#its a bit old but ses i forgot about them

[clowncar-25]

I forgot I had these

Depression ponies coming back at 'cha

YIPPIE

[barleyo]

Hii! Merry Christmas<3 Can I request some nsfw for sir nighteye please? He works late and doesn’t get home until really late at night and the reader is kinda sad because they’re lonely without him. Ty :))

All I Want For Christmas.

Sir Nighteye x F! Reader (smut)

A/N: As you can probably tell, I got the request last year during Christmas. Shame on me for taking so long, I truly apologize. You can beat me up if you wish, anon, I wouldn't blame you </3 (also if you noticed re-used writing of mine from other fics in this... mind your business)

Word Count: 1.4k

Tags: Nighteye's real name used, smut, p, handjobs, oral (f receiving), established relationship

The holidays were always hard. Mirai was dedicated to his job, being Sir Nighteye and all, even as the winter months approached. He never forgot about them, per se, but he never made much room for them. He tried to get off of work earlier when he met you, making sure that he would at least see you before you went to bed every night. A call, a text, anything. He did his best, but no matter how hard he tried, work was his driving force in life.

You tried to not let it bother you, you knew the hardships that came with being with a pro hero. You kept that thought in your head as you stood near the oven, bending down to shove your last batch of cookies in. 

You had been baking the whole day in preparation for Christmas. Hoping that Mirai would join you, you had an apron sitting on the dining room table for him, but that hope had faded out at around 9:30 P.M. when you realized it would be another late night of work for him. Your hands trembled a bit, the heat of the pans seeping through your old, worn oven mitts as you transferred a hot tray to your makeshift cookie decoration station.

You slapped icing on the warm cookies, blowing on them as the sweet frosting melted off of the tops. Your table had become cluttered and messy, with icing, sprinkles, flour, and crumbs dusting the tablecloth. 

“Damn it,” you mumbled, slipping your thumb into your mouth after catching a scoop of icing on it. You took a whole cookie, hands fidgeting at its warmth as you struggled to hold it, and took a bite, trying to enjoy yourself as much as you could, despite your husband's absence.

“They look nice.”

“Hmph?" You spun around quickly, hand wiping quickly at the crumbs on your lips. Your eyes relaxed when you noticed the familiar green tufts of hair and golden eyes before you. “Yeah, I’ve been making them all day.” She held back from adding 'no thanks to you' at the end of her sentence.

“Do you need any help? I don’t have to go into the office tomorrow. I can help out for as long as you need me to tonight.” Mirai offered his hand out to you, but let it fall down to his side when you coldly turned away from him.

“Most of the work is done already, I don’t think I need your help.” You winced at her own words, feeling the venom they were laced with. “I think you should just head to bed. I can handle this."

His stoney face didn’t budge, he clearly wasn’t satisfied with your answer. “I’m sure you can, but I’d like to help you. I enjoy spending time with you, doing things that you enjoy.” Rolling up his sleeves, he began clearing the table of the cookie cutters and mixing bowls, placing them softly in the sink. “I will wash those later, do not worry.” 

You ignored his words and tried to urge him away again. “Aren’t you tired from work? I really think you should go to sleep. Working for so long just to come home and do more work can't be healthy.”

“Is that what this is about then? Me working so long?”

“No, it’s not. And there is no ‘this,’ nothing is going on,” you scoffed, dripping more red icing onto a stray cookie.

There was silence for a moment before you felt arms wrap around your waist, firm but gentle. You placed the icing bag down on the table and tried to look, but your neck couldn’t crane far enough to see him. He slouched down, resting his head on your shoulder.

“I have been neglecting you, haven’t I?”

“Mirai, no, it’s not like that, I know your job is Important. I can’t imagine how hard it is to be a hero, but I just wish…” your voice fizzled out a bit when his large hands started to travel up and down your body, stopping at your chest momentarily.

“That I’d make more time for you? I hear you, dear. I’m not being fair, am I? Here you are, doing all of this alone, and during the holidays. Leaving you alone at a time like this isn’t considerate. Leaving you alone at all isn’t right on my part.”

He licked a stripe over your neck, sucking on the spot softly. His teeth edged the skin, leaving a small purple mark on it. After examining it once more, he let go of you and spun your body around to face him.

“I know you’ve missed me,” Mirai said softly, “I’ve missed you too. Being with you, feeling you, all of it. Can I show you how much I’ve missed you?” 

You nodded, wrapping your arms around his neck. “Please.”

He used his long, thin fingers to untie the knot at the back of your apron, shooting it down to the floor. He made quick work of your pants too, leaving only your shirt on.

Before he touched you, you quickly made your move and unbuckled his belt, slipping his cock out swiftly.

Giving a few, testing strokes, you held as much of his cock that she could manage in your fist. You went fast, tip to base, knowing he would want to stop to please you instead. He shuttered a bit, hips threatening to snap into your hand. 

“You spoil me," he said softly into your ear, jaw tensing with each stroke, "but right now is not about me. I want to apologize to you, to make you feel good. Let me.” 

You didn't let go, instead you focused on the head of his cock, rolling it in your hands. “Not until you cum. I've waited too long for this."

Mirai took a breath through his nose and huffed at you. "Fine." 

He stopped holding his composure and let himself sink into the pleasure that your hand provided. He could cum quite quick if he let himself go, but his tense nature let him last quite a while in other circumstances. 

His breathing went ragged and sharp. He brought his hips back and forth, fucking into your hand desperately. He pulled your hand off of his dick before he could cum, not honoring your little agreement.

"Hey, you promised," you whined, frustration crossing your face while you looked up at him.

"I know. I am such a liar, aren't I?" His breathy laugh fanned your face, and the small smile he flashed was enough to erase any anger you had in that moment.

He placed his hand gently on your face, tipping your head to look up at him.  "Do you want my mouth, or do you want me to fuck you?"

"Your mouth." You felt his hands manhandle you upwards, placing your body on the table behind you.

"Good. I always like when you choose that option."

His mouth made quick work, tongue already gliding small circles around your clit. 

"Stop moving," he said, pressing his tongue flatly on your mound. Your legs kept pressing together, as if you were trying to push him away. He slipped one hand between your thighs and forcefully held them apart. 

His large tongue slid through your wet folds, slowly teasing through, from your entrance to her pulsing clit. He stopped at your clit again and clasped his lips around it, sucking on the tender bud. He let  dribbles of spit fall from his mouth onto your cunt, only slurp it back up again to keep you wet and messy.

Not hesitating, you reached your hand down and gripped his hair, holding him in place, and rolled your hips onto his face. 

He didn't mind, simply letting a soft laugh escape his lips. It was cute, the way you took what you wanted from him. 

Your legs stuttered as you moved, twitching while moans caught in your throat. Your hands still pushed his face into your cunt. The feeling of his nose nudging your clit sent you over the edge. A sweet wave crashed over you, making you practically vibrate with pleasure.

After your grip on his hair loosened, your husband stood up and looked down at you, eyes peeking past his fogged up glasses.

"So, do you think you can forgive me now?" 

You rolled your eyes at the smirk that played on his lips and shook your head. Rolling over, you pushed your ass up against the tent in his boxers. 

"Not yet."

[land-of-evergreens-and-dye]

You know what I need more of, it's fics about how Dave Katz lives, and Klaus decides to stay in the 1960's+. Like I remember there were a couple, but I can no longer find them, and I loved them.

The idea that perhaps the remaining Hargreeves siblings stop the apocalypse and realize after a week or a month that they are down a sibling. They finally realize that he's not on a drug bend but is genuinely missing. The search begins, and their happy family that they have been trying to make is broken up again cause they forgot they had a brother out there who's vanished into thin air.

It takes a bit, and they finally find a lead to where he could be, and its literally from Hazel who come back from like his honeymoon with Agnes. It's like a peace offering to Five so the new couple can stay in this time without getting murdered by him. And he's all like 'hey don't know of you know this,but me and cha cha kidnapped your brother a while back, and Agnes keeps asking about him since he never comes by anymore. Did you guys find him after he took out briefcase?'

This leaves Five just furious, not at Hazel per se just at him and his whole dysfunctional family that can't keep track of any of their siblings. So a family meeting is called after finding out that their junkie brother has managed to drop himself into the fucking Vietnam War without anyone noticing. This obviously excludes poor Ben who's been STRESSED about what has happened to Klaus.

So they decide to obviously try to get Klaus back, but unfortunately they do not know exactly when he landed. The briefcases were not 100% accurate with when they dropped you, and Hazel cannot remember the exact date since him and cha cha traveled so much the dates start to run together. So they start scouring the internet for even a glimpse of their brother.

That's when they find the photo from the VFW photo on some wiki page. And they get a rough idea of when to jump to not so much where. That takes almost a month to calculate where Klaus ended up at Texas of all places. It takes another 2 weeks before Five is confident enough to jump with others and not strand them all over time. What he was not anticipating was that some of his siblings did not have the best grip on him when he jumped so all of those calculations went out the window when during the jump they all started falling one by one.

This results in them all landing at different times kinda like season 2, just a lot closer to Klaus' time in Vietnam.

Then the fic should change POV with Klaus now honorably discharged from the service with Dave. They made it to 1969 (😏) and with nowhere else to go, they go to Dave's hometown where, thankfully, Brian passed away while Dave was serving. So all that's left is Dave's mother and like 5 sisters. They are met with open arms and a lot of new niece's and nephew's to meet in person.

None of Dave's sisters care that Dave is gay just that he's happy. And while his mother is not ecstatic that Dave prefers the company of men, she at least loves Klaus. They get on like a house on fire somehow, much to the shock of all the Katz family. They end up moving to some old farmhouse left to the family generations ago that no one really wants since it's so far out of town and needed some real TLC. Klaus finds this perfect since there are way less ghosts on the property.

Together they fix it up and paint it a pale yellow with seafoam green trim on the doors and windows, they have a cow named Daisy, a couple goats that mow the lawn for them, and a herd of aforementioned niece's and nephew's that visit on the regular for free childcare. They visit Mama Katz every other Sunday for family dinners that nearly bring Klaus to tears at the start, witnessing a normal and loving family dynamic.

Klaus is relatively clean he still smokes cigarettes since they are legal and keep his hand ls busy. He knows he's immortal so he's not worried about the affects of smokers lung, but he does do it away and downwind from any and all family members so as to not give them second hand smoke. Since he's sober, he's able to see his fallen brothers from Vietnam and banish all of the crazed and blood thirsty ones to the great beyond.

They are living their best lives they had just painted their bathroom Miami pink with matching tiles and appliances to boot when out of nowhere about a year after discharge on a random Tuesday Ben appears in said bathroom. While Klaus is in the bath, radio blasting, and a glass of wine resting on the edge of the tub. Ben isn't noticed right away since Klaus has his eyes covered with cucumbers and face painted with some avocado mask, not a care in the world to any possible ghost that may catch him unaware. Ben stares for a good while taking in his brother who is a healthy weight and from what he can see has no under eye bags. Klaus is singing along with the radio when the door quietly opens, and this man sneaks in. Ben is worried history is about to repeat itself, and Klaus is about to get kidnapped again, so he just screamed for Klaus to get up. This of course, scares the shit out of Klaus who nearly brains himself trying to get up out of sheer instinct from years of being on the streets high out of his mind knowing that he can only trust his brother whenever he said to get out, to actually get out. Thankfully, after not actually braining himself Klaus is able to collect himself and finally come face to face with Ben, all while Dave is losing his mind over the move that Klaus just pulled. After a couple of minutes of staring, Klaus just makes Ben solid, so he could hug him, and so Dave has some idea about what was happening. Which was a relief cause Dave thought Klaus was having a flashback of some kind and was super worried it was his fault.

So after that touching but awkward hug, Klaus pulls himself together and cleans off and receives the ultimate yelling from Ben. And once he calmed down Klaus gives his side of what had happened, and how happy he is to see Ben after months of not hearing his brothers constant nagging. Ben then explains how he got there and that their oblivious siblings are here to rescue him. To which Klaus responds with that he's not going back but thank you for coming. This throws Ben off he had ran through so many outcomes, but this was not one he ever dreamed of happening, that Klaus would not want to go back with his family. And the more Ben looked around, the more he realized why Klaus wouldn't want to go back to a family who didn't even know he was missing.

For one there are way less ghosts whether that's Klaus' doing, the location, or just the time period he doesn't know but it's probably a big contender for the lack of enthusiasm about going back. Then there is the fact that the walls are covered in framed photos many of Klaus with Dave and the 173rd Airborne Brigade, some with Mama Katz, almost too many of Dave and Klaus, as well as several of the many animals and niece's and nephew's. Each photo depicts a reason to stay with a huge smile plastered on each person's face to really seal the deal. It breaks Ben's heart, but he gets it. Klaus found a place he belongs to, and that's the real kicker. Ben can understand and is starting to agree that maybe Klaus should stay cause the final nail in the Coffin is that Dave keeps looking at Klaus like he hung the stars and moon just for him. It's a look Ben has read about, but has never seen before, at least not on his siblings' faces. And here Klaus is not only on the receiving end of that look, but he too looks at Dave the same way. They match each other's freak it's weird to see, but Ben can't look away. He's honestly relieved that Klaus has found his other half, even if he had to time travel and fight in a war for it.

That was that Ben approved of Dave and agreed he would not try to force Klaus to go back. In fact, as each siblings landed in this timeline, Ben would report back to Klaus and played Lookout, so Klaus didn't have any unplanned run-ins with them. Ben would spend his days either following Klaus around as he tended to the house and farm or following Dave whenever he had to cover a shift at the family hardware store. He found the mundaness of it all quite relaxing, and as time passed, Ben was even introduced to the Katz family.

The years pass, and they settle into life of the early 70s, and then after 4 years of Klaus being in the past, Ben reports that Five has finally landed, the final Hargreeves sibling to arrive. Klaus prepares himself for the upcoming battle that is sure to arise. Cause despite the other's landing well before Five, they are no closer to finding their long-lost brother. It never occurred to them that Klaus may have changed his name. Now officially Klaus Katz he's basically invisible to his estranged family who are at their wits end trying to find the image of Klaus they are hanging on never even considering he'd ever change his ways. They look for him in opium dens and street corners at night, but never find him.

Five lands and is able to track his lost siblings pretty easily since they all have landed in the same alley. They didn't stray far in case another landed there. Now, with their all siblings reunited minus one, they can start searching in earnest. They can cover more ground and get word out that they are looking for their lost brother. It takes a week before Five comes to the conclusion that Klaus has most likely changed his name. For what reason they don't know yet but it makes sense as to why they couldn't find a Klaus Hargreeves, since according to Fives' calculations, Klaus is definitely in Texas so that narrows the search a great deal.

They manage to make flyers with the one photo they have of Klaus they printed from the internet that Five had possession of, and use the information they had to help find him.

This leads one of the younger nieces to see said flyer and to call the number provided, thinking she was helping her uncle find his family. At first, the siblings think the call was some kind of prank until they hear a familiar voice cut the young girl off and hang up the phone. They found Klaus. It was kinda anticlimactic in a way, no life or death fights or big bads finally sending their demands if they ever wish to see their brother alive again. Just a little girl who didn't know any better trying to help her uncle reunite with his family.

They show up to the farm on a Tuesday it's always a Tuesday for some reason. Klaus knows they are coming and has already had Dave drive the kids back, so they are not there to witness the inevitable fight that was to break out. He puts the kettle on in case they want tea if not, there was fresh lemonade in the fridge, and he waited with one of his favorite records on to help lighten the mood.

Klaus felt 10 years old waiting to get yelled at for his poor life decisions and how they affected his siblings again. But he was ready to finally stand his ground and stay where he was actually wanted. It's not long after the kettle whistles that both Klaus and Ben can hear an unfamiliar vehicle pull up to the farm. They both take calming breaths and go to open the door to reveal their siblings, Luther, with a raised fist ready to knock.

Klaus welcomes and ushers them into the house with little fanfare. He doesn't even acknowledge that Ben is visible, just lets the shock set in for his family as he offers refreshments and snacks. He doesn't even wait for replies before he's heading to the kitchen to just grab the pitcher of lemonade and glasses as well as the sliced loaves of banana bread he'd made that morning.

Klaus steadies his shaking hands and tries to reassure the lingering soldiers of the 173rd that he's ok and does not need backup, yet. He sends a small hail Mary for Dave to hurry back to the little girl on her bike and then heads back into the living room where Luther is crushing Dave's reading chair and the rest are on the couch with the most heinous print they found at a rummage sale. He sets the tray down and insists that they try both since the lemons are from his tree out back, and the banana bread was Mama Katz's recipe passed down from generation to generation.

All hell breaks lose as Klaus is the only one to fill a glass and to take a slice, each sibling trying to overpower the other as they loudly exclaim how Klaus missing has affected them. And how could he not try harder to get back to them. It goes on for quite some time so long that by the time they've lost steam, Dave had finally pulled back up into the driveway. And him entering his own house nearly sets off another apocalypse with how on edge Viktor was. But Klaus just shushes them and greets his husband, laws of the time be damned, and starts his introductions. Klaus just plows on not leaving room for his family to start up again he starts offering up options for dinner to a confused Dave and an amused Ben who plays along, offering his own ideas for dinner. Everyone follows Klaus into the kitchen as he starts pulling pots and pans from cupboards and meat and produce from the fridge and starts making a zuppa toscana soup. Dave and Ben fall into rhythm knowing what is needed of them. The siblings just sit at the kitchen table and watch as dinner unfolds before their eyes.

No one says a thing. Ben leaves to flip the record or to change it out, but other than that, no one moves, no one breaths as though a small inhale would break the spell. As though Klaus was still that fragile junkie, who cried if they were out of his favorite donut flavor or who always hid during missions cause they were too much for him to handle. But as they truly looked at the man before them that was not the Klaus they saw, no standing before them was a man who fought in a war and lived, who is with a man in 1970's Texas, a man who was sober and bright eyed laughing at their dead brothers antics while making soup.

Before them stood a man they were not confident they could convince to come back with them. And the more they looked around, the more they were certain they knew their brother was no longer theirs and hadn't been in quite some time.

But the hargreeves were nothing if not stubborn, so they would not lose their brother without a fight. So as dinner is served and they sit cramped at the kitchen table, thrifted from the salvation army, and Klaus would talk about mundane things like the weather or how the animals have been. A sibling would bring up some flaw Klaus had to Dave, like they somehow have been together for years now, and Dave hadn't noticed the drugs or the PTSD from his childhood. And Klaus wouldn't deny or change the subject, just confirmed that Dave knew that and moved onto recent movie releases or what they planned to plant this upcoming spring. This went on for about half an hour before both Dave and Ben finally broke and just demanded that the siblings leave. That if they are gonna talk to Klaus like that then they were not welcome in their home.

The stunned silence was thick they had forgotten that Ben was there. Their brother, who was the quietest, had found his voice after death and was finally able to be heard, so he went off on them. Listed their many faults and how many times they'd failed not just each other but Klaus specifically as children to present day when they didn't even notice he was missing.

Once he was finished, he was heaving despite not having to breathe as he now calmly tells them of the man Klaus has become now, of the family he now has. He explains that he is on Klaus' side to not go back because what is there for him back in 2019? That question seems to cath them off guard, so much so that they are easily led out of the house by the 173rd soldiers while Dave comforts Klaus. The hargreeves put up no fight and just walk out the door to the car. They sit in the drive for a while, thinking about what had just happened.

They accept defeat. Ben had let slip during his rant that Klaus still had the briefcase in working condition in their attic, covered in dust and unused. Had been since the moment Klaus landed here. He'd never once thought about going back he wasn't being rash or confrontational. No, he'd thought it through and decided that staying was what was best for him, and as much as they don't like it, they realized they will just have to live with the fact that their brother was not coming home with them.

They go back to their home base for the last time, all having the same idea of writing a letter addressed to their brother trying to apologize for their past actions and that they wish him well, that hopefully if he is still with them in 2019 he should visit or at least call. The letters are sealed and sent, and then they leave in a flash of blue, not knowing if Ben followed them like he had before, and they arrive in the middle of the hargreeves sitting room only minutes after they had left.

Grace walks in unfazed by the changes that have taken place from one moment to the next and asks if they'd like lasagna for dinner. No one says anything, and Grace decides to make the dish anyway and walks off as the siblings just sit in silence. They remain that way all through dinner. They seperatly go to their rooms afterwards. Having decided that in order to heal their trauma, living together would be beneficial, never even noticing that one room had remained unlived in.

That neglect changed they kept tabs on each other from then on out. They now knew everything about each other. Where and when they work, their hobbies, and dreams. They all eveb got to meet Claire once Allison had gotten the approval from her therapist and court.

No one dared look up if Klaus was still alive or not. None of them prepared for if he wasn't. In fact they continue to send letters to the farm address nothing serious just updates on their lives and photos of accomplishments each one secretly hoping they'd make it on the Katz's wall amongst the many family photos.

The letters always sent and are never returned to sender, so that bodes well with them. It's about a year to the day funnily enough on a Wednesday that during Claire's kindergarten graduation, a couple of old men not looking a day over 60 walk in and take a seat in the back. One dressed quite eccentrically in bright colors, head still full of curls, making the man next to him look quite plain in comparison. It's not till Claire walks the stage that the Hargreeves even notice they've snuck in as they whoop and hollar with the proud parents and uncles. Said family turns to see that now it's two old men and an underdressed teen, wolf whistling and signaling to them that they will talk after.

And talk they do. They end up reconnecting and become a truly odd family, but it works. Claire meets her final uncles and her copious cousins. They are shown that they did infact make the wall of photos along with their letters. Life goes on, and they miraculously live well into their 100's with both their families by their sides. Celebrating not just their lives but their lives together. Then, on a random Tuesday, within minutes of each other, Klaus and Dave Katz pass on peacefully. Following the youngest hargreeves sibling to the great beyond now that the little girl on a bike will begrudgingly let Klaus in. They have a funeral where no one was allowed to wear black unless it shimmered, and partied once again sharing stories and photos. then, at the end they lowered their caskets side by side and buried them, finally at peace.

[yukaro353]

What are your ATLA poly ships?

I'm back, now hold on to your chairs, there are several of you.

🔥Zuko🪨Toph🥩Sokka

This is a very personal headcanon about the parentage of Toph's daughters. It then evolved into a scenario of these three taking things too far. It doesn't have a pleasant ending in most of the drafts I have archived, but what they experienced was intense and left its mark on them forever.

🗡️Mai🎪Ty-Lee❤️‍🔥Azula

A classic, a relationship that was born in the halls of a school and that took root over the years, unfortunately those roots rotted and the tree gave way under its own weight. For Azula there will never be an explanation that justifies their breakup and for the others there was no way to rescue Azula. Tragic but sweet, a ship that slowly sank.

🌀Katara🪨Toph🪭Suki

They are a combat group that covers each other's backs, cleans each other's wounds and gives each other smiles. They all have their goals and work shoulder to shoulder to achieve them. They could share anything, from the same roof to the same bed.

Their love is like that, unconditional.

🌀Katara🔥 Zuko🌪️Aang

After a hard fight of egos between Zuko and Katara they agreed that making war would not get them anywhere, they both loved Aang and Aang loved them both, they could give in if that allowed them to build a home with the Avatar... Since they both love each other too is a bit greedy, but time (and Aang) make their efforts to guide them to a sweeter path.

🪭Suki🔥Zuko🗡️Mai

This also has a very specific context. Mai's strings have been pulled through the palace and she has found that the heat of her emotions ended up dragging Zuko into a complicated relationship with her most loyal warrior. Mai could have gone down the path of feud and used that against her now husband but... Where would the gain be there? Suki was, after all, valuable in many ways.

🌀 Katara❤️‍🔥Azula🎪 Ty-Lee

An alternate ending where Ty-Lee desperately seeks help to find Azula, wants to lend a hand at all costs, to heal her, and can't think of anyone to ask for help when Mai turns her back on her, Katara is the one who, against her better judgment, offers herself.

⚔️Jet🔥Zuko🕯️Jin

After the war, Zuko takes a step back to clear his head. He is now the Fire Lord and wants to make amends for some of the things he did wrong during his exile, such as properly honoring his uncle and, of course, recovering that sweet smile that illuminated his stay in Ba Sing Se.

Jet was not in his plans, but that's how spirits are, they work in mysterious ways.

🪭Suki🥩Sokka🌕Yue

Yue survived and joined Team Avatar to travel and try to overthrow the Fire Lord, on the way they meet Suki again and well, the drama serves itself: Sokka was kissed by a girl who is not his girlfriend in front of his girlfriend! Yue definitely doesn't want to know about him for a while... But the powerful and beautiful warrior who later joins the team is a different story, Yue can open her heart to her and trust her.

Sokka has to work hard to be forgiven, but he manages to do it, he's not such a bad guy after all.

🪨Toph🌪️Aang🌹On-Ji

This also has a very specific context because it's from another unpublished fic.

With Katara's passing there are so many things that feel disconnected, superfluous, Toph embarks on her own mission to drag Aang along with her to remind him that the world they fought for is worth it, that living for what he has left is right.

She uses everything she thinks is appropriate, even reuniting him with old acquaintances, time alone won't do the job so once the wounds heal perhaps love will spring forth from where blood once oozed.

🔥Zuko🥩Sokka🕯️Jin

Simple, Sokka offered to help his crush find her crush in the Earth Kingdom, things get a little complicated during the trip and Zuko has to sit back and rethink his emotions while Jin just watches them drown in what for her is a glass of water.

🍥🍥🍥

I forgot about the image limit so I had to sacrifice the banner TT

[docexe-mx]

Some belated thoughts on the first chapter of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, aka, Boruto part II. Spoilers after the cut.

This chapter being simply titled “Boruto” to contrast with how the first chapter of part I was titled “Uzumaki Boruto” is actually a nice touch. Succinctly reflects the new situation of the main character: From the esteemed Hokage son and golden child of the village, to a pariah considered a traitor and wanted dead by his former home. Ironically, Boruto barely appear in this chapter. Most of it is centered on the rest of the cast (with a particular focus on Sarada), giving out exposition and setting up the current status quo.

Ikemoto’s art is still an acquired taste at best, an absolute eyesore at worst. To be fair, he does have improved since the manga started, but not really enough for my tastes.

I definitely like Sarada, Sumire, Chouchou and Mitsuki’s time skip designs, while Shikadai and Inojin’s leave me a bit cold (mostly because they don’t look particularly older). Himawari’s new attire is good, but I would have preferred if her hair was a bit spikier.

I didn’t care much for Kawaki’s design in the flash forward at the beginning of the manga, but his current get-up post-time skip is actually better, although not by much.

Boruto’s design isn’t bad per se, but outside of the cape and some accessories, his outfit is just not that different from his original get-up, which feels like a wasted opportunity (at the very least they could have given him some additional colors or something).

Kishimoto’s writing has some… issues. So apparently, people could still feel something was wrong with the rewriting of their memories in the early days and the obvious contradictions involving the switch between Boruto and Kawaki, but as time has passed, the Omnipotence Shinjutsu has suppressed the unease and now everyone just accepts their new memories as true. While that’s fine and dandy, it still doesn’t explain what happened to the massive amount of physical evidence pointing out that Boruto was the Hokage’s son. Did all the photographs, written records and videos of Boruto just disappear? Were altered by the Shinjutsu? People look at them and think they are forgeries? Kishi, you might not think any of that is important enough to address it but it’s a genuinely massive plot hole that makes this entire plotline fall apart and it just keeps nagging at the back of my head.

So far it’s confirmed that Sarada and Sumire are the only ones unaffected by Eida’s Omnipotence, and Sarada herself seems to have been turned into an outcast in the village because of her insistence on defending Boruto. As to the matter of how to solve the entire mess, Eida still doesn’t have any control over her powers and doesn’t think reverting people’s memories to how they were originally will be possible, but posits that rewriting them again might work although that still carries risks of its own.

Talking about that, the scene of Sarada and Sumire trying to fool Eida and Daemon regarding how they were unaffected by the Omniptence Shinjutsu but are “definitely” affected by Eida’s charming power was extremely cringe worthy. Although to be fair, it’s kind of implied that neither of the ultra-broken siblings actually buy it and are merely humoring them for the time being.

Shikamaru being the 8th Hokage was a surprise. On the one hand, he is actually a good fit for the position, indeed, back in the original series it was acknowledged he could make for a good one. On the other hand, it also feels weird and I can’t help it but get this nagging feeling that he was made Hokage specifically because Kishimoto forgot that Kakashi was still alive. Then again, his face was not sculpted in the Hokage monument during the flash forward, and if they respect that detail, it would imply he only took the mantle very recently.

While Shikamaru’s antagonism towards Kawaki in Part I wasn’t exactly unfounded (especially considering how things turned out), it did got very old very quickly and now that it’s been transferred to Boruto, it’s even more irritating. He taking out some of that on Sarada for defending Boruto was also annoying, so in that sense, Sarada calling him out and pointing out that it’s his predecessor the one she follows as her role model was actually deserved to an extent.

Kawaki can move freely in the dimension of the Sukuna Hikona. The scene with him watching over the unconscious Naruto and Hinata was really morbid, but it’s clear he is still in a dark place. However, he does seem to care for the safety of the people in the village if his actions to protect them from Code are anything to go by. That’s something at least.

The scene with Kawaki and Mitsuki was heartbreaking. Just the notion of Mitsuki turning against Boruto and fervently wanting to kill him is tragic considering their prior bond, compounded by the fact that his current relationship with Kawaki is clearly not the same and it’s leaving him feeling dejected. I just hope this whole mess won’t end with Mitsuki eventually turning into an outright villain, you just know Kishimoto is itching to explore parallels and contrasts with Orochimaru.

The scene of Himawari training with Chouchou was nice, showcasing their growth as well as Hima’s natural talent. I presume Himawari has already graduated from the Shinobi Academy, although the chapter doesn’t clarify it.

Interestingly, while the chapter confirms Himawari's memories were altered, unlike other village inhabitants, she hasn’t turned against Boruto, refusing to believe that he killed their parents and having faith that they might still be alive somewhere. Of course, all of that is based on her original memories of Kawaki and she is ultimately right. In any case, it’s sweet that she is willing to help her brother and that, in a roundabout way, she thinks highly of her adopted sibling, not only considering her original bond with Boruto but also the bond she and Kawaki formed in the anime.

Code has spent the past few years searching for Boruto after amassing an army from the body of the Juubi. His patience has finally been exhausted so he decides to attack Konoha with the intention of attracting Boruto’s attention. His plan was actually clever, but I’m not exactly fond of him imperiling Sarada specifically, then again this is Kishi’s “traditionalism” rearing its ugly head again.

In any case, the scenes of the attack on Konoha and Boruto’s dynamic entry were cool… or would have been if the art was actually better. All I can say is that I’m eager to see the anime tackling this chapter when it finally returns.

[cieloclercs]

lover, you should’ve come over , send me a description of yourself + a fandom and gender preference, and i’ll ship you with a character

i want it with f1 and it doesn't matter old or current drivers. i sent you this request before but i think i forgot to add preference so it was my fault. hope it doesn't bother you that i'm sending you a new one again, if it bothers you then i'm sorry. i think it's gonna be long so... sorry in advance x2

i'm 22 and history student. i want to be an academic because knowledge is pretty much everything to me. if a djinn grant me 3 wishes, one of them would be to know everything about universe, humankind and other things. i like learning new things and i like to share them with others whether its something scientific, about history, philosophy or just random fact about pop culture it doesn't matter. sometimes i just starting to tell someone a random fact i learned out of the blue so there's that i think. i also think my love language is quality time. i'll remember whats your favorite book, movie, song, sweater, drink etc it doesn't matter i'll etch everything about you into my brain forever. its my curse, sometimes i think that way.

i like buying new books even if i have billions of them i haven't read it yet at my home it doesn't matter. i like to go museums. my idea of relaxing and holiday is going to new historical places, museums, exhibitions, watching something or reading something, explore new music etc so you get the idea.

i like to watch art movies, documentaries, keeping an eye on film festivals. my favorites are those 3 hours long old movies you can hardly find subtitles for but when you do... it gives you everything you need and more.

when i said i like learning new things i mean it as a learning different subjects or matters. it doesn't matter tbh if that thing got me interested in then you probably gonna find me searching it online at 3 am.

i'm a bit cold to others i'm not gonna lie. definetely judge someone and if i dont find them okay-ish then warming up to them and liking them is gonna be hard. i tend to isolate myself and zone out frequently when i'm overwhelmed so even if you continue to talk there's a big chance i'm not gonna hear you but i have pretty good focus so thats the plus for me.

i'm definetely quick to anger and hold grudges really well won't forget something you said to me 10 years ago. but i'm also a ride or die and would bring shovel to your house unquestioned so i guess that's even it out?

but there's a weird and kind of intimidating side of me? at least that what my friends been saying. my classmates and friends often saying to me how they were/are intimidated to talk to me because they didn't want to seem stupid or didnt gage out what would i say or react. weird side of me i think its that sometimes i tend to get awkward not gonna lie...

also i tend to get... disappear for extended period of time out of the blue. i'm just vibing at home or outside by myself. i'm happy with it but others don't.

i hope it's not too long and if it is sorry </3

i ship you with lance stroll!

— i’ve never pictured lance as the academic type per se, but i always get the sense he’s a bit of a dark horse when it comes to his talents outside of f1… i feel like he’d be super interested in all of the stuff you are, especially philosophy. once you guys start dating, i can picture him getting really into philosophy and history and reading to the point where he’s basically just feeding your own need for more knowledge (match made in heaven frrr)

— obviously the guy is loaded so he has no problem buying you whatever books you want. instead of being the kind of boyfriend that goes out and buys his girlfriend jewellery to show affection (bc his love language is DEFINITELY gift giving) he’ll buy you a ton of books instead 😭 i feel like you’ll get so used to it that every time you go out you leave a reading list on the table for him to look at, and when you get back he’ll have bought you EVERY SINGLE BOOK. even the really obscure ones, and you’re like how did he manage to find this at such short notice? 😭

— loads of your dates consist of either movie nights or trips to museums and exhibitions. you might do some more mindless lowkey stuff in-between, but lance will pretty much do whatever it is you want to do 😭 he’ll definitely surprise you with random trips to loads of interesting historical places. even if you only mention a particular place one time in passing, the next thing you know he’ll get you on his private jet and take you there for the weekend 🥹 it just shows he’s a really good listener too !! a bit like you, he just wants to commit everything about you to his memory 🤍

— i never thought i’d say this because i picture lance as being quite isolated a lot of the time, but he encourages you to get out more and stops you from retreating within yourself. he knows that you have no problem being alone with your thoughts, but he also wants you to get out and experience things with new people 🥹

— BUT on the other hand, you guys are definitely the judgy inside joke couple 😭 i mean in the sense that you tell each other everything. if you’re holding a grudge against someone for a particular reason, he knows exactly why and holds a grudge too 😭 basically you always tell each other your drama to the point where you’re essentially just sharing enemies. this unfortunate person will never know why but every time they come near you both you’ll automatically just fall silent and stare them down 😭 half the grid is scared of you both for this but it’s fine you’re iconic

— ps. i’m sorry this took so long! i’ve been mulling over this one for a while 😅

[jimintomystery]

DS9: "Hippocratic Oath"

Doctor Bashir and Chief O'Brien are captured on Bopak III by a unit of rogue Jem'Hadar soldiers, who want a cure for their dependency on ketracel-white, the drug that the Dominion uses to control them. Meanwhile, Lt. Commander Worf adjusts to life on Deep Space Nine.

I forgot this is the episode where O'Brien almost says he wishes his wife Keiko was more like Bashir. It's a cute bit, although the full context is kinda funny, since O'Brien's point is "I wish Keiko could see, as clearly as Julian does, my desire for greater intimacy with Keiko." So the takeaway is something like "Fellas, is gay to really want your wife to know how much you wanna do her?"

The Jem'Hadar have had tubes running into their necks since their first appearance, but we didn't find out until "The Abandoned" that the tubes deliver a chemical they can't live without. Now we know it's called ketracel-white, although the show still can't decide if it's an enzyme or an opiate. For the most part it makes no difference--the point is that the entire Jem'Hadar race is genetically engineered to be helplessly dependent on a compound only the Dominion can produce. But sometimes the dependency is treated like lysine in Jurassic Park, and at other times it's presented as an addiction.

This episode tries to have it both ways. Goran'Agar, the leader of the rogue unit, believes his people already wish they could rebel against the Dominion, and simply don't because they don't know where else to get their next hit of space heroin. On the other hand, the reason he personally doesn't need the drug is that his body produces ketracel naturally, which suggests his comrades are no more "addicted" to the stuff than a diabetic is to insulin. On the other other hand, it's evident here that the Dominion's formula is altering the mood and behavior of the Jem'Hadar, and Goran'Agar is gradually shaking off those effects. So there's more to the drug than natural ketracel-white, but its hold over the Jem'Hadar isn't based on inducing euphoria or relief per se.

This episode marks a crossroads between two premises about the Dominion. Goran'Agar mentions that he and many Jem'Hadar have never seen a Founder, and cannot be certain they actually exist. This was an interesting idea, but it's hard to maintain now that every character on this show knows someone who has met a Founder. So it's no wonder this is the last time anyone will bring it up, but in doing so Goran'Agar likens the mythical, faith-based authority of the Founders to the gods he's heard of in other cultures. The point of this monologue is that he has a rather limited context for understanding what a god is, but before long it's taken as a given that the Jem'Hadar and the Vorta literally revere the Founders as literal deities. That angle gets real old, real fast, in my opinion. But as far as this one story goes, I think Goran'Agar's attempt to grasp theology is good stuff.

[dovveri]

no yeah, i felt kinda stupid after writing that I liked children and had a good relationship with them to justify not liking the movie- it should be common sense. I said that mostly cuz when i read comments about the movie a lot of people were saying that they didn't like it cuz they were parents or worked with kids so it was disgusting for them to see that thing portrayed on the big screen. And yeah, imo i think this also leads into the "I like younger women" discourse where 40 year old men say that they prefer to be with an 18 year old because they're more 'innocent' (which is just so idiotic and disgusting cuz they're chasing this 'purity' that is just- ) No like, that piece of media/literature is actually really good cuz it talks about some stuff that is really important to understand. Imo it's a good literary piece (specially cuz it has an unreliable narrator) even tho it deals with really heavy topics. The thing is, this thing being popularized during the bear vs man discourse is so harmful because of those men who then go on to shame Ellen and generalize her experience. Then when women say that they can relate to an extent her character and feel more empathetic to her case THEY GO BALLISTIC? LIKE OH NO WOMEN ARE RELATING TO WOMEN???? And like, it wasn't her choice per se? she had no other choice and it wrecked her. The narrator of the story after that is always resenting her for doing that AS IF IT WAS HER CHOICE, LIKE- and yes fr. Tbh, I've grown tired of talking about the sex work industry with some men cuz it's just disgusting talking about it with them cuz some are so out of touch that it's horrifying. I forgot but I rly agree w you on the lust and anger thin separation Like, it's the same with love and hate? In a way? Like, for example, Hamlet is a great example of both (btw I hate him, he's a little bitch. If you like him I'm sorry, not really, but yeah) cuz he goes from loving someone to hating/despising them in a second. Like, in the play with ophelia it's all "oh but he really thought she was going to betray him!" Yeah so him being a little bitch, an asshole and a big misogynist saying she was being prostituted by her own father is ok😀 or him saying that she should go to indeed prostitute herself cuz she isn't pure is ok (this was all stuff GROWN MEN IN MY CLASS SAID) And also, in this line of thought of lust and anger, Hamlet (play) deals with pseudo-incest and incest themes😭 like so many innuendos it's honestly surprising how many people in my class never pointed it out? But like, Hamlet is constantly talking about his uncle and his mother's sex life (he's obsessed) and he hates them so much for it, especially his mother. There is a scene tho, where he goes to confront her and he says that he had once loved her and would love her still if she had not 'bed' her husband's brother. But it's so full of sexual innuendo on his part- like he's attracted to her? But he's also always wishing her ill. Idk it's really weird and when you talked about lust and anger I remembered this

This might be a bit confusing😭 I just woke up from my nap (I love being on break. It's the best thing ever)

ALSO HOW ARE YOU

HAHAHAHA NO ITS NOT CONFUSING I LOVE HEARING UR THOUGHTS ur so right on everything again ���️🗣️ and i never studied hamlet actually or watched anything to do w hamlet AHHSHAHA and im sorry? hamlet wanted to fuck his mom what 😭 i wonder if freud read hamlet he woulda had a field day

IM OKAAAAYYYYYY its getting closer to finals so ive been buzy trying not to fail 😫 im going to a friends birthday tmr tho and the theme is ‘overdressed’ WHICH EATS i love that theme its kinda giving met gala but we care abt palestine KSKDKSKA but i still havent decided what ill be wearing yet but thats sth im looking forward to 😁 HRUUUUU!!??

[designerblade]

AI: The Somnium Files

I picked up AI: The Somnium Files on a whim recently, when I was desperate for something to play and didn’t have the budget to buy something new. I purchased it from the PlayStation store a few months back on super sale and completely forgot about it. I had no expectations, and ended up really enjoying it!

Let me clear the air by saying I’m a huge Danganronpa fan. Despite their problems, I’ve always really enjoyed the series’ style and mystery solving mechanics. I figured AI: The Somnium Files, also developed and published by Spike Chunsoft, would be up my alley.

Differing from the high school setting of the Danganronpa games, the protagonist of AI is an adult man (probably in his early 30s) who’s a detective for the Tokyo police. His name is Kaname Date. He lost all of his memories and one of his eyes six years ago, and the overarching plot of the game is figuring out how and what happened.

One of the big gags of the game is that Date is obsessed with porn, and that’s often used during the combat sequences. It’s often brought up by the game’s female characters (Mizuki, his child roommate and Aiba, his AI in particular). I always found the use of this humor uncomfortable, especially when being mentioned by a minor. I expected it though, as the Danganronpa series is riddled with uncomfortable, out-of-place sexual humor as well. If that’s to your taste though, you’ll probably enjoy this game.

Another problematic stance this game takes is in its characterization of Mama. Mama is a fat trans woman who’s old friends with Date and runs a local bar. She’s an informant, so you visit her a handful of times throughout the game. She’s motherly and kind, and a bit flirty. Unfortunately, the other characters in the game are regularly transphobic and fatphobic towards her. They refer to her as things like a “monster,” or a “giant grape.” Mama is happy and doesn’t mind, but it’s uncomfortable seeing how she’s treated, even by her old friend. I look forward to the day when Japanese games aren’t like this anymore. My patience towards their use of fat queer people as a joke is gone.

I found a some of the other characters to be compelling, and was always excited to see more of them. Mizuki was very well acted, and I liked her standoffish nature. Iris, a young internet idol, was also always a joy to see. Date’s boss, Iris’s mother Hitomi, and Ota Matsushita (a fan of Iris’s) + his family were also all fun to learn more about.

An important gameplay mechanic is psyncing. Most of the game is clicking through several different locations to look for clues and interview characters. Standard point-and-click mechanics. Psyncing is where they switch things up. Date works for a special unit of the police force called ABIS. Their purpose is to get information, no matter what, and they have a special psync machine that allows them to do so. It puts the suspect to sleep, and lets the officer enter their dreams for 6 minutes to look for clues pertaining to the investigation. During these sections, you run around as Aiba in the body of a young woman.

I never found the psyncing to be much fun. They’re kind of like puzzle rooms, but nonsensical. The option you need to pick to progress is never clear or linear, and you’re timed in the rooms, so making too many mistakes can be punishing. I often had to replay the psync sections a few times to get them correct. Sometimes I had even figured out the solution, but the inputs kept taking too long and forcing me to restart. At best I found the psyncs neutral or tolerable, at worst a frustrating nuisance.

The best part of the AI: The Somnium Files is its use of branching paths. I ran into my first “ending” around 5-6 hours in, and was shocked that I had learned so little. The game encouraged me to play through again, starting from a branching segment from earlier on in my playthrough. I did so, and the differences were WILD. AI is kind of like Nier: Automata, in the way that you really have to see every ending through to solve the case and get the true ending. It was super worth it! There were so many fun twists and turns. I liked seeing how much Date’s relationships changed with each playthrough. In one path he and Mizuki were extremely close, in another they couldn’t even look at each other.

Ultimately, I had great time with this game. I flew through the 25ish hours in about two weeks, which is fast for me. The mystery kept me guessing until the very end. I also enjoyed the soundtrack! I definitely want to check out the sequel from last year, Nirvana Initiative next time it’s on sale. I’d recommend AI: The Somnium Files to any anime mystery fans! There is fun to be had here!

[dokidokitsuna]

For the Gone AU, I'm curious about the realms that these guys rule. What's the setting here? What do they look like? I have a good idea of what the Realm of Stars might look like (involving a lot of robot people and tech) But what about the Realm of Blood and the Realm of Fate? I'm curious!

Well, you're right about the Realm of Stars-- it's basically just a giant futuristic civilization, and it's likely that many of its inhabitants have lived and "died" without even being aware of Star Dream's existence, outside of a nebulous god-concept.

This is probably the safest Realm to live in, if you're alright with the idea of being mechanized, if you can find somewhere to hide from the hive mind, or if you can convince the nearby members that you're not worth worrying about. The people of the RoS can be a bit...stupid and unobservant at times, due to their hedonistic lifestyle. ^^ And it's not like they need to be smart; Star Dream sees everything through them at all times, and if it recognizes any significant problems it will compel them to act the way it wants them to.

Minor things are usually left up to the discretion of the individual members though, so...if you play your cards right, and you're lucky enough to not be visited directly by an Avatar of the Dream, you could make a peaceful life for yourself in this Realm.

+++

The Realm of Blood, on the other hand, is basically everything that Star Dream hasn't touched; the places where all the flesh-creatures still live. Earth IRL would be considered part of this Realm.

Fecto Elfilis doesn't really 'rule' these worlds per se; the RoB is essentially defined by where it tends to hang out and look for "food". ^^; Worlds in this Realm go through a constant cycle of being struck by apocalyptic events of F/E's choosing, having most of their living creatures die out (or get eaten), and being slowly repopulated by whatever's left.

Because Fecto Elfilis is only one entity, whose movements are kind of random, it is almost indistinguishable from any world-destroying force of nature, like a comet strike or the death of a star. The vast majority of the inhabitants of the RoB don't know F/E exists and might not even recognize it as a sentient being if they saw its work firsthand...I mean, if it decided to play 'Roche Limit billiards' with a pair of planets the way it did in Forgotten Land, ain't nobody gonna live long enough to even understand what happened. ^^;;

Because of this, a lot of outsiders to the Realm tend to also see it as relatively safe and even to underestimate F/E itself-- there are probably plenty of smaller galaxy-scale tyrants wrecking shop in the RoB completely undisturbed.

But even if it takes millions of years, the true ruler will eventually wander by and remind them who the top dog really is. Because of the cycle of death and rebirth that binds the RoB and F/E's ridiculously old age, most of the entities that try to challenge it derive their power from some aspect of it (both Star Dream and the Master Crown, for instance) and this is when they tend to very painfully find that out. ^^;

+++

Last but not least, the Realm of Fate...the hardest one to name AND to define. ^^;

I based these three realms on some ancient natural philosophy thing I read once that I forgot the name of...basically, there is a ranked order of materials in the natural world. On one level, you have inanimate objects (Realm of Stars); on a higher level, you have animate creatures (Realm of Blood); and on an even higher level, you have the forces that animate creatures: souls and/or whatever the human mind is made of. This level is represented by the Realm of Fate.

It does have a presence in the physical world-- the first step of the Master Crown's conquest is always a show of force against the world its victims live in. But after that, most of its dealings take place inside of people's heads-- break the victims' reality, and then break the victims' perception of reality, and continue inside from there.

Unlike with the other two Realms, everyone living in the RoF knows what the MC is and recognizes its place in their lives. They only exist to be its puppets, to play its games and destroy each other...and the inside of each of their minds is like a realm of its own, where the MC rules with an iron fist and will torment them until their consciousness ceases to exist.

...Obviously this is the worst Realm to live in, 0/5 stars. ^^; It also makes the plot of GONE a little ironic-- essentially, the Master Crown gets one (1) taste of its own medicine and folds like a deck of cards. XD Not so tough when your own mind is the one being invaded, huh?

[gladerwolfstarkimagines]

Imagine being Sokka’s childhood best friend who left to join the war and reuniting with him years later.

You and Sokka were friends before either of you could walk. Children were in short demand in your tribe so when you were born only 6-months apart it was a given you’d be playmates but you and Sokka also became inseparable almost instantly. You both had the same dry sarcastic humour and your personalities worked well together. For the first few years of your life all you were concerned with was staying taller than Sokka and Polarbear dogs but then fire nation attacked and killed Sokka’s mother.

After the brutal attack the remaining tribesman decided to make one final stand against the fire nation and all the eligible men began preparing to leave with one exception...you. You had just turned 11 and so based on past custom weren’t too young to go to war. Of course your tribe didn’t want to take a child but your only family was your father and he was leading the war effort with Hakoda. You had no other family left to watch you and so you managed to talk your father into bringing you along. Sokka tried to do the same but as he was 10 Hakoda said he was too young. Sokka had been furious to say the least. He didn’t see why you’d be allowed and he wouldn’t be, 6 months was hardly anything and his sexist attitude made it sting all the more. He pouted constantly up until the day you left when he suddenly sprinted to the shore at the last minute and hugged you tightly. “I’m still mad at you but if only one of us can go to war....well I’m glad it’s you and not one of the other kids”. You smiled “not quite a heartfelt goodbye but i’ll take it”. “Y/n come on” your father called and you nodded. “I have to go...”. Sokka nodded “of course, kick some fire bender butt for me and erm....don’t die”. You laughed “you too” and with a final smile to Sokka joined your father and the other men to go to war.

That was 5 years ago and you hadn’t seen or heard from Sokka since. You thought about him and home a lot but honestly life at war was very demanding. You were largely sheltered from it by your fellow tribesmen and didn’t actually engage in any combat until you were 14 but still you felt the burden of the impossible victory on your shoulders. Every time you took a step forwards the fire nation seemed to push you back three...but things changed when the avatar came back. It shook the fire nation and surely but slowly you were making gains in the war.

After one successful victory you were in particularly high spirits and woke up early to go and fetch some water for you and your father. As you returned to camp you set the water down in your tent and headed to get breakfast. The camp seemed different you noted, people seemed to be hurrying to the centre excitedly and so you picked up your pace. You suddenly heard a loud cry and worrying you were under attack began to run to camp. A large group had gathered and you looked for the threat but realised everyone seemed happy...not scared. Everyone was focused on a group of men who had come out of the war tent. The group of men themselves were all talking excitedly, focused on one man in particular. You knew every single man in this camp but couldn’t work out who this one was. He was definitely water tribe and young, around your age and looked oddly familiar. He had bright blue eyes and a sharp chin which suited him very well. Everyone seemed to know him and it frustrated you that you couldn’t work out who he was. He was talking to your father and Hakoda warmly and you stared at his face feeling you knew him. Then it clicked, it was Sokka.

Sokka’s POV

Sokka had been nervous to walk into camp but the second he did everyone rushed to hug and welcome him. Sokka felt happier than he had in a long time. He stood next to his father unable to remove the smile from his face when he spotted your father and a thought occurred to him. "Where’s y/n?" Sokka asked when he spotted you feet away. You looked like you’d just arrived here and were staring at Sokka as if you couldn’t work out who he was. Sokka went to call out to you when you smiled. "Sokka?" you asked in disbelief and Sokka blushed. It may’ve taken you a second to recognise him but he’d know your face anywhere. "It’s me y/n" he smiled and your own smile turned into a large grin. You rushed forwards and hugged Sokka tightly. Sokka heard a lot of “awes” from the crowd but he didn’t process them, he was too focused on you. You pulled away and both grinned at one another babbling greetings and questions. Then there was an awkward pause where you both just stared at one another. It had been over 5 years since you’d seen each other and you had both changed a lot since then so it took a lot of effort to process. Sokka was pleasantly surprised to find he was taller than you now. As kids he had steadily caught you up over the years but you left before he could claim his victory. Now he was undeniably taller than you and he couldn’t wait to tease you about that but he noted you’d beat him in other aspects. Your arms were more toned and bigger than his, well defined and taut after the years of training and Sokka could see the same went for all your limbs by the shape of your neck and shoulders. Your hair too was longer and partially braided which Sokka had never seen before. Of course the braids symbolised battles you’d been a part of and Sokka felt proud not envious at how they decorated your face. Your face too was also more defined, your cheeks seemed higher and more angular but your eyes had remained striking and your lips still bright pink. Even the way you held yourself was different, you were a warrior now Sokka realised and that thought made him feel fuzzy.

Your POV

When the silence between you got too awkward Hakoda coughed "y/n, Sokka has travelled here from his journey with the avatar". "What?" you cried in disbelief and Sokka just smiled lazily “yeah...”. "Sokka why don’t you go with y/n to our tent and tell her all about it over breakfast?" your father suggested. Sokka nodded and you led him away to your family tent. You kept staring at him convinced he wasn’t real. Sokka had changed a lot. The height difference was a shock but not the biggest. His face had lost its baby cheeks resulting in chiselled cheekbones and his hair was a lot longer. He was more toned too, not muscley per se but his arms had definition and you struggled not noticing. His eyes were the same though and they were the one thing that made you sure this was your friend. They made you feel at ease as they always did and you just turned to Sokka and laughed “I can’t believe you’re here”. “Me either!” Sokka cried “I...I imagined this day for so long”. “We all missed you a lot” you said worried Sokka was still upset you got to go when he didn’t “and thought about you every day” you added. “You did huh?” he asked with a smirk and you realised Sokka was fine. You did not need to be worried. “I said we, not me” you said pointedly and Sokka grinned “yeah but I know you meant you missed me, you just didn’t want to admit it”. You forgot how well Sokka could see through you and shook your head “okay I guess I missed you...now tell me everything! How on earth did you become friends with the avatar?”.

Throughout Sokka’s story you stared in awe and barely touched your food. Everything Sokka told you sounded insane and you made him promise several times that he was being serious. Sokka animatedly told each part of the story and you couldn’t help smiling at how enthusiastic he was. You’d missed this and him a lot. 

“So you two all caught up?” your father asked suddenly entering the tent and Sokka shook his head “not even close! I was just telling y/n about our fight with the fire nation navy in the northern water tribe”. Your father laughed placing a hand on Sokka’s shoulder “well that will have to wait, y/n has training...maybe you’d like to join her?”. You saw Sokka’s eyes light up at the thought of attending actual warrior training and smiled. “Yes!” he cried leaping up “if erm...you don’t mind of course”. You smirked “it’s been five years since I saw you, do you really think i’m letting you out of my sight?”. Sokka blushed looking down but you didn’t notice. You were already tugging Sokka out of the tent “come on! If we show up first we get the good armour!”.

Sokka’s POV

All-day you sparred and trained in water tribe drills. Sokka was equally exhausted and exhilarated. When his father declared the session over his exhaustion won however and he collapsed on the sand and crawled to the water. He heard a laugh and you appeared next to him “tired huh?”. “No! I could go for hours!”. You raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment. Sokka sipped his water and glanced at you. You were cleaning your sword and the sun reflected off it making your eyes shine. Your eyes had always been darker than the traditional light blue, they were a very dark blue and only when the sun shone on them was their true colour illuminated, like now. Sokka forgot how beautiful they were and looked away before you could notice him staring. “You were really good in training” he said softly and you smiled glancing at him “no sarcasm? Was that a genuine compliment?”. Sokka grinned “yes! You know I can be serious”. “Wow you have changed” you smirked and Sokka blinked “you think?”. You nodded your head “you’re more mature now, you have this sureness about you and an air of confidence like a leader does...it’s nice” you smiled “and then you make a goofy face and you’re back to the 10-year old I remember”. Sokka smiled and leant back on his elbows just enjoying this moment in the sun with you. “You’ve not changed a bit” he told you and you blinked “really?”. He nodded “I saw you earlier trying to work out who I was but I didn’t need two seconds to spot you”. “Well duh i’m the only girl here!” you cried but Sokka shook his head. “That wasn’t it, I’d know your face anywhere. I worried after you left I’d forget it but you’re exactly as I remembered...every detail like I pictured”. You blushed as Sokka spoke so softly but soon regained your bearings, “and you pictured me often?”. Sokka didn’t even blink “of course I did”. Your blush rose again at Sokka’s confidence and you saw he had a small smirk on his face. Sokka went to speak again when an alarm rang out. You both jumped to your feet. “What does that mean?” Sokka asked and you frowned “nothing good, come on” and ran back to the camp. Everyone was gathered around grabbing armour and weapons. “Dad, what’s going on? Are we under attack?” Sokka called. Hakoda nodded “yes, y/n get ready, Sokka.....”.  “Dad I can fight, please let me come with you” Sokka said loudly and you looked at Hakoda to see what he’d say. Hakoda stared at Sokka before he looked directly past him to at you “how would you like to lead your first duo mission Y/n?”. You grinned “I’d love to”. “Great, Sokka stick with y/n and do everything she says, do as she does and you’ll be just fine”. Sokka nodded and rushed to your side. “This is so cool” he whispered and you smirked as you helped him put on his armour. “Don’t get too excited these things can get dangerous quickly, stay with me okay?”. “And you’ll protect me?” Sokka asked batting his eyelashes but his smirk fell away when without a second thought you nodded “of course I will”. Your low voice filled with determination made Sokka blush and look away. “You ready?” you asked and Sokka nodded “ready” and you rushed into battle.

Sokka did exactly what you said and the battle was a success. He was impressed at how much you’d learned and how great a leader you were. You largely kept the fighting away from him by making yourself the bigger target but when Sokka did engage you were always on hand to help push away any fatal blows. Sokka got out of his first battle without so much as a scratch and it was all down to you. When Hakoda declared victory everyone began to cheer and Sokka grabbed you “That was....you were amazing out there y/n!” Sokka grinned and you smiled “it’s nothing...”. “Are you kidding? There were men there twice your age and size but you knocked them aside like they weighed nothing”. “Well what about you?” you asked “you’ve clearly been training a lot since we left, I take back everything I said about your boomerang it’s a great weapon”. “Wow you’re admitting you were wrong? You had changed” Sokka smirked and you smiled.

As this was the first battle Sokka has successfully fought in he was due his first-ever warrior braid. Hakoda explained it wasn’t a large ceremony, he basically just went into a tent without a braid and came out with one but still Sokka was nervous. Of course he’d practised them lots, all water tribe children did for the day they’d get to add one to their hair but now the day was finally here....he was very anxious.

Your POV

You waited with all the other men for Sokka outside the tent. It was taking a while and you wondered what was taking Sokka so long. “I’ll just check he’s okay” you told your fathers and walked through the flap of the tent. Sokka was fiddling with her hair muttering to himself angrily. He didn’t seem to like the type of plait he was making and would shake it out each time with an irritated mutter. “Sokka?” you asked and he jumped. “I can’t get it right!” he cried “I’ve been dreaming of this day since we were five but I can’t make it work. Sokka tried again seizing his hair tightly and you noticed his hands were shaking. You came to stand behind Sokka and pushed his hands away softly “let me”. You grabbed Sokka’s hair carefully and began to braid it into the traditional warrior plait pattern. Sokka watched and saw the concentration on your face as you twisted his hair effortlessly into a pattern. “There” you said softly tying a small band around it “your first warrior plait, is it okay?”. You held up a mirror and Sokka grinned at his reflection, he was finally a warrior! “I love it!” he cried “thank you y/n” and hugged you. You laughed and hugged Sokka back, “no problem, now come on let's show it off”. You and Sokka walked outside and Hakoda grinned. “My son is officially one of us” he cried and everyone broke out into cheers. 

Sokka’s POV

Everyone crowded around to congratulate him and Sokka’s cheeks hurt from smiling so much. The celebrations were well underway and all the men were keen for Sokka to join them but after a courteous sweep of them Sokka found his way back to you.

You were sat on the outskirts of the camp staring out at the ocean. “Not one for festivities?” Sokka asked sinking beside you and you shrugged “I don’t mind them...but peace and quiet are just as appealing” you smiled “that’s hard to get with a camp full of men”. As if to prove your point a loud water tribe chant broke out and you both laughed. “Well let's go for a walk then” Sokka said jumping up and you followed him. You and Sokka walked towards the ocean and you asked him to carry on his story. He talked rapidly about the attack of the northern water tribe. You listened and just let Sokka’s words sweep over you. You were mainly just watching him amused at how many expression he could pull at once and had to look away to stop yourself from chuckling. When Sokka finished his tale and took a breath you smiled “wow that sounds...unreal!”. Sokka nodded “it was, a lot of things on my travel have been like that, from moon spirits to banished princes, i’ve seen it all!”. “You’re quite the explorer aren’t you” you commented and Sokka nodded “yep, and you’re quite the warrior, we’re certainly doing our tribe proud”. “That we are” you nodded and silence fell. You were sat close together and an idea suddenly struck him. What would you do if he placed his arm around you? He wasn’t sure what made him think that, you and he had always just been friends but now...Sokka wasn’t too sure why that was. Out of everyone in camp you were the person he’s been most excited to see and that didn’t feel just like friendship to him. Without really thinking, caught up in the moment, Sokka went to move his arm when you noticed his movement and glanced down at his arm. Sokka blushed and pretended he was scratching it. “Are you okay?” you asked and Sokka nodded “yep just my arm fell asleep”. “Ow that makes sense, you know for a second there I thought you were going to put it around me...”. Silence settled and you realised Sokka had been planning on doing that. Sokka was blushing vividly and you blinked unsure what to do or say. “Sokka i...” you started when you heard loud gasps from camp and both looked up to see Appa. Sokka frowned confused, Aang wasn’t due back for another three days but here he was. Aang soon dismounted and appeared in front of you both “Sokka! Good you’re still here...”. “Yeah we just got back a few hours ago” Sokka explained "Aang this is y/n my friend from the southern water tribe and y/n this is Aang the avatar". "Wow" you said wide-eyed "it’s amazing to meet you". Aang smiled but it was a tense smile "Sokka we have to go" he cried. Aang explained Katara was in danger and worry ran across Sokka’s face. “We have to leave now” Aang said and Sokka nodded “sure just give me two minutes”. Sokka spun around and you were surprised to see he looked nervous. The tension from earlier had gone, this was more serious. "Y/n i’m sorry but i have to go..." he started to explain nervously when you cut him off. "Of course you do" you cried "Katara needs you!". Sokka smiled sadly "i know but it’s been so nice to see you again after all this time, so I was thinking...would you want to come with me?". You were utterly taken back "go with you?". "Yeah, you could travel with us? It’s dangerous and we get attacked a lot but i bet a warrior like you can handle it". You paused "Sokka i’d really like to but i made an oath to our elders to fight in this war...i don’t think i can change it and come with you no matter how much i want to". Sokka’s smile slipped but he nodded his head "it’s okay i figured as much but thought it was worth a shot". You nodded and touched his arm "are you planning on coming back soon?". Sokka bit his lip "i don’t know and we really have to go...i’ll try okay, i really will so hopefully i’ll see you soon". You nodded believing him but also studied his face again in case you didn't see him for another 5 years. "I’ll come back I promise y/n" Sokka told you and you smiled hugging him "i believe you". Sokka melted into you when Aang’s noises of impatience made him pull away. "Until then keep up the good work" Sokka smiled saluting you. You saluted him back as he walked away and flew off on the air bison with the avatar. 

Sokka made Aang tell him absolutely everything and then they sat in silence waiting to arrive back in Ba Sing Sei. Fear filled Sokka’s mind but as scared as he was, you kept coming back into his mind. He wondered what you had been about to say before Appa arrived and wondered if you could possibly, maybe like him too. The fact he liked you was a new sensation for Sokka but he realised he had just been oblivious before and it had always been there. You had always been the one he came to, the one he liked being around the most, the one he cared about more than himself or anything. He’d always liked you he just hadn’t realised it. “Your hair looks nice” Aang said suddenly “the plait suits you”. Sokka touched it absentmindedly and smiled “my friend y/n did it for me”. “The girl you were with?”. Sokka nodded “yeah she’s my best friend”. Aang smiled “I bet it was nice to see her”. Sokka nodded “it really was” and blushed, he’d find a way to see you again and he’d been damned if he had to wait another five years.

[whentheynameyoujoy]

Yup, Sure Was a Finale

I had an epiphany. The reason why I never re-watched the final two parts of Sozin’s Comet even though I’ve popped in episodes at random many times over the years isn’t that I can’t bear the sadness of seeing one of the best, most engaging narratives out there come to an end.

It’s simply that the finale isn’t all that good.

Some honorable mentions of what was enjoyable.

(+) This

Just this.

(+) The Church of Zutara has another convert

“Are you sure they don’t get together?” Hubster, 2020

(+) The tragedy of Azula

And the fact that it’s acknowledged as such. I hope Zuko will do his best to get her help and have a relationship with her…

(+) Sokka being a big bro

And the whole airship sequence in general. It’s wonderfully paced and plotted, with moments of humor, real stakes, Toph being both badass and a scared crying kid, Sokka strategizing and protecting, Suki saving the day, and non-benders being instrumental in thwarting the bad guy firebender’s plans. Would be shame if Bryke never portrayed them this capable ever again…

And now for the main course.

(-) Blink and its over

The wrap-up feels too quick (hashtag Needs More ROtK-style False Endings). A part of this is due to how fast the story goes from the thick of the action to hastily tying up a bunch of loose ends, but the larger issue is how Book 3’s uneven pacing comes home to roost. After spending half a season on filler episodes that at best subtly flesh out established characters while dancing around a huge lionturtle-shaped hole, and at worst contradict the theme of “no one is born bad” with “you’re a hot mess because your great-grandfathers didn’t get along too well”, the frantic “go go go” rush of the second half screeches to a halt with “they won and everyone was happy because now the right people have power and it will be all good from now on yup nothing more to deal with baiiiii”.

Yes, I know, it’s a kids’ show. But goddamn, this particular kids’ show has proven so many times it can do better than the expected tropiness. Showing the characters in their roles as builders of a new world was the least that could have been done.

Oh well!

(-) Ursa

We’ll never know. There will never be a story that delves into this. Yup. Shall forever remain but an intriguing mystery. Is good, though. Mystery is better than a story where Ursa shares her son’s penchant for forgetfulness. Imagine how embarrassing that would be. Speaking of which…

(-) What does Mai see in this jerkbender?

Look, I like to harp a lot on the mess of inconsistent writing that’s Mai but let’s unpack this scene from her perspective, shall we?

Zuko forgot about her! It totally slipped his mind that the one person who prioritized the safety of his dumb ass was rotting in the worst prison in the Fire Nation—because of him! And she was rotting there long enough after the final Agni Kai for the news of Zuko’s upcoming coronation to spread and her uncle to feel sufficiently secure to release her. But then the coronation scene is attended by every single member of Gaang & Friends that was imprisoned?

So what this tells me is that either a) the invasion force had the ability to break themselves out the whole time and for some reason decided not to exercise it until after the war was over, b) Zuko forgot about them as well and no one thought to remind him there were prisons full of POWs until Mai arrived, or, and that’s even better, c) Zuko took care to free every single resistance fighter while making sure Mai would be the one to stay behind bars.

Never thought I’d say this but Mai? Honey? You deserve so much better.

(-) “What does Katara want?”

Asked no one in the writers’ room ever, apparently.

This is not so much anti Cataang as anti romance stories that pay attention to the needs, opinions, and wants of only one partner in general. Over the previous 60 episodes, Katara actively expressed romantic interest in Aang exactly, wait for it,

Once.

And it got retconned out of relevance by the following two interactions where the possibility of a romantic relationship came up, making the Headband dance pretty easy to reclassify as just one of those examples where Aang “teaches” Katara to have fun (as if one of the main obstacles to her having fun wasn’t him constantly fooling around and offloading his duties). And because the writers not only didn’t succeed in portraying Katara’s internal state of mind, but also failed to root her reluctance to pursue a relationship in outside circumstances that could change, her sudden state of unconfused once Aang steps into the spotlight has a single canonical explanation that as much as approaches coherency.

The fact is, though, that trying to interpret canon Cataang from a Watsonian perspective is an exercise in foolishness. Because there is no Watsonian justification for the ship and never has been. Bryke simply conceived of Katara as nothing but a tropey prize for Aang, never saw her as anything beyond that, and were perfectly happy to go on and immortalize her as a passive broodmare for the rest of her life.

And I fully intend to die mad about it.

(-) Iroh dips

OK, it’s been long apparent that the show doesn’t intend to do anything about Iroh’s complicity in AzulOzai’s regime in any meaningful way, and that his sole motivation for doing anything whatsoever is Zuko whom he views as a replacement son which is supposed to be good for some reason. But the finale has him abandon even that, and instead turns him full-on YOLO, idgaf anymore. It really throws Iroh’s supposed love for Zuko into doubt when his last act in the entire show is to take a half-educated 16-year old with no political savvy or an heir to secure a dynastic continuity and plomp him on the throne of a war-mongering imperialist regime where the entirety of the militarist and ruling class is guaranteed to fight him tooth and nail for power.

(I sure hope Mai’s ready to start popping out babies by tea-time otherwise the whole country is fukd in about a week)

Christ, how hard would it be to have Iroh keep the throne warm for a few years while Zuko is getting ready to succeed him? Not only would it make the whole FN reformation bit quite likelier to occur, it would require Iroh’s hedonistic ass to actually sacrifice something for once. And not having Zuko ascend to power, instead spending some time bettering and educating himself first, would be a wonderful message that no matter what you endured and overcame, you never stop growing. A kids’ show, remember?

(-) The conquering of Ba Sing Se

Gee, I feel so blessed to have my attention diverted from battlefields which actually matter to an old dude vanity project I would have been perfectly happy to assume resolved itself off-screen.

The White Lotus in general just bugs me. I was fine with the individual characters and their overall passivity when they were portrayed as lone dissenters living under circumstances where it wasn’t really possible for any single person to mount a meaningful resistance. But as members of a far-reaching shadowy organization that’s left the real fight to a bunch of kids for 59 episodes straight and didn’t turn up until a perfect opportunity presented itself to take control of the largest city in the world and bask in the spotlight?

Yeah, no.

Similarly to the lionturtle-ex-machina, the White Lotus represents a huge missed opportunity for a season-long storytelling. Here’s just a brief list of what they could have been doing throughout Book 3:

orchestrating a Fire Nation uprising;

gathering those directly persecuted by AzulOzai’s regime to help Zuko keep his hold on power once he’s crowned;

establishing themselves as a viable alternative to Ozai;

sabotaging Fire Nation’s war efforts from the inside;

countering Fire Nation propaganda (Asha Greyjoy’s pinecones, anyone?);

running a supply network to alleviate the suffering of Earth Kingdom citizens.

Instead, they sit on their asses until the time comes to claim personal glory.

You know what, good on Bryke for making me conclude that in comparison, the Freedom Fighters were perfectly unproblematic, actually.

(-) Fire Lord Dead-by-Dawn

Yes, a kids’ show, I know! But ffs, this is the same kids’ show that came up with Long Feng and portrayed courtly intrigue, kingly puppets, secret police, spy networks, and information wars. Was it really too much of me to expect something other than “enlightened despot solves everything”? Especially if said enlightened despot has persisting anger issues, no personal support system, no base of followers, and no political experience whatsoever?

If Zuko’s actually serious about regaining the Fire Nation’s honor (i.e. by dismantling the country’s military machine, decolonizing the Earth Kingdom, paying reparations to everyone and their lemur, and funding any and all cultural restoration projects Aang and the SWT come up with), then there is no way, no way in the universe that he doesn’t face a civil war, deposing, and execution within a month.

One reason why his future as a Fire Lord seems rather bleak is that little’s been shown about the actual subjects of AzulOzai’s regime. While we get a vague reassurance that “no Toph, they’re not born bad” (le shockings), they largely remain a voiceless uniform mass of brainwashed clapping seals. What is their view on the Fire Nation’s crimes? Do they associate their condition with their country’s war-mongering? How will they react when Zuko starts dismantling the country piece by piece to rebuild it, bringing it to economic ruin? What will they do when noble Ozai loyalists come out of the woodwork and begin rounding them up under the banner of “Make the Fire Nation Great Again?”

I have no idea, and Zuko doesn’t either because he’s unironically more qualified to rule the Earth Kingdom than his own people.

You know what would have been better? Fire Lord Iroh, White Lotus pulling the strings to maintain the regime, and Crown Prince/People’s Champion Zuko travelling the Fire Nation with Aang and an army of tutors to promote the new boss, only to realize that absolute monarchy is kinda crap for the people he’s one day supposed to rule and gaining their support by ceding some power to them.

I’d laser holes into my TV due to how much I’d enjoy watching that.

(-) All hail Avatar Rock

Literally and metaphorically. Aang doesn’t sacrifice anything, gets everything, and the clever solution of going about getting said everything is handed to him on a silver platter, requiring no active participation on his part whatsoever.

He doesn’t work to unblock his chakras, spiritually or physically.

He only speaks to his past lives to get a pat on the back and a bow-tied solution he could mindlessly follow.

Energy-bending doesn’t require any sacrifice from him, leaves no lasting marks, and only serves for the narrative to praise him as the rare individual that’s unbendable and thus so very very special.

The most infuriating thing is, however, that Aang is clearly shown as being able to beat Ozai without either the Avatar state, or energy-bending.

And he chooses not to. From this moment on, Aang no longer fights to save the world. He fights to preserve his beliefs, going directly against the instructions of his past lives and effectively reneging on his duties as the Avatar.

Again.

It’s not like you can’t portray Aang’s faithfulness to his spiritual beliefs as the key to beating Ozai and saving the world. But that’s not what the show did. There is no link between Aang sparing Ozai and securing a better future, quite to the contrary—Ozai’s survival ends up being a massive problem for the continuation of Zuko’s rule, and consequently a threat to the world at large. His survival benefits Aang and no one else.

Aang’s spiritual purity and his status as a savior of the world are allowed to coexist only due to a deliberate stroke of a writer’s pen.

And I hate it.

Welp, nothing to do about it now except to bury myself up to my tits in fix-it fics I guess.

[heywardsarchive]

Home [Harry Potter]

Requests closed! Based on this request by nonnie : id like to request a harry x gryffindor reader. its the yule ball and harry wants to ask y/n. but the other boys are all over her and he barely gets a chance. so basically y/n is cho but she says yes XD

Summary: Harry recalls a time when he wanted to ask y/n to the ball but couldn't gather the courage to ask her out.

Pairing: dad!Harry Potter x female reader

A/n: I think this is my favourite Harry fic I've written! Im a sucker for dad!Harry, basically any Harry. I just love that man.

Warnings: none, just pure fluff

Word count: 1.9k words

Memories are in italics

******

It was bedtime on a snowy January night in the Potter household as Harry Potter tucked his oldest into bed. James, only eight years old, was an energetic young boy. He wasn't ready to sleep yet and he was determined to stay up. The only way he could do so was if his father told him a bedtime story.

"Daddy," he started pulling his dad's sleeve, "tell me a bedtime story."

Harry looked down at his son who was trying to look as innocent as possible. "James, it's time for bed."

"Please daddy!" He gave his best puppy dog expression, his eyes the same as the woman harry loved most, and Harry melted. Both mother and son knew how to use their eyes to their advantage.

"Alright fine, call Albus and Lily and I will tell you a bedtime story."

James excitedly jumped out of bed and brought his siblings into his bedroom.

"Alright kids, what bedtime story do you want to hear?" Harry sat down on the bed beside the three children. "Tell us about the first time you had a date with mummy!" Albus said and lily and James nodded in enthusiasm.

"Alright then. So the first time we went on a date was when we were in our fourth year in Hogwarts. Remember the time I told you about the wizard tournament I was in?..."

The triwizard tournament, a disaster for Harry. He had unwillingly got thrown into a game he wanted no part of. He managed to complete the first task but the hardest part was yet to start. He needed to find a date for the Yule ball. In his opinion fighting a dragon was easier than asking a girl out.

He knew who he wanted to take but he was yet to gather the guts to ask her. He saw her multiple times over the week but everytime there was a distraction. Whether it was her friends pulling her away or a teacher snapping at him to pay attention. Harry was unable to get to her.

Ron too was struggling, unable to find a date. "Mate, you fought a dragon if you can't get a date nobody can." He told him as they walked through the courtyard of Hogwarts. "Right now, I think I'd take the dragon." Harry sighed. Ron patted his back. Harry's eyes drifted toward the crowd of students, his gaze stopping on her. Y/n l/n, she was the nicest girl in Hogwarts and everyone was her friend. She and Harry were acquaintances, they weren't close per se. Harry had been crushing on her since the end of third year when she helped him in potions.

Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting on a table doing potions work while everyone around them were talking about their dates to the ball. A boy sitting to Harry's right was whispering to his friend. Harry tried not to listen but potions was boring and he heard y/n's name and his ears perked up.

"Have you heard? David Arden asked y/n to the ball. She turned him down , do you think I have a chance?" He asked hopefully. The boy beside him, the friend he was talking to, scoffed. "She turned down David Arden, he's literally every girl's crush. What makes you think you have a chance? Besides she's turned down all the 5 guys who asked her out this week."

Harry returned to his work. 5 guys asked her out and she turned all of them down? What chance do I have now. He thought to himself. "Ron, do you think y/n will go with me to the ball?" He shook his best friend's shoulder. "You're the boy who lived mate, she'd definitely agree."

"She's turned down 5 boys this week ron! What if she turns me down too." Harry sighed. "You will never know if you don't try." Ron shrugged.

Harry made up his mind he was going to ask her out that evening.

"Did you do it daddy? Did you ask her to the ball?" Little Lily asked excitedly. Albus shushed his sister. "Let daddy finish!" Harry chuckled and continued. "As I was saying..."

Harry kept avoiding the fact that he had to ask y/n to the ball. He made excuses to do it later but the more he delayed it the higher the chance of him not getting to go with her higher.

As he returned from the great hall after dinner, he ran into y/n. The person he wanted to speak to. "Im so sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going." She apologized. "Don't worry about it, I wasn't looking either." Harry chuckled awkwardly.

"I'll be going then." She smiled, but hesitated a bit. "Hey Harry-" "y/n-" they started at the same time. They laughed. "You go first." She said.

"Uh sure, I uh wanted to ask you if you uh wanted to um gototheballwithme." He stuttered.

"Im sorry, what did you say?"

"Do you want to go to the ball with me?" He said, slowly this time.

"What did she say?? Did she say yes daddy? Did she??" Albus asked this time. "Ofcourse she said yes dummy, they're married!" James said to his brother.

Y/n bit back a smile. "Yes, I'd love to."

Harry felt a blush creep up his neck. "Uh great, that's amazing. Uh what did you want to ask me?"

"I wanted to ask you if you wanted to go with me but I guess you beat me to it." She smiled shyly. "I'll be going then, see you soon Harry." She kissed his cheek and walked to her common room.

Harry stood glued to the spot with his hand on his cheek a smile on his face. "You good mate?" Rons voice startled him, snapping him out of his trance. "Im brilliant, never better. I asked y/n to the ball and she said yes! Ron she said yes!" "Good job man, I knew you could do it!" Ron pat his best friend's back.

That night Harry fell asleep with a smile on his face.

"How was the ball dad? Did you have fun?" James asked curiously.

"Oh yes, we had the time of our life."

The day of the ball couldn't come faster. Harry's excitement was uncontrollable. He kept practicing his dance steps and talked to himself in the mirror causing Ron to shake his head and pass comments about Harry being 'whipped'. He didn't mind though, he was whipped.

Finally the day was here. Harry stood at the bottom of the staircase and waited for his date to arrive. He looked around the hall, it was decorated with Christmas decor, snow was charmed to fall, there were icicles on the ceiling and everyone was dressed up in beautiful attire.

As Harry was looking around, he felt a tap on his shoulder. "Hello Harry." It was y/n. She looked absolutely stunning in her dress. Harry forgot how to speak.

"Did you actually forgot how to speak daddy?" Giggled Lily. "It's a saying lils." James explained to his sister.

"You look beautiful." He finally got out. "Thankyou haz, you look dashing yourself." She poked his chest playfully. Harry blushed at the nickname.

"Potter! There you are. We are waiting for the champions. You dance first." Professor McGonagall said. "Wh-what?" Harry stuttered.

"Yes! Now go on we don't have all night." She hurried both the teens.

"I really can't dance, I'm going to make a fool of myself." Harry whispered to y/n. "It's alright, just follow my lead." Harry nodded in relief.

As the champions entered the hall, Harry's grip on y/n:s hand tightened. She squeezed back to comfort him. Everyone's eyes were on them and Harry was feeling self conscious. They stood on stage and Harry placed his hands on y/n's waist and she on his shoulders. "It'll be fine." She mouthed. Harry nodded. His hands were getting clammy and his mouth dried.

The music started playing and all the champions started to waltz to the sweet melody. Both if them swayed to the music and Harry spun her around. He was starting to enjoy it. At last the dance floor was open to all. The attention was off Harry and he felt much better.

Y/n pulled Harry's hands to a more open space on the dance floor and started dancing to the upbeat song. "Dance with me!" She laughed. Harry looked at her and smiled. They both danced badly at the songs, having the time of their life.

Soon they left the dance floor to go and have some refreshments. "You know, I thought you'd turn me down." Harry said sheepishly. "Why would you think that?" Y/n asked curiously. "Because I heard you turned down 5 boys in the same week and I thought you'd turn me down too." "I turned down the other boys because I wanted to go with you." She placed a hand on his cheek.

"I really like you y/n. Im glad we came together." Harry whispered, his face moving closer to hers, staring into her eyes. "I really like you too haz. Alot." She closed the gap between them.

It was blissful. Harry didn't feel the butterflies that others say happen on your first kiss, it felt like coming home, it felt right. It was perfect. When they pulled away Harry realised that he had found the one he wanted to be with forever.

"Would you like to be my girlfriend?" Harry asked her. "Definitely." Y/n said kissing him once again.

"Ewww." Gagged all the children when Harry mentioned that they kissed. "Daddy has the cooties." Albus said in disgust. "I think it's cute." James said proudly. Harry laughed and ruffled his hair.

"What's going on here?" Y/n entered the room. "Daddy was telling us about the Yule ball!" Lily exclaimed. "Was he now?" Y/n said smiling at her family. "It truly was a great experience. Maybe when you go to Hogwarts you'll have one too!"

"Alright it's time for bed now. Let's get you tucked in." Harry clapped his hands. James settled himself on the bed and Harry kissed his forehead and shit the door. He tucked Albus while y/n tucked lily.

Shutting the door, Harry pulled his wife toward him. "I love you. You've given me three lovely children and the best life I could ever imagine. You stood by md through everything. I don't deserve you." He kissed her forehead.

"Oh haz, you have gone through so much you deserve everything and more and you make me the happiest woman alive. I love you so much." She kissed his lips.

Just like the day of the yule ball, this kiss felt right. Harry was home and he never wanted to leave.

*****

[egcdeath]

a date with destiny

pairing: ransom drysdale x reader

word count: 1.9k

summary: fate brings you to a... questionable man more than a few times. 

warnings: lots of fluff, enemies/strangers to lovers, kind of cringe

a/n:  i swear my new thing is poorly writing every played out fanfic trope on the planet, i'm so sorry guys. maybe hallmark can hire me to write a few movies for them

You definitely could’ve avoided this situation if you didn’t wait for the weekend before Christmas to go shopping for your family’s presents.

You had no idea why your time management had to be so bad, but in the midst of working way too many hours in an effort to get promoted, you had completely forgotten about the fact that Christmas was literally right around the corner. And to make it worse, you had a flight tomorrow that you’d also forgotten about.

You sulked to yourself while walking around Nordstrom, waiting for inspiration to strike you for a semi-decent gift for your mother. The whole world seemed to be out that day, and you watched a plethora of shoppers pass you by, with their sour faces and unruly children. After eventually deciding on a black winter sweater for your mom, you went on your way to the candle section, knowing exactly the brand and scent that your sister would love.

This candle was the definition of a non-negotiable for you, and had been the reason you came to a Nordstrom in the first place, and when you found it sitting on a shelf by itself in all of its glory, you had simply become transfixed.

As you walked toward the candle, you didn’t notice that another customer was going for it as well, leading both of your hands to land on the candle, the absurdity of the situation making you blush. This was just your luck.

“Oh, this is awkward,” you played off the encounter, then attempted to subtly pull the candle your way, and away from the man.

“Yeah, it kinda is.” The man whose hand was also placed on the candle said shortly, before attempting to pull the candle his way.

“Hey man, I’m kinda on a tight schedule, and I really need to get this like… right now. I have a flight in like.. An hour,” you exaggerated.

“That’s too bad, ‘cause I really need this candle too.”

You took a deep breath, only you would find yourself in this kind of situation. “To be fair, I definitely saw this candle first. I’m its rightful buyer,” You attempted.

“Mmm, I definitely had my eyes on it first, so with your logic, I deserve this candle.” The man narrowed his baby blue eyes, and put a hand on his hip.

“Oh my god,” you groaned, hoping that maybe if you acted dramatic enough, he’d leave you and your candle alone.

“Sweetheart, can you even afford this kind of thing? I’m sure your friends or family, or whoever the fuck you’re getting this for, would rather you not go into debt over a candle. Just let me have it,” he responded cooly, as if he hadn’t just called you poor to your face.

You looked at him with an open-mouthed expression, completely shocked at the nerve this man had. “Fuck you, you asshole!” You attempted to yank the candle out from his grip, and you could begin to tell that the man’s resolve was beginning to fall.

“Fine. Take the damn candle. But maybe you could give me a little gift in exchange, and go out with me sometime,” he offered, slipping his now free hand into the pocket of his tan peacoat.

You were honestly shocked by this whole exchange. How did he go from insulting you and calling you poor, to asking you on a date? Men are so weird, you thought to yourself. He really isn’t that bad looking, you also considered. “Eat shit, guy,” you told him before flipping him off, and walking away.

-----

Imagine your surprise when you saw the same man from the store sitting in a local Massachusetts restaurant, with whom you assumed were his family. With your sister sitting across from you, you couldn’t help but be gossipy and point him out.

You scoffed and leaned over to your sister once you saw him, “See that guy over there?” You whispered to her, gesturing your head in his general direction.

“Which one?” she asked. “There are like five guys. Are you talking about the dude with the goatee? That old dude with the grey hair? Y/N! I didn’t know you were a grave robber!” she giggled and poked your side while you rolled your eyes, “Or, are you talking about that sexy beast in the white sweater?”

“The se- the dude in the sweater-”

“Oh yeah, he’s pretty hot. You should go talk to him,” she began to scoot out of her seat.

“No, you idiot!” You whisper shouted to her. “That guy basically attacked me in the store the other day. And then, he had the nerve to ask me out on a date!”

He must’ve felt the two of you’s stare, as he turned around and gave you a brief surprised look, then a twisted smirk.

“Oh my god, Bea, act natural,” You whispered before turning your head so fast that you nearly gave yourself whiplash.

You brought a hand up to your face and rubbed your browline in a fit of embarrassment. You looked down, then began to shovel pasta into your mouth at an ungodly fast rate.

“Oh come on, Y/N, he’s cute. What did he say to you that was so bad that you turned down his hot ass?” She asked, glancing back over at the man who was still occasionally looking over at your table.

“It’s kinda a long story. I’ll tell you later,” you mumbled, trying to ignore the heat steadily growing on your cheeks.

Beatrice shrugged, and a waiter approached your table.

“Ma’am, the man over there wanted me to give this to you,” he said before awkwardly placing a glass of white wine in front of you, along with a ripped napkin with a note and number.

We started off on the wrong foot, give me a call sometime?

Ransom

XXX-XXX-XXXX

-----

You looked at the note for so long, that it would’ve been better off being tattooed on the back of your eyelids.

“Just text him, Y/N,” your sister told you, her sentence a bit muffled by the toothbrush dangling from her mouth.

“He really seems like a dick,” you groaned, before rolling onto your back and throwing an arm over your eyes. Your sister rinsed out her mouth in the ensuite before returning with some advice.

“Well, he’s hot. Maybe you can bring him as a date to the Holiday party or something,” she stated before sitting down on the foot of your bed. “What’s the worst that could happen, Y/N? If he hurts your feelings, you can throw a hot drink at him and walk away. At best, you get a hot piece of ass to be your boyfriend.” she squeezed your calf reassuringly.

“Ugh, fine,” you huffed. “I’ll text him tomorrow.”

“That’s my girl!” Beatrice cheered, then placed a kiss on your forehead. “‘Night, Y/N,”

“Goodnight,” you mumbled before attempting to fall asleep.

-----

The funny thing about you, is that you were a master procrastinator. So after a day and a half, you’d put Ransom’s number into your phone, but had contemplated so many different opening texts, that you’d just completely given up. Besides, you had your parents’ holiday party to be attending and to be caring about.

You did some final touch ups of your makeup, before heading downstairs, and watching guests arrive from a safe spot in the kitchen.

Sometime after talking to about seven of your childhood friends, you felt a large hand press against the satin material of your short, red, tie-waisted dress.

“No way, girl I see everywhere?” The man who you know knew was Ransom, asked.

“It’s Y/N. Hi, Ransom,” you bit the inside of your cheek to hold back your laugh at the absurdity of it all, the fact that he was standing in your parents’ home, the fact that he was literally everywhere you went, and because you’d never in your life been called ‘The girl I see everywhere.’

“Why didn’t you ever call me? I mean, not even a text? Also, why are you following me everywhere?” He inquired, moving to stand in front of you.

“Well, I uh.. I forgot. Sorry, I’m a super busy woman. And I also live here... sometimes.. so if anyone is following anyone else, it’s you following me,” you tried to say this confidently, but something about Ransom really threw you off your game.

“You live here? No way. Is this like your family home?” He asked, and you nodded. “So our parents have been friends this whole time, and we had no idea.” He gestured to a doorway, where your mother and his were talking with flutes of champagne in hand.

“This just keeps getting weirder and weirder,” you said quietly, mostly to yourself.

“Maybe, this is just fate. We’re meant to be together, and that’s why we keep seeing each other everywhere,” you raised an eyebrow and tilted your head when he said that to you, genuinely confused at why those words would come out of his mouth. “Oh, lighten up. I’m just kidding,” he said with a bemused smile.

“You have a weird sense of humor, Ransom.” You told him plainly, trying to act disinterested, though you were rather endeared. He definitely saw right through you, as he gave you a little grin before he began to speak again.

“So tell me about yourself.”

-----

After a few too many drinks, you were walking down the sidewalk, hand and hand with Ransom as you searched for any sort of restaurant that could be open at that hour.

Finally, you found a quaint and rather empty 24-hour diner with its lights on. The two of you sat down in a booth, and struggled to contain giggles as you sipped from mugs of stale, lukewarm coffee. Why you were giggling, you weren’t completely sure.

“You know what, Ransom, once you get over the asshole-ness, you’re not that bad,” you reached out a hand, and set it on top of Ransom’s, that was idly sitting on the table.

“Wow, thanks,” he chuckled, a dark pink dusting his cheeks.

“Why did we even come here?” You groaned, “No offense, but this coffee tastes like ass,” you whined,

“And how do you know what ass tastes like?” Ransom burst out giggling at this.

“Shut up. Are you twelve?” You pretended to be annoyed with him, before giving in and laughing along with him. “Can you take me home?” You asked with puppy dog eyes.

Apparently, one for the dramatics, Ransom tossed a $50 bill onto the table, then stood up from his seat at the booth to swoop you up in a bridal style.

“Ohhh my god,” you slurred as he carried you out the door, then eventually set you back down on the pavement once he became tired.

-----

While you walked up to your doorstep, Ransom stood on the sidewalk, watching you contentedly. As you got to your door and turned around, he gave you a big, goofy smile and a wave.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Come in with me,” you invited. It was safe to say, Ransom happily obliged.

[madsthewordclown]

Fire Lily Pt. 1

warnings: none

Eventual Zuko x Reader, ~1500 words

summary: Y/N has been on the run for months, and is making her way to Ba Sing Se for a new beginning. Meanwhile, she struggles to remain undetected and hide her secret from her newfound friends, while struggling to hide the truth from herself. 

This is my first ever series!! I’m a bit nervous, and I have to warn you that my updates might not be very frequent. I’m finally back to in-person classes, but I’m hoping to update more over my winter break!

Pt. 1 | Pt. 2 |

“Bihun, stop it!” Y/N giggled as her brother chased her around the garden. Their mother watched on as she stood on the steps, smiling at her children. Y/N and Bihun stumbled to ground, giggling up at the clouds. A man in green and yellow robes walked out of the house, his mustache and beard unable to hide his scowl.

“Papa, papa, papa!” Bihun laughed, running to grab on to the man’s legs. Y/N’s father gave a weak smile and patted Bihun on the head.

“I need to speak to your mother, son. You stay out here and play, and Sava will fetch you when it’s time for dinner.”

Y/N watched her mother stand up, and she looked a little sad as she followed her father.

“Race you to the panda lilies!” Bihun yelled, and Y/N got up to chase him, not looking back at where her parents had been standing.

“Where are you from, pretty lady?” A greasy-looking man asked.

“Omashu,” Y/N answered sweetly. No one asked questions if you were from Omashu. “I’ll give you 3 bronze pieces for that bread.” She wasn’t one to bargain with random strangers, usually, but her stomach was twisting from the lack of food. She’d traveled two days on foot from her last village to get to Full Moon Bay, and the bread looked good.

“Only if you give me your name, too,” the man grinned. Y/N held back a grimace.

“Nama,” Y/N lied. It was the name on her fake papers. Y/N felt the lightness of her coin pouch as she exchanged the coins for the bread. She had paid an arm and a leg for those papers.

“Fuang,” the man introduced himself.

“I’ve gotta go,” Y/N interrupted before he could continue, and didn’t wait before walking away, getting in the end of a long line in front of the passport attendant’s podium. She watched as the crotchety old woman sent away a pregnant woman and her partner. Suddenly, the forgery she had purchased seemed a lot less convincing. Either way, she was out of options. Ba Sing Se was the only safe place left.

“Passport!” The attendant yelled when Y/N finally reached the front of the line. Her bread was gone—she had somehow managed to eat the whole small loaf while waiting. She cursed herself for not rationing it. She didn’t have that much money left.

Y/N handed her papers to the attendant and held her breath. The old woman squinted at the document, before taking out a large stamp and loudly slamming it down on top of the paper. She pulled out a ticket and handed it to Y/N along with her passport.

“NEXT!” The woman yelled, and Y/N quickly shuffled out of line. No turning back now, Y/N thought as she got ready to board the ferry. Ba Sing Se would be a new start. Ba Sing Se could be a permanent home.

It turned out that ferries weren’t overly comfortable. Y/N sat on the ground, leaning her back against the edge of the boat. The boat was packed with refugees, all of them looking just like her—dirty, hungry, and exhausted—but she recognized the little sliver of hope in their eyes, and knew it was reflected in her own. She wondered how far some of these people had traveled.

“Hey.”

Y/N looked up. A scrappy-looking boy about her age was standing above her, chewing on a blade of wheat grass.

“Hi,” Y/N responded cautiously. The boy seemed to sense her tension.

“I’m Jet,” he introduced himself. “Over there,” he motioned to a group off to your left, “are my friends, Longshot and Smellerbee. We’re the Freedom Fighters. Want to come over and join us?”

“I’m okay,” Y/N answered curtly, “but thank you.” Y/N had learned the hard way that you couldn’t just trust anyone.

“I understand,” Jet said, nodding knowingly. “It’s hard to know who to trust. You’re always welcome if you change your mind.” Y/N swore she saw the boy wink at her as he walked away.

Y/N couldn’t sleep. Maybe it was her nerves, or the hard wood floor of the boat, or the gentle rocking from the water, but her eyes refused to stay closed. She had half a mind to be paranoid about having her things stolen. She would’ve liked to believe more in the goodwill and kindness of her fellow passengers, but they were desperate. She knew what being desperate was like.

She checked her pack to make sure it still had all of its contents. A small knife, her map, a miserably light coin pouch, and a small golden chalice from home, which she hoped would be enough to secure a bed in Ba Sing Se.

Y/N looked up, sensing movement. She watched as two shadows moved through the darkness of the ship. I shouldn’t, Y/N thought to herself. She couldn’t afford to get in more trouble.

Y/N once again tried to get some sleep, to no avail. It seemed some other passengers were also struggling, and the ones who had managed to get some shut eye were restless, murmuring and shaking in their sleep. It made her shudder to think of the things they must have seen before they had arrived in the Bay.

Only a few minutes had passed before Y/N saw the shadowed figures once again. Jet. As the figures came into the light, she saw the defining arched brows and wheat grass hanging from his lip. And she could smell the food.

Jet and another boy were handing out food to the other passengers from large sacks that were stuffed full. She hadn’t even been able to stomach what they were served earlier, and since she was a lone traveler, she had gotten the scraps that were left after everyone else was served. The smell of food was almost overwhelming. Y/N felt her stomach growl as the two boys approached.

“Hello, again,” Jet said as he and the other boy finally reached her. The boy he was with had dark hair and a large scar over his eye—it looked like a burn. It made Y/N’s stomach twist, knowing what must have left that there. Firebenders.

“Hey, Jet,” Y/N responded. She eyed his bag of food. “Where did you happen on all of this?”

“What’s important is that we have it.” It wasn’t an answer, but she supposed she wasn’t one to ask questions. “I didn’t catch your name last time.”

“Y/N.” You held out your hand for him to take, and he shook it. “Who’s your friend?” You nodded to the other boy, who seemed to be giving you a grouchy glare.

“This is Lee,” Jet responded for him. “He’s traveling with his uncle, Mushi.” Jet motioned to a rather rotund old man with an impressive grey beard, who was chowing down from a bowl they must have given him.

“Hi,” Lee greeted. It seemed he wasn’t one for words.

“My offer still stands,” Jet said, smirking at you, “if you’d like to come over and join us.”

She really didn’t have a reason not to, Y/N realized. She wouldn’t have to run once they were off that ferry. And she had to admit she was getting tired of traveling alone.

“Sure,” she answered finally, and Jet smiled, helping her up with one hand. The scowl never left Lee’s face.

Jet led the way over to where Mushi was sitting. As they approached, a kid stormed away, followed by a boy with a bow slung over his shoulder. Mushi seemed to be trying to apologize for something, but quickly forgot his troubles when he saw Y/N approaching with Jet and Lee.

“Who’s this?” Mushi asked, grinning despite the food still stuck in his teeth. Y/N didn’t miss the raise of his eyebrow and fought down her blush at the implication as Mushi looked between her and his nephew.

“This is Y/N,” Lee said flatly. “She’s Jet’s friend.” Y/N felt like pointing out that they had only just met, but maybe this wasn’t the time.

As they sat down, Jet handed both her and Lee bowls of rice and roast duck. Y/N dug in right away, while Lee picked politely at his food.

“From what I’ve heard, people eat like this every night in Ba Sing Se. I can’t wait to set my eyes on that giant wall.” Jet said, tilting his eyes up to look at the stars overhead.

“It is a magnificent sight,” Mushi chuckled in agreement.

“So, you’ve been there before?” Y/N couldn’t help but ask. She had no clue what to expect in Ba Sing Se—all anyone ever talked about was the strength of its wall, and the safety it provided.

“Once.” Mushi wasn’t seeing them anymore, looking through the faces in front of him at some long-distant memory. “When I was a different man.”

“I’ve done some things that I’m not proud of,” Jet admitted. He turned, looking at Y/N. “But that’s why I’m going to Ba Sing Se: for a new beginning. A second chance.” Y/N smiled warmly at him.

“That’s very noble of you,” Mushi told him, before turning and giving his attention to his nephew. “I believe that people can change their lives if they want to. I believe in second chances.”

Pt.1 | Pt. 2 | Pt. 3 | Pt. 4 | Pt. 5

[1000roughdrafts]

Family Secrets: Chapter Seventeen

God, are you out there? Oh, right, that’s me.

Summary: Allanah connects you with Nathan, a man who might have the answers you seek, but will he be wiling to share that information with you?

A/N: I completely lost interest in this series, and had no real intentions of picking it back up because I didn't think anyone would actually care to read it. Its my least popular series after all. Then, recently, it started to gain a bit of traction, and i got a request to finish it. so I re-read what I've already posted and after cringing and laughing a bit at my past self, I started working on an ending to it. This is the start to that ending. Thank you to @hannahcoursey for the push to finish this. It definitely needed closure. This chapter is a bit slow paced, but only so that I could tie up some loose ends and get back into the groove of this series.

Warnings: cursing, some angst, much suspense,

W/C: 2.3k

Standing on the roof of a desolate parking garage as you wait for Dan, you’re safe from the worst of the storm for now. As the day fades into night, the waters start to calm and you keep your eyes on the streets that have turned to small rivers. With your arms bundled tightly against your wet body, your jaw chatters from the cold.

Everything up until this moment had been moving so fast. It had been one thing after another, not allowing you any time to think, let alone process any thoughts that did manage to slip through. And the ones that do sneak past your guards crush you. Back on Earth you reach out in your most desperate moments for a God that, should he exist, doesn’t know or care about your existence, much like you hadn’t known about the exist of those praying for your help.

Ignoring Sam and Allanah as they mumble behind you, you keep your attention on the mostly wiped out town, and you can’t help but to feel responsible for it all. You were the one to create it in the first place. How could you be so selfish as to create a world and neglect it for thousands of years?

Now, though, as you stand still, just waiting in the near silence, your mind roams to the darkest and apparently the loudest parts of these thoughts. They write themselves on your face, broadcasting to those around you just how destroyed you feel.

Sam removes his jacket, draping it around your shoulders and nods at his brother. Dean, now at your side, wraps his arm around you and you lean into him, accepting the embrace without removing your eyes from the damage that surrounds you. However, the more you think about the town’s ruination, the less of it you can see. Through blurred vision, you take your eyes off the town and turn to Dean.

He pulls you completely into him, staying silent as he wraps his arms tightly around you. The comfort he provides you with is all you needed in order to let go. Tears fall quietly as he rubs your back, cooing and shushing you. A third hand rubs a soft circle on your back and between your shoulder blades and you turn around to see Allanah. Standing behind her is Dan and Nathan. They talk amongst each other in hushed tones. After a short moment, they turn to face you, taking slow steps over.

”Allanah, good to see you,” he says with a nod. Your eyes squint as you look over at her tight smile, and you make a mental note to ask her how they knew each other prior to this wretched day if her instructions had been to not intervene. “Y/N, Sam, Dean, this is Nathan,” he says, palm up, gesturing to the old man. “Nathan, these are the people I was telling you about.”

Nathan nods somberly, and to your annoyance, speaks slowly. “It’s nice to meet you,” he says, taking in a deep and heavy breath as he glances around, “although unfortunate for the circumstances.” If you hadn’t been watching him so closely, you might have missed his smirk. He looks at Dan, clearing his throat, “uh, Dan says you have some questions for me?”

You walk towards him, standing only a few feet away, “sorry to cut to the chase here, but I want to know what you meant when you told Tullie that ‘you never know who is listening’.”

His eyebrows furrow. You suppose Dan left that part out when talking with him prior. “How - how,” he starts looking over at Dan, then back at you, “how do you know about that? That was a private conversation.”

“These are the creators,” Allanah says softly, pointing at you and Dean before moving to stand by your side, “well, not exactly them per se, but their souls,” she sighs, “it’s a long story.”

You try your best to remain calm, but the more time that passes means the less time you have to save the people you came here for to begin with. A knot ties in your chest, and your heart thumps rapidly.

“Well, all right,” Nathan says slowly. “Look, I’m not sure what your intentions were in building or creating this world, but,” he sighs, shaking his head, “things haven’t gone right for a while. The separation between regions has become bloody, and that’s not even the worst of it. People in Ira are fighting for their lives. Their hospitals are overcrowded, and not equipped enough to handle what’s happening. Nor are the others!” he shouts, throwing his hands in the air.

Despite your reservations about the man, you can understand why he’s so frustrated. Before you knew this world existed you questioned whether or not God on Earth is real, and if he is, how could he let such horrible things happen? Has he forgotten about Earth the way you and Dean forgot about Teraw and the other regions? Or has he moved on all together, starting anew?

“By the sounds of it, they never were,” you sigh. “I’m very sorry for the state of this world, and I’m incredibly embarrassed that something I created has turned into a place that fosters such evil, but we don’t have time to be talking about the history of this hell like we’re at a fucking tea party,” you say, voice elevating. “If I had it my way, this whole world would never have been created in the first place, but past me was a selfish bitch, and I’m here to correct her wrongs. Luna, Ana, Tullie and two men are currently tied to chairs in Mr. Grant’s house, and we’re here talking formalities. In fact,” you say, “hours have already passed, so we may not even know where they are now,” the words scratch your throat on their way out.

“With all due respect, Nathan,” Allanah starts, “she has a point. Time is of the essence here,” she pleads, “at a later time I’m sure we’ll be able to discuss what needs fixing here, but our top priority needs to be finding them.”

“If it’s because you’re worried he’s going to hear you,” you say in a calmer voice, “it’s all over. It won’t even matter once I get my hands on him.”

“Fine,” Nathan sighs, “it’s not exactly a secret,” he scoffs. “I mean, half the town knows that he spies on us.”

“What do you mean by spying? Hidden cameras, recorders, people undercover, voodoo? I mean, what?” Dean impatiently spits, nearing your level of irritation.

“Spells,” he says, “location spells, peeping spells, the like.”

Sam’s eyes squint, ever the observant one, he says, “why are you so hesitant to share with us? What are you so afraid of?”

Nathan steps closer, “I have a family to protect!” He shouts.

“So do we!“ you say, matching the ferocity in his tone, “and we’re here to save them, and through that, we could save yours.”

He shakes his head, “you don’t know him like I do.”

“Enlighten us, then,” Dean shrugs.

”By doing so, I would be committing a crime comparable to no others,” he says, eyes focused on the ground, “I just can’t divulge any further information. I’m sorry,” he says, turning to walk away.

“What does he have on you?” Sam shouts after him.

“What does it matter?” You glare. “Do you know where he lives, Nathan?” You ask.

He turns to face you, and you notice the hesitation on his face. Asking again, more aggressively, he nods.

“Take us there,” you say, taking a step only to be stopped by Dean throwing his arm in front of you.

“Y/N, wait,” he interjects, gripping onto your arm. “He saw us there, he’ll know we’re coming. We need to be smart about this, come up with a plan,” he says in a low whisper.

“That’s the only advantage he has,“ you frown, “since we have been there, we’ll know where to hide until we’re ready to attack. Then, once we have them, we’ll be able to take him down from there. Sounds like a fine plan to me,” you shrug.

Allanah steps in, her hand resting gently on your shoulder, “I’m afraid Dean is right.” She turns her body towards you, gesturing towards the ledge to step away from the group, “a moment, please.”

Following her over, you fold your arms in front of you. With soft eyes, and a soft smile, Allanah sets her hand on your forearm. “Y/N, I hate to sound blunt here, but you’re acting a bit like your late partner.”

Your eyes widen at the comparison, and you drop your arms to your side, “what?”

“You’re bloodthirsty and I completely understand why, but it’s blinding you. We all want nothing more than to save them, but this abrasive and zealous nature you’ve taken on is likely to get us all killed if you don’t take a step back and realize that.”

Rolling your eyes, you look away to glance at the purple sky, remembering the night for what seems like the millionth time. You remember the way you pleaded with Jolie to wait until you had more people, a better plan, but her desire to gain revenge in the name of her son is what took her life. You want to hate Allanah for speaking truth, for reminding you yet again of such a painful memory, but you can only blame yourself for letting this get the better of you.

Witch a sigh, you relax your body, “fine. You’re right,” you concede.

“I know,” she smiles somberly, her hand finding its way back onto your arm. “Listen, we’re going to get them back safe, I promise you that. But to be honest, I think it’s time to reunite them with our world,” she says. “It’s ultimately a decision for you and Dean to make, but I believe that it’s time to bring this world to its end. It was created in vein, and I empathize with your mindset at the time of creation, however due to these circumstances, I’m afraid the foundation is rocky, and these things, no matter who is here, will keep happening until we put a stop to it for good.”

Pausing for a moment, you soak in this information, “how do we do that?” You ask.

"I'm not sure, yet," she says, letting her eyes fall to the concrete you stand on. "I'd have to think back on what you two did to create it and try to reverse that somehow, but with no powers here, I'm afraid that's going to be easier said than done."

Letting out an exasperated sigh, you look around at the falling sky and swimming infrastructure. Shaking your head, you look back at Allanah, “I can’t give up on this place. Not like Earth’s God did,” you sigh. “In a last ditch effort to save lives,” you say, tilting your head, “I’ll entertain the idea, but for now… I have to try and do right by the people here and fix what I started.”

Allanah nods, “I understand,“ she says with a smile. “Then we’ll figure it out.”

After a brief moment of thought, you question the events leading up to this moment, much like you had earlier, and before you could stop it, you blurt out, “can I ask you something?”

Allanah nods, “anything.”

"Why did you take me from my family?" you utter, grateful for the cutting wind that prevents the tears from falling.

She sighs, “honey, I never wanted to come clean about this as to not taint your view of your father, but,” she sighs again, “Mary wasn’t the only one in the Winchester’s circle to make a deal with Yellow Eyes. Your father, he,” she pauses, looking away, “he couldn’t have known what was to come. You know how sly and manipulative demons can be, and Yellow Eyes,” she shakes her head, her eyes meeting back with yours, “he was by far the worst I’d encountered. I had already begun my operation to build a coven, and despite what you may think I never took children from the clutches of loving families, but rather, like in your case, saved them from evil. Soon after your birth, he kidnapped you, and once I caught wind of it, I’d already begun to gain memories of this world. I absolutely knew I had to save you. It cost me a great deal of trouble, but I would stop at nothing in order to keep you safe.”

You scoff, crossing your arms, “if that were true, why were you so vicious when you had me? The memories you forced me to see all over again, the way you talked about the Winchester’s. You made me question my entire life,” you spit.

In an effort to gain control of the conversation, Allanah steps closer to you, “I know it’s unforgivable, but I needed to make sure you would stay away from him until we were ready. It was absolutely the wrong way to go about it, and I understand that now, but I was trying to make sure you remembered your powers, how to access them.”

“You had me shaking in anger! What would you have done if I killed him?” You shout, never minding how the guys look over in worry.

Allanah, however, does notice, and smiles at them before lowering her tone to a soft whisper, “I knew you wouldn’t. The bond you two share, as you know, goes beyond and deeper than a single lifetime. But, if it had gotten to that point, I’d have intervened.”

The lies are endless, and right now, you can’t even bare to look at her. Glancing back at the others, you’re immediately distracted by the disappearance of Nathan and Dan. “Hey!” you shout at Dean, “where the hell did he go?”

Dean shrugs as you storm over, “I tried to stop them,” he says breathlessly, “before I could get my hands on him, the bastard zapped outta here.”

“Shit,” you harshly whisper, throwing your hands onto your face, and pressing firmly as you bring them down your chin.

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