#like youre arguing about the safety of you your pets and your children

[hylorien]

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[iamonlyhereforthefood]

I see once again people on the internet complaining about giving aid to Ukraine, with the usual beats of "I support Ukraine, but ...", "I am sympathetic, but ..." followed by a combination of "it doesn't seem to do much difference", "Ukraine should just negotiate with Russia" (read: give up), "we have our own problems"/"the government should give the money to our own poor/homeless/struggling citizens" or my especially hated "it is inevitable that Russia wins, they are too dedicated and the only difference is that mamy people will die in the meantime".

First of all, unless you are certain that in the case of armed robbers breaking into your house, you would be willing to let them steal everything, watch them rape your partner and children, kill your pet and then blow up your house as they leave, and be grateful that they didn't just kill you without any expectations that someone will come and help you, then shut the fuck up about negotiations.

But what I wanted to say, especially to people from the US and UK, because it is appalling that this is not talked about at every opportunity: your governments are not expected to provide aid just out of the goodness of their hearts. They are required to, as per the Budapest Memorandum. Ukraine gave up their nuclear weapons and USA and UK promised to guarantee their safety. If they kept them, a lot of this would likely not happen, because Russians are cowards and wouldn't attack a country with nuclear weapons.

I will argue relentlessly that all the rest of us, especially those in the EU, have moral obligation to help Ukraine and that even if we want to be selfish and pragmatic about it, it is also in our own best interest, because showing bullies that they are free to do what they want benefits nobody who wants to live in a free and democratic world. But US and UK have also legal obligation to help. Unless, of course, they want to look like their words can't be trusted and there is no point in signing any documents about global security ever. But then don't make surprise Pikachu faces when every country goes on to try developing or otherwise obtaining their own nukes, because it sure looks like having them is the only real guarantee of safety. I was under the impression that this sort of thinking is what we have been trying to change in the last couple of decades.

As for it looking like Russian victory is inevitable, that is in huge part because of how slow the supply of aid has been. No, we can't ever know for certain how things would develop in alternative timelines, but a lot of experts agree that if Ukraine got everything they asked for more quickly, the situation now would be much better for them. So it's not an argument to stop aid, on the contrary, we must provide more of it and more quickly. Imagine if USA was not providing military aid for millions of dollars to USSR in WW2 (yes, that is another topic that is not talked about enough), who knows how the war would have ended or how many more people would have died.

Please, people, think in context and remember your history, before you give into those pseudo-pacifistic talking points.

[diffidentphantom]

The One That Got Away

(Jermone Valeska x F!Wayne Reader)

Part I

Summary: You, the reader are the older sister of Bruce Wayne. And have been best friends with Jerome Valeska, since you first met each other at Haly's Circus during your youth. Due to being a Wayne, he was the first 'real' friend you ever had. But then one day, the friendship between the both of you changed. And you were sent overseas for your safety by your father. You haven't been back in Gotham since. But once you hear of your parent's murder, you know it's time to return and face your past once and for all.

Characters: Y/N as MC, Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, Selena Kyle, Harvey Bullock, Jim Gordon, Dr. Leslie Thompkins, Jerome Valeska

Warnings: Angst, Possessiveness, Obsessive behavior, Stalking, Murder, Mentions of Child Abuse,

The first time you had ever visited the circus, it was on your eleventh birthday. 

And unknowingly at the time, it was that specific event that ended up changing your life forever. It can be argued that it changed your life a bit for the better as well as for the worst. It was the day you met your very first TRUE friend, Jerome Valeska.

Being a member of the prestigious Wayne family, you were expected to mingle with your peers. A.K.A other children of Gotham's wealthiest; i.e, members of the 1%, celebrities, people involved in the law - along with the shadier parts of it. You had made some friendships with some of these children, but none of them were true friends. Where nothing was expected in return for the other's company and allegiance.

But Jerome...due to being born to a woman who worked in the circus, he had nothing to give other than his friendship and loyalty. And because you helped him get out of a situation that involved his angry Uncle Zach. He became your very first REAL friend.

The two of you become inseparable. One of you always running after the other.

The adults in your life found it endearing, and grateful. That after all this time, you had a friend like Jerome. So, your parents, being who they are - opened their arms and home to him. Whenever the circus was in town. After all, to those who cared to look - it was obvious, that Jerome wasn't treated very kindly by the people who took care of him.

By the two of you were fourteen, something in your friendship with Jerome had changed. Maybe it was because the two of you didn't spend as much time together anymore? Or maybe perhaps it was because you were an older sister now, with a nine-year-old brother? And he was jealous of Bruce and the close sibling relationship the two of you had? (One that infinitely much better than the one he shared with his own twin.)

Whatever the case, Jerome no longer acted the same around you. He became like an entirely different person. As if his entire personality was hanging on by a thread, and that he was just waiting for one bad day. To push him over the edge.

And then it happened.

He took things to far between the two of you. Confessed his feelings - which didn't bother you, since you realized, you had begun to have a crush on him yourself. Admitted to stalking you days before, he let you know he was back in town. Killed your pet cat and threatened to harm you or your brother. Jerome became unhinged and dangerous to be around.

It devastated not only you, but your parents as well. Who thought of Jerome as another son. (So much so, that he had his own dedicated bedroom in the manor at that point.) But because he went off the deep end, your parents were worried about the safety of both your brothers and your own wellbeing. And with a heavy heart, they had to make a tough decision.

After Haly's circus left Gotham that year to stick to their regular route, you also left. Your parents had decided to send you overseas to their family villa in Switzerland, for your own protection and safety. From one person who you thought you could trust.

It would be the last time you would see your parents, and your brother for many years to come.

Word Count: 587

[imagineanime2022]

Kite's Twin

Kite X Sibling!Reader

Requested: @mushroom-weeb

Request: Heyyyy I just found your page and love the sibling readers, could you maybe do a younger sibling with kite or morel?? If not I understand, thanks!💜😊

Warning: Canon divergence,

Kite tries to keep your existence within the knowledge of you to people that he trusts, not only for your safety but because your work called for a little more discretion than his, his team probably knew about it since you stopped by to annoy your twin whenever you had the time. You and Kite argued in an understated kind of way, you were a hunter hired for messier jobs (blacklist hunter) and he’d often argue about how you choose to keep yourself safe. Your ability allowed you to move from place to place as long as you could see it, you were working on moving people with you but it was still a work in progress. You were able to use a number of different guns though your favourite was the sniper as it leant well into your ability given the scope. Kite never really cared about you meeting the people that he worked with, he did worry about you scaring them though, in the end that was never a problem even when meeting Gon and Killua.

Kite had just ordered Killua and Gon to run, Killua grabbing his friend and running however as he moved through the trees he caught sight of someone in the trees sniper in hand as they aimed in the direction that they had just left.

You knew that Kite was going to get himself into trouble the moment that he entered the NGL and it took a great deal of effort to get your weapons into the country without detection and had a lot to do with a favour that Knov owed you. You were now positioned in the trees ready to shoot the creature that your brother was fighting, with a deep breath you let off the first shot hitting it in the leg, it jumped back allowing Kite a moment to breathe while you shot again this time through the shoulder as Kite started to retreat and the final one in the left side of the torso, you watched the creature stumble back of towards the nest that it had been guarding, you waited to make sure that it didn’t come back or anything like it. You turned away from the nest using your ability to move a safe distance, hiding the weapons that you had before heading for the border where you were sure that Kite and the two kids were heading.

When you got there Kite and his small team were there, you sighed as you saw there were no real injuries. “Are you going to tell me what you were thinking?” You asked. “Thank you for your help.” Kite said as he turned to you, you raised an eyebrow. “Alright what it is?” You asked. “A Chimera Ant, that seems to have fed on humans.” Kite answered. “I do remember you rambling about that being bad news if it ever happened.” You nodded “that thing felt particularly terrifying.” “Um Kite, who's this?” The boy with the darker hair asked. “This is my twin.” Kite answered, you waved, you looked them over recognising the traits of a Zoldyck from a mile away. “You must be Killua.” You guessed. “How’d you know that?” He asked. “I’m a Blacklist hunter and it’s common knowledge that one of the Zoldyck family children is running around unprotected. There are a few inexperienced newcomers that are trying to hire to have you killed, that being said half the hunters that are experienced enough to even attempt that have no interest in it.” You explained. “And the other half?” Killua asked. “The other half are your brother and his psycho clown pet.” You answered. “Hisoka…” The other kid muttered. “Correct.” You nodded. “What’s your name kid?” “Gon Freeces.” He answered. “Ahh, yeah I like him better than I like his Dad.” You decided as you looked at your brother. “I thought you would say that.” He grumbled as you looked at him. “You're okay right?” You asked. “Mmm.” He hummed. “Good then we should head back to the armed part of the world so we talk to some people about eliminating this threat before it becomes one.” You suggested. “No need to start giving out orders.” Kite muttered. “No one was ordering anyone.” You smirked as you turned to the boys “he’s so tetchy when things don’t go his way.” You whispered loudly, fully aware that he could hear you, Gon laughed and Killua smirked. “Come on.” Kite ordered. “Who’s ordering who now?” You teased as you followed him, just happy that everyone made it out of the first encounter alive.

Request Here!!

[dragonsorceress22]

More pros: (please feel free to use these to argue for your needs)

saving on commuting costs - gas money, parking fees, train tickets, ride share, wear and tear on your vehicle, TIME, etc.

flexibility and work-life balance - ability to care for your pets, children, elders, and self. Need to pick up your kids? Have a doctor/vet/dentist appointment? Would you otherwise need to pay a dog-walker, or for child care, or put someone in a home?

ability to meet deadlines more efficiently - No, I'm not kidding. This is a benefit for your company. I don't know how specific this is to my job, but I'm betting my other accountants out there will know what I mean. You have a deadline to meet (for example, closing the books). Your role in meeting the deadline is contingent upon other employees completing their pieces first. You wind up waiting around for the task to be progressed into your court. When in-office, this either means being stuck there working late, or leaving at quitting time and missing the deadline. With work from home, I can go about my evening and hop back online when I see that what I was waiting on has been completed.

boosted morale - I dunno about y'all, but I'm WAY happier when I can work in comfortable clothes, in a place that is not FREEZING like all skyscraper offices seem to inevitably be, listening to whatever I want in the background (music, youtube, audiobooks) without disturbing my coworkers or limiting my situational awareness with headphones.

safety - are you catching a commuter train in a bad neighborhood because it's your only option? Do you have to leave your car there to be damaged while you're at work? Do you have to walk in the city alone at night when work causes you to stay late? Have you ever been stranded by train malfunctions? Are you concerned about viruses when sitting in nasty train cars, packed in with loads of other people? Are you worried about carrying anything you catch back to vulnerable loved ones - the very young, the very old, someone already ill or immunocompromised? I've dealt with all of this and more in the years I've commuted, and the environments I commute through have only gotten worse since the pandemic.

These are all items literally right off the top of my head. I'm sure if I sat and thought about it a little I could add even more.

Again, I encourage you to pull any of these as needed to make your case for work-from-home. The people at the top aren't gonna figure it out unless the workers with boots on the ground lay it out real clear for them.

Note that this is also in the mindset of jobs where, during the pandemic, work was transitioned to WFH, and now the company is arbitrarily walking that back, even though we've proven for three years that we can function just fine and BETTER in the new environment. I know not all jobs CAN be WFH. But the ones that can be... why not let the employee decide?

(This is where I also acknowledge that some people LIKE getting out of their houses, away from distractions, busy households, inconvenient spaces, or who just really really like other people or something idk lol but mandatory return-to-office directives that strip away choice and flexibility that people have come to depend on over the past three years? That's bullshit.)

P.S. sorry for turning this light funny post into an irate rant. consider me triggered. my company is pulling some BS literally RIGHT NOW about this shit and I'm mad about it.

[sigridhawke]

Nikolai: 2, 23, 12Natasha: 7, 5, 14Gwendolyn: 4, 15, 3Odin: 25, 13, 6

A variety for Crimson characters and the oc asks that reveal more than you think, lets gooo!!!!

The blorbos lemme show them to you.

Nikolai: 2, 23, 12 

2.Can they take care of a plant? What about a pet? What about a child?

Surprisingly yes, there is particular plants required for a magic ritual and its not easily cultivated so they have learnt to take care of plants to an extent. Pets 100%, while they are their own beings, they have two beloved nagas bound in serpent form they would go to the end of the world for. A child? Depends on when in the story you ask this lmao.

23.Stability or novelty?

Stability 100%. Outcasted for their decisions to protect themselves and their sanity, Nikolai has, for the past 200+ years, carved out a safety net for themselves of Frigid Mountain and spreads rumour to keep folk away to ensure their little place in the world is protected. They spend most of the story with the notion of returning to that stability in mind before experiencing the world begins to expand what they consider stability to be.

12.Do they like romance in the books they read (or in the book they��re in)?

Despite Crimson being high fantasy with a bit of romance, Nikolai is very oblivious (in part because they’ve lived an isolated life in a mountain for most of it) and so affections usually go over their head. They understand the dragon principle of you’d only ever share your treasure with someone you intend to stay with forever, but wyverns don't value treasure so highly so they get the joy of fumbling their way through feelings of affection, jealousy, envy, and love.

Natasha: 7, 5, 14 

7.Describe them in three words. Now let them describe themself in three words.

Intelligent, Diplomatic, Witty

Stubborn, Forgiving, Optimistic

5.Speech! Speech! Speech! Speech! Will they give one, and what about?

She has and will give many speeches to the different rulers urging them to join her cause, but perhaps the most important speech she will ever give is that one that urges her dear friends and companions to join her in making a deal with the devil to ensure their future.

14.Would they agree with the term ‘guilty pleasure’? Do they have any?

*looks at this one potential oneshot of Natasha wanting borrow fae glamour to turn Nikolai into a Jingou fox temporarily* yes.

Gwendolyn: 4, 15, 3 

4.Do they look good in red?

Gwendolyn suits shades of blue and silver, she it a dragon of shimmering starlight that gave her the title Morning Star. If she were to wear red, it would likely be deep shades of red, or red sky at night vibes.

15.What would they consider a waste of time– other than school or work?

While Gwendolyn typically has a lot of patience for many things, something she struggles with are those who waste her time. Be it people who come to her without a reason, or those that pointlessly argue with her; as queen Gwendolyn's time is precious and she does not care for those who waste it.

3.Ask them to describe their love interest.

“My first love was a man as old as the world itself. My dear Shaurya holds both the strength and kindness of a bear. Always at my side, always supportive even when we chose to part ways. I would never blame him for putting his people first, and he knows I choose to do the same.”

“My second love was a humble King. A man who did not shy away from those of different race to his own. One who dazzled me with his magic and asked my hand to lead our Kingdom into greatness as equals. He has the best of intentions, but fears Lunaria’s survival if we did not remain neutral in this time before war.”

“The children I bore from both are my most precious gifts to the world, and I hope one day they can be united and live in the same peace my dear Shaurya speaks of old.”

Odin: 25, 13, 6 

25.Safety or possibility?

In his earlier life possibility was his driver to explore and learn everything about the world, but after his curse 600 years ago, safety has become his priority. Never leaving the forest kingdom he calls home, devoting every moment of his time to protecting and nurturing the infant race of vampires, not yet old enough to be classified as their own race. And to Thane, who’s safety he has and will shamelessly protect above all other.

13.Name one thing their parents taught them.

“You will not die like the creatures that come after you.”

6.Who will they take advice from, no matter what it is? Who won’t they take advice from, no matter what it is?

Thane to an extent, but the person who’s advice he will take above all others is Jade. She knows of his past and she has seen glimpses of the future. She seldom talks but when she does her sign language is worth reading.

Who won’t they take advice from? A tougher one, generally he’ll listen just won’t act on it but given his predicament, he will never take any advice from one of his ‘brothers’ because it will only be the same thing, and he has no intention on dying.

[beau-tee]

── Adam. Fluff! HCs

Warning. None, just me writing I guess.

Author’s note. It’s almost 5 am for me, I’m too excited to sleep. I need to practice my english probably incorrect grammar here and there,, so this too long. Just I love too much this beautiful man

愛. Adam despite his laid-back personality is an absolute gentleman, sweet and very protective when it comes to you, like a charming prince. He’s not a very touchy person at first but he becomes affectionate with you. He genuinely enjoys spending time with you though he isn’t clingy he is protective over you and will worry about your safety and well-being. Especially if you are careless, clumsy, or weak in which case, he can be a little bit fatherly towards you, feeling the need to take care of you. Of course, he’ll always make sure you’re taking care of yourself; that you’re eating enough and eating healthily, that you’re getting sufficient amounts of sleep and exercise.

愛. His kisses are deliberate. They’re gentle and sweet, it always feels right. Adam’s kisses last longer but are still gentle and in bed they can get a little more feverish and aren’t limited to just your lips. Eskimo kisses. The Father of Humanity invented them and you cannot tell me otherwise, probably because it requires less effort. He’s more a man of action than words and he’ll try his best to encourage you and support you when he can tell you need it. He’s also the best for raising your self-esteem. He’s always there to help boost your confidence if you need it. Adam seems to find happiness in simple things. He tends to approach things lightheartedly and this helps you if you are pessimistic or who sometimes can be a bit down.

愛. Adam loves to sit with you in peace and be completely comfortable together sitting in complete silence with stolen kisses and touch. Adam gives off an aura of serenity and it’s really comforting without him even trying to be. There wouldn’t be talking, just sitting side by side, enjoying the quiet and warmth your body radiate. And let him play with your hair. He can feel the stress melt away from you as you melt in his arms as his fingers twirl your locks. When he does it is always so gentle, his gestures are so delicate, you can relax every time he brushes you, you can fall asleep sometimes. Cain and Abel enjoy it too! Adam felt his somnolent little one start to nod off against him. He wrapped his arms around him and cradled him softly against him, stroking his head. And your hand stroking the blond hair of your cute Abel who lay on your soft lap, sighing blissfully, causing you to laugh.

愛. He is very considerate and observant and remembers a lot about you and is nearly perfect at coming up with presents for you which he will surprise you with gifts at random times, but especially any time he thinks you need cheering up. Mostly are simple gifts whether it’s flowers, your favourite food, or that pretty dress he saw you eyeing the other day at the store. Loves when you bring him lunch. Adam thinks your food is the most delicious thing ever. Especially when you can sweeten those sour apples of Eden. When you are baking he does enjoy helping you decorate your cakes and cookies though. Also with Cain and Abel stealing some a bit when you’re two not looking.

愛. He doesn’t mind PDA and enjoys holding hand, hugs and kisses kind of enjoys it if you are a bit clingy or touchy. Adam is quite direct. He may not seem like the type to say ‘I love you,’ but in fact, he can say it often and very matter-of-factly, no matter who’s around to hear it. Adam has no shame. He just doesn’t care what others think, he likes to hesitate to rest his head on your shoulder or he’ll come and he’ll lay his head in your lap without a word even as you are busy. Adam doesn’t get jealous very easily at all. He’s chill with everybody, he knows you love him and he has no reason to be really jealous, so he’d it’s not necessarily jealousy if someone was genuinely trying to piss him off. Adam will outright call the other person out, reminding them how disrespectful it is to mess with someone else’s partner. He thinks communication is key in a relationship. He’ll always talk to you if something is bothering him and he’ll expect you to do the same. And if you’re ever uncomfortable, no matter the situation, he’ll be there to help you.

愛. Adam like spending time with his children playing or teaching them things especially anything dealing with animals but even just different things in general like helping them learn to walk or talk or explaining how things work. Just imagine the small proud smile on his face at his son first steps. Adam and his sons rarely argue he is the type of dad that his children could talk to about anything, knowing that he won’t judge them and that he’ll always love them. If one of them would misbehave from time to time, but it might be a rare occurrence since Adam would be the type to talk and always explain why he is saying “No” rather than just say it and expect to be obeyed. M!AU；Adam is the most ‘cool’ dad. Like all of the kids at the school admiring him when he comes to pick his children up. They all just think he looks so cool and strong. But very gentle with the kids.

愛. Adam is not a morning person. He prefers to sleep in, especially if is with you. But always the only exception is when his family needs him or goes to job. Especially if you wake up earlier than either on needs you need just let him hugging and holding you from behind while placing his chin over your shoulder while wrapping his arms under your waist. Mostly Adam stays up just to make sure you fall asleep soundly and he’ll tend to watch you but not in a creepy way. He just likes to take in your beautiful sleeping face and bask in the fact that you’re actually sleeping with him. This makes him realize that you both trust each other fully and that’s when he’s the most comfortable falling asleep when you’re safe and with him. It’d be wonderful and I bet he’d be adorable to wake up next to him. That’s my fantasy.

愛. Adam loves animals. He talks to them all the time. Probably more than he talks to everyone else combined, except for you, of course. He’d love to have a pet with you. Very possibly a bunny. But anyway there is always a bird accompanying him or a small field mouse determined to following him. Adam would much rather read a book with you or go for a peaceful evening stroll. One of his favorite things to do is walk around nature with his family. Would enjoy taking his sons on long walks, carrying one of them on his shoulders, and talking about life. You two are holding his hand all the time, and the short man was rubbing his thumb over your soft hand. You only let go of Adam’s fingers when you wanted to see something up much closer, like the little birds perching on the branches to get closer to Adam and lean towards you or pretty butterflies. You slightly laugh blissfully with your cheerful voice expanding on the environment, which made the scenery most charming.

愛. His voice is absolutely beautiful. He’s amazing at telling stories to keep you entertained. Whether they really happened or not, Adam has plenty of stories to share. He’s spent plenty of time on his own and he’s needed ways to occupy himself. He also likes when you make flower crowns for him and watching you gently weave them into his hair before running your nails down his neck and shoulders. Abel loves to make you flower crowns. He will find your favorite flower and he will sit there for hours trying to make you the best possible flower crown he can come up with. Cain will act like he doesn’t care at first, but quickly practically demands that his brother teach him so he can do it for you too. This two are adorables! One downside though is that they will want to bring home the bugs and little animals they find. But once a time they brought home a skunk.

愛. Adam really enjoys it when you lays on top of him or lays with their head resting on his chest. Your head laying on his chest, and with his arms around your waist, head snuggled up against his chest his hands intertwined with yours. When he’s on your breasts it’s always super comfy for him and being able to hear your heartbeats. He also likes getting to hear it speed up every time his fingers brush against your sides and the small of your back. Adam loves hugging you from behind no matter the height difference, he just enjoys holding you close to you. Adam is a perfect cuddler. He’s strong, warm, and all-encompassing. Adam can kill for you. He doesn't need a reason to protect you and he will always love you. You definitely don’t have to worry about someone getting hurt because he’ll always protect you and your beautiful smile.

[catxsnow]

HIDDEN NAPS

Summary: You found Damian in the most unexpected place, but a pleasant surprise nonetheless. Based on this post. Batmom!reader

Warning: fluff

A/N: Just a cute little fluff to lighten your day. 

Word Count: 1.2k

Damian had a bad habit of disappearing for several hours at a time. Bruce hated it, Alfred hated it, you hated it the most. He wouldn't tell anyone where he was going and didn't seem to have enough care to answer his phone either. You were always worried sick about what kind of trouble he could get into.

There had been more than one time that Damian would get himself intro trouble and get himself home half awake and covered in blood. As mad as you were at him each time, you were more worried about his safety. Him leaving without anyone knowing always left a bad taste in your mouth.

This time, just like every time, you couldn't find him. Bruce was out doing his own thing and you couldn't even ask him to give you a hand. Alfred hadn't seen him either and as always he wasn't answering his phone. You searched the house and yard but there was no sign of him.

You even went as far as calling Jon to see if Damian had gone over to Metropolis to help with patrol. He hadn't, which had only put you in even more of a fit of worry. Did the League take him? Two-Face? The list of possibilities of who could have taken Damian was quite literally endless.

Damian had pretty much become your own son when he showed up at the Manor. Years of being with Bruce had led you to parent all of his children as they came and went. Nights of worrying what was happening to them, days of fixing their wounds. Through everything, it was something that you would never change.

Even though Damian didn't like you at first - then again he didn't like anyone - you still had patience with him. However, it was times like those when your patience would run thin. You had told Damian so many times that he couldn't just run off without telling anyone. He was still a kid, as much as he fought to be an adult.

You worried about him. Damian could easily take care of himself, but that didn't mean that bad things couldn't happen to him. Wherever he was going, you just want to know so you weren't in some sort of panic state like you were now.

Finally, you had gone down to the batcave. You had checked there once already, but now it was time to message Bruce and see if he knew about Damian's whereabouts. You hated having to pull this card, but if Damian was to live under your roof, he needed to learn that you had to know where he was going.

The cave was eerily silent, just as it always was. The dark screen lit up as you stood in front of it, illuminating the space. Just as you were about to call Bruce, a sound had caught your attention. There were often times many strange noises that echoed through, but this one sounded too familiar.

With narrowed eyes, you back away from the computer to find the source of the sound. Unexpectedly, it came from where Damian's pet cow - along with his various other pets - were kept. The closer you got, the more sure you were of what it was: snoring.

You couldn't help but smile as you peaked inside the animal pen. Batcow had been laying down sleeping - not that surprising. However, it was Damian leaning against her with his arms crossed over his chest and snores passing his lips. Titus's head rested on his lap with Alfred the cat laying by as well.

Titus perked up at your sound, but upon realizing that it was just you, he went back to his place. Quietly, you pulled your phone out to snap a picture and send it to Bruce. It was the most relaxed that you had ever seen Damian - he looked like the adorable child that he was meant to be.

You jumped the fence of the pen and knelt down beside Damian. Who knows how long he had been down there - at least as long as you had been looking for him. All your worries were washed away and you felt foolish for worrying so much about where he was. This whole time he was safe in his home.

"Dames," you whispered. Titus got off of Damian's lap and moved to sit by you. He licked all up the side of your face before sitting. "Damian, wake up." He didn't even stir at the sound of your voice. Usually, he was a very light sleeper - he must have been exhausted if he wasn't waking up now.

"Guess we're doing this the hard way, huh, bud?" You asked Titus, scratching behind his ears. He seemed to smile up at you. With a sigh, you pushed away the cat and picked Damian up - one hand under his knees the other supporting his back. He was getting to be so grown and you were sure by next year you wouldn't be able to carry him.

For now, you were thankful that he was still just a young kid.

You made the long trek up the stairs, careful not to hit Damian's head on any of the door ways or walls. Titus and Alfred the cat followed directly behind you - or more so followed Damian. As gentle as you could, you placed Damian down on his bed and pulled the covers up to his chin. Even if it was early in the evening - especially for him - he needed the sleep.

The two pets jumped on his bed with him, taking up over half the space. You shut the night light off in his room, the only source coming from the hall now. Quietly leaning over, you kissed Damian's forehead - taking advantage of the time that he was so tired he couldn't argue with your affection.

"Love you..." Damian mumbled, half awake from your touch. You breath caught in your throat at his words - it was the first time that he had ever said that to you. For the longest time, you believed Damian thought of you as nothing but another one of Bruce's... harlot's. Over time, he had grown affectionate of you.

"I love you, Damian," You whispered back, unsure if he had heard you. "Sleep well."

You were silent as you shut his door. A smile shone bright on your face as you rested your back against his door. It had been a long time in the making to get Damian to warm up to you, but you had finally done it. Suddenly, your phone buzzed - Bruce had replied to your photo from earlier.

Hard to believe that's my son sometimes

It was true, Damian and Bruce differed quite a lot in their personalities. You've caught Bruce sleeping in some strange areas - in front of his computer in the cave, his desk at work, one time even in the shower. Never would he have thought to sleep next to a cow like that. Damian loved his animals, probably more than he loved anything else.

Coming home soon? I miss you. Damian told me he loves me.

He always has, my love.

[howlingday]

the girls of rwby (along with nora and pyrrha) are all goddesses who have come to judge humanity... it's not going well and should it continue humanity will be destroyed

only one man can save us, JAUNE ARC! he will have to seduce and romance every one of them to save us all!

.... so how screwed is humanity?

Vice and Virtue

Long ago, far longer than you may remember, there was a time when humanity was truly in it's darkest hour. Horrible, black beasts known as Grimm rampaged across the land, destroying everything man had made. It seemed destiny deemed us unworthy of living, and we were condemned to perish like smoke in the wind.

But then they arrived. Seven, beautiful goddesses fell from the heavens and slew the beasts. Humanity was saved, but the goddesses' work was not yet done, for each bestowed a gift upon us.

From Ruby, the youngest of the Seven, came steel. She taught us to forge tools and weapons to defend ourselves from the Grimm, should we be beyond their grace. Thus, she was declared The Daughter of the Forge.

From Weiss, the stern lieutenant of the Seven, came Dust, a magical element designed to imbue our weapons and tools with properties of the elements themselves! Thus, she was known as the The Heiress of the Elements.

From Blake, the most recluse of the Seven, came knowledge. She taught us to read and write, as well as gifted us with a broader perspective of the world at large. Thus, she was awarded the title of The Mistress of Tomes.

From Yang, the most aggressive of the Seven, came strength. She taught us to no longer fear the beasts, but to grow angry and strike back tenfold of what we lost! Thus, she was acknowledged as The Mother of the Heart.

From Nora, the kindest of the Seven, came joy. She bestowed upon us the gift of laughter, the ability to think positively, to shirk away the horrors of the dark and to accept the light. Thus, she was accepted as the Queen of Laughter.

Yes, yes, children. I am about to tell you of our final goddess; the one who leads both the Seven as well as ourselves. However, you must know that she was the only one of the Seven to not gift humanity with a blessing, for she foresaw a great darkness within humanity; a terrible, evil thing that corrupts us, and forces our will to sin. So, instead, she ordered us to obey the Doctrine of Destiny.

Yes, my children; the very same Doctrine your parents order you to obey every day, from the Sun's Dawn to the Moon's Dusk. Thus, for this order, she was Pyrrha, Champion of Destiny!

Now, how do the Seven rule over us? Well, it all began long ago...

"Aaaaaaugh!" Nora screamed. "This is so boring! Can we please watch a different mortal?!"

"Not yet!" Ruby shouted back. "I need to see if he wins her!"

"You can look back at the dumb sword later!"

"I'll show you a dumb sword!" Ruby leaped over the table, tackling Nora. "It's called my fist!"

"Nora toss!" Ruby flew through the air, landing into Yang and Blake as the two were passing by.

Blake groaned as she sat up from her fall. She looked down at the dazed, smaller goddess, whose head was in her lap. Once Ruby came to, she immediately fell asleep. Blake grumbled and pinched Ruby's cheeks to wake her.

Yang, however, leapt from her fall and charged around the table, chasing the fleeing Nora. The shorter girl wailed and cried as she was pursued, but this did not slow the golden goddess. If anything, it spurred her to pick up her pace.

Weiss, sat down and watched as the mortal failed his test, the sword carried away by an older man, presumably his father. She swiped to a different mortal, who was cowering as another portal pushed him towards the water. Bored with him, she swiped again.

Pyrrha stepped down from her alcove to investigate the chaos. She watched as Yang chased Nora, Ruby sleep on top of Blake, and Weiss swipe across mortals on the viewing port. She sighed as she walked down the steps to the port. Extending a hand, she caught Yang, letting Nora continue to run. As Yang swung at Pyrrha, she caught her fist.

"Stop." Yang lowered her fist, and head, and sat down next to Weiss.

Pyrrha then made her way to Blake, trapped by the sleeping goddess in her lap. She knelt down and tapped her face. The goddess stirred, but did not wake.

"He failed." Ruby immediately awoken and rushed to the port. There she argued with Weiss to use it. Pyrrha helped Blake up and led her to the table, where she sat next to Yang. "Nora." The girl stopped, looking to Pyrrha. "Sit." She did as she was told.

Weiss returned the port to the downtrodden young man in the port. He was sitting on a stump, head down as he sighed.

"Oh no!" Ruby cried. "He did fail!"

"So what? It was just a sword." Nora commented.

"You're just a sword!" Ruby stood to restart her assault, but Yang shot her a glare, and she sat down.

"I'm sure it was a really good sword, but it's not worth fighting over." Yang said, trying to calm Ruby. She watched as the boy sat and moped, head in his hands. She twisted her face in discomfort as she thought. 'Could do without his moping, though.'

"Agh!" Pyrrha gripped her head as her emerald eyes shined with a beautiful, green light. As beautiful as it was, however, it could not compare to the agonizing burning sensation she felt in her head. The others watched, for they knew what this was. It was the reason she was the head of the goddesses, their leader blessed with a powerful gift. Pyrrha was recieving a prophecy, a vision of a destiny to be realized.

And from the pain she was in, it was a prophecy to come soon. A fate that often ended in a death.

The young man stood before Pyrrha, sword in hand. He raised his blade high above him, both hands gripping the hilt, and brought it low. The next image was of the young man weeping over the fallen form of the goddess. She lay still at his feet, his blade soaked in blood.

When Pyrrha came to from her vision, the others surrounded her.

"Step away," Weiss called out, "let her breathe!"

"What happened?" Nora kneeled next to Pyrrha, refusing to back away as the others had. "Did you have a vision?"

"Yes." Pyrrha stood on shaky legs as Nora guided her to her feet. "I foresaw that man, and he will be my death."

The others stood in silence, each slowly turning their heads to the morose lad on his seat. Nora and Ruby shared a look of concern, while Yang and Weiss grit their teeth in anger. Blake, however, approached the port. She studied the mortal as though he were a puzzle to be solved.

After a few moments, she sighed, looking back to Pyrrha. "What do you suggest?"

"I say we kill him!" Yang barked with rage. "A mortal who threatens the goddesses must be dealt with severely!"

"Must you be so barbaric?" Weiss rolled her eyes. "I suggest we place him in the Dust mines. Some hard labor will deter any attack."

"We could just, you know, ignore him?" Nora offered. "He doesn't have a sword, so I don't see why we should even bother worrying about him."

"I say we steal his sword!" Ruby leapt onto the table around the porthole. "He can't hurt us if he doesn't have it!"

Blake sighed, and walked to Pyrrha. Guiding her to her seat, she knelt next to her and massaged her hand. As Pyrrha regained her bearings, Blake asked again.

"What do you suggest?"

Jaune Arc carried hay from the storage unit to the stable. As he tossed it over the fence, two horses approached him, a stallion and a mare. The stallion was black with a fiery-orange mane, and a temper to match. The mare was white with a mane of gold, and spirit as gentle as a morning breeze.

The two shared this stable since they were purchased by his family years ago, since Jaune was only a lad. He had always dreamed of being a warrior, fit for his family name, but it seems he was only fit for tending to these two. But he didn't mind. These two were his responsibility, after all, so it wouldn't be fair to leave them alone for him to play hero.

Still, though, the thoughts never left his mind. He imagined battling ferocious monsters. He dreamed rescuing damsels and the innocent from the wicked. He fantasized traveling outside these lands atop his horse.

But which one? The stallion was certainly brave, if his temper was any way of telling. But his temper was mostly directed towards Jaune. If the boy traveled too close to the stable, the stallion would rear back and charge towards him, before tearing back again and stomping his hooves around him.

Perhaps the mare then? Ah, but where the stallion was bold, she was as shy. She would often hide away into the shade of the stable, leaving it's safety only for meals or when no one else was nearby. She wasn't a mare for heroics. To say she was a mare for anything besides shying away would be completely untrue.

As the two ate from their pile, Jaune leaned in and pet their heads. The stallion grunted while the mare's ears flicked. He smiled and leaned against the fence, sighing with satisfaction.

"Such beautiful creatures, no?"

Jaune looked to his right and saw a robed figure standing next him. They were tall, with a deep crimson robe with golden trimmings. The voice sounded feminine, leading Jaune to think the figure was a woman. She turned and smiled at him, the robe covering the rest of her face. "What are their names?"

"Names?" Jaune looked to the horses, holding his chin with his fingers. "I... don't know. We never named them."

"No? Beautiful creatures deserve beautiful names, no?" She extended her pale, delicate hand towards him. "Like yourself. I'm sure you have a beautiful name."

Jaune blushed a bit at that. "Uh, Jaune. My name is Jaune."

"Jaune." She said his name with a sigh, like it was a pleasant breeze on a clear, summer day. "Why haven't you named these horses, Jaune?"

"I... I don't know." He turned around and leaned back against the fence. "I never thought about naming them."

"Never?" Jaune shook his head. The woman pointed her finger at the stallion, who snorted and flared his nostrils at her. "You have a fiery soul; a temper like a volcano, and twice as dangerous. Henceforth, you will be Vulcan."

The stallion stomped his hooves at his naming, like a child throwing a tantrum. The woman giggled at this and reached into the stable.

"Wait! Don't-!" Jaune reached to woman, but as he grabbed her, he slipped and fell onto his face. He wiped to mud from his face and witnessed something unbelievable.

Vulcan, the stallion who never let anyone near his stable without an offering, placed his head against the woman's palm. He breathed calmly as she stroked her thumb along his hair. She removed her hand and kneeled to lift Jaune to his feet.

"What about her?" She asked, gesturing to the mare. "What would her name be?"

Jaune looked at the mare. She looked back at him, almost expectantly, as she shook her head. She was beautiful; a horse many would fight for just to have and gloat about it. If Jaune were a warrior, he would be proud to be held aloft by such a magnificent creature.

"Gloria." He said. "Her name is Gloria." She trotted by to her shade, but he noticed that she had livelier steps in her canter. He chuckled.

"But what about you?" Jaune looked to the woman. "Does this beautiful creature have a name?"

The woman chuckled. "Indeed." She removed her hood with a smile, and down her head flowed a beautiful river of hair that reminded him of a fire-pit, with piercing eyes like those of gemstone. "I am the disciple of my goddess, the Lady of Black, and my name is Cinder Fall."

[trensu]

@lemonisinplay continues to bless me with her BRILLIANT thoughts on Jon's Creeping Terror Fun Fact Corner! if i'd known this was gonna become a Thing, i'd have given it a shorter name lololol. She cheerfully pointed out that these kids shows sometimes have an activity section where you can make arts and crafts right in your own home! And who better to lead an arts and crafts segment than the woman who made an accurate map of the distortion?

--

[Scene opens to a dim room. at the center of the shot, a large table covered in files, books, and scattered sheets of paper. An old woman sits in a chair that should dwarf her but seems instead too small to fit her stern expression and perfect posture. Jon stands next to her, eyes flickering from one messily shuffled file to another. His hands are fidgeting, as if he's restraining himself from righting the nearest precarious pile of books. The corner of his mouth flinches down into a scowl before forcing a very false grin]

Jon: It's time for everyone's favorite segment, Get Crafty with Gertrude! Pay close attention, children, so you can tell me what you learned from Gertrude later!

[He stomps off set, muttering something about organization and the value of a clean work space, and for god's sake isn't there a sensible reference system she could be using?? Gertrude's expression does not change but there is a vague air of amusement for a split second before her stern gaze turns back to the camera.]

Gertrude: welcome once again children. do you ever feel like you're being watched? Perhaps you are playing with your toys and you notice out of the corner of your eye the character on the cover of your favorite story book are staring straight at you? Or perhaps you're in your living room with all the family photos on the wall and the eyes of the people you love seem to follow you around the room no matter where you go? But of course, you say to yourself, it's just a book, a photo; it's a coincidence, a trick of the light, that makes you think that

[a quiet ominous pause. the lighting seems to change, throwing her features in stark contrast.]

Gertrude, voice low: This is untrue. Do not lie to yourself. Lies can get you killed. Remember, they are always watching.

[another pause, heavy and thick. then the lighting brightens somewhat. gertrude's features no longer carry the threatening aura displayed moments ago.]

Gertrude: But we can fix that! for today's activity, you'll need a cutting mat, an x-acto knife, and very steady hands [she chuckles]. Pick out a book or picture that has eyes on it. We are going to learn how to remove them so they won't see what you do when you think no one is watching.

[Gertrude pulls out a photo to demonstrate. It features a man with a patronizing smile and eyes that don't quite mesh with the rest of his face. The camera zooms in to focus on her hands as she positions the photo on the cutting mat]

Gertrude, whipping out a knife: Now, you must be sure your knife is as sharp as possible so that--

[an interruption off scene. it sounds like martin but the insistent whispers are hard to make out. Gertrude seems to hear them fine and frowns.]

Gertrude: That's not practical. Adults are not always around and getting rid of all-seeing eyes is significantly more urgent.

[the insistent whispers continue. Gertrude's frown turns into a scowl to rival Jon's.]

Gertrude: If the children can't handle an x-acto knife on their own, they will likely not survive one of the entities and this segment won't matter.

[the whispers get sharp and rise in pitch. Gertrude glares for a moment before heaving a very put-upon sigh.]

Gertrude: For legal reasons, I must ask that you only do this when you have a parent or trusted adult nearby to supervise. I suppose as long as you're within hearing distance, it's fine. if you cut off a finger, they'll be able to hear you scream and come to your aid. although I hardly think losing a pinky is cause for that much concern so long as you staunch the bleeding.

[A muffled shout of frustration is heard. "You completely invalidated the statement!! Safety is important, why does no one understand that safety is important??" It is definitely Martin.]

--

Bonus behind the scenes content

[Jon and Gertrude are arguing vehemently about how to best keep an archive neat. Gertrude maintains an aloof air while Jon steadily gets louder and more irate.

[One of the studio's alley cats roams in and both Gertrude and Jon stop their conversation to simultaneously attempt to pet the cat. Jon throws a surprised glance at Gertrude, who remains cool and collected even as she strokes the cat.]

Jon, shyly: ...you like cats? [his gaze is firmly on the gray tabby as he rubs his knuckles under the cat's chin]

Gertrude, matter of factly: Yes. I heard you Beheld some delinquents who were harassing the Commodore here.

Jon: I did. The Commodore and the others don't deserve that sort of treatment. They've done nothing wrong ever in their lives.

Gertrude: yes, i Know. That's why i love them. I can excuse killing archival assistants but I draw the line at hurting the cats.

Jon, enthused: Yes, cats really are amazing creatures and--wait. you can excuse killing archival assistants??

[the tension ratchets back up. the Commodore senses this and stalks out as jon and gertrude have a stare down, still crouched where they had been petting the cat. Glowing green eyes suddenly blink open to halo Jon's head. Gertrude's own eyes narrow, mouth a firm line.]

Jon, voice deep with power: Ceaseless Watcher, see this unworthy servant--

Gertrude, voice like granite: Young man, don't you dare--

[The compulsion in her words makes Jon stutter but does not stop him. The room starts to tremble beneath the pressure of the sudden power spike between the two avatars]

Stagehand 1: *expletive* not again. we just rebuilt the set!

Stagehand 2: Someone get Martin in here now. And bring Gerry's book!

Stagehand 1: And maybe one of the cats.

[Several members of the team scurry to carry out orders, panic clear on their faces. The last thing we see is Martin skidding into the scene, hurriedly reading from a tome and a ghostly outline starting to emanate from it. Scene cuts to black.]

[crystal-moon-101]

I wanna hear your take on Benlie and/or Benkai. You don’t have to ship them, just say a few things you could have done to make them smoother and healthier, friendship or romance. You could even have both if you have an idea on a better, cleaner break up story.

Ok, so I’m a Benlie person, 100%, and while I don’t ship Ben and Kai, I definitely think they deserved to be handled better. So I have rewritten how those relationships, along with a few others of Ben’s love life, have gone, and I’ll share it here. Warning, this does get a bit long, and does have some violence at a certain point, but I hope you enjoy my take on it!

So the start of Ben and Julie’s relationship in Alien Force is mostly the same, though I did adjust it that they somewhat knew each other before hand, having seen each other in school, especially since Ben’s soccer practice took place at the same time and same kind of area as the girl’s tennis practice.  Ben asks her out, Ship appears and becomes her pet, Julie starts understanding the alien better, sees Ben have 14 moth children, the basic stuff from canon. However, my major changes start during season 3 of Alien Force, the part of the series that took quite the nose dive in terms of character arcs. I still have it that Ben and Julie start to have issues and argue, but in believable ways, and they still clearly love each other. The issues arise when Ben does start to get cocky a little, due to all the praise he’s getting from saving the galaxy from the High-Breed, and his accomplishment surrounding that are huge, since he hasn’t won something like that before. Again, doesn’t help that half the galaxy keeps praising him and treating him like a God, but Ben does still be a hero, and even starts to get anxieties since now he’s starting to deal with bigger issues, more people demanding for him to help their planets around the galaxy, and Ben wants to be that hero for them...but there is only so much he can do. He does love the admiration from everyone, feeling special and all that, but he does start to make him feel different, in and odd way...He’s struggle to connect with his human grounds now, due to constantly turning into aliens and spending time out in space, his relationship with earth just isn’t the same anymore. And even them, aliens around him treat him as something else too, like he’s not human or an alien, he’s something else, and not knowing what makes him nervous. To mask all of these fears, he uses his over-confident nature like a mask, and it does get pretty bad for a month or two until Gwen, Julie and Kevin make him see reason. Meanwhile, Julie is struggling in her own right after the High-Breed war. She was happy to have fought in it to protect her home and people, but after seeing a proper glimpse of the alien worlds outside of earth...she will admit that scares her. She didn’t go off world like when Kevin, Gwen and Ben did, mostly waiting for them on earth and did missions there with them, even lending them Ship when they needed it. While she didn’t judge Ben and was willing to live with idea of aliens after their first date, like adopting Ship, she still have a lot to process about there being alien life. It’s much harder on her than it was for Ben, because he learnt about it when he was young, his entire family knew about it and could support him through it, and even the Omnitrix provided better understandings for him. Julie...she didn’t have any of that. It was just her dad, Ship and her, and while Ship was a good start, he was still just one tiny piece of the outside world around her. She knew she’d have to accept it over time, now that she knew the truth, and especially when earth starts learning that truth too, but at times it felt like she wasn’t allowed to process. She doesn’t blame Ben for it, as he’s so use to it all by now, but there have been many moments where he seems to forget she is very early to this whole alien concept compared to him. She was afraid she couldn’t catch up, and even has moments where she didn’t want to take a step forward, afraid of what she might find. So she started joining less and less missions with Ben, Gwen and Kevin, and while she still hanged out with them, she tried not to get involved with their alien business. She will admit, maybe a part of her wished she didn’t know about alien life at times, to have a life back when things seemed more simple.

So these deep feelings from both Ben and Julie spark arguments, because both are unsure with themselves, thus unsure in relationships with others, especially each other, with Julie thinking she couldn’t keep up with Ben, and Ben thinking he couldn’t slow down for her. And it all eventually led to a point where things had to stop... And unlike Omniverse’s god awful handle of the break up, I instead had it like this. Julie is the one who starts the conversation, having called Ben over to her. She’s honest with him, saying that it’s just not working out, and that they should find different people that work for them. Ben does beg a little at first, saying he’ll try better, but Julie knows that right now they can’t be a happy couple and need space, and Ben eventually agrees, but it still hurts. It hurts more when Gwen and Kevin leave too, and Julie also goes on a tennis tournament in France, so Ben has to deal with the loneliness he feels for a while, even when Rook joins his side. Meanwhile, Julie meets Herve in France, who was taking photographs for sport magazines. The two talk and eventually hit it off, Julie somewhat clinging a little as Herve is very much the down to earth and normal human guy she thought she wanted, someone who wasn’t related to any alien business. She does miss Ben, a part of her not letting go, and while the two agreed to remain friends, they did drift a little over time. They would still voice chat, send some text and Ben would check up on her tournaments when he could, but both of their lives got rather busy and they drifted away for a couple of months, though still dearly missing each other. Ben takes his time to heal, still dealing with all the other problems he’s facing, especially the whole “Am I human, am I alien, am I something else?” and “How much of a hero am I without the watch?”. His friendship with Rook grows pretty well, and he settles somethings with Gwen and Kevin since they moved to university. So most relationships of his are going well, expect for romantic relationships...  He struggles to settle and commit to most of them, and mostly dates around for a bit, spending some time with people like Looma, Rook Shar, even Attea on one date. He does eventually settle with Ester for a bit, and the two seem like a good match. Both fun loving, eager for adventure, and enjoy each other’s company. And Ben did try and make it work, he really did, Ester was a great girl and he wanted the best for her but...again, it was hard for them to keep up with each other. Ester is a girl full of energy, and very much wants to do something 24/7, and while she doesn’t fault Ben, she will admit she does get lonely when he spends so much time off on missions she can’t join in, and the two break it off when Ben couldn’t be what she needed. But they are still close friends and hang out pretty often. Again, alone in his love life, Ben felt hopeless in it. Was he cursed to be single for the rest of his life? So when Kai came back into his life, his first proper crush he can remember, he will admit that maybe he jumped into things too quickly. There was no Kenny time traveling nonsense in this version, no fate tying to together, rather just two young teens jumping into a relationship neither ended up wanting. But they stuck with it for a while because they felt like they had to, despite the arguments and bickering. Both were scared to be alone, as Ben couldn’t lose another girlfriend, and Kai realized just how lonely her work made her feel. They didn’t hate each other, they just weren’t in love. It didn’t help that, since Julie returned to Bellwood with Herve, Ben felt jealous at Herve. Which annoyed him, because Herve was actually a really nice person, and gave Julie a lot of love. Really, it was more Ben angry at himself that he couldn’t provide the things Julie needed...And while Julie and Ben did talk and hang out from time to time, Ben was distance often, even when Julie reached out to him. It was just...seeing her so happy, living a normal life, Ben didn’t want to taint that with his presence.  It wasn’t until one fateful day that things started to turn around, though the start was pretty bad. It was another day, another fight with Vilgax, who was rampaging through the streets, clashing with Plumbers, Ben and Rook. Julie and Herve had been nearby when it started, and the two decided to help get civilians to safety, splitting up at one point to cover more ground. Julie ran into Rook and Ben, who tried to usher Julie away, but unfortunately Vilgax noticed her, and saw Ben’s panic of worry for Julie to run. It didn’t take long for Vilgax to remember who this young teenage girl was, and decided to use her as hostage against Ben. Seeing his arch nemesis using someone he secretly still loved as hostage, not to mention he had a pretty bad week before hand, Ben just...kind of snapped. He didn’t go easy on Vilgax for once, switching between multiple aliens rapidly to stomp Vilgax into the ground. (Side Note: I have the headcanon that, while Ben can do rapid transformation, if he does so many in a short amount of time, he does get a mild side affect of his emotions being amplified, due to his brain having tumbled around from the quick transformations.)   By the time the Plumbers and Rook arrived, the two city blocks had been trashed and Vilgax was burred into the road. Due to the side affect of multi  rapid transformations, Ben was protectively holding onto Julie, who had passed out from some injures from Vilgax (Nothing major, but the stress of it did make her lose conscious). They managed to pry Julie away, while Ben was taken away to calm down, needing to give his body and mind for a rest. Julie was taken to a Plumber hospital, and she woke up fairly soon with mild injures that wouldn’t be too much of a hassle to heal over the next few weeks. Many visited her, including Herve, her dad, Gwen and Kevin, along with Ship her stayed by her the entire time. It took a long while for Ben to show up, mostly because he was nervous and felt ashamed by how he acted, but Gwen gave him a good peep talk and convinced him to go.   It started off a little awkward, but simple, Ben checking how she was feeling, with her also making sure he was ok too. They catched up a bit, even laughing over some old memories, which eventually lead into a small discussion about their past relationship, both finally properly apologizing for how they acted, even clearly up a few things that were worried over, like Ben admitting that he had been avoiding Julie because he thought it was better for her, and not because he hated her or anything. Buttt, one thing lead to another and well...the two kissed in the heat of the moment, both going in for it, and for a few seconds it was bliss...until they both realized what they were doing, and understanding that one, Julie was still dating Herve, and second, Ben was still dating Kai. Flustered, Ben rushed out of there, with Julie panicking over what they did.

The two keep it a secret, not wanting people to know what happened between them, and when Julie got out of the hospital, they kind of awkwardly avoided each other, needing to think about things. They clearly still held feelings, but they were both dating other people and were scared to mess up with each other again. Cue them somehow almost always bumping into each other, like the gods themselves were trying to make them suffer, and their feelings becoming more and more obvious, but neither making a move of any kind. Ben confides in Kevin, Gwen and Rook, even admitting to his feelings and the kiss to them, and while they give him advice, they know it’s up to him and Julie to sort things out.

But Ben avoids it again, not ready and unsure in himself. He already messed up many relationships before hand, including with Julie, so what if it all went downhill again...And Julie questioned herself, she had been avoiding space and alien life for so long, thinking it would make her happy, but she starts to realize that no...it’s not making her happy, trying to deny something outside of her bubble just wasn’t working anymore, especially with her feelings towards Ben. However, after some long thinking, Ben decides to at least do one thing. So he organizes a get together with Kai at a cafe, needing to talk to her. The two have a sit down and Ben explains that this relationship isn’t working, and that they shouldn’t keep trying to make something that isn’t there to happen. Kai agrees, both feeling some stress loosen from their shoulders, and they still decide to be friends, feeling much more comfortable with a relationship like that, even sharing a nice hot chocolate together at the cafe. And so while Ben goes to deal with the other problem in his love life, Kai may or may not end up catching up with Ester in the process~ While Ben makes plans on what to do next, he and Rook are ended up being called over to a Plumber Prison base, to make plans to move Vilgax finally. Little did they know, Vilgax prepared for this. You see, a part of him already knew he’d be capture again, sent to this base to await movement, so the last time he was here, he built up some allies on the inside, and eventually the outside. He also knew Ben would show up, so he made a plan to make sure the Omnitrix wouldn’t get in the way. After how Ben stomped him into the streets before, Vilgax was looking for some nasty revenge. Not really kill Ben...but something more traumatic.  So when Ben and Rook show up, surprise surprise, Vilgax isn’t in his cell. While Rook talks to some of the guards, Ben searches Vilgax’s cell for clues, only for it to suddenly turn on, along with it’s defenses, including an electric shock that surprises Ben, and causes the watch to bug out, unable to be used. Rook check on Ben, but next thing anyone knows, alarms start blaring and almost all cells open, and prisoners start running while. Since Ben’s watch is down, and many people here hate him, Rook wants to keep him safe and tries to escort off the base. But Ben being Ben, he wanted to help, and rushed off to try and help some injured guards here and there, with Rook following. However, some prisoners, who were secretly working under Vilgax, skillfully guide Rook and Ben away from each other, and eventually trap Ben in a lone room, but not by himself. There, Vilgax was waiting for him, and since Ben didn’t have the watch to help, he was screwed. Vilgax knocked him around a few times, though being careful enough to not instantly kill Ben with his strength, before deciding finally to make the hero suffer. (Warning here for those who are squeamish) He does so but taking the tip of one of his claws, and dragging it down Ben’s arms, damaging his nerves. He would have done more, if not for Rook, the guards and some Plumber bursting in and chasing him off, saving Ben before he could bleed out, but the boy did pass out and wouldn’t wake up for a long while. People were, of course, scared...particularly Ben’s friends and family, who visited him everyday, mostly Max and surprisingly Azmuth, who also fixed the watch to help in Ben’s recovery. Gwen and Kevin ended up being the ones to inform Julie what happened, when she noticed Ben wasn’t around, and hearing that Ben almost died...it scared Julie. She didn’t want to lose him, of course, but also the idea that he could have died while they still had issues to fix...she didn’t want it to end like that, for things to be so messy and unclear. So when Herve saw her look down and upset, and getting her to explain what happened to Ben, the two talked. Herve admits that for a while he knew Julie still had feelings for Ben, and could tell that things weren’t so cut and dry between them, especially when he got to met Ben himself. He also admits that maybe Julie and Herve are, in a way, maybe a little too perfect for each other. Their relationship is stagnant at times, with not a lot of growth because never healthy challenges the other. So with no hard feelings whatsoever, Herve says that if Julie wants too, the two can break up but still remain friends, and Julie thanks him, agreeing too and even asking that she hopes he can still be her photographer. And for the next few weeks, Julie visits Ben with some of the others from time to time, hoping he’ll be ok so they can talk... Eventually, Ben wakes up, Azmuth having been there when he did so, and helps to catch the young boy up on what happened. Ben notices that, while his arms have been healing finely enough, his nerves are a little slow in the process, having not fully recovered, shown by him unable to keep his arms and hands steady, constantly shaking when moving them. It scares him, even when Azmuth reassures him that they’ll heal thanks to the watch...Ben just can’t help but feel like if they don’t heal, then he may have to give up the hero business in the end, even if that’s just his fears playing tricks on him.  So during his recovery, people come visit him, making sure he’s ok. Until eventually, Julie shows up, wanting to make sure he’s ok, and knowing they had to talk. They couldn’t keep putting it off, especially after something like this, and Ben finally agrees to stop running and to finally clear things out. They discuss a little more about their past relationship, about their insecurities during it, and where they go from here, both mentioning they’ve broken up with Herve and Kai.  They talk some more, relaxing in each other’s company, and admit to their feelings, both deep down knowing they want to give it another go. And since they’ve had time apart, learnt from new experiences, they decide that maybe they can try, taking it slow and see where it will go. And the two kiss, and for once in a very long time...it feels right. As said, they take things slow, and after everything that happened in the past few years, things actually go well for them. There are, of course, hiccups there and here, but they’re matured enough to know how to talk things through, and solve problems together.  Ben does start to recover more and leave the hospital, and while he nerves aren’t fully healed by them, they will eventually. And while the two go one small dates during his healing, catching up and being blissfully happy with each other, they end up bumping into Kai and Ester, who appear to also be dating now. One thing led to another and the four end up going on double dates fairly often, having fun times together, Ben 100% supporting his two exs dating, seeing how happy they are. Julie, Ester and Kai even like to share cheesy stories of when Ben was their boyfriend, and he loves to play alone with it too.   And that, is my take on Ben and Julie’s relationship! 💚💗

[dana-chan-the-control-brain]

Ignore if you already got something similar from someone else. From your fic, the scene that stuck with me was when Compapa defends Zim from Ms. Bitters when he thinks she is JUST talking shit about his behavior and such, being sick of the way Zim is treated by the Tallest and piecing things out. I also like how it is also revealed Ms. Bitters does think the same about Zim as Compapa.Yes, I am a sucker for the "Zim is actually one of Ms. Bitters' favorite students" trope.

Awaaaaaa thank you.

Lol I always sprinkle a little sugar onto Invader Zim don't I?

I just can't get over how Miss Bitters speaks calmly and nicely to Zim when it really isn't nessasary for her to do so.

She's just underpaid and a grump to everyone, but Dib being her least favorite student and the bar set so low by everyone else (other than Zita) gives Zim brownie points cause he actually does his homework.

I kinda like the idea that Miss Bitters actually does care about her job.

She's the one that most actively argues with the Skoolboard and actually participates in Skool events like the Class President election (which is open to the whole skool and not just her class) and sometimes what she fights the Skoolboard on is actually beneficial to the students.

Like she will argue against celebrating Valentine's day because she hates children trading meat and having joy and being lovey.

She will also argue against having a skool pet cause she knows the thing will probably die in a day cus the kids won't take care of it, or would just hate to see the kids excited about a cute fluffy creature they need to take care of.

But then she will argue about how the skool uses their budget for the desks, and puts the skool into quarantine immediately upon a lice outbreak (this could be for safety of the students or she didn't want it to spread, but maybe she just wanted to cause more suffering or save her own skin? But there was a button so she was following procedure on this I think) and tapes Zim often just cause she knows hell often forget things frequently

She's really actively involved in all of this.

I get mixed signals from this woman all the time and it's hard for me to tell if she gives a crap about the skool or not.

Like if she hates kids, hates the education plug, why does she fight with the Skoolboard so much on practically everything and how they run things and why isn't she a member of the Skoolboard?

I like to think maybe she used to be and got kicked off, or when she became a teacher she tried to get in and they just never let her.

Like I think she does waaaaaay deep down all the way down in her Bitter ugly black soul, but it's like a smidgen. She's more apt to let a child die in front of her then to prevent it.

Like in my fic Bitters cares about tardiness but I can see her in the opposite position where she gives no single fucks.

Bitters and Computer are both run down by different systems and deal with it in different ways, and I love writing their interactions and I'm glad I could come up with an excuse for these two to interact.

Anyways, I didn't mean to ramble about Miss Bitters too much.

(I was totally serious when I said I have enough material and headcanons to make a Miss Bitters retrospective fic)

[xmystophalesx]

Best New Metal Releases Weekend of February 25th, 2022

This was a very odd week in more than a few ways. There was a flood of new releases on Tuesday the 22nd. Don’t know if a lot of bands were thinking they were being clever by releasing their album on 2-22-22 or what, but that started an avalanche of releases for the week. Final tally I went through was 144 albums, of which 59 made the final cut. There was a LOT of bad production and terrible vocals this week, otherwise there would have been no way I would have gotten it all done by Sunday night. I’m sure everyone also knows about the bigger news in the world right now that colors your perception of things all around you, the Russian invasion of the Ukraine. Kind of difficult being super excited about music (or anything else really), when people are fighting for their lives. Watching video footage of men and women getting their children to the Polish border and safety and then turning around and going back to fight for their homes is absolutely heartbreaking. Normally I try to keep this light and positive because music IS joy. So I apologize in advance if this weeks post is a little subdued.

Well, with this insane number of releases, there was also a large amount of highlight albums as well, so let me get to it.

HammerFall - Hammer of Dawn

Got to love a band that knows exactly who they are. You always know what to expect when it comes to this band. They are the AC/DC of Power Metal. Some albums are better than others by small degrees, but all of them are good. That being said, this is one of their better ones.

Felskinn - Enter the Light

Sometimes you just really need some old school catchy Heavy Metal. This band surprised me with their well crafted songs with sing along choruses, great riffs, and really nice lead guitar work. This is the Heavy Metal/Hard Rock version of that favorite raggedy t-shirt you have and refuse to throw away.

Meslamtaea - Weemoedsklanken

I don’t think a week has gone by in the last year when there hasn’t been at least one standout Black Metal release for the week. Meslamtaea continue the streak with their latest album. Atmospheric Black Metal with a wide variety of influences that lead to a masterful job of songwriting that always keeps you engaged. Just a tip, skip the intro track. I REALLY wish this practice would go away (Personal pet peeve..lol)

Venator - Echoes From the Gutter

Want some Iron Maiden influenced traditional NWOBHM? Look no further than Venator. I give this album the credit for putting a big smile on my face in a week that was anything but worth smiling about. I preordered the vinyl copy of this album by track 4. If you like the traditional metal genre in the slightest, this is an album you simply can’t miss.

Hibria - Me7amorphosis

Brazil is mainly known for Sepultura but I would argue that Angra has had a larger impact overall. Hibria is a band that has taken that seed of the Angra influence and has built on it ever since their first release in 2004. On their latest album, it really feels like they have taken everything up another notch. This album is a perfect representation of what Progressive Power Metal is all about. Catchy songs, great vocals and guitar shredding that will impress even the most ardent of haters.

Allegaeon - Damnum

Want a Melodic Death Metal band that has never released a subpar album? Allegaeon is that band. This album is absolutely dripping with next level quality. Incredible songwriting with tons of variety. Mind numbingly good guitar work and a drummer that takes everything up to 11. Other bands need to take notice of how Allegaeon uses clean vocals and take some notes, as this is a perfect example of how to do this right. This will be on a TON of end-of-year lists.

AQuilla - Mankind’s Odyssey

This was definitely a throwback kind of week. Maybe reminding me of nuclear annihilation in the early to mid-1980’s made me feel nostalgic for that Traditional Metal sound, but whatever the reason, there were more than a few great albums released in that genre this week. AQuilla is another one of those with uptempo Traditional Metal songs that really transport you to that time without sounding like a cheap knockoff. Don’t skip this one if you miss that sound. I really wish this one had a vinyl release.

Mind Erasure - Connive

I have really become a big fan of the Melodic Black Metal sound and if you throw touches of Death Metal into the mix I am a pretty easy mark. Mind Erasure does exactly that. Amazing songs highlighted with incredible riffs and production that is the sonic equivalent to being punched in the chest.

Walg - II

Continuing on in the vein of production that sounds like a sonic beating we have, Walg. Symphonic Black Metal NEEDS big expansive production to get that overall huge feel the music needs to give those symphonic elements to really stick the landing. Of course, you also need great songs and that being said, Walg has hit it out of the park with this one.

Obstetra - The Evolution Paradox

Death/Grind is not one of my favorite genres, but I can certainly appreciate it. So when I am highlighting a Grindcore album you can take my word that it is something really damn good, and this album is exactly that. 20 songs in 36 minutes and a great listen all the way through. Maybe I would become more of a fan of the genre if the quality was more like this. Great album that will be perfect to get and keep a mosh pit going for the entire duration of a live show.

Bloodstained Ground - Horrors of a Withered Dimension

If you like your Melodic Death metal a little more raw and dirty, this is the album for you. There is something about this album that really worms its way into your consciousness. It isn’t the best I have ever heard in the genre, but there is something undefinable in it that kept me coming back for more. Maybe it is the small moments of instruments you don’t normally find on a Metal album like a Sitar or a Pungi. Whatever it is, give this one a listen if you enjoy the genre.

Fall of Stasis - The Chronophagist

This one was a grower. I enjoyed it the first time I heard it but wasn’t blown away by it. As the weekend went by, however, I came back to it and the second time I think I appreciated a bit more and by Sunday night I had listened to this album 4 times and it had gotten better and better each time. This is Black Metal mixed with Folk Metal but there are other influences sprinkled throughout that really gives this album a lot of depth. That depth is what you pick up on during subsequent listens to this album. This is one of those albums that you can just tell this band just REALLY enjoys playing music.

Bit of a rough week overall, but once again, music is there to carry me through. Well, that and having the cutest bulldog in the entire world who incidentally turns 3 years old on March 1st. She is awaiting treats in the mail, so get to it…:)

Until next week and, as always,

BANG THY HEAD!

Threadstone-Viva La Corrupcion (Hard Rock)

Ezkaton-To Those Who Fell (Atmospheric Black)

HammerFall-Hammer of Dawn (Power/Traditional)**

Metal Cross-Soul Ripper (Heavy Power)*

Glyph-Remind Us Of the Sun (Black)

Grailknights-Muscle Bound for Glory (Power)*

Svartsot-Kumbl (Folk)*

Zadra-Guiding Star (Hard Rock)

Thunderor-Fire It Up (Traditional)

Felskinn-Enter the Light (Heavy)**

Soliloquium-Soulsearching (Doom/Death)*

Artisan-The Stain of Life (Thrash)

Timeless Rage-Untold (Symphonic Power)*

Meslamtaea-Weemoedsklanken (Atmospheric Black)**

Diablo-When All the Rivers are Silent (Heavy)*

Selfgod-Born of Death (Death)

Venator-Echoes From the Gutter (Traditional)**

X.I.L.-Rip & Tear (Thrash)

Deathbell-A Nocturnal Crossing (Doom)

Hibria-Me7amorphosis (Progressive Power)**

Thempest-Plague Maiden (Death)

Allegaeon-Damnum (Melodic Death)**

Insineratehymn-Disembodied (Death)

Scorpions-Rock Believer (Hard Rock/Heavy)*

Aquilla-Mankind’s Odyssey (Heavy Power/Traditional)**

Flagras-Lohe (Black)

Maentra-Kundalini Rising (Death)

Mind Erasure-Connive (Black/Death)**

Sadistic Demise-Canabalistic Urbanistic (Death)*

Archvile King-A La Ruine (Black)

Blue Sky Theory-We Are the Sky (Melodic Death)

Carnage-The Stench of Rotting Souls (Death)

Ritual Awakening-Ritual Awakening (Melodic Death)*

Martyr-Planet Metalhead (Heavy Power)

Anatomy of I-The Los(T) Angered Sessions

Walg-II (Symphonic Black)**

Hatred-Hateful Extermination (Thrash)

Stellagen-From Dying Stars (Melodic Death)

Emetropia-Equinox (Symphonic Power)

Perceptions of Torment-Elegance in Postmortem (Death/Grind)

Russland Negativism-Delirium Gnostica (Black)*

Slob-Deepwoods Shock of Sodomy (Brutal Death)

Endura-Between Earth and Sky (Heavy/Traditional)

Human Enslavement-Amaran (Death)

Goodbye June-See Where the Night Goes (Hard Rock)*

Obstetra-The Evolution Paradox (Death/Grind)**

Deathbell-A Nocturnal Crossing (Doom)

Warmblood-Master of the Dead (Death)

Bloodstained Ground-Horrors of a Withered Dimension (Melodic Death)**

Fall of Stasis-The Chronophagist (Black/Folk)**

Chronosfear-The Astral Gates Pt.1 : A Secret Revealed (Symphonic Power)*

Incrypt-Thrashing Extinction (Thrash)

Nihilo-Resolution (Death)

A Devil’s Daydream-Misfortune of Suffering (Melodic Black/Death)

Invisible Control-Created in Chaos (Melodic Death)*

Cobra the Impaler-Colossal Gods (Heavy/Progressive)

Carve-Procession of Fools (Death)*

Tyranny Enthroned-The Infernal Summoning (Black/Death)

Humator-Curse of the Pharaoh (Death)

All worthy of a listen if you like the genre

*= standout in that genre

**=best of the week regardless of genre

Pick of the week goes to Allegaeon-DAMNUM with 5 super big birthday wishes out of 5.

[vanikolya]

hi! if you guys still doing it, can i request the whole fluff alphabet for akutagawa? thank you!

A - activities: what do they like to do with their s/o? how do they spend their free time with them?

he really generally just enjoys any time he spends with his s/o, from just sitting comfortably with them and both doing their own thing, to something planned like going out together. he doesn’t mind either but he does prefer anything where it’s just the two of them there, as it’s more private.

B - beauty: what do they admire in an s/o? what type of person would they fit best with?

would prefer it if his s/o wasn’t in the mafia, it’s too easy to lose them from something so simple as a job gone wrong, even so he’d rather lose them than his s/o lose him. i think he would fit well with someone who isn’t too sensitive, as he can sometimes come off as blunt in the relationship and have trouble expressing how he feels about his s/o. something he would like best in an s/o is for them to understand how he feels, and be able to be patient with him, and know how to calm or comfort him if he needed it.

C - comfort: how would they help their s/o when they feel down/have a panic attack etc.? 

if panic/anxiety attacks are something his s/o has often, he reads up on how to help them deal with them. he follows the advice almost to the point, enough to calm you down and that's it. he's much better helping cheer you up after an attack or when you're just upset, often by putting on your favorite film or tv and trying to look after you (making food, grabbing things you need etc.)

D - dreams: how do they picture their future with their s/o? 

he struggles to see a future that includes both the mafia job and his s/o. it goes unsaid that he would definetely rather drop the mafia than his s/o, though. however in the case that his s/o is still with him in the future, or he finds a compromise so that they can still be with him if he remains in the mafia, then he doesn't really see things like marriage and children a necessity; though that doesn't mean that he won't want those things one day, or agree with you if you do.

E - equal: are they the dominant one in the relationship, or rather passive?

rather passive, especially if his s/o has dated before or has more experience in it. given his life so far, he’s new to relationships and being romantic and is learning about relationships and how they work, etc. from his s/o and occasional advice from chuuya people he trusts within the mafia.

F - fight: would they be easy to forgive their s/o? how are they fighting?

he holds grudges easily, but hardly ever for the wrong reasons. he doesn’t fight about small things often, especially with his s/o, unless he’s already annoyed with something else. even then, he apologizes and admits that was his fault, albeit a little awkwardly, as soon as he’s calmed down. however, one of the things he’s most likely to argue about is if his s/o ever does something, or wants to do something that would put them in danger.

G - gratitude: how grateful are they in general? are they aware of what their s/o is doing for them? 

yes, but has a little trouble showing it in any other way other than just bluntly thanking them for what they do. he’s not exactly the best at expressing his feelings, especially through actions rather than words, but he still means well even if his thanks don’t sound genuine at times. 

H - honesty: do they have secrets they hide from their s/o? or do they share everything? 

yes and no; there’s certainly things he hasn’t told them, especially if they aren’t in the mafia like him, but most of those are things he would tell them if they asked the right questions or talked about the right topic. he doesn’t generally feel the need to keep secrets from his s/o, unless it’s to keep them safe.

I - inspiration: did their s/o change them somehow, or the other way around? like trying out new things or helped them overcome personal problems? 

for akutagawa, being with his s/o has really helped him with dealing with people. there’s a clear difference between things like his levels of patience or care for others from before the relationship to during/after it. he still only shows that to a few select people though, such as his s/o themselves. 

J - jealousy: do they get jealous easily? how do they deal with it? 

yes, but not to an obsessive point. he’s not the type to get jealous because of his s/o hanging out with close friends rather than him, nor to cut corners and assume there’s something going on between his s/o and any of their friends, but seeing someone else flirting with his s/o or being romantic with them is a different story. most likely gets angry with the other person and telling them to leave you alone because you’re with him, generally not even in a subtle way through calling you pet names and being affectionate, he just wants them gone and will be as blunt as possible about it.

K - kiss: are they a good kisser? what was the first kiss like? 

his kisses are simple; he has no real prior experience with it, and shared his first kiss with his s/o.

L - love confession: how would they confess to their s/o?

by accident. he was trying to stage a way to confess to his s/o, only for them to overhear him nervously talking to himself to practice it and chime in to say that they would love to be with him. needless to say he was taken aback and flustered hearing them say it.

M - marriage: do they want to get married? how do they propose? what would the marriage be like? 

he doesn’t want to get married for as long as he’s in the mafia. even if he loves his s/o enough to want to marry them somewhere along the line, their safety is one of the things that matters most to him and to marry them would be bringing them further into that life than he already had just by being together with them. he isn’t keen on the idea that being married would change anything about their relationship, other than hoping that by then he’d have learned how to express himself more and he could be more affectionate.

N - nicknames: what do they call their s/o? 

likely a nickname or two that references something about them (like calling atsushi “jinko”, but in a more affectionate way) and/or something standard like “baby” and other romantic pet names. since he’s not particularly one for using them, he just defaults to some of the usual ones he’s heard other people use.

O - on cloud nine: what are they like when they are in love? is it obvious for others? how do they express their feelings?

it’s tragically obvious for others, almost everyone he works with who has heard him mention his s/o knows he’s in love. he talks highly of them to anyone he trusts, and goes soft if they’re ever mentioned. especially when he and his s/o interact, it’s so obvious with how he goes soft whenever his s/o holds his hand, gives him a kiss, or a hug, etc. he doesn’t express his feelings well physically, moreso in words and his reactions to physical affection from you compared to from anyone else.

P - pda: are they upfront about their relationship? do they brag with their s/o in front of others? or are they rather shy to kiss etc. when others are watching?

he’s rather shy about it around other people, and shows physical affection a lot less than usual whenever he and his s/o are around other people. however, he’s not going to complain if his s/o does something like hold his hand, he’ll just get a little flustered about it.

Q - quirk: some random ability they have that’s beneficial in a relationship.

R - romance: how romantic are they? what would they do to make their s/o happy? cliché or rather creative?

something cliche, but he tries his best to make his s/o happy. he tries hard to make the smallest of things he does to surprise them special, and it’s quite endearing.

S - support: are they helping their s/o achieve their goals? do they believe in them?

contrary to how he shows affection, he’s better at helping his s/o practically rather than through verbal encouragement. he helps them practice, or study, or leaves them be and tries to help through giving them less to worry about, by trying to cook or tidy up himself so that his s/o doesn’t have to think about it. even so, when you reach the thing they’ve been learning, or practicing for, he does offer them a quick, bashful “good luck” before they go.

T - thrill: do they need to try out new things to spice out your relationship? or do they prefer a certain routine?

he’s completely fine with a simple, certain routine to things; he’s so taken by even the small things he does with his s/o, like eating together, cuddling, he still isn’t even completely over his s/o giving him kisses and hugs.

U - understanding: how good do they know their partner? are they empathetic? 

he knows his s/o well, mostly from listening to them attentively each and every time they wanted to just talk, or vent to him about something. he isn’t very empathetic in general and struggles with it, and if his s/o is ever sad he still tries his best to cheer them up even though he can’t fully understand what they’re feeling.

V - value: how important is the relationship to them? what is it’s worth in comparison to other things in their life?

as far as akutagawa is concerned, his relationship with his s/o is the best thing that’s ever happened. he sees it as worth much more than other things in his life, except for things like his sister and members of the mafia he has a close relationship with, but even then he holds his s/o at the same worth as those.

W - wild card: a random fluff headcanon.

X - xoxo: are they very affectionate? do they love to kiss and cuddle? 

at the start no, he’s not particularly one for physical affection, but it ends up growing on him though. only in private, and only from/with his s/o; he’s better with receiving it than he is with giving it.

Y - yearning: how will they cope when they’re missing their partner?

“if i ignore it, the feeling will go away.” spoiler alert, it doesn’t, but he doesn’t know how else to cope with it, other than quietly putting up with it and perhaps telling his s/o that he missed them when he’s able to see them again. however throughout the time he’s missing them, he would think about them more than usual as expected, and perhaps worry about them a little as well.

Z - zeal: are they willing to go to great lengths for the relationship? if so, what kind of?

every so often, he attempts to make some kind of grand romantic gesture, or at least what he thinks is one anyway. he’s acutely aware of how much he takes rather than gives in the relationship, and doesn’t want his s/o to leave him because of it. things he attempts range from stepping out of his comfort zone to go somewhere or do something that would make them happy, attempting to make a romantic dinner despite not being able to cook that well.

[mermaid886]

In which a heavily pregnant Lily divorces James and leans on Severus, the two work through their problems as adults to come together as one. ❤️

Loving Lily: A Snily Story

Severus Snape was devastated when Lily Evans ended their friendship during their fifth year at Hogwarts.

Severus Snape continued to watch Lily from afar.

He felt the knife turn in his heart when he learned of her relationship with James Potter.

Lily was seeking a way to hide from her true feelings, her feelings that she dared not acknowledge, her feelings that had nothing to do with James.

James was handsome, athletic, wealthy, and popular.

Everyone convinced her that it must be true love.

At graduation, it seemed that Severus and Lily had both immersed themselves in the false truths they were so desperate to believe.

Lily committed herself to James.

Severus committed himself to acting as the Dark Lord’s most trusted agent and he buried himself in his master’s ideals.

At least, he tried.

As he stood one evening, in the aftermath of a Death Eater raid, Severus listened to Voldemort while he made a grand speech, praising his followers’ success and enveloping them in his vision of a world free from all mudbloods and muggles.

As Voldemort spoke, Severus’s eyes were drawn away to a vibrant mass of red hair that peeked out from some unfortunate woman who lay lifeless behind the ruined tavern's wooden counter.

Severus’s stomach clenched in sympathy for the slain and his heart skipped a beat as he realized one undeniable truth.

All mudbloods and muggles……

All.

Severus understood then what he had been too blind to see when he had sworn his allegiance to the Dark Lord’s cause.

If Severus continued on his path, if Voldemort wasn’t defeated, then one day…...one day that mass of red hair would belong to Lily.

—————————————————————

It was easy for Severus to betray Voldemort in favor of protecting the one he loved.

He discreetly returned to his old school grounds and presented himself to Dumbledore, which surprisingly, resulted in multiple job offers.

“Your time will be filled, Severus.” Dumbledore nodded at the young man in front of him, “Slughorn is retiring….I’ll need you to serve as the new potions Professor and also as my informant. Do you think that you’re up to the task?”

“.......Surely I’m too young to be a staff member, sir?” Severus blinked incredulously.

“Such decisions remain in the headmaster’s hands, Severus. Slughorn told me he's never seen a student with such a natural aptitude for potions such as yourself.” Dumbledore asked as he looked over his spectacles and asked once more, “Besides, will Tom not be thrilled to have one of his men employed here?.........What do you say?”

Severus’s black eyes flooded with determination as he gazed at the headmaster.

If it meant protecting Lily Evans, there was no task that Severus Snape was not up to.

—————————————————————

The next months passed by in a hazy blur.

Severus was trying to maintain his positions with both Dumbledore and Voldemort while he gradually learned how to be an efficient teacher.

It was a show of his great cunning that Voldemort never discovered he was secretly working for Dumbledore.

The look that Severus wore on his face for the entire week after he found out that Lily and James had married left Dumbledore certain that he would never have to doubt Severus’s loyalty.

Dumbledore was no fool.

Severus Snape belonged to neither him nor Voldemort.

Severus Snape belonged to Lily Evans and that kind of devotion was as stable and as unchanging as eternity itself.

—————————————————————-

“We’re eagerly trying to contact the Longbottoms and get them to safety. However, I need your help with the rest of the matter, Severus.” Dumbledore said to his spy as the two men spoke in his office late one evening, “I’ve been advised there are two magical children slated to arrive in the time frame that the prophecy referenced.”

“How can I assist, sir?” Severus asked in a low whisper, barely moving his lips.

Dumbledore tried not to let his eyes shine as he opened his mouth to speak.

He had spent days thinking the matter over and he saw no better approach to the issue.

“I’ve had scouts searching for safe houses, but I’m confident that there’s not a more secure location for the expectant mothers than Hogwarts. I need you to collect Lily Potter and bring her here.” Dumbledore nodded.

Severus’s jaw dropped, “L…...Lily Potter, sir?”

“Yes, Severus.” Dumbledore nodded, “I’ll provide you with the Potters’ address and don’t worry, I’ll let her know to expect you.”

Severus felt like he had been patted on the head and slapped in the face.

He was going to see Lily again!

But she was……she was…...with child?

James’s child…..

“What about…….?” Severus began. He was grateful when Dumbledore finished his thought, “James Potter will not be with her. Only Lily, Severus.”

Severus was curious to learn more about the situation, but Dumbledore’s clarification of his assignment felt like a breath of fresh air.

Only Lily, Severus.

Only Lily.

—————————————————————

Three days later, Severus found himself walking up to the brick house that Dumbledore had instructed him to visit.

He looked up at the building with his brow furrowed before he walked up the front steps and stood on the stoop.

As he lifted a hand to knock on the door, he scowled as he heard something from inside.

It was a sound that Severus had encountered often as a boy, shouting, arguing voices battling angrily with each other.

Severus rapped sharply on the wood in an effort to drown out that horrible noise.

Silence followed, then footsteps came stomping towards the door and at last, it swung open.

Severus’s black eyes widened as he found himself face to face with Lily.

Once the pleasant surprise wore off, his heart soared into his throat before it plummeted into the soles of his feet.

Lily was just as beautiful as he remembered, her hair full and rich, her kind eyes a deep green, her face so lovely and……

Red.

The reddened skin around her blood-shot, wet eyes bothered Severus even more than her rounded belly as she quickly tried to wipe away her tears. She flashed him a nervous smile, as she greeted him politely, “Hello, Sev!.....It’s been a while!”

Lily spoke as if the events of the past had never happened between them and he answered her in a similar manner.

“Hello, Lily…...Yes, it certainly has.” Severus replied with a frown. Behind her, from inside the house, he heard something slam and she wiped away more tears as Severus broke the silence and went on, I’m here to escort you to Hogwarts. Dumbledore mentioned that he would tell you I was coming?”

Lily laid a hand on the side of her belly and Severus followed the motion as she nodded and smiled, “Right, let me just get my things. Wait here a moment…..”

Lily carelessly left the front door open as she turned and hurried away.

Severus loitered on the porch while he blinked after her with a scowl.

Severus could be a rather nosy person by nature, and he was more than intrigued to find out the circumstances behind why James wasn’t coming with Lily and why the face of his happily married, pregnant friend was drenched in tears.

Severus looked into the house from the open doorway, but he dared not enter, wanting to respect Lily’s wishes.

That romantic notion was abandoned when he heard a shriek ring out from the house’s interior, followed by a thud.

Severus would have recognized James Potter’s voice anywhere as he heard him shout, “LILY!”

Severus was off of the front stoop and over the threshold so quickly it was almost unnatural.

He dashed through the darkened, vacant living area and towards the only light he could see, shining from the back of the house.

As he passed by, he couldn’t help but notice the stacks and stacks of packed boxes that sat around the room and littered the staircase to his left.

Severus came bursting into what appeared to be James and Lily’s kitchen in a swirling torrent of his black robes flying and in an instant, his wand was in his hand.

Severus saw Lily lying on the tile floor, unconscious, as James crouched over her.

His black eyes narrowed as a horrible scowl clouded his face.

“You’re a monster, Potter! A monster!” Severus shouted as he accusingly stretched his wand out towards James.

As James hovered worriedly over Lily, he looked up at Severus and raised his hands defensively, “I…...I didn’t touch her! She slipped….she’s fallen! I didn’t touch her!”

Severus stared at his old nemesis with the utmost loathing as Lily started to stir.

The only thing that kept James Potter alive in that moment was Lily and her rounded abdomen.

A groan issued from Lily’s throat as her eyelids fluttered and Severus stepped closer while James bent over the redhead and cried, “Lily! Lilyflower! Can you hear me? Can you hear me?!?!”

Severus tried not to vomit when he heard James use that disgusting pet name but he murmured, “Don’t shout at her, Potter. You’re only going to startle her more.”

“Yeah…...I can hear you…..James.” Lily groaned again as she opened her eyes and slowly sat up.

James frowned in worry and laid a hand on his wife’s shoulder as Severus boldly approached and knelt down a very short distance away.

Lily put a hand to her head while Severus and James watched her tensely.

“Lily….” Severus began but Lily’s hand trembled slightly and she swallowed thickly.

“It’s alright.” She whispered, “I fell…...it was my fault. It was an accident.”

“Are you having any pain?” James asked anxiously, “Are you alright?”

Severus hissed at James through grit teeth, “No, she’s not alright, Potter! Does she look alright to you, you-“

“-I’m fine!” Lily snapped with a ferocity that surprised them both.

James and Severus both reached out to help her as she pulled herself to her feet, but Lily ignored them and used the kitchen cabinets for support instead.

She turned away from James and looked at Severus as she said, “Sorry, my trunk’s there, behind the table…….I’m ready to go now.”

“You need to get to a healer!” James shouted, “Let me take you!”

“It’s none of your business what I do, James!” Lily shouted back as Severus glided over to the table and retrieved her trunk.

Severus ignored James’s sneering face as he looked down at Lily while she begged him, “Please, Severus, get me out of here.”

“Don’t worry, Potter.” Severus sneered as he let Lily clutch onto him so they could apparate, “I’ll have Madam Pomfrey tend her immediately as soon as we arrive.”

Severus had to actively suppress the triumphant grin that threatened to break out across his face when he saw the defeat in James Potter’s eyes.

————————————���———————

Lily was quiet while Severus helped her up to the hospital wing of Hogwarts.

He sat quietly at Lily’s side while Madam Pomfrey meticulously examined her.

“Do you remember how long you were out?” Madam Pomfrey asked Lily while she shined a bright light in her face.

“I…..no, a few seconds maybe?” Lily stammered.

Severus scowled at the reflexive way that Lily’s hands slowly came up to her face as she tried to block out the light’s unwelcome assault.

“She was unconscious for a moment or two.” Severus honestly answered Hogwarts’ healer.

“Probably nothing more than a mild concussion, then.” Madam Pomfrey asserted once she finished her exam, “The child seems fine.”

The child.

Severus’s black eyes flickered to Lily’s belly as Madam Pomfrey helped her patient stand from the examination table.

Severus hurried over and let Lily lean on him as Madam Pomfrey instructed, “A bit of rest should right her. Monitor her closely, though. When she wakes in the morning, make sure she has her wits about her.”

“Of course.” Severus nodded.

Careful to support Lily, he helped her from the hospital wing all the way to his personal chambers.

“You don’t have to have me here……” Lily said groggily while Severus helped her sit down on the sofa.

“I can watch over you more easily if I have you nearby.” Severus said very matter-of-factly as he thoughtfully placed a pillow behind Lily’s head, “Give me just a moment…..”

Lily’s eyes started to close as Severus hurried away.

Severus hadn’t anticipated having Lily as a guest in his own rooms, but when Madam Pomfrey stated she needed to be watched, he saw no better place for her.

Severus walked into his bedroom and quickly changed his bedsheets, fluffed the pillows and threw on a clean duvet before he walked back to the sofa.

When he saw Lily slumped over uncomfortably, sleeping with her neck crooked, he frowned.

He didn't wish to disturb her or injure her further, and so, he was extremely gentle as he gathered her from the sofa, lifted her into his arms, and carried her down the hallway.

Severus laid Lily down on his bed and cocooned her in the sheets as tenderly as if she were made of glass.

He pulled the duvet up to her chest, but he blinked in surprise when she grabbed his hand and cracked her eyes open, “......Thank you….Sev.”

“You don’t need to thank me, Lily.” Severus replied.

He knew Lily was in no state to talk of such matters, but in that moment, he couldn’t resist saying to her, “I do hope that someday you’ll realize…. I truly am sorry…….for what I did, for what happened.”

“I’m sorry for what I did, too.” Lily said with a bitter smile as her eyes opened more and she gazed up at Severus.

Severus furrowed his brow and looked down at her as he replied, “.....What are you talking about? You haven’t done anything. It’s important for you to rest….Close your eyes and sleep.”

“I abandoned you when I should have stood by you.” Lily said as she squeezed Severus’s hand tightly and more tears welled in her green eyes.

The raw emotion in Lily’s voice shook Severus down to his core and his mouth fell open as he listened to her speak, “I should have…….been there…..more, for you. I should have…...I should have……”

Severus frowned as Lily broke off with a loud cry and placed her hands over her face while great, heaving sobs wracked through her body.

“Oh, Lily……” Severus rumbled in his low voice.

She reached for him and he didn’t dare turn her away.

He sat down on the side of the bed and let her cling to him while she wept.

He even reached out and placed a comforting hand on her back.

Perhaps it was his imagination, but he could have promised that he felt her lean into him.

“There’s no need to apologize, Lily.” Severus whispered, “The past can’t be changed…I’m not angry with you…....Besides, you and James have a lot to look forward to.”

“James……” Lily whimpered. Severus was frightened that she was calling out for her lover until she sobbed again in a breath that wrenched itself from her chest, “......James and I are divorcing!”

Severus’s dark eyes widened when he heard that statement.

Suddenly, everything regarding the evening and Dumbledore’s instructions made much more sense.

In the silence that followed, Severus gently rocked Lily back and forth in his arms while she continued to cry.

He didn’t enjoy lying to her, but he certainly wasn’t sincere as he whispered, “Well…..I’m very sorry to hear that.”

“It’s my fault…..” Lily whined quietly, “I….I made the wrong choice.”

Severus’s heart raced as she laid her cheek against his chest and listened to his heartbeat for a moment before she took a deep breath and sighed, “It should have been you, Sev. It should have been you……”

When Severus heard Lily’s words, he felt as though he would rise from that bed, sail through the sky, and collide directly into the sun that would rise in a few hours.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/33703366/chapters/83766274

[storydays]

Season 1, ep 6,p1

-The Next Day-

You were humming happily, brushing Neo's fur as he groaned happily."Feels good huh, Neo?" You laugh as he looked at you and flopped onto his back, exposing his belly for you to brush. "Ha! Okay, point taken." Suddenly your radio playing music turned into something unexpected. "Good morning, citizens of Republic City. This is Amon. I hope you all enjoyed last night's pro-bending match because it will be the last.' You turned to the radio, your body frozen in fear as the man continued to talk.

"It's time for this city to stop worshiping bending athletes as if they were heroes. I am calling on the council to shut down the bending arena and cancel the finals or else there will be severe consequences." With that ominous message, the radio went dead. You jumped when Neo nudged your arm in concern. Sighing shakily, you smiled even though it didn't reach your (e/c) eyes. "I'm okay, but how do you feel about taking a swim?"

*At City Hall*

You walked in with your Uncle Tenzin and immediately took your seats, Tenzin placing a hand on your shoulder in comfort. "Here we go." You whispered.

*20 minutes later*

The door made a loud bang sound as the Avatar and your teammates walked in. Your Uncle stood up, addressing her. "Korra, you shouldn't be here! This is a closed meeting." "As the Avatar and a pro-bending player, I have a right to be heard. You can't cancel the finals." she stated, walking closer. "I know winning the championship means a lot to you, but as far as I'm concerned, we need to shut the arena down." the Airbending master stood his ground.

"What about the rest of you?" demanded the Avatar. "Tarrlok, surely there's no way your backing down from Amon, are you?" "Actually, Tenzin and I agree for once." "The council is unanimous--we're closing the arena." "No!" Mako cried. "You can't!" agreed Bolin. "(Y/N), what about you? Out of everyone here, pro-bending means the most to you." Korra tried desperately. You looked at her, with a mix of emotions. "Yes, but it'd be selfish of me to want the arena open for my own needs. Part of our job is to protect the innocent, Korra." She turned to Tarrlok, confusion clear in her face.

"I thought you of all people would take a stand against Amon." He glanced at you quickly before turning his attention to the blue eyed girl in front of you. "While I am committed to bringing that lunatic to justice, I will not put innocent lives in danger at stake just so you and your friends can play a game." At that point, Mako had enough. "Pro-bending might only be a game to you, but think of what it means to the city. Right now, the arena is the one place where benders and non-benders can gather in once place to watch benders--" "Beat each other up..in peace! It's an inspiration to everyone!" You couldn't help but laugh at the Earthbender.

"I appreciate your naive idealism, but you're ignoring the reality of the situation." Tarrlok replied coolly. "The reality is: if you close the arena, you let Amon win!" Korra tried once more. "I'm sorry, but the decision has been made. This meeting is adjourned." Before he could bang the hammer, a wire came out of no where and snapped the wooden hammer in half. Everyone watched mesmerized as Lin pulled it back to her suit.

She raised an eyebrow before speaking. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with the Avatar." "You do?" "You do?" "Yeah, you do?" You, Tarrlok and Korra wondered. "I expected this kind of cut and run response from Tenzin, but the rest of you?" You cough to cover your laugh at Lin's jab at your Uncle. "Come on, show a little more backbone. It's time the benders of this city displayed some strength and unity against these equalists." Her green eyes peered at you in particular.

"We must prevent the conflict between benders and non-benders from escalating to into an all-war! The council is not changing its position, Lin." "Now just a moment, Tenzin. Let us hear what our esteemed Chief of Police has in mind." Your Uncle tossed his hands up, as Lin began to talk. "If you keep the arena open, my metal benders and I will provide extra security during the championship match." "As will I." Everyone turned to you in shock.

"But (Y/N)--" Mako started as you held up a hand. "Right now, the lives of the benders are more important than a championship. Korra will take my place, and I will be in the crowd to jump in if needed." Lin looked at you with a hint of pride, and while Tenzin felt pride for you as well, the fear of you being hurt was stronger. "There's no one better to deal with Chi-blockers. Our armor is impervious to their attacks."

"Are you saying that you will be personally responsibility for the safety of the spectators in the arena?" Tarrlok sneered. "I guarantee it." Your Aunt said firmly. "It is hard to argue with Chief Beifong's track record. If she and (Y/N) are confident her elite officers can protect the arena, then she has my vote. I am changing my vote--who is with me?" The Earth, Fire and Southern Water Tribe representatives raised their hands and Tenzin knew he was defeated.

"The arena stays open. Good luck in the finals." Your teammates cheered, while you sent them a weary smile. "And good luck to you, Chief Beifong and (Y/N)." With that you waked off, your hair swishing behind you. Your teammates, Aunt and Uncle watched as you left. Korra turned to the woman next to her. "Thank you--" "I didn't do it just for you. I also did it for (Y/N), he's been different for a while, and I think this will help him."

"A word, please, Lin." The woman followed out of ear shot, but was unaware of you meditating in the rafters. "Tarrlok is playing you, and I don't want to see you (Y/N) get hurt." "I know what I'm doing, and the risks that come with it. As for (Y/N), he's stronger than you give him credit for, he's not that same child he once was." "In that case, I'm going to be by your sides during the match."

You peeked an eye at his figure, waiting for his response, "It's for (Y/N) and Korra. I want to make sure they're safe." "Do what you want. It's not like I've ever been able to stop you before." With that she stalked off, ignoring Korra as she tried to approach the woman. Korra turned to your Uncle with an annoyed look. "What is her problem? Even when she's on my side, she's against me." "I've known Lin since we were children; she's always been challenging."

"What did your father do to make her hate the Avatar so much?" "My father and Lin got along famously...I'm afraid her issues are with me." Korra seemed to have a light bulb moment. "Wait a second, it all makes sense. You and Beifong, Beifong and you....you two were a couple!" You sputtered a laugh, as your uncle replied. "What? How...where'd you get that idea?" "Ha! Your wife." Korra smirked as your Uncle muttered.

"Criminy! I'll have to have a word with her.." "So, Pema stole you from Beifong? I'm surprised our 'esteemed Chief of Police' didn't throw her in jail." Korra mused, looking at Tenzin as he looked back wistfully. "Oh she tried. Anyway, Pema didn't steal me. Lin and I had been growing apart for some time; we both had different goals in life--why am I telling you this?" he sputtered.

Your curious (e/c) eyes glowed slightly in the dark from your hiding spot, as you watched their interaction. "It all happened a long time ago, and we've moved past it." "Apparently Beifong hasn't." Your Uncle clenched his fists. "What do you...? Of course she has. Anyway, this isn't any of your business." He began storming away and Korra could't resist calling out, "See you at home, Mister Heartbreaker!" she laughed, before yelping as you appeared out of nowhere.

"Gah! We should put a bell around your neck, (Y/N)." You chuckle at her. "Sorry, Korra, but you should be more aware of your surroundings. And that is what we're going to work on when we're waterbending." You started to walk away with your hands clapsed behind your back when Korra wondered, "(Y/N), how come you train with the airbenders and I when you're a waterbender?" 'Finally.' You turned towards the girl with a giant smirk on your face. "Well, now you're asking the right questions, Korra. But I'm hungry! Let's go find something to eat! Your treat!"

Your laughter echoed in the halls as Korra chased after you, demanding an answer.

*The next morning*

You opened your eyes to see your Aunt Pema holding a plate of food in offering in front of you. Her green eyes sparkled with motherly concern and love. "Be safe tonight, (Y/N)." She said, sitting next to you before you fell in peaceful silence.

*That night*

You pulled your hair into a high ponytail, similar to Korra's hairstyle, before tightening your armor Aunt Lin gave you for your 18th birthday. "All clear, Chief. " an officer called to her, her intimidating presence powering over yours. She made hand signals before turning her attention to the approaching Airbender behind you. "How is the security sweep going?" "Fine." the Earthbender said dryly."They checked under the stands?"

"Yes, Uncle." "And you have enough officers to cover all points of entry?" With a irritated sigh, she turned to him. "I have the skies, the bay, and every nook and cranny of this place covered. Now leave me alone and let me do my job." You rolled your eyes, and walked away from the bickering adults in search of your tiny companion. "Nevermore! Where are yo--"  Suddenly the (f/c) dragon appeared with a bone in her mouth.

"Ah! Nevermore what is in your mouth?" You yelped, trying to take it out of her mouth. It was comical: you the oh so stotic (Y/N) fighting with a baby dragon. She thought it was a game of tug a war and you were sorely losing. A soft giggle in the corner caught your attention and you looked towards a grinning Asami as she came out of the corner.

"Relax (Y/N), it's a vegan chicken bone. I know how you feel about how much meat she eats." You smiled in relief that your pet hadn't take an actual bone from somewhere else. "Heh, thanks Asami." She then pursed her lips and studied you for a moment while you were chanting silently in your head for her not to say anything about your almost full on confession.

"So, (Y/N) about what you said the other day,--" "What do you mean? I say a lot of stuff the other days." You tilted your head, making you look like a polar bear pup. Nevermore looked at you with a look that screamed, "Tell her the TRUTH," You turned away from the girl, with a hand cupping your ear, "Huh, what's that Aunt Lin? You need to talk to me?" You turned to the unimpressed girl with a grin. "Sorry, Asami; They're calling me, so I gotta--bye!" You left as quick as your feet carried you away.

The dragon looked at Asami who looked at her and they both laughed at your silliness when really Asami wanted to talk to you.

*20 minutes later*

"The anticipation is palpable as we are just moments away from the championship match. Will the Wolfbats' ferocity help them repeat as champs or will the under dog Fire Ferrets serve up a surprising bowl of smack down soup?" You scoff next to your Aunt and Uncle who looked at you curiously, "It isn't a surprise if he says it." You said sassily making them chuckle at you.

"Introducing the challengers, the Future Industries Fire Ferrets!" The crowd went wild as Bolin started doing some silly poses. "Oh it seems the Avatar is filling in for (Y/N) today! But where is the young Councilman?" wondered the MC as your fans began booing and calling for you. Lin smirked and elbowed you from where you crossed your arms. "Seems like someone's got himself a fan club."

Even though you were part Bumi, you were also part Lotus. She was a shy and reserved thing. That's a part of her personality that you got as well. You chuckled bashfully. "Nah, they just like having me for bets." You looked closer at the Ferrets, noting Korra was rolling her eyes at Mako. Nevermore chirped from your shoulder, and you snicker.

"You said it, girl." Pabu started chirping from the ring making Nevermore fly up and breath fire onto Bolin's Earth disk making the crowd cheer in wonder. "And their opponents! The WHite Falls Wolf Bats!" Said team started howling and cheering while you rolled your eyes at their dramatic entrance.

You held your arm out for the baby dragon to land on like a hawk. "Isn't the leader of the Wolf Bats your ex?" Tenzin asked while Lin sent him the stink eye. "Yes Uncle he is. Jerk." You sniffed in disdain. "The champs and challengers face off at the starting line and here we go!" Your left eye twitched as your ex tried to get Korra with some dirty trick.  "Tahno tries to clean the Avatar's clock with some dirty water-boxing. Ming shakes off Mako's attack and returns the favor."

Mako and Korra were both knocked into second and Bolin was soon knocked back after making you wince. "Ahh, maybe I should've made Korra be on guard duty." You face palmed at the girl as your aunt laughed slightly at your misery.

Nevermore chirped from where she was perched on your shoulder, making you bark a laugh.

"Hush Nevermore or no meat for you for a week."

You got a nip on the ear for that.

"Ow!"