#solar talks with herself again

[dearmantis]

why are half of my links broken..?

[carefulfears]

top 5 (or 10 if you have em) scully taking care of mulder moments <3

she said IF i have 10 😭😭😭

1/ sein und zeit

i fear i have talked about this television scene more times than anyone has ever talked about a television scene....like. one, two, three, four, i was even foolishly invited onto a podcast to talk about it more...

my tags here:

she gets down on the Ground. there's something so primal about it. there's such a lack of pretense and sense of desperation about it. the way he hits the table. we so Rarely see him lash out like that. but it's just too much to Bear. like everything in him is just Breaking the only thing that he's even remotely been able to hold onto amidst all of the unbearable loss and trauma in his life has failed. he's fumbling around for anything that might make it better. that audries fic describing him in this moment as an 'addict out of a fix' with 'newborn anger.' “this is the world? this is it?” it's the way that he spends this whole ep cooking up some elaborate mythology about missing children and how they can be found and then the last shot of the episode is that wide shot of all of the children's graves. sometimes he's just wrong. the world is so much fucking darker and uglier sometimes than the way he sees it. and that's what is crashing down around him in this moment. and she's sitting in the wreckage holding him tight.

this is such brave, brave love. i keep thinking about CSM in the following episode, standing in scully's apartment, warning her. "allow him his ignorance, it's what gives him hope."

she doesn't know what will happen to him, to her, to them, when she breaks down the only method of coping that he has. his mother lost her bedrock too, and she didn't survive. from the moment scully enters, you can watch it break her. she does it anyway. she gets down on the ground, and she cries, and she holds him. god, it all just would've been so different, if there'd been just 1 person, 27 years ago.

(thinking about mulder reaching up to hold scully when missy died, and these tags asking: did anyone hold him, when it was his sister?)

i love the show's message on grief (and trauma), in that this is all that is necessary for "closure." there is no "Truth," (and there really isn't any closure, there's no "beyond" the sea). but it matters that someone knows. it matters that someone bears witness. it matters that someone tells you the truth, even when it fucking breaks their heart. sits in the destruction with you.

the exhaustion in her voice the next morning, when she tells skinner, "it's been a hard night for him." she's still wearing her work clothes from the day before. she was up all night. she's tired, and she's scared, and she's sad. it's been a hard 7 years. it's been a hard 27 years.

it makes me tear up every time i see it, the way she blocks him in the doorway. she's not moving. this is just so scully. it's not even starbuck, it's just so scully. she would keep him in that apartment where she could cover him and control what touches him forever, if she could. (she can't, so you're not taking him anywhere without her. the way she looks her boss in the eye and tells him he better book her a flight too. brave love.)

2/ demons

god, this one just makes me sad. this might be the one that makes me saddest. she's dying. she doesn't have it in her, anymore. i talked about this in my newsletter (and i wrote a fic about it once) but this is like...the only time where she never calls him out on what he's doing. she never yells. she never rolls her eyes. she never gets frustrated with him. she doesn't have it in her. she's dying. he will be alone. she won't be here the next time. what can she even do about it?

i always think about this post:

and you know she is thinking about how if she hadn’t been there he would’ve died. and how the next time he does something like this, she won’t have enough life left in her to keep them both alive. she might not even have enough left for herself. and she’ll give whatever she does have left to him, but it won’t be enough to save either of them. she’ll die cold and pale and he’ll burn himself out. and what can she do but hold him? who will he have when she’s gone? what will he do to himself? who will he call?

and these tags:

this is so cautious and tender and apologetic. sorry for all the pain he feels constantly. and sorry that nothing can ease it. and sorry that she is dying and leaving him like this.

she started writing to him as soon as she was diagnosed, begging. begging forgiveness, begging courage, begging grace. begging for him to not feel there was anything more he could've done, to not become the next cause he is lost in. for him to keep going, as she needs to know he's "out there."

but she's seen him hold a gun to himself too many times, and she knows he's coming down with her. and it's such a loss? this is a person she gave up everything, including her life, to follow, because she believed in him and what he wanted to do in the world that much. but things are different now. he won't survive this. he won't be "out there" saving the world.

what can she do? go to rhode island at 5am, wrap him up. stay quiet, stay still, but scream and thrash at anyone who's careless with him. sink down next to him, cover him, hold him. "maybe we need every answer in the world to survive a single question: how long do we have each other?" (x)

(also, her memento mori journal, in general. she sat in that hospital alone, for days, knowing she was going to die. and she wrote letter, after letter, after letter, to him. so that he would have something. so that he wouldn’t be left alone with nothing, again.)

3/ the end

"as mulder appears. the look on his face is of a man who's seeing, smelling, and tasting the loss of everything he has worked for. it's the look of utter defeat. angle on scully at the door. she sees only mulder right now...she moves to him now. putting her arms around him, holding on to keep him from breaking. off this, we fade out. the end." (script)

i think so often about the script notes of this scene. the description of mulder, as absorbed in destruction. everything that he's worked for, literally reduced to (cigarette) ash. scully only focused on him.

in the final angle of the season, you can really see how she's standing in front of him. her fingers clutching him. but when she first grabs him, it's so tentative. it almost feels like she's trying to see if he's still there, if he exists, if his work doesn't.

this is...the whole thing! there's a reason why this was "the end." the final image of this iteration of the series, before everything changes. this is what it is all about. it's mulder walking headfirst into the devastation of the world. drenched in loss. seeing it. smelling it. tasting it. surrounded by it. and it's scully knowing what he'll find even as he's still moving (this script note, from the hallway: "reverse on scully. returning the look. knowing what mulder is going to find. and what it will mean.")

following behind. eyes on him, while he takes in the ash. just holding on for dear life; trying to keep him close, whole.

(also, i love the moment before the fire, at his apartment, after diana was shot. the way scully tells skinner that he can reach her at mulder's if he needs her, because that's where she'll be. he doesn't even have a bed, or anywhere for her to stay!! she's not leaving him.)

4/ paper hearts

oh, starbuck. we are really in it now.

paper hearts is an ahab and starbuck episode, yes. but mostly it's about grief. mostly it's about harsh awakenings. mostly it's about confrontation with fear, scully's included.

one of the most haunting moments of the series, to me, is when they speak to the father of the 14th victim, twenty-one years after his daughter went missing. and through tears, the father says, "i used to think...that missing was worse than dead, because...you never knew what happened. now that i know, i'm glad my wife's not here. she got luckier."

in that moment, as mulder looks over at the photos on the mantle, missing is not worse than dead. it is not worse than knowing. and later that day, in his first scene, roche calls it exactly as it is: "i understand you take this very personally, mulder."

i've written about this scene in the hallway so many times, because it's truly the crux of this episode (my favorite episode).

from my newsletter:

There’s something so viscerally deep about this episode that’s hard to put into words, but to me, it is most palpable in the moment in the hallway when Mulder asks Scully if she believes that his sister was abducted by aliens. And you can see in his face that he knows the answer, and he’s challenging her to come out and say it. You can see in Scully’s that she would rather admit to anything else.

he's challenging her. he's taking their entire dynamic, and throwing it in her face. not to be cruel. not to disrupt. but just to say...so what now? isn't this what you believe?

i don't think that they've ever been so fragile, as in this hallway, honestly. they rarely threaten to break it all down. their entire lives are built on him walking up to tragedy and saying: it was aliens. it was XYZ. and her following behind saying: no. it was a killer, it was a man.

what does that mean? what is she really saying?

this episode is hard on scully. mulder has never been more haunted. there has never been a bigger reminder of what they are actually doing. they are not just chasing little green men, having adventures, studying sewer worms. they are trying to make sense of something that will never make sense. they are trying to find a "truth" that they do not want to know. they are living their lives in mourning, in bereavement, in remembrance, of a missing little girl, and scully is terrified that they'll find her. that it will be exactly like roche threatens. that missing is not worse than dead.

and there is no one else. there is no one else that even knows how haunted he is. how stuck he is, in that childhood bedroom, like he said all those years ago. how deeply sad it is.

it's all of the little things. it's the "you did good work, mulder" in the beginning. it's the way she asks if he's okay to go tell the 14th victim's family. it's way she exclaims "oh my god" when roche says that he just wants to see mulder's face, when he finds samantha's body. one of the few times that we ever see scully lose control, but she just stands up and screams, opens the door and wordlessly waits for mulder to get up and get out of there.

it's the way that she hears "help me, scully" and digs in the dirt, with her bare hands.

(you can tell in his eyes here that he's been crying, and it really gets to me. there's so much that we don't see.)

in the end, they're back in the basement. nothing left but one scrap of tattered fabric, one more lost failure. it's over. she just comes down to check on him.

the progression of scully's face in this last scene is just unbelievably gut-wrenching to me. her smile, when she tells him to get some sleep, and he laughs. the way it disappears when he holds her, and can't see her anymore. with his mother, flashing that smile and hugging her was all that it took to convince her not to worry. when he repeats the same actions with scully, she looks like she could break.

this post:

Episodes like this make me think how alone - not just lonely, but truly alone - Mulder was before her. Nobody lost sleep over him falling apart under the fist of decades old trauma. Nobody grappled with him, let him wrestle his grief against them, and still stayed. Nobody visited him in the hospital, flew to Alaska, lied for him, stayed by his bed for days straight without an extra change of clothes. Nobody else knew he was suffering or wanted to, knew it more than he knew. That end of Paper hearts where she tells him to get some sleep, he laughs at the ridiculousness of it, but also out of incredulity at having someone to wish for better on his behalf. The heartbroken look on her face as he’s laughing into her waist seems to be her coming to the same realisation; “Who looked after you before? How long did you feel like this on your own?”

she is heartbroken. there is so much grief, in being starbuck. there's grief in being needed. there's grief in following ghosts. there's grief in loving someone who is so encased in pain, in loss. he will not go home and get some sleep. a well-placed joke, that smile, a hug, does not convince her that he's okay. he hurts so much, for so long, and he has one person who knows it. and all they do is keep moving: closer and closer to that breaking point that she is so afraid of, and they can't stop.

5/ redux ii

remember when dana scully lied on her death bed and looked up at mulder as he told her that he was not willing to jeopardize skinner to save himself, and she replied, "well, then, you have to lay it on me."

the way he smiles and shakes his head, chokes out "i can't...i can't do that." through tears...they are so kind to each other. all that she has left in the world is her reputation, and she says: take it. take it all. take everything.

she cries when he won't do it.

6/ herrenvolk

okay, i wanna get into some slightly lighter ones, so y'all remember when she nearly fully knocked skinner into the wall, because mulder came in with a (checks notes) scratch on his face?

this is just so scully.

she is so panicked. she just wants to slow him down, to stand between him and the world for even one moment longer.

these tags:

she's almost begging him not to go in. the extent of her worry is heartbreaking. she loves him. it frightens her to know what awaits him.

one of the biggest conflicts of scully's character is that she just cannot stop him, she cannot shield him, she cannot protect him. the way she leans up here, and pulls him to her shoulder. covers him with a blanket. this is what she can do.

there is so much grief in being starbuck!! in loving someone who walks blindly into a world that you do not trust. in following someone into the worst night of their life: over, over, over. years, years, years. in being first mate, holding the responsibility on your shoulders of having to steer in a safe direction, only having one to choose from.

(i also think it's really special, all of the little moments where she checks in. in the previous episode, in the hospital hallway, the way she says "are you okay?" so softly.

in paper clip, when she makes him stop, and says "no, wait, hold on a second...i don't think you've had time to process everything that you've been through."

remnants of the girl who told him she'll cover for him and he should just go get a beer, take some time for himself, after jersey. who suggested he talk to someone, when jerry lamana died. she's always wanted so much for him, but she understands more now. there's still room to pause, for a moment, before he carries on.)

7/ anasazi

ladies, would you shoot your man with a gun, to keep him from endangering himself, while he was being laced with LSD, and then drag him across the country singlehandedly, while he was unconscious, despite him being twice your size? and this, too, is taking care.

the way she says, "i was certain they would have killed you, mulder." and the fear in her voice, his hand on her knee. (she is so young. she really doesn't know what to do, not as often as she seems like she does). the way he says, "thank you. thank you for taking care of me." they are so kind to each other. it'll break your fucking heart.

(i remember asking y'all a few weeks ago, if mulder and scully ever say "i'm sorry," if they ever apologize to each other. and we came up with a couple of times. i'll tell you what, though: not as often as they say "thank you.")

8/ fire

girlbosses when they singlehandedly solve serial murders, to get their best friend's shitty ex away from them!!! okay, i put this one on here because we were talking about it yesterday, but scully really does handle the entire situation with phoebe so perfectly, and that's hard to do, when you're dealing with friends and abusers.

trish, i loved this part of your post yesterday:

scully gives him the space to talk about it, never says too much but she says enough. her phrasing is SO important. she repeats what he just told her in a way that frames it as wrong.

she's a little rabid, lol. we can see it on her face when she's alone, or when mulder's not looking. but around him (around phoebe too) she's calm. she listens, she addresses what he tells her as bad, without pressing. when he tells her that she's off the case, that he doesn't want to expose her to what phoebe is doing, she asks one time: are you sure you don't want help?

he says yes, and she does it anyway. she catches that fucking murderer so that this woman can go home. just, like, an inspiration to us all.

trish's tweet:

really, truly, genuinely. scully solving the case in fire was the absolute best course of action she could have taken. get that woman out of here, an ocean away from mulder. (give him freedom, let him heal, teach him what real love feels like)

(her eyes locked in on him here, phoebe behind her. the way that when phoebe leaves the room, scully says, "you alright?" instantly.)

meeting phoebe just a few months into their partnership made her so fucking crazy like...i make fun of her for being sick in the head in regards to everyone he meets (men and women alike) and never wanting anyone around him other than her but like, my god, can you blame her!!! he's such a gentle person and people are so cruel and it makes her eyes bug out of her head.

yeah, i really don't have much else to say here, you guys. she solved a murder herself, a case that she wasn't even supposed to be working, so that his old gf would go away and stop being mean to him. she doesn't play!!

(also! while we're on the subject of abusive exes, honorable mention to scully cornering diana into an empty room and telling her to "just think" about who mulder is, who he was when she met him, compared to where he is now. "and then try and stand there in front of me. look me in the eye. and tell me mulder wouldn't bust his ass trying to save you.")

9/ deadalive

oh, you guys remember that time she raised him from the dead, right?

scully at 8 months pregnant, sitting in that hospital chair, holding his hand, for days. knowing he can’t feel it, knowing that there’s nothing that says he’ll ever wake up. that it’s impossible. that there is no science…yeah. she just sits there and holds his hand.

i love the moment when she finds out, and she comes barreling through that hallway. she hits skinner first, and starts yelling, “i want to see him. no, i need to see him,” slams her fists into his chest.

then she moves onto doggett. repeats, “i need to see him” through tears. and the way doggett says… “i know. but i wish you wouldn’t.”

she’s loved. they want to protect her, protect her image of mulder as she knew him. but they also both know she will fucking plow them down.

i always think of this fic and feel so ill:

“I pulled you six feet out of the ground,” she whispers, dangerously low. “Because I couldn’t live without you. I gave birth to your child.”

she fed his fish while he was in a casket. she planned a funeral and decorated a nursery alone, at the same time. she ran herself ragged all over the country, trying to keep his work going. she raised him from the dead.

(i also feel that i can throw in here, as related, the time that she busted him out of prison and then abandoned everything in her entire life including her career, her family, and everything she owns, to go on the run from the law and live secretly in seedy motels for years to be with him.)

10/ fight the future

there are too many contenders for my last spot, so i’m gonna keep it simple, and go with the most special movie moment. (of all movies).

from my newsletter:

“Mulder watches the spaceship as it flies overhead, his face glows with a heart-melting grin of childlike wonder and awe.”(x)

That’s exactly what it feels like to me, it’s an innocence and excitement that was so present in season one, that was all over him when he told Scully to come look in the second episode, but that’s rare to see in the later seasons. It’s rare to see at this point in their story, after all that’s happened. They are stranded in Antarctica, both of them injured, both of them freezing in the cold, and they are holding each other and gazing up at the sky. What a perfect thing in their big momentous feature, to bring it all back to what it started with.

there’s such a reverent sentimentality to it, in the simplicity. she had stopped breathing, a few minutes earlier. but when he passes out, she pulls herself up, and grabs onto him. keeps him alive, keeps them both alive, just by holding him close. that’s really the heart of it.

(also, i find it so moving that this film is the only time in the franchise that scully considers leaving, not working with him anymore, and it’s because she thinks she’s not good for him. that she’s holding him back. she never considers him as anything other than wanted, something worth believing in.)

some honorable mentions to: little green men, which i’ve written about here. (especially her secret-signaling him to their secret meet-up place, just to ask if he’s okay). the erlenmeyer flask, which i’ve talked about here. (she literally stops him in the street to tell him that she should have listened to him, and she’s sorry, because she should have trusted his instincts. that means so much, you guys). her telling colton she hopes he falls on his ass after he was making rude comments about mulder in squeeze, screaming at a serial killer that she’ll gas him into hell herself and no one will stop her, if mulder isn’t okay, in beyond the sea….she has threatened and shouted at and smacked around so many people for fucking with him, and this too is care!! (anger meaning you’re worth being angry over, etc etc)

how desperately she became frantic to find their son, after 17 years resigned to never ever looking for him, never ever endangering him that way…because she became convinced that it’s the only thing that would help mulder.

and how important samantha is to her. it matters. it matters, that sam is remembered. that someone else in the world knows. someone knows that they played baseball in the summers, that they fought over the television, that he’s looked for her in every room he’s ever been in. someone else cares about her; not as a white whale, not as a photo on a desk, as a little girl who broke her collarbone because she played on swings too hard. scully listened to her journal, and cried. listened to how much she suffered. how much she just wanted to see her big brother. (scully kept a journal like that, too, once. underwent those same tests. almost died at the hands of those same men. wrote her testimony to that same person.) it’s taking care of mulder, to love samantha. and she does.

[frankcastleonlyfans]

𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐈 𝐌𝐄𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑

pairing: dad!daemon targaryen x mom!reader au

summary: your son maegon visits his sick old uncle, viserys, and end up learning the story of how you met your husband.

author's note: look who's back... this story was based off two asks, this one, and another one asking how daemon and mom!reader met. and now mom!reader is officially dornish!!!! i will not be making descriptions of her features in the future, but just know that mom!reader is poc. i hope you guys enjoy this story. it feels good to write again.

warnings: none ig

reblogs, feedbacks and likes are appreciated. support your content creators 💓 please leave a comment if you like my work, and enjoy your reading.

dad!daemon x mom!reader au masterlist

gif by @gameofthronesdaily

· ┈┈┈┈┈┈ · ༓ ༓ · ┈┈┈┈┈┈ ·

It is sad when a family member gets sick and you know there's nothing you can do about it. So when your brother-in-law fell ill, it came the time you had to explain to your children that King Viserys wouldn't be the same he once was. The hard part was trying not to scare them with the thought of losing their uncle.

The news brought sadness to Alyssa's and Rhaegon's hearts, but Maegon was the most affected one. He felt the necessity of doing something for his beloved uncle so that even though the King now lay indisposed, he could still feel loved. Your son was old enough to realize that besides Helaena, Viserys' kids did not care for him. That made him sad. Rhaenyra lived in Dragonstone, and for so she couldn't give the attention her father deserved.

The boy had the idea of asking Queen Alicent to let him pay some company for King, during the evenings where he would like someone to talk to. As she needed a break from the sick man herself, she would let Maegon take over her place wherever she felt like it. Which was, almost every evening.

During one of those evenings, Prince Daemon thought it would be nice to see what his brother and son talked about. Mostly, he just wanted to see his brother interacting with anyone, to have the certainty that Viserys would still be alive for a while. The King had little to no hair on his scalp. His body couldn't stand up without the supported of a cane. Daemon didn't know how much time his older brother had left.

When Daemon made entrance to the monarch's solar, he found his son and his brother giggling softly. It felt good to hear the laughing. It meant Viserys was in fact, still alive.

"May I know what is so funny?" The Rogue Prince asked, making his presence known.

Maegon was startled by his father's voice. He has been visiting his uncle for weeks now, but not once his father wanted to come with him.

"Oh, hello Daemon" Viserys grinned at the sight of his sibling, "what a coincidence to see you right now. I was just telling Maegon about that time when we were kids... Do you remember when we tried to find The Cannibal?"

Daemon chuckled, "I do. We searched around all Dragonstone until Father found us before we got inside a Volcano's cave."

"And we never found him!" Viserys laughed.

"Well, thank Gods! You two would probably be eaten or burned alive and I wouldn't be here today to hear the story if you did find him." Maegon reasoned, watching his father pacing around the King's solar.

Daemon's fingers danced around the huge model of Valyria that his brother had exposed in the middle of his room.

"I miss the good old days when I was brave. Once I was sword fighting, I was riding Balerion, I took my little brother to look for a cannibal wild dragon..." Viserys sighed softly.

"You are brave still, uncle" Maegon assures, "It takes bravery to rule. And it takes bravery to be kind. You are a good King."

Viserys nodded to his nephew's words, taking his hands across the table. Daemon felt warmth in his heart. He couldn't quite understand that sensation, but he sees that part of him feels glad that his son expressed words and emotions he could never say or show, because he didn't know how to.

"Did you know that I was the one who introduced your mother to Daemon?" Viserys asked, with fun in his tone, "Have I ever told you the story?"

"Oh, you haven't!" Maegon engaged, grinning excitedly, "Do tell me, uncle, please."

We were all at Driftmark to prestige Corlys and Rhaenys' wedding. Nobles from all across the Seven Kingdoms were there, and your mother was one of them. I remember she was wearing her house colors in her dress. She was a bit older than your sister is now, I think.

My late wife, Aemma, introduced me to her, I didn't know they were friends. I discovered that the lady whom I had just met, was not only a Princess but also played part as a knight at her father's guard. She wore that dress with such grace, that I thought my ears deceived me when I imagined her wearing armor and ringmail.

My thoughts were disturbed by Caraxes' whistling noises, when Daemon, who was very late for the ceremony, came flying upon our heads, rounding Corlys' castle. Everyone was watching the little show your father was giving, mouth-opened, shocked, scared. Y/N wasn't any of those things. She wasn't impressed at all. I remember asking her;

"Have you ever seen a dragon?"

and smirking, she replied, "Where I come from, we have scarier animals."

"Scarier?" Aemma questioned.

"More dangerous." Y/N reasoned.

"I suppose you're right, Princess Y/N," I said, "There are beings more lethal than a dragon, like the very man who rides it can be far more dangerous for his ideals, than the dragon under his command."

It felt like I summoned my brother once I said those words.

"Prince Daemon" Y/N made a short reverence to greet his presence.

"Brother, let me introduce you to Princess Y/N of Sunspear, she is a good friend of Aemma's."

Daemon kept his smugly signature grin on his lips, and took Y/N's hand in his, kissing the soft skin of her knuckles.

"I am deeply sorry for being late for the ceremony. I hope dear cousin Rhaenys can forgive my missing presence." Daemon changed the subject without paying any interest to the lady who made us company.

His rudeness made me uncomfortable, but it was so like my brother to behave like that.

"Y/N, you should come visit us. Viserys and I would love to welcome your family to Dragonstone." Aemma smiled and looked at me for reassurance.

I nodded, "Feel free to visit whenever you want. It is a very lonely place, and unfortunately, the only family we have there is my brother, as Aemma and I are still trying for a child."

Before Y/N could give us an answer, Daemon retorted, "My apologies if living with your younger brother is not what you expected of marriage."

"It certainly is not what I was expecting." Aemma playfully hit Daemon with her elbow.

Y/N giggled softly and the noise took Daemon's attention. He was quite curious why she was still there, in his presence. Most people who didn't know him are likely to feel uncomfortable with his intimidating presence, but not that girl.

"Are you here with your family?" He questioned. That was the first time he spoke directly to her.

Y/N shook her head, "My father sent me here in his name to prestige Princess Rhaenys and Lord Corlys, and give them our wedding gift."

"Oh. I see Dorne's economy must be great if its ruler has enough gold to spend on such superficial events." Like always, Daemon felt the need to say something directly rude.

Y/N frowned, "I thank the Gods our economy is doing well. It certainly is not because of your King." she replied. Her head remained raised, and her eyes stared at Daemon's on the same height.

Daemon felt strange. That woman wasn't offended by what he said, and even tried to get under his skin. One had to have such courage to talk to him like that.

"Uhm... Viserys, why don't you take Daemon to get that wine Corlys was talking to you about?" Aemma spoke trying to break the tension.

"When I took him away, he couldn't shut his mouth about Y/N. He was amazed a woman had the guts to talk to him like that, and even so about the King." Viserys finished the story, as Maegon quietly listened to every word he said.

"She never really had much filter, your mother." Daemon said, "Still doesn't."

Maegon frowned, "But... that's it? That's how you met mother? But, when did you start courting her, father?"

"She came to Viserys' coronation ceremony. Aemma was pregnant and couldn't make her company, so I offered myself for my sister-in-law to be the one hosting her friend in King's Landing." Daemon shrugged, "The rest... well, maybe you should ask your mother how it happened. I don't remember very well, but I know she quickly fell in love with me."

[scarlet-star-witch]

yay... can you write one where you've heard all the nasty rumours about the Targaryens, especially how cruel they can be sometimes, but Aemond proves you wrong. He is sweet, kind, and compassionate towards you. You know he's not like that around other people, so you ask him why he acts different towards you.

Hope you like the request.

This took way too long for me write, but I hope this is what you were looking for!

Warnings: implied smut and a whole lotta fluff

WC: 3.2 K

~~

They say the Gods flip a coin when a Targaryen is born. Greatness or madness were the destinies that followed the otherworldly family. 

Closer to Gods than men, they would say. Quick to anger, that burned hotly, destroying those in its ruthless path.

That was all she knew of the Targaryen family. 

It was the only warning she had before she was shipped off to King’s Landing to marry the one-eyed prince. 

She knew nothing of her betrothed except for his reputation that gleamed nothing but anger and a fiercely cold nature. She didn’t want to listen to rumors, but she couldn’t help but feel apprehensive to meet the man of mystery that was Prince Aemond.

The night they first met, she had approached the table of royals, curtseying politely, her heart racing as she met the gaze of her betrothed for the first time. 

She smiled, hoping to start off on the right foot, but his expression never changed, beholding her as if bored, as if unmoved by the knowledge that she would soon be his wife. His disinterest seemed to confirm every fear she had. It left her shaken, the picture of a terrified woman at the altar who could barely meet the gaze of her new husband. 

The night of their wedding, she was terrified, practically trembling as he took her to bed. 

She had shut her eyes and prayed for the seconds to pass quickly. 

It had been awkward, stifling and uncomfortable, but it wasn’t awful. The pain was momentary and he didn’t take her like a mindless beast who only sought his own pleasure as she had been warned some men were known to act by her kind maids. 

Aemond only ever had gentle touches to give her. 

It was by no means the passionate love she had read about in books she hid from her mother, but she was at least grateful she bore no marks from a husband who only had anger to bestow upon her. 

Over the months together, they didn’t spare many words for each other. 

The Prince was polite and cordial, but their conversations never went any deeper than small talk that amounted to nothing important. 

She often found herself wondering if he even tolerated her, let alone liked her, but as the weeks passed and he stayed by her side, lingering in their chambers together, joining her for walks in the garden, did she begin to soften her opinion of him, no longer fearing his presence as she had in the beginning. 

Almost daily, she would spot him, his face impassive, almost hardened, but the moment he saw her his expression would lighten, a small smile growing as he approached her. 

He would always greet her politely and offer her his arm.

“Tell me about your home.” He asked her out of the blue one afternoon as they lounged under the shade of the Weirwood tree. 

She looked to her husband nervously, feeling exposed under his gaze that portrayed an undeniable curiosity. 

“What would you like to know?” 

“Anything you would like to tell me.” He answered with a smile that brought one to her own lips. “I will gladly take anything you are willing to give me.”

Her breath caught in her throat, surprised by his words, so brazen, so unlike the man she had thought him to be. 

Before she could speak again, Ser Criston approached the pair and she watched as Aemond’s easy expression shifted so suddenly, his face now drawn tightly into a scowl. 

“My Prince, your mother is expecting your presence in her solar.” Ser Criston reminded him.

Aemond barely spared a moment of attention to the Knight, his hand squeezing hers as if in apology for the interruption of their time together.

“She will have to wait, Ser Crsiton. I am with my wife.” 

She knew that was a moment she would not soon forget, for it was the first time she felt as though her husband cared for her, the first time she realized he didn’t loathe their arrangement. 

There were moments, too many to count now, when she couldn’t help but wonder if he longed to be closer as she would feel his gaze on her, seeking her out no matter where they were. 

At every festivity, in the midst of crowds and countless lords pushing their way to bestow well wishes onto the royal family, it never failed that she always found Aemond’s eye, his attention focused solely on her. 

Her favorite would be the moments of quiet connection in the solace of their chambers. Her eyes would wander from the book she read to land on him, barely catching a glimpse of his face before he would quickly look away from her, as if not wanting to get caught admiring his own wife. 

It always left her breathless in ways she couldn’t explain, in ways she couldn’t make sense of. 

Despite the slowly growing bond, she felt lonely in her new home without her family, without a great love to lean on. 

Music was her only escape from the isolation. She often found herself in the grand hall, hours before the festivities were to start, dodging the servants that readied the tables, just to hear the musicians practice. 

They always spotted her and, as the months dragged on, no longer looked at her in annoyance, but would smile politely and play, as if just for her, enjoying their one woman audience who seemed to hold onto every note as if it meant the world to her. 

They indulged her in the many questions she asked about their music and their instruments, letting her have her moment of reprieve. 

At every feast, as she sat by her husband’s side, her gaze would remain on the band, admiring their work others in the room steadfastly ignored

One night, as she took in the music with tranquility, a gentle hand lay over her own, startling her out of her daze. She looked over at her husband with wide eyes, confused yet surprised by the gesture. 

“Would you like to dance?” 

She froze for a moment, taken aback by his question, but finally nodded, too surprised to answer with words. 

He took her hand in his, his touch soft, as if she were made of glass, as he guided her to the floor with the other dancing couples. 

They faced each other and Aemond wasted no time in laying his hand on her waist, bringing her in closer to him. 

She felt nerves creep through her as they danced. She could feel his eye on her as they twirled, as he brought her back into his arms, as he held her close. 

Finally gaining the courage to meet his gaze, she found his eye held nothing but light, a look of contentment watching her carefully. 

A flutter unfurled in her chest, a feeling she had never felt before. The way he looked at her made her cheeks heat and she could’ve sworn she saw him smile, as if he knew what he was doing to her. 

She couldn’t help but wonder if his touch was supposed to make her feel so cared for, if he knew it was making her melt. 

A part of her desperately hoped he did. 

~~

Aemond had been ready to write her off completely, to resign himself to the fact that he was to marry a spoiled girl who would cower at the sight of him. 

He’d had enough of meeting Ladies who flinched or outright winced at the sight of him and his scar, that whispered they could never lay with, let alone marry, a man with such a deformity. 

But the moment he met her, as she met his gaze with little hesitation, as she smiled his way, a gleam of hope in her eyes, did he feel as though his entire world tilted on its axis. 

It wasn’t until her smile faltered, her eyes averting from his shyly that he realized he hadn’t returned her smile, had only stared back at her as if disinterested. 

He had cursed to himself, close to letting Aegon smack him for being so hopeless. 

He could plainly see her fear on the day of the wedding, had whispered apologies he didn’t think she heard as he took her to bed for the first time, had tried his best to assuage her nerves, yet he knew it was because of him, because of that first damned look that he ruined everything before it even began.

 He longed to reach out to her, to apologize for his abysmal first impression, but he found he couldn’t muster the words, or the courage. 

So he settled for admiring her from afar, entirely discontented by the distance but unsure of how to bridge it. 

He spent his days with her, his mind torturously blank, no words coming to him to at least try to begin a bond with her, his sweet wife that never looked at him as though he was a deformed monster as the other ladies in the Keep had. 

He had no idea how, or that he was even capable of such a connection, but he couldn’t help but feel lighter in her presence. Knowing such a sweet woman who never had a harsh word to say about anyone, especially him, left him longing to bestow every praise and sweet nothing upon her. 

He never considered himself to be swayed by such romantic ideals, but whenever he was face to face with his wife, he found himself wishing he had spent more time perusing through the books of poetry in the library rather than the history tomes. 

He wished he had the words to tell her how absolutely magical he found her, how her smile lit any room she was in, how he wished he could bathe in her warmth, how much he appreciated that she looked at him so differently than any other lady in the court had. 

He found himself seeking her out any time he was not with her. 

“Have you seen my wife?” He asked a member of the White Cloaks, becoming desperate after having no luck finding her in the gardens or with Helaena or his mother. 

“There is a feast tonight. Your Lady wife is known to spend time watching the musicians practice. My best guess would be to look for her there.”

Aemond’s brows furrowed at the answer. 

“The musicians?”

“Yes, my Prince. She seems quite fond of them.” 

His stomach twisted at the realization there was something his wife was so obviously delighted by that he had no idea of and he quickly made his way towards the great hall, spotting, not his wife, but a group of musicians assembling their instruments. 

“My Prince.” The lead conductor bowed to him politely when he noticed his presence. “I am glad to see you, we were just discussing your Lady wife and we would appreciate if you would speak to her about her presence here as we prac-”

“You will allow her to watch.” Aemond interrupted the man, looking at him sternly, as if daring the man to defy him. “You will indulge her with your practice. You will answer any question she poses and if she deems it a want, you will let her play your damn instruments.”

After his warning, he began to watch his wife, smiling to himself as he noticed the look of delight in her gaze as she watched the musicians perform. 

It took weeks to build the courage, but one night as the band played and she watched with eagerness, he asked her to dance for the first time since their wedding. 

That night, he had never felt so nervous as he danced with her, but he felt closer to her than ever before. 

That night, she seemed to feel it too as she looked at him with a desire he had never seen from her before as they retreated to their chambers for the night. 

That night, he made love to her. He touched her so softly, reveling in her beautiful moans and cries of his name. He felt as though he was a God as she felt her touch on him, as he felt the sting of her nails in his back as he thrusted into her with a desperation so unknown to him. 

It was the first time they felt so connected to each other. 

As they lay with each other, their hearts slowing their rhythm from their peaks, he held her in his arms, not yet ready to lose the feel of her touch just yet. 

“Tell me about the music.” He asked softly. 

She laughed softly, the sound like heavenly bells to his ears. The knowledge that he had even noticed her infatuation with music was enough to have butterflies unleashed within her. 

“My mother used to play the harp. Apparently, when I was a babe, the sound of her harp was the only thing that could calm me down, the only thing that would stop my crying. She would always make up songs to sing me to sleep.” She explained wistfully and he listened to every word. 

“Sometimes I feel as though my mind gets too loud. There are too many thoughts that are entirely unhelpful and… I don’t know, it sounds silly, but I think music is the only thing that quiets it, that brings me back down to myself when those thoughts take over.”

“It’s not silly.” He told her earnestly. “I think it’s beautiful to admire something so passionately.” 

“I wish I could learn to play myself, but I don’t think I have the patience for it.”

Aemond scoffed, the sound holding nothing but disbelief. 

“My sweet wife, you are the most patient person I have ever met in my life. If you can conquer me, you can conquer anything.”

“Have I conquered you?” She asked, looking up at him with a playful challenge, to which he smiled. 

“You certainly have.”

She smiled and leaned in closer to his touch, finally feeling as though they were on the same wavelength. 

By the next morning, Aemond was gone before she woke. 

Her maids helped her get dressed for the morning and they couldn’t help but notice the lovesick smile that adorned her lips. 

“You seem quite happy this morning, my Lady.”

She blushed and bowed her head bashfully. 

“This wouldn’t have anything to do with the Prince, would it?” Her maid teased, the group of them laughing as their Lady swatted their hands playfully. 

“I have never seen Prince Aemond so smitten before.” One of the younger maids commented. “You seem to have him under a spell, my Lady. I don’t think I had ever seen him smile until you came around.”

“Oh yes, he was always so surly. I was terrified to even pass him in the halls.” They continued as if she were no longer there, not noticing the surprise on her face as they spoke of her husband. “He seems like a different person. He is nothing but a lovesick fool now.” 

She felt as though her heart would burst as she listened to their words. 

Only a few minutes later, as she was dressed, did her husband return. His smile faltered at the sight of her maids and he seemed to retreat into himself, his cool demeanor shifting into one of discomfort, his body rigid, his nod of acknowledgement stiff. 

Her maids giggled to themselves and bid her goodbye before leaving. 

Only then did Aemond relax once again, his expression now nothing but one of love as he approached her. 

“I have something for you.”

She raised a brow in question as he took a seat next to her. 

He then handed her a stack of papers. She didn’t recognize what they were at first, her eyes flitting over the markings over the page, before it suddenly dawned on her. 

It was sheet music. 

“You said you wished to learn.” 

Her lips parted, but no words came. She was stunned to silence, his gesture, so thoughtful, had her floored. 

“This is… I don’t know what to say.” She spoke quietly. She looked to her husband and felt so unprepared for the love she would feel for him, in disbelief that the man she had been terrified to marry could make her feel this way.

“What is it?” Aemond asked worriedly, watching as her expression became one of thoughtful contemplation, suddenly fearing he had overstepped in some way. 

“Why me?” 

The question caught him off guard and his frown deepened, his heart beginning to race as doubt crept through him.

“What do you mean?”

“You do not act this way with anyone else. The maids were practically terrified of you before. You never smile with anyone but me. I don’t understand what is so special about me to have a place in your heart.” 

The insecurities came spilling out before she could stop them, leaving her feeling more exposed than she intended and suddenly wishing the ground would swallow her whole. 

Aemond’s face shifted, his eye looking at her with a mix of disbelief and sadness. He leaned in close to her, his hand reaching out to cradle her jaw. 

“You cannot truly mean that.” He whispered, as if his words had physically hurt him. “Do you really not see how easily you have carved yourself into my heart?”

She didn’t have an answer and merely looked stunned by his words. 

He let out a long breath and hesitated, his teeth worrying his bottom lip for a moment before his hand reached out and slowly took his eyepatch off. 

She felt as though her breath was stolen from her as she saw the sparkling sapphire in place of his eye. 

He watched her carefully and as he saw only awe in her gaze, did he feel as though he could melt into nothing. 

He smiled and took her hand, guiding her to the scarred side of his face, laying her palm against his skin. 

“I was ridiculed my entire life, looked at as if I were a monster because of what was taken from me the night I claimed Vhagar.” He told her, almost shuddering under her touch as her thumb grazed the edge of his scar. 

“You have never once looked at me as though I was less, or that my scar made me someone unlovable.” 

Her gaze met his and she was floored by the genuine reverence with which he looked at her. 

“That night, I was kicking myself for not returning your smile, but I…” He paused, letting out a small, bashful laugh. “I was too in awe of you to do anything but stare like a fool.” 

“You don’t understand what is so special about yourself?” He repeated, a tone of derision in his voice as if it disgusted him to even speak the words aloud. “Darling, you had me bewitched from the very first moment I saw you.”

She let out a laugh, her eyes beginning to brim with tears, his words wrapping around her like the warm embrace of a lover. 

He leaned in, his nose brushing against hers.

“I am truly sorry I made you feel as though there was any doubt. I’ll have to try harder to make you realize you are the most special being in this entire castle.”

Her laugh was cut off as he crashed his lips to hers, kissing her with the ferocity of a dragon in love. 

[fischlich]

my epic and awesome ocs stupid and stupider who get along so well (any words are in alt per usual my handwriting is terrible). takes place in the same au of sorts this post is from. little more background info/explanation as to whats going on under the cut bc i love rambling

ramble time. basically the current setting is 3 or so years after ariane's signal decimated essentially all civilization in the entire solar system, with Heimat's survivors living on a tiny fleet known as the Reclamation Fleet (as they are trying to reclaim and rebuild the Nation. Their logo is a phoenix for this reason... rise from the ashes better and stronger and all that). Biene was one of the last storches activated before the evacuation order went out, and there just wasn't enough personnel alive to train her, so command just had her handle cargo with the mynahs since they knew she couldn't hurt them if she tried. The mynahs taught her relative patience and to talk out problems rather than fight them, but Biene is incapable of understanding that not everyone wants to talk and gets frustrated about this.

Which leads to Wolfsbann! She was a Rotfront protektor and was close with a lot of the replikas there, before higher up orders had her transferred to Heimat when the signal really started up. Wolfsbann feels like she abandoned her friends to a fate worse than death and the guilt is slowly eating her alive, and she doesn't want to get close to anyone else out of fear of abandoning them again as well as to punish herself for abandoning her friends in the first place. So as such she purposefully isolates herself and pushes others away.

Biene has always wanted to do more than lift cargo and is obsessed with being a Real STCR, a proper protektor unit. Finally her wish is granted when command decides to assign Wolfsbann as her mentor in hopes theyll sort eachother out. instead they get into stupid fights constantly because Biene knows something is wrong with Wolfsbann and wants to help and Wolfsbann is pissed this storch won't respect her boundaries and leave her be. Eventually they do grow to rely on eachother though and work things out, but it takes a little while

[seattlesellie]

hi angel i saw u say you wanted more fluffy ellie requests and i thought about maybe something along the lines of the cute pics she has of you two in her phone idk it’s just something i thought of u don’t have to write it if u don’t want to i just love ur blog and everything u write 💗💗💗💗🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻

not about love ♡

pre-dating slightly loser college!ellie 🦕 incoming !! basically u go through ellies phone and find… something. part 1 of… maybe?

warnings: slightly mean ellie for a second, sexual tension, mentions of weed and alcohol.

part 2

Tic-Toc, the gentle sounds of the ancient clock in Ellie’s room filled the thick air. a gift from Joel. It was a warm, lazy afternoon. You almost fell asleep, almost. Her bed smelled like her, so did the ruffled, Nirvana t-shirt you were laying on. Everything in this room practically screamed Ellie. The scent, the sketches on the wall — of Dina, and Jesse, and you. Why did she have more sketches of you than anyone else? A dinosaur lego, a miniature solar system, obscure band posters, Oh! here’s the pin you gifted her once!, two pairs of mismatched socks, a random rock (“It’s from like, the moon” she said. It was from the local science museum.)

“El” you whined, receiving a gentle hum in response.

“I’m bored” you exclaimed with a heavy sigh. It's not as if she owed you any attention, she told you she had to study. For some reason, some odd reason nor you or her could put your finger on, you had to be there with her. “Well” you excused. “It’s not like I have anything better to do, right?” A lie. What about your project due Monday? Nevermind.

“Catch this” she exclaimed, tossing a serene light blue stress ball directly at your face.

“Ow!” you whined, yet again. If only you knew what those whines did to her.

“Sorry bro, gotta finish this fucking question. She said, flexing her sore hand. “Fuck this fucking Prof, seriously” She mumbled, clearly annoyed, clearly frustrated. Ellie had this thing, well, if you could even call something that she only had specifically with you a “Thing” — where she had to call you by those stupid names. “Dude” “Bro” “Jeez man!” just to see you squirm. Youd flinch ever so slightly, a fleeting reaction that betrayed a hint of offense flickering in your eyes. Every time you couldn’t help but pout, couldn’t help but look a little bit hurt, it did something to her. It wasn’t because she liked hurting you, God knows she didn’t. It would give her a glimmer of hope, of light. Shed journal about it, too;

“I called her Bro again. She looked really sad. Why does she get sad? I’m so fucking stupid. It’s probably because no one else calls her fucking bro, I’m literally delusional. Also had expired fucking Pizza. Worst day ever. Shit. Not that bad because she smiled at batted her eyelashes. God Ellie you need therapy.” YOURE A DUMBASS!!!!”

Half an hour had elapsed, brimming with Ellie muttering to herself under her breath. lighting a blunt, burning the blunt, passing it to you, begging you to give it back after 3 seconds.

You were pretty sure you had gone through every single app on your phone five times already. Stalking rando’s on Instagram, watching ASMR tiktoks, talking shit with Dina in the groupchat. How much more of this boredom could you take? My god, you were humming a stupid melody to yourself.

“Griiiind boy you know I grind when I pull-“

“Shh”

Did Ellie just shush you?!

“Excuse me?” You said.

“I’m trying to concentrate. Also what the fuck is a Fartulum?” Ellie retorted, withdrawing slightly and punctuating her frustration with stomps on the floor. God, she was too fucking cute.

“Can I play on your phone?” You questioned innocently. One more opening and closing the same App and you’d have lost your damn mind. You could practically see the Candy Crush candies popping inside of your brain every time you closed your eyes.

“No” she answered bluntly.

“Why? you scared I’ll find your nudes? Not gonna look- Swear on my li-“

You could hear her eye rolling, somehow.

“I dont have fucking nudes” she affirmed with a touch of exasperation.

“Someone else’s?” you said quietly. Your tone almost exposed you. Almost.

“Psh… no” Ellie said in return, just as quiet. Her tone almost exposed her, too.

Wish I had yours. Shut it, Ellie.

“Then let me go on your phone” You whined, got off the bed and almost slipped on one of her belts that laid on the floor. So messy, so, so Ellie.

She cast a sidelong glance at you, her eyes darting from the corner of her vision. Her grip on the pen was incredibly tight. It happened every time you got near, got too close to her. Whether it was clutching the strings of her hoodie, her knuckles turning white with tension, or her toes curling in a clenched stance. Shed never ever admit it to herself, cool, calm & collected, but fuck did you make her nervous.

You settled yourself on the chair beside her, causing her to divert every ounce of her attention back to her assignment, shifting it solely onto you. You. You. You.

She gazed directly into your eyes, and a peculiar warmth flooded your face. Its funny how even after being friends for all this time, making eye contact with her managed to stir something within you. She asked you about it once, mid fight. “You never even look at me when we talk!” she huffed. “Yes I do!” no you dont. “No you don’t!” and when your lips quivered, turning you in, she left it at that.

Ellie scratched the back of her neck, her arms flexing subtly with the motion. You gave her that look, the look that made her cheeks go bright pink, her hands clam up. She bit her lip. “Fine”. You won, flashing her a toothy smile she couldn’t help but grin at.

And there you were, with Ellie’s iPhone 5C (Yeah, she never got that buying a new iPhone every 2 years phenomenon) laying on Ellie’s bed, in Ellie’s room.

“Ew - Ellie what the fuck? why is your screen greasy?!” You squirmed, fingertips grazing over her slightly sticky screen. Is that fucking chicken nuggets residue?

“Shut up, dude. You asked me for my phone so deal with the consequences”

Dude.

You rolled your eyes, proceeded to wipe the screen of her phone with the corner of her cozy flannel bedsheet. Her phone was really warm. One more month and it would probably set on fire.

“Password?” You questioned, and shifted to lay on your stomach, your cheek caressing the pillow. It had a little auburn colored hair laying on top of it.

Ellie huffed and waited a second before she responded, contemplating again. It’s harmless, fuck it.

“2222”

“Okay, seriously - you could get hacked with that dumbass password”

“Pffft” Ellie huffed. “I’d fucking beat them up if they tried robbing me” she said, ever the brave.

“I’m not… talking about robbers, Ellie. Like, hackers?”

“Same thing”

“You cant beat up hackers they’re- Nevermind” you sighed.

2222.

If the room was classic Ellie, god, so was her phone. Default Apple background, because she truly couldn’t be bothered. iMessage, Instagram with four pictures on her feed; One of her arm slightly flexing her tat (who the fuck was the bitch who commented “damn” under there?), one of a stray cat wearing her grey beanie, a meme that says “Fuck sex. Let’s do something romantic like play Fireboy and Watergirl on CoolMathGames.Com” (God, she thought she was so funny for that one. 6 Likes, one from you, one from Jesse, the fake Instagram account you and Dina created for Joel, her ex Cat, and one from Dina and a spam bot). Next to the Instagram laid the NASA app (of course), Call Of Duty for iPhone (Made her sleep for only fifteen minutes one night), calculator, 9GAG (People still use that?!), and… her gallery.

You pursed your lips, contemplating the situation. Should you?after all, Ellie said; No nudes. So what could possibly be on there?

Of course.

You couldn't contain a soft giggle that escaped your lips, earning an inquisitive whine from Ellie. "What's so funny?" she grumbled, unable to resist her curiosity.

“Said you were studying, so study” You said, while scrolling through her gallery.

As you readjusted your position on the bed, you unintentionally swiped to the left, revealing her albums. Just harmless browsing, right?

“Screenshots”

“Funny memes”

“Pics to send Jesse when he’s being stupid”

“Dhhdjsjsou”

“Stink ❤️”

A picture of you, laying on the grass, a bright, toothy smile spread across your face. It was from your Instagram, the one you deleted because you thought you looked dumb. The one Ellie commented a for once unsarcastic “Woah” on.

The album was locked.

You felt your throat go dry, heartbeat speeding up. Your leg started shaking, and God, you hoped she would come and snatch the phone off of your hand.

But she didn’t. She just shifted in her sit, cleared her throat and resumed her studies.

You shouldn’t have. But you did.

2222

Unlocked. Success!

You felt like screaming at the top of your lungs. Was it even hotter in here now? Extra humid today? you bit your lip, it almost hurt.

A picture of you and Dina. A selfie you sent to the groupchat two weeks ago. Ellie doodled a green heart on it. You were sweating. A picture of you on Christmas last year. That same day you had your stupid fight on. You were wearing a Santa hat, mug of hot Coco and tiny white marshmallows in your hand.

Your stomach felt as if it were infested by a swarm of Ellie looking butterfly’s.

A picture of you sound asleep, in Ellie’s bed. She was mid-moving a hair strand away from your face. It was blurry. You recognized that top.

You were wasted that day. Blabbering uncontrollably about how you had to crash on her bed, because you were scared your new roommate would think you’re stupid, and dumb, and an idiot, for getting drunk at a frat party.

You couldn’t understand why Ellie didn’t want to help you. You almost kicked her when she said she couldn’t, that you’d be better off in your bed. “I snore. And I kick in my sleep - Seriously” You almost cried. You called her a bad friend, a fake one, because — isn’t that what friends are for? Shouldn’t they have your back when you’re a babbling mess? Hold your hair for you, put you to sleep, take care of you?

Ellie couldn’t sleep that night.

When you laid there, right on her bed, her face went so red and hot you could fry something on it. She almost hit herself in the face when her chest grazed your back. When your leg caressed her’s, and ended up on top of her thigh, she almost screamed. When you shifted to face her, an angelic, sound asleep expression on your face, she swore she almost died. The string of your top came off, revealing more of your shoulder, and the strap of your bra, Ellie turned around so fast she almost woke you up.

She slept for 20 minutes.

When she woke up, she had to make herself remember it. Remember you, laying with her.

So she took a picture. An innocent one.

You almost jumped when the pen fell slipped from her hand and she turned around to face you.

“What are you doing?”

Whats in her notes app?

♡

part two

[ganondoodle]

so, inspired by the warm welcome the captain received with that rough doodle i posted, i made an updated design for Ki'ita as well (basic and with clothes)

i removed the piercings she had bc considering that they spend the majority of their time in arctic waters i think having metal directly in your skin is a bad idea, no matter how thick your blubber is; i also gave her typical white markings a green hue bc ... i liked how it looked and makes them stand out a little more

(i will not repeat what i wrote on the post about the captain but wanted to add a bit of more info about Ki'ita herself)

(i dont have ALL of their backstory done yet but) the captain and Ki'ita worked together in another organization, one in which the father of the captains child also worked at, before being betrayed and barely managing to escape, after which the both of them founded their pirate crew (possible name is the Solar Pirates bc of their solar powered boat stuff); since the captain had her daughter shortly afterwards Ki'ita managed most of the organisational matters at first, including the construction of their base on an abandoned island they had initially fled to

over the years they invented the solar powered ships that allowed them to gain control over a large part of an important trade route, leaving normal ships (mostly) alone but attacking those of hunters and similar, rescuing demons and mutants, even some humans from them, most of which also join the crew and it quickly lead to them becoming their own little community

Ki'ita does not like to spend alot of time among large groups of people, no matter how much she cares about them, and her originally being from norther lands gave her the idea to explore, and if viable, do underground missions in those norther areas to disrupt the infrastructure the hunters had built in recent years and overall keep the crew informed about things that may otherwise stay hidden; with each of their travels her time absent from the base increased but the patience of the captain is wearing thin so its likely a serious talk is underway on Ki'itas third solo mission she nearly died due to entanglement in abandoned nets made by hunters from an unknown material that she could not break, the massive scars on her tail especially come from that, only surviving bc the date they were supposed to return to the crew had passed and the captain grew to worried about her and made the entire crew rush into an emergency search, including the captain herself and her toddler, who were not suited for the cold climate just like the rest of crew, taking a huge risk that Ki'ita still feels ashamed of for causing; they stayed within the base for a whole year afterwards, not just to recover but also as a silent apology, taking time preparing herself to ensure theyd not get into a situation like that again

(before departing on their next mission the captain gifted her a sword with the blade made from the material of the net, a wooden handle, bc of the cold, and a blue wrap around it reminiscent of the captains striking blue teeth; a reminder of what had happened, a means to defend herself when their strength and teeth are not enough, and also a promise to always return again)

the oldest members of the crew know Ki'ita well and treat her like an old friend, among the newer members she has more of a .. cryptic status, the mysteriously absent vice-captain who only appears every few months or so out of thin air, throws a big party, sleeps for a few days and then vanishes again, the only hint to when they will return soon again being the captain getting noticably grumpier

(OC art, Ki'ita, she/they)

[olenvasynyt]

Parallels between Gwyn and Az

People don’t often realize this, but Gwyn and Az have a lot of things in common.  And imo, it points to Gwynriel.  So let’s talk about it!

Dynamics with Nesta

They have similar dynamic with Nesta.  It’s not identical but neither of them shy away from her bluntness like others do.  They both seem to admire it and at some points, it gets Gwyn and Az to open up.

Page 251 of ACOSF: “Nesta watched the shadowsinger with a frankness that most people shied from. Azriel returned the look with the stillness that most people ran from.”

Page 114 of ACOSF: “ I don’t need to be coddled.  Only spoken to like a person.”  “I doubt you’ll enjoy the way I speak to most people.” Nesta said. “Gwyn snorted.  “Try me.”  Nesta looked at her from under lowered brows again.  “Get out of my sight.” Gwyn grinned, a broad, bright thing that showed up most of her teeth and made her eyes sparkle in a way Nesta knew her own never had. “Oh, you’re good.” Gwyn turned back to the stacks.  “Really good.”

Page 101 of ACOSF: “I hope you’re not giving my brother a hard time.”“Is that a threat, Shadowinger?” Azriel said coolly, “I don’t need to resort to threats.” Nesta gave him a smile, holding his stare.  “Neither do I.”

Page 348 of ACOSF: “Nesta scowled, and Az offered her a slight smile.  They could be allies, that smile seemed to say.  Against Cassian’s utter insanity.  She found herself answering Azriel with a slight smile of her own.”

Competitiveness

 They’re both competitive.  Cassian says that Az gets really competitive, and you can see the competitiveness in the bonus chapter where he has his plot to win the snowball fight.  

Page 254 of ACOSF: “Azriel had a vicious competitive streak.  Wasn’t boastful or arrogant… or possessive and terrifying…No, it was quiet and cruel and utterly lethal.”

Gwyn is super competitive with cutting the ribbon and when the Valkyries are doing the obstacle courses.  

Page 624 of ACOSF: “Roslin, Ananke, and Deirdre were close on their heels, propelling Gwyn to push her group harder.  She wanted to be the first.  Wanted Nesta and Emerie and her to be the ones who wiped the smirks from Azriel’s and Cassian’s faces.  Especially Azriel.”

Knowledge

They both get pretty fascinated by things, they both like to learn stuff. Cassian said that Az was really fascinated by the solar system and other-worldly stuff Rhys likes to research.  

Page 37 of ACOSF: “At the far end of the room, a little dias led into a broad raised alcove…and in its center, a massive, working model of their world, the stars and planets around it…Az, of course, had been fascinated.”

Trauma / light and darkness

Quote page 113 of ACOSF: “If marks of trauma lingered, any evidence was hidden by her robe.  But Nesta knew how invisible wounds could be how they could scars deeply and badly as any physical breaking.” 

This is a really big one: Gwyn’s healing seems like the kind of healing Az had.  Az was hidden in darkness and he was brought to the Illyrian camps which might have been the first time he saw true light in a while.  He found Cassian and Rhys who took him in and they trained together. And Gwyn hid herself in the library for years and saw true light for the first time in a while and trained with Nesta and Emerie and found true healing and confidence in herself.

This quote really got me:

Quote page 272 of ACOSF: “Gwyn’s hands were shaking as she took another step into the ring and peered into the open bowl of the sky.  The first time she’d been outside—truly outside—in years.  She met Nesta’s gaze and smiled.  "I forgot how it feels to have the full sun upon my head.  Forgive me if I spend some time gawking at the sky.”

I can just imagine Az having a similar reaction when he’s at the Illyrian camps for the first time.  A little 11 year old unsure of how to hold his wings up right just…looking up at the sky.  And he’s hiding his hands.

The main difference with this is Az was locked up in the darkness and Gwyn chose to be in the darkness, but I think the fact that light and darkness are key parts of their healing process is important to note.

Fear of making mistakes, and their loyalty to loved ones

Another super significant thing about them is their sense of loyalty to the people who took them in, and their fear of making mistakes and failing.

This quote from Gwyn really got me because it just screams Azriel to me.

Quote page 148 of ACOSF: “because I don’t like to fail I can’t…” Gwyn shook her head.  “I don’t want to make any more mistakes.” “These females took me in. Give me shelter and healing and family.” Again, her large eyes darkened.  “I cannot stand to fail them in anything.”

That just seems so much like Az.  Rhys and Cassian took him in, gave him shelter and healing and family, so he’s super loyal and he hates when he fails them.  Az seems to often feel guilty when one of the plans goes wrong; he thinks he didn’t do as much as he could have.

Page 346 of ACOWAR: ”Hybern had made its grand move at last.  And we had not anticipated it.  I knew Azriel would take the blame upon himself.  One look at the shadowsinger…told me he already did.”

Unworthiness 

Another thing is they feel unworthy.  You can see this with Gwyn and her invoking stone she says she doesn’t deserve to wear it, she is ashamed of her history and is afraid of people finding out things that she hates about herself.

Quote page 173 of ACOSF: “Why don’t you wear that stone on your head like the others?”  Gwyn pocketed the gem.  “Because I don’t deserve to.”

Page 521 of ACOSF: “I understand,” Gwyn repeated, “what it is to fail the people who mean the most.  To live in fear of people finding out.  I dread you and Emerie learning my history.  I know that once you do, you’ll never look at me the same again.”

Page 696 of ACOSF: “But even training these months hasn’t erased the fact that I let my sister die.  You asked me once why I don’t wear the hood of the Invoking Stone.  That stone is a sign of holiness.  How can someone like me wear it?”

That’s just so similar to Az I feel like, specifically this quote in the bonus chapter where he feels like his hands are tainted and that he’s unworthy of touching her.

ACOSF bonus chapter: “She looked up at him, her face so trusting and hopeful and open that he knew she had no idea that he had done unspeakable things that sullied his hands far beyond their scars.  Such terrible things that it was a sacrilege for his fingers to skin, tainting her with his presence. 

He also feels guilty for not doing enough, to fail the people around him.  You see this with Mor a lot.

Page 429 of ACOWAR:  ”As Azriel turned his face toward me—The frozen rage rooted me to the spot.  But beneath it, I could almost see the images that haunted him: the hand Mor had yanked away, her weeping, distraught face as she had screamed at Rhys.”

Now kind of diverting from the topic: I see people make debates about why Gwyn thinks she’s unworthy.  There are theories that she’s actually an inside spy for Koschei and maybe she feels guilty for that but there’s literally a quote that says she thinks she let her sister die and that she’s guilty that she lived and her sister didn’t.  I dislike the evil Gwyn theories, I think they’re gross.  I also kind of think her SA made her felt tainted, that’s a very common thing among SA survivors.  

Coping skills / being unbreakable 

And this is kind of a looser connection than the others I mentioned but we see moments from both where they tell themselves that they are unbreakable or hard to break.  When Gwyn cut the ribbon, she quoted the Valkyrie mindstilling technique:

Page 621 of ACOSF: “I am the rock against which the surf crashes.  Nothing can break me.”

"Nothing can break me" is something that Gwyn added, it was not part of the original Valkyrie passage.  And it reminded me of something that Az says to Feyre when they are doing their flying lessons in ACOWAR.  

Azriel tells Feyre Page 305 ACOWAR: “You’re immortal.  You’re very hard to break.  That’s what I told myself.”

The Blood Rite, friendships, and healing journey

And this similarty pertains to the Valkyries and the batboys in general, not solely Az and Gwyn, but the Valkyries during the blood rite is a reflection of the batboys during their blood rite.  It was the beginning of their journey when it came to healing and finding their strength and proving people wrong.  It was a pivotal point in their friendships, both groups fought like hell to reach each other.  

Page 693 of ACOSF: “I don’t want to take the safe road.  I want to take that road.  To prove to them, to everyone, that something new and different might triumph over their rules and regulations.”

And this is the start of Gwyn’s journey, this is the start of her friendship with Nesta and Emerie, who have become very important to her. She’s still struggling with her fears, she tells Nesta that she might come out of the library to go to her mating ceremony.  

And Az is kind of similar.  He has had centuries to heal and be with his brothers.  But he is absolutely still healing, he’s got tons of issues to sort out still.  You can say they’re aloof and they lock themselves up in a similar way: he doesn’t seem to want to go out to bars and parties unless his friends go.  

Page 377 of ACOMAF: “And when I pointed out that he did go to Rita’s with her whenever she asked, Mor simply informed me that it had taken her four centuries to get him to do that.”

He seems content to brood but he opens up because of his friends.

Differences

There are obviously tons of differences, I think the main ones being Gwyn is significantly more joyful than Az, she smiles and laughs a lot while it’s very rare to see Az smile or laugh.  He’s super broody and aloof.  Gwyn seems to open up a lot more easily.  She has a lot of hope.  She doesn’t seem to want to suppress herself.  Even though she struggles she is trying to break free.  

Page 524 of ACOSF: “ Nesta had never heard a voice like Gwyn’s—by turns trained and wild, as if there was so much sound fighting to break free of Gwyn, but she couldn’t quite contain it all. As if the sound needed to be loose in the world.”

And with Az: literally impossible to get him to confess anything.  There are a lot of things that Cassian doesn’t know about his brother.  He is content to brood.  He shuts his feelings down until they build up to a point where they almost explode sometimes.  There are some points where he suppresses his shadows on purpose, I feel like.  I don’t know how his shadows work but he can control them at some points.

I feel like whether or not you believe these parallels point to Gwynriel, you can’t deny that they are very similar and can be very good friends and heal together because of that. 

But also, Gwynriel is endgame 🤷‍♀️

[natashascumslut]

STARS - nat. romanoff x fem reader

Summary: Something changed between you and Natasha, and you don’t know what. (this is more from readers perspective, not really an interactive fic i guess.)

Warnings: Angst, mentions of death.

a/n- i’ve had this in my drafts for sooo long, i wasn’t going to post it because its not necessarily a fic, there’s no one taking and stuff but.. not proofread!! and it’s kinda short.

You stared at Natasha across the table, the way you did every-time you had a meeting. Usually, her eyes would meet yours, and she'd smile. Not anymore, now her eyes were glued to Tony, her jaw clenched and a sour expression in her eyes, she was forcing herself to not look at you.

You sighed, tearing your eyes away from her and meeting Tony's as he spoke of upcoming missions. Once it was over, you stood. Usually, you'd walk with Natasha back to her room, or whatever else you'd have planned. But today, she walked passed you, not even looking at you. You craved having her eyes on yours again, even if it was just a second. You dragged yourself to your room, you slowed down as you walked past her room, wanting to stop, to knock, to talk. But you didn't, you kept walking until you were at your own room. You sat down on the edge of your bed, staring at the darkening sky through the window. What had gone wrong?

Your eyes moved to the door, you imagined her walking in, sitting next to you and resting her head on your shoulder. You'd sit in silence for awhile, just being together. Then she'd apologise and explain herself and you'd forgive her and you'd be okay again. You continued to stare at the door with hope swirling your eyes for a few more seconds, before accepting she wasn't going to come in.

You moved your eyes back to the window, the sky now darker than before. You watched the stars slowly appear, you brought your knees up to your chest, resting your head atop them. You were reminded of the times you and Natasha would sneak up to the roof and lay there, watching the stars in each others presence. You'd break the silence as you pointed at the sky, telling the other woman the names of the constellations, and she'd nod along with a hum, and she'd remember them.

You didn't care for stars anymore, no one would listen to you talk about them the way she used to. In fact, your lifelong interest for the solar system had turned sour. Years of sitting at desks reading books, staring through microscopes and solar system themed bedrooms, all gone because no one could enjoy them with you the way she did. No one had ever let you talk about it without interrupting, but she did. No one had ever taken interest in it because you were interested in it, but she did. No one would compare to her. You stared at the sky, you remembered when you saw the Ophiuchus constellation with her, it's a very rare one, and you'd never seen it before. You remember being so excited, and she was so excited for you. She got you a star map of that exact night, and exact time. Your eyes moved over to the framed picture on your wall, you wanted you relive that moment. The way you crawled up to the roof with her, or the way she grabbed you and you both rolled around excited in each others arms when you noticed the constellation. You would've been fine with the world ending right then and there, because you were happy. You missed that.

You moved from your bed to the windowsill and looked back up at the sky, except the clouds fogged the stars, and you couldn't see them anymore. You sighed, resting your head against the cold window. She had hurt you, but you would let her hurt you over and over again if it meant being near her again. She was all you had, she was there when your mother died, she held you in her arms and let you cry every night until you couldn't cry any longer. She took care of you, made sure you ate, and drank. She would force you to get up and do stuff. You would've rotted in your bed without her. You would be dead as-well.

You let out a shaky sigh, you wanted to cry but you couldn't, so you simply took a deep breath and swallowed your thoughts, slowly lulling yourself to sleep against the window. Last time you fell asleep like this, she came in after a late night of working and still carried you to bed, tucked you in and made sure you were okay before she took care of herself. She always put you first, you cared about eachother more than you cared about yourselves. You still cared about her more than anything.

You just wanted her back.

[lincolndjarin]

Best Kept Secret

chapter eight : solar markets (RE-UPLOAD)

ao3 link ✿ series masterlist ✩ main masterlist ✧

pairing : bodyguard!Din Djarin x afab!princess!reader

rating : 18+ mdni

word count : 5.3k

summary : the mandalorian takes reader on a day trip

warnings, etc. : language, reader thinks about sex like a little bit

A/N : i had to change accounts so this is a re-upload of my ongoing fic bks!!

It’s nice to wake up excited again. 

You wish you could say that it happened more often but hopefully it will from now on. It’s going to be your first time leaving the castle grounds since you got here. You’ve spent the last four weeks cooped up and you couldn’t be more thrilled to finally get to see something new. 

As much as you love the library it can be suffocating to spend every single day between those four walls. 

So you summon Elaine and Lysa as quickly as possible, grinning as you stand in the mirror until you notice the faint blooms of purple on your waist. 

Shit. 

You have to rush to find undergarments that will cover them and you’re barely pulling them over your hips as the door swings open. 

“Good morning ma’am.” Elaine smiles at you as she grabs a brush, going to stand behind you to comb out the knots in your hair. She snaps her fingers sharply and points to the closet signaling for Lysa to fetch you a gown. 

“Good morning Elaine.” You give her a smile, “Good morning Lysa!” You say slightly louder as you watch in the mirror as she brings out a flowy lilac gown. “I’m going out today girls.” You turn to smile at both of them. 

“Is that so ma’am? Where are you going?” Elaine speaks as she pulls the dress over your head and begins lacing up the corset. 

“The Mandalorian is accompanying me to the markets in the city today.” You try to hold back a bit of the enthusiasm in your voice. 

“Mhmm. That sounds wonderful ma’am.” Her head turns. “Go get her a cloak, and then go find Leodall to give her some credits.”  

“Of course.” In a rush Lysa threw a light gray cloak onto the bed and darted out of the room. Elaine dressed you in near silence after that, softly humming a song to herself every once in a while as you let her straighten the cloak over your shoulders. 

It gives you time to think.

Are things going to be different now? It would be hard to go back to how things were at this point, but you don’t want to have to act like strangers again. You’ve agreed to keep having sex at the very least which is a huge relief, but you also want to make sure that you can still talk to him. Just act normal. Act like nothing is different. 

She’s quick with your makeup, doing some simple little accents around your eyes and letting your hair fall around your face in a way she typically doesn’t. 

“Even though you haven’t made many public appearances it will be best to keep your face mostly hidden my lady.” She adjusts the hood slightly over your hair to shield the top of your head. You nod slowly.

“Is there a bag I can take?” Is all you have to say in response, you aren’t particularly worried about any threats in the city. After all, you have Mando. Who, now that you’re thinking about it, you have never seen in action. Sure he’s big and imposing but it’s still troubling to think that he might be all talk. He does love to talk. You’ll be fine. He wouldn’t take you into the city if he couldn’t protect you. 

Probably. 

Elaine throws a white satchel over your shoulders and takes a step back to admire her work before nodding. 

“If you’re ready I’m sure he’s waiting for you.” She gives you a grin before leaving. You take a good look at yourself in the mirror, Elaine really does work wonders. You honestly aren’t sure how she does it, it’s not like you’re unattractive by any means but you don’t think you were this alluring back on Hoth. 

Is it okay to hope that he notices? That doesn’t break any rules right? 

You don’t have long to wonder because Leodall is bursting into the room holding a small leather coin purse. Holding it out to you. 

“I wish you had given me more warning princess… this was what I was able to put together on such short notice.” He’s seemingly trying to catch his breath still as you take the purse and open it, your eyes going wide. You were royalty back on Hoth but clearly not this royal. There’s more credits than you could possibly know what to do with inside. 

“A-are you sure?” You manage to stammer out, you’re nervous just holding them. 

“I mean if you’d like I can see if I can make it down to the vaults but it will take me much longer to get more, how much do-” You cut him off.

“Nevermind Leo. Thank you.” You give him a reassuring smile as you put the credits in your bag and dismiss him with a nod. You slip on a pair of riding boots before exiting the room yourself. 

He looks different. 

Scarier. 

You clearly hadn’t been getting the full Mandalorian before because now there’s somehow more attachments. Ammunition. He’s shinier if that was somehow possible, like he polished his armor for this outing and he’s got a brown canvas bag thrown over his shoulder. 

He looks like a proper killer. 

Why does that send a rush of heat between your legs?

“Good morning, princess.” He gives you a curt nod.

So far so good. 

“Good morning Mando. You look… nice.” You tilt your head slightly, getting a real eyeful of him before meeting his visor. 

Okay this is a little more difficult than you thought it was going to be.

Of course it’s harder than you thought it’d be to have a conversation with someone you’ve had impulse hate sex with. 

You just want things to be normal. Just friends. You can do this, this is what you wanted so you need to make it work, you will make it work. 

“Are you ready?” 

“Always.” He turns on his heel to start making his way down the hall and you swiftly follow. 

“Will we be walking there?” You can’t stop smiling at the prospect of finally actually seeing other people. 

“It’s a bit far for that. We’ll take a speeder.”

“Like a bike?” You can’t hide the excitement in your voice, as he lets out a low chuckle. 

“No princess. I don’t think it would be proper for me to take you into the city on a speeder bike. We’ll be taking a landspeeder.” You try to hide your disappointment as he leads you through the twisting halls until you finally reach the familiar front gates. You’d only ever gone in through them when you arrived all those weeks ago. When you went to the garden you had taken back exits. Mando is already talking to a droid near the gate and you can’t catch what he’s saying but he comes back with two silver bands, holding one out to you. “Palace rules, if you’re leaving the grounds you’ve gotta wear it.” He easily clips his on as you fumble with the clasp on yours.

“What are they for?” You can’t help but bite your lip as you try to get the damn thing on before finally he takes your wrist and does it for you.

“Trackers.” He says it like he doesn’t like the taste of the word in his mouth but you choose to ignore it as he walks through the gate, scanning the bracelet as he does so, you follow his lead and then you’re outside. A light blue landspeeder is waiting for the two of you and you take his hand as he helps you get into the back seat before pulling himself up next to you. The driver nervously turns to stare at him but says nothing as he turns back around. “Solar Markets.” Is all Mando has to say in that stern, bounty hunter tone before you’re flying. 

✩

It’s annoyingly beautiful. 

You’d convinced yourself that Naboo was a place you had been condemned to but it’s stunning. It’s greener than you’d realized and you swear you hear Mando laugh at the awestruck look on your face. 

He looks comfortable like this, leaning back, his arms spread out across the back of the seat. You must look like an over eager child the way your eyes keep darting around. You almost want to ask if you can keep riding around for a bit when the speeder stops. 

Almost.

But the markets are much more enticing. 

Alive and buzzing with people, there’s probably more people just on this street than there were in your entire colony back home. Mando helps you out of the speeder by lifting you up by your waist and once you’re on the ground you pull your hood back up. He leans down to whisper to you.

“No one is going to recognize you, it’s okay.” Is he smiling? It sounds like he’s smiling. You let the hood fall and run your fingers through your hair to try and brush the wind out of it. He holds his arm out and you briskly take it, clutching yourself close to him as he starts walking. It’s almost like a small path through the crowds clears whenever you walk and you immediately regret letting your hood down until you realize it’s not for you.

They’re scared of him.

People get quiet when you walk near them, they whisper, eyes start darting around frantically. 

“I didn’t realize you had a reputation…” You mumble, leaning closer to him.

“Not me princess, my people in general. Don’t worry about it, it just means no one is going to mess with you.” He lets out a chuckle as he slows his pace. 

“What are they saying about you?” You look warily around the crowds, holding on to Mando’s arm a little tighter.

He fidgets with something on his gauntlet and is silent for a few minutes as you walk before he fidgets with it again.

“Just your usual Mandaloian panic, mostly people worried about you.”

“Me?” You can’t help it when your voice goes up a pitch. It makes him chuckle softly. 

“Some people are worried you're my prisoner.” 

“Why would people think that?” You can’t help but look up at him in confusion.

“Usually we travel alone, or with other Mandalorians. Or people don’t see us at all, some people are just concerned that I’m holding you captive.” Why does he sound like he’s enjoying that fact?

“Well that’s annoying.” You scoff.

“So, what are we shopping for today?” He tilts the helmet down to look at you as you take in the dozens upon dozens of stands. It’s entirely possible that they will have quite literally anything you could ask for. 

“I didn’t actually have anything in mind… can we just look around?” 

“Of course.” Okay, he’s definitely smiling. 

The two of you arm in arm walk through the first street of stalls. Nothing in particular catches your eye, it mostly seems like antiques and other such things, it must take well over an hour though and as he turns you down the next street you're hit with a wave of different smells as you start your trek through what you figure is the food stands. Your stomach lets out a small grumble since you skipped breakfast for this.

“Are you hungry? Can you eat if no one is looking?” You say softly, turning towards him. 

“Someone is always looking. I’ll eat when we get back.” 

 You can’t help but frown. It passes quickly though as you get an idea. You keep your eyes peeled for a specific stand. 

“You called this the Solar Markets earlier?” You say absentmindedly, still looking around.

“Yes. During the day they are called the Solar Markets, at night they do a quick turn around and then open the Lunar Markets.” He’s speaking so softly you can barely hear him and you wonder if he does it on purpose to keep up appearances of a stoic silent killer. 

“Will we be able to stay for the Lunar Markets?” You turn to him hopefully and you hear the beginning of a laugh before the modulator cuts off. He takes a second before you hear the filter crackling back to life. 

“No princess. I will have to find a way to sneak you out after hours to show you the Lunar Markets.” His voice is tinged with amusement. 

“Why? Are they dangerous?” You instinctively squeeze his arm tighter. 

“Not at all, we’re just going to have to make sure you don’t have a tracker on when we go, I’m sure I’d get in a lot of trouble if anyone found out you went, we’ll have to keep your hood up for that trip.” There’s a teasing tone to his voice that you don’t get. 

“Are you going to tell me why or am I going to have to guess?” 

“I think it will be better if it’s a surprise.” He whispers as he pats your arm gently. You’re about to interrogate him further but you see what you’re looking for and drop his arm, jogging up ahead to a stand, handing over what is definitely too many credits as you tell the Gungan running the stand to keep the change, Mando is right behind you when you turn around, you’ve got a big smile on your face.

“Don’t run off like that. Just because nobody knows you doesn’t mean you aren’t precious cargo.” His voice is stern but you don’t let it bother you as you hold up your purchase. 

“Look what I got us.” You're beaming ear to ear. “It’s pear and some kind of spikey melon I didn’t recognize.” You hold the smoothie up towards his helmet and he tilts his head ever so slightly. 

“Okay…?” He says it slowly like he’s being careful not to hurt your feelings. 

“It has a straw! So you don’t have to take your helmet off.” You say it like it’s the most obvious thing in the world as you take a sip. It’s thick, and sweeter than you were expecting but it goes down smooth and you can’t stop smiling as you hold it out towards him.

“That’s very kind of you princess… but it might affect the presence I’m trying to put out if I’m walking around with a straw under my helmet.” He sounds serious as he says it which makes you lose the smile as you think again for a moment. 

“Okay. I need to tell you something.” You take his hand and pull him just behind the stall, out of sight of most of the people.

“You’re confusing me princess.” He laughs softly. “What do you want to tell me?” He puts his hands on his hips and you hold a finger out to make a “come closer” motion.  

“I have to whisper it.” He sighs as he leans down so his face is next to yours and your mouth is where his ear would be. “Release the airlock on your helmet.” You whisper it and he starts to pull back but you put your hands on his shoulders. “Please. Just for a second.” He lets out another exasperated sigh but after a moment you hear a hiss of air and you bite back a giggle as you bring the drink up between the two of you and shove the straw under the edge of his helmet, you use your body to shield him from anyone passing by. If anyone looked it would look like you were just whispering a secret to him. There’s a moment where you’re worried you’ve gone too far but then you hear a quiet slurping noise and you know you’ve won. After a moment he pulls back and you can see through the clear cup that he’s downed a solid quarter of it. The air hissed as he resealed his helmet. 

“Happy?” He has a mock tone of defeat as you grin.

“Extremely.” You take his arm again and lead him back into the crowd as you sip at the drink lazily while you walk. “Did you like it?” You don’t bother concealing the satisfaction in your voice. 

“It was a little sweet for me… but yes.” 

“I knew you would. I’m always right.” 

“Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

“Do you come here at night to buy food or do you just get stuff from the castle?” As you speak you walk over to a pastry stand and drop a pile of credits into the young woman's hand as you take a few small cakes and cookies and put them into your bag, waving off the change again. 

“I usually just eat ration packets back at my cabin.” 

Full stop.

“Why aren’t you getting food from the kitchens?” You take a step in front of him, staring up into his visor with your arms crossed. You’d had ration packets plenty of times back on Hoth when they were unable to get cargo ships in. They were filling but honestly you’d found them gross most of the time. You didn’t like the idea of him relying solely on those when he had so many other options available to him.

“I never thought to do so. I’ve always just eaten rations packs.” He sounds almost bored with the conversation as you glare up at him. You want to scold him but you know he won’t listen so instead you make a mental note to pick up a few things while you’re here. You take his arm and start walking again. “Do you need anything else from this street or do you want to go to the next one?” He whispers it like he’s unsure if you’re mad at him. 

“I’m done here, we can go to the next one.” You keep it light, not wanting anything to ruin this day as he brings you down the next street. This is easily the biggest, most crowded area. It seems like the majority of the vendors set up shop here and you’re having trouble focusing on any single stand as you start your slow trek. A particularly sharp burst of color catches your eye as you approach the stand. The Toydarian manning the shop seems nervous about Mando but you ignore it as you start searching through the plastic flowers. 

“We have the gardens at home, why the hell do you need fake flowers?” His eyes are looking around the shelves as he speaks and you find the plastic lilies you were looking for. 

“I had these growing up. I just want some for my room.” You can’t help but smile at the idea of having a piece of home back in your chambers, as you hand the shopkeep the credits you catch Mando also handing him some as he shoves something into his bag. You don’t ask because once you leave another stand has already caught your eye. 

“Oh no. You’re not getting that.” He’s groaning as you run up to the droid selling vibroblades. 

“Come on, they’re all so small I won’t be able to do much damage with one anyway.” You’re peeking through the display case at the knives, settling on a simple dainty one, it’s entirely silver, handle and blade. The droid retrieves it the moment you point it out and you hand him the credits as you put it into the sheath provided before shoving it into your bag. 

“Why do you even need that? You have me to protect you.” He puts a hand on his hip but you just take his arm and push him to keep him walking. 

“Just for emergencies. Don’t worry about it.” He sighs as you keep walking. 

“What emergency? You have a state of the art locking system on your door and a state of the art bodyguard.” He sounds almost offended and you burst into laughter. 

“Please don’t tell me you’re jealous of a knife.” You can hear a little huff of air coming from the modulator. 

“No.” There’s that bounty hunter voice. 

“Oh come on, don’t be jealous, I promise I like you more than the blade.” You poke his pauldron as you tease him. 

“I’m not jealous.” He scoffs out. 

“Just making sure.”

✩

You spend the rest of the day in the third street of the market. It’s massive, you don’t even get a chance to see every stand. You aren’t even sure you’ve seen half of them. Around midday you take out one of the little cakes you’d bought and eat it, offering him half but of course he declines. You buy a lovely crystal vase for your faux flowers, a few other little snacks you find and several bowls with sealable lids. You’re sure that purchase has Mando raising an eyebrow but he doesn’t say anything. 

You’re exhausted by the time the sun is lowering in the sky but you don’t want this day to end. You can tell he’s about to call it as you see a stand that catches your eye and you drag him along to it, you can feel a slight resistance as he realizes where you’re dragging him but it’s too late because you’re already talking to the woman folding fabrics at the entrance. 

“Do you by any chance have other wares I could peruse in the back?” You give her a smile as she looks warily between you and the Mandalorian before nodding and taking your hand. He starts to follow but you put a hand against his chestplate. 

“You’re not going anywhere without me.” His tone has gotten all stiff and bounty hunter serious as he gently takes your wrist and removes your hand. 

“I’m trying on clothes. You need to wait outside.” 

It’s way too tense for such a simple request. You can feel the shopkeep trembling behind you but you don’t drop the glare you’ve got trained on his visor. You don’t know how long you stand like that. Scowling at each other. Definitely too long but eventually he sighs and takes a step back. 

“Ten minutes. If you don’t come out, I’m going in.” He points a warning finger at you but plants his feet and you know he’ll stay put as you give him a big grin before following the woman into the back. 

It’s exactly what you thought it would be. 

A lot of the stuff was classier out front but you knew there would most likely be skimpier options where the public couldn’t see them. You started looking through the shelves of lace and silk. You’re only doing so for a moment before the woman is clearing her throat. 

“Are you okay, miss?” Her voice is small and timid as she looks over her shoulder anxiously. You raise an eyebrow in confusion. 

“Yes…? Why do you ask?” You look away from the woman as you find a shelf exclusively containing green fabrics. Jackpot. 

“It’s just, I don’t mean to intrude but- but I’ve never seen a…” She leans in to whisper. “A Mandalorian traveling with someone before. I just want to make sure you aren’t being held against your will. Such a pretty young woman, accompanying such a dangerous man.” 

Oh.

Well you should have seen that coming. You give her a reassuring smile. You want to be offended on his behalf but maybe you just didn’t truly grasp how afraid people were of him.

“I’m perfectly safe ma’am, he’s my friend.” She nods slowly, seemingly satisfied with your answer as you hold up a particularly revealing piece. A satiny green two piece set. They could probably pass as pajamas if the bottoms weren’t practically just panties. You put it over your arm as you look for something a little more racy. “Is this everything?” You turn to look at her again.

“No miss, but we don’t bring out what I think you’re looking for until after sundown.”

Oh. That’s why you weren’t staying for the Lunar Market.  

“Ah, okay. I’ll be sure to come back for that at some point. Thank you so much for being so accommodating” You hand her half of your remaining credits and her jaw is practically on the floor as you make a swift exit, shoving the clothes into your bag. Finding Mando just outside. He’s in nearly the same position except now he has a small bag in his hands. You pay it no mind as you go to take his arm. 

But you miss it completely as someone grabs your other arm pulling you in the opposite direction. 

“I haven’t seen you around here before, are you new in town?” It’s a human man with long black hair, he’s got welding goggles strapped to his head. You try as gently as possible to shove him off. 

“No, I’ve lived here for some time now, and I should be getting back to my friend…” You’re about to point to Mando hoping that would scare him off but the man is putting a hand around your waist and starts walking you down the street. 

“Oh come on sweet thing, why don’t we just walk for a little bit, maybe you can show me what you bought from that stand.” You can hear his hot breath against your neck as he leans closer and you’re about to reach for the blade in your bag but you don’t get too because he’s already on the ground. 

You don’t have anytime to realize what’s going on until it’s already happening.

“ Give me a reason to do it. ” Mando’s already on top of him, blaster pressed to the bottom of the man's jaw. His voice sends a chill down your spine, if you thought that the stern tone he used on most strangers was his bounty hunter voice you were horribly wrong. This was his bounty hunter voice. When the man didn’t respond you watched as the barrel of the blaster pushed a hair deeper into the man's skin. 

You should probably unpack at some point why you find this so attractive. 

Maker, would it be inappropriate to ask him to recreate this later in your chambers? 

You don’t register what the man mumbles as Mando reholsters his blaster. Standing up and facing you. You do happen to catch the next words the man mutters as he gets to his feet, unlucky for him Mando catches the words as well. 

“Have a good night with your whore, jackass.” 

The crack of the punch is so loud, you’re absolutely certain that Mando broke his jaw. The man drops to the ground in an instant and your Beskar companion simply shakes his hand out once before offering you his arm again. You take it as you try to avoid looking at the crumpled body of the man. 

Stars, you don’t know if you’ve ever been this attracted to someone. 

As a friend. Obviously. 

“You get everything you need?” He says as he starts backtracking you down the market street. He’s alarmingly casual. 

“Yes. I’m ready to go now.” You give him a nervous smile as you walk, trying to  enjoy the sun setting on everything. 

It’s hard not to talk about it.

But it’s probably for the best all things considered, if you start reliving that memory, who knows how long you’ll be able to resist dragging the Mandalorian into an alley and getting on your knees. 

On your way out you tell him you want to stop and grab some things for dinner, if he notices you buying more food than you could possibly eat he doesn’t mention it. He doesn’t even say anything when you make him carry it. It’s a quick ride back to the castle and you can feel the exhaustion taking its toll as he walks you up to your chambers. Leo is waiting for you in the hall to take your tracker bands, Mando mumbles something about losing his but you pay him no mind as you hand Leo yours, telling him to inform the girls that you won’t need them, they can have the night off, and with that he departs. Mando helps you into your room and helps you set your things onto the bed. 

“Did you have a good day?” He’s gentle again. Nothing like his tone when you were in public. It makes you smile, like he saves it just for you. 

“I did. Thank you, for everything.” 

“So you aren’t stressed?” He doesn’t look up, he’s setting a few of the bowls you’d bought out on the bed. 

“No not at all, why? If you’re worried about the guy, don’t be I didn’t even have a second to process what was happening…” Your voice trails off as you realize why he was asking.

You idiot. 

This is Purely Stress Relief.

Your rule.

You want to take it back immediately but he’s already standing up straighter, and you know you’ve already missed your chance. 

“Do you need anything else or should I leave?” He says it with the same tone of disappointment that you currently feel. 

Damn it. 

You stupid, stupid woman, less than an hour ago you were gonna jump his bones in the street and now that you’ve got him alone you just blew your chance to… well, blow him .

Whatever. It’s for the best. It would be weird to have a really great day out together and then come home and have sex anyway. That’s something a couple would do. And that’s not what this arrangement is. But you can’t let him leave without executing your master plan. 

You start opening the food containers and scoop half of everything into the bowls, sealing all of them before rummaging through your bag for one of the little cakes, setting it on top of the three sealed bowls, stacking them. 

“Here.” You hold it all out to him and he just stands there for a moment. 

“You don’t have to-” The voice that comes out of the filter almost sounds small. 

“I know I don’t have to. Now take it, I’m ordering you to go home and eat actual food.” You shove it into his arms and he starts carefully tucking it into his bag.

“You don’t have the authority to order me to do anyth-”

“Shut up. For once, about that.” You give him a stern look and you both stand awkwardly across from each other. You aren’t really sure what he’s waiting for but finally he reaches into his satchel and hands you the small bag he had been holding earlier. 

“I bought this for you earlier while you were trying on clothes. It made me think of you.” He doesn’t even give you a second to say thank you before he’s out of the room, closing the door gently behind him. You stand there dumbfounded for a moment before you open the bag, looking down at the contents.

You reach in and hold the necklace in front of your face so you can get a good look. 

It’s a simple leather cord but what really catches your eye is the tiny charm. It’s a little silver outline of a flower hanging from the band. A little flower. 

Sarad’ika.

You’re glad he didn’t linger to watch you open it because you have to hold back tears.

Even though he didn’t stay you can’t help but smile as you started nodding off. Closing the food containers before grabbing a few things, retreating to the closet. You lay down in your nest of blankets, setting your book down next to you as you stare down at the charm in the palm of your hand. You don’t think you ever had a day this fun even back on Hoth. No one had ever put this much thought into a gift for you. No one had ever defended you like that before either, he had even drunk what you offered him… Your fingers played with the small silver charm as you carefully tucked the necklace between the pages of The Smitten Paladin. 

It was probably the most lovely day you’d ever had. 

A specific scrawled line of text catches your eyes as they dart to the rules scrawled against the back inside cover and you slam the book shut, shoving it into your pillowcase for safekeeping. 

No Romance. 

Fuck.

I am no longer doing taglists so follow @lincolndjarinnotifs and turn on notifications to be notified when new chapters are posted !!

[winterrrnight]

KEZ!!! I just thought of an amazing idea😭, you know how Ward lended Rafe, Cameron industries…what about before Rafe married reader, she always dreamed of having (the pictures), a majestic bookroom filled w books. So!! Before getting married she would always talk abt Rafe building anything similar for her, and since we all know Rafe is OBSESSED w wife, he already started rough drafts to make sure wife got everything she wanted, what Rafe vowed to her 🥹

IM GOING CRAZY IM GOING CRAZY IM GOING BATSHIT CRAZYYYYY abby I'm kissing your brain rn so hard 🥹🥹🫶🏼🫶🏼

part of this little universe <3

rafe has always known about his wife's obsession for books and her dream of having a book room, all of it decorated with aesthetics that she loves with all her heart (like literally anything!! whatever aesthetic the reader loves) and filled with so many books, like basically she wants her own little home library. 🥹

and rafe practically vowed the day she told him about her dreams that he will give it to her.

so the drafts were started, the ideas were thought, the sketches were made, and he was so determined to give her what she wants.

so, I believe that after their wedding when his wife gets to see their new house for the first time that rafe has been having built since the day he decided he's going to marry her and wants her in his life forever, the first room she's taken to is the bookroom!!!!

and its decorated exactly like how she used to tell him.

she wasn't even sure he would remember, but she is so in awe when she sees how much attention he paid to the details, how everything is just exactly the way she would describe to him.

she just didn't know rafe would be so lost in her words when she used to be telling him about her dreams of owning something like that, and how he loved that dreamy look in her eyes that she gets each time she talks about something she's extremely passionate about.

and to see her dreams come to literal life, you all best believe she has to pinch herself to convince her mind it is real!!!!

and then rafe shows her around, showing her everything he got built in the room and she's just so in awe with the way he practically bought heaven to existence for her.

after they start living there rafe knows that there's a good chance she's almost always in that room, reading something she loves so so much.

and after she's done reading whatever book it was that kept her so intrigued she would share her crazy theories on the book and rafe would listen to her no matter what!! cause he loves her!! with her whole heart!! he'll bring her the entire solar system if she asks for it!!

her face again has that dreamy look he so so so SO loves, and he gets lost in it. lost in her soft expression, her voice, her gaze... and its like he's falling in love all over again.

goodness he's so so whipped for her, he's never letting her go for real. she's her goddess always and forever 💘

tagging my baes @runningfrom2am & @chenslucy who i know will eat this up!!!!

(share any of your husband!rafe thoughts and headcanons and/or your other drew/rafe/zach thoughts! sfw only <3)

[dearmantis]

Also in case anyone is wondering:

Part 6 of something special is done. it has been done for like a week now. I just don't like it. It's boring and while I do think that the series needs to calm down a bit before the finale, especially after the chapter where Reader kills and eats three wolves, I don't want it to be boring.

Reader is also a bit too sane for my personal taste (especially considering they're kind of hallucinating, maybe, in previous chapters), and I really need to fix that.

[imagines--galore]

||The Thread of Fate|| Part Twenty-Five

Summary: Soulmate AU. They say the Thread of Fate connects you to your one true love. It may tangle. It may stretch. But it will never break. Wrapped around your little finger it tightens when it feels your soulmate is close and loosens when they are far. And becomes visible with the colors of your soulmate’s Nation when you finally fall in love with them.

Pairing: Zuko x OroraOC (ATLA)

Rating || Genres || Warnings: T+ Romance. Adventure.

Previous Chapters - Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven, Part Eight, Part Nine, Part Ten, Part Eleven, Part Twelve, Part Thirteen, Part Fourteen, Part Fifteen, Part Sixteen, Part Seventeen, Part Eighteen, Part Nineteen, Part Twenty, Part Twenty-One, Part Twenty-Two, Twenty-Three, Twenty Four

A/N: ............this got away from me.........btw I expect reactions from each and every one of you.

Orora was the first one awake.

The sun was barely peeking over the horizon, the sky was only just changing color. And yet, she didn't think she could go back to sleep. Rubbing away the tiredness in her eyes, the young waterbender yawned as she stood up. Stretching her arms above her hand, she rubbed the back of her neck as she looked around at her still sleeping friends.

Aang was still asleep. Thank the Spirits. She smiled at the snoring boy, before moving to put away her bed roll. Making sure she didn't wake anyone, Orora picked up her pack and walked off, enjoying the cool morning air as it caressed her face. She could hear birds as they began to leave their nests for food. The occasional sound of a koala sheep somewhere around the island would break the silence, but nothing else.

Everything was calm.

A blessing since today was the day.

The day of the Solar Eclipse.

The day the Fire Nation would be finally defeated after a hundred years of war.

Or so she hoped.

Shaking her head to get rid of those thoughts for now, she instead focused on the stream she had visited a day or so ago. Quickly dropping the pack she had brought, the waterbender stripped and walked into the water. Allowing the water to carry her, she waded on her back, her eyes on the ever-changing sky above her, her dark brown hair framing her face. The last of the stars were disappearing as the sun's light dimmed their brightness.

She sighed.

"Why do you keep doing that?" She asked the seemingly empty air. There was a beat of silence before his voice called out.

"Doing what?" She didn't move from her afloat position, eyes towards the sky. "Appearing suddenly. I don't have anything to say to you so whats your purpose here?" Though her initial reaction had been a mixture of confusing emotions at seeing him, truthfully, she was getting a little annoyed at not figuring out the reason behind it.

"Don't you?" His voice came again. Orora closed her eyes, letting out an annoyed sound, frowning. "No." She stated firmly.

"Not even about what could happen today?" His voice was soft, almost as if he were pleading her to tell him. Her eyes were still closed, but she could imagine the expression on his face. "You mean what would happen when we defeat the Fire Nation and would have to defeat you and your whole family?"

The water rippled as she finally straightened, looking directly at him where he sat at the bank. "Or are you talking about the part where you would be in ch-chains?" Her voice hitched at the last word.

And she hated herself for it.

Despite what he had done to betray her, she still had feelings for him. Feelings she had tried very hard to ignore, and had pushed to the furthest reaches of her mind because, who had time to deal with them.

Not the healthiest way to go about things, but who cared?!

She allowed her fingers to gently skim the water, creating small ripples on the surface as she did. "I don't think I'll be able to cope with that." The girl finally confessed, her heart aching in her chest as she glanced at her string which began to emit a soft reddish hue.

Movement along the bank had her looking up to see Zuko standing with his hand above his heart. His expression was earnest and there was a strange gleam in his eyes. Almost one of determination, if she read it right. "I promise." He said, his voice solemn. "It won't come to that."

She blinked, and he was gone, leaving her standing in the water feeling like an utter idiot. Of course he would say that. The Zuko before her had been a projection of what she wanted him to be, and how she wanted to be reassured. Just her mind trying to make sense of the feelings she had for him. Orora still couldn't decide what they were, so best to leave them untouched.

Though having him appear in Fire Nation clothes, with his hair a lot longer then it had been in Ba Sing Se, was something new since she had never seen him in either before.

The sky was brighter by the time she finally stepped out of the water. Using her waterbending to dry herself off, including her hair, the girl turned her attention to the pack.

Time to show the world what her roots were.

First she made sure her under garments were secure around her chest and hips. She had to make new ones since she had felt a little constricted in the ones she had before. Probably a growth spurt, she mused to herself as she tied the chest binds behind her back. Once done, she pulled on the pants she had sewn. They were made of a dark grey slightly stretchy material that settled against her like a second skin. Next she turned to the new shirt she had been working on the past two days.

Rather then a light blue like Katara had chosen to wear, Orora had gone for a blue that was much darker in color. Almost as dark as the ones the Water Tribe Warriors wore when they dressed up for battle. The style was similar to Katara's with barely any sleeves, long in the front and back as well as split at the side to allow better leg movement. A light blue decorated the border of the entire shirt and the measurements had been accurate enough that it showed off her slightly curvy muscled figure while also allowing her room to move.

The one thing she had added, was a white patch in the shape of a full moon, with a crescent outlined within, just above her heart. A nod to the Moon Spirit who had guided her in her time of need. Next Orora pulled on the fingerless leather gloves she had bought, making sure they were snug and fit against her skin. They were the same color as her pants, bringing the whole outfit together nicely. Quickly pulling on her shoes, the ones she'd been using since she was sure she could bend through them, Orora created a mirror of ice to see her reflection. The entire outfit reminded her of the one she had first worn in Ba Sing Se. With a few tweaks thrown in here and there.

Picking up her comb, she quickly ran it through her hair. Now that her hair was long enough, it was easy to pull it up into a ponytail, tying it with a blue ribbon. But not before a simple swipe of her bending had some of the hair covering her forehead floating to the ground, allowing her to swipe her hair to the sides. They were shorter, meaning they couldn't be tucked into her ponytail, so they framed her face instead, allowing her features to appear much softer then they were. The white patch was parted now since it rested almost in the center of her forehead, so the majority of the hair on one side was white while the other side was a mixture of white and brown.

Satisfied with her appearance, she picked up the Fire Nation clothes she'd been wearing and bundled them up. With one final glance at her reflection, she bended the water back into the river, and walked back to camp.

                                          ————————–

It didn't take long for everyone, minus Aang, to wake up and go about changing their own clothes. Seems she wasn't the only one with the idea of fighting in the colors of her nation. Sokka and Katara had quickly changed into their Water Tribe blues, while Toph was eager to get back into her Earth Kingdom clothes.

While Toph sat around, and Katara handed her brother something to drink whilst he poured over maps, once again, Orora made sure she had the straps of her water skins wrapped tightly around her chest. She would be wearing them similar to Katara's, but there was a certain accessory she would be adding, but not until a little later.

There was a certain nervousness around their small camp. With everyone lost in their own thoughts, thinking of what was to come in the next few hours. Her blue gaze drifted towards the sky where the sun was shining.

"Top of the morning, Momo!" Aang's sudden voice had everyone's attention turning to the young Avatar. Orora smiled, seeing him well-rested and back to his old cheerful self. The kid had deserved that good night's sleep.

"Sounds like you slept well." Katara commented, a hand on her hip and a smile on her lips

Aang nodded, moving his hand aside in a sweeping motion. "Like a baby moose lion." He stated before assuming a fighting stance and raised his fists in the air. "I'm ready to face the Fire Lord." He called out in an exuberant tone.

Toph smiled. "So, what's your strategy for taking him down?" She raised her hands to her eyes and wiggled them around. "Gonna get your glow on and hit him with a little Avatar State action?" She ended with a punch in the air. No sooner had her statement finished when Aang's shoulders dropped and he sighed.

"I can't." He said, his voice heavy with regret and sorrow. "When Azula shot me with lightning, my seventh chakra was locked, cutting off my connection to all the cosmic energy in the universe." Orora rose from her place to place a comforting hand on his shoulder, which he accepted with a small smile.

"You know what I just heard?" Toph asked with a roll of her eyes. "Blah, blah, spiritual mumbo jumbo blah, blah, something about space." Orora frowned at the younger girl before turning her attention to Aang.

"Well maybe the Eclipse will give us enough of an advantage that you won't need the Avatar State." She suggested, to which Aang gave a grateful smile, glad to have someone ease his worries a bit.

From the corner of her eyes, Katara caught sight of a thick fog coming their way. "Oh, no." She said softly, her forehead creased in concern. "Sokka? Do you think the fog will delay the invasion?" She asked her brother who was standing up and moving to investigate said fog.

"No." He exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. "That is the invasion!"

The words were barely out of his mouth when all five children were racing down to the shoreline where the ships would be docking. Aang and Toph quickly bended several raised columns from beneath the water to form a makeshift dock for the ships to anchor. As she watched the ships dock one by one, Orora couldn't help but feel excited about all the people she would be meeting.

Sokka had told her about the plan in detail during their time after Ba Sing Se, when Aang had been unconscious. She had even added in her opinion, which he had greatly appreciated.

And now all those months of waiting and planning were coming down to this one moment.

The ships docked and people began to disembark. There were several faces she recognized, some of them standing out more then others, mostly those who had traveled with them after Ba Sing Se.

Katara and Sokka, catching sight of their father, hurried towards him with the other three following.

"You made it, Dad!" Katara exclaimed, embracing her father while Sokka grinned at him. "Were you able to locate everyone I told you to find?" He asked, eager to know.

Hakoda nodded. "I did." Behind him two men in strange leaf clothing stepped off the ship. "But I'm a little worried, Sokka. Some of these men aren't exactly the 'warrior type'." He stated looking back at the disembarking people. Orora pushed herself on her tiptoes to glance over his shoulder to see who he was referring to.

"Oooh-whee!" One of them said, swinging his arm around. "This place ain't nothing like a swamp." He stated before instantly pointing at a rock protruding out of the water. "What you reckon that is, Tho? Some sort of Fire Nation exploding trap what eat ya?" His words had Orora questioning Sokka's decision on calling upon old friends for help.

What kind of people had they run into before she had joined them?

Then again, they did have a run in with a man who could shoot fire from his mind while she was in the group, so they looked tamer compared to him.

"It's just a rock, Due." The man's companion responded to which his friend scratched his head, grinning. "Well, I'll be." He stated. Orora pursed her lips glancing at Sokka who looked positively delighted at the prospect of people actually coming.

Hakoda shook his head. "Is it just me, or are those fellas a little loose in the leaf-hat?" Orora grinned. "Maybe that's why Sokka asked you to bring 'em. So he would pass off as normal compared to them." Aang, Toph and Katara laughed while Sokka glared at Orora, a vein popping in his forehead. Hakoda shook his head, smiling as he held his arm out.

"Its good to see you still humbling my son, Orora." He said with a warm fatherly look in his eyes, one that had the young girl beaming as she took his offered arm in a warrior grasp. "Glad to have you with us, Chief Hakoda." She said, just as Bato stopped beside them, glancing at another who had stepped off the boat.

"I just wish they would wear pants." Was his only complaint to which Orora and Katara glanced at one another and then towards the figure who was wearing only leaves to cover his.........front. Sokka didn't seem to notice the looks his father, Bato, Orora and Katara were giving one another.

"Well come on! Lets get you all ashore!" Aang exclaimed, already leading the way to the shoreline where people from the rest of the ships were gathering.

It seemed Sokka had asked his father to travel all over the Earth Kingdom to gather as many of their allies as possible. It was strange seeing so many people of two different nations together. Blues and greens mixing into one.

Orora found herself being introduced to the Foggy Swamp members. She'd heard about all of them before, the others having told her all about their adventures, but now she could actually put faces to their names.

She was speaking to the pant-less Huu when she heard her name being called. Excusing herself, the girl quickly walked towards where Aang and Katara were standing next to several people from the Earth Kingdom. "Orora you remember when Katara helped bust people out of prison?" Aang asked, looking proudly at his soulmate, who blushed. Orora smiled, crossing her arms over her chest. "Yes, I remember it rather vaguely." She jested, to which Aang rolled his eyes at her playfully.

"Well, this is Haru and that's his dad Tyro!" He said, gesturing to a boy who couldn't be that much older then her and an older man who was clearly his father. "A lot of earthbenders from their village came to help." She turned to smile at the two of them.

"Well I hope they're inspired enough today to help us defeat the Fire Nation." The waterbender said to which Haru nodded with a determined look on his face. "We've faced many desolate and hopeless situations alone, so one where we fight beside our allies and friends is sure to inspire us." He responded, to which Orora grinned and held out her hand for him to shake.

"Welcome aboard! Hope you have fun kicking Fire Nation butt today." They'd barely shaken hands when she felt her other hand being taken by someone.

Orora recognized the smaller hand before she even looked. Turning to Toph who was trying to pull her away, Orora smiled apologetically at Haru and his father. "I'll see you later then!" With that she allowed Toph to pull her away, leaving behind a smiling Haru, with his father nudging his shoulder and smiling teasingly at him.

"What is it Toph?" Orora asked, unable to decipher the distress the younger girl seemed to be exhibiting as they both stood a little ways away from the rest of the group.

Toph took a deep breath before she held up her left hand, pinky out. "I felt the tug."

No sooner had the words left her mouth when Orora gasped loudly and turned around to look at the various people milling about. "When did you feel it? Where were you? Who were you with?" Her eyes went from one face to the other, trying to see if she could somehow guess who it was.

"I felt the tug from the last ship." Toph said, pointing in the general vicinity of the ship. Orora squinted to see Sokka standing there speaking to several people. Two of whom she had never seen before, and yet the other two.

"Its The Duke and Pipsqueak." She muttered softly to which Toph nodded. "So is it one of them?" Orora asked when the girl remained. Toph shrugged in response, to which the older girl sighed. Even though she couldn't see her, Orora still dropped down to crouch before the younger girl, a hand on her shoulder.

"Whats wrong Toph? Why are you so hesitant about this? You know who it is don't you?" A moment of silence before Toph nodded. "And you can't tell him because......" She trailed off, allowing the younger girl the time she needed to explain her reasoning.

Toph licked her lips, before closing her eyes. "Because......I'm scared." Since the day she had known her, Orora had never heard fear in Toph's voice. Really the younger girl appeared almost fearless with how she faced the world. But now? She even sounded scared.

"Why would you be scared of knowing who he is?" The older girl asked her voice soft and kind. Toph reached out to place a hand on Orora's cheek, almost as if she were reassuring herself that the other girl was there.

"Because of what happened to you." Orora's heart plummeted in her chest. "You were so broken after what Zuko did to you, and he did it even though there was nothing wrong with you. Who would want a soulmate who's blind?!"

Orora bit her lower lip, understanding flashing in her blue eyes. "So you're afraid he would reject you, because you're blind." Toph didn't even nod, instead the hand against her cheek only tensed. Orora sighed.

"You know when I met Zuko, I was determined that I would never accept him as my soulmate, because he was from the Fire Nation." She hadn't really revealed the more intimate details of her feelings for the Fire Nation Prince, but mostly because she was confused herself. But to ease Toph's worries, she would gladly sift through her messy, tangled emotions. "And while he accepted that as a reason, he also thought I wouldn't accept him because of the scar on his face."

Toph frowned to which Orora explained further. "He has an ugly scar from where his father burned him. His entire left side is burned off." She shifted Toph's hand on her cheek so the girl could determine where the scar was. "He told me how the scar was ugly and that no one would accept him because of it." She paused, sighing wistfully as she smiled softly. "Truthfully? The scar was the least of my concerns. My main concern was trying not to have feelings for him though I failed at that front. Quite epically."

Finally, Toph cracked a smile. Taking both of her hands in her own, Orora continued to smile at Toph. "What I'm saying Toph, is that I had feelings for him despite the scar because of the person he was. That's how soulmates work. To them you are the most beautiful person in the world. And you are, on the outside and the inside."

Toph's unseeing eyes were swimming with tears as she sniffled. Orora couldn't help herself as she gathered the younger girl in her arms and just hugged her tight. "Thanks Orora." The girl said, her voice slightly muffled before she finally stepped away wiping the remnant of her tears.

Standing up straight the older girl patted her shoulder. "Just be yourself, and I'm sure he will worship the ground you walk on." Toph grinned, her old spark returning as her head and shoulders lifted. "I like the sound of that." She hummed as the two of them began to walk back to the assembled crowd.

"Well, you know what they say, 'Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.'"

"Really? Eye jokes in front of a blind girl?"

"Oh please since when have you found them offensive."

"Since now."

"Then the next one will be an eye-opener for you."

Thwack!

"Ow! Easy with the punches Toph!"

"But that's how I show affection Ice Princess."

"I think I prefer the hugs."

                                          ————————–

Phase One of the Invasion Plan was about to commence.

The speeches were made, the plans were explained, every detail was spelled out for all of them and leaders were appointed. There had been a little hiccup, when Sokka had began to explain the plan from the very beginning.

Literally the beginning.

But his father had stepped in to help out and now it was Battle Stations.

Orora stood beside Katara who was filling water into her water skins. She'd done that just a few minutes ago and was now creating several ice daggers to hang from the belt around her waist. She also created an intricate looking hair pin with the Water Tribe emblem within which she secured in her hair, just above her ponytail. Every aspect of her outfit was chosen to help her in the upcoming battle.

She would rather face some horrifying spirit rather then be defenseless and at the mercy of the Fire Nation.

The older girl glanced at Katara who was just finishing up with her water skins. The other girl met her gaze and gave a small smile. But that wasn't enough for Orora. Not after all that they had been through together. Katara seemed to have the same idea because the moment Orora stepped forward, the younger girl was meeting her halfway in an embrace that was just as affectionate as it was desperate.

No words were spoken, and really no words were needed. The two girls understood one another on a level that even sisters couldn't hope to achieve. Even though not a drop of blood was shared between them, Katara and Orora knew that the bond they shared ran deep.

"Stay safe out there." Katara urged, to which Orora gave a nod.

"You too. Watch your back." With that the two sisters walked back to the shoreline where everyone was beginning to assemble waiting for their next orders.

As Katara walked off to her father's side, Orora spotted Sokka and Aang returning. With Aang looking like his old self. She smiled at the younger boy who stopped before her while Sokka walked by, probably to speak to his father some more.

"Look at you. How does the head feel?" She asked, playfully rubbing the top of his newly shaved head to which he laughed. "Feels great! I feel like myself again." He admitted. "And thanks for the robe, I know it wasn't easy to make since it was burnt in places." Orora shook her head. "Katara came up with the idea and the design, so really you should be thanking her."

They both turned to look at the girl in question who was busy listening to what her father was saying. "You know, we might run into Zuko today."

Her heart jumped in her throat, her stomach roiled and her muscles tensed. Though on the outside she simply pursed her lips and nodded. "I realized we would, and I have made peace with that and accepted the fact that we might have to fight him today." Though she hoped it wouldn't come to that. This time it was Aang who took her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. "That is wise of you Orora, but don't think of your feelings for him as a weakness. Maybe he feels just as trapped as you. I mean, you did say he told you his string glowed as well didn't it? So that means he had feelings for you, and still does." He gave her an encouraging look. "Maybe those feelings will help him make a good decision."

Though his words were meant to give her some semblance of hope, Orora didn't have the heart to tell the boy how they only made her feel even sadder. Still she smiled at him as best as she could and nodded. "We can just hope things go well today. You're lucky your soulmate is fighting on the same side as you."

Aang nodded, though he didn't look very happy about that. "Yeah, lucky." He parroted in a strangely dismal tone that had Orora frowning at him. There was a brief beat of silence before the older girl spoke.

"You know you're always giving other people advice. I think it's high time you get some too." He turned to look at her curiously. The waterbender smiled gently at him. "Ever since I've known you Aang, you've always put the world before yourself. Even in Ba Sing Se, you were willing to give up your feelings for Katara to save her. But maybe, for once, why don't you try putting yourself first and just act on how you feel."

As she spoke the last few words, her gaze shifted towards Katara and Aang followed her line of sight.

The boy was silent for a few brief seconds before he finally nodded. Orora beamed at him before patting his shoulder. "It will all work out. I promise."

As they began to walk back to the others, Aang glanced off in the distance. "You know, I just realized, the others have been to Air Temples before but you and Toph haven't. Maybe after all this is over, I'll take you to the Western Air Temple. Its nearby and its really cool." Orora smiled at his plan and could only nod in confirmation.

"I'll hold you to that promise then."

                                          ————————–

At the Fire Nation Palace, everyone was starting to move out and into their secret hideouts. The Capital was getting quieter by the second and the Palace was emptying every minute.

However, Zuko made no move to follow everyone else as they took their places in their assigned bunker or whatever hiding place they had.

It didn't matter to him.

Nothing did now.

Other then what he had decided.

He removed his head piece and armor, putting it aside to reveal the clothes he was wearing underneath. Once done, he moved to sit down in front of his writing table and began to pen a letter he would be leaving behind for Mai, explaining to her what he was doing and why.

She deserved to know.

She was, after all, the only person who had supported him and listened to him during his time back here.

But now, it was time for him to move forward and do what he had been born to do.

The glow of his string was his only companion, making him feel a little less alone.

                                          ————————–

The fleet of ships were well on their way towards the Great Gates of Azulon. Orora stood on the deck of one of the ships. Every waterbender they had was divided amongst the ships, putting her on the second one with many of the Earthbenders.

A signal from the main ship had her nodding. "Fog cover." She called out, already dropping in the required stance, her arms moving in a fluid motion as she and the rest of the swamp benders helped create a thick fog that would cover them for the time being.

Though the moment was short lived.

A loud bell began to ring and in front of them, where the statue of Azulon was, rose a huge net from the water. And it was on fire. Her eyes widened at the sight, but Hakoda's command to get below deck was quickly heard over the commotion of the approaching patrol boats.

Orora followed after her retreating comrades, and to the submarine that was attached to the bottom of the ship. She slid down the ladder, her feet thumping against the metal floor of Sokka's invention as she took up her place with the rest of the swamp benders.

As soon as Tyro gave her the signal, each of them began to do a push and pull motion, allowing the submarine to begin swimming through the water. Out of the window beside her, she could see the other submarines as well.

"Seems your plan worked Sokka." She commented to herself, smiling as she did.

Phase One was complete.

                                          ————————–

The door to his cell opened, and when he saw who it was, Iroh couldn't help but smile.

"Lunchtime, General Iroh." Ming called, her tone respectful and soft, as opposed to all the other wardens. She knelt down in front of his cell and whispered. "And this time, I brought you an extra bowl of rice."

Iroh smiled. "Thank you, Ming. Your little gestures of kindness have made my days in prison bearable. He hummed to himself. "I think you should take the rest of the day off."

"What?" Confusion colored her tone as she frowned softly.

"You don't look well." Iroh insisted. "Maybe you should go home and rest. "

Ming shook her head, shrugging. "No, I feel fine."

"Trust me." He said, his voice soft and grave. "It is better that you are not here this afternoon." A beat of silence where Ming stared at him before a look of understanding passed over her features. She nodded before straightening up and walking out, leaving Iroh to his thoughts. He had already allowed one young girl to be hurt while under his watchful eye, and he would not see it happen again.

His heart ached to think of his young former pupil. So full of life and optimism.

Iroh could only hope his nephew would finally come to his senses and do the right thing.

                                          ————————–

The only downside of the submarine was the limited amount of air within. Which was why they had to resurface pretty quickly. And a good thing too, because some people had gotten a little motion sickness and had barely managed to hold everything in.

Quickly waterbending from one submarine to the next, Orora handed out some medicinal leaves for those who were ailing to chew on. She'd spent a majority of her money on buying different herbal leaves, roots and flowers that she knew would come in handy on the day of the Invasion. She'd built her small apothecary and had sewn a few hidden pockets in her dress to hide them in small paper packets.

"You're a life saver Orora." Haru said as she handed his father as well as other earthbenders some leaves. She only smiled in response, before quickly jumping to the submarine where Katara, Sokka and Toph were waiting for her.

"Chew on these." The girl ordered Toph, who looked more then a little green, all but shoving the bitter tasting leaves into her mouth. Though the earthbender made a disgusted sound she obediently did as Orora asked, and felt better almost instantly.

Aang, who had been guiding Appa underwater, landed near them. "So, this is it huh?" He said, his voice soft as his friends approached him. Sokka grinned. "Are you ready for the Fire Nation to know the Avatar is alive?"

Aang nodded without hesitation, a look of determination on his face. "I'm ready." Though the two boys moved in for a handshake, it quickly became a group hug as they all wrapped their arms around one another, holding their little family close.

"I hope you kick some serious Fire Lord butt, Twinkle Toes." Toph said, prompting the rest of them to laugh a little at her statement, easing the tension they all felt. Orora smiled at all of them, wrapping an arm around Sokka's shoulder, who mirrored her act, as Hakoda called to everyone.

"Everyone listen up. The next time we resurface, it'll be on the beaches. So stay alert, and fight smart. Now break time's over, back in the subs." Nodding at Orora, Sokka and Toph quickly followed after Hakoda disappearing into the Sub, along with Momo. Orora waterbended herself back to her Sub just as Haru and his father were beginning their descent.

She waited for them to disappear before she began to climb in. Orora paused as she reached back to grab the lid of the Sub, her eyes landing on the two figures that were still standing there.

Aang and Katara.

With Aang stepping away from his soulmate after kissing her.

Smiling to herself, the young waterbender closed the lid tightly, walking back to her previous station.

                                          ————————–

With every graceful yet powerful motion of her arms, as well as those of the swamp benders, they were getting closer and closer to the main shoreline of the Fire Nation capital. Orora would be lying if she said she wasn't nervous, but her nervousness was pushed aside in favor of determination and a sense of purpose.

This was what she had been training to for for more then half a year now.

And she was about to show the Fire Nation just how far she had come from the helpless girl she had been during her first encounter with them.

She would stand beside her family, friends and allies and fight to end the tyranny of the Fire Nation once and for all.

Through the water and metal wall around her, alarm bells began to sound, and she knew they had arrived.

Her sharp eyes caught the telltale sign of a harpoon from the window as it flew through the water from where it was fired from the surface. One of them skimmed by dangerously close to their Sub.

"Veer to the left!" She ordered, moving her arms in a certain motion that would push the Sub a little off course. The swamp benders followed her order.

"Orora! We need you upfront!" Haru's voice called from the front. She left her post, racing towards the small area where two earthbenders were loading a torpedo covered in ice.

As soon as it was in, and once she had the signal, Orora thrust her arms forward with all her strength, pushing the torpedo out into the water. There was a muffled bang which had the Sub lurching slightly, before things quietened down again.

"Swamp benders! To your positions now!" Orora called over the clamor of the earthbenders as they readied their tanks and other manners of vehicles.

Orora took up her position at the front of the swamp benders, just behind the line of earthbenders. She stood beside them, her water skins opening to allow her arms to be coated in water.

She waited in position for the Subs to rise from the water.

She waited with baited breath as the Subs opened and the sounds and smell of the battle hit her senses.

She allowed her instincts to take over as she raced out of the Sub, her battle cry merging with those of her fellow comrades as they faced the Fire Nation head on.

Sokka had told her that her primary target would be to take out as many tanks and other weapons of destruction with her water bending.

And that is exactly what she did.

The moment she stepped on solid ground, her cold calculated eyes zeroed in on a nearing tank. With a shout she threw her arm forward, allowing a part of the water she had to break away in the form of a sharp ice spear and hit the wheels of the tank. The spear jammed in the mechanism, toppling the tank over given the speed it was coming at, and rendering it useless.

Orora didn't even waited. She moved on.

There were several Fire Nation soldiers in front of her, and she wasted no time in taking them out. Allowing a ring of water to arch through the air, it sent the group of soldiers flying in different directions. Several of them were knocked unconscious after hitting the walls while others regained their footing and charged her.

Orora wasted no time.

She all but danced out of their way as they tried to land a hit with their firebending. Bringing up a wall of ice, the girl quickly propelled herself to the top of it, taking the soldiers on the other side completely by surprise. She landed on one's head, knocking him out, while the other she took out with a roundhouse kick, sending him flying. Another one was brought down with an ice punch to the face, while the one left didn't even put up a fight. Instead she raced off with a terrified scream.

Orora smirked to herself.

"Nice moves, Ice Princess!" Toph complimented as she came to a stop near her. "How about we show them a little Earth on Water action?" The bling girl suggested, prompting the older girl to drop in a stance as a new wave of tanks and war vehicles neared them with the battlements raining havoc from above.

Toph created a disc of earth, allowing it to rise from the ground a little to create a platform. Pressing her hand to the center of the platform, the older girl created spikes made of ice protrude all along the smooth surface of the pillar. With her hand on Toph's shoulder, she guided the girl where to launch the spiked discs. Once they launched, they would find their mark, and had barely allowed the Fire Nation soldiers around the to recover, when Orora would make a dismissive hand gesture and the ice spikes would go flying in every direction of the enemy. One after another found its mark, until nearly all their targets were taken out. Most of them being battlements. The ones left were being destroyed by Sokka, Katara and Hakoda.

"Stay safe!" Orora called to Toph who raced away to join her fellow earthbenders. Seeing several of the tanks overwhelming her fellow water tribe members, Orora quickly moved to take action.

Racing to get a little closer to the water, she threw her arms forward, pulling up twin strips of water. Her arms shook from the effort and sweat lined her forehead, but she circled her arms above her head, before spreading her arms wide, creating spikes at the end of her water whips.

"Take cover!" She shouted at her sister tribe. They barely had time to duck behind their shields before Orora's arms circled in the air, the water whips following her command the spikes at the end penetrating the metal surface of the tanks. Most of them stopped, the sharp edges catching important wires and rendering themselves useless. The few that were left running, were quickly knocked over by another swipe of her water whips, though this time she didn't use and spikes at the end.

"Is everyone alright?" She asked, racing towards Bato who had been a part of the group she had just helped. The older man smiled and nodded, clapping her on the shoulder. "That was some powerful waterbending Orora." He praised to which the girl simply shrugged, a pleased smile on her face.

"Well practice makes perfect, doesn't it?"

Suddenly the sound of Appa's groaning had her looking up just in time to see the bison land behind a wall to take shelter. Something was wrong, she felt it in her gut.

Throwing her arm out to create a shield lest one of the Fire Nation soldiers manage to hit her with their fireball, she raced across the battlement to where Appa had landed, dread filling her stomach as she went.

                                          ————————–

In the silence of the Palace, Zuko knelt before a painting of his mother.

"I know I've made some bad choices." He said, his voice soft and full of remorse. "But today, I'm gonna set things right." He promised before he rose to his feet. Picking up his swords, he covered his head with the hood of his robe. With one final glance at his mother's face, he left.

                                          ————————–

"What happened?" Orora asked as she came to a halt on her knees where she had skidded across the ground to reach the small family. Katara was working on healing her father, both children looking extremely distraught.

"He's hurt. Bad." Katara said, pulling her hands away to allow Orora to take a look since the older girl had more experience with healing. Her eyes quickly assessed the wound, her hand already flying to her pocket where she knew she would find the herb she would need. Good thing she'd already blended it into a paste before.

Using a small bubble of water, she allowed the paste to mix with the clear liquid, turning its color a murky green. The water settled over the wound as she pressed her hands atop it. Hakoda grunted in pain briefly before his entire body relaxed and his breathing evened out.

"That should stop the bleeding, but he'll need a couple more minutes of healing." She said just as an explosion sounded from beyond the wall they had taken refuge behind. Orora winced, glancing in the direction of the battle.

"I'll stay with Dad, go with Sokka." Katara urged, already moving to heal her Father some more. As Sokka moved to climb atop Appa, Orora made to follow. But stopped when Hakoda called out to her.

He was looking at her with a gentle smile. "Keep your brother from doing anything stupid." A swell of pride and a mixture of emotions rose within her. But now was not the time to act on them. With a firm nod, she jumped onto Appa beside Sokka and the three of them flew off.

As Appa landed, he took out a tank by himself, shoving it aside with a mighty roar. Sokka and Orora slid down, with the former taking charge. "Listen up, everyone. I want the tanks in wedge formation. Warriors and benders in the middle. We're taking that tower, and heading for the royal palace."

Quickly finding her place, Orora found herself standing beside Haru. "Fancy meeting you here." She said in a joking tone, to which he grinned back at her. "You know you don't usually find pretty girls on the battle ground." As she pulled out a stream of water from her other water skin, the girl shrugged. "Probably because Katara is helping her Dad out." She responded. From her other side, Toph let out a disgusted sound. "Blegh! Flirt in your own time Ice Princess. We got a Tower to take over."

Orora rolled her eyes. "Its called making conversation Toph." She said as she nonchalantly created several small icicle daggers, nestling them between her fingers as she prepared to attack, waiting for Sokka's signal.

"Charge!"

With a huge battle cry, the army moved forward.

                                          ————————–

They had taken the Tower.

Phase Two was complete.

Their tanks had formed a protective barrier around them with the earthbenders fending off any aerial attacks of fireballs. Orora had moved on to the second part of her duties.

Healing the wounded.

So far she had healed burns from explosions and firebending, quickly and efficiently sewn up split skin, mended a broken arm, and pushed a dislocated leg back into it's joint. Not to mention the amount of healing she had done using her waterbending abilities and the numbing salve she had passed around to anyone experiencing pain above a normal level.

With Katara busy working on her father, every task fell to Orora. But she made no complaint. The young waterbender shouldered the burden as she healed and did her duty. After nearly an hour and a half, the wounded were tended to and back in fighting shape. Orora slumped back against one of the tanks, tired and drained.

Behind her the air exploded with the sound of another attack and she winced at the loud noise.

A water skin appeared at her side, with Toph attached to the other end. "Drink up!" The girl urged. Thanking the young girl, Orora all but drained the contents of the water skin, her body gaining strength with each gulp of cool fresh water.

"Come on! Sokka wants to go over the next part of the plan with us." Toph said, reaching out to help the older girl up. Orora made no protest as she followed the girl, just as Hakoda and Katara appeared with the former leaning heavily on the latter.

"Dad!" Sokka called out and approaching the both of them. "You're on your feet again."

Hakoda nodded, though Orora could see he was still very weak. "Thanks to your sister and Orora. I'm in no shape to fight, but maybe there's some way I can help." He said, not wanting to sit by and do nothing.

"Heads up!" A voice called as a fireball flew their way.

Immediately Katara and Orora stepped forward, swinging their arms towards the sky, the two sent twin bubbles of water in the direction of the fireball, freezing it midway.

Katara stood with her hands cupped in front of her, towards which Orora took a running start. The younger girl boosted Orora up into the air, allowing her to fly upwards where she threw her leg out in an arc, swiping it across the approaching frozen fireball and disintegrating it into a thousand harmful blunt ice crystals. She landed on the ground in a crouch.

"See? Told you it would come in handy." Katara stated with a smug smile at Orora, who rolled her eyes playfully. "When did you two practice that?" Sokka demanded to know. Katara raised an eyebrow at her brother. "What did you think we did when we went swimming? Splash around the water?" The other girl laughed at Sokka's still dumbfounded expression.

As she quickly moving to stand beside Sokka he seemed to find his ability to speak once again.

"Everything's going smoothly and the eclipse hasn't even kicked in yet." He said, not noticing his sister who glanced at her hand and frowned before her eyes trained towards the sky above.

"Let's hope our luck holds out." Hakoda said before he noticed his daughter looking away. "Katara, you seem distracted. Is something wrong?" He asked.

Katara nodded. "Yeah. Is that ... is that Aang?" She pointed towards the approaching flying figure. Everyone stood up, eyes towards the sky. As soon as Aang landed, Sokka was on him.

"Please tell me you're here because the Fire Lord turned out to be a big wimp and you didn't even need the eclipse to take him down." He pleaded as Orora moved to kneel down beside Sokka as Katara and Aang assumed the same position with Toph standing just beside them.

"He wasn't home. No one was. The entire palace city is abandoned."

Orora blinked. "But why would they-" She was cut off by Sokka who's eyes widened in realization. "They knew." A horrified silence filled the air once the reality of what Sokka had said settled in.

Orora felt her insides turn to ice.

They had known.

The Fire Nation had known about their plan and had time to prepare for it.

"It's over." Aang said, his voice full of dismay. "The Fire Lord is probably long-gone; far away on some remote island where he'll be safe during the eclipse."

Sokka, however, had other ideas. "No." He stated, shaking his head. "My instincts tell me he wouldn't go too far. He would have a secret bunker; somewhere he could go and be safe during the siege but still be close enough to lead his nation."

Toph stepped up, grinning. "If it's an underground secret bunker we're looking for," She pointed to herself. "Then I'm just the girl to find it."

Pulling out a small device, Sokka observed it quickly. "The Mechanist gave me this timing device." He explained. "It looks like we've got about ten minutes until the full eclipse. Ten minutes to find the Fire Lord." He added to which Orora pursed her lips, her mind already preparing for what was to come.

Aang nodded with a look of sheer determination. "We can still do this." He stated. "We can still win the day."

"Wait!" Katara stepped forward. "If they knew we were coming it could all be a trap. Maybe we should use the time we have left to make sure we all get out of here safely."

Orora shook her head. "We can't wait for another chance to come our way like today Katara. We have to try and end this." She stated as Hakoda stepped forward.

"Everyone who's here today came prepared to risk everything for this mission." He gestured towards the still fighting army. "They know what's at stake. If there's still a chance and there's still hope, I think they would want Aang to go for it." He ended after which Sokka turned his attention to Aang.

"What do you think? You're the one that has to face the Fire Lord." He reached out to grasp his shoulder. "Whatever you decide, I'm with you."

Aang took a brief pause where he looked at each of them individually before rising to his feet. "I've gotta try."

As Toph, Sokka and Aang prepared to take off, Orora, who had been struggling with an idea forming in her mind, stepped forward.

"Wait! I-I think I should go with you." Her mind was running a mile a minute. "The Fire Nation family will be secured somewhere together. I can lead the way."

"But won't they know you're coming?" Katara asked, stepping forward and looking worried. Sokka frowned. "They won't have their bending, not much damage they can do. Climb on, Orora."

With a brief squeeze of Katara's hand. "I'll keep them safe." She whispered to the worried looking girl. Katara nodded, watching as the older girl quickly jumped on Appa's head. It didn't take them long to reach the outskirts of the volcano in which the capital city resided.

As soon as Appa landed, everyone jumped off, with Toph placing her hand on the ground to feel the vibrations.

"Do you feel anything down there?" Aang asked, to which Toph nodded.

"Yep. There are natural tunnels criss-crossing through the inside of the volcano." She responded before Sokka added.

"Anything else? Is there a structure somewhere?" Toph stepped back before digging her fingers into the surface to feel the earth even deeply. "There is something big, dense and made of metal deep in the heart of the volcano."

Sokka raised his arms in the air in triumph. "Sounds like a secret bunker to me." Toph quickly earthbended a hole into the side of the volcano and jumped in. Everyone, minus Appa and Momo followed suit.

Toph leaned over to press her hand to the ground once more, while Orora inspected her finger to try and see if she could feel any tugging.

"Anything?" Aang asked her, to which she shook her head. Toph, meanwhile, pointed in one direction. "This way! That one's a dead end!"

Without hesitation everyone filed after her. "What would we do without you?" Sokka exclaimed.

"Perish in burning hot magma." She stated as they walked past one that was just that. "Yeah, pretty much." Sokka stated as they carefully walked past. The deeper they traveled the hotter it got, and the larger the streams of magma became. Sweat lined her forehead, and Orora could feel her clothes sticking to her skin. After a minute or so the small group paused at the edge of a geyser field.

A very active geyser field.

"The tunnel continues on the other side and it leads right to the bunker." Toph stated as Orora stepped forward. Taking on a stance that was slight earthbending in nature, she pushed her hands to the ground, feeling the burning hot water below and keeping it all at bay for them to pass easily.

"We'll have to be fast, but careful." Sokka stated as they all began to make their way carefully across the field. Orora was able to hold off most of them, but some managed to slip past her as she began to loose a little control over the natural aspect that was inevitable.

Though soon they came to another problem.

A river of lava.

"There's no floor. It's just a river of lava." Sokka bemoaned.

Aang, who was not to be deterred, simply opened his staff. "Climb aboard and hold on tight."

Orora and Sokka glanced at one another and gulped.

A full three minutes of screaming in fear on Sokka, Orora and Toph's part later, they had safely passed over the lava river and were sprinting their way towards a large metal dome like structure with a huge door.

Sokka look rather impressed. "That's some door!" He said as Toph walked over to it and banged the metal with her fist. "Not a problem." She stated confidently. A few seconds later they were on the other side.

"I am so glad we added you to the group!" Sokka stated excitedly. "You feel anything yet Orora?" Aang asked as they raced down a series of more tunnels. Orora had no time to reply when they ran into a Fire Nation citizen just walking around.

Probably out on a stroll.

Immediately, the man found himself cornered by four young children, each wearing an expression of utter fierceness and cold calculation.

The man looked like he was ready to soil himself.

"The Fire Lord's chamber is that way, down the hall, to the left, and up the stairs, you can't miss it!" He babbled without any of them having to say a single word.

Aang was the only one polite enough to call a thanks over his shoulder. As the four of them departed, the man seemed to relax slightly. Only for a blue blur to fly through the air and envelop his mouth in an ice mask.

The man's frantic yet muffled sounds of distress followed them for awhile before they tapered off as they ran further into the tunnel system.

Pulling out his device Sokka checked the time. "Only thirty seconds until the total eclipse." He stated just as they approached a set of large doors.

Aang was the one to step forward this time, a look of determination on his face. "I'm ready." He said, standing tall and powerful. "I'm ready to face the Fire Lord." Orora looked at her finger.

The string still wasn't tugging.

"Aang wait!"

But it was too late. Blasting the door open with his airbending, Aang raced inside, and with a brief moment of hesitation on Orora's part, the other three following right after him.

Though the sight of the Princess instead of the Fire Lord had them halting dead in their tracks.

                                          ————————–

Zuko stood before a small metal door, burning torches on either side of it casting shadows across his face as he briefly closed his eyes, inhaling softly.

"I'm ready to face you." He whispered to himself. With that he reached out to open the door. On the other side, his father sat on the far side of the room, drinking tea. He was surrounded by several guards from the Royal Procession, but their presence did not deter Zuko. Fire Lord Ozai set his cup down when he saw his son standing across from him.

"Prince Zuko?" His forehead creased in a frown, while a look of anger crossed his features. "What are you doing here? Why are you here?' He demanded to know.

"I'm here to tell the truth." Zuko stated, drawing strength from the memories of the two people who had stood by him no matter what.

Ozai raised an eyebrow. "Telling the truth during the middle of an eclipse. This should be interesting." With a wave of his hand, the guards filed out of the room. Once the last guard had exited, the doors closed behind them, leaving the father and son alone.

"First of all," Zuko began. "In Ba Sing Se, it was Azula who took down the Avatar, not me."

Ozai blinked a little confused since he knew how much his daughter adored to take credit for everything she did. "Why would she lie to me about that?"

Time to break the news to him then. "Because the Avatar's not dead. He survived." Zuko revealed. The reaction he was hoping for was instant. Ozai straightened where he was, shocked, angry and horrified at the same time. "What?"

"In fact," Zuko continued, not at all deterred by the way his father's anger was rising. He was well past caring now. "He's probably leading this invasion. He could be on his way here right now."

Having had enough Ozai rose to his feet, pointing towards the door. "Get out!" He growled viciously. "Get out of my sight right now if you know what's good for you!"

"That's another thing." Zuko added, his voice calm and mellow, as opposed to his father who looked like he would burst from the anger at any moment. "I'm not taking orders from you anymore."

Of course that only served to make his father angrier. "You will obey me," The man hissed. "Or this defiant breath will be your last!" He warned.

"Think again." The sound of swords being pulled from their sheaths echoed in the room as Zuko took up a defiant stance in front of his Father. "I am going to speak my mind, and you are going to listen." He stated. There was a moment of silence before Ozai sat down. Clearly he knew he could not best his son when it came to swordsmanship. Best listen to what he had to say instead.

                                          ————————–

All those feelings of hatred and anger she had felt towards the Princess of the Fire Nation came back to her in a colossal wave. This was the girl who had nearly killed Aang. The sweetest boy anyone could ever hope to know.

A cold anger ran through her veins, prompting Orora to step beside Aang, almost in a protective manner, lest Azula try something, anything, untoward.

"Where is he?" Aang demanded. "Where's the Fire Lord?"

Azula rose from the throne she'd been lounging in. "You mean I'm not good enough for you?" She pressed a hand over her heart. "You're hurting my feelings."

"Stop wasting our time and give us the information." Sokka commanded, pointing his sword at her. "You're powerless right now, so you're in no position to refuse."

Toph walked to stand beside him, hands clenched in fists. "And stick to the truth. I'll be able to tell if you're lying." She warned, though it wouldn't have mattered.

"Are you sure? I'm a pretty good liar." Azula asked, as calm as could be as she paused before beginning to recite. "I am a four-hundred foot tall purple platypus bear with pink horns and silver wings."

Toph pursed her lips, annoyed. "Okay, you're good, I admit it." Using her bending she trapped Azula with stone slabs around her. "But you ought to consider telling the truth anyway!"

The resident waterbender all but growled at the Princess. "It wouldn't have mattered Toph. Azula always lies." She said, the very words Zuko had told her so long ago.

At the sight of her, Azula's eyes narrowed and a spiteful look came into her eyes. "So I see you're the one my brother has been pining over these last few months."

Orora's heart thumped painfully at the mention of Zuko, but she pushed the feeling aside. "I'm not here to chat about your brother Azula." She snapped. "We're here to take you down like I should've done in Ba Sing Se." So saying, the girl created a spike of ice, ready to throw it at Azula but stopped when the earth trap crumbled, leaving them all surprised.

"Speaking of," Azula mused as if making pleasant conversation. "When I left Ba Sing Se I brought home some souvenirs: Dai Li agents!" Two Dai Li agents descended into the room.

An angry sound escaped Orora's lips as they landed on the ground.

"I really hate these guys."

                                          ————————–

This was it.

The moment he had waited for for so long.

Nothing could stop him from speaking his mind.

"For so long, all I wanted was for you to love me, to accept me." Zuko began, his voice strong and determined. A first for him when it came to speaking to his father. "I thought it was my honor I wanted, but really, I was just trying to please you. You, my father, who banished me just for talking out of turn." All the words Orora had once spoken to him, he now understood that she was right. That she had been right all along. He pointed his sword at his father. "My father, who challenged me, a thirteen-year-old boy, to an Agni Kai. How could you possibly justify a duel with a child?" He demanded to know, his voice breaking slightly in the end.

Ozai only responded with a scornful look in his eyes. "It was to teach you respect!"

His son shook his head. "It was cruel! And it was wrong." He countered, using the exact words Orora had said to him once so long ago.

"Then you have learned nothing!" The man shouted looking as if he wanted nothing more then to smite his son down.

Zuko only responded with a voice that was louder and much more powerful then his father's. "No, I've learned everything! And I've had to learn it on my own!" His mind began to fill with memories of all the people he had met during his time in the Earth Kingdom. "Growing up, we were taught that the Fire Nation was the greatest civilization in history. And somehow, the War was our way of sharing our greatness with the rest of the world." He let out a short laugh. "What an amazing lie that was. The people of the world are terrified by the Fire Nation. They don't see our greatness. They hate us! And we deserve it! We've created an era of fear in the world. And if we don't want the world to destroy itself we need to replace it with an era of peace and kindness." He ended his tirade of words in a softer and much gentler tone then from what he had begun.

Ozai only laughed in response. "Your uncle has gotten to you, hasn't he?" He said, his words cold and full of disgust as he brought up his older brother.

In response, Zuko only smiled proudly. "Yes. He has." He stated. "Him," He paused briefly, knowing what he said next would not be well received by his father. "And my soulmate. Orora."

The look of pure shock on Ozai's face quickly shifted to one of sheer anger and utter hatred. But Zuko didn't care.

He was done hiding who he really was. And he was done hiding from the world that his soulmate was Orora.

A waterbender from the Northern Water Tribe.

And the most amazing girl he had ever met or could hope to meet.

And his string had glowed a bright blue the past few days reminding him of just that.

                                          ————————–

As she slammed into the wall, her arms wrapped tightly around Toph to keep the younger girl safe, Orora lent out a grunt of pain.

"I'm gonna feel that in the morning." She said, as Toph jumped out of her protective embrace and stood to face the Dai Lee agent once more. Orora slowly pushed herself to her feet, legs trembling underneath her.

The hairs ta the back of her neck stood up, and her head swiped to the side. The waterbender barely had enough time to create a shield of ice to take cover behind, as Azula swiped a hidden small knife through the air.

Exactly where her neck had been barely a moment ago.

Cold blue eyes met a cold amber gaze.

Twisting on her feet, Orora unfroze the shield, the water circling around her waist before flying towards the Princess. Her intention had been to allow the water to wrap around her waist and freeze her in place. But Azula danced out of the way, almost as if she were toying with her.

A sickening feeling settled in Orora's stomach as she slowly began to realize what Azula was actually doing.

The Princess smirked at her before taking off, flying through the small hole from where Sokka was only just emerging. Toph and Aang were in hot pursuit, as was Orora.

"Orora! We need to stop! She's just trying to-"

"Distract us I know!" The older girl said, reaching out to quickly help him down from the hole. They raced out of the room behind the other two.

"Wait! Aang! Toph! Stop attacking!" Sokka called out, his words barely audible from where he was panting so much. "Don't you see what she's doing?" He demanded, not even pausing to register the confused expressions on their faces. "She's just playing with us. She's not even trying to win this fight!"

Orora stepped forward, still on guard. "And when Azula wants to win a fight, she doesn't run." The girl stated in a matter of fact voice, prompting Azula to glance at her and smirk.

"Not true." She said, her voice as calm as it could be. "I'm giving it my all."

Toph stepped forward, her body trembling with anger as she pointed at the Princess. "You're trying to keep us here and waste all our time!" Azula rolled her eyes. "Um, right, I think your friend just said that, genius." She said, before continuing. "And since you can't see, I should tell you I'm rolling my eyes."

Orora growled. She nearly stepped forward when Sokka reached out to grab her wrist stopping her.

"I'll roll your whole head!" Toph threatened to which Sokka placed a hand on her shoulder. "She's just baiting you again." He reminded her.

Aang raised an eyebrow. "Okay, so what do we do, just ignore her?" He asked, looking to Sokka who nodded.

"We don't have a choice. We just have to get out of here and find the Fire Lord on our own somehow." The three of them turned around, beginning to walk away. Orora, however, walked backwards, never once taking her eyes off Azula. She may not have her bending, but the waterbender wasn't about to turn her back on the younger Princess.

"It's a trap." Azula called after them in a calm voice. "Don't say I didn't warn you." The words prompted Aang and Toph to stop and turn around, though Sokka continued, waving his hand in a dismissive manner at the Princess.

"Ignore."

The sudden smile and gleam that came into Azula's eyes had Orora's heart sinking in her chest.

"So, Sokka's your name, right?" She said, her voice echoing slightly against the tunnels. "My favorite prisoner used to mention you all the time." The absolute glee in her voice had Aang and Orora glancing at one another, a look of concern on their faces.

Behind them, Sokka stopped short, his face turning halfway to look at the Princess with a suspicious glint in his eyes. "She was convinced you were going to come rescue her." Azula continued, her voice growing crueler and more colder at every word. Orora glanced at Sokka, biting her lower lip at seeing him trembling with anger. "Of course you never came, and she gave up on you."

He had turned around completely now, as a look of absolute grief and heartbreak crossed his features as a few tears slid down his cheeks. His eyes snapped open, and he pulled out his sword, a cold anger swimming in his eyes as he charged forward in a blind rage.

Orora saw the glint of the weapon in Azula's hand before anything else. With barely any time to react, she threw her own arm forward, allowing one of the remaining ice daggers around her belt to fly towards the Princess, knocking the weapon out of her hand.

Just as Sokka grabbed Azula by the shoulder, slamming her into the nearest wall and pressing his sword to her neck, barely an inch of a distance between them.

"Where. Is. Suki?!"

Orora's heart plummeted.

                                          ————————–

"After I leave here today, I'm going to free Uncle Iroh from his prison and I'm going to beg for his forgiveness. He's the one who's been a real father to me." Zuko continued not wanting to stop while he was ahead. And while he had the courage to talk to his father.

Ozai let out a cruel laugh. "Oh, that's just beautiful. And maybe he can pass down to you the ways of tea and failure." He said in a mocking voice, his hatred for his older brother evident in the way he spoke about him.

But Zuko ignored him. Didn't even take the bait but instead went on to his next point. "But I've come to an even more important decision." He paused momentarily, closing his eyes and drawing strength from the light blue he could see out of the corner of his eyes.

"I'm going to join the Avatar and I'm going to help him defeat you." He stated.

Ozai smiled smugly. "Really?" He questioned, his tone matching his expression. "Since you're a full-blown traitor now and you want me gone, why wait?" He held out his arms. "I'm powerless. You've got your swords. Why don't you just do it now?" He asked, knowing is he could bait him, distract him, he could defeat him when the Eclipse ended.

Zuko shook his head. "Because I know my own destiny. Taking you down is the Avatar's destiny." He put his swords away, moving to walk away. "Goodbye." He said, already turning and towards the door.

Not wanting him to leave Ozai stood, stalling for time. "Coward!" He screamed after his son. "You think you're brave enough to face me, but you'll only do it during the eclipse. If you have any real courage, you'll stick around until the sun comes out."

And in one last desperate attempt to stop his son, Ozai cruelly broached the subject he had denied him for so long. "Don't you want to know what happened to your mother?"

That did it.

Despite his best efforts, Zuko couldn't help but turn around. The man smiled, and Zuko knew he was playing with his life by staying near the other man, but if it meant getting information about his mother, then so be it.

"What happened that night?" He asked, waiting with baited breath.

"My father, Fire Lord Azulon, had commanded me to do the unthinkable to you, my own son, and I was going to do it." His admittance didn't bring Zuko any sorrow. Ozai was incapable of loving him, he realized it now, and Zuko had made his peace with it.

"Your mother found out and swore she would protect you at any cost." Zuko's heart constricted at the mention of his mother. She gave up herself to save him. "She knew I wanted the throne and she proposed a plan, a plan in which I would become Fire Lord and your life would be spared."

There was a pause before his father continued. "Your mother did vicious, treasonous things that night. She knew the consequences and accepted them. For her treason, she was banished."

Banished.

Not killed like he had believed.

Banished.

So Orora had been right about this too.

Tears filled his eyes. "So she's alive?" He asked, taking a step forward, wanting to know more. Hungry to know more.

Ozai nodded. "Perhaps. Now I realize that banishment is far too merciful a penalty for treason." He closed his eyes and Zuko felt it. He could feel his firebending returning, knew that the Eclipse was ending and that he had to make his escape.

"Your penalty will be far steeper."

Now!

In a manner of seconds Ozai generated several bolts of lightning firing them directly at Zuko. But Zuko was ready for it. He brought his arms up, his fingers pointing outwards, just in time. The force of the bolts slid him back several feet but he kept his stance as he allowed the lightning to travel from his arm, down his stomach, and out his other arm.

Safely and successfully redirecting lightning.

The bolts crackled through the air and hit the wall just above where his father stood.

Zuko wasted no time to see the result of his actions. Instead he raced out, adrenaline coursing through his veins as made his escape.

Now to free his Uncle.

                                          ————————–

"Answer me!"

Azula didn't say a single word.

Orora was the one who stepped forward, her hand on Sokka's shoulder. "Sokka, she won't ever tell you. We have to go now!" The girl urged the young warrior, knowing just how much his soul hurt at the thought of his soulmate in chains somewhere.

"Where are you keeping her?"

Since she was standing so close to Azula and actually paying attention to her, Orora was the one who realized the sudden change in the Princess's stance.

"Sounds like the firebending's back on." She'd barely gotten the words out when she kicked her leg in a wide arc, sending a fire blast that would've hit Sokka had Orora not pulled him out of the way.

With a powerful tug the girl threw the boy behind her, dropping into a fighting stance as Azula freed herself from Toph's earth-shackles. When the other girl had done that, Orora had no idea. Azula flipped, her leg extended towards in incoming Aang, who would've been hit in the face if Orora hadn't brought up a shield of ice to protect him.

The Princess managed to land on her feet, smirking.

"Dad's all the way at the end of the hall then down a secret stairway on the left." She said, already moving to walk away. I'm sure he'd be more than happy to see you now."

Her cold calculated eyes suddenly found Orora and her smirk only widened. "And I'll be seeing you very soon." Azula all but cooed in a threatening manner. "You can hi to Zuzu in person."

With that she ran off, leaving Orora and her friends devastated and defeated.

"I fell for it!" Sokka said, his voice cracking with emotion. "I used up all our time."

Toph stepped forward. "It's not your fault, Sokka." She reassured her friend. "Azula was ready for us. She had every move planned out." Sokka simply shook his head. "And now it's too late." He stated sorrowfully.

Aang stepped forward. "Maybe it's not too late." He insisted. "The eclipse is over. But I can face the Fire Lord anyway." Orora's rounded on Aang, her features twisted in anger. "Are you crazy? Do you want to die again Aang?"

Alright so maybe she shouldn't have shouted at the younger boy, but her emotion were running high and Azula's words had jilted her to the very core.

Not to mention she could feel her finger tugging.

Though Aang looked at her in shock, Sokka backed her up. "No. Orora is right. I don't think that's a good idea."

Aang frowned. "But I'm ready!" He insisted. "I came here with a job to do and everyone's counting on me." Toph joined Sokka's side. "The Fire Lord knew we were coming this time. We thought we had surprise on our side but we didn't." Her voice became downcast. "It just wasn't our day. What we need to do now is go and help our friends."

Aang looked around at his three friends. Sokka, who was still looking sad and heartbroken, Top who wore an expression of acceptance and Orora who looked downright cold and angry. "I am not about to let Katara or anyone else live through what we did after loosing you in Ba Sing Se, Aang." She suddenly burst out, hands clenched at her sides. Memories of that night rose to his mind as well as all the worry and fear he had caused. He didn't want his friends to go through that again. Especially not Katara. Slowly he nodded. "I guess you guys are right."

Suddenly Toph tensed.

"There's someone coming. A lot of someone." She stated, her knees bent as she assumed a defensive position. Aang and Sokka dropped into defensive stances as well, facing the tunnel that Toph had pointed out.

Suddenly Orora stepped in front of them.

"No." She said, her voice cold and stern. The other three glanced at her in confusion. "They're here for me." She stated, her back towards them so they wouldn't see the true fear in her eyes. "Knowing Azula, she sent them to capture me so their focus will be on me."

Aang, realizing what Orora was about to do suddenly straightened. "We are not leaving you here to face them alone, Orora!" He insisted. Sokka's eyes widened before he shook his head, raising his sword in front of him. "We're all getting out of here together." He moved to step forward, but stopped when a small ice dagger shot through the air, landing just an inch away from his shoe. Orora finally turned, fixing them both with a cold hard stare. One that was intense enough to have both boys stepping back.

"Listen to me." She said, her voice urgent, stern and cold. "Get out of here. Get on Appa and go help Katara and the others. This is one battle I have to fight on my own without having to worry about anyone else." Toph was the one who stepped forward this time. "Orora there are five of them." She said, her voice full of fear for her sister.

Orora smirked as twin blades of ice materialized in her hands from the remaining water she had left in her water skins. "Then I'll make sure to leave none standing."

She turned her gaze towards Aang. "I'll meet you where you said you would take us after today." She said to which Aang gave a nod of understanding. "Tell Katara, I'm sorry. I had to stay, to keep all of you safe. Now go!"

They hesitated. "Go!" The girl screamed, briefly turning her ice dagger into a whip and hitting it near their feet. Each of them hesitated once more, uncertainty and heartbreak evident in their eyes before Sokka took Toph's hand and began pulling her behind him.

Unsure grey eyes met pleading ice blue.

"I'll be fine." She promised.

They both knew it was a lie.

Finally, Aang turned and ran after Sokka and Toph.

As she watched her three friends make their escape, each of their hearts was heavy, knowing that they had no other choice.

They had to stay safe to fight another day.

And Orora was willing to give up her life to make sure that happened.

                                          ————————–

His Uncle was gone. And the next best thing for him to do was make his own getaway.

And he was going to.

He was about to race towards the location where he had smuggled away the war balloon when a vicious tug on his finger had him stopping short.

Zuko glanced at his finger, the string glowing a bright blue. It was almost taut, leading him towards the lower base of the volcano that made up Fire Nation capital. His heart raced in his chest.

She was there.

Orora was there.

A feeling rose within him, one that had him stumbling forward before he broke into a run. He had felt that feeling before. It was so many months ago, but he still remembered it.

Still remembered the bitter taste in his mouth and the way his very soul grew heavy within him.

He had felt it once before at the North Pole.

That fateful night when he had saved a young waterbender girl from being killed.

A young waterbender who turned out to be his soulmate.

Zuko had felt this very feeling as he had watched the soldier raise his hand to fire at Orora.

To end her life.

It was pure, utter, and heart wrenching dread.

And that feeling was what propelled him to run faster, kicking up dirt as he went, his eyes wide with fear as he followed his string, his heart, his soul, as it led her back to her.

Back to his soulmate.

Back to Orora.

                                          ————————–

The tugging on her finger was what guided her towards the unexpected exit.

The Fire Nation soldiers were hot at her heels, trying their best to capture her, but she was much too fast and quick. Orora had honed herself to be the perfect fighter through sheer determination and practice, and though she could never be as naturally gifted a waterbender as Katara, she was not going to do her best.

Toph had been right.

There were five of them.

Well four now since she had managed to knock one out with a kick to the head.

She could see daylight up ahead, and it only propelled her to run faster. A blast of fire grazed the top of her head, prompting her to duck down but she didn't stop running. Gripping one of her ice daggers, she twisted on her feet briefly and allowed it to fly through the air.

Her aim was true, since the sharp projectile hit one of the mask-less soldier straight in the eye. His scream of agony filled the tunnel, but Orora barely heard it. At that very moment she burst out of the tunnel.

What she hadn't counted on, was one of the other firebenders firing too soon.

As she exited the tunnel, pain unlike any she had ever felt before radiated from her side. The young waterbender stumbled, her feet fumbling as she cried out. With the speed she had been running at Orora went careening into the ground, bouncing against the hard ground painfully a few times before she rolled to a stop.

Her breath was knocked out of her, and she was sure cuts and bruises littered her skin. She pressed a hand to her side where it hurt, crying out softly from the pain.

She'd definitely been burned.

Still, she had to get up. Had to try and get away.

With a groan, and despite her body throbbing with pain, she managed to push herself to her knees. "Give up girlie!" One of the soldiers called out as the other three surrounded her.

Reaching up she wiped the side of her mouth where she had cut her lip and was bleeding. "I would rather die." She hissed, her hands dropping to the ground where she pulled out the water from the grass around her.

The grass lost it's color, turning brown. Despite the pain, Orora created twin circles of water around her, that spun at a high speed. High enough and thin enough to cut through the thickest armor. She glared at the three remaining soldiers, gritting her teeth from the pain.

"Lets take her. The Princess wants her alive." One of them said.

Her finger tugged, almost viciously, and her eyes widened.

The soldier who had spoken stepped forward, only to be kicked aside by an extremely familiar figure as he emerged from jumped out from behind an outcropping of rocks.

The figure landed on the ground, wasting no time to reach behind and pulling out a pair of swords.

"You'll have to go through me." Zuko growled, his tone vicious, a clear warning in his tone as he stood over her. His heart was racing in his chest at the sight he had just been greeted with.

Orora on her knees, bleeding and hurt.

It didn't matter to him that she could defend herself.

In that moment, all that mattered to him was that she was in pain, and those responsible would pay dearly for hurting his soulmate.

"Prince Zuko!" One of the soldiers exclaimed while the other helped their knocked out companion. "Your sister asked us to capture this girl. She's the enemy, she was with the Avatar."

Zuko stepped forward, his presence commanding and yet dangerous at the same time. "Then you tell my sister, that if she ever even thinks of hurting her again, I will take her down. Permanently."

Perhaps it was the cold-blooded look in the Prince's eyes, or perhaps the soldier knew he would not be able to take down the Prince. Whatever it was, the three soldiers quickly retreated back into the tunnels.

Leaving a slowly calming Zuko and an injured Orora alone.

The entire time Orora had stayed still, her eyes wide and her heart in her chest as she scarcely dared to believe who was standing in front of her. Protecting her just like he had in her dream. The water circles she had created dropped to the ground as she lowered her arms, her body relaxing.

And yet as her body relaxed the adrenaline left her, and she finally felt the true extent of the burn at her side. A cry of pain fell from her lips as she hunched over. Tears sprang to her eyes as she raised a trembling hand to try and waterbend some water back from he ground to heal herself.

At the sound of her, the young Prince turned around and dropped his swords as he fell to his knees in front of Orora. "No, wait, use this." He urged, holding out his water skin that had clean water in it. Her fingers quivered as she coated them with the clean water.

Placing her hand to her burned side, the girl whimpered from the pain. Involuntarily, her free hand reached out to grasp on to the first thing she could grab.

His hand.

Which she gripped so tightly that he was sure there would be bruises later.

But he didn't care.

Zuko stayed still, his features creased with worry as he watched her close her eyes and the water begin to glow as she healed herself. Orora bit her lip, reopening the small cut that she had gotten a few minutes ago. A thin trail of scarlet snaked down the side of her mouth.

Zuko reached up, his thumb pressing against her skin as he wiped away the blood. His touch was what prompted her to open her eyes.

After so many days.

Soft blue eyes met warm amber gaze.

"Yo-you're here?" Came her voice, barely above a whisper. As if she were afraid speaking loudly would shatter the moment.

"I'm here." He responded, bringing the hand he held in his own to press it against the side of his scarred face.

Their strings glowed.

His blue.

Hers red.

Blue eyes rolled, turning skyward, and Orora fell against Zuko in a dead faint. He caught her, a pang of worry racing through his body. He had to get her cleaned up and bandaged otherwise she might get an infection. Besides, his sister would send even more soldiers if she knew Orora were still there.

Quickly sheathing his swords, he gathered Orora in his arms. Her head rested against his shoulder, with one of his arms supporting her legs while the other wrapped around her waist, being careful of her injuries.

He would find her friends later, right now, all he cared about was making sure that she was alright.

And that was all that mattered to him.

                                           ————————–

Tag List - @wavesofchaos​ @violet-potter​ @rennysketch​ @emma-andrea1 @lovesammikinzz @fuzzyfestcat @msrawog @notsaelty @lust-for-pan @aces-tattooartist @jinxxangel13 @lotr-got @bitterspoons @realrintaro @gatorgirl151 @inutheangel @heartfully10 @lucaaahhh @juniper-july19 @anuttellaa @gfksz @bussyvussy @punksnotdeadbutiam @ablofftoneverland-blog-blog @slut-for-menn @vyliie @army-moa75 @juwhls @aqlodun @lovelybaka @glowyruby

[gempearlrpf]

Gempearl RPF Masterpost (In Progress)

feel free to send links of new fics/ones that Ive missed or tag me under any fics you want to be added (also let me know if you've wrote something on here that you want removed)

Mature and explicit fics are under the cut, both so the post doesnt get too long, and because some of the titles are definitely pretty explicit

General Audiences:

If you don't want me to go dreaming by Kranich

They're all spending time together in the rented house after the charity stream weekend, watching a football game on TV. Pearl appears and joins Gem on her couch.

before he returns by GeminiTay

Before Ren returns with his stream, Pearl has something she needs to tell Gem, that she doesn't want anyone else to hear.

Multiplication by GeminiTay

Pearl gets a few weird donos in chat, and decides to look into things about it. She discovers some things about herself along the way. Inspired by "Editor Pearl" and Pearl talking about herself in third person.

A Kiss for the Screens by Anonymous

Gem is staying with Pearl, but no one knows that yet. ————— Or: Gem gives Pearl tea on stream and they announce their relationship

Sun and Moon by Lemon_Bread_Slice

As Gem and Pearl stand hand in hand watching the eclipse, Pearl wonders what a better person might have done in her situation. In the end, she settles on what feels most natural OR Gempearl kiss under the 2024 total solar eclipse

Say it out loud by Kranich

Maybe there was more between Gem's and Pearl's roleplay in Wild Life, maybe they wanted to use it to tell a real story - and then didn't get to do it.

Her shampoo by Kranich

Pearl visited Gem and left three days ago. Today, Gem suddenly smells her shampoo again and it sends her thoughts haywire.

Teen And Up Audiences:

Our New Beginnings by Anonymous

Pearl and Gem move in together, but Pearl can’t stop think about how they got there.

Just somebody who holds you by Kranich (this one has multiple ships)

Gem and three people's affection: Skizz touches her but always keeps a certain distance. Grian has no such reservations. With Pearl it's Gem who reaches out.

Tell the Hermits by Anonymous

Pearl and Gem tell the Hermits that they are dating.

what the cameras don't know by GeminiTay

The Hermitcraft Charity streams have been going great. Gem and Pearl just finished Bingo, and Gem has something she's been dying to ask Pearl since they made the plans to arrive together.

Long Distance by knave_of_swords

Dating long-distance is hard, so Pearl flies to visit Gem in Canada.

bleaching your teeth, smiling flash by bloop_im_a_frog_now

Gem was about to close the Discord call until a woken-up Pearl joined at the last minute, with no intentions of leaving. Much to Gem's poor gay heart dismay.

Tall by ThatStupidWhore

“See? You look much better down there.”

Long Distance by knave_of_swords

Dating long-distance is hard, so Pearl flies to visit Gem in Canada.

I know I said I'd never think I wasn't better alone by Anonymous

Pearl has a sexuality crisis shortly before leaving to visit Gem

Mature:

First Fights by Anonymous

Pearl and Gem get into their first fight.

Voice by gempearlfreak

Gem just wants to compliment her friend.

It'll Be Okay by gempearlfreak

Pearl's unsure. Gem isn't.

Next Stream by gempearlfreak

Gem tests Pearl's boundaries.

Explicit:

tell me what you want (i know what you want) by Lemon_Bread_Slice

Her first night in Vegas for TwitchCon, Gem lays awake, unable to sleep from homesickness and the time difference. After a bit she decides calling Pearl might help her relax. And it does, just, not in the way either of them expected. OR A comforting phone call devolves into phone sex

i feel, you feel it, the tension burning by gempearlfreak

"Peeeearl," she whines, and hears the soft chuckle on the other end. "That wasn't an invite to call me." "Sure sounded like one to me, Gem!" Pearl's laughing, and Gem can't even be annoyed, because it's something so wonderful to hear. It makes her heart flutter, and she loves it. Pearl's laugh. Her accent. She loves all of her, so so much. She loves her. "Besides, you didn't have to pick up." Pearl's right. She knows Pearl is right. But it's also Pearl, and god, she loves her voice. She loves hearing every sound she made, every laugh, every little stumble over her words. It was Pearl. Of course she was going to pick up.

i get impatient when you're so close to me i confess by gempearlfreak

The movie plays on the screen before them. Gem isn't sure what it is, nor even the genre. She hasn't been paying attention to it for a while, head leaned back against Pearl's shoulder and lightly dozing. She's half on and half off her lap, Pearl's arms loosely around her waist. She could fall asleep there. She's tempted to do so, at least for the rest of the movie. Pearl will wake her up at the end of it, Gem's sure. Or, well, she assumes Pearl won't just let her stay asleep on her lap all night, anyways. She rolls her head enough she can get a glance at Pearl's face, at where Pearl's staring to the side. Not paying attention to the movie either, talking to Karn sitting beside them. Neither of them pay her any mind, and she's too tired to pay attention to their conversation. She doesn't really want to, either. It's probably not important. She rolls her head back forward, and her eyes drift shut. She knows she should get up and go to her room. That she should get in bed. But it's so rare that she gets to be this close to Pearl... She doesn't want to get up. Pearl won't mind, surely. Surely not...

My Pearl by Blueinkling

Gem and Pearl are on call discussing how to tease the fans in this weeks wild life episode. Well, Gem is discussing. Pearl is suspiciously silent. Until she isn’t.

pretty pink by GeminiTay

Just as Pearl ends stream, she gets a message from Gem, begging for her attention. She, of course, finds nothing abnormal about this.

worth the wait by GeminiTay

Pearl has had to deal with Gem whispering in her ear all day. All sorts of things she'd never let the cameras here, only for Pearl to suffer through. Finally, Pearl makes a break for the bathroom to deal with the consequences of Gem's teasing. Gem, of course, follows.

[Kinktober 2024 Day 15 - Nipple Play] by ive_made_some_choices

Gem/Pearl in the rental house at San Diego TwitchCon 2024 😎

You Look so Gorgeous by Anonymous

Gem loves looking at pictures of Pearl in glasses.

i wish i thought that i was pretty by ThatStupidWhore

Pearl asks Gem to help her work through her body image issues, and she has a few ideas.

[elli3luvs]

p.u.n.k girl!!

summary: the times you have while dating ellie

wc: 1.1k

a/n: based off the amazing song "p.u.n.k girl" by heavenly! i recommend it a lot!!

p is for the painful way she makes me feel some days.

fighting with ellie wasn't all that common. the two of you were exceptionally good at communicating, opting to talk through problems before going into a full-fledged fight. but there were just some days when ellie woke up with a short fuse. she tried to distance herself during those days, feeling awful for even doing that, but today you wouldn't let her have time to herself to decompress.

she had snapped at you after you continued to be clingy. ellie has asked you to give her just a tiny bit of space. you clambered off of her arm and she felt her body relax. this was all she wanted. when she felt the air suddenly shift, though, that's when she knew she completely fucked up. her eyes trailed over to yours, ready to apologize for her outburst, when she noticed the tears springing to your eyes.

 ellie hated when you cried. it made her feel like a complete and total bitch. when your bottom lip started wobbling she knew she had to get over her mood to comfort you no matter what.

you would push her but it wasn't enough to actually move her, "i thought you wanted to be alone!"

ellie's hand would smooth over your hair whispering apologies. you would try to fight it for a couple more minutes but finally, you would relax into her touch. tears would drip from your eyes onto her sweatshirt.

god, she hated when you cried. it made her heart clench in her chest.

"i'm sorry baby," she kissed the crown of your head, "shouldn't have snapped like that."

u is for utopia, the other times with her.

ellie held the spoon to your lips, which you opened with no hesitation. the smooth caramel flavor of the ice cream hit your tongue causing you to exclaim in approval. your eyes were wide as you looked at her. 

"fuckin' awesome, right?" she looks proud of her ice cream selection. her spoon dips into the bowl again to get a scoop for herself. 

the ice cream parlor was dead except for the two of you. it was the dead of winter with snow twirling around outside. the both of you were bundled up. it made no sense to be here at this time. 

the worker looked at you like you guys needed to be locked up in an asylum, but you didn't care.

ice cream was always welcome.

you take a bit of your brownie-flavored ice cream, "next time we come here i'm getting your flavor. that shit is awesome."

she smiles, "wanna come again tomorrow?"

you could almost hear the worker's eyes rolling.

n is for the new-wave dreams she had back in her teens.

ellie has all of her old school projects spread out on her bed, a cheesy smile gracing her lips as she looks at them. they were mostly to do with space. you wondered if that's all she kept. there was one book report but it was crinkled off to the side, it looked as if she had shoved it in the bottom of her closet. the rest were her pristine condition poster boards explaining the galaxies and solar systems.

"whaddya think?" she is nearly bouncing with excitment as her hand touches a random part of the poster board.

you fall over, nuzzling her neck to stifle a chuckle, "god, why are you so cute?"

she grabs your shoulders, pulling you back and shaking you, "cute?! cute..!!!" her voice growls as she strains it, "i'm so not cute..."

you laugh at the pout that replaces the smile, "you are actually pouting right now. you are so cute."

ellie crosses her arms, "you are cuter. like by 100 times- no, like, 300 times!"

you roll your eyes, focusing back on the poster boards, "why did you do so many on space? i knew you liked it but they are the only ones you kept." you notice her pushing the book report off of the bed.

nerd.

ellie leans against the wall, her arms falling in her lap, "i wanted to work at NASA. well, i knew i wasn't smart enough for NASA or close enough to them but i wanted to do something similar. so, i focused on science fairs and stuff like that. i hoped i would get noticed by an organization."

your chest swells. you would do anything to go back in time so you could see teenage ellie putting her entire effort into the science fairs. you could imagine her winning, a goofy smile going over her freckled face. you wondered if she jumped up and down before she retrieved an award or if she tried to be calm. you bet she poured her entire attention over these projects, neglecting everything else. that was the ellie style.

joel had to have been so excited when she would come home with new awards. he was always so proud of her.

"my little space girl." ellie beams at that nickname. 

k is for the kid in her.

ellie weaves in and out of the crowd that's separating her from her favorite thing. she has a red backpack bouncing on her back and she can faintly hear you yelling, 'god, els! wait up!' but there was only one objective on her mind.

beat the little snotty kids in front of her so she could be in the first row to see the dinosaur animatronics. it was a new attraction that had come to your city and when you surprised her with tickets she almost passed out. ellie didn't let go of you for hours after. she would say 'thank you, baby' every couple minutes as she planted little kisses on your neck.

she had been anticipating this for weeks, and no crotch goblin was gonna take her spot. there were only a couple more kids she had to pass to be the first person. she slowed her full bolt to a speed walk now as she noticed the mothers giving her a nasty look.

she felt your hand on her bare shoulder, "jesus! you are fucking fast."

ellie still has her eyes on the front of the line but she does slow down a little bit more so your legs could keep up, "i gotta get up front."

your chuckle makes her smile. she loves that sound, "els, you are like a foot taller than most of these kids. you will be able to see."

you were right. she knew you were right.

but her legs kept their pace.

she had to see the dinosaurs up close.

[llamaisllama777]

LAES,TSAMS,EAPS WEEKLY*/*DAILY REVIEW SHOW!!!!!

Okay, we had a lot of really good episodes today, so let's hurry up and talk about them!

First up, FAMILY MOMENTS! I love this thumbnail so much, especially Moon's face.. I .. I just love it!

I love how we get to learn about everyone's movie preferences. It's interesting learning these little random tidbits about them. It's fun. Also Sun...

SPY KIDS 3 IS GREAT, AND I WILL NOT HEAR OTHERWISE!!! 😡

Also, Prince of Egypt is a really good movie. You all should go watch it. Even if you aren't religious, it's really good and has some awesome animation and music. Seriously, if you haven't watched, please do. I think it's on YouTube for free???

This episode was cute.... ONTO THE TRAUMA!

Bout time, I was wondering when Nexus would try to kidnap Sun. Took longer than I expected... I wonder why? 🤔

This episode I think confirmed a theory I had...

New Moon/Nexus never cared.

I had this thought in the back of my head that Nexus never really cared about them. He never thought of them as family. He just saw them as people he was told to call family. They were NEVER his family. He never really cared. He just cared about Solar, but Solar never saw him as a brother. OOOFFFFF!

That hurts!

But I'm glad we know because DANG! The angst there!

Also, Sun is stronger than Nexus' chain ability (That ability where he forces people to the floor. I like to imagine purple chains form around the person when he uses that move)

Nexus was so close to kidnapping Sun....

BUT MONTY CAME IN STINKIN' CLUTCH!!!!!!

Monty FINALLY got to use the shotgun! He nearly killed Nexus there! Thank you, Nebula, for the starshells! The Astrals are starting to grow on me.

(Okay... maybe a was a little rash on the whole "Down with the Astrals" "Viva la revolution" thing!) Sorry, Astrals. Still don't really trust Taurus or Leo tho.

Things are getting serious! October is in like two weeks! The creator is still out there! Rez and Cetus are out there! And Dark Sun still has a stinkin' dragon! This is gonna be an exciting October! I'm so excited!

Also, thank you, Davis and Reed, for this picture of Monty with a shotty.

And lastly...

Okay, Eclipse looks like that one guy from the office that conspiracy theory guy. And Puppet just looks depressed.

Puppet really wants to catch the killer. It's really affecting her. It's the MCI incident all over again. And she clearly doesn't want anyone or herself to go through that again. Eclipse still won't watch movies with anyone. It's only a matter of time, though. The moment he says yes and joins them is the moment his redemption arc is complete for me!

So, Eclipse and Puppet have narrowed down the killer to 4 suspects. All employees of Fazbear.

1. Vincent

2. Some lady named Margo

3. A teenage intern who works in the daycare named Josh

4. And the repair man whose name I forget.

I don't think it's any of these guys. But I have a few theories on who the killer could be..

1. Michael Afton of this world. Eclipse did mention in one of the early episodes of the EAPS that the Michael of this world was/still is an employee of Fazbears.

2. Henry Emily. Just cause the angst that it would cause Puppet.

3. The Charlie of this world. Just cause again the angst it would cause Puppet being the killer of this world!

There is no way it's Wanda(the William of this world)

And I highly doubt it's Vincent or some rando employee.

It has to be someone important.

These episodes were amazing!

Davis, Reed, Kat, Valentine, you guys did amazing on these episodes again!

12/10!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Extra point cause WOW!

Also shout out to this commentor for having the funniest comment on there.

Nebula, you are starting to become my favorite Astral!

Also, Patchnotes is a ship I really hope happens now!