ll find him, Aang,” Katara said, smiling sadly. 

“I know. Thank you, Katara,” Aang said, letting you go. “You ready, Momo?”

With a chirp from Momo, the two of them took off. It was silent after their departure and you suddenly felt more awkward than you had in a long time. Without Aang, you were left with Toph and two people who you were sure hated you. Sokka stood off to the side, talking quietly with Suki. You couldn’t help but watch them, not noticing Katara sidle up to you. Your heart fully broke when Sokka lurched forwards, connecting his lips with Suki’s as the girl wrapped her arms around him. 

“They’re cute together, aren’t they?” Katara asked quietly, turning to face you with an unreadable look. “She’s good for him. Don’t ruin it.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” you breathed, trying to ignore the tears that wanted to well up in your eyes. “You have nothing to worry about, Katara, I know I don’t deserve someone like him.”

Katara’s expression softened as you walked away, gathering up your stuff before you continued to walk along the path. You had barely gotten more than a few steps away before you were stopped by a hand on your wrist. You turned slowly to face Suki, a determined look on her face. You looked at her curiously, tilting your head to the side as you waited for her to speak.

“Come with me,” she breathed, taking you by surprise.

“W-What?”

“Come with me,” she repeated more confidently. “The Kyoshi Warriors could always use someone like you. You’re strong and care about others. Join me.”

You paused for a few seconds, looking around at your companions (who were pretending to mind their own business) before facing her once more. Toph was the only one who would miss you and you knew that the Water Tribe siblings wanted you gone. Aang would find you eventually; they would tell him you had joined Suki. You nodded once, causing Suki to smile excitedly and pull you away. You dug your heels into the ground, stopping her before you could get any further.

“Suki. Before I go with you, you need to know-”

“That you’re the Fire Nation crown princess?” Suki interrupted. You looked up at her, bewildered. “I’ve seen the family portraits, silly. I know you’re the princess but I don’t care. You saved my life and you saved Toph and you’ve been helping Aang out for a while. I don’t care about your family. You’re a good person and I want you to join the Kyoshi Warriors.”

Overwhelmed by her words, you hugged her tightly. You nodded once again, tears dripping down your face as you laughed lightly. 

“Okay. I’ll join the Kyoshi warriors.”

~

taglist!

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[guiltysecretpasttime]

Consider the idea of Lin /Bumi badly timed proposals"? (just a humble linumi shipper loving your fanfics)

Note: Here's my belated response to this prompt. It ran away from me again until I struggled to close the story out. Hope you like it!

One-shot Post-canon AU Lin x Bumi II

Also on AO3. 

---

Outside of the military, Bumi was known to be the spontaneous one. The Avatar’s child who was the most likely to get into trouble. Or get into an adventure, as his grinning father would correct. He was the kid who took quickly to throwing fruit pies to the air acolytes. He was the teen who travelled to the next city because there was a Pro-bending competition happening there. As an adult, he was also the one who tried (and succeeded in) applying for the United Forces on a whim.

It was not often that Bumi would plan for anything linked to his personal life.

This was why, on the weeks leading up to that Night (with a capital N), he felt out of his depth. He did what he did best and tried to plan as he would regarding a military campaign.

This was why he thought he was assured of success.

What he did not count on was the extraneous factors, which was their extended family and social circle.

That – and the weather.

---

“Booms -I’m sorry, it’s not going to work out.” Iroh’s voice crackled over the telephone. “That downpour wouldn’t make anything stick long enough to be legible.”

Bumi sighed as he peered at the window of Tenzin’s study. The waves did crash unpleasantly against the edge of Air Temple Island as the rain fell. “Well, we can still move it tomorrow, right? You and the boys are still free?”

“Of course, provided that the weather is better. As for our availability - ,” Whatever Iroh said was lost as the line crackled again as it was wont to do when the weather was poor. Bumi clicked his tongue. Tenzin really needed to have some repairs made in this temple. “- So after that, we can definitely pick it up for you.”

“Great!” Bumi could care less if they need to adjust the timing a bit – as long as it pushesthrough.

He did not need the details.

---

Or maybe, he should have probed for more details.

The retired commander saw that now as he watched visitors mill around Air Temple Island.

Various air acolytes and airbenders from the different temples now crowd the usually empty courtyard.

How was he to know that it was time for the anniversary of the return of the airbenders? He did not even know there was an identified datefor that.

Or maybe, he would have known had he listened to Tenzin’s lectures.

He scratched his chin, pensively, wondering if this might change anything when something cold and wet lashed at his behind.

“Hello, Bumi.” His sister walked over, a water whip formed at her side, grinning as she usually did.

“Mother said you shouldn’t hit people.”

“Mother said a lot of things that you didn’t follow.” Kya crossed her arms mockingly. She nodded to the entrance of the residential building where their mother stood, surrounded by her youngest grandchildren.

He understood. They never could begrudge their mother anything, especially now with her waning health.

A sea of green passed in the periphery.

“I see Suyin and her brood are here.” Bumi contemplated briefly if it would have any impact to his plans.

Kya commented. “Did they really have to be always in green?”

“Did you always have to be in blue?”

“Touche.” Kya shrugged. “Though, I needed to be blue to occasionally camouflage in the South Pole if I needed to be stealthy.”

“For what?”

From afar, they see Katara beckoning Kya forward from where she and Pema stood by the stoop of the house. “I’ll go get settled now.”

Bumi excused himself, citing some reason to check on something, which, technically he needed to do.

“Tenzin said nothing formal; nothing big. Just a small gathering.” The loud voice of the Avatar grumbled.

The clinking of metal was heard next before Bumi rounded the corner. “And yet, everyone is here.”

“Chief Beifong!”

“Avatar.” Lin inclined her head in greeting, with blank politeness on her face.

Bumi knew better though – the slight tightening of her jaw and the grip she had on her belt: oh, Lin was irritated.

“What’s up?” Korra toyed with the sleeves of her formal wear, obviously uncomfortable.

“How are your travels?” Bumi interjected, popping beside Lin before she manages any acerbic remark.

“We are travelling in style! I think I could get used to it.”

“I think you already are.” Asami looked on with amusement.

“You’re lucky,” Bumi pointed towards where Oogi and the younger bison were flying around. “Dad had to travel on a sky bison.”

“Mom said it wasn’t pleasant.” Lin wrinkled her nose.

“There! You! Are!” Bolin ran and huffed as he arrived before them, doubling over in the effort. “Wing and Wei just found where the food was being prepared, we can sneak off to get some before the– oh hello Chief Beifong!”

“I did not hear anything.” Lin looked skyward and waved her hand at them.

“Beifong!” Bumi quickly caught up with Lin, who strode off quickly when the teenagers started talking about food. “Are you on duty?”

“Yes.” Lin sighed, putting her hand on her hips then stomping, doing a seismic perimeter check. “I know, but I have to.”

“I’ll look for you later.”

“Alright. We’re a bit stretched – Tenzin did not give us the correct numbers of attendees, as usual.” Her forehead crinkled as she concentrated on the perimeter check. “Good thing the Fire Lord sent General Iroh and some of his men to represent their nation.”

“Oh, that’s what he meant.” Bumi murmured to himself.

Lin glanced at him in askance.

“Iroh.” Bumi did not want to expound further. Lin had a way of ferreting out the truth from him without seismic sense anyway.

Bumi accompanied her like a silent sentinel as Chief Beifong went about doing check to her team and on the island.

They have finally arrived at the main courtyard where the usually unflappable master airbender was fluttering about like a bright orange butterfly, holding several sheets of paper, which no doubt was the program for the day.

Lin groaned when Tenzin noticed them.

“Lin!”

“I better go ahead.” With one final eye-rolling, Lin left Bumi’s side before he could even ask where she will be stationed at the end of the program.

“Trouble in paradise?”

Bumi jumped a bit, startled by Kya once again. “Of course not, my meddling gossipy sister.”

She offered him a drink, which he rightly declined. “What’s Tenzin up to?”

The man was now talking rapidly to the chief of police. They were far enough not to hear them but near enough to see what was going on.

“He’s quite excitable.” The retired military man shrugged. “Thank the spirits for Pema, that woman is a saint.”

“You mean, thank the spirits for Lin,” Kya nodded towards the pair as she took a sip of her drink. “Pema was just about ready to rip her hair off these past days. She was looking quite frazzled earlier and after a drink or two, bam! Out tumbled everything - Tenzin was anxious and has been driving her nuts with all the prep for today’s celebration.” She raised a glass to the earthbender and airbender on the main event area. “But look over there – just a few words from our dear Chief of Police and the man calms down.”

Bumi could not help but tense up as he observed Lin and Tenzin on the platform.

As Lin continued to converse with his younger brother, Tenzin began to slowly deflate. A smile started to form on the earlier stressed airbender’s face and the corner of Lin’s lips upturned, a ghost of a smile.

“I swear – those two, I wonder how it would have turned out for them had they known this was going to happen anyway…” Kya trails off, as though suddenly realizing who she was talking to. “I mean – hey, they’re both in happy relationships and it’s perfect and -.”

Bumi swallowed drily, drowning out his sister’s voice.

He had thought about that occasionally, really. There was nothing to go on and Lin had been upfront about, well, everything so he knew where her heart is.

But, looking at the pair now, at the anniversary of the return of the airbenders, supposedly the pinnacle of all their arguments…

“Booms – don’t do anything stupid.”

Now that snapped him from his maudlin thoughts. “Why is it that everyone thinks I’m gonna do something stupid when I keep quiet? It’s a bit offensive, you know.”

“Bumi, I didn’t mean -.”

No matter, Bumi was adamant that his Plan pushes through.

---

“POP! POP! BOOOM! BOOOM POP! Whiiiizzz! BOOM!”

Everyone on Air Temple Island (and even those at the edge of Republic City) looked up to see fireworks littering the night sky.

“BEIFONG… WILL…YOU… ohmy sweet - is that a ring??? .. ME.” Suyin squealed as she read what the fireworks were spelling out.

There was a cacophony from the courtyard of Air Temple Island as everyone sought to find which Beifong was being proposed to.

From their perches around the island, Iroh and the UF men whooped in success of their mission tonight – deploying the firework proposal.

“OH-MY-BOLIIIIN!”

All eyes were on Opal who was clutching at a wide-eyed earthbender.

“What?!”

Various voices added to the din, shouting different things.

“Bolin did you really?!” Mako pointed up to the sky.

“What – no I did not. I’m not marrying – I mean,” Bolin swiftly turned to Opal. “I would like to marry you.” Then he shouted at Su and Baatar Senior’s direction. “But not now. One day but not now – I mean, I need to talk to Su and Baat – oh shit Su’s gonna kill me.”

Attention turned to Baatar and Suyin.

“Um no,” Baatar shrugged casually, an arm around his wife. “It’s not our anniversary anytime soon.”

Suyin was still being antsy. “Wing! Wei! Did any of you -?” She saw her twins wave up their arms in surrender, wildly shaking their heads as they each held a plate of food. “If that’s not you…”

“Kuvira and Junior –.” Wei.

“That is unlikely.” Wing.

“Huan?” Both Wing and Wei asked, everyone’s heads swiveled to the artistic Beifong.

“Excuse me.” Huan looked very offended, as though it was an insult that someone would be proposing to him in public.

Bumi’s face fell as the Beifongs present began arguing as to who the firework proposal was for and the actual Beifong who the proposal was meant for was nowhere to be seen.

Just then a soft squeal and a sniffle came from Kya’s side.

Pema was holding to her arm. “No-no-no – it’s for Lin, don’t you see? That’s why – Tenzin is leaving me.” Every other word was punctuated with a sniffle. “That’s why they’ve been talking over plans and that’s why – I saw them talk to Jinora the other day. Oh-airbenders-Tenzin is -leaaving me.”

“Ahem, I have an announcement!”

Now, everyone turned to stare back at the platform where Tenzin stood. Behind him, stood two more people - Lin Beifong stood in his shadows, arms crossed, a guard observing the proceedings, while Jinora stood to the side with a nervous smile, hands at her back.

“Ooohhhh!” Pema let out a wail.

“Shh, Pema!”

Bumi froze. There have been still some lingering insecurities that were in relation to his brother that would take a long time to tamp down. With the man’s whimpering wife at the side and his own significant other beside said man, it did not take much to wear Bumi down to his insecurities.

“This has been a long time coming and before anything else,” Tenzin paused at this to throw a significant look at his back. “I would like to say that this is no split second decision, we’ve talked about it and well –.”

No way he was going to let Tenzin take over his plan tonight.

“I will be stepping down soon with Jinora as my successor.”

“LinBeifong, will you marry me?”

Two voices rang into the night, clearly silencing any other words that might have been going on.

Bumi did not care for or did not mind what the reactions of the people around them were. He only had eyes for the earthbender who was gaping at him then looking back at the sky then back at him.

He worried the longer it took for Lin to react.

From his side, Pema sagged in relief against her sister-in-law while Jinora and Tenzin stood at the platform, greeting well-wishers.

Lin, meanwhile, was yet to do anything other than stand still.

“OH – we forgot the most eligible Beifong of today!” Bolin stated the obvious, pointing to the sky and back at Chief Beifong on the stage.

“What are you doing, go get her.” Kya nudged him from the back.

Bumi ran to the stage, almost tripping on his formal robes. “Lin – I’m so sorry – I didn’t think it would be this public – I -.” Lin hated public displays. “I ain’t doing this to pressure, I -.”

Lin gripped his arm to stop him from speaking.

The crowd went silent as Suyin could be heard shushing everyone (“Quiet! We need to hear what her answer is!”).

Bumi’s heart sank as Lin pulled away from him.

This is it. The Rejection.

He could only look to the ground, unwilling to face family, friends and even his former colleagues in the UF.

Suddenly there was a rumble on the ground as Lin extended a leg in front of her and she raised her arms slowly with a grunt.

“YES – BUMI – I – WILL – dear Agni – Liiiin is marrying Bumi!” Su’s shrill voice read out the words etched on the courtyard.

Tenzin groaned, mumbling about the destruction of his courtyard.

“Shut it, airhead. That courtyard has seen worse when you broke up with -.”

Nope, he did not want to hear about their break-up and so Bumi took Lin in his arms and planted a nice long kiss to seal the deal.

He pulled back and was met with a large grin on Lin’s face.

It might not have worked as he expected or planned it to be but at least, he could honestly say that it was -

Mission accomplished.

[qhostqizmo]

Made To Fall In Love With You

Every creak of the floorboards reminded Essätha of a series of Eldritch Blasts going off as she tried sneaking her way down the hallway. The sorceress was no professional burglar; and despite picking her steps with care to where her weight would not awaken the shifted building’s quirks, each footfall was too loud in her ears. Every few steps her eyes trailed behind her, catching no sight nor sound of any waking murmuring or hobbled shuffling. So far, so good.

To her great surprise, no one manned the front desk as the sun peaked upon the horizon. The smell of bacon grease drifted from another room. It was distant; the Yuan-Ti woman assumed the keeper of the inn may be about while their help worked on preparing a meal for travelers willing to pay. Naturally her tummy grumbled and gurgled in a fit to the delicious aromas. Her cheeks warmed with embarrassment while hurrying the last few steps to the threshold.

By some grace of the Gods, the hinges of the door did not creak and it barely stuck as she pulled it open. The first rays of sunshine blasted her in the eye; a blinding array of dazzling white. Essie squinted for a moment, blinking as her sight adjusted to soak in her surroundings. The large front porch greeted its way to a gravel walkway, and down to the road littered with potholes out of town.

Her heart stammered in her chest uneasily. Licking her lips, she gazed over her shoulder once more.

Nothing.

An ill feeling of trepidation sank in her stomach, yet still she persisted on. The door sealed shut behind her with a click. It was a sign: there was no turning back now.

She took the steps off the porch in a hurry; twitchy that perhaps her sloth-like speed within the dwelling would have ripped precious seconds away from her escape. Rock and dirt crunched beneath her boots as she hurried for the street. The heaviness of her bag began to slap against her back; supplies giving a sturdy thump and rattle with each step. It fell in tune quickly with her rapid pulse. What was she doing?

What was best, she reminded the fearful voice in her head. It quieted, but did not release its grip on her conscious.

From the stoop, a figure raised its head as she paused, panting from street-level. The shape defined itself as a mastiff tilted its head; a solid swish of its tail thumping against the porch. The beast began to stand, shaking its mane of black and chocolate brown.

“Ssstay!”

Her hissed warning surprised the hound, which jerked its posture backwards and away a step down the stoop. It began to whine; deep and throaty and remorseful.

Essie licked her lips again. “Please,” she begged, insisting.

Again, the great canine whimpered, pacing the deck with uncertainty. Should it follow, or should it obey?

From within the structure, there was a rustle, and someone called out. The mastiff pricked his ears to swivel its gaze towards the door.

There wasn’t going to be a better distraction.

I’m sorry, Caesar.

Feeling a tear forming in her heart, Essätha let her feet fly. She knew how to push it; run past the point of lungs burning and the wobble in legs threatening a collapse. She’d been doing it all her life, after all. This was no different.

But it felt different.

Her throat jumped; swallowing around a great and heavy formation in her throat. All she could hear was her heavy breathing, her pulse pounding frantically in her chest, the pebbles and debris kicked up with each launch of her feet from the ground. It was a sprint against the sun; chasing shadows and disappearing between the sparse houses and closing in on wooded forest. The world was an endless blur of smells and colors around her; hues and spectrums of clean laundry hanging, flowers in bloom, tarry-pine trees freshly cut, the streaks of muted house-colors of greens and browns. A startled bird took flight before her into the sky, cawing. She didn’t look twice, but her dread thought that it may have been a raven.

She wasn’t going to survive long alone. Not like this. Not with two adversaries on her tail; one a personal vendetta, the other a vast network of cult members.

But it wasn’t her chances she was worried about.

Someone yelled at her in a startled voice from a smithery as she ran by, but her spare time had already been bought and sold. She beelined for the treeline that was rapidly approaching. At least her knowledge of untamed wilds would give her a clean escape. If she hit water, she’d even be able to throw off the dog perhaps if they decided to pursue her.

The timbers and undergrowth swiftly became a dense jungle too thick to traverse full-hurtle. Forced to pick her way around thorny bushes and clamor over fallen trees, progress began to waver. The sun rose slowly higher in the sky, little by little. Sweat covered her back from the fabric of the backpack, and her stomach growled and complained from lack of breakfast.

It couldn’t have been even an hour when her knees hit the ground, exhausted. She blinked, shivering from fatigue. A series of wet droplets hit the ground, and continued to fall from her face.

Lowering her head, Essie swallowed. Her forehead touched the dry earth; inhaling dust. An irritable bug bit at her arm. She could hear past her own heavy gasping, the sound of distant birds singing Pelor morning praise for raising the light into the sky once more.

A heaviness overtook her queasiness, and another whimper drew past her lips. She crumbled to the ground even more, falling to her side among the leaflitter, the weeds, the grass, the moss. Just the spot she belonged, among the mud and filth.

It seemed only a moment; and perhaps it was, that she closed her eyes. Breathe. Just breathe. However when she opened them again, the thicket was crashing and shaking; something large charging through and headed straight in her direction.

The sorceress reached for the hilt of one of her daggers, but didn’t grasp it yet when the barreling of fur and claws hurtled through the bushes.

“Caesar!” She exclaimed, dropping her hand as the beast scrambled just enough to stop before her. “I told you to stay-”

The mastiff whined, his butt wiggling with overzealous glee. He’d found her, and he was more than happy to lap his big, wet, sloppery tongue on her face.

“You might have told him to stay, but I told him hiruvalyë.”

A tremor raced down the Yuan-Ti’s spine. Her exhale rattled out of her like a last breath; uneasy and fearful. Goosebumps trailed and dotted down her arms with knowing as she lifted her head higher, spotting the void expression staring back at her. The man wearing the expression was dressed in a heavy garment cloak with a bear-fur mantle. She knew the texture of better than she recalled the memory of her own skin, or the feel of the kinks in her wavy hair.

“… What’s that mean?” she rasped. Her voice cracked, throat dry.

“It is Elvish; translated literally to ‘thou shalt find’.”

Essie dug her fingers into the dirt; lodging grime to the bed of her fingernails. She looked away from the nobleman’s sharp features and blankly staring eyes. Despite the fact he could no longer see her face, she self-consciously wiped at the tear tracks on her face now dusty dried-lined. Though she wanted to beg for forgiveness; to kiss the ground he walked on, she bit down upon her wobbly lower lip as he made his way to stand before her.

He took a knee, ushering the frantic and whining mastiff circling her back. Reluctantly but obediently, the massive dog sat where indicated and waited patiently.

Time slowed to a crawl. The pacing was worse than that of her break-out of the inn. Each breath came and went, with nothing happening. The quiet lingered. The guilt rose in her; mighty as the crashing of a thousand bison thundering hooves on the plains. The guilt burned into plumes of shame. The shame to self-loathing, like so many daggers stitched into invisible wounds on her skin.

When she did not move or speak after the seconds turned to minutes, finally the figure sighed ever so quietly. Essie did not flinch or shy away from the hand that reached for her face. She wished it would strike her, or push her, rather than cradle her chin as carefully as it did; guiding her to look skyward. She wished the thoughtfulness of this touch would hate her as much as she hated herself.

Instead; her eyes golden as the sunlight, stared up to find the red-rimmed void of blue and black staring hauntingly back at her.

If she thought she hated herself before, she wanted to succumb to Asmondeus’ themselves worst trails in the Nine Hells now. She deserved it. She deserved fates worse than death, for being the cause of such agony and hurt in such gentle eyes.

“… You promised you would never leave me.”

The words fell out of her faster than she could catch them: “M’lord Amon, it is safer this way, for all of us.”

More than anything, Essie wanted him to be angry. She wanted him to be furious; she wanted him to spit on her and tell her he despised her. That he had been burned and left too many times to accept this betrayal. That she was worthless. That she was a mistake.

Amon blinked; a fresh spring of tears in his eyes, and he looked at her with all the things she did not deserve. None of it she was warranted. He looked at her with reverence beyond any known language, and a gut-sense knowing wiser than the lifespan mankind could survive.

“I know you that you’re scared,” he whispered hoarsely and with understanding. “I see it in your eyes, I feel it in your body laid next to mine, I can tell by the way you breathe that you are terrified. But you never have to run from me, Essie,” Amon murmured. The rough pad of his thumb swiped away a stray tear that had fallen from her eye.

“I was so scared when I woke up, and you weren’t there-”

Her throat tightened, words barely audible as she wheezed, “Then I am a failure and a liar, and you should never have followed me.”

“I’m not upset with you.” She knew this, even as he spoke the words; reaching to hold her face in both hands now. “I’m not upset with you; I swear. I forgive you. I… I know what it’s like to push others away; to run from everything, to turn from hands that want to help you. I’m so relieved to see that you are safe. There was no note, no sign I… I didn’t want to believe or consider what could have happened… ” He swallowed; adam’s apple jumping.

“Neither of us is going to be if they find us here,” she reminded him, panic rising in her voice. Her gaze shift as though to search for the ghost of her past behind him, but his hands held her steady and true. It was out of habit to seek his eyes. She could not stay away long from them; they anchored her, completed her, soothed her like the lull of the ocean deep and true. Quietly mesmerized; fully enamored by the reflections of color off those shadowy eyes.

“I would die a thousand deaths, before I lived a day without you.”

The quivering in her lip returned, only time time it took over all of her body.

“I don’t want that, m’lord. I didn’t want to- to hurt you or to see you hurt or-”

With a conviction that he displayed only in private; only in brief moments, he moved closer to her and dropped to both of his knees. Amon’s face was alive now; emotions moving in his eyes, his browline knit, his mouth open wide and gasping for air as though he was avoiding hyperventilating. He shifted closer still; the smell of leather and firs, his eyes swallowing her into deep pools.

Essätha breathed him in, shaking, as his forehead pressed to her own.

The nobleman licked his lips. “If you have to go, know that I will go with you,” he swore, reaching for her hand. He brushed a kiss to the back of her knuckles, and heat inflamed her face.

“Amon-”

He ignored the desperation in her plea, continuing: “You can choose to flee but you can’t choose who follows you. You never left me alone in my worst moments; not when you found out my dark truths, not during trial, not when others warned you that I was nothing but smooth-talker, and I am not leaving you. We are in this together. I don’t care what dangers I have to face, as long as I am with you. If I am only allowed a second for a final breath, I would just die happy because I shared it with you.”

“You are worth the fight. You are worth whatever sacrifices I have to make, to make sure that you’re protected. Just as you have taught me, you do not have to face your demons by yourself, Essie. I’ve got you. I always have your back, no matter what happens. You don’t need to run away from me. Nothing is going to keep me away from you. We can get through anything as long as it’s you and I, remember? You told me that we could make it through anything together.”

The pressure of his hand interlocked with hers was a lifeline. There were no words to describe it; the coarseness of his palms; weathered, firm, rough. They should be almost frightening to someone like her; soft, delicate, weak. Where his struggles had lead him to his sharp edges, her own had lead her to careful hands and swift feet. There were opposite products of tragedies and misfortune.

“But I need you to live,” she wept, tears freshly falling to drip from her chin.

“Then let me live with you,” her nobleman urged, tenderly wiping tears from her face. “You helped me to meet a better version of myself I didn’t know existed. I’m stronger; kinder, more patient and merciful because of everything you’ve taught me, Ess’. I’m all of those things and more, when I’m standing by your side. You’ve taught me compassion and freedom and strength on a whole scale I never imagined. I never want to stop learning and growing with you; I never want to stop looking into those beautiful bright eyes and that warm smile, not for even a second. I can’t imagine an existence; cold and dark, after witnessing so much light that comes into the world when you’re in it.”

“I need you,” he crooned. “I need you more than air, or food, or water, or shelter. I need you; your persistence, your joy, your fearlessness, your heart, your drive and graciousness. You are everything to me. You mean everything to me. You and I Essätha; we can take on the world. We can do it, together. I look out for you, and you look out for me. You have nothing to fear; until the last fight is over we can stand side by side. I am not leaving you alone. Not… Not like this. Not until… Not until I’m sure you do not want me, that you…”

Heartbeat hammering in her chest, Essätha shushed him gently, wiping her filthy hands against her shirt. When she was certain they were clean, she reached to take hold of his face. He melted into her touch with such open want that she audibly exhaled unsteadily with shock.

“I am never going to forgive myself, if something happens to you.”

“It would not be your fault.”

“Amon-”

“Let me do this,” he insisted. “I can keep you safe. Forever, I swear.”

She hated the agony in his voice. The anguish. The desperation. He wanted her to believe; needed her to believe. And she knew his every word was true. She knew this; a fact, as the sky was blue, as the moon would rise even if there was overcast, as the grass was green and the days would continue on she knew.

It was what could happen that frightened her the most.

“You wouldn’t stop following me even if I told you not to, would you,” she mumbled. She knew the answer to this, too, even before he replied. Spoken as a statement, not a question.

“Not until I knew you were out of danger”

Another shudder racked down her spine, and she closed her eyes. When she opened them again, he was even closer; his breath now tangling with her own. Her thoughts scrambled dizzily; mind and heart buzzing with her pining.

Her nobleman licked his lips anxiously; eyes darting from her own to her lips and back again. “… What I would sacrifice to the Gods right now, just to kiss you, even once,” he whispered gruffly.

Her heart launched into the stratosphere.

Brushing her lips against his own, Essie whimpered faintly, “What did I ever do to deserve you?”

Groaning thickly, Amon pressed closer; barely restraining the temptation of her lips, but he didn’t have her consent. Not yet. He was holding back by the tiniest of margins, nesting her face in his hands.

“Essie… I love you.”

The sorceress’ breath hitched.

“Prove it to me, then, and kiss me.”

She should have known anything her nobleman committed himself to was going to be nothing less than perfect. His lips were light and soft; a stark contrast to the rugged feeling of his palms to her face. It was a kiss barely-restrained; chaste and longing but remarkably controlled. Gentle. Considerate. Giving. Something that lasted all of a few seconds, and it stole all oxygen from her lungs and left her there, eyes closed, reminiscing the moment over and over again. The pressure of his lips against hers. The tingles that it sent hurtling through her; humming in her veins like liquid fire. The taste of him on her lips as she tasted them.

Finally, she opened her gaze to meet Amon’s own, and his mouth hanging agape. He immediately looked between her eyes to her lips, and back again. His throat jumped.

“… I love you too, Amon.”

His years of patience must have snapped; the final thin hair-line fragment breaking. He did not wait for her approval for a second kiss, melding against her in a mess of sweetness and lingering want.

It was her weakness. It broke her. It was infuriating and exhilarating; she knew there would be no turning him away. She should have realized this would happen when she had been so careless and brainless to vanish on him as she had in the first place He was willing to chase her to the ends of this world, and beyond it if necessary. It made her heart swell, and it made her putty, and it felt like a blow to the chest all at once. Even after she’d left him; run away, his worst fear realized that once again he was alone, he came racing to her side anyway with a golden heart of amnesty and his endless yearning.

Essätha had been wanting this sense of completion for so long. She couldn’t believe she had wanted to deny him the very same satisfaction she so selfishly wanted of him just because it was the easier answer.

Caesar gave an exasperated ‘boof’ from his lack of attention as they fell into each other; gentle love-bites and muted gasps of ‘I love you’s between grabby hands latching on to each other. Desperate for something to hold; to cling and merge and fold into each other.

There was no separating Amon Thomas Illiad from Essätha Meduza, just as there was no breaking the cycles of the cosmos. In the end, they’d always seek out each other.

And that was more of a blanket of security than all the weapons she could ever own and all the years of isolation she’d ever have. The risk was worth it. He would always be worth it.