#no. it's a DASH. she sees the opportunity and ZOOMS

[bitchiswild]

On The Court

GP Huh Yunjin x F! Reader

Warnings: Smut, Exhibitionism, Creampie, and others things probs 🤷‍♀️

Word Count: 1.5k

A/n: Sorry if it’s bad 💃🏼 but enjoYyY

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"Got the hang of it now?" Yunjin inquired, leaning against the fence surrounding her private tennis court. She had just finished an extensive session. As the girlfriend of a well-respected champion, she was teaching you what you needed to know when it comes to tennis.

"Yeah, I think I've got it. Let's try a game, shall we?" I replied, eager to challenge my skills and elevate them to the next level. I got into position, ready for the ball to come right at me.

"Love!" Yunjin's voice echoed across the court, a playful twinkle in her eye as she tossed the tennis ball into the air. With graceful precision, she brought her racket down, sending the ball gliding over the net, its trajectory aimed squarely at my side of the court.

As the ball landed within my court, I ensured it bounced once before my swing. "Keep it inside the lines," I coached myself, recalling every rule and fundamentals Yunjin had taught me. Mindful to avoid the net, I prepared to strike. With precise timing and just the right force, I sent the ball soaring over the net, a blend of power and control behind my shot. It zoomed past Yunjin after a single bounce on her side, earning me 15 points.

Excitement bubbled up within me,Yes!" I yelled out in sheer glee. "Ha! In your fucking face!" My triumphant outburst echoed across the court, a mix of elation and competitive spirit driving my words.

"Pretty good, babe," Yunjin said, initially shocked, but the surprise quickly faded, replaced by a smirk.

"Game on."

As the game went back and forth, the scores kept climbing until we reached this critical moment where every point mattered. The tension thickened around Yunjin and I as the final round loomed, signaled by the ball tossed into the air. I focused hard, determined to win. I wanted to prove a point—to show Yunjin that Y/n L/n did indeed grasp tennis, despite just learning it.

I was convinced I could pull off a win. Crushing Yunjin's ego seemed like a golden opportunity, and I was totally up for grabbing it.

Surveying her position at the far-right corner of the court, I seized the chance to smash the ball towards her opposite side. The ball raced across the court at a blistering pace, catching Yunjin off guard. She dashed toward the ball on the other side, attempting to keep up, but by the time she reached it, it was too late for her to make a hit.

A surge of realization flooded my face as I witnessed the ball whiz past Yunjin. I had won the game—yes, I had actually won! My body erupted with excitement, and I couldn't contain myself. "Yes! Hell fucking yeah! In your face! Did you see that, Jen!? "I beat you!" I exclaimed in pure triumph, relishing the victorious moment.

Yunjin's faint smile revealed a hit to her usually unshakable ego. It was clear that losing had hit her hard, especially since she's usually the one who dominates in tennis. "Congrats, babe," she conceded gracefully. "That was a good game."

I rushed up to her, unable to contain my excitement about the win. "Did you see that? The ball just sailed past you! Oh my goodness, that was too good! I wish we had cameras for a slow-motion replay!"

"Alright, Y/n, we got it, you won," Yunjin said, her tone beginning to carry a hint of irritation.

I pouted teasingly at her. "Aww, is Yunny Hunny Bunny’s ego feeling a little busted because she lost to her girlfriend?"

“It is not. My ego is fine.” She huffed,trying to maintain her composure.

"Hmm, sure, whatever you say... my little loser," I teased, a playful smirk on my face.

“Can you please stop calling me a loser? I get it already” She said looking even more annoyed.

"Is Jennifer Huh mad now?" I exclaimed, feigning shock with a playful grin.

“No… I'm not now, please shut up.” She said with an embarrassed, frustrated look on her face.

You leaned up to her ear and whispered “Make me.”

Once you leaned back you stared at her face. Lust clouded her eyes instantly. Immediately she grabbed your neck and pushed you over to the fence roughly. You stared at her, knees buckling, while she looked at you up and down knowing that you will always be on your knees for her. She leaned down to your ear and whispered “Look at you, always weak for me. Always willing to be on my knees sucking my cock like the slut you are.”

You started breathing heavily as she kissed down my neck. One hand on your neck while the other slowly itches down to your skirt. You lifted your head up to make room for her. Yunjin finally reached down to your covered pussy, rubbing it slightly. Tightening her grip on your neck. You held in a moan.

“I want to hear you scream while I fuck you senseless. Let the whole neighborhood hear you, got that baby?” She husked. Too turned on to utter a word Yunjin gripped my neck harder

“I said do you get it” She said once again .

“I will,” You whimpered.

“Good”

She spun you around roughly making sure you were facing the fence, pulling your skirt down to your legs, she started rubbing herself against you, making you even more wet. “Fuck, baby” she moans. You were holding on to the fence, looking back at her dry humping you. She then pulls her own skirt down to her legs whipping her cock out. You reached behind, and stroked her cock in your hands. Her hands slide along the outside of your thighs, then in between them, sliding against your slit. Fucking you with her fingers.

“Mmm fuck Jen.” You moaned out.

She coated her fingers with your juices, sucking them clean. Her cock slid through your dripping pussy. “Please no teasing” You whined.

She chuckled, gripping your hips tightly “Anything for you baby.” She then pushed her entire length into your pussy. “Fuck baby, you’re so fucking tight every single time” She moaned out and started to thrust hard and deeply inside you.

“Oh my fucking god” You screamed.

“Yes that's it baby, scream for me. Scream so the whole neighborhood can hear how good I fuck you. How I can reach deep inside you and fuck you so hard, so you can feel me for days.” She husked. Thrusting into you hard, making your body and the fence move with each thrust.

“You feel so good, I'm so close.” You moaned out loudly.

“No. Hold it. Don't you dare cum yet” She said, slowing down her thrust .

“Please, Jen..” You whimpered.

Her hand goes back up to your neck and slightly grips it. “Who’s pussy is this?” Her thrust is still agonizingly slow making me ache to cum. “Yours! Fuck! It's Yours!” You whined tears threatening to run down your face.

“Please let me cum!” You cry out.

Yunjin smirked “That's my girl,” Her thrust quickens once again making you moan out loudly as you get closer to the edge. Yunjin felt your walls flutter around her, she knew you were very close to the edge. Her other hand reached over to your front to rub your clit. That is all it took to send you over the edge.

“Shit Jen I'm cumming,” You screamed out.

She kept up her thrusts “ That's it baby cum for me. Cum all over my cock, soak it.”

Euphoria washes over your body as you came. Gripping tightly onto the fence so you don’t fall down. Yunjin is still thrusting into you as you came over-stimulating your whole body. “Please no more,” You told her weakly.

Coming back to my senses she now pulled out of you and spun you around, you weakly faced her after being overstimulated. She rests her forehead against mine, breathing heavily, gripping one of my thighs and lifting it.

“One more baby I know you can do one more,” she says to you.

The head of her cock enters you again then her whole length causing both of you to moan. Her thrust starts slow then slowly increases. “Fuck baby I love you” She moans out. You felt her cock twitch inside you signaling that she is cumming soon.

“I love you too, I’m almost there” You moaned.

You bounced on her cock while she thrust in you. Our moans getting louder. You clenched around her cock as you came hard, making your whole body shake with pleasure. Yunjin's thrust quickens but it gets harder to thrust since your pussy is like a vice around her cock. Her hips stilled as she cums. Her warm thick cum fills your pussy and you moan at the feeling.

Holding on to each other as your highs came down, breathing heavily. Yunjin pulled out, making you moan now feeling empty. Her cum starts leaking out of you. She reaches down to swipe it up and shoving back inside your pussy. You moan at the contact.

She leans down to my ear “Just so you know baby, I let you win” she grins pulling up her skirt and walking back to the court, she turns around and stares at you while you were still leaning against the fence, catching your breath. “Now get dressed, we are playing another game.” she smirks.

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[misafiryanki]

Dirty pictures - Tomura Shigaraki x f!Reader

Word count: 813 Plot: You and Tomura engage in some provocative messaging while he's in a meeting with the rest of the League of Villains. You tease him with enticing lingerie picture Warnings: sexting, handjob, masturbation A/N: I appreciate the opportunity to participate in this fantastic writing experience. It's been quite some time since I last wrote anything. Wishing everyone a joyful and sizzling Kinktober! Masterlist can be found here My prompt was: lingerie

What are you wearing?

Not a minute passes before he senses the vibration against Tomura's palm, eliciting a fond eye-roll at the response.

If I spill the details, you'll go wild during the meeting, Shiggy

Shigaraki begrudgingly finds himself at yet another League of Villains meeting, an event he is growing increasingly weary of attending. After all, he is the one in charge, the undeniable leader of the operation. He views the rest of the members as his "puppets," and he hopes that they can handle some planning and decision-making without his constant presence. But, as usual, his expectations are dashed.

The frustration bubbles within him as he contemplates the necessity of his presence in these gatherings. It seems too much to ask for the League to function autonomously, and Shigaraki can't help but think that this is just another instance of life's cruel irony.

It's a risky proposition, a genuinely terrible one, but he's already in the process of unbuttoning his pants under the table. After all, nobody can see him from his concealed vantage point, and nobody requires his attention at this moment as the rest of the League immersed themselves in a fiery conversation.

I’m already jerking off

Shigaraki despises the stark coldness of the text, yearning to utter these words aloud, longing to dial your number right there and then. He could do it by sneaking into the bathroom, but he's already here, immersed in this moment.

Then a picture arrives, and Tomura has to stifle a groan as his hand encircles his rigid arousal. You're adorned in a black garter belt, stockings, and lingerie. The choice of lingerie is understated, exquisite, and tasteful – perfectly in line with your fiery personality. It exudes elegance and sensuality, alluring without being ostentatious.

Are you touchin' yourself right now, babe?

I’m so wet for you, Tomura ♥

Show me, now

He can't help but appreciate the meticulously crafted design, those delicate black straps connecting the lacy knee-high stockings to the fabric of the garter belt cinched around your waist. He maintains a steady, deliberate rhythm, avoiding any haste that might lead to a premature climax. He's torn; part of him wants to save this arousal for you, to build it up until he can release it all over you – your chest, your mouth. But he's also eager to tease himself, yearning for the sight of you equally aroused so that when he does finally unleash, you'll both be consumed by desire.

His gaze drifts upward to your breasts, tantalizingly displayed in the image. They're barely concealed beneath a gossamer layer of lace, the faintest hint of a pink nipple just barely visible. Aroused tension coils in the pit of his stomach.

Another picture arrives, this one zoomed in on your body, your hand nestled between your thighs. There's no bra or panties this time, just that tantalizing strip of lace and nylon, and it has him tilting his head back against the chair with a grunt. Glistening wetness gleams on your fingers, forming sultry strands from your core to your knuckles. He moistens his lips with the tip of his tongue, his gaze fixated on the image.

Little does he know, Toga glances up at him from time to time, her eyebrow cocked slightly as she senses that something is rather off with her boss.

You look so fuckin' hot baby, can’t wait to fuck that pussy

He quickens the pace of his strokes, just a tad faster. Tomura's yearning to lose himself between your thighs, to savor every drop of your arousal with his eager tongue. And he will, no doubt, he just needs to exercise a bit more patience. It seems you share the same insatiable desire because a text arrives at lightning speed:

I need you; when will the meeting be over?

Not for another hour. How many times do you think you can cum before then?

How many times do you want me to?

He grins mischievously, gives his cockhead a gentle twist, slowing himself down. His breaths come a little too ragged, and waves of delicious pleasure lap at his abdomen. Eventually, he comes to a halt, tucking his throbbing length back into his dark pants. He shifts in his seat, allowing the friction of his boxers to provide a slight but welcome sensation until he can feel your lips around him once more.

No less than four, I want you all sloppy

He shakes his head, a warm smile gracing his lips, as another picture arrives. Your hardened nipples are on full display, one hand firmly squeezing one of them.

For the remainder of the meeting with the League of Villains, he repeatedly revisits the messaging app, allowing it to fuel his desire for you, for your enticing body. Especially when you concluded the conversation with:

Yes, Shigaraki Tomura, I'm all fucking yours, Master

[glitchedtravel]

TRAVERSE - Chapter ²

(manhwas x reader)

Your first meeting with Bak Yerim is honestly not that exciting. Let's rewind back.

As it turns out, you were at the part of the story where Han Yoojin is trying to search for the girl, Bak Yerim to become his bodyguard so he could escape his brother from trapping him on house arrest.

While following the two men, pretending to not know who these two are, Han Yoojin offers you to try food from different stalls to which you, want to agree but pretend you're not hungry. Crying on the inside that you have to refuse free food murmuring, ''System, you're so cruel... How does not eating play a damn part of the story..!'' The System send secret messages to you even though the both of them can't even see it, "Have you forgotten? You'll get to eat more meat later." "Oh shit, you're right," you immediately recover, worrying the two men.

Suddenly, as Han Yoojin tried to convince you to try the corn dog in his hand once more, someone burst out of the building beside you three. Yells erupted from a girl with messy shoulder length hair as well as from the older man in front her. The girl took of her apron and throw it somewhere, dashing away quickly from the man. You grab the protagonist's arm firmly to pull him back from the girl accidentally bumping into him, hoping this simple action doesn't affect much.

Luckily, you noticed his gaze on his her so that means that he still saw who it is. Letting go of his arm, Han Yoojin tried to reach out towards her - politely calling out to her even though she had zoom past him and is now far away. "Sorry but please hold on to this!" He didn't have time to look back at who he hand over the corn dog to, before he immediately dash after her. Leaving you with the bodyguard and with a corn dog in hand.

Your brain tries to process the fast pacing before it clicked and you realise something. 'Wait, I'm not getting any barbecue!!' Your figure slumped in disappointment at that. 'Damn you system!!' You yell in your head, munching on the corn dog in your hand sadly. "I didn't expect you to not run after him?!" The system merely retorted in panic and disbelief. Kim Sunghan saw your sad figure tries to pat your back awkwardly to comfort you even though he doesn't know why you're sad. Maybe it's because you're separated from Han Yoojin? Are you that attached to him?, is the question that ran around his mind when looking at you - sweat dropping.

Soon you both started to went the way he went to catch up to him. Unfortunately as soon as you reach there, there's a monster outbreak. While, even if you expected this, experiencing it in the flesh is more terrifying than when you saw it when the story got implemented into your head. 'No! This is not the time to get scary!' You stand your ground while Kim Sunghan entered the barbecue joint of where Han Yoojin and Bak Yerim to warned him and get him somewhere safe. 'This isn't your first dangerous story so don't you fucking get scared now!' You clenched your first, glaring at the monster before turning around to follow the three characters when you noticed them leaving.

Ding!

That's the 'new task' notification as soon as Kim Sunghan activated his skill, [Terra Shield] which created a wall. In the midst of it all with everyone panicking and Kim Sunghan trying to save everyone by trying to attack the monster, you glanced at the screen beside you to look at your task;

[NEW TASK: ACTIVATE SKILL BY GETTING HURT BY THE MONSTER AND PRETEND TO PANIC ONCE ACHIEVED SKILL.]

You're fucking kidding me, you sneered. Looking around in panic, trying to think of a plan, you saw the girl from before tripped. Seeing the opportunity, you were going to replace Han Yoojin and shield her instead without a shield that is and with your body. You immediately rushed towards her but when you saw the protagonist running towards her to help, you secretly kicked a rock towards him to make him fall and slide to a crouch beside the girl who is still on the floor, looking at you in shock.

Unfortunately for you, because of your need to finish your task impulsively without planning ahead quickly, the monster's tendrils had hit your back so hard that it created wounds and almost made you stagger forward, falling onto the girl. "Run! Get to a shelter now!" You yell as you picked the girl off her feet.

{ANOMALY SKILL [MORPH] HAS BEEN ACTIVATED!}

{CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR AWAKENING, [NAME]!}

You can feel your arm change into the same tendril of the monster, an itching pain struck all of your being but you couldn't scratch the itch because it felt like the itch is inside you. You want to scratch your skin off the unpleasant feeling. It's disgusting. DisgustingDisgustingIt'sDisgustingDISGUSTINGGETITOUTOFME—

Your tendril arm impulsively grabbed the shock Han Yoojin by the waist and pull him into you. You finally snapped out of your discomfort when you saw the incoming man towards you and immediately booked it with the girl in one hand and the protagonist in your monster arm. Not giving any attention towards both of their reaction.

[TWO TASKS COMPLETED:

MAIN TASK COMPLETED: UNLOCKED YOUR AWAKENING!

HIDDEN TASK COMPLETED: MAKE THE CHARACTERS SAW YOUR AWAKENING!]

You reached the shelter in time frantically asking the girl, "That's an underground shopping centre is a shelter right?!" "T-that's right!" The girl stammered as you dropped the man off, letting him go from your monster grip. As your arm morphed back into your human arm, ordering the girl to, "Get down there!" The protagonist seemed to be lost in thought, to which you assume is him trying to think of a plan. The girl retorted - concerned, "What about the both of you?!" "I..." your words died down on you. What are you doing? Why are you even contemplating this? This isn't your place or right to intervene. You weren't supposed to intervene so why did you do that?

"I need to get back there!" Han Yoojin interrupt your spiraling thoughts. "I.. I will help as well!" Your shaky voice called out to him. You can worry later, you still have a story to continue. "No! [Name], you're injured and I can't have you in any more danger than now! I know you got your awakening but you can't seem to fight or control your skill yet!" He scolded you, grabbing you by the shoulders to stop you from forcing yourself to keep up with him and making you sit down on the floor, leaning against a wall. He lets go and tries to turn to run back towards the scene before Bak Yerim grabbed his his forearm exclaiming, "Let me come with you! Help me awaken my powers! Then I can fight with you!" Han Yoojin denied her, "What? No! You haven't even signed the contract." You silently grimaced at the pain on your back and hearing his words, 'THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT?!'

You couldn't listen for too long as your brain turns to mush and all your hear are static buzzings. You could barely even hear the conversation anymore.

"----- awakening -------- fighter? ------ just ----- at [Name]! ------"

Your vision is starting to blur but you still managed to grip on the last bit of your conscience.

"What --------- chance ------------ not to ------- battle ------------! ------ never forgive ---------- fight -------! Let ------ take care -------- safety ------- ?!"

With that, you see how Han Yoojin dashed back towards the danger and how Bak Yerim seems to feel saddened by his words that you cannot hear but you know what he has said. After all, the system has implemented the story into your head. Coughing, you called out to the girl, "Hey kid..." She looked at you, remembering you were there and crouched down to check on you while asking you if you are okay and if you can still move and hide in the shelter. You stop her rambling with a week chuckle. You weren't going to die anyways so you said to her, "Leave me here and go..." "W-what?! But I can't just leave you here!" The girl yelled in disbelief at your words.

You look up into her eyes and determinedly say, "Go and show him how strong you can be at moments like these... prove him- prove everyone wrong..!" I feel disgusting, you thought. The girl hesitated before she immediately nodded. However not before she managed to get you to safety and hidden well from the monster, she rushed off towards where the protagonist have went.

'I'm sorry that I don't feel genuine for you but I know you'll do great,' With that final thought directed to her, you finally fell unconscious.

[teegeewrites]

Blossoming Connection - Chapter Four: Opportunity Served

“Now, where could it possibly be?” Luigi grumbled as he peered into the shadows beneath his bed. Suddenly, a relieved smile broke across his face. “Aha! There it is!”

Nestled right in the middle lay his other green tennis shoe. Knowing he couldn’t fit under there or stretch his arms far enough, he stood up and fetched the broom from the corner. Kneeling again, he deftly used the broom to pull the shoe toward him. With the shoe in hand, he perched on the edge of the bed and put it on. He then grabbed his green visor and placed it on his head before standing up and walking to his mirror.

Staring at his reflection, he realized his visor was tilted to his left. He quickly adjusted it, pulling it back to the right for a more polished look. Next, he buttoned up his green polo shirt and gave it a couple of gentle pat downs to eliminate any creases. Content with his appearance, he exited his room and descended the stairs to wait for Mario.

The wait was brief, as Mario zoomed down the stairs just a few minutes later. He donned the same tennis attire as Luigi, except he was in his usual red instead of the green Luigi favored.

“Ready for some tennis, Luigi?!” Mario flashed a huge grin.

“You better believe it, Mario!” Luigi enthusiastically nodded his head.

With a burst of energy, Luigi and Mario grabbed their tennis rackets from their couch and dashed out to rendezvous with the princesses at the tennis courts. Luigi, being the last one out, double-checked the front door to ensure it was locked before catching up with Mario at the pipe leading to Toad Town.

~~~

The Mario brothers promptly checked in at the front desk after arriving at the tennis courts. A cheerful Toad staff member informed them that the princesses were already there and booked their court. After receiving directions, Mario and Luigi thanked the worker and set off toward their designated area.

“Hey Luigi, hold on a minute!” Mario exclaimed as he came to a sudden stop. “I’ve got to use the bathroom.”

With an exasperated sigh, Luigi shook his head. “Why didn’t you go before we left?”

“Because I didn’t have to then!” Mario retorted, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Luigi sighed again as he chuckled light-heartedly. “What am I going to do with you? Want me to wait for you?”

“Go ahead without me. I’ll be quick.”

“OK, see you at the court.”

Mario acknowledged Luigi with a nod before making his way toward the restroom. Luigi kept his eyes on Mario until he vanished behind the restroom door, then he pressed on toward the court.

“Luigi, over here!” Princess Peach called out, her hand waving enthusiastically as he drew closer to the designated court. Her excitement was palpable, lighting up the space around her.

With a spring in his step, Luigi hurried over, and Peach beamed at him with a cheerful smile. The princess was clad in her signature tennis ensemble: a pink sleeveless dress that gracefully ended at mid-thigh. Her outfit was accented by a chic pink and white wristband on her right wrist, pink and white tennis shoes, and short white socks. Her long blonde hair was styled in a ponytail held in place by a sapphire scrunchie, and her crown rested gracefully on her head.

“Say Luigi, where’s Mario?” Peach inquired as her eyes swept her surroundings.

“Oh, he’s in the restroom,” Luigi offered her a warm smile. “He’ll be joining us soon.”

Curiously, he glanced around before returning his attention to Peach. “I guess I can ask the same about Daisy.”

“She’s still in the locker room,” Peach giggled. “She mentioned she had a few things to take care of. She should be along shortly.”

Silence lingered for a moment before Peach smiled gently at Luigi. “How about we sit down and chat while we wait for those two? It feels like forever since the two of us have had a chance to talk.”

“Yeah,” Luigi agreed as he became wistful. “The last time we talked like this was when I confessed my feelings for you after you and Mario became a couple.”

Peach nodded as her smile dimmed like a flickering candle. She tenderly grasped Luigi’s wrist and guided him to a bench at the court’s edge, for which he offered no resistance. They sat side by side, glancing around for any signs of Mario and Daisy.

“So,” Peach broke the silence as she fiddled with her fingers, “forgive me if I’m being too forward, but what do you think about Daisy?”

A light chuckle almost slipped from Luigi’s lips as he remembered how Mario had posed the same question earlier in the day. He was well aware that both she and Mario were eager for him and Daisy to bond, maybe develop something deeper, thanks to his brother’s accidental slip. Nevertheless, he had given his word that he wouldn’t spill the beans to Peach, so he had to act as if he was hearing this for the first time.

“Well, she seems nice,” Luigi replied. “A bit on the energetic side, but definitely friendly.”

“That’s Daisy in a nutshell!” Peach’s laughter floated around them like music. “I’ve been friends with her since we were kids, and she’s always been like that!” A playful smile danced on her lips. “She seems to have taken a liking to you.”

'Not this again!' Luigi suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. “I bet she acts like that with everyone.”

“As long as I’ve known Daisy, she’s never been the type to casually nudge those next to her. Neither has she randomly whispered in anyone’s ear nor flirtatiously winked at them. I have, however, witnessed her flirting with some guys, similar to how she interacted with you. Call it woman’s intuition, but I truly believe Daisy has a genuine interest in you.”

Luigi sighed deeply as he took in Peach’s encouraging words. She was trying to convince him that Daisy sincerely liked him, much like Mario had suggested earlier. This time, however, the hope blossoming within him felt even more potent, bolstered by Peach’s insight into Daisy’s character. He trusted Peach; she wouldn’t lead him astray nor set him up for an emotional fall. Sure, she loved to tease him and play harmless pranks, but she would never intentionally put him in a situation that could shatter his heart. If she believed Daisy’s affection toward him was sincere, he was willing to trust her judgment until he had reason to doubt it.

“OK, if you say so,” Luigi smiled softly at her.

Peach gently rested her hand on his shoulder, mirroring his expression. “I sincerely hope you and Daisy can become friends.” Her smile then faded some. “This may be presumptuous of me, but I have a feeling you’ve been feeling somewhat like a third wheel since Mario and I became a couple. I’ve sensed a bit of loneliness in you, especially given how close you and Mario are. Also, it seems like you might be longing for a relationship similar to what Mario and I share.”

Luigi’s shoulders stiffened at Peach’s remarks as he sighed yet again. He wanted to dispute her words, but he couldn’t deny that her astute insight was entirely accurate. Then again, he had never been adept at concealing his emotions, and he knew there were moments in which his body language betrayed his true feelings in hers and Mario’s presence. He acknowledged Peach with a nod and small smile, with her reciprocating both actions.

“There you guys are!”

The unmistakable joyful voice drew Luigi and Peach’s gaze. A red blur dashed toward them, sharpening into the figure of Mario as he got closer. He greeted Luigi and Peach with a huge smile.

“Think about what I said and please give Daisy a chance,” Peach pleaded as she rose from the bench.

“I will,” Luigi promised.

“Thank you, Luigi,” Peach gently patted him on the shoulder. “I have a feeling she’ll be great for you.”

She flashed Luigi another small smile before striding towards Mario and wrapping her arms around him in a warm embrace, which he happily returned.

“Say, where’s Daisy?” Mario asked as he and Peach broke their hug.

Peach’s brow furrowed as she surveyed her surroundings. “Perhaps she’s still in the locker room. I really thought she would have shown up by now.”

“Here I am! Sorry about the wait!”

A soft chuckle escaped Luigi’s lips as he instantly identified the bright voice as Daisy’s. He turned his head in the direction from which her voice came, and what greeted him required all his facial strength to keep his jaw from plummeting faster than a Spiny Egg flung by a Lakitu.

As Daisy came to an abrupt stop in front of everyone, Luigi seized the moment to drink in her appearance from the ground up. Her feet were adorned with what appeared to be white socks barely peeking out from her orange and white tennis shoes. Long, sculpted tan legs were accentuated by a pair of dark orange shorts that ended well above mid-thigh. A sleeveless yellow top – embellished with a white petal collar and flower brooch – clung to her torso. The top showcased her lean yet toned arms that shared the same golden hue as her legs, while also highlighting what appeared to be contours of a six-pack. Her right wrist sported a striped wristband similar to Peach’s, except hers was orange and yellow. Like Peach, Daisy still wore her crown.

Luigi had one undeniable thought as he ogled Daisy: the gown she had donned earlier failed to do her figure any justice!

Daisy smirked triumphantly after studying Luigi with a scrutinizing look for a brief moment, causing Luigi’s cheeks to channel their inner stove burners. She then pivoted her attention towards Mario and Peach. “Did y’all wait long?”

“Not at all, dear!” Peach assured her, with Mario nodding along.

“Oh, thank goodness!” Daisy placed a hand over her brooch. “I couldn’t find my suntan lotion and was about to lose my mind! Fortunately, I found it after digging in my bag for a while and put it on as quickly as I could. Did I miss any spots?”

“You look fine, Daisy,” Peach replied with a smile, causing Daisy to light up in response. “So, is everyone ready to play?”

“You better believe it!” Daisy hopped in the air with an enthusiastic fist pump. “So how are we going to do this?”

“I was thinking we could team up against Mario and Luigi,” Peach suggested, directing her attention towards the brothers. “Is that alright with you two?”

“That’s fine with us!” Mario beamed as he placed a hand on Luigi’s shoulder. Luigi nodded in agreement with a smile of his own.

“That settles it then!” Peach clapped her hands in delight. “Let me grab the tennis balls and my racket, then we can get started!”

With Peach sprinting toward the bench to collect the items, Daisy sauntered toward Luigi with a smile that was a captivating mix of teasing and seduction. She leaned in and cupped a hand to his ear, causing a rush of warmth to flood his face.

“You like my outfit, don’t you?” she cooed, prompting a nervous swallow from him. “I had a feeling you would. Don’t try to deny it; I saw you checking me out! Truth be told, I’m very flattered.”

Luigi’s body went rigid as Daisy’s giggle tickled his ear before she stood upright and flashed him a cheeky smile. At that moment, Peach returned with her racket and tennis balls in hand. Daisy sidled up to Peach, and her smile morphed into a wicked, elfish grin.

“You boys ready to lose?!” she taunted with her hands on her hips.

“Bring it on!” Mario shook his fist with competitive enthusiasm.

“OK, you two!” Peach giggled, her voice light and playful. “Let’s keep in mind that we’re here to enjoy ourselves.” She turned her attention to Mario. “That being said, don’t take it easy on us. I’m going to give my all, and I hope you and Luigi will do the same.”

“We promise we will,” Mario assured her.

Peach nodded quickly before a bright smile lit her face. “Alright then, let’s begin! Daisy and I will serve first.”

As the princesses gracefully moved to their designated side of the court, Mario playfully nudged Luigi in the ribs with his elbow, causing Luigi to glare at him. Mario wiggled his eyebrows with a teasing grin before dashing to the opposite side of the court. Luigi shook his head with a resigned sigh before joining his brother, looking forward to what would hopefully be a lively game of tennis.

~~~

To say things started off rocky for the Mario brothers would be a gross understatement.

Due to playing a few games with Peach, Luigi had a solid grasp of her playing style. She favored precision in ball placement and solid defense since she lacked the physical strength of him and Mario.

In stark contrast, Daisy was a whirlwind of energy who tirelessly raced around the court and smashed the ball with all of her might. She wasn’t above aiming directly at Mario and him; the stinging sensations emitting from his body was proof of that. One fierce shot would’ve hit him in a very vulnerable spot had he not desperately leaped out of the way at the last minute.

Peach’s exceptional ball placement paired with Daisy’s aggressive gameplay allowed the princesses to dominate the first set effortlessly. Daisy’s lively antics and playful trash talk after each point were comical at first, but they soon stoked the competitive fire in the brothers.

After the disappointing set, Mario and Luigi regrouped to devise a plan to thwart Daisy’s formidable attacks, which had been the primary source of points for the princesses. Luigi stationed himself at the net to intercept Peach’s clever lobs while Mario took charge of the back half, leveraging his quickness to cover more ground. Their strategic adjustments proved effective as they tied the game by taking the subsequent set. Daisy’s frustration and theatrical tantrums during the set provided everyone with plenty of amusement.

The Mario brothers narrowly clinched the third set, seizing a 2-1 lead and standing just one point away from claiming the fourth set and ultimately the match. A fierce rally unfolded after Luigi’s serve, with both sides exchanging powerful volleys. Mario and Luigi targeted the back corners, hoping to catch their opponents off guard. However, they underestimated Daisy’s relentless resolve as she skillfully returned every strike.

When Luigi directed a shot right at Daisy, he immediately sensed his blunder as her eyes lit up with excitement. Playfully sticking her tongue out, she sent a powerful shot hurtling toward him.

Luigi’s feet felt like they were trapped in a block of stone as the screamer approached. He attempted to raise his hands to shield his face in a desperate attempt, but he was too slow. The ball collided with his nose with enough force to weaken his grip on his racket and have his rear end kiss the court’s surface. His eyes watered as his hands reactively covered his nose. Fortunately, he didn’t feel any broken bones, for which he was both surprised and thankful.

“Luigi!” Daisy’s voice pierced the air as she effortlessly vaulted over the net while racing toward him. She knelt down and gently took hold of his wrists, her bright blue eyes searching his with a mix of urgency and concern. “Are you OK?!”

A rush of warmth flooded Luigi’s cheeks under her gaze, but he quickly found his voice. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

However, the deep furrow in Daisy’s brow indicated that her worries weren’t assuaged. “You sure? It’s not that I don’t believe you, but I need to see for myself.”

Before Luigi could protest, Daisy tenderly pulled his hands away from his nose. A gasp from her lips caused a wave of concern to wash over him.

“Oh, no! Your nose is all red!” Daisy exclaimed remorsefully. She delicately traced the outline of his nose with her fingertips, igniting a flutter in his chest. “I’m so sorry, Luigi! I didn’t mean to hit you!”

“Hey, it was an accident,” Luigi offered her a reassuring smile. “I know you didn’t mean to hit me, at least not in the face.”

Daisy flashed a quick smile, but her expression shifted back to worry. “Does it hurt? Is anything broken?”

“It did at first,” Luigi confessed, surprised he hadn’t yelled out in agony when it happened. He figured the shock of the moment had rendered him momentarily mute. “But it’s getting better now. I don’t think anything’s broken.”

“Thank the stars!” Daisy exhaled as she gently caressed his nose with both hands. “I would hate it if anything were to happen to your cute nose.”

Daisy calling his nose cute did not escape Luigi’s notice. He always considered it too large and longed for a smaller one. The teasing he and Mario endured in their childhood about their noses had left deep scars on his self-esteem. While Mario brushed off the jabs with ease, Luigi found himself sinking deeper into insecurity. Fortunately, Princess Peach seemed to appreciate their noses, especially Mario’s as she was fond of planting sweet kisses on it. Therefore, when others – especially someone as pretty as Princess Daisy – expressed admiration for his nose, his confidence glowed like a sunny afternoon, and her compliment made it hard for him to suppress a smile that threatened to break free.

As if to drive her point home, Daisy pressed her lips gently against his nose before he could react. The contact was fleeting, but it was enough to send a jolt of electricity racing through him that made his nose twitch and mustache comically flare out. The heat that rapidly entered his cheeks could have boiled large pots of water in no time flat. She flashed him a radiant grin before rising and heading back to her side of the court, leaving him still spellbound.

Luigi placed his fingers on the spot where Daisy had kissed him, and his eyelids drooped into a dreamy haze. Just as a grin threatened to spread across his face, Mario’s teasing snicker snapped him back to the present, prompting him to face his older twin.

“Hey, Weegee!” Mario teased, “it looks like your nose isn’t the only thing that’s red!”

“Shuddup!” Luigi shot back with mock irritation, causing a ripple of chuckles among the group.

Leaping to his feet with renewed energy, Luigi retrieved his racket and grabbed a tennis ball. He made his way back to the corner of the court with determination, eager to unleash another serve.

“Luigi,” Peach called out, her voice laced with concern, “are you sure you can continue? That was quite the blow you took.”

“I’m fine princess, thank you,” Luigi assured her with a grateful smile. However, it quickly shifted into a cocky grin as he bounced the tennis ball in his hand. “Besides, I can’t quit now, not right when we’re about to win this game!”

“That’s my brother!” Mario beamed as he prepared for the next round. “Let’s-a win this thing!”

“Oh yeah?!” Daisy challenged as a competitive grin etched her features. “We’ll see about that!”

Peach smiled serenely before her face shifted into a determined one as she took her position. “Well then, who am I to stop you? However, don’t expect Daisy and I to go down so easily!”

Peach was right; neither she nor Daisy would back down without a fierce struggle. Every time the brothers seemed poised to clinch the set, the princesses forced deuces. After several intense exchanges and yet another opportunity to seize victory, Luigi observed a pattern in Daisy’s movements.

He noticed how her knee would bend in the direction she intended to sprint to intercept their shots. A sly grin threatened to surface as Luigi concocted a plan to exploit Daisy’s aggressive playstyle. He leaned in to confide in Mario, ensuring their strategy went unheard by the princesses before preparing to serve once more.

As Luigi’s serve flew toward her, Daisy returned the ball and quickly positioned herself at the center of the back court. Mario pretended to aim for the right corner and true to form, Daisy’s knee pointed in that direction before taking a few steps. Mario stifled a victorious grin as he sent the ball soaring toward the left corner, making sure he hit it hard enough to get past Peach. Realizing she had misjudged the play, Daisy spun around in a frantic attempt to intercept the ball. However, it landed just out of her reach before bouncing out of bounds, thus sealing both the set and the game for the Mario brothers.

Luigi rested his hands on his knees with a relieved smile when Mario lifted him off his feet in a celebratory hug. After Mario put him down, the two exchanged an enthusiastic high five before meeting the princesses at the net.

“Great game, you two!” Mario exclaimed as he hugged the princesses. “You gave us all we could handle and then some!”

Peach beamed at Mario after they broke their hug. She then hugged Luigi. “Congratulations, Mario and Luigi! While the outcome wasn’t what I hoped it would be, it was still a lot of fun! Right, Daisy!”

“You bet!” Daisy replied with a bright grin. “Although I don’t like losing, at least it was to you two. You guys are a lot better than I thought!”

Mario rubbed the back of his head with a chuckle. “Coming from you, I guess that’s a compliment. Thanks, Daisy!”

“Any time, shorty!” Daisy quipped, her lighthearted tone prompting chuckles from everyone around.

But as the laughter faded, Daisy’s expression turned serious as she focused on Luigi. “Luigi, I know I apologized earlier, but I’m really sorry about hitting you in the face. I still feel so guilty about it. My competitiveness got the best of me.”

Without realizing it, Luigi rested his hand on Daisy’s shoulder as a warm smile spread across his face. “Hey, as I said before, there’s no need to apologize. It was an accident.”

“Still, I feel like I need to make it up to you somehow,” Daisy countered, her eyes cast downward. But then, a glimmer of excitement sparked in her eyes as she lifted her head. “I know! How about we have dinner tomorrow? My treat!”

Although it wasn’t necessary, Luigi was touched by her offer. “OK, if you insist. I’m sure we’re all looking forward to what you’ll treat us to.”

Daisy, however, shook her head as an amused smile spread across her lips. “Oh sweetie, I don’t think you understand. When I said ‘we’, I meant just you and I, as in only the two of us.”

Luigi’s forehead wrinkled in confusion as he tried to decipher what she meant. Yet, the phrase ‘you and me’ lingered in his mind, and clarity gradually washed over him. His eyes widened in astonishment at the implication, and a warm sensation blossomed in his chest. He suddenly became aware of his hand on Daisy’s shoulder, and he quickly withdrew it as a rush of heat flooded his cheeks.

“Y-You mean just the two of us, like a d-d-date?” he stammered, surprised he could articulate that.

“Sure, if that’s what you want to think,” Daisy giggled as she playfully shrugged her shoulders. “Come to think of it, calling it a date has a nice ring to it.”

Luigi’s thoughts were a Jenga tower on the verge of collapse, and Daisy’s remark was the piece that caused it to topple. No one had ever asked him out before, and the rare occasions he had tried to initiate the date ended in disaster. Yet, here he was, in a foreign land, with a woman – a princess, no less – who had just done so! He wanted to pinch himself, unsure if this was reality or just a beautiful dream.

“Hey Luigi, are you still with us?!” Daisy waved her hand in his face. Laughter then bubbled from her lips as he remained unresponsive. “Well, it looks like I broke him! That is, unless you don’t want to go out with me.”

“No!” Luigi emphatically broke out of his stupor at Daisy’s last comment, prompting more laughter from everyone. This was a golden opportunity he couldn’t afford to miss; he would have gone as far as to create a clone and instruct it to give him a good kick in the rear for even considering turning it down. “I-I meant yes! I-I would absolutely love to have dinner with you, Daisy.”

That perfect smile, the very one that left him utterly speechless upon their first encounter, brightened her face as she slipped an arm across his neck. He tensed up as more blood rushed to his face from the intimacy. “Great! For a second there, I thought you didn’t like me. We’re going to have a great time, I promise you!”

“Speaking of dinner,” Peach chimed in, “how about you two join us at the castle later tonight? I know everyone would be thrilled to have you.”

“You can count on us!” Mario exclaimed enthusiastically. “Right, Luigi?”

“Y-Yeah,” Luigi sputtered, still rigid under Daisy’s affectionate hold.

“Wonderful!” Peach clapped her hands in delight. “But for now, I need to head back and freshen up. Toadsworth would certainly not be pleased if I were to attend dinner all sweaty!”

“I’m right with you, Peach!” Daisy agreed as she pulled away from Luigi. She took a quick whiff of her underarm and feigned a dramatic gag. “Yuck, I smell like a gutted Torion! I’d clear the whole table if I showed up like this!”

“Luigi and I could use a shower ourselves,” Mario concurred. “Well, I guess we’ll see you all at the castle tonight.”

The princesses nodded in agreement as everyone gathered their belongings. They shared warm hugs at the entrance before parting ways.

Luigi couldn’t wipe the grin off his face as he and Mario made their way home. Not even a hearty slap on the back from Mario could dim his excitement.

“Way to go, little brother!” Mario beamed proudly.

“Thanks!” Luigi replied with his grin still stretching his cheeks.

He still couldn’t believe it; he had a date with Princess Daisy the very next day!

~~~

[braveclementine]

Chapter 7

Warnings: None (anyone can read this story)

Copyright: I do not own any Marvel characters or locations. I do not condone any copying of this.

𝓘 now sat patiently in the car that Bucky was driving. Sam was clutching onto the arm rests in the passenger seat fiercely with every sharp turn that Bucky made. Steve meanwhile was sitting in the back with Tony, which made up the first group.

I was snuggled under Steve's shirt as he attempted to read his book. He had a faint smile on his face, and he occasionally reached down, stroking the top of my head with two fingers.

The car ride seemed very long, perhaps because the ride was very tense. I wasn't sure why it was so tense, but it was. I seemed to be the only relaxed cat in the car.

Well.. . .

Okay so I was the only cat in the car.

I digress.

We soon pulled into a very familiar looking town and I popped my head even further out of Steve's shirt, batting him occasionally with my paw and mewing at familiar spots I remembered. My favorite was the ice-cream and donut shop. Tommy could get one very large donut with vanilla frosting on it, and I got to lick the remains off his fingers every time.

I wasn't allowed to touch Billy's chocolate fingers for hours. Apparently it wasn't good for me.

I still wanted to taste it.

Maybe I could later.

We pulled up to the cub of a familiar house and I watched as they simply sat there.

"What are you doing?" I mewed up at Steve.

He just petted my head.

"How long are we watching the house for?" Tony asked. It was the first time he had spoken since the trip. Apparently he was upset he wasn't allowed to drive and Bucky was. I wasn't sure why he wanted to drive though. It seemed like a lot of responsibility.

"Why would you watch a house?" I asked Tony.

"A couple of hours." Sam said. "It's a Saturday so he doesn't have work."

I wiggled out of Steve's shirt, leaping down onto the car floor, before leaping up onto the island between the driver and passenger seat. I mewed.

Bucky reached over, stroking me between the ears softly before he started messing with a small device in his hands. I peered over his shoulder, but everything was black and green and very hard to see.

Sam had opened the window and I leaped onto his lap, before leaping out the window.

"BLIZZARD!" Bucky shouted behind me and I could hear the doors of the car slamming open.

Other cars were zooming down the street and I readied myself for a mad dash across the street. Seeing a fairly good opportunity, I dashed across the street, running as fast as my little paws would carry me.

I heard cars honking and heard brake squealing as I made it up onto the sidewalk. A swift glance over my shoulder as I headed up the porch stairs showed me that the other four were following. The second car with Gnat and Clint was just pulling up behind them, Clint shouting out the window at them.

I scratched at the door ferociously and heard pounding feet inside.

Billy opened the door, looking down, and he beamed when he saw me, scooping me up into his arms. "TOMMY! TOMMY! LOOK! SNOW IS BACK!"

I liked Blizzard better honestly. It made me feel chaotic.

I looked up at his face, mewing. He had a large bruise blooming out over his cheek and I felt sad.

"Oh wow." Billy whispered, looking at the people behind me. "You brought the Avengers with you Snow?"

Tommy appeared next, skittering to a stop, but much to my disappointment, Mr. Peters wasn't far behind, eyes glaring angrily as he took in the sight of me in Billy's hands.

I hissed at him, before leaping at him. I dug my claws into his face to the best of my ability, before I felt the air get knocked out of me and I landed harshly on the tiles.

"Snow!" Billy and Tommy cried out together.

"Fucking cat." Mr. Peters spat.

"Oi!" Bucky's voice said angrily from behind me. "The hell did you hit her like that for?"

"Maybe you didn't notice she lunged for my face!" Mr. Peters said angrily. I watched as the anger dissipated from his face, turning into something like fear or apprehension. "What do you want?"

"We were trying to find Blizzard's owners." Steve said and Billy and Tommy gaped at him.

"You're Captain America!" Billy gasped.

Steve smiled gently at them. "How are you doing boys?"

"Great Mr. Rogers." Tommy said shyly, eyes wide as saucers.

Mr. Peters grunted.

Tony faced him, "We have some questions about how your kitten ended up an hour away from here."

"Bloody thing probably wandered away." He lied.

"You do know who we are, right?" Bucky asked.

"I know you're a killer and you ought to be locked up in the raft." Their father spat.

"Watch how you talk to my soulmate, very carefully." Steve almost snarled at him.

What was a soulmate? Was it a good thing?

Well probably.

"What Barnes was trying to say is, you can't possibly think we came here without knowing who you were or how you got rid of our cat." Tony said. "There are cameras all around the reflecting pool."

He sighed, "So I got rid of the cat, so what?"

"You threw her into freezing cold water before the sun was even up." Tony snapped. "That's what."

"Quick death." He shrugged.

I honestly thought Bucky might lunge for his throat. I hissed at him.

"Why'd you want to get rid of her in the first place? She's a sweet little thing." Sam said, bending down and picking me up.

"Right, well maybe she hasn't made a right mess of your house yet." Their father snapped again, "Came home to find the cushions shredded, the couch and chairs shredded, she dug her nails into the wood on the stairs, knocked down the lamp, tore down the curtains. She's a demon. I can't keep cleaning up the messes she makes. Maybe you can pay a house cleaner Mr. Billionaire, but I can't. I only have so many hours in the day and most of them are spent working. We can't take care of a cat anymore. She's trouble that one."

"She's a kitten. She's not even a year old yet." Steve frowned. "What else were you expecting when you got her?"

"I didn't get her. She was just dropped on our doorstep." My ears pricked up at this new information. I didn't really remember anything else, not even a mother or siblings. I just remembered one day Billy and Tommy were there and this house. Maybe I just couldn't remember early memories.

"And even if you can't take care of her, that gives you no excuse to try and drown her." Bucky said angrily.

"What!" Tommy gasped.

"Father!" Billy protested, "How could you?"

"Enough out of you two. Upstairs now." Mr. Peters snapped.

I leapt out of Sam's arms, scampering up the steps, trying to push Billy and Tommy back downstairs and towards the door.

Everyone noticed this action.

"I don't suppose there is a reason your cat wants your sons to leave your house?" Gnat asked. Good, she was useful for some things.

He rubbed his eyes. "How am I supposed to know? I don't speak cat."

"Where'd the bruises come from?" Clint finally spoke up, his arms crossed over his chest.

"God they're kids." Mr. Peters sounded exasperated. "How am I supposed to know where all of their bumps and cuts come from?"

I hissed at him.

He ignored me, "Are we done here? It's getting late and I have work early tomorrow."

"Well it's going to be really hard to work from a prison cell." Clint said. "I have kids of my own. You think I can't tell the difference between a fist bruise and a falling bruise? We know the signs."

"I don't understand." Billy spoke up, "What's going to happen to us."

"I have a friend." Gnat said softly. "Her name is Wanda. She really wants children and she wants to adopt you. You'd live in Stark tower with us, but mostly in her wing. She's also an Avenger and she's married to a man or robot named Vision."

"Whoa, that's so cool." Tommy said softly.

"Scarlet Witch!" Billy said excitedly.

"Whoa, I'm sorry, what now?" Mr. Peters was extremely mad now. "You cannot just take my kids from me, with no proof of anything, rip our lives apart, and then decide who they go and live with! I've got a will! I have other relatives who are already supposed to be taking care of them if something happened to me!"

A police car pulled up in front of the house.

"Are you serious?" He spat.

"Don't worry, they'll take great care of your kids." Gnat said. "Much better than you were."

Tony was quick in explaining everything to the two officers, and they cuffed him right then and there. Neighbors had lined up on the street to see what was happening. Mr. Peters was humiliated and angry as they led him out of the house.

"You kids want to go ahead and pack?" Gnat asked. "We'll be leaving in a few minutes. Don't worry, we'll take care of everything from here."

I leapt up into Tony's arms, snugging into his chest as slumber started to overtake me.

"Tired Blizzard?" Tony asked. I mewed softly, letting my eyes fall shut. "That's alright, I'll carry you."

"She likes you Mr. Stark." Billy's voice said brightly. "She ought to stay with you and Mr. Rogers and Mr. Barnes, if you don't mind."

"You sure kid?" Tony asked. "She was your cat first."

"Absolutely sir. It's not like we won't see her again. Besides, maybe our new parents will let us get a dog now."

"Traitor." I said fondly to him, before falling asleep in very comfortable arms.

⬅️➡️

[malcolm-reeds-pineapple]

So on Tuesday, it’ll be a full year since my friend OD’d. Obviously, I’ve been in a weird headspace the last little while, but it is what it is. I wasn’t sure how I’d be feeling but I knew the last place I wanted to be was in my head, so I took the opportunity of having this weekend off and made the mad 4-hour dash to my hometown to be with all three (3) of my friends.

So far (I got here yesterday and I’m leaving tomorrow) the weekend has been amazing. I caught some brews with my friend Max last night and talked about some old drama that has 0 updates with my friend Karlee today. After Karlee, I was supposed to see my best friend but she cancelled due to illness so I was like okay fine but I need to see some civilization or I’m going to go insane so I decided to go to the nearest metropolis for some retail therapy. I didn’t wanna go alone so I called up Max who initially didn’t wanna go but he was bored and picked me up in his Tesla and we zoomed off.

Some background on max: we’ve been friends since grade 11, he’s always been someone I can count on for anything, and I had a massive crush on him at one point but we’re both grown now and I’ve been with my current boyfriend for almost 4 years now. The thing about Max is that anytime I go to my hometown, he’s always the first person I call, the first person I see and the first person I update with what’s been going on in my life. If I got pregnant tomorrow, he’d be the one I ask to be the godfather of my kid.

Anyway, last night we hung out and talked for hours like we always do. He mentioned that he’d read Looking for Alaska recently and this girl Alaska reminded him of me and the main character reminded him of himself. As usual, I reminded him I was dyslexic and that I’d never read it but I appreciate the sentiment. He then talked about how he was looking at houses in the Halifax area so he could be closer to me so we could hang out more easily.

Then today, we went to The Nearest Metropolis and just had the best fuckin day. We went to my favourite skate shop, bummed around Marshall’s and hit my favourite burrito joint where he asked if I spoke any Spanish. Of course, I said I was passable as I am with most of the languages related to French. He then said that that meant we need to go to Mexico together, I agreed but only if we could hit Arizona while we’re down there. Later on, we agreed we’d need to hit Vegas too.

Finally, on our way home, he said how funny it was that I’m always more adamant on seeing him and my best friend as opposed to my boyfriend when I stroll into my hometown for a weekend. I took it as an opportunity to air out my long-brewing grievances about my boyfriend. Max and I have known each other long enough that I think he expected everything I said. When he asked why I don’t break up with him, I paused and just shrugged and said I had too much shit at him house. Max took that for what I really meant and told me that there would be a better guy at the other end when I got the guts.

Now, at this point, I am both immune to social cues and a naive optimist. On one hand, I am likely reading too far into this and he’s just being the best friend I could ever ask for. On the other hand, who the fuck tells you they’re taking you to Mexico, just you and him, and then tells you to break up with your boyfriend. Anyway I’m now invoking The Council (my mutuals) to tell me if this man who makes 100k a year is in love with me or not. I understand this is the gay trans autism site but like……….. help??? Like my mom had been trying to get me to go out w him for literal years but I think I’m j reading wayyy too far into it. No matter what we’re going golfing over the summer and he’s going to teach me how to do that

[uncle-cool]

Tags are @bandydear ‘s but

The hearse was absolutely the first car which Harrow and Gideon learned to drive on as teens. As adults harrow drives a late model Honda civic and when Gideon is not around to service it that fuckin dash is lit up like a Christmas tree. Tire pressure low, oil change needed, low on wiper fluid, etc.

I’m sorry to refute the F150 but I see Gideon with a dodge ram. It makes Jod so mad. Got it because it has room for all her friends and her stuff. (Gideon is just happy to finally have friends and stuff. Harrow is in the middle of the Venn Diagram of “Gideon’s friend” and “Gideon’s stuff”)

Camilla drives a very well maintained suburu forester. Either that or a 90’s Honda civic that’s been modded to hell just an absolute sleeper build. Pal has Camilla drive. His night vision is not great.

Ianthe uniroinically drives a Tesla and is all about That Life. Corona when given the opportunity zooms around in a late model Subaru WRX that she painstakingly maintains but pretends she doesn’t know anything about that stuff for the longest time.

Jody drives a Dodge Charger because every boot drives a fuckin dodge charger. Marta is the F150 owner

Abby has a mom van. Probably a Hyundai Ioniq which is fully electric. Good for her but their town has like, no electric car chargers. Magnus happily zips about town in his lil Chevy spark.

Isaac and JM saved up and share a Hyundai veloster (baby’s first hot hatch)

Dulcie has a Kia Soul with a bright funky paint job/wrap. Spacious, easy to get in and out of. Pro has a ford explorer.

Silas gets driven around by his nephew in a white Chrysler.

Babs has a lincoln.

Pash drives an el Camino she calls the shaggin wagon and it is death on wheels. Either that or an Isuzu D-Max. Either way it’s still called the shaggin wagon

Jod travels the country with his maladjusted polycule in a tricked out RV like a H3-45 Millennium Luxury Coach

Pre-Alecto tlt agenda 2024

Gideon Nav stockholm syndrome discourse

Socratic seminar on what kind of car each character would drive

200k Naberius Tern/Matthias Nonius enemies-to-lovers fic

Full Canaan crew ranked by how likely Ianthe would be to use them as the furnace of her lyctorhood (if Babs had eaten a bad clam and died)

The full audiobooks but every time Harrow or Gideon say something incriminatingly gay about each other it gets faster (20 minute video)

Art contest: design a dog bed for Noodle

Placing every lyctor on the butch-femme spectrum

Reblog chain of things we would do for a proper griddlehark kiss (be boiled alive in fat, etc)

[trendybanglaupdate]

Pigeon Subtitles with Statements

Pigeons পায়রা নিয়ে সেরা উক্তি are images of adoration and friendship. They are otherwise called flying rodents, since they make a ton of commotion when they fly. The Pigeon is a transporter pigeon that has been trained for its capacity to convey messages over significant distances. The pigeon is an image of opportunity and trust, and their name is gotten from their capacity to fly significant stretches.

Pigeons have been utilized since old times as an image of joy and satisfaction. In many societies, pigeons are viewed as fortunate creatures.

As a matter of fact, assuming that you see a pigeon zooming around outside your home or place of business, it implies that somebody in the structure is blissful! Here are a few fascinating subtitles and statements about pigeons.

This bird isn't simply any pigeon. He's likewise an image.

At the point when you were a youngster, your folks would let you know that pigeons are messy birds. Presently, you know better

Pigeons are most liable for their own destruction

The pigeon and the street are both occupied, however there is no dashing.

Pigeons are quick to take off when you get up in the first part of the day.

On the off chance that you are an individual who sees things that others could miss, this inscription is for you.

Pigeons are the ideal name for this city road and its occupants (aside from pigeons, obviously).

Pigeon and I are old buddies. I don't have a most loved variety yet he is the one in particular who can make me grin

A definitive mug of espresso: a delightful pigeon and an ideal blend.

Only a couple of feet over the ground, these birds are taking off through the sky, conveying messages to their companions.

The most complex and exquisite variety of bird

Who's the nice guy of our herd?

At the point when you gaze at the sky for a really long time, and all you can see are those little dark dabs up there.

Take off, take off! 🏃♀️

We value your consideration, thank you for being here.

The world is a more gorgeous spot with you in it.

The principal thing to do when you find a pigeon is to snap a picture and inscription it!

There are various types of pigeon. There are the people who make the news and afterward there is you!

I'm the most snazzy and elegant pigeon I can be.

The most awesome aspect of pigeons? They don't pass judgment on you.

"Furthermore, the pigeon strikes a chord, she sees his beady eyes and he strolls with a limp, similar to a man of no outcome. The pigeon considers her a washout and that is the very thing that she believes him should think: that she's simply no one important." - Alain de Botton

[bookwyrminspiration]

me: *leaves my door open for 0.001 seconds*

sammie: at last, the pathway has been opened specifically for me and for no other reason so I may enter and rub my face on every single corner and lay on every single blanket and eat the trash can bags

[jackgoodfellow]

My take on how Jancy and Joe first met!

I think it takes a loooot of magic hypnosis to fully wipe a mind like Jancy True's. And I think that much hypnosis would definitely mess you up for at least a few hours. AND I think..... milfs. Reblog if you agree.

Special shout-out to @little-banjo-frog, whose enthusiasm about my wips for this piece was the highlight of a very difficult week!

(Listen I just really like seeing masculine/butch characters in vulnerable situations and if I have the opportunity for that plus a size difference PLUS a dash of rescue and unexpected tenderness on the side, I begin vibrating uncontrollably. For more of that very specific exact thing, check out the graphic novel link in my blog description. ... Please. Pretty please. It is free and short AND I CARE SO MUCH.)

[Image descriptions below the cut]

Image description: A comic done with digital illustration featuring the characters Jancy True and Joebeans from the YouTube series Drawtectives. The comic is done in shades of yellow, pink, blue, and purple, with the exception of the final panel which is done in full color. The style is fairly realistic, with influences from western and Japanese animation styles.

Joe is a large, muscular green-skinned orc woman with voluminous blonde hair in the style of Dolly Parton. She is wearing a sleeveless red flannel, red lipstick and nail polish, jean shorts, and red pumps. She's very pretty and handsome, with a well-endowed figure, and two sharp white bottom fangs that jut up from her bottom lip.

Jancy is an older butch woman. She is thin, with short silver hair, caucasian skin, and angular features. She is wearing a red and yellow Hawaiian shirt, cut-off jean shorts, and red Converse-style sneakers. She has cochlear implants in both ears.

Panel 1: Joe sees Jancy passed out face-down in front of a dumpster in some kind of alley. Joe is in the foreground of the shot and is holding her hand up to her face with an expression of surprise and concern. She is saying, "Oh my!"

Panel 2: Joe's hands carefully turn Jancy onto her side, cupping Jancy's face gently. Jancy looks confused and extremely disoriented, barely awake with circles under her eyes. Joe is urgently saying, "Oh, you poor thing!!! Are you all right?! Are you hurt???"

A small faded speech bubble coming from Jancy reads, "uh--!?"

Small squiggly lines at her shoulder indicate that Jancy is trembling slightly.

Panel 3: a close up from the previous panel, zooming in on Jancy's face, her eyes just barely opening with an expression of great concern as she looks down at the large green palm holding her head up by gently cupping her cheek

Panel 4: a close up from the panel that is to follow, showing Jancy turning her head slightly to squint up at Joe. She is sweating and has hair in her face, and looks only half conscious as she strains to see. In turning her head, she presses her face slightly into Joe's palm

Panel 5: Jancy, still lying on her side, struggles to brace her arm on the ground and get up. Action lines indicate she is trembling and moving jerkily. She doesn't seem to be able to see very clearly. She is barely managing to lift her head several inches off the ground.

Joe's hands support Jancy's head and lightly grip her shoulder. Only Joe's hands are visible, but speech bubbles belonging to her take up most of the panel. She is saying, in a country accent , "Oh gracious! Don't push yerself! What if you've hurt your neck or somethin'??"

a scraggly speech bubble coming from Jancy reads, "ah-- uhh?!?" In small unsteady text.

Panel 6: Jancy gasps and collapses back onto the ground. She lets out a yell and her eyes shut tight in a grimace of pain. Her hands are trembling and tense. Joe's hands are on either side of jancy's face, stabilizing her long slender neck. The shot is framed with Joe's speech bubbles. Joe is saying, "Oh! Oh, dear! It's alright! I gotcha. Please, let me help you!"

Panel 7: Joe helps Jancy to slowly turn onto her back. Jancy is shown at a profile, back arched, eyes shut and teeth clenched in pain. She's letting out a quiet grunt of pain. There is a small scrape on her left cheek. Joe's hands are behind jancy's head and on her opposite shoulder. Joe's blonde hair is visible hanging into the shot, but her face is out of view. Joe is saying, with each separate sentence in its own individual speech bubble, "Let's get you turned over real careful alrigh'? Take your time. That's it... You're doin' great darlin'!"

Panel 8: a large speech bubble from Joe reads, "There. Jus' take a breather, sugar." A close up on Jancy's face framed by Joe's hands cradling it gently. Jancy is panting, her eyes closed in exhaustion from the effort, mouth open slightly and head tilted back. Sweat on her face. Joe is wearing a silver bracelet. A scraggly speech bubble coming from Jancy reads, "uungh??" One of Joe's hands is lightly brushing Jancy's cheek while the other supports her head.

Panel 9: speech bubbles from Joe read, "Oh, you poor dear... lemme get this hair outta yer face!"

This panel is similar to the the previous panel. It is still a close up on jancy's face from Joe's POV. In this one, Jancy is slowly opening her eyes, a small question mark next to her head as she slowly focuses on the image in front of her. Joe's hands are supporting jancy's head and brushing the hair out of her face. In this position, jancy's collar is askew, and her shirt is open to the just below her collarbones. A soft hazy light is reflected in her eyes. With every panel, the comic has shifted slightly more from a blue color tone to a slightly warmer pinkish tone. It is now much warmer than the first panel.

Panel 10: a close up of Joe's face from jancy's POV, looking down at Jancy with her face framed against a sunset sky, the light brightening her golden hair. In this shot, her skin is a saturated sky blue. Her eyes are blue and her lipstick is a bright pink. She is smiling at Jancy and speaking with a gentle, sympathetic smile. She has dimples. She is saying, "Well, there you are!!"

Panel 11: a close up of jancy's face, once again framed and supported by Joe's hands. Joe has brushed the hair out of Jancy's face, giving her the look of someone who has just had their hair blown back. This matches Jancy's expression, which is one of awe. It is very gay. This panel is the most pink-tinted of all the panels so far.

Panel 12: the same image as the previous panel, but zoomed out to include Jancy's shoulders and upper chest in the shot, as well as Joe's muscled forearms. This also makes room for speech bubbles, which overlap the edges of the panel's frame and surround Jancy.

Joe is saying, "No sign of any fever, thank goodness! And thank the stars yer not bleedin'! No need to fret! You're safe with me!! I'll take care of ya! Still, I think I best get you outta this alley!"

Panel 13: a wide shot in full color and a lot of detail of Joe carrying Jancy in a bridal carry. Joe is several times larger than Jancy and carries her with no effort. Jancy is mostly limp, her head resting on Joe's breast. She is looking up at Joe, blushing slightly, and looking embarrassed . She still looks pretty lost and disoriented, mouth hanging open a little and eyes straining to see Joe's face without being able to move her body much.

Joe is smiling brightly, posture confident, she is saying, "Now don't you worry! We'll have you feeling right as rain in no time!!"

Joe is walking down some kind of wooden boardwalk that is framed on either side by flower bushes. Behind that, a sunset reflects on a body of water that goes out to the horizon. The scene is warmly lit. Willow leaves hang down in the foreground. Joe is backlit by the sunset.

Panel 14: a close up of the previous image, focusing in on the character's faces.

Bonus image: the same as the final panel but with no speech bubbles covering up parts of the background

[geniequestria]

Tempest and Luna float up to Lightning Dust's side after the quick and dazzling light show her genification was.

"Glad to have you on our side, surely you can see the beneficial powers we're bestowing, now?" Luna asked 

"This is exactly what we're trying to share with the rest of the world, yet they refuse to let us do so! Why don't you stretch your wings, legs, and then show them what they’re missing out on! Though I may have a feeling you have a particular one in mind?" Tempest inquired herself

They all look down upon the three wonderbolts with sinister smiles on their faces. Spitfire was shaking, but as captain, she had to remain strong for the others. Internally though, she cursed herself for not being able to stop Lightning Dust from rushing in. (If only I could have stopped her! I wish I were faster… these rookies are outclassing me at every turn… and now we've got a new enemy…) 

She grits her teeth. "Soarin, Fleetfoot, she knows our traditional maneuvers, we need to break out something different. One massive super tornado. Like how we transfer water from the ground to Cloudsdale… I know it's just the three of us, but that should at least buy us enough time to escape and regroup..."

Lightning disconnected her genie tail from her vessel, warping it into her back legs and pony tail once more. She does some mid-flight stretches and smirks as she looks down on the three wonderbolts.

She however replied to Tempest "A particular one in mind? Nah, I got an ax to grind against any and all of the Wonderbolts... especially that upstart trainee Rainbow Dash! But I'll admit Spitfire being here is an opportunity I've been savoring for a while... and I'll enjoy getting the other two here just as well~. You two go ahead and pick up whoever is left of those meathead guards.  But leave the Wonderbolts to ME, for they are MINE!"

Soarin and Fleetfoot meanwhile begin to fly in a circle with Spitfire to create their tornado. Soarin being more careful this time not to put the tornado in a position to throw vessels at unsuspecting guards in the city.

"Rainbow Dash? Oh, how interesting (Seems we're quite lucky to have genified this one. She'll be quite good for going up against Rainbow Dash's speed. This gives me an idea of how to get her on our side. As long as we can keep her headstrong nature in check.)” Luna smiles. "The fun for us has tripled! Please do enjoy yourself with them. Show them what Geniequestria has to offer!"

"Let's make sure that confidence of yours isn't falsely placed though. Don't worry about the rest of the guards either." Tempest looks down and can see Gleaming and Bayonet busy going after those they may have missed. "They are already being accounted for. Do give us a good show though, these wonder dolts have been giving us the run around for too long!" She conjures up some popcorn for herself and Luna so they can watch Lightning's performance.

Spitfire is pushing herself to her absolute limit along with Soarin and Fleetfoot. The tornado they make is far bigger than the ones they had made individually. "KEEP FLYING FASTER! DON'T LET UP FOR A SINGLE SECOND! WE CANNOT LET THESE GENIES WIN!! IF WE LOSE, CLOUDSDALE WILL FALL!"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. They really think a tornado's going to stop ME? How foolish, but I'll play along. Allow me to... ‘help’... hehehehe" Lightning zooms on over to the tornado and begins to add even more speed to the tornado. A ripple effect in the wind makes both Fleetfoot and Soarin' struggle to maintain their place in the tornado, having to dodge stray bolts of electricity left from Lightning Dust's speed trail, not exactly making it any easier. Lightning purposely leaves Spitfire alone so as to not raise too much suspicion of her approach and to save the captain for last.

With the wind whipping in their faces on top of the trio already moving at their top speeds, it was nearly impossible to see Lightning Dust. Spitfire chalked up the wobbliness to them needing to dodge the lightning. Trying to focus on all of these tasks at once was proving difficult for the seasoned fliers however, with each dodge and with the wind still continuing to pick up speed, they were getting noticeably shakier, their formations breaking ever so slightly. "KEEP IT TOGETHER! WE CAN DO THIS, WONDERBOLTS! (We have to stop them all! Can't slow down for a second!)” The pressure was building in Spitfire's mind, she kept the thought that if she could somehow outspeed Lightning, they might have a chance. The fact that the tornado was moving so quickly with just the 3 of them made her think she was breaking her own limits… but she was blind to see that her idea was backfiring.

Luna and Tempest however could see things just fine. Sitting safely outside of the tornado, using what looked like opera glasses to look within the storm.  Luna took a bite of the popcorn they conjured up. "That speed is rather impressive. With this one on our side, the rest of Cloudsdale's forces will be genified before nightfall." 

"Before nightfall? I’d almost say the next 5 minutes flat at most! But it is true those fliers have no idea what's coming, do they? It's no longer them that's controlling that tornado" Tempest replied with a smug smile.

Lightning continuously spins the tornado for a little while longer, grinning before focusing some magic to create two vessels. Both akin to the regular bottle but with additional wings on the stopper, and the color of the vessels were of a similar theme to that of a Wonderbolts flight suit. She proceeds to take the stopper of it off and then throws it into the tornado, allowing it to spin wildly in the wind. To make it even harder to dodge, she throws several fake vessels not meant to genify, but the Wonderbolts wouldn't be able to tell all that quickly the duds from the real ones at the speeds they were flying at.

Fleetfoot gasps as several vessels head her way. just managing to dodge most of them. One manages to hit her on the back. Briefly scaring her into thinking she was about to be sucked in. Though nothing happens afterward. Fleetfoot soon realizes perhaps the vessel needs to touch actual skin to work, whereas the flight suits protect them from such contact. The wonderbolt gets cocky "Ha, these vessels aren't so tough. Let me at all of them!"

Spitfire tries to warn Fleetfoot "Even if our suits protect us, we cannot get sloppy! Stay focused! (I have to move faster! I NEED TO KEEP GOING!)” Spitfire was determined but she was so focused on herself, assuming the others were still in line with her, she didn't even realize what they were going through.

Lightning Dust obliges gleefully as all the vessels whether fake or not head towards Fleetfoot. She takes a few more hits from more fake vessels and laughs as one misses her, only not realizing that the one that ‘missed’ her just went inches under her tail, making it begin to stretch.

By the time she realizes it, she shrieks as she's now being pulled along by the vessel like a fish to a fishing rod. Swirling around the entire tornado, Fleetfoot screams as she's continuously stretched and pulled by the vessel, it elongates the pegasus to an absurd deal making her almost seem like a snake with a pony head as she’s spiraling through the tornado

"FLEETFOOOOOT! NOOOOOOO!" Soarin exclaimed in vain for his squadmate. Fleetfoot is quite quickly brought into the vessel as Lightning uses magic to hold it in one place. The wind making her entrance faster, all the Wonderbolt can do is scream until the last few seconds as the loud screams faded into loud moans, before being muffled into silence. 

Tempest laughs as Fleetfoot lets her overconfidence be her downfall. "Hmph, I knew their arrogance would bite them sooner or later. That's one down, two to go."

Spitfire gasped in horror as she heard Fleetfoot's screams and moans, registering what had just happened to her teammate. “(No! Fleetfoot…)” She grit her teeth and continued to fly. Some tears leaked from the sides of her goggles. Before she determinedly turned towards Soarin’s direction. 

"WE CAN'T STOP, SOARIN! KEEP LOOKING FORWARD! DODGE EVERY LAST BOTTLE!" Her confidence was wavering. To keep up this speed, along with dodging lightning and the near endless bottles coming at them, be they dud or otherwise, it was overwhelming. (What I'd give for some magic to blast these things out of the sky…)

With one less Wonderbolt in the tornado, Soarin and Spitfire get even less control of the Tornado. Both bottles and bolts of lightning strike at Soarin, who miraculously manages to dodge everything.

"Gonna take more than that to bring me down, Lightning!" Soarin bravely declared.

Lightning just laughs quietly "Quite impressive, Soarin. Obviously you're a veteran flier much like the Captain, and you aren't as arrogant as Ms. Fleetfoot. However, you still have a weakness that even I found out in my short time at the Wonderbolt Academy… you can't resist a good pie!" Lightning then charges some magic which puts all the flying vessels into pies.

It didn't help that this drawn out battle certainly has left Soarin' quite hungry. His mouth begins to water just seeing all the pies soaring around. He shakes his head however, and is determined not to let his love of pie be his downfall as he still continues to dodge them all. Though his stomach certainly rumbles, a part of him hopes he gets hit with a fake one so he can still get some much-needed sugar in his system.

With the appearance of yet another obstacle for them to dodge, Spitfire's anger continued to build. "Why, Lightning Dust!? You were ready to take the genies down no more than five minutes ago and now you side with them!? Your hatred for us aside, what about the rest of Equestria?! Don't you care at all about what they're going to do to this world!?"

Princess Luna rolled her eyes at these accusations. "Again with thinking we're some kind of evil force. Do they genuinely not realize that what we do is for the good of all?"

Tempest rubbed her chin "I think I'm starting to understand why the Storm King was so obsessed with PR relating to his reign… clearly messaging does play a factor in these takeovers..." She grimaced, thinking that something her former boss did was a smart idea. "Still, our methods are working just fine. I think the blue one is next on the list." 

For just a moment, Spitfire looked towards Soarin. "NO MATTER WHAT, DO NOT GO FOR THOSE PIES, YOU HEAR ME!? SHE'S USING OUR WEAKNESSES AGAINST US!" She quickly focuses back on everything in front of her. It's only now that she had that brief second of looking elsewhere did she realize, the bottles, the lightning, and now the pies, while some of it was flying in her direction, most of it was currently aimed towards Soarin. (She's picking us off one by one… this is nothing more than a game to her…)

Soarin continues to dodge all he can, but he's beginning to tire out. Besides the tornado that's been hard to keep up, or at least they think are still keeping up, he and the others have been trying to help the forces in Cloudsdale for hours by now. The fatigue really dawned on him.  He could really use a sugar boost, and those pies are looking more and more tasty by the second. He thinks maybe he should let himself get hit by at least one, with the chances that it'll be one with a fake vessel inside. Soon another pie approaches and Soaring actually catches it with his forehooves. 

Sweat flew off of Spitfire, she too was running on fumes. Adrenaline being the only thing keeping her going. If she stopped for a second, she knew it'd be over. The clang of one of the pie tins echoed against the wind. "SOARIN, NO!!!"

He bites into the pie, luckily for him this one was indeed was one with a dud vessel. But then a strange feeling comes over him, as his eyes become hearts. 

"That… pie... soooo... goood.... must... have... more!" It seems Lightning added some addicting ingredients to the pies. As now Soarin was ACTIVELY chasing each of the pies down and eating them. 

While she was glad it was only a dud, Soarin's reaction frightened her even more. "Soarin? SOARIN?! SNAP OUT OF IT! YOU'RE GOING TO GET SUCKED IN!!" She knew what that look was, a want it, need it spell. (That little....) 

Soarin still finds mostly fake ones, which only increases his ravenous addiction until he finally gets one where the moment he bites into the pie, his face seems to stretch right into where he bit into. Soarin had been caught by the pie with the real vessel inside it. He barely gets a second to react as his head and neck are absorbed. The rest of his body flails in the wind as it too is brought into the vessel.

Spitfire tries to rush in and stop him, but it is already too late. "SOARIIIIIIIIINNNN!!!!" More tears fell from her eyes. 

Lightning floats the pie over, and takes the vessel out from it. And she now devilishly smirks as she takes her attention to the only one left. Answering the Wonderbolt’s question after bottling Spitfire’s veteran teammate right in front of her.

"Blah blah blah, Genies spheenies. It's bold of you to think I care a flying feather about anypony else in Equestria. The only important thing is that I prove that I'm a better flier than YOU and your ‘favorite cadet’, Rainbow Dash! Even when you're a genie and we're ‘equal’ and all that nonsense, you will belong to ME!"

Lightning Dust's speech about not caring for genies or geniequality was like a red flag to Luna and Tempest. Luna immediately got out of her relaxed position, ready to knock some of her own sense into Lightning. Not out of a desire to save Spitfire from genification but to make Lightning understand where her loyalties should lie. "I've heard enough. That is not going to be acceptable, we need to..."

Tempest stopped her "No, let her genify Spitfire first. Then we talk. Lightning is going to be a pain if we stop her too early..."

Now that Spitfire was the only one of her teammates left, she realized they were never keeping the momentum of the tornado, Lightning Dust was. Her taunting nearly pushed Spitfire over the edge. All the raw emotion, the anger she was feeling, came out. "YOU ARROGANT TRAITOR!! YOUR PETTINESS HAS DOOMED ALL OF CLOUDSDALE! ALL OF THIS IS BECAUSE YOU WANT TO PROVE YOU WERE A BETTER FLIER?!" This anger was fueling Spitfire to fly faster, she just lost everything and she knew time was running out for her. 

Now she was the one flying recklessly. Wanting to slam into Lightning, knock some sense into her. "YOU LISTEN AND YOU LISTEN WELL, YOU WERE NEVER WONDERBOLT MATERIAL! YOUR SPEED HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT! RAINBOW DASH MAY HAVE BEEN JUST AS RECKLESS AT TIMES, BUT SHE WAS WILLING TO LEARN! YOU WERE JUST SO ABSORBED IN YOURSELF! EVEN IF YOU GENIFY ME, I WILL NEVER BELONG TO THE LIKES OF YOU!!!"

Lightning just takes Spitfire's bitter words at a stride. After all, she still had the upper hoof over Spitfire.  As the Wonderbolt captain flies ever closer to Lightning, she prepares to seal the deal and conjures another vessel similar to the ones that have captured Fleetfoot and Soarin.

Lightning smugly smirks and narrows her eyes, daring Spitfire to approach "That's right... Come at me, ‘captain, give me everything your years of training and experience has got for me~"

Spitfire darted around as best as she could, all this anger in losing her allies to Lightning Dust of all ponies. It was just another reminder of her failures as captain. "GIVE THEM BACK!" She surprisingly continued to pick up speed, now creating her own kind of trail similar to Lightning Dust's or Rainbow Dash's. Though hers, much like her namesake was like fire, complete with sparks surrounding the trail. 

"YOU WANT TO SEE WHAT I'M CAPABLE OF!? FINE! THIS IS FOR THE PRIDE OF THE WONDERBOLTS!!" Her flames added to the storm, making it into a fire tornado. "THIS IS SOMETHING THE REST OF THE TEAM HASN'T SEEN BEFORE! I CALL IT MY FLARE BLITZ!" The temperature increased as she rushed in for Lightning. If this was going to be her last stand, she wanted to make it count. The fireball that was Spitfire rushed in, right towards Lightning Dust. She'd be able to see the white hot intense look in her eyes. “(Soarin....Fleetfoot, I'm sorry I wasn't a better captain…)”

"Oooooo, a fastball! I love a good game of Baseball! Batter's up!" Lightning poofs for herself a baseball uniform, helmet, and a baseball bat.  Bending herself into a batter's position as Spitfire headed towards her.

Spitfire roared one last time "THIS ISN'T A GAME YOU ARROGANT LITTLE… AAAAAGH!!!" 

With just the right timing, Lightning Dust SMASHES Spitfire on the side of her body, not just injuring her wing but sending her hurling through the tornado. 

Spitfire howled in pain as Lightning smashed her wing. That had been her strongest flying trick, one she had developed through all of her life’s hardwork, and it was just swatted away as if it were nothing. Lightning not only smashed her body, but her spirit as well.

"I'd say that's a home run~" She deviously laughs before flying towards the bottom of the tornado, she makes all her baseball attire disappear as she gets back into business 

"Now it's time for one last ride as the Wonderbolt captain, you're going down WITH the tornado~" She places the bottle right at the tip of the tail end of the tornado, the bottle beginning to suck in the entire tornado with Spitfire still being spun around. The closer Spitfire gets to the vessel, the more her body stretches and spirals on the inside edges of the ever shrinking tornado. 

As she hurtled back towards a vessel, Spitfire tried desperately to stop her momentum, flap her wings. But that smash effectively made her right wing useless. It drooped downward instead of moving." GAAAAAAAAHHH!! NO!!" Now with no way to fly out of this, she was caught within the storm she had helped create. Feeling herself swirl around and around. The fire being quite the spectacle as it spiraled down. "Stop this… PLEASE!" Spitfire pleaded, her previous confidence was gone, she didn't know what to do but hope for some kind of mercy.

As the bottle sucked in all the flames and Spitfire with it, her body began to stretch, spiraling down. "No, no, NO!! Lightning Dust, stop this!!"

Neither Luna or Tempest were fans of this method. While they were still going to let Lightning genify Spitfire, this wouldn't stand.  Despite everything, Luna still cared for her subjects even if many were currently on the opposite side. "That is enough, Lightning Dust! We may not see eye to eye yet, but we are not here to break them!!"

"Hey, relax Princess. The bottle will heal her up both mentally and physically. She'll only be hurting for the remaining time she's still a mortal... but maybe that's exactly why I should slow things down a little~" Somehow Lightning makes the large fire storm slow its spin making it take longer and longer for Spitfire to be drawn into the vessel. Spitfire can feel her entire body lengthening, a spirialing smoky tail of the same blue color of Spitfire’s flight suit that used to be her hindlegs nearing the spout of the vessel. "Now your descent's much more relaxed!. So, 'Captain'...  any last words before your ascension to immortality?~" 

Tempest groaned "Seems she's one of the sadistic types. I can sort of understand where she's coming from. It's very cathartic to pull one over on your enemies… still this isn't like the Storm King. We may have to take her to Starlight once she's done." Luna nodded in agreement.

Spitfire tried her hardest to resist the pull of the bottle but there was no getting out of this. Her pony tail was already being fully sucked in. She tried to wiggle her hind hooves in an attempt to pull them back but she had briefly forgot she didn’t even have hindlegs anymore. She looked up at the taunting Lightning Dust in a mix of anger and sadness. She didn't have the energy to fight back anymore. This was it, she had failed, and now it was going to be dragged out. Some tears fell from her face. 

"I failed everypony… Soarin, Fleetfoot, and you too… Lightning… You… you could have been a great wonderbolt… had you applied yourself… you reminded me a lot of myself back in those training days. Setting academy records, trying to be the best, but you know what your problem was? You threw it all away. You were, and still are too full of yourself." She spat, knowing full well that her mind was going to change about the genies soon enough, she'd seen it already with the other guard ponies who had transformed. But she wanted to get these last thoughts out. 

"You're no better than every other villain. Sure you've beaten me, this is what you wanted to hear, right? You won, Lightning Dust. I couldn't outfly you, and you saw right through our plan from the start. But you wanna know something? No matter what happens, no matter how powerful you are as a genie, and even if I end up following your orders..." Her new genie tail approached  closer and closer to the bottle.  "You will NEVER be as good as Rainbow Dash." She gave a laugh right as what used to be her hind hooves connected to the bottle. Her laugh quickly shifted to a moan, much like everypony else who'd been transformed. The pain she felt earlier was now replaced with a pleasurable tingle. "Oooooooh~"

"Hmmph, we'll see about that... I'll pay a visit to Rainbow Dash one of these days. And I plan to be there when she inevitably finds herself slipping into a vessel. Preferably by my own hooves, the day she submits to me shall be priceless~. For now, just get all that joy and pleasure out of the way before I seal you up myself..." Lightning says as she levitates up the bottle's topper, waiting for her chance to slam it right on top of the bottle so she could say she literally brought Spitfire under her hoof, even if not so much metaphorically.

Spitfire's slow spiraling descent continues as the fire tornado and herself shrink in length, her hips now entering the vessel's spout as the tingling gets ever more intense. 

"Aaaah?" Most of what Lightning said didn't even register with Spitfire. The injury on her wing looked like it was already healing thanks to the magic surging through her. "Maybe....this won't be soooooo bad. It may be the end of the wonderbolts… but I guess in the back of my mind...I already ooooooh knew it… Mmmmm.. .while we were flying.... internally, I wished I could go faster… wished I had the magic to win… I guess I'll have that sooooooon enough...." More of her is sucked into the bottle, now up to her chest. Her eyes had a similar look to Soarin's as he was eating the pies, she looked lost in the sensations. "I almost… don't want this to end...."

"Hehe, nah. This isn't the end of the Wonderbolts, we'll need to tempt Rainbow Dash with the name being the same sooner or later. The only consequence for you is your demotion, for I'll be taking over as captain. However, I'll be gracious enough to make you my second-in-command as my lieutenant. You'll be demoted in rank, but I'm pretty sure everything else for you will feel like a promotion~" Lightning Dust smirked and chuckled

"D-Demotion....? I...." Part of Spitfire wanted to retort, to keep her claim from earlier that Lightning wasn't fit to be in the wonderbolts. However given that she single handedly beat their best fliers without even trying, and all of the feelings currently coursing through her body, she couldn't help but agree. "I... I guess my time as captain was coming to an… mmmm… end sooner or later… just… do the bolts proud..."

She'd been sucked up to her head. That last squeeze pushed her over the top, letting out a final moan before an audible SCHOOOMP! pulled the rest of her and the flame tornado in with her. With that, it was done, all 3 of some of the best wonderbolts had all succumbed to vessels. 

Luna and Tempest made their way over to Lightning Dust now that the storm had cleared. Tempest spoke up first. "So, how did it feel to genify the wonderbolts? Feeling more satisfied with the genie powers? I think we should discuss what we're planning next. Just to get you up to speed." Luna didn't say anything just yet, but she had a more stern look on her face.

Lightning dons a satisfied grin "Bottling those three was so cathartic, I'll never forget it for the rest o- or rather for all-time given the immortality. And sure, give me the gist of what's next. 

Can't promise I'll help with everything though, as if it's not anything that'll bring me closer to getting revenge on Rainbow Dash, I'm not sure it'll keep my interest long enough. Given you genies haven't done something like, wish from each other that all of Equestria was genified. It seems whoever the higher-ups of this genie thing don't want this to be a speedy process.

 So I'm obviously too fast for your leader's wishes. Unless it has anything to do with Rainbow Dash. I may just chill while I settle down at my new home at the Wonderbolts HQ!

Though say, when can we let them out? I'm eager to see their genie forms~"

"We thank you for the assistance, that much is certain. However, please keep in mind that we do not have to physically harm them if we don't need to, we don't want to perpetuate the idea that we're monsters." Luna said in a serious manner. Of course this is in spite of the fact that she had her own sorts of fun while genifying the guards.. 

"Ponies need to see that what we offer is a new and better way of life. Granted, this will most likely be the last of any major resistance outside of the elements… and do what you wish but keep in mind we're spreading geniequality, you may lead the wonderbolts since you bested their captain. But do not fancy yourself as a better to any genie, is that clear?. 

And in regards to Rainbow Dash, we will most certainly need to call upon you once again. Given your eagerness, we'll be sure to let you know of our plan for her when the time comes. But until then, even if you see her, she's not to be genified until the time is right." With the more serious conversation now out of the way, Luna nods at Lightning's request. 

"I'm curious too, those flight suits must have played a factor in their genie attire." Tempest smirked. "With the guard and the wonderbolts on our side, the rest of Equestria will soon be seeing things our way. Please let our new allies out, Lightning"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah... I only hurt Spitfire because her move was just asking for a baseball punchline… And Spitfire was trying to burn me!... I mean sure, I'm a genie now, so I would be fine no matter what happened, but she still tried to hurt me first. It was a fair shot of self-defense." 

She rolls her eyes a bit on the talk of not being any better then anypony but perks up when she mentions they'll bring her in when it's time to genify Rainbow Dash "Gotcha" She's a little disappointed that they don't want to genify her all that soon yet, but she smirks thinking of some ways to potentially mess with Rainbow Dash until that day comes. She can't genify her yet, but there are certainly ways she could potentially troll her in the meantime at the very least.

For now, she's now set on releasing the Wonderbolts. Though she decides to graciously hoof over Fleetfoot's bottle to Luna, and Soarin's bottle to Tempest. "Here, we'll open the three of them together. A different sort of victory champagne,~"

Lightning lifts Spitfire's vessel with magic and begins a short countdown  "Ready on... 3, 2, 1, GO!" 

Luna doesn't quite buy Lightning's self defense explanation, but she sighs. "What's done is done." (We may still need to keep her in check though, something tells me she'll need another talk down the line…)

Tempest pats Lightning on the shoulder, seeing her disappointment in not going after Rainbow immediately. "Don't worry, it'll happen soon enough. She's just part of a little game at the moment and we can't ruin it. Besides, there's still plenty of others to genify, plus I think you'll be busy in the meantime too. Right, 'Captain Lightning'?" 

Lightning already liked the sound of what Tempest mentioned. 'Captain Lightning' A nice ring to it after all that's happened today, immediately dispelling most of her disappointment with not going after Rainbow Dash just yet. "You betcha~"

The two genies gladly take their respective bottles and open them

From Fleetfoot's vessel comes a cyan column of smoke with white sparks, from Soarin's vessel comes the same but in light blue and darker blue sparks that soon form up in the front half of the two ponies. Although much like all the stallions thus far, Soarin was now a mare. Both of them had the same color of veil and leggings as Spitfire did.

A mix of red, orange, and yellow Sparks fly from Spitfire's, embers spew out as well. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Spitfire spirals out in a ball of flame. The tornado clearly still has some effect on her. She opens her forehoovess wide, dissipating the fire around her and the trio of genies can see that her flight suit is now gone, replaced by blue veils. She floats down to them, looking at her new attire, feeling the power welling up in her. "I can see why you were so adamant on wanting to share this power now..." 

"Ooooooooh wow~. Had I known it'd feel that good... I might have dived right into a vessel myself..." Fleetfoot commented

"I feel... different... but at the same time... so much better~..." The mare-i-fied Soarin smiles gently with lidded eyes, and does a flip trick while tailed to her vessel. 

Spitfire marvels at the sight of her teammates turned genies. "Almost makes us feel silly for fighting so hard. And I've gotta say..." She flies over to Soarin "The transformation really did wonders on you~" She smirked "You're lucky those pies didn't go to your thighs! Or maybe they did, we all don't have them showing right now!" She laughed, feeling a sense of relief for the first time since before the Storm King's invasion announcement. "You're like a whole new pony!"

Luna chimed in, happy to see them quickly adjusting and accepting their new roles. "Now you all understand what we've been trying to do! But as with all the ponies who've been changed like Soarin, with that new form, a new name is in order."

The mention of a new name makes Spitfire recall the conversation they had about giving Soarin a new nickname anyway. She floats over to Fleetfoot and whispers. "So do we make her new nickname her permanent name or should we be nice?"

Fleetfoot whispers back "How about we bake our cake and eat it too, We'll give her an actual cool name to keep permanently. But that won't stop us from using 'Backfire' when we're back at HQ~"

"Heh, sounds good to me!" She looks back at Soarin "We've got the perfect name in mind! One that we're sure she'll like!" Spitfire smirks at the mare, perhaps making her sweat just a little that they'd call her 'Backfire' outside of the wonderbolts. "She will no longer be Soarin, but now, Glide!"

The mare that was once Soarin reacts with a bit of a surprise, and some relief that they didn't try to make a nickname her new name. Glide smiles and accepts her name "I love it! Can't wait to show the new me to the rest of the bolts and our trainees..." The subject of the other members of the Wonderbolt organization just manages to dawn on them.

Fleetfoot turns to their new captain. "Captain Lightning, with your request. We'd like to spread this pleasure amongst the rest of our fellow bolts and staff once every pony's back at HQ."

Glide nodded "Most of the Wonderbolts were put in charge of protecting the refugees that are currently in Fillydelphia which is why it was only us three for battling with the Storm King's invasion force. Now that it seems the Storm King is gone... and our rather swift defeat to Lightning Dust and the rest of the genies. Thankfully, our vessels proved to be a peace plan that'll make it so it's safe to bring everypony back home. Including all the other Bolts at HQ"

"...And then Genify them of course~" Fleetfoot deviously laughed a little.

Lightning listens to the Wonderbolts now under her in rank, and just smirks and nods "Of course we can do that~. That'll be fun... though Princess Luna... You may want to send a royal message to Fillydelphia that Cloudsdale is 'safe' to return to now.~" 

Spitfire smiled at the approval of Glide's new name. Though when she heard Fleetfoot call Lightning Dust, Captain, she flinched. While she had admitted that she knew her run as captain was coming to an end, deep down it still stung. Something that would be quite noticeable by the change in reaction. She tried to shake it off after the mention of bringing everypony back home from Fillydelphia. Falling in line as the 'rookie' once more.

Tempest chimed in at the mention of the storm king "While we know that you wouldn't have listened before, the Storm King has indeed been taken care of. He will not be seeing Geniequestria or share in the power we genies have." There was a smug sense of satisfaction on her face. It had been just yesterday, and she still revels in remembering seeing his final moments before being turned to stone.

Luna nods at Lightning. "Already being taken care of." She writes down on some parchment and teleports it away. "The ponies there will be under the impression that everything will be back to normal. Let's at least get them home safely before having our fun? We don't want anypony to slink away now."

Suddenly, two teleports come near Princess Luna. It's Gleaming Shield and Bayonet. The latter salutes the princess and reports the status on the ground "Every royal guard is accounted for and/or bottled, your highness. We can begin to escort them back to Canterlot!"

Gleaming looks at the newly genified wonderbolts. "Seems we missed quite a bit! Sorry we're late, but we wanted to have some fun with our guardmates." 

"You mean by going around with some kind of act?" Tempest teases. "You were having so much fun earlier, I had to play my part. Looks like it went better than expected!"

Princess Luna smiles at the group. "Excellent, we shall all return as heroes! With the guard and now the most decorated active wonderbolts on our side, Geniequestria is stronger than ever!" She lets out a laugh. "I'll notify Starlight immediately as well, she'll want to hear this. But good work everypony!"

Lightning notices the mention of Starlight "So this Starlight's is who the head honcho of this whole thing? I'll be sure to see her at some point. Gotta thank her for giving me the opportunity I've been waiting for~"

It was then that the groups started to split for separate ways. The Wonderbolts along with their new captain Lightning Dust head to help the remaining members of the Wonderbolts, their staff, and all the refugees back to Cloudsdale. 

While Luna, Tempest, Gleaming Shield, Bayonet, and all the genies of the Royal Guard prepared to get back to Canterlot. 

The Battl- or perhaps… Bottling of Cloudsdale was a success. Trixie's hijacking of a concert in Manehattan had secured that city as well, Princess Celestia along with Cadence and Inkwell have begun a more long-term plan for Canterlot, and of course Starlight has landed a pretty critical blow to the Elements of Harmony with the genification of Fluttershy in Ponyville. The four pronged expansion of Geniequestria had gone pretty much all according to plan, but there was still much work to be done to achieve the ultimate goal of Geniequality for all....

SIDE STORIES

FOLLOW LIGHTNING AND THE WONDERBOLTS BACK TO WONDERBOLT HQ

[givemeyourcrunchbars]

Sequestered

Fern x f!reader

If there are any warnings I need to add, please let me know :)

The weight of the crown on your head was too much to bear today. You gently set it down onto the grass, next to you in the shade of the giant oak trees above you.

If someone were to ask you what it's like to be a princess, you would say it's a curse. For the past 15 years you've been raised, your father was stern and barely paid any attention to you. Suffering from neglect, you slowly watched him become more and more corrupt with power, forcing the entire kingdom to stay within its walls. As far as the common people knew, the outside was a mysterious place not to be messed with.

That's what power does to people. To have all these abilities at your hands, is a great responsibility. But most rulers toss those away, like a bag of trash being disposed into the garbage can.

You sighed, gazing across to the opposite side of the clearing you were sitting in. You raised your head to look up at the sky. Oh, what I would do to have a different life...

The rustling of leaves caught your attention. You gasped, quickly backing away into the shelter of the trees. Dad can't catch me being here!

"Hey."

You froze as relief washed over you. It wasn't your father.

You weren't allowed to leave the kingdom. Finding loopholes wasn't easy, so you didn't know what you'd do if he found out.

Carefully, you stood up, squinting at the figure standing at the opposite end of the meadow. Slowly, they- or it- stepped into the sunlight. You recognized him from your past adventures. Fern the Human.

"Hi," you replied warily. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, you know," he said. "Just exploring." Fern wore the same expression he did normally, a blank set of eyes and his mouth set in a straight line.

You nodded, your eyes darting around the clearing, at anything but him. You rarely interacted with outsiders, especially since you weren't allowed outside of your kingdom. So you didn't know how to act. All your social skills started chipping away because you were forced to stay inside all the time. "Princess duties".

"I haven't seen you around here before," the grass boy remarked. "Who are you?"

"Who am I?" I repeated. That was a good question. Every single decision I've had to make and every emotion I've had was decided for me. So much so, that I wasn't sure there was any "me" left.

"I'm Y/N," you replied. Fern tilted his head.

"Where are you from?"

"Um." You struggled to find the words. He couldn't know about the kingdom, or else you would find yourself kicked out. What was even the purpose of telling him? It could only end badly. His curiosity would get the better of him, driving him him to see the kingdom for himself. Would Fern even try to save us?

Even though you wanted to rescue your people badly, the thought of them roaming around aimlessly in the Land of Ooo scared you. They barely knew anything about the outside, and the only information they did know altered their perspective to think of it in a bad light. Besides, what could Fern do to help? He's just one person.

"It's none of your business," you ended up blurting out. "I have to go." Your father wanted you home for the evening anyway. For what, he didn't say.

You turned away before you could hear Fern's reply, dashing off into the dense forest.

Taking a deep breath, you began to form an image of a raven inside your mind. Shapeshifting was still something you weren't good at. You were supposed to follow a certain set of rules as a princess, one of which being that you couldn't shapeshift into your raven form in the presence of other people. It was seen as impolite.

Focus on shapeshifting! You commanded yourself. Finally, you were able to fly, ruffling your wings a bit. You missed being able to soar.

"Wait!" Fern's voice yelled from behind you, his footsteps trodding through the layers of leaves on the forest floor. You sighed, flapping up to the tree tops and taking off. A feeling of dread gradually grew in your chest, facing the reality that you had to go back to your secluded life, with people that ignored and misunderstood you.

As the dark green leaves of the forest zoomed by beneath your feet, you began to wonder whether you should've listened to what Fern had to say. Eh, it probably wasn't important.

Directing your thoughts back to your destination, you vowed to come back to your happy place as soon as possible. It helped clear your head. Hopefully, Fern won't be there next time. The idea of talking to people made you uncomfortable. The people that you've trusted in the past have all either broken your trust, or just didn't care about you at all.

There's a crown here in the bushes, Fern observed, lifting the heavy piece of gold. It was a big ring, with an arm extending upwards, holding a small, rugged black crystal. Interesting.

Turning it over in his hands, something strange caught his eye. A carving on the back of the crown. It was barely illegible, but Fern could make out one name. Y/N.

"Where is your crown?" The Raven King hissed angrily. "The suitors are already here!"

"I don't know, Dad!" You frantically racked your mind, trying to remember where you had left it. A princess' crown was a part of her, as a role model and a symbol. But this time, it represented worth.

"Why are you making me marry someone I don't even know anyway?" You hurriedly glanced at your father, brows furrowed. Your father had invited a group of suitors to compete for your hand in marriage. They desired only the princess' heart, but it wasn't true love, like what you dreamed of as a child. They just wanted land, wealth, and power. Marrying you was their key to a happy life. Without your label as a princess, they would have no opportunity at all.

"You know very well why!" Your father growled. "This is going to be beneficial for the kingdom! Don't you want me to prosper?"

You started walking down the spiraling staircase that lead to the main hallways, unable to stay calm any longer. "I want the people to prosper," you replied, sending a spine-chilling glare to your father behind you. Before he could respond, you stomped away, into the main hallway where a line of antsy suitors stood waiting.

You definitely have a thing for walking out on people.

"Heya, Fern!" A boy wearing a worn, dual-toned green backpack greeted Fern, holding open the door that had separated the two just moments before. "Jake just made some meatloaf! Want some? It has your favorite- I mean our favorite garnishes." Finn grinned.

"No thanks," Fern replied, distracted. His eyes wandered all around the giant treehouse that stood over him, almost menacingly. Despite what Fern wanted to think, there was something about it that made him uneasy. When he thought of the treehouse, he thought of Finn, which in turn caused him to obsess over the fact that he wasn't Finn. Then who was he?

"No probs." Finn sounded a little disappointed, but cheered up when Jake called out that the meatloaf was ready from somewhere inside the house.

"By the way, can I ask you something?" Fern asked, taking something out of his backpack, which tumbled to the ground, causing him to groan in frustration. Finn turned back to his grassy friend while taking a plate of food from the unseen Jake. "What's up?"

He gasped when he saw the golden crown gleaming in the sunlight. "That belongs to one of the princesses!" He picked it up and handed it back to Fern.

Fern nodded, stowing it in his backpack. "I found it in the forest near Tree Trunks' house. I think this girl dropped it," he said.

"Whahf girl?" Finn said, trying to chew meatloaf at the same time. "PB? Fire Princess? Slime P?"

"No." Fern shook his head. "I've never seen her before, and honestly," he said, scratching the back of his neck. "She was scared of me." He sounded frustrated, his voice trailing off.

"Dude-"

"Why doesn't anything ever work out?!" Fern said in anguish. He curled his fingers in and out of his palm, trying to release the tension trapped in his mind.

"Calm down, dude," Finn exclaimed. "I can help you find her, don't worry! I've never seen this crown before either, so we can go together." He placed a hand on Fern's shoulder, trying to comfort him.

"No!" Fern protested. "I wanna do it myself," he said, softer. "Can you just tell me how to find her?"

Finn looked taken aback for a second at his grassy friend's outburst, but nodded regardless. "You can ask the Candy People and the other kingdoms, they probably know who owns that crown." He handed Fern a map of the Land of Ooo, sketched out on a yellowed piece of paper.

Saying their goodbyes, Finn left Fern on his solo quest to find the mysterious princess.

The long and chaotic day was finally over. You sank down to the floor, your back against the door to your room. You stared at the king-sized bed. I hate this. I hate everything.

After you left your father standing on the stairs, you had awkwardly walked into the main hall. But that must have been the last straw for your father, because he still didn't join you, even after five minutes. He ended up sending a replacement to accompany you after a long time of waiting. You wished that the suitors didn't keep glancing at the spot where your crown was supposed to sit while you stood with your hands clasped in front of you, staring at the doorway your father was going to follow you through.

I still have to get the crown back, you thought. Where did I leave it? The only place I would've lost it would be... Then you realized. The clearing! Of course! Oh no, I have to go there right now!

You raced over to the small window in your bedroom, peeking your head out. Seeing practically no one outside, you transformed into your raven form and hopped on the windowsill. Suddenly, an object was hurled at you from below. Looking down, you saw a small child chucking pieces of corn at you.

"Get out of there, you stupid crow!" He yelled. Close enough.

You carefully flapped your wings, flying high above the kingdom. As soon as you were out of reach, the child gave up trying to knock you out of the sky and returned to his home, resuming the quiet atmosphere the kingdom always held during evenings.

Night had almost fallen over Ooo when you finally arrived at your meadow. Landing in the spot where you had sat earlier that day, you turned back into a human and rummaged through the bushes for your long lost crown. As the minutes ticked by, you began to grow more frustrated. Where is it?! If I lose it forever, I'm done for.

"Huh?" You said out loud. Prying apart the branches of a blueberry bush, you found a few grass blades attached to the rough leaves, reminding you of Fern. You stood up. Why not just see if Fern had it? He wasn't the scavenger type, but something as mysterious as an unknown princess' crown was sure to fascinate him.

Ugh, the sun is setting. You sighed in defeat, vowing to visit Fern the next day to take back the circlet. Another day that's ending, another gloomy morning to look forward to. But this time, you had a mission to accomplish.

[abbynx]

Juliet and Ophelia (Trish Una X Reader)

Like I said I can't pass up an opportunity to simp for this girl.

So this is a continuation of 'How would the La Squadra family react to you having a crush on the former boss' daughter, Trish Una?'

So yes, this series will be called, "Juliet and Ophelia" A Trish Una X Reader with a dash of found family with La Squadra and the Bucci gang so stay tuned!

Genre: Romance, fluff, wholesome

School. Nothing else to say, the certain word can emit a certain reaction from every individual. Some recoil and wince from the sudden flashbacks rushing into them, embarrassment and shame from all of the stunts they pulled. Some react with a certain fondness within them, lips slightly tugged to the side as the sudden nostalgia just soaks them up. Some, indifference. It's just an establishment wherein an individual attended for a quarter of their life and held nothing against it. To you, it didn't really emit anything from you. As a person who has never attended school, you looked at in an indifferent manner. You've been homeschooled all your life, relying on the knowledge your tutor Melone or sometimes Ghiaccio teaching you. They're good mentors, always took the time to make you feel like they aren't dumping overwhelming amounts of data on you. Additionally, they were extremely mindful of your well-being and made sure to not over-work La Squadra's adopted child. You thought of school as something as that, a school. You have nothing against it at all, nor you feel any sorts of things to it but you can certainly empathize those young people who struggle against it, tiring themselves to no end and are unsatisfied until their unmeetable standards are met. So that's what sums it, you were indifferent towards it... Until you yourself have began to attend it and all you can associate it with would be utmost regret. You didn't know what came up to you when Risotto asked of you if you wanted to live normally, he clarified that again; would you like to start attending school, like any other normal teens your age? Admittedly, home schooling is the norm too, but do you really want assassins educating you all your life instead of spending times with people your age, just enjoying the wonders of life? Ohhh, the entirety of La Squadra does not want you to emulate the same misery they've live to get to this, dear no. Risotto was kind enough to give you time to think about it, his right hand man Prosciutto taking the time to also explain its benefits and negatives. They offered to enroll you to a boarding school, attain a certain normalcy in your life for once. Although it was a boarding school, you can always go home every weekend to see them again. They can try to play it smooth and casual, but you know that they'd be too clingy to let you go. And by that, you accepted for some reason and now you've come to regret it, and can never take it back. You remain unmoving from your desk for the remainder of lunch break, head tilted down and interacted at the most interesting specimen to you, that were the pair of polished black shoes Prosciutto bought you. They were ridiculously expensive for a pair of shoes, but they are durable and pretty to look at, I guess. Just the perks of having a fashionable guy around. It was a dumb sight in hindsight and in an outsider's point of view, but you liked the way it gave out a glimmer when directed in light. Not only that, it's not like you can do anything about your crippling isolation in school. Everyone seems to despise your guts in this damned institution for some reason. You really don't know what they problems were, nor were they willing to confront you about it and instead opted to whisper and laugh at you from behind as you tread pass them. It was so damn unfair that you were one of the most fierce assassins La Squadra Esecuzione has to offer and yet you were easily taken down by a bunch of high schoolers who talked behind your back. You loathed this place. You regretted accepting the offer to study in this god forsaken hell and just wanted to go home. Melone's home education was more than enough, heck his teachings were more advance than the school curriculum has to offer and yet Risotto has insisted for you to experience this period of life for some reason. You've grown up from them, raised by assassins and have experienced the weirdest shit as a Stand User and they still think you need to have a normal high school life? And for what? It's not like there's an underground

organisation ran by students at school where you were needed to play double agent but no-- they insisted you to study things you already knew and compete among students apparently. The lunch packed with food remained untouched in your bag, wherein you planned to just give it to the stray cats and dogs just as you wait for one of La Squadra to pick you up from this damned institution. It's not like you were starving yourself, you were just uninterested to eat at the moment and you really didn't want it to go to waste so why not give it to those who are more in need? You weren't really accustomed to eating alone, as there would always be a member of La Squadra eating with you. These past few weeks felt so full without them that now it's made imminent to you that without them— life can be so colourless, so monochrome, so damn boring. Your crippling sense of loneliness, in addition to your utter unaccustomed self in a new environment made life hell for you in here. It would only be a few, agonising hours until you would be picked up by one of the assassins. At least there you'd get some actual slumber that won't require you to wake up at five o'clock to practically rush towards the school shower rooms and bathe in ice cold water in the middle of dawn for another day in hell. The teacher's lectures remained audible to you, and yet you couldn't seem to properly understand what she was going on about. It was a mere noise, as your eyes would impatiently dart up to meet with the hands of ticking clock, idly zooming by, as your legs bounced at the anticipation of the bell ringing. It was only a matter of a few more hours and yet, you just can't wait to ditch this hellhole for two days. "L/N, are you paying attention?" You jerk your head up from your daydreams with a slight yelp. Your teacher stood indignant, hands on her hips as she raised a questioning brow at you. "Well?" She waits. "Yes, Madam." You nodded. "Then pray tell, what is the common misconception about Mary Shelley's Frankenstein?" She challenged, shifting her weight on one side and awaits for your answer. It was then you noticed all eyes were on you. You knew the answer very well, it was simple really and yet being the centre of attention certainly hindered you from answering as soon as you can. "See? This is why--" "The common misconception regarding the Gothic novel Frankenstein is that often they refer the monster as Frankenstein, when in reality it's the name of the creator of the creature, Doctor Victor Frankenstein." You once remembered Ghiaccio's outburst about that, his shrill voice just ranting on and on about referencing the name incorrectly in modern pop culture. For a moment the teacher looks at you from the tip of her nose, as if to say 'I'll get you next time', before returning to the lesson Well, that was a relief. You released a breathe you've been harbouring, before turning your head yet again to watch the ticking hands of the clock go by and finally have the day done. ~•~ Similarly to your situation, it has come to her attention that she deeply regretted transferring back to school after a year of her absence. It was as if nothing changed, she was the same ol' Trish no one paid attention to, nor cared about. She only existed amidst their faint breathes whispering amongst each other behind her back as she passes by; "Whoop, there is she is again. I don't get why she returned." "Maybe she was pregnant last year." "Omg, really?" And she despises it. She couldn't have a single shit about their thoughts about her, but if they ever dared to spread rumours she wouldn't hesitate to use her connection with the mafia. She tries not to abuse this power, but come on, who wouldn't? At least now, they knew they wouldn't dare to land a hand on her, she has her own Stand now and not only that, her new family wouldn't stand something such as this to happen to her. All she wanted to do was to leave to godforsaken hell hole for two days for the weekend but alas, her pickup person was taking way too long. As much as she wants to stand up,

march forward to her new home with Bruno and the others, she was strictly told to wait for one of them to pick her up. But alas, they were taking too long and the roof of the waiting shed wasn't ideal for a rainy day either, not with its leaky roof, that is. All she can do was to sit on the metallic bench, and dodge dripping water leaking from the roof of the waiting shed. Seated at arm's length away from her, was a classmate of hers. A memory implanted itself on her brain after that one lecture in class, impressed at their quick wit to respond to the teacher's question, even if they paid little to no attention to the lesson apparently. And not to mention, their nonchalance response after proving the teacher correct was admirable. If only she can do something similar of that, she knew she'd be more proud of herself. The pinkette looks up in anticipation at the sound of a vehicle pulling over in front of a waiting shed, but frowned once she sees it wasn't the usual van Bruno rents. It was a black van, with pure black tinted windows and honestly, she'd think it was one of those vans that you'd be afraid of when you see it approaching. The student beside her let out a relieved sigh, and practically skipped off before boarding the van. Trish couldn't help but to sigh out as well, as she was now left alone to wait under the leaky roof. Trish shivered from the cold, before she decided to gather her knees in front of her chest to provide herself warmth from the rain. If only she brought with her the pink umbrella Giorno gifted to her, but alas, she forgot and left it back in the villa they currently reside in. She wanted to disobey them, and just walk home but she had no umbrella and doesn't really want to spend the weekend with her nose clogged and throat sealed with pain, as much as she wants to stay and rest within the villa with her new found family. She wanted to go home, she hated the hell hole and regretted her decision going back to it. As she wallows from her regrettable decision, the van door opens and the students steps out of it. Trish was confused for a moment, but didn't reacted to it, as her gaze remains directed down. For all she knew they don't left something behind, but apparently she was wrong. "Hey, it's pretty cold and you might catch a fever. You can borrow my jacket, here," Trish looked up, shocked to see you holding a black jacket and a light blue umbrella. She was shocked to say the least, but graciously accepts it. "The umbrella is a bit broken, sorry about that—" "N-no, it's enough... T-Thank you..." "You're welcome," they were quick to interact with, before they run towards the van once again and drove off. Trish watches the black van disappear into a turn, before she looks back at the jacket, subconsciously smiling fondly at it. She shrugs the jacket on, as it was slightly loose around her frame, before opening the umbrella above her head. After glancing at the direction from whence your van drove off, the smile on her face never wavered despite her impatience for her pick up person to arrive. ~•~ "So how was school, Y/N?" Risotto asks after a cheery round of laughter at the dinner table. You halted for a moment upon hearing the dreaded s-word being spoken. Thankfully, no one took notice of your reluctant pause and cleared your throat. You went on as normal, as you poke with your food in front of you. "It's good." You hoped that it wouldn't come up but alas, it was inevitable they'd ask that like any other adult talking to a young adolescent.  "Anyone got your attention~?" Illuso teases with his usual lopsided grin, with a mock crone. "Not really." You deadpanned, as you mentally rolled at the idea of liking someone in that school when everyone's been mean to you. "Your asking the wrong question, did you get someone's attention, though?" Melone chimes in. Once again, you mentally scoff at the idea of someone liking you. "Nuh uh." Oh if only they knew. Well now that you think about it, it was better for them not to know. They're highly capable people with strings to

pull and honestly, your classmates hasn't done anything physical to you yet. "Enough about the lovey dovey crap, what's important is that they're learning crap in school like they're supposed to be!" Ghiaccio retorts towards the two. "We're just glad you're enjoying yourself at school." Pesci adds with a warm smile. Another reason you can't tell them about your hatred for school. They were happy for you having that normalcy in your life, something they've never experienced pleasantly. As much as yours wasn't that ideal of a usual high school teen drama in one of those novels, but at least it wasn't as worst as their experience. And honestly, you would do just about anything to see them smile. "OHHH SHIT, Y/N'S SCHEDULED TO WASH THE DISHES!" Formaggio shouts from the kitchen in joy, prompting you to jerk up your seat in shock. The man has the tendancy to trick you into washing dishes sometimes and now that you've grown and realised how naïve you were, you grew more wary of his tricks. "SHUT THE HELL UP, NO WAY—" "YES WAY!" Formaggio returns from the kitchen, holding up the chart of dish washing schedule, before sticking his tongue out at you. "SUCKER!" Truly, you've missed the rampant chaos within your family, a stark contrast against the repetitive schedule in school. It was sheer chaos there too, not gonna lie, but this is a different type. This was the type wherein you felt at home, just smiling as the villa becomes frosted with a thin layer of ice unlike the one in school. You wanted to stay with them, but of course, their main priority was for you to have some sort of normalcy in your life and honestly, if that's what makes them happy you'd be happy to oblige. You are certainly doing great at school, and they're proud of it, it shows... If only Gelato and Sorbet were to see you as well. They may be gone, but you can just imagine them smiling and encouraging you. ~•~ Of course happy days would pass swiftly than its duller counterpart. Happy days were over once Monday hits and you were once again strapped to your seat for the next eight hours, another three hours by the library to get the Mount Everest high school work due to tomorrow, before curling up against the corner of your bed staring off into the abyss until slumber has taken a liking to you and claim you within its embrace and then somehow, someway, you would be then pulled from your sweet escape by a shrill bell from your bedside table, before you would inevitably glare at the blaring alarm clock, slam your hand against it before attempting to regain about five more minutes of sleep— only then to remember how things function in this seventh circle of hell as it was enough to convince you to get up and march towards your dresser with your stuff and head to the shower room. Needless to say, you've got the school schedule memorised by now. Even the usual discord occurring from time to time began to bore you. Nothing much really happened in school, you were just slowly deteriorating from boredom and by home sickness... Once gain, just goes to show how much you missed your chaotic little assassin family. You set yourself by your desk with a sigh, just wanting to get through this place without wanting to wreak havoc within the school premises that will prompt a bad mark on your pristine records. Not that you cared, it's just that Prosciutto will surely bitch about once he catches a glimpse of it and make an hour-long lecture about it. You let out an exhausted sigh for the umpteenth time, slumping against your desk with your eyes closed when suddenly a figure stands in front of your table. You immediately straightened your back and tried your best to look alive, before glancing up at her. "Oh hey, what's up?" You instinctively asked to swerve yourself away from the awkward silence, smiling up to the pinkette. "Hi, thank you for lending me you cost and umbrella. If it weren't for them I would've caught a cold back there." She hands you your jacket and umbrella back, in which you graciously accepted. "You're welcome, Miss Una— I-um—" you

stammered, your hands brushing against hers once you've reached to collect your neatly folded, pressed and newly washed jacket, along with your light blue umbrella. It was the heat of the moment when you gave her those following items and felt sorry for the girl, concerned about the dripping rain and the cold, humid air. "It's no problem." "Please no need for formalities, we're the same age. Just call me Trish." She insists. "There's the cafe in front of campus. I'll see you there after classes, my treat. It's the least I can do to show you my gratitude." "Uhhh, of course." For a moment it didn't process that the café she was referring to was an expensive one. The posh, fancy, the Prosciutto's to-go-to type of thing that charges an arm and a leg just to buy a shot of espresso, and they'd charge you your pair of kidneys if you asked for sugar and cream. Money wasn't a problem now that the boss was actually considerate, but why in all nine circle's of hell did you not insist her not to treat you? Well now's too late, as class has started and she's trudged back to her desk. Aside from the expensive coffee shop... Wow, you never thought that your encounter with her would expand to this type of interaction. At the back of your mind screamed wary, but something stronger in you just found this as a perfect opportunity for a friendship to bloom. She seems like a nice girl and quite frankly, she'd be lovely to spend time with. Like the weeks before spending your time in school, you gaze up to the clock as always, excited for something new other than weekends to go back to the La Squadra villa. This time, you were excitedly anticipating the time after class to meet with the lovely pinkette. Something good will happen, I just feel it!

[seyaryminamoto]

Underneath Starlit Skies: Sokkla Saturdays 2021

Day 9: Jealousy

On FF.net//On AO3

And here's the final entry! I had a lot of fun writing these stories this year, as must be obvious due to the excessive word count in each entry :'D but I certainly hope you guys enjoyed these stories too! Thanks to everyone who participated and everyone who supported us all throughout this event!

"Well, it's… a very nice poster design! Look at how colorful it is…!"

"Heh, sounds fun but I can't see it…"

"Oh, sorry, Toph…"

"It's too colorful. Why are we joining this stupid festival, again…?"

"Because Spicy wanted us to join it, that's why."

"Doesn't look like Azula's that happy about it anymore, though."

The five young women glanced at their friend, their leader, with uncertainty. Azula sat alone on an armchair of the lounge: it was where they rested when their jamming sessions ended. The rehearsal had gone wonderfully… until the news about the festival's announcement had arrived. They had agreed to take a break, to check out the official announcement and line-up, to confirm they'd be promoted in the poster, as they had been promised they would be…

To find their band was the second-to-last name on the poster. Dash Nova's logo was so small it barely could be read unless you pinched the picture to zoom into it.

Her every enthusiastic hope that this would be their big break, that this would finally be their chance to shine, had been quashed and thwarted right then and there. Her bandmates and friends weren't quite sure what to make of this situation either: Ty Lee eyed her anxiously, holding her flute to her chest. Mai seemed ready to give up on the ordeal of live performance, though to be fair, she had been ready to do that all along – she had barely even agreed to be their bassist, and now did it as a force of habit rather than actual passion over their band. Toph, of course, barely seemed to care. Suki appeared slightly annoyed, though not as annoyed as Azula was… but the last member of their band was the one to rise to her feet and sit on the armrest of Azula's armchair, a hand on her shoulder.

"I know this isn't what we wanted, but… Azula, it's still an opportunity," Song said. Azula scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"An opportunity for failure?" she asked, glancing at her friend with disbelief. "Did you scroll down, past the damn poster?"

"Uh, no, but…"

"We're playing in the smallest stage. The stage for the has-beens and nobodies," she said, dropping her phone carelessly on the lounge's small table as she crossed her arms over her chest. "And it's happening at the same hour as the concert of the headliners of the festival. This isn't what the damn contest result promised… it's not how this was supposed to go! If anyone from any actual recording companies happens to drop by at this festival to recruit anyone, would they go to the 'chill jam' stage or to the 'star-maker' stage, you think?"

"Well… they could go anywhere, I suppose," Song grimaced, biting her lip. "It's hard to say, I don't know how they generally work…"

"Then I guess I'll have to enlighten you: they're not going to have a contract at the ready for Dash Nova when other new and far more successful bands such as Rocket Bomb will be performing on the 'star-maker' stage throughout that day."

Mai groaned in frustration, and the others made different faces of irritation, disbelief and displeasure at Azula's final words. Oh, she knew she shouldn't compare their successes, of course she did… but she wasn't quite so stupid as to think that it was sheer chance to see Rocket Bomb's own logo on the fourth line, at a decent size, while theirs was at the very last line of the whole poster. No one would need to zoom in to know Rocket Bomb would be performing…

"They were in the same contest we joined," Azula said, shaking her head. "The two winning bands would join the festival, they said… and we made the cut. They won, sure, but our band was the runner-up and… and they're basically treating us like we're in completely different spectrums."

"And you wish they'd treat you the way they treat them," Mai finished, with a dismissive sneer. Azula scoffed.

"No… they got there fair and square, I'm not saying otherwise," she admitted, scowling. "And yet…"

And yet there was a part of her that wasn't satisfied. A part of her that thought they deserved better. Yes, she of all people knew just how good Rocket Bomb was, she had followed their career from the very beginning and she knew they were brilliant but… was the difference between them truly that vast? She had tried to rationalize it many times, Rocket Bomb's audience was much easier to reach, she supposed… she had no idea if Dash Nova even had an audience. They'd received a few approving comments on their Youtube video for their best song so far, 'Name of the Night', and yet it was barely a fragment of the support Rocket Bomb had found, especially after releasing 'Baby, I Want What I Want', a hit that had launched them into surprising, if still moderate, fame: they'd gone from three hundred subscribers to two thousand in the blink of an eye. How had they done it? And why couldn't Dash Nova do it too?

It ate away at her, it always would. She knew Dash Nova had a unique sound – how many rock bands had flute and violin accompanying the traditional instruments of a rock band? Song could play the erhu as well, and she did it for certain songs, giving them a smooth, deep sound that enveloped their melodies perfectly… was it, maybe, Azula's own vocals that were the problem? Were people just pretending she was a good singer? Was it the sum of everything, all of which meant that this truly, absolutely, wasn't what she should be doing with her life…?

The thought had come to mind too many times lately. After their success at the contest, she had hoped the doubts would fade out slowly instead… but now, she found herself questioning her talent, her so called strengths as a musician, songwriter and composer. If she were any good, would she really have this much trouble finding an audience or a recording contract?

Maybe this really wasn't the right path for her. Maybe the band you started with your high school friends was only ever meant to be the band you started with your high school friends…

"If this shit goes nowhere… I guess that's it," Azula said, shaking her head and rising to her feet. The others gasped upon hearing words they never thought she'd say. "I… I don't think anyone else can do what we do, but maybe nobody else should, if our doing it isn't getting us anywhere, so far"

"Oh, Azula…" Song gasped. Suki winced.

"You're not seriously thinking about giving up, are you?" she asked, setting aside her guitar and eyeing Azula with uncertainty. "I know it's kind of a cliché to hear that maybe we just have to wait a little longer for our music to reach the right people… but you really don't think that will happen anymore?"

"I don't know," Azula said, earnestly. "I… don't know how other people did it, alright? I don't know how they could be patient and wait for their turn, I've apparently run out of patience of my own now. Maybe I'll feel better later, but… I'm tired."

The others – sans Toph – watched with remorse as their frontwoman stepped towards the door of their lounge… the door that led outside, and not back into the booth in which most their instruments waited. She'd likely go find fresh air, and then she'd be back with renewed vigor, but for now…

"It's always about Rocket Bomb, isn't it…?" Ty Lee sighed, once the door closed behind Azula. "When d'you think she'll realize her whole problem is she has a major crush on their drummer?"

"I don't know," Song sighed, sitting down again, by Suki's side. "You say it's 'the problem', but I don't know if that's the right word. It's probably at least half her motivation, you know? She's been going toe to toe with him since we were kids…"

"Imagine how bad it would've been if our schools had been mixed and they'd actually been in the same, physical space for the most part…" Suki smirked slightly.

"Bet they would've been caught making out in the music room after hours like twenty times before we graduated," Ty Lee smirked, and the others laughed at her remark.

It was a long-running joke between them, one that barely seemed to be a joke most days. Azula certainly did very little to discourage their beliefs, considering she kept up with everything Rocket Bomb did, following their every news feed. As far as anyone knew, she might even have been the first person who had subscribed to their Youtube channel. It was odd behavior for someone who simply saw them as the competition, but perhaps it went deeper than that – at least, that was what the girls had always believed.

The six members of Dash Nova had met in an all-girls private school, in which most of them had received their full preschool, primary and high school education. It wasn't the most prestigious school out there, but it was famed for having good teachers, quality facilities and less risk of unruly behavior that was frequently seen in other kinds of schools… such as the also private school two blocks across theirs, which happened to be an all-boys school, instead.

That was where Azula's brother went to school at, two years above her. And it was where he had met, befriended, and of course formed a band with the man Azula considered her greatest rival…

Said man sat on another lounge, also resting after his band's rehearsal, as his bandmates roared with laughter and amazement over their incredible placing in the poster… over the amazing announcement that they would be performing at the top-billed venue of the festival. Aang couldn't seem to contain his excitement, Zuko and Jet kept looking at every other band in the announcement to check which ones they could attend before and after their own show, baffled by their amazing luck… and Sokka just sat where he did, shaking his head dismissively.

"Can you believe it, dude? I thought it'd take like three more years for us to get even half as close to a headliner on a festival poster!" Jet laughed, running his hand over his styled hair. "You know what? I bet it's because of the video again…"

"Of course it's because of the video: it's always because of that thing," Sokka groaned. Jet and Zuko scoffed in his direction.

"You jealous or something?" Jet teased him. Zuko grimaced.

"Because you shouldn't be. Having a bunch of wild fangirls tagging you on Twitter and Instagram, always asking if you're the top or bottom in your relationship with your bandmate, is not exactly fun…" he said. Jet laughed loudly.

"You just say that because they all think you're the bottom…"

"Oh, please! You're the one who looks like he's licking me because of how they edited the video! That's total bottom behavior…"

"Oh, really? That's how it is? Maybe we really ought to get some alone time so you can see…"

"Ugh, you do know this is just a stupid joke, don't you?"

"No, no, guys, don't stop now! Say that again, I'll record it and post it to my Reels!" Aang laughed, pulling up his phone and aiming the camera at Jet and Zuko: Jet playfully pretended to lick Zuko's face again, only for Zuko to shove him off forcefully. All three men laughed at their silly jokes…

But their leader and drummer couldn't find any amusement in the situation. No, he wasn't jealous at all of Jet and Zuko's frequent harassment by their flourishing fangirls… he was infuriated by it, if anything.

Their music didn't matter. It was not about that. Every message they got was over PR, over the absolutely unexpected choice of their video editor to dial up Zuko and Jet's interactions in their video for 'Baby, I Want What I Want', based on the high success of marketing strategies and campaigns of successful boybands…

Which wasn't what they were aiming for. It wasn't their intent; it never had been. Sokka wanted them to be a respectable rockband… and instead, they were the object of sexual awakenings for teenage girls everywhere because of the magic of video editing.

Curses, they didn't deserve that spot on the poster. They didn't deserve those seventeen hundred new subscriptions. All of them were here for something faked, something that hadn't really happened to begin with, all lured and misled by the non-existent romantic relationship between two friends… and none of them were here because their music was genuinely good.

Because it wasn't. Sokka had no doubts that it wasn't. He had started out writing the songs they usually performed in a fit of frustration, a frenzy of wanting to prove his music teachers wrong about countless things… and his friends had thought it sounded good, so he had decided to roll with it when they started the band. But even now, after rehearsing, tweaking and improving the songs constantly for many years, something was just… wrong. Something was missing. And the more they received standing ovations over anything but their music, the more Sokka was certain that they'd never find what they were missing…

"Sokka, why are you being such a sourpuss about this?" Jet asked, rolling his eyes. "Come on, you're not worried about your girlfriend, now, are you?"

"Oh, fucking hell…" Sokka huffed, rising to his feet as Zuko sighed.

"I thought I already had enough with one musical genius for a sister, but if she marries Sokka too it'll make everything worse…" he said. Jet laughed as Aang smiled sadly at Sokka.

"I know you think Dash Nova is cool, but… you know, they're there too!" Aang exclaimed, as Sokka rose to his feet. "And you'll have time to go see their performance, ours isn't going to overlap with theirs…"

"Uh-huh," Sokka said, hands on his hips. "It's… it's just fucking stupid. You guys have heard what they can do. I wish we could come even an inch closer to the sheer raw talent of their band…"

"Hey, now, our band's damn good too," Jet pouted. Sokka huffed.

"My stuff, the songs I've written, are like… not even fast food, it's more like the container of the fast food while hers are a full-course meal!" he said, chest heaving. "And I… I don't get it, okay? I don't understand how we can come this far while they're… down there. One day, when we're all old and wrinkly, they're gonna get inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and everyone's going to be like 'and what of that other band, Airplane Explosion? No, no, that's not its name, no, I don't even think that band existed…!'"

"Come on, we're not that forgettable," Zuko said, frowning. "Look, I know you want to try some stuff that's more experimental than what we've done, but… look at Lady Gaga! She had to do a bunch of stupid shit to get people's attention first, and then she totally slew everyone when she proved at that Oscars gala, in front of all those people who dismissed her, that she could sing 'The Sound of Music' like a badass. We're… basically on our way to do the same thing, right?"

"We are, huh?" Sokka said, with a grimace and a roll of his eyes as he turned towards the lounge's door. "Well, fine. Doesn't mean I'm not allowed to be annoyed about it, though."

"Sokka…!"

"Eh, leave him be, he'll just find a flower and start plucking its petals: does Azula love me? Does she love me not…?"

Sokka rolled his eyes again as he slammed the lounge's door behind himself. Yes, it was that easy to dismiss his genuine concerns about their musical direction behind jokes and mockery… behind pretending he was just head over heels about Azula and that all his problems came from that. It was clearly unprofessional to act like that could be the source of his problem, the only reason why he was displeased… but he did have strong feelings about Azula. Probably the strongest feelings he'd ever had…

Feelings of utter, undeniable professional jealousy and admiration, that was.

To this day, he had no idea she felt similarly about him. To this day, she had no idea he kept up with her band's activities… just as he had no idea that she did that with his, too. To this day, they were practically strangers despite they had known each other all their lives…

It had started when their parents had enrolled them and their siblings in a music school as their afterschool extracurriculars. Their first year there was meant to provide them general preparation for further music studies, and as not that many children enrolled in the after-school music institution every year, the age difference between the kids hadn't mattered: thus, the eight-year-old Azula and her ten-year-old brother Zuko had been in the same class as the also eight-year-old Katara and her also ten-year-old brother Sokka.

Zuko and Katara had become fast friends, and Sokka often amused them with his jokes, playing the clown of the class often. Azula, of course, hadn't cared for the humor in his jokes, and she had only wanted to focus on learning the basics of music. The teacher was very mild and gentle, no doubt trained to entertain children, no doubt struggling to do so with those who didn't care at all about music and were only attending because their parents had forced them to… such as Katara, whose entire one-year stint in the music school had just become a matter of socialization and nothing more.

Azula, however, took it very seriously. She practiced diligently when they were learning to sing the major scale, and she would hit the notes perfectly… meanwhile, Sokka often failed to reach the right pitch: he would blush as other kids laughed at his failures, and then he'd try again to similar results. And yet, when it came to rhythm, the situation was reversed: Sokka could follow every rhythm at first sight. He had understood the cypher for each length of notes, he even grasped the triplet right away… while Azula always lost the beat. She couldn't possibly get it right, she tried and tried and practiced every day at home… and yet it was an ordeal she couldn't make sense of.

Katara dropped out after one year, though she and Azula would still meet in the mornings at their regular primary school, and other friends of Azula's joined the music school later: Ty Lee was a year behind Azula, Sokka and Zuko, and she constantly would beg Azula for her notes from last year so she could get out of doing the necessary homework, if possible. Azula didn't mind helping her, if just because her focus was elsewhere: now that their efforts were being graded, she was determined to be the very best in class… only, Sokka seemed intent on doing the same thing. They aced every theorical exam with full marks, and yet they continued to make their frequent mistakes with pitch and rhythm, even if they were improving slowly in both areas.

A year later, it was time to begin playing instruments. Azula started with the violin, and while she had been told she was extremely talented, she certainly didn't feel like she was after the teacher's tough regimen had nearly wrecked her passion for the instrument altogether. He would make her understand rhythm and beat one way or another, it seemed, and his classes were practically something to dread… but she had to pull it off. She needed to learn this, however hard it might be… because Sokka had taken up drums by then, and Azula had overheard his percussion teacher talking wonders about what an extraordinary, quick learner Sokka was. A prodigy drummer, if he'd ever seen one… her heart churned upon hearing such coveted words, spoken about someone else.

What Azula didn't know was that Sokka had gone home in helpless tears on the day when the results of auditions for the violin classes had been announced: he had been rejected by Azula's teacher. He now had no choice but to watch her at a distance, in awe, feeling stuck while doing the only thing he knew how to do… scared that he might never reach her level, try as though he might, because he certainly had tried. His pitch was getting better, the teachers had told him as much… but not enough to handle a violin, it seemed.

He had watched with a small smile from the back of the room when, a year later, Azula and another violinist who attended her school, Song, had a violin duet recital. The girls were but twelve by then, and their perfect performance had awed the… twenty-ish people who had witnessed their expertise. They only played about five pieces, but they had done an incredible job and Sokka couldn't help but envy them for it. He wanted to perform like that, too… but it didn't seem his chosen instrument would help much with that.

Their fourth year of regular music school began and saw both Sokka and Azula branching out into the same area, if in different ways. Zuko had taken up guitar lessons a few years before, and Azula wanted to do the same thing… Sokka had chosen to try his luck with guitar too, but he had picked the popular guitar course, classes with which he'd learn popular rhythms, casual songs, chords, how to improv for jazz, if he made it far enough for that… whereas Azula was working with classical guitar, much as the overwhelmed Zuko had been: he was constantly on the verge of quitting because his very fierce teacher insisted that he wasn't practicing, which, to be fair, he wasn't practicing that much, but he had a right to have a life! He was already fifteen! He could just learn guitar from a less irritating teacher, or maybe he should just learn it on his own.

Thus, Zuko dropped out and pursued his longed-for career as a rock guitarist in another academy that wasn't as classically inclined as this one was. Two of his friends from school, Aang and Jet, were already enrolled in that same low-impact music academy that seemed mostly poised to teach people how to play the instrument on basic levels rather than attempting to sharpen them into the perfect orchestra members… which was the case in their first music school. And while most people couldn't handle that stress particularly well, Sokka and Azula had prevailed and persevered against all odds, taking up a second instrument in order to prove something to themselves… or to each other.

At one point, they happened to be practicing in neighboring music booths where students often got in a few minutes of extra work before or after their lessons. They were supposed to be soundproof booths… but they weren't completely soundproof, actually. As Sokka rehearsed his rhythmic strumming, fingers gliding from chord to chord on his guitar, Azula's own fingers had to move at a vertiginous pace… she actually didn't have to do play that fast, but she found she was better at retaining rhythm if the pace of her performance was much quicker. Long notes, slow beats, were the absolute undoing of her perception of rhythm, so she plucked the strings and drew out a stream of complicated sounds… while Sokka's own strumming resulted in smoothness, in something placid and easygoing, and when she longed to feel the careless happiness in music that she wrongfully assumed he experienced while playing his songs, Sokka couldn't help but wish he could do the quick finger-tapping she pulled off with such finesse. Try as though he might… nothing he did could even hold a torch to Azula's expertise. Much as nothing she could do could ever hold a torch to Sokka's smooth and relaxing music.

Once they were at their fourth regular year in the music school, only one section was available for their level of education… a section comprised by teenagers and adults, mostly. Before that point, the adults had been on a different class… but by now so many people had dropped out that the school decided to cut losses and settle for a single class instead. Again, they competed as best they could to catch up to each other: finally, Azula was grasping rhythm better… and Sokka's pitch had, seemingly, been corrected thanks to his experience with guitar. They had taken their time… but they finally were at a place where, seemingly, they could face each other without shame.

… But that changed on the next year, where their theorical lessons were no longer the same kind of musical theory they were used to: they were at the fundamentals of composition now, and Sokka and Azula couldn't have been more excited about that. Yet when the new classes began, Sokka's heart almost shattered upon finding that, as much as he had learned a lot about chords, he certainly hadn't understood a lot about how to put them together in a coherent way. He played what others played, made up his own songs… but he didn't abide by any rules or laws of music when he did as much. So, when the teacher started establishing countless rules and limitations that Sokka had to abide by to compose anything, in order to teach them actual harmonies, Sokka was at a loss…

Whereas Azula was doing brilliantly. Of course she was. Her talent was shining brightly anew, and their teacher congratulated her with amazement as they discussed many classical composers through whom Azula had learned several interesting mixes and matches of chords, combinations she had picked up across the years… Sokka's heart sank as he realized his musical learning experiences were too mundane, too casual, compared to hers.

So he took it out by building songs with his very mundane mistakes. Songs that were childish, to a fault… and yet they were songs that his friends found interesting. Before he knew it, Jet had insisted on starting a band, and Sokka had told him he'd think about it…

His childish outrage receded about two years later: he was already eighteen by then, and he was delighted to find that, despite his expectations and his struggles in the classes on harmony, he was doing amazingly at the new classes based on counterpoint composition. Finally, something he wasn't utterly embarrassing at…

And something Azula couldn't get right. She just couldn't. Her jaw dropped as she tried to listen to her compositions each time to find they sounded dreadful to her, without fail. Nobody should ever hear music quite as nonsensical and wrong as the one she'd composed…

She had no idea how she passed that class on the first year. Maybe the teacher just took pity on her. Maybe she actually deserved to pass it and it was just a class on how to make completely ridiculous music… but she sure hadn't understood any of it, not until the second year of it when, merely a few months before the school year ended, she heard about Yuki Kajiura, a Japanese composer: finally Azula could grasp, vividly, what her counterpoint compositions could sound like… that reference enabled her to respond better to the exercises, and yet she felt she hadn't done well enough. She could still do better, of course she could…!

By the time they reached the final three years of composition, it was just Azula and Sokka in their class. Everyone their age had dropped out of the school by then. Everyone older than them had done so, too. They sat far apart in every class, if there was any theory to be had… if there wasn't, they'd just speak to the professor about their newest compositions and ask for critique, what to improve about their work. The professor encouraged them to work together… one glance at each other had been enough for them to decide otherwise. Azula wasn't sure they had exchanged a hundred words, if that, across the almost-thirteen years of their acquaintance. They were perfectly cordial… and also perfectly distant. Neither one ever went out of their way to get to know the other, to ask for help other than in small regards like 'what page did the teacher just tell us to read?' or 'what time is it?'. It was always niceties, completely simple ones at that. That was the full extent of their one-on-one experiences, so far.

Their graduation from that music school had been a shock, an incredible moment for everyone who had supported them through their long years of academic music studies. Most their friends had either taken other approaches and learned music at different schools, or even by themselves… but they had achieved the unthinkable, apparently: theirs would be the first graduation of two students who had enrolled on the same year in about twenty years in the institution's history, due to the high rate of dropouts and repeating classes that plagued most any other graduates.

They proceeded on to university studies on music, too: they distanced by then, choosing different universities – without their awareness, unsurprisingly, as they scarcely communicated about anything. It was odd, not having to see each other every day anymore… but they grew used to their new normal and pursued their respective careers in music freely, no longer weighed down or inspired by the mirrors they represented for each other.

That was, until they'd found mirrors again in the bands they had started with their high school friends.

Suki and Mai had enrolled Azula's high school once they were thirteen. Toph was two years their junior. Most of them had learned music from less classical schools as well, and Toph was a superb drummer. Song studied in another high school, different from theirs, but she and Azula had always been close after meeting in music school, even after Azula set aside her violin studies to focus on composition instead. After a social outing during their late high school years in which the six girls had gathered together, the idea of starting a band had come up after they had discussed an anime show Suki had always loved, about a group of girls who started a wholesome band.

Azula agreed with the concept… but not in its entirety. She had a much more hardcore approach to music, of course, and she would ensure their songs were not only overflowing with musical values and qualities, but that their lyrics were powerful as well. Thus, before anyone knew it, an innocent idea had become a massive challenge, and one Azula wouldn't take lightly.

Sokka, on the other hand, had started his band earlier than them: he, Zuko, Jet and Aang often played music together on their downtime, mainly covers of songs they liked to put their own spin to. Those covers had been far more complex than the music they started performing later on, after Katara overheard one of their sessions and told them they could be a pretty good band if they took themselves more seriously in the future. Their first songs were Sokka's childish rebuff to being held back by rules and limits he didn't like back during his early classes on how to compose and create proper harmonies.

By now, though, he had thought they'd move on to something more complex… to more sophisticated music. He had song lyrics in the back burner, ready to be rehearsed whenever the others agreed to it… but they seemed to be fine with the simpler melodies and catchy songs, with the flat lyrics that didn't convey much, if anything at all. They were fine, too, with being seen as a boyband, with being bait for desperate fans… Sokka had never really looked down upon said boybands until he had found himself, unknowingly, in one. Was this how those boyband members felt, too? Did they doubt and second-guess their talent and their music as often as he did?

The mirror Azula held up for him was unbearable to look at sometimes. He sighed as he stepped onto a balcony in the building, setting his hands upon the railing. If her current position was second-to-last in a poster, then he deserved to be the last, at the very least. She should be the one whose band would feature at the heights of the poster, not them… not over nonsense like 'Baby, I Want What I Want'. The song wasn't only of the most simplistic structure there could be, but the lyrics didn't really say anything other than those words. It was practically a musical tantrum, wasn't it? Who the hell wanted to hear that instead of…?

Instead of songs as musically complex and breathtaking as 'Name of the Night'? He had listened to it at least once every day ever since they had released it. He had no doubts that about fifty percent of the views on the Youtube lyric video they'd uploaded for the song were his doing. It was absolutely magical to him, a brilliant composition with lyrics as smooth as the melody that conveyed it…

In the name of the night, my sorrows surrender,

In the name of the night, my heart bleeds.

Darkness calls into a path of hidden wonder,

On the trail the moonlight reveals for me…

Oh, just thinking about it sent shivers down his spine. Remembering the way her voice toyed with each note, vibrating them at just the right intensity to add further power, further emotion to every note…

Sometimes he thought the others might be right: maybe he was just a fool, maybe he had been in love with his one and only fellow graduate from music school for as long as he had known her – which was saying something, considering they had known each other practically all their lives by now – and his perception of her was completely skewed…

But then her music would ring in his eardrums and touch his soul, finding places inside him that he had never known existed. She could awaken so many unexpected emotions with her songs… he refused to believe nobody else could feel it. It was simply preposterous. He wasn't biased when he thought her music was extraordinary: he couldn't be more jealous of her for her every talent, if anything. He wanted to be half as good as her, he had even tried to be… but to no avail, of course. His attempts at songwriting had been lackluster lately, and whenever anything he wrote didn't feel utterly stupid to him, the others had turned down because 'it didn't fit the band's brand'. As if Rocket Bomb had anything close to a brand, a theme or an image up until 'Baby, I Want What I Want' had become a hit…

One day, he knew, people would finally see what he saw. They'd revere and adore Azula for her visionary music because that was what she deserved. And if he ever managed to grasp even a shred of her genius, even if just a tiny spark of it, he might be able to call himself a decent musician someday… but for now, relying on wild fangirls for success and fame felt like the worst possible way to prove to anyone, including himself, that he had any right to stand on the same stage as Azula.

And she wouldn't even be on that same stage, to begin with: he had checked and seen the small venue Dash Nova had been assigned. It was ridiculous… it was absurd. The organizers would regret it, he hoped, when the whole venue was so packed with astonished music lovers, absolutely dazed by the uniqueness of Dash Nova, that they would eventually beg for them to perform again sometime later in the festival, in a much larger venue instead…

At least, he wanted to hope that was what would happen. He really did.

He let out a deep sigh, wistfully wishing their roles would be reversed. One day he might feel deserving of whatever fame they'd gained… but that would only happen, surely, once Azula gained the recognition she deserved. Until then…

Until then he had no choice but to brush off compliments he'd never take seriously, ever thinking 'she's better than me,' upon every bit of praise he received. Maybe it wasn't healthy, maybe it was stupid to reject what he thought was undeserved praise… but so far, he wasn't satisfied with his music, and he positively loved hers. If nothing else, he'd make sure to be there during her concert with Dash Nova, watching at the back of the venue, knowing she might be uncomfortable if she knew he was listening. He didn't doubt her performance would be more interesting than his own, though…

Unbeknownst to him, someone else had similar thoughts to his in another building in the city. Someone who couldn't help but dread her own performance, knowing it wouldn't suffice, knowing it wouldn't find the audience she was hoping to connect to. Suspecting, too, that her long-time music career might be nearing its end.

She had a few other passions in life, it was fine to admit as much. There were other things she could do with her talent, like composing music as a freelancer for other people's projects, maybe… but sooner or later, time would run out. The success of her band would become less and less likely if the music landscape continued to move towards a direction of simplicity when she constantly overcomplicated matters… was it her fault, or was it everyone else's? She truly couldn't tell…

But Rocket Bomb had cracked the code to success, it seemed. They had managed to unravel the means through which they could gain a foothold in the industry, and they were on their way to the top. She might actually learn something if she had a chance to watch their concert on the festival, as long as their growing legion of fans allowed her to at least witness some of their performance.

She sighed, not knowing someone else was sighing in turn with her. He let himself hope, not knowing she was doing the same thing… hoping that the answer to their plight would manifest in the form of the other, ever serving as a guiding light, as a beacon to follow, as a mirror to everything they wanted to be. Without knowing it, they had relied on each other's resilience to keep going across the many years of harsh musical training in school… perhaps, in the end, their success at graduating boiled down to that. Perhaps returning to their roots, right back to where it all had begun would help, somehow…

They might not be children anymore, but the chance to inspire each other to try harder, to do better, to create something they could be proud of, would infuse them with enough strength to see the festival through, if nothing else.

...

Two months later, the two bands had arrived at the festival's venue: the large expanse of plain terrain saw countless pitched tents, many food and souvenir stands, and five different stages, of varying venue sizes. Everything was set for their performances to happen on the first day of the festival: Rocket Bomb would be the second band to perform in the 'star-maker' stage, at 3 PM, while Dash Nova's own performance would happen at 7 PM, at the 'chill jam' stage. That Rocket Bomb would perform first did nothing to encourage the constantly discouraged Azula: they'd just be a reminder of everything she and her own band couldn't attain. That Dash Nova's performance would happen after Rocket Bomb's only displeased Sokka further: he'd see in them the embodiment of what he wished his own band could sound like…

Thus, the two miserable band leaders were hardly as enthusiastic as the rest of their bandmates. Dash Nova's hopes to see this as their first great success weren't bound to come to fruition, but barring Mai, ever ambivalent to everything, the other members were excited, grateful, to be playing at this venue at all. Meanwhile, only Aang and Sokka could check out the festival in general, for Zuko and Jet had been hounded by squealing fangirls every time they had set foot outside the staging area: Jet certainly had been happy to bask in his fame at first, but even he was growing weary of it when it became as inconvenient as it was. Their best hope was that, by nightfall, nobody would be able to recognize them in the darkness and the chaos of most performances and they'd have the chance to watch a few headliners, at the very least.

Before that, though, they had to focus on their performance. They had done their audio tests early in the morning, they had gone through every clearance necessary, and here they were now, heralded onstage by an enthusiastic announcer…

"Okay, guys! This is it!" Aang exclaimed, beaming. Sokka let out a deep breath.

"We're going to rock out like there's no tomorrow, alright?" he said, glancing at the others, who nodded at his words. "Alright, then. Off I go."

"Let's do this!"

By the time the announcer finally finished calling Rocket Bomb, amid the hysteric cheers of a desperate crowd, Sokka had raced up to his drum kit: he raised his drumsticks, snapped them together thrice, and then he dropped on his seat before beginning the drum-heavy initial sequence of their first song.

The other band members rushed out by then, carrying their respective guitars: Jet made for the microphone right away, and he started belting out lyrics as powerfully as his throat allowed it. Sokka, on the drums' dais behind him, backed his vocals with harmonies and Aang joined in with backing vocals as well. Zuko wasn't allowed to sing because his voice wasn't much good, but he focused better without singing anyhow: he performed a not-so-difficult guitar solo on their first song, twisting his body and angling the guitar up in a convoluted way as to pretend it was actually complicated… and of course, his fans ate up the pretense right away.

The high energy on that stage, the way the fans responded to it… it was like witnessing a dream. Azula didn't join in on the cheering or the shouting, standing so far away from the stage she could barely see the performers… but the drummer, suspended above the others on that dais, was in perfect view for her. He led the band flawlessly with his powerful drumming, not only marking the rhythm but daring add further flair to their performance with his improvisations that never allowed the beat to get lost. The whole stage seemed to be a hub of energy, and the source of it all was him. He guided them, he supported them, he was their leader in every sense that counted… whether the many fangirls realized it or not.

Despite herself, Azula couldn't hold back a small smile. The lyrics were so simple and straightforward… maybe that was why they resonated so easily with that audience. So much repetition, leitmotifs both in melody and in words… it was curious how easily people responded to that. Maybe that was what she should have been doing. Maybe that was the best way to find success…

Ten songs in, she got a message from Mai, asking where she was: they had to start getting ready for their performance already. Azula sighed, casting one final glance in Sokka's direction… knowing her jealousy over his professional success was but a childish reaction. Deep down, she actually admired him. That he had come this far was no easy feat… and as much as it might feel strange to acknowledge it, perhaps Sokka deserved this far more than she ever would.

The performance lasted an hour and a half, and the girls begging for encores were eventually disappointed when a new band took the stage after Rocket Bomb's act ended. The four friends laughed and cheered after their concert was over, drinking many bottles of water to hydrate again after spending so much energy onstage. It had been a great success, even Sokka had to admit that… a great success for their standards. He congratulated and thanked the others for their performances, his body felt sore after the heavy drumming he'd done…

And yet it wasn't all that sore when, after the others were finished with packing up their things and taking off to watch the headliners' performance, Sokka left in a hurry to the 'chill jam' stage. His bandmates didn't follow him.

He got there just on time: his heart clenched upon realizing that there had to be about fifty people at the small venue, most of whom wore shirts to support the jazz band that would take the stage after Dash Nova was done. He breathed heavily, pulling a hood over his head so that nobody would recognize him. He stood far back, with his body angled towards the stage, so that they'd know he was listening, if they even looked in his direction…

But it didn't seem Azula intended to do that. She breathed deeply, a tormented expression on her beautiful face, her head turned upwards to the darkening skies.

Was she disappointed? Sokka wouldn't blame her if she was. This sort of turnout for her band was unacceptable… and he really hoped people would regret ignoring them soon. That they'd see and hear what he could see and hear… for when Azula began singing, his heart sped up immediately.

The instruments joined her one by one, slowly rising into a crescendo that then rushed out as a full torrent of music unleashed in a spell upon his senses. The versatility of her voice, the hitching through each tone… and goodness, the lyrics that seemed to cut across his soul, the song structures so unpredictable and unique…

The others came together around her, their voices weaving in to form harmonies Sokka was sure he had never heard before. The instruments, even if unconventional for a rock band, were in perfect synch: the flute accompanied the melody in a playful manner, and the violin in a mournful one. Whenever their violinist switched to her erhu, the impact and emotional punch packed by the songs would be even more outstanding. The drummer was energetic, perhaps too much – more than once she had carried on drumming after the song ended, forcing her fellow bandmates to do another chorus just because she felt like it. Where most of them smiled about it, though, Azula did not.

Azula didn't even look at the crowd.

She didn't focus on anything but the music, in a relationship so intimate and close with her art that Sokka couldn't tear his eyes away from her at all. She knew she was performing for a mediocre, lukewarm audience… and that didn't stop her from doing her absolute best. She poured her soul into every song, her voice charged with extraordinary emotion and power, joined together by the harmonization of her fellow bandmembers… it took him a moment to narrow it down, but he soon realized Suki and Mai, at rhythm guitar and bass respectively, performed the deeper backing vocals, while Ty Lee and Song took to the airy, higher tones instead. Toph, it seemed, wouldn't sing at all, for there was no microphone by her drum set, and going by how wild her drumming was, Sokka suspected it was for the best – she'd likely have knocked a microphone stand over by now with her very enthusiastic movements.

They were a powerful group. Their quality overwhelmed him. His heart raced as he listened intently to the end, ignoring the many vibrations of his phone, no doubt his friends, surely calling him over to the headliner performance that was held at the same time as Dash Nova's…

He clapped and cheered at every song. He doubted they could hear him, but he did it anyway. He dared even shout the band's name to them as they finally wrapped up their performance: his heart almost stopped when he noticed Azula had glanced in his direction, mystified… and then she smiled.

She smiled.

Sokka grinned back, clapping harder and cheering: a few others joined him, though by now it was clear that a lot of people had taken off to watch the headlining band instead. Yet he hoped, deeply, that knowing their music had touched at least one person would encourage them. That knowing their songs meant the world to him, that their band embodied his grandest ideals for music, would help them overcome the likely discouragement over not having a huge following yet…

"Wow, that guy was completely into it, huh?" Ty Lee laughed as they drank their respective bottles of water, backstage. "I bet he had a crush on one of us!"

"Don't you think maybe he just liked our music?" asked Suki, with a sad smile. "I mean, I thought we did pretty great today…"

"We did," Song confirmed, grinning confidently. "I hope that's why he was so enthusiastic, I didn't know we had an actual fan already!"

"Eh, if he'll stream all our songs and buy all our merch, fine by me if it's just the one," Toph snickered, letting out a deep sigh. "Damn, but I'm beat. I probably smell like a pig that bathed in onions, too…"

"Toph!" Suki chided her, smiling still. Toph grinned and stuck a tongue out in her direction.

"It's true! I put my everything into the drums!" she said, proudly.

"You did… we all put our everything into the performance today," Azula said, taking a deep breath… and smiling, to everyone's surprise. "Guess it really was just the one guy, but… it's good to know at least someone gives a shit."

"It'll be more than that, soon. As long as we keep going… we'll see more people who love our music, I know we will," Song said, smiling at her too. Azula breathed deeply again and nodded: she wasn't all that sure, no… but maybe she wasn't level-headed after what she thought was the best concert she'd given out, so far.

"Our Monterey Pop isn't here yet, I suppose…" Azula said, with a weak smile. "But hopefully we'll find it eventually."

"Want to sing Ball and Chain too when we get there, Janis?" Toph smirked. Azula laughed and shook her head.

"No way I'd ever reach that level, I'd rather not dishonor the song," she replied.

The atmosphere between them was much more enjoyable than it had been ever since the festival's lineup had been announced, much more relaxed… and yet, even if Azula was mostly satisfied with what they'd done that day, Rocket Bomb's performance still came to mind. What she'd realized, what she'd noticed… all of it still stuck with her to the point where she returned home that night and jotted down the silliest, simplest lyrics she could possibly come up with. She snorted as she read them, wondering if a song called 'I'm Looking For Something' would be enough to resonate with people, the way Rocket Bomb's songs often could…

It almost dawn by the time Sokka finally tucked in, too. No, it wasn't a matter of adrenaline and excitement over celebrating his band's successful performance… it was actually because he, as well, had taken to writing a song of his own. A song inspired by what he'd seen and heard that day… by a myth he couldn't help but think of, when it came to the extraordinary emotions that Azula's singing could evoke inside him. Bereft of her voice, he would seek to listen to the songs anew, fascinated by the heights he felt himself rising to thanks to her music…

He woke up hours later, when he was finally getting proper rest, because his phone rang with an unwelcome phone call. Sokka grimaced, reaching for the phone and accepting the call without even looking at who it was…

"Ah! I thought you weren't going to pick up, Sokka!"

"You… are you seriously calling me right now? It's seven in the morning…"

"Sokka, it's noon."

"No, it's not…"

"You really think your sister, who actually wakes up at seven in the morning, unlike you, would make a mistake like that?"

"No, I think my sister would… prank me. That's what I think," Sokka sighed, shaking his head. "What's going on, Katara?"

"Oh, you know, I'm just really sorry I was on duty yesterday and couldn't make it for the festival… neither for you guys nor for Dash Nova. I actually got to see them a little after their performance. They were so tired, so we didn't hang out for very long…"

"Eh, they gave their all, I… I bet," Sokka said, dismissively. "I'm still tired too, you know?"

"Well, get less tired because we're having a party tonight."

"We're… what? What's that supposed to mean?" Sokka frowned, as his sister chuckled on the other side of the phone.

"I said I'll host a party for my two favorite bands, of course! Oh, you guys deserve it, Sokka, and I'll take care of everything! Just relax, be there on time, kick back and let loose, all that…"

"U-uh… you're sure of that? Really, Katara?" Sokka swallowed hard: suddenly he wasn't all that sleepy anymore: a party? For both bands? A single party…?

He'd be near Azula again for the first time since graduating from music school.

Oh, he didn't think he wanted to do that. She'd likely mock him, ridicule his boyband, say her own band was performing actual music… and she'd be right for it, of course, it was everything he kept saying to himself in the first place. How would he ever be so bold and obnoxious as to show his face before her, without a shred of shame or guilt, after seeing her band getting the short end of every deal while his own got far too much growth and attention, far more than it would ever deserve…?

"Did they confirm with you yet?" Sokka asked, nervously.

"They? Who, your bandmates? Yeah, I talked with them and they're all thrilled about it…"

"I meant… Dash Nova?"

"Oh! Well, I guess so. Ty Lee says she'll tell the others, and I bet they'll go for it. I guess maybe Azula might be stingy about it, but Ty Lee told me she's totally dragging her out for a party before she gets down on herself again over how little attention their band gets or so…"

"It… bothers her, huh?" Sokka asked, with a small voice. Katara scoffed.

"Well, of course it does. She's always been a ridiculous perfectionist, you know? Got top marks in our class in school while also attending music school with you, remember? She went on to study music in college as well… it's kind of ridiculous to think she might be overqualified to have a successful band, but apparently that's what's going on? Art is so weird, Sokka. I don't know how either of you decided this was how you wanted to make a living…"

"We don't have a lot of common sense, I guess," Sokka smiled a little, even if his heart felt as though a hand squeezed it upon confirming that the lack of success was getting to Azula.

"No wonder everyone always pokes fun at you two about being soulmates and such, huh?" Katara said, teasingly. "You're the only ones who ought to understand each other's craziness… even if you haven't spoken for longer than two minutes for as long as you've known each other, huh? I'll make sure to change that tonight…!"

"Y-you don't have to!" Sokka huffed, blushing as he sat up in bed. "Come on, Katara…!"

"Nope, you two are ridiculous and it's about time you stop dancing around each other! Bet it'll take you like, I don't know, ten minutes of proper conversation to decide you're getting married…"

"No way, and… don't be ridiculous, dammit," Sokka sighed. "Don't make those sorts of jokes in front of her, either. She'll think I'm a creep."

"Aaah, and that worries you, does it? You'd rather she didn't think anything bad of you, would you…?"

"Okay, I've got to go make breakfast, lunch, whatever it is," Sokka growled, rolling his eyes. "See you tonight, Katara."

"Ah, well, at least you accepted the invitation! My wicked plans shall yield fruit, they absolutely will…!"

"Shut up, sis."

Sokka hung up, but the tension he felt after that phone call didn't diminish over the next hours anyway. A party with both bands? They had never been all that distant, he was sure some of his bandmates were actually friends with a few Dash Nova members too… at least, the ones who had attended the same academy as Jet, Aang and Zuko. Katara had gone to school with most of Dash Nova's members as well, and she had always been close friends with their group despite not wanting a life in music for herself – she fashioned herself as the biggest fan of either band, happy to not be involved in the actual musical side of things. Thus, it was no surprise that she'd want to celebrate their first festival performance… but would it be a good idea? Would Dash Nova want to celebrate anything at all, considering how small their audience had been…?

He'd find out that night, he guessed. In all likelihood, though, Azula wouldn't be there. She wasn't bound to let anyone boss her around, probably had lots of extraordinary songs to craft still and any distractions would be pointless… and speaking of which, he ought to get started with putting music to his new lyrics, too.

He ate, then picked up his guitar and tested a few chords. Nothing seemed to stick, so he took a thorough shower and dressed up properly for the party. Then he tried again, and he thought he'd found an interesting succession of notes worth working with… just then, Katara called with a very sugary-sweet voice to ask him for help with groceries for the party. Sokka sighed but complied, setting aside his new song before picking up a decent jacket, his car keys, and heading outside.

Katara asked about a thousand questions regarding the band's performance on their way to and from grocery shopping. Sokka tried to answer as thoroughly as he could, though he really would have preferred to talk about Dash Nova than about his own performance. He had been fine with their concert, yes, but the extraordinary sight of Azula, fully focused on her music, holding onto her microphone whenever she wasn't strumming the guitar, pouring her life and soul into her music, was one he couldn't get out of his mind…

Katara lived in a two-story house that she had been renting for a few years. Their parents helped her pay for it at first, but now that she had a thicker paycheck in her career as a medical professional, she could afford it without help. Her neighbors surely wouldn't appreciate the noise they'd make that night, Sokka suspected, upon glimpsing that Katara had set up everything for a karaoke contest… oh, well. He could only hope that would mean he'd have a chance to listen to Azula's beautiful voice at some point or another, if she showed up at all.

He had been organizing the table with refreshments when someone knocked on the door: yes, Katara had said the party started at seven, but it seemed a little odd that someone would already be there, right on time…

"Kataraaaaaa…! Oh! Woops!"

Ty Lee's excitable exclamation froze when the one to open the door was Sokka, rather than his sister: his hand trembled on the doorknob upon realizing all six members of Dash Nova had already arrived.

"U-uh, yeah, not Katara, sorry about that," Sokka smiled awkwardly, stepping back and gesturing at the house. "Come on in, then…"

"Well, then, let's rephrase that: Sokkaaaaa!" Ty Lee exclaimed, giving him a quick hug. He grimaced but smiled slightly, patting her shoulder offhandedly. "We heard your performance was awesome!"

"Uh… right, heh, well…" he said, with an awkward smile still.

"Oh, false humility isn't a good look on you!" Ty Lee laughed, elbowing his ribs gently as she marched inside the house.

"You girls are always impossibly punctual, damn it…!" Katara laughed, on her way to the door to greet her friends: Ty Lee leapt into her arms with a much tighter embrace as the rest of the girls filed inside the house, one after the other.

Suki and Song greeted Sokka with polite smiles, Toph with her typical threats to dethrone him from his alleged throne of 'best drummer in town', Mai didn't even say a word to him… and Azula nodded towards him, in silent acknowledgement, as she walked past him somewhat quickly. Sokka's heart raced something fierce as he reached for the door again, hoping his stupid face wasn't flushed. They had been around each other a thousand times, he had been teased by his friends about her all along – Zuko even gave him his blessing to date her once, back when he heard Azula and Sokka were the only students left in their composition class, and Sokka had told him off for being such an idiot. So why on earth would he be such a bashful fool around her, at this point…? It wasn't even the first party attended by the two of them, though perhaps the most intimate one, considering it would only be the two bands and Katara…

But maybe, all in all, it had to do with the inspiration she had provided for him last night. With the wishful lyrics he had written, lyrics that weren't all that close to reality anyway…

Either way, it was stupid to worry about that anymore, he thought, as he closed the door. His song probably sounded pretentious and stupid, and he'd likely toss the lyrics as soon as he went back home. What on earth was he thinking…?

"… We're gonna have a blast! I mean, I thought about telling you all to bring your instruments and give me a proper live concert…!" he heard Katara's voice in the kitchen.

"Oh, why didn't you say it sooner? We totally would have!" Suki exclaimed. Katara laughed.

"The living room's not big enough for two bands and at least one drum set, as far as I can tell, so that's why I set up the karaoke instead!" she said. "You guys are going to serenade me, like it or not!"

"Awesome! I'm blind, and now you guys will be deaf after I'm through with that karaoke system!" Toph exclaimed, at which the others laughed while begging her not to pick her favorite heavy metal songs.

Someone else arrived about ten minutes later: the new guest knocked on the door, pressed the doorbell, and when it finally swung open…

"Katara, love of my life: I come bearing desserts!"

Sokka blinked blankly as Jet knelt before him: a few Dash Nova members had stepped outside too to see who had arrived and they proceeded to laugh at Jet's pompous, exaggerated heralding of his own arrival.

"Oh. It's just you, Sokka. Bleh," Jet huffed, as Sokka took the box of desserts from his hands.

"That settles it: I'm going to cut your bass strings and force you to buy new ones as soon as we hit the studio again" Sokka said, carrying the box inside as Jet whimpered behind him.

"Hey, I just stringed it again for the festival! How dare you threaten to abuse my instrument that way! Don't be so jealous, Sokka, I can call you the love of my life, too…!"

"It's like he'll flirt with anything that moves…" Katara sighed, shaking her head and smiling as Sokka marched into the kitchen, setting the box on a counter.

"Not really: he's flirted with me too, and I've done my best not to move, so…" Mai cut in, and Katara laughed at her remark.

"No one with any sense takes him seriously anyway, it's no cause for concern…" she said, waving a hand in Jet's direction: he was busy leaning on a wall, smirking in his most seductive way at Toph, who responded to his flirting by scrubbing her nose with her pinky finger.

"If you really wanna go make out with me, might as well just ask me to be your girlfriend already," she rebuffed, at which Jet blinked blankly, frozen on the spot. "But… wait, there's a booger right up here that I gotta get to before we go wild on each other…"

"Y-yeah, yeah, okay, never mind…" Jet gulped, walking backwards and stumbling into another wall.

"Oh my…! Finally, he has been defeated!" Katara gasped, and everyone laughed as Toph smirked proudly at her flawless rejection technique.

Aang arrived next: just as before, though, Sokka opened the door to find a much happier smile that wasn't meant for him.

"Kata…! Oh. It's just you."

"Yep. And it's just you," Sokka retorted. Aang grinned awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck.

"Well… you'll cheer up when I tell you the pizzas are already on their way! Bought like a mountain of them! All flavors! Meat lovers! All that stuff that you like and that I don't!" Aang grinned. Sokka chuckled and patted his shoulder.

"Good, then. Thanks for that…"

"Ah? You're grateful? Then does that mean I can be the drummer now?!"

"Oh, no, it doesn't mean that at all…"

"But Sokka…!"

Aang happened to be a very talented performer, with expertise in a myriad of instruments… and yet he wanted to be a drummer, above all else. Sokka had determined he wasn't as good with guitar as Aang was, thus why Aang had taken the role of rhythm guitar instead… but it didn't stop the bald man from begging for them to switch instruments whenever the chance came up.

Finally, about ten minutes later, Zuko arrived: he was grateful for Sokka's help with hauling the drinks he'd bought inside the house, but he was glancing around the house anyway, looking for Sokka's sister.

"What? I've said you're free to date my sister, what's the big deal if I want to date yours?" Zuko asked, as the two of them hauled inside the many drinks Zuko had bought.

"Wouldn't it be weird for two sets of siblings to date each other that way, and…? Besides, that's what passes as a joke for you lot, isn't it?" Sokka huffed, rolling his eyes. "You're not seriously saying I can date your sister…"

"Everyone's saying you can, you two are the only ones who are too thickheaded to get it," Zuko huffed, eyeing Sokka skeptically. Sokka grimaced. "Now, then, focusing on something less hopeless than that, about Katara…?"

"Katara's the one who gets to pick if she likes any of you three dumbasses," Sokka said, shaking his head. "As a big brother, it's my job to glare at you for the flirting, but it's up to her to decide if she wants any of you."

"… That almost sounds like permission, huh?" Zuko smirked. "Okay, then. After I get some liquid courage…"

"Zuko, you're a sad drunk, you're getting no courage from getting drunk, whatsoever…"

"You'll see: I'll definitely ask her out this time…"

Sokka sighed and shook his head: what a night this promised to be. He'd hope at least the Dash Nova girls would be more fun to talk to than his own band was, but he wasn't sure about that either, considering the one he wanted to talk to the most was someone he had no idea how to approach…

The party was mild at first, mostly revolving around talking about how their performances had turned out while they ate the pizzas Aang had ordered, and Katara lamented herself over having missed out on their concerts. Ty Lee, Suki and Song were amazed to hear about the incredible energy of the audience in Rocket Bomb's performance, while Toph proudly retold her frequent trolling of her own band on the drums during theirs. Jet hit on the girls again, but Ty Lee stopped him on his tracks by telling him she'd prefer it if he dated Zuko, because they'd be an adorable couple… and Zuko and Jet had groaned as Aang explained, between laughter, how that was the main selling point of their band so far, apparently.

It had been an alright chance for the two bands to exchange experiences and even fawn over each other's strengths – Sokka had taken a chance to talk to Song about the violin parts in many of Dash Nova's songs, and she had been happy to explain how both she and Azula usually worked with composing the melodic line of the violin so that it would either have starring roles or simply fall into the background to subtly enhance the rest of the music. He had no doubt adding violin to Rocket Bomb might sound like an odd choice to most people, but at least doing it in their recordings, if in that subtle enhancing way, might work just fine…

He was pondering if he should add a violin track to his new song – which yes, he'd likely dismiss, but maybe it could be salvaged – when Katara fired up the karaoke. She insisted on being the first to sing, so that everyone else could prove to be better than her afterwards. Her pitch wasn't quite terrible, but she would lose control of her voice sometimes, bursting into laughter whenever it happened.

The next to take the microphone, for the same purposes, was Toph: she sang along a heavy metal song, screaming with the track while everyone else covered their ears until the highly saturated sound had finally stopped. Jet took the microphone next, and he decided to regale them with an exaggerated, eardrum-shattering rendition of 'Unbreak my Heart', which he dedicated to a laughing Katara who stopped paying attention to his performance halfway through, distracted by something Song was telling her, to Jet's utter disappointment.

"And this is their lead singer?" Mai asked Azula, as they stood at the back of the room. Azula smirked, arms folded over her chest as Mai sipped her drink quietly.

"I'm assuming he's singing as poorly as he can just for the fun of it… well, it's that or their autotune skills are quite phenomenal," she concluded.

Standing by the same wall as them, hoping to be away from the spotlight, Sokka still wasn't that close to the pair… but he was close enough to understand their words despite Jet's relentless screeching. He hesitated for a moment… but perhaps the liquid courage Zuko had talked about earlier was taking effect in him, instead. He swallowed another gulp of wine… and then he spoke aloud indeed:

"Trust me… if he couldn't sing at all, I'd have grounded him without a microphone, same as I do with your brother," he said: Azula jolted upright visibly. Had she not noticed he was right there?

Mai raised an eyebrow in her friend's direction, letting her eyes travel from one and the other for a moment of awkward silence… a moment Azula chose to break, herself.

"So… I guess you do run Rocket Bomb with an iron fist, if that's how it is?" she asked, glancing at him from the corner of her eye. Sokka coughed, clearing his throat.

"Well, now, I mean… not really an iron fist or so, no…" he smiled: Mai sighed and pushed herself upright after having been leaning against the wall carelessly.

"I'm getting a refill," she said, raising her half-finished glass of wine. She looked at Azula pointedly. "Want some?"

"Uh… no. I'm fine," Azula said, with a dry grin. Mai walked away without another word… leaving the pair alone, or at least, with slightly more privacy while the others encouraged Jet to finish his song already.

Sokka bit his lip as Mai walked away, unsure of how to better clarify Azula's current understanding of Rocket Bomb. He ran a hand over his hair before finally finding a possible way to describe it… a very silly way, too. Somehow, though, he didn't want her to take him all that seriously… even if, for all this time, he had been desperate for someone to take him, and his band, far more seriously than it seemed they did…

"I guess…" he said. "I'd say my hand is more like aluminum."

"Oh? Aluminum?" Azula repeated, astonished. Sokka nodded solemnly.

"Yes: aluminum foil."

Azula raised an eyebrow, and yet she smiled slightly. Sokka chuckled and shrugged as he expanded on his explanation.

"Basically, I try to make them behave themselves, but they push me around and ignore me all they want, so I just have to wrap myself around them and contain them as best as I can…" Sokka said, gesturing dramatically to enhance the explanation: beside him, Azula laughed softly.

"And then they wrinkle you and rip you up to get out of your clutches?" she asked. Sokka sighed and nodded, just as dramatically.

"My life is sad that way," he concluded. Azula laughed again and nodded.

"Sounds like it."

It was probably the most casual, smooth conversation they'd ever had… the first time they had ever joked together. Sokka guessed he'd made a fool of himself, of course he had… but it was better than nothing. Better than distance and admiration and never being able to so much as look in her direction, as though she were as bright as the sun…

Unbeknownst to them, their friends had ignored Jet's final note and caught notice of the very rare, very unexpected instant of interaction they'd had. Katara's wicked grin spread across her face as she rushed through her karaoke library, fishing up songs she usually didn't pull up for karaoke anymore… songs she didn't sing unless she was trying to poke fun at her brother, actually. She smirked as she took Jet's microphone from him as he lay dramatically on the floor with his still allegedly broken heart. She took a few moments to plug in the second microphone, and while it was done, Katara quietly conveyed her plan to Ty Lee, the best possible ally she could get for her newest plan of action.

Of course, Ty Lee was on board at once. And of course, Katara rushed in just as Sokka was about to ruin a perfectly nice moment by making further small talk about aluminum foil, ridiculous as it was to continue speaking about something like that…

"Sokka! You're next!"

"W-woah! Uh, no thank you, Katara, you can go again, right?" Sokka smiled awkwardly, as his sister reached for his arm and yanked him to the center of the living room. "Katara!"

"Come on, it's a song you know by heart! You used to sing it in the shower all the time when we were like, um… twelve?"

"Twelve? Wait, what?!" Sokka gasped, as the color fled from his face. "Oh, no! Not a chance! Katara…!"

"Azula, you're joining him too!" Ty Lee suddenly exclaimed: Azula had been amused so far, intrigued by whatever song Sokka would be singing, by Katara's design… until she heard those words.

"What, me? What the…? Ty Lee!" Azula huffed, as Ty Lee pulled her forward as well, thrusting the microphone into her hands. Ty Lee giggled, glancing between the two reluctant singers with a devious glint in her eyes.

"Aw, it should be the other song, Katara," she said, grinning deviously at her friend. "You know, the one they actually sang at the karaoke scene…!"

"Oh, it would be, but Sokka likes 'Breaking Free' better, so…"

"Wait, WHAT?!" Azula exclaimed, eyes widening. "You're not making me sing High School Musical, are you?!"

"Oh, come on! You said you liked the first one!"

"No, I said I could 'tolerate' the first one, not that I liked it…!" Azula shuddered, but it didn't seem she was going to be allowed to back out:

The first notes on the piano started playing in the stereo, and the karaoke screen started to show the lyrics, emphasizing with colors which part would be sung by which member of the duet.

"You're red, Azula, and Sokka is blue!" Katara grinned.

"Ah, and yellow is for when you sing together!" Song chimed in, beaming mischievously too.

Azula's eyebrow twitched as she wondered how the blazes had any of them decided to recreate a ridiculous movie scene in a careless karaoke party like this one… oh, she was absolutely going to strangle her friends after this was over, that much was true.

She truly expected Sokka not to do it, though. She gasped when he suddenly raised the microphone to his lips. She eyed him with disbelief as his eyebrow twitched when it was finally time for the first lines on the song…

"We're soaring… flying…" he sang at an awkward pitch, through gritted teeth: everyone in the room took to laughing at his obvious discomfort, of course… "There's not a star in heaven that we can't reach."

And that was her cue. Azula swallowed hard and nearly missed her beat: everyone was ready to scold her for it, but she rushed in to deliver the next lines.

"If we're trying, so we're breaking free," she continued, bitterly.

Sokka smirked in disbelief upon finding she hadn't left him to embarrass himself all on his own. Azula's eyes flickered towards him as she finished her line… and her cheeks flushed when he continued anyway:

"You know the world can see us… in a way that's different than who we are?" he sang, eyeing her quizzically. Azula huffed, rolling her eyes at his expression before glancing at the lyrics on the screen, having forgotten how the song went next.

"Creating space between us, 'til we're separate hearts…?" she blinked blankly: this had to be the stupidest thing she'd done in her whole damn life… and it was going to get worse, because now they had to sing together:

"But your faith, it gives me strength… strength to believe?"

They glanced at each other again, uneasy, confused…

And then Sokka blew Azula's mind by getting into character completely:

"WE'RE BREAKING FREE!"

She couldn't contain a cackle of laughter that saw her bending over forward, at which the rest of their friends laughed loudly too. Sokka nudged her lightly with his elbow: she'd missed a line, but he guessed she'd catch up again eventually.

"Flyiiiing! There's not a star in heaven that we can't reach!" he exclaimed, poking her still: she swatted at him to make him stop teasing her with his hand. "If we're tryiiiing…!"

"Yeah, we're breaking free," she finally joined again, though she was still laughing for the most part.

"Oh, we're breaking free!" Sokka exclaimed most dramatically anew, and Azula shook her head at his antics.

They had no idea what they were doing. It was utterly stupid, neither of them had any doubts about it, but being stupid rather than the strong-armed leaders of their respective bands was surprisingly fun. Their friends wound up clapping along and laughing at their gradually more and more over-the-top rendition of the song, as Sokka's long-time hidden playful side finally broke free – quite ironically –, much as Azula's own firmness let loose at last.

"Oh, now you have to sing the next one! The next one…!" Ty Lee squealed, and Azula laughed but shook her head.

"No way, you had enough of a spectacle there," she said, thrusting the microphone back to her. "And I'm thirsty now, so find someone else to torment…"

"But there's so many more High School Musical duets…!"

"No, thank you," Azula said, with a dry grin. "Maybe I'll sing something else later, but not this crap. Besides… I'm more of a Sharpay, anyway."

Her final declaration saw the whole room roaring with laughter as she smiled and glanced at Sokka: his very passionate singing had seen him dropping on the floor at the end of the song, and he smiled awkwardly at her too.

"You're a very crumpled ball of aluminum foil anew, aren't you?" she asked him, offering her hand. Sokka chuckled as he took it.

"Seems so. See how they just make me do completely stupid crap that I didn't even want to do?" he asked her. "And that's my sister, so she makes it ten times worse…"

"Total destruction of the aluminum foil, yes," Azula laughed.

"Oh, we're going to get our diplomas from music school and college revoked after this stunt, aren't we?" Sokka asked, as they walked together to the kitchen. Azula couldn't hold back her laughter as they made for the beverages right away.

The others, Mai included, as she had returned to the living room by then, watched them walk away with knowing grins. It was ridiculous, to a fault, that everyone but those two seemed to be completely aware that they were equals, the only members of either band quite as ambitious and hung up on perfection… they were incredibly well-matched in just about every regard. If anyone was bound to truly understand them, it was each other.

"Ah… a happy ending," Aang said, watching them walk away as he wiped a tear of laughter from the corner of his eye.

"Was about damn time," Zuko chuckled, shaking his head. "Can't believe two people can be this thickheaded about liking each other…"

"I honestly don't think they're even aware that they liked each other at all," said Suki, sitting beside him and shaking her head. "She's always just going on and on about what a great music sense he has, how he knew exactly what kind of music would resonate with an audience…"

"And he's always rambling about what an incredible composer she is and her uncanny abilities to make the best instrumentation," Jet chimed in, raising an eyebrow.

"So… was it some sort of crush on each other's professional skills, somehow?" asked Song, with a weak smile.

"Weirdos should just go upstairs and find somewhere to finish releasing all that tension, if you ask me," Toph said, smirking. "Though it was kinda fun for them to sing together. Come up with another embarrassing one they can sing, Katara, come on…!"

"Okay, okay, let me look…!" Katara grinned mischievously: surely someone else would sing while those two refreshed themselves, but as soon as they were ready…

She didn't imagine that it would be quite a while before Sokka and Azula came back to the living room, though. Nobody could have expected that the two leaders of their respective bands would wind up living up to the odd example set by High School Musical, of all things… but that was exactly what they did as they found themselves explaining to each other their very strange relationship with the movie: Sokka had liked a few of the songs, but Katara had obsessively watched it at least once a week after it premiered. Azula was aware of said obsession because, for about five months after the first movie had been released, it had become the only thing the girls at school had talked about. She didn't care for the movie one bit… but she was stuck in the bandwagon by association. They had laughed as they reiterated that their pride as graduate musicians had certainly taken a severe blow that day, which had inevitably led them to discuss that their current professional activities wouldn't make their teachers any happier than knowing they would sing something quite that silly in a karaoke night.

"I mean, it's not like I was ever going to join an orchestra or anything," Sokka laughed, pouring some wine on Azula's glass after refilling his own. "Guitar and drums aren't really popular instruments for orchestras, so…"

"I've heard of some rock orchestras, though," Azula pointed out, biting her lip. "Oh, what I'd give to have that kind of support. The way a full group of strings can enhance a song is…"

"Oh, I've noticed," Sokka smiled fondly at her. "You guys do it amazingly with just the one violin, honestly. I… I'm in awe, really. 'The Name of the Night' is…"

"Wait, you… you've listened to it?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows. Sokka blushed. "Really?"

"I mean, well… Zuko mentioned you guys were starting your own channel for your band, I looked out of curiosity," he said, with a guilty smile. "And… uh, sorry but I guess maybe about fifty percent of the views you've gotten for your songs might be my fault…?"

"You… oh, no way," Azula laughed, looking at him in disbelief. "Are you kidding? You have to be: the stuff Dash Nova makes is so niche there's not even a niche yet for it…"

"Well, maybe I'm your niche," Sokka decided, smirking. "Honestly, I have no idea how you guys don't have a thousand record dealers fighting over who gets to sign contracts with you. Your music is on a whole other level… I mean, you're heavily influenced by Kajiura, right?"

"Ah, yeah. You remember that from school, I guess," Azula smiled a little. "She's been a very good guide as to how to actually work with slightly unconventional elements in a composition, you could say… but come on, are you seriously telling me you enjoy it? Rocket Bomb is…!"

"Shallow, dumb, singing the most cringy songs you could imagine?" Sokka asked. Azula's jaw dropped.

"I… was going to say you're quite impressive, but I suppose you would disagree…?" she said, blinking blankly. Sokka snorted and buried his face in his hands.

"Shit, it's just… that's not the sound I'm going for, you know?" he sighed. "I think that's why I love Dash Nova so much… damn, it feels so weird to say that."

"To say that? Why?" Azula asked, blushing slightly. Sokka bit his lip.

"Just… there's something else I know called Dash Nova that I actually hate," he said, with an awkward smile. "Not your band of course, not at all, it's…"

"Wait. Wait," Azula said, eyeing him skeptically. "You're… oh, fuck. I thought it was too much of a coincidence to just be a coincidence, but it's not one, is it? It's not! Your Rocket Bomb… it's that Daedalus Hammer for the Adamant Rail in Hades! That's what you named your band after!"

"You… then your Dash Nova is the Hammer for Stygius?!" Sokka exclaimed, jaw dropping. "Azula, no! That's awful! How could you name your awesome band after that thing…!"

"That thing? That thing got me my first victorious run in Hades, mind you…" Azula said, with a proud smirk. Sokka snorted.

"No bloody way. That hammer's unusable!" he said, shaking his head. Azula laughed and shook her head.

"It's not, and… my god. I can't believe you actually play Hades," she said, running a hand over her hair as she stared at him in utmost disbelief. "You're shitting me, aren't you?"

"If I were, do you really think I'd have known what Dash Nova was?" he smiled. "Maybe this is the point where, after knowing each other at a distance for about… uh, how long has it been? Fifteen years? We realize that we're a lot more alike than expected, huh? We have similar music tastes, similar videogame tastes… only, not similar hammer upgrade tastes, from the sound of it."

"Come on, you have to try this sword build," Azula said, shaking her head. "I mean, it's not easy to get it, fine: you need at least one special bonus from Chaos, a Heroic upgrade if possible to Hermes's Swift Flourish, and of course, Athena's Divine Flourish… you'll just rush through rooms slamming into literally everything you find and they just… die. One after the other. Ah! And if Double Nova's the second hammer, all the better…!"

"In theory, it sounds awesome. In reality, I have no idea how to make the damn Dash Nova go in the right direction with my controller…"

"Ooooh, that's what's going on… well, then, play with keyboard and mouse, then you can actually aim where it goes…"

"What?! You play with keyboard?! No way! What heat are you at right now?"

"Ah? What heat are you at, if you're so eager to know?"

"I'm… at fifty."

"Liar."

"Okay, fine, seventeen…"

"Hah. Twenty-six."

"You got to twenty-six heat on the keyboard?! How?!"

"Lots and lots of practice, it's seriously what I do when I'm trying to clear my mind…"

Sokka's astonishment only amused Azula further: they laughed together as they swapped stories about the game that had inspired them both for their band's names. That detour of their conversation resulted eventually in their triumphant to the living room, startling the others – most of whom were expecting the pair of them to be making out ferociously in a room upstairs rather than still talking amicably – when they announced they had an actual song they wanted to sing:

"I… don't have that one," Katara admitted, but Sokka scoffed as he took the smart TV's controller from her and looked up a video that featured a karaoke version of the song.

"Finally we want to sing and you don't even have the right song. Shame on you, Katara," he smirked, clicking away as the others watched in amazement: so uptight and tense as he had been lately, it certainly looked like he was completely liberated now.

Said liberation only strengthened after their new song, with a deep, ominous beat and plucked strings began: once again, they would perform a duet, and this time one both Azula and Sokka would be far less willing to ridicule, even if they'd likely still laugh plenty while they sang 'In the Blood', the epic credits song for the videogame they'd been discussing so animatedly.

This time, their audience was genuinely floored by the much darker song they had chosen to sing, far more suited to the music tastes of the pair before them. As much as it wasn't quite as funny as the previous performance, now the whole group swayed from side to side, as though hypnotized by their perfectly synched singing.

By the bridge of the song, they wound up gazing into each other's eyes as they sang their respective parts in the song: her as Eurydice, him as Orpheus.

"Run all you like,

From the place you belong,

It's always there,

It's in the air,

Your dearest kin,

Below the skin…"

They smiled at each other after finishing that line: the epic orchestration seemed to thrum in the room, casting an astonishing spell upon their captive audience just before they took to the chorus anew, holding nothing back until the last note ended.

They lowered their microphones and smirked at each other… and then they blushed upon remembering they weren't alone: all their friends, however, remained utterly silent after that latest display, which saw Sokka grinning awkwardly at them, scratching the back of his head.

"Well, you know! That was to make up for the absolute loss of dignity after singing High School Musical…"

"Come on, karaoke is about losing your dignity! What the hell was that?!" Toph huffed. "You guys did it way too well, not fair! Give them some more High School Musical…!"

"Hell, no!" Azula and Sokka exclaimed in unison, as everyone laughed at their immediate panic.

The party continued in a much brighter mood after that. More songs were sung, this time with very obvious, comedic intent: at one point, all members of Rocket Bomb wound up performing one of the Backstreet Boys' old hits, and Sokka kept shooting Azula helpless pleas through his eyes, begging her to put him out of his misery, but she was powerless to do anything other than laugh at his plight while the other three insisted that he had to sing along with them. Azula of course decided there was no way Dash Nova would have no response to that, at which her own group wound up performing a famous Spice Girls song as well – with Katara joining in when Mai refused to do so, for she wouldn't embarrass herself that way. The chaotic outcome of their new group performance saw the whole party laughing relentlessly again when the song finally ended.

All the while, though, unless either of them was brought on to sing again, Sokka and Azula would sit together, either laughing at the others' choices for songs or simply talking thoroughly about music styles, certain things they wanted to try doing in their future compositions, and even more occasional conversations about videogames they enjoyed. It was impossible for them to make up for all the time they'd wasted beating around the bush and feeling insecure around each other… but it almost seemed as though they might succeed at it, considering how their distant acquaintanceship's quick progress had seen them spending practically the whole night together.

By the time Katara finally sent them home – as she was the only one of them with a serious schedule and who had to get up for work early in the morning –, Azula parted ways with Sokka almost unwillingly… and yet not as unwilling as she could have been: she smiled at his new contact card on her phone, a contact she could have asked Zuko to give her ages ago, of course she could have, but what would have been the point? She didn't want to know Sokka as 'Zuko's friend'… her interest in him went well and far beyond that. Their exchange of numbers was a crowning moment in the night, one that she hoped to make the most of in the coming days…

And she did. To her utmost surprise and wonderment, she fell into a perfectly comfortable rhythm of texting with Sokka by the next day, when he had confessed to having a pounding headache after too much to drink. She hadn't been in perfect shape either, and yet she regretted very little of that night – yes, to a fault, she regretted that the first song she'd sung with Sokka had been so ridiculous, but it had been fun in its own way, just as well. Their conversations continued after that, as they swapped music recommendations, with Sokka showing Azula some of his latest influences, as she did the same…

But it all came to a head on one very special day… a day when Sokka asked if he could ask her professional opinion on what kind of music would match a set of lyrics he had written not long ago.

Thus, their second encounter was concerted, and Azula couldn't hide her excitement about it: Sokka had written a song, and she had no doubts it would be a great one… he, however, had just about every possible doubt as he sat with her in his apartment that day, eyeing the handwritten lyrics with unease.

"It's… just not the style I guess you'll expect, coming from me," he said, eyeing her warily. Azula blinked blankly.

"Fine?" she smiled. "It sounds like you're not exactly happy with the style Rocket Bomb has been working with, anyway. Might as well test the waters with something new."

"I did… and it's a little odd, I think. I mean, I think I like it, but… ugh, I wasn't this embarrassed when I was writing stupid, bratty songs," Sokka groaned.

He dropped heavily on the table and pushed the papers towards Azula, still without facing her.

"I've got no idea what to do with the music. I have tried a few things, but… it's not working yet. All I have are these lyrics," he admitted. Azula frowned as she picked the papers at last, her curiosity getting the better of her…

She blinked blankly as she read the title… then the content of the song itself. Her lips parted as she progressed down the verses, her heart pounding in her chest…

"I… I don't know what's the best choice with the music, and to be honest, if you think the lyrics could use more work, I'm totally down for anything you might suggest," Sokka said, biting his lip as he sat upright again. "As for the music, I would like something that sounds uplifting, to a fault? But… I guess there's a hint of misery and melancholy to that song too, so maybe it's not right to go for uplifting…"

"You… wrote this?" Azula asked, her eyes finally rising from the paper and to Sokka's blushing face. He nodded once. "You… fucking hell. And you want me to help you?"

"I mean… yeah? You're the best musician I know…" Sokka said, with a casual shrug: Azula laughed, and his stomach churned as he dreaded she'd say, of course, that his song was pretentious and creepy and weird and…

"Aside from yourself, you mean?" she asked. Sokka scoffed.

"What? Hell, what's that supposed to mean? No, no, you're the best one I know, period," he said, raising his hands in a defensive position. Azula laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Alright, let's just ignore that, then, since clearly your perception of reality is highly biased…" Azula smiled. Sokka pouted. "Sokka, this is brilliant. I… I don't think I can help you simply because I… because I'd rather know what you'd be able to make with this song yourself."

"Wait, what?" Sokka blinked blankly, cheeks flushing. "B-but…! I want to do the stuff you've been doing, you know? The flair and orchestral feel…!"

"You can. Who says you can't?" Azula smiled. Sokka grimaced.

"My inexperience…?" he said. "I'm really not sure what to go for…"

"Well, then… guess it's time for us to do some proper musical research so you can make up your mind," Azula shrugged. Sokka blinked blankly. "Whenever I don't know what to do with a certain song, I just take to listening through my music library, sometimes through Spotify suggestions too, until I find something that feels like it has the right vibe for what I'm doing. Want to give that a shot?"

"I… yeah. Yeah, of course," Sokka smiled. Azula grinned back before pulling up her phone.

"Well, then…"

They wound up spending most the day listening to music together: Azula did offer a few suggestions for improvements with the lyrics, and Sokka agreed to them gladly. His ideas for the rhythm of the song were, as always, very solid, but he was at a loss regarding how to build a memorable melody. Azula didn't quite help him with that yet, but she encouraged him to keep listening to her many sources of inspiration while they worked together in the kitchen, making dinner while discussing possibilities for Sokka's song.

It was rather lucky that nobody expected them anywhere that night: they had spent the whole day together, and the night was poised to be no different. By then, some of their focus had dwindled as they talked about the most memorable songs they could think of, watching videos of hit songs, themes for TV shows, and eventually, they reached one of Azula's very favorite genres of music: epic trailer music, which inspired her to no end.

"Just… listen to this bit. When it shifts and changes right at that part… oh, damn," she laughed: 'Red Tower' by 'Two Steps From Hell' never failed to infuse her with a strange sense of elevation. "You can just see the thousand soldiers, gearing up to charge into battle…"

"That's the kind of thing that inspires you the most, then?" Sokka asked, gazing at her with amazement and amusement as she closed her eyes, swaying her hands at the rhythm of the music, as though she were directing an orchestra.

"A lot of things do, but this is… you know, a bit of an eargasm for me," she laughed. "Ah, here it comes. The vocals…"

Sokka chuckled and nodded his head to the beat of the song as Azula swayed beside him, utterly entranced by the song until it ended.

"This… I swear, if I ever compose anything that comes remotely close to making someone feel what I feel with this song, my career as a musician will finally be justified," she laughed, relaxing against the base of the couch: they could be sitting on the cushioned seats, but somehow they wound up on the carpeted floor instead, with a small coffee table before them, where they kept Azula's phone as she fished around for more songs. "Oh, and one of the guys from Two Steps has this album, 'Sun'… if you haven't heard it, brace yourself. Absolute magic, is what it is…"

"Alright…" Sokka smiled, watching as Azula navigated through videos she had watched about a hundred times or more, he guessed…

But as she scrolled down the bar of channels she was subscribed to, Sokka frowned upon glimpsing a familiar logo, just below the channel she was looking for.

"Woah… Azula?" he frowned, eyeing her with amusement. "You're… subscribed to Rocket Bomb?"

"O-oh, well… is that so weird? I knew you guys, it's my brother's band…" she smiled awkwardly, trying to hide her embarrassment by quickly pulling up a playlist from 'Sun', as promised.

"Huh… well, damn," Sokka chuckled, glancing at her with uncertainty. "Guess you mustn't think I'm that weird for subscribing to Dash Nova, then."

"Well… as much as you seem to have no respect for your own music, it's not like I feel the same way about it," Azula said. Sokka snorted. "Oh, now, don't dismiss it that much, will you?"

"Compared to yours…"

"Compared to mine, yours is a testament to music's versatility," Azula said, startling Sokka. "The fact that you barely need four chords to create a musical masterpiece? I've tried to do it, you know? And I always end up adding too much flair, too much… eh, too much, I guess, all in all. I do want my music to have depth, of course I do, but… half the time I wish I could do it the way you do. Your music is so honest, hiding behind no masks, just… saying everything it wants to say?"

"Right, like 'Baby, I Want What I Want'?" Sokka asked, skeptically. Azula smiled.

"See? Blunt as hell. And somewhat charming for it, somehow," she said, eyeing him with unexpected warmth. "A lot of really good bands from the early millennium were as blunt as you guys, you know? But they lost their charm after a while, I guess. Probably because they found a formula that worked and then never tried to improve upon it? And yet their early songs, the ones that do have soul… they're actually really fun, no matter how simple they may be. Your band feels like a return to that soulfulness, to that fun, to a degree. I… I really enjoy your music, whether you believe me or not."

"I… don't know if I should," Sokka said, a lump on his throat. "I… I don't think I want you to enjoy it as it is because I want it to be better, in a way…"

"Oh?" Azula smiled. "You did a pretty great job with it in the festival, though…"

"Ugh, don't even say that," Sokka sighed, dropping his head back on the couch's seat. "I… I watched your performance too, you know?"

"You… what?" Azula gasped. "You… you couldn't have. The headliners were on, even Zuko chose to go there rather than watch me…!"

"I didn't want to see the headliners," Sokka said, with a sad smile. Azula froze where she sat… and then she frowned, staring at Sokka intently.

"Wait… wait. It was you? That guy, t-the one with the hood, the one cheering us on?" she asked. Sokka swallowed hard.

"I… guess it would've been better if I hadn't said anything, huh? Not great news to know it wasn't a total stranger who fell in love with your music…" he said, with a sad smile. Azula gasped.

"It's… it's not a total stranger, no, but… I…" she said, hand trembling: somehow, their conversation seemed to hitch emotionally alongside with the randomized playlist for the album she had selected. "I had no idea. I mean, you said you liked us, that you're probably our niche, but… seriously, Sokka? You…?"

"Seriously. Yeah," Sokka said, with a sad smile. "Look, I'm really not sure how to say it, but… from the moment you and I first met, we've been on this weird, unspoken competition that ended up becoming much more than that. Everything you pulled off flawlessly was something I actively tried to get better at, like my dreadful pitch… you remember what I used to sound like, right?"

"I… oh, well, yes, but…" Azula laughed, looking at him in disbelief. "You were trying to measure up to me? Even when we were kids?"

"I… don't even know why," Sokka admitted, running a hand over his hair. "I guess the most romantic way to put it would be saying that you inspired me, but… I guess I was jealous of your talent."

"You… oh, hell," Azula laughed again, shaking her head as she buried her face in her hands. "We're a pair of idiots."

"I guess I'm one, but why would you be…?" Sokka smiled a little.

"Because I felt the exact same way, damn it," she said. Sokka's eyes widened. "With… your perfect ability to keep up with every rhythm, to decipher them with a single glance? I went through hell on my violin lessons because I always lost the beat, you know? And you could do that pretty much effortlessly, as far as I could tell. Then… your music isn't remotely as pretentious as mine, it's so honest and sincere and…"

"Yours is honest too. Way darker, and it deals with many subjects mine doesn't…" Sokka acknowledged, and Azula laughed at his description. "But it's not like it's any less you than my music was… well, me, or at least a past me. As you can tell, I'm breaking my head over 'Destiny of Icarus' now, so…"

"To reach for the untold… to claw for what's above us? To follow every call, into infinity, into the unknown?" Azula smiled, reciting his own lyrics back at him. Sokka laughed and nodded.

"Into dreams of… of black and gold."

Whether it had sunken in before or not, something suddenly seemed to click in Azula's head with that line of the song's chorus. Her lips parted as she gazed at Sokka intensely, heart racing… and he gazed at her right back, unsure whether to hide away now that she knew exactly what the song's actual meaning was.

She reached up to touch her black hair. Her golden eyes blinked in his direction. His cheeks turned crimson, and yet he didn't pull back. He didn't take anything back. He didn't hide his truths, truths he should have conveyed differently, he guessed… truths that he hadn't even reasoned with properly until he had found himself writing what shaped up into as good as a love confession for someone unattainable.

"You made your wings…" she said. Sokka swallowed hard.

"So you could melt them away," he answered.

Her heart clenched up, and sudden tears of emotion burned in her eyes. She lived for music, lived to create music… and yet nobody had ever created music for her, inspired by her, as far as she was aware. But Sokka… Sokka, the wonderful, clever genius that he was, he had composed the most poetic lyrics he had ever written while thinking of her. He wanted the greatest melody to go along with it, too…

If this had been a deliberate attempt to seduce her, he sure as hell had succeeded.

She didn't wait for another instant. She didn't waste another moment.

Her hand reached up to his shaved undercut, her fingers curling around the back of his head and pulling him in, brushing her lips warmly against his.

That the most enthusiastic song happened to be playing on the phone's speakers right now only made matters all the better. Sokka gasped as his arms encircled Azula's waist, reeling her in, closer to himself as he responded with far more eagerness than he even knew he had in him: merely two weeks ago, she had been the sun to his Icarus and he had flown to her while suspecting his flight would last for a brief moment, an instant in which she might just look his way…

Never had he expected her to pull him in. Never had he suspected she'd be just as fascinated with him as he was with her. Never had he imagined she could ever admire him half as much as he admired her… and yet it seemed she did.

If anything, the passionate kiss they were completely swept by suggested that the romantic feelings Sokka himself had barely understood until writing that song were just as present in her as they were in him.

She only pulled away when she needed to catch her breath, pressing her brow to his as her chest hitched against his. Sokka smiled warmly, caressing her face with a hand as she trembled in his arms.

"I… I… wrote a stupid song," she said. Sokka blinked but smiled more earnestly yet.

"A stupid song?"

"It's so bad…" she said, with a soft laugh. Sokka smiled, caressing her cheek gently. "I don't know how… to do it the way you do. To write songs that… that can reach everyone, the way yours do. But whether it reaches anyone or not, I… I wrote it after I saw your performance, on the festival."

"You…?" Sokka's eyes widened, and Azula smiled sadly.

"I doubt you could've noticed I was there…"

"Unfortunately, Jet and Zuko's fangirls were a little too numerous for me to see anyone," Sokka grimaced, cupping her face delicately. Azula laughed, pressing her brow to his anew.

"I thought… that was exactly what I wanted. To command that kind of energy, the one you directed so powerfully. To be someone whose music could reach and touch countless hearts…"

"That's not my music," Sokka said, gritting his teeth tightly. Azula shook her head. "Those people were only there for other reasons, not the music, they couldn't sing along with any of it…"

"I could," Azula replied. Sokka froze in place. "I could. And maybe you touched them too, even if… if they want something else, as well. But I know I wasn't there hoping for some weird erotic show between my brother and Jet, that would've been very disturbing…"

"Agreed," Sokka laughed, as she did the same.

"I was there because of you," she said, her hand falling gently upon his chest. Her eyes met his, and she spoke as well. "I wrote what I did… because of you."

"You… do you think you want to share those lyrics, then?" Sokka asked, with a shy smile. Azula swallowed hard before shaking her head, laughing shortly afterwards.

"Not sure… I don't know," she smiled. "But I guess there was just… just one part I wasn't completely displeased by. It goes…: 'If this isn't what we're meant to be, why does it feel so right, you and me? If I could make things go my way, would you surrender, would you stay…?'"

It was Sokka's turn to be frozen where he sat. Azula smiled sadly, tears blinking in her eyes.

"See… we're idiots. Writing love songs about each other without even knowing what we were doing," she laughed, dropping her head on his shoulder. Sokka chuckled by then, hugging her tightly so her body would press into his. "I didn't really want to… to reason with it much, to give it a lot of thought, but…"

"But you're in love with me," Sokka said: Azula shivered as she raised her head again, eyeing Sokka with uncertainty.

"And you're… in love with me," she finished.

Sokka smiled. So did she.

...

She stirred in bed, comfortable while tucked in warm sheets. A pleasant soreness rushed over her body as she relaxed her head on the pillow, neck perfectly exposed for the man lying down behind her.

He had been awake for a few minutes, pondering the events from the last weeks with utmost disbelief. It had felt like living someone else's life, not his own… like living a dream he had never thought within his reach. But she laid there, beside him, with her pristine, smooth skin inviting him to reignite the warm excitement they had indulged in that night, after finally coming clean with each other…

He decided to test the waters, setting a hand on her waist, over the covers. When she hummed appreciatively, he smiled and leaned closer, lips brushing tenderly against her neck. A glance at her beautiful face revealed she was smiling.

"Good morning," he dared say, biting his lip as he rose to speak by her ear. She couldn't bite back her own grin, raising a hand to caress his cheek gently.

"Good morning indeed, rockstar…" she whispered, teasingly.

He chuckled and dove into her neck with more kisses, and she groaned with delight as she turned towards him, willfully exposing her chest when the sheets rode downwards. The temptation her smooth mounds posed was great, but that of her lips was, perhaps, even greater. He kissed her greedily, much as he had through the night, and she welcomed it by corresponding with his intensity gladly, if far more lazily now that she was only just waking up. Still, it was one hell of a way to wake up, she would be the first to admit as much: she had been smiling from the moment she had realized she was still in his bed.

"Guess I felt like a rockstar for the first time ever last night…" he teased, lips against hers.

"Oh? Am I some lovestruck groupie of yours, then?" she asked. He snorted.

"As if. If either of us is a lovestruck groupie, it's me," he declared, haughtily. She could only laugh at his claims as he climbed over her, smiling brightly. "But what I mean is… well, my music actually reached someone, and it was the best person I could have hoped for. Someone whose music reached me, so… guess we're a perfect combination of musical synergy, Azula."

"Two rockstars falling into bed, then?" Azula smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Admittedly… knowing you'd take credit for so many views on our Youtube videos gave me back every bit of hope I'd lost after the last, discouraging days…"

"Hmm. I did hope you wouldn't be too upset, but…" Sokka whispered, Azula laughed and shook her head.

"Not anymore, I'm not," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck. "If you'd make wings for me to melt… I've got to be doing something right."

"You've been doing everything right, as far as I'm concerned," Sokka grinned. "It's everyone else who's wrong. And we're gonna teach 'em…"

"Oh? What are you going to…?" Azula smiled, as Sokka growled playfully and dove into her neck. She laughed, pressing her chest against his. "Oh, goodness, Sokka…"

"Hmm? Something you'd like to say?" he asked, teasingly: his hands traveled over her body, underneath the sheets, and Azula let out a blissful, trembling breath as she arched her back, encouraging him to keep going.

"Guess I'd just say… I'm ready when you are," she smiled. Sokka chuckled, fingers trailing carefully into her core.

"Don't need to say it twice…" he smirked.

They laughed their way into a new tryst as the world awakened with them – or at least that was how it felt, but neither of them had the slightest clue of what time it was. They didn't slow down to think about that, though, completely enraptured with each other as they were: once they left the bed they took a remarkably sensual shower together, and afterwards Sokka pinned Azula down on his kitchen counter halfway through preparing breakfast. That round ended with the two of them breathing heavily on the kitchen floor, and with Sokka seeing stars out of an acute loss of energy that Azula intended to remediate as soon as possible – they'd better finish preparing food before Sokka blacked out.

Neither one heard the noise of their vibrating cellphones, left by the coffee table before which they had finally confessed their feelings. They didn't hear them when they were in the bedroom, not when they were in the bathroom, not while in the kitchen… not even when they shared their food while chatting again about Sokka's lyrics, or after eating their meal: Sokka had donned a pair of trousers by now, his chest still bare for Azula to ogle whenever she wished to, while Azula wore one of Sokka's loosely buttoned shirts, while strumming his acoustic guitar with curious intent.

"Now, though, this song's supposed to be so very passionate, so…" she smiled before biting her lip: her left hand traveled recklessly over the guitar's fretboard, shifting from chord to chord while she strummed with a choking rhythm that didn't suit the song's contents at all.

Sokka smiled in utmost wonderment, watching as Azula teased him further by banging her head at the completely nonsensical rhythm she was establishing. She laughed by the time she stopped, her hair in utmost disarray… and she glanced at Sokka to find him eyeing her with the most loving eyes she could have imagined. She couldn't contain a snort at that.

"Are you still there, Sokka? Hello…?" she teased him. He chuckled and shook his head.

"You have no idea how… how impossibly hot this is," he said, beaming. "The girl I liked for longer than I even realized I liked her is dressed in just my shirt, playing my guitar, headbanging like a metalhead… if I weren't in love already, I'd have fallen for sure with that."

"Ah, that was all it would take?" Azula asked, amused. "Then I suppose I should've tried to do it sooner… not entirely sure how that would have happened, but I should have, nonetheless."

"All it would take for me to fall is… for you to be you, damn it," Sokka chuckled. "Oh, I'm an idiot, but I'm definitely your idiot."

"Wonderful to know, because I've got no intentions of sharing you with those rabid fangirls of yours…" Azula said, winking at him before strumming the guitar again: if she was already impossibly seductive before, she had damn near killed him with that gesture.

"Oh, have mercy, you're too much…!" he groaned, dropping fully on the dining table as he smiled helplessly at her. Azula laughed as she continued strumming, but this time she took it far more seriously: she did some quick finger-tapping, testing the waters of a potential melody by doing so, and Sokka listened to it pleasantly until he suddenly reared his head. "Hey… hey, that sounded pretty good!"

"You think?" Azula smiled. "Might be we could push things a bit further… though I don't know if I'm overstepping myself, actually. Do you want to come up with the melody yourself and then I'll tell you my opinion, or…?"

"I want you to do whatever you want to do. I know I'll love it," Sokka declared, beaming. Azula laughed and shook her head.

"Making your girlfriend compose your songs isn't a great look, Mr. Rocket Bomb…" she teased. Sokka blinked blankly.

"My… girlfriend," he repeated. Azula froze in her strumming and glanced at him, blushing.

"I-I mean… I shouldn't have assumed, I guess, but…"

"I didn't ask if you wanted to be, but… I should have," he laughed. Azula's red cheeks were accompanied by a smile soon enough as well. "Holy hell, I should have. Hahaha… you're my girlfriend. Oh, fuck, I bet this is a dream and any moment now I'm going to wake up and realize I'm still being an idiot and still wasting my time…!"

"Well, for future reference: if you do wake up and realize as much, make sure to rush to meet me as soon as possible and do everything we did, all over again," Azula responded, teasing him again as she dragged her fingers over the fretboard. "I can guarantee my reaction will be exactly the same it was last night."

"Heh… good. Good!" Sokka said, beaming. "Even if it's a dream, there's hope for us."

"And what if it's not a dream?" Azula asked, smirking at him. Sokka actually whimpered excitedly.

"T-then it means you're my girlfriend. Azula… my girlfriend. Heh… I mean, the guys always teased me about you, but it's different if it's real…"

"Ah, they did, then?" Azula asked, amused. "Did Katara do it too?"

"Oh, pfft. All the damn time," Sokka said. Azula laughed and shook her head.

"We're really stupid, but I guess that's the problem with teasing someone about their crush a bit too much," she said. "We wound up not taking their teasing as a possibility at all. And look at how long it took for us to get it together, huh…?"

"All their fault for making fun of us, yes," Sokka decided, pouting. Azula chuckled. "But then… Katara teased you as well? And the other members of Dash Nova?"

"You have no idea. I think they had this counter and everything: 'It's been 0 days since Azula last talked about Rocket Bomb', or so," she said, smiling and shaking her head. Sokka chuckled. "So yeah, they made fun of me all the time, kept pretending the only reason I could be so invested in your band was because I liked you…"

"Eh, my friends acted like that too," Sokka said. "And the more I tried to explain your musical style was extraordinary…"

"The more I tried to make them see your work was actually brilliant…"

"The worse they'd get," they finished in unison: they shared a complicit smile and shook their heads.

"I won't lie, I mixed up feelings and professional envy pretty tightly, so I had no idea where one started and where the other ended…" Sokka said, with a careless smile. "But maybe I really wasn't jealous of your talent. I… really liked that you were that talented. I thought that was it, but… it wasn't like I wanted to reach your heights without putting in the work, or so. Maybe I should've realized that's really not what jealousy is at all, huh…?"

"Same is true for me. It's frightening how similar our minds are," Azula smiled. "But now that we've realized all this… it's time for us to put our grand knowledge together and set you up with a career-making song that even your fans won't be able to ignore just to focus on my brother's alleged romance with his friend. Though… just a moment, did Zuko poke fun at you over me too?"

"All the time, yeah," Sokka said. "He even said he'd give me his blessing once…"

"He's full of shit," Azula laughed, shaking her head as she strummed the guitar again.

"I thought so too," Sokka smiled. "But I think overall he was trying to get on my good side because he's had a crush on my own sister for… well, forever, I guess. Same as Aang. Same as Jet."

"Everyone's out for Katara and she just wants to focus on her career," Azula smirked. Sokka laughed and nodded. "Well… I guess if Zuko's playing at being magnanimous that way, I've got no reason to worry about him being an annoying older brother about us, right?"

"If he tries, we'll just give him the good ole' 'you've got to be kidding me' glare and he'll stand down…" Sokka shrugged: Azula laughed and nodded, strumming carelessly again before choking the sound and taking to strumming again in another rhythmic, quick pace.

"Oh… hey now, this kind of rhythm feels right for the bridge, don't you think?" Azula said, glancing over the lyrics again. Sokka smiled as she started humming along the melody she was starting to compose, fingers gliding carefully across the fretboard…

A sudden noise of keys fumbling with the front door stopped them on their tracks, just as Azula was about to find the perfect chord progression for that part of the song. She raised her head warily, too conscious of her messy appearance, the near-nakedness that no doubt gave away she had not only spent the night here, but in what quality she had spent it, too…

Who even had keys to this place? She only had an instant to glance at the also panicking Sokka, whose color fled his face as the door swung inwards…

A fierce-looking Katara shoved the apartment door open, brow furrowed.

Sokka and Azula returned her gaze before blushing guiltily as understanding dawned on the new arrival's face. Her blue eyes narrowed, her mouth fell open, and Azula winced as she closed her eyes and turned her face away from her childhood friend.

"You… you two are… I'm going to strangle you both!" she exclaimed. "Fuck all you want, everyone's fine with that, but answer your damn phones!"

The reason behind her scolding froze them both in place as Katara released a heavy breath, hand still on the doorknob as she shook her head, judgmentally… and then her judgment started to take a different shape as her lips started to curl into a disbelieving smile.

"You pair of… oh, god. Oh, my fucking god…!" she laughed now, covering her face with her hands as Sokka grimaced, rising to his feet.

"S-sorry…?" he said: by then, his sister's fit of laughter was so strong she had wound up rolling down the door until she was sitting down against it, still open.

Her amusement wasn't quite as scary as her previous threat to strangle them… but it was still terrifying. Azula grimaced, keeping the guitar in place as she attempted to button Sokka's shirt better – wearing it loosely had been perfectly fine to tease and poke fun at Sokka, as he could barely seem to stop swooning over her, but now she really wished she were wearing something other than just that shirt and a guitar upon her lap…

Sokka made his way to the coffee table, picking up Azula's phone from the table's surface, and his own from the floor. He winced upon finding he had about fifty unread messages from his sister and his bandmates… and about twenty-six missed calls from them, too.

"Uh… well. Oops," he said, handing Azula's phone to her. "How bad is it for you? Twenty-six missed calls over here…"

"Oh, I only have… forty-three? I… oh, shit! Fuck, we were supposed to rehearse today!" Azula gasped, a hand on her mouth. Sokka blinked blankly as she glanced at him with uncertainty. "I… oh, goddamn it, I should go. It's… oh, I'm going to be late, yes, but…"

"You're going to practice with your band, dressed like that?" Katara sneered, smiling as she closed the door. "Pretty sure Sokka doesn't have a lot of clothes your style in here, does he?"

"Well, no… but she can borrow at least some normal trousers or something," Sokka pouted, glancing at Azula. "Want me to give you a lift to your place? You can change into your usual clothes there…"

"It's not as much of a walk of shame if we're both doing it at the same time?" Azula asked, with a slight smile. "Oh, hell… I'm never late to anything. They'll never let me live this down…"

"No, they won't: I'll make sure of that, personally," Katara declared, pushing herself up as she smirked, shaking her head still. "Seriously… god, you two are so ridiculous."

"Are you expected at the hospital right now?" Azula asked, gazing at Katara uneasily. Her friend shook her head.

"I had half an hour before my shift started, that's why I decided to come check on Sokka after I got one too many messages asking if I knew whether my brother was dead or alive," she said, glancing at the blushing Sokka as he rushed towards his room, to find more clothes for Azula to wear. Katara smiled as he faded from view before glancing at Azula again. "But I suppose that means I get to be the first to tell you two dunderheads that… I told you so."

"I… oh, be smug all you want, then," Azula said, blushing but smiling too. "Things got a little out of control, but…"

"But you really like my idiot brother, don't you?" Katara snickered. Azula huffed, cheeks red. "See why you should listen to your friends more often? You guys would be married by now, if you had…"

"Don't worry, I'll look into proposing within the next six hours," Sokka declared as he returned with clothes he hoped Azula would be able to wear without much trouble. She blinked blankly at the jeans he had brought, tugging at them with amusement. "These might be a bit long…"

"I suppose it won't matter if they are, if you really intend to give me a lift to my apartment so I can change again there," she said, smiling weakly. "I mean… Katara's obviously going to tell them all that she caught us like this, yes…"

"Oh, I'm telling them right now, actually. Sokka, scooch over, let me take a picture…" Katara said, raising her phone to take a picture of the guilty pair. Azula blushed and Sokka scoffed, reaching out with a hand to block the camera's lens "Hey! Don't be such a spoilsport…!"

"Azula, run while I contain her!" Sokka exclaimed, dramatically. "Go get dressed, I'll hold her off!"

"Oh, my knight in shining armor…" Azula said, in the same dramatic tone. Katara snorted and laughed at her friend's words as Azula grinned, handing Sokka the guitar before climbing off her dining stool.

She took the clothes Sokka had brought, and she dared to be bold enough to kiss Sokka's cheek before dashing away. Sokka continued to struggle with his sister's camera, but he smiled giddily at the affectionate gesture anyway as Azula rushed off to dress up in the bathroom. Katara scoffed by then.

"No fair, you ruined the fun of it, Sokka," she said, teasingly. "Oh, but seriously… it was about time you got your shit together, Sokka. You two had better make the most of this… you know, whatever it is. Propose right away, you've had more than enough relationship build-up and time to get to know each other than anyone else does…"

"I think we'll do things at our own pace, thank you very much," Sokka said, poking Katara's forehead with a finger before pulling a t-shirt on, as well. He let out a breath after doing so, but then he smiled shyly at his sister. "Though I guess… we may just owe this to your dumb stunt the other night, in the end."

"Ha! I told you High School Musical would change your life one day, and that you'd be grateful for it…" Katara declared, with a proud smirk. Sokka laughed and shook his head, unable to truly reject his sister's words.

Azula looked more presentable once she left the bathroom, at least, for her own standards: Sokka couldn't help but smile groggily at how beautiful she was, no matter if her hair was still slightly messy, especially after her playful headbanging from earlier. He offered her a hair tie and a brush, though, and Azula was grateful for it: seeing her clad in his clothes, the scent of his favored soap clinging to her skin, was enough to keep him in an utterly elated mood as Katara kept teasing them all the way downstairs, where their cars waited.

"Seriously, though: answer your phones! Tell us you're going at it, we'll leave you alone if you do!" Katara called after them, poking her head out of the window of her car before driving to the hospital. Azula scoffed.

"As if: Ty Lee will just get ten times worse and ask for a play-by-play of everything we're doing," Azula said dismissively as Sokka laughed beside her. "No, thank you! Have fun at work!"

"Have fun doing my brother!"

"Katara!"

Sokka's squeak saw his sister laughing with wickedness as she sped away on her car. Sokka smiled and shook his head dismissively before guiding Azula to his own car: she appeared delighted for the ride, glancing at him often, meeting his own grins with hers. Of all things, she certainly hadn't expected that the underwhelming festival would wind up turning her life around to this extent…

She changed into her proper clothes upon arriving home: Sokka insisted on waiting in the car, as he would likely only distract her if he followed her upstairs. It didn't take Azula very long to dress in her usual apparel, and she vowed to wash Sokka's clothes herself and return them soon. He grinned at the promise: it appeared she wanted a thousand excuses to see him again, and he certainly felt the same way about her.

That she was looking for excuses to meet again was particularly obvious once they reached the rehearsal studio Dash Nova usually rented twice a week. Azula let out a sigh before glancing at Sokka wistfully.

"You'll… come pick me up again after we're done?" she asked, somewhat shyly. Sokka smirked knowingly.

"You left your car at my place. Deliberately. You didn't even suggest you could come here on your own…" he teased her. Azula laughed, throwing her head back. "I'd call you a wicked mastermind, but to be honest, I noticed right away and I just really hoped that was exactly what you were going for…"

"Good to know I'm predictable that way," Azula smiled, reaching to take his hand. "I'm sorry if I'm being too…"

"Too what? Perfect? Fun? Beautiful?" Sokka asked. Azula laughed again as she dropped her head on his shoulder. "You can't be sorry for any of those things, you know…"

"I can, and I am," she said, raising her head slightly to kiss his cheek. "I really just want… I really just want to see you again as soon as possible because I'm greedy that way."

"And I want to see you again as soon as possible because I'm greedy that way too: fancy that," Sokka said, playfully. Azula smiled as he stole a kiss from her lips. "I'll come fetch you, for sure. In fact, maybe I'll just stay right here until you're done, I can try to come up with music for 'Destiny of Icarus' while I wait for you…"

"You… oh, you're too good to be true," Azula laughed, cupping his face. "Very well, then… I should be out in about an hour or so, I'm atrociously late and I bet we won't get any work done anymore, but… I'm going now, anyway."

"Go on. Have fun," Sokka smiled, leaning in to kiss her again.

Azula responded happily: she couldn't believe how right, how wonderful it felt for him to be her boyfriend at all. It was like a dream she'd never even dared wish upon, but it had come true, nonetheless. The sweetness in being driven by him to places, in kissing him farewell, in wishing each other a good day… what a miraculous feeling it all was.

She forced herself to get off the car, to pull out her electric guitar from the backseat, where they had set it after fetching it at her place. But just as she was about to march inside the building, Azula returned to the car, deliberately stepping out into the street after checking that no cars were incoming, before leaning into the window Sokka opened, puzzled by seeing her approaching the car again… and then he was puzzled happily, yet again, when she offered him a brisk kiss through the open window.

"Sorry. I'm being stupid. I like you. See you later," she said, smiling warmly before rushing back to the sidewalk.

Sokka snorted and laughed, throwing his head back as he watched her rushing towards the building: oh, she could do anything she cared to with him, that much was clear. His heart pounded in his chest so powerfully, so wonderfully because of her… because in weeks, his unsatisfactory life had suddenly taken a turn for the best, a turn so beautiful he couldn't stop being grateful for it. He had been joking when he had told Katara he'd propose within hours… but by now he felt like doing exactly that. Azula waved at him right before entering the building, and he sighed once she was out of sight.

"Alright, then… 'Destiny of Icarus', let's get you to work," Sokka grinned, reaching for his cellphone: musical instrument apps would never really compare with a proper instrument, but they did suffice for bouncing ideas around until he could come up with a good melody.

Azula breathed out slowly as she reached the door of their assigned rehearsal lounge. She knew this was going to be awkward, of course she did, but she had to hope the others would be more outraged over her lateness than anything else. They had work to do, and they might want to focus on the work…?

Oh, who was she even kidding?

She pushed the door open: a loud gasp resounded in the room before a resounding applause rang inside the lounge. Her cheeks flushed as confetti spilled out in her direction even before she took in the awkward poster someone had doodled of her and Sokka singing 'Breaking Free' together, apparently… captioned with 'congratulations for getting laid', no less, right underneath the poor rendition of herself and her new boyfriend.

"Ah, finally!" Ty Lee squealed, rushing in to hug Azula: Dash Nova's frontwoman tensed up and grimaced, blushing crimson over being at the center of attention for embarrassing reasons, as far as she could tell. "We were starting to think you wouldn't show up…!"

"You… oh, you're all mad," she huffed, unable to hold back a smile as she covered her face with her hands: they even had the time to hang party streamers on the walls, and they were popping even more confetti in her direction now. "How could you even have the time to make all this…?!"

"Oh, you're so late that we had the chance to do it, don't worry," Suki smiled, waving a hand in her direction. Even Mai smirked at her, shaking her head dismissively in silent, amused judgment.

"We even could afford to buy a cake at the nearby pastry shop," Song giggled, pointing at the fondant-covered cake at the center of the table. Azula couldn't seem to stop laughing, shaking her head in utmost disbelief.

"It's like we're really K-ON now… only, with the added bonus of being about seven years older than them and celebrating that our Sawako finally got a boyfriend," Suki snickered.

"You go, Spicy! Distract him with your womanly favors and make sure he slacks off at the drums so I can dethrone him!" Toph declared, smirking viciously.

"I'm not… I'm… oh, you girls are utterly mad," Azula said, shaking her head as she finally stepped inside the lounge, closing the door behind herself. "Katara just had to run her mouth…"

"Of course she did!" Ty Lee exclaimed, beaming. "I mean, you didn't answer our calls or messages, we asked her if she knew anything, and then the Rocket Bomb guys also messaged us to ask if any of us had the slightest clue of where Sokka might be? And we kind of put it together already, but then Katara confirmed it and…! Oh, seriously, Azula, is it true she found you half-naked, playing his guitar?"

"Wait, his actual guitar or…?" Mai asked, grimacing. Azula scoffed, cheeks flaming red.

"Of course it was his actual guitar!" Azula huffed.

"So… you really were half-naked," Mai pointed out, and Azula closed her eyes in sheer embarrassment after falling square into that trap without even realizing it.

"Azula playing with Sokka's instrument, who knew the day would come…" Ty Lee said, wiping a fake tear: Azula elbowed her hard, and Ty Lee cackled as she walked away from her.

"I have the feeling everything I say will be turned against me, right? Right. So maybe we should just move on, and head into the booth to practice…?" Azula said… only for her suggestion to be met by utterly dismissive scoffs.

"You're late, you don't get to decide what's going to happen here today," Mai said, with a proud smirk. Toph snickered too.

"Come on, Azula, there's cake! 'Congratulations on getting laid' cake, that's important stuff!" the drummer declared, grinning madly. "C'mon, you guys, let's cut it and get this party started…!"

"It's not a party, it's rehearsal and…! Oh, you lot are just looking for every excuse to slack off, aren't you?" Azula huffed, as Suki took to cutting the cake, to everyone's delight and amusement.

"Well, your lateness and the reasons for that lateness sure gave us every excuse we could have asked for," Ty Lee snickered, as she distributed the cake slices through the room. "Oh, we all knew this day would come, we all did…!"

"And we told you it would come but you always pretended there was nothing like that going on, nope, sure there wasn't…" Toph smirked.

Azula sighed and shook her head as the others continued to tease her, ever bringing up the countless occasions in which they had warned Azula that her whole obsession with Rocket Bomb was a matter of being in love with Sokka… to her surprise, one of her bandmates stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder while the others debated regarding who realized Azula was in love with Sokka first.

"I know they're all being really silly about it, though they don't mean anything bad by it," Song smiled. "But I'm really happy for you two, Azula."

"Huh… well, thank you, I suppose," Azula blushed, glancing at Song with uncertainty. "I guess I should count myself lucky you weren't holding bets on how long it'd take for us to get together…"

"Oh, no, we were. We settled that after Katara messaged us to say the dream of two bands had finally come true," Song admitted, with guilty giggles. Azula huffed, dropping her head heavily… but she smiled, regardless. "As long as you're happy, though… and you look like you are, no matter how much they try to embarrass you."

"I suppose that is the priority, yes… and I'd like to think I'd be happier if we practiced, but I have the bad feeling nobody will focus on work anyway," Azula admitted. "Even I might have trouble focusing, to be honest."

"It'll be a while before they calm down," Song agreed, smiling. "Guess… a week or two."

"That's a very long while," Azula said, grimacing. Song giggled and shrugged. "Oh, goodness…"

"Okay, Azula, so! How did it go? How did it happen?" Ty Lee asked, beaming now that everyone had their cake slices. "Katara says you were at his place, so he just asked you over and you innocently went without knowing what he had in mind…? Or was it you invited yourself over, and he innocently accepted it without knowing you were ready to jump his bones?"

"Why would you…? How are you even…? Oh, I'm not answering that," Azula huffed: everyone else laughed. "Seriously!"

"Well, as long as you give us a heads-up for the wedding, I'm cool with you keeping the dirty details to yourself," Suki smirked. Toph gasped.

"Oh, I call dibs on the first kid's name! You're naming it after me, whether it's a boy or a girl!"

"Toph…!"

The ridiculousness of the situation only seemed to increase gradually as their hour of reservation of their lounge and rehearsal studio drifted away without anyone so much as reaching for a musical instrument. Only Azula seemed to feel their whole rehearsal day had been a waste of time, as the others were in perfectly cheerful moods after having asked a thousand questions of which Azula had only answered a few – namely those that weren't too personal. They stepped out of the rehearsal studio after cleaning it up properly, and Azula was basking in the knowledge that she'd only have to handle her friends and bandmates' pesky questions via messaging until she saw them again for their next rehearsal, when Ty Lee hummed before gesturing at a car parked near the building's entrance.

"I've seen that car before. Isn't it…?" she asked: Azula blushed instantly, raising her gaze to find Sokka had kept true to his word… and he was waiting for her.

"Okay, so… see you guys in two days," Azula said, quickly, before rushing off quickly towards the car before the others understood what was happening…

Though they understood quickly enough: they cheered and hooted after her, with no shortage of embarrassing congratulations again. Azula's face was burning as she finally reached the car, pulling the co-pilot's door open and sinking on the seat quickly.

She was met by a skeptical and compassionate smile on Sokka's handsome face. He blinked a few times in her direction before glancing at the laughing, cheering and squealing women, many of whom were waving quite childishly at him.

"Oookay, guess I'm only kissing you after we're out of here," he determined. The flustered Azula still managed to smile at his words.

"Thank you," she said: he turned the ignition quickly, and they drove off right away, though Sokka still glimpsed that Toph, Ty Lee and Suki had rushed out to the sidewalk, continuing their embarrassing congratulations there until he finally took a bend on the road, and they faded from view.

"I have the feeling you guys got absolutely no work done, as predicted," he said, eyeing Azula with a sympathetic smile. She sighed, looking at him helplessly.

"They bought a cake. They threw confetti. They painted some sort of banner of us singing, too. And Toph demands that we name our first kid after her, boy or girl," she said: each of her explanations saw Sokka laughing harder, struggling to focus on the road. "I can only hope, for your sake, that the stereotypes about women being the biggest gossips ever are true and that your bandmates won't be this annoying…"

"Sorry, but those stereotypes are bullshit. Men love gossip every bit as much as women do, they usually try to hide it because it's not 'manly', or so they think, but my bandmates are immune to that kind of stuff. Which is usually great, but not when it comes to this," Sokka smiled, shaking his head. "Oh, we're both doomed, Azula. Maybe we should just start a duo, you and me, and forget those guys until they get over their nonsense…"

"I'll gladly take you up on that. I can't believe I got more work done with you than with my band… and that's while factoring in that we were having sex about half the time we spent together between yesterday and today," Azula snorted, shaking her head. "If we'd started this relationship any sooner…"

"You're thinking they might have stopped messing with us by now, if we had?" Sokka asked, raising an eyebrow. "I think you underestimate how annoying our friends are."

"True. I definitely do," Azula smiled. "How long will it be before we can get any actual work done, though…? Oh, did you get any work done, actually? Any ideas yet?"

"A few, nothing's set in stone so far but I want to think I'm getting somewhere," he said, grinning at her. "Mostly based on what you were playing this morning. Hard to believe I actually remember how it goes when I was slightly hypnotized by the sight of you…"

"Then you still got more work in than I did," Azula said, as they slowed by a traffic light that had just switched to red. "Well done."

"You endured the wild ride of having your friends poking fun at you over finally starting a relationship with the guy they teased you over forever," Sokka grinned, leaning over and pressing a soft kiss to her lips. "Far more courageous than anything I did. And, as it was quite the ordeal… how do you want to celebrate your survival?"

"Hmm… no idea, as long as I get to celebrate it by not dealing with other people's comments about us," Azula said, smiling at him. "Meaning…"

"We'll just spend the rest of the day together, ignoring our phones," Sokka decided, and Azula laughed before nodding in agreement.

They had flowed so naturally into a relationship that neither one could even remember why it had taken them so long to do it. Perhaps they wouldn't have been as ambitious in their careers, as successful, if their relationship had flourished sooner… but it still suited them wonderfully that it had blossomed now. They spent the day driving to different places, checking out music stores for supplies either of them might need, then taking strolls together while talking endlessly about so many things they hadn't even known they had in common, trading kisses often whenever their attraction demanded it. Once the sun was setting, they took off to a restaurant where Sokka treated Azula to dinner.

"It'll do, I hope," Sokka smiled awkwardly: it wasn't a high-class establishment, but Azula hardly seemed to mind, sitting across him at their chosen table. "I'll save up lots to give you a much better dinner experience in our future dates, promised thing."

"You don't really have to, but I appreciate it," Azula smiled. "Guess once Rocket Bomb gets a recording deal it'll be easier for you to afford something like that."

"Eh, not happening anytime soon," Sokka chuckled, shaking his head. "We need to be better to get to that point, I think…"

"You will be. And you already have a following, so it's only a matter of time before you catch someone's eye," Azula said, reassuringly. Sokka bit his lip.

"Say, when I suggested that about us taking off together to start a duo rather than being in our bands…" he said. Azula raised an eyebrow. "It was just a random idea at the moment, but…"

"Are you seriously pondering ditching your band for me?" Azula asked, amused.

"Heh, well, I would if that were the only way to get any work done," Sokka smiled. "But, to be honest… I have another idea in mind."

"And what might that be?" Azula asked, leaning forward with her elbows on the table. Sokka bit his lip and smiled.

"A collaboration between Dash Nova and Rocket Bomb?"

Azula's amusement receded quickly as Sokka eyed her with uncertain hope. She blinked blankly… and then she stroked her chin, deep in thought.

"Huh… huh," she said, eyes unfocused as the possibilities suddenly burst to life in her mind. "That's… not a bad concept. Odd, admittedly, our styles are quite different, but you seem to like what we can do…"

"And you seem to like what we can do," Sokka said, smiling a little. "So… it may be unorthodox to a fault, but it could be an interesting idea."

"A full-blown collaboration, though?" Azula asked. "Toph's never going to let go of the drums, just so you know…"

"Well, she'll have to coordinate with me, then," Sokka said, smiling a little. "I've seen it happen, you know? Two drummers keeping up with each other without making any mistakes… if she can't keep up then that's her problem, of course, but…"

"She'll say you're the one who's messing up even if it's her" Azula smiled. "And we'd have… too many guitars, possibly. Me, my brother, Suki, Aang…?"

"Aang could play the keyboards or even an actual piano if we need one," Sokka suggested, with a shrug. "Not the drums, which is what he actually wants, but that way we'd only have three guitars, right?"

"Right… and I did think it would be interesting to have a keyboard in some songs," Azula said, smiling a little. "Two bassists, though?"

"Eh, that could be fun, I hope," Sokka chuckled. "One bass harmonizing with another bass? Should be interesting, at least. Ned's Atomic Dustbin have two basses…"

"Fair, if anything it broadens our possibilities. And I guess in some cases I could switch to violin too, with Song," Azula said, biting her lip. Sokka's eyes widened with illusion. "You… really like violins, do you?"

"I… always wanted to play it, myself," Sokka admitted, with a guilty laugh. "I even went to the auditions, you know? Back when you got into violin classes. But I was turned down…"

"Oh… good on you, actually," Azula said, grimacing. Sokka blinked blankly. "That violin teacher was a madman. He damn near sent me running for the hills after my third year enrolled with him. I didn't want to give up because I… because I saw you were doing well with percussion, so I wanted to be just as good at violin as you were with drums."

"Seriously?" Sokka said, grimacing. "Damn. I do remember that guy looked like he was slightly unhinged but… ugh, a lot of teachers in that place were unbearable."

"Absolutely. Guess we got lucky with our guitar teachers, though," Azula said. Sokka smiled and nodded. "They weren't quite as nasty as the others. But anyway, that's a digression. I think two violins could work pretty well together. Ty Lee's flute will be fine under most circumstances, though admitted there's some tracks where she's just doing backing vocals, if the flute doesn't work…"

"She can keep doing that, sure," Sokka said, smiling. Azula bit her lip.

"And… what of lead vocals?" she asked. Sokka raised an eyebrow.

"Why… you would do them. Of course," he said, matter-of-factly. Azula smiled. "What, you think Jet's going to throw a fit about it?"

"Well, he might, but even if he doesn't… your fans might," Azula said, leaning back on her chair again. "It's, unfortunately, something to think about…"

"Considering how little they care about what music's playing, I doubt it'll be a problem," Sokka said. "If we can convince Jet to spank your brother and for them to just run around the stage chasing each other throughout a whole performance, whatever's going on musically won't matter one bit to these people."

"I suppose they're that easy to please," Azula smiled. "Though… you may be underestimating them. At least some of them, anyway. Could be some might actually stick around for the music, no matter how simple it may be…"

"Could be, but I'd rather change the music anyway," Sokka said, smiling a little. "We can do better. And, well… bold as it may be of me to say so, we would do so much better if Dash Nova joins us"

Azula bit her lip, and Sokka eyed her helplessly. She brought a hand to her chin, her feet tapping against the floor as she weighed her options.

"Continuing with a band that might end up not succeeding at all, or joining a potential collaboration with the best musician I know, who just happens to be my boyfriend, starting today?" Azula said, with a growing smirk. "I've got nothing to lose, Sokka. It's you guys who would have to think about it, not me."

"Well, I don't have to," Sokka grinned brightly. "I'll get the others to come around for sure."

"With your aluminum foil hand?" Azula asked, amused. Sokka chuckled. "I wonder if it'll be any easier to rope all those people in if we try doing it together."

"If they get too annoying, we can always just go work together in a corner and ignore them," Sokka laughed. "Call all the shots ourselves because they're being too childish to take things seriously?"

"Perfect. Oh, this is a grand idea," Azula laughed. "We should've been working together from the start, damn it. We probably would have already gone on a world tour by now if we had though to do this any sooner."

"We weren't visionaries when it came to business before, but we are now," Sokka said, pompously. Azula laughed as he grinned and extended a hand over the table. "So? We got ourselves a deal, Dash Nova?"

"We got ourselves a deal, Rocket Bomb," Azula said, teasingly, clasping his hand…

Only for Sokka to hoist himself slightly on his seat, kissing her over the table as though to seal the deal in a different way. Azula laughed into his kiss, responding to it gladly… unaware, much as Sokka was, of the waiter who eyed them with slight puzzlement: he held the tray with their order, and it didn't seem he'd be able to deliver it while the young passionate couple demonstrated their affection quite as blatantly as they did right now.

He had to clear his throat to get their attention, and they were fortunately flustered and self-aware after he did. They behaved themselves for the rest of their time in the restaurant, though their conversations regarding the possibilities for their new project only continued to thrill them both: their discussion carried on after dinner… and they only paused it briefly once Sokka stopped his car at Azula's apartment building. She bit her lip, glancing at him intently.

"You do realize that this is my place… and that my car is still in yours?" she smirked. Sokka smiled and scratched the back of his neck.

"Well, golly. Geez. Goodness. Who'd have thought…?" he said, with the guiltiest pretense of innocence Azula had ever heard. She laughed at his shamelessness, a hand reaching out to clasp his.

"You have two options, then," she said. "Either you drive us back to your place… and it will be so very late by then that I'll be better off staying with you through the night anyway, or you can just… stay here for the night and we can fetch my car tomorrow."

"Hmm. What a conundrum," Sokka said, biting his lip as he smirked teasingly at her. "Technically, we're already here, so… we'd waste more time we could be spending doing something productive if we go back to my place, right?"

"Ah, a very good point," Azula said, nodding briskly. Sokka chuckled, reaching out to stroke her hair delicately.

"You're amazing," he said, grinning brightly at her. "If we keep this up I'm seriously going to forget how to live my life without you."

"If we keep this up… you won't have to worry about living it without me at all," Azula said, taking his hand in hers. Sokka chuckled as she kissed his fingers softly. "I know we're going really fast, but…"

"But it feels right, doesn't it?" Sokka smiled, leaning closer towards her. "Besides… this way I can check out that song you wrote, too…"

"Oh, no…" Azula huffed, blushing as she shook her head. Sokka laughed, taking her face in his hands to kiss her. "It's really ridiculous…"

"I bet it's not," he whispered in her ear, tracing kisses down her cheek and to her neck. Azula hummed, hands reaching up over his strong biceps.

"You… shouldn't be so persuasive…" she said, shivering as he rose back to her lips: she couldn't resist the need to kiss him more deeply. If they kept this up, the two of them would wind up writing a thousand romantic songs about each other… it would be quite odd for their collaboration to wind up being nothing but love declarations between them, over and over, and over again…

But it did seem they'd keep it up, for they barely stopped kissing after they climbed off the car, as they took the elevator up to her apartment, as they entered it together and stumbled into every wall, as they continued to kiss fiercely and passionately. Perhaps all talk about music and songs, romantic or not, would be best left for morning…

It truly was odd that, as much as they distracted themselves with each other as often as they did, the third day they spent together was still much more fruitful than Azula's last meeting with her band: to her utmost surprise, Sokka had been thrilled by the simpler song lyrics she'd written, finding they had an inherent rhythm in their structure that lent to the simpler kinds of compositions he usually worked with. They switched to working on his song whenever they hit a snag with hers, and vice versa: by the time they went to bed that night, the basic melody and structure for the two songs were as good as finished, and they celebrated their double success by making love as enthusiastically as ever.

That a relationship would feel quite so strong, so easy to adjust to in a matter of days, was utterly unexpected for the two of them. They basked in it gladly at every point in time, in the synergy of their musical talent, in the understanding they shared when it came to their every suggestion, as well as in the way they went about their daily chores as well. It felt so right, so smooth to work together whether by making meals or by doing laundry, by washing dishes or cleaning the house… as much as Sokka had joked about it with Katara, he truly felt tempted to ask Azula to marry him right now, no matter how rushed it might be.

Still, the truest test was yet to come: he had already given his band the direction to Dash Nova's larger rehearsal studio, and he had summoned them there at the same hour as Azula had agreed to meet with her own band. As they had a stronger incentive this time, Azula and Sokka wouldn't be late that day: Azula gathered her instruments, then they drove to Sokka's apartment so he'd fetch his own guitar and change into fresh clothes. All plans were in motion, and the time to bring their two worlds into hopefully controlled collision was finally here…

...

Used as they were to Azula's strict sense of punctuality, Dash Nova's five other members always arrived at their studio on time. They met up outside the facility, chatting about how unresponsive Azula had been on her phone as of late, elaborating on how busy Sokka was keeping her… until they reached their usual room to find a bald young man at the door, eyeing one of his friends with uncertainty.

"Aang?" Suki called, puzzled: he jumped where he stood, glancing in her direction with uncertainty.

"Woah. Zuko, you're right, it really is Dash Nova's rehearsal place…" Aang grimaced: Zuko, standing next to him, frowned as he stepped forward.

"You guys have to rehearse right now?" he asked. "At three?"

"Yes?" Suki responded, eyeing him with uncertainty. Zuko blinked blankly.

"What the fuck…?" he said, glancing at the door again.

"What's going on?" Mai groaned, stepping past the rest of her bandmates to stare down Zuko sternly. "Why are you two here?"

"Because Sokka told us to come," Aang admitted, biting his lip. "He didn't really explain why, he just…"

"Woah! Woah, that bastard!" Toph exclaimed, aghast. "Oh, I knew it. Men are stupid like that, of course! Azula shouldn't have banged him at all…!"

"Wait, I doubt that has any relation with… wait, does it have some relation with this?" Aang blinked blankly, glancing at the grimacing Zuko.

"Beats me…" he said: there wasn't much point in asking anything among themselves, because only Sokka and Azula would have any answers, he supposed…

And Toph had already marched up the door, pushing it open unceremoniously to demand for an explanation.

"What's going on here?!" she shouted.

"Heh. Guess you girls are here now…" Sokka responded: the blind young woman pointed a finger in the direction of his voice.

"You… you think you get to take over our lounge now that you're dating Spicy?! Well, I've got news for you! Dash Nova's not down for that crap! In Dash Nova, it's sisters before misters!"

"Umm… cool?" Sokka smiled awkwardly, watching as the rest of Dash Nova's members, as well as Zuko and Aang, filed into the lounge one by one.

"So, you'd better pack up your delusions and I'll go give Azula a piece of my mind right after…!"

"Oh, goodness but you are being overly dramatic, Toph…"

Azula's voice finally stopped Toph's rant. She stepped out of the actual studio area, running a hand over her hair. Sokka smiled at her, Toph's rant forgotten by then:

"All's set up?" he asked. Azula nodded.

"The room was big enough for the two drum sets, but we'll have to see about everything else. We may need to rent a bigger place in the future, if we do go forward with this," she said.

Her words startled their many bandmates, who glanced between the two awkwardly. Sokka smiled and shrugged as Azula set her hands on her hips.

"What… is going on here?" Zuko asked, eyeing Azula warily. "You two… you two are up to something. Fuck, I should've known there was a good reason for you not to date…"

"Too late for you to regret it now, though it's not like you have any control over it anyway, Zuzu," Azula said, grinning. "As my last session of rehearsals with Dash Nova was a complete failure…"

"W-we weren't trying to make it a failure!" Suki winced, distraught. "I know we annoyed you, but we weren't saying it so you'd… s-so you'd skip over to join Rocket Bomb or so!"

"Would that even make sense?" Mai asked, nonchalantly. "Their fangirls probably will think you're some sort of Yoko…"

"Hopefully not, I'm not getting in between their dream pairing, am I?" Azula smirked, and Zuko scoffed in her direction. "But that wasn't the plan anyway. No, you fools, I'm not ditching Dash Nova for Rocket Bomb…"

"We're going to test an experiment today, instead," Sokka grinned, eyes set on Azula. "A collaboration, actually."

"W-wait… a collaboration?" Aang repeated, jaw dropping. "You mean… Dash Nova and Rocket Bomb, together?"

"That's the logic of a collaboration, yes," Azula said, smirking still. Zuko gasped.

"W-woah, that… that's insane! You guys should have asked us about it first!"

"Aren't we telling you right now?" Sokka asked, skeptical. "If things don't look promising, we'll stash away our dreams of a perfectly huge rock band of our own and we'll keep our bands separate as they have been so far. But we have a couple of songs worth testing out, and it turns out that Dash Nova's style would work well for the one I wrote, and Rocket Bomb's would suit the one Azula wrote just as well."

"And if we somehow find a way to incorporate both bands together with at least those songs… it would be interesting to enhance our already existing repertoire with the possibilities the other band has to offer, too," Azula continued. "Like Sokka said, if this goes badly, things can go right back to how they were before. But if they don't…"

"And if it fails, you two won't have some sort of dramatic break-up, will you?" Ty Lee asked, eyeing them warily. Azula smirked.

"If it fails, I don't think it'll be any fault of ours," Azula said, glancing at Sokka, who grinned giddily in her direction. "If anything, I'll hold you guys responsible and elope with Sokka right away, so it'd be the band breaking up rather than…"

"Hey! You can't just ditch your whole life's work for this guy! Sisters before misters, Azula, sisters before misters!" Toph shouted, elbowing Azula's ribs persistently as Dash Nova's frontwoman laughed, uncharacteristically so.

"Woah, this place is way fancier than our usual studio! Nice upgrade, So-…! Sokka?"

Jet, arriving later than everyone else, froze on the lounge's doorstep upon finding a much more crowded location than anticipated. He blinked a few times, eyeing the large group before raising his eyebrow in puzzlement.

"What's going on here? Please don't tell me the wedding's happening today, I didn't bring a gift…" he said. Azula and Sokka smiled at his cluelessness before explaining their intentions once again.

While nobody seemed to know what to make of the current circumstances, they didn't protest either: Aang wasn't thrilled when Sokka asked him to try his luck with keyboards rather than his coveted drums for that day, Azula ensured to tune her violin with Song's help, and everyone worked slowly to prepare before filing into the rather small studio together.

"Yep, a bigger place is in order, for sure," Sokka sighed, sitting at his drum set, testing it quickly. Toph, on the drum set beside him, did the same thing.

"I might end up hitting your drums, you know?" she said, teasingly. Sokka scoffed, shaking his head.

"Let's try with casual songs first," he said to everyone else. "How about it? We used to do a lot of covers in Rocket Bomb, back in the day…"

"We've done a few ourselves," Azula said, glancing at him from over her shoulder. "Maybe something everyone would be expected to know, like…"

"Stairway to Heaven," Zuko said, simply. Azula smiled and shrugged.

"Fine by me," she said. "Let's give that a go."

They jammed at first, simply falling into place one after the other, without much direction or certainty, merely testing the possibilities of their performance. Everyone who wished to sing would do it, too, whether they were good or bad at it, until they had rehearsed enough covers to realize that, despite their expectations, they actually could do this: Toph would never admit it out loud, but Sokka's steady rhythm actually helped her control her own.

"Alright, then… how about we try out your new songs, huh?" Aang grinned, glancing at Sokka and Azula eagerly. "Would be cool to see…!"

"Uh, well. We did say we'd try that, but… it'll be a while before we're all ready," Sokka admitted, glancing at Azula with an uneasy smile. She nodded in his direction.

"We'll have to compose every line first, it'll be a while before that's done. But… we can try to build up on each band's known music already, too," she suggested. "You guys can perform one of your songs… and we can try to follow or slip through to add something of our own to it."

"Should be fun," Song grinned, raising her violin as she waited for the first of Rocket Bomb's songs to start. Jet nodded, smirking.

"Then it's time for me to sing, eh?" he said, reaching for a microphone and pulling it closer.

The simplicity in Rocket Bomb's music allowed Azula, in particular, to improvise alongside it without much trouble: Sokka kept up with her every flourishing twist, smiling as she expanded on his creations. The other members of Rocket Bomb were surprised whenever she slipped in to offer new developments in each song, and Dash Nova's own members eventually followed her example too, daring test the waters by playing along with Rocket Bomb after the second verse of the first song they'd picked.

It was smooth, easy, when it was a matter of expanding on Rocket Bomb: it wasn't quite that easy at all when they tried the same thing with Dash Nova. Sokka followed the rhythm without much trouble, but Zuko and Jet were utterly puzzled by how to involve themselves in the complex songs. Aang managed to add some of keyboard to the musical explosion, and he actually basked in it after a while, enjoying the slow rise of the music and the way every element seemed to come together…

As perplexing as their jamming session had been, the outcome was the obvious one: whether Azula and Sokka were dating or not was irrelevant at this point, for the two bands absolutely wanted to pursue this new creative avenue for as long as possible.

They found a bigger studio to work at on the next week, one where they could play with proper room between each band member. By then, each musician was so intrigued by the potential blending and fusion of their instruments with the others' that they frequently practiced one-on-one to test how each line of melody blended into a perfect harmony. Azula could have sworn she had never seen Dash Nova's members as diligent as they were now, and Sokka felt the same way about Rocket Bomb's own: the two of them often directed the others, offering suggestions in the direction of certain instruments for each song. Developing second bass lines for each song was curious, but it enabled Mai and Jet to establish an interesting rapport between the two most different people in their large group. The drumming was far more difficult to set right, but Toph's embellishments worked well with Sokka's perfect rhythmic foundations. Azula tested the combination of the two violins with Song, as well as the combination of violin and erhu and, along with Ty Lee's flute, the mix of different, high-pitched instruments provided them with much more versatility than they'd had before. The guitarists would switch roles with every song: when the occasion allowed it, they would swap solos through the song, but otherwise, they would take turns at playing lead guitar while the others accompanied with rhythm and the occasional embellishments. Aang's role with keyboards had certainly boosted his enthusiasm far more than he had anticipated – though he still begged often to be allowed to play the third line of drums, something nobody considered necessary so far. He would join the guitars whenever keyboards weren't much use in a song, but so far, his dream to drum remained a dream…

All the while, Azula and Sokka would test combinations of instruments, rhythm changes and chord progressions for their songs together. Even when the others were so tired they would ask for a break of ten minutes or thirty, the two of them would continue testing possibilities, no doubt enjoying the creative explosion their collaboration was resulting in. Neither band had ever seen their respective leaders in brighter moods, and while they tossed occasional jabs and jokes at them, Sokka and Azula were so completely enraptured in their musical collaborations that they barely rose up to any taunts…

Their perfect enjoyment of each other's cleverness and company only continued during their time off the studio: they would always frequent each other's apartments, often testing a few other musical possibilities when they were together or listening to music that inspired them and expanded their ideas regarding what to do with their large musical squad. And of course, if they weren't discussing music with more passion than they had in ages, they would typically lose themselves in each other instead. Their friends frequently poked fun at them for being in the most obnoxious honeymoon period known to mankind, but they couldn't seem to put their ever-blossoming relationship on hold: a month passed since their initial consummation of their love, and they had spent every night together ever since. They had woken in each other's arms, every time. Where there had been so much distance between them for so long, every wall had crumbled completely by now, and it certainly seemed as though theirs was truly already a honeymoon… a preamble to a lifetime spent together.

Said impression only strengthened for the rest of their band once the couple deigned their respective songs were ready to be practiced by the whole group. Of course, the subjects of both songs became obvious right away, and the jokes started right away – especially since Sokka's song was overly sentimental for his standards, while Azula's was energetic and easygoing, for hers –, but within a few hours, their friends and bandmates had worked out most of Azula's song, 'I'm Looking for Something', and moved on to the much more complex 'Destiny of Icarus' next…

"So… a guitar solo here, right?" Zuko said, strumming with his pick and pressing one of his favored pedals for solos. "How's something like…?"

He performed a quick succession of notes, but he stopped upon finding Sokka was grimacing slightly.

"No?" Zuko huffed. "Okay, then, maybe something slower?"

He tried again, but it didn't seem Sokka was convinced once more. Zuko rolled his eyes and placed his hands on his hips.

"Can you stop looking like you have a stomachache? Does it sound that bad?" he asked.

"No! It's just… ugh, it's not completely there, I guess," Sokka sighed, running a hand over his hair. "Maybe you're not bending the strings the way you should for this song, I don't know…"

"Maybe you should do it, then," Zuko huffed. Sokka grimaced, guessing it was one of Zuko's typical tantrums whenever Sokka told him anything he was doing was wrong…

But someone chimed in then, wrapping an arm around his waist, startling him upon saying:

"Actually… maybe Zuko has the right idea."

Sokka blinked blankly as he glanced down at Azula. She offered him a devious, satisfied grin, and Zuko raised an eyebrow at the expression on her face.

"It's not every day that you agree with me, and I'm kind of scared to see it happening at all…" Zuko said. Azula laughed as she patted Sokka's arm.

"I know you don't feel as confident with guitar as you do with drums, Sokka, but… this is your song, isn't it? Feels like you ought to be the one singing it. And while you do sing from the drums, we all know you could, maybe you can let Aang enjoy his dream for once and…"

"And take guitar myself?" Sokka asked, puzzled. "But… then we'd have four guitars in this song? Me, you, Zuko and Suki?"

"I can switch to violin if it's too much for one song," Azula suggested. Sokka bit his lip and eyed her with uncertainty. "Two violins might even give it a stronger ethereal vibe than the one a single one can provide…"

"And I don't imagine Jet can sing it the way you would, Sokka," Zuko added, raising his eyebrows. "He'll probably exaggerate the whole thing because he's an idiot. You're bound to understand the tone of the song better than anyone else, whether with guitar or with vocals."

Sokka blinked blankly, glancing at the siblings with uncertainty. Azula smiled at him encouragingly as Zuko tapped his guitar strings a couple of times… then he sighed and shrugged at Sokka.

"At least give it a shot, will you?" he said. "You'll regret it if you don't…"

Sokka would have given him an answer, but just as Zuko finished delivering his thoughts, Sokka's phone rang. He frowned, pulling it out of his jacket pocket to find it was an unknown number.

"Uh, give me a second. I'm thinking about it, I am…" he said, kissing the top of Azula's head quickly before accepting the call. "Hello?"

Sokka paced away by then, and Azula followed him with her eyes. Zuko let out a deep sigh as he strummed his guitar anew.

"It'll be a miracle if you actually get him to stand up from the drums' stool, you know?" he said. "I'll absolutely believe you're meant to be if that happens."

"Because he refuses to do that for Aang?" Azula asked. Zuko shrugged.

"I think it's his comfort zone. He knows he can do it, and he knows he can do it right. Trying his luck with something else probably freaks him out. But you're already pushing him out of his comfort zone quite a bit, so…"

"Am I?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows. "I thought I was encouraging him to try going for the sounds he's complaining he can't attain in most his songs…"

"Yeah, you are, but those songs work as they are and that means changing them is already a risk," Zuko said, simply. "He's willing to try it, but he has to know it could go poorly."

"Because you guys might end up losing your popularity and your music might go nowhere, kind of like mine?" Azula asked. Zuko shrugged. "I mean, clearly if we just film a music video where you and Jet make eye-contact it'll be enough to keep your fans invested…"

"Sure, but you know, it's a lot of changes. Big changes. I think they're good changes, don't get me wrong…" Zuko said, with a shrug. "But it's not easy. He's pretty comfortable on the back, playing the drums, supporting us and pushing us forward… maybe he's not sure he can be the one who's standing in the frontlines and carrying a tune on a microphone. He'll need tons of practice, that's for sure… and that's without going into the pressure of guitar and singing his most revealing song ever in front of… well, in front of nobody yet, I guess. Might be that practicing without a serious goal in mind will help, we're not exactly expecting any other gigs just yet anyway…"

It was only his luck that Sokka would return to them then, submerged in wide-eyed astonishment as he stepped back towards where the siblings were. Azula raised a hand to Sokka's shoulder and he swallowed hard.

"We… just got invited to perform at an upcoming festival."

All three of them stood in silence, as the others practiced carelessly behind them. The sounds of their bandmates' instruments reached them still, but none of them paid the slightest bit of attention to them… not when there was something so poignant, something so important, happening right now.

"A… another festival?" Zuko asked, blinking blankly. "Which one?"

"It's that indie band festival, New Horizons," Sokka said. "The one that's pretty famous for being as good as… as recruitment grounds for talent scouts?"

"Shit…" Zuko's jaw dropped. He ran his hand over his mouth before eyeing Sokka with uncertainty. "Are we ready for that yet?"

"I… don't know," Sokka admitted, lowering his gaze. Azula withdrew her hand slowly, eyes lowering gradually. "It's happening in three months, so I'd think we can be ready by then…"

"Well… we'll help however we can," Azula said, with a tight grin. Sokka frowned.

"You'll… help?" he repeated. Azula raised an eyebrow. "Uh, huh. Thought it would be obvious, but I guess it's not: I told him we'll be performing with Dash Nova or not at all."

"You… what?!" Azula gasped, eyes wide. "Sokka…!"

"Well, I can call him again if you think that was too forward of me, but…" Sokka said, grimacing. "I kind of assumed Rocket Bomb and Dash Nova are as good as… well, a package now, I guess? We've been working as a single unit lately. The idea of performing without you guys feels… it feels off, frankly."

"But you can't promote Rocket Bomb as upcoming performers only for a group of women most your fans won't recognize to take the stage," Azula said, matter-of-factly. "Even when there's actual opening acts for highly popular performers the crowd is bound to boo them off the stage if just because they're desperate to see the headliners… if we march onstage to join you guys, I'm pretty sure your most rabid fans won't take it particularly well."

"Fair, but… huh. Actually, that's an interesting point," Sokka smirked, arms folded over his chest. "I know it may sound demeaning, but… how do you feel about Dash Nova being Rocket Bomb's opening act?"

"Sokka, it's a festival. There's no opening acts," Azula said, blinking blankly. Sokka chuckled and shook his head.

"We can arrange it," he said. "You guys can perform one song or two without us… then you can usher us onstage by starting one of your expansions on any of our songs. It's not that crazy, you know? I've heard of it before: opening acts that end up coming back onstage with the main performer…"

"You girls could take a break for a couple of songs midway through the performance, maybe. Then come back onstage with us after you've recovered. Or you could just do the whole set with us anyway, if you're up for it," Zuko said, with a shrug. Azula blinked blankly as she glanced at Sokka with uncertainty.

"I… I don't know. I mean… if it works, it might be amazing. But if it doesn't…" she said. "You guys might even lose the popularity you've gained. Fans are pretty difficult to predict when it comes to this sort of thing."

"You know better than anyone how I feel regarding fans who are following for shallow reasons," Sokka said, letting out a deep breath. "I'm actually really proud of what we've achieved together so far… it really feels like the sounds I wanted, the songs I felt like singing, are within reach now. If our fans from before can't appreciate the change, that's too bad… if we end up with no fans at all, I'd prefer it that way, anyhow. We're musicians, above all else. Everything else is a bonus. If they prefer the bonus than the music, they definitely came to the wrong place."

Azula swallowed hard, meeting Sokka's intense gaze with her own. No, she didn't want to hinder Rocket Bomb, she didn't want to hold them back when they had risen as far as they had… but this wasn't just Sokka's generosity. He wasn't simply offering Dash Nova a chance to rise because he wanted to help his girlfriend: he wanted this because he truly believed in the association of their two bands. He had faith in their style, in their potential…

And wasn't that one of the things she had admired about Rocket Bomb, to begin with? Wasn't she ever awed by what she had assumed was Sokka's ability to touch people's hearts with his music? Was it right, then, to hope his insight in music would pay off now, too?

"If you don't want to do this…" Sokka said, eyeing her with remorse and uncertainty. "If you'd rather we push back our association for later performances, maybe, that's fine. I can wait until you're ready. But…"

"The longer we wait, the harder it will be to bring both our bands together," Azula reasoned. Sokka nodded. "The more solid your image will be… and the easier it will be for some volatile fans to think we're attempting to usurp you guys, somehow."

"So…?" he said. Azula breathed deeply before glancing at the rest of the group.

They had stopped practicing by now, all of them. Now they glanced at the three who had been having a private conversation so far, and Azula grimaced in their direction before turning towards Sokka.

"If you want to give this a shot… we'd best ask them how they feel about it, first," she said. Sokka smiled and nodded.

"And if they all think it's fine…?" he taunted her. Azula smiled and shrugged.

"I'm half-convinced already, if that's what you want to hear," she acknowledged. Sokka threw a triumphant fist in the air before turning towards the rest of their bandmates.

"We've been invited to perform in the New Horizons festival!"

Their reactions were a mix of excitement, dread and joy: Sokka clarified that he'd ensured both bands would be welcome to perform, and they proceeded to discuss how to make the joint performance a reality through the rest of the day. A lot of preparation would be in order so that they would be ready on the day of their next, upcoming performance… a day that could see their career taking off or crashing and burning, as far as Azula could tell. But just one glance at Sokka, at his sincere belief in what they were capable of, at his earnest trust and faith in their joint endeavor, was enough for Azula's heart to jolt anew. By the time they went home that night, she was as good as convinced that their upcoming concert would be the best performance she'd ever give…

Though it was quite ironic that Sokka would find himself hesitating for a wholly different reason, one that Azula unraveled quickly enough that night, after they dined together.

"I'm fine with doing backing vocals, Azula, but singing? Like, actual singing in front of everyone?" Sokka grimaced, glancing at her with unease as they sat together at the couch. Azula had only just finished another round of Hades runs, as she somehow found it oddly relaxing to kill undead creatures in a game right after a long day of band practice. "I don't know…"

"Well, I do it all the time and nobody cares" Azula said, grinning mischievously at him. Sokka scoffed, leaning towards her quickly to peck her cheek while growling playfully at her:

"I care, damn it, and yours is the most beautiful voice there is. So you should sing 'Destiny of Icarus', not me…" Sokka huffed. Azula shook her head.

"Jet's not going to give it the same emotion you would. I shouldn't be the one singing it by logic because you're the one who wrote it, and you happened to write it while thinking about me…"

"So, you could say I wrote it… for you?" Sokka asked, with a nervous smile. Azula laughed and shook her head. "Please?"

"You didn't write it for me in the sense you want to pretend you did now," she said, glancing at him earnestly. "Come on. I've heard you singing it lately when we practice, and I know for a fact that you're better at it than anyone else in both our bands could be."

"Ugh, it just feels like…" Sokka sighed, dropping his head on her shoulder. Azula hummed, caressing his cheek.

"Like you'll be breaking free from every horrible misconception you've had about yourself, every insecurity and fear…?" Azula asked. Sokka blinked blankly. "You're a brilliant drummer, Sokka… but you always wanted to try something else. You wanted to measure up to me, while I was desperately chasing after you as well. Isn't this how you prove you have nothing left to prove? Play that guitar, sing with your well-trained voice, after all those years of battling your own pitch… and tell the whole world you love me, if you have the guts."

She smirked upon saying the last words, and finally she brought a smile out of her lover's face, too. He shook his head and kissed her lips softly, cradling her face in his hands.

"And if I mess it up?" he asked. Azula hummed.

"I'll make you practice every day until you can do it backwards without mistakes, even," she said. Sokka chuckled and shook his head.

"Singing a song backwards, now that's a challenge…" he said. Azula laughed as well, clasping his hands in hers.

"If you mess it up, if all of us mess anything up… we'll try again," she said, simply. "I thought I was ready to give up with Dash Nova just before the first festival… and then one mysterious man in a hoodie convinced me I couldn't do that. If just because he believed in me, I felt I had to keep pushing forward until I well and truly crashed and burned. So…"

"So, just as I believe in you… you believe in me?" Sokka smiled. Azula nodded, smiling warmly at him.

"I'm sorry to inform you that you're in quite a bit of trouble. You can't just change my life for the better and expect me not to return the favor however I can…" Azula said, prodding his nose gently with her own: Sokka dove in and kissed her warmly, bringing her to chuckle against his lips.

"Well, you're going too far, because you've changed my life for the better in plenty of regards as it is," he smiled. "I'm not really confident with this, but… if you think it's worth a shot, I'll try. Just… if it really doesn't feel right, you'll do it instead, okay? I don't want Jet to sing it if I can't pull it off… I'd rather you do it."

"Fine, then. But I won't do it short of you catching the worst cold you've ever had," Azula said, sternly. Sokka smiled. "Or anything that genuinely, physically incapacitates you for a performance. In which case there probably would be no performance, outright, because we'd all be worrying about you and the festival would go forgotten…"

"No, no, no…" Sokka chuckled, burying his face in her neck. Azula smiled, kissing his temples and the shell of his ear softly.

"This is going to be a big challenge for everyone," she said. "And I'll be with you every step of the way, alright? Me and the girls… we're used to giving it our all to no avail. If we all get booed off the stage, we'll help you guys cope with it one way or another…"

"We won't be," Sokka said, with a confident smile. "Things can be a mess, but… I think we both know musical quality when we hear it. And the music coming out from that studio lately… it's so much better than anything I ever created with Rocket Bomb. If you think we can do this… then I think so too. But I also think we're going to blow those people away, whether they're ready for it or not. So… we're giving it our best shot, for sure. And I can't imagine a better way to do it than for us to stand by each other while we do it."

"Agreed," Azula smiled, leaning in to kiss him thoroughly.

Thus, Sokka began practicing the leading vocals for his most intimate and honest song yet. At first he practiced at home with Azula, the pair of them playing two of the guitar tracks together while he sang softly – then Azula told him to sing louder, and his singing had become almost parodic by then. By the time of their dual shower, Azula would rile him up to sing the song again, playfully claiming she was training him to sing something in the shower other than 'Breaking Free'. They would often duet then, as the water splashed them, sharing shampoo bottles as microphones while singing as dramatically as possible, making no effort to hide their amusement as they kissed endlessly under the spraying water.

It surprised Sokka that such training actually paid off by the time he first practiced being a singer and guitarist for their joined bands: Aang nearly wept of joy upon knowing he'd be on the drums for once, at long last, but most everyone else would focus on Sokka's singing, above all else. Even at his very first takes, it seemed his voice was what needed the least tweaking in that particular performance, something the others remarked while he blushed and smiled shyly.

Slowly, each piece was coming into place: their joined band would take the name of the Nova Rocket Orchestra during their upcoming performance. To everyone's surprise, Mai even designed an animation of their bands' logos combining to form the one for their collaboration, and they would play the video on the screen behind them once Rocket Bomb joined them onstage. One day, they hoped, they'd actually play with a full orchestra backing them up… but for now, they thrived in knowing their band's sound would still be utterly unique, and that their upcoming performance would be the very best one either band had given so far.

Three months passed. Three months of music, unusually disciplined practice, and surprising amount of fun in the process, too. In that short time, their music's progress seemed to go hand in hand with the progress of Sokka and Azula's relationship: their bond strengthened every day, they were utterly inseparable, and nobody had ever seen either of them quite as happy as they had been since they'd finally found their way to each other…

And so, the time for their collaboration's debut finally arrived.

The stage was ready. The lighting had been set up. Every effect they could have dreamed up had been prepared for them. The animation Mai had created would be projected perfectly above the stage. Two drum sets were prepared, and surely the large droves of Rocket Bomb fans, as well as the curious people who wanted to check out their band for the first time, didn't know why two drum sets would be necessary just yet…

Nerves reigned backstage, even if none of them were new to live performances: Ty Lee had glanced outside and returned with the news that it would be the absolute biggest performance Dash Nova had ever done, something that didn't appease Azula's anxiety in the slightest. The minutes were ticking by, and they were moments away from taking the stage…

"We'll play our two songs, then we introduce Rocket Bomb," Azula told her bandmates, breathing deeply. "If it helps, let's pretend we're still performing for five casual listeners like the last festival…"

"And one Sokka," Song smiled. Azula grinned back and nodded.

"Of course," she said. "If we have enough energy and strength once we step out there, they'll at least hold back from… throwing stuff at us."

"Hmm. If that's how low we're setting the bar so far, maybe we'll be okay," Mai said, with a shrug.

"Let's hope so," Suki sighed. "They're here for Zuko and Jet apparently… but let's make sure they stay for much more than that."

"We're gonna ace it," Toph said, stubbornly, though her words weren't quite as brimming with confidence as they usually were. Azula nodded.

"We've made it this far, and we can make it further. So… let's get ready to set out," she said, raising a hand towards the center of the circle they stood in.

"Oh, don't forget about us!"

Aang's voice broke through the moment, as he and the rest of Rocket Bomb approached, with encouraging grins on their faces. They slipped through Dash Nova's members, towering over some of them, as the whole group gathered their hands at the center.

"You've got this, Dash Nova!" Aang said, grinning brightly.

"Bet our fans will end up begging you guys to stay on stage and to keep us off it after the first song," Jet smirked, amusing his bandmates, old and new.

"You're way better at this than we are, and if we've pulled it off before, you can do it now," Zuko reassured them, too.

"And we'll be joining you pretty soon, too," Sokka smiled: he stood right next to Azula, who smiled warmly right back at him. "Go on and show the world what Dash Nova is made of!"

Everyone laughed before making a quick chant for luck: they threw their hands up, and they made their way to gather their instruments… but Sokka clasped Azula's shoulder and pulled her in for a final hug before the performance began.

"You've got this. We both know you've got this," he said, hugging her tightly. Azula sighed and smiled, kissing his shoulder quickly.

"Thank you. Maybe we could have come this far one day on our own, but… I'm glad that we've come this far together, instead," she said, caressing his face gently. Sokka smiled tenderly as he pulled back, though his arms remained locked around her waist.

"Should be me thanking you… because for once I can stand by the music I'm creating. I'm actually proud of what I'll be doing on that stage thanks to you," he said, earnestly. "So… we're both very grateful, I suppose."

"We certainly are," Azula smiled, cupping his face between her hands. "Only one thing left to say, then…"

Their eyes met for a brief moment before they spoke, simultaneously:

"I love you."

They laughed together upon speaking the words in unison, kissing passionately one last time before the crew called Azula to fetch her guitar. She smiled as she wiped Sokka's lips clean from her lipstick, tears of grateful, loving joy blinking in her eyes.

"Can't wait to be on that stage with you," she said. Sokka grinned and nodded, as she walked backwards, gazing at him still.

"Won't be long, now," he said. "Do what you do best and blow their minds, Azula. Good luck!"

Her smile widened before she turned towards the threshold that would lead her to the staging area. Sokka let out a happy sigh as she took off: they would hear Dash Nova from here, at first… and then they would join them, showing the world the true potential of their creative combination.

An announcer had just riled up the crowd for the opening act: Azula's heart pounded upon hearing her band's name shouted by that total stranger. Cheers rocked their public so far, something she hoped meant they wouldn't be booed off the stage after all… the lights went out, and the six members of Dash Nova stepped onto the stage.

Toph waited for Azula's signal to start the first song: she performed a quick drum solo at the fastest speed she could go, and the melodic instruments all fell into the rhythm right afterwards. The symphonic sound that blared through the amps seemed to startle the crowd… and even if they weren't expecting epic symphonic music quite like the one Dash Nova was offering them, they seemed to welcome it quite eagerly, cheering with excitement as Azula stepped up to the microphone…

Sokka's heart raced as though it were him in the stage upon hearing the first beautiful notes his girlfriend sang with all her might. He couldn't help but smile proudly, thrilled to stand behind her, to offer her the opportunity to rise that no one had cared to give her until now. He wouldn't be surprised, at all, if Dash Nova suddenly found themselves receiving lots of recording contracts after today's concert was over…

For even though he had been a fan of theirs from the first moment, he couldn't deny the impeccable sound of the band had reached new heights that day. Azula's voice carried the main melody as beautifully as ever while the others came together slowly at the perfect timing, with the ideal harmonies that created an enrapturing, enthralling sound he had never heard anywhere else before.

By the pre-chorus, most the instruments quieted down, leaving Azula to sing while Toph drummed onwards: Ty Lee took to clapping at the beat of the music, and after a short moment, the large crowd started to follow her lead. Timed cheers accompanied Azula's voice until the instruments came back together into the smooth ensemble once more…

"You look like you're having the time of your life and you haven't even gotten onstage yet," Jet smirked, elbowing Sokka in the ribs gently. Sokka laughed, smiling brightly.

"They're amazing," he said, beaming. "And I think the world's finally understanding just how much, today."

There was no doubt that he was right: the public didn't know Dash Nova's songs, or their lyrics, but it seemed as though they were most eager to learn them right now. As the six musicians flowed from section to section of their song, the excitement only seemed to increase… culminating in a fierce, wild cheer once the song ended with the undulated note of Suki's guitar.

Azula's chest heaved as she heard the unthinkable: cheers. Applause and excitement… maybe some of the people in the public were hoping to see Rocket Bomb right away, but they hadn't rejected them. They had enjoyed their song, from the looks of it… She smiled as she clasped the microphone firmly, leaning into it once more.

"What a crowd we have tonight!" she exclaimed: said crowd cheered right back at her, and Azula laughed by the microphone. "I've got the feeling our friends from Rocket Bomb will be thrilled when they come onstage…"

Of course, the crowd went even wilder at those words. Azula laughed and nodded, waving a hand as though to direct them to cheer harder.

"They're being a little shy so far, but I guess we can encourage them to come out and rock this stage after another song," she said, raising a hand towards the sky: twilight was settling in, and stars twinkled already in the darkening blackness above…

Again, the song started with Toph's drumming alone. Azula's voice joined in for the first verse, and by the second one, the instruments started to fall in, one after the other. Little by little, the crescendo was composed anew until they reached the powerful, passionate chorus of 'Name of the Night', the song Sokka couldn't seem to get out of his head since the first time he had heard it. He smiled brightly from backstage upon hearing it, knowing the public would be in utmost awe, just as he had been, at the perfect synch of every element, at the brilliant way in which each instrument came together, same as all the voices that echoed as a choir might. They built up Azula's own voice, transforming the song into an ode to the night itself: that the sun had only just finished setting, that the skies would grow darker by the second, gave the song an even stronger ethereal, otherworldly atmosphere.

As ever, they gave their top song their everything. Toph went wild, drumming with little to no restraint, slamming her drumsticks so hard on the drum set that Sokka feared she might break them. Song's vibratos in the erhu were more powerful than ever at her every solo, and together with Ty Lee's flute, the two of them seemed to dot the sky with stars through their performance while Mai, Azula and Suki drew in the night through their bass and guitars… and all the while, the voices chanted in a perfect symphony where darker and lighter voices alike came together to highlight Azula's own.

And then the beautiful song was over. The public seemed to go even wilder now as Azula hung her head, chest heaving: she couldn't believe how energized she felt, even if she was sure she'd need several water bottles within just a couple more songs. Still… it wasn't the time to fetch anything to drink. Instead, it was the time for her to strum her guitar with another chord.

A familiar chord for the wild public before her.

She took to playing the guitar riff, and the others joined in, if subtly and almost shyly now: they were calling Rocket Bomb to the stage by playfully echoing one of the boys' songs across the festival's area.

"That's our cue," said Aang, grinning at Sokka. He smiled too, raising a thumbs-up in his friends' direction.

"Let's go."

He was the first one, as always, to rush onstage: the crowd went wilder still when his silhouette was visible, raising the drumsticks in his hands while gazing down from his drummer's dais at the stage, where Azula was currently strumming her guitar: she turned towards him with a proud smile, and Sokka grinned right back with utmost delight.

Aang rushed out onstage next… and by the time Jet and Zuko raced in as well, Sokka had snapped the drumsticks to mark the coming song's rhythm.

The audience appeared to explode when the opening act and Rocket Bomb took to performing together: Azula backed away from the main microphone, but another one was set up for her by the staff just as Jet reached the center of the stage. The same synch, the same passion with which Dash Nova had just performed expanded to Rocket Bomb as well… making them the Nova Rocket Orchestra, with their joint logo spread upon the projection behind them.

It was curious that their live performance would feel so much better than their countless practice sessions: suddenly there was no stress to be had, no fears of failure. They were a group of friends – if a very large group – jamming together, interacting with each other onstage, performing at their very best while following fit with everything they had learned since their collaboration had begun. Their voices fell together just as smoothly as before while following Jet's… but they wouldn't settle for only following Jet forever.

After three Rocket Bomb songs, Jet took to introducing their initiative and explaining it to the crowd: the next song, thus, was Dash Nova's latest composition, the one Azula had almost scrapped out of embarrassment. She took the lead in that song but Rocket Bomb performed it along with them: the audience remained as awed by Dash Nova as they had been from the start, and they cheered on over 'I'm Looking For Something' with just as much passion as they had with Rocket Bomb's tunes. It was a much easier song to follow, with a catchy rhythm and simple, repetitive lyrics that even saw a few of the people in the audience singing along with it when they reached the final chorus.

It was exhilarating. Even when they were supposed to take breaks, they didn't want to. The energy onstage and in the crowd kept them going for an hour that hadn't felt remotely as long as that… so the announcer from before had to give them a heads up when it was clear they weren't aware that their time was nearly up by now. It was a shame that it would end so quickly… but the truth was that they had one song left to perform.

"… So, give it up for Rocket Bomb's leader, Sokka!" Jet shouted into the microphone, as Sokka rose from his drum set.

He handed the drumsticks to a beaming Aang. Despite his fears and insecurities, Sokka smiled too as he climbed down the dais and took his guitar from the backstage assistant who was carrying it. He let out a deep breath as he stepped up to the microphone Jet was clearing for him, his heart racing.

He glanced at Azula, standing by his right, her violin in hand: her heartfelt smile melted him completely, and he grinned back at her before adjusting the microphone for his height.

"Well… I guess it's been a night full of surprises for you all," Sokka said, with a smile. "Our time onstage is running out now, but we're ready to keep rocking you guys whenever we get the chance to…"

A collective complain over the apparent briefness of the show saw Sokka laughing and shaking his head: unfortunately, they had a schedule to keep and they'd do best to abide by it.

"The last song we'll perform for you today is the latest song I've written," he explained, and the cries died down although it was clear that the cheering fans wanted more, still. "It's a song about someone who inspired me in ways I couldn't express through any means but music. Someone who brought the very best out of me, who challenged me to shoot for the skies, and I intend to do exactly that tonight."

Sokka's gaze turned towards Azula, who didn't even attempt to mask her heartfelt smile. Sokka chuckled and tightened his grip around the guitar, eyes meeting hers.

"So… here goes: 'Destiny of Icarus'!"

The song started smoothly with the strumming of the guitars, and the drums and basses joined in briefly afterwards. The violin and the flute followed, hinting at the main melody smoothly just before Sokka started singing:

"Beckoned by your blinding light,

Falling is a fate of my own design.

These wings can't carry me all the time,

But I still want to fly.

I still want to fly to you."

The smooth, low tone of his voice at first rose with the final words of the verse. He couldn't help but throw a few furtive glances at Azula, who smiled warmly at him as she drew her bow over the strings at the right rhythm: she couldn't seem to get her eyes off him, and he seemed just as keen on meeting her gaze…

"I was never meant to rise,

But you made me forget my pride.

The winds may push me down with all their might,

But I still want to fly,

I still want to fly to you."

A quick instrumental moment followed, where all different melodies came together in another crescendo, and Sokka jumped into the chorus with as much power in his voice as possible, holding nothing back:

"It's the destiny of Icarus,

To reach for the untold,

To claw for what's above us,

To follow every call,

Into infinity, into the unknown,

Into dreams of black and gold.

Am I fated just to fall?

Am I too weak to reach the goal?

I know, that's okay…"

The instruments would slow to a halt then, even the drums, leaving Sokka to recite the last two lines of the chorus while pointing at Azula with the pick he held between his index and middle fingers:

"I made my wings,

So you could melt them away."

If possible, the audience went wilder than it had yet: Azula couldn't restrain some laughter as the instruments came together once again. She chided Sokka for his shamelessness with her gaze, but he, of course, held his head high as he smiled at her: no doubt, their riled-up audience wouldn't have trouble understanding what was going on between them, at this rate… and the more Sokka sang, the more he poured his very soul out in that stage, the more obvious it became that those words were meant for Azula:

"For just that one moment,

I ignore every single bad omen,

The reward will be worth all my struggles.

Oh, I just want to fly,

I just want to fly with you.

They tell me I've lost my mind,

That I will regret this, that I'll be fine,

If I forget you and live out my life,

But I just want to fly,

I just want to fly with you."

Then they returned to the chorus, following the same musical pattern as before: now, however, the secondary voices would join in, echoing along with Sokka's at each line. As much as she couldn't hold back a small smile when Sokka reached the final line of the chorus anew, Azula managed to finish singing her part properly, meeting Sokka's mischievous gaze with her own just before Zuko took to his guitar solo.

They extended the song even longer than they ever had in their practice sessions: one after the other, each instrument was highlighted through improvisations on the melody, ever following the tonality of the song. One after the other, even light, playful duels between instruments would happen, though by the time Azula and Sokka brought their violin and guitar together, they played off each other so smoothly it certainly didn't seem like a duel at all…

And then Aang and Toph marked the drums into the next section of the song: Sokka returned to the microphone, this time singing with eyes closed, and with a softer voice than before:

"Go on and embrace me, if just for one moment.

Go on and hold me, if just for one moment.

If that's all we'll ever have, I only ask for one moment…"

He glanced at Azula again at the end of the bridge, as the musically charged section dipped down again, now in a decrescendo… and then the instruments, choked and restrained, accompanied Sokka in one last verse:

"Maybe it's foolish to think I won't fall,

That your brightness might protect me from losing it all.

And yet when I finally reach you,

I know I was always meant to fly,

I was meant to fly with you."

A silence that the audience filled with wild cheers followed that verse. Sokka smiled proudly at Azula anew, holding that moment for just a little longer, just a little longer… before the chorus began again, for the last time:

"It's the destiny of Icarus,

To reach for the untold,

To claw for what's above us,

To follow every call,

Into infinity, into the unknown,

Into dreams of black and gold.

Am I fated just to fall?

Am I too weak to reach the goal?

I know, that's okay:

I made my wings,

So you could melt them away."

It was the last song they performed, and it went with a blast. Every performer had a highlight of their own, and even the impassive Mai was smiling by the time the drummers were striking their cymbals repeatedly. Still, the ones who had wound up at the center of the attention were the leaders of the two bands, whose eyes wouldn't seem to leave each other, not even for an instant. They laughed together as they played their instruments until the very last moment, until the very final note…

With a blast of pyrotechnics, the performance was over: the cheers of the audience were nearly more deafening than the loud amps had been. Azula laughed as she covered her face with her hands, unable to believe she had actually given out a performance as satisfactory, as powerful, as this one had been…

Sokka threw his head back, much like Azula had in that first festival, gazing up at the sky with a bright smile on his face. This was it… this was the way he wanted to feel at every concert, with every song he wrote and composed, every creative choice he dared make from this day onwards…

He turned that bright smile to Azula, who seemed overwhelmed by emotions right then and there. Sokka laughed, stepping towards her to embrace her, caring little about how many people might see them – for the lights were still strong enough in the stage that the fans would likely be able to glimpse them, in all likelihood…

They cheered and screamed, but before they could demand for more music, or for a better scoop into whatever was happening between Dash Nova and Rocket Bomb's leaders, the announcer had returned to the stage to usher in the next band as the lights dimmed further.

"We did it…" Sokka said by Azula's ear, speaking loudly – his hearing felt fatigued, and he had no doubt so did hers, after a concert as powerful as that one, no matter how protected their ears had been with proper plugs the festival's staff had provided each of them. "We did it, Azula…"

"That was just… oh, that was just…" she laughed, glancing at him with a delighted, tearful smile. "Oh, fucking hell, I love you."

Sokka chuckled as they entered the backstage area: he only had succeeded at handing over his guitar to the staff instants before Azula leapt over him, embracing him with arms and legs and nearly causing him to topple over. Their friends laughed at her emotional outburst, though no shortage of them had tears of joy and relief in their eyes.

"We… have to make this a habit. I'm not taking no for an answer," Jet laughed, wrapping an arm around Mai's shoulders. "Nova Rocket Orchestra… we're going forward together! Those two clearly want to do that, so…!"

"We have to! We really have to!" Ty Lee squealed, hugging Aang excitedly as well. "Oh, we're all sweaty and smelly and I'm too happy to care!"

Laughter and bliss resounded in the resting lounge they were led to: both bands couldn't seem to stop talking about their performance… though perhaps by now there was no true distinction between the two bands anymore. The friendships they had strengthened over the course of the last months only seemed to suggest that their professional journey together had only just begun…

Just as they were about to settle down for a few celebratory drinks, a familiar voice broke through the already noisy lounge:

"Guys! Oh, you guys, that was AMAZING!"

"Katara! You made it!" Toph shouted, cackling madly with glee as they rushed to greet their friend, whose backstage pass had allowed her to step into their lounge and rejoice with them, too.

That day's celebration at Katara's house after their performance was even more lively than the party in which Azula and Sokka had first connected properly: Katara and her many musician friends had cheered together, drinking and eating quite ravenously while talking about every wild twist and turn their successful concert had taken. A lot of people had commented the concert already in social media, and they laughed together as Suki read each comment aloud for the whole group. It seemed that, while several fans remained hung up on the concept of Jet and Zuko's non-existent romance, the very obvious chemistry between Sokka and Azula, particularly during the final song, had caused plenty of fans to begin speculating on their actual relationship… speculations that only grew louder after someone who had been close to the front rows uploaded a picture of the embrace they had shared shortly after the concert had ended.

"So… they're going to be after those two now?" Mai asked, amused. "I mean… good for them, to a fault. At least there's a relationship to talk about this time…"

"And here I thought they'd move on completely…" Zuko sighed in dejected disappointment as he drained another beer. He smiled by the time he had emptied the can, though. "Well, that's a secondary thing, anyway. We pulled off the best performance of our professional careers so far…"

"We really did…" Song smiled brightly, sitting beside him: she was tempted to fall asleep, much as Aang already had, on the couch. Katara had turned in by then too, but as she wouldn't have to work on the next day, she hadn't chased away her friends this time. "We really owe you guys a lot for giving us this opportunity…"

"Pfft, we owe you for offering us your epic sound, if anything," Jet laughed, shaking his head. "Guess I used to think Sokka was being annoying when he said we could be better but… now that we've performed with you, I don't think I want to go back to just being Rocket Bomb."

"I don't think we're going to be rid of each other that soon, or that easily," Suki smiled. "I mean… it's pretty clear our band leaders intend to be in this for the long haul, isn't it?"

"Good for us, if that's how it is. We'll even get to perform at their wedding, how about that?" Toph smirked. Everyone else laughed at her suggestion…

Everyone but the pair they were talking about, of course.

They had been in the after party for a few hours, but they had taken off together shortly after Katara went to bed. As Sokka's apartment was closer, that was where they'd headed: they laid in bed together now, holding each other as intimately as possible, sharing no end of eager kisses as they released whatever adrenaline they had left to unleash through the best outlet they could think of. Sokka's fingers were intertwined with Azula's own as he kissed her tenderly, pumping himself deep inside her with the smooth and excited jerks of his hips. Azula's every moan drove him closer to the edge, more so when they hitched upon each surge of arousal that saw her coming alive all too powerfully around his shaft. He didn't stop kissing her, no matter how overwhelming his own arousal might be: his fingers tightened over her hand when his own climax neared, and Azula locked her legs firmly around his waist to ensure he would keep going… and so he did, bursting like fireworks might, shooting for the stars while pressing his body to hers…

They laughed again once it was over, once their hands were free to travel wherever they pleased to go. Every attempt to speak would see them laughing, choking up over emotional tears… and so, they decided to wait until they were ready to talk at all by kissing each other over and over again.

"Fuck… oh, fuck…" Sokka laughed, pressing his brow to hers once they were both bereft of air. "How exactly do you do it, eh?"

"Do… what?" Azula asked, kissing his cheekbone next.

"Make me think every day I've spent with you is the best day of my life," he laughed. Azula smiled fondly at him. "Though I don't think it'd be easy for any days to come to compete with this one…"

"Is that a challenge?" Azula smirked. "I think we both thrive in challenges, Sokka… you're just setting yourself up for eating your own words in the future."

"And you think that's a terrible thing, in these circumstances?" he asked, playfully. Azula laughed and kissed his lips again, and Sokka grinned into the exchange. "I love you. I really… I really love you."

"I've noticed… apparently, a lot of people have noticed," Azula chuckled. "I love you just as much, Sokka, if not more…"

"More? How would that be possible?" he hissed, diving for her neck playfully: Azula laughed as she accepted his teasing gladly, arms and legs wrapped tightly around his body…

Sokka's phone, on the nightstand, rang just as she was starting to ponder asking Sokka if he wanted to go for another round yet. He groaned at the ringtone, and Azula smiled sadly at him as she nodded in the phone's direction.

"Probably just something dumb. We can get back to this right after, it's fine," Azula said. Sokka kissed her lips briskly and sighed before reaching for the phone…

To find it was a call from an unknown number, again.

He blinked blankly and accepted the call. Azula watched intently as Sokka's confused face only grew more accentuated: he gave out monosyllabic responses in general, but his lips parted after a moment… and then his eyes widened. He cleared his throat, holding himself up carefully above her.

"W-wait… wait. This is serious?" he asked. "I… y-yeah, it is me, Sokka from Nova Rocket Orchestra. You're… you're really talking about a deal here? A… a deal?"

On cue, Azula's phone rang now. She frowned and reached for it: also a phone call from an unknown number. And upon accepting it…

"I hope you're having a good evening: I am calling you on behalf of Saturn Records. Do excuse the lateness of the call but…"

"I-it's alright, I was awake…" Azula blinked blankly. "To what do I owe the pleasure…?"

"Oh, our scouts witnessed your performance today! As we've heard it's possible you're already being contacted by other producers, I thought to reach out to you as well to offer you the terms of a contract with our company, if you're interested…"

Azula blinked again, speechless, before glancing at Sokka in disbelief. He snorted and laughed into his own phone call, and Azula smiled before the two of them agreed to reach out to the producers once they had read the full contracts they were offering to send them via email.

"I… I can't believe this," Sokka laughed, having rolled in bed to lie down beside Azula after their respective calls ended. "We really shouldn't bring our professional life into the bedroom, I know that, but…"

"It barged right in without being invited, not like we had much of a choice," Azula smiled, biting her lip. "I… I can't believe it either. They're actually offering a deal for the entirety of Nova Rocket, not just one band or the other…"

"See? You sang you were looking for something: I think we finally found it," Sokka grinned playfully. Azula laughed and nodded.

"And I don't think your wings melted at all either, Icarus," she smiled, kissing him. "Too bad those songs might not represent us anymore, though. I really do like yours…"

"And I like yours," Sokka grinned. "But… we'll make more songs together, won't we? A record deal… if we really pull this off, we'll make lots of songs, so many that Icarus might not be that big a deal in the end, right?"

"I doubt it. I'll always think it was the song that finally got me to understand what was going on with us on that very wonderful night, akin to this one…" Azula said, playfully, prodding Sokka's cheek with her nose. Sokka chuckled.

"And I'll also think of it as the song I came up with on a night where I should have understood why I was writing lovestruck ballads about my eternal, unattainable rival…" he said, grinning before frowning slightly. "Hmm. Funny how most of our big moments have happened at night, eh? Maybe our actual couple song isn't this one but 'Name of the Night'…!"

"You'd love that, but no," Azula smirked. Sokka scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"So stingy, it's such a good one too…" he said. Azula chuckled, cuddling against his side.

"You can love it all you want… I just think we can do something bigger than that. We can do better. Better than everything we've done so far," she said. "Maybe… maybe an actual duet for us."

"Oh, really? The two of us singing together?" Sokka smiled. "Well, that is what started it all, admittedly… but you refuse to let 'Breaking Free' be our couple song, right?"

"Absolutely," Azula said, cuttingly. Sokka threw his head back as he laughed with abandon. "We're making a new song, dammit, and it's going to be the best song we've ever written. We'll get seven-digit record deals for it, it'll play on every radio station there ever was…"

"Sounds ambitious. I love it already and it doesn't exist yet," Sokka smiled. Azula laughed and wrapped an arm around his waist.

"You have a point, though… a lot of our highlights have happened at night, haven't they? So… maybe that's what our song could be about," she said. "Though, of course, making another song that outright has 'night' on its title might be odd, so…"

"So we have to come up with something else. Something that says 'night' without saying 'night'?" he asked, amused. "Hmm… I guess stars could do that, couldn't they?"

"Certainly" Azula nodded, kissing his chest. "So, stars in the sky…?"

They glanced at each other and not for the last time, they found their thoughts were perfectly matched as they spoke, together:

"Underneath Starlit Skies?"

Their smiles widened after voicing their thoughts in unison. Before Azula knew it, Sokka had climbed over her again, kissing her relentlessly as their phones began ringing once more: whether the caller happened to be more record deals, their friends, perhaps even their parents, they let their phones ring for now as they basked in the beautiful, perfect understanding they had found with each other. An unassuming moment in time had seen them finding each other, as good as by chance, and their whole lives were transformed forever through the bond that had built and strengthened between them. It was barely the beginning of what they truly hoped would be bright careers and a beautiful relationship… and they could only look forward to everything the future would be sure to bring for them indeed, underneath starlit skies.

[smol-and-grumpy]

Confidentiality - Chapter 1: The Conference Call

Pairing: Jensen Ackles x Reader

Summary: Four months. Four long months that she’s been hiding in lockdown. So when everything starts to go back to normal again, she’s going back to work as Jensen’s handler for the first Supernatural convention after the pandemic.

Chapter Warnings: A little angst, a dash of fluff

WC: 1703

A/N: For this fic, let’s pretend Jensen is single and the pandemic was over and done with after four months. Also I’m sorry ugh, it’s been a while since I wrote Jensen. 

Beta’d by: @dean-winchesters-bacon​​ <3

Series Masterlist ~ SPN Masterlist

Become a Patron ~ Buy me a coffee

It’s Monday and Y/N is sitting in a darkened room as she starts up her laptop for today’s work meeting. She had drawn the blinds already, hiding her surroundings from her workmates.

The light on the nightstand illuminates the room enough for the people in the video call to see her features. That’s all they need to see, really. 

Logging onto her laptop with her password, she clicks open the email client, and selects her calendar. The cursor travels over the highlighted block and she clicks on it, searching for the login link to the Zoom meeting. 

It’s 4.56 PM, she still has four minutes left. Wonders if she should click on the link and let the computer connect or if she should wait. She’d hate to be one of the first ones because that’s always awkward. She would spend time talking nonsense with whoever was as eager as her to join a meeting too soon. 

4.58 PM. Now is a good time, probably. Not too early and she’d hate even more to be the last one. 

Moving her mouse over the link, she clicks on it and a window with the meeting pops open. There’s another click and then she’s there, her laptop camera lights up with a green light, signaling that she too can be seen. 

Seeing herself on screen is not something she enjoys. She nervously rights her hair, arranges it so nobody will notice the hickey that she tried to hide with concealer ten minutes before. It’s a fresh one, one he just gave her an hour ago, even though he knew full well that she’s going to have a meeting. It's her own fault because she had let him, always gets so fucking weak when he nibbles at her throat.

Y/N joins as the six people are talking about something. Nonsense, she guesses. She doesn’t really listen. 

There should be ten people in the meeting to discuss the upcoming Supernatural Convention. The first convention after the lockdown. 

“Hi,” she says and waves, because that’s what every newcomer does and she’s greeted with Hello’s and Hi’s back. 

But there’s one guy already sitting in there, looking like he owns the whole fucking internet, and she doesn’t know how he does it with the lighting but he looks downright pretty. It’s not really fair. 

“Hey, Y/N,” Jensen greets her by name. Of course he does, because he likes to rile her up. He’s also the only one who’s so abso-fucking-lutely cheery. “How are you?”

She smirks, “I’m fine, thank you. I hope you are too.”

Keeping it professional, that’s what she can and will do.

“Good,” Jensen nods and opens his mouth to say something more but he gets cut off by her boss who’s taking the lead. 

Y/N doesn’t say much, doesn’t have anything to say anyway during the first ten minutes of the conversation. Lowering her face, she takes notes because it’s a prep meeting where they get informed how it will work out and to see how the spirit of the people involved is for the upcoming convention — which she’s really excited about. It has been a while. 

Jensen and Jared do a lot of talking, as they want to know the details on how to make the experience great for the fans after everyone’s been holed up for so long. And she loves that. She always loved how they actually really care, unlike other show’s leads. There are some points that still need to be talked through and Y/N just sits back and watches. She could watch Jensen talk for days, it’s really mesmerizing. 

His hair is long, his beard too. Jensen’s new look is completely different from Dean. It makes him look softer, and rounds up the edges of his jawline. The graying of his beard doesn’t make him less attractive, and that’s also something that she thinks it’s unfair. She hopes they will let him keep it for the convention. Hopes that he won’t let them talk him out of it because ‘some fans might want to meet Dean and not Jensen’. It’s going to be another month until they go back to filming, so it’s actually feasible. She’s sure that apart from a select few, the majority of fans would love to take a photo with this look and she can’t blame them one bit.

It’s going to be weird when the look is gone. Honestly, she needed some time to get used to it herself, but it has really grown on her. Maybe she’ll mourn the loss — just a little.

“So, let’s recap,” Gina, her boss, says and Y/N snaps her mind back to reality, “Jared’s flying in on Friday already because you want to visit some friends, right?”

“Correct,” Jared nods his head in approval. “You did book the hotel for three nights for me, right?” The question is directed to her co-worker, Julian, who’s responsible for the boys' travel arrangements. 

“Yeah, I did,” Julian says with a nod of his head.

Gina nods, “Good, so Jensen, I see that you’re flying in on Saturday evening as per usual?”

“Yes.” Jensen says. He looks into his screen and licks his lips. She hates that she knows that he’s looking at her.

“I want you girls to be there on Friday evening at the latest? We’ll also go for dinner on Saturday and go over the Sunday schedule.”

“Uh, yes. I’ll be there,” Hannah and Kristin say in unison. Kristin is responsible for Misha but since Misha is also attending Sunday, she sits into the meeting as a formality.

That’s Y/N’s cue.

“I-I’m, uh, sorry, I’m still in the middle of booking my flight but yeah, I’ll be there on Friday.” 

It was a huge issue with Jensen and they’d argued today about the flight. He doesn’t want her to leave until the last possible minute but now she has the confirmation that she has to be there on Friday already.

She sees Jensen raising an eyebrow and hates him for it because he distracts her.

“Okay,” her boss nods, “Jared and Jensen, I’ll have someone picking you up.”

Jared smiles, “Okay.”

“Great,” Jensen huffs out. She can see that he’s a little irritated about something.

The others don’t seem to have noticed, but she does. Jared notices as well, but apart from him clearing his throat, he doesn’t say a word.

“Right, I need to hurry to another meeting. Boys, I’ll see you Sunday!” Gina addresses the boys before waving goodbye, and disconnects. People in the meeting follow her and disappear one by one.

Y/N too, disconnects and is about to shut down her laptop when a skype call interrupts her.

Ugh.

It’s Jensen.

As soon as she picks up, her screen lights up and the view of his face almost blinds her. Honestly, it’s like staring into the sun. Nonetheless, she rolls her eyes because of the things he pulled in the meeting. 

“Why are you rolling your eyes at me?” He asks, seemingly oblivious. 

She groans with another eye roll, “Because you tried to distract me the entire conference call!”

“Excuse me? I wasn’t the one who was trying to undress you with my eyes.”

Y/N cocks an eyebrow, frowning at him. There’s a beat of silence until he groans.

“Fine, alright, I did. Sorry, okay? And why didn’t you say that we’re going to fly in together on Saturday like we said we would?” There’s something about the way he looks and she detects disappointment. 

“As far as I remember, we did not settle on that because you ended up distracting me again and gave me a fucking hickey. And besides,” she sighs, “Nobody should know.”

“Would it really be so bad, Y/N?”

“Jensen, are we really going to have this conversation over Skype?”

“Fine,” he scoffs and stands up abruptly, walking out of the frame. 

Great.

Abandoning her laptop, Y/N proceeds to walk to the window to open up the blinds again. Walking back, she switches off the only other light source, and as if on cue, the door opens.

“Shall we have the conversation face to face instead?” Jensen asks as he barges in, walks to the bed of his guest room, and sits down. He rubs a hand through his long hair, scratches at his beard before he looks at her. 

“I rather not have it at all, but yet here we are, huh?” She strides over to stand in front of him and Jensen looks up, his features are so fucking soft, it makes her weak.

“Why don’t you want them to know? And I’m sure they would let it slide if you flew in on Saturday instead of Friday. You’re only responsible for me anyway and we’re a good team.” His hand reaches out for her, tugs at her wrist, uses his strength to pull her onto the bed with him. 

Y/N lands on her back with a squeal and Jensen takes the opportunity, looming over her and looking down at her. Her hand goes up, strokes his hair back, fingertips tracing along his beard.

“Because the only reason I’m still employed is because you let them put in the contract that you want me as your handler and no one else. They would absolutely hate it if they found out I was fucking their talent.”

Jensen chuckles, his nose touching hers, “That’s not true.”

“What’s that?”

“If anything, it’s me fucking you.” His irresistible smile makes Y/N melt a little before he kisses her. 

He lingers too long, kisses her too softly, too sweetly, knowing what effect his kisses have on her. 

Pushing at his chest, she makes him break the kiss, “I should look for a flight.”

“No,” he chuckles and pecks her lips.

“Jensen!”

“Okay, fine,” he pushes himself up, “but only because I have an interview scheduled.”

Right, he does. It’s going to be an hour long.

“You want me to make dinner to have it ready when you’re finished?” She asks while she sits up and walks over to her laptop.

“Nah, I’ll eat you,” Jensen winks before he walks out.

Chapter 2

Please share your thoughts with me, I’d love to hear your feedback.

[spacehologramcollection]

Kombat Kast in lockdown:

Real talk, I could have continued writing this. But I’m easing myself back into writing. Some nice fluff with a dash of NSFW. I’m planning on doing a part two, because this is very long. 

Warnings: Tooth rotting fluff, get your dentist on speed dial. Little bit of NSFW. Lockdown. 

18+ under the cut guys. 

I don’t own the GIFS. 

·         Kabal:

He’s ready for this. He’s prepared. He cannot wait to spend some quality time with you. Both pre and post burn would be so happy and stoked to spend time with you. Both pre and post burn Kabal, are going to be in their comfiest joggers, hair tied back and glasses on. Takes advantage of the time to catch up on some TV with you, play some videogames and also losing track of what day and time it is. Is 2am too early to make pancakes? No. Because you’re running on lockdown time. Awake at 3am trying to make Macrons because the video made it look so easy. Dancing around your shared apartment like idiots. Though, post burn Kabal would prefer just to hold you close and sway to the music. Lockdown pre-burn would be a dream come true for him. Lounging on the sofa, you’re laid flat against his chest, a hand in your hair. Bliss. Post-burn could be bad for his Mental Health. More time for him to think about his body and what he used to have. So, he may need a bit of TLC and a whole lot of body worship. He just needs to be reminded that he’s still the most handsome man on the planet. Also, reading comics at 3 in the morning. You’re sat crossed leg on the floor, surrounded by pillows, he’s super into comics and nerdy things. He’ll be sat eagerly watching you read his favourite issue, watching your reaction, he knows them off by heart so he’s waiting for you to react to his favourite scene. Debates to no end on who could kick who’s ass. Late nights, lazy mornings and afternoons. Post-Burn Kabal will refuse to put a shirt on. Just lounging around in his joggers. He will need a hand shaving his hair. He always needs a hand with the back. He will let it get a little longer during lockdown. Maybe, if you beg hard enough, he may let you spike it. Best lockdown buddy. Also, Ninja mime marathon, with a drinking game thrown in. Working from home is hard. Especially with his fine arse on your couch. Smiling as you’re on a zoom call. Screaming ‘TELL THEM I SAID HI’ Post-burn Kabal won’t want to appear on them as much. Often miming the action for a drink, bringing you lunch and also looking over your shoulder. Before kissing you softly on the cheek.

         Cassie Cage:

She’s pretty sure her mum is going to flip her shit. But she doesn’t care. She doesn’t want to work-out or train to her absolute limits. You’re here with her and she wants to chill out with you and hang out with you. Like a normal fucking couple. So, she’s breaking a few rules for you. Don’t tell no one about that though. Your both in lockdown in her apartment. You’re both debating if the hallway should be neon orange or neon pink. You’re bored so you end up redecorating the place. Stained. Hair. A playful splat on the nose turns into a mini paint fight. You both also make handprints on the wall together. Because that’s one way to remember it… that and she saw it in Up and though it was cute. Getting wasted happens a few times too. She admits she wants you to be like the couple from UP, but she doesn’t want it to be as sad. She’s also on the floor sobbing because the brownies aren’t done yet. A lockdown with Cassie is fun every day. She ordered a bath bomb for you both to take a relaxing bath together. She also ordered you a few beers to enjoy whilst in there too. She gets pissed with how long her hair is getting. So, it’s time for the undercut to make a comeback. Queue Cassie bringing out the clippers and asking you to help her cut her hair shorter. Playfighting to no end. She’s let you pin her a few times, you’re pretty sure it’s sympathy, but you’ll take that victory. If you suggest a Ninja Mime marathon, she’s straight up refusing. This is a mini vacation from her parents. She doesn’t need to see a full feature length marathon of her dad. Weird food concoctions galore. You’re also dying each other’s hair stupid colours. She literally texts Jacqui ‘Pick a colour’ and then that’s it, you’ve dyed your hair. She’s so full of energy and it’s infectious. She’ll always make you smile. If you have to work from home, she’s going to try and be quite, but she wants to know what you’re doing. Everyone thinks she’s great in your work calls, she’s often requested to say hi. They love her.

·         Smoke (Tomas Vrbada): Smoke is more on the introverted side. He’s got books picked out. He aims to read a book a day where possible. And he’s totally keeping a reading log, so he has something to look back on. If you’re cooped up in the Lin Kuei temple, he’s going to be more stressed. There’s something ever so slightly stressful about been stuck with Bi-Han who gets very restless. That, and he thinks you both have to be quite, because everyone there is a nosey bastard. The one-time Smoke called you his dove, Bi-Han teased him and took the piss for three weeks straight. He can’t be dealing with that. That and he will eventually give up getting dressed. He will walk around in his dragon onesie, attempting to get some food. Ignoring all of Kuai’s attempts for him to get dressed. He’s in lockdown mode. Which means, his comfy socks are on, the string lights are on, and he’s ready to cuddle up with you. You did, once walk into the kitchen to see Bi-Han and Tomas dancing terribly, an empty bottle of vodka on the table, Kuai face in his hands blocking out the terrible dancing.  He’d also much prefer to be in lockdown in your apartment. In a mass of blankets, some ice-cream, lots of string lights and some good TV on. He’d take this opportunity to teach you a little Czech too. Also, in your apartment he can wear his dragon onesie and dance with you like an idiot. Without judgement and shaming the Lin Kuei. And embarrassing Kuai. A lot of terrible dancing, spinning, him picking you up and throwing you onto the sofa playfully. He becomes a little more extroverted around you. Don’t get me wrong he loves nothing more than comfy silence, reading in bed, whilst you’re drawing circles on his chest. But there’s something fun about eating brownie and pizza at 2 in the morning. Fucking wild. If you need to work from home, he respects your space and will sit silently reading, looking over and smiling as you work. He’ll bring you tea and sit crossed leg on the sofa with you. Your workmates think you’ve hit the jackpot.

Bi-Han:

He fucking hates lockdown. He doesn’t want to get sick. But he hates the same four walls. He starts irritating people on purpose. Not you though. Your precious and he loves you. But Kuai and Smoke are fair game. Queue hiding Smokes special shampoo, replacing Kuai’s uniform with one that’s too small for him. Winding people up to their limits. Because he’s bored and was born to be a little shit. At your apartment everything is different. He knows Kuai is more than capable of running things without him around. And is more than happy to do this for him. So, he’s off. He’s usually in his underwear, teasing the fuck out of you. Pray you don’t have to work from home, because he’s very distracting. Always stood behind the laptop when you’re on that zoom meeting, slowly slipping those joggers lower and lower. Lord have mercy on your soul. He does make appearances in your calls. On his best behaviour. Envy of everyone. He’ll cook for you when you’re working too. If you’re not working, he’ll always insist on cooking with you, he used to love cooking with Kuai when he was younger. But he’s grown up now and is grumpy all the time. He misses it. But he loves cooking with you. Queue you both dancing whilst waiting for the food to cook. Spinning you around. Maybe a quick make out session on the counter. He wants a bit of normality, and whilst the situation may not be normal, it’s sure as hell more normal than his usual schedule. He gets a little philosophical in the early hours of the morning. Talking about your future, if you want kids, what kind of dog you want, that sort of stuff. It’s times like this, where your both sat on your kitchen floor, sharing a drink, eating some good food, he’s glad he’s back to his usual self. You’re his everything and he doesn’t tell you that often enough. He loves been able to fall asleep with you and cuddle up with you. Loves waking up at a normal time and lounging in bed with you. Your lockdown time brings you closer together, to the point he probably would propose to you during lockdown. He hasn’t got a ring, but please accept his headband. Just till he can get you one.  

·         Kuai Liang (Sub Zero): Oho. Kuai is in for a rude awakening. He won’t want to leave Arktika. He cannot leave his clan. Bi-Han can be trusted, but he wants to remain with his clan. He’ll apologise that you’ve got to spend lockdown in the cold, but he’ll make sure you’re comfortable and have everything you may want and or need. He’s very curious when you’re working from home. He must admit he finds it interesting that you can still do your job, in the middle of bumfuck nowhere. When people ask where you are, you have to lie, and you’re not sure they buy that your boyfriend owns a castle. But hey fucking ho. It’ll do. You’ve caught him once or twice drifting past, tea in hand, trying not to glance at your screen, when you’re on a call. You end up dragging him into the call and introducing him. Luckily, he’s in some more normal clothes. So, no questions get dragged up. He’s always handing you tea and bringing you sweet snacks to keep you going. Soft kisses on the forehead when he knows no one is watching. You kind of feel easier been at the temple. It’s in the middle of nowhere, which actually makes you calm and keeps you chilled. Kuai will make sure the fire is stoked. He’ll also leave you to work and will keep checking on you. He’s busy with his brother and the Lin Kuei. But he makes a habit of you both having lunch together. He’ll bring you lunch and you’ll both sit and eat together. On an evening in his free time, he spends it all with you. Asking about your day, asking how it went and if you’re okay. A lot of catching up in bed, with you both laid there, his arms wrapped around you, whilst you rest on his chest. He’ll whisper sweet things to you, brush the hair from your face and remind you that you’re his everything. Lockdown with Kuai has a lot of structure. And it’s nice to spend time with him.

·         Hanzo Hasashi (Scorpion):

He’s very similar to Kuai. He has a whole clan of ninja to run so he’s got to be out and about. So, if you need to work from home, he gets it… though he doesn’t need a laptop to do his work. Queue him leaving early and coming back late. He does make a habit of dropping in when you’re on lunch to take you for a walk through the gardens. He’ll also leave origami and notes for you to wake up to. He loves having you around, and very much like Kuai, he’d prefer you to be with the Shirai Ryu. You’re safe her and he does love waking up to you every morning. He loves it so much. He does actively avoid your zoom calls though. He’s a ninja so he’s pretty good at stealthy walking around, dipping and diving to avoid featuring on there. He just doesn’t like a lot of attention. He does end up one though. He had managed to secure a lie in. His bones were aching from training the night before. Takeda was entrusted with waking him… though he thought Grandmaster Grumpy face deserved a lie in. When he awakens, he lazily walks out of your shared room, wondering where you are, shirtless and only in some pants. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Only to softly say your name, open them, to see you’re smiling up at him awkwardly. You’re on a company wide call, and he’s stood there shirtless, hair tussled, and looking like sin incarnate. Queue a lot of people whistling so loudly, he can hear from the headphones you’re wearing. He mutters some swears in Japanese before moving on. You can’t help but giggle a lot, which makes him chuckle to himself. He’s stoic so there ain’t no teasing. But he does love folding the laptop down when you’re working over. Muttering how you can’t overwork yourself. Which is very hypocritical, but you’re not arguing. And you know you need a break, queue Hanzo suggesting a relaxing bath and cooking together. Slow dancing around his room is something he’s reluctant to do, but he does do it with you, because those eyes can’t get any bigger.  He loves this lockdown period. And he grows used to having you around all the time. Soft kisses and romantic talks, Philosophical debates and him slightly complaining about training. Takeda loves that you’re here. Hanzo isn’t such a hard arse with you round.

·         Johnny Cage:

Oh, fuck yes. Lockdown. He’s going to write a screenplay, arrange his awards, build that shelf for the Oscar he’s definitely winning this year. Reply to some fan mail… that was until you wake up and walk out in one of his shirts. His plan definitely changes. You end up trying on all his sunglasses, all his jackets and rings and pretending to be him. Which makes him laugh a lot. He’s sure he doesn’t actually walk and sound like that… does he? He hopes not. He’ll try and install a routine, but that goes out of the window the first night. You’re sat drinking smoothies at 1 in the morning. You’ll become nocturnal. So, it’s a good job he doesn’t have neighbours close by. Two-man parties, with you skyping Cassie, so you all can hang out together. Dancing around, playing those shitty games. Cassie and Johnny get competitive with trivial pursuit and monopoly. You’ve never seen anything like it. It’s insane. You both take the time to catch up on TV together, Johnny has a terrible habit of pointing out all the parts he could have had. But you know, turned down. He’s always got the best food in and best quarantine snacks. Whatever your heart desires he’s got it. Best internet too. So, working from home is so easy and so comfy. You’re the envy of your workmates. Who are very jealous you’re basically in quarantine in a mansion. Johnny does walk past your zoom call on purpose, pretending to act all coy about it. Just waiting to hear a squeal from someone who didn’t know you actually dated Johnny Cage. Que your sigh and inviting him over. He practically leaps onto the sofa. Arm around you. A smug smile as he introduces himself. Not like he’s been bicep curling his award behind you. He’ll also love doing facemasks with you. Nothing better than a pamper night on the couch, some crappy movie in the background (Not one of his though) and some good wine and food. He’s literally in heaven.

·         Raiden:

He needs to consult the Elder Gods before he can spend time with you. Taking the piss obviously. He doesn’t get sick, so he offers to go into the outside world for you if need be. He doesn’t mind taking one for the team. He’s interesting to spend Lockdown with. He’s so fascinated by everything in your apartment. He’s so interested in what you do for work. When you reveal that you’re working from home, he’s watching you from the sofa, cup of tea in his hand. He’s got that face on him. The one where he wants to ask a question but he’s not sure if he’s allowed to. When he sees you’re in a meeting, he asks what you’re doing, so you may just joke ‘Consulting the Elder God Bob, God of financing and accounts’ He does chuckle at that. He does a lot of self-care and a lot of reminding you to look after yourself. As soon as it hits time to clock off, he’s tapping the clock, shaking his head before gently reminding you, that you need to rest and relax and that you’ve earned it. He’s brewed some fresh tea and he would like you to join him. He’s so good to you. He doesn’t do been on the zoom calls though. He has waved once or twice. But other than that, he kind of watches curiously. He’s read all the books in your apartment, if you’ve got a cat, he’s in fucking heaven. Like, you’re cat ain’t walking over your screen, because he’s snuggled up to Raiden. The man is a magnet for cats. If your apartment is a little disorganised, he may sort it out. That cupboard full of mismatched Tupperware and pans, all sorted, all with the correct lids. You could cry when you pull out a pan and it’s got the right lid on it. He’ll love baking with you too. He’s a sucker for freshly baked bread and he teaches you how to make it. Nothing nicer than him having him wrapping his arms around your waist whilst you’re baking. Lockdown equals privacy and he’s taking advantage of his rare opportunity. At night he’ll love to sit on your balcony, watching the stars and enjoying the fresh air. He’s so warm and he’s got a comforting smell to him. He’s literally bliss.

·         Fujin: (Fujin could raw me after the trailer not going to lie)

Windy boi is happy he gets a break from all the bullshit. He does miss Raiden though. They don’t often spend a lot of time away from each other. So, he’s constantly communicating with him. But you make everything easier. That, and he wants to make sure you don’t get sick. By the Elder Gods he can’t have that. Likewise, if you have a cat, please let him hold and pet it. Nothing better than you looking up from your work call, seeing him stood there holding your cat, smiling away and scratching its chin. He appears often in your zoom call. Envy of all your colleagues, because who has hair that perfect and healthy. They ask for his stylist. He’s not sure how to respond to that. He got called a DILF and you had to explain that to him. You had to explain what a DILF was to the god of wind. Holy fuck it was awkward. He’ll let you braid his hair and he’ll also love it when you shower together. Because he loves been close and intimate with you. And the shower is a private place, so he feels he can open up and be more intimate with you without judgement. He’s still shy and new to this whole relationship thing. So, lockdown allows him to be close to you. You’ll also get to introduce him to pop culture. He’s not sure what to think about it. He’s got such a strange, dry sense of humour. When you’re watching Ninja Mime you hear him just say, ‘A clown in the movies, a clown in real life. Art imitates real life’ And you lose your shit. It’s the funniest thing to leave his mouth. He kind of loses it too. He gets really into Game of Thrones. He’s so into it. You don’t know how to tell him how the last season was shit. You don’t have the heart to break it to him. Teaching him to dance too. Oh god. Him getting a bit flustered and picking you up over his shoulder and spinning you around. Also, I can see lockdown running into summer, so you’ve got your own personal fan. At night, he’ll love to settle down in bed with you, whilst you talk absolute shit. You can bitch about anything, and he will listen, provide quips and make you feel better. He has no idea who Kate in Marketing is, but he knows, we don’t like her. I headcanon Fujin is pretty damn musically talented, so he’ll just randomly pick up that guitar or violin that’s there because A. Aesthetically pleasing and B. bought to try and discover a new hobby. And he’ll just start playing it. He loves seeing you smile too and he’s there for you if lockdown ever gets too much. He lives to make you smile.