#take this as an antithesis to the “brother dear” piece

[chasecarver]

saw a text post and immediately thought of abel so

twitter ver

[mymegumi]

GLORY

pairing: suna rintarou x gn!reader

summary: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of god

genre: far cry five au, enemies to not-quite lovers, darker themes, villain au. tbh not really a ship fic </3

word count: 3.7k

warnings: heavy talk of religion, cults, cultish manipulation, dubious morality, use of guns, bad characters, haikyuu!! characters portrayed as villains, fake drugs, mentions of abuse, torture, injuries, implied noncon drug use and swearing

notes: i want to preface this by saying this is much darker than the content i normally write. it is not my normal content, and i am hopeful that i tagged everything properly; please tell me if i didn’t! also i dipped a bit into a character study of the main character’s fetch quest idea, in which you do all the work that other’s in game easily could! nonetheless, if you still wanna read—i hope you enjoy!

Hope’s County was a desolate piece of shit.

It was filled to the brim with cultists that seemed to think the Coming was approaching, in which the Lord would cast down those who did not repent for their sins. Truthfully, you weren’t even all that religious, but finding out about the self-proclaimed Sin family had turned you off to the idea even more, turning your back on the faith of a warped version of Christianity to instead focus on your job.

Called into the deteriorating county, you were a simple deputy—a rookie with barely a few years of work under your belt. You weren’t too keen on your police work, often finding the job as systematically fucked as the government officials that decided to turn a blind eye to the Sin family since the youngest of the bunch had more money to wave around than you did to pay your monthly rent.

“Rook,” an unfortunate nickname that’d stuck around against your protestations, your superior—Daichi was nice, if not a bit too optimistic—called out to you, waving you over to the map of Hope’s County, red marker furiously drawn all over, “you’re still new: y’remember what I told you about Suna?”

“Second oldest of the brothers, he’s considered the least of a threat due to the fact he’s often working in the Bliss fields.” You poke your head out the window a bit, eyes searching over the high reaching tops of ficus trees, “It’s not really known if he ingests the drug and experiences the hallucination of his followers, but it can be assumed that he doesn’t, to maintain the power over those that do.”

Daichi nods his approval at you, and you feel a flare of resentment somewhere deep in your belly. You try not to, really you do, you’re a good person who’s good at your job, and sometimes you go to church when it’s Easter, but in the same breath, you don’t remember the last time you’d ever even considered confessing your so-called sins to a Father.

The number one sin on your list, so Atsumu had taunted to you as he held a knife to your throat, was apparently Pride—too prideful of your supposed Savior of Hope’s County title you’d been given, pride thrummed in your veins after every member of his Father’s cult you wiped out. You don’t really remember what had happened after that, vaguely that his younger twin brother had to all but pry him off of you, reminding the blond of their Father’s purpose for you.

It was the only reason you were still alive, the Father’s so-called purpose for you—the fact he saw in his visions a future where you were a key piece, the final chess piece moving to keep a king in check. Even despite the list of sins Atsumu insisted that you followed, pride seemingly the one that harbored the most space in your person.

You, however, knew what your sin was. It flared red and angry whenever Daichi talked down to you as if your some odd years in the force were wiped clean, and you were a true rookie yet again, no smarter than a civilian to the dark ways the world worked. It made heat run through your body whenever Kita, the Father of the Sin family, called you his greatest masterpiece as if he had any say in the way you were slowly turning into a war machine—plowing through his followers with scary ease and accuracy.

Your greatest sin reared its head whenever you faced Suna, too laid back, too uncaring, and the antithesis of everything that you stood for.

Wrath, you learned, made your hands shake when he smiled at you, edges looping as if the Bliss he grew just poured from every pore of his body.

“Not that one can really want to ingest bliss,” Daichi murmurs into his palm a bit, leaning over his map of Hope’s County, “It’s more you get too close to it and the fumes of it will get you.”

Bliss was, just as the Sin family was, something you’d never even come close to encountering before. It was a drug that they’d found, or crossbred, and it had hallucinogenic effects on whoever inhaled the product it released.

Batches of it were found all over the county, but the root of the source was in Suna’s valley of the land, affectionately known as Heaven Valley by those who couldn’t remember the name, or didn’t try to. You’d seen more than one group of people in hazmat suits having to clear out fields of it, and just watching them made your head dip and spin with the would-be effects if you’d gone any closer than you already were.

Bush of full, green leaves with seemingly innocent white flowers on it, the plant itself was harmless, and yet when allowed to convert carbon dioxide, it made a lethal gas that made anyone who got too close go mad. It was said that the family had even begun experimenting with grinding it into a powder or melting it down to its liquid state.

“Bunch of fucking crazies,” You mutter the words to yourself long after you’d left the solace of Daichi’s office, somewhere out in the valley and far out of earshot of anyone that might wonder which group of people you were referring to—the ones producing cult members at a daily rate that was intensely concerning, or the ones trying to stop them, “God, I don’t get paid enough for this.”

“Hey, there, Dep, hope you’re tuned into my channel,” You could honestly groan, but you’re trying to make sure no one finds you on your perch in a tree somewhere, your 308 carbine’s scope not exactly focused on anything in particular, but at the ready. Suna’s voice is light and airy over the radio attached to your hip, though the sound is tuned to the earpiece you’re wearing, “Just wanted to let you know that ‘Tsumu’s missing you an awful lot. Says you left before he could have his fun, won’t stop pouting about it.”

You’re smarter than answering to a taunt that Suna sets out in front of you, and yet you can’t help but feel as if your lack of an answer is him winning. Maybe his so-called brother was right about the sin he’d tried carving into the flesh of your abdomen.

“You’d look real funny if I hadn’t picked up just now, Suna,” you whisper, eyes straying from the scope to the button that’s meant to be an answer to the other person on the line.

Suna’s laugh is a little grainy on the radio channel, but it’s not taunting like it usually is, joy written into the edges of his laugh, “And yet you’re on the other end of the line, answering me, dear Deputy. So who really looks funny in the end, hm?”

Fuck. The brunet had caught you, the lure of an unanswered challenge too much for you to pass up for your pride, a sin in and of itself. Maybe you should offer yourself up to Osamu and Atsumu again to get pride carved into your skin because apparently, your wrath wasn’t enough.

“Touché,” You start to climb down from the tree, slinging the gun over your shoulder as you huff into the receiver of the microphone. Your feet catch in the knots of the tree, and your hands start to blister a bit when you lose your footing, and yet Suna stays silent on the radio.

“Going silent on me, what was the point of the call—just to talk about your brother’s unfortunate hobbies with me?”

“Can’t a guy call out into the void and not expect someone to respond?” His smile is almost palpable over the radio call, however many times he flickers in and out of the call, “You’re always welcome to come visit my cabin, Dep.”

“Not in a million years,” feet now firmly planted on the ground, you have to right yourself a bit in orientation before you head towards the ATV you’d taken out to this part of the woods.

“I wouldn’t say that so definitely.”

Suna, of the Sin family, was often on the radio with you. He wasn’t always talking directly to you, no, sometimes he was just talking about idle parts of his day and there was a part of you that wondered if there was a part of him that just needed someone to talk to.

You always had to push the thoughts aside, however, tucking them somewhere deep into your chest so you wouldn’t sympathize with him. He was the cause for the murder of a multitude of people in Hope’s County, the root of the drug trade that went outside of the otherwise isolated county, and sometimes the despite it all, you sympathized with the man.

The Sin family was notorious in Hope’s County as not only being the leading members of the cult but because of their immigration status. Cast out of Japan in their early teens for following a faith so incorrectly, they found solace in the soil of a town in need of a direction, no matter how far off the beaten path it would take its members.

Kita Shinsuke, also known as the Father by those following their twisted version of Christianity, was the head of the operations. A prophet of fallacies or of forthcoming events, no one truly knew, and yet he claimed the words of God followed him in his sleep, that he couldn’t leave the Lord’s words unanswered.

The next of the group was often on his own, Ojiro Aran an isolated member of the family that preferred to stay in his section of the woods, away from the chaos that seemed to follow the youngest members of their little family. Ojiro was often known as the zookeeper, both for keeping the rowdy Osamu and Atsumu in line, while also because of his secondary role in the family—the trainer and breeder of wolves that were often used as indicators of one’s faith.

The Miya twins seemed to cause the most upfront issues for the Hope County Police Department, causing more than one silo to explode on the otherwise neutral farmlands. They seemed to have a flair for the dramatic, with their sins written on their bodies as if the Lord would accept their souls, rather than just their vessels. Sloth was scrawled across the younger of the two’s chest, with a matching Pride across the other’s, letters both a bit off-kilter.

The final member, of which enjoyed causing you, personally, the most trouble, was Suna Rintarou, genius beyond words and yet lazy beyond belief. For what he lacked in motivation, he made up for in creative and almost barbaric forms of punishment. His words were sharp around the edges, and yet they made everyone listen to the sermons he preached, like a moth drawn to the flame.

“My dear, sweet Rook, you seem to forget that this territory is mine,” you ignore the way he inflicts his claim on the land you’ve no right being on, and yet it sends something akin to fear down the lines of your spine, “You walk among these trees as if you’re hidden, and yet I always know where you are.”

“Sounds less like you know your territory,” you start, always willing to put up a fight with the brunet you’d not seen in at least a week, at this point, “and more like you’re stalking me—got a crush, Rintarou?”

“More like an infatuation,” his voice is just a purr, too velvety to just be jest, and yet there’s a part of you that knows you can’t trust a word this man says, “take what you want from that, darling, I’m not the one going to be thinking about it all night.”

Perhaps Atsumu had gotten your sin wrong, and perhaps there was a second option he’d never even considered—your human nature was multifaceted and ever-changing, and perhaps your sins were available in multitudes, rather than a singularity.

If he catches you again, you’d love to see his reaction to you saying you’d be willing to let him carve lust into your skin with his knife—love it even more if he asked who it was for.

Suna doesn’t say much more after that, just his usual spiel of the fact you need to atone for your sins, and that Osamu’s always willing to wash them from your skin in the river. You forget to mention your latest one isn’t one so easily erased from your skin, too deeply embedded in your bones, and you wear it like a second skin at this point.

That’s why you struggle, sometimes, against the Sin brothers and their outlandish claims of paradise meant for those who atone. You struggle because you know the weight of each sin you’ve ever committed—a book added to an already overflowing backpack of crimes against God.

Suna Rintarou, most of all, makes your blood simmer white-hot with unbridled rage—yet you’re not even sure why. It might be the lackadaisical smile that’s ever-present on his face, edges sloping and curving over his face as he taunts you, knives glinting in the sunlight of day. It might even be the way you want to press as close to him as possible, and run as far away from him as possible at the same time—ever the perfect contradiction, a paradox of which you’ve been unable to solve for your time at Hope’s County.

Perhaps the Sin family is right in the unmaking of the world, but your only proof is that God smites you by making Suna one of the most undeniably attractive men you’ve ever met.

Confident in a way that carries in the gait of his walk, and the way his shoulders settle on his frame, Suna knows that he’s got his claws deep in your skin—gripping you to keep you at a distance, and yet not letting you get any further away from him. As if you’d let him get away, your hands would be wrapped around the column of his neck—intent to kill or to offer pleasure, you’d just have to decide when the time came.

“Howdy, stranger.”

These woods must twist your sense of mind, pushing and pulling at the seams of your existence and the fabric that makes the foundation of your realities—the air must be contaminated. You’re not where you thought you were going: you’d been headed towards the Miyas’ territory with the sole purpose of destroying the sin of wrath that had been crawling its way up your throat, trying to escape at any chance.

Yet, you’ve ended up in Heaven’s Valley, and straight into Suna’s hand.

He stands before you, hands tucked into a pair of dark beige cargo pants with a loose leather vest as his only top, smooth skin covered in scars and tattoos on full display. For all that Atsumu spewed of repenting for your sins, confessions meant to be curled into skin with a blade, you had to admit that he was one hell of a tattoo artist.

Suna’s tattoos were unlike the harsh angles of Osamu’s, forgoing the looping script of the English language for the smooth strokes of Japanese. It was a harsh juxtaposition to the jagged letters of ‘greed’ splayed across the expanse of his lower belly, the bottom of the ‘g’ dipping underneath the waistband of his pants.

“Rintarou, what a surprise.” Your words slur a bit at the edges, and you’re not sure if it’s just from stepping into his land or being in his presence, but there’s a sinking feeling in your gut that Bliss dances in your system, “Can’t say I’m disappointed to see you.”

“How honest, sweet one,” his smile resembles a wolf, you come to the conclusion because despite the Sin family being described as a pack of foxes, there’s a carnal look in his eyes as he stares at you, “I like when you’re honest with me.”

“I like when you don’t shoot me on sight,” you vaguely remember a pistol at your hip, your carbine left behind in favor of a shotgun, “makes our little talks seem more personal.”

His laugh is clear, a bell in the fog that is your mind, “Do I often shoot at you, sweet one, for I believe it’s you that shoots first.”

“Mm,” you let your eyes flicker to his before you feel a crease form between your brows, “you still shoot back.”

“I never let a favor go unpaid, darling.” He’s closer to you now, a hand sliding along the curve of your arm, before resting just above your pulse point. His hand is warm, opposite of the cooling night air, “Yet you’ve done a favor for me I’ve not yet given anything in return for.”

“What?”

Your confusion is palpable even without your verbal input because Suna’s thumb is smoothing it away from your brow with his free hand. His eyes are darker now with the sun down, only the moonlight illuminating the outline of his face and there’s something about the sight that makes your skin rise, goosebumps lining your arms.

“Deputy,” the moniker is like a velvety purr against the exposed skin of your nape, “I’m a bit hurt that you don’t remember our very first meeting. It holds such a sweet spot in my heart, so for you to forget it cuts me deep to my core.”

You wrack your brain trying to remember the first time you’d met Suna, all those days ago at the beginning of the summer, when you’d been unscarred and unafraid of your allegiances. There was still a hopeful part of you, then, that had been so sure you could be the savior of these people.

“I don’t…” your voice trails off as you watch Suna walk back in front of you, his face calm as you worry at your bottom lip.

“Of course not,” a knife flickers in his hand, the silver blade gleaming in the pale light of the moon, “you were much too blissed out to remember, but there was information you provided that proved most useful.”

His hands trail along your arms, leaving goosebumps in his wake as you lean closer to him, drawn in as if connected by an invisible string. Suna’s leaned in closer now, close enough that you can feel his exhales fanning across your face gently; can see when his eyes flicker and dance on the lines of your features.

“Pretty little thing, too pretty to be fighting a war you never signed up for,” he muses softly as the back of his hand eases across your cheek, “my darling deputy, you told me you wished for an escape from the pressures, the responsibilities that the locals had forced upon you. You are but a single piece, yet you’re burdened with the work of a hundred pawns.”

You take a shuddering breath in, and you let the tension leave your body that had settled along the weight of your shoulders as soon as Suna let his presence be known. You let the need to shoot him rest, because despite this man being the suffering and cause of so many downfalls—he understood.

He understood your wrath, the feeling of it tingling in your fingertips whenever Daichi asked you to do a job that could easily be done by someone else. You were just a person who’d stumbled into Hope’s County at a precipice of change—down on your luck and thrust into a job and title that made you feel like an imposter. He knew your fists clenched whenever another civilian came to you, begging you to save their farm when indeed, it would do nothing in the end for the resistance.

Maybe he knew that underneath every mundane task that you helped others with, there was a vexation that ran along the lengths of your body at their inability to do things on their own. You loved the citizens of this county, you swore to protect them when you became a member of the police force, and yet an undeniable thrum of rage would flood your body when they leaned on you more than the other members of the resistance.

How lovely it was that someone else understood you, even if it was Suna Rintarou.

Why were you fighting them so hard? Your mind supplies this thought too easily, like shrugging on a hoodie on a cold night, and it flits around your brain and fills in the empty spaces that Suna keeps tearing in your psyche.

You remember the end of the sermon that Kita had spoken when you first went to arrest him, all those months ago when the summer was licking at spring’s heels. He’d been haloed in the rays of the evening sun that filtered into the partially broken down church, hands spread with a rosary wrapped tightly against his left hand.

“For all have sinned,” he had spoken softly, eyes locking with yours as soon as the doors opened, and you felt panic strike you still, Daichi pressing on your shoulder to make you continue walking, “and fall short of the glory of God.”

If you were a sinner already falling from His good graces, why not enter hell with a list of sins that made the Devil take a breath in? Were you not already marked for damnation—what good would siding with Suna Rintarou and his family of fucked up prophets do for you?

“Rintarou,” his name leaves your mouth breathlessly, “if I’m going to hell, I’m going to drag you and your family with me.”

His eyes flash with something you can’t quite place your finger on, and yet the feeling it gives you runs along your spine with a chill, “You’re making a mistake. My family and I will find you, no matter where you are, and no matter what trouble you kick up.”

You press a kiss along the curve of his jaw, not missing the way his hands clench at his sides, “Then come catch me.”

There’s a part of you that hates that Atsumu was right because pride sinks into your bones with the fact that you leave with the last word. The last laugh is yours as you leave Suna in the dust of your exit, not knowing if there was another way it could have ended, if you’d just taken the hand he’d extended to you.

t.list — @nekomabvc

[the-hot-zone]

@agentcalliope THE REVIEW GOT TOO LONG FOR AO3′S REVIEW BOX AND WOULDN’T LET ME POST IT SO HERE IT IS. I’M SORRY IT’S SO LONG BUT I REALLY LIKE YOUR FIC SDKSDK

I mean firstly, the only thing I can say after reading this is, wow. Wow. Holy shit, wow. They way everything builds--the capitalization, the punctuation, the epithets, the prose--to demonstrate on both a subconscious and conscious level how Azula develops. The reader is comprehending these words, but also they’re registering the way you use spacing, punctuation, and capitalization, forcing the reader to slow down/stop/keep reading at certain parts, which creates a flow that a) sounds like Azula b) portrays her mental state and c) shows her development. It’s like a crescendo of writing conventions that never stops moving, and god I just. I’m fangirling a lil bit over your writing. There’s not a wasted line, space, italicization, quotation mark, period, comma, or word in this fic. Everything serves a purpose, and the way it builds--just. Wow. I can see the work you put into editing and revising this, and I want you to know that you’ve communicated your point extremely well. I’m moved. As a reader, I’m in tears. As a writer, I’m floored (and I’m taking notes.) God, okay, time to get specific.

The stylization. This is one of my fav writing styles--the blend of poetry and narration--that I don’t get to see a whole lot, and it’s hard to pull off. I really feel like you’ve used that style to its full potential; in your hands, it feels like that style was made to tell Azula’s story. I really, really like this, so I hope you don’t mind if I talk about why? Which means analyzing; analyzing is my love language, and I love your fic, truly.

In the beginning of the fic, she is “the girl;” she is “a princess,” not “Azula.” This shows how, with her defeat, Azula has lost herself completely (”someone is screaming who is screaming”). Ozai built her for a role she no longer has, so she has lost her identity, her sense of self. So, when she accepts the identity of monster, that is something she must unlearn through Iroh and for herself.

The first time the reader reads Azula’s name (as “azula), it’s isolated by a line break and positioned right after a long, run-on thought from Azula (”he doesn’t look quite...”) and before “the boy says.” This shows how Azula’s name, her identity, is separate from a) her inner monologue and thus her sense of self and b) how she perceives the world around her (outside of dialogue). And this further illustrates the importance of dialogue in this fic; dialogue is the connection from her inner monologue to how she perceives the world. Thus, later in the fic, when Iroh speaks the first line of quotation-mark-surrounded dialogue, it shows how he gets through to her. AH THE WAY YOU BUILD EVERYTHING UP.  Also, her description of Ozai in this scene as “the person she knows to love” has so much meaning. It’s like a lesson she’s learned, a fact she’s been taught: to love Ozai. The way you inject so much meaning into line breaks, and the layers of depth you add to single lines. Immaculate. I can really describe it as masterful.

Azula finally refers to herself as “azula” once Zuko says “I will never give up on you” Not only that, however, but the first time she refers to him as “zuko” instead of “the boy” is also when he says “I will never give up on you.” Also, that same piece of dialogue contains “uncle never gave up on me,” which shows how Uncle’s patience connects both Azula and Zuko in their respective healing journeys. Which, oh my god, I love Uncle’s role in Azula’s healing in this fic. His remorse for leaving her with Ozai is so tangible and painful to read. I love how you portray his characters; he comes off the page as Uncle Iroh; his characterization is so strong.

But the scene after Azula finally refers to herself as “azula,” Suki comes in. For one, “zuko and katara beat you or did you forget?” is written with a question mark, showing the significant of that line and how it affects Azula, shown in “azula screams.” Azula connects the person who is screaming with herself; she is still fracturing due to her loss. (Because her loss of the Agni Kai is symbolic of like, her failing everything Ozai built her up to be: the opposite of Zuko.)

The scene where Aang comes is where punctuation in Azula’s inner monologue first appears:  “the avatar’s gray eyes are soft and full of sympathy and it makes her angry.” I feel like this is her echoing Ozai’s sentiments, especially with “a princess is not pathetic.” Patheticness was something Azula had always associated with Zuko, so these lines sound a lot like Ozai to me. But “not made to be pitied” is next, without any punctuation. This is because pity is a new emotion for her to face, and she does not associate it with “a princess,” seen in the later lines “now the girl sees not pity but weakness” What’s important here is that Azula is “a girl” again. Aang’s pity is the antithesis to Ozai; peace where he sees bloodshed and war, and it blindsides her. Bro I just, the way you communicate Ozai’s presence so subtly yet so strongly... the talent.

Also: “it makes me feel sad for you the avatar answers“ Stop making me cry!!! THAT LINE WAS HEARTBREAKING. The snippets of Aang in this fic were lovely to read.

iirc, the first full line we get, capitalized, with punctuation, is when Toph is talking to Azula: “I just wanted to tell you that I know what it's like to have Expectations to have parents that expect certain things of you. It sucks. but you suck too. no wonder everyone hates you.”

THE LAYERS OF MEANING:

a) Expectations is capitalized, showing the significance of expectations to Azula; her mind latches onto it. (I love the significance of expectations throughout this fic and how the play into Azula’s sense of identity and healing jdkfkfAHH like with the TEA.)

b) This is where Azula’s “new” sense of self as “monster” begins to develop. “but you suck too. no wonder everyone hates you.” Both are short and with periods, showing the weight of Toph’s words.

When Katara sees Azula, iirc, we get the longest string of sentences with periods so far. Periods are becoming more common, showing how Azula’s identity is beginning to come together, but it’s an identity as monster: “your own brother. you’re disgusting. you’re a monster.” The repetitiveness and switch between your and you’re is almost like a rhythm, pounding “you’re a monster” into Azula’s head. After Katara leaves, we get the first full sentence Azula says: “I’ve never pretended to be anything else.”

Azula sees herself as a monster; she’s seeing the weight of her past actions.

When Iroh arrives, we get the longest string of sentences WITH capitalization in this point of the fic (I think): “It’s sweet. You have always loved sweet tea, my niece. A fascinating contrast.” And a new identity is introduced: my niece.

When Azula asks for Uncle after the nightmare, we get the first time a name is capitalized in the fic: Uncle. Not even Ozai has “father” capitalized. This shows Iroh’s significance in her healing journey. Not only that, but Uncle is the one that comes to her, not Ozai. This contrast between Ozai’s absence and Uncle’s presence is what begins to allow Azula to heal--and what ultimately helps her truly stay on the path of healing. I love how you build up the notion of Ozai not being there for Azula, not coming to get her. The way it culminates in the end feels like such strong, real development because of your build-up.

Once Uncle begins to visit regularly, your writing becomes more abundant with “proper” sentences. This is one of my fav examples of this:

“Uncle continues to bring her sweet tea. He talks to her. He sits next to her as she leans against the wall and speaks many tales of spirits and beautiful women. azula almost looks forward to his visits. Almost.”

Every sentence except the one that begins with “azula’ is capitalized. She’s not there yet, with her identity, but Uncle is there. And when Azula says “but I am a monster,” the fic gets its first line of quotation-enclosed dialogue:

“Oh, my dear. My beautiful niece. I don’t believe that.”

And then, right after that, we get “Princess Azula.” This is the first time Azula is capitalized, and Uncle says it. But Azula is the one perceiving the dialogue; she is accepting “Princess Azula.” Sure enough, right after that, we get this:

“Azula narrows her eyes suspiciously.”

The first time Azula refers to herself in her inner monologue as Azula. FINALLY. FUCK. This is one of the most satisfying developments in this fic, when Azula finally sees herself as “Azula,” even if she’s not all the way there yet. Your build-up makes this moment feel amazing.

Another thing I loved was how Azula is obsessed with getting the tea perfect; the tea is a reflection of herself; “She will make his jasmine tea, and she will make it precisely the way it is expected to be.”

HIS jasmine tea. Not HER jasmine tea. This shows that she’s trying to fit a mold she thinks Iroh has for her; she will make the tea as it is expected to be; SHE will be exactly as she is expected to be.

But when she fails, Iroh simply says “Let’s try it again.” When Azula fails to be “perfect,” pain and fear isn’t waiting for her. Iroh is. So when Iroh says,

“I am just an old man looking forward to trying his niece’s cup of tea, which she has worked hard on.”

This is so important. It is HIS NIECE’S (Azula’s) cup of tea, which SHE has worked hard on. In other words, it is Azula’s healed identity that she has worked hard on, and it is “one of the best teas I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing in my life.” Just. The symbolism. Fuck. So good. 

Then, in the next scene, she tells Zuko to tell Aang she’s sorry. This brings back Sokka’s earlier words, “you won't ever apologize for what you’ve done or bear responsibility for your actions and we both know it.” BUT AZULA IS UNLEARNING, and that is tangible development, babey. In a way, Sokka was right, because the “you” he was talking to wasn’t the Azula that’s now wanting to apologize to Aang. Azula as “Azula” didn’t exist then; now she does. I can’t this fucking fic I am STUNNED. The way you introduce and maintain concepts to develop Azula’s journey... It’s amazing AH

“Azula cradles her own cup in her hands and breathes in the steam, letting it cling to her face.“ Bro I just wanted to say that this line gave me brilliant imagery. You perfectly described how it feels to hold a mug of something warm and breathe it in, like ahhh the sensory imagery was so VIVID.

“Zuko tears off a piece of bread, and places it on her palm. She looks down at it, her hand without crackling cackling blue fire. The only blue is the water, beautiful and clear.” Thinking bout the contrast, and how the color blue used to separate her from the world; now it joins her to it (turtleducks.) YOUR LAYERS. Another contrast I love was the one between “red drapes that used to block out the sun when it rises every morning” and “basking in Agni’s light.” This reminds me of the Sun Warriors and Zuko learning the true meaning of fire, as something full of life and light, not something that only burns. That was my favorite contrast throughout the fic, and the most meaningful to me. 

Azula saying “Why not?” to Sokka was everything I need in life.

“Azula brings herself out of the palace, and back into the prison.“ Ozai is her prison. The wording. THE WORDING SAYS SO MUCH. The way she comes to Ozai--but. He never came for her. Uncle did. She has new experiences and a new sense of self; she’s not the Azula she was, and she’s not the Azula Ozai is expecting. So when you write

“Because he has made Azula into Azula, and he has done it well.”

and she walks away, it’s a defiance of everything she’s been, everything she was forced to be. Azula made Azula into Azula, and she understands this.

“This is not what she was made for.” is a recognition that Ozai forced her into a role that was never for kindness, for love, for acceptance, for change. As she learns and unlearns, unmakes her identity as a monster, she’s understanding that Ozai never intended for Azula to be her own Azula. And this means she sees the world through her own eyes, not Ozai’s:

“his eyes not wounded and sad but fierce and soft and she knows what he’s saying isn’t a lie.”

JUST. The way you built this fic. You saw more than words as your tools, and I am honestly in awe of the way you used writing conventions. This fic is so strong because you literally made everything about Azula; Azula is this fic. THE ARTISTRY. I really, really hope you’re proud of the story you’ve built. Thank you for writing.

(ALSO TOPH WAS EVERYTHING I NEEDED AND MORE.)

[pavan135]

A Story Of Two Friends

Once there lived two best friends, John and David, albeit antithesis in their personalities still gelled with each other like brothers. They were happy living in an independent house at the heart of the city of Buckingham in London. John was a bit dynamic and aggressive by nature but his friend David was a cool and flippant person. They were accustomed to cooking and other household work. One day they step out to dine alfresco to beat the banality of life. David in a slapdash locks the door and checks out with John. After returning home, they are flabbergasted to see their door lock broken and are left dumbstruck to descry the loss of valuables after rummaging the clothes inside. It is perspicuous from the scenario, that pilferage took place. In no time, John in a fit of rage blames David for his botched bolting. In return, David retaliates by telling him that it wasn’t his mistake as the problem lay with the door lock itself. But John decides to turn a deaf ear to all his explanations and tells him to part from him as he’s no more interested in continuing friendship. The entire atmosphere becomes brimmed with pandemonium and the cops step in to investigate the case. The passers-by on the road gawk at that place with bated breath. The policemen are in constant endeavors to ferret out a piece of information from the people residing nearby but fail to extract any. John is exasperated and left in a poignant situation with no alternative to solve the problem. In the meanwhile, policemen find a purse lying on the floor interspersed with clothes while sniffing the house that gives them an allusion to solve the case due to the fingerprints on it. They become invigorated with this veritable evidence and motion to chase the thief. The police detain the suspect and recuperate the valuables from him to hand over it to John. Further developments pertaining to the incident get published in one of the leading chronicles that catches the attention of John later. This glad tidings gives a filip to John to immediately meet his friend and solve the dispute. John feels exhilarated on knowing this and “Cries over split milk” for turning sweet friendship into enmity with David especially when he discovers that the lock he gave him was defective one with screws loosened within it instead of the one that he always preferred to lock the door. Accordingly, he moves there to confabulate the same with him. John is rapturous to see his friend but David doesn’t exhibit any sign of happiness rather there was an air of jaded sullenness in him. He eschews talking to John. In a trembling voice, whimpered John “Dear me” I have realized what big blunder I had committed without circumspect of the situation properly by fulminating against you. Therefore, I beg your pardon and request you to take stock of the situation without plunging headlong to any decision. The reason for my spiraling out of control was the fact that the larceny took place for a trifling mistake. David feels the pinch of the emotions of his friend and decides to stay back. John expresses his gratitude to him for understanding the matter and both become friends again.

The story’s moral: Jumping to the conclusion without introspection of the situation leads to shambles.

[wickedgxmes]

SEONG HA-NA TASK 01: Character Development

To Die Would Be An Awfully Great Adventure

THE BASICS

Full Name: Seong Ha-na (成 하나)

Nicknames: Hana

Face Claim: Moon Ga-Young

Age: 26

Birthday: July 31st

Gender: Cisgender Female

Pronouns: She/Her

Romantic Orientation: Panromantic

Sexual Orientation: Pansexual

PHYSICALITY

Details About Appearance That Differ From FC: (i.e. hair color, hair length/cut, height etc.) N/A

Perfect Vision or Glasses?: Perfect Vision

Scars/Birthmarks?: Hana has her fair share of scars that litter her skin from healed over cuts from a training her fellow crew to (TW abuse) marks across her palms from where her tutors growing up had reprimanded her. She also has a crescent shaped birthmark located behind her left ear.

Tattoos?: Hana has tattoos littered across her body- collecting different pieces like art as she details her life story across her skin

Piercings?: Yes. Hana has multiple pierces up around both of her ears as well as that of her belly button.

Posture: Hana has a relaxed ease about her. She will on occasion call about her regal background to adjust her posture depending of which role she’s playing, but typically Hana is the type to make herself far too comfortable where ever she is- kicking back in her seat, slouched shoulders, putting her feet up on some table and cocking her head mischievously to the side.

Dominant Hand?: Ambidextrous

Activity Level?: Above Average

Physical Strength: Average

Speed: Above Average

Agility: Above Average

Accuracy: Above Average

Stamina: Above Average

Can They Swim?: Yes! (What kind of Pirate Lord would they be if they couldn’t?)

Clothing Style: For a pirate, Hana is incredibly fashion forward. She’s always on the look out to pinch a pretty garment or two. As for her style, black is her signature color and she enjoys clothes that show their fair bit of skin, that command authority and are easy enough to move around in.

Accessories: Hana is not one to skimp on the accessories. Besides the numerous rings and earrings she wears, she is also known to accessorize with a hefty amount of weapons on her at all times. From different sets of daggers to poison dipped hair pins, the pirate lord is prepared for a fight at any given time.

Any Allergies?: Raspberries

How Do They Sleep?: With one eye open. Hana can fall asleep just about anywhere, but she is a light sleeper. The slightest creek of the floorboard or sound of a breath sending her brows quirking up at you in question.

Any Additional Details?: N/A

MANNERISMS

Languages: Hana speaks english and the popular languages of Shīqù Hǎi'àn (Korean, Mandarin, Japanese etc.) fluently, but she also knows bits and pieces of a number of different languages that she has picked up over the years from traveling Ashbourne and conducting trade.

Do They Curse?: Yes and often

Favorite Word?: Fuck ;)

Least Favorite Word?: Bastard

Good Habits: As tough as Hana would like to seem, she is far more generous than she lets on- giving her portion of diner on occasion to starving children on the streets or to those of her crew. She never forgets a face and has a habit of ‘taking in strays’, finding herself looking after those who seem to have nobody else and donating some of their wealth to the impoverished.

Bad Habits: It is a long list ranging from arrogance to a habit of mocking and teasing just about anyone she comes into contact with. She’s someone who doesn’t often take things all too seriously and yet doesn’t tolerant stupidity, who laughs at other’s expenses, is far too blunt for her own good, and tends to become defensive or misdirect the conversation when it becomes far too vulnerable for her own liking.

Any Specific Ticks?: Hana can often be caught mindlessly twirling her own hair or fidgeting with on of the rings wrapped around her fingers - twisting them back and forth especially when she’s deep in thought or wants something to set her eyes on rather than the floor.

FAMILY & UPBRINGING

Which Dukedom Do They Reside In?: shīqù hǎi'àn 失去海岸 (The Lost Coasts)

Birthplace?: Shīqù Hǎi'àn 失去海岸 (The Lost Coasts)

Social Class: Hana was born into the Upper Class, but now spends her time surrounded by the underclass- preferring to associate with thugs and criminals

Biological Parents/Parental Figures: Kim Hye-Kyo (Mistress of the Late Duke) & The Late Duke of the Lost Coasts (Name - TBD as of now)

Additional Family Members: (Siblings, Cousins, Aunts & Uncles etc.): Sibling: The Duke/Duchess of the Lost Coasts

Pets?: haru (a messenger hawk) & joo (a black cat)

CONNECTIONS

Person You Can’t Seem To Forget?: Her Father

Person You Can’t Seem To Forgive?: Her Mother

Any Additional Connections Your Character May Be Looking For?: {I’ll put together a connections page at a later date but all of the things ;D }

STATUS & OCCUPATION

Current Occupation: Pirate Lord

Dream Position: Pirate Lord

Past Jobs?: Pirate/Lady of the Lost Coasts

Spending Habits: Hana is a frequent spender- taking what she wants when she wants it. She very rarely pays for anything herself and when she does, it is questionable whether the money she is using was stolen or out of her own pocket.

In Debt?: No. She isn’t one to owe a debt or borrow without paying it back.

PSYCHOLOGY

Intellect: Above Average

MBTI Type: ENTP

Enneagram type: 8. The Challenger

Moral Alignment: Chaotic Good

Temperament: Quick Tempered

Element: Fire

Introvert or Extrovert?: Extrovert

ASTROLOGY

Zodiac Sign: Leo

Birth Stone: Ruby

TRAITS & PERSPECTIVES

Drives/Motivations: To look after her crew and protect her ship/make-shift family first and foremost. But, she is also driven to be the antithesis of her brother as much as she can. If they are the great Duke of the Lost Coasts, then she is an outlaw, a scoundrel and a criminal so that no one can ever question her sibling’s right to rule or pin them against each other out of their own free will once more.

Hopes: To protect those she cares about and live her life to the fullest in whatever capacity that may be

Fears: Irrelevancy and being incapable of looking after those she holds dear

Dreams: Hana doesn’t allow herself to dream for more than that of tomorrow or live in anything greater than the moment, since the things she may have dreamed about once upon a time - a family that isn’t bond by the laws of politics or a great love of her love of her own- seems like a fairly impractical wish at this point. Now, she just wants to have a good life before she inevitably goes down with her ship.

Sense of Humor?: Between her teasing smile and quick-witted remarks, it is rare to see Hana being serious.

Most At Ease When?: When she’s set sail, overlook the waves from a perch on one of her ship’s masts

Least At Ease When?: When speaking openly about her past or having to ride in an enchanted lift

Talents: knife throwing, sword fighting, drinking, dancing, playing cards, gambling etc.

Shortcomings: A short attention span, a tendency to act on her impulses, a disregard for authority besides that of her own etc.

Have They Ever Committed A Crime?: (If so, did they ever get caught?) Hana has created far more crimes than she can count and has been caught for a couple of them, but if she has been caught, she’s either managed to escape being brought in or allowed herself to be caught intentionally in order to do business with the Royal Navy to meet face to face with that of her family.

Are They A Team Player?: Depends on the team. They can be when it comes to their crew.

Can They Play an Instrument?: Yes. Hana was trained to play a handful of instruments such as piano, harp etc.

Braid Hair?: Yes

Tie a Tie?: Yes

Pick a Lock?: Yes

Cook?: Hana would say yes, but anyone whose tried her cooking would probably disagree

Drink?: Yes

Use Drugs?: Yes

Are They Prone to Violence?: Yes

Prone to Crying?: No

Believe in Love at First Sight?: No, but they do believe in lust at first sight

FAVORITE

Color: Black

Food: Galbi or Okonomiyaki

Beverage: Anything with alcohol in it

Flower: Cherry Blossom

Scent: Citrus

Mode of Transportation: Pirate Ship

Season: Summer

LEAST FAVORITE

Mode of Transportation: Enchanted Lifts

Season: Winter

EXTRA

I finally got around to making her a pinterest board- https://pin.it/3hd9EaK

[bgwalthermart]

Skam — the Norwegian Drama that made be even more open-minded.

Skam — the Norwegian Drama that made be even more open-minded.

“Islam says what it always say. That all the people in this world are equal and that no person should be talked about behind their back, violated, judged or ridiculed. So if you hear anybody use religion to legitimise their hate, then don’t listen to them. Because hate does not come from religion, it comes from fear.” — Sana Bakkoush to Isak Valtersen

This. This drama is simply one of a kind. And I absolutely loved it. All 4 seasons. And every one of its’ episode. This drama was filmed in Norway and was only well-knowed in the Nordic countries until season 3, where it exploded into the international stage. For such a drama intended to young viewers, it has very deep contents which revolves around: identity, feminism, rape, belonging, self-confidence, homosexuality, mental illness, the Islamic religion, cyber-bullying, and forbidden love — all in 4 seasons of approximately 10–11 episodes each. As a teenager myself, I can relate so much to the main characters in all of the seasons. Literally.

Disclaimer: Possible spoilers ahead!

The 1st season revolves around Eva. And I have to admit that I didn’t really like her character. She was way too indecisive, controlling, insecure, and lonely. Additionally, she was a bit more slutty (yes) in the future seasons, which made me dislike her quite a bit. But, I realized. That…that I carry all of those qualities, too (except for the slutty part, no). She was easily the one I empathized with the most out of all the main characters. Eva was the epitome of a teenager. Her parents are usually not there with her, and when they are, there usually are events that causes misunderstandings between her and them. Her friends, well her old friends weren’t there anymore. She chosed her loved guy over her friends, which her friends dumped her for because they also liked him. They weren’t understanding to her. But the guy chose her, not them. She was then alone, then and there.

Fortunately for her, she found friends soon enough. Real friends. Friends that helped her know who she really is. Friends that helped her during her times of trouble. And friends, that she, too, will help in the future. In her season, I saw many events that were caused by two reasons.

Lack of communication. Lack of trust.

I learned that communication is vital. Whether it be to your friends, families, or your partner. You shouldn’t hide something. You should always ask when you doubt something. And most of all, you should trust your loved ones. And ask your loved ones to trust you, too. Trust is vital. And the world would be damned, if people would have absolutely no trust to other people.

“What is this bullshit about ‘what kind of person’ I am? Maybe I’m someone who gives up?! I don’t know! Why would I know what kind of person I am? Everyone is like, “What kind of person are you? You need to know who you are!” What a fucking cliche!”

Season 2 comes with the feminist, social justice warrior, individualist, and progressive: Noora. She is by far, my most favorite character in the series. As a feminist, individualist, and fellow progressive, I view her as my political sister. She also has the best quotes (on par with Sana, in my opinion) in the series. And the burns, oh dear. Just look at this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfnMnkRk9Ek

Don’t mess with Noora. Ever. But that’s just a façade. Only in the outside is she really cold. In the inside, she is very soft, insecure, brash, lonely, and irrational. Much like Eva, except she doesn’t show it. This becomes self-evident once she starts crushing on William. Eventually she accepts his love. And they turn out to be right for each other. But not without problems. This series has arguably the heaviest crime out of all the other series. Rape. Or rather, the thought of having been sexually violated. Even worse, the thought of having been sexually violated by her lover’s brother.

The most impressive thing about it is how she handled it. And how she trusted her friends to tell it to them, and how they helped her overcome it. In the end she wasn’t really sexually assaulted. And she also absolutely destroyed William’s brother. AND IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THE ENCOUNTER YET, YOU WOULD SO LOVE THE REACTION ON HIS FACE. Totally.

“People experience horrible things everyday, and they still manage to be nice to others. Being an asshole is not something you’re born with, or something you become. It’s a choice.” — Noora to William

“Girls who call other girls slut have 90% more chance to get Chlamydia.” — Noora to Emma

“It’s interesting that you who describe yourself as a feminist, is calling others ‘slutty’. Chris doesn’t have that reputation because guys don’t go around calling other guys ‘sluts’. So if you think it’s unfair, you have to stop calling girls ‘sluts’.” — Noora to Vilde

“I don’t even know your name.” — Noora

“Call me what you want.” — William

“Yeah, but then…Then I choose to call you ‘asshole’.” — Noora to William

She also supported Sana in season 4 with Yousef a.k.a second best couple (next one is the best couple, for me anyways) and was literally fangirling over them. She’s definitely ‘best-girl’ — on par with Sana!

The 3rd season. I absolutely adored it. Isak and Even are definitely the best couple in the series. Their chemistry is off the charts. I absolutely loved every bit of them. As what what had made Skam famous, Isak is a homosexual. And Isak and Even are a homosexual couple. The story pretty much revolves around Isak’s coming out problems, Isak and Even’s relationship, and Even’s mental illness. I then started thinking. Isn’t Norway one of the most progressive countries when it comes to homosexuals? If so, then why is Isak having problems to come out? Well it seems that that stereotype doesn’t apply to every family living in progressive countries. You could have an accepting family and live in the Philippines (a country where homosexuality is merely tolerated, not so much accepted). And, you could live in Norway (a pioneer country in homosexual rights) and have a not-so-accepting family. And that’s exactly what happened to Isak.

Isak has a die-hard Christian-Catholic mother who sends him bible passages everyday via SMS about how homosexuality is a sin and how they will burn in hell. His father is more accepting, but he isn’t that much close to him either, because of the fact that his father seperated with his mother and thus caused the whole family to collapse. And as such, he has problems coming out to his friends and his school, too. Because of his problems with his family, he thinks that people would distance themselves from him once he comes out, so he stays in the closet and pretends to be straight by hooking up with women.

But that was not the case.

It was merely in his head; the fear of being rejected. I even laughed at the reaction of Jonas when Isak confessed to him that he was gay. He merely shrugged it off like it was normal. Well, it’s Norway after all, nothing unusual.

Now to the next topic. I won’t beat around the bush. Isak and Even ARE SO SWEET TOGETHER. They care for each other, they understand each other, they’re good for each other, and most of all, they love each other. And as the series progresses, they will find out more about each other — more about what they don’t want each other to find out — Isak having family problems and the fact that he hadn’t come out in school, yet; as well as the fact that he’s slowly becoming jealous of Even’s ex-girlfriend, and the fact that Even is bipolar.

But love… — this show thought me that if there’s one thing that could bypass anything — it’s love.

Isak and Even — Minute by minute…

Last, but not the least…

Obviously. The popular muslim girl living in a 90% non-religious country. She is easily the best girl in the series. Tough, and doesn’t take without giving back. Like Noora, she’s tough only on the outside, but actually quite soft in the inside. When it comes to friends, family, or loved ones. I absolutely sympathized with her, too. Being a muslim is Norway is not tough. Like in many european countries, there’s a lot of prejudice on being a muslim, especially a muslim woman since they’re more visible because of the fact that most of them wear the Hijab and some of them wear the Niqab. Most western europeans see ‘that’ as them being forced to wear it, rather than a choice (the Niqab and Burqa are debatable, though).

“Tough.”

But soft. At the same time.

What I absolutely liked about her are three things:

1.) Dedicated and serious about her religion, but not to the point of extremism. She doesn’t take every word of the Qu‘ran literally (such as homosexuality), but instead takes the values in it. She also doesn’t let her religion affect her social life as she has many Norwegian friends — most of whom have a religion (and tastes — such as drinking alcohol and hooking up) vastly antithesis from hers.

2.) A real friend. And a friend that doesn’t judge. And a friend ready to defend you. She’s all three of that. She’s one of the best of friends you could have.

3.) She isn’t perfect. And that’s what makes me relate to her. The Sana that always burns those who offend her or her friends; the Sana that has perfect grades and want to be a medical doctor in the future; the Sana that has all the wise teachings and quotes for her friends — that’s just all a piece of her. But as we progress in the series, we can see a different Sana — an insecure one, a confused, tired, and heartbroken one.

“War doesn’t start with violence. It starts with misunderstandings and prejudice.” — Sana to Noora

And of course a season can’t be finished without love. I found Yousef’s and Sana’s love story a bit rushed, and it was definitely a weak point in the series. But they were definitely still really sweet with each other.

Lessons:

I absolutely admired how the five friends managed to still be friends by the end of the series. They managed to overcome tough times — but that’s what friends are for, are they not? They’re supposed to be there for you during tough times whether it involves them or not. And if there’s one thing this series absolutely thought me, it’s that friends matter. Real ones. A lot.

Least to say, the main characters weren’t the only one that provided lessons. The supporting characters were special, too.

With Eskild about pride and that it’s not only about celebrating the present, but also the past and the future.

Or William with his obsession with Noora because he knows she loves him. And in the end, dedication truly does get what you want.

I learned a lot.

Not only experiences and funny moments. But also virtues and values that I may apply in real life.

Thank you, Skam — for opening not only my mind, but also my heart.

End.