#related to this: this is part of why The Ocean is so terrifying to me

[cultivating-wildflowers]

I cannot articulate enough how much I want to hear your thoughts on octopuses being capable of sin

I can't remember specifically what brought it to mind, but I think it was some off-hand comment the Sunday school teacher made about original sin and the curse and the ark being a transition out of that age of man and into the next one, with the rest of creation being dragged along with them. Sea creatures weren't obliterated by the flood like land- and air-dwelling creatures were (though I'm sure massive flooding and planetary upheaval wasn't exactly fun for them); they didn't come under Noah's immediate jurisdiction like the other animals. Combining that with what we know of octopuses generally being as emotionally mature and blindly vindictive as a six-year-old, and my opinion is that exclusion from the ark left them fully conscious of Original Sin and fully capable of still participating in it.

It's not theologically sound in any way, but it's wildly amusing to me.

[sleepdeprivedsimp234]

Texas angst?

Why of course :)

Despite what he might tell you, his immune system is absolute sh*t and he gets sick a lot, though he usually works it off and there’s a 50/50 chance as to whether it gets better or worse.

^sorta related to the hc above: heat exhaustion. Yeah. He’s suffered from it on more than one occasion yet he still works outside when it’s boiling hot for WAY too long.

^oh yeah he also has asthma but refuses to use his inhaler cuz he’s afraid of being seen as week. Same goes for his iron supplements and meds that his therapist gave him.

If he gets into a serious fight that’s going too far, either the person he’s fighting has to give up, or someone has to separate them. There’s no other way for it to end. Texas is going to fight till his very last breath, and would rather die than accept defeat.

poor baby is insecure about the little bit of pudge on his lower belly 😔

(this is sorta happy but also sad-ish) whenever Texas is missing his mom, who’s name was Maria, he’ll go sit down on the beach and just stare out onto the ocean for hours since it reminds him of her (not to mention, the name "Maria" means "of the sea"). He also named his chihuahua Maria, after his mother.

He hates that he has to listen to what his government tells him to do, but if he doesn’t, his handlers will hurt them. One of the worst parts is, is that Texas thinks that they’re allowed to do this. The State Handlers are NOT, under ANY circumstances, allowed to harm the states. Texas doesn’t know this. Even if he did, he’s too scared to tell anyone.

Texas cannot handle seeing any animals die. He can’t. He will cry. Even if it’s a movie. Oklahoma tried teasing him about it and Louisiana nearly strangled him for it. Everyone needs a Loui in their life. (TW: s3lf h4rm and dr^g and 4lcoh0l mention under the cut, but I’m also gonna include some normal hc’s cuz why the hell not)

Texas does alot of stuff that he doesn’t know counts as self harm (ex: taking REALLY hot showers, biting himself, pulling at his hair, not eating for extended periods of time, etc…).

I’m not gonna say he smokes weed and cigarettes, but I’m not gonna say he doesn’t.

Yes he does in fact drink alcohol to numb the pain.

Normal-ish hc’s!

If you decide to ask what’s in his cup, prepare to be mildly horrified (or not). What’s in his cup? Well dear reader. Straight up whiskey, at least 10 shots of caffeine and espresso, a few red bulls and a C4 (the energy drink). This man is not okay (i promise) /ref

To the surprise of pretty much the whole statehouse, Texas does in fact listen to hyperpop, ESPECIALLY Odetari and 6arelyhuman (fun fact: they’re both from Texas. Yeah.). Sometimes you’ll hear him muttering under his breath: "hey scene sl*t we’re still cutting tonight, that’s why my wrists are so sore-". The only state that wasn’t surprised was surprisingly Louisiana. Cuz him and Texas make song recommendations to each other and they have the same music taste (except Loui doesn’t listen to country alot-).

Texas👏Does👏Trickriding👏. It👏Terrifies👏The👏Others👏.

He also makes knives and daggers out of random rocks his finds and he’s (not)surprisingly good at it.

^he makes slime too and you can pry that off my dead cold hands.

Me when,, me when I torture the blorbos,,, 👉👈 (I’m so notsorry):

[wh0refornikolailantsov]

Prompt: “You’ve never been too much for me.”

Song: Iris - The Goo Goo Dolls

For Tolya x Reader please!!

Saints Or High Water - Tolya x Reader

Yes. Happy to oblige.

Content Warnings: Canon Compliant Threat and Fear Related To Targeted Violence and Execution, Not Beta or Proof Read, Suggestions Of A Difficult Family Life and Upbringing, Anxiety, Self Doubt, Negative Self View And The Terrifying Fear Of Being Known Loved And Seen.

Does it count as hurt/comfort if you're just being mean to yourself until the very kind shapely man tells you you're worth something?

Just another drabble I guess.

There is good and bad in everything, the universe finds a way to create balance. The Small Science is no exception to that rule. Being Grisha is an extraordinary thing, there's deep beauty in the power The Saints give. But that doesn't mean being Grisha is always easy, and those in the parts less forgiving to Grisha, less understanding, less inclined to see gifts as blessings but as signs of witchcraft or sin, this was ever clear. But even the quieter ways, within oneself being Grisha isn't always easy. A talent is a talent for as long as you nurture it, as you learn it, keep it close and well maintained, but these kinds of talents aren't always easy to tether. They try to teach Grisha young for a reason.

You're sitting on the edge of the deck, and it's one of those days, where being so many miles from shore feels like a blessing, because distancing yourself from land makes everything feel less real. On the Volkvolny the ability to practice The Small Science is admired, under the operation of Sturmhond, on this ship with a crew he had collected, it was usually far more easy to forget the harshness that waits on land. But not today.

Today the waves are not big enough to swallow all the feelings that are raging just underneath the surface, keeping you a safe distance from anyone else on the ship. The wind rushing over the sails, and the all the crashing of water against The Wolf could not drown out the thoughts echoing so loudly within your mind, determined to be heard, demanding to be seen. Thoughts that are taking up more space than you ever would dare to take up at all.

A Heartrender like any Corporalki worth their salt as a Grisha would be able to sense the mood from this distance, and almost all would know when sadness runs this deep and this quiet, that nothing would really help, and likely that help would not be welcomed. At sea, it is generally accepted to let people be with their feelings, the ocean more forgiving than the land. More accepting too.

But Tolya Yul Bataar was not just any Heartrender, and you had long come to know that about him. Not only was the strong giant as poetic as he was stoic, which was a lot, but he was also persistent, in that quiet, gentle way that you had come to know. Never had you known a man who's honour was more evident than his strength and yet stood quite as tall and strong as Tolya.

His approach is slow, gentle, arms crossed as he leans into the post, as if he had no other reason to be there. He probably doesn't, but you don't linger on that thought.

"Come to share some poetry have you Tolya?" You ask against the wind. Maybe he won't hear you, and he will leave you to this quiet sadness once more.

"That wasn't my intention but I am happy to oblige," he smiles and for a moment you forget why you wanted to be alone. Tolya has this way with you, of making you forget even if just for small moments just how cruel the world can be.

You glance as he unfolds his arms, to reach for a small book in his pocket, and you have long forsaken asking him how he managed to keep his skin exposed in such cold conditions as you watch some of the salt spray hit his upper arm and he leans away from the waves to shield the book.

"O the opal and the sapphire of that wandering sea,

And the woman riding high above with bright hair fluttering free,

The woman whom I loved so, and who loyally loved me."

You let him read to you a while, as you watch the way the water turns white as it hits the sides of the ship, wondering if the water wants to be different, something else to what it is and that is why it endlessly tries to throw itself against whatever it passes, desiring to be changed by the impact.

"Those are new," you comment after a while and Tolya smiles and it reaches into those golden eyes and you try not to look too closely. Tolya is something else, and you wonder if you would've stayed here on this ship, with this crew for as long as you have had it not been for him. Never had you known anyone like Tolya, and you doubt you would again, and it was with such certainty of that you held onto his presence and his companionship as deeply as you could, while trying to spare him the overwhelming closeness of knowing you.

"As much as I enjoy you indulging me, I sense that maybe it's less about my passion today and more about what you wish not to say," he says.

For all the time, and all the practice, and all the attempts to keep him far enough away that your mistakes could never end up being his burden, he still sees straight through you like you were glass.

"Today I am the ocean, unreadable and entirely too much," you admit.

You feel the warmth of his presence before you notice him moving closer, his shoulder now pressed to yours as he leans forward on the edge of the gunwale.

“You’ve never been too much for me.”

"And I intend to keep it that way," you say without thinking. Tolya is honest, honest and true in a way that makes you want to be so back. Tolya stands so tall and yet does not cast a conceited shadow, his shade is nothing but comforting. A Grisha, a Heartrender, who would rather use the weapons he practiced and learned to fight with than his blessings. Probably because of his faith, but Saints you'd never stopped to ask.

"You cannot be do much for me," he says quietly. You expect a joke to follow, a comment such as 'you've met Tamar,' but in the absence of his twin, Sturmhond or any other member of crew to joke to, his sentiment is more important than the shielding of it.

You remain silent and that tells him exactly what he thought you might say: you do not know me enough to say that.

"I understand why you do this," he says quietly, "after years of being called a monster, it is easy to believe yourself to be one, and it takes much more to undo such damage than it does to create it. But you are not what those for fear you speak you to be."

His kindness always brings a warmth that no fire could ever come close to bringing. You drag your eyes from the waves and he is watching you, gentle and consistent.

/And I don't want the world to see me/

"I do not always feel that I was gifted, not when I was told I was cursed," you admit. "But it is not me that I am quiet for. I am more concerned about those who must be around me. Those who could be hurt by my monster."

"You are no monster," he says, reaching forward and placing his hand over your own. You expect his hand on yours to feel more rough, more calloused, but all you can feel is the softness of his expression and the tenderness of his words, with the grounding weight of all he means to you. /'Cause I don't think that they'd understand/

"And I know I cannot make this storm pass, but I will wait with you, until it does, we can stand here, and we can say nothing," he says. "And we will wait until it passes, and I will stay here, right beside you."

/When everything's made to be broken/

You lean into him and he wraps an arm around your shoulder and holds you close and for a short moment it all goes quiet.

/I just want you to know who I am/

"What if it doesn't pass?"

"It will, but if it doesn't, I will stay right here."

[riahgirlblogger]

I read the ride monologue everyday and pretend it was written by me bc I relate to it on the inside so much. Especially this part When the people I used to know found out what I had been doing how I had been living, they asked me why, but there's no use in talking to people who have a home.They have no idea what its like to seek safety in other people For home to be wherever you lie your head I was always an unusual girl My mother told me that I had a chameleon soul No moral compass pointing me due north No fixed personality Just an inner indecisiveness that was as wide as wavering as the ocean And if I said that I didn't plan for it to turn out this way I'd be lying Because I was born to be the other woman Who belonged to no one Who belonged to everyone Who had nothing Who wanted everything With a fire for every experience and an obsession for freedom that terrified me to the point that I couldn't even talk about it And pushed me to a nomadic point of madness that both dazzled and dizzied me

[halfetirosie]

☁ I lied. I fucking DESPISE this Rural Town Fuckery™!!! ☁

(Scales 05 - 07 React-os!)

TIME TO RANT!!!

🚨🚨🚨I'M ALSO GONNA DO SOME KUYA-HATING IN HERE, BUT KUYA HATED ME FIRST SO IT'S FINE 🚨🚨🚨

1) What the actual fuckity FUCK???

What "flesh" are they talking about? Are they cutting their hands and bleeding out into the basin or something???

Also---I think I was wrong in thinking that the villagers' attitude towards yokai is different from the Wood Territory tribe. These guys may act like they like the "merfolk," but they're actually terrified of them to a manic degree.

This scene is disturbing as hell...

2) Nooooo!!! Poor Yakumo!!!

I feel so bad for him, for real! He has issues with controlling his yokai powers like ALL the time; poor babykins can't catch a break!!!

...

...His scales do be looking really pretty, tho...

3) Ohhh, yeah, this makes a lot of sense. I feel dumb for not predicting this earlier.

I mean, the whole reason Eiden and Yakumo came to the island was to inquire about the recipe that included merfolk meat as an ingredient.

It makes no sense for the villagers to have a whole-ass ceremony to "honor" the merfolk; unless their true purpose was to appease the merfolks' anger.

I'm guessing that these villagers' ancestors hunted the merfolk in the surrounding waters---like a fucked up version of whaling. When they thought they hunted merfolk to extinction, they then feared that that they'd return and take revenge.

That's why, instead of being happy to see [what they think is] a merfolk, the villagers get scared and angry...

4) We interrupt this depressing event to bring you a Yu-Gi-Oh! reference! :D

---Yes, I know that "Umi" is the word for "ocean" in Japanese. But I'm a pathetic dork that will always associate that word with the Yu-Gi-Oh! card of the same name. (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)

5) ......Bruh.

Okay, two things!

FIRST:

......Eiden, sweetie? I love you, but how have you not figured out the reason for the villagers' freak-out by now??? I feel like the talk of "revenge" is enough for the average person to put context clues together..🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

Am I wrong? Am I just being a jerk??

SECOND:

I'm sorry, but I am getting REAL sick of Kuya's bullshit. These last two events he's been an insufferable DICK.

This bitch always has something mean to say about everyone and everything, without even being provoked first. And he has the audacity to accuse others of hypocrisy when he's the worst offender?!?! Why can't he just shut up and leave people alone?!?!?!

Lately, his character seems to have gotten worse, and every scene he's in makes me feel miserable. It's just too much.

I really hope the devs will dial back his toxicity soon.

6) That's kinda weird...?

I'm confused about the rules of this fish-scale relic.

Why was Yakumo the only one that had strong side effect from touching the relic? It's not like he was the only one touching the relic; all of those human villagers + Eiden touched it an prayed over it, too.

Does the relic only react to all yokai essence?

Why was the relic designed to react to anything other than merfolk essence in the first place??? That seems highly impractical.

7) Ugh.

Look, I get it. I'm not saying he's wrong to point out that Yakumo's a special case---that most yokai would have too much trouble to live alongside humans without issue.

But he really didn't have to word it so rudely, or insult Yakumo by calling him delusional. 🤦‍♀️

---His nasty attitude aside---

Am I crazy, or do I detect a hint of jealousy here? 🤔

I know the intended interpretation of that second sentence, "But not everyone is as lucky as you are," is supposed to be in reference to Umi.

But idk, man; something about it (maybe his expression?) makes me think he could also mean himself? After all, as we see in the Forest Carnival event, over his long life Kuya has gotten acutely aware of the issues of human/yokai relations, and he is super pessimistic about it.

What if, part of the reason he's so pessimistic and disrespectful to humans is not just because he's experienced human cruelty, but because he wanted to get along with humans at one point and failed?

It's just a theory. 🤷‍♀️ If nothing else, that context would make for a good fanfic.

8) OH, FUCK!!!!!!

(⊙ᗣ⊙)

I knew the history was bad, but somehow this is even worse than I thought. Instead of the merfolk living around the island, they lived on the island, and those humans straight up committed genocide and stole their land!!!

It's safe to say, I'm certain of what the social commentary this event is aiming for now...

Step 1: Invade a territory

Step 2: Murder the people native to the land

Step 3: Retroactively mystify the culture of the people that were murdered

Step 4: Make cowardly attempts to "appease" those from the group you murdered, without returning what you stole in the first place

*depresso-s in American*

9) Oh my GOD, they couldn't be more hypocritical if they TRIED!!! 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

(New drinking game that would kill me: take a shot every time this event makes me facepalm or shake my head)

Talk about poetic INjustice---I wasn't even rooting for them, but I still end up indescribably disappointed.

Why do people like this never learn???

I don't care if this island is cut off from the outside world; that isn't an excuse for this bullshit.

This village has had plenty of time to think about what they've done, and how to react if a merfolk showed up in the future.

And the BEST they came up with was to do the SAME THING (attempting to murder the merfolk) THAT MADE THEM SO WORRIED AND SCARED IN THE FIRST PLACE?!?!?!?!

THEY ARE SO STUPID AND EVIL!!!!! I FEEL LIKE I'M GONNA PASS OUT FROM FRUSTRATION AND ANGER!!!

💢 (╯🔥 ᗣ 🔥)╯︵ ┻━┻

🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬

🔥 End of report 🔥

[captain-peanut110]

Percy Jackson and the Olympians episodes one and two, immediate impressions

Written by someone who absolutely lived those books as a kid and is no less obsessed with them as a grown up.

I will try to avoid spoilers for anything that comes later in the book or in later books in case people who have only watched the show will be reading this, but there might still be unintentional spoilers and there definitely will be spoilers for how the event of the first two episodes went down in the book.

I have been waiting since before the old movies came out, suffered the disappointment of their existence, was part of the collective agreement Lightning Thief had no sequel and am finally ready to see them try again.

I have just finished re-reading the first series and am nearing the end of House of Hades, so all the book stuff is fresh in my mind.

(I also bough the first five and all five Trials of Apollo for only £12 yesterday 🎊🎊🎊 now my tiny London apartment is flooded with books I already have no space for 🤣🤣🤣 so worth it though.)

Episode 1

- seems lovely so far;

- Percy is perfectly himself and the acting is damn decent;

- Little Percy is very cute, but also sort of spooky, make me think of the ocean, no matter what, there is always something eerie about it;

- Nancy is as awful, as she has to be and it is a nice thought that Percy understands she bullies him because of her own issues, yet also acknowledges it is still not okay;

- Brunner is perfect, they nailed his feel and presence 10/10. Why is his horse part not white though? Come on, it doesn’t have to match his skin tone and would have looked super cool, setting him apart from other centaurs like it does in the books;

- The kindly one (what they call Furies in the book) is well done and properly terrifying;

- Sally Jackson is the star, seriously, she is everything;

- Smelly Gabe is authentic enough to smell him trough the screen;

- Super funny that his reward for letting them take the car in the show is a sandwich he never ends up getting at all. At least in the books he got his dips

- BUT!!!!! Wtf with Gabe saying please? And them watching the game together? Why is he suddenly not that terrible??? How could they have decided to give redeeming qualities to this guy??? He is like the definition of awful and there really was no need to make him better in any way.

Initially I did not particularly notice this, because he was disgusting in my eye, yet upon watching for the second time, I replied he repeatedly said please and his conversation with Sally seemed suddenly more like banter than the awful way he treated her in the books. This gives their marriage something to it and makes it feel like there might have been a reason why they got married other than Sally wanting to protect Percy though Gabe's smell. And that is just wrong. Gabe was absolutely the king of awful in the books and he should have stayed that way.

I felt like I had to go back to add this point, because I missed it in my initial watching when I was writing this immediate reaction.

It can be argued that even the worst abusers are not horrible 24/7 and are ofter nice to the people around them from time to time, which makes it even more confusing and hard to leave them. But this does not really fit to the situation here, Gabe had zero redeeming qualities in the book and I can't see why there would be a need to give him any in the show;

- Sally being firmly on Percy’s side is pure gold and absolute parenting goals;

- Blue candy !!!!

- D’Angelo sandwiches though??? Hmmm…

- “Who is Yantsy?” 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Gabe is so dumb, i love it;

- Hades is not satan, they finally got that right! At least I think that’s supposed to be Hades;

- Can’t stress enough how awesome it is that Percy is not an orphan in the books. His relationship with Sally is everything. It is also a whole lot less lazy than just having an orphaned protagonist and also a lot more relatable for the readers;

- I love the scene where Percy is confused and scared, trying to get her to stop, but Sally keeps talking, as if she knows if she does not say it out loud, she will never be able to;

- Sally: “He was a god.” Percy: “You fell in love with Jesus?” 🤣🤣🤣

- Grover is so funny though, I can’t even;

- The Minotaur cgi looks decent;

- And he is wearing underpants!!!

- Bye-bye Gabe’s car;

- Grover is supposed to be unconscious!!! That’s a major point of his later self-torments, the fact that he got knocked out and Percy had to carry him all the way.

I cannot see why he needed to be present for this scene. He doesn’t do much of anything other than having Sully make him swear to protect Percy, although I am not certain what that was emphasised for?

- Sally is badass! Hell yeah for mothers doing mad stuff to protect their babies, super on point and as someone who does have a baby, super realistic;

- Noooo!!! Sally!!! Proper heartbreaking;

- He did not have the sword yet! Or Grover there! And he fought the Minotaur anyways!!!

It was supposed to be the first sing of his endless courage bordering on idiocy and a serious lack in the self preservation department when it comes to people he loves being in danger.

Which ultimately is a super important point in the story. I feel they missed an opportunity to show just how many fucks are absolutely not given when Percy sees somebody dear to him threatened;

- He does still kill him with the horn, not the sword, so I guess I can forgive the sword being there for a brief second. Although it would certainly add more meaning if it wasn’t;

- Show us how he carried Grower to Camp after killing the Minotaur!!! Percy did it all on his own, no help whatsoever! That’s part of what made other campers so interested in him!

- Annabeth!!! My best girl!!!

Episode 2

- Percy’s eyes are so book accurate, a proper proper sea green, I am happy happy happy;

- And Walker is such a perfect fit for the role, it really feels like he is Percy. I can forgive them for not having someone else, who had dark hair, his casting in on par.

Also I feel like nailing his eyes is more important than hair. They are an important part of the character, a reflection of his connection to the ocean.

I can also completely get behind not immediately wanting to dye a child’s hair, so it’s not that important.

I am personally of the opinion, that unless a character’s appearance is a point in the plot, such as relation to a certain someone hinted at trough similarity in looks/belonging to a certain group/coming from a certain place/being singled out positively or negatively because of certain features/etc, changing it doesn’t matter;

A good example is the colour of Percy’s eyes. It needs to be maintained, as they are a reference to his father being Poseidon and him being a child of the sea;

- The same goes for Leah, she has absolute Annabeth energy and is just perfect every step of the way, so the fact that she ain’t blonde doesn’t really matter. It was not a particular plot point in the books and the change will not affect her character in any way;

(If Elle Woods suddenly wasn’t blonde anymore, that would be insane, in Annabeth’s case, it is not that important.)

- Aww, Percy thinks Poseidon is going to be there at camp, that’s heartbreaking :((

- Peter Johnson !!!

- ‘He’s starting with me!’

- For a moment I thought he was gonna say ‘the wine dude Dionysus’ 🤣 that would hardy have ended well;

- ‘Your Highness’ 🤣🤣🤣 Percy is adorable;

- Mister D pretending to be Percy’s dad and trying to get him to fetch a bottle of wine is sooooo funny, I died. Chiron’s face though… 🤣🤣🤣 ‘I could be!’ ‘But are you?!’

And this:

- ‘Son.’

- ‘Dad?’

- ‘Yes Peter!’

- ‘Percy!’

- ‘Exactly’

- And Percy looking at Mr D and thinking: ‘Mom fell in love with and spoke so highly of this guy? He is basically Divine Gabe.’

I will be anything upon first meeting him in the show and hearing the ‘i am your dad’ thing, that is exactly what Percy is thinking. ‘Oh no, my dad is the Less Smelly Gabe?‘

- The Hermes cabin is looking good, the chaos seems very authentic;

- As someone who had been bullied at school for different from other kids, it is a very touching moment, when Percy is sure the Hermes kids are about to start some trouble, but Luke is just so lovely to him instead.

It is honestly every weird kid’s dream to have someone approach them with something kind to say.

And when he says: ‘you are just like everyone else here’, it must have felt so nice for Percy to finally hear something like that, like there is somewhere he can belong as himself;

- Luke, my sweet tragic baby ❤️ i cannot help loving him so damn much;

His underlying wistfulness and hidden pain from not feeling loved by his dad break my heart into a million pieces. And the way he just older-brothers Percy from the beginning is everything ❤️

- But does this show hate blonde people?

Cause Luke isn’t blonde either. 🤣

Once again, great acting, charisma and that feel of Luke’s powerful awesomeness tinted with desolate melancholy was captured brilliantly.

Charles does have that vibe and is great in the role. But I just had to note the ‘nobody is blonde’ thing cause it’s funny;

- More importantly though, WHERE IS LUKE’S SCAR??? That little scrape he’s got on his face is way too small and insignificant to be the unfortunate trophy from a dragon fight.

It looks nowhere near ghastly enough!

The whole point was that Luke was super handsome, but his scar was there like a tear in a beautiful portrait.

Charles is a good looking fella, he could have easily pulled off having a huge scar running across half of his face and still be a ladies’ dream;

- The Dryad with Grover has such sweet motherly vibes;

- Is it me or do Grover’s goat legs appear somewhat skinny?

- ‘Like an old banana’ Damn, Grover. I feel like this nicely reminds everyone Grover is not the human child he appears as;

- I feel like it is more realistic that Percy comes to believe his mother can be saved from the underworld by himself, since it is pretty logical, if the underworld is a place you can go to, you could theoretically bring someone back.

There didn’t really need to be an ominous investigation conducted by Grover for Percy to come upon that idea;

- More creepy ass dreams;

- CLARISSE MUST BE BUFFER!!!

And here I somewhat don’t get it.

Cause Dior looks perfectly buff enough for the part in pictures online, but it almost feels like they made her look smaller on camera, instead of using filming techniques to make her look even bigger.

All I could think while watching those scenes was “Clarisse must be bigger!”. Why does she look so skinny in the show, when the actress has got proper muscles irl?

- Percy being terrible at everything he tries reminds me of Harry trying the wands out and making stuff blow up

- He set the Hephaestus kids’ stuff on fire 🤣🤣🤣 Leo should have been there 😉

- Is there a god of disappointment 🤣🤣🤣

- But you burn the stuff to send a message to the gods, not mortals or dead people. Burnt offerings are only messages to a god they are offered for.

Did Percy misunderstand this or did the makers of the show?

Cause there should be no way for Sally to have actually gotten that message;

- Burning candy and talking to mama hits right home though. Very painful, peak cinema, hurts a lot. Poor little Percy, he just needs a hug;

- Not from a gutter, Clarisse, what the actual?!?!

- Aaaand Supreme Lord of the Bathroom emerges!!!

I just love how good old Jonny outright refuses to harm Percy.

But does this mean Poseidon is the god of toilet water as well 🤣🤣🤣 what about everything that is flushed with it? Would he have power over that as well? Or only clean gutter water?

Also!!! Is Percy immune to ‘the Neptune’s kiss’?

(‘The Neptune’s kiss’ - is an unfortunate occurrence while going number two, when one of them lot falls down into the bowl with a blast and the water splashes back onto your unprotected buttcheeks.)

Cause that would be a seriously cool ability to have indeed;

- Annabeth!!! Always a win for Annabeth!!!

‘i can explain!’ ‘No you can’t!’

Absolutely chemistry

‘Are you stalking me, Annabeth?’ ‘Yes’

- Forbidden kids… hmm.. that’s an interesting way of putting it;

- Annabeth is Sherlock with better social skills? Hell yeah, Percy can be her sword-wielding Watson;

- Their armour looks so good! Like actually pleasant to look at, you can see effort and thought went into the costumes in the show.

Seeing them all dressed up reminds me of the longstanding tradition at Camp Halfblood of running outside wearing a breastplate and underpants when danger strikes in the middle of the night!

I really really hope they show that in this series;

- Percy should appreciate Annabeth standing there silently and waiting for him to get up, since any other classmate from his past would have made fun of his fall and certainly would not have waited for him to get up.

The way Annabeth reacted is decent between two warriors.

She did not mock his fall, waited for him to get up and made no unkind comments about it afterwards.

She did not help him get up, because he does not need assistance with such a minor trouble, which is something Percy will have to learn very soon.

As someone who has been bullied back at school, sometimes standing there silently is the nicest way someone you don’t know very well can react to you embarrassing yourself;

- I love how Annabeth doesn’t flaunt her being better at stuff in Percy’s face, he is the one who says that in a fit of self deprecation.

The writers could have easily had her say something like ‘of course i’m better’, as happens a lot in modern cinema, when characters boast about how awesome they are instead of showing it.

She respectfully listens to his ranting, then simply straightens out his breastplate, which is such an adorable moment between them my heart is going to shatter into a million pieces.

She then proceeds to tell him ‘you don’t even know how you fit into all this’ , basically saying ‘you don’t know how powerful you are’, but Annabeth is being wise.

She knows there is no point in telling Percy how awesome he could be. She believes in him and knows he needs discover his awesomeness on his own.

(I am currently re-reading The House of Hades, about half-ways trough.

Thus seeing cute Percy and Annabeth moments soothes by bleeding heart.

If you know you know, not gonna spoil an ancient book, ahahahha. )

- Yankees’ cap!!! (I know i am way too easily excited to see stuff from the book, but I was a Percy Jackson fan when the first movie came out and i still carry that damage, so cut me so slack)

- Game on! And she absolutely believes in him and never says anything demeaning, that is so awesome.

There is a trend in modern cinema to show characters’ badassness and awesomeness by having them be demeaning and rude to their companions.

This has been around for a while where the guy who was the best at everything was just allowed to be awful to everybody because of it.

Recent it has infected movies with female leads, as if the only way a woman can be portrayed as strong and capable is by being a bully to lesser men around her.

I love what they did with Annabeth here.

She is spectacular, she’s got a great plan, she knows it, she doesn’t have to repeat it.

But she does not need to be compared to Percy to be amazing, she simply is.

She also has faith in Percy and is supportive of him, without being patronising or feeling the need to over-explain.

She is confident he will know what to do when the time comes and believes honestly he will do well.

She does not tell him what to do because she is sure he will know when the time comes and that is a smart way to teach him a lesson about having faith in himself;

- Luke is so awesome, they nailed him! His faith in Annabeth and the way he says ‘Percy’s on it’ with no doubt whatsoever… i am loving it all;

- Percy is authentically adhd, this shit is so relatable 🤣

Petting that lizard is such a banger thing to do, i mean…

- It did not happen in the books like this, but these are such Percy moments, i cannot even 🤣 the main actor was a top choice;

- Closing your eyes and touching leafs or rocks is something I also absolutely love doing, Percy knows what’s on;

- Clarisse’s spear looks nifty as heck.

While I did complain that she needs to be bigger, Dior is perfect in this role. The casting generally is great so far.

She does portray the big bully energy really well;

- I have enjoyed the fight, although wasn’t Percy only supposed to get his power up after he touched the water? (I most honestly don’t remember)

Here it seems the presence of the river so close was enough and I must agree that it does look awesome when he suddenly begins fighting properly;

- And he falls into the water, heals up and is claimed by Poseidon. Precious!

- I am loving the Poseidon cabin vibes, it is just like the ocean. Beautiful and charming, but eerie and mysterious;

- I do not understand why they had to change it from Percy taking the quest immediately with the hidden idea of saving his mother, to his blatantly refusing the quest, only to have Grover tell him Sally can be saved to sway him to go anyways.

I think this was somewhat of a weird choice, but maybe it will matter later on, who knows.

It does fix up the rift between Grover and Percy with the whole Grover lying and getting him expelled situation, but that wasn’t really in the book at all, so…

I guess they wanted to try and not copy the book word for word, but Percy refusing the quest so harshly out of self preservation we have already established he doesn’t have much of seems a little out of character.

Maybe they are trying to emphasise that he would do anything to save his mom, but even without that, Percy would still have agreed to save the world and all, that’s his whole point.

And he did go with the idea of saving his mother in the book, he just didn't Grover to tell him it was possible, he simply refused to accept his mother was dead and was set on getting her back.

He is not a reluctant hero, he marches head first into danger, risks his life to save the world all the time and eats reality shattering prophecies for breakfast. (If you know you know ;)) )

I guess it doesn’t matter all that much.

In the book and the show he agreed to go on a quest in great part because he thought he could to save his mother, it was just presented differently. But I do feel once again they are diminishing Percy’s badassery.

This sweet and wonderful child doesn't need anybody's permission or reassurance, he simply though: 'Wow, there is my opportunity to go to the underworld, my mother must be there, to hell with Hades, I will make him give her back!"

He basically thought she was dead and still planned on getting her back anyways!!!

As we have seem during the duel with the Minotaur, when given proper motivation (or simply when pissed off and/or desperate enough) Percy is absolutely unhinged.

He takes no shits from anyone, god, monster, or whatever else.

It just feels a bit weird to see Percy Jackson yelling ‘no’ to a quest.

And feels like Percy's determination and intelligence are diminished because he did not come upon the idea of saving Sally on his own.

- Also, since when does Percy have a sense of self-preservation, aahahaha he could have really used a bit more of that in the books

Overall 7/10 so far

One point off for the removal of Percy's grand refusal to accept death and his brilliant sneaky plan to attempt bringing his mother back from the underworld while the quest for the Masterbolt provides a valid reason to go there. Seriously, this was perfectly devious in the books. He kept the idea to himself and simply nursed a plan to basically bring his mother back from the dead all on his own.

One point off for Luke’s scar being tiny. Everything else appearance wise is not important cause the actors are great. But not giving Luke the proper huge scar is a cosmetic decision that I do not condone

And one extra point off for Gabe saying please and having redeeming human features, as well as Sally actually wanting to watch the game with him, I could not imagine she would have ever wanted to do anything with Smelly Gabe, no no no no no

All in all, this is great so far, I need more with urgency.

Thank you for reading this much 💚

[luverofralts]

Arkhelios Adventures

Dear Theo,

I'm glad to hear that you're able to enjoy some of your time away at least a little. I promise I'm not jealous. Elowen literally knocked some sense into me on that topic, trust me. I trust you. (Don't underestimate Elowen, she's quick with a wand)

Remember Master Josh Toyonaga's husband and that temple he's been working on in Strangetown? Well, they have a smaller branch in Arkhelios now and my parents allowed me to attend a day of study there. Well, my dad refused to sign the release form probably because he thinks that I'm about to run away and abandon the coven at a moment's notice. Mom signed it though, and hugged me really strangely afterward. She's acting weirder than ever, but at least she's willing to listen to me when Dad won't. I hope you get to check out this place when you get back. It's amazing. I got an official escort at President Bellamy's request from your grandfather and that pink demon who always yells at your dad. Not everyone gets an escort, but she said that I was an exception.

A lot of demons work there, more than I imagined anyway. Maybe they'd let you do a summer internship there and if you're already there, maybe my dad will see reason and let me join too.

I met your aunt(?) Ginevra while I was there. She works with her wife full-time there with their kid. She's really nice, I don't know why your dad doesn't have her over more often. He is related to her, right? I hope so, because I talked to her like she was your family. She says hi and to come visit when you're in Arkhelios. I think she wants us to hang out with her or something. That or she wants one of us to marry her foster kid who's in college. She wouldn't stop talking about him and winking at me. If she's not actually part of your family, she'd fit in perfectly.

Her wife, Maegan, is a full demon, but she studies the same weird religion as Master Toyonaga's husband and helps him both study ancient tomes and collect new information. She talked a lot about certain crystals that could be found deep in the ocean and others that have seawater crystallized within them. Theo, you have to help me convince my dad to let me intern here this summer. We could do it together and find the coolest things. You get to wear cool old robes too.

There are these cool meditation stones that channel different kinds of energy depending on the stone. I meditated on our future and when you'll come back for two hours, but nothing happened really. It's not the stone's fault. My mind is never clear when I'm thinking about you and how I feel about our relationship. Maybe I'll try a stone that channels love and affection next time. I hope there's a next time. Maybe they sell them online?

It's always fun to see how adults act when they think I'm not listening. Ginevra could talk your ear off about arcane magic, even blood magic. I feel like you two would have some very interesting conversations. She's looking for something even if she won't admit it. I hope that doesn't have anything to do with your father somehow.

Scary Pink Lady (I forgot her name and am too terrified to ask again) certainly has her mother's personality. I gather that she's not popular with the Sovereign and has been stuck listening to the concerns of the mortals as punishment. She thought I was you for a moment, despite knowing about my arrival. I don't think she can tell two humans apart, or if she can, she makes no effort to. I got to hear about a sippy cup she gave your parents at their baby shower that you would think was jewel encrusted by the amount of time she bragged about it. Demons are more complicated than I'd realized, even with having you in my life. Everything is so dramatic and the end of the world if they're slighted at all. Even the ones who serve this supposed Ocean deity are just as terrifying as the demons at home. Maybe you can tell me more about your studies of demons or let me borrow a textbook or something. Since I plan on being in your life for the rest of mine, I should really learn more about demonic society.

Your grandfather didn't say much. He mostly hung around the hallway, watching me intently. Your dad really does look like him (well, not like a zombie). It's uncanny.

One last thing-I saw a tree made with crystals growing in it. They developed a symbiotic relationship with the tree and now magic flows in its roots. It's different than the decorative trees made of crystal in Crystal Cove. The wood absorbs the magic and some people make wands from the enchanted wood. They taught me how to make it light up and it was the coolest spell I think I've ever done. (You usually do all the interesting spells we try)

You could just feel the magic running through it from the branches to the leaves. It reminded me of how you make me feel when we're casting spells together. Both of us working together, twisting our magic together and usually nearly blowing up the school together if you listen to my parents.

I hope this letter finds you well. I hope that you're doing great in your studies and that you can come back home soon. I miss you more than anything.

Love Sincerely,

Adam Darktide

[painfulrant]

Part Two: His Arrival

JJ Maybank x Reader

Fluff

Part Two: His Arrival

The dress was beautiful and showed all the right curves. It was a sapphire blue dress that had a v-cut chest, showing just enough cleavage, and lace in the back. A slit ran up the side of the flowy dress and it hugged your body, leaving little curves to the imagination. Yet with all the beautiful things on the dress, your mind just wouldn’t let you be happy with the way you looked. Something was just off.

Sighing, you placed the tan cowgirl hat on your beautiful shiny hair and watched as the turquoise blue crystal connected to the hat made your eyes pop. There were tassels on the hat too but they laid in the back, unnoticeable to anyone unless they searched for them. You had on a pair of light brown and blue cowgirl boots, the boots hugging your legs to make the fit seem more nostalgic.

Even so, you couldn’t find it in you to be happy or proud with the fit. You were about to take the hat off when you heard shouting in the distance, dragging your attention to the outside world. The party had started about twenty minutes ago and anxiety has kept you inside the room. When another shout and a bang was heard, you finally made your way to the door, hesitantly and quietly creaking it open.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary so you took a step into the hallway but immediately went flying. A sharp pain jolted through your side before a dull ache settled in your tailbone. Muttering a curse, you began to rub your side, just realizing everything was now dark. It was your hat that had fallen over your eyes and you were terrified to take it off in case anybody was looking.

When the feeling of your hat being removed shocked you out of your embarrassment, your breath caught in your throat. In front of you stood the one and only mystery boy with the sandy soft hair. Before you had time to truly study him, a hand wrapped around yours and you were hauled off your feet and into a closet, chest to chest with the mystery boy.

“J, what is go-” You started before his hand covered your mouth, probably smearing the lipstick you had spent twenty minutes on. Shaking hands was a serious issue in the makeup field. You soon heard Rafe and what sounded like Kelce shouting to one another. After several minutes of them searching the room, thankfully not opening the small door that led to them, JJ’s hand eased away from your mouth.

“Hey, pretty girl.” This man was everything you’ve ever wanted wrapped in a black and white tux. A few bruises sported his cheek that you were soon gently tracing before you found his gorgeous ocean blue eyes that shined with many emotions.

“Hello, mystery boy.” You hummed, a soft smile gracing your lips.

“We still on for a slow dance?” He asked, one eyebrow raising with a cocky grin.

“Hmm… considering I didn’t know we were on for the first one… I’ll have to generously accept your invitation.” The soft giggle that escaped your chest felt so foreign that it even shocked your own ears. Never in your wildest dreams would you imagine being held between a wall and a handsome devil's chest, one you’ve only met a handful of times, giggling like a love sick school girl.

Yet here you stood, doing the exact thing you thought impossible with a boy you still don’t know much about. Only his name and that he was a part of the main pogue group. The one your best friend had love hate relations with.

“So… I have a message to deliver to the Kook queen, would you like to accompany me on my undercover adventure?” He asked, swirling a strand of hair that fell over my shoulder around his finger.

“Why, I wouldn’t want to get shot in a duel… but I suppose an adventure would be pretty fun.” You mock in a very breathy voice. This boy had no idea what he did to you and you loved it.

“Then on we go, my dearest.” He whispered, brushing a soft swift kiss to your cheek before you both snuck your way onto the dance floor. You blended with the crowd very well whereas JJ did not. So when he slipped away from you and moved towards Sierra, you couldn’t help but feel a small part of you feel disappointed from his lack of warmth.

It didn’t take long though before he stood in front of you, dancing from side to side with a goofy face. For the first time in a long while, your true laugh joined many others at the party. Maybe it was worth everything after all.

“You’re coming with us. Meet me over there in ten minutes.” He hummed, pointing to a spot in the distance where the lights didn’t quite touch. Not even a second later, you spotted the three princes of Kook town: Kelce, Topper, and Rafe.

“I’ll see you soon, my dearest.” He called out, having backed away slowly before disappearing in the crowd. In your hand lay a small flower that you guess he had picked and in your heart laid a swarming warmth that threatened to engulf your whole being. You were most definitely meeting him in y’alls secret spot in ten minutes. Those ten minutes couldn’t pass soon enough.

[elysia-nsimp]

1, 4 and 8 for Comet!

Omg!!!!!

1. Do you have a song that represents your OC, if so, why?

I DO! I have several, even.

starsmitten, LilyPichu

Starsmitten not only fits the energy Comet has, but represents much of how she thinks. I could go lyric by lyric and dissect how each and every line of the song relates to Comet, but then we’d be here all day! What I will say, is that the chorus sounds like something Comet would say, word for word.

Remember why you started,

Remember why you care.

You're a vision of a galaxy,

And all the stars up there.

We will never have enough time,

We don't have to leave today.

I've already spent the year sad,

I wanna be okay.

Gilded Lily, Cults

The repetition of “Haven’t I given enough?” is what represents Comet best. Comet has spent her life giving, and giving, and giving some more… only for it to never be enough. Still, she gives her heart, as foolish as she knows it is.

Haven't I given enough, given enough?

Haven't I given enough, given enough?

Haven't I given enough, given enough?

Haven't I given enough, given enough?

Always the fool with the slowest heart,

But I know you'll take me with you;

We'll live in spaces between walls.

Pantsuit Sasquatch, Mollylele

Continuing on from forever giving, Comet, as her arc continues, grows tired of never being enough. This song encapsulates SO WELL how Comet steps away from giving to everyone, and finds worth in herself first and foremost. This song could relate to any NUMBER of people in her life, from past friends, to Crowley, to her ex-vice housewarden…

All my credentials didn't matter!

All my service and nobody cares!

They tried to purchase the world on a platter;

Phoned in some favors and now it is theirs…

You know it brings me no joy

To see you in this hole,

So much the man will destroy,

Just to feel in control…

So goodbye.

4. What are your OCs minor fears?

Comet has a lot of BIG fears, like the ocean, but I don’t really mention her more minor fears!

Comet fears a lack of control—not that she needs to be controlling, just… if she feels lost or like things are out of hand, it brings her great anxiety. She also doesn’t particularly like flying bugs. And Riddle. She’s scared of Riddle.

She ALSO has this fear that one day she’ll wake up and her hair will have been chopped off.

8. Is there a character your OC doesn’t like? If so, why?

Several, actually. It’s not that difficult to tell when Comet dislikes someone, but she still remains polite, so I suppose it could be missed if one isn’t looking.

Riddle, for one. She thinks he’s scary and feels unsafe around him because of his anger issues.

Leona as well, she understands where he comes from, but she just doesn’t like his vibe and thinks he’s a little stuck-up.

ALL OF POMEFIORE??? Like she feels judged by Vil and doesn’t appreciate how nitpicky he is, she’s TERRIFIED of Rook and wants him to stay several miles away from her, and she thinks Epel is annoying.

For the first parts of her arc, she also dislikes Sebek and the Octatrio, which is ironic because she ends up crushing on ALL of them later on…

Have a silly meme :3

[somanyfuckedupiftruebooks]

Mag 51

Oh, here we go again with random lines in statements that would be emotionally devastating to the Archivist. Jon knows exactly how impossible it is to get over avoiding a death that should have been yours.

Simon's back to terrorise more people working in industries tangentially related to the Vast! All this guy ever does is go on expensive adventures and kill people. And lie about his grandfather owning a boat that was actually his because he's old as shit.

A tiny pink skeleton of a man perched like a vulture and staring at them. This is a pretty far cry from everyone's favourite sky grandpa.

I wonder if a heart attack could actually kill Simon?

'Enjoy sky blue' makes no sense in this context, so I have some other suggestions:

Enjoy sea blue.

Enjoy deep blue.

Enjoy silent blue.

This statement is one of the pivotal Vast ones for me, and it's probably almost entirely because of how much this passage resonates with me. I don't do a lot of diving, but I did grow up on the beach and this really captures the way the ocean feels simultaneously peaceful and terrifying.

So I guess what I think happened here is that back in the late 1800s, Simon used this boat to bring some kind of Vast creature out into the ocean, [scene missing], then it escaped the boat by tearing a big hole in the bottom, sinking through the sea floor and warping this part of the ocean into a Vast domain where it could just keeping growing and growing to impossible proportions. This may or may not have had to do with his failed ritual attempt from a few decades earlier. I think that fell apart because people at the time weren't scared enough of the ocean? Or didn't associate the ocean enough with the Vast? So maybe putting this leviathan down there was preparation for the next attempt in a few hundred years (until he later decided to focus on outer space instead of the ocean).

I know some people think that the Vast and the Buried are opposites and I understand the reasoning behind that (the sky is the opposite of the ground, it tracks). But stuff like this is why I think they are actually very closely related. The are both manifestations of the fear of being overwhelmed by the physical environment, both associated with breathlessness and helplessness, and they both share custody of the ocean.

Big ocean cunt.

[olderjustneverwiser]

The Road That Was Broken (George Weasley)

Welp, here we go again.

This was originally supposed to be a part two to Draw Down the Moon, but I think it can stand on its' own. First, I got the idea from Inuit by Foxing (from which lyrics are inserted at the beginning and end) but then it turned into Joker and the Queen by Ed Sheeran, so idk man. I just hope it's enjoyed like I've enjoyed writing it.

This is a George x reader (platonic to not quite platonic) with mentions of past Fred x reader, so if you're not into that, here's your warning.

images were found on Pinterest and they are NOT MINE!

Warnings: A big Ol' Fred is dead fic, George hates himself because George likes his dead twin's girl, lots of talk of self-hate (nothing related to suicide or self-harm,) lots of tears, comfort, one talk of marriage, yelled curse words, drinking, a shameless use of the 'there was only one bed' trope, and almost kisses.

Also a HUGE thank you to @moresvuheadcanons since she wrote parts of the ending bc she's the g.o.a.t.

It was bigger than me It was bigger than the sea And I'm not waving I'm drowning

It started on a warm summer night fourteen months after you lost Fred. 

Fourteen months after the Battle and you could honestly say you were...okay. Not great by any means, but better than you were before. You no longer had unhealthy dreams of living a life with Fred. Even George seemed to be getting back to his old self. He finally started to smile again and the shop was thriving. The two of you still lit a lonely candle on their birthday for Fred, and sometimes one would still have to comfort the other as they cried, but things were getting better. Your new normal wasn't quite as grim these days.

At least, until you found it. Hidden deep in the dresser you and Fred once shared was a little box covered in smooth black velvet. You had dropped it instantly once you realized what it was, but after you opened it and saw the gleaming silver band inside, you couldn't seem to let go of it. It shocked you how detached you felt, if you would have found this a year ago you would have been an absolute wreck, but finding it now didn't make your chest hurt like you were expecting. 

That's what made you most uncomfortable, the fact that you weren't hurting. It meant that you were moving on from Fred, and that terrified you. 

Which is what brought you to where you were now; sitting on the living room couch, surrounded by a blanket and holding the box in your hands. You were trying to decide what exactly to do with it; torn between wanting to throw it in an ocean or clutch it in your hands until your dying day when George's voice broke you from your thoughts.

"What're you doing up? It's nearly two in the morning," he grumbled, obviously just having woken up himself. 

"I could ask you the same thing, Weasley," you retorted, making room for him to sit next to you. 

"Woke up, had to take a leak, saw the lamp on, decided to check it out," he explained lamely, "your turn."

"I couldn't sleep, so I decided to pack some more of his things up. I looked around the drawer and found this." You handed him the open box and he forced a chuckle. 

"I'm flattered, truly, but this isn't exactly my style," he said.

"I just found it, you git."

George closed the box and handed it back to you, "I'm only surprised it took you this long to find it."

"Wait, you knew?"

"Of course I knew! He told me everything he did." You noted the sadness he tried to hide in his voice, "He bought it a couple weeks before the Battle. He was waiting to give it to you after the war was over."

You didn't know how to feel about that, much less respond, so you stayed quiet until George spoke up again.

"What do you think you'll do with it?"

"I'm really not sure," you opened the box again, taking another look at the ring. "It's weird, I don't feel sad. I mean, I feel a little sad I suppose, but I'm okay. I'm mainly surprised, although I don't know why. Guess I didn't think he was planning that far ahead."

George saw the look in your eyes, the sadness and longing shone in them, and he got an idea. Standing to his feet, he reached a hand out, his palm open. "Take a last look, then give it to me."

Your brows furrowed, but you did as instructed, gazing at the ring once more before closing the box and handing it to George. 

"Now close your eyes," he said, and as you did, you heard the shuffling of his feet as he moved around the flat, no doubt hiding the box. The sound grew louder, and soon he asked you to open your eyes and when you did, his palms were empty.

"This way you won't be tempted by it anymore. Now, let's get back to bed, please," he asked.

"I actually think I'm staying on the couch. I kind of don't want to go back there right now." The bedroom you two once shared held too many memories of you and Fred together; while you were able to sleep in the bed most nights, you knew sleep would evade you after your little discovery. 

George weighed his options, craving sleep but also not able to leave you alone like this. He briefly considered offering his bed to you, but shut that thought out of his mind as soon as it came. You were still Fred's, and that would be too weird. No matter how close you two were, it wouldn't be right.

So, he grabbed a pillow and an extra blanket from his bed and joined you on the couch. Once he saw your perplexed expression, he let out a laugh, a genuine laugh that even surprised him. "Didn't think I'd leave you all alone, did I?" 

He proceeded to flick the lamp off and grab the television remote, nudging your shoulder before asking, "scary movie or kid cartoons?"

-

Things changed for the two of you after that night, or at least they did for George. 

The two of you spent the night on the couch, watching silly cartoons on the telly and drinking coffee until it was time for you both to open the shop. That night was the first time since losing his brother that George truly felt like his old self. He'd begun to feel better; better than he had been since May 2nd. Started smiling more and cracking jokes, not expecting Fred to cut in halfway through a sentence anymore. He started to feel and act more like himself, or as much as he could without his better half next to him.

During the weeks that followed, you and George grew even closer, often waking up at strange hours to watch whatever movie was playing at 3 AM or going to breakfast on Sunday mornings. The two of you had even fallen asleep together on the sofa a few times, not wanting to be alone for the night but being too mentally exhausted to stay awake. In the weeks that followed, George noticed that he thought you were beautiful, which he never really paid attention to before. He noticed that he smiled when you smiled, laughed when you laughed, and felt an ache in his chest when you cried. In the weeks that followed, George had begun to fall for you. 

And the more George started to like you, the less he liked himself.

Godric, he was such an arsehole. What kind of bloke falls for his dead twin's girl? The worst kind, that's what kind. He lay in his bed most nights, tormented by the war happening between his head and his heart. Hating himself a little more every time he got butterflies when you smiled at him or whenever he'd stand just a little closer to you at the shop. 

It's not like he had planned this. Never in a million years did he think he'd ever have these kinds of feelings for you (but then again, he never thought he'd ever have to live without his brother.) He tried so incredibly hard to push these feelings down, but every time he did, they'd only grow and crash into him again.

And he'd hate himself just a little more.

But, you were still his best friend, roommate, and business partner and he couldn't lose you as well, so he'd keep them buried. The two of you still had a store to run and lives to live. George vowed to keep things normal between you. These stupid feelings he harbored would stay safely locked in his heart until they eventually dissipated. 

Because they had to go away eventually. He would not be able to live with himself if they somehow didn’t. 

So when he found you in the kitchen one morning, obviously having been up way longer than he had and making breakfast, he decided to do something his younger self would have done. You were playing music through a small speaker on the counter; it must have been muggle since he didn't recognize it, but its funky tune made him want to dance, so he danced. It reminded him of the night of the Yule Ball, the first night you had cried for his brother. It hurt you to see Fred kiss Angelina more than you thought it would, and George hated to see you so upset over it, so he did this outrageous dance to make you forget about what you were seeing. Soon you joined in and your tears dried, and the two of you spent the rest of the night dancing until your feet ached. Merlin only knew why, but he wanted to make you smile like you did that night. 

He moved his legs and arms about behind you in the kitchen, the same way he'd done that night, until you sensed his presence and turned to face him. 

"Care to dance?" He asked in the most pompous voice he could think of, holding his hand out for you to take. 

Instead of making you laugh like he wanted, your face fell the moment the words left his lips. He was about to ask what he'd done when it hit him; a memory filed deep in his brain of walking into the flat and seeing you and Fred dancing barefoot in the kitchen, a glass of wine in hand and enormous smiles on your faces.

George dropped his hand instantly, and muttered an apology before grabbing a piece of toast and turning back to his bedroom.

Yeah, he was a huge fucking arsehole.

-

You and George were treading dangerous waters and you didn't know what to do about it.

At first you thought it was all in your head. The warmth you felt whenever George's hand brushed yours in the shop, or the lingering smiles he seemed to save only for you. It all had to be your mind playing tricks on you and making something out of nothing. Perhaps it was the fact that you hadn't felt a lover's embrace in well over a year that made your heart flutter around George. Or maybe it was a simple, fucked up case of transference. You spent nearly all of your time with George, and since George looked like Fred, feelings you held for Fred for so long were now making their way over to his twin. It had to be that; something fleeting that would eventually go away forever. You didn't think you'd be able to live with yourself if these feelings were anything real.

The most fucked up thing about this whole situation was that you knew deep in your heart that these feelings were real, though. And you were starting to think George felt the same way.

That's what terrified you the most. If you were right and these thoughts were eating George up as they were you, you knew the guilt would be killing him and make him pull away. And you couldn't lose him, too. So you had decided to keep a safe distance from George. He was your best friend and all you had, but this had to be done. The two of you had gotten a little too comfortable with each other in the recent months, and one of you had to put a stop to it before it got way too out of hand. So you started taking the armchair instead of sharing the couch with him and made sure to keep him at arm's length in the shop. It hurt you more than it should have, and you could tell that it was affecting George too, but you kept telling yourself that it was necessary, and once your inappropriate feelings went away, all would be good again.

There was only one problem with your plan, though. Both you and George ran the shop, and with that title came many long nights doing inventory and mandatory business trips, during which you couldn't really keep your distance from George. 

It would have been fine if it wouldn't have been for the stupid hotel messing up your reservation. Your plan was to spend most of your time mingling with other business owners at the conference, spending as much time away from George as you could for the next two days. However when you arrived at the hotel and were informed that you had been reserved for a room with one bed instead of the two you had requested, it became obvious that your plan was not going to work at all.

"How could this have happened?" You asked the poor desk clerk. You knew you must have sounded incredibly rude, but given the circumstances, you couldn't quite help it. "I phoned weeks ago and made this reservation."

"I really am sorry," she responded meekly "I guess whoever took your reservation just...assumed? Unfortunately we are fully booked for the conference, so this is the only room we have." 

You shut your eyes and willed yourself to calm down; you were so exhausted from traveling but now so stressed out. You had half a mind to apparate right back to England, but then George put a gentle hand on your shoulder and you instantly felt better. After saying that you'd take the room and accepting the free breakfast voucher they'd offered as a consolation, you and George made your way up to the room.

The two of you had decided that you would take the bed and George would have the couch that was in the room. You had initially felt bad; the bed was quite big and George would inevitably be uncomfortable on the couch, but he had insisted. It soon became apparent that George would get little to no sleep on the little sofa, though, because even after applying a cushioning charm, you could tell that the cushions were unforgiving on his back. He was still your best friend, and you couldn't let him lay on that thing all night.

So much for keeping your distance. 

"George, just come and share the bed with me." 

Even in the darkness that enveloped the room you could tell George stiffened at your offer. "I'm really fine, don't worry about it."

"You shouldn't lie, it's unbecoming. Now just come on." You persisted. "I don't need you being a grouch tomorrow because you didn't get any sleep."

After taking a beat to think it over, he finally decided to join you, and you shifted in the bed to give him space. Sure, you had to share a bed for a few nights, but it didn't mean anything. You'd still keep your distance, no matter what. You had to, even if it broke your heart. 

The next morning you woke before George did, with his hand on your waist and your face mere centimeters from his, almost as if the universe had pulled the two of you towards one another during the night.

You hated to admit it, but it was the best night's sleep you'd had in months.

-

The second Christmas without Fred was just as awful as the first.

It had started out well enough, with you and George exchanging small gifts with one another. Even with your new habit of not sitting close to him anymore (something he missed more than he would like to admit) the two of you had a pleasant Christmas morning before heading to the Burrow.

Percy had visited for just a few minutes before announcing that he had to leave; still too riddled with guilt to bear to be around his family for any longer. Charlie had stayed in Romania for reasons unknown. It really didn't feel like Christmas at all with half of George's siblings missing. 

Even so, it hadn't necessarily been a bad day. 

Christmas lunch had gone by without a hitch; the food was delicious as always, and all in attendance were fawning over Fleur and her little baby bump. But after lunch came presents, and that was when hell broke loose.

Harry gave Ginny a beautiful new broomstick for her Harpies tryouts, and Hermione gave Arthur a muggle encyclopedia, which he dove into almost immediately. Bill and Fleur received more baby clothes and toys than they could count, and then it was time for Molly's presents; which was once again going to be hand-knit sweaters if the wrapping was anything to go by. George was fine, everything was fine until his sister-in-law opened her sweater and he saw it; a blue sweater with the letter F stitched proudly on the front. 

F

Fred.

George instantly felt white-hot rage fill him and he spoke out before he could think better of it.

"What the fuck is that?"

"George, watch your mouth," his father quickly reprimanded, but George barely heard it. He was too busy staring at his mother who seemed to have been expecting this response. 

"Now, George, Fleur is part of our family and she deserves-"

"I don't give a fuck!" Shouted George. "She shouldn't- it should have been his. I just- I don't- how could you make that? How could you make that knowing that he's not here to wear it?" A tear slid down his mother's face, but he couldn't make himself feel guilty at that moment. All he felt was anger and grief. 

Never-ending, soul crushing grief.

He turned his gaze away from her to his siblings, noting that they didn't seem to be as phased by this as he was. Even you, who sat beside Ginny, avoided his gaze. George felt hot tears stinging his eyes and he left the living room, ignoring looks of pity and the calls of his name. 

He stormed out of the back door and rubbed his face, aware of someone following him but not caring who at that moment. 

"George," you said softly as you reached a hand out to him, "George, do you want to talk?"

"Talk?" He yelled as he swatted your hand away "Sure, let's talk. Let's talk about how my brother, my best friend, is dead and I feel more alone than I've ever felt in my life. Every time I think about him I feel so guilty, and no one understands. Not you, not my family; no one could possibly understand how I feel." You were crying now, but he couldn't stop himself. "Every time I glance in a mirror, or at a shop window, I see him and I hate myself because I didn't save him. Everyone is moving on but I just can't."

He took a breath and realized he'd been crying too. You reached for him again and he didn't stop you this time, allowing you to wrap your arms around him. "I miss him so much," he continued "I miss him so fucking much and I don't know what to do."

You only nodded as he had his outburst, and he felt his anger dissipate slightly while you held him. He felt his breathing return to normal and his tears dry, and in this moment he realized how much he had missed this. He felt a sense of comfort that he only had when he was with you, and having you this close after being so distant for months seemed to help him tremendously. 

"I'm still hurting too, y'know" you mumbled, your voice muffled by his chest. "I know I don't hurt like you do, but I still miss him and carry that guilt."

George felt his heart constrict at your words because of course he knew that, his anger had just clouded his judgment. Now that he had calmed a bit, that anger was beginning to be replaced by a different kind of guilt. "I'm sorry for yelling and saying those awful things."

"Don't apologize, just know that you're not truly alone with how you feel." 

He nodded, allowing your words to sink deep into his brain as the two of you stood there, arms wrapped around each other. You had been so distant lately and even though it took George a while to figure out why, he finally realized that you were struggling with the same feelings he had been. He didn't know whether to feel relieved, happy, or downright terrified when he came to this realization, but right now in this moment, he felt content. 

He didn't let himself think about what his family would say (or Merlin forbid what Fred would say). He didn't dare think about how much this could potentially ruin the best friendship he had. George even tried not to think about the broken road that led the two of you here.

He needed this. He needed you.

"Please don't leave me alone again," he whispered into your hair, more to himself than to you, but the way you shivered at his words told him that you heard him anyway.

-

Today was George's twenty-second birthday. 

It still felt weird to not say Fred and George's birthday, and you suspected that it always would, but it didn't hurt as badly this time. Maybe you were moving on, or maybe time is funny that way; it makes the wounds on your heart less painful and heavy. Always there, but not nearly as awful as they once were. 

Either way, neither you or George felt up to the way the three of you would normally celebrate their birthdays, a raging party with lots of friends, too much alcohol, and mind-numbing hangovers in the morning. You never would since an integral piece of your trio would forever be gone. So, you and George were celebrating the exact same way as last year; splitting a bottle of firewhiskey and reminiscing in your shared flat, alone. No parties with sympathy pats, no toasts to fallen heros, no headaches from too much crying.

The two of you rathered this, anyway. 

George was four glasses in already and rambling on about some elaborate prank they had pulled on Percy years back, but you were only halfway paying attention. You were unabashedly staring at George; the curve of his lip as he talked, his hair; longer now than it had ever been. He was handsome, and not because him and Fred looked the same because George didn’t look like Fred anymore, not really. No, George was handsome because he looked like George, and that revelation made your heart skip a beat.

You had finally admitted the truth to yourself, you loved George. Not in the brotherly way that you had done for years, but truly, honestly loved George in a way that made your heart ache. You didn’t know when it happened. Sometime between long nights on the couch and shared cups of coffee. Getting rid of engagement rings and crying over Christmas sweaters. Comforting each other through hard times and celebrating all that there was to be happy about because he still had his family and you still had each other. 

You had stopped trying to keep your distance from George after Christmas, you knew it was futile. Your feelings for George weren’t transference, or fleeting in any way. They were there, lighting a fire in your heart you thought had long been extinguished. 

You could only hope that George felt the same way you knew you did. 

In your reverie you failed to notice that George had stopped talking. His glass of whiskey was on the counter; forgotten about and he was staring at you. His gaze seemed to cut right through you, and briefly you wondered if he was going to lean in, if he was having the same internal struggle you currently were. He was impossibly close; when had he shifted so close to you? The question left your mind as quickly as it came because you couldn't even care why or how this was happening, only that it was.

You could see the gold flecks in his amber eyes and smell the cinnamon on his breath. His gaze left yours for just a second, only long enough to glance at your lips then back to your eyes and the action made your heart race. When was the last time you felt a rush like this?

Probably when Fred-

You willed your brain not to think about it; you wanted to be fully in the moment with George. Goosebumps erupted on your skin as he cupped your jaw, and all you thought of was George. 

It didn't scare you as much as you thought it would, nor did it make you feel as guilty as you probably should have.

He offered you a smile, just a small one as a silent question of 'Is this okay?' And you nodded, just once, and he leaned in. 

But just as you closed your eyes George yanked his hand away and you felt him jump. When you opened your eyes, George was no longer millimeters from you. He was standing at least a yard away from you with a hand in his hair and his eyes wild.

The moment was gone and you felt your heart drop.

"What, what the hell are we doing?" He sputtered.

"George-"

"No! No, this isn't happening." He shook his head furiously and ran both hands through his hair, a nervous habit he'd had as long as you'd known him. "This is fucked, you and Fred, oh fuck."

The guilt you expected sill wasn't there, and you briefly wondered what that meant. You tried to go to him but as soon as you took a step, he took two away from you, clearly adamant about keeping distance between the two of you. 

"George, it's okay. It's okay to feel this way and it's also okay to be scared." You tried to reason with him, hoping the confidence you faked would be enough to keep him from spiraling. 

He shook his head "No, it's not okay. I cannot believe we were stupid enough to even allow it to get that far." He took a breath. You could tell that he was going over everything that just happened in his head, trying to figure out exactly what went wrong.

Too bad the two of you had different ideas of what went wrong.

"I think I just need to sober up," he finally said. "Yeah, I think we just need to be alone and sleep off the alcohol. That’s it."

Twist the knife a little deeper, George. 

"Can we talk about this?" You asked, voice beginning to shake from the emotions you were desperately trying to control. 

"There's nothing to talk about." He was almost to his bedroom door now, trying to get as far away from you as he could.

Please don't leave me alone.

"George, please let's talk-" You started, but it was too late. He had already stalked back to his room and slammed the door. 

The two of you didn't speak for weeks after that.

-

The Weasley family was together for the first time since the battle. Although, it was really their fault that it had been two years since they had all been in the same room. 

Percy kept making excuses for why he couldn't come to family dinners on Sundays, and Charlie had only been back to England once since that night. George showed up as much as he could, but the whole family would never be together again; hearing his mother use the term "whole family" made George sick. Fred wasn't there, so there was no way the whole family could ever be together again.

The first Weasley grandchild had been born just days prior, however, so Charlie portkeyed over, and Percy couldn't find an excuse to skip out on meeting his niece. So the whole Weasley clan was here at Shell Cottage to meet little Victoire.

Well, all except Fred, but George couldn't think about that. 

You were even here, which George was thankful for. Seeing his family and you pass the tiny bundle that was Victoire around took George's mind off worrying about the shop and even made his ever growing feelings for you move to the back of his mind. He was grateful; family get-togethers made George uneasy since he'd never been to one without Fred until after the battle, but this one felt as close to normal as they could possibly feel now. He attributed this new found calm to you; just you being there next to him brought a sense of peace he thought he had long lost, even after the awkward encounter you'd had a few weeks ago. He had been adamant that the moment was a fluke and that it would never, ever happen again, but after weeks of replaying it over in his mind, he realized that he wanted it to happen. He had finally admitted to himself that he loved you, but that new revelation would have to wait until the both of you were ready to face it, so he made up his mind to make this day about his brother and his new daughter. 

He had stepped away from the living room to get a moment alone, but when he returned you weren't there, and something in his gut told him to look for you. Even after the horrible mess he made on his birthday, you were at his side, which he appreciated. The two of you hadn’t talked about the almost kiss, mainly because he didn’t know how to say that he was sorry, that he made a mistake and he shouldn’t have run away. He should have given in to the feelings that he knew were there. 

He should have let himself be happy for the first time in two years.

You weren't in the sitting room where the family was, so George checked the backyard and dining room, to no avail. His next stop was the kitchen, where he found Charlie sipping a cup of coffee. Charlie turned where he heard his brother enter, and muttered a quick, "She's on the beach."

Perplexed, George looked out the window, and to his surprise he saw a figure about 20 yards away; just a dark shape against the horizon, but undoubtedly you. 

"How did you know I was looking for her?" George asked.

Charlie grinned. "You're not as covert as you think you are, little brother. Something happened between you, I can sense it" He paused, taking a sip of his drink. "No one would blame you, y'know. Not even Fred." His smile dropped as he said Fred's name and he turned serious, which was rare for Charlie. 

George was stunned, though. Charlie had been in England for two hours and already he had seen right through George. "You don't know what you're talking about," George argued weakly.

Charlie shrugged, "Yeah, sure. Whatever you say. But I meant what I said; no one would blame you or her. Not mom, not me, and definitely not Fred. It's obvious to anyone with eyes that something's there. You both lost a lot, and now you have the chance to gain something." He stood, patting George on the shoulder before walking back to the sitting room. "Just think about it. And for what it's worth, I think she feels the same way."

It took George exactly two seconds after Charlie left to leave out the back door and make his way towards you; his brother's words repeating in his head. As he got closer, he was able to see your hair blowing in the wind and your arms wrapped around yourself, and it made him wish he had brought you a coat. Once he finally reached you, he noticed you had been crying; you tried to wipe your eyes with your shirt sleeve before he could see your tears, but the red around your eyes made it obvious. You had tried to hide it, though, which told George that you probably didn't want to talk about whatever was bothering you, so instead of asking what was wrong like he wanted to, he opted to keep it light.

"Y’know, there's a little baby girl in there that's way more interesting to look at than the sea," George joked, not really knowing what to say. Things had been strained since his birthday, and he was determined to slowly start making it right.

You nodded, still sniffling "I'll be there in a sec, I just had to get out of there."

“You’re missing him today, aren’t you?” His tone serious, but soft.

“Well, yes, but not as much as I thought I would. And also more than I thought I would. It’s messy and I feel horrible for feeling even the tiniest sliver of happi–” you stopped yourself before you could say it, but George knew what you were thinking. Saying it would change everything. How could either of you be happy, after all that had happened? 

George looked down at his feet, attempting to hide the guilt washing over his face. The last thing he’d wanted to do was upset you, and then he’d gone and mucked it all up. Again.

You reached out for his hand, an instinctive gesture. When he looked back up at you, you spoke again, seemingly choosing your words carefully.

“I’m not saying I’ll never be happy again, or that I shouldn’t be. I’m just…learning how to hold happiness next to all of the grief and loss I’m still feeling and probably always will.”

Bumping your side against his, you rested your head on his shoulder.

“I’m glad I have you to help me through it, though” you said. "And I think I just need time; we both need time to figure this out, but we will, because you deserve to be happy, too. He would have wanted that."

George felt his heart beating in his chest and tears burning his eyes, and he fought to keep tears from rolling down his freckled cheeks. There was no need for you to specify what this was, you both knew that these feelings were real and that they weren't going away as easily as you both thought they would, but maybe they were never meant to be fleeting.

“Don’t get all emotional on me now, you’ll ruin the moment” he said, unable to stop himself from adding levity to the moment. With a small snort, you squeezed his hand and the two of you remained outside, watching the waves crash against the shore.

Oh, pure heart's peer caught me gawking Your hair in the wind, such small lonesome hands I think I was meant to keep you warm

[muertawrites]

The Dark of the Moon (Zuko x Reader)

Summary: Late night insomnia turns into a conversation about love, and Zuko makes an interesting discovery about his feelings for you.

Word Count: 2,100

Author’s Note: You can thank Avatar being on Netflix and rekindling my childhood obsession for this one. I wrote this mostly as a dialogue / pacing exercise, but it’s also a bit therapeutic since I can actually relate to Zuko more than I realized or could have ever foreseen watching this show as a ten year old. Enjoy a little emotional romantic fantasy on behalf of a preteen crush and all the toxic friends I’ve ever had. ✌

~ Muerta

Zuko usually slept with you. It started one late night during a mutual bout of insomnia, in which you ran into him as you both wandered the halls of the Western Air Temple. You hardly knew him, but he sat with you and talked about everything that night - anything that wasn’t related to the war or either of your pasts that had been torn apart by it. He surprised you with his dry, even-toned sense of humor, as well as with his intelligence in not only combat but literature and philosophy as well; being a healer and a fortune teller by trade, you found a lot to talk about with him.

As the nights awake became more common, you and Zuko spent more of them together; sometimes you’d wait until you happened upon him in the halls, others one of you would designate a place to meet. Eventually, one of you would go directly to the other’s room and you’d sit, sharing whatever light or heavy thoughts happened to plague your minds. You learned a lot about him in those nights, and grew to feel proud of how far he’d come in such a short time - you often helped others, those much older than yourselves, over months to scale the internal struggles he had, and he’d managed to do so on his own. The more you gave to him, the more he gave back, and it soon became commonplace to fall asleep to the sound of his breathing as he lay in his sleeping bag on the other end of your room. 

And that’s exactly what woke you up - the strange, still energy of your bedroom that indicated his resting place was empty. You rolled over, unable to spy his silhouette under the moonlit windowsill, and you rose, your feet carrying you to where you were certain he would be. 

It was a gorgeous night, with a gentle breeze ruffling the crisp air. You found Zuko in the courtyard, gazing out over the fog veiled landscape under the swell of the full moon. Without a word, you sat beside him, watching the clouds roll by like ships on a silent ocean. His chest churned in turmoil, so intensely you could feel it in your own.

“Apparently, I can’t sleep without you anymore,” you said. “How selfish of you to have problems that keep you up at night.” 

Zuko huffed out a soft chuckle, though the weight in his chest didn’t lift. He leaned back onto his palms, craning his neck backward and allowing the wind to tousle his ash-black hair. 

“You didn’t need to come out here,” he told you gently. “It’s not your job to help me fix myself.” 

“It never has been,” you replied. “I’ve never fixed anyone. All I ever do is listen and recite a few proverbs; everyone comes to their own conclusions in the end.” 

“That’s not true,” Zuko retorted. “I’ve seen you heal. You can do things not even Katara can do, just with whatever happens to be growing nearby. It’s incredible.” 

You smiled, your heart fluttering in your chest. 

“Physical healing and emotional healing are two super different things,” you told him. “Emotional wounds can only really be healed by the people who have them. I mean, unless you want me to crack open your chest and poke around at your heart for a little while.” 

Zuko chuckled again, the tenseness of his muscles easing up just slightly. He opened his palm and spawned a softly glowing flame, both of you watching it flicker in the cool night air. 

“I wish I’d been born a water bender,” he mused. “Something that would do good for others. All fire does is destroy.” 

You were silent for a moment, watching the thoughts swirl, tormented, behind his eyes. You thought of all the times you’d seen him smile, how his happiness made his handsome features all the more radiant and caused your stomach to bubble with joy. The memory shot a spike through your chest.  

“... You know, we only ever see one part of the moon,” you commented, breaking the quiet. “Everything behind that - the dark side - we don’t really consider, even though it’s always there and is as much a part of the moon as the side that’s in front of us.” 

Zuko smirked at you, distinguishing the flame in his hand. 

“Reciting a proverb at me?” he teased. 

You grinned. 

“This one’s more like a metaphor,” you admitted cheekily. “That tea I make, the one that tastes awful but makes pain completely disappear?” 

Zuko nodded. 

“I need fire to make it,” you continued. “I have to roast the ingredients over an open flame before boiling them. Without fire, I couldn’t do most of my healing; it would be too painful without the tea to help.” 

Zuko said nothing, but you could sense your words sinking into the cracks in his troubled thinking. 

“Fire is heat and light,” you added. “It’s just as important to life as water or earth or air. Every element is capable of destruction or creation - there isn’t a single one that’s inherently good or bad. The person that controls them is the only one who determines that.” 

There was another long pause, in which you busied yourself noting the different wild plants growing between the stones that paved the courtyard. You listed the different medicines you could make with each, the process calming you. 

“I’ve done some pretty shitty things to people I care about in order to embrace my goodness,” Zuko finally spat. The bitterness in his tone stung you. You turned to him, and for a split second you caught a familiar, rageful glimmer in his eye; the sight made your own temper flare. 

“Zuko, don’t do that to yourself,” you said. “It wasn’t just your father who hurt you and you know that.” 

“I know,” he snapped, cutting off the end of your words. “I still care about her, though. I don’t even know if she really ever cared about me, but I still… I still miss her.” 

Your ribs seemed to cave in, crushing your heart and lungs. He’d told you about Mai many times, and all you ever saw was that the darkness in her drew out the darkness in him; it even hung over you, clouding out the comfort you felt with Zuko and replacing it with unease and doubt. You feared there was no place in his heart for you - not while Mai still remained in it, no matter how badly her memory made him bleed. 

“It’s hard,” you choked out. “I still miss some of the people who hurt me, too.” 

That was all you could manage to say. You pulled your knees to your chest, half-burying your face in the fabric of your night dress as you forced the tears welling in the corners of your eyes not to flow. 

This is what you get, you scolded yourself. This is what you get for feeling things for people you know could never feel the same about you. 

A sensation of warmth curling around your shoulders made you jolt. Instinctively, you inched away, glancing in Zuko’s direction as he retracted the arm that had draped around you. You expected him to look away, but he didn’t - his pale amber eyes instead locked with yours. 

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled. “You hold your head so high… I forget sometimes that you’re trying to heal, too.” 

His words caused your tears to spill, though you didn’t cry; your face remained stony, and no sobs shook you. Your tears fell as easily as water from a cliff’s edge, impeded by nothing but the will of gravity. 

“... The cards you lent me,” Zuko said after a pause, almost blurting the words. “I’ve been reading them, to help me let go of everything I left behind. I don’t think I’m doing it right.” 

A few weeks ago, you’d given him a deck of cards you used for fortune telling. Each card depicted a different object, element, or scene, and were laid out in combinations that gave insight into a person’s spiritual path. You liked them more than other forms of fortune telling, as it encouraged its readers to make their own assumptions and drive their own fates instead of having it simply told to them. You gave your deck to Zuko so he could reflect on something finite, instead of getting consumed by his own thoughts. It was exactly what you used them for, and you knew they would help.

“Why?” you asked softly. 

“I drew a card that didn’t make sense,” he told you. “I laid down the Tides, then the Crossed Blades, and then… I pulled the Badger Mole. The other two I understand - one is for movement and change, the other is for strength in allies, but I… can’t figure out what the Badger Mole is supposed to mean.” 

“Badger moles are strong, powerful,” you explained, speaking dispassionately from memory, “but they’re gentle. The card represents the duality of both. They mate for life, too, so it also represents love and companionship.” 

As you spoke, you felt a meteor crash between you and Zuko. His face fell, dumbfounded, as he looked at you, his eyes darting minutely back and forth as you watched the pieces mend together in his head. 

“What do you feel?” you whispered, part of you terrified of his answer.

“... I feel like I’m fighting the tide,” Zuko replied, his tone awestruck. “It’s pushing me to shore, but I keep trying to swim back out to sea.” 

The corners of your lips curled upwards slightly, your cheeks still sticky with tears. 

“It’s really scary, huh?” you said. “Loving another person.” 

“Yeah... especially when you’ve never known what it feels like before,” Zuko added softly. 

You reached out, tentatively resting your palm against his cheek. His hand rose to close over yours, the sensation trembling you to your core. 

“How many times have you pulled the Badger Mole?” you asked. 

“Every time,” Zuko breathed. “I’m so stupid for not realizing. You make me feel wild and calm all at once. I get this crushing feeling in my chest when I see you or even think of you, and I thought it was just fear or sadness. But… you don’t make me want to lash out like I used to, with my father and Azula and Mai… just the thought of you makes me want to be the best person I can be. Even though I know you already accept me for not being that person.” 

You couldn’t help but laugh, somewhat defeatedly, your knees falling away from your chest and crossing in front of you. Your body was heavy, but your head felt light. 

“I love you, Zuko,” you murmured. “But I’m afraid.” 

Zuko wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling you closer. His forehead fell to rest against yours, his eyes closing as he steadied his erratic breathing. 

“If you’re scared, I’ll protect you,” he said quietly. “That’s what I think lovers are supposed to do.” 

The word made every organ in your body jump to your throat. Lovers. Your limbs felt weak, but your heart felt strong with Zuko holding you. 

Without thinking, you took his face in your hands and kissed him. It wasn’t hard and passionate like you expected, but firm, gentle, his lips pressing to yours like two palms grasped in an assuring embrace. He lay one of his large, able hands on the back of your neck, his thumb tenderly stroking your skin. 

When you finally broke apart, Zuko gazed at you with a soft, forlorn expression. His fingers reached to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear. 

“I’m sorry I talk about her so much,” he said. “It must kill you.” 

You shook your head, a soft smile forming on your lips, still red from where Zuko had kissed them. 

“Don’t worry about it,” you told him. “I know some people from my past you’d happily drive a knife into.”

Zuko chuckled, the light, airy smile you saw when he was truly happy spreading to each of his cheeks. The spike that drove itself through your heart when you thought of it earlier was gone, replaced by the sweet warmth of a low flame on a cold night. With him, you were safe. 

“Let’s get some sleep,” Zuko suggested, taking your arm to help you stand. 

His hand slipped easily into yours, your fingers twining together. He leaned forward and kissed you again, his lips only grazing yours, causing your skin to buzz with the sensation. 

“... Do you think we’ll have to talk to Aang about this?” you asked as you walked back to your room. 

Zuko raised an eyebrow at you, confused. 

“He is your great-grandfather,” you elaborated with jest. “I should probably do the chivalrous thing and ask for his blessing or something.” 

Zuko laughed, nudging you with his shoulder so that you stumbled over your feet. You shoved him back, to which he took you by the waist and wrapped you tightly in his arms, kissing your cheek. 

“He probably won’t care,” he replied. “But my uncle will love you.”

[alberivh]

unwanted lovers

the lovers of the sinner, the thieves of the nation. Caught in despair after hiding their motives behind the ruins of aristocrats , they were now together behind the cells of execution, loving each other in no bounds of life nor death.

diluc x gn!reader

contains (proceed with caution) : major character death, gruesome death, execution. (Heavy angst, comfort/hurt, bad ending)

a/n ; I’m very sleepy these days so enjoy reading this

“diluc..are you sure we’re going to be alright?” , standing behind the cliff, both hands and leg chained up in a huge rocks; standing beyond the other side of the sinners-walls. The cliff was a sharp one, designed to be a punishment for fugitive to regret. But you in the other hand..looked like you didn’t regret anything. Seems like you gone numb and missing, probably dying out of beneficial, but for what exact reason..? Aren’t you going to die? Aren’t you?

The air was in a perfect shape, blowing through the ears of whisper into corruptors mind. It was breezing and perfect, a match for a dead end. The flowers were all a bare minimum, seems as if it was never supposed to grow; Same as how the contradictions between you and diluc relationship.

“we sure are going to be alright…haha”

a simple small affairs of thieves, relationship grew beneath titles. scrawling through the nights of the nations, searching for victims to be devour. Fortune, foods, informations and many more. Dangerous or so, we could talk about it later; after all, privileges of the poor are none to another. Dirts fill the clothes of people with nothing, looking like a lost dog from the leach of their master; it’s how you both look. generally speaking, maybe you both are really perfect from one another. Poor and worthless, messing up the people whom privileges drowns them to exploitation. beneficial for business and public figure, making the knives on both of your throat approach the second you both slaughtered another man.

diluc look so much more than perfect, he is astonishing. Fit more to be a corrupted man instead of a filth whom licks someone toes to be payed. And to live to the fullest, he repayed those who are involved with the corrupted government, by either slaughtering them or just..stealing their granted fortune. It is a job, and to be specific it is a living hell to be in love with your own partner. Loving seems so mature, yet you both found it to be quite bothersome. or maybe that’s just how nature works for someone who grew in an abandoned wilderness. Like how diluc live after his family died, like how you live after you lost everything to the ego’s of the rich.

you both were empty, like you predicted it to be. Diluc was a scum, same as his only eye which felt like a sharpened death. kissing his dry lips as you cried in his chest, embracing the figure of a red-hair thief who ones told you an eternal peace, for the poor we live and for the rich we died, that’s how our life’s work sweetheart. Even if death embarrassed your cheeks, all you wished is for you both to be alive as soon as the worlds ends to be a better place. The smoke of his cigarettes surrounded your cries, it stings the pain of abandonment, like the cries of lovers who only lives to die in the age of glory. although you wouldn’t assume the fact he was a worth of a thousand years of reincarnation, he sure is enough for puppet like you to be pleased.

“still wearing your brother’s eyepatch i see? What’s up with you always wearing it around? You look better without it anyways.”

“he lives in the other ground of the walls, possibly already meeting my father right now. He was beneath 6 feet under the ground anyways, would you like to mourn him?”

“you could just told me he’s dead, Diluc”

“i can’t he’s supposed to be alive after all.”

that’s how you know Diluc’s past, how’d you believe his slaughter and warm to be an abominable crime. As much as you loath those who stick with their family principles, you expect nothing more than Diluc’s ability to keep you both balance from the assumptions of the rich. He is a tool and a lover, even if you fall out of love with him, you could still rely within his power..or so you thought. Fate was cruel, they decided to lend a hand for the inability to be punished by the divine.

You found a comfort at his kisses, it was beautiful. A single line of poet to an old paper, perfection. Never have you though to be deeply in love. dancing like nobody but yourself and diluc himself. Skipping through the laces of fingertips as the mansion burns to the ground, how beautiful the sunset is at the evening; the dust of the corpses which were buried trying it’s best to find the wind, but they were corrupted and only both of you were worth to be despaired. The soul of the worthless, the soul who craves justice for the none; oh god, you both really are in love.

Embracing nothing but him, loving the movement like no one but him, only him, my beloved diluc. The flowers petals which was turned into a thousand of flames are now flying and surrounding the neighborhood. Burning the whole corrupted society was unexpectedly mesmerizing. It seems like it covered the injustice of your action. Burying people underneath their grasp, leaving terrors to the innocent, maybe fairness are really that blind.

The mansion was burned to dust, leaving nothing but bones in the investigation. The fortune you took was nothing, the burns of the screaming neighbors are your daily teases. Diluc found it pleasing that you both are in love once again. Dancing once again. But this time, both of you were chained up in a chamber. Legs full of bruises, cheekbones gone frail, and lips were all drying in horrors. you both are dying in tremors.

Dancing in each other arms, suffering in worth, it’s the last night they thought. The swaying burns of guilt, the loving kisses of embrace, it’s so addicting. Although diluc was hesitant to let go, maybe it’s time to grew on the fact by loving was a cursed from the start. For both of you and diluc. The chains in your legs were rotten, making a deep infection on your ankles. A fatal sources of death and unbalance.

“can we promise something diluc?” , your voice gone hoarse. Trembling and terrified, dying wasn’t so ruthless but seeing diluc suffer was something you wish you could unchange. It’s exhausting to live like no one, maybe diluc felt so too. You were too scared to shed another tears to his chest, anxiety was planting it’s ideology beyond the walls of your mind.

The night was peaceful, maybe the starry sky doesn’t deserve it’s view. Humans are frail, fragile, and too much of a pain to begin with. If you were a god, maybe diluc could be your lover for the rest of your eternal realm. The next life would be fine, just make diluc safe from the grudge of death.

“let us marry each other in the next life, even if it meant for one of us to die again..”

“your wishes is my command, love” , an agreement. He agrees to be in love, whenever the situation is those words would always be kept near. Marriage aren’t that simple to be idealized, but knowing this is your last wish, why not accept the terms? He asked himself.

“you don’t need to be formal like that y’know Diluc, we’re in the same bounds, a fugitive in a prison..”

“well that doesn’t change the fact you’re my lover?” , he replied again. The same silence scowl your emotions to a mess. You really wished you did more than just this, everything. Kissing his lips wasn’t enough, tearing up in his chest wasn’t enough, loving him wasn’t enough and lastly, maybe in the next life your time was too short. can i sacrifice the whole world for you then? So anything that could happened in this state, all of it was for us to met again. I’m too selfish to let go, you are the best thing that universe have fortune to be.

I accept each granted the world has gave, even if it meant for me to die again. Let go of diluc’s hand, let me be the crystalflies Diluc envied; An eternal peace for lovers to reincarnated as. If anything has happened to both of us, let share the burden towards the undeserved. Because in our next life, maybe there wouldn’t be us, just you and another person in chains of eternal love-life.

so whenever i’m lost diluc, intertwined my hands again. And you, whenever you’re lost diluc, love me all over again. Because if this time wasn’t enough, then let us die in each other embrace. Loving you was an intention i never have despises, and as those ancient story told. ‘The once fallen first are the once who fell in love harder.’ I though it was a wise poet, but maybe know i understand, Diluc.

I lost you after you fell to the cliff, i have no regret on loving you. But if time was partial enough for both of us, i rather fall for you without any requited relations with you anymore. Diluc, you’re free. As free as the ocean waves, as free as the guides of the wind, you’re free. I’m sorry for letting you fall away from the range of my life, i’m sorry..

so please Diluc, meet me again sooner or after, i love you.

the pleas for the corpse to hear, here you standing in the cliff alone, waiting for someone to push you apart; to follows Diluc’s path. oh diluc..he look so lonely down’s there..blood all over his head and torso; as he saw you fallen down to his side. Eyes opened in shock, as the knife inside of his stomache rumbles to death. Stings. It stings. He watches the world shutter in his eyes, the eyepatch he use was no longer his brother remnants, it was just a decoration for another corpse to be buried in burden of love. He seems so pathetic in this state, seeing you fallen to his side and couldn’t do nothing but smile.

diluc why am i the only one talking here?

The bloody place you both fallen through was a perfect place for continuation. Trying to slip your head to diluc’s unwary neck, the warm part of his body you couldn’t let go. You heard the whispers of the wind once again, it seems it pitied the living and the dead. Diluc heartbeat was long gone, possibly gone when he smiles at you; for the last time. Diluc was just a body now, your lover have returned to another universe. To another universe you promises him before.

‘in heaven we’ll be free..in heaven we’ll get married diluc.”

the thought of you slowly losing consciousness was better than before. the warm of Diluc’s corpse was starting to fade, same as how your instinct shatter to pieces. The only thing you could see beside the sky was the knife inside his stomach, waiting for it to be freed from the blood of the filth. But your strength was long gone, death already ruins your eyes in despised of being in love. As the ancient tales says in the end of the page, they told the audience a never-ending happy tales, a hope for the lovers to heard at the end. you both are free now..

TAGLIST : @mikachuchu , @zierx @childeluv @urujiako , @chichikoi , @noirkkat , @aphrodicts-imagination , @icecappa

proofread; @mikachuchu (thank you so much wtf mika ily for this /p)

[purple-vixen]

Batfamily interactions involving vines - Headcanon

A/N: I've been wanting to write this for a while. This is my first headcanon by the way, I hope you enjoy! - Vix

• Whenever Dick screws up, Tim and Steph ALWAYS shout "What the fuck, Richard?"

• Jason also gets on board just for the sheer pleasure of pissing Dick off.

• When no one was around, Jason sat on the Wayne Manor piano and started hitting the keys trying to recreate that "Is there anything better than p****? Yes, a really good book." vine

• As soon as he played the last chord, one of the shelves started moving and Bruce's collection of Ming dynasty vases crashed into the floor

• And that's how Jason found out about the Batcave's old entrance.

• Tim set his voicemail greeting to a record of him saying "Oh hi, thanks for checking in, I'm still a piece of garbage".

• Damian once tried to convince the other batboys into becoming vegetarian when they stopped by the Bat Burger drive-through after patrol. As soon as he realized they weren't buying it, in a fit of rage Damian yelled "Fuck your chicken strips!"

• Barbara often quotes the country boy vine when she's with Dick, but instead of saying "country boy" she says it like "Circus boy, I love yoooooou".

• During meetings in the cave, whenever Bruce asks them to look at some graph from the intel he gathered, the Batkids always snicker then start singing Photograph by Nickelback in unison and Bruce regrets his life choices for 4 minutes and 18 seconds straight.

• Bruce threw a Bat-glare at Steph because he was interrogating a Two-Face thug that was playing dumb and Steph was in the background dancing while singing "Why the fuck you lying? Why you always lying? Stop fucking lying"

• There was this time Jason showed up in the med-bay with two soprano flutes stuck on his nose

• Jason was about to explain to Alfred that Barbara had bet 5 dollars if he played the John Cena theme with two flutes in his nostrils just like the kid from the video

• Before Jason could even speak, Alfred cut him off and said "Save your breath, at this point I'd be far more terrified if I knew what happened.".

• Steph and Cass thought tying a potato to the ceiling fan in Cassandra's bedroom because of that vine would be a good idea

• It was all fun and games until the fan started spinning too fast and the potato flew out and made a hole in the window glass

• Less than 5 minutes after that, a ladder was put near the window and, Alfred, who was trimming the Wayne Manor garden, appeared, covered in leaves and with a head bump

• Alfred retrieved the potato and calmly commented "The fact that this is the most ordinary thing I have seen today really amazes me."

• As soon as he left, a mortifying silence established while Frank Ocean played in the background. That was until Cass mumbled "A potato flew around my head before you came."

• Tim has two Instagram accounts, one for his civilian identity and the other for Red Robin

• One night Bruce made him wait in the Batmobile while he discussed something with Selina

• Tim got bored, sat on the Batmobile driver's seat and started a live stream through his Red Robin account

• During the live, he reenacted the "I'm in my mom's car" vine, but in that part where the mom spoke, Tim would make an impression of Batman saying "Get off my car."

• Batman showed up out of the blue and said "What are you doing in my seat?"

• Tim instantly turned the live off and jumped back to the passenger's seat faster than Flash

• Using Instagram during patrol was banned by Bruce after that night.

• One morning Barbara was having breakfast with Jim and while reading the newspaper headline about Penguin running for mayor, Barbara grumbled "Gosh, sometimes I wish I was Jared, 19"

• James Gordon, a dad confused over social media, especially memes, asks in response: "Who the fuck is that Jared 19 and why the hell so many people want to be like him?"

• After seeing that vine of a cat installing a cable, Damian tried to train Alfred (the cat) into doing the same thing

• Long story short, the family's Xbox was sent to tech support and Damian had to pay for the repair with his allowance.

• One time Dick and Jason were working together on a case about missing children

• "There's only one thing worse than a kidnapper." Dick said as he wrote on a board the word "child" over "kidnapper"

• "A child!" Jason exclaimed with assurance.

• "No!"

• "Especially if that child is Damian."

• "Jason, no!"

• The biggest April fools prank the Batkids ever did was related to a vine.

• There's a vine where a guy brings helium balloons inside a car and the car starts floating.

• So they decided to tie hundreds of balloons into the Batmobile.

• The floating Batmobile was being broadcast all over the news in Gotham.

• Once again Bruce regrets his life choices

• "Have kids, Master Bruce." Bruce grumbled, remembering what Alfred used to tell him. "Kids are good to keep you company, Master Bruce." He grumbled while throwing away a trash bag full of popped balloons. "Should have gotten a ferret. Ferrets don't tie helium balloons to your car, and neither leave the toilet lid open."

[chatonne-rousse]

The Importance of the Black Cat

Adrien has a lot on his mind - concerns, questions, doubts. And right now, he has only one being to confide in. There is not enough cheese in the world to make Plagg want to handle this situation, but his holder needs him, and he knows two things with certainty: his very important place in the world, and that no one hurts his kitten. Not if he has anything to say about it.

Read it on Ao3 here.

The Camembert he holds in his paws is aged beautifully, gooey and perfectly pungent. He knows it was expensive, purchased with his holder’s allowance, and therefore tries to at least do the kid the honor of enjoying it. But as he mulls over the day’s events, the first few bites sit like a brick in his tiny stomach.

Tonight, Plagg eats his cheese for sustenance only. It’s hard to find the usual joy when his holder hasn’t spoken since they arrived home.

The light in the closet switches off as Adrien shuffles out into the bedroom, dressed for bed in black pajama pants and an old white t-shirt. The departure from his usual red and black spotted look doesn’t escape Plagg’s notice, but he chooses not to comment.

Plagg discovered long ago that his devotion to his holders is inversely proportional to his ability to counsel them. He knows he’s not good at advice beyond cheese and chaos. He wasn’t made for emotions and heartfelt chats.

A sure and confident holder didn’t usually open his heart or seek his kwami’s counsel, and Plagg liked that. They did their jobs, they shared their lives, but they didn’t share their hearts. They didn’t need to, because his holder needed his power more than his presence.

But once in a while, he’d materialize in front of a human whose eyes shone with innocent kindness, and he knew immediately that they would need him. If he’s honest, Plagg will admit that these are the best wielders of destruction. It’s all about intention, after all, and a pure heart rarely destroys with disregard. These holders, however, always seemed to come with a price - they saw their kwami as less of a means to an end and more of a friend.

He loved these holders. He would level cities and wipe out species for them. But oh, did he ever dread having to talk to them. Really, really talk.

Plagg knows his kitten will break the silence soon. It’s only a matter of time. He isn’t sure if it will be to talk about being stuck in the elevator with his very good friend, a monologue that will no doubt be punctuated by sighs and soft eyes that will be quickly denied if his kwami points them out.

One undeniable fact from the day, however, is the racing pulse and rapid breathing of a boy terrified of being locked up and feeling increasingly helpless in the situation. Plagg knows very well that it happened, because he was tucked inside Adrien’s shirt listening to his pounding heart. He hopes his holder doesn’t want to talk about that, because it’s way above Plagg’s pay grade.

He also hopes his holder won’t ponder why only he was dragged through the portal to safety, or why Rena Rouge was the one to do it.

Plagg gets down almost two full wedges of cheese before Adrien sits down on the edge of his bed with a heavy sigh.

“Hey, Plagg?” His voice is quiet but doesn’t betray any emotion yet. That’s actually more worrying.

Steeling himself, Plagg swallows the last big bite of cheese and zips from the desk to perch on top of the globe, facing his holder. “What’s up?”

He heaves another sigh before looking up into Plagg’s eyes, emotions still unreadable.

“How important is the black cat?”

Oh. A wave of relief makes Plagg’s whiskers perk up. The question is unexpected but definitely not unwelcome. He’s lousy with advice but an expert at talking about himself.

He puffs up his tiny chest and grins a fanged grin. “Only the most important, kid! Everything has to end sometime - except me, of course, but,” he shrugs, “we can’t all be perfect.” He hopes that will garner a smile, but realizes a moment too late that he’d started his speech talking about death to a boy who lost his mother at thirteen. Oh no, he thinks, panicking. He’s bad at this, too.

He barrels on. “I mean, creation is nothing without destruction. The very concepts go together, always. Can you imagine a world where flowers never wilt and people never die?” Adrien’s eyes widen and his brows furrow. Shit, Plagg thinks. I did it again.

“Plagg, that sounds...really nice, actually.”

He shakes his head. He can get this back on track. He’ll fall back on pragmatism like always. “It does, but that’s not how the world works. Your planet can’t sustain an expanding and eternal population. Everything grows and lives and dies and starts over again. Everything has a beginning and an end.” Plagg’s eyes shine with pride. “Only I, and my very lucky holders, get to harness that inevitability into a real power, and use it for good. Tikki and her bugs can create, but we destroy,” he pitches his voice lower, his tone serious, “so they can create again.”

Adrien’s eyes are still wide, but Plagg sees wonder and a bit of pride there. He lets his tiny shoulders relax.

“I never thought of it that way. You really are amazing, buddy.” He reaches out to scratch Plagg behind the ears with a soft smile that his kwami would see doesn’t reach his eyes if his own weren’t closed with pride and delight.

The hand retreats, and Plagg opens his eyes just to watch Adrien’s face fall.

“But I meant...how important is the black cat to the ladybug?”

"How...what?" Plagg splutters, taken aback. "I just told you, kid. Every beginning has an end. Creation and destruction are perfectly equal. You don't want to know what happens when they're not."

Adrien's eyes snap to his, clearly on the edge of a dawning horror. Oh no. Not again.

Plagg waves his paws. "What I mean is, you need each other. Tikki is never activated without me, and I'm never called up without her. We're two halves of a whole. You've never seen the inside of the miracle box," he scowls, "which is bullshit, by the way, but if you did, you'd see that the center is a circle, split perfectly in two. Tikki and I go together, and so do you and Ladybug. You can do this without each other, but you're not meant to."

Adrien's shoulders droop. "Yeah, I know she can win a fight without me. She's had to do it before." He sighs. "A lot."

"Sure," Plagg agrees, and can't resist adding, "but she wouldn't need to if you didn't throw yourself in the line of fire every chance you get."

"I have to protect her, Plagg! You know that! Ladybug is more important than me."

"Kid!" Plagg bursts out in frustration, "I don't know how else to tell you this! You. Are. Equal."

“Then…” Adrien’s breath catches and he blinks several times. “Then why doesn’t she need me anymore?”

For just a moment, in the time it takes for the words to register and translate and pierce his heart, Plagg’s ire flares white-hot and livid. No one hurts my kitten and gets away with it. But he looks into his holder’s eyes, sad and achingly lonely, and his anger slips away as quickly as it came. He’ll deal with his own feelings on the matter later.

Besides, it’s not Marinette’s fault. She’s doing the best she can. He’d still relish giving her an earful, but piling on the heartbreaking guilt about his holder’s situation wouldn’t really help and might just snap what Tikki has insinuated is a currently-tenuous grasp on stability. Plagg knows she’s making decisions based on the mentorship of a flawed man, a failed guardian who ran from his mistakes for the better part of two centuries.

Fu never understood Plagg and never tried to. None of the guardians did. Beyond knowing the basics of his power and the importance of the ring of the black cat in relation to the earrings of the ladybug, Fu never saw Plagg as anything more than a liability. Which is honestly fair, but Plagg doesn’t have to like it.

He definitely doesn’t have to like it when the rules of secrecy leave his kitten in the dark and feeling useless. Especially after what he now suspects from the clues he got today.

He looks into his holder's tear-filled eyes and sees a soft innocence rare among the long line of black cats who've worn the ring. This might just be his most difficult assignment yet, but it's also one of his favorites, and he'll protect his kitten no matter what it takes. Even if it means talking about feelings.

Once his stomach is settled, he's going to eat so much cheese to make up for this.

Plagg takes a deep breath. "Who spotted Optigami in the elevator today?"

Adrien blinks but says nothing.

"Who made sure Ladybug didn't tell her secrets to Truth?" He waits another moment, watching Adrien's blush rise and letting his words sink in. "And who protected her identity when she was hit by Kwamibuster?"

"Okay, but—"

Plagg steamrolls his holder shamelessly. "You were the key to defeating Gorizilla, Stormy Weather, Lady Wifi. I have a long memory, kid. Do you want me to keep going? Because I haven't even gotten to the times you kept your bug afloat with all those pep talks and disgusting feelings. A nice piece of Brie would've perked her up, but I have to admit that your methods worked, too."

Adrien sniffs and chuckles. "Okay, buddy. I get it." His eyes still betray an ocean of hurt, but Adrien's soft smile seems genuine.

Plagg has never quite understood human emotion, though he's seen it all in his many centuries among humanity. He's also seen the myriad ways humans cover up one emotion with another (and another, and another, and sometimes destructive behaviors and very dark paths). He doesn't much enjoy dealing with human feelings, but he when it comes to masks, he prefers the very stylish ones he manifests on his holders' faces, changing with the times and his whims and his holders' thoughts. It's been a long time since he had a holder whose civilian life necessitated so many different masks. No wonder he eats so much Camembert to recharge - it's exhausting just watching it.

"What I'm saying, kitten...er, kid, is that your bug needs you. Paris needs you. And I know that because creation always needs destruction." He snorts a laugh. "That's a fact that's bigger than both of us."

"Yeah, you're right. I know you're right." Adrien sighs and stands to pull back the covers and turn out the light. He climbs in bed and heaves another sigh as his head hits the pillow. "I just wish she'd let me help her. I...I know she's going through something."

Plagg settles on the pillow next to Adrien's, in the Camembert-infused spot where he sleeps. "Being a guardian kind of sucks. It used to be a whole big thing - years of training and ceremonies and shaving your head in a weird pattern..."

Adrien breathes a laugh in the darkness.

"Did you just imagine your beloved bug with her pigtails cut off and a bald spot shaved into her head?"

"Plagg! How dare you?" comes the reply, but his laughter betrays him. Yeah, he's totally picturing it.

Plagg smiles. "What I mean is, you know her. As much as you can, at least. She's told you over and over how important you are to her. I hear all that mushy crap, you know. I don't think she means to hurt you." A pause. "If she does, she'll regret it," he mutters.

"Please don't threaten my future wife, Plagg."

"Still?"

"Still what?"

Plagg blinks. Adrien blinks, then finally catches up.

"Oh. Well." He takes a deep breath. "I'm...a little upset about some things. But I'm sure we can work it out. People make mistakes. Besides, just because someone hurts you doesn't mean you stop loving them, Plagg."

He wouldn't trade Adrien and his tender heart for the world, but sometimes Plagg wishes he was already a bit more jaded when he slipped the ring on his finger that first day. He doesn't want to witness the moment his holder's gentle spirit is finally crushed by what he knows better than most is a very cruel world.

For a long moment, Plagg considers his answer and finally chooses sarcasm. He shrugs. "You can always just cataclysm their prized possessions. That works, too."

That startles a laugh from his holder, tired and tinged with emotion, but a laugh nonetheless. Plagg considers it a win.

They settle into silence. Adrien's eyes close sleepily. Plagg considers getting another wedge of cheese now that his stomach has calmed down a little, but the thought that this is far from over makes his indigestion flare again. Love is messy and inconvenient, the Cancoillotte cheese of emotions. But, he supposes, looking at his holder in the dark, it's worth the difficulty.

Adrien's eyes open suddenly to meet Plagg's glowing green.

"Thanks for talking to me, buddy. I'm sorry I—"

Plagg zips over to his holder before he can finish the sentence, tucking his little body into the crook of Adrien's neck and starting up a loud purr.

"You're welcome. You owe me so much cheese."

Adrien laughs again, and Plagg purrs louder when he reaches up to scratch behind his tiny ears.

"Reblochon again?"

Plagg stifles a laugh at the fact that he has penance cheese for dealing with Adrien's feelings before realizing how sad it is that he...well, has penance cheese for dealing with Adrien's emotions. Someday, when his holder is on his own and out from under the tyrannical rule of his asshole father, Plagg has every intention of cataclysming Gabriel's entire atelier, including his tablet and any backup drives. He dreams about it sometimes. Just watching the world burn. It'll be beautiful.

He sighs wistfully before answering. "I was thinking Époisses."

Adrien groans. "Plagg, no. It's so gross."

"Plagg, yes. Feelings are gross. Cheese is life."

Another sigh. "Fine. I'll order it in the morning."

Silence falls over them again, this time comfortable and warm. When Adrien's breathing evens out, Plagg heads over to the cupboard for a snack. By the time he's eaten two more wedges of Camembert and thought about the whole situation, he's decided to pay Pigtails and his other half a visit. This can't continue. They're all headed for catastrophe, and no one wants to see what he'll do if this breaks his kitten.

He takes a wedge of cheese for the road and heads for the window, but something makes him stop before he phases through. He turns back to look at his sleeping holder. The moonlight shines through the windows, casting shadows like prison bars across the room, across the bed, across his kitten. Plagg thinks suddenly of Adrien waking up alone, his kwami nowhere to be found, and realizes he can't just leave.

He sighs. He's sighed so many times tonight.

Plagg tosses the cheese in the air and catches it expertly, swallowing it in one gulp, then makes his way back to the bed.

Tomorrow, he'll find a way to phase into Pigtails' bag during homeroom for a much-needed discussion with Tikki. He doesn't want to - he really doesn't want to - but Plagg intends to do his part to fix this. Holders like his come once in a very, very long lifetime. Adrien is worth it.

He settles again on his cheese-scented pillow and curls up, wrapping his tail snugly around his body. Soon his purr matches the rhythm of Adrien's quiet breathing, and peace, however temporary, falls gently over the two of them once more.

[chaoticallysapphic]

Oh my heart

Summary: Lin never expected to have a soulmate, in a world where your mark appears whenever your soulmate is born she grew up completely blank. So when she’s thirty and it finally etches itself around her arm, she vows to never be with the one meant only for her. 

A/N: there is an age gap so if that's not your thing, then please don’t read. This will be a two, maybe three parter and the reader is Korra’s older sister who is also a waterbender, besides that I’ve tried to keep any physical descriptions of her as vague as possible.

Word count: 4k

Lin was terrified. Something she had longed for her entire life had finally appeared but at the worst possible time, those strange words etched onto her forearm stared back at her in a taunting manner, making fun of her new attempt at happiness. You wished for me all your life, aren’t you pleased? The voice in the back of her head taunted, but she wasn’t. A moment meant to be filled with joy was one drenched in dread. Lin had finally accepted her feelings for Tenzin, despite him having had his soulmate mark since he was sixteen. Her glances grew longer, her smile seemed reserved only for him, and she finally felt happy, until now of course. Thirty, that’s how old Lin was, which meant she was thirty years older than her soulmate which seemed wrong, disgusting even, so Lin did what she thought best, she burnt it off. She blamed it on a work-related incident when asked, a pesky firebending criminal got a little to close and she paid the price. No one knew she did it to herself in the darkness of her apartment with tears on her face, a hint of regret gnawing at her heart.

Two months later, Tenzin asked Lin out on a date and despite that nagging feeling that this was so wrong, she accepted. After a few months Tenzin made her forget about the burnt skin on her forearm, the shameful secret she’d take to the grave. She felt happy, so happy, she felt loved and accepted, like maybe she had a shot at a happily ever after despite his mark and her own. Lin knew he’d choose her, knew he loved her, and had nothing to worry about, so she laid her head on his chest as they basked in the sun on Air Temple Island.

                                                            -----

“You can’t force me into wanting kids!” Lin shouted, her hands waving around as she glared at Tenzin, his usual calm demeanor seemed to crack, his voice rising as he shouted back “I’m the last air bender there is! I have to keep the line going, I have to repopulate my kind!”

“I would be a terrible mother, I hate kids and I’d have to leave my job for at least nine months, I just made Chief!” Tenzin pinched the bridge of his nose, his pale complexion turning red with frustration, he loved how dedicated she was to her job, but it seemed to be all she cared about since getting promoted.

“I think we need a break from each other, maybe a week or t-”. Her eyes widened in horror at his words, her hand's grip at her hair in frustration as she cuts him off “fine, but I am coming back in a week and we are working this out for good, I’m tired of this argument.” Without letting him say another word, she stormed out and made her way back to republic city.

As the week dragged on, Lin put her colleagues through hell. Slamming doors so hard the glass on them shattered, an even shorter fuse than normal, she even fired two of her best detectives for trying to ask her what was wrong. Her apartment seemed cold, her nights seemed never-ending and an undeniable sense of dread clawed its way into her heart like she knew he was slipping away. Maybe she could have one kid, to make him happy and keep the air benders going. If it was an earth bender then fine, she’d have another, but she wouldn’t quit her job, wouldn’t loosen up on the hours and Tenzin would understand, right? He’d just be so happy to be a father that he wouldn’t care, he’d always respected her work before, what was to stop him after a kid or two?

She caved, she decided to go back to air temple island on the fifth day, a sense of determination to fix their relationship fueled each step and she tried to dismiss any fear she had of becoming a mother as she made her way up the steps to where she’d known Tenzin would be. In her state, she didn’t notice the pitying looks the acolytes sent her way, all she cared about was finding him. When she found him in the courtyard, she thought nothing of the young woman speaking to Tenzin with a wide grin but when she put her hand on his shoulder mid-laugh, Lin paused. Tenzin noticed her then, a million emotions flashed through his eyes before his shoulders sagged and a sorrowful expression settled on his face, and somehow, she knew.

Who could blame her when she wreaked havoc on a place she once called her sanctuary, when she wished misery on him before leaving her destruction behind, her fists clenched tight as the best thing she ever had slipped through her fingers.

                                                           -----

“Korra!” a feminine voice shouted from behind Tenzin, you pushed past him and ran forward to hug the avatar in the interrogation room, murmuring something to her in a furious tone. Lin rolled her eyes as she looked over at Tenzin who said smoothly “Lin, you are looking radiant as usual.”

“Cut the garbage Tenzin” she replied in an annoyed tone “why is the avatar in republic city? I thought you were supposed to be moving down to the south pole to train her.” you, who came in with Tenzin let go of Korra and walked over to stand by him, your arms crossed over your chest.

“It was too cold for his bald head” you answered right as Tenzin opened his mouth to speak “now why is my sister in so much trou-”. Lin tuned the rest of her words out as shock slammed into her like a rock wall. No. This wasn’t meant to happen, she’d scorched off any chance with her soulmate twenty years ago, or so she thought. But this… this twenty? Yes, a twenty-year-old water tribe girl with brows furrowed, and an expectant look on her face was it. You were what sometimes kept her up at night when she was so lonely it felt like the feeling would surely eat her up as Lin imagined some faceless figure who loved Lin with all their heart, someone who would never leave her.

“Lin?” Tenzin asked, putting his hand on her shoulder which successfully pulled her out of the raging ocean that was her thoughts, no not ocean, definitely nothing water-related. Lin looked into Tenzin's eyes, completely ignoring her one chance at happiness.

“Just get her out of my sight and keep her out of trouble” she practically growled out before storming off. Her heart was racing so fast she’d thought it’d surely give up any second now, maybe she should have known that her hasty decisions from her past would one day come back to sucker punch her in the gut.

“Well that was weird” Lin heard you say behind her as she continued to rush away from you before she accidentally said something. Lin vowed then that she would never say a single word to you. It was better this way anyway, who would want her? Bitter, old, scarred Lin who was practically married to her job and hated all things romantic ever since Tenzin crushed her heart beneath his shoe.

                                                           -----

She learned that your name was y/n a few days later, she heard Korra call out to you at the gala and when Lin followed Korra’s excited figure and her eyes landed on her soulmate, the wind was successfully knocked out of her for the second time since meeting y/n. You were wearing a deep blue satin dress that went down to the floor with a blue sheer shoulder shawl that had silver snowflakes embroidered onto it. Your hair was down instead of up, and you had a small amount of makeup on, just a bit of rouge and red lipstick. Lin thought it was the perfect amount, any more and it might distract someone from your beautiful eyes, or your enchanting smile. Her heart began to pound despite her desperate attempt at keeping her emotions in check. A large part of her hated this, hated you, and what this feeling blooming in her chest meant.

When Bolin came up to you and threw an arm over your shoulder, which caused you to laugh, Lin remembered that it would never happen. She shoved her feelings down and turned away from you as her thoughts went from how beautiful you were to how you would never love her.

Later on in the evening, Tarlock calls Lin over and she sees you peek around Korra to eye her curiously, a look of intrigue settles on your features as Lin pushes down any feelings she has at the fact that you’re looking at her and it feels like her whole body is on fire under your stare. “I believe you and avatar Korra have already met” Tarlock looks over at her with that sly look of his that she’s already determined means he’s up to no good.

“Just because the city is throwing you this big to do, don’t think you’re something special. You’ve done absolutely nothing to deserve this” she says to Korra, leaning down a bit to glare at the young avatar. Your curious gaze turns to one of annoyance as you glare at Lin. “Hey! Who gave you the right to be mean to my little sister,” you step in front of Korra almost protectively, as you stare her down. Don’t speak to her, look away, don’t reply, she tells herself. Lin turns on her feet and walks off, trying to seem as if she doesn’t care about what you said. “Why does she always ignore me?” she hears you say in an exasperated tone before she loses your voice over the loud music playing nearby.

                                                           -----

When Tenzin stands next to Lin at the pro-bending arena with you by his side, she’s not surprised. It seems the universe has decided to continuously throw you in her face, dangling you teasingly despite knowing her decision regarding your bond. You're holding a bag of fire flakes as you eagerly watch your sisters match, but soon your once excited expression turns to annoyance once the game starts. The Wolf Bats tipped the referee off. Lin wants to go beat the referee up until he starts being fair, just to see you smile once more.

“C’mon! This is bullshit” you shout as the Wolf Bats gain another point. Lin can’t help but notice the way your nose scrunches up as you continue to shout at the referee or how your hair which originally was pushed behind your ears has come loose and is framing your face so beautifully. Her left hand unconsciously grazes over her armor where her burn mark is as she watches you, completely tuning the game out. As Tenzin goes to shout something alongside you, his eyes catch Lin staring at you with a look of longing, he takes a step closer to Lin causing her to tear her eyes away from you and back to the match.

“Lin....” Tenzin begins but she clears her throat and mutters out a sharp “drop it.” To which Tenzin does, for now. Later on, as the match intensifies, Lin says “I can’t believe your sweet-tempered father was reincarnated into that girl, she’s tough as nails.” Lin doesn’t see it, but you smile at her words before deciding to tune out the rest of the conversation between the two, too focused on your sister to care.

You're practically seething at the outcome of this botched game, fire flakes are flying out of the bag as you shout in anger, not noticing the figure approaching with sinister intentions. By the time you do, it's because you're in excruciating pain as something electrifies you, your vision blurs and you make out Lin dropping onto the floor. The figure who electrocuted you steps over your body, you reach out to the Airbender, trying to warn him but nothing comes out of your mouth as he falls to the floor beside you. Soon your eyes droop closed due to the pain despite trying your hardest to stay awake.

When Lin awakens her muscles feel like they're about to give out and she lets out a weak groan as she slowly goes to stand up. Her eyes land on you the second her vision is no longer a blur and her heart fills with panic as she sees an equalist take you into their arms. She stumbles forward, not fully awake, and catches the attention of your capture. You let out a pained groan, in your unconscious state, the sound tugs at her heart and she’s suddenly filled with boiling rage. The equalist is shaking as he continues to stumble backward, another appears to help him take you away and without a second thought Lin shoots out her wires and wraps them around both of their ankles, she gives them a harsh yank which causes them to fall to the ground with a loud thud, for good measure she cuffs them to the floor, warping the metal of the floor beneath them around their wrists and ankles. You land on top of your capture, your eyes begin to flutter behind your lids and you finally stir awake. Pain wraps around your muscles, in your head you think maybe it's best to just lay still, momentarily forgetting about your situation.

You let out a whimper, knocking Lin out of her frozen state as she had gazed at you. Lin rushes forward and wraps an arm around your waist as she pulls you up onto your feet, you open your eyes, blinking the blurriness out of your eyesight. Lin takes you over to the railing as Tenzin also begins to regain consciousness and she props you up against the metal railing. You stare up at her in confusion, your mind is buzzing a mile a minute, not only at the situation at hand but at how her arms felt wrapped around you. “Uhm… Thanks for that.”

“Amon probably ordered them to kidnap you to hurt Korra” she replies, not realizing what she’s just done. Your eyes widen in shock at her words but before she can even notice your shocked state an explosion sets off behind you, sheets of metal from the bending platform go flying and she wraps her arms around you, forcing you to duck down so she can shield you with her body. You pull up a wave of water to protect you from oncoming flames. The heat of the steam from the water causes you both to begin sweating before the flames from the explosion recede only seconds later. You let go of the water, suddenly the discovery of Lin’s secret doesn’t seem so important as you think of your sister. When you passed out she was in the water below, surely she’s somewhere safe, right?

As if to answer your question, Korra appears as she hurtles herself up into the air with a large twisting waterspout. As it begins to falter and then completely goes out you let out a shout filled with terror “Korra!” Lin quickly gets up and shoots her metal wire out towards the roof to send her flying across the arena towards the avatar, before Korra can hit the fiery platform below, she shoots out a second wire to her waist and with all her might yanks her up into the air.

You stand beside Tenzin with wide eyes and bated breath, suddenly the two most important women in your life, I mean Lin has been ignoring you and you’ll have to figure out why later but she is your soulmate which does make her incredibly important to you, are out of your sight and dangerously fighting above as you uselessly stand there with your water bending abilities that won’t get you up there to help fight off equalists. Not being able to just stand by you summon water from below and create an ice bridge to the platform, if you can’t fight, you can try to put out the raging fire caused by the explosion.

“Y/n, wait!” Tenzin calls after but you're long gone. If you just stand there you’ll go insane and you have powers that can help, even if you don't get to kick some equalist ass.  Up above Lin finally lands on the glass dome and immediately sets out to take down as many people as she can at once, Korra watches in amazement for a moment as she wraps her wire at some guys foot and slams him into the roof before she gets knocked off the rope and lands onto the dome with a loud thud and the crackling of the glass starting to break below her.

It’s a collision of fire and electricity with metal wires flying towards the men and from below where you are using all your strength to put out the fire, it looks almost beautiful with the sparks of blue and flashes of red if not for the current circumstances. Tenzin has taken to help you with the fire by trying to use air to snuff it out. Suddenly glass from above sprinkles around them and you look up to see your little sister free falling once more.

“Tenzin can you do something with your air?!” You shout and he goes to try and send a force of air to help slow her down but she's going too fast, she’s flailing and if she doesn’t do something soon she’ll most likely die from the impact. As you run to the edge of the platform to try and save her yourself, Lin appears from above Korra and shoots a small wire to her so she can hold onto it like a rope.

Your shoulders sag in relief as you stumble away from the edge and use everything you’ve got to summon a massive wave to once and for all put out the fire. It works and the force of the water has it crashing into the stands taking with it some of the seats and any trash left behind in the frenzy. When you see Lin and Korra land  you race off towards the now soaking wet stands, using the water below as a set of frozen stairs to reach them. When you do, Lin has her hand on Korra’s shoulder and is saying something but you don’t make it out before you crush them both in a hug. Some sort of strangled sound of relief bubbles up through your throat as your hold on them tightens.

Korra wraps her arms around you, softly saying “thank the spirits you're okay” as Lin stays perfectly still. As her adrenaline slowly leaves her body and she realizes you aren’t in danger, she suddenly can’t be touched by you. She remains frozen until you pull away, you know it's not the time to bombard her so instead you offer Lin a thankful smile, too worried about how she’d react if you did anything else.

                                                           -----

A few days later you finally let Korra out of your sight, letting her run off to deal with her boy problems as you head towards the main police station. You tried to casually ask Tenzin what kind of tea Lin liked best, to which he’d furrowed his brows and said “why?” You simply shrugged and repeated your question. Apparently, it was jasmine, which was a favorite of yours as well so you stopped by your favorite tea shop and grabbed two to-go cups. As you enter the station you square your shoulders and give yourself a little pep talk “You can do this, you just need to march in and figure out why, maybe butter her up with the tea first of course, and then ask why, that’s if she lets you into the office…” you trail off once your eyes land on the door of Lin’s office, the words “Chief Beifong” are written in gold on the glass door which has a blind pulled down so you can’t see inside, which your slightly grateful for.

“Chief Beifong doesn’t want anyone to disturb her” one of the cops called out, but you ignore him and open the door, who cares, you deserve answers.

“I said I wanted to be alone, how brain dead are yo-” her words cut off as you walk in, balancing two cups in one hand so you can shut the door. You swallow, suddenly being in front of her has made most of your bravado slip away, along with your original plan, leaving you speechless. She doesn’t say anything, seeming to forget that she already spoke to you in the arena. You set the cups down and lift your shirt, which causes Lin to blush but you don’t stop until she can see her own words.

“I used to hate them… y’know,” you say quietly before dropping your shirt back down, Lin glares at her desk. “I used to be jealous of Korra and all the attention she got, so imagine growing up with her name etched onto your skin.”

She goes to open her mouth to speak, most likely to spew out some lie so you beat her to it. “I don’t know why, exactly, you kept it to yourself, I asked Tenzin the other day and he said you didn’t have a mark which is odd seeing as you are my soulmate." You pause, your voice softening, "you could have just told me straight away that you didn’t want me, didn’t want this instead of ignoring my existence and leaving me to wonder what I'd done to offend you.” Finally, she looks up from the desk and you make eye contact with her. You're trying so hard not to cry as you try to figure out what's going through her head, will she kick you out? Is your soulmate going to reject you?

“I thought…” Lin begins, she looks away from you, not being able to look you in the eyes anymore. “I thought I was doing you a favor, I’m old, and I’m not the most personable or charismatic person, I thought maybe you’d want someone your own age, maybe someone like your sisters' teammates.”

“So someone who is young and a guy? Did you think that maybe you should let me decide what I wanted instead of just assuming?”

“Look I gave up on the idea of having a soulmate years ago!” Lin shouts and you flinch away in surprise, “thirty years is a long time, do you know how I felt when those words suddenly appeared on me at thirty?”

“Oh, so you do have a mark!” You let out a disbelieving, angry laugh. “So you just went around telling everyone you didn’t have one, pretending the idea of me, of us, didn’t exist.” Tears cloud your vision and you let out a frustrated groan as you quickly gaze up at the ceiling in an attempt to keep them from falling. Lin’s gaze softens and she slowly stands from her desk.

“Y/n… I thought about it every day, but… We can’t be together, I’m far too old and I’ll just hold you back.” You scoff and aggressively wipe at the tears falling down your cheeks, your heart feels like it's beginning to crack.

“Your mark?” You croak out and cringe at how you sound. Lin hesitated before using her bending to take off the armor on her right arm. On her arm is a massive burn scar, you keep staring at it, not knowing what to say. Did someone else do that to her? As if she can read your thoughts, Lin says softly “I did it to myself a few days after it appeared.”

Oh. So this is what it's like to have your heart cleaved into two, what you felt just minutes before seems like nothing compared to the pain wrapping so tightly around you that it seems hard to breathe. She hated the idea of you so much she'd rather hurt herself and lie to everyone in her life. Without another word you turn your back on your soulmate, despite the sound of calling out to you, just like she did to you twenty years ago.