#once again why did we overlook this hello

[soullessjack]

[unnonexistence]

idk if there's anything in stories i get more petty about than poorly-written "main character shows up to a new place and meets everyone" character introduction scenes

[fandom-lover2]

Hope To Stay A While, Just Till The Rain Stops

Chapter Two - Welcome To The Club

Word Count - 2523

-image not mine-

Chapter One - Passing In A Blurr

Chapter Three - This Is Why We Don't Have Knives At The Table

After a 40 minute drive, the driver pulled into the estate and up the courtward. There it was, Wayne Manor, home to the playboy billionaire Bruce Wayne. A four story mansion surrounded by a lush forest.

I pressed up against the window to get a better view of the place. I knew we’d be meeting him but not at his own house? The car came to a stop in front of the doors and my mom got out, me scrambling to catch up.

Too busy looking at the house in amazement; I didn’t notice the butler standing at the door, waiting to greet us. “Good day, Miss Y/m/n.” he greeted with a slight bow, accent strong.

How’d he know my mom’s name?

“Hello.” she greeted politely in return, stepping into the house.

The man’s attention then shifted to me and he froze. He seemed be in his 60s with graying hair and one glance told you he was done with life, but looking into his eyes I saw them twinkle. Like a grandparent telling the child to keep the secret of having ice-cream before dinner. He continued to watch me with a look of surprise before clearing his throat and regaining his composure.

“Please, come in.” he said kindly, gesturing inside the house.

“Oh uhh, thanks.” I stammered, ducking my head and entering.

The entryway was just as glamorous as I imaged, based on what’d I see as the outside. A large doorway led off the right and left of the entry, a staircase disappearing behind the right wall. On the other end of the long entry said glass doors that opened to a balcony that overlooked the well manicured garden.

A man waited for us at the base of the staircase to the right of the entry. He was in his mid 40s with neatly trimmed black hair, clean shaven face and deep ocean blue eyes. He was dressed in black slacks and a white dress shirt. He approached as soon as we’d entered the house and I noticed a few more details about him. His jaw was square and strong, clenched tightly and his gaze stayed on me the entire time he moved.

“Y/m/n.” he greeted, voice deeper than I expected when he finally turned to acknowledge the other female in the room.

“Bruce.” was her curt reply, keeping her arms folded over her chest. His eyes then dropped to me again and I resisted the urge to step back.

His eyes took in every inch of my body before returning to my eyes and proceeded to analyze my soul. I swallowed, but couldn’t look away.

“Y/n.” he suddenly said and I jumped, breaking the contact.

He had hunched slightly and held out his hand and I gingerly took his. I was surprised to find that his hands were rough, calloused even. Why would someone who had life handed to him on a platter have calloused hands?

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Looking up again, it wasn’t met with his calculating eyes but rather this time his gaze was softer, understanding and welcoming. He was smiling slightly as well, a genuine smile.

“You too, Mr. Wayne.” I managed to squeak out.

“Call me Bruce.” he murmured, giving me another undistinguishable once over before standing to his full height and turning back to my mother.

“Shall we?” He gestured to the staircase. My mother nodded and began walking up the stairs.

“Alfred will keep you entertained.” Bruce said, gesturing to the butler and following my mother.

I watched them with my head slightly cocked to the side. This was really weird. We weren’t rich so how did my mother know a billionaire? And why were they so casual around one another? And lastly, why did I have to be here?

“Follow me.” Alfred said, breaking my attention away from the disappearing adults.

Silently following the butler, he led me through the ‘waiting area’ on the left into the lounge area of sorts. It was a large room with 5 leather couches positioned around the largest TV I’d ever seen. Speakers sat on either side of the TV as well as different videogame consoles.

“Make yourself comfortable.” Alfred smiled, standing beside the closest couch.

Moving stiffly, I sat awkwardly on the edge of the couch.

“Would you like anything to drink?” he asked softly.

“No thanks.” I whispered, smiling weakly.

He nodded in understanding. “I need to tend to your mother and Master Bruce. I will be back shortly.”

This time I nodded and breathed a small sigh of relief when he left the room, going back into the entryway.

Why did I have to be so shy when first meeting people? It made things like this so weird.

Looking around the room, I felt my skin crawl at the silence. Something deep down told me it was rare to have a moment of silence in this house so why was it deathly quiet? My anxiety kicked in and I began bouncing my leg, biting my thumb.

Groaning when that didn’t calm my nerves, I stood up and began to pace the room. A double door sat to the right of the room but I was too scared to open it so kept moving. A decorative desk beside the door held a vase of dying daisies and a framed photo of Bruce and 4 boys. I did remember hearing someone mention Bruce Wayne had adopted some kids but had never bothered to find who or why.

Moving on, there wasn’t much to see but a large paned window drew my attention. Looking out cautiously, I saw a young boy seated under a tree, sketchbook rested on his bent knees and pencil making gently strokes on the white paper. A Great Dane lay beside him. I couldn’t really see him face but his posture was definitely relaxed.

Then, almost like thunder, there were pounding steps from above.

Panicking, I turned to sit on the closest couch. Voices followed the steps and from my seat I got a perfect view of the doorway. The noise then stopped and I waited for a few moments with baited breath but released when I was sure they really did stop.

Standing once again, I moved to investigate the sitting room. Magazines of infrastructure and the economy I found no interest in sat on the glass table so I kept moving. Purposely dying flowers were placed around the room to compliment the beige seats. A large framed picture of Wayne Tower at sunset covered one side of the room while a family portrait adorned the other.

It was of young boy of about 5 and his parents. I slowly approached the painting and had to crane my neck to see the whole image. The young boy was smiling happily at the painter, childish dimples and missing front tooth on full display. His hair was slicked back with unholy amounts of gel. The mother had a gentle face, like one of those people you just feel safe around. Around her neck was a pearl necklace. The father smiled professionally, expression open and welcoming. They both seemed like amazing people, but neither looked like Bruce Wayne. Looking down at the engraving, I figured out why. “The Wayne Family. CEO Thomas Wayne, wife Martha Wayne and son, Bruce Wayne. 1978.” So it was his parents.

They’d been killed in a robbery when he was young, if I remembered correctly. Looking back I realized the boy’s facial structure did mimic his father’s.

I was so engrossed in the painting that I didn’t notice the approaching steps till they were beside me. Jumping to the side, I crashed right into a chest. Jerking back with a gasp, I looked up to the scowling man.

He could not have been older than 25. His black shirt clung tightly to his defined chest, hugging his muscles tightly as he stepped back.

Eyes moving upward, I caught myself mesmerized by his turquoise eyes. They held so much hate. He had a single white streak among the sea of black, unkempt hair and stubble.

Not gonna lie, I found him really attractive.

He didn’t make a move, just looking down at me. He was easily a foot taller than me and definitely knew how to use it as an intimidation tactic.

“Sorry.” I mumbled finally, ducking my head and stepping away. Glancing up though, I saw him still looking down at me. The anger had gone from his eyes and instead replaced with neutrality.

“Jason!” someone called from upstairs, thundering steps following.

The scowl returned to his face and the guy turned, throwing the doors open and continuing out the house.

Another guy then appeared, stopping to look at me. “He leave?”

I nodded silently.

As if on cue, a motorcycle roared to life.

“Jason!” the guy called again, running out the house but the bike was already moving.

I waited a few moments before the second man returned, closing the door with a sigh.

“Why do you have to be so stubborn?” he mumbled. Taking a breath to gather himself, he shot me a smile and made him over to me, hand outstretched. “Hi. Richard Grayson-Wayne, but everyone calls me Dick.”

Definitely calling him Richard.

“Hi.” I weakly greeted, taking him hand.

“You look really familiar.” he said.

I frowned. Greyish blue eyes and curly black hair with a beardless chin? “Never seen you before. Sorry.”

He let out an easy laugh and I frowned. “You don’t have to apologize. You’ve probably just got one of those faces.”

But no one has ever said that.

“Probably.”

“So why you here?” he asked, releasing my hand. His face then turned serious. “Don’t tell me Bruce is getting a new one?”

“Huh?” I frowned. New what?

“Oh. Nevermind.” he chuckled.

Ok…

“What was all the noise?”

I jumped for umpteenth time and spun to see the boy from earlier standing in the doorway, hugging his art book close to his chest and dog standing loyally at him side.

“Jason left.” Richard informed the boy.

He had beautiful emerald eyes and a natural Arabian tan. His face however resembled Bruce’s but held the childlike puffed cheeks.

He looked me up and down in disgust and sneered. “Who are you?”

I opened my mouth but another voice replied for me. “Y/n?”

We all turned to see Alfred enter the room. “Ahh, there you are. And you’ve already met Damian, very good. Master Bruce would like to see both of you in his office.”

I glanced at the kid and he at me before clicking his tongue and placing his book down, folding his arms after.

“I’ll just go then…” Richard said awkwardly, sidestepping into the lounge.

Alfred turned with the expectation of us to follow.

Damian began walking first but the dog remained still, eyes trained on me.

Taking a few hesitant steps forward, I held my hand outstretched to the dog. He sniffed it cautiously and then lowered his head for me to stroke him.

“Titus usually doesn’t like new people.” The boy spoke up, eyeing me suspiciously.

All I could offer was a shrug. Saying bye to Titus, I followed Damian to the staircase where Alfred stood waiting.

Another boy was descending the stairs as we reached the base. He was extremely pale with large dark circles under his eyes and a mullet. His eyes themselves were an almost black shade of blue and seemed lifeless.

“Drake.” Damian mumbled when the boy passed us, empty coffee cup in hand.

“Demon Spawn.” The boy continued on, staring at the floor before abruptly stopping. Turning, he looked between me and the boy a few times before turning again and wordlessly making his way down the passage.

What was wrong with the people that lived here?

“This way.” Alfred called.

Making my way up the stairs, we stopped at the second floor. The hallway was brightly lit with full floor to ceiling windows that showed the tacky antique decorations. Turning left, we stopped outside a room with double Dutch doors.

Alfred knocked and then when I assumed he heard clarification, opened the doors for Damian and I.

This room was Bruce’s private office. A large picture of Bruce and his parents, like the one downstairs, hung above the large oak desk that was covered in various stacks of papers and a few photo frames. My mother and Bruce sat at the couches on either side of a wooden coffee-table, both looking expectantly at us.

“Come sit.” Bruce said softly, nodding to Alfred, who closed the doors behind us.

I chose the couch with my mother that faced the wall, frowning briefly at the knight armor that stood in the corner while Damian took a seat beside his father.

Damian eyed my mother with malice but I was honestly too grateful that he’d stop trying to kill me to care. They waited for us both to get comfortable before starting.

“We have something we need to discuss with you.” Bruce started.

“Please tell me you’re not getting married!” I blurted.

I surprised myself. Had I really subconsciously been thinking of that?

Damian’s eyes widened at his turned to his father. “Father?”

Bruce chuckled lightly, something I guessed he didn’t do often ‘cause Damian looked like he’d been hit in the face.

“No, nothing like that.” Bruce reassured. The billionaire then turned to me. “Y/n, as you may know Damian is my youngest-”

 “And only blood!” the midget cut in.

“Yes, and only blood, son. You may have met my other three whom I adopted.”

“Am I getting adopted?” I blurted out once again, pressure from the formal setting making my mind fritz.

Damian’s eyes widened comically as he turned to Bruce once again. Neither adult answered.

“Y/n,” my mother called softy and I turned my attention to her. “Remember how your father and I use to travel a lot before you were born? And sometimes we would meet up with his wealthy friends?”

“Yeah…” I didn’t like where this was going.

“Well, just before I fell pregnant, your father and I came to Gotham and…” My mother struggled to find the words but Bruce remained silent.

“Y/n, I got drunk and made a mistake.” She finally got out, looking down in shame.

Where was she going with this? Looking over at Bruce, I saw he was also looking down in shame.

I couldn’t help it, I burst out laughing. Both adults looked up at me with serious expressions.

“Good one.” I gasped, clutching my stomach.

But no one else was laughing.

“What, you’re serious?”

My mother nodded, looking at me with concern.

“No.” I shook my head.

“Y/n,” she started.

“No!” I shot up.

Everything was making sense and I didn’t like it. Richard saying I’m familiar, every adult being so nice to some nobody’s, Bruce wanting to talk to me and his blood child.

I turned to Bruce, eyes pleading. Let this all be some sick joke. Please let this be a prank or bad dream. Bruce stood wordlessly and took a step toward me. “Y/n, I am your biological father.”

[randomreadingtimewithtsuki]

Do you have any friendship headcannons for Senku and a 21st century de-lithified reader?

(Some plot points if it's not too specific and within your wheelhouse: Loves the hard sciences to the point of once heading a science club. More versed in the theory than in application though. Could be described as the token extravert and psychology geek.)

Hello!

I sure do! As an engineer, i sure do have some HC!

Thank you for requesting! I hope this is of your liking, please let me know what you think!

------------------------------------------------------------------------

You were de-petrified, thanks to the Minami - she remember you made the headlines for a perfect score on a mock test to a renowned university.

Senku needed some help with the math and to guide everyone to build stuff, so, it was reassuring for him to have you around.

And thus, you came around to the science team!

Senku tested your knowledge right away. Of course, you knew what he was talking about when he mentioned the theory behind the GPS but...

Would it really work? Calculating and building are two very different things.

You knew it wasn't going to be a modern GPS but still....

You were a little scared of your teammates reaction - you knew all the theory, physics, chemistry, all of it, but you never actually built something.

To your surprise, no one really cared about your lack of experience. Senku said " And? that's why we have the building team and the gorilla team. If it goes wrong, we just have to adjust."

This kind of reassured you. Knowing that Kaseki was a very good craftsman with a decent knowledge of " this will not work" in the practical side of the story, it put your anxious heart at ease.

Senku also mentions that he, himself, did a lot of trials and error. So no need to worry about it!

As time went on you gained confidence on your theoretical knowledge and helped Senku in tons of projects.

You helped him calculate, consider variants, external implications and test out theories.

He also taught you a lot, about what works according to theory and what doesn't - which pretty much nothing works according to theory, that, you came to learn.

He absolutely loved having you around, you made his life so much easier.

He also enjoyed talking to you about the modern world. You knew about things that were impossible to build right now in the stone world and actually understood their purpose.

A HPLC? you knew what it was for and how important it s.

He loved it. He could lament about these equipments with you.

The thing he loved the most, was that you always had something to consider when you guys built something new. A possibility he overlooked, a procedure he forgot about, a math mistake. Anything!

Senku also enjoyed to see you grow. Getting out of your shell and doing experiments, here and there.

Chrome admired you tons too !! you knew so much!!

Kaseki also taught a few things about craftsmanship. Year of experience are golden knowledge!

If you thought you would tag a long with Senku all the time, you are wrong.

He trusted you, so when it was needed to divide the science team or needed someone with modern knowledge, you bet he placed you there.

He often said it makes things easier and quicker.

And when you met again, he expected some kind of report from you? Did things go well? He also gave you insights on his end.

Gen lowkey preferred to be tagged with you because you were kinder with the manual labor. Sometimes they had to redo things because of your lack of experience, but, He rather you anyway.

Kohaku didn't mind at all if you made mistakes while experimenting. She actually encouraged you tons!

Chrome was always learning with you, since you had to do all those experiment from scratch he took a sit next to you to learn.

Senku kinda supervised your work.

All in all, being friends with Senku while having great knowledge in science is fun.

You guys chat a lot about the modern world technology and what you wish you had.

You also had long and confusing discussion ( in the eyes of some) about theories.

Sometimes you went on a tangent, making the project a bit late, going deep into the night.

That's when Gen shined, telling you both to go to sleep.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you for reading!

[seyaryminamoto]

Azula's most overlooked characterization element

Why, hello there.

It is I.

And I'm back on my bullshit.

I didn't WANT to be. But a bunch of factors pulled me back in.

For the record: I'm not here to start any fights or light the fuse of arguments that I most likely won't have time or interest in responding to. What I AM here for... is to prove that there's something out there a bunch of people are delighted to sleep on because acknowledging it would render maaaany simplistic interpretations entirely invalid...

That group of people includes the fandom, of course. And the original show's staff. And the liveaction's staff, to a fault. Surely the TTRPG ones too. And absolutely, the comic book writers.

Hell, I'll even include MYSELF in that group, even though I'm making this post right now.

I found it really curious that I very recently saw this element mentioned in a pretty neat blog I follow, @atla-lore-archive, I absolutely advise anyone who hasn't checked out said archive to do it if you wish to understand a lot of the "extra lore" the fandom had access to, back in the old days when the turbonick ATLA site still existed and used to be the only source of deeper knowledge about the fandom besides the occasional interview that most people didn't even know where to track down.

But the funny thing is that the post I'm talking about proved that even Turbonick forgot about the people this post is about :')

And that would beeeeeeee...

*cue drumroll*

Lo and Li!

What makes Lo and Li an important subject to discuss?

Why, a lot of things. Among them, the fact that almost nobody brings them into the core focus of any analysis made about Azula's character. I've personally mentioned them once or twice I believe, mostly as negatives, there's but ONE positive aspect I've ever found of them: them being non-benders MIGHT be a reason why Azula isn't shown as being quite so obsessive with firebending supremacy as Zuko was supposed to be.

But that's very much the sole good thing I can think to say about them and it's completely subjective, as good as a headcanon, because we don't even KNOW if they influenced Azula in that sense!

Why do they seem to get overlooked quite as much? Why... let's start thinking about it, shall we?

Lo and Li are Azula's firebending teachers. As far as anyone can tell, they're also her advisors. These two people should be an essential part of Azula's life... but ironically, we seldom see them with her. Most times, Azula isn't around these two. Whenever she is? It doesn't usually look like she's having a good time.

And that's no surprise, considering her first scene with those two very much puts forward a dynamic of cold distance between Azula and her mentors: Azula is bending LIGHTNING. We have not heard of other lightningbenders until that point, and once the full show wraps up, there's only THREE (Azula, Ozai, Iroh). Out of those three? Only one is a fourteen-year-old girl. It's very easy to assume Azula's lightning is actually a skill she mastered unusually early in life, perhaps relatively recently, hence the practicing... but she's pulling it off. She's succeeding. She's doing something that genuinely catches a first-time viewer off-guard!

And Lo and Li's entire opinion of what she did is: "Almost perfect. One hair out of place."

This tells you the Fire Nation's idea of "imperfection" is... insane. Strict. Imposing. Unyielding. Unforgiving. Azula's reaction isn't to get angry at Lo and Li for saying what they did: it's to get angry at herself and try again.

But... that's not the only instance where we see Azula getting angry around Lo and Li.

The next few times Azula is around them, she doesn't seem to have much of an emotional reaction (one is when they tell her to find other allies, the other when they herald her as a great hero who returned home from Ba Sing Se). In the second of these scenes, Lo and Li are praising Azula as incredible, beautiful, all sorts of grand things...! And Azula smiles. She smiles at the crowd. She's not smiling at the old ladies who are praising her... she's mostly just happy to know her people are welcoming her as a hero indeed! Most the fandom would go "true! what an ungrateful bitch! She should've been happy that Lo and Li complimented her that way!!" Me? I wouldn't say that at all. Not just because I love Azula to pieces? But because the only information we have of Azula's dynamics with these two... doesn't seem compatible with the idea that what Lo and Li are saying here is for AZULA'S benefit.

Anyone who's had a hypocritical parent/caretaker/teacher must have endured awkward, horrible, unpleasant moments where this adult figure treats you like shit in private but in public holds you as this grand example, and a perfect child, and they never seem to stop saying they're soooo proud of you even though you NEVER felt that what they're saying is true. Maybe the first few times, you're naive enough to believe it. By the tenth time of incongruent messages? You start to realize they're talking you up as a way to make themselves look better. They're trying to show they're doing their job at raising you/training you, be it whatever it may. The praises are not FOR you... they're for a third person to hear and think "Oh, this adult's so cool, saying nice things about this kid they're responsible for! Nice!"

... You're starting to get the picture now, I'm sure.

Lo and Li reappear in the Beach. Azula is notably chill, enjoying the ride, talking casually with Ty Lee, telling Zuko to lighten up and to stop taking Ozai's choices personally, right? She seems... content. Relaxed.

Then, everything changed when Lo and Li attacked.

We don't even see why Azula is making this face at first. But she does it AT ONCE when their ship reaches the dock.

Who is there indeed...?

The stars of our post! :') if it isn't our elderly twin ladies... who brought Azula to a very disappoting beach house. And when Azula sees the house in question, she makes THIS face.

Judge however you may... even Ty Lee is weirded out by the beach house, going by that expression. Zuko and Mai aren't impressed either. But Azula? The look on her face isn't merely disappointment if you ask me... part of it looks a bit like embarrassment too? This isn't at all what she was expecting when she arrived (she has her old beach house for standards, which makes this extra underwhelming, I'm sure). She counts on Lo and Li to provide them with a place to stay, it goes implicit... and then this is what they do. It most likely isn't what she promised the other three in terms of where they'd stay, hence, I'd dare say there's a component of embarrassment here.

Shortly afterwards, we have our well known scene with Azula being utterly unconcerned with Lo and Li's apparent wisdom to the point of yawning over it. This, too, tells you she's just not interested in whatever those two have to say or bring to the table. Then, they show up again at mealtime and I think Azula just ignores them the whole scene.

After this? Lo and Li vanish until the finale. And what do they do in the finale? Why... it's the first time anyone expresses a verbal concern over Azula's wellbeing! Ah! A sign that Lo and Li have SOME affection for Azula! This time, you pesky Azula fans, you CAN'T twist this into a bad thing! For sure!

... Can't we, tho? :')

What IS Azula's reaction to: "We are concerned for your wellbeing"?

"My father asked you to come here and talk to me, didn't he‌? He thinks I can't handle the responsibility of being Fire Lord. But I will be the greatest leader in Fire Nation history."

And here, my friends, is when we have finally hit the jackpot.

Lo and Li could have been Azula's Irohs. She could've had TWO of him! Then you'd say: "hey! Ozai is such a dick he let Azula have two elderly wise ladies guiding her but only gave one old wise dude to Zuko! Rude!" and it would be further proof of Ozai's favoritism of Azula, right?

... But actually?

Lo and Li are no such thing. Lo and Li aren't moral compasses for Azula in the least. Lo and Li are not beacons of wisdom that genuinely help her sort her way through life. Worth noting: THEY COULD HAVE BEEN WRITTEN THAT WAY. They're not. They're not part of mysterious secret societies, they don't help Azula in any objective, significant, tangible way... there's very much nothing to say they EVER fulfilled the role Iroh did for Zuko. What role, then, were they fulfilling instead?

Why... I think we ought to listen to Azula, shouldn't we?

My take: Lo and Li are OZAI'S STAND-INS.

Someone's going to say "hey why would you assume that when Azula said this in the middle of a breakdown?? Surely she was just DELUSIONAL and PARANOID and ashdgkadhsgkjgh...!"

... Let me counter that one with a fun little analysis excercise:

WHY are Lo and Li Azula's firebending teachers and advisors?

The finale very directly tells us these two are not benders. We could've assumed they were! They're not: Azula's teachers are non-benders.

Has a single person out there ever asked themselves WHY this is the case?

How the hell is Azula, prodigy of the blue fire, epic lightning, cruel and powerful and precise and deadly bending... training under two elderly nonbenders?

Bringing this to a real-life example: do you remember what it was like when you were in P.E. classes and your teacher told you to spend 20 minutes jogging, and if you ever stopped you had to do 20 crunches and then get back to the jogging, and every time you stopped he'd tell you the same thing and you'd want that guy to vanish from the face of the planet? I don't know if that was only my experience, but I rather doubt it.

What did kids typically think/say when that happened?

"I wanna see that old fart doing the same shit he's making us do..."

It's a headcanon indeed to say that this is how Azula must have felt over Lo and Li, but it's VERY likely to be the case. But I'd dare say, in Azula's case, it's even worse because, to put it in another way? It's like taking programming lessons from someone who's never learned a programming language. They'll tell you you're getting things wrong without knowing how to help you get them right because they just DON'T KNOW what you're doing, and are outright INCAPABLE of what you're trying to achieve. They can't offer good guidance based on experience because they have ZERO experience on that subject! And yet they want PERFECTION from you! They expect it!

Lo and Li are these teachers for Azula. We only see them in one scene? And yet everything in the rest of the show suggests that they bring nothing important to the table for Azula, be it professionally, be it personally, be it emotionally... not in any aspect of life.

And this, if you ask me, is why the OG show barely ever brings them into scenes. Why the comics flat-out forgot they existed and even featured people like Sozin and Azulon in Azula's beach hallucinations but NOT the two ladies who looked after her and trained her. Why the live-action didn't even FEATURE them.

And us? The fandom? The fic writers?

I HAVE NO IDEA WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME I READ A FIC THAT HAD LO AND LI INVOLVED IN IT.

I'm not even saying as main characters, I don't even know if that exists, frankly: I mean as minor, or background characters. I have NOT seen those two be used in basically ANY fics I've read. I've scarcely used them in mine! In fact, I PURPOSEFULLY got rid of them early on in Gladiator because I didn't want them to sabotage and get in the way of Azula's progress as a character and I believed they'd do exactly that. They were an obstacle rather than anything useful, so I did away with them and then realized they could still occasionally serve some purpose in certain situations: I even had Azula visit them once and they were actually helpful! Fancy that! But... that's it. That's as far as I could go with them. I can't do MORE with those two because they're not characters one particularly feels compelled to work with.

And from what I've seen? That's the case for everyone.

So, I ask again:

WHY ARE THEY THERE?

WHAT IS THEIR ROLE?

WHAT IS THE POINT OF AZULA HAVING NON-BENDING TEACHERS?

Let's go further and further into logical thinking here, shall we?

Azula is a child. Fourteen years of age at the time she's introduced in the OG show.

Azula has no power over many things around her, particularly, her upbringing. That's in the hands of the adults around her. Her mother, up until she vanished, had some hand in it, then, it all falls to Ozai.

Ozai has been Azula's sole parental figure since Ursa left.

Ozai is the one who would reasonably call the shots regarding Azula's education, as all parents are wont to do... ESPECIALLY when he's a king with absolute power over his children.

... so, Lo and Li? Ozai either gave them the position as Azula's teachers personally, or someone else (Ursa) did, and Ozai either didn't WANT to remove them from the role (cue "Ozai being sentimental over Ursa" theories), or Ozai didn't give a flying fuck about who was training his daughter (cue "Ozai is an abusive dick without a heart or a brain" theories).

Anyone, of course, would likely interject here to say surely Ozai ALSO trained Azula himself because that's what he'd do with his favorite kid, right? See. I don't even disagree with that notion.

BUT IT'S A HEADCANON.

We have zero evidence that Ozai trained her! None! I totally will write that into Azula's backstory in many of my stories, but there's NOTHING in canon to suggest this actually happened and that Ozai was genuinely, actively, frequently involved in her progress as a firebender. Assuming he HAD to be is, still, a headcanon. You can't say that with any more certainty than mine when I say I believe Azula loves spicy foods. Does it seem to be something that would fit with her character? I think so! But if eventually canon goes "AZULA CAN'T STAND SPICY FOODS LOL JOKE'S ON YOU!" I... can't even say a thing about it. People's food tastes aren't reflective of their personalities. They really could do whatever they want in that respect. And that's the case for ANYTHING that isn't part of the show's storytelling or the character backgrounds or any texts we consider canon!

POINT BEING: Ozai, regardless of what you want to headcanon, had Lo and Li as Azula's teachers. HIS FAVORITE CHILD... and her only official instructors are two non-benders. Yang added Kunyo as an old instructor of Azula's when she was young, sure! But Kunyo was sooooo qualified that baby Azula was already kicking his ass. So, for that matter? He doesn't really seem to have been a cornerstone of her firebending development and the only other known teachers for Azula are Lo and Li.

For the last time: Azula's teachers are NON-BENDERS. AS CHOSEN, SANCTIONED, APPROVED AND ACCEPTED BY OZAI.

And with those two remarking on absolutely STUPID stuff like "one hair out of place"? Azula still became the incredible firebender she was.

Cue, now, the irony where Zuko was stuck in the basics 3 years after setting out of the Fire Nation... WITH IROH ACTIVELY SERVING AS HIS MENTOR.

You're not gonna tell me that Lo and Li would EVER be better instructors than Iroh, or are you? Because that makes no sense. Full-stop. Iroh is supposed to be the most profound and complete firebender thorughout the show because he's spiritually enlightened even though I admit I think that's bullshit and he doesn't just teach Zuko how to set things on fire, he actually makes him learn theory and spirituality and his teachings are more profound than just "ONE HAIR OUT OF PLACE".

So.

Banished as he is, disgraced and seen as trash by Ozai, Zuko STILL has a better teacher than Azula does.

... Is this LOGICAL? Is this NORMAL? Does this make SENSE?

If you think Ozai's favoritism of Azula takes the shape of "I'll give you every little thing you ask for, sweetheart, I love you very much, here, have ten million doll houses so you can set them on fire, and all the ponies you ask for and on your next birthday I'll buy you a baby dragon and you'll get your own region of the Fire Nation to govern and a fancy title..."?

Then Lo and Li, unfortunately, are right here to be a HUGE contradiction with your interpretation of Ozai and Azula's relationship.

Azula should have THE BEST teachers. Azula does not. Azula doesn't even LIKE them. Azula is openly shown to dislike them! To be annoyed around them, ANGRY when they're teaching her, she feels they're here to keep tabs on her for her father! In a sense, they're Ozai's SPIES on her! :')

Hence? Ozai's favoritism of Azula MIGHT not be what everyone keeps pretending it is. Maybe Ozai didn't do everything to make Azula get things EASILY... and to be fair? That's not what Zuko said anyway. People interpreted it that way... but that's not REALLY what he says:

"Everything always came easy to her. She's a firebending prodigy, and everyone adores her. My father says she was born lucky. "

Every line in this statement is absolutely questionable and all of it sounds like buuuuullshit to me. This is ZUKO'S perspective. And sorry not sorry, but it's tell-don't-show. People swear by his opinion of Azula and pretend he's absolutely objective about it. He's not.

But "Everything always came easy to her," does not mean "EVERYTHING WAS ALWAYS HANDED OVER TO HER ON A SILVER PLATTER." And yet this is what the fandom has constantly interpreted it as.

Azula might just be a prodigy. Maybe she started out ten steps ahead of her brother: this does not mean she needs no guidance, no training, no help. She's seen training herself over perfectionism in her very second scene of Book 2. And the guidance she gets in order to achieve perfection is actually, objectively, stupid.

This is what Ozai chose for her. This is an OBSTACLE for her growth, just as much as Lo and Li were obstacles for me when I was starting with Gladiator! Azula doesn't have it EASY: she just works herself so damn hard that even shit that should HINDER her does NOT do that. And even when her brother objectively has spent THREE YEARS with an advantage in the shape of being trained by one of the VERY BEST firebenders out there? Azula is still beating Zuko at it. With two non-benders as her teachers.

Where am I going with all this?

To the fact that Lo and Li are overlooked in just about every instance of the fandom.

To the fact that nobody includes them, and their influence on Azula, in their analyses of who Azula is.

I've seen a shitstorm rising over the Netflix characterization of Azula: SHE'S TOO ANGRY, they say. Non-stop. She's sooooo hysterical, all the time! She's just pissed perpetually!

Well. I haven't finished the show yet. But the scenes I've seen Azula in so far? They don't fit the fandom's view of Azula because...

... they're not taking Lo and Li into account.

As usual.

:')

Azula's reactions around Lo and Li being frustration, anger, irritation EVEN in scenes like The Beach, where Azula was FINE until she sees them? That shit is storytelling that went over sooooooo many heads, EVEN MINE! When I saw people going on about how canon Azula is... not insecure? Not angry? Has no frustrations and was only ever smirking 24/7? I... didn't feel that was right. I knew it wasn't right. And when I thought about it hard enough? I realized that one reason why this interpretation of Azula is IMMEDIATELY dismissable is because of Lo and Li: those two constantly made Azula angry. Even if that wasn't their intent, it's nonetheless the effect they'd have on her. And Azula didn't like having them around. She CLEARLY didn't appreciate them the way Zuko does Iroh, for instance! And this could be taken as a flaw on Azula's part... if we EVER saw evidence that these two ladies actually love Azula as a grandchild, or so. If we had any evidence that they actually have cared for her in ways nobody else ever did. If maybe the ones Zuko talks about, upon saying "EVERYONE LOVES AZULA" were these two! And maybe he was jealous of them! Maybe he wanted two old ladies to watch his every move and tell him his every flaw!

... Clearly I'm joking about that last thing, but anyway...

There's nothing to tell us Lo and Li were anything but Ozai's assigned watchdogs to keep control and tabs over Azula. That Azula's immediate reaction upon hearing that someone cares about her is "Oh fuck off, my dad sent you here because he doesn't trust me!" is... telling. It's not just paranoia speaking, even if it sure can be read that way! It's actually Azula's perception of those two, which is 100% supported by what we saw of the twins throughout the show, WHENEVER we did see them: their roles in Azula's life are indeed to keep tabs on her, to keep her under control, to pressure her into perfection, AS OZAI'S AGENTS! Seen this way, it MAKES SENSE for Azula to disregard their concern and immediately assume it's FAKE. She isn't even shown to doubt it, never questions that MAYBE they did care about her! She assumes they don't...

... And considering that, as far as I know, the official concept is that they BOTH LEFT when Azula banished one of them only? That they didn't contest her command, staying to look after her even if she only wanted one? I mean, clearly Azula can't tell them apart, so they could've taken turns: one watches over Azula for 12 hours and the other for the next 12 hours, I don't goddamn know! But they didn't do that. They LEFT. And if they left? It means they don't care remotely as much as they say they do. Not to the point where they'd challenge Azula's orders and help her when they KNOW she's not okay.

And all of this further supports my point.

When we see Azula in the liveaction being angry, bitter, irritable at Ozai's choices?

I see a reflection of the same dynamics that the OG too subtly weaved into Azula's relationship with Lo and Li. I see Azula reacting against Ozai's control over her because she feels it's DISTRUST. She feels it means her father STILL needs to be convinced that she's competent, powerful, ready to do his bidding. It isn't a case where Azula's irritation comes from wanting to rebel against her father... it's Azula wanting her father to UNDERSTAND that she's 100% his supporter and will put everything on the line to serve him and the Fire Nation.

And it's very damn easy to read that exact same thing into Azula's dynamics with Lo and Li as it is to see it EXPLICITLY STATED in the liveaction.

My point?

What the liveaction did is not nearly as much of a distant characterization choice as people think it is.

Ozai is Azula's Achilles' Heel. Everything she became, everything she grew up to be, was for his sake. He molded her to become those things and simply didn't give a shit about raising a daughter, he treated her as a weapon, and absolutely pitted his children against each other, just as much as OTHER adults in their lives did. But the impact of Ozai on Azula in the OG is easy to ignore. Why? Because we SELDOM see them interacting. Because we don't get that side of Azula's character fully explored. Because they didn't want to explore Ozai's character either! They were as cheap as they could be with all these aspects and so, only the people who really got into analyzing things on a deeper level would be able to say, without a doubt, that Ozai abused Azula emotionally with all the expectations and demands he put on his own child. Through the golden child-scapegoat dynamic that people have been bringing up non-stop in the past years.

So, proving herself to her father is what Azula wants to do, more than anything. Proving worthy of his favor, of his approval, is the closest thing she can get to feeling loved. Which is depressing as fuck. Azula gets zero affection: it's not even conditional affection, there's NOTHING for her besides approving words if she gets anything right. And this show's work with Azula's character? It was meant to make these things less invisible to all the fans who like to pretend none of it exists. And yes, I've seen them, crawling all over Twitter shitting themselves in fits of rage because how dare that show pretend Azula EVER had a bad time in her perfect flawless life!!

Well, the irony is that the OG gives you a smidge of evidence -- and yet that's enough -- to show that Ozai was doing very similar things to Azula in ATLA, and her reactions to it?

Huh. No smirks for Lo and Li.

No smirks for the symbols of Ozai's control over her life.

It's almost like the confidence, the smirks, the apparent ease with which she handles everything? Is a front that crumbles easily whenever it concerns the ONE PERSON with power over her life.

I don't believe, worth noting, that Azula's power comes from rage. I've seen people say that in fandom in the past and I find it a completely absurd take when Iroh himself spells out that her bending is about control, about precision, and it's Azula's FURY that makes her a sloppy mess in the finale. It's even INTENTIONAL that when she shoots lightning a second time, in her second establishing scene, THAT SAME HAIR FALLS OUT OF PLACE. She's still angry. She didn't get it "right" this time either. She's imperfect and she's trying NOT to be, but she cannot succeed. And upon bending lightning with emotions (rage/frustration)? That hair falls YET AGAIN out of place. Proof that she's not going to achieve the perfection she's being FORCED (indeed, by her father and the people who are here to represent him, Lo and Li) to strive for.

The liveaction had Ozai pushing Azula for a perfection she couldn't attain either. She's perfectly content in her cruelty at Ozai's side, right until she hears the Avatar was found and that Zuko has a shot at taking away the privileges she's been basking in so far. That she WASN'T nervous about this in canon is pretty damn obvious: OZAI SENT HER TO HUNT ZUKO DOWN FOR BEING A FAILURE. We never saw her reaction to learning that the Avatar was out and about. We have noooo idea what was canonically going on with her back then. The first time we see her besides the flashback is Azula receiving a mission that tells her she's STILL #1 and Zuko is no threat to her because Ozai thinks he's a failure. Thus? She had nothing to fear. Here? Ozai is actively using Zuko as bait to pressure Azula further. And if you're so confident in Ozai's good parenting skills as to believe he somehow WOULDN'T do that? Sounds like you don't understand the very basic and simplistic Fire Lord Ozai from ATLA, and that's not something to be proud of. So probably stop screaming your bad takes at the top of your lungs, because being incapable of understanding Ozai in canon is not a badge of pride, just saying...

FINAL POINT...

This post is not written expressly in the defense of the liveaction and its characterization of Azula. To this point, what I've seen of it doesn't feel WRONG or OFF unless you're the kind of person who thinks Azula is only capable of smirking and if she stops doing that she stops existing or something. Only people who cannot understand the depth, nuance, subtleties in Azula's story would ever be claiming that Azula's relationship with Ozai COUDLN'T be like this, or that Azula couldn't possibly be frustrated with her father or his choices when it's soooo clear what Ozai is going for, and why it's working. But in order to read Azula as a character capable of this range of emotion, frustration and ambition, all at once? You have to be able to treat this character, be it in the liveaction or the OG show, as a human being.

And that's what most the people criticizing this specific change are determined not to do. It's what makes them uncomfy. It's what rustles their jimmies.

Yes. I'm saying it in this very demeaning way because I actually find it quite ridiculous to be this insecure over the portrayal of a fictional 14yo in two TV shows. Whether the liveaction sticks the landing or fails catastrophically, I do not know... but I do know that if it's forcing a bunch of people to rethink Azula's character, and making them panic at the idea that she could EVER have human emotions, even if they're AWFUL human emotions?

Then I'm afraid you're only convincing me that, as bad as that show could ever get? It's getting SOMETHING right. I do love to see misinterpretations of Azula getting slammed in the face by the reality that all those beliefs, headcanons and takes in bad faith are actively, categorically untrue: none of which makes Azula a fundamentally good person, worth noting! But it makes it very clear that reading her as a one-dimensional basic villain, which is what the anti-Azula-redemption crowd actively does, is literally only possible if you overlook, ignore and fail to understand her character and her complexities, be it in the liveaction or in the original show.

There. I said my piece.

Another post, regarding the rest of the liveaction, is bound to come later. I'd say stay tuned but it might take me a while to write it at all. So... wait around and maybe you'll see it someday!

[lolitastories]

🪷WEDDING🪷

Rafe Cameron

“Mija, you can go on ahead to the club” I raise my head to watch my parents dressed up for something other than the country club. “We will meet you for dinner” My mother nods to my fathers words, sending a smile over to me.

“Remember to talk with Francine about the party” They didn’t wait for an answer, already halfway out the door. Ever since I could remember we barely spent time as a family. It was rare to get them at dinner so I knew that they weren’t going to be back for dinner. They remembered birthdays and holidays but other than that, nothing. They were there for some school events but I stopped letting them know about the few last ones my senior year because I felt like I was begging for attention.

“¡Bye Hon!” My dad screamed as the car backed up in the driveway. I closed the door and turned to get my purse.

“You need me to tell Jerry to get the other car ready?” I look over, shaking my head.

“No, thank you Ruby. I will drive myself today” She gives a gentle nod before walking away. As I get into the car I think of not even going but then I turn it one and I think I could skip the country club for today and maybe go to the beach? Then Francine comes to mind and I lose all hope of having a nice day by the waves. Once Francine sees me at the club she will make sure I stay there and I have to see her because she is part of a wedding I am helping plan. Francine is an old friend of my parents, like a second mother and since she has no kids she bestowed that onto me. I make my way to the club and before getting out of the car I take a deep breath and walk in.

“Miss, so glad to see you, how are your parents?” I jumped, hearing the enthusiastic voice from the club's host.

“They are doing great”

“That's amazing to hear, well enjoy your evening” He smiles quickly before running off to his next victims that were just walking in.

“Alone again?” I closed my eyes trying to calm my beating heart down again. People need to stop doing that.

“I feel like I should be reciting Shakespeare right now?” My head moved up seeing Rafe lean over the balcony. Light salmon pink shirt with a fresh buzz cut and the never missing gold ring. “O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?” I lift my hand mocking chivalry. Rafe chuckles, shaking his head.

“So that makes me Juliet?” I shrug my shoulders

“Fuck that, there is no shame in a woman senerating a man” He stand up straight and with a smile, he looks down.

“Well continue my lady,”

“Deny thy father and refuse thy name;” Why was I giving it my all? I laugh inside at my stupidity right now. “Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I’ll no longer be a Capulet.”

“You always had a way with words” He smiled leaning back to his original pose.

“Yes,” Our heads turn to see Francine walking over to me with an unamused look. “Words she decides to keep hidden,” I smile respectfully, giving her a hug. “Hello Rafe,” I held an amused grin on my face. She was literally throwing daggers at him. We knew she didn’t like him, can you blame her? Rafe has a reputation.

“Francine-” She didn’t wait for him to finish before grabbing my arm and pulling me away from the club’s entrance and onto the garden.

“I thought you two were no longer friends”

“We are not,” I said rapidly, I lied quickly on my feet.

“I hope not, he's not a good boy for you my love,” Another smile, what I wanted to say was, “I know what i'm doing. I am too smart to fall for Rafe Cameron but if I did, I will take the blame” I only nod at her said advice. “Now, how about we talk about the wedding?” For a good hour I was following her along the country club and making notes on what exactly she wanted for the wedding. More flowers, clear chairs,mirrored floor, a release of butterflies, and no color other than sky blue and white of course.

“What were you thinking about the ceremony?” She lets out a quick squeal before rushing towards the cliff which was only a small hill with some height overlooking the beach. I walked quickly to see what she was pointing at with such a huge smile.

“We agreed on the beach,” I hear a contempt sigh leave her lips. Her shoulders fall and her eyes soften at the vision of the bride getting married there. “Can’t you see yourself there too?” Too focused on her happiness and excitement, her question caught me off guard. I look down again but quickly shake my head. “You have planned such beautiful weddings, where do you see yours?”

“I can’t set my mind on one,” I chuckled nervously. It wasn’t the whole truth but it wasn’t a lie. Of course I know what I have wanted for my future wedding since I was 6, but as a wedding planner there was one thing I hated the most about planning and it was the grooms. All they did was walk behind the bride, nodding and smiling. Agreeing on everything. I want to think it's to make them happy because a wedding was made out to be more for the bride but hearing the groom speak they let out subtle comments about no caring. I want my future husband to care. I want him to be present in what is the beginning of our future. I want him to be the bridezilla along with me.

“Well don’t settle for only this view” She pointed out. “You can have a destination wedding like somewhere in Italy.” Her eyes grow bigger, “Or the south of France!” She jumps giggling at her ideas. “I am going to go look at venues now, you know how easily they can book up!” There was really no use in saying it was too early to think about my wedding because nothing can change that woman's mind when she gets this excited about something.

“I need a drink-” I closed up my book and was ready to leave when I heard a voice from the shore.

“I got an extra beer” My gaze meets Rafe holding a beer up. “Is it too trashy for you my lady?” My eyes stay glued to him and a small smile appears on my face. “I don’t know any Shakespeare if that's what you want to hear” His arm slowly falls to his side. I look over to the country club and catch a glimpse through the window only to catch Francine rushing out of her office.

“Not trashy Cameron” I smile as I take a seat on the hill. “But I don’t drink beer,” I carefully push myself off and balance myself to walk down the steep hill until I am standing in front of Rafe.

“Worth a shot” He shrugs, putting the beer in his pocket. “I know you don’t drink at all.” I shake my head noticing he only had one beer in sight.

“Honey?!” Our heads turn toward the top of the hill to find no one there but the scream of my name becoming louder and louder. Francine can wait another day

“How about you offer me an escape?” With a glimmer in his eyes he grabs my hand and rush's us down the shore. I take a glimpse unsure of the object but as we move closer I start to laugh. “You bring this everywhere just in case?” My breath is shaky, I am not used to running. I look back seeing the figure of Francine screaming out to me but I choose to turn back to Rafe.

“Who knows when a lady needs my saving,” He puts out his hand for me to take and I oblige. He helps me up to a small row boat and I take a seat on the furthest end.

“Need help?” Rafe shakes his head pushing us offshore and he rushes to get in. “Daddy wouldn’t let you use his yacht?” I smile. I look over to the horizon, as the sun meets, perfectly creating an orange hue.

“No,” He groans, making me chuckle at his annoyance. “Don’t want to risk leaving it unsupervised since those pogue pulled their little stunt on Toppers”

“You always ruin it with your talk about pogues,” I roll my eyes looking back at him again. His arms stop rowing at his eyebrows furrowed.

“It 's true!. Little dirty pogues who don’t come close to us should be taught a lesson soon and for good” I never associated myself with what he would call somebody a pogue but that's because I don’t see them as such. My life has consisted of following my parents and at school and work I am only surrounded by people who are considered good. I never leave my bubble. But money or no money, people are people. As long as you are a good person, you are rich in my book.

“You know,” I look straight into his eyes. “You always mentioned how little Francine makes you feel, do you realize that's how you try to make them feel?”. His small smile falls into a straight line. “Would you want me to treat you less just because of some stupid status?”

“It's not the same, those pogues!-”

“Are human Rafe,” I let out a sigh knowing this conversation was just like the past. “Human beings who weren’t blessed with opportunities we have. They work day and night. It doesn’t matter what their bank account says if they have a good heart.” I move closer to him. “I know you have a good heart too Rafe.” I move my hand under his chin to pull him closer. “That's why I choose to disobey my parents and Francine once in awhile,”

“We tried this once already” He whispers. A slight smile appears on my face remembering how I like and feel having him this close.

“I still have hope,” His forehead rests on mine and a slow breath leaves him. “It was wrong of me to try to change you,” my thumbs caressing his skin.

“I was acting too proud and stubborn. Everybody saw me as such so it angered me.” He opens his eyes, putting a bit of space between us. “I was willing to try but I didn’t want to disappoint you”

“It wasn’t a choice for you to decide what is right for me. I told you I didn’t care about what anybody said and if it went down in flames, I could handle that.”

“But you don’t deserve-” his words paused as I came closer. My lips on his but only for a longing quick kiss to shut him up.

“You put yourself down when I see you more than worthy. Worth the eyes of people judging. Worth the scolding of my parents and definitely worth the hours of talk Francine is sure to give me” I hear his chuckle along with mine. “Do you think we should try this again?” He nodded eagerly, grabbing my neck and pulling me closer but I was quicker and set my hand between us first. “Rules”

“Fine” He groans, pulling apart. He shakes his head before turning his body towards me. “Date night twice a week,” My head falls back in annoyance. When we first tried having a relationship it was hard to adjust. I wasn’t allowed to have a boyfriend and Rafe knew this and decided to stick around. Of course, not being my boyfriend, I wasn't allowed to go out past 8. Not to any party or bonfire by the beach. I was also busy with school and starting my job as a planner to make time for him. That was bad on my part and we had a lot of fights because of it. I also didn’t like going out much, more of a homebody.

“Fine, but one at home date” He whispers okay. “No Pogue talk unless necessary” We need to talk about the important things first.

“Got it.” He smiled at that?. “When Francine is present you give me my place,” I roll my eyes.

“She is a strong woman but I promise.” I would defend him when need be and when it's reasonable. “but if I have to throw myself against her you have to promise not to back down when not only Francine stands against you” my parents can be a handful too. I watch as he stands up placing his hand on his chest. I laughed mostly because the boat was rocking unsteadily. “Rafe!” I hold on looking up at him again.

“It isn’t what we say or think that defines us, but what we do,” I stood up carefully and was shocked at his words.

“You don’t know Shakespeare but you do Jane Austen?”

“You left a copy of her book behind and I got bored,” I rolled my eyes knowing that wasn’t true. “But back to my confession,” I look back as we try our hardest to stay steady. “I will prove to them that I am willing to be someone they see worthy of you.” I walk closer, placing my arms around his neck.

“The only opinion you need is mine, and I think you are worthy” I whisper as he lowers his head to meet mine.

“I have seen enough!” I turn around shocked but only to see a blurry Francine at shore screaming towards me. “Get back here young lady!” Those were the only clear words heard before Rafe and I went flying into the water. My body resurfaced laughing at the action. I look around finding Rafe swimming towards me.

“Am not ready to face the world yet” I smile hopeful towards him.

“And am not ready to face Francine yet so how about we row away?” I nod turning towards the boat. “You don’t have a curfew?” I groan hearing his laugh from behind me. He pushes me up and I slide into the boat.

“Never got to be a rebel teen, I think I have some headaches to make up for,” I turn to help him climb in.

“Then let's go.” he smiles, taking his place and rowing away. “This is not a good look on my part.” He laughs looking back at Francine. “Will definitely be hearing about this,”

“Such a bad influence,” I grin looking at him. “Guess what?” His eyes sparkled hearing my giddy tone.

“I saved your beer” My grin grows bigger as he laughs. I throw him the can and with ease he catches it.

“That's my girl” his girl.

[winchesterwild78]

The Tutor part 4

Master List

Characters: Jensen Ackles x Reader

Warnings: mention of cheating, mention of phone sex, separation, fluff

A/N: Just a quick idea that popped in my head. A short series, maybe 2 or 3 chapters. I don’t know yet. No disrespect to Jensen or his family. This is a work of fiction. Jensen has children in this, but I do not use their real names. 

Reader is a teacher and is asked to tutor Jensen’s child. Things develop between Jensen and the reader. I do not condone cheating, again, this is a work of fiction.

This chapter got a little long. Sorry not sorry. 😀 Please overlook any errors. I wrote this fast and edited it fast. 

Minors DNI 18+

Coming out of your room you were still smiling from the video call and the post Jensen made. You were completely in love with him. There was a glaring problem, you both were married to other people. You made the move to leave your husband, but he was still living with his wife. The fear of him never leaving her and you always being ‘the other woman’ was real and kept creeping into your mind. 

The next few days went pretty fast. Jensen called and video chatted with the kids every chance he could, and you would get a special, private video call after the kids were in bed. 

The night before he was due to fly in you were laying on your bed, earbuds in and having video phone sex with him. You were so into what was going on on your screen, you didn’t hear the front door. Jensen was close to his release, and you were right behind him when you heard a knock at your door. 

Your eyes shot open, grabbing your sheet, “Hello? Who’s there?” Jensen stopped and looked at the screen, sweat on his brow, panting. “Baby? What’s wrong?” “Someone’s knocking at my door.” 

“Hey, Y/N. I just wanted to let you know I’m home.” You swallowed hard, “Oh okay, Welcome home Mrs. Ackles.” You looked at the screen as you said it. Jensen’s eyes went wide. “Why is she home?” He questioned. “I’m not sure.” “Well, damn she just killed the mood, I’m sorry sweetheart.” “It’s okay baby. Once you get home we will have to continue this. When does your flight get in?” “I arrive back at 10am. God I can’t wait to see you.” “Me either baby. You better get some sleep. I love you.” “I love you too, Y/N. Sleep well and tomorrow I’ll be in your arms again.”

You smiled and nodded, “I can’t wait.” After you two hung up, you got dressed and laid down, thinking about Jensen and how the relationship would work when he got home. Especially with his wife back. You decided that would be a problem better solved when he got home. Besides, she has a lover, why can’t he? 

The next morning the house was buzzing with excitement. Jensen was due home in a few hours and the kids were so excited. His wife was less than excited. You heard her on the phone talking about his Instagram post, “No, it wasn’t about me honey. I promise. I don’t know who it was about, but it wasn’t about me. Remember I love you.” 

You scoffed as you walked away. You couldn’t understand how she could throw away such a good thing with Jensen. Sure he isn’t perfect, but there was nothing that could tear you away from him. 

She emerged from the office and greeted you with a big, fake smile. “Good morning, Y/N. How are you today? I surely hope I didn’t interrupt anything last night.” She smirked at you. She did hear you. Did you say Jensen’s name? “Oh, Good morning, no you didn’t, nothing that couldn’t be continued later.” 

She nodded, “So, I was hoping I could talk to you about something.” “Yeah sure, what’s up?” “Well, I saw a post on Jensen’s Instagram that took me by surprise. He mentioned finding the love of his life. As you know, he and I are not on the best of terms, so I know the post isn’t about me. Have you noticed any women around here when you’ve been here?” “No I haven’t, well just you and I, and the nanny.” “Hmm, maybe it’s someone he works with. I refuse to let him make me out to be a fool.” “I’m sure that’s not what he’s doing, maybe the post was about you. Why else would he profess his love publicly?” 

“Yeah, but it’s not about me. We haven’t had sex or even kissed in months. We don’t love each other anymore.” 

Of course you knew all this, but you had to play dumb. “Mrs. Ackles, I’m so sorry. That has to be hard.” “I appreciate it, but it’s not that hard anymore. I’m happy with Josh and I want to build a life with him.” 

Before you could say anything else you heard the front door open and saw Jensen walk in. Your heart leaped in your chest. The kids ran to him and threw their arms around him, “Daddy! You’re home!” “Hey my babies. I missed you three so much, were you good for Ms Y/N?” They smiled and shook their heads yes. 

Jensen saw you and his wife standing in the kitchen. He acknowledged her and you. “Welcome home, Jensen. The kids missed you so much.” “Thank you, Y/N, and thank you again for stepping in and watching them. I appreciate it.” You nodded.

“Y/N, would you please excuse Jensen and I, we have some things to discuss.” “Oh, yeah sure. Welcome home, again.”

With that you left to head to the guest house. You decided to start unpacking and get things cleaned and organized. About twenty minutes later there was a knock on your door. “Come in” you called. You looked up and saw Jensen standing there with a smile on his face. “Come here sweetheart.” He crossed the room and pulled you into a tight hug. “God I missed you.” He kissed the top of your head. You leaned back and he crashed his lips to yours. Moaning into each other’s mouths he led you backwards towards the bed. 

As you fell backwards you giggled. “I missed your laugh, sweetheart.” Jensen kissed your lips, “Now, where did we leave off last night?” “I don’t know about you, but I was so close, Jens.” “Me too, darlin’.” 

You and Jensen quickly shed your clothes. Laying under Jensen and feeling his hands on your body was beyond euphoric. He knew how to touch you and make you feel so completely alive. 

About 45 minutes and 3 orgasms later, you and Jensen were laying on your bed, breathing heavily and trying to cool down. Sweat covered the two of you. Jensen held you in his arms as you laid on his chest. “Baby, how is this going to work with your wife at home?” 

“I told her tonight I wanted a divorce.” You sat up and gasped, “What?” “Yeah, I told her I had found someone I wanted to build a life with, someone I was completely in love with, and I wanted a divorce. I don’t care what it does to my image. I want to be with you, completely and without having to sneak around. You deserve so much better than that.” 

Your breath hitched in your throat. No one had ever put you first. Jensen choosing you over his marriage and his image was a true testament of his love and commitment to you. 

“Jens, I don’t know what to say. I don’t want you to lose your job.” Jensen cupped your face, “Sweetheart, I’m not going to lose my job, I promise.” “What did she say when you told her?” “She said she was fine with going through with it. That she and Josh were in love and she wanted to marry him. I told her I wished her the best. She’s moving in with Josh today, and the kids are staying with me.” 

You smiled and kissed his lips, “I love you, Jensen.” He leaned in more, laying you back on the bed, “I love you too, sweetheart.”

“I better get dressed and back inside. We are telling the kids tonight before she leaves. It’s going to suck.” You touched his arm, “I know it is. Should I stay here or do you want me there, to help the kids?” “I’d love for you to be there, but I think it’s best if you stay here. Once she’s gone you can come in and we will help the kids together.”

You nodded, “Okay, Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do it. My priority is you and the kids.” “I love you for that too. I’m sure if you were in there it would cause questions to come up that I’m not ready to answer.” As he started to climb out of the bed he stopped and looked at you, “Thank you for making me believe in love again. When she’s gone I want you to come into the house.” You nodded and he got up to get dressed. 

After he was gone you laid in the bed thinking about everything that has happened in your life since you met Jensen. You couldn’t believe how fast your life had changed. When you married Jeff you thought you were marrying the love of your life, but you were wrong. Being with Jensen was easy, and you felt things with him you hadn’t felt with anyone, even Jeff. You loved Jensen deeply, and you cared and loved his kids too. He and the kids were home. 

A few hours later you saw his wife leave with a suitcase. You sent Jensen a text.

You: Hey, let me know when you want me to come inside. I don’t want to intrude.

Jensen: You can come in. The kids took it better than I thought they would. There were some tears, but I think they knew it was coming. 

You: I’m glad it went better than you thought it would, I hate they felt it was coming, though. 

Jensen: Me too, now get your cute butt in here. 😙

You smiled and you put your phone away. Walking inside the house you weren’t sure what to expect. Jensen and the kids were sitting on the floor in the living room playing. You smiled when you saw the four of them. Jensen’s green eyes looked up at you with so much love. You bit your lip as you looked at him, and you blushed. 

“Ms. Y/N, mommy left again, she’s moving in with Uncle Josh. We’re going to stay here with daddy and you.” Jensen Jr said to you. “I heard, sweetie, and how does that make you feel?” You asked him. “I guess okay. I love mommy, but I know I get to see her still.” “Yes you do buddy, whenever you want,” Jensen said. 

You looked over at the girls, taking a seat on the floor, you asked them, “How are you two doing?” Jessica looked at you and you snuggled to your side, “I’m okay. I get to live with daddy and you. I love you Ms. Y/N.” You pulled her in your arms, “I love you too sweetheart, I love all of you very much.” Her big green eyes were wide, “Even daddy?” You smiled and nodded, “Yes, even your daddy.” 

Annie sat quietly. You looked at her and then at Jensen. You saw the concern etched in his face. “Annie, sweetie, are you okay?” Jensen asked. Annie looked up and tears were in her eyes. Jensen’s heart broke. She looked over at you and back at Jensen, you noticed her lower lip quivering. 

“Annie, it’s okay, baby. We’re here for you. Talk to us, so we can help you.” Jensen pleaded. The words were caught in her throat. Jensen scooped up his little girl and held her in his arms, tightly. You ushered the other two to their playroom, giving Annie and Jensen some privacy. 

You grabbed the door handle, about to walk outside, and Annie spoke up, “Ms. Y/N, please don’t go too.” You froze in place, turned around and said, “Sweetheart, I’m not going anywhere. I was just going outside so you and daddy could talk.” 

“I don’t want you to leave.” You walked over to her and Jensen and sat down, “Okay, sweetie, I’ll stay.” 

She gave you a slight smile. What she said next completely broke your’s and Jensen’s hearts. “Daddy, why doesn’t mommy love us anymore?” Jensen sat speechless for a minute, “Oh sweetie, mommy does love you and your brother and sister. Mommy and Daddy just don’t love each other enough anymore to stay married. That’s not going to change how either of us feel about you three. I promise you that.” 

She nodded and left the room. Jensen sat on the couch and let out a long sigh. “I guess I need to start telling family and friends, oh and my manager. This is going to go over so well,” Jensen said sarcastically. 

You rubbed his shoulder and took his hand, “Hey, I’m here for you, no matter what. I love you, remember?” He smiled, “Yeah, I remember, thank you baby.” He placed a soft kiss on your lips. 

Jensen stood and walked towards his office. He stopped and looked over at you and smiled. You gave him a soft smile back and nodded. He walked into his office and closed the door. 

Taking a deep breath you started to busy yourself around the house. Cleaning the kitchen and thinking about the future with Jensen and his kids. You knew you were in love with Jensen, and he was in love with you. Nothing else going on mattered, because you knew as long as the two of you had each other you could tackle the world. 

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[steviebbboi]

Napoleon solo cream pie professor trope please thanks

Hello again nonnie! Hope you enjoy the second drabble for our lovely Napoleon <3 Thank you again for participating in my 200 Follower Writing Challenge it means the world! Now, on to the show 'class'!

Pairing: FakeProfessor!Napoleon Solo x Student!Reader

W/C: 1.9k

Prompt(s): Professor AU, creampie

*Napoleon is undercover! Peep the alias name 👀

*also included/TW: MINORS DNI; THIS IS 18+, p in v sex, assumed foreplay, forbidden aspect to relationship, inappropriate relationship between professor/student, reader is in her early 20's, napoleon is undercover/fake identity.

This took a different, and more romantic, turn than I thought that it would lol. Some intense/serious fluff goin' on btwn these two, and tbh, I'm kinda here for it.

One Foot Forward

A muted voice could be heard as you crept closer to Professor Walker’s office. You frowned as the voice became louder in tone, it sounded like he was scolding someone.

“Listen, Peril. It’s not long now that I’ll have what we came for. I’d appreciate a little faith if you could find that in you somewhere in that body of yours.” 

“Peril? Who could that be?” You thought with a frown. You couldn’t hear the response of the person on the other line but you figured they must be a real heap for the professor to respond in such a way.

Instantly feeling guilty, you straightened up and knocked on the door twice and called out, “Professor Walker? Are you busy?”

You heard him hastily rush a goodbye and heard a casual “come in.” Hearing the permission, you entered the room and immediately flushed at the first sight of him sitting at his desk.

Professor August Walker. He’s a real looker for a college professor. When you decided to take Linguistics 101, you definitely didn’t expect for the Professor to be such a distraction. Once news got around campus about the new hot professor who spoke different tongues of what appeals to a woman’s heart, it seemed like only female students came to take the course. 

You really tried to not embarrass yourself like the other girls were (you could hear half of them giggle and swoon in every class), but he was just so handsome. A strong chin defined his angular face, his features cunningly charming enough where a small smirk looked like his natural resting expression. The man didn’t have a fleck nor did he have a blemish on his smooth and cut jawline. A true tall, dark and handsome kinda guy. 

You never questioned his teaching methods, nor did you question his style (even if he would wink at some of the swooning girls or when he would be naturally flirty with some of them if they asked a question). Was it inappropriate? Absolutely. But instead of feeling indignant about it actually happening, you were more upset with the fact that he gave you a D- on the last quiz. 

You were just slightly bitter that his attention was on the other students. They were throwing themselves onto him, sure, but you? You never dared to cross that line, even if he went there first (whether it was a wink or a cunning smile that would make the other girls become frantic). Every flirty attempt, you flushed and brushed it off because you were trying to be a good student. 

You were majoring in linguistics to travel abroad and took him, and his class seriously – overlooked all of these immature discrepancies. So, here you were, actually trying, and he gave you a D-?! 

That’s why you decided to go to his office hours to seriously ask him what he was thinking with this grade. Looking the test over, you could see that the answers that were marked incorrectly were actually right. Unsure of his intentions surrounding the marking of his grades, you decided to find out exactly what his problem was. 

You explained your plight to the professor now as you sat across his desk. You tried to gauge the facial expressions that he was giving you, an eyebrow quirk here, a twitch of a smirk there. Confusion bloomed as a headache as you watched his reactive ‘non-reactions’.

After he lets out a lasting hum of what sounded like curiosity, you couldn’t hold back your scoff. 

Now, that, he had an actual reaction towards.

“Is there another problem, Miss…?” Professor Walker pondered with his perfectly plucked eyebrow raised again.

A pause filled the space for a brief moment as you realized that he forgot your name. You exclaimed your name at him with wide eyes filled with an outraged disbelief. You couldn’t hold back the following words, “What kind of a professor are you?! First, you marked my correct answers wrongfully. Second, you forget one of your students’ names! I understand that you may be taken aback that you have a student who finally doesn’t swoon over your every breath, but that doesn’t mean that you get to treat me this unfairly!” 

You sat back in your chair in a huff as you tried to desperately catch your breath. His silence was palpable as he just sat there with his hands crossed on the desk. As the wind in your breath came back to you, you felt yourself flush again but this time, in embarrassment and shame. 

You just yelled at your professor– you definitely were going to fail the class now. 

Your eyes gravitated towards the cracked tile on the floor as you panicked on what to say, how to apologize for your outburst. But then he said your name so softly that it made you raise your head with regret.

“You’re right. I did mark your answers incorrectly and I do notice that you don’t swoon over me like the other students in class. I have treated you unfairly, and I’m sorry.” He said, his tone casually filled with a mystery of elusiveness despite the explicitness of his words.

“But I didn’t, in fact, forget your name.” 

You squinted over at him suspiciously, any traces of shame or guilt gone from your chest. “Then, what happened just now?”

He cleared his throat as he looked down at his paper covered wooden desk before getting up from his desk chair to straighten his pristine and pressed suit. His veiny hands, that looked uncharacteristically calloused for a professor, were tucked into his trousers in a way that made him look even more charmingly intimidating. He leaned on the desk in front of you now, the proximity of his position allowed you to inhale the intoxicating scent of his cologne. 

“I attempted to cover up my ridiculous cover since I know that I’d never be able to see you again after this.” He responded derisively, almost to himself.

Your brows furrowed in confusion as you tried to dissect the meaning behind his words, only coming up empty handed. Your breath stilted suddenly and the confusion melted into a shy desire as he reached out to tuck a wayward hair behind your ear.

“Tried to make it seem like I didn’t know you, to tempt me less,” he continued as he caressed your cheek. He abruptly chuckled, “but you scolding me, losing your temper, that lovely flush on that radiant complexion drives me crazy.” 

His gaze and touch titled down your neck sensually. In an unconscious daze just at his touch, your head moved with his touch to give him access to your supple and exposed skin. It was only a hint of skin showing between the strap of your dress and your cardigan, but as he stroked it, it felt so forbidden and daring. 

Before you realized, his face was leaning into yours. Any thoughts about what was happening completely escaped you as his lips touched yours. All you could think was that his lips were so soft. You whimpered into his mouth as his tongue expertly caressed yours languidly. 

Next thing you knew, he was carrying you over to the loveseat by the window and you were moaning on top of him with him already inside you. His lips were kissing and sucking along the same spots that his fingers innocently traced earlier in a manner that was far from innocent, but still so devoting. 

Napoleon Solo was a doting lover. Your pleasure was his pleasure. Usually, he’d take his time. But with you, he was more feral. Greedy. Because he knew that if he couldn’t have you, then he’d ruin you.

Your moans started to echo in the small office space as he started grinding into you as you bounced on his cock, which prompted Napoleon to brush a rough hand over your swollen lips to reluctantly muffle your sounds of pleasure. 

“Shhh, be good for me, my little secret.” He muttered into your ear with his own strained groans escaping his lips. His eyes rolled back as he allowed you to grind down on him even deeper as he relaxed his body on the back of the couch. Taking control was his usual forte, naturally. Even sometimes, a role. But with you, in this moment, he didn’t have to be. 

He would allow himself this one luxury of authenticity as everything else in his life was a well-told lie. 

“Professor, please.” You whined against his palm and licked it in wanton desperation. You clenched tighter around his girthy cock and he grunted into your neck as the sensation. 

“Fuck, gripping me so tight. You’re my good little student, aren’t you?” He moaned against your ear once more as he nipped at your earlobe seductively. The hand that wasn’t groping at your curvaceous hips stroked along your skin and in between your tightly-pressed bodies to circle your swollen clit.

“Yes, I’ll be a good student for you, Professor! Please let me cum, please!” You gasped into his mouth as he pulled you in for another forbidden kiss. He started to thrust into you wildly at hearing the eagerness in your voice, his caresses on your bundle of nerves rubbing faster.

You cried out your ecstasy as you felt that knot in your tummy unravel so deliciously. The combination of his grunts in your ear, your clit being stimulated as he drove his fat cock into your wet pussy was just too much to comprehend at once. You couldn’t believe a man as beautiful as he would even want you, would desire you. The way that you were the one to unravel him beyond what others perceived. It was the danger of getting caught that finally drove you to the edge.

Cumming around his cock that was still driving into you deep and slow, your whole body intensely shook as your orgasm seemed to last long enough for Napoleon to loudly groan out his own release against your open lips. 

The feeling of your Professor’s cock throbbing out his spend inside of you felt oddly filling, you bit your lip at the pleasure-filled sensation. Napoleon felt your pussy clench around him one more time and he captured your bottom lip into his own nip as he licked into your panting mouth. The taste of you was too intoxicating, and he wanted this moment to last. 

You left his office with a kiss filled with longing and a promise to see him at the next class. But he didn’t show up for the next class. He was out sick, the office reported. You waited anxiously, no other way to contact him. By the following week though, they replaced him with a new professor. 

You had no idea that that would be the last of your romance with the spy. Never found out the reasons behind his words or his sudden departure. You ended up graduating with your degree and traveling the world. 

The spy never forgot about you though as he fulfilled his mission. Never forgot how captivated he was by you. He glanced over his newspaper at you as you sat at the little cafe overlooking the Seine. Seeing you so confident and flitting about Paris filled him with an unconscious delight. 

The passion filled experience in his fake office shined over his mind once more as he placed one foot forward towards you.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed reading this weird-subtle angst Napoleon. I know his character in the movie is depicted to be quite mischievous and daring, but I thought it would be a cool spin to the inner conflicts that a spy would probs feel under the mask.

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[formula1fanfiction]

Max Verstappen / George Russell

Title: Last call casualty

Pairing: Max Verstappen / George Russell

Characters: Max Verstappen, George Russell, Alex Albon

Prompt: Max thinks a good fuck will help George not be so uptight, but it turns out they are in love

Ao3 Link

Alex smiles at George from where he's sat on a small table behind the bar, he's already got George's favourite beer waiting for him. He had called Alex during a fit of tears, Carmen walked out on him. Somehow Alex had convinced him to go out for a drink and by some miracle he managed to pull himself together enough to actually leave the apartment. Although honestly, he'd rather be anywhere else.

"Oh Georgie." Alex stands up and pulls him into a hug, he quickly becomes aware of his surrounding's and sits back down again, pressing the pint of beer into George's hand. “Why did Carmen dump you anyway.” George feels his cheeks heating up. “She had enough of fucking me with a strap on” Alex bursts into laughter, he laughs so hard tears roll down his cheeks. “Seriously George tell me… wait, you’re serious?” The look on his face must have said it all. “That’s not even the worst part, she walked out saying if I wanted to fuck people, I would have been a Lesbian, but I know I’m straight unlike you” 

Alex stares at him for a long moment. “And are you gay George?” It’s a serious question, he takes George’s hand and gives it a light squeeze. “I don’t think so, I can’t cum without having something inside of me, I think that was the problem if I’m honest” Alex walks around the table and hugs him tight, he doesn't seem to care who sees them this time. “Oh Georgie, what are we going to do with you?”

He agrees to meet Alex again the next morning in a small coffee shop overlooking the Monaco harbour. The bells on the door twinkle as he pushes it open he's not only met by Alex's smiling face but Max's too, seeing the Dutchman almost makes him want to walk back out again, the end of the 2024 season has not been forgotten, by George anyway.

"Why did you have to invite him?" George snaps, reluctantly taking the seat next to Max, so he can give Alex the death stare. "Hello to you too George." Max raises his eyebrow, a small bit of cappuccino foam is stuck to his upper lip, it's almost endearing, at least it would be if it was anyone but Max. "Sorry Max, hello, how's Kelly?" It's a cheap dig, a low blow even for George. Max is the only openly gay driver on the grid, his sexuality only coming to light once her pregnancy was revealed. Max smile doesn't falter. "She's doing very well thank you, we're having a girl by the way."

"Sorry, that wasn't ok." Max only shrugs at him, spinning around in his chair so they are face to face.   “The problem with you George, you’re sexually frustrated, what you need is, a good hard fuck.” Max smirks at him, giving intense eye contact which sends shivers down George’s spine. “And not from your girl- sorry Ex girlfriend” 

George almost chokes on his espresso. “You told him” George snaps at Alex over Max’s head who at least has the audacity to look sheepish. “I told you all that in confidence” Alex reaches over and squeezes George's hand. “I’m sorry George, but you do need a good fuck, you're all tense and angry all the time.” All the time? His relationship has only just ended.  “But why did you have to tell him, he was a dick to me in the media” Max chuckles standing up and massages George’s shoulders. “The real thing feels so much better than a strap on Georgie” His breath tickles his ear, his cock gives a little twitch in his jeans, it makes him feel disgusting and dirty.

"I'm not gay." George stumbles over his words, earning him an eyebrow raise from Alex, Max chuckles again his lips still pressed against his ear. "Who said anything about being gay? I fuck the tension out of you, then you loosen the fuck up, and it's a win for everybody." George remains silent, his mouth falling open from the shock of it. "Just think about it George, i'm not going to make you kiss me, or suck my cock or anything like that." Max licks the foam from his lip, George is memorised by it, he imagines having that mouth on him, wrapped around his cock." He shakes the thought out of his head. "You're not going to hurt me or anything are you?"

"Sweet Georgie." Max mocks. "I want to fuck the tension out of you, not add even more. Just think about it okay?" George does think about it, for a whole three seconds, he must be out of his mind because he says yes.

They agree to do it in a hotel room, somewhere neutral. Max pays for the room, it's a huge suite. George finds himself sat on the edge of the bed. "Here drink this, it will help loosen you up a little bit." Max hands him a glass of wine from the mini bar. George takes it and stares at the clear liquid. "It's not roofied or anything is it?"

"Look George." Max kneels down in front of him, cupping George's face in hands. "We don't have to do this, Alex thinks it will help you, I want to help you too, but I want you to be comfortable" George sniffs back the tears threatening to fall, he didn't expect Max to be so soft and gentle.

"No I want to do it." George says it a little bit too eagerly. "It's just, it really hurts a lot and Carmen's strap is only small." Max nods, reaching for the bag pack behind him, of course Max would bring Red bull merch, to whatever this is, it eases the tension a little bit. "It shouldn't hurt George, it can be uncomfortable but never painful. Are you using enough lube? Maybe you're doing enough stretching, it's fairly straightforward.  

"We don't do any of that? We just go in raw I guess." Max's eyes widen. "No wonder it hurts you fucking idiot, i'm surprised you didn't give yourself an injury." Max takes a bottle of lube and condoms out of the bag and tosses them on the bed. "What are your thoughts?"

"Can I see your cock?" George blurts out. "Sorry, I just want to see how big you are." Max doesn't say anything, just unpops the button on his jeans and lets them pool around his ankles along with his boxer shorts. He's hot hard yet, he squeezes his cock which makes it twitch in his palm. He's smaller than George but it's a lot thicker. "What do you think?" Max asks, sounding unsure of himself for the first time. "I'd better show you mine too." Max chuckles, that seems to bring his confidence back. "I mean you could have left your shirt on George, 'i've seen your abs before."

George lays himself in the middle of the bed, cock in his hand. "I take this means you want me to fuck you?" George can only nod, he feels a little bit too embarrassed to admit it out loud. Max settles himself between George's long legs. "And you're sure you want this?" George nods again. "I need verbal consent, George."

"Yes. fuck me please." Jesus, why did he have to sound like a desperate whore? Max places a pillow underneath George's hips. "I'm going to show you how it's done, but please tell me if it does hurt, ok?"

Max raises George's leg and bends it towards his chest, exposing his hole. "You're cute." Max says while coating his fingers with lube, he uses far too much, George watches as it drips from his fingers. "Are you ready?" George nods, gripping a fistful of bed sheets in anticipation.

Max slowly pushes in his first finger to the knuckle. "How does it feel?" Max asks while stroking George's thigh with his other hand, it feels so nice a small sound escapes out of his mouth. "Good, just strange, but not painful or anything" Max nods. "Just tell me to stop if it hurts." Max experimentally twists and turns his finger before slowly pushing the digit in and out, going quicker as George loosens up around him.

It feels nice. "Do you think you can manage another one?" Max asks? Kissing George's tummy this time, it feels strangely nice. "Please." Max slowly sinks the second finger inside, scissoring them apart. Max slowly works his way up to four fingers and soon he's pounding them in and out of George  with ease. It feels like Max is never going to stop, he keeps on thrusting into George. "Max, please." He pulls his fingers out slowly, with a smirk. "All you had to do was ask."

"How do you want do this, George?" He shrugs, Carmen makes him lay on his front and assaults his insides until he cums all over himself embarrassingly fast. Max must sense his hesitation. "Are you ok on your back, I would like to look at you while I fuck you." George nods. "Yes please."

George watches as Max rolls on the condom. "Are you ready for me? You can stop at anytime ok." George nods. "I want to feel you, Max please." Max takes George's long, skinny legs and wraps them around his waist. "Tonight is all about you, sweetheart?" It was a slip of the tongue, Max probably hasn't realised he's said but George's heart flutters. Fuck he's down bad.

Max takes George's hips in a gentle grip and slowly enters, filling him up an inch at a time. A small whine escapes George's throat, as he throws his head back into the mountain of pillows and waits for the pain to arrive, but it never does even when Max is balls deep inside of him. Max stalls, reading the look on George's face. "I'm good Max, you can move."

"Fuck George, you feel so perfectly wrapped around me like this, I-" George cuts him off, leaning up and presses their mouths together, he doesn't know why he does it, but it feels so right. "Wow." Max pants, pulling away from George's lips and starts move, pressing slow and shallow thrusts into George's body. George groans it just feels so good, he loses his head a little bit and lays back and enjoys what Max is willing giving to him, he can worry about his feeling later, all he wants right now is Max.  

Max snaps up his hips and speeds up a little bit and change the angle ever so slightly, whatever Max did, it causes George to see stars. "Fuck, do that again." Max chuckles and does as he's told, but this time he takes George's leaking cock into his hand and strokes him to the same pace as his thrusts. "Think you can take a bit more, George?"

"Please Max, Please." Max holds George's hips in a tight grip and speeds up his thrusts, making sure he hits George's prostate every time. It feels amazing, George is pretty sure nothing in his life has ever felt as good as this. Max keeps slamming into him until George can't take it anymore, he cries out Max's name as he cums, spilling himself over his stomach and Max's hand.

"You looked so good falling apart for me sweetheart, you're going to make me cum." "Oh baby boy, you look so good when you fall apart." Max chuckles,and speeds up a little, as he reaches his own climax. Max smashes his mouth against George's as he cums, filling the condom with his cum George can feel the heat of it through the latex and wishes it could be inside of him.     

"How are you feeling now?" Max speaks softly, as he eases out of George, he hesitates for a few seconds, then pulls George against his chest. Fuck what has he done? Fuck fuck fuck. "Less tense, I hope."

"I'm sorry Max, I don't know what happened to me." Max stares at him for a moment, contemplating his words. “Do you think you might be gay George? Max asks while drawing on George’s chest with his finger, goose pimples pricking up. It feels different to when Alex asked him, he feels more sure that he is but he's scared, it's something he's never even admitted to himself before. “I don’t know” 

“You were really into it George, I think you might be.” George nods, sniffing back the tears “hey, it’s nothing to be ashamed of, I’m openly gay and proud” Max's eyes sparkle. "Yes and I really respect you for that, but I only have a handful of fans everyone else hates me, it feels like it will be just another reason for them to send me horrible comments." George sniffs again, why is he such a cry baby? 

“You don’t have to come out until you feel ready, how do you feel about me? Would this be something you want to do again? George’s heart speeds up seeing the hopeful look on Max’s face. He wants to do this again, more than anything but dare he admit it out loud? "I like you George." Max blurts out in one mad rush. "That's part of the reason Alex arranged this."  

George thinks for a second, ok that's huge news and he thinks he likes Max too. “I would like to do this again would you be fucking me?” Max shrugs “sure if that’s what you want, do you think you’re a bottom?” George bites down hard on his bottom lip “I can’t come without something in me, are you a top?” 

“You're a definite bottom then, I’m not really anything to be honest, I’ll happily top for you, if you were a top I’d happily bottom for you, it’s not even a switch thing I just like pleasing my partners and making them happy”

"So what do you think George, do you like me too?" Max looks so scared and shy it's adorable. "Shut up and kiss me." Max chuckles. "I'll take that as a yes."  

[sylaurin]

I actually wrote a thing! You might have seen a few lines from this in wip posts, but here's the whole thing!

In the rooftop gardens of the Ala Mhigan palace sits a red haired hyuran woman watching the sunset on this early spring evening. A woman who holds many titles; soldier, spy, assassin, diligent daughter, loving wife and now expected mother. Iskra eir Baelsar is lost in thought about that recent addition, unsure how to feel about it. She knows she should be happy, but she hadn't even dreamed of starting a family since hers was taken from her all those years ago.

“Thiago will be thrilled,” she thinks to herself, and smiles as she imagines how his face will look when she tells him. The emotions swelling inside cause her to bring her hands to her chest but once they do a realization hits. Lightly pressing against the scar tissue in the center of her chest, where she should feel a steady heartbeat is only a nearly imperceptible thrum of her adamantine heart. A constant reminder that there are people, even among those that she should count as allies, that would see her dead. People that wouldn't hesitate hurt her family, even children, just to get at her. While it would be painful to lose Thiago or Gaius or even Livia, they were all soldiers who know the risks and accept them willingly. Losing a child would be world ending.

A hand clasping her shoulder snaps Iskra back to reality with a start; she had not perceived the other woman’s approach. “Hey, Rat! I’ve called out to you several times now!” Livia snapped. “I know you’re good at ignoring me, but you’ve never let me sneak up on you like this before - especially without even trying.”

Iskra turns to see her younger, but much taller, Garlean sister, Livia sas Junius, looming over her with a puzzled expression on her face “Oh, hello Livia. Sorry, I guess I was more distracted than I thought.”

“What? No snappy come back or threats of violence? Are you feeling well?” Livia quips as she places her hand on Iskra’s forehead as if to check for a fever. “I heard you were at medical today.”

“Just a routine check-up.” Iskra taps her chest “Gotta make sure the ‘heart’ is still running right.” Not entirely a lie - but not the full reason she went to see the doctor today.

“And is it?” Livia asked, "You looked a bit troubled.”

“Oh yeah, doc says this thing will likely outlast me. I’ve just had a busy time getting ready for the VIP visit next week. I need to make sure the rebels don't try anything. You know how it is.” Again, not entirely a lie.

“If you say so.” Livia replies, not convinced but unwilling to press the matter. “Why are you out here instead of at home? Did Thiago finally come to his senses and toss you out?”

“Hah, you’d like that wouldn’t you? No, it’s his turn to host the weekly card game, and I wanted some quiet time. Plus, Rhitahtyn always accuses me of cheating by tipping off Thiago when I’m there.”

“Do you?” Livia raises an eyebrow

“Of course,” she smirked, “but he can’t prove it!”

Livia couldn’t help but laugh at the shamelessness of the response “As expected of a rat.”

“Yeah, yeah, keep howling, dog.” Iskra shot back with a chuckle.

As their laughter subsides Iskra turns back to the horizon to look over the city, a slightly melancholic expression comes across her face. “Do you ever think about leaving?”

“What, Ala Mhigo? Well, we won't be here forever. Eventually the Empire will have need of us to push out it's borders again,” Livia responds

“No, I mean the Empire.” Iskra clarifies

“What?!” Livia quickly turns to look at her sister, shocked at the question “Is this some kind of loyalty test? Planning to run to Gaius if I don't answer properly?” She squints her eyes at Iskra, looking for signs of deception.

“No. No tests. I'm not speaking as Iskra ‘spymaster of the XIVth legion’. I'm asking as your sister.” Iskra assures while still overlooking the city, not wanting to look directly at Livia.

“No,” Livia responded flatly. “I have no reason to want to. Gaius gave me a place and purpose in the XIVth, and nothing would make me throw that back in his face. Though,” she mused, “hypothetically, if he had reason to leave, then I would follow him. But! That's the only reason I would consider it.”

“Only for him, huh?” Iskra spoke softly to herself, barely above a whisper. It was the expected response to her question, but for some reason, it stung a little to hear.

“What was that?” Livia asks, not able to hear what Iskra had said.

“Oh! Nothing.” Iskra replies, shaking the line of thought from her head. “That's the response I expected from you. I know you'd never leave Gaius’ side for anything.”

“Fair is fair, rat. What about you? Thinking of running away?” Livia tosses the question back at Iskra.

“Me? Well, obviously, I wasn’t always part of the Empire, so I do on occasion wish I was back on the farm with my family. But that life was taken from me and, like you, Gaius gave me a new family in the XIVth. So, I’m sorry to say, you’re stuck with me.” Iskra answers with a smirk. The years of spycraft has made lying as easy as breathing, but was it a lie? She wasn’t certain yet, but she was certain that it’s something her and Thiago will have a very long discussion about.

As the last bit of sun disappears behind the distant mountains, the automatic lights in the garden flicker on. Iskra looks at her watch “Well, I better be getting home. I have another busy day tomorrow.” She stands, stretches her legs, and adjusts her jacket. “Have a good night, Livia.”

“Yeah, have a good night.”

As Iskra departs, Livia turns her attention back to the view of the city. “What an odd conversation.” she says to herself. A chill wind blows through the gardens, causing Livia to zip up her jacket fully. “Probably get back inside before I'm the one in medical” she muses as she puts her hands in her jacket pockets and makes her way back inside the palace.

[wintersnwnderlnd]

Daughter of the Queens Three, pt. 1

Imagine Hera, Amphitrite, and Persephone making a deal behind their husbands backs the same night they swore no more forbidden children.

Imagine being Hera, Amphitrite and Persephone's daughter.

I smiled as the waves crashed outside the open window, the scent of daffodils wafting through the air as light gleamed in my face.

"Good morning mom!" I stretched, giggling as one of the waves crashed particularly hard causing it to spray me through the window. Throwing on a linen hoodie, I wrestled by curls into a messy bun making my way through the house.

Pouring a cup of coffee, I went outside to sit on the porch to watch the sunrise. Humming softly, I noticed something move from the corner of my eye. A nymph ducked behind the tree with a giggle, having been caught.

"Princess, your mother says its time." She said, having finally stopped laughing and came over to sit. Sighing, I looked out at the sea once more before nodding.

"If that is what Mother has decided so be it. I knew it would come soon; I'm already packed." Looking down at the coffee in hand, I couldn't help the nervousness that was building in me. How would they react? How would they respond to learning they have a new stepsister? One that links all of them. How would Chiron respond, or Mr. D when they learned who exactly my godly parent, or in this case parents were.

"Princess? Are you sure you're ready?" Naisephe questioned, gently placing a hand on mine.

I smiled, looking up at her, "Yes. Just worried. Let's get going."

*************

Coming over the hill, I groaned softly.

"Not to worry Princess! It's just past these trees!" Naisephe called, standing at the top overlooking the camp. Coming up beside her, I couldn't help the gasp that left me as I caught sight of the camp.

It was beautiful. Truly and utterly beautiful.

I could tell why Mother wanted to send me here.

"Come Princess, we must announce your arrival with the Director." Naisephe exclaimed, clapping her hands happily before taking hold of mine and leading me into the camp.

I couldn't help but notice everyone stopping and turning to look at us as we walked through the camp headed towards the Big House. Was it what I was wearing? Had it been a while since they had last gotten a new demigod? Was it because Naisephe was with me?

"We're here! It's just through these doors Princess!" Her excitedness was nearly palpable, as the people closest to us began to whisper. "Chiron, hello? I brought her!".

Walking through the hall, a door at the end swung open, revealing the towering Centaur waiting for us. I twitched nervously as my anxiety once again started to act up. Would I be outcast for having multiple godly parents? Would I be a freak even here?

A warmth spread over me, the ghostly feeling of a hug taking over my senses as Mother did her best to calm me down even from afar. I smiled softly, taking a deep breath.

"Ah, young Lya. We've been waiting for you." Chiron spoke, a feeling of comfort, different from mother's spread through the air. I could tell he was a safe person, that he wouldn't let anything happen to me if he could avoid it.

"Hi, um I don't know what I'm supposed to do beyond getting here. Mother, she didn't exactly write a letter telling me what to do." I muttered, looking up at the man before me. He gestured beside me, towards a seat at the table. Dionysus already sat there, sipping on, something.

"You already know your godly parent? You've spoken to them?" He questioned, as I took a seat.

I blushed, ducking my head, "It's kind of complicated but yes."

Dionysus looked increasingly annoyed as the conversation went on, "Well, out with it!".

Taking a deep breath, I felt Naisephe squeeze my shoulder, "My name is Elysia Ourania Oceana named after my mothers," I heard Chiron's sharp inhale at mothers, "Amphitrite, Persephone, and Hera.".

My eyes snapped open as I heard a chair fall over and watched in worry as Dionysus fell backwards.

[sammydreamer]

Hey, everyone! Sorry for being kinda dead lately. I went on vacation to Chicago, so there was pretty much no time to make any posts or anything like that. But I’m back with a…

New romantic F/O drop (OC edition)!

I’m not gonna stall any further…say hello (once again) to Genevieve!

Yep, she has a name now, and a very, very pretty one at that! I’ve been thinking WAY too much about this lovely alien dino lately, as she just brings me so much love and joy! In fact, I’m tempted to make her a primary F/O, I just love her THAT much!!

I want to briefly tell y’all about her story. Born as Jenav’iyah, she hails from the planet N’shav’riya. Her species is called Va’rethi, a race of sapient dragon-dinosaurs known for their fierce intelligence, empathy, and biological adaptability. Because of their planet’s higher gravity, they evolved to be dense-boned, muscular, and mostly quadrupedal. However, they have also adapted to standing and walking on two legs for more delicate tasks, aided by opposable thumbs on their front legs.

Jenav’iyah was a bit of an outlier in her species. She was bipedal for longer times than most and had a desire to explore another place, particularly Earth. And after a devastating world war that left Earth broken but able to heal, she saw the perfect opportunity: a position in her species’ Cultural Liaison Corps, aimed to study human behavior, coordinate peace, and rebuild the planet.

She was assigned to a relatively remote place on a large hill, overlooking a marvelous city below. And this is when she met me. I had survived horrible traumatic events during the war, and so I retired to a place to finally rest my soul. But little did I know that soon, I would be in the company of a beautiful alien dino. We eventually got married, she took up the name Genevieve, and we lived happily ever after.

I won’t spoil the details this soon, but I will share the biggest quirk of our relationship. Whenever she stands and walks on two legs…I melt. Blush. Get completely flustered. I cannot explain why, but I LOVE it when she does it. Time after time, she has learned to “weaponize” this to her advantage, surprising me in unique ways every time. Her bipedal stance is enough to get me out of a bad mood…even if it means my face gets completely red.

There are much more details to go over with the two of us. But in summary…

I love, love, LOVE her to death. I would literally do anything for my sweet wife. Aaaaaaaaaaaaa I’m melting already 💖💖💖💖

Please read my full DNI in pinned before interacting.

[melanieph321]

Ruben Dias x Reader - Fix You Part 8/10

Part 9 and 10 are out on my Patreon!

Summary - Reader is hired as Ruben's assistant nurse after receiving head trauma during a football game. He has fallen into a deep depression on his road to recovery and does not accept much help from Reader as she only reminds him of how incapable he is.

Enjoy!

Your eyes widened as you caught a glimpse of the massive sphere that was the Etihad stadium. You weren't the biggest football fan, nor did you root for any particular team. However, what Ruben did for a living was undoubtedly a cool job. He took you to the Etihad campus and showed you around the grounds where players, male, female, young and grown, were running across the green fields. Ruben must've understandably missed this place after being forced to stay away for so long.

"Well, well, look who's back from the dead."

You were met by a cluster of players on your way through campus, people who smiled at the sight of Ruben, stopping to say hello, asking him how he was holding up.

"Is it happening, are you fit to train with us again?" Said a man with a cheeky smile. You recognized him from Ruben's birthday party.

"Nah, sorry Jack. I'm just showing my girl around campus." Ruben grabbed a hold of your hand, ushering you to step forward.

The man eyed you up and down, a large grin on his lips. "Whatever you do love, don't let Ruben here lure you into the gym. He'll convince you to work out for three hours straight. Trust me, I've been fooled once."

"Noted." You smiled. Ruben, however, blushed in anger, giving his friend a stern look.

"What? It's true." Jack shrugged. "Don't you remember that time you made me...."

"Is Frank around?" Ruben coughed.

"I think he's out back with the rest of the team, why?"

Ruben looked to you before answering that question. "We just need to talk, that's all."

"Alright. It was nice seeing you Rub's, we miss you around here, captain."

"I'll see you around Jack."

You and Ruben continued towards the main building. Ruben explained that this is where the first team played. It seemed like serious business just entering their training grounds. Ruben had you wait for him in the stands overlooking the football field. He went down to talk to two men who were not as happy as Jack to see him.

"No, it's not possible, Ruben. I will not risk it."

"Coach please, hear me out."

"No. I refuse!"

Ruben carried himself more stiffly, speaking to the two men. He was arguing for a cause judging by his mannerism and the way he was gesticulating with his arms. Nevertheless, the two men did not seem to give him any sympathy, especially not the bald one. He seemingly put an end to the conversation with a dismissive gesture, resulting in Ruben storming off the field back towards the stands.

"We're done here, let's go." He muttered.

"But I thought you said you'd show me...."

"Next time Y/N, let's fucking go!"

You jumped out of sheer surprise. Ruben had snapped at you, the first time doing so. You trembled to grab the hand that he offered you, not because he wanted to have you near, but because he wanted your exit from campus to be as quick as possible. You returned to the campus parking lot, to Ruben's car, which he drove home in silence.

Read full chapter and more on my Patreon!

[thebisexualdogdad]

Hello love, can I get stephanie brown x GN! Reader who is Oliver Queens and Dinah Lance's kid.

Thank you!

Stephanie Brown x GN!reader

● you meet Stephanie when your parents send you to Gotham to investigate Bruce Wayne aka Batman's death

● you save the knights from a battle with the talon sending an arrow that explodes and temporarily blinds him, allowing them to escape

● Carrie "where the hell did that come from??"

● Stephanie "I don't know but I don't think we should stick around and find out"

● Harper jumps into the drivers seat of the van and Turner opens the back door where you're just chilling

● "the Gotham Knights I presume? We need to talk"

● you explain who you are and why you're in Gotham as they drive back to the belfry

● and back at the belfry they tell you about the court of owls and how they set them up to take the fall for Bruce's death

● Cullen immediately notices you and Stephanie can't keep your eyes off each other

● Turner offers to let you stay with them at the belfry but you've already got a penthouse you're renting using your father's money, if you're going to be staying in Gotham for a while why not do it in style

● you don't tell them that though, you still don't fully trust some of them, one is the jokers daughter after all

● when you're gone Cullen teases Stephanie about the heart eyes she was giving you

● Cullen "So Y/N… they were cute… and totally into you"

● Stephanie "we are not talking about my love life right now"

● you keep your parents updated on everything you learn while you and the knights try to unravel the secret society ruling Gotham

● Oliver "this court of owls seem dangerous, do you need backup? Connor can be there by morning"

● "how can I learn to be on my own when you're always sending my older brother to play babysitter"

● Dinah "that's not what your father meant, Connor just has a few more years experience on you and could help you and what are they calling themselves? The Gotham knights?"

● "I've got this mom, they certainly aren't the justice league but the knights are smart, especially Stephanie"

● Dinah "Oh? Tell me more about this Stephanie, is she cute?"

● "I'm hanging up now"

● over the next few weeks you and Stephanie get close

● you teach her how to fight

● she's actually pretty good at it, she just needed to take the time to learn the basics

● the first time she wins during a sparring session you end up on your back with her on top of you

● you're just staring at each other breathing heavily

● you think she's about to kiss you when Cullen accidently interrupts

● "who wants pizza- oops sorry, pizza can wait"

● and once again he teases Stephanie for what he saw

● Cullen "you were about to kiss!"

● Turner "who was about to kiss?"

● Cullen "Stephanie and Y/N"

● Stephanie "we were not! We were just sparring!"

● Duela "Oh is that what those grunting noises were? I Thought you two were finally releasing all your pent up sexual frustration"

● Stephanie "I hate all of you"

● she takes you to all her favorite places in Gotham

● from the best restaurants to hidden spots that overlook the entire city

● her parents would be so mad if they found out she was riding around on the back of your motorcycle and that gives her an extra thrill

● eventually she feels comfortable enough with you to open up to you about her moms addiction

● "my uncle Roy struggled with addiction, he's been sober for a few years now but he went though some rough times when I was a kid, he stayed with us when my parents were helping him get clean"

● Stephanie feels like a weight is lifted being able to finally talk about this with someone

● you get hurt during a run in with the court and end up telling the knights about your penthouse because it's closer than the belfry and you need medical attention as soon as possible

● Stephanie is stitching you up while the others are in awe of the luxury home you're staying in

● Duela "are you serious! You've been staying here this entire time and you still made us sleep on wooden benches in that shithole belfry!"

● "well sorry I didn't know if I could trust you guys when we first met"

● Harper yelling from the bathroom "guys! The water pressure in this shower is amazing!"

● meanwhile Cullen is raiding the kitchen for snacks

● everyone finds a place to sleep for the night in the various beds and couches while you and Stephanie go out on the balcony to talk

● "how are you feeling?"

● "all good, it's not the worst injury I've ever endured, you see this scar on my shoulder? My brother once switched out my arrows for boomerang arrows during training, my mom was pissed but my dad found it hilarious"

● "do you miss Star City?"

● "I miss my family but there are certain things here in Gotham that I can't find back home"

● "like what?"

● "like you"

● Stephanie smiles and she kisses you

● Star City already had its fair share of archers, maybe your parents would let you stick around Gotham a little while longer after you were done with your mission

[andreabandrea]

HELLO, just wanted to let you know that me and a friend of mine liked your critique essay on UTY so much that we spent the good part of an hour quoting it and discussing it back and forth. it was that special kind of catharsis you only get seeing someone point out the same flaws you saw. sorry for the long ask, but i wanted to share a few of our observations on the character writing.

hard agree about the original characters not leaving a huge impression. as a fellow enjoyer of morally grey women i especially share your disappointment with ceroba. and while her (and chijin's) portrayal in the story brushing past their horrible actions is problematic like you said, i think the underlying issue is more structural.

you know that trope of the Male Hero with Dead Wife Backstory? the only way i can describe my impression of the ketsukane storyline is if they'd swapped the roles of who died in that trope, and STILL managed to give the male character more agency in the story than his alive wife. i mean what... is Ceroba's role in the story aside from acting as a postmortem extension of Chujin's. Who IS Ceroba by herself when she isn't being defined by her role as Wife and Mother. The main sign that this was overlooked, imo, is how it's taken for granted that Ceroba even takes up Chujin's will at all. I mean, she's a housewife who grew up as a farmer. Why on earth would she have the necessary expertise to even attempt something like that? Either 1) Chujin already did everything for her (which, once again, sure doesn't give her own actions much of any bearing on the plot) or it's just taken for granted that she would. Because Ceroba's character is Good Wife, and a good wife would fulfill her husband's last will. No need to question that.

In addition, it's like the writing didn't want to commit to her delusions and little character development. She feels that her daughter is alive and thinks she can save her—wait no that was a lie—wait it wasn't. The moment she's defeated she goes "Agh, what was I thinking!" out loud (which is already a questionable writing choice imo but i digress), and recognizes that sacrificing Clover for her plans is horrible... and then 5 seconds later Clover chooses to sacrifice themself to break the barrier and whoops nevermind she's suddenly the one getting the others onboard with the idea... wait. didn't she say she was making the serum because the humans would've only slaughtered them again if they broke the barrier? oh wait wasn't that also chujin again? whoops.

It's not a matter of things being contradictory—grief can be just that, which I'm assuming is what the story wanted to drive at—it's a about it being inconsistent. And the result is that she just rings hollow to me.

(post being referenced)

this is such a good analysis of why the Ceroba plotline doesn't quite work, and I'm so glad you shared it! you're right. it is super disappointing that her entire role is just to be an extension of her husband's character, and we don't know who she is outside of "the good wife" and mother.

regarding grief and inconsistency-- I think that stories ultimately need to be held to a higher standard than real life. Real life, obviously, doesn't follow a three-act plot structure and things can and do happen for no reason, and sometimes there is no closure, and so on. But everything in fiction is expected to be there for a reason-- this is why "Chekov's gun" exists. Ceroba's inconsistent feelings about sacrificing Clover or Kanako's current status could be seen as indicative of grief, but it also makes for a poor story.

I feel like the "Kanako is alive still maybe in Alphys's lab" plotline may have been dropped because this can't really be answered in a meaningful way and still line up with canon Undertale. Kanako can't be alive and fallen down because we don't see her in the True Lab in Undertale, but she also can't be an amalgamate because we don't see her in any of the amalgamates (because, you know, she doesn't exist in canon Undertale). I guess you could say she's in a Memoryhead or something? It's an interesting idea to show the grief of one of the families who sent a loved one to Alphys's determination experiment, but the way Ceroba flip flops back and forth and then ultimately stops talking about it feels unfulfilling.

I would have liked to have seen any sort of resolution that doesn't require a direct answer about Kanako-- maybe Ceroba feeling unworthy of facing Kanako again after what she did, at least not yet. Or Ceroba accepting that Kanako is likely dead and she was clinging to the belief that Kanako could be alive out of her own grief, and putting ultimately faith in Alphys rather than charging further into science that she doesn't- and doesn't want to- understand.

I think Ceroba's lack of agency is especially reflected in her alleged friendship with Martlet. Sure, Martlet worked with Chujin, so we can reasonably believe that Martlet came to know his wife. But to my memory, we don't see them talk (outside of the true pacifist route finale, I suppose. We know that Ceroba releases Martlet from prison finally, but do you think she did that because they're friends or because someone had to reasonably let Martlet go eventually?). What's their relationship based on besides Chujin? Do you think they would have a bond going forward after the end of UTY? What are Ceroba's interests besides being a wife and a mom-- do you think Martlet would introduce her to making puzzles? Do you think they ever explored each others b

I think it could be argued that she has agency because she chose to experiment on Kanako when Chujin asked her not to, but I would argue in return that it's barely her own decision-- he left her no other way to really complete his work except to involve Kanako. How many other boss monsters are there? If we believe that this random guy could be a boss monster, then I suppose there could be more just out there, but that idea isn't explored-- and if there were more out there, then her decision to involve Kanako in the experiments only feels more foolhardy.

The inconsistency aspect is a great point, and I wish I had included that in my original post, haha. The problem isn't just that we don't get time to process Ceroba's plot and character development (supposedly-- I also think the "oh, what have I done?" aspect feels sudden and unsatisfying) after her boss fight, it's that she immediately changes her stance afterward. So, why did we have this fight to begin with? I remember when Clover was sacrificing their soul, I had this reaction like, "wait, they're really just going to hand it to her specifically after all that?" Lmao.

This is minor and very subjective, but another reason I like the "Asgore lost his wife and son" plot but don't like the "Ceroba lost her husband and daughter" plot as much (besides the whole Asriel & Chara storyline being much more impactful and related to Undertale's main plot than the Chujin & Kanako storyline) is that divorce is inherently just a million times funnier than a dead spouse. Toriel didn't die, she straight up left Asgore for a 3'4" short king she met through knock-knock jokes and then tells Asgore to go fuck himself in the pacifist ending. She's allowed to have agency and be someone outside of the (ex-)wife and the mom. It's awesome, and Ceroba's characterization (or lack thereof) feels like a step backwards in comparison.

Thank you again for sending this ask!

[weirdestbooks]

The Shot Heard Around the World Chapter 4

Sugar Ain't So Sweet (Wattpad | Ao3)

Table of Contents | Prev | Next

April 5, 1764

Thirteen walked into his room and saw Quebec. Thirteen crossed his arms as Quebec jumped up from where he sat on the bed. 

"Thirteen! Papa wants to talk to you." He said, "Where were you anyways?"

‘Thankfully, I'm not teaching British East Florida English.’

‘He’s trying, that’s all we asked.’

“Where is Father?" Thirteen asked, avoiding the question. His father frowned upon his relationship with his Irish uncle, and Thirteen knew that if Britain found out they had been spending time together again, he would be in a lot of trouble.

Last time, Thirteen was so bruised that he had trouble getting out of bed.

‘That’s why we’re sneaky about it now. We can’t get in trouble if we aren’t caught.’

‘I still feel bad about lying, though.’

"He's in his study. He wants to inform you of some new acts created by Parliament that are going to affect you since you were…acting weird about the last act that he made for you," Quebec explained. 

Thirteen nodded as he internally groaned. He guessed he didn’t get away with that questioning as well as he thought he had.

‘What’s with the new acts anyway? Britain doesn’t normally make this many at once.’

‘Yeah, normally he just ignores us–when it comes to governing. This is new.’

‘It’ll be fine. We just keep our mouths shut, nod, and get out.’

Thirteen thanked Quebec and then walked down the hall, heading to his father’s study, wondering what would be introduced in this new act. Was it a tax? Something like the Proclamation Line? Reorganization of the colonies? 

‘I hope it’s not the last one.’

The last one worried Thirteen and reminded him too much of his now-deceased daughter, New England Confederation. Thirteen missed New England, although less than he used to. His people had moved on, which meant he had to also. 

Thirteen reached his father's study and knocked on the door. Father didn't like people barging into his study, which was a private place for him.

"Who is it?" He called out.

"Thirteen. Quebec said you needed me?" Thirteen responded.

"I do. Please come in." Thirteen opened the door and walked into his father's study. It had a large desk in the center, and one of the walls had a large bookshelf that went from floor to ceiling. The wall behind his father had a massive map of the known world, and the last wall had a larger window that overlooked the garden, where Thirteen could see his Uncle Wales and Uncle England talking to one another. 

Talking was generous. Thirteen decided as he processed the expressions of the figures. His Uncle Wales looked like he wanted to take off even more of Uncle England’s fingers.

‘I wonder what they are fighting about?’

Thirteen’s father was reading over some papers, perhaps the legislation Quebec had told Thirteen about.

"Hello, Thirteen. Where were you? Quebec couldn't find you and assumed you might have been in the colonies," Father asked. 

“I was.” Thirteen lied, careful to keep his voice even. Thirteen did enjoy walking through different cities in his land and talking to his people. They came from many places, and their opinions were always interesting.

‘Interesting is a nice way to put some of those opinions.’

"Parliament passed another act, as Quebec should have told you." Father began. Thirteen nodded.

"He did. What's this act about?" Thirteen asked, hoping that the question wasn’t too much. Thankfully, it seemed to please his father, who smiled at him gently.

‘Please don't be reorganizing the colonies.’

"The act will help prevent smuggling, as the smuggling of sugar and molasses has become extreme, which will enforce the Navigation Acts. It will lower the previous tax rates but enforce the collection of duties. Lumber and iron will also be added to the materials you can only trade with me. It's called the American Revenue Act of 1764. The act will help us pay back the debts from the Seven Years War." Father explained.

‘Oh great, it’s affecting smuggling.’

Thirteen hoped that any new act would not affect smuggling, which was common. Since the Molasses Act forbade importing goods from other countries, smuggling became a big deal, as his people didn’t care about the law.

‘Yeah, Britain’s laws are the source of much smuggling.’

Forcing smuggling to stop was going to make people incredibly mad. And another thing they could only trade with Father? This was going to affect many businesses negatively, which was going to increase anger.

Thirteen was worried. If his people decided to do anything stupid, he could get into much trouble with his father.

Especially because Thirteen knew he could not sit and take laws like this for long without snapping.

‘Be careful then.’

"Why are my people paying back the debts?" Thirteen asked carefully.

‘Yeah, why can’t he do that? Or our siblings?’

"Since a large portion of the war was spent protecting you and your people, Parliament decided it was best for you to help us pay back war debts," Father told me. Thirteen couldn't believe it. He knew money was spent protecting his people, but money was also poured into invading other colonies and territories.

‘Yeah, why do we have to pay it all back?’

‘This isn’t fair!’

There was also a post-war depression in his land. This would negatively affect his people, and they wouldn't like it. And didn't this tax violate constitutional rights? Thirteen was being taxed to raise revenue for the crown. 

But…maybe that was an exaggeration. You could argue that it is a tax to regulate trade. Thirteen was probably overly cautious about this. It might not be as bad when it’s implemented.

"Thank you for informing me of this tax," Thirteen told his father, not wanting to cause an argument. When Thirteen is upset, he tends to say things he doesn't mean because he doesn't want to mess things up. 

‘Mess things up? You can’t just sit here all day and do nothing if you think it could hurt you!’

"Thank you for understanding. I remember the protests that happened when we introduced the Molasses Act. Hopefully, with that act already in place, protests to this one should be small or nonexistent." his father remarked as Thirteen left his study, a pit of fear growing in his stomach.

‘And what would you do if they weren't?’

━─━────༺༻────━─━

September 1, 1764

The New England portion of Thirteen’s land hadn't responded very well to the Sugar Act. Thirteen had been to a town meeting in Boston, where a man named James Otis had discussed the complaint of being taxed without representation in Parliament. Another man named Samuel Adams had joined him in this sentiment. James Otis also wanted the colonies to unite and argued that since there was one personification for all Thirteen Colonies, it meant they were destined to become one.

Thirteen knew that was odd. For some reason, he represented multiple colonies, not just one. Maybe it had something to do with…Thirteen brushed a hand over his hidden scars, thinking back to long ago.

‘That might be the reason.’

‘But who knows?’

Unfortunately for James Otis’ plans of unification, the southern colonies were not affected by this tax and didn't see a need to protest like the northern ones did. However, Massachusetts had created a five-person Committee of Correspondence that was in charge of exchanging information regarding the Sugar Act.

‘Even if the South refuses to take any action, that will not stop the North from taking lots of action.’

‘Another reason there should be separate colonies, like New France and New Spain are.’

‘Thirteen, are you sure you’re the only personification for the Thirteen Colonies?’

Thirteen brushed aside those thoughts, not wanting to deal with them. Thirteen had other things on his mind.

Thirteen wanted to go to the protests and listen to Samuel Adams and James Otis share their opinions with others. But he was terrified of how his father would react if he found out Thirteen was doing that, so instead, Thirteen was in his room, staring at the wall as he fiddled with his fingers.

"Thirteen, can I speak to you in my study?" Thirteen’s father then asked, startling Thirteen out of his thoughts.

‘Oh well, that sounds ominous.’

‘Did something bad happen to our people?’

‘No, that’s impossible! We would have felt it or heard about it sooner!’

‘It might have something to do with the protests.’

Thirteen nodded as he stood up from bed and followed his father to his study. Britain sat in his chair, and Thirteen tried to push aside his growing nerves.

"Parliament has passed a new act regarding the Thirteen Colonies," his father began. Another one? Thirteen was shocked. For the most part, his father spent the last hundred years letting Thirteen take care of himself, so why was he trying so hard to govern Thirteen now?

Sure, the Proclamation Act was supposed to prevent wars with the native people, but the British government had already promised land to settlers pass the line and went back on their promise.

‘And that’s why no one is following it.’

Sure, the Sugar Act was supposed to prevent smuggling, but smuggled goods were important to Thirteen’s economy, and losing the goods brought in could hurt his economy. Even though smuggling was bad, Thirteen was basically banned from trading with any country other than his father, no matter how cheap other countries sold their products. 

‘It’s stupid! Of course, we aren’t following it!’

"This act extends the restrictions from the Currency Act of 1751 to all thirteen colonies, although it does ease the banning of printing your own money. However, your colonists will not be allowed to pay off their debts with your paper currency, as it is too hard for us to regulate. It will be considered worthless. Parliament and I think your currency should be based on the pound sterling. This act will also establish a superior court to the ones in the colonies, which will be used when a person is accused of smuggling or violating the other customs laws."

‘You won’t…we don’t have mines for the material needed to create your money!’

‘We need the paper currency!’

"This is going to be an economic disaster in my land. Declaring paper money worthless? People depend on that!" Thirteen blurted out, unable to explain the many reasons why that was a bad idea. He paused and realized that saying that was not the best idea, as Thirteen bowed his head and flinched back.

‘It’s like he’s trying to make us not like him.’

‘He’s not doing that. He’s trying to help, even if he doesn’t know what he’s talking about!’ 

Britain’s face tightened in anger, and Thirteen’s fear grew. 

"What did you say?" Britain asked barely visible anger in his voice. Thirteen, realizing he would get punished anyway, decided to double down on his point as he threw his arms up into the air.

‘We need to calm down now before we make things worse!’

‘Oh boy, this is going to end badly.’

"That law is stupid! Are you trying to turn my people against yours? This isn't going to end well; you have to see that. We already have a trade deficit with you; our imports cost way more than the exports. People aren't going to trust in trade unless they have something to fall back on, and you’re getting rid of that." Thirteen angrily explained. Without a hard cap, the trade deficit with his father would worsen.

"Thirteen. I thought I raised you better than this." Britain scolded before walking out from behind his desk and hitting Thirteen. Thirteen knew he must have angered his father a lot, as the blow nearly knocked him over and caused Thirteen to bite his tongue, causing blood to flow into his mouth. “You don’t argue with me on things like this. I let your questions slide last time, but I don’t let this slide.”

Thirteen nodded, mouth shut to avoid dripping any blood onto his father’s floor, as he tried to avoid making eye contact with his father.

“To ensure you understand, you and your siblings will be limited to one meal a day. I hope that helps you understand that I am in charge, and no matter what, I know what’s best for you. I’m the country, and you’re just a colony. Understood?” Britain asked, his voice now soft as he laid a gentle hand on Thirteen’s shoulder.

“Yes, Father.” Thirteen answered, placing his hand over his mouth to avoid letting any blood drip out. “I understand.”

Britain smiled and then pushed Thirteen out of the room.