#the avatar world is just so fun to write in I can't help it

[rotinthedark]

Next up: Seb's LOK verse

Sebastian is a firebender living in Republic City who's a part of the Agni Kai triad. Living alone in an apartment, having been thrown out of his home by his stepfather at the age of 13 once his bending was found out about. Given the rest of his family are nonbenders, said stepfather was prejudiced and overruled his mother and half-sister to kick him out. He'd lived on the streets until the gang found and took him in once they saw how scrappy he was.

Thus, the triad life is all he's really known after 10 years with them. He doesn't love it, his heart isn't in it, but it keeps him fed and sheltered so he's simply gotten used to their kinds of jobs.

His firebending is his only connection to his birth father, who was murdered by nonbenders. Thus, he puts a lot of work into training so he can be the best he can be.

Unfortunately, his trauma has locked his fire chakra and made his firebending weaker despite his training and prevents him from generating lightning. It's an insecurity he doesn't like to talk about. (He is unaware about the chakra blocking.)

He often trains hidden away somewhere in the city while listening to pro-bending matches over his radio. Imitating what he hears in real-time. He attends matches whenever he's able to. If he could, he'd love to join a team and try it out, but his triad work takes up too much of his time.

Amon scared the ever loving shit out of him, as well as the Equalist Movement with all his past nonbender trauma, but that's a whole other story.

At one point in Book One, he nearly got caught by an equalist and he still has nightmares about it and what could have happened.

His 'upbringing' informs a lot of his general attitude, but he's not a bad guy. Just a guy who had no other option. He's empathetic with the homeless and downtrodden of the city, and he helps them out where he can get away with it. He never forgot his time sleeping hidden in alleyways by the trash he then scavenged for food.

With my ship with @xheartpages , Seb is dating Mako and friends with the Krew bc of it, but he's a loner outside of that. Has opinions about the Avatar, but he largely keeps them to himself.

He has absolutely just burned traffic tickets he's gotten for his bike instead of paying them more than once. That's about his level of respect for law enforcement and the government in general.

Enjoys Pai-Sho and is pretty good, actually.

He longs to visit the Fire Nation someday, so he can experience his father's culture and feel closer to him bc of it. However, he doesn't have the money or time for such a massive trip. So, he settled for looking out at the bay and imagining.

[luci-is-a-bitch-x3x]

Obey Me! Brothers React to: Under the Table Fun!

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Welcome! to this adventure! The characters may not be how you imagine! I apologize for any poor jokes, bad spelling, and terrible grammar. I don't know why I can't write the content I need to, and why I instead write weird content but uh yeah hopefully you guys like it. Without further ado, please enjoy the content. ♡

⚠︎Caution: NSFW Post⚠︎

Cw: feet, foot jobs? Exibistism? Idk tell me if I missed any warnings. I have no idea what this is but enjoy.

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Mc and the brothers are eating in the dinning hall like normal. Mc sits across the table from the character, and while everyone's eating and chatting Mc uses their feet to tease and pleasure the character. (I feel like once the brothers choose a seat at the table it never changes or a fight will break out, but we'll pretend for the scenario that sitting in different spots is allowed)

Lucifer's Reaction:

This man sits at the head of the table so good luck man. The odds of him sitting at a seat rather than the head of the table are low, but not impossible.

When Lucifer first feels something touch his leg he is surprised and suspicious, he immediately thinks it's one of his brothers pulling one of their idiotic pranks. Mans is traumatized by his brothers pranks.

..However when Lucifer glances under the table and sees it's Mc's foot he's amused. At first he thinks maybe Mc just wants to rest their feet on his lap while eating, but he quickly catches onto Mc's plans as they slide their foot up his thigh and begin rubbing it against his clothed groin. Lucifer will indulge in Mc's antics for a little bit, Lucifer may even let Mc give him a footjob under the table until everyone's eating dinner, if he doesn't think his brothers will catch them. But most likely Lucifer will stop Mc after a few minutes of indulging them. Lucifer will direct Mc's foot to a different part of his lap, allowing them to rest their leg on his lap as long as they behave and don't begin their actions again. Lucifer will even hold Mc's ankle with his non-dominant hand while he eats, no it's not cute and for comfort, hes just doing it to prevent Mc from moving their foot, don't let his trickery fool you.

Lucifer's reaction draws no attention to what's happening under the table, he's calm and collected and even when indulging Mc his face only gets a little red and he covers any sounds he makes with coughing or clearing his throat. If he gets to the point where he doesn't feel like he's hiding what's happening well, then he'll simply stop Mc's antics.

There is no way in the three worlds that Mc is getting the Avatar of Pride to cum during dinner with his brothers. An insane thought. According to him. Don't listen tho, remember nothing's impossible if you try hard enough, keep dreaming! One Lucifer is too prideful to pull his cock out for Mc to even give him a proper footjob so their job of getting him to cum with just their feet would be harder than it would be if he wasn't as prideful. Two there is no way, absolutely no way, anyone is getting this man to cum in his pants. Or so he thinks. That would destroy his ego, he's the Avatar of Pride man! That all said, Lucifer will be whisking Mc away as soon as dinner is finished, taking them to his room to finally get the release that is owed to him. After all he indulged Mc's bratty antics, and they got themselves into this situation in the first place.

Mammon's Reaction:

It's actually surprisingly hard to get a seat across from Mammon, I feel like he's the type to want to sit next to Mc on the side Mc's on, and he's not afraid to fight and complain over it, so it'll take effort.

When Mammon first feels something touch him from under the table, he helps or screams in surprise. What was he supposed to do?? It could've been a ghost or something scary! Mammon's reaction causes all the other brothers to look at him, and Mammon being Mammon he probably embarrassedly yells at Mc, so they have to play it off as wanting to scare him. Mc may wait to try again, or if they're bold enough they'll continue to try that night, it'll only take a few attempts for Mammon to adjust and get used to feeling Mc's foot touch his legs and be in his lap, so he'll eventually stop jumping and freaking out.

When Mc finally is able to get down to business and begins sliding their foot up Mammon's thigh towards his groin Mammon freezes, he tenses up and his face goes red, but he recovers quickly and eases up. He covers his face with his hand embarrassedly, but he stays silent, not throwing a fit or making a scene. Mc takes this as a sign to continue, they begin to rub their foot against Mammon's clothed bulge. Mammon will be a good boy and enjoy whatever attention Mc is giving him, he's greedy for all Mc's attention even if he is stressing. If Mc really wants to be spicy and bold, all they have to do is send Mammon a text. He'll do anything his human asks of him, even whip it out so Mc can give him a proper footjob under the table.

Mammon's Reaction does draw attention, I mean Mammon's loud and chaotic so for him to go quiet and his face to be all red, his brothers are going to be suspicious and tease him. Though his brothers probably won't catch on to what's happening unless Mc makes Mammon cum. If Mc makes Mammon cum then everyone in the room will know what's happening under the table, or at least that Mammon is cumming. Mans is too loud for his own good, couldn't even hold back if he tried, which he did.

Mc can definitely get Mammon to cum if that's what they are wanting. Mammon won't cum instantly but it won't take too much work to work Mammon off. When Mammon cums he moans loudly, even with his hand on his mouth everyone can hear it, so all attention is on him. Mammon makes his case worse, instead of trying to play it off Mammon panics and just bolts, he's gone running to his room so fast, leaving Mc with his brothers and his mess. I like to think Mc would have learned some cool spell that could just clean up the mess so they wouldn't get caught, they could just pretend they have absolutely no idea what's wrong with Mammon. Mammon is gonna be mad, he got embarrassed, humiliated even in front of his brothers, but he will get over it. He'll probably be going to Mc's room or dragging Mc to his room by the end of the night. He may even come up with a plan to try and get Mc back, though his plans usually backfire on him.

Leviathan's Reaction:

I'm almost positive that Levi canonly sits across the table from Mc, so doing this with him would be super easy. Just don't push your luck too much, Levi freaks and scares easily, if he doesn't trust that he can sit across from Mc without going through this every time then he'll just stop sitting across from Mc. So it can only be done occasionally.

When Levi first feels something touch him from under the table he freaks out, not nearly as bad as Mammon's reaction but that's because Levi freezes, he becomes a deer in headlights. He freezes his body tenses up and he looks terrified to see what's touching him. When he looks under the table and sees it's Mc's foot, he tenses up more, his face going red, if Levi could become any more frozen he would. I feel like Levi just knows what's going on, he just knows Mc's not just trying to be cute and rest their foot on his lap while eating.

When Levi feels Mc begin to slide their foot up his thigh towards his groin he knows he's done for. Levi is aroused and flustered before Mc even begins to rub their foot against his groin. Levi is frozen in place so Mc has time to tease and mess with the poor okatu. Levi will not be hard to get off, so if Mc doesn't want to put him through that they have to be careful with how much they push and tease him. No matter how long Mc messes with Levi, he'll be sweating, mans is stressing, he's an anxious frozen mess. If Levi snaps out of his panic he may take off running for his room, but he'll be sure to send Mc a D.D.D message. He may yell at Mc over text but he'll also probably beg them to come to his room and finish what they started.

Levi's reaction could cause suspicion and draw attention. It really just depends how much attention his brothers are paying to him that day, say Mc pulls this trick when Levi's in the middle of ranting, then his brothers are obviously going to notice how he suddenly freezes up and gets all flustered and sweaty. Levi darting away to his room actually doesn't cause that much suspension just because he runs away to his room so often. If Mc makes Levi cum he surprisingly won't draw too much attention, he may squeak when he cums but then he's gone, darting off to his room faster than ever before, nobody has time to see the wet spot on Levi's pants before he's out of the room, going to hide away in his room for like a week. Mans is too anxious to go to dinner for a bit.

Getting Levi to cum would be extremely easy. You don't even need to get him to whip it out, which he wouldn't do mans is too anxious for that, what if one of his brothers saw? He'd never live down the embarrassment. Depending on Mc and how fast they want the experience to be over they can have Levi cumming within the first few minutes if not seconds. Trying to give our boy the benefit of the doubt, so let's say minutes. As previously stated his reaction is so Levi like that even if he cums he won't raise suspension, just hiding in his room before anyone even realizes he got up. It doesn't matter if Mc makes Levi cum or not, they will be getting a D.D.D message, it'll probably be Levi yelling at them all embarrassedly. Mc is required to go bribe their way into his room and give him cuddles and apologies. Then Levi may end up wanting to have fun again, in the safety of his room of course.

Satan's Reaction:

Satan seems like the type to sit across from Mc, I think he sits like across to the right or left of Mc not directly across from Mc, but there are occasions when he sits directly across from Mc. So it's not too hard to do this with Satan, but it is a dangerous game to play.

When Satan first feels something touch him from under the table he tenses up, he doesn't know what to think, maybe it's one of the cats he's been hiding in his room. Maybe the cat escaped, followed the smell of food and naturally came to him to beg for food. The only way to see if his theory is right is to look and see. ...looking down Satan is puzzled when he sees it's actually Mc's foot. A million thoughts and ideas scatter his mind and he can't figure what's going through Mc's until he looks up and sees Mc's mischievous smirk. As soon as Satan catches on to Mc's plans his face goes bright red, but he doesn't make a scene or purposely draw attention. He sees what Mc's doing as a challenge, he likes winning especially against Mc. It's almost better than winning against Lucifer..almost.

When Satan feels Mc sliding their foot towards his groin he knows the challenge has started. He keeps himself calm and composed besides his face being bright red and him occasionally clearing his throat. Satan will do absolutely everything in his power to not focus on Mc rubbing their foot against his clothed bulge. Satan is thinking about everything possible, the type of stuff that's instant turn offs to him. Satan does not go silent either, he uses conversations as a distraction so he sits there chatting about the most random things possible. If Mc's doing a good job and he really needs a distraction, he'll start a random conversation with Lucifer, he thought having a conversation with Lucifer would distract him, since he knew it would piss him off. Imagine how awkward that conversation would be, mans is unintentionally drawing attention to himself. Talking to Lucifer does piss him off, but it doesn't take his attention off Mc and their actions under the table. If Satan gets mad enough he might just grab Mc and drag them off to his room in the middle of dinner. He may want to win but he's not the Avatar of Pride so he's willing to admit defeat. However if Satan can control his wrath, he'll try and make it through the whole dinner. He'll only give up if he has to, he's not cumming during dinner with his brothers right there. Do you know what Lucifer would say and think? Satan's not giving that to Lucifer, that prideful bastard would hold that over him for the rest of his life. "Satan couldn't control himself at the table" The arrogant prick would treat him like a child.

Satan's reaction does draw attention and suspension from his brothers. One he's incredibly flustered the entire time, and he's brothers are always pointing out and picking on him when he's flustered. Two he's talking about the most random things, kind of sounding like Levi, and he's only like that when he's talking about a good book or crime show, or cats. It's not that his brothers think that Satan's a "calm person", but his brothers know he can usually hold a conversation. Three, he willingly started a conversation with Lucifer, one that seemingly wasn't supposed to be a prank or an argument, that's immediately suspicious. If Mc ends up getting Satan to cum it will only draw attention because he'll stand up and just bolts to his room, which isn't normal for Satan unless he's mad.

I don't think Satan would let Mc make him cum at dinner with his brothers. Satan has some restraint, and he'll know when he's about to finish, so I feel like he'd just stand up and excuse himself, but before he actually leaves the room I feel like he'd grab Mc and drag them off to his room with him. He may want to win the challenge but he's not determined enough to cum in the middle of dinner with his brothers. If he didn't do that then he'd definitely be messaging Mc once he's in his room, Mc started this mess now they have to finish it. Doing this to Satan is dangerous as Mc has now made it fair game for Satan to get Mc back, so do expect to be experiencing pay back sometime during future meals at the house of Lamentations. Who knows, maybe Satan will be bold enough to do it somewhere besides the house.

Asmodeus's Reaction:

Like with Mammon, I believe it's hard to sit across from Asmo but not as hard as it is with Mammon. I feel like Asmo sits next to Mc because he likes being close to Mc, Asmo like Mammon complains and argues usually when he can't sit next to Mc. But all Mc would have to do is ask Asmo to sit across from them so they can stare at his beautiful face during dinner and Asmo would be all over it.

I can see this going two ways I feel like it'd just depend on Asmo's mood and how goofy and horny he's feeling, the joking way I would say is that Asmo jokingly asks Mc if they are getting friendly under the table, just to realize that Mc actually is. But in seriousness here's his reaction: When Asmo feels something touch him from under the table he squeals loudly and dramatically drawing everyone's attention to him. Asmo goes to make a huge scene, but stops when he sees what touched him under the table.

When Asmo notices it was Mc's foot that actually touched him he squeals again, but this time it's more out of excitement, he knows what Mc's up to before Mc even has to do anything. Even though Asmo has all his brothers attention on him he plays it off like a pro, Asmo will start chattering about some make up brand or something that he's just been DYING to tell his brothers, when. In all reality hes just trying to keep their attention off of what's happening under the table. Asmo's face may get a little red as Mc begins rubbing their foot against his clothed groin but he mostly plays off his arosual extremely well. Asmo will gladly let Mc do as much as they want with this situation, if Mc wants him to whip it out under the table all they have to do is send a message and he's quickly but discreetly unzipping his pants and getting it out. Getting Asmo to cum would not be too hard of a task, you just have to be really dedicated and willing to deal with any repercussions getting Asmo to cum may cause.

Asmo's reaction while it's happening is not too suspicious, his brothers may think he's being extra chatty but besides that he'd hide it really well, Asmo's the Avatar of Lust, he has done all sorts of things and knows how to mask his pleasure well. But making it so Asmo cums could be a problem, now I think he's extremely capable of not being loud when finishing if necessary, but this is Asmo we're talking about, I feel like he's saying he's blessing everyone's ears by letting them hear him finish. But he may also not want to get in trouble, because then they may stop allowing Mc and him to sit next to each other, so he may keep quiet just so it can be done again.

Getting Asmo to cum wouldn't be too hard so if that's Mc's endgame then they're in luck, cause Asmo will let it happen. Asmo has no shame cumming in his pants, he may be upset if it's his favorite pants or undergarments, but he'll just make Mc go shopping with him. If Mc had Asmo whip it out, he'll use a napkin or something so they don't make a mess, especially if he's not trying to get them caught. If Asmo doesn't moan loudly while finishing then he just casual hangs out for the rest of dinner, Asmo will whisk Mc away after dinner, if not to have more fun then to just cuddle and hang out. If Asmo can't whisk Mc away then he'll definitely send a D.D.D message, probably talking about how much fun he had and how naughty Mc is, but he'll most likely mention wanting to do it again.

Beelzebub's Reaction:

It's not incredibly hard to sit across from Beel like it is with some of his brothers. Beel enjoys just sitting at a table with everyone he cares about and eating some good food, though that doesn't mean that Beel doesn't prefer when Mc is in a closer proximity to him then not, Beel just won't make a scene cause he doesn't want to ruin a good meal.

When Beel first feels something touch him from under the table there's like no reaction at all, Man's is focused on eating, he thinks one of his brothers just kicked him whether it was on accident or because he stole some food he doesn't care he's just gonna keep munching away.

When Beel feels something sliding up the inside of his thigh from under the table he finally looks under the table. Seeing it's Mc's foot Beel is a little confused, but he doesn't mind Mc touching him so he just continues eating. When Mc starts rubbing their foot against Beel's clothes groin Beel's face may get a little red and he may make "mmm~" sounds while he's eating but other than that Mc doesn't really get much of a reaction, Beel continues eating all the same. Mc fairly mistakes the lack of reaction as a lack of enjoyment and goes to remove their foot from Beel's lap completely. Beel gently grabs Mc's ankle, moving their foot back to his clothed groin. Mc's confused until Beel ruts a little against Mc's foot while still eating the whole time. Mc gets the point and begins rubbing their foot against Beel's clothed erection. Beel munches away happily, enjoying the pleasure from Mc and enjoying his food, it's one of the best meals he ever had if not the best meal he's ever had.

Beel's reaction does not draw suspicion from his brothers, Beel is always enjoying food so him blushing or groaning in enjoyment is nothing new to anyone who's ever eaten with Beel. If Mc makes Beel cum his reaction will cause attention to be drawn just because of what happens.

Mc could make Beel cum but that's a really bad idea. Mans may start choking on the food he's scarfing down, if Beel started choking all attention is going to be drawn to him, and in a very fast manner, he'd literally be choking, man. So cumming during dinner with his brothers doesn't happen for Beel but he will sit there and enjoy Mc just rubbing their foot against his clothed erection and basically edging him until dinner is over. After dinner Beel will willingly follow Mc to their room to finish things off, Beel's a hungry man so the favor will be returned. Beel is one of the only ones that will straight up admit he wouldn't mind if Mc did it again during a different meal, it made the meal all the better for him, even if Mc doesn't do it again, it'll be memorable for Beel.

Belphegor's Reaction:

It's honestly pretty easy to sit across from Belphie, Belphie is a brat about a lot of things, but where he sits during dinner is not one of things he's a brat over as long as he's sitting somewhere around Mc. It doesn't even have to be close to Mc, as long as he can see and hear Mc he's fine and surprisingly won't throw a tantrum. So sitting across from Mc isn't going to earn any whiny remarks from Belphie.

Belphie is half asleep when he first feels something touch him from under the table. He jolts awake in surprise, causing his brothers to look at him confused. Belphie ignores his brothers's weird looks and looks under the table, seeing it's Mc's foot Belphie's tired mind is nothing but confused. He can tell by the mischievous smirk Mc has that Mc's up to no good, but he's still too half asleep to understand Mc's plan.

It's when Belphie feels Mc's foot sliding up the inside of his thigh that he realizes what Mc's planning. When Mc's foot reaches Belphie's clothed groin and begins to rub against it, Belphie's face gets bright red and his eyes go wide, even though he knew that's where this was going he feels suprised Mc was brave enough to go through with it. Belphie may have been half asleep before this but Mc's actions are enough to have the Avatar of Sloth wide awake now. Belphie is a brat, one would expect him to cause a scene or do something bratty, Belphie even expected himself to do that. But Belphie doesn't throw a fit and grab anyone's attention, nor does he try and do something bratty. Belphie moves his plate out of the way and then lays his head down on the dinning room table, not because he's tired, but because he wants to hide his flusteredness and reactions from his brothers and Mc. Belphie will keep his head laying down on the table like he's sleeping the entire time Mc does their actions, but that doesn't mean he's not enjoying it. The fact that Mc's foot is rubbing against his clothed erection is a clear sign that Belphie's aroused and enjoying it, but Belphie occasionally ruts his hips, grinding against Mc's foot which shows he's really enjoying it and being a needy brat. Like usual. Belphie is at Mc's mercy, he'll oddly be a good boy and just sit there and take whatever attention Mc will give him. Because he's an attention whore.

Belphie's reaction doesn't draw suspicion unless he cums or makes too much noise while enjoying Mc's actions. Belphie falls asleep at the table often, he falls asleep literally everywhere, honestly his brothers probably looked over to make sure he wasn't laying on food and then his brothers probably went back to doing their own thing while eating. The fake sleeping act totally would work for Belphie with this. If Belphie cums he may draw suspicion but he could play it off by saying he had a nightmare, Belphie would moan all high pitchedly because he'd be trying to hold back and not make sound, not wanting to be embarrassed by his brothers, so he may be able to say it was more of a scream in fear, but that'll earn teasing too. If Belphie can't get them to not take any lie or excuse he comes up with, he'll try and put all the blame on Mc, he's a brat.

If Mc wants to edge him til dinners over they can, if they want him to cum in his pants they just have to push him over the edge and he'll let it happen. Maybe it's the scenario, but Belphie's brain just blanks, no bratty way to combat Mc's actions, nothing but enjoying the pleasure Mc's ballsy enough to give him during a meal with his brothers. If Mc chooses to make Belphie cum they have to be willing to deal with any consequences if there are any. The rest of the brothers would def make a big deal out of it, and punishments could be dished out. Idk if they'd be the kinky kind this time man. If Mc and Belphie don't get caught he'd hide the wet stain on his pants from his mess with his little cow pillow, then after dinner he'd head up to the attic or follow Mc to their room. He's got pay back to give and then cuddles are deserved. Truthfully I don't think Belphie would mind it happening again, I could see him honestly just liking Mc keeping him awake at random times by edging him, and meals would be one of those times.

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Thats all for now babes! Hope you enjoyed!! ♡ This is not proofread. Feel free to comment or reblog any thoughts or any add ons you have! Sorry some of these aren't as great as others, I just spaced out writing each one too much. Do you guys want a version of this where it's the brothers doing something to Mc during a meal? Let me know if so. Anyways more content is coming soon so Stay Tuned! Stay Safe! & Stay Groovy Scooby! ♡

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⟡˙⋆Masterlist⋆˙⟡

[oddballwriter]

The Second

Summary: After going on an unplanned adventure with your best friend and crush, his host, and his host's wife to stop the end of the world, and ending up in an accidental love triangle... square...whatever shape it is, you go back to your hometown to clear your mind. It's a great success for you, helping you reconnect with your childhood friend and even bring him back to continue the fun and show him your life in London. But unbeknownst to you, it seems like it might just cause a rift that is born on one side of the triangle.

Warnings: Love triangle and unrequited feelings. The reader is referred to using she/her. Angst, it's soft but it's there. Third-wheeling. I can't think of anything else but I feel like there's more, if there is just tell me. 

Author’s Snip: This is sort of a pilot for a series idea that I have that involves all kinds of love shape situations, rivalry, and dragging friends into all kinds of avatar shenanigans on accident. So if you guys like this, let me know so that I can prep and have it ready for writing and planning.

Notes: This is not proofread before posting, if there are errors blame Grammarly for not catching it. I might fix them later.  

I’ll shut up now. Enjoy! And don’t be afraid to request.

Word Count: 2,892

Tag List: @my-secret-shame-but-fanfiction

What an adventure you just went on. It all feels so unreal when you even try and think about it. Even as you stare up at the ceiling above your bed you find it hard to really digest fully.

Your good friend Steven turned out to be an alter for a person with DID who's named Marc Spector, whom you had not met, ever, throughout you and Steven's close friendship. In which Marc is the avatar and fist of justice for the Egyptian god Khonshu and was living his life while Steven was not fronting, unbeknownst to Steven, and has been playing a game of keep-away with a cult and their leader for a scarab. And you ended up finding all that out when some members of the cult kidnapped you to intimidate Steven and Marc. By the way, Marc is married and has been married, to a woman named Layla. And so you had to go on this whole adventure with all three of them to stop the end of the world, or something, nearly dying on several occasions, and now it's done apparently. Crisis averted. Also, there is a fucking third one.

You're sure that if you told someone outside of your journal and your new group of friends about this, then you would be thrown into a psychiatric hospital in record time.

And that isn't even mentioning all the complicated feelings you're having right now about the love triangle, that only you are aware of. Because of course, you're in a love triangle that the two other people have no idea exists. It's complicated. It was a little complicated at the start, and now it's so much more complicated because now there's another person involved.

Scratch that, four people involved. This is a love square.

Fuck it, now that Jake's here it might actually be a love pentagon now!

Either way, it all has to do with your feelings towards Steven. You had developed them pretty early on in your friendship with Steven because you just so happened to fall into your type. Dork, sweet, funny, and polite guys were your weakness. You tried to fight them off, not wanting to ruin the friendship that you honestly valued with Steven. But he just had this aura and energy that had your heart like a moth to a flame. Some might call it a slow burn. You'd say that it all was fast. But the warmth went to heat that got painful when you found out about Marc and Layla, and thus Steven and Layla.

You're not mad at Layla. Of course not! Why would you? She was there first, technically. It feels bad to say that. Both because you'd have to try and snuff out the feelings that you have, but also because it sounds wrong. It sounds like Steven's an object to be won instead of a person with his own thoughts and feelings. And you never once saw him like that. He was Steven. Nice, sweet, funny Steven.

You knew you needed to move on, even if it hurt. You know you don't have the guts and nerve to be 'the other person' even if you got the chance to be. It would be disrespectful to Layla, and Layla's a great woman. You settle on going back home, to your hometown, to see family and friends in hopes that it'll distract you, maybe even help you get over it if you're lucky. You call up your family who gladly accept the idea and will set up the room that you'll stay in by the time you get there. With that, you pack your bags, get ready for the trip, and head off.

You don't tell Steven that you're leaving to anywhere at first until you're just about to leave, figuring that if he tries to visit you and you're not there he'll assume someone else has kidnapped you and panic. You just send him a simple "As a heads up I'll be out of town for a while. I need a break.", at some point in your trip heading towards your hometown he texts you back with a single "Okay. Sounds nice.".

As it turns out, going around old loved ones really does help your blues. Matter of fact it seems like everyone from your life here heard the news that you'd be spending a few weeks in town and all got together to see you. Your uncle and dad actually threw a little family cookout so that everyone can come say hi to you.

Everyone had questions for you. What's London like? What have you been doing? How's life going over there?

Of course, you can't tell them about all the recent events and you also don't want to ruin your good mood by talking about Steven like you probably would have if this were a trip not spawned from him, in a sense. Overall, everyone's just happy you're back regardless.

You meet a really old face amidst the crowd of family and friends who've assembled. Samson. Sammy. God, you'd know his face anywhere and you know he'd know yours too. You and Sammy have been best friends since diapers. Your moms were friends. Apparently, the story goes that your mom and dad were at the courthouse waiting in line to sign the marriage papers and so were Sammy's mom and dad. Your mothers started talking and it turns out they have a lot in common. By the time both parties left the courthouse, they were in each other's weddings, to which they then found out that they both would be moving into the same area to settle down. Your moms swear that you and Sammy being close in age was just a coincidence but you always joked that it wasn't.

Sammy is hard to put into words. How do you describe the person who's been your best friend since both of you were coloring with crayons and all the way to high school graduations and beyond? The number one person you would talk to about things outside of your parents and through all of the other friends you've both had throughout your lives, the one that has always been the same. Sammy is just Sammy to you, in the most sincere way possible.

After seeing each other at the cookout you catch up on just about everything. What you've been up to, any life milestones you've gotten to while apart. You tell him about London and he tells you about his life here in town. Sammy's gotten up to a few things, had a few girlfriends, and apparently, he's developed his own business. Turns out he's a handyman and locksmith now and makes great money. Gets to make his own hours, so he says. Sammy teases you a bit and asks if you've been collecting British boyfriends. You know it's just a tease but it plucks at the still tender parts of your heart a little. You brush it off and say no.

"No?" Sammy questions, "Come on. Someone like you over there? You're kidding me. You've got to have some guys waiting like a dog for you to come back." he says. You decide to play along in the banter.

"Maybe I do. What of it, Sam-I-Am." you shrug, pretending like he's trying to compete and also pulling out old childhood nicknames. Sammy cringes and the nickname, "Oof, not the Sam-I-Am from kindergarten. You know only my dad called me that until you said it in class. Then everyone started calling me that till fifth grade." Sammy laughs. "Not you doing your shitty British accents when I said I had a thing for British boys back in seventh grade." you reference and make a call back of your own. "It made you laugh and that was my goal." Sammy playfully defended.

For a good half of your stay, Sammy was there, like always, and you would be talking about the old days. Referencing various moments and laughing or cringing together. It felt so nostalgic and good to just feel that bond again, have someone who knows all your little inside jokes and references because they were there when it was formed, and you both didn't want it to stop.

So when the day that you were to go back to London you threw out the idea that Sammy come back with you and continue the fun there. Show him what you've been doing and show him the little life you've created there.

Even though you live in a one-bedroom apartment you managed to accommodate your guest pretty well. You always knew that the pull-out bed extension of your couch that you bought second-hand would have a use someday. You two settled on rules and bases, along with where various things are in case they're needed.

After that, it was just more talking that made the time go by so fast and other things seem so minuscule. You hadn't really paid attention to the fact that you had a brief text conversation with Steven when you got back basically just telling him that you were back and what you're up to right now. It wasn't until he texted you something that sort of snapped you out of it.

You: I'm not really doing anything but my friend came back with me and will be here for a bit.

Steven: Oh that's nice

Steven: Can I meet them maybe?

You weren't sure how long you spent looking at that message, but it was long enough that Sammy noticed. "Something wrong?" he asks. "No," you reply, "Just one of my friends. He says he wants to meet you... if you're okay with that," you explain but hesitate slightly at the end, not really liking the sound of having Steven over right now after being able to get him off your mind. "Sure! I'd love to meet one of your friends here." Sammy responds, "If that's alright with you of course." he adds.

You take a second to weigh it out in your mind. On one hand, having the guy that you have feelings for over after you went on a whole vacation partially because he doesn't feel that way towards you doesn't sound like the best idea. But maybe having Sammy here will reduce that feeling of awkwardness since it can just be having your friends meet each other.

Taking the gamble, you tell Steven that he's good to come over.

The next few minutes are spent continuing to talk to Sammy, making jokes and having banter. When you hear the knock at your door you and a text from Steven that announces that he's arrived. You get up from the couch and make your way to the door, unlocking it and opening it up. And there he is, smiling at you and giving you his usual polite little "hello". You greet him back before stepping out of the way so that he can come in.

Sammy gets up from his seat on the couch and comes to shake Steven's hand. You see Steven hesitate briefly and sort of freeze up before taking the hand shake. You step in between them.

"Steven, this is my childhood friend, Samson. Samson, this is my friend Steven." you introduce them to each other and gesture to them respectively. "Nice to meet you!" Sammy comments. "Likewise," Steven responds.

You all take a seat, you and Sammy back on the couch while Steven takes a chair from your little dining table set. Sammy and Steven have some good small talk back and forth, talking the usual stuff when you meet new people. You can see Steven being a little fidgety, picking at his sweater sleeve, nodding along but having a small crease between his brows. All things that he does when he's nervous or concerned with something, you take it as Steven being shy about meeting and talking to new people like he usually is. You take it upon yourself to sort of help him by bringing up subjects that you know he's good at talking about.

"Steven loves Ancient Egypt and mythos. He knows pretty much everything," you mention. Sammy raises his brows in interest, "Really?" he questions. "Oh yeah," Steven confirms, "I would have made a bloody good tour guide if my superior wasn't out to get me." Steven remarks. You see Sammy hold back a laugh in the corner of your vision, you turn to him and light-heartedly scold him with a "Stop it.". Sammy looks towards you, his smile growing to a shit-eating grin. "Stop it," you repeat, "Behave. I told you not to laugh," you say as you struggle to keep your own laughter in. "He said the thing." Sammy squeaks out before letting a few laughs leave him. You lean in and bap him on the shoulder playfully, "Stop," you warn as you give him a few baps.

Steven lets out a small laugh that only you can tell is his fake trying-to-pretend-I-get-it laugh. "I'm sorry, Steven." you apologize, "Not even 24 hours in and he doesn't know how to act," you say as you look back to Sammy and give him a playful shake. "I'm sorry." Sammy says to Steven, "There's an inside joke to it I swear." he says.

"What's the joke?" Steven inquires. Your face drops, knowing what Sammy is going to say. "Don't you dare," you warn Sammy as you try to cover his mouth, but Sammy already knew that you are going to stop him and is ready to block your hand. You both spend a few seconds lightly wrestling as you try to cover his mouth and he blocks you in some way. "It has something to do with her-" Sammy says before you interrupt him with a "No!" in objection, "British boyfriend!" Sammy announces. "I don't have a British boyfriend!" you object through laughs as you hit him with a couch pillow. You both spend a few moments laughing. When you finally calm down you find Steven looking at the two of you like you've grown and extra head.

You sigh and look to Sammy, "Why don't you explain 'British boyfriend' to him since you want to talk about it so much?". "Okay, okay," Sammy submits. "This one," Sammy says pointing at you, "Had a thing for this one kid who was visiting family for the summer in our home neighborhood back in seventh grade, or seventh year, whatever it's called here. And so we have this joke that he was her British boyfriend. And I used to do a really bad accent to make her laugh and get all embarrassed.", Sammy looks at you and reassures, "I'm not going to do it, don't worry.".

The conversation goes on but you and Sammy can't help but say more jokes that you then need to explain to Steven, which leads to other stories and laughing fits between the two of you. You try to do the same with Steven in case he references something between the two of you, but you find that Steven just seems to sit there and listen, nodding along. You want to try and prompt something but at some point, you're able to sense this weird tension in the air whenever you do.

You aren't too sure what to do. You don't want to shoo Steven out since you've always said that Steven was always welcomed at your place, but the atmosphere is strange between the two of you for some reason. It isn't until Sammy gives something that would get the job done.

"You know, it's really nice to meet you, Steven. But I think the traveling is starting to catch up with me." Sammy says as he stretches his arms out. "Oh, no worry. I was actually thinking of getting out of your hair. You know..." Steven responds, "Since you guys probably had to get out early to get back here." he clarifies. Steven was already getting up to leave by the time he even started talking.

Sammy and you get up also, and you go in for the usual goodbye hug that you and Steven do when parting ways, Sammy shakes Steven's hand again and says his goodbyes.

Once Steven leaves, you and Sammy set up the couch so that Sammy can nap for a bit. You head to your room so that you can take one for yourself and reflect on the meeting. You still have a bit of that feeling of weird tension but figure that maybe Steven wasn't prepared for all the energy that you and Sammy created and all the inside jokes. Maybe a second get-together could help with that. After all, it might be great to have two best friends also be best friends with each other.

Meanwhile, Steven walks back, sitting in his thoughts quietly as he walks until Marc appears in a reflection along the walk. "What's with the long face?" Marc asks. Steven glances at Marc for a moment, "Nothing, it's just that..." Steven opens up with, "I felt like a bit of a third wheel over there." he admits. Marc shrugs, "Well it is her friend from her hometown, isn't it? I'm sure they'd be all chatty with each other.".

"Yeah, I suppose so." Steven replies, "It just felt a bit... off." Steven remarks.

[burst-of-iridescent]

atla live action thoughts: season one review

first things first: anyone who says the Movie That Does Not Exist is better than the live action is straight-up lying. the shymalan film fails on the criteria of even being a decent movie, let alone an adaptation. the netflix series, for all its problems, is at least an enjoyable watch with great effects, music and (mostly) appropriate casting. there's absolutely nothing to compare here - the netflix version clears easily.

now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's delve into the series, starting with the positives.

the good:

visuals and cinematography. they really did a great job of making it feel like a fantasy universe you wanted to be in & i love how vibrant the saturation and colour grading was. it made the world feel so much more dynamic and alive instead of the same flat, boring dullness that so many movies and shows have these days. sometimes i didn't even mind that i was being fed obvious exposition because at least they were giving me something pretty to look at lmao

effects and action. the bending was surprisingly good for the most part, and they did a good job of making the elements feel unique through the stunt choreography and the actors' movements. i'm immensely thankful they didn't try to skimp on budget by merely cutting away from fight scenes or showing us as little as possible. almost all the action sequences were fast-paced and engaging, and i was never bored watching them

acting. the main four were all great, but gordon cormier and dallas liu have to be the standouts for me. gordon brings such an earnest, innocent sweetness to aang that you can't help but like him, and dallas plays all of zuko's facets perfectly: the angst, the explosive anger, the bratty snark, and especially the deep-rooted pain that characterizes so many of zuko's actions in book 1. the range he has, especially when flashing from younger to older zuko, was insane. special shoutout to maria zhang and sebastian amoruso as suki and jet respectively, because they killed it

music. leaves from the vine instrumental had me tearbending and i love how they kept the iconic avatar theme while making it a little darker for this iteration of the story. in general, the soundtrack felt very true to the animation while still being a fresh spin on it

zuko and iroh's relationship and expanding on zuko's crew. i think the fandom universally agrees that lu ten's funeral and zuko's crew being the 41st division were the best changes in the series, so i'm not going to talk about it further other than to say that these scenes show me what the show can be, and that's why i'm not giving up on it

the bad:

characterization. almost all the main characters are missing the little nuances that made them so great in the original, but the greatest casualty is katara. i hate that they took away so much of her rage, and gave many of her traits and struggles to sokka. i don't think this is a problem solely with the writing though, because certain lines do feel like things animated katara would say, but the directing and line delivery don't have the same punch that made her so fierce in the original. this is an easily fixed issue though, so i hope they take the criticism and let my girl be angry and fuck shit up next season

exposition. this was primarily a problem in depicting aang's personality and the relationship between the gaang, because a) why are you TELLING me that aang is mischievous and fun-loving instead of just showing me and b) the gaang do NOT feel like close friends, mostly because they spend so much time apart in every episode that they have little screentime to actually bond and develop intimacy.

lack of focus on the intricacies of bending. for a show whose tagline is "master your element" the characters spend very little time actually... mastering their element. zuko is never shown to struggle with firebending (which is going to have ramifications when it comes to developing his relationship with azula), and neither aang nor katara ever learn waterbending from a master throughout the the entire show. i'm pretty sure aang never willingly waterbends ONCE in the entire eight episodes, discounting the avatar state and koizilla. bending isn't just cool martial arts, it's closely linked to the philosophies and spirituality of each nation, and i wish that had been explored more.

pacing. they really needed to do a better job of conveying that time passed between episodes because an 8-episode season is just going to FEEL shorter than a 20-episode one. the original animation felt as though they'd truly been on a long journey before arriving at the north, but here it feels like the entire show happened in the span of a fortnight or so because each episode seemed to pick up right after the previous. they needed to have more downtime within episodes instead of just rushing from plot beat to plot beat because it made everything feel a lot more rushed. give the characters and story time to breathe.

final rating: 7/10.

overall, i would describe the live action as a better version of the percy jackson movies - not an accurate or perfect adaptation, but a decent story that's very fun to watch. but what really makes me root for this show to get a season 2 is that it has a lot of potential and more importantly, a lot of heart. it's evident that the people who worked on it do genuinely love and respect the original series, and it shows onscreen.

regardless of anything else, this show created opportunities for so many asian and indigenous actors, writers and creators to tell the kinds of stories and play the kinds of roles they don't usually get, and that's something worth supporting. if they take the criticism from this season and improve, i believe they really do have something special on their hands which - although it might not be the original we all know and love - could still be a story to be proud of.

[woodlaflababab]

hey! can i ask what your thoughts are on sokkaang? why do you ship them?:)

Oh my gosh. Okay, so funnily enough I literally gave a break down to someone yesterday. Sokkaang is my little rare pair gem that I hold close to my heart.

I did write this meta, but that doesn't cover even half my thoughts.

I'll give you the short version first in case you don't want to read my full ramblings:

Sokka is Aang's biggest protector. Aang. The Avatar. Sokka is a nonbender but he don't give a shit bc Aang still needs and deserves protection.

Aang is the biggest believer in Sokka. He thinks all his ideas are genuis, and unironically uses the stupid names he comes up with. He also brings fun to Sokka.

They're smart and wise seperately, but idiots together and I love that. I just think they'd make fantastic partners in all things.

Long Version:

So, I'm a sucker for protective tropes, right? And something that absolutely kills me about Sokka and Aang is that Sokka is a nonbender and Aang is literally the most powerful person on the planet, but it is Sokka who protects Aang. I've always been soft for Aang and more than anything I want good things for him. Too many people throw him at threats, too many people expect great things from him.

Sokka doesn't. He fights Hei Bai for Aang while everyone stands back. He realizes Aang needs them in the Bato episode. His plans to defeat the fire lord are always centered on helping Aang, giving Aang any advantage he can. At this point I'm just repeating my earlier meta BUT

Basically, when I realized this I was just like, "aw, cute friendship"

And then I remembered the fuckin "Toph writes a letter" plan. The two are fucking idiots together. It's hilarious that they affect eachother like this and it's not even like, unrealistic, because of what Aang does for Sokka.

Aang is Sokka's biggest supporter. He usually happily follows Sokka's ideas, he accepts the stupid names Sokka comes up with and uses them unironically. Aang belives Sokka to be a genuis, which means he doesn't question his ideas when they're stupid, he just trusts it's a genuis idea because of course it is, Sokka came up with it. And Sokka soaks that up like a sponge.

People talk about Aang bringing fun to Katara and like, 10/10 I love that, but I feel like it's not talked about as often just how much Sokka changes thanks to the brightness Aang brings. I'm paraphrasing someone elses meta here but I don't remember where I saw it but if you know it lmk, but Sokka literally goes from "You can't fight firebenders with fun" (to which Aang replies "You should try it sometime") to the finale where he gets rid of an entire crew by fucking around all amused at himself. He goes from the most sour character to the joke filled idiot we all know and love. I do believe a lot of that is thanks to Aang's influence.

So, yeah, cute friendship, blah blah, but then I was thinking about post-war them and I realized, despite zukaang being my favorite ship and loving kataang, there's no one I'd rather see travel around with Aang than Sokka. That's always been their dynamic, Aang with the purpose and Sokka with the maps and plans to get it done. I want Aang to be able to continue to rely on Sokka in tough spots, I want Sokka to continue experiencing the world and fun thanks to Aang.

I just don't see Sokka wanting to settle back down and take on the responsibility shoved onto him as a child. He fucking bloomed thanks to being on the road and getting true oppertunities to use his strengths and I want that for him.

And Aang is Not Good at the whole plans and stuff. Sokka is so good at filling the gaps in Aang's abilities and I don't want Aang to lose that. I don't want him to lose the person that says "I don't care if he's the avatar, I'm going to fight his battles with him." I feel like Aang would be lost in some ways without him.

Then I was thinking abt Aang's admiration and belief in Sokka and realized, it wouldn't take much to tip that into a crush, esp for Aang who falls so easily.

And Sokka, we have established, is attracted to people that could kick his ass without ever landing a blow. I can see Tall Aang being Sokka's surprise gay realization.

And I just think, if they were together romantically, it would be so drama free because it would be the epitome of a relationship built on friendship. They'd just be together. No bells or whistles. I feel liked they'd just be chill af about it. They'd love eachother and it'd be as simple as that.

Just, partners, in everything. I love them so much. I'm so alone in shipping this but I have so many sokkaang ideas and they will never not be dear to me. Also, tbh, it helps that Sokka is my favorite character after Aang ksndksnd

[autumnslance]

Hey Aeryn, I was wondering what you recommend to get past FOMO and overthinking. I know I shouldn't feel this way but I can't shake it. I want to play all of the story but I start to feel anxious. I start overthinking and second-guessing and the cycle starts again. I have a WOL I'm enjoying writing but I can't get her to translate in-game. Any advice?

I admit, I don't often get FOMO, but when I do, I stop and ask myself: is this something I actually want to do? A place I actually want to go? An experience I need? An item I want? Or am I just reacting to others, especially friends, having fun and talking about a thing together, so it's pinging a social desire/need?

Cuz I can interact and talk with my friends in other ways and places. I don't have to do all the things they do, play the games they play, etc. I use in built filters and blacklists on my social media to not see things about games/shows/etc that I don't want hear about, and I stop following a lot of (usually sideblogs) accounts that deal with those topics. When I left WoW behind, I dropped a lot of those blogs, for instance.

(I think some people would be happier if they put down media they don't actually enjoy but only watch/play because the people in their lives do.)

What about playing the game is making you anxious? Is it doing the content? Most can be done solo now, but friends can help with the stuff that can't be, or there's always duty finder. Is it story and character direction? Afraid things will happen to your faves, or they'll grown and change in ways you don't care for? That's a risk in any ongoing media, and up to an individual where their "I'm done" point is where they don't enjoy that lore and canon anymore, and then make the decision to change it in fanfiction or drop the story altogether.

With everyone talking about new content right now, even trying to keep spoilers under wraps, it can be rough for sure. Everyone has opinions! And screenshots! And there's new fanfic!

Is the anxiety because of the WoL you started writing, and how she doesn't "translate" in game, and afraid the lore will continue to make that harder?

In that case, look at what the character is, what you've written...and what the character (your subconscious, really) is telling you they actually are, or need. If they don't fit the canon lore...It's OK. Change the story to fit as needed. Or....play through it and see what ends up working after all, with the benefit of knowledge.

You can't lock a character in stone; a story happens because characters want something (large or small), and in the course of the story they are changed in some way (large or small). WoL is an anime protagonist with plotstrong abilities and gifts that give players a lot of leeway in any direction. Some people don't play WoLs at all. Their OC is a person they roleplay and write about in the setting, the plot happens to someone else, and they just play the video game with that avatar.

So what isn't "translating"? Is it appearance related that can't be done without mods and artwork? Disabilities that likewise are tricky to show in game (which assumes a mostly able-bodied WoL)? A backstory that seems to not fit (the world's bigger than what we see)? A lot of detailed backstory and supporting cast that now make you feel boxed into a corner?

It can be hard, seeing people with deeply developed stories and characters and supporting cast, but you also have to remember: a lot of that is built over time. Aeryn didn't have nearly the detailed list of relatives to start, didn't have the "dad was a secret heretic" backstory until 4 years into playing her. I still haven't named all of Dark's siblings. I've seen some folks entirely rewrite their characters cuz something in an expansion spoke to them and it made more sense and made them happier than what they did before.

When I start overthinking a character story, I put the backstory away, and just play them for a bit. I keep a vague idea of what I think their personality might be, what reactions would seem right. And then I let "them" guide me as I play. And sometimes what a character tells me ends up far more interesting. Or I find the stuff I was anxious about adding to them...ends up being canon, or at least working out, anyway.

And if the concern is what other people will think about one's WoL....well, you can't control what others think. And trying to please everyone leaves you with a milquetoast bland sop who isn't interesting at all. Care about the character you want to write, even if that changes, and make them as interesting as you want.

I was saying in a convo yesterday that the shrieking about "Mary Sue and how to not be one" caused lasting societal trauma and people are still afraid of giving characters interesting traits and stories. A person was anxious about giving their WoL traits that might make them 'too much' or 'too special' but they're traits WoL canonically has. We're in an anime story as anime protagonists, be wild and weird. Not everyone will like it, and that's good, actually. Cuz others will love it, and it means you gave your writing and characters personality.

Final Fantasy XIV is a game that 90% of the time, the content isn't going anywhere. You go at your pace, you enjoy the story and side content. There's a lot, after 11 years. Do what you gotta to avoid spoilers, gushing, complaining, or otherwise talk about content you're not in yet to reduce the worry everyone else is having fun while you're spinning wheels a few expacs back. Figure out what you enjoy and love about the game, and focus on that for awhile. Let your WoL breathe, and just play without plotting out how they translate or fit, and remember stories aren't set in stone; they have to be malleable. Especially when trying to write/roleplay in someone else's world!

You should be in this for yourself. Because you find it fun, relaxing, enjoyable to experience. Because you want to tell a character's story even if it takes a hard left turn from canon lore. And if you have to mute and filter out and block some things and people on social media or chat or whatever, do what works for you. But when overthinking, turn that around and interrogate yourself: "OK, why do I feel this way? Why would this be bad? Do I want this or am I trying to follow the crowd?" Make lists, pros and cons. Figure out if it's actually FOMO and anxiety...or if you're trying to tell yourself something and you're just not listening.

Give yourself grace. This game is just one piece of our life's tapestry, and while there's probably friends who want to see you clear content, the world won't end if you don't catch up to the current patch right away, or write a 200k fic about your WoL's life by year's end, either. Go at your pace.

[thatonebirdwrites]

Questions: Korrasami: 1,6,13,14,16,17

Bonus for fun if you want: Have you ever made a persona for yourself in the LOK universe? would you want to be a non-bender or bender? If Bender what Element? What nation would you live in, and what role would you want to play?

Korrasami: 1. ...about my absolute favorite of their scenes and why I love it so much.

Asami gifting Korra an airship because it is the loudest flirty 'i-am-in-love-with-you' I've ever seen on TV. It's adorable. Korra using airbending to spin Mako in the air, just to grin at Asami and watch her laugh. Adorable. Just adorable.

Asami holding an unconscious Korra while riding Naga, because she is fierce and determined to keep her love safe.

Asami and Korra fighting bandits, because they are amazing fighting partners.

Then the ending, where Asami and Korra go off to the Spirit World and hold hands like newlyweds.

I love the above because it's just adorable and really showed the depth of their connection.

Korrasami 6. ...what kind of AU fics I'm obsessed with reading about them (or would be if I could find one).

There's only one Star Wars AU I read of them, but I'd love to read another Star Wars AU, which is them being rebels together. Where they fall in love that way in their fighting the Empire shenanigans. I actually wrote down ideas for a story like this.

Other than that, I mostly just read in-universe fics of them. So I don't touch on many Korrasami AUs.

Korrasami 13. ...if I can watch them in relationships with other characters without feeling gutted.

Yeah, I can't. They are perfect for one another, and seeing them with other characters is painful.

Korrasami 14 ...which tropes I think describe them the best.

Red and Blue Trope. Brawn and Brain Trope (not to say Korra has no brain and Asami no brawn, but that Korra tends toward brawn actions and Asami toward Brain actions).

Korrasami 16. ...three of my fic recs for this ship. And (in the event that I've written something for them) one of my fics involving them that I'm most proud of.

It Belongs in a Museum by lovedeathcats

Korra, not alone by IslandOfMe

Repairs, Retrofits, and Upgrades by Progman

The one I'm most proud of is my Shared Moment Series. It started with me writing a fic about the aftermath of book 1 that dealt with Asami's trauma and her father. Then I thought I might as well keep going as I had a grand idea for reworking Book 2, so I wrote that, which meant I had to write the Book 2.5, and Book 3 to show the full consequences of Book 2's events. I then wrote Book 3.5 to show part of the healing journey for the pair. So those are the finished parts of the series.

I'm still working on Book 4, where I rework that season to expand the lore and story I've built up thus far. (I just had a lot hit me at once so I need to rework my posting schedule). Everything is taking me longer as my health is poor and grief heavy, but it is still being written.

Korrasami 17. ...three of my favorite fanvids for this ship. And (in the event that I've created something for them) one of my videos involving them that I'm most proud of.

Asami Sato Bi Bi Bi (there's an Avatar Korra one too)

Avatar Korra - BONES

Korrasami -- Only You

For my Legend of Korra playlist, here you are since picking three proved difficult:

Persona?

I'd probably be a nonbender engineer like Asami Sato. I'd probably live in Republic City or maybe the Fire Nation. I'm too easily cold to survive the Water Tribes.

I thought about airbending -- as I do like the idea of being nomadic and helping people with it. But I think I like to make things more, and I don't know if I'd really want to be a bender per se.

Speaking of this, I have all the Avatar Roleplaying game books, so more characters will likely be created for whatever games devised with it.

Thanks for asking!

[juniperhillpatient]

thank you SO much @missjessefantastico for the tag <3 ALSO EVERYONE READ THIS SERIES ABOUT VAMP WILLOW, THE UNDERRATED HYENA KIDS, & MORE!!! It's so good btvs fans who love underexplored ideas & characters pspspsps

20 Questions For Fic Writers

1. How many works do you have on Ao3? 19

2. What’s your total Ao3 word count? 3,027,073

3. What fandoms do you write for? It's been Avatar the Last Airbender for the past few years. I have an old & probably not-good Rick & Morty fic up. Before that, I had some IT fics. I've got an orphaned fic for scream & one for house of 1000 corpses.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

the benefits of getting a flat tire this is Zuko running away from home & running right into the gaang - also uncovering some family mysteries & reconciling with Azula. modern au. it's Zukka & aw I'm nostalgic for those early days of mine in the fandom

if this were a movie this is basically an ATLA Hollywood Au. Zukka & Azutara. Past Jetko. I was happy with some of the dramatic moments in this fic.

not another high school au lord help me lmao. I'm SO sorry if you are reading this & you happen to love this fic but it's not the thing I'm most proud of. this is basically just me dipping my toes into writing ATLA modern AUs & in that sense I guess it's nostalgic? this is the fic I wrote as a newbie to the fandom just trying it out & I still do lovingly appreciate everyone who was kind & welcoming in those early days!

six feet under ATLA TVD AU MY BELOVED OMG. this is a vampire diaries au. there are no 1:1 translations but azula is damon, katara is a mix of jeremy & elena & so is sokka, zuko is stefan & YEAH. also aang is bonnie & iirc I probably even gave toph something fun to do. ozai is Katherine which is forever hilarious to me. yeah, this was a fun fic.

5. in search of glorious happenings of happenstance this fic is about nothing & everything at the same time. atla/modern world fusion with the four nations existing but also it's modern. all the atla teens/kids are going to college at ember island university & the fic takes place across a year. it's slice of life, comedy, drama, & chaos. lots of ships but I think azutara & jet/zuko/jin are probably, at the end of the day, the romances that are at the heart of this story although platonic relationships are also pretty important in this fic, IMO as much as romances. it's probably my magnum opus or something.

Do you respond to comments? yes <3 I am sometimes slow & I am not perfect but I TREASURE comments & do attempt to let people know as much. I write for myself, I post for the connections I make along the way.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? the devil you know for sure. this is my atla/scream modern au. I talk about it constantly because I'm so insanely proud of it but if you don't know it's exactly what it sounds like. it's horror & tragedy that I feel really proud of & I do think those elements are at the heart of my writing passion despite me usually being a bit nervous about using them. so. I'm proud of this fic. & it has a very bittersweet ending but the tragedy is...there's a lot of tragedy. no more spoilers because I want people to read this!

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? most of my fics have decently happy endings despite me claiming to prefer tragedy lol. I seem to recall the things we leave behind (mailee youtuber au with jetko & auztara. & they were roommates!) having a tooth rottingly fluffy ending lol

8. Do you get hate on fics? not really. it's happened before but it's not a big thing.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? sometimes I write the smutty scenes from my fics then save it only for myself. no you can't see. it's probably terrible. there's some shitty zucest smut of mine out there somewhere but I'm not sure it's any good & couldn't tell you where to find it lol

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? I think the AUs I write are called "fusion" because it's more "inserting characters into another world & the characters of that world aren't a thing." but my fic the balance of things was actually a crossover with characters from both wizards of waverly place & atla interacting. also I wrote THIS one-shot that's a crossover between the game the coffin of andy & leyley & the show wizards of waverly place. I didn't post it on ao3 but I'm just saying.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?  I don't think so?

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? I have vague memories of doing this with this girl I was online friends with back in my fanfic.net days, years ago. I think it was Destiel.

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship? to write? I don't have one right now. I think maybe I got kinda burnt out on everything having to be about one ship or whatever rather than just telling the story & maybe that's a small part of why I'm taking a temporary break from fic writing & focusing on an original story so I'm not staying within fandom approved in parameters & I can just do whatever feels right ya know? I like Cisne's answer about any willow ship tho. me with my faves tbh hehe

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? can't think of one but I can think of fanfic ideas I'd like to return to & fully realize after I get back in the mood

16. What are your writing strengths? I like to think I'm okay at characterization although moving away from fanfic & working on something original has me questioning myself constantly!

17. What are your writing weaknesses? I'm very lazy & often neglect research. sometimes if I don't know how to explain something I just change the whole scene so i don't have to bother.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? could be neat in the right context!

19. First fandom you wrote for? probably family guy lmao

20. Favourite fic you’ve written? maybe 'in search of glorious happenings of happenstance.' I think 'the devil you know' is objectively the strongest. but happenstance is just such a specific version of the characters that's fun to me? it's one of those two that's my favorite, depending on my mood

this is very long so these tags have even less pressure than usual:

@reythespacebae @theowritesfiction @imaslowlearner-butilearn @chasingfictions @hello-nichya-here @matchamarshmallow @akiizayoi4869 @dont-leafmealone @peony-pearl @lunaintheskyforever

also, anyone who wants to do this just say I tagged you!

[miloscat]

[Review] Legend of Kay Anniversary (Wii U)

An unremarkable PS2 action-adventure.

After immersing myself in Avatar media for so long I looked around for any other games set in Asia-inspired fantasy worlds but made by Westerners. This let me knock one off my Wii U backlog, the 2015 remaster of the 2005 PS2 game Legend of Kay. Neon Software, the German studio behind the original game, are known to me for their Amiga Sonic clone Mr. Nutz: Hoppin' Mad, and it's somewhat fitting that their final game before closure was this other furry platformer. Some of the Neon cofounders went on to form Keen Games, which seems to have morphed into a new Kaiko... the original Kaiko being the company that the Mr. Nutz Hoppin' Mad team left to form Neon in the first place! Who knows how long they'll survive now under the aegis of the troubled and layoff-happy Embracer, but it's been four years since their last remaster...

Anyway, this game is a sort of 3D Zelda-like-slash-3D platformer filled with anthropomorphic animal characters, which as a Rare fan sounds up my alley. Comparing it to Starfox Adventures may be a little generous though: this is very much a B-tier PS2 action game, and a graphical revamp for new generation consoles can't magically fix the mediocrity.

To get the plot out of the way: it's extremely Normal. Kay is a "plucky" (read: obnoxious) protagonist, using his martial arts training to fight back against the occupation of his cat village by evil gorillas and rats. He travels his island to settlements of rabbits, frogs, and pandas to free them from oppression. I think it's telling that there are no credits given for story or writing; anything story-related is constantly undermined by overly shallow characterisations, completely functional video game progression (go here to get key to open door to go there etc.), and the most brain-dead "banter". For example, Kay thinks the height of action hero quips is to call a rat "cheese-breath" about a hundred times.

The latter issue is not helped by some misguided voice acting choices. It's a fully voiced game but you'll wish it wasn't with Kay's bland sarcastic schtick and almost every other character uncomfortably presenting as a borderline racist caricature. Mostly it's white people doing faux-"Asian" accents, although apparently crocodiles are Eastern European and frogs are... Jamaican, for some reason? I was glad to find a setting that let me skip any dialogue scene with a quick tap of X, because there's no other way to speed up the tedious exposition and pointless back-and-forth when you meet enemy groups.

There's only a handful of what you might call "puzzles", and the platforming ranges from "not bad" to "OK", serviceable but doesn't excel. The biggest strength and biggest weakness of the game is its combat, which is pretty involved. You can swap between three weapons which have different attributes, you often have to get around enemy blocks so there's a Wind Waker-style roll around move to hit their back, but you can also zip between targets during a combo, or use rolling, crouching, or jump attacks. You can carry up to 5 usable items which sometimes are used to explore but you have to rely on them for combat encounters late in the game when they start throwing waves at you with hordes of armoured enemies. When the difficulty spikes like this, it all just becomes too much and goes from an exercise in creatively using moves to keep your combo up to a struggle to survive (and if you die, you lose any consumables you used in your last attempt, also there's a lives system for some reason??).

I said combat might be the game's strength and it was clearly a focus of the project, but I had the most fun exploring the little worlds. There's lots of goodies to collect, mostly in the form of chests and pots containing money. You quickly end up with more than you'll ever spend but I still liked finding it. The point multiplier mechanic may seem superfluous but when you get accustomed to the flow of the platforming sections, grabbing coloured crystals to keep this combo going to make your fights and coins worth more points becomes addictive. The level design may be nothing special but the zones you traverse have some character to them.

It should be noted that this is a semi-linear game, in that the levels are mostly open to explore with events and sub-dungeons within them, but you progress from one field to the next with no way to go back. This bit me on more than one occasion when I blundered into the story trigger to move on before turning in one of the rare sidequests or going down a side path to find a health extension, making it permanently missable. This frustration prompted me to occasionally consult a Gamefaqs guide with maps during each subsequent chapter. The game does give you a minimap in the corner of the screen but it can't be expanded to a full map so it's less useful than it could be.

Legend of Kay would have felt middling even at release but rereleasing it just makes its deficiencies even more obvious. It's still got some charm for being "of that era" (I was often reminded of The Hobbit's action-adventure game from the same generation, but with fewer instant death pits), so I got some enjoyment from it. And it has some ideas that work, like the acrobatic combat and combo system. While some of the environments look nice there were just as many drab areas, and the repeated character model reuse got old. Oh, and sometimes you ride an animal and it's not fun. On the whole, I can't recommend this one... even if you ignore the cringey cultural stereotypes!!

[attic-club-sandwich]

Help Me Understand

a short drabble written for the @ombrotherlylove2023! I hope you all enjoy! And thank you for hosting the event! I've had so much fun writing the prompts and I can't wait to share the rest of my stories! 💜

A/N: This story is set in the Nightbringer Era so Satan is very much new to the world and how things work, so he often gets easily frustrated. A small miscommunication between the pair leads to a rare, but much needed moment of bonding between them.

Taglist: @amberrskiies, @obey-me-posts, @sassykattery, @delphi-dreamin, @bite-sized-devil, @flemmingbamse, @a-hidden-gem, @otomefoxystar, @siofrantic, @todothedodo, @marvelous-maniac, @nonbinary-disaster, @selfmadender, @animeismyhappyplace, @vampire-tr4mp, @meiloorun-tea, @ana-dear , @gaychaosgremlin, @sidgethegamer, @jasper-s-phantym

Day 1: Misunderstandings, Lucifer & Satan.

floral divider by @/saradika

Lucifer hadn’t really meant what he said. If he’s being honest, the Avatar of Pride felt…bad. He knew Satan was struggling with his emotions after his sudden and unexpected arrival into the Devildom and he wasn’t trying to do anything to trigger him too badly. He was beginning to get tired of the constant repairs on the house.

As he sat in his office, he thought back to the events that had transpired earlier that day. In truth, Lucifer had been quite preoccupied while in a meeting with Diavolo that he hadn’t thought much about the text he had received from Satan. He had just typed out a quick reply so he wasn’t making him wait too long for a response. However, his short reply really seemed to anger Satan. 

Lucifer, I am done with that book I borrowed from your office. 

Is it okay if I drop it off? I really enjoyed it. Thank you for letting me borrow it. 

....

I don’t care. 

Fuck you, Lucifer. 

Whatever, I know you don’t care. 

You never cared about me. 

The eldest demon realized by the time he got back home that had never replied to explain the miscommunication. Damn it, he thought as he rubbed his temples. I need to apologize. Lucifer figured that the younger demon would be in his room for the evening, so he began to make his way down the hallway of the House of Lamentation. He stopped once he reached Satan’s door, a nervous sweat beginning to form on his forehead. He wasn’t sure what to expect out of this interaction, but he was too sure it would end in Satan once again destroying something. Finally after a few moments, he knocked; 3 small taps that would be sure to grab Satan’s attention vital to the house’s architecture. “Who is it?” He heard a voice from the other side. Lucifer cleared his throat, “Um, It’s me, Lucifer.” There was a pause before the voice spoke again. This time it was steeped with anger. “Go away. I don’t want to talk to you.” Lucifer sighed. “I know you don’t. But I need to explain myself.” To his surprise, the door opened slightly, Satan’s emerald eyes glowing through the crack in the door. “If you just came here to belittle me even more, you can turn right back around.” he hissed. Lucifer rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms over his chest. “No, Satan. I actually came here to apologize.” Satan’s brow furrowed in confusion as he was for once, silent. Lucifer noticed his hesitation and stepped forward. “Can I come in? We can talk this over if you’d like.” Satan nodded slowly, backing up so Lucifer could enter his bedroom. The blonde demon walked over and sat down on his bed, crossing his arms protectively around himself. “Satan, that text message was a misunderstanding.” Satan refused to meet his crimson gaze. “Yeah, right.” he muttered. Lucifer slowly walked over to sit down beside his brother. “I mean it. I was busy in a meeting with Diavolo. I had to make it a quick response as I didn’t want to keep you waiting.” Satan glanced down at his lap, clearly frustrated. “Then why did you say you didn’t care? I-I don’t…understand.” Lucifer gave him a small smile. He could hear the frustration rising in his voice. It was still hard for Satan to understand certain things, communication through text messages being one of them. “I just mean that I didn’t care if you dropped off the book in my office. I apologize for not being more clear. I know you are still learning and I failed to remember that.” Satan glanced up at his older brother, his green eyes filled with tears. “Oh…I-I guess I overreacted then…” Lucifer shrugged. “It’s fine, Satan. I just wanted to clarify that to you.” Satan nodded, his face flushed as he quickly wiped away his tears. He wasn’t sure if they were from anger or relief and he was quite flustered about tearing up in front of Lucifer out of all people. “I won’t say anything to the others, so no worries.” Lucifer winked before getting up from the bed. “I should be going now, I still have some paperwork from the meeting to finish up.” 

Just as Lucifer was about to leave, Satan also jumped up from his spot on the bed. “Wait! I um..I have that book.” Lucifer turned around again to see him taking a book off of his bedside table. He held it out to him, glancing away as his cheeks were still dusted pink. Lucifer smiled as he took the book from him. “Thank you, Satan. So you enjoyed it? I thought reading about Devildom history would be rather boring for you.” Satan shook his head, his face lighting up at the opportunity to discuss his thoughts on the book. “No way, I found it very interesting. I want to learn everything I can about the three realms and more.” Lucifer relaxed as he leaned up against the door, the book tucked in his arms over his chest. He found that he was enjoying listening to Satan recount his favorite facts about the Devildom, and was glad that his younger brother was no longer upset with him…for now anyways. Lucifer decided he would take advantage of the rare moment that they weren’t at each other's throats. “Let me know if you’d like to borrow any other books. You are free to browse the library, if you’d like.” Satan nodded enthusiastically, a smile plastered on his face. “Yes, thank you, Lucifer. I’d appreciate that.”

[giaourtopita]

but does he know you call me when he sleeps?

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warnings; poly fem mc, angst, implied drunk sex, feelings, not very good writing, cheating(?), a little ooc

finally, my silly little fanfic is done shout out to @strawchocoberry for helping me edit this beast‼️🫶🏻

word count; 5.7k

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

MC had been in the Devildom for about three years. She loved being there, truly, living there was probably her most cherished experience. Learning about everything magic was so fascinating. She knew she could never go back to the human world without longing for the Devildom and specifically for a few of its residents. Well, not exactly few but seven, seven demons who were so beloved to her. She never wanted to think about how her life will be once she goes back to the human world for good. Of course, she was friends with the others involved in the exchange program but the human is much, much closer to the seven brothers; after all they were her housemates and she also had pacts with them. She wanted to stay permanently but she knew convincing Diavolo would be hard. Even so, she wanted to give it a try anyway.

She waited for the RAD council meeting to end to talk to him again.

"Hey, can I talk to you in private for a little bit?", she whispered to him.

The prince nodded and immediately she grabbed him by the arm and pulled him into a spare classroom.

"Diavolo, I wanted to ask if you could reconsider about me going back to the human world. Please, I can't go back…", she pleaded.

The truth is she didn't have a home to go back to. Ever since her first stay in the Devildom as an exchange student, she knew she never wanted to go back. Her house wasn't home anymore, she felt suffocated there. The only person she could go back to was terrible to her, it was her brother who would create hostile situations out of nowhere. And despite certain situations she went through during her first year in the Devildom, she still thought she was better off there.

"I suppose I should think this through better. Even if I send you back, you'll be back again soon, so sending you there in the first place would be for nothing… Barbatos won't like this but then again he's not the prince right?", he joked.

"Thank you!", she said before pulling him in a bear hug.

——————————

MC was hanging out with Levi in his room when she got a message from Diavolo. He was just making small talk but she just knew he wanted to tell her something else.

Do you want to stay over at the castle tonight?

She was surprised at first but she ended up saying yes. She didn't know what to think about it but knew it would be fun. Plus she wanted to get over the feelings she had for the brothers; having feelings for all of them and wanting to be with all of them was just unrealistic. She hoped that as long as she got over them, things could still work out. After all, she loves and cares about them either way. She thought maybe Diavolo could help her get rid of those feelings.

As she was getting ready to leave Levi's room, she gave him a kiss on the cheek to tease him. She always does that and yet he always acts surprised.

"Hey, normie! Don't do stuff like that out of the blue…", he yelled at her while trying to hide his obvious flushed face.

She chuckled and walked away. She went over to Asmo's room, she wanted to ask if he could do her makeup. She might have feelings for him right now, and it does make her feel bad asking him to help her with her date, but he is an expert and she knows the demon loves doing her makeup.

The makeup he did on the human wasn't heavy at all, the Avatar of Lust just made sure to accentuate her beautiful features. How he longed to kiss that face… For the very first time someone he's attracted to has managed to make him so flustered he's unsure of what to do. Most humans seem to lose their minds over him and yet this one is different, she treats him differently. Not like someone that is put on display for everyone to objectify, but as an actual person. Sure, physical affection was his thing but it was nice to be heard. Being with her felt more intimate than most - if not all - his other physical relationships. Sure, he'd love to get physical with her too but that's for her to decide. Besides, he can tell there's something between her and his brothers as well.

——————————

MC went to Lucifer's office to let him know she's staying at the castle for the night.

"Hey, Luci. I'm going to the castle. Don't wait for me, I'll stay there. We're having a slumber party with Diavolo!", she said while smiling at him.

He was expecting something like this to happen, but the reason why he wouldn't just talk to her about his feelings wasn't just his pride. During her first year in the Devildom, with him, she never listened to him even if he was right and since then she got into numerous dangerous situations which has made him worried and hesitant about telling her how he feels. Wouldn't him being the Avatar of Pride make her even more of a target? He keeps replaying scenarios in his head, thinking about how to make things work with her. He knows she cares about him just as much as he does for her but to him her safety is more important than his feelings. He has done the same with Lilith and his brothers. Which is why her potentially dating the prince feels off to him. He's worried, he's always worried but at the same time he wants what's best for her…

"Wait, come here, I have something for you", he motioned her to get in the room. MC sat on his desk and waited for him to respond. He started chanting something in the demon language.

"It's a little protection charm. I know you think it's unnecessary but-", before he managed to finish his sentence she cut him off.

"I think it's really sweet, thank you Lucifer!"

He was glad she appreciated his gesture without asking too much about it.

"The castle is twenty minutes away, are you sure you want to go on your own? I can drive you there if you want, I'd prefer that if we're being honest", the demon said.

"I guess you're right, it's always dark and I'm human…", she played along with him. He knows this human isn't weak, but he also loves pampering her and keeping her safe.

She got on the passenger seat next to him. They didn't say much but she had had her eyes locked onto him during the entire ride. He was looking on the road, so beautiful like always. All she wanted to do was kiss him but she knew things could never work out; she doesn't have feelings just for him. If she ever got into a relationship with one of the brothers, her feelings for the others would interfere with it.

Lucifer knew Diavolo had feelings for her. He never actually told him but he could just tell. He was sure the prince knew about his feelings for MC too. It was like they had an unspoken agreement to never talk about it. Diavolo is his boss and more importantly the future king of the Devildom. He is used to getting what he wants, so addressing it would be pointless. And it seems like he's finally getting what he wants…

They finally arrived, he parked near the castle entrance, they both got out of the car. Lucifer obviously wanted to stay with her as long as he could.

"You don't have to do this", she looked up at him while telling him.

"It's okay, I want to see you getting inside and then I'll go home", he said while giving her a pat on the head.

A guard opened the gate. Once Lucifer saw Barbatos waiting there, he told her goodnight but before he was able to leave, she pulled him in a hug, thanking him.

——————————

MC had stayed in the castle a few times before this but this time it was her first time staying there without any of the brothers.

"The Young Lord is having dinner, you should too", Barbatos said as he was extending his arm for her to grab on while escorting her to the dining room.

The human had visited the castle many times but going there alone really made her take a look around; she would just pay attention to the seven brothers, so she never actually saw what was around her there. Once MC arrived at the dining room, Diavolo dismissed everyone so they could hang out in private.

There were only two chairs in the room, one was the one the prince was sitting on and the other one was across from him. She moved the chair next to him, then her plate and finally sat down.

"So what's the plan for tonight?" She didn't really think about what the two would do once she got there; usually they just hang out at RAD so she didn't have anything in mind.

"Oh, I was thinking we could sneak out to the amusement park! Barbatos doesn't really like when I sneak out but that just makes it even more fun to me.", he answered.

"Won't you be recognized? You're basically a celebrity you know"

The demon is really recognizable. Ever since he became in charge of the Devildom, everyone knew who he was. There's no demon that doesn't know what the prince looks like.

"You have a point but I can just use glamor. To you I'll look the same but to everyone else I won't. We have to go MC! Ever since the new attractions were brought in I've been itching to go but I was always too busy..."

"That's handy. Well, we should finish dinner so we can stay there for longer!", MC said while stuffing her mouth with food, signaling him to do the same.

The two finished their dinner within ten minutes and went to the movie room to "watch a movie"; they were actually planning how to sneak out. Barbatos usually tails the prince so sneaking out isn't as easy as it sounds. The butler hates when the prince sneaks out; he believes that if he uses his time more efficiently, he won't have to sneak out but no, the prince has to have it his way.

The best plan they could come up with was to just go to Diavolo's room and then sneak out from the balcony. The prince has wings so he could just fly up with MC to avoid Barbatos and the other servants until they're out of their sight.

"So that's what we're doing?", he asked one more to make sure.

"You bet we are!"

He switched to his demon form and picked her up. He's way too strong to find her heavy so she didn't impact his flying at all. After a little while, Diavolo stopped at an alley and did the glamor spell on himself. He wanted to do it just before they arrived at the amusement park to get the most out of it.

The two went on all the rides, tried every snack available and got so many prizes from the mini games there. MC was having so much fun, she had so much more than she expected. He was nothing like he was at RAD or the castle. Could she really have been that oblivious?

——————————

After that unofficial amusement park date, Diavolo confessed his feelings to the human. They began dating despite her still not being completely over the demon brothers. She thought that in time she'd get over them for sure. And Diavolo is her friend so their relationship is going pretty smoothly. It's been about three months now since they began dating. She still lives at the House of Lamentation but she stays over at the castle a lot.

MC still mostly hangs out with the brothers as her boyfriend is a lot busier than them. He doesn't want her to be alone so it works out. However, ever since she announced her relationship to the brothers, they haven't been as rowdy as they used to be. For example, Belphie and Satan toned it down with their pranks on Lucifer and Mammon has managed to slightly reduce his expenses. What happened?, she wondered. Even Levi attends more RAD classes compared to before, when he would just do online classes instead…

She wanted to ask but wasn't sure the answer she would get would be one she'd like hearing. Tonight, she's having a sleepover with the twins so she'll get a chance to observe them more closely…

Currently she had to make a potion with Levi and Satan. Things were all going smoothly until Mammon's potion exploded in his face. Lucifer, who was the one actually in charge of making that potion, scolded Mammon for not being careful enough with it. At least these two seem normal, she thought.

After their classes were over, MC headed back to the House of Lamentation with the brothers. She went to her room, which had been her room ever since she first arrived in the Devildom, to see none of her things were where they're supposed to be; in fact everything hers was missing. The door was locked when she first came in and her room doesn't have a window so there's no reason to believe she was robbed.

She went to check the other rooms only to find out her room was the only one with practically nothing in it. The human looked for Satan, she wanted to ask him if there's a chance she touched something she shouldn't or is cursed…

"MC, I don't sense any magic on you… Whatever happened must've been done either by someone powerful or it wasn't magical to begin with", he told her, disappointed that he couldn't help.

"It's okay, I'll figure out what happened!", she reassured him.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be of help to you, I could help you look though"

"It's fine really. I might have an idea of what happened but I'm not too sure yet. I'll go investigate more", she said as she was walking away but before she did, she gave him a small peck on the lips. Both of them looked at each other shocked. She ran away immediately, her heart was pounding. Why do I do this to myself?

She practically ran to Lucifer's office to ask him what had happened; he has to know right? As she opened the door, she found Diavolo there talking to the Avatar of Pride. She greeted both and asked what happened.

"Ah, you saw my surprise. I was hoping I'd be there but you came here early… I suppose I'll have to do something even better next time!", he said.

"This was a surprise? Where are my things? I'm supposed to stay here tonight…", the human was furious to say the least but she remained seemingly calm. Lucifer didn't look much better than her either but as she did, he didn't react to the prince's actions in a negative way.

"I had your things moved at the castle so you can stay with me full time. You can still have your little sleepovers but tonight I want you to stay with me…", the prince looked at her as if he was begging.

"Dia, I would've canceled my plans if you had asked me to and now I will. But next time please talk to me…"

She left the office to tell the twins she couldn’t stay with them for the night. The human was so conflicted; on one hand, her boyfriend had her things moved so they can spend more time together, but on the other hand, she won't be able to spend as much time with the brothers. At this point she wanted to disappear just for a little while just so her feelings would finally deflate, just so she's not so confused…

——————————

She arrived at the castle with Diavolo, the servants looking at them as if they had never seen them together before. After they reached the hall, Barbatos showed up.

"MC, you should come check your new room. You could also inform the staff of any changes you might need for it.", Barbatos signaled at his hand so she could get a hold of it while he showed her where it was.

"My room? Won't I be sharing a room with Diavolo? He's been my boyfriend for a while you know…", she complained.

"Ah yes, the Young Lord is pretty busy. So we figured a room of your own would be a better fit. Plus it's royal protocol, you can't share a room with him at the castle unless you want to marry him but it's way too early for that", he explained.

When she finally arrived at her room, which was on an entirely different floor from his, she couldn't help but be disappointed. What was his plan? He's too busy most of the time, that's why she spends more time with the brothers, that's why she only used to come over at the castle and that's also probably why she was even able to stay with him in his room…

She changed into different clothes as she was still wearing her RAD uniform and went to the dining room as it was about time for dinner. Already prepared food was something she loved about the Demon Lord's Castle, but then again she also loved cooking for the brothers…

She once again noticed that her chair was too far from Diavolo's as it was on their first date. She moved it once again and sat next to him. The food was exquisite as it always is but she felt like something was off…

"Can we hang out in your room after this? We could watch a movie or play a game or something", she suggested.

"I'm sorry, my darling, I'm pretty busy tonight. Tomorrow I'm yours though…", the demon promised.

Disappointed, she finished her food and headed back to her room. Why would he do all this and then not even spend time with her? There's always tomorrow, she thought.

The next day passed quickly, Diavolo was busy at RAD again for some new event this time. Luckily the brothers were there so she wasn't alone. She and Satan acted like everything was normal but both knew something was up, neither of them said anything though…

She headed to the dining room but Diavolo wasn't there this time. She looked around to see Barbatos.

"MC, the Young Lord had an emergency meeting with the House of Lords. It was something about feral demons on the southern part of the Devildom if I'm not mistaken. He won't be home until late. The Lords always keep him there for a ridiculous amount of time", the butler informed her.

"Well, can you have dinner with me then? I'm not used to having dinner alone…", she pleaded.

The demon stayed with her until she finished her, the two didn't say much but this made her realize something; her relationship with Diavolo wasn't one that would last…

After she headed back to her room, alone once again she remembered that Diavolo is fine with her sleepovers. Immediately she thought which of the brothers would drop everything immediately to be with her; the truth is all of them would. So she just called the ones that would be awake or not busy at this hour.

Immediately she sent a message to Mammon and Levi, the second and third eldest brothers arrived at the castle so fast that she wondered if they teleported. She let them into her room. Levi had brought with him a USB stick containing a few of his favorite anime for them to watch. Mammon had no preference on what they'd watch as long as he sat next to the human so it all worked out.

The Avatar of Envy plugged in the USB stick and selected one of the anime on it. He was happy he could spend some time with her, and his older brother but you'd never catch him say it outloud. The three used to spend a lot of time together in the House of Lamentation before she started dating the prince. Could things have played out differently if he was just a little bit more confident?, the demon was overthinking, not paying attention to an anime was rare for him. All he could think was what could've happened…

MC could sense something was off with Levi, Mammon too, but she could feel Levi was on the verge of a rampage… She paused the anime to see if the demon would react.

She waved her hands in front of his face with not much of a reaction…

He started transforming to his demon form when she grabbed his face and asked him what happened, reducing him to a sobbing mess in the process.

"It's just that you started dating Diavolo and now you moved out too and we don't spend as much time together anymore… I don't like that you're dating him…", Levi sobbed as he was trying to hide his face, Mammon looked as if he agreed too.

The human didn't know how to respond but this did further solidify her realization about her relationship with the prince. Instead of saying something, she pulled both of them in a warm hug. After this heart-to-heart, none of them wanted to watch the anime Levi put on, rather they spent the whole night talking each other’s ear out.

Eventually the three fell asleep in MC's bed. When it was finally time for them to wake up, she found herself right between Levi and Mammon, cuddled by both. Almost like their bodies longed for her, just as she did…

——————————

A week went by and Diavolo was still just as busy, the feral demons issue has to be what's keeping him away from her. By the looks of it, the prince has to find a way to put a stop to this soon or someone might get hurt. Well, even more seriously hurt than before.

Once again she went to the dining room and once again she was disappointed to see she would be dining alone. That was until Barbatos came in and informed her that the young prince had a surprise for her in his room. She headed there immediately. Diavolo wasn't busy. He would finally spend time with her after a while. She was so excited…

He was there, he had a table full of her favorite food set up for her, candles lit up and flowers scattered all over the room.

"I had all this prepared for my favorite human, I hope you're hungry", he told her as he was pulling the chair behind so she could sit.

"Starving!", she told him excitedly.

There was even human world alcohol there. He really did put an effort into this. Human world products weren't all that common as not every demon can teleport freely there. The only ones allowed to go there without permission are Barbatos, Lucifer and himself. He's also far too strict with the permit, so chances are it was either the Avatar of Pride or the butler that bought it since he couldn't be the one to get it, he's far too busy to go grocery shopping…

Thinking one of her beloved demons could've helped with this surprise made her a little uneasy, her appetite was affected too. She forced some food down so she could drink some of that alcohol. It had been a while since she drank alcohol from the human world and she kind of missed the feeling of being numb from the alcohol. Demonus tasted good but had absolutely no effect on her, so it was rendered useless.

Diavolo picked up on her wanting the alcohol, he poured some for her and then poured a little demonus for himself as well, careful to not get drunk as he tends to get drunk easily. She missed it but because she hadn't had a drink in a while her tolerance was basically non existent.

Soon enough, both of them were drunk and started getting touchy with each other. The human started caressing the prince's chest as if she's inviting him to do the same and he did. The prince laid her on the bed, bodies grinding on each other. This was a mistake and she knew it but it felt too good to stop. His kisses were hot and passionate, he needed this. Soon after he moved lower to her neck, kissing the sensitive skin over and over… Then he started moving lower and lower…

——————————

MC woke up naked and alone. She felt as if her head was going to split apart and once again he wasn't there. She has to put an end to this. This relationship is only causing her harm. Disappointed, she got up, put her clothes on and went to her room. She took a warm bath as if to wash away the touch of the prince, got dressed and headed to the library. She wanted some time away from everyone, including her thoughts, so she picked up a few books Satan had recommended to her a while ago.

She spent her whole day in the library, so focused on her books she failed to notice the time or her growling stomach. She went over to the dining room once again ready to dine alone but to her surprise Diavolo was there. The two made small talk and ate until she received a message from Belphie, the youngest of the brothers just told her that Beel had an accident during his fangol practice. Immediately she got up, let Diavolo know she's leaving and teleported to the House of Lamentation.

She showed up inside the house right next to Asmodeus.

"I came as soon as I found out, how is he?", the human asked the fifth of the brothers.

"He's alright now. Really, you worry too much. He's been through this before. His ankle is wrapped up and Satan just gave him a pain relief potion so he should be fine for the next few hours…", the demon updated her on his brother's condition.

She nodded and got in the twins' room to check on Beelzebub.

"Hey, Beel", she greeted him and looked at him almost as if she was examining him herself. She sat right next to him and gave him a snack she sneaked out from the castle.

"I know you'll ask so I'll just tell you what happened. I was on defense and this other demon launched himself at me and I guess I put too much pressure on this leg… So yeah, I'm fine though, this will be fully healed in like two weeks. I'm not human, remember? I heal faster!", he reassured her.

"Beel, can I do anything for you?", she asked.

"Can you just stay with us? I- We all need you here. And I can tell you need to be here too… MC, please tell me what happened. I might be quiet but I'm not oblivious. I can tell something has been bothering you for a while. I promise I won't judge you. Just please, talk to someone. It's like this thing has been eating you alive…", the Avatar of Gluttony expressed his concern for the human.

She explained everything to him, he listened without saying anything. His face showed nothing but concern.

"And there's also this thing-", she said but before she could finish her sentence Belphegor and Satan stormed into the room.

"MC, go on, we've been eavesdropping the whole time", said the youngest. Satan nodded to reassure her.

Here goes nothing, she thought. She took a deep breath before mouthing the words.

"I've had feelings for all of you for the past couple years and I have no idea what to do. Because if I only date one of you, then my feelings for the rest would destroy that relationship, just like what happened to my current one. Diavolo isn't the only one to blame… But I used him to hopefully get over all of you, which didn't work and now everything is a mess…", she said while trying not to start sobbing uncontrollably.

"I knew it! So that's why you kissed me the other day?", Satan asked, the twins looked at each other and then their older brother in shock.

"Well, I think I speak for everyone when I say that we would rather see you happy than not.", he exclaimed, while looking at his younger brothers for confirmation, both of which simply nodded.

"I mean, if I had to choose between causing Lucifer slight inconveniences and keeping you happy, I'd choose the second option in a heartbeat", said Belphie in a cheeky tone.

"Do you have a plan about what to do? How to break things off with Diavolo?", asked the Avatar of Wrath, his mind running in circles, trying to help his beloved.

"I'll do that tomorrow. Now I just want to stay here, with you all…", the human said.

Satan looked at Belphie's bed and signaled him to help him push it next to Beelzebub's. After both beds were pushed together, MC made herself comfortable on Beel's chest leaving a little bit of space between them for Belphie who would in turn make himself comfortable on the human's chest, ready to fall asleep. Next to her lay Satan who instead of sleeping played with her hair and looked at her, his eyes focusing on her face, almost like he's lost in thought.

This was the best sleep she had in a while, she almost didn't want to wake up but she knew she had to.

"Good morning", she said to Beelzebub as she gave him a quick kiss on the lips, the demon not being fully awake yet smiling at the feeling.

"Good morning to you too", she said to Belphie who was already puckering his lips in his sleep.

"Good morning MC", Satan smiled at her as he was the one to kiss her this time.

She stayed for a little bit in bed with the demons, until she had to get up. Didn't Beel need to take another dose of the potion? She thought she could just bring it to him and also get him breakfast. As she was heading to the kitchen, she went into her room out of habit to notice her things were back. Did Diavolo realize what happened? She should probably explain herself to him…

"Lucifer, where's that potion Beel is supposed to get for the pain? I'll give it to him", she asked as she was preparing breakfast for the three demons she spent the night with.

"Oh, he drank the last dose earlier. He should be free of pain by the afternoon, no need to worry, MC", she just smiled at him.

"Also you should probably talk to Diavolo, I saw your belongings were returned and you spent the night with Beel, Belphie and Satan so-", the human interrupted him by kissing him. Finally, he thought to himself.

"MC, I…", the man was left speechless.

After briefly explaining everything, Lucifer agreed with what Satan told her, that all brothers just want her to be happy.

She gave him another kiss as she took a tray full of food back to the twins' bedroom. Immediately Beel was wide awake, already salivating. Belphie, Satan and the human took their usual portions and left everything else to be devoured by the Avatar of Gluttony.

"I missed your food, MC", said Beel. She wasn't even gone that long from the House of Lamentation but her absence really impacted the brothers.

"Ah, here you are, darling! Come on now, we have skincare to do~", Asmodeus stormed and practically picked MC up. He took her to his room, so he could spend some time alone with her.

"So, MC, you're back, right?", he asked, anxious for her response. He took some face creams and masks out of a mini fridge he keeps in his room, picking and choosing which one is the best.

"Yeah, I missed you and well, I guess Diavolo no longer wants me in the castle…"

Asmo's eyes lit up, ignoring the second part of her answer completely.

"You didn't miss just me though, right?", the demon asked. "What? You thought I wouldn't know? I can feel the lust you feel through the pact, especially when we're close. I can tell something is going on, and you can tell me. Hey, I'm like the least judgemental out of all the demons living here!", he reassured her.

She proceeded to explain everything once again. Asmo might look superficial but he's actually a great listener. He really made her feel understood and well, everything felt more possible…

After her talk with the Avatar of Lust, she went to the Demon Lord's Castle. She felt bad but she also knew she wasn't the only one to blame. Luckily, this time, Diavolo wasn't busy, he was just having tea in the garden. She practically stormed there, wanting to talk and apologize.

The atmosphere was awkward to say the least. The human and the prince avoided looking at each other.

"I'm sorry, Diavolo, for everything. It wasn't my intention to hurt you, but I'm sorry that I did. I used you and it wasn't fair"

"It's alright, I apologize too, I guess I didn't think of your needs and wasn't communicating enough. I hope we can eventually put this whole thing behind us and stay friends and I have arranged for you to stay here permanently if that's what you still want…", the prince said, anyone could tell he really was sorry as she was.

"Yes, I'd love that, thank you. I should go but it was great that we were able to talk about this…", she said and soon enough left the castle.

She was officially dating five out of the seven brothers now, which meant she would be even busier than before; but all she ever wanted was to be busy with the brothers so it all worked out. Leviathan and Mammon were the ones she couldn't do anything with yet. It makes sense though. One is the physical embodiment of envy and the other wants her all to himself. Luckily she was optimistic since they seem to get along just fine when she's around…

[artistic-moth-man]

So I've been wondering if I should make this update post and I decided I'm gonna

Basically it's just to let you guys all know what exactly is going on in my unmedicated ADHD Brain by explaining every single project of mine that's currently in the works. pretty much nothing in this list is released yet so don't go looking for them

Starting off with stuff I'm collaborating with others on

Danny and the Light - an original graphic novel on webtoon that got cancelled and is getting rebooted (don't get excited though we're taking our time with it) with @stormcloudquill

Chrysalis Chronicles - An original illustrated novel or graphic novel (i haven't decided) that's ripping off/fixing all the things wrong about harry potter; with @thekrazykitsune

Mincraft Diaries - Yep! Aphmau's Minecraft Diaries, rekindled and made into fanfiction and/or a graphic novel (probably both) and this one will actually have an ending; also with @thekrazykitsune

Avatar: Lion Turtle Heart - a fanfic graphic novel about a firebending avatar after korra named Akira working to unravel the mysteries of her past self, Avatar Kazu, and his death that even she can't comprehend, as well as the strange appearance of a baby lion turtle that Akira now has to care for. Doing this with @mayday396

now for fanfic works I'm doing alone

Legend of Emily Windsnap - Rebooting Emily Windsnap's story in fanfiction form. this fic is actually going to be released some time this or next year (hopefully this year but shit's hitting the fan on my life currently) and book 1 is actually near finished!

Digidestined Diaries - a reboot of seasons 1-4 of Digimon in either fic or graphic novel form. may or may not do this with stormcloud, but I'm not sure. the thing that makes this so special is that tamers and frontier take place in the same universe as adventure. yes, takato meets Tai, and no it does not go well for the others involved

Wizard101, The Legacy of Atlas - telling a story heavily based off the first arc of Wizard101 quests with a balance wizard as a main character, featuring the friends they make and the enemies they face as the chosen one to defeat Mallistaire. this will absolutely be in fic form, most likely with illustrations

Bloom's Magic, Beta writing - a written fanfic reboot of Winx Club as a beta version of the story I planned with Storm. the comic version of BM is currently on the backburner and is gonna have some differences to the written version, but it'll be something I promise

Finally, some original works that I plan on publishing!

Chronos and Kalayah - a Time Traveler named Chronos rushes around time looking for their best friend, an immortal named Kalayah. the two of them constantly avoid the temporal police while simultaneously helping Kalayah survive being a black lesbian in American history. likely only going to consist of one book and have a novel and graphic novel form

Call My Soul - a Magic Girl series featuring Blake Janes, an ordinary boy who stumbles upon an alien named Alexandrite. Alex is tasked with keeping safe the artifacts of the ancient magical shogunate, whose spirits end up choosing Blake and his gal pals to protect themselves from the evil prince Tsukuyomi, who wants nothing more than the artifacts. this graphic novel gets really gay really fast so strap in when it comes out

Roll For Adventure - a young boy named Matt who loves playing DnD is isekai'd into a land straight out of Lord Of The Rings, and he is absolutely stoked. while he is looking for a portal back home, his elf friend Sequoia and Orc friend Yevelda help him fight his way through the coming war between the eight races. Fun Fact; I use my dice to help the characters make decisions. even major story beats are going to be up to my D20!

Lucifer the Good - this story is precious to me, and hard to describe. it involves four kids being isekai'd into a world filled with magical monsters and elemental creatures, being guided by a young voice to find secret angels, all while villainous demons under King Devil work to stop the kids from ever leaving this new world. even worse, the human kids are the only ones who can undo the vile curse on the land of magic.

that's all the stories that I'm actively working on, but I do have at least 10 more that I'm leaving on the backburner to focus on these ones! Call My Soul is also getting very little attention, but I am actively working on it! I'm seriously hoping at least one of my original works will be released to the public by 2025, but again, life is crazy. anyway, my next few posts are gonna involve Digidestined Diaries while I work on finishing up Emily Windsnap Book 2 and finalize book 1. there's only one change I wanna make, then I'll get to releasing it to AO3 and Wattpad! I promise, at least one of these will be worth the wait :3

[this-acuteneurosis]

Random. But do you have any star wars fic recs ? Fics recs of any kind are welcome actually ^_^

Oh, uh, sure.

Let's see, I've mentioned @chancecraz a bunch of times, I love all their stuff, if I had to pick a favorite I'd say Of Queens, Knights, and Pawns but how does one really choose?

I've also mentioned @fialleril and Double Agent Vader, which really got me into the SWs fandom in the first place. I love everything I have ever learned, it hits me so hard in the feels each time. (I also really loved Sigyn's Saga if we're also talking not-SW stuff.)

I enjoyed The Desert Sun series by @blue-sunshine-mauve-morning. (I will be honest, I have only read the first series I have not started Rise and Fall.) It's engaging and fun and thoughtful.

doing it by my lonesome and staring down the barrel of the hot sun by magneticwave are two fun Luke/Din stories featuring appropriately cute Grogu. I also liked pages filled with scribbled ink, which is an epistolary Padmé/Obi-Wan fic that had me cackling. (their non-SW stuff is good too, I especially enjoyed just me against the sky)

Other...serious(?) recs include: The Wingless Dragon by husborth if you like being sad and horrified about Vader's bad choices. Food Scandal by Malicean for some situational hilarity and for lots of OC perspective on Imperial bureaucracy (my other weakness aside from politics). PRojects IN Controlled Environments by Beth Winters for Imperial R&D bureaucracy, more situational hilarity, and very relatable coworker nonsense.

More silly/fun premises include: Compromising by samvelg, which inspired me to write a (very different) Piett POV of Luke and Vader nonsense. Memo: Jedi Maintenance (The Care and Feeding of Your Jetii) by RainofLittleFishes is exactly what it says and what you would hope for from such a title. Luke Skywalker is Altogether Too Likeable by Mokulule is another Piett POV of Skywalker nonsense.

As far as Non-Star Wars recs

It would be a crime and sin if I didn't mention Embers by Vathara , an Avatar the Last Airbender fic which honestly changed my life and how my brain was shaped.

World Ain't Ready by @idiopathicsmile is a Les Mis fic I've gone back to a few times. The dialogue is just really good. I spend a lot of the fic laughing, and also screaming at the characters.

I fell absurdly in love with Second person familiar, I think because it tickles some part of me that just dies over linguistics, and I'm a fan of pretty much everything @jackironsides has done for The Witcher.

Salvage by @muffinlance is a very fun Avatar the Last Airbender fic about Zuko getting reluctantly adopted by Hakoda (it's so good).

Finding the Line by Miss_Lazy_Tuesday is a Batfam fic that sort of ruined me at one point, it's fine. (I enjoy their other stuff too.)

The Angel of Hell's Kitchen by MarbleGlove is a Daredevil fic. I don't really go here, but this was about social structures, bureaucracy, and doing the work, and we all know I can't help myself.

Reconstruction by rageprufrock is the story of Stephanie Rogers, but like, it's Pru writing it. So. Characters are great. World building is great. Tension and longing and grief are great. I cannot stress enough how good the academic and news article asides are. Like, it's good. Incomplete, but so good.

Ordinary Numbers by BootsnBlossoms and Kryptaria, a James Bond fic that I keep coming back to because I too would be a sucker for someone who sent me needlessly expensive gifts.

And This, Your Living Kiss by opal_bullets is a Supernatural fic about poetry. I am not in this fandom, but again, my weakness for language gets me every time.

ever fallen in love (on national TV)? by ganymede_elegy is a GoT Jonsa modern Bachelor AU and...guys I cannot express how much I Do Not Go here, and how much I still recommend this fic. Like, it's just...I don't know. It worked. In spite of me knowing nothing about GoT or The Bachelor. wtf

survival of the fittest by cywscross is a short Naruto fic about a very unpleasant adventure for Sakura and Shikarmaru that just...worked. As a story. Dunno, I just really like it.

I could be wrong, I could be ready by harryromper is a Harry/Draco fic where they are disasters and traumatized, and it is about healing and building houses as a metaphor for overcoming trauma, and it's fine, I'm fine.

eternity will be born from hope by theseviolentdelights99 is a Yuri!!! on Ice fic that is about a time traveling Yuuri who (you'll never guess) goes back in time and does bureaucracy in his hometown and his sport to help the people that he loves. The unreliable narrator is excellent, the social media asides are wonderful, and it's not complete but it is exactly my poison.

(Wow, this is so long and all over the place...)

[highfantasy-soul]

NATLA - Episode 2: Warriors (1/4)

[Masterlist of my NATLA thoughts]

An explanation of what I'm doing here and my history with ATLA.

Of course, full spoilers ahead.

<previous/next>

Starting off with one of Zuko's tantrums was such a good choice. In the first couple episodes of the animated show, Zuko's frustrations at having lost the Avatar blow up all the time and it was great to see that represented - with the additional depth of him explaining exactly why he was so upset: the greatest warrior of all time was a 'coward' and ran. It gives the audience a great view of what Zuko values and how his expectations have been rocked, and therefore his world view being shifted. Iroh comes in to ease his discomfort and reassure him that it was Zuko's positive qualities that helped him find the Avatar and there is hope that he'll find him again. Hope is such an important theme in the whole series and I'm glad the live-action is focusing on it just as much for the 'villains' as they are for the 'heroes'.

For anyone still complaining about 'expositional dialogue', go back and watch S1E3 of the animated show, specifically (though really just rewatch the entire thing) and come back and tell me that wasn't waaayyy more egregious expositional dialogue than the live-action. Like I said in another post: expositional dialogue is NOT BAD, especially at the beginning of a fantasy story. We have to figure out the basics of the characters somehow and 'showing' isn't always possible or the best choice. Scrub the idea that 'telling instead of showing is bad writing' out of your mind, because it's almost guaranteed you're thinking of that advice so incredibly incorrectly that it's ruining your ability to consume media like a normal human being.

I like how Sokka and Katara are taking whether or not to leave their village for good seriously - especially Sokka, he was put in charge - it makes sense that he'd have to be convinced that abandoning his people is the best thing to do. In the first episode of the animated series, when Katara first discovers Aang is an airbender, she's ecstatic that she's finally found a teacher - and even makes to abandon her village in her desire to go find herself a master so she can learn more waterbending - we see that desire here at the beginning of the live-action episode 2 where she tells Sokka she can't just abandon this journey she's started - yes she wants to save the world, but she also wants to see where her waterbending journey can take her.

Also love the change that Gran Gran gave Katara the waterbending scroll - one that had been passed down in their tribe for generations before having to hide it from the fire nation. This hearkens to real-life examples of invaders trying to destroy the cultures of the indigenous population and them having to hide ancestral artefacts so they wouldn't get destroyed. While the pirates are a fun little side-quest and there's some excellent Zutara fodder there, I think it's a lot more impactful to have Katara learning waterbending from a cultural artefact right from her own family rather than a scroll stolen from who-knows-where. The pirates really only come back up to 'kill' Zuko at the end of the season, so that was easily folded into someone else having the blasting jelly.

Aang giving Gyatzo as good of a burial as he can was also a wonderful touch. This is all fresh for him - giving the Air Nomads he grew up with a respectful send off was the least he could do. It shows that Aang thinks about the little things, the small acts he can do to show respect and care for the world - just like the peaceful, nature loving monk we know from the animated series.

The real plot of the whole show isn't revealed in the animated version until we meet Bumi in episode 5 - I think it makes sense that, starting at the end of episode 1 of the live-action, we already get what the show is going to be about. It isn't until episode 7 of the animated series - when Aang sees the burned forest - that the idea of 'figuring out how to be the avatar' is mentioned and even after that, it's not until episode 8 where the comet time line is established and Aang even begins to think about learning to waterbend. But still, the goal of 'master the Avatar state and learn the four elements' is pretty vague and there are a lot of ways to accomplish that. Introducing the timely need to get to the Northern Water Tribe to help them with the fire nation attack gives the plot direction and purpose while still allowing for many events to happen along the way. The meandering quality of the first half of the animated season 1 is one of the most criticized parts of the OG series and the writers didn't even know what the story was going to be when they wrote those, so it makes sense that with the hindsight of the whole series in mind, the live-action would give it a bit more direction. Putting one time-sensitive task in front of Aang at a time also helps with the story structure, so I get why they first made the goal 'Northern Water Tribe', and only after they complete that timed goal will they introduce the comet.

It's great to see Iroh's love of food and interacting with the average people in every place they travel to is still a big part of his character. And Zuko sulking behind him telling him they don't have time for all this is just ripped right from the animated series. Dallas Liu and Paul Sun--Hyung Lee brought those aspects of the characters to life beautifully. Something I've seen is people upset that Zuko isn't as 'cool and calculating' as he is in the animated version and while I agree Zuko did have many of those moments, he was also rash and bullheaded too. I think the live-action really wanted to stay truer to the reality that these are kids - they're going to act more like kids than the animated counterparts did. Animated Zuko (and Azula for that matter) many times don't read as 14 and 16, respectively. They read as full-on 20-something year olds. The live-action is giving Zuko a bit farther to grow where it's Iroh being the strategist at the moment while Zuko is the driven child desperate to regain his honor. Also, just love all the complaints that the live action is so focused on telling not showing then complain that Zuko didn't say 'honor' once when…every single word out of Zuko's mouth and action he took SHOWED that he was fighting to regain honor. People need to pick a complaint and be serious about it.

[burst-of-iridescent]

alright, i'm done dealing with this bullshit.

i didn’t want to address this any further but since these people seem utterly obsessed with me & and have now gone on to harass my friends, i have had enough.

first things first, and i can't believe i even need to say this, but aang is a fictional character. he is not tibetan, because there is no tibet in the world of avatar: the last airbender. aang - and the air nomads in general - are the products of two white men's (and a predominantly white writing team's) interpretations of buddhism, hinduism and tibetan culture, interpretations that have themselves been criticized by actual tibetan people.

criticizing, mocking, or even making fun of aang does not make me racist towards tibetan people, just like criticizing zuko wouldn't make me racist towards japanese people, or criticizing toph wouldn't make me racist towards chinese people, because none of these characters are actual depictions of real life groups or cultures. they can't be, because those groups and cultures do not exist in the world of atla. (xiran jay zhao discusses this very topic, and the show's "representation" of asian and indigenous cultures, better than i can in their video essays, if anyone is interested in hearing more about atla from an east asian perspective.)

additionally, even if aang were somehow an actual tibetan monk, i cannot recall a single instance in which i said anything derogatory regarding his cultural practices or beliefs (which, again, stem from bryan konietzko and mike dimartino's understanding of tibetan monks). when i criticize aang (and once again i can't believe i need to say this), i am criticizing the writing of his character and the worldbuilding of his culture and people. not, you know, an actual person and their actual heritage.

i have no problem with aang being a pacifist, or a vegetarian, or shaving his head, or wearing robes. what i do have a problem with is his entire dilemma about killing being brought up in the last four episodes of the show, only to be resolved by a magic rock and a lion turtle instead of character growth and agency. what i do have a problem with is his treatment of katara, and his disrespect towards her cultural beliefs in favour of pushing his own on her. aang is entitled to believe in non-violence and the sanctity of all life; he is not entitled to make that choice for katara, as he tried to in the southern raiders. each of them has a right to their own beliefs, and neither should use their individual beliefs to impose upon the other, or dictate what they should do.

the really ironic thing about all of this is that i love aang. i have said over and over that i believe kat.aang could have worked, that i thought they were cute in book 1, that aang is a great protagonist who had potential for an amazing arc, if only it had been followed through on in book 3. my criticisms of aang's character come from my love for him, because he deserved better than the writers who turned him into their own self-insert fantasy.

so whoever you are that's been endlessly hounding my inbox, and now my close friends', calling me racist because of my opinions on a fictional character: for your own sake, just block me and go on with your life. your social justice crusade against a singular stranger on the internet isn't helping anyone, let alone actual tibetan people.

[wheneclipsefalls]

I want to make a fanfic about Neteyam, but at the same time, I’d be too nervous to actually post it anywhere. I think it's because I don't know if my writing would be good or if anyone would even read it, could you maybe give me some tips? I’d really appreciate it, Thank you!

My love this was literally me before I started posting my work. It took a couple months for my boyfriend to convince me to post the first chapter of Ma Neteyam even though I already had 75 pages written. I still struggle with worrying about the quality of my work and convincing myself to post anyways. However, the longer I've been on this platform the more I have noticed that this is a common feeling among almost all the Avatar writers.

My advice to you, which is truly advice to myself too, is to focus on having fun while writing fanfics. I know that sounds super cheesy and basic but it's a very easy thing to forget and before you know it you are putting immense amount of pressure on yourself to write something amazing even though it was supposed to be just for fun in the first place. Trust me, I have to remind myself this often. So try your best to remember that you are writing for free and it is meant to be enjoyable.

The best way I have found to do this is to write stuff that you would want to read. If the idea for this Neteyam fanfic is something you would have loved to read then you are on the right track. You should feel excited about what you are writing, even if there is the occassional writers block (it's normal, we all get it). I've found that I do my best work when the idea is something I can't get out of my head. I spend hours daydreaming about it during the day and working through different plots and dialogue.

From there, try not to worry too much about whether or not people will like it. I promise you that if you write something you like there are bound to be others out there that will like it too, it just might take some time for them to find you.

At the end of the day, even big writing mistakes won't be the end of the world and there will always be room for improvement and growth. We write fanfiction because it's fun and it's a good escape so as long as you find joy from it, you are on the right track.

I hope that was at least a little helpful. It truly means a lot to me that you think I have the knowledge for giving tips. Honestly, I am just winging it out here, but I think that is how most writers feel.

If you do post it, and I sincerely hope you do, I would love to read whatever you write.

Thank you for reaching out and feel free to spam my inbox if you have any other questions or thoughts. I wish you the best of luck, angel! <3