#the war crimes in this book is insane

[seoafin]

gregor the overlander!!!! i forgot how much i love that series. the way i sobbed like a baby when ares died it still hurts ngl </3

the way I completely had a mental breakdown upon reading the last sentence in which boots can properly pronounce gregor's first name signaling the loss of childhood innocence and growing up while gregor is a trauma/ptsd riddled human being who has already come to terms with the fact that he cannot properly function like a normal 12 year old anymore whether that be in the overland or the underland due to the fact that he's killed multiple times and has watched so many people die in often gruesome ways and has experienced the worst horrors ever all while being coerced/forced to fight a war he didn't even want to be a part of in the first place

[qu4kerider]

STAR WARS: EPISODE III - REVENGE OF THE SITH & ARCANE S02E03

[currentlyonstandbi]

anyway some of my favourite excerpts from the fight against Dooku in the rots novelisation

'"Very well then," the Jedi said, and shot straight upward over Dooku's head so fast it seemed he'd vanished. And in the space where Kenobi's chest had been was now only the blue lightning of Skywalker's blade driving straight for Dooku's heart.'

'Now, as for Skywalker-- Which was as far as Dooku got, because by the time his attention returned to the younger Jedi, his vision was rather completely obstructed by the sole of a boot approaching his face with something resembling terminal velocity.'

'Realisation burst through Dooku's consciousness like the blossoming fireballs of dying ships outside: this pair of Jedi fools had somehow managed to become entirely dangerous. These clowns might - just possibly - actually be able to beat him.'

'When Count Dooku flies at him, blade flashing, Watto's fist cracks out from Anakin's childhood to knock the Sith Lord tumbling back.'

[yesokayiknow]

cannot believe that in 2007 the eighth doctor adventures writers just decided to put toxic yuri in their show. they did that for me

[mycological-mariner]

He didn’t die!!

[mecasloth]

"The Aim of the Combined Bomber Offensive... should be unabiguously states as the destruction of German Cities, the killing of German workers, and the disruption of civilized life throughout Germany... the creation of a refugee problem on an unprecedented scale, and the breakdown of morale both at home and at the battle fronts by fear of extended and intensified bombing, are accepted as intended aims of our bombing policy. They are not by-products of attempts to hit factories." Air Chief Marshal Arthur Harris.

How do Zionists even come up with these sort of arguments to deny the genocide of Palestinians?? Are they trying to say that nuking Gaza like Hiroshima and Nagasaki wouldn't be considered genocide? What about the Bengal famine of 1943?

[nogoodsheepstealing-greatgrandma]

Show Alicent: Deals with her abuse by the patriarchy by declaring war on her friend for having premarital sex, and works to uphold the patriarchy by usurping the first Queen of Westeros in favour of her serial rapist son. Despite claiming to fear for her children's lives she turns down the peaceful solution of a betrothal, citing disgust at marrying her daughter to a 'common-featured' bastard.

TG Stans: "TB just can't handle complex female characters - in fact when you think about it Alicent is the real feminist character!"

Book Rhaenyra: Upon ascending the throne she has to deal with a war-torn realm, an empty treasury stolen by the greens, and the sickening grief of losing four children. She is faced with the difficult decision of having to raise unpopular taxes while needing to keep the lords on her side - protecting both the fragile stability of her reign and the survival of her remaining children. Under these circumstances she is faced with the dilemma of deciding on the inheritance rights of two girls with younger brothers. Her Hand warns her that deciding in the girls' favour will alienate the lords forever. Her husband insists she should reward two dragonseeds with lordships by serving up the girls to be childbrides. Caught between a rock and a hard place, she placates the lords by deciding in favour of the sons, and placates the dragonseeds by offering them smallholdings on Driftmark instead. The decision backfires as said dragonseeds then turn on her, committing one of the most brutal war crimes of the Dance. This drives Rhaenyra into paranoia over further betrayals and the subsequent danger to her remaining children - made worse by her panicked council and the word of her trusted Mistress of Whispers. In a tragic twist, in her fear and paranoia she is encouraged to suspect the friends of her own deceased son, shattering his legacy of forming the Dragonseeds.

TG Stans: "SEE SHE WAS JUST A HYPOCRITE ALL ALONG! SHE DIDN'T CARE ABOUT WOMEN OR BASTARDS SHE JUST THOUGHT SHE WAS THE EXCEPTION - NO SHADES OF GREY HERE, SHE'S JUST A BITCH AND YOU ALL FELL FOR A GIRLBOSS-"

Book Helaena: Jumps out of a window

TG Stans: "And THAT is how you go insane with grief in a nice feminine way!"

[innerfare]

Random Sabo Headcanons

Summary: A collection of random Sabo headcanons

Genre: Fluff

CW: None // SFW

———

Never really gave up on his dream of writing a book about his adventures. He keeps a journal and wants to assemble it all into a manuscript, but he has a lot of self doubt regarding his abilities as a writer. A lot of his journal entries are reflecting on the inequality, injustice, and even outright war crimes he has witnessed the World Government commit. When he publishes it, it will 100% be banned by the Government. Also wants to publish some comics based on his childhood with Luffy and Ace, actually has a knack for it. 

Has a few habits from his aristocratic upbringing that not even his time in the woods with Ace and Luffy broke him of. He holds his teacup and eating utensils a certain way, he makes at least some effort to adhere to dress codes, etcetera. Most of these habits are in regards to women, whom he treats with the utmost respect; very chivalrous. 

That being said, he definitely keeps a switchblade in his boot. He’s a very dirty fighter, won’t hesitate to pull it. 

Also cheats at monopoly. And nobody ever suspects him because he benefits from pretty privilege.

Has argued with Koala until his voice is hoarse that dragon claw is way better than fishman karate. Could also write an entire book on the merits of fighting with a lead pipe over any sort of fancy sword or spear. Also used to talk serious smack about devil fruit users before he ate his fruit, expects every devil fruit user in the Revolutionary Army to disregard his previous taunts after the fact.

Secretly such a cuddle bug, craves the affection he never received in his childhood. Except it’s not really a secret because he once fell asleep in a meeting and woke up to everyone laughing at him because he snuggled into Dragon’s side.

A pretty good cook, but weirdly enough, can only make a meal in the wilderness. If it’s over a campfire, he’s a chef, but he always causes some sort of accident when he tries to recreate these dishes in an actual kitchen. Credit a childhood in the woods for this one.

Can be a little clumsy, can’t really be trusted around breakable valuables. Makes it all the more insane how agile he is during a fight.

His scars aren’t just on his face. He has them on his body and hands, too, even down to his ankles, and he doesn’t actually like showing them off (thus the reason he’s basically the only character in this universe who is fully clothed) because they symbolize his traumatic past/leaving Ace and Luffy, which feeds into him blaming himself for Ace’s death. Actually spent a fortune on scar creams in an effort to make the scars fade but none of them worked. Is trying to make peace with that part of his appearance.

Has a skincare routine. Nothing fancy, but he exfoliates and applies moisturizer to his face, and he has a special hand cream. Also always has chapstick on, and he carries it around with him. Has multiple extras scattered around. It has a slight pink tint to it that he pretends not to notice. He makes kissy lips at Koala if she tries to tease him about it. Low key the sort of guy to go through your purse in search of hand cream or concealer.

Speaking of, it’s pretty much impossible to tease him/get under his skin. He takes everything in stride, hardly ever gets pouty. He’s also the only person in the Revolutionary Army who is brave enough to tease Dragon and even argue with him, which is one of the reasons he became Dragon’s second in command. 

Doesn’t do anything special to his hair. It falls like that naturally. Could literally wash his hair with a bar of soap and it still dries as though he had it blown out by a professional.

He doesn’t know how to read palms, but he pretends he does to flirt with people. He’ll make things up about the lines in their palms, using it as an excuse to initiate skin to skin contact. He’s a shameless flirt. Members of the Revolutionary Army often joke about their Chief of Staff being a honeypot. Some Army communications about the matter were even intercepted, and the World Government, not knowing the RA was joking around, actually has it in their file on the Chief of Staff that he will use seduction to get what he wants. When an RA spy find this out and fed it back to the Army, the entire base keeled over in laughter, Sabo included.

———

Hope you enjoyed it! If you want more, you can check out my masterlist here!

[aerascreamer]

For some reason my mind has been overthinking the League of Assassins and Ra’s.

I feel like many portray Ra’s as a violent man potentially driven insane by the Pit who rules his subordinates with an iron fist. The Pit is used to many times as a plot device to create a purely evil villain to pit heroes against them, which is a cheap way to write plot and themes. Also historically, Ra’s been a very grey character, who has a very noble goal, did good things while also committing crimes.

To me, it doesn’t make sense for Ra’s to be a leader that rules by fear alone because:

1. He has seen countless kingdoms and empire fall, so he knows better than anyone that loyalty earns through ally ship and mutual aid works best, that giving them everything they need and basically buying them out of difficult situations (homelessness, war, famine etc.) would cement a positive association between him and them. Which leads me to:

2. Ra’s goal is to make the earth a better place, to bring back its glory. One obstacle is the capitalist imperialist and exploitative society that humanity came up with. He wants to dismantle harmful structures, which would be hypocritical if he acted the same ways as companies and tyrants operate by stepping on their people. So he build comfortable lives for the people working with, making sure he can give what other people or organisations can’t.

(And if he often has to prey on vulnerable and easily manipulated recruits, it is the price worth paying. And many have been happy to see improvement in their quality of live after joining.)

All this makes me think Ra’s would not abuse Damian like I see so often: punishing harshly for any mistakes, using physical violence “as a teaching moment” but is actually mindless torture or treating him like a dog

Instead, he’d be the kind of parent putting to put too many expectations, to wish for perfection, while positivity reinforcing the behaviour he wants out of Damian: Damian choosing training over leisure, him putting more hours than he should into studying and fighting, him reaching goals faster than anyone, him seeking to be mature and respected.

I’d say Ra’s would subtly pushing Damian into the path he wants by saying stuff like “the world’s time is not guaranteed, you cannot afford to lose precious minutes chasing butterflies. Go finish that ancient book” or “you mind can be distracted during battle, you need more training and meditation to focus.” “Good initiative to start learning that language, I think expect nothing less.” It would be counterproductive to beat Damian up to the point he’s bed ridden and losing days recovering.

And all this would make it difficult for Damian to choose between Gotham or Nanda Parbat: his childhood is no childhood a kid should have but at the same time, he still got praised by his grandfather, he still remembers all the life lessons, he still kept the deep desire to change to world for the better.

It still feels like family

[babybutchianthe]

explaining tlt fandom drama to people is so funny because i have to be like yeah someone once said terrorist isn't a racialized term, and someone else once argued with me about what qualifies as a crime & at one point said it is still a crime even if you don't break law & that the definition of war crimes is vibes based, and also there's this prominent coalition of vote blue no matter who big name fans that pitched a fit whenever you mentioned imperialism in a book series that has an empire that literally runs on death, and also there's some big name fan that threw around cryptoterf allegations around the time people were discussing how a character essentially grooms someone & then they dmed me when i commented on that & upon me suggesting they were just being performative agreed with me, and also i have multiple times seen either myself or fellow survivors of sexual abuse be condescended to for seeing our experiences or experiences that parallel them featured in the narrative, and misogyny is so prevalent it's not even worth commenting on at this point, and also people throw around the word terrorist casually in the same breath they try to cite a character's indigeneity as immutable proof he can do no wrong, and also they are always whitewashing his daughter, and also when they don't whitewash her they reduce her to being a 'golden retriever', and they ignore the fact the word chattel gets dropped in relation to her, and the limited number of bipoc in the fandom often resign themselves to silence out of sheer frustration with how pervasively they are spoken over, but yeah other than that it's fun. do you want to see a post where someone says for the 50th time that it's insane and terfy to think there's political subtext inherent to a city full of displaced people being told to not accept aid from a resistance group deemed as terrorists by an empire that is fuelled by death lol

[unfriedough]

Hello! Fem reader and Zuko?

- Reader had a scary experience during the day and when night reaches she asks Zuko to spend the night with her

- Zuko says something like “Alright, i’ll stay with you” he’s all awkward standing watching her

- Reader is something like “I can’t feel safe if you’re not close to me, Zuko, please”

- His knees nearly give way and he feels a blush creep up his neck slowly

- He finally gives into his temptation and snuggles up to reader, wrapping his entire arms around reader waist and neck

- Reader sighs in comfort, whispers a quick thank you, places a soft kiss on Zuko’s wrist and they just sleep (No devils tango!)

‘Bandits’- Zuko x female!reader

Masterlist <3

An: Summer is already almost over?? WHY??? Anyways, THIS REQUEST WAS LIKE SUPER DUPER CUTE AND the brackets u added at the end were so cute idek why 😭

Summary:

You get attacked whilst out and about, but maybe it was for the better.

Warnings: half of this is Zuko admiring you LOL, violence.

Zuko was the best fire lord, you think. Perhaps you were a little bias, but letting you stay in the palace rocked. Apart from visiting your hometown, you didn’t exactly have a plan for after the war. You bounced around a little, and then, a golden offer came. Zuko wanted your assistance with royal matters, you’d be the royal advisor. The title was already enough for you to be on board, but it also offered you a place to stay for a while. You just couldn’t pass that up, and hey, maybe since he’s been at this for a few months, the workload would lessen.

You were none the wiser.

You see, his life was nothing but a dumpster fire. From meetings to paperwork to arguments to rebellions to assassins to training and so on so forth, his life was a mess of schedules and poorly planned breaks.

The fire lord confided to you a lot about this, the absolute look of despair on his face as he entered another meeting, or the slow steps from the weight of his armour. He would rest his head on your lap in the library, and whilst you read the latest addition of your favourite book, he dozed off into a 15 minute nap. It was the perfect crime. They couldn’t yell at you, he was asleep right there, and they couldn’t yell at him, he was the ruler.

On a particular day, Zuko suddenly opened the door of your room, which he intentionally planted right by his.

“YN!”

“ZUKO! HASN’T ANYONE EVER TAUGHT YOU TO KNOCK?”

“Uh-“ he flushed immediately, “Sorry, I wasn’t thinking straight,”

“What brings you to my quarters, your majesty,” you rolled your eyes, adjusting yourself in the mirror on your vanity.

The boy stuck his tongue out at you, “I don’t have anything to do today let’s go out,”

“In this weather? Are you insane?” It was the prime of summer in the fire nation, death by heat stroke at the mere thought of going outside.

“You’ll live,” he mumbled, walking out.

Begrudgingly, you got up, stretching as you picked out the lightest outfit.

The sun burned the top of your head, you groaned, realising you forgot your hat. Zuko offered you his. He was always like that with you. So chivalrous, and yet, so childish.

“M’lady,” he bowed as he passed the large hat to you, moving to grab his spare. He kept it loosely around his belt.

“That seems excessive, but thanks,” intrigued were you, why was there another hat there?

“Maybe, but you literally always forget yours,”

“Cute,” he blushed, “But what kinda belt just has a hat hook?”

“I had it tailor made,” he played with his fingers, this clearly embarrassed him.

You were stunned to silence. Zuko tailor made a belt for me.

“Dork.”

You heaved heavily as you finally reached the market. See, the former prince had no intention of visiting the popularised shops, he opted for the small town one west of the castle. He tipped his hat lower, and you pushed your sunglasses up higher on the bridge of your nose.

“Wow you’re so different and not like other guys,” you mumbled.

“What do you mean?”

“This place looks abandoned,”

“Give it a shot, the stuff they sell is actually nice,”

“Zuko,”

“You’re so close minded, trust me for once,” he looked off to the side, where a few suspicious men were grinning at you two, he grinned to mask his worry, “Just stick close to me and we’ll be fine,”

“If I die I’ll kill you,”

“I’ll take you up on that,”

Despite your ‘friends that work together’ relationship, sometimes you felt he was being a little touchy. Especially around another man, he’d make sure there was distance between you two and him. You chalked it up to this place being shady.

“Just go I’ll be fine,” just as humans do, Zuko really needed the bathroom. Of course, you couldn’t exactly join him, gendered bathrooms are a thing, so you told him you'll just wait in the nearby stores.

“Don’t talk to anyone don’t look at anyone don’t buy anything-“

“You’re not my dad Zuko, chill,” you pushed him lightly, he rolled his eyes and left to do his business.

You were humming quietly when a woman tapped your shoulder. She wore a mask which concealed most of her features, and had a hat almost as big as yours on.

“Hello,”

‘Don’t talk to strangers’ you replayed. You pretended not to understand. You tilted your head to the side, shrugging animatedly.

“Are you a foreigner?” You continued the ‘deer in headlights’ act, and that’s when your eyes finally landed on her left arm. It rested in her pocket, and seemed to be flexed. A funny feeling rose in your stomach.

“Guys, she’s a foreigner,” she yelled out behind her, a few men and women coming up. There were about 4 or 5.

Your eyes kept snapping to the bathroom, willing Zuko to sense the situation. You were severely outnumbered, and judging by the looks of the people in the back, there were for sure a few benders. You thought to use your own powers, but due to the extensive work you perform, you rarely had time to train.

“Just give me your money and we’ll let you go princess,” one of the boys mumbled, coming up to threaten you.

You furrowed your brows, still pretending to be confused. You thought to pretend you were oblivious might actually help. You smiled brightly, turning around and buying a small souvenir for the man. You grinned as you passed it to him, a weirded-out look crossing his barely showing features.

“Is she stupid?” He peered forward into your open wallet, showcasing no money. Zuko was the fire lord. Why would you need anything aside from loose change?

“Probably, look at her, she’s dressed like a tourist,”

“That necklace looks expensive,” a woman remarked, nearing you inquisitively.

“Ah you’re right,” the leader smiled, leaning closer to you, she signed with her hand a necklace around her neck, pointing at yours afterwards, “Nice necklace, where buy?” She dumbed her words down.

You took it off, silently panicking as you removed Zuko’s handmade pendant. It was a gold encrusted heart locket, and inside was a tiny mix of your nation and his’ shades, making a gorgeous concoction. It was a thank you for joining him. The metal that crafted it seemed dainty, but was strong and durable.

You used it to your advantage.

As the mystery lady’s eyes lit up at the sight of it, you spun her around, placing the jewellery on her neck, restricting her airway.

“Nobody move,” you scowled, looking around.

The woman signalled with her hand for them to stay still. She then turned around quickly, using her pocket knife to gnaw at the metal. It didn’t work, but it did leave a few nasty scratches on it. She used the same blade to attempt to cut you, but you dodged, pushing her to the ground under you. You stood in a standstill.

“You’re not a foreigner,” she mumbled.

“You’re trying to rob me,” you narrated.

“Doesn’t take a genius,” some guy yelled. Most tellers hid at this point.

“Just give me the necklace, and all will be good,”

She pounced, pushing you into a pole. Another woman restricted your arms behind it. She walked up to you again, grabbing the jewellery harshly. Using her knife, she guided your chin to look at her.

“Tell me, how much did you buy this for,”

“It’s handmade,” you frowned, wincing as she dug the knife further into your neck, not quite breaking skin.

“It’ll pawn for a pretty penny,” a man rasped, getting closer. Both the bandits were now right in your face.

Thankfully, legs are good for kicking. You sent them both back flying, twisting around to free yourself from the other lady. During the process, your hat fell and sunglasses followed.

“She works with the fire lord, RUN!” As you tried to locate the lady, they scrambled away. You were left without a necklace, and with hurried steps.

You ran up to the stalls, talking to the nearest man.

“Hey!”

“Women’s bathrooms are over there,”

“Cool I need the men’s,”

“You’re not allowed in there,” he looked concerned.

“I know, I’m looking for a man about this tall, wearing a ridiculous hat.”

“Oh, is that him?”

“Hey YN, where’d your hat go?”

“Let’s go home,” you tugged on his hand.

“But you said you wanted to get food?���

“I’m not hungry anymore,”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“Whatever you say…”

He continued to try to probe for more information, and you continued to shut him right back down.

When you finally got home and got changed, you were dunked right into another meeting. You sat next to Zuko, resting your head on your palm. Your non dominant hand rose to fidget with the necklace, only to be faced with the intense heartache that its absence brought forth. You sighed.

After what felt like an eternity and a half, the general- admiral(?), whoever, finished his speech and let you all excuse yourself. You matched your friend’s pace.

“Where’d your necklace go?”

You frowned, “probably at some pawn shop by now,”

“Okay ouch,” he furrowed his brows.

“I didn’t sell it,”

“Huh?” You reached your quarters, the moon dominating the dark sky. You pushed your door open.

“I was robbed earlier- at the market,” your feet guided you in, and towards your closet.

“Wait what? Is that why you wanted to leave? Why didn’t you tell me-“

“Zuko there was nothing you could do.” Pyjamas placed on the bed, you flopped on the mattress next to them.

“I could’ve had them imprisoned. I could’ve protected you,” he seemed hurt.

That angered you. You got up suddenly.

“I’m not some damsel in distress Zuko,”

“That’s not what I meant!” He stuttered.

“Oh yeah? Then what did you mean?”

“I just-“

“Forget it.” You pushed him out of the room, locking the door.

He knocked harshly. “Hey! You can’t just do that!”

“Why not?”

“B-BECAUSE?”

The soldiers and staff in the hallway tried to conceal their laughs, they really did, but seeing the fire lord begging his advisor who he’s totally not in love with to open the door was the funniest thing ever. Especially since he was so flustered.

“Yn please,”

“I’m changing don’t be weird,”

“When you’re done,” he rolled his eyes, resting his head against the door.

He practically fell on top of you when you opened it again.

His breath caught in his throat. Seeing you look so peaceful made him feel things. The way your face was illuminated by the dull- almost dead- candle you refused to replace. And how it made your eyes sparkle. And how yo-

“Zuko?”

“Sorry, lost in thought,” he flustered.

“It's okay,”

You stepped back, and he entered your room. It was decorated beautifully, much better than his room, Zuko never quite had the eye for design. And oh, it reeked of you. How the sheets were slightly dishevelled, the curtains weren’t quite closed all the way, the carpet had imprints of where your slippers were, and how all the decorative pillows were strung around the floor, your favourite ones still finding home on your bed.

“Sorry it’s kind of a mess,”

A mess? Surely this was an art piece. A painting of your room should be displayed in a museum.

Maybe you were a little more than his adviser. Just a little though. You sunk into the sheets, covering yourself in the warmth of a weighted blanket.

“Sooooo,” he dragged.

“Yeah Zuko, I got jumped.”

“I don’t understand,”

“What don’t you understand, I was attacked, and since I had basically no money, they took my necklace,”

“Oh,”

“Yeah,”

He paused. “Well are you okay?” He’d notice you looking out of your window frequently, and paranoidly checking your room and halls before entering.

“I’m fine,” you lied, for you were scared. Scared of being pinned with a knife to your neck, with the wrong move being the invitation to your funeral.

He tilted his head.

“Fine I lied. I'm not Fine Zuko,”

He smiled softly, a look of pity on his face. You got up out of bed, going near the window. The boy followed.

Again, your hand went up to play with your necklace.

Zuko kissed his lips. “What happened to you really sucks,”

“I really liked that necklace,”

“I’m not talking about the necklace Yn,” he wrapped an arm around you, pulling you into an embrace, “You were attacked, why're you trying to brush that away?”

You resisted tears, reluctantly replying, “If I think about it too much, it’s like I’m there all over again.” You refused to meet his eyes, until a gentle hand guided your face back to his.

“Yeah, but you can’t just suppress it. You’re safe here, I’m with you,” despite the words being just that, words, they comforted you.

Your eyes were locked with him, bodies intertwined. He hardly clocked in what he was doing, until you pulled away. You crossed your arms, putting distance between you and him.

“I should probably get going- it’s late,”

“Do you have to?” And all his resolve faded, how could he say no?

“I-I mean. I-“

“If you don’t want to it’s okay I just-“

“No I get it it’s j-“ you continued to cut eachother off.

“It’s up to you,” you concluded.

“I’ll stay if it helps you,”

“It does,”

“Alright, I’ll stay here. I’ll be here.” He stayed next to the window while you sunk into the bed.

You hummed as the cool pillow kissed your skin.

Still, you couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling in your stomach. You put a hand on your chest, eyes snapping to where Zuko is to both make sure he was there and that he was asleep. The fire lord was slumped on your desk chair, head falling back.

“You okay?” He asked.

You gasped, not aware he was awake in the first place.

“I’m fine,”

“Then why are you breathing so heavily?”

“Is a girl not allowed to breathe anymore?” He laughed, not because it was funny. Well, everything’s funny when it’s past 12.

“No seriously what’s up?”

“I just don’t feel safe, even if you’re in the room,” you sat up, pulling the other side of the blanket away to show the empty bed.

If your light was burning, you’d see the bright red that burned Zuko’s face, and no, it wasn’t his scar. The thought of being in a bed with you, that close. It shocked him to his core. He knew he was kind of an idiot in the love department, if it was a job, he’d be fired. But what he did know is that he’d stumble on his words and forget how to speak if he got into the bed.

“Please?” You gave him that smile, and how his knees almost buckled below him just at the sight of it, how could he resist?

A different colour of blush gnawed carefully at his neck, tinting the already present one a darker shade of red.

“Yeah okay,” stiffly, he joined you under the sheets. Engraving the image of you next to him, nightwear making you look like a movie he’d spend eternity watching. He clenched his jaw, trying to stay focused.

Again, all efforts simply ditched him as you laid your head on his chest. You used your arms to guide his around your waist, the other your lips. You gave him the gentle-est of pecks, almost just a touch, on his wrist, resting it against your cheeks. The spot burned with warmth, a trail of goosebumps exploring the rest of his arms.

“Thank you Zuko,” but it wasn’t just a thank you Zuko. See, maybe he was delusional, but something was different.

Maybe it was the way you were looking at him, if you gave him those eyes more frequently, he’d bend to your every will. The sweet smile you dawned pushing against his arm, he wished it would leave a mould, a mark, anything, to remember this moment.

Gently, you put his hand onto your neck, and sighed. As you drifted off into a safe, sound slumber, Zuko wondered what it would take for it to all happen again.

An: I love him sm ydu

[arealphrooblem]

Hi!! First off I just want to say that this is my new favorite writing blog on tumblr!! I'm so grateful for whatever strings the universe pulled that led me here. I'm literally addicted to every single thing you've written here. I swear I've read Mutually Assured Destruction like ten times within the past 24 hours.

I was wondering, if you find the free time and the inspiration, if you could write a villain x medic/civilian snippet? Maybe Medic accidentally witnessed villain's crime so villain can't let them just wander around freely since medic works for the hero agency, but also doesn't want to kill medic since medic is useful?

Thank you so much! I've always loved the idea of Villain x Medic so here you go!

CW: Kidnapping

“You know my face.”

The medic knew this day would come. Still, they froze in the doorway of the living room, keys dangling in their hands, blood frosting over in sheer dread. The villain sat with their legs crossed in the medic’s favorite armchair, the fire place unlit. The room in semi-darkness, the only light a glow from a street-lamp.

They didn’t ask how the villain knew their address. They should have taken Hero’s offer to leave under witness protection, but their whole life was built here. They couldn’t just leave and start over.

“I haven’t revealed it,” the medic said.

“Yet,” the villain amended. “I’m sure you would for the right price. Or under the right pressure.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I don’t. But I am not going to risk it.”

The lamp beside the couch switched on. The medic flinched away from the sight, eyes trained on the coat rack by the door. As if mattered anymore if they saw the villain’s face again. As if they hadn’t doomed themselves the first time.

Footsteps creaked over the old wood floors. The medic took slow deep breaths, holding it for four counts and releasing it. A trick they had taught people afraid of IV needles to calm their racing heart.

The time to run had long since passed. And even if it hadn’t, the villain most definitely had people outside lying in wait for such an escape.

Hands that tipped the medic’s chin to meet that dangerous gaze.

“You’re going to kill me,” the medic said. It was not a question.

An eyebrow raised. “You sound very calm about that.”

“My career has taught me how to recognize and accept things that aren’t in my control. Right now there is nothing I can do to stop you.”

“This is true.”

The villain studied them, thumb brushing absently against the curve of their bottom lip.  The darkness of their eyes felt unfathomable, like the Marianas Trench. Like the deepest part of the ocean, full of wonder and terror.

“I am not going to kill you,” the villain said finally. “I owe you my life. And I always repay my debts. But you know my face.”

The medic swallowed thickly against the barrage of options that opened up. The villain could blind them, torture them into insanity, cut out their tongue. All of the above. The villain’s hand slips across their cheek to cup the back of the medic’s head. A possessive gesture, they noted with a shiver.

“You are coming with me. Whether it be conscious or unconscious, I leave up to your . . . control.”

Relief warred with new fear. “Where are you taking me?” they asked.  “What happens to me when we get there?”

“Questions I will happily answer in the car,” said the villain, their hand sliding down the medic’s 

neck before retreating. “Hand me your phone and your keys and then go pack your things. You have ten minutes.”

The medic stood rooted to the spot. This was real, this was happening. And it yet it still felt like a bad dream. Ten minutes to pack their life up? Ten minutes?

“Tick tock, darling,” crooned the villain, holding their hand out.

Numbly, the medic dropped their phone and keys into the villain's hand and took robotic steps towards their bedroom. Clothes were easy to grab and stuff into the suitcase. As were their birth certificate and other identity papers. Personal items, less so. Medic spent precious minutes at their bookshelf, picking a well thumbed classic from their childhood, their most referenced medical texts, and a novel they hadn’t started yet.

The pressure of time throbbed in the back of their head, making it difficult to think rationally about what they needed. They ducked into the bathroom, grabbing their contact case and solution, their toothbrush. Then they stood in the middle of their bedroom, frantically trying to think of what they couldn’t live without.

“Times up.”

The villain’s voice came from behind, causing the medic to jump out of their skin.

“Zip it up and let’s go.”

The villain’s car lay hidden in the shadows of the back alley. A dangerous looking driver waiting for them, their cigarette glow the only light. The villain opened the backseat of the car for Medic with a mocking flourish.

It was their last opportunity to run, but the medic knew a shot in the back waited for them if they tried it. So, dread sitting heavy in their stomach, they climbed in. The villain took the seat next to them, giving out curt orders to the driver in a language the medic didn’t recognize.

 The nagging horror that the medic forgot something important haunted them. They leaned their head against the window, mentally walking through their house, trying to remember. But the fear churning in their blood made it so difficult.

“I’m taking you to my compound,” said the villain, almost conversationally. As if detailing the itinerary for a date. “I have a room set up for you, as well as a med bay. You can resume your work taking care of my mercenaries.”

The medic listened with half an ear, watching the wave of street lamps pass them by. What were they missing?

“No objections to that?” the villain asked, bemused.

They passed a park, one the medic had many birthday parties in as a child, and the sudden zing of memory made them gasp.

“Stop! We have to go back!” they cried.

The driver didn’t so much as flinch.

“Go back?" The villain laughed. "Too late for that, doctor. You should have protested before you climbed into this car."

"I forgot something!"

"Whatever it is can be replaced," the villain said with a dismissive wave of their hand. 

"It's not replaceable. Please."

Desperation clawed at their throat but the villain remained unmoved.

"If it were so important, one would think it would be the first thing you packed, not the first thing you forgot. You will have to learn to live without it."

The medic closed their eyes the rest of the journey. They couldn't bear to look at Villain's face.

"Do you regret it?"

The villain sat upon the examination bed, looking almost innocent.

It had been a week since the medic was taken. Their life had changed so drastically that the normality of the med bay, of the tools they had spent years around, clanged like a discordant note. They threw themselves into their work, demanding physicals for the Villain's mercenaries to establish a baseline of health. These people, so used to sewing their own wounds, grew awkward around the medic’s soft and attentive care. Some refused to come. 

The villain showed up last, a new laceration on their ribs. They sat, spine straight and unflinching as medic carefully cleaned the wound and bandaged it. 

"Regret what?" the medic asked. 

" . . .Saving my life."

Their hands stilled for a moment, hovering over the wound. It was a tricky question and the medic wasn't sure how to answer it honestly. 

"I would have regretted the person that I'd become if I had let you die," they said finally. 

"Oh? Most people would consider it a net positive, preventing all my future damage."

"It's not up to me to decide who deserves to live and who doesn't."

"I beg to differ. You hold people's lives in your hands every day. Who else, if not you?"

The medic glanced up at the villain, who stared at them with open-faced fascination, rather than the usual dispassion. 

"I don't think any one person should have that power," they said pointedly. 

The villain smiled, a slow curving movement. "A pity. You could be terrifying indeed."

The medic swallowed something strange dancing in their gut. "You're lucky I'm not." 

"Indeed I am."

They finished the examination without further conversation. The villain watched with quiet fascination as the medic sterilized their tools, folded unused bandages away, updated the Villain's medical records. 

"What did you leave behind?" they asked softly. 

"My life," the medic said, tersely, as they tapped on the keyboard. 

The villain was undeterred. "What did you remember in the car?"

The medic paused at that, unsure if they should answer. They didn't want the villain's mockery over it. But lies rarely went over well with the villain -- the medic had cleaned up the wounds left behind from that. 

"A box under my bed," they replied, keeping their eyes locked on the computer. "It had my keepsakes in it. Family photos, birthday cards, that sort of thing."

"Sentiment," the villain said skeptically. "That's what got you so worked up?"

"I wouldn't expect someone like you to understand," they snapped, standing up. 

The villain watched them leave and the medic felt their gaze like a laser all the way down the hall. 

Two days later a painfully familiar box sat on the examination table. Scribbled in sharpie on the cardboard was a message: 

I do understand. 

[profoundbondfanfic]

Hello! I love the recommendations you've done so far.

I was hoping if you could provide me with some recommendations for AU Destiel Detective fics?

Thank you so much. Keep up the good work!

hey! Thank you, here are a few:

A Beginner's Guide to Communing with the Dead by suspiciousflashlight [Mature, 77k words]

Maybe it's the little girl whose disappearance turned into a murder, and whose murder turned into a cold case, and who has now apparently decided to move in with him. Maybe it's the unacceptable hole left in his life when his dumb best friend and partner in (the prevention of) crime decided to go and get himself killed. Maybe it's his brother, whose high-profile career and fantastic girlfriend and first-child-on-the-way are steadily leaving Dean in the dust. Pick one. Pick all of them. The why doesn't matter so much as the what, and the what is this: Dean is pretty sure he's going completely, certifiably insane. Sure, he hasn't started wearing all his clothes inside out, and he still showers on a regular basis (anyways, that's not crazy, just a little eccentric); but there's no getting around the fact that he just threw away his life, his career, and his reputation by dragging out his mom's old necromancy book and summoning a Class A Forbidden Entity to his attic. A cranky one, too. With horrendous bed-head.

As The Sparrow by hubrisandwax [Explicit, 18k words]

It’s 1947. Dean is an ex-marine fighting crime and a very different sort of war to the one he faced in the Pacific as a detective on the streets of LA. This city isn’t all the glitz and glamor it’s made out to be, however, and Dean finds himself tugged in to a world of life-threatening unknowns when Daphne Novak’s body is discovered. Castiel Novak, her husband, was one of Dean’s battalion mates in the war, and he's just as deadly and dangerous as he was two years ago when he saved Dean’s life during the Battle of Okinawa. Except now he’s wanted for his wife’s murder, and Dean just doesn’t believe Cas is capable of that. Is Cas really who he says he is, though? And what will Dean have to sacrifice in order to repay the debt he feels he owes?

Casicorn by everandanon [Explicit, 56k words]

When Detective Dean Winchester suddenly finds himself with a new roommate, a mysterious man who doesn’t speak but seems to somehow be connected to the department’s recent vigilante problem, he has no idea what he’s in for. The guy doesn’t know how to work a TV, brush his teeth, or even take a shower, and he stares at Dean all the goddamn time. Not to mention he insists on sleeping in Dean’s bed. While Dean is in it! Weird, right? Except the longer Cas sticks around, the less Dean starts to mind; the more he kind of dreads Cas leaving for good, actually, even though nobody really knows who Cas is or where he came from. And then, one night, Dean happens to witness their vigilante firsthand and realizes he knows Cas even less than he thought . . . (Loosely inspired by The Little Mermaid)

Chronicles Of A Serial Killer by Duckyboos [Explicit, 52k words]

Dean Winchester has the perfect apple pie life with his shy-but-sweet boyfriend in the suburbs. He has a steady, well-paid job with the LAPD and he’s charming and attractive. Really, he’s living the American Dream. It’s his extra-curricular activities that some may disagree with, as he’s also an accomplished serial killer. To date, his kills amount to around 36 and he’s never been caught. He’s employed by the law, remember? He knows how these things work.

Grounds for Murder by cinderellasleftshoe, sarcasticbones [Explicit, 199k words]

"The weirdos in that coffee shop are always dancing, or playing 'strip Clue,' whatever that is. Once there were sock puppets, and, I'm not kidding, a cookie trebuchet." "Eyeliner?" "Really, Dean? That's all you got out of all of that. That there's maybe a bangable emo guy over there?" Dean shrugged and took another too-large bite of his sandwich. He'd been a detective with the Phoenix PD Violent Crimes bureau for three years, and he'd see a lot stranger things than sock puppets, old ladies, and strip Clue.

like a thief in the night by kingdumbass [Mature, 28k words]

Plagued by nightmares since the death of his mother as a small child, Dean Winchester is no stranger to grief. After the sudden death of his brother and the unexplainable disappearance of Sam’s fiancee Jessica leave Dean reeling, the former detective turns towards alcohol to cope with the loss, but when the news of another missing peron’s case all the way out in Pontiac, Illinois jogs Dean’s memory of an old unsolved case with possible connections to the mysterious note his brother left behind, he feels compelled to pick up where he left off. Though once he rolls into town, he encounters more questions than answers. Namely: what’s real and what’s delusion? And how is the creature from his nightmares tormenting the residents of this small, suburban town?

The Trouble With Blue Eyes by FriendofCarlotta [Explicit, 14k words]

For years now, Dean Winchester has had a mutually beneficial arrangement with Castiel Novak, a fellow private eye. It’s good, it’s easy, and there’s nothing wrong with it. Well, except for one thing: Dean’s caught himself a bad case of feelings, and Cas doesn’t feel the same way.

What Once Was Sacred by saltandbyrne [Explicit, 55k words]

Los Angeles detective Dean Winchester works tirelessly to atone for the sins of his father one case at a time. When his best friend Charlie drags him to visit Sam at his new job, Dean stumbles onto a bizarre string of deaths that brings him uncomfortably close to his past. Dean can't stop thinking about Castiel, an enigmatic DJ who plays the sexiest music Dean's ever heard. A chance encounter at Castiel's house reveals that Castiel is an incubus, and Dean must face the lies and the reality of his childhood as a hunter. Dean comes to see that he and Castiel have more in common than he thought, and that guilt can be the hardest thing to cast aside.

You can also check our law enforcement!castiel and law enforcement!dean for more. Also worth mentioning the DestielNoirBang as a future source.

[foccaccia]

i like the Hunger Games a lot but im always gonna be a little bitter it took off when her Underland Chronicles never did. those books were so good and so fucked up. snippets of spoilers for a 20 year old book series for middle schoolers ahead:

cockroaches the size of horses who talk and are actually super chill and great babysitters for human toddlers. these books are the only reason i dont have nightmares about cockroaches anymore

cannibalism happens a lot. at one point a rat the size of a bison says "man go ahead and eat your dead friend, we wont judge" to a spider, who then proceeds to eat her dead friend. everyone but the rat judges.

another rat, who is still relatively a baby, is found later eating his babysitter's liver in an attempt to hide the body.

dude, pandoras death was so fucked up. "wow an island! im starving im gonna have a snack. brb guys" flies a little bit over, is immediately devoured in seconds by bugs and her skeleton crashes into the jungle below

plague book! humans try to commit genocide and blame it on bugs

hey. hey eleven year old. kill this tiny baby screaming for his mother. he sounds just like your baby sister you think just died horribly. kill this baby with a sword. you didnt? you didnt kill a sobbing baby who watched his mother die? we're putting you on trial for treason and will execute you

baby rat gone insane, now 15' tall and leading an army, ripping the head off of his friend/gaslighter, immediately heartbreakingly asking where she went, and then finding the head and accusing a twelve year old boy of doing it

dude gregor is eleven and in the first book willingly leaps off a cliff to his death (despite it being his worst fear) in the hopes itll stop his two year old sister boots from being graphically torn apart and eaten, like he has seen happen to others

thalia's death. they dont just kill unnamed children (they do absolutely kill a lot of unnamed babies onscreen) they also kill beloved named children

"the fireflies had to gnaw ares' claw off of his corpse bc you wouldnt let go of your friends claw. its been almost three weeks and the viscera has dried and glued it to your grip. we cant get it off without breaking your finger. you gotta let go of your friends corpse, twelve year old boy"

twitchtip.

forcing the twelve year old into a prophesied battle where he will die, and making him dissociate so hard for months he blankly allows others to make him cause/be complicit in war crimes

HAHA HEY THE SAPIENT, INTELLIGENT MICE DYING BY THE HUNDREDS SUFFOCATING ON POISON GAS WHILE A TODDLER SINGS A NURSERY SONG ABOUT THE MICE DYING.

the six year old boy losing literally everyone hes ever known and cared for over and over again

just so much violent gore and death for middle schoolers, man. i love it.

hey that was objectively a good and well done ending. and i also loved it. but "hey gregor my husband was in the war. he had ptsd that will never go away just like you" hey hes twelve :( someone help him

prim's death in the hunger games has nothing on the shit collins pulled in the underland chronicles this is like a tiny chunk please read them

[frizzle-mcshizzle]

the first 4 kotlc books summarized in the most unhinged way possible, because it’s been like 6 years since i’ve actually read them

Keeper: You’re an elf Sophie, you have to live with your new guardians who have a pet t. rex, have fun being an outcast at school, secret messages from your creators?!? actually you where dumb and went near fire and now your guardians don’t want you :(. oh no child kidnapping!! girls first time almost dying in elf land!! she gets to stay in elf land and gets adopted happy ending YAY!!!

Exile: girl finds a magic HORSE, girl goes to prison to vist a ✨psychopath✨ and make him go 🔥insane🔥 because that’s a job for a 12yo!?! oh no she accidentally causes a man to go insane from guilt (his children hate her now) oh no she’s allergic to MIRRORS, time to go on a field trip on your magic horse and meet a old man in a cave, oh no the bad guys attack!!!, SHE CAN TELEPORT?!?, fixes the man she broke though the power of happiness and 💕 love 💕 the last non cliffhanger of the entire series 

(12 year old girl attacked by 5000 year old man happens sometime in these two books)

Everblaze: time to fix the psychopath you made go insane, oh no, he committed arson and killed somebody important!!! ogre king puts the fun in funeral by announcing his intention to commit mass gnomeocide and the girl commits WAR CRIMES FOR THE FIRST TIME (she should have known better you can’t even blame this on lack of elf lessons), your best friend is tricked into to making a torture device just👏 for👏 you!! the council is making you wear it as a punishment!! your dead adoptive sister was killed by her fiancé!?!, oh no your new dad is trying to kill him, you 🔥destroy🔥your torture device and plan to join a rebel organization, you are 13 years old, this is the start of the series cliffhangers 

Neverseen: children join rebel organization by following a old man through paris, ✨surprise✨ a mother stowed away with them (she knocks the man on his ass), boys fight over girl and end up being forced to basically kiss through their magic breathing tube for a unknown amount of time, T R E E H O U S E S!!!!, children meet the leaders (that they definitely don’t already know under different names), 🦄ALICORN SEX SCENE!!!🦄 the rebel leaders take the kids on a field trip! (it’s a prison brake), OH NO!! one of the hot boys™️ get stabbed by B U G, family puke party while he gets better, the children go to prison school for the man who they failed to prison brake!! Girl set herself on 🔥FIRE🔥 (don’t tell her parents), they meet twins!! one was bansihed for property damage and not because there’s society has no ability to teach overpowered middle schoolers hot boys™️ big brother comes to visit!! they go on ANOTHER field trip and this time Commit MORE WAR CRIMES, oh no!!! the big brother is actually evil!! oh no!! Tree lady activates tree power to save the other tree people!! 

part two

[weirwoodweirds]

I don’t get why everyone’s so mad about the Alicent/Criston sex. Like yeah if you’re into rhaenicent, I get that, I am too, but we can’t seriously be believing we’re getting a happy ending or that Alicent isn’t repressed and makes bad decisions(I love her but be real).

(Let me be clear, I would say I’m team black just bc team greens reasoning is misogyny, but actually I’m neither team, I’m team let’s watch a cool show with cool lore. I’m team Hot People Doing War Crimes and Being Sad)

Like it or not it’s in character. For both of them. Criston hasn’t had sex with anybody since Rhaenyra, Alicent was repeatedly raped, they’re both super repressed due to religion/oaths/etc. They have a strong bond, Alicent stopped Criston from killing himself and was the one to trust him and ensure he maintained his honor after the whole debacle, Criston has cared for her kids and protected her dutifully for years. And more importantly he’s loyal to her. Not Rhaenyra or Viserys, not Otto or Aegon. He is literally the only person who considers his duty to be to her, who protects her and follows her orders. And even more so now her sons are no longer under her control and she sees that Otto has been manipulating her the whole time.

They’re both in a dark, emotionally tumultuous place where they make bad decisions, it’s war, and war they caused. Alicent loves Rhaenyra, sure, but her son just murdered Rhaenyras. There’s no coming back, there’s no rectification like she hoped. She’s lost hope in any happy reunion. Sex is a way people cope. It’s not healthy, but they do it. (And frankly it’s kind of fucked how many people I’ve seen saying she’s being disloyal to Viserys. First of all, he’s dead. Second of all, he raped her regularly for twenty years, neglected their children, and never cared about her)

And honestly, it’s fucking interesting for their characters! Alicent is gonna be more full of shame now than ever, get even more depressed and hopeless, and likely will end up ending it with Criston. Which will be a full rehash of the situation with Rhaenyra, and likely make him do the exact same thing he did back then, resent her and find someone new to serve, namely Aegon, as he grows more and more out of Alicent’s control and Criston becomes hand.

And then Alicent will be as alone as she’s ever been, having lost her childhood friend forever, abandoned by her sons who she put in power, her father who was never on her side to begin with, her daughter mad with grief, one grandchild dead and the others traumatized, and now her loyal knight abandoning her. All for her to eventually be alone with her traumatized daughter when the Blacks take Kings Landing, when she is permitted to live to watch everyone she cares about taken one by one and outlive them all. Seems like a pretty fair setup for her endgame.

And Criston will be with Aegon, and feeling more shame than ever, having twice soiled his oath, and will turn to violence and rage, just as he did at Rhaenyra’s wedding. Except now on an insanely large scale. But his position as Hand won’t matter, Aegon probably won’t listen to him, we have book evidence Aemond won’t, so he’ll progress into violent rage, trying his damnedest to convince himself that he’s doing the right thing and knowing he’s not. And then he’ll attempt to die with honor, and not even be permitted that.