#like sir.. do we LOOK like we enjoy that

[minglana]

absolutely crazy that this week was impossible to walk around uni without hearing at least one person talk about carnaval de la fueva

[moongothic]

Look I just had to get this out of my system man

I keep on thinking about what kind of theoretical hoops Crocodad would have to jump through to happen in canon and I figured being able to actually visualize the known timeline would help

And that's what this post is about. We have a visual of the timeline. Now let us think about it a whole lot.

Minor notes about the timeline graph; Luffy's birthday is on May 5th and Croc's is on September 5th, so both would get a +1 to their ages by the end of this year in the timeline. On this note, if I am not mistaken, the year Luffy was born Crocodile would've been 27 at the time of his birth and would then turn 28 a few months later. But this is assuming Crocodile is already, at this moment, 46 years old (as opposed to if he was only turning 46 this year in which case he would actually be 45 at this moment, which would further mean he would've been 26 at the time of Luffy's birth and would've turned 27. It's slightly hard to tell what the case is exactly since we don't really get those exact timestamps during the actual story, but I think he's supposed to be 46 turning 47, and that's the assumption this post is written with). (Further sidenote, according the Vivre Card Databooks (appearently), the Strawhats got to Whiskey Peak in February and by late March had obtained Thousand Sunny. Thing is that Luffy was implied to have left on his adventure around his 17th birthday, which would mean that 8-9 months would've passed between Luffy setting out and arriving at Whiskey Peak, and he would've been a few months away from turning 18 already. Which, like, is plausible, but I'm personally willing to ignore this trivia information, not gonna fucking lie)

Anyways, to recap the timeline

We don't know

When Crocodile set out to become a pirate; since he was present at Roger's execution I think the implication would be that he would've set out soon after that, at age 22, but it's entirely possible he might've already been a no-name pirate before that or he could've set out a few years after the execution

When he met Ivankov and if their meeting was like a one-and-done thing and that they never saw each other again until Impel Down, or if that's just when they first got to know each other. (In Iva's own words (in Japanese), they knew Crocodile "during the era when he was still considdered a rookie")

When he got humbled by Whitebeard; it was "soon after" he became a Shichibukai (in Oda's words), but we can't tell if that was like 2 days or 10 months after becoming a Shichibukai

What we do know is that

Crocodile made a name for himself fast "much like Luffy" (in Oda's words); you could interpret that as him causing just a ton of chaos within like a year of entering the Grand Line

He rose to fame and became a Shichibukai in the first half of his 20's (in Oda's words), so before he turned 25?

He supposedly "calmed down" / "went quiet" (again, in Oda's words) for an unknown period of time

By the time he was 30 he was appearing on the news for his heroics; we don't know when he started appearing on the news, just that by this point he was appearing on the news

So I believe the implication is that Crocodile set out on his adventure between the ages of 21-24. If you wanted to push the Crocodad angle, you might want to push it to that 24 (since his Rookie Adventure happened so fast), which would also be around the time of the Revolutionary Army's founding. And while it is entirely plausible Crocodile could've had his ass kicked by Whitebeard VERY soon after his promotion, or it could've been around the time he was like 25-26, if you really wanted to push it for the Crocodad angle. And indeed, we don't know how Crocodile and Iva-chan knew each other. The implication I think is that he transitioned before he rose to fame as a rookie, but he could've just befriended Iva-chan at the time and gotten more well acquainted with the Revolutionaries after his ass kicking and transitioned later. It would just push the "knew him in the era he was considdered a rookie" to an absolute limit, but it would be technically true, just. Kinda pushing it.

And indeed, the Problem Point; Crocodile would've transitioned at age 27 after having Luffy, already a Shichibukai, a public-ish figure.

So if you wanted Crocodad to be canon, either

A) Crocodile being trans isn't a secret, it's something else that Iva-chan tried to blackmail him with B) Crocodile being trans is a secret, so how the fuck did he keep it if he transitioned at 27

If A); Indeed, if there was a scandal about a Shichibukai suddenly transitioning, it would've been like 17-19 years ago. Arguably that would not be something worth bringing up by anyone anymore considdering he had spent at least the past 14 years (pre-timeskip) being a hero to the masses, followed by his warcrimes. Like, it'd be old news. Which would just leave us wondering what the hell the "weakness" Iva-chan mentions really was about (a child, maybe? Or a threat of detransitioning him? Something else?)

If B); Although he was clearly a menace as a rookie as he got himself a relatively massive bounty relatively fast and became a Shichibukai at a young-ish age, we don't know how many bounties he went through before he was offered the position and how he appeared on the news at the time. Like if he went through 2-6 bounty updates before becoming a Shichibukai and appeared in the news A TON it'd feel unlikely he'd be able to keep transitioning later a secret. But if he only had like 1-2 bounties in a short span of time without being photographed too much, it'd definitely feel more plausible. Especially if his OG bounty photos were either shitty sketches (like Sanji's OG poster) or like otherwise poor photos that didn't show his face/features too well. This could also be helped if pre-T (and pre-pregnancy hormones)!Crocodile was kind of androgynous (like Cavendish) and people confused him for a man to begin with On top of this, if Crocodile lost his left hand and got his scar from Whitebeard, if he just went "missing" and then came back transitioned 2-4 years later, he could maybe argue that he was like. A late bloomer. And had hit the gym after Whitebeard kicked his ass. Like yeah he had changed a lot but it's not like there's other Sand Sand Fruit users around claiming to be Crocodile. And it is worth reminding that Iva-chan ability to change people's bio-sex isn't super well known in-universe. So even if people saw him on the news and were like "wait wasn't Crocodile a chick", without knowledge of Iva's abilities people could've been like "no way, surely not, that's not possible". And although the Government maybe could've found it suspicious if they knew about Iva's abilities (which they might've, as Ivankov was a Revolutionary, and their Warlord interacting with a Revolutionary would be sus), as long as Crocodile played nice (which he did, during his Heroic Era) they might've just let it go? (Also if Crocodile was rich at the time he probably could've bribed Morgans to make sure whatever news they published about him didn't ever question his gender or anything)

So all of this to say,

The Most Likely and Most Viable Timeline for Crocodad to be canon would be, approximately;

24-25 Becomes a Shichibukai, gets his ass kicked

25-27 Enters his Quiet Era, Romances Dragon

27-28 Luffy is born, transitions, back to Shichibukai'ing

Of course, this is not an absolute timeline, it's just the one that seems the most viable to me. 'Cause even this timeline is really pushing what Oda and Iva have told us about Crocodile, both the "first half of his 20's" (as opposited to mid 20's), and the "when he was considdered a rookie".

It's pushing it. But it's kind of plausible. And I can't imagine how else it could work in canon.

I do find it interesting though how Crocodile's "quiet era" does overlap nicely with when Luffy was born. Like we don't know how long that era lasted, for all we know Crocodile could've started to get Alabasta like a year after getting his ass kicked by Whitebeard. But it's interesting! And interesting coincidence!

Another interesting note is that 17 is an... interesting number. Like Oda's first one-shot, WANTED! was published when Oda was 17 and that in some ways marks the begining to his adventure as a comic artist. Similarly, Luffy set out on his adventure at the age of 17. A lot of people have been speculating if the God Valley Incident is what caused Dragon to leave the Marines because he would've been 17 at the time. And... It's not quite the same, but if Crocodile transitioned at 27 (as in, started a 'new life', a 'new adventure' as a man at 27)... IDK it'd be an interesting coincidence

Sitenote Re:Missing Kuja Empress

19 years ago, the year Luffy was born, Hancock and her sisters were kidnapped off of the Kuja Pirate's ship when the previous Empress was still the head of the crew

15 years ago the Boa sisters escape slavery and return to Amazon Lily, the status of the former Empress is unknown

13 years ago Hancock becomes the new Empress, the former Empress is presumably dead by this point (as she is said to have died from Love Sickness)

Point being; I reaaally doubt Crocodile is the missing Empress. Like if the former Empress had also been a Shichibukai and had transitioned and was still around, there's no fucking way people wouldn't know about that, right. Like surely they wouldn't say she had died specifically of Love Sickness, right. Like it's not impossible but surely not

[seyaryminamoto]

The Shadows in her Reflection: Sokkla Saturdays 2023

Day 7: Air

Rated: M

On FF.net/On AO3

That there would be tension by the next morning, after the way things had turned out on the previous day, caught everyone by surprise besides Sokka and Azula. The anguish apparent across the Princess's features caused more than a few of the others to fear that she was regressing, that she hadn't been ready for what happened, for as good as being part of their group… until Sokka finally spoke, by the dining table, as Azula held her head in place with her hands, elbows upon the furniture.

"Last night… Azula had a vision of Yue in her dreams," Sokka said, gritting his teeth. "It wasn't like the others. After it ended… she couldn't see her anymore."

"What?" Zuko frowned. Toph whistled beside him.

"Doesn't that mean you guys got her to see everything she needed to see? Isn't that how this works?" she asked.

"It's not," Azula said, her voice strained. No one, not even Sokka, had expected her to speak just yet. "I would've thought it was as simple as that, if I hadn't seen her anymore with no further explanation, but… what she said in that dream paints a different picture."

"What kind of picture?" Katara asked, eyeing her warily.

"I… I've had dreams that never seemed real. Dreams about her," Azula explained. "She was in a dark space, something was pulling her down, usually, but she seemed to be moments away from fading off in a cloud of smoke, somehow. I mostly couldn't reach her, I couldn't talk to her, I just… saw whatever was happening. I only talked with her once, I think, in those kinds of dreams. When I woke up and looked at any of my reflections, she'd be there, smiling, waving at me, acting like nothing was wrong. I asked her about it a long time ago, long before I came across Sokka, and she… she always acted like she had no idea what I was talking about. The little shit just… lied to me about what she's been going through, constantly, whenever I wasn't paying attention to her."

"But that means… she's not okay. What happened last night, when you stopped seeing her… it's definitely not because you fulfilled her wishes," Aang frowned.

Zuko paced towards a nearby window: it was morning, but sometimes the moon was visible in daylight, nonetheless. He saw nothing at the moment.

"Maybe there'd be no moon anyway, right now, but… I don't see it," Zuko said. Azula snarled, fingers slipping through her scalp and gripping it tightly.

"The moon hasn't been restored, then?" Ursa said. "So… if you can't see Yue anymore, Azula, does that mean…?"

"I don't know," Azula said, glancing at Sokka with undisguised guilt. "I… I don't know if I can do anything for her anymore. If she had just told me…!"

"Take it easy, okay?" Sokka said, a hand on her shoulder as Azula snarled in distress. "If she didn't say anything… it's probably because she thought the situation was hopeless. She tends to be self-sacrificial that way."

"And we're just… what, going to sit by and do nothing?" Azula asked. "We can't just…"

"Let her go just like that? We can't, that's true," Sokka said. "But that's why I wanted to talk to Aang: if someone could help us figure this out, it's bound to be him."

"Wait, me?" Aang grimaced: Azula's expectant glare suggested she was moments away from threatening him into providing a solution. "Okay, I… I don't know that I can. I know I'm the bridge between humans and spirits, but…"

"Find out where she is. Go to the Spirit World!" Azula exclaimed, folding her arms over her chest. Aang sighed.

"Easier said than done," he admitted. "But… maybe it can be done."

His sudden statement caught everyone off guard, sudden as it was for hope to bloom, even if uncertain hope. Azula raised her eyebrows, and Sokka bit his lip.

"What do you have in mind?" Sokka asked.

"I could… look for help. Find the Ocean Spirit, maybe, find out if La knows something of what's going on," Aang suggested. "We worked together to save the Water Tribe once. Maybe he will still trust me now? I… I hope he will, at least."

"How would you go about doing this?" Azula asked. Aang frowned, rubbing his chin with a hand.

"I mean… a spiritual place, close to the ocean, maybe?" he said. "Because along with that, I… I have the feeling I can't be the one to sort this out, Azula. You're the one who had that connection to Yue, so you, uh… you might need to come to the Spirit World too, or wherever she might be."

"What?" Azula gasped. Sokka flinched.

"Are you sure about that?" he said. "The Spirit World is a mess of a place, Aang. There's no bending there, remember? Are you going to join her there, or…?"

"I don't know that I can. I'll have to try to reach out to La," Aang sighed, rubbing his brow with his fingertips. "But even if I succeed, I think Azula will need to be ready to face this herself. I don't think her connection to Yue has been severed completely, I don't think it's that easy… but if she's some other spirit's prisoner, we'll have to get there fast before it does get severed."

"What would we do? How do we go about it?" Zuko asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm thinking… a spiritually charged location. Air Temple Island isn't really that just yet," Aang said, glancing about himself with a frown. "But maybe… maybe another Air Temple could do. Like the Eastern one!"

"Why would we have to go halfway across the world for a spiritual place?" Toph grimaced. "Can't we just go somewhere closer than that? Like the oasis where the fish were swimming, or whatever?"

"That sounds more logical, but… Azula went there already and nothing happened," Sokka said, eyeing her remorsefully. "Back then, she wanted to get rid of Yue and I helped her get inside. There was nothing from Tui or La on that day."

"Not even the slightest recognition?" asked Aang, grimacing. "Then… yeah, I think we should go to an Air Temple instead. Short of finding a grand spiritual location sooner, the Eastern Air Temple is the place where I cleansed my chakras and accessed, well… another plane of existence, I guess. I couldn't do enough with that back then, but I did later, when the situation was dire. I can try to train you so that you can reach that stage once we're in the temple, and while Azula is in there, I…"

"Wait," Sokka said, frowning. "I'll go with her."

"You… what?" Aang smiled awkwardly.

"Isn't spirit mumbo-jumbo just mumbo-jumbo to you too?" Toph asked.

"If the logic is that there's a connection between Azula and Yue that will allow Azula to go into the Spirit World, then it stands to reason that I should be able to follow Azula too because I'm connected to her as well," Sokka stated, stubbornly. Azula raised an eyebrow.

"I… don't know that it works that way," she said. Sokka scoffed.

"Maybe it doesn't, but I'll try anyhow," he said. "Stupid spirits can't screw me over this time around… I won't let you go into a weird spirit adventure without doing my damnedest to join you there."

"Yue might have a better chance at… at fighting back against whatever that thing is if it's the two of us together," Azula reasoned, frowning. "Even if we won't know what we're doing, of course. I can't bend there, you said?"

"The Spirit World is difficult to navigate if you head into it with, uh… logic?" Aang said. Both Sokka and Azula grimaced. "Which I suspect you two won't appreciate much…"

"True… they're mostly logical thinkers. And I say mostly because it's not very logical for them to be together, but…" Katara said, lowering her voice as she spoke further. Azula rolled her eyes but offered no response to her words.

"Thing is, you have to feel things rather than think them through," Aang said. "You have to experience everything as it comes, and if it's not the way it should be, you just… roll with it?"

"So, if they found Yue turned into a badgertoad, they'd have to… save the badgertoad?" Toph asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Basically, yes," Aang shrugged.

"And how would we know it's her?" Azula grimaced.

"You would. Or maybe both of you would, because you're both connected to her," Aang said, with a shrug and a smile. Azula huffed.

"This is more twisted by the minute…" she reasoned, shaking her head. Sokka squeezed her shoulder.

"I know it's hard and it's not the way this should've gone down… but we can do this, Azula," he said, firmly. Azula raised an eyebrow.

"You've had forays into the Spirit World before, have you?"

"Uh… once. Can't remember a thing, but I did," Sokka said, blinking blankly. "Though I do know that there's no bathrooms."

"Charming," Azula said. "Guess our bladder will be exploding the whole time, then."

"Yeeeah, I felt it a little too much, especially when I came back," Sokka sighed.

"Either way… I think we have to go elsewhere to help you both connect to her. Guru Pathik helped me connect with my cosmic energy in the Eastern Air Temple," Aang said. "I managed to access it again in Ba Sing Se, uh… just before you nearly killed me."

Azula blinked blankly: she remembered that moment all too well. The thrill of victory, the opening that nobody else seemed to recognize as such… the knowledge that she had destroyed the enemy's trump card and secured a perfect conquest for her father and his cause.

The very same person she had nearly killed that day sat before her, willing to offer his knowledge and aid to save Yue. If she had succeeded on that day, the world would be a much more unforgiving place… she might not have any of the bonds she had developed over the past months. Sokka would have never wanted her, that was for sure… Yue might have never connected to her.

It was strange to find that, after so many years of resentment against her brother and his friends, suddenly the Fire Nation's victory looked so shallow and empty in comparison to everything she had gained, a decade afterwards, with everyone she had met and bonded with. She tightened her fists over her lap and nodded.

"Well… I doubt you'll feel compelled to do the same thing to me, should I access that plane of existence at all, but I wouldn't blame you much if you did," she said. Aang smiled and shook his head.

"I wouldn't."

"And that's quite fortunate for me," Azula said, her jaw squared. "I… I wasn't sorry for it, when I did it. But now, I…"

She couldn't seem to finish the sentence. Too many people were listening, maybe, too many witnesses, too much riding on what they needed to do next…

"It's okay," Aang smiled kindly again. Azula frowned slightly. "We can talk about that whenever you want, later. For now… let's focus on what we'll do next. We can set up Appa and go… though I don't think we should bring Bumi this time around."

"Don't ask me to watch him again. I'm not going to do it this time either," Toph said, bluntly. Aang rolled his eyes.

"Can't wait for you to have your own kids so I can refuse to watch them for you when you need me to…"

"I'm not going to have any, so that's fine by me," Toph smirked. "Besides… I'm going with you lot."

"You… what?" Zuko frowned. "Shouldn't you go back to Republic City?"

"My students can keep the peace while I'm out," Toph said, waving a hand dismissively at him. "What? Planned on giving me a lift to the city and now you're sad that we won't get to spend time together, Zuko?"

"I… wasn't going to do that. I'm going with them too," Zuko said: Azula raised her eyebrows.

"You are?"

"Wait, we're all going?" Sokka asked, blinking blankly.

"You didn't expect me to stay behind when something this troublesome is going on, or did you?" Katara stared at her brother matter-of-factly. "We couldn't do anything to help you when you lost Yue the first time around. I don't know if we can do anything this time, but… we'd better try."

Sokka swallowed hard, meeting his sister's gaze with heartfelt gratitude. Katara smirked slightly at him, stepping closer to lightly punch his shoulder.

"What's with that look? You'd think I've never done anything to help you…"

"Well… this just means a lot, Katara. Thank you," he said, wrapping her in a quick embrace. Katara pat his shoulder, still nervous, still uneasy…

But Sokka was more himself now than he had been in years. The way he spoke, the easygoing behavior, the silly reactions, the thoughtful ones… if this truly was the effect Azula had on him, Katara certainly had underestimated the Fire Nation Princess far more than she ever imagined possible.

Preparations began, then, for the long journey to the Eastern Air Temple: Bumi would wind up in Ursa's care, for she wouldn't join them on this particular trip. It seemed to be quite heartbreaking for her to stay behind, but she hugged her children affectionately before seeing them off on Appa, already loaded with all the luggage they'd brought for what hopefully wouldn't be a very long trip.

"Be careful, my dears," Ursa said, an arm around each of them. Azula buried her face in her mother's neck, while Zuko pressed his brow to the top of her head. "Look after each other, okay?"

"We will," Zuko said. "Azula has a big trip to make, so… I might as well make sure she gets there safely."

"We'll be back soon," Azula said, pulling back even though she would have wished to hold her mother for a little longer. Ursa smiled kindly, cupping her face before kissing her brow. "Mom…"

"I should have done that far more often. From the moment you were born as a little solstice child," Ursa laughed, meeting Azula's tearful eyes with hers. "You were so headstrong and powerful even then… and you're only stronger now that you stand with people who can lift you even higher than you've gone so far. So… whatever you need to do, if you must fly into the sky to find Yue or whatever the spirits require of you, go for it. Don't look back. Every last one of us believes in you… I believe in you. You can do this, dear."

Azula swallowed hard and nodded, hugging Ursa one more time. Zuko smiled fondly as he stepped aside, unsure of how he had ever felt threatened by the possibility of his mother bonding with his sister… right now, he could only feel relief, instead, to see them tighter than they ever had been.

He ferried Azula to Appa, where the others waited: she wound up sinking into Sokka's embrace once she climbed up, burying her face in his neck this time around. The Water Tribesman caressed her hair, letting her nestle on his lap, knowing she was looking for more than just the physical closeness, more than just attempting to annoy their respective siblings, who appeared to be somewhere between disgusted and uncomfortable right now…

"You okay?" he whispered. Azula shook her head.

"I… I don't want to fail this time. I don't want to fail," she whispered. Sokka nodded, rubbing her shoulder kindly as he reeled her close to him.

"We'll do whatever it takes. We'll bring her back."

Sokka glanced up into the sky: the preparations had taken a long time, and the moon wasn't visible in the sunset, but he still tried to find it in the sky. Wherever Yue was, whatever she was going through… they'd save her, at all costs.

The journey was sluggish: Appa, as strong as he might be, couldn't carry six fully-grown adults, without any stops along the way, halfway across the world. As slow as their trip appeared to the eager, desperate Azula, Sokka reassured her that Aang wasn't taking as many detours as he often did in the past. The Avatar guided the bison without losing sight of their goal, his concern increasing as days passed and only slivers, weak silhouettes of the moon could be seen in the night sky. There were times when she was virtually impossible to glimpse at all…

"Maybe behind that mountain," Sokka suggested one night, in the camp where they would rest for the night. Azula gritted her teeth, hugging her legs to her chest as she stared in the direction Sokka had mentioned.

"What's there?" Toph asked, offhandedly, resting with her back against Katara's flank, by the fire.

"Well, we don't really know if something is, but we figured the moon might be…" Sokka said. Toph frowned.

"The… moon," she repeated.

"Toph?" Sokka called her. The earthbender shook her head.

"Sorry, sorry, I… what're we looking for, again?"

"Yue? The moon? We're trying to save her?" Sokka said. Toph hummed.

"Right. Right. Uh… right."

"You don't remember?" Azula asked. Toph scoffed.

"I remember! I just… blanked out for a second. No biggie," she said, waving a hand dismissively in their direction. Even Katara appeared perplexed by Toph's sudden bout of forgetfulness.

"Are you okay?" Katara asked, placing a hand over Toph's brow. The earthbender huffed.

"Don't be so twitchy over me, Katara. I'm fine, just a dumb mistake. I'm probably just… tired," she concluded, and she nodded with certainty she most likely didn't feel at all.

Azula stared at her with a furrowed brow, arms folded over her chest: it wasn't like her to forget what was happening. The earthbender was insidious, even, nosey and always ready to butt into matters that didn't concern her. Why would she struggle to remember the reason behind a trip they were currently on? It didn't make sense…

A day later, it was Zuko, instead.

"It's been fun going on the road with all of you again, but… when are we going back, exactly?" he blurted out, suddenly, halfway through their flight. Azula eyed him in confusion and disbelief.

"You could've stayed and gone back home when we were still in Air Temple Island," she told him. "We're not going back until after we've saved Yue."

"Who?"

Sokka scowled, turning towards Zuko in utter confusion. The Fire Lord's nonchalant attitude didn't suggest he was merely trying to annoy him…

"Yue? The Moon Spirit?" Sokka said.

"The… what?" Zuko grimaced.

"Are you two taking cactus juice or something?" Katara asked, glancing between Zuko and Toph. "You don't remember why we set out, Zuko?"

"I…! Wait, I do. Right! The… Azula was seeing someone in… in reflections. That's what… oh. Uh. Sorry. It just slipped my mind."

It was bad enough for it to happen once: twice was no coincidence.

"Appa… buddy, I know I'm pressuring you, but please hurry," Aang said, sitting by the bison's neck.

Azula tensed up, shrinking into Sokka's embrace: he held her tightly, hoping to reassure her, but knowing he might just fail at it. Azula raised her mirror again, desperate to see even a sign of her friend… but there was nothing but her own face in the depths of the polished surface. No one else was there.

"Whatever that thing is, the one that caught her… it's like it's trying to take her away from this world," Sokka concluded, scowling. "Maybe… maybe even trying to erase all memories of her? Whatever it is, though… it's vile."

"It is," Azula agreed, shivering: she held the mirror still, elevating a silent prayer for Yue, begging her to hold on… to stay strong until she and Sokka could reach her.

After a week of fast-paced travel, the sky bison finally descended on the deserted towers of the Eastern Air Temple. Aang would work with Sokka and Azula, seeking to direct them into their cosmic plane or into the Spirit World, but that was as far as he could take them. While he would have liked to join them too, his own connection to Yue would not suffice to lead him to her, not as it would with Azula and Sokka.

"This is going to be fast and sudden, and you're not going to enjoy it much, but I need you guys to work with me," Aang said, having led them to a tall tower at the height of the temple. They stood on the tower's surface, and Aang turned towards them with a stern, concerned expression. "Even I… am having trouble keeping myself centered on what we're doing. So is Katara, by now."

"You're all… forgetting," Azula said. Aang nodded.

"I don't know for how long this can be sustained. Whatever is trapping Yue might be seeking to erase her, and the moon, completely," he said. "Reach her before it succeeds, and you'll have a chance to save her. Otherwise… none of us will even remember there's someone to save, to begin with."

"A life without… without the moon? That can't work," Sokka frowned. "When Zhao did what he did, didn't the Ocean Spirit go berserk because there was no moon in the sky, if just briefly?"

"Yeah… yeah," Aang gritted his teeth. "That's just more reason why I shouldn't come with you."

"You'll try to control the Ocean Spirit again?" Sokka asked, raising his eyebrows. Aang shrugged.

"It's worth a shot," he said. "Though I don't know if it will work out as easily as that, but… I'll try. As for you two… you need to meditate. I'd show you how to open your chakras the way I was taught, but I don't think we'll have enough time for it: let your connection with each other and Yue guide you into the Spirit World. Seek it out… and once you grab hold of it, don't let go."

"That's easier said than done," Azula scowled. "I don't know what that even means, Avatar, I…"

"You do know. You've lost her, right?" Aang said. "Take that residue, the knowledge that something that was there is no longer present. Take it hard, and don't let go of it. Remember her, tell yourself her name over and over until… until your spirit finds hers. I'll stand with you until it happens."

Azula gritted her teeth, but she nodded in acceptance before long. The sooner they got started, the faster she'd be able to save Yue.

As advised by Aang, the two of them sat together, face to face, meditating. The Avatar and his other allies waited nearby, each of them struggling in different ways to recall why, exactly, they were standing by as Sokka and Azula meditated at all.

"Aang said… something's messing with our heads. Our memories," Katara said.

"Well, whatever it is, it's stupid. I hate feeling like I don't know what I'm doing," Toph snarled, rubbing her brow. "I think it's giving me a headache."

"Yue…" Zuko repeated, as good as clinging to the name to ensure he wouldn't forget this time. "This is all about Yue. This is all for…"

Similar thoughts coursed through his sister's mind: she shivered against the breeze, unwilling to forget the person responsible for every single good change that had come her way over the past months. Fear reared its head inside her heart: what if she was next? What if she forgot her? What if she wound up forsaking Yue when she needed her the most?

Yue had given up. She had long surrendered to the misery of her situation. Azula had been her only hope, her only chance at salvation… in a twisted way, as far as the dream had conveyed to Azula. For only because Azula was rotten, careless, unwilling to change, had the wretched entity tormenting Yue allowed them to meet at all…

But was that it? Could it be that her connection to Sokka, even if it hadn't been forged yet, had brought her and Yue together too? Or could it be that the wretched entity in question couldn't break their bond with her?

That strange flow of thought brought her back to reality, rather than helping her drift further into a spiritual state of elevation of some sort. She shuddered and raised her gaze towards Sokka, who grimaced while failing to find the state of mind he needed to access.

"I just… thought of something," Azula said. Sokka hummed, opening one eye. "Maybe that thing, the one capturing her, didn't let me talk to her for amusement alone. Maybe… maybe it couldn't stop me from reaching her, instead. Maybe it only figured out how to stop me now, but my connection to Yue might just be stronger than whatever that thing is trying to achieve. Does… does that make sense?"

"Don't know if it does, but I love the sound of it," Sokka smiled. "Moreover… Aang says it's all feelings and instinct rather than thought and logic. If you're feeling that way… maybe it's already true, or maybe you can make it a reality once we reach the Spirit World, if just by your sheer willpower?"

"Maybe," Azula said. Sokka smiled.

He reached out to take her hands in his, and Azula felt reassured instantly by his warmth and presence. He breathed deeply, closing his eyes anew.

"We will find our way to her… and we'll stop this, whatever it is. We will save Yue."

Azula's heart jolted upon hearing those words: she felt that same determination… knowing that she wouldn't fight alone, that he stood beside her as equals, settled her aching, troubled heart. If Sokka believed this was possible, so did she.

And as difficult as it might be for two people so given to logic and facts to give in to spirituality instead, Sokka and Azula now clung to nothing but faith, blind faith in the girl who had brought them together… in the Moon Spirit, whose absence in the sky hurt them more deeply than it did anyone else.

"Are they…?" Katara blinked blankly: a strange atmosphere now hung between her brother and his lover, as though their bodies were only functioning by inertia now…

Their souls were gone.

"They made it," Aang smiled. "Now we wait and hope that they'll sort this one out. I think they can, I really do, but…"

A thunderous sound, north from the mountains, brought all four of them to frown and turn their attention in that direction.

"A storm?" Toph asked.

"The sky is clear," Katara told her.

"So… was that a dragon or something?" Toph asked.

"No, that's…" Aang said, frowning as he stared into the horizon: something dark stirred in the distance. Something he couldn't quite pinpoint just yet… but it sent shivers down his back. Familiar shivers… he had experienced them before. "It's La."

"It's… who, now?" Toph grimaced.

"The Ocean Spirit," Aang said: this time, all his friends fell silent. "It's… it's acting up. It's doing something! I have to go!"

"Aang?!" Katara called for him: he spread his glider open, fear plain across his face. "What are you going to do? I can help…!"

"I don't know if you can!" Aang said, remorsefully. "But… but maybe it's better if you do come anyway. You, Zuko and Toph can ride on Appa! I'll go ahead! Follow me there!"

"Right. Right!" Katara's relief to hear she would be free to join him was palpable: she gripped Aang's robe, pulling him close for a good luck kiss, her brow pressed to his. "Whatever's going on… you can do this. You're the Avatar."

"That had better count for something," Aang smiled a little.

"It always has," Katara responded, earnestly.

The Avatar took off, the heavy mantle of responsibility already weighing heavily on his shoulders. Appa groaned as he followed, while Aang took advantage of his bending to rush faster and faster towards whatever was taking place by the shores of the Eastern Air Temple's islands…

It was dark. Everything was dark. She thought she was asleep, but if she was, she couldn't seem to open her eyes. Azula gasped, raising her hands, touching her own body to ensure it was still there, for she could barely feel a thing but coldness, utter coldness, and…

Specks of light, in the distance. All around her.

A beam, of golden light, suddenly formed underneath her feet. She had been falling before, perhaps… or maybe simply floating. She settled on the beam carefully, uncomfortable, confused, glancing about herself as surging fears gripped her heart.

"Sokka?!" she called her lover, to no avail. "Yue!"

That, too, yielded no answers.

The gold spilled, though, spreading further and further towards something… Azula turned on her heels, hugging herself still: there was a coldness where her firebending usually was. She realized soon that the discomfort she felt came from that acute lacking, the sensation of being cut off from the power that had been a vital part of her life since her childhood…

"What is this? Where…?" Azula gritted her teeth: during their journey, Aang had talked about a huge, cosmic version of himself holding some magical ball of whatever… she didn't understand any of that, and according to him, she wasn't supposed to understand it either.

The long road spread forward, further, into the distance… all the way to a place where she didn't find any gigantic versions of herself: a blazing ball of flames stood in that place instead.

The warmth became overwhelming suddenly. Azula flinched, stepping away by sheer instinct: the sun? Was that what it was? She certainly was a strong firebender, but strong enough to challenge the sun and win? She sincerely doubted it. Besides, she wasn't here to meet the damn sun…!

"Yue!" she screamed, towards the rest of the dark space around her. "Yue, where are you, damn it?! Answer me!"

The sun's intensity increased: not knowing what to do, Azula broke into a sprint, running away from it, instead of towards it. At the rate at which it expanded, at which it moved, it might just be attempting to consume her…

The light from the sun seemed to brighten the darkness… up until a certain point. There was one area, Azula realized, where the sun's strength waned. Running as fast as she could go, Azula hardly noticed that the light road underneath her feet was changing, turning in that direction… as though aware that this was where she wanted to go. Her heart pulsated with need, with awareness, with suspicion…

Yue was inside that cluster of darkness.

"YUE!"

She screamed, running faster as the bridge spread underneath her feet. She snarled as she pushed herself harder still…

The cluster of darkness was immense, far larger than she had realized at first. She slowed only once she was near it… and a sense of vacancy, of humidity, of cold struck her once she was near it.

An oozing, leaking liquid pooled at the bottom of what appeared to be a sphere of darkness: one force was airy, gas-like, while the other was the dark, unpleasant liquid that seemed moments away from drying out completely… but then it climbed back up, as though unwilling to let go just yet.

Two forces? Was Yue's one of them, or…?

She snarled, focusing on Yue only. She strained her gaze, trying to see into the sphere…

A shade of pale white within the darkness.

"YUE!" she screamed… only for another deep voice to also call that name.

"Yuueee…"

The girl didn't respond to either one. Azula snarled, unsure of what to do: the bridge underneath her appeared to have stopped generating itself. When she tried to take a step forward, it didn't extend underneath her feet anymore. What could she do? What would she…?

"Oho… but if it isn't the Sun Princess! Are you here to trade places with your personal torment? Fine by me! I would much rather have you!"

Azula shuddered, stepping back instead of forward: that wasn't the same voice that had called for Yue before. It was wicked, ringing with an evil presence she had never sensed before. The entity laughed wickedly, and Azula snarled as she glared at the cluster of darkness…

Whoever this entity might be, the sphere within which Yue nestled was his doing.

"Let her go! Set her free!" Azula shouted.

"I will, I will! If you give yourself up to me, that is," the entity said. Azula shuddered. "Muffling the moon has been nice training to get the sun next, yes! Far more entertaining! The whole world shall tremble, oh, it shall! Perhaps it will freeze over, and isn't snow pretty? As pretty as your dear friend, the Moon Princess…!"

"I'm not… giving you a damn thing. I'm here to rescue Yue from you," Azula snarled.

"What? That's not how this works, Sun Princess!" the entity said, before bursting out in laughter. "Give me your heart and I shall return hers! Do it!"

"I have the bad feeling that she gave you nothing, to begin with," Azula hissed. The entity, unsurprisingly, laughed.

"Oh, she didn't, but I took it anyhow!" he exclaimed. "I crashed into the moon, you see… and the moon was alive! I was so strong, so much stronger than her, and I could reach into her depths… oh, she is marvelous. Beautiful! Broken and miserable. But oh…! Imagine a whole world as broken and miserable as she is. That's what you could give me! Why would you deprive me from it? Why would you? You hate them! You despise them! They made you suffer, didn't they? They put you through so many ordeals…!"

"You… what?" Azula scowled… as some of the swirling gas spilled away from the sphere and took humanoid shape suddenly, right before her eyes: the shape of her father: "W-wha…?!"

"You were but a tool to me," Ozai said, with a wicked smile, so cruel it cut through Azula as unreal, even for her father's standards. "A weapon for me to hone and use to my liking! I made you, and so, I own you! You will never be free from everything I did to you, from all the damage I inflicted! Your only salvation is… destruction! Oblivion!"

"Oblivion?!" Azula repeated, eyes wide. "You… is that what you are? Is that what your true nature is, you… you twisted spirit, or whatever it is you are?!"

"I am your father…" Ozai said, a hand upon his chest… though the smoke comprising him shifted suddenly, turning into someone else instead: Ursa. "Or your mother. The one who hurt you and abandoned you. The one who would forsake you for your brother's sake! The one who replaced you with another girl, the one who gets to live happily ever after without paying the price of all her mistakes against you…!"

"T-that's…!" Azula gasped, her chest burning with wrongness. "No… t-that's not… stop this. This isn't…!"

"Didn't I do all those things? I most certainly did!" Ursa exclaimed, proudly… to then switch into Zuko, instead. "I placed a bounty on your head: dead or alive! You're but an inconvenience until I'm free to get rid of you, once I have an heir of my own! I will forsake you, as everyone always has! I envied you once… but now, you're the one who envies me! You fear me! Your entire life revolves around making me suffer, but the only one suffering is you! And that's by my design! I've never wanted anything more in life than to destroy you!"

"Stop this!" Azula exclaimed, tears blooming in her eyes. "Stop! Stop already!"

"A-… Azula…!"

Yue's voice caused Azula to break the spell the entity held upon her briefly: it was but a moment's notice, but Yue's eyes met hers… for once, she was far more corporeal than ever before. For once, she was far more real than she ever had been…

For once, Azula wasn't visiting her as a dream, but as her full, conscious spirit, and she needed to reach her.

"YUE!"

"Go! Leave! Azula, forget me…! Forget!"

Azula's heart shook: she couldn't do that. Forget her? Forget the person who had changed her life for the better as Yue had?

Everything that wretch had tormented her with was true, and it already seemed to split its smoke into two new entities, Mai and Ty Lee this time around… it would rub her greatest grudges, her darkest resentments, in her face until she snapped. That was its goal, it couldn't be more apparent… it wanted to convince her to resign herself to its control. It wouldn't forsake Yue even if Azula surrendered… it wouldn't hold back from laying waste upon the entire world if she let it.

"We betrayed you…!" Mai and Ty Lee spoke at unison. "You were a terrible friend… but so were we! We haven't tried to reach for you again because we hate you! We fear you! We never cared for you, and you always knew that to be the truth…!"

"I'm a little busy at the moment, you damnable annoyance!" Azula roared, focusing on Yue again: the smoke that had poured down seemed to regenerate gradually, covering her up again. "Break out of there! Yue, just break free!"

"I…! I can't! I don't know how, Azula, just…!"

"Yue…" Azula snarled: she needed to figure out how to fight this smoke, but how? Without her bending, with nothing to offer… what could she do? She raised a fist, throwing it towards the smoke Ty Lee, only for her hand to catch nothing: the smoke reformed then… this time, as the Avatar.

"I destroyed all your hopes and dreams for a future, just as you once killed me. I will never forgive you for what you did to me," the false Aang said. "Your crimes cannot be forgotten. I only sent you here… because I knew that you would wind up killing yourself by trying to save Yue."

Azula snarled: none of those words made the slightest bit of sense… not even her father would be quite so foolish as to admit such things out loud to her, no matter how true they might be. This was… this was the wretched creature's attempt to take over her heart, to convince her of all the things she already had believed and known in the past. She had thought the Avatar would want her dead, after all… that he would despise her. But that wasn't the man who had brought her halfway across the world to save Yue.

None of it was real. None of…

The smoke swirled.

The next person whose shape it stole was Sokka.

Her heart pounded in a foolish, needy way. Just seeing him relieved her, even though it shouldn't have. It was another trick by the wretched spirit, but the affection she felt for him was so vivid she couldn't even use her better sense to be wary of him. What would he say? What would he use against her…?

"Fuck, that took a while."

Azula's eyes widened: the smoke shifted, but this time, the man it had formed into didn't fade away. Frustration gnawed at the strange entity… as the man became more corporeal than any who had preceded him. A furious roar sent bad shivers down Azula's spine… but it didn't stop her from reaching to clasp Sokka's hand.

He gripped hers back, smiling wildly.

"It's… it's you. It's really you?!" Azula exclaimed. Sokka laughed.

"Seems like longing for you hard enough gave me the chance to come here, somehow! Beats me how I did it, but…!"

"BEGONE!" the entity exclaimed: Azula snarled, yanking Sokka towards herself as the smoke oozed out, as good as spilling out of the sphere: Yue remained inside the sphere, and this time, the two of them could see her easily in that smoky storm.

"Yue…!" Sokka gasped: her terrified face, the shaking of her head, the tears down her cheeks… it was Princess Yue.

"Sokka, no! B-both of you…! Leave! Please, leave! Protect the world! It can go on without me…! You don't need me!" she cried, frantically.

Sokka and Azula stood in place for a moment, horror crossing their features upon hearing those words from the Moon Spirit… the entity, of course, laughed as it spread its tendrils of smoke towards them.

"She rejects you! What a dashing rescue, wasn't it?" the entity mocked Sokka, who scowled at the smoke with confusion. "But your Princess won't return with you, young fool! Shame that a warrior of your caliber would be so weak, so helpless in the face of a true challenge…!"

"Oh, you think?" Sokka gritted his teeth, releasing Azula's hand and closing his eyes.

Azula watched him for a moment, unsure of what he was doing… then, his hair began to sway, as though a powerful wind were blowing, even though it wasn't. His clothes shifted that way, too: what was he…?

He roared, stepping forward and swinging an arm in an arch towards the smoke.

A burst of air bloomed from his hand, cutting the smoke in half.

"W-what…? What?!" Azula exclaimed. Sokka laughed, backing down towards her as the entity struggled to compose itself.

"This is a place of feeling! Of spirit! Logic doesn't apply here, Azula!" Sokka told her, startling her.

"How does that result in you… airbending?!" Azula exclaimed.

"Oh, that wasn't airbending: I wanted to be a spirit of air."

"You… wanted to be? What? How does that work? Did you just ask something to turn you into…?!"

"That's exactly what doesn't matter!" Sokka laughed: a breeze burst around him, brushing against her. "Come on! We're way smarter than that dirtbag! Let's give him a piece of our minds!"

Azula gaped in shock as Sokka closed his eyes again: he jumped about ten feet into the air, only to become a beacon of light this time. He wasn't as powerful as the sun she had left behind earlier… but powerful enough to show what was happening in the swirling darkness within which Yue remained trapped. She gazed out in confusion, finding Azula again: she raised a hand towards her, and Azula tried to reach for it… but failed. They were still too far apart.

"I want… stairs! A sled! Something! Damn it, you thing, just work with me!" Azula roared, striking the beam upon which she stood with a foot.

Nothing shifted, nothing changed: meanwhile, the smoke was charging against Sokka… turning into a train-tank, it seemed. Azula gazed at it in utter confusion… and then her jaw dropped as Sokka roared while becoming… a giant axe.

"SOKKA!" she shouted, though her concern was misplaced: Sokka appeared to have learned to embrace the illogical nature of the Spirit World so much more effectively than she had, and with a single swing, he cut across the smoke train-tank cleanly.

"Azula…!" Yue cried out, and Azula turned her attention towards her again. "T-the Ocean Spirit…! La…!"

"What? What is it?! Is it responsible for this too?!" Azula exclaimed. Yue shook her head frantically. "Yue…!"

"He's losing his grip on me! H-he's… forgetting me!" she told her. Azula's eyes widened. "If he does…!"

"The world will…" Azula said.

Everything would fall into chaos.

This creature, this spirit, whatever it might be… it lived off chaos. It sought to create it at all costs. If Azula had been the one in its power, it would have cut off the light of the sun, annihilating life on their world. And as Yue was the prisoner… then the means for that destruction would be La, instead. The black koi fish. The Ocean Spirit.

The dark tendrils.

The liquid that kept spilling down, down, attempting to climb over the smoke again only to fall once more.

"Yuuu… eeee…" the deep, dark voice called her. The Princess cried, hands reaching down to grip the liquid that had been ensnaring her body so far…

What Azula had seen in her dreams hadn't been quite as what she had expected: the dark tendrils wrapped around her were the Ocean Spirit… keeping Yue in place. Keeping her where she belonged while Oblivion sought to delete her from existence, to keep her to himself and then destroy everything else.

The Ocean Spirit had been fighting to save her, even more desperately than she or Sokka had.

Azula snarled, wanting nothing but to become one with the Ocean Spirit herself, to give it her determination and fierceness to find a way to save Yue. A tug in her heart urged her to do it… but how? She didn't really understand, her affinity wasn't with the ocean…

Would she even lend it enough strength? Could she?

Did she want Oblivion to win?

That last intrusive thought was as good as a slap to the face.

She hesitated for too long.

"No… NO!"

The surging waves of dark liquid couldn't climb as high anymore. They slowly started to lose strength… the thread of it, linking Yue to the outside of her sphere was slowly fading.

"Yu…" was the last thing the Ocean Spirit could manifest…

Before a thunderous roar washed through the entire area. Azula shivered, hugging herself again: Sokka dove towards her, shifting into something else now – an eagle of a sort, and he wrapped his wings around her, protecting her from a sudden swirl, a torrent of water that burst in no conceivable direction.

"Yes… yes! We've done it, Yue! We've succeeded!" Oblivion chanted with delight, and Yue screamed. Her voice pierced their hearts as despair took hold of her, of each of them…

The bond between the Ocean and the Moon had been broken.

A restless ocean was one thing.

An entirely untethered one was a whole other matter.

"What the hell just happened?!" Toph asked, shrinking against Zuko as Appa landed awkwardly by a cliff: Aang was out in the open, in the storm that was rising, attempting, perhaps, to waterbend…

But to Katara's utter shock, her attempt to waterbend didn't work at all once she tried to summon the contents of her waterskins.

"What? W-what? No… no bending?" she asked. "Why?!"

"Why are you asking me? I don't know!" Toph scoffed.

"There's something… missing," Zuko growled, gritting his teeth. "When I lost my bending, I went back to the source, remember? Go back to the source of waterbending…!"

"The ocean?!" Katara yelled at him, gesturing at the swirling, rising tides they could see, through which Aang kept gliding awkwardly.

But Zuko was right… something was off. There was one more element that made waterbending what it was, wasn't there? Katara thought there was, but… what would it be?

"Whatever it is, we'd better find it fast and tell Aang! He can't do anything if he can't waterbend to calm down the Ocean Spirit, can he?!" Zuko asked.

"Maybe? I don't know! I…!"

Deeper in the water, Aang hovered above the swirling waves: Yue. She was slipping out of his mind, and only by sheer willpower could he keep her present at all. The moon… whatever had happened just now had broken the moon's link to the ocean, just as it had when Zhao had destroyed Tui, long ago. How had it happened this time? How could they fix it?

"It's me!" Aang shouted, at no one in particular. "La! It's me! Come to me! I can help you!"

The ocean didn't respond: instead, it attacked more fiercely: stronger, larger waves were rushing in…

And it didn't take Aang too long to realize that this wasn't happening solely in the vicinity of the Eastern Air Temple.

If there was no moon, and there were no tides… and the Ocean Spirit was as furious over that loss as ever?

The extent of its fury would spread to the entire world.

Once, Aang had channeled La's anger into attacking solely the Fire Nation army responsible for the catastrophe in the North Pole. This time… could he do anything equivalent to that? How could he stop the Ocean Spirit from rampaging without restraint, all across the world…?

"I don't know what to do… I don't know what to do," Aang whispered, eyes flickering in panic from side to side. He had to find a way to keep La contained… but how?

The ocean was growing more restless, more chaotic… and one attempt to grip it in his control resulted in nothing. Aang snarled, lowering his hand: the other elements? Could the other three work to contain water? Could he create a strong and sturdy prison of earth all across the world to restrain the water? Unlikely. A fire storm that evaporated everything? That would be as detrimental to the world as letting the ocean rampage freely…

Air.

If he could work with the pressure, right above the ocean… if he could create a solid barrier that contained the water until La stopped its rampage, he might just succeed at saving the world from the wrath of the immensely powerful entity.

"Okay. Okay… Guys?!" Aang cried out: he wasn't talking to his friends, however… but to the voices, the entities, within his soul. "I'm going to need every last one of you to help me out here! Are you with me?!"

"We are always with you," the voices of the Avatars echoed in his heart. Aang nodded.

"Then… let's go!"

He released his glider, shooting it back towards his friends before turning around in midair.

His arrows began glowing once he entered the Avatar State.

Arms and legs spread out wide, Aang gathered all his power, extending his reach further, further, further… the power of his thousands of past lives, linked one after the other, allowed him to spread a protective, invisible mantle that pressed against the ocean, holding it in place with a burst of powerful, potent air that squashed and contained the ocean in its rightful place.

Unbeknownst to Aang, impromptu tsunamis halfway across the world were interrupted by his powerful move. The incoherent tidal motions that had spread all across the planet, threatening to overtake the land and destroy all life, were stemmed by the sudden front of potent, unyielding airbending…

"What is he…? H-how is he…?!" Katara gasped, gazing at her husband from the cliff: Aang hovered above the ocean, without touching it, spreading that power all across the numerous wild waters of the world.

"I don't know, but… I'm feeling short of air," Toph said, gritting her teeth: Zuko wrapped an arm around her to keep her close.

"Me too," he admitted. Katara didn't want to acknowledge she was no better than them.

"He's… b-bending all the air. All of it," Katara said: that her husband was an unthinkably powerful bender came as no surprise, she'd always known that… but even he had his limits. He couldn't find a way to ensure that every person in the world would not be affected by the massive bending feat he was performing. A little discomfort would have to be preferable to being completely destroyed by the force of the tidal waves…

And so, Aang lingered there, suspended between air and water, as good as holding his breath, just as he upheld his role as the keeper of balance between ocean and sky, between spirits and humans… between all elements.

Even so, the fate of their world, their very survival, hinged on two people who, unlike the Avatar, hadn't been chosen by destiny to enter the Spirit World and save anyone: Aang snarled, repeating Yue's name to himself over and over again as he hoped, desperately, that Sokka and Azula would succeed at their quest somehow… that they would find Yue, and that they would bring her back to the Ocean Spirit right away.

Sokka wasn't exactly running out of ideas… but the possibilities of fighting against Oblivion grew slimmer as despair spread among them, it seemed. Yue reached down towards the fading remnants of La, tears spilling down her face, to no avail. Azula stood paralyzed, unsure of what to do…

"Hey! Azula!" Sokka called her, returning to his usual self, gripping her shoulders and turning her towards him. The Princess met his eyes, her own were filled with panic. "Stop… stop thinking and overthinking. Start just… feeling! Let your heart take the wheel! I don't even know how we could save Yue… but that's what we're here to do, so we're doing it! Oblivion won't have its way! Even if the Ocean Spirit forgets her, even if everyone does…!"

"We won't," Azula finished. Sokka nodded.

"And for now, that will be enough to make sure Oblivion fails," Sokka said, fiercely. Azula swallowed hard and nodded.

"What do I do?"

"For starters… we need to break her out of that damn prison," Sokka growled, glaring at the swirling sphere of smoke and darkness that hugged Yue again… she was barely visible through what appeared to be debris, floating around her. Azula gritted her teeth.

"Can you keep him busy?" she asked. Sokka raised an eyebrow. "I might… have an idea. A weird one. You said I should feel, and that's what I'll try to do. To just… go by impulse and try to channel the one thing I know I can!"

"Okay!" Sokka nodded. "I'll find a way to piss him off!"

"Don't take it too far. I don't know what he'd dare do to you," Azula said, cupping his face. Sokka smiled.

"We're going to win. I know we will."

Azula didn't know where his certainty came from, but she let him infect her with it: she pressed a fierce, passionate kiss to his lips…

Before turning around and running down the beam she had followed all the way to Yue.

Sokka watched her go, knowing that she'd return. Remembering all too well his certainty that he'd never trust her, back when everything had started… a slow smile spread over his face as he thought of how far they'd come before he turned towards Oblivion.

"You… what drives you, wretch?!" Oblivion growled. "You are not wanted. You are not needed! The women you love belong to me!"

"You're one hell of a moron if you think they'd ever belong to anyone," Sokka said. "No wonder you have to kidnap them to keep them around you, bet no girl would stay near you for longer than a minute if they could help it, otherwise…"

"I don't need them to want me! It's more fun to take them this way!" Oblivion said. Sokka winced.

"That's disgusting, you creep," he said. "What the hell are you? And why are you so damn obsessed with Yue?!"

"Yue? Oh, no. I wanted her! The one that ran like a coward, ahahaha, she will return to me soon, she will!" Oblivion exclaimed. Sokka frowned.

"What? You mean… you trapped Yue to get to Azula?!"

"I wanted them both, I did! For, you see, Yue was fun! But when she broke free, just enough to connect with someone from the human world, it was someone delightfully wicked! Someone twisted and broken! Someone who would want to see the world burn every bit as much as I did!"

"So… you let Yue connect with her, and only her, because you wanted Azula to stir her despair further," Sokka concluded, frowning slowly.

"But you… you had to get in the way of my plans!" Oblivion exclaimed. "You were not meant to be a part of it! You wretch! You filthy wretch!"

"You… you want me to feel sorry for you, do you? To feel guilt because I sabotaged your great experiment, is it?" Sokka asked, trembling with rage. "You took the girl I loved once, filled her heart with misery and pain, all be it so you could use the woman I love now to torture and torment her?! And because things aren't going your way, you despise me?"

"You gave her happiness, and love, and joy! What kind of fool would do such a thing for a monster?!"

Sokka snarled: Yue, too, snapped out of her tearful self for a moment upon hearing those words.

A monster.

"You…" Yue said, gritting her teeth and turning her gaze into the sphere that held her captive. "You dared? You…! How could you speak of her that way?! How dare you…!"

"It's but the truth, and it is no concern of…!"

He fell silent when a bolt of lightning shot through the smoke.

Yue gasped, glancing towards Sokka. Sparks fizzled out of him as he readied himself to become something else still… this time, a manner of maelstrom that leapt from his spot on Azula's bridge and then landed against the smoke.

"What…?! You dare challenge me head on, you fool?!" Oblivion laughed: Yue gasped as everything around her seemed to begin spinning, the sphere's smoke changing in shape…

A tornado clashed against a maelstrom, colliding as blades might, blow after blow. None of it could erase the harm inflicted by Oblivion. None of it could change the words it had chosen to bestow upon someone Sokka treasured. He roared in his maelstrom form, and thunder appeared to strike, fizzling out after causing further damage upon his enemy…

Yue remained trapped in the throes of Oblivion's grip… but she crawled as best she could through the fog, through the smoke, towards the end of Oblivion's twister. If she could just get out, if this was the one chance she'd get to do that…

But the tornado closed in over and over again as she progressed. Every step forward was another step back. Again, despair gripped Yue… and she cried to herself as she hoped for Azula to be safe. As she hoped for something she had never dared say before, something she hadn't known how to ask… for her situation had appeared entirely hopeless. And maybe it still was… but she wasn't alone anymore.

"Help… help," she whispered, before her voice strengthened further: "HELP! AZULA! AZULA!"

The Fire Nation Princess felt the heat swirling and rising as she rushed towards that large orb in the sky. She didn't know what she needed to do for this to work, she didn't know what Sokka was doing right now…

But she needed to go as far as she possibly could. There could be no half measures, no hesitation.

Once she reached the sphere of flames, she jumped forward.

She let the fire's heat burn her clothes, singing her skin, her hair, as she allowed herself to be consumed by that fire…

When she opened her eyes again, she found that she had been the one who had consumed the flames instead.

A power unlike anything she had experienced burned and thrummed inside her. She turned around, and the golden road she had followed glowed brighter still. She glared into the distance… and then she felt a hand upon her shoulder.

"I had been expecting you."

Azula shuddered, but she held off her immediate caution, her instinctive wariness, and turned her head towards the golden, burning woman standing behind her.

"The Moon Spirit has needed our help. I could do nothing for Tui in her first demise: you may yet save Yue."

"Who are you?" Azula asked. The spirit touched her chest.

"I am the flames that dwell inside you, inside each living, breathing being in the land you belong to. In the world you inhabit," the spirit said. "Should I have failed at my task… it would have fallen to you to take my place, just as it fell to Yue when Tui failed at hers."

Azula's eyes widened.

"I… was fated for this?" she asked. The spirit smiled.

"Your fate is in your hands. The world dealt cruelty upon Tui and Yue… but if we stop Oblivion now, you won't need to make any such sacrifice. So go, Azula: take my power… and prove yourself worthy of being the Champion of the Sun."

Azula's heart burned with a righteous fury she had never felt before.

Oblivion had sought to tempt her with taunts over a world that had forsaken her, forgotten her, treated her as a disposable, ignorable element. She had failed to take a proper stand then, affected by its words… but not so much that she would lose sight of reality.

Sokka's reappearance, his genuine return, had relieved her so greatly that none of the creature's mockery had mattered anymore.

She had grown to love him. She had grown to love Yue. She had a place in her family again. She had people in her life who might just become her friends in due time. She might have a future, too, beyond this catastrophe, should they solve it successfully. A year ago, Oblivion would have ensnared her so easily it would have been embarrassing…

Yue had saved her in so many more ways than the apparent.

The quest to see the world and find thousands of new experiences hadn't been for her own sake: Yue had done it for Azula.

Tears welled in her eyes as emotion surged so powerfully inside Azula that she could barely endure it. She snarled, gripping her chest tightly with a hand as her heart raced faster, and faster, and…

She shot off, leaving a trail of golden, potent fire in her wake.

Yue would be restored.

She'd stake her very life on seeing that it would be so.

The battle between the tornado and the maelstrom continued when the glow of a potent star suddenly blinded Yue. She gasped as a golden shine came rushing fast, vertiginously so, towards them…

"Azula…?!" she exclaimed: the maelstrom broke off the tornado, and Sokka took his natural form again for a moment, too impressed by the sight to carry on focusing on the battlefield, or his willpower-based transformation.

"Azula!" he cried out.

"COME TO ME!" roared Oblivion: he rose higher, and Sokka snarled as he scrambled for something else to do, anything he could resort to… "Join us! Yue and I can use the company! Come to us!"

Azula shot fast towards the smoke entity, her heavy scowl giving away the certainty, the seriousness, of the task at hand. Her flaming fists tightened as she shot herself faster onwards, as she neared Yue's position…

"AZULA!" Yue screamed.

Azula plunged into the darkness, and Oblivion's smoke swirled around her shape, capturing her inside its grasp.

"NO!" Sokka exclaimed, panic taking hold of him. "AZULA!"

"MINE! MINE, MINE, MINE! THEY'RE MINE! THEY'RE MINE…!" Oblivion exclaimed, cackling and rejoicing...

Unaware that the burning Princess had wrapped her arms around the Moon Spirit.

Yue gasped, as Azula gripped her tightly. The girl, sixteen-years-old after all, only reached Azula's shoulder. It was the first time they had stood together, in the same physical space, even if in a spiritual plane.

"A… Azula…!" Yue wept, raising her gaze desperately towards her… to find a smiling Champion of the Sun gazing upon her.

"You held on. Thank you," Azula said. "Would've been very irksome if you'd given up to that brute while we couldn't get to you."

"I… I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen, I…" Yue said, desperately.

"You really need to be more honest. Could've tried to help you sooner, if you had been," Azula smirked, cupping Yue's face. "I… I might be able to do a few things to fight him, Yue. But I don't think I can do it alone."

"What…?"

"My power. My fire. You can reflect it, can't you? That's your nature. You're the moon… and the moon glows because the sun shines upon it. Right?"

"T-then…" Yue said, eyes wide. Azula smiled.

"I will shine… and you will glow. And we'll tear this piece of shit to shambles if it's the last thing we do," Azula hissed. Yue smiled warmly, nodding in agreement.

Azula took Yue's hands in hers, closing her eyes. The heat started rising, but Yue welcomed that warmth… just as Sokka, terrified and desperate, did the same when glimpses of that light started to burn past the dark smoke sphere.

"Azula…" he gasped, as Oblivion swirled awkwardly, attempting to smother the light.

"Enough, I said. Nobody asked you to shine like that!" Oblivion growled.

"Let them go. Let them go!" Sokka roared.

"No! They're mine, I said! Mine!" Oblivion roared.

"LET THEM GO!"

Sokka's voice served as a beacon. Azula smiled at the sound of it, knowing exactly where not to aim the next attack she'd do… an attack for which Yue would serve as her support.

"I'll never forget you, Yue. No matter what it takes… you'll always be a part of me."

Yue shivered before nodding: Azula raised one of her hands, and Yue pressed her palm to hers.

The light that hardly escaped the cluster of darkness strengthened further, bolstered fiercely by the power of the Champion of the Sun. Oblivion's discomfort increased further, as it twitched and stirred, unable to retain the shape of its sphere of darkness as he had before.

"Now! Yue!"

Believing in others had always been easy for her. She had no true power of her own while she lived, so she had learned long ago how to trust others to do things, to fight, to succeed at their quests, no matter what they might be. This time, though… this time, Yue was the one who needed to succeed. She breathed in, she focused… and she released her energy in a wild burst.

The cage of darkness was overcome by the blinding light that burst out of that sphere. Sokka shielded his eyes… but he smiled, hearing the agonic screams of Oblivion seeking to reform again.

"NO! NO! YOU'RE MINE! YOU'RE MINE! THE WORLD WILL BE TORN APART! YOUR WORLD WILL BE BETTER IF IT PAYS FOR ALL THE HARM IT DID TO YOU! YOU WISH FOR IT TO BE DESTROYED! YOU'RE NO CHAMPION OF THE SUN! YOU'RE A MONSTER! YOU'RE…!"

Standing in the space where the vanished sphere had been before, Azula raised a hand towards the remaining smoke, and she tightened it into a fist.

A burst of fire, golden as the sun, eliminated the unwanted, reviled, cruel entity that, a year ago, had ensnared the moon.

Sokka laughed, sensing the wicked spirit's presence had been dispelled. It most likely hadn't been destroyed, not for good… but for now, it had lost its grip on Azula and Yue, and that was more than enough as things stood.

Yue continued to glow powerfully, still with her palm pressed to Azula's. She breathed heavily after a moment, as good as coming back to herself…

To find the darkness had dispelled at last.

To gaze down, to the depths of the universe, to find their world stood right below their feet.

"It's… it's our world. I can see it again. I can…" Yue said, with a helpless smile. Azula held her closely still.

"Is this how you see everything?" she asked. Yue shook her head.

"It's… how I did sometimes. When I wasn't walking through the Spirit World… or among humans, if I had the chance to," Yue said, with a sad but earnest smile. Azula nodded in understanding. "And now I can do that again because…"

"Because you let us help you, you stubborn little weirdo," Azula grumbled, prompting Yue to laugh as Azula squeezed her nose between her index and middle fingers. Blazes flickered at the contact, and Azula pulled her hand back quickly. "Damn. I shouldn't do that right now. I'm all… fired up, I suppose."

"For what it's worth? I'd dare say that's your real form, Azula!" Sokka exclaimed, startling Azula. She turned towards him with a questioning stare, as he floated by willpower alone towards them. "You know… you're on fire? You're smoking hot? You're hot as hell?"

"You're in front of a teenager, you idiot. Don't talk that way." Azula grunted at him. Yue laughed, and Sokka smiled as he turned his attention towards Yue.

"Yue…" he said, with a sincere, kind smile. She grinned right back at him, eyes tearful and grateful.

"You never gave up on me. Neither of you did," she said. "You're… you're really so grown, Sokka. Azula… Azula lied, you know? You did grow to be even more handsome than you were…"

"Heh. I knew that already. She was just trying to hide that I'm her type and she didn't know how to sound convincing," Sokka smirked. Azula rolled her eyes but smiled.

"I'm glad I can speak to you again… though it was fun to do it through you, Azula," Yue laughed, and Azula smiled and shook her head.

"Shouldn't have been as much fun, but it was. Guess I can't be your translator anymore, huh?"

"I can always cover my ears whenever she speaks so you tell me what she's saying, if you want," Sokka grinned. Azula laughed, and Yue smiled fondly at the two of them.

"I never… never imagined I could be set free," she said. "This is… it really isn't the Spirit World itself."

"I realized. It's… strange. Cosmic, in a wild way," Sokka said, gazing about himself. "It works even more weirdly than I thought the Spirit World would."

"I've always been able to drift between this place, the Spirit World, and occasionally the human world. That stopped when the comet collided," Yue said, closing her eyes. "I don't know if… if Oblivion was inside that comet, or if the sight of me in danger caused Oblivion to rise from wherever it hid, but… after it happened, I was trapped here. I couldn't… do anything. And as I was trapped, the moon's glow waned and I could only speak with you because, well…"

"Because Oblivion wanted me," Azula said. Sokka gritted his teeth. "Don't get jealous now, will you?"

"Not jealous. Just… protective," Sokka said, with a heavy sigh. "Bad enough that Oblivion had been causing Yue so much grief… it wanted to do it to you too. I couldn't just stay calm through that, now, could I?"

"You should have, but it's of no matter. We won anyway," Azula smiled proudly. Yue giggled.

"The three of us… we do make a good team," she said. Azula raised a hand, clasping her shoulder gently.

"We… uh, we do," she said, pulling her flaming had back before burning Yue, though Yue laughed at the feeling, nonetheless.

"But… there's one thing left for me to do," Yue said, glancing down at the Earth from where they stood. "For all this time… the Ocean Spirit, La, kept me safe and grounded. Oblivion's interest in you, Azula… it allowed La to grip me, to hold onto me. But once Oblivion gave up on you, because you were no longer the kind of person who would choose to inflict oblivion upon the human world? All my connections started to fade. I only asked you to forget, even though I knew it wasn't in your control, or mine, if you did… because I thought it'd be less painful. But in the end, Oblivion was the one who sought to make everyone forget me…"

"The piece of shit," Sokka grumbled.

"It was working. My brother, Sokka's sister, Toph… even the Avatar," Azula mentioned. "They were struggling to remember you, or why we were traveling at all."

"But you swore you'd ensure that I wouldn't be forgotten," Yue said, with a warm smile. "I suppose, now that the moon shall return, it will be much harder for people to forget me, huh?"

"They might take you for granted again, in the sky… but we won't," Azula said, her throat thickening with tears. "Though… you'll still lurk around, won't you? I know you're not trapped anymore, and maybe you're behind on your, I don't know, cosmic paperwork, but…"

"I have no paperwork in the Spirit World," Yue laughed. Sokka hummed.

"Sounds like the first aspect of the Spirit World that I absolutely prefer over the human one. We should move there, Azula," Sokka suggested, nudging her with his elbow. Azula smiled and shook her head.

"I'm just saying, I… I guess your days of lurking in my mirrors are over?"

The words sank heavily in Sokka and Yue. The two of them exchanged worried looks before turning their attention towards Azula.

"I… Yeah. I don't think I'll be doing that anymore," Yue mumbled. Azula smiled and shrugged.

"Well, what can you do, huh? Was… was something, while it lasted," she said. Yue gritted her teeth.

"You're… you're going to miss me, aren't you?" Yue asked, with a gentle smile. Azula scoffed.

"As if. Don't be so conceited," she said, folding her arms over her chest. Yue smiled warmly.

"You noticed when I was lying… I can tell when you are, too," she said. Azula scoffed, and if she hadn't been on fire, still, she might just have blushed darkly.

"It'll be strange, adapting to life without you, but… we fixed things for you. You'll be okay this time. And you'll have a proper conversation with Sokka before it happens this time, too. So… a wish fulfilled indeed," Azula said, somewhat nervously. "I should, uh… return these powers. I might wind up naked after I do. Yue, cover your eyes by then."

"I've seen you naked before whenever the water of your tubs reflected your body, though…"

"Ugh. That's disturbing," Azula groaned. Yue giggled, shrugging in her direction.

"I am a spirit, you know. We… see a lot of things. Some bad, some good," she grinned.

"And some hot as hell, like her," Sokka grinned proudly. Yue giggled and Azula punched his shoulder. "Come on! It's really a cool look. You're going to miss it when it's gone."

"Sounds more like you will. Pervert," Azula huffed. Yue laughed.

"I… I'm going to miss your arguments, that's for sure," she said. "And just… being part of what you're doing. Seeing so many beautiful sights, I… I really enjoyed it. This journey… it was beautiful. I never imagined I'd get to live through something like that. And that I'd do it, and actually become friends with you in the process, Azula, I… I'll always be grateful for that."

"Well… I'm grateful for you too, believe it or not," Azula said, earnestly. "If it weren't for your pesky meddling, your chattiness, your ridiculous praises, I… I wouldn't be here now. And for once in my life, it feels like I'm exactly who I want to be, and where I want to be, too."

"That's good to hear," Yue smiled warmly. Azula sighed.

"You'll be okay on your own?" she asked. Yue shook her head.

"I won't be alone," she said, smiling down at the world beneath their feet once more.

A tendril of dark liquid reached up slowly, tentatively, until Yue touched it with a fingertip. The water rose, strengthening and swirling around her, and Yue laughed as the very end of the water tendril shifted slightly, becoming akin to a fish, perhaps even a water snake…

"I'm back, La," she whispered.

"Tui… Yue," La said, calm and content.

Azula smiled, gazing down at the world: it was hard to see it from this distance, but it seemed as though the renewed contact between the spirits had put a stop to whatever was happening down below…

Aang blacked out, falling into the water, once the Avatar Spirit no longer sustained him after he ceased the suspended, extended bending feat he had pulled, all across the world. He sank into the depths of the ocean, exhausted… until his wife's bending reeled him up, back aboard Appa.

"They did it… the crazy bastards did it," Zuko exclaimed, still somewhat breathless, eyes glued to the dark sky above them: he couldn't remember the moon glowing more brightly ever before.

"Moon's back? Yue's all good now?" Toph said, before humming. "Must be. I… remember her now. I forgot about her for a while there. Did you?"

"We all did," Katara said, holding Aang affectionately as he coughed, smiling awkwardly at her. "You okay?"

"I'm… alive. I think. Thank you, Katara," he said, pressing his brow to hers. Katara smiled.

"Always ready to bail you out when you're in trouble, silly," she said, kissing his cheek.

Aang sighed, weakened and helpless now… but proud of what he had achieved. Bending the entire atmosphere might have been a tall order… but he succeeded at doing so for long enough to keep La contained, preventing massive disasters and hopefully minimizing the potential death toll of the initial reaction by the uncontrollable ocean. He sighed in relief, closing his eyes… deeply hoping that Sokka and Azula would be ready to return to the human world once he and the others returned, too.

Azula frowned as she felt her power shifting in an odd manner. She turned around… finding the Sun Spirit standing not too far from where she was. The Princess breathed deeply and stepped towards her.

"I never doubted you could do it," the Sun Spirit smiled kindly upon Azula, who bowed her head respectfully towards her. "Well done, Champion."

"That might be too great a title. I was quite selfishly trying to save my friend just because she mattered to me," Azula admitted. The Sun Spirit laughed.

"Selfishness? Trying to save another is selfishness? Curious," she said. Azula smirked and shrugged. "You are a rare one, Princess Azula of the Fire Nation. A most extraordinary woman… much as Princess Yue would have grown to be one, too."

"But I didn't get that chance," Yue said, with a sad smile.

"Thus… do not waste yours, Princess Azula," the Sun Spirit said. Azula nodded. "I can take a new champion after many generations pass, too. Just as the Moon Spirit would have chosen her favorites, centuries before or after Yue was born. It isn't your fate to be my vessel or my replacement, just as it wouldn't be for any of my protegees. Young Yue made a great sacrifice for the greater good… and the human world shall forever owe her its survival and endurance because of it. You, child, need not be another sacrifice."

"There's not much reason why I would need to sacrifice myself anymore, now, is there?" Azula said.

"None of you should have to sacrifice anything at all to begin with," Sokka told her, and Azula gazed at him gratefully upon hearing those words.

"Never forget… the bond between the two of you is strong," the Sun Spirit said. Azula gazed at Yue next, who smiled kindly at her. "The moon receives and reflects the sun's light… Yue has learned to be your mirror, your reflection. To show you your faults just as she shows your virtues. She is the moon to the sun you can shine, Azula. And when you burn your brightest, you inspire others to do the same. As you did with her."

Azula nodded, swallowing back the tears she nearly spilled. The Sun Spirit moved closer, pressing a soft kiss upon her brow.

"You did well, child. And now… it's time for you to go home."

The flames covering her body withdrew into the Sun Spirit: the fire she had leant to Azula drifted inside her… and with a final smile and a kind nod of approval, the Sun Spirit drifted back to where she belonged. Azula watched her go, grateful… relieved.

"We've restored balance… somewhat," Sokka said, with a gentle smile. "And hey… still on fire even when you're not literally on fire, Azula, really."

"Shut up," Azula huffed, smiling regardless of her bashfulness: to her surprise, a robe suddenly appeared around her body, and Sokka grinned cheekily at her when she eyed him questioningly.

"I'll ogle you whenever you let me. But as I appear to have figured out the code of how to invoke nonsensical things in this plane, I figured I'd dress you up," he said. Azula laughed.

"Thoughtful of you," she said, turning towards Yue again.

She seemed so small, so young… but when she raised her head again, Yue seemed as strong as ever. She smiled kindly at them, taking their hands in hers.

"I didn't really think it was possible that I'd ever stop envying whoever might marry you one day, Sokka," she admitted, with a weak smile. "Even if I wanted to be kind and supportive of your relationship with Suki, I truthfully couldn't stop wishing I were in her place instead. But when it comes to you two, I… I can't help but be so happy that the two people I love the most would find love in each other, too."

"Kind of blindsided all of us, didn't it?" Sokka said, with a chuckle. Azula smiled too. Yue bit her lip.

"I just… I want to say that I'm really grateful for everything you did. I would have been lost without you. I know you didn't care for me or want to help me for the longest time, Azula… but that really didn't matter to me. I just… I just wanted what was best for you. And I think you found it."

She brought their hands together, smiling kindly as their fingers linked. Azula smiled at Sokka, who smiled back at her.

"So… go back," Yue said, earnestly. "Go… and be happy together. Live the lives you deserve. Never forget how many kind things you've done for others, such as me. Never forget… that you changed my world in the best of ways."

"You did the same for me," Azula whispered, raising her free hand to stroke Yue's hair gently. "I didn't want to see it, to accept it… but I did, in the end. I owe you so much more than I'll ever be able to repay, Yue."

"I don't think that's true. You saved me," Yue smiled. "That's already so much more than I can repay, too. I wasn't going to survive without you. I'm so glad… so glad that you could come to help me. And now… I get to see you from afar. I might be able to manifest myself around you two sometimes, or just one of you, I don't know… won't happen too often, but I'll try!"

"You'd better. Though if you give us any frights intentionally by showing up at inopportune moments, you won't ever hear the end of it," Azula threatened her. Yue laughed and Sokka smirked.

"You can come see us whenever you want," he told Yue. "You're always going to be welcome. I don't think I did nearly as much as Azula did for you…"

"You did plenty, silly," Azula said. Sokka smiled and shrugged.

"Even if I did… point is, I always wanted to do right by you. To make amends for your death being as violent and abrupt as it was. I wish we'd had enough time to… to talk, to say goodbye, to process what was happening, but we didn't. I was in pain for so long, and then that swamp vision I had of you…"

"That was the swamp's doing. It wasn't really me," Yue said, apologetically. Sokka chuckled.

"Yeah. It wasn't as kind as you are," he said. "But the swamp said… I had failed you. I hadn't saved you. I had to protect you, it was my duty, and I couldn't do it. So… I've felt this weight, this responsibility on my shoulders for a long time, because I couldn't protect you once before…"

"And you succeeded this time," Yue whispered, kindly. Sokka smiled warmly. "I know you've struggled to know your worth… but you're extraordinary, Sokka. You have everything it takes to prove it, too. So… don't be afraid to show the world who you really are. Don't worry about protecting me anymore… I'm safe again."

"And if you ever aren't, you'll let us know?" Sokka asked. Yue laughed and nodded.

"As long as I can, sure… but I hope it won't happen, nonetheless," she said. Azula swallowed hard.

"Then… this is it?"

She met Yue's gaze for a long moment, and the young girl's eyes flooded with tears anew. She nodded, and Azula sighed before stepping forward, wrapping her arms firmly around Princess Yue… the Moon Spirit.

She had wanted to hug Yue so many times, most of all as of late. The feeling of doing it spiritually certainly came off as strange, but it was all they'd get. It might even be the one time she'd get to do it at all. Tears spilled down Azula's cheeks as she held Yue tightly.

"Thank you… for everything," she managed to say, her voice strained. Yue shook her head.

"I'm the one… the one who's grateful to you," Yue said. "For everything you saw, and everything you showed and taught me… everything I lived and loved with you. S-so… go on and do it some more. Live… love. Experience everything for… for the both of us. I know I may not always be visible, in the sky? But… I'll always be with you."

Sokka smiled warmly: hearing Yue speak those words to Azula struck a chord in his heart, for they were the very last ones she had spoken to him before taking her place in the night sky.

"And we'll always be with you too. And thinking of you," Azula nodded. Yue giggled. "You brought us together… and we'll always treasure you. We won't ever let you be forgotten."

"Thank you for finding me in the darkness," Yue said, pressing her face to her shoulder. "For letting me be your reflection within my shadows. For understanding me… in ways I never knew I wanted to be understood. Thank you for bearing with me, even when I made it hard… thank you for caring as much as you did. You were my light in the darkness… and now, it's time that you go light up so many other things in the world, too."

"Wait… you're not condoning arson, are you?"

"W-well, no…"

"Such a shame," Azula smiled. Yue laughed as Azula pulled back, and tears spilled down both their faces. "I meant it when I said it, but… I ought to do it again: I love you, Yue."

"I love you too," Yue grinned giddily, leaning in for another hug. "I'm so glad it was you. I'm so glad that you were the one person I could always see."

Azula nodded, hugging the girl back as tightly as could be.

"I'm glad you were here. That you were part of my life, for as long as you were," she said.

Azula raised her tearful eyes towards Sokka, who continued to watch them fondly… she reached for his wrist, yanking him towards herself, and Sokka laughed as he hugged the two of them, too.

"I'll miss you too, even if I'm sure Azula will miss you more," Sokka smiled. "Go shine brightly in the sky, okay? We'll be fine… so make sure you are, too. Let us know if you get into any trouble… and maybe I'll come back and turn into a giant axe again, what do you know?"

The girls laughed at Sokka's mirth, and Azula rested her head on his shoulder briefly, while Yue nestled against his chest.

"Thank you, Sokka. Thank you, Azula. Thank you. I'll always love you. Always."

A white flash blinded them briefly, and they closed their eyes to brace themselves against it…

"Hey… they're back! Look!"

"Oh, finally."

Sokka and Azula grimaced, coming back to their senses while still sitting in the position Aang had left them at. Which meant, of course, that they were as sore as could be…

"Sokka? Azula? You guys okay?" Aang called them, kneeling by them as they opened their eyes.

"We're… back," Azula realized. Sokka scoffed slightly, with a lop-sided smirk.

"Sad. Can't turn into a giant axe anymore," he said. Azula laughed, and the others gaped at them in confusion.

"It's… a long story," Azula said.

She cast a glance to the sky, though, where twinkling stars no longer could be as easily visible… for they were in the moon's vicinity.

It glowed so brightly, so beautifully, that Azula couldn't help the tears that welled in her eyes at the sight of it. At the knowledge that her friend had succeeded at reclaiming her place as the Moon Spirit… at the awareness that she'd helped her against the worst challenges she had been dealt by the wretched Oblivion.

Sokka tugged at her hand gently, and they exchanged a relieved, warm smile before he leaned in for a kiss – naturally, half of the group complained, but Azula held Sokka closely nonetheless, brows pressed together as mutual pride and relief took hold of their hearts. They would explain everything to the others soon… but for now, her heart did not ache over loneliness now that Yue was gone. Instead, it remained strong and full of emotions over the awareness and certainty that she had finally saved Yue… and that Yue, conversely, had saved her just as well.

[flowachild]

anyway I saw this man that tried to play me last year to the point that I cried and he came up to hug me while he was with his friends and I gave him the nastiest look 😭

[kxsalt]

“What should I do, sir?” Standing next to the bed, the naked girl serves him his morning coffee. He takes a groggy sip and pulls down the covers. “Start with a blowjob today.” She bends at the waist to give him head. The man relaxes and admires the morning light on her body as she sucks him off.

“Where do you want to cum, sir?” Her master stands and has her kneel in front of him. “Open wide, doll.” He strokes his cock as she holds her tongue out to catch his cum. Thick strands splatter across her nose, her chin, her chest. Dollops of semen land in her throat. The man gasps as he unloads on the girl.

“Cahn I swollo, shir?” A soft chuckle. “Not yet. You enjoy it for a bit.” The girl licks her lips, savouring the taste of her dom. He gets dressed as she kneels on the ground awaiting direction. Satisfied with her obedience, he tussles her hair. “Okay, you can swallow now.” A nod. A gulp. She shifts uncomfortably on the ground.

“May I use the toilet, sir?” The man opens the blinds. “No. I like the light right now. I’m going to take some photos of you, first.” Taking a camera from its case, he poses the girl in front of the window. Spread open, touching her clit. Bent over, ass pulled open. Pinching her cum-covered breasts. She squirms, desperate to relieve herself. “That will do for now, go ahead.”

“Do you want help, sir?” Emerging from the bathroom, the girl finds him preparing breakfast. “Yes, darling. Can you please make some toast?” She smiles. Darling. Please. He’s in a good mood. She cuts the bread. The man strokes her back and gives her a surprise kiss on the head. The naked girl does a little happy dance as the toaster glows.

“Where should I eat, sir?” He puts her plate on the ground. “Next to me - but wait until I’m done.” She sits and watches him enjoy his meal. As he takes away his dishes, he signals for her to start. Taking out his laptop, the man looks through the recent photos while she eats. “Some of these are excellent. You’re so pretty.” The girl blushes as she cleans her plate.

“What should we do with those photos, sir?” He turns the computer to face her. “You can post these ones.” The man moves to the couch to read while she works. As she uploads each photo, the comments and reblogs roll in. “Any interesting notes?” He asks, not looking up from his book. “Mmm… This guy said you should have cum in my pussy.” The dom rolls his eyes. “Send him a video.”

“What should I wear today?” Her task complete, she stands before the reclining man. Putting the book away, he leads her to the wardrobe. “Hmm… I think we’ll go with a slutty schoolgirl outfit today.” He picks out her clothes. Lacy white thong. Thigh highs. Tiny plaid skirt. Tight crop top. She takes the initiative of tying her hair into pigtails. The girl preens and prances around her dom.

“What should I do, sir?” He grabs her hips and pushes her up against the wall. “Bend over, doll.” The girl sticks her ass out, arms braced. His belt cracks against her bum. Minutes after they were pulled up, her thong is dropped to her ankles. The dom works his cock into his sub’s pussy. Gripping her asscheeks, he pulls her onto his dick.

“Is my pussy good for you, sir?” As she pushes into him, his hands work up her soft body. Playing with her clit, groping her tits, wrapping around her neck. His handling makes her wet. He settles on choking her while he rubs her pussy, pounding deep into her cunt. “Always, darling.” The girl’s head spins. Darling. He’s in a good mood.

[archiverstappen]

appendix touch ✧ max verstappen

max verstappen x ferrari! fem! reader

masterlist

the beloved ferrari heiress just had her appendix removed, and now the whole world is convinced that she's going to start an epidemic

[messages]

[instagram]

[twitter]

[instagram]

yn_ferrari

liked by maxverstappen1 and 1.735.028 others

yn_ferrari I understand that, without my agreement, my father has put out an instagram story this afternoon that makes it seem like I’m dying. This is true, I do feel like I’m dying. I’m having my appendix removed.

view all 1.832 comments

maxverstappen1 Will get that win for you 💙

↳ yn_ferrari no, thanks ❤️

↳ papaferrari Please let Carlos/Charles win for Y/N’s faster recovery 😊

username SHE’S SO UNSERIOUS 😭

oscarpiastri 🤨

↳ yn_ferrari poet of the century

alex_albon Been there, done that

↳ yn_ferrari teach me your ways, master

username THANK GOD IT’S JUST AN APPENDIX

username get well soon mother

carlossainz55 Get well soon, mi hermana 😂

↳ yn_ferrari soy lago

↳ landonorris stop copying me 😒

charles_leclerc Fake 🤭

↳ yn_ferrari i’ll pinch your appendix with my bare hands so you’d know how it feels

↳ alexandrasaintmleux 😨

↳ yn_ferrari look away, my love 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩

scuderiaferrari Get well soon, Boss ❤️

[messages]

[instagram]

[twitter]

[instagram]

scuderiaferrari

liked by papaferrari and 2.736.991 others

scuderiaferrari Patient 0, Patient 1, and Charles 😄 The gang is finally back in a land down under 🦘

tagged yn_ferrari, carlossainz55, charles_leclerc

view all 2.155 comments

username Y/N YOU BETTER STAY AWAY FROM CHARLES 😭

papaferrari My children 🧒🧒🧒

username favorite trio ever

username the fact that we won't be seeing them together again next year 😞

yn_ferrari admin... what's with the caption? 🙂

↳ scuderiaferrari Hi boss, please don't fire me

charles_leclerc I'm a survivor ❤️‍🩹

↳ yn_ferrari you're next 👹

↳ papaferrari Don't say that kind of thing, I can't have all of my children go through the same surgery three weeks in a row

↳ charles_leclerc 🤪🤪🤪 yn_ferrari

↳ carlossainz55 We'll try again next time yn_ferrari

username she's got that appendix touch, because every appendix that she touches starts to burst 🤷‍♀️

↳ yn_ferrari HELP 💀

[twitter]

[instagram]

yn_ferrari

liked by maxverstappen1 and 3.283.332 others

yn_ferrari beyond proud of what you guys achieved today, words can't describe how i feel! and no, contrary to popular belief i had nothing to do with max's dnf 😮‍💨

ps. someone said i've got the appendix touch, soo... if you're interested just hit me up

view all 3.122 comments

maxverstappen1 🙍‍♂️

maxverstappen1 Enjoy it while it lasts, Schat 😑

↳ yn_ferrari I will 😽

redbullracing You're temporarily banned from our garage🙏

↳ yn_ferrari I DIDNT DO ANYTHING?!

↳ redbullracing A source spotted you touching the rear wing of Max's car 💔

↳ yn_ferrari THAT'S A LIE.... scuderiaferrari STEP UP?

↳ scuderiaferrari Sorry, we're too focused on celebrating P1 and P2

↳ mercedesamgf1 Wow, can't relate scuderiaferrari

username why is there a video of you running down the pitlane after race, pls explain 😭

↳ yn_ferrari i was watching the race with max at red bull’s hospitality 🏃‍♀️💨

carlossainz55 Us 1 - Appendicitis 0 🍾

↳ yn_ferrari yes sir 🫡

charles_leclerc Can I have my appendix removed too? papaferrari

↳ papaferrari No

landonorris Do mine next, I need to win

alex_albon Can I have my appendix removed again?

↳ yn_ferrari control your man lilymhe 😭

↳ lilymhe bffr 🤬

username FORZA FERRARI SIEMPRE

↳ yn_ferrari rrrAAAGHHHH 🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎

scuderiaferrari We're so happy, our appendix literally burst 🥹

↳ username new merch idea?

↳ scuderiaferrari Noted 📝

papaferrari Dinner on me tonight 😎 carlossainz55 charles_leclerc

↳ charles_leclerc Finally

↳ carlossainz55 On my way!

↳ maxverstappen1 Can I come too?

↳ papaferrari I guess so, Y/N would be mad if I didn't invite you

↳ charles_leclerc Max got a pity invite 🤭

↳ yn_ferrari KEEP MY BOYFRIEND'S NAME OUT OF YOUR F-ING MOUTH

↳ lewishamilton Can i come? 🤔

↳ carlossainz55 My wound is still fresh...

↳ yn_ferrari LET HIM HAVE THIS ONE, SIR. WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT YEAR 🤗

--

pictures (c) to pinterest and instagram

[pucksandpower]

Too Sweet

Toto Wolff x Reader

Max Verstappen x ex!Reader

Summary: Max used to think that you’re too sweet for him … now he has to learn to live with the fact that Toto has quite a sweet tooth (inspired by the song that I’ve had on repeat)

I take my whiskеy neat

The doors to the upscale restaurant swing open and Max strides through, his fingers lightly grazing the small of your back as he guides you inside. The dimly lit interior is bustling with the chatter of well-heeled patrons enjoying their evening repasts. A sharply dressed hostess greets you with a polite smile.

“Good evening, sir. Welcome to The Sazerac Room. Do you have a reservation?”

“Verstappen,” Max replies curtly.

The hostess consults her tablet, then nods. “Right this way please.”

She leads the two of you through the elegant dining room, weaving between tables topped with crisp white linens and elaborate floral centerpieces. Max keeps his hand at your back, his thumb idly stroking in a soothing pattern as you take in the opulent surroundings with wide eyes.

“This place is incredible,” you murmur, craning your neck to admire the ornate chandeliers glittering overhead. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

He simply grunts in acknowledgment as the hostess stops before an intimate table tucked discreetly in the corner. After pulling out your chair for you with a flourish, she sets two leather-bound menus on the table.

“Your server will be right with you,” she informs them before departing with a polite nod.

You waste no time in opening your menu, hungrily perusing the offerings. “Oh Max, look at all these amazing cocktails! The La Vie en Rose sounds divine — rose liqueur, raspberries, lemon ...” You glance up at him hopefully. “We should get a couple of those to start.”

Max barely glances at his own menu before shaking his head. “I’ll just have a whiskey neat.”

Your face falls slightly at his brusque response. “Are you sure? These all look so good! We should live a little and try something fun for once.”

He fixes you with a stern look from across the table. “You know I don’t like frilly drinks. Now stop pestering me about it.”

Chastened by his harsh tone, you lapse into a wounded silence and continue reading the menu with diminished enthusiasm. A few moments later, a dapper middle-aged gentleman in a crisp suit appears at your table.

“Good evening, and welcome to The Sazerac Room. My name is William and I’ll be your server this evening.” With a polite smile, he produces a notepad from his breast pocket. “May I start you off with something to drink?”

You glance back at Max, giving him one last chance to change his mind. When he simply gazes back at you impassively, you sigh. “I’ll have the La Vie en Rose cocktail, please.”

William jots down your order before turning to Max expectantly.

“Whiskey neat,” Max says flatly. “Redbreast 27 Year, if you have it.”

“An excellent choice, sir.” William makes a note. “And may I bring you both some bread from our bakery while you decide on your meals?”

“That would be wonderful, thank you,” you reply gratefully.

William departs to place the drink orders, leaving you and Max alone once more. An awkward silence stretches between you, filled only by the tinkle of silverware and murmurs of conversation from surrounding tables.

Finally, you try again. “Max, are you sure I can’t tempt you with one little sip? This La Vie en Rose cocktail sounds absolutely divine. You might lov-”

“For fuck’s sake!” Max suddenly explodes, slamming his menu down on the table hard enough to rattle the cutlery. “How many times do I have to tell you I don’t want any of your ridiculous fruity bullshit? I’m a fucking race car driver, not some ridiculous Instagram model trying to look pretty with my drink.”

His nostrils flare as he leans across the table, eyes flashing with irritation that you would dare continue to push the issue. “I’ve had a long fucking day and I am going to drink whatever the fuck I want. So order your stupid fucking girly cocktail if you must, but don’t act so goddamn disappointed and keep shoving it in my face when I say no.”

You shrink back in your chair, eyes widening with hurt at his enraged outburst. The crestfallen look on your face is enough to douse Max’s fury like a bucket of ice water. He slumps back, remorse already stirring as he witnesses the light dimming in your eyes, lips trembling ever so slightly as you blink back sudden tears.

“I … I was just excited to try something new together,” you whisper shakily. “But never mind. You’re right, I’m sorry.”

The arrival of William with a basket of assorted breads and your glittering pink cocktail garnished with raspberries provides a merciful distraction from the tension.

You immediately reach for the drink, wrapping your hands around the delicate stemmed glass and taking a large gulp — both to avoid making eye contact with Max and to sample your coveted libation.

A look of bliss softens your features as the tart, sugary concoction bursts across your taste buds. “Mmm, this is incredible!”

For a beat, Max can’t help but drink in your look of pure enjoyment — the way your eyes flutter closed in delight, pink lips quirking into a contented smile as you savor each sip. It simultaneously tugs at his heartstrings and fills him with an irrational stab of resentment.

Here you are, sweet and radiant, able to find joy in the simplest of things … while he is just a miserable bastard who can’t let himself enjoy anything without getting irrationally angry.

You deserve so much better than him.

The thought is sobering and he feels shame burn hot in his gut. Unconsciously, his shoulders slump as he watches you take another euphoric sip of your cocktail.

“I knew it, this is amazing,” you sigh happily, seemingly recovered from his earlier tantrum as you bask in the deliciousness of your drink. “Max, you have to try just one little-”

“No.” The refusal is automatic, the word slicing through your offer before he can think better of it.

Your face shutters once more, the bright light in your eyes dimming as your smile fades into resignation. With a soft exhale, you set your glass down and reach for the bread basket instead.

“Suit yourself, then.”

As you silently butter a roll, Max finds himself at a rare loss, anger dissipating into regret as the knot in his stomach tightens painfully. Tonight was supposed to be a celebration after his impressive win on the track, a chance for the two of you to enjoy each other’s company and make more happy memories together.

Instead, he’s gone and ruined the mood … again … just like he always does.

***

“Another round?” Checo’s voice cuts through the sound of laughter and chatter around the table.

Max glances up distractedly from pushing the remaining bits of food around his plate. He, Checo, and a few other members of the Red Bull team are celebrating a successful Monaco Grand Prix. Despite making the podium, Max’s mind hasn’t really been on the festivities.

“I’m all set, thanks,” he mutters, raising his glass of whiskey with a tight smile before taking a sip. His gaze drifts across the opulent dining room of Cipriani Monte Carlo, idly scanning the crowd of wealthy patrons enjoying their evening meals.

That’s when his eyes catch on a shockingly familiar figure.

You.

Sitting at an intimate corner table, bathed in the soft glow of a candle’s flickering flame. For a moment, Max’s breath catches in his throat as a thousand bittersweet memories assault him all at once.

The hurt look on your face that night at The Sazerac Room … the resignation in your eyes as you accepted, yet again, that he would never be able to appreciate the sweet, simple pleasures that brought you such joy ...

The cold, empty silence that descended over your apartment when he finally left for good, stuffing his belongings into a duffel bag as you watched with trembling lips from across the room ...

Max blinks, and the moment passes — but his gaze remains riveted to your table. Because there, sitting across from you with adoration written across his insufferable face … is Toto Wolff.

Max feels his lips curl into an unconscious sneer as the Mercedes team principal murmurs something to you with a gentle smile, reaching across to delicately brush a lock of hair behind your ear. You catch Toto’s hand as it falls, pressing a tender kiss into his palm that makes the older man’s expression soften even further.

Your waiter arrives then, providing a momentary distraction as he lays out a couple of fresh cocktails on crisp white linen — a bright purple concoction garnished with a sugared rim and a plump cherry for you and an amber-hued old fashioned for Toto.

Your eyes light up as you take in the colorful beverage, immediately wrapping your hands around the delicate stemmed glass and bringing it to your lips to sample. A look of pure delight crosses your features as the no doubt sugary drink bursts across your taste buds.

“Mmm ...” you hum in pleasure, causing Toto to chuckle affectionately as he watches you enjoy the first reveling sips.

Setting your glass down, you gesture enthusiastically toward it as you address Toto. “This is incredible! You have to try it.”

Without hesitation, the Mercedes team boss dutifully leans across the table to take a long pull from your straw. Max watches with a mixture of disgust and morbid fascination as Toto’s expression morphs into one of surprised enjoyment.

“Wow, that is quite good, isn’t it?” Toto remarks with an indulgent grin, licking a telltale dab of purple syrup from the corner of his mouth.

“I told you!” You crow in delight, eyes sparkling with unrestrained glee.

The pure joy radiating from you in that moment is enough to make Max’s heart clench in his chest. He has seen that look before, so many times — whenever he deigned to let go of his surly demeanor for even a moment and actually indulge whatever fleeting whim or simple pleasure you desired to share with him.

But it was always so short-lived with him, stamped out by his own stubborn refusal to truly embrace anything resembling happiness or frivolity. You deserved so much more than his constant scowling and gruff rebuffs.

As if reading his thoughts, Toto then leans across the table to tenderly capture your lips in a soft, lingering kiss. The gentle intimacy of it makes Max’s gut churn as a feeling too complicated to fully unpack blossoms in his chest.

When you finally part, both of you are smiling at each other with such open, unguarded adoration that it’s almost obscene to witness. Toto reaches out to cradle your face in his palm as your lips find his once more in another chaste, loving caress.

This time, when you pull away, you let your head loll back with a look of pure bliss. Something deep within Max cracks and splinters at the sight. In a haze, he finds himself drifting back through the churning currents of memory ...

… that last, fateful shouting match in your living room, both of you red-faced and furious as the dam holding back all the anger and resentment and accusations that had been building for months finally burst ...

… you weeping silently as you clutched a meager trash bag containing what little remained of his belongings, not even able to look at him for fear of collapsing completely ...

… “I’m too sweet for you, Max. You’ve made that perfectly clear.”

The acid words burn in his mind even now, feeling as fresh and raw as that night they were spat out like venom between you. His chest constricts as his gaze falls guiltily back to the present day scene in front of him.

Toto and you, basking in the warm, rosy glow of new love — careless and unrestrained in your public affection. Delighting in each other’s company and simple pleasures … just as you always desired for Max to do, yet he could never fully surrender to.

The display is like a twisted mirror, taunting him with the vibrant reflection of what he threw away. What he was too foolish, too emotionally stunted and uncaring to fully appreciate at the time.

Stumbling from his chair in a daze, Max barely registers the questioning looks and concerned murmurs from his team as he staggers from the dining room. He hardly makes it to the privacy of the restroom before bending at the waist, hefting the contents of his stomach into the thankfully pristine porcelain basin.

The whiskey burns on the way back up.

Max grips the edges of the counter, face contorted in anguish as a realization washes over him in searing waves.

You were the real prize all along … and now, he’s lost you for good.

My coffee black

The drone of announcements over the PA system and the dull roar of hundreds of people bustling to and fro mingles into an ever-present white noise hum. Max trudges ahead, the brim of his ball cap tugged low as he weaves through the teeming crowds filing through the airports’ terminals.

It’s just after 5 am, the start of another grueling race week. This time the travel will take you from the Middle Eastern leg of the circuit to the other side of the world in Australia. Twenty-plus hours of planes, layovers, and jet lag beckon — a prospect that grows less and less appealing with each passing season.

A warm weight presses against his side as you shuffle along beside him, head lolling adorably as you struggle to keep your eyes open. One slender hand is looped through the crook of his elbow, gripping the strap of your carry-on bag with the other. You let out a jaw-cracking yawn, leaning into Max’s solid bulk.

“I need coffee,” you mumble groggily. “I’m barely conscious.”

He shoots you a sidelong glance, mouth quirking ever-so-slightly at your dramatics. As grating as your tendency for excessive cheerfulness can be at times, he does admire your ability to shake off the fatigue and stress that plagues him more and more these days.

“There’s one of those chains up ahead,” he grunts, nodding toward the familiar logo peeking through from around the corner.

You light up immediately, straightening and quickening your shuffling steps in anticipation of the caffeinated boost soon to come. By the time you reach the counter, there’s a bright spark back in your eyes that makes the exhaustion plaguing Max’s own limbs feel slightly more bearable.

The barista, a pimple-faced youth who can’t be any older than 18, greets you with a too-wide smile. “Welcome to Daily Grind! What can I get started for you?”

You lean in eagerly, surveying the massive display of chalkboard signs advertising the latest sugar bombs and “coffee” concoctions designed to appease the basic palates of everyday people who wouldn’t know a good cup of joe if it slapped them across the face. Max scowls, already anticipating some ridiculously saccharine order.

“I’ll have a large cinnamon honey oat milk latte, please,” you chirp, as expected.

The barista marks down your request with a perky nod. “Excellent! And for you, sir?”

“Black coffee,” Max replies flatly. “Medium.”

Your brow furrows as you shoot him a quizzical look. “Just black coffee? Not even a splash of cream or anything?”

He shakes his head tersely, one hand already rummaging in his pocket for his wallet as the barista rattles off the total. “We’re in a rush as it is, and that sugary nonsense you ordered takes forever to make with all the fussy bullshit they do to it.”

You wince at his blunt assessment, shoulders slumping a bit in a way that makes a pang of guilt flicker through Max’s chest. He doesn’t mean to be so harsh … but sometimes it’s like the more considerate side of his nature has been ground away by years of constant training and calculating every single variable down to the most minute detail.

The poor kid working the register seems to shrink under the intensity of Max’s gruff demeanor. With shaky hands, he quickly processes the payment before stammering out your total. As you shuffle off to the side to wait for your orders, Max can’t help but keep picking.

“Honestly, I don’t know why you insist on ordering those stupid drinks that are 90% milk and trash,” he mutters, shooting you a disapproving look. “Barely any actual coffee at all.”

You frown, immediately hunching into yourself a bit as you cradle a handful of napkins against your chest. “It’s not like that coffee flavor isn’t there at all,” you argue meekly. “And I have to get some kind of caffeine boost to stay awake during all these flights and race weekends. I just … I don’t really like the taste of black coffee.”

Max scoffs loudly at that, shaking his head in open derision. “Sure, because drinking just regular black coffee like an adult would be too difficult. Instead you have to get your ‘caffeine boost’ from some tooth-rottingly sweet concoction that looks like something a child would order.”

The barista shifts uncomfortably behind the counter, clearly flustered by Max’s abrasive tone. Not that he cares — he’s been dealing with people gawking at him in public for years now. What does rub him the wrong way is the wounded look spreading across your delicate features, eyes dropping to stare dejectedly at the floor.

He opens his mouth to continue chiding you, but at that moment the barista appears with your drinks. The sweet, cinnamony aroma of your order hits Max’s nostrils like a slap in the face, making his nose wrinkle on instinct. You accept your oversized paper cup gratefully, hands automatically curling around the comforting warmth.

With visible enthusiasm, you bring the drink to your lips, unable to resist taking a sip despite the scalding temperature. Max tracks the minute changes in your expression — the slight widening of your eyes, the upward quirk of your lips into a smile of unalloyed contentment. Your lashes flutter closed on a quiet hum of blissful appreciation.

“Mmm … heaven,” you practically moan, hunching over your cup as though to better inhale the revitalizing notes of sugar and spice.

It makes Max want to retch, watching you so unashamedly indulging in such vapid, artificial flavors. How can you find such simple-minded pleasure in that, when you could be savoring the bold, robust notes of a proper cup of black coffee? One meant to awaken the senses and caress the taste buds with its smoky aroma and rich, nuanced flavor notes.

“You can’t honestly get any enjoyment from basically drinking hot milk and flavored syrups,” he mutters, sneering at the offensive beverage in your grasp.

In response, you simply shift closer to him until you’re pressed alongside his body. Your free hand snakes around his bicep, squeezing gently as you tilt your head back to gaze up at him imploringly. Exhaustion and hurt war openly with the angelic softness of your delicate features.

“Max … can’t you just let me enjoy this?” You plead in a low murmur. “It’s early, and we’ve got a long flight ahead.”

His jaw clenches stubbornly, unwilling to back down so easily. Caffeine and sleep deprivation have eroded his already thin sense of decorum.

“I’m just saying, drinking a syrupy dessert drink loaded with sugar and god knows what else isn’t doing you any favors. You might as well just stick to black coffee like a normal adult if you want to be awake and energized.”

The wounded look in your eyes deepens into something more somber and resigned. Slowly, you pull away from Max’s side until a noticeable distance stretches between your bodies. Something inside him shrivels at the loss of contact. Your slender fingers work feverishly at the cup’s lid until it pops off with a dull thunk.

Max stares blankly as you march over to the nearest trash can and upend the contents of your cup into the receptacle. You don’t even seem to hesitate — simply turn on your heel and hurl the now-empty cup in after the wasted drink. It clatters hollowly against the canister, mocking and empty.

When you turn back to face Max, the sight makes the now-lukewarm coffee sitting neglected in his own cup feels like a lead weight in his gut. Your arms are wrapped protectively around yourself, hunched against some unseen foe. Head bowed, you refuse to meet his gaze as you slowly make your way back over to where he stands rooted to the spot in stunned silence.

It’s only as you draw up beside him that Max notices the twin tear tracks striping your cheeks. Your chin remains stubbornly trembling, but you make no move to wipe at the tears now falling freely. Max’s chest constricts almost painfully at the sight of your misery, the guilt gnawing at him as the reality sets in.

He is the reason for it. His harsh, uncompromising tongue has wounded you in one of the cruelest ways once again. Too strict, too unyielding, too incapable of allowing even the smallest indulgences that bring you simple joy without sneering dismissal.

For several agonizing moments, the two of you stand in silence amid the milling crowds of travelers streaming past. Max can’t bring himself to meet your gaze, knowing he’ll only find the depths of his own callous thoughtlessness reflected back at him in your swimming eyes.

Finally, you release a shuddering sigh that sounds far too weighted for someone of your sweetness and light. When you speak, your voice is little more than a tremulous murmur laced with dejection.

“Let’s just go to the gate, Max.”

You brush past him without another word, leaving him to trail numbly in your wake as shame burns a hole through his gut. He watches as your form disappears into the throngs, shoulders already beginning to hunch inward as that spark of happiness in you gutters and fades.

Lingering behind, Max’s gaze falls to the empty cup lying crumpled and discarded in the trash. A reminder of yet another instance where his unchecked tongue and inability to empathize has spoiled an innocent attempt at simple pleasure.

His coffee suddenly tastes like ash on his tongue.

As he moves to dump the neglected drink into the nearby basin, Max wonders with a sinking feeling just how many more times he’ll be able to snuff out your light before it dwindles to nothing.

***

The late morning sun bears down with oppressive force, causing a mirage-like haze to shimmer over the sweltering asphalt of the paddock. Despite being early summer, the Spanish air is already thick and heavy enough to bathe Max’s skin in a sheen of perspiration as he trudges toward the Red Bull Energy Station.

Ahead, he spots a cluster of people milling aimlessly near the entrance to the Mercedes motorhome. At the center appears to be you, head tilted back in unrestrained laughter at something George Russell is regaling you with. The British driver is equally animated, pale features scrunched up in exaggerated motions as he relays what is no doubt an amusing tale.

Max feels his steps gradually slow of their own accord as he takes you in from a distance. You seem utterly at ease and in your element — cheeky grin splitting your face, one hand toying idly with the ends of your hair as your eyes crinkle with unbridled mirth.

A pure vision of effortless contentment.

His gut clenches unexpectedly, unbidden memories of how he methodically chipped away at that very lightness in you until it was all but extinguished washing over him in a nauseating wave. How quickly he took such simple joys for granted ...

So transfixed is he by the sight of your open, honest amusement that Max barely notices the figure slipping up behind you. Not until Toto Wolff raises a conspiratorial finger to his lips, eyes twinkling impishly as he pantomimes for silence at a sputtering George.

You remain oblivious even as the Mercedes team principal slides flush against your back, looping one arm around your waist to tug you snug against his chest. With his free hand, Toto cups it teasingly over your eyes — to which you release a tinkling peal of laughter.

“Guess who?” The playful lilt of the older man’s Austrian lilt is unmistakable, dripping with honeyed warmth.

“Hmm … I wonder,” you murmur coyly, making a show of tapping your chin in feigned confusion. “Is it a dashing gentleman caller here to sweep me off my feet?”

Toto chuckles deeply in your ear, the sound positively dripping with unguarded affection. “Only if you’ll have me, liebling.”

Craning your head back with a cheeky grin, your arms instinctively wind around his neck as you stretch up on your tiptoes to greet him properly. Toto meets your lips in a lingering, languid kiss that has George hastily clearing his throat and looking resolutely anywhere but at the affectionate display before him.

When you finally part, all radiant smiles and flushed cheeks, it’s like the rest of the world has completely fallen away. Toto gazes down at you with such pure adoration that Max feels his throat constrict as though a belt is suddenly cinched tight around it.

“I have a surprise for you, schnucki,” Toto murmurs huskily, lips brushing your temple as he speaks.

You light up like a kid on Christmas morning, practically vibrating with excitement at his words. “Oh? Do tell!”

With a wink and roguish smile, Toto brandishes his other hand from behind his back — in it, clutched protectively, is a large cup topped with whipped cream and what looks like edible flower petals sprinkled over the top. The light purple hue of the iced contents catches in the bright sun, refracting a prism of soft, delicate colors.

“I had the barista in our hospitality whip this up for you,” Toto explains fondly. “After I mentioned how much you enjoy trying unique coffee flavors. It’s a lavender vanilla iced latte.”

Your mouth drops open in a perfect ‘o’ of delight as you instinctively make grabby motions toward the tantalizing beverage. Max recognizes that earnest enthusiasm all too well. It’s the same look you used to get whenever presented with any unique taste or experience to appreciate.

A look he always met with disdain and scorn.

Toto doesn’t hesitate for a second before depositing the cup into your greedy hands. You immediately cradle it reverently, as though it’s the most precious thing you’ve ever held. Ducking your head, you take a long pull through the striped paper straw.

The expression that blossoms across your features as that first taste bursts over your tongue is one of pure, unadulterated bliss. Your eyes flutter closed on a muffled moan of sinful enjoyment, lips pursing as though savoring each individual note of flavor. Max hasn’t seen you look that unguardedly delighted by anything in … well, he can’t actually recall the last time.

“Oh Toto, this is heavenly!” You gush, swiping your tongue across your lower lip to catch a stray drop of condensation. “The lavender is subtle, but gives it such a uniquely fresh and floral twist. And the vanilla adds this creamy sweetness that keeps it from being overwhelming.”

You open your eyes to beam radiantly up at the older man, who returns your luminous smile with equal warmth. “It’s perfect, thank you! You have to try it.”

Without prompting, you eagerly offer the cup up to Toto. He accepts it with an indulgent chuckle, locking eyes with you as he takes a contemplative sip — no doubt eager to share in whatever fleeting moment of bliss the simple drink has brought you.

Unlike Max, who would have turned up his nose and likely received it with derision, Toto seems to savor the complex blend of flavors. Humming thoughtfully, he swipes his tongue across his upper lip as though committing each separate note to memory.

“You’re quite right, liebling,” he agrees readily, “this is delightful. So refreshing for this heat. I may have to acquire a taste for these iced coffees myself.”

You positively glow at his assessment, lighting up from within like a joyful little sun. Max is helpless before the storm of emotions suddenly ripping through him at the sight.

“Oh! That reminds me,” you chirp giddily, bouncing on the balls of your feet, “I was talking to the barista about maybe incorporating some other floral syrups for iced coffees too. Like rose or hibiscus! And maybe we could get her to try making those fun layered drinks with the espresso on the bottom-”

Toto’s deep belly laugh cuts off your stream of eager rambling. Without warning, he snakes an arm around your waist and tugs you flush against him once more. You let out a startled giggle as he buries his nose in the crook of your neck, lips brushing the feverish pulse point just beneath your jaw.

“You adorable thing,” he rumbles warmly, words slightly muffled against your skin as he presses a languid line of kisses along the sharp line of your jaw. “So enthusiastic about the simplest pleasures in life ...”

Pulling back, Toto lifts one hand to tenderly cradle the side of your face. You automatically nuzzle into his palm with a look of such smitten devotion that it makes Max’s heart stutter behind his ribcage. When Toto leans in to seal his lips over yours once more, the kiss is deep and thoroughly unhurried — as though the two of you have all the time in the world to savor this intimate little moment.

Max’s hands clench into white-knuckled fists, blunt nails biting crescent moons into his clammy palms. He should turn away, leave you to your blissful display with someone who so clearly appreciates you. Yet he remains rooted in place, unable to tear his eyes from the scene unfolding before him.

It’s like witnessing an alternate universe version of your shared lives play out in vivid, scorching detail.

In this reality, Toto is the one tenderly stroking the pad of his thumb over the elegant arch of your cheekbone as the two of you part, drinking in the sight of your passion-addled features hungrily. He is the one basking in the radiance of your bright and unrestrained joy. Celebrating each of your simple thrills, from the most frivolous of flavored coffees to the sensual graze of skin on skin.

And where does that leave Max? An outsider peering in at paradise with his face smeared against the glass, watching the warmth and affection he could never fully embrace slowly slip through his calloused fingers.

And my bed at three

The mattress shifts, the subtle movement rousing Max from his slumber. He cracks one eye open to find the space next to him empty, the sheets disheveled where you had lain.

A glance at the digital clock on the nightstand tells him it’s not yet 5 am. Where are you going at this hour?

He hears faint rustling from the living area of the hotel suite, followed by the soft click of the door. Groaning, he kicks off the covers and pads out of the bedroom, the plush carpet warm beneath his bare feet.

You’re sitting on the couch, slipping into a pair of flats. “What are you doing up so early?” He asks, his voice still husky from sleep.

You look up, startled. “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.” A soft smile plays on your lips. “I was going to watch the sunrise.”

Max rakes a hand through his tousled hair. “Why would you want to do that?”

“Because it’s beautiful.” Your eyes sparkle with an excitement he can’t comprehend this early in the morning. “The colors, the way the light slowly creeps over the horizon — it’s just magical.”

He snorts. “It happens every day. Nothing magical about it.”

Your face falls ever so slightly, and it tugs at something in his chest. But the feeling is fleeting, replaced by annoyance at having his sleep disturbed for something so trivial. “So you didn’t want to join me, then?” You ask, almost timidly.

“And wake up before the ass-crack of dawn? No thanks.” He flops onto the couch beside you with a huff. “I was up until 3 am sim racing. Not all of us find staring at the sky such riveting entertainment.”

You say nothing, simply nodding as you avert your gaze. The light in your eyes has dimmed, and he feels a pang of guilt. But he shakes it off — it’s far too early for this kind of whimsical nonsense.

“Suit yourself,” he mutters. “I’m going back to bed.”

He doesn’t see the way your shoulders droop as he turns and trudges back towards the bedroom. Doesn’t see the tears that prick at the corners of your eyes before you blink them away and readjust the set of your jaw with determination.

Max burrows under the covers, fully intent on drifting back into oblivion. But sleep evades him, his mind buzzing with a peculiar restlessness. He punches his pillow into a more suitable shape, flips it over to the cool side, but still he lies awake, listening to the silence that fills the suite.

After what feels like an eternity, curiosity gets the better of him. He kicks off the covers once more and pads over to the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the city street below. Sure enough, there you are, a tiny figure perched on a bench across the way, your face tipped up towards the slowly lightening sky.

Max leans his forehead against the cool glass, watching as the inky blackness of night gives way to soft shades of periwinkle and lilac. Slowly, the colors deepen into blazing pinks and vibrant oranges that streak across the heavens. The sky ignites in a brilliant blaze of crimson and gold, the clouds set afire by the rising sun.

And there you sit, bathed in the dawn’s ethereal glow, utterly transfixed. In this light, your features seem softer, more at peace than he’s seen you in a long while. A smile plays on your lips, genuine and unguarded, as you take in the spectacle unfolding before you.

Max finds himself holding his breath, as if the slightest movement might shatter the magic of this moment. He’s never seen you look more beautiful, more alive than in these fleeting minutes as day breaks over the city.

A rare pang of tenderness blooms in his chest, quickly overshadowed by a creeping sense of unease. He isn’t certain how much time has passed before the brilliant hues fade into the pale blue of morning, but eventually you rise from the bench, taking one last, lingering look at the sky before turning and disappearing from view.

Max exhales slowly, his breath fogging up the glass. He isn’t proud of how he dismissed your simple joy, that spark of wonderment at the little things that he so often takes for granted.

An emptiness settles in the pit of his stomach, the guilt heavier than before. How many other moments has he trampled on in his relentless pursuit of success?

He thinks of your radiant smile, how it lit up the pre-dawn gloom more vibrantly than the sunrise itself. With a sigh, Max turns away from the window, already dreading the apology he knows he owes you.

Because in that single, breathtaking moment, he realizes just how lucky he is to have someone like you in his life. Someone who can find magic in the mundane, beauty in the simple things he’s become blind to along the way.

Someone, Max fears, who may be too sweet for him.

***

Max gives up on sleep around 4:30 am, as he has for the past several weeks. Insomnia has become his constant, unwanted companion, leaving him tossing and turning until the first hints of dawn creep through the curtains. On nights like this, slumber remains persistently out of reach no matter how exhausted he feels.

He lies in bed, staring at the ceiling as the brightening sky slowly illuminates the room. It wasn’t always this way — he used to be able to sleep like the dead after a race weekend, knocked out by the physical and mental exertion. But lately, his mind refuses to shut off, thoughts swirling endlessly until his head pounds.

With a groan, Max kicks off the tangled sheets and drags himself out of bed. Maybe going for a run will quiet the racket in his brain, at least for a little while. He dresses quickly, lacing up his trainers and grabbing his earbuds before heading out into the semi-darkness.

The pre-dawn streets are blissfully empty as he starts off at an easy jog. He despises becoming one of those obnoxious morning people, but exhaustion has a way of stripping away one’s self-respect. If pounding the pavement before the rest of the world awakes is what it takes to catch a few hours of sleep, so be it.

His route takes him along the harbor, the gentle lapping of the waves against the seawall providing a soothing soundtrack. The first rays of sunlight glint off the glassy surface, and he finds himself averting his gaze, oddly resentful of the impending sunrise.

It wasn’t so long ago that he scoffed at your eagerness to greet each new day. But ever since you’ve been gone from his life, those brilliant, fleeting moments of beauty have begun to mock him at every turn.

He picks up his pace, as if he can outrun the rising sun and the flood of memories it brings. But there’s no escaping the vivid flashes of you, smiling radiantly as the world awakes in a blaze of fiery hues. Or the hollow ache that twinges somewhere beneath his rib cage whenever he’s reminded of just how little he appreciated you.

So lost is he in his circling thoughts that he nearly runs right into you, appearing abruptly on the path ahead. His trainers skid against the pavement as he grinds to a halt, his heart stammering in his chest.

“Max?” You blink up at him, clearly startled by his sudden presence.

He opens his mouth, an automatic apology rising to his lips — until his eyes zero in on the camera clutched in your hands. Of course. Still chasing sunrises after all these years.

A wry grin tugs at the corner of your mouth as you take in his rumpled running attire. “Fancy meeting you here.”

Max says nothing, his gaze flickering briefly towards the brightening horizon before fixing on you once more. You look … well, radiant as ever, lit by the soft morning glow. A small pang of something — longing, maybe — twists in his gut.

“Out enjoying another sunrise, I see,” he says at last, nodding towards the camera.

You glance down at it fondly. “Well, you know how it is. I have to capture them while I can.” A teasing lilt edges into your voice. “Not all of us are night owls.”

He huffs out a humorless laugh. “I’ll never understand what’s so fascinating about watching the same thing happen day after day.”

“But that’s just it — each one is different. Unique and fleeting and … breathtaking.” Your eyes spark with that gentle wonderment he remembers so well, the sight sending a tremor through his chest. “Like getting a front row seat to the greatest show on Earth, but it’s one you’ll never see again.”

You trail off with a small shake of your head, seemingly at a loss to put the feeling into words. Max doesn’t need the explanation — he’s seen that look of childlike awe on your face more times than he can count.

An awkward silence stretches between you, laden with the weight of history and unspoken apologies. You shift your stance, mouth opening as if to say something more.

But Max cuts you off before you can get the words out, unable to bear whatever sentiments might cross those sweet lips of yours. “Toto not joining you this time?” He asks gruffly.

Your expression softens into a fond smile, and it’s like a physical blow to Max’s sternum. He knows that look, has been on the receiving end of it more times than he cares to remember. The way your entire being seems to brighten when you so much as think about someone you love.

“Ah, you know Toto — he’s more of a sunset person,” you say with a light laugh. “I’ve never been able to drag his grumpy butt out of bed for a sunrise.”

Even as his insides curdle with jealousy, Max can’t help the quirk of his lips at the mental image. He could all too easily picture Toto swatting irritably at you, burrowing deeper under the covers to escape the blasted sun.

“But we make it work,” you continue, that loving glow refusing to dim from your eyes. “I take photos of the sunrise to share with him later. And he does the same with the sunsets for me. That way, we both get to experience it in a way.”

The gentle sound of your voice washes over Max like a salve, momentarily easing the tangled knot of regret and longing that’s taken up permanent residence inside him. He watches, transfixed, as the early morning light bathes you in ethereal radiance.

In that moment, he sees it so clearly — the depth of give and take in your relationship with Toto. The effort, large and small, that you both put into nurturing one another’s happiness.

Even when your desires don’t perfectly align. Even when compromise is required.

It’s such a simple gesture, capturing those magical moments to share with your loved one. But it’s one Max was never willing to make when you were with him.

A lump forms in his throat as realization washes over him with unforgiving clarity. You weren’t too sweet for him, as he had so arrogantly assumed time and again. No — the truth, much harder to swallow, is that he was simply too sour for you.

Too selfish, too wrapped up in his own ambitions to make even the smallest concession. Too blind to recognize the magic in the simple things that brought you unbridled joy. Too bitter and jaded to embrace and nurture the beautiful nature that made you … well, you.

And now, after all his careless cruelties and wasted chances, he can only stand idly by and watch as someone else basks in the sweetness of your affection. As someone else goes out of their way, day after day, to put that blinding smile on your face and those stars in your eyes.

Something in Max’s chest cracks and crumbles at the injustice of it all. At the agonizing truth that he let the best thing in his life slip through his fingers, all because he couldn’t be bothered to change his sullen ways.

Because you were never too sweet for him … he was too sour for you.

[isuckatwritingsobenice]

Infernal Shadows

Synopsis: Being one of the most powerful overlords in Hell, you like to keep up with colonies and overlord plans. Recently with the new extermination date out, you hold your annual gala sooner than usual. You hadn’t expected to get in the middle of the already heated feud between the Radio Demon and the head of Vox Tech.

Warnings: She/Her pronouns used for the reader, mentions of blood, voodoo?, Angel Dust being a horn-bag, Reader is referred too as Madame to the public. Vox and Alastor feud because I live for it.

Song for this chapter: The world we knew by Frank Sinatra.

A/N: I wanna make this a three part short story, so if anyone is interested in being tagged in the second part just let me know!! I hope you enjoy!!

Word count: 2655

Navigation!! // Masterlist!!! // Serendipity Writes (event) // Part two

Getting an invite to the annual crimson ball, hosted by yours truly, was nothing but an honor. Every overlord and every sinner in the pride ring waited anxiously for a letter. A black card with white letter in a cursive font stating ‘You have been personally invited by Hells biggest designer. The list of the gala was simple. The usual overlords, Zestial, Carmilla Carmine and her daughters, Zeezie, Rosie, Fredrick Von Eldritch and Bethesda von Eldritch. Alastor who had came back after seven years of hiding god knows where, and by special request, the three vee’s who had never attended the gala before. Then it becomes a bit more political.

Next on the list was the Goetia family, inviting the recently divorced prince with his daughter. Inviting Lucifer and Lilith, though they only ever came when everyone was gone. Then was their daughter Charlotte, who got a plus one as a special perk of being the princess of hell. Husk because he had been an old friend of yours before his status of Overlord was taken from him by none other than Alastor. He was also given a plus one, though he usually never brought anyone extra. Sir Pentious was a candidate, but ultimately scrapped from your list of invites as you felt he was too childish.

The gala was tonight and everything was going smoothly. Preparations were almost done, the foyer was spotless just the way you liked it, and everything seemed to be falling into place. You stared at yourself in the mirror. You had spent months designing your perfect dress for tonight. Everyone attending the gala knew there was only ever one color off limits, because you always wore it best. The color black always suited you perfectly. No one could wear it better than you.

Back at the hotel, Charlie felt guilty for using her authority as princess to have people help her get ready for this gala. Based on what Alastor had told her, there would be a lot of political powers and fellow overlords there. She wanted to look her best if she was going to pitch the hotel to them. She needed more people on board with the project, maybe someone who didn’t think it was complete and utterly ridiculous joke like Alastor did.

“How do I look?” Charlie asked as the makeup and hair artists stepped away from her. Charlie stepped out, allowing Vaggie to get a better look at her in a tailored charcoal gray suit, a departure from her usual vibrant red attire. The jacket, adorned with subtle pinstripes, accentuated her frame, while the crisp, white silk shirt underneath added a touch of formality. Completing the ensemble, she wore a black tie with a discreet pattern that hinted at both elegance and authority. The ensemble was a strategic choice, projecting confidence and a readiness to engage with the political powers present at the gala for the sake of her hotel. Vaggie smiled and hugged Charlie deeply, their embrace making Charlie feel a little less nervous about the whole ordeal.

“Charlie you look amazing. What happened to the red?” Vaggie asked, before Charlie just chuckled.

“Well, I wanted a change for tonight. I’m always in red, and I feel like they’ll take me more serious if I’m not walking in there with my usual attire. Besides, you read the invitation, ‘formal attire, look your best’.” Charlie said. Vaggie nodded, and Charlie pulled back from the hug to admire Vaggie in her dress. She was wearing a sleek and modern grey dress that gracefully embraced the formal occasion. The dress, with its tailored fit and subtle shimmer, exuded class. The knee-length hemline added a contemporary touch, and Vaggie had decided to pair it with black heels to complete the ensemble. The choice of grey complemented Charlie’s charcoal gray suit, creating a coordinated yet distinct look that would surely make an impression at the gala. Charlie felt her cheeks heat up taking in her appearance, her long hair gently pinned back, the loose pieces of hair framing her face.

“Aww, Vaggie you look so pretty!!” Charlie said excitedly. Vaggie just smiled, ignoring the way her cheeks heated up at Charlies compliment.

“I agree, you look good vagina.” Angel said mockingly, causing Vaggie to glare at him. Charlie just gushed.

“Angel be nice. This is really important for the hotel.” Charlie explained. He just nodded, tilting his head back and downing a bottle of liquor. The staff however was interrupted by Angel making a purring sound at Husk, who was dressed in a nice white suave dinner jacket, with perfect cutouts for his wings, along with some sleek black trousers and some black dress shoes. The match, he had a black silk lapel.

“I can think of another place that suit would look.” Angel said, leaning onto Husk. He rolls his eyes, bottle in hand.

“Do I even wanna know?” He asks, and Angel just grins.

“On my bedroom floo-“ Angel doesn’t get to finish, being shrugged off by Husk who just walks away with a shake of his head.

“Oh my gosh! Husk you look amazing!” Charlie squealed in delight. Husk just smiled softly before setting his drink on the bar counter.

“It appears everyone is ready.” Alastor said, the focus of the room shifting to him. Niffty was at his side studying his outfit from head to toe.

Alastor emerged in an ensemble that deviated from his usual eccentricity, opting for a more formal yet captivating look. A deep red velvet tailcoat adorned his frame, its luxurious texture catching the light. Dark-red lapels, meticulously piped with gold, added a touch of opulence. Underneath, he wore a perfectly tailored crimson dress shirt, the power emitting off of him. Suddenly, the room grew just a tad bit darker, the shadows of the room stretching just a bit. Complementing the ensemble, he chose a pair of well-fitted black dress pants, allowing the bold red hue to take center stage on his appearance. His choice of footwear shifted to polished black oxford shoes, a departure from his usual pointed-toe boots. The finishing touches of the outfit included a matching red silk bowtie, neatly knotted at his throat, and black leather gloves that added a refined edge. Alastor’s presence was commanding, radiating an air of formality while retaining the distinctive charm that defined him. The room was captivated by the Radio Demon’s unexpected transformation into a vision of refined class and style.

“You took forever for that?” Niffty said, before Angel Dust tossed a pillow at her.

“Shut it you. We, we are keeping,” Angel said, hands waving around Alastor, “to whatever this is.”

“Style.” Alastor said confidently. Vaggie just face palmed while Charlie clapped her hands together excitedly.

“Okay, I think everyone’s ready. Should we head out?” Charlie asked. Vaggie nodded, before Alastor dug the invitation out of his coat pocket. Standing near a wall, he traced the symbol on the back of the card on the wall. “Uh, Al? What are you doing?” Charlie asked. He grinned, putting his hand flat on the wall. The symbol began to glow green, before it opened a portal. On the other side, was a large house. The grand Victorian mansion stood as a testament to opulence, its imposing facade adorned with intricate wrought-iron black railings and embellished balconies with hints of chains. Tall, arched windows with stained glass panels framed the exterior, allowing glimpses of the soft glow emanating from within. The entrance, marked by a sweeping staircase, welcomed guests with ornate, carved intricate detailed doors. Charlie, Vaggie and Husk followed Alastor through the portal, Charlie waving goodbye to Niffty, and Angel. Sir Pentious was most likely hiding out in a room somewhere with his egg boys.

As guests approached, they marveled at the meticulous details of the architecture – elaborate moldings, corbels, and friezes adorned every corner. Ivy-clad walls added a touch of nature’s grace, intertwining with wrought-iron lampposts that cast a warm ambiance over the meticulously landscaped gardens.Inside, the grand foyer unfolded, revealing a sweeping staircase adorned with a rich, mahogany handrail. Crystal chandeliers hung from soaring ceilings, their light refracted by ornate mirrors that lined the walls. Plush Victorian-era furnishings, upholstered in rich fabrics, adorned the parlor rooms, creating intimate spaces for guests to gather and converse.Every room whispered of a bygone era – intricately patterned wallpaper, gilded frames displaying classical art, and the faint fragrance of aged wood and lavender.

The air was infused with a sense of refinement, transporting guests to a time when elegance reigned supreme. The Victorian mansion, a splendid backdrop for the gala, promised an evening steeped in grandeur and charm. In the middle of the exterior grounds, a grand fountain of blood took center stage. Its sculpted marble figures spouted blood into the air, catching the moonlight in a dance of liquid elegance. The fountain, surrounded by manicured gardens and flowering shrubs, became a focal point for guests as they strolled through the outdoor spaces, the gentle sound of cascading blood adding a serene touch to the gala’s errie atmosphere.

The overlords arrival made the event much more real. Alastor hums to himself as he walks around the outside grounds. There are servants of all kinds walking around with glasses of champagne. Rosie is sitting on a bench, plucking thorns off a rose. Alastor smiles to himself, happy to see a familiar face he know he can confide in.

“Rosie dear! So nice to see you.” Alastor said with a smile. She smiles at him, teeth razor sharp.

“Do you think you’ll be getting a seat tonight?” She asks, snapping the rose off its stem and tossing it to the side.

“Well of course I will. It’d be a mistake if I wasn’t.” Alastor said with a smile, crossing his legs as he sat down next to her. Sinners from all over the pride ring were socializing outside of the large mansion. He knew you were inside finalizing preparations and possibly screaming your head off. Overall, the air was chilled with a comfortable atmosphere. Well, it had been comfortable, until a loud noisy vehicle stopped at the front gates. Everyone’s heads were turning, Rosie and Alastor looking at each other with strained smiles. Stepping out of the large limousine were the three vee’s, vulgar music blaring from the vehicles speakers as the three made their way through the now open gates. Reporters lined the edges of the gates, trying desperately to see the overlords inside and to try and sneak into the gala, which was starting soon.

“Mr.Vox! Mr.Vox!” News reporters shouted. Velvet was busy taking selfies of her and her outfit, her assistant following close behind her. Valentino was busy looking down at everyone, smoking his usual, while taking his long strides next to Vox, who was in the middle of the three.

On Vox’s right was Valentino, who donned a captivating look for the gala. His tailored white suit boasted a jacket that reached just above the knee, a subtle departure from his usual floor-length coat. The crimson silk lining peeked through, adding a luxurious touch to the outfit. The coat, reminiscent of his extravagant style, also had a vivid-red hue with his signature white fur trim at the wrists. The black and white striped fur trim along the center-front added a distinctive flair. A gold chain and love-heart-shaped broach fastenings adorned the coat, creating an opulent yet alluring look. Finally, he wore polished black heeled boots, maintaining the sleek and captivating allure that defined Valentino’s presence. The familiar color scheme remained intact, blending sophistication with a hint of provocative charm for the grand gala.

On Vox’s left was Velvet, who had spent months perfecting her outfit for the gala, in hopes she’d be invited of course. She had begged the boys to keep a good public appearance, in hopes they’d be recognized and invited to the crimson gala. Velvette, deciding to ditch her usual style, embraced a lavish and over-the-top look that represented her brand. Dressed in a knee-length dress, the garment had a striking blend of black and red hues. The dress, fitted at the waist, flowed into a voluminous skirt, creating a sense of extravagance. The bodice of the dress featured intricate lace detailing. A white collar adorned with a velvet bow added a playful yet mature flair. The sleeves, a fusion of burgundy and white patterns, contributed to the overall lavish aesthetic she had been going for. Her accessories took on a more refined form. Velvet gloves, adorned with delicate lace, graced her hands, and a pearl necklace adorned her neck, adding a classic touch, completed with maroon heels, each step resonating with a sense of grandeur. Velvet’s transformation into this upscale attire reflected her desire to make a statement at the Crimson Gala.

In the middle, and the brains of the three vee’s, was none other than the head of Vox Tech, Vox himself. He wore a sleek and modern dark blue tuxedo, tailored with precision. Of course he could only have the best. The suit featured subtle futuristic patterns that enhanced his ‘perfect’ sense of style. To complement his high-tech vibe, Vox wore a light blue undershirt with an upside-down broadcast symbol. Vox's gala attire seamlessly blended power and control with his technological edge, creating a memorable look in shades of dark blue, which in his opinion, was the best color.

Upon seeing Alastor, Vox’s eye twitched noticeably. The gates shut behind the three vee’s, closing off the gala to the public. The overlords begin to get closer together unknowingly, Zestial finding a comfortable corner to watch things play out. Carmilla and Zeezie stand close together, whispering to one another as both Rosie and Alastor stand from the bench. Vox, Valentino and Velvet make their way to the Radio Demon and his colleagues.

“I see the grandpa’s were invited.” Velvet says with a scoff, scrolling through her phone.

“So disrespectful.” Carmilla says under her breath, looking away from the three vee’s.

“Hm, interesting, and I was beginning to think the only interesting thing tonight would be the dinner.” Bethesda said, her brother nodding.

“Well, it seems the children brought their play date to the public then.” Zeezie says. The other overlords laugh and Valentino sneers at her.

“Well an idiota like you would think so. Then again, don’t you all do the same with your diapers?” He asked, puffing the smoke into her face. She growls at him, fists clenching at her side, but Carmilla stops her.

“Didn’t they say this was an adult only gala?” Carmilla asked, Rosie chuckling at her words.

“Oh can it grandma.” Velvete said. But Vox remained silent, having his own personal staring match with Alastor, whose smile was stretched ear to ear, teeth on full display.

“I thought this gala was meant for real talent?” Vox asked, stepping closer to Alastor.

“Well it was until you showed up.” Alastor said with a smile. “There’s no originality in copying someone else.” He tuts. Vox narrows his eyes, face twisting with anger as he steps closer to Alastor again.

“You wanna tell me something, you old piece of-“ Vox is stopped, the lights to the exterior of the mansion dimming. The lights behind the large front doors opening slowly. Two tall black shadowy figures stepped from the door, smoke at their feet.

“Thank you all for your attendance. As we know, the annual Crimson Gala is held every year, and this year is no different. With the new extermination date, important decisions must be made. Tonight, ten individuals will be selected to sit at Madame’s table where she will discuss private plans on how to move forward.” The two said in unison. Everyone fell silent as more shadows appeared, each one sitting on the sides of the steps. Lights around the staircases began to light up, and people began making their way up the stairs.

“Well~ this should be fun.”

[wileycap]

Crackfic Idea:

30-year-old Zuko gets randomly flung back in time to his 16-year-old self. For a couple of hours at a time. At the most random times imaginable. Imagine the potential.

Zuko assumes that it's a dream or a vision, but definitely not real. He tries not to freak everybody out too badly, but he's also fully enjoying himself and seeing all of his friends as their young selves.

ZUKO, as he and Aang circle each other at the South Pole: I've spent years preparing for this encounter. Training, meditating. You're just a [Spirit Shwoop Sound] ... baby Aang!

AANG, confused: Well, more like preteen Aang. How do you know my name?

ZUKO, looking around: Wait, where are we?

AANG: Um... this is the-

SOKKA: Don't answer him! He's trying to get information out of you. You can't give away our location!

KATARA: Sokka, he's standing in the middle of our village. I think he knows.

ZUKO: We're here? This is so weird. I was just here for the Annual Penguin Race.

AANG: THERE'S AN ANNUAL PENGUIN RACE?!

ZUKO: Well, yeah, it was your idea... you gave a whole speech about cross-cultural cooperation and friendship, but I know you just wanted to go penguin sledding with a bunch of people...

AANG: Well, I-

SOKKA: Stop giving him more information! He already knows about the penguins!

Everybody else is confused, bewildered and even befuddled except for Iroh, who assumes that it's Spirit Shenanigans™️ and just fully accepts that his nephew likes tea and hugs and Pai Sho sometimes while being his usual shouty surly traumaball self at others.

ZUKO, stepping into the cabin: Hi, Uncle. I brought you some ginseng. How about a game of Pai Sho?

IROH, tearing up a little: I would love that, my nephew.

ZUKO: I wish we could do this more often, but you live so far away...

IROH, mentally calculating that he lives exactly three doors away from Zuko, and nodding sagely: The rat-viper may never climb the mountain that a hog-monkey can, but the monkey does not know what lies underneath it.

ZUKO, sighing sadly: I know, Uncle. I do appreciate my position in life, even if it has disadvantages.

IROH: Hmm. Your move, nephew.

The crew of Zuko's ship is terrified by the fact that whenever it happens, Zuko is somehow even more hyper-competent, seems to be weirdly calm about everything, and most unnervingly of all, he's polite.

SOLDIER: Here is a report on the best teahouses within three days travel of our current location, Sir. And, uh, Commander Zhao sent a messenger hawk.

ZUKO: Excellent. Thank you very much, Sergeant. I think we can ignore whatever Zhao has to say. In reply, I want you to send him a list of the most famous officers in Fire Nation history, and point out that none of them had sideburns. I want to see if he shaves them.

SOLDIER, sweating nervously: O-of course, Sir.

As a matter of fact, the whole fic could just be Zuko trolling Zhao. It would be glorious.

[misaamoure]

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭:

𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐭!!

⋅ ˚₊‧ ୨୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅ ⋅˚₊‧ ୨୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅ ⋅˚₊‧ ୨୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅ ⋅˚₊‧ ୨୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅

𝐒𝐲𝐥𝐮𝐬:

“You must be out of your damn mind if you think that’s gonna fit in me.”

Sylus looked almost offended as you pointed down at his obnoxiously large appendage.

“I’m sorry, I thought you said you liked big dicks?”

You and Sylus had finally gotten in the mood to go all the way… until he pulled his pants and boxers down.

The pure shock on your face was an ego booster for him.

Then he developed his own look of pure shock upon you proclaiming that the sex was off.

And upon asking why, your reasoning was, “it won’t fit. Are you stupid?”

Which he immediately responded with, “I’ll make it fit, sweetie. Don’t worry your pretty little head.”

This only serves to piss you off more.

However… you couldn’t deny the fact that you were extremely curious.

How would it feel? How deep would it go? Could you actually take it?

All this pondering led to you begrudgingly taking him up on his offer.

“Sylus, please, enough! Just fuck me… already…!”

It felt like he had been eating you out for hours.

Sucking on your clit, sticking his tongue into you, and occasionally slipping a finger in.

“You think you’re ready for my cock?” He fixed his sanguine gaze right onto your beautiful face.

You nodded vigorously.

“Alright,” He gave your clit on more kiss before sitting up, palming himself a bit for some kind of relief. “Can you turn over for me, kitten?”

Doing exactly as he asked, you didn’t miss a beat. You were more than eager for it at this point.

You felt Sylus’s warm, hard, heavy body embrace yours, as you two were in the prone bone position.

“Tell me if it hurts, okay, Y/N?” You felt him kiss your shoulder tenderly.

“Yes sir.”

“You promise?”

Oh here he goes. You could sense Sylus’s bullshit from a mile away.

“Yes I promise.”

“You sure?”

“Get the fuck on with it already!”

“I’m gonna count down from three.” You felt him run his tip up and down, paying extra attention to your sensitive clit.

“Nnngh… whatever!” He chuckled at your increasing frustration. You were just so cute like this.

“One…”

You felt Sylus thrust his entire cock in at once, making you gasp as tears welled up in your eyes.

“Sylus what the fuck?!” You looked back at him over your shoulder in disbelief.

“It’s better like this, trust me.”

If you were in a state to argue with him, you would. But right now in this moment, you were in no state to tell him off.

You felt so fucking full. It felt like he was in your guts. Big. So big.

And oddly enough… you loved it.

It felt so warm and intimate. Made you wonder what a creampie could be like.

The sensation of Sylus beginning to move inside of you knocked you out of your thoughts.

He was going so incredibly slow… you could feel every single inch, vein, and curve as he slowly pulled half of himself out and thrusted all of it back in.

“Oh my god, it’s so good,” You said breathlessly, barely able to register the feeling of anything but being stuffed to the brim. “It’s so good… what do I do?”

You heard Sylus groan deeply before a dark chuckle escaped his throat.

“Sit back and enjoy, kitten. That’s all you need to do.”

𝐙𝐚𝐲𝐧𝐞:

“No Zayne, it’s not gonna fit, I’m serious!”

“We haven’t even tried yet, Y/N. Relax, please.”

While Zayne’s calm demeanor was often grounding, right now you found it nothing short of annoying.

Your little heart was about to beat right out of your chest… you were sure he could practically hear your heartbeats right now. No stethoscope needed!

It was your first time together… neither of you two had seen each other naked before.

So imagine your surprise when Zayne casually pulls his boxers down to reveal the absolute weapon in his pants.

It wasn’t just big length wise… it was thick. Very thick.

And so so pretty. His dick was so incredibly pretty.

A gorgeous pink tip that faded in color towards the base. Like it was made just for you.

You always caught glimpses of his bulge through his slacks, but you didn’t expect it to be so… huge?

A jaw dropping reveal.

Knowing you like the back of his hand, Zayne obviously felt your concerned gaze on him.

And he promised to get you ready for him properly.

Fingering you for a good hour… making you cum multiple times and stretching you out like the good man he was.

“Do you think you’re ready now?” He was between your legs in missionary, staring down at you.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” You sighed.

“I’ll go slow, I promise.” Zayne kissed you lovingly on the cheek.

You nodded, skin brushing against his as he pulled away.

Gasping as you felt his tip rub up and down your folds, you felt him experimentally push into you to see how much force it would take to enter you.

“Zayne…”

“I know. I’ve got you.”

His soothing words did nothing but assure you. Zayne had every bit of your trust, and he had earned it all.

He entered you slowly, using exact force to get just the tip in.

The sensation of that alone made you toss and turn.

He kept pulling out, and pushing in… and pulling out and pushing in… each time inching a bit more of his cock inside you.

“So big… Zayne it’s so big…” You whined out, eyes shut as you weakly pressed as his pelvis with your palm.

“If you’re saying it’s big when I’ve just managed to fit half of my cock inside you,” Zayne struggled to muffle his own sounds between words. “You’re in for a much harder time than you think.”

He continued his method from before… slowly inching more and more of his cock in a he fucked in and out of you slowly.

The pain was undeniable. But something else was also undeniable.

You felt so incredibly full inside. It felt amazing. The fullness mixed with the invigorating friction of each thrust was intensifying by the minute.

“So good… I think… it’s so good… more please…!”

Zayne chuckled at your admission.

“How about this?” Zayne leaned forward to lean on his forearms above you, grinding his thick cock into you with each stroke. “Does that feel good?”

“Yessss… yeah! Feels so good… Zayne!” You’re pretty sure you were babbling like an idiot, but you just couldn’t help it.

Dipping down, he caught your lips with his for a deep kiss.

Pulling away, his eyes bore deep into yours. So deep that you could see yourself reflected in them.

“Do you want me to go faster now?”

“Yes… please… Zayne…!”

[yuutryingtowrite]

Yandere!Maid who looks at the castle in front of him, then the flier in his hands, then the castle again. Unless there was a typo in the address, the job interview should be here. He hesitantly uses the bat shaped door knocker and waits...This place looks so creepy and ominous, was this a prank ? Was it to scare him? Seriously? Sigh…He has had enough of being treated like a fool. As he continues his descent into frustration, bitterness and self-pity, he doesn’t hear the door opening. Nor does he see the butler standing at the entrance until he hears a: “Sorry for the wait, my kind sir. Are you here for the housekeeper position?”.

Yandere!Maid who thinks the butler is telling him a load of bullshit. According to him, the owner of this place is a vampire in search of additional staff members. He resists the urge to scoff. Whatever, if the “mistress” wants to take part in some weird role-play, then so be it as long as he would get paid. The same guy tells him to “please take a seat” in the living room and that “mistress will come and attend to you in a moment”. Soon after his departure, the air shifts. Black particles float around until it materializes something, or rather someone. The poor boy shock and confusion quickly turn into enchantment. Fuck, you are totally his type. This is bad, he can feel his face burning. “Shall we go to my office?”, you ask with a smile.

Yandere!Maid who hates you. Who hates the fact that your personality matches your looks. Who hates how much control you have over him. The other day, your...pet sneezed on him, so he needed another uniform. “It seems that I only have a female one left ”, you told him. “There is no way in hell I am wearing that”, he sneered. “But wouldn’t you look cute in it? Besides, it is either that or cleaning with your normal clothes on until your new uniform arrives here-” “Alright, shut up, just give me that”, he abruptly took the offending dress from your hands and went to change. Since that conversation, his work attire has fully transitioned to said maid outfit. Maybe he becomes a bit too proud of himself whenever he catches you staring at him. And maybe, just maybe he wants to give you a nice view by bending down and taking his time “to clean the table” whenever he knows you are behind him. He will never admit that though.

Yandere!Maid who, one day, demands asks you about your eating habits. As soon as you answer, something regarding animal blood, he turns oddly quiet. You are about to ask what is wrong, but then he surprises you by climbing into your lap. You watch him get comfortable and, with trembling hands, undo the first buttons of his dress. The cherry on top is him pulling on its collar a bit to show a silver of his chest. He now avoids eye contact as he waits for you to take the lead…You are still just looking at him, so, with a blush becoming darker, he snaps at you: “A-are you stupid or something ? Do you want me to spell it out-” “I am just enjoying the view”, you respond with a teasing smile. Before he can sputter more insults, you grip his chin and tilt his head to the side, exposing his neck to your hungry gaze. “But if you insist…Thank you for the meal <3”

Yandere!Maid who has his face buried deep in his pillow while he tries to calm his flustered self down. After you finished drinking from him, he hurriedly got up and scurried to his room without so much as a word. The more he recalls the embarrassing noises he made in front of you, the more mortified he becomes. It was not his fault, it just felt really good and you even pulled him closer and tugged on his hair and-He whines and squirms in his bed as he feels his body turning hot again like that time. The action causes him to feel a sharp sting on his neck. He freezes. That is right. You marked him. You marked him. You marked him.

...

Don't drink from anyone else, ok?

[clockwayswrites]

So far this file is called 'birdritch'. Those of you who follow my art tumblr might know where this is going. I needed something light to write, been a low day. There has been zero editing or reading through and it is past 2am, sorry and enjoy! (Don't need any typos pointed out, ty.)

---

“You are supposed to be home.”

Danny blinked up from his work to find Lucius Fox standing in the doorway of the lab. The man had the sport of expression one wore around a child who had just done something disappointing.

(Danny was used to the look, even if it had been a long time since he'd been a kid. Or seen his parents, for that mater.)

“Okay, but,” Danny started, “we agreed that I could start at ten and take my eight hours and one for lunch—”

“A mandatory one hour for lunch away from your desk,” Lucius interrupted.

“Yes, yes, I’ve been doing that! I’ve been eating out on the rooftop garden or even leaving the building and eating out or taking lunch to the park. I’ve been behaving, Lucius, I promise.”

Lucius raised a judgmental brow. “It’s after eight, Danny.”

“What? No. I have an alarm on my phone and everything… okay, well, that only works if my phone is charged.” Danny jabbed uselessly at his phone screen. He followed the charger, which was plugged in, all the way to the wall. He resisted the urge to let his head fall against the wall. “I guess Leslie fried the outlet again or something. I’m sorry, Lucius.”

“It’s fine, Danny,” Lucius said, “but only because, one, I know you have been trying, and two, I am going to buy you the most embarrassing alarm clock I can find and mount it to something in this lab. Now it is late and I am going home and so are you, Mr. Fenton.”

“Yes sir, Mr. Fox,” Danny said and made an exaggerate show of packing up his backpack, dead phone and all.

Lucius gave a little snort at the antics, but left with a ‘get home safe, Danny’. After his boss was gone, Danny took the time to actually make sure everything was in his bag and secure. He still didn’t get why he couldn’t just work late, but apparently WE had something of an insistence of work life balance. According to Lucius, Danny crossed the line too often and so was being kept in line. (Danny didn’t think mention he didn’t have much of a life, literally and otherwise, would help his case.)

Still, Danny mused as he stepped inside the empty elevator, the rules did keep him from becoming his parents. And that was a very, very good thing! Being a mad scientist in Gotham usually ended up landing someone in Arkham. It was just that after the chaos that Danny grew up with, going back to his empty apartment was depressing. It wasn’t as if Danny never got out and did things, it was just that all those things were mostly on the weekend. Most days he just didn’t have a reason to go back to his place.

There was no getting out of it tonight, the great and powerful Fox had spoken and Danny knew better than to try and sneak back up. He lifted his hands over his head, stretching as the elevator descended the last few floors. Oh well, at least it was before ten. He could still grab something on the way home and have a full, warm meal to take his pain meds on. By the pull along his forearm he would need them.

“Night, Bill,” Danny said as he passed the security guard who was on the evening shift. He got another ‘get home safe’ in response and gave a little wave in reply over his shoulder.

Even after the few years in Gotham, it still amused Danny how much everyone wished everyone else some sort of safe travels here. As much as Gotham was a city of hardened realists, there still was so much hope about it. Hope people got home safely, that the Bats would get where they were need in time, that the city would rebuild again and again and again. The undercurrent of hope was so strong that Danny could practically feel it moving through the city like a river.

It had been one of the reasons Danny had taken the job.

He could use hope.

He also had been very careful not to look too closely into it all. While Danny’s early life may have been dominated by the occult, he tried to stay away from it these days outside of the necessary visits to the Realm for his health. As much as the Far Frozen was full of ghost yetis, Frostbite was still a being of science and being there felt more like a cold vacation to his weird relatives than anything else those days.

Danny was actually worried that he was getting close to needing another visit. He shouldn’t, not yet. He wasn’t actually due back for another three months, but the thought of visiting Frostbite had been pulling at the back of Danny’s mind. The most annoying part of it all, is that there wasn’t any concrete reason that Danny felt he needed to go, just a lot of little things: the ache was deeper in his bones, he’d been missing noticing little things, his near constant vertigo was worse, and, oddest of all, he had been feeling chilled.

Maybe he should just take a long weekend and go for a quick visit.

Lucius would undoubtedly approve of the break.

Tomorrow, Danny would ask tomorrow.

(As long as he remembered.)

[notafunkiller]

tying you to me

Summary: When your boss, Bucky, apologizes for being rude to you once again, things take an unexpected turn.

Pairing: boss!Bucky Barnes x marketing director!female reader

Warnings: 18+, teasing, dirty talk, pet names, sir kìnk, breasts insecurity, protected séx, bøndage, a little degrading, praising kìnk, language, implied aftercare, no mention of y/n

Word Count: 5.2K

Bucky Barnes masterlist

A/N: I really hope you'll enjoy it!

Please, do not repost or translate without my permission!

He’s well aware he went too far. He noticed right when he finished talking and took a look at you, but what is said is said. And the last thing he wants is Steve annoying him about the meeting.

“I don’t question the way you deal with employees, do I?” Bucky snaps, tired and really wanting this day to be over.

“What has gotten into you? What bothers you so much about her? I just don’t get it.”

Bucky sighs deeply, rubbing his hand across his face in frustration. “It’s not just one thing,” he mutters, his tone weighed down by a mix of tiredness and anger. “It’s a culmination... She’s fucking impossible.”

“Bucky, I get you’re upset, but taking it out on her isn’t fair. She did an incredible job, but you didn’t even listen to her. What’s really going on here?”

“I feel like she’s not seeing the bigger picture. We disagree constantly, and it’s making things difficult. Maybe I overreacted, but it’s been building up for a while.” Bucky leans in as he speaks, with his shoulders slightly hunched forward. His voice carries an edge that Steve notices immediately. He knows there is something about you that affects Bucky, but he can’t quite put the finger on it. Ever since he hired you, Bucky’s been angry with him too, which has happened only two or three times over twenty years of friendship.

“I can see this is really affecting you, Buck. If there’s something personal or if my decision to bring her on board has caused you any discomfort, talk to me. I just wanna make sure everything’s okay between us.”

He leans back a bit, surprised. “Personal? No, it’s not… it’s not about that,” he stammers, searching for the right words. There’s a subtle shake of his head, almost as if he’s trying to dismiss his own thoughts. He wishes there was a personal connection so badly that it messes with his head…

“Then what is it? I didn’t mean to jump to conclusions. I know you hate when things are not under your control, but I made the right call to hire her. And you were really unfair to her, look,” Steve waves around as he speaks, and Bucky turns to look at you through the glass door. You’re still there… working. “She’s not just smart and creative, but also ambitious and hard working. I know how much you value this as well.”

“I didn’t mean to come off unfairly. It’s just…” Bucky sighs, moving to shift his gaze back to Steve. “Our ways clash, and it’s hard to manage it. I value her skills, but finding a middle ground seems impossible sometimes.”

“Look, Buck, I understand it’s tough, but it’s important to listen to her ideas too,” Steve responds, his voice carrying a firm yet empathetic tone. “Today? You didn’t even look over the outlines. Try giving her ideas a chance or just suggest new things without trashing all of her work. You’d be offended too.” He pauses, and Bucky’s focus is back on you. His eyes narrow slightly, studying your determined expression as you delve into whatever you are working on that he dismissed today. And for a few seconds a pang of guilt flickers across Bucky’s expression, which Steve immediately catches. He clears his throat and continues. “I understand it’s not easy to step back and apologize, but it’s not about who’s right or wrong. And, to be honest, you were wrong anyway. It’s about ensuring a healthy workplace.”

“I appreciate your perspective, Steve,” he begins with a calm voice. “But I don’t think it would make a difference.” His gaze briefly flickers towards you before returning to Steve.

“Trust me, it’ll make a difference, not just for her but also for the team. Give it a shot.” Steve smiles, patting him on the chest before standing up. “I’ll leave you to it. It’s so late.”

“Alright, lovebird, off to your nest?” Bucky teases. “Natasha’s waiting for her captain. Better not keep her waiting too long.”

Steve chuckles. “Well, someone’s got to keep the romance alive around here. Good night.”

“Night...”

*

The audacity of this man is unbelievable. After all that shit he pulled on you today, he has the nerve to order your food! He’s the reason why you’re still working at eight pm instead of lying on your couch.

You are so close to crying out of exhaustion and anger, but you won’t give him this satisfaction. And you won’t eat his food.

“Are you seriously gonna starve yourself?”

“I’m not hungry,” you retort, your voice sharper than intended as you give him an annoyed look.

Bucky’s expression softens instantly, a hint of concern flickering across his face. “Come on, you’ve been working the whole day” he insists, trying to reason with you. “You need to eat something. Did you even drink water?”

You shake your head weakly.

“Look, I-”

“If you don’t like Pizza, I can grab you something else.”

You raise your hand, waving around. “I appreciate it, but I’m fine. I’ll eat something when I get home.”

The idea of accepting anything from him like this feels wrong. You don’t want his pity.

“Stubborn as ever,” he sighs, muttering under his breath, and you look up to meet his gaze. For a moment, there’s a silent understanding between you, an unspoken acknowledgment of the tension lingering from earlier.

What did Steve tell him to make him actually try to have a decent conversation?

“Look, sir,” you say through your teeth. “I don’t want your pity. I appreciate your concern, but I’ll manage. I just need to finish this.”

“This isn’t about pity.” His tone is firm. “You’re exhausted, and I’m just trying to help.”

“I said I’m fine. I’ll be done with these.” You lift your papers to emphasize. “And get home.”

“You’re not fine!” he shoots, surprising you. “And you’re too stubborn to see it!”

You’ve never seen him screaming before. Even when he is angry, he’s always the silent type.

“Don’t you dare!” you fire back all of a sudden, unable to hold back. If you’ll get fired, at least you should speak your mind properly. You can’t take more of this. He can’t step on you without consequences. “You are the reason why I am here anyway. Don’t play the concerned hero, just take your food and eat it...” You pause for a second before sarcastically adding. “Sir.”

“This isn’t just about the food, is it?” Bucky’s voice softens slightly despite his impulse to raise his voice again. “It’s about the meeting.” You keep looking him in the eyes, not denying the obvious. Of course it’s about the meeting. “Look, I am sorry, I know I should have handled things differently, but I’m trying to make it right.”

“You think a wannabe apology and food make everything okay?” You ask bitterly, standing up. “You humiliated me, Mr. Barnes. You didn’t even hear me out, you didn’t even listen to my ideas, what the team and I managed to do in the last few months. You disrespected them too! And I don’t get it...” You hate how tall he is. How perfectly his suit is ironed. How nice his hair is. Fuck him! “Ever since Steve hired me, you refused to communicate with me. It’s like you have decided who I am and what I’m worth without even giving me a chance, without acknowledging my efforts and results!”

“That’s not true,” he begins, trying to defend himself even though you both know you are right. “I made a mistake, I admit it, but I want to fix it.”

“A mistake?” You laugh humorlessly. “For months you’ve been treating me like shit, excuse my language.” You shake your head. “Actually I don’t. You should be the one apologizing! You look at me as if I am a scum, as if my presence bothers you. I come to you only when I have to, and you act as if I want to waste your time. Well, I wasted mine for months in this company. With you!”

Bucky snaps, feeling the frustration taking over him. “My decisions are based on what’s best for the company. It’s nothing pers-”

“That’s just a bullshit excuse to maintain the status quo!” you interrupt him, the tension escalating. You don’t care about this job anymore. Whatever will happen, let it happen. “You’re a stuck-up asshole, resistant to change and blind to new perspectives! My perspectives only, to be clear.” You see him clenching his jaw before his left hand covers his jaw. Oh, he’s angry. Good! “And it’s not even out of misogyny since you get along just fine with Shuri. So what is it? What is it, Mr. Barnes, that makes you hate me?”

“It’s not about you,” he insists, his voice strained with the effort to keep calm. “It’s about maintaining stability. It’s about-”

“Bullshit! You’re threatened by anything that challenges your authority! You’re just frustrated and insecure. You’re scared that someone else can do better things in their own way. You’re just a tyrant! I don’t know how Steve is friends with you. He’s such a great man, and you’re a dick.” You laugh. “God, I wanted to tell you this for so long. And if it’s not clear, I fucking quit!��

You’d smile widely if it wasn’t for his snort.

“You’re not quitting,” Bucky’s voice is low, but you still hear it.

He doesn’t believe you, clearly. But he will because you’re not joking or backing off. You can’t take another humiliation session, especially when you did nothing to deserve it. As much as you admire Bucky’s intelligence and company policies, he’s a fucking douchebag. To you.

“Watch me,” you retort instantly. Your heart starts racing as he takes another step toward you. He’s so close that you only need to get on your tiptoes to kiss him.

“No, you’re not quitting. And you’re not walking out that door until we settle this.”

“Settle what, Barnes? Your ego?” You try to maintain your composure, but the closeness makes it hard for you to focus.

He sighs, and your eyes find his lips again. They are pink and wet from his tongue. If only he was less of an asshole and not your boss, maybe you would...

“This isn’t just about me and my authority.”

“Then what is it?” You're confused.

“It’s about you challenging everything I’ve built here,” he admits, looking straight into your eyes.

“And you can’t handle that?” Your voice is filled with sarcasm, but for once he doesn’t focus on that.

“It’s not that simple.”

“Then make it simple, Mr. Barnes.”

“I... I don’t know how to do this.”

“Do what?”

“Deal with this... with you.”

“Deal with me?” You puff. “You’re insufferable, I am the one who has to deal with you and your constant checkups. With your: that’s not good enough, that needs to be changed, do this, do that over and over again.” You mimic his patronizing tone. “You don’t give me real suggestions-”

“I just... struggle with change.”

“And I’m the change you can’t handle?” The question hangs heavy between you, and his eyes drop to your lips this time.

“You challenge me,” he admits, his voice barely above the whisper. “You and your crazy ambition, your undying dedication, and your incredible ideas...” He pauses just to take a deep breath. “I feel like I’m suffocating every time I look at you.”

“Suffocating?” You roll your eyes. “How am I suffocating you? Just because I have an opinion and give you arguments-”

“I am fucking attracted to you, woman!”

You shake your head. He cannot just pull this lie and expect you to fall for it as if you are dumb. “Yeah, sure. Can you be a man for once and fucking take responsibility for your real thoughts and feelings? Just admit that you hate me!”

“Jesus Christ, are you that blind? For a woman so perceptive, you surely don’t see what’s right in front of you.”

You feel the anger take over your whole body. “Fuck you!”

“I wish! This is the whole point, the whole fucking point...”

“You want to fuck me for real?” You gasp, surprised and take a step back so you can look at him properly. He doesn’t seem to be joking.

“Deadly serious. And no matter how many times I tried to push this desire away, it just doesn’t work. You suffocate me. I imagine taking you all over my desk and couch. I imagine so many things, and I cannot focus.”

Before you can stop yourself, you slap him on the face lightly. Your palm is itching and gets red instantly, but you don’t care. As much as the info makes you happy, the context makes you super angry.

“So my team and I had to be humiliated just because you’re mad you want to get laid?”

“W-what? No!”

“No?”

“No. I deserved that,” he says referring to the slap. “But I meant what I said earlier. These are separate things.”

You cover your face with both your hands, not knowing what to say. What can you say? What should you think?

“I am sorry,” he sighs, and you hear him slowly walking away from you. “I should have said nothing. I am sorry. Please, don’t quit. You won’t have to work with me or even see me after this. Steve can take over, and you like him. I apologize not only for this, but also for my lack of… skills. I should have been more open to your ideas. And about tonight, I will wait for the HR email. I am sorry once again.”

Your head is spinning with all the things he’s just said. He wants you, but he’s also a bitch who cannot handle other opinions.

But you also want him. And you’ve wanted him despite how annoying he was. And he’s genuinely apologizing.

“Fuck it,” you whisper before going straight to him, pulling him by his tie toward you to kiss him.

He doesn’t hesitate at all, bringing his hands to your ass so you can feel each other better as he deepens the kiss instantly.

You shamelessly try to thrust your hips up a little as you let go of his tie, and his tongue feels like heaven in your mouth. His moan is low and hot, but you don’t let him breathe more than a second before you kiss him again, making sure to grab his hair and pull with force.

“Fuck me, Barnes. Fuck me right fucking now.”

He groans in your mouth once again, and you shiver.

“Jesus Christ, I’m gonna fuck you so well you won’t remember or think about anything else but my cock for days.” You instantly drop your hands so you can reach for his pants. Unbuckling them isn’t hard, but the zipper gets a little stuck, so Bucky has to finish the job for you.

“God, James,” you moan at the sight. “You’re leaking.”

He’s not embarrassed by this at all. On the opposite, he grabs his briefs too and pulls them down, letting them fall along with his pants.

You’re staring, but you can’t help it. His cock is so hard, and it even twitches as he grabs it to show it to you. It’s so thick.

“For you. This is all for you.”

Without waiting for a response, he suddenly grabs your shirt by the front placket and rips it in two. The buttons fly everywhere, one almost hits him in the face, but you don’t care. You’ve never been more turned on in your life. He’s so hot!

“Oh god, James,” you whisper, unclasping your bra before he can destroy it. It’s your best one, and you still need it.

“Yes,” he groans at the sight of your breasts, but you cannot ignore the wave of self-doubt that takes over you. They’re a little bigger than they should be for your height, so the sight is not the prettiest, in your opinion. This has always been an insecurity of yours, and even more after your last boyfriend made sure to emphasize this before you broke up. But Bucky seems fascinated. With his eyes glued to them and his mouth semi-open, he leans in, bringing his hands to both of your breasts before cupping them. You get goosebumps as he folds them eagerly, and you hear him groan when they spill over as soon as  he tries to pull them together.

“James!”

But it’s like he can’t hear you, too engrossed in watching your nipples hardening even more, and before you tell him what you wanted to, you feel his wet mouth sucking in one of your nipples.

You’re taken aback, so he uses his gloved hand to make you stop moving by placing it on your waist firmly.

He’s suckling at this point, making low whimpers as he’s looking at you.

You swear you never saw a more beautiful man in your whole life. His blue eyes are hypnotic.

“F-fuck,” you curse, bringing your fingers to his hair. You need to grab something before you fall.

He switches to the other nipple, and you feel yourself throbbing. You need his cock so much. You need his mouth... you need him to make you come. And you want to do the same to him. He’s driving you crazy.

“F-fuck me! RIGHT NOW.” You’re screaming, but he’s not surprised, rather amused as he takes his mouth off your breasts with a pop.

“Easy there, you sound quite desperate,” he giggles as if he’s just made the funniest joke ever. You are desperate.

“Fuck me or I’ll finish myself off, and you won’t be able to touch me as I do. Your choice.”

You know he doesn’t like or do ultimata, but you have no alternative. You crave to be taken on his desk as hard as he can go.

“How can I fuck you if you still have your pants on?” He asks you extremely calmly, and you’re shocked. You expected a more... intense reaction. “Earth to you?” He waves his hand when he sees you zoning out.

“You didn’t take them off.”

“I don’t take your clothes off, love.” He smirks. “I rip them, so if you want them intact, you better do it yourself.”

You nod, enjoying how raspy his voice is, and take them off without looking away from his cock. Not that he could stop staring at your breasts. His eyes are glued to your nipples. Your underwear falls, and only when you step out of the pool of clothes and finally free your legs from the high heels, he brings his hand to your pussy.

“Oh God, look at this… drenched!”

You moan, moving a little into his palm as if you’re trying to ride it. You need him so badly.

“James-”

“I know.” He smiles, spreading your lips more. “I know. So needy, my poor baby needs her cock so she can relax.”

You whimper loudly as you close your eyes. “Take me, sir. Make me your little fuck toy. Take out your frustrations. You can... you can show me how I was wrong for quitting by fucking me until I feel your cock every time I walk. I need to,” you moan again as you keep grinding onto his hand. “Come on! Show me!”

Bucky’s eyes get so grey as he suddenly pulls his hand away, making you whine. You’re about to curse him, but what he does makes you stop. He starts to take off his tie quickly, and you smile.

“Good boy.”

That remark makes his snort, and he cryptically replies:

“Ah, ah, we’ll see about that later.”

“Take off that shirt faster, and your glove, too.”

That surprises him, his eyes immediately widening, so you decide to do it yourself since he’s not fast enough.

He freezes as soon as you pull off his glove, revealing a black with golden accents  prosthetic hand.

“This is so fucking pretty, oh my God! Why do you keep this hidden?” You turn his hand around, and you gasp, realizing what you’ve just said. “I am sorry if I seem insensitive, it’s just that...”

Bucky snorts, amused, not hurt, which makes you feel like you can breathe again. The last thing you wanted was to bother him.

“You got a kink for my arm now?”

“You talk too much,” you murmur at the same time you start to unbutton his shirt as quickly as you can. Your hands are trembling.

When he’s finally naked, you let out a whimper, instantly reaching to touch his chest with both of your hands.

“You shave,” you say, surprised.

“Come on, love.” He smiles. “Touch my arm while you still can.”

You don’t question what he means by that, not wanting to worry too much. You expected this to be a one-time thing anyway, so you better enjoy every second of it. The arm is seamlessly integrated into his shoulder, and it's colder than the rest of his skin.

You trace a gold pattern all the way from his shoulder to his hand.

“I have a kink now,” you giggle when you see the sides of his neck getting pink.

“Well, I hope you have this kink, too, because…” He doesn’t finish his sentence. Instead, he reaches for the tie he had on today and smiles. “Turn around and put your hands behind your back.”

“W-what?”

“Hands behind your back.”

“You want to tie my hands?” You ask, taken aback by his demand.

“Did you try it before? Do you hate it?”

No, you didn’t try, but it doesn’t sound bad, surprisingly.

You usually hate not being in control, but it’s Bucky, and as annoying as he might be as your boss, you trust him. Plus, you quit after all, you should enjoy this as much as possible. The thought of him tying you up is really sexy for some reason, so you simply turn around and bring your hands together above your ass.

He doesn’t hesitate and quickly makes a knot.

“Too tight?”

“No,” you whisper. It’s not tight at all.

“You can tell me to stop any time, okay?” He wraps his hands around your waist and turns you toward him. “I’ll stop immediately.”

You nod, trying to get used to not being able to raise your hands.

“Words, please.”

“Yes, James.”

“Good girl.”

You’d lie if you said it doesn’t turn you on like crazy. You’ve been indirectly fighting with him for so long without getting any kind of approval or praise for your work. He made you angry and stressed more times than you could count, but you still respected him. You wanted his approval and you craved him...

You got yourself off thinking about him, you imagined choking him out of anger, but then it turning into a completely different thing. And it feels surreal this is actually happening, and he finally calls you a good girl.

“Are you clean? Anything-”

“I always used a condom, and I do checkups every six months. I assume the same about you.”

You nod, not bothering to tell him you don’t remember the last time you had sex, all thanks to him and his impossible to please ass.

“Do you have a condom?” You ask, moving closer to him again.

“In the car,” he curses, but before you can tell him that you can try without one since you are on the pill, he speaks again. “Wait!”

You giggle as you watch him run out of the office with his ass wiggling. No way he goes to his car naked, right?

You jump on top of his desk, pushing a few docs on the floor with your knee. It’s quite difficult because your hands are tied, but you don’t mind. You wait excitedly for his return just to tease him, but you’re speechless as soon as you see him unwrapping the condom package with his teeth before he quickly rolls it on.

“Won’t the neighbor mind?”

“What he doesn’t know,” he grabs your legs as he speaks. “Won’t hurt him. You’re not gonna run your mouth now, are you?” There is something about his patronizing tone that makes you hornier. Maybe because you know you’ve been on his mind so much he couldn’t focus on anything else.

“Why? You want to keep my mouth occupied with your cock?”

You don’t expect to be turned around on the table instead, with your ass in the air. Holy fuck!

“How about I keep this pretty wet pussy of yours occupied, hmm?”

You close your eyes when you feel his cock at your entrance before he finally pushes in.

He’s crazy, he must be crazy if he thinks you can take all of his cock like this.

“B-Bucky!” You arch your back without realizing, fighting against the material of his tie so you can get free. The impulse to touch his back is absolutely overwhelming, and the coldness of his left hand drives you crazy.

“What happened?” His other hand goes up until it’s in your hair. “You got nothing else to say? Are you already cock drunk?”

“More!” you whimper. “I can take more of you, please.”

“Ah? So greedy for my cock.”

“Need it deeper, James. Need you to move faster.”

You don’t care how desperate your voice is or if you’re pathetic. “I just wanna be stretched open until I cry. P-please.”

You don’t realize he is holding his breath until you hear him exhaling loudly against your back before kissing the same spot.

“You wanna be fucked like you’re my good little toy, baby? You want-”

He stops speaking when you moan, trying to move your hands so you can touch him and push him deeper inside you by grabbing his ass.

That hot ass…

“Want you, sir. Please, make me a mess.”

And he does. He fucks you harder, making your eyes roll back, and you can’t help but try again to touch him.

“Just like that,” you cry out when your face hits the desk more forcefully than before. You can sense Bucky’s hesitation so you shake your head. “I’m fine, I’m... k-keep going.”

He doesn’t stop, he even goes faster yet somehow deeper than before, a combination you’re not used to, that makes you feel like he’s splitting you in half. Neither of you can properly talk anymore. You can hear him cursing and saying your name along with: your pussy’s drowning me, so wet, think you can t-take it harder, but there is a long break after every word so he can thrust back inside you. You can’t even call him James, your voice is so hoarse, and he’s so deep you cannot even breathe.

You don’t need anything more the second he pulls your hair harder than you’d ever expect. Before you know what’s happening, the pleasure explodes inside you, making you scream. You don’t even realize that’s your voice at first, too focused on trying to prolong this feeling as you push your ass back frustrated you cannot grab his thighs, while he keeps thrusting inside you. His balls hit your clit, and you moan, a little sensitive.

“Sir, please, c-come,” you whisper, turning your head to the side on the desk. “Come for your little fuck toy. U-use me.”

You flinch, shocked, when you feel a light slap on your ass all of a sudden, but it doesn’t hurt at all. Quite the opposite. You don’t have time to say something about it, though, because Bucky’s already burying himself inside you again as deep as he can, and you moan at the same time he does.

“J-James...”

He pulls your hair even harder while he comes, groaning your name and a low fuck, that almost makes you giggle.

“Jesus...” It’s the only warning you get before you feel his chest on your back.

“Barnes, you’re heavy!”

His laugh is adorable, but he’s indeed heavy, plus you also have your hands tied. When he finally moves, you hop off the desk, almost falling since your knees are weak. Now you can feel your thighs aching too. But it was all worth it.

Quickly, Bucky unties you, without saying a word, which only makes you more nervous.

“Thanks,” you whisper as you turn around to face him. Then, you watch him take off the condom and place it on top of one of the papers you knocked over with your knee earlier.

After wiping his hands on his thighs, he grabs your wrists gently, making you almost moan at the feel of his cold hand. You’re not hurt, but they’re quite red, probably from the times you tried to get free.

“Gonna buy some cream.”

You shake your head. “No need, I am sure I have something for this.” You try to sound as casual as you can, not wanting to be clingy in his eyes even after you quit. Even after this. “Can you hand me my underwear and pants, please?”

Bucky freezes for a second, but he still gives them to you. “Are you back to hating me?”

“What?” You ask as you start to get dressed. You don’t have the blouse, but your coat is warm. You won’t freeze.

“Why are you so cold now? Did I hurt you? Did I do anything wrong?” His concerned voice and look surprise you. You know he is nice, but you didn’t expect him to be attentive after.

“No, you didn’t. I assumed this is,” you wave around when you finish zipping up your pants. “Just wham, bam, thank you ma’am.”

He doesn’t laugh.

“I told you, you’ve been on my mind for so long. Why would I... and even if it was just a one-time thing, why would I treat you like trash? Especially since we work together.”

“Worked,” you correct him before he hands you his shirt. You raise your eyebrow surprised.

“I’m not gonna help you get dressed, Barnes. You’re a big boy.”

“Put it on, it’s freezing.”

“I have my coat,” you protest, but he won’t take no for an answer, and you know it.

“On.”

“Fine!”

He helps you with it since your hands are, for some reason, still shaking. “Look, I was gonna invite you over to my place, but if I make you feel uncomfortable, or if you don’t want to see me...”

You can’t help but raise your eyebrows.

“Really?”

“We have some things to discuss, and I have a bath to run for you.”

You roll your eyes, fighting the urge to smile as he finishes buttoning the shirt. “You want me to sign a contract to fuck you again?”

“Ha, ha. No.” He leans in a bit to kiss your forehead. “We have many things to talk about that don’t involve a contract.”

“Yeah? Like what?” You start to collect the documents from the floor. “The process of writing my resignation letter?”

You hear Bucky puff behind you. “You’re not quitting.”

“No?” You bite your lip as you look at him. “Who’s gonna stop me?”

“Me.”

“Hmm,” you whisper playfully before placing his papers on the desk. “How?”

“Let’s get home and we’ll see about that.”

[afterglowsainz]

mclaren admin | oscar piastri

summary: mclaren’s admin only posts pictures of oscar and fans start to notice

fc: tyla

a/n: guys i made this earlier last week and i wrote a joke about lando having no wins and then miami happened😭 he really told me to stfu

—

liked by yourusername, zbrownceo and others

mclaren ready for another race week🇪🇸

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yourusername another day another slay

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mclaren getting ready for the action! 👊🏽

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username BABE WAKE UP NEW OSCAR CONTENT

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landonorris posting these here since mclaren won’t

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mclaren as per request🧡

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oscarpiastri enjoying summer break☀️

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[misc-obeyme]

Demon Brothers as Doms Headcanons

Here it is, as requested by anon! I don't know if these are better or worse than the demon bros as subs version... I honestly can't tell lol. But hopefully you guys enjoy them. I will be doing the side characters, too, so stay tuned for that.

GN!MC x the demon brothers

Side Characters as Doms Bros as Subs

NSFW MDNI

Note: We got another paragraph of warnings. Some of them are a little more detailed, but most of them are just mentioned.

Warnings: Sub!MC, bondage, blindfolds, gags, multiple orgasms, edging, orgasm denial, overstimulation, manhandling, begging, praise, degradation, dirty talk, spanking, collars, dacryphilia, tailfucking (and related tail stuff), drooling, jealousy, cockwarming, mirror sex, exhibitionism, toys, aphrodisiacs, magic stuff, blood kink, biting, size kink, food play, somnophilia, wet dreams, semi-public sex, after care, cuddling, and kissing. HOO BOY. I hope that's all of it, if not lemme know and I'll add stuff.

Lucifer

He has intense dom vibes and he knows it. He will be strict and harsh with you if that’s what you want, but if left to his own choices, Lucifer becomes a pleasure dom. All he really wants is to make you come over and over and over again. He doesn��t care what it takes, he’ll use his cock, his fingers, his tongue, anything and everything as long as it makes you cry out his name in ecstasy. He likes the way it makes his pride swell.

He’s a strong and powerful demon. If he wants you in a certain position, he will put you there himself. He has no problem manhandling you a little, but he’ll be careful about it. He very much enjoys tying you up and he’s a master at shibari. His other favorite thing is blindfolding you. He likes when you aren’t aware of when he’s going to touch you.

Lucifer is absolutely the type of demon that will do subtle things outside of the bedroom to make you crazy. A hand on the back of your neck, a brief squeezing of your arm, a whispered “behave” or even just a look that says everything. They’re all warnings - be careful, MC, or he’ll be dealing with you later in private.

He likes to be called sir, but he’s willing to discuss other options. He’s very bossy, though, and will give you orders constantly. If you’re good and compliant, he’ll reward you to the point where you’ll probably forget your own name. But if you’re a brat, he won’t hesitate to punish you. He likes to make you wait, so he might tie you up in his office and then not touch you while he works on his stacks of paperwork. He wants to see how long it takes you to start begging.

And begging does him in every time. Because the minute you break down and beg for him, his pride takes over. He’ll smirk and likely tease you and say something about how he’s not surprised that it didn’t take long.

But in the end, Lucifer likes to make you moan and cry and come, which means he’ll do whatever it takes to get you to do that. Do you have a praise kink? He will shower you with it while he’s deep inside you. Do you have a degradation kink? He will make a point of finding the words that make you clench around him in pleasure.

Mammon

Surprisingly good at being a dom, but far less restrained than Lucifer is. He’s going to do all kinds of things to get a reaction out of you, but the second you moan his name, he’s moaning right along with you. But not before he takes the time to get your full consent and makes sure you know all your safe words. He wants to go all out, but he wants you to feel safe with him.

Mammon is a bit too impatient to do things like tying you up intricately. He’s going to go for things like handcuffs or gags. He finds he likes the way you moan low in your throat when your mouth is otherwise occupied. Similarly, he loves when you suck on his fingers. He’ll remove them sooner than he expected, though, because he wants to listen to you beg.

He’s cautious at first, giving you easy orders to test the waters. If you’re generally obedient, he’ll push a little harder, go a little further, see just how much you can take. He will absolutely become a brat tamer, though, so if you’re more inclined to mouth off, you can expect swift punishment. He can’t take too much disobedience and he’ll get impatient with you quickly. Punishments can range from spankings to orgasm denial depending on how irritated he is. But they don’t last long because he just really wants to fuck you silly.

He’s constantly buying you things to wear. He obviously has a preference for gold, but whatever he just likes to see you on display in something nice. If you’ll wear a collar, he will absolutely be thrilled to buy you the nicest one he can find. It makes him a little crazy any time he catches a glimpse of it outside the bedroom.

The King of After Care. When things are calm again, he gets very clingy. He’s going to want to cuddle you all night, whispering in your ear about how good you were for him, asking you if you’re doing all right. If you endured punishment or any kind of pain, he’ll make sure you’re recovering from it. He just loves you so much, MC.

Leviathan

Surprises both you and himself by being a really good dom. It’s like he flips a switch and suddenly he’s all confidence, but it’s only possible with you. However, it can also get really intense really fast and he might not realize how far he’s going. Communication is key with Levi. You need it to even get him to start being more dominant to begin with, but then you also need it when he’s a little lost in the sauce.

Because he finds that dominating you makes him lose his whole mind. When you’re whimpering or begging, he just wants more and more. He loves to hear you whine his name. He likes it when you cry, so he will try to make it happen. He’ll use pain or insults or anything else he can find that will work. But if it does happen, he’ll get soft when he sees the tears on your cheeks. Then he’ll start praising you and telling you how perfect you are and how much he loves you.

He likes to use his tail for all kinds of things. He’ll wrap it around your body, pinning your arms to your sides, and put the tip of it in your mouth until you’re drooling around it. He’ll use it to spank you if he thinks you’re in need of punishment. But his favorite thing is just to fuck you with it.

To nobody’s surprise at all, Levi is a jealous dom. If you so much as look at someone else, he will notice and make you pay for it later. His favorite punishment method is orgasm denial. He’s trying to make you forget about anyone but him and he’ll ask you while he’s edging you who you’re thinking of. He wants to hear you cry and tell him that he’s the only one you ever think about.

Levi will definitely start out with degradation and some dirty talk - he’s likely going to tell you how much of a whore you are for him - but by the end of things, he’ll switch to praise. He starts to come out of dom mode and then he actually feels bad. Depending on how you react, he will likely apologize before pampering you to make up for all the nasty things he said. If you laugh at him about it, he’ll just blush. He gets embarrassed about how much he can lose himself. Don’t hold it against him, MC! He’s just obsessed with you.

Satan

By far the most balanced dom of all the brothers. He’s always so careful about keeping his wrath under control, the very last thing he would ever want to do is give in to it during a scene with you. It’s a tricky balance, but he manages to find a good middle ground. He focuses on you the most, but don’t think that means he’ll be lenient with you.

Satan is really good at interpreting how you’re feeling in the moment based on how you react to him. He’s able to tell when he should get more intense and when he should back off. As for himself, he prefers to control you with words. He’ll tie you up if you want him to, but he’s more interested in simply telling you what to do. And he’s clear about what will happen if you disobey.

Although he’s careful about keeping himself level headed when he’s punishing you, just know that he won’t hold back. There really isn’t any kind of punishment he isn’t willing to employ and he’ll find the one that has the most impact on you while still getting his message across.

Definitely prefers praise over degradation. He will be rambling the whole time he’s doing anything with you and it’s all romantic poetry. It starts out really flowery, but eventually kind of devolves into how perfect you are, how good you feel, etc. This is the guy who will spank you and recite sonnets to you at the same time, probably timing his swats with the iambic pentameter.

Satan also really enjoys cockwarming. He’ll have you sit in his lap while he reads, just to see how much you can take. Scolds you gently any time you move too much. Be good and hold still for him, MC. In the end, he’s the one who can’t take it, but he frames it as taking pity on you. You’re both probably aware of the truth, but neither of you will say anything. And anyway, you’re content to let him bend you over and pound into you if it means finally feeling that sweet relief.

Asmodeus

The most versatile of doms, he can be anything you want. You want him strict? Done. You prefer a soft dom? Easy. You just want him to make you come as many times as possible? It would be his pleasure.

If you’re too shy to tell him what you want, that’s okay, too. He’s able to feel out what will make you react the most. And that’s what he goes for. He just wants to experience you losing your mind over him.

He really can do it all, but he’s also going to bring his own flare to the situation. You have sooo much mirror sex. If you’re willing to try exhibitionism, he will really push the limits of that, too.

Asmo will also have a lot of toys, accessories, and clothing items. He’s always suggesting something new and interesting. You just won't believe what he found, MC! He likes to explore with you, to see what you’ll tolerate. This also includes things like aphrodisiacs or magic related things. He’ll always take care of you after you use something like that, but he’s often finding new things to try.

If you don’t really give him any guidelines and let him run the show entirely, he will step up to the challenge. It turns out he really enjoys making you submit to him. He finds he has a fascination with your blood. He loves the way it looks against your skin. He also loves to see it on his own lips, so you can be sure he’ll be drawing it by biting you.

Asmo really loves to tie you up and have his way with you. He enjoys sensory deprivation - blindfold, gag, etc. - he likes to keep you guessing. He wants you to react to his touch the most, loves the way you shiver in anticipation of what he’ll do next.

Mixes pleasure and pain so effectively, you almost can’t tell which one you’re experiencing. He’ll be using his fingers masterfully on your sensitive spots at the same time that he’ll be digging his nails into your back.

This is his area of expertise, so there’s no way he’s going to let you go with only one orgasm. He’s going to make sure you have multiple before he's done with you. He loves overstimulation. If you start crying, he’ll coo at you and wipe your tears, but he won’t stop.

Always doms in demon form. He can’t help it, he’s fully embodying his sin. No matter what he’s doing with you, he wants you to remember that you’re being dominated by the Avatar of Lust.

Beelzebub

The softest of soft doms. He’s not really into degradation, so he’s going to shower you with praise instead. He’s just going to mumble into your skin about how amazing you are and how lucky he is and so on and so forth. But don’t think that makes him a pushover.

Beel is a big strong demon and he will manhandle you. Probably his favorite thing is to just sit you in his lap and move you himself. You’re riding him, but he’s doing all the work.

He’ll tie you up if you want him to, but he’s more likely to use things like blindfolds or gags. Only one at a time, he doesn’t want you completely helpless. He secretly likes it when you struggle against him, so he likes to keep your hands free.

Beel has a bit of a size kink where he likes his partners smaller than him, which works out because he’s just generally much larger than most people. Even if you’re larger for a human, that’s still just a lil cutie to him. This kinda ties into the manhandling thing - he likes to pick you up and move you around himself. And he can do it, too, because of his size and strength. You might as well get used to it at this point.

He doesn't really enjoy inflicting pain. He's far more likely to use positive reinforcement than punishments. But if he has to get serious with you, it's going to be stuff like edging, orgasm denial, or overstimulation. If you're crying it's because of how he's making you feel, not because he's hurting you or insulting you. He finds it's just as effective, too.

If you ask, Beel will do pretty much anything you want. He'll work through the discomfort of hurting you if you enjoy it.

As always, Beel loves food. He'll involve any kind of food play he possibly can because he really can't help himself. It's like the ultimate expression of his sin - to involve food in these intimate moments with you.

Another one who will be incredibly attentive during after care. He wants to make sure you're okay. He will stay beside you as long as you need him. Probably brings you drinks and snacks, too. He's already been praising you all night, but prepare yourself for even more. You are everything to him, MC.

Belphegor

Kinda lazy for a dom, to nobody’s great surprise. He enjoys being one, but he tires out quickly. If he can make you do all the work, he will. Expect him to give you a lot of orders.

He really loves when you beg. He wants to see you on your knees and if you beg enough, he’ll fill your mouth with his cock. You look so good, MC.

He’ll leave you tied up and unattended, too. He’ll just sit there and watch you, see how much you can handle before he does anything.

Belphie is, of course, into somnophilia. If you give him the go ahead, it’s going to be any time he wakes up with you in his arms. If you’re still sleeping soundly, he wants you to stay asleep, he’ll just take care of things himself. But if you do wake up, he'll probably whisper quietly in your ear about how he's just making all your wet dreams come true. In fact, we also know Belphie can go into dreams, so… you can expect your normal dreams to become wet dreams if he shows up.

He likes exhibitionism and semi-public sex. He likes fucking you in places where you’re right next to other people, but you’re still trying to stay hidden. So he’ll use his hand to cover your mouth, trying to muffle your noises. But it’s only because he likes the way it feels to gag you that way. He doesn’t actually mind if you’re discovered.

He likes dirty talk and degradation. He will absolutely call you all kinds of filthy names. It’s not all like that, though, he’ll also throw in some praise. Especially when you’re whimpering beneath him and he's losing control because he feels so good. That's when he starts telling you how good you are.

Belphie is kind of an after care guy by default. After he's had his way with you, even if he was really rough (which he probably was), he just wants to snuggle and cuddle and sleep. He'll also kiss you slowly and softly and lazily because he likes the way your lips feel.

side characters as doms | bros as subs | side characters as subs masterlist | Thank you for reading!

[harrysfolklore]

Could you do an insta blurb with Anna Paul as a face claim? <33

never give up - ln4

my first lando blurb !! i was really excited to write for him so let me know your thoughts about this or send requests !

MASTERLIST | MY PATREON

liked by landonorris, georgerussell63 and 4,836 others

yourinstagram starting the job of my dreams tomorrow 😭😭😭😭 see you soon bahrain 🏁

view all 190 comments

username1 omg congratulations ma friend !! ♥︎ by author

username2 all of those years of watching race cars finally paid off ♥︎ by author

↳ yourinstagram now i’m going to be making tiktoks for them HOW IS LIFE REAL

username3 PLEASE FEED US WITH GOOD CONTENT

↳ yourinstagram your wish is my command 🫡🫡🫡

maxverstappen1 Please don’t make us do any kind of dance… ♥︎ by author

↳ maxfan1 HES ALREADY COMPLAINING HELP

↳ yourinstagram you don’t make that decision sir

username3 i believe in the f1 fan to working to f1 pipeline now

oscarpiastri Hello new best friend ♥︎ by author

↳ yourinstagram HI BESTIEEEEE

↳ oscarfan1 counting on the oscar content

landonorris Welcome abroad 🥰 ♥︎ by author

↳ landofan1 whats with that emoji landoeeee

↳ yourinstagram i’m readyyyy

liked by yourinstagram, pierregasly and 338,504 others

lando.jpg touchdown in bahrain. @yourinstagram forced me to try matcha (awful experience)

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landofan1 HE REMEMBERED THIS ACCOUT WE CHEER

oscarpiastri You’re a matcha girl at heart

↳ yourinstagram you’re so right my dearest pastry

↳ oscarfan1 LOVE THEM

landofan2 not lando being a matcha hater 😭

landofan3 yn in the last picture she’s so cuuuute

username1 lando posting a picture of yn 👀 i bet they’re dating

↳ landofan1 you must be new here lando posts literally everyone

maxverstappen1 I spot a Redbull jacket, thank you for picking favorites already @yourinstagram

↳ yourinstagram don’t flatter yourself okay. and tell checo i need both of you for rapid fire questions asap

↳ charles_leclerc I’m getting her ferrari red stuff soon

↳ lando.jpg she’s papaya heart, sorry losers

↳ username2 HEEELP😭

username3 looks like all the drivers get along with yn it’s so fun to see

georgerussell63 Why did you steal YN I needed to run something by her

↳ yourinstagram if by that you mean you need to know which one of your memes is going viral rn, check your messages

↳ username4 PLEASEEEEE 😭

username5 this comment section feels like a gc with all of them and i love it

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yourinstagram tifosi for jeddah. let’s gooo @/charles_leclerc, @/olliebearman ❤️ and sending big hugs to mr smooth operator @/carlossainz55, hope you recover sooooonnn

view all 466 comments

username1 SLAYYYY

charlesfan1 YAAS YN IS ON OUR SIDEEE

username2 such a cool jacket omg ♥︎ by author

scuderiaferrari We’re all Tifosi at heart 🙌

↳ yourinstagram love you ferrari admin

landofan1 i know lando won’t be happy

olliebearman Love you 🫶🫶🫶 ♥︎ by author

↳ username1 AWEEEE OLLIE

iamrebeccad 😍 ♥︎ by author

alexandrasaintmleux Ferrari girls >>> 🥰 ♥︎ by author

↳ charlesfan1 i love the ferrari wags sm

landofan2 lando complaining in 3..2..1

landonorris It’s always tifosi or gives you wings but never papaya

↳ oscarpiastri Ouch

↳ yourinstagram top cry babies of the grid: the mclaren boys

↳ landofan1 😭😭😭😭😭

↳ danielricciardo Can you blame them? They’re like 7 ♥︎ by author, georgerussell63, maxverstappen1, carlossainz55

↳ landonorris Can’t hear the haters

maxverstappen1 And who got double podium?

↳ yourinstagram you’re so annoying omg

↳ maxfan1 HEEEELP

liked by yourinstagram, landofan1 and 58,624 others

f1gossip Lando Norris enjoys Australia with mystery woman ahead of the Grand Prix this weekend

view all 409 comments

landofan1 HEEELP

landofan2 my brother in christ that’s yn

username1 mystery woman 😂😂 @/yourinstagram

landofan3 iconic duo

landofan4 i’m going to say what everyone is thinking: i ship them

↳ landofan1 HEEEELP

username2 we need the teaaaaaaa

yourinstagram i wonder who could that be ♥︎ landonorris

↳ username1 so mysterious

yourinstagram why does this look like i’m showing you receipts of something shady that you did @landonorris

↳ landonorris You look so done with my lies lol

↳ landofan2 WHAT ARE YALL DOING HERE

liked by carlossainz55, landonorris and 49,846 others

yourinstagram AND THAT'S A WIN FOR THE SMOOTH OPERATOR AFTER THE OPERATION ‼️ congratulations carlitosss, don't let the papaya fool you, i was rooting for you

view all 422 comments

username1 LETS GOOO

username2 this is such a cool picture ♥︎ by author

mclaren Our papaya heart just broke 💔

↳ yourinstagram NOOOOO

scuderiaferrari FORZA FERRARI ❤️

↳ yourinstagram YAAAS

username3 she really has the coolest job in the world

landofan1 lando finally made her wear papaya 😭 ♥︎ by author

landonorris I was in the podium too, you know?

↳ charles_leclerc Me too

↳ yourinstagram did you win?

↳ landofan2 CLOCK THEM

iamrebeccad 😍😍😍 ♥︎ by author

lilyzneimer Beautyyy

↳ yourinstagram PICTURE CREDITS TO BABY LILY !!

carlossainz55 The smooth operation 💪 ♥︎ by author

↳ landonorris I'm getting my apendix removed

↳ yourinstagram DO NOT

liked by yourinstagram, danielricciardo and 689,462 others

landonorris australia was nice :)

view all 3,045 comments

landofan1 BABYYYYY

landofan2 LANDOOOO THE LAST PIC

username1 yn what are you doing here

carlossainz55 Why don't you post a picture of my win?

↳ landofan1 😭😭😭

↳ yourinstagram bc i'm prettier ♥︎ by author

oscarpiastri Australia: the best country in the world

↳ yourinstagram you're australia's treasure 👐

landofan3 POSTING YN??? ON MAIN??

↳ landofan1 bestiesss

↳ landofan2 i had to double check this was actually his main

username2 he's in love with yn

georgerussell33 crushcrushcrush

↳ username1 he's so strange

yourinstagram i like being each other's personal photographers

↳ landofan1 SOOOO YN TOOK LANDO'S PICS

↳ landofan3 they're in love

liked by yourinstagram, oscarpiastri and 632,099 others

landonorris i didn't get that podium but i did get you some spam

view all 3,102 comments

landofan1 BOYFRIEND MATERIAL

username1 when will lando nowins ends

landofan2 YN AGAIN?????

mclaren 🧡

danielricciardo Is this a YN fan account? ♥︎ by author

↳ yourinstagram IT SO IS RIGHT

↳ landonorris Can't hear the haters

username2 it's so obvious that those two are in a relationship

↳ landofan1 don't be weird they're friends and yn kinda works for them

↳ landofan2 to be fair yn doesn't really work for the drivers, she works for the f1 pr team

carlossainz55 👀

↳ landofan1 WHAT DO YOU KNOW

yourinstagram thank you for the night walk and the pic buddyyyy ♥︎ by author

↳ landofan1 NOT BUDDY HELP

↳ username1 even i felt hurt by that friendzone

↳ landofan2 lando was found crying

liked by olliebearman, landonorris and 58,264 others

yourinstagram one moth living the dream life while having the dream job 🥺 let’s go shangai 🇨🇳

view all 501 comments

username1 im so jealous rn

username2 teach me your ways

lewishamilton 🖤 ♥︎ by author

maxfan1 REDBULL JACKET SLAY

landofan1 lando crying over the redbull gear soon

username3 traveling the world befriending the drivers and getting free merch this is really THE DREAM ♥︎ by author

lilyzneimer 💙 the bestttt!

↳ yourinstagram i literally lysm baby lily

↳ oscarpiastri Stop stealing my girlfriend from me thank you

↳ yourinstagram the mclaren boys being cry babies, exhibit B

alex_albon Why am I missing from the third pic?

↳ georgerussell63 We we’re gossiping about you ♥︎ by author, oscarpiastri, landonorris, lewishamilton, maxverstappen1

↳ yourinstagram exactly

username4 how does it feel to live my dream

maxverstappen1 Great great jacket

↳ landonorris i’m burning it

↳ landofan1 HEEEELP 😭

landonorris Best season so far 🫶🫶🫶 ♥︎ by author

↳ landofan2 LANDOOOOOO????

↳ landofan3 he’s down bad awe

liked by landonorris, yourinstagram and 159,635 others

mclaren A very special guest joins the papaya garage today 🧡 #MiamiGP

tagged: yourinstagram

view all 7,937 comments

landofan1 AHHHHH

username1 WAG vibes

landofan2 since when does lando have access to the mclaren acc

username2 she looks amazing

lilyzneimer 🫶🫶🫶

↳ mclaren Our other fave 🙌

↳ landofan2 mclaren hyping their wags up so trueeeee

redbullracing Give her back

↳ username1 the girls are fighting

↳ mclaren Never

landonorris 😍😍😍😍 ♥︎ by yourinstagram

↳ landofan1 CONTROL IT

↳ landofan2 JUST KISS HER YOU FOOL

yourinstagram GO PAPAYA BOYS 🧡🧡

↳ landonorris boy*

↳ oscarpiastri Cry cry cry

↳ landofan3 IM YELLING 😭😭😭

liked by yourinstagram, danielricciardo and 3,122,342 others

landonorris WWE FUCKING DID IT. P1 🏆

view all 49,687 comments

landofan1 IM STILL SOBBING WTF

landofan2 HE DID IT LITTLE LANDO NORRIS DID ITTTT

oscarpiastri Well done man 👏👏👏 ♥︎ by author

alex_albon Congrats!!! 💪👏 ♥︎ by author

mclaren PROUD 🧡🧡🧡

username1 this man is going to party like an animal tonight

landofan3 whoever or whatever put a fire on his ass to win THANK YOU

maxverstappen1 You had a great motivation to win. Congrats 👏 ♥︎ by author

↳ username2 HUUUUUH

lewishamilton WELL DONE ♥︎ by author

yourinstagram IM STILL CRYING 😭😭😭

↳ maxverstappen1 Because now you’ll have to go out with him? THIS COMMENT IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE

↳ landofan1 MAX WTF WE ALL SAW THAT

yourinstagram CONGRATULATIONS LAN 🧡🧡🧡 ♥︎ by author

↳ landofan2 when the camera focused on her after lando crossed the line 😩😩 my delusional ass is living

↳ username1 these two will be a thing before the season ends

↳ landonorris My good luck charm ❤️

↳ landofan3 LANDO DONT DO THIS TO ME

liked by landofan1, landofan2 and 16,936 others

f1gossip Lando Norris get cozy with mysterious woman after Miami GP win

view all 209 comments

landofan1 OMFGGGG

landofan2 CAUGHT IN 4K

username1 who is thissssss

landofan3 IF THIS IS NOT YN I DONT WANT IT

username2 wbk he’s always wildinggggg

landofan4 guys i think this is yn???? she posted stories celebrating with lando

↳ landofan1 omg i don’t want to be delusional

↳ landofan2 AND REMEMBER MAX DELETED COMMENT ????

landofan5 can somebody from the grid spill the beans about his

↳ landofan1 george where are you ?????

liked by yourinstagram, pierregasly and 1,390,180 others

landonorris I’ll remember this forever. Thank you everyone ❤️

view all 10,252 comments

landofan1 AHHHH

landofan2 THE SECOND PIC HELLO????

mclaren We always believed in you 🧡

landofan3 THATS LITERALLY YN IN THE SECOND PIC

oscarpiastri I bet this was your favorite weekend ever ♥︎ by author

↳ landofan1 WHAT DO YOU KNOW

georgerussell63 You finally convinced her?

↳ landonorris And did

↳ landofan2 WTF LET ME IN???? WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT

landofan4 LANYN IS REAL 😭😭😭😭

username1 yn is no better than me i would also fall for lando norris

landofan5 SEE YN WAS THE GIRL WITH HIM IN MIAMI

lewishamilton Did I miss something?

↳ georgerussell63 If you only checked your phone

↳ username2 HEEEELP

landofan6 SO THIS IS SO YN 😭 i really hope they’re together

maxverstappen1 Two things you had been waiting for: the win and the girl ♥︎ by author

↳ maxfan1 MAX HAS NO FILTER I CANT

↳ landofan1 SO THEY’RE TOGETHER

↳ landonorris 🥰

yourinstagram 🧡 ♥︎ by author

↳ username1 THATS ALL??? GIRL ADRESS THE RUMORS

↳ landofan1 GIVE US SOMETHING

liked by landonorris, pierregasly and 76,398 others

yourinstagram imola, monaco, montreal 🤍

view all 503 comments

username1 forever jealous of your life

landofan1 A LOT OF LANDO HERE OMGGG

username2 the second pic, is she dating anyone? 👀

↳ landofan2 lando so true

georgerussell63 You're welcome for the Hello Kitty face mask ♥︎ by author

↳ username1 OF COURSE george would have hello kitty face masks

↳ yourinstagram thank u georgie

landofan3 this is basically a lando appreciation post ♥︎ by author

username3 i sense a soft launch

landofan4 landoyn is sooooo alive

mclaren Our favorite 🧡

lilyzneimer 🤩 ♥︎ by author

oscarpiastri Thank you for the tiktok tips?

↳ yourinstagram you think those were for free? you owe me dinner

maxverstappen1 Why there is no Redbull on this collage?

↳ yourinstagram you and checo have been pissing me off lately

↳ maxfan1 HEEEEELP

scuderiaferrari Some red in sight ❤️

↳ yourinstagram as it should

landonorris so pretty 😍 ♥︎ by author

↳ yourinstagram you talking about yourself?

↳ landonorris nope 😍

↳ landofan1 STOOOOOOOP THIS

liked by daniel3.jpg, yourinstagram and 348,922 others

lando.jpg happy :)

view all 5,039 comments

landofan1 AHHHHHH

landofan2 I JUMPED FROM MY SPOT

username1 wbk they're together

oscaspiastri Cuties

oscarpiastri Lily wrote the previous comment, not me

↳ oscarfan1 HEEEEELP

↳ yourisntagram this is why she's my favorite

landofan3 THIS REALLY CONFIRMS THEY'RE TOGETHER

username3 what if they're not together and everyone is just clowning 😭😭

carlossainz55 I've been replaced

↳ landofan1 HEEEELP

↳ landofan2 CARLANDO FOREVER

yourinstagram 🧡 ♥︎ by author

↳ username1 stop it with the orange hearts SAY SOMETHING

liked by landonorris, olliebearman and 103,827 others

yourinstagram paps hard launched us before i could do it, but here’s our official instagram debut i guess 🧡

view all 2,099 comments

username1 AHHH FINALLY

username2 you've come a long way girl, from fan to working for f1 to dating a driver ♥︎ by author

landofan1 I KNEW ITTT I KNEW ITT

georgerussell63 We had been plotting this since you first met, btw ♥︎ by landonorris, oscarpiastri, maxverstappen1

↳ yourinstagram nosy bitches !!

↳ username1 HEEEEELP 😭

mclaren OUR PRAYERS HAD BEEN ANSWERED 🤩🤩🧡

↳ landofan2 the mclaren admin is soooo me

↳ yourinstagram stop mclaren admin im blushing

username3 slayest couple of the paddock already

oscarpiastri What happened to "my job comes first"?

↳ landonorris Mate do you want her to break up with me or something

↳ landofan1 😭😭😭😭

lilyzneimer Papaya girls stick together 💕 ♥︎ by author

↳ username1 queens of mclaren

↳ alexandrasaintmleux :(((

↳ yourinstagram i literally lysm alex

landonorris my girl my girl my girl my girl ❤️ ♥︎ by author

↳ maxverstappen1 We get it

↳ landonorris you're jealous bc she'll never wear redbull anymore

↳ yourinstagram 🥴🥴

liked by yourinstagram, charles_leclerc and 1,092,388 others

landonorris Never back down never what? Never give up

view all 15,390 comments

landofan1 YELLING

landofan2 I CANTTTT

username1 i want what they have

olliebearman ❤️

mclaren Our parents 🧡

↳ landofan1 its me im actually the mclaren admin

danielricciardo YN blink twice if you need help

↳ georgerussell63 She just did I'm next to her

↳ landonorris Can't hear the haters

↳ landofan2 😭😭😭

username2 i need yn's manifestation methods

landofan4 THE HAND PLACEMENTS ???? LANDO' SMILE ?????

maxverstappen1 Poor girl

↳ maxfan1 LEAVE HIM ALONEEE

carlossainz55 My biggest condolences @/yourinstagram

↳ landofan1 they grid has one mission today and that is to attack lando

yourinstagram 🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍 ♥︎ by author

yourinstagtam leave my baby alone assholes @/danielricciardo @/georgerussell63 @/maxverstappen1 @/carlossainz55

↳ carlossainz55 Don't baby him even more

↳ georgerussell63 cAnT hEar ThE hAtErS

↳ landonorris my girl my girl 😍